Buttercream Cupcake

Ingredients:
3 eggs

1 cup butter ~ softened

1 cup caster sugar

½ cup milk

1 ½ cups self-raising flour ~ sifted

1 tsp vanilla extract

Topping:

1 cup icing sugar

1 tsp strawberry essence

1 cup butter ~ room temperature

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 160 deg.  Line a 12-cupcake pan with cupcake papers.  In a medium-sized bowl, lightly beat the eggs, add butter & sugar, and then mix until light & fluffy.
2. Add milk, flour & vanilla & stir to combine.  Beat with an electric mixer for 2 minutes, until light & creamy.
3. Divide the mixture evenly between the cake papers.  Bake for 18-20 minutes until risen & firm to touch.   Allow to cool for a few minutes & then transfer to a wire rack.   Allow to cool fully before icing.

Topping:

1. Meanwhile, combine half the topping ingredients except candied, mix with a wooden spoon, add remaining ingredients & beat with a whisk until light & fluffy.
2. Apply the topping with the back of a teaspoon or a small spatula.   Place the candied on top.

Mini Fruit Tart & Lemon Curd

Make 50-60 pcs

Lemon Curd:
250ml Lemon Juice
2 tbsp Lemon zest
4 eggs
320g caster sugar
220g butter
1 tbsp cornflour

Tart Crust:
125g butter ~ chilled
60g icing sugar
½ eggs white
1 egg yolk
200g plain flour
½ tsp vanilla

Glaze:
3 tbsp Gelatin
90g sugar
250ml water

Fruits:
Strawberry
Kiwi
Peaches

Method for LEMON CURD

1. Bring some water to a simmer in the saucepan.   Place a stainless steel mixing bowl onto the saucepan.
2. Add all the ingredients except butter.  Whisk the ingredients together.
3. Finally add the butter, whisk occasionally & once the mixture thickens, remove it from the heat.

Method for TART CRUST:

1. Beat butter & icing together till well mixed.
2. Add egg white & yolk into the batter & mix well & add vanilla.
3. Add flour into the batter.
4. Press the sweet pastry into the tart moulds.   Trim off the excess pastry.  Bake at 180 deg C till they turn golden brown.
5. Mix filling ingredients together, put the custard mixture into a piping bag & pipe onto baked tart shells
6. Arrange sliced fruits on top & pour the boiled glaze mixture over.

CornDog

Ingredients:
Hotdogs

Wooden skewers

Cornflour ~ for dusting

Oil ~ for deep-frying

Tomato sauce ~ for dipping

Batter:

1 cup plain flour

1¼ cup cornmeal

1½ cup of milk

1 tsp baking soda

1 egg ~ lightly beaten

1 tsp salt

¼ cup sugar

Directions:

1. Insert wooden skewers through each hotdog, leaving some of the skewer sticking out for a handle.  Dust the hotdogs with a little cornflour.
2. Make the batter, sift the flour & baking soda into a large bowl, stir in the cornmeal, sugar, salt and make a well in the centre.  Gradually add the combined egg and 1½ cup of milk, whisking to make a smooth, lump-free batter
3. Heat oil in a deep heavy-based pan.  Dip the hotdogs into the batter a few at a time; drain off the excess batter.   Using tongs, gently lower the hotdogs into the oil.  Cook over medium-high heat for 1-2 minutes or until golden & crisp & heated through.   Carefully removes from the oil.  Drain on crumpled paper towels & keep warm.   Repeat with the remaining hotdogs.   Serve with tomato sauce.

Seafood / Fish Baked Rice

Ingredients:
1 Kg Dory fillets ~ cut into half

300g Prawns ~ peel & deveined

6 crab sticks ~ cut into cubes

Mixed vegetables

Shredded cheese – Mozzarella / Cheddar (your preference)

Rice:

1 cup rice ~ washed & drained

5 cloves garlic ~ minced

8 button mushroom – white / brown

2 tbsp butter

1 tsp salt

1 tsp pepper

Marinate:

1 tsp salt

1 tbsp ground black pepper

6 tbsp chopped fresh sweet basil leaves

Dash of sugar

Directions:

1. Marinate seafood & set aside for 1 hour.
2. Heat wok with butter, sauté garlic & button mushroom till fragrant.
3. Add rice & stir the mixture for about 5 mins.  Pour into rice cooker, add water to coo according.
4. Add salt & pepper.   Stir the rice mixture & let it cook.
5. Prepare any baking dish (1 used 3.5” x 5” aluminum foil baking dish) by coating with some olive oil.
6. Scoop rice into the baking dish & arrange marinate seafood on the rice.
7. 7. Sprinkle some olive oil & top up with shredded cheese.
8. 8. Pre-heat oven at 180 deg C & bake for about 15-20 mins or till cheese melted.   Serve immediately.

Note:
For simplicity, just plain rice & add butter.  Mix together and follow steps 6 onward.