Wake Up and Smell the Cake

 I love these! It's like a blondie but to make me feel less guilty, there's oatmeal. Was supposed to make these and freeze for easy morning breakfasts, but seems like they ran out pretty quickly that it didn't require that much freezing. Original recipe here . I made these almost three months ago and I still think about making these again and again. White Chocolate Cranberry Oatmeal Bars 2 1/2 cups old fashioned oats 2 cups flour 1 1/2 cups brown sugar 1 teaspoon baking soda 1 teaspoon salt 1 tablespoon vanilla 2 large eggs 1 1/4 cups butter melted 1 cups white chocolate chips 1 cup dried cranberries This is like one bowl mix so anything goes. Spread batter in two 8x8 square tins, bake for 22 min at 180 degrees Celsius. 

Did a quick meal cos while I plan to cook a proper one (not that this wasn't proper), but just that even Sundays are so packed that I can't even find time?! So this was the quick meal as requested by Husband, recipe adapted from a website but here's what I used. A week ago I tried something to this effect but didn't have the leaves and I added carrot instead. Also, the choice of chicken part makes a difference. The fillet/breast absorbs more sauce.  Say hello to my new Cosmic Cookware pan! Thai Basil Chicken 3 packets of chicken fillet/breasts, about 700g chicken? 1 tbsp oyster sauce 1 tbsp soy sauce 2 tbsp fish sauce 1 heapful tbsp brown sugar 1 onion, sliced thinly 6 garlic, minced 5 chili padi A whole bunch of thai basil leaves, sliced All sauces into a bowl and mix, typical stir-fry and add leaves last. Cheap, good and yummy! Serve with a sunny side up and rice. [I realise I have made this before, with a simpler recipe here . But this is a better version!]  

Finally made this! Have been wanting to do so cos this porridge has loads of nuts. Not exactly a healthy porridge though since there's coconut milk. I already have most of the ingredients and had the time, so why not! I realise there's different types of bubur Asyura but I settled for the one closest to us, the Johor version . There's a lottt of ingredients, so I'll list in order of which goes into the pot first. I also boiled the mutton a day earlier so I can collect and throw away the fat from the stock. Bubur Asyura Saute: 1 stalk lemongrass 1 cinnamon stick 1 star anise 3 cardamoms 5 cloves 2 big onions, sliced 1 inch ginger, sliced 3 garlic, sliced 10 cups water (half is mutton stock, half water) 1 cup rice, washed 300g mutton, already cooked and shredded 1 tbsp soto powder 1/3 cup dhal, soaked in water for 10 min 1/3 cup peanuts, washed 1 1/2 carrots, diced 1 can chickpeas, washed 1 can kacang pool, washed 1/2 can sweet corn, washed 1 small box coconut milk Heat o

First time making sambal belado to clear out ingredients in the fridge. Bought chili to make nasi goreng kampung but there's not enough leftover rice, but there's lime and tomatoes. I don't have a food processor (this goes into the long list of household appliances I need to get but aren't that urgent) so I had to use my blender and add a little water. Also didn't manage to get the rough cut of chili. But the taste is good! Recipe adapted from here . Sambal Belado 2 large onions 200g red chilis 5 cloves garlic 2 large tomatoes Juice from 6 limes/ limau kasturi Blend all of those stuff together except the lime juice. Fry it all in oil until reduced and fragrant. Add sugar (about 4 tbsp? or to taste) and salt (about 1 tsp) Add lime last, after sambal is almost done. I ate with fried chicken, and in another occasion tossed it with leftover pasta and greens. Awesome.

We were each given 2kg worth of dates that I know will go to waste cos we don't eat dates unless it's made into something else.  It also looks gross packed like that. Tried two recipes, one is a date cake and another is an energy bar of sorts. Many said try sticky date pudding but I am lazy to make the toffee sauce. The energy bar was basically dates, oats and nuts packed together and baked and I froze them for quick breakfasts. Not something I'd repeat, but the date cake is worth making over and over! Original recipe from here , but as usual I don't measure properly. Date Cake 2 cups pitted dates (original calls for 1 1/2 cups) 1 1/2 cups water 1 tsp baking soda 113g butter, softened 1 tsp vanilla essence 120g sugar (original calls for 150g) 2 large eggs 1 1/2 cup flour 2 tsp baking powder Boil the pitted dates in water until the dates are mush and forms a thick paste, about 5 minutes. Add baking soda, mix well (it'll bubble!) and set aside. Cream butter and sugar

Volunteered to make tiramisu for department lunch but haven't made tiramisu before. Very clever. The recipe I followed was good but was still doubting myself along the way. How much coffee to make, how to even make coffee?! and how much cream to put! How many layers! This is a no-egg version, less sinful I suppose? Also easier to make. Safe to say now I have nailed it after trying this twice! Haha. Pretty easy once you get the hang of it. Tiramisu 1 1/2 cups heavy whipping cream (35% fat) 8 oz mascarpone cream (that 1 container) 1/3 cup caster sugar 1 tsp vanilla essence 1 1/2 cups cold espresso (no sugar) 1 packet lady fingers, Savoiardi brand Cocoa powder for dusting Whip cold whipping cream with a whisk attachment on high for a few minutes until volume increases. Slowly add vanilla and sugar. Whisk further until stiff peaks form.  Add mascarpone cream and whisk for a while only until combined. Make coffee! I used espresso powder. Didn't realise need to filter still. Just ma

Made the fluffiest marble cake ever, with the help of ovalette. Didn't know it's such an amazing leavener! Got the recipe from here , which uses 8 eggs too for the normal use of butter, sugar and flour. The result is a fluffy, not too sweet cake. Marble Cake 250g butter, melted 250g caster sugar 250g flour 1 tbsp ovalette 8 eggs 4 tbsp cocoa powder Vanilla essence Sift flour into a mixing bowl.  Add sugar, eggs and ovalette. Using a whisk attachment, mix till incorporated on low, then for about 3 min on medium speed till volume increases. Slowly pour in melted butter with mixer speed on low. Split batter in half for the chocolate version with the cocoa powder. I baked in a 10 inch circle pan for 35 min at 170°C. Out of the oven with minimal cracks! My marbling effect needs improving.

Once again, making something out of items that have gone past 'best before' dates! Goes to show I stock up yet never stocktake. HAHA.  Trying another recipe where the cheese is double (or quadruple, for some) the amount than previous attempts, cos cheesecake layer is equally important as brownies. This makes two 8x8 pans even though the recipe said one 9x9. Must be a thick 9x9 then, but then it won't be brownies eh? Recipe from here .  226g unsalted butter, melted 1 1/3 cups semi sweet chocolate chips (I used Valrhona choc so I eyeballed instead of measuring) 3/4 cup Dutch processed cocoa powder 1 cup caster sugar 1 cup light brown sugar 2 eggs (recipe added 1 more yolk but I didn't) 1 cup flour 1 tsp salt Splash of milk 16oz cream cheese (two blocks), room temperature 2 eggs 1/2 cup sugar 1 tsp vanilla essence A pinch of salt Melt the butter, salt, then chocolate, cocoa powder, sugar. Add in the eggs and flour and milk. You need to use a mixer cos I used a whisk by han

I know I've tried oatmeal cookies before, but I wanted one with the most oatmeal used and that's it. Cos I: (a) have oatmeal that should be wayyy past the best before date (haha but still edible though!); (b) am in need of cookies; and (c) should be making healthier alternatives. This is a no frills oatmeal cookie, no raisins, no chocolate chips, no fancy chips, no nuts. Just oatmeal. And that was sufficient. I made large ones, since it was just me eating them (but later my family wanted too). Recipe from here .  190g butter  1/2 tsp salt 1 cup caster sugar 1/4 light brown sugar 1 large egg 1 tsp vanilla essence 1 cup flour 1/2 tsp baking soda 3/4 tsp baking powder 2 1/2 cups quick cooking oats (recipe calls for rolled oats) Recipe calls for 226g butter but I had 190g so 190g it is. Cream it with the vanilla, salt and sugars. Add the egg and cream. Mix in the flour and leavening agents, and finally the oats.  Drop tablespoonfuls on baking paper, flatten it to about a cm thick,

This is the most decadent dessert EVER. So many egg yolks, so much cream, and then there's Mao Shang Wang durian. It's perfect. So perfect that it will definitely lift your mood, especially with the torching and all. I got the recipe from Singapore's Masterchef contestant, @sharmeee .  This was for a special occasion, and I went all out to get the flesh and blowtorch too. Really had fun doing this, and glad that it made many happy. Made two batches but still have some flesh left, might just repeat this again! Tried thinking of other combinations of durian desserts but this seems the best.  Mao Shang Wang durian flesh at Phoon Huat is not cheap! Or maybe it's not cheap anywhere , but wellsss special occasion so why not :) 6 egg yolks 240g durian puree 70g caster sugar 460g heavy cream Brown sugar for sprinkling Mix the egg yolks and durian puree in a big bowl.  In a saucepan, add sugar and cream. Heat till bubbles form at the side and sugar is all melted.  Let it cool fo

Goat meat is expensive. I got a kilo from Mustafa at almost $40. But I was told that it's worth it, so here goes. Decided to make rogan josh out of it. As with any Indian recipe, there's so many variations to it. I chose this version , and here's my tweaks. There are some things I missed out cos I don't have them (mace, Kashmiri chili powder) or I totally forgot until I am typing this (8 cloves, 2 tsp ground tumeric), and some things I cut short like grinding alllll spices altogether instead of having some in powder form, some not. I also added fennel seeds cos what's curry without fennel right? Hahaha Rogan Josh 1kg goat meat 250ml yoghurt (I used greek) 4 medium onions 1 tbsp minced garlic 1 tbsp minced ginger 2 star anise 12 cardamom pods 2 tbsp black peppercorns 1 tsp cumin seeds 2 tsp coriander seeds 1 tsp cinnamon 1 tsp fennel seeds 2 tbsp chili paste 1 small tin of tomato puree (or 4 tbsp) Marinate the meat in yoghurt overnight. Slice onions thinly. For the d

My second attempt at biscotti, and this is a much better recipe than before and it uses up egg whites! Double win! Recipe from here . And since it doesn't have egg yolks, this is lighter than my first attempt. This will be my go-to recipe from now on. I really need to buy a good knife. Cutting this is quite laborious.  6 egg whites 150g sugar Pinch of salt 225g flour, sifted 250g pistachios + 100g dried cranberries (Could be more, I didn't measure properly) Whisk egg whites till soft peak.  Gradually add sugar and salt and whisk till stiff peak.  Fold in flour, then nuts and cranberries.  Pour into a greased and lined baking tin, makes 3 logs. Bake for 40 minutes at 180°C. When cooled, slice thinly and bake for 15 min at 150°C. Biscotti logs after the first bake, before slicing.

Yet another kuih Melayu conquered: kuih bakar lauk. Not too difficult lah since it's a mix of roti kirai and kuih bakar pandan. Got the recipe from here , since the blogger tried and tested before deriving this version.  I fried the minced meat a day ago with sliced onions, fennel and cumin seeds, curry powder, salt and pepper. Kuih Bakar Lauk 1 box santan Kara (coconut cream) 150ml water 100g flour 3/4 tsp salt 2 eggs Tumeric powder for colour Garnishes: sliced red chili, bawang goreng, parsley For the bigger tray, after cooking till the sides don't stick, put in a preheated 180 degree oven for about 15 to 20 minutes depending on the thickness. The first batch was done using the small moulds but I wasn't used to it yet and turned out horrible. First batch. But no matter, the son finished them up anyway. After pouring the batter and adding the garnishes, cover the pan to cook the batter. Doesn't take too long to cook.

I've been on a cookie baking spree for a few weeks now, from huge soft cookies to crunchy cookies.  Below are two recipes which are worth trying, I made the first one twice already, and the close-to-Famous-Amos cookie yesterday. I've attempted another recipe a few years ago, with coffee oil, almond and oatmeal, and this version here uses malted milk powder instead. The second attempt seems closer, or maybe I can combine the two and get a better result? In any case, here's recipe #1, from Rasa Malaysia . Crunchy Chocolate Chip Cookies 250g butter, softened 110g brown sugar 120g caster sugar 2 eggs 1/4 tsp baking soda 80g cornstarch 320g flour 50g cocoa powder (actually it's less but I accidentally added more and it's better) 250g chocolate chips (this is the minimum) The recipe said bake at 200 degrees Celsius for 10 minutes, but that won't give crunchy cookies. I baked at 14 to 16 minutes instead, depending on the size. But the chocolate chips won't be melt

Experiment time! Tried out jeneket, even though I don't know what it is. I might have eaten it before, but I can't recall. It is an old school snack but isn't readily available now. It is like making doughnut, but since the yeast is not a lot, the batter can be left overnight. And I love easy peasy recipes. I have avoided making bread because you need to wait for a certain number of hours, go to it again, then let it proof again. Also, kneading. Nope. But this 'bread' just requires using the k-beater on my Kenwood, then let the dough rest overnight, or 8 hours.  Recipe is from here , and I've searched many many times and all sorts, just to make sure I know what I'm doing. I made half a batch. Jeneket  300g flour 200ml water (supposed to be 100ml) 1/2 heapful tsp bicarbonate soda (or potas but can't find that) 1/4 tsp salt 1 egg 100g caster sugar 1/8 tsp instant yeast 1 tsp baking powder Beat egg and sugar until volume increases. I used the highest speed

I've done this  a few times , but today I tried with different chocolate combo: dark chocolate chunks, salted caramel chips and milk chocolate centre. For ease of reference, here's the recipe again! I dare say these are better than the original combo I used. Ben's Triple Chocolate Cookies 200g butter 300g caster sugar 1 egg 265g flour + 10g baking powder 50g cocoa powder 150g 70% dark cocoa chunks 150g salted caramel chips Galaxy milk chocolate bars for the melted surprise

I've been growing lots of Thai Basil (I have three pots) and they're finally ready for cooking. I've also made Thai Green Curry paste way earlier and it's been sitting in my freezer ever since. I've made green curry before, but that was using a paste bought from a recent trip to Bangkok. That turned out perfect, complete with pea eggplants (those small green bitter balls) & Thai eggplants (green and round). Wanted to try making from scratch, so I followed the recipe from here . Thai Green Curry Paste 4 green chilis 6 green cili padi 2 medium onions 2 stalks lemongrass, finely chopped 2 tbsp galangal 5 cloves garlic 2 1/2 tsp belacan 2 tsp lime zest, grated 1 tsp ground coriander 1 tsp ground cumin 1/4 tsp black pepper 1/4 tsp tumeric powder 2 tbsp chopped coriander root and stem 1/4 cup coriander leaves Thai Green Curry Recipe 1 set green curry paste Oil for frying 250ml coconut cream, and then some (recipe calls for 400g) 3 tsp fish sauce 1 bloc

Googled for Lotus Biscoff Cheesecake, but turns out I didn't have much Lotus biscuits left so this is now a normal cheesecake. HAHA. Also replaced the sour cream with mascarpone cheese, cos that's what I have (exactly 240g of it!) and somehow the cake turned out looking like a burnt basque cheesecake instead. But it still has a wobbly centre and so it should be awesome. Can't wait to cut it but well it needs a few hours to rest so I just kopek some edges instead. I think my previous attempts at cheesecake were a little dense save for the mascarpone cheesecake , and now I know that should be the way cheesecakes are baked! Recipe is originally from here . Cheesecake Layer (i.e. what I used) 900g cream cheese 240g mascarpone cheese 4 eggs 3/4 cup milk 300g sugar 32g flour 1 tsp vanilla essence Using a mixer, cream the cream cheese and sugar until fluffy. Add in milk and vanilla and mix well, then eggs one at a time. Finally, add in the flour. For the base

My snack stash finished, but there's still work from home. So yesterday night I made some cookies. Oatmeal with sunflower seeds, to make use of ingredients in the pantry and also those stuff makes it kinda healthy. Although 2 cups of sugar AND flour aren't very healthy but hey, there needs to be a balance right? Haha. Recipe from allrecipes.com Ingredients 250g butter (I used salted) 1 cup caster sugar 1 cup brown sugar, packed 2 eggs 2 cups flour 2 cups oats (I used quick cook) 1 tsp baking soda 1/2 tsp baking powder 1 tsp vanilla essence 1 cup sunflower seeds 1 cup mini chocolate chips Mix the batter using the normal creaming method i.e. butter with sugar, then with eggs (one at a time), then flour, then oats and finally the seeds and chocolate chips. Drop the dough by teaspoonfuls, on a baking sheet and bake at 180 degrees Celsius for 12 minutes. The cookies will flatten out, won't look pretty but it is still crunchy and yummy! Snacks done. Now I

Tried my hand at mutton mysore! My ultimate favourite whenever I have rice set meals at Indian restaurants. Boil 1kg lamb before hand. Although you can just boil just like that, I wanted to make the meat slightly frangrant. So I fried an onion, few cloves of garlic, an inch of ginger, threw in the usual bay leaf, cardamom, clove, star anise and boiled. Note to self, pressure cook for 15 minutes only. I did at 20 and the meat was soft yes, but that is if I were to eat it straight away. Since I was gonna cook it again, I should have par boiled it. Now for the spices! Spices to fry: 1 tsp fenugreek seeds 1 tsp fennel seeds 1 tsp cumin seeds 10 cashew nuts (obviously I added like 30 or more) 2 cinnamon sticks 5 star anise 4 cardamoms 3 cloves To saute: 5 cloves garlic, pounded 1 inch ginger, pounded 3 red chillies, slit lengthwise 3 onions, sliced 3 stalks curry leaves 5 tomatoes, sliced Curry powder: 5 tsp chilli powder 3 tsp coriander powder 1 1/2 tsp cumin