Mee Siam (Spicy Rice Vermicelli)

Mee Siam which means Siamese noodles is a dish of thin rice noodles (vermicelli) in spicy, sweet and sour light gravy.  There is also a dry version, which is essentially stir-fry the rice noodles with the same spices used in the gravy version.

Originally a Thai dish, it became a Nyonya speciality eventually. Mee Sian uses a few ingredients which brings out the peculiar taste- tau cheong (preserved soya beans), chilli, dried prawns and tamarind juice. The combination of spicy, swet and sour taste makes Mee Siam dish appealing to many.

Ingredients: ( for 2-3 persons)
to be blend together:

• 5 shallots
• 2 clove garlic
• 6-8 dried chilli, pre-soaked for about 30 mins to softened
• 45g dried prawns, pre-soaked for about 30 mins to softened
• 2 tbsp tau cheong (preserved soya beans)
• 20g of tamarind paste, pre-soaked with 1/2 cup water and squeeze for the juice

• 500g of fresh prawns
• 400g mee hoon (rice vermicelli), pre-soaked for an hour until softened, drained
• 1 piece of tau kwa, fried and slice into cubes
• 8-10 stalks of chives (kuchai), cut into 2" long
• 200g beans sprout
• 1 tsp sugar
• salt to taste
• 3 tbsp oil

for garnishing

• 2 eggs, lightly beaten and fry into a thin omelet. Fold and slice the omelet thinly
• 1 lime, cut into wedges
• 1 red chilli, thinly sliced

Method:

Using a blender or food processor, grind the blended ingredients into s fine paste and set aside.

Heat up the wok with the oil. Once the oil is heated, fry the blended spice paste until aromatic and oil separates. Add in the salt and sugar.

Add in the prawns, stir fry until half done, then add in the mee hoon (rice vermicelli) an keep stirring until the spice paste has been well blended. Taste and adjust the seasoning by adding more salt or sugar to taste. If the noodles taste bland, add a little fish sauce to taste.

Transfer the noodles onto a big serving bowl and garnish with omelet strips. chilli and lime wedges. Serve immediately.

Almond and Orange Cake

I notice that of late I have been baking using almonds more than my norm. I don't know why but I am hooked to almond at the moment. While in the office working and one of those days that hit me, I decided to destress myself by browsing the web on my lunch break and came across this recipes by Michel Roux Jr. Honest, I never heard of him and this is the first time I heard his name.

However after going through the ingrdients and the cooking method, I notice that this is an easy cake to bake and sound fail proof. Also I have most of the ingredients in my cupboard, therefore decided to have a go.

My verdict: easy to bake even for beginner and most important it is a moist and  delicious cake. Here are the ingredients:

Ingredients:

• 50g plain flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 200g castor sugar
• 250g unsalted butter, softened
• 1 tbsp grated zest of orange
• 4 medium eggs
• 80 ml freshly squeeze orange juice
• 60g brown sugar
• 1 tbsp marmalade
• handful of almond flakes, toasted

Method:

Preheat oven to 180c/160c for fan oven. Butter a 20cm rounds cake tin.

Sift flour, baking powder and sugar and then add in the ground almonds.

Whisk the butter with the orange zest until pale, then add the eggs one at a time. Fold in the dry ingredients with a metal spoon. Pour the mixture into the cake tin and bake in the preheat oven for 45 minutes or until cooked.

Meanwhile make a syrup by boiling the orange juice with the brown sugar. Leave to cool. Once the cake is cooked, prick several times with a skewer to the base and pour on the cooled syrup. Leave the cake to cool completely before brushing on a little warmed marmalade and sprinkling it with a few toasted, almond flakes.

Lovely served with orange segments marinated in a generous splash of whisky and a little demerara sugar.

Orange Chiffon Cake

Ahhhh chiffon.....light and soft and fluffy. Guess this is where the cake gets its name. This chiffon cake is so soft, light and fluff and I can eat the whole cake by myself...hehehe
The fail factor for this cake is very high and every chiffon gurus out there will thell you their recipes are better than the other. So how does one choose the right recipe to use. For me the recipe with a some Idiot proof Orange Chiffon cake does it :)

Ingredients:

• 4 large egg yolks
• 70g sugar
• 50g corn oil
• 50g fresh squeeze orange juice
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 70g plain flour, sifted
• zest of 2 oranges

Meringue:

• 30g sugar
• 4 egg whites
• 1/2 tsp cream of tartar
• 8g corn starch

Method:
Preheat the oven to 180c/160c for fan oven

Beat the egg yolks and sugar until light and fluffy. Add in the oil, orange juice and vanilla extract and mix until well combine. Fold in flour and orange zest, mix well until the batter become sticky.

To make the meringue: Combine sugar and corn flout and set aside.
Beat the egg whites and cream tartar until foamy. Add half of the sugar and corn flour mixture and continue to beat for a few minutes. Add the remaining sugar and corn flour mixture and continue to beat until the egg whites are glossy and stiff peaks form.

Add one third of the meringue into the egg yolk mixture and fold in lightly. Add again another one third and fold in and continue with the remaining meringue and fold to incorporate completely. Do not over fold as you do not want to loose the air in the meringue.

Pour batter into an ungreased chiffon/angel tube pan. Bake for 50-55 minutes. When the cake is domne, remove from the oven and turn it over, leaving it to cool completely. Once the cake is cool, carefully run a knife around the side of the cake to loosen it before serving.

Raspberry And Almond Cake

How I love this simple cake!!!!!. They go so beautifully with coffee or tea and the would be on a rainy day.
Raspberries and almond are meant to be together. Just like marriage in heaven. Either eaten as it is, or warm in the microwave and serve with greek yogurt or creme fraiche as dessert.
I am using a 26x16cm oblong tin, lined with baking paper. Here are the ingredients.

Ingredients:

• 175g butter, softened
• 175g self raising flour, sifted
• 175g sugar
• 3 medium eggs
• 125g ground almond
• 175g raspberries, may use the frozen too
• 2 tbsp milk
• 2 tbsp flaked almond
• icing sugar for dusting

Method:
Heat oven to 180c/160c for fan.

Cream butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Gradually beat in the eggs one at a time. and mix well. Fold in the sifted flour, ground almonds and milk. Mix until well combine. Spoon the mixture into the prepared tin.

Scatter the raspberries over the surface and press down lightly into the cake mixture. Sprinkle over the flaked almonds.

Bake in the centre of the oven for 40-45 minutes. Check with a skewer to make sure the middle of the cake is cooked. If not return to the oven coveted with foil for another 5-10 minutes.

Leave to cool in the tin before cutting. Cut into 15-18 squares and dust with icing sugar before serving.

Bouquet of cupcakes

After a much waiting and busy preparing my colleague daughter finally celebrate her 21st birthday. Been asking me to bake her some cupcakes for her birthday. I can't decide until the last minutes after hinting after hinting I finally agree to bake the cakes.

I have not get her any present nor card so I decided to make her a bouquet of cupcakes, my usual special :) and decide to change the icing colour to pink as it is her favourite colour beside lilac.

Banana crepe cake with walnut butterscotch

A friend recently updated her facebook with a picture of a cake called crepe cake. I never heard about such cake. In fact she also posted a picture of the cake and it just fascinated me as it has layers and layers of this thin look a like pancake. This cake also reminded me of  the Indonesian Layer Cake or Kek Spekok as it's called. Because of  this my curiosity makes me went onlike and google about this cake. I found a few recipes but after reading the recipes I find that this one is the best among all (source from smittenkitchen.com but I have modified some of the measurement). You  have your 5 a day and still able to enjoy the cake. Deeeee-lish!!!!
Oh by the way, it will be easier if you use nonstick pan. And always remember the first or second piece will always go in the trash.

Ingredients:

Banana crepes

• 60g butter, melted and cool slightly, add extra for greasing pan
• 1 large ripe banana, about 180g
• 1 cup of milk
• 3/4 cup plain flour
• 30g light brown sugar
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp grated nutmeg

Cream cheese yoghurt filling

• 225g cream cheese, well softened
• 11/2 cups plain Greek yoghurt
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Walnut butterscotch topping

• 3/4 cup whipping cream
• 1/2 cup dark brown sugar
• 25g unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 3/4 cup chopped walnut, toasted
• 1/2 tbsp vanilla extract
• 1/4 tsp salt or to taste

Method:
Make the crepe batter: Blend the banana in a food processor until totally smooth. Add in the melted butter and blend again. Add in the remaining ingredients and blend until they are combined. Transfer batter, which will look pretty thin, to a bowl or a large measuring jug ( will be easier later as it has a spout), cover with clingfilm and chill for at least an hour, preferably overnight. This batter can keep up to two days. When you remove the batter, it will seem surprisingly thick. Stir it before using to mix up all the ingredients again.

Cook the crepe: Heat a medium nonstick pan or a crepe pan over a medium-high heat. Once heated, brush the pan lightly with melted butter. Pour 1/4 cup  batter into the pan, swirling it until it evenly coats the bottom and cook, undisturbed, till the bottom is golden abd the top is set. This takes about 2-3 minutes. Flip the crepe and cook it for 30 seconds on the other side before transferring it to a plate to cool. Repeat with the remaining batter. You can stack your crepes and they will not stick together.  Let the crepes cool completely.

Making filling: Whip the cream cheese until fluffy, then beat in yoghurt, 1/2 cup at a time. When well combine, add sugar and vanilla extract and continue to blend until rich and fluffy, just another minutes.

Assemble crepes: Lay the first crepe on a cake plate or serving platter. Spread with 2 tbsp of the yoghurt-cream cheese filling. Repeat with all but the last remaining crepe, which should be stached but has no filling on top as it is the lid.

Make walnut butterscotch: Combine the cream, brown sugar and butter in a pan over medium-high heat. Bring to boil ( as above 1st picture), then reduce the heat and let it simmer for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally inh the begining and more frequently as it reduce and thickens. You will know when it's done when it becomes thick and smells toasty. Stir in the vanilla and salt, then walnuts. Immediately pour over stack of filled crepes, nudging the butterscotch to the edges with a spoon- if it goes over the edge so be it.

Serve immediately or keep in the fridge until ready to serve. Crepe cake keeps for up to 3 days.

Cupcakes, cupcakes and more cupcakes!!!

Oh la la cupcakes!!!!!

Call it how you want, cupcakes, fairy cakes or patty cakes. Basically they are a small cake designed to serve one person, frequently baked in a small, thin paper or aluminium cup.

Why did I choose cupcakes???

• Coz cupcakes are stylish
• Coz cupcakes are friendly
• Coz cupcakes are fun to decorate
• Coz cupcakes are versatile
• And most important cupcakes are portable

The sky is the limit when decorating cupcakes. With just some imagination, you can create a whole world of cupcakes wonders.

On the photo above, I have create a bouquet of cupcakes !!!!!

Oreo Cream Cheese Blondies

9x

Oreo biscuits.....they are my favourite cookies. No matter how we indulge with it, I like mine best with TLD ( Twist, Lick, Dunk)

Ingredients:

• 225g butter
• 2 eggs
• 3/4 cup light brown sugar
• 1 cup of sugar
• 3 1/2 cups plain flour
• 1 tbsp vanilla extract
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp salt
• 11/2 cup chocolate chips
• 225g cream cheese
• 2 tbsp sugar
• 2 tsbp milk
• 24 Oreo cookies

Method:

Pre heat oven to 200c/180c for fan oven.

Cream butter and sugar until well combined. Add the eggs and vanilla extract and continue to beat until all are well combined.

Add flour, salt, baking soda and chocolate chips, mix until just combined.

Press half the dough into a bottom of a greased 9x13 pan. Bake for about 8 minutes, until slightly browned.

While bars are baking, beat cream cheese with sugar. Add the milk to make a spreadable consistency.

Remove bars from oven, top with the 24 Oreo cookies. Spread the cream cheese mixtures over the Oreos. Top with the remaining half of the dough.

Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until the bars are set.

Cool before cutting into 24 bars.

Moist Ginger Cake

Just one word to describe this cake ....."divine"

If you are looking for a slice of spice, try this deliciously moist ginger cake!!!
It has a gingery glaze that part sank into the cake and the top part will set as a thin crust.

Ingredients:

for the cake

• 115g unsalted butter, softened
• 250g self raising flour
• 3 tsp ground ginger
• 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 100g golden syrup
• 100g black treacle
• 100g brown sugar
• 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
• 2 large eggs
• 200ml milk
• 50g stem ginger, finely chopped

for the glaze:

• 4 tbsp boiling water
• 4 tbsp ginger syrup from the jar of stem ginger
• 200g icing sugar

Method:

Preheat oven to 180C/160C for fan oven.

Line a 20cm square/9" round cake tin with baking paper.

Blitz together in the food processor the flour, ground ginger, bicarbonate of soda, butter and ground cinnamon until it looks like bread crumbs. Put it aside.

In a large sauce pan, put in together the black tracle, golden syrup, finelly chopped stem ginger and brown sugar. Heat gently until the sugar has dissolved. Raise the heat and cook for a further couple of minutes, then remove from heat.

Beat the eggs and milk into the hot syrup mixture.

Add in the flour and butter crumbs. Stir throughly until the mixture are well combined.

Pour into the prepared cake tin. The mixture at this stage is a bit runny.

Bake for about 40 minutes or until skewer inserted into the cake comes out clean.

When the cake nearly finish the baking time, make the glaze by mixing all the ingredients together until its smoothand well combined.

When the cake is cooked, let it stand in the tin for about 10 minutes.

Pierce the cake all over with the skewerand then pour over the glaze. Some will soak into the cake while the rest will harden and create a fine glaze on top of the cake.

Leave to cool and set completely before removing from the tin.

Raspberry Bakewell Cake

LOVED IT !!! TOTALLY SCRUMPTIOUS

...... AND SURPRISING LIGHT.

This is a simple and no fuss cake to make and really quick to prepare. Or should I call it idiot proof cake...lol.

I am using raspberries for this recipe but can be replace with any type of berries. If you like almondy tasten just replace the vanilla extract with almond extract.

Ingredients:

• 145g butter, softened
• 145g sugar
• 145g self raising flour
• 145g ground almonds
• 1 tsp vanilla extract/almond extract
• 2 large eggs
• 250g raspberries
• 2 tbsp flaked almond
• icing sugar, to serve

Method:

Preheat oven to 180c/160c for fan oven. Grease and line a 20cm loose bottom cake tin.

Blitz all the ingredients into a food processor until well combined.

Spread half the mixture over the cake tin and smooth the top. Scatter the raspberries over and then spread the remaining mixture on top and spread evenly. You might want to use your fingers to do this as it is easier to spread.

Scatter the flaked almonds over the top and bake for 50 minutes until golden.

Cool, remove from the cake tin and dust with icing sugar before serving. It is also lovely to warmed up and served with ice cream.....yum

Easter Cupcakes

                   

            HAPPY EASTER EVERYONE !!!

Ingredients:

• 2 eggs
• 100g self raising flour
• 100g golden castor sugar
• 100g softened butter
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp vanilla essence

Method:

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 eletric mixer until the mixture is light in colour and fluffy.

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

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

For the buttercream:

• 55g unsalted butter, softened
• 250g icing sugar
• 30ml milk, room temperature
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• green and black food colouring

Method:

Beat the butter, icing sugar, milk and vanilla xtract together in a bowl until light and fluffy. Put half of the buttercream in another bowl and add green food colouring to it. Reserve this for the grass. Add black colouring to the other half and mix well. This will be use for the nest.

Put the green buttercream into a icing bag using the grass/hair nozzle. Pipe it on the side of the cupcakes. Once completed, wash the nozzle and use it to make the nest. Place the black buttercream into a clean piping bag and press out the buttercream in a long pipping to make the nest along the grass.

Decorate the cupcakes with mini easter eggs and also little chick.

Chocolate Bottom Banana Square

This cake is highly addictive !!!! Can't stop at one slice. I have a weakness with chococlate and I love banana, therefore banana and chocolate seem heavenly match. The sweetness and the aroma from the banana blended with distincitve rich cocoa. Moist and full of flavour, mmmmm

Ingredients:

• 115g butter
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 egg, lightly beaten
• 3 medium ripe bananas, mashed
• 1 1/2 cups flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/4 cup cocoa powder
• 1/2 cup chocolate chips
• 1 tsp vanilla extract

Method:
Pre heat oven at 180C/160C for fan oven. Line a 9" square baking pan with grease proof paper.

In a mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar untl light and fluffy

Add in the egg, vanilla extract and mash bananas, mix until well combine.

Sieve in flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt into the creamed mixture and mix it well.

Divide the batter into half. Add the cocoa powder to one portion of the batter. Spread the cocoa portion in the bottom of the baking pan.

Spread the remaining plain batter on top of the cocoa batter, give is a nice gently swirl with a knife. Sprinkle the chocolate chips on top.

Bake at 180C/160C for fan oven for about 30 minutes. Test with a skewer to ensure that the cake is cook properly.

Once the cake cool down, cut into square and serve

Marble Cheese Brownies

If you love brownies and cheesecake, why not whip up a fresh batch of cheesecake brownies? The marriage between creaminess and richness is certainly irresistible. These are a great treat to serve at a family dinner or at a kid's birthday party. They're so simple to make.

Ingredients for the brownies:

• 250g butter
• 1 cup of cocoa powder
• 3 eggs
• 11/2 cup of castor sugar
• 1/2 cup evaporated milk
• 11/2 cup of plain flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp bicarbonate soda
• 1 tsp vanilla extract

Method:

Preheat oven at 175C, grease and line a 10"x10" baking pan.

Sift plain flour with baking powder and bicarbonate soda and set aside.

Melt butter in a saucepan and mix in the cocoa powder and stir to blend.

Hand whisk the eggs and sugar until combine, add in the butter cocoa mixture and mix well.

Add in the evaporated milk and then the flour, adding bit by bit and stir until well combined. lastly add in the vanilla extract.

Pour the batten into the baking pan but set aside 2-3 tbsp of the cocoa batter for the marble effect.

Bake for 20-30 minutes

Ingredients for the Cheese Marble Layer:

• 250g cream cheese, at room tempeature
• 1 cup of castor sugar
• 1 egg

Method:

Beat cream cheese until light and creamy.

Add in sugar and beat well.

Add in the egg and mix until well combined.

Pour the cheese batter onto the baked brownies, then pipe the remaining cocoa batter on top the cheese batter in vertical lines, and using toothpick, scale it slightly to create the marble effect.

Bake it foe another 20 minutes, let it cool on the pan for about 10 minutes before taking the cake out and let it cool on the wire rack.

Cut into squares and it's ready to serve.

In another bowl, beat eggs with sugar until

Walnut Crumble Cake

Playing time with flour, sugar, eggs and butter....

Ingredients:

for the crumbles:

• 100g digestive biscuits, crushed
• 50g walnut, lightly toasted and chopped coarsely
• 50g light brown sugar
• 5g instant coffee
• 2.5g cinnamon powder
• 50g cold butter

for the cake layer:

• 150g soft butter
• 100g castor sugar
• 2 eggs, lightly beaten
• 1 tsp vanilla essence
• a pinch of salt
• 200g cake flour **
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 150g plain yoghurt

** for cake flour: 2 cups of plain flour but take away 2 tbsp. Add in 2 tbsp cornflour. Sift both the flour 5x.

Method:

Mix crushed digestive biscuits, light brown sugar, chopped walnut, cinnamon powder, instant coffeeon a mixing bowl. With finger tips, rub in the cold butter until the mixture becomes crumbly. Set aside.

Sift cake flour and baking powder, set aside.

Beat butter and sugar until light & fluffy. Mix in vanilla essence and salt and mix well.

Add in eggs gradually, mix well each time the eggs is added.

With spatula, stir in the cake flour mixture. Stir until the flour mixture is fully incorporated into the batter. The batter at this stage will be quiet thick and firm.

Add in yoghurt in a few separate additions, stir well each time the yoghurt is added. The batter will become smooth and spreadable.

Line a bottom of a 20cm springform pan with 1/3 of the crumble. Spread evenly and press firmly with the back of a spoon.

Add in 1/2 of the cake batter, spread evenly with the spatula. Sprinkle the top of the cake batter evenly with 1/3 of the crumbles. Add  in the remaining cake batter. Spread evenly. Sprinkle with the rest of the remaining crumbles.

Bake the cake in preheated oven at 170C (fan oven) for 30-40 minutes or until the skewer inserted into the cake comes out clean.

Remove cake from oven, let cool slightly and unmould. Allow to cool completely before serving.

Kuih Kemboja/Kuih Bakar

This is the Malay kuih that we found at pasar malam in Malaysia.

Ingredients:

• 2 cups of plain flour
• 1 cup of sugar
• 2 1/4 cups of coconut milk
• 4 large eggs
• 2 tbsp melted butter
• 1/2 tsp pandan paste + 1 cup of water (mixed together)
• sesame seeds

Method:
Preheat oven to 170C/C fan oven and greased a baking pan.

Beat eggs and sugar until dissolves but not fluffy.

Mix pandan paste, water into coconut milk and stir until mix well.

Add in the flour and the coconut milk mixture alternately into the egg and sugar mixture. Combine well.

Pour batterv  into the greased baking pan and sprinkle the sesame seeds on top.

Bake for about  45 minutes until golden brown or skewer comes out clean.

Cool it down before cutting.

Marmalade Cake

Ingredients:

• 225g (8oz) butter or margarine, softened
• 225g (8oz) caster sugar
• 4 eggs, beaten
• 3 tbsp warm water
• Pinch of salt
• 225g (8oz) self-raising flour

Filling and icing:

• 150g (5oz) butter, softened
• 300g (10 ½oz) icing sugar, sieved
• ½ tsp vanilla extract
• Orange peel, finely grated
• 4-6 tbsp marmalade

Method:

Preheat oven to 190C/fan 170C. Grease two 20cm cake tins and line with baking paper.

Beat together butter and sugar until creamy. Add beaten eggs one at a time. Add warm water and salt. Mix in flour and beat well.

Pour half the mixture into each tin. Bake in the centre of the oven for 25 minutes, or until golden and risen.

Take sponges from tins and leave to cool on wire rack. Remove baking paper after cake has cooled.

Cream together butter and icing sugar until mixture is soft. Add two or three drops of vanilla essence and sandwich the sponge halves together with layer of marmalade and thin layer of buttercream.

Spread butter cream thickly on top of cake and sprinkle with orange peel

Giant Cupcake

Ingredients:

• 450g softened butter
• 450g caster sugar
• 8 large eggs
• 450g self-raising flour
• 4 level tsp baking powder
• 2 tsp of vanilla
• 3 tbsp milk
• Giant cupcake mould

For the cake covering:

• 250g white fondant icing
• Pink food colouring
• Strawberry jam

For the buttercream:

• 110g unsalted butter, softened
• 500g icing sugar
• 60ml milk, room temperature
• 1tsp vanilla extract
• Pink food colouring

Method:

Set the oven to 180ºC and grease the tin/siliconemould using cake release spray or cooking oil.

Cream the butter and sugar and add the vanilla. Beat for about 5 minutes. Add one egg at a time with a third of the sieved flour and baking powder until it has gone then add the milk and beat slowly until it is mixed in.

Place half of the mixture in each side of the tin to about ¾ full and bake for 50 mins. Times really depend on your own oven, so start to check the cake at 50 minutes, then every 10 minutes and do not remove from the oven until the cake is springy to the touch.

Remove from the oven and let it cool for 20 minutes before tipping out. If the cake has overflowed or has risen too high don’t worry, you can trim this with a bread knife or a cake leveller. It’s easier to do this while it is still in the tin.

Hold the cooling rack tight over the top of the tin and turn them out to cool. Once the cake is totally cool (probably an hour or 2) you can start decorating it.

Colour and roll out the fondant icing to a ¼ of an inch thick. It has to be 25cm in length and 8cm high. Then use a texture mat to add a flower pattern to the fondant.

Melt some jam in the microwave and leaving the cake in the upside down position brush over the base of the cake. This helps the fondant stick. Place the fondant around the cake and trim the excess. You can fold a little over the top (which is the bottom) so you have a clean edge. Press your finger round the indentations so you get the shape of the base back. Then turn the cake (not gripping too hard or you will squash it) the right way up.

Beat the butter, icing sugar, milk and vanilla together in a bowl until light and fluffy. Put a third of the buttercream in another bowl and add pink food colouring to it. Reserve this for your buttercream roses. Spread jam on the bottom half of the cupcake, then the icing and sandwich the two pieces together.

Ice the top with the rest of the buttercream in a design that suits you. .To create the two-tone effect, fill your piping bag up with the cream icing then add the pink on top. Twist the top of the bag and squeeze into a bowl until you see the pink coming through.

Top your giant cupcake with sugarcraft butterflies, flowers or lady birds

Classic Victoria Sponge Cake

Ingredients:

Sponge:

• 175g unsalted butter
• 175g caster sugar
• 3 eggs, beaten
• 175g self raising flour

Filling:

• 3 tbsp strawberry jam
• 200ml double cream

Method:

Set the oven to 180C. Lightly butter  and line the base of 2 x 20cm sandwich tins.

Cream together the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Slowly add in the beaten eggs.

Fold in the sifted flour and spoon the mixture into the prepared cake tins.

Bake for 20 minutes. Leave it to cool and then remove from the tins.

Whip the cream until thick and use it to fill the sponge with the jam.

Dust liberally with icing sugar to serve.

Nasi Tomato (Tomatoe Rice)

Ingredients:

• 5 tbsp cooking oil
• 1 onion, peeled and diced
• cardomom pods
• 2 cinnamon stick  (2-in) length
• 3 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed
• 2-in ginger knob, peeled and bruised
• 1/2 tsp chilli powder
• tomatoes 3, chopped
• 150g  tomato puree
• 2 bay leaves
• 500g rice, washed and drained
• 1/2 tsp Tabasco sauce
• 4cups chicken stock
• 170g evaporated milk
• 1/2 tsp sugar
• 100g cashew nuts, toasted

Method:

Heat the oil in a pot. Saute onion, cardamon pods, cinnamon, garlic, ginger and chilli powder until fragrant.

Add tomatoes and tomato puree. Stir fry for 2-3 minutes. Put in bay leaves and rice. Mix thoroughly.
Add tabasco sauce, chicken stock, evaporated milk and sugar. Bring to boil and simmer until all the liquid is absorbed.

Cover the pot, cook over low heat for 10 minutes or in the oven for 20 minutes at 180C.
Garnish with toasted cashew nuts and serve with Chicken in Spicy Tomato Sauce (Ayam Masak Merah)

Kam Heong Chicken (Fragrant Chicken)

Ingredients:

• 2 chicken breast, sliced
• 1/2 egg white
• 1/2 tsp salt
• a dash of pepper
• 1 tbsp soy sauce
• 3 tbsp cornstarch

For the sauce:

• 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 1 small onion, cut into quarter
• 15 curry leaves
• 2 tbsp dried shrimps, soak and finely chopped
• 5 birds eye chillies, chop roughly
• 1tbsp curry powder
• 1 tbsp oyster sauce
• 1/2 tbsp dark sauce
• 3 tbsp water
• 1 tbsp sugar
• salt to taste

Method:

Marinate  the meat with egg white, soy sauce, salt and pepper. Set it aside for at least an hour. Heat some oil for frying. Stir in cornstarch to the chicken. Mix well

Fry the chicken until golden brown. Remove and drain the oil on paper towels. Remove most of the oil from the frying pan and leave about 2 tbsp for cooking the sauce.

Heat up the oil and stir-fry the garlic and onion until fragrant and lightly brown. Stir in the dried shrimps, chillies and cyrry leaves and continue to stir-fry until fragrant.

Add in the rest of the seasonings and water. Simmer for a few seconds and toss in the chicken. Mix until well combined.

Serve with warm rice