Goodbye 2011......it was a good year!

We've come to the end of 2011. It feels like we just welcomed it.... It has been a good year for me. I started blogging this year. That's a good thing because it gave me the incentive to bake more often than usual. It's also an avenue for me to share my recipes. I've also made new friends although we've never met. Starting  this blog also leads to some surprises. Photography is now my new hobby. I would never have thought that I would go beyond snapping pictures randomly. Now I've bought some books on photography &  attended a workshop too. Of course,  I now own a dslr camera! Thanks to my husband. You are so sweet......

I really would like to write more but I  have to go. My husband & the kids are watching a show at Vivo while I'll be attending a complimentary workshop on how to use my camera. I'm excited!

So my final recipe for the year is Cranberry Snowdrift Bars. I saw this on Jane's blog & bookmarked it since then. Finally I managed to bake it. There are three layers, the rich crust, the tart cranberry filling & the snowy meringue. These bars are really delicious. The only change I would make the next time I bake it is I would reduce the filling to, perhaps, 3/4 or 1/2 cup. I thought the filling was too thick. One more thing, the baking temperature & time below should only be a guide. You really need to check now & then. With my oven, I only needed to bake for about 20 minutes for each layer.

Before I go, I would like to wish all readers a Happy New Year! May the year 2012 be a blast for all of us!

 Cranberry Snowdrift Bars

Recipe from Jane's Sweets & Baking Journal

Crust:
1 and 1/4 cups / 170g all purpose (plain) flour
1 pinch of salt
1/2 cup / 125g of unsalted butter, softened
1/4 cup / 50g granulated sugar
1/4 tsp. vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350 deg F / 180deg C. Coat an 8" x 8" square pan with vegetable spray.Whisk together the flour and salt in a bowl. In the large bowl of your mixer, on medium-high speed, beat the butter for a few minutes, until it's creamy. Gradually add in the sugar, beating now on high speed, until the mixture is light and fluffy; this may take several minutes. Add in the vanilla. In thirds, pour in the dry ingredients gradually, beating just until blended.

Pat the crust firmly and evenly into the bottom of the prepared pan. Chill in the fridge for 30 minutes, or in the freezer for about 15 minutes, before baking.

Bake until dry to the touch and light golden brown, with darker golden areas around the edges--about 30 to 40 minutes. Cool the pan on a rack for five minutes, then spread the cranberry sauce over it. Don't turn off the oven when you take the pan out.

Filling:

1 cup whole berry cranberry sauce (homemade or canned; needs to be thick and not watery)

(I cooked the cranberry sauce using the recipe from Allrecipes.com below.)
12 ounces cranberries
1 cup white sugar
1 cup orange juice (I used only 1/4 cup since I need a thick sauce.)

In a medium sized saucepan over medium heat, dissolve the sugar in the orange juice. Stir in the cranberries and cook until the cranberries start to pop (about 10 minutes). Continue cooking until sauce thickens. Remove from heat and place sauce in a bowl. Cranberry sauce will thicken further as it cools.

Topping:

whites from 2 large eggs (about 2 oz. of egg whites, total; whites at room temperature whip up best)

1/8 tsp. cream of tartar
1/2 cup / 100g granulated sugar
1/4 tsp. vanilla extract

In a smaller mixer bowl, using the whip attachment, whip the egg whites on high speed until foamy. Add in the cream of tartar and beat until soft peaks form. Then, gradually add in the sugar, beating on high until stiff--but not dry--peaks form. Add in the vanilla.

Spread the meringue evenly over the cranberry filling, using the back of a spoon to push it out to the edges. Make some cute swirls in the top of the meringue.

Put the pan back into the oven, and bake for about 25 minutes, until the meringue is just very lightly browned.
Cool the bars, in their pan, on a cooling rack.

Brownie Biscotti

Just three more days to 2012 & five more days to the new school term! I can't imagine the chaos on Tuesday as everybody in my house will be leaving the house in the morning. Amir has to leave the house at 6.15  to catch a bus to his new school. In the past, he woke up at 6.15 for school! And for the first time, Maisur will be going to school in the morning. So I can imagine myself raising my voice like a tarzan next week!

I made Brownie Biscotti before we left for our annual trip to Malaysia. This is my first time baking this crispy Italian favourite. This dry & crispy biscuit is perfect when dunk in any hot beverage. I like it with my white coffee. The chocolate flavour is to die for. Must be the Varlhona cocoa!

Brownie Biscotti

Recipe from Better Homes & Gardens, Complete Book of Baking.

Ingredients:

1/3 cup (90g) butter (no substitute)

2/3 cup (130g) granulated sugar

2 tsps baking powder

2 eggs

1 tsp vanilla

1/3 cup (30g) unsweetened cocoa powder (I used Varlhona cocoa powder.)

1 & 3/4 cups (230g) all-purpose flour

1/2 cup (80g) miniature semisweet chocolate pieces

1/4 cup (30g) walnuts, finely chopped

For glazing:

1 egg yolk (beaten)

1 tbsp milk or water

Method:

1. In a mixing bowl, beat butter until softened. Add in sugar & continue beating until well blended.
2. Add egg & vanilla & beat until well combined.
3. Stir in flour & cocoa powder.
4. Finally, stir in walnuts & chocolate pieces.
5. Divide dough into 2 portions.
6. Lightly grease a cookie sheet (I line cookie sheet with baking paper.). Shape each portion into a 9x2x1-inch loaf. Place the loaves about 4 inches apart on prepared cookie sheet. 
7. In a small bowl stir together the egg yolk & milk. Brush mixture over loaves.
8. Bake in a 190 deg C (375 deg F) for 25 minutes. Cool on the cookie sheet for 30 minutes.
9. Cut, use a serrated knife, each loaf diagonally into 1/2-inch-thick slices. Lay slices, cut side down, on cookie sheet.Bake in a 190 deg C for 10-15 minutes. 
10. Turn slices over. Bake 10-15 minutes more or until dry & crisp. Remove from cookie sheet & cool on a wire rack. Store in an airtight container.

Cinnamon Rolls again......

            Many of my friends & relatives are out of the country for their holidays. In fact, I can sense many Singapore residents are out of the country...... the malls are unusually less crowded & the peak-hour traffic is a breeze to drive through. My family & I are still stuck here....My children's 3 different school holiday schedules plus my husband's work schedule pose a challenge to plan a family holiday. We are still waiting for Maliah, my second daughter, to be done with her school camp which ends tomorrow. Thursday will be Amir's reporting day to his new school. So we can only leave the country on Friday........

           In the meantime, the boys are happy at home on the computer & Amirah multitasking between using the computer & watching the television. For me, besides the daily errands, I'm busy playing with my latest toy, my first SLR camera......hehe... I must say I'm overwhelmed! Can't wait to attend the complimentary workshop next week.!

          I also baked cinnamon rolls again, my third time this school holidays. This time, I decided to use the dough recipe posted by Jane of  Jane's Sweets & Baking Journal. I followed the recipe very closely as far as the ingrediets are concerned but I mixed them  using my usual method of mixing bread dough. The dough is very easy to handle, thus making the rolling part less a challenge. However I still keep the roll-out dough in the freezer for a while, considering the hot & humid weather here in Singapore. The cinnamaon rolls are very soft & delicious. I'm sure I'll be using this recipe again!

Cinnamon Rolls

makes one 9x13 or two 8x8 inch pans
Dough:
(Recipe from  Jane's Sweets & Baking Journal)
3 and 3/4 cups All Purpose flour (I used unbleached, Gold Medal.)
2 tsp instant yeast
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 and 1/2 tbsp light brown sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup water
1/4 cup butter, unsalted (I used salted.)
1 egg, large
1 tsp salt (I reduced to 1/2tsp.)

Filling:
(You may adjust quantity accordingly..)
4 tbsp butter (softened)
2 tsp cinnamon (I sprinkled generously directy from the container.)
1/2 cup dark brown sugar, packed

Method:

1. Combine flour, yeast & sugar in a mixing bowl & mix to combine.
2. Add water, milk & vanilla & mix using a dough hook until combine for about 3 mins. (I'm using  Kenwood cake mixer, so I always use speed no 3 for mixing bread dough, as advised by the service centre.)
3. Add butter & keep mixing for another minute.
4. Add salt & mix for another 5 minutes.
5. Remove dough and mould it into a round dough. Place it in a bowl and cover it with a cling wrap. Leave to prove for about 45-60 minutes.
6. Remove dough from bowl & punch it to remove air. Divide into 2 portions. Leave them to rest for about 10 minutes.
7. Then roll dough out to about 1/2 inch thick.
8. Place the rolled-out dough on a pan lined with silicone or grease paper. Then place it in the freezer for about 10 minutes. This way, it's easier to roll up and cut the dough. Continue with second portion. Then remove first dough from the freezer and the pan. Roll out the dough again into a rectangle of about  30 x 20cm (12 x 8 inches). 
9. Spread soft butter evenly on rolled-out dough. Sprinkle  cinnamon powder generously and evenly, followed by dark brown sugar.
10. Roll up the dough tightly and pinch the edge. Then cut the log into 9 equal parts & arrange them on a 20 x 20 cm (8 x 8 inch) pan lined with grease or silicone paper. Continue with second portion. Leave the dough to rise for 30 to 45 minutes.
11. Bake at 180 deg C for about 35 minutes.
12. Remove rolls from pans & leave to cool. Spread frosting evenly.

Cream Cheese Frosting:

125g cream cheese

35g butter

70g powdered sugar

1/2 tsp vanilla essence

Combine all ingredients in a mixing bowl. Beat  until smooth & creamy. Spread evenly onto the warm cinnamon rolls.