Classic Tiramisu

Classic Tiramisu


I'm discovering the use of Mascarpone cheese; and I'm surprised to know that a 250 gram tub costs almost P500 at Tinder Box.  Let's see how good this cheese is.

1 envelope unflavoured gelatin
1/3 cup (75 mL) water
1 1/4 cups (300 mL)strong coffee or espresso
1/4 cup (50 mL)almond or coffee flavoured liqueur
2 tbsp (25 mL)custard powder
3/4 cup (175mL) milk
1/3 cup (75 mL) granulated sugar
1 tub (475 g) Tre Stelle® Mascarpone
8 egg whites
2 packages (150 g) ladyfingers
1 tbsp (15 mL) unsweetened cocoa powder

Sprinkle gelatin over water to soften. Heat until dissolved. Combine coffee and liqueur; set aside. In a large bowl stir custard powder into milk. Add sugar and Tre Stelle® Mascarpone. Beat egg whites until soft peaks form. Beat dissolved gelatin mixture into Mascarpone mixture until smooth. Fold in beaten egg whites. One at a time, dip ladyfingers into coffee mixture and place fingers in bottom of a serving pan. Spoon 1/3 of Mascarpone mixture evenly over. Repeat with 2 more layers of ladyfingers and mascarpone. Sift cocoa over top and refrigerate overnight. Makes 10 servings.

Red Velvet Cheesecake

It's actually a mistake, I was craving for red velvet like the one I had at Cheesecake Factory.  Browsing through my photos, I realized it was not just any ordinary red velvet, twas a red velvet cheesecake.  Cheesecake Factory's red velvet cheesecake was definitely to die for.  It's their second best seller next to the classic new york cheesecake and the only one flavor that's not classic that remained on the shelf after several years.  Who introduced me to red velvet?  Oh, no less than Oprah Winrey :)

Red Velvet Cheesecake

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Recipe by: Willow Bird Baking
Yield: 11-13 pieces

Crust Ingredients:
32 chocolate sandwich cookies, finely processed into crumbs
5 1/3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled
Small pinch of salt

Ganache Ingredients:
3/4 cups heavy cream
10 oz. bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, finely chopped (I used half semisweet and half bittersweet)

Cake Ingredients:
1/4 cup vegetable shortening
1 egg
1 tablespoon cocoa
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 cups sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cup buttermilk
1 1/4 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 tablespoon white vinegar
1 ounce red food coloring

Filling Ingredients:
3 (8 oz.) packages cream cheese, at room temperature
1 cup sugar
1½ tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
3 large eggs

Decorative Toppings (optional):
2 oz. cream cheese, at room temperature
2 tablespoons butter, at room temperature
1 cup confectioners’ sugar, sifted
white chocolate for drizzling
strawberries

Directions:
Note on cheesecake making: Cheesecakes are simple and super customizable. New to cheesecake making? Watch my 6 minute Cheesecake Video Tutorial for visual assistance!

Note on scheduling: This cake is easily separated into two days of preparation, and can be prepared ahead of time. On day one, prepare the red velvet cake, cool it, and freeze it. On day two, prepare the cheesecake. You can then assemble and decorate right away, or leave this for day three.

Make the cake: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line the bottom and the sides of an 9-inch round cake pan with parchment paper, leaving an overhang on two opposite sides to make it easier to lift the cake out of the pan when it’s done. Cream shortening, sugar, and eggs. Make a paste of the cocoa and coloring and add to the shortening mixture. Add salt and vanilla. Add buttermilk alternately with the flour, beginning and ending with flour. Mix vinegar and soda right before using and add to mixture by folding in. Pour batter into the cake pan and bake at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Cool completely, cover in wax paper, and freeze for 30 minutes or until firm.

Make the cheesecake: To make the crust, preheat the oven to 350˚ F. Butter a 9-inch springform pan and place it on a baking sheet. Combine the chocolate cookie crumbs, melted butter and salt in a small bowl. Toss with a fork to moisten all of the crumbs. Press into a thin layer covering the bottom and sides of the springform pan (at least 3 inches up the sides).

Bring the cream to a simmer in a medium saucepan. Place the chocolate in a medium bowl. Once the cream reaches a simmer, pour the cream over the chocolate and let stand 1-2 minutes. Whisk in small circles until a smooth ganache has formed. Pour 1 – 1.5 cups of the ganache over the bottom of the crust. Freeze until the ganache layer is firm, about 30 minutes. Reserve the remaining ganache; cover and let stand at room temperature for later decorating.

Preheat the oven to 350˚ F and position a rack in the middle of the oven. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the cream cheese and sugar on medium-high speed until well blended. Beat in the flour. Add in the vanilla and beat until well incorporated, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. Beat in the eggs one at a time, scraping down the bowl between each addition.

Pour the filling over the cold ganache in the crust. Place the springform pan on a rimmed baking sheet. Bake until the top is lightly browned, puffed and cracked at the edges, and the center moves only very slightly when the pan is lightly shaken, about 1 hour. Transfer to a wire cooling rack. Cool at room temperature for at least 30 minutes. Transfer to the refrigerator and let cool at least 3 hours, until completely chilled and set.

Assemble topping: Whip room temperature ganache to create a fluffy texture perfect for piping. In a separate bowl, mix together cream cheese, butter, and confectioners’ sugar to make a small amount of cream cheese frosting for decorating.

Assemble the cheesecake: Wrap a warm towel around the outside of the springform pan to help loosen the crust from the sides. Carefully remove the springform. Transfer the cake to a serving platter. Place cake layer on top of cheesecake (right side up). Decorate top of cake with drizzled white chocolate, piped cream cheese frosting, whipped ganache, and strawberries.

How to make Red Velvet Cake

I was craving for some sweets today,  I came home early from work so I dropped by Leona.  Often mistakenly called as Leona's, Leona Cake and Pastries Company serves one of the best breads and cakes in Cebu, ideal for home or for give aways.  Their price is fairly reasonable for good quality stuff.   I particularly like their moist chocolate cake, guava chiffon cake, their mamon comes close to Goldilocks, their wheat bread is an everyday bestseller.  I grabbed a few slices of banana carrot loaf, mamon, moist chocolate cake and was dumbfounded seeing a four inch red velvet cupcake selling for P50.  It looked so tasty, I can't wait to get a bite.  Except for the white sprinkles on the icing, although less cheesy than Los Angeles' Cheese cake Factory version, I was totally satisfied with this one.  Aaah, heavenly!

I'm off to the grocery since I'll be trying out this recipe:

Red Velvet Cake:

2 1/2 cups (250 grams) sifted cake flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 tablespoons (15 grams) regular or Dutch-processed cocoa powder

1/2 cup (113 grams) unsalted butter, at room temperature

1 1/2 cups (300 grams) granulated white sugar

2 large eggs

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1 cup (240 ml) buttermilk

2 tablespoons liquid red food coloring

1 teaspoon white distilled vinegar

1 teaspoon baking soda

Cream Cheese Frosting:

1 - 8 ounce (227 grams) cream cheese, room temperature

1 - 8 ounce (227 grams) tub of Mascarpone cheese, room temperature

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1 cup (115 grams) confectioners' (icing or powdered) sugar, sifted

1 1/2 (360 ml) cups cold heavy whipping cream (double cream) (35-40% butterfat)

Red Velvet Cake: 

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) and place rack in center of oven. Butter two - 9 inch (23 cm) round cake pans and line the bottoms of the pans with parchment paper. Set aside. 
2. In a mixing bowl sift together the flour, salt, and cocoa powder. Set aside. 
3. In bowl of your electric mixer, or with a hand mixer, beat the butter until soft (about 1-2 minutes). Add the sugar and beat until light and fluffy (about 2-3 minutes). Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Scrape down the sides of the bowl. Add the vanilla extract and beat until combined. 
4. In a measuring cup whisk the buttermilk with the red food coloring. With the mixer on low speed, alternately add the flour mixture and buttermilk to the butter mixture, in three additions, beginning and ending with the flour. 
5. In a small cup combine the vinegar and baking soda. Allow the mixture to fizz and then quickly fold into the cake batter. 
   Working quickly, divide the batter evenly between the two prepared pans and smooth the tops with an offset spatula or the back of a spoon. Bake in the preheated oven for approximately 25 - 30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cakes comes out clean. Cool the cakes in their pans on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Place a wire rack on top of the cake pan and invert, lifting off the pan. Once the cakes have completely cooled, wrap in plastic and place the cake layers in the refrigerator for at least an hour (or overnight). (This is done to make filling and frosting the cakes easier.)

Cream Cheese Frosting: 

1. In the bowl of your electric mixer, or with a hand mixer, beat the cream cheese and mascarpone cheese until smooth. 
2. Add the vanilla and confectioners sugar and beat until smooth. 
3. Using the whisk attachment, gradually add the heavy cream and whip until the frosting is thick enough to spread. 
4. Add more sugar or cream as needed to get the right consistency.

Assemble: With a serrated knife, cut each cake layer in half, horizontally. You will now have four cake layers. Place one of the cake layers, top of the cake facing down, onto your serving platter. Spread the cake layer with a layer of frosting.  Place another layer of cake on top of the frosting and continue to frost and stack the cake layers. Frost the top and sides of the cake. Can garnish the cake with sweetened or unsweetened coconut.

Serves 10 - 12 people.

Source: http://www.joyofbaking.com/

Location Map of Leona Bakery in red star

Leona Cakes and Pastries Company
Juan Luna Avenue, Cebu City
Contact number (032) 233 0386

Door #5 GQS Plaza, Gov. M. Cuenco Avenue, Banilad

232-4450  () ‎

Substitution of Ingredients

Although recommended ingredients is still best for any recipe, circumstances dictate you need to substitute some ingredients.  I often resort to this when ingredients are not available in the market or need very little when I have ready substitute on hand.  Here's a helpful guide:

For 1c butter, substitute with:
1c margarine
7/8c lard plus 1/2 tsp salt
7/8 to 1c hydrogenated shortening plus 1/2 tsp salt

For 1 square oz of unsweetened chocolate, substitute with:
3Tbsp cocoa plus 1 Tbsp fat

For 3 native eggs, substitute with:
2 regular sized eggs

For 1c cake flour, substitute with:
7/8 c all purpose flour (sift it several times)

For 1c buttermilk or sour milk, substitute with:
1Tbsp lemon juice or vinegar plus enough fresh whole milk to make 1 cup
or 1 Tbsp lemon juice or vinegar plus half cup evaporated milk and half cup hot water.

For 1c fresh whole milk, substitute with:
1/2c evaporated milk plus 1/2c water

For 2 1/2tsp or 1pkg active dry yeast, substitute with:
1 cake compressed fresh yeast

Ngohiong

Ngohiong has been a staple food in school.  Later did I realize that ngohiong is only available in Cebu.  Ngohiong is like a vegetable spring roll with a wrapper that has a unique texture dipped in five-spiced chili sauce.

Popular ngohiong stands in Cebu are:

Cebu Lumpia House

• DELIVERY 254.4675 / 256.1055; CATERING 416-8481; MABOLO 422.4768 / 512.4797
• http://www.lumpiahouse.tk/
• Manalili Street

 Doming's Ngohiong

• Fairlane Village, Guadalupe

Cheaverz Fried and Grill

• Cheaverz AS Fortuna St, Mandaue +63.32.345-6860
• Cheaverz Labangon: +63.32.262-8907
• Cheaverz Talamban: +63.32.345-8182
• Cheaverz M. Velez: +63.32.255-5661

If you want to make one, here's a recipe.

Ingredients:
1/2 kl singkamas (jicama), stripped
3 tbsp ngohiong powder
2 tbsp 5 spice powder
1/2 kl ground pork
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 small onion, chopped
season to taste with salt, pepper, honey and soy sauce
lumpia wrapper

batter after wrapping with lumpia wrapper:
* Mixed 2 cups cornstarch, 5 tbsp paprika/white pepper and 700 grms water
* Stir with fork to remove lumps

Cooking Procedure:
1. Put a little bit of oil then saute garlic and onion. Put  the pork and cook until slightly brown.
2. Put singkamas, ngohiong powder, spice powder and season with salt, pepper, honey and soy sauce. Cook for a minute.
3. Let it cool.
4. After cooling, put 2 tbsp of the mixture in a lumpia wrapper, then roll.
5. Do the same procedure in all lumpia wrapper.
6. Deep in the batter mixture.
7. Deep-fry in lard (pork fat) until golden brown.
8. Then serve with lorbak sauce (as follows)

Lorbak Sauce:
2 tbsp dark soy sauce
2 tbsp castor sugar
1/8 tsp Chinese five spice powder (ng heong fun)/ Ngo hiong hun
1/8 tsp salt
4-5 tbsp water
1/2 tsp corn flour or tapioca flour
1 egg white, lightly beaten

Cooking Procedure:
1. Combine all ingredients in a small saucepot.
2. Boil then turn the fire low and simmer for 2 minutes.
3. Stirring occasionally until sauce turns smooth. Add in egg white and stir with a fork to form fine strands.
4. Set aside to cool then use.

Tip:  five spiced powder is available in groceries (if you don't find it in your local grocery, check it out in a chinese grocery downtown)

Sans Rival (and Sylvanas in Cebu)

I started baking in my elementary years, when I read the recipe book as a kid, it went, "Sans Rival (without rival)" I thought how could Sans Rival be like without "Rival" in it? ;)

I've long wanted to try baking Sans Rival, but had been too lazy to make the meringue.  It has been too convenient to just order.  The best tasting sans rival in Cebu is available at Cebu Country Club for a cheap price of less than P500 for a large pan.  However, it's exclusively available for members and their guests.  Alternatively, you can orderly directly through one of their chefs, Pilpa. (I lost her number, I'll update this as soon as I can get hold of it).

Can you try baking this for me and let me know if it tastes good?

Ingredients for Meringue:
6 egg whites
1 cup sugar
1/2 tsp cream of tartar
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup unsalted cashew nuts, coarsely chopped

Ingredients for Buttercream:
6 egg yolks
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup water
1 cup butter
2 tbsp rum or other flavoring
green food coloring, optional

1. Make meringue by eating whites with cream of tartar until stiff, gradually adding sugar.
2. Add flavoring and one half of the nuts.
3. Prepare cookie sheets; use 2 regular-sized sheets lined with white bond paper.  Overlap if bond paper is too small.
4. Spread meringue evenly over bond paper and bake at 350F, for 1 hour.
5. When quite brown, remove from oven and cool completely before removing bond paper.  (If meringue has not dried out, it will get sticky later).
6. For buttercream, combine sugar and water and heat over fire until syrup almost reaches thread stage.
7. Meanwhile, beat egg yolk, then add hot syrup in a stream.
8. Beat yolks continuously as you add syrup.
9. Cool very well.
10. In another bowl, beat chilled butter until creamy and whitish; add cooled syrup-egg-yolk mixture to butter and beat continuously.
11. Remove bond paper from meringue and spread one layer of it with the buttercream; sprinkle with some nuts.
12. Top with second layer and spread with rest of cream and sprinkle with nuts.
13. Freeze immediately and, when ready to serve, use a heavy sharp knife and cut with a quick downward motion.
14. A tiny amount of green food coloring may be added to the buttercream to give a nice pleasant green color and the yellow color of butter is comouflaged.

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Cebu Country Club 
Banilad, Cebu City 
(032) 231-0345/ (032) 231-1802

Alternatively, sylvanas are likewise popular in Cebu, it's price rising as its popularity.  Home baked Montenegro's sylvanas is the most popular; it's round, thin and crisp (purchased one recently, the meringue is thicker) while that of Mrs. Unchuan is growing popularity; it's oblong and thicker.  My personal choice still goes for Montenegro's.


Mrs. Maria Luisa "Nena" Montenegro
(032) 2322902
# 20 Dr. Tojong St. Lahug, Cebu City
(near Ayala Center Cebu, located one street before Golden Prince Hotel, next to Islands Stay Hotel & the new Metrobank/Asia United Bank Lahug)

Mrs. Marissa Unchuan "Mrs. U"
(032) 2334348

Yemas

A Cook's Treasure by Gloria Parinas Duterte, from Cebu City, Philippines has always been a reliable source of recipes for home cooked meals and goodies.  It was published in 1984, and with a sigh of relief, I still have the book.  It was lost, borrowed, misplaced so many times, and I always go frantic whenever it went missing.  I've already posted some of her recipes here, as a back up.

Since myfriendsunjun asked for this, I'm posting two versions of the Yemas, I as a kid loved.  I can't remember anymore which I preferred, it's your choice between more milk or more yolk.  I suppose, more yolk will turn out creamier in the inside, crisp on the outside.

Yemas

I.
1 can condensed milk
8 large egg yolk or 12 native egg yolk
1 tsp orange rind, minced or any flavoring
2 cups sugar for caramel
Cellophane cut in squares 4"x4", plain or colored

II.
10 egg yolks
2 cans condensed milk
1 tsp lemon rind or other flavoring
2 cups sugar for caramel
Cellophane cut in squares 4"x4", plain or colored

Beat yolks slightly and mix with milk.  Cook over low fire until mixture is thick.  Add flavor.  When mixture is difficult to stir, remove from fire and form into balls (or as you please).

Heat sugar in low heat to make caramelized sugar.  Once caramel is ready, coat balls quickly, using toothpick to dip yemas into it.  Let balls stand for a few minutes to dry coating on greased pan before wrapping.  Use caramel quickly, if it hardens, place over fire again on low heat.  Cool yemas thoroughly before wrapping in cellophane.

Note:  I like yemas minus the caramel coating. :)

Other than the yemas, my childhood favorite includes Duterte's recipes on Lenguas de Gato and Polvoron and I've been wanting to try her sans rival, and I've been saying that for the past twenty years. haha