Kitchen Test: Strawberry and Watermelon Cake with Rose Cream

Welcome to my first ever Kitchen Test!

This is the place where I pick my favourite recipe and try it on. Sometimes I will change it a bit or change the ingredients according to the product availability here in Australia.

So, I've been a fan of Strawberry and Watermelon Cake from Black Star Pastry in Newtown and I am a bit excited when I found the recipe by Christoper The on Gourmet Traveller.

What you will need:

- 250 gm seedless watermelon, thinly and equally sliced
- 60 ml (1/4 cup) Rosewater (check out my DIY Rosewater)
- 4 tbsp Caster sugar
- 40 gm Almond meal
- 500 gm Strawberries, halved
- 12 seedless red grapes, halved
- 1 tbsp coarsely chopped pistachios

Almond Dacquoise

- 150gm almond, coarsely chopped
- 150gm Pure icing sugar, sieved
- 5 eggwhites
- 135gm caster sugar

Rose-scented Cream 

- 300 ml thickened cream
- 30 mg caster sugar
- 2 tbsp rosewater

We will make the Almond dacquoise first.
Preheat oven to 180C.
Process almonds in a food processor until finely ground, then combine in a bowl with icing sugar.
Whisk eggwhites with electric mixer until soft peak form, then gradually add caster sugar and whisk until stiff peaks form.
Gently fold through almond mixture.

Spread the mixture into equal sized oven tray (I used 20cmx30cm) lined with baking paper.

Bake until golden (10-15 minutes). Set aside to cool
Note: Originally, the mixture suppose to be spread into a bigger oven tray (eg: 30cmx40cm) and then cut half lengthways to make sure you have equal quality of dacquoise. However, because I used smaller sized tray, thus thicker layer, I lower the heat and let them stay in the oven for a longer period of time (180C for 25-30) so in the end you will have crispier dacquoise.

Now, lets go to the watermelon.
arrange the slices in a single layer on a wire rack. Sprinkle them with 20ml of the rosewater and then scatter with 2 tbsp of sugar. Stand to macerate approximately for 30 minutes and them pat with paper towel.

While waiting for both to be ready, lets do the rose-scented cream.
Whisk cream and sugar with an electric mixer until soft peaks form, gradually add rosewater and whisk until stiff peaks forms.
Do not over whisk, keep an eye on the texture!

Check on the dacquoise, if they are cool enough, lets get stacking!

1. Place 1 dacquoise for the base
2. Spread 1/3 of the rose-scented cream

3. Scatter half of the almond meal

4. Put the watermelon on top and trim to fill any gaps
5. Scatter the other half of the almond meal

6. Followed by 1/3 of the rose-scented cream
7. Place the other piece of dacquoise and

8. Spread the remaining cream left.

9. Refrigerate until firm (1-2 hours)

Combine strawberries, remaining rosewater and sugar in a bowl, mix them together.
Set aside to macerate for 15 minutes.

Take out your cake and carefully place the strawberries and grapes.
Scatter the pistachios and then serve.

DONE!

Tip:
- Presentation wise, you could add dried flowers on top of the cake which you can find in David jones food halls.
- You could also trim the side of the cake, to give you a neater look.
- If you are making this cake for an event, freeze them for a couple of hours before the trip to the venue, so that you do not have to worry about this cake flop to the side.

That's it folks!

Until next time,


Tania xx

DIY: How to Make Rosewater

Hello there!

Rosewater can be used for variety of uses, from toner for your skin to cooking! The smell is so divine you can use it in your cosmetic or perfume as well.

I will show you my version of how to make your own Rosewater.
Basically, you will need distilled water and roses.
If you do not have any distilled water, this tutorial also shows you how to make your own distilled water. (Start from step one)
However, you can purchase the distilled water from the supermarket. (In that case, just jump to step five)

What you need:
- Medium sized saucepan (filled 1/3 with tap water)
- Bowl that fits perfectly inside the saucepan
- Lid that is bigger than the saucepan you are going to use
- A Lot of ice cubes
- Spoon or kitchen pipette
- 4 stems of Roses (Preferably red roses)
- Patience

So, lets get to it!

Step one:

Set up the water filled saucepan, bowl and lid (upside down) as shown in the picture below. If possible, pick glass lid without a hole.
Bring the water to boil.

Step two:

Place the ice cubes on the lid and wait for it to melt.

Step three:

While waiting for the ice cubes to melt and distilled water in process, peel the rose petals off the stems and wash them. Make sure you get rid of the dirt, bugs or pesticides.
If you have your own roses plant in your back yard, pick them a few hours after the sun rises so there is no morning dew left behind.

Step four:

Go back to your saucepan, use the spoon/kitchen pipette, take the water of the lid and make sure it does not drip into the saucepan (in my case, because I have a hole on my lid, I have to keep an eye on it every several minutes)

Depending on the amount of rosewater you need, keep adding ice cubes on the lid until you have desired amount of distilled water.
The idea of this set up, as the water boils the steam will rise and hits the cold lid (because of the ice cubes), thus it will condense and flow to the centre of the lid and drips to the bowl.

Step five:

Pick up the bowl inside the saucepan and pour the distilled water into another saucepan (smaller).
Put in your washed rose petals.
The distilled water should barely cover the petals.
If you bought the distilled water off the supermarket, you only need 3/4-1 cup of distilled water (for 4 stems of roses).
Put it on simmer for 10-15 minutes with lid until the rose petal lose their colour.

Step six: 

Remove the saucepan from the heat and strain the petals from the water. 

TA DA! You have yourself a homemade rosewater!

I used my rosewater to make strawberry and watermelon cake (here), do not forget to check them out as well. 

Rosewater: Middle

Thats's it folks!

Until next time, 

Tania xx

N2 Extreme Gelato Chinatown

N2 Extreme Gelato.

Last weekend, I decided to give it a try, I've been hearing about N2 Extreme Gelato from every possible directions of sounds. Basically, this gelato's made by fresh ingredients mixed with liquid nitrogen, thus the name 'N2'. With the only shop who has grass carpet on a paved floor, (sometimes a huge line), this shop was pretty easy to spot. Follow their tumblr here.

Never seen conical flasks and electric mixer in one place before.

 The first few minutes being inside, I could hear several OOHs and AAHs made by kids or even other adults which makes me even more excited to absorb everything that's happening around me. In the display fridge, they neatly present impressive rows of conical flask filled with different flavour-gelato mixtures. They displayed all the scientific decor around the shop, from a huge tank filled with liquid nitrogen (far right, above picture), molecules hanger, to a cage filled with old clocks, glass containers (below). 

 

2 Scoops? Pffts, you don't need it.

The price of one cup of gelato is $6. They're confident that we don't need a second scoop. I wondered why. Truth to be told, they were generous, 1 portion is more than enough to consume in one go. (and I say this very lightly, to gelato-freak-lover out there ;p). 

Menu time!

This is the best side of the store, the menu! Every week they have different flavour and different drawings on the blackboard. Keep an eye on their tumblr website for the quickest update on flavours.

It's going, it's going!

                                 

Pile that gelato up!

We ordered (L to R)  Cigar Smoked Hainanese coffee, buttered popcorn, and PB+J.

This was the creamiest, freshest gelato I have ever tasted to date! I AM coming back again to try every single available flavour. Buttered popcorn has actual popcorn pieces on them! 

Bad side, this gelato melts pretty quick, so try not to hold it tightly with your hand, or stand directly under the sun (obviously!).

Like em on Facebook.

 So, give em a try, I'm sure you won't regret it!

Until next time,


Tania xx