Inside nyanya's kitchen

Banana Nutella Cake

2011-11-06T19:24:00.003+02:00

.. or muffin...
Trying to do a litle bit different on the banana cake, I decided to use some of my husband's Nutella and see how it goes. Verdict: Very soft texture. Taste wise, amazingly it didn't taste much of the nutella. More on the banana. I guess it enhance the banana taste. But it's yummy and this recipe is a keeper :D

Ingredients:
2 cups flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup Nutella
1/3-1/2 cup mashed banana
56gm butter, softened
1/4 cup buttermilk
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla

Preparation:
- Pre-heat oven at 160-180C and grease baking pan/muffin tin
- In a bowl, mix together flour, baking powder and sugar
- In a mixing bowl, beat butter, egg, mashed banana, Nutella, vanilla and buttermilk.
- Add in the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients
- Pour mixture into the baking pan, bake until the tester came out clean

Spiced up Roasted Cashews

2011-10-23T23:47:00.002+03:00

Ever want to have something more than salted roasted cashews? Try this Spiced up Roasted Cashews. It has a mix of spicy, sweet and salted. Really brings a new flavor to the dull salted cashews.

Adapted from Betty's Kitchen.

Ingredients:
2 cups salted cashews
1/8 cup sugar
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
1/8 teaspoon red pepper (put more if you like em hotter)
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 tablespoons sugar (optional, I didn't put it)

Long time no see!

2011-10-21T11:00:00.000+03:00

Waahhoooo!!! I have been slacking in the kitchen lately. But still I cooked up some stuff. Just that I'm lazy to blog about it HAHAHAHABut I think that my macarons class at Mmmmh couple of weeks ago worth to put on this blog. I just need to get the pictures uploaded and that would take time LOLBut don't go anywhere, stay tune and I'll be back :DXOXO

Ninja House - Brussels

2011-09-29T23:57:00.001+03:00

I saw this place with big sign outside saying 'Sushi et Grillades A Volonté'. Translated to All-you-can-eat Sushi and grills'. Yay!! This is my kinda place. It's called Ninja House and it's located near St. Catherine in the heart of Brussels city.I decided to try this place and see what's going on.This place used to be a Chinese restaurant because they still have one signboard outside that says it is a chinese restaurant. And yes, I passed by this place quiet sometime and I always thought it is a chinese restaurant.So I went here for the lunch all you can eat. The price is 17.90 Euros per person. I was expecting a buffet type where there is all you can take kinda thing, hahahaha. But, this place has the ordering system. Which is good because having sushi and raw fish on the buffet spread is not that nice.

What is the system then?1. You can stay up till 2 hours. - Hahaha So don't think you can stay the whole afternoon there and keep ordering. I wonder how they track this and kick out campers.2. You can order up to 5 times only - On the order sheet, you have 5 columns. Each time you've ordered, the column will be striked out. So when you strike 5, out you go!!!3. You cannot order (using the next column) before your current order has not arrived yet - Woohooo... So don't think that you can merge the columns hahaha. But I wonder if there is a timeframe where you can order and put that order in the current column. HHmmmm4. You must finished what you've ordered - This is to avoid people to happily picking up things from the list and then do not want to eat them. I think the count is 1 euro per sushi left and 2 euros per warm food left.So those are the things that I can remember. Anyway, the system and rules are on the menu in 3 different languages. So don't tell me that you don't know! Boo yah!

The verdict:The place: I went there at lunch time and it's not that busy. So my order came in quite fast. You can see the people in the kitchen (I mean just their heads), but it looks like they have a big kitchen and a lot of workers. It's a big restaurant, with 2 floors. No worries about getting a table here I think.The sushi: I took makis and sushis. For sashimi you need to add 4 euros extra. The sushis are good. I had my favorites: the salmon, the tuna, the tofu skin (inari), the one with fish roe. It's pretty decent I would say. I suspect that they have prepared some of the sushi beforehand, but I didn't detect any coldness. Everything melts in your mouth and between your teeth. So it's good.The warm food: I took the teriyaki salmon. It's really nice. At first look, I was a bit disappointed with the size. But then, I think you can't have it too big in 1 serving. If you like it first time, then order double portion at the next order.The surprise: The lunch comes with ice cream as dessert. I didn't know about this. I was about to go, then the waiter told me that I must stay for the ice cream hahahahaha. Oh well. So you get 1 scoop of ice cream from the choice of either vanilla, coconut, chocolate, black sesame and green tea. I went for the authentic green tea :-)Overall, I think this is a pretty decent all you can eat sushi place. For a sushi place in the middle of Brussels, I don't think this is expensive. The price is about right. I could go back to this place and also invite other people to go there.

Simple Afternoon Lunch

2011-09-23T13:19:00.003+03:00

Instructed to stay home and rest by doctor since Tuesday afternoon, I've been diligently following the instruction. Nevertheless, I didn't know that the week is this long even though you are not at work hahahaha.... Seriously, I have not been outside since Tuesday afternoon. Sheeeshhh... But on the other hand, I slept as much as I could. I don't know if this is because of the viral infection or because I haven't had lazy days for some time hehehhe....

Anyway, it's Friday and I'm feeling better. I woke up this morning, without stucked nose. Everything cleared I would say. But I would take 1 day more to rest. But being me, I can't just sit around, and I think it's time for me to open up the kitchen.

Looking at what's left in the fridge, I found the Phyllo sheets, butter and goat cheese with honey. OK. Time to wrap up some phyllo I guess.

Then I saw a box of Francine Crepe mix. Oh well, why not.

So here we are, 1 hour later :

Izaka-ya - Chaussee de Vleurgat, Brussels

2011-09-18T17:48:00.002+03:00

Authentic japanese restaurant near where I work.
I like to go to this place because when someone walks in, they staff will yell "irrasshaimase". Hehehehe... I like that so much! Their lunch bento provides the best possible combination and it's only 10 euros with free-flow hot tea.

The best is to sit at the counter and watch the staff work. Usually they are busy preparing the order, or preparing the evening menu.

Usually bento are sold out by 12:30. So you need to come really early, especially on Thursdays where bento contains maki and nigiri. Otherwise, you can order from the menu. My favorite in the menu is the mix sashimi (tuna and salmon). You will also get a bowl of soup, 3 condiments and a bowl of rice.

Itadaki-masu!

Snek Enak MAMEE

2011-09-17T22:45:00.003+03:00

This is one of the childhood snacks that I can never get tired of.
Each time I'm back from Malaysia, my suitcase will be full of these packs till the brim!

So what does it look like? It's a ready-to-eat noodles! Yay!!! :D

What's going on???!!!!

2011-09-14T20:49:00.000+03:00

Gah!!! No recent post?
One thing after the crazy baking for the Eid, I haven't done any baking. I think I had too much of sugar and butter, so need to tone down it a bit.

As for some food reviews, I think I have some backlogs somewhere. I still need to do the sushi place that I went sometime for lunch. Then, my mom arrived in Europe with lotsa Malaysian goodies :D Yay!!!! Thank you, mommy!

Stay tune, and more things to come, I promise :D

Asian Home Gourmet - Peanut Sauce Mix

2011-08-21T15:15:00.002+03:00

Straightaway I'd say this is a big miss. While it gives a good aroma when cooking, but the taste is lacking something. I think it missed the hotness. Yes, it comes from someone who doesn't like to eat spicy stuff. Inside is the peanut powder, and you need to add a half cup water and a tablespoon of sugar (a spoonful of sugar makes the medicine goes dowwwn.... ok side tracked here LOL).

So what did you get with a reduced half cup of water? Even less than a half cup. Not only the taste is minimal, but the quantity as well. It's a serving for half person LOL. So you can see that the sauce is hardly 1 spoon deep. huhuhuuhu

I ate this sauce with mini spring rolls. Yes I love to dip spring rolls into peanut sauce. It wasn't enough for me huhuhu... I even licked the bowl hahahaha....

So if you want to try peanut sauce for the first time, you can use this packet. It's a safe bet. Nothing can go wrong. But if you are thinking to have more than enough, then maybe go for 2 packets. I've yet to try the dutch/indonesian instant peanut mix. Perhaps I'll try them and compare with this one.

Coulis de Prunes/Prunes coulis

2011-08-21T15:10:00.002+03:00

I've got some prunes left from the tart, so I've decided to make a coulis (jam?). It's really great to use this coulis on top of anything that has not much taste, like natural yoghurt :D

Just add sugar and reduce the juice...

Finally I can use one of the many empty jam jars in the house :D

Asian Home Gourmet - Mee Goreng

2011-08-21T14:59:00.002+03:00

Last time I used Go-Tan Bami Goreng paste. This time I thought I give Asian Home Gourmet a try. I did it with the same ingredient as Go-Tan's, with chicken liver (By now you know that I like chicken liver hehehe).

The taste? I can't remember exactly how Go-Tan's mee goreng, but I would say it's the same as Asian Home Gourmet's. There is no distinct difference that I can pinpoint easily. So basically both are safe bet, and can be used. It's your choice :-) Only that with half bottle of Go-Tan, I cooked the same amount of noodle (150g) as 1 packet of Asian Home Gourmet's. So I think if you want to cook for only 150g noodles, then go for the packet, but if you are going to cook for 300g noodles, than you need 1 bottle of Go-Tan's Bami goreng :D

Tarte aux prunes/Prunes tart

2011-08-21T14:52:00.002+03:00

Easiest and yummy dessert in the whole world :D
I bought a ready-made tart base, and cut the prunes, arrange them, throw in some sugar... into the oven.
Some fruits like prunes may contain a lot of water, when bake it oozes out a lot of juice. So the best is to pre-cook your tart base (Cuire à blanc, in french). Like this you can preserve the crispy base.

Bon appetit!

Daifuku - Part 2

2011-08-20T20:39:00.003+03:00

Last time I posted ice cream daifuku. This time I got myself a treat... :D
The traditional daifuku with fillings. Most popular fillings are read bean paste, strawberry, taro and peanut.
I went for a mix pack.... Hehehehe :D

So we have sesame coated, starch coated and peanut coated.

Both sesame coated and starch coated are with red bean filling.

The peanut coated are with peanut paste filling.

Don't be fooled with these cuties... I can only eat them 2 at a time (Yeah I thought I could wallop those 6 in one go LOL). However, they are divine. I'm sure there are other version which are great, like it's not come in a pack and freshly made.. Anyway, I'm settling for this, and not going anywhere.. these are mine! :D

Daifuku Ice cream ^^

2011-08-11T06:52:00.002+03:00

I love my trip to Nagomi's shop, because I can always find cute things to buy (and eat). Remember the Edamame snack? *^^*

These pictures have been taken some time ago. Even on rainy windy Brussels weather I love the japanese ice cream. This one in particular is daifuku ice cream.

What is daifuku? Well, just ask the googly lord or saint wiki, and you'll see what I'm referrring to.
But if you want to stick to my description, here it goes.
Daifuku is a japanese dessert made of glutinous rice flour with fillings. It has a chewy texture and the fillings can varies. For example, this one has milk ice cream as fillings. Usually each daifuku is covered with thin layer of starch (corn flour) to avoid sticking (to fingers or spoon or fork).

Have you had daifuku ice cream before? Or normal daifuku? What is your favorite fillings?

2-pack Daifuku ice-cream for only 1,50€
It has so many things written on the cover, and I don't know what it means LOL I went to the website address written on the cover.
Go there for some crazy yummy Japanese ice cream and some funny comercials.

Inside you have 2 daifuku and a plastic fork

Pick the daifuku using the plastic fork given. The daifuku must be frozen (more like the ice cream inside must be frozen). Otherwise it's too soft then you need to eat using the spoon.

Yummers!

Pastry, Patisserie, Cake, Gateau - What's your fav?

2011-08-03T06:26:00.003+03:00

I'm not a sweet tooth person. I think that's why I can still keep myself calm whenever I stepped into a bakery or patisserie in Europe. My significant other is a sweet tooth person and sweet as sugar too *^^* I think it is safe for him that he doesn't have someone else hogging over his desserts.

However, after few years living in the well-known patisserie country, I have acquired some sweetness in my mouth. I enjoyed the tart taste of rhubarb pie, the refine chocolate taste. I can easily distinguish a good chocolate (less sugar, more chocolate) compared to chocolate (with lotsa sugar, less chocolate). Not to mention that now I love to bake! But I still have problem to eat creams, like buttercream, and crème patissière.

As much as we have abundant desserts here in France and Belgium, I still prefer the non-Europan cake. I like the birthday cake that we have in Malaysia. You know the one with 2 layer sponge cake, and frosted with buttercream (not too much). The most important for me is the ratio between the cake and the cream. The problem I have with most french gateaux is that they have thin layer(s) of cake (which is called genoise or biscuit), and loads of creams. It's just too sweet and mushy. Can't they make a thicker genoise?

I have been putting off to try making choux pastry, e.g.eclairs and paris brest. This is because of the amount of cream that i have to prepare, and I am not a fan for that. But I must try making it as it's someone's fav huhu
On this topic, did you know that by default, eclair au chocolat in Belgian has vanilla crème inside it, instead of chocolate? It drove us nuts when we saw that the eclair has chocolat on the top, but vanilla fillings. It's just wrong! I asked my Belgian friend and he said that it's just too much to have the chocolate filling... Tsk tsk tsk... Whereas in France, by default, eclair au chocolat has chocolat filling.

My favorite dessert is crème brulée. It's lucky that I do not have a kitchen torch. Otherwise, I'll be making crème brulée all day! (that rhymes). What's yours?

Baile Átha Cliath Weekend Getaway

2011-08-02T06:45:00.001+03:00

Last weekend I went to Dublin. I don't know what is the real reason I'm going there hahahaha But I think the little travel bug in me asked me to bring it somewhere. I've ended up doing shopping and eating.. a lot hahahaha

Some of the places I've been to and highly recommend if you happen to be in Dublin (not in any particular order:
Elephant & Castle
Koh
Nyonya Malaysian Restaurant
Penang Malaysian Restaurant
Any nice coffee place

Triangles aux brébis de Salakis

2011-07-28T23:00:00.000+03:00

Après un test avec des feuilles de brick, j'ai encore 3 feuilles de bricks dans mon frigo. Que vais-je faire avec?
Traditionnellement, les feuilles sont utilisées pour faire des triangles ou des pastillas. J'ai trouvé beaucoup de vidéo sur Internet sur les triangles de la brick et la façon de réaliser ces petites merveilles. C'est facile! Vous pouvez mettre ce que vous voulez dans le triangle, cela dépend de votre créativité! iiii
Et moi, j'ai mis le fromage de chèvre et des omelettes ^^ Résultat: Ils sont très très bons. Légèr et délicieux.

In English:
After a test with the phyllo sheets, I still have 3 sheets left in my fridge. What will I do with them?
Traditionally, the sheets are used for stuffed triangles or pastillas. I've found many videos on the Internet on how to make the triangles and the way to do this marvelous little things. It's easy actually! You can put whatever that you like as the filling, and it all depends on your creativity!!! heheheh
And me, I've chosen the goat cheese and omelette ^^ The result: They are really really good. Light and delicious.

Ingredients:
- Omelette
- Goat cheese (add some olives oil and salt and pepper)
- Phyllo sheets
- Melted butter

Preparation:
- Prepare the omelette (cut into smaller pieces)
- Prepare the goat cheese
- Cut the round phyllo sheet into 2, to get a half-circle sheet
- Spread some melted butter on the sheet
- Add the filling
- Follow the instruction on how to fold the sheet into triangle
- Pop the triangles into a pre-heated oven
- Bake until triangles turn brown

Time to eat!!!!!!!!!

Great dinner/snack/party food

Edamame - Salted Soybean Snack

2011-07-27T11:20:00.000+03:00

Well-known japanese snack. I bought this frozen snack from the Japanese store near where I work.
At first it was kinda wierd to eat them, but after awhile it becomes addictive and I get the idea how to eat them.
You have to squeeze slowly the skin so that the first bean pops up, then pop it into your mouth. As said on the packaging, that it is salted. I was scared that it's going to be too salty. But it's not. It has the right amount of salt. But it makes you thirsty anyway :D

It's a beauty:

Frozen edamame:

Thawed edamame:

Warm them in the microwave for about between 4-6 minutes:

Great snack in front of the telly :D

Yummers

2011-07-27T10:00:00.000+03:00

Angelina - Paris

2011-07-24T16:13:00.002+03:00

Yummy!!!! If you like french pastries... indulge yourself here. OK sometimes the usual mamie's pattiseries can be even better. But once in a while, dining in this chic salon de thé with nice decor doesn't hurt :D

You need to come here at the right time to avoid the queue. The one at rue de Rivoli in particular because of the location (tourist area). We were lucky enough to come at the right time :D It helps also that we were only 2. Apparently they have small tables in the salon.

I had the Fraises. I didn't know that it's Verrine de fraises. I was expecting a cake similar to fraisier. But the description is a bit deceiving:
Fraises
Brioche toastée, crème brûlée à la vanille Bourbon, purée de mara des bois, fraises fraîches, petits sablés

The petits sablés is really petit.. LOL

Nevertheless you cannot go wrong with the patisseries here. My friend took the millefeuille.. it's high and very yummy. I know I am such a pig that I ate also half of my friend's millefeuille. Shame on me hhuhuhu

Move away Macarons, here comes Macalons :D

Paris Outing

2011-07-24T15:27:00.000+03:00

What I like in most European cities including Paris is the hidden gems.
Paris hides so many interesting places. It's not only about Eiffel Tower and Louis Vuitton stores. I appreciate my friend's willingness to show me this place.
I didn't bring my cam, so I took only with my iphone. Next time I'll take pictures of other stalls in this market.

Croustillant aux pommes

2011-07-24T15:04:00.000+03:00

An experiment in the kitchen :D

This is my first time using phyllo/filo sheets. In french it is called 'Brick' hihihihi
This pastry sheet typically used in the Middle eastern cuisine and dessert (such as baklava) and in some Greek cuisine (with feta cheese filling). This is the equivalent to Asian's spring roll wrap.

I've decided to experiment this using a simple caramelized apples. There are 2 ways of cooking this. It's either bake in the oven or fried in a pan with a little bit of pan. Of course, the best is if you fry them :/

Anyway, I tried to do the same as the dessert that we had in a pattiserie in Nancy.
Usually you make it like samossa (triangle shape with fillings).
But the dessert we had in Nancy was in a cup shape. So I thought by baking it in the cupcake molds is the way to go.

First, dice the apples (I used Golden apples). Then in a pan, add 25g butter, the diced apples, 1 tbsp sugar, 1tsp ground cinnamon. Of course you can add more if you like to have stronger taste.

Then, cut the phyllo into 4. Usually phyllo sheets came in round shape. So what I did is cut it into 4. Melt 25g butter with a bit of sugar. Spread the butter on each side of the pastry.

Line the muffin cups with the phyllo sheet and stuff with the caramelized apples.

Bake for 8-10 mins until the pastry is brown.

Verdict:
- When it's cool, the phyllo tend to get soft and soggy at the bottom. Perhaps I need to put almond flour at the bottom so that it can absorb the liquid from the apple. This only happens if you bake I think. I don't think you have this soggy issue if you make it into triangle and fry them.

- Nevertheless, I transferred them onto muffin paper cups and when we want to eat it, we popped them into the oven for some 10 minutes. It's yummy and great with a scoop of vanilla ice cream :D

Blueberries Buttermilk Milk Cake

2011-07-24T14:47:00.000+03:00

I like the blueberries buttermilk cake last time that I decided to do it again. But this time I had it from another source and the original recipe is for muffins. Since I am not a patient person, I decided to just make it in a cake pan.
My biggest issue when I bake is that I do not know what size of pan that I need.
For example, this recipe give a mixture which is as full as the mixing bowl. So I went for my biggest round baking pan (don't ask me the size, I can't remember LOL) Anyway, it turns out that if I use a smaller pan, it will make it better. I like to have high cake.

Nevertheless, it tastes yummy. I think yummier than last recipe. But the difference is that the earlier blueberries cake has lemon zest. This is one doesn't.

Just like the cocoa buttermilk cake, this cake is even yummier after 2-3 days in the fridge. You need to keep it in the fridge because of the blueberries and the moist.

Ingredients:
3 1/4 cups flour
1 1/4 cups sugar
1 tbsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp baking soda
6 tbsp butter, melted
1/4 cup canola oil
2 eggs
1 cup buttermilk
1 tsp vainlla
1 tsp almond extract
2 cups bberies frozen
- pre-heat oven 300
- 12 cups
- flour, sugar, baking powder, salt and baking soda
- whisk butter, oil. Add in eggs then buttermilk, milk, vanilla and almond extracts
- Mix into flour mixture
- Add blueberries
-Bake 15-20 mins, tester comes out clean

Cocoa Buttermilk Cake

2011-07-24T11:27:00.000+03:00

If you are looking for a chocolate cake. This is it!!!
I didn't do any icing or frosting on it, but it would be even more delicious if there is chocolate ganash on top.

The original recipe is a buttermilk bundt cake. Indeed, it would be even better if it has a bundt shape... Maybe one day I'll get a nice bundt baking pan :D
I've added chocolate sprinkes in the mixture as well as on top the cake. You can see the sprinkes a bit inside the cake and star sprinkles on top. They give the cake a bit of charm :P

Apparently, the cake is even better after 2-3 days.

Ingredients:
160 ml buttermilk
150 g butter
120 g sugar
50 g almond flour
150 g flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda
4 tbsp cocoa powder
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla essence (original recipe uses vanilla pod)

Preparation:
Preheat oven to 160 C. Beat butter and sugar with an electric mixer until pale.
Add eggs one by one then vanila and whisk to combine.
Add the butter mixture to the flour, almond flour, bicarbonate of soda and baking powder and stir to combine.
Spoon the mixture into a 24 cm tin and bake for about 30-35 min or until skewer comes out clean.
Let it cool in the tin.

Spring rolls

2011-07-17T17:47:00.003+03:00

Another asian treat this week! Wow! This is something.. I don't usually do asian food, but when I have the motivation, nothing can stop me! LOL

These are the small size and there is instruction at the back as to how to fold the spring rolls :D

Clafoutis aux cerises (Cherries clafoutis/flan)

2011-07-17T17:33:00.002+03:00

I pitted cherries on my own!!! I got this tip from a foodie blog. By using the piping tip :D Really easy hehhe Just be careful of the cherries juice tho.

Ingredients:
100gm flour
30gm almond powder
3 eggs
125ml liquid cream
90gm sugar
125ml milk
400gm fresh cherries
1 sachet vanilla sugar

Preparation:
- Pre-heat oven 180C. Butter the mould and dust with flour
- In a bowl, mix together flour, almond powder, sugar and vanilla sugar
- Make a hole in the middle and mix in eggs, one by one
- Add cream and milk
- Leave it aside
- Pit the cherries, then put the cherries in the mould
- Pour the batter
- Bake in the oven for about 25-35 minutes, until tester comes out clean
- Dust with icing sugar

Yummy!

Shin Ramyun - Korean Hot and Spicy Noodles

2011-07-16T14:26:00.003+03:00

If you eat this, make sure that you have a box of tissue and a big bottle of water.. LOL
This noodle never fail to surprise me with the spiciness. I am not a big fan of spicy food, but this one always a dear to me.
It came with a sachet of the hotness powder for the soup and a sachet of dried vegies flakes (looks like there are some carrots, spring onions and chillies)

This time with poached egg :D

Go-Tan Bami Goreng Paste

2011-07-16T13:21:00.003+03:00

Miam miam :D Easy peasy way to make mee goreng.

Blueberries Buttermilk Cake

2011-07-14T12:29:00.003+03:00

This cake is so good that I've forgotten to put the recipe on .. Oppsss.. Ma bad ^^
It is a very easy recipe and fast to prepare. I think this cake is a cross between pound cake and cakey cheese cake. It's moist in the inside and dry around it. But be careful, moist cakes do not stand heat, so if you want to keep this cake for more than 2 days, then it needs to be kept in the fridge.

Here's the recipe....Originally from Epicurious.com with some tweaks :-)
Ingredients:
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 tbsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
1 cup sugar
3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
3 large eggs
1 tbsp grated orange peel
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup buttermilk
2 cups frozen blueberries

Preparation:
- Pre-heat oven to 180C. Butter and flour cake pan
- Whisk flour, baking powder, salt in medium bowl
- Using electric mixer, beat sugar, butter until light and fluffy
- Beat in eggs, 1 at a time
- Beat in orange peel and vanilla
- Beat in dry ingredients in 3 additions alternately with the buttermilk
- Fold in te frozen blueberries
- Pour batter in the baking pan and bake until the tester cames out clean

Note: You do not need to thaw the frozen blueberries. I used semi-thawed blueberries just to be sure that it is easy to fold them in the batter and also that I don't have cold ingredients in room temperature batter.

Yummmyyyyy

Green (Pandan) Coconut Muffins

2011-07-01T00:01:00.002+03:00

This is an easy muffin recipe and it gives muffin a touch of Asia :D

In Asian cuisine, if it is green then it can contain either pandan extract or matcha (green tea). In south east asian particularly, the green came from pandan extract. Pandan or the pandanus leaves are usually blended with a bit of water and strained to get the juice/water. Nowadays we do not need to do that because pandan extract (just like vanilla extract) is readily available in little bottle sold in Asian stores.

I've found this simple recipe from this website.

I just copy paste the recipe here.

Ingredients :
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1/2 cup sugar
3 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp Pandan extract
1 egg
70 ml cooking oil
90 ml coconut milk
150 ml water
6 muffin cups

Method :
1) Preheat oven to 375F. Line paper cups on a muffin tray, set aside.
2) In a bowl, lightly beat the eggs, add water, coconut milk, oil, pandan extract, salt, sugar, baking powder and mix well.
3) Sieve the flour, and slowly pour into the mixture, mix well, and set aside.
4) Scoop the muffin mixture onto the muffin cups until 2/3 full.
5) Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until a light brown crust appear or cracks out of the muffin top.

Begedil - Potatoes Meat Patties

2011-06-20T23:08:00.004+03:00

This is my dear husband's favorite Malaysian dish. We have some potatoes left from the blanquette last week, so I decided to make the begedil. It's easy but I don't like the frying part. I try to restrict eating fried food at home.

Usually the begedils are the side dish for another Malaysian food, Soto.
Soto comprises of packed rice cubes serve in chicken clear soup, and eaten with side dishes like the begedils, fried vermicelli, and dash of spicy soy sauce.

In order to do this, you need mashed potatoes (from boiled or steamed potatoes), some mince meat, salt and pepper. You can also add some herbs like chopped spring onions or chopped coriander leaves. My hubby likes them simple :D

Then, divide the mixture into flat balls.

Heat oil in pan to make a deep fry.
Then, dunk the patties into beaten egg, then pat them in a flour-maizena mix.
Fry them until brown.

My husband said that these begedils are best eaten the next day ^^

Strawberry Jam Cake

2011-06-20T10:16:00.004+03:00

Somehow I had the desire to bake something using strawberry jam. I don't know where I got that idea, but nevertheless, after googling, I found some nice sour cream cake. Basically it uses the pound cake recipe or sour cream cake recipe or yoghurt cake recipe and adds some jam or preserves in it.

I chose the Blueberry Sour Cream Coffee Cake recipe as I think it is simple and looks delicious :D

This recipe uses sour cream. As it was Sunday and I do not have sour cream nor yoghurt, so I substituted the sour cream with same amount of milk+1tablespoon of lemon juice.

Ingredients:
2 cups (256g) all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 sticks (1/2 pound) (226g) unsalted butter, softened
1 1/2 cups (300g) granulated sugar
2 large eggs, at room temperature, lightly beaten
1 cup (240ml) sour cream (I used 240ml milk + 1 tablespoon of lemon juice)
1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
3/4 cup blueberry preserves (I used 3-4 tablespoon of strawberry jam)

Preparation:
1.Preheat the oven to 180°C. Butter and flour baking pan. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt. In a large bowl, beat the butter until creamy. Add the granulated sugar and beat until fluffy. Beat in the eggs, sour cream and vanilla. Beat in the dry ingredients just until incorporated.

2.Spread all but 1/2 cup of the batter into the prepared pan. Using the back of a spoon, make a trough in the batter, all the way around the pan. Mix the 3/4 cup of blueberry preserves with the reserved batter and spoon it into the trough.

3.Bake the cake for about 1 hour, or until it begins to pull away from the pan and a skewer inserted in the center comes out clean. Let the cake cool in the pan for 15 minutes. Invert the cake onto a wire rack, remove the pan and let cool completely.

Enjoy with tea or coffee :D

Mee goreng - Asian gourmet

2011-06-19T01:20:00.002+03:00

I've found the mee goreng (fried noodles) spices at home and decided to cook up something.
I used also indonesian dried egg noodles. Both the spices and the noodles have been sitting on the shelves for some time hehhehe
Very quick and yummy food :D

Best chicken wings evaaaaaa

2011-06-15T22:32:00.003+03:00

OK, I'm saying that because I was hungry ^^

Since my dukan diet, I've discovered the pleasure of grilled chicken wings. It's part of my pure protein meal which is now becoming my staple meal. I hope that I did not develop allergy to it as Mr. Shrimp did to me huhuhuhu.

Things I added to these marvelous parts of chickens are:
Paprika, Salt, Pepper, Tandoori spice, Ground coriander, Celeri salt, Dried rosemary, Curcuma.
Sometimes I added bit of honey, or soy sauce.
Most important is..... no oil ^^

If only I could grill these wings on hot charcoals grill... Mmmmm yummaaayyy (I'm a sucker for bbq)

As for my Amour, des pommes de terre sauté avec des omelettes :D

Bon appetito!

New Addition - Mickey Hand Whisk

2011-06-05T21:26:00.002+03:00

Hey look!! New addition to Nyanya's kitchen.
After the tinkerbell's bowl, here comes the mickey's head hand whisk :D
It has Disney word engraved at the ring and the mickey's head is actually heavy.

On what will I use this magical Mickey whisk? Hhmmm....

Fluffy Pancake

2011-05-22T14:39:00.002+03:00

Even without honey or maple syrup, these pancakes are delicious. That's what my hubby said... Simply delicious *giggles*

I found the recipe from Crepe of Wrath website, for her best blueberries pancakes.
I couldn't find blueberries in the local supermarket. So disappointed. Then I forgot that I do not have honey or maple syrup at home. Huhuhu... Nevertheless, I improvised with strawberries and strawberry jam. Simply delicious. And flufflyyyyy

Here is the recipe, so easy to make on lazy Sunday morning :D

Morning Pancake (from Crepe of Wrath)

Ingredients:
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
3 tablespoons sugar
4 heaping teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon kosher salt
2 egg yolks
2 egg whites
2 cups milk (if you have buttermilk, great, but I just used 2% milk)
3 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/4 cup olive oil (or vegetable oil, but I liked using the olive oil)
1/2 teaspoon lemon zest
2/3 cup blueberries, plus more for garnish
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour, for the blueberries

Preparations:
1. Combine your 2 1/4 cups of all-purpose flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl and set aside. Separate your egg yolks and egg whites. In a medium bowl, whisk together the egg yolks, milk, vanilla, olive oil, and lemon zest. In a small bowl, whisk the egg whites until foamy, about 5 minutes, then fold them into the egg yolk mixture. Whisk the wet mixture into the dry mixture quickly, until just combined. Toss your 2/3 cup of blueberries in 1 tablespoon of flour, and add them to the batter. Fold to combine.

2. Preheat your oven to 250 degrees F and line a large baking sheet with a clean cotton cloth. Place about a teaspoon of olive oil in your pan, then heat over medium-high. Use a paper towel to wipe the oil around the surface of the pan, so that there is a very thin layer of oil without being any large pools of it in the pan. Pour about 1/4 cup of batter for each pancake. Sprinkle a few more blueberries onto each pancake, if you like, for an even layer, and cook until bubbling, then flip, and cook for another 2 minutes or so, until cooked through. The blueberries might spurt some juice out as they cook, but don’t worry about that.

3. Place each cooked pancake onto your baking sheet, and when the sheet is full, fold the towel over the pancakes and put them in the oven to keep warm. Keep cooking until you have used all of your batter. Serve with lots of maple syrup and a little butter, if desired.

** I omitted blueblerries this time because I can't find blueberries at the local supermarket. However, I tried with fresh strawberries, and with choc chips. Both are great. So I think it depends on your creativity.

Mickey's pancake for hubby :D

Oily post

2011-05-14T14:08:00.003+03:00

It has been a long time I fried something in the house. I have this 1 bottle (1L) of vegetable oil which has been sitting on my kitchen shelves collecting dust. Most of the time I'm using vegetable oil to make muffins. But then this fine Saturday, I had the urge to eat something oily. And also collecting dust are the pack of Malaysian instant beignet (cucur ikan bilis) and the pack of fish crackers. I had with me for 2 years I think and usually I saved them for when my siblings come to visit me, but then that didn't happen as we were so much busy doing things and most of the time I don't feel like cooking when they were here. hihihi....

So this afternoon, I had the courage to do something oily and still there are some vegetable oil left. Oh well, for muffins next time.

Here it is, Cucur Ikan Bilis (Anchovies Beignets)

These are the fish crackers

Yes, there are a lot of them :D But I don't think I have trouble to gobble them up!!
For my brothers and sisters: Sorry aaah... I eat first :D

New Challenge! Goose Egg! (Oeuf d'oie)

2011-04-29T00:13:00.002+03:00

Just when I was having baking-block (as in writer's block), my colleague offered me goose eggs from his parent's place. I have never seen goose eggs before and far from ever use that in cooking or baking. So bring it on!!!
I was quite sceptic as to what it will taste. But most feedbacks and researches said that goose eggs are really good for cakes. Bring it on!!

We had fun drawing and taking pictures of these babies :D
Alex did the one in blue and mine is the red one (looks like an angry person LOL)
Back home I had fun taking pictures of them and comparing with the Large chicken eggs.

Big yolk!

I mixed and matched some simple yoghurt cake recipes and came up with this.
At first I was thinking to bake in cupcakes, but then I got lazy. I need to get a smaller size of baking pan, like loaf pan in order to bake smaller amount of batter. It would be better if it is risen up and in a loaf form. However, it tastes yummy and fluffy. There is no different of taste. In summary, eggs are eggs! :D

Here's the recipe:
Goose Egg Yoghurt Cake

Ingredients:
1 Cake mix
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder (I forgot to put it.. oppss)
113g unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup brown sugar
1 pot of yoghurt
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 goose egg
1/2 cup chopped hazelnut
1/2 cup chocolate chips

Preparation:
- Preheat oven at 160C
- Beat the butter until fluffy.Add the brown sugar. Continue beat until fluffier.
- Add the goose egg, vanilla extract.
- Alternate, add in the mixture of cakemix, baking powder and salt, with the yoghurt.
- Pour the mixture into the baking pan. Throw in the nuts and choc chips, and bake for 30-40 minutes.
- Let cool, and then serve :D

Happy Valentine's Day

2011-02-13T23:27:00.001+02:00

We chose the praline valentine's cake :D

Banana Goji Berries Nut Butter Muffins

2011-02-13T22:40:00.003+02:00

Another goodness muffins this week :D
I tried to find something great to do with goji berries, other than eating them as snacks or in the smoothies. Thus, goji berries muffins!
I found this great muffin recipe via Tastespotting. In addition of using goji berries, I wanted to use up the hazelnut honey butter that I bought last week.
I tweaked the recipe and got myself Banana Goji Berries Nut Butter Muffins recipe. It's super delicious, and with all the goodness inside them - goji berries, banana, whole meal flour, and hazelnut.

Ingredients:
1 3/4 cup whole wheat flour
1/4 tsp. sea salt
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 cup brown sugar (I used Stevia)
1/2 cup chopped hazelnut
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
1 egg
1 1/4 cup skimmed milk
5 Tablespoons nut butter (I used organic hazelnut butter with honey, warm in microwave for few seconds)
2 Tablespoons corn syrup (you can use maple syrup, or agave syrup)
2 large banana mashed, left chunky
3/4 cup goji berries

Instructions:
Preheat oven to 190C. Grease muffin tin with Pam and set aside.
In one bowl, combine dry ingredients (flour, salt, cinnamon, Stevia, hazelnut, baking soda, baking powder).
In medium bowl, combine wet ingredients (1 egg, beaten, nut butter, corn syrup, milk)
Add wet to dry and mix well.
Fold in goji berries and banana.
Mix well together by hand.
Scoop into muffin tin.
Bake for 30-35 minutes (check for doneness with toothpick).

Goodness Muffin

2011-02-06T13:15:00.003+02:00

Sunday morning, and what to do?? :D Bake for breakfast of course!!
Night before I visited this website.
It gives me idea of making healthy muffins. I put some of the recipes from the website and subsitute with the ingredients I have at home.

I have quite a lot of healthy ingredients in my kitchen, from making the healthy bars last time. I also bought whole meal flour and have been wanting to use that. Not only that, this recipe is very easy. One thing about muffin is not to overmix. Oh! and I found some muffin papercups. I almost forgot that I have them :D

It takes only 20 mins to bake these muffins. It's a great snack at anytime (not only breakfast). I fully recommend this recipe :D

Ingredients:
2 cups whole meal flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup raisins
3/4 cup sugar (I used Stevia)
2 eggs
3/4 cup low-fat milk
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cup chocolate chips
1/4 cup chopped preserved fruits

Methods:
Preheat oven to 180°C.

In a medium bowl, combine flour, baking powder and salt.

In a large bowl, whisk together the sugar, eggs, milk, oil, and vanilla. Stir in flour mixture, just until combined. Fold in raisins, preserved fruits and chocolate chips. Do not overmix.

Spoon batter into greased or lined (with paper liners) muffin cups.

Bake in preheated oven for 20 minutes or until puffed, golden and a tester inserted into center comes out clean. Let cool in pan on rack for 5 minutes. Remove from pan and let cool completely on rack.

Mini Raspberry Friand Video

2011-01-31T22:30:00.000+02:00

German Pound Cake

2011-01-30T18:35:00.004+02:00

After you baked the friand... you don't know what to do with the 4 egg yolks? I was searching for recipe that use the 4 egg yolks and I found this recipe on this website.

It's simple and it reminds me of the Sara Lee's cake.
This is a basic pound cake and you can eat it with jam, frosting, or cream cheese toppings.

Here's the recipe:
2 cups sugar
1 cup butter, softened
3 ½ cups cake flour
1 ¼ cups milk
1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons vanilla
⅛ teaspoon salt
6 egg yolks - (I used 2 whole eggs + 4 egg yolks)
dash lemon juice, to taste, a good squeeze just to scent the cake with a bit of lemon flavor - (I substitute the lemon juice with caramel arome)
Bakers Joy or Pam for Baking, if using this do not grease and flour pans. Follow directions on can.

Methods:
- Preheat the oven at 180C
- Beat sugar and butter until fluffy at high speed
- Reduce the speed and add in eggs, and then the rest of the ingredients
- Pour the mixture into the baking pan
- Bake until done (with toothpick test)

Mini Raspberry Friand

2011-01-30T18:17:00.003+02:00

Very simple recipe. Tea time and need to have some cakes? Then use this recipe. I got this recipe from Spoon,Fork and Chopstick website.

I like the versatility of the recipe. You can use whatever fruits or jam that you have at home. I use raspberry because I have unfrozen raspberry in the fridge.

Here's the recipe:
Mini-Friands (adapted from Spoon,Fork and Chopstick

Ingredients:
1/3 cup plain flour
1 cup icing sugar mixture
1 cup almond meal
4 eggwhites, lightly beaten with a fork
120g unsalted butter, melted
jam, fresh/frozen berries, citrus curd (optional)

Method:
- Sift together flour and icing sugar mixture into a large bowl. Stir in almond meal then add eggwhites and butter. Mix until well combined – the batter will be slightly sticky.
- Preheat oven to 210°C and lightly grease a 24-hole mini-muffin pan.
- Divide batter evenly across the mini-muffin pan, approximately 1 tbs batter per cavity. (If you are using any jam, berries or curd, place a small amount on top of the cake batter portions.) Bake in the preheated oven for 8 minutes before reducing the temperature to 200°C and baking a further 5 minutes.
- Remove the pan from the oven and allow to stand for 5 minutes before removing the friands to cool on a wire rack. A toothpick or thin skewer is helpful in levering the friands from the pan. Dust with icing sugar before serving, if desired.

Easy Pineapple Turnover Cake

2011-01-23T20:21:00.003+02:00

What to do with a can of pineapples?
Pineapple turnover cake! What else!? :D

While the classic pineapple turnover cake calls for caramel brown sugar at the bottom (or up, when it's turned over), but I chose the easy one. I skipped that caramel part since I do not have brown sugar, and also to not make the cake too sweet.

This recipe is so simple. Took me about 15 mins to prepare and put in the oven. This cake is perfect for tea time or if you have some friends over, it makes a great dessert with tea/coffee at the end of the evening.
This is a keeper :D

Ingredients:
1 cup + 6 tablespoons self-raising flour
1/2 cup cornstarch (Maizena)
6 tablespoons ground almonds (almonds powder)
3/4 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
230g unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 and 2/3 cups sugar
4 large eggs
3/4 tsp vanilla extract
2 pots of yoghurt (low fat or 0%) - about 1 cup
1 can of pineapples

Methods:
- Preheat oven at 180C
- In a bowl, mix flour, maizena, almonds, baking powder, and salt.

- In a mixing bowl, beat butter and sugar until fluffy. Add eggs one at a time.

- Add in vanilla extract
- Add in alternate the dry ingredients and yoghurt

- Grease the baking pan with butter, arrange pineapples. Throw in some flour and sugar.

- Pour in the batter.

- Bake for about 50-60 minutes, until toothpick comes out clean.

Mostly-Organic Health Bar

2011-01-16T20:22:00.006+02:00

Want a healthy snack? Why not a granola bar... :D
This time I picked up a challenge to make a healthy snack bar. Be careful when you are looking for snack bar recipes. Most of the recipes that I've found indeed use grains, cereals but they also use lotsa sugars and butter. I've found one great and simple recipe from Natalie's blog. It's simple and not using any sugar nor butter.

I skipped the honey, because my hazelnutbutter comes with honey in it.

Bio (organic) oven-grilled muesli mix with flaxseed, bio (organic) flaxseed, bio (organic) puffed quinoa, dried grated coconut, raisins, mixed nuts, bio (organic) apple puree, bio (organic) hazelnut butter with honey.

Here's the recipe adapted from Natalie's blog.

Ingredients:
1 cup rolled oats
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1/4 cup flax seeds
1/4 cup dried grated coconut
1/4 cup almonds, halved (I used chopped mixed nuts, about 1 cup)
1/4 cup pistachios
1/4 cup dried cranberries (I used raisins)
1/2 tsp cinnamon (omitted)
1/4 cup applesauce
1/4 cup honey
2 TBS veg oil (or any oil)
1 TBS soynut butter (or any nut butter) (I used hazelnut butter)

(preheat oven to 325 degrees)

1. Mix all dry ingredients in a large bowl.
2. Add all wet ingredients. Stir with spatula until it is evenly moist and all the flour is absorbed and incorporated. (if dry and extremely crumbly add more nut butter)
3. Grease a loaf pan and put all the mix in the pan and push it down as much as you can to make it flat and compacted.
4. Bake for 30 minutes or until the edges are brown and pulling away.

Cool for at least 15 minutes before cutting.

Easy Cheese Sticks

2011-01-10T22:29:00.003+02:00

I made this for new year's party at my sister's place. It's very easy in case you have unplanned visitors hihihi
What you need is:
Roll of ready-made puff pastry
Some grated parmesan
Some grated emmental cheese (or cheddar cheese)
A bit of melted butter

- Unroll the puff pastry, and brush with some melted butter. Add on top parmesan and emmental cheese.

- Use a knife to cut the pastry into strips. I used the pizza cutter. So easy.

- Bake in a pre-heated oven of 180C for 10 mins or maybe less. This thing cooks so fast. So don't leave the kitchen unattended :D
Leave them cool off. It's crunchier when they are cooled.

Raisin and Bran Mini Muffin

2011-01-09T21:33:00.006+02:00

Hey peeps! Let's start the new year with something healthy, shall we? :D
Here is my first bake for 2011: Raisin and Bran Mini Muffins. It's not so sweet. The original recipe calls for molasses/corn syrup and honey. But I don't have those, so I substitute with fine sugar. This muffin is full in fibre for sure, and I've found many varieties of the same recipe using cranberries, blueberries and raspberries. I used the simple raisin.
This is a simple recipe but gives you a healthy snack. It's a keeper :D

Raisin Bran Minu Muffins – Adapted from Farmgirl Fare

Yield: About 24 mini muffins
2 cups (3oz / 86g) wheat bran
1 cup (5oz / 141g) oat bran
1 cup (6oz / 170g) whole wheat flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 large eggs
2/3 cup (5oz / 156g) milk
2/3 cup (5½ oz / 156g) yogurt
1/3 cup (2¼ oz / 65g) canola oil
1/3 cup (3¾ oz / 108g) sweet molasses or cane syrup (I used fine sugar)
1/3 cup (3¾ oz / 108g) honey (I used fine sugar)
1 teaspoon (6g) vanilla extract
1 cup raisins (or substitute cranberries, or blueberries)

Preheat oven to 190°C. Grease a muffin tin or line with paper liners.
In a large bowl, combine wheat bran, oat bran, whole wheat flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.
In a medium bowl, combine eggs, milk, yogurt, canola oil, sugar and vanilla and mix well.
Pour wet ingredients into dry ingredients and mix with a rubber spatula just until combined. Fold in raisins with as few strokes as possible.

Generously fill muffin cups with batter.

Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 15 to 20 minutes for small muffins.
Cool muffins in pan for 5 to 10 minutes, then carefully remove from pan and serve warm, or let cool on a wire rack.

Souffle Omelet With Zucchini, Artichoke and Cheddar

2011-01-08T15:25:00.000+02:00

This is a keeper...Simple and no risk attached :D

Souffle Omelet With Zucchini, Artichoke and Cheddar

Happy New Year 2011!!!!!!!!

2011-01-07T12:38:00.003+02:00

Only a week after?? Sheesh!!!
Here goes a quickie.

Happy New Year and best wishes to everyone near and far far away.

This year has been a great year in the kitchen where I felt like I am addicted to baking. LOL I guess I did admit once in a while that I am addicted to baking. I would keep searching for nice recipes on the Net and studied them like there is an exam or something. My nights are sometimes filled with baking dreams, and my days are filled with baking plans. Yes, it's an addiction!

Despite of being on strict diet, in 2010 I tried many new recipes and there are some revisiting of old ones. My colleagues and husband are the lucky ones who get to taste the goodies :D

In addition to that, I've made some videos of the process. I enjoyed putting musics to my video rather than me talking, because that is what really happened in the kitchen, except that the musics are in my head LOL

For Christmas I received a lot of baking pans and a silicone tube bundt mold. I'm looking for a nice bundt recipe. Perhaps that will be my first bake of the year :D

Happy New Year again. Hope my addiction will go on this year and discover new and better recipes :D

Christmas Cake Pops

2010-12-28T00:48:00.000+02:00

Strawberry Jam Biscuits

2010-12-19T18:24:00.000+02:00

Tarte aux pomme 2

2010-12-16T01:26:00.003+02:00

Second tarte aux pommes (apple pie) made it to this website :D

The recipe is taken from La cuisine de Monica. It's a great website (in french though) where the cook is a grandma and her grandson did the filming of the video and webstuff. Sadly, mamie Monica passed away 20th October 2010 :(

So here is the recipe...

Tarte aux pomme à la canelle
(Adapted from La cuisine de Monica)

Ingredients:
1 pie dough
5 apples
100g sugar
3 small eggs (or 2 if medium or large eggs0
200ml liquid cream
2 tsp cinnamon powder
2 tsp ground almond

Methods:
- Put the pie dough in the pie baking pan and put some weights (usually dried beans. I used almonds) and bake at 200C / 15min.

- Check that the dough is dry

- Take out from the oven and spread ground almond

- In a small bowl, mix 50g sugar and cinnamon powder

- Peel and cut the apples in 8 pieces. Arrange the apples on the pie dough. Add in the sugar/cinnamon mix.

- Bake for 10min à 200°C. The apples should be soft on the outside but still firm in the inside.

- In a mixing bowl, mix 50g sugar, eggs and the cream. Pour into the cooked apples.

- Bake for last time in the oven, this time at 180° for 30min. Check on the baking. You can do the toothpick test. The pie should be slightly brown.

Then it's time to dig in!!

Dark Chocolate Red Velvet Cake Pops

2010-12-10T22:23:00.003+02:00

This is my Saint Nicolas Bake Challenge. Today I had Saint Nicolas Office Party, so I decided few days ago that I will do cake pops. Cake pops are a huge trend in the US nowadays after the cupcakes phenomenon. I never feel attracted to do cupcakes challenge. I think the reason is the logistic issue. Frosted cupcakes are not easy to move from one place to another. So here I am jumping on the cake pops bandwagon!

Bakerella from bakerella.com had a huge success promoting cake pops. She published cake pops book and she appeared in Martha Stewart's show doing the muffin cake pops. The best and the worst about cake pops are that they are easy to make and you can do different kinds of varieties. You can use lemon cake, butter cake, chocolate cake, red velvet cake, orange cake... I mean anything. Then there is the decoration part. Americans use a lot of Candy Melts. These are sugar flavored pallets, kind of artificial chocolate pallets.

After so many research, I finally settled down with red velvet cake and dark chocolate cover.
Why red velvet cake?
- For sometimes I have been eyeing red velvet cake recipes. I like the rich red color of the cake and the fact that it's always frosted with cream cheese. Since the cake pop uses cream cheese frosting, so I think it is a good time to try this recipe.
Why dark chocolates?
- At first I decided to do white chocolate cover. But as I melt some white chocolates, it looks very thick. So I stopped and stored it. I've worked with a lot of dark chocolates lately and I feel more comfortable with dark chocolates.

Enough said.. Since I only have evening after work and gym to do this challenge, I decided to split the process into 3 parts. This recipe gives about 80-90 cake pops.

D-2
Part 1: Red Velvet Cake
Ingredients
2 1/2 cups cake flour (I used all-purpose flour and it works fine)
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
2 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
2 1-ounce bottle of red paste coloring
1 cup (225g) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 eggs, room temperature
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup buttermilk, room temperature
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp white vinegar

Methods
- Butter and flour cake pan and set aside. Preheat oven to 170C.
- In a bowl, sift flour, baking powder, and salt.
- In another bowl, mix cocoa powder with food coloring.

- In a mixer, cream butter and sugar until fluffy. Add eggs on at a time, add vanilla, and the red cloring-cocoa mix.
- When mixture is well combined, add 1/3 of flour mix, mix well, then add 1/2 of buttermilk, then add 1/3 of flour mix, then other 1/2 butter milk, then finish off the flour mix (each time mix until well combined).
- In a small bowl, mix baking soda with vinegar, and quickly add to the batter.
- Mix in high speed for few seconds.

- Pour mixture into cake pan and bake for about 30-35 minutes (do the toothpick test).
- Let the cake cool at room temperature.

D-1
Part 2: Destroy the cake
Cream cheese frosting
2 250g cream cheese (usually Philadelphia)
56g unsalted butter, room temperature
2 tsp red coloring (this is optional - just to preserve the red coloring in the red velvet cake. If you are using butter cake or lemon cake, no need to add food coloring)
2 1/2 cups icing sugar (confectioners sugar)
pinch of salt

Methods
- In a mixer, combine cream cheese and butter, and beat until smooth
- Add vanilla, salt and gradually add in sugar, and coloring

- Take the red velvet cake, then crumble it. You may use spatula or give it a spin in the food mixer/food processor.
- In a big bowl, add in the frosting bit by bit into the cake crumbs.

- Add in and mix well until all frosting are being used.

- Try rolling a small ball in your palms. If it stays together, and none stays on your palm, then it means your mixture is ready.
- Start making the balls with a size a bit smaller than size of a golf ball.
- Put those balls inside the fridge for about 1-2 hours.

Part 3: Assembling the pops
- Melt dark chocolates in bain marie, you may add a bit of butter to make it fluid a bit.
- Dip the tip of the stick in the chocolate, then pierce the chilled ball until 3/4 deep. Let it cool. This step is important to make sure the ball did not slide down the stick.

- Repeat the dipping stick and piercing until the last ball.
- Start with the first cake pop, dip the ball into the chocolate. Give it a swirl to get rid of any access chocolate.
- Put it stand on a polysterine block. Decorate as you wish. I put a sugared cereal on top and sprinkle with colorful sugar sprinkles and chocolate sprinkles.

There you go!!! I would be happy to do these cake pops again :D

Jam cookies

2010-12-05T22:35:00.002+02:00

Second recipe in winter Sunday is the Jam cookies. I made this type before when I was in Nancy. It was with cinnamon cookies and raspberry jam. This time, the recipe calls for usual buttery cookies with raspberry jam. Safe enough. But hubby asked me to make it with strawberry jam... Oh ok :D

The job is a bit tedious. First of all the mixture gives a big ball of dough. Then comes the cutting. Need to make the bottom part and the top part with hole in the middle. I need to keep in check the number of bottom part and number of top part. You don't want to have any topless or bottomless cookie with jam right? hehehehe The baking time is 10 mins max. So no time to sit down... By the time you clean up some stuff, it's time to unload and reload!
After that, there is the assembling part. For this I am already low in energy so I asked my helpful husband to help me. So, he did the spread and I put the top on. Phew!
But the look of the cookies and the taste... worth the while! :D

Need to check the same number of bottom and top

Let it cool down

My hand model showing the assembling job

Beauties

Here's the recipe:
(Adapted from magazine Vivre à table)

Ingredients:
420g flour
210g sugar
2 tsp vanilla sugar
A pinch of salt
125g ground hazelnuts (I used ground almonds)
250g cold butter
1/2 lemon, zest and juice (I used 2 tbsp lemon juice only)
2 eggs
Strawberry or raspberry jams
Icing sugar (optional)

Methods:
- In a bowl, mix the flour, the sugar, vanilla sugar, salt and ground almonds/hazelnuts.
- Add in cold butter (cut in cubes), lemon juice and eggs.
- Knead the mixture until you get a smooth dough.
- Leave the dough in the fridge for minimum of 30 mins (the longer the better)
- After min. of 30 mins, pre-heat oven at 190C.
- Roll out the dough into approx. 0.5 cm). Use the cookie cutter of your choice, the top part with hole in the middle.
- Bake between 8-10 minutes.
- Once the cookies are cool (after 1-2 hours), heat the jam in the microwave.
- Using small spoon, spread the jam on the bottom part cookie (without hole), then sandwich it with the top cookie (with hole).

Oat Coconut Cookies

2010-12-05T19:48:00.004+02:00

It guess it's time to start Xmas baking and using my new Kenwood that I got for birthday last month! For my birthday I also received several cooking magazines. One of the magazines has the recipes for Xmas cookings and bakes. After 2 weeks of "studying" the magazines, I finally picked up 2 recipes! Yippie!! The idea is to use up some of the things in my kitchen (except for butter and eggs), and did I mention the new Kenwood? :D hehehehe

One of the things is rolled oats, which was mistakenly bought few weeks ago. I always thought oat cookies are yummy. Never tried it before, so I guess it's time to do it. There is a recipe in the magazine, so I'm game!

First, the Kenwood beater :D I'm so nervous using it. First time is always like this I spose :D

Look! Hands free!!!! Weeeee.....

Ready for the oven...

Looks so great in the oven...

Bucket's of oat coconut cookies...

Here's the recipe:
(Adapted from magazine Vivre à table)

Ingredients:
200g butter
2 tsp vanilla sugar
200g sugar
A pinch of salt
1 egg
325g rolled oats
25g flour
50g dried coconut
1 tsp baking powder

Methods:
- Pre-heat oven at 190C.
- In a mixer, beat butter, vanilla sugar, sugar, salt and egg.
- Add in oats, coconuts, flour and baking powder.
- Knead until you get a well-mixed mixture.
- Roll mixture into small balls. Place them on the baking tray with enough space between then. The mixture will spread a bit.
- Bake for about 10-15 minutes.
- Take out from the oven and let cool.

Note: You can also replace the dried coconuts with almond flakes or hazelnut flakes.

Blanquette de veau

2010-11-29T22:05:00.003+02:00

Another winter comfort food in my house is Blanquette de veau. It's filling, makes you warm till your toes and yummy!

Here it goes, my place without the potatoes:

Ingredients
About 1 kg veal (shoulders/ribs)
1 tbsp butter
1 tbsp flour
20cl creme liquid (fresh cream) - I use 3% fat Bridelight
1 egg yolk
1 cube beef stock (non-fat)
1/2 kg potatoes
About 400g canned carrots

Method:
- Cook the veal with water enough to cover the meat
- Steam the potatoes
(I cooked both in the pressure cooker - veal in the pot and potatoes on the top steam basket)
- In a casserole, put in butter, and add flour to the melted butter (roux blanc)
- Then add a bit of water from cooking the veal. Add bit by bit until you get a sauce.
- Add in beef stock cube. Stir until dissolve.
- In a bowl, add creme liquid to the egg yolk and stir together
- Add it into the casserole
- Add in the cooked veal,carrots and potatoes (cut into big chunks)
- If the sauce is thick, add in some water from cooking the veal.
- Check the taste (with the stock cube I don't need salt)
- Simmer slowly.
- Serve while hot :D Bon appetit!

Hubby's plate with potatoes:

Birthday project

2010-11-18T16:26:00.007+02:00

Since my birthday falls on Saturday this year, I decided to bring some baked goodies during the weekday. I take Friday off, so that means I wl bring in the cakes on Thursday.

I decided to bake 3 different kinds of cakes this year. I've narrowed down 3 recipes and arranged them in the order what to be baked first. Yes, it needs planning because I only have a limited time to bake in the evening. After work I have gym classes to attend, and no I don't want to skip them. It's also good to spread the bakings over some days because:

1. I won't be too tired

2. The oven won't be too tired

3. Not so much dishes to be in the dishwasher at the same time

4. Cakes are better after 24 hours

I baked the cakes in the following order:

Tuesday night: Cream Cheese Chocolate Brownies

Wednesday night: Apple Cinnamon Bread and Lemon Mini muffin

Thursday morning: Eat time!

Cream Cheese Chocolate Brownies

I like making the Chewy Choco Brownies. I think I made it 3 times within 1 and half month!

This time I added cream cheese topping to the recipe. The recipe is taken from Joy of Baking website. It has the marble effect as well. I'm not that artistic, so the marble is more like swish swash swirl. It is so yummy and the brownies are dense, I think because it is 'protected' by the cream cheese. I made this first because cheese cake is known to be best refrigerated overnight. It is proven true!!!! When it's still chill out from the fridge, have a glass or pan filled with hot water. Before each cut, put the knife in the hot water, then wipe the knife, and you'll have a clean cut brownies.

Recipe

Choco Chewy Brownies recipe - base

Cream Cheese Topping recipe - topping

Apple Cinnamon Bread

This is an easy recipe too. There is no need to use machine. Dump all ingredients and mix well.

Apple Cinnamon Bread recipe

Lemon Mini Muffin

I have 2 trays of mini muffins and I seldom you them. Why? Because it's always easier to bake 1 big cake! Also, it's time consuming to grease the trays and from previous experience, I had trouble getting them out (huhuhu) But it has been for some time that I want to use the trays. I found the lemon mini muffin recipe, and decided to do it. For the first time I used baking spray. Wow, it's amazing! Just spray on the trays and the mini muffin came out so pretty :D

I think we can expect more mini muffins in the future!!!!

Lemon Mini Muffin recipe (from Stunning Recipes . com)

I hope my office mates enjoyed them as much as I enjoyed baking the cakes :D

Kuih Bakar

2010-11-07T22:37:00.002+02:00

Three different types of cakes in one afternoon? Yes! :D There is only 1 cake which is new recipe, Kuih Bakar. My sister bought the pandan paste for me some time ago, and I have been waiting the right moment to use it.
As for the chocolate brownies, I used the fudgy chewy brownies recipe which I have been using before. It's a winner and this time I make sure that I do not over-bake it. It turned out chewy and fudgy! The best result so far :D
The raisin prune cake is something adapted from the Fruitcake recipe using brown sugar. Actually I planned to make mixed fruitcake again, but they ran out of candied mix fruit. My hubby thought it would be fun to test with prunes instead. I'm up for testing :D

Kuih Bakar
(Adapted from My Kitchen Snippers)

Ingredients :
1 1/4 cups of sugar
2 cups of flour
1 cup of pandan juice (6 pandan leaves + 1 cup of water - blended)
2 1/4 cups of coconut milk
4 large eggs
2 tbsp of melted butter
1 tsp of pandan paste
few drops of green food coloring
1 tbsp of sesame seeds (optional)

1) Pre-heat oven to 325 degree F and greased a baking pan.
2) Mix all the above ingredients except sesame seeds until well combined.
3) Pour mixture into baking pan and sprinkle with some sesame seeds and bake until golden brown or skewer comes out clean when tested. It should take an hour.
4) Cool it down before cutting.

Note:
I skipped the pandan juice and the sesame.
Instead I added 1 tsp more of pandan paste.

Grilled chicken wings

2010-11-01T20:14:00.003+02:00

My favorite meal at the moment is grilled chicken wings. I hope I didn't get any side effects by eating too many chicken wings!

My usual marinate is with yoghurt, tandoori mix, curry powder, salt and pepper. Sometimes I tried to change the marinate recipe, but I love the combination of yoghurt and spices.

I hope to find other marinate recipe so that I can do some varieties. Not that I am sick of this recipe... :D

Fruitcake - revisited

2010-11-01T16:09:00.003+02:00

About two weeks ago I planned to make another fruitcake (the bake one). I got all ingredients but somehow there is a change of plan. I baked something else than the fruitcake.
Anyway, it's a long weekend, and it's such a waste of time if I didn't bake anything. Right? :D
One hour later, the cake is in the oven, and hope it tastes better than last one.

Indeed the cake is better than the last one. I like the brown color of the cake and the texture is moister and softer. It's indeed a keeper!

FYI, I tweaked the previous recipe a bit. The previous recipe is here.

This is the tweaked recipe:
Ingredients:
230 grams unsalted butter
200 grams packed brown sugar
4 eggs
50 grams ground hazelnut
About 150gm mixed candied fruits, raisins
Splash of lemon juice
230 grams all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon vanilla essence
1/4 teaspoon salt

Methods:
- Pre-heat oven 160C, line the baking tin (20cm) with baking paper and grease it with butter.
- Beat butter, sugar until fluffy.
- Add one by one eggs, vanilla essence
- Fold in ground hazelnut
- Splash some lemon juice on the fruits, then cover the fruits with flour. Like this they are not stick to each other.
- Fold in fruits in the batter
- Sift flour, baking powder, salt
- Add progressively into the batter, fold in until all are well incorporate.
- At this point, the batter is 'heavy'.
- Spoon the batter into baking tin
- Bake in the oven for about 1 hour on 160C, then reduce to 150C and bake until about 30mins-1 hour. Test with skewer, when the skewer comes out clean with a bit of moist crumbs.

Winter in Autumn

2010-10-16T19:49:00.003+03:00

It's only Autumn, but it's so cold. We have not change the daylight saving time yet, but it seems like we are ready to celebrate Xmas! LOL

Anyway, when the first cold weather hits, Tartiflette comes in mind. The potatoes, Reblochon cheese, the smell.. ahhh Bliss... It is lucky that I am entering the Consolidation phase in my diet. I did not regret to start the diet during the Summer. Hehehehe... In the consolidation phase I am allowed to have 2 Gala meals per week.

So this week it will be Tartiflette :D Big thanks to Chef Sylvain who did the ingredients shopping :D

The basic and important ingredients are potatoes and Reblochon cheese. Get the Reblochon de Savoie.. yummmaaayyy!!
Then you may add in cream cheese (creme fraiche), onions, ham, bacon bits, turkey ham... Depends on your liking.

Steamed bio organic potatoes. You can also boil the potatoes. Me like me potatoes steamed :D

Peel the potatoes, and slice the Reblochon.
Important Note: Keep the cheese crust!!!

Spread cream cheese in the baking casserole. Slice the potatoes then top with the cheese slices.

Hop! Into the oven!

Serve hot!

As for the dessert, I baked Apple Pear Bread. It is an adaptation from the Apple Cinnamon Bread.

Oat Cake Muffin

2010-10-10T19:10:00.002+03:00

I got this recipe from a french website. This is one of the great dukan recipes which I approve of. Not that easy to get a nice tasty cake recipe while on diet.

Oat Cake Muffin (adapted from 'La Cuisine de Nathoo")

Ingredients
- 4 large eggs
- 5 tablespoons oat bran
- 3 tablespoons wheat bran
- 8 tablespoons powdered sweetener (like Canderel)
- 1 pot of petits suisses 0%MG (soft cream cheese)
- 1/2 teaspoon flavor of your choice (I used Caramel flavor)

Methods

Preheat the oven at 180 C (up and bottom heat).

In a bowl, mix egg yolks, sweetener, cream cheese, both brans and the flavor.
Let it sit for 5 minutes.

During that time, in another bowl, beat egg whites until soft peak is formed.

Add the egg whites into the mixture of other ingredients. Fold bit by bit until all is incorporated.
By this time the mixture is light and well mixed.

Pour the mixture into cake mold. I used muffin molds.

Bake for 30 minutes.

Apple Cinnamon Bread

2010-10-08T19:25:00.002+03:00

Let's try something airy, with scent of spices and fresh fruit. Let's try Apple Bread!!! I like this recipe because it does not use butter, it uses fresh apple (no need to caramelize the apple) and it's so easy.
I made this apple bread last night around 11 pm. Yes that's at night and after I had my Body Combat at 8-9pm, cook for dinner, and some TV moment with hubby. It shows how easy and quick you can make this lovely bread for next day's breakfast.

The recipe is adapted from a great food blog 'Le Petit Pierogi'.

Here it goes....

Ingredients
3 Cups All Purpose Flour
2 Tsp. Cinnamon
1/2 Tsp. Allspice - I skipped this
1 Tsp. Baking Soda
1/2 Tsp. Baking Powder
1/2 Tsp. Salt
1/2 Cup Vegetable Oil
1 Cup White Sugar
1 Cup Brown Sugar, packed
2 Eggs, Beaten
1/2 Tsp. Vanilla
2 cups apples, peeled, cored and coarsely chopped - I used red apples
1 cup broken walnuts - I used chopped almonds
2-3 tbsp apple cider (optional) - I used couple spoons of store bought Bio Apple Compote

Directions
In bowl, combine flour, cinnamon, allspice, baking soda, baking powder and salt; set aside.

In large mixing bowl, place oil, sugar, eggs, vanilla and apples. Stir into flour mixture. Add walnuts and mix (if using).

Then add in the apple compote. Actually I don't really need to add compote, but I bought it at the store day before that so might as well use couple of spoons.

Put the mixture in greased mould (loaf mould if you want it to look like bread loaf. I use the my usual square mould.

Bake at 150-160C pre-heated oven for 40-45 mins. But mine is done (slightly overdone I might say) at 30 mins. Use the skewer test to check the doneness.

This is the recipe that can never go wrong!! :D

Steamed (Cup)Cake

2010-10-04T01:06:00.003+03:00

Another experiment this Sunday with my Mom's Steamed Cake recipe. Apparently the fruitcake recipe I made is different from this Steamed Cake. Although they both use mixed fruits, but they are actually 2 different recipes. When it come to steaming, I have a bit of problem. I have only a bamboo steamer medium size. Perhaps I should invest in a bigger steamer.

Anyway, as my mom mentioned, the tricky part is the caramelized sugar at the end. I made a couple of mistakes with this. One, I made the caramelized sugar ahead, so by the time I need to incorporate it into the mixture, it became hard. So my caramelized sugar appeared as blots in the cupcake. Second, I use hand mixer all the way, which is not good. By the time I add the flour and onwards, I should've used spatula.

So here's the recipe... (The measurement is a bit odd, I know)

Ingredients
2 glasses flour
3/4 glass fine sugar
1/2 glass fine sugar (to make caramelized sugar)
9 oz butter (I used 250 gm butter)
3 eggs
some candied cherries, 1/2 lb mixed fruits (I used 250 gm mixed fruits and raisins)
1 nutmeg (powdered)
lemon zest
1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
1 tsp cream of tartar

Preparations:
- Prepare the steamer with boil water.
- Mix butter, sugar, eggs.
- In a bowl, sift flour, bicarbonate of soda, cream of tartar and nutmeg
- Use spatula, add in the sifted ingredients.
- In another bowl, add some flour to the mixed fruits, mix together until the fruits are well coated
- Add the fruits to the cake mixture
- In a casserole, heat the sugar, let it come into boil.
- Quickly pour the caramelized sugar into the cake mixture and at the same time mix vigorously (It is advisable to have someone else helping you at this step)
- Then, put the mixture into the cake mold
- Steam for about 2 hours. (As I use 5 medium sized cupcake each time, it took 1 hour). Test by inserting skewer or knife in the middle of the cake, and it should come out clean)

Chewy Choco Brownies

2010-09-29T23:39:00.003+03:00

I've made chocolate brownies before but they are the cakey version.
As the weather gets gloomier and colder, I wish for a strong bitter moist brownies. I chose recipe from Sweetspot.ca.

The result is indeed strong, bitter moist and chewy brownies. This is the kind of brownies that can be eaten max of 2 pieces at once because of the strong chocolate taste. It's good that 1 piece satisfy the cravings and you can still watch your dessert consumptions ;)

Here's the recipe.

Ingredients:

1 stick (4 ounces) unsalted butter, cut into ½-inch pieces
4 ounces semisweet or bittersweet chocolate (up to 64 percent cacao), finely chopped
2 ounces unsweetened chocolate, finely chopped
1 cup (7 ounces) sugar
2 large eggs, at room temperature
1 ½ teaspoons pure vanilla extract
½ cup (2 ½ ounces) unbleached all-purpose flour
Pinch of salt
½ cup (about 3 ¾ ounces) chocolate chips or chocolate chunks (optional)
½ cup (2 ounces) chopped nuts, toasted and cooled completely (optional)

Equipment:

8-inch square cake pan, parchment paper, double boiler, silicone or rubber spatula, whisk, cooling rack, thin knife or flexible spatula, chef’s knife

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350F and position an oven rack in the center. Line the pan with foil or parchment paper across the bottom and up two of the sides, then lightly coat with unflavored oil or high-heat canola-oil spray.

Bring 2 inches of water to a boil in the bottom of a double boiler. Place the butter, semisweet chocolate, and unsweetened chocolate in the top of the double boiler (off the heat). Turn off the heat, then set the butter and chocolate over the steaming water. Stir occasionally with the spatula until the chocolate is melted and the mixture is smooth.

Remove the chocolate mixture from the heat and whisk in the sugar. Whisk in the eggs, one at a time, stirring well to incorporate each before adding the next. Stir in the vanilla extract. Whisk in the flour and salt. Continue to stir until the mixture changes from dull and broken-looking to smooth and shiny, about 1 minute. Whisk in the chocolate chips and chopped nuts, if using.

Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and spread evenly. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, until a skewer inserted into the centre of the brownies comes out with a few moist crumbs clinging to it (do not over-bake). Transfer to a rack and cool completely.
Run a thin knife or flexible spatula around the edges of the pan to loosen the brownies. To remove the brownies from the pan, grasp the foil or parchment paper extending up the sides and gently pull upward. Set the brownies on a cutting surface and use a chef’s knife to cut into 16 equal pieces. Since these are dense, it’s a good idea to keep a hot, wrung-out towel nearby so you can wipe the knife clean between slices.

P.S:
I left out the nuts. But I used chocolate chips 55%.

As for the different types of chocolates, I used only 1 type of chocolates 64%.

Leek and Pumpkin Soup (Velouté de potiron aux poireaux)

2010-09-27T20:32:00.004+03:00

huhuhu J'ai oublié de prendre des photos....

Ingrédients :
- 1,5 kg de potiron
- 3 blancs de poireaux
- Bouillon de poulet degraisse
- 25cl crème liquide
- 25cl lait ecrèmé
- sel et poivre

Préparation :

Laver et éplucher les poireaux.
Les émincer finement.

Mettre le potiron dans le four (avec un peu d'eau dans le casserole)

Sauter les poireaux dans une poele et laisser suer à feu doux. Mettre un peu d'eau.

Rajouter le potiron cuit, verser le lait. Saler et poivrer.

Baisser le feu et laisser cuire 30 min.

Mixer la soupe.

Rajouter la crème liquide.

Feat. Chef Sylvain post - Improvement to Biscuits Matin

2010-09-27T20:01:00.002+03:00

Sometime ago, I've posted Biscuits Matin recipe, a recipe from our featuring chef, Chef Sylvain :D

Recently, Chef Sylvain has found an improvement to the recipe.
The "biscuits" is more moist, and puffier.

So here is the new and improved recipe.

Ingredients:
2 tablespoon bran oatmeal
2 tablespoon bran wheat
1 egg
1 tablespoon sweetener
1 generous tablespoon fromage blanc 0% (cream cheese/cottage cheese)

Methods:
Preheat oven at 200°C
Mix all ingredients in a bowl
Put the mixture on a baking tray according to what you want. I used a baking tray for mini tarts.
Bake for 9 minutes

*by Chef Sylvain :D

Sunday Bake

2010-09-19T19:35:00.001+03:00

Applesauce Cake

2010-09-19T18:52:00.005+03:00

Itch to bake something... I bought a jar of Applesauce last week because I was thinking of a recipe, which now I forgotten about. I made brownies before this using applesauce, but I don't want to re-do the recipe. So I googled on "Applesauce recipe" and I found "Guilt-free Applesauce Cake". Looks simple enough and I think the cinnamon plus apple ingredients are great for the chilly weather today.

In addition, the recipe uses cup measurement, so it is a great day to use my new cups :D It is called 'Guilt-free' because it doesn't use butter or egg. I can't call it guilt-free because it contains sugar ~ as I am still on diet huuhuhu....
After the cake cools off, I enjoyed a small piece, and it's just so yummy :D (Diet or no diet I must taste what I made!)

It's not cakey type, just nice to be consumed in small bites with coffee or tea. The texture and the smell of brown sugar reminds me of Malaysian caramel steamed cake (Kek gula hangus).

So this is the recipe taken from rachellb.com.

Ingredients
1 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp salt
3/4 cup fat-free or lowfat sour cream (I used yoghurt 0%)
2 Tbsp vegetable oil
1 cup applesauce

Instructions
Preheat oven to 350°F. Coat a 9-inch square pan with cooking spray.

Stir together flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon and salt in a large bowl. Stir together sour cream, oil and applesauce in a small bowl. Stir sour cream mixture into flour mixture just to mix. (Do not beat.)

Spoon batter into prepared pan and sprinkle with additional brown sugar, if desired.
(I sprinkled some chopped almonds too).

Bake until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean, about 40 to 45 minutes. Allow cake to cool before slicing into 16 pieces.

New Addition

2010-09-15T22:46:00.002+03:00

Wassup!!!
While waiting for my birthday gift (ahem ahem)... I bought this measuring cups and spoons :D
Often that recipes are from American websites and they use those measurements in cups. I had to do the online conversion thing. But not anymore!!!! Thanks to these measuring cups. The different spoon sizes come with the cups. Yippie yay!!

My next challenge is mini cupcakes (with or without frosting). If they are with frostings, then I need to find a way to transport them from home to office. What to do what to do...
So I googled "how to transport cupcakes". As I imagine, there are those plastic trays that you can stack em and leave enough space for the frosting on each level. But I need to find baking store which sell them. Otherwise, do the frosting on location. Oh well, I don't think my boss will be happy that I spend time in the office pantry more than at my desk! LOL :D Well, I don't mind.

This cupcake carrier can carry up to 36 cupcakes! Hmm I like.
http://www.amazon.com/Cupcake-Courier-36-Cupcake-Plastic-Container/dp/B000XPOPXA/ref=pd_sim_k_1
Should I put it in my wishlist? hehehehe

Oh well, we are out of topic here... Stay tune for my next challenge :D

Selamat Hari Raya!

2010-09-10T13:14:00.002+03:00

This year, in additional to the 3 cookies, I made last week, I made Beef Rendang, Ayam Masak Merah and Fruitcake.

As I am on diet, I tried low-fat cooking on the beef rendang and ayam masak merah.
There is no oil used (thank you Mr. Tefal for your non-stick pans) and I substituted coconut milk with mix of fromage frais 0% and creme liquid 3%, and also skim milk.
One thing for sure, it's not the fattening ingredients that make these foods taste good. The most important ingredients are the spices!!

Beef Rendang

Ayam Masak Merah

Clockwise - Ayam Masak Merah (Chicken in Red Sauce), Dates Cookies, Fruitcake, Pineapple Tart (from M'sia), Makmur n Suji (from M'sia)
Center: Rendang daging (Malaysian Dried Beef Curr

Neng's Fruitcake :D

2010-09-10T12:51:00.004+03:00

This is my first time baking fruitcake. My mom used to make fruitcakes during festivities time. So for Hari Raya my challenge this year is to make the fruitcake :D
There are few concerns about fruitcakes, one is that to make sure the fruits are all scattered evenly and not falling down at the base. So I asked my mom for the recipe. Something great about the measuring, as my mom told me... the flour, butter and sugar are the same amount :D

Ingredients:
230 grams unsalted butter
230 grams brown sugar (I don't have brown sugar, so I used white fine sugar)
4 eggs
1 orange (take the juice and zest)
1 lemon zest
60 grams ground almonds
100 grams hazelnuts, walnuts, pecans, or almonds, chopped (I only used almonds)
560 grams of an assortment of dried fruits, candied and chopped mixed peel, and glace cherries, sultanas (You can add other combinations like figues, apricot, dried cranberries)
230 grams all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon vanilla essence
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon mix spice (cinnamon, cloves)

Methods:
- Pre-heat oven 160C, line the baking tin (20cm) with baking paper and grease it with butter.
- Beat butter, sugar until fluffy.
- Add one by one eggs, vanilla essence
- Add in orange juice and zests (at this time the batter can looked curdle, it's OK)
- Fold in ground almonds, chopped nuts
- Take some flour and cover the fruits. Like this they are not stick to each other
- Fold in fruits in the batter
- Sift flour, baking powder, salt
- Add progressively into the batter, fold in until all are well incorporate.
- At this point, the batter is 'heavy'.
- Spoon the batter into baking tin
- Bake in the oven for about 1 hour on 160C, then reduce to 150C and bake until about 30mins-1 hour. Test with skewer, when the skewer comes out clean with a bit of moist crumbs.

Dates Cookies

2010-09-05T17:51:00.002+03:00

Another new recipe :D

Ingredients:
250 gm butter
126 gm sugar
50 gm corn flour
2 yolks
30 gm powdered milk
350 gm all-purpose flour
Diced dates (I don't really measure the amount of dates hehe)

Methods:
- Mix butter, sugar, yolk and corn flour
- Add in powdered milk, and dates
- Then flour
- Yolk is used on top of each cookie before baking and I add some almonds on them too.
- Bake in a pre-heated oven 160-170C for 15-20 mins

Chocolate Espresso Cookies

2010-09-05T13:43:00.002+03:00

Adapted from various websites :D They all followed the same recipe.

Ingredients:
1 tablespoon instant espresso powder
1 tablespoon boiling water
2 sticks (8 ounces) unsalted butter, at room temperature
2/3 cup confectioners’ sugar
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
4 ounces bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped, or 3/4 cup store-bought mini chocolate chips
Confectioners’ sugar, for dusting (optional)

Methods:
1. Dissolve the espresso in the boiling water, and set aside to cool to tepid.

2. Working with a stand mixer, preferably fitted with a paddle attachment, or with a hand mixer in a large bowl, beat the butter and confectioners’ sugar together on medium speed for about 3 minutes, until the mixture is very smooth. Beat in the vanilla and espresso, then reduce the mixer speed to low and add the flour, mixing only until it disappears into the dough. Don’t work the dough much once the flour is incorporated. Fold in the chopped chocolate with a sturdy rubber spatula.

3. Using the spatula, transfer the soft, sticky dough to a gallon-size zipper-lock plastic bag. Put the bag on a flat surface, leaving the top open, and roll the dough into a 9 x 10 1/2 inch rectangle that’s 1/4 inch thick. As you roll, turn the bag occasionally and lift the plastic from the dough so it doesn’t cause creases. When you get the right size and thickness, seal the bag, pressing out as much air as possible, and refrigerate the dough for at least 2 hours, or for up to 2 days.

4. Position the racks to divide the oven into thirds and preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Line two baking sheets with parchment or silicone mats.

5. Put the plastic bag on a cutting board and slit it open. Turn the firm dough out onto the board (discard the bag) and, using a ruler as a guide and a sharp knife, cut the dough into 1 1/2-inch squares. Transfer the squares to the baking sheets and carefully prick each one twice with a fork, gently pushing the tines through the cookies until they hit the sheet.

6. Bake for 18 to 20 minutes, rotating the sheets from top to bottom and front to back at the midway point. The shortbreads will be very pale–they shouldn’t take on much color. Transfer the cookies to a rack.

7. If you’d like, dust the cookies with confectioners’ sugar while they are still hot. Cool the cookies to room temperature before serving.

Tarte aux prunes

2010-09-04T20:41:00.002+03:00

Although I can't eat the tart, but it's always a pleasure to bake and feed my love :D

Tarte aux prunes (Plum tart)

Ingredients:
Pate brisée (I used store bought this time)
A bit of ground almond
1 kg of red plums
Sugar

Methods:
- Start with cutting the plums into 2 and remove the seed
- Then, keep the halved plums enough to cover the tart, and the rest of the plums are cut into small pieces
- In a casserole, heat the plum pieces with some sugar (depending how sweet you want it to be)
- Stir from time to time to get a compote
- In a pie/tart mould, place the base and make some holes using fork
- Spread some ground almond on it
- Once the heated plum compote/sauce on the pie crust
- Arrange the halved plums - flesh face up
- Add some sugar
- Bake in a pre-heated oven 180C between 30-45 minutes

Protein Pancake with Curry Mince Meat

2010-08-30T00:02:00.003+03:00

No oil. No butter. No flour. No sugar.

Protein Pancake
Ingredients:
2 eggs
2 petit suisse 0% (like cottage cheese)
2 tbsp Maizena
1 tsp dry yeast

Method:
Pre-heat oven 200C
Mix all ingredients. Bake for abt 15-20mins.

Curry mince meat
Ingredients:
Mince meat
Paprika
Curry
Salt
Pepper
Bit of chives

Method:
Mix all ingredients
In a pan, fry the meat till cooked

Shrimp Tandoori

2010-08-29T23:47:00.003+03:00

Some shrimps and tandoori mix...

and you'll get yummylicious lunch :D

Tandoori Chicken Wings

2010-08-23T22:49:00.001+03:00

Ingredients:
Chicken wings
1 pot of yoghurt 0%
Tandoori Mix spices
Salt and pepper

Methods:
- Mix all ingredients and leave for several minutes to 1 hr
- Bake in oven

Home-made pumpkin soup

2010-08-23T22:19:00.003+03:00

I like pumpkin, but the problem is that it is so difficult to cut. Anyway, I feel like something comforting today for dinner. So I opt of pumpkin soup.

Ingredients:
700g Pumpkin - then cleaned and diced
1/2 liter skimmed milk
salt and pepper to taste
Onions

Methods:
In a casserole, put a bit of water and fry the chopped onions. Then, add in the pumpkin with a bit of water. Stir so that the pumpkin does not stick to the casserole. When it becomes a bit thick, add a bit more water.
Put off the fire when the pumpkin is cooked.

In another casserole, heat the milk.

In a mixer, mix the pumpkin and put bit by bit the warm milk.
Salt and pepper to taste. And it's ready!!!!

Note: with this you can add also carrots and fennel bulb

Clafoutis a la rhubarbe

2010-08-07T20:52:00.002+03:00

Ingredients:
300g rhubarbe
4 eggs - 4 oeufs
20cl liquid cream 3% - 20cl creme liquid 3%
20cl skimmed milk - lait ecreme
20g Maizena
3 tablespoon sweetener - 3 cuillere a soupe edulcorant
vanilla

Methods:

- Prepare the rhubarbe, cut into dices and put in boiled water for 2 minutes

- Strain the rhubarbe and add some sweetener.
- Pre-heat oven 180C
- Mix eggs, milk, cream, Maizena, vanilla and sweetener
- Put rhubarbe in the non-stick mould
- Add the liquid preparation
- Bake in the oven 180C for about 1 hour.

Serve with sweetener.

Financiers - featuring Chef Sylvain :)

2010-08-01T20:30:00.004+03:00

Préparation : 10 min
Cuisson : 20 min

Ingrédients (pour 6 pièces) :
- 50 g de poudre d'amandes
- 50 g de farine fluide
- 100 g de sucre
- 75 g de beurre
- 4 blancs d'œufs
- 1/2 cuillère à café d’extrait de vanille

- Préchauffe le four à 200°C (thermostat 6-7).
- Beurre le moule à financiers (ou moule à madeleines, si tu n'as pas de moule à financiers).
- Mélange dans un récipient la poudre d'amandes, le sucre, la farine fluide et la vanille.
- Ajoute les blancs d'oeufs à la préparation
- Fais fondre le beurre dans une casserole et ajoute-le à la pâte.
- Verse dans le moule et mets au four 10 mins - 200C, 10 min - 180C.

Oven-baked meatballs

2010-07-17T15:33:00.003+03:00

Ingredients:
Ground beef
Salt
Pepper
Bran oatmeal
1 egg
(this is a simple version)
Optional: Add grated parmesan cheese, chopped parsley

Methods:
Preheat oven at 200C
Mix all ingredients together
Make pingpong sized balls
Put on a baking tray (with aluminium paper)
Bake until meatballs are cooked (about 30 minutes or so)

Biscuits matin (Bran oat mini cake)

2010-07-15T23:07:00.002+03:00

This simple cake is a very healthy snack.
Bran oat helps to heal constipation :)

From misc

Ingredients:
2 tablespoon bran oatmeal
2 tablespoon bran wheat
1 egg
1 tablespoon sweetener
1 tablespoon fromage blanc 0% (cream cheese/cottage cheese)

Methods:
Preheat oven at 200°C
Mix all ingredients in a bowl
Put the mixture on a baking tray according to what you want. I used a baking tray for mini tarts.
Bake for 15 minutes

*by Chef Sylvain :D

Freshness Juice

2010-06-15T21:02:00.003+03:00

My kitchen became inaccessible recently due to lotsa stuff came in from Nancy. I will get back warming my oven soon. No worries :D
I'm back on my vegies+fruit juices now...

Here is one of them - Mix of spinach, orange, raspberry, lemon and blueberry.
Yummy!!!

Doughnut Balls

2010-05-02T20:26:00.002+03:00

Yay! Managed to brave myself to try making doughnuts (or donut).While there are many donuts franchise, my favorite is always home-made, just like the one my mom made. It has always been the one with caster sugar around it, especially the donut balls. Yummyyyy....

There are many versions of the doughnuts recipes, but I chose one from Jamie Oliver.

Ingredients:
1x7 g sachet dried yeast
70g caster sugar
500 g plain flour
315 ml whole milk, warmed until tepid
zest of 2 lemons
zest of 1 orange
80 g unsalted butter, softened and cubed
1 litre vegetable oil

Methods:
1. Put the yeast in a bowl with a tbs of the caster sugar and a tbs of the flour and mix in the warm milk. Put in a warm place for a bout 15 mins until the mixture becomes frothy.

2. Put the rest of the sugar and flour, lemon and orange zest and butter in a bowl. Add yeast mixture and use spoon to bring it all together then use your hands to mix it into a ball. If it's too sticky, add a bit more flour. Knead the dough for 5 mins or so until it's smooth n silky. Pop it into a bowl, cover with clean damp cloth amd leave to rise for about 1 hr. Meanwhile, make your flavoured sugar by mixing the sugar, spices, zest, and vanilla seeds together in a bowl.

3. When the dough has doubled in size, give a bit of punch. Then on a floured surface, roll the dough out until it's an even 1 cm / 1/2 inch thickness. Using a little cutter or a small glass (app 5 cm / 2 inch diameter) cut about 25 little circles and pop them on to a greased baking tray to rise again, make sure there is a sufficient gap between each of them. Cover with damp tea towel and allow to rise for about 45 mins.

4. When the dough has doubled in size again, use a chopstick to make a little hole in the centre. Now, heat the vegetable oil in a large deep saucepan then fry your doughnuts for until golden brown (app 2 mins).

My variation:
I love the doughnut balls. So I just roll the dough into a golf ball size.

Here are the yummy doughnuts... MmmMmmm

Siamese Twin Mushroom

2010-05-02T20:13:00.002+03:00

Some serious stuff going on in the kitchen. Look what I've found amongst the button mushroom I bought this week. A Siamese Twin mushroom! Freaky isn't it?
Looks like a lovey dovey mushrooms too hihihi

Falafel and Humus - O Liban

2010-04-28T23:32:00.003+03:00

O Liban is a lebanese restaurant situated in front of my appartment at Chaussee de Vleurgat. It offers variety of lebanese food. I had this craving for falafel. I don't know why but damm I must get my hand on falafels LOL

So I went to O Liban and bought a couple of Falafel, a couple of the thing with meat which I didn't catch the name and a portion of Humus. See, I am not a fan of Humus, but at O Liban the humus looks really nice. And as the guy scoop it into the plastic container, you can see that the humus is thick.

I went home and at them off the plate. Everything is yummy and I licked the humus like it is an ice cream LOL

Sambal Tempe Ikan Bilis

2010-04-18T23:40:00.006+03:00

This is something really exotic, even for me. I don't do this often as it uses 2 ingredients which are not easy to get here in Europe.

First item is Tempe. I don't know if there is english word for this (LOL). It's basically soya beans fermented in some magical ways, and they because a white block. This item is mostly popular in Indonesian cuisine and Southern part of Malaysia. If in Western Europe, you can find tempe at the asian stores in the Netherlands due to the high population of Indonesian decendant there. But last Thursday I went to the Brussels asian supermarket, lo and behold, they have the tempe at the cold section. Yay!!!

Second item is Ikan Bilis. In english it is 'dried anchovies'. These are small dried anchovies. I said small because anchovies in Europe are big. One time I saw dried anchovies sold in the supermarket in Nancy at the pet food section. Food for cats! huhuhu I bought bunch of these small dried anchovies from Malaysia last December. Like any dried fish, this thing is very smelly when cooked (LOL).

I didn't take the picture of dried anchovies. But I have the pic somewhere...

Anyway, here are the Tempe...

Traditionally the beans are wrapped with green leaves. But I think for industrial purposes and that the leaves are scarce, so plastic is a good way.

Tempe cut into 2. You can see the fermented soya bean.

I cut them into small bits. Then I added in some salt, pepper, curry powder.

Deep fried them.

This crunchy bits can be eaten just like that, a yummy snack.

But instead, in a pan I coated them with some chili paste, dried anchovies. Yummy spicy snacks. Can be eaten just like that or with rice.

Tarte aux pommes

2010-04-18T13:34:00.006+03:00

It's Apple tart/pie in english... This is the french apple tart. It is not the one of americans pie where you have the top pastry. I made this for a lunch date, and it's best eat warm with some ice creams. Delicious :D
This tart is easy to use and I like the idea that I made everything from scratch. The combination of apple and cinnamon, is just heaven. It is very close to those McDonald's apple pie filling.

Here is the recipe:

Ingredients:
- For bottom pastry:
125g flour
50g icing sugar
60g butter
15g almond powder
Half an egg
2g salt

- For filling (Apple compote):
4 Golden apples (peeled)
50g sugar
dash of cinnamon powder

- For topping:
3 Golden apples (peeled)
Some sugar

Method:
1. Do the bottom pastry first. Let the dough rest in the fridge for about 45 minutes.
2. Dice the apples, put them in a casserole, add in sugar and cinnamon powder. Start with 1 minute of medium heat, cover the casserole. The 2-3 minutes until it becomes compote on low heat.
Let it cool a bit, then blend it until shiny and no apple pieces.
3. Slice the 3 apples, make sure the slices are at the same thickness.
4. Take out the pastry from the fridge and roll it out. Dress the rolled thin pastry into the pie mould, slightly buttered and floured.
5. Pour in the compote first. Then arrange the apple slices. Make sure that the round part of the apple facing the border of the pie.
Add a bit of sugar all over the topping.
6. Bake in a pre-heated oven at 200 degrees Celcius for about 30-40 minutes, until the top is slightly golden brown.

And it's done!!!

(I don't know what happened, the upload rotated my picture)

Easter eggs

2010-04-14T23:26:00.003+03:00

My favorite is "e". It is 'Lait Sucre Pop'.
It is made of chocolate milk, and inside it, there are some crackle pops sugar. You know the one that you eat and they kinda "explode" in your mouth. It's so great and fun to eat :D
Btw, if you can't spell right, the eggs spell 'leonidas'. One of famous chocolate houses in Belgium.

Homemade Pizza - Melanzana

2010-04-10T17:02:00.003+03:00

Melanzana is eggplant in Italian (aubergine in French - I like this word). Anyway, I know I don't like vegies, but in some dishes in which the taste and smell of vegetables are not too strong, I can eat them. One of my fav pizza nowadays is Pizza with Eggplant and Mushrooms.

Pizza is a type of home-cooked food, so if an italian grandma can do it why can't I? Right?
So here goes.. first I made the dough and let it rest in the fridge overnight. You don't need to put it overnight. Just 1-2 hours would be sufficient.

Then, when you need it, just roll out the dough and put your favorite toppings :D

For recipe and better instruction video, go here.

I made these videos for fun... I always had fun cooking, so I wanna share my funtime with people :D

Part 1:

Part 2:

ABCooking - Omelette with Mushrooms

2010-04-10T13:00:00.002+03:00

Simple and yummy... did you know that mushrooms are substitute of meat for vegetarian? I didn't know that, I just heard this some time ago on TV.

Salon de Thé - Fauchon Paris

2010-04-05T11:16:00.004+03:00

I love tea.. But what I like in France is their salon de thé. Although the name is tea saloon, but the attraction is more like drinking tea with different kind of pattisseries. Anyway, I am not going to talk about this just yet.

I just bought this nicely stored tea bags from Fauchon Paris. There are 5 bags in each golden slim metal box. It's so slim that you could put this in your bag, in your pocket or stored nicely in the drawer of your office desk, which I'm gonna do :-) These are boxes of Ceylan, Darjeeling, Fauchon Mix (Citrus, Lavender, Vanilla), Apple and Camomile Infusion.

Leftover Ganache

2010-03-30T00:38:00.003+03:00

I had some leftover ganache from my glazed chocolate brownies. It seems a waste to not use it. I took out the ganache from the fridge and pinch it a bit and taste it.. yummy... it's so good, so definitely cannot go to waste.
I googled 'leftover ganache' and I found some interesting ideas. Re-melt it and serve as chocolate fondue is sooo very tempting. But it is dangerous because I am alone with bowl of melted chocolates.. aie aie aie...
So I settled for chocolate truffles (des truffes au chocolate). I never made it before, so it is a good moment to do some tests.
There are so many different coating for chocolate truffles. Scurring for stuff in my kitchen, I found chopped peanuts, speculoos and box of dutch processed cocoa powder. That's it! I shall make chocolate truffles with 3 different kinds of coating. Btw, speculoos is a biscuit quite close to ginger bread, mostly popular in Belgium. I think Neuhaus made chocolate truffles with speculoos coating.

Anyway... here they are...

Comfort baking

2010-03-30T00:15:00.003+03:00

The 2 cakes that never let down : Banana Bread and Chcolate Brownies

Something extra for my chocolate brownies, this time I made Chocolate Ganache, and glazed the brownies with it :)

Boiled liquid cream poured into chocolate pastilles.

Whisk them together...

Add in butter...

et voila :D

Raspberry Swirl Cheesecake

2010-03-29T23:21:00.003+03:00

This is my second time making the raspberry cheesecake. Again, this is the baking version.

Mee Goreng

2010-03-29T23:16:00.002+03:00

Simple stuff, yet yummy :D

Overdue loads

2010-03-25T19:09:00.003+02:00

I have been cooking, experimenting, but just do not have time to put the photos on the page and write something. After the raspberry truffle tart from my last post, I did raspberry cheesecake, tried japanese cheesecake (without success huhuhu), and am thinking to bake so many things.

I will try to load some pics here, maybe this weekend :D

Raspberry Truffle Tart

2010-02-11T23:53:00.003+02:00

For dinner at a friend's house last Monday, I made raspberry truffle tart for dessert. The mix of chocolate and raspberry intrigues me. So, I smell a challenge. Reading the recipe, it's not that hard.. and there is no white egg involve here.. phew what a relief!!!

As usual, I get my recipe from Joy of Baking.

It is not the season for raspberry. I tried to get fresh ones at the market but it's very expensive. So I settled with frozen raspberry sauce. I found it in the fridge where there are also ice creams. Otherwise, I think frozen raspberry can be used too.

Here are some photos from this adventure. Then followed by the recipe from Joy of Baking.

Verdict: Easy to make, yummy to eat!! Not to mention the licking off the spatula and bowl.. blisssss

Raspberry Truffle Tart
Biscotti Crust:
8 ounces (225 grams) store bought biscotti, broken into pieces
5 - 6 tablespoons (70 - 84 grams) unsalted butter, melted

Filling:
1/3 cup raspberry sauce (recipe follows)
10 ounces (280 grams) semi sweet or bittersweet chocolate, chopped
1 cup (240 ml) heavy whipping cream

Raspberry Sauce:
1 cup fresh or frozen raspberries
2 tablespoons (30 grams) granulated white sugar, or to taste

Garnish:
Fresh raspberries

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (180 degree C). Have ready a 8 - 9 inch (20 - 23 cm) fluted tart pan.

Biscotti Crust: In your food processor, place the biscotti and process until finely ground. Transfer to a bowl and add the melted butter. Stir to combine. Press this mixture over the bottom and up the sides of the tart pan. Bake in the preheated oven for about 15 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from oven and place on a wire rack to cool completely before adding the filling.

Filling: First, we need to make the raspberry sauce. Place 1 cup of fresh or frozen raspberries, that have been thawed, in your food processor and process until the raspberries are broken up. Pour into a strainer, set over a bowl, and press on the raspberries to extract the juice. Add sugar to taste. Set aside.

Place the chopped chocolate in a medium sized stainless steel bowl. Set aside. Heat the cream in a saucepan over medium heat. Bring just to a boil. Immediately pour the boiling cream over the chocolate and allow to stand for 5 minutes. Stir until smooth. Stir in 1/3 cup of the raspberry sauce. Pour the chocolate filling into the baked and cooled crust, smoothing the top with an offset spatula. Cover and refrigerate overnight.

To Serve: Cut into small slices and serve with fresh raspberries and with any of the remaining raspberry sauce. Can also serve with whipped cream or cr?e fra?he.

Makes one - 8 - 9 inch (20 - 23 cm) tart. Serves 12 - 14 people.