Bake Day

Ava's preschool has Valentine's Day party today. They baked some bagel bites and cupcakes. she also got a lot of cards from her friends. I took Colin with me to pick her up and he's so excited to go into the classroom. Jane, Steffi's mom, complimented me on the valentine's bag I made. I might seem to have too much time on my hands to people because she said I can still have another baby.. yeah.. right!!! hahahahaha


I made baked salmon for dinner tonight. I found the recipe from food network website. This is a recipe by Giada de Laurentiis, it's called Salmon baked in Foil.

Here's the ingredients:
- Salmon fillets (I cut 2 fillets) - 2 tsp olive oil plus 2 TBS - salt and ground black pepper - 3 tomatoes chopped - 2 shallots chopped - 2 TBS fresh lemon juice - 1 tsp dried oregano - 1 tsp dried thyme (i didn't have this herb, so I just omitted it)

Direction:
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
- Sprinkle salmon with 2 tsp olive oil, salt and pepper. Stir the tomatoes, shallots, 2 TBS of oil, lemon juice, oregano, thyme, salt and pepper in a medium bowl to blend.
- Place a salmon fillet, oiled side down, atop a sheet of foil. Spoon tomato mixture over the salmon, fold the foil so it's covered and sealed completely.
- Place foil on a baking sheet. Repeat with other fillet. Then, baked for about 25 min.

I must say it tasted pretty good. Tasted fresh because of the lemon juice. Colin LOVED it.

Then, after finished feeding the kids. I started to bake another thing. This time, it's a cake.
It seemed like everytime i'm determined to lose weight, I always got the urge to bake cake. It's driving me nuts. This cake I baked is called Pecan Coffee Slice (Sweet and Savoury bites by Jane Price). I got the recipe from this book I borrowed from the library.

Here's the ingredients: - 125 g pecans - 175 g blanched almonds - 2 TBS all purpose flour - 165 g(3/4 cup) sugar - 7 egg whites - dark unsweetened cocoa powder to dust Coffee Cream: - 200 g unsalted butter, cubed and softened - 150 g dark chocolate, melted and cooled - 3-4 tsp instant coffee powder

Direction:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly grease a shallow 23 cm(9 inch) square pan and line with baking paper, leaving the paper hanging over on two opposite side (I used muffin pan because it's easier so i don't have to cup them).

Roast the pecan and almonds on a baking tray for 5-10 min or until golden(I only roasted the pecan b/c I bought the ground almonds). Cool slightly, then chop in a food processor until finely ground. Transfer to a bowl, add the flour and 110g (1/2 cup) of the sugar and mix well. Beat the egg whites in a large dry bowl until soft peaks form. Gradually add the remaining sugar, beating until the mixture is thick and glossy and the sugar has dissolved. Gradually fold the nut mixture into the egg mixture, a third at a time, using a metal spoon. Spoon into the pan and smooth the surface. Bake for 20 min, or until springy when touched. Leave in the pan for 5 min, then lift out, using the paper as handles and tranfer to a wire rack to cool completely. (Since I used the silicone muffin pan, I just popped them out after cooling... easy peasy.. )

To make the coffee cream, beat the butter in a small bowl using electric beaters until light and creamy (I broke my hand mixer in the process.. time to get a new one.. haha). Gradually pour in the cooled melted chocolate and beat well. Mix the coffee powder with 2 tsp of water until dissolved, then add to the chocolate and mix well. Refrigerate for 5-10 min to thicken slightly.

If you used the square pan, then you can cut in half horizontally and spread half the coffee cream over the base before putting the top back. Dusted with dark cocoa powder or decorated with chocolate coated or plain coffee beans. Serve at room temperature or cold.

Since I use the muffin pan, I just put the cream on top of the muffin and dusted with the cocoa powder and voila.. dessert's done. :)