Cuisine Paradise Tea-time Delights

Tea-Time Delights Blog has MOVED

2010-08-21T16:28:00.004+08:00

Time flies, Cuisine Paradise - Tea Time Delights has being a stand-alone blog for almost 5 years since 2009. Today I have merged all the existing posts here into the main blog over at Cuisine Paradise (http://ellenaguan.blogspot.com/) which will be much easier for me to maintain and keep track of all the recipe posts. So if you wish to keep updated with my tea-time recipes, please re-direct/bookmark the "New Link" to the main page mentioned above.

Thank you and sorry for any inconveniences caused. Have a great weekend! Cheers!

p/s: There will not be any further recipe updates on this blog anymore.

Teochew Steamed Yam & Sweet Potato With Coconut

2010-08-06T10:23:00.000+08:00

As a kid, I grew up with most of my favourite Teochew Dialect cuisines and desserts as such Ngoh Hiang, Braised Soya Duck Yam Cake and Yam Paste (or nee) that my dad used to prepare during festive seasons like Chinese New Year. Today mum and I decided to replicate one of my dad’s signature Teochew dessert which is something cross between “Yam Paste” and “Bo Bo Char Char”.

This is a pretty easy to prepare dessert where you just need to get some good quality of Yam - 芋头 (taro) and Orange Sweet Potato - 番薯. When choosing yam try to get those that look moist and heavy when lifted so that the high water content in it will make the yam taste soft.

Ingredients: (serves 4)
200g Yam
200g Orange Sweet Potato
6 Tablespoons Castor Sugar
100ml Coconut Milk
50ml Water
5 -8 Pandan Leaves
Shallot Flakes & Oil

Shallot Flakes & Oil is a must for this dessert, as it will give a special touch of aroma to prefer the taste. To prepare you will need the following:-

Ingredients:
5-8 shallots (小葱头)
100ml of cooking oil
Pinch of Salt

Method:
1. Removed the outer skin of the shallots then thinly sliced.
2. Preheat a small pan or pot with cooking oil, add in the sliced shallot and saute them on medium low heat (stirring on and off to prevent burning) till slightly golden in colour.
3. Remove the pan from heat, add in pinch of salt(this will make the flakes more crispy) and give it a quick stir.
4. Set aside to cool and later use.

The preparation methods might be a bit tedious if you do not have a big steamer or wok that allows you to steam all the items at one go. So for our case, we choose to steam the yam and sweet potato separately so that either one of them will not be over cooked.

Method:
1. Rinse both yam and sweet potato, removed the outer skin, cut into cubes/chunks depending on your preference.
2. Wash the Pandan leaves, divide into two bunches and tie a knot on each bunch.
3. Place the yam cubes on a plate and top with 1 bunch of pandan leave, steam it over medium heat for about 10 minutes or till the yam is slightly soften. (the timing will varies on the size of the yam cubes/chunks)
4. Repeat the same procedure for sweet potato.
5. While waiting for the sweet potato to be cooked, stir in 3 tablespoons of sugar to the hot yam cubes and give it a good stir then set aside.
6. When the sweet potato is done, add it into the yam cubes with the remaining sugar stir well and set aside.
7. Preheat the frying pan with about 1 tablespoon of shallot oil, add in the yam and sweet potato mixture, give it a quick stir, then slowly stir in the coconut milk and water.
8. Simmer the mixture under low heat for about 5 minutes. Dish up top with extra shallot flakes and served either warm or cold.

Finally after all the cut, steam and simmer process here we present you with our all time Teochew favourite dessert which you get to have the mixture of yam and sweet potato drown in mild coconut gravy and top with a small exotic bit of shallot oil and flakes. Hope you will like this Teochew style homemade dessert, "Steamed Yam & Sweet Potato with Coconut Milk - 芋薯甜心块".

If you are interested in other recipe that used Yam as one of the ingredient, do hop over to my new Omy blog to view on how to make some yummy Steamed Yam Cake - 芋头糕. (click HERE)

PinkyBerry High-Tea

2010-06-28T10:23:00.000+08:00

This will be a long post that consists of 3 short recipes that might come in handy for any teatime treat. Since recently there is a lot of fresh and nice strawberry available at the supermarket, I really cannot resist the temptation to get a box too. And moreover, I also wish to do a post of “PINKY” theme whereby I can include a few short and sweet recipes for my guests. So here you go…….. welcome to my “PinkBerry High-Tea”……

For starter, let's have a cup of Berry Smoothie to cool down from the summer heat. Smoothie is a blended beverage made from fresh fruit (fruit smoothie) or vegetables. In addition to fruit, some smoothies might include crushed ice, frozen fruit, honey, yogurt or fresh milk. This "Berry Smoothie" here is pretty easy to whip up, what you require are:- fruit blender, some strawberries, honey(optional) and fresh milk.

Ingredients: (serves 2 - 3)
5 - 6 Medium Size of Strawberries
200ml of Strawberry Milk
50ml of Fresh Milk
1/2 Tablespoon Honey, optional

Method:
1. Rinse and trim the strawberries, cut it into halves then blend it together with fresh milk and honey till smooth and creamy.
2. Transfer it to serving cups and top with extra strawberry slices as garnish.

Note:
~ You can use mixture of strawberry & plain milk or either one type for this smoothie.

Chocolate usually goes pretty well with strawberry as it perfect it with an extraordinary flavour. It is not difficult to make this beautiful treats, but you may take a bit of practice on how to dip and yet not drop the strawberries in the melted chocolate.

After our Berry Smoothies, let's have some Chocoberry to start off this afternoon high-tea. These are some easy to make and yet presentable sweet treats whereby you can impress your guest with different kind of decoration design. I am sure this will help you to score more points no matter your guests are Kids or Adults, they will definitely loves these.

Ingredients: (serves 3 - 4)
8 Medium Strawberry
80g 70% Dark Chocolate
30g White Chocolate
Some toothpicks, optional

Method:
1. Gently rinse the berries with tap water then spread them out on a clean dish towel to dry
2. Dry completely before you start dipping and make sure not a drop of water should be left on the berries.
3. Chop/break the dark chocolate bar into small pieces, put the chocolate pieces in a small microwave safe dish.
4. Melt chocolate in the microwave, for about 1 minute at 20 minutes interval on medium power. (Give a quick stir at each interval to even out the melting process)
5. If it still did not melt, continue melting in 15 second increments in the microwave. Stir the chocolate. It should be smooth and have no lumps.(because sometime it depend on the voltage of your microwave)
6. Once the chocolate is melted, start dipping by cover about 2/3 of the strawberry with chocolate.(this looks prettier than covering the entire strawberry)
7. Put the dipped berries on some greaseproof paper and set them in the freezer for about 5 to 10 minutes before decorating it with the white chocolate.

Note:
~ If you are having difficulty holding the strawberry, skewer it just under the green bit with a toothpick just like what I have done in the photo shown above.
~ If you don't prefer white chocolate, you can used chopped nuts, shredded coconut, colour bits and etc to decorate your chocoberry.
~ These Chocoberry should be stored in the refrigerator and eaten at room temperature within 24 hours.

For snack, we will be having this “Strawberry Cupcake” which is made from Strawberry Milk and freshly diced Strawberry. The texture of the cupcake will be slightly moist due to adding of fresh strawberry and when put it near your mouth; you will be able to smell that sweet and fragrance strawberry milk aroma in it.

This simple recipe can bakes about 8 mini cupcakes within 30 minutes including the preparation and baking time. In this way, you can get everything ready and bake it just a few minutes before the guests arrive. I am sure they will be impressive by your little healthy “Strawberry Cupcake”.

Ingredients: (makes 8 mini cupcakes)
100g Cake Flour/Top Flour
1 Teaspoon Baking Powder
60g Caster Sugar
50g Butter, melted
1 Medium Egg
30ml Strawberry Milk
3 Medium Strawberry, diced
Extra Slices of Strawberry for topping, optional

Method:
1. Sieved the flour and baking powder together and set aside.
2. Use the electric beater, beat the egg and sugar till white and creamy.
3. Slowly add in the melted butter and continue to beat the mixture.
4. Next add in strawberry milk while the mixer still still beating, then gradually beat in the sieved flour mixture till well combined.
5. Use a spoon or spatula to stir in the diced strawberry and carefully not to over mixed it. (don't worry the mixture will be kind of gluey)
6. Spoon the mixture into the cupcake case till 3/4 full, top with a thin slice of strawberry and bake in a pre-heated 180 degree oven for about 15 minutes.
7. The surface of the cupcake will not be golden in colour so do not over baked it, test it with a skewer or toothpick check whether the center is cooked through.

Note:
~ You can replace Strawberry Milk with plain milk and 50g of butter with 50ml of corn/olive oil.
~ The texture of the cake will be slightly moist and the surface will be a bit sticky due to the adding of milk and fresh fruit.

Since today’s theme is “PinkyBerry High-Tea”, all the items we have will be based on Pink/Strawberry. So after some light refreshment and snack, we can relax and let go ourself in some heart to heart conversation with a pack or two of "Strawberry Flavour Pocky" to spice up the some discussion topics.

Matcha & Chestnut Chiffon Cake

2010-06-10T17:07:00.000+08:00

It has being almost a year for chiffon cake baking since my last tried on “Banana & Passion Fruit Chiffon Cake”. While preparing the ingredients I was still kind of worry and nervous whether the texture of the chiffon cake will turn out with desire outcome.

Today’s combination idea came from my Matcha Madeleines. After using that new Matcha powder that I bought a few weeks ago, I was delighted to try out another recipe using it. So in order to have something light and healthy I decided to bake this Matcha & Chestnut Chiffon Cake.

As usual for a healthy version, I replace corn oil with olive oil and water, less sugar to tone down the sweetness and add in some ready to eat pre-packed chestnut for that extra texture. The chestnuts that I used over here are not those sweetened “Candied Chestnut” that is used for baking so the taste is rather neutral.

Ingredients: (7"/18cm Mould)
100g of Ready To Eat Chestnut
3 Large Egg Yolks
40g Castor Sugar
50ml Olive Oil
50ml Water
80g Top Flour/Cake Flour
1.5 Teaspoons Matcha Powder
4 Large Egg Whites
30g Caster Sugar

Method:
1.Roughly cut/break the chestnuts into chunks and set aside.
2.Separate the egg yolk and white into two separate mixing bowls. (carefully do not leave any trace of egg yolk in the egg whites mixture) then use a balloon whisk to whisk the egg yolk and castor sugar(add in 3 separate additions) till thick and sticky.
3. Slowly drizzle in the oil while continue to whisk at the same time then follow by the water till the mixture is well combined.
4. Add the sifted flour and matcha powder into the egg mixture and continue to whisk till the flour is fully incorporated into the batter.
5. Next stir in the chestnuts(reserved some for toppings) using a spatula till combined.
6. Use a kitchen paper towel to wipe off the oil from the cup then grease the tube-pan lightly with the oil and set aside for later use.
7. Preheat the oven to 180 degree.
8. Beat egg whites and 1/3 of the caster sugar with an electric mixer until mixture becomes frothy and foamy. Then add in another 1/3 of the sugar and continue to beat on medium speed until almost soft peaks form then add in the last 1/3 of the sugar and beat until stiff peaks form. (the whole process takes about less than 5 minutes)
9. Add the beaten egg white into the egg yolk batter in 3 separate additions, with the 1st addition using the balloon whisk to incorporate it into the yolk mixture till combine without trace of whites.
10. Next fold in the 2nd and 3rd addition of whites using the balloon whisk in a gentle manner in order not to knock off the air in the while, just fold till no trace of white and the mixture are well combined.
11. Before pouring the mixture to the greased pan, use a spatula to give a final stir to make sure there is no flour or egg white mixture at the bottom of the mixing bowl.
12. Lift up the bowl to height, then pour the mixture into the pan and tap the pan 2 - 3 times on a table top to get rid of any trapped air bubbles in the batter.
13. Scatter the reserved chestnut on top of the batter, baked the cake in the preheated oven for about 30 minutes or when the surfaces turns golden brown. (you can insert a skewer into the centre and test if it comes out clean)
14. Remove from the oven and invert the pan immediately and let it rest on top of a cup. Let it cool completely before unmould.
15. To remove the cake from the pan, run a thin-bladed knife(i use a small rubber saptula) around the inside of the pan and the center core.
16. Release the cake and run the knife/spatula along the base of the pan to remove the cake.
17. Cut into serving size and serve with a cup of tea or coffee.

Notes:
a) You can get the ready to eat chestnuts from most supermarket or grocery stores..
b) To test whether your beaten egg white is of stiff peak form, turn mixing bowl upside down, the white will remain without falling.(refer to the photo above)
c) Preheat the oven half way through while whisking the egg whites so that the oven temperature will be ready and not over heated when you have all the mixture done and ready to bake.

The cake is infused with the natural green colour and aroma from the matcha powder, which makes it a great afternoon, tea-snack that you can impressed your guest with. If you are not a fan or Chestnuts, you can always replace it with some Japanese Sweet Potato, Azuki Bean or even chocolate chips. I am sure there is something that will compromise everyone’s taste.

Matcha Madeleines with Azuki Bean

2010-06-02T10:00:00.002+08:00

Madeleines are very small traditional sponge cakes with a distinctive shell-like shape which traditional recipes always include ground almonds and lemon zest. But for these Madeleines that I am going to share with you, I did not included the above two ingredients but rather I used Matcha - 抹茶(Green Tea) powder and cooked Azuki Bean - 紅豆 instead.

The idea of making these Matcha Madeleines comes from my favourite “Green Tea & Red Bean Bread” from Break Talk. Mum and I love to get their green tea bread whenever we feel like having it for morning breakfast or tea-snack. I can say this Matcha Madeleine is very addictive, it is full of Matcha fragrance that accompany with a sweet scent of azuki bean which makes it a great afternoon tea-snack to share with friends while catching up with some girls’ talk.

This is a pretty easy and straightforward recipe whereby it takes about 30 minutes or so from preparation to baking. You can also prepared the ingredients and starts the whisking and baking just an hour or so before your guest arrived so that the Madeleines will still taste warm while serving.

Ingredients: 18 Small Madeleines
90ml Melted Butter
100g Plain Flour
1.5 Teaspoon Matcha Powder
80g Caster Sugar
2 Medium Egg
3/4 Teaspoon Baking Powder
Some Cooked Auzki Bean

Method:
1. Preheat oven to 180 degree and grease the madeleine pan with some melted butter. (you do not need to grease it if you are using the silicon baking tray shown above which is similar like mine)
2. Sieve the flour, matcha powder and baking powder together and set aside.
3. Whisk the eggs and sugar together for about 5 minutes on medium high speed or till the mixture is pale and thicken.
4. Mix in the flour mixture in two or 3 batches then slowly add in the melted butter and stir till well combined.(the mixture shall be a bit glue and not too runny)
5. Spoon the mixture to fill the Madeleine pan to 3/4 full then top about 1/2 teaspoon of cooked Auzki Bean in each Madeleine mould.
6. Bake in the preheat oven for about 10 - 15 minutes depending on the size, the madeleines are ready if it spring back when lightly pressed.

Note:
~ You can get those can/packet type of Japanese cooked Auzki Bean most supermarket(Japanese prodcuts deparment)/daiso(food department).
~ Click Here for more details on Matcha Powder.

Other than the Matcha flavour, I also make a batch with extra dose of Dutch Cocoa Powder and Chocolate Chips especially for my dear son. As for the dual colour madeleines, it is made of the mixture of the remaining Matcha batter mixed with some cocoa batter and topped with extra chocolate chips to pamper my craving for Matcha and Cocoa.

Ingredients: 6 Small Madeleines
45ml Melted Butter
45g Plain Flour
3/4 Tablespoon Dutch Cocoa Powder
40g Caster Sugar
1 Medium Egg
1/2 Teaspoon Baking Powder
Some Chocolate Chips

Method:
~ Follow the Matcha Madeleines steps above.

So after seeing this post, are you tempted to get some Matcha and Azuki Bean to start off your bakes? No matter which combination you choose, what kind of ingredients you add in, I am sure this will make a wonder tea-time snacks.

Eggless Durian Tiramisu

2010-05-26T22:15:00.001+08:00

It has being such a long time since my last making of Tiramisu. This yummy dessert is often one of my choices while dinning in most western restaurants if they have this dessert available in their menu section. Today’s recipe is specially made for one of my best friend, whom Rey and I wish to cheer her up by using one of her favorite fruit “Durian” as ingredient. So let’s take get ready and take a look at this Eggless & Sugarless East-West Fusion type of Tiramisu whereby Fresh Durian Paste is used in this recipe.

Tiramisu is one of the most popular Italian cakes whereby Savoiardi is dipped into Strong Coffee then layered with the whipped mixture of Egg Yolk and Mascarpone. But today our ingredients will be slightly different whereby we will use Durian and Chocolate Milk to replace the usual Strong Coffee and Egg Yolk. So I am sure this is a great recipe for durian lover as well as those who don't prefer using raw egg yolk as one of the ingredients.

This is a very simple recipe that you can prepare in the morning and served it as dessert after dinner or during gathering. I am sure everyone will be able to follow the steps and made your very own Tiramisu without any hiccups. If you don’t prefer Durian you can always exchange it with other fruits like mango, strawberry, raspberry or etc just let your imagination run wild……

Ingredients: serves 8
1 Packet of Sponge Fingers (24 savoiardi)
250g Mascarpone
300ml Whipping Cream
300g Fresh Durian Flesh
200ml Chocolate Milk
Dutch Cocoa, for dusting

Method:
1. Pour chocolate milk into a shallow dish. Set aside.
2. Beat the durian paste and whipping cream in a large bowl with electric beaters for about 15 seconds till thick and creamy.
3. Add in mascarpone and give it a quick whisk until just combined.
4. Dip Sponge Fingers biscuits, 1 at a time into the chocolate milk then arrange in a single layer over the base of the container. (do not dip the sponge fingers for too long or else it will be too soggy and spoilt the taste of the tiramisu)
5.Cover the biscuits with a layer of the mascarpone mixture and repeat another layer on top, ending with the cream.
6. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 2 hours. Dust generously with cocoa and serve.

Note:
~ This recipe can make two 12 x 12 cm square plastic containers.
~ You can Thickened Cream instead of Whipping Cream if you prefer a more creamy texture.
~ Chocolate Milk can be replace with plain low-fat or full cream milk.

So by looking at this….. Are you interested to try out my combination of Tiramisu whereby you can have “Durian + Cheese + Cocoa” together in one dessert :) And most important it is without any trace of Raw Egg and extra Sugar…… And if you are interested in more chocolate and cheese dessert maybe you would like to take a look at this "Durian Cheesecake With Chocolate Fudge" too!

Hearts ‘IN’ Hearts

2010-05-04T15:32:00.002+08:00

This coming Sunday 9 of May - "Mother's Day", will be a great day for every mothers' or mum to be. I am sure no matter which categories you fall into you are bound to enjoy this wonder moment with your love one. So for this post, daddy and little one can help to prepare this hearty breakfast to reward mummy for all her handwork.

Western breakfast is always the most easier to prepare as most of the ingredients such as Ham, Cheese, Bread and Egg can be easily found in the supermarket. Since this is prepared to reward all the lovely mummies, we use assorted hearts shape cookie cutters to stamp out different sizes of hearts using bread and cheese.

Ingredients:
2 Slices of Thick Bread
Butter
1 Egg
30g Shaved Ham
1 Slice of Sandwich Cheese, optional
Assorted Size Heart shape Cutters

Method:
1. Use a Medium heart shape cutter or knife to cut out a heart shape from the center of each slice of thick bread. (In this recipe, I use the thick bread with cranberry, which can be easily found in most local bakery)
2. Spread some butter on the surface of the cutout bread then pop them in the toaster oven together with the 2 heart-shaped cutout and toast for about 5 – 7 minutes till their slightly golden in colour.
3. Remove and set aside.
4. Heat up a small frying pan or saucepan with some oil, saute the shaved ham for a few second, removed and set aside.
5. With the same pan, add in 1 teaspoon of oil, swirl the oil around the pan, place one of the toast bread in the pan, slowly break the egg into the heart-shaped hole, cover the pan and cook the egg over low heat until the egg white turns opaque, about 3 minutes or so.
6. When done, slowly transfer the bread to the serving plate (careful not to break the egg) along with the heart-shaped pieces of cutout bread, which is prefect for dipping into the yolk.
7. Lastly, fill the 2nd piece of hollow heart-shaped bread with shaved ham and top with heart-shaped cheese cutout.

Serve this hearty breakfast with mum’s favourite beverage during this Mother's Day weekend to pamper her sight and taste bubs. I am sure she will be overwhelm by these Hearts...... Here I wish all the mothers and mother to be a Happy and heartwarming Mother's Day!!!

Sweet Potato Mantou

2010-04-25T14:31:00.003+08:00

During my recent trip to Taiwan, almost every morning we can find some freshly made Mantou in our breakfast menu. In Taiwan, most of their breakfast dishes are Mantou, Porridge with preserved vegetables like caixin, bamboo shoot, salted egg and etc. And other than Mantou, you can also find their famous Baked Golden Sweet Potato in some shops or street market.

So for last weekend, I decided to combine some orange flesh sweet potato with the Japanese sweet potato that can be easily found in any supermarket. This Mantou will give you two different textures, as I have shredded the orange flesh sweet potato as filling and combined the mashed Japanese Sweet Potato together with the flour ingredients.

Ingredients: (makes about 6)
125g Plain Flour
1/2 Teaspoon Active Dry Yeast
20ml Lukewarm Water
1/2 Teaspoon Baking Powder
2.5 Tablespoons Caster Sugar
100 - 120g Japanese Sweet Potato, skin removed
50g Orange Flesh Sweet Potato, shredded
1/2 Tablespoon Vegetable Oil
20ml Water

Method:
1. Sift the plain flour and baking powder together in a big bowl, then stir in the caster sugar till combined.
2. Remove the outer skin of the Japanese sweet potato, cut into small cubes (about 1cm) then rinse it with water and place in a microwave safe bowl together with 20ml of water and cook on High heat together with a cup of water for about 4 minutes. (Stop 1 minutes in between and give it a stir so that it will cook evenly)
3. Use a fork or food masher to mash the sweet potato cubes to form a paste, set aside for later use.
4. Add the dry yeast into the lukewarm water and give it a quick stir then set aside for about 5 minutes till bubbles appeared(refer to the picture above).
5. Next slowly add in the yeast water into the flour mixture and stir using a pair of chopstick, then follow by the mashed pumpkin and stir till they form a soft dough.
6. Rub some oil on your hand then give the dough a quick knead till well combine.
7. Set the dough aside in a lightly flour/oil bowl and let it proof for about 20 - 30 minutes to proof the dough which will raise slight bigger..
8. Knead proof dough on a lightly floured work surface for a few second, flatten and roll into a rectangular shape shown in the above photo, sprinkle some shredded orange flesh sweet potato on it, roll it up lengthwise into an oblong shape.
9. Repeat the process once or twice till the shredded sweet potato.
10. Roll the final dough into oblong shape, cut them into equal portion.
11. Place each shaped portion on the steamer rack with greaseproof paper on it, sprinkler the bun lightly with some water.
12. Place the steamer rack in the boiling water and steam the bun over medium heat for about 8 minutes.
13. When done, removed and served hot/warm.

Note:
a) Lukewarm is about 40 degree Celsius
b) If the sweet potato dough is too dry, you can add about extra 5 - 10ml of water to knead the dough.
c) You might need to cook the sweet potato for about 3 - 5 minutes more before it will be soften depend on the power of your microwave.

This is an interesting Mantou with dual sweet potato texture. So if you like sweet potato, do give this a try. I am sure you and your family will loves this healthy snack for a chance during tea-time or breakfast.

Chocolate Chip Madeleines

2010-04-09T21:38:00.001+08:00

After about almost a year, finally I get the chance to use my "Scallop Shell Madeleine Tin" which one of my blog friend bought it for me from Japan during her visit to Singapore. Does these Chocolate Madeleines look familiar to you :) I have replicated my son's favourite tea-snack which can be found in one of the local bakery shop.

My son loves these Scallop Shape Madeleines. The moment when I told him that we are going to make a batch of his favourite Chocolate Chip Madeleines, he quickly gets his chair and stand-by at the counter top.

This recipe is good for those who can't consume any nut as part of the ingredient because this does not required any ground almond which is commonly found in most of the Traditional Madeleine recipes.

Ingredients: (makes 10)
90g Plain Flour
90g Caster Sugar
90g Butter, melted & cool
2 Eggs, 60g each
1 Tablespoon Dutch Cocoa Powder
30g Chocolate Chip, optional

Method:
1. Grease a madeleine pan by brushing it with melted butter.
2. Whisk eggs and sugar with a mixer for about 5 minutes or until thick and creamy.
3. Mix in the flour mixture (sift flour and cocoa powder together), stir till combined then mix in the melted butter.
4. Spoon the batter to the grease madeleine pan (remember don't over fill) and top with some chocolate chips.
5. Bake for roughly 10 minutes in a preheat 180 degree oven or until the cakes spring back when lightly press.

This recipe gives a very soft and moist chocolate chip madeleine due to the porpotion of the ingredients used compare to usual one that my son always purchased from that bakery. My motativation of making these came from the mini French Madeleines that my son bought from "Icing Room".

Huai Shan & Lily Bulbs Congee

2010-04-03T17:30:00.001+08:00

Recently I have shared with you "Steam Chicken Fillet With Huai Shan" using fresh Huai Shan and "Double-boiled Fresh Lily Bulbs Soup" with Fresh Lily Bulbs respectively. Accordingly to Chinese Physicians, these two ingredients are very nutritious and benefits the Lungs and and strengthens the Spleen.

Huai Shan is used to strengths the Spleen and Stomach and it is a very good Chinese herbal medicine to strengthen the body. So this congee is a good choice to remove Dampness in the body and flu in summer which is great for kids. Adding lean pork and lily bulb brings out the extra sweetness and flavour of this congee which is a very healthy meal for the kids or elderly.

Ingredients: (serves 2)
100g Fresh Huai Shan(鲜淮山)
1/2 Cup Of Rice
100g Lean Pork, cut into thin slices
2 Fresh Lily Bulbs(鲜百合)
1 Litre Of Water

Method:
1. Rinse and use a vegetable peeler to peel off the outer skin of the Fresh Huai Shan, rinse and cut into big chunks.
2. Rinse, clean and remove the petals from the bulbs, soak in water for a few seconds to remove dirt.
3. Rinse the rice for about 3 to 4 times, then soak with some water while preparing the soup base.
4. Bring 1 litre of water to boil in a medium pot, add in fresh huai shan and lily bulbs simmer over low heat for about 15 minutes, add in the drained rice.
5. When the mixture comes to boil again, add in the lean pork and cook the congee over medium low heat for about 15 minutes or till done to your liking, remember to stir on and off.
6. When done, cover and let it stand for 5 minutes before serving.

This congee helps to strengthens the Spleen and Stomach and as well helps regulating the body system. If your prefer, you can also add some fresh lily petals on the congee before serving to bring out that extra lovely fragrance and extra crunchiness.

5th Anniversary Blog Event

2010-04-02T14:38:00.003+08:00

Time flies, Cuisine Paradise is going to be 5 years old this coming 30 April 2010. Last year, thank you for all the blog event participants for their support and hope they enjoy their gifts. This year, we will shall have something different and challenging. This event is open to all readers of my blogs irregardless of where you are from as long as you wish to take part in this event :)

For information of this event, click on this link @ Cuisine Paradise 5th Anniversary Blog Event.

Chocolate Hot Cross Buns

2010-03-30T15:46:00.000+08:00

Often Easter isn't complete without eating some warm hot cross buns straight from the oven. So for this coming Easter, perhaps you would like to give this recipe a try and bake a batch of your own. I saw this recipe from one of the Australia best selling Food Magazine known as "Super Food Idea". I am a big fan of this magazine during my stay in Australia a few years back and today all thanks to my dear friend, Quinn who stays in Adelaide. With her help on getting this magazine for us, we are able to try out this wonderful Chocolate Chip Hot Cross Bun. She is so sweet and helpful that she even take photo of the recipes and email to me in case we don't received the book before Easter.

This recipe is great for those who prefer a lighter version of hot cross bun which is without adding any "ground cinnamon, mixed spices or sultanas" in it. I am sure the kids will love this Chocolate Chip version which is more to their preference compare to the traditional ingredients used. From the above picture, you can roughly have an idea on how to prepare the "yeast mixture", mixture the flour with the yeast mixture, proofing the dough and as well as rolling.

Source : Australian Super Food Idea Magazine
Ingredients: (make 12, 55g dough)
1 Teaspoon Active Dried Yeast
190ml Luke Warm Milk
30g Caster Sugar
300g Plain Flour
1/4 Cup Cocoa Powder, about 30g
30g Butter, cubes
1/2 Egg, lightly beaten
40g Chocolate Chips

Method:
1. Grease a 8" square cake pan, set aside.
2. Place yeast, milk and 1/2 tablespoon sugar(from the 30g above) in a bowl. Whisk to dissolve yeast, cover and set aside in a warm place for 10 minutes or until foamy.
3. Sift flour and cocoa powder in a bowl. Rub in butter till mixture resemble breadcrumbs.
4. Make a well in the center, add yeast mixture, egg and remaining sugar.
5. Stir the mixture till combine.
6. Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface, knead for 1 minutes then transfer to a oiled bowl, covered with plastic wrap and set aside in a warm place for 1 hour or until doubled in size. (I placed the dough inside the microwave, door closed, with a cup of boiling water so that the heat from the boiling water will keep the area warm)
7. When the dough is ready(refer to the 1st picture on the 3rd row shown on the above picture, when you press the dough with a finger it will show a clear indent mark means the dough is ready), punch down dough, knead for another 5 minutes or until smooth.
8. Add chocolate bits, knead till combined, divide the dough into 12 balls or 55g each.
9. Placed them in the prepared oiled pan, cover and set aside in a warm place for another 30 minutes or until slightly risen.

Note:
~ The milk should not be too hot or else it will killed the yeast when they are added to the milk.
~ The temperate for Luke Warm is about 36 - 40 Celsius.
~ The yeast mixture should begin to bubble up within 30 second to 1 minute if not, check the milk temperature or maybe replace the yeast.

Finally after about 1.5 hours of proofing, rolling and waiting time. You can prepare the flour mixture to pipe crosses over the dough and bake till done before brushing a layer of glacing. Although this recipe might seems to have a lot of procedure and waiting time(for the proofing of dough) but it really worth to give it a try for coming Easter or even bake it as weekend snack.

Flour Paste:
20g Plain Flour
1 Teaspoon Caster Sugar
1.5 Tablespoon Cold Water

For Glacing:
1/2 Teaspoon Gelatine
1/2 Tablespoon Boiling Water

Method:
1. Preheat the oven to 180 degree and make the flour paste.
2. Combine flour, sugar and water in a small cup, spoon mixture into a snap lock bag/plastic bag.
3. Snip 1 corner from bag, pipe crosses onto the buns, bake for 10 minutes.
4. Reduce the temperature to 160 degree and bake for another 15 minutes or until golden and cooked through.
5. Meanwhile, sprinkle gelatine over boiling water in a heatproof cup, stir with a fork/spoon till dissolve.
6. Brush top of the bake hot cross bun with gelatine mixture for the extra glacing.

So after about 2 hours of preparing, waiting and baking time, it's time to sit down and enjoy our labour with a cup of hot coffee/tea. Once again, I would like to give thanks to Quinnfor her kind effort and thought to get us this recipe/book. Thank you so much pal, wish you and Aaron a Happy coming Easter Sunday too....

Nested Easter

2010-03-28T16:06:00.000+08:00

Today is exactly 1 more week to Easter Sunday. Christians celebrate Easter Sunday because they believed Jesus rose from death. The resurrection of Jesus Christ is one of the fundamental principles and beliefs of Christianity and they celebrate Easter Sunday because they believe, Jesus died for their sin on the Cross-on Good Friday, buried and rose from death on Sunday.

Look at this awesome volcano like toasted bun that consists of runny soft boiled egg and topped with some extra fried bacon bits. How will this feel like when you peel off the outer crust of the bun and dipped it in the runny egg yolk and served together with a bed of shredded cucumber and mixed dried fruits.

So today I will share with you a very simple and interesting Easter Breakfast that you can prepare together with your kids on this coming Easter Sunday. I am sure the kids will be overwhelm in getting their apron on to whip up this cute and colourful Breakfast with Daddy/Mummy. Come, let's get our ingredients ready and start making this nutritious breakfast with Wholemeal Bun, Egg, Bacon, Mixed Dried Fruit and Shredded Cucumber.

Ingredients: (serves 2)
2 Medium Size Wholemeal Bun
4 Kampong Chicken Egg
2 Japanese Cucumber, shredded
2 Strips of Streaky Bacon, cut into small pieces
1/4 Mixed Dried Fruit of your choice
Some Easter Chocolate Egg, optional

Method:
1. Carefully, cut a well out from the center of the buns. Be-careful not to cut too deep or it will cut through the base.
2. Place the buns in an toaster oven and bake it for about 5 minutes, turn it over once or twice. Remove and set aside to cool.(this step is to make a crispy inner crust before baking the egg in it)
3. Pan-fry the bacon pieces with some oil till crispy and fragrant then set aside.
4. Crack two eggs into each bun, pop them into the toaster oven(or you can place the bun in the same pot where you pan-fried your bacon and covered and simmer the egg till your preference of liking) for about 5 minutes or so till an opaque layer form on top of the egg.
5. Remove the buns from the toaster, place it on a serving plate, arrange some shredded cucumber along the side of the bun like what shown on the photo above.
6. Top the egg with some crispy bacon bits then scatter the remaining together with some mixed dried fruit on to the shredded cucumber.
7. Before serving, place a few Easter chocolate egg on the side of the plate as special treats.

Note:
~ I bought mine from Breadtalk latest Spring/Collection - "Wholemeal Azuki Bean Bun".
~ If you cannot find any kampong Chicken Egg, replace i t with extra small size egg.

The shredded cucumber served like some twigs/grass "nest" for this Giant Bread Egg. And it goes well with that crispy streaky bacon and mixed fruit too. This will be another great ideas to get kid polishing up their vegetables. I also purposely choose some dried apricot with the mixed fruit to give it an "orange" egg yolk effective.

Guess kids will be very excited towards the end of this breakfast to open up their Easter Egg Treats - Chocolate Egg. So if you are having some Easter pretty, perhaps you can use this idea to surprised your kiddy.

Hot Cross Buns & Roasted Strawberries

2010-03-17T17:23:00.004+08:00

Easter Sunday will be coming in about 3 more weeks time and even now you can find all sort of Easter goodies available in local supermarkets such as Easter Bunny/Egg chocolate. Other than Easter Egg, Hot Cross Bun is also another popular snack to be consumed during Good Friday. It is a type of sweet spiced bun made with currants or raisins and leavened with yeast that has has a cross marked on the top.

Today, rather than the usual way of eating the Hot Cross Bun, we will spread it with some nutella and top it with roasted strawberries and plain yogurt. The roasted strawberries gave this bread and an extra sweet and sour jam like texture that goes very well with the smooth and creamy yogurt.

Ingredients: (serves 2)
10 Strawberries, hulled, halved
1 Tablespoons Brown Sugar
1/4 Teaspoon of Ground Cinnamon/Mixed Spices
2 Hot Cross Bun, Sliced crossways into halves
Some Nutella
200ml Plain Yogurt

Method:
1. Toast the bun slices in toaster oven for 1 or 2 minutes each side until slight golden in colour.
2. Cool it off slightly before spreading 1 side of each slice with Nutella.
3. Meanwhile, place the strawberries in a small baking dish, sprinkle with sugar and cinnamon, toss to coat well.
4. Roast in a toaster oven for about 5 - 7 minutes until strawberries collapse and syrup forms. (stir on and off to coat the sugar syrup with the strawberries)
5. Place 1 bun slice on the serving plate, top with some roasted strawberries, then place another bun slice over it and repeat with another layer of roasted strawberries.
6. Before serving, place a dollop of yogurt beside the toast and drizzle some syrup from the baking dish over the strawberries and yogurt.

Note:-
~ I personally preferred "Farmers Union Brand - Greek Style Natural Yogurt" which is thicker and creamy in texture.
~ If you cannot get hold of Hot Cross Bun, you can replace it with any raisin bun.

This will be a great afternoon tea-snack that your guests will ask for more serving :) The combination of Chocolate, Roasted Strawberries, Syrup and Yogurt makes this simple snack a perfect dessert for both adults and kids this coming Good Friday gathering.

Hearts & Hearts - Valentine's Day Cookies

2010-02-14T10:35:00.001+08:00

Today is a very special occasion because both the Chinese New Year and western Valentine's Day happens to be fall on the same day on 14 February. In this case, no matter which event you are celebrating I am sure this year will be a great and loving year for everyone of you.

On this double-occasion, I guess anyone will be delighted to received such a box of self-made Valentin's Day cookies. For this set of "Butter Cookie With Melted Chocolate & Rose", I have add some rose petal on the half side of some heart shapes cookies before baking or for another design, I add the rose petal on the half hearts that is coated with white chocolate.

Baking is always full of fun and creation, ie. with a cute gift box, some assorted sizes of heart shape cutters, butter cookie dough, chocolate icing and colourful heart shapes sprinkles you can get everything done within an hour or so......

Ingredient: (make 20 - 25)
150g Top Flour
125g Butter, cut into small cubes
1 Tablespoon Icing Sugar
20g Milk Powder
1/2 Egg Yolk
1/4 Teaspoon Vanilla Essence

Method:
1. Sieved flour, milk powder and icing sugar in a mixing bowl.
2. Rub in butter until mixture resembles breadcrumbs.
3. Beat egg yolk and vanilla essence together before adding into the dough.
4. Quickly mix everything to form a soft dough, divide it into two portion in separate plastic bag and chill in the refrigerator for at least 20 minutes or so.
5. Roll dough out to 0.5cm thickness on a lightly floured tabletop and cut out with assorted heart shape cutters.
6. Place cut dough on baking tray that is layered with baking paper, pop the whole tray into the fridge while waiting for the oven to preheat to 180 degree. (keep the dough in the fridge after cut out will retain it's shape)
7. Bake the cookies for about 15 - 20 minutes (depending on the size of the cookies/oven type) till slightly golden brown.
8. Remove from oven, and rest the cookies on the tray for about 2 minutes before transferring them to wire-rack to cool completely before doing the icing/decoration.

For Decoration/Icing:
50g White Chocolate, melted
Some Assorted Colour Heart Shape Sprinkles
Some Dried Rose Petal, roughly cut

Method:
1. Melt the white chocolate by using either double-boiled method over a pot of simmering water or using microwave method (starts with medium/medium low heat of your microwave to melt the chocolate at 20/30 second interval, stir the mixture on and off till the drizzling consistency that you prefer).
2. Do not over cooked or else it will be harden.
3. Purchase edible dried rose from floral tea-shop/Chinese medical hall, use a small scissor to roughly cut the petal into small parts that is resemble the rose use in the photos here.
4. Use your creativity to decorate your lovely cookies in your way to express your loves and cares to your love one, family or friends......

This is a pretty simple design as I used 5 assorted colour heart shapes sprinkles to join them into a flower shape. So wait no more, if you still wondering what to get for this Valentine's Day, maybe you can start pulling those ingredients from your kitchen pantry and start working on something :) Here I wish everyone a Happy Chinese New Year & Valentine's Day.

Glutinous Red Date With Osmanthus Syrup

2010-02-10T16:44:00.000+08:00

There are all kinds of Chinese New Year after meal desserts and the most common few are:- Yam Paste With Gingko Nuts, Red Bean Puree With Lotus Seeds, Tang Yuan, Chng Teng and etc...... But what I am going to share with you today is something really simple and yet it will impressed your guest with it's "Golden Outlook". I have named it "桂花元宝" in Mandarin which mean Osmanthus Ingots.

This recipe required 3 main ingredients which are Red Dates(preferably those HUGE one so that it will be easier to do the stuffing), Glutinous Rice Flour(the filling) and the most important ingredient "Osmanthus Flower - 桂花" which will brings out the floral fragrance of this dessert. And in order to sweeten this dish and enhance the flavour of the stuffing, I will make a syrup using "Rock sugar - 冰糖" and "Candice winter melon - 冬瓜糖".

In order to slit open the Red Dates and remove the seed easily, it's best that you soaked it in warm water for about 5 - 10 minutes as to soften it. But if you wan to save the trouble of removing the seed, you can purchase those that is without seeds. I saw this HUGE red dates from one of the groceries stall near my area and it cost only $0.80 per 100g. With these detail photo above, I am sure it will give you a better ideas on how to prepare this Chinese New Year dessert.

Ingredients For Ingots:
16 - 18 Huge Red Dates, removed seeds
50g Glutinous Rice Flour
30ml or more Water

Method:
1. Rinse and clean away the soil/dirt on the outer skin of the red dates.
2. Soaked them in a bowl of warm water to soften it so that it will be easier to cut open and remove the seed in it.
3. Place the glutinous rice flour in a medium bowl, slowly add in the water and stir till it form a dough. (you might required more water)
4. Pinch about a marble size portion of the dough and stuffed it in each Red Dates.
5. Arrange the stuffed dates on a plate and steam it in a pot of boiling water on Medium heat for about 5 minutes.
6. When done, removed the dates from the pot, set aside to cool while preparing the Osmanthus Syrup.

Note:
~ For the procedure of the stuffing and steaming you can refer to the above photo for clearly explanation.

Ingredients For Osmanthus Syrup:
1/2 Tablespoon Of Osmanthus Flower
10g Rock Sugar
2 Strips of Candice Winter Melon, finely chopped
80ml Water
Extra Osmanthus Flower for topping

Method:
1. Bring water to boil in a small sauce, add in rock sugar and stir till the sugar melted.
2. Lower the heat, add in chopped winter melon and Osmanthus Flower and let it boiled for about 15 seconds.
3. Add in the cooked glutinous red dates and stir it through the sugar syrup and simmer till the syrup became a bit sticky.
4. Off the heat, removed the red dates and served it in small serving cups, drizzle with some osmanthus syrup & chopped winter melon then sprinkler some extra osmanthus flower to enhance the fragrant and outlook.

You can prepared all the ingredients and steps up to the steaming of the red dates and cooked the Osmanthus Syrup just before serving. Or alternatively, you can prepared everything and stored this dessert in the fridge and served it as a cold dessert. So no matter which method you prefer, I am sure this will make a great dessert for your guests this coming Chinese New Year.

Prefect Valentine's Gift

2010-02-08T18:01:00.000+08:00

Valentine's Day is just a few days around the corner and I am sure most of us are cracking our head on what's the prefect gift to get for our love ones. But no matter what's your gifts are, I am sure anything that has CHOCOLATE in it will made a lovely gift for your darling or friends.

For me, I am a chocolate lover and I love anything that consists of Dark Chocolate. And to me, "Chocolate Brownie" makes a prefect snacks and gifts for all occasions. I have tried this recipe which given by one of my best pal, Tracy sometimes back but the end-result was not very satisfied because I seems to have over-baked it. But this round, I finally managed to get my prefect brownie with moist and gluey melted chocolate in it....... For those who are interested in this recipe, here it goes...

Ingredients:
250g Butter, melted
1 Cup Brown Sugar
1/4 Cup Caster Sugar
4 Eggs
1 1/3 Cup Flour
1/2 Cup Cocoa Powder
1 Teaspoon Baking Powder
150g Dark Chocolate, roughly chopped
40g Roasted Almond, roughly chopped
40g Roasted Macadamia Nut, roughly chopped

Method:
1. Put the butter in a microwave safe bowl and melt it on high 2 minutes, pause to stir after each minute.
2. Sift all the flour ingredients together and set aside.
3. Next add both the sugar to the melted butter and stir till the sugar became almost melted and gluey.
4. When the sugar mixture is cool off, add in the egg one by one and use a balloon whisk and beat till well combine.
5. Next slowly whisk the flour mixture into the egg mixture till well combine.
6. Lastly stir in half each of the chopped dark chocolate and nuts then pour into a square or rectangle brownie tin.
7. Sprinkler the remaining chocolate and nuts on top of the mixture, give the whole tin a few bang to knock off the air bubbles inside.
8. Bake in a preheat 180 degree oven and bake for about 18 - 20 minutes depend on the tin size.
9. The brownie will pull away from the sides of the pan and when test with a skewer, it will be a bit moist inside.
10. Cool. Cut into bars.

Notes:
a) If using those black coated baking tin, you have to reduce baking time by 3-5 minutes.

After the brownie has cooled off, cut it into bite size. Grab a nice and lovely gift box, packed it with the brownie cubes and perhaps some extra chocolate or candy. I am sure this will make a Prefect Valentine's Gift for anyone......

Almond Cookies - 杏仁饼

2010-01-23T22:28:00.002+08:00

Because of my colleague Rebecca who loves to eat "Almond Cookies", she asked me to help her google some reliable recipes that will produce those melt-in mouth type of texture which she is looking for. But when she tried the recipes that I gave her, the result was not what she expected. And since I also can't find the recipe that I used for making the Almond Cookies for her two years ago. I decided to pick one from the web (which I google for so long, seems harder to find almond cookies compare to the rest) which I think might work well from the ingredients and photo shown.

Most of the Almond Cookie recipes call for either melted butter/oil or both. Some use a little as 1 Tablespoon of Ground Almond whereas this recipe that I try from Malaysia Best website, she actually use equal amount of ground almond to flour. But instead of following her using Caster Sugar, I thought maybe I can swap it with Icing Sugar which is similar recipe to the Peanut Cookies that I did earlier. I also replace the freshly roasted and grind almond with those pre-packed ground almond meal for this trail bake.

Ingredients: (24 Cookies)
100g Ground Almond
100g Top Flour/Wheat Flour
50g Icing Sugar
30g Butter, cut into small cubes
70g Peanut/Corn Oil

Egg Wash:
1 Egg Yolk + 1 Teaspoon Egg White, beat well

Method:
1. Mix flour and sugar in a mixing bow and rub in butter till resemble bread crumbs.
2. Stir in the ground almond and mix well.
3. Next slowly pour in the oil and knead till it form a dough.
4. Set a set to rest for 20 minutes then roll into marble sizes.
5. Brush it with egg wash and bake in pre-heated 175 degree oven for 15 - 20 minutes.
6. Leave it on cooling rack to cool completely before storing in air tight container.

I don't know how come my Almond Cookies seems kind of flatten like those Westen type of "Almond Cookies".... Em... I think aparts from the swappig of items from the original recipe, I did add in like 1/8 teaspoon of baking powder to the flour mixture... Wondering will this affect the outlook of the cookies? But despite on the different of the outlook from the usual almond cookies that is sold for Chinese New Year. The one that I made here, look kind of like those "Traditional Flat Almond Biscuit" sold in those old bakery shop. Em... I shall let R tried a few of this when I get to see her at work next week......But for me and my family, we find this cookie is rather towards the crispy type compare to those those melt-in mouth texture.

Peanut Cookies - 花生酥

2010-01-23T20:27:00.000+08:00

After resting for a week or so, I have some discussion going on with my colleague R regarding on what to bake for Chinese New Year. She was telling me that she had a few packets of chopped peanut being left over from the instant "Tangyuan - 汤圆" that she bought during December 2009 "Dong Zhi - 冬至".

Since I have not make any "Peanut Cookies -花生酥" before, I decided to do a google search for some suitable recipes, but some of it don't really look appetising from the photos. So after some mix and match on the recipes that I settle on one that I feel is easier to prepared and will yield good results based on the comments given.

From some of the recipes that I google it didn't really mention which type of peanut to be used for the recipe. So in order to save time for the trial baking, I bought the pre-packed ground peanut powder which most people used it for dessert purpose. The peanuts are finely grind into powder like texture and mixture of caster sugar based on the packet ingredients stated. So in this case, I have to cut down the amount of sugar used so that it is not too sweet due to the extra sugar in the ground peanut mixture.

Ingredients: (makes 36 marble sizes)
100g Ground Peanut Powder
100g Top Flour/Plain Flour
1/4 Teaspoon Baking Powder
50g Icing Sugar
60g Roasted Salted Peanut, finely chopped
70ml Peanut Oil/Corn Oil

Egg Wash:
1 Egg Yolk + 1 Teaspoon White, beat well

Method:
1. Mix flour, baking powder, ground peanut and icing sugar(sieved) together in a mixing bowl.
2. Next toss in the chopped peanuts and mix well.
3. Slowly add in peanut oil (you might required slightly 10 - 15ml more) to mix the flour mixture into a dough. (after stir in the oil with the spoon, use hand to knead and mix the dough will be much easier)
4. When the dough bind together, shape the dough accordingly to your preference size and shapes, brush with egg wash.
5. Bake in preheat 170 degree oven for about 15 - 20 minutes(depend on the sizes) till golden brown.
6. Set it aside on cooling rack to cool completely before storing it in air-tight container.

This is one of the most easier to prepare Chinese New Year cookies based on the short-cut that I have taken for the ingredients use :p But if you have the time for doing the preparation, I encourage that you might want to spend some time to roast the peanut till fragrant then grind it so that it will produce a even more fragrant and melt-in-mouth effect.

But no matter which type of methods/recipes your prefer, below are some interesting links that you might want to read about on their recipes/tips on making peanut cookies which I personally think is very useful:-

1. Malaysian Best - Peanut Cookies
2. Happy Home Baking - Cookie Galore
3. Do What I like - Chinese Peanut Cookies

Assorted Pineapple Tarts

2010-01-14T21:46:00.004+08:00

Time when by so fast as it's another starting of the year again. In about a month's time, everyone will be celebrating Chinese New Year and now it is the time to prepare and take note of those festive bakes/dishes. In my family, without failed for the past 8 years, even during my end of confinement period, I still make the effort to prepare and bake our family all times favourite - Pineapple Tarts. And this is also a time whereby my dear son is looking forward to..... as he has being helping me with the rolling of jam, and mould the tarts for the past 4 years.... :)

Pineapple tarts are usually consumed during the Chinese New Year season and it's typical shapes include flat, open tart topped with pineapple jam under a lattice of pastry or rolls filled with jam that are open at the ends and jam-filled spheres. The pineapple jam is usually cooked under low heat in order to caramelize the grated fresh pineapple that has been mixed with sugar and spices like cinnamon, star anise and cloves. From the photo, you can see the metal star shape plunger which they used to cut-out a tiny star from the pastry to top on top of the open tart. But too bad, I have misplaced mine and had only managed to find it after I have finished making these tarts :(

According to the Chinese Lunar Calender, there are 12 different animals signs which is rotating each year. And in 2010, it happens to be the year of the "TIGER". And since it is a Tiger year, I decided to make something different and special. So without much hesitate, I look-up for my baking mould and come out with this "Tigger" head print to represent the Tiger year goodies...... My dear son was very excited about this new design of our family Pineapple Tart and he actually forbidden anyone to eat it.

This set of kiddy pineapple tarts is totally belong to my dear son. He did all the rolling, mould and coating himself before I put it in the oven for him. I guess, no matter what is your age group like, you won't want to reject these cute Hello Kitty, Pooh and Tomica tarts :)

With Chinese New Year around the corner, me and my family wish everyone of you a HAPPY CHINESE NEW YEAR and may this year brings prosper, health and good career to everyone of you. If you are interested in the "Melt In Your Mouth Pineapple Tart" recipe, you can click HERE for more detail.

Assorted Decorated Christmas Cookies

2009-12-17T13:25:00.000+08:00

Decorated Christmas cookies can be found easily during Christmas season in most bakery. It can be made as simple as a sugar cookie dusted with colored sprinkles, or an elaborate with different combination of decorating techniques to create an edible work of art. Whereas, each cookie is unique and it makes excellent as homemade gifts that work great for Christmas cookie exchanges.

A Gingerbread man is a cookie made of gingerbread, usually in the shape of a human. It started back to the 15th century where figural cookie-making was practiced and the first documented figure-shaped gingerbread cookies appearing was in the court of Elizabeth I of England. Today, gingerbread man cookies can take form in any shapes and colour depend on the ingredients used and some might only take after it's name but without adding spices or ginger as one of the traditional ingredients.

Although it might look and sound tedious on the making and decorating process but I am sure it worth all the time and effort just to bring a smile on the recipients' face. In this recipe, I omitted the use of spices because my boy don't really fancy the taste of it. Instead I used the 70% Dark chocolate and I sugar syrup using Kahlua(Coffee flavored liqueur) and sugar to enhance the fragrance and taste.

Ingredients:
125g Plain Flour
1/4 Teaspoon Baking Soda
1/2 Teaspoon Baking Powder
1/4 Teaspoon Cinnamon Powder, optional
40g Caster Sugar
30ml Water
15ml Kahlua
50g Dark Chocolate
45g Butter

Method:
1. Sift flour, baking soda and baking powder together.
2. Combine sugar, water and Kahlua in a small sauce and simmer over low heat to form syrup(until sugar melted, stir on and off to prevent burning)
3. Melt the chocolate and butter in microwave (medium low for 15 - 20 sec), removed and stir the mixture till well combined.
4. Add the slightly cool chocolate into the flour mixture, mix well then pour in the sugar syrup to form a smooth dough.
5. Divide the dough into two portion in two different plastic bags and flatten slightly, keep in the fridge for about 30 minutes.
6. Roll out 1 portion of the dough between two sheets of baking paper to about 5mm thickness.
7. Cut out different shapes using the Christmas cookies cutters.
8. Bake for about 12 - 15 minutes till cooked.
9. Remove from oven, set aside to cool then decorate with royal icing.

When the cookies are completely cool to room temperature, you can make different colour of Royal Icing to decorate your Christmas cookies accordingly to your liking. And this is the fun part where you can get the kids at home to participate. I am sure they will enjoy decorating their favour cookies which make great bonding time for the family.

Ingredients:
65g Icing Sugar
1/2 Egg White
1/4 Teaspoon Lemon Juice

Method:
1. Sift the icing sugar and set aside.
2. Beat the egg white till foamy then add in lemon juice and icing sugar in a few batches till smooth. (about 5 - 8 minutes, it must be a spreadable consistency)
3. Divide the icing into a few portion then mixed with your desire colours.
4. Spoon icing into disposal piping bag, snip the tip off and pipe decorative outlines and design on each biscuit.

This is a "Stars Tower' done by boy where he stack up three different size of the star cookies to form the shape of a little Christmas Tree. He also sprinkle some Christmas Red, Green & White Nonpareils on it.

While playing one of the Facebook game - Pet Society, Rey has a virtual Christmas tree in it. So while decorating the cookies, he also insists of having a big Tree for him to decorate with his favourite toppings. So he used his favourite M&M with only green and red plus some Silver Dragees that we have in the pantry.

Finally, we have finished decorating our Christmas Cookies with all sort of designs that we can think of. And as you can see, these cookies will look just great for gifts during this season after decorated with these colourful icing and sprinkles.

Christmas Fruitcake

2009-12-16T20:00:00.000+08:00

Fruitcake is a cake made with chopped candied fruit and/or dried fruit, nuts, and spices that soaked in spirits. Since Christmas is around the corner, it will be the time where you can spot all kinds of fruitcake in the bakery showcase. No matter which type you prefer, what ingredients you want it to be, I am sure there is always a kind to your liking.

From what I had read from books before, it shares that actually fruitcakes were consumed on the twelfth night which is the last day of Christmas traditionally. But despite of what it is, today, you can buy or even make a decent fruitcake at anytime of the year. So today what I wanted to share with you is this golden fruitcake which is full with antioxidants in yellow orange dried fruit like Mango, Apricot and Peach.

Ingredients:
125g Butter, soften
250g Dried Mixed Fruit
1 Orange Rind, roughly chopped
40ml Fresh Orange Juice
40ml RUM
1 Tablespoon Caster Sugar
2 Eggs
1 Cup(125g) Plain Flour

For Decor:
Some extra Dried Mixed Fruit/Candied Fruit

For Glace:
1 1/2 Tablespoon Apricot Jam with 1 Teaspoon Hot Water

Method:
1. In a bowl, combined dried mixed fruit and orange rind together then pour in the rim and orange juice.
2. Leave it to soak overnight in the fridge.
3. Grease a tube cake pan or 2 disposal small rectangle paper case.
4. Beat butter together with caster sugar till light and creamy, add in egg one at a time and beat well after each addition.
5. Fold in dried fruit alternately with flour and pour batter into cake pan and bake in a preheat oven of 150 degree for about 25 - 30 minutes or until cooked.
6. When the cake cooled down, brush with apricot jam and decorate with extra mixed fruit on top.

Note:
1) You can buy the pre-packed dried mixed fruit from any supermarket under dried fruit session.
2) I use the cold storage brand "Breakfast Mix" that consists of California Raisins and Cranberries. Other than these, I also add in chopped mango, apricot and peach.

For this fruitcake, it is infuse with a very light and fragrance citric and fruity taste due to the use of fresh orange juice, orange rind and Rum. You can see from the cross-section of the cake that it is fully packed with assorted mixed fruits. So what can be more meaning to make something like this and pack it up as this coming Christmas Gift and share it with your love ones.

Christmas Chocolate Cupcakes

2009-11-28T23:13:00.005+08:00

Christmas is about family, friends, fun and great food. But it is often the food and gift that form the stress part of this approaching holiday season. So why not whip-up something simple and yet special from your very own kitchen, gift-wrapped it into a heart-warming and gorgeous Christmas gift for your friends and relatives..........

Usually around mid of November onwards, you will be to find all kind of Christmas Goodies on sale at most pastry shop and shopping mall. Eg. Christmas Logcake, Gingerbread man/house, Minced Pie and etc...... Since now is the festive baking season, Rey and I have come up with these quick and easy Christmas Chocolate Cupcakes. After which we gave them a make-over, packed them in gift-bags and ready to distribute out.

The Main ingredients for this Chocolate Cupcakes are Dark Chocolate, Egg, Sugar and Butter. You may also wish to get your kids to be involved in the stirring, mixing as well as the decoration of Christmas Ornaments on the end products. Since afterall, Christmas is a family festive season where everyone is encourage to be involved in the preparation. These cupcakes are so rich and simple to make that you won't hesitate to make another batch in anytime of the week.

Ingredients: (makes 6)
150g 70% Dark Chocolate, chop into small cubes
150g Unsalted Butter, cut into small cubes
3 Medium Size Egg
60g Caster Sugar
100g Self Raising Flour
1 Teaspoon Dutch-process Cocoa Powder
1 Teaspoon Snow Powder/Icing Sugar, for dusting
Extra 1 Teaspoon Dutch-Process Cocoa Powder, for dusting

Method:
1. In a medium glass bowl set over a pan of gently simmering water, melt the chocolate and butter together(refer to the picture above, 2nd row, 1st picture), stir well till everything is completely melted then set a side to cool a little.
2. Sieves the self-raising flour and 1 teaspoon of cocoa powder together and set aside.
3. Beat the eggs and sugar in a large bowl until pale and thick, fold in the flour mixture into the egg mixture till combined.
4. Next slowly add in the melted chocolate mixture and stir till well blended.
5. Preheat the oven to 160 degree, scoop the mixture into the prepared cup cases and bake for 20 minutes (depend on the size of cupcake case, baking time will range from 15 - 25 minutes)
6. The cupcakes will be soft and gooey in texture and appearance.
7. Remove from the oven and cool for 5 minutes, dusted with extra cocoa powder and icing sugar to create the snow effect.
8. Lastly decorate it with some store bought Christmas Ornaments for that extra festive outlook.

Note:-
1) The cupcake case that is used in this recipe yield 150ml of mixture per case at 3/4 full.
2) If you do not prefer that gooey texture in your cake, you can bake it for another 2 - 3 minutes for dryer texture.

After the baking, dusting of icing sugar, placing of Christmas decoration, it is time for gift wrapping. You can get some fancy wrapping bags and ribbons from Daiso or any leading Baking Accessories shop like Phoon Huat (Singapore) and Bake It Yourself.

I am sure anyone will feel great and heart-warming to receive such a wonderful homemade gift. So if you can bake any simple cookies or cupcakes, why not grab some nice wrapping bag and start making your very own Christmas goodies for your love one, colleagues or relatives. I believed they will be surprised and delighted by your special thoughts and bakes.

Orange Cocoa Macaron

2009-11-15T21:35:00.005+08:00

I must sincerely apologise to all my readers and visitors from this Cuisine Paradise - Tea time blog. It had being a while since my last entry on baking or making a new items. Guess I don't really spent enough time on this "Tea-time" area. This afternoon upon my little baking pal request, I decided to bake his favour Chocolate Macaron...........

It has being really a long long time since my last baking on Macaron. I remember during year 2007, when Macaron started to be a "HOT" items on most leading cafe, a lot of food blogger or bakers started to experience on baking these "little gems". I was also one of those home baker who venture out into different flavour of Macarons (click HERE to read more) baking.

Today's flavour is a combination of Chocolate and Orange. Since my little darling requested for a Cocoa Shell, I used the Dutch Process Cocoa Powder which I got it from "Shermay Cooking School" from one of my friend who is working there. And since she wanted to make some Macaron and ask me for an easy recipe to follow, I decided to try my luck on making this "Gem" again after the years. And Thank God, this recipe still works well and the end products is still as lovely as before.

I was still quite nervous during the process of whisking the egg white and mixing of flour mixture. When the piped batter is ready to go into the oven, I was even more excited and I standby near the oven door to look at the "Feet" raising up slowly which really makes me so happy about it. I guess the process of making Macaron is to make sure that they have a nice "Feet" and most important the shell does not crack or sink. So overall I am very satisfy with this "Orange Cocoa Macaron" which sandwich with Orange scented Chocolate Ganache.

As requested by some of the readers who wants to try making their own macarons, you can refer to this link HERE. The blog author, Tartelette has a wide range of macarons recipes with great explanation on how to make the shell as well as the filling. I am sure those who are interested in this will be able to find some inspiration and help on making these beautiful gems.

Singapore Blog Awards - Best Food Blog

2009-09-17T22:41:00.003+08:00

16 September 2009 is the date where most of the Singapore Blog Award finalists look forward to. Our family are so happy to be invited to attend the OMY Singapore Blog Award Ceremony that is held at Supperclub at Odeon Tower. We were so excited to see so many blogger from different nominated categories as well as some other guest blogger. You can take a look at the full-list of winner for each category HERE.

To read more about the Blog Award Ceremony, hop over to the main blog at CUISINE PARADISE for more review........

Japanese Cotton Cheesecake

2009-08-16T20:26:00.006+08:00

Japanese-style cheesecake relies upon the emulsification of cornstarch and eggs to make a smooth appearance. The texture is light, fragrant and not as greasy as the usual western baked cheesecake.

Although this recipe require a little bit more steps on the preparation but it is really worth the effort when you taste the end result. I really cannot re-called where I have taken this original recipe from, but after sharing it with one of my friend, she gave me another modify version of hers which use exactly 205g cream cheese. So upon seeing what her wonderful cheesecake, it makes me even wants to give this recipe a try.

The process of making these Japanese Cotton Cheesecake is not really that difficult. All you need to do is to follow the steps closely and you will sure to get the right texture and colour. (click on the picture for larger view)

Ingredients: (8" Round tin)
250g Philadelphia Cream Cheese
140ml Fresh Milk
55g Unsalted Butter
30g Cake Flour
20g Cornflour
4 Egg Whites
4 Egg Yolks
1/2 Teaspoon Lemon Juice
Grated Rinds of 1 Lemon
95g Sugar
1/4 Teaspoon Cream of Tartar

Method:
1. Dice cream cheese into cubes and soak with milk (place mixture in a glass mixing bowl or double boiler) for about 30 minutes.
2. While waiting, melt the butter and set aside.
3. Put the cream cheese mixture in a double boiler(refer to the picture above), stir until smooth and creamy then stir in the melted butter and set aside to cool.
4. After the mixture cools down, stir in the flour mixture(sieved the cornflour and cake flour together) then follow by one egg yolk at a time, whisk the mixture till well combined.
5. Next stir in the lemon juice and rind and whisk the mixture till smooth then set aside.
6. In another clean bowl, add cream of tartar into egg white and whisk until foamy.
7. Divide the sugar into 3 portion and whisk into the egg white mixture until it becomes stiff peak form.(refer to the picture above for the egg white texture, this takes about less then 5 minutes or so)
8. Slowly blend the egg whites into the cream cheese batter and mix well until colour combines.
9. Place the mixture in a greased prepared tin and give it a big bang to released the bubbles.
10. Bake the cake in hot water bath at 170 degree for 15 minutes then reduce the temperature to 150 degree and bake for another 40 - 45 minutes.
11. Cool the cake in the pan completely, then set aside in the fridge for about 1 hour or more before serving it for a better texture and taste.

Notes:
~ Water bath is a pan of hot water placed into an oven. The hot water provides a constant, steady heat source and ensures even, slow cooking for recipes.

~ The best type of pan to use for a water bath is a roasting pan or other pan with sides at least 1-1/2 to 2 inches high. That will allow you to put enough water into the pan so it won't all evaporate before your pudding or cheesecake has baked.

I used to love Fiesta Cheesecake (which is now come under Ichiban Sushi Restaurant) that comes in 3 different flavour like original, coffee and can't remember the last one....... So with that soft and irresistible texture of Fiesta Cheesecake, I decided to give this recipe a try and after all those effort and steps. My final products do pay off with a good, soft and cotton like texture cheesecake.

Bento #29 - Macar Garden

2009-07-19T17:17:00.007+08:00

Thank God for his blessing that today is Sunday again. As usual after our early church service, Rey and I will go to the market and pick up some goodies that he wants me to prepare for him as lunch and dinner. Along at the fruit stall, Rey prompted me that he would like to have some cherries in his bento box to accompany the rest of the berries at home.

Today we are having cheesy macaroni with some blanched broccoli and Komoboko cut into small dual colour flowers using the tools shown. So after showing Rey with an example of how to use the cutter to assemble the flower, I leave the rest of the task to him while I start to work on the macaroni and packing of the bento.

Tata.... so after about 30 minutes of work in the kitchen, we finally come out with Today's lunch bento. We called this Macar Garden because of the flowers, cheese rabbits and colourful fruits. Overall, Rey do enjoy making and eating this bento but he is a bit upset when one of his favourite "Cheese Rabbit" melt while during my photo taking session :p

Err... sorry darling, mummy should have wait for the Macaroni to cool down a bit first before putting the "rabbit" on top of it.

Double-Boiled Egg White & Milk In Coconut

2009-07-12T22:07:00.009+08:00

I saw this fresh and beautiful Thai Young Coconut during my market trip this morning and on first sight, I told myself that I am going to make a new dessert from it. As I always heard from my mum who has tried the "Double-boiled hashima and egg whites in coconut" dessert Crystal Jade Kitchen. I decided to come out with my very own version of "Double-Boiled Egg White & Milk With In Coconut".

Coconuts are the fruit of the coconut palm, it has many food uses, including milk, meat, sugar and oil as well as functioning as its own dish and cup. From research, it shows that coconut water is also More Nutritious than whole milk as it contain Less fat and NO cholesterol! As you can see from the photo, the main ingredients that I used are Young Coconut Juice and Flesh, Egg White, Fresh Milk and some wolfberries for colour contrast and sweetness.

Ingredient:
1 Thai Young Coconut
Egg White From 2 Medium Egg
100ml Coconut Juice
70ml Fresh Milk
1/2 Tablespoon Wolfberries
1.5 Teaspoon Sugar
1/2 Red Date, for garnish

Method:
1. Dissolve the sugar in the coconut juice over low heat in a pot, then set aside to cool. (You can use microwave to cook on High 30 second)
2. Use a small knife to life the lip of the coconut, slow not to break it fully open, leave a small gape so the you will be able to cover it back while double-boiled.
3. Use a spoon carefully scrape the flesh from the inner shell and set aside for later use.
3. Whisk the egg whites briefly, then mix in the milk and pour in the cool coconut juice solution.
4. Strain into a bowl, then pour it back into the coconut shell.
5. Stir in 3/4 of the wolfberries and coconut flesh then cover the lip, place the coconut in a deep bowl or place it directly in the pot of boiling water and double-boiled for about 20 minutes.
6. Open the lid after 10 minutes, scatter the remaining 1/4 of wolfberies and coconut flesh and top with half of the red date in the middle.
7. Cover the lip back and continue to steam over medium heat for another 10 minutes. (Open the lip at a 5 minutes interval)
8. Remove the whole bowl from heat and remain cover for 2 minutes before serving.
9. You can either serve warm or cold.

Note:
a) I bought the Thai Young Coconut from Shop And Save or you can get it from most supermarket at less than $2.00 each. (Try to find the one with a nice lid so that u can cover it while double-boiled)
b) The texture of this dessert might not very pudding like, sometime it might be more on the soft or liquid side depend on the kind of milk you used and the steaming technique.

This is a very refreshing and fragrant dessert. The moment when I opened the lip, the aroma of the coconut essence is so wonderful. You should give this a try if you love coconut and it's a very good beauty dessert too... :p

Frog & Pumpkin Porridge

2009-07-12T17:10:00.006+08:00

This is one of Rey's favourite weekend lunch that I always prepared for him either on Saturday or Sunday. The method is more or less the same but then I will rotate on the ingredients depend on what he prefer during that week. Our "little master" will tell me what he wants for the day before we headed for marketing. Today's menu might sounds a bit "yucky" to some of you because of the use of "Fresh Frog". But in Asian country like Singapore, Frog porridge is very commonly found in most household where the elderly will choose it to cook porridge for kids.

Since Rey is a picky eater who don't really eat meat or vegetable on it's own. We have to work on ways to get things into his mouth, so the most easier way that both me and my mum will do is to put everything into the porridge and serve it to him as one dish meal. This is a very nutritious porridge which consists of his favourite pumpkin and potato.

Ingredients: (Serves 2)
3 Pieces of Pork Ribs
1 Fresh Frog(田鸡), skin removed
60g of Pumpkin, without skin
1 Medium Potato, cut into quarters
Some Red Dates & Wolfberries
1/2 Cup Uncooked Rice
600ml - 800ml Water

Method:
1. Pre-wash the rice and soak with some water for about 30 minutes, this is enable the rice to soften and cook faster.
2. Wash and clean the pork ribs and fresh frog then blanch them in boiling water for a about 3 minutes, rinse and set aside.
3. Next bring about 600ml of water to boil then add in the pork rib, frog meat, potato cubes, red dates and wolfberries and let it bring to boil again then simmer for about 15 minutes over low heat.
4. Add in the rice(drained well 1st) and pumpkin(don't cut into small pieces, leave it as it is) let it simmer accordingly until the rice is done to your liking.
5. Season it with some salt and sesame oil if you prefer then serve.

My boy love the pumpkin to be mashed together in the porridge and serve with the soft cooked potato. Usually I cooked this dish with Cod fish but for a change today, I replace the Cod fish with fresh frog meat.

Note:
a) I bought the fresh frog from the wet market which is already without the skin.
b) I use a small claypot to cook the porridge because we love that smooth texture compare to the normal pot.

Banana & Passion Fruit Chiffon Cake

2009-07-11T22:06:00.009+08:00

Em... this should be the last Chiffon Cake recipe that I going to post for the time being even though I still have a few on the list for test and try :p Since my mum love the combination of Passion Fruit with Banana, I decided to bake this for her over the weekend together with some of her favourite Banana & Passion Fruit Jam.

The cake is full or banana aroma while baking in the oven and the taste is great! It has the combination of "Sweet" from the banana and "Sour as well as the crunch" from the passion fruit juice and it's seeds. We really love this combi especially when it is served together with the extra Banana & Passion fruit Jam. As you can see from the photo, I even topped extra banana slices on top of the batter to give that extra taste.

Ingredients:
80g Ripe Banana, mashed
1 Ripe Passion Fruit
Rind of 1 Lemon, optional
3 Large Egg Yolks
20g Caster Sugar
50ml Olive Oil
80g Top Flour/Cake Flour
8 Thin Slices of Banana, optional
4 Large Egg Whites
40g Caster Sugar

Method:
1. Mashed the ripe banana with a fork in a bowl then stir in the lemon rind, passion fruit juice and pulp. Mix well and set aside.
2. Separate the egg yolks and white into two separate bowls. (carefully do not leave any trace of egg yolk in the egg whites mixture)
3. Use a balloon whisk to whisk the egg yolks and 20g of caster sugar(add in 2 separate additions) till thick and sticky.
4. Slowly drizzle in the oil while continue to whisk at the same time till the mixture is well combined.
5. Add the sifted flour mixture into the egg mixture and continue to whisk till the flour is fully incorporated into the batter.
6. Next stir in the banana mixture using the balloon whisk till combined.
7. Preheat the oven to 180 degree.
8. Beat egg whites and 1/3 of the caster sugar with an electric mixer until mixture becomes frothy and foamy. Then add in another 1/3 of the sugar and continue to beat on medium speed until almost soft peaks form then add in the last 1/3 of the sugar and beat until stiff peaks form. 9. Add the beaten egg whites into the egg yolk batter in 3 separate additions, with the 1st addition using the balloon whisk to incorporate it into the yolk mixture till combine without trace of whites.
10. Next fold in the 2nd and 3rd addition of whites using the balloon whisk in a gentle manner in order not to knock off the air in the while, just fold till no trace of egg whites and the mixture are well combined.
11. Before pouring the mixture to the pan, use a spatula to give a final stir to make sure there is no flour or egg whites mixture at the bottom of the mixing bowl.
12. Lift up the bowl to height, then pour the mixture into the pan and tap the pan 2 - 3 times on a table top to get rid of any trapped air bubbles in the batter.
13. Arrange the banana slices on top of the batter and baked the cake in the preheated oven for about 30 minutes or when the surfaces turns golden brown. (I baked on the 2nd lower shelf of my built in oven using upper and lower heat function. You can insert a skewer into the centre and test if it comes out clean)
14. Remove from the oven and invert the pan immediately and let it rest on top of a cup. Let it cool completely before unmould.(refer to the picture below on how to invert the pan over a cup to cool down)
15. To remove the cake from the pan, run a thin-bladed knife (i use a small rubber spatula) around the inside of the pan and the center core.
16. Release the cake and run the knife/spatula along the base of the pan to remove the cake.
17. Cut into serving size and serve with a cup of tea or coffee.

This is a very refreshing tea-snack which is full of light lemon fragrant, tint of sour from the passion fruit and crunch from it's seeds. If you love banana cake, you should give this a try. It's definitely low fat version compare to the normal banana butter cake that we used to have :p

Ham & Cheese Chiffon Cake

2009-07-05T22:43:00.014+08:00

This weekend task we experiment with Chiffon cake recipe again, but this time we tried making a savoury one instead of the usual sweet chiffon cake. I have read a Cheesy Chiffon Cake recipe from Kitchen Corner and it really draws my attention as I love anything that comes with melted cheese in it. Grace, who is the owner of Kitchen Corner has a wide collection of Chiffon Cake recipes that you might want to check it up if you are keen in trying different version of chiffon cakes.

For today's venture, we are making Ham & Cheese Chiffon Cake. As you can see from the picture, our little baker is keen in joining the process too...... He helps me to prepare some of the ingredients and whisking the egg yoke mixture while I prepare the weighing of some ingredients.

Our little Rey still come out with his very own copy of the Ingredients List which he helps mummy to keep track on the ingredients used and added. Although I want to try the cheesy chiffon cake idea from Grace's blog but I didn't use her recipe, instead I stick to my Sweet Potato Chiffon Cake Recipe and replace the ingredients with Ham and Shredded Mozella Cheese.

Ingredients:
80g Shredded Mozella Cheese
2 Slices of Breakfast Ham, cut in small slices
3 Large Egg Yolks
30g Caster Sugar
50ml Olive Oil
40ml Water
80g Top Flour/Cake Flour
Pinch of Salt
4 Large Egg Whites
30g Caster Sugar

Method:
1. Cut the ham into small bite size, then preheat the pan with some oil and pan-fry it for about 1 minute till fragrant, removed and drained well on kitchen paper towel.
2. Separate the egg yolks and white into two separate bowls. (carefully do not leave any trace of egg yolk in the egg whites mixture)
3. Use a balloon whisk to whisk the egg yolks and 30g of caster sugar(add in 3 separate additions) till thick and sticky.
4. Slowly drizzle in the oil while continue to whisk at the same time then follow by the water till the mixture is well combined.
5. Add the sifted flour mixture into the egg mixture and continue to whisk till the flour is fully incorporated into the batter.
6. Next stir in the cooked ham and shredded cheese using the whisk till combined.
7. Preheat the oven to 180 degree.
8. Beat egg whites and 1/3 of the caster sugar with an electric mixer until mixture becomes frothy and foamy. Then add in another 1/3 of the sugar and continue to beat on medium speed until almost soft peaks form then add in the last 1/3 of the sugar and beat until stiff peaks form. 9. Add the beaten egg whites into the egg yolk batter in 3 separate additions, with the 1st addition using the balloon whisk to incorporate it into the yolk mixture till combine without trace of whites.
10. Next fold in the 2nd and 3rd addition of whites using the balloon whisk in a gentle manner in order not to knock off the air in the while, just fold till no trace of egg whites and the mixture are well combined.
11. Before pouring the mixture to the pan, use a spatula to give a final stir to make sure there is no flour or egg whites mixture at the bottom of the mixing bowl.
12. Lift up the bowl to height, then pour the mixture into the pan and tap the pan 2 - 3 times on a table top to get rid of any trapped air bubbles in the batter.
13. Baked the cake in the preheated oven for about 30 minutes or when the surfaces turns golden brown. (I baked on the 2nd lower shelf of my built in oven using upper and lower heat function. You can insert a skewer into the centre and test if it comes out clean)
14. Remove from the oven and invert the pan immediately and let it rest on top of a cup. Let it cool completely before unmould.(refer to the picture below on how to invert the pan over a cup to cool down)
15. To remove the cake from the pan, run a thin-bladed knife (i use a small rubber spatula) around the inside of the pan and the center core.
16. Release the cake and run the knife/spatula along the base of the pan to remove the cake.
17. Cut into serving size and serve with a cup of tea or coffee.

Note:
a) For this recipe, I didn't greased the tin even though I used the same recipe and method from the Sweet potato and Durian Chocolate Chiffon cake. I notice that the batter did claim up higher compare to the previous two and the outer layout of the crust are brownish as well.

From the picture, you can see the texture of this savoury Chiffon Cake is kind of different from the normal one. It has a lot of Air-Pocket in between which contain the melted cheese in it. To us, the taste was great especially with the added of ham which make the overall of the cake more fragrant. So if you like Ham & Cheese Bread, maybe you can consider on tying this out.

Bento #28 - Reyon & Buddy

2009-07-04T18:56:00.005+08:00

It had being quiet a while since our last bento because Reyon is having a few weeks of mid year school holiday and I am kind of caught up at work so I don't have much time working around with those fancy stuffs. But Shoppingmum's website is a must to visit daily site due to cute and innovative bento for her two kids.

I love her latest design by using this dual cheese strips to cut out various cute figures. You can click on the link to have a better explanation on how she made the stripe cheese. Today our theme is base on my dear son and his favour pooh teddy bear. I use the face cutter and assorted mini food cutter for these design. I used the compartment divider to cut the shape out from the chocolate bun so that it will fix nicely. Next I place the cheese cut outs on top of it and serve the bento with some orange slices and mangosteen. Lastly Rey still use the Alphabets pasta to arrange his name on it.

Durian Chocolate Chiffon Cake

2009-06-25T21:25:00.017+08:00

This is 2nd Chiffon Cake recipe that I experiment and tested. I used the combination of Cocoa Powder + 70% Dark Chocolate + fresh DURIAN as main ingredients. So you can imagine having a bite on this slice of cake with such combination where you can actually smell and taste the baked durian in a rich cocoa content. Since this is a chiffon cake, you will find the texture of the cake to be light, spongy and fluffy rather than that greasy and dense compare to cake.

(you can click on the picture to enlarge it in order to read the notes) As while sharing the chiffon cake recipe and ideas with some of my friends, they are quiet turn off in making even though they are keen. They are having the phobia as what I used to have in the whisking of egg white to stiff peak and stir it into the yolk mixture. We always have this ideas that, chiffon cake is very delicate to make because of the separation of egg yolk and white mixture. It seems like we can't go wrong in one of the steps or else the whole process will be ruin.

(you can click on the picture to enlarge it in order to read the notes) So in order to build up their confident and as well share with readers whom are also interested in trying the recipe. I decided to take pictures of each steps and write little notes on them so that they will have roughly and idea of how each process look like.

Ingredients: (17cm / 7" tin)
100g Fresh Durian Flesh, mashed
3 Large Egg Yolks
40g Caster Sugar
30g 70% Dark Chocolate, finely chopped
40ml Olive Oil
60ml Water
50g Top Flour/Cake Flour
30g Cocoa Powder
1/2 Teaspoon Baking Powder
4 Large Egg Whites
30g Caster Sugar

Method:
1.Removed the seeds from the durian flesh, weight it accordingly to the recipe then mashed it and set aside.
2. Separate the egg yolks and white into two separate bowls. (carefully do not leave any trace of egg yolk in the egg whites mixture)
3. Use a balloon whisk to whisk the egg yolks and 40g of caster sugar(add in 3 separate additions) till thick and sticky.
4. Slowly drizzle in the oil while continue to whisk at the same time then follow by the water till the mixture is well combined. (refer to the pictures above, the mixture will be thick and glossy after adding the oil)
5. Add the sifted flour mixture into the egg mixture and continue to whisk till the flour is fully incorporated into the batter.
6. Next stir in the durian paste and chopped chocolate using the whisk till combined.
7. Use a kitchen paper towel to wipe off the oil from the cup then grease the tube-pan lightly with the oil and set aside for later use.
8. Preheat the oven to 180 degree.
9. Beat egg whites and 1/3 of the caster sugar with an electric mixer until mixture becomes frothy and foamy. Then add in another 1/3 of the sugar and continue to beat on medium speed until almost soft peaks form then add in the last 1/3 of the sugar and beat until stiff peaks form. (you can refer to the above pictures on whisking the egg whites, the whole process takes about less than 5 minutes)
10. Add the beaten egg whites into the egg yolk batter in 3 separate additions, with the 1st addition using the balloon whisk to incorporate it into the yolk mixture till combine without trace of whites.
11. Next fold in the 2nd and 3rd addition of whites using the balloon whisk in a gentle manner in order not to knock off the air in the while, just fold till no trace of egg whites and the mixture are well combined.
12. Before pouring the mixture to the greased pan, use a spatula to give a final stir to make sure there is no flour or egg whites mixture at the bottom of the mixing bowl.
13. Lift up the bowl to height, then pour the mixture into the pan and tap the pan 2 - 3 times on a table top to get rid of any trapped air bubbles in the batter.
14. Baked the cake in the preheated oven for about 30 minutes or when the surfaces turns golden brown. (I baked on the 2nd lower shelf of my built in oven using upper and lower heat function. You can insert a skewer into the centre and test if it comes out clean)
15. Remove from the oven and invert the pan immediately and let it rest on top of a cup. Let it cool completely before unmould.(refer to the picture below on how to invert the pan over a cup to cool down)
16. To remove the cake from the pan, run a thin-bladed knife (i use a small rubber spatula) around the inside of the pan and the center core.
17. Release the cake and run the knife/spatula along the base of the pan to remove the cake.
18. Cut into serving size and serve with a cup of tea or coffee.

From the pictures you can realise and see the texture of the Chiffon cake is actually quiet spongy, moist and full of extra goodness..... So are you more confident now to try out on any of the Chiffon Cake recipe that you love.

Related Post:
1) Rice With Durian
2) Baked Durian Cake
3) Durian Fried Rice
4) Green Bean With Durian
5) Thai Style Durian Sticky Rice

Sweet Potato & Sesame Chiffon Cake

2009-06-21T21:15:00.015+08:00

Recently while blog hopping around, I saw a few of my favour foodblogs will into chiffon cake making. So I thought maybe I would also like to join in the fun of chiffon cake making. After much selection I decided to settle on this Sweet Potato & Sesame Chiffon Cake rather than our usual local Pandan Chiffon Cake.

Chiffon cake making was rather a challenge for me because this is only my 2nd time I try making it after the 1st bake of Lemon Poppy Seeds Chiffon Cake some time ago in August 2008. Personally I love the taste and texture of chiffon cake but then the process and tales of making it put me on hesitation. I am so scare that it doesn't raise up nicely, the inner part is not properly cook while the outer layer is burnt and etc. But after reading all the recent chiffon cakes posts, I am once again tempted to give a try on this recipe. The recipe is rather easy to follow as long as you get the steps of whisking and folding the egg white in the correct sequence.

Ingredients: (7"/18cm Mould)
100g of Steam Sweet Potato Cubes
3 Large Egg Yolks
40g Brown Sugar
50ml Olive Oil
50ml Water
80g Top Flour/Cake Flour
1.5 Teaspoons Black Sesame Seeds, toasted
4 Large Egg Whites
30g Caster Sugar

Method:
1.Wash and brush the outer skin of the sweet potato then steam it over a rack for about 20 - 30 minutes depend on the thickness. (the sweet potato is cooked through when the skewer or toothpick is able to pierce through without difficulty)
2. Cut the cooked sweet potato into 0.5cm thickness slices then peel off the skin and cut into small cubes, set aside for later use.
3. Separate the egg yolk and white into two separate mixing bowls. (carefully do not leave any trace of egg yolk in the egg whites mixture) then use a balloon whisk to whisk the egg yolk and brown sugar(add in 3 separate additions) till thick and sticky.
4. Slowly drizzle in the oil while continue to whisk at the same time then follow by the water till the mixture is well combined.
5. Add the sifted flour into the egg mixture and continue to whisk till the flour is fully incorporated into the batter.
6. Next stir in the sweet potato cubes and sesame seeds using a spatula till combined.
7. Use a kitchen paper towel to wipe off the oil from the cup then grease the tube-pan lightly with the oil and set aside for later use.
8. Preheat the oven to 180 degree.
9. Beat egg whites and 1/3 of the caster sugar with an electric mixer until mixture becomes frothy and foamy. Then add in another 1/3 of the sugar and continue to beat on medium speed until almost soft peaks form then add in the last 1/3 of the sugar and beat until stiff peaks form. (the whole process takes about less than 5 minutes)
10. Add the beaten egg white into the egg yolk batter in 3 separate additions, with the 1st addition using the balloon whisk to incorporate it into the yolk mixture till combine without trace of whites.
11. Next fold in the 2nd and 3rd addition of whites using the balloon whisk in a gentle manner in order not to knock off the air in the while, just fold till no trace of white and the mixture are well combined.
12. Before pouring the mixture to the greased pan, use a spatula to give a final stir to make sure there is no flour or egg white mixture at the bottom of the mixing bowl.
13. Lift up the bowl to height, then pour the mixture into the pan and tap the pan 2 - 3 times on a table top to get rid of any trapped air bubbles in the batter.
14. Baked the cake in the preheated oven for about 30 minutes or when the surfaces turns golden brown. (you can insert a skewer into the centre and test if it comes out clean)
15. Remove from the oven and invert the pan immediately and let it rest on top of a cup. Let it cool completely before unmould.
16. To remove the cake from the pan, run a thin-bladed knife(i use a small rubber saptula) around the inside of the pan and the center core.
17. Release the cake and run the knife/spatula along the base of the pan to remove the cake.
18. Cut into serving size and serve with a cup of tea or coffee.

Notes:
a) I used the purple skin type of Japanese Sweet Potato rather then the local orange flesh type.
b) To test whether your beaten egg white is of stiff peak form, turn mixing bowl upside down, the white will remain without falling.
c) Preheat the oven half way through while whisking the egg whites so that the oven temperature will be ready and not over heated when you have all the mixture done and ready to bake.

We really love this chiffon cake which taste light and fragrant compare to the normal pandan cake that we used to have. The addition of the steam sweet potato cubes and black sesame seeds also add some extra texture it. Those whom I share this cake with all love it taste and texture because they find it so healthy without the use of butter and normal coconut milk.

Other Interesting Chiffon Cake Posts:
1) Lemon Chiffon Cake @ Happy Home Baking
2) Chiffon Corner @ Kitchen Corner
3) Mini Macha Chiffon @ Bossacafez
4) Double Chocolate Chips Chiffon Cake @ Small Small Baker
5) Grand Marnier Orange Chiffon @ E's Joie

Wholemeal Pumpkin Mantou

2009-06-20T22:44:00.016+08:00

This is a busy weekend for me as I suddenly have the urge to conquer a few recipes in my to-do-list. While waiting for my son to finish his Saturday enrichment class, I managed to stomp upon this Organic Wholemeal Flour from one of the local supermarket. It has a finer and right texture compare to another brand that I used to buy so I decided to get a packet to test out my new Steam Pumpkin Mantou recipe which I modify from the previous recipe that I made.

I modify the recipe a bit which made this rather simple and easy compare to previous one. And this Steam Mantou is full of texture when biting because of the use of the Wholemeal flour, Sesame seeds, Raisin and Wolfberries.

Ingredients:
230g Pumpkin, skin removed
250g Wholemeal Flour
1 Teaspoon Active Dry Yeast
1 Teaspoon of Baking Powder
5 Tablespoons of Brown Sugar
1 Tablespoon Black Sesame Seeds
1 Tablespoon White Sesame Seeds
2 Tablespoons Wolfberries, cut into halves
2 Tablespoons Golden Raisin, chopped
20 - 40ml water
1 Tablespoon of Vegetable Oil

Method:
1. Cut the pumpkin into small cubes, rinse it with water then place them into a microwave safe bowl and cook in Microwave High for about 5 - 6 minutes with a cup of water.(Stop 2 minutes in between to give a stir to the cubes to cook them evenly)
2. When the cubes became soft, mashed them using a fork and set side to cool to lukewarm temperature before adding to the flour to form a dough.
3. Sift the flour, baking powder and yeast together then add in the sugar and stir till combine.
4. Next slowly add in the mashed pumpkin and stir using a pair of chopstick till combine, you might need to add some water in order to form a dough.
5. Moist your hand with some oil and give the dough a few knead to combine it then set it aside in a lightly flour/oil bowl to proof for about 20 - 30 minutes until double it size.
6. Divide the dough into 2 or 3 portions then on a lightly floured work surface, flatten each portion into a rectangular shape shown like that picture shown above, sprinkle some chopped wolfberries, golden raisin and sesame seeds then roll it up lengthwise into an oblong shape then cut them into equal portion.
7. Place each shaped portion on a piece of greaseproof paper, top with some extra wolfberries and sesame seeds then arrange on the steamer rack and steam over medium heat for about 8 - 10 minutes depend on the size.
8. Repeat for the rest of the portion of dough and steam accordingly. (I made about 12 Mantou with the size of about 2.5" before steaming)

Notes:
a) You might need to cook the pumpkin for about 3 - 5 minutes more before it will be soften depend on the power of your microwave.
b) You can also replace the brown sugar with caster sugar instead.
c) This is best to serve within the same day, if not you can keep in the freezer for a few weeks, and reheat it before serving.

Banana & Orange Cinnamon Jam

2009-06-20T22:32:00.014+08:00

Remember the Banana and Passion fruit Jam that I posted in April? My mum really love the taste and fragrant of that jam so since she gave me some banana on Friday I decided to try out another type of Banana Jam. This round I use the combination of Banana and Orange together with a touch of Cinnamon Powder. So you can imagine the sweetness of banana, tangerine fragrant from the orange and a touch of Cinnamon spice................

As usual, you don't really need any fancy ingredients. All you required is about 2 medium size banana, 1 big orange and some cinnamon powder. And don't forget to get two glass jar for your jam. (you can use re-cycle jam bottle for this)

Ingredients:
2 Ripe Medium Banana, about 200g
1 Large Orange, without peel about 100g
Grated Rind of 1 Orange
Juice of Half Orange, 50ml
1/4 Teaspoon Cinnamon Powder
200g Caster Sugar
2 Small Jam Bottles

Method:
1. Weight and pour the sugar into a small heavy duty saucepan, then add in the grated orange rind. (Washed, clean dry the orange and grate the rind)
2. Cut the orange into half, juice half of it to get about 50ml of juice then cut off the outer peel of the other half of the orange, remove the pith and membrane.
3. For each section, cut between the fruit and membrane on each side. Lift out each segment and drop it into the saucepan together with the sugar.
4. Next weight and mash the banana with a fork then add it into the saucepan together with the orange juice and cinnamon powder.
5. Stir all the mixture over medium low heat for about 10 - 15 minutes.
6. When the mixture begin to boil a lot of forms will form, do skim away those form and continue to cook until the mixture is clear and thicken.(refer to the above picture for details, the jam will continue to thicken further after it is cool to room temperature)
7. Pour the cooked jam into the sterilize glass bottle, covered and let it cool to room temperature before storing it in the fridge.

Note:
a) Bring a pot of water with jam bottle in it to a boil and boil them for 10 minutes or so to sterilize them, removed and invert for them to dry. (you can do this while cooking the jam)

Related Post:
1) Homemade Banana & Passion Fruit Jam
2) Homemade Mango Jam
3) Homemade Plum Jam
4) Homemade Strawberry Jam

Steam Pumpkin Mantou - 金瓜馒头

2009-05-31T21:13:00.012+08:00

Mantou(馒头) often referred to as "humbao" or Chinese steamed bun which is originating in China. It is made with wheat flour, water and leavening agents, they are similar in nutrition and eating qualities to the white bread of the West.

Recently, my mum has being into Mantou making with one of my son's kiddy's friend mummy. They will gather together at least once in a week to experiment with their Mantou making. So after tasting their delicious homemade Mantou, I am also interested in joining the fun of making it. For mine, I added some extra wolfberries to enhance the taste as well as a the texture.

Ingredients: (makes about 10)
250g Plain Flour
1 Teaspoon Active Dry Yeast
40ml Lukewarm Water
1 Teaspoon Baking Powder
5 Tablespoons Caster Sugar
200g Pumpkin, skin removed
2 Tablespoon Wolfberries, cut into halves
1/2 Tablespoon Vegetable Oil

Method:
1. Sift the plain flour and baking powder together in a big bowl, then stir in the caster sugar till combined.
2. Remove the outer skin of the pumpkin, cut into small cubes then rinse it with water and place in a microwave safe bowl and cook on High heat together with a cup of water for about 5 minutes. (Stop 2 minutes in between and give it a stir so that it will cook evenly)
3. Use a fork or food masher to mash the pumpkin cubes into paste form then set aside for later use.
4. Add the dry yeast into the lukewarm water and give it a quick stir then set aside for about 5 minutes till bubbles appeared(refer to the picutre above).
5. Next slowly add in the yeast water into the flour mixture and sitr using a pair of chopstick, then follow by the mashed pumpkin and stir till they form a soft dough.
6. Rub some oil on your hand then give the dough a quick knead till well combine.
7. Set the dough aside in a lightly flour/oil bowl and let it proof for about 20 - 30 minutes until it double in size.
8. Divide the dough into 2 or 3 portions then on a lightly floured work surface, flatten each portion into a rectangular shape shown like that picture below, sprinkle some chopped wolfberries then roll it up lengthwise into an oblong shape then cut them into equal portion.
9. Place each shaped portion on a piece of greaseproof paper, top with some extra wolfberries, then arrange on the steamer rack and steam over medium heat for about 8 - 10 minutes depend on the size.
10. Repeat for the rest of the portion of dough and steam accordingly. ( I made about 10 Mantou with the size of about 3" before steaming)

Note:
a) Lukewarm is about 40 degree Celsius
b) The pumpkin dough will be very stick when handling, so do not worry. You can wet your hand some oil before handling the dough for easy kneading.
c) You might need to cook the pumpkin for about 3 - 5 minutes more before it will be soften depend on the power of your microwave.

This is my homemade Steam Pumpkin & Wolfberries Mantou which is freshly out from the steamer. It really taste great and different for a chance in the usual Pandan or Plain Mantou that is sold in the supermarket.

Chocolate Overload

2009-05-10T21:34:00.006+08:00

Talk about Chocolate both Reyon and me can't resists it. We have all kind of chocolate stuffs in the kitchen pantry and fridge, ranging from cookies to ice-cream and cakes.....So when I come across this recipe, I told myself that this is a must try list on our baking list. I show Rey the picture of this Chocolate muffin and at once he told me that he wants to make for me, Grandma and Grandaunt on Mother's Day.

So immediately after the washing up from our Salmon Bento lunch. We started our Mother's Day baking project. I help Reyon to measure all the ingredients and put them into separate bowl while he will follow my instructions to make the muffins. This as usual is suitable to be handle by kids as it require only, WHISK, STIR, POUR and BAKE. So do give your kids a chance to whisk up this simple and yet irresistible chocolate muffin.

If you are interested you can take a look at the original recipe at this LINK. But modify it a bit as we are all chocolate lover...... So I really add in a lot more chocolate than the usual recipe... :p

Ingredients A:
170g Self-Raising Flour
70g Cocoa Powder
½ Teaspoon Baking Soda

Ingredients B:
100g White And Dark Chocolate Chips
150g Chopped 70% Dark Chocolate
160g Brown Sugar

Ingredients C:
2 Medium Eggs
240ml Buttermilk
120g Melted Butter
1 Teaspoon Grand Marnier

Method:
1. Preheat oven at 180 degree.
2. Sift (A) into a bowl then stir in brown sugar and mix well.
3. Whisk the egg and Grand Marnier till combine then stir in buttermilk and melted butter using a balloon whisk.
4. Pour the egg mixture into the flour mixture.
5. Spoon about ¼ mixture into the muffin cup, top with some chopped chocolate then fill the cup to about 2/3 full then sprinkle generously some dual chocolate chips on it.
Baked at preheat 180 degree oven on middle rack for about 18 – 20 minutes when a skewer insert and come out clean.

Note:
If you prefer nutty flavour, you can replaced the chopped chocolate by some nuts of your choice.

Bento #27 - Salmon Onigiri Bento

2009-05-10T20:40:00.003+08:00

Today is Mother's Day and after our usual Sunday Church service, we went to the nearby Supermarket to get some ingredients to prepare our lunch. After looking at the ingredients, we settle for Salmon Fillet, Button Mushroom and Corn.

With the ingredients in hand, we made some Salmon Flake & Corn Onigiri. Rey and I love the colour combination as our Church dress code for Mother's Day is Pink this year. I pan-fry the salmon fillet with shredded ginger and spring onion until brown then set aside. I cook the rice as per normal by adding some fresh corn kernel and chestnut and cook until done then I add in the salmon flakes and mould them into round onigiri.

With some olive oil, I do a quick stir-fry using the sliced button mushroom and carrot to serve it as a side dish. Tata... so after assemble above is what we have for our lunch today....

Bento #26 - Cheese Pie & Fruit Salad

2009-05-07T15:18:00.002+08:00

Since I am alone in the office this week as my colleague went for Holiday Trip. I decided to pack some light and simple lunch for work today. I packed 3 different types of cut fruits which are Kiwi, Dragon fruit and apple to go with my Blueberry Cheese Pie. As we are in a rush, I forget to soak the cut apple slices in some salted water to prevent it for discolouration.

On the second day, I bring some cut dragon fruits and apple slices to work again and this round I have soaked the cut apple in some salted water for a while and the colour remain clear and nice through out even when I eat it quite late after lunch :)

I used this set of Mickey Mouse design vegetable cutter to cut my apple slices for the bento.... :) You can take a look at other range of the Mickey Mouse Bento Tools here.(click the link)

Bento #25 - Happy Mother's Day

2009-05-04T14:39:00.006+08:00

This coming Sunday, 10 May 2009 will be the once a year Mother's Day. And we had this Pre-Mother's Day Bento last weekend just in case we are out for celebration on the actual day. It's done by me and my 5 years old boy. He helps to remove the shell from the cooked quail eggs, cut the features and assemble them into cute little farm animals. Cut the jam sandwiches and kiwi slices using the heart-shape cutter. We did have a lot of fun making all and it's a great way to bond with kids too.

Tata... this is what I did for the finally arrangement. After Rey had finished all the cutter and sticking of the features, I will do the finally touch up as well as the arrangement into the bento box. So in the end, this is what we have..........

This is the set of Quail Egg Cutter which CP from Bentomarket get it for us through the suggestion of Amy(Shoppingmum) from MotheringCorner to source for this cute cutter. Amy has a cute froggies bento using this quail cutter to make the frog too... take a look :)

I have help Rey cooked the Quail Eggs, then he did all the peeling and using the cutter to cut the features and assemble these cute little Farm Animals. Out of the 5 animals, I only help him to cut the zig-zag outline for the chick using the special cutter available in the set. He really have a lot of fun doing these and it's the best Mother's Day present for me because these cuties are from the hand of my darling......

Look at this row of farm animals queuing up in action..... starting from Little Dog, Chick, Rabbit and Piglets......

Bento #24 - Homemade Fan Choy

2009-04-17T23:37:00.002+08:00

This is my Morning Tea-break Bento. I reheat the Fan Choy that my mum specially made for us as Breakfast and packed it together with a few extra Siew Mai and Har Kao(prawn dumpling). This definitely marked my day with a hearty Homemade Dim Sum Breakfast.

Homemade Banana & Passion Fruit Jam

2009-04-16T20:39:00.000+08:00

This is definitely a simple and easy to attempt keeper recipe. I got to know this special Homemade Banana & Passion Fruit Jam from Happy Home Baking website(click here). You should take a look at her recipe if you are interested in making your own jam at home. It's very simple and straight forward. All you required is only 3 Ingredients which are:- Ripe Banana, Passion fruit Pulp and Sugar.

Put all these ingredients into a small heavy-duty saucepan and simmer on medium heat for about less than 10 minutes and you will have your very own Homemade jam in no time...... So do hope by to her blog shown on the above link for more detail :) I promise you will be in love with the texture and fragrant of this jam.

Bento #23 - Steam Herbal Chicken

2009-04-13T21:27:00.002+08:00

It had being a long interval since I last prepared Bento for Rey on the Panda Bento. Since we have a long weekend last week due to Good Friday, I managed to squeeze some extra time to do marketing during Sunday after Church to grab some grocery in the market to prepare our lunch and my Monday, Bento Lunch to work.

Since I only have about 1.5 hrs in the morning to get ready for work and school for Rey. I have decided to prepare steam lunch, what I need to do is just to steam the rice, herbal chicken and dumpling together then arranged them nicely in the bento box :)

I am so happy to receive my Bento Contest gift from Susan Yuen last week. This is my 1st online contest and it is such a suprised that the Seaside Bento that I did for Rey a few weeks back managed to get into the 5th place for this Bento Contest that is organised by Susan from Hawaii Bento Box.

Thank you Susan for organising such a fun and interesting contest and as well as your gifts and card. Thank you so much.

Blueberry Yoghurt & Jam Muffin

2009-03-29T19:36:00.008+08:00

At this raining and cosy afternoon, both me and my son tends to have craving for some hot and pipping homemade muffins. So this is what we come out with after sourcing for all the ingredients we have in our kitchen pantry....... Finally we decided to make Blueberry Yoghurt & Jam Muffins for afternoon tea.

This is a very Quick and Easy bake that you can do together with your kids. What you need to do is: "Mix - Stir - Pour - Bake" and tata...... by about 20 minutes time you can have your very own homemade blueberry muffins in no time. This is a very healthy and delicious version that use Yoghurt, Olive Oil and Wholemeal flour as part of the ingredients......

Ingredients: (make 10 muffin cups)
1 1/4 Cups(155g) Self-Raising Flour
1/4 Cup(30g) Wholemeal Flour
1/2 Teaspoon Baking Soda
1/2 Cup(110g) Caster Sugar
1/4 Cup(60ml) Oilve Oil
1/4 Cup(60ml) Blueberry Yoghurt
2 Tablespoons Blueberry Jam
2 Medium Eggs
5 Teaspoons Blueberry Jam, extra
Some Fresh Blueberries
Mini Chocolate Chips, optional

Method:
1. Sieve the self-raising flour, wholemeal flour and baking soda together and set aside.
2. Whisk the eggs, olive oil, 2 tablespoons blueberry jam, blueberry yoghurt and sugar with a whisk until well incorporated.
3. Gently pour and mixed the egg mixture into the flour mixture with a spatula till combined.
4. Fill the muffin cups to 1/4 full, drop 1/2 teaspoon of blueberry jam and 5 - 6 min chocolate chips into the batter then fill the cups with the remaining batter to about 3/4 full. (do not over fill the cups as the batter will expand and overflow while baking)
5. Arrange a few blueberries on top of the batter and bake at 200 degree preheat oven for about 15 - 20 minutes depend on the size of the muffin cups and oven type.

Note:
a) Baking time will be varies depending on the size of the muffin cups use.
b) The size of the muffin cups used in this recipe is 5.5cm x 3.5cm, 60ml size.

As you can see from the pictures shown, the texture of the muffins is soft, moist and fluffy type due to the adding of baking soda and yoghurt. So if you are a fan of muffins, especially blueberry favour... then don't miss the chance of giving this recipe a try... :)

Bento #22 - Panda Panda

2009-03-08T20:11:00.006+08:00

Em... this weekend Bento is...... Panda theme and ... one of Reyon's favourite movie is the Kung Fu Panda which I brought him to watch during last year school holiday.... Since today he wanted rice to be include in the bento, I decided to make him this Panda Panda Bento.

As you can see from the picture below how I roughly arrange the layout of the items in such a small kiddy bento box. I used some curl lettuce to put on the base of the box for decoration as well as lining purpose. Next I secure one side of the box with two Taiwan sausage wrapped with lettuce and I put a food cup containing poached shredded chicken breast with corn kernels.

Don't worry if you do not have a mould to make the shape of the panda head. You can used a piece of cling wrap and scoop about 2.5 tablespoons of sushi rice on it then wrapped it tightly and mould it into a ball shape then shape it according in order to fix the space in the lunchbox. When you have, cut out oval shape from the Nori sheet and cheese to form the features of the panda. You can also decorate it with some cut fruits and extra accessories like panda pick or panda chocolate cookies.

Related Posts:
1. Hidden Treasure
2. Salmon Onigiri
3. Bear & Grassland

Features Of My Exclusive Recipes

2009-03-05T21:26:00.004+08:00

Dear readers of Cuisine Paradise, thank you for your support during these years. Today I have a good news to share with you, the Author of Cuisine Paradise, who is me, Ellena, has being invited to be a featured recipes contributor for a Singapore leading kids and parents magazine name "Parents World".

I have never dream that my blogs writing hobbies can bring me so far to such a stage that my recipes can actually be published on a local magazine. All these credit to the editor, Daniel Goh who is willing to give me such an opportunity to feature and published some of my very own exclusive recipes that is not posted in my blogs. So if you happen to find this Magazine in your kids school bag or at any newsstands or bookstores do give it a flip through and you will find that it acutally contains a lot of useful information and tips on parenting and kids issue.

Furthermore, you might also find some of my exclusive recipes in the magazine too... :0

p/s: So sorry I won't be able to post the recipes from the magazine here as due to copyrights issue.

Lotus Seeds & Cod Porridge

2009-03-01T20:04:00.010+08:00

Cooking and making sure that our kids have the best nutrition of all is always the tougher job for a mum. Although I love to cook and bake but then my son was rather a picky eater when it comes to food. He won't eat rice that is too soft or too dry. He wants his porridge to be cooked in certain standard.... As far as I know I didn't impose all these eating habits to him but I don't know why he is so particular when it comes to food so with his problem it's always hard for us to feed him with stall food. So whenever I can, I will cook porridge for him because it is the best and easier way to incorporate more items in it so as to get all the nutrition in one pot.

Today's dinner will be Lotus Seeds & Cod Porridge, in order to make the porridge come with a nature, fragrant and sweet taste I added some sweet corn, carrot slices, wolfberries and lastly some Chinese barley. As you know Lotus Seeds strengthen the Heart, Liver, Spleen and Kidneys and also energize the Qi and promote blood cell formation. So sometime is good to add it into porridge or soup to promote good health. And I always cook something like this in two person portion so that both my dear son and I will get to enjoy the same food.........and this is one of Reyon's favourite Porridge dish.

Ingredients: (serves 2)
1/2 Cup Uncooked Rice
120g Cod Fish Fillet, cut into thick slices
1/4 Section of Sweet Corn, cut into halves
6 - 8 Slices of Carrot, cut into 0.5cm thick
1/2 Tablespoon of Wolfberries
8 Dried Lotus Seed, pre-soaked in hot water
2 Tablespoons of Chinese Barley

Method:
1. Wash the rice and add enough water for making porridge then bring it to boil.
2. Add in the sweet corn, carrot, lotus seeds and barley; simmer over low heat till the rice grain is soft.
3. When the porridge is almost done, remove the barley bag and add in the cod fish slices and wolfberries.
4. Let it simmer for about 5 minutes, switch off the heat, covered and let the porridge rest for about 10 - 15 minutes before serving. (this will allow the grain to slowly absorb the fish flavour and as well expand into much softer texture, but if you prefer whole grain porridge you can serve it immediately)

Note:
1. As you can see I place the Chinese Barley inside a disposal tea-bag before putting it into the pot to cook with the rest of the ingredients so that the cooked barley will not be mixed into the porridge.(for this case, i just want the barley to make the porridge more fragrant)
2. Rinse and soak the dried lotus seeds with HOT water till soft. (DO NOT use tap water to rinse first or else it won't be soft easily)

Related Post:
1. Cod & Wolfberries Porridge

Bento #21 - At The Beach

2009-03-01T16:24:00.008+08:00

Today's Bento theme has being a long waiting one for my dear son. As most of the reader from my blog will have read about that my dear son loves to go picnic at the seaside. And I have also tried making a few of his meals on seaside theme before. But today's challenge will be a little difficult for me because he wants the real sight of the seaside atmosphere being present in his little bento box.

I have being scratching my head for ideas on how to make this seaside bento appear real..... so after much thought and some brainstorm chat with another bento mummy, Amy(from mothering corner website) I decided to give this bento a try. Last night, I have draft out the idea of the layout and what are the animals that I would want to include in it.

For the colour layers, I have used egg white with some blue food colouring and spinach juice to make scramble eggwhite represent the sky and ocean. As for the sand, I choose multi-grain bread and tear a zigzag layer to form the beach with some cheese stars(as starfish) and since I do not know how to make a seashell, I place a small seashell on the bread. My dear son was thrill when he saw this...........

Related Post:
1. Seafood Noodles
2. Seafood Melody

Bento #20 - Mickey Mouse

2009-02-22T19:12:00.006+08:00

Tata..... Another weekend bento using my new Multi-purpose Mickey Mouse tools which I have bought recently. With the left over ham from making yesterday Bear Hamroll. I use a slice of it to make one of the mickey mouse side face and my dear son was thrill when he saw this Mickey Mouse Bento.

This set of Mickey Mouse design multi-purpose cutter come in a pair of two different mickey mouse design which enable you to cut out the head and face features. I also have another similar Pooh Design set which I used to make the Ham & Cheese Bear Sandwiches in another bento.

Related Post:
1. Mickey Mouse Bento Tools
2. Ham & Cheese Bear Sandwiches

Osmanthus, Water Chestnut & Sea Coconut Dew

2009-02-21T16:30:00.010+08:00

Some weeks ago, one of our church members bought some desserts to my mum and she told me that it is very special as she had not eaten something like that before. From what she mentioned, the ingredients include lotus seeds, chopped water chestnut, wolfberries, egg white and most important Osmanthus flower which gives this dessert it unique fragrant and taste.

So from what she had mentioned to me, I come out with my own version of Osmanthus, Water Chestnut & Sea Coconut Dew. Yup, for my version, I have added some shredded Sea Coconut to it. It had being long since I used fresh sea coconut to make soup or dessert. And I must admit, this is a very refreshing dessert which have a very nice tangerine taste due to the Osmanthus Flowers.

Ingredients: (serves 2)
12 Dried Lotus Seeds
2 Teaspoons of Sugar
4 - 5 Water Chestnut, peeled & finely chopped
2 Teaspoons of Dried Osmanthus Flower
1/2 Tablespoon Wolfberries
800ml Water
1/2 - 1 Egg White, lightly beaten
1 Medium Fresh Sea Coconut, optional
Rock Sugar to taste

Method:
1. Wash and peel off the skin of the fresh sea coconut (try to select the soft to touch type which is more suitable for making dessert) then cut into thin strips.
2. Bring half small saucepan of water to boil then add in the lotus seeds and simmer on medium low heat for about 7 - 10 minutes until the seeds are soft. Dish up, rinse and remove any germ inside the lotus seeds to prevent bitterness then marinate with the sugar and set aside.
3. Next bring the pot of 800ml water to boil, add in rock sugar, sea coconut, wolfberries and osmanthus flower and simmer for about 10 minutes.
4. Use a strainer, remove most of the cooked osmanthus flower away then add in the chopped water chestnut and marinated lotus seeds and simmer till boiled then switch off the heat.
5. Slowly add in the beaten egg white and give it a slow stir to create the swirl effect. (The heat from the content will cook the egg white and you have to add in slowly and stir so that it won't be in a lump)
6. Serve it with some extra osmanthus flower either warm or cold.

Notes:
a) You can replace dried lotus seeds with those vacuum packed fresh lotus seeds instead.
b) You can either soak the dried lotus seeds with boiling water(without washing the seeds) till soft then cooked together with the sea coconut and rock sugar.

Releated Post:
1. Osmanthus & Water Chestnut Kueh
2. Chicken & Sea Coconut Soup
3. Almond, Sea Coconut & Pumpkin Soup

Bento #19 - Bear Bread & Hamroll

2009-02-21T16:03:00.006+08:00

My dear son had being down with flu and cough bugs for the past 2 weeks plus and just a few days ago, he was also down with high fever and bad cough. But thank God after the 3rd visit to the doctor and change of medication he is getting better today. So while he was doing his homework I secretly prepared this Bear Bread & Hamroll Bento in our new purchase Tomica Lunchbox. I hope that this artwork of mine will be able to cheer him up and as well to increase his appetite by the look.

This bento is divided into 3 parts. On the left side is a bear and heart shape cutout from two different colour tone of bread to make the contrast. Next I use the Caral Mini Craft Puncher (click here for details) to punch out the features of the bear using nori sheet. On the right side, I use the apple baked ham, lettuce and shredded carrot to make a cheese bear hamroll (click here for cutter use).

In order to make it more eye catching, I also use two tone colour cheese to make the features of the bears and also with some added cherry tomato and strawberries to make it more colourful. Lastly, I decorate it with some added parsley to make it look more like a garden with some greens.

Releated Post:
1. Weekend Breakfast Bento

Bento #18 - Picnic Day

2009-02-15T14:36:00.008+08:00

Usually Sunday will be a picnic day for most of the family to laze around in the park and enjoy the morning/evening breeze and warm sunshine in order to have a fun and relax family getaway. Like other families, Reyon and I love to prepare some of our favourite snacks and get relax in the neighbourhood park. Although we do not have those luxury park like those western countries but we do can enjoy a bit of peace and wonderful family bond in the weekend.

Since nowsaday, we have to attend morning Church service, we can't really spent Sunday morning at the park. And since today's weather is kind of Sunny and Warm we decided to have our indoor picnic at home. We prepared some refreshing afternoon snacks for our home picnic. We made two little faces out of Reyon's favourite Mini Chocolate Chips Muffins. Reyon said the one of the left is suppose to be me while the one on the left is him :) Then we cut out some flowers out of the dragon fruits and leaves from kiwi to make it look like a little garden patch. See the way he enjoys his afternoon snack, I guess a little extra dose of Chocolate on Sunday do actually makes you feel happier...... :)

Bento #17 - Spot The Hearts

2009-02-14T17:30:00.007+08:00

Today is Valentine's Day and since we are out in the morning for excursion, we will have our Weekend Bento as Snack today on Valentine's Theme. Em.... I have being thinking of what to make for Reyon on this special day and there are so many ideas in our discussion lists. Finally in the end, we agreed on this simple and quick theme because he is so hungry to have his snack before I can snap more pictures on it.

In today's snack bento, I have include a heart shape cheese sponge cake in the middle, following by two little cheesy bear and some extra red and green grapes. Other then grapes, cherry and tangerine, I also introduce a new fruit to Reyon call the Red Rose Apple. It's kind of crunchy and sweet in texture but Reyon doesn't seems to like it and he just had a bite to try on.

While looking at the bento, let's play a QUICK GAME! How many HEARTS can you SPOT in the BENTO SNACK? :p The answer is:...........

Bento #16 - My Garden

2009-02-10T19:24:00.001+08:00

Despite that I am not feeling well today, I still come out with this afternoon snack bento together with Reyon's help. Today he wanted to have a Garden theme after seeing Amy's Bento (Shopping Mum) for her kids on caterpillar. So after discussing with him, we agreed to have caterpillar with fruits and cherry tomato, butterfly and flower bread with cheese for our Garden Bento.

Can you spot the caterpillar? We actually, use red grapes, strawberry slices and 1 cherry tomato for the head and I thread them together using a wooden skewer and place some spring onion curls as the tail....... These two beautiful butterflies are done by Reyon. He helps me to cut the butterflies out from the kiwi slices and stick the eyes using black sesame seeds.

Bento #15 - Stamp Bread

2009-02-09T20:58:00.011+08:00

Today's Bento theme is about Stamps. I just got a zigzag cutter from Daiso..... Now that Daiso have a new Branch near my house area, I always drop by to peep and see they whether they have a new items on the shelf. And so coincide, on Saturday I actually bum into one of my blog friend, Tona whom I have not meet before since we knew each other till now for almost 3 years. It was really so surprised and excited to meet friend that we have being corresponding thru Blog and emails........ Hope we will have another chance to meet up and let the kids get to play while we can sit down and chit chat more on our new hobby which is Kid's Bento making....

As you read from my blogs, you actually knew that Reyon loves to collect recycle envelopes and he indeed have a wide collection of envelopes. He even made a little Post Box out of a recycle parcel box.

Since I am not feeling well today(down with sore throat and fever), I don't really have the strength or idea on what to prepare for Reyon's breakfast bento. So I just fix a quick bento by preparing Stamp Bread using the new 2 in 1 Zigzag Cutter that I bought.

Bento #14 - Smiley Face

2009-02-08T15:43:00.004+08:00

This morning Breakfast theme is on Smiley Face because Rey is feeling better today as he had down with flu for about 4 days. Yesterday he choose to have a sad and dull face for his Pizza Boy while today, he requested a Smiley Face on his jam sandwich Ritz Crackers.

Look at this cheeky boy on the pictures, he still can pose so many interesting expression while taking his breakfast. On the 2nd picture in the 1st column, you can see that he is choosing which item to start with. Although making these bento are a bit time consuming but then it's full of fun when you see your kids eating them with joy.

#Bento 13 - Noodle, Sausage & Egg

2009-02-07T15:34:00.004+08:00

Since Rey is not feeling well, he requested for something light but not porridge for dinner. So I decided to give him some noodles, blanched broccoli, scramble egg and mini taiwan sausage as his dinner.

Bent0 #12 - Pizza Boy

2009-02-07T09:39:00.004+08:00

This morning, I made this set of Pizza Boy bento for Reyon. Since he is down with flu these few days, he requested to have a boy with a sick face on it to show that he is not feeling well. I add in some strawberries and tangerine for him to make the bento more colour to lift up his appetite. To make him happy, I also add in some chocolate mushroom caps on his request.

Look at the way, this little greedy monster eat.... He doesn't look sick at all right? Hahaha......

Bento #11 - Jungle Parade

2009-02-03T21:53:00.006+08:00

This is an interesting design as Reyon requested to have a Jungle Theme Bento Snack for School. So we came out with this ideas of making some Forest Animals, logs and Trees. Actually I still thought of adding some Toadstool Mushroom using Apples but then the size of the bento is quiet limited to arrange all these items in. But in the end I just slot in some tangerine slices to secure the bread from moving and stuffs some dried fruits for extra bites and colouring.

We made these Mini Trees Monster on top of some logs(the mini sausages) from quail eggs and parsley sprig. I cut a two thin slices out in the low portion to form the mouth of the monster. Maybe next time I should stick some seaweed strips to make the sharp teeth :) I stick black sesame seeds for the eyes and sprig of parsley as the branches. Reyon love these little Monster .........

The story of this Bento goes on like this from what Reyon recites the story. He said the story is about some Foxes and Tree Monsters eyeing on the forest animals and they are planning on how to eat the little animals. The tangerine slices act as rocks for them to hide.

Bento #10 - Simple Meal, Interesting Art

2009-02-01T21:05:00.007+08:00

After so many days of heavy meals during Chinese New Year, I can't think of what to cook or eat for Sunday dinner. So after much struggling and thoughts, Reyon suggest that he wanted a sea creature themes on noodles. So I run through my bento accessories boxes in the pantry and come up with this....... "Seafood Noodles".

A simple Instant Noodle can be turn into an interesting meal if you put in some time and effort. It took me and Reyon about 30 minutes or less to come up with it. First, I use a small non-stick saucepan to cook the omelet and I fill it with water and start cooking the noodles while Reyon helps me to cut out the fishes from the omelet and ham. When the noodles is cooking, I cut out the Octopus and Crabs from mini hotdog. Next I removed the cooked noodles and place it on one side of the plate, then I blanched the broccoli using the same water for a while till half cooked, removed and arrange at one side to form as the water plants.

Next I throw in the cut ham, octopus and crab and cooked until done. Removed the arrange everything on the plate with the noodles then place some black sesame as the eyes of the sea creatures. If you don't have black sesame seeds you can replace it with cut seaweed sheet.

Related Topic:
1. Seafood Melody

Bento #9 - Bearish Bread

2009-01-29T21:19:00.005+08:00

This morning, I made this Bearish Bread School Tea-Break Bento for Reyon. As I was kind of in a rush, I just made a simple and quick one as he requested bear shape bread. Luckily I have pre-cut the bread shape bread on the night before, so in the morning, I just sandwich the bread with his favour Nutella and top the surface of the bread with cheese slices as the ears and nose. And lastly, I used my newly bought mini smiley craft punchers to form the features. After the bread is done, I arrange some cherry tomatoes and grapes between the spacing in order to secure the bread from moving around and also to add more colours to the meal.

Upon seeing this when getting ready for school, Reyon even gave names to the 4 bears like: papa bear, mummy bear, ah ma bear and baby bears.......according to the different features he choose.

Bento #8 - Bear & Sausage Grassland

2009-01-27T20:25:00.004+08:00

This Bento preparation is getting more and more interesting. I can't believed that I am actually doing it at least more than thrice a week... Yeah!!! Keep the spirit going :) Today is the 2nd Day of Chinese Lunar New Year. After long hour of house visiting, I am too tired to cook so I decided to make something instant and simple.

Upon Reyon's request, I made this Bear & Sausage Bento. I use a bear shape pancake mould to shape the rice in order, then balanced some broccoli florets in a pot of lightly salty water and arrange them like grass at the base of the bento box. Next, I pan-fry some sausage slices and quail eggs and I used a small heart-shape cookie cutter to cut a heart-shape out of the quail egg. Lastly, I arrange some cheese stars on the broccoli and cherry tomato and grape as the crown for the bear.

Bento #7 - Bear & Baked Quail Egg

2009-01-24T18:46:00.003+08:00

This afternoon we are having this Cod Fish Bear Shape Onigiri serve with Baked Cherry Tomato with Quail Egg and some fresh fruits. My son love to have his rice mixed with the pan-fry cod fish fillet when I mould it into any shape of Onigiri. Today, I tried to baked some quail egg using the cherry tomato as a shell base. My son is very particular with fruits and he doesn't like Raspberry as the texture is kind of soft and marshy.

Bento #6 - Ham & Cheese Bear Sandwiches

2009-01-22T20:22:00.005+08:00

Today's Bento breakfast will be simple Ham and Cheese Bear serve with some fruits. My son loves this small tangerine which is sweet and juice compare to Strawberry which he finds it a bit sour.

I made these ham and cheese bear sandwiches using the new Pooh Cutter which I have bought a few months ago. This set of cutter come in two different ring mould which allows you to cut out the shape of the face as well as the tiny features. While I use the mini pooh vegetable cutter to cut the pooh head cheese that place on top of the tangerine.

Bento #5 - Buttermilk Cinnimon Pancakes

2009-01-18T20:21:00.004+08:00

Recently, I am into Bento making especially designing for Kid's meals. After admiring some of the blogger mummy making those cute and fantastic bento for their kids, I also have the motivation to start my very own bento making series for my dear son.

Over the time, I have collected some varieties of assorted cookie cutters and bento accessories which can enable me to do simple bento. If you are interested in bento making you can actually grab some simple bento accessories from Daiso which they have 4 branches over in Singapore, or you can purchase other unique items online.

For this weekend snack bento, I use the animal shape cutter to cut out a few Teddy Bears and Hippo from the Buttermilk Pancakes slices then decorate the features with some cut-out cheese. I also made some Strawberries Honey Mint Sauce to serve with the pancake.

Pooh Pineapple Tarts

2009-01-17T20:41:00.003+08:00

Gong Xi Gong Xi!!!!! Gong Xi Fatt Chai!!! In about a week time, on 26 January 2009 will be the 1st day of Chinese Lunar New Year. On this special day, all the family members, relatives and friends will get together and enjoy meals, goodies and spent valuable times together.

Every year around 1 or 2 weeks before Chinese New Year, we will always spent some time to make some Chinese New Year cookies for the family. And Pineapple tarts is always the "MUST DO LIST" because it is one of our family favourite cookies out of all the range. This year I made Reyon's favourite pineapple tarts into Pooh Face Shape and he was very excited about it. Too bad I don't have an Ox shape cutter to do Ox shape tarts despite it is the year of Ox for 2009.

Lastly I wish all reader a Happy and Prosper Chinese New Year!!!!!!

Cod & Wolfberries Porridge

2008-12-28T21:24:00.008+08:00

Cook this quick and easy nutritious porridge for our dinner. I have turned this simple dish into two version that suits both kid and adult. I cooked the porridge with some wolfberries until almost done then I add in the half-cooked pan-fry cod fish and continue to simmer till done.

Wolfberries can strengthens our body and bones, supplements kidneys and energy, nurses liver and clarifies eyes. It also cultivates energy and aids yang bodies, moistness lungs and stops coughing. Whereas Cod is a popular fish with a mild flavor, low fat content and a dense white flesh that flakes easily. The use of cod fillet is to prevent bone that might be found inside the fillet and cause hazard to kid when they consume.

If your kid is not fancy of eating fish, this is a good dish which i find it suitable to incorporate fish into their meal, as the porridge is ready to be serve, you can just check for bone in the fillet then mash it together with the porridge and feed the kid, the texture and colour of the cod fillet blend well with the porridge and the kid don't really notice the existing of the fish...... :)

Ingredients: (serves 2)
1/2 - 3/4 cup of uncooked rice
1 Medium Size Cod Fillet, around 100 - 120g
1/2 Tablespoon of Wolfberries, rinse
600ml - 700ml Water
1 Century Egg, roughly chopped

Methods:
1) Wash the rice and soaked it with the require amount of water for about 30 minutes before cooking so that the texture of the porridge will be nicer and easier to cook through.
2) Next cook the porridge accordingly. While cooking the porridge, rinse, check for bones and marinate the cod fillet with some soy sauce, pepper and dust with some cornflour.
3) Next heat up a non-stick pan and lightly grease it with some oil then pan-fry the cod fillet, skin side down for about 2 minutes till sightly brown on both sides. (the purpose of pan-fry the cod fillet is to keep it whole while adding into the porridge and also the oil of the cod fillet will actually enhance the favour of the porridge)
4. Remove the half-cooked fillet and set aside.
5. When the porridge is half-way done (you can test by press the grain of the rice to see whether is it soft), put in the cod fillet and wolfberries and continue to simmer till the porridge is done.
6. If the content is too dry, you can add in more HOT water to dilute to the texture that you prefer. (usual I use my themo magic cooker to make the porridge as it require lesser time and it also able to keep the porridge warm till we are ready to consume)
7. When the porridge is ready to serve, remove the kid's portion of the porridge, add in some mashed code fillet(you can mash the cod fillet a separate bowl in order to check for bones) and serve warm.
8. As for the adult, you can add in the century eggs and serve with some shallot oil, pepper and etc....

Note:
a) If you prefer to add more fish, you can choose a bigger portion.
b) The use of the century egg is optional if you don't prefer.

You can also check on my other recipes using which use Cod Fillet @ COD RECIPES.

Peanut Butter French Toast

2008-12-28T18:37:00.003+08:00

Since today our Sunday service had being change to a later timing, I decided to make a hearty Breakfast for the day. After eating Peanut Butter French Toast from one of the Hong Kong cafe, I decided to try out this dish using my own method. But I didn't really managed to get that puffy and crunch bread like what I had eaten in that cafe :(

So from what you seen here, it's just normal sandwich bread that I spread with Peanut Butter and pan-fry with beaten egg then serve with extra honey and butter. In order to cut that that grease effect, I serve it with some orange wedges and grapes to make it more healthy.

P/s:
If anyone of you know any good and proof method for making this nice Hong Kong Style French Toast, do drop me an email/comment to advise me can? Thanks.

Pooh Apple Tea-Cake

2008-11-16T22:19:00.015+08:00

This is our Sunday afternoon Tea-Break which I specially made for Reyon using the Mini Pooh Silicon Mould that one of our friend bought for us from Japan. Since I have a few apples sitting in the fridge for some time, I decided to use ti to make this sweet and soft Pooh Apple Tea-Cake.

From the two pictures, which set of pooh do you prefer? The one with chocolate outline or the one without? As for me, I find that the colour of the end products are rather too pale compare to what it suppose to be. So I was joking with Reyon that these Mini Pooh is rather too fair and they need to go for some sun tanning........ :p

This Apple Tea-Cake is rather easy to make and it is sort of using the similar concept as the Mango Jam Cake where you put the filling in between the cake batter and bake. But before you start off with the cake batter you have to prepare the Candied Apple first. For my candied apple, I add in extra golden raisin and RUM to enhance the favour.

Ingredient For Candied Apple:
3 Green Apple, peel and cored
60g Sugar
2 Tablespoon of Golden Raisin
4 Tablespoons RUM(optional)
2 Tablespoon Water

Methods:
1. Wash, peel and cored the apple, then cut into small cubes and place all the ingredients into a small heavy-based saucepan and cooked over medium low heat for about 15 - 20 minutes.
2. Stir occasionally and cooked till the apples cubes are almost transparent (like picture 3 on row 2 shown above) .
3. Remove from the pan and set aside to cool.

Ingredients For Cake Batter:
260g Cake Flour
1 Teaspoon Baking Powder
180g Butter, soften
140g Sugar
2 Medium Size Egg
2 Green Apple, peel and grated
1 Tablespoon Lemon Juice

Methods:
1. Sift the flour and baking powder together and set aside.
2. Cream the butter and sugar together until pale and white. (after 5 minutes on medium speed)
3. Slowly fold in half of the flour mixture and give it a few stir till combined, then grate in 1 apple and lemon juice.
4. Give the mixture a few stir and then add in the second half of the flour and grate in the remaining apple and stir the mixture till well combine.
5. Next pipe or scold 1/4 of the batter into the muffin cup or mould then top with 1/2 Tablespoon of the candied apple and fill the batter to about 3/4 cup fill.
6. Bake in the preheat 180 degree oven for about 15 - 18 minutes, test it with a skewer around 15 minutes.

Notes:
a) This quantity fills about 12 medium size muffin cups
b) If you do not have any RUM, you can replace it with 80ml of Apple Juice

Double-Boiled Snow Frog Jelly

2008-11-12T19:05:00.005+08:00

Snow Jelly is an extract taken from the female of a frog species, which live in the forest of Jiang Baishan mountainous region in Northeast China. Known originally as "Hashima" a Korean name, it is now widely known in English as Snow Jelly. The product has been tested and found to contain high levels of protein (amino acids), minerals such as iron, phosphorus, magnesium and potassium as well as vitamins B1 and B2. Best of all, its cholesterol-free! The benefits of consuming Snow Jelly is to strengthen the internal organs especially the lungs and also for a healthier skin complexion. The benefits derived are similar to consuming bird's nest except that Snow Jelly is available at a fraction of the cost.

So for our Today's Special on Dessert, we will be having Double-boiled Snow Frog Jelly with soy milk and gingko nuts. Soy milk (also called soya milk, soybean milk, or soy juice) and sometimes referred to as soy drink/beverage is a beverage made from soy beans. Soy milk contains about the same proportion of protein as cow's milk. It has little saturated fat and no cholesterol, which is a benefit.

Ingredients: (serves 2 - 3)
3 Cups of Unsweetened Soy Milk(豆浆)
5g Snow Frog Jelly(雪蛤), soak till expand
15 - 20g Ginkgo Nuts(白果)
Rock Sugar to taste

Methods:
1. Rinse and soak the snow frog jelly according to the package instruction and remove any dirt accordingly. Drain and set aside.
2. Rinse and marinate the ginkgo nuts with about 2 teaspoons of sugar for about 15 minutes.
3. Bring the soy milk to boil then add in the ginkgo nuts and let it return to boil again.
4. Transfer the soy milk mixture into a double-boiled and double-boiled for about 30 minutes then add in the snow frog jelly(the soak and expand jelly) and rock sugar and continue to stew for another 20 - 30 minutes.
5. You can serve it either cold or warm.

Note:
a) Usually I bought the Snow frog jelly from "Hockhua Tonic(福华) " which they called it the Crystal Haishma (水晶雪蛤).
b) I used those pre-pack Ginkgo Nuts which can get from most supermarket in the vegetable chiller section.

Kiddy Picnic & Dinner Bento

2008-11-09T21:50:00.005+08:00

Recently due to my busy working schedule and cloudy weather which is often rains in the early morning, Reyon and I have not being to our favourite Picnic for quiet sometime and that actually upset our little friend. He really missed the beach, the water and especially the shell picking......... So today, early in the morning, since the weather is pretty good..... we quickly get ready our Picnic Snack Bento and set off for the picnic(you can read more Here).

In this snack lunchbox, I include the some ready-bought pastries which I cut it into bite-size then for the bottom layout Reyon add in all his favourite snack items and tata...... we have our snack bento box ready in no time.

On Sunday afternoon, before we went out for a short shopping trip with Grandma, I also prepared a mini Dinner Bento upon Reyon's request. He wanted to have some assorted Mini Onigiri on the top layer then in the bottom layer, I gave him some extra Fish floss to go with the Onigiri, Chocolate and Crackers for Dessert. He loves this way of presenting his dinner and to our surprised he finished everything up within less than 15 minutes.

Bake Choco Banana With Prata Skin

2008-11-02T21:16:00.007+08:00

Tata.... My 1st dessert upon the re-opening of Cuisine Paradise Foodblogs after the restructure of blog layouts. Have you ever tried the combination of chocolate and banana before. I guess most of you have tried Banana Chocolate Cake in most of the bakery shop before and the taste it perfectly well match right?

This afternoon I made this Bake Choco Banana with Prata Skin for our tea-break. I spread a thin layer of Nutella on a piece of frozen Prata Skin and wrapped it up with banana. After baking into golden parcel, I served it with some orange wedges and drizzle the banana parcel with some white chocolate and dust with chocolate powder. You can also served it with an extra scoop of ice-cream for a more sinful treats.

Ingredients:
1 Piece of Frozen Prata Skin
1 Medium Size Banana, not too ripe
Some Nutella Spread
Melted White Chocolate, optional
Orange Wedges
Some Strawberry Jam, optional
Cocoa Powder for dusting

Methods:
1. Spread a thin layer of Nutella onto a Frozen Prata Skin and place the banana on one end of the skin and roll it up like a sausage roll.
2. You can tuck in both sides of the pastry so that the chocolate will not leak out during baking.
3. You can baked in a pre-heat, 180 degree oven for about 10 minutes, turning about 5 minutes to bake it evenly and let it have a nice and even golden brown.
4. For my case, I baked it in a oven toast so it took a longer time to get the whole parcel evenly brown which is about 15 minutes.
5. When the parcel is slightly cool, arrange it on the place, drizzle it with melted white chocolate and serve with some extra orange wedges and strawberry jam.

Notes:
a) You can get any brand of frozen Prata Skin from any leading supermarket in Singapore.
b) If you don't prefer Orange wedges, you can serve it with any fruit of your choice.
c) If you wan it to cook in a faster way, you can cut the banana into slices and arrange on one side of the prata skin then fold the skin into half like a semi-circle and bake.

Mango Jam Cake

2008-10-19T19:30:00.007+08:00

What about having some freshly baked Mango Jam Cake for Morning Tea using some Homemade Mango Jam and serve with a cup of tea. This little Mango gem is soft and cotton like for the cake texture, juice and fragrant for the mango jam and as well, topped with some almond flake which give it a nutty flavour when they combined together.

The making process and ingredients are very similar to the previous batch of Baked Plum RUM Cake. The different between them is for Mango Jam Cake, I used the Homemade mango jam to fill the cake and topped it with extra almond flakes.

Ingredients: (makes about 15 mini cakes)
80g Butter, room temperature
60g Sugar
1 Medium Size egg, lightly beaten
5 Tablespoons Mango Puree (get from Phoon Huat)
100g Plain Yogurt(thick texture type)
100g Cake Flour
1/2 Teaspoon Baking Powder
1/4 Teaspoon Mango Essence, optional
30 - 40g Almond Flakes, lightly toasted
Snow Powder/Icing Sugar, for dusting
Apricot Glazing Gel, optional

Methods:
1. Sift the flour and baking powder in a mixing bowl and set aside.
2. Cream the butter and sugar till creamy and white (about 5 mins), then slowly add in the egg mixture in 2 addition after beating into the butter mixture.
3. Next add in 2 tablespoon of the mango puree, 1/3 of the plain yogurt and 1/3 of the flour mixture and beat well.
4. Continue adding the puree, yogurt and flour mixture till all used up.
5. Next spoon or pipe 1/4 full of the batter into the cup case, top with 1 teaspoon of mango jam then top with the remaining batter till almost 3/4 full.
6. Repeat for the rest of the cup till all the batter use up then topped the cake with some lightly toasted almond flakes.
7. Baked in a preheat 170 degree oven for about 15 minutes or so depending on the size of the cake.

When the cake is out of the oven, cool it slightly for about 15 minutes or so. You can either brush it with some warm apricot gel or dust it with some snow powder and serve with some fruits and tea..........

Note:
a) You can get either Pauls - Natural Yogurt or Farmers Union Greek Style Yogurt.
b) If you do not have any Apricot Glazing Gel, you can replace it with 4 tablespoons Apricot jam that is warm up with 1/2 tablespoon for hot water in microwave up medium heat.
c) If you do not have any mango puree at home, you can omit it and replace it with another 3 tablespoons of plain yogurt.

Homemade Mango Jam

2008-10-18T21:07:00.007+08:00

The name Mango is from the Malayalam word 'Manga' which was introduced to Europe from Calicut by the Portuguese in late fifteenth century during the spice trade. The ripe fruit is variable in size and color, and may be yellow, orange, red or green when ripe, depending on the cultivate. Mangoes are used in chutney; Western recipes are often sweet and so use ripe mangoes, but in the Indian subcontinent is usually made with sour, unripe mangoes and hot chilis or limes.

Mango is rich in a variety of phytochemicals and nutrients that qualify it as a model "superfruit", a term used to highlight potential health value of certain edible fruits. The fruit is high in prebiotic dietary fiber, vitamin C, polyphenols and carotenoids

After the Strawberry and Plum Jam, Tracy and I are kind of into jam making craze so on the 3rd batch of trial. We decided to test it on Mango which is commonly found in the local fruit stall. But I guess you won't be able to find mango jam or mango chutney in Singapore. So if you are a mango lover why not test out this lovely mango jam and you can use it for cakes or tarts filling too..... Like eg. I used this Mango Jam to make Mango Jam Cake.

Ingredients: (make about 250g jam)
3 Medium Size Ripe Mango, about 2 cups of cut fruits
1/4 Cup of Sugar
1 Tablespoon of Lime Juice
1 Lime Rind

Methods:
1. Peel and cut the mango into small cubes and combine all the ingredients in a heavy duty saucepan and cook on medium heat, stirring in between.
2. The sugar will melt and the fruit will break down within 5 - 7 minutes (refer to the picture above).
3. At first, the mixture will be soggy and watery but after another 5 minutes or so, it will bind together into solid and smooth texture.(the whole process takes about 15 - 20 minutes, remember to stir in between to prevent it getting burnt)
4. Turn off the heat and let it cool completely and store in a clean jar and store in the fridge.

Notes:
a) The taste and fragrant of this mango jam will varies from the type of mango that you use.

Homemade Plum Jam

2008-10-09T22:07:00.008+08:00

Nothing beat the Freshly Homemade Jam using fresh fruits as you can control the amount of sugars as well as no preservative is added during the making process. After the Strawberry Jam making, Tracy and I continue to experience with different kind of fruits to make jam for our kids. Do you believed that I made these Plum Jam in just less than 30 minutes late in the night after hearing Tracy great comments on her Plum Jam :)

As you can see from the picture, the process of making Plum Jam is actually more or else the same as making Strawberry Jam. The Plum Jam actually thicken faster and the texture is more gel like compare to strawberry jam due to the pectin in it. If you like those a bit sweet and sour taste jam, do give this a try......

Ingredients:
5 - 6 Sweet Red Plum
1/2 Cup Sugar
1 Tablespoon of Lime Juice

Methods:
1. Wash and stone the plum then cut it into small cubes and place together with the rest of the ingredients in a heavy based saucepan and cook over medium heat till it boil.
2. Place a saucer into the freezer to chill as you'll need this when you come to test the setting point of the jam.
3. Reduce heat to medium and cook, stirring constantly and skimming foam as necessary.
4. Cook about 10 minutes, until mixture begins to look syrupy and thickens slightly. 7
5. Spoon ½ teaspoon of the hot mixture onto the cold saucer and let it rest for 30 seconds. Tip the saucer to one side; jam should be a soft gel that moves slightly.
6. If mixture is thin and runs down side of plate, the gel is too soft. Cook jam 1 to 2 minutes longer, stirring constantly and repeat the test again.
7. Once the mixture is stiff enough remove from the heat and start filling the jam bottle.

Notes:
a) Don't be panic if you happen to see some water or juice form when cooking the fruits. It will evaporate and thicken when continue to cook.

Baked Plum & Rum Cake

2008-10-09T22:05:00.014+08:00

I had never being a fan of "Plum" before until Tracy gave me the Plum Chutney and I started to fall in love with it. I find that these little plum taste even better when baked or even made into Plum Jam. In this recipe I would like to share with you on how to make use of plum which is in season to make it into a mini plum cake that will melt in your mouth and taste sort of like Baked Japanese Cheesecake.

You can use any kind of plum that is in season either red or black. For this recipe, I happen to have these sweet red plum in the fridge so I decided to try out this recipe. The texture of the cake is very soft, fine and cotton like and guess what, most of my friends who tried it comments that it taste like baked cheesecake despite that there is isn't any cream cheese content.

Ingredients: (makes about 15 mini cakes)
80g Butter, room temperature
60g Sugar
1 Medium Size egg, lightly beaten
100g Plain Yogurt(thick creamy type)
100g Cake Flour
1/2 Teaspoon Baking Powder
Apricot Glazing Gel, (Optional)

Methods:
1. Sift the flour and baking powder in a mixing bowl and set aside.
2. Cream the butter and sugar till creamy and white (about 5 mins), then slowly add in the egg mixture in 2 addition after beating into the butter mixture.
3. Next add in 1 tablespoon of the RUM mixture, 1/3 of the plain yogurt and 1/3 of the flour mixture and beat well.
4. Repeat the procedure until all the mixture is used up.
5. Next spoon or pipe almost 3/4 full of the batter into the cup case and top it with one or two slices of the RUM plum.
6. Repeat for the rest of the cup till all the batter use up.
7. Baked in the preheat 170 degree oven for about 15 - 18 minutes depending on the size of the cake.
8. When the cakes are slightly warm, brush the top with some Apricot glazing to give it a shiny look.

Plum Topping:
3 Red Plum, cut into wedges
50ml RUM
2 Tablespoons Brown Sugar

Methods:
1. Cut the plum into wedges of 6 each and mixed well with the RUM and brown sugar and set aside in the fridge to absorb the favour for at least 30 minutes.
2. Removed the plum wedges from the RUM mixture and drain well to remove any excess liquid then reserved the RUM mixture.

Note:
a) You can get either Pauls - Natural Yogurt or Farmers Union Greek Style Yogurt.
b) If you do not have any Apricot Glazing Gel, you can replace it with 4 tablespoons Apricot jam that is warm up with 1/2 tablespoon for hot water in microwave up medium heat.

Homemade Strawberry Jam

2008-10-01T20:46:00.006+08:00

Since Strawberries are in season now and the supermarkets are also having sale on it. I decided to grab a few boxes of fresh strawberries to try making some Strawberry Jam. To my surprised they really turn out well and it taste fruit and fragrant and you can also control the sweetness of the jam. The different between these two is Jam is made from chunk or slices of fruit pieces. Preserves are made from whole fruit, or at least larger pieces.

And how easily a jam sets depends on the pectin content of the fruit. Some fruits, such as gooseberries, redcurrants, blackcurrants, citrus fruits, apples and raspberries, set very well; others, such as strawberries and ripe blackberries, often need to have pectin added.

Fruit preserves refers to fruits or vegetables that have been prepared and canned for long term storage. The preparation of fruit preserves traditionally involves the use of pectin as a gelling agent, although sugar or honey may be used as well.

Jams are usually made from pulp and juice of one fruit, rather than a combination of several fruits. Berries and other small fruits are most frequently used, though larger fruits such as apricots, peaches, or plums cut into small pieces or crushed are also used for jams. Good jam has a soft even consistency without distinct pieces of fruit, a bright color, a good fruit flavor and a semi-jellied texture that is easy to spread but has no free liquid. The fruit is heated with water and sugar to activate the pectin in the fruit and the mixture is then put into containers.

For the 1st batch of my jam making I used fresh strawberries slices with sugar, candied ginger, lemon juice and lemon rind. The candied ginger really give a bite and fragrant taste to the final product.

Ingredients: (make about 1 to 1 1/4 cup)
2 Cups of Strawberries Slices
1/2 Cup Of Castor Sugar
1 Tablespoon Of Candied Ginger
Rind of 1 Lemon
1 Tablespoon Lemon Juice

Methods:
1. Rinse the strawberries in a basin of water the check for soft spots (which must be removed) and discard any berries with bruises and sliced them into equal thickness.
2. Place a saucer into the freezer to chill as you'll need this when you come to test the setting point of the jam.
3. Next bring a pot of water with jam bottle in it to a boil and boil them for 10 minutes or so to sterilize them, removed and invert for them to dry.
4. Place all the above ingredients in a heavy-duty saucepan(choose a slightly higher saucepan as the mixture will rise as it boils) and bring to boil over medium high heat and stirring occasionally .
5. Reduce heat to medium and cook, stirring constantly and skimming foam as necessary.
6. Cook about 10 minutes, until mixture begins to look syrupy and thickens slightly.
7. Spoon ½ teaspoon of the hot mixture onto the cold saucer and let it rest for 30 seconds. Tip the saucer to one side; jam should be a soft gel that moves slightly.
8. If mixture is thin and runs down side of plate, the gel is too soft. Cook jam 1 to 2 minutes longer, stirring constantly and repeat the test again.
9. Once the mixture is stiff enough remove from the heat and start filling the jam bottle.
10. Let the jam cool and screw the cap on, the jam needs to be refrigerated to prevent mold from forming.

Note:
a) To get 2 cups of sliced strawberries you need about roughly 1 1/2 - 2 boxes of strawberries which is about 20 - 25 depending on the sizes.
b) This homemade jam can be kept refrigerate for about 2 weeks.

Upon the success of the 1st batch of homemade strawberry jam, I decided to try another round using slightly different ingredients. I have omitted the candied ginger and I replaced the lemon rind and juice with Lime instead. And this 2nd batch of Strawberry Jam do taste much fragrant and refreshing without the ginger taste. The methods of making will the same as above, just replace the lemon with lime. Do give this a try and you will realised that actually making jam is so much easier and it's so fresh to eat homemade jam.

PassionMisu

2008-09-27T21:55:00.012+08:00

I guess you have either heard or tried making or eating Tiramisu before. It is actually one of the most popular Italian desserts which is made of savoiardi (lady fingers) dipped in coffee and mascarpone cream. But for our this week menu, I am trying something new which I called it PassionMisu. The key ingredient use it Passionfruit as this weekend my blogging is base on cookign with FRESH FRUIT. This PassionMisu is to serve with the main course known as Salmon with Passionfruit Sauce.

For this PassionMisu dessert, I used mini sponge cake (kueh Bolu) instead of the traditional savoiardi (lady fingers). I dipped it in Mango juice and spread it with layers of Passionfruit yogurt cream. This is indeed one of the Quick and Easy way to make an easy and impressive dessert for guest.

If you are not keen with passionfruit, you can always replaced it with the traditional Tiramisu ingredients like coffee and mascarpone cream. Or you can use this method by changing the type of fruits to either strawberries, mango or even durian and you can get a wonderful and easy dessert in no time.

Ingredients: (serves 2)
80ml Fresh Mango/Passionfruit Juice
10 - 15 Mini Sponge Cake(kueh bolu)
1/2 or more Tablespoon of Cocoa Powder, dusting

Methods:
1. Cut the passionfruits into halves and remove the pulps and set aside.
2. Cut the sponge cake into halves (side-way) then gently dip the cut side in the juice and arranged it in base of the serving cups or container.
3. Spread a layer of the passionfruit yogurt cream on top and top with another layer of sponge cake dipped with juice.
4. Repeat the top with another layer of the yogurt cream.
5. Wrap the top with clear wrap and put in the freezer for about 10 minutes to get the top almost firm to touch.
6. Dust with generous amount of cocoa powder and decorate with some fruits or extra passionfruit pulp if desire.

Ingredients for Passionfruit Yogurt Cream:
2 Fresh Passionfruits, collect about 3 1/2 tablespoons of pulps
150g Mango/Plain Yogurt
1/2 Teaspoon of Sugar
30ml Mango Juice/Plain Water
1 1/2 Teaspoons of Gelatin Powder

Methods:
1. Dissolve the gelatin powder in the mango juice over simmering water or microwave on medium heat for 30 seconds(stop in between 10 second and stir till dissolve).
2. Next, mix the yogurt and passionfruit pulp together till well combine then stir in sugar and melted gelatin solution.
3. Set aside the mixture for spreading on the sponge cake.

Notes:
a) I arranged mine in a 2 oval baking dish which is 12cm by 8cm in measurement.

Bento #4 - Ham & Cheese Sandwiches

2008-09-08T21:05:00.002+08:00

A wonderful and healthy lunch is just as important as a hearty breakfast. Today is Monday, the starting of the week again so I decided to make something hearty and healthy for lunch. Since I have bought some shave honey baked ham and wholemeal bread on Sunday. I decided to some ham and cheese sandwich to go with the apple and cucumber sticks for lunch.

My son and I love the Apple Dipper from Mac Donald so I got the idea of making my own Apple and Cucumber dipper with Caramel Sauce and it really taste great for a starter. I have slightly toasted the bread slices before adding cheese, ham, tomato and cucumber slices to it. I wrap it nicely with foil and baking paper then tie with baking string to that they can sit up straight side by side. As for the dessert, I serve it with two cubes of the Macadamia Nuts & Chocolate Fudge Brownies which we made on Sunday afternoon.

Macadamia Nut & Chocolate Fudge Brownies

2008-09-07T18:40:00.005+08:00

Made this Macadamia Nut & Chocolate Fudge Brownies this afternoon based on the same recipe that I used for Dual Chocolate Fudge Brownie(click here for recipe). This round, I add in macadamia nut instead of white chocolate and I had reduce the oven temperature to 170 degree instead of 180 degree. I cut short the baking time to about 23 minutes and it did improved the inner texture a bit but then it is still not as sticky as I expected. Maybe I shall try to reduce the timing to about 18 - 20 minutes instead and add in maybe another one more row of chocolate..... hehehe... Overall this round it did taste better, more moist and soft. Reyon ate two slices immediately after it is slightly cool off from the tray.

Bento #3 - Mr Pooh

2008-09-04T21:03:00.002+08:00

Another day of Simple lunch bento. Today's menu will be Pooh Ham and Cheese Sandwiches served with Pooh Head print hard-boiled egg and some Prunes wedges. I starts to find it so interesting to prepare our own bento lunchbox. Although it might be just some simple food but the taste and sight is much more heart warming, nothing compare to homemade lunchbox especially it is with the help of my little Reyon.

As usual, we prepared most of the ingredients the night before so that in the morning it won't be so rush to get everything ready within limited time. Reyon enjoys the process of helping me out on my lunch bento and it's also a way of our bonding time to prepare something together. We have the bread, ham and cheese cut then kept either in the box or fridge. So on the next day morning, reyon will be able to help me assemble them while I pan-fry the ham and boil the egg. I tried not to overwork ourself on the preparation process so I only plan to bring bento lunch either twice or three time a week. Reyon loves this bento set very much especially the Pooh Egg, he even protest that I cannot take the egg which is one of his favourite snack :)

You can find the sample of the cutter and mould use on these links:
1. Medium Size Pooh Cutter
2. Small Size Pooh Cutter
3. Pooh Egg Mould