Sunday, November 4, 2012

Chocolate Banana Pudding!



A yellowed-peeled banana is many people's favorite. What they don't know is that besides the sweet taste, it gives tremendous amounts of health benefits. Banana health benefits are comparable to any other type of fruit.  In fact, bananas have several positive benefits that many other fruits do not have. It's easy to consume and carry to places. Banana contains health benefits that you may not know. 

First, Banana is a "super food" as it contains more nutrients than many other fruits. Bananas have two times as many carbohydrates as an apple, five times as much Vitamin A and iron and three times as much phosphorus. In addition, bananas are also rich in potassium and natural sugars. Banana gives energy so you can have it instead of your normal cup of coffee or sugary snack. Banana helps your body to function better, including the circulatory system , brain, heart and blood system. Banana helps constipation because it contains certain type of fibers that will not cause diarrhea. Banana makes you happier. It has the chemical called tryptophan which helps the mind relax. Banana helps reduce effects of a hangover as well as help you quit smoking.

Why am I talking so much about bananas today?

                                     

Because: Today I had a chance to taste banana pudding with my friends at CDC And I thought it would be nice to share how to make this tasty dessert with all of you


So first off what you will need to make a steamed banana pudding

-100g plain flour
-Pinch of salt
-1.5 teaspoon baking powder
-100g breadcrumbs or crackers crumbs
-75g caster sugar
-75 g  butter
-1 egg
-40 ml cold milk
-2 mashed ripened bananas
-1 whole banana


How to do:

1.Sift flour, salt, baking powder, egg, milk and ripened banana in to a bowl beat untill smooth rest in the fridge for 30min


2. breadcrumbs, sugar and butter mix well at put some at the bottom of a pudding mold 
    and pre-bake at 150 degree celsius for 7min

3. Pour the batter into the mold and Cover securely with aluminum foil.
Steam for 2-3 hours. and rest in the fridge for 2 hours

4.Turn out on to a plate, and serve at room temperature.

serving:
-hazelnut butter
-caramelized banana pieces
-freshly whipped cream
-cocoa chips
-ice cream 
-chocolate powder.

how to do hazelnut butter? ...most of u will think its hazelnut with butter but it only involves butter no Nuts!!

haha so u take a pan u put butter in it and u put it on medium heat until it turns lightly brown it usually takes 5min so better keep an eye on it.

making caramelized banana?...first you need to cut your banana any shape u want. Then butter in a pan put your banana in and pour caster sugar on it around 2 table spoon

If u want your caramelized banana a little more fancy i suggested oranged flavor liquor to Flamber before serving "madeira" or "Cointreau" should do so when ur banana turns brown pour 5ml of liquor wait for it to boil and with a lighter light up the alcohol
wait untill the flames are gone 

wipped cream as always mix with some caster sugar and vanilla pods

Hopefully you will all like this recipe 



Saturday, November 3, 2012

The elegantly-easy-to-make-Chocolate Truffle.


One of the gifts that people like to give away and receive the most is "chocolate truffle." Why? because it is elegantly delicious! The packaging and texture of the truffles are always rich and beautiful. Today, as i was strolling through a shelf of candies at the gourmet, i saw many chocolate truffle packed in the box. They looked real nice... but to me, i feel like chocolate truffle has to be made fresh at the chocolate store rather than manufactured from the factory. In Thailand, there are many confectionary stores selling cakes, cookies, ice-cream and all kinds of desserts, but i found that not many of them sell chocolate truffles.



So i took a chance to search for some recipe and tried it with my friend. To my surprise, it's not hard to make at all!

Truffles are the simplest of candy to make; cream, chocolate, and time is all it takes to create something blissfully elegant, decadent, and delicious. I use high quality chocolate (62% cacao or higher, and organic cream) where i bought it at the gourmet.

My friend and i, making chocolate truffle


I took the recipe from http://www.simplyrecipes.com/recipes/chocolate_truffles.

and it worked really well!

Chocolate Truffles Recipe Ingredients


-8 ounces of semi-sweet or bittersweet chocolate (high quality, 62% cacao or higher), well chopped into small pieces
-1/4 cup of heavy whipping cream
-1/4 cup of milk
-1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
-20g butter
-1/4 cup honey 
Optional base flavorings:
-Mint leaves (1 bunch, stems removed, chopped, about 1 cup)


Truffle coatings
Cocoa powder
Finely chopped walnuts
Finely chopped almonds

Let's make chocolate truffle!


    Be creative! give out as perfect gifts! 

1 In a small, heavy saucepan bring the heavy whipping cream and milk to a simmer.(infuse with mint leaves it gives a surprisingly fresh taste in your mouth)
2 Place the chocolate in a separate bowl. Pour the cream over the chocolate, add the vanilla, and allow to stand for a few minutes then stir until smooth. (This chocolate base is called ganache.)
3 Allow to cool, then place in the refrigerator for two hours. Remove and with a teaspoon roll out balls of the ganache. Roll in your hands quickly (as 
it will melt from the heat of your hands)  
4 Roll in cocoa powder or chopped nuts and place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Place in the refrigerator overnight or serve right away.


Use high quality chocolate, and each bite will be just like heaven.

Have fun!