NEW HOME IMPROVEMENT

More Nice Cozy Feel

Once again,another year had arrived.Yes,now it's 2015.The year of the goat.Mek!Mek!Mek!.We here, in Malaysia are celebrating another Chinese New Year.Today marked the eighth day of the Lunar New Year in the chinese Calendar.The chinese has fifteen days to celebrate Chinese New Year and the last day is known as Chap Goh Meh.As usual,every year we got big cleaning to do before the actual day.Not to mention,I did bits and bits of touch-up to the house almost every year.The house was repainted,from the inside to the outside.The curtain changed.

And the old dining table table was replaced with a new one.

I've always wanted to throw away the old table but decided to put it outside the front house for party use.It was worn out a bit,but with cover on,still looks good.Just imagine,I've been using it for thirteen long years since the day I moved into this house.It was given as a gift from a friend for my house warming party.

Home is where your heart is.I want to come home with a nice looking home that welcomes me.Home is a home if you keep it clean,neat and tidy!What's the use of a home if you just arranged it in style,but looking dirty and messy?You want to be in the comfort of your own home,don't you?People spend thousands and thousands of money to have designers style their home,but I DIY.That's me!

Flower Pot Ice-Cream

This is what everyone is crazy about nowadays.Have you ever heard of an ice-cream in a flower pot?Well,I have.What's inside the flower pot are cake as the base,an ice-cream in the middle and using crush Oreo biscuits to make it look like soil,and not to mention the artificial flower.I think the artificial flower looks weird on an ice-cream and not edible.Here,I replaced it using gummy candies.You can put an artificial flowers if you like.It's fun and looked more real.But,I am doing it for business and sometimes I do it this way:for children to buy,I used gummy candies,and for adults,I used an artificial flowers.Now,isn't that sounds good?
Here's what you gonna used to make a flower pot ice-cream:

a small round cake

1 big scoop of ice-cream,flattened

plenty of crushed Oreo biscuits
gummy candies or artificial flowers
Straw/tooth-picks
flower pot
gummy worms(optional)

How to do:
Put the round cake into the bottom of a plastic pot.You can either buy packets of ready made round cake,or baked it yourself cakes and cut it into small round shape enough to fit inside the flower pot.but you must first wash the flower pot very clean.Next,put the ice-cream into another clean bowl and try to flatten it a bit so that it can cover the whole pot and not leave a

 hole on sides.Then,you put the ice-cream in.Put on the artificial flower using straw or

tooth picks for gummy candies.Lastly,soiled the whole pot with crushed Oreo biscuits and put 2 gummy worms on top of the fake soil.
There,you've planted your pot of flowers.Nice try!

Custard Biscuits

This recipe is from www.taste.com.au. Suddenly,I feel the urge to eat cookies.I had some custard powder left from making custard mooncakes.So,let's get going!

Ingredients:
250 g butter,softened(it is better to use unsalted butter)
1/2 cup pure icing sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
13/4 cups plain flour
1/2 cup custard powder

Methods:
1.Preheat oven to 180°C.Line 2 baking trays with baking paper.Place butter,sugar and vanilla into a food processor.process for 2 mins or until well combined.
2.Add flour and custard powder.pulse until just combined(don't over-process or biscuits will not have a fine texture)
3.Roll heaped tsp of mixture into small balls.Place ontp prepared baking trays.Press with a floured fork to flatten slightly.bake for 12 mins or until light golden.Allow to stand on trays for 2 mins before transferring to a wire rack to cool.Repeat with remaining biscuits mixture.

Sesame Balls

I can't help but wanted to make this.I saw these big round balls at the town festival fair.Each time I went there,it caught my eyes.My children and my husband loves to buy it.Anything made of glutinous rice flour is not a flavourite of mine.I hate flour that is sticky and chewy.It made me want to choke when eaten.It was something that a granny like to eat or so I think.So,what makes me want to made?Seeing my children loves to eat,as well as my hubby, made me wanted to make.Although,I think my balls are not as big as the one sold in the festival fair and not so round,but not bad too.The texture are the same.I do not know why it became flatten a bit after cold.Give it a try and tell me that you made better than mine.

RECIPE
500 grams glutinous rice flour
11/4 cups brown sugar
300 ml boiling water
1 cup sweet red bean paste(can substitute with sweet potatoes)
some sesame seeds
enough oil for deep frying(enough for floating)

Method:
Add sugar to boiling water and stir.Put glutinous rice flour in a mixing bowl and add to the sugar water.Mix till well combined.
It's time to maked the balls-Divide the dough into equal balls.Also take 1 tbsp red bean paste and make into equal balls,depending on how much balls you can make.Flatten each balls and put the red bean paste in and seal the edges and then shape into round balls.Coat with the sesame seeds.Heat the kuali with oil.Deep fry and take out.Put on a wire rack to drip the oil.Wait till it is really cold,than eat.

KOLO MEE

Sarawak is famous for it's kolo mee.Kolo mee is a type of springy noodles and can be either
straight or curly.Nowadays,it's hard to find the straight one unless you make it yourself or knows someone who make and distribute it.Most of the time I can only find the curly one.There's also the flat one called mee pok in hokkien.



I tried to make my own kolo mee instead of going out to the kopi-tiam to eat.It is not hard to make afterall.
The noodle can be easily found in the supermarket as well as the wet market.Prawns,fish balls,minced pork and char-siew(bbq pork) can be added to it.Serve it either plain or with the red bbq sauce.I was once told by a friend that it is the lard that make the mee tasty and nice.Monosodium glutamate further enhance the flavour.
Oh! and I also make kolo kueh tiaw(rice noodle)It was lying next to the mee and I bought it too so that we can have both kolo mee and kueh tiaw at the same time.

Fry extra onions oil in case you want to make more bowls.
I start off by making the char siew a day earlier first and keep it in the refrigerator until used.

To make shallots oil:

2 red onions,chopped small

1 piece of pork belly

1.Put the pork belly(the fatty side) into the wok and fry till oil comes out clean.

2.Using the lard oil,fry the red onions till fragrant.Set aside.

To make a bowl of kolo mee:(everything is to taste because your bundle of noodle may vary)

1.5 tbsp shallots oil

1 tsp fish sauce(or to taste)

1 tsp light soya sauce(0r to taste)

1 tsp vinegar(or to taste)

1/4 tsp salt(or to taste)

1/2 tsp monosodium glutamate(or to taste)

some dash of white pepper to taste

Put all the above ingredients into a bowl.Leave aside and go cook the noodle.

1.Boil a pot full of water.When boiled,throw in a handful or bundle of noodle in for about 3 seconds.Have a basin of cold water standby.After you already dung the noodle in the hot 

water,dip it in the basin of cold water and bring back to the boiling hot water again for about 2 seconds or so.Taking so long will only made the noodle sticky.

3.Put the noodle into the bowl.Garnish with desired things.

For garnishing needs:

Char Siew

Minced pork

fish ball

prawns

spring onions(chopped finely)

fish cake(sliced thin)

Mince pork recipe:

100g minced pork

3 tbsps. soya sauce

1 tbsp. light soya sauce

1 tbsp. shaoxing wine

some white pepper powder

Mixed together and marinate for 1 hour.

After marinating,heat up abt 2 tbsps. of oil in the wok.Add in some onions and garlics for fragrance.

Add in the mince pork and stir-fry till it is cooked.(remember to add in a few tbsps. of water so that it is not dry up)

For the Char Siu recipe:

400 g pork tenderloins-cut into 4 long strips

Seasoning:

4 tbsps brown sugar

3 tsps sesame oil
2 tbsps. rice wine
2 tbsps light soya sauce
1 tbsps dark soy sauce
1 tsp five spice powder
a drip of red coloring

honey 

Season the meat and leave it in the fridge overnight.Barbeque over charcoal fire.Spoon some honey over it,turning here and there.When it is done,cut into thin slices.


Update: Today I made a much much tastier Char Siu sauce:



3 Tbsp brown sugar

1 Tbsp shuaxing wine or sherry

1 Tbsp hoisin sauce

1 Tbsp sesame oil

1/2 Tbsp light soy sauce

1 Tbsp dark soy sauce

1/2 Tbsp honey

Mix everything well together in a pan.Heat it up and keep on stirring.

Add in 100ml of water to let the sugar dissolves well and not get burned.

Keep stirring again until the sauce has start to thicken.As soon as the sauce has thicken,turn off the fire immediately.

Spoon some sauce over your bowl of kolo mee for a delicious  red sweet kolo mee.I prefer my kolo mee plain.

OR spoon some sauce over your bbq Char Siu.

Written and posted by: www.cocomintt.blogspot.com

Moon Cake Festival

Moon Cake

This year mooncake day falls on the 8th of September,2014.This year,I indulge myself in making mooncakes.Yes,lots and lots of them.I really put my heart into it.Two years ago,I did not make it quite successfully.The skin of the mooncakes were thick and were nor so beautiful.but today,I've achieved my accomplishment!I can't say I am a pro yet.

When I was young,I do not like mooncakes,but my late father loves mooncakes so much that he always bought it himself every year.Even if it were just a piece(but I think he bought it in a pack of 3)At that time, the mooncakes were all very sweet(I think he must have love the sweetness very much).As I grew older,I began to slowly like mooncakes.

Nowadays,they have lessen the sugar.There were also not many varieties to choose from back then,only I can remembered certain types of paste like lotus,red beans or green beans paste,then chocolate ,yam,durian and then getting more and more varieties like dragon fruit,green tea,custard,just to name a few.I couldn't name it all.I found out that the custard one is the most delicious.Then,also came the snowskin type with no bake.Very colourful!You can make many colours as you like.



 

custard paste mooncake





Snowskin mooncake



There's also the jelly mooncake.Oh!Life is getting colourful and beautiful!

For the mooncake pastry:(small mooncake ,makes 10)

150g self-raising flour
60g golden syrup
60g honey syrup
1tsp alkaline water
20g canola oil(3 tbsp)

Mehod:

Mix well golden syrup,honey,oil and alkaline water.Then put in the self-raising flour and mix with a spatula.Cover with a clean plastic wrap.Leave to rest for half an hour.
Roll the dough into long strip and divide into 10 pieces.(each weighing about 30g)Make into small round balls.

For the filling:

300g lotus paste
50g almond flakes

Mix the lotus paste and almond flakes together into a dough.Roll into long strips and divide to 10 round balls each( weighing about 40g)
Now take a ball of pastry,flatten it and put the filling in.Seal the edges and make to round balls again.
Press it in the press mould to form the shape.Bake it in the oven at 200°C for 5 mins.Take it out and glaze with egg wash.Put it back into the oven and bake it for 10 mins or until it turns golden brown.
(do the sames for the red bean fillings)

CUSTARD MOONCAKES
(I found this recipe from youtube)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=81xenrWsEL8

Note:I skip the salted egg yolk because I don't like it.

CUSTARD MOONCAKES RECIPE:

Fillings:16-18 pcs

60g sugar
25 g custard powder
25 g milk powder
20 g cake flour 
110 ml coconut milk
40 g unsalted butter

1 egg yolk
1/4 tsp salt
8 salted duck egg yolk

Skin:16-18 pcs

230 g cake flour
130 g unsalted butter
75 g sugar
1/2 egg
25 ml coconut milk
20 g custard powder

Method For The Filling:

1.Put custard powder,milk powder,cake powder,sugar and salt in a bowl.
2.In another bowl,beat egg with coconut milk.Add to the flour mixture.
3.Cut the salted egg yolk into small pieces and put into a bowl together with the unsalted
butter.Steam the salted egg mixture and the custard mixture for 15-20 minutes.Take 
out and mix the yolk mixture into the custard mixture.Cover and leave overnight in
the refrigerator.
4.Knead into a dough and measure 20 g per piece.

Method For The Skin:

1.In a bowl,beat butter and sugar together.Add egg,coconut milk,cake flour and custard
powder togrther.Mix well to form a dough.
2.Refrigerate for 1/2 hour.Measure 25 g per piece.Flatten and put the custard ball and wrap
it up into a ball.Press with a mooncake cutter onto a baking tray lined with greaseproof
paper.
Bake at pre-heated oven 200°C for 10 minutes.

Note:As I want a fuller shape using the same mooncake press as the uploader,I used 25 g skin dough and 30 g custard fillings.Can also reduced to 24 g skin dough and 29 g custard fillings.I find it more nice looking taller than shorter.

SNOW SKIN MOONCAKE:
(I have forgotten where this recepi came from,I think taken from the shop where I buy the mooncakes ingredients.They always gave free recepies)

150g koh fen(cooked glutinous rice flour)
150g icing sugar
50g shortening
few drops of pandan essence/colouring
200ml iced water

1.Sieve koh fen and icing sugar in a large bowl.
2.Mix all ingredients into a dough.Let it rest for 10 mins in the fridge.
3.Scale 35g of dough and wrap with 50g of filling.
4.Shape it using the press mooncakes moulds.
5.Refrigerate to have a nice cool mooncakes.

This year we celebrated it in style,under the moonlite eating mooncakes with tea.Lanterns were hung everywhere around our house.Fortunatley,there were no rain.



This is for my daughter who couldn't drink tea,
but drink chrysanthemum tea instead

This year we ate a lot of mooncakes

1.I make a lot of mooncakes

2.we ate free at the church

3.given free by Hotlink(mobile)at a park

The next day,we went to a park called friendship park where a lot of youngters and elderly people went there to hand lanterns on the tree.Every year,people of all sorts of life flock to the park here to celebtate the mid-auturm festival.The park lit brightly and beautifully.There were lanterns everywhere.Many of the younsters played the flying lantern called "Kung Ming Tern" in chinese.(almost like the shape of a hot air balloon,if that's how you called it)This year was different.I noticed a new restaurant opened at the park.The restaurant was kept emptied for a long time and now someone reopened it making it more merrier!There were also lion dance.
I,on the other hand,went there to sell drinks.





The mould that I used

I hope to make a better mooncakes again next year.



Bean Sprouts/towgeh

This is just simple, cheap and yet appertizing meal.I cooked it with salted fish and a few fish cakes.This towgeh or beansprouts is ready to eat in only a few minutes.When cooking,it cannot be overcooked,otherwise it will lose it's flavour and turned soft.Stir-fry for only about 8 minutes and you are ready to eat a firm and crispy beansprouts.

You'll need:

250g bean sprout

10 pieces of fish cake

about 1 tsp of salted fish(ikan tenggiri)

2 tbsp of canola oil

a little bit of salt

a little bit of aji-no-moto

some garlic

some onions

Method;

1.Heat oil in a wok.Fry the onions and garlic till slightly brown.

2.Throw the fish cake,then the salted fish in.Fry for 2 mins.

3.Throw the beansprouts in.Put salt and aji-no-moto.Fry for a few more minutes and dish it out before it gets too soft.Serve with rice.

Mini Oreo Cheesecake

Someone put this recipe up on facebook.When I saw it,I told myself that "I must try this"!
so cute!Mini Cheesecake top with Oreo,with oreo crust at the bottom.

The recipe link to youtube.http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EhC4cVE1QvQ.
Besides this,you can also find other mini cheesecakes recipes.Isn't it wonderful?

Recipe:
6 oreo(half shell for crust,half topping)
2 medium size egg yolk
125g soften cream cheese
35g condensed milk

2 egg whites
8g granulated sugar

1.Prepare the cupcakes pan with the oreo crusts.
2.Mix egg yolks.cream cheese and condensed milk until smooth.
3.Beat egg whites with sugar until egg whites become soft peak.
4.Fold in the egg yolk mixture to the egg whites mixtures.
5.Pour the mixture to the prepped crust intil 3/4 ths full.
6.Top it with a piece of oreo cookie.
7.Bake the cheesecakes in a pre-heated oven 320°F/160°C.

Kek Lapis Indonesia

This is yet another attempt to make this Indonesian Kek Lapis(layer spice cake)This is the third attempt and I finally did it.The first was many years ago when I still do not know what grilling cake was all about,that I baked it layer by layer until the whole cake burnt using the conventional gas oven.Back then,I couldn't think of cakes can be grilled the same as grilling chickens on a bbq stand.It was later that I knew of a convection oven for grilling this special cake using only top heat.This type of oven has a top and lower heat.The top for grilling and the bottom for baking.The second attempt to make this layer cake was not so successful because it was a little too dry.(not getting used to the convection oven yet)After two attempts,I gave up.And now,at last,I decided to try making the spice kek Lapis again for the third attempt.Yipee!It was a success.Spending three hours and it was well worth it!

I made it a little thicker as I was a little bit lazy today to make thinner layers.The recipe that I used now have changed and is much better than the previous version.I adapt the recipe from chefwo blog.Her recipe is also taken from rasamalaysia blog.Give it a try and know that it taste better.I won't be making again because of the large quantities of egg yolks.I'll stick it to once in a year.

Ingredients:

340g butter

2 tbsps condensed milk

20 egg yolks

141g icing sugar

50g super fine flour,sifted with 1.5 tsp all spice(here they used the chinese five spice powder)

2 tbsp brandy(but i opt it out)

Method:

1.Lined the bottom of the pan with greased parchment paper.(I used 7"x7" pan)Preheat oven to 380°F or 195°C.

2.Beat butter and condensed milk till smooth.Leave aside.

3.In another bowl,beat the egg yolks and icing sugar till pale and thick.(Beat till ribbon stage)

4.Fold butter into egg yolk mixture.

5.Lastly,fold in sifted flour in 2 batches until combined.Add in brandy,(if used).

6.Turn the oven to grill function.Put cake pan into the oven for 1 minute.

7.Put a small ladle of batter into the pan and spread evenly.Bake for 5 mins(my oven took 7-9 mins)or till the top is brown.

8.Remove from oven and scoop the same amount of batter for the second layer.Bake each layer for about 7-10 mins till golden brown.Repeat the same process till finished.

9.After the last layer,turn the oven to bake function.Cover top of the cake with alluminium foil and bake for another 5-10 mins.

10.Remove and cool on a wire rack.

Huat Kueh

Huat kueh is steamed rice cake made of rice flour.I didn't know that these was so easy to make.It's not my favourite,but suddenly I had the urge to made it after seeing my sister in law made.Guess what?It has ENO(fruity salt) added to it to help it rise."Huat" meaning rise or" rise in prosperity" for some.This is my first time making Huat kueh and surprisingly it did rise.My mom use to buy this from the market when she wanted to pray for the god and ancestors.That is why I called this the "praying god"cake.It is often white or pink in color but,today there are many different kinds of color.It is surprising to note that there are also green,brown and yellow colors.They are all very beautiful,high and all smiles.I do not like Huat kueh probadly because it's tasteless in favors.Maybe this is just only me.Some people found it nice.When I was young,I had a recipe that uses 7-up(carbonated drinks)instead of Eno.The recipe has long been lost and not found.I had to search online for this and I found this:https://kwgls.wordpress.com.I decided to go for the simplest.not having eggs or butter.I didn't know that there are many different types of versions to this recipe.Whatever versions,they all look like Huat Kueh.One thing I don't understand is why nowadays,they make it looked like muffins.Cute!

I made two batches,since they are so easy.One white and one pink cos my daughter likes pink.

Ingredients:

200 grams rice flour

100 grams icing sugar

175 mills water

1 packet ENO(fruity salt for indigestion)

1/2 tsp baking powder

food coloring(optional)

Prepare the steamer or wok with enough water.Bring to boil using high heat.

Sieve the rice flour,baking powder and icing sugar into a big mixing bowl.Add water and food color.Stir well.Scrap the sides of the bowl.Add the Eno and mix well.Steam in high heat until cook.

Pisang Goreng

Fried Banana Fritters or Cucur Pisang/goreng pisang as it is called in malay.All I know is,it's very famous here in Malaysia,Singapore and Indonesia.
Growing up in Malaysia we ate this fried fritters very often.Sold on the roadside and shop corners and even at the front houses of kampungs.Today,we can even find it sold on the parking spaces.It is not hard to find.It is also inexpensive.Let me remind you that it is considered to be very heaty.Often ate will tend to have sore throat,unless some of you may not.This are very nice Malaysian fritters.

Last night,I made this cucur pisang.As you can see here in the picture above,my ones are too thick compared to others I think.It's not hard to find the recipes as there are plenty on the web and also on the books, but it is also not easy to choose which one.Everyone has their own special ingredients.I do not know which one to follow.Confused.One recipe caught my eye though! It has what I got at home.It is very,very yummy!Try it and you will know.

What you'll need:

 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
 1/4 tablespoon vanilla powder
 1/2 cup milk
 1 egg
 2 tablespoons butter, melted
1 teaspoon vanilla
 4 ripe bananas,(pisang rajah)

Method:
1. In a large bowl, combine flour, sugar and vanilla powder. Make a well in the center, and pour in milk, egg, melted butter and vanilla. Mix until smooth. Fold in banana slices until evenly coated.
2. Heat plenty of  oil in a wok.
3. Drop banana pieces by tablespoon into hot oil. Fry until golden brown and crispy, 10 to 15 minutes. Remove bananas from oil, and drain on paper towels.
 
Serving:Enough for 5 people

Note:I have now use custard powder instead of vanilla powder.

PETITE PIE

Recipe from years ago,taken from the book,BUTTER CUP.I do a bit of an alteration to the filling.I added corn flakes to make it more flaky and because I found it very sweet that I decided to add the cornflakes to make it less sweet.The taste was awesome!Dessicated coconut and cornflakes.

As I couldn't finished making it in a day,I kept it in the refrigerator and continued making the next day.Then I ran out of the pastry and there were still some fillings left.I then put the filling in small papercups and baked for 10 minutes.These I made it into our snacks for the day.

Recipe:
pastry
250 g Buttercup butter
450 g flour
25 g cornflour
1 egg yolk
few drops/teaspoons iced cold water

filling
4 egg whites
100 g dessicated coconut
100 g crushed cornflakes
485 g icing sugar
jam-any types

method
Sieve flour and cornflour into a mixing bowl.Add in the butter and egg yolk.Use finger tips to mix the ingredients like breadcrumbs.Add in cold water and make into a dough.Chilled in in the refrigerator for 30 minutes while you go make the filling.
Beat egg whites till stiff.Add in icing sugar .Beat till smooth and fluffy.Add in the dessicated coconut and crushed cornflakes.
Roll the pastry to 0.2 cm thick.Cut with pastry cutter to fill the paper cups inside the muffin tins.Spoon  1 teaspoon jam to the pastry.Add in the filling.
Heat oven to 190° C.Bake until it turns golden,about 15-20 minutes.

ORIGINAL RECIPE:
250 g Buttercup
450 g flour
25 g cornflour
1 egg yolk
few drops/teaspoons iced cold water

FILLING:
4 egg whites
200 g dessicated coconut
600 g icing sugar
Cherries for decoration
Jam-apricot or pineapple for the filling
30 paper cups

METHOD:
Sieve the flour and cornflour into a mixing bowl.Cut in buttercup.Add beaten egg yolk.Mix ingredients with finger tips.Add in cold water to make dough/pastry.chill in refrigerator for 30 minutes.
Beat egg whites till stiff.Add in icing sugar.Beat till smooth and fluffy.Add in dessicated coconut.
Roll pastry to 0.2cm thick.Cut with pastry cutter to fit the paper cups.Put pastry into muffin tin.Spoon 1 teaspoon jam.Add in coconut filling.Decorate with cherry.
Heat oven to moderate to hot.Bake pie in the hot oven till golden 15-20 minutes.(Temp 375° F or 190° C)

Note:
Add on for the day was the agar-agar( below)

Layered agar-agar for the hot day today

Transparent agar-agar strains