Kueh Bakar Pandan

Not very often that I will make kuehs for our weekends snacks. On some rare occasions I will make the Pumpkin ondeh ondeh, Banana hoon kueh pisang when we feel like having these kuehs again.

So far, I've not attempted a baked version. I remembered a kueh recipe that's easy to make and filled with pandan and coconut fragrance. But as I do not have the Bahulu mould, I tried out on 1 floral aluminium mould but they turned out too small. I used the aluminium muffin cases instead.

Recipe adapted from :Joceline Butter Flour & Me
Kueh Bakar Pandan
About 15 - 17 small aluminium muffin cases.
Ingredients :
2 eggs
80g castor sugar
150g all-purpose plain flour
150g pandan juice
200g coconut milk
Pinch of salt
1 tablespoon vegetable cooking oil

Extra cooking oil to grease the aluminium cases.
1 tablespoon sesame seeds to sprinkle

Methods:
1) Preheat the oven to 180ºC. Position the rack in the middle. The temperature of the oven may vary, do adjust the temperature and timing to suit your oven.

2) Lightly grease the muffin cases with vegetable cooking oil and set aside.

3) To make the pandan juice, wash clean about 5 - 7 pandan leaves. Cut into smaller pieces, blend with about 170g water and obtain 150g pandan juice.

4) In a clean mixing bowl, place altogether the flour, eggs, coconut milk, salt and pandan juice and whisk to combine with the electric mixer.

5) Add in the vegetable cooking oil and mix till combined with a ballon whisk.

6) Pour mixture into each aluminium case. Fill the muffin cases till almost full and sprinkle some sesame seeds.

7) Bake in preheated oven 180°C for about 25 minutes.

8) Remove from oven and unmould immediately to cool.

These dainty Kueh Bakar Pandan turned out not too bad looking.  Simply love the pandan and coconut fragrance. And the next thing you know. ... they are very addictive.  Enjoy !

Lime Brownies with Lime Glaze

Should these be called as bars or brownies ?  Not sure …  anyway, I thought they looked more like bars.  As I didn’t want the usual chocolaty moist fudgy brownies ... so I tried these very citrusy tangy lime brownies with lime glaze. Whenever I’m cutting citrus fruits like lemon and lime, I will be salivating over the juice ... hee.. hee ... These bars are definitely very refreshing with bursting of tangy lime flavour but not quite fudgy though, yet with light tender crumbs.  (Sob sob! ... I’ve overbaked these brownies!)

Recipe adapted from: Life with the crust cutoff
My slight changes made below
Lime brownies
Ingredients :
Brownies
100g all-purpose plain flour
100g caster sugar
¼ teaspoon salt
113g unsalted butter, softened at room temperature
2 large eggs (the size of my egg is 60g each with shell)
2 teaspoons lime zest
2 tablespoons lime juice

Lime Glaze
50g confectioners’ sugar

1 - 1.5 tablespoon lime juice
1 teaspoon lime zest

Method :
About 2 large limes for the zest and lime juice.

Preheat the oven to 175ºC. Position the rack in the middle. The temperature of the oven may vary, do adjust the temperature and timing to suit your oven.

Line an 8 x 8inch (20 cm) square pan with parchment paper, grease with some butter. Leave excess parchment paper hanging over the sides for easy removal from pan.

In a mixing bowl, cream butter and caster sugar with an electric mixer. Add in the salt and flour and beat until combined.

In a separate bowl, whisk together the eggs, lime zest, and lime juice until combined. Pour into the flour mixture and beat at medium speed with the electric mixer until smooth and combined.

Pour batter into the prepared pan and bake for 25 minutes, or until just starting to turn golden around the edges. (do not overbake as overbaking will create a dry brownie).
{my note : next time, I will watch the timing to stop at 22 minutes}

Test with a toothpick inserted in the center if it comes out clean.  Remove the brownie from pan and transfer to wire rack to cool completely before glazing.

To make  the lime glaze:
In a small bowl, use a spoon to mix the confectioners’ sugar and zest with lime juice. Mix and stir to desired consistency by adding more lime juice.

Spread the lime glaze over the brownies and cut into bars to serve.  But I like to cut the brownies into bars first, then drizzle the lime glaze over the them.  Pair them with a glass of cold ice lemon tea ! A quick fix for the sunny afternoon tea break. Enjoy !

Mango Apple and Stem Ginger Crumble

Occasionally we love to have some piping hot fruity oatmeal crumble for our brekkie on some cold mornings.

Chanced upon a crumble recipe with added stem ginger.  “Stem ginger refers to chunks of ginger candied and stored in simple syrup.” If you are unable to find ready stem ginger in the supermarket, it is not difficult to make one.  I made a small jar of stem ginger in advance and keep it in the fridge. Glad that I could use the ginger or syrup for other bakes or desserts.

Recipe reference :Food.com
Stem ginger
For the ginger - Peeled and cut into half inch cubes about 12 pieces
65g sugar (add more if you prefer sweeter)
120ml water

Method :
Boil a small pot of boiling water, blanch ginger for about 10 seconds.
Drain and repeat 2 more times.
In a small saucepan, add blanched ginger, water and sugar.  Bring to the boil then reduce the flame and simmer for 15-20 minutes until the water and sugar forms a slightly thick syrup similar in texture.
Pour into a container, let cool and keep in the fridge until ready to use.

Recipe source for the crumble :bbcgoodfood
Below my slight modifications made.

Mango Apple and Stem Ginger Crumble 
Ingredients
(A)
1 small red apple, peeled, cored and diced in cubes
1 teaspoon light Muscovado sugar or brown sugar
About 2 tablespoon of water

(B)
1 small mango, peeled, stoned and roughly chopped into small cubes
2 small pieces of stem ginger, chopped finely

Crumble topping:
40g plain flour
40g rolled oat
40g unsalted cold butter, diced
3 tablespoon light Muscovado sugar or brown sugar
40g walnuts very roughly chopped

Some soft butter to grease the ramekins

Method:
Position the rack in the center and preheat oven to 180°C.  (Note: The temperature of the oven may vary, do adjust accordingly).
Lightly grease 3 ramekins with butter and set aside.

In a small saucepan combine all the Ingredients A and cook with low flame for about 5 mins. Stirring occasionally. Cook till apples are just tender.

Off the flame and stir in the mangoes and stem ginger.
Spoon the fruit mixture into ramekins.

Combine the flour, light muscovado sugar, rolled oats in a big bowl. Use your fingertips to rub the butter into the mixture until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs. Stir in the walnuts. Spoon the crumble mixture over the fruit mixture.

Bake at preheated oven 180°C for 20 minutes or until golden brown.

Need to be careful while having this piping hot brekkie that's served straight out from the oven.  Very satisfying ... fruity, nutty warm crumble with a hint of woody spice flavour.  Enjoy !

My note: Will add more stem ginger for more gingerly taste in my next crumble bake.

Happy baking !

Peanut Butter Cookie Bownies

My big kids love brownies. And for me, baking brownies ain't that cumbersome. It saves me the hassle to take out the electric mixer, all I need is a wire whisk and spatula (or wooden spoon) to mix the mixture in one or two bowls ... like here, here, here or here.

But I've not baked one with cookie dough ... I mean cookie dough and brownies together. Always think that it's a complicated recipe. Actually it's not that complicated afterall ... just 'assemble' the two types of mixtures in the pan.  And ... a few more utensils to wash!

 

Recipe adapted from : Lovely Little Kitchen
Below my slightly adjusted version as I've reduced the quantity of caster sugar.

Peanut Butter Cookie Bownies
8 inch square pan
Ingredients for the brownies
113g unsalted butter
150g caster sugar
2 eggs at room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
60g all purpose plain flour
35g cocoa powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon baking powder

Ingredients for cookie dough
53g vegetable oil
70g caster sugar
1 egg at room temperature
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
45g creamy peanut butter
126g all purpose plain flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt

Methods :
Preheat the oven to 175ºC. Position the rack in the middle. The temperature of the oven may vary, do adjust the temperature and timing to suit your oven.

Line an 8 inch (20 cm) square pan with parchment paper, grease with some butter. Leave excess parchment paper hanging over the sides for easy removal from pan.

To make the brownie batter:
1) Combine the dry ingredients : the flour, cocoa powder, salt and baking powder in a clean bowl. Set aside.

2) In a small pot, melt the butter over low heat with a whisk. Stir in the caster sugar till dissolved.

3) Off the heat and stir in eggs and vanilla extract. Stir the mixture into the dry ingredients until just mixed and pour into the prepared pan. Level the top evenly with a spatula and set aside.

To make the peanut butter cookie dough:
1) Combine the dry ingredients : the flour, baking soda  and salt in a clean bowl. Set aside.

2) Whisk the oil and caster sugar in a jug. Add the egg, vanilla extract, and peanut butter and continue to whisk till combined.

3) Pour the wet mixture to the dry ingredients. With a big spoon, mix and stir the mixture to form a dough.

4) Drop cookie dough evenly by rounded tablespoons onto the brownie batter.



5) Bake about 22 - 25 minutes in preheated oven, or until just set in the middle. Test with a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, do not over bake.

6) Remove the brownie from pan and transfer to wire rack to cool completely before cutting into squares.

Looks like polkadots brownies 

Moist, fudgy, chewiness ...
That's the combination of cookie dough and brownies together. So yummy !

AND oh ! well ... they are so absolutely sinful too!

So enjoy whichever way you want ... top with some ice cream, drizzle some chocolate fudge ! 

Enjoy and happy baking! 

Apricot & Pistachio Blondies

Beginning to feel the Christmassy mood now but lazy to do any "complicated holiday baking".  Hee... hee ! I love to bake brownies, blondies or cranberry nut bar for the festive season. Glad I could use this easy and fuss free blondie recipe which I like it so much.  With a slight twist, just add in the dried fruits & nuts of your choice and it's done within a short timing.  Baked this apricot and pistachio blondies for our coffee break.  I'm sure this easy to bake recipe comes in handy for any busy hosts running short of time but want to whip up some 'oh! so yummy' treats for the occasion ^-^!

A variation from the previous adapted recipe here

Apricot & Pistachio Blondies
Yield: Makes 9 big squares or 16 smaller squares.
One 8x8-inch baking pan

Ingredients :
112g unsalted butter, melted and cooled.
85g light brown sugar
1 egg, lightly beaten
128g all purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Pinch of salt
60g shelled pistachios
80g dried apricots, chopped roughly

Method :
1) Position the rack in the middle and preheat oven to 180°C.  Line the baking pan with lightly grease parchment paper.

2) In a big mixing bowl, whisk together the melted butter and brown sugar until there are no more lumps of brown sugar. Whisk in the beaten egg and vanilla extract.

3) In a separate dry bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and pinch of salt. Add the dry mixture to the wet mixture and mix until smooth. Fold in half the quantity of pistachios and apricots.

4) Pour mixture into the prepared baking pan and smooth the surface. Scatter the remaining pistachios and apricots over the top and gently press with the back of a big spoon.

5) Bake for about 20 to 25 minutes or until a tester comes out clean. Cool completely before cutting into squares.

*Note : Find it difficult to cut the bars neatly on big chunky nut/dried fruit. I will chop the pistachios and dried apricots into smaller pieces in my next attempt.

On a lazy afternoon ... relax and enjoy the chewy tangy and nutty blondie bars over a cup of hot coffee.  Enjoy !

Happy Baking !

Cranberry Buttermilk Scones

We love scones ! Especially the buttery crusty flaky scones that spread with our favourite spreads from Nutella to butter, kaya, homemade or store bought jams. Plain or with added nuts or dried fruits like the previous Lavender walnut scones.

Instead of cutting rounds, these quick and easy scones are cut into wedges.

Recipe source : Taste of Home
Below my slightly modified version
Cranberry Buttermilk Scones
Yields 6 wedges
Ingredients
220g all-purpose plain flour
30g caster sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
Pinch of salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
85g cold butter (cut into small cubes)
124g buttermilk
40g dried cranberries

For glaze and topping:
1 tablespoon buttermilk
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon + 1 tablespoon caster sugar

Method:
1) Preheat the oven at 220°C, position the rack in the center of the oven. Line baking sheet with parchment paper, set aside.

2) Mix and combine the ground cinnamon and caster sugar in a small bowl, set aside.

3) In a big bowl, combine the flour, caster sugar, baking powder, salt and baking soda. Next, rub the cold butter into the flour with your finger tips, lifting the flour from the bottom up on top, until the mixture looks like coarse breadcrumbs.

4) Stir in the buttermilk with spatula until just combined. Fold in the cranberries.

5) Scatter some flour onto the work surface and tip the dough out. Gently pat the dough a few times to form a 6-inch circle.  (*note: The dough should not be overworked as may end up with a hard and doughy scones). Cut the circle into six wedges. Separate wedges and place 1 inch apart on prepared baking sheet.

6) Brush the tops with buttermilk and sprinkle the cinnamon mixture over the tops.

7) Bake for 15-20 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from pan to a wire rack. Serve warm.

These rather rustic looking scones are perfect for any time snacks.  Served these light and crusty yet tangy warm scones for our brekkie!  Enjoy !

Baked Mini Chicken Curry Puffs

There are times that I just wanna have some curry puffs but didn't want to deep fried or make the dough from scratch.  Yes .. lazy me .... Store bought frozen puff pastry is quite versatile and convenient to turn them into easy fruity tarts or savoury puffs/pies. So, here I made baked mini chicken curry puffs, with ingredients like frozen green peas and curry powder easily available in my fridge/pantry.

Baked Mini Chicken Curry Puffs
Makes about 22
Ingredients :
7cm round cookie cutter
4 sheets store bought frozen Puff pastry

For the filling
200g minced chicken
1 medium potato
1 - 2 tablespoon cooking oil
2 small onions - finely chopped
2 cloves garlic - crushed and chopped
2 teaspoons curry powder
2 tablespoons frozen green peas (thawed)
Water about 50-80ml
1/5 teaspoon salt and dash of pepper to taste
1 small egg (beaten for egg wash)

To make the fillings :
1) Heat frying pan / wok in medium flame, add 1 - 2 tablespoons of cooking oil.
2) Add onion and garlic, cook for about 3 – 5 minutes or until soft.
3) Add the potato and cook for about 3 – 5 minutes.  Next add the minced chicken, continue to cook for a few minutes.  Break up the lumps using the back of the spoon.
4) Add curry powder and salt, stir constantly.  Pour water, continue to cook for about 10 minutes. Stirring occasionally. Cook until the water reduced and potato is softened.
5) Stir in the green peas, add dash of pepper and give a few stirring.
*adjust the taste to your preference.
Off the heat and allow the mixture to cool.

To make the curry puffs

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C. Position the rack in the center.
2. Prepare the baking sheet with lightly greased parchment paper.
3. Place the pastry sheet on the light floured work surface.
4. Use a round cup or a 7cm cookie cutter to cut out rounds from the pastry sheet.
5. Place 1 tablespoon of cooled filling in the center of each circle.
6.  Fold/Press to enclose and twist the edges together to seal. Brush the pastries lightly with egg wash.
7. Place the pastries onto the baking sheet and bake for about 20 minutes or until the pastries are golden brown.

These flaky freshly baked mini curry puffs certainly tasted great when they're served warm. Enjoy !
Happy baking  ... Have a great weekend!

Rosemary Lemon Yogurt Cake

Just like the quick and easy and no-mixer recipes I've tried
 here,  here and here .... Surely this easy one-bowl and no-mixer yogurt cake caught my eyes.  I like lemony cake, so obviously to add a little lemon zest and juice to the cake.  With a little leftover of fresh rosemary herb in the fridge. .. it would be nice to add that fragrance too.

Recipe source : kitchn
Below my slightly modified version as I've added lemon and rosemary, scaled down the quantity for a small loaf.

Rosemary Lemon Yogurt Cake
Yields: 1 small loaf (I used a heatproof paper pound cake mould 7.5cm x 17.8cm x 5cm)
Ingredients A
65g caster sugar
125g yogurt
3 tablespoons canola oil
1 egg
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 teaspoon zest of lemon
1 teaspoon finely chopped fresh rosemary

Ingredients B
100g all-purpose plain flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
Pinch of salt

Method:
1) Position the rack in the middle and preheat oven to 175°C, line the loaf case with lightly grease parchment paper.

2) Put all the ingredients A in a medium size mixing bowl and whisk together until incorporated.

3) Add in the sifted flour and the rest of ingredients B to the mixing bowl. Whisk until no lumps remain. Pour the batter into the pan, use a spatula to scrape down the sides of the mixing bowl for no waste of batter.

4) Bake for about 35 minutes. Cover with foil at the end if the top is browning too quickly. Check for doneness with a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake if it comes out clean.

5) Transfer the loaf/cake pan onto wire rack and let it cool for 10 minutes before removing it from the pan.

Very fragrance cake with a hint of tangy taste. I like the crispy crust and lightly moist texture. If I have guests pop by unexpectedly and wish to serve them warm cake that's quick to make, this recipe will definitely come to my mind.

Enjoy ! Have a great week ahead !

Cherry Puff Pastry Tart

Having experimented making fresh cranberry sauce here, to make cherry sauce should be similar and easy too. Just needed to adjust the sweetness and texture. As I didn't have any whipped cream on hand, it would not be as tasty like Mini Mango Fruit Tarts.  So, I quickly made the cherry sauce and glad that these cherry puff pastry tarts turned out nice for our weekend afternoon snacks.

Cherry Puff Pastry Tart
Ingredients :
200g cherries, washed & pitted
50g granulated sugar (adjust the sweetness to your liking)
Water (100ml to 120ml)
1 piece frozen puff pastry, thawed
1 small egg, lightly beaten (or just use half of it)

Method:
To prepare filling, combine the cherries, sugar and about 100ml of water in a small saucepan over medium-low heat. Cook for about 10 minutes with stirring occasionally.

Off the flame and allow the mixture to cool.

Preheat oven to 180°C.  Position the rack in the center. Prepare a baking sheet with lightly greased parchment paper.

Sprinkle some plain flour on the work surface. Place the pastry sheet on the work surface.
*Note: I didn't thaw the pastry sheet.  Leave for about 2 minutes after taken out from the freezer, as I find it easier to handle.

Poke some holes at the base using a fork.

Spoon the cherry mixture on top of the puff pastry sheet, leaving one inch border. Roll the borders inward to create a dent.

Lightly brush the border with the beaten egg.

Bake for 18 to 20 minutes, or until pastry puffs up and turns golden brown.

Fresh from the oven. Looks yum !

Can't wait to have some ...

Serve it plain or dust with some icing sugar/Snow powder, or top with some ice cream if you like. I'm sure you'll enjoy this easy cherry tart whichever way.

Well, those easy cherry tarts happened to be my last bake as I had to issue a "death certificate" to my "over-worked" oven few weeks ago .... hee... hee... So, I'll be taking a break from baking until I could find the right size for the built-in oven.

No Bake Cranberry Chia Energy Bites

No Bake Energy Bites ? ... Well, I've heard of these energy bites but have never really wanted to make some until I was so inspired by these recipes sharing by Angie's Recipes, here & here. So easy and flexible that I could just throw in ingredients I could find in the pantry .... creamy peanut butter, oatmeal, ground flaxseed, chia seeds, honey or agave syrup, dried fruits/berries, unsweetened coconuts flakes or shredded coconut, chocolate chips, any nuts etc etc .   Roll them into balls or flatten the dough in a square tray and cut into bars if you wish.

Recipe sources, references and adapted from :
Angie's Recipes
Life made sweeter

Gimme some oven

Below my slightly adjusted version.

No Bake Cranberry Chia Energy Bites

Yields 14 balls, 20g each

60g creamy peanut butter

5 tablespoons honey

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract 

2 tablespoons chia seeds 

100g quick cooking oats

30g dried cranberries

20g chocolate chips

15g pine nuts (lightly toasted and set aside to cool)

Method:

In a large bowl, mix peanut butter, honey and vanilla extract with a big spoon until smooth.

Stir in the rest of the ingredients together until thoroughly mixed and well combined.

Cover and let chill in the refrigerator for half an hour.  Divide the mixture into 20g each portion and roll them into tightly packed balls with your hands.

Store in an airtight container, and keep refrigerated for up to 1 week.

My big boy commented that these yummy bites tasted like Snickers as he was "popping" one after another.  My big girl likes peanut butter, so obviously thumbs up from her too ^-^!

I'm sure, these packed with wholesome goodness healthy energy bites will become 'a hit' for our morning brekkie, anytime snacks or before and after workouts cos they are just so addictive.

Enjoy! Have a great week ahead!

  

Linking this post to Little Thumbs Up March 2016 Theme Honey organised by Zoe from Bake for Happy Kids and Doreen from My Little Favourite DIY, and hosted by Joycescapade.

Mini Mango Fruit Tarts

I've been unwell for almost a week, prescribed with antibiotics and have been on plain and tasteless meals ... Somehow I had that sudden craving for some sweet pastries or tarts. With some sweet mangoes, some whipped cream and the pack of frozen puff pastry in the freezer, I still could charge up some energy to make some quick and easy fruit tarts to satisfy my craving.

Hee .. hee ... when one is still on medication, the mind is still "floating" and not alert ... I've forgotten to brush the pastry with egg wash and to sprinkle with some sugar ... >~<

Recipe source :
Martha Stewart - Puff Pastry Tarts
Below my slightly modified version

Mini Mango Fruit Tarts
Makes 9 (using frozen puff pastry)
Ingredients
For the tart shell:
1 sheet of frozen puff pastry
1 egg, lightly beaten
Sugar, for sprinkling

For the filling :
200ml Whipping cream
15 grams caster sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 medium sized ripe mango - peeled, stoned and diced

Method :
Step 1
Preheat oven to 200°C.
Line parchment paper on a large baking sheet. Place a sheet of frozen puff pastry.
*Note: for easier handling, I didn't thaw the pastry sheet. Leave for about 1 - 2 minutes before cutting up the shapes.

Step 2
Cut into 9 squares using a pizza cutter or a sharp knife. Lightly score a boarder about 1cm crust from the edge of each square. Don’t cut all the way through.
Lightly brush the border with egg. Place the tray of puff pastry in freezer for about 10 minutes.

Step 3
Remove the tray from freezer.
Bake for about 15 minutes or until puffed and golden.
Remove from the oven, immediately, gently flatten the centers of each of the squares with the back of a teaspoon.
This indent is to make space for the toppings.

Step 4
Once the puff pastry cooled, gently dollop about 2 tablespoons of whipped cream onto each of the square and top with diced mangoes.
(Feel free to use a mixture of fruits like Kiwifruit, peach or berries if you like)
Serve immediately.

To make the whipped cream:
(Note: I've prepared the whipped cream in advance of baking and chilled it in the fridge till ready to use).

Freeze the cleaned mixing bowl for about 10 minutes.  Take it out from the freezer, immediately put all together the cold whipping cream, vanilla extract and caster sugar in the cold mixing bowl. Use the electric mixer to whisk till stiff peaks form.

I couldn't wait to polish off the two sweet juicy mango tarts at one go for my afternoon break ^-^!

Hee ... hee .. the unpleasant medicines seemed to taste sweeter after I've filled my tummy with some sweet mango tarts ... Enjoy!

♡♡ ~~~~ ♡♡♡♡~~~~♡♡

 

Linking this post to the event Little Thumbs Up (November 2015 Event: Mango) organised by Zoe (Bake for Happy Kids) and Mui Mui (My Little Favourite DIY) and hosted by Jozelyn Ng (Spice Up My Kitchen)