The Great Chef

I'm so addicted with sponge cake lately because of the cottony soft texture.   As I still have some balance of meringue buttercream from my last Sponge Cake With Kumquat Jam Topping , so I thought I quickly whipped out something to go along with this buttercream. Coffee Sponge Cupcakes Recipe sourced from Shirley @kokken with slight changes makes for 8 cupcakes Ingredients 3 Egg Whites   (from 3 large eggs weighing 60g with shell) 60g Sugar 3 Egg Yolks   (from 3 large eggs weighing 60g with shell) ¼ tsp Vanilla extract 1 tsp Coffee extract (I used coffee oil) 65gPlain flour 30g Vegetable Oil   (I used canola oil) 30g Milk Butter Cream 75g Egg white 60g Castor sugar 225g Unsalted butter 1tsp Vanilla Extract 1tsp Mocha/ coffee paste Instructions Whip the egg whites until foamy then add sugar in 3 additions and whip until egg white forms soft peaks form. Add egg yolks one at a time, mixing well before adding more egg yolks. Add in vanilla and coffee extract and mix until combined. A

Kumquat is back on the supermart shelf lately and being me the Kumquat lover, of course would not hesitate to grab at least 2 punnets at a go! When  Shirley @Kokken posted her  Jam Topping Sponge Cake early last year, it just brought back some memories in those days when cakes were sold and decorated in that way.  I remember when I am still a little girl staying in Kampar,  we don't usually able to buy cakes with cream and jam topping.  And there was year a small moderate new shopping outlet called "Emporium" (does Emporium sounds new to you?) open at this very small town, it is like a total heaven to the Kamparians!   Still remember those days my dad will cycling down to Emporium and my younger sister would hop in at the back seat of the bicycle; almost everyday they will patron to Emporium! So, this little Sponge Cake With Jam Topping has indeed brought back some memories to me and back in those days, it was coated with peanuts bits. Sponge Cake With Kumquat Jam Toppi

When I made my first Angku Kuih just less than two weeks ago,  the filling was a bit too dry to my taste.  Well, can't blame me as this is my first attempt.   When Doreen of My Little Favourite DIY left comment on my post advising to steam the green bean with some added water, I have kept that in mind.  And when Doreen made Pumpkin Angku Kuih lately, I was adamant to try it again. Pumpkin Angku Kuih Recipe sourced from Mui Mui of my little favourite DIY Ingredients for the skin : 200 g glutinous rice flour  2 tbsp oil 100 g steamed pumpkin 1 tbsp sugar 100 ml thick coconut milk Ingredients for the filling:   150g split green bean, soaked overnight 60 g castor sugar  4 tbsp of canola oil Banana leaves Method Filling Soaked the split green bean overnight or at least 4 hours. Drain and steamed until it is soft.  (Sprinkle a few tablespoons of water onto the split green bean before steaming). Mashed the steamed split green bean while it is still hot or blend it in a food processor

When Sonia of NasiLemakLover posted her Hainanese Chicken Chop recently, she has reminded me how much I missed my mum's Chicken Chop instead!  And so much as we are the Hainanese descent ourselves! After my mum left to NZ to stay, I missed all her home cooked food and dishes.   And lucky for me, when I was young, I used to watch my mum cook this in the kitchen and now roughly I try to replicate her easy and simple version of our Hainanese Chicken Chop!   Simple Hainanese Chicken Chop Recipe source from Mel’s Mum Serve for 1 Ingredients 1 boneless chicken thigh 1 small potato, peeled and cut to wedges 1 small tomato, cut to wedges 1 small onion, sliced 1-2 tbsp frozen green peas or canned green peas (light blanched or cook in saucepan) Oil for frying Marinate ingredients 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce Salt & pepper (add to your preference taste) 2-3 tbsp plain flour Sauce 1-2 tbsp tomato ketchup 1 tsp worchestershire sauce ½ tsp sugar ¼ cup water (or slightly more if you prefer

Buttery or pound cake is my all time favourite cake.   I guess I grown up eating butter cake when I'm still staying in Kampar and used to buy the fresh baked butter cake at one of the "kopitiam" in Jalan Gopeng.    We will usually know when the cake be out from the oven, and will go and buy it at around that time.   When  Wendy of Table for 2...or more posted this Orange Pound Cake yesterday, I immediate went to my kitchen to do the same.  While the butter and sugar were mixing in the mixing bowl, I continue to weight my plain flour, and found out I just left 100gm only.  So I just used the remaining 100gm of cake flour instead.    To avoid too sweet, I just used 180g of caster sugar and this is just perfect taste for me.  ORANGE POUND CAKE Recipe sourced from WendyinKK Ingredients 200g butter (I used salted, do use good quality butter) 200g caster sugar (I only used 180g, just nice) 200g plain flour (I used 100g plain flour & 100g cake flour) 4 medium eggs (at room

Aaah.....has the title of this post the word "Kumquat"  makes you recall Mel being the Kumquat lover?  Kumquat is available now at Tesco!!  I bought it at RM3.70 per pack.....isn't it a bargain? I have been eyeing to bake this recipe for quite awhile......at first I was thinking of using pineapple as filling....and everyday I've been looking, and looking at this recipe but lazy bug was inside me and wasn't even feeling wanted to lift up my legs to stand long hours in the kitchen.    But at last, it was the kumquat makes me do it!   Kumquat Almond Pie Cookies Recipe inspired from  Sweet Explorations Ingredients 226g butter, room temperature 160g sugar 1 egg 1 tsp vanilla extract 3 cups (I used 420g) plain flour Filling ½ cup Kumquat Jam * (puree the sweetened kumquat with 2 tbsp almond meal)   Method In a bowl of electric mixer, cream the butter and sugar on medium speed till soft and fluffy.   Add in egg and vanilla extract.   Add in all the flour on low speed t

This is it .......I guess.......almost there to my search for the taste for delicious Char Siew!  I have made Homemade Char Siew just merely a month ago but I still feel some lacking of some flavour in there.... I think that version is just slightly salty .... only if doesn't add that teaspoon of salt into the marinated pork before cooking; I think that would be nice. But I guess everyone has different taste bud.  And there is no harm to try another recipe to look which one suit to our taste. Delicious Char Siew Recipe from "Delicacies Of China Town" cookbook Ingredients 1 kg pork belly  2 tbsp chopped garlic Marinade 2 pieces reddish cheese (fermented beancurds/"nam yue") 1 tbsp malt sugar 150g caster sugar 1 tbsp light soy sauce 1 tbsp oyster sauce 1 tsp dark soy sauce 1/2 tsp five spices powder 1 tbsp "Shaoxing" wine Few drops of red colouring (optional) Method Remove the skin of the pork belly, cut into thick large strips. Mix the marinade ingredi

I had wanted to try my hands to make "Angku Kuih" for quite some time eventhough wasn't really prepare to do it any soon.  Since my dad pluck some banana leaves for me few days ago so just make use of it. Really, I would have called myself looking for extra work to do as this Angku Kuih, I can buy it at the shop easily for just $0.50 per piece.  But sometimes when you food blogging, looking at others making it so beautifully, it just motivate you to do so.  But hopefully in the end process, I won't complain of aching here and there, looking for trouble just to make this kuih where I can buy it easily....lol. ANGKU KUIH Recipe from Agnes Chang’s Hawkers’ Delights (I half the recipe here and makes only 15 pieces, with mould of 5cm long) Dough Skin 50g rice flour, mixed with 210ml water & 3 ½ tbsp oil, stirred and boiled, till thick in texture, cooled 300g glutinous rice flour Few drops of orange red colouring Enough water to mix into dough Filling 150g green peas w

Asian Food Fest No. 2 (November) ~ Thailand I believe this famous Thailand dessert, Tub Tim Grob (Red Rubies In Coconut Milk), need no introduction and this dessert is always well receive by everyone. Do feel free to use the beetroot juice to substitute to the red food colouring or use soya milk over the coconut milk if you prefer a more healthier version to this dessert. TUB TIM KROB (Red Rubies in Coconut Milk)   Ingredients   ½ cup water chestnut, cut small into cubes size Red food colouring / or ¼ cup beetroot juice ½ cup tapioca flour ¼ cup water ¼ cup sugar ½ cup coconut milk Ice cubes   Method In a blender, whisk the coconut milk, water, sugar and some ice cubes together till become thick and smoothie.  Place the smoothie into the freezer. Peel the water chestnuts and cut into small cubes. Mix the few drops red food colouring with some water (depends how red colour you desire) and coat the water chestnuts into the red colouring mixture.   OR if using the natural beetroot juice

This month (November) Asian Food Fest No. 2 has landed to the country of Thailand.  There are so many dishes I would like to try out too and hopefully I will be able to share out some post on Thailand cuisine. Today post is "Goong Sarong" ~ "Goong" in Thai means shrimp or prawns while "Sarong" ~ I am sure you know what does "Sarong" means right; literally means wrapped around! "GOONG SARONG"  (Deep Fried Prawns Wrapped In Vermicelli)   Recipe sourced from Window On Phuket   Ingredients   200g fresh prawns 100g vermicelli / rice noodles 1 tbsp chopped coriander root 2 tbsp chopped garlic 1 tsp black pepper 1 cup vegetable oil   Dipping Sauce   2 tbsp Chinese plum sauce 1 tbsp ketchup   Preparation   Peel the prawns, but leave the hard tail in tact. Remove the dark vein.  Pound the coriander and garlic in a mortar until a paste is formed. This can also be done in a blender or food processor. Add a little oil if necessary. Add the pepper