Easy Step by Step video on baking Quiche Lorraine

You must be wondering what have happened to me since my last post. I have not disappeared from the surface of cooking (heaven forbids !) but have been continuously cooking and baking as always. Just that I have not kept up with my Blog posting as I was busy with my work and family.


To make up for my lame excuses (as my son would have put it) , I am endeavoring to create more exciting food and fun with step by step easy video cooking and baking. So you may catch me at my Best or at my Worst and enjoying every minute of it.

Here’s my very first home-made video on YouTube , presenting to you a home cooked delicious Quiche Lorraine after being tempted so many times from Delifrance. LOL, I do so hope that I am one lucky soul who unknowingly stumbled upon the secret recipe !

A warning to those who watch this video would no doubt be tempted to quickly whipped up a Quiche knowing how easy it can be done, not 1 but perhaps 3 to 4 Quiches at one go !!! I actually did 5 Quiches within a span of 2 days , after my sons’ commented how mouth-watering it was . They were begging me for more after watching my Quiche Lorraine video (my little fans !).

If you love to have more of my videos, I would love to hear from you too .

And if you did not manage to get all details of the recipe, do not fret.

Here’s the recipe and let’s start making Quiche ! As usual being the greedy me, I have set aside for 2 eight inch Quiches.

 I know you just dying to have it (well I know I am again !)


Ingredients to make the Quiche Dough
- 400g plain flour (sifted)

- 225g butter

- 4 large egg yolk

-1/2 cup chilled water


Steps
1. Add butter to sifted flour

2. Use fingers to rub Butter until it resembles breadcrumb

3. Add in eggs and water

4. Knead the mixture until it becomes a dough

5. Wrap the dough and keep it in the refrigerator for 20mins

6. After 20mins, proceed to rollout the dough.

7. Use the Quiche Pan to cut out the size of dough

8. Press the cut out dough onto the Quiche Pan

9. Use a fork to prick holes on the dough

Ingredients for the Quiche Fillings and Egg custard
- 25g of butter

- 1 chopped cubed onion
- 1 cup chopped cubed button mushrooms

- 1 cup cubed ham

- 1 cup grated cheddar cheese

- 5 large eggs

- 1 1/4 cup milk

- 2 tbsp chopped parsley

- 1 tbsp pepper

- 1/2 tsp salt



Steps to make the Quiche Fillings

1. Heat the pan and add in butter

2. Fry the Onion, mushroom, ham and season with pepper.
3. Set aside to cool


Steps to make the Quiche Custard mixture
1. Mix milk and eggs

2. Season with salt and add in chopped parsley

3. Mix well


Steps to make the Final Quiche
1. Add the cooled Quiche fillings onto the dough in the Quiche Pan

2. Add Quiche custard mixure

3. Add generous amount of grated cheese

4. Put into pre-heated oven and bake at 180C for 35mins.

Try making not 1 but 2 and indulge your loved ones with home made Quiche Lorraine. You will be amazed how all would disappeared in no time. Don’t blame me if you are swarmed with more requests !

Pineapple tarts - CNY favourite

Over the past few days, many households have been busy baking cookies for the upcoming Chinese New Year (CNY). I too, nevertheless jump into the Baking Cookies wagon, like an ALL-too-good-to be true , ahem, "homely" wife. I suddenly feel so "domesticated". LOL

Well, so why all these fuss over Pineapple tarts ? Chinese simply loves golden colour which symbolises prosperity. Hence there is abundance of pineapple tarts each Chinese New Year. Some households even have hanging Pineapple decorations at their front doors. I mean real huge ones, some look like lanterns.

Me ?? I settle for money plant.. hehe

Here's some pictures of the baking process :

So after all this lucky pineapple tarts, let's hope for the upcoming Big CNY TOTO draw .. Fatt Ah !!! (WIN) Imagine $$$. Oh let me sleep on this..

Kueh Bangkit - the coconut flavoured cookie

I love Chinese New Year cookies. Never one to miss an opportunity to always grab my hands on those delicious tasty kueh bangkit and pineapple tarts. As a kid, somehow I always make sure I have my fill of cookies when house-visiting relatives and stuff myself silly.

Traditionally , this has cookie has always been white. These can be made in different shapes and sizes. I used different shaped cookie cutters and tried using the princer to make the patterns. Mind you, this requires real patience. I started "princing" away energically for the first few. Somehow along the way, my fingers start to quiver, my eyes losing focus.... well, you know the rest.

I simply the love the coconut fragrance especially when freshly baked..

I have obtained the recipe from Aunty Yochana's Kueh Bangkit, but modified a bit to suit my needs. So don't miss out in baking this CNY cookie !

Colourful assorted-shaped Jelly Pudding

Dessert time.. my favourite,. I made this 1-day in advance for my girlfriend. This is so colour studded that I am abit dazed by it all. Actually, I got carried away by having too many colours.

What I did was to use the ice-cubes tray as a mould for the agar agar. Quite fascinating.

Please do enjoy the colourful assortment !

After the little jellies have set, hehe.. I guess I just got a bit ridiculous.. and added this into a plastic bowl of transparent jelly. So, what you see is a bowl of assorted little ones.

With this, I transported to my girl-friends house. And without Mess.. Here's a picture taken by my girl-friend. How's that for a piece of jello !

Yummy...

Butter Crab - what a delicacy

Another long time girl friend meet-up at her place on Saturday , 28years relationship...hmm , feel just like yesterday. So what does good friends do when meeting up ? What else .. FOOD !!! the ultimate joy of fellowship.

I decided the best way to impress my girl friend is to cook what she thinks I can't do.. hehe. Well, I have been wanting to cook Butter Crab for quite some time. So why not ? Here's the good refined way of dine and wine with good seafood to go along with.

If I can't beat her in Chinese, I SURE am going to beat her in cooking. :-P . She is the good one while I am the one that Huang LaoShi (Mdm Wong - Chinese teacher) got me to stand behind the class as I couldn't remember my Chinese proverbs.

I must say my girl friend's quiche is very good... oops, should have taken a photo of the food, so delicious and am going to make it one day once I get the full recipe.

What better way to top it up with dessert - colourful agar agar jelly !

Here's the recipe for the Butter Crab.

What is Required

1. 4 to 5 medium-size Mud Crabs
2. 125g butter (softened)
3. 250g cream cheese (softened)
4. 50g Mayonnaise
5. 2 tbsp lemon juice
6. 1 tsp garlic (minced)
7. 2 tbsp cooking oil
8. ½ cup water
9. 2 cup of fresh milk
10. 1 tbsp sugar

How to Do it

1. Heat the wok. Pour in the cooking oil.
2. Once the oil is hot, fry garlic for about 5 secs
3. Add crabs and fry until shells turn slight orange.
4. Add in water and cover the wok for about 5mins
5. Mix the butter, cream cheese and mayonnaise in a bowl and pour into the wok.
6. Add the fresh milk and cover the wok.
7. Let it simmer until the crabs shell is all orange.
8. Once the crabs are cooked, stir in the lemon juice.
9. Add in the sugar and taste.
10. Ready to serve.

Walnut Pear Crumble Cheese Cake

Here's wishing everyone a Happy New Year , with lots of great Joy, Abundance of Happiness and Good Health !

One of my dearest long-time friend (hmm..was it 20 years frenz ?? Can't help feeling so young all over again) has invited me to her place for a NY gathering. This is an excellent way to share the Mummy's fanatic joy of baking and to get the Golden friends to taste cakes.

Since this is not an occassion to be missed, I set out on a mission to "volunteer" my cake services, not 1 but 2 cakes to flaunt. Zealous as usual ! Such misplaced courage my dear frenz has in my cakes ! Yes, don't tell her that every attempt is an experimentation.. LOL

Isn't it adventurous to try new cakes. Something a bit more up-market.. yeah, Pear Crumble Cheese Cake and another Chocolate Cake. Very Rich and full of goodness for a New Year celebration ! So here I am, all set to bake the most wonderous cakes ever attempted, if you believe me.

My honourable well-wrapped pear crumble cheese cake , all ready to go !

What is Required - to produce the most rich Cheesy Cake with cranchiness toppings

I use an 11 inch square pan

In the picture, I made a last minute change to a pear instead of an apple ! My pear was gettinq quite ripe and hence I made a quick switch.

A) Cake Base
230g Plain flour
150g Butter
100g Sugar

B) Cheese Layer
500g cream cheese
150g Icing Sugar (sifted)
30g Corn flour

3 eggs
150g Whipping Cream
1 tbsp Lemon Juice

1 Apple or Pear (sliced)

C) Crumble Topping
100g butter
80g icing sugar
150g Plain flour
150g Walnut (chopped till coarse rice grain)
200g Walnut (chopped till fine - may want to use a blender)



What is required - to make it happen








How to Do it..
1. To make the Cake Base,
- whisk ingredient in A.
- Once the mixture is all mixed, lay a grease proof paper and start to spread the Base
mixture on the 11 inch baking square pan.
- Use a fork to poke holes onto the cake base.
- Bake at 130C for 20mins in a preheated oven.


2. To make the Cheese Layer,
- whisk inthe cream cheese, icing sugar and corn flour until creamy.
- Add in Eggs, whipping cream, and lemon juice and whisk. Pour onto the Cake Base.
- Add in Pears to decorate.

3. To make the Crumble topping.
- Whisk butter, icing sugar, Plain flour
- Divide the mixture into 2.
- Take the 1st portion mixture and add in the coarse Walnuts. Mix well and lightly insert onto the top cheese layer.
- Take the 2nd portion mixture and add in the fine Walnuts. Mix well and sprinkle on top of the cheese layer.
- Bake at 100C for 60mins.

Well, the result is ...I guess I may just be invited over again to my friend house. Of course, they love it. They must , otherwise, where got free recipe , hor .. (singlish words) hehehe...

Not to be missed as well , is none other than, my Chocolate Cake.

Now that we are all High in Sugars, may we have a super sweet and prosperous year ahead !

Christmas Turkey - the ALL-Time holiday favourite

I love Christmas holidays with all the happy festivities bubbling everywhere. Just another of those moods to spend time shopping and cooking up a feast. And, of course, I feel like a frozen-Turkey hunter every Christmas. Hope no one see The dishevelled Mummy scouring around on the day before the Eve of Christmas and looking for her Beloved Turkeys.

Well, not that I know how it looks like under all those plastic wraps (LOL), I must look for the best size Turkey to fit my oven. haha... I quickly zoomed on 2 Turkeys. Phew.. last few left.

I guess if you must know, years ago, I have been the reigning appointed Turkey Cook for my family and in-laws. ;-) I am still waiting to bequeath my title.. hmm ..still waiting..

A little history. Almost every year at least for the past 10 years, I have been cooking Turkey without fail except for that one last year when the family decides to give me a break and we bought those pre-cooked ones to reheat. Bad choice. BIG mistake. A real disappointment as the meat tasted hard and non-juicy. Verdict ? They missed my home-cooked one.

This year, I decided to try a different Baked Roasted Turkey, alot more buttery sauce with flavoured herb Turkey. Well, this version is surprisingly more tender and juicy. Mr H is so easily impressed. The boys are equally full of accolades ! Hehe.. wonders of being someone's wife and mother.. isn't this so thrilling. I have my own red carpet right at my home and in-laws ;-)

Some pictures of the children tucking into a feast !

What is Required

Turkey
1 tbsp black pepper
2 tbsp salt
1 tbsp Teriyaki sauce
2 onions (sliced)
2 stalks celery (chopped to cubes)
2 carrots (chopped to cubes)
2 tsp rosemary leaves , 1 bay leaf
200g of fresh mushrooms

Herb Butter Ingredient
250g butter
1 dash of 5 spice powder
1 tbsp black pepper
1 tbsp garlic powder
2 tbsp spaghetti bolognese herb

How to Do It

1. Season the Turkey exterior with Teriyaki Sauce.
2. In the Turkey interior, season with black pepper and salt. Add in the Rosemary leaves.
3. To make a flavoured Butter, add the Herb butter ingredient. Use a fork to mix it.
4. Use a spatula to gently insert a pocket of space under the turkey skin for both sides of the Turkey.
5. Insert the Herb Butter into the Skin pocket and spread it inside the skin. Do for both sides
6. Spread the remaining of the herb butter onto all over the exterior of the Turkey.
7. Add in the carrot, celery, onion and mushrooms together with the Turkey for baking.
8. Add 2 cups of water and the bay leaf.
9. Cover top of the turkey with aluminium foil to prevent the top from getting burn.
10. Bake for 60mins at 190C. Insert a skewer to check that the Turkey is cooked. Otherwise, cook for another 5 to 10mins and check again.

Have a tenderising Turkey ! Cheers to everyone and have a wonderful Holiday Season !