Baked Potato Chips with Avocado Garlic Dip

These homemade potato chips are a healthier version of your favourite chips because they're oven baked, not fried. It took time for me to cut them into thin slices because I don't have any magical cutter but it was worth that. Served with avocado dip they are a great appetizer. Really, this avocado dip made all the difference. Isn't it amazing that a dip can be healthy without any mayonnaise or other components and still be so creamy and delicious? Since I tried avocado with pasta, I realized that it can be used in so many ways like sauces and dressings and substitute that unhealthy stuff we are used to eating. Can't wait to try other recipes with avocado!

Avocado Dip
1 medium ripe avocado
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 cup sour cream
1 tbsp lemon or lime juice
1 jalapeno pepper, finely chopped
1 tsp dried or fresh basil
1/4 tsp ground cumin
pinch salt and pepper

Combine all the ingredients and process in your food processor until smooth. Or use a mixer and blend everything.

4 medium potatoes, thinly sliced
1 tsp sweet paprika
2 tbsp olive oil
pinch salt

1) Preheat oven to 190C. Line two baking trays with parchment paper.
2) Mix oil, paprika flakes and salt in a bowl. Add potatoes and toss to cover both sides. Place the potato slices on parchment paper and bake until dark golden brown and crispy. Serve with avocado dip.

Coffee Meringues

Meringues! One of a thousand sweets that I'm in love with. Light, airy and melt in your mouth. And of course, coffee flavoured! I probably have to try putting coffee in everything I bake. These meringues came out as good as I expected. And what I like most, they are super easy to make and such a small amount of ingredients make so much meringues! Sounds good, doesn't it?

3  large egg whites

1/2  tsp  cream of tartar (I used vinegar)

170g/3/4  cup  sugar

1/2  tsp  vanilla

1 1/2  tbsp instant espresso powder

1. In a bowl, with an electric mixer on high speed, beat egg whites and cream of tartar until thick and foamy. Gradually add sugar and continue to beat until mixture holds stiff peaks. Beat in vanilla and espresso powder.

2. Spoon meringue in 3-5cm wide mounds, about 2,5cm apart, onto parchment-lined baking sheets. 

3. Bake in a 93°C preheated oven until meringues are light brown. 1 1/4 to 1 1/2 hours. Turn off heat and leave meringues in closed oven for 1 hour.

Coconut Chocolate Brownie bottom Cake

Happy holidays!! I have a perfect cake recipe for the New Year's Eve. I hope you didn't eat too much chocolate during the holidays and still want to make this rich and heavenly cake. It consists of three layers: chewy brownie, creamy coconut cream and chocolate mousse. For the brownie layer, you may use the recipe of your favourite brownie. I used my favourite one and I halved the ingredients. And for the mousse, I used 52% and 30% chocolate because I don't really like bittersweet so it's all up to you. For the topping, you may use anything you like, for example, whipped cream but I thought the cake itself is rich enough and no more creamy things are needed. The recipe may look difficult and time consuming but it really isn't! I needed about 1-1,5 hours to make it except the chilling time. 
So get ready and bake this cake for the last day of 2012. I wish you a happy New Year!!
 
Brownie Layer Ingredients: 
70g unsalted butter  

135g sugar 

40g unsweetened cocoa powde

1/4 tsp salt 

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

1 large egg

35g all-purpose flour

1)  Preheat oven to 160C.

2)  Combine the butter, cocoa, sugar, and salt in a medium heatproof bowl. Set the bowl in a wide skillet of barely simmering water. Stir the butter cocoa mixture from time to time until the butter is melted and the mixture is smooth and hot enough that you want to remove your finger quickly after dipping it in to test. Remove the bowl from the skillet and set aside briefly until the mixture is only warm, not hot.

3)  Stir in the vanilla extract. Add the egg, stirring quickly. When the batter looks shiny, thick, and well mixed, add the flour and stir until you cannot see it any longer. Spread the batter evenly in the 23cm springform pan.

4)  Bake until a tester inserted into the center comes out just slightly moist with batter, 15 to 25 minutes. Let the brownies cool completely.

Coconut Cream Filling Ingredients:
360ml/1 1/2 cup half-and-half 
360ml/1 1/2 cup coconut milk
2 eggs
170g/3/4 cup white sugar
50g cornstarch
1/4 teaspoon salt
75g/3/4 cup flaked coconut
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

1) Combine the half-and-half, coconut milk, sugar and salt in a medium pot. Set over medium-low heat.

2) In a small bowl, lighyly beat the eggs and mix with cornstarch.

3) When the milk mixture boils, reduce the heat to the lowest and slowly add the egg mixture, whisking constantly. Keep whisking until the mixture thickens.

4) Once the mixture is thickened, add coconut and vanilla extracts and the coconut and stir. Pour this filling over your brownie layer and put in the fridge to chill until firm, about 2 hours.

Chocolate Mousse Layer Ingredients:
57g/2 ounces semisweet chocolate chips
57g/2 ounces bittersweet chocolate chips
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon coconut extract
240ml/1 cup chilled whipping cream
2 tablespoons icing sugar

Sugar sprinkles or grated white chocolate for topping (optional)

1) Place the bittersweet and semisweet chips in a medium bowl. Bring 1/3 cup cream to boil in heavy small saucepan or in a microwave. Pour it over the chocolate and let it sit for 2 minutes before gently whisking it to a smooth ganache. Cool to room temperature, stirring occasionally.

2) In a chilled bowl, beat 2/3 cups cold whipping cream and icing sugar in to stiff peaks, adding vanilla extract halfway through. Gradually fold the cream into the chocolate mixture and pour the mousse onto set coconut filling. Chill until set, about 6 hours or overnight.

3) Sprinkle with sugar sprinkles, white chocolate or whatever you like and serve.

Coffee Eclairs

I think I have already told you how much I like eclairs. (I know, I keep saying that every time I post a new recipe.) I've been craving eclairs for a long time. It's probably not a surprise that I made them coffee-flavoured. 
So at first I had some difficulties with the filling. It came out too thick. Maybe 2tbsp of cornflour were too much but instead of decreasing the amount of cornflour I added more milk and slightly more sugar (the recipe below is already modified) and finally it turned out well. 



Coffee Eclairs

Pastry 
65ml milk
65ml water
50g unsalted butter, softened
½ tsp sugar
pinch of salt
75g flour
2 eggs, beaten

Coffee custard filling
350ml whole milk
2 tbsp instant coffee powder
80g sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 egg
2 tbsp cornflour
25g butter, diced into small cubes

Coffee glaze
                              100g icing sugar
                              2 tbsp strong coffee
 

1) Preheat the oven to 180C and line two baking trays with parchment paper. Place the milk, water, butter, sugar, and a pinch of salt in a large pot, and bring to the boil over a high heat. Remove from the heat, add the flour and stir with a wooden spoon until smooth. Return to a medium heat and cook for 1 minute until the mixture comes away from the sides and forms into a ball.


2) Remove from the heat and gradually whisk in the eggs till you have a smooth batter. Leave the mixture to cool.

3) Fit a large piping bag with a 1cm nozzle, fill with the cooled mixture and pipe 12 éclairs onto the baking tray, spaced 5cm apart. Bake for 25–30 minutes or until golden brown and puffed. Transfer to a wire rack and leave to cool.

4) Meanwhile for the custard filling, place the milk, coffee powder, sugar, vanilla extract and a pinch of salt in a pot and heat to just under the boil. Remove the milk mixture from the heat, cover, and leave for 10–15 minutes. Meanwhile, whisk together the egg and cornflour in a small bowl and set aside.

5) Strain the milk mixture through a fine sieve into a bowl. Return the mixture to the pot and heat again to just under the boil. Whisk 2 tablespoonsful into the egg mixture. Pour this back into the pan and whisk constantly over a low heat until you have a thick custard.

6) Strain the custard and stir in the butter cubes. Leave to cool.

7) Cut each eclair lenghtwise and fill with custard.

8) For the coffee glaze, sift the icing sugar into a small bowl and whisk in the coffee. Spoon the glaze over the éclairs. Let them set at least for an hour before serving.

Coconut Cream Pie

This is an absolutely perfect pie for coconut lovers! A creamy, rich coconut layer topped with an airy and light whipped cream. The pie is not too sweet and I just loved the crust which doesn't contain any sugar. Before serving, I strongly recommend chilling it overnight and serving cold.

Recipe adapted from rock recipes.

For the pie crust:

113g/1/2 cup very cold butter cut into small cubes
150g/1 1/4 cup flour

1/4 tsp salt
1/8 to 1/6 cup ice water (Only enough to make a dough form.)

1) Using a food processor or a pastry blender cut cold butter into flour and salt until mixture resembles a coarse meal. Small pieces of butter should still be visible. Pour cold water over the mixture and work in by tossing with a fork until dough begins to form. Use your hands as little as possible and work the dough as little as possible.Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator to rest for a minimum of 20 minutes.

2) Roll the dough into a round and place in the bottom of a 23cm pie plate. Poke a few holes in the bottom of the pastry shell and rest in the refrigerator for an additional 20 minutes.

3) Bake at 200 degrees C for 12 – 15 minutes or until golden brown. Cool completely before adding the filling.

For the coconut cream filling:

720ml/3 cups milk

40g/1/3 cup flour
150g/2/3 cup sugar
pinch of salt
90g/1 cup unsweetened fine coconut
3 slightly beaten large egg yolks
4 tbsp butter

2 tsp vanilla extract

1/4 tsp pure almond extract

1) Bring the milk to boil. Meanwhile, in a saucepan combine the flour, sugar, salt and coconut.2) Over medium low heat slowly add 1 cup of the scalded milk, whisking constantly. When the filling begins to thicken, add another cup of the scalded milk continuing to stir constantly until it begins to thicken again. Add the final cup of scalded milk, stirring constantly. Continue to cook over medium low heat until mixture begins to thicken. 

3) Remove from heat and pour about a half cup of this mixture onto the egg yolks. Keep whisking constantly. Pour the egg mixture immediately back into the pot, continuing to stir. Cook for an additional two or three minutes until the filling reaches pudding consistency and remove from heat. The mixture should just be beginning to boil at this point.

4) Stir in butter, vanilla and almond extract.

5) Cool almost to room temperature before pouring into the baked pie shell. Chill for about 3 hours or overnight.

Vanilla Whipped Cream

200ml/1 cup whipping cream
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 tbsp icing sugar

1) Combine and beat to soft peaks and spread on top of the cooled coconut cream filling. Garnish with toasted coconut and serve.

Enjoy!!