Brioche with Chocolate and Cheese Centres

I was in need for a new bread recipe and begun flipping the stack of cookbooks I got from the library. I wanted something different from the typical loaves and something DIFFERENT caught my eye in the Donna Hay cookbook.

Brioche: A French bread with melty chocolate enclosed within a tall buttery bun with tender crumbs.

Can anyone resist that?

Not me.

But I do know that making all eight of these brioches with chocolate centres ain't gonna please the mister. And I know what he will love to see these made with! CHEESE.

The first weekend I made these, I had to search high and low for something that will hold the dough for the second rise because I didn't have any brioche tins. So, I gathered 4 pairs of my ovenware of different shapes and sizes and they worked out fine. Maybe the next time I will try using my silicone muffin cups!

the golden tops

The first batch of eight brioches were so well received by the mister that it didn't last for a week. And I thought I should enlighten him with another batch! The first week, I used block Cheddar and my Belgian dark chocolate coventure. Both of which didn't melt enough! I heeded the mister's advice and used a type of Indian cheese which we still have in our fridge. For the chocolate version, I switched to using JW's Chocolate and Hazelnut Spread. This, again, is another recommendation of my bright guy. He said instead of going for the BIG BOY - Nutella, why don't we try something else? And we never looked back. The spread melted nicely and was extremely pleasant with the brioche bun.

As usual, I hand kneaded these. When kneading entirely by hand, you mix all ingredients, except the butter, together. Then you gradually knead in the butter, bit by bit. Each time you add a few pieces of butter, you are greeted with an oily mess. But, if you keep the faith and knead on, you will be rewarded me a beautiful buttery dough.

The first time I made these, I was running low on all-purpose flour and substituted it with bread flour and it worked beautifully. But if you want a softer bun, you might want to stick to all-purpose flour or mix half all-purpose flour with half bread flour. I used only 1/2 teaspoon instant yeast instead of the 1.5 teapsoons of active dry yeast as indicated in the recipe. The rise is slower but it worked fine. And remember to have your warmed milk cooled down to no more than 30ºC as anything hotter than that will kill the yeast as Fanny once told me.

Ingredients
adapted from Donna Hay's Dining cookbook

2 cups Bread Flour
1/2 teaspoon Instant Yeast
1/2 cup warm Milk, between 23ºC to 30ºC
1 teaspoon Vanilla Essence
3 tablespoons Sugar
2 Egg Yolks
125 grams Butter, softened and chopped
8 tablespoons of Chocolate Hazelnut Spread or 120 grams of melty Cheese, chopped into chunks of 15 grams each

How to?

Using the Mixer
Place Flour and Yeast in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a dough hook
Place Warm Milk, Vanilla and Sugar in a separate bowl and mix until combined
Add Milk mixture and Egg Yolks to Flour and beat on medium speed until dough is a smooth ball
Continue beating, adding Butter, a little at a time, until it is all incorporated and well beaten

Kneading by hand
Mix all ingredients except Butter in a bowl until a soft dough forms
Transfer dough to a lightly floured surface and knead adding Butter, a little at a time until combined

Cover dough and set aside for 1 1/2 to 2 hours or until it has doubled in size
Knead dough on a lightly floured surface until it is soft and elastic, then divide it into 8 equal pieces
Flatten dough slightly in the palm of your hand
Place a tablespoon of Chocolate Hazelnut Spread or 15 grams chunk of Cheese in the middle of dough and fold over excess dough to enclose
Place brioche in greased and floured high muffin moulds or Brioche tins, cover and set aside for 1 hour or until it is well risen
Bake in preheated 350ºF (160ºC) oven for 15 to 20 minutes or until brioche are golden brown
Release the Brioches from their tins immediately to avoid soggy bottoms
Serve warm

Agedeshi Tofu

To be absolutely honest, I actually did make the November Daring Bakers' Challenge and I did not post it up simply because I did not roll the dough thin enough and the whole thing puffed up into something I can't place a name to. And that just means that I have a pot of oil sitting on the stove. That is when my deep-frying fantasy was unleashed.

I began shortlisting all the things I will like to deep-fry. And then I saw Angie's agedeshi tofu pretty much the same time I saw the same in a Donna Hay cookbook. I am pleased with myself for buying two boxes of soft tofu because when I first tried the first box with the Donna Hay recipe, the tofu didn't stay crispy long enough.

And I'm satisfied with Angie's recipe. So bring it away.
Ingredients
adapted from seasaltwithfood's Agedeshi Tofu

2 boxes Soft Tofu

Corn Flour

Some Grated Ginger

1 Red Chili, minced

1 Egg, Lightly beaten

Some Bonito Flakes

1 cup Dashi Stock

1 tsp Mirin

1 tablespoon Soy Sauce

1 tablespoon Sake

How to?

Cut the Tofu into 6 or 8 squares for each box
Drain the Tofu well on a paper towel

Prepare the Sauce, combine the Dashi Stock, Mirin, Soy Sauce and Sake
Bring it to a boil and set it aside

Heat the Oil over a moderate heat
Dip the tofu into the lightly beaten Egg, then coat with Corn Flour and shake off any excess flour
Deep fry the Tofu until light golden in color
Make sure to fry in small batches
Dish out and drain on paper towel

To serve, arrange 3 or 4 pieces of fried Tofu in a bowl
Ladle the Soup into the bowl and top it with some grated Ginger and minced Red Chili
If you like, top it with some Bonito Flakes
Serve immediately

Hotdog and Cheese Bites

What would you make for the last minute uninvited guest? While I did not make this for said guest, I will say this is great when guests come up uninvited.

Most of us will have store-bought frozen puff pastry stashed in the freezer which are perfect for making light party snacks. For this, I splurged. I used my precious homemade puff pastry, left over and froze from the vols-au-vent daring bakers challenge. And the different was noticed in an instant. I had previously made something similar to these bites using store-bought puff pastry. When using puff pastry from the stores, the taste of the cheese used is set on the front line. However, when using homemade puff pastry, the naked genuine buttery taste is the most pleasant.

These can't take quicker to serve. All you need is to thaw and slice the puff pastry into bite-sized pieces, top it with grated cheese, I used cheddar, garnish with a slice of hotdog and off to the oven it goes.
Ingredients
adapted from Lynette Foo

1 sheet frozen Puff Pastry
2 Hotdogs, sliced on the diagonal
50 grams Cheddar Cheese, grated
How to?

Preheat oven to 200ºC
Slice thawed Puff Pastry into 1.5 inch squares
Top each Puff Pastry square with a teaspoon of grated Cheddar then hotdog
Bake for 10 minutes or until Puff Pastry turn golden brown
Serve hot

Plum Galette

Right before we were due to travel to Bangkok, the mister bought a punnet of plum which were most likely not going to make it through too long after we get back. Instead of tossing perfectly fine fruits that are on the verge of getting wrinkled, the faster way to preserve and consume is to bake them in a tart!

I got this idea when I was browsing through the thick cookbook I got from the library - The Martha Stewart Living Cookbook: The New Classics and saw the recipe for a plum galette which came at the perfect time.

baked plums

The inside layers were not 100% cooked through for the rectangular galette. Later on, I realized it is because I placed the tray in the middle of the oven instead of the lower third of the oven as instructed. With the leftover dough, I also made a small round galette. The jam was also omitted since I did not have any on hand.

Instead of using finely ground hazelnuts, I used ground almonds which were left over from the macarons daring bakers challenge.

the golden crust

Ingredients
adapted from The Martha Stewart Living Cookbook: The New Classics' Plum Galette

1 tablespoon All-Purpose Flour, plus more for the work surface
Galette Pâte Brisée (recipe follows)
1/2 cup finely ground toasted Almonds
2 tablespoons Light Brown Sugar
1 tablespoon Cornstarch
1/4 teaspoon Salt
1 1/2 pounds Plums, sliced into 1/2 -inch-thick wedges
3 tablespoons Granulated Sugar
1 large Egg, lightly beaten
1/2 cup Plum or Red Currant Jam

For the Pâte Brisée
adapted from The Martha Stewart Living Cookbook: The New Classics' Pâte Brisée

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup cold (2 sticks) unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1/4 to 1/2 cup ice water

in the food processor

How to?

Preheat oven to 425ºF with rack in lower third
On a lightly floured work surface, roll out pâte brisée to 1/8 inch thick
Trim edges to form an 18-by-16-inch rectangle, and transfer to a parchment-lined baking sheet
In a small bowl, combine Flour, Almonds, Brown Sugar, Cornstarch, and Salt; spread to cover middle of dough, leaving a 3-inch border all around
Arrange Plums in rows on top, slightly overlapping the slices and alternating direction of each row
Sprinkle Plums with Granulated Sugar
Fold dough to enclose edges; brush dough with Egg Wash
Chill 30 minutes in refrigerator
Bake 10 minutes
Reduce oven heat to 400ºF bake until pastry is golden brown and Plums are softened, about 30 minutes
Transfer to a wire rack; let cool to room temperature
Heat jam in a small saucepan over low heat, stirring until melted
Let cool a few minutes; brush evenly over plum slices
Serve

Prepare the Pâte Brisée
Pulse Flour and Salt in a food processor
Add Butter, and pulse until mixture forms coarse crumbs with some larger pieces remaining, about 10 seconds
With machine running, add Ice Water in a slow, steady stream just until dough holds together without being wet or sticky, no longer than 30 seconds
Divide dough in half, and shape into disks
Wrap in plastic; refrigerate at least 1 hour or overnight
Dough can be frozen up to 1 month; thaw in the refrigerator overnight before using

ready to serve

Banana Muffin with Walnuts and Flaxseed

This, yet another, banana recipe is the fruit of leaving these fruits to soften and brown for a few days until they turn too soft, too brown to be consumed in its former glory. Rather than going through the ritual of baking my favourite, most fragrant Chocolate Banana Bread, I browsed through the amazing collection of The Martha Stewart Living Cookbook: The New Classics and chanced upon a recipe I will love to try.

For once, I shunned away from the various chocolate laden banana bread recipes. Amazing. I never knew that was possible. But I really wanted to try something different and I have been hankering to make muffins. So I made this healthy banana bread recipe into muffins and instead of baking them in my silicone muffin cups, I baked them directly in disposable paper cups for cupcakes. I just wasn't in the mood for washing dishes. Without that many dishes to do, this recipe didn't take long to come together.

rise above the rest

The use of part whole wheat flour has certainly bring the benefit-your-health index higher by a notch what more with the addition of flax meal.

I took extra care not to over mix the batter cause that is not how I will like to ruin this recipe! And it worked!
Ingredients
adapted from The Martha Stewart Living Cookbook: The New Classics' Banana Bread with Walnuts and Flaxseed

2 tablespoons Unsalted Butter, melted, plus 1 teaspoon Unsalted Butter, softened, for the pan
1/2 cup Whole Wheat Flour
3/4 cup All-Purpose Flour
1/4 cup Ground Golden Flaxseed (from about 2 tablespoons whole)
3/4 teaspoon Coarse Salt
1/2 teaspoon Baking Powder
1/2 teaspoon Baking Soda
1 large Egg, plus 1 large Egg White
1/2 cup Light Brown Sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons Pure Vanilla Extract
3/4 cup mashed very ripe Bananas (about 2 medium bananas)
1/2 cup Walnuts (about 1 3/4 ounces), toasted and coarsely chopped
How to?

Preheat the oven to 350ºF

Whisk together the Flours, Flaxseed, Salt, Baking Powder, Baking Soda in a medium bowl, and set aside

Put the Egg and Egg White in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, and mix on medium-low speed until well combined, about 2 minutes

Add the melted Butter, Sugar, Vanilla and Bananas, and mix until combined

Add the reserved Flour mixture, and mix on low speed until well incorporated, about 10 seconds

Stir in the Walnuts

Pour the batter into the buttered pan

Bake until golden brown and a cake tester inserted into the center comes out clean, about 20 to 22 minutes

Let cool completely on a wire rack

These are perfect to energize your work day mornings featuring one of the super food - walnuts. I hope you like them as much as I do.

Potato Wedge Fries

In an effort to clear our pantry, I realized we still have a bag of potatoes that needs to be used. And I turned to foodgawker for some "inspirations". This beautifully plated Crispy Rosemary Chicken and Potato Wedge Fries made it pretty hard to say no.

With no fresh rosemary to add more depth to the potato, I used a pinch of basil, oregano, thyme and tarragon to add zing to the tater. It worked out pretty well after all.

Ingredients
adapted from allrecipes.com

6 to 8 medium size Potatoes, each cut into 8 wedges
30ml Extra-Virgin Olive Oil
a pinch of Dried Oregano
a pinch of Dried Basil
a pinch of Dried Thyme
a pinch of Dried Tarragon
a pinch of Garlic Powder
Salt & Pepper to taste
How to?

Preheat oven to 375ºF
Toss Potatoes with Olive Oil and arrange on a large cookie sheet (with sides)
In a small bowl mix together the Oregano, Basil, Thyme, Tarragon, Garlic Powder, Salt and Pepper and sprinkle liberally on Potatoes
Place in oven and bake for 35 to 45 minutes

Beef with Ginger, Onion and Mushrooms

Ever since I picked this recipe up from Soy and Pepper, it has become one of our go-to recipe using flank steak. This time round, I happened to have some button mushrooms lying around which helped make this dish even more complete.

The gravy goes especially well with steamed rice. That is all I need for a good heartwarming meal!

Slight adjustments have been made to better suit our preference. Feel free to play around with the proportions!
Ingredients
adapted from Soy and Pepper's Beef with Ginger and Spring Onion

300 grams Flank Steak, cut into thin strips
4 stalks Spring Onions, cut into inch-long sections on the diagonal
1 inch Ginger, peeled and sliced
1 medium Red Onion, cut into wedges
5 Button Mushrooms, sliced
Oil, for cooking

Marinade
1/2 tablespoon Shaoxing Chinese Cooking Wine (or dry Sherry)
1 tablespoon Light Soy Sauce
2 teaspoons Cornflour

Seasoning
1 tablespoon Shaoxing Chinese Cooking Wine (or dry Sherry)
1 tablespoon Oyster Sauce
1/2 tablespoon Light Soy Sauce
1 teaspoon Dark Soy Sauce
1/2 tablespoon Sesame Oil
5 tablespoons Water
2 teaspoons Cornflour, mixed in 2 tablespoons Water, for thickening

pipin' hot

How to?

Marinate Beef and set aside in the refrigerator for 30 minutes or overnight for best result
Combine all the Seasoning ingredients (except for the cornflour mixture) in a bowl
Heat a wok on medium heat
Add in a tablespoon cooking Oil and heat until the Oil is hot but not quite smoking
Stir-fry Ginger and white parts of the Spring Onions very quickly for about 30 seconds
Add sliced Mushrooms and stir-fry for 2 minutes
Add Beef and stir-fry briskly until the Beef is about 70 percent cooked, which should take only a couple of minutes
Add green parts of the Spring Onions, pour the Seasoning ingredients into the wok and mix evenly
Slowly drizzle in Cornflour mixture at the end, turn down the heat to low and simmer for about a minute to thicken the sauce
Dish out and serve immediately, making sure to not overcook the Beef
The strong flavours of this dish go well with plain basmati or jasmine rice

Challah

The weekend before our Bangkok trip, my husband opened the freezer to find no more ziplock bags of Light Wheat bread. That left me just a little devastated. With The Martha Stewart Living Cookbook - The New Classics newly towed home from the library, I flipped through the Bread section and decided to make a Challah loaf.

First of all, I vaguely remember how a Challah is braided from a video I watched eons ago. Second of all, my baking stone is on the verge of being stowed away in the storeroom due to a lack of use. My bad. And it would be a perfect opportunity to give it a new life.

i didn't make enough braids

I don't know what's your habit before deciding on a recipe. For me, I scan through the ingredient list and if I have most of what is needed, we are halfway through the deal. If the recipe sounds good, we close the deal with a handshake. However, being in a hurry this time, I did not scan past the ingredient list before getting all my flour and yeast at the ready.

So when I glanced through the steps and discovered three risings instead of the usual two which is the case for loaf breads, I was a little hesistant and wouldn't have gone ahead if I had not already started the process. So, starting with a recipe muddle-headed can be a blessing in disguise.

Ingredients
adapted from Martha Stewart's The New Classics' Challah

2 tablespoons Unsalted Butter, softened, plus more for bowl, plus 2 tablespoons, melted and cooled, for brushing
444.5 grams Unbleached Bread Flour, plus more for dusting
118 grams Water, warmed to 100ºF
63.8 grams Sugar
59.1 grams Whole Milk, warmed to 100ºF
2 large Eggs, lightly beaten, plus 1 large egg, lightly beaten, for egg wash
3 large egg yolks, lightly beaten
2 teaspoons Coarse Salt
2 teaspoons Active Dry or Instant Yeast

tight like some muscles

How to?

Butter a large bowl; set aside
Stir all remaining ingredients, except the Egg for the Egg wash and the Butter for brushing, in a large bowl until well combined
Turn out the dough onto a lightly floured work surface; knead the dough, adding Flour if needed, until smooth and pliable, about 15 minutes
Transfer the dough to the Buttered bowl; brush the top with 1 tablespoon melted Butter
Loosely cover with plastic wrap
Let rise in a warm place until almost doubled in bulk, about 1 1/2 hours
Turn out the dough onto a lightly floured work surface; knead for 5 minutes, then return to the bowl
Brush the top with the remaining tablespoon melted Butter, and loosely cover with plastic wrap
Let the dough rise again until doubled in bulk, about 1 hour more
Preheat the oven to 375ºF
Divide the dough into 3 equal pieces
Roll each piece into a ball, and loosely cover each ball with buttered plastic wrap
Let rest for 20 minutes
Roll each ball into a 12-inch-long log, leaving the middle a little thicker than the ends
Lay the logs side by side lengthwise; pinch together the ends farthest from you, then tightly braid the strands, pulling them as you go
Tuck the ends of the braid underneath
Transfer to a buttered baking sheet, and loosely cover with buttered plastic wrap
Let rise until almost doubled in bulk, about 45 minutes
Brush the dough lightly with Egg wash
Bake until golden brown and firm and an instant-read thermometer insert into the bottom registers 180ºF and comes out clean, 35 to 40 minutes
If the challah browns too quickly, loosely tent with foil
Immediately transfer to a wire rack; let cool at least 45 minutes before serving
I always have a problem with not being able to use up an entire egg for the egg wash and was more than reluctant to break open a new egg just for the egg wash. On hindsight, I am truly glad did as the egg wash gave it a lacquer-like surface. And to do that, Smitten Kitchen says: "The secrets to good challah are simple: Use two coats of egg wash to get that laquer-like crust and don’t overbake it." So, now you know what to do. Double up the egg wash and you shouldn't have much beaten egg left because this egg bread turns out huge after proofing!

Steamed Fish with Crispy Garlic Bits

These days with the newest addition (my baby nephew Lucas) in the family, my mum hasn't got much time on her hands to whip up the scrumptious meals like she used to. Whenever she has time to spare in the kitchen, the dinner is a quick affair and we have familiarized ourselves with steamed dishes and quick stir-frys.

And I thank Lucas for allowing my mum to reintroduce this tasty and fuss-free meal onto the dinner table. I say reintroduce because I have no recollection of my mum ever making this! It was so good I went home and make the same for my husband. In fact, I made it twice consecutively.

The trick is to turn off the heat before the garlic bits turned golden brown because the heat continues to cook it and it turns from light brown to golden brown in an instant. Likewise for turning into dark brown which means your garlic now carries an unpleasant bitterness. To ensure even cooking time, finely chop the garlic to the same size to the best of your ability.
Ingredients

adapted from my mum's recipe

1 medium to large whole Fish
4 tablespoons chopped Garlic
two tablespoons of cooking Oil
a splash of Soy Sauce
Salt & Pepper, to taste
chopped Parsley (optional)

How to?

Fully scale and clean Fish of guts
Lightly season with Salt and Pepper
Steam Fish on medium-high heat for approximately 13 minutes

You can tell that it is ready when the eye has popped out of the eye socket (I apologize if this sounds a little gory for you)

When Fish is cooked, remove from steamer and tip out all fluid that has collected and pooled in the bottom of the plate
Heat up two tablespoons of Oil in wok
Toss in chopped Garlic
Move Garlic bits around wok to ensure even browning
Once Garlic bits take on a light shade of brown, turn off heat and remove from wok
Reserve Oil in wok
Over low heat, add in a splash of Soy Sauce into reserved Oil
Drizzle Soy Sauce over Fish
Garnish with fried Garlic bits and chopped Parsley, if using

I can have this every day for dinner with simple plain rice. This also makes for a fuss-free dinner that doesn't leave your kitchen greasy all over!

Caramelized Onion Palmiers

Puff pastry is a wonderful pastry sheet that you can transform into countless dishes , ranging from sweet offerings to savoury bites. Remember the Daring Bakers Challenge where we made Vols-au-vent? And I am sure you had some stashed away in the deep dark corner of your freezer where no other hands will stick into. Well I did. And very soon I will summon them to recreate these Palmiers!

If you fancy a savoury cookie, this is for you.

slice them up

I was supposed to use sweet onions but I threw in a red one to clear them up from my basket. And no harm was done. If making for a big group of friends, please double or triple the recipe as the onions caramelized down to nothing and these are simply irresistable that you just keep popping them one after another. They are simply awesome fresh out of the oven! It will be a million times more tasty using homemade puff pastry!

I used dried thyme instead as I did not have fresh thyme on hand and I made these Palmiers on the spur of the moment. I cheated and omitted the cheese only to be caught by the mister. I will toss some in the next time. But it will probably take a lot of that to appease him.

cook them down

Ingredients
adapted from i shot the chef's Caramelized Onion Palmier

2 tablespoon Unsalted Butter
2 Sweet Onions, thinly sliced
1 clove Garlic
1 tablespoon fresh Thyme, chopped
1 to 2 oz Feta Cheese, crumbled
1 sheet of store bought Puff Pastry, thawed
2 tablespoon Cornmeal
Salt and Pepper, to taste

I will double to recipe just to make it more worthwhile washing this bugger!

How to?

Heat the Butter in a saute pan over medium heat.
Add the Onions and a pinch of Salt and Pepper and cook, stirring often until they just start to color
Reduce the heat to medium low and continue cooking, stirring often until brown and caramelized
Be careful not to burn
Add the Garlic and stir around for one minute.
Remove from the heat and add the Cheese and Thyme and stir until the Cheese melts
Scrape the Onion mixture into a food processor bowl
Pulse a few time to roughly chop the Onion mixture
Do not completely puree, you still want some small chunks
Or you can chop by hand if you don’t have a food processor
Taste and add Salt and Pepper if needed
Let cool completely

barely enough!

Sprinkle your clean surface with Cornmeal
Place the thawed Puff Pastry on the Cornmeal dusted surface and sprinkle the top with a little more cornmeal
Roll the sheet of Puff Pastry into a rectangle, just slightly thinner than it was originally
Be careful that it does not stick
Spread the Onion mixture on the Puff Pastry, leaving about 1 inch around the edges
Start rolling one of the short edges towards the middle
Then roll the opposite edge to meet up in the middle
This will make a log shape
Brush a little water in the center where the two rolled halves meet
Turn the log onto its side and press down slightly so the halves stick together
Wrap tightly in plastic wrap and place in the freezer for at least 30 minutes to firm up
This makes it much easier to cut
When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 400ºF
Remove the log from the freezer and slice into 1/4 inch disks
Place the cut side down on a parchment covered sheet pan
Bake for about 20 minutes until the Puff Pastry is golden brown and cooked through
Best served warm, but also good at room temperature

little logs