The Great Chef

Have you heard of a biscuits called " squashed fly biscuits" ?  Yes?  No?   What about "Garibaldi biscuits"?  No?  And what about "Raisins biscuits or sultanas biscuits" then?  Yes, right?  Raisins/Sultanas biscuits are quite common for us here and we used to eat this and commonly sold at the supermarkets. Well, squashed fly biscuits or Garibaldi biscuits or Raisins biscuits they all are the same. This biscuit also exist under different names in other countries. You can find more information on Garibaldi biscuits here (Wikipedia) . Garibaldi Biscuits Recipe sourced from  Emma of Poires au Chocolat Original Recipe from  Delia Online (Makes 16) Ingredients 110g plain flour ¼ tsp baking powder big pinch of fine sea salt 25g unsalted butter, cold 25g caster sugar + bit extra to sprinkle 1 egg 3 tbsp milk 100g raisins zest of ¼ lemon   Method Preheat the oven to 190C/375F. Line a big baking tray with baking parchment. Mix the flour, baking...

I made "Liu Sar Bao" today but unfortunately my Liu Sar Bao doesn't live up to its name as it doesn't "liu" (流) at all!  But..... it taste real good.  Love the egg custard filling inside. "Liu Sar Bao" (Salted Egg Custard Steamed Buns) Ingredients for the Skin 500 gm Pau flour or Hong Kong flour 2 ½ tsp dried yeast 100 ml lukewarm water 125 gm caster sugar 5 tsp Crisco shortening  (I used vegetable cooking oil) 2 1/8  tsp baking powder ¼ tsp salt 110 - 115 ml water Preparation for the Skin   (A) Mix the dried yeast with lukewarm water, stir well. Add in 130 gm sifted pau flour, mix well with the yeast mixture.  Roughly form into a ball of dough and set aside for 15 mins. (B) Mix the balance 370 gm sifted pau flour with the baking powder, sugar and salt, stir well. Pour this mixture into (A) above.  Add in the shortening and water sparingly, knead till dough doesn't stick to the hands. Cover dough with a damp cloth and let it...

With the hot weather and dry spell here in Malaysia, I guess some of you wasn't in a mood to bake or cook lately, right?   It has not been raining for more than 3 months here already;  all the trees and grasses has turn reddish brown; from far it looks like Autumn season here in Malaysia!! With the dry spell and water rationing going on, it is good to cook and eat light and easy dishes like soups and stir fry dishes. EASY STIR FRY BEEF & BROCCOLI Ingredients 300g rump steak or tenderloin steak, thinly sliced 180g broccoli florets 50g ginger, thinly sliced 1 bird’s eye chilli, thinly sliced 1 tbsp peanut oil Dash of pepper Marinade 1 tbsp soy sauce 1/2 tbsp cornflour 1/2 tbsp oil Sauce 2 tbsp soy sauce ½ tbsp oyster sauce ½ tsp sugar 2 tsp Shaoxing wine 1 tsp corn flour 3 tbsp water Method Marinate the beef slices with soy sauce, cornflour and oil for 15-30 minutes. In a saucepan, blanched the broccoli florets 10-15 seconds, drain and set aside. Heat 1 tbsp of oil in a wo...

I have one big bag of tiger prawns left over which supposed to cook for the CNY dinner but due to I have been unwell, I have not done any cooking since. Well, instead of cooking my usual sweet and sour prawns or sambal prawns, I have chosen to use  Nami's Fried Shrimp Balls again because I just love the crisp of the fried panko. Fried Shrimp Balls Recipe sourced from  Nami of JustOneCookbook Ingredients 1 medium onion 1 tbsp oil 650g black tiger prawns, peeled and deveined 1 tbsp corn starch 1.5-2 inch ginger 3 stalks spring onion 2 small eggs, separate into egg whites and yolks 1/2 tsp salt Freshly ground black pepper 1.5 – 2 tbsp corn starch 1 tbsp Sesame oil 1 Cup Panko or breadcrumbs Oil for deep frying To Serve with : Ketchup Salt & white ground pepper Instructions : * Do hop over to  Nami's Fried Shrimp Balls on the method to prepare and deep fry this Shrimp Balls as well as to view her tutorial photos.     Itadakimasu! Do you like Fried Shrim...

I am not a particularly great fan of beer. I usually use it to cook not to drink. However, when I read a recipe for a chocolate and beer cake I immediately put my skeptic hat on (its always at reach. Sometimes I even forget I am wearing it...). Chocolate and beer? Hum... The amateur cook in me had never thought of using beer in sweet dishes. What to do, then? Give it try, of course! Well... it was worth every minute and every bite. One of the best cakes I tasted, really. Although a bit dense in texture, the richness of the chocolate is enhanced by the stout to form an indulgent experience for the senses. This one is a winner. Give it a try! For this cake you need: - 1 and 1/4 cups of stout beer (do not include the foam when measuring) - 1/3 cup of dark molasses (not blackstrap) - 1 and 2/3 cups of unbleached all-purpose flour - 3/4 cup of unsweetened natural cocoa powder (plus more for the pan) - 1 and 1/2 teaspoons of baking powder - 1/2 teaspoon of baking soda - 1/2 teaspoon of salt ...

I'm back ...after missing in action for so long.  I have been unwell right after the Chinese New Year.  I know my recuperating period has been quite long.  The medicine that I took has made me lost all appetite and I have been eating very little lately too.  And all these have also make me feel lazy to bake or cook to update to my blog.  I am sure you will agree with me sometimes you just don't have the mood to do anything else. Today, I am posting my favourite fruit cake again.  Other than kumquat, mixed dried fruit is one of my favourite cake.  If you have come to know my blog here, I have done few steamed fruit cake before; my 1st time done is  Steamed Fruit cake  (steamed for 2 hrs 45 minutes), my 2nd recipe also is Steamed Fruit Cake (steamed for 4 hours).  And just last Christmas, I have also made a Christmas Pudding which called to steam for 4 hours 30 minutes.  With the long hours of steaming the cake, the cake will stay m...