Choco Buttercream Macaron (using One-egg Ratio)

Eggs come in slight different weights, so do the egg white weights. To avoid using extra egg to meet the egg white weight stipulated in the macaron recipe, I work out a ratio to calculate the required accompanied ingredients based on one egg white weight. In other words, using the measured weight of an egg white, you can calculate the weights of the other ingredients. With this ratio, I can bake macarons based on any amount of egg white leftover from other cooking :)

Yield: 15 bite size macarons

Macaron ratio

By multiplying the egg white weight to the respective factors to obtain the individual weight of the other ingredients:

Egg white: x 1

Fine sugar: x 1

Almond powder*: x 1.17

Icing sugar: x 1.33

Cocoa powder: 1/4 tsp

* superfine blanched almond powder

Example

For egg white weight = 38g

The recipe will be as follows:

Egg white = 38 x 1 = 38g

Fine sugar = 38 x 1 = 38g

Almond powder = 38 x 1.17 = 45g

Icing sugar = 38 x 1.33 = 51g

Cocoa powder = 1/4 tsp

Directions

1. Blitz almond powder, icing sugar and cocoa powder in a food processor using a few pulse actions to keep the mixture lump-free. Sieve the mixture to ensure a finer texture.

Rushing to finish this, I skipped the sieving step, so the macaron batter was not so smooth 😁

2. Whip the egg white in a dry, clean and grease-free bowl till soft peak stage.

Due to a small amount of egg white involved, I use a handheld blender for this recipe.

Add in the fine sugar, in a few batches, and beat the egg white at low speed. After adding the last batch of fine sugar, increase the mixer speed to medium high.

When the meringue is about to reach stiff peak stage, reduce the mixer speed and check regularly. 

When the tip of the lifted whisk formed a stiff peak meringue, the meringue is ready.

3. Add the almond mixture in a few batches through a sieve.

Use a spatula to fold the almond mixture in. Towards the end of the folding process, try to get rid of air bubbles while you are folding the batter.

The batter is ready when it becomes smooth and glossy.

4. Pour the batter into a piping bag fitted with a 1cm round nozzle.

5. Pipe the batter onto a macaron mat or parchment paper. Give the macaron batter a few hard bangs against the work top to even out batter as well as to lift the air bubbles to the surface.

Use the tip of a stick to remove air bubbles and the pointed tips on the macaron batter.

6. Let the macaron batter stands in a well ventilated place to dry the tops. It takes about 30 minutes to dry.

When the batter is dry, it appears matt and dry to touch,

7. Preheat the oven to 140 degree Celsius for about 15 minutes to get a constant oven temperature.

Bake the macarons at the lower rack of the oven for about 20 to 25 minutes.

Coming towards the end of the baking, you can smell the nice aroma of the almond.

8. Transfer the tray of macarons of a cooling rack to cool down completely before removing them from the baking mat.

Keep the cool macaron shells in an air-tight container till needed.

Choco Buttercream filling

Ingredients

30g salted butter

10g icing sugar

1+1/2 tsp milk

2 tsp cocoa powder

Directions

1. Whip softened butter for about 3 minutes, then add in the icing sugar and continue to whip till the cream becomes pale. 

2. Add in milk and cocoa powder. Mix till smooth.

3. Transfer the choco buttercream to a small piping bag and keep in the fridge for about 10 minutes.

4. Cut away the tip of the piping bag. Pipe a thick ring of choco buttercream over one of the macaron shells.

You can pipe more cream to cover the entire face of the macaron.

Place another macaron shell over. Press lightly to even out the filling. Keep the macaron shells in an air tight container and refrigerate them.

Take out the macarons about 5 to 10 minutes before serving. Yumz 😋

Golden Cheesy Pull-Apart Bread

Recently, I discovered that by using cold ingredients to knead the dough in a breadmaker, the bread seems to be softer and more moist. Probably due to the cold ingredients, the proofing time has to be extended for both first and second proofing :)

Yield: 8 small buns in a 70x90x10cm

Raw dough weight: 517g

Appliances:

Whirlpool Breadmaker BM1000

Ingredients A

150g cold fresh milk

20g condensed milk

40g fine sugar

1/4 tsp salt

25g beaten egg

30g cold unsalted butter

Ingredient B

225g bread flour 

25g rice/cake flour

3/4 tsp instant dry yeast

Topping

Some beaten egg

75g white cheddar cheese, shredded

1/2 tsp honey + 1/4 tsp hot water

Directions

1. Pour ingredient A into the bread pan.

2. Mix ingredient B before adding on top of ingredient A.

3. Dig a hole in the centre of the flour, and pour the instant dry yeast in.

4. Select "kneading" function and press start. The process will take about 1:30 hour to complete.

5. After the program ended, let the dough sits in the bread pan for about 15 to 20 miinutes.

As the ingredients were cold, the proofing process is slower. Therefore, needs the extra time for the dough to rise.

6. Invert the dough out of the bread pan and onto a floured work top. 

Press down the dough to release the trapped air. 

Wear a pair of disposable gloves to handle the sticky dough.

7. Divide the dough into 8 equal portions. Shape them into 8 oval shape and place inside a long cake mould lined with parchment paper.

8. Spray some water over the doughs and place in a closed oven to proof for about 1 hour, or till the dough almost reach the brim of the cake mould.

9. Preheat the oven to 170 degree Celsius.

10. Brush some beaten egg over the dough and sprinkle the shredded white cheddar over.

11. Baked in the oven at 170 degree Celsius for about 18 minutes at the lower rack, or till the bread turns golden.

12. Mix honey with hot water and brush over the cheese top while the bread is still hot. 

Return the bread to the oven for 5 minutes and let the remnant heat dry up the glaze.

13. Unmould the bread to cool down on a wire rack before serving. Enjoy 😄

Baked Mini Egg Cakes 烤鸡蛋糕

I've been using this recipe to steam my egg cake for quite some time, but haven't try baking it. Have a twist, I baked it into 13 muffin size cakes after added a little honey. Unlike the traditional baked egg cake, which I find rather dry in the crumb, these egg cakes are rather moist and soft. 

Love these golden mini sweet cakes :)

Yield: 13 muffin size cakes

Ingredients:

All ingredients in room temperature 

2 eggs, separated
55g fine sugar

50g fresh milk

15g condensed milk

10g honey
10g vegetable oil

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

75g top flour
1/4 tsp baking powder 

材料

全部材料以室温进行

2粒 蛋，蛋白蛋黄分开

55ｇ 细糖

50ｇ牛奶

15ｇ炼奶

10g 蜂蜜

10ｇ食油

1/2茶匙 香草精

75ｇ低筋面粉

1／4茶匙 泡打粉

For strawberry jam filling cupcake, please find the steps at the end of this recipe :)

Directions:

1. Line muffin moulds with paper moulds. Set aside.

2. Mix flour with baking powder using a hand whisk.

3. Pour milk, condensed milk, honey and vegetable oil in a bowl. Set aside.

If your ingredients are cold from the fridge, you can keep them warm in a rice cooker for about 5 to 10 minutes

After above ingredients have return to room temperature, add in the vanilla extract.

4. Beat egg whites in a clean and grease free mixing bowl at high speed using an electric mixer till frothy. This takes about 1 minute.

Add in the sugar in 3 batches, and continue to beat at medium high speed.

When the meringue starts to form a steady trail behind the moving whisks, lower the speed till the meringue reaches the firm peak stage.

5. Beat in the egg yolk, one at a time.

6. Add in the flour mixture from (2) and milk mixture from (3) in alternate sequence. Starting with flour and end with flour.

Do not over mix the batter.

7. Use a cup cake scoop to scoop the batter into the lined muffin mould to about 2/3 the mould height.

Tap the mould to even out the batter, as well as to get rid of trapped air bubbles.

8. Bake in a preheated oven at 170 degree Celsius for about 10 minutes, or till the top of the cake has form a flat dome. Lower the oven temperature to 150 degree Celsius, and bake for about 20 to 25 minutes, or till the top has browned, and the cake has shrank a bit from the muffin pan.

When the cake has risen to this height, lower the oven temperature to 150 degree Celsius.

At the end of baking, the top of the cake has become golden, and the side has shrank in size a little.

Pictures for illustration purpose only.

9. Remove the cakes from the muffin mould and cool on a wire rack.

To avoid moisture loss, cover the warm cakes with a towel or paper kitchen towel.

Enjoy :)

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Strawberry Jam Cupcake

To add some varieties to the plain cupcake, add some fruit jams to the batter just before baking to make a sweet filling cupcake :)

Add a small dollop of strawberry jam to the top of the batter, push into the batter using the tip of a spoon, level with a spatula. 

Baked at 170 degree Celsius for 10 minutes, then reduce to 150 degree Celsius and bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or till the cake turns golden.