CRISPY DOUBLE CHOCOLATE DROP COOKIES

Love chocolate cookies lot lot!! Buying from the stores are quite expensive, why not make our own? I made these a few times and each time I would double the ingredients, they never lasted long as many claws would be digging into the cookie jar. However, as this recipe contains shortening (an absolute must if you want crispiness) I really only make them on special occasions and special requests.

Please feel free to add any chopped nuts, dried fruits, chocolate chunks, etc to the recipe to create make-you-happy flavours. Cocoa powder can be omitted as well if you want vanilla based cookies. More amount of chocolate chips than that stated in recipe can be added too (of course!!).

Tips:

-Best part of this recipe is that no electric mixer is needed. Just use a hand whisk or spatula to beat. Even my son can do this. Easy (^.^) 

-Do space out the cookie dough. They puff up!

-Re-use cooled baking tray for subsequent batches.

CRISPY DOUBLE CHOCOLATE DROP COOKIES

Ingredients

(A)

30g fine sugar

150g fine brown sugar

120g butter, softened
30g shortening

(B)

1 egg

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

(C)

220g plain flour

15g cocoa powder (optional)

1/2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp fine salt

(D)

50g semi-sweet chocolate chips

50g white chocolate chips

(E) 

Extra chocolate chips

Methods

1. Cream (A) till light with hand whisk or spatula.
2. Mix in (B) and beat till smooth.
3. Comine and sift (C) into batter. Mix in well.
4. Add (D).
5. On a lined baking sheet, drop cookie batter using spoons. Recommended to size each cookie not larger than a teaspoon. For even baking, each tray should have similar sized cookies.

   

   must help if want to eat! LOL!

6. Top with extra chocolate chips to make them look even more enticing than they already are.
7. Bake at 180C for about 10-15 min depending on cookie size. To check doneness, carefully flip up one cookie to look for air holes at the bottom.

   

   cookies are cooked when there are tiny holes at cookie bottom

8. Cookies from oven will be SOFT. Cool in tray for a few minutes and transfer them carefully to cooling racks to cool completely. They will harden when cooled.

   

   still soft on tray, wait for a few minutes

   

   transfer to cooling rack to cool completely

9. Store in air-tight containers after popping a whole lot into your mouth.

DEVIL'S FOOD CAKE WITH PEANUT BUTTER AND IRISH CREAM BAILEYS WHIPPED CREAM

Kakakaka, my mother-in-law was out of town! That meant I could naughtily buy some peanut butter ^,^. Somehow, she did not (and still does not) approve us of eating store-bought peanut butter as she thought the peanuts must had rotted in order to be used. I gave up trying to let her see the light years back, so I never got it ever since. It was my 5 year old son's very first time trying out this creamy goodness.

I was craving for a rich chocolate cake the other day but hesitated as I wanted to keep extra weight off. But in the end, after one day of hesitation, I still went ahead with this one (^0^)

My other son helped me to make this batch of cake sponge. It was not a good day for him so I thought this might distract him a little and he could also learn something new during the school holiday. I got him to measure out the ingredients and beat the batter.... messy, messy, messy, yet I could not bring myself to growl at his untidiness. I was supposed to help him feel better, right? Forbearance, patience, breathing techniques... all required here (o.o''')

I had a picture in my mind on how my cake would turn out. But it did not materialize because my littlest one insisted on his own design. (Sigh) I had wanted chocolate shards to top the cake, but my prince only insisted on chocolate chips. I suspected he wanted to nimble on the chips as he decorated. Boo-hoo-hoo! = (

DEVIL'S FOOD CAKE WITH PEANUT BUTTER AND IRISH CREAM BAILEYS WHIPPED CREAM

Cake Sponge (adapted from Joan Hayes in Chocolate Chocolate and More!)

Ingredients

3/4 cup butter, softened

2 1/4 cups fine sugar

3/4 cups cocoa powder

2 tsp vanilla extract

3 eggs

2 cups plain flour

1 1/2 tsp baking soda

1 tsp baking powder

3/4 tsp fine salt

1 1/4 cup Espresso

1/4 cup milk

Method

1. Prepare 3 x 6" round cake pans, grease them and line with baking papers at base of pans.
2. Combine plain flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt well. Sift and set aside.
3. Combine coffee and milk in a container.
4. Using an electric mixer, cream butter and add sugar in batches till pale and fluffy.
5. Gently stir in cocoa powder and vanilla extract, mix well.
6. Using low speed, add in eggs, one at a time beating well after every addition.
7. Scrape down the sides and beat using medium speed to combine well.
8. With beaters at low speed, add flour and coffee mixture alternately to batter in a few batches, beginning and ending with flour. Scrape down the sides and combine well.
9. Divide batter evenly among the baking pans, level batter top and give a few taps for each pan.
10. Bake in preheated oven of 175C for about 25-30min or until skewer comes out clean when poked in the middle. Do not over bake. (I baked 2 pans first and later the 3rd pan. Keep waiting batter covered)
11. Let cool in pan for 10 min, turn out onto rack and remove baking paper to cool completely.
12. Assemble cake and chill before serving.

Irish Cream Baileys Whipped Cream

Ingredients

20g salted butter, softened

300g cold thickened cream

30ml Irish Baileys

1/2 cup powdered sugar

Methods

1. Cream butter.
2. Pour in cream and beat till slightly thickened.
3. Add in liquor and powdered sugar.
4. Beat till cream is stiff.
5. Chill in fridge till ready to use.

Assembly

Ingredients

Sugar syrup

Peanut butter

Chocolate Chips or Shards

brush cake top with sugar syrup before spreading peanut butter and cream.

My prince in action

Rich, soft and tall cake! Make sure your fridge has enough space for it to chill.

EASY CHICKEN RICE - RICE COOKER STYLE

Got inspired by a FB posting on cooking chicken rice in rice cooker. For the first try I followed her recipe, and have since made some adjustments to make the dish taste better and neater. It's so much easier than in the past where I had to poach chicken that took at least one hour, used the not-much-flavoured stock in the rice, etc. THIS is much quicker and I can take my time to slowly do the side dishes! 

Tip: Place the crushed ginger and pandan leaves in the middle of rice cooker, and raise the bird with a steamer rack. In this case, you will avoid getting wet rice in the centre and rice-coated chicken.

My family also loves this simple side dish - salted succulent shallots. It's very easy. In an oil bath, just gently fry a bowlful of roughly sliced, peeled shallots until they become ttranslucent. Place in a heat-proof bowl (leaving most oil behind) and add salt (lots) to taste. Salt compliments well with sweet shallots.

EASY CHICKEN RICE - RICE COOKER STYLE

Ingredients

1 fresh kampong chicken, about 1.2kg

4 cups uncooked rice

1 bundle pandan leaves

1 bulb garlic

Ginger, approx palm-sized

2 cups water

1.5 cups Swanson chicken stock

1.5 pc chicken stock cube

40g salted butter, cut into 3 slices

Salt to taste

Marinade

2 tbsp low sodium salt

1 tbsp Shaoxing wine

1 tbsp light soya sauce

1 tsp ground white pepper

Some crushed ginger

Method

1. Clean chicken and marinade it. Remember to rub the cavity as well. Place ginger in cavity. Set aside for 30 min.
2. Lightly crush ginger and garlic, leaving the peels on.
3. Wash rice, stir in ginger, garlic, pandan leaves, butter, chicken stock, stock cube and water. Give a taste and adjust to your liking. Try to place most ginger and pandan leaves in the middle of rice cooker.
   
4. Place a small steamer rack in middle. Cut chicken open at the breast. Place chicken on rack with breast facing downward.
   
   
   
   
5. Cook rice as usual.
6. Once rice cooker beeps, remove chicken. Stir rice to mix well. 
7. Place chicken back onto rack into rice cooker and allow keep-warm mode to continue cook the chicken, about 20 min.
8. Rub cooked bird with some sesame oil and salt if desired. Serve!
   

CHILLI SAUCE

Ingredients

10-12 red chilli padi, remove stalks

2-3 red chillies, remove stalks

2 cloves garlic, remove peel

1.5 tbsp white vinegar

1.5 tbsp low sodium salt

1.5 tsp sugar

3 tbsp oil (from frying onion)

Just blitz everything in a chopper or small blender. Adjust taste accordingly.

RASPBERRY AND BLUEBERRY CAKE

This is probably the last birthday cake I am making for the year, and it belongs to my lovely mother-in-law. I usually decorate my cakes with all-year round strawberries, but decide to be a little extravagant this time for the madame. I got her raspberries, blueberries and even golden berries. She's not a cake-person, but I hope she appreciates my love for her (^,^)

I like this sponge cake as it is very light. To make it moist, slice the sponge cake into 2 or 3 layers and brush with sugar-rum syrup. The syrup brings the taste to another level, and it is absolutely necessary. 

We had a very full meal for the celebration and I thought everyone would just taste a tiny slice as a gesture. They came back for second or even third helpings and whoosh! the whole cake was gone. (Glee! Glee! Glee!)

RASPBERRY AND BLUEBERRY CAKE

Ingredients

Sponge Cake

4 egg yolks

1/2 cup full cream milk

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 cup cake flour (I replace 2 tbsp with corn flour)

1 tsp baking powder

4 egg white

3/4 cup caster sugar

1 tbsp melted butter

Frosting

300g cold whipping cream

8 large marshmallows

Sugar Syrup

2 tbsp sugar

4-5 tbsp hot water

1 tsp rum or brandy (optional)

Assembly / Decoration

Fruit Jam

Raspberries

Blueberries

Golden berries

Method

Cake sponge

1. Grease 7" round pan and place baking paper at base of pan. Preheat oven at 165C.
2. In a clean and dry bowl, beat egg whites till foamy using electric beaters at slow speed. Add a tablespoon of sugar and beat till well combined (about 10 seconds). Repeat adding all sugar by tablespoons until egg whites become stiff but NOT dry. Set aside.

   

   stiffed peak with glossy look

3. In another bowl, beat egg yolks till creamy, thick and pale.
   
4. Pour in milk and vanilla extract, beat for 5 seconds.
5. Combine cake flour (and corn flour if using) and baking powder. Sift directly into yellow batter. Fold in gently till well combined.
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
6. Put 1/3 egg white (meringue) into yellow batter. Fold in gently till well combined.
   
   
   
   
   
7. Pour everything from step 6 into the remaining 2/3 meringue. Fold in gently till well combined.
   
   
   

   

   Fold in gently until no more white streaks

8. Lastly pour in melted butter and fold in gently till well combined.
   
   
   

   

   batter should be very light

9. Pour batter into pan, tap a few times to release air bubbles and bake for about 30 min or until skewer comes out clean when poked in the middle.
10. Immediately gently remove cake from pan. Invert and remove baking paper. Cool completely on a rack.

recipe can be used for cupcakes too

Frosting

1. Place clean and dry beaters and steel bowl into freezer for about 20 min.
2. In a small saucepan over gentle fire, melt marshmallows with 3 tbsp whipping cream. Keep stirring and be careful not to burn it. Remove from stove. Stir occasionally to help cool the mixture and prevent it from gelling up.
   
3. Remove cold beaters and steel bowl from freezer. Pour in balance cold whipping cream and beat till slightly stiff.
   
4. Pour in cooled marshmallow mixture into cream. Whip till stiff. 
   
   
   
   
5. Place in piping bag with round nozzle.
6. Chill till ready to use. 
   
   

Sugar syrup

1. Dissolve sugar into hot water. Add in rum or brandy. Set aside.

Assembly

1. Slice cooled sponge cake into 2 or 3 layers.
2. Place one slice on serving plate, brush its top with sugar syrup generously.
3. Spread some jam onto cake slice. Pipe whipped cream all around. Arrange with fruits.
   

   

   I'm having only 2 slices. These are the sandwiched fruits.

4. Brush the bottom of the 2nd slice of cake with sugar syrup generously. Place on top of 1st slice.
5. Brush top of 2nd slice with sugar syrup, again, generously. If you are having 3 slices, then repeat steps 3 to 5.
6. Pipe whipped cream on top and decorate as desired. Chill cake in fridge for at least 4 hours or overnight.