抹茶小饼 Matcha (Green Tea) Biscuits

Thanks a lot to Vi's inspiration, I finally made these legendary Matcha ( Green Tea) shortbreads/biscuits. It is simple and hard to fail, thus suitable for all beginner bakers! Just make sure that the matcha must be of high quality! Mine is about 14 pounds/100g, bloody expensive for the not-working me at this moment T-T...

The finished cookies are a bit too sweet for me. I'll reduce the sugar to at least 2/3 of the original recipe next time...
Ingredients:

1/2 cup icing sugar/ caster sugar

100g unsalted butter, cubed

1 1/4 cup plain flour, sifted
2 large egg yolks

1 tbs matcha (green tea powder)

caster sugar for coating

Vi的博客真是给我很多灵感。这次的抹茶小点据说是根据纽约最富盛名的抹茶饼干配方制作，完成后的小饼很是可爱美丽，就是口感对于我这个喜欢茶味而口味不那么甜的人来说有点太甜了。总的来说还是非常经典的一个配方，下次再做我要减少至少三分一的糖量。

Vi的配方在这里http://lateliervi.blogspot.com/2009/01/sabls-au-th-vert.html。我因为上次做马卡龙的时候剩两个蛋黄，所以稍微相应把其他材料的量给减了一点。

材料：
1/2杯糖粉或细砂糖
100g 无盐黄油

1 1/4 杯面粉 （装那1/4的时候还要再少一点）

2个大尺寸蛋黄

1汤匙抹茶

少许砂糖（裹面团用）

抹茶与糖粉混合拌匀。将抹茶糖粉与室温放软的黄油用电动打蛋器先以低速拌匀，再用中速打到蓬松且颜色变淡。加入筛过的面粉，打匀后加蛋黄，拌成面团。面团稍压成扁圆，包上保鲜纸入冰箱冷藏30分钟。

烤箱预热至180C。铺烤盘纸。面团取出擀成薄片后用饼干模具吸出，裹上一层砂糖，入盘烤约12-15分钟至饼干周边变金黄色即可。网架放凉，放密闭不透光的容器里保存。

口感酥脆，带着浓浓抹茶香哦。^^

巧克力朗姆酒磅蛋糕 Chocolate Rum Cake

一旦看到新的食谱，总是忍不住要尝试一下。这个蛋糕一点也不难，唯一要注意的就是填充用的巧克力甘那许馅心要做好放凉后立即挤花，否则凉过头了就挤不出来咯。^^

The recipe is mainly from Ms Mary Berry's Ultimate Cake Book, and I made a little change on the ganache according to personal experience. :p

Chocolate Rum Sponge Cake

7oz (200g) plain chocolate, broken into pieces

4oz (100g) unsalted butter, cubed

3 L size eggs, separated

4oz (100g) dark muscovado sugar ( brown sugar)

2fl oz (50ml) dark rum

3oz (75g) self-raising flour, sifted

2oz (50g) ground almonds

Chocolate Ganache Filling/Piping

140g plain chocolate, broken into pieces

120ml heavy cream (single cream, whipping cream)

25ml rum

Pre-heat the oven to 180C. Grease and base line an 8in (20cm) deep round cake tin. Melt the chocolate and butter slowly in a blowl over apan of hot water, then allow to cool slightly. Whisk the egg yolks and the sugar with an electric whisk on full speed until pale and creamy. Add the chocolate mixture and the rum and mix well. Fold in the flour and the ground almonds.

In a separate bowl, whisk the egg whites until stiff but not dry, then flod into the mixture. Turn into the prepared tin and bake for about 45 minutes.

For the filling/piping, slowly boil the cream and pour into the chocolate pieces, then stir well. Add the rum and stir untiil smooth and creamy. Put into the icing tool for decoration/filling.