[Recipe] Peach and Blueberries Melba Cake

If you know me by now, I hardly bake... cakes or muffins or cookies. There are a few reasons :

- I have to have the mood to bake. Which rarely comes.
- I have a family that isn't into such desserts so it doesn't make much sense to bake just for myself.
- It has to be really easy peasy because it will be a complete waste of time and effort if I don't get the consistency right.
- and lastly, the washing up of the stubborn greasy tins.

And then, this melba cake recipe caught my eye as I was browsing through some food magazine at the library one day. I glanced at the familiar ingredients and super doable method. I was motivated! Now seriously, if I find it really easy to make, trust me, it's really easy.

The texture is like pound cake and with the tangy pieces of fruits in each bite, makes it really refreshing to have. Even my not-a-really-big-fan-of-pound-cake-husband enjoyed it and went for.... 2, no 3, no 4 helpings! I'm a happy wife. Consider baking one this weekend!

For this bake, I actually halved the recipe because I really don't need a big portion of cake to satisfy my cravings. But I will be sharing the full recipe that I read in the magazine (dang, I wish I remember what it's called so that I can give proper credit. Will make a trip to the library to find out and update it here.)

Preparation time : 10-15 minutes    Baking time : 1 hour - 1 hour 10 minutes

You will need a 10" square tin or similar for the full recipe. I used a 6" for half of the recipe.

Ingredients :
- 250g unsalted butter
- 300g caster sugar (I chose to reduce this by one quarter so that it's less sweet)
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 3 eggs
- 200g self-raising flour
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 50g ground almonds (Optional. I did not add this into mine)
- 2 peaches, sliced into wedges. (I used canned ones though fresh is recommended)
- 100g raspberries (I used blueberries instead)
- a handful of flaked almonds (I've opted out from this)
- 1 tbsp of icing sugar, to finish (I've opted out from this)

Method :
- butter the baking tin.
- set the oven to 180 degrees celcius
- melt butter in a large pan and let it cool for a few minutes.
- add sugar, vanilla and eggs.
- beat the mixture with wooden spoon till smooth
- stir in the flour, ground almonds (optional) and salt.
- pour the mixture into the tin and scatter the berries and flaked almonds evenly on the top.
- lay the peaches on top as well.
- bake for 1 hour - 1 hour 10 minutes, covering with foil after 40 minutes.
- using a skewer to test, the middle should have a hint of squidgyness.
- cool in tin for 20 minutes then lift it onto a cooling rack.
- once cooled, you can dredged it with icing sugar (optional), then slice into portions before serving.

I enjoyed mine served slightly warm. It was heavenly! And I'm also pretty sure that it will go very well with a scoop of vanilla ice cream! This will be my go to fail proof cake recipe if I ever have any gatherings to contribute to. 

Till the next post, have a wonderful day!

[RECIPE] Mini Chocolate Buttermilk Waffles or Pancakes

I have a love-hate relationship with waffles. You see, when I crave for one, there's no cafe in sight for me to satisfy the craving. When I don't crave for it, waffle cafes are everywhere!

I've ever thought of getting myself a waffle machine maker. But nope, it does not make financial sense. Not only does it cost a bomb, it WILL end up as the biggest-test white elephant in my kitchen. So when I chanced upon this waffle griddle, I was simply ecstatic! Make my own waffles whenever I want to? It couldn't be any better. No waffle griddle? No worries! This recipe also works well with pancakes! Just a short of the crisp edges you find in a waffle.

Recipe adapted from Savory Simple
Preparation time : 5 minutes  Serves : 8 mini waffles (will defer if its pancakes)

Ingredients :
- 1 cup flour
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp sugar
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 egg
- 1 cup buttermilk
- 1 tbsp melted butter

In a medium bowl, sift the dry ingredients together and set aside.

Beat the egg separately till light and fluffy and add to the dry mixture, together with buttermilk and butter. Mix well till blended.

Heat up the pan with butter or oil. If using the griddle, spoon about 2 tbsp of batter into each cavity. Once the waffle bubbles (about 2-3 minutes), flip it over to the other side and continue cooking till brown (about another 2 minutes). Repeat process for the remaining batter.

Best served with a light drizzle of maple syrup or honey, fresh fruit toppings and vanilla ice cream! This combination together is simply mind-blowing. Enjoy!

Till the next post, have a wonderful day!

[Recipe] Traditional Peanut Cookies

It's that time of the year again to prepare for the Chinese Lunar New Year! What are your usual traditions? Do you buy your cookies off the shelves? Do you make them? Or do you commission a reliable source that hand makes these goodies from their home?

I've never made cookies for Chinese New Year before, although it is a tradition for me to help my mum make her infamous pineapple tarts which the whole family (plus extended families) love so much!

This year, I've decided to step out of my comfort zone and try making some cookies instead of getting them off the shelves. Hmmm... maybe two varieties of cookies at most! It is considered a mean feat for me because baking has not been my forte. But I'm giving this my best shot because nothing beats home made goodies.

I'm sharing an almost fail-proof peanut cookies recipe in this post, adapted from A Table For Two. I was in awe when I popped one into my mouth! It was unbelievably good with a light crunch before it crumbled and melted in the mouth - that's how the hubs described it. It was absolutely savory and I loved the hint of saltiness in each bite. I never knew something so easy to make could taste so good!

Total time spent : approximately 40 minutes
Prepare ingredients (yields 40-50 bite size cookies) :

- 300 grams ready made peanut powder (you can find it from supermarket. Get one that is purely peanut powder with no sugar added)

- 200 grams castor sugar

- 250 grams plain flour

- 200ml of canola oil (to be used sparingly, till the mixture is combined)

- 1 teaspoon of salt

- egg white for glazing the top 

Method :

- Preheat oven at 160 degree celcius. (Heat defers oven to oven. Mine gets really hot at this temperature.)

- Pour the peanut powder into a large bowl. Sift flour, sugar and salt into the same bowl and mix well.

- pour in half the oil and knead the mixture with your hands. Subsequently, pour in the oil a little at a time while you continue to knead.

- once the mixture is able to roll up into a dough without sticking to the bowl or your fingers, it is ready to be made!

 - I like my cookies small enough to pop into my mouth. So I used a small spoon to scoop from the dough, roll it to a ball shape and place it on a lined tray.

- You can leave the cookies in a ball shape or lightly press the top with a fork for a little pattern.

- Glaze the top of the cookies with egg white before putting into oven.

- Bake it for 15-20 mins or until it turns golden brown. 

- Cool on rack completely before keeping it in a tightly sealed container. This can keep for 2-3 weeks but I can't guarantee if you can stop at one!

- Enjoy!

I think I just might make more to give my mum and my mother-in-law. heehee...

  Till the next post, have a blessed week!

Desserts - Stressed Spelled Backwards

 

  Life's little pleasures are made of desserts.  Depriving ourselves from it is probably as good as not living life to the fullest!
^__^
p.s. home baked mint cookies goodness, courtesy of The Domestic Goddess Wannabe     Till the next post, have a blessed week!

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[Recipe] Ondeh Ondeh

  I learned this recipe from my mother - I am so glad that helping her out to cook before I got married did help prepare my current role in the kitchen!
Before I continue with the recipe, I need to mention that this was made purely based on agaration (moderation of ingredients without specific measurements) more than anything else. What you really need are 2 important senses to make this kueh - touch and sight.
INGREDIENTS

- Glutinous rice flour (approx. 1/2 cup) - 1/2 a medium sized sweet potato (boiled till soften and mashed) - pandan flavoring (optional) - gula melaka (palm sugar) - desiccated coconut (bought in supermarket) or fresh grated coconut if available - water to mix the paste to form dough    This recipe makes about 18 pieces of ondeh ondeh.   The reason for the sweet potato to be mixed into the flour is so that the texture of the ondeh ondeh will be soft and less chewy. You can also choose to use just the flour alone however, the texture will be tough and very chewy which is not what it is supposed to achieve in the kueh.

  Prepare the gula melaka filling by scraping it thinly with a knife and leave aside.   MAKING THE DOUGH  

  This is the part where you need to use your sense of touch and sight I mentioned earlier.
Mix the mashed sweet potatoes and flour together, adding water a little at a time until you can feel that the texture is smooth and the dough no longer sticks to your fingers. If the texture is too wet, it becomes sticky so you would need to add in more flour at your discretion.There is also a similar instruction about making the dough in the flour manufacturer's packaging.
Add the pandan flavoring and mix well into the dough. This coloring is optional because if you notice, there are some kueh shops that use the color of the sweet potato for ondeh ondeh. But green is an exciting color so I put it in mine. :p
When the dough is ready, you can start boiling water in your pan. 
SHAPING THE ONDEH ONDEH
Form a ball shape and make a depression in the middle so that you can fill the gula melaka in it. Not too much so the dough doesn't tear during the cooking process. Do be gentle when you pinch the edges to secure the filling. Roll gently to shape into a ball. Repeat the process for the rest of the dough before putting them into the boiling water to be cooked. Gently move them around in the water once in a while.  It takes about 10-15 minutes to be ready.

 

In between waiting, prepare the desiccated coconut into a plate. I like to mix a tiny sprinkle of salt in the coconut to give the bite a little punch as the coconut is tasteless. But this is optional.

THE FINAL PRODUCT
Once the ondeh ondeh is cooked, gently scoop them out with water drained, roll them in the coconut and it is ready to be served!

Tip on buying gula melaka  
It is tricky to get good grade gula melaka these days. There are many kinds out there that is just brown sugar and not palm sugar. I've tried a few and so far, this one that I bought from Giant tastes good! NTUC also carries this brand.

  Till the next post, have a blessed week!