French Chocolate Macarons Recipe

After making Macarons more than 10 times with lots of note taking, They aren's super easy, It takes practice and time, effort and lot of love. This recipe for chocolate macarons is my all-time favorite. Tonight and my husband said they are the best macarons he's ever had. You can do whatever shape or pattern you like and I believe it will quickly become your favourite too, by far the tastiest, not too sweet, rich, chocolatey, soft and chewy. Great for a Birthday/Christmas gifts or You can match virtually any cake or party decor to make your celebration special.

Makes 25-30

Ingredients

(A)
4 tbsp powdered sugar, (make your own or purchase on store)
3/4 cup, 14 tbsp, ground almonds, (extra fine)
2 tbsp cocoa powder,  (sieved)

(B)
2 aged egg whites (L)
4 tbsp granulated sugar

(C)
A drop of almond extract

(D)
Filling:
• 100ml fresh double/whipping cream (original pack)
• 100g dark chocolate chips (dr oaetker 1 pack of 100g)

Method:
1) Place the granulated sugar in a food processor and process on high until powder forms, and continue place the ground almonds, blend them very fine.

2) Add the powdered sugar, extra fine ground almonds and sieved  cocoa powder into a bowl, and mix well.

3) Whisk the aging egg whites and add sugar a little bit at a time, until stiff peak, about 3 minutes. then sift the (1) dry ingredients into the whites and fold in using a spatula, lifting and turning gently. Do not over mixed the batter.

4) Fill an piping bag with batter and snip off the corner. Pipe onto the sheet/mat making small blobs around an inch big. Leaving a little space between each. llightly tap your baking mat/sheet after piping your macarons to release the air bubbles and then pop them with a metal skewer/toothpick then leave for 2 hours to dry out or until a skin develops.

5) Baked at 120C for 23 minutes. Let them cool completely before you peel or grab them off of the mat/sheet and store in a airtight container and it keeps fresh in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. of course you can pipe the filling in the same day. When macarons are freshly baked, the shell is crispy outside, chewy inside and they are actually not ready to eat. It taste perfectly when "ripened" in the fridge for 24-48 hours.

6) To make the filling, In a small saucepan, Cook the double cream over middle low heat, add dark chocolate chips, and whip until smooth. Leave to thicken for at least 30 minutes. Pipe filling between two shells.

Helpful Tips:
1) Aging egg whites basically means separating your egg whites and yolks, and storing your egg whites in an airtight container in a fridge for overnight.
2) Allow the shells to stand at fan oven to speed up the drying process about 1 hour, until a skin forms on the surface. The batter should not stick to your fingers. This will prevent them from cracking in the oven.
3) It's best to bake at a lower temperature for a longer period of time and avoid them crack and no feet.
4) If your ground almonds not finely enough or you skip the steps of lightly tap your baking mat/sheet after piping your macarons. This makes for macaron shells not smooth and shiny.
5) Click below link, if you use the kitchen scale to measure by weight for baking instead, http://yummyeasycooking.blogspot.co.uk/2016/12/how-to-make-french-macarons-like-pro.html

Recipe Source: JosephineRecipes.Co.Uk

How To Make Black Beauty Cheese Cake 黑美人乳酪蛋糕

I am so excited to share this black beauty cheese cake, it is delicious, soft and moist chocolate cake filled with cream cheese are super delicate without being too sweet, and melt in your mouth. Topped with a cream cheese that's light and fluffy, also decorate with candy sprinkles. They are a wonderful option for any special occasion!

Ingredients

Makes 9 cupcakes
1 - 23cm square cake and 6 inch cake

(A)
• 3 egg yolks
• 30g, 3 tbsp sugar
• 20g, 4 tbsp vegetable oil
• 28g, 41/4 tbsp milk
• 8g, 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 15g, 21/4 tbsp cocoa powder
• 45g, 6 tbsp cake flour

(B)
• 3 egg whites
• 1/4 tsp cream of tartar or 1/2 tsp lime / lemon juice
• 50g, 5 tbsp sugar

(C)
To Assemble
• 300g soft cheese or cream cheese
• 50g, 5 tbsp sugar 
• 1 large egg whites

Method:

1) In a bowl, Add (A) egg yolks, sugar, vegetable oil, milk and vanilla extract, sieved cocoa powder and cake flour, stir until just combined. Be careful not to over mix!

2) In a separate bowl, Whisk (B) egg whites until foamy then adding cream of tartar, or squeezing a little lime or lemon juice and add sugar a little bit at a time, beating until to a thick and stiff peak stage, about 5 minutes.

3) Using a whisker, and turn the small amount of egg whites into the batter, then turn back the batter into the whites, and the most important part here is not to stirring and carefully folding is gentle mixing technique until just incorporated!

4) Bake at preheated oven, on the lowest oven rack at 150°C -5 minutes for the first layer of cupcakes and then taking it out from the oven, and spread the (C) cream cheese mixture and the remaining batter and bake again for another 20 minutes, and 23cm square pan for 15 minutes and then bake again for another 30 minutes. Baking time it will depend on the size of your cake pan.

5) Once cooked, leave to cool at least 10 minutes. Dropping the cake pan from high once to prevent the cake to shrink too much during cooling. Make sure cakes are properly cooled before cutting them.
Decorate with candy sprinkles if you like.

Helpful Tips:
1) Can you freeze the cream cheese? Not recommended. The texture will change considerably. It will be more crumbly and less creamy once thawed. it won't be as creamy as it used to be. When frozen, the cream cheese's liquids and solids will separate and this will alter the texture of the cream cheese. Still, frozen and thawed cream cheese is safe to use in cooking and baking.
2) I recommend one thing, do not pour the yolks mixture into the whipped whites because doing so you compress the albumen and all the work is gone. 
3) Use a clean, dry bowl, free of yolk and any other oil or grease while beating egg whites.  
4) Beat the egg whites about 3-5 minutes at middle speed, until, firm and nearly stiff peaks. Beating egg whites is a very important process, It will help your cakes rise with perfectly.
5) Do not overbeat the egg whites,  it will cause cake shrinks after baking.
6) Do not over mix the cake batter, must be less than 25 times to prevert cake shrinks excessively around the edges.
7) Be careful not to over fold, because you will inevitably deflate the batter, causing it to not rise properly in the oven. Fold just until combined, then call it quits.
8) Store in covered containers in the fridge and consumed within 2 days.
9) Do not bake the cake quickly at a high temperature and don't remove hot cake out of a baking pan. otherwise the cake could fall apart and crack on top. Baking cake at a lower temperature will help the cake rise much higher and bake more evenly. 
10) You can test the cake by poking it with a skewer, if it's cooked the skewer will come out clean. if not pop it back in the oven and bake until it's ready. 
11) Cover with foil after a few minutes if the cake of top starts to get brown and continue rising nicely with a golden top.
12) For guaranteed results it's important to follow exactly this recipe and baking at the right temperature also recommended to use an oven thermometer. Please understand that everyone's oven work differently. You should also check the temperature of your oven. if not, your cake won't rise well. 
13) Cake sink or collapse after cooling, because you've turned the hot cake in the oven too soon once baked or pans were greased too heavily or placed too close together in the oven or over-baked.

Recipe Source: Josephine's Recipes 

Cotton Soft Chocolate Sponge Cake 巧克力海绵蛋糕

These attractive cake will go perfectly with your afternoon tea or birthday party. It's super light and fluffy and will be also a real treat for chocolate lovers.

Makes 1 - 6 inch chiffon cake pan 

Ingredients

(A)
• 22g, 4 tbsp corn oil 植物油
• 12g, 2 tbsp cocoa powder 可可粉
• 66g, 6 tbsp milk 牛奶
• 20g, 2 tbsp sugar 糖
• 3 egg yolks 蛋黄
• 60g, 7 tbsp cake flour 低筋面粉

(B)
• 3 egg whites 蛋白
• 1/2 tsp lemon juice  柠檬汁
• 50g, 5 tbsp sugar 糖

(C)
For the Decoration:
用于装饰
• powdered sugar 糖粉
• grapes and flowers for cake 葡萄和鲜花朵

Method:
做法：

1) Heat the corn oil in a saucepan, over low heat. Add sieved cocoa powder, stirring constantly until  melted completely then combine sugar and milk. Turn off the heat, less than 65C. Sprinkle a pinch of sea salt, sift the cake flour, Add the egg yolks and mix by hand until just combined. do not over mix! 准备一个小锅，小火煮热粟米油，加入过筛可可粉，咖啡粉，不断搅拌，直到完全融化，然后倒入糖和牛奶。煮至65℃后离火，等稍降温后，洒上一点海盐，过筛的低筋粉混合至无干粉。这就是烫面了，加入蛋黄搅拌，直到面糊光滑。 (注意少于30次，不要过度搅拌)

2) In a separate bowl, Whisk egg whites until foamy, squeezing a little lemon juice and add sugar a little bit at a time, beating until to a thick and stiff peak stage, about 3-5 minutes. 在一个干净的碗，先将蛋白打散成泡状；再加入几滴柠檬汁，分三次加入糖，打发至偏干性发泡， 直到出现大弯勾，大约3-5分钟。
3) Using a whisker and turn the small amount of egg whites into the batter, then turn back the batter into the whites, and the most important part here is not to stirring and carefully folding is gentle mixing technique until just incorporated. 搅拌好的蛋黄糊，加入打发好的三分之一的蛋白，搅拌均匀。再全倒回蛋白盆里，。一定要用翻拌手法，以免消泡，并拌匀。

4) Pour cake batter into your prepared pans and sprinkle powdered sugar over cake and decoration with fruits and flowers for cake. You could try now without the water bath or to prepare a water bath and see what happens, It's works too! 把拌匀的面糊从高处均匀倒入蛋糕模，蛋糕馅洒上一些磨碎的黑巧克力，在顶部另外撒上一些巧克力豆。双手提起烤盘，左右抖动几下，使面糊更平整。摔两下除去气泡。

5) Bake on the lowest oven rack at 150°C  for 45 minutes or until the cake is set in the centre. Baking time it will depend on the size of your cake pan. To make sure your cake to succeed even better. It is best to use an oven thermometer and you'll always have the exact temperature of your oven in mind.放烤箱中层，冷水浴130°c-150°c度，上下火烤60分钟。

6) Once cooked, leave to cool at least 10 minutes, until the oven temperature reached to room temperatures. 烤好后，打开烤箱门， 冷却至少10分钟。

7) Dropping the cake pan from high once to prevent the cake to shrink too much during cooling. Make sure cakes are properly cooled before cutting them. 出炉后， 再摔两下，才不会出现塌陷。烘烤时间应根据蛋糕模具的大小来决定。不同的烤箱由于内部结构、控温精准性的不同，实际温度会有差，最好是买一个烤箱温度计，放在烤箱内，这样才能校正误差。

7) Transfer the cake to a plate for serving. Any leftover cake can be covered and kept in the fridge for 2 days. 放在冰箱冷藏，不要超过3天。

Helpful Tips:
1) Be careful not to get the saucepan hot because the oil will burn. 
2) For guaranteed results it's important to follow exactly this recipe and baking at the right temperature is important. It's recommended to use an oven thermometer.
3) Do not bake the cake quickly at a high temperature and don't remove hot cake out of a baking pan. otherwise the cake could fall apart and crack on top. Baking cake at a lower temperature will help the cake rise much higher and bake more evenly.
4) Please understand that everyone's oven work differently. You should also check the temperature of your oven. if not, your cake won't rise well. 
5) You can test the cake by poking it with a skewer, if it's cooked the skewer will come out clean. if not pop it back in the oven and bake until it's ready. 
6) Folding egg whites into a cake batter. Do not stir and never use an electric mixer. 
7) Use a clean, dry bowl, free of yolk and any other oil or grease while beating egg whites. Do not over or under-beat the egg whites.

Recipe Source: Josephine's Recipes 

How To Make Soft Chocolate Sponge Cake

These attractive cake will go perfectly with your afternoon tea or birthday party. It's super light and fluffy and will be also a real treat for chocolate lovers.

Makes 1 - 6 inch chiffon cake pan 

Ingredients

(A)
• 22g, 4 tbsp corn oil 
• 12g, 2 tbsp cocoa powder 
• 66g, 6 tbsp milk 
• 20g, 2 tbsp sugar 
• 3 egg yolks 
• 60g, 7 tbsp cake flour 

(B)
• 3 egg whites 
• 1/2 tsp lemon juice
• 50g, 5 tbsp sugar 

(C)
For the Decoration:
• powdered sugar 
• grapes and flowers for cake 

Method:
1) Heat the corn oil in a saucepan, over low heat. Add sieved cocoa powder, stirring constantly until  melted completely then combine sugar and milk. Turn off the heat, less than 65°C. Sprinkle a pinch of sea salt, sift the cake flour, Add the egg yolks and mix by hand until just combined. do not over mix!

2) In a separate bowl, Whisk egg whites until foamy, squeezing a little lemon juice and add sugar a little bit at a time, beating until to a thick and stiff peak stage, about 3-5 minutes.

3) Using a whisker and turn the small amount of egg whites into the batter, then turn back the batter into the whites, and the most important part here is not to stirring and carefully folding is gentle mixing technique until just incorporated.

4) Pour cake batter into your prepared pans and sprinkle powdered sugar over cake and decoration with fruits and flowers for cake. You could try now without the water bath or to prepare a water bath and see what happens, It's works too!

5) Bake on the lowest oven rack at 150°C  for 45 minutes or until the cake is set in the centre. Baking time it will depend on the size of your cake pan. To make sure your cake to succeed even better. It is best to use an oven thermometer and you'll always have the exact temperature of your oven in mind.

6) Once cooked, leave to cool at least 10 minutes, until the oven temperature reached to room temperatures.

7) Dropping the cake pan from high once to prevent the cake to shrink too much during cooling. Make sure cakes are properly cooled before cutting them.

8) Transfer the cake to a plate for serving. Any leftover cake can be covered and kept in the fridge for 2 days.

Helpful Tips:
1) Be careful not to get the saucepan hot because the oil will burn. 
2) For guaranteed results it's important to follow exactly this recipe and baking at the right temperature is important. It's recommended to use an oven thermometer.
3) Do not bake the cake quickly at a high temperature and don't remove hot cake out of a baking pan. otherwise the cake could fall apart and crack on top. Baking cake at a lower temperature will help the cake rise much higher and bake more evenly.
4) Please understand that everyone's oven work differently. You should also check the temperature of your oven. if not, your cake won't rise well. 
5) You can test the cake by poking it with a skewer, if it's cooked the skewer will come out clean. if not pop it back in the oven and bake until it's ready. 
6) Folding egg whites into a cake batter. Do not stir and never use an electric mixer. 
7) Use a clean, dry bowl, free of yolk and any other oil or grease while beating egg whites. Do not over or under-beat the egg whites.

Recipe Source: Josephine's Recipes 

Pickled Green Chillies Recipe

Pickled green chillies can be served as a side and spice up any meals. It will make your dish look even more appetising.

Ingredients

(A)

• 18 pieces green chillies

 (B)

• 1/2 cup sugar

• 1/2 cup vinegar
• 1/4 cup cooled boiled water

Method: 

1) Wash the chillies under running water is necessary. you can add a pinch of salt if you like.
drain well and set aside.

2) Cut the chillies into fine strips. placed thinly sliced chilli in a large bowl. you can pour hot water over it and drain well, it can be made less spicy by removing the seeds.

3) Mix together with sugar, vinegar and cooled boiled water. Pour it into a clean jar. Refrigerate and use within 3 weeks.

Helpful Tips:
1) If you don't wear gloves, your hand will burning after cutting chillies. Be careful not to touch your face or eyes with a hand that has touched chilli as it is a strong irritant. 
2) Use a fresh lemon slices to rub your hands and soak for a minutes in cooled ice water.

Recipe Source: Josephine's Recipes 

How To Make Pork Jerky 自製豬肉乾 | Bak Kwa Recipe

One of my favourite Chinese New Year goodies. This is one of my secret recipe and the best jerky that I have ever tasted. My husband and I very addicted with this savoury snacks. Whether you make it as a surprise finger food for business or your upcoming party. you and your guests will love this jerky and can't stop eating it!

Ingredients

(A)
2 tbsp brown sugar
2 tbsp clear honey
2 tbsp fish sauce, optional
2 tbsp mirin or rice wine
2 tbsp light soy sauce
2 tbsp oyster sauce
2 tsp chinese five spice
2 tsp chilli flakes
2 tsp white pepper
1 tbsp fermented bean curd (Shanghai) or skip it.

(B)
500g lean pork mince

(C)
3 tbsp fermented bean curd sauces + 3-5 tbsp honey 

or golden syrup for brushing

Method:
1) Combine all ingredients in a large bowl. Mix well with a spoon for cover and refrigerate at least 30 minutes, or until ready to use.

2) Place marinade pork minced on parchment paper and up with another paper and easy to roll to a thin layer as you desire. gently brush the top and down side with fermented bean curd sauces.

3) Transfer sheets of meat to a large pan and bake in a 200°C oven for 20 minutes. Spoon off and discard the sauce or the meat oil and put back to the oven until reaches the time. Cut into 4 pieces and brushing honey or golden syrup on it.

4) Increase oven temperature to 220°C, and bake for 10 minutes. Remove from oven. Flip slices of jerky over with a pair of tongs. brushing honey or golden syrup again. Return pan to the oven for another 5 minutes. Remove and cool completely on a wire rack.

Total Baking Time: 35 minutes

Helpful Tips:
1) Please understand that everyone's oven work differently. You should also check the temperature of your oven. I used BEKO OIM22300X.
2) For guaranteed results it's important to follow exactly this recipe and baking at the right temperature is important. It's recommended to use an oven thermometer.

Recipe Source: Josephine's Recipes