Showing posts with label Recipe: Pastries. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Recipe: Pastries. Show all posts

Friday, April 29, 2011

Baking Exploration ::: Cheese Tarts

Cheese Tarts 12

It's been ages since I very last baked my legendary Cheese Tarts that my hometown family friends that had a chance to taste it, came back ask for more, and asking if they could place order. Since I'm a big fan of cheese and cheesecakes too, I'm baking it again!!! Not forgetting I'm more of a chocoholic actually.

Egg Tarts again!

Happy Friday! We both started our day off with my warm up Egg Tarts that I baked yesterday, along with Mauritius Roasted Coffee bought from Mauritius on our trip there last year Nov-Dec. A very suitable, combination which dear's daddy mentioned. *****yummy yummysss*****

Getting back to baking Cheese Tarts.

For the pastry, I use back the same pastry as my Level 1 Egg Tart Exploration.

Tart Crust Recipe
115g Butter (softened)
70g Sugar
1 Egg
210g All-Purpose Flour
1/4 teaspoon Salt
Removable Bottom Tart Pan

Grease the tart pan with Butter. Cream Butter and Sugar until light and fluffy. Add the egg and beat until mixture is smooth. Add the Flour and Salt and mix well. Divide the mixture, then use your fingertips to press the dough into the tart pan. Prick all over of the base of the tart with a fork. Refrigerate for 30minutes. Pre-heat the oven to 180°C. Bake for 5mins to 10mins or until slightly golden. While it's baking prepare.......

However, this round here are some pictures of the pastry process!

After the dough is mix up nicely, it would look like this!

Cheese Tarts 1

Since it's cheese tarts and I love it more when it's a mini version, I took out my long not use mini tart molds and butter all of them before i press the pastry dough in.

Cheese Tarts 2

Taking the pastry dough smaller then a ping pong ball size, and roll it up. Oh! remember to press it flat too!

Cheese Tarts 3

Press the flat pastry dough in the tart molds, and cut off the edges so it looks like this. Now you're half way done. From Mixing to pressing out the pastry normally takes up half or more then half of the whole process of all tart baking.

Cheese Tarts 4

After the 10mins baking time at 180 degree C. This is the tart shell that can be used to do tons of tarts eg: egg tarts, cheese tarts, fruit tarts.....

Cheese Tarts 6

Now it's time for the most important part of this bloggie post!

THE.....................

Cream Cheese Fillings
Ingredients:::
250g Philadelphia Cream Cheese
20g Butter
60g Fine Granulated Sugar
1 Egg

(for some artistic work)
2-3 cubes of Milk Chocolate
OR
2-3 tablespoon of Blueberry Jam

Cheese Tarts 5

Beat the Philadelphia Cream Cheese, Butter, and Fine Granulated Sugar together till light, then add in the egg and beat to mix well.

Cheese Tarts 7

Using a tablespoon to spoon the cheese mixture, along with the assistant of a teaspoon to push the mixture down easily into the baked tart shells.

Cheese Tarts 8

If you are using chocolate, melt them in a double boiler and add a teaspoon or two of milk, this will make the texture of the chocolate more suitable for your artistic drawings to make your cheese tarts look more mouth watering.
This is an important note: As I couldn't find any milk at home so my chocolate texture makes my tart looks a bit................... ugly =[ Good thing I am the one making this mistake so your tart won't look like mine!

No matter if you are using Chocolate or Blueberry Jam, depending on your tart size put a dot in the middle of the tart and use a chopstick to do some twirling, simple like mine. However, if you are artistic enough you can try piping the Chocolate or Blueberry Jam and use a satay stick to draw patterns. ^.^

After you finish your art work, place all of it back into the oven and bake for another 180 degree C for 10mins.

Cheese Tarts 9

Take it out to cool for 30mins to 45mins. Since Cheese Tarts are best when served cold. After it is cool to put it in the fridge to chill before serving or consuming.

Cheese Tarts 10

There you go ready to impress the people around you that you can bake!

Cheese Tarts 12


Click here for our blog page Baking Classes for more recipes. Hope you will be inspired~

Sunday, March 13, 2011

Baking Exploration ::: Level 1 Egg Tarts

Egg Tarts goes back to our root of Asia... ^_^

Egg Tarts

For me I have graded the difficulty of baking egg tarts to three levels. Why? As there are many types of egg tarts sold out there that are all delicious. But, maybe some might like either one more then the others.

Defining it there are 3 levels of Eggs Tarts:::
1st - Normal egg tarts
2nd - Hong Kong Style egg tarts
3rd - Portuguese egg tarts
All I can proudly say this is the full recipe of a successful Level 1 egg tart, which is as delicious as those in the bakery.

Sweet Pastry:::
1. Preheat the oven to 180 degrees.

eggtarts 2

125g Butter
63g Fine Granulated Sugar
1/2 teaspoon Vanilla Essence

2. Cream butter, sugar and vanilla essence together.

1 Egg Yolk
1 tablespoon Water

3. Add in egg yolk, water and continue creaming for 1-2minutes.

250g All-Purpose Flour

4. Lastly fold in the flour.

5. Butter tart molds and press out pastry in tart molds and bake for 15-20mins.


Egg / Custard Filling:::
eggtarts 3

250ml Water
125g Sugar

1. Boil and melt all sugar and put to cool. (Mixture A)

5 Eggs
100g Evaporated Milk

2. Mix this together until smooth. (Mixture B)

3. Mix A & B mixture and strain to remove coarse materials and bubbles.

4. Pour custard filling onto baked tart shells.

5. Bake at 180 degrees for 15-20mins.

6. Allow to cool for a few minutes and then transfer to a wire rack and place cupcake paper bottom to serve.

eggtarts 4

Stay tune here for the successful trial of the others Level 2 & 3 egg tarts.

Sunday, February 13, 2011

Baking Exploration ::: Pineapple Flower Tarts

Happy Rabbit Chinese New Year to everyone...

Since, I'm pretty free this new year period...I made tons of these deliciously Pineapple Flower Tarts for my family & friends!!! Here to share with you all the recipe, as "sharing is caring". Would love
you all to make these to satisfy your craving and have fun in the kitchen.

Ingredients Needed
3 cups of Plain All-Purpose Flour
4 teaspoons Castor Sugar
Salt Option:
1/4 teaspoon Salt ~*~*if you using salted butter*~*~
1/2 teaspoon Salt ~*~*if you using unsalted butter*~*~
285g Butter (unsalted or salted depends on your liking)
3 Egg Yolks
2 teaspoon Vanilla Essences
3 tablespoons Cold Water
Pineapple Jam (from any Baking Supply Shop)
Flower Mold
Baking Paper


Before starting my baking session I love to setup my process line.. along with my laptop to keep me entertain since i'm baking alone... ^.^

1. As preparation to quicken your process later, Roll out the Pineapple Jams into small balls.
2. Next, sift 2 cups of Flour into mixing bowl, then add in Sugar and Salt, mix it gentlely with a whisk.
3. Put in Butter and use a fork to press till you have an even mixture.
4. Add Yolks, Vanilla Essences, Cold Water and continue pressing with a fork.
5. Depending on the taxture of the dough needed which should not stick to your mixing bowl and fingers, add in more flour and lightly mix it with your finger tips.
6. Take small parts of dough and roll to a thickness of 4mm.
7. Using the Flower Mold, press out and place it on the baking tray with Baking Paper, line them up with about 1cm apart from each other.
8. Upon finishing, it’s time to place the Mini Pineapple Balls on to the beautiful flower dough. Remember to flatten the bottom part and press a little to make sure it won’t fall off.
9. Pre-heat oven to around 180°C for 5mins.
10. Place the tray in to bake, the duration depends on the oven you use at home. For mine, is 8mins sharp to have the prefect slightly golden look that i want...
11. Once remove from oven, let it rest in the tray for 10mins, then transfer them to a wire rack to further cool for another 30mins.
12. Arrange them into Jars for yourself or containers as gifts for your friends and family.
13. Repeat 6 to 12.

Some Secrets to share, Butter makes the difference so use your family favorite butter. Packaging makes your pineapple tarts looks like you buy from a special bakery which actually my aunties didn’t actually think i baked them.... Here is the picture of gift packs for my family & friends out there who are lucky this year... ^.^

I'll be trying different forms of Pineapple Tarts for my next attempt and also try out to explore on making Home-made Pineapple Jam.

If your lover, family, or friends are seriously addicted to Pineapple Tarts you all should try this out....

Click here for our blog page Baking Classes for more recipes. Hope you will be inspired~