Tokyo Desserts

Last muffin left with a few crumbs !

Cornbread is a tasty & hearty accompaniment to lighter meals such as fish tacos and salads.

There are many ways to jazz up traditional cornbread and adding jalapenos and cheddar cheese is among my favorites. These two ingredients are quick to put together and really add a zip to a traditional food.

This recipe only takes about 20 minutes to put together.

Makes about 8 - 10 muffins

Let's get baking!


Cornmeal 100 grams
Baking powder 8 grams
Baking soda 1 gram
Salt 3 grams
Brown sugar 40 grams
Canned corn 85 grams
Buttermilk 155 grams
Eggs 2
Butter 60 grams
50 grams jalapeno peppers (chopped)
50 grams cheddar cheese (chopped)

1.  Sift the flour, cornmeal, baking powder, baking soda & salt together.
2. Melt the butter over hot water or in the microwave.
3.  In a blender mix the corn. In a bowl, mix the brown sugar and milk and mix with a small whisk. Add eggs & corn and continue to mix until well blended.
4.  Mix the corn mixture above into the flour mixture and mix with a spatula. Add the melted butter. Mix until everything is just moistened – don’t over mix. Lastly, add the jalapeno peppers and cheddar cheese.
5.  Prepare muffin cases by lightly buttering & dusting with flour. Fill about 85% full.
6. Bake at 170  degrees Celsius for about 25 – 30 minutes.

Ready for dinner

Cornbread & taco toppings

Delicious soup for a summer Sunday lunch

This soup really is super easy and quick to make, and I'm not exaggerating. The fresh vegetables are a delicious match. Before serving be sure to chill for an hour or two and it is really the right accompaniment for a summer sandwich.

Recipe

1/2 cup (125 mL) cold water
Juice of 1 lime
1 ripe avocado
1 cucumber, roughly chopped
1 yellow bell pepper, roughly chopped
1/4 cup (80 mL) fresh basil leaves
2 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 tsp  salt
1/4 tsp ground pepper
1/2 cup (125 mL) low-fat sour cream (for garnish)
Zest of 1 lime (for garnish)



Serves 4

Lunch is ready!

Chocolate Brioche 

The trick to incorporate the chocolate into many layers of the dough is to fold the chocolate into the dough as if you are making puff pastry.  The chocolate should be well chilled before spreading it on the dough though otherwise it becomes difficult to work with.


2.   Add the milk mixture to the flour and use a bench scraper to mix and coat the flour thoroughly.  Put on a flat surface and knead for about 10  minutes. Dough should be soft but not sticky. Let rest under a bowl for about 10 minutes.

3.   Put the butter on top of the dough and use a bench scraper to incorporate the butter by slicing it into the dough. Knead again so that the bread is soft & supple. If tough, add a tablespoon or so of milk and knead again.  Put in a clean bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Let rise in warm place for 50 minutes.

 4. Flatten the dough & divide it into 2 equal weight pieces. Roll each piece into a nice smooth ball. Place on the kneading board and cover with plastic and let rise for 20 minutes (bench time).


1. Finely chop the chocolate with a grater or with food processor.

2. Mix the sugar, flour, cocoa and egg whites in a bowl.

3. Heat the milk until just boiling. Slowly pour the milk into the cocoa mixture while stirring. Mix until well blended. Put everything back into the saucepan over low heat, stir until thickened.

4. Add the salt, butter and chopped chocolate and stir until everything has melted.

5. Pour the mixture into a bowl and let it cool completely. Spread the filling into two rectangles of oven paper about 25x20cm, cover each of the sheets with film and put it in the freezer until they are solid.

Putting together
1.  Take one of the dough halves and roll out into the shape of a rectangle of about 30 x 21 cm. Put the frozen dough in the center and remove the plastic wrap. Let the chocolate warm up a few minutes then use a palette knife to ensure it is spread evenly over the dough.

2. Fold the dough in thirds. Fold down the top half and then the fold the bottom half so that it is overlapping the top half. Flatten with a rolling pin and fold again using the same method. Finally, fold up the dough from the long end (like making cinnamon rolls) and then cut the 'log' into about 7 pieces.

3. Place each piece into a baking cup and brush with egg. Place in a warm place to rise until about doubled in size.

4. Repeat the same process for the other half of dough.

5. Bake at 200 degrees Celsius for about 20 minutes.

Ready for Breakfast

This was my first time to make donuts from scratch and I found that they were shockingly delicious! Warm fresh donuts have to be about the best treat for an early morning breakfast - or for anytime!

Actually, making donuts doesn't take that much more time than baking bread. In fact, all processes are the same except that you need to fry the dough instead of bake it.



Recipe
(makes about 12 donuts)

170 ml water
8 grams instant dry yeast
3 eggs (room temperature)
500 grams flour
8 grams salt
100 grams butter (room temperature)

Water temperature should not be above 35°C / 95°F, or it will destroy the yeast. 1.     In a bowl, mix  the flour, sugar and yeast & salt. In another bowl, mix the eggs & milk then add to the flour mixture and mix well with spatula.
2.  Put the dough on a flat surface and knead well until the dough is soft. Place the dough under a bowl and rest for 10 minutes. Then slowly incorporate the butter cubes and knead well with your hands until the dough is glossy and smooth. Shape into a smooth ball and place in a clean bowl.
3.   Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and leave to proof at a warm temperature for about 1 hour or until doubled in size. Punch down the dough, then re-cover the bowl. Put in the fridge to chill for 12 - 16 hours or overnight.
The doughnuts will be more delicious and easily digested if you leave them to chill overnight. If you don't have the time, leave that part out. 4.    The next day, take the dough out of the fridge and cut it into 45 gram pieces. Shape them into smooth, tight buns and place them on a baking tray lined with parchment paper. Leave plenty of room between them to proof. Leave for 1 hour, or until about doubled in size.
5. Get a heavy-based saucepan. Fill it up to the halfway point with oil. Heat the oil to 155°C. Carefully remove a couple of doughnuts from the baking tray, take care not to deflate them, and put them into the oil. Fry for 3 minutes on each side until golden brown. Remove from the oil and place on a tray lined with paper towels. Set aside to cool before filling. Lightly dust with powdered sugar when they start to cool.


Custard filling
4 egg yolks
50 grams sugar
40 grams flour
6 grams gelatin (softened)

1.       Put milk in a saucepan and bring slowly to a light boil.

Breakfast buffet is ready