When can I restart my baking

Its a long while .. since the CNY .. so many goodies to finish and just me to do it (oops) .. then now my kids are sick .. looks like it gonna be another week before I can start baking. I have yet to try out the CNY peanut cookie .. ingredients bought before CNY .. cant imagine I have another round of CNY goodies to finish.

Chocolate semifreddo

This dessert recipe came from Simply Her Aug 2008 magazine. Again, I made it because I have to finish up my whip cream and the packet of couverture chocolate. The couverture chocolate is bought wrongly and my friend told me it can only be used in making fondue. So when I came across this recipe that requires this ingredient .. I quickly make use of it.

I do not know what is this but by reading the recipe, it seems like making an ice cream or mousse. The definition from the wikipedia is here. Its a frozen mousse to me after I tasted it.

Here's my cold dessert in a bowl top with crushed hazelnut and chocolate rice.

This dessert is very very sweet ..... so, for those who likes sweet cold dessert .. here's the recipe.

Chocolate semifreddo (serves 4 - 6)

Ingredients
4 egg yolks
100g caster sugar
180g dark chocolate couverture, chopped
500ml whipping cream
2 egg whites
Pinch of salt
10 pieces Almond Roca
A handful of cherries, sliced





Directions

1. Whisk the egg yolks and sugar until light and fluffy.
2. Place the yolk mixture and chocolate in a heatproof bowl placed over a pan of simmering water. Stir the chocolate continuously until it melts. Remove from heat.
3. Whisk the cream until soft peaks form.
4. In a dry bowl, whisk the egg whites with a pinch of salt until stiff peaks form.
5. Once the chocolate mixture is cool, stir in the cream till the mixture is evenly mixed. Then fold in the egg whites.
6. Pour the mixture into a loaf tin lined with cling film. Freeze for at least 8 hours.
7. Before serving, place the Almond Roca n a plastic bag and crush with a rolling pin.
8. Invert the loaf tin on a plate, unmould the cake and remove the cling film. Top with Almond Roca and cherries.

Tip : Use only good quality dark cooking chocolate ; regular chocolate bars give a grainy texture.

Jewelry tip - cleaning silver accessories

I must jot this tip down before I dispose my magazine. This tip is from Simply Her Jul 2008.

"Powder a cotton pad with Hai Tang Fen (at chinese medical shops) to brighten silver accesorries."

This tip is contributed by Tan We Ee as written on the magazine and the writer of this section, Lim Tsiao Hui even tested the tip and said that this tip works, and that its quick and fuss free. All the oxidised silver pendant and necklaces regained their sparkle immediately.

Hmm .. shd be time for me to try it out. Ok, tip jotted down for my reference. The magazine can go to the recycle pile now.