Far Breton

Far Breton (also Breton Far) is a traditional cake or dessert from the Brittany region in France. Its base is similar in composition to a clafoutis batter: a flan-style eggs-and-milk custard with flour added. Prunes or raisins are common additions. Numerous recipes available at popular websites suggest soaking the dried fruits in alcohol; this is not traditional practice but makes an interesting variation. Far Breton as served in Brittany is often cooked to a much more "burned" appearance than online recipes indicate; the top of the custard appears nearly blackened rather than golden-brown.

Browned Butter White Brownies

I've made brownies lots of times using a variety of recipes but somehow had never tried a white version..can't help but wonder how I'd missed it for such a long time! Anyway, here it comes!

Trying to be a brownie making expert, I decided to use all of my experience and skill to make my own version which ended up like the following..

The recipe

125 g white chocolate , chopped
100 g butter, browned
2 extra large eggs, room temperature
50 g caster sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
80 g AP Flour
1/4 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
a handful of semi-sweet chocolate chips
sliced almond for topping

Method :

In a double boiler or microwave, melt the chocolate and browned butter; cool slightly.

In a large bowl, beat eggs and sugar until light in color, add the vanilla and mix until blended. Gradually beat in the melted chocolate mixture. Combine flour, baking powder and salt; fold into the chocolate mixture. Stir in the chips.

Pour into a greased 8-in. x 8 in. baking pan. Bake at 350° for 15-20 minutes. Cool on a wire rack for 15 minutes before slicing.

   

Apple Cupcake

I came accross this recipe of apple cake on one of my favorite sites while I was looking for something and I couldn't believe myself how I'd missed it for such a long time..anyway,it's always better late than never!

The only problem of making the cake is that I could't find a golden apple called for in the recipe. Without any effort made, I simply substituted a granny smith apple for it with a hope that there wouldn't be much difference in the result !

The recipe could be found here.

Orange-scented Marble Pound Cake

I was inspired by this post to make my own version and instead of plain one, I decided to spice up my cake by making it marbled given orange and chocolate are always a great duo !

Here is what I've done..

150 g unsalted butter, room temperature
3/4 scant tsp salt
150 g caster sugar
150 g cake flour
2 tsp baking powder
100 g milk
3 large eggs, room temperature
2 tsp vanilla
1 rounded tbsp orange zest
2 rounded tbsp cocoa powder + 2 tsp sugar + boiling water for cocoa paste

Method :

1. Preheat the oven to 160 c. , Lightly grease a loaf tin and line with parchment paper. Sift the flour, salt and baking powder together and set aside. Beat the butter and sugar with a paddle attachment on medium-high speed until light and fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time and beat well each addition, stop the machine and scrape the batter down from time to time, until incorperated and the batter becomes smooth. Add the vanilla and the zest and mix all until blended.

2. Add the flour mixture and milk alternatively and mix until smooth. Divide 1/3 of the batter to a mixing bowl and fold in the cocoa paste, mix until incorperated. Pour half of plain batter into the prepared tin, top with the cocoa batter and finish with the rest of the plain batter. Make a swirl with a thick toothpick or a cake checker. Bake for 60 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center come out clean. Let cool in pan on a rack and turn out onto a rack.

Pan De Muerto..Bread of the Dead !

Pan de muertos is a type of  bread traditionally baked in Mexico during the weeks leading up to the Día de los Muertos, which is celebrated on November 1 and 2. It is a sweetened soft bread shaped like a bun, often decorated with bone-like pieces. Pan de muertos is eaten on Día de los Muertos, at the gravesite or altar of the deceased. In some regions it is eaten for months before the official celebration of Dia de los Muertos. As part of the celebration, loved ones eat pan de muertos as well as the relative's favorite foods. The bones represent the lost one (difuntos or difuntas) and there is normally a baked tear drop on the bread to represent sorrow. The bones are represented in a circle to portray the circle of life.

I wasn't aware of this bread's existence until I've recently found it on here.  As a bread (making) lover,I knew at the first sight that there's nothing that could stop me from making the bread! Given my husband doesn't fancy a taste or smell of orange blossom water, so I searched on google for other options and finally ended up with this one from here.

I've also sent this bread to join yeastspotting hosted by Susan of Wildyeast.

Spicy Stir-fried Sirloin with Thai Basil

Instead of a plain sirloin steak , this dish is another way to jazz it up.. Along with other few ingredients, it could easily become much more interesting ...simple, yet scrumptious !!

The recipe could be found here.

Thyme and Pepper Cornmeal Crackers

With time limited whenever I feel like baking something on a busy day, then there're not too many choices for me to choose but strangely, I always opt for crackers!


I decided to make this cookie straight away when I've found it here in the first place.. but for some reason ( which more often than not that I can't remember what it is like this time!) I ended up with the version I've done!!


Here is my version..

Ingredients

80 g wholemeal flour

100 g AP flour

50 g cornmeal

2 tsp baking powder

3/4 scant tsp salt

1 tsp ground black pepper

1 tbsp dried thyme

1 tbsp sugar

2 tbsp sesame seeds

75 g butter

5-6 tbsp milk

2 scant tbsp dijon mustard 

Method :

1. Preheat the oven to gas 5 and line 2 baking sheets with non-stick paper.

2. Mix the dry ingredients, thyme and seasoning in a bowl. Add the butter and rub in.

3. In a cup, mix the milk and mustard together and stir into the flour mixture to make a soft dough.

4. Knead for a few times and wrap the dough in cling film , then let it stand in the fridge for 20-30 minutes. Take the dough out and roll out thinly onto lightly floured surface and stamp out rounds with a cookie cutter. Roll the trimmings and stamp more rounds until all the dough is used. Pinch with a fork and bake for 8-10 minutes or so, until they’re lightly browned.