Candied Lemon Slices

you know i've made lemon pound cake last week right? you do remember about the candied lemon i said too, don't you? well, this is the candied lemon recipe that i will post today, as a reward of your remembrance. however, for those who forgot or even don't know about it at all. here is a quick recap, last week i posted lemon pound cake recipe (link on your left) which contains candied lemon inside of it, and it was made from scratch. so here's the scratch i'll tell..

this candied lemon is just too easy to make, however it takes a lot of patience and care. you should understand that you are going to work with boiled sugar which is very hot, so be cautious. you too should know that the pith is very bitter at first and as you boil and rinse them frequently, all the bitterness will go away with those water and replaced by the sweetness from the sugar syrup. well, more on that later in the recipe. another thing that i wanted to show you is, i just stumbled upon an interesting picture on google, it's about lemon and its anatomy and i find it very insightful for some reason. i hope you find it useful..

Lemon Lemon Pound Cake

this one is a revisit from the elder and the more original version, 'Sweetened Condensed Milk Pound Cake' from Table for 2.. or more. as what i've mentioned on my last pineapple tarts post, about lemon and my preferences, i couldn't stop my self from thinking about lemon flavor and i think aside than making it as lemon curd, i have another favorite way which is lemon cake. i really have a slight addiction to any lemon (all type of) cake, be it pound cake, cupcake, sponge cake, roll cake, you name it. that's clearly the reason why i made this cake and post it.

another reason is because, the post i posted before just didn't do any justice about the cake. it's the ugliest pound cake i ever seen perhaps, it was a long time before i know that a pound cake should stand up tall and proud. back then, i was planning to make a smaller version of it so i poured less batter to the normal size tin. i should've known that in order to pour smaller amount of batter you need a smaller tin too, that way your cake will still be pretty to see and savor. now that i've understood about it, i poured all the batter into the tin and make it bigger simply because i still haven't bought the smaller tin yet. LOL.

this cake is so awesome! totally in love with this. with the addition of lemon zest, lemon juice, candied lemon peel (though it didn't really seen) and lemon crunch icing, it took this cake to another level of flavor. the cake itself is so moist and tender and smell the best. even though you see that i might be slightly over browning the cake, it doesn't have that tough crust that you hate to chew, they are still incredibly soft. i bet nobody would hate this cake, so it's a safe choice for anyone who want to impress someone with a baking skill.

strawberry frozen yogurt

i got another treat for ya! not for some of you on the northern side of the world though, it's more for us in the tropical or summery areas. i have frozen yogurt here! with my favorite fruit, strawberry. if i take a look to these last few posts of mine in the blog, i have been making things with fruits lately.. or not? however, i am craving for cheesecake right now..

this month has been a wonderful month for me in the kitchen. it opens with two special birthdays which i got the chances to make birthday cakes for both of it and it turns out great. not to mention just yesterday i've managed to make a very freakin awesome Rilakkuma cupcakes for my friend's girlfriend. not to mention last wednesday i also made a batch of super giga delicious savory puff pastry tart, which result in me being praised by my bf's mom. say October is my lucky month! and to top it off, i am planning on making some halloween treats! i never made any before, so i guess it's time for me to start, don't you think?!

anyhow, back to this frozen yoghurt. this one is a recipe from David Lebovitz ice cream cookbook. it is still so far my favorite ice cream cookbook in the house. this fro-yo is tangy enough to brighten your day and refresh one dull day. as what he's said there '... this vibrantly colored frozen yogurt provides the biggest blast of strawberry flavor imaginable', i couldn't be more agree with his words.

coconut milk pannacotta with mango jelly

hey there! i made coconut milk pannacotta with mango jelly last week. it turns out great, i love it. the tropical combo between coconut milk and mango never fail to freshen up the day. i have tons of things i wanted to make now but i just still couldn't find the right time to actually make it. i hope this week i could make at least two of them.

wow, turns out i'm so happy to see these photos of the pannacotta, the colors are so cheerful and brighten up my day. this is very good because i wasn't feeling that shiny today, i don't know why, but maybe i'm just a little exhausted over yesterday's work out. i'm starting a healthy life by this month, which means i'll be doing some sports and work my body. hopefully i could be very consistent about it.   because i couldn't just stay in the kitchen baking and making a lot of sweets, eating it, and not having any sports. it's like drowning my self into the sea of diabetes. lol. so this is also a precaution and message for all of you my favorite readers, who have a very sweet tooth like me yet doesn't like doing sports, we really should do some exercise for our body! for the sake of our health.

well, now let's talk about the pannacotta.. pannacotta has becoming so famous lately. it's like everywhere i go to cafe or patisserie they must have some variations of pannacotta. the amount of people entering my blog with keywords 'pannacotta' is also seriously so much. i couldn't blame anyone for this, since pannacotta is like the best dessert in my world. i've made the original one, then the yoghurt one, and this is the coconut milk version. i wonder what will i modify again next. any idea? i want to make the matcha version of this. still don't know when though. lol. so anyway, for you pannacotta lovers, savor this!

durian pancake and a little reunion

hello my dear readers, i'm so thankful for not forgetting today's post. i almost missed it. i spent too much of my time playing with my friend who's back in town again. she's completely insane and she's the one who shares almost all the same thoughts with me. well we have another best friend who knows us too well but she's a little wiser and not as crazy as we are. she brings balance to our friendship.

unfortunately, both of them don't eat durian, so none of them taste this durian pancake. but my mom is a durian fan and she enjoys this pancake. too bad i didn't really give it some justice because i made the crepes slightly thicker. my bad. the next time i make it, i hope i could make it thinner and more beautiful.

I got the recipe from Mbak Pepy on Indonesia Eats. If you love Indonesian food, you must love her food blog right away. Anyhow, back to me and my friends, it's nice to know that we are all completing each other with laughter and advices, hopefully til later even after we have had kids and family. I'm so happy and thrilled to be able to hang out again together at the same time in the same place with them. That's us below! And for those of you who are craving for this durian pancake, i have reposted the recipe from Indonesia Eats below.. :)

strawberry and white chocolate mousse

hello everyone, i just looked at my blog's overviews and feel sad with the ongoing stats this week. hahaha. seems like i haven't been putting much attention and effort to this blog and its surroundings. but i'm here today, posting one lovely dessert i've made. it wasn't actually meant to be this thing. i got the original recipe from my favorite chocolate cookbook. it was at first written as white chocolate mousse. but the picture is so lovely because the clear white chocolate mousse was dotted with the red from raspberries, whole raspberry. then my mind went a little playful by thinking of making all of them turn pink. you may see the original picture from the book here, with my hands there, thinking of making some twist.

what i did to this white chocolate mousse is simple. in order to make it pink, i make strawberry sauce and just combined it with the chocolate mousse. tastewise, it tastes strawberry-ish, not completely strawberry. i think the flavor of the white chocolate still overpowers everything, yet it's quite scary to put more strawberry juice into it because i'm afraid too much juice wouldn't make the mousse set. however, this strawberry chocolate mousse still looks cute in my eyes, with those pink color and strawberry garnish. strawberry is just my favorite fruit. don't you think they're pretty as well?

well, this dessert is still refreshing and almost perfect to be eaten in a hot summer day, though some other twist might make it more delicious. next time i make it, i want to divide the mousse in layers, like one layer of white chocolate mousse then topped with strawberry mousse then topped with chocolate mousse and so on. also i think, making it with yellow-colored fruit such as mangoes or oranges might be yummy too. the color would be so summery. can't wait to make something yellow. anyhow, for you who curious with this dessert and its recipe, check the recipe and see if you can come up with another better twist! :D

french apple tart

here i come back again! with one of the cake i've planned to bake this week.. french apple tart or if you want something fancy, you can call it 'tarte aux pommes' though i don't really know how to pronounce it. hahaha. turns out, nothing too special about this tart. just like the usual combination with apple and cinnamon. i still like it but it bores me.

i was pretty enthusiastic layering those apples until it looks flowery. but i'm not really satisfied with the final look, it's not really neat is it? looks messy :( now, looking at the pictures, i think perhaps it was because i don't peel the apple first. which one do you think? or do you think it's pretty and neat? haha.

what i found interesting in the baking process today was the apple variety. i didn't use granny smith like i usually do when making apple dessert. this time i used local produce, it is Malang Apple and Manalagi Apple. both of them are harvested here in Indonesia and they have the tart taste similar to granny smith. they don't look as green as granny smith, a little paler and smaller. my father loves them more than the imports. and... sorry to say, not that i don't want to share more things with you all today, but to be honest i am completely extremely tired. i need some rest and maybe i'm gonna hit my bed soon. so, without making you wait too long, i'll give you the recipe below:

mille feuille

it is starting to feel like christmas has been so close. wherever i go, i hear christmas songs playing and christmas decorations have already hung everywhere. so warming! i have made panettone last week, which is a traditional italian bread usually served during christmas. this time, i want to get a little merrier with mille feuille. i think this pastry will soon be a hit around the city, replacing red velvet cake and macarons.

turns out this pastry is crazily easy to make but insanely delicious. however, i didn't make my own puff pastry from scratch and just used the store bought one. if you were planning to make it from scratch, well it may take you some time to make it before you are able to make this mille feuille. once you had your puff pastry in your hand, mille feuille is made just by stacking those puff pastry and layer it with cream and any fillings that you like. i prefer fruits though.. mine was layered with cream diplomat and peaches and then topped with another thin layer of cream diplomat and finely chopped dried cranberries, mint leaves and last but not least.. generous amount of shaved white chocolate. the topping gives you shades of red and green which will go well with this holiday theme. and the minty flavor you got from munching those leaves are just adorable and refreshing.. i want to eat it againnn, now!

one thing that i'm not really content with is the cream diplomat. cream diplomat is basically pastry cream mixed with some whipped cream so that it becomes lighter. i love the taste of it so much, but i didn't get the super smooth satiny cream texture i wanted. it's all because i added the pastry cream into the whipped cream in undesirable temperature. you should wait until the pastry cream has completely cool before you add it to the whipped cream, otherwise your cream diplomat will curdle and looks ugly and separated. i hope none of you follow my mistakes, okay? ;) and look at those roses, they are real roses! bicolor roses with red and yellow color. they are so beautiful, aren't they?! 

strawberry muffins

it's october already and i heard everyone around the blogosphere has been busy preparing halloween. well, i'm not, or at least i haven't participated yet. besides halloween, everybody also seems like having feast with apples. i really want to make something with apple this month. i hope i could have some spare time and also chances to make it. but today, i will give you strawberry muffins on my first october's post.

to be honest, i have never completely succeeded making muffins with those easy-without-mixers-methods. i've always ended up with a tough-unrisen-muffin. but this one, i think it was quite perfect and flawless. i don't know is it because i was that lucky or because i finally learned the mistake i've made. lol. now, let me tell you my secret about strawberries. i think i am now having an affair with her. strawberry is now officially become my favorite ingredient. i love how it tastes, i love how it looks, i love its color, i love everything about it! strawberry always looks beautiful in every way. can't wait to make something with strawberries again, don't know yet though.

well, i guess this muffin would be best served in the morning for breakfast, to make our day more cheerful. i hope everyone would love to enjoy my strawberry muffin, because i am enjoying every piece of them happily..

bougatsa without poached figs

hahaha, it is a funny post title, isn't it? well, i am having a Masterchef Australia fever again. and i guess this dessert just appeared few weeks ago in Masterclass, George Calombaris made it. guess what! he extremely hates food-blogger. i just got the info from Not Quite Nigella, she did mention it a few times though. i don't care if he hates us, i just wanted to try to make some of his recipe. but if once in a blue moon, he accidentally read this post, i would like him to kill this page as soon as he could because i haven't cooked his dish into perfection.

bougatsa is a traditional Greek dessert, according to what George said, bougatsa is the Greek version custard tarts. according to wikipedia, bougatsa is a Greek breakfast pastry consisting of custard, cheese, or minced meat filling between layers of phyllo. i faced some problems making it though. problem number 1, phyllo pastry is very rare here in Jakarta, at least that's what i've been thinking for quite a long time. problem number 2, no figs here, i could substitute it with pear but it leads me to problem number 3. problem number 3, i had no verjuice. problem number 4, i don't have semolina flour. this time i really hope George doesn't read this paragraph, he surely will despise food blogger more because he may think i couldn't find any substitute for it or he'll think i'm crazy trying to make the dish without those ingredients. however, i think there's always a solution to any kitchen's problem and also a substitute to almost every ingredients. i actually think i could make this dish with homemade phyllo pastry, pears, and perhaps a pomegranate juice to substitute verjuice. but, i couldn't make a proper phyllo pastry, i think i made it a little thicker than it should. then i decided not to poach anything to accompany the bougatsa because i was just too lazy that time. the custard ask for semolina flour, i don't have any, even worse i haven't seen semolina flour before, so i substituted it with cornflour though i think it ruined the texture of the custard.

but, let's be honest. the flavor of the custard is beyond amazing. i wonder if i make the phyllo better and perfect, this tart would be divine. what if i added the poached pear or figs, it would be magnificent for sure. not to forget the cinnamon dusting, it enriches the flavor sweetly. i will recreate this dish again someday, with poached pears and also with a pasta machine i hope, rolling pin didn't do the justice for me. somebody please buy me a pasta machine, i will pay you with homemade pasta almost everyday and this homemade bougatsa almost every week. hahaha. in the end, does any of you interested on making this bougatsa?

KBB#23: Cheesy Fun

hello again my dear readers, too bad i have to say that this month i could only give you two posts. i am really keeping up with my college's projects these past weeks. i am doing two projects at a time and the deadline is next week. however, the results are pretty satisfying for me. i am feeling quite content even though i have to sacrifice most of my baking time.

this lemon cheesecake is an obligation for me to post. this is KBB's challenge for May and i really wanted to share this cheesecake with all of you. this cheesecake, according to all the members is a very fantastic cheesecake. it is lemony, light, fragrant, and has a wonderful texture. this cheesecake is a perfect one for those of you who absolutely love lemon. but, truth be told, i am not a huge fan of it. you and i both know about my personal problem with lemon flavor. i do not keen on lemon flavor, especially the strong one. this cheesecake honestly isn't that strong in taste, but the candied lemon on it does. it is not said in the recipe though, i made it on purpose as a garnish. another problem, i also don't really like a strong spice flavor, and i find it on the crumb crust. too strong for me, but not for you spice lover.

some people said, you should not bake or cook anything when you are not in a good mood. i think, i am not in my perfectly good mood too this month. i made some crucial mistakes in the kitchen, the worst part is miscounted the ingredients. hahaha. i love to cut down a recipe, i almost always make all recipes half portion. first time i baked this cheesecake, i have already divided all the ingredients in half except for the mascarpone. i felt so confuse that time why my cheesecake didn't rise and after i found out the reason, i felt so stupid. but the second batch worked so good! to make the long story short, i know some of you out there love lemon much more than i do, i also know that you are interested on making this cheesecake. wait no more, make it soon after you read the recipe! ;)

pavlova

how long have i been gone? in case you're wondering, if i do math, the answer is 22 days. i could just wait another 8 days to make my self lost for 1 month. i am really really sorry if anyone out there waiting for my posts. as usual, my excuses are college-business, the failing of making any baked goodies, and for this time.. i am running out of many ingredients in my kitchen-shelf. but to be honest, i miss my blog so much, i miss posting recipe and showing my creation here. moreover, i miss commenting at other people's posts and of course amazed by their creation. i can't stand this any longer.. so let me start, let me start!

today's post is pavlova, i really love it when people say this as 'pav', it sounds sweeter. anyhow, this dessert was first invented in Australia. it was named after a Russian Ballerina, Anna Pavlova. it is actually a meringue disk with a crispy surface and soft marshmallowy texture inside. this is my first time making pavlova but it turns out good and i love this dessert so much. beautiful, beautiful dessert! the most lovable part of this dessert is the texture, i love the crispiness of the meringue's surface and the soft-chewy inside, the smell of vanilla and the sweetness of the meringue. oh, it's just too wonderful to be told by words. i want to eat this everyday!

best way to serve this pavlova is classically with whipped cream and fresh fruits. i did that too.. i think sour fruits will balance the sweetness of the meringue better. next time i will make this pavlova in chocolate flavor, i bet it tastes nice as well. for this pavlova, i used Donna Hay's recipe, always a perfection from her! a little trick from me, it is better to shape your meringue quite high and mountainous, it makes the inside chewier and softer. so, don't flatten it too much or you will get a crispy meringue inside outside. wonderful! come on, make some!

three colors trifle

this is my first time making trifle. you may see how messy it is. it doesn't look neat at all. but please remember, looks maybe deceiving. lol. for the exact meaning of trifle, i'm not quite sure whether this dessert i made can be called as trifle. i didn't use sponge cake nor ladyfinger to layer it, i used chocolate soil instead. for some of you who doesn't know what chocolate soil is, well chocolate soil is basically baked crumbs, it almost resembles cheesecake base (with graham crackers crumbs). the difference is in chocolate soil, it is completely made from scratch and it stays as crumbs until it is baked. i got the recipe for this chocolate soil from my cousin, he will soon graduated as a chef! i don't really know where he got the recipe from.

if chocolate soil is the actor of this dessert, then the white chocolate mousse is the actress, together they become superstars. the pressure point is to make the mousse silky smooth. if you can make it silky smooth then this white chocolate mousse will be flawless. it will be so perfect in flavor and also the texture. the keys to make it smooth are a perfect custard and a perfect whipped cream. never ever let your custard overcooked, it will curdle and nobody likes curdled custard. but if somehow you fail and get a slightly curdled custard, you may strain it using a fine mesh sieve, it helps a lot to clarify the custard. over-whipped cream is as bad as curdled custard. if you over whipped your cream, it may become buttery and not creamy anymore. when you whip your cream, stop at the almost stiff peaks not at the stiff peaks stage. however, i'm not Mr. Google nor Ms. Pastry Chef, so please feel free to correct me if i'm wrong.

this trifle consists of four different layers; they are chocolate soil, white chocolate mousse, strawberry puree, and the last is strawberry jelly. i put the strawberry to cut the sweetness of this trifle, strawberry gives some acidity to it so the trifle could end up in a balance of flavor. but i do regret something from this dessert, the strawberry jelly. it ruins the texture of my white chocolate mousse. maybe i should not put it above the mousse or what, i don't know. i think if i'll make it again, i will omit the strawberry jelly part. you may or maybe should omit that part too.. ;)

lemon meringue mini tartlets

hey hey! this is my best lemon meringue pie ever made, you should know. hahaha. but at first, for your information i don't really like lemon flavor, it sometimes tastes like car-perfume for me. lol. however, any desserts involving lemon always look more appealing to me. the pale yellow color always strikes me. that's why i never stop making lemon-desserts, fortunately mom loves anything tangy.

i made lemon meringue pie before, but it didn't turn out really good. i over-kneaded the crust and the filling tasted extremely weird. not like this one superstar, these lemon meringue mini tarts have a perfect filling that i even love. it's me the one who doesn't like lemon flavor loves this lemon filling. this recipe is Donna Hay's by the way, she has never disappointed me so far. her combination of flavor always hits me sensationally. the filling tastes a little tart but somehow i can feel creaminess there. moreover, it goes perfect with the sweet meringue top. they complete each other beautifully. if you are a big fan of lemon meringue pie, try this. i think you'll be dazzled.

too bad, i made a crucial mistake to this cute mini tartlets. i must have done something wrong with the egg whites because they couldn't form a stiff glossy peaks. they resemble more like icing so they couldn't stands tall and beautiful. hate it! if only the meringue was perfect, these mini-tartlets would definitely be cuter. other thing to inform, i finally use my blowtorch again, lol. i was sooo afraid before on using it but yesterday with experts' supervisor i used it, it isn't look as scary as i thought. actually i was kind of excited to use it and wanted to use it again really soon, wait for it! hahaha. without further ado, let's see the recipe.

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.

KBB#21: Creme Brulee

amazing is the challenge of KBB. i kept wondering why each KBB's challenge that comes up every month always match my baking-plan. when they gave me macarons' challenge, i was in a really curious thought of macarons. and also the bangket's challenge, that time i was also planning to make bangket. and now, Creme Brulee. you know that's my favorite dessert of all time and i've made a twist with it before but i haven't got the chance to post the original one on my blog for you. when i was thinking of making it and show it to you, the KBB's challenge came.

this Creme Brulee's recipe comes from the mighty Jamie Oliver, it must be a very nice one. however, this recipe still isn't the original of creme brulee. it still bottomed with strawberry coulis. the original part of this recipe is that it really has the real custard mixture not like the previous one with creme fraiche. if you look at my previous brulee post and compare it to the brulee i made this time, you'll see that i was pretty generous sprinkling the sugar this time. a thick layer of granulated sugar on top. ha ha. at first i thought it would be more beautiful to burn but i think i was wrong. maybe it would be more beautiful when it's burnt using a blowtorch but not using a preheated grill. but, due to the thicker layer of sugar, the burnt sugar become crispier and i love the contrast of it with the custard. see the picture below, marvelous isn't it?!

i tried modifying this recipe by adding matcha powder to the custard mixture too and it was sensational. green tea and cream never fail me. it tastes like green tea latte, i love it. too bad, i just don't have it pictured for you. but in the end, i like the vanilla more than the green tea. i think the smell of vanilla and gooey custard i first tasted before still lingers and stays in my mind clearly and i just couldn't fall for another taste. interested on making some? come come, it's Jamie Oliver's recipe!

pink cheesecake with meringue

festive title, isn't it? actually what i made is a strawberry cheesecake with meringue topping, but this is quite different than the usual. what makes it different? keep reading and you'll find. :)

guess what! i have a confession to make. i am a person who easily-obsessed with something new and wonderful. and do you know what's my obsession right now? masterchef, junior masterchef to be precise. i'm a tv-series addict and this show just became a hit in my life recently. it's late though, i've known who's the winner before i finished watching the show. i keep streaming and streaming instead of studying for my upcoming exams. it's just so fantastic, too fantastic. those children must be born with a natural talent on cooking. they're so little, so young, but they all can create wonderful many type of dishes. i am older than them but no better than them, what a shame! i should learn so much from them.

this show is very inspiring for me, all the type of test: invention taste, pressure test, taste test; i wish i could join all of it. i keep wondering will i survive during the test, haha. so i was like putting my self in that sort of game right lately. i did the invention taste on my own. i couldn't do the pressure test because i'm the only one cooking here. taste test, well, not yet. as the result of my own invention taste, i made this strawberry cheesecake. this turns out good, real good, my little brother likes it so much. i think he loves meringue. back to the junior masterchef topic, i visited its site and found so many wonderful recipes there. i think i'll start copying them one by one asap. or maybe i should post them under 'Junior Masterchef' label. i really should think about it. 

now about this cheesecake, what makes this strawberry cheesecake different from the usual strawberry cheesecake is because i pureed the strawberries and add it to my cheesecake batter. because of the puree, the cheesecake turns pink. i topped it with baked meringue and base it with biscuit base. this is a chilled cheesecake, so it is easier to make. simply delicious.