Homemade Buttery Croissants from Scratch | Recipe

I absolutely adore fresh croissants- there's nothing better than the crispy exterior against the soft yet chewy, hot, steaming interior on the first bite. Now I know there are many people out there who are intimidated with idea of making homemade puff pastry/croissant dough, but I can re-assure you now- they're really not at all that hard to make! The lovely nature of recipes like these is that you can double the recipe and keep half of the final dough in the freezer, so they are ready to be baked whenever you need to satisfy that irreplaceable 'fresh-croissant' craving reminiscent of the ones from Paris patisseries.
I've seen far more complicated recipes for croissants, so I have decided to create my own which is just as great, if not better. (Yes, I said it!) They key thing about these croissants is the use of high-quality, fresh ingredients that add to the utmost superior end result- so with that in mind, please don't use margarine in those tubs which are heavily diluted with about 70% of water for its spreadable consistency, because they just don't work! Enough talking, here comes the recipe:

Buttery Croissants Recipe                                                                               Recipe by iSaamuel 

INGREDIENTS;
2 Cups of Bread Flour,
2 Teaspoons of Fast-Action Dried Yeast,
1/2 Cup of Sugar,
1/2 Cup of Milk,
2 Tablespoons of Butter,
1 Teaspoon of Salt,

3/4 cup of cold, cubed, unsalted Butter.

1. In a large bowl, sift the bread flour and then add the dried yeast, sugar, milk, salt and the 2 tablespoons of butter.
Knead well until a rough dough forms.
2. Transfer the dough on a lightly floured surface and knead for around 5-10 minutes, until a smooth and elastic dough is achieved. Try to avoid the incorporation of too much extra flour despite seeing the dough being sticky, or else you will end up with tough croissants- so don't panic- just slowly knead until the desired consistency is reached.
(Feel free to use a stand-mixer to do this if one is available.)
3.  Shape the ball and then flatten it into a rough disc on a plate, and cover it with plastic wrap to let it rise overnight in the fridge.
4. Get your 3/4 cup of cold, cubed butter and place it on a piece of parchment/baking paper to form a 7x7 inch slate of butter. Take another piece of parchment paper on top, and use a rolling pin to whack and to roll out the butter to get it even. Put this in the fridge overnight with the dough to harden.
5. The next day,  take the dough out from the fridge, peel off the plastic wrap and it should have doubled in size. Punch the dough to release the air.
6. Lightly flour a surface/table and use a rolling pin to roll the dough out into an even 8x8 inch square.
7. Peel the cold butter taken from the fridge off the sheets of parchment paper, and place it in the centre of the dough.
8. Fold the dough over the butter to seal it. Roll the dough into an 8x23 inch piece of rectangular dough. Brush off excess flour with a pastry brush.
8. Fold the dough over itself into 3 layers (watch the video) and place in the fridge for 30 minutes for the butter to harden.
9. After 30 minutes, take it out from the fridge and roll the dough out into another 8x23 inch piece of dough. Fold the dough over itself again (working quickly so the butter doesn't melt) and place this into the fridge again.
Repeat this 'rolling-folding-resting' process for a total of 8 times/ more for even more layers.
10. After doing this for a total of 8 times, let the dough rise in the fridge overnight.
11. The next morning, cut the dough in half with a sharp knife. With one half of the dough, roll it out into a final 8x23 inch dough. With the vertical dough, divide it into 3 horizontal parts. Cut each piece diagonally in half.
 

Cutting the dough for it to be rolled into croissants

12. You should be left with 6 isosceles triangles, to which you'll then roll them tightly from the wide end to the point to form croissants. Repeat this for the rest of the dough.
13. Leave the croissants to rise in a warm place for 1 hour, covered with a plastic wrap.
After 1 hour, mix 1 egg with 2 tablespoons of water to make a egg-wash, and brush this onto
each croissant with a pastry brush, unless you would want to freeze half of the batch for future use.
14. Bake at 200c for 20-25 minutes until golden brown and well risen. That's it! Serve these warm for breakfast with ham and cheese or as a dessert with powdered sugar and fruits. Enjoy!

I know what you're thinking- that this seems like a long hefty recipe, but it's actually really simple- perhaps the hardest part is waiting for the dough to rise and rest, but that's it. It'll be so worth it, so do give this a try to impress your family and friends- enjoy!

Fudgy Chocolate Brownies | Recipe

These rich, chocolatey and fudgy brownies are perfect for your loved ones on Valentine's Day! These are so decadent and will get everyone talking about how you made these so easily, with a professional result- come and try these delicious treats!

Fudgy Chocolate Brownies Recipe                                                                          Recipe by iSaamuel

 INGREDIENTS;
- 1 cup of Semisweet Chocolate or 1/2 Cup Milk and Dark,
- 2 tablespoons of Unsalted Butter,
- 1/4 cup of Sugar,
- 1 tablespoon of Cocoa Powder,
- 2 tablespoons of Flour,
- 2 Eggs

1. Whip eggs and sugar until pale, but not thick, but instead roughly doubled in size.
2. Melt the chocolate and butter, and whisk into the egg mixture.
3. Stir flour and cocoa powder until roughly combined- do not over-mix.
4. Pour into a lined rectangular baking brownie pan- sprinkle on Walnuts (optional) before baking.
5. Bake at 180C for 10-15 minutes until the edges are set but the center should be slightly 'gooey. '
6. Let the brownies cool, dust and garnish with powdered sugar!

Serve with your favorite ice cream and chocolate sauce for your loved one this Valentine's Day!

Blueberry Swirl Cheesecake Recipe

A soft, creamy cheesecake on top of crunchy, buttery Oreo and Digestive cookies, swirled with a decadent blueberry sauce.

Blueberry Swirl Cheesecake Recipe                                                                     Recipe by iSaamuel

INGREDIENTS;
100g of Oreo Cookies,
100g of Digestive Cookies,
4 Tablespoons of Butter- 2 for each cookie, melted
 
400g of Cream Cheese,
3 Egg Whites,
1/2 Cup of Sugar,
1 Tsp of Pure Vanilla Extract,
The seeds of 1 Vanilla Bean/ Pod,
2 Tbsps of Heavy Whipping Cream

1/2 Cup of Blueberries,
2 Tbsps of Sugar.

For the Blueberry Sauce
1. Blend together the fresh or frozen blueberries along with the sugar until a smooth sauce is formed. You're done!

For the Cheesecake crust
1. Crush Oreo cookies and Digestive biscuits with a rolling pin in two separate sealable food bags. Place the crumbs into two separate bowls and mix 2 tablespoons of Butter into each bowl until the mixture resembles wet sand.
2. Place the Oreo crumbs in a lined cake pan and divide into half, leaving space for the Digestive biscuits.
3. Place the Digestive crumbs into the other half of the cake pan.
4. Press firmly with the back of a spoon. Set this aside.

For the Cheesecake batter
1. In a large bowl, whisk together the Cream Cheese and Sugar until well combined, and fluffy.
2. Add vanilla extract and the seeds of 1 vanilla bean/pod. Whisk well.
3. Scrape the sides of the bowl to make sure all the ingredients are combined. Fold in the heavy whipping cream. Pour the batter on top of the cookie crust.
4. Place tablespoons of the Blueberry Sauce on the batter and swirl with a knife to create a pattern.
5. Bake at 190C until the edge of the cake is the set but the centre should still be slightly wobbly, to ensure the cheesecake isn't overbaked and won't crack.

Eat with family and friends and decorate with Greek yogurt and fresh blueberries. Enjoy!

Sponge Cake Recipe

I've always wanted the perfect recipe for moist and soft cake... here it is! After weeks of developing and testing, I have finally come up with this perfect recipe! I love using this for my Birthday Cakes, or just sharing with friends and family beneath a blanket of fluffy whipped cream for a simple decoration- I hope you like this recipe

Sponge Cake Recipe                                                                                                                       Recipe by iSaamuel

INGREDIENTS; 
6 Egg Yolks,
6 Egg Whites,
150g of Sugar,
1 Tbsp of Vanilla Extract,
9 Tbsps of Milk,
110g of Cake Flour,
60g of Butter (Melted).

1. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the Egg Yolks, Sugar, Vanilla until the mixture is light, thick and fluffy. The longer you mix, more air will be incorporated into the final result, making the cake extra soft!
2.  Add in your Milk and Melted Butter and whisk gently until well incorporated. The mixture should still be slightly thick.
3. Sift your Cake Flour into the Egg Yolk mixture, in three portions, mixing gently after a each addition with a whisk to prevent any flour lumps. Do not overmix, other wise you'll have a very dense and tough cake! Once all of the Flour are incorporated and well mixed through, scrape down the side of the bowl with a spatula.
4. Your mixture should be nice and creamy but not too thick or dough-like.
5. Add your Egg Whites in a seperate large mixing bowl and beat until stiff peaks are formed for about 3-7 minutes.
6. Gradually add your Egg Whites into your Egg Yolk mixture while folding gently to keep the air in.
7. Once there is no Egg White left, line two 10inch cake pans with non-stick parchment paper and divide the mixture evenly between the two pans. Bake the cakes for 20-25 minutes at 200c. Be careful not to overbake as it will result in denser cakes.

Let your cakes cool and frost with icing to make a Birthday Cake or top off with Whipped Cream and Fruits for an elegant dessert! Enjoy.

 

Chocolate Cupcakes!

 

INGREDIENTS;                                                                                                       Recipe by iSaamuel

3 Eggs Whisked,

1/2 Cup of Sugar,
1/2 Cup of Cake Flour,
1/4 Cup of Cocoa Powder,
1/2 Tsp of Vanilla Extract,
2 Tbsps of Chocolate Chips (Melted) *I used Milk,
1 Tbsp of Instant Coffee,
1/4 Cup of Hot Water.

Whipped Cream;
3/4 Cup of Heavy Whipping Cream,
1 Tbsp of Powdered Sugar,
1/2 Tsp of Vanilla Extract.

1- Whisk together the Cocoa Powder, Instant Coffee, Vanilla Extract, Melted Chocolate and Hot Water in a small bowl. Set aside.

2- In a large bowl, mix eggs and sugar together with an electric mixer until it doubles in volume and turns pale, light and fluffy in appearance. (Beat for about 5-10 minutes to get the right consistency)

3- Add the Chocolate mixture into the light egg and sugar mixture you've set aside in Step 1. Whisk until well combined and mixed through.

4- Gradually sift in the flour and gently mix with a small whisk to prevent flour lumps. Do not overmix otherwise you'll have bread-y/chewy cupcakes! D:

5- Once the batter is well mixed and combined, portion the batter evenly into cupcake liners with an ice-cream scoop.

6- Bake at a preheated 180C for 20-30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into a center of a cupcakes comes out clean without any batter!

7- In a large bowl, pour your heavy whipping cream, along with the powdered sugar and vanilla extract. Simply use a whisk and some elbow-grease to whip the cream until it forms a soft peak. (Go ahead and use your electric mixer, you know you want to. ;) )

8- Place the whipped cream into a piping bag fitted with a 'star tip' and gently pipe your desired pattern. Decorate as you like- be as creative as you can!

Impress your family and friends with these delicious Chocolate Cupcakes as you bring them to a Birthday party! Enjoy! (:

Extremely Soft and Chewy Nutella Cookies!

INGREDIENTS;                                                                                                       Recipe by iSaamuel

1 Egg Whisked,

1 Cup of Flour,

1 Tsp of Baking Soda,

1 Tbsp of Cocoa Powder,

1 Tsp of Vanilla Extract,

1/2 Cup of Nutella (Chocolate & Hazelnut Spread),

1/4 Cup of Butter,

3 Tbsp of Brown Sugar.

1- Whisk together the dry ingredients in a large bowl until well combined. (Flour, Baking Soda & Cocoa Powder)

2- In a large bowl, cream together the butter and sugar until light, creamy and smooth.

3- Add the Egg, Vanilla Extract and Nutella, and mix for 3 minutes until the mixture is very fluffy.

4- Add the dry ingredients and mix on low speed. Then, switch to a spatula to combine everything well.

5- Line a baking sheet with Parchment paper and scoop cookie dough with an ice-cream scooper, then, place them on the baking sheet.

Cookies before baking!~

6- Flatten the cookies out and bake the cookies at 180°C for 10-15 minutes or until the cookies are soft in the middle. Do not overbake!

7- Let the cookies cool before serving. Enjoy! :)

Impress your family with these super chocolatey cookies! They will love this so much! A soft and chewy cookie combined with Nutella to create the ULTIMATE chocolatey cookie! (:

Incredibly Soft and Fluffy White Bread!

INGREDIENTS...                                                                    Recipe by iSaamuel
For the Water Roux;
1/2 Cup of Water,
1/6 Cup of Flour.

For the Bread Dough;
2 and 1/2 Cups of Bread Flour,
5 Tbsp of Sugar,
3 Tbsp of Butter,
2 Tsp of Yeast,
1/2 Cup of Milk,
1 Egg,
Water Roux.

1. Mix the ingredients for the Water Roux on a saucepan on Low Heat. Keep whisking/mixing until the mixture thickens and leaves a 'trail' behind. Then, set aside and let it cool!
2. In a large bowl, mix the dry ingredients together (Bread Flour, Sugar and Yeast) until well combined and pour into a larger mixing bowl. (Stand Mixer Bowl)
3. In another bowl, whisk the wet ingredients together (Milk, Egg and Water Roux) until the mixture is well mixed through out. Then, pour the wet ingredients with the dry ingredients.
4. On a stand mixer, mix the mixture on low speed for 2 minutes until it forms a soft ball.
5. Add in the butter a tablespoon at a time, mixing after each tablespoon until the mixture is smooth, but it shouldn't be dough like.
6. Knead the mixture on high speed, for about 17-20 minutes until the dough is very smooth and elastic.

Don't have a stand mixer? Knead the dough fully for 25-30 with some elbow grease :D

How do you know when the dough is fully kneaded?
When you stretch out a piece of dough, it should not break-apart easily, but it should be stretched out until really thin and becomes translucent, and you can practically see from the dough. (See video for more details).

7. Place the dough in a well-greased bowl and cover the dough with a tea-towel to rise in a warm place (Microwave with a Cup of Hot Water) for 40 minutes or until double in size.

How do you know when the dough has 'rised' enough?
'Dip' your finger in flour, and then 'dip' your finger in the dough and leave an indent, if the indent stays, then your dough has risen enough!

8. Place dough on a clean surface and divide the dough into two pieces.
9.  Form each piece into a dough ball, and place them in a greased baking loaf pan.
10. Cover the dough and let it rise for 40 minutes or until double in size.
11. 40 minutes later, whisk together 1 Egg and 1 Tbsp of Water for the Eggwash, and brush over the bread before baking.
12. Bake at 180c for 25-30 minutes or until the bread springs back when touched! (:

This is the best bread recipe that I have ever come across, this also so easy to make and guarantees you every time with soft, fluffy white bread! Serve with a big tab of butter with some jam and you will impress everyone!~ Please make this wonderful recipe for your friends and family~! (: