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 !