Sugar & Everything Nice

Laksa Fried Rice With Shrimps

2012-02-11T22:00:00.022+08:00

I must confess that I am really a simple person at heart. Simple, home-cooked meals brings such pleasure as it brings back childhood memories. Fried rice and fried rice noodles were staple weekend meals when I was growing up in Malaysia. My siblings and I would look forward to such weekends whenever we knew our mum was going to prepare this. Even though the ingredients used in the dish were simple, I guess to us kids at that time it was as good as eating abalone or lobster. I would usually eat more than a plateful. In fact I think everyone else had more than one serving as well! Even now cooking these two dishes bring back such memories and also that they happened to be my dear LT's favourite meals as well.

I decided to make fried rice this particular weekend. It wasn't because I wanted to evoke childhood memories but simply because I didn't know what to cook. I deviated from the usual chinese fried rice style of cooking and made a spicy flavoured one instead. I must say that it turned out pretty well. Now who says that you can't "cook on the fly" and come up with a tasty meal.

Before I jump into the recipe I had a nice surprise this week - in fact two nice surprises to be exact. I received 2 blog awards. It is really nice to receive such awards as it means that my blogging efforts are being recognized by other bloggers. To this I would like to thank Edith of Precious Moments and Vivian of Vivian Pang Kitchen

Laksa Fried Rice With Shrimps
Serves 4

Ingredients:

2 Tbsp vegetable oil
3 - 4 Tbsp laksa paste (recipe below)
300g medium prawns, shelled and deveined
1 small onion, finely chopped
300g (2 cups) frozen mixed vegetables, thawed
3 eggs, lightly whisked
600g (4 cups) pre-cooked long-grain white rice, cold from the fridge
white rice, cooled (see tip)
Salt, light soy sauce and white pepper for seasoning

For Garnishing:

Small bunch of coriander, roughly chopped
Sliced fresh chillies

Method:

1) Heat the oil in a large wok or deep frying pan over high heat. Saute the onions for about a minutes. Then add the laksa paste and fry until fragrant.

2) Add the prawns and mixed vegetables, and stir-fry for 1 minute.

3) Reduce heat to medium-high and add in the cold rice. Cook for about 3 minutes. Then pour in the beaten egg and stir into the rice. Cook for another 3 - 4 minutes, until the rice dries out. Season with salt, soy and pepper to taste.

4) Divide the rice amongst serving bowls. Garnish with chopped coriander and sliced chilles and and serve immediately.

Tip 1: For best results, cook the rice the day before (this allows time for the rice to dry slightly so the grains will be less sticky). Keep in an airtight container in the fridge.

Tip 2: Instead of making the laksa paste from scratch, you can buy pre-made paste from Asian grocery shops.

Laksa Spice Paste

Ingredients:

3 small shallots
2 cloves garlic
1 Tbsp crushed blanched candle nuts (or blanched plain almonds)
2 Tbsp soaked dried shrimp
2 fresh lemongrass. white part only, finely chopped
2 Tbsp chopped fresh galangal
1 tsp shrimp paste
3 fresh chillies, seeds removed and sliced
1 tsp chopped fresh tumeric
2 tsp ground coriander
3 lime leaves (center vein removed) and finely sliced. You can substitute with 1 tsp lime zest

Method:

Place all the above ingredients into a food processor or blender. Add a little bit of water and grind until smooth.

Chilled Tofu with Century Egg and Pork Floss

2012-02-07T22:00:00.001+08:00

I regularly prepare chilled tofu dishes at home because it's easy to put together and it is delicious as well. There are in fact so many ways to prepare tofu and to me it is the perfect home-cooked comfort food.

Tofu used to be only cooked in Asian homes or restaurants but now it is found all over the world. Western restaurants are now even incorporating this ingredient into their fusion dishes.

Discovered over 2000 years ago by the Chinese, tofu has on occasions been described as the "Cheese of Asia" because of its physical resemblance to a block of farmer's cheese. It is highly nutritious and is protein-rich as it is made from soybean milk.

Tofu in fact is bland in taste and eaten on it's own is really not very tasty. Because it has such a mild taste it is most suitable for a wide variety of foods, from meat replacements in stir fry, stew or any other main dish to smoothies and desserts. Another great property is that it acts like a sponge and absorbs any seasoning or flavours you would add to the dish. That way you can marinade it and prepare it to taste any way you like. If you are a vegetarian or on a vegan free diet, tofu is the best possible food you could eat to obtain for your required protiens and nutrients.

Chilled Tofu with Century Egg and Pork Floss
Serves 2 to 3
Recipe Adapted from "Food & Travel" Magazine

Ingredients:

150g silken tofu, chilled
1/2 century egg, boiled and diced into small cubes (found in Asian grocers - you can omit this ingredient)
15g pork (or chicken) floss
1 small bunch of coriander, roughly chopped
1 Tbsp light soy sauce
1 Tbsp chilled water
1 1/2 tsp sesame oil
1/2 tsp chilli oil
Pinch of black pepper

Method:

1) Slice the tofu thinly and place on a serving plate.

2) Mix the seasoning together and pour over the tofu. Arrange the diced century egg over and around the tofu. Add a pinch of black pepper.

3) Then sprinkle the century egg, coriander and pork floss over the tofu. Serve immediately.

Nian Gao or Sticky Rice Cake

2012-01-30T13:00:00.001+08:00

The Lunar Chinese New Year is celebrated over 15 days. During this period, auspicious food would be consumed and one of this would be Nian Gao or Sticky Rice Cake made from glutinous rice flour and sugar.

Eating Nian Gao, (Chinese: 年糕; pinyin: nián'gāo) during the Lunar New Year is considered good luck as it symbolises increasing one's prosperity every year.This association makes Nian Gao a popular gift item during the New Year period.

The traditional Nian Gao is round with a auspicious decoration such as the character for prosperity 发 on its top. The character is often written in the traditional Chinese script.

It is sold is several sizes small, medium and big. As a gift item, Nian Gao are fashioned into different shapes with attractive packaging to suit the festivee season. Popular designs include a pair of carps 年年有余 symbolizing surplus every year, ingots 元宝, or the God of Wealth 财神. These designs are auspicious symbols and sends good wishes for the New Year.

There are several ways of eating Nian Gao. Some would just consumed it steamed, sometimes steamed and then coat it with freshly grated coconut or else it would be sliced into pieces, dipped into a batter and fried. A popular method of eating this in Malaysia would be to sandwhich it between a thin piece of yam and sweet potato, coat it with batter and then deep fried.

Nian Gao or Sticky Rice Cake

Ingredients:

1 medum size Nian Gao, sliced into squares
1 medium size sweet potato, sliced into squares
1 medium size yam, sliced into squares

For the Batter:

100g rice flour
45g cake flour or all purpose flour
20g corn flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/4tsp salt
1 tsp oil
1 egg
110 - 120 ml ice water

Method:

1) Into a bowl, add all the flour and salt.

2) Add the egg and oil into the ice water and mix. Then gradually pour in the liquid into the flour, stirring to mix until it becomes a thick batter.

3) Sandwich the Nian Gao with 1 piece of yam and 1 piece of sweet potato. Set aside.

4) Heat about 1 cm high vegetable oil in a large frying pan. Once the oil is hot, reduce to medium low heat. Dip the Nian Gao sandwich into the batter and then gently drop into the oil. Becare as it will splatter when it starts to cook.

5) Fry until golden brown. Drain and set aside. Best consumed whilst still warm.

Pineapple Tarts and Happy Lunar New Year

2012-01-20T21:30:00.010+08:00

As far back as I can remember, pineapple tarts have been served in every single household we visited during the Chinese Lunar New Year. Our own household served these tarts as well to visitors. Pineapple tarts in fact have a significance to the Lunar New Year.

Pineapple, Feng Li 鳳梨, literary means the phoenix pear. It is also commonly known as 黃梨: Huang Li (in Mandarin) or Wong Lai (in Cantonese) or Ong Lai (in Hokkien). It means the yellow pear or to some, the golden pear. The common vowel of "Wong" or "Ong" in the many Chinese dialect just means one thing which is "prosperity". I guess this is the reason why Pineapple Tarts are served during the Lunar New Year as eating this cookie means it would bring prosperity and maybe the chance of good luck to the individual.

Wishing you and your family a Happy Lunar New Year. May you have lots of prosperity this year.

Pineapple Tarts

Ingredients for the Jam:

4 slightly riped pineapples
400g sugar

Method:

1) Cut the pineapples and remove all eyes. Cut into long wedges removing the center core. Using a food processor, grate the pineapple and put into a non-reactive deep pan.

2) Add the sugar into the pan and cook the mixture over a low heat, until it resembles a thick jam. This will take between 1 1/2 to 2 hours. Cool and pack into containers. The jam can be refrigerated up to 2 months.

3) For a spice flavour, you can add in a stick of cinnamon and some star anise during the cooking process. Remove the spices before packing into containers.

Ingredients for Pastry:

150g plain flour
1/4 tsp salt
1 Tbsp corn flour
100g unsalted butter, softened
1 1/2 Tbsp icing sugar
1 egg yolk

Method:

1) Sieve flour, corn flour, salt, icing sugar and vanilla essence into a mixing bowl.

2) Beat the butter and icing sugar until soft and creamy. Add in the egg yolk and beat until combined.

3) Add the flour mixture all at once and rub into the butter mixture until it resembles bread crumbs.

4) Take a bit of the pastry dough (the rest covered with a slightly damp cloth to keep it from drying) and roll pastry into 1/2 cm thickness. Dust the cutter with some flour and then stamp out the shape onto the rolled out pastry. Place the cut out piece onto a baking tray lined with parchment paper.

5) Pinch some pineapple jam and roll into a ball with 1cm diameter. Place on the center of the tart.

6) Bake in a preheated oven at 180C for 20 to 22 minutes minutes till lightly golden.

Peanut Cookies

2012-01-17T08:15:00.006+08:00

I can't believe how time flies! We had just celebrated Christmas and we will now be celebrating the Lunar New Year in a week's time. Chinese New Year is considered the most important traditional holiday. It is celebrated over two consecutive weeks and is popularly known as Spring Festival. The coming New Year will be the year of the Dragon, which is the 5th sign of the Chinese zodiac. The Dragon is regarded as an auspicious symbol which stands for power, good luck, success, and happiness.

To usher in the New Year, we Chinese have some customs and rituals to perform prior to the celebrations.

Cleaning house and decorating it is definitely a "MUST"! People clean their homes with the belief that it will help them get rid of bad luck and get the house ready to accept good luck in the year ahead. We decorate our front doors and windows with signs and posters having the word "fu" engraved on them, which means good luck and happiness. Adding flowers to the home signifies the coming of spring.

As the coming Lunar New Year ushes in the Dragon, some of these decorations will have the dragon symbol displayed.

One of the popular Chinese New Year traditions is to present your dear ones gifts that are symbols of good luck and prosperity. Most adults gift red envelopes (called "ang pows")filled with money to their younger family members, relatives, and friends. It is a custom not to open the envelopes until the recipient leaves the house of the person who has offered the present. The adults also offer gifts packed in red covers to unmarried family members.

It is also a time for all family members to get together and have a grand meal. Some dishes eaten normally during this festival are Chinese dumplings, long noodles, and oranges. The noodles symbolize long life and oranges are a sign of completeness. Sticky rice cakes and sweets are also eaten during this time.

Wearing new clothes is one of the Chinese New Year traditions. Any clothing that is read is believed to help to get rid of evil spirits. Black clothing is avoided during the New Year.

Chinese New Year has a special significance for the business houses. They offer a special prayer on the 2nd day of the festival, especially if they plan to start a venture at this time of the year. They believe that by doing so, they will be blessed with good fortune and prosperity.

A special highlight of Chinese New Year celebrations is the preparation of the Tray of Togetherness which is octagonal or circular in shape. This tray comes with an assortment of foods like sugared fruits, coconut, winter melon, water chestnut, and lotus seeds. In addition, it may have carrots and tangerines. The purpose is to wish for a sweet beginning in the year ahead.

Peanut Cookies
Recipe Adapted from "Rasa Malaysia"

Ingredients:

4 cups ground roasted peanuts (loosely packed)
1 cup powdered sugar (icing sugar)
1 cup vegetable oil (not olive oil) (I used slightly less than 1 cup)
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 Tbsp vegetable shortening (or Crisco)
1 egg yolk, beaten slightly for egg wash

Method:

1) Mix the ground peanut, sugar, oil, shortening and flour together until well combined. Shaped into small balls. Use the rounded tip of a chop stick to make a slight indentation.

2) Brush the top with the egg wash and bake at 350 degrees F (180 degrees C) for 18 - 20 minutes or until brown. Remove from the oven and let cool.

3) Note that the cookies will be very light, so handle with care. When packing, place a piece of parchment on each layer.

Mini Pavlova with Summer Berries

2012-01-12T09:00:00.002+08:00

I confess big time that this is my first ... very first Pavlova! I have never made one or eaten one in my life. Even my 12 year old niece Caitlin who stays in Melbourne has beaten me to this recipe and she has made this many a times. When I posted that I was making Pavlova on my Facebook, Caitlin immediately responded with a "What, you are only now making Pavlova?" I can only imagine her facial expression to her mum at the other end.

Its kind of funny when I think about this. A Pavlova is such an easy recipe, less than five ingredients are required. Shouldn't I have attempted this before as compared with the triple layer or fondant cakes I have made in the past. Whatever was I thinking! I must say that the end result was excellent. The outer crust was crispy and the insides was marshmallowy soft and light. I had left over lemon curd which came in handy. I topped it off with strawberries and blackberries which were on sale. Making mini ones is so much easier to serve and it certainly does make elegant desserts. When I do make them again in the future I'll try pairing them with passion fruit pulp.

Mini Pavlova
Makes 6 Minis
Print Recipe

Ingredients:

3 eggs (60g each), separated
2/3 cups caster sugar
1 tsp cornflour (corn starch)
1/2 tsp white vinegar
1/2 tsp vanilla extract

To Decorate:

Lemon Curd (recipe below)
Mixture of fresh berries

Method:

1) Preheat oven to 120°C. Line an oven tray with parchment

2) Use an electric mixer to whisk egg whites in a clean dry bowl until soft peaks form. Gradually add sugar and continue to beat until meringue is thick and glossy and sugar dissolved. Rub a little meringue between fingers. If still "gritty" with sugar, continue to whisk until sugar dissolves. This may take any where between 12 to 16 minutes depending on your electric mixer.

3) Add cornflour, vinegar and vanilla and whisk until just combined.

4) Spoon meringue onto the parchment, making six mini piles. If you want to be precise you can mark circles as a guide on the underside of the parchment paper.

5) Smooth sides and top of pavlova. Use a small spatula to form a small indention in the center to enable you to pile the lemon curd and berries when you assemble.

6) Bake in pre-heated oven for about an hour to 1 1/2 hours or until pavlova is dry to the touch. Turn off oven. Leave pavlova in oven with the door ajar to cool completely. When completely cold, transfer to serving plate or store in an airtight container until required.

Lemon Curd
Makes about 1 1/2 cups

Ingredients:

3 large eggs
3/4 cup (150 grams) granulated white sugar
1/3 cup (80 ml) fresh lemon juice (2-3 lemons) (do not use the bottled lemon juice)
4 tablespoons (56 grams) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 tablespoon lemon zest

In a stainless steel bowl placed over a saucepan of simmering water, whisk together the eggs, sugar, and lemon juice until blended. Cook, stirring constantly (to prevent it from curdling), until the mixture becomes thick (resembling sour cream). This will take approximately 10 minutes.

Remove from heat and immediately pour through a fine strainer to remove any lumps. Cut the butter into small pieces and whisk into the mixture until the butter has melted. Add the lemon zest and let cool. The lemon curd will continue to thicken as it cools. Place a clingwrap directly on top of the curd (so a skin doesn't form) and refrigerate for up to a week.

Note: If you want a lighter lemon curd whip 1/2 cup (120 ml) of heavy whipping cream and fold into the lemon curd.

To Assemble:

Place a pavlova on to a serving plate. Top with about 3 tsp of lemon curd in the center. Cut fresh berries and pile on top. Dust lightly with icing sugar before serving. Once assembled, it is best to eat the pavlova within 2 hours.

Roasted Pumpkin Soup

2012-01-08T22:00:00.004+08:00

At times I am just in the mood of having a simple meal such as a salad or soup. This particular weekend was one of those days and I decided to make some homemade pumpkin soup. I know it would be easier to just grab a can off the grocery shelf but I find canned soups to be loaded with a lot of salt. Furthermore it is either too watered down or has a starch like consistency.

I decided to try making some pumpkin soup from scratch and butternut pumpkin is the easiest to find in this part of the world. Butternut Pumpkins, also called butternut squash, are pear-shaped with pale orange-brown skin and a brightly coloured deep orange flesh. The wonderfully moist flesh has a sweet, buttery, nutty flavour and a slightly fibrous firm texture. Pumpkin is a source of vitamin A & C, folate, potassium, nician and dietary fibre.

Pumpkin is prone to decay, so it is important to carefully inspect it before purchase. Choose ones that is firm, heavy for its size and has a dull, not glossy, rinds. The rind should be hard as soft rinds may indicate that the pumpkin is watery and lacking in flavour. Avoid those with any signs of decay, which manifest as areas that are water-soaked areas or mouldy. If you are not planning to cook the pumpkin immediately, you should store it in a cool, dark and well ventilated area. However once the butternut is cut, wrap in plastic and store in fridge.

Roasted Pumpkin Soup
Recipe Adapted from Donna Hay's "Fast, Fresh & Simple"
Serves 4

Ingredients:

1 x 2kg whole butternut pumpkin
1 onion
Olive oil, for drizzling
3 1/2 cups chicken stock (fresh or canned (unsalted))
1 cup (250ml) single (pouring) cream
1 sprig of fresh rosemary
Sea salt
Freshly ground black pepper

Method:

1) Preheat oven to 220°C (425°F).

2) Cut the pumpkin in half lengthways and scoop out the seeds.

3) Place the pumpkin, cut-side up, and onion on a baking tray. Add the sprig of fresh rosemary on top of the pumpkin.

4) Drizzle with a little oil and sprinkle with salt.

5) Bake for 55–60 minutes or until the pumpkin is just soft and starting to brown. Remove and discard the rosemary. Scoop the pumpkin out of the skin into a blender.

6) Scoop the onion flesh away from its skin and add to the blender.

7) Add 1 cup (250ml) of the chicken stock and blend until smooth.

8) Pour the mixture into a saucepan, add remaining stock and cream.

9) Place over medium heat until soup is heated through.

10) Serve with freshly ground black pepper and a drizzle of fresh cream or sour cream.

Honey Madeleines

2012-01-03T22:30:00.004+08:00

After seeing some of my blogger friends posting up madeleine recipes in their blogs, I was really tempted to try making them and having my very first taste of these cute little cakes. Alright I confess ... I have never had a madeleine before in my life.

For this baking venture, I had to get myself a madeleine mold. Luckily they were on sale at a local baking store and once I got my hands on one, there was no holding back after that!

What exactly are Madeleines? Madeleines are very small sponge cakes with a distinctive shell-like shape acquired from being baked in pans with shell-shaped depressions. A génoise cake batter is used. The flavour of these little cakes are similar to, but somewhat lighter than a traditional sponge cake. So whether you enjoy them plain or dipped in your tea or coffee, these small petit fours make the perfect afternoon treat. There are a number of flavours that could be added to the batter to create different madeleines.

I must say that after having tasted my first Madeleine I will be trying a chocolate variation in the near future.

Honey Madelines
Makes about 24 3" size madeleines
Recipe Adapted from "Joy of Baking"

Ingredients:

113g unsalted butter
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/8 teaspoon salt
3 large eggs, at room temperature
100g granulated white sugar
1 Tbsp good quality honey
1/2 tsp lemon zest
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Method:

1) First, melt the butter and allow it to cool while you make the batter.

2) In a small bowl place the flour, baking powder and salt and whisk until well blended.

3) In the bowl of your electric mixer, beat the eggs, honey and sugar at medium-high speed until the mixture has tripled in volume and forms a thick ribbon when the beaters are lifted (about 5 minutes). Add the lemon zest and vanilla extract and beat to combine.

4) Sift a small amount of flour over the egg mixture and, using a large rubber spatula, fold the flour mixture into the beaten eggs to lighten it. Sift the rest of the flour over the egg mixture and fold in being sure not to overmix or the batter will deflate.

5) Whisk a small amount of the egg mixture into the melted butter to lighten it. Then fold in the cooled melted butter in three additions. Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes, or several hours, until slightly firm.

6) Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Generously butter two 12-mold madeleine pans. Dust the molds with flour and tap out the excess. (Make sure the pans are well greased or the madeleines will stick and be hard to remove.)

7) Drop a generous tablespoonful of the batter into the center of each prepared mold, leaving the batter mounded in the center. (This will result in the classic "humped" appearance of the madeleines.)

8) Bake the madeleines for 11 to 13 minutes, until the edges are golden brown and the centers spring back when lightly touched. Do not overbake these cookies or they will be dry.

9) Remove the pans from the oven and rap each pan sharply against a countertop to release the madeleines. Transfer the madeleines, smooth sides down, to wire racks to cool. The madeleines are best served the same day but can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for 2 to 3 days or frozen, well wrapped, for up to 1 month.

10) When serving dust with confectioners sugar.

Apple Tart "Maman Blanc"

2011-12-27T20:45:00.007+08:00

You could say I am an avid fan of the Food Channel on my local cable television. There are so many programs I currently follow that it would be simply impossible to list down. On some evenings, my television set would be just tuned to only one channel and nothing else. I'm not sure if this could be viewed as a compulsive, obsessive behaviour - you tell me!

Another compulsion of mine is to buy groceries first and then try to source for a recipe around what I had purchased. Would not a sane person do the opposite? Guess what I did it again two weekends ago. I purchased golden delicious apples and had to source for a recipe to consume them. This is where the Food Channel comes in useful. I've made a couple of apple tarts before and have posted them as well. So I didn't want to repeat something that I had already tried out and tested.

Timely again when I watched Raymond Blanc's "Kitchen Secrets" as he was making a Apple Custard Tart. So it is this particular recipe that I am now posting. The tart dough is new as well but I must say that the pastry is extremely good. It is flaky but at the same time a sturdy one. Some tart pastry tends to be flaky but falls apart once you cut through it. Well this doesn't! In fact it held up very well even one day after it was baked. The custard filing is extremely delicious and moist. However because as it is a custard, it is best consumed on the same day. I served it plain but I am sure it would have been delicious accompanied by a good vanilla ice-cream or creme fresh. Definitely a keeper recipe in my opinion.

Apple Tart "Maman Blanc"
Recipe Adapted from Raymond Blanc's "Kitchen Secrets"

For the Pastry:

250g/9oz plain flour
pinch sea salt
125g/4oz unsalted butter, diced, at room temperature
1 tsp cold water
1 medium sized egg

For Glazing the Apples:

15g unsalted butter
1 tsp lemon juice
15g sugar

For the Custard Filling:

35g caster sugar
1/2 Tbsp brandy
1/2 tsp mixed spice
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp cinnamon powder
3 golden delicious apples (or cooking apple), peeled, cores removed, each cut into 10 segments
100ml double or thickened cream
1 medium egg

Method:

1) For the pastry, pulse together the flour, butter and salt in a food processor until you reach a sandy texture. Add the egg, water and pulse again. If you over mix the dough at this stage it will lose its flakiness.

2) Transfer the dough onto a lightly floured work surface and knead with the palms of your hands for 30 seconds, or until the dough is smooth and well combined.

3) With the palm of your hand flatten the dough slightly to 1cm/½in thickness, then sandwich it between two large sheets of cling film. Chill in the fridge for 30 minutes.

4) Preheat the oven to 220C/440F/Gas 7. Place a baking tray into the oven to preheat.

5) Roll the chilled dough, still sandwiched in cling film, to a 2mm thickness. Place a 22cm/9in diameter, 2cm/¾in deep tart ring on a greaseproof lined wooden peel or baking tray. Remove the top layer of clingfilm and carefully pick up the dough, place it into the tart ring with the second layer of clingfilm facing up. Lift and tuck the dough into the edges of the ring and discard the clingfilm. By tucking in the base you will minimise the shrinking of the dough during cooking. Trim off any excess with a rolling pin.

6) Using your index finger and thumb, pinch and press the dough until it's 2mm above the tart ring all around the edge. With a fork, prick the bottom of the tart. Chill in the fridge for 20 minutes.

7) Meanwhile, for the filling, heat the butter, lemon juice and 15g of the sugar in a small saucepan until the butter has melted and the sugar has dissolved. Remove from the heat and stir in the brandy. Set aside.

8) When the tart case has chilled, arrange the apple segments in concentric circles, overlapping the apple slices as you go. Brush the apples all over with the brandy/butter mixture. Slide the tart ring onto the pre-heated baking tray and bake for 10 minutes.

9) Reduce the oven temperature to 200C/400F/Gas 6, then continue to cook for a further 20 minutes, until the pastry is pale golden-brown and the apples have caramelised.

10) Whisk together the cream, egg, spices and the remaining 35g caster sugar until well combined. When the pastry is pale golden-brown and the apples have caramelised, pour the custard mixture into the tart, bake for a further 10 minutes or until the filling mixture has just set.

11) To serve, remove the tart from the oven and set aside for 1 hour to cool slightly, then carefully remove the tart ring. Dust all over with icing sugar. Serve immediately.

Coconut Candy

2011-12-24T17:00:00.010+08:00

I have not had these treats for years and years. When we were little tots my mum would occassionally make this candy for us. We looked forward to these occasions and loved it mainly because it was chockful of sugar. Tell me which kid does not like candy! My mum would add different colours to the candy to brighten them up but she did ration our portions. We would hold each piece in our hands and slowly nibble on them, just to make the taste last longer.

So when I came across a Coconut Candy recipe in one of my cookbooks, memories came flooding back. Wouldn't it be great to make some for Christmas and colour them in red and green - the colour of Christmas. This recipe is so easy to make that any fledging cook could handle it. The candy makes great Christmas baked give-aways and I am sure the child in all of us will enjoy it as well. I hope you enjoy the holidays and wish you and your family a very Merry Christmas.

Coconut Candy

Ingredients:

3 cups grated coconut (slightly pressed)
2 1/2 cups sugar
300 ml evaporated milk
2 Tablespoon butter
1/4 tsp salt
1 teaspoon vanilla
green and red food coloring

Method:

1) Place all ingredients except vanilla extract and food colouring in a saucepan and place over a low flame.

2) Using a wooden spoon constantly stir the ingredients and cook the mixture until it thickens, becomes a lump, leaves the side of the pan and cystalisation begins.

3) Add the vanilla extract and stir well.

4) Remove half the mixture into a bowl. For the mixture in the saucepan, add the red food colour and stir well.

5) In the other bowl add the green food colour and stir well.

6) Line a square 9" x 9" square pan with foil. Lightly butter the foil and then spread one half of the pan with the red candy and the other half with the green.

7) Press down the mixture to compress it slightly. Cool completely before cutting in squares.

Christmas Sandies

2011-12-18T22:00:00.009+08:00

These cookies were on the cover of this month's "Desserts" and the entire magazine featured Christmas cookies. Such a timely publication as well. There was even a section covering popular Christmas cookies from around the world. The issue came out at the right moment as I was having difficulty picking a cookie recipe to bake from. In the end I decided on the Christmas Sandies and Crackle Cookie

For the last three Christmas holidays, I would bake rather than buy gifts. I think a baked gift is so much more personal than a store-bought gift. I guess if you simply cannot bake or cook, you would have no choice but to go shopping. I too used to buy my gifts. The problem I faced each year is planning what to buy. On top of that I also need to remember what I have given in the past so as not to repeat them again. I think when you buy gifts from friends, the rule of thumb is probably buy something that you would use as well.

If you are like me, I am sure you have at one point of time received a gift that was totally useless. Interestingly I had read in the past that the top ten most useless gifts that someone would give includes toiletries, photo frames, towels, mugs, key chains and stuffed toys.

Christmas Sandies
Recipe Adapted from "Desserts Magazine #24)
Makes 36 1-inch cookies
Print Recipe

Ingredients:

226g unsalted butter
1/3 cup icing sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 cups all purpose flour
1 cup finely chopped dried cranberries
2 tsp finely chopped mixed orange/lemon peel
Coloured nonpareils

Method:

1) Preheat oven to 180C. Line cookie baking trays with parchment paper.

2) Cream butter and icing sugar until combined and soft. Add in vanilla and beat for another 30 seconds.

3) Add in flour in 2 separate additions until combined. Add in dried fruits.

4) Shape into 1" size balls and drop each ball into the coloured nonpareils until well coated.

5) Arrange balls 1" apart in the prepared trays. Bake for about 14 - 15 minutes. Transfer to wire racks and let it cool. Store in room temperature for up to 3 days or freeze for up to 3 months.

# The cookie boxes are from Martha Stewart's store.

Banana Walnut Loaf

2011-12-12T09:00:00.011+08:00

I love baking with bananas and am always on the lookout for a good recipe to try out. I baked muffins, cupcakes and cakes with this fruit but have yet to make a banana bread.

I tried out this recipe a few weeks back when my parents were in town paying me a visit. As uaual with all my posted recipes, the amount of sugar has been reduced from the original recipe. I used extremely ripe local bananas called "Pisang Emas" (golden bananas) which very flavourful and sweet. The Banana Bread turned out extremely good, moist and with lots of texture.

Banana Nut Bread
Recipe adapted from "Marthastewart.com"
Print Recipe

Ingredients:

113g unsalted butter, softened
1/3 cup of white sugar (already reduced from original recipe)
1/3 cup of brown sugar (already reduced from original recipe)
2 eggs
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1 cup very ripe bananas, mashed
1/2 cup of sour cream
1 tsp vanilla extract
2/3 cups chopped toasted walnuts
1/3 cup chocolate chips, preferably dark chocolate

Method:

1) Preheat the oven to 180C. Grease a 9x5x3 loaf pan and then line with parchment paper.

2) Sift flour, baking soda and salt in a bowl. Leave aside.

3) Beat butter and sugars together until light and fluffly, about 4 minutes.

4) Add eggs one at a time and beat until combined. Then add the vanilla extract.

5) Add in the dry ingredients in 2 separate additions and combine. Do not overmix.

6) Then slowly add in the sour cream and bananas and give it a gentle stir. Pour batter into pan and bake for about 45 - 60 minutes or until a tester inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool on a rack. You can serve this slightly warm or at room temperature. This loaf keeps extremely well due to the bananas and sour cream.

Pork Chop with Apple and Red Onion Chutney

2011-12-06T20:15:00.002+08:00

I must confess that I very seldom cook with pork. I guess this is because my late hubby, LT, never had a liking for this meat. However I was tempted to make some pork chops one weekend when I was doing my weekly grocery run at a local supermarket. The chops looked really inviting and I had just the right recipe for them.

It's funny that most of the pork I see in the local supermarket chiller counters seem to come from Australia. You might think that since Australia is such a distance away from Singapore, the pork cuts would be frozen. Surprisingly they are not! They are chilled just before export to retain its freshness. When meat is kept at a temperature of between 0°C and 4°C, spoiling bacteria doesn't grow on it the way it does at room temperature. If you buy chilled meat and have no plans to cook it on the same day, the meat can be safely frozen to be consumed within the next one or two days. However with frozen pork or other types of meat, once defrosted, it must be cooked immediately.

Did you know that frozen pork is imported into Singapore by sea? Well I didn't. The meat is usually kept at minus 18°C and can be stored at this temperature for up to two years! When it arrives here, it is frozen rock solid, and usually needs to be thawed before it can be sold to consumers. As with most frozen food stuff, the quality and taste of the product will definitely be compromised. That is why most chefs would insist on using the freshest cut of meats when cooking.

Some interesting facts about the shelf life of frozen meats when stored in a Freezer of -18°C:

Beef/Veal - shelf life of 12 Months
Lamb/Mutton - shelf life of 6 Months
Pork - shelf life of 6 Months
Poultry - shelf life 12 Months

Pork Chop with Apple and Red Onion Chutney
Recipe Adapted from "Quick & Easy Workday Dinners"
Serves 4

Ingredients:

125g butter
1 medium size red onion, sliced
2 Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored, cut into quarters and sliced
1/2 tsp ground cloves
1/3 cup honey
4 pork loin chops, about 250g each
2 tsp oil
1/2 tsp mustard seeds
725g cabbage, sliced thinly
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Method:

1) To make the chutney, melt 50g butter in a saucepan. Add the onion, apples, cloves and honey. Simmer, covered for 10 mins over low heat. Increase heat to medium and cook, uncovered for a further 20 minutes until it resembles a thick chutney. Allow to cool.

2) Season the dhops well on both sides with salt and black pepper. Leave to marinade for 20 mins.

3) Heat oil and 50g of butter in a large frying pan. Cook the chops on medium high heat for 6 - 8 mins on each side or until brown and cooked through. Remove and rest for 2 mins.

4) Melt remaining butter in pan, add the mustard seeds and cabbage. Cook covered over medium high heat, tossing in between for about 12 mins until tender. Season with salt and black pepper.

5) To serve, place a pork chop on each serving plate. Serve with cabbage on the side and a spoonful of the chutney.

Red Bean Paste Pau (Azuki Bean Steamed Buns)

2011-12-02T08:30:00.001+08:00

I was blog hopping a while back and came across a Pau recipe from my blogger friend, Shirley of Kokken69 . Timing was right as I was trying to find a simple and easy recipe for steamed buns. I guess what caught my eye too was the perfectly shaped bite-size morsels as well as the pretty "stamped" seal on top of each steamed bun.

I thought to myself that this recipe would be the one to try out. I must confess that I did not make the red bean filling from scratch as I had left-overs from my Mooncake baking spree sitting in my refrigerator. The filling would be just sufficient for the amount of dough this recipe will create. The steamed buns turned out nicely but as with all steamed goodies, they are best consumed whilst hot. Once the buns turn cold, they turn a bit hard and dry. So always steam any remaining buns prior to consumption. My next project would be to try to nail down a recipe for fluffy steamed BBQ pork buns - like the ones served in Dim Sum Restaurants.

Red Bean Paste Pau (Azuki Bean Steamed Buns)
Dough Recipe Adapted from "Dim Sum in Hong Kong"

Ingredients:

150g Hong Kong (or Pau) flour
2g dry yeast
2g baking powder
20g caster sugar
75g low fat milk
2g vegetable shortening

Method:

1) Place all ingredients into a mixer and blend until smooth at low speed.

2) Ferment for 10 mins at room temperature. Then blend in mixer again for 5 mins.

3) Divide the dough into pieces of 20g each. Roll out to form a round wrapping of about 2 inches in diameter. Try to make the edges a bit thinner than the center of the wrap.

4) Place filling (I used about 35g. Roll the filling to a tight ball before wrapping) in the center of the wrap and pull down the edges gently. Seal the edges tightly, tucking in so that the bun has a nice round top.

5) Proof Pau at room temperature for 45 mins.

6) Steam Pau over boiling water for 15 mins. Serve whilst still warm. Left overs can be refrigerated in a tightly sealed container. To consume, steam for about 5 mins.

Blueberry Macaroon Slice

2011-11-26T20:45:00.002+08:00

Would you think I'm mad if I told you that I send my pet shitzu, Milo (He is the dog on the right with his signature tongue sticking out. This photo was taken after a whole day out playing.) to doggie day care/park once a week! I actually pay someone to do this. He is such a lucky doggie. He gets to play and socialize with other dogs whilst I am at work. I guess if you are a dog-lover you would probably think this is not unusual. Especially so in these times when pet owners really indulge their furry companions.

A couple of weeks ago, Milo received an invitation to one of his furry friends birthday celebration. The party was held at a Dog Park Run and about 12 other dogs with their "mums and dads" were also invited. There was even a birthday cake - a frosted carrot cake suitable for both furry friends and humans consumption. My girlfriend made some cupcakes to bring along for the party and I happily volunteered to bring something as well. I remembered I had some left-over homemade blueberry jam and immediately thought of making either jam tarts or slice. I ended up baking jam slices and I was very glad that I tried out this recipe. It was simply delicious!

Blueberry Macaroon Slice
Recipe Adapted from "BBC Goodfood"
Print Recipe

Ingredients:

90g unsalted butter, softened
1/3 cup caster sugar
1 egg
2/3 cup plain flour, sifted
1/4 cup self-raising flour, sifted
1 Tbsp custard powder
1/2 cup blueberry jam (homemade or store-bought)

Coconut Topping:

2 egg whites, beaten slightly
2 1/2 cups shredded fresh coconut
1/4 cup caster sugar

Blueberry Jam:

2 cups frozen blueberries
1/3 cup caster sugar
2 Tbsp lemon juice
1 tsp lemon Zest

Thaw the frozen blueberries. Then place in food processor and puree the fruit. Remove and sieve the juice into asaucepan. Add remaining ingredients and simmer until themixture resembles jam-like. Remove and leave to cool. You can make this ahead of time and store in the refrigerator.

Method for the Slice:

1) Preheat oven to 180C. Grese a 20cm x 30 cm rectangular pan, line base and long sides with parchment paper, extending paper 5cm over the sides.

2) Beat butter and sugar in a bowl until light and fluffy. Add egg and beat for a minute. Stir in sifted flour and custard powder. Mix untul just combined.

3) Spread dough into pan. Then spread the jam ontop.

4) For the coconut topping, place all the ingredients in a bowl. Stir to combine.

5) Sprinkle the coconut topping on top of the dough. Spread out evenly.

6) Bake for about 45 minutes. Remove from oven and cool completely before cutting into squares.

Clam, Chorizo & Mixed Bean Stew

2011-11-21T22:15:00.002+08:00

I had some left over chorizo sausage in my fridge from a breakfast recipe. This therefore gave me inspiration to use the remaining for a new dish and when I chanced upon this stew, I knew it was the right recipe. This recipe comes from the monthly BBC Goodfood magazine.

I really like this magazine and have been diligently purchasing a copy over the last six months from my local newstand vendor whenever a new issue comes out. This magazine is very visual with beautifully plated dishes and the photography is amazing - practically jumps out at you! Simple, easy to prepare dishes is probably their motto, although there are some slightly more complicated recipes as well. They are also not afraid to publish recipes that sometimes takes short cuts and this is exactly what some of us want. Epecially if we already have a full-time day job.

Clam, Chorizo & Mixed Bean Stew
Recipe Adapted from BBC Goodfood
Serves 2

Ingredients:

50g chorizo sausage, diced
1 onion, finely chopped
1 clove garlic, crushed and roughly chopped
Small bunch of mixed herbs, basil, parsley,roughly chopped
200ml hot stock, fish or vegetable
400g canned stewed tomatoes, roughly diced
400g canned mixed beans, rinsed and drained
600g white clams (or mussels)
1 tsp red wine vinegar
Black pepper and salt to taste
Extra chopped parsley for dressing

Method:

1) Fry the chorizo in a large frying pan with a lid, over medium heat until it starts to crisp and release its oil. Add the onion and cook for 5 mins until it starts to soften. Then add the garlic and chopped herbs and fry for another 1 minute.

2) Pour in the stock and tomatoes. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat and add in the beans and red wine vinegar. Simmer for 10 - 15 minutes until the liquid has slightly reduced.

3) Scatter the clams into the pan, cover with lid and let it steam for 2 - 4 minutes. Shake the pan occassional to let the clams open. Remove lid, discard any clams that have not opened as they are likely bad.

4) Season to taste with black pepper and salt. Remove from heat and serve in bowls. Scatter some parsley on top and serve with crusty bread.

Mini Panettone

2011-11-14T21:00:00.020+08:00

I can't believe that it is just under six weeks to Christmas. I already see some shops in Singapore displaying their Christmas decorations. Time surely flies and before you know it, Christmas baking will be around the corner. I have not exactly planned what to do yet this year as gifts. I have decided that giving baked goodies are so much easier and very much a personal touch. I find it extremely difficult to shop for friends and family members as I have to keep track of not repeating a gift. Way too hard and furthermore my memory gets foggier each year. Guess it's due to age!

I made these Mini Panettone way back in August and this is an extremely late posting. But then again maybe not! I have never made Panettone before and when I chanced upon mini ones, I could not resist. Think of them as mini fruit loaves and so easy to serve as well.

Mini Panettone
Makes 10 large muffin size

Ingredients:

2 eggs + 1 yolk
1 tsp vanilla extract
500g all purpose flour
14g dried yeast
80g castor sugar
200g unsalted butter, softened
1/2 tsp salt
200ml warm milk (whole or low fat)
140g mixed raisins, sultana and cranberries
100g mixed candied orange and lemon peel
Extra milk for brushing
2 Tbsp flaked almonds

Method:

1) Beat the eggs and yolk with the vanilla.

2) In a large bowl, mix the flour, yeast, sugar and salt. Add the warm milk and egg mixture. Using a wooden spoon beat the mixture to a soft, sticky dough. Cover with cling film and leave in a warm place until the dough has doubled in size (about 45 mins in warm climate).

3) Line a large muffin tray with 10 muffin liners and set aside.

4) Once the dough has risen, blend the butter, fruit and peel into the risen dough, preferably with your hands. Cut into 10 equal sizes and drop a piece into each muffin liner. Cover with clingwrap and leave for the dough to rise to double its size.

5) Preheat oven to 190C. Brush the risen dough with the extra milk and scatter some almond flakes on the top. Bake for about 25 - 30 minutes until golden. Best eaten within 3 days or freeze for up to 6 weeks.

Super-Moist Apple Cake

2011-11-09T21:30:00.002+08:00

When I came across this recipe the first words that jumped out from my computer screen was "super-moist". That really did it for me and I knew I had to try out this cake. I glanced at the recipe and it was really unusual! What makes this cake extremely moist was the use of thickened cream which is poured over the top just before the cake goes into the oven. I really could not imagine how it would look like but would it not result in a extremely soggy batter and an extended baking time?

True to its name, this Apple Cake was extremely moist. The topping resembled soft cream cheese with a sugar crumble. It was extremely delicious and kept really well in the fridge even after 3 days. For different textures you may want to try baking it with a combination of apples, such as Granny Smith (which is quite tart), Macintosh (which is firm), and Cortland (which gets very soft with cooking). This recipe is definitely a keeper especially for the holidays.

Super-Moist Apple Cake
by Clark Frasier and Mark Gaier with Max Alexander
Serves 10

Ingredients for the Cake Batter:

1 1/4 cups sugar
170g unsalted butter, at room temperature
3 large eggs
1 cup plus 1 tablespoon cake flour (not self-rising)
1 cup plus 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
3/4 cup milk (whole or low-fat)
3/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
3 medium baking apples, peeled, cored, halved, and thinly sliced (I used Granny Smith)

Ingredients for the Topping:

3/4 cup heavy cream
1/3 sugar + 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon + 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

Method:

1) Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease and flour a 10-inch round, 2-inch-deep cake pan and line the bottom with parchment paper. Do not use a springform or loose-bottom cake pan.

2) In a large bowl beat 1 1/4 cups of the sugar and the butter for 3 to 5 minutes until light in color. Scrape the bowl as needed with a rubber spatula and continue to beat the mixture until it is very light in texture and color, several minutes more.

3) Beat in the eggs one at a time, scraping the bowl between additions. Then add in the vanilla extract and beat to incorporate together.

4) Sift together the flours, baking powder, and salt. Alternately add the milk and dry ingredients into the butter mixture, stopping to scrape the bowl as necessary.

5) Pour the batter into the prepared pan and spread it evenly with a rubber spatula. Arrange the apple slices overlapping in concentric circles on top of the cake batter to completely cover the top of the cake. Pour the cream evenly over the apples.

6) Stir together the 1/3 cup sugar, nutmeg and cinnamon and sprinkle the mixture over the top of the cake. Bake for 45 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. (I had to bake mine for close to 55 mins.) Remove the pan from the oven, transfer it to a rack, and let cool completely.

7) Invert the cake onto the rack, remove the parchment paper, and invert it once more onto a serving platter. Serve warm or room temperature. Once cool, the cake can be stored tightly covered in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

Roti Jala (Net Coconut Pancakes)

2011-11-03T08:00:00.021+08:00

Roti Jala is a very traditional Malaysian recipe usually made during the Malay festive holidays. Translated, "Roti Jala" means net bread or pancakes. The net-like effect of the pancakes come about with a special mold that is used during the cooking process. The pancake batter is very much like a traditional crepe batter but prepared with coconut milk instead of water. The textures of the Roti Jala vary to include a soft finish, or, if cooked a minute or two longer, a crispy consistency.

I very seldom eat this pancake when I was still staying in Malaysia because not many places make these. In my 20 years staying in Singapore I can say that I have never ever eaten it once.

Roti Jala by itself is very light and it is absolutely delicious as an accompaniment to any type of curries such as Malaysian Chicken Curry or Curry Kapitan, both of which are favourite Malaysian curries . As I have never made this before, I found it a bit difficult trying to produce the net-like effect. My first few Roti Jala looked like a huge mess, resembling a "Monster Blob". After an initial disaster I must say that the rest came out nicely.

Roti Jala (Net Coconut Pancakes)
Recipe Adapted from "Zarina's Easy Cooking"
Serves 3-4

Ingredients:

225g sifted all-purpose flour
1 egg, lightly beaten
2 cups coconut milk (either fresh or canned. If using cream, dilute it with water)
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp turmeric powder (if not you could use some yellow food colouring)
Vegetable oil to grease the pan

Method:

1) In a bowl, lightly whisk coconut milk, egg, salt and turmeric powder.

2) Stir in the coconut-egg mixture gradually into the sifted flour and mix, until a thin 'crepe-like batter' is achieved.

4) Strain the batter through a fine sieve and set aside for 15 minutes.

5) On medium-low heat, grease and heat a griddle or a medium sized non-stick pan with a brush. (I used a brush made out of pandan leaves to achieve a more aromatic flavour. Cut about 4 pieces of pandan leaves and trim them to about 6" in length. Tie the ends together.)

6) Put a ladleful of batter into a Roti Jala mould/cup and in a circular motion, form a thin lacy pattern in the pan (about 7 - 8 inchs in diameter depending on the size of your pan). You have to do this quickly.

7) Cook until set, turn over onto a plate. There is no need to cook the other side, much like a regular crepe.

8) Fold each crepe into quarters, staking them up as you go. (Alternatively it can be folded like an envelope shape.)

9) As you make the crepes, grease the pan ever so often. Add a little water to the batter if it becomes too thick so that you keep maintaining a crepe-like batter.

10) Serve Roti Jala with a curry dish.

To make your own Roti Jala mould/cup :

1) Use an empty tin can, [eg. a 12oz can of corn]

2) Using a hammer and a 0.2 inch nail, make 5 or 6 holes (evenly spaced on the bottom of the can). Hammer out any sharp edges

Baked Eggs With Chorizo and Tomatoes

2011-10-30T22:30:00.002+08:00

I must confess that I am a morning person! Even on weekends I am up and about by 7:00am. Most of my friends would probably still be in bed and I do know some think I am mad to be up so early. But I find lazing in bed to be such a waste of time. By the time some of friends wake up at 10:00am I would have walked my dog, done my laundry and even gone to the supermarket to buy my groceries.

One thing I do like about weekend mornings is breakfast. To me, these are the two days in the week that I do get to enjoy this meal. Sometimes I even treat myself to a "special" breakfast at home.

This particular weekend was one of those "special" Sundays. I first had Baked Eggs when I was having a weekday breakfast at Riders Cafe. They were so good that I decided to try and replicate it at home. The dish came out beautifully done and I dunked pieces of toast into the ramekins to soak up every single bit of the baked eggs.

Baked Eggs with Chorizo and Tomatoes
Serve: 2

Ingredients:

4 medium size eggs
50g sliced spicy chorizo sausage
1 large ripe tomatoe, chopped into 1" square (remove the seeds)
2 Tbsp thickened cream
8 basil leaves, roughly torn
Salt and pepper to taste

Method:

1) Pre-heat the oven to 180C. Lightly oil the insides of two one-cup size ramekins.

2) Divide the chopped tomatoes, basil leaves and chorizo sausage evenly and place into the 2 ramekins.

3) Then break 2 eggs into each ramekin. Season with salt and pepper. Drizzle 1 Tbsp of thickened cream on top of the eggs in each ramekin.

4) Bake the eggs until the whites are set and the yolk is frim around the edges but soft in the center. This should take about 15 minutes. Remove from the oven and serve immediately with toast or crusty bread.

Cinnamon Rolls

2011-10-25T08:00:00.002+08:00

I absolutely love, love cinnamon rolls! I remember the first cinnamon store that opened in Singapore about 18 or so years ago and there were long queques lining up the store front just to grab the rolls. I believe the store's name was Saint Cinnamon and it was located at Wisma Atria. As I am a born sucker for cinnamon rolls (and still am), I too joined the long queques. I would usually take away about 3 to 4 rolls to munch on during tea break or breakfast. Gosh the smell of freshly baking cinnamon rolls could entice any hungry soul that's for sure.

You could say that I have tried a few Cinnamon Roll recipes in my brief baking history. You will find one such posted recipe in this blog as well from my early blogging days.

However I can swear that this particular recipe from The Pioneer Woman beats everything else hands-down. I love this recipe! So much so that this is my fourth time making these rolls. This is definitely a recipe for "keeps" in my book.

Cinnamon Rolls
Makes 15 rolls
Recipe Adapted from "The Pioneer Woman Cooks"

Ingredients for the Dough:

1 1/3 cup milk (I used low-fat milk)
1/3 cup vegetable oil (do not use olive oil)
1/3 cup caster sugar
1 1/2 tsp dry yeast
2 2/3 cups plain flour (plus additional 1/3 cup)
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/3 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt

Ingredients for Sprinkling:

100g unsalted butter - melted
1/2 cup brown sugar + 2 Tbsp extra
3 1/2 Tbsp cinnamon powder
1/2 tsp nutmeg powder
1/2 tsp cloves powder
1/2 tsp mixed spice

Method:

1) Mix the milk, vegetable oil and sugar in a pan.

2) Scald the mixture (heat until just before the boiling point). Turn off heat and leave to cool for about 30 mins.

3) When the mixture is lukewarm to warm, but NOT hot, sprinkle in dry yeast. Let this sit for a minute.

4) Add 2 2/3 cups of flour into the milk mixture. Stir mixture together with a wooden spoon. Cover and let rise for at least an hour. The dough will still be very sticky to touch (but some of the gluten would have developed by then)

5) Add in 1/3 cup of flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Stir mixture together. (At this point the dough will still be sticky, you could cover the dough and put it in the fridge for about 30 minutes to firm slightly so that it'll be easier to handle. Alternatively you can leave it overnight or even a day or two in the fridge. This will give you a firmer dough. Just keep your eye on it and if it starts to overflow out of the pan, just punch it down).

6) When ready to prepare rolls, mix the sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, mixed spice and clove in a bowl. Stir well to mix everything together.

7) Then sprinkle rolling surface generously with flour. Form a rough rectangle with the dough. Then roll the dough thin, maintaining a general rectangular shape about the size of a jelly pan. Drizzle melted butter over the dough. Next sprinkle the sugar mixture over the butter. (I find that in humid weather, it is easier to dot the dough with soften butter cubes rather than melted butter to prevent the butter from oozing out as you start to roll the dough)

8) Now starting at the opposite end, begin rolling the dough in a neat line toward you. Keep the roll relatively tight as you go. Next, pinch the seam of the roll to seal it.

9) Cut the roll to approximately 1 inch thick and lay them in a greased baking tray. Leave a little space in between the rolls for them to rise.
Let the rolls rise for 30 - 40 mins. Then bake at a 180℃ pre-heated oven until light golden brown, about 20-25 mins. Serve warm.

Apple Cake with Cream Cheese Maple Frosting

2011-10-20T07:00:00.005+08:00

I am extremely excited to say that The Cake Slice Bakers is baking from a new book starting this month. The chosen book for the next twelve months is The Cake Book by Tish Boyle . I am sure some of you have heard of her before and if you have not you may want to check out her website . She is an amazing baker and has written a few books covering both cakes and cookies.

Each month a few recipes will be posted for voting and the most number of votes received for any cake recipe will be the choice bake for that month. To kick start our first cake from "The Cake Book" is a delicious Apple Cake which is full of apple chunks and walnuts. For some of you who are now experiencing fall, this recipe is so in tune with the season. When I was baking this cake my entire kitchen was filled with the smell of cinnamon and spices. It is such a delicious feeling and I could not wait to get the cake out of the oven to try a piece of it. I used a square cake pan to bake the cake and then used 3" cutter rings to cut out individual servings. These were frosting and then decorated with a sugarpaste rose on each small cake. Just wanted to give this cake an extra special touch!

Apple Cake with Cream Cheese Maple Frosting
Recipe Adapted from "The Cake Book by Tish Boyle"
Makes One 9" Cake Serving 12

Ingredients for the Cake:

1 1/2 cups all purpose flour, sifted
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground cloves
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
113g unsalted butter, softened
1 cup loosely packed light brown sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 large eggs
2/3 cup buttermilk
2 cups peeled and chopped (1/2" pieces) Granny Smith apples (about 2 apples)
1/2 cup coarsely chopped walnuts

Method for the Cake:

1) Preheat oven to 350F and position rack in center of the oven. Grease the bottom and sides of a 9" square cake pan with parchment paper.

2) In a bowl add flour, baking powder, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, ginger, baking soda and salt. Whisk together and set aside.

3) In another bowl, beat butter and brown sugar until light and creamy for about 3 - 4 minutes. Add vanilla extract and beat until combined. Then add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Scrap down the sides of the bowl.

4) Then add in the flour in 3 separate additions alternating with buttermilk in 2 additions. Mix until blended (do not overmix though).

5) Finally add in the apples and walnuts. Pour into prepared tin and bake for 25 to 30 minutes until golden and a skewer comes out clean when inserted into the cake.

6) Cool cake completely before adding the frosting.

Maple Cheese Maple Frosting

170g cream cheese, softened
42g unsalted butter, softened
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp maple syrup
1 cup icing sugar sifted
Pinch of salt

Method:

Beat cream cheese and butter until smooth. Add in the other ingredients and continue to beat until light and creamy. Place in fridge for about 30 minutes to harden slightly before frosting on the cake.

Strawberry Swiss Roll

2011-10-14T08:33:00.000+08:00

I have always loved making swiss rolls as they are so light and fluffy. Plus the fact that it is so easy to put one together as well. Baking time is certainly shorter than that of a normal cake and I bet you that you will have more than a slice.

Actually for this particular recipe you need not confine yourself to making swiss or jelly rolls only. I have actually used the same recipe to put together a Strawberry Sponge Shortcake and also adapted it for a Blackforest Cake. I would usually make a swiss roll if I was craving for desserts and am not too much in a mood to make something more elaborate.

Strawberry Swiss Roll
Recipe Adapted from "Judy Koh of Creative Culinaire"

Ingredients for the Cake Roll:

110g cake flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
50g caster sugar
1/4 tsp salt
60g vegetable oil (like corn oil or canola oil)
75g liquid (50g of strawberry puree + 25g of water at room temperature)
5 eggs (60g per egg), separate the yolks from the whites
1/4 tsp cream of tartar
70g caster sugar
1/2 tsp strawberry emulco or flavouring (optional)

Method:

1) Grease a full size jelly pan and line with parchment paper. Preheat your oven to 200C.

2) Sift together cake flour, baking powder, salt and baking soda into a clean bowl and set aside.

3) In another bowl, whisk by hand the egg yolks, 50g sugar, oil, strawberry puree and strawberry emulco until the mixture is light in colour and slightly thicken. This should take about 1 minute. (You can add a drop of food colouring to the liquid at this point of time if you want your roll to have a darker pink colour)

4) Add the flour mixture to the egg and whisk until smooth. Set aside.

5) In a clean bowl whip the egg whites until slightly frothy. Then add in the cream of tartar and continue to whip for about 1 minute. Then add the remaining 70g sugar and continue to whip until stiff peaks.

6) Fold 1/3 of the egg meringue into the yolk mixture. Fold gently until mixed well. Then add in the remaining 2/3 meringue and continue to fold gently using either a whisk or spatula. Fold only until the white streaks have disappeared. Do not overfold or you may deflate the batter.

7) Pour into the lined jelly pan and smoothen the top to ensure an even surface. Bake for 10 - 15 minutes or until the top is golden brown. Check at 10 minutes baking time - do not over bake or your roll will become hard.

8) Remove from oven and let cool for about 15 minutes before removing parchment paper. The roll should be completely cool before adding the whipped cream.

To Assemble:

1) Trim off the sides of the roll to have clean lines. Place the roll on top of a clean sheet of parchment paper. Place one side of the long end of the roll at the edge of the parchment. This will allow you to roll the jelly roll easily.

2) Spread the roll with some whipped cream mixed with strawberry jam. Leave a border around the edge.

3) Using the end of the parchment paper, start to roll away from you. Keep the roll tight as you continue to roll. Once you have finished use the parchment to wrap the entire jelly roll and place it into the refrigerator to set for about 3 hours.

4) To serve dust the roll with some icing sugar.

Vanilla Bean Creme Brulee

2011-10-09T21:15:00.009+08:00

There are some desserts to are really classic and at the same time elegant as well. One of these which I consider is in this category is a creme brulee. I love a good creme brulee but simply dread the number of calories each serving has. But then again, such desserts are to be enjoyed only once in a while! I think a brulee is the sophisticated cousin to a custard caramel.

There are so many different flavours whcih you could incorporate into a brulee and not forgetting you could also add fruits as well. I toyed with putting together a fruit brulee but in the end decided to stick with the classics, a Vanilla Bean Creme Brulee. Such a treat too!

Vanilla Bean Creme Brulee
Serves 4

Ingredients:

2 cups heavy cream
5 egg yolks
1/2 cup sugar
1 vanilla bean pod
1/2 cup sugar (to topping)

Method:

1) Preheat oven to 275 degrees.

2) Pour the cream into a saucepan. Then scrape the seeds from the vanilla pod and add it to the cream. Drop in the empty pod as well. Place saucepan over a low flame and heat until it starts to simmer. Remove from heat and let it sit for half a minute.

3) Whisk egg yolks and sugar in a bowl until slightly frothy (about a minute). Slowly pour in the heated cream in a trickle into the egg mixture, stirring at the same time. Sieve the mixture and remove the pod. Pour the cream/egg mixture into ramekins.

4) Place the ramekins in a baking pan. Fill the baking pan with hot water, about halfway up the sides of the ramekins. Place the pan with the ramekins in the oven for 45 minutes to an hour or so. After 45 minutes, check them every ten minutes. You'll know they're done when you can stick a knife in one and it comes out clean. Remove the ramekins from the baking pan, set them on the counter, and let them cool for 15 minutes or so.

5) Then, put them in the refrigerator and let them chill overnight.

6) To serve, sprinkle a thin layer of sugar on the top of each, completely covering the custard. Using a hand-held blow torch, melt the sugar until it becomes a caramel brown colour.

7) If you do not have a blow torch, preheat your toaster oven to “Broil” and place ramekins in broiling tray filled with water (add as much water as possible to keep ramekins cool), let brown sugar caramelize (about 2min), then place ramekins in a fresh water filled baking tray to cool for a minute.

8) Garnish with berries, if desired.

Kuih Keria (Sweet Potato Doughnuts)

2011-10-03T13:00:00.015+08:00

Kuih Keria or Sweet Potato Doughnuts is another all time Malaysian favourite tea-time snack. Unlike the other doughnuts which you may be more familiar with, Kuih Keria does not use yeast at all and as such there "rising" time associated with yeasted recipes is not required at all. Sweet potato is used in this snack and the proportion of it versus flour is more than triple.

When I was a little girl (that's many decades ago), there was a street vendor who would peddle local snacks. He would have a long pole which he carried across the back of his shoulders and at the end of each pole was a covered basket. Inside the basket you will be able to find all sorts of goodies. As he walked up and down our neighbourhood, he would be yelling loudly "kuih, kuih" (cakes, cakes) to attract everyone's attention. How we loved peering into his basket to see what was the "catch of the day"! Those were the days when kuih was sold at 20 cents each. You can imagine the value of the dollar (well cents in this case) then. Now I can only get three pieces of kuih keria for $2.00.

Kuih Keria (Sweet Potato Doughnuts)

Ingredients:

350g (11 1/2 oz) yellow or orange-fleshed sweet potatoes
75g (1/2 cup) plain flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
Oil for frying
Caster sugar for rolling

Method:

1) Scrub sweet potatoes clean under running water. Place in a pan and cover with a generous amount of water. Boil until tender - test by inserting a skewer into the thickest part of the potato: it should go in without much resistance. Remove sweet potatoes from water and leave to cool.

2) When cool enough to handle, peel the skins. Mash sweet potatoes until free from lumps. Pick out any tough fibres and discard.

3) Sift flour, salt and baking powder together and add to mashed sweet potatoes, kneading lightly until smooth.

4) Break off small pieces of dough about the size of a lime (about 30g or 1 oz each) and roll into smooth balls, flouring your hands lightly to prevent the dough from sticking. Flatten the balls slightly and make a hole through the centre of each one with the floured handle of a wooden spoon. With your fingers, lightly pat the edges around the hole for a nice, smooth 'doughnut' finish. Repeat until dough is used up. Lay the doughnuts on a lightly-floured tray. Cover the doughnuts with a cloth to prevent it from dyring out whilst you shape the rest.

5) Heat oil in a pan or wok over medium heat. The oil should be about 2 cm (1 in) deep. Keeping the heat on low, fry the doughnuts until golden brown on both sides, about 6 to 7 minutes. Drain on absorbent paper.

6) Traditionally, these doughnuts are rolled in cooked melted sugar until the sugar crystalizes around them. An easier, healthier way would be to simply roll them in caster sugar. Serve soon after making.

Note: It is imperative that the temperature of the oil is kept low (the doughnuts should sizzle slightly upon contact with the oil). Frying doughnuts at too high a temperature will result in an unattractive, blistered appearance.