A Very Merry Christmas & Happy New Year

Thanks you very much to all my friends and family members for your kind wishes and concern re my lower spine injury. I'd fully recovered from my injury and back to my usual routine and exercise.

As the year comes to a close, it's with a sense of satisfaction that we can look back on a year that in many respects been fun, challenging and rewarding. The dawning of a new one provided an excellent opportunity to wipe the slate clean and make a fresh start. Life is full of obstacles and tests. It's up to us to pass them. Certain things are not mean to be, we just have to learn from it, accept it and move on. Forget the things that made us sad and remember those that make a fresh start. Forget the troubles that passed your way and remember the blessing that come each day.

If you are right then there is no need to get angry.
And if you are wrong then you don't have any right to get angry.
Patience with family is love.
Patience with others is respect.
Patience with self is confidence and patience with GOD is faith.

Never think hard about the PAST, it brings tears.
Don't think more about the FUTURE, it brings fear.
Live this moment with a smile, it brings cheer.
Every test in our life makes us bitter or better.
Every problem comes to make us or break us!

The choice is ours whether we become victims or victorious.
Beautiful things are not always good but good things are always beautiful.
Do you know why God created gaps between fingers?
So that someone, who is special to you, comes and fills those gaps, by holding your hand Forever.
Happiness keeps you sweet but being sweet brings happiness.

Today I'm posting some throwback cakes and desserts which I'd made sometime back but have not shared the recipes in my blog.

Banana Chiffon Cake

This Chiffon cake is cottony soft.

Ingredients A
4 egg yolks
60 gm sugar
1/4 tsp salt

Ingredients B
110 large ripe banana - mashed with fork till mushy
80 mls water
75 gm corn oil
1.5 tsp lemon juice
1 tsp grated lemon rind.

Ingredients C
135 gm cake flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/8 tsp bicarbonate of soda

Ingredients D
4 egg white
1/8 tsp cream of tartar
60 gm castor sugar

1/ Preheat oven to 180 deg c.
2/ Sift ingredients C twice.
3/ Cream A till sugar dissolve, add in ingredients B and mix well.
4/ Fold in ingredients C and mix till well blend.

5/ Cream egg white and cream of tartar till frothy. Add in the sugar gradually and beat till stiff peaks form.
6/ Fold in half of the egg white mixture to the yolk mixture with a rubber spatula. Add the balance egg white and fold gently until well blend.
7/ Pour into a 20cm chiffon cake pan, bake at 170 -180 deg c for 40 to 45 mins. ( Do not grease the pan.)
8/ When cake is cooked, remove from oven and invert the cake pan immediately. Remove the cake from the cake pan when it's cool.

Note for chiffon cake.
1/ The eggs must be at room temperature.
2/ When separating the egg yolks and whites, make sure not even a drop of yolk in the egg whites.
3/ Egg whites must beat until stiff peak but not over beat.
4/ When folding in the egg white to egg yolk mixture, fold in thoroughly until well blend.

Oreo Coffee Cake

Ingredients:
200g self-raising flour
200g butter
170g sugar
4 eggs
1 tbsp instant coffee powder
1 tbsp hot water
1 tbsp Bailey cream
½ tsp vanilla essence
7 Oreo cookies – chopped 3 Oreo cookies, additional for topping

Method:
1) Preheat oven to 175 deg C. Line an 8” diameter cake tin with grease proof paper.
2) Dissolve the instant coffee in hot water. Set aside.
3) Cream butter and sugar till light and fluffy.
4) Beat in the eggs, one at a time and beating well after each addition.
5) Stir in the dissolved coffee, vanilla essence, Bailey cream and the chopped Oreos.
6) Fold in the flour and pour into your prepared tin.
7) Decorate the additional Oreos on top of cake and bake for 40-45mins or till cooked.

Pandan Chiffon Cake

Ingredients A
230 gm cake flour
150 gm castor sugar
1 tsp baking power
1 tsp salt
6 egg yolk
55 mls corn oil
200 mls water
1.5 tsp pandan paste

Ingredients B
6 egg  white
150 gm castor sugar
1/4 tsp cream of tartar

1/ Sieve flour and baking powder. Add the rest of the ingredients A and mix with cake mixer for 5 mins. Keep aside.
2/ Beat egg white and  cream of tartar until frothy, add sugar gradually. Beat until stiff peaks form.
3/  Mix the egg white mixture to the egg yolk mixture in batches with a plastic spatula. Use cutting and folding method until completely blended.
4/ Pour into a 9" tube pan, bake at preheat oven at 180 deg c for 40 minutes. ( Do not grease the pan.)
5/ Remove from oven and invert the cake on a wire rack immediately.
6/ Cool completely before cutting the cake.

Sweet Corn Dessert

Ingredients
1 can cream corn
10 water chestnut
2 tbsp sago - optional
200 mls coconut milk
300 mls water
1/2 tsp salt
Sugar to taste
Pandan leaves - if don't have can omit.

1/ Wash the waterchestnut and peel off the skin. Rinse and cut into cubes.
2/ Bring the water to boil, add the sago and cook until transparent.
3/ Add the waterchestnut, salt, pandan leaves, cream corn and sugar, bring to boil. Add the coconut milk and mix well, remove from heat. Do not over boil the coconut milk. If too thick add a little more water to the consistency you like.
4/ You can add additional 1/2 tbsp thick coconut milk before serving. Serve hot or cold.

Wash and soak sago for 20 mins, Drain off the water.

Red Velvet Cake With Cream Cheese Frosting

For the cake:
2 1/2 cups sifted cake flour
15 gm cocoa powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cup sugar
120 gn unsalted butter, softened
2 large eggs
1 cup buttermilk ( I used 240mls milk + 1 tbsp lemon juice )
2 ounces red food coloring
1 teaspoon  apple cider vinegar
1 teaspoon vanilla

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F or 180 deg c. Line 2 (9-inch) cake pans with grease proof paper..
2. Sift together flour, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder and salt, set aside. Cream the sugar and butter until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs one at a time.
3. Add flour and buttermilk alternately. Add in food coloring, vinegar and vanilla. 4. Spread the batter evenly in the pans. Bake for 20 to 30 minutes or until a wooden toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
5. Turn cake out onto a rack to cool. Sandwich the cake with cream cheese and spread the balance cream cheese on the cake and decorate with buttercream as desire.

Vanilla Bean Cream Cheese Frosting:
12 ounces or 1-1/2 packages of Philly cream cheese
1/2 stick butter
4-5 cups sifted powdered sugar
seeds of 1/2 vanilla bean
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1. Bring cheese and butter to room temperature.
2. Sift powdered sugar 3 times into a bowl.
3. Beat butter and cheese at medium speed until creamy.
4. Add 4 cups of the sugar and beat until combined.
5. Add vanillas and beat until combined.
6. Add more sugar until you get to the consistency and sweetness you like.
7/ Sandwich in between the cake and spread the balance on top and side of cake.

Bitter Sweet Chocolate Ice Cream

Ingredients
1 oz bitter sweet cooking chocolate (chopped)
1/4 cup Hershey cocoa powder
1 1/2 cup milk
2 large eggs
3/4 cup sugar
1 cup whip cream
1 tsp vanilla extract

 Method
1/ Mix the milk, cooking chocolate, cocoa powder and sugar cook in medium flame until sugar and cooking chocolate melt. Whisk till smooth.
2/ Cook until you see small bubbles at the side, turn fire to low but don't let it boil.
3/ Use a hand whisk to beat the eggs lightly. Take 1 cup of the hot milk mixture and add it to the eggs, whisking all the time to prevent the eggs curdle.
4/ Then pour the entire egg mixture to the milk mixture. Continue cooking until the mixture thicken and coats the back of the ladle.
5/ Remove from stove and let it cool. Add vanilla extract and whip cream, stir till well blend.
6/ Cover with cling wrap and leave in the fridge overnight or at least 4 hours.
7/ Put in ice cream maker and start churning.

For Those without ice cream maker.
1/ Making ice cream can be done without the use of ice cream maker. An electric mixer or food processor can be used to break up the ice crystals during the freezing process.
2/ Place ice cream mixture in the freezer and allow the mixture to freeze for 2 hours.
3/ Remove from freezer and beat mixture to break up the ice crystals that are beginning to form. Repeat step 2 & 3 = 4 times for a smooth and creamy ice cream.

4/ The ice cream should be thick but soft to scoop. If not thick enough return to freezer for additional freezing time and beat the mixture again.
5/ Once ice cream thickened properly, stir in any condiment of your choice and mix well. Suggestion of condiments @ toasted chopped almonds, hazelnuts, chocolate chips, peanuts butter chips, chopped oreos.
6/ Pour in air tight container to freeze till set. Enjoy!!

May this Christmas bring all of you joy, laughter and abundance of good health. Be seeing you all again in my 2017 postings. Thanking all of you for your kind support and lovely comments especially to friends and buddies who had been with me since year 2011.