Cheese Tarts with Flower Prints

Mini Cheese Tarts with prints.  My first attempt which turned out quite well and yummy.  They were all gone before I get a chance to try one. The feedback from my "tasters", all said yummy.   

A recipe which I adapted from http://www.azlitamasammanis.com, and followed the ingredients measurements closely.

Here is my version of making these tarts:

Part1 - Making tart shells tutorial :- http://youtu.be/EhVgyNr_IXY

Part 2 - Making Mini Cheese Tarts :- http://youtu.be/SHm7PEBZT1A

Mini Cheese Tarts Recipe :

Tart Shells

Ingredients :
170g butter cut into cubes
50g icing sugar
290g All purpose flour, sifted
1 small egg
1 tsp vanilla extract or essence
tart moulds

Preparation methods :
1. Put flour and icing sugar in the mixing bowl.  Add in the butter.
2. Rub the butter into the flour mixture until it resembles crumbs texture.
3. Add in the vanilla and egg into the mixture, and form a dough ball. Do not knead.
4. Wrap/bag the dough and leave in the fridge for 30mins.
5. Measure each dough for making the tart shell, about 14g or lesser.
6. Shape the tart shell onto the tart mould.  Refer to video tutorial, http://youtu.be/EhVgyNr_IXY
7. Prick holes with fork / toothpick on the dough.
8. Bake in the preheated oven at 170 degree C, for 20 minutes or until golden brown.
8. Take them out from oven and leave them to completely cool, remove from tart shell and store them away or add filling.

Chin's notes :
1. These can be made in advance and stored in an airtight container.
2. Do not knead the dough, just gently make the dough into a ball.
3. My pastry is quite thick on each tart shell, I yet to try thinner pastry with lesser dough.

Cream Cheese Fillings 

Ingredients:
250gm Cream Cheese
50g fine sugar
1 small egg
1 tsp vanilla extract or essence
Jam of choice, I used raspberry jam
Colourings for tart decoration

Preparation methods:
1. Put the cream cheese into the mixing bowl,  beat with the electric mixer until creamy.
2. Add in the sugar, egg and vanilla. Continue to beat until well combined. Transfer into a piping bag / plastic bag. If plastic bag is used snip off one of the corner.
3. Prepare colourings red for the flower petals and green for the leaves and set aside.
4. Place some jam onto the tart shell.
5. Pipe in cream cheese mixture onto the jam. I filled it up to the top to get the fuller tart.
6. Smooth with a toothpick.
7. Decorate your cream cheese, draw on the cheese filling with a toothpick.  Remember to clean your toothpick after each application.
8. Bake in a preheated oven at 170 degree C for 5 minutes or until cook.
9. After 5 minutes, touch the cheese fillings with your finger, if it comes out clean it is cooked.  If it stains your finger, leave them in the oven for an extra minute or 2 minutes. Watch them closely!!!
10. Take them out from the oven and leave them completely cool.  Keep them cool in the fridge before serving.

Have fun & Bon appétit

Chin's notes :
1. You can choose different jam flavour of your choice.
2. I get about 45 mini cheese tarts.
3. Try to make your tart shells in advance.

Curry Chicken with Kaffir Lime Leaves

Curry pastes are easily available in Singapore / Malaysia. When you stay far away from home, the curry pastes are not easily available.  Finally curry chicken some basic ingredients ( most of them I bought from Singapore eg dried chillies, belacan & candle nuts ) without the curry paste!!!

Curry Chicken with Kaffir Lime Leaves Recipe:

Ingredients : 

1 kg of chicken, I used drumlets

2 lemon grass 

20 dried chillies - soaked 

10 shallots 

1 thumb size galangal 

1 small piece of Belacan - lightly toasted

3 candle nuts / buah keras 

5 - 6 pieces of kaffir lime leaves - slightly bruised / crushed. 

Salt to taste 

6 tbsp of oil 

250 ml coconut cream / milk 

250 ml water ( or lesser ) 

Preparation steps :

1. Clean chicken & cut into bite sizes. Marinate with 2 tbsp of curry power & set aside for 30 minutes. 

2. Pound / blend the following ingredients  until you get a fine chillie paste. Lemon grass, dried chillies, shallots, galangal & belacan. 

3. In a pan / wok, add oil & heat up the oil then add in the chillie paste. Fry until you get a nice redish color.

4. Add in the chicken pieces, fry until the chicken is well coated with the chilie paste. 

5. Add in the coconut cream, bring to boil & add in the kaffir lime leaves & salt. 

6. Simmer for 30mins or until chicken is fully cooked.

7. Served hot with steamed rice. 

Bon appétit !!

Chin's notes: 

1. Chillie paste can be prepared ahead & use when needed. 

2. Removed the dried chilies seeds if you prefer less spicy curry. 

3. Coconut milk / fresh milk can be used to replace coconut cream but I find that cream gives a more creamy taste.

Almond & Cranberries Cookies

Been wanting to bake some cookies, finally have time to work on this new recipe. 

Recipe adapted from Rasa Malaysia's almond cookies recipe. 

I love cranberries so decided to add some cranberries.

Almond Cranberries Cookies Recipe : 

Ingredients : 

130g cold butter, cut into cubes. 

50g icing sugar 

80g corn flour 

120g all purpose flour 

60g almond powder / flakes. I used almond powder. 

1 tbsp milk ( optional only if dough is too dry) 

60g dried cranberries - 25/11/2014 oops I forgot to mention this in the ingredient. 

Preparation Steps : 

1. In a mixing bowl, sift all purpose flour, corn flour & icing sugar together. Add in cold butter cubes.

2. Rub in the butter until you get the crumbs texture. 

2a (25/11/2014). Add in almond & cranberries. 

3. Add milk & form a soft dough. If the dough is too soft, put into the fridge. 

4. Roll out the dough about 1 cm thickness & cut out the desire shapes. Place them on baking sheets on a baking pan. 

5. Bake at preheated oven at 160 degree C for 20 minutes or until golden brown. 

6. Remove from oven & leave to completely cool before storing. 

Bon appétit! 

Chin's notes : 

1. Cookies is crunchy with chewy cranberries.

2. Add in milk if the dough is too dry or humidity level is low. Just enough milk for soft dough to form.

Baked Chicken Breast Meat

Learnt that I can use ham to wrap meat without skin & decided to explore. Baked chicken breast wrapped with Serrano ham. The ham gave lthe breast meat a "coat" to prevent the meat from drying out.   l

Baked Chicken Breast Meat wrapped in Serrano Ham Recipe.

Ingredients :

3 chicken breast meat

1 packet of Serrano Ham about 10 sheets

1 tomato - diced

Salt & pepper to taste 

Olive oil

Mixed herbs - I used Herbes de Provence

Preparation methods : 

1. Lay the ham about 3 sheets per meat, depending on the size of your meat.

2. Lay the chicken breast on the ham.

3. Give the chicken meat some cuts with a sharp knife so it will can spread out the meat. 

4. Rub with some olive oil, sprinkle some salt, pepper & mixed herbs on meat. Then lay the diced tomatoes on the meat. 

5. Try to wrap/seal the meat with toothpicks / strings to hold the meat together with the ham. 

6. Baked in a preheated oven at 180 degree C for 30mins. 

7. Slice into pieces before serving. 

Bon appétit !

Chin's notes : 

1. Alternatively you can use bacon. 

2. I used Serrano Ham.  Serrano ham is a type of dry-cured Spanish ham.

3. You can purchase Herbes de Provance or make ur own. Here is a link to the recipe. http://m.allrecipes.com/recipe/223272/herbs-de-provence/

4. The meat is slightly salty, a perfect dish to go with Rice Cooker Tomato Rice.  

5. This is ideal for a quick meal and it can be prepared the night before and bake on the next day.

One Dish with Steamed rice

My lazy meal, "One Dish" which has , tofu, veggies, meatballs & soup!!! Quick & easy to prepare! 

Ingredients : 

1L of water water 

200g minced pork

Some Leafy veggies like Chinese bok-choi / Chinese cabbage

1/2 cube of chicken stock cube. 

1 pkt of silky tofu suitable for soup. 

Salt & pepper to taste. 

1 tbsp cornflour 

1 tbsp oyster sauce

Spring onions & sesame oil for garnishing 

Preparation steps : 

1. Marinate the pork with oyster sauce, salt & pepper & cornflour set aside for 30mins. 

2. Clean & cut the veggies & set aside. 

3. Put the water in a pot & bring to boil. 

4. Add the chicken stock cube. 

5. Shape minced pork into meatballs & add into soup. 

6. Add in the veggies & bring to boil. 

7. Cut the tofu into cubes & add into the soup. Bring to boil then add salt & pepper to taste. Turn off the flame. 

8. Serve onto serving bowls, garnish with spring onions & some sesame oil. 

Bon appétit !! 

Chin's notes: 

1. Chicken stock can be used. Then chicken stock cube is not required. 

2. Can use soya sauce instead of salt, it will give the soup a richer taste. 

A special birthday cake

Tried to bake a birthday cake for someone special. A simple recipe yet so yummy!!! 

Topo Map Cake recipe shared by Singapore Home Cooks (SHC) group: 

http://wendyinkk.blogspot.sg/2012/05/topo-map-love-cake-kek-alunan-kasih.html?utm_source=BP_recent

Chin's notes: 

I made a smaller cake by halving the ingredients & replaced evaporated milk with 50ml fresh milk. Decorated the cake with sugar glacé & M&Ms. 

Ingredients used for this cake. 

125g butter 

125g sugar 

150g flour

1 tsp baking powder 

1 tsp vanilla essence 

1 tsp pandan extract 

50ml fresh milk. 

Cocoa powder 

Preparation & baking instruction is as link below.  http://wendyinkk.blogspot.sg/2012/05/topo-map-love-cake-kek-alunan-kasih.html?utm_source=BP_recent

My final birthday cake with love..

Rice Cooker Tomato Rice

Fast & easy to prepare meal. This is a great recipe which my sister shared. She knows that I'm always running out of time & I love easy, fast & yummy recipes. Lunch was served within 45mins including preparation time with fried omelette!! :)

Tomato rice, is fragrant & tasty, a bit of sourish taste from the tomato. 

Rice Cooker Tomato Rice Recipe. 

Ingredients : 

1 cup of rice 

1 big tomatoes 

1 tbsp olive oil 

2 slices of bacon / ham 

1/4 tsp Black pepper 

1/4 tsp salt / to taste. 

10g of butter - added on 20 Nov 2014. It gives the rice a richer taste.

Preparation Steps : 

1. Wash rice, add the same amount of water that you'll usually used to cook a cup of rice. Take out 1 tbsp of water. When tomato is cooked it will produced some juice.

2. Cut the slices of bacon into thin stripes .

3. Add in seasoning & bacon to the rice & give a good stir. 

4. Cut the tomatoes at the top. Just like below. 

5. Place in the middle of the rice. 

6. Close the lid & start cooking the rice as you normally would. 

7. Once cooked, smash the tomatoes. 

8. Mix smashed tomatoes with cooked rice.

9. Served with fresh lettuce & fried eggs!

10. Voilà! Lunch is served! 

Bon appétit. 

Chin's note:

1. Prepare your omelettes while waiting for the rice to cook. ;) 

2. Serve hot with sambal chillie. 

3. I yet to try with French beans / corns to make the rice more complete. 

4. The link to the recipe that my sister shared: http://www.life.com.tw/?app=view&no=191213

5. 15 Nov 2014 - if you wish to use fresh mushrooms , they will release water during the cooking process. Do adjust the water level of your rice accordily. Same goes with other ingredients which will release water during the cooking process. 

6. 20 Nov 2014 - taste great with a slightly salty dish, Baked Chicken Breast Meat.

Variations of ingredients used:

20 Nov 2014 - Sweet corns, french beans,  olive oil, salt and pepper, a piece of butter (about 10g). I find that with added butter, it gives the rice a richer taste.

Lychee Cupcakes

Trying out a new flavour with the basic cupcakes recipe & reduced 50% sugar.

Lychee Cupcakes Recipe : 

Makes 16 - 18 mini cupcakes 

Ingredients : 

18 pieces of canned lychees 

100g butter , soften at room temperature. 

100g self raising flour 

50g brown sugar

2 eggs 

Preparation steps : 

1. Cream butter & sugar until creamy. 

2. Add in the eggs. Mix well. 

3. Add in the flour & mix well. 

4. Line the cupcakes tray with paper liners. Fill up 1/2 to 3/4 full. I used ikea papers liners. Add lychee on each batter, gently pressed lychee into batter. 

5. Baked at preheated oven at 180 degree C for 20 minutes or until cook. 

6. Remove from the oven & leave to cool on the cooling rack. 

Chin's notes: 

1. I did not use the mixer for this cupcake. Reference to Easy vanilla cupcakes.

2. Brown sugar compliments the lychee taste. You can always replace with white sugar. 

3. If you do not have self raising flour, use  all purpose flour + 1 tsp baking powder. 

Bon appétit ! 

Patchwork blanket made from old sheets

A "New" Blanket

Finally completed the patchwork blanket made from old favorite bedsheets , pillow covers & bolster covers!! Took me almost 3 months, a project which I started in August. Fortunately I managed to complete in 2014! ;) 

I started with this old bedsheet. It was one of my favourite. 

I try to cut out as many prints in big squares ( 10" x 10" ) like below.

Then, arranged the prints to have a feel of the final product. 

Once I'm statisfied with the arrangement, I stitched them to form a big rectangular. 

l

Likewise for the back piece made from bolter & pillow covers. They are easier as the pieces were bigger!! 

Stitched the 2 pieces together, I get "new" blanket!! 

Mission accomplished!!! 

Spicy prawns

This yummy recipe was shared by my friend Cindy who prepared lots of yummy peranakan dishes!

Spicy prawns Recipe

10 Dried chillies 

5  Shallots 

1 Candlenut

1 tsp Belacan - pengang 

Oil for cooking 

Salt & sugar to taste. 

400g of prawns (without shell) 

Methods : 

1. Clean the prawns. 

2. Pound / blend the above ingredients. 

3. Heat the wok & add the oil, add in the pounded chillies. Fry until fragrant.

4. Add in the prawns, fry until cook , add some water for gravy & add in the salt & sugar. 

5. Dish out & serve with steamed rice or coconut fragrant rice. 

Chin'a notes: 

1. Dried chillies can be very spicy, remove the seeds it will be less spicy. 

2. Add more sugar can also make it less spicy. 

3. This is also a great recipe for squids. 

Bon appétit !