These Are A Few Of My Favourite Things

  

A Coconut Bread with Chocolate Ganache filling, which was delicious inside and out! 

The leftover chocolate ganache (from the previous cake I made) was just begging to be used. I do have a history of ingredient-wastage, but no way was I going to throw away a perfectly good concoction of Chocolate and Cream :) 

The good thing about this is that the cream from the ganache keeps the bread moist and soft while and after it bakes. So no need to worry about the bread hardening into a human weapon

 

... a few weeks ago ...

I had to get out of my 'teacakes and loaves' comfort zone and make something interesting

and after hours of careful thought regarding flavour combinations and textures, I proudly present:

A Gateau of Chocolate, Cinnamon and Gingerbread crunch

Two cakes are always better than one. Right?

This came out in the same night:

Honey Cake, Earl Grey Creme Brulee and Chocolate Ganache

This, I have to say was pleasantly unusual. The creme custard layers were just sweet enough to counter the bitter chocolate.

... Chocolate Fest ...

 Chocolate Butter Cakes with Mocha Butter-cream and Honeycomb

 A Gateau of Pomegranate Liqueur-soaked Sponge, White Chocolate Mousse and Homemade Strawberry Jam.

 

Chocolate Gateau with Tia Maria-soaked Chocolate Sponge, not forgetting the Strawberries on top

 This is a picture of it while it was just chilling in the fridge

Cinnamon and Chocolate Almond Macarons

 Crunchy, Chewy, and Chocolatey macarons made my day. Well, technically I made them..

These were the shells, unfilled. Almost too sweet to eat on their own

Nutella Mochi

I'm not sure if a mochi's squidgy texture would appeal to everyone.

Oh well, it certainly appeals to me.

Though, I have to say that the ones they sell commercially dissapoint. The mochi skin is always either too chewy or hard. I say its worth making your own (it's super low-cost) and getting the best mochi experience.

 squidgy

These Parmesan And Cranberry Scones are both savoury and sweet. I'd definitely make these again.

It was Annabelle White from New Zealand's Woman's Weekly who got me all hyped up about scones.

Apparently, the key to super soft scones is to be really chin-chai about it.

What a lovely character she is!

Oatmeal Bread

I have to say, I'm not a very good bread-baker. I've been fortunate enough to have had a couple of successes. And definitely motivated to perfect them and try new recipes!

Some breads that I've made were crusty on the outside and soft on the inside, right out from the oven. But as soon as they cool down, they're rock hard and just not something I wanna eat.

This attempt worked like magic!

Moist EVEN after it's cooled, lotsa visible air bubbles that make it really soft and fluffy

I am Definitely making this over and over

They would make perfect burger buns too I reckon.

recipe:

2 cups warm water

11g instant yeast

6 tablespoons brown sugar

1/2 cup oil

4 1/2 cups all purpose flour, sifted

1 cup rolled oats, ground finely

pinch of salt

Combine water, yeast and sugar in a large mixing bowl

Leave in a warm place for 10 minutes or until the mixture turns Frothy and bubbly

Add in the oil, sifted flour, oatmeal and salt

Use a wooden spatula and fold everything together to form a dough

The dough should be only slightly sticky and very soft

Using your hands if necessary, lightly knead in any lumps, in the bowl itself (this is a no knead recipe after all)

Cover with cling and leave to rise for 1 hour until it has doubled in size.

Flour your hands again and grab any portion of dough you need to make desired shapes.

(Be it a loaf, roll, bun, whatever)

Place the dough on a baking tray lined with grease-proof paper

Cover with a tea towel and leave it for 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 200C

Bake the bread for 15-25 minutes depending on their sizes.

To check for doneness, tap the tops and it should sound hollow.

Remove from the heat, cover them with a tea towel and cool completely.

These are best eaten when Cooled.

Beetroot Cake

I think Beetroot is one of those love it or hate it foods. 

I 

Love

This cake contains beets like a carrot cake. Nonetheless, it doesn't have an obvious beetroot punch..Just a warm earthiness..Kind of like what cinnamon does. It's like as if there's some kind of spice in it, but you just can't make out what it is.

The surprising thing was the cake batter, which had the most lovely Purple Dinosaur colour to it. Yet it baked out to be yellow-brownish (man, I wished for it to be purple)

I reduced the amount of sugar by half as beetroot is already quite sweet. So adding sultanas was a nice sweet fix.

I'd definitely make this again the next time I have an extra beetroot hanging around.
I don't think I'd purposely buy beets just to make this.

It's wonderfully moist and keeps me wanting more of it.. It just slides down so easily!

recipe:

300g beetroot, peeled and grated

250g butter

1/2 cup sugar

4 eggs

3/4 cup sultanas

2 cups flour

2 teaspoons baking soda

Preheat the oven to 180C

Beat the butter and sugar until its light and fluffy

Beat in the eggs one at a time

Add in the sultanas and grated beetroot

Sift in the flour and baking soda

Fold the mixture well.

Pour the batter into an 8 inch round tin lined with baking paper

Bake for 55 minutes to 1 hour.

Cool before slicing.

Almond Powder Puffs

This cookie was inspired by the super-sweet Greek sweets I've had over the past year.
DIABETICS BEWARE

They all had lovely textures and flavours, but I just think they're too darn sweet

No offense,

but I don't see the point of using such good ingredients like almonds, pistachios, walnuts etc when it's flavours are gonna be drowned with sugar!

I still do adore a traditional Greek Baklava though? giggles

So, to satisfy my not-so-sweet-tooth,

I call them, 

POWder Puffs!

I think it looks prettier with 2 coats of sugar =)

Just because they're puff-shaped and coated in powdered sugar

They are deeelicious!  And really fun to make with kids one day xP
It's really important that you limit the sugar content IN the cookie itself, because its going to be coated in icing sugar afterwards.

recipe:

280g roasted Almonds

250g butter

1/4 cup sugar

a dash of Vanilla

2 1/2 cups flour

a bowl of Icing sugar, to coat

Preheat the oven to 180C

Grind the roasted nuts in a food processor until they are fine

Meanwhile, Beat the butter, sugar and vanilla until they're light and fluffy

Add in the ground almonds and sift in the flour

Mix to form a slightly Crumbly dough that should adhere when pressed

Form small walnut-sized balls and place them on a baking tray

Bake for 35 minutes

Allow them to cool slightly

While still warm, roll them around in Icing sugar

Cool completely before storing in an airtight container.

Spiced Rice and Lentils with Chicken

 

This hearty dish took only took 20 minutes. 

When my parents started watching their diets, I had to find other healthy alternatives to white rice.

That's when basmati rice and legumes came into the picture

But thank goodness healthy doesn't have mean bland and eeky

Healthy foods actually taste great when they're cooked the right way

Many people I know can't get used to all that brown rice, red rice even purple rice??

It was difficult getting my brothers to eat those things

But Basmati..We love it because it doesn't lump up. Every grain is on its own..fluffy!

Everyone loved this
It's mediterranean by accident actually. I ran out of ideas of what to put in so I just grabbed whatever was nearest to me.
Definitely recommended for those who need to feed a family and fast.
recipe:
4 chicken drumsticks
3 tablespoons ground coriander
salt
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 teaspoons fennel seeds
1 large red onion or 2 small ones, diced
half a head of garlic, diced
1 cup of basmati rice
1 cup of yellow lentils
2 teaspoons ground cumin

 water
 1 carrot, diced into small cubes
1/2 cup raisins (or more)
1/2 cup roasted cashews

Sprinkle the ground coriander and some salt all over the chicken drumsticks. Set aside
Heat up the oil in a large skillet
Fry the fennel seeds, onions and garlic till its frangrant
arrange the chicken on top and brown it all over
Add in the rice, lentils and ground cumin
Mix it around for about 2 minutes
Pour in enough water to cover the rice and lentils by a centimeter.
Season with salt if needed
Scatter the carrot cubes on top
 Bring to a Boil, Cover with a lid, lower the heat
Simmer for 15 minutes or until the water has been absorbed and the rice is cooked
(If its not cooked, but it has already dried up, add in more water and cook for longer)
Fluff the rice up a little
Turn off the heat, add in the raisins right away and place the lid back on
Leave it to cool slightly
The raisins will plump up slightly during this time.
Serve with some roasted cashews on top.

Carrot Cake

The thing about carrot cakes is that they normally turn out pretty well even for someone who doesn't bake.

It's probably the carrot's work.
I personally prefer an Oil cake to a butter one. Firstly because it's less harmful to the hips and secondly, they stay soft even when it has been in the fridge.
 There's one, and only one Carrot cake recipe that I stay loyal to. For this large cake, I doubled this recipe:

3 eggs
3/4 cup brown sugar
1 cup oil
2 1/2 cups grated carrot
1 cup walnut meal (or any other nut meal)
 1/4 cupSultanas
2 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
a pinch of Nutmeg
Combine the eggs, sugar and oil.
Add in the carrots, raisins and sift in the flour, baking soda, cinnamon and nutmeg
Mix everything together.
Pour into a loaf tin and bake in a 180C oven for 45 minutes.

For a healthier variation,
1. replace 1 cup of all-purpose flour with Wholemeal flour
2. add 1/4 cup of linseeds to the batter for a slight bite
3. Use light Olive oil
This is a picture of it. Well it looks pretty much the same.

Banana and Cinnamon Muffins

Muffins are fantastic for breakfast. Quick to whip up, not to heavy and perfect washed down with a cold glass of milk.. gulp gulp ahhhhh

*wipes Milkstache off upper lip*

It's actually just a cinnamon muffin with some orange zest.

But these happen to have a little surprise in it

look look look!

nyehehehe

Can't tell what it is? It's half a banana shoved down the middle

and here's how to do it :

 

I find this quite in-te-res-ting

recipe:

1 1/4 cups wholemeal flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

pinch of salt

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1/3 cup oil (olive oil)

1/2 cup brown sugar

2 eggs

dash of vanilla

2/3 cup plain yogurt

zest of 1 orange

3 bananas, halved widthwise

combine wholemeal flour, baking soda, salt and cinnamon in a large bowl.

 In another bowl, combine oil, sugar, eggs, vanilla, yogurt and orange zest.

Add wet ingredients into the dry. Mix until well combined.

Half fill 5 large muffin cups with batter.

Push down half a banana in the middle of each cup of batter.

Bake in 180C for 30 minutes when a skewer comes out clean.

Cool and enjoy with a glass of milk.

Chocolate Brownies

Tonnes of brownie recipes out there, all so similar and yet they all turn out so differently

I'm not a fan of anything too fudgy. This brownie has the total YUM factor.

Cakey, slightly fudgy and crunchy-chewy on top, and making it is easy as ever.

recipe:

300g butter

1 cup sugar

1 1/2 cups cocoa powder

a dash of vanilla extract

6 eggs

1 cup flour

2 teaspoons baking soda

1 cups crushed chocolate wafers

1 cup chocolate chunks

Heat butter, sugar and cocoa in a saucepan until everything is Just combined. Don't boil it.

Cool it slightly.

Mix in the eggs one or two at a time.

Sift in the flour and baking soda, folding it in.

Pour inro a 9cm x 13cm rectangular tin lined with greaseproof paper.

Sprinkle the crushed chocolate wafers and candy on top

Bake in 180C oven for 35 or 40 minutes when a toothpicks comes out clean and maybe with a few crumbs.

Cool completely before cutting.

Crusty White Bread

It was during my very first visit to Australia when I discovered that- There's a WHOLE LOT more to Bread than just the commercialised packet breads in supermarkets. 

Artisanal Breads

I was in love, addicted, "take it away from me!!"

From that time on I never looked at bread the same way..I think the only bread I wanted was crusty bread.

So there I was, thinking "ahh how hard could it be to make"

 eh eheh..maybe not so easy... I've tried and failed countless of times but I've found a concoction that works for me.

It has a very thin layer of crust and a soft inside

But it's best when toasted the day after.

 

recipe:

3 cups warm water

1 1/2 tablespoons instant yeast

big pinch of Sugar

big pinch of Salt

6 1/2 cups All-purpose flour

Combine the Warm water, yeast and sugar.

Set aside for 10 minutes until the mixture turns frothy

If it doesn't bubble and froth, it means the yeast is dead, and you need to get new yeast.

In a large bowl, combine Sifted flour and salt.

Make a well in the middle and pour in the yeast mixture.

Use one hand to fold everything together, but don't knead it too much.

Cover it with a towel and leave to prove for 1 hour, till it's doubled in size.

Flour your hands and take out half of the dough.

Form a loaf and place it on a baking tray lined with grease-proof paper.

Repeat with remaining dough.

Cover again and prove for another 30 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 220C and place an empty oven tray on the bottom shelf

Boil a cup of water in a kettle.

Put the tray of bread on the top shelf

Pour some hot water onto the bottom shelf and Shut the oven door.

Bake for 30 minutes.

Remove from the oven and cool.

 

Chiffons

After my umpteenth try at Chiffon, I've finally made it!

And I've learnt the hard way, why using a non-stick tin is an exception in this case.

Apparently, the cake needs a surface to "climb on to" and stick while baking..HUH???

Anyway, the "stick" tin worked magic so I won't argue..

You need to get the one with the so called "legs" so that you can invert the cake while it cools.

Man I wish I had come up with that..its Genius!!!

whoever invented it really understood gravity xP

haha anyway the recipe's pretty simple to whip up..give it a try

The cake's texture is absolutely fluffy, just like the ones in the shop : )

recipe:

150g flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

5 tablespoons corn oil

5 tablespoons water

5 egg yolks

5 egg whites

2 teaspoons vinegar or lemon juice

1/2 cup sugar

Preheat the oven to 180C

DO NOT grease the cake tin

In a bowl, sift the flour and baking soda

add in the oil, water and yolks. Mix till smooth.

In another bowl, whip the egg whites till soft peaks form

Add in the vinegar and sugar

Beat till Stiff peaks form.

Add half of the egg white mixture into the egg yolk mixture.

Mix

Add in remaining half

Fold everything together.

Pour it into the chiffon tin.

Bake for 35 minutes.

Invert the cake in the tin and leave it to cool.

Scrape the sides with a pallete knife and remove the cake from the tin carefully.

And go ahead and try out other flavours like black sesame, chocolate, the sky's the limit!

For a Black Sesame Chiffon,

replace 2 tablespoons of corn oil for Sesame Oil

and 50g of the flour for finely ground Black sesame seeds.

Everything else is the same.

Brandied Walnut cake with Orange syrup

I get quite a number of successful recipes from my Women's Weekly recipe book. It's a great book for anyone to get started in Baking.

This recipe in particular, caught my attention. Firstly of all, I'm a big walnut fan. And secondly, it hardly contains any flour, and I was out of flour! (results of baking without keeping track)

This would be lovely with some fresh cream. But my waistline's telling me NOhh



It has a great texture..slightly crumbly, really moist and dense at the same time

recipe:

2 cups walnuts, ground finely

125g butter

zest of 1 orange

1/2 cup sugar

1 egg

2 tablespoons Brandy (i used cognac)

2/3 cup flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

Orange syrup:

juice of 1 orange

3 tablespoons sugar

1 tablespoon brandy (cognac again)

Set the oven to 160C (low)

Line an 8 inch round springform tin with butter and baking paper

Blend the walnuts till its fine. set aside

Cream the butter, zest and sugar till its light and fluffy

Beat in the egg and brandy

Sift in the flour, baking soda and ground walnuts

Pour the mixture into the tin and bake for 1 hour.

Meanwhile, Place all the syrup ingredients Except the brandy in a small saucepot

Simmer until the sugar is just dissolved.

Turn off the heat

Add in the brandy.

When the cake is out of the oven, brush the syrup all over the top of the cake

Use as much or as little syrup as you like.

Serve warm.

Spiced Cake

Inspired by one of my favourite teas in one of my favourite restaurants, I thought it crucial to involve spice in my next bake.

I'm talking about Masala Tea. It's like Teh Tarik, without the tarik and infused with spice.

Fresh Cinnamon sticks, grounded to a lovely lovely powder..

Whole Cloves, blended to a.. err..a little too strong for my taste. Thats why I only used a teaspoon

Anyway, the cake turned out to taste exactly like Masala tea! the walnuts were an added bonus..

Now to make it even better, I served it with a Spiced Yoghurt. That's just yoghurt with some cinnamon and cloves added to it.

It really went well!

recipe:

1 cup Flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

3/4 cup brown sugar

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon ground cloves

1 teaspoon ground nutmeg

125g Cold butter

1 egg

1 teaspoon baking soda

3/4 cup milk

1/2 cup walnuts, roughly chopped

Spiced Yoghurt:

1 cup natural yoghurt

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon ground cloves.

Preheat Oven to 180C

Line a 9 inch round springform tin with butter and baking paper

Blitz the flour, baking soda, sugar, spices and butter in a food processor until they look like breadcrumbs.

Place 1 and a half cups of the mixture into the cake tin

Press it down to form a base.

set aside

Add the egg, baking soda, milk and walnuts into the remaining flour mixture.

Mix well and por it over the pressed base.

Bake for 25 minutes or until a skewer comes out clean.

Serve warm or at room temperature.

Mix the yoghurt and spices together and serve it alongside the cake.

Kesom Pesto

The very first time I saw Pesto, I thought eww that's stuff's so green and nasty.

Even after tasting it, I thought it was pretty mediocre, nothing spectacular

But knowing how healthy it really is, made me want to like it more

So, I came up with my own version, which made me wanna eat more and more of it!

Like I've said time and time again, I love Kesom..Its peppery, really unique and fragrant, gosh, I just love it!

And pasta's not the only way to go. Use it as a dip on crackers, spread it on pizza and even sandwiches.
It's a healthy and easy way to get some greens and nuts.

It may not look sexy..but its tasty alright!

recipe:

for the pesto,

2 cups kesom leaves

1 handful of mint leaves

1/4 cup cashews

1/4 cup pistachios

1/2 cup walnuts

1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil

2 teaspoons salt

Blitz everything in a food processor

Toss it with some boiled pasta and cherry tomatoes