Kourabiedes

awesome.. awesome..awesome.. soft but crunchy..i'll definitely make this again and again..

Kourabiedes.. try to pronounce it by yourself... I kinda bored of having cakes,chocolate, sweet things these days so I googled some image , searching for a new recipe for me to try.So, i just type greek cookies and there it goes, there were so many pictures of proud Kourabiedes... Hurm, seems interesting since my family and of course me are into buttery cookies... after hours of reading different kinds of recipes, I stumbled into this one.... Got enough ingredients in the pantry.After my son went to school and my husband went to work, my baby girl, sara and baby boy, kashif are still sleeping.. its the moment of truth.. I was so excited to make this cookies and even forgot to have my breakfast ( a mug of hot milo and bread - my typical breakfast)

I did some changes to the recipe, for some exceptional reasons..i encourage you to try this out..

Ingredients:

1 1/3 cups sifted plain/all-purpose flour prepare for some extra flour, the dough might be too soft
2/3 cup of almond flour/almond meal
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 cup butter i use half butter and half shortening
1/3 cup icing confectioners’ sugar
1 egg yolk
2 tablespoons brandy i substitute this with 1 tsp rose essence
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup finely chopped blanched almonds optional, i omit this one
1/2 cup icing/confectioners’ sugar for decoration

How to make ?

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (170 degrees C).Beat the egg and butter/shortening until white and fluffy.Then, add the egg yolk, vanilla .Beat again until light.

Blend in flour and almond, mix to form a soft, smooth dough

Shape the dough into crescent-shapes.Bake for 25-30 minutes or until light...do not brown.

Cool on rack. Dust generously with confectioners' sugar.

Chocolate Chunk Muffin

It's weekend... i'm in the mood to bake..

I'm sure that everyone agrees that freshly homemade muffin always taste great.It is great as you can bake a huge batch of these and last for the next days.. but people tend to get confused between cupcake and muffin.. so here is a quick info i can share...

Muffins are often eaten during breakfast.Why?? because it less sweet, no frosting.Occasionally, they have drier texture and less fat than the cupcakes... well, almost healthy version of cake i can say.. alternatively still you can have it for tea or as snack..physically, muffins are baked in huge portion, taller, denser and have cracked surface.Anyhow.. both cupcakes and muffins , who cares.. they are fantastic delicious..

So, here is my version of easy, lazy and speedy chocolate chunk muffin.I made half from the actual ingredients but still can make 16 medium size of muffins.No waste...

credit to : fifteenspatulas.com for this great recipe .

Ingredients:
9½ oz all purpose flour (about 2 cups)
3½ oz cocoa powder (about 3/4 cup)
1 tbsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp sea salt
1½ cups sugar i use brown sugar instead
2 extra large eggs
8 tbsp unsalted butter, melted
1 cup plain yogurt (or buttermilk)
1 tbsp vanilla extract
1½ cups chocolate chunks or chocolate chips can also be substitute with nuts


How to?

Preheat the oven to 170ºC, then move to the next stage..

My lazy version, i just place everything in the bowl and mix it vigorously.. hey, i'm making muffin not fancy cake here..
Spoon the mixture into the prepared cases. Bake for approximately 20 mins or until golden and springy to the touch. Cool for 10 mins; transfer to a wire rack and leave until cold.

My Banana Crumble Pudding

Banana oh banana... i absolutely have no idea what to do with you guys... they are best fried with some butter and just sprinkle some sugar on top ... eat it with a double scoop of vanilla ice cream ... sitting on a couch, watching TV and there are no kids around ... but that is not circling around my mind at this point moment.. i think I'm gonna make something that i never done before..let see.. there is no cream, no biscuits.. only some eggs, half of butter, some milk in the frigde and yeah of course the flour... its my trial, my own version of banana pudding-so-called-crumble-crisp.. whatever.. I'm going to enjoy this... thank you.. it is really gooood.... i tell ya.. the crunchy crispy crumble..erm...

First, make the custard:

1 cup of milk
2 egg yolk
2 tbsp of sugar
1/2 tsp of vanilla essence
pinch of salt

How to make?

1. Whisk the eggs, sugar, and salt in a heavy bottomed sauce pan.
2. Add the hot milk in a slow stream, whisking constantly
3. Cook over medium heat, stirring for 10 minutes, until small bubbles appear at the edge of the pan and the custard coats the back of the spoon.
4. Remove from heat immediately, as you do not want the mixture to boil and curdle the eggs.
5. Stir in the vanilla, cover, and chill. The custard will thicken as it cools.

Then you can make the filling which is just the sliced of 5 bananas.

Pour the cooled custard over the banana in baking pan.

Crumble recipe :

1 stick of butter / 125 gm o
1 cup of flour
3/4 cup of brown sugar

How?

Mix all the ingredients together in a bowl with your hands.Do not make it to firm, lumpy mixture is good.

Place the crumble on top of the custard.Bake in the oven until the crumble turned golden brown.Best served with hot tea

Homemade Lokum/Turkish Delight

Edmund.... you fool... i'm curious and wondering a while how good is that sweet candy that has been offered by a white witch makes him betrayed to his sibling.Have you seen The Chronicles of Narnia the movie ???This is what im talking about .All of the sudden interest in Turkish Delight. So, this is interesting.I always be fond of the aromatic lemony flavour like this candy.It has jelly like texture.. chewy, no fancy flavour, simply sugar and water.It is fairly simple to make and does not require any fancy ingredients. A typical recipe will involve powdered gelatine, cornflour, icing sugar and whatever filling that you would like such as nuts and preserved fruits.I like tasting the new things from other part of the world where i've never been (i wish i could ).. at least... this is not my favourite but worth trying...

Ingredients :

4 cups caster sugar
4 cups water
2 tbs fresh lemon juice
3 tbs gelatine powder
1 cup cornflour
1 tsp cream of tartar
2 tsp rosewater essence
Red food colouring

2 cups icing sugar mixture for coating

How?

1. Grease a cake pan/container with oil to prevent from the jelly from sticking .
2. Place the sugar and the water in a large heavy-based saucepan over low heat and stir until the sugar dissolves and bubbling. Stir in the lemon juice.
3. Meanwhile, place the gelatine, cornflour and cream of tartar in a large saucepan. Use a balloon whisk to whisk in a little of the remaining water to form a paste. Gradually whisk in the remaining water. Place over medium heat and cook, stirring, for 3-5 minutes or until the mixture boils and thickens.
4. Gradually pour the sugar syrup into the cornflour mixture, whisking constantly.Reduce heat to low. Simmer, stirring occasionally to prevent the mixture sticking to the base of the pan, for 1 hour or until the mixture is light golden .
5. Add the rosewater and a few drops of the food colouring and stir until well combined.
6. Pour the mixture into the prepared pan. Set aside to cool to room temperature and place in the fridge for 4 hours or overnight until firm.
7. Use a lightly greased knife to cut into cube pieces. Toss the lokum in the icing sugar to coat.

Basboosa ( a.k.a just a kiss )

This is my second attempt of making a basbousa after years.A basbousa is a very very buttery and sweet dessert traditionally served in Middle Eastern countries, primarily Egypt where sugar syrup is drizzled over the top of the cake after bake in the oven. Basbousa is traditionally served with tea or coffee. I have to say this was one of my favorite and satisfying baking escapades!

Ingredients :

2 cup semolina flour
¾ cup yoghurt
¼ cup sugar
½ cup melted butter
1 cup milk
2 tbsp melted ghee
1 tsp baking powder

How to make the cake/basbousa:

1. Preheat the oven first
2. Combine all the ingredients in a bowl and mix well.
3. Pour the mixture into the baking dish, take a butter knife and make square lines and leave it aside for about 10 mins .
   
4. Put it in the oven and bake the cake until it turned golden brown.
5. While its cooking, make the sugar syrup.

Syrup :

1 cup sugar
1 cup water
1 tsp lemon juice
1 tbsp rosewater

How:

1. Combine the water,rosewater, sugar and lemon juice in a small saucepan.
2. Heat the syrup on medium heat until it comes to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer the sugar syrup for about 20 minutes.
3. Let the syrup cool slightly before pouring it on the Basbousa, because as it cools, the syrup will thicken.
4. When the cake is done, slowly pour the cooled syrup over the hot cake. Let the cake soak the syrup and set it aside for 15 mins or so.

Kuih Cik Mek Molek

I haven't baking much lately, it is raining outside and i thought im gonna make something that i love most during month of ramadhan and also tea time..Yes, that is kuih a.k.a small cake .The ingredients are easy to find and yet easy to buy.As usual as always i asked my husband to buy 1/2 kg of yellow sweet potato and he was soooo excited when i told him that im making kuih cik mek molek for tea time (traditional kuih is always the pick).Cik Mek Molek (which means pretty lady) basically a taste of sweet potato with a form a delicious crystallised inner layer that made from just melted sugar.There are many types,different colours of sweet potato with different structures but just get any type that available... ok??As long as they are fresh...

So,I hope you will try this delicacies and enjoy it as much as I do.Soft, creamy and sweet.Don't forget to make some tea..oh,I am hungry.....


Ingredients :

500 gm sweet potato (boiled and mashed)
1 cup all purpose flour
1 tbsp butter
1 egg
pinch of salt
some sugar for the filling

How to?

1. Mix and knead until you can form a ball. It should be slightly sticky and malleable. Not dry or hard.
2. Shape the dough into a small ball and flatten it.
3. Place a teaspoon of sugar in the middle of the dough as this will be the filling
4. Fold the dough into 2 and crimp the edges. Make sure it is crimped nice and tight, otherwise the filling may leak during the frying process.
5. Roll the dough to make a nice clean bullet shape.
6. Heat oil, and deep fry
7. Drain on kitchen towels.

Best Chocolate Brownies

This is my family favourite.To be frank,I'm not a huge fan of chocolate cake but when it comes to brownies... it consumes me...There is only simple way on how to make brownies and as many possible good results.For me , a good one MUST be chewy or gooey or flaky , rich, buttery and chocolatey or if you’re really lucky, all of the above.Fat will always be the best..I'm a big fan of Nuttella f.y.i...The best part is always the corner part with all the richness of cocoa flavour you can imagine.Let me share this with you.. and you won't regret....


"BIG STU'S BROWNIES:

200 grams butter
200 grams plain chocolate
450 grams caster sugar - i find it too sweet, so i cut it down from 600gm original recipe
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
4 eggs
250 grams plain flour
4 tablespoons cocoa
i add couple tbsp of nutella (crazy about it) , some nuts as an additional flavour

How to?

1. Preheat oven to 180C, Gas 4
2. Prepare a small rectangular roasting tin or oven proof dish approximately 8 x 12" (20 x 30cm). Grease or line with baking parchment.
3. Melt the chopped butter and chocolate over a pan of simmering water OR in a microwave. Cool slightly.
4. Stir in the sugar and vanilla.
5. Add the eggs, one at a time, stirring until well blended each time.
6. Sift the flour and cocoa together, add to the mixture and beat for about 1 minute, until smooth.
7. Pour into prepared tin, and bake for about 45 - 50 minutes. The mixture needs to be just cooked, so start testing with a cocktail stick at about 40 minutes - it should have moist crumbs, but not wet batter, still clinging to it.
8. Cool in tin until completely cold before removing from tin.
9. I cut this size into 24 pieces (8 x 3), but it could easily make more smaller pieces as it is very rich.
10. You can make a half quantiity and bake in a 7 x 7" tin for about 40 minutes (test after 35 min)"