Maltesers Chocolate Cake

Ingredients:

• 3 eggs
• 200g soft brown sugar
• 60g cocoa powder
• 150g plain flour
• 180g ground almonds
• 50g butter, melted in microwave until liquid
• 284ml buttermilk
• 2 tsp baking powder
• pinch of salt

Frosting ingredients:

• 100g mascarpone
• 100g icing sugar
• 30g cocoa powder

For the top and middle:

• 175g pouch Maltesers

Method:

Preheat oven to 180C/ fan 160C.

Line the base of 2 x 20cm sandwich tins with baking paper, lightly grease the base and sides with a little vegetable oil.

Whisk the eggs and sugar until they turn pale and treble in size

Add the flour, cocoa powder, almonds, baking powder, salt, buttermilk and melted butter to the bowl and mix to combine.

Divide the mixture between the two prepared tins and place into the middle of a hot oven for 30 minutes.

Once cooked, leave to cool on a wire rack for at least 20 minutes until cold.You could speed up the process by placing the rack in the fridge if you wanted to. The cake must be cold before you ice it or it will simply run off it.

While the cake is cooling, make the icing: place the mascarpone and icing sugar in a bowl and mix together with the help of a rubber spatula. When they are totally blended together and there are no lumps, add the cocoa powder and mix again. Refrigerate until needed.

To assemble the cake, spread a thin layer of icing on the underside of both cakes. Scatter half of the Maltesers on the base layer, then sandwich with the top half. Finally, place the Maltesers all over the top of the cake before serving.

Caribbean Coconut Cake

Ingredients:

• 280g butter, softened
• 175g castor sugar
• 3 eggs
• 175g self raising flour
• 11/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 freshly grated nutmeg
• 55g dessicated coconut
• 5 tbsp coconut milk
• 280g icing sugar
• 5 tbsp pineapple jam

To decorate:

• toasted shredded coconut

Method:

Preheat the oven to 180C or fan 160C. Grease and line 2 x 20cm sandwich tins.

Place 175g of butter in a bowl with the sugar and eggs and sift in the flour, baking powder and nutmeg. Beat together until smooth, then stir in the coconut  and 2 tablespoons of the coconut cream.

Divide the mixture between the prepared tins and smooth the tops. Bake in the preheated oven for 25 minutes, or until golden and firm to the touch. Leave to cool in the tins for 5 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack, pel off the lining paper and leave to cool completely.

Sift the icing sugar into a bowl and add the remaining butter and coconut cream. Beat together until smooth. Spread the pineapple jam on one of the cakes and top with just under half of the buttercream. Place the other cake on top. Spread the remaining buttercream on top of the cake and scatter with toasted shredded coconut.

Christmas Pud Cupcakes

Ingredients:

• 140g butter
• 50g dark chocolate, in chunks
• 100ml soured cream
• 3 eggs, lightly beaten
• 140g self raising flour
• 140g castor sugar
• 100g ground almonds
• 6 tbsp cocoa powder
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 85g dried soured cherries plus a few extra to decorate

To decorate:

• 250g icing sugar, sifted
• 1 tbsp custard powder, sifted
• 12 small bay leaves

Method:

Heat oven to 190C or fan 170C. Place 12 silicone muffin tray on a baking sheet.

Melt the chocolate and butter over a low heat. Cool a little, then stir in the soured cream and eggs. Mix in the flour, sugar, almonds, cocoa and baking powder in a bowl. Pour in the chocolate and stir until smooth, then stir in the cherries.

Spoon into the muffin holes so that they are 3/4 full, then bake for 20 minutes. Cool in the silicon moulds.

To decorate, mix the icing sugar and custard powder with 3 tablespoon water to make a thick icing. Remove the muffins from the mould and cool on a rack. Cut off any rounded tops, stand upside-down on the rack, then spoon the icing over. Leave to set, then top with bay leaves and cherries.

Snowman Cupcake

Ingredients:

• 2 eggs
• 100g self raising flour
• 100g golden castor sugar
• 100g softened butter
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp vanilla essence
• icing sugar for dusting
• 150g ready to roll white icing
• 3 tbsp apricot jam
• mashmallows
• red fizzy lances for the scarves
• tubes of coloured writing icing
• chocolate chips for snowman nose
• edible silver baubles

Methods:

Preheat oven at 180c or 160c for fan assist oven.

Place softened butter, eggs, sugar, flour, baking powder and vanilla essence into a mixing bowl. Beat for a few minutes with electric mixer  until the mixture is light in colour and fluffy.

Line the muffin tin with 12 silver muffin cases and divide the mixture between them, filling up the cases to about two-thirds of the way up.

Bake for about 20 minutes until the fairy cakes have risen and are lightly golden. Lift the cakes (still in the paper cases) out of the tins and leave them to cool on a wire rack.

Dust a clean work surface with icing sugar and roll out the icing sugar to about 5mm thick. Cut out 12 circles using a small pastry cutter that is the same size of the top of your cakes.

Put the apricot jam into a small dish and stir in one tablespoon  of hot water. Brush this  over the surface of the cakes and stick the circles of icing on top.

To decorate the cakes, use marshmallows for the snowmen's head, black writing icing for the eyes, red writing icing for the smiles and chocolate chips for the noses.Stick the heads on the cakes using a little apricot jam, then stick on the edible silber baubles for buttons.

Wrap fizzy lances around the snowmen's neck for scarves

Sticky Date Cake

Ingredients:

• 225g stoned dates, chopped
• 300ml boiling water
• 115g butter, softened
• 175g castor sugar
• 3 eggs
• 225g self raising flour
• 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda

Topping:

• 85g light muscovado sugar
• 55g butter
• 3 tbsp double cream

Method:
Place the dates in a bowl and cover them with the boiling water. Preheat the oven to 180C/fan, 160C. Grease a 23cm round cake tin.
Place the butter and sugar together and beat until light and fluffy. Gradually beat in the eggs, one at the time till mix well. Then fold in the flour and cinnamon.
Add bicarbonate of soda to the dates, then pour onto the creamed mixture. Stir until well mixed. Pour into the prepared tin and bake in the preheated oven for 1 hour or until well risen and firm to the touch.
Preheat the grill to medium. To make the topping, place the sugar, butter and cream in a saucepan. Set over a low heat, stirring, until the sugar has melted, then bring to the boil and simmer for 3 minutes.
Pour over the cake and place the cake under preheated grill until the topping is bubbling. Leave to cool in the tin until the topping has set, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely before serving.

Butterfly Cakes

Ingredients:

• 150g butter, softened
• 150g caster sugar
• 3 eggs
• 150g self-raising flour
• ½tsp baking powder
• 4tbsp raspberry jam
• 150g fresh raspberries, for decoration

Method:

Heat the oven to 180C/ fan 160C. Line a cupcake tray with papers. Cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the eggs and again beat the mixture.

Fold in the flour and baking powder and then spoon into the paper cases. Place in the oven and bake for 15-20 minutes until lightly golden and set. Remove and cool on a baking wire.

When cool, using a small knife, cut out a circle at the top of each cake and cut these in half. Fill each cupcake with a little spoonful of jam, carefully press the straight sides of the cut pieces into the jam, then top each with a raspberry and dust lightly with some icing sugar

Lemon Drizzle Cake

Ingredients:

• 225g castor sugar
• 225g butter, softened
• lemons, 3 zest and 2 juiced
• 4 medium eggs
• 200g self raising flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 50g ground almond
• icing sugar

Method:

Heat oven to 180C/fan 160C. Butter and line the base of a 20cm round cake tin.

Beat the butter and sugar till light and creamy. Add in the lemon zest (reserve some for decoration) and mix well.

Whisk the eggs gradually into the butter mixture, beating well between each addition, don't worry if it curdles

Sift together the flour and baking powder and fold into the cake mixture using a spatula. Add in the ground almonds and 3/4 of the lemon juice and fold until thoroughly combined. Spoon into the prepared tin and bake for 1 hour or until the skewer inserted into the middleof the cake comes out without any raw mix on it. Put the cake tin on a wire rack to cool for 10 minutes.

Meanwhile mix together the remaining lemon juice and zest and enough icing sugar to make a runny icing and then drizzle over the top of the cake. Cool in the cake tin for a further 30 minutes and then remove from the tin and cool completely before serving.

Orange Drizzle Cake

Ingredients:

• 175g castor sugar
• 175g butter, softened
• 25g ground almonds
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 3 large eggs
• 175 self raising flour
• juice and rind of 2 oranges

for the drizzle:

• 1/2 juice of the above
• 4 tbsp sugar

Method:
Grease and line a standard tea-loaf tin and pre heat oven to 180C

Cream butter and sugar till light and fluffy. Add in the eggs one at a time. Gradually beat in the flour and the baking powder until combined.

Finally beat in the ground almonds, orange rind and about half the juice carefully not to let the mixture curdle.

Smooth the mixture into the loaf tin and bake for approx 45 mins to 50 mins until golden brown and the skewer comes out clean.

Dissolve the sugar in the remaining orange juice. Remove the cake from the oven and prick all over with the skewer. Then drizzle the juice mixture all over the cake. Allow to cool slightly before removing to a wire rack to cool completely.

Happy Halloween !!!!

Happy Halloween everyone !!!

These spider cookies are easy to make. All you need are some round shape biscuits, fizzy cola lances, Nutella and M&M for the eyes.

Take the biscuits and spread it with Nutella as a glue, then top with 8 cust off fizzt cola lances as legs. Spread the other half the biscuits with more Nutella, glue it together.

Take one M&M , dip with some Nutella and glue it on top of the biscuits as eye, finish the other eye.

Pavlova

Ingredients:

For the meringue:

• 5 egg whites
• pinch salt
• 225g caster sugar
• 1tsp cornflour
• 1tsp white wine vinegar
• 1/2tsp red food colouring (optional)

For the filling:

• 290ml pot double cream
• 2tbsp icing sugar
• 1tbsp rosewater
• 450g summer berries
• rose petals to decorate (optional)

Method:

Preheat the oven to 140C.

Draw a 23cm circle on a large sheet of baking parchment and place, pencil side down, on a baking sheet (if you lay it pencil side up, the line will come off on the meringue).

Put the egg whites in a large bowl, add the salt and whisk until stiff. Add a couple of tablespoons of the sugar and whisk thoroughly. Add another couple of tablespoons of sugar and whisk again. Continue until all the sugar has been used and the mixture is stiff and glossy.

Whisk in the cornflour and white wine vinegar. Stir in the food colouring, lightly swirling until the mixture is marbled with colour. Spoon the meringue on to the parchment and spread out to fill the circle. Build up the sides into peaks to hold the filling.

Bake for 1 hr until a pale biscuit colour. Remove from the baking parchment and transfer to a wire rack. Leave to cool completely.

Assemble the Pavlova.

Whisk the cream until lightly thickened. Add the icing sugar and rosewater, and continue to whisk until thickened. Just before serving, spoon the cream mixture into the meringue case and pile the berries on top. Scatter over the rose petals.

Lemon Yoghurt Cake

Ingredients:

• 2 large eggs
• 200g castor sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 280g plain flour
• 3 tsp baking powder
• 250ml low fat greek yoghurt
• 120ml oil
• zest from 1 lemon, finely grated
• 2 tbsp lemon juice
• icing sugar for dusting

Method:
Whisk egg and sugar until pale, thick and creamy (5-6 minutes).
Add lemon zest, lemon juice and vanilla extract. Beat for a further 1 minute.
In another bowl, sift together the flour and baking powder. Fold into the above mixture. Mix in the yoghurt and then the oil. Pour batter into a lined and greased 8"cake tin.
Bake at 180C in a preheated oven for 35-45 minutes until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Leave cake in tin to cool for 10 minutes before transferring to a cake rack to cool.
Dust with icing sugar.

Baked Raspberry and Ricotta Cheesecake

Ingredients:

• 175g digestive biscuits
• 75g butter, melted
• 500g ricotta cheese
• 200g creme fraiche
• 175g castor sugar
• 3 eggs
• 1 tbsp runny honey
• 1 lemon, zest only
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 300g fresh raspberry
• icing sugar, for dusting

Method:

Preheat oven at 180c. Grease the side and base of a 20cm loose bottom cake tin.

place the biscuits in a food processor and blend until quite fine. Mix the crushed biscuits with the melted butter and tip into the preppared tin. Press down into the base of the tin to form an even layer.

Blend the ricotta, creme fraiche, eggs, sugar, honey, lemon zest and vanilla extract in a food processor or with a hand blender for a few seconds until smooth. Crush 125g raspberries with a fork and stir them into the mixture.

Pour the mixture onto the biscuits base in the tin and gently shake and tilt the tin so that the ricotta mixture forms a even layer. Bake in the oven for 40-45 minutes or until the cheesecake is pale golden and wobbles slightly in the middle when you shake the tin.

Remove from the oven, cover with foil and leave in a warm place to completely cool before storing in the fridge overnight. Do not worry if the top has cracked when you take it out again as the remaining raspberries will cover this.

Run a knife around the edge to loosen the cheesecake and remove it from the tin. Transfer to a serving plate and scatter the remaining raspberries on top. Dust with icing sugar and serve

Tia Maria Tiramisu

Ingredients:

• 150g sponge fingers or savoiardi biscuits
• 250g mascarpone cheese
• 284ml double cream, lightly whipped
• 175ml strong black coffee
• 6 tbsp Tia Maria liqueur
• 4 tbsp icing sugar, sifted
• 1 tsp cocoa powder

Method:

Mix together the coffee and Tia Maria.

Place half of the sponge fingers or savoiardi biscuits in a base of serving dish or divide between 6 individual rameskin dishes and pour over half of the coffee mixture.

Mix together the mascarpone, cream and icing sugar and spread half over the biscuits.

Place the remaining sponge fingers or savoiardi biscuits on top and pour over the remaining coffee mixture.

Top with the remaining mascarpone mixture and smooth the surface.

Chill for at least 2-3 hours. Sieve the cocoa powder over the top before serving.

Celebration cake

Ingredients:

• 180g unsalted butter
• 150g castor sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla essence
• 3 large eggs
• 180g self raising flour

Filling:

• 6 tbsp strawberry conserve or jam

Frosting:

• 200g icing sugar
• 100g butter, softened
• 2 tsp vanilla essence
• mix summer berries for decoration

Method:

Grease 2 x 7" sandwich tins, base lined with parchment.

Pre heated oven to 180c.

Beat butter, sugar and vanilla essence until light and fluffy. Gradually add in the eggs one at a time, beating well between each addition. Sift half the flour over the mixture and using a spatula, gently fold into the mixture. Sift over the remaining flour and fold in until just blended.

Divide the mixture between the tins, spread evenly. Gently smooth the surfaces with the back of a spoon. Baked in the centre of the preheated oven for 20-25 minutes or until well risen.

Remove and leave to cool before turning out on to a wire rack.

Place one half of the cake onto a serving plate and spread with the jam. Sandwich together with the other half.

Beat the icing sugar, butter and vanilla essence with a few drops of water to bring the mixture to a soft consistency. Spread onto the cake. Arrange the berries on top in a Union Jack shape if u like as I make this cake for the royal wedding recently

Millionaire shortbread

Ingredients:

• 250g shortbread, crushed
• 55g melted butter
• 150g butter
• 150g dark brown soft sugar
• 397g can Carnation Condensed Milk
• 200g dark chocolate
• 55g Nestle Milkybar

Method:

Combined the crushed biscuits and the melted butter, press into a parchment lined 20cm tin. Chill for 20 minutes.

Heat the sugar and the remaining butter into a non-stick pan gently, stirring, until melted together. Add Carnation condensed milk and bring to a rapid boil, stirring continuously. Cook for a minute or so or until the filling has thickened slighlty.

Pour the delicious caramel over the base. Cool then chill for 30 minutes or until set.

Melt the chocolate in a separate bowl. Pour the dark chocolate over the caramel and biscuit base first and then add a spoonful of the melted Milkybar. Swirl together with a spoon for a marbled effect.

Chill until set. Remove from the pan and cut into squares.

Two-tone sago tapioca

Ingredients Bottom layer

• 550g grated tapioca
• 100ml thick coconut milk
• 1 small egg
• 3/4 tsp salt
• 100g castor sugar

Top layer

• 300g sago
• 170g castor sugar
• 3 screwpine leaves (pandan leaves)
• 1-2 drop green colouring

Method:

Line a base of a 20cm tray with banana leaf. Lightly grease with oil.

Rinse sago and soak for at least 3 hours. Add 1-2 drop of green colouring. Drain and combine with sugar and set aside.

Combine grated tapioca, sugar, salt, egg and coconut milk to mix. Spread mixture onto the prepared baking tray. Steam for 40 minutes until set.

Pour sago mixture over the tapioca layer. Place pandan leaves over it and steam for 20 minutes. Remove the pandan leaves.

Remove the kuih from the steamer and leave aside to cool completely.

Cut the kuih into slices and serve.

Easter Nest cupcakes

Ingredients for cupcakes:

• 170g flour
• 75g cocoa powder
• 150g sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 110g butter, softened
• 225ml milk
• 1tsp vanilla
• 1/2 tsp salt

Ingredients for milk chocolate topping icing

• 350g milk chocolate (broke into pieces)
• 6 tbsp butter, softened
• 285g icing sugar
• 55ml milk
• 1tsp vanilla
• 6 chocolate flake bars
• mini eggs for deco

Method for cupcakes:

Preheat oven to 180c. Line a cupcake baking tray with paper liners

Place the cocoa powder, flour, baking soda and salt in a bowl. Sift all the dry ingredients together.

Beat sugar, butter and vanilla until creamy. Add egg one at a time beating well each time. Stir in the dry ingredients and mix well.

Spoon the mixture into the cupcakes liners up to about 1/2 full. Place in the oven and bake for 20 minutes. Remove from oven and leave to cool for 5-10 minutes. Transfer onto a wiring cooling rack to cool completely.

Method for icing:

Place the milk chocolate in a small bowl together with the butter. Place in a pan of hot water and heat over a medium heat, stirring the chocolate until it melts.

Transfer the mixture to a large bowl and gradually beat in the icing sugar, alternating it with milk. Finally stir in the vanilla. Spread generously on each of the cooled cupcake.

Cut each of the chocolate flakes in half and the cut them in half, length ways. Arrange the pieces of flake around the top of each egg, giving a nest-like appearance.

Place 3 mini eggs in the centre of each arrangement. To make it a really special effort, buy some fluffy decorative chicks and place one on each cake.

Banoffee Pie

Ingredient:

• 175g digestive biscuits
• 100g butter, melted

Filling:

• 100g butter
• 100g brown sugar
• 397g Carnation condensed milk

Topping:

• 3 bananas
• 300ml double cream, lightly whipped
• grated chocolate for decoration or 1 tbsp cocoa powder

Method:

Grease a 20cm loose-bottomed cake tin

To make the base, process the biscuits until crushed. Stir in the melted butter. Press the mixture into the base of the cake tin. Chill the base while making the filling.

To make the filling, place the butter and sugar into a non-stick pan over a low heat, stirring until the butter melts and the sugar dissolve. Add the condensed milk and bring gently to a boil, stirring continuosly. When the caramel started to boil, remove from the heat and pour over the biscuit base. Cool, and then leave to chill for about 2 hour or until firm.

To serve, remove the pie from the tin and place the cake on a serving plate. Sliced the bananas, fold half of them into the softly whipped cream and spoon over the caramel base. Decorate the remaining bananas and finish with the grated chocolate or the cocoa powder.

Mee Jawa

Ingredients: To grind into paste:

• 1 stalk lemongrass
• 4 cm ginger
• 3 pips garlic
• 7 shallots
• 7 dried chilies, soak to soft
• 6 slices of galangal

• 1 packet of egg noodles
• 100g beans sprout
• 150g sweet potatoes,mashed
• 50g gula melaka
• 3 tsp corn flour
• 1/4 cup tomate ketchup
• salt to taste
• 3-4 tbsp oil
• 1.5 liter of chicken stock

For decoration:

• some sliced hard boiled eggs
• boiled potatoes, sliced
• prawns for decoration
• fried shallots
• deep fried tau kwa

Method:
Heat oil and fry the paste until fragrant. Add in the stock, simmer and bring to a boil. Stir in the mashed potatoes and tomatoe ketchup. Thicken with the corn flour and season with sugar and salt.
Blanch the egg noodles with hot water, drain and set aside. Also blanch the beans sprout and set aside.
In a bowl, add the noodles to the quantity needed with the beans sprout. Serve with fried tau kwa, sliced hard boiled egg and potatoes.

Layer Cake Indonesia (Kek Lapis Indonesia or Kek Spekkeok)

Finally have the chance to bake this lovely cake. This cake originally comes from Indonesia but it is also very popular in Malaysia and Singapore. Take a while to bake this cake as layer by layer is cooked over a top grill. It's time consuming to make but well-worth it. Very rich in texture and heavy, if you were compare it to ordinary sponge cake. Ingredients:

• 360g unsalted butter
• 10 large egg yolks
• 5 large egg whites
• 180g sugar divide into two equally (90g each)
• 1/2 tsp cream of tartar
• 4 tbsp fresh milk
• 60g plain flour
• 3 tsp mixed spice

Method:

Beat butter until creamy and light, set aside

Beat egg yolks with 90g sugar until fluffy, set aside

Beat egg whites with the remaining sugar and cream of tartar until stiff peaks.

Add egg yolks mixture to the butter. Add in milk and flour, stir to mix well.

Next fold in the egg white mixture into the egg yolk mixture. Add in the mixed spice and mix well.

Heat grill to a moderate hot. Line a cake tin and grease well.

To start the first layer, put in 3 tablespoon of cake mixture into the cake tin and spread evenly with the back of a spoon.

Grill for about 4-5 minutes. Remove cake tin from grill. Gently prick the cake surface with a tooth-pick and press lightly with the back of a spoon so the cake remain flat.

Repeat the layer making again, and again, and again until you run out of batter.

Remove the Kek Lapis from the cake tin and allow the cake to cool in a wire mesh.

Steamed Egg Cake (Kueh Nee Ko)

Ingredients:

• 4 eggs
• 120g castor sugar
• 170g plain flour
• 50g 7-Up
• 1 tsp vanila essence

Method:

Line a steaming tray with baking paper and set aside.

Beat the eggs and castor sugar under high speed until fluffy. Add in the vanila essence and continue whisking until the eggs is increased in volumn and the colour turned light.

Add the sifted flour and fold with spatula very gently.

Pour in the 7-Up and mix well with spatula. Transfer the batter into line steaming tray.

Steamed over rapid boiling water for about 20 minutes. Cool down completely before cutting.

Steamed Cream Cracker Cake

Heard about this cake that uses cream cracker biscuits instead of flour. Decided to google for the recipes. Found in eatingpleasure.blogspot.com which I like as the cake is steamed and not baked. Therefore anyone who has a wok and cover can make this cake. Most surprised is .....the cake is delicious Ingredients:

• 250g butter
• 200g cream crackers, blended until fine
• 5 eggs, beaten
• 180g sugar
• 2 tbsp chocolate powder, sifted

Method:

Beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy.

Add in the beaten eggs one at a time and mix well.

Pour in cream crackers powder in batches and mix well.

Divide the mixture into two portion. Add chocolate powder to one portion.

Greased a 7"x7" square baking try or you may use a round pan. Spread a layer of batter. Steamed for about 5 minutes. Continue with a chocolate flavoured batter and steam for 5 minutes. Continue to alternate the layers

Orange Carrot Fruit Cake

This cake is so refreshing due to the orange juice and also the grated rind of the orange. 

  Ingredients:

• grated rind of 1 orange
• 50ml fresh squeezed orange juice
• 100g sunflower oil
• 2 eggs
• 100g castor sugar
• 30 g dried cranberries
• 125g grated carrot
• 30g dried apricots, chopped
• 25g walnuts, chopped
• 120g self raising flour
• 1/4 tsp bicarbonate of soda

Method: 

 Grease and line a 20 x 7.5cm loaf pan and preheat oven to 175ºc/160ºC for fan assist .

 Sift the self raising flour and the bicarbonate of soda to a mixing bowl. Combine oil, sugar and eggs until light and fluffy. Pour in the orange juice and mix well. Add in the flour, carrots, cranberries, apricots and walnuts. Mix well.

 Transfer batter into a prepared loaf pan and bake for 35-40 minutes.

Steamed Spareribs

Ingredients:

• 350g-400g spareribs
• 2 pickled sour plums, seeded
• 1 tsp chopped garlic
• 1 tbsp chopped red chillie
• 1 tbsp young ginger, shreds

Seasoning B:

• 1 tsp oyster sauce
• 1 tsp light soy sauce
• 1 tsp shallot oil
• 1/2 tsp sesame oil
• 1 tsp sugar
• 1 tbsp tau cheong (preserved bean paste)
• 1/2 tsp pepper
• 1 tsp Shao Hsing wine
• 3 tbsp water
• 1 tsp cornflour

Method:

Chop spareribs into bite-sized pieces. Mash pickled sour plums and chop coarsely. Combine spareribs with sour plums, ginger shreds, red chilli and garlic.

Add seasoning B to mix. Arrange marinated spareribs in a heatproof deep dish. Steam over high heat for 20-25 minutes or until meat is tender. Serve hot.

Siew Mai

Ingredients A:

• 225g ground pork
• 9 large shrimps, minced
• 1tsp ginger juice
• 1 spring onions, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tbsp sesame oil
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp sugar
• dash of white pepper

Ingredients B:

• 1/4 cup carrots, chopped
• some frozen green peas
• wontan wrappers as needed

Method:

Mix A in a bowl and stir in one direction until blended.

Take a piece of wontan skin and place a sizeable amount of filling in the middle, hold up to cover the filling.

Decorate the top with minced carrots and place a grren pea in the middle (optional). Finish with the rest of the siew mai.

Steam in boiling water for 15 minutes. Using bamboo steamer that you have. Serve with chilli oil

Crispy Fried Chicken

Ingredients:

• 8 drumsticks
• 2 tbsp custard powder
• 1/2 tsp pepper powder
• 4 tbsp plain flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 egg
• 1 tsp salt or to taste
• extra plain flour for coating

Method:

Clean the drumsticks and set aside.

Combine all the ingredients in a mixing bowl except the extra plain flour. Mix into a smooth consistency. If batters is too thick, add 1 tbsp water.

Coat the drumsticks with the batter. Keep in the fridge for several hours or preferably overnight.

Heat enough oil for deep fry. When the oil is hot, coat a drumstick into the extra flour & then deep fry until golden brown. Drain the drumsticks on absorbent paper

Bak Kwa/Loong Yoke

Since Chinese New Year is around the corner decide to make this Chinese dried meat a popular delicacy for Chinese New Year.

Ingredients:

• 500g minced pork
• 1 tbsp of thick dark soy sauce
• 1 tbsp Shoaxing wine
• 1 tbsp light soy sauce
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 11/2 tbsp fish sauce
• 1 tsp five spice powder
• 1 tsp oil

Method:

Place all the ingredients in a mixing bowl. Mix with a fork vigorously in one direction until a gluey paste is formed.

Cover and leave in the fridge overnight.

Place meat on a large parchment paper. Roll out on a plastic sheet thinly. You may use clingfilm so the meat won't stick on the rolling pin.

Sun until the meat is easily lifted. Cut into pieces and BBQ on a low heat on each side until brown. If prefer, you may also use your oven. Heat the oven on 125c and bake for about 20 minutes. Increase temperature to 180c and bake for about 20-30 minutes until the meat is golden brown.

Cool and cut into pieces.

Curry Puff 2

This version of curry puff reminds me of my school days where I use to buy them from the Malay stall in the school canteen for only 10sen. This curry puff pastry is different from the spiral curry puff Ingredients for the pastry:

• 11/2 cup of plain flour
• 5o g shortening
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 4 tsbp water

Ingredients for the filling:

• 1 small onion, chopped
• 2 tbsp dried prawns, soaked and pounded finely
• 2 tbsp meat curry powder
• 3 large potatoes, peeled and diced
• 2 springs onion, sliced finely
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tbsp sugar
• 5 tbsp oil

To make the filling:

Heat oil and fry chopped onion until sweat through. Add in the dried prawns, curry powder and 3 tbsp water and saute until fragrant. Add potaties and 1 cup water and cooked until potatoes are tender. Add salt and sugar to taste. Cook until the filling is dry. Leave to cool before use.

To make the pastry:

Using food processor, add in the flour, baking powder and salt, pulse to mix. Add in the shortening and pulse until it looked like breadcrumbs. Add in water and pulse until the dough is combined into a ball. Let the dough rest for 1/2 hour.

Roll dough out into a long sausage and cut into small portions size of a ping pong ball. Roll each portion into a thin circle and put the filling in the centre. Fold the pastry over to make a 1/2 circle and crimp the edge.

Deep fry until golden brown.

Rose cupcakes with white chocolate icing

Ingredients:

• oil or melted butter for greasing
• 280g/10 oz plain flour
• 1 tbsp baking powder
• 1/8 tsp salt
• 110g/4oz caster sugar
• 2 medium eggs
• 250ml/9fl oz milk
• 6tsbp sunflower oil or 85g/3 oz butter, melted and cooled

For the white chocolate icing:

• 100g/3.5 oz white chocolate
• 140g/5 oz unsalted butter
• 140g/5 oz icing sugar

Method:

Preheat oven at 200C. Grease a 12 cup muffin tin oe line 12 paper cases.

Sift together the flour, baking powder and salt into a large bowl. Stir in the caster sugar.

Lightly beat the eggs in a large jug or bowl then beat in the milk and oil. Make the well in the centre of the dry ingredients. Stir gently until just combined; do not over mix.

Spoon the mixture into the prepared muffin tin. Bake in the preheated oven for about 20 minutes until well risen, golden brown and firm to touch.

Leave the muffin in the tin for 5 minutes then transfer to a wire rack and leave to cool.

To make the white chocolate icing: Melt the white chocolate in microwave on high for 1.5 minutes' stirring half way. Leave to cool. Put the butter in a large bowl and beat until fluffy. Stir in the icing sugar and beat together until smooth and creamy. Beat in the chocolate and mix well.

To make the sugar roses: Knead a little of the colouring paste into a 150g ready roll icing sugar until pale and even. Break into 3 balls. Then add a little more colouring to two giving three varying depths of colour. Keep until cling film. Rub a very thin layer of fat over a smooth work surface. Roll out one of the balls of icing thinly, about 1-2mm, then trim into a rectangle about 8x20cm. Cut off a 1cm strip of icing widthways, keeping the rest covered.

Carefully roll the icing up and around itself. For more realistic rose look, start rolling slightly skew-whiff so that the outside edge of the finished rose sticks out further than the middle. With about 2cm to go, start to guide the end of the icing down and under to make a neat rosebud. Pinch to shape, then cut or pinch off the bottom. Set a side at least 1 hour. Repeat with the rest of the icing.

For the leaves, colour the remaining icing green. Pinch off small pea-sized pieces, roll into balls, then flatten a little bit. Pinch one end to make a leaf shape. Use a knife and make lines to the leaf to make the leaf look like real leaf. Leave to dry.

Once the roses are dry and firm, dust a little lustre onto each rose using paintbrush or fingertip. Sprinkle with sparkles, if using. Position the roses onto the cupcakes in cluster of three, following with three leaves.