For The Love Of Baking

Bake. For the love of baking.

 
Phewh..
 
It’s been so long since I left this kitchen empty. The classic dilemma naturally surfaced when a passion becomes a job had gotten over me and I gave in. When your hobby turns into what you do for a living, better watch out for some changes that might make you lose your freestyle touch. The “it” factor that had made you shine in the first place. That independent soaring bird inside you who might not be the same anymore. Basically you’ll lose huge amount of your time, that’s what I’ve been trying to say.
 
So.. what is up?
 

 
First of all, the donut brownie tower I posted a couple of months ago was featured by The Pastry Channel, a new foodie website to feature great desserts by Tim Fonseca, the Executive Pastry Chef at the Four Seasons Hotel in Boston. I sure hope to see some videos by the chef soon in the future.
 

 
 
Pastry and Baking Asia Pacific magazine is now in digital format, shaping up its website to make it more enjoyable to the reader. Still, I would suggest you read the actual magazine, though. ‘Coz my article is not there
 
 
 
 

 
The annual jakarta food expo just ended a couple of weeks ago, and I had a blast. The tendency was changed from last year where mostly everything was about mass production, now almost every booth boasted more premium products in opposite to the cheaper solution that sacrifices quality. You got to taste oh so many product samples, including the wholewheat pastry produced by Corman, which immediately became my favorite. I mean, who on earth could ever think that wholewheat pastry can be that good?!
 
What else..?
 

 
In a not so fortunate event, I had a surreal opportunity to try a very very nice cafe in Kemang area, on Kemang Raya street to be precise, called Les Classiques. The ambience was Europe in late 40’s to 50’s, the cafe swept me of my feet with its homemade ‘just like mama used to make’ baked goods and… its hot chocolate! Man, you have to try this before you die. The chocolate was not coming out of chocolate powder or chocolate bar, it came from a few generous spoons of classic rich french ganache. the ganache was sitting in the bottom of a tall glass of hot milk, waiting for you to spoon it and lick it with your craving tongue. Beautiful.
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 
Anything else..?
 
Well, I just came back home from Surabaya last week where I was lucky to have a chance to visit Arvian, a renowned baking shop where NCC classes were held for 4 days. A shop with an attitude, I fell in love in a matter of seconds. Nadrah and I were too busy browsing the pretty patterned tissue rolls we couldn’t care less to take pictures of the shop *regrets*. Aaargh, I should’ve taken at least a shot of those colorful mini baskets on the floor!!
 
Enough about me. How have you been?
 

 
“Something whose form is reminiscent of a ring-shaped cake.”
(Definition by Answers.com)
 
Well, that will do.
 
So my brownie can be a donut, too, as long it is ring-shaped. Yay.
 
 
 
PennyLane’s Brownies
(Published in the book of “18 Cakes & Cookies” by NCC)
 
Ingredients:
4 eggs
400 g castor sugar
1 tsp vanilla
60 g cocoa powder
210 g plain flour
225 g vegetable oil
85 g chocolate chips
120 g any roasted nuts to your liking
 
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What does a baker do when she’s blue?
 
Making egg rolls.
 
Recipe
Step-by-step photos

 
What can I say? The chocolate divine? I say, this is chocolate cookie, my way. Crispy on the outside, fudgy on the inside. Half of the basic batter was nothing but chocolate, you do the math.
 
Honestly, I lost words to describe how thrilled I was to have finally found this recipe. I adapted it from Joy of Baking, did some tweaking here and there, and voila, I got the perfect chocolate fudge cookies I always wanted. ‘Nuff said, I’ll let you be the judge.
 
However, you should pay attention to a few aspects to achieve the best result, although it all comes back to your personal taste and love affair with chocolate. The taste was 99% determined by the chocolate you use. How the chocolate tastes, that’s how your cookie will taste like. So make sure you use the best chocolate to your liking. I used the one with 100% cocoa butter, by the by.
 
Use vanilla extract, not vanilla powder. Vanilla powder is not vanilla.
 
Also, do not omit the white chocolate chips. I know some of you cast aside white chocolate from the realm of real chocolate. “White chocolate is not chocolate!” Hey, couldn’t agree more. I am one of you, I am on your side. But you know the Newton’s first law? Regarding inertia? And Nietzsche? How the existence was achieved only when the thesis and anti-thesis were pairing side by side? Now, the evil white chocolate was there to be the anti-thesis of our good dark chocolate. It’s there to make it happen, it’s there to strengthen our faith in the truth of dark chocolate, otherwise it might not even exist in the first place.
 
Last but not least, I couldn’t stress more on the kitchenware you use. I mean, bakeware for baking cookies is not that demanding. Many times I’ve been asked of how to achieve equal shape and size of cookies. Or how to get smooth bottom of the cookies. Why the cookies are so oily. Et cetera, et cetera. Same answer everytime. Best ingredients, and good –if not best– kitchenware. I’m talking about good cookie sheet, parchment paper or silicone baking mat, ice cream scoop, proper rack, and spatula. I love silicone mat– it’s my best friend.
 

 

 
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