Morning or Afternoon Tea Collection: Raisin scones

While still living and working in Kuala Lumpur, one of my favourite breakie item is scones.  There was this lovely swiss bakery that opens around 7ish am every morning which I use to frequently stop by on the way to work and doggy bag some scones or donuts and have them for breakfast and tea if there are leftovers!  Tried making them once ages ago but it did not turn out well.  After watching masterchef season 2 CWA challenge where scones was on the afternoon tea menu, I decided to give making scones another go.  Viola!  It turned out pretty well, definitely was not hard as stones..lol.  It is such a joy making them and seeing it turn out pretty.  It also stores very well in the freezer and reheated for about 30-40 seconds in the microwave..such a comfort to eat them during cold winter days...and yes, in my dictionary, there are so many comforting food that matches so well with the winter weather:)  Anyways, here is the recipe adapted from http://www.masterchef.com.au/

Ingredients:
150 ml milk
150 ml cream
3 cups self-raising flour (don't need to sift)
1 egg
2 tablespoon caster sugar
Zest of 1 lemon
Optional:  1 cup raisins (or dates)
Enough milk mix with some sugar to brush the top before baking

Method:
1) Preheat oven to 200 degree C
2) Whisk together milk/cream and egg.
3) Add sugar to flour, add lemon zest and raisins if using them into the flour
4) Pour egg mixture into flour and mix them up till just sufficiently combine (do not overmix!)

5) Tip flour mixture onto bench (lightly flour bench surface before that) and knead into a chunk (again do not over knead!)

6) Lay it out to about 2 cm thick.  Use round cutter of your desired size to cut them up.

7) Lay them on a baking tray (flat side up).  Ensure that each scones are placed close to one another.

8) Brush top with milk and sugar mixture.

9) Bake for approximately 15 minutes or till scones are browned.

Mains Collection: Braised five-spice pork belly - such a winter comfort food!

The hardest part about living in Wagga Wagga, regional NSW is the lack of authentic asian cuisines.  Hence, since moving here, I have learn to cook lots of food I craved from scratch, something I never thought possible.  Bought a decent piece of pork belly over the weekend and was trying to think of how to cook it without too much fuss.  Remembered I had this book that had braised five-spice pork belly...remembered this dish as one of my favourite while growing up.  The dish always had hard boil eggs in them and sometimes fried tofu.  The recipe however didn't have them.  Although the case, it was still good and felt so warming eating them in cold winter days!  Enjoy the recipe below:

(Recipe from "Asian Cook"book by Terry Tan)
Ingredients:
2 tbsp oil
1 tbsp sugar
500 g pork belly, sliced
5 tbsp dark soy sauce
2 tsp five-spice powder
1 litre water
1 tsp salt

Method:

1) Heat the oil in the work and add the sugar.  Cook until the sugar caramelises and turns light brown, then add the pork slices and turn them in the mixture until they are well coated.

2) Add the soy sauce, five-spice powder, water and salt.  Cover and cook gently over a low heat for 40 minutes, turning once or twice during braising.  Top up with more water if necessary.

3) Adjust the seasoning by adding extra soy sauce to taste, then serve warm with rice.

(Optional:  You can add hardboil eggs if you like.  Add them into the dish 15 minutes before it is ready or until the white part of the egg turns brown.)

Enjoy!

Desserts Collection: Japanese Style Cheesecake

Japanese style cheesecakes are very popular in Asia, however I never tasted them prior to moving to Australia.  Remembered one Japanese style cafe in Kuala Lumpur, the UCC cafe had window displays of Japanese Style Cheesecake which always looked very appetizing.  For whatever reason, I never gotten around to trying them. One fine day, I decided to try looking for the recipe as I was craving for a good cheesecake but didn't want to go out to buy something commecially made which usually have either too much of sugar or preservative and always seem to have an unnatural rich taste!  Found this recipe on recipezaar.com which is easy to follow and turns out well all the time.  My friends who have tried them love them too as it is so light and soft:)  For those interested, below is the recipe (adapted from http://www.recipezaar.com/ - modified slightly)

Ingredients:
(Serves 6-8:  Be warned, you could end up having many helpings and that for sure won't be enough for even 6 people!)
1 block of Philadelphia cream cheese at room temperature
1/4 cup soy milky (or whole milk)
1/2 cup caster sugar (light brown sugar works well too)
3 eggs, separated
1/4 cup cornstarch (do not use flour)
2 tablespoon pinneaple juice (or lemon juice)
1/2 cream of tartar
2 1/2 cups boiling water
Some almond flakes to sprinkle on top (optional)

1) Preheat oven to 180 degree C
2) Grease a 9-inch cake tin
3) Beat cream cheese with milk to soften
4) Add half of the sugar, egg yolks, cornstarch and lemon juice
5) Beat until smooth

6) Beat egg whites in separate bowl until foamy

7) Gradually add remaining sugar and cream of tartar, beating on high speed until firm peaks.

8) Gradually fold beaten egg whites into the cream cheese mixture, stirring gently

9) Pour into cake pan and smooth the surface (sprinkle with almond flakes if desire, gives it a crunchy bite!)
10) Place cake pan into a larger roasting pan and place in lower rack of oven.
11) Pour enough water into the roasting pan to come half way up the side of the cake pan.
12) Bake 35-40 minutes, until a pick inserted in the middle of the center come out clean.

(Best serve warm, can be stored in the fridge for up to 2-3 days and heated up for 20-30 seconds in the microwave or eaten straight out of the fridge if you like)

Enjoy!

Desserts Collection: Creme Brulee and a good night sleep!

Remembered while growing up, roadtrips to Dad's hometown in Parit Buntar, Perak always involves stops along the way for brekkie and lunch at old coffee shops (or kopitiam) which serves delicious wanton noodles, sah hor fun (soup noodles), and crispy pastries etc. Clearly remembered my favourite to complete a meal is always the steam egg custard.  What appealed to me was the caramelize sugar right at the base of the custard!  

The western version of the equivalent which is Creme Brulee is equally appealing especially during cold winter nights!  Before my attempt to make them, I always had the impression that it must be one of the most difficult desserts to make due to its sophisticated name.  Believe it or not, its basically a couple of minutes job to prepare and stuff them in the oven!   Find this recipe so useful especially when one have so many leftover egg yolks after utilizing the egg whites to make souffle or french macaron....

I had a really good nights sleep the first time I attempted this recipe and savouring the outcome and I bet it has gotta do with the rum in it!:)  Give this recipe a try and see if it also works wonders for ya!

Recipe ädapted from "I love macaron" By Hisako Ogita
Ingredients:
(This fits approximately 2 medium size ramkins)
1/2 cup whipping cream
1/2 cup milk (I use soy milky and that worked well too!)
1/4 vanilla bean (or a couple drops of vanilla essence)
2 egg yolks
1 tablespoon caster sugar plus more for topping
1 tablespoon rum or grand manier

Process:
1) Put the whipping cream, milk and vanilla essence in a pot.  Heat until cream starts to bubble around the edge of the pot.

2) In a bowl, whisk the egg yolks and caster sugar until the mixture is pale in colour.

3) Pour the cream from process 1 into the egg yolk mixture.  (Ensure that you are still still whisking the egg yolks while pouring the cream).  Add the rum and sift the mixture into the ramkins. 

4) Cover ramkins with tinfoil paper and place them in a waterbath and bake in a 150 degree c preheated oven for approximately 30 minutes or still set.

5)  Sprinkle granulated sugar on the set brulee.  Use a blow torch to caramelize the sugar.  (If you do not have a blow torch, another alternative which I use is remove ramkins from the oven after 20 minutes, sprinkle some sugar on the top and place the ramkins uncovered back in to the oven until the brulee is set and the top has browed to desired color)

Desserts Collection: Raspberry Souffle my way on a rainy day!

Desserts though common from where I came from, it is never the way it is here in Australia.  Since I moved here, a dinner meal is never complete without desserts to finish it off:)  Before I moved here, heard about souffle but never tried them or didn't know what it taste like but this dessert seem popular in Hong Kong television dramas especially when dining at sophisticated restaurants.  Months back I did a savoury cheddar cheese souffle but did not seem to like the taste...I guess its an acquired taste.  Decide to try making a sweet souffle and see if I like it.  Not too long ago one of the masterclass series on Masterchef Australia did a Rhubarb and Blackberry Souffle and I decided to look up the recipe but modify it with the ingredients I already have at home hence Souffle "my way" (chuckle!)....anyone interested, here are the steps...

1)  Firstly butter the base and sides of about 4 medium size ramkins (butter should be soft and not melted).  Refrigerate for 5 minutes and repeat the process.  Sprinkle caster sugar on the base and the sides.  Refrigerate until ready to use (This process apparently helps the souffle rise).

2) Preheat oven to 180 degrees C.  Place 150 g frozen raspberries, 75 g caster sugar and 1/4 cup water in a saucepan, bring to boil and then on medium heat, simmer for around 5-10 minutes.  Mix 1 tablespoon cornflour with around 3 tablespoon water and add to raspberry mixture and stir.  Once mixture thickens, remove from heat and cool to room temperature.

3) Separate egg whites from 4 eggs (refrigerate the egg yolks for use later...my next dessert!).  With 1 tablespoon of caster sugar, whip egg whites until soft peak forms.  Add about 75g of caster sugar (moderately not all at once) and continue whipping egg whites until shiny - still at soft peak form.

4)  Place the whipped egg whites in a separate bowl and add the raspberry mixture and slowly fold the mixture till incorporates.

5) Place mixture in the buttered ramkins until the top and smooth top with a knife.  Run fingers through the side.  This is now ready to go into the oven for approximately 12 minutes or until set. 

Viola!  The souffle did rise to an amazing height...warm sweet souffle on a winter rainy day...can't ask for more can I ?