Creamy Risotto

On a weekday, when you do not know what to make for dinner, this risotto is simple and only takes 30 minutes to prepare. I got the smoke duck from cold storage. Just heat the duck up when your risotto ready and served. Easy preparation but you just need to stand 20-25 minutes in-front of the stove. Slow cooking but worth the effort.

Recipe from http://www.cdkitchen.com/recipes/recs/478/Creamy_Risotto37324.shtml

Ingredients:

- 1/2 onion, chopped (omit cause my girl don't like onion)

- 2 cloves garlic, chopped

- 1/4 cup butter, divided

- 1 cup uncooked rice (use Arborio rice)

- 1/3 cup dry white wine

- 2 cups chicken broth

- 3 cups water

- 1/4 cup grated Parmesan Cheese

- salt and ground white pepper, to taste

- 1/2 cup heavy cream

Directions:

1. Non-stick pan - cook onion and garlic until soft in 2 tablespoons butter over medium heat. Add rice and stir 2 to 3 minutes.
2. Add wine, stir until absorbed. Increase heat to medium high, stir in 1 cup broth and cook uncovered, stirring frequently until broth is absorbed.
3. Continue stirring and adding remaining 1 cup broth and water, allowing each cup to be absorbed before adding another, until rice is tender and mixture has a creamy consistency. It will take approximately 25 to 30 minutes.
4. Stir in cheese, salt, pepper, heavy cream and remaining 2 tablespoons butter. Stir until mixture is creamy about 2 minutes. Serve immediately.

Tips:  added button mushroom (white and brown) and small cherry tomatoes for extra taste.

Jelly Marshmallow Cheesecake

This recipe was from many years back when I attended a Shiseido Cooking workshop. The original recipe calls for strawberries and strawberry or raspberry jelly crystal. Because strawberry not in season at the moment, so I changed it to peaches from the can and pineapple jelly crystal. Taste is milk and not too strong but it also tasted good.....yum

Ingredients Pie Base:

225 gm  biscuit crumbs (digestive or oatmeal)
90 gm salted butter (use foil butter, low water content)
1/4 tsp salt

Method:  

1. 1     Line 8 to 9" square pan with plastic wrap. Make sure the wrap flows out of the pan for easy removal of the cake later.
2.             Large metal bowl:  Mix the butter and biscuit crumbs together and press into removable round base mould.  Set aside in the fridge to chill it.

Ingredients Marshmallow Flan layer:

500 gm full cream milk (Magnolia or Daisy)
260 gm marshmallow
140 gm Nestle cream or 180 gm phillidelphia cream cheese
1 tbsp gelatin crystal
¼ tsp agar agar
1 tsp vanilla essence (optional)

Method:

1.    Non-stick pot - bring full cream milk to boil.

2.    Slowly dissolved agar agar and marshmallow into hot milk over lower heat, add in Nestle cream/cream cheese stirring continuously. (Fire must be off)

3.    Pour mixture onto biscuit layer and set aside to cool. Chill in fridge to just let it set and not hardened.

Ingredients Strawberries Crystal layer:

Strawberries, halved (or mango/peaches)
250 ml hot water
1 packet strawberry Jelly crystal (added extra 1/2 packet konnyaku jelly)
1 tbsp gelatin crystal
¼ tsp agar agar powder

Method:     dissolved jelly and agar agar in hot water and when slight cool, pour jelly gently onto Marshmallow vanilla Flan layer. Chill in fridge till well set for about 4 hours.

Honey Almond Madeleine

Adapted from www.not-thekitchensink.blogspot.com

This Madeleine are very lemony and soft but a little too sweet for me. My girls love them and said their nice and delicious.

Ingredients:
1/2 tsp Lemon zest
60 gm sugar (too sweet, next time use 40-50 gm instead)
2 eggs
20 ml maple syrup or honey
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
80 gm all-purpose flour or cake flour
3 gm baking powder
20 gm ground almond
1/4 tsp salt
100 gm unsalted butter, melted and cooled

Method:

1.   Place butter in a bowl and microwave on low for about 30 seconds or until melted. Let cool to room temperature.
2.   Zest half a lemon.  Set aside.
3.   Medium bowl: sift flour, baking powder and salt. Combine ground Almond together with the flour and set aside.
4.   Large bowl: Rub Lemon zest and sugar together with your fingertips until the sugar is fragrant.
5.   Add in eggs to the mixing bowl and beat until mixture turns light yellow color or until sugar dissolves. Do not overbeat.
6.   Add in maple syrup or honey and vanilla extract. Beat till combined.
7.   Using Spatula - fold in flour mixture into egg-sugar mixture, making sure all the dry ingredients are moistened without any large lumps.
8.   Add in melted butter into the batter and mix until incorporated.
9.   Cover the batter with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 3 hours or up to 2 days.
10.   When ready to bake, grease and flour the madeleine pans.  Remove your batter from the refrigerator and fill the madeleine pans up to 80%.  (If using silicon mould, no need to grease and flour. The madeleine pops out easily)
11.   Bake them in a preheated oven at 160 degC for about 12-15 minutes.

Cranberry Walnut Rolls

The dried cranberry and mixed of walnuts give this bread rolls and flavorful taste even when left overnight and heated up in the oven. The inside were still soft and the top has a hard crunch with almond shaves.

Ingredients:

1/2 cup coarsely chopped walnuts
1 1/2 + 1/4 cup bread flour or more
1 tsp tbsp light brown sugar
3/4 tsp instant yeast
1/2 tsp salt
3/4 cup whole milk
1 tbsp shortening or vegetable oil
1 egg
1/2 cup dried cranberries, chopped
1 egg for glaze
raw/turbinado sugar for sprinkling on top of bread (uses shaved almonds instead)

Directions:

1. Toast nuts in dry skillet set over medium heat for 5 minutes or until fragrant. Set aside to cool.
2. Metal bowl:  Sift bread flour, combine with brown sugar, yeast and salt and mix well with spatula.
3. Jug - warm milk in microwave oven until thermometer registers 95 degF. Whisk in oil and egg.
4. Pour milk mixture into the flour mixture and using spatula, stir in a circular motion until all combine and comes together in a sticky dough.
5. add in dried fruits and nuts.
6. Continue to knead for about 15 minutes until it forms a smooth dough. It should clears the sides of the bowl and clings to the bottom.
7. Spray a large bowl with nonstick cooking spray and leave the dough, covered in plastic wrap to let rise until nearly doubled in volume, about 2 hours.
8. Using baking cups (cupcake cups or muffin cup), Divide the dough into 12 equal pieces or weigh them and divide them accordingly. Working with one piece of dough at a time, shape it into a ball and place into the baking cups. Repeat with all dough. Spray the rolls with nonstick cooking spray then cover again loosely this time with plastic wrap. Let them rise for about 1-2 hours.
9. Preheat oven to 180 degC and bake the rolls for 20 minutes or until the rolls are golden on top and slightly firm to the touch.
10. Cool completely on wire rack. They can be kept freeze for up to 2 weeks. Defrost at room temperature and reheat at 160 degC for about 10 minutes before serving.

Recipe from Bon Appetit, November 2009 (via epicurious)

Seafood Pie

These Seafood Pie tasted good with double kinds of fish packed inside sweet potatoes and washed potatoes. A must try next time using cream campbell soup as stock next time and less flour so that it would be more moist on the inside. Added some peas and corns for my girl loves some vegetables in her dish.


Ingredients:

·         400g skinless white fish fillet

·         400g skinless smoked haddock fillet (uses salmon instead)

·         600ml full-fat milk

·         1/2 small onion , quartered

·         100g butter

·         50g plain flour

·         pinch freshly grated nutmeg

·         1kg floury potato , peeled and cut into even-sized chunks

·         50g cheddar , grated

Directions:

1.    Poach the fish. Put the fish in the frying pan and pour over 500ml of the milk. Stud each onion quarter with a clove, then add to the milk, with the bay leaves. Bring the milk just to the boil - you will see a few small bubbles. Reduce the heat and simmer for 8 mins. Lift the fish onto a plate and strain the milk into a jug to cool. Flake the fish into large pieces in the baking dish.

2.    Hard-boil the eggs. Bring a small pan of water to a gentle boil, then carefully lower the eggs in with a slotted spoon. Bring the water back to a gentle boil, with just a couple of bubbles rising to the surface. Set the timer for 8 mins, cook, then drain and cool in a bowl of cold water. Peel, slice into quarters and arrange on top of the fish, then scatter over the chopped parsley.

3.    Make the sauce. Melt half the butter in a pan, stir in the flour and cook for 1 min over moderate heat. Take off the heat, pour in a little of the cold poaching milk, then stir until blended. Continue to add the milk gradually, mixing well until you have a smooth sauce. Return to the heat, bringto the boil and cook for 5 mins, stirring continually, until it coats the back of a spoon. Remove from the heat, season with salt, pepper and nutmeg, then pour over the fish.

4.    Assemble and bake. Heat oven to 200C/fan 180C/gas 6. Boil the potatoes for 20 mins. Drain, season and mash with the remaining butter and milk. Use to top the pie, starting at the edge of the dish and working your way in - push the mash right to the edges to seal. Fluff the top with a fork, sprinkle with cheese, then bake for 30 mins. Make up to a day ahead, chill, then bake for 40 mins.

This recipe taken from http://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/3174/fish-pie--in-four-steps

Apricot White Chocolate Cookies

Got this recipe from http://honestcooking.com/2011/06/25/apricot-shortbread-cookies/
I have been looking around for TCC cookies recipe and finally, I found their cookies actually made from shortbread????   These cookies are soft but yet tender and have a lovely texture to it.  Again, I only make half of the recipe and yield 40 pieces.

Ingredients

o    113 gm                             226 grams) unsalted butter, room temperature

o    1/4 + 1/8 cup                    3/4 cup (180 mL) sifted confectioners’ sugar

o    1/2 tsp                               1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

o    1 cup                                 2 cups sifted all-purpose flour

o    1/4t sp                               1/2 teaspoon salt

o    1/2 cup                             1/2 cup finely chopped dried apricots (sub with dried fruits like cranberry)

o    1/4 cup                             1/2 cup chopped almonds (optional)

o    1/4 cup                             1/2 cup chopped white chocolate (optional)

Instructions

1.    Preheat oven to 160 degC with rack in center.

2.    Line a baking tray with parchment paper.

3.    Medium bowl: sift flour and salt, mix together with chopped dried apricots and almonds/chocolate. Set aside.

4.    Large bowl: Electric mixer - cream butter, confectioners’ sugar and vanilla.

5.    Spatula - Stir in flour mixture until combined and batter becomes a dough.

6.    Turn out dough onto a piece of plastic wrap and mold into press it into a flat dough. Refrigerate 1 hour.

7.   Roll cookies in-between plastic wrap to 1/4″ thickness and slice into a rectangle about 1.5 x 4 cm. Bake 13-15 minutes or until done, allowing cookies to cool before enjoying.

Nutty Banana Bread

Nutty Banana Bread

Did this Bread, but yet does not taste like bread, more like cake from this webpage - http://www.bettycrocker.com/recipes/banana-bread 

Overall, taste fantastic like you bought from outside.  May substitute walnuts with fresh blueberries next time. Wonder how the taste would be like??  Did half the portion of the recipe instead so we don't end up with too much food.

Ingredients:

1/2 + 1/8 cups                         1 1/4 cups sugar
60 gm                                      113 gm  (1/2 cup) butter or margarine, softened
1 egg                                       2 eggs
2                                              4 very ripe bananas (1 1/2 cups)
1/4 cup                                    1/2 cup buttermilk
1/2 tsp                                     1 tsp vanilla
1 + 1/4 cups                            2 1/2 cups Philly all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp                                     1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp                                     1 tsp salt
1/2 cup                                    1 cup chopped walnuts

Method:

1.    Preheat oven to 180 degC and Grease 2 loaf pans 8 x 4 x 2 inches or 1 loaf pan 9 x 5 x 3 inches.

2.    Medium bowl: sift flour, baking soda and salt. set aside.

3.    Large bowl: Electric mixer - cream butter till smooth. Add in sugar and eggs, beat until well blended.

4.    Add in mashed bananas, buttermilk and vanilla. Beat until smooth.

5.    Spatula - stir in flour mixture until just moistened. Stir in nuts.

6.    Pour into pans and baked for about 40 minutes at 160 degC since I use only half the recipe until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes . Loosen sides of loaves from pans; remove from pans and place top side up on wire rack to cool completely, about 1 hour before slicing.

7.    

Valentine's Day Cupcakes 2nd

Lemon Cupcakes with Raspberries Frosting

this recipe is adapted from All Recipes website............... Makes about 11 medium size cupcakes

Ingredients:

• 113 gm butter, softened
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 1/2 vanilla essence
• 1 1/2 cups cake flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 2 grated zest and juice of lemon
• 1/2 cup buttermilk

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 160 degrees and line muffin tins with cupcake liners
2. Medium bowl: sift flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside.
3. Large bowl: Electric mixer - cream butter, sugar and 3 tsp of lemon zest until light and fluffy.
4. Beat in eggs, one at a time, beating after each addition. add in the vanilla essence and beat until combine.
5. Add flour, alternating with buttermilk and lemon juice. Beat until just combined.
6. Fill the prepared tins 3/4 full and bake 20 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean.

Raspberry Frosting

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup frozen Raspberry, thawed
• 113 gm butter, softened
• 2 1/2 cups confectioner's sugar

Method: 

Using a sieve, puree the raspberries by pressing it through the sieve to get rid of the seeds.

Medium bowl: Electric Mixer - beat the butter and half the sugar until smooth. Add the puree, then more sugar until in a spreadable consistency. 

Valentine's Day Cupcakes

Chocolate Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting

Been down emotionally. Not sure if its age catching up or due to heat flu. Singapore temperature has been like around 30 degrees and also been feeling down lately eversince my return trip from Europe in December. Have been sick in January the whole month and am still recovering but still feeling abit down, down, down.................  So, thought of perking myself up by making valentine cupcakes. I did marshmallow fondant a few days ago and have it stored in a container. Then realize that I didn't do well shaping the bears. They are of different size but would like to play more on the dough so that next time, I can shape a better looking bears.

Makes about 12 medium Cupcakes
Ingredients:

• 2/3 cup semi sweet chocolate chips
• 1/4 cup milk
• 1 1/2 cups cake flour
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 113 gm butter, softened
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 1/4 tsp vanilla essence
• 1/4 cup apple sauce

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 160 degrees and Line muffins tin with cupcakes paper.
2. Microwave bowl: microwave 2/3 cup chocolate chips + 1/4 cup milk. Stirring occasionally till chocolate melted into the milk. Stir until smooth and well incorporated.
3. Medium bowl: sift cake flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Set aside.
4. Large bowl: Electric whisk - beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
5. Add eggs, one at a time, beating after each addition scraping down sides of bowl as needed.
6. Add vanilla essence and cocoa mixture. Beat until combined.
7. Add flour and apple sauce, beating until just combined. 
8. Divide batter evenly among lined cups, 3/4 full.
9. Bake for about 20 minutes or until toothpick inserted comes out clean with a few crumbs.

NB: the cake looks and feels light when baked. Love its texture.

Vanilla Cream Cheese Frosting:

Ingredients:

• 113 gm butter, softened
• 60 gm Philly Cream Cheese  (put only 1/4 blocked cos don't like it too cheesy)
• 2 1/2 cups confectioners sugar, sifted
• 1/2 tsp Vanilla Extract
• 1 tsp whipping cream

Directions:

Medium bowl: Electric Mixer - cream butter for about 2 minutes then add in cream cheese. Beat until combined.  Add in 1 cup powdered sugar and beat until smooth. Add another 1 cup + vanilla essence and continue to beat until smooth. Lastly, add in 1/2 cup sugar and beat till smooth. The frosting should feel very heavy and hard to beat by now. 

Using a large star tip, pipe frosting onto cupcakes and decorate in anyway your desire. 

Strawberry Vanilla Cake

6th February 2012

My girl make this Strawberry Vanilla Cake for her friend's birthday. The cake looked so delicious.

The 7" x 13" vanilla rectangular cake was cut into half. She put cream cheese and strawberry in-between the cake. The rest of the cream cheese was used to frost cake cake and decorated with strawberries.

CNY Sugar Rolled Cookies

23 February 2012
For CNY this year, I made some sugar rolled cookies to give away. Here are the picture.................

I did a round boy cookies head but have forgotten to take some picture. Well, maybe next time????