Looking for Inspiration!

One of my sisters is getting married at the end of March and she asked me to prepare the sweets and little gifts for the big day!

It's very exciting for me, I've never done such a thing, but I'm confident that it will be great.

Before making something for someone else, I like to research and test the recipes before making the final product, this time it won't be different.

I'm still looking for inspiration, I have some ideas, but I want to be certain of the choices I'll make.

I know what my sister wants, so now I just need to find the best way to give her that.

Testing the recipes and decorations will be a lot of fun, what I'll need is to find a nice group of people to taste and give me their feedback on it.

This is going to be awesome, my very first market research, I'm loving it!!

So let's get going!

I will love to know your ideas about sweets for the wedding day!

Thank you for being part of this journey!

Cheers,

Dee.

Brigadeiro!

Sometimes when I need that quick fix of sugar, something sweet and quick to make, I go straight to the Brazilian classics.

Last night, I decided to go with something called Brigadeiro.

You see, for us Brazilians, Brigadeiro is the most basic recipe someone can learn, I even had a class when I was in second grade where my teacher was teaching us how to prepare those little things.

It's delicious and simple.

If you don't know what Brigadeiro is, I'll tell you.

It's condensed milk and chocolate balls covered with chocolate sprinkles.

Sounds good?

Today I'll teach you how to make it, then.

Ingredients:

- 395 ml of condensed milk
- 1 tbsp of butter
- 2 tbsp of chocolate powder (it depends on how chocolaty you want it, I mean, you can add a little bit more or not as much, just to your taste)

Preparation:

In medium heat, add in a sauce pan the butter and let it melt for just a little bit, then add the condensed milk and the chocolate powder.

Stir it well. This is the hard part.

If you want to roll it in little balls (like bonbons), then you need to be very careful not to overcook it.

You have to stir until it is ready, do not stop, otherwise it might get lumpy.

When you see the mixture loosing up from the pan as you stir, turn off the heat and stir it for about 1 minute more.

Let it cool down for a while and place it on a plate so it will cool down a little bit more (the thing is, if you just turn the heat off and leave the mixture in the sauce pan, it will keep cooking, therefore, you should let it cool down a little bit and then transfer the mixture to a plate).

And that's it!

Now you just have to roll the little balls and put some chocolate sprinkles!

Tip: put some butter on your hands before rolling the brigadeiro balls so it won't all stick to your hands.

Tip 2: if you wish, you can place the brigadeiro in little cups instead of rolling them. You just need to turn off the heat when the brigadeiro gets a little bit thick, before it starts to loosen up from the pan.


This is a great option for kids' parties, they will love it!

I hope you have enjoyed it!

Thanks for reading.
Cheers,
Dee.

Bittersweet

http://snstoman.wordpress.com/2012/05/27/sugar/

After a great couple of weeks back with my family in Brazil, I am finally back in Sydney!

My time there was really lovely and I had an opportunity to research a little bit about the things that I thought I missed the most (culinary wise).

There was a shop that I just knew I had to go, for me, they have the best cakes in my town, and with my creations, I'm always comparing to them and hopefully I will get my cakes to taste like theirs.

There is nothing too fancy about them. However, there is something quite special about their “essence”; it is the fact that as soon as you walk through their doors that amazing smell of fresh baked cakes fills you!!

But with their cakes, what I love about them is how super soft and moist they are, which is, for me, a perfect combination!

So the expectation was huge, all I could think about was getting my hands on one of their cakes.

As soon as I had recovered, a little bit, from the jet lag, I went to the store and bought my favourite: chocolate truffle - it has a touch of cherry that just makes the cake amazing.

It was just what I expected it would be - the soft and moist cake with a creamy chocolate and cherry filling.

After finally having what I was craving for, I went there again, just a few days before returning to Sydney, and bought a few different slices of cakes they had on display that day to sample all the different flavours.

That’s when it happened: disappointment. The cakes were extremely sweet, I took one little bite and that was it.

I didn't remember how sweet the cakes were, I was just so excited about trying their selection again that I just didn't think it trough.

Well, it is not like the cakes were bad, I wouldn't say that, but at that moment I realised that, as much as a dessert we like is meant to be sweet, we need to find a balance, something that can contrast the sweetness of it, otherwise we can get sick of it really fast.

Seems obvious, but it’s not!

I used to be crazy about sugar and all-things-sweet but as I got older and started analysing the things I ate, I started to notice how sugar overtakes the flavour of things and quite often you can see yourself trying things that just taste the same because of the lack of contrast and the overpowering sugar in them.

Now it’s time to research and experiment old and new recipes with less sugar, or simply introduce a little twist to contrast the sweetness of the dish.

I would love to know your opinion about this.

Thank you for reading.

Cheers,

Dee.

Happy New Year!!

2013 has come to an end and I had to stop for a minute to thank everyone for their support.

It has been an amazing year! I met incredible people, had fantastic experiences, tried new things and I learnt a lot!

I am very grateful for everyone who supported me and helped me get this far, and I know this is just the beggining.

We all know that today it's just another day, but we should hold on to that feeling that everything CAN change and be better, that WE can be better this new year for as long as we can, because it is up to us, as long as we have hope, we'll have the strenght to persue our dreams.

We don't know what's going to happen next year, but give it some time, it may take a few months to get what you wished for, but as long as you try and hope, a lot can happen!

So let's get togheter with our family and friends, and just have a lovely time!

Leave all the bad experiences you had this past year behind, only take with you the lessons you've learned from them and don't forget the good memories!

I know I will!

Happy New Year everyone!!

Chocolate Trifle

On the previous post I talked about favourite desserts and since we are on Holiday Season, I’ll continue posting some of my favourite dishes for this time of the year.

As I’ve mentioned before, the Pavê or Chocolate Trifle is a must have in my family’s Christmas and New Year’s dinners. Since I’ve being making this for a long time now, I think I’ve managed to put together a pretty good recipe that I’d like to share with you!

This is a recipe that allows you to get creative! You can substitute the chocolate layer with anything you want; I have seen from the most traditional versions, with peaches or pineapples, to peanuts and coffee flavours.

I hope you’ll enjoy it.

Chocolate Trifle – Pavê de Chocolate

Ingredients

- 1 package of sponge fingers (about 300g - 400g)
- 395g of condensed milk
- Milk (Use the condensed tin or box to measure one amount in milk)
- 3 yolks
- 2 tsp of vanilla extract
- 300g of dark chocolate
- 300 ml of thickened cream
- Brandy

Whipped cream

- 300 ml of thickened cream (make sure it is very cold)
- 2 full tbsp of caster sugar

Preparation

1 – Combine the condensed milk, vanilla extract, milk and yolk, and take it to medium heat stirring well until it is a creamy homogeneous mixture, reserve.
2 – Melt chocolate in Bain Marie and add the thickened cream and brandy. Whisk until smooth, reserve.
3 – In a separate bowl, add some milk and brandy to dip the sponge fingers before assembling the Trifle.
4 – Start layering the Trifle starting with the sponge fingers, then custard and lastly the ganache.
5 – Finish with a layer of sponge fingers and take it to the fridge while preparing the whipped cream.
6 – Beat cream with the sugar until peaks are formed.
7 – Decorate the Trifle with whipped cream and chocolate, as you please.

Have you ever tried this recipe before? I would love to know what you think.

I wish you all a Merry Christmas!

Dee ;)

"What is your favourite dessert?"

Since I have a bit of a “sweet tooth”, I'm often asked: "What is your favourite dessert?"

That is a very hard question, I always go back to the simple recipes I grew up having but I'm also always changing my mind about that. I guess I haven’t fallen hopelessly in love yet. Besides, my knowledge of the most traditional and famous desserts from around the world still is very limited.

Growing up, I used to reject everything that I thought I wouldn't like. Sometimes without even knowing what it was I couldn't be bothered to even think of trying. I was quite happy in my comfort zone, just eating what I knew; but that wasn't healthy.

I remember one time when my sister told me: “How can you be a chef if you don’t eat all of this stuff?!”

That really hit me, how could I create new things if I didn't even know the taste and combinations I could make with all these various ingredients?

So I tried to “force” myself into trying new flavours, but while living in Brazil it was hard, I always ended up eating the same thing over and over again.

Moving to Australia really changed my life, in more ways than I could have ever imagined; it opened my mind to whole new world.

Arriving here I was introduced to a huge variety of cuisines and I knew it would be hard to try some of them, but since now I had to cook everything myself and the ingredients here were different, I started to open up to this new lifestyle.

I have eaten things I loved and things I don’t even want to see again - sometimes I believe it’s best not knowing what it is before trying.

There is still a lot of things I don’t feel comfortable trying, and some that I do try but wouldn't have chosen myself (you know when you go out with that friend that eats everything and sort of makes you eat too?), but now I believe I am more open minded to maybe consider – something I wasn't before.

So, what is my favourite dessert?

For now, I can say it is my version of Pavê or Chocolate Trifle, but I can honestly say that now I am much more open to try new food and maybe change my list of favourites.

I am thankful to my sister for saying that to me one day, but now I understand that I don’t have to like everything in order to create. I just have to try and be aware that they exist! You never know, one day you might see yourself cooking with that ingredient that you never liked and create something incredible.

Now I would like to know your opinion and what desserts you think I should try.

Here’s to being open for the new!

Cheers.

Dee. ;)

Christmas and New Year’s are coming!

Can’t wait to be sharing Christmas Eve’s Supper with my folks! Every year in my family we have a traditional holiday dinner with lots of Brazilian dishes.

This includes:

Turkey;  Rice;  Beans; Farofa (Cassava Flour); Codfish “cake”; Potato Salad; Leek and Mushroom Quiche.

And my favourite part of the night: DESSERTS

Chocolate Triffle; Lemon Tart; “Rainbow” gelatine; Sweet French Toast.

These are mandatory for a Berlandi-Vale family dinner. =)

It is normally my responsibility to prepare the Quiche and the desserts, which I love.

Over the next few posts, I will be teaching you how to prepare some of my favourite dishes.

I hope you are hungry  :D

Let’s start with the classics.

French Toast – Rabanada

http://www.amandocozinhar.com/2013/01/rabanada-de-forno-para-fazer-o-ano.html

This is a MUST have on Christmas in every Brazilian home.

Ingredients:

- Baguette (there is usually a special bread for this, but you can use a white baguette).
- Eggs
- Condensed milk
- Milk
- Sugar
- Cinnamon
- Canola oil for deep frying

1- Cut the baguette in thick slices (2 - 3 cm).
2- Mix about 2 tbsp of condensed milk in 1 1/2 cup of milk and reserve.
3- Whisk egg in a separate bowl and reserve.
4- Mix the sugar and cinnamon in a separate bowl.
5- Heat the canola oil for deep frying.
6- Dip the baguette first in the milk mixture, then in the egg and then in the heated oil.
7- After the baguette is golden brown, remove it from the frying pan and place it in a paper towel to remove the excess oil.
8- Cover the fried baguette in the sugar and cinnamon mix and serve.

You can serve them hot or leave them in the fridge for the day after.

I hope you enjoy this recipe.

Tell me, have you ever tried a Rabanada? What did you think?

Thank you for reading. See you next time.

Dee ;)