Sweet Dough Diaries: Melty Cheddar Cheese Boats

Hey Bakerlings! I'm excited to post this entry because Melty Cheddar Cheese Boats is one of my long time favorites. My personal history of this bread recipe is not elaborate; I love BreadTalk's Mini Cheese Boats. Another, which my brother knew too well, because Pan de Sal cheese boat making were our afternoon bonding. If someone wishes to propose marriage to me, please bring a dozen of Cheese Boats and that will be a big Yes!

My day job requires me to compare different Sweet Dough recipes, which is a little work, mostly eating and still, it's making me busy! It's such a relief  that I'm able to make not just cake recipes for my blog-love. And so today is another addition to my Sweet Dough Diaries. Actually, if you have been following my blog you will notice that I baked various Sweet Dough recipes in Yoghurt Cinnamon Swirls with Banana-Pecan Caramel and in Sticky Cinnamon Buns the catch this time however is I used homemade Calamansi Sour Cream.

How many of you experienced a hard time looking for Sour Cream in the groceries? Well, I do. Especially that I will only be using very small amount say in single recipe of Cheesecake is 20ml, I would have to buy a pint of Sour Cream. Another point is to provide cheaper alternatives which I always got, today I wish to share my Sour Cream trick.

MELTY CHEDDAR CHEESE BOATS

480g All Purpose Flour

20g Yeast

4g Baking Soda

4g Iodized Salt

100g Sugar

420g Water

120g Fresh Milk

120g Calamansi Sour Cream

120g Unsalted Butter

Weigh  the dry ingredients and sift them twice or thrice to evenly distribute all the components and remove lumps. Mix together in one dry bowl all the flour, yeast, baking soda and salt (set aside sugar).

Weigh the liquid ingredients separately in mise en place bowls

Calamansi Sour Cream: Mix together the fresh juice of  2 pieces Calamansi and 120g Heavy Cream. You may also use All Purpose Cream.

Combine all liquid ingredients in one bowl, and slowly add and dissolve all the sugar.

My kind of mess <3 Floured kitchen counter, clogs and palms.

Using the industrial type mixer, I prefer pouring the liquid ingredients first before adding the dry ingredients to make sure all the dry ingredients will get wet and incorporated properly.

Let the ingredients pick up together into a rough dough

Add in the butter and continue kneading the dough until it passes Window Pane Test.  Click on the link for a step by step dough mixing and idea on Window Pane.

Gather into a ball and ferment for half an hour: like Venus, isn't lovely?

Slightly punch the ball of dough to degas and divide into 30g per piece. Once all the dough is scaled into smaller dough, shape into round and bench proof for 15 minutes.

Layer 2 to 3 pieces of Sliced Cheddar Cheese and cut into 1/2 inch wide batonnets

More than 3 layer of Sliced Cheddar Cheese results in too salty filling, anyways, isn't this remind you of those strips of pH paper thing in Chemistry class?

You may use a small dowell or rolling pin for that Pizza baker feels. Go. :)

 Press the dough into flat ovals; Smoother side down, ugly side up, place the Cheddar strips on one end.

Fold by 1/2 inch and both ends like an envelope. Make sure the cheese are secured or it will pop out

Lock the seams by pinching the edges

Roll slightly to elongate and even the shape

Final proof on sheet tray for about 15 minutes or until the dough doubles in volume

Once the final proofing is over: Gently brush with Egg wash before baking

Top with one layer of Cheddar Cheese strips and bake at 180/180 C oven for 8 minutes or until golden brown.

Sprinkle sugar on top while still hot from the oven. Might as well torch it for that sweet and crisp bruleed top!

Melty Cheddar Cheese Boats

Melty Cheddar Cheese Boats

I declare love at first bite; serve warm for that oozing Melty Cheddar Cheese filling!

I died.

I learned the importance of taking time in and about doing or creating anything, that patience is a virtue, creating is painstaking. To be able to create a great product, never say"good" to what needs to be "better" and "best". Take time and you will get there. In relation, I tried several times to find which cheese to use in my own Cheese boats and the one that suits my preference is the store bought Sliced Cheddar Cheese. Yes, the ones they put in burgers. The advantage is you won't have to slice your own Cheddar, because admit it or not, it's so impossible to slice it very thinly!

If you are reading this Jeff, oh Jepoy. (who I accidentally bumped in the mall the other day) I appreciate that I served as an inspiration to you. I'm overwhelmed with your comments. I hope to teach you anything I can in the future. Have fun studying and be patient towards your career and ambitions, take it one entree at a time, one lesson after each burnt bread. All the best and make me, Chef Chris and Chef MJ proud! 
  

Would also like to say  Thank you to John Paul, it was a short period that we worked together. I consider this entry a collaboration because he had been a big hand in developing this one. I will publish the other ones soon! Good luck for your new adventures, Paul!

Thank you for the continuous support, hey you home baker! If you need to ask anything, go email me.  I'll be more than happy to help. May the floured hands of  the baking Gods bless you.

Love always,

Mateo's First Baking; Dulce & Ganache Chocolate Cupcakes

It was Meathop's 2nd birth day last July 4th. His birth day lunch however was held yesterday, July 5th and  graced by family and close friends. I am very pleased to show you that our charming little boy has early sightings of interest in baking. I decided to run a batch of my R&D's at home that morning when I found my cookie cutters and toque in his toy bin, it made me think...should he start training? Some parents train their kids early on sports, music or academics, however, in our family we are let alone to choose what we wanted to become. I know one day my nephew will grow up and decide what he aspire to become, for now however, he is my little apprentice.

I have no idea how this happened

It's been a while since I baked at home, most of my entries are made while I'm working

My home baking friends, this is such a therapy to me!

Like my other featured recipes, I made this cupcake recipe simple and easy to replicate at the comfort of your own home. I am an advocate of home baking, I once started as a 9 year old who has this deep curiosity about food, especially baking. At 9, I started experimenting whatever pantry staples I can find at home, most of them of course are attempt to create desserts and failed. It makes me smile whenever I remember how messy It was all the time, how much time it took me to try and fail. Inevitably, curiosity is the key to creating and fuel to keep passion going.

In a bowl,sift all the dry ingredients together

Moist Chocolate Cupcakes

 1 1/2 cup All Purpose Flour

3/4 cup Cocoa Powder

1/2 cup Sugar

1 tsp Baking Powder

1 1/2 tsp Baking Soda

1 1/2 tsp Salt

2 pieces Eggs

1 cup Fresh Milk

3 Tbsp Vegetable Oil

1 cup Warm Water

This recipe yields about 15 pieces cupcakes

By the way, that stainless bowl is my mom's and has been my best friend ever since I started to bake. I hope to pass this on to my kids and grand kids in the future as a family heirloom. It reminds me how my mom supported my early interest in baking and food. Wonderful to feel her presence whenever I bake.

Combine together oil, fresh milk and warm water

 WARNING: The next photos are excessively cute and adorable!

Mix together dry and liquid ingredients in one bowl, yes you may do this just by hand with a rubber spatula. Look at him!

He won't let me touch it...

Baby Chef, yes he has his own chef's whites!

Add eggs one at a time

Make sure no egg shells in the batter

Uhhh?

A very attentive student

"Tapon" yeah, he spilled some and said "Tapon" :))

Did I say no egg shells in the batter?

Okay, okay, too much cuteness

This was when he poured the batter into the muffin pan. nyahaha

Ugly one!

Egg Tart, eh?

Mix the batter until uniformly combined and pour into 3/4 oz muffin cups or cupcake liner on muffin pan, filling each cavity up to 3/4's full. I accidentally deleted the photos where the batter was portioned to muffin cups and how messy the ugly one was when he did it.My baaad! Bake at 350 F for 20 mins or until done. Whilst baking the cupcakes, proceed to making the frosting to allow it sit in the chiller and cool down.

 Thick Ganache Frosting

125g Heavy Cream

375g Dark Chocolate

Warm heavy cream over bain marie

Remember to cut the chocolates into small cubes for easier melting

Once the heavy cream is warm, add in the chocolates and let it sit on bain marie until completely melted

Chill and stir occasionally, the consistency will thicken as it cool down and must also be smooth, shiny and pipe-able

Dulce; you can make your own Dulce at home by boiling unopened condensed milk in water for 4 to 6 hours, it depends on the brand of condense milk. Alaska is about 4 hours while Carnation is 6 hours. Remember to tear the label and to boil the cans on hot start, not on cold start then start timing the boil.

Once the cupcakes are baked, transfer them to cooling racks and stuff with Dulce. then stuff with Ganache. Yes, it has two stuffings! nyam nyam!

Frost each cupcakes with Thick Ganache swirls

Using a star tip, fill the piping bag with more Dulce to finish the cupcakes

I know you want more Dulce than that, It's worth it. Baby it is worth it! Go!

Okay, I stopped negotiating with myself and piped more Dulce for Dulce is worth finger licking, smacking and more giving in

Dulce & Ganache Chocolate Cupcakes

Dulce & Ganache Chocolate Cupcakes

Love someone who stares at you like you are a Chocolate Cake. Baby, you are worth it. The Dulce is worth the wait. Love is worth the wait. Whaaaat? Anyways!

Love always,