Butter Cake

I haven't had a butter cake for ages. Therefore decided to make one. This cake reminds me of the birthday cake that I had during my young days where the bakery will cover the cake with colourful butter icing.

Ingredients:

• 250g butter
• 200g castor sugar
• 4 eggs
• 1 tsp vanilla essence
• 200g self raising flour
• 4 tbsp fresh milk
• 1/2 tsp salt

Method:

Grease and line a 20cm cake tin with greaseproof paper. Preheat oven at 170 degree Celcius.

Sift the flour and salt together and set aside.

Cream butter and sugar until light and creamy. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition until the mixture is light and fluffy. Add in the vanilla essence.

Fold in the sifted flour gradually into the mixture. Add in the milk and mix until well combined.

Turn out mixture into the prepare tin. Bake in preheated oven for 50 minutes or until cooked through when tested with a skewer.

Ayam Masak Merah ( Malay style Red Curry Chicken)

This is a lovely dish that goes very well with coconut rice, tomatoe rice or even plain white rice. Ingredients: To grind together:

• 6 shallots
• 4cm ginger
• 6 dried chillies
• 5 fresh chillies
• 3 cloves garlic

• 10 chicken thights/drumstick
• 2 tsp turmeric powder
• red onions, cut into rings, keep some for decorations
• 3 tomatoes, quartered
• 4 tbsp tomatoes purees
• 2 tbsp tomatoes ketchup
• 1 tbsp dark soya sauce
• 350ml water
• salt & sugar to taste

Method:

Coat the chicken with the turmeric and marinate for about 3 hours.

In a wok, fill enough oil to pan fry the chicken until golden brown. Drain and set aside.

In a pot put about 4 tbsp cooking oil. When the oil is hot add in the grind ingredients. On a low heat cook until the oil surface the paste. Then add in the onions and tomatoes. Cook until soft.

Add in the tomatoes purees, tomatoes ketchup and dark soya sauce. Also add in the sugar & salt to taste. Mix well and add in the water. Bring to boil then reduce the heat and cover for about 10 minutes.

Add in the chicken, mix well to coat the chicken with the sauce. Bring to boil and put on the lid and cook for another 30 minutes or until the sauce has reduced and thickens.

Serve immediately.

Kaya (Egg custard jam)

This remind me of my days in Penang kopitiam where one can order a cup of local coffee and also 2 slice of toast that will be spread with the kaya on top...yum...yum..

Ingredients:

• 5 eggs
• 150g sugar
• 200g thick coconut milk
• 2 pandan leaves
• 100g extra sugar ( to make caramel)

Method:

Beat the eggs and sugar until the sugar has dissolved.

Add coconut milk into the egg mixture and sieve the mixture to ensure that there is no lumps.

Put the egg mixture into a double boiler and keep on stirring.

In a pan, fry the remaining sugar until it melts and golden in colour. Add in the sugar into the egg mixture.

Continue stirring the egg mixture together with pandan leaves untill the mixture has thickened and golden in colour. Cool thoroughly.