Live Today for Tomorrow

Sunday, August 8, 2010

Chocolate-Filled Russian Tea Cakes

在美国的生活，假日不出门的时候我就会想做一些自己喜欢吃的饼干或者蛋糕。成功的话就会分享给朋友。如果朋友很喜欢吃，我的自信心会大大增加，然后继续地bake。。。我在baking这方面很没有天分，也没有自信心，找到了一份recipe,我还会去google看别人的recipe是不是一样的，如果不一样，我就开始担心到底哪一个比较accurate。其实这样是很多余的吧，反而会失败呢！

最近买了几本recipe book. 所以今天就做这个 Chocolate-Filled Russian Tea Cakes。Tea Cakes, 通常是在圣诞节的时候吃的。我放的是chocolate filling，它的texture像是融在口里的butter cookies.真正的recipe是趁热时把tea cakes滚进糖粉，给它裹上一层甜甜的糖粉，看起来就像snow balls。可是我不喜欢太甜的dessert，所以我的tea cakes的卖相和真正的tea cakes不一样。

Ingredients:

Conversion calculator for measurement-->http://www.dianasdesserts.com/index.cfm/fuseaction/tools.measures/Measures.cfm

1 cup butter (softened)

1/2 cup powdered sugar for tea cakes

1 tsp vanilla

2 cups all-purpose flour

1/4 tsp salt

3/4 cup finely chopped walnuts

1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chip

1/2 cup powdered sugar for coating

Instructions:

1. Heat oven to 400 degree Fahrenheit. In large bowl, beat butter, 1/2 cup powdered sugar and vanilla with electric mixer on medium speed until well mixed.

2. On low speed, beat in flour, salt and walnuts.

3. For each cookie, shape scant measuring tablespoonfuls dough around chocolate chips (I use 5 chips for one cookie) to make 1-inch ball.

4. Place 1-inch apart on ungreased cookie sheets.

5. Bake 12 to 15 minutes or until set and bottoms begin to turn golden brown.

6. Meanwhile, in small bowl, prepare the powdered sugar for coating.

7. Immediately remove cookies from the cookie sheets, roll in sugar coating.

8. Cool completely on cooling rack, about 30 minutes. Roll in sugar coating again.

My tea cakes ingredients...

With mixer, beat the butter, sugar and vanilla extract...

After beat in flour, salt and walnut. The mixture form a sticky dough..

Ghirardelli semi-sweet chocolate chips for filling...

Place each ball 1-inch apart, the tea cakes will rise while baking..

Done baking, remove from oven.

I sprinkle powdered sugar on the tea cakes instead of rolling them into the sugar. The tea cakes will not be too sweet doing this way.

Thursday, August 5, 2010

每天都要吃早餐...

卢广仲有一首很废的早餐歌,可是我却很喜欢...

里头有几句歌词.."我决定每天都要吃早餐,太阳每天依然在. 看到你的同学,请他一定要早睡早起,加上吃早餐,因为身体健康也是一种,也是一种rock'n roll 的 style..."

能够每天吃早餐,真的是一件很棒的事情.

早餐决定我一整天下来的心情,所以我很珍惜吃早餐的时间,特别是加一杯浓浓的coffee....

我很喜欢和他吃早餐. 有他在,我的早餐总是很好吃. 一个人在美国的日子,少了吃早餐的乐趣,所以他在这了,我的早餐又变得好吃了...

Sunday, July 25, 2010

Chocolate Dipped Scottish Shortbread

Shortbread....is one of my favourite cookies..and I am making some melted chocolate as the coating for my shortbread today.

Ingredients:

Conversion calculator for measurement-->http://www.dianasdesserts.com/index.cfm/fuseaction/tools.measures/Measures.cfm

2 cups (260g) all purpose flour

1/4 tsp (2g) salt

1 cup (2 sticks or 226g)unsalted butter, room temperature

1/2 cup (60g) confectioners sugar

1 tsp (4g) pure vanilla extract

For chocolate dipped shortbread:

6 ounces (180g) semi sweet or bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped

Instructions:

1.In a large bowl, sieve the flour, mix with salt and set aside.

2. In the bowl of electric mixer, beat the butter until smooth and creamy (about 1 minute).

3. Add the sugar and beat until smooth (about 2 minutes).

4. Beat in the vanilla extract.

5. Gently stir in the flour mixture just until incorporated.

6. Shape the dough into two logs, and wrap them in wax paper.

7. Chill the dough for at least one hour.

8. When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (177 degrees C) with the rack in the middle of the oven.

9. If logs are frozen, let stand at room temperature for 10 minutes. Slice the logs into thin slice cookies. Place cookies 1 inch apart on parchment paper-lined cookie sheets (I am using nonstick silicone baking mat).

10. Bake for 8-10 minutes, or until cookies are very lightly browned. Cool on a wire rack.

For chocolate dipped shortbread:

1. Place 3 ounces (90g) of the finely chopped chocolate in a heatproof bowl and place it over a saucepan of simmering water.

2. Once the chocolate has melted, remove it from the heat. Add the remaining chocolate and stir with a spoon until it has completely melted and is smooth and glossy.

3. Taking one cookie at a time, dip one end of each cookies in the melted chocolate and place it on a parchment lined baking sheet.

4. Once all the cookies have been dipped into the chocolate, place the baking sheets n the refrigerator for about 10minutes, or until the chocolate has hardened.

Bought a new kitchen scale...

The dough..

Dough is frozen in the freezer, for easier cutting...

Baking..

Melted Ghirardelli chocolate...

Shortbread goes well with a cup of hot coffee...

Friday, July 16, 2010

Dear John....

Dear John, tell me everything. Write it all down, scribble it in a notebook. Type it out, email it to me... I don't care, but I wanna know everything. Then we'll be with each other all the time, even if we're not with each other at all..

I love this quote, simple yet meaningful...I love the movie, it is so touching....and I love this song...

I love this place

But it's haunted without you

My tired heart

Is beating so slow

Our hearts sing less

Than we wanted

We wanted

Our hearts sing 'cause

We do not know

we do not know

To light the night

To help us grow

It is not said

I always know

You can catch me

Don't you run

If you live another day

In this happy little house

The fire's here to stay

To light the night

To help us grow

It is not said

I always know

Please don't make a fuss

It won't go away

The wonder of it all

The wonder that I made

I am here to stay

Stay

Sunday, July 11, 2010

Vanilla CuppyCakes with Frosting

It is weekend, and the gang will gather for board game and wiiiiii...

So, thought of making some cupcakes for the tea break.

I like cupcakes, but just cupcake, without topping...I always think the topping/frosting is too sweet. Today I am making vanilla cupcakes with vanilla butter cream frosting, because I thought other people might prefer some toppings on top. So I reduce the amount of sugar, for both the cupcakes and the frosting, just want to make sure it is not too sweet....

Ingredients:

Conversion calculator for measurement-->http://www.dianasdesserts.com/index.cfm/fuseaction/tools.measures/Measures.cfm

Vanilla Cupcake

1 3/4 cup flour

1 tbsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 cup unsalted butter (room temperature but not too soft)

1 cup sugar (I use 3/4 cup)

2 eggs

1 tsp vanilla

3/4 cup milk

Vanilla Butter Cream Frosting

1/4 cup butter

Pinch of salt

2 1/2 cups icing sugar (I use 1 3/4 cups)

4 tbsp milk

1/2 tsp vanilla

Instructions:

Vanilla Cupcake

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

2. Beat sugar and butter at medium speed with stand mixer until creamy and fluffy, about 5 minutes.

3. Add eggs, one at a time, beating until yellow disappears after each addition.

4. Beat in vanilla extract.

5. Whisk together flour, baking powder and salt in a bowl, add to butter mixture alternately with milk, beginning and ending with flour mixture.

6. Beat at medium-low speed just until blended after each addition. The batter will be thick (do not over mix).

7. Line a 12-cupcakes pan with paper cupcakes liners. Fill the liners until 2/3 full.

8. Bake for about 20minutes in the preheated oven, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of a cupcake comes out clean. Cool on rack before frosting.

Vanilla Butter Cream Frosting

1. Beat butter, vanilla extract and salt at medium speed with electric mixer until creamy.

2. Gradually add icing sugar and milk, beating at low speed until smooth, creamy and spreadable.

Ingredients for cupcake...