Tuesday, 29 July 2014

Brown sugar cake cookies


These cookies are rounded not flat and although the exterior feels hard the inside is soft.

I obtained the recipe from the link below 
http://www.cooksrecipes.com/international/japanese-peanut-cookies-recipe.html

Instead of crushing the peanuts and stirring into batter, I merely placed them on each cookie dough.

I made a variety of cookies by replacing peanuts with chocolate rice and even sliced cheese.

Ingredients used
2 eggs room temperature 
1/2 cup Lurpak unsalted butter
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1 & 3/4 cup cake flour
1 cup fine brown sugar
Peanuts for decoration or
Chocolate rice or 
Sliced cheese

Method
Cream the softened butter with brown sugar till fluffy
Add the eggs n vanilla essence n beat well.
Add in half flour n mix in slow speed.
Add the rest of the flour. The dough will get thicker.

Cookie dough

Line the trays with baking paper 
Scoop a teaspoon of dough n place on baking sheet. Space apart.
Decorate as wish.
Put tray into fridge for 20 minutes to chill.
Bake at 160 degree celcius for 16 minutes.
Remove and cool on rack. Cookies will harden after cooling. 

Chocolate rice cookies

Cheese cookies

You can make about 40 pcs of cookies.

Happy baking!

Monday, 21 July 2014

Pork Soup with lotus seeds


Pork soup with lotus seeds

This is soup main ingredient is the soup bones and I paired it up with some Chinese soup ingredients

Recipe
Ingredients
About 300gms soup pork bones 
About 20 pcs of lotus seeds
4 pcs of wai shan (Cantonese)(huai shan in Chinese)
7 pcs of large red dates
A fistful of gouqizi (fructus lycil)
1-2 teaspoon salt
Kikkoman soy sauce
2.5 liters of water 

Method
Soak the lotus seeds for about 30 minutes . Cut n remove a black stem inside.
Use hot water to soak the dates n gouqizi for about 10 minutes. Drain away water.
Boil about 1/3 pot of water n parboil the soup bones n drain water away. 
Boil a fresh pot of water about 2.5 liters.
When boiling add in the pork, dates, waishan, gouqizi. 
Add in 1 teaspoon of salt n drizzle in soy sauce.
When water boils again, turn to low and boil for another 40 minutes.
Off the fire when pork meat tender and the waishan turns soft. 
Adjust seasoning if needed.
This soup should taste sweet not salty.

Dry ingredients - you can buy from dry goods store, or go Giant supermarket or go Chinese medicinal store to buy.

Huai shan is believed to have medicinal properties to help lower blood sugar n lower blood pressure n promotes appetite etc

The lotus seeds after cooking is soft n delicious to eat .

Hope you will enjoy this easy n nutritious soup with your family.


 

Sunday, 20 July 2014

Minced Chicken Spiral Pasta


I am the part time chef again. 

For easy lunch I decided to do a pasta dish with minced chicken meat.

Ingredients
Some minced chicken about a fist sized marinate with salt n white pepper
1/2 bottle of San Remo pasta sauce
Mixed frozen vegetables
7 pcs button mushroom cut into thirds
1/4 large onion diced
San Remo spiral pasta 2-3 cups
Olive oil

Method
Pasta sauce
Panfry onion till slightly brown add in minced chicken n fry till whitish colour.
Add in mushrooms n mixed vegetables and stir fry.
Add in pasta sauce and fry till bubbly. 

Pasta
Boil water n add in pasta with 2 teaspoon salt
Boil as per package instruction 
Drain water n rinses with tap water.
Drain water from pasta.
Add a drizzle of olive oil n toss the pasta.

Serve with the prepared pasta sauce.

Happy Cooking!



Frying ingredients


With pasta sauce

Tasty sauce

Pasta cooked


Mix pasta with olive oil 

Yummy lunch!

Wednesday, 16 July 2014

Peanut Butter Cookies with Pretzels


These cookies are really simple to make and a delight to eat.

I saw this recipe on Pin Interest and the original recipe from the link below 

http://www.fussfreecooking.com/recipe-categories/sugary-treats/easy-baking-recipe-4-ingredients-peanut-butter-pretzel-cookies/

I tried her recipe but my dough seems to be soft and my cookies did not harden. So I made a second batch n added 12 gm of plain flour. This worked for me.

Ingredients
1 cup of Skippy creamy peanut butter
1/2 cup of caster sugar
1 egg
12 gm plain flour
About 25 pcs of mini pretzels as topping

Method
Mix the peanut butter, egg, flour and sugar together using a spoon. 
Line your baking tray with baking paper.
Oil your palms slightly.
Use a teaspoon to scoop and form a ball.
Place the balls about 2-3 cm apart.
Place a pretzel on each ball n press down slightly.
Preheat oven to 170/175 degree celcius.
I baked for 10 minutes.
Remove from oven n let the cookies harden n cool. 

I bought the pretzels from Candy Empire


The dough 

Before baking

Top n bottom of cookie after baking

Note :
After the first batch of cookies the oven is already hot. So you may have to cut down the cooking time for the next batch.


Happy Baking!