Persimmon Pie

My best Christmas present.

I won this set of flavored NuStevia Liquids giveaway from Luxury Haven in her "NuNaturals Returns With A Bigger Stevia Giveaways" in December 2012.  Shirley, thank you so much for your kind thoughts and effort. I'm so glad we meet in blogland. 

Luxury Haven  is a "All-In-One" blog about beauty, food, shopping, travel, contests and product review. Shirley is an excellent cook and take great pictures too. Do hop over to her great blog Luxury Haven  and say hello to my lovely friend.

Beside that NuNaturals is so generous to included additional samples and a stack of 50's recipes in the parcel. Thank you so much to Mr. Ron Redding of NuNaturals. Look like I'm gonna be busy experiment new recipes with NuNatural products.
Let me share with you my mini Persimmon Pie.

Mini persimmon pie

Persimmon fruits, picture compliments from a friend.

Ingredients for pie crust
200 gm plain flour
1/2 cup fresh shredded coconut or dessicated coconut
6 pkts Nu-Stevia or 1/4 cup sugar
2 oz butter ( frozen )
1/2 egg - lightly beaten
10 drops NuNaturals Vanilla Stevia Liquid

1/  Sieve the flour, mix shredded coconut, Nu-Stevia or sugar and NuNaturals Vanilla Stevia liquid together.
2/  Cut the butter into small cubes, add in the flour mixture. Use your finger tips to mix the butter and flour to resemble bread crumbs.
3/  Add in the egg and mix till dough is form and leave the side of the mixing bowl. DO NOT KNEAD THE DOUGH AND OVER MIX. Over mix dough will be oily and pie will shrink when bake.

 This picture is from egg tarts recipe. I'm using this picture as an example for the pie pastry.

4/  Roll the pastry to 1/4 inch thick in between two plastic sheet. Remove the top plastic sheet and cut with 3 inch round pastry cutter. Lay the cut out pastry into the mini tart mold and press lightly.
5/  Dock the dough by piercing the base with a fork in several places to allow airflow and prevent bubbles. Don't get carry away and over do it. Too many holes will let the filling leak through the crust.

6/  Blind bake in pre heat oven for 8 mins at 180 deg c, remove and add 1 tbsp of persimmon filling, bake for another 10 to 15 mins until the custard filling is firm.
7/  Over bake filling will puff up and wrinkles or it'll look like a 3 magnitude earth quake.
8/  Best to serve warm.

Use the balance dough to cut out mini flower and heart shape to decorate the topping.  Bake the filling for 5 mins, remove from oven. Put the cut out mini flowers on top the filling  and bake for another 10 to12 mins. 

Ingredients for filling
1 cup Persimmon pulp
1/2 Egg lightly beaten
1/2 cup Milk  
6 sachets  NuStevia or 1/4 cup sugar
1/8 tsp Salt
1 tsp NuNaturals Vanilla Stevia Liquid
1/2 tbsp custard powder + 2 tsp water

Awesome pairing fresh grated coconut with persimmon.

1/  Mix the custard power with 2 tsp water and keep aside.
2/  Blend 2 very ripe persimmon fruit with 1 tbsp lemon juice until very fine.
3/  Mix persimmon pulp, egg, and milk, stir till well blend.
4/  Add NuStevia or sugar, salt, NuNaturals Vanilla Stevia and custard powder to the persimmon mixture.
5/  Mix well and scoop a table spoon of persimmon mixture to the pie and bake for 10 to 15 mins at 180 deg C.
6/  Remove from oven, line with paper liners and serve warm.
7/  Add few slices of banana or fresh grated coconut before serving.

Suggestion condiment before serving. Top with few slices of banana or fresh grated coconut to enhance the taste.

Love the buttery pastry and coconut fragrant.

Persimmon Leaf Tea

The leaves of the persimmon plant are just as useful and healthy as the edible fruit. The tea are rich in vitamins and minerals. Persimmon leaf tea has long been an effective herbal remedy in Japan. It's helpful for allergy relief, metabolism regulation, weight loss and improve complexion. As far as I know persimmon leaf tea are easily available in Japan, Korea, China and USA.

The benefits of persimmon fruit

The fruit is low in calories and contains rich source of dieting fiber. Persimmons are high in vitamins A, B6, C, manganese, potassium and soluble fiber.
Persimmon is a multi-trunked or single-stemmed  deciduous tree, which grow up to 25 feet in height. They grow best in areas that have moderate and relatively mild summers. The season for persimmon in the Northern hemisphere is September to December.

Picture compliments from a friend.

This post  is link to Foodie Friends Friday Linky Party January 18/13 host by Marlys Folly.
Have a wonderful week ahead. Thank you for you dropping by.

Coconut And Key Lime Pudding Cake

Coconut and key lime pudding cake with guava coulis and grilled pineapple
Source: Emeril Lagasse ( with some modification)

Serve pudding with grilled pineapple and guava coulis

Ingredients
3 tablespoons butter, softened at room temperature
3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar
3 eggs, separated
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup freshly squeezed key lime juice
1 cup milk
1/4 cup desiccated unsweetened coconut

Method
1/  Preheat the oven to 180 degrees c.
2/  Lightly butter 6  ramekins with 1 tablespoon of the butter.
3/  Coat the interior of the 6 ramekins with the 2 tablespoons of sugar.
4/  Roll the sugar around each ramekin to ensure that all surfaces are evenly coated.
5/  Place the ramekins in a large baking dish or roasting pan and set aside.
6/  In a mixing bowl, cream together 3/4 cup of the sugar and remaining 2 tablespoons butter.
7/  Add the egg yolks, one at a time, beating well after each addition.
8/  Stir in the flour. Gradually add the key lime juice, don't worry if the mixture looks curdled or appears to be separating.

9/   Season with the salt and add the milk and coconut and stir to combine.
10/  In a separate bowl beat the egg whites just until they hold stiff peaks.
11/  Gently fold the egg whites into the yolk mixture in 3 additions.
12/  Do not over mix, the mixture will appear thin.
13/  Divide the pudding cake mixture evenly among the ramekins and add enough hot water to the baking dish to come half way up the sides of the ramekins.
14/  Cover the ramekins with a sheet of parchment paper that has been liberally greased with butter or non-stick baking spray.
15/  Bake until the pudding cakes are puffed and lightly firm to the touch, 30 to 35 minutes.
16/  Remove from the oven and transfer to a wire cooling rack to cool slightly before serving.

Guava Coulis

1 cup chopped guava
1 cup pink guava juice
1 tbsp lemon juice

1/  Blend the chopped guava, guava juice and 1 tablespoon of lime juice for 2 minutes or until smooth.
2/  Add 1 drop of pink coloring. Mixed well.
3/  Chilled in fridge.

 Grilled Pineapple

Few slices of thinly cut pineapple, cut lengthwise
1 tbsp honey
1 tbsp lemon juice

1/  Mix honey and lemon juice together.
2/  Brush honey on both side of the pineapple, pour the remaining honey on top of pineapple.
3/  Grilled the pineapple until slightly charred.

To make simple pineapple flower. Take 1 slice and roll into cone shape.

Put the 1st cone on the second slice of pineapple and roll again.

Pineapple flower completed.

Decorate the pudding cake with grilled pineapple.

Simple and gorgeous pineapple flower.

To serve
1/  Invert a ramekin with the warm pudding cake onto the center of a dessert plate.
2/  While clasping the sides of the plate with your fingers and using your thumbs to hold the base of the ramekin in place, give a couple of firm jolts downwards to release the cake from the ramekin.

 3/  Place the plate on a level surface and slowly remove the ramekin.

4/  Spoon some of the guava sauce around the pudding cake and top with grilled pineapple.

5/  Serve while still warm but I prefer chilled, it  taste better.

It sure taste heavenly.....one scoop in my mouth..... I blink my eyes 3 times.......wooooooooooo......one of the most luscious pudding cake I ever eaten.

Any taker?

My empty plate..... I need second helping. LOL

Please help yourself with the pudding cake.

A cute Liebster Award from my dear friend  of   Spontaneously Cupcakes. Ross, thank you so much for the beautiful awards. 

Have a nice week ahead to all my friends.

Caramel Coffee Ice Cream & Awards

I'm in the mood and mode for ice cream again. For coffee addicts, this ice cream taste heavenly. One scoop is never enough.

Caramel Coffee Ice cream

Ingredients
3/4 cup castor sugar
1/4 cup water
1 1/2 cup milk
1 tbsp coffee powder
2 eggs
1 1/2 cup whip cream
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 cup coffee liqueur or  ( For Muslim use 2 tsp of vanilla essence )

1/  Heat the sugar over medium heat, stir continuously till sugar melt and cook till light amber color.

2/  Remove from heat, pour 1/4 cup water slowly into the caramel. (BEWARE OF THE SPATTER)
 Return to stove, cook until caramel dissolved. Add milk and mixed well.

3/ Mix coffee powder with  a little hot water, add to the caramel mixture. Mixed well.

4/  Beat egg lightly with a fork. Pour half the caramel mixture to temper the egg. Stir continuously.

5/ Pour the entire mixture to the balance caramel, cook until custard coat the back of spoon.
6/  Leave to cool.
7/  Add coffee liqueur or vanilla extract, whip cream and mixed well. Cover with cling wrap and chilled the ice cream mixture minimum 4 hours or overnight.

8/  Churn ice cream in ice cream maker according to the instruction manual.
9/  Freeze till set and enjoy. Add any condiment of your choice.

Making ice cream without an 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/ After step 7 from above method, 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 = 3 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.
6/ Pour in air tight container to freeze till set.

  Awards
 
I would like to thank  Jessie of Cooking Moments for passing me the following 4 beautiful awards. Thank you for thinking of me. Jessie, A big big hugs to you.

The requirement for this versatile blogger award you need to stat 7 facts about yourself. I'll skip this cos I'd did this in my previous posting. click here if you're interested to know more about me
 

The requirement for this ABC award  you need to list 26 things about yourself using every single alphabet from A to Z. I will go for this, but just some silly and childish stuff about me.

1/  A as in AMELIA, but my Muslim friends prefer to call me Amoi, Amy, Mel.

Yours truly stepping into 50th miles category. But age is just a number, it's not a big issue to me. ( Picture taken last month.)

2/  B as in BLOGGING. Thru blogging I made lots of  new friends from everywhere. And some of them are now my good friends.

Some relationship are like Tom & Jerry. They tease each other, knock down each other, irritate each other but can't live without each other.

3/  C as in CHOCOLATE AND CHEESE. My favorite combination and never get tired of eating chocolate cheese cake. Recipe was previously posted  here.

 4/  D as in DAY DREAMING. Yes,  I love day dreaming, free entertainment! Without dream our life will so boring and meaningless.

Picture taken in my late 40th miles

5/  E as in EGG-ZOSTED. My previous EGG-Y experience, another kitchen disaster. In case you've miss it click  here.

6/  F as in FOOD. My fridge and mini bar are forever overload with food stuff. Whenever I open my fridge,  I can hear my fridge singing......

 Please help me I'm falling....
 Close the door to temptation, don't overload me,
 For I shouldn't want you but sweetheart I do,
 Please help me I'm falling......
 Please help me falling and that would be sin,
 Close the door to temptation, don't suffocate me with excess food,
 Turn away from me sweetheart, I'm begging you true,
 Please help me I'm falling.....sweetheart, when you gonna stop doing this to me?

7/  G as in GARDENING. I love gardening but staying in an apartment, my space is limited.

My orchid in full bloom.

8/ H as in HONEY. I love honey lemon tomatoes drink.
1/2 lemon, 3 tomatoes blend into juice, add 1 to 2 teaspoon honey. Drink half an hour before breakfast.
This is a beauty juice, good for complexion. Drink 3 times a week. Not suitable for people who suffer from gastric or stomach ulcer.

9/  I as in ICE CREAM. I scream, you scream, who don't like ice cream please raise your hands!

10/ J as in JOKES. To me No jokes no fun. No fun no laughing. No laughing no smiling. No smiling no giggling.

Oh, reminder!  Don't forget to put "dressing" in your chicken salad to avoid oohh and arhh.

11/ K as in KITCHEN KNIFE. Guess how many I kept in my pantry? Hubby better not play play or fooling around outside. You never know what's next.....LOL

Psstt.... hubby not aware of my knives collection.

Oh!!  left out two knives......LOL

12/  L as in LEFT-HANDED. Yes, I'm a left-handed or Southpaws.  For a Chinese somehow it's consider odd, people usually look at lefty differently. According to psychology expert lefty people do appear to be more creative. I think I'm qualified for this but off course not 100 per cent. LOL

Lefty are also quick thinker, independence, adaptability, more flexible, intelligent and resilient. Oh... not bad but sound too good to be true......!!! LOL


13/  M as in MEMORIES. When I'm 65 all these will be my memories. Hopefully I will still look presentable when I turn 65. LOL 

 14/ N as in NAUGHTY. I'm not naughty but I'm playful.  So sometimes you have to BEAR with me.

15/ O as in OPPSS......

You know him? He is a bit too shy today cos so many pretty ladies looking him. 

16/ P as in PRATHA. Indian bread which we can easily get at 80 cent per piece. But yours truly got nothing better to do prefer homemade pratha.

Homemade Roti Pratha to go with Dhal Curry. Healthy? No, it's sinful.....eat first diet later. Keep your weighing scale away.

17/ Q as in QUEEN CONTROL. But I'm not a Queen Control, no chance for me to be one.

18/ R as in ROD STEWARD.  My most favorite singer. My  favorite songs are The Way You Look Tonight,  You're in my heart,  That's What Friends Are For and many others. 

Elisabeth, I know you love all his songs.

19/ S as in SEAFOOD.  SEAFOOD not SEE FOOD. I see food, I eat it.

Spicy sweet sour shellfish aka clams. I do eat lots of shellfish but I'm not selfish, in fact I'm very generous.LOL

20/ T as in TRANSFORMATION. I think I'm quite good at it, always turn my disaster cake into something interesting even thou it's not perfect. My previous swiss roll disaster, Click here to view

Naughty bear wallowing in the mud.  Oh.. my beary bear, how could you do this to me....please don't be a heart breaker.....

21/ U as in UNDER GRAMENTS.  LOL, What is this undergarments got to do with this posting? Beside umbrella and undergarment I could not think of anything I like or food I like that start with 'U'.
Anyway don't leave home without it..... LOL

22/ V as in VEGETABLES.  The only vegetable dish I can eat every day is spicy pickle vegetables.

Nyonya Achar. Mine need 2 days to prepared, so I usually make large batch that last me for 10 days.

23/ W as in WATER.  I drink like a hippo. At least 10 to 14 glasses excluding the fruit juice and 2 cups of coffee.

24/ X as in XTRA.  Imagine my waistline size  after eating all the desserts. So I need to shed off the Xtra  from waist down.

Exercise for 30 mins at least 3 times a week to stay healthy.

25/ Y as in YAWNING. One more alphabet to go but I'm yawning right now.

26/ Z as in SLEEPING TIME. Oh, gosh... I'm so tired and sleepy. I'm going to my slumber land now zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz...........................but wait......

I'm passing all the 4 awards to the following friends.

Anuja of simple Baking
Anne of My Bare Cupboard
Duxa of Duxa Kitchen
Elisabeth of food and thrift finds
Eileen of Hundred Eighty Degrees
Kit of i-lost in austen
Love2Cook of Love2Cook-Malaysia
Mel of Through The Kitchen Door
Ping of Ping's Picking
Phong Hong of Phong Hong Bakes
Shahriah of The Writer's Cooking
Veronica of Veronica kitchen
 
Good night. Hope all of you didn't yawn and yawn reading my A to Z silly stuff and anyone of you fall asleep in front of the PC? LOL

Have a nice week ahead. Cheers!