Sunday, February 11, 2007

Pineapple Roll

This recipe came with the roller which has grooves so that when rolled in a checkered pattern will give the finished result looking sort of like the pineapple. Before the recipe which is in a tiny piece of paper is thrown away, i had better post it as the pastry turned out very well. For the benefit of those who would like to try an easy recipe for the new year, there is still time to make these.
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Ingredients:

125 gm butter
30 gm icing sugar
220gm all purpose flour(remove 2 tbsp and replace with cornflour)
1 egg yolk
1/2 tsp vanilla essence

1 egg yolk + 1 tsp water for glazing

Filling:

pineapple jam - referhttp://lilyngs.blogspot.com/2006/02/pineapple-tarts.html

Method:

Cream butter with icing sugar until light.

Add in egg yolk and vanilla and cream until combine.

Add in the flour and mix into a dough.

Rest down for at least 30 minutes in the refrigerator

Roll out dough to 5mm thickness using grooving rolling pin to get a striped pattern, then roll diagonally to form checked pattern.

Cut into strips, turn pattern over, fill the initial section with pineapple jam, roll pastry over and trim off. Repeat.

Glaze and bake in preheated oven @ 350 f/180 c for 15 minutes.

Serves

Kuih Rose

These crispies are so addictive and one should remove a few and then put the container away, otherwise the crispies in the whole container can be eaten at one go. It was really fun making them especially they turned out so well..

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Ingredients:
1 can of 400 ml coconut milk
2 large eggs
170 gm sugar
150ml water
1/2 tsp salt
240 gm all-purpose flour
100 gm rice flour
Oil for deep frying

Method:
Prepare at least two moulds.

Combine coconut milk, eggs, sugar, water and salt in a mixing bowl. Stir until sugar dissolves.

Sift all-purpose flour and rice flour and add in the the above. Whisk to obtain a consistent batter, sieve to prevent lumps. Pour batter into a straight sided cup.

Heat oil in a wok/deep fryer until 325F..
Preheat moulds in the hot oil. (The moulds have to be hot enough for batter to cling on them)

When the oil is hot enough, dip mould into batter. Make sure batter coats only the bottom and sides of mould.

Place coated mould in hot oil. Shake to release from moulds. If required, use wooden chopsticks to help releasing. Fry until golden brown.
Repeat until all the batter is used up.by using two moulds alternately. Use one while the other is being heated up in the hot oil.
Preheat oven @ 250 f and bake the crispies for 10 - 12 minutes to ensure that they are well done.

Leave to cool completely on wire racks.
Store in air-tight container.

Serves

Friday, February 9, 2007

Nin Ko/New Year Prosperity Pudding

This is the sticky rice pudding or in cantonese 'Nin Ko' that is a must during the Chinese New Year. It is offered to the Kitchen God on Chinese New Year's Eve, so that the sticky and sweet rice cake in his mouth will compel him to report to the God of Heaven, only good things about the household he visited. Traditionally this rice cake is made when everyone is asleep. Talkative children and pregnant women have to stay away from the kitchen or else this cake will not turn brown or be cooked. A joss-stick is lit as the cake is steamed in a huge wok over a wood fired stove for 12 hours. If the cake does not turn brown in 12 hours, a big chopper is put beside the stove. It is believed that by doing so, the pudding will turn brown. Thank goodness for the pressure cooker this task needs only 45 minutes and assured brown puddings.

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Ingredients:

13 tbsp sugar
5 tbsp water
120 gm glutinous rice flour
6 tbsp water
3 x 3 inch diameter tins - greased and line with banana leaves

Method:

Melt 5 tbsp sugar to obtain caramel, remove from fire and add in 5 tbsp cold water.

Add in the rest of the sugar(8 tbsp) and continue cooking until sugar dissolves. Leave to cool.

Mix glutinous rice flour with 6 tbsp water to form a soft dough(I had to add 2 more tbsp) .

Leave to prove for 15 mins, then mix into the syrup. Sieve to remove lumps.

Pour pudding mixture into banana leave lined tins.

Boil 1 ½ bowls of water in pressure cooker with a trivet, place in the filled pudding tins, cover and bring pressure to high, lower the fire to low and pressurized for 45 minutes.

Serves