Lemon Curd Filled Macaron

For those cheesecake lovers out there.. this is for you.. it tasted lemony of course and cut all the sweetness of the macaron..with little bit zing zing.. but let me tell ya.. it is so good...absolutely refreshing..

I used to have egg yolks leftover whenever i make macarons.. so i'm pretty happy for this recipe.. it uses exactly 3 yolks which i got from making macaron shells.. Well, here is the basic recipe for macaron with easy homemade yummy lemon curd..lemon definitely my choice..

Macaron recipe:

Using a French Method for this macaron recipe, do refer to my last entry .Please click here. You can add some yellow egg colour into the meringue before combined with the dry ingredients.

Lemon curd recipe: adapted from americanfood.about.com

• 6 egg yolks
• 1 cup sugar
• 1/3 cup fresh lemon juice (about 4-5 lemons)
• 2 tbsps grated lemon zest
• 1/2 cup cold unsalted butter (1 stick butter), cut into 1/8-in slices

I add 3 tbsp of cornflour + 1 tbsp water -thicken the batter

For better understanding, do watch this video for making this lemon curd

Preparation:

1. Add 1-inch of water to a medium saucepan and bring to a simmer over low heat. In a medium metal bowl whisk the egg yolks and sugar for about 2 minutes until smooth. Whisk in the lemon juice and zest until combined.
   
   
2. Place the mixing bowl on top of saucepan (the bowl should be wide enough to fit on top of the saucepan, but shouldn't be touching the simmering water). Stir the mixture constantly with a rubber spatula, scraping the bottom and sides of the bowl as you stir, until it begins to thicken, and will coat the back of a spoon. This will take approximately 7 to 10 minutes. Remove from heat.
   
   
3. Whisk in the butter, one slice at a time. Wait until each piece almost disappears before adding the next. Spoon into clean glass containers and allow to cool with a piece of plastic wrap laid on the surface to prevent a skin from forming.

Refrigerate until needed. This lemon curd will keep for 2 to 3 weeks.

Chocolate Banana Cake

Again.. its all about banana.. enough with muffin, pengat, bread .. now im making a chocolate version.. while cooking for lunch .. morning started with mashing all the bananas left on the counter..made some banana dumpling for yesterday tea time.. got some banana chips... urgh... no more bananas after this mr doni... ok.. let just move forward to the recipe ... google for some luscious, moist .. sexy image of choc banana cake.. i chose this one and as always i made some my own modification..improvising some other cake recipes ..here it goes ...pls.. no more choc ganache..

i totally forgot.. would it be much nicer if i put some cinnamon powder..aiyooo... ok noted... for next entry..

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups sugar
1 3/4 cups flour
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 large eggs
3 ripe bananas, mashed i put 5 bananas,prefer chunk pieces, taste better.. more choc than bananas
1 1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup canola oil
1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla
my modification, i add 1/2 cup almond meal


How to make?

• Preheat the oven as usual
• Combine all the dry ingredients in a bowl, set aside
• Whisk the eggs and all the wet ingredients in separate bowl and mix well.
• Combine the dry ingredients into wet ingredients and mix until it well incorporate
• Pour the mixture into a baking pan and bake for about 30-40 mins really depends on the size of your baking pan
• Poke your cake with a knife, chopstick or fork.. when it comes out clean,the cake is done .
• Remove from oven and let it cool
• Once it cooled, sprinkle some icing sugar on top or frost your cake with favourite flavour.
• It is best served with some cream or vanilla ice-cream

Almond-Orange Cake (Focaccia alla Portoghese)

I'm glad.. there is no butter in this cake

I bought a kilo of almond meal especially for making macaron.. after many heartbreak, joy, pride and disoriented mental i had..cracked, feet less, not to mention a batch of a success macs... i think i need a break.. for now.. but not stopping me on baking adventure.. i stumbled this recipe that use almond meal as the main ingredient, not far from making the macs, then i thought why not give it a try.. it seems like a lovely butter cake with a hint of orange flavour.. urm.. curious but anxious..

it a delish.. no wonder me and my husband finished it all in minutes.. it never get cooled on the rack.. those pictures taken while it just came out from the oven and i was worried all the sugar sprinkled will be melted away... so fortunate, it melts in our mouth.. i just ate the last piece of the cake.. definitely will be on the top list..

fluffy, very very low of sugar, light cake ... best served with hot tea...

internet is the guru...otherwise this is not happening..so here it goes..adapted from baking history....

Ingredients:

1 cup (150 g) whole Almonds, blanched, raw i just use almond meal
3/4 cup (150 g) Granulated Sugar
1/3 cup (50 g) Potato Flour (starch)
3 Eggs separate the whites and yolk
1-1/2 (organic) Oranges (juice and zest)
Powdered sugar to sprinkle on top of the cake

How to :

• Preheat the oven to 150'C, line the baking pan with aluminium foil

• Grind the almonds with 1/3 of the sugar in the food processor or coffee grinder until very finely powdered. Sift the almond mixture with the potato flour and grind again any large pieces of almonds that might have remained in the sifter. Set aside.since I'm using the almond flour, so i just combine all the dry ingredients.

• In a big bowl,beat the yolks at very high speed until light and pale yellow i just use hand mixer . Gradually add the ground sugar and beat until well incorporated.

• Add the ground almond mixture and the orange juice to the yolks and beat at high speed until light and well incorporated.Set aside
  

• Then, beat the egg whites until it stiff and glossy

• Finally gently fold in the whipped egg whites, by hand, making sure they are well distributed and without deflating them. Pour the mixture in the prepared pan and bake in the preheated oven for about 45 minutes I bake this only for about 20 mins. A cake tester in the center must come out clean and dry when the cake is ready.

• Unmold it and let it cool on the rack. Sprinkle powdered sugar on top once the cake is completely cool.

Steamed Caramel Pudding

This is one of the least fussy dessert that everyone should do at home.Even a child can make this under supervised.With only four basic and cheap ingredients ; egg, milk, sugar and vanilla.I mix n match, recreate the recipe to make it simpler and tastier.Some might use cream, full cream milk but i think my version is far easier, no need to weigh the sugar, dissolve sugar in milk.. whatsoever..

A simple yet delicious.Easy to make in short time and absolutely you'll be proud of the comments coming from the people u served.

Ingredients :

for caramel:
2/3 cup sugar
2 tbsp water

how to make caramelised sugar for the base?

• Simply combine sugar and water in a saucepan and let it boil.Keep watching, tilt and swirl sugar until melted in deep amber or dark brown, about 4 minutes.Turn off the heat.

• Pour this caramelised sugar into the pudding mould/ pudding cups/ ramekin cups and swirl to coat the sides of the mould. Keep aside to cool

for the custard filling:

5 eggs
1 cup sweetened condensed milk
1 1/4 cup water
1 tsp vanilla essence
pinch of salt

How to make the custard?

Pre heat the steamer.

• Combine all the ingredients is a big bowl and whisk it all together.

• Pour this mixture into caramel coated mold.Next, place it into the steamer for about 15 mins.The pudding is done when the top is firm when pressed gently with finger.

• Remove from heat and allow it cools...
• Shake the mold gently to release.To serve, place a plate over the mould, hold firmly in place and turn over gently. The pudding will turn over onto the plate, caramel side up! Pour some of the remaining caramel over the pudding and serve.

Lemon Chiffon Cake

Making fondant cake with my kids always be the best way, cheat-cheap way to make my son to stay at home over the weekend... He loved to sleepover at his cousin's house..As promised, this time i decided to make my own sugarpaste instead buying it at bakery shop.Luckily i have a heavy duty stand mixer,so... less workout.Best part is, I no longer afraid playing with meringue.. believe in me... making chiffon is less scary than making macaron..all you just need, two different bowls,really...

I loved lemon and for those fellow lemons out there... this is gorgeous..fluffy and light cake...definitely one of my fav top list..

recipe adapted from allrecipes .....

Ingredients :
(cake mixture)

1 3/4 cups cake flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup white sugar
1/2 cup vegetable oil
6 egg yolks
3/4 cup water
1 tablespoon lemon zest i substitute with lemon flavour, cant' find any lemon in my fridge.. so that is why my cake turned a bit yellowish in colour

for the meringue:
6 egg whites
1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar
3/4 cup white sugar

for the filling:
1 cup heavy whipping cream
2 1/2 cups lemon pie filling

How to make ?

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C)

In a large bowl, combine flour, baking powder, salt, and 1/2 cup sugar. Add oil, egg yolks, water and lemon rind. Beat with mixer until smooth.

In a small bowl, beat egg whites and cream of tartar until peaks form. Gradually add 3/4 cup sugar, and beat until very stiff and shiny peaks form. Fold 1/3 of the whites into the batter, then quickly fold in remaining whites until no streaks remain

Turn batter into two baking pan.I use paper greased since i'm not using the tube baking pan.Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 60 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Invert cake and cool completely in pan. When cool, loosen edges and shake pan to remove cake.

To Make Filling: Beat cream to stiff peaks. Fold in lemon filling. Chill until stiff.
To Assemble Cake: Fill layers with 1/3 cup of filling. Spread remaining filling on top layer.

Pengat Pisang (Banana with palm sugar in coconut milk)

There are still few n3s pending over this week.Sigh.. my girl, Sara is just not feeling well.. Last night she had a fever and today she is just very mopey and tired.. What do you do to make your child happier and feel better???She started vomiting 4-5 times a day, ate nothing than my milk..Is it something transferable from me to my child???I am worried...

I made this pengat when i thought she might just like this one as she used to... at least..Making this does not consume much time, so i surely not worried while watching my girl bedrest... I finished making this within 15 mins only...faster than baking cakes or cookies..



Ingredients :

5 bananas( young banana with slightly soft texture, not fully ripe)
1 gula melaka (palm sugar)
1 cup coconut milk (substitute- full cream milk or evaporated milk)
1 1/2 cup water
1 tbsp sago pearls (optional as thickening agent)
1/4 cup sugar (really depends on how sweet you want)
a screwpine leaf - tied
pinch of salt

How to make ?

I recommend you to use a banana that slightly ripe as this will gives the bit of tartness and sweetness to the kuah(gravy).So there`s no mushy flavour.Slice the bananas bout 1 inch think or as you prefer.
Combine all the ingredients in a pot as seen.. then turn on the heat.Some recipes they told you to melted the sugar , boil the water first but i made this many times before.. that is not necessary.. trust me..
At this point, keep stirring... you don't want the coconut milk to split and curdle..Let it simmer.







How should you know that this pengat is done?You'll see all the bananas will float on the surface.Ok, stop stirring for a minute.

Then, it started to form bubbles...wait till you see a thick bubbles and quickly turn of the heat.Keep stirring, again ....for a bout a minute or two..

walla.. it's done...let it cool so the bananas can soak up all the sweetness of the palm sugar.It is best served chilled.

@1.30 a.m.....Arsenal-1, Liverpool-1 after last minute penalty... now i can go to sleep..

Butter Cake

Calories is bad but always taste good!!

Someone had posted a butter cake pic on fb feed..I just love butter...butter is better than chocolate.. butter is always better than any other...butter is a lover...butter is forever.... this is because I just love butter.. errrr....

It is a dense and buttery cake..easy to bake with easy to find ingredients..

Recipe network from Chikabaker :

Ingredients

• 2 1/2 cups plain flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 3/4 cups caster sugar
• 250 grams unsalted butter, melted
• 4 eggs
• 1 1/4 cups milk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

How to :

1. Preheat oven to 160 degrees Celsius.
2. In a stand mixer(easy) or just hand mixer, beat the butter and sugar until pale and fluffy
3. Add the eggs and vanilla.Beat for seconds only
4. Then add the dry ingredients and milk altogether.Beat until mixed well.
   
5. Grease and line a round cake tin with baking paper.I don't do this and magic happened, it didn't stick to the baking pan.Just turn over onto plate
   
6. Pour the mixture into tin.
7. Cook for approx an hour.You'll know the cake is done when you poke the cake using a knife and it doesn't stick.
8. Allow the cake to cool in the tin for a few minutes, before moving to a wire rack.

Macaron

First attempt, failed..

Minutes after ..for second attempt,a success........

It seems the most difficult, scary dessert to make especially when the base recipe has just 4 ingredients.Though it just sandwiching two part of puffed meringue.Living in rural area , this is not a common dessert around.Just by looking at those pics made me craving for more adventurous baking experience.

I really, really want everyone to master the macaron, to be swimming in as many as you want. Once you understand the basic recipe, you can modify it to any flavor you can think of. All it takes is a batch or two of practice.

All you need:

1 cup almond flour
1 1/2 cups icing sugar
3 large egg whites
2 tbsp granulated sugar

*dont forget the parchment paper

How to :

First, sift the almond flour and icing sugar to ensure a flawless looking shells, no coarse or lumps in the mixture.

In a separate bowl, whisk the whites. You can also do it with a hand mixer or a standing mixer if you prefer.Here are the whites just beginning to get foamy.Once they start to froth up and get meringue like, sprinkle in the sugar little by little. This bit of granulated sugar helps stabilize the whites, so there is less risk of over whipping.Continue to whisk. Here, the whites are still quite loose and soft, barely holding any peak.The mix starts to take on a smooth, glossy appearance, thanks to the addition of sugar.A little more whisking results in firm peaks. You must whisk until the peaks are firm, or the finished macarons will suffer, with a too liquid batter.Can you see the difference?

Once the whites are whipped, incorporate the dry, slowly, so the egg whites don’t deflate.Start folding the dry in carefully. The whites will start to look broken and curdled and that’s ok.Fold by scraping from the bottom, and turning the mixture over on itself.Don't overmixed.

Pipe the mixture on the parchment paper and space them about half an inch apart.Leave them on the room temperature.A skin needs to form, and it can take 30-90 minutes.

Using your finger, touch lightly the top of the batter.If it sticks ...they are not ready to bake. If you feel the top has dried, and nothing sticks to your finger, they’re ready.Bake at 140 degrees C for about 14minutes .

Here they are baked. They should be smooth on and have the coveted “feet”. Let them cool completely

Lastly,pipe your chosen filling on half of the shell.Sandwich them together.....
Tips :

• Don't overmixed the batter, it will end up a liquidy batter, as a result you'll get a hollow and transparent shell
• The tops will crack when baked when they are not dry enough before being baked.

cheat but cheap, easy but tasty choc filling...

1/2 cup cacao powder
1/2 cup sweetened condensed milk
2 tbsp oil

just mix them altogether, if it is too thick.. just add a tbsp of hot water..

cream puff

Its been a while since I'm making this puff.I used to sell this puff and many other kuih during Ramadhan with my husband.Drop my son at my mom's place, 4 years old then, packed up things and opened the bazaar after Asar prayer.Juggling between teaching at school and making the kuih every single day is a tough job and I don't know how i manage that...well, that's an old story.. not anymore after having 3 kids..

Ok, back to business...Cream puffs are very easy to make really, though they might appear to be challenging in making.All you need is good,desired custard cream to go inside, and you need the puff itself. The custard for the filling needs to be made well in advance and cooled, and the puff needs to be fresh out of the oven, for ultimate deliciousness.Just follow the instruction and you'll never get lost...

And yet, from this single dough(choux pastry) , you can come out with variation of dessert such as eclair, cream puff, kuih belimbing (malay kuih-fried dough and sprinkled with castor sugar).

Ingredients for the custard filling :

4 tbsp custard powder
2/3 cup evaporated milk
2/3 cup sugar
1 cup water
1 egg
pinch of salt
1 tsp vanilla essence


How to make the custard?

Combine all the ingredients in the saucepan.Cook and stir over medium heat until thickened and bubbly. Cook for 1 minute more. Remove from heat and let it cool.

Ingredients for the puff :
1 1/2 cup water
1/2 cup butter
pinch of salt
yellow food colouring(optional)

2 cup flour
5 eggs

How to make it?

As always, pre heat the oven.Then,in a saucepan combine water, butter and salt. Bring it up to a boil.

Turn off the heat and add in flour all at once and stir vigorously until mixture cook and turn into a ball and detaches from the sides of the pan. Remove and set aside to cool down for 10 minutes.

Transfer the dough to a mixer and whisk in one egg at a time, mixing it well after each addition.The mixture should be smooth and shiny

When the dough is ready. put in a pastry bag with a nozzle to pipe the mixture.Bake about 15-20 mins depends on the size you make.Allow to cool before you put the filling.

Simply make a small cut and spoon in filling.For more fancy look, you can drizzle with chocolate or caramel or sprinkle some icing sugar on top.. bon appetite..

Butter Cookies

I am looking for an ultimate butter cookies... better say, almost like Kjeldsen Butter Cookies.. picking up the best is tough as I've tried many recipes before.Some with egg- no egg, milk- no milk, plain flour-corn flour.... frankly i must say that this one is nearly to The One... i'm totally clueless what did Kjeldsen put in the ingredients that makes me and my family crazy about it. Though I've only made a small batch of this recipe ( makes about 20 cookies). but that feeds enough four of us.My husband have stated that,... enough making the cookies, it still tastes like biskut raya (festive cookies)it is true but i'll never give give up.. sorry.

So here is the adapted version of best butter cookies.I did not sprinkle any sugar so add some more sugar in the mixture.Give it a try and you gonna love it..

Ingredients:
75g butter
50g fine sugar
1/4 tsp salt
1 egg yolk + 1/2 tsp vanilla essence (lightly beaten)
150g cake flour
pinch of baking powder
1 tbsp skim milk powder

1 egg white
Dry Demerara sugar for sprinkling

Method:

1. Cream butter, sugar and salt with electric beater till pale and fluffy.
2. Add in egg yolk and beat till well incorporated.
3. Sieve in the flour and baking powder, add in the milk powder, use the lowest speed of your electric beater to combine. Mixture will be bread-crumbs like and will form a dough easily.
4. Put dough into a plastic bag and roll it into a flat sheet as in Photo 3. Chill in the fridge till harden before cutting out the cookie.
5. Cut out cookie with cutter. Brush on some egg white and sprinkle dry demerara sugar on the surface.
6. Bake on a lined tray at 180C for 10 minutes in the middle rack and shift to the upper rack and bake a further 2 - 3 minutes to get the golden brown color.

Notes:

• The sprinkling of the dry demerara sugar is optional. If you omit this step, please increase sugar to 60g.
• Please really only use a pinch of baking powder as you don't want the cookie to be out of shape when it is baking in the oven.
• Chill the dough again if it is too soft to be cut out.

Asam Gumpal (Sago Balls in Sweetened Coconut Milk)

Today is so sunny and hot outside...I made a batch of Korabiedes cookies yesterday and by midnight, it all gone...(second batch, coming soon)So I need to make something to munch for tea.. it is really hot and dry.. so i think I'm gonna make something comes with liquid.. so many choices .Here comes the sweet little white one... the Asam Gumpal..

It is one of many traditional delicacies where you can rarely find in normal days but this dessert is really popular during Ramadhan especially in East Coast of peninsular Malaysia.It is a chewy sago ball with sweet green bean filling and sweetened coconut milk as kuah/gravy.Easy to make with cheap ingredients.

Ingredients green bean filling:

1/2 cup green bean
2 ½ cup water
1/3 cup sugar or less as your preference
pinch of salt

Cook the beans on medium heat.Keep stirring once a while to prevent from from the beans stick to bottom of the pot.Off the heat when all the liquid dries out.Let it cool.

The beans will become a bean paste when it cools down as it soaks up all the excess liquid in the pot.

Ingredients for sago dough:
1 cup of sago/tapioca pearls
1/2 cup of hot water but not boiling

Rinse the sago, strain it and place it into a bowl.Then, add the hot water and stir it well.Now you can see the sago became a quite sticky dough.

Take the sago dough and form into a ball shape.Flatten it and fill in the bean paste in the middle.
Fold the dough and crimp the edges.

How to make the kuah/gravy?

1 cup of coconut milk
3 cups of water
1/2 cup of sugar
1/2 inch of sliced ginger
1/2 of shallots or small onion ,sliced
1/2 tsp fenugreek
a screwpine leaf
pinch of salt

The fenugreek

Mix all the ingredients in a pot..Knot a screwpine leaf and place it in.This will give a beautiful fragrance to the kuah.Put all the sago balls into the kuah then you can turn on the stove at medium heat.Keep stirring the kuah or the coconut milk might split about 15 - 20 mins.You know that it's done when all the sago balls are floating to the surface.This dessert best served when it has cooled.