Chocolate Sesame Balls

Ingredients:
250g Glutinous Rice Flour
65g Brown Sugar ~ Dissolved with 100ml hot water
100ml cold water
100g Dark Chocolate (70%)
80g Sesame Seed
Oil for deep frying

To Serve:
100g Dark Chocolate
Strawberries/Cape Gooseberries

(Note: In a double boiler, set a bowl over simmering water.  Melt the chocolate & let it set before serving.)

Directions:

1. Put the rice flour into a bowl & make a well in the center   Pour the dissolved brown sugar water into the flour & add the cold water.   Combine to make a dough & knead for 5 mins into a ball.
2. Divide the dough in 12 balls (ea 43g), roughly the size of golf balls.
3. Holding a dough ball & make a hole to form a cup.   Press 1-2 pcs of chocolate into the hole & gather the edges of the dough together.   Roll the chocolate dough balls in your hand until perfectly round, then roll them in the sesame seeds.
4. Heat the oil in a deep-fryer @ 180 deg C.   Deep fry the sesame seed balls until the sesame seeds turn golden brown & the ball starts to float to the surface (approx 3-4 mins).
5. Place the sesame balls on a tray lined with kitchen paper to drain off excess oil.   Serve warm with the melted chocolate poured over if you wish, cut open one of the balls on each serving & place a strawberry/cape gooseberries in the bed of chocolate.

Hainanese-Style Roasted Chicken

Ingredients:
1 Whole Chicken
4 garlic ~ light bruised
1" ginger ~ Sliced
3-4 Stalk spring onion

Marinade:
3 tbsp soy sauce
1-1/2 tbsp honey
1/2 tsp Chinese 5-spiced powder
1/2 tsp Shaoxing wine
1/2 tsp sesame oil
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp ground white pepper

Direction:

1. Grab a handful of coarse or kosher salt & start rubbing all over the skin but at the same time being careful not to tear or damage the skin.   Should see smooth clean skin once completed.  Then pat dry inside & out.
2. Mix the marinade ingredients well in a small bowl & rub it generously on the skin of the chicken & also the cavity.
3. Insert the garlic, ginger & spring onion inside the cavity & then transfer it into a Ziploc bag.   Pour the remaining marinade into the bag & overnight.  Turn the plastic bag to make sure that the chicken is evenly marinated.
4. Next morning, discard the garlic, ginger & spring onion in the cavity.   air dry the chicken for about 30 minutes at room temperature or oven fan until the skin surface is no longer wet.
5. In a bowl of balance marinade, use a brush & coat evenly on the chicken skin.   Continue to air dry for about 3 hrs.   Turn the chicken oven air dry both sides.
6. Heat the oven to 150 deg C (up/down).   Place the chicken in a roasting pan (at the lower rack) & roast for about 90 minutes.  1st 30 mins, brush coat the skin with the marinade & turn over.  Continue to bake for another  2nd 30 mins, do the same coating till 90 minutes.
7. Remove from the oven, use the juice/fat brush coat over the chicken.  Let cool a little then add 2 tsp of sesame oil & coat all over the chicken.

Laksa Kelantan / Laksa Lemak Kelantan

Ingredients:
4-5 pcs Mackerel Fish (Ikan Kembung)
500g coconut milk
3-4 dried tamarind slices
Salt to taste

Paste
10 shallots
5 garlic
1" ginger
1" galangal
1 lemongrass
50g dried prawn ~ soaked & drained
1 handful laksa leaves aka Daun kesum
1/2 tsp ground black peppercorn

Others
1kg Laksa noodle
1 Cucumber ~ sliced thinly
1 Ginger Flower / torch Ginger Bud ~ sliced thinly
1/4 cabbage ~ sliced thinly
1/2 large yellow onion ~ sliced thinly
30g bean sprout
handful laksa leaves ~ chopped

Directions:

1. Boil fish with dried tamarind slices & 1 tbsp of salt, do not throw the fish broth.  Remove the fish bone, blend the fish meat with half coconut milk.
2. Blend all the ingredient paste with the other half of the coconut milk to fine smooth paste & set aside.
3. Combine all blended ingredients in a big pot.  Then add more coconut milk & stir evenly without fire on.
4. Once all the blended incorporate, on the fire to medium-high & stir frequently.   Add salt & sugar to taste.
5. Bring to boil then off the heat.   Serve with Laksa noodle.

Gloria Victoria Cake

Source: Wedding by Salwah

Sponge:
4 eggs
200g butter (Note: unsalted, 1/4 tsp salt)
200g caster sugar
200g self-raising flour (cake flour + 1/2 tsp b. powder)
1 tsp vanilla bean paste/extract

Sugar Syrup
3 tbsp sugar
100g water

(Note: Boil till sugar dissolve, set aside to cool)

Strawberry Cream
90g fine sugar
100g corn syrup
20g water

(Note: Boil till sugar dissolve, set aside to cool)

500g butter
2 tbsp dairy whipping cream
100g icing powder
100g pure cream (Bulla brand)
1 tsp Vanilla Extract

100g strawberry pie filling/jam/puree

Directions:

1. Sponge Cake: In an electric stand, add all the sponge ingredients & beat for 7 mins on high speed.   Divide batter into 3 baking tins (6"x3") round.  Bake at preheated 170 deg C for about 15-20 mins.
2. Strawberry Cream: Cream butter & icing sugar till light for about 6 mins.  Add pure cream, whipping cream & vanilla extract & combine till smooth.   Pour corn syrup while continuously beating the cream mixture.   Mix till well combined.   Reserve a quarter of the cream for the cake filling.  Mix in the strawberry filling into the cream & mix well.
3. Assemble Cake: Brush sugar syrup on the surface of each cake.   1st cake layer, spread plain buttercream & top with 2nd layer with strawberry filling.   Cover the cake with strawberry cream & piped "fleur de lis" as decoration with tip # 821/823.   Chilled in the fridge before serving.

Prawn Noodle Soup (Version 2)

Ingredients:

20 large prawns (peel & devein, shell set aside)

4 tbsp olive oil/cooking oil

50g dried anchovies (I used 2 cube fish knorr)

3 cloves garlic ~ minced

12 cups water

4 cloves

5 black peppercorns

1 star anise

1 tbsp dark soya sauce

1 tsp salt

1 tsp ground white pepper (I used ¼ tsp)

Garnish

250g yellow noodles

50g bean sprouts

50g Kangkong

2 fish cakes ~ sliced

Egg ~ boiled & halves

4 fresh chilies ~ sliced

Directions:

1. In a big pot, add olive oil/cooking oil & stir-fry the prawn heads & shells for about 8 mins on high heat until shells turn a deep orange & soften.
2. Add fish cube knorr & mix well, continue to stir-fry for 2 mins.   Then add minced garlic & fry another 3 mins.
3. Add water into the mixture.   Stir well & bring to a boil on high heat.   Add cloves, black peppercorns & star anise.   Lower the flame & let the stock simmer for 30 mins or more.
4. Sieve the stock to another big pot, to discard the shells.  On a low heat, add dark soya sauce, salt, rock sugar & pepper to the broth.   Stir well till the rock sugar dissolve.
5. In a bowl, add the blanched noodles, bean sprouts, kangkong, prawns & fish cakes.   Add prawn stock to the noodles.   Top with shallots & chilies.

Bubur Lambuk (Kampung Baru)

Ingredients:
200g rice
200ml thick coconut milk
500g ground beef/chicken
2 lemongrass ~ bruised
2 tbsp ghee
3 tbsp oil
Salt to taste
Water

Spice Mix
1 cinnamon stick
3 cloves
1 star anise
2 cardamom

Paste (Blend/Pound)
1" fresh ginger
6 shallots
6 cloves garlic

Dried Seed (Blend)
1 tsp cumin seed
1 tsp coriander seed
1/2 tsp white pepper
1/2 tsp black peppercorn

(Note: Roast the above seed, blend to powder)

Garnishing
Spring onion ~ chopped
Fried shallot

Directions:

1. Heat oil & ghee, saute the paste & stir-fry till fragrant.
2. Add spice mix, blended ingredients & ground beef/chicken.   Cook until meat is tender.
3. Pour in water before adding rice & lemongrass.  Bring rice & water to a boil, then reduce heat & simmer till rice turns into the texture of porridge.
4. Add coconut milk & season to taste with salt.
5. Serve the dish with a sprinkle of fried shallots.

Tiramisu

Source: Zan's Treats
(7"x7" round / 8"x 4" x 2-1/2" rectangular)

Custard Filling:
400ml Fresh Milk
120g Fine Sugar
6 Egg yolks
80ml Fresh Milk
30g AP Flour
2 tsp Vanilla Essence
60g Butter (Note: Unsalted, 1/4 tsp salt)
220g Mascarpone Cheese

1 packet Lady's Fingers cookies
150ml Hot water
30g Fine Sugar
4 tsp Coffee
2 tbsp Cocoa Powder ~ dust on top

Directions:

1. In a saucepan, heat up both milk & sugar under medium heat & stir occasionally until tiny bubble at the side of the saucepan.  Remove from heat.
2. In a big saucepan, whisk egg yolks and milk till light.   Then add flour bit by bit.
3. Pour the hot milk slowly into the egg yolk & keep whisk the mixture while pouring the hot milk.
4. On the stove, heat the egg yolk mixture & keep whisk on a low heat.
5. Add vanilla essence then boil again under low heat until thicken.
6. Lastly, add butter & salt & keep stirring.   Cool in fridge to set for about 30 mins.
7. Add Mascarpone cheese to custard filling until well mixed.

Assemble:

Dip the cookies in the coffee mixture, then arrange in a rectangular pan.  Fill the top with cheese custard filling then repeat again, arranging the cookies until 2 or 3 layers.  Top the cake with cocoa powder.   Chill in fridge for atleast 5 hours or overnight before serving.

Easter Egg Cake

Recipe Source: Sugarly Nice

Ingredients:
250g Salted Butter
250g Fine sugar
250g Self-raising Flour
5 large eggs
1 tsp ovelette
1 tsp vanilla essence

Buttercream recipe
Royal Icing recipe

Directions:

1. Mix all into the mixing bowl & mix at medium speed for 7 mins.  Use "K"-beater.
2. Pour into prepared baking tin, lined with parchment paper on sides & bottom (8" round x 3" height)
3. Bake at 150 deg C for 1hr 30min - 1hr 45min depending on the oven heat