"Bake & Celebrate: Cookies & Treats" Cookbook

I am so happy to announce that one of my recipes will be featured in a new cookbook - "Bake & Celebrate:  Cookies & Treats"  which will be launched in December 2016 in Singapore.  Thank you, Marshall Cavendish International (Asia) Ltd for giving me this opportunity to contribute to this cookbook. This book will make a wonderful Christmas gift for family and friends. You can pre-order this book from now until 9th December 2016 at a special price of S$11.95 -  which is a 20% discount from the retail price.  If you are interested, kindly submit orders to letsbakeandcelebrate@gmail.com

Banana Walnut Sponge Cake

Ingredients:
3 eggs (weighing 56g each with shell)
60g brown sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
150 mashed banana
125g self-raising flour
10g milk powder
1/8 tsp soda bicarbonate
1/4 tsp baking powder
dash of mixed spice
1/8 tsp salt
90g coconut oil or rice bran oil
40g walnuts, chopped
5g walnuts, chopped (extra)

1. Line a loaf pan (21 x 11 x 3.5cm).
2. Sift flour, milk powder, soda bicarbonate, baking powder, mixed spice and salt together.  Set aside.
3. Beat eggs, sugar and vanilla extract until thick and pale.
4. Add in mashed banana and mix to combine.
5. Fold in sifted flour mixture.  Then gradually add in oil and stir to combine.
6. Finally fold in chopped walnuts.  
7. Pour batter into prepared pan and sprinkle extra chopped walnuts over the top of the batter.
8. Bake in a preheated oven at 160°C for an hour or until done.

Roast Honey-Soy Chicken

Ingredients:
1.8kg chicken thighs
1 red onion, cut into chunks
potatoes, cut into chunks
pumpkin, cut into chunks
carrot, cut into chunks
cherry tomatoes
button mushrooms

Marinade:
50ml honey
100ml light soy sauce
50ml tomato sauce
4 cloves garlic, minced
70g ginger, grated
1/2 tbsp sesame oil
black pepper

• Mix together the marinade. Pour over chicken pieces and coat well.  Leave aside to marinate for at least 2 hours.
• Place marinated chicken and vegetables onto a lined oven tray.  Drizzle leftover marinade over the vegetables.
• Bake in a preheated oven at 200°C (fan forced) for about 40 minutes, basting halfway through with the juices from the tray.
• Serve hot with steamed green beans.

Pandan Kaya / Coconut Jam

 

Ingredients:

4 eggs (55g each)

250g caster sugar

350ml coconut milk

10 blades of pandan leaves
extra blades of pandan leaves (optional)

• Cut pandan leaves into small pieces and blend together with coconut milk. Strain and discard the pulp.
• In a mixing bowl, combine sugar and pandan-coconut milk mixture. Using a balloon whisk, stir until sugar dissolves.  Add in eggs and whisk to combine; then strain mixture directly into the pot.  Add in pandan leaves (if desired).
• Place the pot of mixture on a double boiler under low heat.  The water should be just simmering with bubbles at the bottom of the saucepan. Use a silicon spatula to keep stirring the kaya until it starts to get thick and sticky.  (It took me 1 hour to get to the desired consistency. The jam will thicken further once it is cooled).
• Remove kaya from heat.  Discard the pandan leaves.
• Fill kaya into sterilised jars immediately and leave it to cool in the jar (with the lid off) before storing in the fridge.

Easy Berry Butter Cake

Take advantage of the sweet berries which are in abundance this time of year by making a perfect springtime dessert loaded with sweet, plump blueberries and big red juicy strawberries.

Ingredients:

about 5 - 6 large strawberries, cut into quarters

a handful of blueberries

125g butter, softened

90g caster sugar

orange zest 

1 tsp vanilla extract

3 eggs

115g self-raising flour, sifted

30g almond meal

50g orange juice

almond flakes

• Preheat oven to 170 deg C.  Grease and line the base of a 20cm ring pan.
• Combine flour and almond meal together in a bowl.  Set aside.
• Cream butter, sugar and lime zest until light and fluffy.  Add in eggs, one at a time.  Then add in vanilla extract.
• Fold in flour mixture and orange juice.  Mix well.
• Pour batter into the prepared pan. Place strawberries and blueberries on the batter and scatter almond flakes over.
• Bake for about 1 hour or until cooked. Cool the cake in the pan for 10 minutes before turning out onto a wire rack.