Happy New Year - Another Feast, A Boozy Night

After the big spread we had on Xmas Day, we indulged another round for New year :)

Pumpkin bacon macaroni cheese
Incredibly tasty, cheesy and creamy, yum!

 

 

Recipe is from Brown Eyed Baker

 

What you need:

 

12 slices thick-cut peppered bacon, cut into ½-inch pieces (I used 10 slices back bacon)

½ butternut squash, finely diced (I used 1/4 japanese pumpkin)

½ yellow onion, finely diced

salt and pepper, to taste

8 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided

4 tablespoons all-purpose flour

3 cups whole milk

2 cups gruyere cheese, shredded, divided

2 cups sharp cheddar cheese, shredded, divided

16 ounces cavatappi pasta (I used 400g elbow)

1 cup plain breadcrumbs (I used panko breadcrumbs)

 

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 200degC
2. Butter casserole dish of your choice
3. Heat a large pot of water over high heat for the pasta, cover
4. In a pan, fry bacon with a little oil til crisp. Remove from heat to a towel lined plate to drain
5. Set aside 2 tbsps of bacon grease in the pan
6. Adjust heat to medium low, add in pumpkin and onion to the bacon grease
7. Cook, stir occasionally til pumpkin and onion are browned and soft
8. With a wooden spoon, mash up the mixture. It doesn't have to be completely smooth, leave some chunks in for texture
9. Add pasta to the boiling water and cook according to the box instruction - cook al dente
10. When cooked, drain it in a colander
11. For the sauce: In a large pan, melt 4 tbsps of the butter over medium heat. Whisk in flour and cook for about 1 minute, until the flour start to brown a bit and smells nutty, whisk constantly. Slowly, add in the milk. Allow the sauce to come to a simmer, stir occasionally
12. Stir in both cheeses, adding a handful at a time and stir til completely melt each time - it's about 1 1/2 cup each in all
13. Season with salt and pepper, off heat
14. Add the cooked pasta, bacon and pumpkin mixture to the sauce. Stir til it's completely combined. Pour the mixture into the prepared casserole dish
15. Melt the remaining 4 tbsps of butter and mix with the breadcrumbs
16. Sprinkle the macaroni cheese with the remaining 1/2 cup gruyere and 1/2 cup cheddar cheese. Sprinkle the breadcrumbs mixture on top of the cheese
17. Bake until browned and bubbly, about 20 minutes

 

 A hearty red meatballs carrot soup prepared by my mum

This is cooked by many Indonesians, a dish easily found in wedding dinners and Chinese food restaurants in the country

 

 

 

 

Recipe is from my mum

 

What you need:

 

1 chicken bone

a pot of water

200g minced chicken

half a can of luncheon meat, diced and put into food processor til smooth

1 tbsp fried onion, finely crushed

4 large tomatoes, cut into chunks

1 onion, diced

4 carrots, diced

5 frozen chicken sausages, sliced

a little butter, salt, pepper, sugar, nutmeg, tomato ketchup

corn flour diluted in water (2:1)

 

Method:

1. Bring a pot of water with chicken bone to a boil, discard the residue
2. In a small pot, bring to a boil tomatoes with a little of the chicken stock til tomatoes turn really soft. Transfer to another pot with a strainer and add into the chicken stock, let it simmer
3. In a pan, heat butter and sautee onion til soft, transfer to the chicken stock
4. In a large bowl, combine chicken, luncheon meat, a little salt and pepper, fried onion
5. Shape into balls (my mum prefers to shape into oval shape) and put into the chicken stock
6. The balls are cooked when they float
7. Add in carrots, stir well
8. When the carrots are half cooked, add in sausages, stir well
9. Add in seasonings to the soup - salt, pepper, nutmeg, tomato ketchup, sugar
10. Adjust the taste, bring to a boil
11. Add in diluted corn flour and stir til the desired thickness achieved
12. Bring to a boil one more time and turn off heat

 

Now is dessert time! What better dessert can be made so boozy other than tiramisu LOL

A super boozy kind we made this time, it's extremely yummy and addictive. The only thing forced us to stop eating this was when we felt our cheeks getting warmer LOL

A big NO for those kids keen to try :)

 

 

 

 

Recipe is from Annielicious

 

What you need:

 

8 tsp instant coffee powder (I used Nescafe Gold)

8 tsp caster sugar

10 tbsp kahlua

500g mascarpone cheese

200 ml chilled whipping cream

2 large eggs

2 packs of sponge fingers (Annie has emphasized in the importance of using a good quality sponge fingers but I was too lazy to find the brand she used, I just grabbed any brand I could find in supermarket hehe... I will find the particular brand Annie mentioned, Cantreau brand Savoiardi - to experience the difference)

cocoa powder (to sieve on top before serving)

 

Method:

1. In a bowl can fit the length of sponge finger, mix instant coffee powder and caster sugar in a bowl. Add 8 tbsps kahlua into the coffee mixture. Stir til all completely melted. Set aside
2. Beat cold whipping cream til stiff. Once done, put the cream back to the fridge
3. Separate egg whites and yolks. Beat egg yolk til pale
4. In another clean and dry bowl, beat egg whites til stiff peak
5. Add mascarpone into a mixing bowl and add in egg yolk, mix well
6. Add in whipping cream, egg whites and 2 tbsps kahlua into the mascarpone mixture. Mix til everything incorporated. Put the whole bowl back to the fridge
7. Prepare a removable base cake tin, line the sides with baking paper. No need to line the base. Using mousse cake ring is the best way to make great looking tiramisu. But if appearance doesn't matter, you may use any kind of dish with approximately 5 cm height at the sides. I used 22 square pan, perfect for me

 

To assembly:

 

1st layer:

Dip sponge fingers (sugary sides  down) into the coffee mixture, dip half part of the sponge fingers. The next time I make this again, I'll dip the whole thing to get the maximum moistness of the whole tiramisu. Dipping half part gave me still dry parts of the sponge fingers here and there which I don't prefer

Cut sponge fingers to fit the pan if neccessary (I didn't need to do that)

 

2nd layer:

Spread half the cream mixture on top of the sponge fingers. Sift some cocoa powder (I didn't add cocoa powder for this 2nd layer - which I regretted. I'll add for the next try )

 

3rd layer:

Repeat the step for 1st layer. Dip the sponge fingers into the coffee mixture (this time sugary sides up) and put another layer of the sponge fingers on top of the cream

 

4th layer:

Cover with the remaining cream on top

 

Keep the tiramisu covered in clingwrap overnight

Sift cocoa powder just before serving

If mousse ring or removable pan is used, use a sharp knife to run around the base of the cake, carefully transfer the cake to a plate or serving dish

You may cut the sponge fingers into half and arrange them all around the side of the cake and tie with ribbon for a pretty finishing touch

 

Why my version was real boozy?

After left overnight in the fridge, I tried my first bite and found that some of the sponge fingers were quite dry, so I literally poured the remaining coffee mixture added with some kahlua at one side of the cake, tilting the pan so the liquid run through all over the bottom part of the cake, let the sponge fingers absorbed all of it

It's an idea based on logic to wet the dry spinge fingers. It worked,  but boy, what a strong kahlua based dessert we had! LOL

 

We still had a few dry parts at the centre of the cake from the sponge fingers at the 3rd layer, though but we enjoyed it to the max

it's super yummy!

 

The making process - especially to make the cream was a little troublesome, since I only have one stand mixer, so a few times of washing required

But believe me, it's really really worth it! :)

Tiramisu lover, this is a must try!

 

Besides dessert, as if it's not boozy enough, my sis made one of any girl's favorite drink, frozen margaritha

 

 

 

 

And DH bought this, first time we tried and fell in love with it at the very first sip! Nice, light, so fruity, refreshing!

 

 

 

 

Oh and DH managed to find a bottle of Erdinger beer in the fridge, out favorite beer besides Paulaner :)

 

To go along with the drinks, my sis also stocked up on many savoury munches - chips, nuts, cheese balls. Perfect!

 

 

So, do you think it's a feast? LOL

It was to our family. We are still stuffed everytime thinking of what we had for the just over Xmas and New Year :)

Well, we definitely had so much fun, that what's matter the most :)

 

HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYBODY!

Indonesian Traditional Banana Coconut Milk Steamed Pudding (Barongko)

This dessert is originally from Southern Sulawesi, one province in Indonesia
It's really yummy and oh so smooth, it's very easy to enjoy  finish :)
And one thing, it's so easy to make too

Recipe is from Hesti's site
Thank you Hesti for introducing me to one of sweet dessert from the place where DH was born :)

What you need:

8 ripe saba bananas - remove the core
250ml coconut milk (I do not like it so thick, so I mixed 150ml Kara coconut milk with 100 water)
2 eggs
2 tbsp sweet condensed milk
1/4 tsp salt
50g sugar
banana leaf for the base

1. Blend together bananas, coconut milk and eggs til very smooth
2. Add in sweet condensed milk and, salt and sugar. Mix well
3. Line banana leaf on a heat resistant bowl, pour the batter on it
4. Steam in preheated steamer for 20 minutes or til cooked

Note:

*** As you can see from Hesti's pictures, that's how it's originally served - individually wrapped in banana leaf
Mine is just the easy short cut LOL - believe me, it's still as fragrant :)
*** Using saba banana and also removing the core is to yield pale color of the pudding, most other bananas will give yellowish/brownish shade for the end result after steaming
But it doesn't affect the taste and texture, though


I'm submitting this post to Aspiring Bakers #24 (October 2012): Jellies and Puddings hosted by Charmaine of MiMi Bakery House

THB #9 - Cinnamon Apple Walnut Torte

After baking this dessert (or pudding? or cake?) myself, I knew that I wouldn't bake this anymore. It's not too bad, but it's just not for me
I would still prefer the juicier classic apple crumble, I guess
I love the combination, apple - cinnamon - walnut, perfect, but I don't really fancy the end result
I tried with custard sauce and yoghurt, and I prefer the latter, but I did not mind to eat it plain

Still, more than half gone in less than an hour LOL

Below is served wiith custard sauce...

And this is with low fat plain yoghurt...

I planned to bake using my muffin pan but decided to use my 7" round pie mould instead, reduced the sugar content to 1/4 cup, used 2 granny smith apples and golden raisins
One good thing is, it is considered pretty healthy choice for snack or dessert :)

For full recipe, please hop over to Jasline of Food Is My Life

This post is for The Home Bakers hosted by Joyce
An event for baking enthusiasts using recipes from the book Coffee Cakes by Lou Seibert Pappas

Pavlova With Sweetened Whipped Cream & Plum Sauce

After watching Junior Master Chef Australia a couple of weeks ago when all contestants had to prepare pavlova, Abby has been constantly asking me to make one, too
I never did, so I told her that I would give a try and hoped I could give her a nice perfect pavlova :)

Pavlova is a kind of sweet dessert shaped like a nest - airy nest, thin, crisp, crusty exterior meringue shell and soft, creamy, marshmallow-like center.
It named for the famous Russian ballerina, Anna Pavlova

After searching around for the recipe, I finally decided to try out the one from the book which never dissapoints me, The Weekend Baker by Abigail Johnson Dodge
Never regretted my choice! Not only Abby, but the whole family enjoyed it :)

For the fruits topping, I choose green kiwi and canned peach, no only cos it's some of Abby's favorites, but I just loved the color combination :)
Plus the red plum sauce, it reminded me of traffic light! LOL

The sweetened whipped cream was so smooth it melt together with the pavlova in every bite, so sweet and eaten together with the tangy fruits, the combination was so heavenly!

What you need:

6 (177g)  large egg whites, room temperature
1/4 tsp cream of tartar
200g caster sugar (I reduced a little)
3 tbsp cornstarch
1/4 tsp salt
1 1/2 tsp vinegar
1 tsp vanilla extract
567g mixed fruits of your choice

1. Position the oven racks on top and bottom. Heat oven to 180degC. Line 2 large cookie sheets with parchment
2. In a large bowl, combine egg whites and cream of tartar. Beat on medium low speed til frothy
3. Increase the speed to medium high and beat til forming soft peaks. Continue beating while gradually sprinkling the sugar
4. When all the sugar added, increase the speed to high and whip til firm, glossy peak form
5. Continue beating and sprinkle in the cornstarch and salt
6. Add vinegar and vanilla and beat just til blended
7. Using a spatula, give the meringue a few gentle folds
8. Scoop up 1/2 cup of the whites and place it on the prepared baking sheet, piling it high. Using the back of a large tablespoon, shape a nest by sculpting out the center of the mound, leaving the sides high and the center low. It will be around 10cm diameter and 4cm high. Make more nests and arrange them about 5cm apart. You should get 10 nests
9. Reduce oven temperature to 95degC. Bake until the meringues are tacky but gooey when pressed with a finger, about 1 hour and 30 minutes
10. They will remain white but don't worry if a few of the tips become light brown
11. Turn off the oven and let them cool in the oven for 1 hour
12. Remove the cookie sheets from the oven, gently lift the meringues off the paper and set them on a rack to cool completely
13. Just before serving, arrange the nests on individual plates and pile the centers with any topping of your choice and sprinkle with cut fruits

Besides cut kiwis and peaches, I used sweetened whipped cream and plum sauce

This is the recipe for sweetened whipped cream:
(also from the same book)

What you need:

1 cup of whipping cream (original recipe used heavy cream)
2 tbsps sugar
1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
pinch of salt

1. Chill the bowl and beaters in the freezer
2. using the bowl, beat cream, sugar, vanilla and salt on medium high speedtil medium firm peak form
3. Serve immediately or cover and refrigerate for 2 hours

For the plum sauce, I mixed my homemade plum jam with some water, let it simmer over low heat til mixed well. Let cool


I'm submitting this post to Aspiring Bakers #23: Desserts On A Plate (September 2012)

Easy Soya Beancurd Pudding

My very first soya beancurd pudding (tau huay), a famous smooth pudding like Asian delicacy
Taste wise, really delicious
Texture wise, I would prefer this to be a little firmer. I couldn't unmould them
The next time I will add a bit more agar agar powder

Recipe is from Angel's site

What you need:

1 litre sweetened soya milk (I used Yeo's)
1/2 tsp + 1/3 tsp agar agar powder (I will increase the amount a little bit more the next time I make, to compare the texture)

1. Dissolve agar agar powder in 1 cup of soya milk. Pour remaining soya milk in a saucepan and heat up over low heat
2. When slightly hot, add soya and agar agar mixture, cook over low heat, stir from time to time til very gentle boil (only see bubbles at the edge of the saucepan) and continue to simmer over to low heat for 1 minute
3. Remove from heat
4. Pour gently over the back of a tablespoon to avoid air bubbles
5. Scoop away bubbles on top - if any
6. Cool to room temperature and refrigerate til set, minimum 4 hours, overnight is the best

This post today is dedicated to an event created by Alan from travellingfoodies in Facebook, "Make and Eat Tau Huay Day - 30th August 2012"
There's a story behind the event, which is related to "Diner en Blanc", an annual event originated from Paris and Singapore is the first Asian host this year
The event is scheduled today
There's a big hooha about the whole event, you may read it HERE
I'm glad I can join in the event, to support our local treats

So, let's enjoy our tau huay today! :)

Hainanese Pork Chop & Malacca Pengat Pisang - Blog Anniversary Giveaway!

My last submission for Malaysian Food Fest, Melaka month hosted by Cindy of yummylittlecooks

Before that, let me share this super delicious tasty Hainanese Pork Chop
We did not need anything else to eat this dish, just a bowl (or more) of hot fluffy rice


Very delicious pork chop, crusty on the outside, soft and juicy in the inside

 

The meat inside - juicy and tender

 

I love the sauce, sweet and tangy, such a perfect combination with the pork chop

 

 

Recipe is from Ellena's site with slight adjustment

 

What you need:

 

500g pork loin (8 pieces)

1 cup of saltine crackers (crushed and pulsed in food processor)

oil for deep frying

 

Seasoning:

1 clove of garlic, minced

2 tsp sesame oil

2 tsp cooking wine

1 tbsp light soya sauce

1/4 tsp pepper

1 tbsp cornflour

1 egg

1. I halved each pork loin, lightly pat each piece with meat mallet to tenderise the pork
2. Marinate with seasoning for at least 1 hour in the refrigerator
3. Remove marinated pork chop, coat each piece of pork chop evenly with saltine crackers crumbs
4. Heat oil on a frying pan over medium heat and deep fry pork chop til golden brown, drain well

For the sauce:

 

1 tsp dark soya sauce

1 onion, cut into thin slices

4 cloves of garlic, finely chopped

2 tomatoes, cut into wedges

3 handfuls of frozen green peas

some frehs pineapple cubes

enough chicken stock

tomato sauce, cornflour (diluted with a little water), sugar, a pinch of salt. a little dark soya sauce

1. Saute the sliced onion and garlic with 1/2 tbsp of oil til brown, add in green peas and half of the tomato wedges and continue to cook for 1 minute approx
2. Add in chicken stock, tomato sauce, sugar, salt, mix well
3. Add in the remaining of the tomato wedges, and pineapple cubes and bring to boil
4. Adjust the taste, pour diluted cornflour while stirring continuously, drizzle dark soya sauce while stirring fast
5. Remove from heat, pour sauce over prepared pork chop and serve immediately
 

This dish is a keeper my whole family enjoyed :)

 

 

 



Now, this Malaccan dessert - pengat pisang

A sinful indulgence which is very similar with one Indonesian dessert called 'kolak pisang'

In fact, I did post it quite sometime back, you may view HERE

The ingredients for the flavor are exactly the same only that we do not use sago pearls but jackfruits instead. Some Indonesians like it with sweet potatoes, or even durian :)

Commonly used too is atap seed (atap chee)

 

 

 

 

This is the first time I made pengat pisang and I enjoyed it so much

Recipe is from Love To Cook Malaysia

 

What you need:

 

10 bananas (I used saba bananas, pisang raja will be the best option, though) - cut

200ml thick coconut milk (I used Kara) mixed with 1200ml water (I prefer very diluted coconut milk - not so guilty when eating LOL)

1/2 cup pearl sago

5 tbsp sugar

two blocks of palm sugar

a pinch of salt

2 pandan (screwpine) leaves - knotted

1. Bring to a boil coconut milk mixture and pandan leaves in a large pot
2. Add in sago, sugar, palm sugar, salt
3. Stir til sago is transparent
4. Add in banana, stir well
5. Let boil and off heat

I like to it this dessert chilled :)

 

 

 

So, that's all I can contribute for MFF Malaka this month, I must say I and family do enjoy them so much :)

 

 

Now, as promised - even though one day late, I am now sharing my 2nd blog anniversary giveaway

Yes, I have blogged for 2 years and it feels just like yesterday when I started this blog :) 

 

This time, I have 2 pudding / agar agar mould on the way which I'd like to share with you guys

With this mould, you can make two flavors in one pudding / agar agar, or even a combination of cake and pudding / agar agar

I myself can't wait to give this mould a try :)

 

 

 

 

What you can do is just post a comment in this post and you'll be in the draw

I will ask my kids - Abby and Ian to random pick the 2 winners

This will be closed on Wednesday 5 September 00:00 and the draw result will be announced on the next day, Thursday 6 September

 

The giveaway will be for Singapore and Malaysian participants only, I must apologize, due to the size of this mould :)

Thank you for participating and good luck :)

 

Green Banana Roll Ice Dessert (Es Pisang Ijo) - Another Recipe

My second time making this dessert after coicidently found my beloved pisang raja
This time I used Hesti's recipe
What can be more authentic than making this dessert using recipe from somebody originally from its origin? Yes, es pisang ijo is originally from Makassar (Southern Sulawesi proveince in Indonesia) and Hesti is from there and still lives there :)
The first es pisang ijo I made almost a year ago used different recipe which tastes as nice, though. I didn't shape it nicely that time
Well, even this time was not too neat, either, but slightly better :)
And this time I didn't put enough green color it turned out to be too pale, while last time I put too much green color til it was so bright hahaha...
Anyway, we enjoyed it so much. 10 big pieces finished overnight LOL

Eaten with 'campolay syrup' from Indonesia (picture can be viewed HERE) and the thick coconut sauce, plus some crushed ice - you'll forget how many calories it is in the bowl LOL

What you need:

(with slight modification)

The banana roll:

150g plain flour

50g rice flour

400ml coconut milk (I mixed 250ml kara and 150ml water)

100ml pandan water (5 pieced of pandan leaves blended together with 100ml water and strained)

1/2 tsp salt

1 tbsp heaped sugar

1 tbsp margarine

10 pcs very ripe pisang raja - steamed

a few drops of green coloring ( I reckon 7-10 drops will give nice color)

The sauce:

1200ml coconut milk (I mixed 700ml kara and 500ml water)

150g rice flour

1/2 tsp salt

175g sugar

2 pieces pandan leaves

How to make the banana roll:

1. Mix together plain flour, rice flour, sugar, salt, pandan water and coconut milk til smooth, strain if neccesary
2. Pour in a pan (I used 18cm square), steam til cooked, around 25 minutes
3. While still hot, pour the dough in a large mixing bowl and add margarine, knead til smooth
4. (wrap one of your hand, the one you use to knead, with a clean cloth and put in the wrapped hand in a hear proof plastic)
5. Divide dough into 10, flatten with rice cooker spoon, arrange banana on the flatten round dough, roll slowly like rolling swissroll and shape like a banana
6. Wrap each banana roll with clingwrap and steam on medium fire for approximately 15 minutes
7. Transfer the rolls on serving plate, unwrap, let cool

How to make the sauce:

1. Mix all ingredients in a pot and bring to boil over medium fire while stirring constantly
2. Keep stirring til the sauce thickened

Serve cold with campolay syrup, crushed ice and the sauce

This refreshing dessert is a perfect companion for those break fasting :)

I submit this post to LBT Ramadhan dishes August 2012

Sweet Potatoes Soup

Everybody is now displaying their winderful scones in their blogs, makes me drooling, but I can only bake tomorrow

So for today my post will be a sweet Asian dessert I love
Such a hearty simple dessert

Inspiration was from Sonia's site, thanks Sonia :)

What you need:

sweet potatoes, peeled and cleaned, cut
a few pandan leaves, tie into knots
1 block palm sugar
brown sugar (as desired)
a thumb size of young ginger, lightly smashed
a pot of water

1. Bring to boil a pot of water 
2. Add in sweet poatoes, pandan leaves, palm sugar, ginger and let simmer for 20-30 minutes
3. (check ocassionally to avoid sweet potatoes turn too soft)
4. Add in brown sugar to the desired sweetness
5. Off heat and serve warm

I'm submitting this post to  Aspiring Bakers #20: Asian dessert buffet! (June 2012) hosted by Moon of Food Playground

 

Green Bean Soup & Pulut Hitam

Yesterday was Father's Day
Hope everybody had a great time celebrating :)

Too bad I was not in the perfect state of mind to bake for DH, luckily he 's so understanding - as always :)
So he just enjoyed the remaining apple pear crumble I made on Saturday and this Asian dessert LOL

This dessert always sold separately, but it's great to be eaten together :)

Pulut hitam is the name I came to know here in Singapore, it's the name for black glutinuous rice dessert. Back in Indonesia, we name it differently

What you need:

100g green beans

100g black glutinuous rice

6 pandan leaves, torn

150ml coconut milk (I used Kara brand)

sugar, palm sugar, a thumb size of old ginger, a little salt, water

1. In two separate pots, bring to boil water with green beans and black glutinuous rice, simmer til soft and water only a little bit left
2. Add in pandan leaves, followed by sugar and palm sugar to both pots (ration 3:1 - only when they're already soft)
3. In another pot, mix coconut milk with water (thickness adjusted according to preference, I don't like too thick, so I diluted the coconut milk quite a bit) and sprinkle a little salt, and add in pandan leaves, bring to boil over low heat, stir
4. To serve, scoop green beans and pulut hitam into serving bowl and pour coconut milk over
5. Serve warm

I’m submitting this post to Aspiring Bakers #20: Asian dessert buffet! (June 2012) hosted by Moon of Food Playground

Bake Along #26 - Apple & Pear Maple Walnuts Crumble

I am allright now, thank God my gastric attack was not so serious, even though I still have to be extra careful on the amount of food I take each time, a little bit too much or too late will bring back the nightmare again wew...
Thanks for the concerns from everybody, I appreciate it so much :)

So, in the kitchen today...
I made this dessert this afternoon for Bake Along event
Recipe is from the book  "Bon Appetit Desserts" by Barbara Fairchild

It just happened that I had some NZ fuji apples, so I decided to use together with the pears
I used Australia packham pears this time, crunchy and sweet
Even though no ice cream supply at home - as you know, crumble is the best eaten with ice cream - I still enjoyed eating them..
This should be even better used as pie filling!

Unfortunately I totally forgot to reduce the amount of sugar and maple syrup, so it's a tad sweet to me, the sweetness from the apples and the pears I used did contribute to the sweetness definitely
The next time I bake this again, I will reduce both the sugar and also the syrup, also adding the amount of walnuts used

Also, I found crystalized ginger by luck in one supermarket, so I used in this bake
And no regret, really a good choice :)

To me, the star of this bake is the crunchy chopped walnuts
It's such a delicious thing to add in crumble. Munching on it and feeling the crunch in every bite is really heavenly! I wish I used more walnuts! :)

I only baked half recipe and it's more than enough to feed the whole house plus sharing with my mum, dad and sis

What you need:
(below is half recipe which I have modified for future use)

For the topping:
1/2 cup plain flour
1 cup walnuts
50g packed golden brown sugar
58g chilled unsalted butter, cut into cubes

For the filling:
750g apples & pears, firm and ripe - peeled and cut into cubes 1/2 inch
(I used 3 packham pears and 2 medium size NZ fuji apples)
60ml maple syrup
1/4 cup golden raisins
1 tbsp plain flour
2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
1/2 tbsp finely chopped crystalized ginger

Ice cream to serve

1. Pulse walnuts in food processor til turned to pieces (not so small)
2. Mix in with plain flour, sugar and butter and mix with fork / wooden spoon til small moist clumps formed
3. Transfer to medium bowl and cover, chill for an hour
4. Preheat oven to 175degC
5. Place pears, apples, maple syrup, raisins, flour, lemon juice, ginger in large bowl, toss to coat
6. Let stand 15 minutes and toss ocassionally
7. Transfer pears apples mixture to baking dish, sprinkle topping over
8. Bake til pears and apples tender, juices bubble thickly and topping golden and crisp, approximately 30 minutes
9. Let stand for 10 minutes
10. Serve warm with ice cream

Here's the links below to view other delicious crumbles :)

Avocado Coffee Dessert

One favorite dessert my mum always made for the family :)
Besides avocado juice, this is another great way I love to enjoy avocado as dessert :)
Keep it chilled in the fridge, perfect for Singapore's recent hot humid weather!

Very simple to make...

Halve avocados, scrape the meat in a bowl
Prepare a glass or two glasses (depending on how much avocados you use) of plain coffee with brown sugar
Pour the coffee into avocado meat, mix well and store in covered container and keep in the fridge
Serve cold

Thai Tapioca Dessert

I love Thai food, and that doesn't exclude the desserts
This dessert is one of the favorite choice among many of them

Very easy to make, such a delight to end a meal with dessert like this

It  can be quite filling, so it's good to reduce a little of your dinner portion and save some space for this dessert :)

I'm using my pressure cooker to do the job, to make sure the tapioca turned soft (it's difficult to enjoy this dessert when the tapioca is dry and hard)

What you need:

1kg of tapioca, cleaned and cut as desired

enough water for the tapioca to submerge

3 pandan leaves, torn

3 tbsp sugar, salt

For the sauce:

200ml Kara coconut milk

100ml water

enough sugar as desired

1 pandan leaf, torn

tapioca starch mixed with water as thickener

1. Put tapioca, water, sugar and salt in pressure cooker and let it cooked (meat/bean function)
2. Once cooked, the water will be absorbed by the tapioca

The sauce:

1. Put coconut milk, water and sugar in a pot and bring to boil over low heat, keep stirring
2. When boiled, add in thickener and stir well'
3. Off heat

Pour sauce over tapioca and serve

Yum!

Bake Along #22 - Creme Brulee

Another challenging bake for Bake Along event. This is my first time  baking this rich dessert I haven't had for so long

I've been hopping to the fabulous creme brulees from all wonderful bloggers whom joined in Bake Along and very much inspired by them
Initially I wanted to bake it with additional liquour or coffee or chocolate, but after so much thinking, I decided to go back to basic for my first time :)

I was fascinated with the source of recipe Lena used - Hunger Hunger, I had my final choice on it, after all she has gone through so much in finding the best recipe for this dessert

I followed exactly the same recipe she shared, but to me, it's still too sweet to my liking, even though she has made some adjustment herself
The next time I bake this again, I'll reduce some more, perhaps to 3 tbsp

Other than that, the recipe made a heavenly indulgence! I like the consistency, I can not agree more, 1 egg yolk to 80ml heavy cream gives the best consistency!
But I prefer to bake it til the center only jiggles slightly when I shake the dish gently, otherwise, if it's too jiggly, it'll be too runny to my preference, I like it to be a little more solid

This time I guess I must have over broiled it a little bit, it's browned too much til the crust were too crispy, but it's really nice to be digged in, like finding treasure underneath :)
Yes I know, I will buy my kitchen torch soon, it's easier to control :P

DH said he prefers to eat just the custard, cos the caramelized sugar made the whole thing even sweeter, he is my non sweet tooth customer by the way :)

And look at below pictures...my other customer whom had a great time enjoying this dessert
How I envy her so much, she's such a sweet tooth person, she can eat whatever she likes and yet able to maintain her slender almost skinny figure
She really makes me cracking my head to figure out how to make her gain weight
Now, I don't think I'm alone in envying her huh? LOL

Okay, here is the recipe...

What you need:

6 large egg yolks
4 1/2 tbsp caster sugar (I will reduce next time to 3 tbsp)
500ml heavy cream
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
extra caster sugar for sugar crust topping

1. Preheat oven to 140degC. Put tray in the middle rack of the oven and add about 1 inch water and place ramekins onto the tray. I used 2 ramekins and 2 small baking dishes
2. Beat egg yolks and sugar til light and fluffy
3. Bring cream and vanilla to a boil and pour into the yolk mixture, stir well and let sit for awhile to let the bubbles subside
4. Place ramekin
5. Strain the cream mixture into ramekins to 3/4 full, bake for 30minutes
6. (I baked til 40minutes til the custard jiggled slightly at the centre when shaking the ramekins gently)
7. Remove and let custard cool. Chill around 5 hours in the fridge
8. Before serving, sprinkle caster sugar evenly over the top of the custard (level the sugar), wipe the edges and sides of the ramekins of any sugar, broil under hot grill / use kitchen torch to caramelize the sugar. Chill the custard in the fridge before serving cos the custard can melt during broiling

Please hop over to Joyce, Zoe and Lena - the hosts for this event, to view their wonderful creme brulees

Baked Donuts with Chocolate Glaze AND a visit from The Fairy Hobmother

My daughter recently celebrated her 9th birthday (gulp, is she really that old -time is flying way too fast!) and she wanted me to make homemade donuts for her party instead of a cake. I just got a new donut baking pan so I was excited to put it to use. She wanted plain donuts with a chocolate glaze. The donuts were super simple to make and so was the chocolate glaze. The girls all decorated their own donuts and loved them. They all agreed that I should make these donuts for the food blog (which is good because I had leftover chocolate glaze to use up).

Both of my kids had a tough day at school yesterday so I decided to cheer them up with another batch of homemade baked donuts. It worked... they both had fun decorating them (notice the massive amounts of sprinkles on each donut) and they really enjoyed eating them.

This donut post has been added to the No Croutons Required roundup.

Baked Donuts with Chocolate Glaze:

Adapted recipe and photos by For the Love of Cooking.net

Original donut recipe by Iowa Girl Eats

Chocolate Glaze Recipe by The Curvy Carrot

Donuts:

• 1 cup of flour
• 1/4 cup + 2 tbsp sugar
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/4 cup + 2 tbsp buttermilk
• 1 egg
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 tbsp butter, melted

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Coat the donut baking tray with cooking spray.

Mix the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt together in a bowl. Add the buttermilk, egg, vanilla, and melted butter. Mix until well combined.

Transfer the batter into a large zip lock bag. Snip off a corner of the bag and pipe the batter evenly into a 6 cup donut pan.

Bake for 9-10 minutes, or until the dough is set and springy (they won't be golden brown). Let them sit for 1-2 minutes then place the donuts on a baking rack to cool a bit.

Chocolate Glaze:

• 2 1/2 tbsp unsalted butter
• 2 oz semisweet bar or chocolate chips
• 1 cup of powdered sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 tbsp hot water
• Sprinkles for garnish

While the donuts are baking prepare the glaze.

In a heatproof bowl over simmering water, melt the butter and chocolate chips (if using a bar, chop into small pieces).

Remove the bowl from the heat and whisk in the powdered sugar, vanilla, and hot water until smooth.

To glaze the donuts, dip each one face-down into the glaze.

Immediately garnish with sprinkles then let them cool for a few minutes on a wire rack right side up. Enjoy!!

Click here for a printable version of this recipe - For the Love of Cooking.net

Fairy Hobmother:

I was recently visiting the blog There's Always Time to Cook and she had a post about being visited by the Fairy Hobmother who happens to present Amazon gift cards to bloggers. All I had to do was comment on her blog about what I would want from Amazon if the Fairy Hobmother visited me and I said a donut baking pan. Simple? Yes, but something I have wanted for a long time now. A few days later I was visited by the Fairy Hobmother who granted me my wish and sent me an Amazon gift card so I could buy my donut pan and four amazing cookbooks that I have been wanting. I found out that the Fairy Hobmother actually is a really generous person who works for Appliances Online where they have awesome appliances like this dishwasher. Thank you so much for the generous gift Fairy Hobmother!!!

So now you, my dear readers, get a chance to be visited by the Fairy Hobmother too. All you have to do is comment on this post and tell me and the Fairy what it is you would buy with an Amazon gift card... who knows, you may have your wish granted just like I did. Good luck!