Sunflower Seed and Coconut Cookies

A riff on my own fah sang peng recipe, using sunflower seeds and dessicated coconut instead of peanuts. Little adorable melt-in-the-mouth bites of fragrant high fibre goodness! :)

Sunflower Seed and Coconut Cookies
Makes about 70 bitesize pieces

Blitz 200g (approx 1 1/2 cups) roasted salted sunflower seeds (I like Trader Joe's) in a blender/spice mill until finely ground. You can leave some coarse bits for texture if you like.

Chuck in and blitz until well-combined:

50 g (approx 1/2 cup) unsweetened dessicated coconut (I use the super dry powdery kind from my Asian grocery store pictured below, NOT sweetened coconut flakes)

200g (approx. 1 1/2 cups) plain flour

100g (approx. 3/4 cup) icing sugar (essential for the fine texture. Do not substitute with normal sugar)

1/2 tsp baking powder

Add a good glug of vegetable oil (any mild variety like corn, soya, sunflower, rapeseed or groundnut will do) and blitz at high speed, adding more oil if necessary until a soft rollable dough is formed. Be sure not to pour in too much oil at one go.

My unsweetened dessicated coconut of choice

Roll into equal sized little balls (about a teaspoonful of dough each) with your hands.

Poke the top with a chopstick to make an indentation. 

*This step is primarily for cuteness. Skip altogether if you don't really care.

Bake at 320 F/160 C fan-assisted (or 350 F/180 C for non-convection ovens) for 20-25 minutes until golden brown.

Let cool before popping into your mouth one at at time. Exercise self-control.

Cheesecake Brownies

*Also available made-to-order at $20 (25 bitesize pieces) or $30 (50 bitesize pieces) 

Let's get real now. Why force yourself to choose between a cheesecake and a brownie, when you can do this? :)

For those gluten-free foodies out there, the cherry on the cake is that this recipe contains so little flour (and so much cheese and chocolate and all that good stuff), that you can easily use cornstarch/ground almonds instead without impacting the decadent intensity.

Do it. You won't regret it (though your waistline might).

Cheesecake Brownies

Makes one 13" x 9” pan

*Some tips: 
-Take your eggs and cream cheese out of the fridge in advance to reach room temperature. Hard cream cheese is a real pain to beat!

-Melt your chocolate, then while it's cooling whisk your cheese mix together, then go back and beat the chocolate when it's cold. That saves time, and you don't have to wash your whisk in between (traces of cream cheese in the chocolate won't matter).

-Brownies are a lot more forgiving than cakes so don't stress if you use a bit more or less of anything.

Preheat the oven to 350F/180C. Make the two separate batters.

• The chocolate mix

In a dry bowl (water makes chocolate seize), melt together while stirring until glossy:

150g butter

1 1/2 cups (240g) semi-sweet chocolate chunks

*I melt by microwave: 15-20 second intervals several times, stirring well in between. DO NOT OVERHEAT- stop microwaving as soon as you have only small chunks left and just keep stirring until they dissolve. If you prefer the traditional bain-marie method, place the bowl over a pot of simmering water and stir until dissolved.

Allow to cool completely. You can get started on your cheese mix while waiting.

Beat together for 2 mins until frothy, then stir into chocolate butter mix:

2 eggs, at room temperature
3/4 cup (150g) sugar
Few drops vanilla extract

2 small drops coffee essence or diluted instant coffee (this is just to enhance the cocoa flavor, not to make it taste of coffee. If you don't have any on hand you can omit it.)

Fold in:

2 tbsp flour (or cornstarch/ground almonds for gluten-free)

1 cup (160g) semi-sweet chocolate chunks

• The cheese mix

Stick this all in a bowl and beat together with an electric whisk until smooth:

2 packs (1 lb oz/454g) cream cheese, softened to room temperature*

1/2 cup (about 100g) sugar

2 eggs, at room temperature

1 tsp vanilla extract

3 tbsp flour (or cornstarch)

Pinch of salt

*In the UK cream cheese is called full-fat soft cheese, and tends to come in 300g packs. I usually just chuck the whole lot in.

Line the pan with baking/wax/greaseproof paper (if using a Pyrex baking dish, you can skip this step). Dollop the chocolate and cheese mixes randomly, and swirl with the edge of spatula to make a marbled effect.

Swirly-whirly :)
(This picture depicts a small 9" pan, half this recipe)

Bake for 35 minutes or until set at 350F/180C. Let cool in the pan totally, then refrigerate until chilled to intensify the flavors. Slice with a sharp knife only when completely cold.

Exercise self control.

White Chocolate and Almond Fudge

A lot of fuss surrounds the making of good non-grainy fudge, but I've learnt that as long as you adhere to a few guidelines it really isn't hard to produce a smooth and creamy result that can be adapted endlessly into different flavours. Fudge is essentially milk and butter cooked with a TRUCKLOAD of sugar- once you've perfected this blueprint you have free reign to add any variety of chocolate, nuts, dried fruit and flavourings you see fit.

So what are these basic rules? It's simple:

Rule 1: Make sure your sugar is completely dissolved- large crystals mean a yucky sand-like texture.

Rule 2: Know WHEN TO STIR and when NOT TO STIR.

Rule 3: Follow the timings- a clock/watch is useful.

Rule 4: DON'T SKIP the soft-ball stage test- you do not need a candy thermometer (I don't own one), just a glass of ice water.

The following recipe provides detailed step-by-step instructions that I experimented with a couple of years back until I was happy; carry them out exactly and you should be well on your way to candyland.

White Chocolate and Almond Fudge

Makes one 10" x 8" tray

Combine the following in a heavy pot and stir very gently over low heat for about 15 mins (the longer the better) until sugar is completely dissolved: 

350g sugar

175ml evaporated milk (NOT condensed milk)

25g (slight less than 2 tbsp) butter

In the meantime, while the syrup is heating:

1) Chop up 300g white chocolate and a large handful of toasted almonds.

2) Line a 10" x 8" pan with greaseproof baking paper.

3) Get some ice-cold water ready on standby (I place a few small glasses of cold tap water in the freezer)

Increase heat to medium and bring the milky syrup to a moderate boil. DO NOT STIR. Let it boil for about 10-15 mins undisturbed until it reaches soft-ball stage. 

Soft-ball test: Drop a tiny amount of the syrup into one of your prepared glasses of ice water- it should form a soft ball that you can roll between your fingers. If it dissipates immediately or forms a mass at the bottom of the glass, it isn't ready and you should continue letting it boil. Test again after a few minutes with a new glass of ice water. Make sure to use fresh ice water for each test.

Once it's at soft-ball stage, remove from heat and let cool for 10 mins- DO NOT STIR during this time.

Add in the chopped chocolate, chopped nuts and 1 tsp vanilla extract. STIR SLOWLY until the chocolate completely dissolves- the mixture should start to stiffen immediately, and is ready to be poured into tin when it completely loses its gloss, turns thick and makes a squelchy snapping noise when you stir.

Pour quickly into the lined pan and smoothen the top. Allow to cool completely until set, then cut into bitesize pieces. 

Voila- your very own batch of smooth, creamy, luxurious homemade fudge!:)

Fresh Fruit Cream Cake

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For the longest time I've wanted to try making one of these magnificent patisserie-style cakes typically found in Chinese bakeries, and earlier this week my friend Yishyene gave me the perfect excuse to experiment as she celebrated her birthday and happened to LOVE fruit, LOVE cream and HATE chocolate.

The result: almost a success! Although everyone else seemed very impressed by it I personally found it lacked sweetness and depth of flavour, so the recipe below includes what I think are suitable modifications which I haven't retested but should work. When I get round to making it again I'll come back and let you know :)

Feel free to use your favourite varieties of fruit for the topping- I chose strawberries, canned peaches, green grapes and canned pears simply because they were red, orange, green and... erm, translucent respectively.

Fresh Fruit Cream Cake

Makes one 8" gateau

Beat together until thick and pale:
4 egg yolks
½ cup sugar

1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tbsp oil

Sift and fold in:
½ cup flour1 tbsp cornstarch

A pinch of salt

Beat until a stiff glossy meringue and fold in:
4 egg whites
¼ cup sugar
Few drops lemon juice

Pour into 2 lined 8” sandwich tins and bake 160 C fan-assisted (180 without) for 25-30 mins until skewer inserted comes out clean. Let cool completely and remove from pan.

Filling/Topping:

Using cold equipment and ingredients, whip 2 cups (500ml) double cream with ¼ cup icing sugar until floppy. Set aside half for frosting.

Thoroughly drain 1 tin fruit cocktail (or chopped up strawberries, mango, whatever fruit you want etc). Pat dry further with kitchen towels.

Stir the chopped fruit into the other half of cream and spread over one layer of sponge.

Top with other layer, then coat top and sides with rest of cream. (Tip: spread a very thin layer first all over the cake as a crumb catcher, to make frosting smoother and easier)

If using canned fruit like I did, drain thoroughly using a sieve.

Decorate the top with fruit as desired and the sides with chopped almonds. Dust with icing sugar. Chill for at least a few hours before serving.

Baked Rhubarb Pudding

I must admit this is the first time ever I've used rhubarb- to date I've found this vegetable an alien and intimidatingly English ingredient, with its odd giant celery-like appearance, strange pink/green hue and the fact that it's a vegetable yet used mainly for dessert. Thank goodness my friends Donat and Olivia brought a delicious tray of this to a party one day, for there came my introduction to how utterly tasty and flavoursome it can be.

Rhubarb- not so scary anymore

Based on a recipe from Delicious magazine, this summery dessert balances tartness and sweetness to perfection, combining chunks of rhubarb cooked in sugar until syrupy and soft with a light fluffy sponge and a gooey bit in between where the two meet. English pudding at its best.

Baked Rhubarb Pudding

Serves 6-8

Stir together 400g rhubarb, chopped into chunks, 100g sugar and a

bit of water in a deep casserole dish.

Bake at 170 C fan assisted (or 190C without) for 25 mins until tender.

Drain the liquid (which should be a delicious pink rhubarb syrup) into a separate

bowl and reserve for later. Let the chunks cool, and using your finger spread a

bit of butter around the sides of the casserole dish.

Lower the oven temperature to 160 C fan assisted (or 180C without).

Whisk together on high speed until pale and thick:

3 egg yolks

150g sugar

Whisk in:

Grated zest of 1 lemon

75g self-raising flour, sifted

Pinch of salt

Stir in:

150ml semi-skimmed milk

150ml single cream

In a separate clean and dry bowl, whisk together 3 egg whites with a pinch of cream of tartar until stiff.

Fold into the batter until a well combined foamy mix.

Pour the batter over the rhubarb chunks, place the entire casserole dish into a larger roasting pan and pour boiling water into the roasting pan until halfway up the sides of the dish to form a bain-marie. Bake at 160C fan-assisted for 40 mins until golden and the centre of the sponge is firm to touch.

Ready!

Serve warm or cold, with a generous drizzle of rhubarb syrup.

Victoria Sponge with Fresh Strawberries

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Ah, good old Queen Victoria and her penchant for a bit of sponge cake with her afternoon tea! There is nothing quite as classically British, quite as light and summery, quite as ridiculously easy to make than this delicious combination of butter sponge, jam and cream.

My version below also consists of a layer of sliced fresh strawberries- trust me, it makes all the difference and makes an already good thing great.

Victoria Sponge with Fresh Strawberries

Makes one 8" round cake

Dump all into a bowl and whisk briefly with an electric mixer until well combined:

175g (1 1/2 sticks or 12 tbsp) butter, softened

175g (3/4 cup) caster sugar

175g (1 1/2 cup) self-raising flour, sifted

1 tsp baking powder

3 eggs

Divide the batter equally into two 8" round sandwich pans (lined with greaseproof paper to ease removal). Bake at 160C/ 320 F fan-assisted (or 180C/ 350 F without) for about 20 mins or until golden yellow and springy to touch.

Allow to cool in tin for about 10 mins, then remove from pan and let cool completely on a wire rack.

Spread one layer with about 3 tbsp strawberry jam. Slice a large handful of strawberries and layer over the top.

Whip 300ml double cream until thickened and spread over the strawberries.

Place the second sponge layer on top and dust with icing sugar. Serve immediately.

Burnt Sugar Cream Cake

The need to use up perishable ingredients before they kick the bucket on you is often a good motivator to experiment with recipes you wouldn't otherwise have looked twice at. Due to an almost-expired tub of double cream sitting in my fridge and the desire to turn it into something other than ice cream, I stumbled upon this delicious-sounding concoction on a blog called Cherry On A Cake (which I believe, is also by a food-loving Malaysian) and could not resist giving it a whirl. She's made it pretty with a special mould, but having no such thing on hand I decided to go for the regular rustic homemade look (as you can tell from the knobbly surface), with several tweaks and modifications to suit my cake pan/personal taste as well.

The result is a cake that is dense but moist, slightly sticky at the top and intoxicatingly fragranced with the aroma of burnt sugar caramel. As a first experiment I would classify it under the "pretty good" category- Arivind loved it and inhaled it by the slab, though I personally would have preferred a lighter crumb and think using butter instead of whipped heavy cream would have added a nicer dimension to its flavour. Of course that would have defeated the whole purpose of using up my perishing ingredient in this case, so if anyone decides before I do to make a butter version do let me know how it turns out!:)

Burnt Sugar Cream Cake

Makes an 8" round cake

• Firstly, make the burnt sugar syrup

Place 1/2 cup sugar in a small pot over a low flame on the stove- stir it constantly as it gradually dissolves into a dark amber caramel. When all the sugar is caramelised, stand back and carefully pour in 1/2 cup boiling water- watch out as it will start sputtering! Continue stirring over low heat until any hardened crystals dissolve, then set aside to cool thoroughly.

• Making the cake

With an electric whisk, whip 200ml cold double cream until thick and firm (but not excessively stiff). Set aside.

Whip together at high speed for a few mins until pale and thickened:

2 eggs

150g sugar

1 tsp vanilla extract

Pour the egg mix into the whipped cream and add 1/4 cup cooled caramel. Whisk briefly to combine.

Sift and fold in:

170g plain flour

1 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

If mixture is lumpy, whisk for a few seconds to remove lumps. Pour into a lined round 8" cake pan and bake for about 45 mins-1 hour or until a skewer inserted in the centre comes out clean.

Remove the cake from the oven and let cool for about 15 mins before removing from the pan to continue cooling on a rack. Poke all over the top with a toothpick, then drizzle over the remaining burnt sugar syrup. Let cool completely and store in a covered container/cake tin to prevent from drying out.