Banana Bread Machine

I've been making banana bread for four days?That's four times!.

This may sound crazy but it's true,it's me, who do not want the bananas to go to waste.Four days ago,as I was strolling in the night market,usually on Thursday and Friday,I saw three bunch of bananas that were priced at a very low price.I bought it home but there was no way we could finish it all.Banana as we all know cannot last very long.Before it turns black why not make it into a banana bread or banana cake?

So,this explained why I keep on making banana bread.At first,I started off making a smaller one,then  a much bigger and moist one.The moist one is almost the same like the banana cake.

 At first I used the bread maker to do the mixing,but I noticed that the bread maker didn't do the mixing well.Patches of flour were seen at the bottom of the bread.For the rest of the bread making,I mixed the ingredients  in a separate bowl first,then transfer the batter into the bread maker and choose the bake setting.If you were to throw everything into the bread maker,make sure to use a spatula to mix it well so that no flour can be seen on the bread after you lift it up from the pan.



INGREDIENTS:

Small Loaf

2 large eggs
1/3 cup corn oil
1/8 cup milk
2 bananas,mashed
1-1/3 cups bread flour
2/3 cup sugar
1-1/4 tsps. baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt

METHOD:

Mix everything together in a mixing bowl until smooth.Using a spatula,scrape the batter into the pan of the bread maker.Choose the "Bake" setting and bake for 40 minutes.

Big Loaf

4 large eggs
2/3 cup corn oil
1/2 cup milk
6 ripe bananas(cos I wanted more bananas)
1-1/2 tbsps. of instant coffee
2-2/3 cups bread flour
1-1/3 cup sugar
2-1/2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt

Use the same method as above.Bake for 55-60 minutes.

Chocolate and Cream Cheese Cupcakes

Cheese Cupcakes

225g cream cheese
1/3 cup sugar
1 egg
pinch of salt
1 cup chocolate chips

Cupcakes

3 cups flour
2 cups sugar
2/3 cup cocoa powder
2 tsps. baking soda
1 tsp salt
2 cups water
2/3 cup veg oil
2 tbsps. white vinegar
2 tsp vanilla extract

Method:

CREAMCHEESE

In a mixing bowl,throw in creamcheese,egg,sugar,and salt.

With a handheld mixer,cream until creamy and fluffy.Then add in the chocolate chips and quickly stir.

CHOCOLATE CAKE

In another bowl,sift flour, baking soda and cocoa powder.Add in the sugar,salt,water oil,vanilla and vinegar.Beat till smooth.

Fill the chocolate mixture into the paper cups half full.Put a level tablespoon of creamcheese into the centre of each cupcakes.

Bake in the preheated oven 180 degree celcius or 350 degree farenheit for 20 to 25 minutes.

When done,take out from the oven and let it cool down before eating.

Pulut Panggang

My daughter loves to eat pulut panggang.Whenever we passed by hawkers stalls,she'll ask me to buy.
I try to make my own pulut panggang because I've the recipe from the book by Agnes Chan.Making pulut panggang need to use the banana leaves and I've no problem with that since my next door neighbor grew bananas and the banana trees was planted right in front of our house.She told me to get some if I ever needed it.Thanks to her that now I can make my own pulut panggang.
Pulut panggang requires glutinous rice.
Pulut is the glutinous rice and panggang means grilled,hence the name "pulut panggang" (grilled glutinous rice.It is wrapped in banana leaves and then left to grill(panggang)You can either have a choice of leaving it plain or with fillings.Both are very fragrant and I like both.

So here is the recipe:

Glutinous rice:
300g glutinous rice,washed and soaked for 4 hrs and drained
1/2 coconut,squeezed-180ml coconut milk
1 tsp salt
2 pieces pandan leaves,knotted

Filling:
(A) pounded
6 shallots
4 pips garlics
6 dried chillies,soaked
1 stalked lemon grass,sliced
4 tbsps. dried prawns,soaked

(B)
1 tsp belacan powder
1/2 tsp turmeric powder(kunyit)
1/2 white grated coconut
3 tbsp. oil

Seasoning

1 tsp ikan bilis(anchorvy)stock granules
1 tsp sugar
1/2 tsp salt to taste

16 pieces softened banana leaves(20cm x 15cm)
a stapler

Method:

1.Glutinous rice:Put all ingredients into a steaming tray and steam with high heat until cooked(about 45 minutes).Remove and fluff up the rice.Divide into 16 parts.
   
2.Filling:Heat up oil,saute pounded ingredients.belacan powder and kunyit powder until fragrant.Add coconut and seasoning.Mix well.Dish up.
  
3.Shape 1 part glutinous rice into a 10cm x 5cm rectangle on the banana leaf.Put 2 tsp filling into the  center.Roll up tightly .Staple both ends of the banana leaf.Trim to the same size.
  
4.Grill and serve.

 

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

Hainanese Chicken Rice

This time the chicken rice that I made is the hainanese chicken rice.This is the time of when I can't  think of" what's cooking for lunch or dinner"?.A simple steamed chicken rice or bak kuk teh is the best choice to make.Sometimes it's roasted chicken,like Kenny's Rogers.

I could have just roast the chicken,but no way!The weather are so hot out there.Hence,I steamed the chicken.

I've been to Melaka not long ago,and there along Jonker's Street I saw long lines of people queing out to buy chicken rice balls.I didn't get to eat,but I went to another shop to eat instead.I had to say it doesn't taste great.The rice were plain and tasteless other than the cute small balls.Were the long qued shop worth waiting for?Does it taste great?Time will tell when I visit Melaka again.Anyone knows?

Now the recipe for the chicken rice:

Ingredients:

1 whole chicken(1 1/2 kg size or slightly bigger)
2 slices ginger
1 stalk spring onion
2 shallots
Salt

3 cups Jasmine rice or any rice
3 tbsps. sesame oil
2 shallots,crushed
3 slices ginger,pounded
4'2 cups chicken stock from the soup
2 tbsps. chicken granules
1 tsp salt


Method:

1.  Prepare ready a pot of boiling water for boiling the chicken.

2.  Wash clean the chicken and pat dry.Rub salt all over the chicken.Stuff gingers and shallots into the cavity of the chicken.

3  .Immerse chicken into the pot of boiling water.Make sure the water is enough to cover the whole chicken.Bring to boil.Lower the fire.Boil until it is done.Let the chicken soak in the chicken stock for about 20-25 minutes.

4,  Take the chicken out and plunge the chicken into a basin of cold water.

5.Hang it up to drip the water.

Now cook the rice using the chicken stock soup.

1.  Heat up oil and fry the shallots and ginger till fragrant and slightly brown.Add in the jasmine rice,chicken granules and salt.Stir well to mix.

2.  Put into the rice cooker.Add the chicken stock soup.Drip some sesame oil for fragrant.Bring to cook.

3,  When the rice is cooked,switch off the cooker.Fluff up the rice.


Chilli Sauce:

10 red chillies
5 pips garlics
1/2 tsp sugar
some vinegar

Pound the chillies and garlics and add in sugar and some vinegar to mix.

Serve the chicken rice with the chilly sauce and sweet soy sauce.

Golden Chicken

These golden chickens are coated with custard flour instead of the usual all purpose flour.

I've kept the custard flour inside the kitchen cabinet for quite some time now.It is time to use it away before the expiry date.

After frying the chickens,it should look golden or yellow in colour,but I don't know why the picture don't seem to be.I snap it using my samsung handphone.Perhaps my phone camera are not good enough.

This custard coated chickens are also vey nice to eat.You can also use chicken wings or drumsticks.

 
Here are my golden chicken recipe:

12 bite size piece of chickens
2 cups custard flour
1 beaten eggs
1 tbsps salt
enough oil for deep-frying

Method:

1.  Dip chicken pieces with egg.
2.  Mix salt into the custard flour.
3.  Heat up cooking oil in a wok.
4.  Coat the chicken pieces with the custard flour.(can do it piece by piece)
5.  When you see smoke coming from the heated oil,it is ready to put the coated chicken in.
6.  Fry until it is cooked.Dish it out and serve with your desired sauce or preferably lemon     sauce.  

Cheese Bread Machine Bread

This is another bread using the PENSONIC BREAD MAKER.

This time I made Cheese Bread.If no milk can substitute with water.

Put everything in order according to your machine instructions,starting with the liquid first then adding in the butter after 20 minutes of kneading.


Milk -  130 g
Egg  -   1
Cream Cheese  -  100 g
High Protein Flour  -  350 g
Milk Powder  -  20 g
Sugar  -  50 g
Salt   - 4 g

yeast  -  4 g
Butter  60 g

Choose Basic setting
Medium size
Prefer colour light

Press start and let the machine do the work.

Yum! Yum! Enjoy your cheese bread.

Loh Ark-Braised Duck

This dish is often seen on Chinese new year and in most homes.Ducks is hardly counted in my list during the lunar new year but slowly I begun to add it to the list for the sack of my children and husband.I don't really like the taste of duck.Succulent it may be,but I found it to be very tough for my teeth.Therefore,I always skipped duck.Once in a year,sometimes on certain occasions,on my husband's side,I would get to see Lor Ark cooked by my mother in law and sometimes by my husband's sister in law.This year,is a bit special.I cooked my own
Lor Ark.

I gather bits by bits of the recipe after hearing how they cooked theirs and then altered it a bit to my own preferences.

I just can't rememember how long this recipe has been sitting in my drafts unposted.

Ingredients:

1 whole duck,clean and wipe dry
100 g galangal(cut in thin slices,but can be opted out)
100 g ginger(cut in thin slices)
2 cloves garlics
2 sticks of cinnamon
10 cloves
5 star anises
2 tbsps. five-spice-powder
50 grams white sugar or more
2 cups dark soya sauce
Adequate water to simmer the duck

6 hard-boiled eggs(add in at 20 mins interval)

Method:

1.   Rub some soya sauce and 5-spice-powder to the duck.Marinate at least 2 -4 hours preferred,so prepared earlier if you are going to make it for dinner.The longer,the tastier the duck is.

2.  In a big wok,saute the garlics,galangal,ginger,cloves,cinnamon and star anises until aromatic.Add in the sugar.Stir fry until the sugar is brown and caramelized.Add in some water and stir until the sugar dissolves.

3.  Add the marinated duck in.Gather all the marinating soya sauces and 5-spice-powder in the bowl and put in the wok.Braised under medium heat for 1 hour.Turn the duck every 15 minutes interval to ensure the duck is evenly cooked and colour.Cook until done and the sauce has thickened..

4.  Check to see if it really cooked before taking it out.

5.  When you are ready to eat,cut the meat out onto the plate and spoon the dark sweet sauce all over.It is very nice and tasty.Cut the eggs into half.

6.  Serve with rice and garlic ginger vinegar.

Cornflakes Raisin Cookies

Since Hari Raya is round the corner,Cornflakes are seen everywhere.It's the season of making cookies at home.I'm not celebrating,but it doesn't stop me from making some cookies.I bought a packet home and decided to make cornflakes cookies.The box comes with the recipe.I altered a bit.changing the cranberries to raisins.


Here is my cornflakes cookies recipe from the back of the box with a little alterations.

INGREDIENTS:

(A)
180g flour
50g corn flour
1 tsp baking powder

200g butter
130g castor sugar
2 egg yolk beaten
11/2 tsp vanilla essence
150g raisins
150g NESTLE CORNFLAKES - coarsely crushed

PREPARATION:

1.  Cream butter,sugar and vanilla essence till light and fluffy.
2.  Beat in egg yolks and beat well.
3.  Stir ingredients A into the mixture.
4.  Fold in flour mixture and raisins.
5.  Put the NESTLE CORNFLAKES in to mix.
6.  Roll into balls.
7.  Place onto lightly greased tray.
8.  Bake in preheat oven 160°C for 15-20 minutes OR till golden brown.

THE ORIGINAL RECIPE:

CRANBERRY WALNUT RECIPE:

INGREDIENTS:

(A)
180g flour
 60g cornflour
1 tsp baking powder

200g butter
130g castor sugar
2 egg yolk beaten
11/2 tsp vanilla essence
100g cranberries,soaked in boiling water for 3 minutes and drain well to remove excess water
90g walnut,chopped coarsely
200g NESTLE CORNFLAKES,coarsely crushed

PREPARATION:

1.  Cream butter,sugar and vanilla essence till light and fluffy.
2.  Beat in egg yolks and beat well.
3.  Stir ingredients A into the mixture.
4.  Fold in flour mixture,cranberries and walnut.
5.  Roll dough into balls and coat the dough with crushed NESTLE CORNFLAKES.
6.  Place on lightly greased tray.
7.  Bake in preheat oven 160°C for 15-20 minutes OR till golden brown.

Zebra Cake

I stumble upon this recipe by Tastemade.com on facebook.Had it jolt down and made.Had it for my afternoon tea.Finished by night.

ZEBRA CAKE RECIPE:

4 egg

1 cup sugar

1 cup milk

1 cup oil

1 tsp vanilla

2 cups wheat flour

1 tbsps. baking powder

METHOD:

1.  Beat eggs and sugar together till fluffy.

2.  Add in milk,oil and vanilla.

3.  Mix wheat flour and baking powder together.

4.  Slowly add in to the eggs mixture.Mix well.

5.  Divide into two portions.One portion add in 4 tablespoons cocoa powder and the        other portion leave it plain.

6.Pour alternate layers till done.Begin with the plain layer in the middle.

Portuguese Egg Tarts

On a lazy Sunday afternoon,and that was yesterday,I made 11 flaky portuguese egg tarts and a nice soft chiffon cake.Everyone was celebrating Father's Day yesterday.This wasn't for Father's Day though.

When searching for recipe,I found that almost every sites had the same ingredients.I will have to simply choose one and I chose the one from Helen's Recipe because I like her idea of the plus incision.It's so much easier. http://danangcuisine.com/?p=4652

She only made 9 tarts but I made 11 tarts.I don't know how I did it.Somehow my crust must have been thinner than hers,but it's alright because it was still yummy and flaky to the feel.I used up the excess trim edges in fact.

The pastries has to keep resting for a few hours before it can finally be used.I made it the night before and kept it in the fridge to be used later.It can even stored up to 1 week.

All in all,it took about three and a half hours for me to finished making these yummy and crunchy portuguese egg tarts and only to know that it can be finished in a jiffy except two which I kept for my elder son who wasn't at home during that time.

I follow step by step Helen's recipe:

Crust:

100 g butter
130g all purpose flour
1/8 tsp salt

80 ml water

Fillings:

250 ml milk

50 g sugar

1 tbsp corn starch

60 ml cream (35% fat)

2 egg yolks

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Instructions:

1.  In a mixing bowl, mix together all-purpose flour with a pinch of salt and water. Mix with a spatula until the flour absorb all the liquid and then knead with your hands until the dough comes together.

2.  Make a plus incision on top of the dough ball and pull way the 4 chops to make it look like a flower. Then put it back into the mixing bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Let it rest for 15 mins.

3  .Cut the butter into smaller chunks and then spread it out in a plastic bag to form a nice rectangular. Use your fingers to press the butter to distribute it evenly into the plastic bag, forming a rectangular into the size about 10x17 cm Fold the bag nicely and place the butter into the freezer for 5-10 mins.

4.   Flour the working surface and also a long rolling pin. Take out the dough and roll it flat. Roll out the 4 chops into the longer petals. Roll out the piece of dough flat and large enough so that it can cover the piece of butter. Unwrap the butter and place it right in the middle. Then fold the 4 petals, making sure that it completely covers the piece of butter.

5.  Wrap it up in a piece of food plastic wrap and then place in the fridge to chill for 20-30 mins. Do not shorten the waiting time by putting it in the freezer.

6.  Flour the working surface again, unwrap the dough and roll it flat to the thickness of 0,3cm. Keep the dough in the rectangular shape. Always flour the working surface, the rolling pin and the dough to avoid sticking. Fold the dough in fourth, cover in plastic wrap and chill in the fridge for another 20 mins. After that, take it out and repeat the process one more time.

7.  Now instead of folding it, roll it into a log, then cover in plastic wrap again and let it rest in the fridge for 2 hours. This can be stored in the fridge for a couple of weeks so feel free to prepare it the day before.

8.  Combine 250ml milk, 50g sugar, 1 tbsp corn starch, 60ml cream and 2 egg yolks in a small saucepan. Use a whisk to break up the yolks and give it a good stir. Turn on the stove to medium low heat and gradually heat the mixture while constantly stirring with a spatula until it gets thicker(I used wooden spoon)

9.  Turn off the heat and put the pan on waterbath. Add in the vanilla extract to mix.

10.  Unwrap the dough and divide it into nine equal potions. Flatten it out into a round disc and then shape it into the molds. Trim off the excess. Gently pour the egg and milk mixture into the molds.

11. Bake at 250° C for 25 mins. (mine took 30 mins)Take out to cool on a wire rack.

Peaches Ogura Cake

My book(Y3K) have twenty Ogura cakes recipes.By far I've only tried two.Ogura cakes are same like an angel cake or sponge-like touch.The sponge that you used for washing dishes.

If you like angel cake,you will also like Ogura cake.

PEACHES OGURA CAKE RECIPE;

Ingredients:

A) 65g egg yolks
     1 egg
     32g fresh milk
     32g corn oil
     50g superfine flour

B) 120g egg whites
       55g caster sugar
      1/2 tsp lemon juice

C)  50g canned peaches(drained,diced)

Method:
1.Preheat oven top and bottom to 180°C(each oven temperature varies)Place into a tray of hot water
2.Place ingredient(A) into a large bowl.Use a handheld  beater to beat ingredients till fluffy.Add in ingredients (C)..Mix well.
3.Place ingredients (B) into a large bowl.Use a handheld beater to beat ingredients till stiff but not dry(the egg white mixture will hold it's shape once the beater is taken out from the bowl).
4.Spoon out 1 ladle of no.3 into no.2 fold in quickly.Now,pour mixture into the balance of no(3)
and fold quickly but gently (too lengthy a time will deflate the egg whites).Pour into mould,bang it lightly to release excess air.
5.Bake no(4) in no(1) for 30 minutes using steam-bake method.
6.Insert a skewer in the center of cake.If it comes out clean cake is ready.Place on surface of a table for 3 minutes before
inverting over a wire rack.Cool well,slice or wrap cool cake and keep chill overnight for a better flavour.