Christmas preparation

'Unique' Christmas Gingerbread Cookies

Ready Mix Mince Pie ... :)

Chocolate Banana Cake

One of my mom's favourite! Since I will be going back for CNY, I thought I should start trying and make the best Chocolate Banana Cake for her!
This is my first trial...and we totally love it! (well probably a bit more cream next time!)

Ingredients:
Chocolate cake:
1/2 cup cocoa powder, sifted
3/4 cup strong espresso
2 tsp vanilla essence
300g self-raising flour
75g plain flour
1 1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda
185g unsalted butter, softened
200g caster sugar
3 eggs
180g chocolate, melted and cooled

Banana and cream filling:
300ml whipping cream
3 ripe bananas

Chocolate topping:
284ml double cream
200g dark chocolate

Steps:
1. Preheat oven to 160C, and grease an 8 inch baking pan
2. Mix cocoa powder, coffee, vanilla essence and 1/2 cup cold water in a bowl and whisk.
3. Sift flour , bicarbonate of soda and a pinch of salt together.
4. Beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well each time.
Stir in melted chocolate into egg mixture.
5. Add the flour and cocoa mixture alternatively into egg mixture.
6. Pour into pan and bake till set (approximately 1 - 1 1/2 hours).
7. Whip the whipping cream until thick. Cut the cake into 3 layers and spread the cream on each layer. Place the banana on each layer and cover it with the remaining cream.
8. Stack the cake back together. Heat the chocolate with double cream and pour it onto the combined cake. Let it cool for probably an hour in the fridge.

Creme Brulee

I was craving for this yesterday....
So we had this as our 'midnight' dessert ....

Ingredients:
300ml whipping cream
2 egg yolks
50g sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
extra sugar for topping

Steps:
1. Pre-heat oven at 150⁰C. Pour the cream into a bowl and place over saucepan of gently simmering water. Heat gently but do not allow to boil.
2.Meanwhile whisk together the egg yolks, 50g of caster sugar and the vanilla essence. When the cream is warm, pour it over the egg mixture briskly whisking until it is mixed completely.
3. Pour into 4 individual ramekin dishes and place in a roasting tin.
4. Fill the tin with sufficient water to come halfway up the sides of the dishes.
5. Bake in the preheated oven for about 1 hour, or until the puddings are set. (first image)
6. Remove the puddings from the roasting tin and allow to cool. Chill in the refrigerator, preferably overnight.
7. Sprinkle the sugar over the top of each dish and use blow torches to brown the sugar. (second image)

"Chocolate chip oat-cookies with hazelnut"

I wonder if anyone heard the story of 'Famous Amos Hawaiian nut cookies'. I've received the email like couple of months ago but never really tried it. First because I do not know how is the taste of the Famous Amos cookies, second, I haven't got the time! Anyway, I did try it today and this is what I've got.


There are some changes that I've made....
1. less sugar!!
2. baked for 14 minutes with 200⁰C
3. less chocolate chips and less nuts

We like it ~ whether or not the cookies taste like whatever Famous Amos~

Here's the recipe that I've used

Ingredients:
1 cups butter
2 cups flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1 cups granulated sugar
1 cups brown sugar
2 cups blended oatmeal (measure oatmeal & blend in blender to a fine powder)
150g chocolate chips
1/2 tsp. salt
150g chocolate bar (grated)
2 eggs
1 tsp. baking powder
150g chopped nuts (your choice)
1 tsp. vanilla

Steps:
1. Cream the butter and both the sugars. Add eggs and vanilla; mix together with flour, blended oatmeal, salt, baking powder and soda.
2. Add chocolate chips, grated chocolate and nuts.
3. Roll into balls and place two inches apart on a cookie sheet.
4. Bake for 14 minutes at 200⁰C.

28th November xxxx

My birthday! What a surprise! He came back ~~ and took a week off just to accompany..... aghhh...how sweet~~

So my surprise starts at 27th November ~ 9pm....he appeared from no where~
then I had my birthday cake! Look gorgeous~ Taste excellent!

The next morning, he made me breakfast ~


Then ... at night, we went to this good rating restaurant ....
Excellent service, ok food, nice atmosphere~
Started with this 'free' starter,

Then, we had our 'real' starter, something with scallops~

Then, our main course... I had 'Organic cod fillet', while he ordered something with the duck ...
Lastly, as the birthday girl, I was given this ~

MiNe~ aLL mIne!

Crab dinner

Nice nice nice??
And of course there must be some vege~ -_-

Claypot Chicken Wings

Ingredients:

3 chicken wings

2 stalks spring onions, cut into sections

1cm ginger, sliced thinly

5 chinese mushrooms, soaked till soft and quatered

3 tbsp cooking oil

Seasoning:

1 tbsp shao xing wine

3 tbsp oyster sauce

pepper to taset

1/4 cup water

Extra 1 stalk of spring onions, cut into sections

Method:

1. Cut the chicken wings into pieces (at the joint)

2. Heat the claypot until smoking hot. Heat the cooking oil and fry both spring onions and ginger until fragrant. Add chicken wings and mushrooms. Add shao xing wine and continue to fry.

3. Add water and the remaining seasoning, except the extra spring onions. Bring to a boil. Cover claypot and simmer over low heat until chicken wings are tender.

4. Before serving, add extra cut spring onions. Stir well and serve while still hot.

mY 'heater' rePlaceMent

We got this when we went shopping over at Bluewater~ How cute~ Love it so mucH~

Swirl Chocolate Cheesecake

I think I had this recipe for 2-3 years already. Found it on the website one day when I actually started baking. Several of my friends tried it and think is excellent (easy to bake!). One day when I was watching some shows, suddenly I've got this craving for cheesecake. The very next day, we went to supermarket and get some mascarporne cheese and all the ingredients, and you are!


Ingredients:
1. 500g mascarporne cheese
2. digestive biscuits
3. 75g condensed milk
4. chocolate powder
5. 2-3 tbsp butter
6. 2 eggs
7. 1 tsp vanila essense

Steps:
1. Pre-heat the oven to 1800C.
2. Smash digestive until very fine and mix the crumbs with butter. Transfer crumbs to a cake tin (about 8 inch loose bottom) and press firmly over base. Bake the crumbs for about 5 minutes and let it cool.
2. Beat mascarporne cheese until creamy and pale. Gradually add in the condensed milk and continue beating. Add in the eggs and vanilla essense.
3. Take 1/3 of the cream cheese mixture and add with chocolate powder.
4. On the biscuit base, spoon a couple of chocolate cream cheese mixture. Spoon a couple of cream cheese mixture on the biscuit base as well. Using a fork, simply mix the chocolate and vanila cream cheese.
5. Bake for about 30 minutes until centre is cook. Keep it in the fridge for about 3 hours before serving.

Dinner

Well I think I can consider myself as 'carnivore'. I only eat a few types of vegetables, such as, broccoli, lettuce, okra (lady fingers) and probably belacan kangkung (Water Spinach). So, we went and get this kangkung at one of the chinese grocery shop and had it as our dinner~


and this too~~

Zebra/Marble Cake

I always like to make this cake (not because I like to eat, but because of the look!). Anyway, here's the recipe:

Ingredients:
1. 125g butter
2. 150g caster sugar
3. 1 tsp vanilla essence
4. 3 eggs
5. 20g milk powder
6. 100ml water
7. 225g self-raising flour
8. 1.5 tbsp cocoa powder

Steps:
1. Preheat oven to 180⁰C. Dissolve milk powder in water.
2. Cream softened butter with sugar until pale and creamy. Beat in vanilla essence.
3. Beat in eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition.
4. Fold in about half the sifted flour and then half the milk. Continue until both flour and milk finish.
5. Bake for 45 minutes.

and this is what I've got~nice color huh?

Prawn Seafood Spaghetti

We tried this at one of the restaurant over at our friend's place the other. He said is nice, so I thought of trying to create it last weekend. Anyway, the recipe is really simple, and it taste really good (although it doesn't look that nice!).

Ingredients:
1. Spaghetti (I've used about 100gm)
2. Small prawns (I've used about 100gm)
3. King prawns (I've used only 8)
4. Fresh thymes
5. 1/2 tbsp olive oil
6. half a cube of fish stock
7. 2 tbsp of butter
8. 5 cloves of garlic
9. Half cup of water

Steps:
1. Boil the spaghetti until is ready.
2. Heat frying pan and melt butter. Saute garlic until fragrant, then cook the small prawns. Add in the king prawns.
3. Once the king prawns are cook, take it out to avoid the prawns shrink.
4. Dissolve the fish stock in the garlic prawns mixture. Pour in about half a cup of water.
5. Simmer for about 7-10 minutes, then pour it on top of the spaghetti. Sprinkle some fresh chopped thymes.

Ready

Hot Dog Buns

Tried this recipe a few times, very interesting and of course very delicious too!

Ingredients
A)
1. 240 gm bread flour
2. 60 gm plain flour
3. 50 gm castor sugar
4. 20 gm milk powder
5. 2 tsp instant yeast

(B)
1. about half an egg
2. 150 ml cold water

(C)
1. 30 gm unsalted butter
2. <5 gm salt

(D)
1. Hotdogs (about 12)

Steps:
1. Mix (A) till well blended. Add (B) to form a dough. Add in (C) and knead until dough is smooth.
2. Gather dought and form a ball. Let it rest in a bowl and cover it with cling film/wet towel for about 50-60 minutes or double in size.
3. Divide dough into 12 portions (depending on you, how big or small you want your buns to be). Shape them into balls and leave it to rest for about 10 mins.
4. Roll out dough and wrap with hot dogs. Design as you like. :)
5. Let it proof(expand) on greased baking tray for another 50-60 mins or until dough is double in size.
6. Apply egg wash (1 beaten egg) on dough and sprinkle some shredded cheese on it. Bake dough at 180-190ºC for abt 12 mins. So this is what I get in the end.

Latest news: my Chili Plants!

Can you believe it? After so many months ... I've got only 3 chili from a plant. The rest, still .... Haiz...
Well, I'm still very SATISFIED! :)

Chocolate Mousse Cake

On 7th October 2007, HE booked for a dinner at one of the restaurants in St Paul Square. The dinner was quite good and these are what we had. Salmon with mash sweet potatoes on the left and monkfish and mussels on the right.

I was trying to decorate the mousse cake with some chocolate. So I went and turn on the microwave to the maximum heat and place some chocolate chunks in a bowl. I was in hurry to pick HIM up from the train station so I left the bowl in the microwave and went up and changed.The next minute, I smell something burnt! Gosh, again, I blew up my microwave. The whole kitchen stick again! Haiz...So, BECAREFUL!



Anyway, I would like to share this super easy recipe with excellent taste chocolate mousse..



This is the recipe that I've used:
Ingredients:
1. 20 ladyfingers, split
2. 1 packet of chocolate chunk
3. 1 cups of coffee
4. 400 ml whipping cream, whipped to soft peaks

Steps:
1. Line bottom and side of a loosebase cake tin with split ladyfingers.
2. Make a cup of coffee. Place half a packet of chocolate chunks on a bowl and start melting them with the coffee. The amount of coffee and chocolate depends on your taste (how sweet you want and how much coffee essence you want). I've used the a cup of coffee and half a packet of chocolate chunk.
3. Stir until all the chocolate melt. Fold whipped cream into the chocolate coffee mixture until no white streaks remain.
4. Pour 1/3 of mousse mixture into prepared cake tin. Place a layer of split ladyfingers over mousse layer. Then pour another 1/3 of mousse mixture over ladyfingers. Repeat with remaining mousse mixture. Cover and refrigerate overnight.

Just melt some chocolate and decorate as you like on the 'surface'.

This is what I've got ...




In 'return', I've got this from HIM. Guess what is this ...

Tau Sar Piah

This is something I would buy everytime go back to Malaysia. Well, I thought I want to give it a try and see the outcome. It turns out quite alright but the filling was a bit tasteless, because of SOMEONE that starts complaining when SOMEONE saw the amount of sugar that I have to put in! So an advice, DO NOT make the filling when your SOMEONE is besides you! :)

Here goes, the recipe:
Pastry:
Water Dough:
1. 100g bread flour
2. 100g plain flour
3. 70g lard, softened
4. 20g icing sugar
5. 100ml water

Oil Dough:
1. 120g plain flour
2. 60g lard, softened

Mung Bean Filling
1. 300g skinless, split mung beans.
2. 75g lard, corn oil
3. 1/2 cup shallots (or 8-10 shallots)
4. 1/2 tsp sesame oil
5. 1/2 tsp five-spice powder
6. 150g white sugar (I think I've 'managed' to use only less than 100g sugar!)
7. salt to taste

Glaze
1. 1 egg, lightly beanten for eggwash

For Mung Bean Paste filling
1. Soak mung beans into water for a least 2-3 hours.
2. When the beans are ready, drain and place it in a large plate that can fit into a steamer/wok. Steam the beans until soft, about 30 minutes.
3. Remove the beans from steamer and start to smash it like mash potatoes. (Shown in picture below)
4. Heat up a work with lard/oil and add sliced shallots. Cook over low heat until golden brown and aromatic (it takes a while).
5. Remove the goldn brown shallots and use the oil to cook the rest of the ingredients.
6. Add sesame oil and five-spice powder and cook over low heat until aromatic. Add in the bean paste with sugar and salt. Continue to stir the mixture with higher heat until thick. (Shown in picture below). Let it cool.


For Pastry
Water Dough:
1. Rub lard into the flours and add the remaining ingredients and mix to form a soft dough. The amount of water needed may be different. Please adjust according to your needs. Knead until smooth. Then wrap with clign film and set aside for about 15-20 minutes before using.

Oil Dough:
1. Rub lard into flour and knead until the dough is smooth.

Tau Sar Piah skin:
1. Divide both water dough and oil dough to 20 equal potions.
2. To make the skin, take one portion of water dough and roll flat. Then take one portion of oil dough and wrap it with the flat water dough. Roll the combined dough into a thin flat sheet using a rolling pin. With your fingers, roll the thin sheet up like swiss-roll style. Turn the rolled dough 90⁰ and roll it flat again. Repeat the action twice. Lastly, round the roll-up dough piece into a ball and set it aside. Repeat the steps with the rest of the dough pieces. (Shown in figure below)3. Preheat the oven to 200⁰C. Divide the filling into 20 equal portions.
4. Press each combined dough into a flat round disc. Wrap each portion of mung bean past with one combined flat dough. Seal it up tigthly by pressing the edges together to enclose the filling. Place the puff seal side down on a baking sheet. Repeat the until finished.
5. Before these go inside the oven, glaze the puffs with eggwash. Sprinkle some sesame seeds if you like. Bake for about 20-25 minutes or until lightly golden color. (This is what I've got out from my oven!)

Yam Cake (Malaysian style?)

This had always been our favourite! After we've tried from one of our friends, he was so in-love with it. And of course, I HAVE to get the recipe and learn from my friend.

Anyway, you can try it and let me know if there's any 'smell' that you don't like.

Now, here's the recipe.

Ingredients (A)

1. Rice flour – 225g
2. Glutinous flour – 3 tbsp
3. water – 825 g
4. salt – 2 ¾ tsp
5. sugar – 3tsp
6. white pepper – ½ tsp
7. chicken stock – ¾ tsp

Ingredients (B)

1. yam – 600g
2. dried shrimp – 120 g
3. spring onions – 2
4. shallots – 10
5. red chilies (shredded)

Steps

1. Heat 5-6 tbsp oil, mix the sliced shallots with corn flour and sauté the shallots until golden brown.
2. Soak the dried shrimps in a bowl of hot water. Blend all the dried shrimps. Scoop all the cooked shallots and use the oil to fry the blended dried shrimps. When it is ready, it will have bubbles. Stir it again, and let it cooked again (wait for another bubbles)
3. Scoop about 60% of the fried blended dried shrimps and cook the yams with the remaining oil and blended dried shrimps. Stir fry until about 70 - 80% cook. Depends on individual, stir fry until about 50-60% if you want the yam to be crunchy.
4. Mix all ingredients (A) in a bowl.
5. When the yam is about cook, stir in (4). Keep stirring until the mixture is thicken. Taste the mixture, add additional salt and pepper if necessary.
6. Once ready, scoop the mixture into a square(or round like mine) bowl. Flatten the mixture with the back of a spoon. Steam in medium fire for 40-45 minutes.
7. When is done, sprinkle cut spring onions, fried shallots and shredded red chilies before serve.

For the chili

Ingredients

1. Red chilies – 50 to 60g
2. Vinegar – 2 tbsp
3. Salt – 1 tsp
4. Water – 10 tbsp
   

Steps

1. Cut the red chilies into pieces and blend it with the water.
2. Heat a frying pan and pour the chili mixture into it.
3. Add some cornflour if you want it to be thicken.

Coca - cola Chicken

Another easy recipe to be shared. Saw this recipe on the newspaper one day and thought of giving it a try. All I can say about this recipe is délicieux! :D

Now,

Ingredients:
1. 5 chicken wings
2. 1 tbsp light soy sauce
3. 1 tbsp dark soy sauce
4. 1/2 tbsp sugar
5. salt and pepper to taste
6. 1 can of coca-cola
7. Oil for deep frying.

Steps:
1. Clean the chicken wings and marinate them with light and dark soy sauce, sugar, salt and pepper. Best to marinate them for about 2-3 hours but usually I do it for at least half an hour.
2. Once they are ready, heat the wok and enough oil for deep frying. Fry those chicken wings until about 70% cook.
3. Take it out of the wok and drain it with kitchen towel.
4. Heat the wok, put the chicken back in the wok and pour coca-cola into the wok just enough to cover all the chicken wings.
5. With medium heat, continue to stir until sauce thicken.
6. Serve when it is warm.

Oreo cheese cake

At last! I've managed to find this picture! This is non-bake oreo cheesecake that I made for him and his colleague. Tell you what, the appearance was so eye-catching that everyone was waiting for the dessert time! (hehe, I'm so proud of myself)

Anyway, I thought this is pretty simple and easy recipe that I would like to share with you...

Oreo Cheesecake
Ingredients:

Oreo Crust
16-20 oreo cookies, cream removed
100g butter

Filling
3 tsp gelatine, dissolved in 60ml water
About 80ml lemon juice
500g cream cheese, softened (I've always use mascarpone cheese)
130g castor sugar
240ml whipping cream

Steps:
1. Melt butter over medium heat and set aside.
2. Squash the oreo biscuits until finely crushed (you can try it on food processor), then transfer to a bowl. Add the melted butter and stir until the crumbs are moistened by butter. Transfer crumbs to a cake tin (about 8 inch loose bottom) and press firmly over base and refrigerate it for about 30 -40 minutes.
3. In a bowl, dissolve gelatine with 60ml water. Then add lemon juice into the gelatine and heat the mixture over a pot of simmering hot water until gelatin is totally dissolved. Set aside and let it cool.
4. In a mixing bowl, beat the cream cheese and sugar until creamy and pale. Add in whipping cream and continue to beat for another 3 minutes (to whip the whipping cream up).
5. Then, add the gelatine mixture and blend with mixer until just blended.
6. Get the base from the fridge and pour the cream cheese mixture over the base and chill overnight (preferably) or about 3-4 hours (until firm).
7. Once it is ready, remove the cake from the cake tin and start decorating your cheese cake with chocolate biscuit roll, melted chocolate and of course some bit and pieces of oreo biscuit!

Egg Tart

I've tried this before and I think this is excellent recipe. So I would like to share with everyone here...

Ingredients:
Pastry
Short dough
1. 100g plain flour
2. 100g lard/ghee

Water dough
1. 100g plain flour
2. 5g custard powder
3. 5g milk powder
4. a pinch of salt
5. 1 egg yolk
6. 10g lard/ghee
7. 12 icing sugar
8. 40ml water

Filling
Sugar syrup
1. 150g white sugar (I've used only about 120g of sugar because of HIM)
2. 200ml water

Custard
1. 2 eggs
2. 50ml evaporated milk
3. 150ml sugar syrup

Steps:
1. Make the custard filling first by making the sugar syrup and cool. Then use only 150ml of the sugar syrup and mix with eggs and evaporated milk. Sieve this custard mixture and set aside.
2. Mix all the water dough ingredient and gradually add the water until soft. Once the dough is formed, covers it with the cling film and chill in the fridge for about 20 minutes. While waiting for the water dough, mix the short dough and covers it with cling film and chill in the fridge to harden slightly.
3. For the egg tart shells, flour your work surface. Roll the water dough into square shape (big enough to cover the short dough). Then, start rolling and folding the dough mixture for several times (you should see several layers start to form).
4. Once you are satisfied with the layers, roll the dough flat and use pastry cutter to cut out the circles (shown in the picture below).

5. Because I do not have any egg tart moulds, I've used shallow muffin tray to make my lovely egg tarts. The dimension of the pastry cutter that I've used is 55 mm and that fits exactly into my muffin tray.

6. Preheat the oven to 240⁰C. Fill up to about 3/4 full with the custard fillings.

7. Put the tray of filled egg tart pastry into the oven and immediately turn the temperature down to 200⁰C. Bake for 10 minutes and then lower down the temperature to 180⁰C and bake for another 10 minutes.


This is what you should expect:

my 'day Off'

I had my 'day off' yesterday...unbelievable...I was not asked to cook even an instant noodle ...

We had Indomee as our branch. Then after about an hour, we went out for lunch with his friend at one of the chinese restaurant in town. We had nasi lemak and ho fun.
Then even dinner, HE made me one ... while I'm having 'evening' nap.. :)
This is what he made me ...
some garlic breads, cajun wedges, and paprika pork... what can I say.... Thank you!