Monday, January 16, 2012

Tips For Unforgettable Cupcakes,You Should Know

Cupcakes are the latest rage in desserts. No longer relegated to children's parties and bake sales, cupcakes are now being dressed up for weddings and served at high end restaurants.
What other sweet treat can be silly, sinful or elegant merely by adding a flavoring or changing the decorations?
Here are some tips to make your next batch of these yummy desserts the hit of the party (make extras so they can take some home!)

Ten Tips for Unforgettable Cupcakes
1. Follow the instructions exactly as they are written. Substituting ingredients and over/under mixing the batter will affect how your cupcakes turn out.
2. Use high quality ingredients and make sure they are at room temperature before adding to the batter. Preheat the oven according to the recipe and make sure it is hot before baking.
3. Place cupcake papers in your muffin pan for easy removal after baking. Fill each paper ½ to 2/3 full.
4. Adding flavoring or flavored liquids gives a new dimension to basic cupcakes. Coffee intensifies the flavor of the chocolate. Almond syrup makes anything with cherries taste brighter.
5. Test your cupcakes for doneness at the minimum baking time. If the recipe calls for 20 - 25 minutes, insert a toothpick into the center of a cupcake at 20 minutes. If it comes out clean, the cupcakes are done. If there is batter on it, cook the cupcakes for a least a minute more and check again.
6. If the cupcake papers are soiled after baking, remove or set the cupcakes in a second paper before serving.
7. For a real surprise, core out the center and fill it with lemon curd (spice cupcakes), cherry pie filling (chocolate cupcakes) or raspberry jam (vanilla cupcakes). Lay the top over the filling when the cupcake is almost full and frost the entire cupcake.
8. Experiment with contrasting flavors. Chocolate frosting goes well with banana cupcakes while a mocha cinnamon frosting gives pizzazz to anything chocolate.
9. A rich buttercream frosting goes with any flavor. Add a pop of color like a flower or jelly bean to make it special.
10. Your cupcakes will look more professional if you pipe the frosting on instead of applying it with a knife. If your frosting is not spreading smoothly, don't scrape it off. Cover it by rolling the cupcakes in coconut or brightly colored sprinkles instead!

Friday, January 13, 2012

Healthy Desserts Tips For You

For those of you with a sweet tooth, listen up.
Sweets are some of the hardest things to overcome while dieting. My grandparents are old-school and they love their desserts. I’m talking about multiple meals a day with some sort of dessert after each one. So growing up with a family of that mentality was a challenge. But I knew that in order to get to where I wanted to be, I had to break free from that stranglehold.

Sweets can be the downfall of a good nutrition and fitness program. There are however some better, healthier alternatives for people who really enjoy something sweet after a meal.
Nature’s form of sweets come in the form of fruits. These can be a fine dessert by themselves, but combined with yogurt or cottage cheese provides a good source of protein in addition to the sweetness that you were craving. Also you could throw in some almonds, peanuts, or pecans for some crunch if you so desire.
My favorite fruit and yogurt combination is vanilla yogurt with any frozen fruit. The cold fruit chunks freeze the yogurt around itself which creates an amazing texture.
Frozen yogurt is also a great dessert alternative to ice cream. I personally do not understand the fascination with ice cream, whether it’s the texture or the temperature or something else. But it is loaded with sugar and other things ready to derail a diet.
Now for all of you chocolate lovers, I know that there is no equal substitute in your eyes. And I also know that chocolate provides some health benefits. Remember these few things when it comes to chocolate:
Dark Chocolate is better than milk.
This is plain chocolate we’re talking about, not a Snickers bar.
Moderation, Moderation, Moderation.
As an alternative for this, I would recommend investing in a low-calorie chocolate flavored protein shake or bar. For information on the right protein shake for you, check out my post on protein powders (The Power of Powder). This will give you that cocoa fix as well as help to repair your body from its daily stresses.
You can either drink the shake with water or you can make it into a milkshake. In the blender you can add milk, ice, fresh fruit, and yogurt to your powder and make amazing tasting, yet healthy dessert.
Although cake, cookies, pie, and candy are all great, they are terribly detrimental to your goals. I am not telling you that you have to cut out all forms of sweets altogether, because I don’t want you to go insane. I am just telling you to save yourself the sugar, the calories, and the guilt and opt for the healthier choice.

Monday, January 9, 2012

Delicious Butterflied Prawns In Eden

What a name! Sure, this dish may be common but did you know that simply by putting in a little effort to carve your vegetables, you can create give a new and beautiful breathe of life to an ordinary dish? My little daughters were fascinated with the carrots and broccoli stems which were cut to resemble flowers sitting in the midst of a bed of freshly blanched green broccoli. To give it a more “garden feel”, I used orchid mushrooms as well in this dish. I bought the orchid mushrooms in can and they are quite delicious with a light crunch. You can also use any other suitable mushrooms such as straw mushrooms.
The prawns were cut to resemble like butterflies but being an amateur, I can’t say they look like one. What I did was to remove the heads, middle shell and legs by fingers and leave the tails attached. Next, I use a knife to make a slit down the centre back of each prawn and removed the guts (brownish black thread running down the back of the prawn). When the prawn is cooked, it will give a nice slightly opened shape.

To cut the carrots or broccoli stems into flower-like shapes, you will need to first scrape off the outer layer. Next, cut the carrots into 6 cm lengths. You will need thick broccoli stems for the same purpose. Then, lay the carrot onto a chopping board and make a slanted cut (about 5mm deep or lesser) length-wise along the carrot. Then make another parallel slanted cut just next to it so that both cuts resemble a V shape. You will then be able to remove the whole strip thus leaving you a length-wise groove. Repeat this over the other parts of the carrot until you get at least 5 grooves. Then, slice the carrot sideways and voila! You’ll get the flower-shaped carrots.
Get creative. It makes a whole world of difference to the eating experience!
This is my recipe for Butterflied Prawns in Eden
Ingredients
  • 8 to 10 pieces medium sized prawn (butterflied)
  • 150 grammes broccoli (cut into florets. stems cut into flower-shape)
  • 1 medium sized carrot (cut into flower-shape)
  • 1/2 tin of orchid mushrooms
  • 3 cloves garlic (chopped finely)
  • some cornstarch
  • 300 ml hot water
  • a pot of water
  • 3 tablespoons cooking oil
Seasoning
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons oyster sauce
  • salt to taste
  • a couple of dashes of white pepper powder
  • 1 teaspoon of light soya sauce
Method
Bring a pot of water (about 2 litres) to boil. Once boiling, add 2 teaspoons of salt and drizzle some cooking oil. Then blanch broccoli florets till your desired softness. Remove and drain. Place aside to cool. Repeat process with carrots and broccoli stems.
Heat oil in wok. Add half the chopped garlic into the wok together with prawns. Stir fry briskly and add 1 teaspoon of light soya sauce. Remove prawns once it has completely cooked and curled up. Set aside.
Add oil into wok followed by garlic and orchid mushrooms. Stir fry briskly for about 30 seconds before adding 300 ml hot water. Bring to boil and add seasoning to taste. Cover with lid and reduce heat to medium. Allow gravy to reduce to half.
Meanwhile, arrange broccoli florets in a ring on a deep plate. Place carrot and broccoli stem flowers on top of the broccoli florets. Place remaining flowers in the middle.
Check the orchid mushrooms and add some cornstarch to thicken the gravy a little. It should be slightly runny but not watery. Remove from heat.
Scoop some orchid mushrooms and place on centre of the dish. Place prawns on top of orchid mushrooms and flowers before pouring the gravy over the whole dish.

Wednesday, January 4, 2012

Wine Poached Pear

Pears soaked and bathed in wine, juice and spices transform themselves into luscious jewels. A very elegant dessert indeed!
Making a dessert cannot get easier than this. A few pears in one hand thrown in & slowly simmered in some wine and spices and you turn them into to treasures, you have the most beautiful looking thing; vibrant in jewel tones, sweet, spicy, buttery melt in the mouth kind. Poaching the pears brings out the natural sweetness, the wine paints the fruit and the spices adds a good burst of flavors. This dessert can also be made ahead of time. So what are we waiting for?
Wine Poached Pear
Ingredients:
  1. 2 Ripe but Firm Bosc or Barlett pears
  2. 1.5 Cup Red Wine (Pinot Noir , Shiraz or Zinfandel will do)
  3. 1/2 Cup Orange Juice (Freshly Squeezed or Store Bought)
  4. 1/2 cup Sugar (may be substituted with Honey or Nectar – adjust quantity as you will need less honey/nectar than sugar)
  5. 1 Tablespoon Grated Orange Rind
  6. 2 Whole Cloves
  7. 1/4 Teaspoon Nutmeg
  8. 1 Finger Length Cinnamon Stick
  9. 1/2 Teaspoon Grated Ginger
  10. Few Whole Peppercorns (Optional)
Preparation:
Peel the Pears keeping the stems intact. Cut a thin slice from the bottom of each pear (to make them stand). Set them aside.
In a deep non reactive pot, combine the wine and sugar & bring to a boil. Add the orange rind and orange juice, cloves, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and peppercorns. Simmer the liquid at low heat for about 7-10 minutes.
Add the pears to the liquid on their sides and keep the heat at medium to low to keep the liquid at a slow simmer.
Cook the pears in the liquid with the pot partly covered, for 30 – 40 minutes. (The pears will turn soft quicker if they were not firm). Turn the pears frequently to make sure the pears absorbs the color from the wine evenly on all sides.
Test to see if the pears are done by a knife end or skewer. (When done they should be tender but not mushy and falling apart).
The above steps may be made a couple of days in advance. Cool the liquid & the pears and transfer it to a container. Make sure the poaching liquid covers the pears; if it doesn’t you would have to turn the fruits around a few time to have an even color. Refrigerate for up to 2 days.
When ready to serve, remove the pears. Strain the liquid & bring the liquid to a boil & continue simmering till the liquid gets thick & slightly syrupy. (Syrupy consistency is achieved when the syrup coats the back of a spoon.)
Transfer the pears to a serving dish and pour the thickened liquid over the pear.
If you want to serve it warm, gently re heat the pear along with the syrup. Or serve it chilled with the chilled syrup.

Thursday, December 29, 2011

Would Nutella Taste Good?


Just thinking about what to write for today’s post about Nutella is already making me salivate. Nutella newbies are always wondering what they can do with this dreamy chocolate hazelnut spread. Well for starters, anything that you typically put chocolate on will taste a billion times better with Nutella. If you’ve ever seen their commercial, the company tries to sell it as an additive to breakfast. I don’t think Nutella is a very healthy way to start the morning, but it will taste phenomenal on bread, bagels, waffles, pancakes, French toast, crepes, muffins, etc.

But we all know that sweet and salty go together better than Kim Kardashian and Kris Humphries. Nutella and pretzels? Match made in heaven. Potato chips? Absolutely. Just don’t choose BBQ. That’s just weird. Stick with plain. Another favorite combination of mine is to make a sandwich out of Nutella and raspberry preserve. It’s like dessert for lunch. Probably isn’t very healthy at all now that I think about.

And while we’re on the topic of sandwiches, spread some peanut butter on one side with banana slices and you have pure delight for lunch. Add it to mixtures that call for chocolate, such as brownies and cakes. It will make a wonderful substitute. Everything tastes good with a little Nutella love, except meat and fish…

Sunday, December 25, 2011

The Most Expensive Desserts

Sure it’s great to have a nice hearty meal, but what’s a nice meal without the perfect dessert to end the night? There’s nothing better than being able to enjoy something sweet and tasty: cake, cookies, pie, pudding, or anything else- as long as it has sugar in it. When you indulge in sweet desserts, you might worry about a costly dental bill in your future… but, how about the price of the dessert itself?
There aren’t many people who can afford to, or who would want to, spend thousands of dollars on a dessert. However, if you are insanely rich (or just insane?), here is a list of ten desserts you should order. The rest of us will sit here watering out of our mouths and eyes from the hefty price tags.
Who’d have ever thought a sweet tooth could be so expensive:

10. Noka Chocolate, Vintage Collection $854 per pound
Probably the simplest dessert on the list, the Vintage Collection provided by Noka Chooclate comes in at an expensive $854 per pound. The chocolate that is sold by this company is well known for being delicious and one of the finest made in the entire world. Noka uses all different types of cocoa from places such as Ecuador, Venezuela, Cote d’Ivoire, and Trinidad. The chocolates that are provided in the Vintage Collection are all of the dark variety, each of them made with at least 75% cocoa. If you’re new to such high class chocolate, Noka even provides flavor profiles as well as tasting guidelines. Each box is packaged in the classic Noka design.

9. Golden Opulence Sundae $1,000
Made of the best of the best, the Golden Opulence Sundae, provided by New York City restaurant Serendipity 3, will add $1000 to your bill. The sundae was created in order to celebrate Serendipity’s 50th Anniversary- otherwise known as the golden anniversary. The restaurant says that they only sell about one of these sundaes a month, but any sale is better than none, right? Known as the world’s most expensive sundae, the Golden Opulence is made with 5 scoops of Tahitian Vanilla Bean ice cream mixed with Madagascar vanilla and Venezuelan Chuao chocolate and topped off with a leaf covered in 23K edible gold. There are also other ingredients, including gold dragets, Paris candied fruits, marzipan cherries, and truffles. To top it all off, one of the world’s most expensive chocolates (Amedei Porcelana) is drizzled over the top and a Ron Ben-Israel sugar flower is properly placed. On top of the sundae you’ll also find a small glass bowl of Grand Passion Caviar, sweetened with orange, passion fruit, and Armagnac, which gives off a shiny golden color. You even get to eat the sundae in style: an 18K gold spoon is provided to eat your delicious treat out of a Harcourt crystal goblet.

8. The Brownie Extraordinaire $1,000
Yo can try this dessert next time you’re on the East Coast of the U.S.- if you’re willing to dish out $1,000. The Brownie Extraordinaire is sold at Brule, a restaurant in the Tropicana Resort located in Atlantic City, New Jersey. But, this isn’t just any brownie. It’s made out of dark chocolate that is then covered with Italian hazelnuts and served with a scoop of ice cream. Along with the sweet dessert, customers are also given a very rare and highlyexpensive port wine, Quinta do Novel Nicional, from Portugal. The wine is poured and served in a St. Louis Crystal atomizer. Although a brownie may not seem like a very lavish dessert, adding the rare glass of wine most definitely spices things up. And, if you’re a really big spender, you can choose to spend $15,000 on a Valentine’s Day package at Tropicana Resorts, which includes a hotel stay, romantic dinners, and of course the Brownie Extraordinaire.

7. The Sultan’s Golden Cake $1,000
If you’ve ever wanted to try an edible brick of gold, this dessert is definitely for you. It’s available at the Ciragan Palace Kempinski Hotel located in Istanbul, for the hefty price of $1,000. The cake is made of figs, pears, apricot, and quince that are then put into a Jamaican Rum and soaked for two years. To finish, the cake is topped with French Polynesia vanilla bean, caramel, black truffles, and a 24 carat gold leaf. It is said that the cake takes about 72-hours to make. Once it is ready to be served, it is placed inside a sterling silver cake box with a golden seal. However, the cake is usually only made per request: usually for a wedding, celebration, or for a sultan himself.

6. Macaroons Haute Couture $7,414
Macaroons aren’t too hard to find in today’s world. They are simply two meringue puffs that are held together with butter cream. They are most popular in France, and you can usually find them for a reasonable price for such a tasty dessert. However, French pastry chef, Pierre Herme, has cooked up a new and more expensive type of macaroons. The price tag at $7,414 definitely makes these macaroons not as attractive to everyone as the original recipe. Herme says that he offers a large variety of ingredients that have elevated the costs. A customer is able to choose ingredients such as balsamic vinegar, fleur de sel, red wine, peanut butter, and anything else you can think of putting between your two meringue puffs. Not all of the macaroons are this expensive, but if you choose the right ingredients, be prepared to dish out $7,000.

5. The Fortress Stilt Fisherman Indulgence $14,500
They say food presentation is very important, and when it comes to the Fortress Stilt Fisherman Indulgence, there is no doubt. In Sri Lanka, stilt fishing has become a very popular tradition that has been around for decades. The dessert pays special tribute to this pastime by portraying a stilt fishing scene made of delicious ingredients, including chocolate, exotic fruit, and Irish cream. The dish is served with a mango and pomegranate compote. It portrays a fisherman, carved out of chocolate, hanging onto the stilt. Underneath the fisherman is a perfectly placed 80 carat aquamarine. It sits on a tiny sliver of chocolate to fully represent the fisherman’s stilt. Those who order the dessert get to keep the jewel, but as of now, no one has forked out the money. The Fortress was first unveiled at the Wine3 Fisherman Stilt restaurant in Sri Lanka.

4. Frrrozen Haute Chocolate $25,000
Another Serendipity 3 dessert, the Frrozen Haute Chocolate is definitely a drink that no one will ever forget. At the price of $25,000, you can enjoy the frozen drink with the consistency of a slushy that contains a variety of cocoas from over 14 countries, milk, and of course 5 grams of 24-carat. To top it off, there’s a dollop of whipped cream and La Madeline au Truffle shavings. To ensure your money’s worth, the “Haute” cold dessert comes in a goblet that is banded with gold and decorated with diamonds: 1 carat of them, along with a take-home golden spoon. In 2007 the dessert was named the most expensive dessert in the world and was put into the Guinness World Records, but the price-tag has since been surpassed. In any case, would you want to pay $25,000 for slushy hot cocoa?

3. Platinum Cake $130,000
Created by a Japanese pastry chef named Nobue Ikara, the Platinum Cake rings in at the tiny price of $130,000, and is any platinum lover’s dream. The cake is decorated with plain white frosting and then draped with everything platinum, including chains, necklaces, pins, pendants, and even foils made of platinum that are edible. Ikara crafted the cake in dedication to many women, including Rinko Kikuchi, as well as in order to persuade more women to wear platinum. The cake was showcased by Platinum Guild International, a company encouraging more and more people to buy platinum jewelry, despite the record high rates for precious metals these days. The cake hasn’t been sold and the company has no idea whether it will be sold or not, but they do know it is worth more than many can afford. But, at least you get the chance to have your platinum cake, eat it, and wear it too. What a steal!

2. Strawberries Arnaud $1.4 million
As we’ve all heard, things are not always what they seem, and this saying applies to the Strawberries Arnaud perfectly. If you go to Arnaud’s restaurant in New Orleans’ French Quarter, you see nothing more than a bowl of strawberries topped with cream and mint. Yet, somehow they are worth $1.4 million? Look a bit harder and you’ll find a one-of-a-kind 4.7-carat pink diamond once belonging to Sir Ernest Cassel, an English royal finance advisor. Not only do you get delicious strawberries and a nice ring, the dessert comes with white-glove servers who provide wine out of a wine set worth $24,850, and of course there’s live jazz music. I mean, who would eat a $1.4 million dessert without music in the background? In any case, I say stick to your own strawberries and cream and a 25 cent plastic ring. She’ll never know the difference.

1. Diamond Fruitcake $1.65 million
For many of us, Christmas is all about spending time with family, enjoying a nice meal, and of course spending money on gifts for everyone. But, would you be daring enough to dish about $1.65 million for cake? Even better…could you afford it without having a nice overdraft fee in your bank account? Probably not; however, one pastry chef in Tokyo decided that his cake was worth this exorbitant amount of money. The chef decided to auction off the cake on Christmas Day at an exhibit entitled Diamonds: Nature’s Miracle. The chef took about 6 months to design the cake and an entire month to finish it and have it ready to be sold. 223 small diamonds are located throughout the exterior of the cake. Except for the diamonds, the rest of the cake is fully edible. This seems like a nice gift for your wife. “Here honey, have your cake and eat it too, just watch for all the diamonds”. But what woman doesn’t like diamonds, even if they are half-way covered in icing and not set in gold?

Tuesday, December 20, 2011

How To Bake Low Carb Cakes


Low carb baking tips
Lowering the carb count of baked goods requires a few easy recipe modifications. Though it is impossible to tastefully create a cookie, cake or other baked dessert with zero carbs, you can significantly reduce them with the following tips.
Cut the sugar
Even though sugar is all carbs – and simple quickly digested carbs at that – it does serve a significant function in baked goods. Sugar provides the expected sweetness of desserts as well as leavening, color, and the moistness that makes cookies, cakes and quick breads melt in your mouth.
However, in addition to simply cutting the sugar in half (with most recipes, you won’t even notice a taste difference), you can opt for sugar substitutes, which are typically even sweeter than sugar and provide few, if any, carbohydrates. Be sure that the sugar alternatives you use are actually made for baking – read the label for appropriate substitution.
Find a lower-carb flour
With the vast array of low carb cookie, cake, pie crust and quick bread mixes, you can make your low carb holiday baking a breeze.
If, on the other hand, baking from scratch is an integral part of your holiday spirit, find low carb versions of your favorite recipes, many of which substitute soy flour, whole wheat flour or even almond flour for all purpose flour.
You can also lower the carb count by using your traditional recipes and substituting one-fourth to one-third of the all purpose flour with soy, whole wheat or almond flour.
Another option is to look for flour-less desserts recipes (for example, flourless chocolate cake or chocolate torte) but make sure they are also lower in sugar.
Lower-carb substitutions
For baked goods that call for chocolate chips, substitute low carb chocolate morsels.
Replace part or all of the dried fruit with finely chopped fresh fruit (be sure to pat it dry or the juice will make the texture soggy). You can also replace part of the dried fruit with chopped nuts.
For recipes that call for candy – like candy cane brownies or peanut butter cup cookies – use low carb or sugar-free candy.
Cheesecake is an excellent low carb (and very decadent!) dessert. Replace the graham cracker crust with a crushed low carb variety of cookie or substitute half of the crushed cookie with finely chopped nuts or almond flour. For the filling, substitute an equivalent amount of alternative sweetener for the sugar.
When recipes call for freshly whipped cream, omit the sugar – the dessert itself will be sweet enough – or replace it with an equivalent sugar substitute.