Wild Mushroom Tartlets

I have finally found bottomless tart rings in Singapore! I have been looking for these for a long while now and had even contemplated purchasing them from overseas and having it shipped to Singapore. However the shipping cost which was even more than the tart rings itself had detered me from doing so. If I really had bought them I would have had to kick myself really hard in the butt because the rings sold here in Singapore are much cheaper.

I made some wild mushroom tartlets as opening ceremony for the rings. I usually tend to make the tart shells over a weekday and freeze them until weekend when I have more time to bake. So it is quite often that I do have a spare unbaked tart shell lying in a corner of my freezer. Really handy too whenever I feel like having a tart for dinner.





Wild Mushroom Tartlets
Makes a 9" tart or Four 4" tartlets

For the Pate Brisee:

250g all purpose flour
150g cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
1 tsp fine salt
1 medium egg
1 Tbsp cold milk

Method for the Pate Brisee:

1) Sift flour and salt into a bowl.

2) Add in the butter.

3) Using a pastry cutter, cut the butter into the flour until it resembles rough breadcrumbs.

4) In a separate bowl, lightly beat the egg with the milk and drizzle it onto the flour mixture.

5) Using your hands, blend the mixture together and lighly knead to bring together. Try not to handle the dough too much.

6) Roll the dough into a ball, wrap in plastic wrap, flatten it into a disk and chill for about 45 minutes to an hour.

8) To line your tart tray, I find it easier to roll the dough between two pieces of clingwrap plastic. Roll to about 3" wider than the base of your tray. Remove the top wrap.

9) Lift the dough using the clingwrap plastic and gently flip it into your tart tray. Press the dough onto the tray and trim off the excess.

10) Dock the base of the tart shell with a fork and then place it into the fridge for another hour.

11) Preheat oven to 190C. Bake the shell blind, for about 15 minutes. Then remove the parchment paper and bake for another 5 minutes. Remove from oven and let it cool before pouring in the filing.

Cook's Note:

You can also use your food processor. Just whisk the dry ingredients first. Then drop in the cubed cold butter into the processor. Pulse until the mixture resembles rough breadcrumbs. Then slowly add in the egg and pulse until the dough comes together - do not overdo this otherwise your dough will be very hard.



Ingredients for the Filing:
Recipe Adapted from Taste.com.au

50g unsalted butter butter, chopped
1 small onion, finely diced
3 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
400g mixed wild mushrooms, roughly chopped
2 eggs
1 cup thickened cream
80g grated mixed cheddar
1/2 tsp mixed dried herbs
Salt and pepper to taste

Method:

1) Melt butter in a large frying pan over medium-high heat. Add onions and garlic. Cook, stirring often, for 5 minutes or until soft.

2) Add the mushrooms and dried herbs, and cook for 4 minutes or until just tender. Set aside for 10 minutes to cool.

3) Whisk eggs, cream and salt and pepper in a jug. Spoon mushroom mixture into pastry case. Pour over egg mixture. Top with cheese. Place on hot tray. Bake tart for 40 minutes or until centre is set and top is light golden. Serve whilst still warm.

Banana Chocolate Cupcakes with Swiss Meringue Buttercream

I bake on most weekends. It's just me and if I don't something is definitely not right! A few weekends ago I had the urge to make something with left over bananas that had been in my fridge for more than three weeks. Yes, you heard me ... three weeks! Surprisingly they weren't mushy at all, just slightly darkened.

To be frank I didn't have much time that week as I was baking a cake for a friend's grandfather's 100th birthday. So I wanted to do a quick cupcake recipe and came across this one from Joy of Baking's website. I have tried numerous recipes from here and every one turned out wonderfully. Even though I was really tired from putting the birthday cake together, I still wanted to do something to take to office the next day. The other incentive was that I had quite a bit of Swiss Meringue Buttercream left over which would do nicely on the cupcakes. If you are looking for a light and delicious buttercream recipe, I highly recommended a Swiss Meringue Buttercream. It is absolutely gorgous and smooth.





Banana Chocolate Cupcakes with Swiss Meringue Buttercream
Recipe Adapted from "Joy of Baking"
Makes 12 regular or 15 medium cupcakes

Ingredients:

3/4 cup caster sugar (reduced from original recipe)
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
3/4 teaspoons baking powder
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 large egg
1/2 cup mashed ripe bananas (I used "pisang emas", 4 pieces)
1/2 cup warm water
1/4 cup low-fat milk
1/4 cup canola, corn, or vegetable oil
3/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Method:

1) Preheat oven to 180C or 165C for fan-oven. Line 12 regular-sized muffin cups with paper liner.

2) In a large bowl whisk together the sugar, flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.

3) In another large bowl, whisk together the egg, mashed banana, water, milk, oil, and vanilla extract. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and stir until combined. (The batter is quite thin.)

4) Pour or scoop the batter into the muffin cups, about 3/4 full, and bake for about 20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of a cupcake comes out clean. (I found it easier to pour the batter into a jug and then transfer it to each cupcake liner)

5) Frost with your favourite frosting or with Italian Meringue Buttercream.
Makes about 9 cups, enough for about 28 cupcakes



Swiss Meringue Buttercream
Recipe Adapted from Martha Stewart
Makes about 4 1/2 cups

Ingredients:

1 cup sugar
5 large egg whites
4 sticks cold slightly soften unsalted butter, cut into pieces
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Method:

1) Place sugar and egg whites in the heat-proof bowl. Set bowl over a pan of gently simmering water, and whisk continuously until sugar has dissolved and egg whites are hot to the touch, about 3 minutes. Test by rubbing the mixture between your fingers; it should feel completely smooth.

2) Transfer bowl to a stand-mixer bowl. Using the whisk attachment, beat on high speed until mixture has cooled completely and formed stiff and glossy peaks, about 10 minutes.

3) Add the butter, one piece at a time, and beat until incorporated after each addition. Don't worry if the buttercream appears curdled. It will come together after a while. Continue beating until smooth and fluffy. Add vanilla, and beat just until combined.

4) Switch to the paddle attachment, and beat on the lowest speed to eliminate any air pockets, about 5 minutes. If using buttercream within several hours, cover bowl with plastic wrap, and set aside at room temperature in a cool environment. Or transfer to an airtight container, and store in the refrigerator, up to 3 days. Before using, bring buttercream to room temperature, and beat on the lowest speed with the paddle attachment until smooth, about 5 minutes

Pandan Flavoured Macarons with Coconut Jam (Kaya)

Macarons are still a mystery to me because I am never consistent whenever I make these french cookies. I could have a good batch one time and a total disaster another time.

I don't purposely plan to make macarons but this particular time I had quite a lot of left over egg whites. So I kept them in a plastic container in the fridge for close to a week before using them. Pandan flavoured macarons had been on my mind when deciding on the flavour. For the filing it was simple - what goes with pandan was so obvious, kaya or coconut jam. It was a breeze where this recipe was concerned as I used bottled jam which is so easily available - buy the best flavoured one in this case! And I was glad that this time round it was not a disaster!





Pandan Flavoured Macarons with Coconut Jam (Kaya)
Adapted from "Ottolenghi - The Cookbook"

Ingredients:

110g icing sugar
60g almondmeal
60g egg whites, (about 2 eggs) aged 3 days in the fridge, then for about 3 hours at room temperature. You can also use 24 hour aged egg whites left open and unrefrigerated.
30g castor sugar (this is reduced from the original recipe)
1 tsp pandan extract or pandan essence
Wilton green colour gel (optional if you want more colour)
Dessicated coconut for sprinkling on top of shells
Store bought coconut jam (kaya) for filing

Method for the Macaron Shells:

1) Line two baking trays with parchment paper.

2) In a large mixing bowl mix the egg whites with an electric hand beater (alternatively you can use a stand mixer with the whisk attachment) until it is frothy. Gradually add the granulated sugar, whisking all the while, until the mixture turns into a thick glossy meringue (soft peak). Then add in the pandan extract and mix until stiff peaks.

3) Sift the almond meal in a clean bowl and measure out the correct weight. Then sift the icing sugar into another bowl and measure out the correct weight. Mix both almong meal and icing sugar together and whisk until mix properly. There should be no lumps

4) Add 1/3 of the dry ingredients into the meringue. Give the mixture a quick fold to ensure that everything is combined. Add the remaining 2/3 dry ingredients and gently fold the mixture (about 50 folds altogether). Fold a few times to break the air. Continue until you get a smooth and supple mixture, thick in consistency so that when you lift the spatula it flows back in thick ribbons. Test a small amount on a plate – should the tops fall back and flatten by themselves then it is ready, if not give it a few more folds.

5) Fill a large piping bag with a plain tip with the batter and pipe small rounds (2 cm in diameter) on your prepared baking paper. Sprinkle the top of each macaron with the dessicated coconut. Leave the macarons to rest and dry for 45 minutes.

6) Preheat the oven to 160C. When the macarons are ready, bake the shells for about 15 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow to cool. Use a flat offset spatula to gently remove the shells from the baking paper and allow to cool further on a rack.



To Assemble:

Using a spoon place a small dollop of the coconut jam on one of the shells and gently cover with another shell. Do not press. Continue to do this with the rest of the shells.

Storing Macarons:

If you are not going to be eating them right away you can store the shells in an airtight container at room temperature for 2-3 days. Fill the macarons a few hours before consuming.

They freeze well too but it is recommended to freeze them unfilled. To fill them take the shells out of the freezer 48 hours prior to serving and without defrosting fill them. This way the flavors will be allowed to blend as they thaw.

Rosemary and Mustard Crusted Lamb Rack

It is not often that I cook elaborate western dishes but when I do, I would sometimes do a roast lamb or beef. I know some people don't fancy lamb at all and my mum is one! However I believe a fresh cut of lamb does not smell at all especially if you season it with fresh herbs.



I was tempted to make lamb a few weeks back and went out of my way to a good supermarket to get a fresh rack. The local supermarket just around the corner from where I live don't stock lamb at all. So I had to go a little bit more out of my usual route. I used a combination of fresh sage and fresh rosemary (from my own pot in my balcony) for this particularly rack. I also think that mustard goes well as part of the marinade.





Rosemary and Mustard Crusted Lamb Rack

Ingredients:

1 1/2 Tbsp roughly chopped fresh rosemary
3 -4 sage leaves
1 finely grated Lemon zest
1 clove garlic finely minced
3 Tbsp olive oil
One piece 8 French-trimmed lamb rack
2 1/2 heaped Tbsp whole grained Dijon mustard
Sea salt to season
Freshly ground black pepper to season

Method:

1) Preheat the oven to 180ºC (350°F/Gas 4).

2) In a bowl add the rosemary, zest, garlic, olive oil, mustard, salt and pepper into a bowl and stir to combine.

3) Rub the marinade all over the rack and leave for 30 minutes.

4) Place the lamb over in a baking tray lined with aluminium foil. (If you like you can add some baby potatoes or vegetables on the bottom of the tray and place the rack on top of it)

5) Season with extra salt and pepper. Drizsle a bit more olive oil and place the sage leaves on top of the rack.

6) Roast the lamb for about 25 to 30 minutes, or until the lamb is cooked and nicely pink.

7) Remove the lamb from the oven and leave to rest in a baking tray loosely covered with foil for 5 minutes.

8) Cut the rack into each slice and serve with a side of roasted potatoes and vegetables.

Prune, Cinnamon and Toasted Walnut Cookies with Cinnamon Icing

Of late I think I have been really slacking in updating this blog. From my usual two posts a week it has now gone down to about one. It's not that I don't have recipes to post up but the initial eagerness I had felt when I first started this blog seems to be waning off. Maybe I am going through a "slight depression spell" and need to take a huge step and push myself out from this valley. But whatever it is I have to work this out myself. But rest assured, I definitely will continue blogging for now. In any case I wish you guys a great weekend and leave you with this absolutely delicious cookie recipe.







Prune, Cinnamon and Toasted Walnut Cookies with Cinnamon Icing
Recipe Adapted from "Weekend Baking" by Delia Smith
Makes about 20 cookies

Ingredients:

75g toasted walnuts, roughly chopped
100g unsalted butter, softened
120g brown sugar (you can use white as well)
1 large egg, lightly beaten
2 Tbsp plain cream cheese
150g all purpose flour, sifted
1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
1/4 tsp all spice
1/4 tsp salt
125g pitted dried prunes, chopped into small pieces

Method:

1) Preheat oven to 180C

2) Beat butter and sugar until soft and fluffy. Add in the egg and cream cheese and beat until well mixed.

3) Add in half the flour and spices and mix into the batter. Add in the remaining and mix until combined. Then fold in the walnuts and prunes.

4) Line a baking tray with parchment paper. Drop 1 heaped teaspoon onto the tray laving space between each cookie as it will expand.

5) Bake for about 10 - 12 minutes. The cookies will be soft but will harden slightly when cool. Note that these cookies are not crunchy in texture.

Cinnamon Icing:
50g icing sugar
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1 - 2 tsp cold water

Mix the above together until it is of drizzling consistency. Drizzle over each cookie and let the icing set.

Laksa Fried Rice With Shrimps

I must confess that I am really a simple person at heart. Simple, home-cooked meals brings such pleasure as it brings back childhood memories. Fried rice and fried rice noodles were staple weekend meals when I was growing up in Malaysia. My siblings and I would look forward to such weekends whenever we knew our mum was going to prepare this. Even though the ingredients used in the dish were simple, I guess to us kids at that time it was as good as eating abalone or lobster. I would usually eat more than a plateful. In fact I think everyone else had more than one serving as well! Even now cooking these two dishes bring back such memories and also that they happened to be my dear LT's favourite meals as well.

I decided to make fried rice this particular weekend. It wasn't because I wanted to evoke childhood memories but simply because I didn't know what to cook. I deviated from the usual chinese fried rice style of cooking and made a spicy flavoured one instead. I must say that it turned out pretty well. Now who says that you can't "cook on the fly" and come up with a tasty meal.



Before I jump into the recipe I had a nice surprise this week - in fact two nice surprises to be exact. I received 2 blog awards. It is really nice to receive such awards as it means that my blogging efforts are being recognized by other bloggers. To this I would like to thank Edith of Precious Moments and Vivian of Vivian Pang Kitchen



Laksa Fried Rice With Shrimps
Serves 4

Ingredients:

2 Tbsp vegetable oil
3 - 4 Tbsp laksa paste (recipe below)
300g medium prawns, shelled and deveined
1 small onion, finely chopped
300g (2 cups) frozen mixed vegetables, thawed
3 eggs, lightly whisked
600g (4 cups) pre-cooked long-grain white rice, cold from the fridge
white rice, cooled (see tip)
Salt, light soy sauce and white pepper for seasoning

For Garnishing:

Small bunch of coriander, roughly chopped
Sliced fresh chillies

Method:

1) Heat the oil in a large wok or deep frying pan over high heat. Saute the onions for about a minutes. Then add the laksa paste and fry until fragrant.

2) Add the prawns and mixed vegetables, and stir-fry for 1 minute.

3) Reduce heat to medium-high and add in the cold rice. Cook for about 3 minutes. Then pour in the beaten egg and stir into the rice. Cook for another 3 - 4 minutes, until the rice dries out. Season with salt, soy and pepper to taste.

4) Divide the rice amongst serving bowls. Garnish with chopped coriander and sliced chilles and and serve immediately.

Tip 1: For best results, cook the rice the day before (this allows time for the rice to dry slightly so the grains will be less sticky). Keep in an airtight container in the fridge.

Tip 2: Instead of making the laksa paste from scratch, you can buy pre-made paste from Asian grocery shops.



Laksa Spice Paste

Ingredients:

3 small shallots
2 cloves garlic
1 Tbsp crushed blanched candle nuts (or blanched plain almonds)
2 Tbsp soaked dried shrimp
2 fresh lemongrass. white part only, finely chopped
2 Tbsp chopped fresh galangal
1 tsp shrimp paste
3 fresh chillies, seeds removed and sliced
1 tsp chopped fresh tumeric
2 tsp ground coriander
3 lime leaves (center vein removed) and finely sliced. You can substitute with 1 tsp lime zest

Method:

Place all the above ingredients into a food processor or blender. Add a little bit of water and grind until smooth.

Chilled Tofu with Century Egg and Pork Floss

I regularly prepare chilled tofu dishes at home because it's easy to put together and it is delicious as well. There are in fact so many ways to prepare tofu and to me it is the perfect home-cooked comfort food.

Tofu used to be only cooked in Asian homes or restaurants but now it is found all over the world. Western restaurants are now even incorporating this ingredient into their fusion dishes.



Discovered over 2000 years ago by the Chinese, tofu has on occasions been described as the "Cheese of Asia" because of its physical resemblance to a block of farmer's cheese. It is highly nutritious and is protein-rich as it is made from soybean milk.

Tofu in fact is bland in taste and eaten on it's own is really not very tasty. Because it has such a mild taste it is most suitable for a wide variety of foods, from meat replacements in stir fry, stew or any other main dish to smoothies and desserts. Another great property is that it acts like a sponge and absorbs any seasoning or flavours you would add to the dish. That way you can marinade it and prepare it to taste any way you like. If you are a vegetarian or on a vegan free diet, tofu is the best possible food you could eat to obtain for your required protiens and nutrients.



Chilled Tofu with Century Egg and Pork Floss
Serves 2 to 3
Recipe Adapted from "Food & Travel" Magazine

Ingredients:

150g silken tofu, chilled
1/2 century egg, boiled and diced into small cubes (found in Asian grocers - you can omit this ingredient)
15g pork (or chicken) floss
1 small bunch of coriander, roughly chopped
1 Tbsp light soy sauce
1 Tbsp chilled water
1 1/2 tsp sesame oil
1/2 tsp chilli oil
Pinch of black pepper

Method:

1) Slice the tofu thinly and place on a serving plate.

2) Mix the seasoning together and pour over the tofu. Arrange the diced century egg over and around the tofu. Add a pinch of black pepper.

3) Then sprinkle the century egg, coriander and pork floss over the tofu. Serve immediately.