Maple Pecan Tart

Classic recepi of maple pecan tart. The flaky crust with gooey filling and crunchy pecan nuts, it has to be the best pecan tart i ever tasted. The maple syrup delivers a smoky flavor to the nutty tart which no one can argue about. I always fond of nuts and pecan resembles the shape of human brain is what you gonna find in my fridge at any time through out the year.




Ingredients

1 cup all purpose flour
1/2 cup butter,softened
1/4 tsp salt


Filling

1 cup whole pecan nuts
1 egg
1/3 cup maple syrup
1 tsp vanilla essence
1 tbsp butter, melted
3/4 cup brown sugar


Methods

Using an electric mixer, blend in the flour,butter and salt till well combined. Shape into a disk cover with a plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour

In a bowl, beat the egg and add in the melted butter,brown sugar, maple syrup and vanilla essence. Mix well

Shape the dough into 1 inch ball and press onto bottom and sides of a greased muffin tin. Pour the filling and arrange the pecan nuts on the top.

Bake at 325' F or 170' C for 20-25 minutes. Once done cool the tart on the wire rack for 10 minutes

Enjoy the wholesome of pecan nuts


Notes

Always store your nuts in air tight bottle or container and place them in the refrigerator for a long life span of the nuts. As nuts naturally contains oil they tend to get spoiled if place in a warm place.

Bannofee Pie

I made bannofee pie for my younger sister's 12th year wedding anniversary. A sweet pie to celebrate an equally sweet occasion. The combination of banana and toffee is absolutely irresistible. The recepi calls for Dulche de leche which means slowly heating cans of condensed milk for 4-5 hours to create caramel. Being a fan of quick cooking i opted for stove top caramel which brings out almost the same flavour and texture to the pie. To save time of preparation you can buy a tinned dulche de leche which i couldn't find in my place to finish off the pie. Looking gorgeous, taste divine and easy on pocket....bannofee pie



Ingredients

For the crust

1 cup digestive biscuits
1/2 butter,melted


For the caramel

1/3 cupbutter
3/4 cup brown sugar
1x400g can condensed milk


For the filling

4 ripe bananas
1 tbsp lemon juice
1 cup whipping cream
1 tbsp confectioner sugar

For garnishing

Shredded chocolate or cocoa powder


Methods

In a food processor or using your hand crush the digestive biscuits and  stir in the melted butter. Press the mixture into base and sides of a 8 inch loose-bottomed pie tin. Refrigerate for 1 hour

In a pan over a low heat, place butter and brown sugar, stir till sugar dissolves. Add the condensed milk til slowly boiling. Stir continiously til the mixture thickens and the colur change to amber.Remove from heat and keep aside

Thinly slice the bananas and toss with lemon juice to prevent browning.

Remove the pie crust from fridge, pour in the caramel and arrange the sliced bananas on top of it

Whip the cream with confectioner sugar into a soft peak and spread on top of the bananas.

Garnish with shredded chocolate or cocoa powder.

Oats Idli/Oats Steamed Dumpling

Super easy and healthy breakfast...that's what oats idli is all about. Hearty breakfast for lazy sunday morning.   Ideal for people who concern about losing weight. Oats helps to keep your cholesterol levels in check and oats in idli is the ideal dish for all age group. To add more value to your oats idli throw in some veggies into it such as shredded carrot for the extra taste and texture



Ingredients

 1 cup roasted rava (semolina)
1 1/2 cups quick cooking oats, roasted
1 onion, chopped
1/2 tsp bicarbonate soda
1/2 tsp mustard seeds
1 green chilly, chopped
3 dry chillies, chopped
3/4 cup water
Salt to taste
Oil
Few springs of coriander, chopped



Methods

Heat oil in a pan, add mustard seeds, green chilly, dry chillies and onion. Fry for 1 minute

Whisked yogurt in a large bowl, add rava (semolina), roasted oats, coriander leaves, salt and bicarbonate soda. Add water and mix well till all the ingredients well combined.

Grease the idli mould with little oil. Pour the oats rave mixture over it and steam for 6-7 minutes

Serve hot with your preferable chutney. I served mine with tomato onion chutney

Cinnamon Sugar Breadstick

Cinnamon and sugar one of the best combination in the world. I call them lovers they just click well together.
Soft and puffed pastry twisted with cinnamon sugar is a worth trying recepi. The smell of cinnamon lingers in my household while this beauty baking beautifully in the oven. Now i'm getting hungry...should i bake another batch??



Ingredients

3 cups all purpose flour
1 3/4 cups warm water
1 packet active yeast
1/2 tsp salt
1 tbsp sugar

Filling

1-2 tsp cinnamon powder
1 cup brown sugar


Methods

Combine water,yeast and sugar and let it sit for 10 minutes for the yeast to bubble and foam

Using electrical stand mixer, combine flour, salt and yeast mixture. Knead till the dough is soft and pull away from the sides of the bowl approximately for 3-4 minutes

Cover the dough with kitchen towel and rest the dough in a warm place for 30 minutes. In a bowl combine brown sugar and cinnamon powder. Mix well

Flour a clean surface and roll out the dough into 1/2 inch thick in rectangle. Spread the melted butter and sprinkle the cinnamon sugar.

Using a sharp knife, cut the dough in 1 inch widhts. Twist the dough few times and placed in a prepared baking sheet.

Cover the breadstick with kitchen towel and rest the dough for 30 minutes

Bake the breadstick in a preheated 375'F oven for 15 minutes or till golden brown

Strawberry Jam Doughnuts

Who doesn't like doughnuts? Kids or adult we all love doughnuts. Deep fried puffed dough dusted with good amount of powdered sugar and served with a cup of piping hot cup of coffee is a all time favourite for many. Doughnuts comes in many varities, old fashioned glaze,dusted sugar, colurful sprinkles or coated with melted chocolate and etc. I'm trying my hands on jam/jelly stuffed doughnuts. My 1st trial and i should say it turns out very well as all were gone in a minute i dish it out from my little kitchen. My gals loves it...kids and doughnuts no comments.






Ingredients

4 1/2 cup bread flour
2 tbsp butter(melted)
2 tbsp sugar
1 packet yeast
2 eggs
1 cup milk(room temperature)
1 tsp salt
1/3 cup lukewarm water
1 tbsp vegetable oil
1 jar strawberry jam
Oil for frying


Methods

Sift together flour and salt in a large bowl.

Stir together sugar and yeast in 1/3 cup lukewarm water. Yeast will be activated and will starts to foam in 7-10 minutes.

Using electric or hand mixer with dough hook attachment, combine flour mixture, yeast mixture and milk  Alternate 1/2 cup flour with 1/2 cup milk and repeat the process until dough is smooth. Beat in the eggs and melted butter and beat till all ingredients well combined

Place the dough in a lightly oiled pan, cover with damp clean kitchen cloth and rest the dough for 1 hour to rise in a warm place.

After an hour the dough doubled up in size. Lightly flour a clean work surface and start to roll the dough to 1/2 inch thick.

With a 3 inch cookie cutter, cut out the dough and place in a baking sheet. Cover the dough with damp kicthen cloth and let it rest for another 25-30 minutes.

Over a medium flame, heat oil in a heavy bottom pan and start frying the dough in batches. Fry till the doughnuts golden brown and drain the excess oil using kitchen paper towel

Once the doughnuts are cooled, fill strawberry jam into a pastry bag with a 1/2 inch metal tip and stab the doughnuts and squeeze the strawberry jam all the way in

Dust with generous amount of powdered sugar and enjoy!

Mom's Spicy Fish

As the name suggested, this is my mother's own creation. My mother is a great cook i got inspired by her cooking. She loves to try new recepis at home and i love to dig in into each and every she dish out from our family kitchen. Nothing beats mother's cooking and i'm sure we all have our own 5 star rated chefs at home. I was right beside my mom when she preparing her spicy fish and jotted down every single ingredients and methods even to the point of timing she's adding the salt yet, i couldn't create the same taste i tasted in my mom's kitchen.That is the magical touch every mothers has. Only MOTHERS create the best dishes in the WORLD



Ingredients

2 any white flesh fish(scorch)
4 tbsp lemon juice
1 tbsp granulated white sugar
4 cm galangal (roughly chopped)
2 red onion (chopped)
8-10 bird eye chilly/red chily
5 cloves of garlic(chopped)
3 stalks lemongrass(chopped)
1 1/2 tbsp fish sauce
1 cup coconut milk
3 kafir lime leaves(crushed)
4 tbsp wheat flour
1 tsp turmeric powder
1 or 2 lemon wedges
Oil for frying
Salt to taste
Coriander leaves/kafir lime leaves for garnishing


Methods

Marinate fish with flour,turmeric powder and pinch of salt. Deep fry until crispy. Drain the oil and keep aside

In a blender, blend together onion,garlic,bird eye chilly,lemongrass, lemon juice and galangal with little water. Blend to form a smooth paste.

In a pan, heat oil and fry the blended paste in a medium heat for 7-9 minutes. Add coconut milk, sugar,kafir lime leaves and fish sauce. Stir and let it cook for 2-3 minutes. Season with salt and remove from heat

Pour the sauce over the fried fish and garnish with coriander leaves/kafir lime leaves and lemon wedges


Notes

Be cautious when you are adding salt to the sauce as fish sauce known for its saltiness. If your bottled fish sauce tends to be salty skip adding extra salt in your sauce

Pan Fried Black Pepper Pasta

Tired of pasta in tomato or white sauce? Craving for something hot and spicy enough to toss your pasta with? Why not give it a go with easy pan fried black pepper pasta. Basic of this spicy pasta is obviously a good quality of grounded black peppercorns. If you prefer to try with your left over black pepper sauce from last night's chicken chop go ahead, there is no right or wrong in cooking.



Ingredients

2 tbsp freshly grounded black peppercorns
1 onion, chopped
2-3 garlic,crushed
1 cup grated parmesan cheese
300g pasta of your choice(spaghetti,fettucine)
3/4 cup frozen peas
3/4 cup fried chicken balls or fish balls
1 tsp butter
2 tbsp oil
salt to taste



Methods

Boil water with a pinch of salt and 1 tsp of butter. Throw in the pasta and cook until al dente. (Refer to the pasta packaging for the suggested preparation time as every pasta comes with different cooking time). Drain the pasta and keep aside

Heat oil in a frying pan, fry onion and garlic for 1-2 minutes. Add in the frozen peas and fried chicken or fish balls and stir well.

Add in the pasta, grounded black pepper and grated parmesan cheese. Stir well till the cheese melted and well combined with the pasta.  Season with salt and dish out

Serve with a bowl of green salad or honey glazed chicken wings to cut the heat.

Delish Chocolate Cake With Chocolate Butter Cream Frosting

This is my 50th post in my blog. Been 2 months into launching and i'm happy to share my 50th post with you.  Thought it will be ideal to post a cake dessert to celebrate and this moist chocolate melt-in your mouth is something sinfully delicious. Delish chocolate cake with rich chocolate butter cream frosting what else i could asked for a celebration


Ingredients

For the Chocolate cake

2 cups granulated white sugar
2 cups all purpose flour
1 tbsp baking powder
1 1/2 baking soda
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 tsp coffee powder
2 eggs, room temperature
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 cup boiling water
1 tbsp vanilla essence
1 cup milk/buttermilk
3/4 tsp salt


Chocolate buttercream frosting

1 1/2 cup butter, room temperature
5 cups confectioner sugar
1/2 cup milk
1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 tbsp vanilla essence
1/2 tsp coffee powder


Method for chocolate cake

Sieve flour,baking powder,baking soda and salt in a large bowl. Add in the coffee powder and whisk till well combined

Combined cocoa powder in a hot water and stir without lumps. set aside to cool

Using hand mixture, cream vegetable oil and sugar. Add in eggs one at a time. Add in milk and flour mixture. Start with 1/2 cup milk and 1/2 of the flour repeat the process till all the milk and flour has been used up. Stir in the cocoa mixture and beat in high speed for 1-2 minutes

Butter a bottom of 9' inch springfoam cake pan and pour the batter in. Bake in preheated oven at 350'F with a baking rack in the middle of the oven for 35-40 minutes or till a skewer inserted in the middle of the cake comes out clean

Cool in a cooling rack for 10-15 minutes. Remove from the baking pan and cool completely

Spread the cake with chocolate cream and sprinkle with sugar pearls or any cake decoration of your choice


Method for butter cream

Sieve cocoa powder to remove any unwanted lumps

Using a hand mixer cream butter and cocoa powder till combined

Gradually add sugar and milk. Add 1 cup sugar followed by 1 tbsp milk and repeat the process.Turn to high speed and beat for 1 minute. add in coffee powder and vanilla extract.  Add more sugar if mixture too loose  if mixture too thick add more milk. The mixture should be easy to spread consistency

Sri Lankan Squid Curry

I learnt this awesome Sri Lankan squid recepi from my old neighbour aunty from Sri Lanka. Hail from Ceylon she's very proud of her Sri Lankan dishes especial, their seafood. Since, the ingredients are what we always have in our kitchen i decided to give it a try. The curry turns out really well. I love the combination of meat curry powder and fish curry powder. Both curry powders compliment each other very well to create a beautiful base for the gravy. My Sri Lankan aunty has moved out from my neighbourhood but her recepis that she taught me still tucked in nicely inside me and the aroma lingers in the community


Ingredients

1 kg squid, cleaned and cut in 1 inch diameter
1 onion,chopped
1/2 cup thick coconut milk
1 cup thin coconut milk
1/2 cup water
1 1/2 tbsp lime juice
1/2 tbsp ginger paste
1/2 tbsp garlic paste
1 sprig curry leaves
1 tbsp fenugreek seeds
3/4 tsp nutmeg powder
2 tbsp meat curry powder
2 tbsp fish curry powder
2 tbsp oil
3/4 tsp turmeric powder
Salt to taste



Methods

In a wok with medium heat, drizzle oil and fry the onion, fenugreek seeds, ginger paste,garlic paste and curry leaves for 1-2 minutes

Mix fish curry powder, nutmeg powder and meat curry powder with water till no lumps. Pour the mixture into the wok and stir well. Let it simmer in medium heat till the raw curry powder aroma eliminates.

Add the thin coconut milk, turmeric powder and salt. Cook for 5 minutes and add the cleaned squid . Add the thick coconut milk and increase the heat. Stir well till all ingredients well combined

Cook for 15-20 minutes or till the squid are done and the gravy begins to dry up.

Remove from heat and add lime juice, stir well to combine

Goes well with hot white rice


Notes

• Do not overcooked the squid to avoid it become rubbery in texture

• The use of nutmeg powder or freshly grated nutmeg gives a beautiful taste and aroma to the curry base but it's totally optional

M'hanncha (Snake Cake)

Working with phyllo pasty required tremendous care and patient. Middle Eastern people love their phyllo sheets. Most of their sweet and savoury pastries layered with delicate phylllo pastry. Imagine sinking your teeth into crispy exterior and nutty creamy interior. M'hanncha as it's shape describes resembles a coiling snake is one of the Morrocan famous dessert




Ingredients

12 sheets phyllo pastry sheets
3 tbsp butter, melted
1 egg yolk, beaten


Filling

1 1/2 cups finely ground nuts(pecan,pistachio,almond)
1/2 cup granulated white sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tbsp orange blossom water
3 tbsp butter, melted


Syrup

1/2 cup honey
1 tbsp orange blossom water

Garnishing

10-12 toasted whole almonds



Methods


In a bowl, combine ground nuts,cinnamon,orange blossom water, confectioner sugar and melted butter. Mix well till mixture is a paste

On a clean working surface, place 12 sheets of phyllo pastryPlace another 2 sheets on the top, buttering between each till all the 12 sheets were used up

Place one of the almond filling along the edge of the phyllo and roll up gently. Curl the pastry into spiral



Notes

• Be gently in handling phyllo pastry. The paper thin delicate pastry sheet tend to tear off easilly. Handle one sheet at a time and place a damp kitchen towel over unattended sheets to avoid drying up

• Always brush each layer of phyllo pastry with melted butter to avoid cracking during baking process

• Feel free to use nuts of your choice for the filling. Pecan,pistachio,walnuts,cashews or combination off all of it works well with M'hanncha

• Orange blossom water can be found in all Middle Eastern grocery shops. Rose water can be a good subtitute

Banana Oatmeal Milk Shake

Rushing for work and short of time to enjoy your breakfast? No worries, now you can enjoy delicious and healthy breakfast which is very very simple to make. Yes! you can blend this banana oatmeal milkshake in no time. Packed with nutrients and will keep you going until lunch.





Ingredients

1 cup low fat milk
4 tbsp oatmeal(organic or old fashioned oats)
2 tbsp honey
1/4 tsp cinnamon powder


Methods

Place all the above ingredients in a blender and blend for 1 minute

Serve and enjoy the goodness

Onde-Onde/Buah Melaka

Time to post local delicacy, one of the local's favourite kueh or dessert. Onde onde or buah melaka is well known nyonya dessert. Invented by  baba-nyonya or peranakan community hails from historic state of Malacca, has contributed to the unique flavour of Malaysia. The best onde-onde is the one that soft,chewy and has a generous amount of palm sugar that oozes out with a single bite.

The beautiful green colur extracted from screwpine/pandan leaves juice, renders an aromatic and full of flavour to this steam glutinous rice cake


Ingredients

2 cups glutinous rice flour
18-20 screwpine/pandan leaves
1 or 1 1/2 cups water
 1 cup palm sugar,chopped into an inch pieces size
1 cup freshly grated coconut, added with a pinch of salt



Methods

Cut pandan leaves and blend with 1 or 1 1/2 cups water. Sieve and set aside.

In a large bowl, combine the glutinous rice flour with pandan juice and knead into a dough

Pinch a small piece of the dough about an 1 inch diameter. Make a hole in the center of the ball and fill with a small piece of palm sugar. Roll to form a small ball

Bring a pot of water to boil, drop in the prepared dough. Remove the balls when they starts to float to the surface of the water. Drain the excess water and roll into grated coconut mixture till the onde onde well coated.

Bite in to enjoy the sensation of the palm sugar oozing out in your mouth