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Tuesday, August 31, 2010

Chocolate bread Pudding


I was working on cleaning my pantry when i found two days old white bread.Then i look over my fridge and saw a large bowl of chocolate sponge cake trimmings from my other dish chocolate mousse cake. I look again at the dairy shelf part of my fridge and found a small carton of fresh cream. I wanna throw all the bread to the garbage so that there will be no leftover foods in my fridge. Obviously I'm cleaning it. But the other side of my brain telling me that "NO DO NOT DUMP THEM.MAKE A DELIGHTFUL DISH OUT OF THOSE BREADS. Instead of wasting it turn them into delightful dish. The next thing i did was to open my spice cabinet to find other ingredient that would pair with breads. I found cinnamon powder, caster sugar, espresso and semi-sweet chocolate chips.. you know what happened next?? i simply turn those ingredients to chocolate bread pudding

serve 2

3 slices white bread-torn into bite size
3 slices chocolate bread or chocolate sponge cake-torn into bite size
1/2 cup single cream
1 large egg
2 tablespoon caster sugar plus few dash for dusting
single shot espresso
2 teaspoon cinnamon powder
2 tablespoon butter-preferably unsalted
1/2 cup semi sweet chocolate chips

Here's how
Preheat oven to 400F
Blend the two breads in a bowl and place in two ramekins.
Mix cream,sugar ,espresso, cinnamon powder,butter and chocolate chips in a medium saucepan. Set over low-medium heat. Whisk until butter melts and other ingredients well combined. Heat gently,do not boil until mixtures nearly thick. Beat egg in a separate bowl. Ladle cream mixture in beaten egg and whisk again. Put the tampered egg back into saucepan and heat gently.
Pour cream mixture evenly into prepared ramekins with bread and press gently with the spoon. Place the pudding into pan filled with hot water and bake for ten to fifteen minutes or until the pudding are cooked and firm.
Cool slightly and serve.
You may prefer to serve pudding in ramekins or you may take them out of ramekins,place in a dessert plate and serve with some store bought sauce like strawberry sauce, caramel sauce or even chocolate sauce...

Thursday, August 5, 2010

Mochi-glutinous japanese snack



Mochi is a Japanese snacks made in glutinous rice grind to fine paste and molded into ball shape. A traditional snack in japan and eaten year round specially new year. Mochi has a special fillings inside which represents the flavor. Most common fillings are red bean paste and green tea like shown in the picture, dusted by very fine caster sugar or sometimes coated with black sesame seeds, dessicated coconut or served plain


This lovely snack is extremely soft and a bit chewy. Mochi is fairly natural sweet with no artificial sweeteners added.There is a possibility to stick in between your teeth and into your upper jaw so i suggest to have a ready toothpick when eating this. I can compare this snack with the pinoy favorite snack called "PALITAW". Both are made with rice and has the same soft texture mild flavor. Mochi is like small golf size ball shape filled with rich fillings whereas palitaw is made with sticky rice shaped into half inch thick flat ball and cook in pot of boiling water until it float. ( indication that palitaw is already cooked )It has only three flavorings- sugar,toasted sesame seeds and fresh grated coconut.


Another version of mochi is sesame bean paste filling coated with black and white sesame seeds
Pretty much BUCHI but definitely not. I have never realize mochi is a great snack until i decided to buy one of the best kind,the green tea mochi. ooooohhh!!!! taste so good with smooth texture that pair nicely in my hot tea in the afternoon. For those who love rice in the their snack, this could be the best substitute to heavy rice soup or any other kind of sweets and danishes during mid day meal. You can buy Mochi in any Asian store/deli.Or in any Asian-Japanese shelves in dry supermarket. TRY it,,, I am pretty sure you'll love it,,,