Bake-Along's Anniversary and Farewell Bake : Lady Bird Lemon Bundt Cake

It's Bake-Along 5th Anniversary! And Bake-Along is saying goodbye! 

It seems like only yesterday when we, Lena, Zoe and myself, started Bake-Along. I remember how excited we were, with dozens of ideas and suggestions on how to make Bake-Along a fun event. We did not expect that it would last for 5 years. Well, this month of May, marks Bake-Along's 5th Anniversary, five full years of baking together with friends. And now, a farewell post as well. It has been a great, wonderful, fabulous 5 baking years. We have done some bakes that we would never have thought of making on our own. My heartful thanks to everyone, for the support and encouragement, particularly to Lena and Zoe, my wonderful baking buddies, for the glorious 5 years of Bake-Along. We have done well indeed!  

I've made a lemony bundt cake, Lady Bird Lemon Bundt Cake. This cake is the recipe of Lady Bird Johnson, the wife of the 36th President of the United States, Lyndon B. Johnson. Her recipe is so popular that it has been passed around thousands of time over the decades, and there are many versions of it.  If you google for info from the web, you would find many similar recipes to this.

Thank you, Bake-Along for 5 delicious years !

A moist, lemony cake with close tight crumbs. Do not skip the lemony frosting, it is good with the cake. Don't forget that pot of tea!

The recipe below is my measurement for half a recipe. I've used a small bundt pan with a 6-cup capacity. For the full recipe to make in a 10-inch Bundt pan, please refer here.

Lady Bird Lemon Bundt Cake
(adapted from "Cake Simple", Christie Matheson)
100gm butter, at room temperature, plus melted butter for greasing the pan
160gm cake flour, plus more for dusting the pan
1/2 tablespoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
120gm sugar
4 egg yolks
90ml whole milk
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon freshly grated lemon zest
1/2 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice

Preheat the oven to 325F (165C/gas 3). Brush the inside of a 10-cup Bundt pan thoroughly with the melted butter and dust it lightly with flour. (Use a pastry brush to help distribute the flour and tap out any excess).

Whisk the flour, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl until thoroughly combined.

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter with the sugar on medium speed for 2 to 3 minutes, until light and fluffy. In a medium bowl, whisk the egg yolks until they are light and lemon-coloured, then add them to the butter-sugar mixture and beat until just blended.

With the mixer on low, add the flour mixture (in three increments) alternately with the milk (in two increments), beginning and ending with the flour and beating until thoroughly incorporated after each addition. Add the vanilla, lemon zest, and lemon juice, beat for 2 minutes.

Pour the batter into the prepared pan, smooth the top, and bake for about 1 hour, until a cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean. Let the cake cool for about 15 minutes in the pan on a wire rack, then invert the cake onto the rack and let it cool completely. Pour the icing over the cooled cake and serve. The cake will keep in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days. (The un-iced cake will keep, wrapped well in a layer of plastic and a layer of foil, in the freezer for up to 2 weeks).

Lemon Icing
1 cup (90gm) confectioners' sugar
1/4 cup (28gm) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/2 tablespoon freshly grated lemon zest
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 teaspoon heavy cream, plus more as needed

Combine the confectioners' sugar with the butter, lemon zest, lemon juice, and cream in a small bowl and stir vigorously until the mixture is smooth, thick, and pourable. Add more cream if needed to obtain the desired consistency.

If you would like to join Bake-Along's last bake, you may bake any Bundt Cake, leave a comment below and we shall mention the link to your post. Thank you!

Please visit the following links for more bundt cakes!

Veronica of Peng's Kitchen has made a lovely Rainbow Bundt Cake

Dark-Cherry Chocolate Muffins : Bake-Along #94

This week at Bake-Along, I've selected to bake Dark-Cherry Chocolate Muffins, together with Lena and Zoe. 

According to the book, "the muffins have an excellent crusty exterior, so you will want to butter the muffin cups rather than use paper liners. which may come away with the crust." So I baked the muffins without using any paper liners. I did not use any nuts in the batter, but have placed one walnut on top of 6 muffins before baking.

These muffins do have a crusty exterior when freshly baked, and they rise really well. The crumbs are soft, though they are not what I expected them to be. I wished that they are a little more moist and more chocolaty in taste.  But that being said, they are quite nice to eat with a glass of cold milk.

I love eating the plump moist dried cherries! 

Dried-Cherry Chocolate Muffins
(adapted from "Williams-Sonoma : Essentials of Baking")
2 oz (60gm) unsweetened chocolate, chopped
1-3/4 cups (9oz/280gm) all-purpose (plain) flour
1 teaspoon baking soda (bicarbonate of soda)
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup (4oz/125gm) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup (7oz/220gm) firmly packed golden brown sugar (I've used 170gm)
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract (essence)
1 cup (8 fl oz/250ml) buttermilk
3/4 cup (2oz/60gm) dried cherries
1/2 cup (2oz/60gm) toasted, skinned, and chopped hazelnuts

Position a rack in the middle of the oven, and preheat to 375F (190C). Butter 12 standard muffin-pan cups.

Place the chocolate in the top of a double boiler placed over (not touching) barely simmering water. Heat, stirring often, until the chocolate melts. Remove it from over the water and set aside to cool slightly. In a bowl, stir together the flour, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.

In a large bowl, beat the butter on low speed until creamy. Gradually beat in the brown sugar until dissolved. Beat in the egg, vanilla, and chocolate. Add the dry ingredients in 3 batches alternately with the buttermilk and mix on low speed just until smooth.

Fold in the cherries and nuts. Spoon the batter into the prepared muffin cups, filling each cup about three-fourths full. Bake until a toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean, 20-25 minutes. Let cool in the pan on a wire rack for 2 minutes, then turn out onto the rack. Serve warm. Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days.

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This news comes with a heavy heart....Bake-Along is coming to an end.  Lena, Zoe and myself have come to a decision that it is time for Bake-Along to say goodbye. Bake-Along's last post shall be the coming theme Bundt Cake, For Bake-Along's Fifth Anniversary and now, Farewell post. 

We are not using the linky thumbnails, if you have baked the muffins above, leave a comment and we shall mention you with a link to your blog post. Thank you!

Italian Traybake : Bake-Along #93

It's Bake-Along #93, and the selected theme by Lena is Baked/Roast Chicken. I've made one of Nigella Lawson's chicken traybake recipe today for dinner (talking about last minute!). I was planning on making this traybake more than a week ago, but I was down with fever for a few days. And it took me almost a whole week to recover, what with our current heat wave which we are experiencing right now, is not helping much at all. I wish I have a swimming pool at home where I can cool off the whole day! The family has been eating takeaways for almost a week, because the cook in the house is out of action! LOL! But it rained today! Yay! What a welcome relief!

According to Nigella, this traybake, "It is "Italian" - in it's flavourings - the rosemary and lemon that waft gorgeously through the house as you cook - and in deference to the Italian sausages I use in it." 

And she is right - about the delicious aroma! I popped the tray into the oven, (my daughter helped me watch over it while I went to fetch my son from school), and just as I reached home about an hour later, I can already smell the delicious lemony-rosemary aroma right at my front door! Made our tummies growl!

I've used 6 chicken thighs and two drumsticks, 4 Italian sausages and Russet potatoes which I've peeled and cut into quarters. Fresh rosemary from my garden pot, and zest of one lemon. Put everything in a shallow baking tray, season with salt and pepper, with a drizzling of olive oil. Bake at 220C for 50-60 minutes. I baked them at 200C (I was going out), and when I came back about an hour later, I increased the temperature to 220C, move the tray up a rack in the oven, and baked them for another 15 minutes to brown the chicken and the potatoes.

These are so delicious! The chicken thigh has crispy skin with moist tender meat. And the Italian sausages, well, what can I say about the sausages! Next time, I will add a couple more Italian sausages to the tray! As for the potatoes, Nigella has this to say "What I need to tell you most urgently though is that the potatoes chunks soak up the meaty, lemony juices as they cook. So set your mind not to expect crunchy roast potatoes, but rather soft-soused chunks, scorched crisp at the corners." There was quite an amount of the tasty juices in the tray, perfect to drizzle over the chicken thighs during serving. With this traybake, I am reminded once again, how much I love all of Nigella's roast/bake chicken recipes, at least the ones that I've tried!

Italian Traybake
(from "Nigellissima", by Nigella Lawson)
Serves 4-6
3 baking potatoes (approx 750gm total), unpeeled and cut into 2cm chunks
8 chicken thighs, bone in and skin on
8 Italian sausages (approx 750gm total)
small bunch (6 or 7 sprigs) fresh rosemary
zest of 1 unwaxed lemon
1 teaspoon sea salt flakes or 1/2 teaspoon pouring salt
ground pepper
4x15ml tablespoons olive oil

Preheat the oven to 220C/Gas Mark 7.

Put the potatoes into a large, shallow baking tray and add the chicken thighs and sausages. If using 2 trays, divide everything between them (and also swap the trays over and turn them round halfway through cooking time).

Arrange about 4 sprigs of the rosemary among the chicken and sausages, then finely chop the needles of another 2 sprigs, to give you about 2 teaspoons of finely chopped needles, and sprinkle these onto the chicken pieces.

Zest the lemon over everything, and season with the salt and a good grinding of pepper. Drizzle with the oil and bake for 50-60 minutes, or until the chicken skin and sausages are golden and the potato pieces are cooked through. It's fine to let all of this stand for up to 30 minutes once cooked, prior to serving.

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Do stop by Lena of Frozen Wings and Zoe of Bake For Happy Kids, and all our friends who has baked along with us in the linky below :

For our next Bake-Along, we will be baking Dried-Cherry Chocolate Muffins (Williams-Sonoma : Essential of Baking, pg 78, or here). Link your post to our linky which will open from 21st to 30th April. Everyone is welcome to join us! Only current posts please.

A friendly reminder when linking to our linky :

1. Please mention Bake-Along event in your own post linking direct to any of the hosts' post (Joyce, Lena or Zoe)

2. Please link only new and current post, PLEASE FOLLOW THE BAKE OR THEME provided by us. Unrelated post will be deleted.

3. Feel free to display our Bake-Along badge in your post.

And since I'm cooking with Nigella Lawson's recipe, I'm also linking this post with I Heart Cooking Clubs (IHCC), theme for this week

March 2016 IHCC Potluck

An InLinkz Link-up

Chocolate Chip Cookies : Bake-Along #92

This week at Bake-Along, it's time for Chocolate Chip Cookies from Bake In The Day Bakery, selected by Lena.

I've read some really good reviews on this cookies when I googled for it, that I was looking forward to bake them. Are these cookies that good? Even the author of the book mentioned that "Cookie most likely to cause a riot if we run out"! Back In The Day Bakery is a bakery situated in Savannah, USA. Would love to visit the bakery one day!

There's two cups of sugar in the dough, one cup of white sugar, and one cup of brown sugar. I could never bring myself to use these amounts of sugar! I've reduced it to 1/4 cup of each, knowing very well that, these amount would bring just the right sweetness, as I have baked similar recipes to this, always with a lesser amount of sugar than the recipe calls for. I have used salted butter, thus have omitted the salt. Instead of chocolate chunks, I have used chocolate chips. Did not have Fleur de sel, It was suggested to use a big ice cream scoop to measure the dough before baking. I made the first tray (6 cookies) and they are really huge! So for the rest of the dough, I skipped the ice cream scoop, and use about 2 tablespoons of dough for each cookie. I've baked the cookies about 20 minutes, until golden brown around the edges. 

These cookies are very nice. Best eaten when they have just cooled or barely warm, when the edges are crispy and the center are a little chewy. These are good on the first day, though they lost some of that crispiness on the next day, but still tastes nice. I'm so glad I reduced the sugar, as the sweetness is just right. Delicious when eating while slightly warm and crispy with a glass of cold milk!

Chocolate Chip Cookies
(Bake In The Day Bakery Cookbook, by Cheryl and Griffith Day, or here)
Makes 24 cookies
2-1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1-1/4 teaspoons baking soda
1-1/4 teaspoons fine sea salt (omitted)
1/2 pound (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature (salted butter)
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 cup granulated sugar (1/4 cup)
1 cup packed light brown sugar (1/4 cup)
2 large eggs, at room temperature
2 cups semisweet chocolate chunks
Fleur de sel for sprinkling

Position a rack in the lower third of the oven and preheat the oven to 350°F. Line two cookie sheets with parchment.

Sift together the flour, baking soda, and sea salt; set aside.

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or in a large mixing bowl, using a handheld mixer), cream together the butter, vanilla, and both sugars on medium speed until light and fluffy, 3 to 5 minutes.

Add the eggs and mix for no more than 1 minute; the eggs will not be fully incorporated. Turn the speed down to low and add the dry ingredients in thirds, beating until just combined, 1 to 2 minutes. With the mixer running, sprinkle in the chocolate chunks, beating until just combined, about 1 minute.

Use a large ice cream scoop or a ¼-cup measuring cup to form the cookies and place on the prepared cookie sheets, leaving 2 inches between the cookies to allow for spreading. Lightly tap each cookie with the palm of your hand and sprinkle the cookies with fleur de sel.

Bake the cookies, one sheet at a time, for 15 to 18 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through the baking time for even doneness. The cookies should be golden brown around the edges but still light in the centers. Let the cookies cool on a wire rack. Store the cookies in an airtight container for up to 3 days at room temperature.

TIP: If you can’t buy your milk in glass bottles anymore, sterilize old milk bottles and creamers and store them in the fridge, then pour your milk into the chilled bottles for serving. Milk tastes so much better served from a glass container!

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Do stop by Lena of Frozen Wings and Zoe of Bake For Happy Kids, and all our friends who has baked along with us in the linky below :

For our next Bake-Along, we will be baking Theme : Bake/Roast Chicken (Part/Whole). Link your post to our linky which will open from 22nd to 31st March. Everyone is welcome to join us! Only current posts please.

A friendly reminder when linking to our linky :

1. Please mention Bake-Along event in your own post linking direct to any of the hosts' post (Joyce, Lena or Zoe)

2. Please link only new and current post, PLEASE FOLLOW THE BAKE OR THEME provided by us. Unrelated post will be deleted.

3. Feel free to display our Bake-Along badge in your post.

An InLinkz Link-up

Strawberry Shortcakes : Bake-Along #91

This week's Bake-Along #91 theme is Strawberry Shortcake. Selected by Zoe to bake together with Lena, myself and everyone is invited to bake-along with us. 

I have so many Strawberry Shortcake from my many baking cookbooks. There's recipes that uses sponge cakes and others that uses a buttery dough as the cake base, with the same filling, strawberries and whipped cream. After going through a few recipes, I've decided on this simple one, though the recipe from Flour Bakery Cookbook sounds good, with balsamic strawberries. I might just make that one of these days.

The shortcake base is pretty easy to make, it is similar to making scones. I've made them into squares though the photo in the book is actually lovely rounds. I was lazy to use a round cookie cutter and by cutting them in squares, I do not have to re-roll the scraps. Yup, I can get pretty lazy at times! As for the strawberries, I've added 1 tablespoon of kirsch which gives a lovely fragrant aroma. 

The shortcakes are buttery and tender. Lovely when sandwiched with the filling of the fragrant boozy strawberries and the lightly sweetened whipped cream. I drizzled some lovely juice, (there's a lot of juice!), from the macerated strawberries onto the plate, and the shortcakes soaks the juices up pretty quick. These Strawberry Shortcakes makes a lovely dessert treat. 

Strawberry Shortcakes
(adapted from WillIiams-Sonoma's Dessert Of The Day", Kim Laidlaw)
Serves 6
For The Shortcakes
2 cups (10 oz/315gm) all-purpose flour
1 tbsp baking powder
1/2 tsp kosher salt
2 tbsp sugar, plus more for sprinkling
1 tsp finely grated lemon zest
6 tbsp (3 oz/90gm) cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
1 cup (8fl oz/250ml) heavy cream, plus more for brushing
2 pt (1 lb/500gm) strawberries, hulled and sliced or halved
1/4 cup (2oz/60gm) sugar (2 tbsp)
1 tbsp kirsch (my addition)

Whipped Cream
1 cup (8 fl oz/250ml) heavy cream
2 tbsp sugar (I use icing sugar)
1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract

In a bowl, using an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, whip the cream, sugar and vanilla on medium speed until medium peaks form. Use right away or cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until ready to use, up to 4 hours. Whisk the cream briefly before using.

To make the shortcakes, preheat the oven to 400F (200C). In a bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt, sugar and lemon zest until well blended. Using a pastry blender or 2 knives, cut in the butter until the pieces are about the size of peas. Add the cream and gently toss with a fork until the flour is just moistened and the ingredients are blended. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface. Gently press into a thick rectangle about 6 by 4 inches (15 x 10cm). Trim the edges even, then cut the dough into 6 equal squares.

Place the shortcakes on an ungreased baking sheet, spacing them well apart. Brush each with a little cream, then sprinkle with sugar. Bake until puffed and golden, 15-18 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool slightly.

Meanwhile, in a bowl, toss together the strawberries and sugar with a fork, lightly crushing some of the berries. Let stand until ready to serve.

Split the shortcakes in half horizontally and place the bottom halves, cut side up, on plates. Spoon some of the strawberries, including the juices, over each half and top with a dollop of whipped cream. Top with the remaining shortcake halves, cut side down, and serve.

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Do stop by Lena of Frozen Wings and Zoe of Bake For Happy Kids, and all our friends who has baked along with us in the linky below :

For our next Bake-Along, we will be baking Chocolate Chip Cookies, recipe from Bake In The Day Bakery Cookbook, pg 172, or here. Link your post to our linky which will open from 25th February to 5th March. Everyone is welcome to join us! Only current posts please.

A friendly reminder when linking to our linky :

1. Please mention Bake-Along event in your own post linking direct to any of the hosts' post (Joyce, Lena or Zoe)

2. Please link only new and current post, PLEASE FOLLOW THE BAKE OR THEME provided by us. Unrelated post will be deleted.

3. Feel free to display our Bake-Along badge in your post.

An InLinkz Link-up

Ruby Jewel Cookies : Bake-Along #90

It's Bake-Along #90, and the bake for this week is Ruby Jewel Cookies, selected by Zoe, to bake along together with Lena and myself. Everyone is welcome to join our Bake-Along. 

These cookies are very easy to  make. The dough is very similar to sweet pastry dough. It is made in the food processor and takes only  a couple of minutes to come together. The dough is refrigerated for about 1 hour to chill (though I refrigerated mine for two days!). Shape the dough into small balls, about 3/4-inch sized. I've used mini muffins pans which I've lined with cute little muffin cases. Drop the round balls into the muffin cases in the pan, then using the end of a wooden spoon, make an indentation in the centre of each cookie. Fill it up with some jam. I've used a small plastic bag, fill one corner with a few tablespoons of jam, cut a small opening at the corner, and pipe the jam into the cookies. 

I've made only half a recipe, and yield exactly 30 mini cookies. The only changes I've made to the dough is to use only 40gm of sugar for the dough. And the sweetness of the cookies turns out just right for us.

I baked these cookies for exactly 18 minutes until the edges are golden. Allow them to cool in pans on wire racks.

Dust with confectioners' sugar before serving. The cookies are tender, buttery and tasted really nice with the black cherry jam that I've used. If you have an opened jar of jam in the refrigerator that is begging to be used, it would be a great idea to make these cookies.

We love these Ruby Jewel Cookies. Pretty and cute to look at, fun and delightful to eat! It is quite difficult to stop at just one! Yums!

** for half a recipe, my measurements are listed in blue
Ruby Jewel Cookies
(adapted from "The Williams-Sonoma Baking Book")

Makes about 5 dozen cookies (Yield 30 cookies for half a recipe)
2 large egg yolks (1 large)
1 tsp pure vanilla extract (1/2 tsp)
2-1/4 cups (11-1/2oz/360gm) all-purpose (plain) flour (180gm)
2/3 cup (5oz/155gm) granulated sugar  (40gm)
1 cup (8oz/250gm) cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces (125gm)
about 1/3 cup (3-1/2oz/105gm) seedless raspberry jam or other thick jam (about 1/4 cup)
confectioners' (icing) sugar for dusting

Preheat the oven to 350F (180C). Have ready 2 ungreased baking sheets or miniature muffin pans and, if desired, about 5 dozen miniature paper muffin liners.
In a small bowl, whisk together the egg yolks and vanilla ; set aside.
In a food processor, combine the flour and granulated sugar. Process briefly to blend. With the machine running, add the butter 2 or 3 pieces at a time and process until the mixture looks crumbly. With the machine still running, add the egg yolk mixture and process until blended and the dough begins to pull away from the sides of the bowl.
Turn the dough out onto a sheet of plastic wrap and shape it into a flat disk. Wrap and refrigerate until chilled, about 1 hour.
With lightly floured hands, shape the dough into 3/4-inch (2-cm) balls. Place each ball in a paper liner, if using. Place the cookies 1 inch (2.5cm) apart on the baking sheets or in the muffin pans.
Using the end of a wooden spoon handle dipped in flour to prevent sticking, make an indentation in the center of each cookie, but do not press all the way through the dough. Using a spoon or a pastry bag fitted with a plain tip, fill each indentation with about 1/4 tsp jam.
Bake the cookies until the edges are golden, 15-20 minutes. Let the cookies cool on the pans on wire racks. (If baking on sheets without paper liners, use a thin spatula to loosen the cookies carefully while the are still warm). Transfer the cooled cookies to wire racks and, using a fine mesh sieve, dust with confectioners' sugar.

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Do stop by Lena of Frozen Wings and Zoe of Bake For Happy Kids, and all our friends who has baked along with us in the linky below :

For our next Bake-Along, we will be baking Theme : Strawberry Shortcakes. You may bake any Strawberry Shortcakes recipe and link your post to our linky which will open from 21st to 20th January. Everyone is welcome to join us! Only current posts please.

A friendly reminder when linking to our linky :

1. Please mention Bake-Along event in your own post linking direct to any of the hosts' post (Joyce, Lena or Zoe)

2. Please link only new and current post, PLEASE FOLLOW THE BAKE OR THEME provided by us. Unrelated post will be deleted.

3. Feel free to display our Bake-Along badge in your post.

An InLinkz Link-up

Mocha Panettone : Bake-Along #89

It's time for Bake-Along. And since Christmas is just round the corner, we thought it would be fun to do a special Christmas theme by baking yeasted breads. Come and join us, bake your favourite Christmas yeasted bread and join Lena, Zoe and myself as we bake-along together with our theme, "Theme : Christmas Yeasted Breads".

I've made a lovely loaf of Mocha Panettone. According to the book, "Panettone is the traditional Italian Christmas bread from Milan. This tall domed loaf is usually filled with dried fruits, for a change try this coffee-flavoured bread studded with chocolate and pine nuts". However I have replaced the pine nuts with dried cranberries.

This Mocha Panettone bakes up really tall. It stands at 7-3/4" high, very impressive!

The dough is mixed in the bread machine right up to the first rising. There's cocoa powder, instant coffee powder and cinnamon, so it smells really, really nice. After the first rising, take the dough out of the bread machine pan, place it on a lightly floured work surface and knead in the chocolate chips and dried cranberries. Shape it into a ball and place it in the prepared pan. This bread will bake up very tall, so prepare the baking pan as per instructions given in the recipe. 

Leave it rise until the dough almost reaches the top of the paper. Brush the top with melted butter and cut a deep cross at the top. Bake as per instructions in the recipe. It smells fantastic while it is baking in the oven!

This bread is really good. The crumbs are soft, fluffy and tastes absolutely wonderful with the aroma from the coffee and cinnamon. Of course, the melted chocolate chips in there with the dried cranberries makes it all the more yummier! It did not last long in my house. We finished the whole loaf by the next day. Absolutely lovely with a cup of hot coffee. 

Mocha Panettone
(adapted from "Bread Machine Kitchen Handbook" Jennie Shapter)
2 tbsp instant coffee powder
140ml/scant 2/3 cup milk
1 egg, plus 2 egg yolks
400gm/3-1/2 cups unbleached white bread flour
15ml/1 tbsp cocoa powder (unsweetened)
5ml/1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp salt
75gm/6 tbsp caster (superfine) sugar
75gm/6 tbsp butter, softened
1-1/2 tsp easy bake (rapid-rise) dried yeast
115gm Continental chocolate, coarsely chopped (I use chocolate chips)
3 tbsp pine nuts, lightly toasted  (I use about 1/3 cup of dried cranberries)
melted butter, for glazing

1. In a small bowl, dissolve the coffee in 30ml/2 tbsp hot water. Pour the mixture into the bread machine pan and then add the milk, egg and egg yolks. If the instructions for your bread machine specify that the yeast is to be placed in the pan first, simply reverse the order in which you add the liquid and dry ingredients.
2. Sift the flour and cocoa powder together. Sprinkle the mixture over the liquid, ensuring that it is completely covered. Add the ground cinnamon. Place the salt, sugar and butter in separate corners of the bread pan. Make a small indent in the centre of the flour (but not down as far as the liquid) and add the yeast.
3. Set the bread machine to the dough setting; use basic dough setting (if available). Press Start. Lightly oil a 15cm/6in deep cake tin (pan) or souffle dish. Using a double sheet of baking parchment that is 7.5cm/3in wider than the depth of the tin or dish, line the container so that the excess paper creates a collar.
4. When the dough cycle has finished, remove the dough from the machine and place it on a lightly floured surface. Knock it back (punch it down) gently. Gently knead in the chocolate and pine nuts (chocolate chips and dried cranberries) and shape the dough into a ball. Cover it with lightly oiled clear film (plastic wrap) and leave it to rest for 5 minutes.
5. Shape the dough into a plump round loaf which has the same diameter as the cake tin or souffle dish, and place in the base of the container. Cover with oiled clear film and leave the dough to rise in a slightly warm place for 45-60 minutes, or until the dough has almost reached the top of the greaseproof paper collar.
6. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 200C/400F/Gas 6. Brush the top of the loaf with the melted butter and cut a deep cross in the top. Bake the bread for about 10 minutes.
7. Reduce the oven temperature to 180C/350F/Gas 4 and continue to bake the panettone for 30-35 minutes more, or until it is evenly golden all over and a metal skewer inserted in the centre comes out clean without any crumb sticking to it.
8. Leave the panettone in the tin or dish for 5-10 minutes, then turn out on to a wire rack and leave it until it is quite cold before slicing.

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Do stop by Lena of Frozen Wings and Zoe of Bake For Happy Kids, and all our friends who has baked along with us in the linky below :

For our next Bake-Along, we will be baking Ruby Jewel Cookies, from Williams-Sonoma Baking Book, pg 46 or here.  Link your post to our linky which will open from 7th to 16th January. Everyone is welcome to join us! Only current posts please.

A friendly reminder when linking to our linky :

1. Please mention Bake-Along event in your own post linking direct to any of the hosts' post (Joyce, Lena or Zoe)

2. Please link only new and current post, PLEASE FOLLOW THE BAKE OR THEME provided by us. Unrelated post will be deleted.

3. Feel free to display our Bake-Along badge in your post.

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I'm also linking this post to Cook & Celebrate organized by Bake For Happy Kids, Goody 

Foodies and The Domestic Goddess Wannabee.

An InLinkz Link-up

Potato, Onion, And Cheddar Galette : Bake-Along #88

It's Bake-Along No. 88! I've selected the theme "Galette" to bake together with my baking buddies, Lena and Zoe. A galette is a rustic-style tart, is pretty much similar to a tart or pie, the difference is, it is made with a free form pastry dough which is rolled out, filled the centre with the filling of your choice and just wrap them up by folding over the pastry all around the sides, leaving the filling visible in the centre. No special tart pan or mould is needed. You just need a baking sheet. There's no need to be so perfect in shaping them, after all, it is a free-form rustic tart. 

I made a savoury galette, one that I have been thinking of making for ages, from this fabulous book "The Art & Soul of Baking" by Cindy Mushet, from Sur La Table. 

This galette has all my favourite ingredients; cheese, potatoes and caramelized onions. With the flaky, buttery, tender-crisp tart pastry dough, a slice is just perfect either for lunch or even dinner.

  I had it for tea, along with a cup of warm tea, makes a delicious afternoon tea-time treat indeed.

Potato, Onion, And Gruyere Galette
(adapted from "The Art & Soul of Baking", Cindy Mushet, or here)

Ingredients
1 recipe Flaky Pie or Tart Dough (refer recipe below)

Filling
1 large onion (12 ounces), thinly sliced
1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
5 grinds black pepper
1/2 teaspoon finely chopped fresh thyme or rosemary
4 ounces Gruyère cheese, grated (I've used Cheddar)
1 pound red potatoes

To Finish
1 tablespoon olive oil
Pinch kosher salt
3 grinds black pepper
1 egg

For Serving (optional)
Crème fraiche
Golden caviar

Equipment
Chef’s Knife, Sauté Pan, Small Bowl, Pastry Brush, Paring Knife or Skewer, Metal Spatula, Cake Lifter or Two Spatulas or the Bottom of a Tart Pan

1. Advance Preparation: Roll the prepared dough into a 13-inch round, transfer to a parchment- or silicone-lined baking sheet, and chill for 1 hour. Preheat oven to 400°F and position an oven rack in the lower third.
2. Make the filling: Heat the sauté pan over a medium-high flame. Add the olive oil and when it is hot, add the onion slices to the pan. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion is soft and lightly colored, 8 to 10 minutes. Stir in the salt, pepper, and chopped thyme or rosemary and blend well. Scrape onto a plate and set aside to cool. Wash the potatoes and pat dry, but don’t peel them. Cut into 1/4-inch-thick slices.
3. Assemble the galette: Mix together the cooled onion mixture, grated cheese, and potato slices. Spread the mixture over the prepared pie dough, leaving a 1 1/2-inch border around the edges. Drizzle with the remaining olive oil and sprinkle lightly with salt and pepper. Fold just the border of the dough up around the filling, pleating it to make a pretty, circular enclosure, leaving the center open. In a small bowl, beat the egg with a fork. Lightly brush the pleated dough with the egg to give it shine and help it brown in the oven.
4. Bake the galette for 45 to 50 minutes, or until the pastry is golden brown and the potatoes are soft when tested with a paring knife or skewer. Check the bottom of the galette for doneness by lifting slightly with a metal spatula. Transfer to a rack to cool for 5 to 10 minutes.
5. Transfer the galette to a serving plate with a cake lifter or two spatulas, or the bottom of a tart pan slipped underneath to keep it from breaking as you move it. Slice and serve warm.

Flaky Pie or Tart Dough
(adapted from "The Art & Soul of Baking", Cindy Mushet or here)
Ingredients
1 stick (4 ounces) cold unsalted butter, cut into ½-inch pieces
3 to 4 tablespoons cold water
1 ¼ cups (6 ¼ ounces) unbleached all-purpose flour
1 ½ teaspoons sugar (omit for a savory crust)
¼ teaspoon salt

Equipment
Small Measuring Cup, Food Processor Fitted with a Metal Blade, Large Bowl, Rolling Pin, Pastry Brush, 9- or 10-inch Pie or Tart Pan, Kitchen Scissors

1. Place the butter pieces in a bowl or on a plate and freeze for at least 20 minutes. Refrigerate the water in a small measuring cup until needed.
2. Mix the dough: Place the flour, sugar, and salt in the bowl of the food processor. Process for 10 seconds to blend the ingredients. Add the frozen butter pieces and pulse 6 to 10 times (in 1-second bursts), until the butter and flour mixture looks like crushed crackers and peas.
3. Immediately transfer the butter-flour mixture to the large bowl. Sprinkle a tablespoon of the cold water over the mixture and “fluff” it in, then add another, and another, until 3 tablespoons have been added. Continue to fluff and stir 10 or 12 times. It will not be a cohesive dough at this point but a bowl of shaggy crumbs and clumps of dough. Before bringing the dough together, you need to test it for the correct moisture content. Take a handful of the mixture and squeeze firmly. Open your hand. If the clump falls apart and looks dry, remove any large, moist clumps from the bowl then add more water, one teaspoon at a time, sprinkling it over the top of the mixture and immediately stirring or mixing it in. Test again before adding any more water. Repeat, if needed. The dough is done when it holds together (even if a few small pieces fall off). If the butter feels soft and squishy, refrigerate before continuing. If the butter is still cold and firm, continue to the next step. (Note: Adding the liquid may also be done on low speed in a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment—add three-fourths of the liquid, test for moistness, then add the remaining liquid if needed.)
4. Knead and chill the dough: Turn the dough onto a work surface and knead gently 3 to 6 times. If it won’t come together and looks very dry, return it to the bowl and add another teaspoon or two of water (one at a time), mixing in as above, and try again. Flatten the dough into a 6- or 7-inch disk, wrap in plastic or parchment paper, and refrigerate for 30 minutes. This allows time for the dough to hydrate fully and for the butter to firm up again.
5. Roll the dough: If the dough has been refrigerated for more than 30 minutes, it may be very firm and hard and will crack if you try to roll it. Let it sit on the counter for 10 to 15 minutes until it is malleable but still cold. Dust your work surface generously with flour and set the disk on the flour. Dust the top with flour. Roll, turning the dough and following the directions on page 171, until you’ve got a 14- to 15-inch circle about ¹⁄8 inch thick. If at any point the dough becomes warm and sticky, gently fold it into quarters, unfold it onto a baking sheet and refrigerate for 15 minutes, or until the butter is firm again.
6. If a crack or hole forms while rolling, brush any flour away and patch the area according to the instructions on page 171.
7. Transfer the dough: Fold the dough circle into quarters, brushing off any excess flour as you fold. Put the point of the folded dough in the center of the pie pan, tart pan, or baking sheet and unfold the dough, lifting it slightly as necessary to ease it into the crevices of the pan. Do not stretch or pull the dough, which can cause thin spots, holes, and/or shrinkage during baking.
8. Trim the dough: Use a pair of kitchen scissors to trim the dough so it overhangs the edge of the pan by 1 inch. Fold the overhanging dough under itself around the pan edge, then crimp or form a decorative border (page 174). Chill for 30 minutes before baking.

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Do stop by Lena of Frozen Wings and Zoe of Bake For Happy Kids, and all our friends who has baked along with us in the linky below :

For our next Bake-Along, we will be baking based on "Theme : Christmas Yeasted Bread".  You may bake any yeasted bread recipe which is calling out Christmas! Link your post to our linky which will open from 3rd to 24th December. Everyone is welcome to join us! Only current posts please.

A friendly reminder when linking to our linky :

1. Please mention Bake-Along event in your own post linking direct to any of the hosts' post (Joyce, Lena or Zoe)

2. Please link only new and current post, PLEASE FOLLOW THE BAKE OR THEME provided by us. Unrelated post will be deleted.

3. Feel free to display our Bake-Along badge in your post.

An InLinkz Link-up

Chocolate Pots de Creme : Bake-Along #87

It's time for our Bake-Along #87, and this week's recipe is selected by me! I have been meaning to make Chocolate Pots de Creme for the longest time!  I'm baking this chocolaty dessert with Lena and Zoe, and everyone is invited to join us.

A simple straightforward dessert, baked "bain-marie" style, in a water bath. Very easy to make, simply combine the cream, milk, chocolate, espresso powder and cook over a low heat, taking care not to let it boil, until the chocolate has melted and the liquid is hot. In a medium bowl, whisk the egg yolk and sugar until blended, and while still whisking, pour the hot chocolate mixture gradually into the egg yolk mixture. Whisk to evenly combine and pour this mixture into a large measuring cup over a sieve. Skim off any foam or bubbles. 

Pour into ramekin moulds, place them in a roasting pan, fill the pan with hot water until halfway up the sides of the ramekin, cover the pan with foil, and carefully place the roasting pan in a preheated oven at 150C. Bake until set, about 50-60 minutes. Remove pan from oven, remove the foil and leave the ramekins in the water until cool enough to handle. Cover and refrigerate the ramekins until well chilled.

I chilled the Chocolate Pots de Creme overnight and we had it the next day.

The kids can't wait...well, it's chocolate, their favourite! (And I like my new ramekin moulds...I love ramekin moulds!)

 Yummilicious! Creamy, smooth, and so chocolaty! Not too sweet, which is a plus for me! 

It is quite rich and delicious! 

And so gloriously luscious!

(They rhyme!! ) 

Chocolate Pots de Creme
(adapted from "The Williams-Sonoma Baking Book")
makes 6 servings
1-1/3 cups (11fl oz/340ml) heavy (double) cream
1-1/3 cups (11fl oz/340ml) whole mill
6 oz (185gm) bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
1 tbsp instant espresso powder or instant coffee powder
6 large egg yolks
1/4 cup (1-3/4 oz/50gm) sugar

Preheat the oven to 300F (150C). Have ready six 3/4-cup (6fl oz/180ml) ramekins and a shallow roasting pan.

In a saucepan over medium-low heat, combine the cream, milk, chopped chocolate, and espresso powder and cook, whisking frequently, until the chocolate is melted and the liquid is hot. Do not let boil. Remove from the heat.

In a bowl, whisk together the egg yolk and sugar until well blended. While whisking constantly, gradually pour the hot chocolate mixture into the yolk mixture. Pour the custard through a sieve placed over a 4-cup (32fl oz/1-liter) glass measuring pitcher. Using a large spoon, skim off any foam and bubbles from the top.

Divide the custard evenly among the ramekins. Place the ramekins in the roasting pan and pour very hot tap water into the pan to come halfway up the sides of the cups. Cover the pan with aluminium foil.

Bake the custards until they are set but the centers still jiggle slightly when a cup is gently shaken, 55-60 minutes. Remove the pan from the oven and leave the ramekins in the water until cool enough to handle. Cover and refrigerate until well chilled, at least 2 hours or up to overnight. Serve chilled.

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Do stop by Lena of Frozen Wings and Zoe of Bake For Happy Kids, and all our friends who has baked along with us in the linky below :

Bake-Along is taking a break in October and we will be back on 17th November with our baking theme : "Theme - Galette". You may bake any galette recipe and link your post to our linky which will open from 17th to 28th November. Everyone is welcome to join us! Only current post please.

A friendly reminder when linking to our linky :

1. Please mention Bake-Along event in your own post linking direct to any of the hosts' post (Joyce, Lena or Zoe)

2. Please link only new and current post, PLEASE FOLLOW THE BAKE OR THEME provided by us. Unrelated post will be deleted.

3. Feel free to display our Bake-Along badge in your post.

An InLinkz Link-up