Baking Macarons

I signed up for a macaron baking class via Groupon and went for the session last night. This would be my first attempt at baking macarons, so the instructor gave us step by step instructions.

First, beat the egg white and castor sugar until it is thick like a merengue.

 The egg white (left) must be pure - no traces of egg yolk, no butter, nothing is to be mixed inside

 

 The egg white and sugar should be whisked until there is a lump of white cream

 

After whisking the egg white and sugar combination, mix the ground almond with icing sugar, and then sift out the fine particles.

 



 Almond and icing sugar mix

 

 Sifting the almond and icing sugar mix

 

Next, mix the sifted mixture into the egg white and sugar cream, folding in properly until a runny liquid is formed.

 



 After folding in the almond and sugar mixture with the egg white and sugar mixture

 

Add one drop of food colouring. Pour into piping plastic and then pipe onto a tray or onto moulds with various shapes.

 

 I kind of like this shape actually!

 

After piping, the moulds have to be left out at room temperature to set for around half an hour. After that, put into the oven to bake for twenty minutes. The oven should be pre-heated to 150 degree celsius first.

 



 Macarons fresh out of the oven

 

After the macarons were taken out of the oven, turn them over and pipe them with either chcolate cream, butter cream, or chocolate spread, before placing the other half on top. The macarons are ready to be served.

 



Completed macarons

Sago Gula Melaka

Sago Gula Melaka has always been one of my favourite desserts, ever since I first ate it at the then-Do Re Mi restaurant opposite Yamaha at the old Plaza Singapura. That place sells the best fried chicken wings and sago gula melaka I have ever eaten in my life! I wonder if that place is still around? It will be a great pity if such a nice cafeteria is no longer operating.

Since then, I have not been able to find much sago gula melaka here. Seems like it is not a popular dish. I wonder why? It is not as if the dish is that complicated, it is easy to prepare with just a few ingredients, able to prepare in advance and makes a good dessert after all the food and partying. So why do more eating places not have it?

This was the recipe I used :

2 packets or 600 grams of sago seeds
1 litre of water
1 kilograms of grated coconut
3 packets or 600 grams of gula melaka (brown sugar)
6 pandan leaves
2 teaspoons of salt
More water (for gula melaka and coconut)

1. Place the sago seeds into 1 litre of water and submerge for ten minutes.

2. Heat the sago seeds in the water under a low heat, stirring all the way until the mixture thickens.

3. Simmer the sago mixture.

4. Squeeze 250 mililitres of coconut milk from the grated coconut.

5. Pour the coconut milk with one teaspoon of salt into the sago mixture.

6. Stir until the mixture thickens until it cannot be stirred anymore.

7. Ladle out the sago mixture into individual containers and chill.

8. Melt the gula melaka in 600 mililitres of water and four pandan leaves, stirring the mixture along.

9. Once the sugar is all melted, strain the syrup into a bowl and leave it to settle.

10. Take the remaining coconut and drain out 500 mililitres of coconut milk.

11. Tie 2 pandan leaves into a knot and pour the coconut milk into a pot together with the pandan leaves.

13. Add in one teaspoon of salt into the coconut milk and heat it until the smell of the pandan leaves have been absorbed.

14. Pour the coconut milk into a bowl and leave it to set.

15. To serve, pour one tablespoon of gula melaka into each sago and top it off with some coconut milk.

As with every recipe, this is just a guide. We can always try and then adapt according to taste and sweetness!

Cooking Up A Storm

It had been some time since I last pottered around the kitchen, so when I was invited to a mini gathering of sorts last night, I offered to bring food. I prepared fried chicken wings, fish bits, vermicelli (again!) and cheese crackers for dessert to go with the French white wine which my friend is bringing along.

I started with the chicken marinade. It is actually quite easy to marinade the chicken wings as they would be deep fried anyway, so all I did was to add light soya sauce, powder spices, chopped garlic and onions to get the flavour, and then soak the chicken wings thoroughly into the marinade. Leave on for at least half an hour or so.

Powder for the chicken marinade

Marinated Chicken Wings

When the chicken wings were ready to be fried, I had to prepare the flour. By right, corn flour or chicken frying flour should be used, but since I only have self-raising flour at home, I had to make do with that. Each wing has to be thoroughly covered with flour before it could be fried. In order to let the flour stick to the wing, the wing had to be dipped in a beaten egg first.

Dip the chicken wing into the beaten egg

Cover it thoroughly with flour

Pre-fried Chicken Wings

One thing about deep frying is the amount of oil to be used. By right, the oil should take up at least half the wok, as the wing has to be totally submerged in the oil. That is why deep frying is never a healthy option!

Amount of oil used to deep fry chicken wings

The first batch of fried chicken wings

Next, I fried fish bits. That was easier as all I had to do was to spread breadcrumbs over the fish bits, then dip it in the oil and within five minutes, it was done!

Fried Fish Bits

The completed chicken wings and fish bits

Next, I cooked vermicelli. Those who have been keeping up will know this was not the first time I cooked vermicelli. I cooked it again because it is easy to prepare and practical enough to bring to a gathering.

Fried Vermicelli (completed)

Finally, for dessert, I wanted to make canapes - crackers with cheese and a piece of grape on top. However, I did not have enough grapes, and if I used up those I had, my mum would kill me, so in the end I made cheese crackers instead.

I used three different kinds of cheese - Australian Mild Cheddar, French Brie and Blue Cheese. I cut the cheese into square bits, put a piece onto a cracker and covered it up with another cracker, and that was it!

Cheese Crackers

At least those who ate commented the food was good, so it was an achievement indeed! Luckily no one fell sick! Come to think of it, I kind of miss pottering around the kitchen. I should do it more often from now on!

Threadfin Steak

In my younger years (from the time I was born until about the age of twenty-five), my family and my aunt's family would gather at my maternal grandmother's house every Saturday for a dinner-cum-reunion.

This was our routine almost every Saturday without fail (unless we had other things on like wedding dinners or we were overseas), until a few years back when my grandmother had a second heart bypass surgery coupled with rheumatism, so we decided not to go anymore so as to let her rest and not strain herself cooking for us.

I remember she would cook many dishes for us. During the week, she would scrimp and save and eat simple dishes, but come Saturday, she would cook about ten dishes. There would be tiger prawns, fish, chicken, mushrooms, vegetables, abalone and rice, with the occasional vermicelli which was a traditional dish for people of her dialect group. We were really spoilt.

I love partaking her dishes, as she is a wonderful cook. She is able to mix and bring out the flavour of the sauces of the food, making the food so aromatic and appetising. My youngest brother loves her prawns the most. Somehow, she is able to cook the prawns in such a way that the final dish comes out looking red and juicy.

Out of all the dishes, I love her threadfin steak the most. For such a simple dish, she is able to make it so aromatic and crispy, that each time she cooked the dish, I would attack the skin and the bone in the middle. The skin was so crispy that with each bite, I could feel the crunch. The bone was so juicy that I could just suck off the juice and sauce inside and crave for more.

I really miss the fish now that we no longer go to her place for dinner every weekend. My mum would buy the cod steak occasionally and instruct my maid to cook it the way my grandma used to cook, but somehow no one is able to bring out the flavour like how my grandma did.

So I did the unexpected. We were shopping for groceries yesterday morning in preparation for a barbecue tomorrow evening when I came across the cod fish steak. Immediately, I remember how I love this fish. Coincidentally, he said he like the fish too. Thus I offered to cook them and we bought the fish.

How did my grandmother used to prepare the fish? First, the fish is pan-fried with little oil, about a tablespoon. Once the bottom part is cooked (golden brown), turn the fish over and start cooking the other side. Once the fish is cooked, put it on a plate. Then, using the same oil, cook some garlic (chopped into fine pieces) until golden brown. Sprinkle the cooked garlic with the oil over the fish and start serving.

Simple, right? It may seem simple, but actually it is not that easy to cook it to perfection. The trick to the taste and flavour is in the garlic oil. If the fish is pan-fried to perfection and the right amount of garlic is used, the colour will be golden-brown, the bone will be juicy and the skin will be crispy. The flesh of the fish itself should be soft and easy to break using chopsticks.

Needless to say, I have not perfected the recipe. My cod steak turned out soft, but the skin was not crispy and the bone not juicy enough. Furthermore, there was no garlic, so I had to improvise by using chopped onions and ginger instead, so the taste was very different although the oil still brought out a bit of the flavour.

It was quite a good first attempt. When I told my mum, she exclaimed, "Are you sure you know how to cook that?!" Hmmmm.... At least the fish was eatable, and no one had any stomach upset (I hope!). But I still wish to be able to cook the fish to perfection, the way my grandmother did. Perhaps next time, with a bit more practice, I should be able to achieve it!

Foundation Cake-Making

I went for another baking class today, this time the Foundation Cake-Making workshop. It was an intensive workshop on the basic skills and tips of making a cake, as well as hands-on practice on six types of cakes, namely Vanilla Chiffon Cake, Swiss Roll, Brownies, Butter (Marble) Cake, Banana Cake and the classic Victoria Jam Sandwich.

Just a pity I did not manage to take any photos this time, but at least I picked up very good tips on baking cakes and mixing ingredients. For instance, when the ingredients call for separating the egg whites from the egg yolks, the egg whites must be separated thoroughly from the yolks. No trace of yolks should be in the whites. Further more, the whites should be put in a dry bowl, and whisked with a dry whisk.

The egg should not even be washed under a running tap. If any form of moisture gets into the egg white, the product will not be fluffy after whisking/ The whisked product will remain watery and frothy, instead of white and fluffy, and the cake will sink instead of rise. On the other hand, it does not matter even if a bit of egg white gets into the yolk, as there will not be any reaction whatsoever.

How to determine is the whisked mixture is fine? Besides being white and fluffy, the mixture should not drop out even after we turn the bowl upside down. Our instructor cautioned us from doing that though, as she said if we are not used to baking, better not turn the bowl over as the mixture may just drop out.

What amazes me about baking is that the finished product comes out totally different from what it was before it got sent to the oven. Imagine a mixture of gooey eggs, butter and flour can turn into something so appetising and delicious. Which is why I enjoy baking more than cooking, because in cooking, there is not much difference between the cooked and uncooked product (save that the cooked product can be eaten). In baking, the batter can be eaten too, but the finished product turns out so much better. And in that, I feel a higher sense of achievement.

Cupcake Making

I have always loved baking, ever since my Home Economics class back in school when I baked a birthday cake for a friend. However, I have not baked for a very long time because none of my family members bake, so we do not have the necessary utensils for baking. I do not even have an oven at home, only a microwave.

Then, I came across this website that teaches people how to bake. Since I always wanted to start baking again, what better way to refresh what I know and do what I like at the same time? So I signed up for a Foundation Birthday Cupcakes Workshop earlier today. The workshop includes how to make Healthy Chocolate Cupcakes, Vanilla Cupcakes, Chocolate Cupcakes and the various flavoured frosting, as well as recipes and tips on baking.

I have not done this for a very long time, so I was a bit behind on the technology of baking utensils. Where I used to whisk the batter manually, now there is the high-power electronic whisk that takes only a fraction of the time and makes the batter better. Amazing! I always want my own place in the future to have the best baking utensils and products so I can bake cookies and cake every weekend!

Anyway, after the cupcakes and frosting have been made, we decorated the cupcakes with the frosting and decorative sugar animals and flowers. Here are the final products which I decorated.

Top row, from left : Vanilla Cupcake with Strawberry Frosting, M&Ms and blue sugar bear, Vanilla Cupcake with Chocolate Frosting and pink sugar rose, Chocolate Cupcake with Orange Frosting and Hershey's Chocolate pieces

Middle row, from left : Chocolate Cupcake with Chocolate Frosting, Sugar berries and red sugar rose, Healthy Chocolate Cupcake with Strawberry Frosting, sugar stars and orange sugar bear, Healthy Chocolate Cupcake with Lemon Frosting, M&Ms and lavendar sugar rose

Bottom row, from left : Vanilla Cupcake with Pandan Frosting, M&Ms and red sugar rose, Healthy Chocolate Cupcake with Pandan Frosting, M&Ms and pink sugar rose, Chocolate Cupcake with Chocolate Frosting and orange sugar rose

Spaghetti Bolognaise

I tried cooking spaghetti during the weekend, and I must say it was a success! These are the ingredients used :

1. 1 packet of spaghetti (this one packet can be bought at any provision store and is enough for at least three persons)

2. Minced meat (I used pork, but beef or chicken will do as well)

3. Spaghetti sauce (need to use about three-quarters of the bottle before getting the taste)

4. 1 Garlic and 2 - 3 Onions

5. 3 tablespoons of Cooking Oil (my family uses Soya Bean Oil, but others like Olive Oil or Corn Oil will do as well)

6. A pinch of salt (2 teaspoons to be exact)

7. Tomato sauce (for colour and taste - I used about a quarter of the bottle)

8. 2 litres of water

First, add 1 tablespoon of oil and 2 teaspoons of salt into the water and start to boil.

Once the water is boiling, put all the spaghetti in.

Let it soak and boil.

Drain the spaghetti once it is boiled.

Cut the garlic into small tiny pieces, and chop the onions into fine pieces.

Put in the remaining oil, chopped garlic and onion, minced meat and spaghetti sauce and mix well. Stir properly so the meat would not get stuck together.

After that, add in the spaghetti, stir well, and tomato sauce at the end. Mix well and let it simmer.

Serve immediately.

Vermicelli (aka Fried Bee Hoon)

This is the second attempt I tried cooking vermicelli (aka fried bee hoon). I must say, it tastes nicer this time round! I am so proud of myself now!

These are the ingredients I used :

1. Half a cabbage (shredded into small pieces)

2. Green vegetables (Chinese call this "choy sum") (chopped into small pieces)


3. 8 mushrooms (with the stalks removed, and cut into small pieces)


4. 1 egg (beaten) (for garnishing)


5. Minced meat (this time I used pork, but beef will do as well)


6. Prawn paste (supposed to be liquid form, but as you can see, this just came from the freezer)


7. 5 onions (chopped into small pieces) (also for garnishing)

Chopping onions really make one tear! Or perhaps this time round I used more onions.


8. 2 - 3 slabs of vermicelli

9. 1 onion and 1 garlic (for taste) (chopped)

10. Half a pinch of salt, light soy sauce, dark soy sauce and pepper (all for taste and colouring)

First, stir fry the chopped onions until golden brown. Ensure that the oil used can cover all the onion pieces. (I use Sunflower Oil, but normal Cooking Oil and Olive Oil will do as well.)

Remove the fried onions and drain the oil.

Next, cook the egg, omelette style. Drain the egg on absorbing paper to get rid of the oil.


Then, cut the egg into small pieces. (I am no expert, so my pieces are not small enough. :-p)

Cook the onions and garlic together. Next, put in mushrooms, prawn paste (gradually) and meat. Stir fry then let it simmer for two minutes or until cooked.

Put in cabbages. Stir fry together with the mixture. Simmer for two minutes.

Put in green vegetables and stir fry until cooked.

Do not let the green vegetables simmer or else they will turn black.

Add in light soy sauce, dark soy sauce, pepper and salt.

Ensure the prawn paste do not dry up, or else there will be not enough liquid left for the vermicelli to cook.

Add in the vermicelli and submerge them in the liquid prawn paste. Add in more prawn paste if the mixture is too dry. The vermicelli must submerge completely inside the paste.

Mix all together and stir fry until the vermicelli turns brownish.

Finally, scatter the fried onion and omelette pieces into the vermicelli and mix all together before serving or eating.

Fried Rice

I have wanted to whip up something for a long time, so I decided to make fried rice - something easy and delicious at the same time.

These are the ingredients I used :

1. Shredded chicken (cooked until the meat is soft)


2. 3 eggs (beaten, with dark sesame oil)


3. A slab of pork (minced) (Any other types of meat can be used as well)


4. A carrot (diced into small cubes)


5. 1 onion (diced)


6. 1 garlic (diced)


7. 1/2 a cabbage, shredded into small pieces


8. 3 scoops of rice (cooked beforehand)


9. A handful of anchovies (fried until golden brown)

10. A sprinkle of salt

11. A cube of chicken stock

After beating the eggs, heat up a pan and cook them until scrambled. Remove the eggs after cooked.

Put in garlic and fry until golden brown. Add in onion, pork (or any other meat), carrots and cabbage.

Stir fry until the cabbages are soft.

Put in chicken and rice, mix together and stir fry. Simmer for a couple of minutes, then sprinkle the scrambled eggs and salt.

Put in the chicken cube. Wait for it to melt and then mix well.

Serves about 3 to 4. Put in the anchovies only when the rice is ready to be eaten, otherwise they will turn soft and soggy.

This is what the finished product looks like.