Pound Cake

This pound cake is the result of the above shameful acts. It’s a classic pound cake recipe on Better Homes and Garden, May 2009 issue. The pound cake photos look velvety, deliciously dense, moist, and just perfect. I had to tear the pages off and try the pound cake recipe at home.

My pound cake turned out quite good except one flaw–I used coarse organic cane sugar and didn’t cream the butter and sugar long enough to break the sugar. It was a good pound cake nonetheless.

Pound Cake Recipe
Adapted from Better Homes and Garden, May 2009 issue
Prep: 20 min. Bake: 1 1/4 hour; Oven: 300 degree F
Makes two loaves or four mini-loaves or one 10-inch tube cake

Ingredients:

6 eggs (room temperature)
1 cup unsalted butter (8 oz.), cut into 1/2-inch pieces
8 oz. cold cream cheese, cut into 1-inch pieces
2 1/2 cups fine sugar
1 teaspoon kosher salt
4 teaspoons pure vanilla (I love the vanilla from I Heart Vanilla)
3 cups sifted cake flour or 2 1/2 cups plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/4 cup sliced almonds

Method:

Butter and lightly flour your 8x4x2 inch loaf pans or one 10-inch tube pan. (I used a mini loaf pan and makes 4 loaves.)

Beat the butter on low speed for 2 minutes and add cream cheese. Beat on low speed for 3 minutes until well-blended. While beating, add sugar, salt, and vanilla and turn the speed to medium speed for about 5 minutes until light and fluffy. Then, add eggs one at a time and continue beating.

Turn the speed to low before adding the flour. Beat the batter until well blended and smooth. Transfer batter into the pan. Shake pan gently to distribute the batter. Run a spatula in zigzag pattern through the batter and then top with sliced almonds.

Place on the pan in the center rack of a cold oven and bake at 300 degree F for 1 hour 15 minutes or until a cake tester comes out dry. If you are using a tube pan, bake for 1 hour 45 minutes. Transfer the pound cake to a cooling rack for about 10 minutes before removing from pans and serving.

Cook’s Note:

Proper creaming is critical for a perfect pound cake. Creaming is the process of blending the butter and sugar together to incorporate air and it usually takes about 5 minutes or until light and fluffy. So, don’t cheat like I did.*wink*

Brazil Food

Marbled Meringue

Here’s one simple confection. It’s not exactly a holiday theme dessert but the appearance and texture of the airy meringue are great for celebrating. The streaks of chocolate through the meringue not only give it a festive
appearance but also a contrast in texture. Bits of chocolate provide a soft creaminess, while the meringue shell gives the crispiness.

Marbled Meringues are simple to make and travel well, so you can take these cloud-like morsels to any gathering.

Happy Holidays and may 2011 brings you good health, sweet treats and delicious dreams.

MARBLED MERINGUE

Make about 18 large (2-inch) or 36 small (1-inch) meringue
recipe by hungry rabbit

INGREDIENTS:

2 ounces bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped, melted and cool.
2 egg whites, large at room temperature
1/8 teaspoon cream of tartar
1/2 cup superfine sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1-1/2 teaspoons cornstarch

METHOD:

Preheat oven to 200℉/93℃ with racks on upper-middle and lower-middle position. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.

Add egg whites to a clean bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment. Beat on medium speed until frothy. Add cream of tartar. In crease sped to medium high and beat to soft peaks, about 2-3 minutes.

Slowly add sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time until combined. Add vanilla and beat for about 3 minutes until stiff and shiny.Sift cornstarch over the meringue and gently fold in with a rubber spatula.

Transfer meringue to a bowl. Drizzle parallel lines of melted chocolate over the surface of the meringue. (Do not stir to marble the meringue, it will happen when in the next step)

Using a spoon, scraped across the surface of the mixture, crosswise to the drizzled lines, to get a rounded mound of striped meringue. Use a second spoon to push mound onto prepared baking sheets, 1-1/2 inches apart.

Continue scooping until you need to drizzle more chocolate. You may not use all the chocolate.

Bake meringue for 30 minutes. Switch the baking sheet from top to bottom and rotated from front to bottom. Bake for another 30 minutes. Turn off oven and fight the urge to open oven door. Leave meringues inside to dry, about another hour.

Eat them immediately or store in an airtight container for up to 4 days.

Vanilla Cheesecake

This is the most basic cheesecake recipe you can work with, but with a couple of touches that kick it up a bit. Firstly, start with really good ingredients, especially the cream cheese. That’s the only way you’re going to get a really fabulous cheesecake. Also, considering making your own graham crackers! It sounds like a lot of work, but it’s totally worth it. I made my own for the first time for this recipe, and it really added a lot of great flavor…

What’s great about cheesecake is you can top it with pretty much anything, fresh fruit, caramel, chocolate shavings, or my favorite, jam. I topped one a traditional cherry and the other with scrumptious orange-elderflower marmalade. Have fun with it!

Basic Vanilla Cheesecake
This will make one regular sized cheesecake, or about 4 of the small 4 inch ones like I made.

Ingredients:

Crust:
1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs
1/3 cup sugar
1/4 cup butter, melted

Filling:
Three (3) 8-ounce packages of cream cheese, softened
1 cup sugar
3 eggs, room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla

Method:

Heat oven to 350 with oven rack in middle. Lightly grease sides of a 9 inch springform pan.

Crust: Combine graham cracker crumbs, sugar and melted butter in a medium bowl. Press crumbs into bottom and slightly upsides of prepared pan.

Filling: Beat cream cheese in bowl of a heavy duty mixer on medium speed until creamy and free of lumps. Scrape down sides of bowl. Gradually add 1 cup of sugar, scraping sides of bowl occasionally, and beat until smooth.

Reduce mixer speed to low and add eggs, one at a time, scraping sides of bowl after each egg is added. Add vanilla and beat just until smooth. Pour batter into crust and smooth the top.

Bake 38 to 43 minutes or until cake edge is set and center still jiggles. Remove cheesecake from oven.

After removing cheesecake from oven, run a small metal spatula around the edge to help prevent cracks. Cheesecakes need to be cooled slowly. Place them on the top of the oven for about 30 minutes and then let them cool to room temperature before refrigerating. Plan to refrigerate for at least 4 hours.

To serve, release sides of springform pan and place cheesecake on serving plate. Dip knife into warm water and wipe dry before cutting slices. Garnish with topping of your choice!

Graham Crackers

Ingredients:

2 1/2 cups plus 2 tablespoons (375 grams) unbleached all-purpose flour
1 cup (176 grams) dark brown sugar, lightly packed
1 teaspoon (6 grams) baking soda
3/4 teaspoon kosher or coarse sea salt (4 grams)
7 tablespoons (3 1/2 ounces or 100 grams) unsalted butter, cut into 1-inch cubes and frozen
1/3 cup (114 grams) mild-flavored honey, such as clover
5 tablespoons (77 grams) milk, full-fat is best
2 tablespoons (27 grams) pure vanilla extract

Topping (optional)
3 tablespoons (43 grams) granulated sugar
1 teaspoon (5 grams) ground cinnamon

Method:

Make the dough: Combine the flour, brown sugar, baking soda, and salt in the bowl of a food processor fitted with the steel blade or in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Pulse or mix on low to incorporate. Add the butter and pulse on and off on and off, or mix on low, until the mixture is the consistency of a coarse meal.
[Alternately, if you don't have a food processor or electric mixer, you can cut the ingredients together with a pastry blender. Just make sure they're very well incorporated.]
In a small bowl, whisk together the honey, milk, and vanilla extract. Add to the flour mixture and pulse on and off a few times or mix on low until the dough barely comes together. It will be very soft and sticky.

Lay out a large piece of plastic wrap and dust it lightly with flour, then turn the dough out onto it and pat it into a rectangle about 1-inch thick. Wrap it, then chill it until firm, about 2 hours or overnight. Meanwhile, prepare the topping, if using, by combining the sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl and setting aside.

Roll out the crackers: Divide the dough in half and return one half to the refrigerator. Sift an even layer of flour onto the work surface and roll the dough into a long rectangle about 1/8 inch thick. The dough will be sticky, so flour as necessary. Trim the edges of the rectangle to 4 inches wide. Working with the shorter side of the rectangle parallel to the work surface, cut the strip every 4 1/2 inches to make 4 crackers.

Place the crackers on one or two parchment-lined baking sheets and sprinkle with the topping. Chill until firm, about 30 to 45 minutes in the fridge or 15 to 20 minutes in the freezer. Repeat with the second batch of dough. Finally, gather any scraps together into a ball, chill until firm, and re-roll.

Adjust the oven rack to the upper and lower positions and preheat the oven to 350°F.
Decorate the crackers: Mark a vertical line down the middle of each cracker, being careful not to cut through the dough. Using a toothpick or skewer, prick the dough to form two dotted rows about 1/2 inch for each side of the dividing line.

Bake for 15 to 25 minutes, until browned and slightly firm to the touch, rotating the sheets halfway through to ensure even baking.

penyaram resipes

INGREDIENTS:
2 cups Rice Flour
1 cup Plain Flour
2 tbsp Coconut Cream Powder (optional)

SYRUP:
1½ cups Hot Water
½ packet Gula Apong (Palm Sugar)
3-5 tbsp Sugar (adjust to your taste)




METHOD:
1. Pour hot syrup into flour mixture and mix well until smooth. Cover and stand for at least 2 hours. For a more spongy result, keep overnight in a fridge.
2. Heat up about 1-2 cups of oil in a smal 8 inch diameter wok which has a deep dome shape in the middle. This will shape the kuih accordingly. Pour 1 scoop of batter in the middle at one spot. The kuih will spread by itself & float. Let the edge expand fully before flipping. Flip and prick the centre of the kuih to release some air & prevent it from exploding. Fry until golden.





Story of Cucur Udang

This weekend, my special Malaysian food to share with the world would be “Cucur Udang” or prawn fritters. Almost every Malaysian’s favorite, prawn fritters are eaten as evening tea snacks or as an appetizer to main meals. Cucur Udang is also commonly known amongst Malaysians as “jemput jemput udang“, “jemput” meaning “invitation” and “udang” being “shrimps”. It is called “jemput” because of the bite-size of the fritters.

Other Malaysian favorite fritters are Cucur Bawang (onion fritters), Cucur Ikan Bilis (anchovies fritters), Cucur Jagung Manis (sweet corn fritters) and Cucur Badak (hippo fritters… well, direct translation that is but it is called so because of its roundness!). So today, let me share with you a home made family favorite Malay dish: Cucur Udang…

What does Cucur Udang taste like? Crispy golden brown crust on the outside, once bitten, a softer texture reveals and you will taste fresh shrimps, crunchiness of the sweet corn kernels, and a slight spiciness to it. Deliciously savory! Cucur Udang can be eaten on its own but my family enjoy dipping it with either sweet chili sauce or peanut sauce.

Enjoy!

Recipe: Cucur Udang (Prawn Fritters)

Ingredients:

200 grams plain flour (or self raising flour)
1 cup water
1 teaspoon chili paste (optional, but makes the color nicer)
1/2 of a large green onion, chopped to small pieces
1 red chili, thinly sliced
3 small chives, cut to 1-inch strips
1/2 cup cooked corn kernels
80 grams small fresh shrimps, beheaded
1/2 teaspoon salt

Method:

1. Mix flour, chili paste, salt & water and combine until the texture is smooth. The texture should be thick but not too watery.
2. Throw in the chopped onions, chives, sliced chili, corns, prawns and combine.
3. Heat a large pot with cooking oil (a deep fryer would be perfect). When the oil is heated properly, it’s time to cook the cucur udang.
4. Scoop a spoonful of the cucur udang mixture and drop it into the oil for frying. Don’t cramp too many pieces at one time as they need room to fry around until they reach a golden brown color, about 3-5 minutes.
5. Transfer to a cooling rack and repeat with remaining mixture. This recipe makes about 20 cucur udang, enough for 4 persons.

Cucur Badak Recipe

One of my favorite Malay kuih-muih (local cakes and sweet treats) is Cucur Badak. Much like many other Malaysian creations, Cucur Badak calls for really basic ingredients–sweet potatoes, flour, and grated coconut–but it’s the preparation method of these everyday ingredients that makes the taste ingeniously flavorful…

If you’ve tried Pulut Udang before, you will get the idea of how Cucur Badak tastes like. Filled with grated coconut seasoned with turmeric, lemon grass, red chilies, and dried shrimps, the fillings are wrapped with sweet potatoes dough instead of glutinous rice. And instead of grilling them over fire, they are deep fried to golden brown…well, you get the idea.

I am constantly amazed by the art of making kuih-muih: the techniques, the shapes, the ingredients, and the plain creativity behind each recipe. I am learning the how-to’s slowly but surely; hopefully I will be able to make more of these delights in the near future.

Cucur Badak Recipe

Ingredients :

For the dough

1 lb sweet potatoes (boiled and mashed)
10 tablespoons all-purpose flour
Small shrimps for garnishing (with shells and heads on)
1 tablespoon of sugar
A pinch of salt

For the filling

4 cups of grated coconut
1/2 cup of dried shrimps
1 garlic*
3 shallots *
6 fresh red chillies (or dried red chilies)*
1 lemon grass (use only the white part)*
1 1/2 teaspoon tumeric powder
5 slices of peeled fresh ginger*
Salt to taste
Sugar to taste (palm sugar preferred)
2 tablespoons cooking oil

Method:

For the dough

1. Boil the sweet potatoes in hot boiling water for 15 minutes.
2. Peel the skin off the boiled sweet potatoes and mash them in a big bowl
3. Mix the mashed sweet potatoes with flour, sugar, and salt till a soft dough is formed. The dough shouldn’t be too sticky. If too sticky, add more flour to the mixture.

For the filling

1. Pound all the (*) ingredients.
2. Soak the dried shrimps in hot water for 15 minutes and then pound them. Set aside.
3. Heat 2 tablespoons of cooking oil and add in the pounded ingredients plus the pounded dried shrimps. Fry till fragrant.
4. Add in the grated coconut and mix well.
5. Add in salt and sugar to taste.
6. Set aside and let it cool.

For the wrapping

1. Dust your hands with some flour and take a bit of dough (about the size of a small ball), flatten it and put the filling in the middle.
2. Cover the filling and press one small shrimp on top of the dough.
3. Heat oil and fry till golden brown.

Note:

1. I couldn’t find any small shrimps with shells on, so I used peeled small shrimps instead.

Kuih Kosui Resipes

Kuih Kosui (Pandan Flavoured Rice Cakes)

Ingredients:

Syrup

16 oz water
10 oz sugar

Pandan juice

12-15 pandan leaves
21 oz water

1 tbsp alkaline water (lye water)

Batter

6 oz rice flour
2 oz tapioca flour

Method:

1. To make the syrup, melt the sugar in water over low fire until sugar dissolves . Set aside to cool.
2. Cut pandan leaves into small peices. Combine pandan leaves and water in an electric blender. Blend for 1-2 minutes. Strain the pandan juice through a fine sieve. Add alkaline water into pandan juice. Set aside.
3. In another bowl, add rice flour and tapioca flour. Slowly pour in the pandan juice mixture while stirring it consistently till well blended. Add in syrup.
4. Cook flour mixture on low fire till slightly thickened. Remove from fire and pour into little teacups.Steam on high fire for 15 minutes. Take the kuih out immediately.
5. Leave to cool for at least 6 hrs before removing the kuih from the little teacups.
6. Serve with fresh grated coconut.

Kuih Gading Galoh

Ingredients:

Rice Layer:

1 1/2 cup glutinous rice - washed and soaked

100 ml thick coconut cream

Thin coconut milk - enough to cover the rice 1 tsp kosher salt 2 pieces pandan leaves 1 tsp dried bunga telang - reconstitute with 1 tbsp hot water and a drop of vinegar Topping: 3 large eggs 300 ml thick coconut milk 1/4 tsp salt 2 tbsp tapioca starch 1/2 cup unbleached all-purpose flour 3/4 cup sugar


Method: Put soaked glutinous rice into the rice cooker and enough thin coconut milk to just covering the rice. Add salt and pandan leaves. Press the cook function and as soon as the rice is cooked, discard the pandan leaves and pour in the thick coconut cream. Close the lid and leave on warm for 10 minutes for the coconut cream to marry into the rice. In the meantime, mix the ingredients in a microwave-safe bowl and microwave on high for 1 minute and stir. Continue to cook for another 1 more minute. The mixture should still be runny. Remove rice from the rice cooker and put it in a greased 9 inch cake pan and pressed the rice down. Sprinkle the coloring from the bunga telang on to the top of rice. If you like a marbled look, then you would have to stir in the color to the rice and then press down. Put the rice to steam for 5 minutes, then pour in half of the topping. Steam the topping until cooked, then using a fork, roughen the surface with a fork before pouring in the rest of the topping. Steam on medium heat until cooked and done. Do not use high heat - patience will rewarded with a smooth topping. When done, leave kuih to cool before cutting.

Kuih Koci Recipes

kuih koci with grated coconut paste

Kuih Koci, a steamed glutinous rice flour filled with brown sugar grated coconut or sweet peanut paste, wrapped in banana leaf, the shape is like a pyramid or cone, is a delicious and famous Malay dessert that suitable for breakfast or tea time. Usually, the color of Kuih Koci is either white or green (the color green is obtained from pandan leaf or pandan paste), it is very rare to find in other color. ( except those who are very creative)

wrapped in banana leaf, like a pyramid

Well, today I am going to make the grated coconut Kuih Koci, perhaps I will make the other type later, doesn’t mean the grated coconut type is better than the peanut paste, both are same delicious actually, just that I feel like eating some sweet grated coconut stuff! That’s it, so let’s see what we need to make Kuih Koci!

Ingredient for filling:

300g grated white coconut	50ml thick coconut milk
100g palm sugar or brown sugar	2 tbsp cornflour mixed with 2 tbsp water
Sugar according to taste

Ingredient to make dough:

300g glutinous rice flour	2 tbsp sugar
1 tbsp cornflour	1 tbsp pandan paste
½ salt	1 cup thick coconut milk
2 tbsp oil

Besides, we need banana leaves too!

To make the banana leaves wrapping:

1. cut the banana leaves into 10cm diameter round (make 15 pieces), blanch in hot water, wipe dry and grease with oil

To make dough:

1. bring coconut milk, pandan paste, sugar and salt to a boil, let it cool

2. put rice flour, oil and cornflour in a large mixing bowl, pour in the cooked coconut mixture, knead well to form a smooth dough.

3. Divide the dough equally into 15 pieces, covered by damp cloth

To make filling:

1. cook the coconut milk, palm sugar and sugar till dissolved.

2. Add in grated coconut, stir till almost dry, then add the cornflour mixture and cook for 3 minutes

kuih koci-cute looking

To make the kuih:

1. put 1 piece of dough on your palm, flatten it.

2. Add 1 tbsp filling in the center of the dough, gather up the edges to seal the filling inside.

3. Fold a piece of banana leaf into a cone, put in the filled dough, wrap and tuck in the ends neatly.(you may use toothpick to tuck it) Repeat

4. steam for 15 minutes. Served warm

Kuih Lapis Malaysia

Ingredients:

150g rice flour
30g mung bean flour (lek tau tung hoon)
560 ml coconut milk(big can Mae Ploy brand)

For the syrup
180g castor sugar
150ml water
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pandan paste
A few drops red colouring




Method:
Combine sugar, water in a saucepan. Bring to a boil to dissolve the sugar. Strain and set aside to cool.

Put rice flour and green bean flour into a large mixing bowl. Pour in coconut milk gradually and leave aside to soak for 40–45 minutes.

Add salt to the rice flour and mix well.

Stir in syrup.

Strain the batter to ensure it is free from lumps.

Measure 16 fl ozs batter and add in the pink coloring . Measure another 16 fl ozs batter and add in the pandan paste which will be green. The remaining batter will be red.

Place a greased 8 inch tray in the steamer and heat up for 4–5 minutes.

Pour half cup(4 fl ozs) of the green batter on the heated tray. Cover and steam over medium heat for 5–6 minutes or until set.

Pour half cup of the pink batter over the green layer and steam covered for 5 minutes.

Repeat the procedure, alternating green and pink batter until all the batter is used up. Lastly, the final layer which is red.

After the final layer is set, steam the kuih for a further 12–15 minutes. Halfway through open the lid to release the steam, then cover again until the end of the steaming process.

Cool the kuih thoroughly before cutting into small diamond-shaped pieces.

Wajik Recipes

Wajik

Ingredients: 500gm glutinuous rice (soaked overnight) 750ml coconut milk (from 1/2 or 1 coconut) 1 tsp lime paste (air kapur) 2 screwpine leaves a pinch of salt

Ingredients (B):
350gm brown sugar/gula melaka/gula merah
150ml water

Method:

1. Wash glutinuous rice and soak overnight with 1 tsp lime paste water.

2. Then toast and steam with coconut milk, knotted screwpine leaves and salt for 30 minutes or until the milk evaporates.

3. Once cooked take a fork and turn anti-clock wise and loosen the rice.

4. Leave it to cool.

5. Meanwhile, mix brown sugar and water and cook in a pan.

6. For those who are using gula merah sieve it first.

7. Leave the sugar syrup to boil at least 5 minutes

8. Lower the flame and mix in the glutinuous rice and mix it thoroughly.

9. Stir constantly for 3 minutes and close the flame.

10. Pour it into a cake pan and leave it to cool before serving.

KuihBahulu

A favorite among many Malaysians of all races and ages, kuih bahulu is usually baked during the festive seasons such as Hari Raya and Chinese New Year. These sweet and eggy kuih go very well with coffee, and are always a crowd-pleaser during the festive seasons. A few kuih bahulu and a cup of coffee is a surefire way to greet your guests…

Kuih bahulu comes in different shapes, but the popular ones are the button and goldfish (pictured below). The kuih bahulu mold also come in different sizes–big and small. I used the small button and gold fish molds for my kuih bahulu because I simply adore cutesy size.

As the sweet aroma filled the air in my current home in California, a flood of fond memories were racing through my mind. I personally recall many kuih bahulu making and baking sessions with my late grandmother, my late mother, and my aunt. As we were busy baking the kuih bahulu, our anticipation of Chinese New Year and the warm thoughts of our family reunion brought much joy into our home kitchen. Making kuih bahulu has always been fun to me.

While French madeleines are hugely popular, I have to say that Malaysian Kuih Bahulu is no less than the madeleines. I personally think that kuih bahulu is our answer to madeleines, with a slightly different recipe but very similar methods.

Recipe: Kuih Bahulu

Ingredients:

3 eggs
1 cup sugar
1 1/4 cup flour (sifted)
1 teaspoon vanilla essence
1/4 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
2 tablespoons cooking oil/butter (optional)

Method:

Beat the eggs with an electric hand-mixer until frothy and then add sugar. Continue to beat until the sugar is well dissolved and the mixture becomes sticky.

Add in the vanilla essence and fold in the flour gradually and then add in the cooking oil/butter. Continue to beat the batter with the hand-mixer until well-blended. Grease the kuih bahulu moulds and fill up to the surface level.

Bake in preheated oven at 375 degree Fahrenheit for about 15 minutes or until golden brown. Remove bahulu from the moulds and cool on wire racks. Dust with powdered sugar, if desired.

Cook’s Note:

The traditional kuih bahulu recipe doesn’t call for cooking oil or butter, but I find them a tad too dry. Adding the cooking oil/butter makes the kuih bahulu comes off the mould easily. Also, as you can see, my kuih bahulu are over baked because I lost track of time. They should be light brown in color.