JustKay

A few years ago, my Mom was enjoying a packet of imported chocolate wafers I bought her. Suddenly while dipping into the packet, her fingers touched something 'different'. It was a dead and dried up lizard!!!!! TOTALLY GROSSSSS!!!!! She called me up a couple of days later and I then called up the importer of the stuff and the guy refered me to their Singapore office. I spoke to them and he wants me to send the packet and lizard to them so that they can determin it is indeed 'their' lizard and not a 'local' lizard that got into the packet - he suggested that my Mom was careless and left the packet open. No way! then he said could be the local shops carelessness. I told them, the packet was intact prior to opening and the wafers are still crisps. He said, no lizard, no talk. So I called back the local rep and he could not help me either. BUT he did say that it has happened before BUT the other person did send in the lizard. OMG!!! What kind of manufacturing facility do they have there? And this was by quite a reputable (european) manufacturer. Needless to say, I have never anything of that brand again. Yulks! edited to add: DH was halfway thru a sandwich at a fast food place when I noticed that the bun had funny green spots on the bottom. It was mold! They offered to replace it but we just wanted our money back.

Oh maaan! I really must learn how to do the multiple quotes! Anyways ... Pan - thanks for the welcome. I am enjoying eGullet so far (have abandoned all the other forums! ) Hantu is ghost, but I'm not a durian ghost ghost literally ... hmph ... what is the appropriate translation. A Durian Nut, perhaps? I think Durian Tembaga is getting scarce. They are all busy cultivating D24s, D22s, D9s and the likes. Have you ever heard of Durian Kacapuri? Nobody remembers them anymore I only had it a couple of times when I was about 7 or 8. They are so rich and tasty, virtually seedless, reddish tint and even have the durians growing in the middle (the 'empuluh' - the core?) instead of just in the pods. I think this could be a specie from Indonesia? Maybe snowcrab know something? And a Hantu Durian I may be, but like your parents I don't like other durian concoctions. My DH would eat fresh durians drenched in fresh santan (thick coconut milk) with rice. Yikes! And I run away from tempoyak = fermented durian. Double yikes!!! DH can only eat this at his parents' or elsewhere, it's not allowed to enter our home. phaelon56 - like Shewie said, durian can be freezed. But only the more robust ones. The more 'watery' it is, the least likely you can freeze it successfully. I suspect all exported durians are of the less flavorful/less aromatic Thai species. I have not seen canned durians though. I do like chilled durians. I have seen dried/vacuum freezed durians though. vacuum freezed durians from thailand bleudauvergne - nothing beats fresh durian and I mean the ones that just a minute ago felled from the tree. My grandpa (God bless his soul) used to have an orchard (many types of fruits). And me, being his favorite grandaughter always get the best ones, especially what they call 'durian sulung' ie the first fruit from a tree. Come on over for a visit and I'll treat you to durians. And oh, I open my durian using the 50cents kitchen knife. Although DH's long-lost swiss army knife did a better job. No parang-lah, but want to eat durians anyways! Shewie - Jusco sells fresh good quality D24 durians (when in season) and I usually wait until the last moments before buying. Cheap, cheap like RM20 for 3 packets 20-30 minutes to closing time (usual price RM20 per packet). I linger around and once the price goes down, I grab 'em. But still, nothing beats the good ole durian kampung by the road-side! Do you remember the times when D24 was a novelty? I remember paying RM60 for one fruit! But those D24s sure taste a lot better than what we get now.

Hi TP! I'm hopeless when it comes to cake decorating but just wanted to tell you those decos are lovely. And I'm hoping you'll teach me how to frost a cake decently one of these days.

[scratching head here] just how do I do the multiple quotes?[/end scratching] It didn't occur to me, Wendy - about weight rather than volume substitution. So, thanks. Anyways, the blocks are cheaper then the spread. And I do think they incude some other things in it. I'll check anyways so that if the blocks aren't unavailable I don't go mall hopping to find the cream cheese blocks! I just went to the Kraft site and indeed you have too many cream cheese spread flavors! My DH and DS would go nuts I am from Malaysia (I hope you have heard of it before. LOL!) I've just 'connected' with TP and hopefully with Shiewie soon, so perhaps we can have a Malaysian eGullet cake testing thing or something one of these days. Well, if there's anything you'd like to know about my country or perhaps any dishes or recipes that you come across and am curious about, please feel free to ask. I am rather familiar with the more common things American as I have friends there with whom I swap stuff. We do get a lot of things American here too but not everything (of course). I lived in Canada for while (and am missing it much). And I am enjoying eGullet so far.

LOL! Yes, but a little less 'sin-ner' with the sugar taken care of. She really likes this cake.

Hi Shewie, I am also from KL (sortof). I assume you used the re-packed cocoa powder from the baking supplies store? I've tried many of those (from different shops) and also the likes of Nona, Kian Hin, etc .... and IMO they don't come close to the ones in the tin like Van Houten or Vochelle. I think the best 'local' one is Van Houten which has a higher cocoa butter content than Vochelle. My Mom said (and I agree) that the Van Houten cocoa is even better than Hershey's. But for baking chocolate, I find that Vochelle is better tasting. I bought Baker's a few times, but it's not worth the cost. For chocolate chips, I still go with either Nestle's or Hershey's. We can only dream of the kinds of chocolates and cocoa these people talk about eh? I am waiting for the more fancy chocolate chips to make an appearance here. Peanut Butter Chips .. yumm yum!! I wish Cold Storage would import them. I went to the one at Ikano Power Center and they have the Butterscotch ones. Do share your thoughts. edited to add : Sorry I digressed from the thread topic. Just excited to see another fellow Malaysian. Please PM me Shewie or I might get a topic violation warning!

Jan, Thanks for the tip about WheyLow. It definitely looks like a good substitute. I'll look out for it but it's a pain most times coz we don't get those fancy things (especially new stuff) here in my country. Do tell me how it turns out after you've tried it. Hmph ... I use the butter flavor extract to enhance the butter flavor? Just like using the sour milk (I actually use soured evaporated milk) to make it more 'fatty' and 'moist-er'? They are just tips shared by friends - I tried it and IMO, makes it a better cake. The recipe will work too if you just use 2t vanilla and increase the butter by 1/4C. Care to share your favorite Cream Cheese Pound Cake? I would definitely give it a try (one of these days ... too many recipes, too little time! ). Wendy, "So I guess I'd ask you, why do you want to use a flavored cream cheese spread?" Ah, I thought you aren't supposed to use cream cheese spread but cream cheese blocks for baking? We do have flavored cream cheese spread but I think they're onion flavored. Urgh, how do I do a double quote?

Ben, I must admit that I've never tasted Jell-O Pudding Pops (they're not sold here in my country but a friend was telling me about these a couple years back and I decided to make them - we do however, get the Jell-Os here) ... anyways I make them for my kids and it seems that by using evaporated milk (not the low fat version) instead of whole milk makes them taste better & creamier, and sending them straight to the freezer from the stovetop makes it smoother too - just like the pudding but frozen. Yumm! Just thought I'd share that with you.

This is how I make mine: 8oz cream cheese 1C butter 1/4C sour milk (actual recipe calls for buttermilk, but we don't have that here) 2 1/2C caster sugar 6 egg yolks 1t butter flavor extract 1t vanilla 2 2/3C flour 1/4t salt 1/4t baking powder 6 egg whites I bake it in a bundt pan. It is flavorful and moist and stays moist. Freezes well too. Would you care to share your recipe please? My MIL loves this cake but she's diabetic. And I have no idea how to substitute the sugar. edited to say : Sorry I can't help with your question as I don't think we have flavored cream cheese here. Interesting though.

Wooooww!!! Thank you so much Lisa for sharing all that. And now ... where can I find your blog? And congratulations on the egullet award.

Lisa, every bit helps. I really appreciate every reply to my post. I don't know if it's a wrong approach but like I've said, I usually try to find out whatever I can about a certain new recipe before I attempt it. And then, discuss the outcome after I've actually tried it. This is what I usually do in other forums I've participated but I'm new to eGullet and am trying to learn how it works. I surfed and surfed for 'molten chocolate cake' and alas I think I found what I'm looking for and sounds good. I wasn't just looking for the 'regular' molten cake with a jiggly center to try ya know. That would be to me, like eating a semi-baked cake. You're good Lisa. But what does balmagowry mean?

I have quite a few cookie recipes that have no eggs. Shortbreads are one example. Professional pastry chefs might not agree, but heck I'm a home baker and I do what I have to do. At times, American recipes don't turn out quite well after conversion to weights, and I can't use the cups here coz our cup measurements are UK standard. Anyways, what I do is if the dough is too soft and still won't hold shape even after baking from freezer, I add some cornflour to the dough just enough to make it hold its shape after baking from freezer. It usually works with only a little addition and cornstarch won't make it hard or too 'doughy' like if you add flour. After all cup measurements aren't that accurate anyways. Like I said, some pros would be aghast at my 'unprofessional' suggestion but it works for me. And for cookies, I always mix by hand upon adding the flour. It's too easy to overmix using a mixer. Just my 2 cents.

Hmph ... I guess my title post could mean different things eh? What I meant actually was that this dessert and it's technique as well as the combination of cake and tuille is a new one for me - hence my "exploring a new frontier". And being a home baker faced with a new challenged, so to speak, I seek out thoughts about the recipe, process, potential mistakes, etc, BEFORE I attempt it i.e. trying to find out all I can about it. Thanks everyone. :

Yup, I'm gonna try this soon (still haven't bought the cake rings yet) and will post pictures and result. Even if it's a failure. And I am trying it based on the recipe as given. As it is. I usually like to give a recipe I plan on trying some thoughts before I actually make them. (I surf the Net for recipe variations and read comments, etc... ) I very rarely just go ahead and bake a recipe that I see/found. Especially something like this which is rather alien to me and concocted by a famous pastry chef no less. (It might have been around for a long time but I've never seen it sold or made in any bakeries here!) And I really do appreciate all the thoughts shared. Which has now convinced me to make them as it is, rather than tweaking it if I were to just plunge right into trying it. Thank you for all the replies. p.s. Well Lisa ... it is indeed a new frontier in baking for me! I even have to buy cake rings. A big step indeed for a home baker. LOL!

LOL! But then again, maybe eggs are easier than most men. When I do custards, I take a bit of hot milk and add to eggs (whisk them to mix) to temper them and then pour the egg mixture into the hot milk in a thin stream while whisking/mixing continously. And then heat it all up to boiling over a very slow fire, until it thickens which is usually for about 3-4 mins after boiling point. Too lazy to use the thermometer but then I'm not a pastry chef. But I do use the whisk to stir - works better than spoon. Sometimes, my custard won't set as good though so I have resigned to adding a little cornstarch or custard powder to the milk. Works every time and gives 'body' to the custard.

Thanks Chefette and Lisa. I'm gonna go buy some cake rings maybe tomorrow. McDuff - I do think the the almond flour affects the finished product. One might choose to omit it and just use all flour if one wishes though, but I think it's an elegant touch. In any case, I am nowhere near Whole Foods. And I've never seen this type of cake sold anywhere where I am. In fact, I've never eaten one. Hence my intrigue in learning to make one.

I was just reading this recipe yesterday. jacques torres on FoodTV When I was little, I remember my grandma used to make something like this but she used agar-agar to help 'set' better and drying the cut squares out under the sun for days until it is covered with sugar. Drying it like that will make a crust form on the outside but will leave the inside soft. Nobody makes this anymore though.

Hi Lisa! Thanks for sharing your thoughts. I did think about maybe trying it out as a whole cake in a bundt pan. Actually, I'd prefer it to be one whole cake. But I was afraid the batter/crust won't hold. I do have a springform bundt pan which would help with removal of cake. But like you mentioned, how to mark where the ganache balls area so one doesn't cut thru it? Wouldn't it be too messy if everything just kind of oozes out? I think I'll try the ramekins and cake ring and see how the cake structure is first. Isn't anyone else interested in actually trying this with me? Or who have actually made something like this?

Annie! That's why you're the pro and I'm the lowly home baker. Of course, the cake is to be served warm so no icing sugar! I'm thinking it'll behave like a cupcake/mufin but again you're right, it does sound like it's a fragile cake because even the tuile is inserted before the ring gets off. Definitely do not want to break the cake and let all the goey stuff flow all over. It's great to bounce of ideas before I actually try this or else I would have made lots of misakes. Thank you so much for helping.

Hi Cory! ... not even if it's well buttered and lined with greased parchment at the bottom? What about this idea - bake them in cupcake/muffin pans lined with the paper cups. Then I could just peel off the paper on the plate itself. You think this will work? I think I'll just dust the cake with some icing sugar instead of cocoa since the cake is already chocolate. Or do you have any suggestions? It would be great to see a picture of the original creation though. I'm not sure of doing the tuilles but I'm gonna try. I have not been successful with tuiles that I've tried so far. Thanks for your reply.

Annie, thank you so much for your reply. I think I will bake them in ramekins as suggested. Great idea. I am also thinking of trying to freeze the baked product (the cake part) and then just thaw and warm it up and assemble before serving. This is if I have a lot of this to make and other stuff to make too to serve at the same function. Again, thanks. edited to add : I just visited your website and your creations are simply wonderful. I am really lousy at cake decorating and that's why I mostly look for cakes like this one I'm trying to make which does not need piped decoration, but can be plated nicely anyways. Maybe one day I will be able to learn to decorate half as good as you do (dream on kew ... )

I would greatly appreciate if any of you have any tips or ideas before I have a go with this recipe. And if you think this recipe can be halved. And what size ring moulds are best? And also, if the cake needs to be kept in the fridge and warmed before serving. Thanks a bunch. (Or is this too ambitious an attempt for a home baker? I have always wanted to try to make 'molten chocolate cake' but not the ones where you just underbake the whole cake. This sounds like a yummy cake but unfortunately, no picture) recipe link (Edited by Forum Host to remove copyrighted material)

Thank you Sinclair. I am enjoying the site much. I do find the recipes from the US too sweet if I use the sugar as stated in the recipes, hence I usually reduce it some. I'm not sure but perhaps because we use cane sugar here as opposed to corn sugar in the US? (I've read somewhere that even our Coke here tastes better due to the different sugar ). And with 300gm sugar total, like I said, it's sweet enough. I would rate it too sweet if I had added total 400gm. Yeah, I should've stuck to the plain recipe but I couldn't resist adding the Oreos when I saw the suggestion at the end of the recipe. Anyways, the one which had chopped Oreos were big Oreo pieces and I don't think it messed the batter any - I kinda dropped them into the batter once poured into the pan. The cake was still white with Oreo spots. Mine came out just like kthull's. I guess I'm not a good 'tester' what with the difference in flour quality, sugar differences, humidity, substituting unavailable ingredients or whatever else.

Hi guys ... I'm new to the forum. I hope you don't mind if I jump right in. I just baked mkfradin's cake but with the addition of chopped oreos in one and crushed oreos in the other pan. (My daughter just helped herself to her 3rd piece! ) Anyways, mine did not come out as white as TPs. But rather like kthull's - all golden on the outside and whiter inside. However, the outer crisp is rather chewy and more prominent than other cakes. There's a definite 'skin' all around (pardon my descriptive terms as I am only a home baker ). Could it be my oven? I baked it for 28 minutes. But this would definitely be a plus point if frosting - no crumbs. It cuts pretty well though and the texture is fine and light. I think the moistness level is just right. It also does not dome out - I had a nice almost even top. And since I added the Oreos, I cut down the sugar (I use caster sugar) to only 300gms and it *is* sweet. It is indeed a very easy cake to make. Virtually hassle-free. I'd give both the taste and TMC 4.5. I think I'll give the Snow White cake a try next and compare to this.

Oh Gosh! These babies are really yummy and addictive. We had our first introduction and taste of these when an ex-neighbor came visiting from the Netherlands. Totally awesome.