Tuesday, September 19, 2017

Flourless Chocolate Cakes With Molten Centres - Recipe

It's been ages since I've posted any recipes.  Those who don't know the history behind this blog might wonder why the heck it's called fatboyrecipes.  If I could turn back the clock, I'd have named it FBBeats, cos that's what how it evolved.  "Victim" of the social media tsunami, swept into the frenzy of free eats, not a bad thing at all, but a disservice to the noble name with which this blog was originally intended for.

So, I resolve to post the occasional recipe.  As I mentioned on FB, sonny boy, who was but a toddler at the genesis of this blog, mentioned recently that I hadn't made flourless chocolate cakes in like forever.  This particular cakes evokes such memories, because in the early days of baking, it was always a hit, American friend Scott would plonk dollops of peanut butter, it was the cake du jour for a friend's 1st anniversary, it was also piled high as a birthday cake for another friend.  But over the years, I thought that molten centre thing was a thing of the past, and very yesterday, but classics do seem to remain classics, and I see it's always still a popular dessert wherever it's served.

There are two main types of chocolate cakes with molten centres, one that requires skill, and perfect timing, (because the batter forms part of the lava, and overcooking means the batter will turn into cake), or the skill-less idiot proof method, which by virtue of my lack of skill, I tend to favour.


So here goes the recipe:

Prepare ahead:
Frozen Ganache
100gm couverture dark chocolate
100gm whipping cream (dairy please, none of that non dairy rubbish)
Heat whipping cream in a pot, until just about bubbling, pour onto chopped chocolate, let sit until chocolate has melted, and stir to finish.
When cooled, freeze.  You can actually use an ice cube tray to freeze, you want roughly the qty of a large longan per cake.  Recipe makes 12


Flourless Cakes
180 gm butter
220 gm good quality chocolate
½ - ¾ cup sugar, depending on the sweetness level you require

Melt the above...I just zap in a microwave for about 1½ minutes

¾ cup ground almond
1 cup good quality cocoa powder
5 eggs

Mix the melted butter mixture to the almond and cocoa powder.  Whisk in the eggs one at a time.  Don't worry if your batter looks rougher than a teenager with bad acne, as you add the eggs, it will get smoother, and by the fifth egg, it should be a glorious glossy batter.

Prepare a muffin pan, greased, or lined with cupcake paper.

Pour 1/3 rd cup batter into each hole.  Pop in a frozen ganache (the size of a large longan, or if you didnt use an ice cube tray, then just cut a 1" sq cube) and top up with more batter until fully covered.

Bake at 160C for about 12 minutes, until the batter is cooked.  To check this, text the sides, not the centre, because, hallo, the centres are molten.

Serve to impress.....




Monday, September 11, 2017

Syiok Malaysia Menu At Makan Kitchen, Doubletree by Hilton

Oh dear, this post is a bit late, which is a pity, and I hope they extend this promotion, cos the food is really rather good, the SYIOK MALAYSIA 3.0 in conjunction with Merdeka and Malaysia Day.  As of now, it extends to 16th September so do hurry, it's priced at RM135 nett per person.

So what is SYIOK MALAYSIA 3.0?  In that already vast buffet that is Makan Kitchen, for this period, from around Malaysia, several chefs are highlighting their various fortes, from their home states in some cases.

Larkin Kacang Pool, a beanie delicacy that is like a local mexican bean soup kinda thing.  Rather unique, and served with a fried egg, and toast to dip, with a lovely side salad of paku pakis (wild ferns)


Welcome three layer tea drink....

A very comforting broth that reminds me a bit of the chinese salted mustard greens soup, (ham choy).  Nyonya Itik Tim, a quintessential peranakan soup. 

Signature Penang fish head curry..... seriously there was too much food that night and  I didnt get to try everything, but the sauce was rich and thick and a perfect accompaniment with rice.




One of their signature dishes has always been the Roast Duck, which is really very very good.  I believe this dish is normally available in the buffet.

Roast Duck roasted to perfection.

It's quite a painstaking process, as you can see, the Chef must be pretty strong to begin with, to have to suspend that duck for such a long time on one hand while basting it with hot oil.




Sarawak Laksa, my favourite dish of the night.  The soup was perfect, not too rich, not watered down, and chocful of ingredients.  Just thinking about it makes me want to troop over to Makan Kitchen for this.  Sarawak Laksa has been really making waves in the Peninsula in the last decade or so, and this version, in my opinion, is very good.

A special briyani, so very rich but so very good and decadent.

Beef Rendang Tok.  It's interesting how each state prides itself with their own versions of rendang, and rendang Tok, one of my personal favourites, hails from Perak, and it actually is supposed to be a dish befitting of royalty.  The difference is this rendang is drier than the other cousins, but so delicious.  Melt in the mouth beef.

Chef Eric introducing the army of chefs to us...



A buffet is incomplete with a teh tarik....

And dessert, ice kacang... for that night, ours was presented with a candy floss covering...a bit too pink and sugary for me.

Hopefully they will maintain some of these wonderful dishes after the promo is over.


CONTACT

Tel: 60-3-2172-7272
Fax: 60-3-2172-7590
Email: KULDT_FBReservations@hilton.com

OPERATING HOURS

MAKAN KITCHEN
Location Level 11
Breakfast 6.00am to 10.30am
Lunch (Weekdays) 12.00pm to 2.30pm
High Tea (Weekends and Public Holiday) 12.30pm to 4.00pm
Dinner 6.30pm to 10.30pm
*All day dining menu available 11am to midnigh