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!

Petite Dark Chocolate Bites

I made this for my other half's parents 40th wedding anniversary canape party of 40 people. After cutting out all the rounded sides (which we kept for family enjoyment), there was enough perfect square pieces to go round the guest twice.

(enough for 30cm round cake tin and 20cm round cake tin)
380g dark chocolate buttons
8 eggs, yolks and whites separated
2 egg whites
1 cup almond meal (65g)
200g butter
160g castor sugar
Pinch of salt
1 tsp orange oil
20g cocoa powder. ( 1 tablespoon)

Preheat oven to 160C.

Melt chocolate and 50g butter in bain marie.
Separately, cream the butter and sugar in mixing bowl until fluffy, then whisk in egg yolk one by one till mixture turn almost creamy white.
Fold in melted chocolate, then almond meal, orange oil and salt.
In another clean separate mixing bowl, whisk all egg whites till become almost stiff peaks.
Progressively fold whites into rest of mixture.
Pour into large cake tray (about 2 cm high).
Bake for 30 minutes.
Pour balance into small tray only just before putting into oven to bake, giving it a stir to re-create air, before pouring.  Bake for 20 minutes.
Cool for at least 1 hour before serving. Best served next day!
Sprinkle with cocoa powder before cutting to serve.
Cut into petite square pieces of about 2cm x 2cm and arrange on flat serving plate.


Bon Appetite!

Chocolate hazelnut or almond cupcakes

Makes 12 very light and crumbly cupcakes.

180g dark chocolate buttons ( I used Callebaut)
80g sugar
120g butter
2 XL eggs
1 tsp cinnamon powder
1/2 cup milk (room temperature, luke warm)
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp cream of tartar
50g self raising cake flour (almost half a cup)
50g hazelnut meal or almond meal (half a cup)
2 tsp cornflour (10g)
A pinch of salt

Preheat oven to 160 deg fan force
Line baking tray of 12 with baking paper cups.

Melt chocolate and chopped butter over bain marie.
Mix salt, corn flour, SR flour, baking powder, cocoa and cinnamon powder together (dry content).
Separate egg yolks from white.
Whisk egg whites until slight bubbly, then add cream of tartar. Continue whisking till bubbles become slightly denser, then add 1/2 of the sugar slowly. Whisk till form soft peaks. Set aside.
Separately, whisk egg yolks and slowly add remaining 3 sugar while continuing to beat the yolk, until creamy and almost white.
Fold egg yolks into melted chocolate/butter in 3 batches. Do same with almond or hazelnut meal and milk.
Sift remaining dry content into wet content slowly in 3 batches. Do not overfold/stir to prevent gluten developing (from the flour).
Spoon mixture into baking tray and put into preheated oven.
Bake for 15-16 minutes, and remove from oven, let it cool in tray for about 10 minutes then, place on wire rack.
Optional: Slight press 1 chocolate button on top of each cooked muffin after about 10 minutes, for decoration. 


Bon Appetite!

Jamie Oliver's Portuguese Tarts

These are quite good I have to say.
Makes 6
Plain flour, for dusting
1 x 375g pack of prerolled puff pastry , or 2 piece Pampas Puff pastry
Ground cinnamon
125g (4½oz) créme fraîche or double cream
1tsp vanilla paste or vanilla extract
5tbsp golden caster sugar
1 egg
1 orange

Turn the oven on to 200C/ gas 6.

Pastry
Dust a surface with flour.
Unroll the pastry, then cut it in half so you have two 20cm x 20cm (8in x 8in) squares. For pampas, just leave the 2 pieces as it is.
Sprinkle over a few pinches of ground cinnamon.
Roll the pastry into a Swiss-roll shape and cut into 6 rounds for the roll pasty, or 3 rounds for each Pampas slice.
Put these into 6 of the holes in a muffin tin.
Use your thumbs to mould the pastry into the holes, so the bottom is flat and the pastry comes up to the top.
Put on the top shelf of the oven and cook for 8 to 10 minutes, or until lightly golden.

Filling
Spoon the créme fraîche or double cream into a small bowl.
Add the egg, vanilla paste or extract, 1tbsp golden caster sugar and the zest of 1 orange. Mix well.

Take the muffin tin out of the oven, and use a teaspoon to press the puffed-up pastry back to the sides and make room for the filling.

Spoon the créme fraîche mixture into the tart cases, and return to the top shelf of the oven. Set the timer for 8 minutes.

Put a small saucepan on a high heat. Squeeze in the juice from the zested orange and add 4tbsp golden caster sugar. Stir and keep a good eye on it, but remember caramel can burn badly so don't touch or taste.

Pour some caramel over each tart (they'll still be wobbly). Put aside to set.

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/food/article-1312958/Jamie-Olivers-30-minute-meals-Piri-Piri-chicken-rocket-salad-dressed-potatoes-quick-Portuguese-tarts.html#ixzz1ZpCKn7qB


Bon Appetite!