Pasta ala Thai Fused With Three Herbs In Spicy Tomato Sauce.

Hi folks, I am back after a long disappearance. Had been really busy with other issues. Relocating, packing moving, new adventure in the future. After my previous post, I thought let’s write about something savoury after all the sweets! I believe that in every kitchen pantry there must be a pack of pasta, be it fusilli, spaghetti, angel hair or vermicelli, linguine, macaroni, orecchiette, or what have you, plenty of varieties! Who does not love pasta? It is comfort food for sure, next, it is easy to prepare, and of course easy to please children, with it, they love it. The ever loving mac ‘n cheese is an all time favourite of mine. You can absolutely toss pasta with almost anything your heart desires. Let the mind wander with the various ways of how pasta can be prepared. The pasta can be categorized as Italian style or Oriental. Italian style pasta is primarily wheat based whilst the Oriental pastas are prepared from a variety of flours and starches and form long strands or strips called noodles. Durum wheat is grown in Italy, the Mediterranean, the Middles East, Russia and North and South America. It is a hard wheat high in gluten which is ground into semolina. British semolina  is a coarse variety that is not suitable for making pasta. The ingredients for pasta are simple just semolina flour, with water, adding other various ingredients such as eggs, flavouring or vegetable purees, and then shaping it. There are fresh and dried pasta. The fresh ones are to be consumed within afew days. Pastas can be baked, filled, stir fried, in soups, or even in desserts. Different pastas cook at various timings, as it depends on the quality of pasta and hardness of water. Even if the cooking time is indicated on the packet it is advisable to test the pasta to avoid overcooking. Oriental style pasta or noodles, are the predominant type but similar types of dough are filled to make bite sized dumplings served as dim sum. They can be simmered in a soup or even deep fried. I am so sure everyone is an expert in preparing pasta, well there is a proper way, but to each his/her own style the hard core true blue Italian chef would probably just roll their eyes and throw up their aprons at how we make fusion recipes from it! I know an Italian friend of mine would, hahaha! This is a favourite recipe of mine which I had fused with various herbs to call my own. I had actually wanted to make  just pasta with seafood and creamy tomato sauce but instead I decided to add these aromatic herbs to have that ala Thai feel. Plus after returning from our holiday in Phuket I am still in a “Thai” mode. As with the usual cooking of pasta goes it is usually stated as “al dente” well I do not like mine very “al dente” it still feels like I am eating rubber bands.

I love herbs and spices, somehow that makes a dish more interesting in terms of flavour and smell. Especially in Asia, where one can get hold of these aromatic herbs in abundance. It makes absolute sense to incorporate them into the day to day dishes that we cook and create them into something extraordinary. My cooking style does not use exact measurements in terms of cups, ounces or grams. It’s with the touch, feel, and taste. I use my instincts to cook, and as someone from the Culinary Institute of America had said to me, she uses the cookbook more as a guide, the rest is up to you to create your dish, your bakes. I love Thai food, and a good friend of mine is Mary, a brilliant interior designer and a fantastic cook. She cooks fabulous southern style Thai food as she is a native of Phuket. I was glad to receive some tips and even jot down recipes on how to make some of the lovely dishes taught to her by her grandmother and mother. I did try and replicate them, and they turned out really good in fact, and my dinner guests loved them. This was a dish I thought of making one evening a slipshot work of mine actually. I use Thai basil, coriander and kaffir lime leaves, some lemongrass and Thai chilli paste, abit of a fiery dish yes, but its played down abit by the tomato puree and cream making it into creamy, spicy tomato sauce.  So thank you, dear Mary for the tips and with this pasta dish, I dedicate this page to you.

Recipe for Pasta ala Thai fused with Three Herbs in Spicy Tomato Sauce

Ingredients:
300g prawns (washed and skinned leaving tails in tact)
8 mussels (washed and cleaned)
10 pc shitake mushrooms
1 stalk lemongrass bruised
1 medium onion chopped
1 clove garlic chopped
2 dried chillies cut thinly (if one can take the heat)
1 small bunch of Thai basil leaves
1 small bunch coriander (cilantro) leaves
4-5 kaffir lime leaves (makrut, or limau purut)
1 tsp Thai chilli paste – I used Mae Pranom Thai chilli paste
2 tbsp char siew sauce for that thick sweet malt flavour – I used Lee Kum Kee brand
1 small punnet cherry tomatoes halved
2 -3 tbsp tomato puree (gauge)
200ml cooking cream – I used Emborg/Arla/President
Spaghetti for cooked for 2
Extra virgin olive oil
Salt to taste
Extra chilli flakes for garnish

Method:

1. Heat about 3 tbsp oil in a large pan.
2. Fry the onions, garlic, and some dried chillies (optional) until fragrant. Add the halved tomatoes, chilli paste and the char siew sauce. Then the mushrooms. Stir well. Add the prawns and incorporate with the stir fried spices.
3. Crush the kaffir lime leaves, tear up some coriander and Thai basil leaves and mix well with the prawns. Add the tomato puree and mix well. Pour the cream bit by bit. Add the mussels last.
4. At this time taste and see if you need to add any salt or a tad of brown sugar. The heat of the spices should blend in well by now.
   Boil some water for the spaghetti, sprinkle some salt. Cook to your preference. Drain. Toss into the sauce. Serve hot with extra herbs.
5. Note : The sauces I used can be found at local supermarkets or those abroad,  Asian grocery stores. If you lessen the chilli paste add a dash of fish sauce. Happy trying!

Banana Maple Upside Down Cake

I told myself to be more diligent in updating my blog and so I am trying my best, but sometimes there are just too many plans to keep up with. What’s more it is the holiday season! I know I am being abit ambitious with some of my forthcoming plans but c’est la vie. Now going bananas, am sure everyone love this fruit, I know I do, so do the errrrmm…. monkeys, hey after all we homosapiens are quite alike just different way of thinking and may I say a different “breed”? No offence!! B-) Though there are some that do like “monkeying” around if you know what I mean >*wink*>. Bananas are full of vitamins, minerals, dietary fiber and phytonutrients, bananas are the perfect power food, providing a long-lasting burst of energy to fuel your busy, active life. Pack a banana wherever you go and you’ll always have a quick, convenient source of nutrition to pick you up and keep you going. I love it for breakfast or as a snack when we go hiking. There are various ways to eat a banana, you can cook or bake it. Even when you think you have too much bananas leftover in the pantry, you can make them into cakes, muffins, Asian desserts, breads, I can go on! The thing about making bananas into desserts make sure they are really ripe. Its ok if they have some black spots, all the more when baking, the aroma of ripe bananas just wafts through the air! If making Asian desserts just make sure they are ripe but not overripe, if they need to be steamed, baked or simmered in a sauce. Else you will end up with mushy bananas! Another tip is when it starts to ripe and the black spots are present, keep it in the refrigerator this slows the process of ripening too fast, especially when you live in the tropics like me.

Ever bought banana cakes or bread outside and sometimes it smells strangely of banana essence? You do not need any essence except vanilla extract, as the fragrant smell of ripe bananas just simply fuses together with the mixture and heat during baking. Plus most of the time the store bought banana cakes do not have the moist feel or taste of bananas in it, after all bananas are not costly cannot fathom why they stinge with it. This lovely recipe is adapted from Bill Granger’s Open Kitchen. The recipe is simple, and the use of maple syrup blended together with butter and brown sugar is just perfect. The scent of maple syrup always seems very homely to me. Its a warm cosy feeling no?

Anyway I love recipes by Bill Granger he makes it seem so simple even when it seems difficult. His style is no fuss and yet delicious. “I learned to cook in a domestic kitchen which makes my food simple and  instinctual.”- Bill Granger. He is a self taught cook (always inspired by self taught cooks who succeed!) whose joyful approach to cooking is an essential element in his enduring popularity. There are many self taught cooks and bakers out there who have exceptional hidden talents yet to be exposed, I am one of those  self taught ones as well, heheheh! Am sure any of you out there would agree that everyone have their own style of cooking and baking, like my chef instructor said, 3 recipes in class, 30 students, but every turnout is different. I could not agree more.

Banana Maple Upside Down Cake – adapted by Bill Granger’s Open Kitchen

Ingredients:
50g (1 3/4 oz) unsalted butter plus 100g (3 1/2 oz) unsalted butter, softened, extra
55g (1 1/4 cup) brown sugar
60ml (1/4 cup) maple syrup
3-4 bananas sliced lengthways
230g (1 cup) caster sugar(superfine)
4 eggs
1 teaspoon natural vanilla extract
155g (1 1/4 cup) plain (all purpose) flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
pinch of salt

Method:
Preheat the oven to 180C (350F/Gas 4). To make the maple syrup topping, place butter, brown sugar and maple syrup in a small saucepan. Cook on medium heat for 10 minutes or until the sugar melts and the syrup is rich and golden.
Pour the syrup into a 23cm (9inch) greased or non-stick springform cake tin and arrange the sliced bananas, cut side down, over the base of the tin.
To make the cake, place the 100g butter, and caster sugar in a bowl and beat until pale and creamy. Add the eggs one at the time, beating after each addition, then add the vanilla extract.
Sift the flour, baking powder and salt, gently fold through the mixture. Spoon the batter evenly over the bananas and caramel and smooth the top with a spatula.
Place the cake in the oven on a baking tray to catch any escaping caramel and bake for 35-40 minutes, or until a skewer inserted into the centre of the cake comes out clean.
Remove from the oven and leave in the tin 5 to 10 minutes to cool slightly. (I let mine cool completely)
Transfer to a large serving plate. Serve with vanilla ice cream if desired.

FoodNote: Every oven is different when baking, there are different hot spots in every individual oven, so you know your ovens well ladies, bake according to the time your oven knows best.
I am sure this will be a family favourite because I did not bake mine just once, the family love it, and B, he is just contented being a husband who gets to eat all my desserts!

Maple Toffee Pecan Tart @Rachel Allen’s Cooking Demo

Hello my pretties, how have y’all been? I know I have been away for abit, but that is because my laptop was giving me problems and had to eventually send it for repair. Although I have my husband’s laptop and pc somehow it is not the same as using your very own. Another thing was my husband and I celebrated our birthdays in the same month of June and 2 days apart, so off to Bali our usual getaway, but that will be in another post. Anyway, I was very happy, excited, elated and ecstatic, when I was invited to watch Rachel Allen do a cooking demo at the Irish ambassador’s home, Deirdre and Joe Hayes who are a lovely couple. That was not the only thing I did, to be able to help out in the kitchen, with some other fellow Irish friends of the couple doing pre-preparations before the demo for Rachel Allen, was fab. I love the hustle and bustle in a kitchen and that is just so in my element!  All of us had our assigned duties, the weighing stations and I had to make the pastry dough for the tart. The BBC Life food team were also at hand to check that everything were prepared and done accordingly while we wait for the arrival of Rachel Allen.

Finally, she arrived and I was over the moon, she was all smiles even though she had a pretty long day and was flying off that night itself! There was no airs about her, she is all warm friendly and so approachable. I had a gift for her and did not know if she would like it I got her 3 blocks of coconut palm sugar and a linen apron from the Raffles Hotel gift shop. I thought a print from the colonial era would be nice. Of course I brought along her  cookbook with me for her autograph, what else??!! She wrote a lovely note in my book, I was all smiles because she was so delighted by the gift and  loves palm sugar!! I guess cooks and bakers tend to be abit a of psychic they usually have an insight, what one or the other  love to have as ingredients available in the kitchen that can be used in a dish or dessert. Anyway having heard so much about Ballymaloe Cooking School I told dear hubby if we can make a visit there in the near future heheheheh!!! I have never been to Ireland and hubby had been there before, so it would be nice for him to revisit again with me, now that is a great idea.

I decided to make the maple toffee pecan tart as per her recipe and I will do it again because it is delicious and so moreish, plus that heavenly scent of maple syrup smell sooooo good, really heavenly. Gee, I wish she was reading this am sure she will be delighted. Anyway I dedicate this page to Rachel Allen for having such lovely recipes in her book and making instructions clear and straightforward. Besides this I have done afew more from her book. Thank you Rachel, it was a real pleasure to have met you that day. Happy  trying peeps!

Maple Toffee Pecan Tart ala Rachel Allen

Ingredients

(for the sweet pastry)

200g plain sifted flour

100g chilled butter, cubed

1 tbsp. icing sugar, sifted

½ to 1 egg, beaten

For the filling

275g shelled pecans, coarsely chopped saving 3 whole nuts for decorating (pecans must be toasted)

250 ml maple syrup

75g light soft brown sugar

150g butter

75ml double or regular cream

Method

For the sweet short crust pastry, cut the butter into little cubes making sure it is cold. (If you live in the tropics like me, I freeze it for abit)

Weigh out the flour, sugar and have the beaten egg ready. Place the flour, sugar and butter in the food processor  and blitz until it forms into breadcrumbs texture. Add the egg a little at the time until you get a nice pliable dough, it should not be too wet nor too dry. ( I did not use all I have a little bit left can be used to seal the holes when baking blind)

Chill the dough for about 30 minutes. Meanwhile make the pecan filling.

When dough is chilled enough, sprinkle abit of flour on the pastry mat or board, roll out the dough in between 2 cling wraps to fit the 23cm loose bottom tart tin. The cling wraps makes it easier to lift the dough onto the tin. (nobody’s perfect not even me!)

Set oven at 175C (every oven is different, mine works at 175C). Prick some holes with a fork on the tart shell this will cook through the pastry evenly. Place a parchment or baking paper on the tart shell filled with dry beans or baking weights weights to hold the pastry down, this prevents it from rising up. (I used any dry beans all the time they can be reused)

Take the beans and baking paper off and brush the pricked holes with eggwash that has been diluted with some water place it back in the oven for another 10 minutes or so. Once it is lightly browned take it out and set aside while you make the filling.

For the maple toffee filling:

Place the cream, maple syrup and soft light brown sugar in a saucepan. Heat and stir until the sugar dissolves and bring it to the boil for about 5 minutes, it will be abit bubbly.

Put the pecans in and mix well. Pour the mixture  into the pre-baked tart shell. Bake in the oven for about 30-35 minutes, it will be all bubbly and brown.

Once done, take it out from the oven and set aside to cool before refrigeration or serve it with vanilla ice cream or freshly whipped cream.

Its chewy caramelized texture is very addictive.  Its as simple as that!

The Pavlova: pretty, sexy frills of meringue

When I want to make something simple and pretty but makes a beautiful centrepiece to gawk at, I make the pavlova. See those leftover eggwhites, perhaps after baking tons of lapis cakes (layer cakes) or pastry cream, such a waste to throw, make little mini pavs or a large one, eggwhite omelette or steamed eggwhite cakes, etc..etc…plenty options! The pavlova itself to me, is a beautiful, sexy, enticing dessert. Why? I would say watching the frills of the whipped egg whites transforming  into a gorgeous meringue and making little peaks at the side before baking  makes me smile. That is enticing enough for me, what’s more when it has a topping! Then when it is ready and cooled, you cut, displaying the inside that is this soft, luscious, marshmallowy texture. When you close your eyes and bite into it, it’s like this airy, light sugary heaven! The origins of this pavlova is of course simply inspired by the famous Russian ballerina, Anna Pavlova. I guess it is because of those pretty  frilly tutu ballerina skirts that look like a fluffy meringue that made this dessert popular.

The dessert is believed to have been created in honour of the dancer either during or after one of her tours to Australia and New Zealand in the 1920s. The nationality of its creator has been a source of argument between the two nations for many years, but formal research indicates New Zealand as the probable source.^[2]The dessert is a popular dish and an important part of the national cuisine of both countries, and with its simple recipe, is frequently served during celebratory and holiday meals.

Who would think you’d have a dessert named after you, I would be so greatly honoured. Making pavlova is tricky as well, testing your patience at times. You cannot afford to overbeat the eggwhites as it will produce a soapy foamy- like texture and that’s bust! Believe me its like making macarons. You have to beat the sugar right until you do not feel any grainy texture left, then with a light hand, fold in the vinegar and cornstarch. When it goes into the oven, I like licking off the spatula, like a sugary orgasmic feeling of  eating marshmallow already! There are two recipes that I follow there is one by Donna Hay and one from Joy of Baking. I want to share the one by Donna Hay. Both have been tried and tested and worked really well. Have a great “meringuey” day!

Recipe for Pavlova as follows:

150ml eggwhites (approx 4 eggwhites)
220g (1 cup) caster sugar (superfine sugar)
2 tbsp cornflour (cornstarch) sifted
2 tsps white vinegar

For topping there various ways:
250ml single pouring cream ( I did not put pouring cream just pulps from four passionfruits scattered)
250g strawberries hulled ( I used 1 punnet of raspberries) hulled and halved.

Method:
Preheat oven to 150C (300F), place eggwhites in a bowl of an electric mixer and beat until stiff peaks form. Gradually add the sugar, whisk until stiff and glossy and that there are no sugary grainy texture. (test by feeling abit between your fingers)
Add the flour and vinegar and whisk until just combined. Alternately you may also fold in whit a spatula but be very light handed please, you do not want to take the air out of the whisked meringue.
Shape the meringue mixture on a baking tray lined with baking paper and shape into an 18-20cm round (this will rise believe me!) Reduce the oven to 120C (250F) bake for 1 hour and 20 minutes. When done, turn the oven off and leave the pavlova to cool completely in the oven.
To make the topping, whisk the cream until stiff peaks form, do note the cream must be very cold. Spread over the pavlova, then top with passionfruit and strawberries. Serves 8.

FoodNote: I did not use cream, therefore only fresh fruit, you can top pavlova according to your fancy. Every oven is different so adjust accordingly. For those who have fan in their ovens please do not use fan when baking pavlova. Just for info I baked mine at 130C-150C.
* You’ll know when the meringue is stiff and glossy because the mixture will have tripled in volume and stands up when the beaters are lifted.

  * The low heat puffs up the meringue while the long cooking time dries it out to give you a lovely crisp shell.

* Store your pavlova, undressed, in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days. (all adapted from Donna Hay.com.au)

Crepe Cake Anyone?

There was a time when I was crepe-mad or layer cake mad. Literally wanted to try this mille crepe cake from a website I saw. So many recipes but which one? I saw the recipe on Martha Stewart’s website, plus a whole bunch of people were talking about it at one gathering I attended.  Apparently you can get it at a bakery in Malacca too. The name of that shop is Nadeje Patisserie just in case anyone is making a stop in Malacca. Every little bakes and recipes are a challenge to me, when I want to try something new, I will think about it so hard I cannot sleep! B, knows he married a stressed crazy food fanatic.  I admit that I thought that it was difficult to put together but it actual fact it was not too bad. I love crepes all the time. B, loves his crepes with powdered sugar like the Dutch would say pannakoeken met basterd suiker (caster sugar). Heel lekker! Ok so the more websites I surfed and staring at those fluffy,  light crepes layered with pastry cream, ganache or syrup or what have you, just make me gawk and drooled more. So it was abit like making the spice lapis cake just that these are pre-prepared and spread those gorgeous flavours day after. I survived making 10 lapis cakes(layer cakes) for the festive season so this should be a cinch!

Actually I should thank the people who were discussing it  for giving me the inspiration to make and they should watch me eat this rich chocolatey dessert without them having a slice at all! The mille crepe cake originates from Lady M Confections in NYC. That later brought about other confectioneries to start making it as well. It reminds me of the baumkuchen or the Tree Cake, reminding me of the layered cake or “lapis cake” as its popular here in Singapore, just that the baumkuchen is on baked on a spit that goes round and round. There are outlets in Takashimaya and a little bakery in Toa Payoh above the mrt station that sells them and yes baked with that rotating spit! Pretty smaller sized ones I found out at this website: soshiok.com check it out! I remembered when this mille crepe cake was made, our friends from The Netherlands  and Germany , C and H were in town, a lovely couple. They had this for dessert and she made a scrap book page of me with that cake. She gave it to me when we met up in February. My dear you know who you are! It was really special that she took the trouble to put up the photos nicely for me. Thank you, it was much appreciated. Hope we get to meet up again.

My version of this recipe may not be the same as Lady M’s but its Pierre Herme’s chocolate crepe version and I  just omit the chocolate from it and made plain ones. I made 3 batches of it and for me its a challenge to see how many layers I can do ! The thing is the crepes have to be made a day ahead at least and then cool and refrigerated. Another thing is that you have to line every crepe with a piece of greaseproof paper or parchment paper so that they do not stick while cooling. The fun part I like is layering them with chocolate ganache and when you look at it, you feel much pride in yourself. The beautiful part is when you slice it. The thin layers of crepe shows up so beautifully through the chocolate ganache  that it’s a sin to even eat it, I don’t even want to eat it just to admire the result of the painstaking process of making those crepes one at a time and then this! Eating process, divine! If you are a chocolate lover then it is definitely the painstaking but heavenly dessert for you.      

Recipe as follows: Crepe Cake with Chocolate Ganache

For the crepes: adapted from Pierre Herme’s Chocolate Desserts
2/3 cup (95g) all purpose flour
31/2 tbsp Dutch processed cocoa powder ( I used Valrhona or Cacao Barry but I omitted to make the plain ones)
11/2 tbsp sugar
2 large eggs at room temperature.
1 cup (250g) whole milk preferably at room temperature
3 tbsp beer (I used plain club soda water) room temperature
2 tbsp butter (30g) melted

Method:
1. In a large bowl place flour, and whisk in sugar
2. In another bowl whisk the eggs and milk together just to blend and then the melted butter.
3. Pour liquid ingredients into dry ingredients, whisk and blend well until you have a thin batter.
4. When you are ready to cook the crepes, whisk the batter gently just to blend the ingredients if you find the batter too thick add a little milk a tablespoon at a time until you have the right consistency.
5. Heat a crepe pan with a thin layer of oil, I use kitchen paper towel crumpled and spread evenly, place over medium high heat. (Crepe pan measuring 71/2 inch or 8inch)
6.Pour about 3 tbsp of batter ( I used a 1/3 size measuring cup) and swirl so that the batter spreads across evenly. It cooks in a matter of seconds you will see some bubbles and the top turning dull and the bottom should be lightly browned. Use a spatula to lift it up place it on a greaseproof paper, repeat until batter is finished, but for each layer place a greaseproof paper so that they do not stick to each other. Cool until ready to use.

Chocolate Ganache Recipe – adapted from Pierre Herme’s Chocolate Desserts
8ounces (230g) bittersweet chocolate preferably Valrhona Guanaja finely chopped
1 cup (250g) heavy cream
2 ounces or 60g unsalted butter at room temperature

Method:
1. Place chocolate in a bowl large enough to hild the other ingredients.
2. Bring the cream to a full boil in a saucepan.
3. While the cream is coming to the boil, work the butter with a rubber spatula until its soft and very creamy.
4. When cream is boiling remove from heat and pour slowly into the bowl with chopped chocolate. Start stirring in the center and work your way out in widening concentric circles.
5. Stir until all the chocolate has melted. Cool the mixture down a little, before adding the butter. starting in the centre the same way as you did for the chocolate. Depending on what you are making with the ganache, its ready for use now or you can leave it on counter to a spreadable or pipeable consistency.

To assemble crepe layers, place the crepe in a cake ring or a springform cake pan on a greaseproof paper at the bottom. Spread chocolate ganache evenly and continue with second layer until the crepes are used up. If there are alot of ganache left you may cover the whole crepe cake or u can choose to lighten or make a chocolate sauce to drizzle before serving.

FoodNote: Try and use chocolate with 55%-70% cocoa intensity to have that rich intense chocolate flavour. I used three times the amount as I was making the crepe cake abit high. So I leave that to you as to how much you want to make. Cheers peeps!

                                      

Pine Nut Tart

It had been a busy week for me of hectic baking and finally I am getting some rest. I also realised that I cooked only once last week, hubby asked because Sunday was my off day sometimes from cooking. I had an Italian indulgence on Saturday. My dear friend invited us over for dinner, her husband who is Italian is a fab cook and wants his Italian food done in the most authentic way ever. Having said that, we know that each time we are invited we have to fast or starve ourselves for the day or actually start the day before, heheheh! Mind you there will not be just 3 courses! I just love Giovanni’s tiramisu I always told him whatever it is must have tiramisu. The glut that I am I will always have 2 or 3 servings of tiramisu, after all the courses!. Oh well, I have a fire breathing dragon in the depth of my stomach I guess because it sort of disintegrate all my food that enters. On that Italian Mediterranean note I found this recipe in Flavours magazine. That issue they were doing some Mediterranean stuff. This recipe uses pine nuts and orange blossom water. I love the scent of orange blossom water its just sweet and exotic that goes very well in custards, cookies or sweet desserts. It is actually a highly aromatic liquid distilled from bitter orange blossoms. They have been used for centuries in Iran, Africa and Turkey in their cakes, confections and desserts including their Turkish delight, sorbet or ice creams. Pinenuts, are just lovely toasted lightly and made into pesto or tossed in a salad, pasta or baked in a dessert like this or cookies too! They are the edible seeds of pine trees that grow in Italy, China, North Africa, Mexico and South Western United States. The nuts are high in fat and expensive owing to the labour intensive process of harvesting them. These little fellas from Italy or the Mediterranean variety are more expensive due to its delicate flavour and shaped like little torpedoes. The ones from China are shaped like a squat triangle and has a pungent pine flavour and aroma. Pine nuts are highly susceptible to rancidity and should be store in an airtight container or in the refrigerator or freezer. Also known as Indian nuts, pinon nut or pignoli. So here is the recipe below for anyone who wish to try it. I guess rosewater would make it lovely too, but that would be a different story.

Recipe for Pine Nut Tart Scented with Orange Blossom Water adapted from Flavours Magazine, Cuisine Studios

Ingredients:
Shortcrust pastry
150g flour
65g butter
50G sugar
1 pinch of salt
1 egg lightly beaten

Custard filling
400ml milk (I used 210ml evaporated milk, 150ml milk, 40ml pouring cream)
4 egg yolks
150g caster sugar
30g cornflour
1 tbsp orange blossom water (or orange flower water some call it)
1 lemon zested
70g pine nuts (or slightly more its okay.)

To make pastry:
1. In a mixing bowl, or food processor,  combine the flour, butter, sugar, salt. Add egg gradually to form a dough.
Wrap with a cling film and refrigerate for 15 minutes.

To make filling:
1. Bring milk to  boil in a saucepan. In a separate bowl cream the yolks and sugar. Add in the cornflour and mix well.
2. Bring saucepan off the heat and slowly pour a little boiling milk in to the egg mixture and mix well. You have to work fast so that u will not scramble the eggs. Then add the yolk mixture  back into the saucepan with the balance of hot milk and cook over low heat, whisking until mixture is thick and bubbles appear.
3. Transfer to bowl mix in orange blossom water and lemon zest. Chill covering with a cling wrap touching the cream custard so that it does not form a skin.
4. To bake, Preheat oven at 180C ( remember no oven is the same in temperature so adjust accordingly). Place greased 20-22cm tart tin on a baking tray lined with parchment paper ( I just place it in tart tin when cool u can lift it off easily)
5. Roll out dough on silicon mat or between 2 cling wraps so that u can undo one side and place the other onto tart tin. Tidy edges. Fill the tart shell with cream custard, sprinkle with pine nuts and bake for 40 minutes or so. Remove from oven and cool before serving or refrigerating.
To serve Dust with icing sugar or drizzle with honey.
Happy trying peeps!

Strawberry Jazzy Crumble Brokus

A mistake that actually turned out fine that is what this steamed brokus is about. Brokus is shortened term for brownie kukus in Indonesian meaning steamed brownies. The steamed version has a different texture than the bake ones. Kinda more spongy, springy and soft. I read the recipe through before making and understood it, not that my Bahasa Indonesian isn’t good, my family originates from there and late dad used to speak the language each day at home. So it was my own hustle and bustle in the kitchen that made me create this error. It doesn’t look that bad though. I was suppose to use a piping bag and pipe zigzag on top and then put it back in the steamer, but I made it into a crumble instead….dddduuuuhhh! One of my blonde moments. When it was ready I was wondering why it never became zigzag again, eeerrrmmm…dddduuuhhhh! Must have been too much baking that week so the brain was shutting down I guess, heheheheh! Anyway I used 11 egg whites instead of 10 as per recipe because I had 11 egg whites left after making sponge cakes and I thought I wanna make macarons out of it but no good vibe feeling so me- no make- macarons.

It actually became a favourite of some, first of all it’s not too sweet. Good for elderly folks ‘cos they do not fancy cloyingly sweet desserts. Some friends favour it too. The recipe is adapted from Ny Liem’s book Variasi Brownies Kukus. There are plenty of gorgeous steamed brownies  recipes in there to try. This was the other I had done besides the pandan steamed brownies that was posted earlier!

Strawberry Jazzy Brownies Recipe
Part A
375 ml egg whites (about 11 egg whites)
125g caster sugar
10g cake emulsifier (ovalette, or sp)

Part B – dry ingredients sift and place all in a bowl
150g all purpose flour
25g powdered milk
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp vanilla essence

Part C – melt
100g white chocolate (place in a double boiler or a heatproof bowl over a pan of simmering water)
75g margarine ( I used butter)

Part D (streusel)
15g margarine ( again I used butter)
15g coarse sugar ( I used turbinado sugar or golden caster sugar)
30g all purpose flour

Part E
100g strawberry jam ( I used strawberry Pregel)
3 drops of red colouring (optional I didn’t use as the strawberry filling was red enough)

Method:
1. Mix A in a standing mixer or using a hand held mixer , whisk eggs, to half foamy add sugar bit by bit while whisking and then add the emulsifier. Whisk until firm peaks.
2. Add B  bit by bit until well mixed. finally add C. Fold in until well incorporated.
3.Pour into 2 ins measuring 30x10x4cm which has been greased lightly and placed with greaseproof paper. ( I used 7x10inch tin)
4.Mix ingredients D until they resemble breadcrumbs using the rubbing in method, sprinkle on top of brownie (brokus)
5.Pipe ingredient E onto the brownie criss cross or whatever design suits u.
6. Steam for 25 minutes or until done. Remove and cool.