Midnight Oreo Cupcakes

These sinfully delicious oreo cupcakes were made out of a whimp when my girlfriends came to stay overnight. The recipe is simple, delicious and it hides a little secret!!

Since it was a spontaneous decision, I resorted for the belgian chocolate cake mix I found in Dominique's..oh well, the cupcakes tasted just as good! Maybe I would try to make some from scratch next time.

Ingredients:
cupcake 
1 belgian chocolate cake mix (any brand)
vanilla extract 1/2 tsp

butter cream
1 package of oreo cookies
2 sticks of unsalted butter, room temperature
vanilla extract 1 tsp
3 cups of powder sugar
5 ml of milk

Cupcakes

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix packaged cake mix according to directions (do not bake).
2. Take 1/2 bag of cookies, take off the half of oreo cookie (without cream) and put them in a zip lock bag. Crush them with the rolling pin. Keep the other halves with cream aside.
3.  Line cupcake tins with liner, place a regular size Oreo cookie (the other halves with cream) in the bottom of each liner. 
4. Take 1/2 bag of remaining cookies and chop coarsely and add to cake mix. 
5. Fill the cupcake tins 2/3 full. Bake for 15 minutes (or according to box directions). While cupcakes are baking make the frosting.

Frosting

1. Use electric mixer in medium speed, cream butter and sugar until stiff and fluffy
2. add vanilla extract and milk until cream (add liquid 1 tsp at a time, make sure the frosting doesn't get too runny)
3. Mix in chopped oreo cookies in the frosting

Decoration

1. cool cupcakes on the rack 
2. pipe frosting on cupcakes 
3. garnish cupcakes with oreo crumbs and quarter oreo pieces/mini oreos (optional)

Strawberry Chocolate Cake Roll

 

I used to have an obssession with cake rolls and would do experiments on rolls once every other month. But it's been a while since I make one. This time I used a unique sponge cake recipe. Unlike all typical sponge cake recipes (egg dividing or whole eggs method), this recipe cooks the dough before you bake it.

Ingredients:

chocolate sponge cake (for a 9" rectangular tray):
unsalted butter 50g (4 tbsp)
milk 1/2 cup
all purpose flour 1/4 cup
cocao powder 1/4 cup
large eggs 5
a pinch of salt
sugar 1 cup

cream for the filling:
whipped cream 1 cup
powdered sugar 1/2 cup
liquor 1 tbsp (contreau or grand marnier)
vanilla extract 1 tsp optional

fruit compote:
seasonal fruit (strawberries this case) ~1 cup
3 tbsp sugar
1 tbsp liquor (contreau or grand marnier)

Steps:
Cake base

1. Preheat oven 392 degrees F and line baking tray with baking paper
2. Heat butter with milk in a sauce pan. Stir frequently until it starts boiling. Turn off heat.
3. Sift flour, cocoa powder and mix with (1). Stir with the wooden spoon until smooth and elastic.
4. Beat egg yolks and mix into the dough. stir until smooth and shiny. Make sure the dough is cool enough before you add the eggs.
5. Use an electric mixer to mix the egg whites. Add a pinch of salt. Mix in medium speed. Add sugar in 3 times until soft peaks formed.
   
   
6. Scoop 1/3 of egg whites into (3), mix with a spetula and pour the batter into the rest of the egg whites
7. Fold the batter into the egg whites gently until it becomes a shiny chocolate batter.
   
8. Pour (6) into the baking tray and smooth it out flat and even.
9. Baking for 10-15 minutes or until golden brown. Insert cake with a toothpick, if it comes out clean it's ready
10. Cover cooling rack with kitchen paper and dust with flour. Move cake to the cooling rack and cool it upside down with the baking sheet facing up. 

Fruit compote

1. Slice strawberries and keep 1/3 for later use
2. Shimmer the rest with sugar and liquor in medium heat until the texture thickens
3. Season with vanilla extract if desired
4. Turn off heat and set aside to cool down

Whipped Cream

1. Whip cream with sugar and liquor until peaks form. Stir in fruit compote once it's cold enough
2. Refrigerate it before use

Decorating

1. Flip over cake and use a spreading/long knife to leave marks on the cake. Don't cut through the cake. The marks should be more tight together in the beginning and further apart at the end of the cake
   
2. Spread cream all over the cake. Line fresh strawberries 1 inch from the edge of the cake.
3. Start rolling the cake from your side (the closer lines) and gently press before you roll again. Don't panic if the cream starts squeezing out, just need to wipe it out at the end. Use the baking sheet to help secure the cake as you roll it
4. Wrap the cake with clean wrap or the baking sheet. Refrigerate to stablize the shape

Lunch Du Jour: Julia Child's French Crepe

Sooooo, I am finally back! I have been getting used to my new life transition -5 months pregnant and enjoying my mom-to-be life :) which means I should have more time to try on different recipes!

I was craving for french crepe for lunch this afternoon, so I randomly googled and found a blog that teaches the Julia Child's recipe! I immediately jumped to it and gave it a try. My, those crepes taste fantastic and I have 10 more for leftover! :D I can't wait to make myself a lemon sugar crepe tonight...mmmm

The steps are very easy. The crepe is good for both sweet and savory, and I added a drip of vanilla extract for my own preference (Looks like I add vanilla to everything). The method only requires a non-stick frying pan. 

Ingredients:

1 cup flour (128g)
2/3 cup cold milk (165g)
2/3 cup cold water (165g)
1 tbp sugar
1/4 tsp salt
3 tbp melted butter
1/2 tsp vanilla extract (optional)

Steps:

1. Mix all dry ingredients together and wet ingredients in a separate bowl. Mix ingredients and blend well. Refrigerate for 15 minutes
2. Preheat pan in medium heat. Butter pan with butter/oil
3. Use a 1/4 cup to scoop better and pour in the middle. Tilt the pan in a circular motion so the batter spread across evenly. Make sure to tilt the pan fast enough before the batter cooks up. Cook for about 1 minute or until golden brown. Flip over crepe to cook the other side. 
4. Cool crepes on a rack. Serve as desired.

 

Savory Chicken Salad Filling

Today I went to Mariano's and bought a new Kraft's mayo, which tempted me to make a chicken salad filling. I am quite impressed with Kraft's new packaging! It's so much more energetic and appetizing :)

Ingredients:
Canned chicken breast chunks
cherry tomato (chopped)
italian spicing
sea salt
mayo/lemonnaise 
white truffle oil

Steps:

1. Drain out water from can, and make sure the chicken chunks are dry enough 
2. Mix in all ingredients and refrigerate before use