Apple Roses Pie

Couple of months ago a friend of mine shared a video on how to make Apple Roses dessert video on Facebook and after watching it I'm hooked.  The video is from a food blogger called Cooking With Manuela and she has many wonderful recipes and videos. 

Here's my Apple Roses Pie.  It looks complicated but it's not.  So very easy and yet so pretty and delicious.  Don't worry, the link to this blogger and her video on how to make this is included below.
Have a go at this and your family will be awed by the beauty of this pie. :)

 



www.cookingwithmanuela.blogspot.com

http://www.cookingwithmanuela.blogspot.com/p/videos.html
 

Bacon and Mushroom Quiche

This is my first attempt at baking a quiche.  My hubby and kids love quiche.  When they first ate this, it was baked by my sis and since then, they fell madly in love with it.  Sometimes when we have family get together, special request from my family to my sis, is to bake this.

Since they like its so much, I decided to make one a couple of weeks ago and yup, it's a hit!.  The recipe is taken from the link here.  I did however, adjusted the ingredient to our taste.  Basically, all the main ingredients are there.  I do hope you will try this as this is really good.

Tasteful and delicious!

Pecan Pie

I am in the mood to bake this weekend.  No idea on what to bake but just wanted to bake something.  So I posted on Facebook for suggestions and a friend of mine suggested Pecan Pie.  Although I have been wanting to make this pie for quite awhile but some how, didn't attempt to try until now.  Thanks to my friend, I finally made it.

I always thought that the process is so complex but to my surprise, it's so simple with not much effort at all!

Since my sisters and their family came over for dinner yesterday, I decided to make this for dessert.  All of us love it. I shall make this again and again for sure.. it tasted like butterscotch but with just the right level of sweetness.  Mmm..mmm..mmm!!

And guess what?  Where did I get this simple recipe from?  Wanna guess?  If you have been following my recent posts, I bet you can guess it... yup, bingo!  The Australian Women's Weekly!  None other than... kakakakka   

So here's this wonderful recipe which you must try.. you must you must!

Crust:
1 cup plain flour (I like the crust to be thicker, I recommend 1 1/2 cups)
90g butter (if use 1 1/2 cup flour, suggest to use 135g)
2 tbsp water (3 tbsp)
- Sift flour into bowl, rub in butter.  Add enough water to make ingredients cling together.
- Press dough into ball, knead gently on lightly floured surface until smooth; cover, refrigerate 30 mins.
- Roll dough on lightly floured surface large enough to line 24cm round loose based flan tin.  Lift pastry into tin gently, ease into side, trim edge.
- Place tin on oven tray, line patry with paper, fill with dried beans or rice, blind bake in moderately hot (190dC) oven for 10 mins, remove paper and beans, bake further 10 mins or until pastry is lightly browned.
- Pour filling into pastry case, bake in moderately slow oven (160dC) for 55 mins or until set; cool.

Filling:
3 eggs, light beaten
3/4 cup light corn syrup or golden syrup
1 cup brown sugar (I used 3/4 cup)
30g butter, melted
1 1/4 cups (125g) pecan nuts
- Combine all ingredients in bowl, mix well.

Serve with a dollop of whipped cream or vanilla ice cream!

Yummey..

And today, I baked Chocolate Banana Quick Cake which shall be featured in my next post.. guess where did I get this recipe from?  You sure you guessed it right? Well,  let's wait till then ok.. :)

Nyonya Pineapple Tarts

G O N G   X I   F A   C A I ,    E V E R Y O N E!

It's time to wish everyone a very happy and prosperous Chinese New Year! May the year of the Horse brings you an abundance of good luck, good fortune, good health and much joy.

The first cookie to be eaten for this auspicious celebration should be this authentic Nyonya Pineapple Tarts.  Why?  Because pineapple is called 'Ong Lai' in Hokkien dialect which means luck has come.  In Chinese community, everything and anything that is considered 'good' will be largely consumed or celebrated on such auspicious occasion.

Here, I present to you the authentic Nyonya Pineapple Tarts.  My family and I love to eat this tart.  Some would call this a cookie but actually it's not.  The pineapple jam should not be too sweet.  If too much sugar is used in cooking the jam, you will not get the taste of sweet-sourness of the pineapple.  That slight sourness of the pineapple that compliments the pastry.  The store bought jam is usually loaded with sugar and they thicken it with cornflour so that less pineapple is used.  Pineapples are not that cheap.  So for commercially processed jam, all that matters is the profit and not the taste.  That's why I don't buy commercialized pineapple tarts.  I'd prefer to make them although it is a very tedious process at making them.  So, I only do this once in every few years.. :) - provided I'm in the mood to be 'hardworking'! lol

The secret to making this tart is in the kneading of the pastry.  I don't exactly have the right measurement of the margarine used.  My late mom thought my sisters and I when we were younger on how to 'feel' the dough when making this tart.  The dough should not be too dry or too wet.  That's why most people who do not have the 'right' method or tricks in kneading the dough but rather follow the recipe book, may not get the right texture or taste for this tart.  So, I guess my siblings and I are rather lucky to have learned the tricks first hand.

There's really nothing to it if you know how.. wink! wink!

So, here's the recipe for the ingredients and I try to give you the exact measurement as I can...

Pineapple Jam:
3-4 large pineapple (try to get the ripe ones)
Granulated Sugar to taste (approx. 500g, depending on the natural sweetness of the pineapples)
(I know that some families use spices like the star anise or cinnamon sticks when prepare this jam.  My family prefer not to use the spices.  We like the natural taste of the pineapple that is not being overwhelmed by the spices)

1. Cut the pineapple and cut out the 'eyes'.  Chopped into bite sizes.
2. Blend the pineapple and strain.  Run it over clean water and leave to strain for an hour or so.
3. Cook the pineapple in a wok, keep stirring for about 45 mins, then add sugar.  Cook until pineapple is almost dry and the color changes to darker golden yellow.  Leave to cool before use.  Can be frozen for a couple of months.

Pastry:
600gm wheat flour
250gm margarine (has to be margarine.  Do not use butter) - add more as needed
1/2 cup hot salted water (hot water mix with 1/2 tsp salt)
3 egg yolks
1 egg white

1. Rub flour with margarine.  Texture should not be too sandy or too 'wet'.  When you pinch the dough together, it should be able to hold the shape.
2. Add the egg yolks and the egg white.  Knead well and add the salted water.
3. Roll out the dough and use the tart mould to cut out the tart discs.  Fill the center with pineapple jam.
4. Use the same dough to make the center pattern.  However, the original version, for the pattern dough, do the same for the pastry dough but add more egg whites to it so that it'll be stiffer and stretchable.
5. Brush egg wash on the pastry and bake at 160d C until the pastry is golden brown.

White Chocolate Raspberry Lime Cheesecake

Who don't love cheesecake?  Most people do but a handful don't. Those who have dairy intolerance will not stand for it. To them it's disgusting. I know that some are affected by 'all-in-your-mind' syndrome when it comes to cheese.  I mean, if you make it into chocolate cheese or any other stronger flavor that covers the cheesy taste, it's alright for them.  They practically enjoy eating them but when it comes to plain cheesecake, they will go 'urgh! how disgusting'.. yeah yeah yeah.. so it's all-in-your-mind kind of thing, doesn't it?  Amazing at how the mind can play with your emotions and actions.

Anyway, I'll be happier if more people don't like cheesecake because I will get a bigger share in it..heehhehee.

This particular recipe is from my newly acquired Anna Olson's Back To Baking cookbook.  I love all her recipes and enjoyed watching her show in AFC.  The only thing that I change from this recipe is, substituting raspberries with blueberries since I have blueberries in my freezer and I used lemon instead of lime.  For the crust, I used my almost expired Famous Amos cookie biscuits which my neighbor gave us a couple of weeks ago.

This is very creamy, melt-in-the-mouth cheesecake.  If you love cheesecake the way I do, I highly encourage you to try this recipe.

THE recipe!

Crust:
2 1/2 cups cookie crumbs from other buttery sugar cookies (I used Famous Amos biscuit cookies)
1/4 cup (60ml) unsalted butter, melted

Filling:
2 pkg (250g each) cream cheese at room temperature
2 tbsp all purpose flour
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup sour cream
3 tbsp lime juice (I used lemon juice)
2 tsp finely grated lime zest (I used lemon zest)
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 eggs at room temperature
1 egg yolk
125g white chocolate, chopped
1 cup fresh raspberries (I used blueberries)

1. Pre-heat oven to175dC and great a 9 in springform pan.
2. Stir in the cookie crumbs with melted butter and press them into the bottom of the prepared pan.  Bake for 10mins and cool while preparing the filling.
3. Reduce the oven temp to 150dC. Beat the cream cheese and flour until light and fully. Slowly pour in the sugar while beating.  Beat in the sour cream, lime (lemon) juice, zest, vanilla until blended.  One at a time, add in the eggs and yolk, beating well. By hand, fold in the white chocolate and raspberries (blueberries).
Pour on to the crust.
4. Place the pan on a baking tray and bake for about 40 mins (I baked for 50 - 60 mins) until the outside edges of the cake are set but centre still a little jiggly.  Cool cheesecake at room temperature and then chillin the fridge.

Strawberry and Mascarpone Cream Tart

This is my first tart.  Although I can do with more practice in making the pastry, but this'll do.  Family love it.  Mascarpone was out of stock so I substituted with cream cheese instead.  That is why I love baking.  If you don't have the ingredient that the recipe calls for, you can always use a similar substitute.  No hard rule about it.  Just be bold and try it out.  If it doesn't turn out well, then you know that you've used the wrong substitute and try again.  Having said this, do please take note that some recipes do not compromise with ingredient replacements.  So, read the recipes first and use your own good judgement.

The crust is called Rich Tart Pastry or also known as pate sucree.  It's very tender and similar to cookie dough.  You can prepare by making the crust a day ahead and keep it in the fridge.

Rich Tart Pastry
1 1/4 cups all purpose flour
1/2 cup icing sugar
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup cold butter, cut into 3/4 inch pieces
2 large egg yolks
1 tbsp heavy cream

1. Combine flour, sugar and salt in a food processor. Pulse 1 - 2times to mix. Add the butter pieces and pulse 7-8 times until the mixture forms large, coarse crumbs the size of large peas.
2. In a small bowl, lightly beat the egg yolks with a fork then stir in the cream until blended.
3. With motor running, add the egg mixture and process just until the dough begins to come together but does not form a ball.
4. On a work surface, shape the dough into 6 in disk. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate until firm, at least 45 mins or for up to overnight.
5. When dough is ready, remove from refrigerator and if dough is too cold and hard to roll out, let stand at room temperature for 10-20 mins. Lightly dust a work surface and rolling pin with flour.
6. Roll dough into 13 inches in diameter and 5 mm thickness.  Use firm and steady pressure and work quickly to prevent dough from becoming warm.
7. Lift and turn the dough several times as you roll to prevent sticking and dust the surface and rolling pin with additional flour as needed.  If pastry round sticks, use a bench scraper or an icing spatula to loosen it.
8. Carefully roll the dough around the pin and position the pin over a tart pan with a removable bottom.  Unroll the dough and center it in the tart pan.
9. Roll the overhanging dough back over itself and press it into the sides of the pan, creating a double thickness to reinforce the sides of the tart crust.  Freeze the crust until it is firm, about 30 mins.

 Blind bake the crust
1. Pre-heat oven to 200dC, line the frozen tart crust with large piece of aluminium foil.
2. Fill the foil lined crust with dried beans, uncooked rice or ceramic or metal pie weights.
3. Bake until it dries out about 15 mins. Once crust dries out (when the foil no longer sticks to it), remove the foil carefully and reduce heat to 180dC. Bake until the crust is lightly browned on the edges, about 5 mins longer.  Transfer to wire rack until completely cool.
4. To unmold, place the pan on a large can or inverted bowl and carefully slide the outer ring down.  Using a spatula, carefully loosen the tart from the bottom of the tart pan and slide it into a serving platter.

Strawberry and Mascarpone Cream Filling
1 cup cold mascorpone cheese (I substituted with cream cheese)
3/4 cup cold heavy cream
1/4 cup icing sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract

3 tbsp strawberry jam (warm the jam in a saucepan, remove from heat and coat the strawberries with the jam)
Fresh Strawberries

1. In a large bowl, with an electric mixer or stand mixer, combine the mascarpone cheese, cream, icing sugar and vanilla. Beat until firm peaks form about 2 mins. Using an icing spatula, spread the filling evenly in the cooled crust.
2. Carefully arrange the jam coated strawberries on top of the filling.  Cover and refrigerate until cold, serve cold.

Apple Pie

Thirsty? Have a flavored water..infused with lemon and strawberries with some ice cubes.  A great thirst quencher on a hot day..and a great drink to wash down a great tasting apple pie! Yumm yumm!

You know, I have many recipe books with all types of pies and tarts.  Be it savory or sweet on puff pastry, sweet pastry, raised pie pastry, short crust etc..I have them all.  I took out my recipe book, virtually picturing the flow of the process in making a pie, then I put it back and there goes..end up not doing any due to laziness.  But yet, want to bake something, then took out the recipe book again and select the most easiest of pies to make..yup, you guessed it..none other than the classic can-never-go-wrong Apple Pie!  So now, I can proudly say that 'I've baked a pie!'.  

I know that for many of you, baking a pie is nothing but for me, it's a BIG thing! To be frank, I'm not so in-to with dough although I love eating bread, tarts, pies etc.  The thought of working the dough that puts me off most times.  So, finally work up on the laziness, rolled up the sleeves, I'm ready to roll.  And I'm glad I did.

However, you will see that my pie is kinda shallow.  It's not that I'm stingy with the filling, it's just that it's not planned in advance. I used up whatever apples left in my fridge.  But the recipe which I'm sharing with you should give you a decent size filling.

Here's how:

Pastry Dough for 2-crust pie: (preparation: 15 mins plus chilling)

2 1/4 cup all purpose flour

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 cup cold butter cut into pieces

1/4 cup vegetable shortening

4-6 tbsp ice water

1. In large bowl, combine flour and salt. With pastry blender or 2 knives, using scissor-fashion, cut in butter and shortening until mixture resembles course crumbs.

2. Sprinkle in ice water, 1 tbsp at a time, mixing lightly with fork after each addition until dough is just moist enough to hold together.

3. Shape dough into 2 disks, one slightly larger than the other, wrap each disk in plastic wrap and refrigerate 30 mins or up to overnight. (If chilled overnight, let stand 30 mins at room temperature before rolling).

Pie Filling:

Pastry dough for 2-crust pie

2/3 cup sugar

2 tbsp all purpose flour

1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

1/8 tsp salt

3 pounds cooing apples (9 medium), peeled, cored and thinly sliced

1 tbsp fresh lemon juice

1 tbsp butter cut into pieces

1. Pre-heat oven to 200dC, in large bowl, combine sugar, flour, cinnamon and salt. Add apples and lemon juice; gently toss to combine.

2. On lightly floured surface, with floured rolling pin, roll larger disk of dough onto 9-inch pie plate. Spoon filling into crust; dot with butter.  Roll out remaining disk of dough; cut center circle and 1 inch slits to allow steam to escape during baking. Place over filling and make decorative edge.

3. Place pie on foil-lined cookie sheet to catch any overflow during baking. Bake 20 mins. Turn oven control to 160dC; bake until filling bubbles in center, about 1 hour longer. If necessary, cover pie loosely with foil during last 20 mins of baking to prevent over browning. Cool on wire rack. Can serve warm or completely cooled.

Makes 10 servings.

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.