KUIDAORE

Happy New Year, Mont Blanc and 11 Cookbook Musthaves of 2011

2012-01-13T09:43:00.023+08:00

Happy New Year! I hope your 2012 has gotten off to a fantastic start.

And I hope 2011 was as momentous a year for you as it was for me. May 2012 be an even more outrageously great year for everyone!

We celebrated the eve with a wonderful potluck with a few good friends. Every contribution was superfragilisticexpialidocious, I exaggerate not. I volunteered dessert, keen as I was to have a gander at a Mont Blanc recipe I'd flagged as mustmake from William Curley's Couture Chocolate. If it is any indication, it is but one flag amidst the thickets of other similarly intentioned stickies fluttering along the entire edge, planted in the heady throes of that first cracking open of an eagerly anticipated new cookbook.

Speaking of which brings me, embarassingly enough, to the main point of this way overdue post. Somehow, what started out as a Christmas gift guide for the cookbook fiend in your life has morphed into a 2011 greatest hits roundup, and even then, belated. I have a special knack for being late to the party, but this gift verily pales in comparison to my talent for blithely disregarding resolutions, my resolve tending to last about as long as it takes to shake off a First of January champagne hangover. Cookbooks are my catnip. There, I've said it, eternally stunted at step one of twelve, pushing a thousand and still counting. So, in case you are like me and may have some belated gifting to do (reflexively counts too), here are 11 choice picks (in no particular order):

Jeni's Splendid Ice Cream Creams at Home by Jeni Britton Bauer The stupefyingly creative flavours had me at hello. As for the method? I was sceptical at first. How could a maverick eggless technique based, not on custard, but on cornstarch and cream cheese - virtually all the recipes in the book are based on this technique - be any good? Curiosity got the better of me. I tried one recipe, then two, then a whole bunch, and was consistently surprised, and occasionally blown away. The texture is certainly different from that of ice creams churned from mixtures with a custard base. Denser and more mouth-coating, which you may or may not like better than the classical.

Odd Bits: How to Cook the Rest of the Animal by Jennifer McLagan The final installment to the author's trilogy - first, she gave us Bones to gnaw, then Fat to chew - will be devoured with equal gusto by all nose-to-tail lovers. With this ode to carnivorous mindfulness as our guiding light, whole beast, never again shalt thou be sacrificed wastefully, never thy cheek (or brain, ear, heart for that matter) be disgracefully turned away in disdain or disregard, we shalt not kill unless we promise to transform thee, all of thee that is, into a veritable beast of a feast.

Momofuku Milk Bar by Christina Tosi This sweet companion volume to the original (which I'm equally crazy about) is the tell-all you've been waiting for if you have been trying to divine the mysteries behind such outré cult creations such as Crack Pie, Cereal Milk and Compost Cookies.

Ruhlman's Twenty by Michael Ruhlman Once you acclimatize to the structure of the book (which makes finding recipes where you expect them to be a tad disorientating), there's a wealth of tips, tricks and techniques to be gleaned by every cook from novice to seasoned. Even better, there's stuff here that will inspire you to rethink and redefine your approach to tenets you've hitherto taken for granted.

The Mozza Cookbook by Nancy Silverton This super cookbook is chockfull of the recipes which have made Osteria Mozza and Pizzeria Mozza so admired. Ms Silverton is unstinting in her generous instruction, sharing her secrets in precisely written recipes which allow the reader to recreate many of Mozza's signature standouts at home. If you've ever sunk your teeth into that slice of heaven also known as the Mozza pizza crust, resplendent with its puffy rim of a crisp-without-airy-within cornice, the meticulously detailed section on pizza dough alone is worth the book.

Bocca: Cookbook by Jacob Kenedy This is no ordinary Italian cookbook. Then again, Jacob Kenedy is not your average bloke, or chef. If you have already been bewitched by the style, wit, charm and not to mention utterly delicious recipes of The Geometry of Pasta, this follow-up act does not disappoint.

Mission Street Food by Anthony Myint and Karen Leibowitz This very cool and highly endearing book chronicles the evolution of a genre-defying restaurant - from pop-up in taco truck to pop-up in Chinese take-out - with humour and candour. That the recipes are kickass sweetens the deal. The making of the Mission Burger in particular is a work of mad genius (which should come as no surprise inspired as it is by gastro-wizard Heston Blumenthal's technique), elevating the humble patty without the trite use of highfalutin gimmicks involving truffles, foie and their posh brethren.

Couture Chocolate by William Curley Ever since a visit to this sweet spot in Belgravia a couple of years back, I've become a huge fan (and am especially partial to their take on Jaffa cake). William and Suzue Curley are responsible for some of the most exquisite patisserie and chocolate London has to boast, and share in this wonderful book the recipes which have made their outfit a mecca for dessert devotees. PS: I was quite thrilled with how the Mont Blanc recipe I tried turned out (pictured at the beginning of this post). A chocolate macaroon base is filled with chestnut buttercream and chocolate diplomat cream before being cloaked in chestnut mousse, thus making for a Mont Blanc that's far less one-dimensional than the typical recipe.

Heston Blumenthal at Home by Heston Blumenthal With a scope much wider than that of Family Food (not to mention more lavish use of photography), and recipes far more doable at home than those found in The Fat Duck Cookbook (and to a large extent, those from In Search of Perfection and Heston's Fantastical Feasts) whether thanks to lack thereof equipment or sheer dint of gargantuan effort, I suspect I will be reaching for this latest number much more frequently than the others.

Mourad: New Moroccan by Mourad Lahlou Finally, a thoroughly modern book on Moroccan cooking with a gutsy and refreshingly innovative approach, adroitly sidestepping revisitation of that ubiquitous puddle of congealed chickpea puree that seems to lie left, right and centre of many a generic book on the subject. The production values are simply breathtaking, so much so I am exceedingly tempted to purchase an additional kitchen-only copy for actual use and abuse, loath as I am to besmirch its beautiful pages!

The Food of Morocco by Paula Wolfert The revered Ms Wolfert serves up the most definitive and hauntingly evocative work - over four decades in the making - on the food of Morocco to date. It is the yin to Mourad's yang. If I had to do-over my cookbook collection and could only have one book on the traditional foodways of Morocco, this would be it.

Handcrafted Holiday Gifts from the Kitchen

2011-10-09T02:58:00.025+08:00

Is it just me or did 2011 zip by in a blinding flash? One morning, I woke up, rubbed my eyes, and realized it was high time to start thinking about a holiday class menu. This high time being sometime in July, that is. I'll be the first to admit that I never get off to a flying start. Rather, it takes quite a while warming up...you know, to thinking creatively about Christmas in the most swelteringly hot period of the year and all that jazz. A failsafe kickstart is to crank up the AC to near freezing temperatures, put on Nat King Cole's festive tunes, huddle under a cashmere throw, and sip a teacupful of Mariage Frères' Esprit de Noel blend. Beautifully perfumed with Christmas spices, vanilla bean and orange zest, the merest whiff of the aromatic plumes escaping from a freshly brewed pot of this magical tea is just what I need to put the December in July. And yes, while I'm cosying up to my fauxmas, Brando and Gracie, my two long-haired miniature dachshunds - not to mention W - always look at me dotingly like I'm thisclose to dotty.

Once I do get into the groove, however, I must say I thoroughly enjoy the early immersion and realize what a privilege it is to call it work. The result? The new demo class I'm teaching at Shermay's Cooking School on 29 October 2011 (Saturday) and 30 October 2011 (Sunday). For all inquiries, please call the school at +65 6479 8442 or 6479 8414, or email info@shermay.com

The menu is filled with handcrafted holiday gifts from the kitchen which I hope you'll enjoy making as much as your recipients will enjoy indulging in:

Pretty Party Cake Pops These cute mini treats are a huge sensation thanks to their irresistibility. Up the ante by using a fabulous homebaked chocolate cake and complementary chocolate cream cheese frosting, and you’re ready to create your very own bouquet of chic cake pops

Chocolate Peppermint Whoopie Pies A pair of richly chocolatey, tender and cake-like cookies coddle a lush peppermint filling for a holiday spin on a beloved retro treat

Luxury Fruitcake Cupcakes Packed with an extravagant mix of dried figs, dates, apricots and hazelnuts – no generic pre-mixed dried fruit here! – these gems are every bit as scrumptious to savour as a traditional fruitcake, but much less fussy to put together

Eggnog Sandwich Cookies Buttery nutmeg-perfumed shortbread squares sandwich a plush creamy filling spiked with dark rum and Madagascar Bourbon vanilla bean

BONUS SECTION I – CAKE POP & CUPCAKE CHIC: DECORATING IDEAS & ESSENTIAL TECHNIQUES

(Demo will include a comprehensive selection – depending on time – from the material covered in Bonus Section I.)

Holiday Decorating Ideas for Chic Cake Pops:

• Marie-Antoinette à la Rose

• Sparkling Snowflakes

• O Christmas Tree

Tipsheet I: Creating Perfect Cake Pops

Tipsheet II: Gifting, Packaging and Display Ideas for Cake Pops

Holiday Decorating Ideas for Chic Cupcakes:

• “Springerle”

• Snowflakes in Blue

BONUS SECTION II – EXTRA RECIPES & GIFT IDEAS

Good Old Fashioned Eggnog One sip of this divine concoction, and you’ll never deign to pick up another carton of the pre-made stuff again

Pâte à Tartiner au Chocolat et Noisettes In short, a handcrafted take on Nutella, also known as everybody’s favourite breakfast spread…Be warned that lucky recipients will feel compelled to ask for the recipe, if not a second jar! Enough said

Nouveau Nostalgic Sweets: Heirloom Flavours Reinvented

2011-07-01T13:58:00.092+08:00

I'll be teaching a new demo class at Shermay's Cooking School on 23 July 2011 (Saturday) and 24 July 2011 (Sunday). For all inquiries, please call the school at +65 6479 8442 or 6479 8414, or email shermaycs@yahoo.com.sg

The menu revolves around fresh takes on nostalgic heirloom flavours like palm sugar, coconut, pandan and malted milk, putting a new spin on treasured favourites.

Sticky Cinnamon Rolls with Palm Sugar & Pecans Cinnabon addicts, take heart. Meet your ultimate sticky, gooey, decadent match in the form of a brioche-like yeasted roll lavished with crunchy pecans and a rich, deeply satisfying palm sugar caramel

Coconut Caramel Bundt with Pandan Frosting This moist and tender crowd pleaser of a cake gets a big boost of flavour from a coconut cream enriched caramel

Horlicks Sandwich Cookies Buttery malt powder-flavoured cookies are sandwiched with a plush vanilla filling for a nostalgic teatime snack

Palm Sugar Cupcakes topped with Milk Chocolate Peanut Butter Ganache, Salted Peanuts & Flakes of Maldon Sea Salt Inspired by the combination of flavours found in everybody’s favourite candy bar (hint: the one crammed with peanuts, nougat and caramel and enrobed in chocolate),

this is one cupcake guaranteed to satisfy!

Bonus Section with Extra Recipes, Ideas & Serving Suggestions:

Pandan & Pistachio Ice Cream The delicate flavour (and colour) of homemade all-natural pistachio ice cream is fabulously enhanced by fragrant pandan leaves

Coconut & Palm Sugar Ice Cream Coconut and palm sugar are a match made in heaven – no where is this expediency more apparent than in this divine ice cream

Luxurious Sweet Corn Ice Cream Churned from a lush custard base infused with the sweet flavour of fresh corn, this ice cream is a far cry from the standard issue ice cream cart staple

Chocolate & Kopi Tart The characteristic flavour of kopi – coffee roasted in the Singaporean style plus condensed milk – lends a distinct edge to the luscious tart filling made with Valrhona Manjari 64% dark chocolate

Nostalgia Is The Most Powerful Seasoning: My Book! And A Party!

2011-05-23T14:38:00.002+08:00

I've been bursting to say something sooner, but kept it close to my chest out of sheer personal superstition.

Well, the cat is out of the bag, my book has gone to print, and it will be released very shortly.

I am so excited and thrilled that I'm practically speechless...the operating word here being practically, of course! The modesty of the book's size and scope - "Nostalgia Is The Most Powerful Seasoning" is a concise collection of my food essays with a sprinkling of heirloom family recipes published by Ate Media - belies its gestation period, to me at least. I very much feel as if the project has been brewing for a bit, albeit unconsciously, what with some of the ideas and much of the sentiment behind the essays having percolated through this space over the past years.

My elation has been made immeasurably more meaningful by the fact that the book launch will be hosted at Shermay's Cooking School, a wonderful place that I've come to think of as a second home. What better place to celebrate the occasion with friends, family and the lovely individuals I've had the tremendous pleasure of meeting via my classes?

The 3.30pm to 6.30pm session on Saturday 4 June 2011 is open to the general public and bookings are currently being taken. To reserve a place and for all inquiries, please call the school at +65 6479 8442 or 6479 8414, or email shermaycs@yahoo.com.sg

I greatly look forward to meeting and chatting with everyone at the event (where copies of the book will be available), especially readers of this blog and the regulars at the school who have been so supportive, gracious and unstinting in their encouragement.

Substantial snacks - including freshly made Ramly Burgers and Satay - will be served with refreshments. Please do join me at the party; it'll be a blast!

Sinfully Sinless Superfood Sweets

2011-04-18T02:18:00.002+08:00

Inspiration is everywhere.

It can be as randomly encountered as some scrumptious slice of polenta cake grabbed from an unassuming gem of an Italian deli in Clerkenwell and eaten on-the-go.

Or as deliberately masticated as a sliver of divine sesame halva that's tiding you over as you stand in ridiculously long line for the most awesome (and messy) falafel sandwich from rue des Rosiers in the Marais.

As Emerson said, though we travel the world over to find the beautiful, we must carry it with us or we find it not.

Fortunately, just as often, you don't have to wander far from your doorstep to find what you are looking for.

When I'm mapping out ideas for menus, I find myself conveniently recalling the tastes, sights, smells, sounds, moments fleeting and memorable making up the rich tapestry that is the experience of travel, the more esoteric, far-flung and exotic, the more enticing.

But I also find myself remembering snatches of conversation with friends and the individuals I've had the pleasure of meeting thanks to the classes I teach.

The genesis of this particular weekend? The seed was planted over dinner with dearest K - a very good friend, great cook, devoted wife, lady of impeccable taste and unimpeachable manners, loving mother of two adorable long-haired miniature dachshunds, pilates practitioner extraordinaire, and créatrice of the most fabulous jewellery. The sapling was watered by many requests from the wonderful regulars at the school for desserts that are vegan, or gluten-free, or reliant less on refined sugar and flour and more on whole foods and grains.

Because this is the first time I am teaching a class catering to niche needs, I wanted the menu to be a mixed bag - there is something for everyone, whatever their sensitivities, intolerances, allergies or lifestyle choices. Perhaps in the future, if demand merits it, menus could be further whittled, defined and tailored in their specific healthful focus. But for the moment, I am taking a more general approach, a macro overview if you can call it that, keeping in mind that for many, it may be the first time trying out recipes calling for natural lower-GI sweeteners, or non-wheat flours.

The challenge, of course, was creating recipes which are yummy, which are as good for you as they are good to eat, which are delicious by any yardstick. It is really a class for all those of us who want to have our cake and eat it too!

Sinfully Sinless: Superfood Desserts, the demo class I'll be teaching at Shermay's Cooking School, will be held on 21 May 2011 (Saturday) and 22 May 2011 (Sunday). For all inquiries, please call the school at +65 6479 8442 or 6479 8414, or email shermaycs@yahoo.com.sg

The menu:

*Allergen-Free Key:
DF – Dairy-free
EF – Egg-free
GF – Gluten-free
NF – Nut-free
SF – Soy-free
V – Vegan
WF – Wheat-free
Kinako & Soy Milk Gelato Roasted Japanese soy bean powder lends an exotically earthy edge to angelic soy milk gelato
DF, EF, GF, NF, V, WF

Chocolate Chip & Cocoa Nib Cookies These wheat-free chocolate chip cookies boast the goodness and wonderful flavour of oat and brown rice flours...so delicious everyone will be asking what you put in, not what you left out!
SF, WF

Lemon, Polenta and Almond Cake A gluten-free superstar, this damp and moist Italian-style torta (cake) is bursting with fresh citrus flavour

GF, SF, WF

Blueberry Quinoa Muffins Between the antioxidant-rich blueberries and protein-rich quinoa, these tasty muffins truly make for the breakfast of champions
DF, EF, GF, NF, SF, V, WF

Bonus Section with Extra Recipes, Ideas & Serving Suggestions:

Magic Matcha Muffins Virtuous to a fault, these gluten-free and vegan muffins are flavoured with antioxidant-rich powdered Japanese green tea and subtly sweetened with agave nectar, the preferred natural sweetener of the health cognoscenti

DF, EF, GF, NF, SF, V, WF

Tahini Treats Soft, chewy and packed with the rich flavour of tahini (an all-natural sesame paste), these treats are inspired by the Middle Eastern sesame confection known as halvah

DF, EF, GF, SF, V, WF

Fudgesicles Cold and creamy yet absolutely dairy-free, these soy milk and cocoa frozen treats are as refreshing as they are easy to make

DF, EF, GF, NF,V, WF

Blissful Brownie Bites Part cookie, part brownie and utterly gluten-free, this intriguing hybrid is so addictive it is impossible to stop at one

GF, SF, WF

Secret Ingredient X XO Sauce

2011-02-24T04:36:00.001+08:00

In my household, XO sauce has become a must-have. However time-strapped one may be, however bare and unshopped-for the fridge and cupboard, having a bottle of this glorious dried scallop-and-shrimp condiment -which keeps very well - on standby means dinner can be ready in two shakes of a dog's tail. I am assuming that by bare one nonetheless has pasta lying about.

Of course, it is far too scrumptious to only dip into as a last-minute insta-meal solution. It most certainly deserves to be the star of its very own cabaret, the express point of a dish.

All this hullabaloo is with specific reference to the homemade, not garden, variety.

Since this - golly, has it really been over 5 years since I wrote that?! - I've had plenty of opportunity (not to mention time) to come up with my own version of XO sauce, adding a little pinch of this and a smidgen of that, playing around with the proportions of ingredients, seasoning to my taste.

The secret ingredient? Bacon. Yup, that's right, bacon. Not so much to impose overt, dominant, bacon-y-ness, just enough to lend an enigmatic, can't-quite-put-your-finger-on-it meaty savour, depth shall we say, a subtle suggestion of smoke. If you ever had a feeling that bacon makes the world go round, try this recipe and you may very well think of it as prima facie evidence of the case.

Sure, try making it without the bacon, the recipe below can be made bacon-free by straightforward omission. The XO sauce will still be yummy, but it will be a completely different animal. Just sayin'.

That out of the way, feel free to tweak - it is exactly the sort of recipe that calls for the cook to adjust to taste.

Photo from http://www.preethi.in/

My most recent batch was greatly facilitated by my new toy, an awesome Preethi mixer grinder, the sort of lean, mean, multi-tasking Indian machine that's affectionately known as a "mixie", without which an Asian cook - or any cook, really, who enjoys preparing Asian recipes - would be sadly bereft. Wet grinds, dry grinds, spice pastes blitzed to a textbook case consistency without the addition - horrors! - of water or oil to get the work done, name a task that your archetypal processor or blender can't wing (albeit these machines were designed for tackling other tasks/cuisines) and the Preethi will fill the gap, no sweat. Thank you, A, D, S and S for such a thoughtful housewarming gift! If you are keen and reside in Singapore, Preethi is available at Shermay's Cooking School (do call the school at +65 6479 8442 or 6479 8414 before making a trip down as the Preethi is exceedingly popular and I hear stock flies off the shelves).

While best known for its ability to produce a rempah with a texture that's the closest second there is to the hand-pounded McCoy, in the XO sauce recipe which follows, it is used to pulverise the dried shrimp into a fine floss.

X XO Sauce

Yields 5 cups

225 gm Dried scallops
200 gm Dried shrimp
200 gm Shallots, peeled and coarsely chopped
10 Garlic cloves, peeled and coarsely chopped
150 gm Fresh red chillies, de-seeded and coarsely chopped
400 ml Peanut oil
100 gm Dark brown Muscovado sugar
100 gm Streaky bacon, finely minced

1.Soak the dried scallops in 2/3 cup of tepid water in a heat proof dish for 1 hour – almost all the water will be absorbed, and the dried scallops should be sufficiently softened such that they break apart when gently pressed. Steam until tender, which will take 30 minutes to 1 hour (depending on the size of the scallops). Remove dish from heat and let cool, reserving the juices. Finely shred the scallops. Set aside.
2.Rinse the dried shrimp under tepid tap water. Drain. Pat dry. Grind into a fine floss using a food processor (or use a mixie if you have one). Scrape out and set aside in a separate bowl.
3.Using the pulse function, grind the shallots until finely minced. Scrape out and set aside in a separate bowl.
4.Using the pulse function, grind the garlic and chillies together until finely minced. Scrape out and set aside in a separate bowl.
5.Heat the oil in a large heavy pan over medium high heat. Fry the shallots, dried shrimp and sugar until the sugar begins to caramelize, stirring constantly. Add the garlic and chilli mixture, bacon, dried scallops and their reserved steaming juices. Turn heat down to medium. Continue to fry for about 30 minutes, stirring constantly. The finished condiment should be highly aromatic and a deep russet hue.
6.Remove from the heat and let cool completely.

Storage: Store in airtight containers in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks. Or freeze for up to 2 months; thaw overnight in the refrigerator before using.

PS: It might seem like a large quantity. But if you're going to make the effort, you may as well make it a big batch. That way, there's plenty to go around - for stashing away in the freezer for those proverbial bare cupboard moments, for giving away to friends and family, for elevating simple stir-frys, for majestically accompanying everything from congee to gyoza to drunken chicken. But my favourite use of it is hands-down with pasta (in the above picture, I had tossed handmade tagliatelle all'uovo with XO sauce, freshly picked crab meat, fried spring onions and garlic).

Flowers for Dummies

2011-01-24T14:10:00.109+08:00

I am not patient by nature.

Sift flour and baking powder thrice? Sure.

Wait overnight before baking the financier batter? No problem.

If there's something yummy to be had at the end of it all, there's no fuss or tedium that's not worth the while.

But trim, wire and tape stalk after stalk of flowers to stick into a pleasing arrangement? Thanks, but no thanks, it's really not for the impatient likes of me. I love admiring beautiful and intricate floral arrangements as much as the next person. But attempt to do it myself? Drives me to tears. This klutziness with flowers is likely an extension of how plantlife (and guppies for that matter) has a habit of dying around me. Money plants, cacti, ornamental chilli plants, terrariums...You name it, I've somehow caused it to wither. They call me the plant murderer at home.

While many know my grandmother to be an accomplished cook, what few know is that she can out-garden the best of them. I have personally witnessed her green fingers do everything from revive a wizened bonsai to coax stem cuttings into propagating prolifically. It is truly something else, and woefully something I have no knack for.

The solution to my green thumblessness, of course, is to simply pick up the phone and order from my favourite florists. And if for whatever reason I need to do it myself, my idea of flower arranging is to stick a few stems into a jam jar. Literally.

I think it works especially well on the dinner table, where it is unlikely a guest will notice the bare bones lazy girl's approach (or at least I like to imagine).

Between the place settings and the votives, free flowing libations and conversation,

there should be plenty to distract.

Even without the blooms,

I think the pussy willow looks rather fresh, modern and pretty in a spare sort of way.

Some very kind friends gave me a pot of gorgeous orchids - thank you very much A, D, S and S, I adore them. They are apparently very low maintenance plants despite their glamorous, exotic, high maintenance appearance. In short, perfection!

To everyone who is entertaining and celebrating this coming festive season, Happy Lunar New Year!

Hamming It Up

2011-01-10T11:12:00.014+08:00

We were in Paris in October - W primarily for work, me ostensibly for a spot of les puces trawling in Saint Ouen. One afternoon, after a particularly brisk walk in the bracing cold, we returned to the hotel room and were greeted by the most surreal of sights.

There, propped up against the window sill, was an entire leg of jamón ibérico de bellota from that hallowed institution for hamlovers, Bellota-Bellota. For the hamlover, a visit to 18 rue Jean Nicot is akin to dying and going to cured piggy heaven. Inveterate hamlovers that we are, the vision of the leg jacketed in the signature blue-and-white zippered bag was swoon-inducing.

"Is this my early birthday present?" I asked tentatively as I planted an affectionate kiss on W's cheek.

"Nope; the concierge must have sent it up by mistake. Tell no one! We shall keep it!" replied W, half in jest.

Upon closer inspection of the attached card, it turned out to be an extravagantly generous gift from a good friend of W's. The card very simply and cheekily read "I laugh to imagine how you will bring it back...!!!" Thank you very much R, we have never had the pleasure of resolving a happier problem.

As we were departing for London early next morning, the only solution to that not-small conundrum was to buy extra luggage. Immediately. We legged it out of the hotel room pronto, practically sprinting, lest the shops close for the day on us, which they would do if we didn't hurry.

The ham made it home safe and sound in a new suitcase. The wonderful gift, however, was to remain untouched until Christmas, cocooned in its sleeper bag in a cool dark corner of the two-door refrigerator (all the shelves had to be removed from one side to accommodate the 7.75 kg behemoth).

You see, it dawned on me too late that quite aside from a new suitcase for carting the ham home, another essential bit of kit would be a ham stand, a jamonero, without which carving up the leg would be virtually impossible. To rectify this proverbial cart-before-horse scenario, the ham would have to wait for the ham stand; fortunately hams are good at waiting so long as they have a good resting spot.

Now, while I am as gleeful as the next kitchen gadget freak to have the perfect excuse for acquiring yet another new plaything, and I am not unresourceful when I want to locate something, this one proved more elusive to come by in this neck of the woods. After a fair bit of homework and asking around, my heart was set on the Jamotec J4P for various reasons, and a local importer of Spanish food products very kindly agreed to letting me place an indent order. To cut a long story short, the concurrent spate of Spanish airport troubles saw to it that my J4P never made it to me in time for the holiday season. Thankfully, the importer loaned me a spare jamonero they had (the one in these pictures) in the interim.

Since Christmas, we have been slowly but surely making inroads into the big and beautiful leg of jamón ibérico de bellota. Wont as I am to have eyes much larger than my stomach, even I realized it would take much more than the hearty appetites of two fully fledged greedy folk - try as they might - to demolish the ham, much less do the delicacy from Jabugo true justice. And so the plan was hatched - weekend after weekend of delirious jamón binges with friends coming over, fuelled by copious champagne and other libations, until the leg is spent and the bones can be lopped up for the stock pot.

As a result, we have had quite a bit of practice using a long slender ham knife at getting the slices right - very thin, and no more than 3 inches wide, all the better to savour the special taste and succulence of this prized cured meat. I must say the experience of a freshly rendered slice, all comely glisten, is vastly different from the conveniently pre-sliced, the pré-tranché, from a vacuum-sealed bag, good as the latter can be. And for the host, the other huge plus is being able to compare the gustatory qualities unique to each section of the jamón - chiefly, the maza versus the babilla versus the punta. How salt, time and the art of controlled spoilage can yield such tremendous complexity in what once used to be a mere leg of pork, albeit a black-hoofed one of noble pedigree, is truly magical. Maza slices have a delicate exquisiteness that's almost floral in character, while slices from the babilla have a nuttier taste, have a bolder, more muscular quality. As for slices from the punta, I am at a loss for appropriate superlatives, they are that astonishing.

The trick to keeping the jamón in good nick if you won't be able to finish it in one sitting is to pare off only as much skin and fat as surrounds the area you plan to slice. The fat should also be set aside and used to blanket the exposed/cut surface before assiduous clingwrapping to prevent drying out.

It is looking more and more unlikely that my J4P will arrive in time for the last planned jamón blowout. But I'm not too disappointed. Far from, really. When the jamonero does finally make it, it will in turn be the perfect excuse to look forward to buying our next whole jamón.

Very Short Shortbread

2010-12-04T15:02:00.009+08:00

No dastardly cunning required here. Unless you count the fact that heartfelt homebaked gifting doesn't get more simple-but-super. And really, who needs more complexity when there are turkeys to brine chestnuts to roast fruitcakes to bathe in rum?

The secret to sensational shortbread? Just ample great butter, a light touch, and the inclusion of cornflour - the last is responsible for the shortness, the melt-in-your-mouth marvel that is sinking teeth into the recipe which follows.

If you are the proud owner of a seasonally themed shortbread pan - such as the gorgeous snowflake embossed Nordic Ware one I've used (available at Shermay's Cooking School, alongside pretty piles of other festive irresistibles) - now is the perfect occasion to bust it out.

Very Short Shortbread
Yields one 9x9 inch pan

255 gm All-purpose/plain flour
75 gm Corn flour
255 gm Unsalted butter, cubed and softened, plus extra for greasing
½ tsp Fine salt
110 gm Icing sugar
1 tsp Vanilla extract

1. Sift together the plain flour and corn flour into a medium bowl. Set aside.
2. Fit the stand mixer with the paddle attachment. Place the cubed unsalted butter in the mixer bowl. Add the salt. Cream at medium speed for 1 minute. Add the icing sugar to the mixer bowl. Cream the butter and sugar for 2 minutes. Stop and scrape down the bowl. Cream for another minute.
3. Add the vanilla extract. Beat the mixture until well combined.
4. Reduce mixer speed to the lowest setting and add the flour mixture to the creamed mixture, mixing until just combined.
5. When ready to bake, set a rack in the lower half of the oven and preheat oven to 150˚C, fan-assisted mode. Thoroughly grease the shortbread pan with softened unsalted butter, using a small pastry brush to get to every nook and cranny of the intricate design.
6. Very firmly press the dough into the pan (if you are using the Nordic Ware pan, there is exactly enough dough to come up to the rope detailing on the perimeter of the pan).
7. Prick the surface of the dough lightly with a fork at regular 1-inch intervals.
8. Bake for 35-40 minutes, until lightly browned.
9. Let cool in the pan set on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Invert onto a cutting board, loosening the edges first with a plastic knife if necessary. Cut into squares whilst still warm. Cool completely on the wire rack before storing.

Storage: Store the shortbread between sheets of non-stick baking parchment in an air-tight container at room temperature, where it will keep for at least 1 week.

PS: S and D, thank you thank you thank you for the fabulous plate - I absolutely adore the Balcon du Guadalquivir china pattern!

PPS: Will be joining W shortly in Venice and Florence, can't wait, so an early Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to everyone in case I don't manage to update this space before 2010 comes to a close.

A Love/Hate Relationship With Brioche

2010-10-27T17:10:00.008+08:00

Ah.

Brioche.

What have I said that I will say again.

Time and again, I fall for its crafty, buttery, egg yolky charms.

Most sometimes, I hate how it's made me try, try, and try and try somemore.

Rare othertimes, I love how it's made me try, try, and try and try somemore.

Best part is, regardless, I try, try, and try and try somemore.

And so, hate it or love it, as far as brioche is concerned, I will be trying, trying, and trying and trying somemore, such is its spellbinding power, ever holding (or withholding) the promise of paradisiacal perfection. Brioche is a most contrary mistress, and in every sense. Ethereal yet rich, and most most tempestuous, attempting to hone and perfect a brioche recipe is as one would imagine an exercise in patience not terribly different from the taming of the shrew.

Some women are addicted to bad relationships. While I thankfully got that out of my system many moons ago, I seem to have traded it for an addiction to truculent recipes. The agony and the ecstasy, really, sometimes, are one and the same.

But once grasped, a fabulous brioche recipe becomes a many-splendoured thing. It can form the basis of many preparations, from flamiche to kugelhopf.

If I had to pick a favourite, the kugelhopf from Holiday Treats II, the demo class I'll be teaching at Shermay's Cooking School on 27 November 2010 (Saturday) and 28 November 2010 (Sunday), is most certainly the one. For all inquiries, please call the school at +65 6479 8442 or 6479 8414, or email shermaycs@yahoo.com.sg

I've tried to strike a balance in this particular menu between the challenging-but-oh-so-gratifying-to-perfect and the simple-but-spectacular, hopefully those of you attending will find it as pleasing a mix too, accommodating of schedules both flexible and tight.

The menu:

Kugelhopf From Alsace to Austria, this traditional European specialty is equally beloved for good reason. Buttery yet delicate, the fruited yeast-leavened dough has a superb texture that’s the perfect cross between cake and bread. Leftovers make for excellent Bread Pudding or Pain Perdu.

Gingerbread Linzertorte This lovely twist on a beloved Austrian classic features a beautifully spiced gingerbread crust coddling a raspberry jam filling.

White Christmas Parfait A dreamy, creamy, light-as-snow frozen dessert with cranberries, pistachios and Valrhona Ivoire 35% white chocolate (an ice cream machine is not required for this recipe).

Peppermint Fudge Brownies An ultra luxe brownie recipe featuring an extravagant quantity of Valrhona Manjari 64% dark chocolate, bound by just a little flour. The result? Fudgy brownie heaven. These special treats are also used as the base for decorated miniature stacked brownie tiers.

Bonus Section I – Decorating Ideas & Essential Techniques:

Miniature Stacked Brownie Tiers decorated with Pretty Poinsettias,

and Holiday Holly.

Cupcake Ornaments How to decorate Brandied Mincemeat Cupcakes to resemble gorgeous holiday ornaments for trimming the tree.

Bonus Section II – Extra Recipes, Ideas & Serving Suggestions:

Brandied Mincemeat Cupcakes As festive and tasty as fruitcake or mincemeat pies, but much quicker to put together.

Rum Raisin & Chocolate Bread Pudding A velvety chocolate custard and rum-plumped raisins elevate homey bread pudding into the realm of the sublime.

Luxurious Pain Perdu No ordinary French toast, this showcases an enriched bread soaked in a lush Madagascar Bourbon vanilla-perfumed custard and carefully cooked till tender within and crisp without.

It's been an exhilarating - and slightly insane - 2010 for me so far. Between moving house, new projects, and travel plans, time constraints have unfortunately dictated that I do far fewer holiday season classes than usual - just one weekend of Holiday Treats I and one weekend of Holiday Treats II. On the bright side, I know they will be weekends filled with the warm, familiar faces of the individuals I have had the privilege of meeting and getting to know better over the last few years I have been teaching. Can't wait!

Unpacked!

2010-10-17T01:55:00.005+08:00

Beam me up, Scotty, I'm ready to rejoin the ranks of the civilized.

After much purging and packing, we have finally moved into our new home. And thus began the entirely separate process of unpacking, of figuring out what goes where and with what else, logically, ergonomically and within spatially feasible parameters, in an unfamiliar space you endeavour to make familiar through the process itself, clustering a few favourite objects here, tucking out of sight the occasionally used there.

189 boxes later, I feel like I've become the fastest Stanley knife draw in the East; a deft flick of the wrist and I can collapse and flatten a duct tape bound carton faster than you can say Doc Holliday. We're finally able to enjoy the sheer luxury of kicking back, settling into our new digs, and getting back to living a normal life. Which, for me, at this time of the year, means getting totally pysched about new recipes and new classes for the holiday season.

I'm very late to the party; the schedule went up some time ago, and Holiday Treats I, the demo class I'll be teaching at Shermay's Cooking School is right round the corner on 13 November 2010 (Saturday) and 14 November 2010 (Sunday). For all inquiries, please call the school at +65 6479 8442 or 6479 8414, or email shermaycs@yahoo.com.sg

The menu:

Spiced Pear Bundt Cake Homemade pear sauce lies at the heart of this wonderfully moist and moreish cake. Perfect on its own, but may also be dressed up with a Poire Williams Glaze and Pear Chips.

Pumpkin Patch Cookies Gently kissed with spice and pleasingly pumpkin-y, these cookies boast a tender, cake-like texture and are simply scrumptious. Try serving with Spiced Pumpkin Ice Cream for a special treat.

When replete with a Zesty Orange Glaze, stems, leaves and vines,

these cookies look just-plucked from the pumpkin patch!

Or sandwich the cookies with a billowy Cream Cheese Filling for Pumpkin Whoopie Pies.

Little Maple Cakes Pure, premium maple lends its distinctive, earthy sweetness to these little cakes that may be mini in stature but are mighty on taste. True blue maple lover? Pair with Maple Pecan Ice Cream for the ultimate in mapley desserts.

The batter may also be baked up as Maple Cupcakes, frosted with Maple Buttercream, and embellished with Fall Foliage Decorations.

Nutella Panna Cotta Call it a milk chocolate and hazelnut panna cotta if you prefer, but Nutella – essentially a chocolate hazelnut spread – is the everyday secret to this extraordinary pudding; only you need know it!

Lovely accompanied by something crisp, such as the Classic Gingersnaps.

As for the Bonus Section with Extra Recipes, Ideas & Serving Suggestions:

Spiced Pumpkin Ice Cream All the savour of an awesome pumpkin pie churned into a sumptuous ice cream

which can be used to sandwich the Pumpkin Patch Cookies.

Maple Pecan Ice Cream The deeply nutty, toasty flavour of great maple syrup really enhances that of pecans. This potently flavoured ice cream is just as great with Little Maple Cakes or Maple Pecan & Date Cookies.

Maple Pecan & Date Cookies The contrast of succulent dates against crunchy cookie, combined with an unique intensity of flavour, guarantees this number will become a cookie jar favourite.

Classic Gingersnaps Fragrant with the heady warmth of ginger, these delightfully crisp cookies have a habit of being snapped up as quickly as they are baked.

Nature abhors a vacuum...and a vacuumed Black Forest Gateau

2010-09-14T17:41:00.016+08:00

Life has a habit of getting in the way of the fun stuff, like updating this sliver of the www. I feel like I've been swallowed by a black hole the last couple of months. That somehow sounds omninous, but there's nothing omninous going on - far from, in fact. It's just that I feel like I've only surfaced very recently to air, and lo and behold - thank goodness - there is light at the end of the tunnel.

I've been preoccupied and distracted by more than my fair share of exciting projects - for which I am incredibly thankful - one of the most preoccupying and distracting of which is our impending move. At long long last, we have found a home to love, to live in, to make our own.

I am completely wigging out. I am utterly freaked. I so cannot wait. I am so looking forward. I can do this. I must do this.

Such is the churn of conflicting emotions, I am in a constant state of tizzy.

There's the monumental anxiety that comes with moving - a time equally of purging and renewal, of death and birth - as if by dint of physical displacement you wipe the slate clean and start anew, afresh.

Then there's the immense anticipation of finally inhabiting a space you had hitherto envisaged only in your mind's eye, in itself a possibly anxiety-inducing exercise.

But before any of that can enter the equation, it is boggling how much extraneous stuff can accrete over time, which you must then ruthlessly chip away like barnacles on an old boat. Nature abhors a vacuum, empty spaces are unnatural because they go against the laws of physics...hence the clutter. You only have to think about how you are going to responsibly divest yourself of all that you do not need (and suffer through the consequent headache) to see the ironic wisdom of Aristotle's aphorism.

On the other hand, you get to replace the fusty-dusty, fuddy-duddy with the shiny and new (again the Aristotelian axiom coming into play).

The first thing we made a beeline for, funnily enough, was a Dyson vacuum cleaner. It is a complete animal, I love it to pieces. It's easy breezy enough to decide what the most awesome vacuum cleaner is for your specific needs, not quite so piece-of-cake the other stuff. Decisions, decisions, but deliciously so. There is much pondering, pontificating and plain old procrastinating.
Even more funnily, the first thing that struck me about Heston Blumenthal's rendition of a Black Forest Gateau from this book was the image of what looked to be a DC32 aerating the bejesus out of a chocolate component layer.

I chickened out at the last moment, substituting a whipped ganache for the aerated chocolate layer specified in the recipe, perhaps babying and forming too much of a sentimental attachment to the little-but-mighty dust-busting machine already, prone as I am to anthropomorphizing, and reluctant to see the potentially untoward happen to it.

Regardless, the book's Black Forest Gateau is a terrific recipe, well worth the time you may have to spare to try it. I've followed it closely, in spirit, minus the vacuumed chocolate layer, the involved wood-effect-plus-paint-gunned finish, and the dehydrated vanilla pod-masquerading-as-cherry stalks.

Anyways, it's back to the burrowing for me, please wish me luck!

Project Bánh Mì

2010-06-05T11:14:00.003+08:00

This post, I suppose, has been years in the making (read: Warning - Very long one lies ahead).

There's a handful of foods W is slightly obsessed with. Which, really, means that every specimen that crosses his path must stand up to even more persnickety than usual scrutiny as to what passes muster. Woe betide the cook or establishment that has the audacity to serve a subpar burger, pizza, taco or phở (it's not quite so esoteric a list considering that he grew up in New York, and spent a significant part of his early working life in SoCal).

Bánh mì - also popularly known as a Saigon sub - as you can well imagine, ranks rather high on this list.

For the longest time, I never could quite understand what the fuss was all about (or see here). But then again, as W rightly pointed out, I had yet to eat a pukka example. Finally, some years back, on a trip to Sydney, we took an eternity of a train ride to Cabramatta the inconvenience of which was promptly forgotten and my enroute grumbling sheepishly taken back as we tucked into steamy, aromatic, gargantuan bowls of righteous phở piled high with perfectly cooked beefy tidbits and perky fresh herbs, and ordered to go a couple of wax paper wrapped baguette sandwiches to see us through the return journey.

Suffice to say I had a bit of an epiphanic moment as I chomped my way through that super sub, stuffed to the gills with an embarassment of succulent charcuterie, exotically accented yet strangely familiar, given a nice verdant fillip with crunchy pickles and fragrant coriander.

Sadly, looking for the same high here is about as fruitful as waiting for Godot in that Beckett play. Fortunately, we'd since chanced upon an excellent 13th arrondissement Vietnamese traiteur in Paris wrapping up excellent bánh mì.

Which is all fine and dandy until you get excruciating and inexplicable cravings for that-which-you-may-not-have between fixes/trips. Which is when you roll up your sleeves, sling on an apron, look up every possible available resource, and - bánh mì gods willing - craft your own (as if you haven't already, see Melissa's fabulous post).

There are as many bánh mì permutations as there are cooks, but here's ours. It's taken me a while (a pretty long while), but after much tweaking and editing and wringing of hands, here're the current most-favoured elements of our ever-morphing and hopefully-improving bánh mì play list (NB: We're firmly in the porky pig paradise camp. Looking for lean mean chicken or meatless seitan? Sorry, here is not the place.):

6-inch length of baguette
Roast cinnamon sausage (see below)
Chicken liver pâté (see below)
Ham terrine (see below)
Daikon & carrot pickle (see below)
Mayonnaise, either homemade (see below) or Kewpie (Japanese mayo)
Maggi Seasoning or light soy sauce
Sriracha chilli sauce, or sliced chillies
Cucumber spears
Coriander sprigs

PS: It's certainly not a spur-of-the-moment affair to cobble together. Spot on, however, for a weekend project and/or if you have potluck-happy friends.

PPS: Everything below will serve 4 to 6, depending on appetite/greed of partakers.

CHẢ QUẾ
Roast Cinnamon Sausage

For the tastiest results, bake the sausage the day before you plan to serve it, for the flavour improves in a startling fashion with an overnight maturation. Working backwards, this means ideally getting started 2 days in advance, as the raw meat needs to sit in its marinade overnight too.

If you can find it, the banana leaf imparts a lovely fragrance to the sausage. If not, not all is lost – simply bake the meat paste directly on the aluminium foil.

Tempted as you may be to skip the fat back; please don’t. Fat back is the secret of all great tasting charcuterie, be it French or Vietnamese, as it adds immeasurably to the taste, moistness and tenderness of the end result.

500 gm Pork leg, shoulder or collar meat (trimmed weight)
2 Tbsp + 1½ tsp Fish sauce
2 Tbsp + 1½ tsp Neutral vegetable oil, such as sunflower or soybean, plus extra for greasing
2 Tbsp + 1½ tsp Water
1½ tsp Double action baking powder
2 Tbsp Tapioca starch
1½ tsp Finely crushed yellow rock sugar (or substitute caster sugar)
½ tsp Freshly ground black pepper
½ tsp Ground cinnamon, preferably freshly toasted and ground
1 Shallot, peeled and minced
1 Garlic clove, peeled and minced
100 gm Pork fat back, cubed
20 x 20 cm piece of fresh banana leaf, trimmed of brown edges, rinsed and patted dry (optional)

1. Trim away the skin and bones on the pork cut you have bought. Remove and discard all gristle and silver skin. Slice into 1cm-thick pieces. Set aside. Note: You need 500gm in trimmed weight, so buy a bit more to begin with.
2. In a large bowl, whisk together the fish sauce, vegetable oil, water, baking powder, tapioca starch, sugar, pepper, cinnamon, shallot and garlic. When marinade is evenly combined, add the prepared pieces of pork, stirring to coat thoroughly. Cling wrap the bowl and set aside in the refrigerator for at least 8 hours and up to 24 hours. The pieces of pork will become considerably stiffer.
3. When ready to make the meat paste, place bowl of pork in the freezer for 30 minutes before processing.
4. Meanwhile, prepare the pork fat back. Blanch in boiling water for 1 to 2 minutes until firm. Drain and cool. Dice finely into pieces about the size of rice grains. Set aside.
5. Fit the food processor with the chopping/mixing steel blade. Transfer the partially frozen pork into the food processor bowl, breaking up any large clumps. Be sure to add all the marinade in the bowl. Process for about 5 minutes, until a smooth, firm, buff pink and very fine paste forms, stopping the processor occasionally to scrape down the sides of the bowl. The paste is ready when it is shiny, springs back to the touch, and there are no visible bits of pork left. Transfer meat paste to a large mixing bowl.
6. Add the prepared pork fat, folding in so that it is evenly distributed throughout the meat paste.
7. Preheat oven to 165°C, fan-assisted mode. Position a rack in the middle of the oven.
8. Line a baking tray with aluminium foil. If using a banana leaf, place it on the lined tray and lightly grease with oil (if not, grease the foil). Scrape the meat paste onto the banana leaf (or foil). With lightly greased hands, firmly pat meat paste into a square that’s about 3 cm thick, smoothing the top and sides. Use a toothpick or bamboo skewer to dock the paste at regular 3 cm intervals (this prevents it from puffing excessively).
9. Bake for 30 minutes, or until light golden brown and firm to the touch. A toothpick inserted in the centre should emerge clean. Place tray on a wire rack and let sausage cool completely.

Storage & serving: Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 7 days. You will find it’s easiest to cut the sausage after it’s been well-chilled in order to obtain nice, neat, thin slices. So slice what you need straight from the refrigerator, but let the slices come to room temperature (about 30 minutes) before serving.

PA TÊ GAN GÀ

Chicken Liver Pâté

A simple yet tasty way of making pâté - no need for enamelled cast iron terrine or bain marie. Specifically for the purpose of schmearing into this particular bánh mì combo, I like the texture of the liver pâté super smooth, as I prefer the velvety contrast against the other of my chosen elements, all of which have plenty variegated texture, chew and crunch. Also, it is not too barnyardy in character, as evidenced by the abundant use of counterbalancing dairy product (a.k.a. butter). In bánh mì, it’s all about balance, be it in terms of texture or taste.

If, however, you prefer a pâté with texture you can sink your teeth into (which is more traditional), or will be using a different combination/permutation of charcuterie, feel free to replace a liked fraction of the quantity of chicken liver with some cooked ground pork and/or pork liver. Speaking of which, the trad approach would be a terrine more akin to a rustic French country number, comprising of pork/chicken/beef liver, ground pork/beef, and pork fat back. For such a style of recipe, you may wish to refer to the concise reading list on Vietnamese cuisine I’ve provided below, or adapt a classic French charcuterie recipe you already like to your purposes.

Essentially, what follows here is an untraditional pâté de foie de volaille, given bold Vietnamese-y punctuation with a splash of fish sauce (which adds much mysterious umami without actually shouting “fish sauce”) and a sprinkle of Chinese 5-spice powder (in lieu of quatre épices).

250 gm Chicken livers (cleaned weight)
150 gm Unsalted butter
2 Shallots, peeled and minced
3 Garlic cloves, peeled and minced
¼ tsp 5-spice powder
2 Tbsp Armagnac, cognac or brandy
1 tsp Fish sauce
½ tsp Fine sea salt
¼ tsp Freshly ground black pepper
1 tsp Caster sugar
100 gm Whipping cream

1. Meticulously pick over the chicken livers, discarding all veins, sinew, membranes, fat and bile (the discoloured dark green bits); they will contribute an unwanted dimension to the final taste. Then rinse, pat dry and set aside. Note: You need 250gm in cleaned weight, so do buy a bit more to begin with.
2. Melt 100 gm of the butter. Set aside to cool.
3. Melt 25 gm of the remaining butter in a heavy skillet (of a size able to accommodate all the livers comfortably in one layer) over medium-high heat. Once butter starts to foam, add the livers. Fry 1 to 2 minutes, until golden brown. Flip over and brown the other side, another 1 to 2 minutes. You want them crusty golden brown on the outside and tenderly pink within. Transfer to a large plate, scraping out all the tasty fat, juices and browned bits. Set aside to cool.
4. In the same (unwashed) skillet, melt the rest of the butter (25 gm) over low heat. Gently fry the shallots still golden and softly caramelized, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and fry. Once garlicky aroma hits your nose (no more than 1 minute), add the 5-spice powder. Stir briefly to mix evenly. Once aromatic, transfer mixture to a small bowl. Set aside to cool.
5. Bump up heat. Deglaze skillet with Armagnac, scraping diligently to incorporate all the tasty browned bits stuck to pan. Once reduced to a syrup, scrape into a small bowl. Set aside to cool.
6. Sling melted butter, livers, shallot-garlic mixture, and reduced alcohol into blender jar. Add fish sauce, salt, pepper and sugar. Blitz to blend till completely smooth; this will take a few minutes. The mixture will look separated at this point. Add the cream. Blitz briefly to blend. It will now be homogeneous and creamy. Taste and adjust the seasoning if necessary.
7. Pass the paste through a fine-meshed sieve, such as a chinois, to eliminate any stray sinew.
8. Scrape into a dish and chill in the refrigerator to set, at least 2 hours but preferably overnight so the flavours can develop.
9. Before serving, let come to room temperature (about 30 minutes) so it is the ideal spreading consistency.

Storage: Consume within 3 days. For longer term storage (up to 7 days), seal with a layer of clarified butter, duck fat or goose fat.

HAM TERRINE

Phew, OK, what a bunch of work already. The 2 meat elements described above are plenty for constructing an awesome sandwich, but if you are (A) in the mood to bring it to the next level and pack some extra oomph, and more importantly, (B) not fat-phobic, may I suggest looking up chef Tien Ho’s ham terrine recipe from David Chang’s brilliant Momofuku cookbook – which, incidentally, I think is one of the best things to have hit the bookshelves in 2009, the ultimate cookbook as only the ultimate anti-restaurant could have produced. To quote verbatim, “the ham terrine is like a ghetto-simplified and lightly Vietnamesed jambon persillé”. Instead of parsley-ed aspic, the pieces of ham are bound by scrumptious garlic-infused pork fat.

Yup, you heard me, crazy huh? Solid. Ivory. Creamy. Dreamy. Melt-in-your-mouth. Pork. Fat. Lest I offend the cholesterol police, or give the plot away, let me say no more. Let's just let slip if you’re keen on the good piggy stuff, and if you don’t already own a copy, this book has your name all over it.

I adore the recipe as is. But having made the recipe a couple of times, here’re a couple of random notes:

The addition of a teaspoonful each of black peppercorns and coriander seeds, along with a couple of cloves to the spice/herb mix is nice.

If you can’t locate curing salt in a reasonable (in domestic terms) quantity, fret not, do without; the terrine won’t be as pink but it’ll still taste pretty phenomenal.

Like a taller (like the one pictured) terrine? Use a terrine mold/loaf pan that’s slightly narrower width-wise (but at least as tall). Mine’s 7.5 by 4.5-inch.

ÐỒ CHUA
Daikon & Carrot Pickle

To julienne the daikon and carrots, you can go all old school and use a really sharp chef’s knife. But I must confess I much prefer using my cheap-and-cheerful Benriner mandoline – in my opinion, this Japanese contraption is still the best tool for the job. The blade to use is the medium-sized one (the Benriner comes with 3 blades), thus producing matchsticks about 2.5mm thick. Peel the daikon and carrots, cut them into 8 cm lengths, then julienne.

300 gm Peeled and shredded daikon
100 gm Peeled and shredded carrot
1 tsp Fine salt
2 tsp + 130 gm Caster sugar
200gm White rice vinegar
200 gm Hot water

1. Transfer the julienned vegetables into a large bowl. Sprinkle with the salt and 2 tsp of the sugar. Massage into the vegetables for 5 minutes; they will soften and disgorge a fair bit of water. Dump vegetables into a colander to drain, pressing down quite firmly to get rid of excess liquid. Transfer drained vegetables to an airtight container. Set aside.
2. Combine the remaining 130 gm sugar and vinegar in a jug. Add the hot water and stir to dissolve the sugar. Pour this pickling fluid over the vegetables; the vegetables should be completely covered. Store in the refrigerator.
3. Let steep at least 24 hours before serving.

Storage: Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 14 days.

SỐT MA DÔ NE TỎI
Garlic Mayonnaise

2 Garlic cloves, peeled
¼ tsp + 1/8 tsp Coarse sea salt
3 Egg yolks
¼ tsp Freshly ground black pepper
1 Tbsp Freshly squeezed lemon juice
200 gm Neutral vegetable oil, such as sunflower or soybean

1. Crush garlic with the back of a knife with the salt, discarding the inner green shoots (which are bitter), until a fine paste is formed.
2. Combine the garlic paste, egg yolks, pepper and lemon juice in a medium bowl with a whisk. Stand the bowl on a wetted-and-wrung-out tea towel on the work surface so as to keep bowl stable and hands free to manipulate whisk and oil.
3. Gradually add the oil in a thin trickle to begin with - adding only a few drops at a time - whisking continuously until mixture is thickened and stable. You can now add the remaining oil in a slow steady stream, still whisking continuously, ensuring the last addition had been properly emulsified before adding the next..
4. Once the oil is completely incorporated and the mayonnaise is thick, glossy and properly emulsified, taste and adjust the seasoning as necessary/to taste with more salt, pepper and lemon juice.

Storage: Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator, with cling wrap pressed directly onto the surface to prevent a skin from forming, for up to 7 days.

The preferred order? We like one side of the split baguette (preferably something thinly crusty but not too crusty without, and airy but not too pappy within) thickly slathered with liver pâté , the other with garlicky mayo, the whole stuffed with slices of cinnamon sausage and ham terrine, then topped with cucumber spears and daikon & carrot pickle, and finished with a dash of Maggi, Sriracha and sprigs of coriander.

At some point, you'll probably want to explore other awesome alternatives (all porcine, I'm afraid) featuring treats such as char siu, kho, head cheese and by-any-other-name meatballs/sausage patties.

Or serve the stuff as part of an Asian charcuterie plate, morsels atop piping hot rice or slippery noodle portions, or most virtuously of all with good old salad greens.

Below, a selective reading list put together based on the fact that of the books I have on the various subjects at hand, these are the ones I actually use and refer to time and again. Recipes above are inspired by and adapted from the collective wisdom found between the covers of:

(On Vietnamese food):
Andrea Nguyen’s Into the Vietnamese Kitchen ; Mai Pham's Pleasures of the Vietnamese Table;
Nicole Routhier’s The Foods of Vietnam; Corinne Trang’s Authentic Vietnamese Cooking (there’s a bánh mì dough recipe using a combination of wheat flour and rice flour),
Pauline Nguyen’s Secrets of the Red Lantern, and Luke Nguyen’s The Songs of Sapa

(On Southeast Asian food):
Wendy Hutton’s Green Mangoes and Lemon Grass; Jeffrey Alford & Naomi Duguid’s Hot Sour Salty Sweet

(On all-round hog heaven):
David Chang’s Momofuku

And web resources like:
Andrea Nguyen’s Viet World Kitchen and Asian Dumplings; Battle of the Bánh Mì ; and White on Rice

Warning: Possible Cute Overload

2010-05-11T06:36:00.002+08:00

Frogs and snails, and puppy dogs' tails, that's what little boys are made of

I can't help myself.

My XX chromosomal hardwiring has really predetermined my predilection for all things sugar and spice,

pastel and pretty in pink - when it comes to cake, anyways

(my funereal black-is-the-new-black wardrobe is another story entirely).

A belated Happy Mothers' Day!

There were many devoted mums in attendance the weekend just past

(when it occurred to me that the dominant decorating style really was predicated on baking by girls for girls...

Oops.).

Here, a few quick snaps of some of the miniature cake designs on the menu.

Two more sessions on 22 May 2010 (Saturday) and 23 May 2010 (Sunday). For all inquiries, please call the school at +65 6479 8442 or 6479 8414, or email shermaycs@yahoo.com.sg

Fabulous Party Cakes - Classes

2010-04-21T15:32:00.027+08:00

I'll be teaching Fabulous Party Cakes, a demo class, at Shermay's Cooking School on 8 May 2010 (Saturday), 9 May 2010 (Sunday), 22 May 2010 (Saturday) and 23 May 2010 (Sunday). For all inquiries, please call the school at +65 6479 8442 or 6479 8414, or email shermaycs@yahoo.com.sg

If there's one thing I've observed many of the lovely ladies who attend my classes have in common, it's their devotion to their nearest and dearest. Really, why else bake a cake when you can buy a cake? It's a labour of love, and that's the long and short of it. I am always in awe of how these ladies manage to juggle work and family so graciously. They don't merely manage a household; they manage to find time and energy in their superhuman schedules to not just feed their families, but feed them handsomely. And to make time to bake on top of all that? Why, that's just the icing on the cake. Amazing grace, truly.

It is this coterie of very special people who inspired this particular class. Some are avid bakers. Some, weekend bakers. And yet others, don't bake as often as they would like to, life has a habit of getting in the way. All, however, make it a point to when there's an occasion to celebrate. From birthdays to anniversaries, there is nothing that says an occasion is special like cake lovingly crafted from scratch does. As they say, you can take the party out of a cake, but there's no taking the cake out of a party.

OK, I just made that last line up. Secretly, guiltily, sheepishly watching Jersey Shore has made the saying that is actually said a real truism. Half horrifying, half hilarious, 100% addictive - the very definition of morbidly fascinating. But I digress.

On the menu:

Peanut Butter Sandcastle Bundt A scrumptious and stunning cake peanut butter-lovers will absolutely swoon for. Replete with seashells and other fun-in-the-sun accents moulded from Peanut Butter Putty, an edible “clay” you can shape and manipulate the same way you would handle fondant or marzipan.

Lemon Honey Beehive Cake Big and beautiful, fragrant and moist, this honeyed number will set your next party abuzz!

PS: Yes, not terribly anatomically correct, no stingers and all. But having actually been stung before, the only way I can reconcile my phobia with my love of honey is to anthropomorphize!

Very Berry + Very Chocolatey Shortcake Baskets Chocolate shortcake baskets (using Valrhona Manjari 64% Dark Chocolate) holding a bounty of ripe, juicy macerated berries (strawberries, raspberries, blackberries and/or blueberries can all work here)

can be as adorable as they are delectable.

Miniature Tiered Cakes Create a fabulous collection of decorated miniature tiered cakes based on the perfect yellow layer cake recipe.

I will have more details up soon on the bonus sections of the recipe pack (see here or here for a preview) covering the subject of miniature cakes - designs and techniques demonstrated at class will include a comprehensive selection from this material, with the extent depending on time.

Fishy business

2010-04-15T01:02:00.009+08:00

In the name of the evolution of one's decompression therapy, I'll rather take a whirl through rue du Faubourg Saint-Honoré anytime, anyday, over the Champs-Élysées. Sure, it dosen't hurt that this particular shop-till-you-drop stretch is a mere hop, skip and jump away from one of our favourite hotels in Place Vendôme (much to W's vexation, it is wedged right between the eye candy at 13, rue de la Paix and here).

Point is, however much you subscribe to the have-good-food-will-travel school of thought at dinner, lunch, pragmatically - if you're deep in the throes of therapy in the 1st/8th arrondissements - is a let's-see-what's-closest (ie.walking distance)-by-but-still worth-eating affair. I won't bother talking about the prix fixe menus you already know and are familiar with at joints like Les Ambassadeurs, Le Bristol, Le Cinq, Alain Ducasse, Pierre Gagnaire, Ledoyen, and Taillevent (PS: Where this particular ilk in the hood is concerned, and in appropriate company with the appropriate leisurely frame of mind, we tend to spring for Carré Des Feuillants, Le Grand Vefour and Le Meurice).

In such time's a wastin' circumstance, I tend not to want to linger over a long lunch in some grand setting. I just want some place fun and informal. Gratifying without being too overwhelming (this is lunch afterall), conveniently located but not too much of a scene (Aside: If however in the mood for that sorta thing, the mid-day people-watching at Pinxo, Hôtel Costes and the basement in Colette are hard to beat).

So where to find this spot of fortifying yet fast sustenance, a tasty lil' respite to tide you over a potentially cardiovascular afternoon till a probable big and proper dinner? The obvious answer would be the countless excellent brasseries and bistros dotting the area - I am especially fond of Chez George, Aux Lyonnais, Le Mesturet, La Tour de Montlhéry (also known as Chez Denis), and Le Vaudeville. However, given my utter lack of self-control, I am apt to make a beeline for exactly the kind of hearty, robust, rib-sticking standbys on these menus that make one soporific as opposed to energized for the flurry of brisk activity that is shopping on these streets. Which is why I do my best to stay clear of them at lunch, obvious (and tempting) as the option may be.

So where on earth does one go then? I find myself turning time and again to the wine bar. I love Les Fines Gueles. No ordinary wine bar, you'll find they insist on using nothing but the very very very finest - from the Jean-Yves Bordier butter to the Joël Thiébault veg to the Hugo Desnoyer beef, the concept of compromise does not exist here. Me? I cannot get enough of the steak tartare made from exquisitely beefy Salers beef. To. Die. For. And in my books the perfect light-yet-reviving lunch. Equally charming, but with a greater New World wine focus, is Tim Johnston's Juvéniles. In contrast (in terms of scale and modernity), there's Lavinia, every wine geek's idea of a crazily-well-stocked perfectly-microclimate-controlled heaven. Head upstairs; whatever you've decided is worth imbibing at the cheery nook of a restaurant, it'll happily wash down the surprisingly satisfactory (and satisfying) menu options.

But to be really honest, if I'm feeling (a) extravagant and/or (b) virtuous (read: didn't swipe the plastic as often as anticipated that particular morning), I treat myself to Cafe Prunier. What better locale (at Place de la Madeleine) at which to celebrate with a flute of gorgeous vintage bubbly, a quenelle of whatever/whichever Aquitaine caviar Pierre Bergé deems fit (like this Yves covetable?) or the ever-reliably-excellent Tradition Prunier, and a plat of delectable Balik smoked salmon thinghies a recent score just up and off rue Boissy d'Anglais here or here warrants? (PS: If gallery-trawling in the Left Bank, I head for Petrossian instead for an equally astounding piscean experience).

* Salmon Rillettes, a luxurious potted fish pâté made of smoked salmon and poached fresh salmon, is divine with a hearty, rustic bread like soda bread. It's all part of the menu for The Ultimate Afternoon Tea Party, a demo class, on 24 April 2010 and 25 April 2010. For all inquiries, please call the school at +65 6479 8442 or 6479 8414, or email shermaycs@yahoo.com.sg

I dream of cream teas

2010-04-02T00:12:00.003+08:00

We spent a few days in London in January and, as always, made it a point to revisit old favourites like St John Bread & Wine in Spitalfields (which we actually prefer to the original Smithfield restaurant; the whole plates-to-share thingy makes for a much more fun, informal and varied experience) and Bentley's in Swallow Street, Richard Corrigan's super cosy, comforting, unpretentious, and all-round awesome oyster bar (we like sitting downstairs in the bustling bar, rather than upstairs, and trying to make tough menu calls. Bisque, prawn & egg mayo, dressed crab, fish pie, fish & chips, and of course oysters - trouble is, it's all staggeringly good. Decisions, decisions...).

And then there's afternoon tea - this, I (as opposed to we) tear about in constant pursuit of. If you're into wearing your Roger Vivier pilgrims and daintily nibbling them too, there's the Prêt-à-Portea at The Berkeley. For sheer ambience, I adore soaking up the grand European setting (impeccably restored by David Collins) of The Wolseley. But, for me, possibly the most all-round fabulous afternoon tea experience - in terms of the comestibles, the setting, the service, the works - turned out to be the one that was right under my nose, no tearing about required.

While W has had the pleasure of doing so on previous work trips, and had (perhaps to his everlasting regret) described to me in vivid detail the superlativeness of that pleasure, it was to be my first time ever staying at the legendary Claridge's. And what a treat it was. How excited was I? Much to W's bemusement, I couldn't stop talking about it - on the Eurostar ride from Gare du Nord to St Pancras, in the cab from the train station to Brook Street, all throughout our stay, on the long haul flight home, and then some. So much so I think he's secretly worried I have become so utterly spoilt by the superb service and perfection of it all - in an exceedingly old world, storybook kind of way - that I will henceforth have a new impossible benchmark against which to compare all other hotel experiences. I daresay his suspicions are not entirely unfounded.

But that's another post for another day; it'll be much along the lines of Eloise living it up at the Plaza, such was my childish glee. That aforementioned all-round fabulous afternoon tea experience?
It was to be found at the Art Deco foyer - I've had my share of good cream teas, and this is certainly one of the best afternoon teas in London. Beyond the fnger sandwiches, the scones, the tea-infused jelly, the clotted cream, the cakes and pastries, and the selection of tea (all unimpeachably excellent, it goes without saying), many other elements conspire to make this exemplar of the afternoon ritual truly memorable. The glamorous Dale Chihuly chandelier and flute of pink champagne certainly don't hurt.

Anyways, when I was coming up with this menu, I had in my mind rustling up a homestyle and hearty spread that was pretty old school, no faffing about. Whilst certainly nothing quite as elegant or grand as the foyer spread, it is nonetheless all about the luxury of pausing to indulge in afternoon tea.

The pièce de résistance, naturally, is the scone. Perfect scones need perfect accompaniments. The supplementary section of this recipe pack thus includes the recipes for:

Homemade “Clotted Cream” Thick, luscious clotted cream is a must-have accompaniment to scones. Not readily available here, here’s a scrumptious alternative homemade version.

Strawberry Rosewater Preserves Hauntingly perfumed and beautifully hued, these strawberry preserves belong in a special league of their own.

Passionfruit Curd Great for using to fill cakes, cookies and tarts,

this aromatic fruit curd is also spectacular served with scones or toast.

Confiture de Lait Caramelized milk jam, also known as dulce de leche or cajeta, is indulgent with scones or toast. Also great as a sauce for ice cream, or for using to fill cakes, cookies and tarts.

* I will be teaching The Ultimate Afternoon Tea Party, a demo class, on 10 April 2010 ,11 April 2010 , 24 April 2010 and 25 April 2010. For all inquiries, please call the school at +65 6479 8442 or 6479 8414, or email shermaycs@yahoo.com.sg

The Ultimate Afternoon Tea Party - Classes

2010-03-16T15:37:00.015+08:00

I'll be teaching The Ultimate Tea Party, a demo class, at Shermay's Cooking School on 10 April 2010 (Saturday), 11 April 2010 (Sunday), 24 April 2010 (Saturday) and 25 April 2010 (Sunday). For all inquiries, please call the school at +65 6479 8442 or 6479 8414, or email shermaycs@yahoo.com.sg

On the menu:

Perfect Scones An heirloom recipe for the most perfectly flaky and tender scones; simply unforgettable when accompanied by homemade "clotted cream" and strawberry preserves. Plus
Tipsheet I: Tricks & Techniques for Perfectly Flaky and Tender Scones

Rich Marbled Bundt Cake with Dark Chocolate Glaze This beloved and nostalgic favourite is a classic study in contrasts;

sour cream-enriched vanilla cake is artfully swirled with deeply chocolatey cake (using Valrhona Manjari 64% Dark Chocolate). Plus
Tipsheet II: The Art of Marbling – Swirl Your Way to Stunning Striations and

Tipsheet III: How to Bake A Beautiful Bundt

Wholemeal Soda Bread Buttermilk imparts a marvellous tang and lightness to this traditional Irish quick bread. Makes magnificent toast,

and is equally good with fruit preserves,

or something savoury, such as salmon rillettes.

Savoury Cheddar Shortbread The ultimate buttery, moreish, it’s-hard-to-stop-at-one cheese biscuit. Delicious at teatime, but also nice as a nibble with cocktails or aperitifs.

I'll post details in the coming weeks on the Bonus Section with Extra Recipes, Ideas & Serving Suggestions included in the recipe pack:

Homemade “Clotted Cream” Thick, luscious clotted cream is a must-have accompaniment to scones. Not readily available here, here’s a scrumptious alternative homemade version

Strawberry Rosewater Preserves Hauntingly perfumed and beautifully hued, these strawberry preserves belong in a special league of their own

Passionfruit Curd An elegant and aromatic fruit curd that is spectacular served with scones or toast. Also great for using to fill cakes, cookies and tarts

Confiture de Lait Caramelized milk jam, also known as dulce de leche or cajeta, is indulgent with scones or toast. Also great as a sauce for ice cream, or for using to fill cakes, cookies and tarts

Salmon Rillettes A luxurious potted fish pâté made of smoked salmon and poached fresh salmon. Divine with a hearty, rustic bread like soda bread

Strange Bedfellows

2010-03-03T17:49:00.012+08:00

Some things - be it through tried-and-tested wisdom, taste memory or sheer force of habit - go together like peanut butter and jelly.

Think bread and butter.

Or peas and carrots.

Chips and malt vinegar (and is that a whiff of tabloid newsprint?), maybe.

Cookies and milk, definitely.

Salt and caramel, say hmm hmmm.

Others, we perceive of as as different as chalk and cheese, and never the twain shall meet. Or maybe. Perhaps in a clandestine tryst at the secret locale of some pop-up private supper club. Or the not-so-guerilla setting of a much feted destination where tables for the 6 month season sell out in under a day.

What could possibly faze an eating audience that basks in the aftermath of an era that has been open minded about, nay embraced, everything from bacon & egg ice cream to white asparagus with lemon marshmallow?

Vive la différence.

On a much much much less fancy schmancy level, simply speaking as an individual who likes cooking for loved ones and hopes they will find the experience as gratifying as she has, I must say 6 out of 10 folks are risk averse individuals, pretty wary of unknown waters. Fortunately - for me - they're also very gracious guests, polite enough to take at least a decent sized bite before deciding something is or isn't for them. Point is, partnerships you and I may take for granted in our intrepid cook's headspace might as well be Esperanto on a plate. Foreign, unfamiliar, suspect and possibly seditionary.

Case in point, chocolate plus lemon. It's a combination I absolutely adore, and know of others who do too. Many others, however, need a little persuasion.

And this Chocolate Lemon Ganache & Butter Shortbread Bar has done the persuading many a time. The dark chocolate ganache filling (using Valrhona Manjari 64% Dark Chocolate), looking all innocuously all-chocolatey, surprises with its depth of lemony zing, thanks to a heady combination of lemon zest, lemon juice and pure lemon extract.

It's oddly accommodating too. Serving it to chocolate lovers? Finish with a few restrained strips of candied lemon peel.

Catering to lemon lovers? Try the gutsy garnish of Lemon Confit. For aficionados of citrus flavoured desserts, these candied lemon slices are a truly fabulous and delicious garnish.

*Both recipes are part of the lineup in Fruit Desserts, a demo class I'll be teaching on 13 March 2010 , 14 March 2010 , 27 March 2010 and 28 March 2010. For all inquiries, please call the school at +65 6479 8442 or 6479 8414, or email shermaycs@yahoo.com.sg

Keep It Simple

2010-02-26T17:44:00.012+08:00

"Faites simple", said Auguste Escoffier, over 100 years ago.

Cleverness is an overrated virtue.

Keeping it simple is perhaps the hardest lesson to learn of all. The more avid the cook, the harder the lesson, it seems. What do you yearn to eat when you're tired or hungry or in need of soul food? Cooking that honestly strives to nurture and glorify the essential savours of good ingredients, thus coaxing the very best from them? Or fussy, egotistical exercises in let's be brutally honest here vanity and self-absorption? Which is not to say the latter can't be good to eat. Just that it's all too easy to get carried away by flights of fancy, thus losing sight of the main object, which is to nourish and beatify those who sup at your table.

Call a spade a spade, and the emperor's new clothes just that. Cleverness for the sake of cleverness? Please, leave that to the clever. Me? I'm happy to take steak frites slathered in béarnaise over overwrought faux comestibles any day (speaking of keeping it real, please do check out Au Bœuf Couronné if you ever get the chance; it is unrelenting, time-stood-still old-school, proudly unfashionable beefy magnificence à la française at its probable best).

Where cake is concerned, I've many a time had to rein in my natural unchecked impulses to make it all pink-iced, frou-frou and over-the-top. Embellished and curlicued to the nth degree, Marie Antoinette-meets-Mardi Gras, all fairy dust and unicorn sprinkles. Hey, I'm a girly girl.

Luckily, I sometimes need to feed cake to manly men, W often included. Which helps keep my frilly excesses in check. I speak from experience; no manly man will be caught dead tucking into a pink-iced, frou-frou, over-the-top, Marie-Antoinette-meets-Mardi Gras confection. Unless he is doing so in the midst of a very private (read: party of one) midnight fridge raid. Which translates into a lot of forlorn cake lying about in the fridge.

So if you bake often and often for your manly male loved ones, that alone is reason aplenty to keep it fuss-free.

Sans the chintzy plate shown above, with a plain white plate in lieu, I've often served this simple and simply beautiful Pistachio Torte - moist with freshly ground pistachios, fruity olive oil and citrus juices - accompanied by rose-scented strawberries and whipped cream, to many an uncomplaining in fact I daresay pud-admiring male diner. Nary a peep about how real men don't eat things with rosewater.

I love butter.

Life is short.

Fat tastes awesome.

So much so, it makes other stuff taste awesome.

Why shortchange yourself of one of the very reasons for eating, nay living?

OK, now that that particular opinion is out of the way. The only thing I possibly love more than butter?

Browned butter.

Ah. Beurre noisette. This is simplicity itself perfected with a capital P. If you're similarly inclined, and if you haven't already, please do look up:

-Vogue, June 2009 issue. Jeffrey Steingarten has a fantastic feature on the stuff. Read an excerpt here.

-Jennifer McLagan's Fat: An Appreciation of a Misunderstood Ingredients, with Recipes . Many ideas on how to use browned butter. And while we're on the subject of the much-maligned three-letter F-word, how to get the best out of everything from schmaltz to graisse de canard, not to mention lard, suet and tallow.

As for the best use of browned butter? In my opinion, that has to be in the financier. These Plum & Hazelnut Financiers – crisp and chewy of crust, rich and moist of crumb – owe their sublime, nutty, caramelized flavour to browned butter.

*Both the recipes for the pistachio cake and plum & hazelnut financiers are part of the lineup in Fruit Desserts, a demo class I'll be teaching on 13 March 2010 , 14 March 2010 , 27 March 2010 and 28 March 2010. For all inquiries, please call the school at +65 6479 8442 or 6479 8414, or email shermaycs@yahoo.com.sg

Blueberry & Yoghurt Sherbet

2010-02-17T10:48:00.003+08:00

There are many reasons why I love Paris, and have become rather adept at contriving ever more reasons to visit. On that long list you will find crammed somewhere between the entry for le vin and le pain, le yaourt. Take a stroll through any grocery aisle - and by any, I really do mean any, be it the ubiquitous neighbourhood Monoprix, destination food shopping at La Grande Epicerie, or wandering amidst the handcrafted raw milk wonders in some 7th arrondissement temple to fromage (I like Barthélémy, Marie-Anne Cantin and Quatrehomme) where you may if you wish ponder whether the flintiness of the soils and the herbaceousness of the grasses whence Buttercup the Froment du Léon cow grazes contribute to the deep yellow of the beurre de baratte from Brittany as you wait patiently in a very long line in a very concise space - and you'll be absolutely floored by the staggering selection of yoghurt.

Packaged in little glass jars, ceramic pots or plain ol' plastic, you'll find a yoghurt to suit every taste and budget. If at the supermarket, you will of course find lurking in the midst the kind of carton featuring gums or gelatine or other thickeners designed to create the illusion of creaminess, flavoured with a dash of ethylvanillin to boot, as if your palate needed further clarification concluding that the guck is indeed a synthetic substance not anywhere to be found in nature. But by and large, there's a fair bit of good stuff, the kind of stuff that comes to mind when we think of European or French style yoghurt. Of the more readily available brands, I am especially partial to La Fermière. Super creamy and naturally so, made from the best quality whole milk and cream, with an unbelievably plush mouthfeel, it's the kind of yoghurt that self-professed inveterate yoghurt-haters happily make an exception for; I should know, I live with one.

Finding good artisanal yoghurt here can be tricky. Sometimes, it can prove to be quite the expedition. But if you look hard and know where to look, it need not be a wild goose chase. The French stuff is harder to come by, the Australian less so. For the purposes of testing the Blueberry & Yoghurt Sherbert recipe included in this menu*, I've consciously avoided using the hard-to-find, boutique-y yoghurts that are such a treat to eat at breakfast but perhaps a tad extravagant to use in fro-yo, not least because the milky subtleties are somewhat lost against all that vivid juicy tart berriness. For this purpose, I've been using a widely available natural Greek-style yoghurt that's Australian, with fabulous results. It goes without saying, if budget permits or you are feeling extravagant, by all means knock yourself out and use the fancy stuff. I'm just saying...

There are several things I really like about this recipe. First, the short and sweet list of ingredients - ripe blueberries, good whole milk yoghurt, a bit of sugar, a spritz of lemon juice, plus an optional splash of crème de myrtille. Second, the short and sweet list of things to do to make the frozen treat - namely, blitz, chill, churn, and hey presto. Finally, there's that glorious, mouthwatering shade of puce produced that's truly, to borrow my 17 year-old cousin's favourite adjective for describing anything that's insanely cool, sick.

* I will be teaching Fruit Desserts, a demo class, on 13 March 2010 , 14 March 2010 , 27 March 2010 and 28 March 2010. For all inquiries, please call the school at +65 6479 8442 or 6479 8414, or email shermaycs@yahoo.com.sg

Fruit Desserts - Classes

2010-02-04T15:26:00.029+08:00

I'm very much looking forward to kicking off my 2010 teaching schedule with Fruit Desserts, a demo class, at Shermay's Cooking School on 13 March 2010 (Saturday), 14 March 2010 (Sunday), 27 March 2010 (Saturday) and 28 March 2010 (Sunday). For all inquiries, please call the school at +65 6479 8442 or 6479 8414, or email shermaycs@yahoo.com.sg

On the menu:

Sticky Banana & Caramel Upside-Down Cupcakes A scrumptiously gooey topping of buttery caramel and banana slices crowns these decadent little cakes.

Fragrant and bursting with ripe banana flavour, it's just the thing with a tall, cold glass of milk.

To keep it simple, skip the caramel topping and bake the batter in a fancy pan - I think it turns out beautifully as banana cake rosebuds.

Lemon Custard & Butter Shortbread Bars I couldn't in good conscience do a fruit-themed class and not include this fabulous recipe for every lemon-lover's favourite treat. A lavishly lemony custard filling is baked atop a golden brown shortbread base. The contrast between tangy silken custard and buttery crisp crust is truly something else.

Blueberry & Sour Cream Streusel Cake Generously studded with juicy blueberries and enrobed by a crunchy streusel topping, this special cake owes its divinely tender and velvety texture to the luxurious use of sour cream in the batter.

Fantastic served plain, with a dollop of sour cream, or a scoop of blueberry frozen yoghurt.

Orange & Honey Panna Cotta Creamy, softly-set, orange zest-infused, and honey-scented, this panna cotta is perfect when simply served with a trickle of the same honey used to make the panna cotta. Alternatively, to dress it up, I like serving it with:

Kumquat & Vanilla Bean Compote A delicate and perfumed citrus compote that’s lovely with plain pound cake, ice cream or the Orange & Honey Panna Cotta.

Orange & Stem Ginger Biscuits These biscuits have a melt-in-your-mouth texture and are a great accompaniment to the Orange & Honey Panna Cotta.

I'll post details soon on the Bonus Section with Extra Recipes, Ideas & Serving Suggestions included in the recipe pack:

Chocolate Lemon Ganache & Butter Shortbread Bars The dark chocolate ganache filling (using Valrhona Manjari 64% Dark Chocolate) surprises with its depth of lemony zing, thanks to a heady combination of lemon zest, lemon juice and pure lemon extract

Lemon Confit These candied lemon slices are a delicious garnish for any citrus flavoured dessert, for instance the Lemon Custard & Butter Shortbread Bars or Chocolate Lemon Ganache & Butter Shortbread Bars

Blueberry & Greek Yoghurt Sherbet Just as wonderful whether served on its own or alongside Blueberry & Sour Cream Streusel Cake

Pistachio Torte A beautiful pistachio cake that is lovely paired with:
Rose-Scented Strawberries and Rose-Scented Whipped Cream

Plum & Hazelnut Financiers These elegant little tea cakes – crisp and chewy of crust, rich and moist of crumb – owe their sublime flavour to beurre noisette (browned butter)

Gai Juk, Chicken Congee for the Soul

2010-01-17T00:27:00.003+08:00

Growing up, I was put under the charge of a Cantonese amah for a while. Not a very long while; let's just say having one cook in the kitchen was key to keeping the domestic peace. Her tenure may not have been long-lived, but her legacy prevailed in the humble, honest, heartening form of juk (or zhou in Mandarin), the soupy rice porridge/gruel also commonly known as congee.

There are many regional recipes for the making of congee; some are rice-based, some not, and yet some use a mixture of rice and other grains. Some start with raw rice, others specify the use of leftover cooked rice. The style in which our amah cheh made her congee, the style I was weaned on and identify with and crave, was classically southern Chinese. A mixture of two types of rice (regular long-grained white plus glutinous) slowly, slowly simmered in a vast volume of water until transformed into velvety, unctuous comfort food. No mere sustenance, this, but the penultimate restorative, a homebrewed cureall, a magical unguent to cosset the body and salve the soul. Be it the nourishment of the very young or the very old, or the nursing back to wellness of the ill, or the simple soothing of frayed nerves, there are few things that are entrusted with rising to the occasion like congee, especially if you, like me, are Chinese in ethnicity.

As a student at college half a world away from home, congee became an antidote to the occasional bout of homesickness. Till this day, whenever I've had an especially long or trying day, there is nothing I long to eat more. W had been under the weather recently, so we'd been tucking into congee suppers - gai juk (chicken congee), pei dan sau yuk juk (preserved egg and pork congee), or yu juk (fish congee) - pretty often the last couple of weeks.

Not everyone digs pei dan. And not everyone has access to super duper fresh fish, an absolute non-negotiable for yu juk, preferably slaughtered and filleted earlier in the day at the wet market, my personal preference for using in yu juk is either grass carp or snakehead (locally known as toman). So the recipe that follows is for gai juk. Some preliminary notes:

Rice I use a combination of two rices; one for taste, the other for texture, in a two-to-one ratio. First, a fragrant long grain, preferably hom mali. This translates from Thai to "fragrant jasmine", although the aroma (hom) is really redolent of pandan and not jasmine. Mali, the reference to jasmine, is meant to describe the opalescent sheen of the grain rather than the scent. The subtle yet distinctive hom mali perfume makes an important difference to the final flavour of the congee. Second, a glutinous rice (sticky rice), as its high-amylopectin/low-amylose constitutional makeup greatly enhances creaminess.

Stock or water If you have good homemade chicken stock at hand, use that. This produces a richly flavoured congee. If not, use water (rather than canned stock or a bouillon cube). The chicken simmered with the rice and water imparts sufficient good flavour to the congee. Albeit mellower than the flavour produced using stock, I nonetheless feel it stands head and shoulders above the processed flavour introduced by the canned or cubed chickeny conveniences.

Gai Juk (Chicken Congee)
Yields about 4 servings

100 gm Long grain rice
50 gm Glutinous rice
1 Tbsp Toasted white sesame oil
2.5 litres Chicken stock, or water
1 tsp Coarse sea salt, or to taste
Half a small chicken (about 400 to 450 gm)
A slice of young ginger (about 1cm-thick)

Garnishes:
Tong chai (salt-preserved Tianjin cabbage pickle)
Fried shallots
Scallions, finely sliced
Coriander sprigs
Toasted white sesame oil

1. Combine the two rices in a large bowl. Wash and drain three times under water, each time swishing the rice around whilst rubbing the grains between your fingers.
2. Place washed rice in a heavy-bottomed pot with a capacity of about 5 litres. Coat grains with the sesame oil. Add the stock (or water), salt, chicken and ginger.
3. Bring to the boil over high heat. Reduce heat to low and cover. The liquid should simmer at the merest blip; use a heat diffuser/tamer mat if necessary. Cook for 2 hours, stirring occasionally to prevent the rice from sticking to the bottom of the pot and scorching. The rice will have "blossomed" (the grains will have swelled and split). Remove the chicken and set aside. Continue cooking the congee for another 1 hour, stirring occasionally, until it is thick, creamy and almost smooth. Taste; season with more salt to taste if necessary.
4. Meanwhile, once the chicken is cool enough to handle, shred the flesh into medium sized pieces. Discard the skin and bones. Set the chicken shreds aside.
5. When the congee is ready, turn the heat off. Discard the ginger. Heat large soup bowls by pouring boiling water into the bowls then pouring away the water. Ladle the porridge into the heated bowls. Top each serving with chicken shreds, and a pinch each of tong chai, fried shallots, scallions and coriander. Finish with a drizzle of toasted white sesame oil. Serve immediately.

Of Cookbooks and New Year's Resolutions

2010-01-08T00:01:00.002+08:00

Happy New Year!

I've never been much good at keeping my New Year's resolutions. But there's one resolution in particular that I've made year after year and broken - rather blithely too, I may add - as many times.

I must, I must buy less cookbooks.

Bah, humbug.

Year after year, it's not so much newfound virtuous intent that spurs me to make that doomed resolution. More like the fear that one fine day in the not-too-distant future those poor particleboard shelves whose load bearing capacity I constantly (and foolhardily) test will finally give way.

Buy another bookcase? Sadly, no can do. As it is, we're virtually walking tippy toe through corridors. Much to my dismay, there's simply no more space to shoehorn in another bookcase.

Besides, it will simply fill in double quick time, thus forcing one to come to grips with the reality that one has issues beyond just being spatially-challenged. The official designated cookbook-shoring stacked-two deep bookshelves aside, there're the sprawling stacks on my bedside table, in my study, on the kitchen counter. These stacks...these stacks have taken on a life of their own. What really started off as a way to disguise new cookbook purchases so the shelves don't look quite so crammed have grown higgledy piggledy squatter style into densely populated semi-permanent settlements.

At some point a couple of years back after the 500-book mark was passed, I stopped keeping tabs. Frankly, I am afraid to know. To put a number on it would be to quantify, to put a face to, the magnitude of my problem. Were I to cook a 5-course meal for lunch and dinner respectively everyday without ever cooking a single recipe twice, I'm going to have to live (and cook) till I'm 113 and then some to truthfully claim to have made some inroads into cooking through those books, let's not even speak of amortization.

So this year, rather than lie to myself and vow to buy less cookbooks, I've resolved instead to become a more discriminating cookbook shopper. Gone are the days (and bookshelf realty) that I can buy a cookbook on a whim, for whatever idiosyncratic reason. Henceforth, a book must possess several merits and not just one before I'll bring it home with me. Chiefly:

Form Is it attractive? Do I love the cover/photography/illustrations/food styling/prop styling/typography/layout/design/authorial voice?

Function Are there at least a handful of recipes I am keen to cook from? Would I like to learn more about the cuisine/ingredient/technique that's the subject of the book? Are the instructions written clearly? Are too many of the recipes tricky to attempt because they call for hard-to-find ingredients and/or esoteric equipment? If book in question is another book on well-represented subjects (eg. chocolate or bread or French or Italian or how to poach an egg/truss a chicken/de-bone a trotter), does it excessively replicate ground already comprehensively (and better) covered in material I currently own?

A cookbook should boast of at least 2 attributes (ideally one from each category) before I'll call it mine. It's hardly a tall order, but I am hoping the act of simply pausing to consider the place a said book has in one's collection will go a long way towards keeping profligate purchasing in check.

Wish me luck!

Season's Greetings

2009-12-21T00:07:00.001+08:00

Here's to everyone having a very merry Christmas and an absolute blast ushering in the new year!

I for one am truly looking forward to 2010 for all sorts of reasons, firstly because I'll be kicking off my teaching calendar with the return of a familiar favourite - this macaron and biscotti class is back; to all the lovely ladies who requested its return, thank you very much and I look forward to seeing you. Only 2 sessions of this demo class have been scheduled, on 9 January 2010(Saturday) and 10 January 2010(Sunday) at Shermay's Cooking School. For inquiries, please call +65 6479 8442 or email shermaycs@yahoo.com.sg

Another reason, of course, is that I'm also looking forward to the week thereafter as we'd re-scheduled our break to January. While there're few cities as breathtaking as la ville-lumière in December, and I'm sorry to be missing it, January brings with it the consolation prize of hitting les soldes d'hiver like a gale moving at speeds off the Beaufort scale, not a trifling consideration if you have a bit of a retail therapy thing.

But really, that aside, I am psyched to appreciate the austere beauty of the city in late winter, far from the madding crowds. In Hemingway's soul-stirring words from A Moveable Feast,

When we came back to Paris it was clear and cold and lovely. The city had accommodated itself to winter, there was good wood for sale at the wood and coal place across our street, and there were braziers outside of many of the good cafes so that you could keep warm on the terraces. Our own apartment was warm and cheerful. We burned boulets which were molded, egg-shaped lumps of coal dust, on the wood fire, and on the streets the winter light was beautiful. Now you were accustomed to see the bare trees against the sky and you walked on the fresh-washed gravel paths through the Luxembourg gardens in the clear sharp wind. The trees were beautiful without their leaves when you were reconciled to them, and the winter winds blew across the surfaces of the ponds and the fountains were blowing in the bright light.

Cookies and Cream Ice Cream Pie

2009-12-06T01:18:00.001+08:00

One of W's favourite ice cream flavours is also one that's, once the basic vanilla custard base is stirred together, a snap to make.

Seeing as there is simply no homemade substitute that comes even remotely close to replicating the mysterious flavour, colour and texture of milk's favourite cookie, and believe you me I have tried, it's hard to be a stickler to the from-scratch principles you generally try to respect. In short, there's no reason to feel like you're cheating because all it takes to make this particular ice cream add-in is plucking that familiar bright blue package right off the supermarket aisle, ripping it open, coarsely crushing the contents and et voilà - you're ready to rock out with the ice cream machine.

We had company over for dinner last night, held in celebration of our good friend J's birthday. The ice cream pies, replete with candles, were served in lieu of a conventional birthday cake. I had used individual tartlet pans to mold the cookie crumb crust, but you can just as easily use one large pan. Either way, it's awesome with hot fudge sauce. And instead of cookies and cream ice cream pie, the ice cream can just as easily be used to sandwich chocolate cake layers to construct a cookies and cream ice cream cake.

Cookies and Cream Ice Cream
Yields about 8 servings

360 gm Whipping cream
360 gm Whole milk
6 Large egg yolks (each from a 60gm egg)
135 gm Caster sugar
1/2 tsp Fine salt
2 tsp Vanilla extract
10 Oreo cookies, coarsely crushed

Bring the cream and milk to a simmer over medium heat in a medium saucepan.
While the cream mixture is being heated, whisk together the egg yolks, caster sugar and salt in a medium bowl.
Remove saucepan from the heat and slowly drizzle about one-quarter of the cream mixture in a thin stream into the egg yolk mixture while whisking constantly. Once incorporated, pour the mixture in the bowl back into the saucepan with the rest of the hot cream mixture, whisking constantly.
Place a fine-meshed sieve or chinois over a clean bowl and place this close by to the stove. Place the saucepan over low heat and immediately begin to stir the custard with a spatula, being sure to scrape the edges and bottom of the pan. Stir constantly until the custard has sufficiently thickened. If you are using a thermometer, the custard is ready when it reaches a temperature of 170 °F. Alternatively, do the “spoon-coating consistency” test – dip the spatula into the custard, withdraw the spatula, and run your finger across the spatula; the custard is ready when your finger leaves a clearly defined trail across the custard-coated spatula. If not (the custard is still runny), cook for longer and keep testing until the consistency is right.
Once the custard is ready, immediately take the saucepan off the heat and strain its contents through the sieve or chinois into the bowl in order to eliminate any stray strands of coagulated egg and ensure a perfectly smooth custard. Stir the vanilla extract into the strained custard.
Press cling wrap right against the surface of the custard to prevent a skin from forming, let cool, then chill the custard in the refrigerator until thoroughly cold, at least 4 hours and preferably overnight.
Churn the custard in the ice cream machine, following the manufacturer’s instructions. Once the ice cream attains a soft-serve consistency, add the coarsely crushed Oreos. Transfer the ice cream to a freezer-proof airtight container and store in the freezer to firm up sufficiently before scooping/serving. Depending on the efficiency of the freezer, this will take about 4 hours.

Storage: Homemade ice cream will keep well for about 1 week in the freezer if properly stored in an airtight container. However, the texture is ideal and at its best if served within 48 hours.

Giving Thanks

2009-11-27T09:14:00.021+08:00

Shame on me, how I used to tease (gently) my mother about her utter reluctance to toss anything out - no matter how yellowed, brittle, mothballed, and virtually disintegrating. Waste not, want not, she likes to say. But of course, the corollary that follows is that she is steadfast, loyal, deeply devoted and selflessly giving to all the people she loves, for better or for worse, in sickness and in health.

Double shame on me, because it wasn't as if I grew up surrounded by clutter. Far from, in fact.

I know of no other woman more formidably organized when it comes to keeping house. From ensuring that every single little itty bitty teensy weensy nook and cranny was spotlessly clean, no mean feat in an old rambling bungalow, to coming up with ingenious storage solutions for shoring up the things she judged to be of potential future usefulness or sentimental value (which pretty much covers if not everything then let's just say a whole lot), her meticulousness and fastidiousness knew no bounds.

And so, in silly and rather juvenile reaction I'm afriad, I used to make it a point of pride to be a ruthless streamliner, a declutterer, a tosser-outter. Callously, zealously, methodically and periodically divesting, purging, ridding anything and everything - some of which I'll today confess to having done so much to my everlasting regret - which supposedly threw off-balance what I deemed to be the golden ratio between one's possessions and white space.

As I've gotten older, I like to think I've mellowed somewhat from the hardliner I used to be. Ok, I understate. As I've gotten older, I've gotten increasingly comfortable with setting my inner magpie free. Ah, the irresistable siren song of shiny objects both literal and figurative, be they cookbooks, shoes or yet another cakepan or cocotte or comport without which life couldn't possibly be complete. And I seem, more and more so, incapable of tossing anything out. Mummy dearest, I humbly eat my words. Nature abhors a vacuum, and no where is this scientific truth more apparent than the extent to which my shelves and cabinets are strained. Funnily enough, one could say without exaggeration that the way they've held up virtually defies the laws of physics and load bearing conventional wisdom.

Alright, enough of lamentation at my lack of horizontal surfaces on which to store objects.

A pretty-in-pink birthday cake for a very pretty little girl, C, thanks to her fabulous, loving and very indulgent mother, S. This adorable princess turned 3 in August - I know, this post is way overdue! - and I had the immense pleasure of crafting the cake.

The repeating floral motif is based on a scrap of vintage flocked wallpaper I had picked up and stowed away in my secret box(es) of pretty, shiny, inspiring and otherwise awesome things - in other words, the rationalized, compartmentalized manifestation of aforementioned magpie syndrome. In my (feeble) defense, it can on occasion come in rather handy, like when making pretty cakes for pretty girls.

Beneath the pink and floral facade? Essentially, a luxe strawberry shortcake - layers of vanilla seed-flecked buttery yellow cake sandwiched with billows of whipped mascarpone cream and succulent homemade strawberry preserves. The tall layer cake was then frosted with a silken coat of Swiss meringue buttercream, flavoured with fresh strawberry puree, which also serves to tint the buttercream the merest of lovely dusky pink.

Yesterday, I spent the better part of the afternoon with 2 grande dames, sisters, whose nonagenarian mother passed away 2 years ago, very shortly afterwhich their father followed suit. Treasure your parents, they are priceless, you don't tell them often enough just how much you love them and are thankful for...I was all choked up, but fortunately - extremely so, I realize - for me, I could still dial home and try to articulate, clumsily, an approximation of just how much I give thanks.

Art of the Tart

2009-11-01T00:59:00.002+08:00

Because a deeply decadent dark chocolate tart will feature in Holiday Desserts 2009, with a baked Valrhona Manjari 64% custard filling that can only be described as baveuse, I wanted to include within the bonus section of the recipe pack a few of my other favourite chocolate tarts.

The crunchy shortbread pastry used for all the tart shells here is an unconventional recipe based on melted butter. It is extremely easy to handle, can either be rolled with a pin or pressed into the tart pan, is used for one grand tart case or a flurry of tartlet cases, and can boast of a buttery deliciousness all unto itself really.

Raspberry & White Chocolate Tart

Tart fresh raspberries and a hidden layer of raspberry preserves offer the perfect fruity contrast to the plush white chocolate ganache (using Valrhona Ivoire 35% White Chocolate). The gleaming rows of bright red berries resplendent against ivory creaminess make this tart a particularly festive and beautiful one to have on the holiday dessert table.

Salted Caramel & Dark Chocolate Tart

Butter-rich caramel with the full-flavoured, minerally tang of artisanal sea salt is blanketed by dark chocolate ganache (using Valrhona Manjari 64% Dark Chocolate) - for salted caramel lovers, this is sheer bliss in a tart shell!

Malted Milk Chocolate Tart

If you love chocolate malteds, if they evoke the fondest of carefree childhood memories, then this is the chocolate tart with your name on it. The addition of malted milk splendidly enhances the toasty, butterscotchy savours of the Valrhona Jivara Lactée 40% Milk Chocolate used in the ganache.

Holiday Desserts 2009, a demo class at Shermay's Cooking School, will be held on 7 November (Saturday), 8 November(Sunday), 21 November (Saturday) and 22 November(Sunday). For all inquiries, please call the school at +65 6479 8442 or email shermaycs@yahoo.com.sg.

Pumpkin Seed Toffee

2009-10-14T11:59:00.007+08:00

Dearest Sticky Chewy Salty Sweet, you had me at Hello.

Celestial caramelly goodness? Check.

Very buttery awesomeness? Check.

Sly salty savour? Check.

Fabulous crunch of toasted nuts. Can't stop at one. Worth contributing to my enthodondist's kid's ivy league college fund for. Check, check, check.

Nut toffee/brittle type candy, in the immortal words of the inimitable Elizabeth Barrett Browning, How do I love thee? Let me count the ways.

For sure, Pumpkin Seed Toffee, you were originally created as the perfect finishing touch for the already-dishy Pumpkin Cheesecake seen here.

But the peerlessly perfect likes of you, how dare I mere mortal pretend to comprehend the true breadth and depth of your myriad special talents?

As much as I adore shards of you atop said cheesecake, a literal and metaphorical crowning glory, all jade green teardrop gorgeousness embedded in amber, I truly fail to see how any other mere mortal, unless he/she be of an unspeakable churlishness, could possibly fail to be thrilled to be in receipt of you and you alone, unadorned and unadorning, as homemade holiday gift.

More-ish quotient aside, there's that aforementioned stunning jade green-plus-amber comeliness and many fetching talents, chief amongst which I must profess a particular fondness for coarsely crushing and sprinkling fairy dust-like over all manner of ice creams, mousses, parfaits, custards and even just plain ripe fruit plus clouds of whipped cream for elegant textural contrast. Or boring old me, simply eating as candy.

Anyways, any which way, you rock.

P.S: Pumpkin Seed Toffee is part of the bonus section of the recipe pack for Holiday Desserts 2009, a demo class at Shermay's Cooking School held on 7 November (Saturday), 8 November(Sunday), 21 November (Saturday) and 22 November(Sunday). For all inquiries, please call the school at +65 6479 8442 or email shermaycs@yahoo.com.sg.

P.P.S: Last 2 sessions for Holiday Cookies 2009 are round the corner on 24 October (Saturday) and 25 October (Sunday) .

P.P.P.S: After my third glass - on this particular balmy evening, it's an Antinori Tignanello 2005, a yummy supertuscan soon to be washing down bistecca alla fiorentina...can't wait, haven't had a real hunk of memorable real beef recently! - I really do start to channel my inner thwarted Eng Lit major, so please do excuse me...

Holiday Desserts 2009 - Classes

2009-10-04T09:27:00.024+08:00

As I won't be teaching in December, the four November sessions of Holiday Desserts 2009, a demo class, are my final ones for this year at Shermay's Cooking School. The dates are 7 November 2009 (Saturday), 8 November 2009 (Sunday), 21 November 2009 (Saturday) and 22 November 2009 (Sunday) - the November schedule has all the necessary details. For all inquiries, please call the school at +65 6479 8442 or email shermaycs@yahoo.com.sg

Between the Holiday Cookie Class and this, I sincerely hope there're ideas aplenty to inspire a happy bout of holiday entertaining and/or a hamperful of homebaked gifts and treats!

On the menu:

Panforte di Siena

If unstinting in one's use of only the very choicest of ingredients, this traditional Italian Christmas confection can be as sublime to savour as it is to behold, a bejewelled medieval mosaic of a sweetmeat gleaming with the vivid emerald of pistachios, the mystical amethyst depths of sun-ripened mission figs, the perspicuous citrine of candied orange zest...

A little taste of this, alongside a glass of good sticky - I am partial to vin santo here - and perhaps a chunk of well-aged parmesan, is my idea of the perfect note on which to conclude a special meal of the festive variety, a feast so to speak. I absolutely adore panforte, and while many recipes and variations abound, this particular page from my files is one that I've tinkered with and tweaked and tricked out over quite a few Christmases past, adjusting the type and ratio of dried fruit and nuts used, as well as the style and level of spicing, until a balance was struck which I found pleasing.

I could honestly go on all day about this, it's one of my favourite things, so before I get carried away, suffice to say the recipe is chock-full of dried fruit (figs, dates and raisins), nuts (pistachios, hazelnuts and almonds) and candied citrus peel, and fragrant with honey, cocoa (using Valrhona cocoa) and spices.

Pumpkin Cheesecake with A Gingered Pecan Crust

A lush, creamy and cinnamon-scented pumpkin cheesecake sits atop a crisp ginger biscuit crust flavoured with pecans and crystallized ginger. This luxurious dessert appeals equally to lovers of pumpkin pie or cheesecake. I've provided 2 sets of instructions; for baking the recipe as a whole large cheesecake, and for baking individual cheesecake cups.

Applesauce Cake with Tea-Plumped Golden Raisins and Walnuts

Moist, tender, subtly spiced and festive, this is a wonderful, much lighter alternative to fruitcake, in case you're baking for folks who either aren't fond of fruitcake period or have simply had one too many a fruitcake slice over the course of the season.

The batter can also be baked as Applesauce Cupcakes instead of loaves; I'll provide the additional how-to instructions in the recipe pack.

The Ultimate Dark Chocolate Tart

And last but not least - for those of us all too gleefull to live on chocolate alone if only conventional nutritional wisdom didn't demand the inclusion of other food groups - no holiday dessert lineup could possibly be considered complete without a show stealing dark horse! A decadent chocolate tart is the answer, with a filling based on Valrhona Manjari 64% dark chocolate in a crunchy, buttery shortbread tart shell. It's a baked filling with an interior as smooth as silk - all tremulous and aquiver when served warm, rich and dense and voluptuous if served cold.

I'll put up more details on the Bonus Section with Extra Recipes, Ideas & Serving Suggestions soon in a separate post. This includes:

Pumpkin Seed Toffee Buttery caramel candy shards studded with pumpkin seeds – the ideal finishing touch for Pumpkin Cheesecake or simply to enjoy alone as candy

Spiced Rum & Madagascar Bourbon Vanilla Bean Crème Anglaise Luxurious custard perfumed with dark rum, Christmas spices, and vanilla bean – a lovely accompaniment for Pumpkin Cheesecake or Applesauce Cake

Salted Caramel & Dark Chocolate Tart Rich, buttery caramel spiked with artisanal sea salt layered with dark chocolate ganache (using Valrhona Manjari 64% Dark Chocolate)

Raspberry &White Chocolate Tart White chocolate ganache (using Valrhona Ivoire 35% White Chocolate) layered with raspberry preserves and fresh raspberries

Malted Milk Chocolate Tart Malted milk chocolate ganache (using Valrhona Jivara Lactée 40% Milk Chocolate) in a shortbread tart shell

Sticky Pockets & Jammy Bars

2009-09-25T01:23:00.000+08:00

How time whizzes by! Holiday Cookies 2009 is just round the corner - 4 sessions only, on 10 October, 11 October, 24 October and 25 October 2009 ; for all inquiries, please call the school at +65 6479 8442 or email shermaycs@yahoo.com.sg - and I am very much looking forward to the preparations for it.

Much as I love them, who needs a Diptyque scented candle? If the holiday class preparatory periods seasons past are anything to go by, the toasty scent of Christmas spices, rounded out by a touch of sugar plums and a topnote of chocolate, will permeate my kitchen (and rest of the apartment really) in the coming months. Luckily, it is a sugar-and-spice scent I adore, and associate with all things nice, so I really couldn't be more thrilled! It is a joyous and uplifting scent, and I daresay one of the biggest reasons why so many of us who love baking in general, love holiday baking in particular!

Anyways, I wanted to put up some pictures of the bonus recipes and ideas included within the recipe pack, in addition to the core demonstrated recipes seen here. They include:

Sticky Date Pockets
A sticky date filling is encased by a friable cinnamon-and-vanilla scented pastry. The look of these (see picture at beginning of post) somewhat reminds of miniature mincemeat pies, and are in fact the ideal treat to proffer in lieu of those should you find yourself serving non-mincemeat eaters!

Zesty Raisin Stuffed Cookies
A raisin and candied lemon peel filling enveloped by lemon scented pastry, and a definite winner with lemon lovers.

Orange Marmalade & Cherry Bars
A crisp brown sugar-and-oatmeal crust is topped with a filling of orange marmalade and dried cherries.

Apricot Bars with Orange Blossom Water, Saffron & Pistachios
Flavoured with the merest hint of orange blossom water and saffron, this apricot jam filling is an intriguing one.

Nutella Bars
Once the knack of making the brown sugar oatmeal crust is figured out, what lies within can be any number of things, and an excellent reason to go shop for all manner of luxurious jams and preserves. But frankly, my favourite thing to do is to reach for the Nutella jar! Because one can never have too many thinly veiled excuses to indulge in lashings of the stuff, this is really a number for us Nutella fiends...

Holiday Cookies 2009 - Classes

2009-09-07T09:29:00.007+08:00

I'll be teaching Holiday Cookies 2009, a demo class, at Shermay's Cooking School on 10 October 2009 (Saturday), 11 October 2009 (Sunday), 24 October 2009 (Saturday) and 25 October 2009 (Sunday) - the October schedule has all the necessary details. For all inquiries, please call the school at +65 6479 8442 or email shermaycs@yahoo.com.sg

Practice makes perfect, they say, and this applies as much to baking a cookie as it does to everything else one may wish to develop some semblance of proficiency at, be it playing Mozart's piano Concerto No. 15 in B-flat Major or pulling off some Nitro Circus-esque freestyle motocross double backflip. Hence the commencement of holiday-themed classes early on, because believe you me, the season will be upon us before we know it, and wouldn't it be nice to have squeezed in a couple of trial runs before the home-baked gifting begins? Anyone touched by the OCD all too well knows that one of the greatest ironies (and least-admitted truths) in life is that the appearance of effortlessness, of seemingly artless perfection, takes effort.

Anyways, before I digress too much...if only all manner of effort were as pleasurable to undertake as the effort undertaken to master a cookie recipe, I can only imagine I would be a whole lot better at a whole bunch of other things!

On the menu:

Pecan Snowballs
Also known as Russian Tea Cakes and Mexican Wedding Cookies, these delectable and delicate special occasion cookies, rich with butter and finely ground pecans, are the very definition of melt-in-the-mouth - most people find it virtually impossible to stop at one when it comes to these buttery morsels.

Basler Brunsli

Flourless, nuanced with spice and kissed with a touch of Kirsch, this scrumptious and utterly unique almond-and-chocolate cookie (using Valrhona Equatoriale Noire 55% Dark Chocolate and Valrhona Cocoa) is based on a Swiss Christmas specialty. The easy-to-handle dough, rolled out thickly, can be cut into any shape you fancy - I especially like little trees (see first picture of post) and stars.

Fig Pillows

If you aren't familiar with buccellati or cucidati, the festive cookie that's a Sicilian favourite, think of these as the haut de gamme cousin of the humble Fig Newton. A sumptuous and complex sticky fig filling - accented with spice and redolent of Marsala - is encased by a friable cinnamon-and-vanilla-bean scented dough, this fig bar really belongs in a league of its own.

Raspberry & Cranberry Crumble Bar Cookies

A crisp brown sugar-and-oatmeal crust topped with a filling of raspberry preserves and dried cranberries, this simple and simply delicious number is a guaranteed crowd-pleaser.

I'll put up another post soon with details on the Bonus Section with Extra Recipes, Ideas & Serving Suggestions. This includes:

Orange Marmalade & Cherry Bars

A crisp brown sugar-and-oatmeal crust topped with a filling of orange marmalade and dried cherries

Apricot Bars with Orange Blossom Water, Saffron & Pistachios

A crisp brown sugar-and-oatmeal crust topped with a filling of apricot jam flavoured with orange blossom water and saffron

Nutella Bars

A crisp brown sugar-and-oatmeal crust topped with a Nutella filling

Sticky Date Pockets

A sticky date filling encased by a friable cinnamon-and-vanilla scented pastry

Zesty Raisin Stuffed Cookies

A raisin and candied lemon peel filling encased by a friable lemon scented pastry

Strangely Sugarfree

2009-08-22T01:31:00.005+08:00

There's a first time for everything - no sugary hijinks here!

Just plaster on painted ply, applied much as I would (and really, only know how) royal icing on iced cake, with piping bag and piping tip (and the occasional nudge with a clay modelling tool or two)! PS: There will be flagrant use of exclamation marks in this post, that's how surprised I am at the results! It really looks just like icing!

Not very explicit snaps - just random bits and corners of a 2300mm by 1800mm folding triptych - but I don't want to quite spoil the surprise when the thingy does become, sometime late-ish September 2009.

For virtually as long as I've known Shing we've talked about doing something sort of along these lines. She'd shown me itty bitty teeny weeny pictures on her camera phone of some crazy cool embellished wall she'd spotted travelling (suffice to say she has a killer eye and laser sharp taste in these matters), had a major "What if?" moment, and I lucked out by being in the right place at the right time.

The result is these plaster-iced panels, which will form part of the Fall/Winter 09 display at Strangelets, the splendid little shop at 87 Amoy Street (Tel: +65 6222 1456) purveying a carefully curated collection of curiously chic covetables, from eccentric Astier de Villatte faience inspired by 17th and18th century table services (see the lovely Keiko's exquisite showcase of the Parisian boutique here) to chintzy ritzy transfer-printed Burleigh earthernware to David Weeks' Hanno the articulated beech gorilla, just to name some esoteric examples.

I am amused to no end by the fact that I am now in possession of two large boxes of piping tips. One, the older, simply labelled PIPING TIPS, the other, the newer, PIPING TIPS: NON-FOOD USE ONLY!

The motifs are very much inspired by fascinating plates of radiolarians and other majestically beautiful organisms from Ernst Haeckel's Kunstformen der Natur (or Art Forms in Nature), as well as W. A. Bentley's photomicrographs of snow flakes as reproduced in Snow Crystals, a breathtaking revelation of nature's marvellous diversity in uniformity.

New workshop dates in September 2009

2009-07-06T01:00:00.006+08:00

While I'll be teaching Ultimate Fudge Cake Workshop, a hands-on class, at Shermay's Cooking School in August (on 7, 8 & 9 August 2009 and 21, 22 & 23 August 2009), I understand from the school that availability for these dates has become pretty limited.

As such, an additional round of these workshops - the final round of this class for 2009 - has been scheduled for September 2009. Bookings are currently open and being taken for these last three dates: 4 September 2009 (Friday), 5 September 2009 (Saturday) and 6 September 2009 (Sunday). The September schedule has all the details; for all inquiries, please call the school at +65 6479 8442 or email shermaycs@yahoo.com.sg

I like to think of the recipe pack for this class as a collection of recipes that you can mix-and-match as you fancy by tweaking the cake flavour/finish/filling/frosting/soaking syrup. That way, you get greater mileage from playing with permutations and combinations of these component recipes.

Following up on this, here's a bit more on the Bonus Section with Extra Recipes & Ideas for Other Chocolate Layer Cakes included within the recipe pack. This section includes:

Chocolate Cake Variations such as:
*Chocolate Orange Cake
*Chocolate Lemon Cake
*Chocolate Coffee Cake

*White Chocolate Buttercream using Valrhona Ivoire 35% White Chocolate. A rich and luxurious buttercream that’s the perfect foil to an intense chocolate cake. Variations on this include:
*Orange & White Chocolate Buttercream
*Lemon & White Chocolate Buttercream
*Raspberry & White Chocolate Buttercream

*Milk Chocolate Frosting using Valrhona Jivara Lactée 40% Milk Chocolate. A creamy and comforting chocolate frosting. Variation on this is:
*Mocha Frosting

*Dark Chocolate Glaze using Valrhona Equatoriale Noire 55% Dark Chocolate. A dark chocolate glaze if you prefer a silky and shiny finish

The basic cake recipe can easily be turned into individual portions with the help of small-ish cutters. My favourite application of the Dark Chocolate Glaze is for these miniatures.

While the recipe pack is designed to encourage free play, some complete layer cake ideas have been suggested. These include:

*Framboise Chocolate Cake Layers Soaked in Framboise Syrup with Fresh Raspberries and Raspberry & White Chocolate Buttercream (picture at beginning of this post)

*Orange Grove Chocolate Cake Chocolate Orange Cake Layers Soaked in Cointreau Syrup with Orange Marmalade and Orange & White Chocolate Buttercream

*Lemon Surprise Chocolate Cake Chocolate Lemon Cake Layers Soaked in Limoncello Syrup with Lemon Curd and Lemon & White Chocolate Buttercream

*Mocha Madness Chocolate Coffee Cake Layers Soaked in Espresso & Kahlua Syrup with Mocha Frosting

Ultimate Fudge Cake Workshop

2009-04-13T01:09:00.003+08:00

I'll be teaching Ultimate Fudge Cake Workshop, a hands-on class, at Shermay's Cooking School on 15 May 2009 (Friday), 16 May 2009 (Saturday), 17 May 2009 (Sunday), 29 May 2009 (Friday), 30 May 2009 (Saturday) and 31 May 2009 (Sunday) - the May schedule has all the necessary details. For all inquiries, please call the school at +65 6479 8442 or email shermaycs@yahoo.com.sg

The idea behind this class was to showcase what I like to think of as a "go-to chocolate cake" - a fabulous chocolate fudge cake one can trot out time and again for every occasion and celebration. Birthday bashes, dinner parties, pot luck, teatime snack, picnics in the park...this do-it-all crowd-pleaser has it covered. A cake equally irresistible to kid and adult alike. The kind of cake fondly remembered by all who've ever tasted it and is oft-requested for said occasions and celebrations, thus making your baking life as easy breezy as could be.

That's the big idea. As for the bonus recipes (see right at the end of this post), that's a constellation of many little ideas, so if the mood should strike or the moment should call for, you can easily ring the changes by changing the finish or the filling or the frosting or the soaking syrup or the (you-get-my-drift). Having grasped the master recipes and the fundamental techniques, it's a matter of playing around with the component parts to present a - as far as your eating audience is concerned - bold and brand new chocolate cake eating experience.

For the whole idea - and I sincerely hope it sounds as empowering and liberating to you as it does to me - to have authentic value and practical application, it was decided the class lent itself best to a hands-on format.

As this is a hands-on class, each participant will be making from scratch their very own Ultimate Chocolate Fudge Cake. This comprises of 2 master recipes:

Ultra Moist & Tender Chocolate Cake An easy chocolate cake recipe with guaranteed delicious results, using a unique technique/format to ensure the most tender possible texture. The recipe features a combination of both Valrhona Equatoriale Noire 55% and Valrhona Cocoa for a full-bodied and intense chocolate flavour.

Creamy Chocolate Fudge Frosting A deep, dark & decadent chocolate fudge frosting

Each participant will then split, fill, frost and finish their handcrafted cake for taking away.

Key areas covered during class include:

Mastering Mise-en-Place Meticulous, accurate preparation and measuring is the key to success; learn how

Layer Cake 101 How to effortlessly split, fill & frost a layer cake with professional results

In addition, I will demonstrate some of the various alternative finishes described in detail within the comprehensive recipe pack, such as:

Stippling/Swirling Using a spoon or offset palette knife to create a casual chic finish

Combing Using a fork or cake decorator’s comb to draw straight or wavy decorative lines

Gold Leaf Gilding for a luxurious finish

Writing Using chocolate to pipe a message

Chocolate Curls How to make these easy yet stunning decorations

Toasted Nuts How to finish a cake’s sides using flaked or chopped toasted nuts

Piping Using tips to pipe decorative borders and accents

Small is Beautiful Crafting miniature chocolate cakes

I'll put up a separate post about the Bonus Section with Extra Recipes & Ideas for Other Chocolate Layer Cakes included within the recipe pack. This section covers:

Chocolate Cake Variations:
*Chocolate Orange Cake
*Chocolate Lemon Cake
*Chocolate Coffee Cake

*White Chocolate Buttercream using Valrhona Ivoire 35% White Chocolate. A rich and luxurious buttercream that’s the perfect foil to an intense chocolate cake. Variations on this include:
*Orange & White Chocolate Buttercream
*Lemon & White Chocolate Buttercream
*Raspberry & White Chocolate Buttercream

*Milk Chocolate Frosting using Valrhona Jivara Lactée 40% Milk Chocolate. A creamy and comforting chocolate frosting. Variation on this is:
*Mocha Frosting

*Dark Chocolate Glaze using Valrhona Equatoriale Noire 55% Dark Chocolate. A dark chocolate glaze if you prefer a silky and shiny finish

Some complete layer cake ideas given include:

*Orange Grove Chocolate Cake Chocolate Orange Cake Layers Soaked in Cointreau Syrup with Orange Marmalade and Orange & White Chocolate Buttercream

*Lemon Surprise Chocolate Cake Chocolate Lemon Cake Layers Soaked in Limoncello Syrup with Lemon Curd and Lemon & White Chocolate Buttercream

*Framboise Chocolate Cake Layers Soaked in Framboise Syrup with Fresh Raspberries and Raspberry & White Chocolate Buttercream

*Mocha Madness Chocolate Coffee Cake Layers Soaked in Espresso & Kahlua Syrup with Mocha Frosting

Easter Egg-tras

2009-04-05T15:39:00.009+08:00

With Easter weekend just round the corner, and coinciding with this upcoming round of chocolate-centric sessions, I simply couldn't resist gussying up some Nutella Cupcakes to holiday-appropriate effect for an Easter basket. Snug in straw nests lining a ceramic egg carton, nestled up against some blown, dyed and hand-painted eggs, I think the whole thing works nicely either as a table centrepiece or hostess gift. It just occurred to me that another treat, if individually wrapped in pretty metallic candy foil, that would work really well in these gift baskets would be some Truffles.

Aside from springtime floral themes for decorating the Nutella Cupcakes, the other approach would be more chick/bunny/egg heavy (see this old Easter post for some ideas along these lines) - I think this latter approach is perfect if you're crafting baskets intended for little ones.

To everyone who will be celebrating, Happy Easter!

PS: Both the Nutella Cupcakes and truffes au chocolat are some of the recipes being taught during Ultimate Chocolate Treats II, a demo class held at Shermay's Cooking School on 11 April 2009, 12 April 2009, 25 April 2009 and 26 April 2009 . For all inquiries, please call the school at +65 6479 8442 or email shermaycs@yahoo.com.sg

The Tricked-Out Truffle

2009-03-30T01:23:00.001+08:00

Back when I'd first become fascinated with chocolate, but was still scared stiff by the very mention of the word "temper", I came across an extremely old-fashioned technique for fashioning those extremely intense morsels of bittersweet chocolate heaven otherwise known as truffles. Luckily, the technique was as ridiculously easy as the results were spectacularly delicious.

I've since conquered those irrational fears of tempering, and have come to relax sufficiently to actually enjoy the process. Tempering, as therapeutic as it may be, is also a process that's best applied to relatively large quantities of chocolate. And it cannot be hurried along. So relish it as I may, I still call upon this perfectly simple (and simply perfect) formula - Look, Ma, no tempering! - time and again when I need to produce a small batch of truffles or need to produce them in a jiffy.

No need to wade through thickets of technical tempering information. No need to keep in mind the three narrow temperature ranges for melting, crystallization, and working respectively.

The absence of a crisp, prim and proper, tempered chocolate dipped coat amplifies the aspect of larger-than-life, unabashedly sensual, melt-in-the-mouthiness to these truffes au chocolat. If you're partial to this, you'll know exactly the mouthfeel and sensation I had just attempted to describe in words.

These beguiling truffes au chocolat, based on Valrhona Manjari 64%, are what I will be demonstrating at an upcoming class. Ultimate Chocolate Treats II will be held at Shermay's Cooking School on 11 April 2009 (Saturday), 12 April 2009 (Sunday), 25 April 2009 (Saturday) and 26 April 2009 (Sunday) - the April schedule has all the necessary details. For all inquiries, please call the school at +65 6479 8442 or email shermaycs@yahoo.com.sg

The master recipe also happens to be a versatile one. Variations include:

Espresso Truffles Valrhona Manjari 64% Dark Chocolate Truffles infused with Illy Espresso and Pure Coffee Extract

Tea Infused Truffles Valrhona Manjari 64% Dark Chocolate Truffles infused with Jasmine Tea or Earl Grey Tea

Orange Truffles Valrhona Manjari 64% Dark Chocolate Truffles infused with Fresh Orange and Pure Orange Extract

Peppermint Truffles Valrhona Manjari 64% Dark Chocolate Truffles infused with Mint Tea and Pure Peppermint Extract

PS: Dear S & D, if you are reading this, thank you again for the lovely gift. While it's not exactly difficult to figure out my weakness for tableware, how on earth you managed to figure out my fondness of anemones, and not just any anemones but belle epoque inspired ones, is beyond thoughtful! xoxo

Bake a Batch of Bars

2009-03-17T01:25:00.005+08:00

I suspect the lovely people who've attended more than one of my classes here are more than familiar with a recurring theme - that learning just one master recipe or technique opens the door to many other variations. This is the reason for the inclusion of a bonus section in the recipe pack, which details all the extra recipes, ideas and serving suggestions that build upon the fundamentals demonstrated at class.

For instance, the rich and buttery shortbread base used for the Chocolate "Pecan Pie" Bar Cookies here can easily form the basis for many other bar cookies.

To make “Bounty” Bar Cookies (the picture at the top of this post), the shortbread layer is topped with a coconut candy filling and a milk chocolate glaze (using Valrhona Jivara Lactée 40%). If you love that addictive blue-wrapped candy, this is the bar cookie after your heart.

As for the Millionaire’s Shortbread Bar Cookies, purportedly named for its richness, it's truly an affordable luxury in a bear market. Here, the shortbread base is topped with sticky chewy caramel and a dark chocolate glaze (using Valrhona Equatoriale Noire 55%).

The above will feature in Ultimate Chocolate Treats II, a demo class I'll be teaching at Shermay's Cooking School on 11 April 2009 (Saturday), 12 April 2009 (Sunday), 25 April 2009 (Saturday) and 26 April 2009 (Sunday) - the April schedule has all the necessary details. For all inquiries, please call the school at +65 6479 8442 or email shermaycs@yahoo.com.sg

Ultimate Chocolate Treats II - Classes

2009-03-08T09:19:00.010+08:00

I'll be teaching Ultimate Chocolate Treats II, a demo class, at Shermay's Cooking School on 11 April 2009 (Saturday), 12 April 2009 (Sunday), 25 April 2009 (Saturday) and 26 April 2009 (Sunday) - the April schedule has all the necessary details. For all inquiries, please call the school at +65 6479 8442 or email shermaycs@yahoo.com.sg

When drafting the line-up for this, I simply was not capable of trimming down the number of items I wanted on the menu to fit the 3 hr class format. So rather than try to pare down, it was decided that the recipes should be split over two entirely separate classes - Ultimate Chocolate Treats I, and Ultimate Chocolate Treats II.

The line-up for Ultimate Chocolate Treats II includes:

“I Love Nutella” Cupcakes

If you perchance sampled the legendary pastry chef Philippe Conticini's recipes specially created to commemorate the 40th anniversary of the world's favourite breakfast spread in 2005 at La Table Nutella, or already own a copy of the accompanying book, you will need no convincing from me that Nutella can be as fancy pants a dessert ingredient as they come.

These cupcakes may not be fancy - in fact, they are downright fuss-free - but are no less scrumptious for their lack of preciousness. A fairly shocking quantity of Nutella goes into the making of the cupcake batter, resulting in a soft, moist crumb that's hard to beat and a resonant flavour Nutella fiends will likely find hard to resist.

As for the frosting, there was no question it would have to be chocolate-and-hazelnut based. But rather than use hazelnut praline, an ingredient not readily available to most home cooks, it is based on good old Nutella and Valrhona Jivara Lactée 40% milk chocolate - I like to think of it as "Nutella Praline".

Truffes au Chocolat

No sugar snob, I'm as curious about the supermarket candy aisle as the latest single estate/single varietal/haut de gamme chocolate sensation. Life is simply too short not to indulge in guilty pleasures. To name one, I find this completely addictive. And I'm not alone; many a real chocolate lover I know has sheepishly confessed to being partial to these soft, creamy, melt-in-the-mouth, cocoa-dusted tiles.

The chocolate truffles I'll be demonstrating at class, based on Valrhona Manjari 64%, have a texture that's very much inspired by this Japanese treat. What's more, they are made with a very simple technique, no tempering required.

They can be left square (as in the picture above),

rolled into balls, or flavoured/finished in quite a number of other ways.

Double Chocolate & Walnut Biscotti

These light, crisp cookies are flavoured with Valrhona Cocoa, chockfull of Valrhona chocolate pearls, and wonderful with a post-meal espresso. A lovely variation is Spiced Chocolate Biscotti with Aniseed and Almonds (picture at the beginning of this post).

Chocolate "Pecan Pie" Bar Cookies

All the goodness of pecan pie, but with the addition of dark chocolate (Valrhona Equatoriale Noire 55%) in the luscious brown sugar custard. An easy-to-handle, just-press-into-pan, rich and buttery shortbread base stands in for the pie shell.

The shortbread base is a versatile recipe that can accommodate a variety of fillings/toppings to create different bar cookies.

I'll put up a separate post on the Bonus Section with Extra Recipes, Ideas & Serving Suggestions:

Espresso Truffles Valrhona Manjari 64% Dark Chocolate Truffles infused with Illy Espresso and Pure Coffee Extract

Tea Infused Truffles Valrhona Manjari 64% Dark Chocolate Truffles infused with Jasmine Tea or Earl Grey Tea

Orange Truffles Valrhona Manjari 64% Dark Chocolate Truffles infused with Fresh Orange and Pure Orange Extract

Peppermint Truffles Valrhona Manjari 64% Dark Chocolate Truffles infused with Mint Tea and Pure Peppermint Extract

Millionaire’s Shortbread Bar Cookies Rich & Buttery Shortbread Bars with Sticky Chewy Caramel and Dark Chocolate Glaze (using Valrhona Equatoriale Noire 55% Dark Chocolate)

“Bounty” Bar Cookies Rich & Buttery Shortbread Bars with Coconut Candy Topping and Milk Chocolate Glaze (using Valrhona Jivara Lactée 40% Milk Chocolate)

The Sweet Sandwich

2009-03-01T00:01:00.000+08:00

My freezer is often crammed full of what I like to think of as "Plan B" sweets. They've saved me on more than one occasion when an unexpected visitor drops by or a dinner party menu has to be put together with next to no notice.

In one of the airtight boxes stacked in the freezer, there's always a small pile of individually cling-wrapped ice cream sandwiches - of the desserts that freeze remarkably well and in fact need to be stored frozen, ice cream sandwiches weigh in at the top of my list. Whether it's a pair of macarons, meringue shells, chocolate chip cookies or brownies clasped around a complementary ice cream or sorbet, these little packages mean that all it takes for dessert to be served is a 5 minute thaw in the fridge, snipping off the clingwrap, and perhaps a little squirt of accompanying sauce or coulis on the plate.

For sandwiching darkly chocolatey treats like chocolate chip cookies and brownies, my favourite ice cream is Malted Milk Chocolate Ice Cream (made with Valrhona Jivara Lactée 40%).

Milk chocolate, with its creamy notes of butterscotch and toasted nuts, has a wonderful affinity with malt. Churned into an ice cream, the fabulous flavour is reminiscient of an old fashioned malted milk shake.

The above - Malted Milk Chocolate Ice Cream, Chocolate Chip Cookie & Ice Cream Sandwiches, and Fudge Brownie & Ice Cream Sandwiches - are some of the recipes and ideas I've included in the bonus section of the recipe pack for Ultimate Chocolate Treats I. This demo class will be held at Shermay's Cooking School on 14 March 2009 (Saturday), 15 March 2009 (Sunday), 28 March 2009 (Saturday) and 29 March 2009 (Sunday) - the March schedule has all the necessary details. For all inquiries, please call the school at +65 6479 8442 or email shermaycs@yahoo.com.sg

A Trifle More

2009-02-18T00:14:00.004+08:00

My all-time favourite use for Crème Chocolat - apart from spooning it straight into my mouth, it goes without saying - is as a yummy component in trifle-style desserts.

This luscious chocolate pudding is remarkable not only because it is so effortless to stir together, but because of the succinct list of ingredients, an elegant quartet - cream, sugar, chocolate, egg yolks. I think this sheer simplicity adds all the more to the aspect of nursery food charm about it, although the unctuous, comforting mouthfeel certainly makes the hit of sophisticated chocolate flavour being delivered all the more surprising.

Versatility is yet another virtue of this recipe; I've used it as a filling for everything from chocolate layer cakes to shortbread cookies to tarts. But, truly, its onctueuse nature makes it ideal for lending textural interest - not to mention glamour - to that good old-fashioned delight known as the trifle.

In this lineup, I've included a Black Forest Trifle, a take on that retro-licious cake classic. Crème Chocolat is layered with Kirsch whipped cream, preserved wild sour cherries, and boudoir biscuits laced with Kirsch syrup.

The key is to use good quality cherry eau-de-vie, and good quality preserved cherries.

Where the latter is concerned, griottes may be the traditional choice - and I may possibly get stoned by Black Forest Cake purists for saying the following - but my personal absolute favourite preserved cherries to use are Amarena Fabbri. As much as I adore the distinctive and signature blue-and-white packaging, what has me completely sold is what lies within the jar - small, plump, succulent amarena (wild sour black cherries) carefully candied in thick amarena syrup. They are the perfect balance of tart and sweet. I always have a jar handy in the fridge, as they are wonderful (and quick) for dressing up all sorts of desserts; I especially like it for topping cheesecake (like the vanilla bean cheesecake cups here), panna cotta, and ice cream. If you reside here, you can pick it up at the school.

And speaking of retro, I really couldn't resist adding a chocolatey version of that tratt-era pudding icon. The Chocoholic’s Tiramisu features all those elements you love about a great tiramisu - billowy mascarpone cream, bourdoir biscuits spiked with strong espresso and lashings of tasty booze, dark sultry cocoa - with Crème Chocolat added to amp up the chocolate quotient.

The above will feature in Ultimate Chocolate Treats I, a demo class, that I'll be teaching at Shermay's Cooking School on 14 March 2009 (Saturday), 15 March 2009 (Sunday), 28 March 2009 (Saturday) and 29 March 2009 (Sunday) - the March schedule has all the necessary details. For all inquiries, please call the school at +65 6479 8442 or email shermaycs@yahoo.com.sg

Ultimate Chocolate Treats I - Classes

2009-02-09T09:53:00.033+08:00

I'll be teaching Ultimate Chocolate Treats I, a demo class, at Shermay's Cooking School on 14 March 2009 (Saturday), 15 March 2009 (Sunday), 28 March 2009 (Saturday) and 29 March 2009 (Sunday) - the March schedule has all the necessary details. For all inquiries, please call the school at +65 6479 8442 or email shermaycs@yahoo.com.sg

The idea behind this series of classes is to present a collection of the kind of classic chocolate recipes you'll reach for hopefully time and again, the kind of recipes that become like familiar friends in the kitchen, that you can always fondly call upon to reliably bake a batch of delicious comfort. In short, a collection of recipes for the inveterate chocoholic, for whom there is no food that soothes like chocolate does, no salve for the soul like chocolate is.

It goes without saying that Heirloom Classic Chocolate Chip Cookies are in the lineup - is there any other chocolate recipe the mere mention of which conjures up in the mind's eye a vision as cosy? The key to a chocolate chip cookie's texture is the golden ratio of fat to flour to sugar. This particular recipe is special because it bakes up nicely every time, and doesn't spread excessively in the oven to become too thin. It is also chock-full of Valrhona Perles, the Rolls Royce of chocolate chips. As for the eternal debate of soft and chewy versus crisp and golden, it’s purely a matter of personal preference, and with regards to this recipe, a matter of adjusting the baking time.

It’s also a recipe that can easily be varied. My favourite variations include

Espresso Chocolate Chip & Pecan Cookies with Valrhona Perles & Illy Coffee and

White Chocolate, Macadamia & Orange Cookies with Valrhona Ivoire White Chocolate & Candied Orange Peel

As for that other eternal debate between fudgy and cakey brownies, I have to confess I feel fudginess is the greatest joy in eating a brownie. Hence Ultra Fudgy Brownies using Valrhona Equatoriale Noire 55% Dark Chocolate, a recipe that’s uncompromising, unmistakable, and unapologetic in all its fudgy glory.

Crème Chocolat is a velvety chocolate pudding based on Valrhona Equatoriale Noire 55% Dark Chocolate. Enriched with cream and egg yolks, it is wonderful served as it is, possibly accompanied by a crisp cookie-like thing on the side. For a glassy set, it can be poured into dainty demitasse or espresso cups whilst still warm and liquid before being chilled.

Or you can wait for it to cool to a thicker consistency before mounding into cups for the presentation like in the picture at the top of this post.

A very versatile recipe, it’s also delectable used as a filling for myriad layer cakes, cookie sandwiches and tartlets. But perhaps my all-time favourite use for it is as an elegant component in trifle-style desserts.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Squares using Valrhona Equatoriale Noire 55% Dark Chocolate is a super simple, no-baking-required, just-stir-together kind of number. Quite aside from being an inveterate chocoholic, I also have something of a candy habit. The PB+C combination is a crowd pleaser, as evidenced by the legions of ardent fans a certain peanut butter cup candy has. These moreish squares are very much inspired by that stalwart of the supermarket candy aisle, with the bonus of quality chocolate and roasted peanuts.

I’ll put up a separate post on the Bonus Section with Extra Recipes, Ideas & Serving Suggestions. This includes:

Malted Milk Chocolate Ice Cream with Valrhona Jivara Lactée 40% Milk Chocolate

Chocolate Chip Cookie & Ice Cream Sandwiches Heirloom Classic Chocolate Chip Cookies sandwiched with Malted Milk Chocolate Ice Cream

Fudge Brownie & Ice Cream Sandwiches Ultra Fudgy Brownies sandwiched with Malted Milk Chocolate Ice Cream

Black Forest Trifle Layers of Crème Chocolat, Kirsch Whipped Cream & Amarena (preserved wild sour cherries)

The Chocoholic’s Tiramisu Layers of Crème Chocolat, Mascarpone Mousse & Lady Fingers soaked in Dark Rum and Espresso

Not Kueh Tart

2009-01-24T10:21:00.002+08:00

Nostalgia is the most powerful seasoning of all.

Memory is a funny thing, sometimes capable of embroidering fact beyond truth. This is possibly the reason why so very often eating something that one has cherished memories of is a rather anti-climactic experience. To put it simply, it is just not as good as you remember.

To stack the odds against poor said thing, you are probably recalling the best possible specimen you'd ever tasted, lost in a reverie of misty-eyed sentiment - it's a tide of emotion against which poor said thing, frankly speaking, never stood a chance to begin with.

The object of my unreal expectations? Kueh tart, or pineapple tarts, that very Singaporean treat that's ubiquitous come Lunar New Year. I daresay I will never eat another kueh tart in this lifetime and be able to proclaim it to be as good as my granny's. Close, perhaps, but not as good as, such is the power of my cinnamon-scented childhood memory of her stirring vast vats of hand-grated pineapple and crimping the edges of hundreds of dainty pastry cases. And I daresay you probably feel the same way about your mother's or grandmother's or favourite aunt's signature dish, whatever it may be.

While my octogenarian granny, a formidable cook and as far as I'm concerned, the best cook I know, is still very much the queen bee in her kitchen, she had, a long time ago, baked her last batch of kueh tart. A woman who's made of sterner stuff, unflinching in her approach to food and innately suspicious of any shortcuts or modern gadgetry, she'd decided if she couldn't do it her way, the proper way, she wouldn't do it at all. I will not go into detail as to what exactly the proper way entails, but suffice to say painstakingly laborious does not begin to descibe it. Well into the winter of life, she'd finally - and reluctantly, I might add - retired that article from her repertoire.

As a consequence, kueh tart has always been - and I suspect, will always be - the elusive Everest I cannot and will not surmount. And I am happy to let it be. Sometimes the journey is more important than the destination, and I am happy to have a memory that is impossible to live up to, or the memory would not quite be the same, no?

Here, a pineapple tart that is a tribute to yet makes no pretensions to being the inimitable kueh tart of my granny's kitchen, a sepia-tinted memory I would like to preserve that way. Nonetheless, this, served this time of the year, makes a suitably festive dessert.

A layer of pineapple jam, infused with the perfume of vanilla bean and dark rum, nestles at the bottom of a buttery shortcrust pastry case. In turn, this is blanketed by a sticky gooey chewy butterscotch custard studded with toasted macadamia nuts. Topped with a scoop of dark chocolate cream, accompanied by wedges of roast pineapple bathed in spiced caramel syrup, and finished with a wafer-thin slice of oven-dried pineapple, it's, to me, a nod to tradition without trying to surmount the insurmountable.

To everyone who's celebrating and looking forward to reunion dinner tomorrow, Happy Lunar New Year!

Happy Holidays!

2008-12-08T01:00:00.001+08:00

W and I leave for Paris shortly and will be away most of December, so I just wanted to wish everyone a fabulous festive season full of joy, love, merry-making and over-the-top feasting. Joyeux Noël et bonne année! See you in 2009...

Meringue Magic

2008-11-10T01:29:00.000+08:00

The last 4 sessions of Holiday Baked Treats, a demo class, will be held at Shermay's Cooking School on 22 November 2008 (Saturday), 23 November 2008 (Sunday), 6 December 2008 (Saturday) and 7 December 2008 (Sunday) - the November and December schedules have all the details. For all inquiries, please call the school at +65 6479 8442 or email shermaycs@yahoo.com.sg

As mentioned here, getting the hang of meringue alone opens up many other possibilities, all detailed in the bonus section of the recipe pack. I like to think of it as a fun guide to some fabulous holiday ideas.

There is something magical about meringue, that a substance comprising of ingredients as ordinary as egg whites and sugar can be transformed with whisk and air into dreamy clouds of lightness, featherweight yet capable of being manipulated into virtually any shape you fancy with kit no more sophisticated than a piping bag and nozzle. Call me simple-minded, but I honestly do think it's fundamental kitchen alchemy at its essential and fascinating best!

Aside from covering techniques for meringue cookie shapes like poinsettias, shells, kisses and porcupines,

I've also included 2 recipes for filling cookie pairs - Salted Caramel Filling and Peppermint Chocolate Filling both make for scrumptious meringue cookie sandwiches.

The salted caramel recipe is the same multi-purpose and versatile one I call upon for filling everything from pastry cases to macarons to layer cakes to shortbread cookies (such as here). Caramel au beurre salé...it's as much pastry shorthand for chic as it is outrageously moreish. And I am thrilled to know I am not alone in my addiction; after yesterday's session, a very lovely lady, L, came up to me to say "I'm going home to make buckets of this tonight!" Two others in attendance, S and D - good friends, super stylish, and self-confessed Francophiles - I already know to adore the stuff as the subject is a recurring theme in all our conversations!

The fillings can also be used for meringue tartlet shells. Alternatively, the shells can be finished with preserves, marmalades or citrus curds of your choice.

And of course, there's mini pavlovas. Filled with whipped cream and red fruit macerated with framboise or kirsch and a splash of rosewater, it is as easy and festive as dessert gets.

A slightly more time-consuming project would be meringue boxes - beautiful edible holders for scoops of ice cream or sorbet.

Holiday Baked Treats - Classes at Shermay's Cooking School

2008-10-24T00:01:00.001+08:00

Aside from this, the only other seasonal class I'll be teaching is Holiday Baked Treats, a demo class, at Shermay's Cooking School on 8 November 2008 (Saturday), 9 November 2008 (Sunday), 22 November 2008 (Saturday) and 23 November 2008 (Sunday) - the November schedule has all the necessary details. For all inquiries, please call the school at +65 6479 8442 or email shermaycs@yahoo.com.sg

If the candy class is geared towards gifting, this baked treats class is all about the joys of the bountiful holiday table. Many of the recipes are designed for entertaining, and make for a magnificent grand finale to a festive meal.

Valrhona Equatoriale Noire 55% Chocolate Pudding is a super easy and versatile recipe that's equally good served hot or cold. Served hot, it has a light texture, not unlike soufflé, and is delicious simply accompanied by pouring cream.

Served cold - topped with whipped cream and a shower of chocolate shavings - it becomes denser and richer in texture, not unlike a chocolate mousse.

Moist and moreish Sticky Date & Toffee Bundt, served with Brown Sugar Whipped Cream and a generous dose of yet more Sticky Toffee Sauce on the side, is a surefire crowd-pleaser.

The recipe can also be baked as individual Sticky Date & Toffee Mini Puds - you may find this a more practical solution if you are hosting a large party. The mini puds also make a wonderful addition to a dessert buffet table, allowing guests to help themselves easily.

In Chocolate Gingerbread Cupcakes with Valrhona Perles, cocoa is used subtly, as if it were a spice, adding nuance and complexity to the flavour of the gingerbread. The chocolatey kick comes from the extravagant addition of Valrhona chocolate pearls.

I personally find the cupcakes lovely as they are, and prefer to skip the frosting entirely - all that's required to finish them is a dusting of icing sugar. While very fine served at room temperature, if you do get the opportunity, try them warm - I'll sheepishly admit that when a tray of these emerge from the oven, I'm quite capable of demolishing half the batch at one go.

Valrhona Cocoa Meringue Kisses - light, airy, crisp and a snap to make - round out the recipe lineup.

Mastering the meringue technique alone opens up many other possibilities, including the ultimate Bûche de Noël decorations, these Meringue Mushrooms. Of course, you could simply enjoy them as cookies!

I'll have more details up in a separate post on the Bonus Section - The Art of Meringue: A Guide to Fabulous Holiday Ideas. These include:

Meringue Cookie Shapes Techniques for shaping/piping Poinsettias, Shells, Porcupines etc

Recipes for filling Meringue Cookie Sandwiches Salted Caramel Filling; Peppermint Chocolate Filling

Meringue Tartlet Shells How to shape and fill with preserves, curds etc of your choice

Mini Pavlovas How to shape and fill with flavoured whipped cream and fresh fruit of your choice

Meringue Boxes How to construct a beautiful edible container for holding scoops of sorbet, ice cream etc

Sweets For Your Sweet

2008-10-19T00:51:00.000+08:00

As mentioned here, I'll be teaching Holiday Candy Shop, a demo class, at Shermay's Cooking School. Only 2 more sessions of this class will be held, on 1 November 2008 (Saturday) and 2 November 2008 (Sunday) - the November schedule has all the necessary details. For all inquiries, please call the school at +65 6479 8442 or email shermaycs@yahoo.com.sg

It was with mileage in mind that the recipe pack for this class was designed - grasping one set of techniques/recipes thus leads to other possibilities. So in addition to the key recipes demonstrated at class, I've included a bonus section with extra recipes, ideas and serving suggestions.

With the season of gifting round the corner, my personal favourite in the lineup of ideas is a S'mores Kit (pictured above) - the difference being that both the Graham Crackers (made from nutty wholemeal flour, brown sugar, honey and cinnamon) and Madagascar Bourbon Vanilla Bean Marshmallows have been crafted from scratch. Packaged together with tablets of Valrhona Equatoriale Noire 55% Dark Chocolate, I can't think of a more fun and delicious DIY gift.A thoughtful touch is including in your gift tag instructions for assembling and toasting the S’mores – these nostalgic snacks are the perfect marriage of crisp and gooey, molten chocolate and vanilla perfume...the ultimate luxurious spin on a comforting and familiar treat.

A proper cup of Hot Chocolate, rich, thick and smooth with Valrhona Araguani 72% Dark Chocolate, deserves nothing less than to be topped by a Madagascar Bourbon Vanilla Bean Marshmallow.

Rocky Road Fudge (Valrhona Equatoriale Noire 55% Dark Chocolate Fudge studded with Madagascar Bourbon Vanilla Bean Marshmallows & Pecans) combines the best of 2 recipes – the ease of the “instant fudge” method as illustrated by the Mocha Walnut Fudge, and the scrumptiousness of homemade marshmallows.

Homemade Graham Crackers are yummy all on their own, as the bases for S'mores, or given a dressier finish by being dipped in a Valrhona Equatoriale Noire 55% Dark Chocolate Glaze.

Likewise, the Valrhona Equatoriale Noire 55% Dark Chocolate Glaze smartens up shards of Honeycomb Crunch – think of it as the uptown cousin of that supermarket candy aisle guilty pleasure.

Honeycomb Crunch Sundaes are yet another fabulous use of this addictive candy. The Valrhona Araguani 72% Dark Chocolate Sorbet is intense and potent - made without dairy products (which can obscure the complex savours of an excellent dark chocolate), it is a chocolate purist's frozen dessert dream. To cut the bittersweetness, I like it served with Butterscotch Sauce and Honeycomb Crunch.

Holiday Candy Shop - Classes at Shermay's Cooking School

2008-09-28T21:22:00.010+08:00

I'll be teaching Holiday Candy Shop, a demo class, at Shermay's Cooking School on 18 October 2008 (Saturday) and 19 October 2008 (Sunday) - the October schedule has all the necessary details. For all inquiries, please call the school at +65 6479 8442 or email shermaycs@yahoo.com.sg

I think the awesome thing about candy and confections is that they really lend themselves well to gifting. Many recipes keep nicely and can be prepared in advance, giving one ample time to have a little think about packaging, making them a joy both to present and to receive. The other awesome thing, of course, is their old-time charm - it is likely many recipients of your handcrafted candies will be utterly amazed; it's simply not something most folks think of as do-able at home!

But the truth is, candy recipes can be beautifully simple. One road leads to many; mastering one particular technique or recipe very often opens up other possibilities. It was with this in mind that the following line-up was designed. In addition to a comprehensive recipe pack detailing the key recipes demonstrated at class, I've included a bonus section with extra recipes, ideas and serving suggestions.

Madagascar Bourbon Vanilla Bean Marshmallows are not only delicious, but are terrific in everything from a luxurious cup of hot chocolate to S'mores to Rocky Road fudge. Because the mixture is set in a large sheet, there's nothing to stop you from cutting out stars or any other shape instead of standard cubes.

My favourite variations flavour-wise are Peppermint Marshmallows, and Rosewater Strawberry Marshmallows. The latter, in particular, are stunning presented as laniards, inspired by the guimauve that's a ubiquitous fixture on the candy trolley of many a chic Parisian fine dining establishment and purveyed by the very best confiseries, lifted out of heavy apothecary jars with silver tongs and cut to order with a flourish.

Adore the crunchy centres of a certain famous candy bar? Here’s how you can make Honeycomb Crunch. Apart from enjoying alone, these candies can also be dipped in a dark chocolate glaze, or treated like nougatine and crushed over scoops of ice cream or sorbet. I especially adore it with darkly seductive chocolate sorbet, brought over the top with rich butterscotch sauce.

Conventional recipes for fudge tend to be complex operations – a candy thermometer is a must so that the mixture does not overcook. Unless a certain amount of care is taken, the mixture can turn out overly grainy – not a desirable trait. And after cooking, the mixture needs to be beaten very well. This Mocha Walnut Fudge with Valrhona Jivara Lactée 40% Milk Chocolate is an unconventional “instant fudge” recipe that's extremely simple and fast to prepare yet turns out exquisitely creamy fudge – no need for a candy thermometer, and certainly no need for elbow grease! It's also a great template for experimenting with different milk or dark chocolates, extracts, nuts and dried fruits; a wonderful variation on the theme is Rocky Road fudge.

Spiced Fig, Pistachio & Valrhona Manjari 64% Dark Chocolate Logs are loosely based on an Italian number known as lonza di fichi. It tickles me to no end to think of these as “fig salami” – the fruit, nut and chocolate mixture is shaped into logs before being sliced, and the slices really do look like salami! Subtly spiced, intriguingly fruity and studded with pistachios, this not-too-sweet little bite is an elegant accompaniment to a postprandial digestif or espresso.

I'll have more details up in a separate post on the bonus section. Recipes, ideas and serving suggestions include:

S’mores – Toasted Homemade Graham Crackers topped with Valrhona Equatoriale Noire 55% Dark Chocolate and Madagascar Bourbon Vanilla Bean Marshmallows

Rocky Road Fudge – Valrhona Equatoriale Noire 55% Dark Chocolate Fudge studded with Madagascar Bourbon Vanilla Bean Marshmallows & Pecans

Hot Chocolate – The ultimate hot chocolate with Valrhona Araguani 72% Dark Chocolate, topped with Madagascar Bourbon Vanilla Bean Marshmallows

Honeycomb Crunch Sundaes – Valrhona Araguani 72% Dark Chocolate Sorbet topped with Honeycomb Crunch & Butterscotch Sauce

Chocolate Honeycomb Crunch – Honeycomb Crunch dipped in Valrhona Equatoriale Noire 55% Dark Chocolate Glaze

Chocolate Graham Crackers - Homemade Graham Crackers dipped in Valrhona Equatoriale Noire 55% Dark Chocolate Glaze

Decorated Christmas Cookies 2008 - Classes at Shermay's Cooking School

2008-09-09T08:35:00.014+08:00

How time flies! It's been a whole year since the warm spicy aroma of festive baking last permeated my kitchen, ahead of schedule too...This class is back!

I'll be teaching Decorated Christmas Cookies, a demo class, at Shermay's Cooking School on 4 October 2008 (Saturday) and 5 October 2008 (Sunday) - the October schedule has all the necessary details. There will only be 2 sessions of this class. For all inquiries, please call the school at +65 6479 8442 or email shermaycs@yahoo.com.sg

Exactly the same recipes and techniques will be covered as last year's class - the only difference being the selection of cookie shapes. Shermay, who has impeccable taste in such matters, has very thoughtfully managed to source a collection of highly covetable cookie cutters, and I wanted to feature these fabulous new shapes - once the core decorating techniques have been grasped, they can be practically applied to any cookie shape.

The type of cookies known as rolled cookies is the decorator's preferred choice of canvas. Unlike say drop cookies or bar cookies, however, they do take a bit of care to get right. Quite aside from sleights of hand to facilitate the procedure, there's the recipe itself - it needs to be a dough that's sturdy enough to withstand repeated handling, yet not bake up so dense and hard as to result in mediocre eating. The Luscious Lemon Cookies (butter cookies with a hint of zest and real lemony depth) and Classic Gingerbread (given just a touch of molasses and judiciously spiced) are both favourite recipes - while I find them a real joy to handle, what's more important is that taste is not compromised for looks.

Once you have your canvas, you'll need to choose your medium. To that end, there's Rolled Fondant (the ready made product is extremely convenient and useful for large batch baking, but homemade has a flavour that you may find worth the extra effort), and Meringue Powder Royal Icing. The latter is a cookie decorating essential, and distinguishing between stiff, soft peak and runny consistencies and knowing the different decorating functions they serve form the foundation of cookie decorating.

An understanding of just a handful of Core Decorating Techniques - such as outlining, flooding, drop-in flooding, overpiping, flocking and gilding - opens up limitless design possibilities. The class will cover the practical application of these techniques as can be seen in the decoration of:

Snowmen

Christmas Tree Ornaments

Snowflakes

Christmas Trees

The 3-D Christmas Tree

Much simpler (and faster) to construct than a gingerbread house, but certainly no less stunning as the perfect holiday table centrepiece.

You've home-baked them. You've hand-iced them. Don't let them down with anything less than stylish packaging to create the ultimate heartfelt and one-of-a-kind holiday gifts. If you're so inclined, hopefully one or two of the various ideas that round out the class may prove useful.

Eat My Handbag

2008-09-05T12:29:00.002+08:00

I'd decorated these bag and shoe shaped cookies some months back for a women's fashion glossy - the fash ed had wanted something a bit more whimsical than a straightforward product spread. So these "cookie illustrations" came about, based on tears from the FW08 lookbooks. I had enormous fun doing them.

In the mix: YSL Muse Two; Bottega Veneta multistone knot clutch; Nina Ricci statement necklace; Manolo Blahnik lace up ankle boots; Chanel maryjane pumps; Prada ankle boots; John Galliano earrings; Valentino Petale tote; Alexander McQueen Empire egg-shaped minaudiere; Christian Louboutin patchwork kneehighs...

I think of the process of decorating cookies as not too unlike that of mucking about with a paintbox - coloured royal icings, piping tips and dough stand in for paints, brushes and a canvas. And in this particular instance, even more so than usual, as some of the details are literally painted on using food dyes or luster dusts mixed with drops of vodka. The best tools for the job are fine sable brushes - either the variety intended for watercolours or for applying makeup - as they pick up and deposit colour with the greatest precision. Just be sure they're saved solely and specifically for this purpose - neither reincarnated from a previous life nor leading a double life applying colours of a non-edible nature!

A Bed of Roses

2008-08-23T01:32:00.000+08:00

A big bed of roses for a friend's beautiful little girl who turned two recently. It was good fun putting this behemoth of a cake together, intended to serve 80, and I realized in retrospect how very fortunate I was - it was only when manoeuvring the tight corners whilst fitting the finished number in the fridge that it occurred to me had the cake been any wider, longer or taller, I would be having a bit of a storage issue on my hands...Phew! Note to future self: Must measure widest, longest, tallest available fridge shelf space before deciding on cake pan dimensions.

It's a dark chocolate fudge layer cake frosted with white chocolate buttercream (which is also used to pipe the basketweave finish wrapping the sides of the cake). The roses are fashioned from very stiff royal icing - tinted a subtly variegated palette of lilac, lavender and mauve - piped using a petal tip on a flower nail. Formed petal by petal flower by flower, the roses are made ahead of time and allowed to dry thoroughly before being adhered to the surface of the iced cake - on cakes that require chilled storage, royal icing blooms hold up much better than fondant or marzipan ones. The interstices are filled with clusters of leaves, piped using the white chocolate buttercream tinted a pale kelly green.

As much as I have a personal weakness for dollhouse miniatures as far as cakes are concerned, I must confess the sense of euphoria which comes with finishing something that's the opposite extreme scale-wise is really something else!

Necessity is the mother of invention

2008-07-16T10:23:00.008+08:00

When I took the plunge and bought a second fridge last year, I was absolutely convinced it would put an end to my storage capacity problems. Between accommodating the ordinary needs of household consumption (albeit a rather greedy household), and those of gearing up for a weekend such as this, fridge space is always at a premium. Fast forward one year later, and I find myself dreaming of a third fridge, seeing as the existing two are now bursting at the seams. But that will remain a fantasy until the day we find ourselves in a larger home. W has wryly observed that every storage solution which crosses my path - be it a new fridge, one more bookcase, an extra tableware cabinet, or yet another shoe rack - has an interesting habit of turning into part of the storage capacity problem itself. Extra storage realty triggers my, erm, acquisition disorder, which in turn ensures I somehow manage to outgrow whatever additional purported solution, thus necessitating yet more storage realty.

But I ramble. My working solution to the fridge space issue is to "process" leftovers as soon as possible when they appear. Calling it processing leftovers makes it all sound far more of a bore than it actually is, because many of my favourite things, quite frankly, were born out of the needs to not toss out perfectly good food and to clear fridge space.

It is not a weekend such as this per se which produces prodigious leftovers, seeing as all the math has been done and I am able to prepare accordingly. It is the testing and re-testing of recipes - which takes place way in advance of any such weekend - that results in leftovers of sizeable volume. Take for instance this lime and lemon curd. Whilst testing recipes, I had originally intended to use it strictly for filling lemon cupcakes. I had a fair bit leftover from preparing a batch without having scaled down the quantities to what was modestly required for filling a dozen or so cupcakes...A whole Kilner jar-full, to be exact. In other words, far more than what could be consumed on morning toast for two before most of it goes to waste.

Fortunately, I also had quite a few spare coconut cake layers and a large tupperware's worth of coconut buttercream lying around (again, leftovers from recipe testing). And so came along the happy accident; I have to confess that this citrus curd-sandwiched variation on the tall coconut layer cake theme is hands-down my favourite one, as the tartness of the filling cuts through the richness of the cake and buttercream.

And because I didn't want to generate yet more leftovers from decorative flourishes whilst processing leftovers, I deliberately kept the finishing fairly spare, although I do feel that sheer simplicity is part of the beauty of a homespun layer cake.

PS: Speaking of citrus curd, Cupcake Workshop Level 2 is back! There will be 6 sessions of this hands-on workshop, held on 8 August 2008 (Friday), 9 August 2008 (Saturday), 10 August 2008 (Sunday), and 22 August 2008 (Friday), 23 August 2008 (Saturday), 24 August 2008 (Sunday) at Shermay's Cooking School. The August schedule has all the details; for inquiries, please call +65 6479 8442 or email shermaycs@yahoo.com.sg

Summertime, And the livin' is easy

2008-07-01T13:55:00.009+08:00

I often feel extremely fortunate to be doing what I do. Quite aside from having lucked out and finding the perfect reason to obsess as much about dessert as I already do, I find many aspects of the flurry of preparations leading up to a class such as this thoroughly enjoyable. One of my favourite aspects has to be the delicious dilemma I find myself in when trying to shortlist which recipes might fit the bill - so many recipes, so little time, especially bearing in mind that each session is about 3 hours long. Which is where the bonus recipes come in handy, by letting me sneak in an extra recipe or two or three that I may not have time to show-and-tell, but are so easy and so useful to know I feel compelled to include them. Often, these are chosen based on their ability to give "mileage" to the main recipes being demonstrated, allowing a minor tweak here and there to give a brand new spin to the dessert in question. I like to think of it in wardrobe terms - you don't always need a new frock to feel like you're wearing a new frock, sometimes all a girl needs is a new pair of killer heels (or insert whatever else is your accessory fetish) to feel like she's breathed life into her capsule collection of beloved old staples.

If I could possibly sum up the mood of this particular line-up in one word (ok, more like a string of words...remember, I can't even keep myself to a set recipe count!), it would be retro, nostalgic, and comforting. The bulk of preparation prior to class itself (ie. when I actually have to be physically present at the school) takes place within the confines of my own kitchen, where I've been - you've guessed it - listening to Gershwin jazz standards while I bake as of late!

The Lemon Grove Cupcakes can be topped by a Rose Water Glaze - quite aside from the affinity the flavours have for each other, I'll confess that I was quite simply taken by the new rose water from Nielsen-Massey and wanted to include a recipe using it.

The classic coconut layer cake gets an exotic island cocktail spin thanks to a pineapple filling flavoured with lime, dark rum and Madagascar Bourbon vanilla bean...

Presto, a Piña Colada Cake!

Done as cupcakes, I couldn't resist sticking in a paper brolly - I hope I'm not the only person around here with a weakness for naff cocktails!

PS: For all inquiries about the sessions on 12 July 2008 , 13 July 2008 , 26 July 2008 and 27 July 2008, please call the school directly at +65 6479 8442 or email shermaycs@yahoo.com.sg

I Scream for Ice Cream!

2008-06-20T08:24:00.002+08:00

As mentioned previously, here are some details about the ice cream component of the Summer Treats demo class I'll be teaching at Shermay's Cooking School on 12 July 2008 , 13 July 2008 , 26 July 2008 and 27 July 2008 - the July schedule has all the booking details; for all inquiries, please call the school at +65 6479 8442 or email shermaycs@yahoo.com.sg

Speaking strictly based on the many conversations I've had with the lovely people who've attended my previous classes, I've come to realize that when it comes to big ticket purchases, most cooks have their wish list divided into 2 categories - is it a "Need to have" or is it a "Want to have"? And the ice cream machine - the serious sort with a built-in self-freezing compressor system - more often than not is deemed as belonging to the latter category. Excepting the sizeable pool of gadget aficionados (read: those who already possess the ice cream machine of their dreams), those who have yet to cross this item off their list have yet to do so for various reasons. Some simply don't see themselves making ice cream frequently enough to justify the purchase. Some - those who adore ice cream and are saving up to take the plunge eventually - knowingly half-jest that once they have the goods, they will have the best excuse to make and indulge in ice cream as frequently as possible so as to "amortize" their expenditure!

I wanted the ice cream menu to be all-inclusive, so there's plenty to appeal should one not have an ice cream machine and/or don't plan to. To this end, the menu features 2 quick "No Churning Required!" ice creams that don't need the use of a machine to achieve delicious results, as well as a classic custard-based affair that's exactly the sort of recipe those high end automatic models were designed to churn to creamy frozen perfection with the mere press of a button.

2 INSTANT ICES

While I own and love and regularly use an ice cream machine, I am just as apt to find myself making an instant ice that does without. The instant ices come from the SOS section of my recipe files - the section I make a beeline for on those days I (a) need to produce dessert pronto, (b) am too tired to haul the ice cream-making behemoth from the shelf to the kitchen counter, or (c) am too impatient to either coax and worry a custard into spoon-coating consistency or contemplate the dismantling, cleaning, drying and re-assembly of various small parts of gadgetry. The point is, these brilliantly easy recipes are very useful to have on hand on those days you're feeling less than up to anything remotely persnickety.

As befits the nature of such days, these instant ice recipes do not require that arduous work known as still freezing, the conventional technique of freezing ice cream without an ice cream machine - this process involves the stirring by hand or electric whisk or food processor or blender at hourly intervals during the freezing of the ice cream mixture until a uniform slush forms, at least twice and more like thrice.

The formation of large ice crystals is inhibited in these instant ice mixtures thanks to the generous use of cream and sugar, thus allowing them to freeze evenly without constant stirring and beating. In other words, simply scrape the mixture into a container and the freezer takes care of the rest.

Lemon Ice Cream
A good amount of freshly squeezed lemon juice and fragrant lemon zest cut through the richness of this ice cream. Once the mixture is frozen, simply serve in scoops.

Alternatively, for a spiffy presentation, freeze the mixture in hollowed lemon half-shells, slice when firm, and serve as lemon wedges! Because the mixture is whipped till it holds a soft peak, it can also be piped into a hollowed lemon before freezing.

And if you happen to have unfrosted Lemon Grove Cupcakes or Coconut Cupcakes lying around, they make for a fabulous treat when topped with a scoop of Lemon Ice Cream...even better if the cupcake in question is still warm from the oven...

Madagascar Bourbon Vanilla Bean Ice Cream
I simply had to include this recipe. Every cook has her or his favourite ultimate vanilla ice cream recipe crafted in a time-honoured, artisanal manner, but this super simple quick fix is a trusty standby to know for all those times when you're simply not in the mood to fuss.

A CLASSIC CUSTARD-BASED ICE CREAM

Peppermint Chocolate Chip Ice Cream
Love the mint and chocolate flavour combination but abhor that shop-bought vile green travesty with gritty brown specks passing off as the real thing? This is the recipe for you; a plush custard rich with egg yolks and cream that's flavoured with pure peppermint extract and folded through with chips of Valrhona Equatoriale 55% bittersweet chocolate. While this recipe can certainly be made via the still freezing technique described earlier, churning the custard with an ice cream machine creates the most silky smooth texture and luxurious mouthfeel possible.

Next post up shortly: The layer cake flavour variations and bonus recipes included in the recipe pack.

Summer Treats Class at Shermay's: Layer Cakes, Cupcakes & Ice Creams

2008-06-11T09:20:00.015+08:00

I'll be teaching a Summer Treats demo class at Shermay's Cooking School on 12 July 2008 (Saturday), 13 July 2008 (Sunday), 26 July 2008 (Saturday) and 27 July 2008 (Sunday) - the July schedule has all the necessary booking details. For all inquiries, please call the school at +65 6479 8442 or email shermaycs@yahoo.com.sg

The class covers layer cakes, cupcakes and ice creams. This post features the layer cake and cupcakes; I will put up a separate post shortly with details about the ice creams, and another with details about the flavour variations and bonus recipes included in the recipe pack.

LAYER CAKES

Few things embody the pleasures of baking like a lavish layer cake. Tall and grand in appearance, yet ultimately a tribute to homespun comforts, this head-turner of a cake graces the table like no other. It is beautiful even with the most minimal of decorative flourishes. Possibly, it is most beautiful when least fussed with, such is the perfection of its simplicity - moist, tender layers of cake, seams of flavourful fillings and lashings of lush frosting coming together to create a whole that's truly greater than the sum of its parts.

The class will cover all the essential techniques you'll need to know to level, split, fill and frost layer cakes, as well as tips on how to ensure good results every time.

Coconut Heaven
Classic Coconut Cake layers are filled and frosted with a Luxurious Coconut Buttercream, then finished with a blizzard of shredded coconut. The fabulous depth of flavour comes from using coconut cream in both the cake batter as well as the buttercream.

And in the event you want to produce something with all the savours but in a hurry, I've also included instructions on how to bake this versatile batter as cupcakes.

CUPCAKES

Lemon Grove Cupcakes

A zingy treat that I like to think of as sunshine in a pleated paper case, this cupcake packs a wonderfully tart punch thanks to the addition of fresh lemon juice, aromatic lemon zest, pure lemon extract and candied lemon peel. The batter is enriched with sour cream, which enhances the citrus tang as well as contributes to the velvety texture.

The topping, a Whipped White Chocolate & Lemon Ganache using Valrhona Ivoire 35%, is both delicious and very easy to make.

It is also a real joy to handle, and the ideal texture for piping - tinted a golden yellow, it makes for a rather fetching sunflower design.

I'll put up details on the ice cream component of the class soon. The menu features 2 quick "No Churning Required!" ice creams (Lemon Ice Cream and Madagascar Bourbon Vanilla Bean Ice Cream) as well as a classic custard-based affair (Peppermint Chocolate Chip Ice Cream).

In addition, the recipe pack includes some bonus recipes and ideas for easy variations, including a pineapple filling flavoured with lime, dark rum & Madagascar Bourbon vanilla bean to put an island cocktail spin on the classic coconut layer cake - a Piña Colada Cake! There's also a Rose Water Glaze and a Rich Lemon & Lime Curd - extra topping and filling ideas for transforming the lemon cupcakes and getting the most mileage out of the recipe. I won't be demonstrating these extra recipes during class so will be elaborating on them shortly as well.

Le Big Mac

2008-04-30T17:31:00.003+08:00

Vincent Vega: "And you know what they call a... a... a Quarter Pounder with cheese in Paris?"
Jules: "They don't call it a Quarter Pounder with cheese?"
Vincent Vega: "No man, they got the metric system. They wouldn't know what the **** a Quarter Pounder is."
Jules: "Then what do they call it?"
Vincent Vega: "They call it a "Royale" with cheese."
Jules: "A "Royale" with cheese! What do they call a Big Mac?"
Vincent Vega: "A Big Mac's a Big Mac, but they call it "le Big Mac"."
Jules: ""Le Big Mac"! Ha ha ha ha! What do they call a Whopper?"
Vincent Vega: "I dunno, I didn't go into Burger King."

That's possibly one of my all-time favourite scenes from my all-time favourite movie - Is Tarantino a genius? Or is Tarantino a genius? I watched it for the nth time recently.

OK, enough preamble.
A tall, big (relatively speaking) macaron-inspired dessert. I'd made a batch of salted butter caramel macarons - hands-down my all-time favourite flavour, incidentally - and thought it would be fun to work a composed dessert around the caramel au beurre salé theme, featuring my all-time favourite ingredient quartet. Much beurre d’Echiré, fleur de sel de Guérande, crème fraîche d'Isigny and Madagascar Bourbon vanilla later...

Friable salted chocolate sablés are layered with caramelized milk chocolate ganache (I used Valrhona Jivara, which has beautifully pronounced burnt sugar notes. So rather than simply heating cream, the cream was combined with a deep amber caramel before pouring over the Jivara fèves. Once this mixture cools, it's emulsified with a goodly lump of softened salted butter). The macaron perched atop this crisp-creamy, sweet-salty tower is the business. I find the salted butter caramel filling utterly moreish. And will sheepishly admit to being capable of demolishing whatever is leftover from filling the macaron shells neat, straight from a spoon - no wonder my enthodontist loves me. A small scoop of crème fraîche ice-cream, a smidgen of vanilla-infused caramel sauce, and shards of macadamia-studded nougatine round things out.

The best part of it all? Leftover components to make simple-yet-scrumptious, spin-off treats, such as these sandwich cookies (salted chocolate sablés plus caramelized milk chocolate ganache, topped with a flake or two of sea salt).

I had a fair bit of extra ganache, discovered that it made for a magnificient macaron filling, and have been amusing myself at teatime the last couple of days trying to decide if I like the salted butter caramel macarons or the caramelized milk chocolate ones more.

PS: Speaking of macarons, this macaron and biscotti class is back! I will be teaching only 2 sessions of this demo class, held on 24 May 2008 (Saturday) and 25 May 2008 (Sunday) at Shermay's Cooking School. The May schedule has all the details; for inquiries, please call +65 6479 8442 or email shermaycs@yahoo.com.sg

Extra, extra

2008-03-12T22:32:00.001+08:00

I've received the occasional note over the past year from a few concerned folks asking me to return to "regular" blogging. Thank you very much, guys, for taking the time to write and express how you feel, but as every waking moment I spend in the kitchen these days is typically either in planning or preparation for a class - not that I'm complaining, because I am extremely fortunate to be doing what I love, elbow-deep in butter, eggs, sugar and flour - it's virtually impossible not to let my excitement and anticipation about the classes spill over onto these pages. Pages of what, to me, is essentially an online food journal, and the answer to the question of what one has been up to lately food-wise, what is foremost in one's food-related thoughts. From my perspective, I have to confess it's all "regular", if by "regular" we mean conforming to the most prevalent pattern in one's kitchen. Of course, that's not to preclude the this-is-what-I-cooked-last-Sunday-for-dinner variety of rambling altogether - believe you me, I'll happily and long-windedly get to that whenever I'm not otherwise preoccupied!

Anyways, in keeping with the most recent prevalent pattern (read: this particular Spring/Easter-themed affair on 15 March 2008 and 16 March 2008), I thought I'd put up a bit more detail about the handful of bonus recipes.

The Raspberry & Dark Chocolate Cupcakes are moist little keepers thanks to the generous inclusion of raspberry puree in the batter. They're at their best when topped with a Raspberry & Dark Chocolate Ganache - while I've specified Valrhona Equatoriale 55% in the recipe (because this versatile bittersweet is what I know most home bakers always have on standby in the pantry), and it works just fine, if you wish to go the extra mile, do try the recipe with Manjari 64%; the red fruit savours inherent in this particular gem from Valrhona really do pair beautifully with the raspberry puree.

And I simply had to include a recipe for Simnel Cupcakes - I couldn't resist the idea of a Mini Me version of the traditional fruitcake served on Easter (and also on Mothering Sunday). Much lighter than its dark, boozy Christmas cousin, Simnel cake has a generous seam of marzipan running though its centre, is covered with marzipan, and is conventionally finished with 11 marzipan balls representing the 11 good disciples. As much as I adore marzipan, I prefer to skip the last bit (which I think is overkill on a cake this diminutive) in favour of 11 gold dragées. The crowning touch is a yellow marzipan rose in full bloom (the petals edges have been finished with pink luster dust; I was after a tea rose effect).

Egg-ceptional

2008-03-03T13:41:00.001+08:00

I'd crafted this sugar egg case for the weekend just past. Easter Sunday falls on 23 March 2008, so the last 2 sessions have been scheduled for the weekend prior, on 15 March 2008 and 16 March 2008 (for all inquiries, please call +65 6479 8442 or email shermaycs@yahoo.com.sg). Besides cupcakes and cookies, the session also covers sugar moulding. It being a Spring/Easter theme, there was no question as to the chosen shape of the cases!

Whilst planning for this, I had initially toyed with the idea of chocolate egg cases. In the end, I decided to go the sugar moulding route instead - chocolate eggs are aplenty at the shops come this time of the year, so if you are going to spend the time and effort making something from scratch, why not make it something unexpected? And despite appearances, sugar moulding is one aspect of sugar art that is actually very easy to do, and is based on ingredients readily found in the pantry.

I can't think of a more charming addition to the Easter basket, absolutely occasion-appropriate. And it's not just purely ornamental (while theoretically edible, I really wouldn't suggest it!), because it makes for the ultimate handmade bonbonniere - the perfect receptacle for holding your choice of sweets, candy or chocolates. Me? I'm partial to sugar almonds, not least because they just so happen to be egg-shaped and come tinted in the most delicate of pastel washes.

The sugar egg case can be dyed any colour you fancy, and decorated any manner you please. The specimen here is edged with violet shells and topped with pansies, both piped from royal icing.

In terms of presentation, a nest is best...Pretty coloured raffia works a treat.