Anncoo Journal

Creamy Potato In Ramekins

2012-05-21T14:00:00.000+08:00

Hi ALL! Do you like this yummy looking creamy potato in ramekins? Guess what I've added underneath the creamy potato. Actually I used all the leftover ingredients that I've found in my fridge and pantry. Let's talk about the filling first. First of all I wanted to make a little thick saucy filling like mornay sauce but since I don't have white wine at home, so I used little Chinese cooking wine and the prawn shells to make stock ((hahaa... you can call this a fusion way). Then thicken the prawn stock with chicken meat and prawns with extra carrots and spring onion. You may like to add some button mushrooms or green peas if you want. As for the creamy potato, I mashed the cooked potatoes and added some cream into it with pepper and salt, very simple, right? Then add the mashed creamy potato on top of the filling. Nothing is wasted in this recipe and the preparation took about slightly more than one hour or you can also prepare the filling one day ahead and place it in the refrigerator and make the creamy potato the next day and bake them. After being baked just insert your spoon right to the bottom of the ramekin and scoop the saucy filling together with the mashed potato ... mmm ... so wonderful! Please read the full recipe below.

Dim Sum - Steamed Spare Ribs

2012-05-18T15:00:00.000+08:00

Hello! After more than 4 weeks of rest, I would like to share with you this savoury dish Steamed Spare Ribs that I'm sure many of you love to order in the dim sum restaurant. Steamed Spare Ribs is also a must order on my list besides Har Gow and Siu Mai. I love to cook this tender Steamed Spare Ribs quite often at home too. It is very easy to prepare and the saltiness of this Steamed Spare Ribs is so delicious that my family can always eat with extra rice.

A Big Thank you To Everyone!

2012-05-13T08:45:00.000+08:00

Dear Readers,

I need to write 164 'thank you' notes to all of you after my announcement regarding my temporary short break from blogging. I also received calls, emails, well wishes cards and even face masks from my facebook and blogger friends during this time. I'm truly very touched to receive all your kind wishes and gifts. I want to let you know how much I appreciate your support during my absence from blogging for the past 4 weeks. Thank you so much for everything.

During these 4 weeks, I've not touched my oven at all and have only been taking light food that is good and nutritious for the body. Now, I'm craving to have a nice piece of cake in front of me. You know what I mean, do you? ... hehee.. Please give me sometime to prepare my bakes in the next two weeks and I'll try to post my recipes as soon as I can.

Lastly I wish to apologise to SSB for not being able to host the Aspiring Bakers #19 at the last minute. Hope I'll have another opportunity to host the event in the future.

So readers, please send your entries to support Aspiring Bakers #19: Dim Sum Affair (May 2012), here.

OK guys! Let me give all of you a "BIG BIG HUG" and Happy Mother's Day to all Mothers in the world.

Announcement

2012-04-17T17:00:00.000+08:00

Dear Readers,

It's with a heavy heart that I've to make an announcement that I'll be off blogging temporarily. I've been hospitalised for the past 5 days and on my doctor's strict advice, I'll be needing a complete rest from now on. It's truly a very hard decision for me to make as I've been blogging for more than 3 years and during this time I've made many great friends, either from here or at facebook and got to know so many readers who have given me great support. But my health matters most and I promise that I won't be 'off-line' for long as blogging is already part of my life. So, see you all soon my dear friends and do forgive me for not replying to your comments. I'll be leaving my comment box open and I'll be reading your blogs as and when my health permits.

Lemon and Strawberry Loaf

2012-04-09T09:00:00.000+08:00

For today's post I would like to express my appreciation to my reader Amanda. I've never thought my silent reader whom I've never even met before is so kind and generous to share this recipe not only to me but also to you too. Amanda told me she got this book Helen Jackson's Kitchen when she was in New Zealand and she'd baked this many times for friends and relatives. Outwardly the loaf looked ordinary but they were bowled over by the 'explosion' of flavours. How can I resist not making it after hearing such temptation? The original recipe was to use raspberries and since Amanda told me she used strawberries to replace, so I'm following too. The sweet and firm Korean strawberries are very suitable to use in this bake. I must say the end result is the best ever as there is no better flavour combination than lemon and berry, a complete delicious recipe. As the author said "This loaf is moist and full of flavour. While easier to slice when cold. It's difficult to resist when it is warm from the oven." Hope everyone of you will try to bake this at home too.

Oreo Hazelnut and Banana Cheesecake

2012-04-05T09:00:00.000+08:00

This is the first time I made this no-bake cheesecake combined with mashed banana (used over ripe ones) and crushed Oreo cookies. I really love it! They blended beautifully in this rich and creamy cheesecake. Sooo yummy! The sweetness of the cheesecake is perfect to my liking. I added Nutella Hazelnut spread and fresh topping cream with crushed Oreo cookies all over the cake. For those who love no-bake cheesecake, I hope you'll try this recipe and enjoy this heavenly cheesecake. If you like it please tell me how it turned out.

Stir Fry Cabbage with Bacon

2012-04-02T09:00:00.000+08:00

Beijing cabbage has rich source of nutrients and lends a crispy texture to any delicacy. You can cook this when you're running out of ideas. It is one of the super quick and yummy delicious green vegetables that I love to cook at home. Can you believe I spent less than three dollars to cook this yummy dish?

Matcha Marble Castella Cake

2012-03-29T09:00:00.000+08:00

Ahhh choo!! This 'kasutera bug' has been spreading all over the food blogosphere recently. I just saw Zoe had it yesterday and now the bug is attacking me again. I tried Biren's recipe this time as its has no cake stabiliser and butter in it. I've tweaked the recipe a little. I made it into marble effect with matcha powder and it really look pretty although you can still see some pores in the cake. The top of the cake is very smooth, no shrinkage this time as I've dropped the cake real hard onto the counter top a few times. This cake is truly very soft and airy just melts in your mouth. I am very pleased with the result. The only problem that I encounter is the cake got stuck onto the parchment paper, not so bad as I used non-stick baking paper. If you're using non-stick or ordinary baking paper, I suggest you grease a very thin layer of oil onto the paper so that the cake will not stick on to it after being baked.

Bread and Butter Pudding

2012-03-26T16:00:00.000+08:00

Bread Pudding is an old fashioned dessert that uses leftover bread to make into a tasty, easy dessert. For a quick and lazy simple meal, I made this Bread Pudding for lunch based on Min's recipe. (I called it a meal because this is quite filling) After I've buttered the bread, I cut them in small triangles and placed them in a baking dish. I arranged the bread with crusts facing upwards to get a even more crispy top crust and a soft moist texture below after being baked.

Fruity Butter Cake

2012-03-22T09:00:00.000+08:00

When you look at this fruity cake, you may think this is Fruit Pastry Cake that I made last year. Nope! This is actually a butter cake with some fresh fruits added on top and you may notice there is bread flour added in the recipe. I first came across using bread flour for baking is Castella Cake as I always thought bread flour is only meant for making bread. This prove that I was wrong. So when I saw this recipe in a magazine (Mango Butter Cake), I immediately used my leftover bread flour, some fresh strawberries and frozen blueberries that I have to make this Fruity Butter Cake. I have also tweaked the recipe by adding an extra 4 tbsp natural yoghurt as I was afraid that the cake will be very dry as there was no milk in it. This Fruity Butter Cake is quite soft and delicious not bad, I'll give 4 stars for it.

Soya Beancurd Pudding 香滑冻豆腐

2012-03-19T09:45:00.000+08:00

Every time when I visit Maxwell Food Centre I always see a long queue waiting to buy the popular soya beancurd pudding at this stall Lao Ban 老伴豆花. Its has been a hit among Singaporeans now. The soya beancurd pudding is so silky smooth, it melts in your mouth instantly ~ really love it! But I only tried twice as I was not willing to join the queue for at least 15-20 minutes because there were as many as 20 or more people standing in front of me. Some simply buy 5 or 10 small tubs of the pudding at one go. I happened to see this beancurd pudding inside a Chinese magazine Gourmet Living 时尚品味. The method of making this beancurd pudding is so easy. I didn't even boil the soy milk mixture (3 satchets of UNISOY Instant Organic Soya Milk Powder) used as the recipe stated. Just bring the water to big boil and off heat then pour the soy milk mixture into it and mix well with a hand whisk or you may like to follow the original methods as the recipe below.

This chilled pudding is really smooth that just glides down your throat. So good for hot weather :)♥

I SAW FEET! ~ Matcha Macarons

2012-03-15T09:45:00.000+08:00

This is my very first attempt at making macarons and I was so excited when I SAW FEET appearing in my macarons through the oven door! Woohoo!! Credit must go to Esther. I was inspired by her post Black Sesame Macarons recently. Her simple method of making macarons and small portion of ingredients motivated me to make this Matcha Macarons for this month Aspiring Bakers event. I followed her recipe to the 'T' only changing the black sesame powder to matcha powder and I used chocolate ganache cream as filling. The macarons look gorgeous and adorable, they just melt in your mouth. The only negative is I find them overly sweet for me but I definitely don't mind to make macarons again for my family and friends.

Almond Coffee Cake

2012-03-12T09:00:00.000+08:00

Hello everyone! Is Monday again! I am so excited when I found this easy recipe - Almond Coffee Cake in Donna Hay's magazine and they are the most delicious small cakes that I ever tasted. Can you imagine pouring Kahlua liqueur immediately over the cakes when they just are out of the oven? They are a match made in heaven!! Out of six that I made, I ate 2 while they were still warm. Even after the next day, the small cakes are still very moist and delicious. Trust me! You'll not regret making this after trying it. ♥

Castella Cake(カステラ, Kasutera) 长崎蛋糕

2012-03-07T09:30:00.000+08:00

This is Castella Cake (カステラ, Kasutera) 长崎蛋糕 that I made two days ago. But first of all I must thank Irene of MyMeLoves for sending me the wooden mould when she saw I left a comment on Sonia's blog post and she told me immediately she got an extra piece for me. Lucky me and really appreciate your kindness, Irene 真的好感动! Without this mould I would've never thought of making this cake. There are also a few times I saw Jane posted this delicious cake on her blog and I told myself that I must make this cake as soon as I could get the mould. So here is my first Castella cake! Let me tell you, you'll love this cake at first bite. The cake is moist and soft with the combination scent of honey and mirin. (You can omit mirin if you don't have it). It is also a great gift for anyone, just wrap with a parchment paper (as shown here) or a nice decorative paper and tie a pretty little knot over it.

Mee Rebus

2012-03-05T09:30:00.000+08:00

Mee Rebus is a popular Malay noodle dish. The dish is made of yellow noodles served with thick gravy that is slightly sweet-spicy garnished with beansprouts, fried beancurds, hard boiled egg, green chilli and fried shallot. No one can resist a satisfying bowl of noodles especially with freshly squeezed calamansi which adds tang and brightens up the dish.

For Him

2012-03-02T16:30:00.000+08:00

Today's post has no recipe. I bought 2 packets of Tim Tam biscuits for $5.70 from Cold Storage and with some decorating icing left in my cupboard so just have a little fun playing with biscuits and icing in the lazy afternoon.

What do you think? Will you make these "For Him'?

Cendol

2012-02-27T14:15:00.000+08:00

Cendol is a popular and traditional dessert originating in South East Asia. The dessert basic ingredients consist of coconut milk, cendol (a worm-like jelly made from rice four with green food coloring ~ usually derived from the pandan leaf), shaved ice and gula melaka (palm sugar). Next to these basic recipe, other ingredients such as red beans, grass jelly, creamed corn or even durian, might also be included. (from wiki)

Enjoy this icy cool dessert especially during the hot days.

Banana, Cranberry and Apple Bread

2012-02-22T13:00:00.000+08:00

Banana breads are usually quick breads which are leavened with baking soda instead of yeast. This is also the best way to use up over-ripe banana for both a delicious and healthy treat. Do you know that 23rd February is National Banana Bread Day? To celebrate National Banana Bread Day that is tomorrow, I adapted the recipe from My Kitchen Snippets partly because I still have leftover of bananas and dried cranberries. This is the most moist, soft and delicious banana bread that I ever tasted. It is so fragrant while it's being baking in the oven, I'm giving 5 stars for it. You don't need an electric mixer for this, just mix the ingredients with a large spatula and push the loaf pan into the oven and you're done. My only problem is the baking time took up to 70 minutes for the bread to be fully cooked. Why? Because I've put in too much bananas and I threw in all the grated apple juices while mixing that made the batter quite wet. So remember to check on the timing when you want to bake this banana bread as temperature varies.

Meat Patties and Preserved Cucumbers

2012-02-20T09:30:00.000+08:00

Preserved cucumbers are usually served with congee but they also work as well with meat patties. It is really easy to make these meat patties with little ingredients used and only about 8 minutes of frying. You can serve these meat patties as snack or a side dish meal with hot rice or place it inside a toasted bun with a slice of cheese, tomatoes and mayonnaise as a burger.

Chocolate Cranberry Cupcakes

2012-02-16T13:00:00.000+08:00

I love these Chocolate Cranberry Cupcakes. They are chocolately and soft. The tangy sweetness of the dried cranberries in the cake made a perfect combination that I'm sure nobody can resist to have a bite. This is also an idea treat for breakfast or snack or for any occasion. Have a try on this recipe and I'm sure you will agree. ♥

Creme Brulee

2012-02-13T09:00:00.000+08:00

Creme Brulee is a classic French dessert consisting of a custard topped with caramelized sugar. Creme brulee means 'burnt cream' in French, as the caramelized sugar on top of the custard is characteristic of creme brulee. Besides chocolate, this dessert is also great to serve as Valentine's sweet treat♥

Charlotte Aux Fraises

2012-02-10T15:30:00.000+08:00

I love Korean Strawberry for they are always sweet and juicy and they are in season right now. I made this Charlotte Aux Fraises or Strawberry Charlotte for YN's birthday last weekend. This lovely cake is full of sweetness and fragrance from the fresh strawberries. It is light and smooth, just melts in your mouth. Definitely a keeper for sure ♥♥♥

Bak Kwa Cookies

2012-02-08T09:00:00.000+08:00

Today's post is Bak Kwa (肉干) Cookies. I know Chinese New Year is already over but nothing can stop me from making this chewy and fragrant cookies with some bak kwa leftover. Mine are not so crispy ~ it might due to using one whole egg for half recipe. But like Jane said it's very addictive ... is a must try cookie for next Chinese New Year.

Yuzu Jelly

2012-02-06T09:00:00.000+08:00

The weather has been getting hotter, I think it's time to make some cooling desserts. So I made Yuzu Jelly using Marigold yuzu juice drink with konnyaku powder before last weekend. As the yuzu juice drink has a lovely citrus fragrance and the sweetness is just right to my liking, I just boiled it with a little water without sugar added. Just serve the yuzu jelly in glasses with extra yuzu juice drink. I even added in some mandarin orange pulp since there are a lot of leftover from Chinese New Year. This is amazingly good ~ you can get the chewy bite of the yuzu jelly and a little sweetness from the mandarin orange. Everyone at home loved it!♥

Roasted Chicken wings and Potatoes

2012-02-03T11:00:00.000+08:00

Last week I got a new toy in my kitchen ~ A Philips Airfryer. A very welcome surprise birthday present from my family♥♥♥ I can't wait to open up the box and have a good look at this new toy after we had an enjoyable dinner at a Chinese restaurant. I like the sleek black design and fits in well in my kitchen.

According to the catalogue, one of the main features of this Airfryer is that it can cook some of our all-time favourite fried food such French fries, chicken wings and fish cakes. With up to 80% less fat in the food prepared by Airfryer, it provides a new and healthy alternative to traditional deep frying as you don't have to fill it with oil. Sounds good!