florentine tarts with frangipane filling

hello hello! today i'm going to post another sweet things, helplessly sweet things. i am quite sure that this is a tartlet that every kids in the world would die for. i am exaggerating a bit, but if i was a kid and my mom making this i would run to the kitchen straight away and ate it as fast as i can. man, this sweet-goodies is so incredibly magnificent.

when i saw this tarts for the very first time at Jr. Masterchef, i had already fallen in love with this tarts. moreover, i have never tasted a frangipane tarts before. i wondered what it tastes like. i found frangipane filling is very unique simply because of its name. it's frangipane and frangipane is a name of flower. i personally love the smell of the flower but never imagine how it would taste like. lately, after i entered 'frangipane filling' in the search engine, i knew that my thought was obviously wrong. the frangipane filling has no relation to any of frangipane flowers have ever existed. ha ha. frangipane filling is basically a filling that has a cake/pastry-like texture with almond flavor. i was getting more curious.

a tart with frangipane itself has already have a beautiful delicate soft almond flavor. i absolutely don't mind eating it without any topping on. but the thought of having another rich flavor added to it couldn't stop me from making the topping. especially when the topping involves flaked almond, cornflakes, and caramel. ooh.. la.. la.. . anyhow, when i first saw the recipe i thought this tarts would be too sweet for my liking, so i tweaked it a little with the sugar and honey. i'll still give you the original recipe though. enjoy!

donna hay's four tier chocolate cake

hey! valentine's day is approaching. have you planned your valentine's treat? i have. i've gone crazy with it. LOL. okay, please don't get bored with me talking about Junior Masterchef again. but because of that show, i have tons of thing i wanted to cook for the valentine's day. especially since there was so many pasta involved in that show, i wanted to make pasta for valentine. but that will be in next week's post, let's elaborate this one first.

today, i came to post Donna Hay's Four Tier Chocolate Cake. where this recipe comes from? Junior Masterchef (again). this is their pressure test on one of the episodes. this cake originally looks very innocent and plain. the point is to decorate them beautifully with 'less is more' principle. i always love berries when it comes to decorating pastry, this time i used red currant. red currant makes the cake looking more festive and merrier, but in the other hand i feel like i should use this decoration for Christmas Day instead of Valentine's Day. you can adjust the decoration to your liking, maybe with some heart-shaped candy for valentine? i can guarantee you this one is a must on your special day with your special someone. a cake that can make you feel loved more than ever, even when you eat it alone. 

when i saw the kids making this cake, i've thought about how easy and simple making this cake would be. i searched the recipe very soon from their site and found out that my thought is true. this is a simple cake with simple ingredients. i love making this cake. moreover, you should know how this cake tastes. this is the best chocolate cake i've ever tasted! i ended up making this cake twice. the first one was planned to be given for S. , the ultimate chocolate lover, i only tasted so little when he ate it and give me a small bite to try. i felt disappointed.. disappointed because i only made it for him! i should make some for me either. so the next day, i made it again and have a big slice for myself. then i assumed, my college friends would love this too, they've never tasted my baking-goods because we've been friends for just about 1.5 years. i still don't have the guts to give it to them. this is the first cake i gave for them and i'm amazed with their reactions. they can't stop slicing and slicing this cake and eat it! this is truly the best chocolate cake i've ever known. you should really try making this sensational cake..

vanilla yoghurt pannacotta with orange jelly

it's the first day of February. what's your february wish, dear readers?

today, still with the Junior Masterchef fever, i made another pannacotta! yayyy! i'm so happy to sink my self in my favorite desserts lately, last one is creme brulee and this time is pannacotta. this time, pannacotta with a twist. not the original one, but using cream and yoghurt. i got this recipe from Junior Masterchef website. if you look closer to the pictures, you'll see a little black dots in the cream, that's vanilla seeds and it's a magical ingredient.

my passion to make this pannacotta came when i watched the Junior Masterclass episode where chef Poh Ling Yeow demonstrate how to make her vanilla yoghurt pannacotta with raspberry jelly. suddenly i craved, suddenly i became crazily curious to make a yoghurt pannacotta. the next day, i automatically ran into my favorite supermarket and try to find some raspberries but none was available that time. do i feel bad? no, a hundred percent no. i've made raspberry pannacotta before and i will bore you all if i make it again, right?! so i decided to use whatever fruits that come up to my mind. my father just bought lots of mandarin orange and i realized how oranges can also be refreshing and yet wonderful to go with pannacotta.

so i peel some oranges, about 4, more or less. i removed all the skin and only use the pulp, i tried to keep their shape but i couldn't. naughty hands. if the original recipe from Chef Poh Ling Yeow call for a raspberry water infusion, i used orange juice from another 2 oranges. however, i think juice from 2 oranges isn't enough to make the jelly rich in orange flavor. next time i would substitute all the water with orange juice. if you want to execute this recipe, do substitute all the water with orange juice, okay? anyway, if i prefer a plain vanilla creme brulee, for pannacotta i would prefer the vanilla-yoghurt one. it is more refreshing and rich in flavor, me love it so much.