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Mamon is a well-loved little sponge cake snack in the Philippines. For this recipe, the sponge is essentially a chiffon cake. I adapted the recipe from the wonderful baking blog Heart of Mary which is penned by a Filipina based in Australia.
She suggested there that greasing of the little cake tins is optional. Well you know me, anything to save labour is most welcome. But it did not work for me. The cakes stuck in the tins especially at the bottom. So that's one thing required in mine - grease the tins well.
The cakes came out really fluffy and they did not sink (which I was afraid it might do). They tasted wonderful, too, and not dry at all. I just had to reduce the salt because it came out a bit salty. So this recipe is well recommended.
{A}
1 cup plus 2 Tbsp sifted cake/plain flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp fine salt
6 Tbsp white sugar
{B}
1/4 cup vegetable oil or melted butter
4 large egg yolks - at room temperature
1/3 cup water
1/2 tsp flavouring (vanilla, butter, lemon, or orange extract)
{C}
4 eggwhites
1/4 tsp cream of tartar
{D}
6 Tbsp white sugar
- Preheat oven to 180°C/fan 160°C/350°F.
- Grease 10 small mamon tins. You can also use small brioche tins or small metal pudding moulds.
- In a bowl, beat {C} on high speed until frothy. Gradually add in the sugar {D} and beat until stiff peaks are formed.
- In another large bowl, combine {A}, mix well. Add in {B}. Beat with electric mixer or by hand until smooth and well blended.
- Gradually and gently fold in egg whites into the egg yolk mixture.
- Pour the cake batter equally into the 10 tins. Give the tins a gentle shake and a tap to remove air bubbles and to level off the batter. Arrange them on a large baking tray.
- Bake for 25-30 minutes or until tops are golden brown and a skewer inserted into the centre of the cakes come out clean.
- Immediately invert the tins onto a baking paper-lined wire rack. Tap the tins to release the cakes. Turn the cakes over and let ir cool off completely.
- [Optional] While still warm, brush the tops with melted butter. This will allow the cakes to absorb some of the butter thus giving it more flavour. Finish off by sprinkling some granulated sugar on the tops.
It's that time of the year again where baking and blogging for breads is compulsory for the World Bread Day. I don't mind it at all. In fact, I look forward to it come October knowing that I will add something in my list of breads that I've tried. As always every year this is hosted by the very generous Zorra of Kochtopf.
I have decided to bake something with chocolate to hit two birds with one stone. For it is also Chocolate Week here in UK. This recipe I adapted from a special insert in the current September issue of Waitrose's magazine. It is very good except that the filling was quite runny. So the instructions said to cut it in half lengthwise and then twist them together, I knew that it will be a messy affair if I did that. Hence, I just twisted them intact. I expected that it won't be too good looking when finally baked but I was rewarded with a nice swirl inside that was revealed when cut. And the taste of the bread itself was excellent. This is a definite keeper of a recipe. I just have to tweak that filling so it won't ooze out too much.
*Dough:
7 g sachet easy bake yeast
250 g strong white bread flour
3 Tbsp dark brown sugar
1/2 tsp fine salt
1/4 cup whole milk
1 large egg - beaten
75 g unsalted butter - softened
*Filling:
1/4 cup whole milk
75 g milk chocolate - finely chopped
50 g dark chocolate - finely chopped
1 Tbsp cocoa
3 Tbsp caster sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
*Glaze:
3 Tbsp dark brown sugar
3 Tbsp water
*For the dough:
**Manual method:
- Gently warm the milk in a pan until it is just lukewarm, remove from heat. Stir in the yeast and set aside for about 5-10 minutes. By then, then yeast should be foaming (it is activated). If not, discard it and start again from the beginning with fresh milk and yeast.
- Mix all the dry ingredients in a bowl. Make a well in the centre and add the milk-yeast mixture, egg, and butter.
- Knead mixture in an electric mixer with a dough hook attachment for 6-8 minutes or mix and knead by hand for 10 minutes until smooth.
- Cover with cling film, put in a warm place and leave to double in size (about 2 hours).
**Bread machine method:
- Put all ingredients according to the manufacturer's instructions (usually with the yeast first) and put on the dough program. This will include its first rising.
*For the filling:
- While dough is doing its first rise, heat the milk until steaming. Remove from heat and then add the chopped chocolates.
- Stir until chocolates has completely melted.
- Add in all the other ingredients. Stir to mix completely. Set aside to cool completely.
**Assembly:
- Punch down dough and lay out on a floured surface. Roll out to a rectangular size about 12 x 18 inches (30 x 45 cm).
- Spread the chocolate filling all over the dough. Roll up tightly like a log starting from the short end. Pinch the edges to seal it.
- Trim the ends of the roll. Cut in half lengthwise with a floured knife.
- Tightly twist the two strips over each other with the filling facing outwards.
- Transfer to the prepared tin. Cover with cling film or tea towel and leave to rise in a warm place to double size (about 1 hour).
**For the glaze:
- While the dough is doing its second rise, place the sugar and water in a saucepan and boil for about 2 minutes until syrupy. Set aside.
**Baking:
- Preheat oven to 180°C/fan 160°C/350°F. Bake for 25-30 minutes until cooked through.
- Brush half the syrup over the babka and leave for 15 minutes.
- Brush again with the rest of the syrup then cool completely on a wire rack.
A surprisingly delicious beef stew was unearthed from the Bon Appetit website. I bought a kilo of meaty beef ribs (short ribs) in the Birmingham market a few weeks ago and was looking for a recipe to make a tasty dish out of it. And I was not the least disappointed. The things that made it standout are the bones, which gave extra flavour, the garlic (surprising I know) and the excellent red wine I got in our pantry.
This is great with rice, mash potatoes, or just boiled new potatoes with steamed veggies on the side. I only cooked half of the recipe so I adjusted it accordingly.Red Wine Braised Short Ribs of Beef
1 kg bone-in beef short ribs, cut crosswise into 2-inch pieces
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 Tbsp vegetable oil
1 large onion - chopped
1 large carrot - peeled, chopped
1 celery stalk - chopped
1 1/2 Tbsp plain flour
2 tsp double-concentrated tomato puree (tomato paste)
375 ml [half a bottle] dry red wine (preferably Cabernet Sauvignon)
5 sprigs flat-leaf parsley
4 sprigs thyme
2 sprigs oregano
1 sprig rosemary
1 fresh or dried bay leaves
1/2 head of garlic - halved crosswise
2 cups beef stock
- [Optional] Preheat oven to 180°C/fan 160°C/350°F.
- Season short ribs with salt and pepper.
- Heat oil in a large oven-proof pot over medium-high. Brown short ribs on all sides in batches, about 8 minutes per batch. Transfer short ribs to a plate. Pour off all but 2 Tbsp. drippings from the pot.
- Saute onions, carrots, and celery in the same pot and cook over medium heat. Stir often, until onions are browned and tranlucent, about 5 minutes.
- Add flour and tomato paste. Stirr constantly, until well combined and deep red, about 2-3 minutes.
- Stir in wine, then add short ribs with all of its juices. Bring to a boil; lower heat to medium and simmer uncovered until wine is reduced by half, about 20 minutes.
- Add all herbs including the garlic. Stir in stock. Bring to a boil, cover, and transfer to oven. Cook until tender for about 2-2.5 hours.
OR
Cook on the hob in very low heat until short ribs are tender, about 1.5 hours. - Transfer short ribs to a platter. Strain sauce from pot into a measuring cup. Spoon fat from surface of sauce and discard.
- Season sauce to taste with salt and pepper. Serve in shallow bowls over mashed potatoes or boiled new potatoes with sauce spooned over.
I quickly post any recipe I find that worked marvellously first time I tried it. This particular one came from the recent Waitrose Magazine for September 2016. The combination of chocolate (milk or dark) with the banana and toffee glaze is so moreish. My only complaint is that it is hard to make the glaze settle on top since the suggested cake tin is a bundt cake pan. Next time I will bake this in a square or rectangular pan so that the delicious glaze will stay on top and nothing will go to waste.
For the Daim chocolate bars, the equivalent of these are Hershey's Skor or Heath bars or any chocolate covered hard toffee bars.Chocolate Banana Toffee Cake
200 g unsalted butter - softened
75 g caster sugar (suprefine sugar)
100 g light muscovado sugar
4 large eggs
4 very ripe medium bananas - mashed (about heaping 1-1/2 cups)
3 Tbsp sour cream
2 tsp vanilla extract
50 g cocoa powder (plus extra for dusting)
225 g plain flour
50 g cornflour (cornstarch)
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp bicarbonate of soda (baking soda)
75 g chopped Daim bars or dark/milk chocolate chips (plus some chopped for topping)
Glaze:
200 g light muscovado sugar
75 g unsalted butter
100 g double cream
25 g dark chocolate - chopped
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
pinch of salt
- Preheat oven to 190°C/fan 170°C/375°F. Butter 10-inch bundt pan and then dust with cocoa powder. Tap out the excess cocoa powder.
- In a bowl, mix thoroughly the plain flour, cocoa powder, cornflour, baking powder, and bicarbonate of soda.
- In another bowl, add sour cream to mashed banana and vanilla.
- Cream the softened butter and the caster and muscovado sugars in a big bowl for about 5 minutes or until light and creamy.
- Keep beating while adding eggs one at a time.
- Add the banana mixture. Beat until well combined.
- Using a wooden spoon or spatula, fold in the flour mixture.
- Fold the chopped Daim chocolate bars or chocolate chips (whichever you're using).
- Pour into the prepared pan and bake for 40 minutes or until a skewer poked in the middle comes out clean.
- Take out of the oven, cool for 5-10 minutes and then invert into a rack and cool completely.
*For the glaze:
- Gently heat butter, cream and sugar in a small saucepan until the sugar is dissolved.
- Bring to boil, lower heat and simmer for 30 seconds.
- Remove from heat and add dark chocolate, vanilla and pinch of salt. Stir until smooth.
- Cool for 10 minutes or until a bit thickened while stirring from time to time.
- Drizzle over the cake. Let set for a few minutes.
- [Optional] Scatter chopped Daim over the top.
This recipe is from one of the hundreds of torn-off magazine pages that I save in the hope of trying it out "later". That "later" is now ten years and I reckon it's high time I try it again. The first time it was quite bland so I upped the sugar this time. It turned out quite good although it's more cake-like than a chewy/crispy cookie. The self-raising flour has a lot to do with that.
I adapted this from an advertisement feature in the BBC GoodFood magazine of December 2006 - almost 10 years!
125 g [1/2 cup] unsalted butter - softened
200 g [1 cup packed] light muscovado sugar
2 eggs
2 tsp vanilla extract
225 g wholemeal(or plain) self-raising flour
25 g cocoa
75 g dried cranberries
100 g white chocolate chips
100 g milk chocolate chips
12 pecan halves (optional)
- Mix together the butter and sugar in a bowl using a wooden spoon.
- Add eggs one at a time making sure to mix well everytime.
- Add vanilla extract.
- Sift the flour and cocoa into the bowl and mix well.
- Add in the cranberries and chocolate chips and combine well.
- Cover with cling film and chill in the fridge for about 1 hour.
- Preheat oven to 180°C/fan 160°C/350°F.
- Shape the dough into 2-inch (about 75 g) balls - yields 12-14 pieces.
- [Optional] Press a pecan piece on top of each of the balls.
- Arrange the balls about 1-inch apart on greased baking trays. Flatten them slightly. If necessary bake in batches.
- Bake for 15 minutes or until firm to the touch.
- Leave on the tray for about 5 minutes and transfer on a rack to cool completely.
Diag| Memory: Current usage: 59 MB
Diag| Memory: Peak usage: 85 MB
