how to update: choux a la creme

Baking cream puffs was once a very intimidating thing for me to do. The most frustrating thing I found about making the choux pastry is probably when the choux has risen in the oven, only to find them deflating when taking them out to cool.

After more than half a year of baking them, they're not so hard to make after all! When I made them at school, they were pretty popular and every time friends come over, I end up baking a batch to share. Though, Mrs Roddick always seems to enjoy eating the creme patisserie more :P Just waiting for Mrs Roddick and Doodie to have time to come over to bake a croquembouche!

I've come up with another set of mumble jumbo notes (improved version) for my self reference. If you're interested, my first set of notes can be found here.

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• 1 egg (+ 1 egg yolk, if needed) per batch
• Right consistency - firm, does not fall off the spoon
• Pipe dough "tall", approx. 3 cm strip / diameter
• Bake in the oven for 200°C for 20 minutes, lower temperate to 150°C and further bake for another 20 minutes
• Creme patisserie; 2 yolk custard and 150 ml cream, whipped

maple syrup pancakes + mixed berry compote

[Scroll down for recipe if you don't want to read useless rambles]

Graduated. Exams finished; Monday actually. The time of our lives and yet everyone I know is busy doing nothing or being unsuccessful in part time job hunting, including me.

But I haven't been exactly doing nothing. I've returned to school a few times this week distributing appreciation gifts, hassling Year 11s to buy my text books (and made $65 today) and catching up with fellow Year 12s who drop in.

Going to school is actually more interesting than staying home actually. Fairly interesting reactions from the juniors when Murasaki and I barricaded the study room to set up a "store".

Hrm, so what's with the pancakes and compote? They're nothing new really, but I procrastinated and made a ton of pancakes during my exam period :D And now I'm too lazy to bake or cook anything at the moment.

Who knew having the time of our lives would be so boring. I need something to do.

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mixed berry compote

ingredients:makes 2 small servings

• 1 packet (75 g) frozen mixed berries
• 2 tsp sugar
• 1 tsp lemon juice
• 1 - 2 Tb water

method:

1. Place all the ingredients into a small pot.
2. Stir constantly for 8 - 10 minutes on low heat.
3. When the berries are soft, and when liquids are slightly thick, the compote is ready.
   Cool and refrigerate for later use.

* Mix with plain yogurt and freeze for a frozen treat.
***
maple syrup pancakes
ingredients:
makes 10 mini pancakes

• 1 egg
• 3 Tb maple flavoured syrup
• 75 ml milk
• 1/2 Tb unsalted butter, melted
• 75 g self raising flour, sifted
• 3/4 tsp baking powder
• vanilla ice cream and mixed berry compote, to serve

method:

1. Using a whisk, beat the egg and maple syrup until frothy.
   Whisk while adding the milk and melted butter / margarine.
2. Add the sifted flour, baking powder and whisk to make a smooth and runny batter.
3. Heat a non stick frying pan and add a small piece of butter / drizzle of oil.
   Wipe fat off with kitchen paper and reserve. Turn heat to a medium high*.
4. Add 1/4 cup of batter and flip with a spatula when many bubbles appear on the surface.
   Cook other side until golden.
5. Wipe the frying pan with the kitchen paper and repeat step 4 until there is no more batter.
6. To serve, add a scoop of vanilla ice cream and some mixed berry compote.

* For the heat use, I generally start of using a medium high heat and lowering it each time as the pan gets hotter.
* To make even coloured pancakes, turn heat to medium high then to low. Cook pancakes slowly over low heat.

food for thought: ohagi

Crunchyroll is an online video service and community that offers full-length episodes and movies of the very best in Japanese anime and Asian entertainment. Crunchyroll's content is provided by Asian media leaders including TV TOKYO, Shueisha, Fuji Creative Corporation, Pony Canyon, Yomiuri Telecasting Corporation, Toei Animation, Gonzo, Munhwa Broadcasting of America, and many others. Extract from Crunchyroll's about page.

My ultimate goal of this blog is to inspire and motivate teenagers to take up cooking as a hobby.

Crunchyroll has a huge online teenage demographic base as well younger and older viewers, so since August, I've been submitting in articles to Crunchyroll in relation to 2D food. Basically, I write about food that appears in anime, manga and games and provide a recipe for it in the end.

The first article I submitted way back in August has received the thumbs up and green light to be published in the Crunchyroll newsletter!

If you're interested from the preview screen shot, click here to read more!

* Clicking on any of the links will redirect you to a section of Crunchyroll

pumpkin + cheese scones

Recently, one of my Japanese pen friends asked if I was doing anything for Halloween. I did say I was planning to make pumpkin pudding to "celebrate" Halloween, but exam study caught up so I had to ditch the idea :( There's always next year!
I gave candy to trick-or-treaters, but when I tried to give them more they ran away XD Which reminds me of the time when these two Asian guys told my friends and I to take more freebies at UoM's open day - we bolted!
Because I woke up early on a Melbourne Cup public holiday, I felt like experimenting and baked scones. If you ever make these, you have to eat them straight from the oven or at the very least while they are still warm! They are light and fluffy :)
Back to study. Tomorrow, after my maths exam, I shall make a bonfire and burn recycle all maths related work!!!
***
pumpkin + cheese scones

ingredients:makes 9

• 1 1/2 cups self raising flour, sifted
• 50 g cold unsalted butter, cut into small cubes
• 1/4 cup sultanas (optional)
• 1/4 cup walnuts, chopped (optional)
• 3/4 cup pumpkin, steamed or boiled until soft and roughly mashed
• milk
• grated cheese (I used mozzarella)
• salt and pepper, to taste

method:

1. Preheat oven to 200°C conventional.
   Line a baking tray with grease proof paper.


2. Put sifted flour into a bowl, add the butter cubes and rub butter with fingertips until they resemble fine crumbs.


3. Add sultanas, walnut pieces and a handful of cheese.
   Mix through flour.


4. Add the mashed pumpkin and using your hands, gently bring together to form a dough.
   If the mixture is dry, add 2 Tb of milk at a time and stir through with a knife to make a soft dough.


5. Transfer to a lightly floured plate / chopping board and gently knead so the dough comes together.
   Pat dough to approx. 5 cm thick and cut rounds using a floured cutter.
   Gather off cuts and gently press them together and to combine and cut more rounds using a floured cutter.


6. Place them fairly close on a lined baking tray and top with extra cheese.


7. Bake for 15 minutes or until cheese has melted and is golden.