White Chocolate Cranberry Oat Cookies

Makes 20
100g butter, chopped
60g soft brown sugar
1 large egg
60g of white chocolate
60g rolled oats
150g plain flour

1/2 cup dried cranberry (rehydrated by soaking in water)

1/2 tsp baking powder
Pinch of salt
1/2 tsp of cinnamon/all spice powder
Optional: 1/2 cup sesame seeds

Preheat oven 150C fanforced.
Line a large baking tray with non-stick baking paper.

Cream softened butter with sugar, add egg and beat till creamy.
Sift in flour, cinnamon powder, baking powder, salt, stir to combine.
Add cranberry, oats, chocolate and combine.
Spoon a tablespoon of the dough, roll into ball and place onto tray. Place each ball of dough about 3-4cm apart.
Flour bottom of a glass, and depress on each dough to flatten.
Bake in oven for 13-14 minutes.
Remove cookies and cool on rack before storing/serving.

Bon Appetite!

Baked Orange and Cranberry Cheesecake

I adapted this from a Gordon Ramsay's recipe. It is light, a bit crumbly and citrusy.
This is a brilliant dessert to make the day before as many recipes do suggest letting the baked cheesecake set in fridge overnight. I made this the night before, and it was great the next day for a lunch party:-)

Serves 8
Butter and flour, for greasing and dusting cake tin.
400g of cream cheese ( I used Light Philadelphia cream cheese)
80g caster sugar
3 eggs, whisked till very pale and creamy
2 tsbp plain flour
1 tbsp corn flour
Zest and juice of 1 orange
1 tsp of orange or lemon oil (optional, if you want stronger orange flavour).
3/4 cup of dried cranberries (alternatively, 200g raspberries).

Preheat oven to 150 deg C (fan forced)/170 if no fan. Lightly butter a 23cm springform tin, and dust with some flour. The lower temperature plus the use of the corn flour helps to minimise the cake surface cracking during cooking.

If using dried cranberries, barely cover the cranberries with water and soak, for say 15 minutes.

Beat together the cream cheese and sugar. Fold in the flour, zest, fruit, and slowly, incorporate the juice bit by bit. (for this one, I used only half the orange juice and replaced the other half with juice from soaking the dried cranberries).

Fold in the whisked eggs say over 3 batches.

Pour the mixture into the prepared tin, gently tapping against the work surface to remove any bubbles.

Bake in preheated oven for 35 minutes. Turn off the oven, and leave in oven for another 10 minutes. Open oven door, and leave in the oven for another 5 minutes, then take the cake out of oven. Leave to cool in tin. The slow progressive cooling prevents the cake from collapsing in the middle since there is no baking powder used.

If serving the next day, just cover loosely with cling film and keep in fridge. If covered too tight, the surface may get stuck to the cling film when removing.

Bon Appetite!

Whitebread with Wholemeal, Oats, Soy and Honey.

This is probably the best bread I have baked so far. So very soft and moist, delicious! Make sure you have at least 2 1/2 hours. Prepping and proving takes about 2 hours, baking another 30-35 minutes. 

Medium loaf 

280g white bread flour (I used Lauke)

80g Atta flour (wholemeal)

40g either bread/atta for kneading and dusting

1 1/2 tsp dry yeast

260ml lukewarm soy milk

1 tsp of soft brown sugar

Pinch of salt

1 tsp of honey

50g of instant oats

30ml of hot water

About 2 tbps of olive oil for kneading.

Prep loaf tin, lined with baking paper, and dust bottom with flour. 

Mix yeast into soy milk and leave covered for 20 minutes. 

Separately, mix honey, oats and hot water, leave aside.

Using a large mixing bowl, mix flour, salt, sugar, create a well in center.

When yeast is proven, pour yeast soy liquid into flour.

Use a fork to stir, combine, into a lump of dough. 

Leave yeast to prove, cover the bowl with cling film or wet teatowel, for about 20 minutes. 

When yeast proven, pour oil on working bench surface.

Gently using hand scrape out all the dough on top of the oil and move the dough around to evenly spread oil all over the dough.

Gently knead with palm of hands for 2-3 minutes, stretch all parts of the dough, then form a ball, and leave covered to prove for 20 minutes. (15 in summer)

Lift dough up and lightly dust bench with flour. Knead for another say 2-3 minutes. Leave to prove another 20 minutes.(15 in summer)

Lift dough up and dust bench with flour. Knead for another say 2-3 minutes. Leave to prove another 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, preheat oven to 230 deg C fan force. Place a baking tray at bottom of oven. And another rack above it, in middle of oven. 

Lift dough up and dust bench with flour. Using palm of hands, gently flatten out dough into a triangle, about 2 cm thick, then slowly pull/stretch on both ends simultaneously, till dough almost double in lenght (to stretch the gluten), it is about 1 cm thick now. Then take 1 end, fold in both sides, pull, and roll in, repeat this action bit by bit, till dough is rolled up tightly into a long bun. 

Place seam down into prepped loaf tin. Cover and leave to prove for 1 hour 10 minutes, or until almost double in size. Dough would have risen and filled the loaf tin by now. You can also see the dough is stretched. 

At  this point onwards, you have to work quickly. 

Dust the surface of the dough lightly with flour. 

Steam the oven by throwing about 5-6 cube of ice into a tray in oven. Close the oven door quickly. 

Meanwhile, using a sharp knife cut a line about 1 cm deep lenghtwise across surface of dough. You should see the dough has pocket of air bubbles when cut.

Quickly put the loaf tin onto the rack in the middle of the oven, and add another 5-6 cubes of ice onto bottom tray. Close oven door gently.

Baked 15 minutes at 230 deg C fan force. 

Lower temperature to 180 deg and bake for another 12 minutes. 

Open our door by 1 cm, and stick a wooden spoon door in between to keep door open, and bake for final 5 minutes (this releases the steam, and helps to crisp the crust). 

Remove loaf tin from oven, and bread from tin, and cool the bread on a rack.    

Combination of soy milk, oats and honey keeps the bread soft and moist for a few days. 

Bon Appetite!

Rigatoni with skinless pork sausages, tomatoes, oregano, tumeric, wine

For 2 p
120g of pasta
8 pork sausages
1 can of Italian tomatoes (just tomatoes)
2 tsp of oregano
1 tsp of tumeric powder
Pinch of salt
1 tsp of brown sugar
3 cloves of garlic, chopped
1 Spanish onion, diced
1 cup of white wine, or sparkling wine.
Olive oil for pan

Use a heavy based pan with lid

Heat a bit of olive oil in a pan.
Add salt, onions and garlic, leave till softened.
Meanwhile, with the sharp tip of knife, cut across the sausage, to open skin.
Peel off sausage meat from skin and throw into pan.
Break the sausages up into smaller pieces, and cook for 1-2 minutes till rawness dissappears.
Add sugar, oregano, tumeric.
Add tomatoes and juice, and wine.
Stir through.
Cover lid and simmer for 15-20 minutes.

While the sausages are simmering, cook pasta for 11 minutes.
Add pasta to sausages when cooked, and stir through.
Serve.

Bon Appetite!

Soy Multigrain Bread

Bon Appetite!

Orange Marmalade and Almond Cake

This can be a gluten free cake, if the flour is omitted. Very moist, crumbly and it is not dense, almost light.

Wet Ingredients
Juice of 1 orange
8 tsp of marmalade/lime/lemon jam (or substitute 1 of the tsp with grapefruit jam)
1 tbsp of vanilla/greek/plain yoghurt

1 1/2 tsp of lemon oil/lemon juice
60ml of olive oil
1 tsp of vanilla paste

Dry Ingredients
Zest of 1 orange
125g (2 cups) almond meal

2 tbsp of self raising flour (25g) or replace with 2 tbsp of fine semolina flour
1 tsp of baking powder

2 XL eggs
1 or 2 tbsp of castor/demerrara sugar
1/4 cream of tartar
Pinch of salt

Preheat oven to 160deg fan force

Line a 20 cm round tin with baking paper.

Whisk the eggs, cream of tartar and sugar till very pale and creamy, soft peaks forms. Set aside.

Pour oil into almond meal and zest, followed by remaining wet ingredients, and combine.
Gently fold half the eggs into the mixture.Sift flour and baking powder into mixture and fold.
Fold in remaining eggs. 
Pour into cake tin gently.
Bake for 40 minutes. Turn heat off and leave cake in oven with door half open, for 5 minutes.
Leave to cool in tin for 30 minutes.
Remove from tin.

Sift icing sugar on top of cake when cooled.

Bon Appetite!

Banana Blondie

I have modified this from a recipe off Dan Lepard's "Short and Sweet". Recently I have discovered that white chocolate is a great friend of cakes. And it works really well with this cake. Think of chocolate brownies, this is banana blondies!

2 large ripened banana mashed
200g plain sifted flour
1/2 tsp of baking powder
200g white chocolate buttons
pinch of salt
70g of castor sugar
100g butter chopped
About 20 macadamias (can substitute with walnut or brazil nuts)
Handful of dark choc buttons (optional)
Handful of dried cranberries (optional)
1 XL egg

Preheat oven to 160deg fan force.

Gently melt white chocolate and butter in a large stainless bowl over pan of simmering water. When almost melted, remove from heat, and stir through till all melts, and leave to cool.
Separately, whisked XL egg with baking powder and sugar, till pale and creamy.
Separately, mix nuts, dark choc buttons and fruit into plain flour - "flour mix" (the flour coating prevents these from weighing to bottom of cake).
Beat the mashed bananas into melted white choc and butter, and salt, till blended. Fold in half the flour and whisked egg, then finished off with remaining flour and egg.
Line a 20cm square tin with foil. Spoon the mixture into the tin.
Bake for 30 minutes.
It is still a bit soft in the middle at this stage.
Serve only when cooled, ie at least 1 hour later.


Bon Appetite!

Banana Choc Chip Muffin (or Banana Walnut Muffin) -12

Makes 12 - small cupcake size.

4 fairly large ripe bananas

2 tbsp vanilla yoghurt

1 tbsp milk

160ml honey

½ tsp cinnamon powder

2 XL egg

100g butter, cut into small squares

20g sour cream (about 1/8 of a 250ml tub)

260g SR flour (2 ¼ cup flour)

1+ tsp salt

1 tsp baking powder

½ cup dark choc chip

Preheat oven to 170C deg fan force, then change to 160C when baking.

Line baking tin with baking papercups.

Melt butter slightly, set aside to cool.

Separately, mash the bananas, leaving some chunks.

Mix with honey, yoghurt, milk, cinnamon powder, a pinch of salt, set aside.

Separately, whisk the egg till pale and creamy, set aside.

Whisk butter and sour cream till creamy.

Sprinkle flour, baking powder and remaining salt all over butter/cream.

Using a fork, rub into mixture till resembles fine breadcrumbs.

Add choc chip. Make a well.

Pour in mashed banana mixture, and 1/2 of the egg mixture. Fold gently.

Add remaining egg mixture and fold till combined, don’t overdo it.

Spoon into paper cups in baking tin, until each cup is about full.

Bake for 15 minutes.

Open oven door, bake 1-2 more minutes depending on oven heat.

Take out, and rest for at least 20 minutes before serving.

·         For banana walnut muffins – replace choc chip with walnuts.

Bon Appetite!

Banana Choc Chip Muffin - 6

Makes 6 - small cupcake size

2 large ripe bananas
80ml honey
2 tbsp vanilla yoghurt
1 tbsp milk
50ml butter, cut into small pieces.
1 XL egg
1 cup sifted plain flour (125g)
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp of salt
1/2 tsp cinnamon powder
1/3 cup dark choc chip

Preheat oven to 160C fan force.
Line baking tin with baking papercups.

Melt butter slightly, set aside to cool.
Separately, mash the banana leaving some chunks.
Mix with honey, yoghurt and milk, cinnamon powder, set aside.
Separately, whisk the egg till pale and creamy, set aside.
Whisk butter (and cream) with a pinch of salt till creamy.
Using a fork, sprinkle flour, baking powder and remaining salt and rub till resembles breadcrumbs. Add choc chip. (The butter coated flour helps to slow down development of gluten). Make a well.
Pour in mashed banana mixture, 1/2 egg mixture and fold gently.
Add remaining egg mixture and fold to combine. Don't overdo it.

Spoon into paper cups in baking tin, until each cup is about full.
Bake for 15 minutes. Open oven door, bake 1-2 more minutes.

Take out, and rest on rack for at least 20 minutes before serving.

Optional: Add 20g sour cream to the butter mixture and whisk together.
Or replace choc chips with walnuts.

Bon Appetite!

Bacon split spiced mung bean rice

I got this inspiration from the bachang or dumpling that I love to eat at home. The triangle dumplings made of glutinous rice, mung beans, pork belly, mushrooms and chestnuts, wrapped in lotus leaf.

This is my easy one pot intepretation of it. I wanted a quick fast meal last nite, so I didnt do the pork belly version. Here it is.

For 2 p - medium portion
2 whole slices of bacon - rind taken off
1/2 cup of spiced split mung bean
1/2 cup rice
1 cup water or enough water to cover
Olive oil
2 tbsp of soy sauce

I use a medium size pot for this.
Wash the rice and set aside.
Cut bacon into matchsticks.
Lightly sautee bacon in pot with say 1 tbsp of olive oil until golden slightly brown.
Then add the spiced split mung bean. Sautee.
Add the rice. Sautee.
Add the water and soy and steam as you would cooking steam rice till cook.
I generally simmer on low, leave the lid on till all water is absorbed, then lift the lid to let steam out. Then close the lid. Turn off the heat. Rest for 15 minutes.
Serve.

You can eat as it is or in our case, we had it with some lightly sauteed some English spinach. After we scooped all the cooked rice into serving plates, I used back the same pot to cook the veg. It takes only 2 minutes. Just put sesame oil,   oyster sauce,  shio xing wine, sugar and sautee chopped up spinach till lightly wilted.

PS: If I were to cook with pork belly, I would have to separately sear the pork belly and then stew for about 1 hour in various spice and aromatics, and then replace it with the bacon, and use the stew juice to make the rice, same as above.

It so happens I got a packet of spiced mung beans. It is I believe a mix of Indian spices. But you can make your own, of say tumeric powder or 5 spice powder:-)

Bon Appetite!

Rasberry Choc Chip muffin

Ooh, this is a so "melt in your mouth" muffin.














Makes 7 
2/3 cup raspberry coulis
2 tbsp milk
2-3 tbsp vanilla yoghurt
80g butter
80g castor raw sugar
1 cup SR flour.
1/2 cup spelt flour.
1/4 tsp baking powder.
A pinch of sea salt
Almost 1 cup of dark choc chip and white choc chip mixed.
1 large 800g egg

Preheat oven to 170deg fan.
Make sure all ingredients are at room temperature.

Soften the butter, okay if melted slightly.
Add sugar to softened butter.
Separate egg white from yolk.
Whisk the egg white till soft peaks formed.
Add the yolk to the butter.
Cream butter sugar yolk mixture till pale.
Add milk and yogurt, and then combine well with SR, spelt flour, baking powder and salt, and choc chips.
Fold in raspberry coulis and egg white.

Spoon into baking tin lined with baking papercups, till about full.
Turn oven down to 160.
Bake for 14 minutes, open oven door opened half.
Continue baking for 1 minute with oven door opened.

Cool on metal rack for at least 20 minutes before serving.

Light, crumbly and just melt in the mouth.

PS: To make the raspberry coulis, blend 125g of fresh/frozen raspberries with icing sugar till smooth. If necessary, add a tsp water to aid blending.

Bon Appetite!

Citrus fluffy mini cakes

Makes 7 small muffin size cakes

Juice, pulp and seeds of 1 passionfruit
Juice of 1 lemon
(Citrus liquid and fruit adds up to about 1/2 a cup)
Zest of 1 lemon
1/2 cup of sour cream OR light cream cheese
60g sugar
2 tbsp of agave nectar
1 tbsp of vanilla yoghurt
Optional - Seeds of 1 vanilla pod
100g flour + 25g almond meal (flour mixture)
1 XL egg

Preheat fan forced oven to 180 deg.

Mix juice and agave nectar together.
Whisk sour cream/cream cheese and yoghurt and sugar till nice and airy.
Separately whisk egg till creamy and pale and airy.
Mix vanilla seeds into cream mixture.
Drizzle 1/3 juice around the sides of the mixture.
Add 1/3 flour and 1/3 egg mixture. Fold to just combine. Dont overwork it.
Repeat until combined all flour and egg.
Spoon into muffin tin.
Sprinkle lemon zest onto top of mixture of each cake.
Reduce oven temperature to 170 deg.
Bake for 16 minutes.

Enjoy.

Bon Appetite!