For The Love Of Baking

Nut About Cookies and Nuts!

pennylanekitchen — Wed, 30 Apr 2008 19:33:57 +0000

The cookie and a tin cup of Schoko Peanut Butter chocolate drink

Cookies. Nuts. Nut about cookies and nuts.
Oh, those creatures: nuts and cookies. I can finish one tall jar of chunky Skippy by myself. I don’t even need a spoon. Fingers are all I need. For the love of peanuts. Actually, for the love of any kind of nuts! No wonder I am going nuts!

One of my favorite store-bought cookies is Pepperigde Farm. You know, beside Marks & Spencer’s. While Marks & Spencer’s give the divine gourmet flavor, Pepperidge Farm’s boast its perfect texture. Perfect coarse, perfect crunch, perfect rough face. It feels just right in your palm, feels even better between your teeth. And when the crunchiness broke into crumbs, joining together once again in your mouth to chew, you just know that it was destined to be the best texture a store-bought cookies will ever achieve. How bombastic am I so far?

It’s true!

Now, it’s a little known fact that the secret to the best crunch and texture in cookies is none other than the mighty hand of a magic thing called: shortening. It’s 0%-water-100-%-fat creates the ultimate characteristic a crunchy cookie always strives for. It brings them up to the pedestal then crown them to perfection, lift them even higher to the altar of the Gods! Haha!

But why oh why, everything good comes with a price! It’s like a punishment for human kind for having too much pleasure! That freakin’ trans fat thing, ugh! Lately, people’s concern about trans fat had given born to this product called fortification of vitamin A, a.k.a. non-trans-fat margarine. Do you even buy that idea? What the heck, let’s throw our caution to the wind and trust the food industry for once. So I substituted margarine, the non-trans-fat one, for shortening. Then I prayed, for that perfect texture to form anyway. Please God, I beg you.

Original Recipe here.

Chocolate Chunk-Peanut Cookies
Source: Marsha Johnson, Montgomery, Alabama , Southern Living, MAY 2004
Modified by Riana

1/2 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup the so-called non-trans-fat margarine
1 1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup palm sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup chunky peanut butter
2 large eggs
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 cup plain roasted peanuts
330 g dark cooking chocolate, chopped (I used Tulip brand)

Preheat oven at 190 degree celcius. Combine flour, baking soda, baking powder and cinnamon.
Beat butter, margarine, granulated sugar, palm sugar and salt at medium speed with an electric mixer until creamy; add chunky peanut butter and sugars, beating well. Add eggs, beating until blended.
Add flour mixture into butter mixture, beating well.
Stir in peanuts and chocolate chunks.
Shape dough into 2-inch balls (about 2 tablespoons for each cookie, I used ice cream scoop). Flatten slightly, and place on ungreased baking sheets.
Bake for 8 to 15 minutes, depending on how many cookies you bake in one batch, or until lightly browned. Cool on pan 1 to 2 minutes; remove to wire rack to cool completely.

Makes 28 cookies

Verdict:

On taste:
very, oh very recommended
On texture comparison with Pepperidge Farm’s:
I think… only me can tell the difference

Next cookie plan:
Bake another batch with modification to make Double Chocolate Chunk-Peanut Cookies. This time, let’s use that sinful shortening. Hell yeah, I dare!!

The Chocolate Oracle

pennylanekitchen — Tue, 22 Apr 2008 10:22:20 +0000

What Your Taste in Chocolate Says About You

You are intense, powerful, and dramatic.
People respect the things you do…
And they’re not sure if they could do them!

You are down to earth and lovable.
A true friend, you’re very tolerant and understanding.
In fact, your friends’ biggest problem is that they don’t like each other!

You love to be in love. You crave romance, whether you’re single or not.
You feel lost when you don’t feel passion… you need someone to adore.

The Chocolate Oracle

Ha ha.. so fun!

Nasi Bancakan

pennylanekitchen — Sun, 20 Apr 2008 15:36:55 +0000

Ow, yea baby! I was in Bandung last March and happened to visit Nasi Bancakan, a rustic restaurant in Bandung. The photo above is Kue Balok, or translated as Brick Cake, and a cup of thick hot tea. All food were served in rustic tin plates and cups. How lovely.

The brick cake was good. The taste and texture were rather similar with those of Brudel’s, but brick cake was baked in a copper pan on charcoals. Yes, charcoals. How lovely!!

Visit there. You will never ever, ever, regret it. I mean, EVER.

Some reviews (Bahasa Indonesia):

Take me! We’re gonna have fun, for sure..

I Am a Hazelnut

pennylanekitchen — Sat, 19 Apr 2008 20:26:27 +0000

You Are a Hazelnut

You are very unique and distinct. You may even freak some people out.
Most people don’t really know how to interact with you.
You get along best with anyone who is super sweet.
But you really do get along with almost anyone. You just need a chance to wow them.

What Nut Are You?

So I’m a hazelnut!
Funny that it happens to be my most favorite nut of all times. So, yay!

What nut are you? Well, I know you’re just as nut as I am. But what kind?

Fettish!!

pennylanekitchen — Fri, 18 Apr 2008 03:07:59 +0000

Update April 22, 2008: I went back to the supermarket and finally bought it. Gosh..

Today, I found my fettish.

About a week ago I was at a supermarket, when I realized I had this thundering urge to buy a set of measuring cups. It’s a cheap kind. Plastic, white, not that fancy steel or creamic in bright colors Nigella style or premium glass cup. But I felt my blood rushing wanting to grab and throw it into my trolley. A couple of seconds later, my head yanked at me, “Aren’t there already 2, sorry, 3 sets of measuring cups in your cupboard?”

She’s right.

one-eighth teaspooon

This morning, when I was looking for my black measuring cups, I checked, and yes, I have 3 sets of measuring cups and 3 sets of measuring spoons. Is this a lot? No, not really. But when you add that I had given away another set of measuring cups and spoon for a doorprize, fighting a gory battle against myself from buying every set I found in baking shops, this becomes abundant. Not to mention screaming everytime Nigella takes out her red shiny ceramic measuring cup, mocking me, torturing me like a sinner.

one-eighth cup

I didn’t realize it until today. Whoa! How weird having a fettish.. So strangely cool at the same time..

Now, you know what to give me for my birthday. *which by the way, is approaching. oh, noooooo!!!*

What is yours?

**Gosh, even now I’m still thinking about that measuring cup I left behind at the supermarket!!**

The Other One

pennylanekitchen — Wed, 05 Mar 2008 08:51:51 +0000

In the midst of doing this and that, you know, the usual; translations, web project (this time something I really had no clue about: programming, which I thank God that it’s over), I’ve been busy testing some recipes and taking their photos for one company’s website that soon to be launched. Finally somebody took my food photos seriously

I was so damn tired and bored, when an angel came my way and said these magic words, “Riana, do you need anything from SG?” Ow My God, yes! Yes, I need something I’ve been craving for almost 3 years now!

When I visited Singapore in 2005, I came across this heavenly bites called Bakin’ Boys. I remember I even kept the box and brought it home, just for the sake of remembrance of this God’s gift to the world. I craved for it ever since.

Now, the angel, had asked me if I need anything from the land of the lion. My answer was definite as the sun will rise tomorrow morning. I need some bites of The Beatles of the cookies realm: Bakin’ Boys.

So right here, right now, when I’m breathing the air, living the life intended for me, I’m waiting for the magic package to arrive safely at my door. Pray for me, will you?

Ok. Back to the title of this post.
Remember Lemon Meringue Pie? I did mention I also baked Chocolate Meringue Pie, didn’t I? Well, here is the recipe. And the photo. And it was so good.

Just like the lemon one, do not be discouraged when you think the chocolate cream was not dark enough, not chocolaty enough. Just finish it with the topping, and all your doubts would be gone in a matter of seconds. It was just perfect.

Chocolate Meringue Pie
Source: “Chocolate & Baking” by Parragon Publishing
Modified by Riana

Ingredients:
230 gr (8 ounces) your favorite chocolate biscuits without the cream
4 Tbsp butter, or more according to the consistency of the crush mixture

Filing:
3 egg yolks
4 Tbsp superfine sugar (castor)
4 Tbsp cornstarch
2 1/2 cups milk
100 gr (3 1/2 ounces) dark chocolate, melted

Meringue:
3 egg whites
7 Tbsp superfine sugar
1/4 tsp vanilla extract

How-to:

Place chocolate biscuits in a plastic bag and crush with a rolling pin. Pour into a mixing bowl. Melt the buter and stir it into the biscuit crumbs until well mixed. You can add more melted butter if necessary, until the cookie mixture is easy to form and press into the base of the pan. Press the cookie mixture firmly into the base and up the sides of a 9-inch flan pan or dish, or in my case, aluminum foil cup, for practical reason, obviously.
To make the filling, beat the egg yolks, sugar, and cornstarch in a large bowl until they form a smooth paste, adding a little of the milk if necessary.
Heat the milk until almost boiling, then slowly pour into the egg mixture, constantly beating well.
Return the mixture to the saucepan and cook gently, beating constantly, until it thickens. Remove from heat. Beat in the melted chocolate, then pour it onto the crust.
To make the meringue, beat the egg whites in a large mixing bowl until standing in soft peaks. Gradually beat in about two-thirds of the sugar until the mixture is stiff and glossy. Fold in the remaining sugar and the vanilla extract.
Spread the meringue over the filling, covering it completely and swirling the surface with the back of a spoon to give it an attractive finish. Bake in the center of a preheated oven at 190 degree celcius for about 30 minutes, or until the meringue is golden. Serve when you need, hot or cold, it’s damn perfect anytime.

Happy day!

Guilty Pleasure

pennylanekitchen — Fri, 08 Feb 2008 16:43:14 +0000

Ow, yeah, baby.

The photos speak more than the words could even describe, I hope. The sinful treats. The skeleton in our closets. The deep dark secret we keep, in which each one of us indulges ourselves to the core from time to time. Better than sex, better than p**n

The french macaroons were in pistachio, blueberry, strawberry, rose and cappucino flavors. Yes, they’re sweet. Even too sweet for some people. But the meringue must have that much amount of sugar to hold its pretty round shape. And they had lots of ground almond, which made them a divine delight melting in your mouth good. Got them from Bakerzin, the desserts paradise, one of my happiest places ever exist.

This chunky chocolate bar is the younger sister of its predecessor; Silver Queen, one of the classic treat very popular in Indonesia. The title says just about it; Chunky. The same chocolate, only, well, chunky as can be. The dark one is predictably my favorite, although I will melt to the offer of the milk one anyway. As long as it’s Silver Queen family, I’ll cave in.

Now, what can we say about Nutella, really. I mean, it’s the consensus of the world that the thing is like the chocolate goddess herself, appear in such form that caresses your tongue, fills your mouth and mind with joy. Even makes you dizzy with addiction, like falling in love all over again. God bless Ferrero.

No recipes this time. Buy.

Time to enjoy the hard-earned money and let ourselves go. Far, far away from everything that blunts our palates from the magical realm of good sweet treats, sinful pleasure. Simple things that put the smiles on our faces and in our minds. They’re sweet, they’re pretty, they’re intoxicating. Eat them.

Yea, baby. Come to mama.

Note:

French Macaroons by Bakerzin,
Chunky Chocolate Bar by Ceres,
Nutella by Ferrero.