Chocolate Mousse Cake

Mousse Cake is a sweetened dessert of which the main ingredient is whipped cream thickened with gelatin. The cake is light and fluffy due to the air trapped when cream is whipped. There are many variations of mousse cake - either single favour - for example chocolate, vanilla,  strawberry, Matcha and so on - or a combination of layers of two or three flavours, for example, a vanilla layer over a chocolate layer, or a strawberry layer over a vanilla layer and at the bottom a chocolate layer. Mousse Cake has to be stored in the refrigerator and is best eaten cold.

Ingredients:

• 140 g Oreo cookies
• 60 g melted butter
• 8 g gelatin
• 40 g hot water
• 150 g dark chocolate (I used Cottura Compound Bar)
• 15 g sugar (can add more for a sweeter cake)
• 175 g yoghurt
• 400 g whipping cream
• cocoa powder for sprinkling on cake

Method:

• Put Oreo cookies into a ziplock bag. Use a rolling pin to crush the cookies. Thereafter, use the rolling pin to roll over the crushed cookies to make them finer.

• Add the melted butter to the ziplock bag. Mix the butter with the fine cookie crumbs.

• Pour them into a 15-cm pan with removable base.

• Use a spatula to press down and level the cookie crumbs. You can also use the base of your measuring cup to do this.

• Place the pan in the refrigerator to harden the cookie base. This will take 20-30 minutes.

• Add gelatin to a small bowl. Add hot water to it. Stir to dissolve the gelatin. Leave it aside for later use.

• Boil a pot of water. Put a bowl over the pot. Add the chocolate to the bowl to melt it.

• Add sugar and gelatin to the bowl. Stir to mix them up with the melted chocolate. Set the bowl aside to cool down the ingredients for later use.

• Add yoghurt to the chocolate mixture after it has cooled down. Set the bowl aside.

• Using a hand mixer, whisk the whipping cream till stiff peaks are formed.

• Add the chocolate mixture to the whipped cream and mix them up.

• Remove the pan from the refrigerator.

• Pour the chocolate-cream mixture to the pan. Level it with a spatula.

• Cover the pan with a plate and leave it in the refrigerator, preferably overnight.

• Remove the cake from the pan. (To loosen the cake from the side of the pan, just wipe the side of the pan with a hot towel.)

• Sprinkle cocoa powder on top of the cake using a sieve.

• Serve.

Steamed Banana Bread

 

After buying 2 big bunches of pisang berangan from the farmers' market, my neighbour gifted me with a big bunch of pisang raja. My daily ritual after waking up is to drink a cup of water and after 30 minutes eat 2 pisang berangan. So I kept the pisang berangan for eating them raw and use the pisang raja to make banana bread. Instead of the usual method of baking, I steamed the banana batter instead, thus, steamed banana bread.

Ingredients:

• 275 g banana  (4 big bananas)
• 2 grade A eggs
• 100 g milk
• 95 g melted butter or corn oil
• 75 g sugar
• 185 g all-purpose flour or cake flour
• 3 g baking soda
• 2 g salt

Method:

• Mash the banana and leave it aside.

• Break and whisk the eggs in a mixing bowl.

• Add milk and continue to whisk.

• Add melted butter and whisk till it is incorporated into the eggs and milk.

• Add sugar and whisk till it dissolves.

• Add flour and use a spatula to mix it with the liquids.

• Add baking soda and salt. Mix till all ingredients are well incorporated.

• Get the steamer ready by starting to boil water in it.

• Scoop the batter into small metal bowls. If you do not have them then pour the batter into 9 inch x 4 inch x 4 inch loaf pan. Do not fill the batter to the top edge of the pan. Instead leave about 1 inch. If there is too much batter, then scoop them into muffin cups.

• Steam the batter over medium heat. If you are using metal cups or muffin cups, then you need to steam the batter for 20 minutes. However, if you are using a loaf pan, then steam the batter for 45 minutes.

• Test for doneness with a wooden skewer.

• Remove the bread from the steamer when done.

Tip: If you cannot finish the steamed banana bread, slice it up and keep the slices in the freezer. When you want to eat them, let them return to room temperature. You can toast the slices so they are crispy on the outside and soft on the inside. It is very delicious eating the banana bread this way.

Kuih Lepat Pisang

 

Kuih Lepat Pisang, a traditional kuih, brings back my childhood memories. I used to eat this kuih when I was very small as it was easily available in the market. However, it is not available in the cities. But thank goodness this kuih is very easy to make; we need to just mix the ingredients and steam. The only problem is finding the banana leaves unless you grow banana trees in your compound. I had difficulty to find the banana leaves even in the pasar tani or farmers' market. I was told they were reserved by business owners selling kuih and banana leaf rice. When I went round the market asking for banana leaves, one seller was kind enough to take out one stack from those reserved by one of his customers.

Ingredients:

• 400 g mashed bananas (I use pisang awak.)
• 75 g all-purpose flour
• 10 g rice flour
• 25 g sugar
• 6 g salt
• 60 g coconut flakes
• 7 pieces of banana leave (6inch x 8inch)

Method:

• Prepare the banana leaves. After cutting them into the desired size, wash them and boil them to soften them. Or, you may run each piece over a small fire to soften it.

• Add mashed bananas, all-purpose flour, rice flour, sugar and salt to a mixing bowl.

• Mix the ingredients till they are well incorporated.

• Take a piece of banana leaf, scoop a spoonful of banana mixture and place it onto the centre of the banana leaf.

• Use the spoon to space it evenly on the leaf.

• Use a teaspoon to place the coconut flakes onto the banana mixture.

• Roll up the banana leaf from one end to the other. Then flatten it slightly.

• Fold the ends neatly under the wrapped mixture.

• Prepare a steamer and boil the water in the steamer.

• Once the water has boiled, place the wrapped banana mixture onto the steamer tray and the tray into the steamer.

• Steam for 20 minutes.

• When done, remove the kuih from the steamer and let them cool down.

• Serve.

Note: If your bananas are not too ripe, then reduce the flour. The above amount is for bananas which are very ripe.

Pulut Pisang

 

     

Pulut Pisang can be easily found in the northern part of West Malaysia. It comes in 2 types - one in white glutinous rice and the other in a mix of black and white glutinous rice. They are both rich, delicious and savoury. The unique feature of this kuih is that it is made and sold in pairs.

Ingredients:

• 500 g white glutinous rice or 400 g white glutinous rice + 100 g black glutinous rice
• 300 g thick coconut milk
• 60 g sugar (May add more for a sweeter kuih)
• 7 g salt
• 3 pandan leaves, optional
• 5-6 bananas, sliced into halves
• 10-12 pcs of banana leaves measuring 6 inches x 8 inches
• Butcher's string

Method:

• Soak the glutinous rice for a minimum of 4 hours or overnight.

• Prepare the banana leaves. After cutting them into the desired size, wash them and boil them to soften them. Or, you may run each piece over a small fire to soften it.

• Steam the glutinous rice till it is cooked or half cooked. If it is fully cooked then the final steaming will take only 25-30 minutes. But if it is half cooked then the final steaming will take about an hour.

• Add santan, sugar, salt and pandan leaves (optional) to kuali. Heat up the santan till it just boil. Do not keep on boiling santan as the oil will separate from it.

• Add the glutinous rice and stir to ensure it is coated with the santan.

• Once the pulut is ready, let it cool down.

• Take each piece of banana leave. Place some pulut onto it and spread it out. (I used 88g of pulut for each piece of kuih.)

• Place a piece of banana onto the centre.

• Fold the banana leave over the pulut and keep on rolling over till the pulut is secured.

• Fold the 2 edges of banana leave under it.

• Take another piece of banana leave and do the same.

• Once you have made a pair, tie both pieces together (the bottom facing each other) with, preferably a butcher's string or rice dumpling string.

• Repeat till all the glutinous rice has been wrapped.

•  Heat up water in the steamer.

• Once the water has boiled, place all the wrapped kuih onto the metal rack in the steamer.

• Steam the kuih for 30 minutes or 1 hour.

• Remove the kuih from the steamer and let it cool down.

• Serve.

Napa Cabbage in Eggs with Shiitake Mushroom

 

I cooked a new dish which is made up of ingredients which are readily available in my kitchen - napa cabbage, carrot, Shiitake mushroom, red chili and eggs. It turned out to be delicious when served with rice. Perhaps you would like to give it a try.

Ingredients:

• 250 g napa cabbage 
• 20 g carrot
• 1 pc Shiitake mushroom
• 1 pc red chili
• 1 egg
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 tbsp light soy sauce
• 2 tbsp cooking oil
• 3 cloves garlic, chopped

Method:

• Wash and cut the Napa cabbage cross-wise about 2 cm width.

• Wash and julienne the carrot.

• Wash, soak and slice the Shiitake mushroom thinly.

• Wash and slice the red chili thinly.

• Heat up wok with 2 tbsp cooking oil.

• Fry the mushroom slices till they are fragrant.

• Add the chopped garlic and fry them they are fragrant.

• Fry the carrot till they are soft.

• Add the cabbage and chilli and fry them till the cabbage is half-cooked.

• Break the egg and pour it over the napa cabbage.

• Let the egg cook without moving it.

• Add the light soy sauce and salt.

• Transfer to a serving plate and serve.

Garlic and Rosemary Bread

 

      

Making the same bread over and over again can be quite boring. Thus, with so much herbs around, I experimented and came up with Garlic and Rosemary Bread. If you like rosemary, then this would be a good try for you. The bread is soft, fluffy and fragrant. It tastes fantastic with a spread of salted butter.

Ingredients:

• 220 g warm water
• 10 g sugar
• 3 g yeast
• 30 g chopped garlic
• 30 g olive oil
• 335 g bread flour
• 3 g dried rosemary
• 3 g black pepper powder
• 7 g salt

Method:

• Bloom the yeast by adding warm water, sugar and yeast to a bowl. Stir and leave it for 5-10 minutes.

• Add olive oil and chopped garlic to a saucepan. Let the garlic infuse with the olive oil over very low heat till it is fragrant.

• Add bread flour, dried rosemary, black pepper powder and salt to the bowl of a mixer.

• Add the yeast mixture, infused garlic and olive oil to it.

• Knead the ingredients into a smooth dough. This will take about 20 minutes or slightly more.

• Grease a bowl with oil. (I greased the bowl with olive oil.)

• Remove the dough from the mixing bowl and put it into the greased bowl. 

• Cover the bowl with a cling wrap.

• Leave the dough to proof until it doubles in size.

• Once it has doubled in size, remove the dough from the bowl onto a slightly floured table-top.

• Punch down the dough to remove the gas trapped inside.

• Then shape it into a ball and place it into a 7-inch round pan which is lined and greased with olive oil.

• Cover the loaf pan with a wet towel.

• Let the dough double in size.

• Pre-heat oven to 175 degree Celsius.

• Once the dough has doubled in size, sprinkle the top of the dough with dried rosemary.

• Bake it in the oven for about 35 - 40 minutes.

• Remove the pan from the oven.

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

• Slice the boule once it has completely cool down.

Whole Wheat Flaxseed Bread

 

     

According to Medical News Today, flaxseed is a plant-based food that provides healthful fat, antioxidants, and fiber. Some people call it a “functional food,” which means that a person can eat it to boost their health. Some of the health benefits include reducing risk of cancer, improving cholesterol and heart health, easing symptoms of arthritis, reducing hot flashes, improving blood sugar, preventing constipation and others. My husband likes to add flaxseed to his overnight oats. However, I experimented with it by adding it to my bread. The bread turned out to be very soft without any strong taste of the flaxseed.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup white whole wheat flour
• 1/2 cup brown flaxseed meal
• 1 1/2 cup bread flour
• 2 tsp yeast
• 3 tbsp brown sugar
• 1 egg
• 3 tbsp olive oil
• 1 cup warm milk
• 1/2 tsp salt

Method:

• Grease and line a loaf pan 8 inch x 4 inch x 4 inch. Set aside.

• Put the flours, flaxseed meal, sugar, salt and yeast into the mixer.

• Pour the warm milk and break the egg into the mixer.

• Add the oil into the mixing bowl. (Sometimes I use melted butter instead of oil.)

• Knead the ingredients into a smooth dough. This will take about 20 minutes or slightly more.

• Grease a bowl with oil.

• Remove the dough from the mixing bowl and put it into the greased bowl. Cover the bowl with a cling wrap.

• Leave the dough to proof until it double in size.

• Once it has doubled in size, remove the dough from the bowl onto a slightly floured table-top.

• Punch down the dough to remove the gas trapped inside.

• Then roll it into a rectangle and roll it up to fit the loaf pan.

• Cover the loaf pan with a wet towel.

• Let the dough double in size.

• Pre-heat oven to 175 degree Celsius.

• Once the dough has doubled in size, sprinkle the top of the dough with flaxseed.

• Bake it in the oven for about 35 - 40 minutes.

• Remove the pan from the oven.

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

• Slice the loaf once it has completely cool down.