Semoule au Lait (Semolina Pudding)

A family favourite, easy and quick to put together and taste like Nestum!

Ingredients:
1 liter milk
90 gm semolina
100 gm sugar
1 tsp vanilla essence

Method:
In a pot mix all the ingredient above and bring to a boil.  Stir till thickens.  Remove from heat.  I love chocolate flavored semolina pudding so I add 2 tbsp of my favourite chocolate powder.   Divide into serving cups and chill before serving.

Le Frasier (French Strawberry Cake)

I am not a fan of strawberries but this cake is so good with strawberries and I simply love it!  I am using the recipe from the blog La cuisine de Mercotte.

Materials needed; cake ring 4 cm in height and 20 cm in diameter, rhodoïd (plastic film) of 4 cm in height and a silicon mat or equivalent.

First step, make the génoise (sponge cake):
Ingredients:
90 gm flour
90 gm sugar
150 gm eggs (3 small eggs/2 large eggs)

Method:
On a bain-marie (water bath),  whisk the egg and sugar mixture.  Whisk without stopping till the mixture rise and to about 50/55°C.  To tell that it has reached the temperature, take a little of the mixture and put on the lips, if it burn then the temperature is good.  Remove from heat and continue to whisk till it cools down.  With a spatula add the flour, in 2 or 3 times, delicately into the mixture, so that the mixture remains fluffy.
Spread the mixture evenly onto the silicon mat.  Bake at 180°C for 10-15 minutes.  The génoise is cooked when it is blond, soft in the centre and shrinks slightly from the side.  Turn out the génoise onto baking paper and cut out 2 circles of 19.5 cm.
You can also cook the génoise in 2 cake pan but you may not have the same thickness in the cake.

2nd step, make the soaking syrup:
Ingredients:
100 gm water
120 gm sugar
20 gm Kirsch (cherry liqueur) or Strawberry Syrup (if you don't like alcohol)

Method:
Bring to boil the sugar and water, till the sugar dissolves. Remove from heat, cool then add the Kirsch or Strawberry Syrup.

3rd step, make the Mousseline Crème
Ingredients:
375 gm milk
80 gm sugar
55 gm egg yolk (about 5 egg yolks)
15 gm flour
15 gm cornflour
1/2 vanilla beans or 1 tsp vanilla essence
250 gm butter softened
15 gm Kirsch (optional)

Method:
Infuse the vanilla beans in the milk for 10 minutes.  Then add half the sugar and bring to boil.  In the meantime, whisk the other half of the sugar with the egg yolks, then add the sifted flour.  Remove the milk from fire, remove the vanilla beans and add into the egg/sugar/flour mixture.  Mix thoroughly, then cook over low heat till thickens.  Once thicken, remove from heat and place the mixture in a bowl, then add half the butter, mix till smooth. Cling film and chill. When the mixture is around 16-18 °C, cream the remaining butter in a cake mixer and gradually add the cream. When the cream is homogeneous add the Kirsch.

Final step, assembly
Ingredients :
250 gm strawberries
100 gm marzipan, sprinkle icing sugar on work surface, roll out and cut out using the cake ring.

Method:
Line the cake ring with plastic film (rhodoïd), cut strawberries in 2 and garnish the circumference of the cake ring.  Place the génoise on the bottom, brush generously with the soaking syrup, pipe in half the mousseline crème, line the remaining strawberries, then pipe in the remaining mousseline crème, keep a tiny bit of the crème to brush on top of the génoise before laying the marzipan.
Brush the second piece of génoise with the soaking syrup before placing it on top of the mousseline crème. Then pipe in remaining mousseline crème, even it out before placing the marzipan.  Chill before serving.

Banana Cake

I love banana cake and I like Ina Garten recipe.

Ingredients

3 very ripe bananas, mashed
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup light brown sugar, lightly packed
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 extra-large eggs, at room temperature
1/2 cup sour cream
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Grated zest of 1 orange
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 cup coarsely chopped walnuts (optional)

Cream Cheese Frosting (recipe follows)
Walnut halves, for decorating (optional)
Cream Cheese Frosting:
6 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Method:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour a 9 by 2-inch round cake pan.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, mix the bananas, granulated sugar, and brown sugar on low speed until combined. With the mixer still on low, add the oil, eggs, sour cream, vanilla, and orange zest. Mix until smooth. (I use butter and slice the bananas instead of mashing them)

In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, baking soda, and salt. With the mixer on low, add the dry ingredients and mix just until combined. Stir in the chopped walnuts, if using. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 45 to 50 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool in the pan for 15 minutes, turn out onto a cooling rack, and cool completely.

Spread the frosting thickly on the top of the cake and decorate with walnut halves, if using.

Cream Cheese Frosting:

Mix the cream cheese, butter, and vanilla in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment on low speed until just combined. Don't whip! Add the sugar and mix until smooth. Yield: frosting for one 9-inch cake.

Read more at: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ina-garten/old-fashioned-banana-cake-recipe.html

Honeycomb cake (Kek Sarang Semut)

A soft spongy cake that is my favourite, got the recipe from House of Annie, I have tried a lot of recipes and this is the one that I like most!  In Malay, they call it Kek Sarang Semut or Kek Gula Hangus. 

Ingredients
210g sugar
240g water
80g butter
6 eggs
160g condensed milk
180g all-purpose flour
2½ tsp baking soda

Method
1. In a saucepan over low heat, caramelize the sugar until it turns a dark golden brown.  Lazy cook is lousy at making caramelize sugar and this needs a lot of patience, have to melt the sugar totally.
2. Slowly and carefully pour the water into the caramel. CAUTION! The caramel is very hot and the water will quickly boil and steam. Stir until the caramel is dissolved in the water and it becomes a thin syrup. Remove from heat.
3. Melt the butter into the syrup and set the pan aside to cool.
4. Preheat oven to180°C.
5. In a bowl, whisk the egg till fluffy then add the condensed milk.
6. Sift the flour and baking soda together into the egg mixture. Mix well.
7. Pour the caramel butter sauce into the batter and mix well.
8. Pour the batter into a greased, 9-inch round cake pan. Let it sit for 5 minutes for the bubbles to begin developing. Lazy cook let the cake sits for at least 30 minutes, some blogger lets it sits for up to 4 hours.
9. Bake for 45 minutes to 1 hour or until a skewer inserted into the cake comes out clean.
10. When the cake is cool,turn it out onto a plate. Enjoy!

Nyonya Acar Fish

Nyonya acar hu

I love this dish a lot, normally in Penang, the fish used is belanak, over here in France, I have used sardine and mackerel.  Today, I use mackerel, and the recipe is from my penang nyonya cookbook.

Ingredients :
1 kg fish fillet or small, whole fish
2 tsp salt
1 cup oil for frying

30 gm (5cm) fresh tumeric root, sliced thinly
4 tbsp cooking oil
100 gm young ginger, sliced thinly
100 gm garlic, sliced thinly
30 gm (3) red chillies, seeded and quartered
30 gm (3) green chillies, seeded and quartered
250 ml vinegar
8-10 tbsp sugar
2 tsp salt, or to taste

1 tbsp sesame seeds, roasted

Method:
1  Clean and gut fish and season with salt.  Deep fry the fish until golden.  Drain on paper towel and set aside.
2.  Fry the tumeric in 4 tbsp oil until the oil turns yellow.  Discard the tumeric.  Lazy cook does not have tumeric root, she omits this step.
3.  Using the tumeric oil, lazy cook adds 1/2 tsp tumeric powder into the oil, fry the ginger and garlic till golden brown.  Leave aside to cool before adding the red and green chillies, vinegar, sugar, salt to taste.
4.  Lastly, add the fried fish.  Serve garnished with ginger, garlic and sesame seeds.
Best served the next day as the flavours will develop overnight.  If not consumed immediately, keep it submerged in the vinegar solution in a clean glass jar,  it keeps well for about a week at room temperature and longer in the refrigerator.

Kek Lapis Kukus Cream Cheese (Steamed Cream Cheese Layer Cake)

Steamed Cream Cheese Layer Cake

A steamed cake, a change from the usual baking! Tastes good and hubby just adores it! Got this recipe from kongsi recipe website.

Ingredients :
Cream Cheese Layer
250 gm cream cheese
60 gm castor sugar
1 egg
1 tbsp water/evaporated milk
1 tsp lemon juice
1 tbsp all purpose flour

Method :
1. Whisk the cream cheese with the sugar till combined.
2. Add the egg, water or evaporated milk, lemon juice and flour. Whisk till combined.
3. Leave to rest while making the chocolate layer.

Ingredients:
Chocolate Layer
2 eggs
1 cup castor sugar
1 tsp vanilla essence
a pinch of salt
1/2 cup hot water/coffee
1/2 cup evaporated milk/fresh milk
1/2 cup corn oil/vegetable oil
1 cup all-purpose flour
3 tbsp cocoa powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder

Method :
1.  Whisk the egg with the sugar in a separate bowl till pale and fluffy.
2.  Add vanilla essence and salt, continue to whisk.
3.  Add the hot water or coffee, milk and oil and continue to whisk.
4.  Sieve in the flour, baking soda, baking powder and cocoa powder, incorporate into the mixture.
5.  Separate in half and leave it to rest while preparing the steamer.
6.  Pour one half of the batter into a greased square 9" cake pan and steam for 15 minutes.
7.  After 15 minutes, pour the cream cheese layer into the cake pan and continue to steam for another 15 minutes.
8.  Lastly pour the other half of the chocolate layer and continue to steam for another 20 minutes.  The original recipe covers with aluminium foil before steaming the layers.  Lazy cook does not cover the cake pan while steaming, she only covers the cake pan with a cloth the last 10 minutes of steaming.
9.  Remove and let cool completely before cutting them. Enjoy! Yum yum!

Apom Polka Dot

Ingredients: (makes 12 muffin size apom)
3 cold eggs
200 gm sugar (original recipe uses 220 gm sugar)
275 gm all purpose flour
150 ml evaporated milk (can use normal milk)
2 tsp baking powder (original recipe uses 3 tsp)
1 tsp condensed milk (original recipe uses ovalette)
coloring (Lazy cook uses red and green)
filing (Lazy cook uses strawberry jam)

Method:
1. Whisk the egg and the sugar, lazy cook uses only 200 gm sugar because she finds the original recipe too sweet.  Add the flour and milk, alternately.  Finally add the baking powder and condensed milk.  Continue to whisk, lazy cook uses a mixer, till a smooth mixture.
2.  Take 2 tbsp of the mixture and place them in a bowl, this is for the polka dot.  Add the coloring, lazy cook adds red to the big batch of mixture and green to the small batch. Can use other coloring, if no coloring is used the mixture would come out white in color.
3.  Line the muffin tray with muffin cups, then fill a tablespoon of red mixture into the muffin cups.  Add a teaspoon of strawberry jam.

Half filled apom with strawberry jam

4.  Fill the rest of the apom with the balance of the mixture.  Then using a piping bag with a very small hole, dot the apoms.  Let the apom stand for 30 minutes.  I did not let the apom stand in the muffin tray but in the mixing bowl, so my apoms, after steaming does not have a smooth top.

Ready for the steamer

5.  Steam the apom for 10 - 15 minutes.  Remove, cool and enjoy!