Food iPhoneography

Here's why I've been missing for so long in the blogging world? Sometimes I feel, blogging is so time consuming. I'm busy nurturing and taking care of my 3 kids. I can't even sit still in front of the computer without being distracted by my kids. The only peaceful time I had was in the night after my kids went to sleep. And that's the only time I had to write Food Photography book with Empat Rana.

So, mobile phone became my best friends. I used iPhone and felt more comfortable doing everything online from my iPhone. I rarely sit and typing in my laptop and desktop computer.

Then I started experimenting taking food photos using my iPhone. I didn't need to use my heavy DSLR, I didn't need complicated setting, styling and composition and the most important thing I didn't have to edit my photos in the computer. I thought it's quite fun playing with iPhone and its applications. Really handy and I don't need a fancy software to edit the photos. And only in 1 click, I could share my photos easily to any social network.

Now I start blogging again, I feel like I've been left behind. So many new food bloggers and food photographers that I didn't know. I miss taking food photos using my DSLR and I miss blogging :). While sipping your cup of tea, please enjoy the new look and new address of my food blog.

Here are some of my food iPhoneography works when I was MIA.





If you are in Instagram, meet me there. I'm @ditut :)

Making Daigaku Imo...again!

Hahahaha....my 3rd time making daigaku Imo in a week! I must admit that I'm addicted to this snack. Last time, I made the caramel too watery so the pieces of sweet potatoes got soggy.



You can see the recipe here. This time, I used white sugar (not brown sugar) and I added 1 tsp of vinegar (as Yoko, my Japanese friend suggested) when making the caramel. It prevents sugar crystallization and the pieces of sweet potatoes got sticky.



In my opinion, it's just too sweet when I used white sugar instead of brown sugar. So next time, I'll use brown sugar.

Poffertjes

I have two recipes of Poffertjes that I always use. The first one is quite easy and simple. No mixer, no instant yeast and no buckwheat flour needed. See the recipe here.

The other one is a bit complicated, but the result is great. I blogged about it in 2010, now let me re-write the recipe in English.



Poffertjes (Indonesian Version)
Source : Primarasa Femina, slightly modified by me

Ingredients:
250 gr of all purpose flour
75 gr sugar
1/2 teaspoon instant yeast
3 eggs
400 ml milk (I used 100 ml evaporated milk + 300 ml of milk)
50 g butter, melted
1/4 tsp salt
50 gr cheddar cheese, diced
powdered sugar for sprinkling

Method :
1. Mix flour, sugar and instant yeast in a bowl. Set aside.
2. Warm the milk (do not boil). Beat the egg. Pour the warm milk and stir well.
3. Pour the milk+egg mixture into a bowl of flour. Stir until smooth.
4. Add the melted butter and salt. Stir well.
5. Rest the dough for 15-30 minutes.
6. Melt butter in a poffertjes pan. When it sizzles, pour batter into each hole of the pan and filling them about 3/4s of the way full. Wait until the surface perforated. Then put cheese cube. Turn the halfcooked poffertjes into the other poffertjes so it will look like a mini sandwich. And when one bottom has set, flip over the poffertjes sandwich. Wait a minute until the other side is golden.
7. Place on a serving plate, sprinkle with powdered sugar. Serve.

Daigaku Imo (Japanese Candied Sweet Potatoes)

So happy when I found delicious food yet so easy to make. I know this snack from my friend Yosi. She posted Daigaku Imo that she made by herself in her Instagram, then she gave me the recipe *Thanks Ci*. What are Daigaku Imo actually?



Daigaku Imo, which means University Potato, are candied sweet potatoes, a sweet and slightly savory snack that is often served at university festivals in Tokyo. Usually sold at daigaku-sai (meaning university festival) or bunnkasai, Culture Festival.

Daigaku Imo
source : here

Ingredients:
1 lb satsumaimo sweet potato, cut into bite-size pieces
1/3 cup sugar (dita-I used dark brown sugar)
1 tsp soy sauce (dita-I used Kikkoman)
2 Tbsp water
1-2 tsp sesame seeds
Vegetable oil for frying



Method :
1. Heat oil in a deep pan to about 330 degrees F and deep fry sweet potatoes until cooked through and golden. Drain on paper towels.
2. Mix water, sugar, and soy sauce in a large skillet.
3. Put on medium-low heat and simmer until the liquid thickens.
4. Stop the heat and quickly stir fried sweet potatoes into the sugar sauce.
5. Sprinkle sesame seeds over the sugar coated sweet potatoes.

Notes : Take the potato pieces out of the oil, drain and immediately put the piping hot pieces into the sugar syrup mixture (don't wait until the sweet potatoes get cold, when I did this, the potato pieces turned limp and the caramel cannot coat it evenly). Be careful - both the potatoes and sugar are very hot! Mix and toss to cat the potato slices. Sprinkle with sesame seeds. Separate the potato pieces so they don’t get stuck to each other.



They are best served warm, though are still tasty when cold.

To make more, just repeat the whole process, making the sugar syrup mixture fresh each time as the potatoes cook.

Mini Panettone

I heart this cake bread. Smells like heaven. Read the ingredients and you'll know what I mean.



This is my second time around making panettone. (First attempt here). But this time I make it small, so my kids could easily eat it. Recommended recipe if you try to find a simple panettone recipe. Definitely gonna be my favorite recipe.

Panettone (traditional Italian christmas bread)
Source: The Worldwide Gourmet

Ingredients :
- 1 1/2 cakes of fresh baker's yeast (dita-you can use 1 package of instant yeast=11gr)
- 65 ml (1/4 cup) sugar
- 6 tbsp. warm water
- 6 egg yolks
- Finely grated zest of 1 lemon
- A pinch of salt
- 500-750 ml (2-3 cups) flour
- 100 ml (6 tbsp.) diced candied peel
- 100 g (6 tbsp.) + 2 tbsp.butter
- 4 tbsp. sultanas
- 4 tbsp. currants
- 1 tsp. vanilla

Method :
1. Sprinkle 1 tbsp. granulated sugar and the yeast over the warm milk and let sit 3 minutes; mix and let rest in a warm draft-free place (e.g., a warm oven that has been turned off) until the mixture has doubled in volume, approximately 5 minutes;
2. pour the mixture into a bowl, add in the egg yolks, vanilla, lemon zest, salt and remaining sugar;
3. gradually mix in 500 ml (2 c.) of the flour by hand until a smooth consistency is attained - the dough should easily come together into a ball;
4. gradually add the butter cut into small dice and beat until the dough becomes smoother and more elastic;
5. add 125 to 250 ml (1/2 to 1 c.) more flour until the dough is firm and silky but not sticky;
6. place the ball onto a lightly floured surface. Knead the dough for approximately 10 minutes. When the dough is smooth and shiny, place into a buttered bowl; dust lightly with flour, cover with a kitchen towel and place in a warm draft-free place for about 45 minutes until doubled in volume;
7. punch down the dough firmly with your fist and flatten it out in the bowl; add the candied lemon peel, raisins and currants and knead until well distributed but without working the dough more than necessary;
8. line a large bread pan with brown paper that has been well buttered on both sides; place the dough in the pan and trace a cross on top;
9. cover with buttered paper and let rise again in a warm place for 15 minutes;
10. remove the paper from the top; brush the top with softened butter;



11.preheat the oven to 200°C (400° F);
12. place the bread pan on the middle rack of the oven and bake for 10 minutes;
reduce the oven temperature to 160° C (350° F) and continue baking for another 30 to 40 minutes, brushing again with melted butter; the bread is done when the surface is golden and crispy;
13. remove from the oven; remove the paper and let cool for 15 minutes before unmolding.

Bread Bowl

Oh myyyyyy!!!!!!!! I just can't believe I did this. I must be crazy. Some of my friends told me so. They were like....O my God what were you thinking?! You made your own bread bowl? LOL!



Yes why not? Why not making your own bread bowl. It's not as difficult as you think. You must give it a try! Now gimme some time to admire my bread bowl.....LOL!

French Bread Rolls
source : sprinkle some sunshine

Ingredients :
1 ½ cups warm water
1 tablespoon active dry yeast
2 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 teaspoon salt
4 cups bread flour (dita-I used all purpose flour)

Directions:
1. In a large bowl, stir together warm water, yeast & sugar. Let stand until creamy, about 5 minutes.
2. Add oil, salt & 2 cups flour to the yeast mixture & stir together with a fork. Stir in remaining flour 1/2 cup at a time, until the dough has pulled away from the sides of the bowl.
3. Turn out onto a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth and elastic, about 5 minutes, adding additional flour if necessary. Lightly oil a large bowl, place the dough in the bowl & turn to coat.
4. Cover with a damp cloth and let rise in a warm place until doubled in volume, about 1 hour.
5. Deflate the dough, and turn it out onto a lightly floured surface. Divide the dough into 16 equal pieces and form into round balls. Place on lightly greased baking sheet at least 2 inches apart. Cover the rolls with a damp cloth & let rise until doubled in volume, about 40 minutes.
6. Preheat oven to 400 degrees and bake for 16-18 minutes or until golden brown.
7. Brush with melted butter & sprinkle with sea salt, rosemary, garlic, etc. while warm, if desired.(dita-I brushed the bowl with egg&milk)

Slice off the top of the bread bowl. Scoop out a bit of the bread & push the inside of the bread against the outside crust to form a bowl. Fill with something yummy & enjoy!

Super Easy Raspberry Muffins

Super easy recipe! I bet your kids can do this! Simple ingredients and methods, you don't even need a mixer :).



I baked these muffins with Arwen and Leia for their lunchboxes. I can imagine how proud they were when showing their muffins to their friends :).

Easy Raspberry Muffins
source : Good to Know
Ingredients :
250g (9oz) plain flour
1tbsp baking powder
100g (4oz) golden caster sugar
75g (3oz) butter, chilled
1 large egg
175ml (6fl oz) milk
150g (5oz) fresh raspberries
Extra sugar for sprinkling (optional)



Directions :
1. Preheat the oven to 200ºC (400ºF, gas mark 6). Line a 12-hole muffin tray with paper muffin cases.
2. Sift the flour and baking powder into a large bowl and stir in the sugar. Coarsely grate the chilled butter into the bowl and stir with a fork to coat in the flour mixture.
3. Beat together the egg and milk then pour into the bowl. Mix lightly with a fork until just combined. Take care not to over-beat the mixture - it should still be a little lumpy. Gently fold in the raspberries.
4. Spoon into the muffin cases. Bake for 20-25 mins until the muffins are risen and golden. Sprinkle lightly with a little extra sugar while still warm.

Tips : Add other fruit to this basic recipe: blueberries, chopped dried apricots, mashed ripe bananas or diced apples all taste great.

Red Velvet Cupcakes

I may say not so Red Velvet Cupcakes :D, because I was running out of liquid red food color. Made these treats couple of months ago and I can't believe it I just posted now *sigh* *busy mommy*.



I tried recipe from Joy of Baking. It was simple and easy recipe with quite good result. Not that special though. Recommended for a beginner baker :).

Red Velvet Cupcakes
source : Joy of Baking

Ingredients :
1 1/4 cups (125 grams) sifted cake flour
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoons (10 grams) regular or Dutch-processed cocoa powder
1/4 cup (57 grams) unsalted butter, at room temperature
3/4 cups (150 grams) granulated white sugar
1 large egg
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/2 cup (120 ml) buttermilk
1 tablespoon liquid red food coloring
1/2 teaspoon white distilled vinegar
1/2 teaspoon baking soda

Cream Cheese Frosting:
8 ounces (227 grams) cream cheese, room temperature
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/2 cup (60 grams) confectioners' (icing or powdered) sugar, sifted
2/3 cup (160 ml) cold heavy whipping cream (double cream) (35-40% butterfat)



Directions :
Red Velvet Cupcakes: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) and line 12 muffin tins with paper cupcake liners.

In a large bowl sift together the flour, baking powder, salt, and cocoa powder.

In the 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 egg and beat until incorporated. Scrape down the sides of the bowl. Add the vanilla extract and beat until combined.

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.

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 among the 12 muffin cups and smooth the tops with an offset spatula or the back of a spoon. Bake in the preheated oven for approximately 18 - 23 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cupcakes comes out clean.

Cool the cakes in their pans on a wire rack for 10 minutes and them remove from pan. Let cool completely before frosting. Either spread the frosting with a knife or offset spatula, or use a large 1M Wilton open star decorating tip to pipe the frosting.

Cream Cheese Frosting: In the bowl of your electric mixer, or with a hand mixer, beat the cream cheese until smooth. Add the vanilla and confectioners sugar and beat until smooth. Using the whisk attachment, gradually add the heavy cream and whip until the frosting is thick enough to pipe. Add more sugar or cream as needed to get the right consistency.

Makes 12 cupcakes.

Indian Chai Latte ala Helen K.Manik

In this cold weather of winter, you must try this recipe :). Thank you, mbak Helen for sharing the recipe.

Indian Chai ala Helen
for 1 cup (235 ml) Chai

Ingredients :
3 tbsp (45 ml) water
1/2 tbsp plain tea dust/tea powder (without flavour)
35 grams Indonesian palm sugar, shaved
1/4 tsp sugar
1/2 cup (120 ml) evaporated milk
1/4 cup (60 ml) long life milk
2 butir cardamom (optional)
15 grams fresh ginger, thinly sliced



Directions :
1. Put ginger in a cup.
2. In a small pan, put water and tea powder. Cook in medium-low heat.
3. Add palm sugar and sugar. When palm sugar already melted, add evaporated milk and milk. Stirring occasionally.
4. Add cardamom and bring it to boil. Set aside.
5. Then, one more time, heat the pan over medium heat for 1-2 mins. Set aside.
6. Pour tea through a fine-mesh sieve into a cup with sliced ginger in it.

Enjoy your chai!

Super Moist Banana Cake

If you're looking for a super moist banana cake recipe, this is the one. I'll tell you another secret why this cake could turn to be super moist.

Banana Cake
source : Spark Recipe

Ingredients :
1/2 cup (1 stick) Butter, softened
1 1/4 cups Granulated Sugar (Dita-I used brown sugar, I guess it taste better. But you might cut down the amount of the sugar to 1 cup, because it's just to sweet)
2 Eggs
4 tbsp. Sour Cream (Dita-I used 4 tbsp milk mixed with 2 tbsp vinegar)
1 1/2 cups Flour, all-purpose (white)
1 tsp. Baking Soda
1 tsp. Vanilla Extract
1.5 cups (2-3) ripe Bananas, mashed (NOTE: Original recipe called for 1 cup and baked a little less, but I usually use more banana and bake it a wee bit longer. The tracker includes the extra bit of banana!)

Directions :
1. Grease 9" x 5" loaf pan.
2. Beat together butter and sugar.
3. Add eggs. Mix well.
4. Add sour cream, flour, baking soda, vanilla, and bananas. Mix well.
5. Pour into prepared loaf pan.
6. Bake at 350 degrees F for 45 - 55 minutes, or until toothpick in center comes out clean.
7. Cool on rack, and wrap in plastic wrap overnight to bring out the moisture in the bread. (Dita-here's my secret : put the WARM cake wrapped in a plastic wrap in refrigerator overnight, it will make the cake turn super moist)
8. Makes 1 loaf, cut into 14 slices about 5/8" thick each.

Number of Servings: 14

Meringue Cookies

Still have plenty of egg whites after making panettone, I decided to make something sweet and light for my kids. This cookies brings back my childhood memories.

Meringue Cookies
source : Joy of Baking

Ingredients :
3 large egg whites (3 ounces or 90 grams)
1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
3/4 cup (150 grams) superfine or caster sugar (if you don't have superfine sugar simply take granulated white sugar and process it for about 30-60 seconds in a food processor)
1/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Directions :
Meringue Cookies: Preheat oven to 200 degrees F (95 degrees C) and place the rack in the center of the oven. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. You can form the cookies with a pastry bag fitted with a 1/2 inch (1.25 cm) plain tip, or I often just use two spoons to make the cookies.

In the bowl of your electric mixer, with the whisk attachment, beat the egg whites on low-medium speed until foamy. Add the cream of tartar and continue to beat the whites until they hold soft peaks. Add the sugar, a little at a time, and continue to beat, on medium-high speed, until the meringue holds very stiff peaks. Beat in the vanilla extract.

Note: The meringue is done when it holds stiff peaks and when you rub a little between your thumb and index finger it does not feel gritty. If it feels gritty the sugar has not fully dissolved so keep beating until it feels smooth between your fingers.

Before placing the cookies on the cookie sheet, place a little of the meringue on the underside of each corner of the parchment paper. This will prevent the paper from sliding. Transfer the meringue to a pastry bag fitted with a 1/2 inch (1.25 cm) tip. Pipe 2 1/2 inch (6 cm) rounds of meringue in rows on the prepared baking sheet. Alternatively, spoon mounds of meringue, using two spoons, onto the prepared sheets. Sprinkle the tops of the cookies with a few shaved almonds, if desired.

Bake the meringues for approximately 1 1/2 to 1 3/4 hours, rotating the baking sheet from front to back (about half way through) to ensure even baking. The meringues are done when they are pale in color and fairly crisp. (The meringues will release easily from the parchment paper.) Turn off the oven, open the door a crack, and leave the meringues in the oven to finish drying several hours or overnight. The meringues can be covered and stored at room temperature for several days.

Makes about 10 - 2 1/2 inch (6 cm) meringues

Brownie Biscuits with Peanut Butter Filling

There's no particular recipe. I just used my favorite brownies recipe from my friend Rachmah. Modified it a bit, add more flour, so it suitable for cookie dough.

Brownie Biscuits
The original recipe is CHERRY DROP BROWNIES, modified by Rachmah Setyawati, source : Buku BROWNIES by Ambarini

Ingredients :
200 gr butter
200 gr Dark Cooking Chocolate (melted together with butter)
4 eggs (Dita-I used 2 eggs)
a pinch of vanilla extract
320 gr Sugar (Dita-I used 280 gr sugar)
160 gr flour (Dita-I used 250 gr flour)
15 gr milk powder
50 gr chocolate powder

Cara membuat :
1. Preheat oven at 160 C, prepare baking trays with baking paper.
2. Place the eggs, sugar and vanilla in a bowl, mix together until pale and creamy.
3. Add melted chocolate+butter.
4. Stir in dry ingredients (flour, milk powder and chocolate powder). Mix well.
5. Spoon tablespoons of the mixture onto baking trays. Bake for about 10-15 mins until the brownie puffed and cracked. Let cool completely on trays.



And for the Peanut Butter Filling...it's just a no brainer recipe...LOL. I just grabbed chunky peanut butter in my pantry, then mixed it with thick cream and icing sugar. Stir vigorously until you get a creamy texture.

Spread half of the cookies with peanut butter and sandwich with the remaining cookies.

Strawberry Cream Tart

Been MIA and didn't have time to sit in front of the computer for a long time. So this is a quick update in my abandoned blog :'(

A simple tart with pastry cream filling and topped with fresh strawberries and shaved chocolate.

The Pie/Taart Dough
adapted from Ripe for Dessert by David Lebovitz (the original recipe is Rhubarb Tart with Almond Nougatine)



Ingredients :
6 tbsp (3/4 stick) unsalted butter, chilled
1/2 cup sugar
2 large egg yolks (reserve the whites for the nougatine topping)
1 1/4 cups flour
1/2 tsp salt

Directions :
To make the dough :
1. Cut the butter into 1-inch pieces and let stand at room temperature for 10 minutes. Butter the bottom of a 9-inch springform pan.
2. With an electric mixer or by hand, beat the butter with the sugar until no visible lumps of butter remain. Beat in the egg yolks. Add the flour and salt and mix at low speed until the dough begins to come together.
3. Gather the dough and press it evenly over the bottom and halfway up the sides of the prepared pan. Use the heel of your hand. (Dust your hand with a bit of flour if the dough is sticking to them). Put the pan in the freezer for at least 30 minutes.
4. Position the oven rack in the center of the oven and pre-heat the oven to 375 degrees.
5. Remove the springform pan from the freezer (dita-prick the base of the pastry with fork several times) and line with foil. Pour in a single layer of pie weight, dried beans or raw rice. Bake the dough for 20 minutes (dita-15 minutes). Remove the pie weights and foil and bake for 5 to 10 minutes more, until the dough is browned. Remove from the oven and cool on a wire rack.

Pastry Cream
Source: Le Cordon Bleu, London

Ingredients :
1 1/4 cups (300 ml) milk (whole or 2%)
1/2 vanilla bean, split lengthwise or 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste
3 large egg yolks
1/4 cup (50 grams) granulated white sugar
2 tablespoons (20 grams) all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons (20 grams) cornstarch (corn flour)
1/2 tablespoon liqueur (Grand Marnier, Brandy, Kirsch) (optional)

For lighter pastry cream fold in 1/2 cup (120 ml) softly whipped cream to cooled pastry cream.

Pastry Cream: In a medium-sized heatproof bowl, mix the sugar and egg yolks together. (Do let the mixture sit too long or you will get pieces of egg forming.) Sift the flour and cornstarch (corn flour) together and then add to the egg mixture, mixing until you get a smooth paste.

Meanwhile, in a saucepan bring the milk and vanilla bean just to boiling (just until milk starts to foam up.) Remove from heat and add slowly to egg mixture, whisking constantly to prevent curdling. (If you get a few pieces of egg (curdling) in the mixture, pour through a strainer.) Remove vanilla bean, scrape out seeds, and add the seeds to the egg mixture. (The vanilla bean can be washed and dried and placed in your sugar bowl to give the sugar a vanilla flavor.) Then pour the egg mixture into a medium saucepan and cook over medium heat until boiling, whisking constantly. When it boils, whisk mixture constantly for another 30 - 60 seconds until it becomes thick. Remove from heat and immediately whisk in the liqueur (if using). (Stir in vanilla extract if using instead of a vanilla bean.) Pour into a clean bowl and immediately cover the surface with plastic wrap to prevent a crust from forming. Cool to room temperature. If not using right away refrigerate until needed, up to 3 days. Whisk or stir before using to get rid of any lumps that may have formed.

Makes about 1 cup (240 ml). Preparation time 20 minutes.

KBB #26 : Panettone

Waktu terima surat cinta, penasaran banget bacanya. Apa sih panettone? Terus terang belum pernah denger. Kalo gak ikutan KBB, saya gak tau kali, makanan jenis apa pula ini. Ternyata sejenis roti-rotian, tepatnya roti dari Italia. Biasanya roti jenis ini keluar pada saat menjelang natal. Mumpung udara belum terlalu dingin, mending garap rotinya sekarang-sekarang, daripada nanti susah ngembang.

Kata orang bikinnya ribet dan lama. Tapi saya enjoy kok ngerjainnya dan gak berasa ribet. Terbayar dengan rasanya yang enak banget :).

Saya puas banget dengan hasilnya. Enaakkkkkkkkkk!!!! :D. Rasanya itu campuran antara roti dan cake dengan hint wangi lemon, vanilla, susu dan roti. Pokoknya wangi banget deh. nikmat banget buat temen ngopi. Sepertinya ini bakal jadi resep favorit saya.

Panettone (traditional Italian christmas bread)
Source: The Worldwide Gourmet



Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cakes of fresh baker's yeast
- 65 ml (1/4 cup) sugar
- 6 tbsp. warm water
- 6 egg yolks
- Finely grated zest of 1 lemon
- A pinch of salt
- 500-750 ml (2-3 cups) flour
- 100 ml (6 tbsp.) diced candied peel
- 100 g (6 tbsp.) + 2 tbsp.butter
- 4 tbsp. sultanas
- 4 tbsp. currants
- 1 tsp. vanilla

Method :
1. Sprinkle 1 tbsp. granulated sugar and the yeast over the warm milk and let sit 3 minutes; mix and let rest in a warm draft-free place (e.g., a warm oven that has been turned off) until the mixture has doubled in volume, approximately 5 minutes;
2. pour the mixture into a bowl, add in the egg yolks, vanilla, lemon zest, salt and remaining sugar;
3. gradually mix in 500 ml (2 c.) of the flour by hand until a smooth consistency is attained - the dough should easily come together into a ball;
4. gradually add the butter cut into small dice and beat until the dough becomes smoother and more elastic;
5. add 125 to 250 ml (1/2 to 1 c.) more flour until the dough is firm and silky but not sticky;
6. place the ball onto a lightly floured surface. Knead the dough for approximately 10 minutes. When the dough is smooth and shiny, place into a buttered bowl; dust lightly with flour, cover with a kitchen towel and place in a warm draft-free place for about 45 minutes until doubled in volume;
7. punch down the dough firmly with your fist and flatten it out in the bowl; add the candied lemon peel, raisins and currants and knead until well distributed but without working the dough more than necessary;
8. line a large bread pan with brown paper that has been well buttered on both sides; place the dough in the pan and trace a cross on top;
9. cover with buttered paper and let rise again in a warm place for 15 minutes;
10. remove the paper from the top; brush the top with softened butter;



11.preheat the oven to 200°C (400° F);
12. place the bread pan on the middle rack of the oven and bake for 10 minutes;
reduce the oven temperature to 160° C (350° F) and continue baking for another 30 to 40 minutes, brushing again with melted butter; the bread is done when the surface is golden and crispy;
13. remove from the oven; remove the paper and let cool for 15 minutes before unmolding.

KBB #25 : Pear Scones

Happy 4th birthday KBB. Gak berasa udah hampir 4 tahun join dengan klub baking ini. Banyak banget belajar dan dapet ilmu berguna dari tema-teman yang hebat-hebat. Bukan cuman belajar baking, kita juga sempet belajar foto bareng-bareng. Semoga pertemanan ini terus terjalin ya. Love you all.

Dan untuk edisi ulang tahun ini, saya memilih untuk membuat scones dengan based buah-buahan. Karena di rumah lagi banyak pear, ini karena salah beli pear, anak-anak gak terlalu suka dengan pear jenis ini, agak sepat rasanya...hihihi jadi daripada mubazir mending dibikin scones sekalian.



Pear Scones (the original recipe is Apple Scones, I changed the apples with pears)
source : joy of baking



Ingredients :
2 cups (280 grams) all purpose flour
1/3 cup (65 grams) granulated white sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup (113 grams) (1 stick) unsalted butter, cold and cut into pieces
1 large egg
1/2 cup (120 ml) milk
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Filling:
1 pound (454 grams) Granny Smith Apples, peeled, cored, and cut into 1 inch (2.5 cm) chunks
2 tablespoons (30 grams) granulated white sugar
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Directions :
Apple Scone Cake: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (177 degrees C) and place rack in center of oven. Butter (or spray with a non stick vegetable spray) a 9 inch (23 cm) glass pie plate.

In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Cut the butter into small pieces and blend into the flour mixture with a pastry blender or two knives. The mixture should look like coarse crumbs. In a separate small bowl whisk together the egg, milk, and vanilla extract and add to the flour mixture, stirring just until the dough comes together. Do not over mix.



Transfer to a lightly floured surface and knead dough gently four or five times and then divide the dough in half. Roll or pat one half of the dough into a 9 inch (23 cm) circle and transfer to the pie plate and pat onto the bottom and up the sides of the pie plate.

In a separate bowl toss together the cut apples, sugar, cinnamon, and nuts. Spread the apples evenly over the bottom of the dough in the pie plate.

Roll the remaining dough into a 9 inch (23 cm) circle, on a lightly floured surface, and gently place the dough over the apples. With your fingers seal the edges of the top and bottom crusts. Brush the top of the dough with a little milk and sprinkle with white sugar. Cut a slit in the center of the dough to allow the steam to escape.



Bake in the preheated oven for about 35 - 45 minutes or until the pastry is nicely browned and a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean.

Cool on a wire rack. Serve warm with a dollop of whipped cream or ice cream.

Serves 6 to 8.