RECIPE Pasta Carbonara

Pasta Carbonara adapted from the "authentic" Italian way, or close enough! :P 

Portion for one hungry person

100g Dried pasta (spaghetti) 

01- 02 cloves garlic, smashed (more if you like) 

2 slices bacon / pancetta / guanciale

Dash of white wine

02 egg yolks 

1/2 cup parmasean cheese / Romano Pecorino (shredded or ground)

Pinch of salt & black pepper (freshly ground)

Dash of cream (optional) 

Chopped parsley (optional) 

Mix the eggs, cheese, salt, pepper, parsley and cream in a large mixing bowl. Set aside. This sauce will be not be cooked but will be gently heated up by the heat from the pasta and oil from the bacon/meat. 

Cook the dried spaghetti in a large pot. I prefer it al dente, so cooking time around 8-10 minutes. 

While the pasta is cooking, heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add the meat of your choice and sauté with garlic for about 5 minutes, or until the meat is crispy and golden and has rendered its fat. 

When the pasta is almost ready, deglaze the pan with a little white wine. 

Strain the pasta and mix it in to the egg mixture that was set aside, stirring quickly until the eggs thicken. The residual heat will cook the eggs but work quickly to prevent the eggs from scrambling. 

If the sauce seems too thick, thin it out with a little bit more cream. Garnish with more parsley and freshly ground black pepper. 

RECIPE Ham and Cheese muffins

Ham and cheese muffins

Sometimes you just want a break from the cloying sweetness and this recipe adds a savoury dimension to the classic muffin. 

HAM AND CHEESE MUFFINS

Recipe 

Yield 10 cups 

Preparation time: 

30 minutes preparation 

30 minutes bake and cool 

2 cups all purpose flour 

1/4 sugar 

1 tbsp baking powder 

1 tsp salt 

1 tsp onion powder 

1 tsp garlic powder 

1 cup milk / cream / yoghurt 

1/4 cup vegetable oil 

2 beaten eggs 

2 cups shredded cheddar 

2 cups ham in cubes 

2 tbsp bacon bits 

1 tsp dried basil/ mixed herbs 

1 tbsp fresh parsley (optional) 

METHOD 

1. Preheat oven 200deg Celcius 

2. Mix flour, salt, sugar, baking, onion and garlic powders and dried and fresh herbs. 

3. Beat the eggs and add in oil and milk. 

4. Make a well in dry flour mix, slowly pour and incorporate wet egg-milk mixture, stirring constantly to avoid lumps. 

5. Fold in bacon bits, cheese and ham. 

6. Spoon into muffin cups and top with more cheese and bacon bits. 

7. Bake at 200deg Celcius for 20 minutes. 

13 June 2015 

RECIPE White Chocolate Matcha Cupcakes

Inspired by the Gateau Chocolat from ABC school, I came up with my own adaptation of this recipe for white chocolate matcha cupcakes. 

White chocolate matcha cupcakes 

RECIPE 

Yield 6

Time taken: 

30 minutes preparation 

30 minutes baking and cooling 

100g White Chocolate (bar / buttons / chips) 

50g butter

50g flour 

30g matcha powder 

1 tsp baking powder 

3 eggs (separated) 

40g sugar 

1 tsp vanilla essence 

METHOD 

1. Preheat oven 160deg Celcius. 

2. Using Bain-marie, melt the white chocolate and butter, taking care not to overheat and over stir. Once melted, set aside to cool. 

3. Sieve the flour, baking powder and matcha powder. (Will need to be sieved again later, a total of two times for more air introduction) 

4. Whisk up the 3 egg yolks with 40g sugar. Whisk til thick, creamy and light yellow, almost white (mayonnaise colour) 

5. Whisk egg white to stiff peaks (meringue). 

6. Sieve the flour (this is the second time) and matcha mixture into the cooled chocolate butter mixture. Fold in, taking care not to over mix. 

7. Fold into the egg yolk mixture, taking care not to overmix. 

8. Incorporate meringue in 1/3 parts. Fold in carefully. 

9. Fill cupcake linings with cupcake batter. 

10. Bake at 160deg C for 20-25 mins. 

(If fan forced, bring down temperature a little) 

I used matcha powder such as these:

Here is how I did the cupcakes (double portion), step by step in pictures: 

- weighing the flour n matcha powder

-melting the chocolate and butter over a Bain marie 

- separating out the eggs

-whisk egg whites til stiff peaks 

-add sugar to egg yolks and beat til creamy

- beat til looks like mayonnaise 

- sieve flour the first time 

-second sieve, into butter chocolate mixture, I only sieved in 1/2-3/4 of flour. 

- added the yolk mixture. 

- started to look much better

- sieved in the remaining portion of flour n matcha powder 

-folded in til all incorporated

-added 1/3 egg whites and fold in

-looks a little gross at this stage 

Don't give up, keep going! 

-all incorporated, texture is perfect! 

-Filled my cupcake cups

-going into the oven! 

-tadaa!! All done. :D

🍰 13 June 2015 

ABC Raisin heart

ABC Cooking Studio

Raisin Double Chocolate Hearts 💕

Today's my fourth bread lesson and it's Raisin heart. I had watch another student do it before and it seemed pretty easy. 

Here it is laying on the tray, going in for second proofing. 

Here's the final product, with some sugar sprinkled over. 

The ingredients for this recipe. 

And the method: 

Kae Matsunoki

11 June 2015 

ABC Anchovy Potato Bun

ABC Cooking Studio 

Anchovy Potato Buns 

This was my third bread making class and first savoury bun. I love this recipe and might wanna make this at home just so I can eat this again!:) 

I never understood carb loading - I.e pizza with fries, potato with rice, potato with bread. But this bun is, really, something else. The filling is made of mashed potato, seasoned with anchovy paste, corn nibblets, mayonnaise and salt and pepper to finish. I was also wary of the anchovy, but it simply melted into the potato and gave the whole bun a real mouthwatering umami taste without being too overpowering. I'm a convert!!:) 

Here're the buns waiting to be filled with the anchovy potato. 

Buns getting filled. 

And here's the final product. 

Hmmm!! Looks yummy but tastes even better! 

Ingredients: 

Method: 

Jayson Yip

8 June 2015 

ABC Vanilla Chiffon and Jam

ABC Cooking Studio 

Vanilla Chiffon Cake 

And 2 kinds of jam 

My second lesson and it's a cake lesson. I've done a couple of chiffon cakes before but I must admit I was eager to learn the Japanese method of making cakes flooffy and fluffy. 

Apparently there were 4 whites to 3 yolks. We beat the meringues til stiff peaks. 

Here, the batter is ready and in the mold. Off to the oven you go! 

Vanilla milk jam and raspberry jam  

Adrienna Leow 

7 June 2015 

ABC Mocha Cream

ABC Cooking Studio 

Mocha Cream Swirls

Today is #bakingday because I cramped 3 lessons and this was my 3 and last lesson. So glad I was the lone student, which means that the teacher had my full attention. Hahahaha. And yes, I almost had his full attention too. 

So here we go. 

Getting the ingredients sorted out:

Waiting to go in for the second proofing. 

And final product. 

Look quite pretty. Smells so good because of the coffee. But I probably won't be making them again. 

Ingredients are listed as follows:

Method here: 

Alvan Wolfsten 

7 June 2015