Spice Apple and Berry Slice

Usually when we buy a bag of gala apples, we would like to do more then just eating on its own. Here this Spice Apple receipe is a very easy to bake even for beginners. I tried step 3 of the method by using a mixer and the mixture turns out smooth. With the 2nd batch, I use a fork instead. It turns out better and the slice is not too soft. This treat afterall is not too sweet and yet healthy for all young and old to enjoy.

Ingredients:
3/4 cup (165g) caster sugar
1 star anise
1 cup water
3 apples, peeled, cored and cut into wedges
2/3 cup (100g) plain flour
1/4 cup (55g) brown sugar
1 1/4tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
60g chilled butter, cubed
1/2 tsp vanilla essence
1 egg
2/3 cup (165g) milk
75g fresh berries of your choice
icing sugar to dust (optional)

Method
1. Preheat oven at 180C. Line an 18x28cm slice pan or 8" square tin with baking paper.
2. Heat 1/2 cup caster sugar, star anise and water in a pan over low fire. Stir continuously until sugar dissolves. Turn up the fire and cook for 2 mins. Add apple and poach in sugar water for 5-7mins, until just tender. Drain and set aside.

3. Place flour, brown sugar, baking powder, cinnamon and remaining caster sugar in a mixing bowl. Stir well to combine the ingredients. Add butter one cube at a time, using a fork, until mixture resembles bread crumbs.
4. Add vanilla, egg and milk and mix until just combined. Do not overmix or the mixture will be too smooth.

5. Spoon mixture into prepared pan. Top with prepared apple wedges and berries. Bake for 35mins until golden.

6. Allow to cool completelly in the pan. Cut into squares (you should have about 18 squares) and dust with icing sugar or vanilla ice cream before serving.

Tip: Make these slices a day ahead and store in the fridge. Reheat when ready to serve.

Kueh Bolu

Kueh Baulu or Kueh Bolu is a tradtional nonya mini sponge cake. They are almost similar in taste as madeleines and they come in many different shapes such as button and goldfish.

It is baked with simple ingredients such as eggs, sugar and four and using a special kueh baulu mould.

Ingredients
250g cake flour (sieve)
5 eggs
200g caster sugar
1 1/2 tsp vanilla essence
oil for greasing

Method
1 Whisk the eggs and sugar together until very light & thick.
2 Lightly grease the inside of each Baulu mould with a little oil and preheat in an oven at 1800°C for 10 minutes.
3 Meanwhile, transfer a cupful of the whisked egg mixture into a smaller bowl and gently fold in just enough flour to form a soft dropping consistency. Do not over mix as this will affect the lightness of the cakes. (The flour is incorporated into the mixture in batches to ensure the lightness of the cakes.)
4 Remove the mould from the oven and fill each depression three-quarters full with the mixture.

5 Bake for 10-12 minutes until golden brown or the tops spring back when lightly touched with the tip of your finger.

6 Remove the cakes from the mould and repeat the process. When cooled, store in an air-tight tin.

Hae Bee Hiam (Fried Dried Shrimps)

It's a very popular side dish for chinese and muslims. Its typically eaten with rice, porridge or bread. This is a homemade version, abit time consuming but well worth the effort.

Ingredients:
300g dried shrimps
1 tbsp kalamansi lime
300g shallots
6 tbsp sugar

CHILLI OIL
7 red chillies
8 tbsp oil

Preparation:
1. Rinse the dried prawns three times. Shake off excess water and finely pound/blend. Add lime juice.
2. Peel and slice shallots
3. Pound/blend chillies

Method:
1. Heat wok over a high flame until it smokes. Add oil. Lower flame then stir-fry shallots until golden brown. Remove and drain.
2. In the same oil, stir-fry pounded chillies. Once the oil is red or chilli turn dark red, turn off flame. Remove the pulp.
3. Reheat the wok over a low flame and stir fry the prawns in the chilli oil. Sprinkle in the sugar and continue to stir fry until the prawns are dry and crisp. Shrimps must be in light texture.
4. Turn off flame and add fried shallots. Allow to cool before storing in a clean airtight container.

Sliders

Sliders are abite-sized bar food that evolved from their larger cousins, hamburgers. The elements of beef and bread remain the same, but the slider is cooked in a slightly different manner from the burger.

First off - the mix: Chuck and sirloin makes for a patty that is both flavourful and juicy. Chuck contains a fair amount of fat, whilst sirloin provides the flavour in your slider patties. The way to cook these is to sear one side and cook the other side on a bed of caramelized onions, creating two different textures and flavours on one patty of beef.

Ingredients:
125g ground beef chuck
125g ground beef sirloin
2 red onions, finely minced
2tbsp balsamic vinegar
4 slices sharp chedder or american cheese
4 soft rolls
salt & pepper for seasoning
Mayonnaise and pickles (optional)

Method:
1. Start by gently sauteing the onions in a tablespoon of oil in a preheated medium hot non stick pan. Next divide the beed into four parts and make four patties by lightly forming the ground beef with your hands. Place on a second preheated medium hot non stick pan for 8 to 9 mins turning just once. Season with salt and pepper and remember that if there is no sizle when you place your patties into the pan, the pan is not warm enough.

2. As soon as the onions start to become translucent and soft, stir in balsamic vinegar. Transfer the patties into the onion pan with the raw side facing down. The onions will impart flavour to the raw half of the patty as they slowly cook.

3. Place a slice of cheese onto the seared surface of the beef patty that now faces up. Cook till desired doneness, slip into a slider bun and enjoy!

P/S I would love to do this for picnics. Pack them onto plastic containers and keep warm in a thermal bag/box.

Banana Beauty Tips

Nutrition:

* Very low in saturated fat, cholesterol, and sodium
* Very good source of vitamin B6
* Good source of dietary fiber, vitamin c, potassium, and manganese

Mask for Glowing Skin:
Combine banana paste with milk and papaya.
Apply it to your face for 15min, rinse off.

Super Moist Banana Muffin

My son came over for dinner and I thought that I should make some snacks for him to bring back.  Furthermore, those bananas hanging there were ready to be mashed.  I've tried many banana muffins and mostly are very dry and does not have the natural banana flavouring.  So, if you have "very ripe" ones and does not like to eat it as a fruit, use them to try out on my receipe.

Ingredients:
210g self raising flour
200g unsalted butter (room temperature)
200g sugar
4 eggs
2-4 ripe bananas (350-370g)
1.5tsp vanilla extract

Method:
1. Beat eggs till foamy, set aside
2. Cream butter and sugar
3. Fold in eggs and flour
4. Mix in mashed bananas
5. Bake for about 30mins at 180C until the top of the muffin is golden brown and when tested with an inserted skewer, it comes out dry.

Here are my standard baking basics:
Flour - sieve flour to get rid lumps
Butter - usually use unsalted
Sugar - best use castor
Eggs - usually large @65g each

Tips:
1. To beat eggs foamy, best use a beater for about 10mins (add abit of sugar + vanilla extract)
2. When seeing curd during the folding of egg and flour, alternate batter or add flour.
3. Do not overmix and bake immediately.

The New Beginning

Happy New Year 2011.

Finally, I decided to have a personal blog. One -to incorporate all my favourite receipes for my children for their future reference and Two - it's about time to write my next 40 years of life...