Saturday, August 28, 2010

August 2010 Daring Bakers' Challenge: Ice Cream Petit Fours/ Baked Alaska With Brown Butter Pound Cake

Posted by Nuraini at 3:30 PM 2 comments
The August 2010 Daring Bakers’ challenge was hosted by Elissa of 17 and Baking. For the first time, The Daring Bakers partnered with Sugar High Fridays for a co-event and Elissa was the gracious hostess of both. Using the theme of beurre noisette, or browned butter, Elissa chose to challenge Daring Bakers to make a pound cake to be used in either a Baked Alaska or in Ice Cream Petit Fours. The sources for Elissa’s challenge were Gourmet magazine and David Lebovitz’s “The Perfect Scoop”.

August's challenge was a fun, and tiring one to me. As always, making homemade ice cream without an ice cream maker is time consuming. Moreover, with limited storage space in my more-than-15-year-old freezer makes ice cream making a more daunting task. Elissa was kind enough to allow the use of store bought ice cream for those with complications in making homemade ice cream.

Earlier this month, I was having my progress test so I was afraid I wouldn't have enough time to make my own ice cream and to complete this challenge. However, towards the end of the month, I've decided that I should participate this challenge by making homemade ice cream, rather than store bought ones. Else, would this be a challenge anymore? Challenges are meant to be hard, don't they?

Initially, I chose to make baked alaska. However, during the process, I decided to make some petit fours as well. I suppose I was excited to decorate my cakes with those decorating sprinkles and stars sitting in my fridge waiting for my Raya baking. I invited a friend over to bake with me as I have all the equipments over at my place. In exchange, I got to have awesome pictures of my cakes taken.

Here's my baked alaska - caramel ice cream with brown buter pound cake topped with meringue.


Next up, is my petit fours - caramel ice cream sandwiched with brown butter pound cake decorated with chocolate glaze, icing sugar, almonds, colourful sprinkles and stars.


I've enjoyed this month challenge a lot. It allowed me to let my creativity flow, something I could never have done else where but my baking. The brown butter pound cake was exceptionally delicious. The aroma itself could lured me into the kitchen past midnight just to have another bite of the cake. Letting the cake wait in the freezer sure was a torture. My family and friends enjoyed the cake a lot and hopefully, my Physics tutor did too. I gave him each of the Petit Fours as a I'm-sorry-I-did-not-score-very-well-for-Physics-progress-test gift.

This recipe is really something worth keeping. Perhaps it's time I re-compile all my recipes into my recipe book. If you wanna know more about the recipe, please visit http://thedaringkitchen.com/.

This month, I'll let the pictures do all the talking for the baking process. :)

Sunday, August 15, 2010

dilemma? no. its stress..

Posted by Nuraini at 4:32 PM 0 comments
My Mum offered to give me a ride to a nearby grocery store to get ingredients for the cakes and biscuits I'll be baking for Hari Raya (aka Islamic New Year). Honestly, that was kind of a surprise cos most times I'd be the one to beg for a ride.

So I started my research on what to bake. One thing I don't like about Raya cakes is that they use LOTS of egg yolk *10 at least* and butter *500g at least*. It's very pricey to bake wonderful Malay cakes and biscuits and it's a headache for me to search for recipes that are nice yet cheap. It's so HARD to keep everything within budget.. SIGHHHH.

Now I'm having a headache and I've stopped my research. I told Mum I'll just go some other day. Time to do my homework.. or maybe a nap.

Bye bloggie.

Saturday, August 07, 2010

Lakers 24 Fondant Cake.

Posted by Nuraini at 6:50 PM 1 comments

Can I let the pictures tell the story? I'm pretty much tired to blog now. T.T

All I can say is:
1. I think my frosting looks good! My second attempt is so much prettier!
2. Marshmallow fondant nearly killed me. The kneading and trying hard to get the right consistency demotivated me. But I didn't give up!
3. Piecing of fondant pieces and purple icing was pretty hard. 
4. Total preparation + bake time: 13 FREAKING HOURS IN THE KITCHEN! 

Anyways. I'll come back and update more next time k? :) Enjoy the pictures~


Chocolate Frosting~


Marshmalllow Fondant~


Assembling~
 

nurainicious Copyright 2009 Sweet Cupcake Designed by Ipiet Templates Image by Tadpole's Notez