Cranberry Sugee Cake

Instead of baking the cake in a large round cake pan, I divided the batter into 2 portions using a small bundt pan and a 6in round cake pan. I grease the bundt pan generously and coat with some ground almond as I afraid that I may have difficulty in unmoulding the cake.

Great tasty moist cake with buttery taste & grainy texture! I like the sweetness & sourness of the cranberries embedded inside the cake.

Ingredient

• 100gm dried cranberries
• 100ml hot water
• 140gm cake flour
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 100gm semolina
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 4 eggs
• 100ml milk
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 200gm unsalted butter
  
• 130gm sugar
• 2 tbsp honey

Method

1. Generously grease a 8" cake pan and line base.
   
2. Soak cranberries in hot water for 15 mins. Drain away liquid. Sift cake flour & baking powder. Stir in semolina & salt.
3. Whisk eggs and stir in milk & vanilla extract.
4. Cream butter, sugar & honey on medium speed until pale & fluffy for 2-3mins. Whisk in eggs mixture gradually.
5. Beat in flour mixture on low speed until fully incorporated. Fold in cranberries.
   
6. Spoon batter into cake pan and tap pan on hard surface to burst any air bubbles. Bake in preheated oven for 35-45 mins, or until an inserted toothpick emerges moist but clean. Cool cake in pan for 10mins before unmould and cool completely on rack.
   

Sweet Corn Fritters

Healthy fritters which can be served as a main meal or as a snack.

Ingredient

• 500gm potatoes, peeled
  
• 1 egg, lightly beaten
• 60ml milk
• 45gm plain flour
• 380gm sweet corn kernels
• 1 tsp dried mixed herbs
• 1 egg white
• salt & pepper to taste

Method

1. Boil potatoes and cook for 6 mins till soft. Drain well, mash and cool slightly. Add egg & milk and mix well. Fold in plain flour & mixed herbs.
2. Whisk egg white until soft peaks forms. Fold into corn mixture. Season with salt & pepper.
3. Heat oil in frying pan, spoon 2 tbsp corn mixture and cook for 2-3 mins per side. Serve warm.
   

is it a cake or cookie??

Another simple recipe to share! No involving of a mixer and beating procedure :) The recipe book actually named it as shortbread cakes but it does not have any cake texture at all. Instead it is crumbly and melts in the mouth, taste more like a cookie to me. Think I will catergorise this recipe under my cookie section :)

Blueberry Shortbread Cookie
Ingredient (8 cookies)

• 150gm unsalted butter, melted
• 1 tsp vanilla essence
• 1/2 cup icing sugar
• 1/2 cup corn flour
• 3/4 cup plain flour
• 8 tsp blueberry jam (or any prefered jam)

Method

1. Stir vanilla essence into melted butter.
2. Sift icing sugar, corn flour & plain flour and stir to mix. Using a wooden spoon, stir in melted butter into flour mixture to form a soft dough.
3. Fill 8 greased muffin cups with dough mixture, abt 43gm each. Make a dent in the middle and place 1 tsp jam in each dent.
4. Bake in preheated oven at 160 deg cel for 35-40mins. Cool completely before unmoulding.
   

Berries Yoghurt Pancakes

No sugar or butter is added as the yoghurt gives the sweetness and moisture to the pancakes. Moist and fluffy texture yum yum....

Ingredient

• 1 cup self-raising flour
• 1/4 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp mixed spice
• 1 cup berry yoghurt (others flavour will also do)
  
• 1 egg

Method

1. Sift flour, baking powder & mixed spice into a mixing bowl. Make a well in the centre.
2. Whisk egg into yoghurt. Pour into flour mixture and mix well. The batter will be slightly lumpy.
3. Heat up a lightlygreased non-stick pan, Scoop 2 tbsps of batter into pan and spread into round shapes and cook for 1 - 2 mins. Turn over and cook the other side. Repeat with remaining batter.
   

Cheese & Ham Puffs

Prepared this simple finger food for my son's school year party. The puffs taste so awfully great that I could not stop popping them into my mouth!

Ingredient (makes approx 50 small puffs)

• 125ml milk
• 1 egg, lightly beaten
• 250gm cheddar cheese, coarsely grated
• 4 slices ham, finely diced
  
• 300gm onion, finely chopped
• 150gm self-raising flour

Method

1. Combine milk & egg in a mixing bowl. Add remaining ingredients and mix well with a wooden spoon.
2. Drop rounded teaspoon of mixture onto lined baking sheet. Baked in preheated oven at 200 deg cel for 20mins or until golden brown.

Happy 3rd Birthday!

hmmm...the base looks fine right? actually certain parts of the mousse leak out from the finger biscuits!! hehehe...lucky manage to get a 'nice looking' shot.

My son is more interested with the candies on the cake rather than the cake itself!!

Soft & moist chiffon cake, match well with the strawberry & chocolate mousse!

Vanilla Chiffon Cake
Ingredient

• 4 egg yolks, lightly beaten
  
• 60gm milk
• 60gm corn oil
• 50gm sugar
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 tsp vanilla essence
  
• 120gm cake flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 4 egg whites
• 1/4 tsp cream of tartar
• 50gm sugar

Method

1. Sift flour and baking powder. With a hand whisk, beat egg yolks, milk, oil, vanilla essence, sugar & salt till sugar is well dissolved. Flour in flour and mix till mixture is lump free.
2. In a separate clean bowl, whisk egg whites & cream of tartar till frothy. Add in sugar gradually and beat on high speed till stiff peak formed.
3. Fold in 1/3 egg whites foams into egg batter and mix evenly. Pour batter into balance egg whites foam and mix till combined.
   
4. Pour into a ungreased 7" loose based cake pan till 70% full, tap cake pan on hard surface to release trapped air bubbles. Bake in preheated oven at 180 deg cel for 35mins. Invert cake pan immediately onto cooling rack to cool completely before unmoulding.
   

Chocolate mousse
Ingredient

• 2 egg yolks
• 65gm sugar
• 100gm milk
• 20gm cocoa powder
• 50gm water
• 100ml whipping cream
• 1ogm gelatine powder (dissolve in 50gm water)
  

Method: Boil milk, sugar, water and cocoa powder together. Add in egg yolks and stir vigorously till well mixed. Add in gelatine mixture and mix till well combined. Fold in whipped cream.

Strawberry Mousse
Ingredient

• 200ml whipping cream
• 250gm strawberry puree
• 50gm sugar
• 10gm gelatine powder (dissolved in 50gm water)
  

Method: Mix strawberry puree and sugar into a saucepan and warm it over a stove to melt the sugar. Then add in gelatine mixture. Leave to cool. Fold in whipped cream.

Assemble:

1. Prepare a 8" loose based cake pan, arrange 24 ladyfingers biscuit along the sides of the cake pan.
   
2. Place a slice of vanilla chiffon cake over the base of the cake pan. Spread chocolate mousse over. Chill in fridge for a while to set slightly.
   
3. Place another slice of chiffion cake over the chocolate mousse. Pour strawberry mousse over. Chill in fridge to set. Decorate surface as desired.