chocolate semifreddo



ingredient:
- 1/2 cup whipping cream
- 2 egg yolks
- 45 g sugar
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 63 g bittersweet chocolate, chopped
- 85 g cream cheese
- 1/2 tsp gelatin (optional)
- 1 tbsp water (optional)

1. Line 3.5 inches pan with plastic wrap or parchment paper and set aside.

2. Sprinkle the gelatin over the water and let bloom for 5 minutes. 

3. Beat whipped cream until stiff peaks form.  Chill it in refrigerator.

4. Double boil egg yolks and sugar.  Keep whisking it until it reach 140F.  (The bowl should not touch the boiling water.)

5. Add chocolate and keep stir it for 1 min.

6. Remove the chocolate yolk mixture from the heat, add gelatin water and whisk it until the mixture cools to room temperature.

7.  Transfer the chocolate yolk mixture to cream cheese, whisk until completely smooth.

8. Gently fold the cream cheese mixture into the chilled whipped cream with silicone spatula.

9.  Once it's mixed, pour it into the prepared pan. Freeze for at least 12 hrs and up to overnight.  Mixture should be frozen solid.

9. Before serving, unwrap the plastic wrap or parchment paper.  Cut into serving size.  Defrost it at room temperature for 20 mins. Or defrost it in fridge for 1 1/2 hrs.  Ready to eat.

10. Semifreddo can serve with whipped cream.

potato pancake


ingredients:
- 1 potato, cut into matches sticks size
- 1 egg
- 1/4 to 1/2 cup Korean pancake flour
- 1/8 to 1/4 cup water

sriracha mayo dip (optional):
- 1 tsp sriracha sauce
- 1 tbsp mayonnaise or more to taste

1. Cut the potato into matches sticks size.

2. Add the egg and flour, mix.

3. Add water slowly, until the batter easy to pour but not runny.

4. Preheat medium high heat of the waffle maker.

5. When ready, scoops the potato batter, close the waffle lid and cook for 4 mins.

6. Ready to eat. Nice match with sriracha mayo dip.

easy cookie icing


ingredients:
- 1 cup icing sugar
- 1 tbsp milk (add more if need)
- 2 tsp corn syrup
- 1/4 tsp vanilla extract
- food colouring

1. Sift icing sugar.

2. Add the rest ingredients and mix well.

3. Add more milk if need.

4. Separate the icing not difference piping bags.

5. Add food colouring in each bag and mix well.

6. Ready to use!!

meringue


French meringue:
Better recipes for meringue cookie, pavlova
- caster sugar : egg white 2:1 (by weight)
- salt, rose water and or vanilla to taste
- marshmallow for each meringue cookie

1. Beat until the egg white has bubble with standing mixer.
2. Turn to medium high beat until foam bubble.
3. Add sugar slowly to the beating egg white.
4. After all the sugar added, continue beat for 8 mins.
5. Add salt, rose water and or vanilla, continue beat for 5 mins.
6. Pipe the base first, add dark chocolate chip, then pipe the meringue and cover the chocolate chip.
7. Preheat 215 F.
8. Bake for 45 mins.
9. Turn off the oven and cool the meringue cookies at the oven.

Swiss meringue buttercream:
Easier method to make buttercream
notes: not good for meringue cookie, pavlova, the texture will drier than French meringue.
- 4 large egg white
- 300 g sugar
- 400 g butter, room temperature
- salt and vanilla to taste

1. Double boil, stir until all the sugar dissolve or reach safety temperature 60-70 C.
2. Whisk for 15 mins.
3. Add butter slowly.
4. Whisk until smooth, silky buttercream.
5. Add salt and vanilla and whisk until mix.

Safe to keep 3 days at room temperature

Ruby chocolate buttercream:
- 2 large egg white
- 150 g sugar
- 200 g butter
- 200 g ruby chocolate

1-4. Same steps from above.
5. Add melt ruby chocolate and already cool a little bit to the buttercream, continue beat it until silky and smooth.  Ready to use.


Italian meringue:
better for meringue cupcake,
- 480 g caster sugar
- 150 ml water
- salt and vanilla to taste

1. Don't stir, heat medium low heat until 110 C, keep cooking sugar syrup
2. Start to beat the egg white, until foam bubble.
3. Sugar syrup reach 118-120 C (soft candy stage)
4. Add slowly on the side of the bowl to the beating egg white.
5. Keep beating about 10 mins.

ref: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QEtjZgeHRPY

Christmas apple cider

ingredients:
- 10 large apples, quartered
- 1/2 orange, halved
- 4 cinnamon sticks
- 1 tsp whole allspice
- 1 whole nutmeg
- 1/2 cup brown sugar

1. Put all the ingredients in a large dutch oven.

2. Cover with water by at least 2".

3. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer, covered, continue to cook for 2 hrs.

4. Remove orange.

5. Use potato masher to mash apples.

6. Strain through a fine mesh strainer, pressing on solids with a wooden spoon to squeeze all juices out.  Discard solids.

7. Serve warm!

cheesecake semifreddo


ingredients:
- 1/2 cup whipping cream
- 3 egg yolks
- 50 g granulated sugar
- 125 g cream cheese
- 137 g mascarpone cheese, or 125 g cream cheese
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 tsp lemon juice
- 1/2 tsp rum (optional)
- 1 tsp gelatin (optional)
- 1 tbsp water (optional)

**** The ingredients will be listed again @ below **** 
-------------------------------------------------------------
- 1 tsp gelatin (optional)
- 1 tbsp water (optional)

1. Line 3.5 inches pan with plastic wrap or parchment paper and set aside.

2. Sprinkle the gelatin over the water and let bloom for 5 minutes. 

- 1/2 cup whipping cream

3. Beat whipped cream until soft peak form.  Chill it in refrigerator.

- 3 egg yolks
- 50 g granulated sugar

4. Double boil egg yolks, sugar, and rum.  Keep whisking it until it reach 140 F.  (The bowl should not touch the boiling water.)

5. Remove the yolk mixture from the heat.

- 125 g cream cheese
- 137 g mascarpone cheese, or 125 g cream cheese 
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 tsp lemon juice

6. During that time, whisk cream cheese, mascarpone, salt, vanilla extract and lemon juice, until soften.  Keep beating it, add the yolk mixture and add gelatine water, until completely smooth.

7. Gently fold the cream cheese mixture into the chilled whipped cream with silicone spatula.

8. Once it's mixed, pour it into the prepared pan. Freeze for at least 12 hrs and up to overnight.  Mixture should be frozen solid.

9. Before serving, unwrap the plastic wrap or parchment paper.  Cut into serving size. Defrost it at room temperature for 20 mins.  Or defrost it in fridge for 1 1/2 hrs.  Ready to eat.

10. Semifreddo can serve with whipped cream, fruit syrup, etc.

notes:  After we moved to Toronto, we missed the cheesecake from Cheesecake, etc. in Vancouver. I wanted to tried making the similar one.  And this ratio of the ingredients seems really like it!!