Friday, October 19, 2012

our Zahir.......

 The Zahir

We are supposed to celebrate my birthday last week.... but then i was bleeding in my 12-week pregnancy for a week and was in and out of hospital for follow up treatment ...blood test, urine test, ultrasound etc..until yesterday I had a  miscarriaged...

During the pregnancy, I read the Zahir written by Poulo Coelho...stories about searching for true happiness... and talking, dreaming with a visible girl who is far away form her loved one.... Either it is a creation of the author or not,...i dreamt that the baby... to be a 'son'.... named Imran by me and hubby...came and see me before i had this miscarriaged. 

In my hand the 12-week fetus with two small eyes, beautiful nose and the feeling that i'm  losing him! "he" is still around us  with his other siblings. Insya allah... i believe that everything is as Allah swt wishes and it is the best for us.........

May Allah swt  keeps our "imran" in peace...ameen









Vannila Cupcakes

This marvelous recipe was taken from my greatest baking teacher..kak jun @..cupcakekasih.blogspot



Vannila Cupcake
250 g butter (i use unsalted butter)
230 g caster sugar
5 Gred B eggs
250 g self-raising flour
1 tsp  vanilla essence
optional - fresh milk. (i add 1/3cup fresh milk..taste more tasty)

Direction

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour a 9x9 inch pan or line a muffin pan with paper liners. 
In a medium bowl, cream together the sugar and butter. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, then stir in the vanilla.
With the mixer on low speed, alternately add the flour mixture and milk, in three additions, beginning and ending with the flour. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed.  Pour or spoon batter into the prepared pan. 

Bake for 30 to 40 minutes in the preheated oven. For cupcakes, bake 20 to 25 minutes. Cake is done when it springs back to the touch
(Adapted from cupcakes.blogspot)


Friday, October 12, 2012

Donna Hay's Choco Cupcakes


I'm "dying" to eat this marvelous choco cc....the texture...whoooow! so fluffy. Thank to rima for sharing this recipe...

Ingredients
125g salted butter, softened
1 cup plain flour
3/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup cocoa powder
1 1/2 tsp double-acting baking powder
2 eggs
1/2 cup milk
1 tsp vanilla extract
150g dark chocolate, melted

For the chocolate buttercream frosting :
250g butter, softened
2 cups icing sugar, sifted
1/2 cup cocoa powder, sifted
1/4 cup milk

Method
1. In a bowl, sift together plain flour, cocoa powder & baking powder.
2. In another bowl, whisk together butter, sugar & vanilla extract for about 10-12 mins until pale and creamy. add in eggs one at a time and beat until well combined.
3. Add in milk and flour mixture alternately in 3 additions, mixing well in between each addition.
4. Fold in melted chocolate thoroughly.
5. Fill cake mixture in cupcake liners until about 2/3 full. bake in a preheated oven of 160C for 20 mins or until a wooden skewer inserted into the middle of the cake comes out clean. leave to cool on wire rack.
6. To make the chocolate buttercream frosting, whisk the butter in bowl for about 6-8 mins until pale and creamy.
7. Add the icing sugar, cocoa powder and milk and whisk for another 6 mins until fluffy and creamy. pipe or spread onto cooled cupcakes.

(Adapted From Bisous A Toi)


Thursday, October 11, 2012

Oh..Pavlova!


Waiting for kids back from school...... Bake pavlova.... My kids favorite...  
Ingredients  
6 (59g) eggs, separated
1 1/4 cups (270g) caster sugar
 2 tsp cornflour
 1 tsp white vinegar
 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
 300ml thickened cream
 2 tbs icing sugar mixture, sifted 
Fresh Fruits  
Method



Super Soft Bun.....



For the water roux
25 g bread flour
125 g water

Rest of the dough:
540 g bread flour
86 g sugar
8 g salt
11 g Instant yeast
86 g whole eggs
59 g whipping cream
63 g milk
144 g water roux (made from above ingredients)
49 g softened butter

Other:
1 egg (for egg wash)

Step Prepare the Roux

Weigh out the flour and water for the roux and mix well in a small saucepan. Cook over low to medium heat and use a whisk to stir continuously until it reaches 65 °C. If you do not have a probe thermometer, just keep stirring until you notice that the whisk cuts through the thickened paste and exposes the bottom on the pan, leaving a trail behind. Alternatively, cook the mixture until it thickens and continue to cook for one additional minute. Remove it from the heat and allow to cool to room temp.

You can make the roux ahead of time and store it in the fridge for a day. However, if the roux turns grey in the fridge, chuck it and make a fresh batch!
In the large mixing bowl, combine the bread flour, sugar, salt, and instant yeast. (If you are not using dry active yeast instead of instant, let it dissolve in the milk and add it to the dough with the liquids). Then add the eggs, whipping cream, and milk. Stir it with your wooden spoon until combined.

Retrieve your roux and add it to the ball along with the softened butter. Continue to mix. Stirring with the wooden spoon will become futile soon, so just dunk your hands in and work the dough together.

Once it has formed a cohesive mass, turn it out onto a lightly floured surface (you shouldn’t need much flour since the butter will lubricate the surface and prevent stickage) and knead until the dough is smooth and elastic. The kneading process forms gluten, which for various reasons, is responsible for the unique texture of bread. 

It usually takes me around 12 to 15 minutes to complete the kneading. If you own some sort of kneading device, mix in everything in the same order and knead for 10 min or until smooth and elastic.
Form the dough into a tight ball  and place it seam down in a lightly oiled proofing container which you have weighed ahead of time! Take note of the total weight with the dough and then cover it with a damp tea towel or plastic wrap. Place the whole thing in a warm place. While it proofs, calculate the weight of your dough.

Let the dough rise until doubled in size. This takes about an hour to an hour and a half, depending on the ambient temperature.
After the dough has doubled in size, carefully remove the cover and with the dough still in the proofing container, punch it down with your knuckles. Then turn it out onto a lightly floured surface and gently press out any air bubbles. This will produce a more even texture and help to redistribute some of the sugars for the yeast to chow on.

 Knowing the total weight of the dough, you can now decide how many buns you want to make and divide accordingly. I usually get about 15 dinner roll-sized buns. Dividing the dough equally by weight is important for ensuring uniform baking.

Shape the pieces into round rolls, braids, or any other desired shape. See Step 8 for shaping ideas and tips.

Transfer the shaped dough pieces to either a lightly greased or parchment paper-lined baking sheet. Lightly cover the whole thing with a tea towel or plastic sheet. (I like to butterfly a plastic fruit/veggie bag from the grocery store and use that). Place everything in a warm place and let  it rise until doubled (about 45 min, depending on the ambient temperature). Start preheating your oven to 350 °F in the meantime.
Gently peel off the towel/plastic sheet. The buns should have now doubled in size and are ready for baking. Traditionally, Chinese buns are brushed with an egg wash to get that nice glossy look, so beat an egg and apply with a pastry brush. Additionally, you may sprinkle on some sesame seeds after your have applied the egg wash.

Finally, place the baking sheet into the preheated oven and leave it there for 15-20 minutes (this may vary depending on your oven). The rolls will expand a bit more in the oven and take on a deep caramel colour. Remove the buns from the oven and cool on a cooling rack for at least 5 minutes before consumption.

If you’re not eating them right away, let them come all the way down to room temperature and place in an air-tight container. They will only keep for a couple days, after which, moistness and softness will become less than optimal.

Kashmir Lamb Curry

Have some slice lamb in the fridge... cook lamb curry for our dinner tonight .....normally i will use fresh milk or soy bean milk rather than coconut milk...the taste just same!

Simple and Fast Recepi..
boil the lamb.....
Blend Onion, garlic, stir fry  in hot pot with cooking oil
Add in coriander, star anise, cinnamon stick, clove,....and curry powder...
Add in fresh milk, and add in dhal peanut...and lastly add in lamb meat with stock..
Can served with bread or rice....






Tuesday, October 9, 2012

the past...but the feeling is new....

Jebong curry fish aka sea chicken....heehhe..not too sure  what's the real name for this fish.....
Yumm..yum...

Kerabu Mangga  special recepi by kak mie

Bilis sambal petai.....


Sambal belacan mangga.....slurppppp....

Homemade 'coslow'


the real view ........all in....hehheheh


Extravaganza....! me, hub and kids.. really enjoying the lunch....






Sunday, October 7, 2012

Cucur pisang @ Fried Banana

 Hi-Tea with Hot  Lemon honey Tea served with cucur pisang.....






  1. Place oil into a small frying pan or wok 
  2. To prepare bananas, peel and slice in half
  3. Place all-purpose flour, rice flour (1/4 cup), cornstarch, salt, and  one egg.. Stir to combine or blender
  4. Dip the banana and Heat up the oil over high heat. Fry until batter puffs up slightly and turns light to medium golden-brown. Remove from heat and drain on paper towel

Saturday, October 6, 2012

Garlic Baguette Bread....






500gm high protein flour
20gm instant yeast
300ml water, 1/2 tsp salt

Glis
 1/2 cup warm water
1/2 tsp salt
  1. Sift flour with salt
  2. Dissolve yeast in water and add in a part of flour mixture ()
  3. Add more water until a soft dough forms.
  4. Knead until the salt is incorporated and the dough is smooth and elastic 
  5. Add enough of remaining flour, 1 tablespoon at a time, to prevent dough from sticking to hands (dough will feel slightly sticky).
  6. Place dough in large bowl coated with cooking spray, turning to coat top. Cover and let rise in warm place , 40 minutes or until doubled in size. (Gently press two fingers into dough. If an indentation remains, the dough has risen enough.) Punch dough down; cover and let rest 5 minutes. Divide in half. Glis on top of dough ,roll each portion on a floured surface., and cover; let rise 20 minutes or until doubled in size.
  7. Bake 220 c for first 15 mins..and turn down temp 180c for another 20 mins or until brown
Butter spread....
130 gm unsalted butter (i use olive oil spread butter)
1tbsp parsley (slice)
1/2 tbsp slice garlic
i add some olive oil...and oregano, salt and pepper.

methods
  1. Cut the bread into slices 1 to 2 inches thick.
  2. In a small bowl, mix butter, olive oil, garlic, oregano, salt and pepper. Spread the mixture evenly on the bread slices.
  3. On a medium baking sheet, arrange the slices evenly and broil 5 minutes, or until slightly brown. Check frequently so they do not burn.
( Adapted from noraini sidek book) 








Friday, October 5, 2012

Black Pepper Beef Steak

 Dinner .........

Monday, October 1, 2012

Sardine Donut

Tapau for kids....school filling with  sardine.....and coated with bread crumb



Carrot Cheese Cake

Rushing with kids and daily duty...got not enough time to update my blog.....huhuu.....btw this carrot cake made last week...pic taken before topping with cream cheese...
Our family fav...carrot cake...ooppss btw alhamdullilah..here the recipe...

Ingredients

1cups all-purpose flour (i use cake flour...)
1 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 tsp soda bicarbonate
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon (i luv to grind the cinnamon my self... )
large eggs 
3/4 cups sugar
3/4 cup vegetable oil (i use olive oil....hehehhe..)
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 cups grated carrot 
1 can crushed pineapple, drained and cut in small cube
1 can flaked coconut (i use Hawaiian toasted coconut..smell fresh!)
1 cup chopped pecans or walnuts

Preparation

  1. Line 3 (9-inch) round cake pans with wax paper; lightly grease and flour wax paper. Set pans aside.
  2. Stir together first 4 ingredients.
  3. Beat eggs, oil and sugar at medium speed with an electric mixer until smooth. Add flour mixture, beating at low speed until blended. Fold in carrot, coconut, pineapple and walnut. Pour batter into prepared cake pans.
  4. Bake at 180° for 50- 1 hour minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean.  cool in pans on wire racks 15 minutes. Remove from pans, and cool completely on wire racks. Spread Cream Cheese Frosting between layers and on top and sides of cake.
Cream cheese frosting
125g cream cheese
50g unsalted butter
90g powdered sugar
1 cup fresh cream, whipped until stiff

Method Cream Cheese frosting:
1. Beat cream cheese with butter until soft.
2. Turn mixer to low speed, add powdered sugar a little at a time. Whisk until well blended.
3. In separate bowl, beat whipped cream ...... soft peak.
4. Add whipped cream, stir through with a spatula.