Rocky

This is Rocky, my sister's 8 months old doggie. He has very beautiful white fur  that doesn't need any brushing. at all.  Isn't he cute?  Though small in size, he does not back away from any other dogs but  can be bullied by a cat's stare!  Can you imagine a dog walking away from a cat haha!  That's Rocky.

Sugee Cake

I have long wanted to make a sugee cake and finally baked one. I found one recipe which uses 8 eggs and so I decided to use the pound cake measurement as a guide instead and just added some ground almond. The cake turned out well, just like a rich butter cake with the texture of the sugee except that it is quite crumbly.  I think I have to reduce the baking powder.  Perfect for tea time!

Sugee Cake

250gm oz butter
210 castor sugar
4 eggs - whisk slightly
125 gm self-raising flour              )
3/4 tsp baking powder                )   sieve together
125 gm sugee (semolina flour)     )
125gm ground almond                )
1 tsp vanilla essence
8 tabsp milk

Method

1)        Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
2)        Add in eggs one at a time.  Add in vanilla essence
3)        Add in the sieved flour, sugee and ground almond alternately with the milk and ending with the
           flour.
4)       Pour the batter into a greased 9" pan and bake for about 50 mins at 175 deg. C. Test for doneness
          by inserting a skewer into the cake and if it comes out clean, the cake is ready.

Note:   Being too lazy to wash the baking pan, I use 3 small aluminium foil cake pan for the above cake. I baked them for about 35 mins.

Oreo Cheese Cake

This is my first no bake chilled cheesecake. It is suitable for people who wouldn't  like too much cheese in their cake.  My colleagues and boss love it but my family felt that this is not cheesy enough.  Husband said it is like eating a nyonya kueh and daughter will accept it as a jelly cake.  I do agree that this cake has too much of gelatin in it.  So hard to please!  Anyway it is a good dessert to have after a meal.  I will have to add in more cream cheese for next time.

Barley Fu Chok Tong Sui

My friends and colleagues all agreed that this is a very delicious dessert.   It tastes like soya bean water with barley and gingko. I boil this in a slow cooker for at least 5-6 hours.  Turn it to high so that the fu chok will dissolve.   Just remember to tell your grocer that you are making barley foo chook dessert and they will give you the correct type of foo chook skin.  Some foo chook skin does not dissolve at all. You can also add in hard boiled egg.

Barley Fu Chook Tong Sui

1/2 cup of barley
2 pieces of fu chok skin (add in more you want a stronger taste)
some gingko nuts   (crack them and peel off the skin. Cut into half and throw away the bitter centre piece)
                                                                                                                         
rock sugar according to taste
2.2 litres of water

pandan leaves - screwpine leaves (optional)
hardboil eggs (optional)

Method

1)        Put barley, water, fu chok, gingko nuts into the slow cooker. Switch to high and boil for at least 5-6 hours until the fu chok disintegrate into the water.  Add in sugar and it is ready to be served.

Note:  If you are cooking it in a gas cooker, I suppose an hour or so would be enough as long as the barley is cooked and the fu chok has totally disolved  into the water.

Some people like this version where the fuchok doesn't dissolve completely.  It all depends on the type of fuchok you purchase.  Notice that my boiled egg doesn't have any egg yolk in the center.

Easy Banana Muffin

Since I have 2 ripe bananas left, I decided to make some muffins for breakfast.  Even though I have blogged a banana muffin recipe before, this one is quick and simple to do. 


Banana Muffin

2 cups plain flour           )   sieve together
4 tsp baking powder     )
1 cup brown sugar  (I use 3/4 cup)
2 or 3 ripe bananas - mash with fork
Some chocolate chips/raisins

2 eggs - whisked with a fork
1 tsp. vanilla
1 cup  fresh  milk or full cream milk

100 gm butter -  melted

Some whole walnuts to put on top of muffins

Method

1)      Put flour, sugar, bananas, chocolate chips/raisins into a bowl and give it a stir.
2)      Mix the milk, vanilla and eggs together and pour onto ingredients (1) followed by the melted butter.
3)     Fold the mixture lightly.  Do not over mix (maybe about 12 or 13 folds).  It is alright if you can still see
        some flour.
4)    Spoon into muffin tray and put a walnut on top.  Bake at 190 deg C for about 20 -25 mins. 
       Check with a skewer and if it comes out clean, the muffins are ready.

Earrings

 These are some of the earrings  that I made much earlier as a hobby.  Except for the shell pearls the rest are all swarovski crystals.  The purple set and the shell pearls are sold.

The bottom ones were given to friends/relatives.

Cornflake Cookies

Today I made these cornflake cookies, a recipe I have not done for years. It is given to me by my sister-in-law Vivien who is  a fantastic baker/cook. My cornflake cookies are of different sizes and I always wonder how Vivien  managed to make hers very round and of the same size.  Well, to me as long as they taste the same, I am perfectly happy. Anyway thhis is for Aishah who has been asking for it and now she can make it for the coming Hari Raya festival.  The cookies are crunchy and light.

Cornflake Cookies

1 packet cornflakes (crushed)
19 oz butter

26 oz  flour                 )
5 oz cornflour             )       sieve together
3 tsp baking powder   )

9 oz icing sugar
1 1/2 tsp vanilla

Method

1)      Cream butter and sugar till fluffy. Add in vanilla.
2)      Fold in flourto the butter mixture.
3)      Roll into small marbles and coat them with the crushed cornflakes by rolling onto them.
4)      Bake till golden brown about 15 - 20 mins. at 180 deg. C.


Note:  Half a recipe makes about 120 pieces.