Friday, August 25, 2017

Azuki and coconut milk chiffon

I still have a lot of cake flour which I try to use up before summer comes. Decided to use my frozen tsubuan which I made quite some back as well. Based on the density of the tsubuan, decided to adapt the recipe for chocolate milk and cocoa chips because this recipe has more flour which will give it the density to 'hold' up the tsubuan. 
http://thedomesticgoddesswannabe.com/2016/02/chocolate-milk-chiffon-cake-with-chocolate-chips/

I substituted the milk for coconut milk and choc chips for tsubuan and some other changes e.g. sugar and milk volume. Didn't turn out too bad. Surprisingly seems a bit undercooked compared to when I usually bake this which comes out really brown. Really moist though. At first I thought the temp may be too high (170 deg C usually is) but as you can see, the top has already cracked.
Ingredients
7 eggs, separated
210 ml coconut milk
120 ml oil
35 (for yolks) + 135g (for whites) sugar
225g cake flour
¾ tsp baking powder
½ tsp salt
140g tsubuan or koshian

Method
1) Add the 35g of sugar to the yolks and beat till the sugar has mostly dissolved. 
2) Add the oil and beat until paler in colour. 
3) Add in the coconut milk and salt. Whisk until combined.
4) In 2 batches, sift in the cake flour and baking powder and fold using a whisk. Try not to over beat or you will develop gluten. Set aside.
5) In a very clean bowl (no oil, water, or detergent), beat the egg whites on low speed until foamy and opaque. Add sugar in 3 batches. After all the sugar has been added, turn up the speed to max and beat until stiff peaks.
6) Add the meringue to the yolk mixture in 3 batches. The first batch: incorporate till no streaks remain. You don't have to be too gentle. The second batch: This time, fold in gently so as not to knock out the air. The third batch: This time, return the yolk mixture to the left over third of meringue. Very gently fold in with a whisk (my preferred) or spatula until just combined.
7) In the ungreased 26 to 26" cake tin, pour in ⅓ of the mixture. Top with ½ of the tsubuan, trying to distribute evenly. Top with the next ⅓ of the cake mixture and another ½ of the tsubuan. Finally, cover with the remaining batter.
8) Using a spatula, run around batter in a zig zag manner and pay attention to the edges of the tin and around the centre funnel. This will disperse the bigger air bubbles and also swirl the tsubuan. (The original recipe recommends dropping the cake tin on the counter to dispel more air bubbles but I don't do this if the recipe has a very dense filling which will tend to sink to the bottom anyway as you can see from the picture)
9) Bake at 170 deg C for 65 minutes. Tent in the last 20 minutes or adjust to 165 deg C for up to 70 minutes, checking at 65 mins. Remove and immediately invert and allow to cool completely in the tin.
10) Unmould by running a knife or spatula around the edges and invert onto a plate. The bottom should be the top of the cake because that's where it's flattest.

Recipe feedback
The cake came out very slightly undercooked inside although the outside was quite brown. I have adjusted the recipe to bring down the temp from 170 to 165 deg C and to increase from 65 to 70 minutes. Alternatively, to tent the cake.

Friday, August 11, 2017

Peanut butter chocolate challah

I've been wanting to make braided bread for a long time. Came across a recipe called crazy dough that uses yoghurt https://www.biggerbolderbaking.com/crazy-dough/

and then she added Nutella and braided it https://www.biggerbolderbaking.com/crazy-dough-nutella-braided-loaf/

I've played around with the ingredients e.g. made it less salty and more sweet since this is a sweet bread, and used Reese's new chocolate peanut butter spread instead of Nutella which I've run out of.

Not a bad recipe, it produces a crusty top like french baguette and isn't soft like brioche. This fits the description of challah which is a Jewish braided bread that has no butter and uses milk. I've since found out that the look/style is probably closer to a babka which is a bread has butter, oil, and water but not milk. Not sure what the texture will be like but I suspect it will be softer.
Nutella: http://prettysimplesweet.com/nutella-babka/ 
Chocolate: http://prettysimplesweet.com/chocolate-babka/ 

Ingredients (makes 2 loaves)
½ cup (120ml) warm milk
¾ cup yoghurt
1 egg
2 tsp sugar
1 tsp salt
2 tsp instant yeast
1½ tsp baking powder
½ cup Reese's chocolate peanut butter spread
2 tbsp melted butter

Method
1) Mix the wet: milk, yoghurt, and beat the egg.
2) In another bowl, mix the dry: sugar, salt, flour, baking powder.
3) Pour the wet into the dry and mix until a shaggy dough forms. If needed, add slightly more flour or milk to allow the ball to form.
4) Knead till you get a smooth dough, about 5 to 10 minutes. I used the window pane test. Form a ball and place in an oiled bowl. Cover with cling film and a tea towel and set aside in a warm place to prove for 2 hours or until doubled in size.
5) Take out and knock out the air. Dust the work surface with just a bit of flour. Knead until all the air has been deflated, about 5 minutes. Roll out to about 1 to 1.5 cm thick. To fit the loaf pan, don't spread it too much lengthways but have it wider i.e. you want a thicker roll rather than a longer one.
6) Spread a thin layer onto the dough, leaving a seam of 2cm at one end untouched. (I microwaved the spread for 30 seconds so it became pourable and easier to spread). Do not spread too thickly otherwise when you cut it in half, it will smear onto the 'white' parts.
7) Roll it up sideways at the longer edge, from the end that has no spread. Once you reach the seam, pinch to secure and turn it so the seam faces down.
8) Using a sharp knife, slide lengthways down the middle. Pinch two ends together and pleat (watch the video (http://prettysimplesweet.com/nutella-babka/).
9) Place into the loaf pan and cover to prove for 45 to 60 minutes.
10) Brush the white parts (ie dough that has no spread on it) with the melted butter while you preheat the oven to 190 deg C.
11) Bake for 20 (my small loaf pan) to 25 (my big loaf pan) minutes until crusty. When you tap the crust, it sounds hollow.
12) Leave it to cool in the tin on a wire rack for 20 to 25 minutes otherwise the filling will be molten hot!
13) Store in an airtight box out of the fridge for up to 3 days. Also freezes well.

Buchujeon (Garlic chives pancake)