PECAN CHOCOLATE TARTLETS, STRAWBERRY/WHITE CHOCOLATE MUFFINS & MARBLED CREAM CHEESE SQUARES

Salam semua. Maaf kerana telah lama takde updates. Bukan apa, just taking a short break (alasan jer....). Sebenarnya, dah diserang penyakit (mim aliff lam sin). During these times, I actually bought, borrow (fr the National Library) and read quite a number of books. So to start my engine running again, let me share some of the recipes which I find it simple and intend to try at a later date. Hope you too can try them. Otherwise just enjoy the pics yaa!




















PECAN CHOCOLATE TARTLETS
(Makes about 16 tartlets)

For the Pastry
1 cup (150 gm) plain flour
2 tbsp icing sugar
4 tbsp butter
1 egg yolk, lightly beaten
1 tbsp water

Method:
Sift the flour and icing sugar into a large bowl. Use your fingertips to rub in the butter until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Add the egg yolk and enough water to form a firm dough. Press the dough into a disk, wrapped in a cling-film and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 180 deg Celsius. Prepare 8 mini tartlets pans.Roll the pastry on a lightly-floured board to 5mm thick.Use a 5cm cookie cutter to cut out rounds and then line the tartlet tins. Prick all over with fork. Bake fr 8-10 minutes or until lightly browned. Let cool completely. Do the same fr the remaining pastry.

For the Chocolate Cream Filling
½ cup (125 ml) heavy (double) cream
10 oz (300 gm) semisweet (dark) chocolate, melted
16 pecan halves, to decorate

Method
Heat the cream in a medium saucepan until it just comes to the boil.Place the chocolate in a large bowland pour over the hot cream over the top. Stir until the chocolate has melted and the mixture is well blended. Refrigerate until the mixture has a piping consistency. Spoon the filling into a pastry bagfitted with a small fluted tip. Pipe the filling inro the cooled pastry cases. Decorate with the pecans.




















STRAWBERRY & WHITE CHOCOLATE MUFFINS
(makes abt 12 muffins)

1½ cups (225 gm) plain flour
2 tsp baking powder
a pinch of salt
½ cup (100 gm) granulated/caster sugar
½ cup (125 gm) butter -melted
½ cup (125 ml) milk
1 large egg
½ tsp vanilla essence
1½ cups (270 gm) white chocolate chips
½ cup (160 ml) strawberry preserves or jam

Method:
Preheat oven to 180 deg Celsius. Line a 12-cup muffin pan with paper cups. (You may use individual muffin moulds too). Sift flour, b.powder and salt into a large bowl. Stir in the sugar.
Beat the butter, milk, egg and vanilla in a medium bowl until well blended. Stir the milk mixture into the dry ingredients, followed by chocolate chips. Spoon three-quarters of the batter into the prepared cups. Spoon 1 heaped teaspoonful of strawberry preserves into each muffin making a hole in the batter. Top with the remaining batter. Bake for 25-30 minute, or until a toothpick inserted into the centre of the muffin comes out clean. Cool the muffins on wire racks.




















MARBLED CREAM CHEESE SQUARES
(makes abt 16-25 squares)

For the Cream Cheese Mixture
1 cup (250 ml) cream cheese, softened
¼ cup (50 gm) caster sugar
2 tbsp finely grated orange zest
3 tbsp fresh orange juice
1 tsp cornflour
1 large egg

For the Chocolate Mixture
7 oz (200 gm) semisweet (dark) chocolate, coarsely chopped
4 tbsp cold butter, cut up
¾ cup (150 gm) caster sugar
2 tsp vanilla essence
2 large eggs, lightly beaten with 2 tbsp cold water
½ cup (75 gm) plain flour

Method:
Preheat oven to 180 deg Celsius. Grease a 9 inch (23 cm) square baking pan and line with parchment paper.

Cream Cheese Mixture
Beat the cream cheese and sugar in a large bowl with an electric mixerat high speed until creamy. Beat in the orange zest and juice and cornstarch. Add the egg, beating until just blended.

Chocolate Mixture
Melt the chocolate and butter in a double boiler over barely simmering water. Set aside to cool. Stir in the sugar and vanilla. Add the beaten eggs, followed by the flour. pour the chocolate mixture into the prepared pan.

Drop tablespoons of the cream mixture over the chocolate base. Use a thin metal spatula to swirl the mixtures together to create a marbled efffect. Bake fr 25-30 minutes, or until sligtly risen around the edges and set in the centre. Cool completely in the pan. Cut into bars.