A Spoonful of Sugar

A Spoonful of Sugar the recipe book Virginia Hau

Contents

6

INTRODUCTION

8

EQUIPMENT

10

STRAWBERRY MOUSSE CAKE

12

APPLE PIE

14

CRÈME BRÛLÉE/ CRÈME CARAMEL

16

CHOCOLATE TRUFFLE

18

ROSE MACARON

20

COOKIES & CREAM

22

GLOSSARY

5

Introduction

This book is all about desserts that gives delight just like a spoon of sugar. Desserts are always enjoyable and great especially when you are able to making one and share it with your family and friends.This recipe in this book are organized around the seasons of the year, each with its special flavours to use in creating desserts, they can be made over the year. With such desserts we translate a season into a dish, starting with going to the market and finding strawberries in blossoming spring, berries in summer heat, apples as the leaves begin to turn, and bright orange tangerines when it is cold.

Appreciate what each season has to offer and use it to its maximum potential. Whenever you live, something is grown locally. Find it, learn about it, and use it.

Cooking with local foods will increase the taste of your desserts immensely. And be aware that the first fruits of a season are not always the best. Hold out for a couple of weeks, and the strawberries will be sweeter and the apples crisper. At the end of the season, say farewell and patiently wait for next year, when the bounty will reappear.

Even ingredients that are available year-round, such as chocolate and nuts, make different contributions to desserts from one season to the next. In the winter they are used with a heavier hand than in summer, when flavours are light. When it is cold, Chocolate Truffles

are popular, while Strawberry Mousse Cake will give you the sweet lightness touch in Summer times. The best thing about this recipe book is that almost every dessert can be made in more than one season.

To gain skill as a baker, you must get to know ingredients and how to maximize their flavors.Bittersweet chocolate will produce a different result than semisweet chocolate, adding a pinch of salt will make the chocolate even more intense in flavor. Very ripe fruit will not bake or taste the same as slightly under ripe fruit. Sugar is crucial in making pastry, but too much will detract from the natural flavor of the main ingredient, whether pecans, chocolate, or raspberries not of sugar. That’s why we call this recipe book as A Spoonful of Sugar.

In designing a dessert, pastry chefs’ text many versions of it until they get the proper balance of all the components.

It can be a lengthy process. Two clues let me know when I am finished creating a dessert: One is when I can’t help but take another bite immediately after the first. The second is when I wake up in the middle of the night, think about the dessert, and I am able to go back to sleep and not twist and turn, trying to figure out what it is missing.

For me, though, the keenest satisfaction is simply in seeing a group of people laughing and lingering around the table as they enjoy a fresh apple pie or pudding that I made- this is truly the most rewarding moment of a baker’s day. It used to be that if you really wanted to impress people, you took them to a fancy restaurant.

Now the reverse is true. It is much more hospitable to bring guests into your home.

Today’s media offers a constant, almost intimidating, flow of information on cooking, baking, and entertaining.

Television programs, magazines, books, newspapers, classes, and the internet show us what to do, when to do it, how to do it, and even where to do it. But entertaining at home is not about making a croquembouche for forty or creating a spun-sugar sculpture. It is about offering a festive, relaxing experience through good food and good company. By itself, an individual party or gathering may not seem significant, but over a lifetime, you will create many memorable occasions and add richness to your life and others’. I hope the dessert recipes in this cookbook will help you do just that.

7

Equipment

BAKING PANS Good quality bake ware does not have to be expensive.

I like heavy duty aluminum pans. Nonstick can be an advantage in some recipes, but if regular pans are properly prepared, you can get by without them.

BOWLS Assortment of various sizes, preferably stainless steel.

These are practical for multiple uses. I like stainless steel because they are inexpensive, lightweight, and unbreakable and can cool down mixtures quickly.

Get bowls with a wide shape to make mixing easy and efficient.

COOKBOOKS Cookbooks are like clothes; you can always have one more. I buy some for the photographs, some for the general information, and some for the recipes.

ELECTRIC MIXER, HANDHELD You can mix desserts by hand, but with a small investment you can make the work a lot easier, quicker, and more fun, with better results. Be sure your mixer has a heavy duty motor, and beater and whip attachments are nice to have, too. Kitchen Aid mixers work very well.

When using a handheld mixer, it is very important to scrape down the sides of the bowl and make sure the ingredients mix uniformly.

I hold the mixer in one hand and a spatula in the other, and push the mixture toward the beater. Depending on the type of mixer you have, mixing times can vary considerably. When following recipes, look for appearance rather than time as a guide.

ICE CREAM SCOOP Large spoons can do the job, but scoops create a classic round shape. I prefer scoops with spring loaded release latches as the ice cream falls from the scoop easier. Dip the scoop in water after every couple of scoops to keep the ice cream from sticking.

MEASURING CUPS AND SPOONS Either plastic or metal will do for spoons and dry ingredient cups. Get two sets of spoons and use one for liquid ingredients and one for dry. This way you don’t have to dry them between measurements. Measure dry ingredients in specific sized cups for the most accuracy.

Measure liquids in a clear glass container. Pyrex with its bright lettering is easy to read. I also like the perfect Beaker, a measuring cup in the shape of a beaker, with different measurements all around it.

METAL SIEVE One from the savoury side of your kitchen will work.

PARCHMENT PAPER I would wax poetic about parchment paper. I use parchment paper constantly. In most cases, there is no need to grease pans, just use the parchment paper. Sift dry ingredients onto a piece of parchment, them add them to the batter by picking up the paper, forming a chute, and pouring them in.

This is much neater than trying to add them from a bowl.

Line a baking sheet with it when making cookies: When the cookies are done, remove the tray of cookies from the oven and simply slide the parchment paper onto a countertop or rack. Cool the baking sheet slightly and them bake another batch. Some stores sell parchment

next to aluminium foil and plastic wrap, some in the baking aisle. Get flat sheets of parchment paper at a kitchen or restaurant supply store, if you prefer not to deal with those pesky rolls.

PASTRY BRUSH Dedicate a brush just for making pastry. You don’t want your pastries tasting like garlic. Brushes retain odours even when run through the dishwasher.

RUBBER SPATULAS, HEAT-RESISTANT Anyone who has worn down and melted the end of a plastic spatula will appreciate the new heat–resistant choices. They won’t fall apart when used in hot liquids or after repeated use. They come in bright colors that not only let you coordinate them to your kitchen but also make finding them in a drawer or utensil holder a snap.

TIMER Electronic, manual, or artichoke shaped, it’s a matter of personal preference just make sure it has a loud and long enough ringer that you will hear it.

WHISKS Purchase whisks that have flexible wires. Making it easier on your wrist arm. The length of handles varies; use whichever feels the most comfortable in your hand. At a minimum get a medium–size whisk. Add different sizes as you need them.

9

SPONGE CAKE 290 mL flour 4 eggs 32 mL milk 1 cup sugar 1 teaspoon vanilla extract ½ teaspoon salt 32 mL vegetable oil

STRAWBERRY MOUSSE 200g fresh strawberries 1 egg yolk 3–4 tablespoons sugar 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 100 mL milk 2.5 teaspoons unflavored gelatin 1 cup whipping cream 150g fresh strawberries sliced in half

Strawberry Mousse Cake Introducing the Strawbery Mousse Cake Mousse cake -a popular cake which will work in any event. can be really light and it’s suitable for summer and winter desserts.

Makes 8–10 Preparation time 15 minutes

Cooking time 30 minutes

Utensils

8 inch springform pan, electric mixer, whisk, spatula.

Difficulty

1 Sponge: Separate egg whites and yolks. Beat yolks with

100g sugar until fluffy and the color turns pale, and then adds vanilla extract and mix well. Preheat oven at 155 degrees °C/300 °F. In a clean and grease-free mixing bowl, beat egg whites with 1 teaspoon of lemon juice or vinegar using a mixer until it can form a soft peak.

Add in the yolk mixture and combine gently. Sift cake flour and corn starch together into slightly combine until incorporated and relatively lump-free, and then pour the batter into the 9 inch pan; bake for about 35–40 minutes.

Remove from oven, let cool, cut it to the size of 8 inch and then level into 2 slices.

Note You might need about 7–8 sheets if using gelatin sheets.

May substitute gelatin glaze with apricot jam, you just need to add a little warm water to make it easier to spread.

2 Mousse: remove stems and rinse strawberries. Blend

400g of strawberries into puree, cut 200g strawberries in halves, and slice the rest 200g for decorating. Dissolve gelatin with milk, then heat the milk until gelatin is clear and totally dissolved. Add sugar to the gelatin mixture, then add in two blended egg yolks, lemon juice, and brandy. Whip heavy cream till thick, and then pour the strawberry puree and gelatin mixture into the whipped cream. Mix well.

3 Remove the bottom of the springform pan, put the ring

on a plate or a cake circle. Line the bottom with a layer of cake, arrange strawberry halves on the side, pour in the mousse, cover with another layer of cake, press the top a little bit to make sure there is no bubbles inside. Decorate the top with strawberries, glaze strawberries with a soft brush, then transfer to refrigerator to chill at least 3 hours. If it’s difficult to remove the ring, use hot towels to surround the mousse ring to soften the mousse till it can be easily removed from cake.

11

CRUST 2 cups flour 1 teaspoon salt ½ cup shortening 2 slightly beaten egg yolks 3 tablespoons cold water 1 tablespoon lemon juice

APPLE FILLING 10–12 green apples 1 ½ cups sugar 3 tablespoons flour ½ teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon cinnamon ½ teaspoon nutmeg

Apple Pie A very classic Grandma recipe, loved by every generation. This recipe requires many basic skills and techniqes on handling apples. Highly recommended Granny Smith as your choice of apples.

Makes 6

Preparation time 15 minutes

Cooking time 45 minutes

Utensils

Slice tin, spatula, sieve, blender, brush.

Difficulty

1 Preheat the oven to 375 degrees °F (190 °C). Grease a 10×15 inch jellyroll pan or cookie sheet.

2 In a large bowl, stir together the salt and 4 cups flour.

Cut in the shortening until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Use a fork to stir in the egg yolks and milk just until dough comes together. On a lightly floured surface, roll out half of the dough to 30 millimeter thickness or until big enough to cover the bottom of the jellyroll pan with a little hanging over the sides.

Note You may need up to 2 cups of flour if your mixture is too soft for spreading the apple over.

It can be tricky spreading the cake mixture on top of the apple. I find it easiest to make several blobs of mixture and then gently join them up.

3 Arrange the slices of apple to evenly cover the bottom

crust. In a small bowl, stir together the 2 tablespoons of flour with the sugar and cinnamon. Sprinkle the sugar mixture over the apple slices. Roll out the remaining dough to cover the apple layer and pinch to seal to the bottom crust. Trim off excess crust and brush with the egg white.

4 Bake for 40 to 45 minutes in the preheated oven, until

apples are tender and crust is brown. If the crust begins to brown too much before the apples are done, cover with foil and continue baking. Cool before cutting into squares.

13

Crème Brûlée This famous French dessert that isn’t as hard as you think, something that can impress your guests at anytime.

Makes 4

Preparation time 10 minutes

Cooking time 25 minutes

Utensils

4×200mL, ramekins, whisk, sieve, blowtorch.

Difficulty

1 Preheat oven to 150°C.

Place cream in a medium saucepan. Use a small, sharp knife to scrape the seeds from the vanilla bean into the cream. Add the bean to the cream mixture. Place over medium heat and bring to a simmer, do not boil.

2 Use a balloon whisk to whisk the egg yolks and caster

sugar together in a medium bowl until well combined.

Gradually whisk the cream into the egg-yolk mixture until well combined. Remove and discard vanilla pod.

Pour evenly among the prepared dishes. Pour enough boiling water into the roasting pan to reach halfway up the sides of the dishes.

3 Bake in preheated oven for 25–30 minutes or until just

set. Remove from oven. Transfer the dishes onto an oven tray and set aside for 30 minutes to cool. Cover with plastic wrap and place in the fridge for 4 hours to chill.

4 Preheat a grill on high. Sprinkle the brulees evenly Note This dish can be prepared in advance and stored for up to 2 days in a refrigerator. In this case, complete all the steps except for adding the sugar to the top and caramelising it; which should be done just before serving.

with brown sugar. Cook under the grill for 1–2 minutes or until sugar bubbles and caramelises. Alternatively, you can use a brulee gun to caramelise the sugar.

Serve immediately.

Crème Caramel If you want to have a jello like texture for your cream pudding, Crème Caramel will definately be your choice.

FOR CRÈME CARAMEL

1 Dissolve the sugar for the topping in a saucepan with ¼ CURD 4 egg yolks 1 vanilla pod or 1 teaspoon of vanilla essence 25g sugar 300mL double cream

TOPPING

cup/60 mL water, and boil until it turns a dark, fragrant, liquid caramel. Pour into the cake tin and swirl to coat the bottom evenly. Set aside.

2 Strain the custard over the hardened caramel and set

the pan in a larger dish or roasting pan. Pour the boiled water into the bottom pan to come half-way up the sides of the ramekins. Transfer to the oven and bake until set, 45 minutes to an hour.

brown sugar for topping

15

CHOCOLATE 300g good-quality dark chocolate (70% cocoa solids) a knob of unsalted butter 200mL fresh cream 1 teaspoon of Kahlua wine Pinch of salt

COATING ½ cup cocoa powder to coat the chocolate ½ cup of crushed nuts

Chocolate Truffle Chocolate Truffles are a rich and elegant, bite-sized petit four made with a creamy mixture of Ganache chocolate. When rolling the Chocolate Truffles on the cocoa powder, it simulate the dirt that the real truffles grow in.

Makes 40

1 Put the cream in a pan over a medium heat and let it

heat up. You don’t want it boiling, just hot. As soon as tiny bubbles start to appear, add the knob of butter and the clementine zest. Once the butter has melted, pour this hot mixture over the chocolate pieces, whisking as you go, so the chocolate melts nice and slowly.

Preparation time 50 minutes

Cooking time 5 minutes

If the chocolate mixture splits slightly, don’t worry, you can bring it right by adding a splash of boiling water.

2 Add a pinch of salt to the mixture; it may sound

Utensils Bowls, pot, a tray, and spatula.

Difficulty

Note

bonkers, but the smallest pinch of salt actually makes chocolate taste even chocolatier! Stir in a splash of Kahlua. Once completely melted and smooth, pour your melted chocolate mixture into a nice little serving dish or bowl. Pop this in the fridge for about 2 hours to set. Christmas is a busy time so you can always do this a few days before you need it if you want. About 30 minutes before you’re ready to make your truffles, pull the bowl out of the fridge and let the chocolate warm up to room temperature.

3 Put your mixed nuts into a plastic bag and use a

rolling pin to bash them up quite finely. Get some little saucers or bowls and put the nuts in one and your cocoa powder in the other. Put a teacup filled with boiled water on the tray and pop a few teaspoons in there for scooping the chocolate. Get everyone around the table to spoon their own truffles out of the serving dish and roll them in cocoa powder, crushed nuts or anything else you fancy

17

FILLING 62.5g good quality white chocolate, melted and left to cool a bit 62.5mL double cream 15g unsalted butter, at room temperature and cut into pieces 1.5 teaspoon Rose Blossom Water

BATTER 125g ground almonds 125g icing sugar 1 teaspoon red food colouring 2 teaspoons rose water 3 egg whites 125g Fairtrade caster sugar

Rose Macaron It’s exciting to know that Macarons are getting very trendy in Melbourne’s food culture. Very posh and delicate to have a bite size Macaron as daily basis. This recipe will give you all the steps for this fancy dessert by spending a little.

Makes

1 Pre-heat oven to 180°C /350°F. Line two baking trays or

sheets with baking parchment paper and get a pastry bag ready with a 2cm plain tip.

20-25

Preparation time 25 minutes

2 Start by making the rose flavoured filling. Melt the

Cooking time 15 minutes

Utensils

Food processor, electric mixer, baking tray, piping bags with size 11 nozzles, sieve, spatulas

Difficulty

white chocolate bits in a mixing bowl over boiling water. Heat the double cream and when the cream is just about to boil, remove from the heat and add to the white chocolate, then stir until smooth. Add the butter and mix these through until completely smooth. Now add the Steenbergs organic rose blossom water and mix thoroughly. Cover the filling with clingfilm touching its surface and refrigerate for about 2 hours.

Note You could use carmine red food colouring or cochineal for the colouring if you wish.

Apart from rose flavour, you can create other flavours by adding different element in it.

3 In a food processor, grind together the icing sugar and

ground almonds until really fine and then sieve. Put the egg whites into a mixing bowl and beat them with an electric mixer until they start to rise, then add the caster sugar in two parts, adding the Steenbergs rose blossom water and colouring with the second batch of caster sugar, and continue to whisk until the egg whites become stiff, firm and slightly glossy on the outside.

4 Carefully fold the dry ingredients in two parts into the

beaten egg whites with a metal spoon or rubber spatula.

When the mixture is just smooth and the last streaks of egg mix disappear, stop mixing and scrape the batter into the pastry bag. Carefully pipe out the batter into 3cm round evenly spaced every 3cm apart onto the parchment paper. Rap the baking tray three times on the counter top to flatten the macarons. Then bake for 15–18 minutes with the oven door kept slightly open held by wooden spoon. Leave to cool for a few minutes and then carefully detach and leave to cool.

19

BASE 30 cream–filled sandwich cookies

BATTER 12 cream–filled sandwich cookies 900g cream cheese, room temperature 1 cup sugar 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 4 large eggs, room temperature, lightly beaten 1 cup sour cream Pinch of salt

Cookies & Cream Cake A very easy, delicious dessert and I am sure it will be loved by almost every kid.

The recipe is very simple, any ordinary cheese cake recipe mixed with sandwich cookies will do the job.

Makes 30

Preparation time 10 minutes

Cooking time 22 minutes

Utensils Food processor, electric mixer, baking tray, piping bags with size 11 nozzles, sieve, spatulas

Difficulty

1 Preheat oven to 275 degrees. Line standard muffin tins

with paper liners. Place 1 whole cookie in the bottom of each lined wcup.

2 Coarsely chop 12 cream-filled sandwich cookies. Lightly beat the eggs and keep them in room temperature.

Note You could use carmine red food colouring or cochineal for the colouring if you wish.

Apart from rose flavour, you can create other flavours by adding different element in it.

3 With an electric mixer on medium high speed, beat

cream cheese until smooth, scraping down sides of bowl as needed. Gradually add sugar, and beat until combined. Beat in vanilla.

4 Drizzle in eggs, a bit at a time, beating to combine and

scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. Beat in sour cream and salt. Stir in chopped cookies by hand.

5 Divide batter evenly among cookie-lined cups, filling

each almost to the top. Bake, rotating pan halfway through, until filling is set, about 22 minutes. Transfer to wire racks to cool completely. Refrigerate at least 4 hours (or up to overnight). Remove from tins just before serving.

21

Glossary

AERATE

CARAMELIZE

Pass dry ingredients through a fine-mesh sifter so large pieces can be removed. The process also incorporates air to make ingredients like flour, lighter.

Sifting dry ingredients aerates them while distributing small amounts of chemical leaveners or dry seasoning evenly through the mixture.

Use sifters, sieves or tamis to both aerate and sift.

To heat sugar in order to turn it brown and give it a special taste.

BASTE

To moisten foods during cooking with pan drippings or special sauce to add flavor and prevent drying.

BEAT

To mix rapidly in order to make a mixture smooth and light by incorporating as much air as possible.

CHOP

To cut solids into pieces with a sharp knife or other chopping device.

CREAM

To soften a fat, especially butter, by beating it at room temperature. Butter and sugar are often creamed together, making a smooth, soft paste.

DICE

To cut food in small cubes of uniform size and shape.

DISSOLVE

To cause a dry substance to pass into solution in a liquid.

DRIZZLE

To incorporate two or more ingredients thoroughly.

To sprinkle drops of liquid lightly over food in a casual manner.

BOIL

DUST

BLEND

To heat a liquid until bubbles break continually on the surface.

BROIL

To cook on a grill under strong, direct heat.

To sprinkle food with dry ingredients. Use a strainer or a jar with a perforated cover, or try the good, old-fashioned way of shaking things together in a paper bag.

FOLD

To incorporate a delicate substance, such as whipped

cream or beaten egg whites, into another substance without releasing air bubbles. Cut down through mixture with spoon, whisk, or fork; go across bottom of bowl, up and over, close to surface.

The process is repeated, while slowing rotating the bowl, until the ingredients are thoroughly blended.

GARNISH

To decorate a dish both to enhance its appearance and to provide a flavorful foil.

Parsley, lemon slices, raw vegetables, chopped chives, and other herbs are all forms of garnishes.

GLAZE

To cook with a thin sugar syrup cooked to crack stage; mixture may be thickened slightly. Also, to cover with a thin, glossy icing.

GRATE

To rub on a grater that separates the food in various sizes of bits or shreds.

INFUSE

To steep an aromatic ingredient in hot liquid until the flavor has been extracted and absorbed by the liquid.

Teas are infusions. Milk or cream can also be infused with flavor before being used.

KNEAD

To work and press dough with the palms of the hands or mechanically, to develop the gluten in the flour.

LUKEWARM

Neither cool nor warm; approximately body temperature.

MIX

To combine ingredients usually by stirring.

PAN-BROIL

To cook uncovered in a hot fry pan, pouring off fat as it accumulates.

PAN-FRY

To cook in small amounts of fat.

PARE

To remove the outermost skin of a fruit or vegetable.

PEEL

To remove the peels from vegetables or fruits.

PINCH

A pinch is the trifling amount you can hold between your thumb and forefinger.

PIT

To remove pits from fruits.

PLUMP

SHRED

TENDERIZE

WHISK

To soak dried fruits in liquid until they swell.

To cut or tear in small, long, narrow pieces.

POACH

SIFT

To beat ingredients together until smooth, using a kitchen tool called a whisk.

To cook very gently in hot liquid kept just below the boiling point.

To put one or more dry ingredients through a sieve or sifter.

PUREE

SIMMER

To make meat more tender by pounding with a mallet, marinating for varying periods of time, or storing at lower temperatures. Fat may also be placed into a piece of meat to make it more tender during cooking.

To mash foods until perfectly smooth by hand, by rubbing through a sieve or food mill, or by whirling in a blender or food processor.

To cook slowly in liquid over low heat at a temperature of about 180°. The surface of the liquid should be barely moving, broken from time to time by slowly rising bubbles.

REDUCE

To boil down to reduce the volume.

REFRESH

To run cold water over food that has been parboiled, to stop the cooking process quickly.

QUADRILLER

To mark the surface of grilled or broiled food with a crisscross pattern of lines.

The scorings are produced by contact with very hot single grill bars which brown the surface of the food. Very hot skewers may also be used to mark the surface.

SKIM

To remove impurities, whether scum or fat, from the surface of a liquid during cooking, thereby resulting in a clear, cleaner-tasting final produce.

STERILIZE

To destroy micro organisms by boiling, dry heat, or steam.

STIR

To mix ingredients with a circular motion until well blended or of uniform

TOSS

To combine ingredients with a lifting motion.

TRUSS

To secure poultry with string or skewers, to hold its shape while cooking.

UNLEAVENED

The word which describes any baked good that has no leavener, such as yeast, baking powder or baking soda.

ZEST

To remove the outermost skin layers of citrus fruit using a knife, peeler or zester. When zesting, be careful not to remove the pith, the white layer between the zest and the flesh, which is bitter. heat. This method increases shrinkage but develops flavor and improves appearance. used, more water being added during steaming process, if necessary.

WHIP

To beat rapidly to incorporate air and produce expansion, as in heavy cream or egg whites.

SEED

To remove the seeds from fruits and vegetables.

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