Tiramisu - For my brothers wedding surpirse

Tiramisu

Adapted from Gourmet | January 2009

Yield: Makes 8 to 10 servings (8 inch square pan)

Active Time: 30 min
Total Time: 7 hr
2 cups boiling-hot water

3 tablespoons instant-espresso powder

1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon sugar, divided

3 tablespoons Tia Maria (coffee liqueur)

4 large egg yolks

1/3 cup dry Marsala (if sweet Marsala is used, cut down on the sugar above)

1 pound mascarpone (2 1/2 cups)

1 cup chilled heavy cream

36 savoiardi (crisp Italian ladyfingers; from two 7-ounce packages)

Unsweetened dutch processed cocoa powder for dusting

Preparation

1. Stir together water, espresso powder, 1 tablespoon sugar, and Tia Maria in a shallow bowl until sugar has dissolved, then cool.

2. Beat egg yolks, Marsala, and remaining 1/2 cup sugar in a metal bowl set over a saucepan of barely simmering water using a whisk or handheld electric mixer until tripled in volume, 5 to 8 minutes. Remove bowl from heat. Beat in mascarpone until just combined.

3. Beat cream in a large bowl until it holds stiff peaks.

4. Fold mascarpone mixture into whipped cream gently but thoroughly.

5. Dipping both sides of each ladyfinger into coffee mixture, line bottom of a 13- by 9- by 3-inch baking pan with 18 ladyfingers in 3 rows, trimming edges to fit if necessary. Spread half of mascarpone filling on top. Dip remaining 18 ladyfingers in coffee and arrange over filling in pan.

6. Spread remaining mascarpone filling on top and dust with cocoa. Chill, covered, at least 6 hours.

Let tiramisu stand at room temperature 30 minutes before serving, then dust with more cocoa.

Playstation 3 Cake

Chocolate Cake with Mocha Buttercream

covered in Chocolate Ganache

Mocha Buttercream Recipe - A definite keeper

adapted from Gourmet | December 1997 Makes about 3 3/4 cups

4 ounces fine-quality bittersweet chocolate (not unsweetened)

3 sticks (1 1/2 cups) unsalted butter

6 tablespoons water

3/4 cup sugar

3 large egg whites

1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar

6 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder

1 tablespoon of instant coffee powder

Method:

1. Chop chocolate. In a metal bowl set over a saucepan of barely simmering water melt chocolate, stirring until smooth, and let cool. Cut butter into pieces and soften to cool room temperature.

2. In a 1 1/2-quart heavy saucepan bring water and sugar to a boil, stirring until sugar is dissolved. Boil syrup, without stirring, until a candy thermometer registers 248°F.

3. While syrup is boiling, in a bowl with an electric mixer beat whites with a pinch salt until foamy and beat in cream of tartar. Beat whites until they just hold stiff peaks and beat in hot syrup in a stream (try to avoid pouring onto beaters and side of bowl). Beat mixture at medium speed until completely cool, 5 to 10 minutes.
4. Beat in butter, 1 piece at a time, beating until mixture is thickened and smooth. (Buttercream will at first appear very thin and at some point look like it is breaking but, as more butter is beaten in, it will thicken and become glossy and smooth.)
5. Beat in cocoa powder, coffee powder, melted chocolate, and a pinch salt, beating until smooth.

(Buttercream may be made 2 days ahead and chilled in an airtight container. Bring buttercream to room temperature and beat before using.) (If buttercream is too cold when beaten it will not be glossy and smooth.)



Yield:

Chunky Walnut Apple Cake

Chunky Walnut Apple Cheese Cake

Ingredient: (1/3 recipe for one 6” cake)
Chunky walnut cake
½ cup vegetable oil
~ 1/3 cup granulated sugar
1 large egg
1 cup all purpose flour
½ tsp ground cinnamon
1/8 tsp ground cloves
¼ tsp ground mace (optional)
1/3 tsp baking soda
¼ tsp salt
2 cup walnuts
1.5-2 tbsp milk (or apple liqueur or water)

Cheesecake Filling
1 egg
1 package (8oz) cream cheese
~½ cup sugar (adjust to taste)
1 Tbsp sour cream
A pinch of salt
½ tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp flour (optional)

Apple slices topping
1 granny smith apple (sliced)
1 tsp sugar
½ tsp ground cinnamon


Method:
1.Preheat oven to 325 F
2.In a large bowl, beat vegetable oil and sugar until thick and opaque. Add egg (s), (one at a time for scaled up recipe), beating well after each addition.
3.Sift together flour, cloves, cinnamon, mace, baking soda and salt. Add to oil and egg mixture and mix until well blended.
4.Add walnuts and milk (or apple liqueur or water) all at once, stir batter until pieces are evenly distributed. (Batter will be thick)
5.Pour ½ batter into a greased 6 inch round cake pan and pour the rest into another 6 inch round cake pan. Bake for 1 hour or less, until a cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean.
6.While the walnut cake is baking, prepare the cheesecake filling. Beat cream cheese until fluffy, beat in the rest of the ingredient. Pour the filling evenly on top of the two walnut cake base.
7.Toss apple slices with sugar and cinnamon. Arrange apple slices on top of one of the cheesecake/walnut cake base. Bake for another 30-40 minutes at 350F until center is just set. Cool and chill.
8.To assemble, unmold the two walnut cheesecakes and stack the one with apple slices on top of the other.

Recipe : Orange Cranberry Cheesecake with Chocolate Hazelnut Crust

Ingredients:
Crust
2 packages of chocolate graham cookie, finely grounded (3 packages total in a box usually)
½ cup of hazelnut (finely grounded)
3-4 Tbsp butter

Cheesecake filling
4 (8 ounces each) package of cream cheese
4 large eggs
3 Tbsp of sour cream
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp of orange zest (around ½ orange)
¼ tsp salt
1 ½ cup sugar
2 Tbsp flour

White chocolate mousse
1 cup whip cream (1 small box is barely just enough for 2 cakes)
¼ cup white chocolate chips (melted with 2 tsp milk or cream, microwave for 20 second intervals to melt)
2 tsp gelatin (melted in 1-2 Tbsp warm water)

Cranberry topping
1 bag fresh cranberries
orange juice (from ½ orange)
orange zest
2 Tbsp Grand Marnier
4 Tbsp sugar (or more … to taste)

½ cup white chocolate (for shavings)

Method:
Crust: Mix graham cookies, grounded hazelnut and butter. (add enough butter until the mixture is slightly moist and can hold together when pressed) Pressed mixture on the bottom and sides of a springform pan. (2 inches up the sides) wrap foil on the outside of cake pan (to make sure water doesn’t get in from the water bath)

Filling: Preheat over to 350F.Beat cream cheese until fluffy, add sugar, flour, salt, orange zest, vanilla extract and mix until incorporate. Add eggs one at a time and mix until incorporate. Mix in sour cream, taste and adjust taste with more sugar or sour cream or orange zest to get a tangy sweet flavor. Pour mixture into prepared pans and bake in water bath for 1 hr 20 min at 350F. Cool completely (couple hours). Meanwhile prepare cranberry topping and white chocolate mousse & chocolate shavings

Cranberry topping: Boil orange juice, Grand Marnier until most of the alcohol from the Grand Marnier is gone. Add ½ bag of cranberries and sugar and cook until it starts to pop but still hold shape (around 5 minute). Add orange zest and rest of cranberries. Cook for 1-2 minutes more (not too long). If need, add cornstarch water mixture to thicken. Cool completely (couple hours)

White chocolate mousse: Whipped cream until soft peak, add in gelatin mixture and mix slightly until incorporated. Fold in melted & cooled white chocolate mixture. Pipe/spread on top of cooled cheesecake. Top with cranberry topping and pipe additional mousse on the outside ring of the cake. Decorate with white chocolate shavings (melt white chocolate on marble and use a metal spatula to scrap off curls)

Recipes - Green Tea Mousse Cake

Make 1 8" cake
Chiffron Cake:
6 Large egg
1/4 tsp cream of tartar
1 cup Sugar (minus 1 Tbsp if prefer less sweet)
1 cup cake flour (can be substitue with (1cup-2tsp) flour + 2tsp corn starch)
6 Tbsp butter, melted
6 Tbsp milk
1/2 tsp baking powder
2 tsp green tea powder
pinch of salt
Optional 1 tsp vanilla extract (add only for basic chiffron cake where green tea powder is not used)

Green Tea Mousse
3 cup heavy cream
1 pack gelatin + ~2-3 Tbsp water
4 Tbsp Sugar (or a little more to taste)
3-4tsp green tea powder

Method:
1. Preheat oven to 350F. Line parchment paper on clean 8" round baking pan. (Do not grease sides of pan). Sift all dry ingredients: flour, green tea powder, baking powder and salt.
2. Melt butter and milk together in microwave (~30 sec). Stir until everything is dissolved and then cool to room temperature.
3. Separate egg whites and yolks in two mixing bowls
4. Beat egg yolks with 1/2 of sugar until thick and pale yellow
5. Add milk butter mixture to egg yolks and mix until blend. (beware that butter mixture has to be cool enough)
6. Beat egg whites, sugar and cream of tartar until soft peak
7. Gently fold in egg yolk mixture (small amount at a time)
8. Gently fold in sifted dry ingredients in batches
9. Pour into clean baking pan lined with parchment paper on the bottom.
10. Bake for ~30min until a toothpick come out clean when insert in the center of cake.
11. Invert the cake to cool for 15 min to maximize height of cake.

12. Unmold cake and let it cool completely.
13. Slice cake into 3 layers. Trim the cake layers so that it's 1/2" smaller than the cake pan with removable bottom.
14. Whipped heavy cream, sugar and green tea powder until soft peak. Adjust amount of green tea powder and sugar to taste (beware green tea powder can go overboard easily). Melt gelatin in warm water and mix into the mousse and continue to whip until stiff peak.
15. Place a cake layer, spread 1/3 of mousse evenly, repeat for remaining layers. Smooth out the top layer. Refrigerate until firm (3-4 hours)
16. To unmold, use a hair dryer to heat up the sides of the pan slightly and push from bottom the remove the cake carefully.
17. Sprinkle green tea powder on the top for decorations.

Recipes - Strawberry Cream Cheese Chocolate Tart

Crust
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
6 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 cup all purpose flour
1/4 cup of finely grounded nuts (Hazelnut / Almond)

Filling
8oz Cream Cheese (1 package), room temperature
2 tablespoons sugar
pinch of salt (less than 1/4 teaspoon)
4 oz Whipped Cream (1/2 tub of cool whip)

1/3 cup chopped chocolate
1 teaspoon of butter (or milk, or heavy cream, to thin chocolate)
Raspberry jam

1 lb Strawberry

Glaze
1 tablespoons of gelatin
1 tablespoons of sugar
3 tablesppons of water

Preparation:
For Crust: Using electric mixer, beat butter, sugar, and salt in large bowl until smooth. Beat in cocoa powder, flour and grounded nuts in batches and beat until dough comes together in moist clumps. Gather dough into ball; flatten into disk. Wrap in plastic and chill until firm, at least 1 hour and up to 1 day.
Roll out dough between sheets of waxed paper to 11-inch round. Peel off top sheet of paper. Invert dough over 9-inch-diameter tart pan with removable bottom; peel off paper. Gently press dough into pan. Press dough overhang in to form double-thick sides. Pierce dough all over with fork. Refrigerate 30 minutes.
Preheat oven to 375°F. Bake crust until sides look dry and bottom looks bubbly, about 14 minutes. Cool for 10-15 minutes. Transfer crust to rack. Cool completely.

For Filling: Using electric mixer, beat cream cheese and sugar until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add salt and taste to make sure the flavor is brought out but it doesn't seem salty. Fold in whipped cream. Can add more whipped cream if you want a lighter texture.

Melt chocolate and butter(or milk or heavy cream) in microwave (30 sec). Brush on top of crust and refrigerate until set (10 minutes). Spread a thin layer of raspberry jam on top.

Spread or piped filling on top of tart. You might have some excess. Just spread to your desired thickness of fillings. The excess can be made into a delicious berries and cream dessert by itself!

Arrange strawberry on top.

For Glaze: Combine gelatin, sugar and water in a cup, let soak for a minute (for gelatin to bloom). Microwave for 10 secs, stir to make sure gelatin is dissolved.
Brush glaze on top of strawberry. Refridgerate.

Cut tart into wedges, serve cold.

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