Jackfruit Cake

   

  

My honey jackfruit tree has been producing a lot of fruits for us. Inside the fruit, the flesh are golden yellow and very sweet. We usually eat the flesh raw. However, recently we harvested a huge fruit weighing 13.1 kg. Despite giving a lot of the flesh to our relatives and neighbours, we were still left with a full container. In order to finish them, I decided to bake a Jackfruit Cake with them. The cake turned out very aromatic and yummy.

Ingredients:

• 225 g butter
• 150 g sugar
• 4 Grade A eggs
• 225 g cake flour/super fine flour/low protein flour
• 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt (if using unsalted butter)
• 170 g jackfruit flesh
• 60 g jackfruit flesh - for decoration

Method:

• Pre-heat the oven at 175 degrees Centigrade.

• Line and grease a 7-inch pan.

• Cut the 170g of jackfruit flesh into very small cubes. Set them aside.

• Cut the 60g of jackfruit flesh into long strips. Set them aside.

• Sift the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt twice. Set them aside.

• Add butter and sugar to the bowl of a stand mixer. Cream them till they are light and fluffy.

• Break in the eggs, 1 at a time, mixing well after each addition.

• Fold in the sifted dry ingredients, one-third at a time.

• Add the cubed jackfruit flesh to the bowl. Use a spatula to mix them up with the butter-flour mixture.

• Pour the mixture into the prepared pan. Level it with a spatula. Decorate the top with the strips of jackfruit flesh.

• Bake in the oven for 50 minutes or until a skewer inserted in the centre of the cake comes out clean.

• Leave the cake in the oven for about 10 minutes with the oven door slightly ajar.

• Remove the pan from the oven.

• Remove the cake from the pan and let it cool down on a metal rack.

• Cut the cake when it has completely cooled down.

No Bake Cheesecake

   

   

No Bake Cheesecake is smooth, light and creamy with a crunchy biscuit base. It is easy to make with no room for error. And best of all you do not need an oven to make one. So you do not have to worry whether your cake will crack or not. Neither do you need a stand mixer; a whisk will do the job as well. It is good as a dessert after meals. It can also be served for tea. I am sure one helping is not enough once one has tasted it.

 

Ingredients:

• 100 g digestive biscuits
• 25 g butter
• 500 g cream cheese
• 300 g whipping cream
• 200 g milk
• 120 g powdered sugar
• 16 g gelatin powder
• 80 g cold boiled water

Method

• Place the digestive biscuits into a zip lock bag and crush them. Place the crushed biscuits into a bowl.

• Melt the butter and add it to the bowl. Mix them up till all the butter has been absorbed by the crushed biscuits.

• Pour the biscuits into an 8-inch diameter and 2-inch tall pan with a removable base. Use the base of a metal cup to press and level the biscuit on the base of the pan. (I use a smaller round baking pan to press down and level the biscuit. In this way I can be assured of an even base.)

• Place the baking pan into the fridge to set the biscuit.

• Cut the cream cheese into smaller pieces and leave it out to soften at room temperature.

• When soft, mix the cream cheese and sugar till smooth. You may use a whisk or a stand mixer to do so.

• When the sugar has melted, add the whipping cream and milk. Mix till the batter is smooth.

• Add cold boiled water to bloom the gelatin in a small bowl. This takes about 5-10 minutes.

• When the batter is ready, put the bowl of bloomed gelatin into a bigger bowl of hot water. Stir the gelatin powder till it dissolves.

• Add the gelatin powder to the batter.

• Mix till it is well incorporated with the batter.

• Pour the mixture into the cake pan.

• Put the pan in the refrigerator for at least 3-4 hours for the cake to set.

• To remove the cake from the pan, put the pan on a tall cup.

• Wet a towel with hot water.

• Wrap the towel around the cake pan. Slowly slide the cake pan down to release it from the cake.

• It is ready to be served.

Spicy Fried Glass Noodles

 

      

 

Spicy Fried Glass Noodles is an easy meal which can be speedily dished up when you are tired of spending lots of time cooking in your kitchen. It is also a versatile dish; you may add seafood or meat in it. Here, I have used prawns to cook it. It is such a yummy dish that my son had asked me to cook it a few times since I first cooked it.

Ingredients:

• 150 g glass noodles (My rough guide is 75 g per person.)
• 4-6 large prawns
• 2 tbsp dried prawns
• 4 cloves garlic
• 2 inches ginger
• 1 stalk green onions
• 1 tbsp chili paste or sambal (Sambal will make the noodles more tasty as it has shrimp paste, garlic and onions incorporated into the chili paste.)
• 2 tbsp light soy sauce
• 1 tbsp dark soy sauce
• 1/2 tsp salt or to taste
• 1/2 tsp pepper
• 3 tbsp cooking oil (Add more if you want your glass noodles to be glossy.)
• 1/2 cup water

 

Method:

• Soak glass noodles in warm water for about 8-10 minutes. Glass noodles bought from one shop may turn soft faster than those bought from another. Feel them at the 8th minute to ensure that they are not too soft. Remove and set them aside.

• Wash, cut off the rostrum, antenna, legs and tails and de-vein the prawns.

• Wash and pound/chop the dried prawns.

• Mince the garlic.

• Mince the ginger.

• Wash and cut the green onions to 1/2 inch length.

• Heat up the cooking oil in a wok.

• Saute garlic, ginger, chili paste or sambal and dried prawns till fragrant.

• Add the prawns and fry till they are half-cooked.

• Add water and let it boil.

• Add the seasonings - light and dark soy sauces, salt and pepper.

• Add the glass noodles and fry them till they are cooked. Sprinkle them with green onions. Give them a quick stir and ladle them up onto a serving plate.

Spaghetti in Garlic-Infused Olive Oil with Stir-fried Vegetables

     

     

The most common types of pasta are spaghetti, fettuccine, angel hair pasta, macaroni, fusilli, bow ties (farfalle), penne, ziti, linguine and lasagna. Spaghetti is one of the most popular pasta types which can be paired with a wide variety sauces, for example, marinara sauce with meats and vegetable. However, the simplest way to cook it is just with garlic and olive oil. Garlic-infused oil is full of essential nutrients; it contains selenium, allicin, vitamin C, vitamin B6, copper and zinc that helps control acne. The anti-inflammatory properties help soothe inflamed skin according to Times of India. Other benefits include reduce of hair fall, good for cardiovascular health, lower bad cholesterol, protect against cold, etc.

This is the first time I am cooking Spaghetti in Garlic-Infused Olive Oil with Stir-fried Vegetables. The spaghetti is so delicious that it can be eaten on its own without any vegetable.

Ingredients:

• 75 ml extra virgin olive oil
• 5 cloves garlic
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp pepper
• 120 g spaghetti (my rule of thumb is 60 g per person.

• 50 g red capsicum
• 50 g broccoli
• 25 g carrots
• 25 g prawns
• 25 g squids
• 2 pcs Shiitake mushrooms, soaked and sliced
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp pepper

Method:

• Cook the spaghetti according to instructions on the wrapper.

• Peel the garlic and slice them thinly.

• Add olive oil to a small pot.

• Turn on the fire to the lowest possible.

• Add the sliced garlic to the pot. Let it cook for about 20 minutes until you can smell the aroma. The garlic should not brown.

• Wash and cut all vegetables. You can vary the quantity and type of vegetables.

• Once the garlic oil is ready, spoon it onto the spaghetti. Add salt and pepper. Stir until the oil and seasonings are well-combined with the spaghetti.

• Add the balance of the oil to a kuali.

• Add the Shiitake mushroom and fry till it is fragrant.

• Add squids and prawns and fry till they are half-cooked.

• Add carrots, broccoli and red capsicum (in this order so that the red capsicum is not overcooked).

• Once the vegetables are cooked, pour them onto the spaghetti.

• The spaghetti is ready to be served.

Estonian Kringle or Braided Cinnamon Bread

Kringle means ring or circle. Estonian Kringle which is also known as Braided Cinnamon Bread is bread spread with a filling (in this case, cinnamon) and sometimes with dried fruits like raisins and is shaped in a ring or circle. I find that the method of making it is similar to that of cinnamon rolls. The difference is for cinnamon rolls, the dough is rolled out, spread with cinnamon fillings, rolled up, cut into slices and baked. In the case of the Estonian Kringle, the dough is rolled out, spread with cinnamon fillings and rolled up into a long dough. The dough is then sliced into half and the two halves are then braided with the cut side facing outward and shaped into a ring.

Ingredients:

Ingredients:

200 g warm milk

2 tsp sugar

1 tsp instant yeast

400 g high protein flour

40 g sugar

1 tsp salt

1 egg abt 75 g without shell

35 g butter

Fillings:

65 g brown sugar

1 tsp cinnamon powder

A pinch of salt

50 g butter

Method:

• Activate the yeast. Add warm milk, sugar and yeast into a bowl. Stir and let it sit for 5-10 minutes for bubbles to form.

• Add flour, sugar & salt into mixing bowl of stand mixer.

• Add egg & yeast mixture to the bowl.

• Knead till dough ball is formed.

• Add butter.

• Continue to knead till dough is elastic and window pane is reached.

• Grease a clean bowl and place the dough into the bowl. Cover the bowl with a damp towel or cling wrap. Let the dough proof till it doubles in size.

• Punch down and roll dough into a rectangle.

• Spread butter (from Filling) onto dough.

• Spread cinnamon mixture onto dough using a sift (for evenness).

• Roll up the dough. Pinch the edge to seal the dough.

• Using a sharp knife, cut the roll into 2 (lengthwise) without detaching the top. Then, braid the dough.

• Bring the 2 edges together to form a ring.

• Line a baking tray with parchment paper. Slightly grease the parchment paper.

• Place the cinnamon ring on the tray.

• Proof the dough till it doubles in size..

• Egg wash the dough.

• Bake the dough at 200 deg C for 20 min. or bake it at 180 deg C if you do not want the top to be so dark.

• Remove the bread immediately after it is cooked onto a metal rack.

• Dust the bread with powdered sugar.

• Slice the bread.

Steamed and Baked Tapioca Kuih

      

               

Tapioca, also known Cassava or Yucca, is cultivated worldwide. It is a very starchy food that is made up mostly of carbohydrates. It can be steamed and eaten with either a mixture of sugar and coconut flakes or with sambal ikan bilis. Or, it can be grated and made into tapioca kuih. On the commercial side, tapioca is made into tapioca flour which is used mainly as a thickener in our cooking.

Tapioca Kuih is one of the most delicious traditional kuih found in our country. Since tapioca can be found in abundance in our country we can make the tapioca kuih anytime to satisfy our palette. The ones we make ourselves will definitely be softer and full of tapioca without any added flour in it. It is also more aromatic as we take care in adding pandan leaves in our cooking process.

Ingredients:

• 1000 g grated tapioca
• 240 g sugar
• 2 eggs
• 500 g coconut milk
• A pinch of salt
• 3 pandan leaves

Method:

• Prepare a steamer with enough water to steam the kuih for 40 minutes.

• Wash and cut the pandan leaves into 6-inch length.

• Place half of the pandan leaves in a 7-inch square pan.

• Place a piece of banana leave (7 inch by 7 inch) over the pandan leaves. Grease the sides of the pan as well as the banana leave.

• Add grated tapioca, sugar, egg and coconut milk to a mixing bowl. Stir till all the ingredients are well-combined.

• Pour the mixture into the pan and use a spatula to level it.

• Place the remainder of pandan leaves gently on top of the mixture. 

• Place the pan into the steamer with the water boiling.

• Let the kuih cooked for 40 minutes.

• Pre-heat the oven at 175 degrees Centigrade for 10 minutes before the kuih is cooked.

• Remove the pandan leaves on top of the kuih.

• Transfer the pan from the steamer to the oven.

• Bake the kuih till the top is nicely brown.

• Remove the pan from the oven and let the kuih cool down.

• Run a slightly greased knife around the edges of the kuih.

• Remove the kuih from the pan.

• Slice it in any way that you prefer.

Applesauce

 

Applesauce is a sauce made from apples. You can make it with either peeled or unpeeled apples. I prefer to peel my apples. You can sweeten it with white sugar, brown sugar, honey, molasses or not put any of these i.e. just depend on the natural sweetness of the apples. I usually do not add sugar to my applesauce as I like the natural sweetness as well as the tanginess of the apples. If I do not add an sweeteners, my applesauce will be pale yellow in colour (3rd and 4th photo) instead of the brownish colour if I had added any of those sweeteners. I usually use Granny Smith to make my applesauce.

When I make applesauce, it is mainly to spread on my bread. However, you can use it as a one to one replacement for oil or melted butter called for in cakes, bread or other bakes. It will make them moist and tasty. 

Ingredients:

• 4 Granny Smith apples
• 3/4 cup water
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon powder
• lemon juice

Method:

• Remove the skin of the apples, core them and chop them up.

• Place all the chopped apple and water into a saucepan.

• Turn on the fire and cook the apples till they are soft and mushy.

• Add sugar, cinnamon powder and lemon to the saucepan.

• Transfer the applesauce to a bowl.

• Let it cool down completely.

• Store it in a glass bottle.

• Store the bottle in the refrigerator.