Marble Cookies

Marble Cookies

(Sweet quote: the perfect two in one)

Ingredients:

2 cups plain flour

2 tsp baking soda

½ tsp salt

1 cups salted butter (whole 200g), softened

¾ cups brown sugar

¾ cups caster sugar

1 whole egg

1 egg yolk

1 tbsp vanilla essence

2 tbsp Hershey cocoa powder

Steps:

-          Mix well flour, baking soda and salt

-          In another bowl, add butter, both types of sugars and vanilla essence and mix using a spatula

-          Add whole egg first, mix, then add the egg yolk and mix

-          Add the flour mix and fold until it’s all mixed well and forms a dough

-          Divide dough into 2 and add cocoa powder in one of it, knead well

-          Place dough on baking sheet and roll it to form log.

-          Refrigerate for at least 2 hours

After hours of waiting…

-          Preheat oven to 180°C

-          Cut the dough and knead the two different dough together.

-          Roll into ball in your palm and press flat to form regular cookie shape and you should see nice marble pattern

-          Arrange them in a neat form on the baking paper.

-          Allow big space in between each cookie dough

-          Bake at 180°C for 15-20min

-          Let it cool on the rack for 15min and place it in an air-tight container.

Other pictures:

Hershey is the best!

Sugar Butter Cookies

Sugar Butter Cookies

(Sweet quote: never had enough of sugar cookie in one assorted cookie tin? Only way is to bake it yourself)

Ingredients:

2 cups plain flour

2 tsp baking soda

½ tsp salt

1 cups salted butter (whole 200g), softened

¾ cups brown sugar

¾ cups caster sugar

1 whole egg

1 egg yolk

1 tbsp vanilla essence

Some coarse sugar

Steps:

-          Whisk together flour, baking soda and salt

-          In another bowl, add butter, both types of sugars and vanilla essence and mix using a spatula

-          Add whole egg first, mix, then add the egg yolk and mix until it forms a creamy yellow paste

-          Add the flour mix and fold until it’s all mixed well and forms a dough

-          Place the dough on the baking sheet and roll it to form a log.

-          Refrigerate for at least 2 hours

After hours of waiting…

-          Preheat oven to 180°C

-          Cut the dough into thin slices and arrange it in a neat form on the baking paper.

-          Allow big space in between each cookie dough

-          Sprinkle some coarse sugar

-          Bake at 180°C for 15-20min

-          Let it cool on the rack for 15min and place it in an air-tight container.

Other pictures:

This is my love's favourite! I can imagine his excited look whenever I bake sugar cookies. Yes baby?

This is one nice butter cookie. 

Yeah! I'm ready for some tea now.

Oh if you hate too much sugar, maybe you can consider to decor cookie with some choco chips. 
Here's my lil happy mice decor:

Cute little mice

Happy decor-ing!

Chocolate Cookies

Chocolate Cookies

(Sweet quote: crispy, crunchy and simply chocolaty)

Ingredients:

2 cups plain flour

2 tsp baking soda

½ tsp salt

1 cups salted butter (whole 200g), softened

¾ cups brown sugar

¾ cups caster sugar

1 whole egg

1 egg yolk

2½ cup semisweet chocolate chips

1 tbsp vanilla essence

Steps:

-          Whisk together flour, baking soda and salt

-          In another bowl, add butter, both types of sugars and vanilla essence and mix using a spatula

-          Add whole egg first, mix, then add the egg yolk and mix until it forms a creamy yellow paste

-          Add the flour mix and fold until it’s all mixed well and forms a dough

-          Add chocolate chips – not done yet!!

-          Place the dough on the baking sheet and roll it to form a log.

-          Refrigerate for at least 2 hours

After hours of waiting…

-          Preheat oven to 180°C

-          Cut the dough into thin slices and arrange it in a neat form on the baking paper.

-          Allow big space in between each cookie dough

-          Bake at 180°C for 15-20min

-          Let it cool on the rack for 15min and place it in an air-tight container.

Other pictures:

They just love this soo soo much.

Egg Yolk Sponge Cake

Egg Yolk Sponge Cake

(Sweet quote: bringing a new taste to the traditional Chinese egg cake)

Ingredients:

3 egg yolks

2 tbsp hot water

½ cups self-raising flour, sifted

½ tsp baking soda, sifted

½ cups caster sugar

2 tbsp condensed milk

½ tbsp honey

½ tsp salt

2 tbsp milk

½ tsp vanilla essence

¼ tsp cream of tartar

Steps:

-          Preheat oven to 180°C

-          Beat yolk, hot water till creamy

-          Add sugar and beat to thick

-          Add milk, salt, vanilla essence and condensed milk and and honey.

-          Fold in flour

-          Grease baking tin and bake at 180°C for 25-30min

-          Let it cool

-          Sift some icing sugar over it.

-          Ready to serve!!

Other pictures:

Cake in the tin

Topped with icing sugar

It's really nice with slight honey taste

Pandan Chiffon Cake

Pandan Chiffon Cake
(Sweet quote: get the real essence from real pandan leaves, not from the 2 oz. bottle)

Ingredients:

1 cup all-purpose flour, sifted

½ tbsp baking soda, sifted
½  tsp salt
½  tsp cream of tar tar
8 eggs, separate the yolks and white
1½ cups caster sugar
¾ cups of corn oil
¾ cups of coconut milk
¼ tsp pandan paste (in the 2oz bottle found in supermarket)
10 stalks pandan leaves, clean and chop into bits
1 tbsp cake stabilizer – may replace it with 1½ tbsp condensed milk

Steps:

-          Preheat oven to 175 °C

-          Blend the pandan leaves, add a little water and squeeze real pandan juice.

-          Add coconut milk and pandan paste to pandan juice

-          A clean bowl, mix cream of tartar and egg white, beat at medium-high speed with a stand mixer until stiff.

-          Another bowl, mix cake stabilizer, yolks and sugar well until creamy

-          Add the flour mix (flour, baking soda and salt) to yolk mixture and fold slowly

-          Critical part: add the egg white foam bit by bit into the egg yolk mixture, fold in really slow and gentle. Do not deflate the white foam

-          Optional* wear gloves and fold with hands.

-          Add oil and fold again until well-mixed 

-          Pour into tray and bake it in preheated oven at 175 °C for 40-45min

-          Test with a skewer. If it comes out clean, then it’s ready to serve.

Other pictures:

The real colour of pandan is pale green.

By the way I made some curry chicken too, less spicy and more potatoes! Love it so much, especially my little brother. He had so much. :) For recipe please refer to this link - Curry chicken 

Not only does it look good, it tastes heavenly too! No kidding.

Butter and Pandan Kaya Muffins

Butter and Pandan Kaya Muffins

(Sweet quote: Fun with muffin-ing)

Ingredients:

- 1½ cup plain flour (190g)
- 1½ eggs, beaten
- ½ tbsp baking powder
- 1 cup caster sugar (170g)
- ½  cup (125 ml) milk
- 1 tsp vanilla essence
- 65g butter, cut to small pieces and softened

- Few drops pandan essence

Filling:

Frozen butter dices

Scoops of cold Kaya

Some coarse sugar

Steps:

- Place baking cases in muffin tins

- Pre heat oven at 180°C

- Sift flour, baking powder and sugar together, and mix well.
- Add butter, milk, vanilla extract and eggs

- Stir to mix and do not over-stir as it will result to get a tough texture. Lumpy is fine.
- Spoon the mixture into the cases about a quarter full.

- Add some frozen butter and coarse sugar and fill up to about 2-third.

- Bake for 15-20 minutes in preheated oven at 180°C or until slightly golden brown.

- Allow to cool for several minutes before serving.

- Store for a day in an airtight container.

- As for the pandan flavour, simply add the pandan essence once the butter mixture is done. – Mix well to get the green color, fill the case to a quarter then place a scoop of kaya, add some coarse sugar and fill up to about 2-third.

Optional:

- Dice some berries, like strawberries, raspberries or cranberries. Freeze them first and mix in the butter muffin mixture to have some really good fruity berries treat.

- Fruit jam works wonder too.

Other pictures:

yellow and green - brilliant colors

Hot kaya love

Butter and sugar :)

Milk Chocolate Cupcakes

Milk Chocolate Cupcakes

(Sweet quote: Cupcakes mustn't be cute only, having a delicious base is more important)

Ingredients:

100g Milk chocolate, chopped

225g Softened butter

225g Sugar

215g Self-raising flour

4 tbsp Cocoa powder (good quality)

4 medium Eggs, separate yolks and white

Dash of Vanilla essence

Steps:

- Pre heat oven at 175°C

- Line a muffin pan with the cupcakes paper cases.
- Melt chocolate and butter over a double saucepan. Stir until melted and smooth. Remove and set aside to cool.
- Whisk egg yolks and sugar until pale, thick and light. Stir in the chocolate mix.

- Fold in the flour and cocoa powder
- Whisk egg whites until firm. Fold one third at a time, into the mixture very gently.
- Spoon mixture evenly to fill prepared paper cases with a teaspoon.
- Bake in preheated oven at 175°C for 25 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the centre of the chocolate cupcakes comes out clean.
- Leave the chocolate cupcakes on the cooling tray for about 10-15 min.

- Ready to serve

Optional: Cupcake decorating

- Top with a rich level of chocolate frosting or basic buttercream

- Then sprinkle those colourful pastels of your favourite shape on it. 
- So appealing. 

My family hates too-sugary stuffs, so I skipped the fun icing process just for them :)

Other pictures:

hello pretty cupcakes.

Cheese Toast

Cheese Toast

(Hungry quote: Satisfying enough and totally perfect for us lazy people)

Ingredients:

2 slices French loaf

2 slices Cheddar cheese

1 can of Seafood spread (or tuna, it’s up to your liking)

Dash of black ground pepper

Some garlic butter

Steps:

-          Preheat oven to 180

-          Spread a little garlic butter on French loft slices

-          Toast it for 3 min at 180

-          Lie the cheese over the toast and toast for another 30 sec

-          Top it with seafood spread

-          Add pepper

-          Wala! Done.

Healthier Choice:

-          This is actually quite sinful, best to go with some greens as side dish.

Other pictures:

Go with celery and eggs

It's easy to find good taste with a little thought.

Braised Chicken and Eggs

Braised Chicken

(Hungry quote: Turn the chicken black please)

Ingredients:

1 whole chicken 
4 bowls water 
1 pack of ready-packed herbs (available in supermarket) 
6-8 cloves garlic (need not mince; with skin attached)
6 tbsp dark soy sauce 
3 tbsp light soy sauce

2 tbsp sugar/or 3-4 piece rock sugar

2 tsp rice wine
Some sesame oil/corn oil

Steps:

-          Boil chicken in water for 5 minutes, then discard water.

-          Bring 4 bowls of water to boil in wok

-          Add dark/light soy sauce, garlic, herb pack and sugar, stir

-          Place the chicken and bring it to boil in high heat.

-          Lower to mid fire.

-          Flip it over to the other side (of the chicken) to ensure well coating on both sides.

-          Repeat the flipping every 15-20 minutes

-          Cook for 1 ½ hour

-          Add rice wine and simmer for 5 minutes before serving
-     Drip dry the chicken then rub oil over it to 'smoothen' the skin (which I did not do, and the chicken skin dried up really fast while chopping)

Optional:

-          Place 5 eggs into boiled water and cover lid for 10 minutes.

-          Drench the water and fill it with cool water.

-          Peel off shells and fill it with the dark gravy (still hot) from the chicken.

-          Allow it to absorb the gravy, sit for 30 minutes.
-     Same method to braise beancurd, except the shelling part.

Ready to serve with steamed rice.


Other pictures:

The wing, anyone?

One of the best looking eggs, in fact I think this is the only one.