COOK FROM THE BOOK...

Bread Pudding

2012-01-06T07:17:00.000-08:00

One of the best warm desserts that goes perfectly well with a cup of steaming hot coffee is bread pudding. Preparing this old-fashioned dessert means your leftover bread slices will not go to waste. In fact, if you find it hard to finish a loaf of bread before it's expiry date, freeze it until you are ready to make this scrumptious bread pudding.

Ingredients and Preparation

Bread pudding :

1 loaf of bread (or any bread of the same weight. If you're using baguettes, slice thinly)

Butter to spread on bread

125g butter (cold and cut into small cubes)

2 tbsp flour

500ml fresh milk

1 cup sugar

1 tsp salt

2 tbsp of brown/muscovado sugar

Raisins (if desired)

Toast each slices of bread until light brown. Butter each slice of bread. Then tear them into medium-sized pieces. Place half of the amount of bread (no need to arrange in any order) in a baking dish. Sprinkle some raisins and place the rest of the bread pieces. Whisk all other ingredients except butter, then pour onto the bread. Top with raisins and butter. Sprinkle brown sugar on top. Bake for 40 minutes or until the middle part is not wobbly.

Sauce :

1 can of evaporated milk

3 cups fresh milk

2 cups water

3 eggs

1/3 cup corn flour

few drops vanilla essence

Whisk or blend all ingredients in a blender and heat in a pot while stirring at all times. When the sauce thickens, turn heat off. Cool and chill.

Serve the pudding warm with the chilled sauce. Topped with fresh/whip cream and fresh strawberries. Heaven!

THE INDIAN MENU PLANNER

2011-10-10T05:56:00.000-07:00

A dear friend of mine got this book during her visit to New Delhi. She knew that of all the things that people normally buy as gifts for others - key chains, clothes, handicrafts, decorations - I would be a million times thrilled to receive a local recipe book. I fell in love with this book at the very first sight. It comes in a button pack which includes 3 sections - Tandoor & Dry Dishes, Curries & Simmering Pot, Vegetarian Dishes & Desserts. 12 celebrated chefs lend themselves amazingly well to producing this easy-to-follow recipe book of traditional Indian cuisine but with a modern twist. The first item I tried was the Tandoori Chicken and it turned out 'yummmmm'. I don't need a 'tandoor' (clay oven) after all!

Choco-berry layer

2011-10-07T00:48:00.000-07:00

This was totally accidental. I had a few friends over and had to make a dessert (never been happier seeing guests plunge their fork into it till the very last bit). My initial plan was to make a cream cheese-based dessert but sadly, there was no cheese left in the chiller. So with cream, leftover cakes and fruits, I had to whip up something. I grabbed my trifle bowl and began making what I had in mind...layers and layers of creamy fruitty cool dessert.

What you need:
1. Any leftover cakes or sponge cakes. I used chocolate swiss rolls. Slice them.

2. Fresh strawberries

3. Chocolate cream :
1 egg yolk, 40g caster sugar, 100g cooking chocolate/bittersweet finely chopped, 50ml water, 1 1/2 tsp gelatin powder, 250g whip cream (I normally used Rich brand)
- Sprinkle gelatin over water.
- Whisk 1 egg yolk + 40g caster sugar until pale and creamy. Double boil and keep whisking.
- Add chocolate and gelatin mixture to the bowl and stir until all is melted. Let cool a bit.
- Whip cream until slightly firm. Fold chocolate mixture into it. Set aside.

4. Strawberry cream
250g strawberry, 60 g caster sugar, 2tbsp orange juice, 2tsp powdered gelatin, 300g whip cream
- Mash strawberries with sugar. Add orange juice to it. Put in a pot.
- Sprinkle gelatin over it. Heat pot. Stir until mixture thickens a bit. Let cool for a while.
- Whip cream to medium peak. Fold strawberry mixture into it. Set aside.

Assembling the dessert,
Layer 1 - cake + fresh strawberries
Layer 2 - Chocolate cream
Layer 3 - Cake
Layer 4 - Strawberry cream
Layer 5 - Cake
Layer 6 - Strawberry cream
Topping - fresh strawberries and grated chocolate

All done!

Arrange sliced cakes for the bottom layer.

Arrange halved strawberries in any way you desire

Pour in all the chocolate cream

After the chocolate cream, another layer of cake, strawberry cream, cake , strawberry cream. Topped with fresh strawberries and grated chocolate.

SIMPLE BUTTER CAKE

2011-09-12T03:48:00.000-07:00

If you're looking for the simplest, easiest recipe for a butter cake, look no further. This effortless recipe (from Peggy Porschen book) is suitable for any wedding or celebration cakes. Flavourings and nuts can be added to create a more variety of tastes. The texture of the cake is moist and tender yet it can still support layers of fondant and marzipan. The equal amount of each ingredient reminds me of my mom's pound cake recipe but this is not as dense and firm as a pound cake. This recipe will make fabulous cakes for any occasion.

Ingredients:
400g butter
400g caster sugar
8 eggs (lightly beaten)
400g self-raising flour
1 teaspoon vanilla essence or butter vanilla

Method:
Preheat oven to 170C. Beat butter and sugar using s flat beater until fluffy. Add vanilla then slowly pour beaten egg in portion and continue beating at medium speed. Scrape the bottom of the bowl to ensure the mixture is beaten evenly. Using a spatula, fold in flour until well mixed. Pour mixture into a 9" square or round tin. Bake for about 40 minutes or until a skewer comes out clean. Cool before frosting. If you're covering the cake with fondant, chill it first till firm.

Happy baking!

PUTRI AYU

2011-07-31T05:22:00.000-07:00

Kuih Putri Ayu yang gebu dan lemak manis sangat sesuai untuk dijadikan juadah minum petang. Kuih ini berperisa pandan dan dihiasi dengan kelapa parut yang telah dicampur dengan sedikit garam. Tekstur kuih ini hampir serupa seperti kuih apam yang lembut dan gebu. Resipi dan cara-caranya:

Bahan-bahan:

3 biji telur (gred B)

125g tepung gandum

150g gula

1 cam teh ovalette

1/2 camca teh baking powder

100ml santan

pewarna hijau

1 camca teh paste pandan + 30ml air pandan

kelapa secukupnya + sedikit garam (gaulkan)

* air pandan - blend 5 helai daun pandan + air 30ml dan tapis dan sukat semula untuk dapatkan 30ml air pandan

Cara-cara:

1. Panaskan kukusan

2. Pukul telur, gula dan ovalette hingga kembang dan gebu

3. Masukkan santan, tepung gandum, baking powder, pandan paste dan air pandan, pewarna. Kacau hingga sebati. Gunakan spatula atau senduk. Kaup dan ratakan tetapi jangan pukul terlalu kuat.

4. Sapu sedikit minyak dalam acuan (lihat acuan di bawah). Masukkan kelapa sedikit dan tekankan.

5. Masukkan adunan dan kukus selama 5 minit.

6. Tunggu hingga sejuk sedikit supaya senang dikeluarkan dari acuan.

CROISSANTS

2011-07-06T08:30:00.000-07:00

Here it is...the machine and the croissants made using it. Having this baby is an utter bliss in my baking and cooking escapades..

Dough Sheeter - A baker's good friend

2011-06-17T08:30:00.000-07:00

After 2 months of restless contemplation and serious thinking, I finally succumbed to one great temptation in my baking life - a dough sheeter. Such indulgence is a long-term investment ( I reckoned) as it will become my dependable kitchen assistant. This means less use of rolling pin and effortless flattening of fondant, puff pastry, croissant dough and cookie dough. A huge relief indeed. It also means that I have to be more productive. I hope so! Must post the pic once it is delivered. Counting days!

RED VELVET CAKE

2011-05-05T08:00:00.000-07:00

Today is one of the busiest days of my life. Having arrived in Dungun at 2 am last night, I had to then type out the recipes for my class for the next morning. It was a demonstration and lucky enough, no one noticed the tremendous exhaustion I felt (not even a yawn) that made even the wall seemed comfy enough for me to lean on relaxingly. It was a 'special cakes' class and one of the items was 'Red Velvet Cake' (I reckon that words and fashion reach across this part of the country pretty fast these days, hence, this cake has made its name here as well). Whether you see it as a stale version of chocolate cake or a cake with a bitter aftertaste (due to the beetroot juice), this cake has its own distinctive class and has made its way to the best bakery boutiques in town.

Ingredients:

Cake: preheat oven to 170C

A : 280g self-raising flour + 20g cocoa powder (sifted)

B : In a jug, pour 135g milk + 2tsp lemon juice/vinegar + 80 g red dragon fruit/beet root juice + red colour (I use the Wilton deep red gel colour) + vanilla + yellow

C : 200g butter + 180g sugar + 50g oil (the oil helps to produce a moist cake)

D : 2 eggs (A grade)

Method:

1. Beat (C) until light and fluffy

2. Add the eggs one by one and mix well (mixer at medium speed)

3. While mixer is on slow speed, add in A and B alternately in 3 or 4 portions.

4. When mixture is combined well, pour onto a 14X14 inch tin. Bake for 12 minutes first and check whether the cake springs back when touched. If it does, then the cake is ready. Cool the cake in chiller.

4. Divide the cake into 4 equal layers. Line a 7-inch removable-base cake tin with one cake sheet and spread 1/4 of the filling. Layer with another sheet of cake. Spread filling and repeat the procedure until the last layer.

5. Cool the cake for at least 4 hours before unmoulding it.

The filling:

400g whipping cream

300g cream cheese (soften at room temperature)

100g icing sugar

Method:

1. Beat cream cheese until mixture is smooth.

2. Add cream and sugar and beat medium speed until it becomes spreadable.

The cake does not need to be heavily decorated as it is normally served as it is. Enjoy!

SUGAR ROSES - Tombi Peck, Alan Dunn, Tony Warren

2011-04-07T07:12:00.000-07:00

One of the best people in the world that makes sugar flowers is none other than Alan Dunn. To attend any of his classes would be a dream come true for me. But for now, I would have to settle for his books.

This is one of my references when making roses (as there are dozens of roses and I sometimes keep forgetting the variety that exist). And if you're into sugar flowers, especially roses, get this one. Very useful indeed. The clear instructions with photos make rose-making a fun and possible attempt for any amateur. Following are some of the pages in the book, to share.

A garden wedding...

2011-03-27T20:44:00.000-07:00

A cake specially made for a couple who had a garden-theme for their cutting-cake ceremony. The bottom cake is 22 inch diameter, so you can imagine why it took two people to transport it to the place. So happy it didn't rain!!!

ACADEMY OF PASTRY ARTS

2010-12-17T21:05:00.000-08:00

Am here, learning everything about baking & pastry for the next 6 months. 3 1/2 + 3 months internship. Hardly any time left for my own leisure cooking and baking. Although my feet starts to ache at the end of each day, I would always look forward for the class next day. And I got to learn French baking from renowned French chefs and chocolatier. Eeverything here is indeed 'magnifique'!

FLOWER BASKET WEDDING CAKE

2010-12-05T18:58:00.000-08:00

PIZZA (Italian Bread) - Professional Chef

2010-11-03T23:58:00.000-07:00

To satisfy the whole family's craving for pizza almost every week means RM100 at least per treat. And what can be more frustrating when buying pizza (the one and only Pizza Hut here) than being able to see the base among the topping sprinkled on top of it...So, instead of complaining and whining about the highly-priced-but-ungenerously-topped pizza, I decided to make my own. What more, I can make the base way beforehand and store it in the freezer, ready to be topped whenever the mood for pizza comes along.

This time, I followed Gisslen's recipe for the base. It comes under the Italian bread section, and seems pretty easy though (except for one big hurdle - shaping and stretching the base evenly). But I managed to get through it anyway.

The topping is the easiest part. There are an array of things you can use as pizza toppings. Most importantly, remember not to pile on the toppings, especially the moist ingredients - vegetables, mushroom - as they hold a lot of water and will potentially make your pizza kinda soggy. I find it useful to cook the vegetables first (microwave HIGH a few minutes just to release the moist a bit). The tomato sauce can be made with fresh tomatoes and basil, or you can be lazy and use the one from the can.

The cheese part- I use Cheddar and Mozzarella. Cheddar adds saltiness to my pizza and the latter gives that oozing cheesy sensation. A good combo.

Baking it - Make sure you heat the oven hot first (250C at least) before baking your pizza. Otherwise, your pizza crust will trap moisture and soggy will it become. Lastly, all the best!

The crust :

- Mix 750g bread flour + 20g fresh yeast (or 8g instant yeast) + 15g salt

- Using a dough hook, add water 460g to the flour mixture. Mix low speed, then medium till a the dough is uniformly mixed. Then add 18g of olive or vegetable oil. Mix medium speed for 10 minutes.

- Leave for one 1 1/2 hours. If weather is cold, I would leave it to double in volume in the oven with the door closed. This helps.

- Scale it as following:

12 inch pizza - 350g dough

14 inch pizza - 450g dough

16inch pizza - 600g dough

- Round each portion and rest them for 10 minutes.

- Roll, shape and stretch (good luck at this step)

- At this point you can bake them first if you want to freeze them for later use (10 minutes in a preheated oven 290C)

- Or you can straightaway apply the sauce and sprinkle the toppings. Actually I like mine pre-baked. Then comes the cheese. Mozzarella must come last.

- Make sure the oven is hot (290C, preheat for 10 minutes to be safe) then bake until the crust turns light brown and the mozzarella melts beautifully on top.

- I also find it better to use pizza pan with holes at the bottom. This makes a crispy crust.

Tomato sauce (my recipe)

In a hot pan, add a little bit of olive oil, stir fry one chopped Holland onion and a crushed garlic. I would also add a bit of chili paste (just to add some zing to it). Once fragrant, add 1/2 tsp basil, blended fresh tomatoes (about 5 large ones) + a can of tomato puree. Salt and pepper to taste. Stir and cook till mixture becomes thick. Too thin will make a soggy pizza.

BEEF PATTIES / BERGEDIL DAGING - My Recipe

2010-10-24T06:03:00.000-07:00

Bergedil (beef patties) is one deliciously simple dish. Here, it is served with either rice or 'mi soto' (spicy noodle soup...which is ohh so satisfyingly tasty!!!) I've made these dozens of times and the kids would munch on these before they even got to the dinner table. And all you need are the simplest ingredients in the market but to get those tasty little patties need more than just mixing the potato with the beef and rolling them in your hands. A few tips and a little extra effort would eventually please your palate!

A) About 500gm of potato (sweet potato can be used instead)

B) 300 gm minced beef

1/4 cup of chopped spring onion

1 tsp ground black pepper

1 tsp salt

1 cup potato flour (tepung ubi)

C) 1 large Spanish onion, finely chopped

2 garlic finely chopped

3 tbsp vegetable oil

- Fill a pot with water and leave to simmer. If the potatoes are very large, cut them into 2. Once the water starts to simmer, place the potates in the pot. After 10 minutes try inserting a knife or a toothpick into the largest potato. If it hets through pretty easily and smoothly, strain the potatoes immediately and run them under cold tap water. If the potatoes are overcooked, the patties will be hard to shape. Peel off the skin.

- Place the potatoes in a bowl and mash them (either with potato masher or pestle). It's ok if there are still tiny bits and pieces of potatoes.

- Add the minced beef, and the rest of (B). Mix them using hands. Do not use mixer.

- For (C), heat a pan with the oil. Fry the onions until fragrant. Add it to the potato mixture.

- Moist your hands and start rolling the mixture into balls (about 4tbsp of mixture per ball). Flatten them a bit and place them on a plate. (Sprinkle the plate with flour).

- Refrigerate the patties in the fridge at least an hour before frying them.

- Beat an egg with a pinch of salt. Before frying them, dip each ball into the egg and immediately deep fry them.

Serve with chilli sauce.

FRENCH CHEESECAKE - Professional baking

2010-10-08T05:23:00.000-07:00

This is French baked cream cheesecake. Although it is deliciously creamy, I find it a little too sweet for my tooth. But the kids happily ate one big slice of it each. The sourness from the strawberry topping goes perfectly well with the rich taste of this dense cake. It's one of Gisslen's superb cheesecake recipes.

For a 9 inch pan (springform), with crumb crust bottom. Preheat oven to 180C.

Beat - 900g cream cheese (soften at room temperature) + 210g fine sugar + 30 g cornflour

Add to the mixture - 5 egg yolks + 1 tsp vanilla essence

Fold into the mixture - 1/2 cup cream (double or whipping)

In separate bowl, beat 5 egg whites till stiff, then add 105g fine sugar gradually. Beat till stiff and fold into the cheese mixture.

In a bowl, melt 100g chocolate and fold into 1/3 of the cheese mixture.

Pour 2 big scoop of the white filling and 1 big scoop of chocolate cheese filling alternately into pan. Bake for 10 minutes. Lower temperature to 110C then bake for 90 minutes.

Let the cake set in the oven for 2 hours. Then into the fridge overnight. Either serve it with whip cream or ganache and fruit compote.

Next time, I would reduce the sugar in the cheese to 150g only.

KUIH LOMPAT TIKAM - Mynn's recipe

2010-09-10T22:15:00.001-07:00

Hampir terlupa masukkan resipi lompat tikam ni. Resipi mak ni sangat simple dan sangat senang. Boleh modify ikut kelikatan dan kepejalan yang kita mahu.

1 cup tepung beras, 1 cup santan, 3 cup air, 1/2 sudu teh garam - blend semua

Kacau dalam kuali dengan 2 helai daun pandan hingga likat.

Bahagi 2.

Satu bahagian dicampur dengan sesudu teh pandan paste dan pewarna hijau sikit.

Satu bahagian dibiarkan begitu saja.

Masukkan sesudu dari bahagian hijau dalam gelas atau mangkuk diikuti yang putih (jadikan berlapis/berlapis-lapis pun boleh)

Masak air gula: 2 cup air + 4 keping gula melaka. (nak tambah lagi pun ok)

Dihidang sejuk.

BISKUT BATIK - Lynn's recipe

2010-07-16T01:00:00.000-07:00

Biskut batik is a simple yet delicious biscuit. Neither mixing nor baking is needed. Chill and serve as it is. Simply delicious.

What you need:

1 packet of MARIE biscuit (about 325g per packet) crushed into smaller pieces, but not too small

1 small can of condensed milk

1 small can of MILO

1 butter (250g)

Prepare tin. Line with plastic.

Heat a pot on low flame. Melt butter (careful not to burn it).

Add milk, then MILO. Mix well.

Lastly, put in the crushed biscuits. Mix well.

Put into tin. then using a sheet of plastic, press the top layer so that it becomes even and flat.

Once cool, chill it. Cut into small squares.

SPONGE CAKE from scratch - PROFESSIONAL BAKING

2010-07-05T08:54:00.000-07:00

Resipi sponge cake ini tak guna sponge mix, jadi lebih economical (dan lebih asli). So, far, resipi ni paling sesuai untuk mereka yang tk mahu gunakan ovalette ( ada yg kurang yaking dgn ovalette ni). Memang lynn suka resipi ni sebab simple BUT kena hati2 bila kaup tepung,....terlebih kaup, kek tak naik dan padat. So, here goes:

Eggs 562 g (kalau telur A atau B = 10 biji)

Gula halus 375 g

Tepung kek 375 g

Butter/minyak sayur 125 g

Vanilla extract 1 tsp

*Panaskan oven 190C

1. Dalam mangkuk, satukan telur, gula dan garam. terus letakkan mangkuk atas air yang mendidih (simmering NOT boiling). Whip hingga adunan jadi suam dalam 40 - 43C (sebabnya bila suam, telur akan kembang dengan maksima bila dipukul). Angkat.

2. Guna mixer dan pukul adunan telur tadi hingga jadi pekat (dalam 10 minit). Ini biasanya dipanggil 'ribbon trail'...bila angkat spatula dalam adunan, ada kesan macam tali reben...gitulah maksudnya..

3. Terus masukkan flavouring (vanilla).

4. Masukkan tepung (mesti ayak dulu) 4 peringkat. Ramai bakers yang suka guna tangan masa peringkat ni, tapi boleh gunakan spatula...KAUP, bukan kacau...

*Untuk swiss roll, boleh dibakar terus tanpa letak butter..kalau nak letak butter, kaupkan butter yang dicairkan atau minyak sayur dalam 3 peringkat (again, do not overmix). Terus bakar...jangan tunggu lama-lama...Happy trying!

SPONGE CAKE - Sponge mix

2010-06-28T03:12:00.000-07:00

Sponge cake is the basis for all cream cakes. I use it a lot and in desperate moment, I would opt for the sponge mix instead of making my own genoise. Therefore, I can have my blueberry, blackforest, cream cheese cake and a dozen other cakes ready in no time at all. However, not all brands of the store-bought sponge mix call for the same amount of ingredients in the recipe. The most common one I have come across is the following:

1. 500g sponge mix

2. 500g whole eggs

3. 125g water

4. 125g vegetable oil/melted butter

Procedure: Using whip, beat 1, 2 and 3 until thick or until ribbon trails are developed.

Using spatula or hand, fold in oil

Bake in a preheated oven 180C (9" tin). The above recipe yields 2 tins of 9" cake.

Having tried all sorts of brands and flavours of sponge mixes, I find my own recipe. The safest to go with all brands of mixes.

1. 500g sponge mix (vanilla or chocolate).

2. 8 eggs (grade A or B)

3. 100 water

If only vanilla sponge mix is available, but you want to make chocolate instead, add a tablespoon of chocolate emulco

4. 100g oil/ melted butter

Procedure : same as the above. The result: A soft and tender sponge cake. Leave it for a few hourse before decorating. Chill it before torting.

FATHER'S DAY BUTTER CAKE

2010-06-14T05:00:00.000-07:00

This butter cake is specially made for a little friend. Using french buttercream instead of the usual creamwell and shortening buttercream, makes this cake extra special and definitely tastier. The use of yolks in it makes it slightly richer.

CHANEL HANDBAG CAKE - Wedding gift

2010-05-25T06:20:00.000-07:00

A Chanel cake bag for a bride-to-be. How romantic....

BUTTERFLY CAKE - WEDDING HANTARAN

2010-05-23T20:25:00.001-07:00

Previous weeks have been hectic, short and messy (like the whole house is sticky and blotchy with gumpaste). It's wedding season...And here is a butterfly theme cake for a wedding gift (purple and pink theme).

GOLD HANDBAG WEDDING CAKE GIFT...finally completed

2010-04-28T09:12:00.000-07:00

This is for a wedding gift (hantaran)...gold theme. I wish I can start testing new recipes after this..really miss heating my lab!!!

WEDDING CAKE

2010-04-25T08:25:00.001-07:00

The wedding cake I made for a customer...

SWEET BUN - Lynn's recipe

2010-04-17T01:23:00.000-07:00

I used to fail in making bread of any kind. The dozens of recipes I've tried yielded no results and at one point, I lost interest altogether. Seeing my mom kneading the dough and sweating all over only confirmed that bread making was a tedious and laborious effort. Besides, why fret when bakeries can be found almost anywhere, meaning buns or artisan breads were only a drive away. So I gave up bread-making and stick to store-bought bread. The mixer I had was only meant for cakes and cookies. And the dough hook sat in my kitchen drawer, spotless and untouched.

Something hit me one day. The smell of that wonderful aroma of bread permeated my entire kitchen, not once..but often. My neighour was baking bread...and I, being her sweet and loving neighbour surely got my share. Buns of different shapes and fillings, soft white sandwich loaves, and my favourite, the 'paung bakar', the local buns, baked traditionally using woodfire and coconut fibre. Her secret: she went for classes. Bread baking classes. And she started selling home-made bread ever since. Now why didn't I think of that.

So there I was on that very night, googling for classes venues and schedules. I went for my first lesson...pretty intimidated by others at first. The next year, I went for my second class and a year later, my third class. I simply hunkered down and practiced everything about bread baking I learned (still have a lot to learn)...And bread baking now has become a routine (almost every other day). And the family's favourite? Sweet bun, sandwich loaf and baguette.

I would leave my Kitchen Aid to do the bulk of the kneading. And I have little hands to help me shape and fill the buns. So bread making now is fun indeed.

And my sweet bun recipe? Here goes....

In a bowl, measure and mix using dough hook - 600g bread flour/high protein flour, 12g yeast, 6g bread improver, 6 g salt, 150g sugar, 20g milk powder

Add to bowl - 280g plain cold water, 1 large egg, 20g butter vanilla - beat until mixture forms a dough

Add - 60g butter - Beat for 20 minutes or until the dough comes away clean from your fingers when squeezed)

Divide dough into 40g, round, fill and top each ball before spraying it with plain water (to prevent the outer layer from drying out)

For the red bean bun - flatten the round dough and fill red bean paste in it, round it again. Flatten the ball a bit with your palm and using scissors, make ten strips on the edges of the ball.

For the almond and sugar bun - Divide the 40g dough ball into 3 equal parts. Roll each part into 6 inches long. Plait. Sprinkle with sugar and toasted slivered almonds).

Proof the dough for 1 1/2 hours.

Glaze (1 egg + 1/2 cup fresh milk). Brush lightly. DO NOT force the brush on buns.

Preheat oven to 190C. Bake for 8 - 9 minutes or until the buns turn golden brown. Rotate the tray halfway through baking if necessary for even browning.

The same recipe can be used for sausage buns.

BAVARIAN CREAM - The Good Cook: CLASSIC DESSERTS

2010-04-08T04:52:00.000-07:00

This is one of my favourite cold desserts. Served best when chilled. Excellent with fruits - strawberries, blackberries, blueberries etc. A bit of both pudding and mousse. But I would always add more sugar to the original recipe, and use the creamiest, yummiest whipping cream available for that rich and intense flavour.

There were 2 recipes - strawberry and vanilla cream. I made the latter coz I wanted the colours of the fruits to look strikingly lovely in each glass dish. And they do!

VANILLA CREAM

2 cups milk + 1 tsp vanilla essence

3/4 cup granulated sugar

6 egg yolks

salt

3 tbsp unflavoured gelatin dissolved in 90 ml water

2 cups heavy cream whipped to soft peaks with 1/4 cup confectioner's sugar

- Mix sugar, yolks and salt in a saucepan over low heat till smooth.

- Gradually stir in milk, and then gelatin. Stir all the time until the mixture coats the back of a spoon. Do not let it boil.

- Transfer the bowl over ice to cool. As soon as it begins to set, fold in whip cream.

- At this point, fold chopped fruits into it and pour into mould.

- Otherwise, if serving in small glasses or bowls, pour sufficient amount of mixture and arrange cut fruits on it.

- Chill.

CLASSIC DESSERTS: The Good Cook/Techniques and Recipes - The Editors of Time-Life Books

2010-03-30T01:50:00.000-07:00

Publisher: Time-Life Books/ Alexandria, Vriginia

Year: 1980

I bought this book on e-bay, years ago. My search was for frozen dessert but I got myself intrigued by the owner's description of this book. I just had to buy this and it was not expensive at all (approximately RM40, pretty cheap I would say).

If you're looking for a dessert cookbook which deals to the very detail, then this is the one. These are classic and fine dessert, each looks delectably and creatively presented. A simple meringue can be transformed into a classy dish fit for a hotel plate. A dessert omelet stuffed with strawberries and cream could excite a king's palate. I think I'm drooling...

MUFFINS - Lynn's Recipe

2010-03-25T09:02:00.000-07:00

Muffins are one of the fastest snacks to prepare. Good for kids' lunch boxes or for afternoon tea.

Muffins can be prepared in 2 ways - Creaming method & Muffin method. Personally, I prefer the latter as they are more traditionally 'muffin-like' (crumbly and more filling unlike the more cake like and fluffy nature of the other type). However, my kids love the cake like muffins and fortunately, I have an excellent muffin recipe that I can play with to get as many flavours and colours as I wish!

1 recipe many variations...time-saving indeed.

Ingredients:

Beat 50g butter + 70g fine sugar till pale and white

Add into it 1 beaten egg. Continue beating till evenly mixed

On medium speed, add 50g self-raising flour + 50g plain flour + 1 tbsp baking powder

On low speed, add 50g fresh milk. When mixture is well mixed, choose your flavouring.

Chocolate - add 50g chocolate chips + 15 g cocoa powder

Mocha - add 10 g cocoa powder + 1 tsp instant coffee powder (in 1 tbsp water)

Pandan/Screwpine flavour - add 1 tsp pandan paste + 2 drops green colouring

Blueberry - fold into mixture 100 g of blueberry filling

Carrot walnut - 1/2 cup chopped walnuts + 1/2 cup shredded carrot + drops of yellow colour

Apple - 1/2 tsp cinnamon powder + 2 tbsp applesauce

Strawberry - add 1 tsp of strawberry puree/jam right into each muffin cup already filled with mixture

Most of the time, I would sprinkle either coloured rice or hundreds and thousands on each muffin to make them more irresistibly attractive.

MEMORABLE RECIPES FOR MALAY OCCASIONS - Marina Mustafa

2010-03-21T07:31:00.000-07:00

I was in the bookstore, and this book caught my attention. The cover looks pretty classic - three boys in baju melayu and a girl holding a wedding gift (hantaran). The cover is as authentically traditional as the content is. Each recipe has a story to relate to and although it concerns the writer's family, I find it pleasantly interesting because, I too can find some elements similar to my life and family. Recipes here are purely traditional Malay food, some of which I think not many people are able to prepare them anymore these days - ubi kayu bersantan, abok-abok sagu, halwa maskat, halwa sukun, biskut kana and a long list of other nostalgic recipes. Price RM88. A beautiful addition to my collection.

SWEET SOUR GROUPER - Lynn's book

2010-03-15T06:06:00.000-07:00

An all time favourite dish prepared in a breeze....sweet n sour fish, and for today, it's grouper from the market..fresh, shiny and metallic. I would have preferred asian sea bass (not because it is cheaper) coz the flesh is chunkier and firmer, but it's kinda seasonal over here. So this is the next best thing to it.

Sweet n sour fish is available over here at almost any Thai restaurant. The ingredients are almost the same, although the vegetables and presentation may differ. The good thing about this dish is that you can prepare the sauce way beforehand, and reheat it when it's time to pour it over the fish...just in time for lunch or dinner. My recipe? Easy, pretty yet delicious.

For 1 big fish:

For the sauce:

- Preheat - 3 tbsp of oil in a pan

- Add - 3 crushed garlic, 2 shallots finely chopped

- In a processor - a cup of water, 1/3 cup vinegar, 2 medium sized tomatoes, 1 tbsp cornflour, a slice of pineapple (200g) - add into pan

- Add - 1/2 cup tomato ketchup, 1/3 cup oyster sauce, 1/2 cup plum sauce, 1 tbsp chicken stock. Stir and let simmer.

- Add - 1 cup chopped pineapples, 1/2 cup mix vegetables, 1/2 cup canned button mushroom (sliced or cut into 2), 2 red chillis chopped, 1 small capsicum sliced

- Add into sauce - 1 tsp white pepper, 1 tsp salt (or slightly more), 1/3 cup sugar

In the meantime, deep fry - 2 large holland onions cut into rings, and add into sauce.

- Get 1 tbsp of chopped chinese celery and 1 tbsp of chopped spring onion ready.

Coat the fish in flour (1/2 cup plain flour and 1/2 cup corn flour). Then dip it in 2 beaten eggs. Then again, coat with flour. Heat oil in pan enough to deep fry the fish. Toss it and put onto plate. Pour sauce, sprinkle with chopped leaves. Serve hot with white rice. Simply awesome.

WEDDING CAKE

2010-03-06T23:38:00.000-08:00

A customer wanted a cake as an engagement gift. He called at 8 pm and pleaded to get his cake done the next day. I couldn't say no as he sounded desperate. Luckily, my staff made lots and lots of small sugarpaste flowers for 1400 wedding cupcakes ordered by another customer to be delivered next week. Since he wasn't concerned about the design, and I had to get the cake done in less than 24 hours (plus the fondant has to rest for a few hours, and the cake has to cool as well), I decided to make a simple cake with scattered colourful flowers on it. He was pleased indeed.

SUGAR COOKIES - Pretty Party Cakes

2010-03-01T07:19:00.001-08:00

It just hit me! Teacher's Day will arrive in no time at all (I know it is only March but I like to plan things way ahead of time).

Gifts are sought after by kids to celebrate this auspicious days. I was once a teacher, thus, I know what gifts would please an educator's soul. Mugs? I got one full box in my closet, collecting dust over the years. Picture frames and vases? A dozen or so. Diaries and stationery?...Enough to equip my kids in school for the next 2 years. Not to say that I do not welcome or appreciate those gifts, I do and I value those gifts from the bottom of my heart. I just find that a touch of creativity can turn those gifts into awesome surprises.

Mugs or vases filled with cookies or candies are simply delightful and meaningful. Or cupcakes with colourful toppings neatly placed in fancy cupcake boxes...or even iced cookies...or mini cakes..or petit fours topped with colourful fondant glaze...In short, I find anything edible, artfully presented, a wonderful gift. Hence, I've decided to make iced cookies for Teacher's day.. My reference? Peggy Porschen's book. The result? Lovely sugar cookies which taste good, unlike a few other recipes which I find rather bland and floury. Worth trying.

Recipe:

Makes about 25 medium-size cookies

200g unsalted soft butter
200g caster sugar
1 egg, lightly beaten
400g plain flour, plus more for dusting

For chocolate cookies (which I made) replace 50g of the plain flour with 50g of cocoa powder.

- In an electric mixer with paddle attachment, cream the butter with sugar until well mixed and just creamy in texture. Do not overwork, or the cookies will spread during baking.
- Beat in the egg until well-combined. Add the flour and mix on low speed until a dough forms. Gather into a ball, wrap in cling film and chill for at least 1 hour.
- Place the dough on a floured surface and knead briefly. Roll out to an even thickness.
- Use cookie cutters to cut out shapes, and, using a palate knife, lay on a baking tray line with greaseproof paper. Chill again for about 30 minutes. Preheat the oven to 180C, gas 4.
- Bake for 8-12 minutes, depending on size, until golden brown at the edges. Let cool on a wire rack.

*** I find this recipe pretty simple.

PRETTY PARTY CAKES - Peggy Porschen

2010-02-28T10:02:00.000-08:00

A pretty useful reference written by a pretty cake artist, with many stunning photos of her amazing creations and masterpieces. Hers are a mixture of classic and modern type, feminine and fancy, simple yet elegantly presented. An inspiration for any cake decorator. Unfortunately, no recipes of fondant or sugarpaste is available as she calls for the store-bought ones (saves time I guess). Price : RM68. MUST HAVE!

PASTA PIE - Pasta Cookbook (Periplus step by step)

2010-02-27T05:10:00.000-08:00

I cooked a few things today for no reason. I just had to escape in my kitchen, finding solace there early in the morning. Cooking is like magic. Baking a pie in the middle of the night can relieve my stress for the day. Developing new recipes renews your motivation and inspiration. There will always be new discoveries as well as cooking goofs to learn from. Practice cooking a dish a few times and you'll find it a breeze in no time at all.

And what's cooking in my kitchen today? Pasta Pie. The taste? Cheesy and yummy. A perfect combination of cheddar and bocconcini (bocconcini is a soft, moist, mild, almost white cheese...some people find it pretty bland). Perfect for snack or dinner. Definitely will make it again.

Recipe:

250g macaroni, 1 tbsp olive oil, 1 onion, sliced, 125g pancetta, chopped (I used beef bacon instead), 125 g ham, chopped (I used salami), 4 eggs, 1 cup milk, 1 cup (250ml) thickened or puring cream, 2 tbsp snipped fresh chives, salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste, 1 cup freshly grated cheddar cheese, 125g bocconcini, chopped

- Preheat oven to moderate 180C

- Add macaroni to a large pan of rapidly boiling water and cook until just tender. Drain thoroughly. Spread evenly over the base of a 5 cm deep casserole dish.

- Heat oil in a large pan. Add sliced onion and stir over low heat until tender.

Add chopped pancetta to pan and cook for 2 minutes. Add ham to mixture and stir well. Remove from heat, allow to cool.

- In a bowl, whisk together eggs, milk, cream, chives, salt and pepper. Add the cheeses and the pancetta mixture, stir well. Spread evenly over top of macaroni. Bake for 35-40 minutes or until mixture is set.

STRAWBERRY CHEESECAKE - Cheesecake extraordinaire

2010-02-22T07:07:00.000-08:00

These luscious and beautiful bright red fruit are delectable in fondue and heavenly sinful when combined in cheesecakes and puddings. Fresh strawberries could easily make any dessert seem artfully elegant.

When I baked this cheesecake, no one seemed to notice it. Start topping it with strawberry sauce and glazed fresh strawberries and you'll get the whole house beaming eagerly, impatiently drooling over the cheesecake waiting to be served. And this recipe is one of the best I have tried so far, and always a success.

Bottom:

Basic crumb crust recipe

Strawberry filling:

24 ounces cream cheese
3/4 cup sugar
5 tsp cornstarch
4 eggs
1 egg yolk
1 tbsp lemon juice
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 1/4 cup sliced strawberries

- In a large bowl, combine cream cheese, sugar and cornstarch. Beat with an electric mixer till smooth.
- Add eggs and egg yolk, one at a time, beating well after each addition.
- Beat in lemon juice and vanilla extract. Carefully stir in strawberries.
- Pour the cream cheese mixture over the crust.
- Bake for 350F for 15 minutes. Lower the temperature to 225F and bake for 1 hour and 10 minutes or till the center no longer looks wet or shiny.
- Remove the cake from the oven and run a knife around the inside edge of the pan. Turn the oven off.
- Return the cake to the oven for an additional 30 minutes.
- Chill, uncovered, overnight.

The recipe for creamy white topping is included but I prefer fresh whip cream.

BAGUETTE - Professional Baking 5th edition

2010-02-21T07:01:00.000-08:00

Slices of buttered baguettes, sprinkled with grated garlic and grilled to perfection is an awesome snack anytime of the day. Where I am staying, fresh baguettes are rarely sold in the market. A 40-minute drive to the nearest hypermarket is my only hope to get some (frozen ones though...and unlucky sometimes). So I would normally make some myself, and freeze them well for that baguette-craving moment. And today I decided to follow Gisslen's recipe.

The result: A crusty baguette with many irregular holes seen through each slice cut, close to the store-bought ones. And we had beautiful grilled golden garlic-butter slices for tea. Awesome!

Ingredients:

Bread flour 1000g
Salt 20g
Yeast, fresh 25g
Water 6000g

Method:

1. Mixing
Straight dough method - Mix yeast with 50g of water (38C). Put into mixing bowl. Add flour and mix. Then add other ingredients to it and mix to a smooth developed dough (12 minutes 1st speed - I used speed 3 using my kitchen aid mixer).

2. Fermentation
60 minutes at 27C

3. Makeup
Scale dough at 320g (I divided into 5 equal weights). Round each into a ball. Flatten the relaxed dough into an oval shape with a rolling pin. Stretch the oval with the hands to lengthen it. Roll up tightly and seal the seam well. Roll the loaf on the bench under the palms of the hands to even out the shape. This will produce an elongated, oval-shaped loaf. The ends should be tapered and rounded, not pointed.
If a longer, thinner loaf is desired, relax these units again for a few minutes. Flatten them with the palms of the hands and stretch the dough lightly to increase its length.Once again, roll up tightly and seal the seam well. Roll on the bench under the palms of the hands to even it out and to stretch it to the desired shape and length.
Place seam-side down on pans dusted with cornmeal (I used plain flour). Proof. Wash with water. Slash with diagonal cuts or one lengthwise cut; this can be done before or after proofing.

4. Baking
475F/250C for 20 minutes with steam.

HOW BAKING WORKS (2nd ed) - Paula Figoni

2010-02-17T07:50:00.000-08:00

This is a good 17-chapter reference for any self-taught baker or even a home maker. Once you understand the 'fundamentals of baking science', you might save yourself from any messy and costly cooking mishaps. Some parts are pretty technical but I would try to digest it anyway. A very useful cooking bible indeed. Cost : RM159.80

About the author : PAULA FIGONI is a food scientist and associate professor in the International Baking and Pastry Institute in the College of Culinary Arts at Johnson and Wales University in Providence, Rhode Island. She also has more than ten years of experience in product development and food science at The Pillsbury Company and Ocean Spray Cranberries, Inc. (http://www.countrybookstore.co.uk/)

CHOCO-O'S - 101 Perfect Chocolate Chip Cookies

2010-02-16T07:57:00.000-08:00

Not bad at all for a so-called healthy cookies. I wonder if this still counts as 'healthy' considering that the recipe calls for butter. Perhaps the oats would gleefully absorb all the nasty fats as well my guilt for eating a handful of these lovely crunchy delight. Oats has never successfully fit into any part of my daily meal (tastes like tiny bits of papers in my mouth), but its presence in cookies, pies or seafood coating is simply delightful for my palate.

Ingredients:

2 cups flour

1 tsp baking soda

2 cups quick-cooking rolled oats (instant oats)

1 cup butter or margarine

1 cup granulated sugar

1 cup brown sugar, packed

2 eggs

1 tsp vanilla extract

1/2 tsp almond extract (I didn't add this)

1 cup chopped nuts (I used walnuts + almonds)

2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips

1. Preheat oven to 375C

2. Sift together the flour and baking soda. Add the oats and set aside

3. In a large mixing bowl, cream the butter or margarine and sugars. Add the eggs one at a time, beating after each addition, until the mixture is creamy. Fold in the sifted ingredients. Stir in the vanilla and almond extracts. Gently mix in the nuts and chocolate chips.

4. Drop by teaspoonfuls onto greased baking sheets, spacing cookies 2 inches apart. Bake for 10 to 12minutes, or until cookies are lightly browned.

You can add raisins or chopped candied fruits, as suggested, but they taste good as they are.

BREAD BAKING...An Artisan's Perspective - Daniel T DiMuzio

2010-02-14T07:39:00.000-08:00

Another book in my collection, written by an expert in artisan bread-baking. More info can be found here.

This book is more focused on bread baking, with detail and well-structured information. Am keen to try his baguettes recipe.

PUDING KUAH/ LIGHT PUDDING WITH CUSTARD SAUCE - Lynn's Recipe

2010-02-12T02:44:00.000-08:00

I made this delightful dessert for a dinner party held at the cafe. It's fluffy pudding bathe in sweet and creamy custard sauce, topped with canned fruit cocktail and normally savoured cold. The sauce can be prepared days ahead and the pudding only takes a breeze to firm up. I remember making this the first time and it turned out pretty soggy and watery. The addition of gelatin and jelly powder helps to firm it evenly. The jelly strips can be found in any Asian groceries. And always, always serve this dessert cold!

Ingredients:

PUDDING

A packet of jelly strips

6 cups of water

4 tbsp sugar

2 tsp jelly powder

1 tsp gelatin powder

6 egg whites (large)

A few (3/4) drops of red colouring

1 tsp lemon juice

-Use 10" square pan.

- Put water in a pot. Sprinkle gelatine and jelly powder. Leave for 5 minutes.

- Then add in jelly strips and sugar. Turn on heat. Leave to boil or until all the strips dissolve.

- Add the red colouring. remove from heat.

- Let the mixture cool a bit BUT not until it begins to solidify. If you see bits of solid jelly floating, strain them out and move to the next step immediately.

- In a mixer, whip the egg whites until they are stiff (but not dry). Slowly, pour 1/4 of the jelly mixture on the sides of the bowl. Continue to beat at medium speed. Then add in the rest of the mixture slowly. Beat the mixture until the egg whites are evenly incorporated in the mixture, ensuring that no lumps are seen.

- Pour into pan.

CUSTARD SAUCE

5 tbsp of custard powder

2 cups of water

1 can of evaporated milk

1 cup of fresh milk

2 cups of sugar (can be less or more, but I like it sweet)

4 egg yolks

1 tsp vanilla

- Put eveything in a pot. Whisk until all mix evenly.

- Turn on heat and stir until the mixture thickens slightly.

- If you like it thicker, you can cook it further or add a tbsp of custard powder to the mixture.

- Cool and chill.

Serving suggestion:

- Invert the pudding and cut 2" pieces. Serve a few pieces in a bowl. Pour a generous amount of custard sauce onto it, and top with fruit cocktail or any fresh fruits preferred. Bon appetit!

YULE LOG - 100 Best Recipes ...CHOCOLATE

2010-02-07T21:49:00.000-08:00

A snap of what we had for tea. Fluffy, light and fatless sponge cake with coffee buttercream filling. What can be better than a home-made sponge roll than the store-bought one? Even better when the recipe calls for few ingredients and easy instructions. Highly recommended..

Ingredients:

Cake:

3 eggs

115g/4 oz golden caster sugar (use caster sugar)

55g/2 oz plain flour

25g/1 oz cocoa powder plus extra to dust (I replace 10 g with the same amount of dark cocoa)

- Grease and line a 9" X 12" swiss roll tin. Preheat oven 200C.

- Whisk the eggs and sugar until thick and a trail is left when the whisk is lifted. Sift the flour and cocoa powder in a separate bowl, then fold into the egg mixture. Turn into the tin and bake 8-10 minutes.

- Once baked and while still hot, place the roll with the paper intact on a piece of moist cloth. Roll the cake together with its lining and wrap it in the moist kitchen towel until cool.

- Unroll it and spread the buttercream on the cake before rolling it back (remove the lining).

Filling (my recipe):

250g butter

200g icing sugar

vanilla

1 teaspoon instant coffee powder dissolve in 2 tbsp of water

- Whisk everything together until light and fluffy.

SWISS ROLL CEPAT DAN SEDAP

Resipi kek ni gebu, ringan dan tak guna butter atau minyak. Walaupun tak ada butter, rasanya sedap sungguh. Sesuai lah untuk mereka yang nak jaga kalori yang masuk dalam badan. Untuk warna yang lebih gelap ganti sikit koko dengan dark cocoa. Ni resipi yang cepat dan sedap untuk minum petang. Kalau nak simpan dalam fridge 2 atau 3 hari, simpan dalam bekas kedap udara.

Kek:

3 telur

115g/4 oz gula kaster

55g/2 oz tepung gandum/tepung kek

25g/1 oz serbuk koko (ganti 10 g dengan dark cocoa)

- Alas loyang 9" X 12" dengan parchment paper dan sapu butter/shortening. Panaskan oven 200C.

- Pukul telur dan gula hingga pekat dan ringan (bila angkat whip ada kesan bertali yang ditinggalkan). Ayak tepung dan koko, dan masukkan dalam adunan telur (guna senduk, jangan pukul dengan mixer, cuma kaupkan). Masuk dalam loyang, ratakan dan bakar 8-10 minit.

- Dah masak, dan bila masih panas, letakkan kek (jangan tanggalkan kertas di bawah kek lagi) di atas sehelai tuala yang lembap. Gulung kek bersama kertas di belakangnya. Dah gulung kemas, gulung pula dengan tuala tadi dan selit tuala kemas di bawah kek. Biar sejuk. Ini untuk jadikan kek mudah untuk digulung bila sejuk. Kalau tak nanti bila dah sejuk kek akan pecah kalau kita gulung.

- Dah sejuk, buka semula gulungan kek tadi, sapu buttercream dan gulung balik (pastikan kertas belakang kek tu dah ditanggalkan ya).

Resipi buttercream:

250g butter

200g gula aising

vanilla

1 sudu teh serbuk kopi/nescafe larutkan dalam 2 sudu besar air panas

- Pukul semua hingga kembang

100 BEST RECIPES ... CHOCOLATE - Linda Doeser

2010-02-07T20:14:00.000-08:00

If you googled Linda Doeser, you'll see an endless list of sites displaying her books. She is a writer and editor, as well as the author of Flipcook. Amazon has more than 40 of her books, ranging from chocolate to baking to chinese cooking...an outstanding achievement indeed.

It features 6 chapters, with glossy and beautiful photos which are pretty inspiring.

I'll make the yule log for tea tomorrow...

THE BOOK OF CHOCOLATE - Carol Tennant

2010-02-06T07:46:00.000-08:00

Another collection of mine..another book on chocolate...well who can resist it?...from ice cream to cookies to cakes and drinks, all in one small book.

Carol Tennant is a home economist, food writer and food stylist. She has been involved with BBB Good Food and House Beautiful and has also written several other books. This small book can easily be slipped in my handbag to work...in case I have time to test a recipe or two. Besides, most of the recipes require few ingredients so the cafe pantry may have all I need... Perhaps a dessert from this book by the end of this week?

MACARONI CHEESE - Meals in Minutes : PASTA

2010-02-05T07:22:00.000-08:00

For today, I'll put aside calorie counting and get my hands filled with cheeses...mozarella, cheddar and parmesan. My dietician sister will certainly freak out knowing what lies in this bland-looking dish.

This seemingly artless dish however, has the creamiest, yummiest, cheesiest taste ever...The pic above shows the unbaked dish. Once baked, the cheese melting on top will brown evenly and perfectly. With every bite, you will feel the creamy cheese oozing out into your mouth...I definitely can't resist it no matter how bad it will make my belly and thigh look like. (I have a tendency on gaining bulges on these two parts first, but a dish won't hurt that much!).

PREPARATION TIME: 5 -10 MINUTES

Ingredients:

250g elbow macaroni

60g butter

50g plain flour

750ml milk (fresh milk)

250 g coarsely grated pizza cheese ( I use a 100g each of parmesan, cheddar and mozarella, and for topping, another 100g mozarella+100g cheddar)

I add:

300g of shelled medium-size prawns, cook in microwave HIGH 5 minutes.

300g of canned button mushroom (cut into 2)

- Cook pasta in large saucepan of boiling water, uncovered, until just tender; drain. While pasta is cooking, melt butter in medium saucepan, add flour; cook, stirring about 2 minutes or until mixture thickens and bubbles. Gradually stir in milk; cook, stirring, until sauce boils and thickens.

- Stir pasta and half of the cheese into sauce, add prawns and mushroom; pour mixture into shallow 2-litre (8-cup) baking dish. Sprinkle with remaining cheese; Place under hot grill until cheese melts and is browned lightly. (I would bake in the oven for 15 minutes 180C).

There you have it. Try and see.

GLORIA'S DOUBLE CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES - 101 Perfect Chocolate Chip Cookies

2010-02-04T21:54:00.000-08:00

Double chocolate sounds devilishly inviting for a chocolate lover like me. So this fits the craving I have. When I made these my neighbour said these were the best chocolate chip cookies I ever made (Oh Yeah? Obviously she hasn't tried the winning recipe from the same book). Agreed..this is good, but it really depends on what texture you want ....crispy, chewy, chocolatey, healthy, or gluten-free.

These were undeniably good and required few ingredients to make. Funny, how pretty simple ingredients can turn into an amazingly beautiful batch of cookies! Crispy, chocolatey, and they melt in your mouth.

Ingredients

1 3/4 cup flour

1/4 cup cocoa powder

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

3/4 cup brown sugar, firmly packed

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1 cup butter, softened

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 egg

6 ounces (1 cup) semi-sweet chocolate chips

1/2 cup chopped nuts ...I used walnuts (although macademia or pecan may be a better option)

- Preheat oven to 375C

- Sieve together the flour, baking soda, cocoa powder and salt. Set aside.

- In a large bowl, cream together the sugars and butter until the mixture is light and fluffy. Blend in the vanilla and egg. Add the sifted ingredients to the creamed mixture. Gently stir in the chocolate chips and nuts.

- Drop by teaspoonfuls onto ungreased baking sheets, spacing well apart. Bake for 7 - 11 minutes, or until the dough is set. Do not overbake. Let cool 1 minute before transfering cookies to a cooling rack.

There you go...one of the best cookies ever...

POTATO BREAD - Sarah Phillips BAKING 911

2010-02-01T07:39:00.000-08:00

I am a big fan of Sarah Phillips from Baking 911. Have tried out many of her recipes and most turned out perfect (or near perfect) at first attempt. Otherwise, she will help me to solve any of my baking blunders, almost instantly.

I made her 'potato bread' the other day. It came out lovely and fluffy and went perfect with our dinner soup.

For $19.95 (premium membership) per year, baking911 is worth subscribing to.

DURIAN CHEESECAKE - Lynn's Book

2010-02-01T02:02:00.001-08:00

I looovvve durians. Beyond its scary-looking spiny skin, lies the unforgettable taste and fragrant aroma from the sweet and creamy flesh that would leave me craving for more. This seasonal fruit is edible at any stage of ripeness. The over-ripe durian pulps can be fermented with salt to make what is called 'tempoyak'. The under ripe ones can be used to make durian porridge. The best pulps are to be eaten immediately. I would reserve some to make my delectable chill durian cheesecake.

Bottom layer:

Crumb crust for 9 inch pan (square or round) - use recipe for classic no-bake cheesecake

Filling:

300 g cream cheese

500 g durian flesh

1 1/2 tbsp gelatin powder

150 ml fresh milk (in a heat-resistant bowl)

300g whip cream

- Sprinkle gelatin onto fresh milk. Leave to bloom (10 minutes). Then heat the bowl on a pot of simmering water to dissolve the gelatin. Cool.

- Using a flat beater, beat the cheese until creamy (speed 5 for 3 minutes). Add gelatin to cheese mixture.

- In a blender or food processor, blend the cream and durian flesh until frothy. Add to cheese mixture (use spatula).

- Pour cheese mixture onto crumb crust (below). Chill for at least 4 hours.

Serve it with a dollop of whipping cream. Simply irresistable!!!

Durians!!! Durians!!!

KEK KEJU DURIAN

Musim durian tiba lagi!!! Kali ni dengar kabar durian kat tempat Lynn datang dari Segamat dan Pahang. Macam-macam dalam kepala...tempoyak, lempuk, pengat dan apa lagi....cheesecake!

Lapisan bawah:

Resipi crumb crust untuk loyang 9 ", guna resipi dari classic no-bake cheesecake

Lapisan keju:

300 g krim keju

500 g isi durian

1 1/2 tbsp serbuk gelatin

150 ml susu segar (dalam mangkuk tahan panas)

300g krim putar

- Tabur gelatin ke atas susu segar. Biarkan kembang dan panaskan hingga gelatin larut. Sejukkan.

- Pukul krim keju hingga kembang. Masukkan gelatin.

- Dalam blender, blend krim dan isi durian 2 minit. Campur dalam adunan keju.

- Tuang adunan keju ke atas lapisan biskut. Sejukkan sekurang-kurangnya 4 jam.

- Hidang dengan krim putar atau begitu sahaja.

MEALS IN MINUTES ... PASTA - The Australian Women's Weekly Cookbooks

2010-01-29T03:22:00.000-08:00

Publisher : ACP Publishing Pty Limited 2001

Price : RM19.90

Every recipe in The Australian Women's Weekly cookbook series is tested before published. Not only once but 3 times. Each recipe comes with a photo, striking enough to leave you drooling. This is one of my pasta bibles. I myself would test a recipe accordingly at first attempt, without making any changes at all. If a recipe turns out well, then only I would alter it, adding or omitting any ingredients which might make it better.

Pretty organised and helpful categories:

Dari apa yang Lynn tahu, semua resipi dari buku-buku keluaran 'The Australian Women's Weekly' telah di 'test' 3 kali untuk di sahihkan menjadi...Ada dapur khas agaknye kat pejabat they all. Tp memang betul lah, kalau resipi tu kita cuba sekali dan tak jadi, mungkin ada silap kita, tapi kalau dah 3 kali, negatif jugak hasilnya, rasa-rasanya resipi tu perlu diperbaiki. Bila mencuba resipi kali pertama, Lynn akan ikut resipi dengan tepat, tak tambah atau kurang itu dan ini. Dah menjadi baru lah Lynn modify.

RICH CHOCOLATE AND ALMOND LAYER CAKE - Traditional Cakes and Puddings

2010-01-27T08:54:00.000-08:00

I am in the mood for a rich and chocolatey cake for tea. It just so happened that I came across this recipe in one of my cookbooks. Lets see how it goes...

Ingredients:

100g/4 oz plain chocolate ...use cooking chocolate

4 eggs separated

few drops almond essence

175g/ 6 oz butter, at room temperature

175g/ 6 oz dark muscovado sugar ...I used brown sugar

175g/ 6 oz self-raising flour

25g/ 1 oz ground almonds

25g/ 1 oz cocoa powder

3-4 tbsp milk

Filling:

150 ml/ 1/4 pint double or whipping cream

3-4 tbsp amaretto or other almond liqueur ...I skipped this one

Topping:

175g/ 6 oz plain chocolate

150ml/ 1/4 pint double cream

50g/ 2 oz plain chocolate, made into curls

8 whole ckinned almonds

1 tbsp cocoa powder

1. Set the oven to 180C/350F/Gas 4. Grease and base-line a 20 cm/8 inch round loose-based or spring-clip cake tin.

2. Break up the chocolate into pieces and put into a heatproof bowl with 4 tbsp boiling water. Melt over a pan of warm water until smooth. Remove from teh heat and beat in the egg yolks and almond essence.

3. Cream the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy, then beat in the chocolate mixture. Sift the flour, almonds and cocoa together, then fold into the creamed mixture with the milk. Whisk the egg whites until they form soft peaks. Fold 2 tbsp into the mixture to loosen it, then fold in the remaining egg whites gently.

4. Spoon the mixture into the prepared tin. Bake in the centre of the oven for 50-60 minutes or until firm to the touch in the centre. Leave to cool in the tin, then turn out and peel away the lining paper. Slice the cake into three layers horizontally using a long sharp knife.

5. To make the filling, whip the cream in the liqueur until stiff. Use to sandwich the cake layers together.

6. To make the topping, break the chocolate into pieces and melt gently in a heatproof bowl over a pan of warm water. Stir in the cream, then quickly spread over the top and sides of the cake, to give a smooth finish. Press the chocolate curls round the side of the cakewhile still wet.

7. Dip the almonds in any leftover chocolate mixture to coat them. Leave to dry, then roll the nuts in the cocoa powder. Press the almonds into the top of the cake to decorate.

To freeze: Wrap filled cake in foil. Keeps for 3 months. Decorate after thawing.

My result:

We had a rich full-flavoured and moist choc0late cake for tea. Pretty simple to make and it bakes up evenly. What can be better than chocolate and almond combination? The ground almonds provides moisture to this cake.

I spread chocolate ganache in between the layers before the filling, which made it more chocolatey-intense. Perhaps next time, I would fill the layers with buttercream instead.

Anyway, this recipe will certainly be bookmarked!

TRADITIONAL CAKES and PUDDINGS - Ann Nicol and Hilaire Walden

2010-01-24T07:22:00.000-08:00

By 'traditional' I assume that the recipes are the traditional desserts in Britain... considering that the book was published there. The writers, Ann Nicol and Hilaire Walden particularly, have written numerous cookbooks other than this. Couldn't find their complete biographies online.

What I love about this book is the striking photos and the black-and-white instructional illustrations on the sides of the pages. They are extremely helpful to provide clearer understanding of the written recipes and directions. A chapter on the basics of baking cakes and desserts covers the secrets and guides to better baking may be handy as well.

Other chapters include :

sponge and light cakes

chocolate cakes

spicy cakes

little cakes

rich and light fruit cakes

nutty cakes

microwave baking

yeast baking

icings and fillings

cake decoration

hot baked puddings

steamed puddings

fried and other puddings

pastries

cold puddings

sauces

Apparently, you will get to learn about baking a cake and decorating it using a number of mediums presented. I consider the sections on yeast baking and pastries a bonus as both are neither cakes nor puddings. Price: RM99.95 (hardcover)

CLASSIC NO-BAKE CHEESECAKE - Bovbjerg and Iggers

2010-01-22T01:45:00.000-08:00

Deliciously divine! Rich, smooth, creamy, chocolatey cheesecake in a cup...what more can you ask for?

This is the best chill-cheesecake recipe ever. It can be modified in many ways. I have a number of this recipe variations and today, I used it to make triple chocolate layer cheesecake in a cup. The lines in red are the changes made. This is for a 9" pan, but when using a glass or jelly cup, you may get around 10-12 cups.

The recipe:

Bottom: Basic Crumb Crust

1 1/2 cups Graham Cracker Crumbs mix marie biscuit and cream crackers

6 tbsp butter (90g)

1/4 cup granulated sugar

Filling:

3 cups OR 1 1/2 pounds Cottage Cheese) 690 g cream cheese

2 envelopes unflavoured gelatin 1 1/2 tbsp powdered gelatine

2/3 cup granulated sugar

1/4 tsp salt

2 large eggs

1 cup milk

1 tsp grated lemon rind

2 tbsp lemon juice

1 tsp vanilla extract

2 tbsp confectioners' sugar

1/4 tsp cream of tartar

1 cup heavy cream 1 cup whipping cream

* chocolate ganache

* chocolate sponge cake (You can use sponge mix for this)

Directions:

At no. 2&3, I put milk in the pot first, sprinkle gelatin over it, let rest for one minute. Then add sugar, salt, and bring to boil while stirring. Then I add lemon juice, rind and vanilla.

At no. 4, I beat the cream cheese on low speed until it becomes smooth.

At no. 7, divide the cheese mixture into 3 equal parts.

1- to be used as it is

2- melt 30 g chocolate and fold into it

3- melt 80g chocolate and fold into it

To assemble:

layer 1 - crumb crust

layer 2 - cheese mixture 1

layer 3 - sponge cake, then brush with coffee syrup

layer 4 - cheese mixture 2

layer 5 - cheese mixture 3

layer 6 - ganache

Chill. Can top each with a dollop of whipping cream.

KEK KEJU NO-BAKE (TANPA BAKAR)

Kek keju ni tak perlu bakar. Cuma set kan dalam peti sejuk. Setakat ni, inilah resipi kek keju yang tak dibakar yang paling Lynn suka sekali. Rasanya lemak berkrim. Resipi ni juga Lynn modify untuk resipi kek keju coklat 3 lapis.

Resipi kek ni walaupun leceh sikit, tapi memang berbaloi. Kalau tengok resipi di bawah ni, yang asal di sebelah kanan dan yang merah tu ialah perubahan yang Lynn buat. Kalau nak ubah dan tambah buah ke, boleh juga...ikut citarasa masing-masing lah ye..Untuk yang ni, Lynn guna cawan dadih plastik, jadi, dapatlah dalam 10-12 cawan. Sebabnya, nak jual kat kafe dan nak maintain kelembapan kek tu bila setiap satu tu ditutup dengan cling wrap.

Resipi:

Lapisan bawah:

1 1/2 cawan biskut Graham Cracker (dihancurkan) campur biskut Marie & biskut jagung

6 sudu besar mentega (90g)

1/4 cawan gula halus

Krim keju:

3 cawan / 1 1/2 pound Keju Cottage 690 g krim keju (Philadelphia/Anchor)

2 keping gelatin 1 1/2 sudu besar serbuk gelatin

2/3 cawan gula halus

1/4 sudu teh garam

2 telur

1 cawan susu segar

1 sudu teh parutan kulit lemon

2 sudu besar jus lemon

1 sudu teh esen vanila

2 sudu besar gula aising

1/4 sudu teh cream of tartar

1 cawan heavy cream 1 cawan krim putar

* coklat ganache

* kek span coklat (Buat guna sponge mix pun boleh)

Cara-cara:

1. Tapis keju cottage hingga airnya keluar

2. Campurkan gelatin, gula dan garam dalam periuk. Pukul telur dan kuning telur ke dalam periuk tadi. Panaskan hingga mendidih sambil dikacau sepanjang masa. Tutup api.

3. Masukkan parutan lemon, jus lemon dan esen vanila ke dalam periuk tadi, kacau dan biar hingga sejuk.

4. Campur keju dan campuran gelatin tadi dalam mangkuk besar. Sejukkan sambil dikacau selang beberapa minit sehingga adunan membukit sedikit bila dijatuhkan dari sudu.

5. Pukul putih telur hingga kembang (berbuih tapi tidak terlalu keras dan kering)

6. Pukul krim dan masuk dalam adunan.

7. Tuang adunan dalam loyang dan sejukkan sekurang-kurangnya 4 jam.

Yang Lynn ubah:

Di no. 2&3, dalam periuk, letak susu, tabur gelatin atasnya, biar seminit.Lepas tu, masukkan gula, garam, dan panaskan hingga mendidih (kacau). Tambah parutan kulit lemon, jus lemon dan vanila.

Di no. 4, Lynn pukul krim keju sedikit (jangan lama)

Di no. 7, bahagikan adunan kepada 3 bahagian:

1- biarkan adunan begitu

2- tambah 30 g coklat masak

3- tambah 80g coklat masak

Cara untuk melapiskan kek:

lapisan 1- crumb crust (lapisan biskut)

lapisan 2 -keju putih

lapisan 3 - kek span

lapisan 4 - keju no 2

lapisan 5 - keju no 3

lapisan 6 - coklat ganache

* BIla nak makan, letak sikit whipping cream pun sedap.

THE JOY OF CHEESECAKE - Dana Bovbjerg and Jeremy Iggers

2010-01-19T01:14:00.000-08:00

Jeremy Iggers has an impressive career background. Considering his work which focus on journalism and philosophy, it surprised me to come across his book solely on cheesecakes. Iggers has written about restaurants, food and ethics as well as a number of other books : including Good News, Bad News: Journalism Ethics and the Public Interest, The Garden of Eating: Food, Sex and the Hunger for Meaning. More information on Iggers can be found here and here. Dana Bovbjerg co-authored this book.

My first thought upon reading this book was that the write must be a renowned pastry chef. Well, obviously, you don't have to be one to be able to create such luscious dessert in creative and elegant ways.

You will find the chapters well-organized and clearly simple. Instead of having to include a section for cheesecake crust for each recipe, there is one section specifically on the crusts. You'll find 6 categories of cheesecakes - Cream cheesecakes, Specialty cheesecakes, No-bake cheesecakes, Cheese pies, Cottage-cheesecakes and Cheesecakes around the world. A short and useful description of each cheesecake is given prior to each recipe. For RM84.90, you'll get every penny's worth.

SUPER NEW YORK-STYLE CHEESECAKE - Cheesecake Extraordinaire

2010-01-18T01:23:00.000-08:00

This sinfully rich, smooth and creamy-textured cheesecake will certainly feed your sweet tooth and satisfy your dessert craving. The most important thing is not to overbake it. Also, baked cheesecakes must not be served immediately after baking. They have to be chilled several hours to set the filling.

This recipe is a piece of treasure. I have made this a dozen of times and have also made some alterations to it, for a more fruity or spicy or chocolaty flavour. It is a must try.

The recipe:

This classic dessert can also be made with a graham cracker crust by substituting graham cracker crumbs for the crushed vanilla wafers.

Vanilla Wafer Crust

1 3/4 cups fine crushed vanilla wafers

1/2 cup butter or margarine melted

In a small bowl, stir together crushed wafers and melted butter or margarine. Stir till well combined. Press crumb mixture evenly onto the bottom and up the sides of a greased 9-inch springform pan. Set aside.

Next is the cheese filling...

Sour Cream Topping

1 cup sour cream

1 tbsp sugar

1 tbsp vanilla extract

In a small bowl stir together sour cream, sugar and vanilla extract. Spread sour cream mixture over warm cheesecake. Bake at 350F for an additional 15 minutes. Chill, uncovered, overnight. Makes 12 to 18 slices.

*** Topping the cake with 'Comstock' blueberry is yummy. This is a hit among my customers.

KEK KEJU NEW YORK

Kek keju ini memang 'rich' dan berbaloi untuk disediakan. Bila bakar cheesecake, pastikan tidak bakar terlalu lama dari masa yang dicadangkan...nanti cheesecake akan kering dan terlebih keras bila disejukkan...Kalau nak lagi sedap kalau tambah topping buah-buahan di atasnya...

Lapisan Bawah

1 3/4 cawan biskut wafer vanila - dihancurkan (guna food processor)

1/2 cawan butter atau majerin (dicairkan)

Dalam mangkuk, campurkan wafer hancur dengan butter yang dah cair. Tuang dalam loyang 9inci.

Lapisan atas

32 oz krim keju

1 cawan gula halus

3 sudu besar tepung gandum

5 telur

1/3 cawan krim putar

1 sudu teh parutan kulit oren

1 sudu teh parutan kulit lemon

1 sudu teh vanila

1 cawan krim masam

1 sudu besar gula halus

1/2 sudu teh vanila

Campurkan krim keju, gula dan tepung. Pukul dengan mixer hingga sebati. Tambah telur, satu persatu sambil adunan dipukul. Masukkan krim putar, parutan kulit oren dan lemon, vanila. Gaul sengan senduk hingga sebati. Tuang atas lapisan biskut tadi.

Bakar 350F selama 15 minit dan lepas tu turunkan suhu ke 200F dan bakar 1 jam 20 minit, hingga bahagian tengah kek tak nampak basah (tapi masih lembut). Keluarkan dari oven.

Dalam mangkuk lain, campurkan krim masam, gula dan vanila. Tuang atas kek. Bakar 15 minit lagi. Keluarkan dari oven dan lalukan pisau di keliling kek supaya ia tak melekat pasa loyang. Jangan sejukkan lagi kek.

Topping krim masam

1 cawan krim masam

1 sudu besar gula halus

1 sudu teh vanila

Campur dan kacau semua. Tuang atas kek tadi dan bakar lagi 15 minit. Sejukkan (tanpa ditutup atasnya) semalaman.

***Hias dengan blueberry 'Comstock' memang sedap...kalau fresh blueberries atau strawberry pun sedap...

CHEESECAKE EXTRAORDINAIRE - Mary Crownover

2010-01-16T22:54:00.000-08:00

Nothing much can be found about Crownover except that she teaches classes in cheesecake preparation and serves as a consultant to bakeries and dieticians. Wish I knew more about her.

This book begins with the description of tips, tools and equipment you need to create one of the most decadent desserts in the world...cheesecakes! With more than 100 absolutely mouthwatering cheesecake recipes, you will find it hard to decide on which to begin with. So far, Crownover's recipes are certain not to disappoint me...and each success has inspired me to bake the next one on the list. There are 12 chapters altogether:

Beverage-based cheesecakes

Candy and Cookie cheesecakes

Caramel cheesecakes

Chocolate cheesecakes

Coconut cheesecakes

Custard and spice cheesecakes

Fruit cheesecakes

Mint cheesecakes

Nut cheesecakes

Peanut butter cheesecakes

Vanilla cheesecakes

Guilt-free cheesecakes

If you're a cheesecake lover like me, you'll sure to love what this book has to offer.

KEROPOK GENDAR... RICE CRACKERS - Lynn's book

2010-01-13T23:38:00.000-08:00

Pembantu rumah jiran Lynn baru balik dari Indonesia. Dan rupanya, maid Lynn ada kirim sejenis garam darinya. Garam ni khas untuk buat keropok gendar, untuk jadikan keropok tu kembang bila digoreng, katanya. Keropok apa lah tu? Jadi, Lynn pun minta lah mereka buat kat rumah Lynn, sebab tak tahu apa rupanya keropok ni.

Nasi sejuk lebih yang dimasak semalam (dalam 6 senduk penuh nasi), meraka kukus semula pagi-pagi, dan bila dah lembut, mereka gunakan lesung untuk lenyek-lenyekkan nasi tu dalam bekas, campur garam special tadi tu dalam sesudu teh. Kan senang kalau guna food processor atau blender, tapi diorang kata tak best, nanti lembik sangat.

Dah benyek nasi tu semua, bulatkan dan gulung memanjang. Biarkan sejuk (jadi keras macam nasi himpit). Potong nipis-nipis dan canaikan atau, macam maid Lynn buat, canaikan, dan potong (ikut saiz dan bentuk macam mana pun). Maid Lynn ni potong petak-petak dan ada yang tak ada bentuk juga. Susun kepingan dalam dulang (alas dengan plastik biar tak melekat) dan jemur di tengah panas hingga kering betul-betul (kalau tak, cepat rosak). Bilah dah betul-betul kering, boleh disimpan untuk digoreng. Kata mereka, keropok ni ringan dan rangup, sedap dimakan dengan sambal pecal.

RICE CRACKERS/ 'GENDAR' CRACKERS

My Indonesian maid has always been ever so friendly with other Indonesian maids in the neighbourhood. Talks and evening chat among them range from current sensational gossips to babysitting to 'bitchy' employers to food. Fortunately, my maid is a bit elderly so most of the time, her stories and interests are always on food, family and children. A friend of hers just got back from Jakarta, and managed to stuff packets and packets of spices and condiments in her bags.

One of the things she brought back, and gave us, was a packet of salt...not like any other salt, but the one specifically used to make 'keropok gendar', a type of cracker made from leftover cooked rice.

I saw her steaming the leftover rice (about 5 cups) for 15 minutes, and then mash the rice. Roll the mixture into a long sausage. Leave to cool. Once cool, it will become firm. Cut into thin discs and flatten each with a rolling pin. Line a large tray with a plastic sheets and place the crackers on the tray and dry them under the sun, for at least 2 days (assuming that it is sunny throughout the 2 days). Store the crackers in a jar. Ready to deep-fry and serve (with any sauce you fancy). The fried crackers can be kept in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks.

Garam keropok gendar

Special salt for making the cracker

Keropok yang sedang dijemur

Drying the crackers under the hot sun

JOYOUS CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES - 101 Perfect Chocolate Chip Cookies (Robin Joy Minnick's recipe)

2010-01-13T09:21:00.000-08:00

If you're looking for a chewy and soft cookie inside (achieved from adding the corn syrup), this is one of them. This is one of the finalists in the Orchards' 1987 contest and is a winner among my kids. Has just been 5 hours baking them, but the cookie jar is already half empty.

3 cups flour

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp salt

1/2 cup butter

1/4 cup shortening

1 cup brown sugar, firmly packed

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1 tsp vanilla extract

2 eggs

1 tbsp milk

3 tbsp dark corn syrup (I use golden syrup instead)

2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips

1/2 cup pecans, broken (I use 1 cup for that chunky nutty result)

Directions:

This would go into the 'yes chocolate chip cookies recipes' in my list...

101 PERFECT CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES - Gwen Steege

2010-01-13T04:04:00.000-08:00

I marveled at the variety of chocolate chip cookies recipes in this book. They evolved from a nationwide contest held at the Orchards Inn in 1987. The search for the perfect cookies has brought in as many as thousands of contestants sending in their recipes. This book records more than a hundred best chocolate chip cookies recipes ever.

There is the classic Nestle's Toll House Chocolate Chip recipe to begin with (as an honour to the birth of chocolate chip cookies). The sections include 'Traditional Chocolate Chip Cookies', 'Traditional Chocolate Chip Cookies Plus', 'And They're So Good For You Too' (wholesome ingredients added), 'Double Chocolate Chip Cookies', and 'Special Occasion Chocolate Chip Cookies'. I remember trying a few recipes (years ago) but can't really recall the outcome. Anyway, the cookie jar in my kitchen needs to be refilled soon, so we'll see...

CHICKEN CHOP - Lynn's Book

2010-01-12T00:39:00.001-08:00

Let's fry them deep....

5 pieces 0f chicken chop pieces (the ones with the leg) or chicken breasts (a bit too fleshy for me), washed, dry (using kitchen towel) and marinate with the following mixture:

1 tsp salt 1/2 tsp paprika (or chilli powder) 1 tsp sugar 1 tsp white pepper

Marinate the chicken pieces an hour before frying, or, u can do this way beforehand and freeze them. The best way is to pack them in ziplock bags. Otherwise, pack each piece in a plastic bag and seal it (I use impulse sealer).

To deep-fry them:

About 2 cups of breadcrumb (white...I use Biffy breadcrumb)

4 beaten egss + 1/4 cup water

2 cups of flour (all purpose flour)

Heat enough oil to deep fry the chicken pieces. Coat each piece with flour. Dip it in the beaten eggs. Then quickly coat it with the breadcrumb. Deep fry. The chicken pieces will stay afloat when thoroughly cooked.

For the sauce, I use Knorr demi glaze brown sauce. Prepare the sauce as directed. I blend half can of button mushroom and add to the sauce mixture. Then slice the rest of the mushroom, add to the sauce as well. Stir until smooth and thick.

Or, for a hot zesty taste, serve with ready made blackpepper sauce (bottled ones - Life, Maggi or imported ones...I would just grab any brand available on the shelf), otherwise, you can make the mild black pepper sauce (lamb chop recipe). And of course, you might need the chilli sauce to go with it (hehe...Malaysian style...).

* soon will share home-made blackpepper sauce.

Jom makan CHICKEN CHOP

5 keping chicken chop (ada dijual di hypermarket atau kedai frozen food) atau kepingan isi ayam (tapi tebal sangat dagingnya untuk kitorang), bersihkan, lap kering (guna kitchen towel) dan perap dengan campuran berikut:

1 sudu the garam 1/2 sudu teh paprika (atau serbuk cili)

1 sudu teh gula 1 sudu teh serbuk lada sulah

Perap kepingan ayam sekurang-kurangnya sejam sebelum menggoreng, atau boleh buat awal-awal dan sejukbekukan ayam tu...Pastikan simpan dalam 'ziplock bags' ataupun guna plastik biasa dan lekatkan dengan impulse sealer.

Untuk menggoreng:

2 cawan serbuk roti putih (brand Biffy sedap juga)

4 telur + 1/4 cawan air dipukul

2 cawan tepung gandum

Panaskan minyak (cukup untuk kepingan ayam tu tenggelam. Ayam akan masak bila ia timbul.) Celup ayam dalam tepung. Celup dalam telur. Dan celup segera dalam serbuk roti. terus masukkan dalam minyak panas.

Untuk sos, Lynn guna Knorr demi glaze brown sauce. Ikut arahan di bungkusannya (buatlah dalam 200g...kalau lebh, simpan dalam freezer). Lepas tu, blend 1/2 tin cendawan butang, masuk dalam sos tadi. Dan selebih cendawan tadi, hiris nipis-nipis dan campurkan sekali. Masak hingga pekat atas api.

Kalau suka sos pedas sikit, boleh hidang dengan soso lada hitam (nak cepat beli yang ready-made...resipi home-made akan Lynn sertakan lain kali ya...). Banyak brand sos lada hitam kat supermarket - Maggi, Life, yang import pun ada). Boleh juga sediakan sos blackpepper dari resipi Lamb Chop Lynn tempoh hari. Jangan lupa cili sos ...

CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES - PERIPLUS Step-by-Step

2010-01-11T04:24:00.000-08:00

Like I said in my previous post, these were a hit among the kids (but were a bit too sweet for my other half). Easy peasy recipe..minimal effort, maximal flavour...I made these big and thick, and they spread out nicely and evenly (3 1/2 to 4 inch cookies). They tasted a bit like shortbread on the inside but crispy on the outside. Worth to try.

Ingredients

150g unsalted butter

1/4 cup soft brown sugar

1/3 cup caster sugar

1 egg yolk

1 tsp vanilla essence

1 1/2 cup self-raising flour

1 cup (200g) choc dot - actually you can put more

- Preheat oven to moderate 180C. Line a 32X28 cm biscuits tray with baking paper.

1. Using electric beaters, beat butter, sugars and yolk in small mixing bowl until light and creamy. Add essence, beat until combined.

2. Transfer mixture to large mixing bowl; add flour and 2/3 of the dots. Using a metal spoon, stir until ingredients are just combined.

3. Using fingers, press mixture together to form a soft dough. Roll 1 tbsp of mixture at a time into a ball.

4. Press remaining chocolate dots firmly on top of balls. Arrange on prepared tray, allowing room for spreading. Bake 15 minutes (Turn the tray around halfway through the baking time for even colouring) or until crisp and lightly browned. Cool biscuits on trays.

BISKUT COKLAT CIP

Biskut ini memang sedap. Lynn buat kecil sikit aje dari saiz piring kecil (3 1/2 - 4 inci). Makan satu kenyang dah...Bila Lynn buat besar gitu, dalam nya jadi macam shortbread, tapi luar tetap rangup. Ramuannya mudah, cara-caranya senang. Hasilnya nyam-nyam...

Bahan-bahan

150g mentega

1/4 cwn gula perang lembut

1/3 cwn gula kaster

1 kuning telur

1 sudu teh esen vanila

1 1/2 cwn tepung naik sendiri

1 cwn (200g) cip coklat - boleh letak lebih

- Panaskan oven 180C. Alas dulang 32X28 cm.

1. Pukul mentega, gula perang, gula kaster dan kuning telur hingga kembang. Tambah esen vanila, pukul hingga sebati.

2. Masukkan tepung dan 2/3 cip coklat. Gunakan sudu untuk kaup adunan supaya rata.

3. Guna tangan untuk kemaskan adunan menjadi doh yang bulat. Sukat 1 sudu besar adunan dan bulatkan.

4. Tekan cip coklat yang lebih di atas bebola biskut. Susun di atas dulang.

Bakar 15 minutes (Pusingkan dulang separuh masa untuk dapatkan warnascolouring) or until crisp and lightly browned. Cool biscuits on trays.

BISCUITS, COOKIES & BROWNIES (PERIPLUS Step-by-Step)

2010-01-11T03:07:00.000-08:00

Another book that I often use. There's a chocolate chip cookie recipe here which is a hit in the family. The content covers a few sections. First, mouthwatering classics like choclate chip, viennese fingers, florentines etc. Also a section on Family favourites - coconut macaroons, chocolate caramel slice, walnut brownies etc. Then there are scrumptious shortbread, crazy for chocolate, irresistable fruit & nut treats and sensational savouries. Over 80 recipes altogether. The price : RM24.90...Reasonable..Am gonna start by showing you the chocolate chip recipe..next post

Buku ni Lynn beli lama dah. Ada resipi coklat cip yang sedap. Isi buku ni merangkumi beberapa topik. Biskut klasik, Biskut kegemaran keluarga, Shortbread, Biskut berasaskan coklat, Biskut mengandungi buah dan kekacang dan biskut savori. Harga: RM24.90...tak mahal sangat. Jom cuba resipinya nanti...

SWISS CHOCOLATE ROSETTES - Chef Wan's Sweet Treats

2010-01-11T01:21:00.000-08:00

These cookies look perfect but they were a huge dissappointment...Dry, hard and doughy tasting...Couldn't even pipe it out easily as instructed. Again, I didn't mess it up, I am sure. And where has the chocolate flavour gone to? Tasteless and bland...Take a look at the recipe

Page100

Ingredients

200g powdered sugar

500g butter

150g eggs

1 tsp orange essence

700g all-purpose flour

45g cocoa powder

Method

1. Beat together sugar, butter, eggs and orange essence until smooth.

2. Sift together flour and cocoa. Fold into the batter.

3. Using a no. 7 star tube, pipe out rosettes onto a lightly greased baking tray. Bake at 205C/400F for 15 minutes. Dust with powdered sugar.

Bake these cookies at 205C for 15 minutes practically burnt them.

Biskut ni rasanya kurang memuaskan (tapi gambarnya cantik kan). Dohnya terlalu keras untuk di 'pipe' kan. 3 kali piping bag plastik Lynn kena tukar sebab koyak. Rasa tepung dan tawar. Kalau ikut suhu dan waktu membakarnya, pasti hangus lagi. Lynn keluarkan dari oven selepas 10 minit, sebab nampak macam dah masak. Rasanya, biskut ni masuk kategori no-no...Mungkin, Chef Wan harus ada committee untuk mencuba resipinya sebelum masuk buku...haihhh....

Bahan:

200g gula aising

500g mentega

150g telur

1 tsp esen oren

700g tepung serbaguna

45g serbuk koko

Cara-cara:

1. Pukul gula, mentega, telur dan esen oren sehingga kembang dan sebati.

2. Ayak tepung dan serbuk koko. Kaupkan di dalam adunan mentega.

3. Gunakan nozel no. 7 , pipe kan bentuk roset di atas dulang pembakar (alas dulu). Bakar 205C/400F 15 minit. Tabur gula aising sebagai hiasan.

Mungkin ada orang lain yang buat menjadi kot...Tapi ni cuba 2 kali dah...

SWEET DREAM COOKIES - Chef Wan's Sweet Treats

2010-01-10T00:37:00.000-08:00

I swear I did not screw up this recipe. First, the dough was impossible to work with (even after chilling for a few hours as instructed). Second, the cookies spread out too thin and lost their shape (the one with red sprinkles-supposed to be a butterfly...does it look like one?). So I made a second batch, add 5 tbsp of flour and it was easier to work with (the one on the right). The thing is, they still turned out to be too eggy for the family and had no flavour.

Ingredients:

8 tbsp salted butter, melted

1 cup castor sugar

1 whole eggs + 2 egg yolks

2 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 tsp baking soda

a pinch of salt

Method

1. Beat butter and sugar until creamy. Add egg and egg yolks, beating well.

2. In a separate bowl, mix together flour, baking soda and salt. Gradually, add enough to the butter mixture to make a dough that holds together and can be rolled. Form the dough into 2 balls, wrap in foil and refrigerate for several hours.

3. When chilled, roll out thinly on a floured board.Cut into shape with cookie cutters and sprinkle with castor sugar. Place on a greased baking tray and bake for 10 minutes at 180C/360F until the cookies are golden.

So, where did I go wrong?

BISKUT SWEET DREAMS - resipi Chef Wan

2 kali percubaan dan kedua-dua kali nampaknya macam tak jadi sangat biskut ni. Kali pertama, doh tersangat lembut (walaupun dah disejukkan dalam peti beberapa jam). Kali kedua, Lynn tambah 5 sudu besar tepung. Dohnya boleh diterap, tapi rasa telur dalam biskut ni masih kuat untuk kami sekeluarga. Rasa tepungnya juga kuat. Mungkin ada yang tak kena, tapi memang Lynn ikut betul-betul resipi ni.

Bahan:

8 sudu besar butter (dalam 120g)

1 cwn gula kaster

1 telur + 2 kuning telur

2 cwn tepung serbaguna

1/2 sudu teh soda bikarbonat

secubit garam

Cara-cara:

1. Pukul butter dan gula hingga kembang. Masukkan telur dan kuning telur dan pukul sebati.

2. Dalam mangkuk lain, campurkan tepung, soda dan garam. Masukkan sedikit demi sedikit campuran tepung ke dalam adunan butter tadi sehingga menjadi doh. Bhagaikan menjadi 2 bahagian. Bungkus dengan kertas aluminium dan sejukkan beberapa jam.

3. Canaikan nipis dan bentukkan dengan acuan. Tabur gula kaster di atasnya dan bakar 10 minit 180C/360F sehingga biskut menjadi perang keemasan.

Mana silapnya?

CHEF WAN'S SWEET TREATS

2010-01-09T23:49:00.000-08:00

Another collection on my shelf, written by Chef Wan. A very successful qualified-accountant-turned-chef, he came into the limelight more than a decade ago on tv shows. He is an entertainer, actor, chef, celebrity and "the most flamboyant food ambassador" for the country.

What's in it? Tars & Pies, Muffins & Scones, Cheesecakes, Cookies, Bread, Cakes and Desserts. Pretty much covering all pastry items. Let's see how the recipies go. Perhaps we'll start with a cookie or two?

CLASSIC STARS DESSERT

2010-01-09T09:51:00.000-08:00

This book is not cheap (RM113.90 is not cheap to me...) and received mostly positive reviews (which made me curious and run to the nearest store to grab the book). Published in 2007, this book covers Emily Luchetti's favourite recipes. She is a famous pastry chef and creates mouth-watering desserts at two well renowned restaurants in the States, Farallon and Water Bar. You can check out her website in the link 'My Favourite list'.

Simple ingredients, easy-to-follow instructions. That's all I can say after going through the book. But let's see how the practical part goes, huh?

Buku ni amat berguna untuk mereka yang suka buat pencuci mulut. Banyak sekali resipi menarik. Penulisnya, Emily Luchetti memang seorang pastry chef yang glamer di US sana. Website nya ada dalam link 'My Favourite List'.

Sekali tengok nampak gaya macam simple isinya. Taklah payah sangat bahan-bahannya. Lynn terbaca juga komen positif tentang buku ni dalam majalah dan internet, jadi, walaupun harganya mahal, Lynn beli lah jugak (nak tambahkan koleksi buku kat rak tu). Nanti kita tengok, jadi ke tak resipinya...

CHOCOLATE GANACHE ... My Book

2010-01-08T05:21:00.000-08:00

RICH CHOCOLATE GANACHE

When I made the chocolate express cake the other day, I forgot to include the chocolate ganache recipe that I used to topped the cupcakes. So, here goes...

300g cooking chocolate (chopped into small pieces)

200g cream/whip cream 50g butter (soften)

You need to use a double boiler for this, or, stand a bowl on top of a pot with simmering water. The bottom of the bowl MUST not be touching the water in the pot as we do not want any direct heat. Warm cream in the bowl. Turn off the stove. Add 1/3 of the chocolate to the bowl and stir. Then add the rest of the chocolate and keep stirring until it becomes velvety smooth. Add butter and keep stirring until mix well. At this point, you can use the ganache to pour onto cakes or slices.

**When the ganache is cool at room temperature, it will be spreadable. You can also whip the ganache for a lighter creamier texture. You can also warm the cream in a microwave instead.

RESIPI COKLAT GANACHE

Resipi coklat ganache ini ialah resipi yang Lynn gunakan untuk topping kek coklat ekspress tempohari, Resipi ni memang lemak berkrim sebab mengandungi krim dan butter. Butter tu yang menjadikan ganache ni berkilat. Ada resipi yang menggunakan krim saja, atau butter saja, tapi bila guna keduanya lagi 'rich'.

300g coklat masakan (dicincang halus) 200g krim/krim putar 50g butter

Gunakan teknik 'double boil'. Letakkan mangkuk di atas periuk yang diisi air. Pastikan api tidak terlalu besar dan bahagian bawah mangkuk tak kena pada air dalam periuk. Tuang krim ke dalam mangkuk dan biarkan panas. Masukkan 1/3 coklat yang dicincang tadi, sambil kacau. Padam api. Letakkan coklat selebihnya. Kacau hingga coklat rata dan tekstur menjadi berkilat. Masukkan butter dan kacau hingga semua rata. Masa cair begini, coklat ni boleh dituang saja atas kek. Bila coklat ni dah sejuk, boleh disapu atas kek. Kalau kita pukul pula (whip) ganache ni akan jadi gebu. Jadi ikut sukalah bagaimana nak gunakan ganache ni. Nak ratah saja pun boleh. Dan krim tadi tu, boleh juga nak panaskan guna microwave. Selamat mencuba.

LAMB CHOP - My Book ... with blackpepper sauce

2010-01-06T01:19:00.000-08:00

GRILLED LAMB CHOP with mild black pepper sauce

It's my off day and the kids were expecting a feast for dinner..and they wanted something 'western' (oh dear)...and they wanted lamb chop (thank God it's easy). Got a few pieces of lamb shoulder and that would do. Finally, I needed to get a simple and fast recipe.

The thing is, lamb chops (loin cut) are more expensive than lamb shoulder. Lamb chops come from the loin, which is more tender than the shoulder. So we can say that the cuts of meat from the tender parts (or parts with less muscles) are the most expensive. However, some assume that eateries serving grilled lamb would normally use lamb chops but that is not always the case.

After thawing the lamb pieces (6), I boiled them for 30 minutes (add 1 tbsp sugar, 1 tsp salt, 1 tbsp soya sauce). Then, I marinated them (about 3 hours before grilling, in a ziplock bag)with :

2 tbsp hot bbq sauce (Knorr) 2 tbsp oyster sauce 1 tbsp chilli powder (or blended dried chilli) 1 tsp salt 1 tbsp sugar

Mild Blackpepper sauce

This is the way my kids love it. Not too overpowering with pepper.

1/2 cup demi glaze brown sauce (Knorr)

1 cup black pepper sauce in a bottle (use any brand)

1 tbsp oyster sauce

1 chopped onion + 1 chopped garlic (fry in a little oil till fragrant)

salt and sugar

500ml plain water

Mix all in a pot until the powder is dissolved. Heat the mixture on stove (keep stirring) until it thickens. The lambs can be grilled (I prefer grilling pan to ovens). Spread a little bit of butter on both sides of each piece. Grill hot for 5 minutes on each side (or until it is crusty brown outside). Serve with the sauce, fries and coleslaw.

LAMB CHOP & SOS BLACK PEPPER

Hari ini off day...jadi, semua dah tunggu apa Lynn nak masak special di rumah...sebab cuti lah kata...Untuk impress budak2 ni, Lynn cadang nak buat Lamb Chop dengan sos blackpepper...yg ekspress dan cepat. Tapi lamb shoulder saja ada dalam freezer..ok lah tu..boleh saja.

Lamb chop ni dijual lebih mahal berbanding dengan lamb shoulder oleh supplier frozen food. Ini kerana bahagian yang digunakan untuk lamb chop ialah antara bahagian yang paling kurang muscle (loin), jadi lembutlah dagingnya (tapi kolesterolnya tetap...aduhh..). Tapi ramai yang menyangka restoran yang menyediakan grilled lamb atau lamb chop menggunakan bahagian 'loin' tapi tak juga.

Untuk lamb, Lynn rebus 6 keping lamb shoulder selama 30 minit (tambah 1 sudu gula, 1 sudu teh garam, 1 sudu kicap manis). Lepas tu, perap kambing (3 jam sebelum dipanggang, dalam ziplock bag) dengan:

2 sudu besar sos bbq pedas (Knorr) 2 sudu besar sos tiram 1 sudu besar serbuk cili (atau cili kering blend) 1 sudu teh garam 1 sudu besar gula

Sos Blackpepper

Sos ni bau blackpeppernya tak kuat sangat jadi anak2 Lynn suka sangat.

1/2 cwn sos perang (Knorr...yang serbuk tu)

1 cwn sos lada hitam (dalam botol..apa2 brand pun ok)

1 sudu besar sos tiram

1 bawang besar + 1 ulas bawang putih (cincang dan tumis hingga wangi)

gula & garam

500ml air

Campur semua dalam periuk. Kacau hingga serbuk sos perang sebati. Jerang atas api sambil dikacau hingga pekat.

Lamb tadi disapu butter sedikit dan di panggang 5 minit tiap bahagian (Lynn suka kuali pemanggang -grilling pan- daripada oven). Kalau tak ada oven dan grilling pan, guna saja non-stick pan. Panggang hingga bahagian luarnya nampak garing sikit. Tuang sos di atas lamb, hidang bersama coleslaw dan fries.

EXPRESS CHOCOLATE CAKE/ KEK COKLAT EKSPRESS- My Book.......bilingual site?...local Asian food?

2010-01-05T02:02:00.000-08:00

EXPRESS CHOCOLATE CAKE

Someone suggested that I have the Malay translation for each recipe I write here. Google translation seemed a good option but the whole meaning of the post was ruined coz it was translated word by word, I guess. Translation seems a good idea. So perhaps I will include a translated version for all entries in future (also for the previous ones). And I would do that myself (no more google translation). And of course, I would also share my experiments in making local dishes.

I used this recipe for cupcakes. There was a small gathering at the cafe and we were given only a day to make the cupcakes. Easypeasy cupcakes indeed. No hassle and no mess.
Some cake recipes call for simple ingredients but the instructions can get pretty laborious sometimes. But this is for us who have little time but lots to cook...

Ingredients

180g flour 180g castor sugar 180 g butter

1 tsp baking powder 1/2 tsp soda bicarbonate 2/3 cup sour cream/yoghurt 40 g cocoa powder 2 eggs (large) 1 tsp vanilla

Preheat oven to 170C.

Mix all in a food processor for 2 minutes. (OR in mixer with whip beater, 5 minutes)

Bake for approximately 40 minutes (in an 8inch pan)or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. If making cupcakes, depending on the size of the cups, baking time is shorter. I baked mine for 18 minutes. Cool them. Then I topped them with chocolate ganache.

There you go. Isn't this time-saving?

KEK COKLAT EKSPRES

Di sini Lynn mahu berkongsi resipi kek coklat yang amat mudah sekali nak dibuat. kalau last minute perlukan kek, resipi inilah yang Lynn akan gunakan. Sebab itulah namanya kek coklat ekspress. Tak perlu langkah itu dan ini...masuk semua dalam food processor (blender pun boleh).

Bahan:

180g tepung kek 180g gula kaster/halus 180 g butter

1 sudu teh (tsp) serbuk penaik 1/2 (sudu teh soda bicarbonate

2/3 cwn krim masam 40 g serbuk koko 2 telur (AA) 1 sudu teh vanila

Panaskan oven 170C.

Masukkan semua ke dalam food processor selama 2 minit, atau mixer (gunakan whip beater) selama 5 minit.

Bakar dalam loyang bulat 8 inci selama 40 minit (atau bila lidi yang dimasukkan di tengah2 kek tidak basah).

Kalau gunakan paper liner atau souffle cup, Lynn biasanya bakar tidak begitu lama, dalam 18 minit. Itupun bergantung pada saiz dan kepanasan oven. Dah masak, sejukkan. Hias dengan ganache dan hiasan coklat lain. Walaupun kek ni kita pukul semua bahannya sekali, tapi hasilnya tetap lembut. Jangan pukul terlalu lama.

LEMON MERINGUE PIE...The Great Dessert Cookbook

2010-01-04T06:05:00.000-08:00

Lemon meringue pie is a 19th century product (so I was told). Since then, the recipe has spread and many variations have been produced. The combination of the sourness in the pie filling and the meringue topping is simply perfect.
This pie I made was divine. Wonderful sweet, sour filling with crispy and flaky crust holding it in. But my other half would prefer it to be less sweet (so I guess, you can reduce the sugar by 1/4 cup). Lemons are quite expensive here and they are not easy to be found at the local market (in fact, there were none at the market). So I had to go the supermarket and each costed me RM1. Earlier I thought of replacing the lemons with lime but on second thoughts, I fear that that it may affect the taste. Luckily, a friend told me not to replace the juice of lemon called for in this recipe (or any other recipe) with that of a lime, because limes contain more acid than lemons, thus, they are more sour. Thank God I didnt.

Recipe:

Pastry:

2 cups plain flour 1 tbsp lemon juice

pinch salt 185g (6oz) butter

1 tbsp icing sugar 1-2 tbsp water

Sift flour, salt and icing sugar into basin; chop butter roughly, add to dry ingredients, rub in thoroughly. Add lemon juice and sufficient water to combine ingredients. Press dough to form a smooth ball, refrigerate 30 minutes. Roll dough on lightly floured surface until large enough to fit 20/23 cm (8/9 inch) pie plate. Press pastry frimly down into plate, do not strect pastry, as this could cause shrinking during baking. Trim edges from pastry, pinch frill decoratively round edge of pastry with fingers. Prick base and sides of pastry thoroughly with a fork. This will stop pastry rising during cooking.

Bake in moderately hot oven (375F/190C), or until golden brown. Set aside until cold.

Lemon Filling:

4 tbsp plain flour 90g (3 oz) butter

4 tbsp cornflour 1 tbsp grated lemon rind

3/4 cup lemon juice 1 cup sugar

4 egg yolks 1 1/4 cups water

Combine sugar and sifted flours in saucepan. Stir in combined lemon juice and water gradually; add lemon rind. Place over medium heat, stir constantly until mixture boils and thickens. It is important that the mixture boils. Reduce heat, stir for further 2 minutes. Remove from heat, add butter and lightly-beaten egg yolks; stir, off heat, until butter is melted, set aside until cold.

Meringue:

4 egg whites pinch salt

2 tbsp water 3/4 cup castor sugar

Combine egg whites, water and salt in small basin of electric mixer, beat on high speed until soft peaks form; gradually add sugar, beat until sugar is dissolved.

Assembling pie:

Spread cold lemon filling into cold pastry case, top with meringue. Spread meringue to edge of pastry case to form a complete seal. Bake in moderate oven 5 to 10 minues, or until lightly browned. Cool; refrigerate for one hour before serving.

Note: 1 hour in the refrigerator is sufficient to set the filling firmly to ensure that it cuts well. Meringue toppings on pies do not take kindly to excess refrigeration and are inclined to 'weep' if left too long in the refrigerator.

Note: Before cutting the pie, dip the knife blade into hot water, or run it under the hot-water tap. This will ensure that the meringue cuts perfectly without pulling or clinging to the knife.

PAVLOVA - THE GREAT DESSERT COOKBOOK

2010-01-02T08:27:00.000-08:00

Whether u like it dry or gooey inside, you must try this recipe. It's worth the effort. This book gives you 4 types of pavlovas!

One-Egg Pavlova

Easy Two-Egg Pavlova

Classic Pavlova

Step-by-step to marshmallow Pavlova

With such clear and detailed instructions, you will not fail to get it right. My result is the picture above. This little pavlovas might be too sweet for the local taste but for me, they are just perfect. Well, they are meant to be sweet considering that they have mostly sugar and egg whites as the main ingredients. The thing about pavlovas or meringue is that you can have it dry throughout or goey and marsmallowy on the inside. I love both ways.

This book gives you the variety of recipes and techniques for making pavlova. Worth trying.

CLASSIC PAVLOVA

3 egg whites

1/4 cup granulated sugar

1 tbsp conrflour

pinch salt

1 teaspoon lemon juice

3/4 cup caster sugar

Beat egg whites and salt until soft peak form; add caster sugar gradually, beating well after each addition. Make sure sugar is completely dissolved. Mix together granulated sugar and cornflour, lightly fold into meringue with lemon juice. Spread on prepared tray.

This mixture makes one 23cm (9") pavlova or 4 small individual shells.

Baking in Electric Oven: Large Pavlova: bake in slow oven (140-150C) 30-40 mins, cool in oven. Small Pavlovas: bake as for large pavlovas.

Simple. The result? Perfect and delicious. See picture above.

CHOUX PASTRY - THE GREAT DESSERT COOKBOOK

2009-12-31T23:55:00.000-08:00

I got this book from ebay, for less than $5. Published in 1974, edited by Ellen Sinclair. Not much can be read about this person, but she is the editor for most of the Australian Women's Weekly cookbooks and a renowned food writer in her times.

I figured that I must try the Choux Pastry coz it seemed simple. So I did. And the result?

Lovely golden brown babies puffing up in the oven...and below...just before serving..

The instructions were pretty easy and accurate. My cream puffs and eclairs were a hit at the table. And the good thing was, I could store the little puffs in an air-tight container, to be filled with cream the following day (only for the eclairs because they have been baked dry and crispy). Excellent recipe, but for the filling, I did not use cream. I made a simple pastry cream that can be chilled for a few days.

Any first-timer in making choux pastry will surely not be disappointed.

CHOUX PASTRY

1 cup water 60g butter 1 cup plain flour 3 eggs (large) pinch salt

Instructions:

Sift flour (I didn't coz I used cake flour). Put water, butter and salt in saucepan. Bring to boil, stirring until all butter has melted. Add flour all at once. Stir vigorously with wooden spoon until mixture is thick. When mixture leaves sides of saucepan and forms a smooth ball, remove pan from heat; cool. Add whole eggs one at a time. Beat in first egg at low speed then add another egg. Proceed in the same way until the three eggs have been beaten in. When using electric mixer, it may be necessary to beat in an extra egg yolk (I didn't). Don't over-beat; if mixture climbs up on beaters, turn off mixer, scrape down, beat again.

For cream puffs: Preheat oven to hot (in this book, hot = 400-450F or 200-230C). I set my oven at 220C. Pipe into rounds on trays (lined with parchment paper). Allow 2 inches space in between. Bake for 10 minutes. reduce heat to moderate (380F or 180C), and bake further 20 minutes or until puffs are golden and feel light in the hand).

Split puffs and scoop any uncooked mixture from inside (I didnt as there wasn't much mixture in each). Cool. Fill with cream. Drizzle with melted chocolate.

For the elcairs: Pipe using plain tube (1/2 in.). Bake in hot oven for 10 minutes, then reduce to 160C and bake for another 45 minutes. The eclairs will be crispy throughout. Cool and fill with cream. I also use fresh strawberries and peaches in between. Pour melted chocolate on top of each eclair.

Definitely easy and delicious.

PROFESSIONAL BAKING .... & HAPPY NEW YEAR

2009-12-31T07:27:00.000-08:00

Happy new year...to myself...and to all the cooks out there...and anyone reading this. 1/2 hour more to go and it's a new calendar. My new year's resolution(s)? Got a few...

1. Read more

2. Try out more recipes

3. Invent new dishes for the cafe

4. Save more, spend less

5. Stop procrastinating

6. Be good (that covers all, I guess)

Being a cook has always been a joy to me...although it can be dirty, rigorous and sweaty at the same time. But the fascination for food I've had since a child (thanks to my mom, who happens to be one great cook and a mentor in my life) is so overwhelming that I find my day incomplete without cooking a dish or two (even during vacation, we would try to find an apartment with kitchen equipment enough to fry something and make a simple pudding-a stove and a microwave oven). I have no formal training from any renowned culinary school (Le Cordon Bleu? How I wish....) but I went for short classes and courses to equip myself with all the skills and knowledge needed to run the cafe kitchen...and self-taught as well.

When I say self-taught, I meant learning from printed recipes and professional culinary books. And not all the printed recipes and cooking guidelines out there produce real results that can make your day! That is why some books are a hit, while others are like *hit (mind my bad language but I find it really frustrating when I bought a book that fails me). The main reason for me being here is to record all the possible mistakes, failures and success in my attempt to experiment with the already printed and recorded recipes from the plethora of cookbooks in the market, internet, magazines etc. You can say that my lack of culinary skills contributes to my failure in my attempt to get the recipe done the right way, but how many people out there, who are buying cookbooks or trying out online recipes, have good cooking and culinary skills? Many women buy cookbooks because they don't have the knowledge in the first place, but imagine their frustration when they fail after a few try-outs. Definitely demotivating...

So this can also be a good place to comment and critic (positively, I mean) cookbooks. The only problem is that my camera is still being repaired so, I wont be able to include pics of the result (unless I get to borrow from someone).

Many good cookbooks are printed in English. I have searched for some reference in my own mother tongue, but to no avail. At the moment, I am reading...

'Professional Baking 5th edition'. Wiley. 2009.

Like what others say, this book is 'a timeless professional baking reference'. And true, it certainly is. Funny, I tried to search for Gisslen's background online but none to be found. This book has made learning about baking ingredients and baking rules pretty easy. But I have yet to try out the recipes included. Hope Gisslen wouldn't mind his book being used here. And I hope that along this journey, I will get the blessing from all the writers of the cookbooks involved...Happy New Year!!!