Adios PB, you won't be missed & Chocolate Galore III (Chocolate Cheese Cake)

As letters popping into this page forming words and sentences, my excitement is overwelming! I was told that Psycho Bitch (PB) is leaving! Yes, leaving the school for good!! Well, you might wonder if the screaming matches previously had to do with anything. Honestly, I don't care as long as the news is true and I don't get to see the face of thunder ever again. *fingers crossed* For unknown reasons, she is not coming back from next week onwards to spread her negative energies. Apparently, I was not the only one who is not liking her. The school manager mentioned that "She has no direction in her life"...his words not mine. The supervisor chef started to make fun of her outbursts....mimicking her which I happily laughed along. Ryan said he believes that she got issues at home.

A happy normal person won't have such outbursts. Couple of months ago, when PB brought her husband and daughter to our school "open day", I noticed they hardly talked to each other. The husband was looking bored, ignored the daughter and was on the phone the whole time we were there...And then, all the screamings and outbursts - not from someone who is leading a healthy mental life. However, I just thought she's scare of the upcoming practical and theory exams. Why would a housewife wanted to go through all that exam stress?!! I know it is not nice to judge but who said that I am a nice person anyway...LOL!!! So, in the end everything will be great as long as the news is true!

Chocolate Cheese Cake (in hazelnut crust)

This is my first cheese cake and it is a very nice one! Set oven temperature at 160 degrees C.

Cream Cheese.................................300g
Sugar.................................................75g
Orange rind.......................................1 no or 1/2 no
Lemon rind........................................1 no or 1/2 no
Egg....................................................90g
Whipped cream................................30g
Chocolate, melted............................100g

1. Cream the cheese, sugar, lemon and orange zest in a mixing bowl until fluffy (careful when zesting the orange - avoid the white part of the skin coz it is bitter)
2. Occasionally scrap the side of the bowl to ensure a smooth mixture.
3. Slowly add in the eggs (beat a bit to mix the yolk and white together) a little at a time. Mix well.
4. Melt  chocolate over bain-marie. Add in the warm melted chocolate.
5. In a separate mixing bowl, whisk the whip cream until soft peak.
6. Once the cheese mixture ready, fold in the whipped cream.
7. Pour batter into 6" tin with hazelnut crust baked (refer to below).
8. Fill a larger flat pan with 1" deep water. Bake the cheese cake in this. This control the moisture in the oven so the cheese cake will not crack.

Hazelnut Crust (base)

Blended hazelnut, roasted..................................45g
Cake Flour...........................................................38g
Sugar....................................................................38g
Butter, softened...................................................55g
Egg.......................................................................13g

1. Combine everything in a mixing bowl. Mix well.
2. Spread evenly in a 6" cake tin lined with baking sheet.
3. Bake until golden brown at 160 degree C.
4. Make sure the crust is cool before adding the cheese cake mixture.

*Note: Extra crushed hazelnut can be used to cover the cake sides once fruit glaze (apricot) is applied on the cake top and sides for decoration purpose.

Classic Apple Pie

Never a big fan of baked fruits but pie making is not complete if you have not make an apple pie. Here's an apple pie recipe I learnt this week.

This recipe is for a 5" diameter pie ring/tray. Set the temperature at 170 degrees Celcius.

Apple (Granny Smith).............................3 medium sized

Raisin.......................................................half a handful

Butter A....................................................7g

Sugar A....................................................23g

Corn Flour (5g) + Water (15g)

Sugar B....................................................25g

Butter B....................................................2g

Lemon Juice............................................half a lemon

Cinnamon powder..................................a pinch

Nutmeg powder......................................a pinch
Salt...........................................................a pinch

1. Peel, core and cut apples into cubes.
2. In a saucepan, melt butter A and add in apple cubes and raisins. Saute until apple slightly soften.
3. Add in sugar A into cooked apples.
4. This will draw juices out of the apples.
5. Bring this to boil and add in corn flour mixture. This will thicken the sauce. Lower the heat and stir well, until the liquid becomes smooth.
6. Remove from heat and stir in all the remaining ingredients.
7. Once sugar B and butter B dissolve and mix well, let the filling to cool down. (Tips: pour the filling into cling film and wrap it. Let it set under cool temperature - this to avoid drying/crystalisation).
8. Roll sweet short pastry to 3mm thick and set over pie ring/tray (chill this).
9. Once the filling cool, take out the chilled pastry base and fill it with apple filling.
10. Prepare some egg wash (beat one egg. Get a brush ready).
11. To create a lattice effect for the pie top, cut the remaining sweet short pastry into 1cm wide strips and arrange the strips on the pie (please refer to image). Brush egg wash where the strips are touching the pie side.
12. Egg wash. Bake until golden brown and serve warm.

This recipe is a must for all pie making beginners. It turns out to be very delicious!

Shut your pie hole!!

After the drama last week, I've decided to keep my mouth shut. All of us were assigned cleaning tasks according to a duty roaster - a small triumph for me. This week, we are going to learn everything about pies and tarts! So putting everything behind, I am ready to learn new stuff. However, this week lesson also means something that I've always dreaded...making pie pastry. I hate that I don't have a nifty fingers to roll a proper pastry. This week lesson also means something very new to me since I am not a huge fan of pies or tarts. 

Success or failure of pie pastry depends on how the flour and fat (butter, shortening or margerine) are mixed and how gluten is developed. We learnt about the two mixing methods two weeks ago:

1. Creaming - mixing butter and sugar before adding any liquid such as eggs, milk etc followed by flour.
2. Rub in - butter is mixed into flour until particles of fat are about the size of pea formed. Water is added in to form some gluten in the flour.

We also learnt two types of pie dough (difference between the two is in how the fat is blended with the flour):

1. Flaky pie dough - fat is rubbed into the flour until the particles of fat is about the size of peas/walnuts depends on how flaky the crusts required after baking. The bigger the fat particles, the flakier the crusts. When water is added, the flour absorbs it and develops gluten. When the dough is rolled out, the lumps of fat and moistened flour are flattened and become flakes of dough separated by layers of fat.
2. Mealy pie dough - fat is blended into the flour more thoroughly, until the mixture look like coarse cornmeal. The crust is very 'short' and tender because less gluten can develop. Less water is needed in the mix because the flour won't absorb as much as in flaky dough. The baked dough is less likely to absorb moisture form the filling.

Mealy dough is used for bottom crust, especially in baked fruit pies and soft or custard type pies, because it resists sogginess. Flaky doughs are used for top crusts and sometimes for pre-baked shells.

Sweet Short Pastry (Creaming Method)

Butter................................................125g
Sugar................................................ 45g
Salt.................................................... 1g
Egg.................................................... 35g
Cake Flour........................................ 200g

1. Using paddle attachment, mix the butter, sugar and salt until evenly blended.
2. Add egg and mix just until absorbed.
3. Add flour into the mixture and mix just evenly blended.
4. Wrap the dough in cling film and chill a few hours before using.

Pie Dough (Rub In Method)

Butter................................................ 113g
Flour.................................................. 200g
Salt.................................................... 6g
Sugar................................................ 2g
Water (cold)..................................... 68g

1. Combine salt and sugar with water and set aside.
2. Rub butter into flour until mixture resembles crumble.
3. Add water to flour mixture and mix until water is absorbed (check the consistency- not sticky).
4. Wrap and chill in cling film a few hours before using.

Amazingly, after making some pies and tarts I started to like them but gosh! Not easy to make since it involves lots of steps especially those small little fruit tartlets!!!