My First 3D Cake

I decided to try making 3D Cake as I was inspired by a good friend's colleague's blog which I saw online. The cake didn't came out well ... but I tried my best . Should I perservere in this interest ? It was so tiring to do the entire cake! What was worse, was the washing up! It was so much tougher than baking other stuff. It was especially tougher after the colourful fondant stained all my baking equipments and the buttercream was  too oily for one round of washing water to be clean !!!! Arggg ...

Anyway, take a look at my first 3D cake , which I made for my brother's birthday on the 31st Dec ! He wanted a fruit cake, but I didn't know how to make it . So presenting to him a 3D Chocolate cake instead !!!

Hey the water (blue part), grass patch ( dull green part) and the house all have cakes hidden in them !! I wonder how they will taste with the OVERSWEET Fondant!

Thanks to the invention of internet, I have gotten my recipes for the fondant and buttercream from Wilton !


Recipe for Rolled Fondant from Wilton

Ingredients:


•1 tablespoon + 2 teaspoons unflavored gelatin

•1/4 cup cold water

•1/2 cup Glucose

•2 tablespoons solid vegetable shortening

•1 tablespoon Glycerin

•8 cups (about 2 lbs.) confectioners' sugar, sifted

•Icing color as desired

•flavoring as desired


Method

1. Combine gelatin and cold water; let stand until thick, about 3 minutes. Place gelatin mixture in top of double boiler and heat and stir until dissolved. Add glucose, mix well. Stir in shortening; just before completely melted remove from heat. Add glycerin, flavoring and color. Cool until lukewarm.



2. In large bowl, place 4 cups confectioners' sugar; make a well. Pour the lukewarm gelatin mixture into the well and stir with a wooden spoon, mixing in sugar and adding more, a little at a time, until stickiness disappears. Knead in remaining sugar. Knead until the fondant is smooth, pliable and does not stick to your hands. If fondant is too soft, add more sugar; if too stiff, add water (a drop at a time). Use fondant immediately or store in airtight container in a cool, dry place.

Use fondant immediately or store in airtight container at room temperature until needed. If storing longer than 1 week, refrigerate. Bring to room temperature before kneading. Do not freeze. When ready to use, knead again until soft.



Recipe for Buttercream Icing Recipe from Wilton:


Ingredients

•1/2 cup solid vegetable shortening


•1/2 cup (1 stick) butter or margarine softened

•1 teaspoon clear vanilla extract

•4 cups sifted confectioners' sugar (approximately 1 lb.)

•2 tablespoons milk

Makes: About 3 cups of icing.


Methods

(Medium Consistency)


In large bowl, cream shortening and butter with electric mixer. Add vanilla. Gradually add sugar, one cup at a time, beating well on medium speed. Scrape sides and bottom of bowl often. When all sugar has been mixed in, icing will appear dry. Add milk and beat at medium speed until light and fluffy. Keep bowl covered with a damp cloth until ready to use.


For best results, keep icing bowl in refrigerator when not in use. Refrigerated in an airtight container, this icing can be stored 2 weeks. Rewhip before using.

For thin (spreading) consistency icing, add 2 tablespoons light corn syrup, water or milk.

For Pure White Icing (stiff consistency), omit butter; substitute an additional 1/2 cup shortening for butter and add 1/2 teaspoon No-Color Butter Flavor. Add up to 4 tablespoons light corn syrup, water or milk to thin for icing cakes

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Xmas Ice Cream Cakes

I made 2 Xmas ice cream cakes !! One for hubby's family Xmas party and one for our own party on 25th ! Hubby knowing that I couldn't go out, organised a small Xmas party at home for some close friends !

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Creme Brulee

I tried making some creme brulee today, using the recipe from Noobcook again ! Again I did some modification to the recipe according to my own oven and microwave.

Ingredients


•250 ml (1 cup) thickened cream

•½ tsp pure vanilla essence

•2 large egg yolks

•2 tbsp caster sugar (adjust to your liking)

•brown sugar

•boiling water


Garnish

•berries

•mint leaves


Methods:
1. Put the thickened cream and vanilla essence in a microwave-safe cup or bowl. Microwave for 1.5 minutes until the cream is warmed through but not boiling.
2. Add egg yolks and caster sugar into a large bowl and mix until they are just combined with an egg whisk.
3. Add one ladle of the warmed cream and mix well with the egg whisk. Then, add the rest of the cream and continue whisking.
4. Run the custard mixture through a sieve.
5. Pour the custard mixture into containers. If air bubbles form, flatten them out with the back of a wooden spoon.
6. Place the containers inside a roasting dish. Pour boiling water into the dish till it reaches about halfway up the containers. Be very careful not to spill any water into the containers.
7. Sit the roasting dish on the low rack. Cook at Convection 160°C for about 40 minutes. The custard should be wobbly like jelly when shaken. Let the containers cool to room temperature, then refrigerate for at least an hour or even overnight for the custard to firm up.
8. Before serving, sprinkle a thin layer of brown sugar on top. Preheat ‘Grill’ for 3 minutes at 220°C. Place containers on high rack and grill on turntable for about 2 minutes, or until the sugar browns. Garnish with berries and mint leaves.

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Steamed Pandan Cupcakes

I stumbled upon this website when I joined a Samsung Contest. The judge was Noobcook and I realised she is someone who always provide easy to make recipe. She was helping Samsung with some Microwave recipes. I saw one that really interest me - Steamed Pandan Cupcakes and making them seem really easy ! I did some modification to the recipe as I didn't have sufficient ingredients but the cupcakes still taste good !

Ingredients

•100g of cake flour

•2 tsp of baking powder

•2 tsp of sponge gel

•100g of caster sugar (adjust to your liking)

•pandan paste

•sea salt

•40ml of coconut milk (I didn't add this as I have forgotten to buy this !)

•40ml of canola oil (I used vegetables oil instead)

•4 large eggs at room temperature


Pandan Juice

•10g of pandan leaves

•100ml of water


Methods (I modified this recipe to my own methods):
1. Using a pair of kitchen scissors, cut up the pandan leaves into smaller pieces. Place the pandan leaves in a blender with 100ml water. Blend the mixture until the water turns dark green and the pandan leaves have been reduced to pulp.
2. n the blended mixture through a sieve and use your fingers to gently compress the pulp to squeeze out its juices. The first round of extract is the most concentrated and is what we are using for the recipe. Set aside the concentrated pandan juice.
3. In a large bowl, add caster sugar, eggs, sea salt and sponge gel.
4. Using a hand-held electric mixer or cake mixer, beat the mixture until it becomes pale and frothy.
5. Add 2 tbsp of the concentrated pandan juice you prepared in step 3 with about 8 drops of pandan paste. If you are not making pandan juice, add a few more drops of pandan paste. Adjust the amount based on the colour you like. For accuracy, use a dropper or a snipped straw for the pandan paste and a teaspoon for the pandan juice.
6. Blend the mixture again for a few seconds till the colour is well mixed.
7. Add sifted flour and baking powder into the batter, then blend till they are well mixed in the batter. After mixing, your batter will take on a thicker consistency.
8. Add the canola oil and coconut milk into the batter and mix well.

9. Pour the batter into the disposable cupcake cases . Put some water into a Microwave-safe Casserole, before putting the cupcake cases in. Make sure that the cupcakes are covered with a lid before setting the microwave on high power (900 watts) for 5 minutes.

10. Poke a skewer into the middle of the cupcake. If it comes out clear, the cupake is cooked.

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Oven baked cheese steak & Clam Soup

I didn't have a good appetite for lunch today. When hubby called me up and asked me what I wanted for dinner, I begged him not to cook any Chinese food. He said okay and he would decide what I would eat tonight. By dinner time, he impressed me with oven baked cheese steak, with salad and baked potato. He also tried to make a clam soup which I think taste better than the one at Pizza Hut !! Yummy ! Enjoy the pictures ! 

Oven Cheese Steak

Ingredients:

1. Beef Steak

2. Cheddar Cheese

Seasoning:

1. Salt

2. Black Pepper

3. Parsley

4. Olive Oil

5. Butter

Method:

1. Wash steak thoroughly and pat dry 

2. Cut slits across steak for better heat penetration

3. Season steak with salt, pepper and parsley

4. Sit for 30 mins

5. Sear steak with olive oil and butter on frying pan

6. Put cheese on top of steak

7. Bake steak in oven at 200 Celsius for 15 mins

Clam Soup

Ingredients:

1. Clams

2. Ginger

3. Tomato

4. Chinese Celery

5. Onion

6. Red Chilli

7. Minced Garlic

Seasoning:

1. Salt

2. Pepper

3. Sherry/Mirin

4. Butter

Method:

1. Clean Clams

2. Boil water and add in butter, ginger, garlic, onion, tomato, chilli and boil for 10 mins.

3. Add sherry/mirin and chinese celery

4. Add in clams

5. Add salt and pepper to taste

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Mum's Chicken Stew

Ingredients


* This dish serves 3-4 pax

Main Ingredients:

4 x Mid section chicken thigh

1 x Carrot

4 x Medium Potato

1 x Yellow Onion

Seasoning:

5 Tbsp Special Dark Soya Sauce

2 Tbsp Chinese Cooking Wine

1 Tbsp Seasame Oil

4 Tbsp Light Soya Sauce

3 Dash Salt

2 Dash Pepper

1/2 Tbsp Sugar

2 Tbsp Oyster sauce

Garnishing:

- 2 x Spring Onion Stalk



Directions & Method

1. Cut chicken thighs into smaller pieces

2. Cut carrots, potatoes and onion into cube sizes

3. Marinate the chicken with all the above stated seasoning. Leave it to stand for at least 30 minutes

4. Pour the chicken and marinate into a microwave-safe casserole

5. Pour in all the cut carrots, potatoes and onion into the casserole

6. Mix all the ingredients evenly and cover with casserole lid

7. Cook in microwave at high heat for 20mins

8. Garnish with cut spring onion before serving



Tools & Cookware (Optional)

Microwave-safe Casserole


Cooking Tips (Optional)

Let marinated chicken stand longer for a richer taste

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"World's Best Bibimbap"

If you believe that my hubby has made the world's best bibimbap, you must be a really loyal fan of his ! He was so proud of the bibimbap he created recently that he had it for days ! Although I told him that his auntie made a much better one than his, he didn't believe me and still insisted that his was one of the world's best. I gave up convincing him to stop dreaming ....

Will ask him to update the recipe soon

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Hubby's Invented Sukiyaki Dish

As I have very poor appetite lately for being at home , hubby decided to invent his own Sukiyaki dish for me to try ... Presenting to u ... My Hubby's Sukiyaki

Will ask him for the recipe and update soon !

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Japanese Cotton Soft Cheesecake

Hubby bought a Japanese cheescake while doing grocery shopping in Giant. I always love Japanese cheesecake from Carrefour. It was the first time I tried the one from Giant. And it tasted exactly the same !! I decided to try doing it at home today since I am stuck at home for at least 2 months !! Yeah, I am successful in making my Japanese Cotton Soft Cheesecake. Gotten this recipe from Diana's Desserts.

Ingredients:


140g/5 oz. fine granulated sugar

6 egg whites

6 egg yolks

1/4 tsp. cream of tartar

50g/2 oz. butter

250g/9 oz. cream cheese

100 ml/3 fluid oz. fresh milk

1 tbsp. lemon juice

60g/2 oz. cake flour /superfine flour

20g/1 oz. cornflour (cornstarch)

1/4 tsp. salt



Methods:

1. Melt cream cheese, butter and milk over a double boiler. Cool the mixture. Fold in the flour, the cornflour, egg yolks, lemon juice and mix well.

2. Whisk egg whites with cream of tartar until foamy. Add in the sugar and whisk until soft peaks form.

3. Add the cheese mixture to the egg white mixture and mix well. Pour into a 8-inch round cake pan (Lightly grease and line the bottom and sides of the pan with greaseproof baking paper or parchment paper).

4. Bake cheesecake in a water bath for 1 hours 10 minutes or until set and golden brown at 160 degrees C (325 degrees F).

Makes 1 (8-inch) cheesecake, 12 servings.

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Hubby's Steak

Hubby has been crazy over perfecting steak since his good friend bought an expensive steak for him to try cooking but he failed on the first round. This time it was successful and he was so proud of it that he made me take a photo !

Sorry, no recipe coz hubby couldn't remember the recipe !!! OMG !

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Ice cream ! Ice Cream !

I bought an ice-cream recipe book "Yummy Cold Desserts Made Easy" from Expo last week and decided to explore the different ice creams I could make !! I started with cookie & ice cream. This is really an easy receipe ! You should all try !

Ingredients:

*ingredient a*
- 4 egg yolk
- 25g caster sugar
- 7 pieces Oreo biscuit filing

*ingredient b*
200g dairy whipping cream

*ingredient c*
250g non diary whipping cream
1/2 tsp vanilla essence
Some crushed Oreo biscuits

Methods:

1. Beat a until well mixed and slightly pale. Bring b to boil at low heat. Remove from heat, add in a and mix well.
2. Double-boil a and b mixture until slightly thick. Remove from heat and leave to cool.
3. Whisk non diary whipping cream until stiff. Add in (method 2) mixture, vanilla essence, some crushed Oreo biscuit and stir well. Pour mixture into a prepared container and sprinkle crushed Oreo biscuit on top. Freeze overnight or until set.

Before freezing ...

After an overnight freezing...

Anyone wants a scope ??

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My self improved Oreo Icecream cake

My hubby betted with his second auntie on something and he lost the bet. So now he ows his second auntie a Swensen treat, and all his cousins are asking for the ice creams ! Since it is hubby's birthday on Sunday, I decide to self improve on the Oreo Ice Cream cake. And I am proud to present my new self improved Oreo Ice cream cake made up of the following:

Bottom Layer - Oreo Biscuits
1st Layer - Half Chocolate Ice Cream & Half Vanilla Ice Cream
2nd Layer - Oreo Biscuits
3rd Layer - Cookie & Cream Ice Cream
4th Layer - Chocolate Whipping Cream
5th Layer - Oreo Biscuits

However, I was quite impatient and didn't wait for at least 6hours for the cake shape to be formed. I removed the mould too early and the cake was kinda ruined at the side. Anyway, I am not sure about the taste. But I think it should taste great. Looking forward to taste it tomorrow !!!

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Oreo Icecream Cake

I tried making an Oreo Ice cream cake today. Wanted to do testing before I do up a real one for my hubby this Sunday to celebrate his birthday on Monday. Gotten the recipe from this "Happy Home Baking site, mine doesn't look as nice. But nevermind ! It is my first attempt, I will do a nicer one this Sat/Sunday. But it is really yummy !!! Those who want to eat this cake, must visit me within these few days !! hahha

Ingredients

110g oreo cookies (finely crumbled)
40g butter, melted and cool
about 1 tub of ice cream (1.5 ltr)
1 cup whipping cream
150g dark chocolate, finely chopped

Method:

1.Line the sides of a loose bottom pan with plastic sheets. Set aside.

2.Place oreo crumbs and melted butter in a bowl. Mix thoroughly with a spoon until the crumbs are moistened. Press the crumbs evenly into the base of the prepared pan. Use the back of the spoon, smooth out the crumbs and press firmly. Freeze the base for at least 1 hour.

3.Soften the ice cream at room temperature. When the ice cream is soft enough, place it in a mixing bowl. With a spoon or spatula, stir the ice cream until it is spreadable. Spoon the ice cream over the oreo base, ensure all gaps are filled. Depending on the depth of the pan, fill it with enough ice cream till it reaches about half to one inche before the rim. Cover with a cling wrap and freeze for at least 2 hours.

4.When the ice cream layer is set, prepare the chocolate ganache. Place cream and finely chopped dark chocolates in a bowl over a pot of simmering water. Stir till the chocolate melts complete. Leave to cool off.

5.This step has to be done as quickly as possible. Spread the chocolate ganache over the ice cream layer. Decorate as desired.

6.Cover with cling wrap and freeze for at least another 6 hours before unmolding. When ready to unmold, dampen a kitchen towel with hot water and wrap it around the pan and hold it there for about 10seconds. Remove the towel and unmold. After unmolding the cake, return it back into the freezer to firm up before serving

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Cream cheese coffee cake

Hubby kept nagging at me that I didn't make his favourite cake - Coffee cake. So I took some time to modify this coffee cake recipe I found online. Couldn't put in blueberry as my hubby hates fruits and needed to change some of the ingredients as I did not have them at home.

For the cake base:
1 1/2 c rice flour mix ( I used plain flour)1/4 t salt
1/4 t xanthan gum (I don't know what is this, so I didn't put this in)2 t baking powder
1/4 c butter, softened
1/4 c sugar
1 egg
2/3 c milk
1 t vanilla (I added 1 t of coffee essense too)

Preheat oven to 190 degree celscius. In a small bowl, blend together the flour mix, salt, xanthan gum, and baking powder, then set aside. Cream the butter and sugar, then beat in the egg, followed by the milk. Add the vanilla, then stir in the flour mixture. Blend well, then spread into a 8x8 pan or an 8" pie/tart pan.

For the cream cheese layer:
8 oz cream cheese, softened

1 egg yolk
1/4 c sugar
2 t lemon juice or vanilla

Smoosh the cream cheese together with the egg, sugar, and lemon juice. Beat until smooth, and drop big spoonfuls on top of the coffee mix.

For the streusel layer:
2 T rice flour or almond meal (I used plain flour)
2 T butter
3 T sugar
1/2 t cinnamon

Mash together all the ingredients with a fork until crumbly. Sprinkle over the cheese layer.

Bake the cake about 45-60 minutes, until no longer jiggley in the center, and starting to brown. Cool completely before serving.

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Arnott's Choc Ripple "Cake"

Thanks to my hubby's cousin, she helped us bought the Arnott Choc Ripple biscuits from Oz. However, I didn't managed to make the "cake" look nice

Preparation time 25 minutes
Chill Time Overnight
Serves 9+

Ingredients
300ml cream
1 tsp caster sugar
Vanilla essence
1 pack Arnott’s Choc Ripple Biscuits
Crushed nuts, grated chocolate or seasonal berries to decorate

Method
Add sugar and a drop of vanilla essence to the cream and whip until very stiff.

Join biscuits together by standing a biscuit on its side and sandwich with the next biscuit using a generous spread of cream. Continue until all the biscuits have been used and resemble a log.

Cover the log thickly and entirely with the remaining cream. Place in refrigerator for at least 6 hours to set.

Before serving, decorate log with grated chocolate, if desired.

To serve, cut cake at a slight angle to ensure alternate layers of chocolate biscuit and cream are in each slice. Serve with seasonal berries, if desired.

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World Kitchen Voting Contest

Oh Almost forgot .. I joined World Kitchen Asia Submit Recipes contests and got myself two free plates from Corelle !! So happy !

Last day to vote for my cheesecake and hubby's Szechuan prawns with bean sauce ... we do not want to win .. we just want to get MORE free plates from Corelle !! HAHAHHA .. coz we are addicted to Corelle !!

Anyway, here are the 2 plates we have gotten : )

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A special Chocolate Birthday Cake for My Dearest Nephew

Since I started exploring on baking, I thought it would be fun if I was to bake a cake for my nephew's birthday party. So here you go :

The design wasn't really nice .. but glad everyone enjoyed the cake. My nephew has always hated eating cake, but he was so happy with this cake and finished the whole slice coz it was baked by his "Ah Yee" . My brother also had a second slice : )

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Awfully Chocolate Cake

I modified Yochana's Cake Delight - Awfully Chocolate Banana Cake and removed the banana part as hubby doesn't like banana. The cake didn't came out as successful as I thought. Coz I didn't wait for the spongecake to cool down and i put in the mousse between the layers, which melted into the spongecake. And i put in too little mousse : ( I think I just have to practise a few more times, it should be fine !!

Chocolate Sponge cake:
3 nos. Extra Large egg yolks of about 90 gm. each (or use 4 medium eggs of about 60 gm. each)
100 gm. castor sugar
120 gm. Self Raising flour
1/2 tsp. Baking powder
1/2 tsp. Bicarbonate of Soda
50 gm. Corn oil
1 teasp. vanilla essence

3 1/2 X.Large egg white (or use 4 1/2 medium eggs)
1/4 teaspoon Cream of Tartar
60 gm. castor sugar

30 gm. cocoa powder + 120 gm. of hot water - stir till smooth

Method:

(1) Mix egg yolks, sugar, oil, SR flour, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda and vanilla essence into a mixing bowl and stir with a wooden spoon.
(2) Add in cocoa mixture and stir together till smooth.
(3) Beat egg white with cream of tartar for 2 mins, then pour in sugar gradually till egg white becomes fluffy but not too stiff.
(4) Fold the egg yolk mixture into the egg white mixture. Do not overmix otherwise the egg white will be deflated and the cake will sink. If you feel that you are mixing too long and can still see traces of egg white it means that you have overbeat your egg white. Stop mixing anymore, don't worry about the egg white traces, just pour into a 9" round cake tin and bake.
(5) Bake at 175C for about 50 mins. or till cooked.
(6) Cool the cake on wire rack and then slice into 3 layers.

Chocolate mousse:

250 gm. Non-Dairy Whip Cream
150 gm. Dairy whip cream
1 tsp. Vanilla essence
1 level Tablespoon of Gelatine powder - mix together with- 4 Tbsp. water and microwave for 20 secs
50 gm. Cocoa powder ) mix together
80 gm. icing sugar )
1 1/2 Tablespoon of Nescafe )
1 1/2 Tablespoon of hot water ) mix together
1 Tablespoon "Kahlua" or "Tia Maria" coffee liquer


Method for the mousse:

(1) Beat the two whip cream separately.
(2) Mix all the ingredients together.
(3) Spread 1/3 of the mousse on the first layer of sponge cake, lay the slice bananas on top and then top up with another layer or sponge, continue till the last layer of sponge is used up.
(4) Cover the whole cake with the balance mousse and keep in the refrigerator till the mousse sets.

Coating for the cake:

35 gm. cocoa powder
50 gm. sugar
150 gm. Dairy whipping cream
80 gm. chocolate - chopped
30 gm. Butter

(1) Put into a mixing bowl and double boil till mixture thickens. Cool before pouring onto cake.

(2) Pour the coating onto the cake and let the chocolate mixture flows down the side smoothly.
(3) Decorate the cake and put into the frige till coating sets.
(4) Slice with a warm knife and serve.

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Baked New York Cheese Cake

I have another attempt on cheese cake. Back to New York Cheesecake again. Couldn't accept my failure in Chicago cheesecake .. so here I go again . I modified my earlier recipe of New York Cheesecake and created my own one! Got very good review from hubby and colleagues for this cheesecake .. YIPPY!! Success !!!

Crust:

Ingredients:
100g graham crackers
56g melted butter
1 tbsp sugar

Method:
1. Combine all the ingredients and press them onto a 9-inch springform pan.
2. Pre heat the oven at 170 DC.
3. Bake for 8 - 10 min.

Cheesecake:

Ingredients:
2 8oz cream cheese
1 cup sugar
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup milk
2 eggs
1/2 cup sour cream

Preheat oven to 175degreeC. Beat the cream cheese and sugar until smooth and creamy. Add in the vanilla and milk. Then add the eggs, one at a time. Stir in the sour cream lastly and pour into prepared pan. Bake for 50minutes in a water bath. Switch off the oven and let it rest inside for 1/2 hour before placing it in the fridge. Chill overnight.

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Sweetcorn Bread

Well, since young I love sweetcorn bread. Still remember dad or mum would buy it from Gardens at Geylang East. Miss eating it for quite sometimes. So thought that it wasn't a bad idea for me to try making one myself .... Recipe is from Baking Mum

Ingredients
(A)
300 gm bread flour
3 tbsp custard powder
60 gm castor sugar
½ tsp salt
1 ½ tsp instant yeast

(B)
140 ml chilled fresh milk
1 egg

(C)
25 gm shortening

(D)
100 gm whole kernels of sweetcorn (canned, drained)

For glazing
1 egg (beaten)

Method

1. Combine (A) in a mixer. Add in (B) and mix into a dough. Add in (C) and continue to knead until dough is smooth and elastic to the touch. Lastly add in (D) and mix well.

2. Keep dough in a big bowl and let it proof, covered with a damp cloth or with clingwrap for 30 mins or till dough rises to double.

3. Divide risen dough into four equal portions and shape into balls. (For me I do it differently because I wanted to use a different moulds.) Leave two portion into a well greased mould. Leave it to proof for 40 mins.

4. Brush with egg wash and bake in a preheated oven at 190C for 20-25 mins. Remove hot bread from oven and transfer to wire rack to cool immediately.

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Chicago Cheesecake

I did said I was going to try making cheesecake again right? mm ... This time round , I tried making Chicago Cheesecake. The recipe was said to taste like the one from Coffeebean. I certainly hope so as that is my favourite cheesecake in Singapore. But I kinda combined some recipes as this recipe does not include the crust.


Crust:

* Recipe taken from caketree.sg

* Method taken from About.com

Ingredients:

100g graham crackers
56g melted butter
1 tbsp sugar

Method:

1. Combine all the ingredients and press them onto a 9-inch springform pan.

2. Pre heat the oven at 170 DC.

3. Bake for 8 - 10 min.

Cheesecake:
Makes 1 7-inch round cake

Ingredients:

(A)
- 250g cream cheese, at room temperature
- 4 egg yolks
- 1 lemon rind
- 4 tbsp/ 60ml milk

(B) Sift
- 40g all purpose flour
- 40g cornflour

(C) Whisk
- 4 egg whites
- 150g castor sugar

(Tip: Eggs are easier to be separated when it's fridge cold but are easier to whisk & beat when at room temperature. So separate the eggs first and allow to come to room's temperature.)

Method:

1) Beat the cream cheese till smooth & creamy with an electric mixer. Add egg yolk, 1 at a time and beat till well incorporated. Add the lemon rind and mix well. Slowly stir in the milk last. Mix well.

(Tip: If cheese is cold, the batter will be lumpy. So remove the cream cheese from the fridge and allow it to come to room temperature.)

2) Fold in the flour mixture (B) in 2 additions. Mix well and set aside.

3) In a grease-free bowl, whisk the egg whites till frothy. Add in sugar gradually and continue whisking till white & glossy.

(Tip: For proper whisking of egg whites, make sure that the bowl & whisk is free from grease & egg yolks. And ask your hubby to help u whisk. He should be an expert coz he will be more muscular than you !! )

4) Fold in the whipped egg white into the cream mixture, half at a time, till well mixed.

5) Pour batter into a lightly-greased 7-inch cake tin with a removeable base (eg springform tin) so that the cake can be easily removed when it's cooled.

6) 'Waterproof' the tin with aluminium foil as the cheesecake requires baking in a water-bath. Wrap aluminium foil properly over the base and edge of the cake tin to prevent water from seeping through the removeable base.

7) Place the cake tin into another bigger tray and pour water to 1-2 inches in height. This is baking in a water-bath, helping the cheesecake to bake evenly without cracking.

8) Bake in a pre-heat oven of 140dc for 45 minutes and 180dc for another 15 mins (depending on your oven, you may need to adjust your temperature and baking time). The skewer that pass through the centre of the cake will be slightly moist with some crumbs. It's okay. The residual heat will continue to bake the cake and after refrigeration and firming up, it'll be just right.

9) Turn off the oven and allow the cake to cool in the oven for an hour before removing it for further cooling on a cooling rack.

10) Remove the cake gently from the tin once it's completely cool. Chill in the fridge for a few hours before serving.

(Tip: Use an air-tight Lock & Lock plastic container to keep the cake so that it will not absorb other odors and the cake will stay moist and not dry out. )

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Baked Cheese Cake

I did many research on baked cheese cake recipe online. There were so many. Finally found one which i thought it will be easy. But who knows that I read wrongly the "4 8 oz cream cheese" as "8 oz cream cheese". My cheesecake turned up too watery and soft. Hubby thought that the taste was fine. Just that I didn't make it for the texture of both the cake and the crust : ( Quite disappointed. I won't be trying out this recipe anymore. It is too Expensive to try! I will look for a better one . So till I find a better one, I will not post the recipe of a cheesecake : P

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Stewed Pork Ribs with Bittergourds

Mum taught me how to cook this dish beginning of this year. I love to eat this dish, but hubby doesn't really like coz he doesn't like stewed pork ribs. Anyway, whocares? I love it!!

Ingredients
•1 medium-size bittergourd
•300g pork ribs, chopped into 4cm-5cm lengths
•3-4 tbsp preserved bean paste (tau cheong)
•1/2 tsp sugar
•Dark soy sauce
•Soya Sauce
•Water
•Fishmaw (optional)

Method
1. Cut bittergourd lengthwise into quarters. Remove the seeds and cut at an angle into 2cm-thick pieces.

2. Boil the ribs with water. Pour away the oily/cloudy water.

3. Reboil the ribs with water and tau cheong, soya sauce, dark soy sauce and sugar.

4. Add bittergourd and fish maw (optional). Mix well.

5. Allow to simmer over a gentle low heat until ribs turn tender. Serve dish hot with plain rice.

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Yong Tau Foo Soup Base

Hubby tried his first time making Yong Tau Foo Soup and it turned up very very successful. We realised how easy it is to make the soup . Felt quite cheated by the hawkers outside .. haha ..

Oh ya, and we love this dish !! Coz Yong Tau Foo 酿豆腐 originated from the Chinese Ethic group, Hakka !!







Method
Brew 150 g Soya Bean 黄豆 with 70g Ikan Bilis 江鱼仔 for 2 hours or till the Ikan Bilis turn opaque (you can adjust the quantity accordingly). Sieve it and the broth is ready to be used. Add in whatever ingredient/sauces you think that will make the soup tasty.

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Steamed Pomfret

A friend who loves fish was not feeling well. So hubby and I thought of cooking a healthy and favourful fish dish for him to eat. It turned up quite well ... except that I put on too much sweet. The recipe was from Kuali, Malaysia.

Ingredients

- 1 medium-sized white pomfret

- 3/4 tsp salt
- 1 tbsp finely chopped old ginger
- 2 dried Chinese mushrooms, soaked and sliced thinly
- 1 tbsp kei chi, washed and drained
- 2 stalks spring onion, cut into 3cm
- Dash of pepper

(A) Sauce ingredients: (you can adjust the quantity according to what you prefer. Not fixed)

1 tbsp light soy sauce
1 tsp oyster sauce
1½ tbsp sesame oil
1/2 tsp sugar
1–2 tbsp water

Method
1. Clean fish and make two slits on either side of the body. Rub fish inside and out with salt and ginger and set aside for 10–15 minutes.

2. Combine ingredients (A) in a small bowl. Place fish on a heatproof dish, then pour contents of bowl over it.

3. Arrange sliced mushrooms and spring onion around the fish and sprinkle with the kei chi. Add a dash of pepper.

4. Place steaming rack in a wok and place the fish on rack. Cover the wok and steam the fish for 10–15 minutes. Serve fish immediately.

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Sliced Fish Soup - Singapore style

Ingredients:
- 250 g of grouper fish fillet slices (or any fish you like)
- 1 cube of fish stock (or chicken stock)
- 100-150 ml of evaporate milk (as you like)
- 4 slices old ginger
- 2 tbsp of XO brandy
- 1 tbsp of vegetable oil
- 2 tsp of sesame oil
- 1 pinch of salt
- 1 tbsp of fried shallot slices
- Seasoning with pepper
- vegetable oil for frying fish slices

Method
1. Fry ginger slices, ikan billis, chopped garlic and fry over medium heat until fragrant.
2. Add 1 tbsp of XO brandy.
3. Add fish/chicken stock to a pot of water and bring it to boil.
4. Add in the fried ingredients + tomato.
5. Add the sliced fish in (U can add bitter gourd in before that)
5. Add evaporate milk
6. Add another 1 tbsp of XO brandy, followed by sesame oil and pinch of salt then bring into boil again over medium high heat.

*Tips: If U like bitter gourd or egg, can add in .

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Gong Bao Frog (Kung Pao Tin Kai)

I modified the following recipe slightly to cook those Geylang claypot frog legs style ...

Ingredients
3 Cleaned Frog's (Tin Kai), cut into pieces
1 Onion,cubed
1 Stalk Spring Onion,cut into 3cm length
5 Slices Ginger
5 Dried Chillies, cut into pieces
20gm Toasted Cashew Nuts

Marinade
1/2 Tsp Salt
1 Tsp Cornflour
Dash of Pepper




Sauce
2 tbsp Black Vinegar - 1 tbsp should be more than enough , else u will have to add alot of sugar
1 tbsp Dark Soya Sauce - Can add more if u like it darker
1 tbsp Oyster sauce
1 tsp Hoisin Sauce
2 tbsp Sugar - Can add more if u like it sweeter
1/2 tsp Salt
100ml water
5 Tbsp Oil

Method
Marinade frogs for 20 minutes.
Deep fry in hot oil.Dish and drain.
Heat up 2 tbsp oil,saute onion, ginger and dried chillies.
Then add the frog and sauce, cook for a minute.
Add spring onion and cashewnuts mixed together then serve on the plate

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Steamed Minced Pork with Salted Duck Egg

I was just searching online for Chinese steamed egg recipe, when i stumbled upon this recipe. What got me excited was that this was a Hakka dish , famous in Malaysia. It should be something that my grandparents, dad, uncles and aunties ate when they were much younger??

Note: This dish will not have a silky smooth texture.

Ingredients
250g minced pork
1 salted duck egg (get rid of the yolk if preferred)
2 cloves garlic chopped (optional)
2 fresh chicken eggs
3 tbsp water
1 tbsp cornstarch
1 tbsp white pepper
1 spring onion stalk (chopped)
Sesame oil
Soy Sauce

Method
1. Mix minced pork, garlic, salted duck egg white (mashed), white pepper, cornstarch together until well combined. Use a shallow dish, spread the mince over the dish to an even thickness. Use fingers and poke into the mince randomly to create craters.

2. Whisk the eggs with water, then pour over the pork mince and let the mixture sip through all the craters into the mince. If there is still a thick layer of egg mixture on top of the mince, use a fork to loosen the mince up a little and let the egg mixture to fill up all the nooks.

3. Steam the dish in a wok on medium-high heat over simmering water for 20-30minutes or until it is cooked.

4. Drizzle with sesame oil, and a splash of soy sauce, sprinkle with chopped spring onions and a smidgen of white pepper.

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Cream Puffs

I combined the recipes from Florence's Kitchen and Cooks.com . Pastry is from Florence's Kitchen and custard is from Cooks.com . But I don't really like the custard :P

Choux Pastry

Ingredients: (8 puffs)
85ml water
50g butter
pinch of salt
1/4 tsp sugar
1/4 tsp vanilla essence
50g bread flour
20g cake flour
2 eggs (lightly beaten)

Method:
1. Cook water, butter, sugar and salt in a saucepan till bubbling hot. Turn the heat to low.
2. Add in the flour mixture in one go and mix with a wooden spoon till a dough is formed.
3. Still on low heat, cook the dough for 1 - 2 minutes till a thin white film is formed at the bottom of the saucepan.
4. Transfer dough to a mixing bowl and beat till it is lukewarm.
5. Add in egg by thirds and mix till well blended and smooth.
6. Place batter into piping bag and pipe it onto a lined pan in rounds of about 5cm in diameter. Spray some water on it.
7. Bake at 200C for 25 minutes then 180C for 8 - 10 minutes or till dry and golden brown in color. Turn off the oven and let it cool in the oven for 30 minutes.

Vanilla Custard Filling

Ingredients:
2/3 c. sugar
1/2 tsp. salt
2 1/2 tbsp. cornstarch
1 tbsp. flour
1 tsp. vanilla
3 egg yolks, beaten
3 cups of milk

Method:
Mix in saucepan sugar, salt, cornstarch, and flour. Stir in gradually 3 cups milk. Cook over moderate heat, stirring constantly, until mixture thickens and boils. Remove from heat. Slowly add 1/3 of the mixture and blend into the egg yolks. Then add back to rest of mixture. Cook 1 more minute over heat. Remove and add vanilla. Refrigerate after cooling down. This can now be spooned into Cream Puffs.

** Tips: If you do not want to put custard cream, try putting ice cream, cold durian , chocolates . You will be surprised with the effect and the taste !!

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