Blueberry Sourcream Cupcake

This weekend has been quite a busy one.  Well, most weekends are kinda busy in my household but this weekend, we managed to buy Chinese New Year clothes for my kids.  Chinese New Year is just round the corner, at the end of January.  For the next two weekends, I'll be tied up baking Chinese New Year cookies.  My nieces and nephews will be waiting to put their hands in the cookie jars... lol

Not only did we managed to do some shopping, I also had my hair cut short.  Yup, really short and don't ask me why.  I guess it's just that sometimes you have that spur of a moment to do something so not you and this I guess, was the crazy moment for me.  Although the thought has been lingering at the back of my mind for weeks but never really wanted to do it until yesterday.  Was undecided as I love long hair.  Have been having long hair for ages.  So I asked my hubby's opinion and he said 'Cut'.  So I went for it.  If I had waited, I might not have the guts to do it.  Anyway, so it's short now and my head felt so light and free.  Not only that, I decided to go another step further with my hair.  Colored it Caramel Brown.  My hair is really black although I've noticed a few strands of grey lately.  I had my hair dyed many many years ago but the dye didn't stick to my hair.  I tried a few times back then but all didn't work.  I then learned that if I wanted to color my hair, I had to treat it first by bleaching.  Bleaching??  No way I'm gonna bleach my hair.. So after many many many years have passed, I thought okay, since I have a few strands of grey, probably this time it will absorb the color..then, guess what.. same thing.  My hair is still black and not brown.  Well, maybe if under direct sunlight, hopefully, hopefully, it will show some highlight to it.. anyway, so much for having a new hair color for the Chinese New Year... kakakaka

So, hair dye doesn't really work.  Now, I know what works.. let's bake some cupcakes!  Yay.. This is Martha Stewart's Blueberry Cupcakes.  How you want to serve it with, really depends on your creativity.  Here, I cut the cupcakes in half and since I have some leftover chocolate ganache that is slightly thickened, I spread some on the bottom half of the cupcake, top it with the other half, and add a generous dollop of good quality vanilla ice cream.  Not only is it yummy, it looks elegant too.  You can use whip cream with choc fudge drizzle or you can also drench it with some blueberry jam or some sort.  So versatile and don't be afraid to try various flavors of icing or topping.

Cupcake recipe:

1 2/3 cups cake flour
1/4 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 stick butter, softened
2/3 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup sour cream
1 1/4 cups blueberries

1. Preheat oven to 180d C.  Line paper cups in muffin trays.
2. Sift together flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt and mix well.
3. On medium-high speed, beat butter and sugar till light and fluffy, then add eggs one at a time.  Add in vanilla.
4. Reduce speed to low, beat in flour in 3 additions, alternating with sour cream and beginning and ending with flour.  Fold in blueberries.  Fill cups 3/4 full and bake for 20-25 mins until cake is done.

Onion Fritters and Cookies & Banana & Oreo Ice Cream Dessert

A colleague of mine had her retirement party last week.  The retirement age in Malaysia is 60.  I envy her for having reached the age where she will have all the time in the world to do whatever she wants.  On top of that, a final big fat check from the Company to cover her retirement years.  How I wish I'm her, er..minus the age, to enjoy the time and $$!!  Well, being envious is all I can do right now as I have a long way to go before I reach there.  Until then, I've to wake up early in the morning, see the kids to school, go to work, come home, go to sleep and the day repeats until the weekend.

When weekend comes, I'm like 'yeay, its the weekend! I can spend time with my family and feed them well!'.  I always look forward to spending time with my family even though the kids will fight and sometimes they irritate the hell out of you, but hey, I'm not complaining.  It'd rather have this than go to work.

Well, being a working mom, my kids always look forward to weekends where they get to eat food prepared by their mom.  I have 3 hungry tummies to feed.  Here, I'm sharing with you a great and easy tea-time snack that you can prepare in such a short time and they are delicious.

Onion Fritters
serves 4-5

1 1/5 cups self raising flour
2 medium sized big onions, chopped into squares
2 fresh red chillies, seeded and chopped
3 sprigs spring onion, chopped
salt to taste
3/4 cup water
100g shrimp, shelled (optional)
vegetable oil for deep frying

1. Mix all the ingredients together and add 1/2 cup water first.  Adjust the consistency of the batter.  If it's too think add more water.  Batter should not be runny.  Should be thicker than pancake batter.
2. Heat oil in wok and drop spoonful of batter into the hot oil.  Fry until they are golden brown.
Serve with chili sauce.

For dessert, here's Cookies & Banana & Oreo Ice Cream.

Buttermilk Pancakes with Mixed Berry Compote

I've been neglecting my blog lately due to hectic schedule.  Never a dull moment for me that's for sure.  Not only have I been 'inactive' in blogging but I'm guilty for not visiting your blogs as well.  Not that I don't want to but more of being caught in the rat race.

Today, I make a point to share with you another pancake recipe.  Made this for breakfast but if you have leftovers, you can have it as desserts by just topping it up with ice cream.

The mixed berry compote, is made from the berries that I grow in my garden - Mulberry and Acerola Cherry. I only have one plant each, so you can imagine it takes time to collect the berries and freeze them.  I have enough to make this compote for breakfast this morning.  The strawberries were bought during my last vacation at the Cameron Highlands in June which I froze.

Mulberry

Acerola Cherry

Pancake recipe:
4 servings
150g plain flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
pinch of salt
1 tbsp sugar
1 egg
250ml buttermilk
2tbsp butter, melted

1. Sift the dry ingredient into a bowl add sugar.
2. Whisk the eggs until frothy, add in buttermilk and melted butter.
3. Whisk the wet ingredients into the flour mixture and mix well.
4. Heat non stick pan, lightly coated with vegetable oil, drop big spoonful of batter and cook till both sides are done.
Serve with honey or with mixed berry compote.

Mixed Berry Compote:
Mulberry (1/3 cup)
Acerola Cherry (1/3 cup)
Strawberry (1/2 cup)
1/3 cup sugar
1 tbsp lemon juice

Mix all ingredients in a small saucepan and cook over low-medium heat until sugar is dissolved and reduced.
Keep warm.

Everything Strawberries - Jam, Ice Cream, Scones

My sisters and I bought lots and lots of strawberries from our recent holiday in Cameron Highlands. If you read my preceded post, our local strawberries come from this beautiful highland.  The strawberries are not super sweet but very flavorful - some sweetness with tangy sourness and very very juicy.  We love it.  I made jam and ice cream from it.  I freeze the strawberries first so that it can last to the weekend to make the jam and ice cream.

 Juicy red Strawberries.  It's more flavorful from the imported ones. Yummy.

Here's how to make the jam.  My sis taught me how.

1. Place the strawberries in a deep sauce pan and crushed it with a fork.  You don't need to puree it as I like  bits of chunky berries in the jam.  As you cook it, it will be soft.

 2. Boil with sugar to your taste until it thickens.  I only made about 1.5 kilos of the strawberries.  This takes about 40mins depending on the consistency that you want.  I cooked this till slightly thicken but a bit runny as it will set more when cooled.

 Look at the color...isn't it beautiful.

 I saved  some for ice cream...puree the strawberries with some sugar to your taste, chill overnight.  Churn it in the ice cream maker with 1 1/2 cup of whipped cream and a tablespoon of kirsch.  Freeze.

 Topped with some strawberry jam.

So, when you have homemade strawberry jam, what goes well with it?  Scones...yes!

 1. Mix 2 cups self raising flour with 2 tsp caster sugar

2. Rub in 20g butter to resemble breadcrumbs

3. Stir in 3/4 cup milk to mix to a soft sticky batter (add more milk if needed).

4. Turn dough into lightly floured surface and knead lightly until smooth.

5. Roll dough into 2 cm thickness and cut into 5 cm round molds, place scones on prepared pan lined with parchment paper.

6. Brush scones with a little extra milk and bake in very hot oven 230d C for 15 mins. 

Yields 10.

 Care for some tea?? ..serve with whipped cream and homemade strawberry jam...a perfect afternoon tea indeed!

Pancakes with Fresh Bananas

Bananas! I do go bananas over bananas!  Bananas are good for you as they contain health properties in them which is good for you.  A banana a day keeps stress away! That is definitely true.  So, if you are stressed out, take a 5 and instead of munching on a kit kat, why not have a banana instead.  Not only it keeps you calm but it provides fibre to your body, energy and contains high potassium.

This morning, I made pancakes for breakfast and serve it with fresh bananas and honey.  My family love them!

Pancake:

250g plain flour

1/2tsp salt

2 tsp sugar

2tsp baking powder

50g melted butter

300ml milk

2 eggs lightly beaten

vegetable oil for frying

Mix all ingredients except the oil, and whisk till combine.

Heat frying pan, coated with a little oil, drop in big spoonful of batter and fry till bubbles appear, then flip over and fry till golden brown.

Serve with slices of fresh bananas and drizzle with generous amount of honey.

Fruit Tart

This is my first try at making fruit tartlets.  I'm surprised at how easy this is.  The recipe is taken from Michel Roux's 'Pastry' cookbook which my sis gave me for my birthday a few years back.  This recipe gave me an opportunity to use my newly purchased pastry molds.

The sweet pastry dough, also called Pate Sucree, can be made in advance and kept well wrapped in the fridge for several days or frozen for up to 3 weeks.  It's less fragile and has a tinge of sweetness.

 Pate Sucree:

250g flour

100g butter, cubes and slightly softened

100g icing sugar, sifted

pinch of salt

2 eggs, at room temperature

1. Put the flour in a mound on a work surface and make a well. Put in the butter, icing sugar and salt, mix these ingredients together with your fingertips.

2. Gradually draw the flour into the center and mix with you fingertips until the dough becomes slightly grainy.

3. Again, make a well and add the eggs. Work them into the flour, using your fingertips, until the dough begins to hold together.

4. When dough is well amalgamated, knead it a few times with the palm of your hands until smooth. Roll the dough into a ball, wrap in cling wrap and rest in the fridge for 1-2 hours before using.

5. When dough is rested, roll out on a lightly floured surface to 2-3mm thickness and line pastry cups and bake blind for 20 mins at 180d C.

*Bake blind: Prick the base of the pastry with a fork and line parchment papers on top by filling it with beans or rice.  Bake for 20 mins at 180d C and discard the parchment paper with the bean/rice in it. Bake for a further 5 mins for the color. Unmould the pastry and cool on wire rack.

One thing I love about fruit tarts is that you can use any fillings you like.  Filling can be fresh fruits, lemon curd, chocolate mousse, cream cheese or even ice cream.  Fill the tartlets just before serving to avoid the pastry from getting soggy.  As for this particular recipe that I did, I used Creme Patissiere.  Here's how you make it:

Filling: Creme Patissiere:

6 egg yolks

125g caster sugar

40g plain flour

500ml milk

1 vanilla pod, split lengthways

a little icing sugar or butter

1. Whish the yolks and one-third of the sugar together in a bowl to a ribbon consistency. Whisk in the flour thoroughly.

2. In a saucepan, heat the milk with the rest of the sugar and vanilla pod.

3. As soon as it comes to boil, pour it into the egg yolk mixture, stirring as you go. Return it to the pan and bring to boil over medium heat, stirring continuously with the whisk.

4. Let bubble for 2 mins then pour into a bowl.

5. Dust the creme patissiere with a veil of icing sugar to prevent skin from forming as it cools, or dot small flakes of butter all over the surface.

6. Once cold, it can be kept in the fridge for up to 3 days. Remove the vanilla pod before using.

To assemble:  Spoon the filling into the pastry cups and top with your choice of fruits ie. peach in syrup, fruit cocktail, grapes, any type of berries etc.

See?  It's so easy to make and make such a delicious treat for your family!

And here's my mini-me little apprentice!!

Blueberry Pie & Lemon Ice Cream

I have this pastry dough which I've made some months ago and had it frozen.  I had forgotten all about it until today when I decided to make Lemon Ice Cream.  The dough was wrapped in cling wrap and tucked away in my freezer (not that it's a big freezer), it's just that I had totally forgotten about it.

Since I've 'discovered' it, I then decided to make Blueberry Pie as I had recently bought a can of Blueberry Pie filling with the intention of eating it with pancakes.  Then I thought since I'm making Lemon Ice Cream, it will be a perfect combination.  And it is perfect!  That's what my husband said.  The pie is not too sweet and the Lemon Ice Cream is very refreshing with tinge of sweet and sourness in it.  Purrfect!!

The dough recipe which I used in my pie is not the same as the recipe below.  I don't have an exact measurement for my recipe as I used 'gut-feel' for done-ness of the dough.  Basically the ingredients are the same as below except that I used eggs and not shortening.  However, you can use the recipe below as this is taken from Good Housekeeping cookbook which it claimed to have 'tripled tried & tested'.

Pastry Dough:

2 1/4 cups all purpose flour

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 cup cold butter, cut into pieces 

1/4 cup vegetable shortening

4-6 tbsp iced water

1. In large bowl, combine flour & salt. With pastry blender or two knives used scissor-fashion, cut in butter and shortening until mixture resembles coarse crumbs.

2. Sprinkle ice water, 1 tbsp at a time until dough is just moist enough to hold together.

3. Shape dough into 2 disks and refrigerate overnight.

4. Roll dough on floured board into 12 inch round and pie pan. Press dough against the pan.

5. Add in pie filling and roll another disk to cover the pie.  Make a 'cross' cut in the centre and cover the pie.

5. Seal the sides and if you like, brush with egg wash.

6. Bake in preheated oven at 170degree celcius for about an hour till the top is golden.

Filling:  Blueberry Pie Filling (1 can)

 Lemon Ice-Cream:

Grated rind and juice of 3 lemon

8 tbsp sugar (to your taste)

4 egg yolks

2 tsp cornflour

1/4 cup milk

1/4 cup whipping cream

1. Mix rind, juice, sugar, eggs and cornflour together.  Give it a good whisk.

2. Head milk in a pan till just bubbling. Remove from heat.

3. Slowly pour milk into lemon mixture while constantly whisking it.

4. Return mixture to pan and cook custard till thicken.

5. Cool custard and chill overnight.

6. Prepare ice cream maker as per the manufacture instructions.

7. Mix chilled custard with whipping cream and pour into ice cream maker.

8. Freeze.