IB Kitchen Club

[glo]

Here's the melted chocolate. Just kidding. It's burnt chocolate, cause I didn't know how to melt it, but I did manage to extract the parts that were still chocolate so I still got a chocoalte batter.

You need to melt chocolate in a water bath (i.e. place the bowl with broken chocolate in a saucepan of boiling water and don't let any water spill into the chocolate!)
You can also melt it very carefully with a bit of milk or cream, I believe, but I haven't tried that myself ...

 

[Periwinkle18]

Aww maybe nxt time ??

I had this one, its not baked from a famous French bakery ova here.

Don't worry akhi I know someone whos good at making cakes I'll get the recipe she talks I'm Urdu so I guess I'll have to translate will search InshaAllah.

 

[sister herb]

Looks quite good, br Hulk... except that "melted" chocolate. :hmm:

 

[Periwinkle18]

Its called a double broiler setup melting chocolate is easy if you add a lil butter it gives a glossy look

 

[sister herb]

Glo might means this:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oJ1LJRX9e7A

(I usually use just two kettles, bigger for water and smaller one inside for chocolate. With that water just and just touch the bottom of the smaller kettle. And of course I take care that water vapor doesn´t go to the chocolate - it may makes it lumpy.)

 

[Hulk]

Moral of the story: Ask the experts before attempting something you've never attempted before. And thank you sis Periwinkle for the lovely picture that makes me happy that at least someone out there is making something proper ;D.

I am going to take a break from the kitchen, leave it to you guys and Sis Bluebell who isn't here right now.

 

[Periwinkle18]

No no practice makes one perfect keep cooking don't lose hope too quickly ur dng a gr8 job

Honestly speaking I'm no expert srsly I just get hold of a recipe try it out n Alhumdulilah they just turn out good.I practice too you know baking is fun buh tricky at times.

 

[sister herb]

Only you need is a chief to your kitchen...

 

[sister herb]

Honey pistachio sesame cookies “barazek”

Makes 30 cookies

1 cup (200 g) butter softened
1 and 1/4 cups confectionary sugar
2 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla
2 teaspoons vinegar
3 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
Pinch of salt
1 cup pistachio roughly chopped
1 cup sesame seeds
3 tablespoons honey or simple syrup (see notes)

Cream the butter with the sugar until the mix becomes light in color.

Add the eggs, one at a time and beat until completely incorporated

Add the vanilla and vinegar and beat

Whisk the flour with the baking powder and add it gradually with the salt to the mix and beat untill just incorporated

Do not over mix

Cover the dough and leave it in the fridge to rest for an hour up to overnight

To roll and bake the barazek cookies

Mix the sesame and honey and place it in a plate
place the chopped pistachio in a plate

Line your baking sheet with parchment

Place your oven rack in the middle position and preheat the oven to 180 C

Start by rolling pieces of the dough into walnut size balls

Press the dough ball into the pistachio, flatten it a little

Flip the cookie dough and press it into the sesame honey mix (If you like extra sesame topping, use a spoon to top the cookie with more sesame honey mix and press it into the dough to make sure it sticks)

Arrange the cookies on your baking sheet 2 cm apart

Bake for 15-20 minutes until the bottoms are golden brown

Turn on the broiler for a couple of minutes

Take out of the oven and allow to cook on the tray for 5 minutes them transfer to a wire rack and cook completely

Store in an air tight container

Notes:
If you find it hard to get the sesame topping to stick to the cookies, you can take a spoonful of the sesame honey topping and press it gently to the top of the cookies instead of pressing the cookies into the sesame
You can make these cookies crunchy by making them thin, the thinner they are the more crisp and crunchy they turn out to be after baking but you will need to reduce the baking time as they will bake faster when they ate thinner. I like them a little on the chewy side so I made mine a little thick
By simple syrup I mean the syrup you make by boiling 2 cups of sugar with 1 cup of water and 1 tablespoon lemon juice. You can flavor it with rosewater , cinnamon, orange peel or leave it plain

 

[sister herb]

Olive tapenade

1/2 cup pitted olives
Juice of half a lemon
7-10 springs of parsley
Salt
Pepper
1 clove garlic
1/4 cup olive oil


In the food processor pulse all the ingredients while drizzling the olive oil.


Use with bread, pizzas, pasta, grilled chicken etc.

 

[sister herb]

Cheese stuffed bread

Stuffed bread is so versatile, it makes for a great lunch or sliced up it is a wonderful appetizer for a party. It is faster and easier than making individualized appetizers and the best part is: the possibilities for the stuffing are endless.

Triple cheese stuffed bread: combine cheddar and other hard or semi-hard cheeses.

Mediterranean cheese: Feta, cheddar and Halloumi cheese with mint

Not a fan of cheese try: minced meat with sautéed onions, tomatoes and pepper

Want a vegetarian version: try spinach and sautéed onions

Feeling like something sweet: some softened butter and cinnamon turn this into a yummy dessert

Not into too much butter but still into something sweet: try stuffing it with date paste with cinnamon and cardamom

Ingredients
1/4 cup (60 ml) warm water
3/4 cup warm milk
1 egg
1/4 cup (57 gram) butter, softened
1/4 cup (50 gram) white sugar
1/2 teaspoon (2 grams)salt
3 1/4 tp 3 1/2 cups ( 416-448 gram) all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons (8 grams) dry yeast
1/4 teaspoon (1 gram)cardamom optional

For topping
1/4 cup (60ml) of milk
1 tablespoon (14 gm) sugar

Stuffig
1 cup (80 grams) cheese shredded (you can use any firm salty cheese)
5 springs parsley or mint

Instructions

In a bowl whisk the egg with milk, water, sugar, butter and yeast.

Set aside

In another bowl sift the flour with the salt and the cardamom .

Add the liquid ingredients to the dry ingredients and knead until you get a smooth dough.

Place it in a bowl you have brushed with some oil and cover it with a wet cloth and leave it in a warm place to double

(If you are tight on time you can heat your oven to 200 C then turn it off and place your dough in a glass bowl and place it in the warm oven with the wet cloth covering the bowl)

Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface

Roll into a rectangle

Spread cheese stuffing leaving 1 inch (2.5cm) margin all around

Roll the dough from the long side into a tube form

Join both ends of the tube and pinch the dough together

Using a scissor or a knife make cuts that go 2/3 of the way through the dough

Turn the slices 90 degrees so that cut part faces upward

Using a brush, brush the dough with milk

Allow to rest for 15 minutes during which you would heat your oven to 270C (500F) (rack in the middle)

Bake for 5 minutes on 270C (500F) then lower the temperature to 200 C (400 F) and cook for 15-20 more minutes (ovens do differ greatly, so the time may differ..what you want is to bake it until the under side is golden brown)

Turn on the broiler for a couple of minutes until it is golden brown on top

 

[sister herb]

Easy Garlic Bread

Ingredients for quick snack garlic bread recipe
1 Premade Pizza Base
3 Garlic Cloves (crushed/grated)
1 Tbsp Margarine
Pinch Dried Basil
Pinch Salt
Water

First feel the texture of your premade pizza base, if it is dry they run cold water over the top of it by running it under the tap.

Place onto a pizza tray with holes.

Mix together the garlic, basil and margarine.

Rub the butter all over the pizza base.

Top with sliced tomatoes, sprinkle with salt.

Place into a hot oven (225C - 250C) for 10 minutes or until golden brown.

Now your delicious quick garlic bread is ready, slice and serve.

 

[sister herb]

Mock Almond Crunch

8 whole graham crackers

1/2 cup sliced almonds, toasted

3/4 cup dark brown sugar

1/2 cup + 2 T butter

1/4 teaspoon Fleur de Sel, Maldon, Vanilla salt – or some other fine finishing salt

3/4 cup bittersweet chocolate chips (Ghirardelli 60%)


Lightly butter a 10×10 baking dish. Pre-heat your oven to 325*.

Arrange the graham crackers on the bottom of the dish and sprinkle the toasted almonds on top. Set aside.

In a medium sauce pan melt the butter and brown sugar and boil for 3 minutes. Pour sugar mixture over the crackers and almonds in a thin even layer. Sprinkle with salt.

Place dish in the oven and bake for 10-12 minutes or until the toffee layer is bubbling all over.

Remove from the oven. When the bubbles have subsided sprinkle on the chocolate chips and let the residual heat melt them. With an offset spatula smooth the chocolate layer over the entire surface.

While still warm score the candy with a sharp knife cutting them into your desired shape and size.

Place in the freezer for 10 minutes to set the chocolate. Remove from pan and cut along the scored markings.

Serve immediately or can be sealed in an airtight container for up to one week. Can also be frozen for up to one month.

 

[sister herb]

Nescafe cake

Ingredients:
4 heaping tablespoons, Nescafe
2 cups hot water
1 pint heavy whipping cream, cold
1 can (14 oz) sweetened condensed milk
2 and a half sleeves, Ulker tea biscuits (full package contains 5 sleeves), or similar
Garnish – Cocoa powder (or Nescafe)

Directions:
1.Combine 2 cups of hot water with 4 tablespoons Nescafe in a shallow dish. If you prefer a stronger coffee taste, increase the amount of Nescafe. Be careful about adding too much, lest it become bitter.
2.Pour cold heavy whipping cream into a large bowl. Beat on medium speed for 2-3 minutes, until soft peaks form. Do not over beat.
3.Gently fold in one can of sweetened condensed milk. Be sure to scrape down sides of bowl to fully incorporate all ingredients. Set aside.
4.Dip tea biscuits into coffee mixture for 3 – 4 seconds. Long enough to soak without falling apart. Cover bottom of 9×13 dishwith full layer of soaked biscuits. Repeat for a second layer.
5.Spread half of the sweetened whip cream mixture evenly over the first layer of biscuits.
6.Repeat with another layer of soaked biscuits. Spread remaining whipped cream evenly on top. Dust with cocoa powder.
7.Cover and refrigerate 4 hours to overnight.

Important notes to consider:
If using a hand mixer, you will need to beat the whipping cream for 5-6 minutes.
If the coffee mixture is cold, the biscuits will soak up less liquid. Hold the biscuits in the liquid for 5-6 seconds.

 

[sister herb]

Candied Orange Peels

MAKES 40 - 50 STRIPS

(Marie Tymstra, author Margo True's aunt, preferred California navels for this recipe.)

3 navel oranges
1 cup sugar

Trim 1/2'' off ends of navel oranges, then make a slit in rinds and scoop out flesh. Slice peels into 1/3-inch-wide strips, put in a bowl, cover with water, and refrigerate overnight. Transfer strips to a medium pot, cover with water, and bring to a boil over medium heat. Drain strips and set aside. In same pot bring sugar and 1/2 cup water to a boil until sugar dissolves. Add strips. Simmer until soft and glazed, about 30 minutes. Dry strips on a rack until tacky. Roll in sugar and dip ends in melted chocolate, if you like.

 

[جوري]

Nescafe cake

Ingredients:
4 heaping tablespoons, Nescafe
2 cups hot water
1 pint heavy whipping cream, cold
1 can (14 oz) sweetened condensed milk
2 and a half sleeves, Ulker tea biscuits (full package contains 5 sleeves), or similar
Garnish – Cocoa powder (or Nescafe)

Directions:
1.Combine 2 cups of hot water with 4 tablespoons Nescafe in a shallow dish. If you prefer a stronger coffee taste, increase the amount of Nescafe. Be careful about adding too much, lest it become bitter.
2.Pour cold heavy whipping cream into a large bowl. Beat on medium speed for 2-3 minutes, until soft peaks form. Do not over beat.
3.Gently fold in one can of sweetened condensed milk. Be sure to scrape down sides of bowl to fully incorporate all ingredients. Set aside.
4.Dip tea biscuits into coffee mixture for 3 – 4 seconds. Long enough to soak without falling apart. Cover bottom of 9×13 dishwith full layer of soaked biscuits. Repeat for a second layer.
5.Spread half of the sweetened whip cream mixture evenly over the first layer of biscuits.
6.Repeat with another layer of soaked biscuits. Spread remaining whipped cream evenly on top. Dust with cocoa powder.
7.Cover and refrigerate 4 hours to overnight.

Important notes to consider:
If using a hand mixer, you will need to beat the whipping cream for 5-6 minutes.
If the coffee mixture is cold, the biscuits will soak up less liquid. Hold the biscuits in the liquid for 5-6 seconds.

I love this I always wanted a recipe for tirmisu that didn't include liquor

thanks a mill.. traditionally 'lady's finger' biscuits get used I think they've a spongier nature and soak up more coffee and I am so glad this is an egg free effort-- I hate eggs in desert ugh

 

[sister herb]

I love this I always wanted a recipe for tirmisu that didn't include liquor

thanks a mill.. traditionally 'lady's finger' biscuits get used I think they've a spongier nature and soak up more coffee and I am so glad this is an egg free effort-- I hate eggs in desert ugh

Bon apetit, sister!

 

[sister herb]

Apple Marzipan Candy

These are very easy and fast to make. You can store them in an airtight container in the fridge.

The ingredients

-50 grams or 1,7 ounces of dried apples (if you don’t want to count, just throw in approximately 1 1/2 cups)

-2 tbls apple juice concentrate

-300 grams or 10 ounces of marzipan

-some confectioner’s sugar, one tbls is enough

-250 grams or 8 ounces of dark chocolate

Place the marzipan, apple juice and dried apples into a food processor and make them into a paste.

Place some confectioner’s sugar on some baking paper and place the marzipan paste on top of it. Mold it into a log shape.

Cut it into equal size pieces, it is better to make these rather small.

Roll them into balls between your hands.

Melt the chocolate in a bain-marie or in a microwave oven.

Dip the balls into the chocolate; I used some toothpicks for help.

Leave them in a cool place to firm up. I placed some silver decorations on top of them so that the holes from the toothpicks wouldn’t show.

 

[sister herb]

Oven-fried Potato Chips Recipe

Ingredients
4 russet (baking) potatoes, peeled and sliced diagonally 1/8 inch thick
1/2 stick (1/4 cup) of butter, melted
Coarse salt to taste

Method
Pat the potatoes dry between paper towels and arrange them in one layer in 2 buttered cookie sheets; if you have a non-stick cooking spray, this works fine for greasing the pans. Brush the potatoes with the butter, bake them in a preheated 500°F/250C oven for 15 to 20 minutes, or until the edges are golden brown. Sprinkle them with the salt.

Yield: Serves 4.

Note: Use a cheese slicer to help cut the potatoes in thin, even slices.

 

[Born_Believer]

just looked through this, my mouth is watering...please stop

i jut wish i had more time to cook but as soon has uni is over i'm gettin myself in the kitchen.