Banana Cheese Cake

This is the last bake for 2013.  Still using bananas.
I had 4 bananas left and I didn't want to repeat the banana chocolate muffins which I did yesterday. I also had sour cream in my fridge.

I looked for banana recipes and bingo! About.com has this recipe Banana Cake with Cinnamon Glaze Recipe. It actually is a bit similar to yesterday's banana muffins and other banana bread I have done before but this cake is using a rectangular pan. 13 x 9 inch. Original recipe is from Peggy Trowbridge Filippone. I made a little adjustment by adding cheese.

Recipe
Dry ingredients
1.5 cups of plain flour (195gm)
1/2 cup chopped nuts (omitted because my children doesn't like them)
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt

Mix the above using a whisk in a small bowl and set aside.

Wet ingredients
1 cup of caster sugar
1/2 cup vegetable oil ( I used corn oil)
1 cup mashed bananas ( 2 large size bananas)
1/2 cup sour cream
2 large eggs at room temperature
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract ( I used essence)

Preheat the oven to 180 deg celcius (350 F)
Line the 9 x 13 inch pan.

Use a large bowl, beat sugar and oil.
Add bananas, sour cream, eggs and vanilla essence.
Beat for 2 minutes until thoroughly combined.
Using a large fork, stir in dry ingredients by hand stirring only until combined.
At this point, add in a handful of shredded cheese, I used Perfect Italiano Pizza Plus.
Combine in the batter.

Pour into the prepared pan and bake for about 30 to 35 minutes until lightly browned and top springs back when lightly touched.  Let cool to room temperature.

If you want to follow the recipe wholly, here is the glaze recipe.
Cinnamon Glaze recipe

1 cup confectioners' sugar or icing sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 to 2 tablespoons milk or cream

Whisk together the sugar, cinnamon, vanilla, and milk or cream.  Add only enough cream to make a spreadable glaze. Top cooled cake with the cinnamon glaze before cutting.

Serves 24 to 36 servings, depending on cut size.

After 30 minutes 

This is about half the cake cut into pieces 

I think I will add some nuts next time as the cake is a bit thin but the taste is good.

Banana Chocolate Muffins

I used this recipe from Joy of Baking

http://m.joyofbaking.com/cupcakes/BananaChocolateCupcakes.html

They are really moist n soft n full of chocolate taste!

I also added some sliced almonds at about 12 mins time to the muffins. Look at the nicely toasted almonds.

Do try this out!

Ingredients used

Soft n moist n rich chocolate taste


Recipe
Step 1
Dry ingredients
1 cup - 200 gm caster sugar
1 cup - 130 gm plain flour
1/3 cup - 35 gm unsweetened cocoa powder
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt

Mix all these in a large bowl - just use a hand whisk.

Step 2
Wet ingredients
1/2 cup mashed ripe banana about 1 medium sized banana
1/2 cup - 120 ml warm water
1/4 cup room temp milk - 60 ml
1/4 cup canola, corn or veg oil - 60 ml
3/4 teaspoon vanilla essence or extract

Mash the really ripe banana with a fork in a bowl.
Add the egg and beat with a whisk.
Add the rest of the wet ingredients and whisk.

Step 3
Make a well in the dry ingredients and pour in the wet ingredients.
Stir together with a spatula.

Step 4
Line the 12 hole muffin trays and put in the batter evenly.
Bake at 180 deg celcius for about 20 mins. I used a total of 22 mins.

I also added the blanch almond slices at 12 mins baking time to the muffins.

Danish cookies with grated cheese

I made done Danish cookies with this recipe http://www.grouprecipes.com/30951/homemade-danish-butter-cookies.html

I changed the recipe to 1.5 cups of plain flour and 1/2 cup of potato starch n omitted the vanilla essence.

I also added some grated cheese on top of the cookies before baking . 

I like this recipe as I did not have to chill the dough and I can use it straight away. 

The cookies remained crunchy the next day and I am quite pleased with them.

Use 150gm unsalted butter n cream with 1 cup caster sugar. 

Add one egg n cream. 

Fold in sifted dry ingredients - 1.5 cups plain flour, 1/2 cup potato starch, 1/2 tsp baking soda, 1/2 tsp cream of tartar bit by bit. 

Add vanilla  1/2 tsp - I omitted. Roll into small balls n place in lined baking tray. Bake at 180c. For abt 12 mins. Press on some grated cheese before baking. 

I used potato flour but original only plain flour. No need to chill the dough.

Folding in the flour

The dough is ready - no need to chill

You can sprinkle grated cheese n press with a fork or leave them alone

after baking 

For browner cookies up to max 14 mins but depending on your own oven heat check on them at 10-11 mins

Peaches n cream dessert

This is a really easy dessert to prepare. I served this after our dinner. I made 5 bowls n 2 glasses.

You will need

One can of sliced peaches - drained

One bottle of thickened cream

3 tablespoons of caster sugar

Some cashew nuts or other nuts

Method

Beat the thickened cream for about 2 - 3 minutes. Add the caster sugar one tablespoon at a time n beat to incorporate. 

Prepare 5-6 dessert bowls.

Place sliced peaches n spoon the thickened cream over the peaches.

Garnish with the nuts.

Serve chilled.

White Chocolate Cheesecake

Ingredients

Base of cake

Weigh 110 gm oreo biscuit base( remove cream) crushed or processed till fine and set aside.

40 g of melted butter.

Prepare a 8 inch square tin - no removable base, please line n overlap the sides with tin foil for easy removal.

Mix the fine oreo with butter with a spoon n cover the base of the tin evenly n pressing it down with the back of a spoon .

Chill for 30 minutes.

Cheesecake ingredients 

1 block or 250 g of Philadelphia cream cheese softened.

100 gm cooking white chocolate ( Cadbury) melted 

70 g of whipping cream ( emborg brand ) beat till thicken - not too long

1/2 tsp vanilla essence

60 gm oreo chopped roughly for mixture - removed cream

1 tbsp of gelatins mixed with 3 tablespoon  of hot water.

Melt the white chocolate n set aside.

Make the gelatine mix.

Beat the cream cheese till smooth .

Add in melted chocolate n gelatine n beat till combined.

Add in vanilla essence. Beat till combined.

Add whipped cream n beat .

Add in chopped oreo n combine by using hand with a scraper.

Pour mixture in tin.

Refrigerate 3 hours to set.

Topping

50 g of oreo biscuits crushed finely - cream removed 

Remove cake from fridge n scatter the oreo on top cover the white part.

Lift up the cake with the tin foil n cut to serve.

Recipe is from a baking class I took last nite at a Residents committee club.

This cake is done with cream removed from oreo to make it healthier n less sweet but I find it is a bit of a waste. 

The trainer did say we can purchase only the biscuit crumbs at baking supplier Phoon Huat.

Or I think you can save the cream n keep it in the fridge n spread it on other plain biscuits to eat instead.

This is another version of the white chocolate cheesecake. Using a 6 inch round detachable mould. 

I have replaced the Oreo base with Mcvities digestive biscuit n replaced the oreo bits in the batter with chopped strawberries.

The top is also decorated with Mcvities crumbs.

Chef Melvyn Lee Cooking Demo

Getting ready

Cooking Demo starts !

Black Potato Soil with Thyme n Tomato Coulis n Greek Yogurt

Mushrooms

Beef 

Taking a photo with Mel The  Funky Chef

http://youtu.be/4SfaS-zN-HY

A video from City Gas