Cupcake Bouquet

A cupcake bocquet is a sweet, stunning and jaw-dropping alternative to a traditional floral arrangement-doing double duty as centerpiece and dessert. This cupcakes bouquet makes a wonderful gift for family and friends. It is sure to put a big smile on anyone's face. This is a simple yet creative way to display your cupcakes and perfect for special occasions like Mother's Day or for that special someone's birthday as food gift. 

Make the base in advance and customise the floral colours to match the theme of your Mother's Day brunch, a baby shower, bridal shower or even a birthday bash!

No Churn Blackberry Ice Cream

With just 7 simple ingredients, this recipe for fresh blackberry ice cream is one of the easiest summer recipes around. A simple no-churn vanilla ice ice cream base is swirled with homemade fresh blackberry jam for a frozen treat that tastes amazing. Making ice cream without an ice cream maker is easier than you think.

Ingredients:

• 4 cups of fresh blackberries
• ½ tsp lemon juice
• ½ cup sugar
• 2 cups double cream
• 1 can sweetened condensed milk
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 tsp corn flour with 2 tbsp water, mix well

Method:

Add the blackberries to a blender and pulse until fully pureed. You want a smooth, juicy consistency. Press the puree through a fine mesh sieve and discard the pulp. You should have about 2 cups of the liquid. Transfer the liquid to a medium saucepan, add in the lemon juice and sugar. Heat over medium-high heat until reduced and thickened, about 10 minutes, stir occasionally. Add in the corn flour water and mix well. Transfer to a bowl and refrigerate until cold.

Add double cream to a large bowl. Using an electric mixer, beat until stiff peaks. Turn the speed low and slowly pour in the condensed milk. Add the vanilla extract. Turn the speed back up to high and beat until thickened.

Transfer 2 cups of the whipped cream to a separate bowl. Add in the cooled puree and mix util well combined. Gently fold into the remaining whipped cream to create a swirls. Don't over mix or you will lose the swirls. Transfer to a freezer-safe container and freeze for at least 6 hours.

Enjoy!!

Pulut Tai Tai

Commonly served as dessert or delicacy during the Straits Chinese weddings, this kuih is made of glutinous rice steamed in coconut milk, compacted into a wooden frame and then, cut into desire shapes. The vibrant blue in certain parts of the kuih enhances the beauty of this kuih. It always served with kaya, a rich coconut milk & egg jam.

One of the important steps in making the Pulut Tai Tai is to apply weigh onto the steamed cooked glutinous rice to make it firm. The firmer the kuih, the better the texture.

Ingredients:

• 400g glutinous rice
• 15 blue pea flowers (bunga telang)
• 1½ tbsp white vinegar or lemon juice
• 200ml coconut milk
• ¾ tsp salt
• 3-5 pandan leaves (screw-pine leaves)

Method:

Wash and soaked the flowers in hot water for 30 minutes to an hour. Squeeze the flowers to extract most of the colour from the flowers. Strain the indigo blue colouring. set aside.

Wash the glutinous rice  Soak 1/3 of the glutinous rice with the blue colouring extract and balance of the rice with water. Add ½ tbsp of vinegar to the blue colouring rice and stir well. Then add 1 tbsp of vinegar to the balance of the rice and stir well. Soak for at least 4 hours or overnight.

The next day or 4 hours later, the rice should be stained with blue colour. Drain both the glutinous rice.

Prepare the steamer. Line the steaming tray with banana leave and lightly grease with oil. Place pandan leave in the tray.

Place both the glutinous rice into the lined steaming tray. Mix coconut milk with salt. Pour ½ the coconut mixture over the rice and mix well. steam over high hat for 20 minutes.

Remove from steamer and fluff the rice with a pair of chopstick and discard the pandan leaves.

Then add the balance of the coconut milk mixture. Return to steamer and steam for another 10-15 minutes.

Line a 7x7 inch square pan or wooden box with banana leave and lightly grease with oil. Transfer the cooked rice to the pan alternating the blue portion with white. Mix well. Level the surface and press down the rice with a  banana leaf. Cover the top of the rice with a banana leaf and place a heavy object on it to compress the rice. 

Leave to cool before cutting into pieces to serve with Kaya.