Cheesecake au potimarron et aux epices ( Spiced Pumpkin Cheesecake)

Spiced Pumpkin Cheesecake

I love cheesecake and in France with the wide choice of cheese, it's a kitchen adventure to try out those cheeses.  

Ingredients :

Biscuit Base

  150 gm bastogne/speculoos biscuit, crushed

  50 gm unsalted butter, softened

  50 gm chopped walnut

  50 gm brown sugar

Cheesecake

  200 gm pumpkin puree

  250 gm ricotta 

  50 gm carre frais cheese

  3 eggs

  75 gm sugar

  1 tbsp corn flour

  1/3 tsp ginger powder

  1/3 tsp cinnamon powder

  1/3 tsp nutmeg powder

Method:

1.  Mix all the ingredients for the biscuits and put them in the cake mould.  Press them down to form the base for the cheesecake.  Leave them in the fridge while preparing for the cheesecake.

2.  First have to prepare the pumpkin puree as they are not available in tin form.

Pumpkin 

Pumpkin, all cut up

 3.  Cut the pumkin into small pieces, add a pinch of salt and some olive oil and bake them at 190°C for 30 minutes, stir the pumpkin every 10 minutes.  You can also steam them but I love the taste of roasted pumpkin.

Pumkin, all roasted

4.  Puree the roasted pumpkin, then add all the ingredients for the cheesecake in a bowl and mix them all up till a smooth mixture.  Place them on top of the biscuit base and bake at 160°C for 40-50 minutes till firm.  Leave in oven with door open to cool before removing.  Cool in the fridge overnight.

Spiced pumpkin cheesecake

Ban Chean Kuih (Slow-cooked Pancake)

Ban Chean Kuih

I love ban chean kuih and have tried various recipes from many blogs, until I found this one which brings back great memory of childhood cravings!  I got this recipe from a book, Famous Street Food of Penang, a guide and cookbook.   This recipe makes 18-20 pancakes.

Batter :
40 gm rice flour
90 gm plain flour
1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda
80 gm caster sugar
1/4 tsp salt
60 ml thick coconut milk
100 ml water

oil for greasing

Filling :
150 gm wok-fried peanuts, finely crushed
150 gm caster sugar
100 gm margarine
1/2 tin cream-style sweetcorn
100 gm freshly grated coconut (optional)

Method :
1.  Sift the flours and bicarbonate of soda together into a mixing bowl.  Add the sugar and salk, then whisk in the coconut milk and water to form a smooth batter.  Cover with a damp tea towel and rest the batter for at least 30 minutes or overnight in the refrigerator.
2.  Lightly grease and heat the mould/pan over low flame.  When the mould/pan is warm, ladle enough batter onto it to form a thin layer.  Cook, covered, for 10 seconds.  Sprinkle 1-2 tsp of sugar on the pancake.  Top with 2-3 tbsp of crushed peanuts and cook, covered, for another 10 seconds or until browned and crisp at the edges.
3.  Top with a generous dallop of margarine, a heaped tablespoon of creamed corn and the grated coconut, if using.  Remove pancake and fold into half.
4.  Repeat, to use up the batter.  Serve pancakes when they are still warm and crispy.  In France, unable to find the peanut like in Malaysia, so lazy cook just uses ready grilled peanuts and crushed them.  Lazy cook does not use the creamed corn too as unable to find in France.  With the peanut and sugar and butter, it is simply delicious!

Blanquette de Dinde (French Turkey Ragout)

Blanquette de Dinde served with macaroni

French Turkey Ragout is a style of cooking in which neither the turkey nor the butter is browned in the cooking process. To refrain from browning meat and fat in this way, is to cook them en blanquette.

Method:
800 gm Turkey
1 tbsp butter
1 tbsp olive oil
1 onion, julienne
1/2 cup white wine
1 tbsp flour
1 tablet chicken stock
1 carrot, peeled and sliced
1 tbsp parsley, chopped
1 branch thyme or 1/2 tsp dried thyme
1/2 cup button mushroom, sliced
1/2 cup creme fraiche or double cream

Method:
1.  Add the butter and olive oil in a pot. Add the onion, once the onion is transparent add the white wine, let the white wine reduce to half, then add the flour.
2.  When the mixture is smooth, add a cup of water then add the chicken stock, carrots, parsley and thyme. Bring to slow boil then add the turkey.  Cook over slow fire for at least 40 minutes.
3.  Add the mushroom and creme fraiche or double cream.  Serve immediately.

Seafood Bouche a la Reine

Seafood Bouche a la Reine served with Salad

 A simple starter, easy to put together and tastes so yummy.

Ingredients :
6 Bouche a la Reine

2 tbsp butter
2 tbsp flour
1 cup cream
1/2 cup white wine
100 gm seafood (Lazy cook uses frozen pre-cook mix seafood)
1 tbsp chopped parsley
1 tbsp chopped shallots
2 cloves chopped garlic
Salt and pepper
emmental cheese

Method:
1.  In a pot, melt the butter, then whisk in the flour.  Once a roux is formed, whisk in the cream, then add the white wine.
2.  When the mixture is smooth add the frozen seafood, parsley, shallots and garlic.  Stir till the frozen seafood warms through.  Then season to taste and remove from fire.

Seafood filing for the Bouche a la Reine

3.  I buy the Bouche a la Reine because it is tedious to make.

Bouche a la Reine before filing

4.  I cut the top out and put aside.  Add the seafood filing into the Bouche a la Reine, topped with grated emmental cheese.
5.  Placed the Bouche a la Reine in the oven at 190°C for 5 minutes.  Remove and place the hat on and serve immediately.

Flan Patissier (French Flan)

Flan

My first time to France, I was introduced to this dessert and fell in love with it.  This happen to be hubby's favorite dessert.  I looked through and tried many recipes till I found this recipe in a French Website, Journal de Femme.

Ingredients:
Pate Brisee
3 eggs
100 gm corn flour
3 tbsp vanilla extract

1 liter milk
160 gm sugar
2 packet vanilla sugar

Method:
1.  Roll out the pate brisee (short crust pastry) onto a baking pan about 9". Place them in the fridge and prepare the flan.
2.  Beat the eggs, corn flour and vanilla extract in a bowl.  (Lazy Cook does not use vanilla extract, I use vanilla beans instead).  If the mixture is too thick add a little bit of the 1 liter milk.
3.  Bring to slow boil the balance of the milk and sugar. Since I do not use the vanilla sugar, I add half the beans from the vanilla beans.
4.  Remove the milk mixture from fire and add them into the egg mixture.  Mix well and return the mix into the pot and stir over slow fire till thickens.
5.  Pour the mixture onto the pate brisee.
6.  Since I do not pre-cook my pate brisee, I bake the flan at 200°C for 10 minutes then lower it to 180°C and continue to bake for 30 minutes.

Ready for the oven

7.  Remove from oven and cool.  I love my flan cold so I put in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours. Enjoy!

Brownie Cheesecake

Brownie Cheesecake

Ingredients:
Chocolate Brownie
120 gm chocolate
100 gm butter
100 gm brown sugar
2 eggs
40 gm all purpose flour
Cheesecake
200 gm St Moret cheese/Philadelphia cream cheese
1 egg
50 gm sugar
1 tbsp flour

Method:
1.  Preheat the oven to 150°C.
2.  Melt the chocolate and butter in the microwave.  Add the brown sugar, then the egg, one at a time. Once combined, add the flour to obtain a smooth batter.
3.  Mix the cream cheese with the egg, then add the sugar.  Once combined, add the flour to obtain a smooth batter.
4.  In a buttered pan, add 3/4 chocolate brownie batter, then the cheese batter.  Finish with the balance of the brownie batter.
5.  Bake for 30 minutes.
6.  Remove from the oven and let it cool.  Once cool refrigerate for at least 4 hours before serving.

Brownie Cheesecake 

Char Kway Kak (Fried Radish Cake)

Char Kway Kak

Rice Cake (yields about 800 gm rice cake)
Ingredients :
300 gm rice flour
75 gm tapioca flour
1 litre water
1 tsp salt

Combine all the ingredients in a mixing bowl to form a smooth batter.  Strain into a wok or saucepan and cook over low to medium heat, stirring until thickened.
Pour into a greased tray to a height of 4 cm.  Steam over rapidly boiling water for 20 minutes  Remove from heat and set aside to cool at room temperature for 6 hours or until cake has set firmly.

Rice cake, cut ready for the wok

Ingredients for Char Kway Kak:
400 gm rice cake cut into 2 cm cubes
1 large clove garlic, chopped
3 tsp chopped preserved radish (chai poh)
2 1/2 tsp chilli paste or to taste
2 tbsp light soy sauce
1 tbsp dark soy sauce
1/4 tsp chicken stock granules (optional)
2 large eggs
150 gm beansprouts
50 gm Chinese chives
1/2 tsp ground white pepper

Heat a tablespoon of oil and pan-fry rice cake over high heat until lightly browned (about 1 minute).  Set aside.
In the same wok; heat a little more oil to fry the garlic and preserved radish until fragrant.  Add the chilli paste and saute for 20 seconds, stirring continuously until chilli is aromatic.
Add the radish cake and the combined seasonings of light and dark soy sauce and chicken stock granules. Stir to coat well.
Push the cake to one side and crack in the eggs.  Stir to scramble the eggs.  Add the beansprouts and chives, season with pepper and stir everything together for a few seconds before dishing out.  Serve hot.

Lazy cook does not have the chai poh and Chinese chives, so she does not add those in. Lazy cook also do not like chicken stock so did not add it in too.   Woala.... dinner is served!