Pizza time!!!

Usually, we would order pizza to be delivered. But yesterday when hubby said let's have pizza for dinner, I agreed. I also suggested to make our own and be creative with the toppings. I have the ingredients and toppings, so why not give it a go, right...
As I was gathering the ingredients, I thought to myself, it would not be fun to make pizza by yourself so I asked hubby if he wants to join me. He said "yea, sure". We had fun and hubby did mentioned that it was his first time to make his own pizza. He did a great job. :))
This dough recipe is very simple and after baking our pizza turned out very nice. 

Pizza Dough

Ingredients:

1 (.25 oz) packet active dry yeast

1 cup warm water (105 - 110 degrees F)
2 tbsp olive oil
2 1/4 cups bread flour plus extra for dusting
1 tsp salt
2 tsps white sugar

In a large bowl, dissolve yeast in warm water. Let it stand until creamy, for 10 minutes. Stir the olive oil, 2 cups of bread flour, salt, white sugar. Mix in the remaining flour, little by little, stirring well after each addition. When the dough has pulled together, turn it out onto a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth and elastic, about 8 minutes.
Lightly oil a large bowl, place the dough in the bowl and turn to coat with oil. Cover with damp cloth and put in a warm place to rise until doubled in volume, about 30 minutes.

On a lightly floured surface, pound the dough down with your fist or palm of your hand. Meanwhile preheat oven to 350 degrees F. (After I pound it down, I divided the dough into smaller pieces and let it rest for 5 minutes before flatten them with my fingers). Form dough into a round and roll out into a pizza crust shape. Cover with your favorite sauce and toppings and bake in preheated oven until golden brown, about 20 minutes.

Ready to go in the oven for baking...

After baking, ready to eat. Yum-yum!!!!

Red Velvet Cupcakes

The last two days, I was a little busy trying to revamp my blog.. Now, I'm very happy with the new design but still have a few things I need to finish up.  Well, what do you think??? hehe.. :)

When I visited other bloggers' websites, I was wondering how they do this and that in their blog. For hours, I was searching for Help. I saw the answers but I have to edit in the html editor. To tell you the truth, I am clueless about designing web page using html editor. It's just too confusing. However, I decided to give it a try. I followed as instructed, but in the end, it was all wrong.. It was a little frustrating but at the same time I think it was funny. I thought I could do it.. Not!!! ha..ha.. After all that, I realized I can do without editing from the html editor. *wink* 

Anyway, here is what I baked for hubby on Valentine's Day. Red Velvet cupcakes. Bright red with chocolate flavor, topped with cream cheese frosting and sprinkles. They taste even better the next day. 

Red Velvet Cupcakes

Makes 12 Cupcakes

Ingredients:

1 1/4 cups sifted cake flour

1/4 tsp salt

1 tbsp regular or Dutch-proceed cocoa powder

1/4 unsalted butter, room temperature

3/4 cups granulated white sugar

1 large egg

1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract

1/2 cup buttermilk

1 tbsp liquid red food coloring

1/2 tsp white distilled vinegar

1/2 tsp baking soda

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and line 12 muffin tin with paper cupcake liners.

In a large bowl, sift together flour, salt and cocoa powder.

In the bowl of your electric mixer, or with hand mixer, beat the butter until soft (abt 1-2 minutes). Add sugar and beat until light and fluffy (abt 2-3 minutes). Add the egg and beat until incorporated. Scrape down the sides of the bowl. Add vanilla extract and beat until combined.

In a measuring cup, whisk the buttermilk with the red food coloring. With the mixer on low speed, alternately add the flour mixture and buttermilk to the butter mixture, in 3 additions, beginning and ending with the flour.

In a small cup combine the vinegar and baking soda. Allow the mixture to fizz and then quickly fold into the cake batter.

Working quickly, divide the batter evenly among the 12 muffin cups and smooth the tops with an offset spatula or the back of a spoon. Bake in the preheated oven for approximately 18-23 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cupcakes comes out clean. Cool the cakes in their pans on a wire rack for 10 minutes and then remove from the pan. Let cool completely before frosting.

Cream Cheese Frosting

Ingredients:

4 ounces cream cheese, room temperature

1/4 pure vanilla extract

1/4 cup confectioners' sugar

1/3 cup cold heavy whipping cream

In a bowl of your electric mixer, or with a hand mixer, beat the cream cheese until smooth. Add the vanilla and confectioners' sugar and beat until smooth. Using the whisk attachment, gradually add the heavy cream and whop until the frosting is thick enough to pipe. Add more sugar or cream as needed to get the right consistency.

Spread the frosting with a knife or offset spatula or use a large 1M Wilton open star decorating tip to pipe the frosting.

Notes:

If you are unable to get buttermilk, you can make your own buttermilk by adding 1 tablespoon of white distilled vinegar, cider vinegar, or lemon juice to 1 cup of milk. Let this mixture stand 5 to 10 minutes before using.

Source: Joy of Baking

Red velvet cupcakes and card (red) for hubby.

Box of chocolate, lovely card and rose for yours truly. 

Chocolate Peanut Butter Cup Cookies

Hubby likes cookies and he likes peanut butter (I like them too. hehe..).. Put two into one... tah..dah... Chocolate Peanut Butter Cup Cookies... Hubby loves them and he said these cookies are great. I saw this recipe last Christmas but I was not able to make them. 

I'm glad that I finally made them. I was a little disappointed because my cookies cracked when I pressed the chocolate PB cup into the cookies. :( But no matter, overall,  they definitely taste good. This is a great recipe and I will make these again and again... :))

Ingredients:

1 3/4 cup all purpose flour

1/2 tsp salt

1 tsp baking powder

1/2 cup butter, softened

1/2 cup peanut butter

1/2 cup white granulated sugar

1/2 cup packed brown sugar

1 egg, beaten

1 tsp vanilla essence

2 tbsp milk

40 miniature chocolate covered peanut butter cups, unwrapped (freeze or put in the fridge before use)

Preheat oven at 375 degrees F. In a medium bowl, sift together flour, salt and baking powder. Set aside. In a large bowl, cream butter, peanut butter, white sugar and brown sugar until fluffy. Beat in egg, vanilla essence and milk. Add flour mixture; mix well. Shape into 40 balls and place each into an ungreased mini muffin pan.

Bake for about 8 minutes. Remove from oven and immediately press each miniature chocolate covered peanut butter cups into each ball. Decorate quickly if desire. Cool carefully before removing from the pan.

Source: Allrecipes

Latest Updates: I was invited to this sweet treat linky party.. It's awesome and the pictures simply making you drooling for the sweet treats...  Must check this out Sweet As Sugar Cookie .
Thanks Lisa. :))

Steamed Coconut Blossom

A while back, I came across this Steamed Coconut Blossoms from Bisous À Toi and even asked my cousin to send me a tub of ovalette from Singapore (which its very hard to get in US). I did made my first steamed coconut blossoms at my friend's place while visiting her but I was unable to take much pictures. So yesterday, I tried to make them again. 

I had a packet of the frozen coconut flakes in the freezer so I decided to use that for the filling. But I think I should have bought a whole coconut and shred the coconut meat, much more finer. If you are making Steamed Coconut Blossoms, I would suggest that you make the filling first and let it cool down first before you start with the batter.

When hubby came home from work, he thought it was a cupcake so he grab one and with the look on the face, I can tell, he did not really enjoy these steamed coconut blossom like I do. :(

Ingredients:

3 nos. cold eggs

250 gm sugar

10 ozs (about 280 to 300 gm.) Softasilk flour or any superfine flour (Hong Kong flour) (I used cake flour)

2 1/2 tsp baking powder

1 tbsp ovalette

130 gm (5 ozs.) coconut cream (I used coconut milk)

30 gm pandan juice (blend about 6 pandan leaves) (I did not use)

1 tsp pandan paste (mixed with coconut milk)

Special equipment: 3-tiered steamer

Boil water in the 3-tier streamer.
Beat all the ingredients together until thick and fluffy.

Scoop 1 tbsp of batter into madeleine mould (lined with paper cup), top up with 1 tbsp of coconut filling and then another 1 tbsp of batter.

Steam over high heat for 15 mins.

Coconut fillings:

250 gm grated coconut

30 gm castor sugar

100 gm gula melaka

60 gm water

1 tsp cornflour

2 pcs pandan leaves - cut into small pieces

Cook sugar, gula melaka and water in a wok till sugar melts.

Add in grated coconut and pandan leaves and fry till dry.

Sprinkle cornflour on top and stir till well mixed.

Cool before using.

Inspiration from: Bisous À Toi 

Source: Aunty Yochana

Bubur Pulut Hitam (black glutinous rice dessert)

This was our dessert last night and it's hubby first bubur pulut hitam. After he finished his bowl, he said its good but not his favorite. :( I was disappointed but its OK because this is my favorite dessert. I just think he is not use to eat this dessert.. oh well, I can have it all to myself. LoL!!! There are many variations to make bubur pulut hitam; some added the coconut milk when the black glutinous rice becomes thick. After so many reviews, I prefer to have the coconut milk as a topping and my bubur is not too watery. :)

Ingredients:

1 cup of black glutinous rice

1 pandan leaf

sugar to taste

water

coconut milk

Rinse the black glutinous rice with water thoroughly until the water turns clear. Fill half of the pot with water. Add pandan leaf and bring it to boil. Reduce the heat and add the black glutinous rice into the pot, cover. Cook for 45-60 minutes or until the rice becomes soft and breaks up. Remember to keep checking the water level, add more water if it become too dry. Add sugar to taste. Then simmer for a few more minutes while constantly stirring until the mixture becomes thick. 

To serve, pour into a bowl and a few tablespoon of coconut milk as topping. You may add an extra amount of topping if you prefer creamier ones. :)

Notes:

• Put a porcelain spoon into the pot while cooking so that the rice are cooked faster. 
• You can use brown sugar or white granulate sugar if you do not have gula melaka (palm sugar).
• Leftover bubur pulut hitam, store it in a tight-sealed container and keep in the refrigerator.