Birthday Cakes

 

          Made this orange butter cake with buttercream icing for my youngest son's birthday last April. I learned how to bake cakes from my mother when I was schooling but icing the cake....not an expert on this. Nevertheless managed to ice the cake. The cakes we buy from our bakery usually ice the cakes with just cream icing which has a flat taste. This is why I prefer to bake and ice my own cakes.

          Well, this cake I baked for my colleague, Liza. Just thought I'll give her a surprise so I baked this butter orange almond cake with buttercream icing and celebrated her birthday in the office during lunch break. Usually when I bake cakes I less the sugar because with the icing, the cake will tend to taste sweeter.

          Transported the cake to the office using this cake carrier that has a tall lid that locks securely into it's base. I placed the cake on a cake board so that when I remove the cover, I can serve the cake on the base and when cutting the cake, the base won't get scratched.

 
Orange Almond Butter Cake

Ingredients:

• 250 gm flour (sieve the flour + baking powder 3 times)
•  250 gm buttercup
•  130 gm castor sugar
• 50 gm almond powder
• 50 gm almong nibs
• grated rind of 1 orange  
•  juice of 1 orange + UHT milk = 150 ml
• 4    eggs
• 2    tsp baking powder ( 10 gm)
• 2    tsp vanilla essence

Method:  

1. Using an electric mixer cream together butter (room temperature) and castor sugar on medium-high speed until light and fluffy.
2. Add eggs one at a time beating well after each addition.
3. (If eggs are not beaten well, the mixture will curdle & if this happens just add a bit of flour)
4. Add in the vanilla essence, rind of 1 orange, almond powder and almond nibs.
5. Add half the flour, fold to combine. Add half the combined milk mixture, fold to combine. Repeat with remaining flour and milk mixture.
6. Pour the mixture into a lined cake pan an bake at about 170 ° C for 40 minutes or until a skewer into the center comes out clean.

Buttercream Icing

Cream 200 gm buttercup (room temperature) with electric mixer. Add in 1 teaspoon vanilla essence, Gradually add icing sugar - 400 gm, beating well on medium speed. When all sugar has been mixed in, icing will appear dry. Add in about a tablespoon of milk and beat at medium speed until light and fluffy. Keep bowl covered with a damp cloth until ready to use.

*Sparkles*

                Hari Raya is around the corner, in one week's time. This festival is celebrated by our Muslim brethren after one month of puasa (fasting). Couldn't resist buying a box of sparkles (matapu in Tamil). Really.....I light the sparkles and play with them.......no I'm not old....I believe age is just a figure. Seriously, just be young at heart and one can enjoy life. Here in Malaysia we celebrate 4 main festivals, the Chinese celebrate Chinese New Year (Kong Yee Fatt Choy), the Malays celebrate Hari Raya Aidil Fitri, the Indians celebrate Deepavali (The Festival of Lights), the Christians celebrate Christmas.......what unity... 1 Malaysia! Each one with different cultures and relgion but we all live, work and share our lives with one another. How wonderful! 

                During these festivals, usually on the fist day of celebration, we visit our brethren who are celebrating and are invited to have some delicacies at their home. This is called 'open house' - this is our Malaysian custom. We go to their homes, chit chat with our friends and this gives a real festive feeling. Three main races, Malays, Chinese and Indians join hand in hand and live our everday lives together!

Now coming back to our fireworks...sparkles. Certain type of fireworks are banned here in Malaysia to protect our children. These fireworks add a festive environment and a happy cheery feeling. Playing with sparkles, we hold the wire end with our fingers, light the other end and there it evolves little sparkles and this is why it is played at night. Sparkles! Sparkles! Sparkles!!!!

Church Of Our Lady Of Lourdes, Ipoh

This church Our Lady Of Lourdes (OLOL), is situated in Silibin, Ipoh, Perak, West Malaysia. This is my parish where I was babtised, received my first Holy Communion and Confirmation. The masses are in English and Tamil as most of the parishioners are tamillians. We have 2 other catholic churches here in Ipoh, one is The St. Michael's Church (SMC) and the other Church Of Our Mother Of Perpetual Help (OMPH). I have a lot of fond memories of OLOL - went for my cathecism classes here and when I'm down I go to the grotto and believe me all your burdens will be lifted away......at night the grotto is lighted with candles and it's a pretty sight to behold. The alter backdrop is made of marble and bears the photo of The Last Supper. I strongly believe that all what we are, what we have and what we undergo in our everyday life is God's giving. 'Praise The Lord'!

Almond Sugee Cake

Last weekend I decided to bake an almond sugee (samolina) cake. Could not sleep, got up at about 4.30am.......took all the ingredients from my fridge and started baking, after taking a cup of nescafe at about 5.30am. This cake takes some time to make because after creaming the butter and sugar the sugee is added to this mixture and let to soak for about 1 - 11/2 hours. I really like the taste of this cake as it has it's own flavour and aroma. My children love to eat this cake, butter orange cake, moist chocolate cake and cheese cake. I try to bake at least twice a month. Sometimes I take some for my colleagues as they love to savour my cakes not to say I'm good at baking them but rather because they love to eat home-made cakes. I like to make my own cakes because I can control the amount sugar....I usually cut down my input of sugar by 25%. As for the almonds, I add in some almond powder and almond nibs. Usually the almonds nibs are not roasted but I like it roasted a little for as you bite into a piece you get that crunchy taste of the almonds. Yummy Almond Sugee Cake!!!

Steam Boat

Had steamboat for Father's Day at my home. My brother-in -law joined us for  dinner. First time trying to make this cuisine. Prepared the stock -  tom yam soup and chicken soup. Actually there is no fixed recipe .... I made the soup just by boiling:

Chicken Soup:   chicken bones (the backbone part) + about 4 litres water + 2 inches ginger (sliced) + 4 pips of garlic + 1 carrot (cut into cubes) + 2 tomatoes (cut into cubes) + salt to taste & a dash of pepper.  

Tom Yam Soup:  All the above ingredients as for chicken soup. Just add after boiling for 1/2 an hour:- 2 tbsp of tomyam paste + 3 stalks of serai, crushed + 4 leaves of limau purut + 1 bunga kantan.                                                                         

Now to enjoy the steamboat:

Place your electric steamboat pot with the stock in the centre of the table, then follow these steps when you're ready to have your meal:                           

Step  1 :   Bring the stock to a gentle simmer in your electric steamboat pot.

Step 2 :   Arrange the raw meat, seafood like prawns, fishcakes and vegetables on separate plates around the steamboat.                                       

Step 3 :   Add a few raw ingredients to the stock at a time, then use  chopsticks  or slotted spoons to transfer the cooked ingredients to serving bowls to eat with dipping sauces.                                                                                   

Step 4 :   At the end of the meal, crack an egg into the stock, if desired, then enjoy the enriched stock as a soup and have it with noodles.

 

Fruit Cocktail Jelly

This milky fruity jelly pudding is mouth watering. Tried this recipe and just loved it's rich taste and so I would like to share it.

Milky Fruit Cocktail Jelly

Ingredients:

• 11  gm jelly powder
• 1   can fruit cocktail
• 3   tbsp custard powder
• 1   cup sugar
• 1   litre water (water + cocktail juice)
• 2   eggs
• 1   tsp vanilla essence
• 200 ml evaporated milk

 Method: 

Cook jelly with water and sugar  till it dissolves. While waiting for this to boil, beat eggs with vanilla and custard powder. Mix egg mixture thoroughly and keep it aside. Once sugar has dissolved, add in evaporated milk and let it come to a gentle boil. Add egg mixture and stir it constantly to prevent egg mixture from curddling. Lastly add in cocktail juice and fruit cocktail. Pour it into moulds and let it set before putting it in the fridge.                               

Chicken Pie Tartlets

My daughter studying in KL came back home last week and told me she was craving for some pie. Was not in the  mood to prepare the dough and so I went to the supermarket and got a packet of Kawan Brand puff pastry squares and so baked the above chicken pie tartlets. Believe me it was yummy............

 

Chicken Pie Tartlets

Ingredients:

• 1 packet Kawan Brand puff pastry dough
• 2 pieces chicken breast
• 2 pototoes
• 1 big red onion
• 1 green capsicum
• 1 small piece ginger
• 1 tbsp chilli powder
• 1 tsp cumin powder
• 1 big tomato
• salt to taste

 Method:

Saute the cut onions and ginger in a little oil with 1 cinnamon stick and some curry leaves. Then add in  the cut tomato pieces and let it cook for a while. After this add the chilli powder, cumin powder, some salt, add in a little water and let it cook . Add the  chicken (cut into tiny pieces) and the potatoes (cut into tiny cubes). Let it cook well, then add in the cubed capsicum and cook the whole dish till it's dry.

Put the pastry puff dough into the pie moulds, fill it with the dry chicken potato mixture, Cover the pie mould with cut strips of pastry dough and bake in a hot oven about 200 degrees centigrade till the puff pastry puffs up!