No-Frills Recipes

Korean Spicy Pork Bulgogi

2013-05-20T12:24:00.002+08:00

Looks like I've developed a craving for Korean food! Here's my first attempt at preparing Pork Bulgogi with this Pork Bulgogi marinade which is supposed to be not too spicy but yet we do find it to be quite spicy. 'Bul' in Korean means 'fire' and 'Gogi' is 'meat', so literally it means 'Fire meat'. I didn't BBQ or grill to 'fire' the meat and instead just pan-fry the overnight marinated bulgogi.

This porky dish is delicious and just wonderful to go with plain white rice or lettuce wraps.

Recipe for Korean Spicy Pork Bulgogi (adapted from 'here' with slight modification)

Ingredients

450 gm pork, thinly sliced
2 Tbsp soya sauce
2 Tbsp sesame oil
2 Tbsp honey
1 tsp sugar
2.1/2 Tbsp Pork Bulgogi marinade
1 onion, sliced
10 cloves garlic minced
1 Tbsp chopped ginger
3 to 4 stalks of spring onions cut into 2 inch lengths
Lightly toasted sesame seeds

Method

Combine all the sauces and mix well.
Add in the minced garlic and ginger. Mix well.
Add in the sliced pork, onions and spring onions, mix well.
Cover with cling wrap and let chill in the fridge for 1 to 5 hours or preferably overnight.
Saute the marinated meat in a pan with a bit oil, work in small batches.
Serve hot with rice.

Korean JapChae (Sweet Potato Noodles)

2013-05-16T16:21:00.000+08:00

I'm not a great fan of Korean cuisine but lately after savouring some Korean food during my recent vacation, I've sort of developed a liking to their stir-fry noodles, pork bulgogi and Tteokbokki or rice cakes. I've a vague idea of how this stir-fry Dangmeyon was prepared but after surfing the net, settled for this simple vegetarin stir-fry sweet potato noodles. My family enjoyed this meal and look forward to more.

Recipe for Korean JapChae (adapted from 'here' with modification)

Ingredients

350 gm Dangmyeon (sweet potato noodles)
1.1/2 Tbsp sugar
5 Tbsp light soya sauce
1.1/2 Tbsp sesame oil
1 carrot cut into strips
1 capsicum - cut into strips
1 onion - sliced
300 gm cabbage, sliced
5 Shitake mushrooms, soaked, stemmed and sliced
5 cloves garlic, chopped
Lightly toasted sesame seeds

Method

Combine sugar, soya sauce, sesame oil, mix well, set aside.
Boil a pot of water, add the noodles, cook for 5 mins. until soft. Drain, cut into half-lengths, set aside.
In a wok, add 2 Tbsp oil, saute the chopped garlic, mushrooms till fragrant, add in the cabbage, stir-fry. Toss in the carrots and capsicum, stir-fry. Finally add in the onion slices, mix well and fry till cooked.
Toss in the drained noodles, and add in the sauce, mix well. Fine tune to desired taste.
Dish out and serve immediately.

This post is linked to the event Little Thumbs Up organised by Zoe of (Bake for Happy Kids), and
Miu Mui of (My Little Favourite DIY) and hosted by Joyce of Kitchen Flavours for this theme.

Nectarine Cake

2013-05-13T10:40:00.001+08:00

I made this duirng my recent vacation as there was an abundance of Nectarines in Victoria Market and they were going cheap. Nectarines can be pretty expensive in Malaysia and I took the opportunity to bake this for tea. This cake tasted best served warm, soft and moist with a crunchy crust coupled with a slightly tangy taste of lemon.

Recipe for Nectarine Cake (adapted from 'here' with slight modification)

Ingredients

4 oz butter
3 oz caster sugar
2 eggs
1 Tbsp lime or lemon juice
5 oz self-raising flour, sifted
1 tsp vanilla
3 to 4 Nectarines, cut into quarters
1.1/2 Tbsp brown sugar
3/4 tsp Cinnamon

Method

Lightly grease and flour a 9 inch springform pan, line the base.
Beat the butter with the sugar till soft and creamy, well blended.
Beat in eggs one @ a time, add juice.
Fold in sifted flour till well combined.
Spread batter evenly into prepared pan.
Arrange quartered Nectarines on top, press lightly to adhere.
Mix cinnamon and brown sugar and sprinkle on top of the Nectarines.
Bake in a preheated oven @ 180 deg C for 45 to 50 mins. Test with a skewer till it comes out clean.
Let cool in pan for about 10 mins. before unmoulding.
Serve warm with a dollop of ice cream or on its own.

Braised Chicken with Mushroom and Chestnut

2013-05-09T16:49:00.000+08:00

Dried shitake mushrooms are versatile, affordable and widely used in Asian cuisine. Their meaty texture and smoky flavour is great paired with other varieties and in this case I've used them in a soy-based dish, braised with chicken and chestnuts. This dish goes very well with plain white rice.

Recipe for Braised Chicken with Mushroom and Chestnut

Ingredients

500 gm free-range chicken, skin removed, cut into bite size
6 dried Shitake mushrooms, soaked, stemmed and cut
60 gm dried Chestnuts, soaked for about 5 hours or more till puffed up and remove the skin from the crevices of the nut. (Best to do this a day before)
4 cloves garlic, crushed
1 Tbsp dark soya sauce
1 Tbsp light soya sauce
3 cups water
Seasalt and some Rock Sugar to taste
1.1/2 tsp cornflour + 3 tsp water to thicken
Shaoxing cooking wine

Method

Marinate the chicken with some seasalt, let rest.
In a wok, saute the crushed garlic with some oil till fragrant, add in the chestnuts, stir-fry followed by the mushrooms. Add in the sauces, some rock sugar, water and bring to the boil. Then lower heat, cover and simmer.
Once the chestnuts are slightly soft, add in the marinated chicken pieces and let cook till meat as well as the chestnuts are tender. (You may need to add more water if necessary).
Thicken the sauce with the cornflour mixture, fine tune to desired taste.
Drizzle on some Shaoxing wine, turn off heat.
Ladle onto serving plate and serve with hot rice.

This post is linked to the event, Little Thumbs Up organised by Zoe (Bake for Happy Kids) and Mui Mui (My Little Favourite DIY) and hosted by Joyce of Kitchen Flavours for this theme.

Almond Chocolate Tart

2013-05-06T10:35:00.000+08:00

We in Malaysia had a very exciting weekend as Sunday, 5th May 2013 was our long awaited 13th General Election. The day seemed to drag on at a snail's pace and to keep myself busy, I made these nutty tarts so that we can snack on them while waiting eagerly for the results to be announced. The nibbed almonds blended very well with the bittersweet chocolate to which I've added some Kahlua.

Recipe for Almond Chocolate Tart (please refer here for the sweet crust pastry)

Ingredients for the filling

40 gm nibbed almonds
1 Tbsp golden syrup
1 Tbsp Kahlua
1 Tbsp melted butter
1 oz dark unsweetened chocolate, melted
1/2 egg
1.1/2 oz sugar

Method

Melt the chocolate, set to cool.
In a bowl, whisk the eggs, add in sugar, golden syrup, melted butter, salt and Kahlua. Continue whisking, stir in the melted chocolate, mix well.
Pour the filling onto the tart shell.
Sprinkle on the nibbed almonds.
Place tarts on a baking sheet and bake for about 25 mins. till filling has puffed but is still wobbly when gently shaken.
Remove from oven and place on a wire rack to cool.
Serve warm with whipping cream or Vanilla ice cream or on its own.
Yield : 4 x four inch diameter tarts.

Wordless Wednesday ~ Victoria Market, Melbourne (Part I)

2013-05-01T09:26:00.001+08:00

Hope you enjoy viewing these pictures!

Black Pepper Pork Belly

2013-04-29T14:22:00.000+08:00

I made this porky dish over the weekend. The meat was tasty and tender and it fell apart easily. You can serve this with rice or on a bed of noodles or just with plain bread. It's finger licking good!

Recipe for Black Pepper Pork Belly

Ingredients

650 gm pork belly, skin removed, sliced
1.1/2 Tbsp oyster sauce
1 Tbsp light soya sauce
1.1/2 Tbsp sugar
1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
3/4 tsp cornflour + 2 tsp water to thicken

Method

Marinate the pork belly with the above ingredients for 4 hours or more, preferably overnight.
Place marinated meat in a pot with just enough water to cover.
Bring to the boil, cover, and simmer under low heat till meat is cooked through.
Take out the meat and place on a foil lined pan to grill for about 2 mins. on both side. Place on serving dish.
Thicken the sauce in the pot with the cornflour mixture. Fine tune to desired taste.
Serve with some greens and the sauce.

Green Pea Cupcakes

2013-04-25T16:33:00.003+08:00

Inspired by Angie's Gluten Free Green Pea Muffins with Poppy and Mozzarella I made these to try out as I still have some green pea flour. I used a basic cupcake recipe but substituted plain flour with green pea flour and added more milk as the consistency was a bit stiff. These cuppies taste like the Indian Vadai as the main ingredients for these two 'cakes' come from peas. The only difference is that Vadai is savoury while these cupcakes are sweet. These green cuppies are moist and soft, something different from the normal cupcakes. If you're game for a change, give this a try!

Recipe for Green Pea Cupcakes

Ingredients

200 gm green pea flour
120 gm caster sugar
125 gm butter
150 - 160 ml milk
1 tsp vanilla
2 eggs
2 tsp baking powder
100 gm choc chips, nuts, etc., chopped

Method

Beat butter and sugar till light and creamy.
Add in the eggs one at a time, mix well.
Fold in the green pea flour, alternating with the milk, start with flour and end with flour. Sieve in the baking powder, mix thoroughly.
Toss in the chopped choc bits, nuts, etc.
Divide batter between the cupcake cups.
Bake in a preheated oven @ 180 deg.C for 20 mins. Test with a skewer till it comes out clean.
Let cupcakes cool in pan for 10 mins. before removing and cooling completely on a wire rack.
Yield : 12 cupcakes

Stir-fry Shanghai Rice Cake

2013-04-22T14:21:00.002+08:00

I like to bite into these chewy rice cakes and I never fail to order this whenever I dine in a Shanghai/Szechuan restaurant. As I managed to get this from the Asian Grocers on my last trip I didn't hesitate to whip this simple yet delicious stir-fry! Incidentally, these frozen rice cakes are also available in Aeon supermarkets.

Recipe for Stir-fry Shanghai Rice Cake

Ingredients

500 gm frozen rice cake, thawed
250 gm cabbage,cut
200 gm pork fillet, cut into strips
5 Shitake mushrooms, soaked, stemmed, cut into strips
4 pips of garlic, chopped
3 to 4 cups of water

Seasoning for pork fillet

1 tsp each of Chinese cooking wine, cornflour and light soya sauce
1/2 tsp oyster sauce and sesame oil
1/4 tsp each of salt and sugar
A dash of pepper

Method

Fill a pot of water enough to cover the rice cakes. Boil over medium heat, simmer for about 10 mins. depending on doneness. Stir occasionally to prevent them from sticking.
Once texture is desired, drain the water, give a it a cool bath in running tap water. Drain.
In a pan, saute the garlic till fragrant, toss in the mushrooms, stir-fry, toss in the meat, stir-fry.
Stir in the cabbage till it is cooked.
Add in the drained rice cakes, mix thoroughly, add in some water. Stir to prevent them from sticking together.
Add in some oyster sauce, light soya sauce, a bit of sugar and salt to taste.
Drizzle on some sesame oil, dish out onto serving plates.
Serve immediately with chilli oil. Will be great to go with our sambal belacan.

Dilmah Tea Loaf

2013-04-18T11:48:00.004+08:00

As I've seen quite a number of Earl Grey Tea bakes on the internet so I thought I'll try to bake one with Dilmah Tea instead. I've been drinking Dilmah Tea for years and since it's on hand, I just used it in this bake. To me tea is tea, only a different brand and a different flavour. This is a very simple recipe, you don't need to cart out your mixer, all you've got to do is to just mix up all the ingredients in a mixing bowl, pour into a pan and bake. It's that easy. Minimum labour yet with a handsome reward ..... a delicious tea bread for your tea, breakfast or snack!

Recipe for Dilmah Tea Loaf

Ingredients

175 ml Dilmah Tea
175 gm mixed dried fruits - dates, sultanas, prunes, dried pineapple, chopped
1 egg
135 gm plain flour
1 tsp baking powder
70 gm light brown sugar
Demerara sugar + 1/2 tsp cinnamon to sprinkle on top

Method

Soak tea with the dried fruits, overnight.
Sift the flour with the baking powder, mix in the brown sugar.
Add in the egg, mix well.
Add in the dried fruits, mix thoroughly.
Pour batter into a well greased or lined loaf tin and bake in a preheated oven @ 180 deg.C for 40 to 50 mins. Test with a skewer till it comes out clean.
Once completely cooed, remove from tin and wrap in parchment paper and store in air-tight container overnight. Cut with a serrated knife to serve.

I'm submitting this post to Aspiring Bakers # 30: It's Tea Time! (April 2013)

hosted by Food Playground

Green Tea Ice Cream

2013-04-15T01:08:00.002+08:00

This is certainly heaven in a scoop, most welcome in this hot, crazy weather. I can assure you that no one can muster the willpower to stop at savouring just one scoop of this gooey, green tea flavoured ice cream!

Recipe for Green Tea Ice Cream

Ingredients

3/4 cup milk
2 egg yolks
5 Tbsp sugar
3/4 cup whipping cream
1 Tbsp matcha/green tea powder
3 Tbsp hot green tea OR water
A pinch of salt

Method

Mix hot green tea with matcha powder, set aside.
Whisk egg yolks with sugar, till pale and light.
In a saucepan, whisk cream and milk till smooth. Cook on low heat till milk just begins to foam up. Remove from heat.
Pour milk mixture slowly into the egg mixture, stirring continuously so as not to cook the eggs. Stir in the green tea paste, mix well.
Pour mixture back into the saucepan, cook on low heat stirring with a wooden spoon till mixture can coat the back of the wooden spoon. (Test by drawing a line through the middle of the custard).
Immediately remove from heat, stir for a few minutes so as not to overcook.
Cover with cling wrap, let cool to room temperature, refrigerate overnight.
Churn for 30 mins., in the ice cream maker or according to the instructions of your ice cream maker.

I'm submitting this post to Aspiring Bakers # 30: It's Tea Time! (April 2013)

hosted by Food Playground

Orange & Pumpkin Cake

2013-04-12T15:44:00.000+08:00

This recipe actually calls for Rhubarb and Orange but since I couldn't find Rhubarb here, I substituted with Pumpkin instead. I was not disappointed as the bright orangish pumpkin helped gave the cake a more vibrant colour which made it attractive as well.

This cake tastes best on the day it's baked. Heat up any leftovers and you won't know the difference!

Recipe for Orange & Pumpkin Cake

Ingredients

300 gm plain flour
2 tsp baking powder
120 gm butter
130 gm sugar
2 tsp orange zest
1 tsp vanilla
2 eggs
1/2 cup milk + 1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda (mix well)
50 to 100 gm pumpkin, peeled and sliced
Icing sugar (optional)

Method

Sieve flour with the baking powder, set aside.
Beat, butter, sugar, zest and vanilla till light and fluffy.
Add eggs one at a time, mix well.
Combine milk and bicarbonate of soda in a small bowl. Add this into the butter mixture, mix well.
Fold in sifted flour, mix thoroughly. (Consistency of batter is dropping but thick).
Pour this mixture into a lightly greased and floured 8 inch springform pan.
Arrange the pumpkin slices on top, pressing slightly.
Bake in a preheated oven @ 180 deg. C for 45 to 50 mins. Let cool in pan for 10 mins. before unmoulding and transferring onto a wire rack to cool completely.
Lightly dust the cake with icing sugar before serving.

A peep at Melbourne City ~ Wordless Wednesday

2013-04-10T11:35:00.002+08:00

Salmon Sashimi

2013-04-08T09:59:00.001+08:00

This is going to be the shortest post in my blog, with no recipe, nothing, just follow your heart! Bought some fresh Salmon fillet from Victoria Market during my recent holiday in Melbourne, slice them up, arrange them on a platter of mixed salad tossed in balsamic vinegar and olive dressing and that's it, value for money ....... Salmon Sashimi !

Dip the succulent Salmon into some wasabi mixed with some light soya and you're on Cloud 9 ....... Yummy!

Buttermilk Cupcakes

2013-04-04T10:24:00.002+08:00

I'm back at my comp again after a short but relaxing vacation. Wish that I could stay longer and enjoy the cool, fresh air instead of sweating it out in this awfully hot and humid weather. These cupcakes were made some time back, can't really remember the source of this recipe but the method of making these little cuppies caught my attention. Verdict ........ light texture. Tastewise ..... it's a cross bewteen a sponge and a cake but undoubtedly delicious!

Recipe for Buttermilk Cupcakes

Ingredients

8 oz cold butter, cut into cubes
12 oz plain flour
9 oz caster sugar
1 Tbsp baking powder
1/8 tsp salt
1 cup buttermilk, cold
1/2 cup water
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda
2 eggs
4 egg whites

Method

Sift flour, sugar, baking powder and salt into a mixing bowl, mix well.
On low speed, add in butter piece by piece till well incorporated. Mixture will be crumbly but not sticky.
In a bowl with a spout, mix cold buttermilk, water, vanilla and stir.
Quickly add in bicarbonate of soda, stir well.
Pour this mixture into the butter mixture, mix till just combined.
Increase speed to medium and beat till ridges form at the side of the mixing bowl and pull away from the side of the bowl.
Lightly whisk egg and egg whites in a bowl on low speed and slowly add this into the butter mixture.
Scrape mixture and fold in once or twice, then stop the machine. Scoop the mixture into the lined cupcake pan. Bake in a preheated oven @ 180 deg C for 25 to 30 mins. Test with a skewer till it comes out clean. Let cool in pan before removing onto a wire rack to cool completely.
Yield : 24 cupcakes.

To make buttermilk

Cashew Nut Chicken~Kung Po Kai Ting

2013-03-11T23:05:00.000+08:00

This is a very common restaurant chicken dish ~ Chicken fried with Cashew Nut. In Cantonese it's called 'Kung Po Kai Ting'. 'Kung Po' means that the dish is a bit spicy with add-on dried chillies and 'Kai Ting' means diced chicken. The capsicum and the cashew nuts make the dish crunchy and this dish pairs very well with a bowl of hot white rice.

Recipe for Cashew Nut Chicken ~ Kung Po Kai Ting

Ingredients

250 gm chicken thigh, deboned and cubed
5 dried chillies
4 slices young ginger
1 capsicum, cut
1 onion, cut into wedges
Cashew nuts lightly toasted
Sesame Oil

Seasoning for chicken cubes

1/2 tsp each of salt and sugar
1 tsp each of oyster and light soya sauce
1/4 tsp dark soya sauce
3/4 tsp cornflour
a dash of pepper

Method

Saute the dried chillies and ginger till fragrant with sesame oil.
Toss in the seasoned chicken, stir-fry till cooked. Sprinkle in some water if necessary.
Toss in the capsicum and onion, mix well.
Test for taste and mix in the cashew nuts.
Dish out and serve immediately with rice.

I'll be off for a short vacation and will only be back at my computer in early April. See you folks, then!

#BundtAMonth : Pineapple Bundt Cake

2013-03-07T11:57:00.000+08:00

Canned fruits were spoilt for choice during the Chinese New Year and in order not to miss out on the attractive bargains, I bought some home as gifts or for dessert. Chanced upon a recipe for Pineapple Bundt Cake calling for undrained crushed canned pineapple and I was game for an experiment! Although the texture was a bit dense, it wasn't a disappointment as the cake was moist, soft and full of pineapple flavour.

Recipe for Pineapple Bundt Cake (adapted from tasteofhome.com with slight modification)

Ingredients

8 oz butter
7 oz caster sugar
2 eggs
2 egg whites
2 tsp lemon juice
11 oz plain flour
1 tsp baking powder
14 oz crushed pineapple with juice (I blended them)
A pinch of salt

Glaze : 4 Tbsp icing sugar + 3 tsp lemon juice, mix well.

Method

Blend the pineapple with juice, set aside.
Sift the flour with baking powder and salt, set aside.
Cream the butter with sugar till light, soft and creamy.
Add in the egg yolks one at a time, mix well, followed by the egg whites. Mix till well incorporated.
Fold in the sifted flour and mix well, scrapping from the bottom and sides of the mixing bowl.
Mix in the crushed pineapple.
Pour the batter into a well greased and flour dusted 10 cup Bundt pan.
Bake in a preheated oven @ 180 deg.C for 55 to 60 mins. Test with a skewer till it comes out clean.
Let cake cool for about 15 mins., before inverting it onto a wire rack to cool completely.
Drizzle the glaze over the cake.

Guinness Stout Brownies

2013-03-04T16:39:00.002+08:00

I chanced upon a recipe from Joanie for Guinness Stout Brownies and since I had all the ingredients at hand, I didn't hesitate to give it a try. I had baked cakes and bread with Stout, so why not add a Brownie to the list....mmm

These crust cracked Brownies are superb, moist and full of choco flavour but without the slightest trace of stout at all, which means you can indulge in them at any time of the day!

Recipe for Guinness Stout Brownies (adapted from Joanie with slight modification)

Ingredients

1 can of Guinness Stout
12 oz chocolate, chopped
8 oz butter
1 cup/8 oz brown sugar (reduced from 1.1/2 cups)
3 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
4 oz plain flour
1/8 tsp salt
Icing sugar

Method

Bring stout to the boil with 2 oz brown sugar, simmer till 3/4 cup. Let cool.
Sift the flour with the salt, set aside.
Microwave chocolate and butter, stirring in between till melted.
Whisk eggs with the balance of brown sugar in a mixing bowl till light and fluffy. Whisk in the chocolate mixture and then the beer mixture. Fold in the sifted flour and salt. Mix well.
Pour into a parchment lined 9 x 13 inch baking pan.
Bake in a preheated oven @ 180 deg C till surface begins to set, around 40 mins. and a skewer inserted comes out clean.
Cool before slicing and dust with icing sugar.

Fruit and Vegetable Salad

2013-02-28T16:31:00.001+08:00

After tucking in all the yummy food and goodies during the Chinese New Year, it's time to have something simple but refreshing for a change. There is no recipe for this fruit and vegetable salad, you can just use whatever fruits and veggie you have or fancy.

I've here in my salad bowl, cherry tomatoes, red cabbage, cucumber, some toasted cashew nuts, hard boiled egg and homemade Thousand Island dressing. For ease of reference here's the recipe for the Thousand Island dressing.

Recipe for Thousand Island Sauce

Ingredients

1 egg yolk
2 tsp white vinegar
a few drops of olive oil
2 tsp honey
20 gm chilli sauce
Salt to taste

Method

With a wire whisk, whisk the egg yolk with vinegar till creamy.
Add in the rest of the ingredients one by one and continue whisking till thick and creamy.
Fine tune to desired taste.
Serve as required.

Braised Prosperity Spinach Noodles

2013-02-25T10:29:00.001+08:00

Prosperity Noodles .... an auspicious dish to usher in the Year of the Snake! Cooked this during the Chinese New Year after feasting on all the goodies and 'heavy' food, something light which was well received by my family members.

Recipe for Braised Prosperity Spinach Noodles

Ingredients

200 gm chicken fillet, cut into strips
2 capsicum, cut into wedges
2 tsp black bean paste
3 servings of Spinach noodles
3 pips of garlic, chopped
1.1/2 tsp cornflour + 2 tsp water to thicken

Marinade for chicken

Method

Marinate the chicken fillet for an hour or so, set aside.
In a wok, saute the chopped garlic with some oil till fragrant, add in the black bean paste, stir-fry, add in the the marinated chicken fillet.
Add in 1/2 cup water and simmer till chicken is cooked.
Toss in the capsicum, add in thickening and fine tune to taste.
Meanwhile, cook the spinach noodles in a pot of boiling water for 3 to 4 mins. Rinse under running water to enhance the texture, drain.
Toss the noodles into the chicken and black bean mixture, mix well, dish out onto serving plates.
Serve immediately.

Chinese New year ~ 2013

2013-02-10T00:57:00.001+08:00

Wishing All my Readers and Friends

A very Happy and Prosperous New Year

~Gong Xi Fa Cai~

Chocolate Ice Cream

2013-02-07T08:40:00.001+08:00

For X'mas I had a wonderful gift from my three musketeers ~ the much awaited Cuisinart Ice Cream Maker! I'm very pleased with this gift as the freezer bowl just fits snugly in my freezer compartment without having to take out the shelves to make room for it. I was very eager to try out the much talked about yummy ice cream that the Cuisinart Ice Cream maker can churn out. I've made ice cream before, years ago with my old faithful Kenwood Chef but it was indeed time consuming as I've got to freeze and cream the mixture many times and with long waiting periods in between.

Yummy, smooth Chocolate ice cream, just what you need to cool down during a hot day. Why not make this and serve to your visitors during Chinese New Year or as dessert after a sumptuous reunion dinner ...........Ooops, it's melting!

Recipe for Chocolate Ice Cream (adapted from JoyofBaking.com with recipe and video)

Ingredients

2 oz semi bittersweet chocolate, chopped and melted (I steamed it)
4 egg yolks
100 gm caster sugar
250 ml whipping cream (used AS vegetarian whipping cream from Korea)
250 ml low fat milk
35 gm Valrhona cocoa powder, sifted
1.1/2 tsp vanilla extract OR 1/2 vanilla bean (Add the vanilla bean to the cream and cocoa powder mixture and bring to a boil)

Method

Melt the chocolate, set aside.
Beat the egg yolks and sugar till light and fluffy. Set aside.
Sift the cocoa powder into a saucepan, then whisk in the cream, milk till smooth.
Place the saucepan over medium heat, stirring till free of lumps and the milk just begins to foam up.
Remove from heat and gradually pour the warm cream mixture into the whipped egg yolks, whisking constantly so as not to cook the egg yolks. If lumps form, strain the mixture. Stir in the melted chocolate.
Pour the mixture back into the saucepan and place over medium low heat, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon till custard thickens enough that it coats the back of a spoon. (Wooden spoon placed in the custard and when the spoon is raised, the film of custard on the back of the spoon will stay in place even when you draw a line with your finger through the middle of the custard).
Immediately remove the custard from the heat and continue to stir for a few mins. so it does not overcook. Stir in the vanilla.
Cover with cling film and let cool to room temperature and refrigerate the custard until it is completely cold, preferably overnight.
Churn the mixture in the ice cream maker for 25 mins. or according to the manual of your machine.
Spoon the ice cream into a container and freeze it.
Yield : About 1 litre

I'm submitting this post to Chinese New Year Delights 2013 hosted by Sonia of Nasi Lemak Lover

I'll be taking a short break during this festive season and here's wishing each and everyone

Gong Xi Fa Cai

May the Lunar New Year shower you with Happiness, Success & Prosperity

Cherry Choc-Chip Cookies ~ CNY 2013

2013-02-04T00:39:00.000+08:00

These Cherry Choc-Chip cookies are light and slightly chewy. The choc chips melt in the mouth and the sweet aroma fills the house. Kids may find the little dots of red from the cherries too tempting to resist, just right for the coming Chnese New Year!

Recipe for Cherry Choc-Chip Cookies

Ingredients

125 gm Butter or Margarine
100 gm caster sugar
50 gm Brown sugar
1 egg
200 gm self-raising flour
70 gm red cherries, chopped
70 gm white choc-chips
70 gm choc chips
Pinch of salt

Method

Sift the self-raising flour with salt, set aside.
Cream butter with sugar till creamy. Add in the egg.
Fold in sifted flour. Add in the choc chips and chopped cherries, mix well.
Cover the dough and let rest in the fridge for about 1/2 an hour.
Drop 2 level teaspoonfuls onto a parchment lined baking tray.
Bake in a preheated oven @ 180 deg. C for 10 to 12 mins.
Cool on tray for 5 mins. before removing them onto a wire rack to cool completely.
Store cookies in an air-tight container.
Yield : 78 Cookies

Note : If you prefer the cookies to be crunchy, bake them a little longer, say for 15 mins.

I am submitting this post to Chinese New Year Delights 2013 hosted by Sonia aka Nasi Lemak Lover

#BundtaMonth : Guinness Chocolate Bundt Cake

2013-01-31T00:02:00.000+08:00

This is a luscious rich, moist chocolately cake. The Guinness stout does pair well with the chocolate, although the taste of stout is not overwhelming. Definitely tastes much better the next day.

Recipe for Guinness Chocolate Cake (adapted from Nigella Lawson with slight modification)

Ingredients

250 ml Guinness Stout
250 gm butter
45 gm cocoa powder
220 gm brown sugar
110 gm caster sugar
3/8 cup yoghurt (measuring cup halfway between 1/4 and 1/2)
2 eggs
1/2 Tbsp vanilla
275 gm plain flour
2.1/2 tsp baking soda
A pinch of salt

Method

Sift the flour with baking soda and salt, set aside.
Melt the butter and Guinness stout. Remove from heat, add sugar, cocoa and whisk together. Let cool.
Beat yoghurt, eggs and vanilla till thoroughly combined.
Add to stout mixture and whisk together.
Add sifted flour and whsk again till smooth. Batter is a bit runny.
Pour batter into a well greased and floured Bundt pan.
Bake in a preheated oven @ 180 deg C for 50 to 60 mins. Test with a skewer till it comes out clean.
Let cake cool in the pan and unmould the cake when it is completely cooled to prevent sticking.

I'm submitting this post to Chinese New Year Delights 2013 hosted by Sonia of Nasi Lemak Lover

Bak Kwa Cookies ~ CNY 2013

2013-01-30T00:26:00.000+08:00

I was curious when I saw this post by Ann of Anncoojournal. Never thought of adding 'Bak Kwa' or BBQ meat into cookies....hmmm wonder how the cookies would taste. To satisfy my curiosity I made them and was not disappointed at all. They were not too sweet, a wee bit savoury, fragrant and chewy, not a bad choice cookie for the Chinese New Year!

Recipe for Bak Kwa Cookies ~ CNY 2013 (adapted from Anncoojournal but with slight modifications)

Ingredients

75 gm butter
50 gm shortening
35 gm icing sugar
1/2 an egg
1/2 tsp vanilla
200 gm plain flour, sifted
65 gm Bak Kwa, diced small

Method

Cream butter, shortening and sugar till light and fluffy.
Add in egg and beat till well mixed.
Add vanilla, mix well.
Fold in sifted flour and add in the Bak Kwa pieces, mix thoroughly.
Shape the dough roughly into a rectangle, wrap up in cling film and chill in the fridge for 30 mins. till firm.
Cut up the dough into slices and place them on a parchment lined baking tray.
Bake in a preheated oven @ 180 deg C for 16 - 18 mins. till lightly browned.

I'm submiting this post to Chinese New Year Delights 2013 hosted by Sonia of Nasi Lemak Lover