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.

Nyonya Acar Awak (Malaysian Spicy Vegetable Pickle)

Visually vibrant to the eye and refreshingly piquant to the taste, acar awak is a traditional cold Malaysian pickle bursting with a lip-smacking blend of sweetness, tang and spice as well as a spectrum of textures and crunch levels. A joyride for your tongue, if you will, especially when served alongside hot rice and as an accompaniment to cut through heavier curries.

Some recipes omit the pineapple; I personally find it adds a juicy, succulent sweetness that really elevates this dish. The blending of the paste takes a bit of work, so feel free to double or triple the quantities and make a large batch at one go. Be sure to top liberally with more chopped peanuts and roasted sesame seeds just before serving.

Nyonya Acar Awak (Spicy Mixed Vegetable Pickle)

Serves 12 as a small side

Chop the following into 2” sticks:

1 medium-large cucumber (about 300g), pulp removed

1 medium carrot (100g), peeled

A handful long green beans/French beans (100g)

¼ of a white cabbage (150g)

*You can also use cauliflower or other crunchy vegetables. Measurements are approximate, adjust to taste

Stir in 1 tbsp salt.

Slice 200g pineapple into small chunks.

Line a baking sheet with paper towels and spread everything except the pineapple onto it. Bake on very low heat (about 100C) for about 25 mins to dry out (or if you live in Malaysia/somewhere very hot, feel free to lay it out in the sun for a few hours!)

• Spice paste:

Grind the following together and fry in oil over medium heat for 10 mins until fragrant:

5 shallots/1 large cooking onion

5 cloves garlic

5 dried chillies, deseeded and soaked

2 candlenuts

1 tsp turmeric powder (or 1” fresh turmeric )- if you are multiplying this recipe, do not increase turmeric quantity too much as it can taste bitter. Just add a bit more than 1 tsp.

1 stick lemongrass, white part only

1” galangal

Optional for non-vegetarians: a bit of belacan, dried shrimp

Stir in and bring to a boil:

¼ cup rice vinegar

2 tbsp sugar

Stir in and immediately turn off heat:

Prepared vegetables

2 tbsp roasted sesame seeds

1/4 cup (about 50g) roasted ground peanuts

Allow to cool completely and refrigerate in a glass jar overnight (or for up to 4 weeks) so flavours can intensify. 

Before serving, leave at room temperature for a short while (so it's not stone cold) and top with extra ground peanuts and sesame seeds. 

Devour with hot steamed rice!

Spring Potato Salad with Crispy Bacon

Being an acting student with very little money means you often need to cook using whatever you happen to have left in your cupboards- lucky for me, today that meant a jar of mayonnaise, eggs, potatoes, some green scallions that had sprung from some old onions and a few strips of bacon I had frozen months ago. 

There really isn't any science to potato salads- the recipe below is simply what tastes good to me. Feel free to add or subtract anything you see fit.

Spring Potato Salad with Crispy Bacon
Serves 4-6 as a side, or as packed lunch for a few days :)

4 medium potatoes- wash thoroughly and peel if desired (I personally like to keep the skin, so I make sure to scrub them extra clean). Cut them into chunks and cook in boiling water for about 10 mins until tender (test with a fork- it should slide in easily). Don't overcook your potatoes or they'll disintegrate into mush! Drain and let cool.

4 large eggs- place in a pot of water and bring to a boil, then let simmer for 10-15 mins. Drain, and cover in cold tap water to cool. Peel, then mash roughly with a fork.

4 strips streaky bacon- fry without oil over medium heat until crispy. Drain on paper towels, let cool and crumble up.

2-3 sprigs of spring onions- chop finely.

Dump all the prepared ingredients above into a large bowl and add 4 tbsp mayonnaise and season generously with salt and black pepper. Stir it all up until combined- add more mayo or seasoning if necessary.

Refrigerate before serving.

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!:)

Sago Gula Melaka (Sago Pearl Pudding with Palm Sugar and Coconut Milk)

Like a cold, tropical fusion between sticky rice pudding, creme caramel and a bouncy jelly, this quintessential Malaysian favourite combines the spongy spring of moulded sago pearls with the richness of santan (coconut milk) and the fragrant sweetness of palm sugar (gula melaka) to form a decadent yet refreshing dessert, particularly well-suited for cooling you down after a spicy meal.

For those who are unfamiliar, sago pearls are tiny dry opaque white balls practically identical to tapioca pearls (see picture below). Both turn translucent and soft when soaked and cooked, and more often than not you can use them interchangeably as I do with this recipe. Occasionally instead of white you'll find pearl sago artificially dyed green, red or multiple other colours- personally I prefer my sago in its original form, but they taste the same so feel free to use those if bright desserts are your kind of thing. Do not, however, attempt to substitute gula melaka (pictured below) unless utterly desperate- not molasses, Thai palm sugar or even Indian palm jaggery can quite compare to the glossy darkness and rich woody flavour of Malaysian (or more specifically, Malaccan) palm sugar.

Be sure to make everything at least 4 hours before serving so they have a chance to chill thoroughly.

Sago Gula Melaka (Sago Pearl Pudding with Palm Sugar and Coconut Milk)

Serves 12

• Making the Sago

Soak 200g sago/tapioca pearls in water for 5 mins, then drain.

Raw sago/tapioca pearls

Bring 5 cups of water to boil in a large pot* with 1 knotted pandan (screwpine) leaf (for added flavour and fragrance). Gradually dribble in the soaked sago, stirring constantly to avoid clumping. Boil on low heat for 10 mins until almost translucent, then switch off the heat, cover and let sit in the residual heat a further 10 mins until completely transparent.

* If desired, throw in 

The half-cooked, almost translucent sago

Top up the pot with cold tap water (to make it less gummy) and pour the mixture carefully through a fine metal sieve. Rinse under cold running water whilst stirring with a spoon-the clear sago grains will be quite hard to spot initially but will emerge once all the liquid drains.

*Washing up the sieve is no fun as all the gloopy excess starch will be stuck to it, but use a good scrubber and lots of soap/hot water and it shouldn't take too long.

The drained sago pearls

Stir in a generous pinch of salt and 1/3 cup sugar, then pour into slightly wet individual moulds/cups/serving bowls (having them damp makes it easier to unmould later on) or a large casserole dish if you prefer to have people scoop their own portion. Refrigerate until set.

• Dissolving the Gula Melaka (the shortcut way)

Gula melaka in its typical cylindrical form

Place a 200g gula melaka block (you will only use a fraction of this for the sago but they tend to come at roughly this size) with 3/4 cup water into a bowl. Some recipes say to grate/shave/chop the block first- don't bother as it melts just as easily from whole, and makes no difference whatsoever to the end result!

Microwave on maximum heat at 2-3 min intervals, stirring carefully and breaking the block into smaller chunks with a spoon as it starts to soften. Be very careful as boiling syrup can cause serious burns. Repeat as many times as necessary, stirring in between until it totally dissolves to form a dark and glossy syrup. If desired, sieve to remove any grit (though I never bother as it will settle at the bottom anyway). Refrigerate until completely cold- if your syrup looks too runny, don't fret as it will thicken once chilled.

.

*If you don't own a microwave, you can dissolve it the traditional way in a pot over low heat on the stove. As usual make sure to stir constantly to prevent burning.

• Making the Santan (skip this step if you're not bothered about adding pandan flavour)

Combine in a small pot and simmer over low heat, stirring constantly:

100ml fresh coconut milk (do not substitute with powder)

A pinch of salt

1 pandan (screwpine) leaf, knotted

Once it starts bubbling, remove from heat and let the santan cool. Discard the pandan leaf and refrigerate until cold.

To serve, unmould the puddings and serve with a generous drizzle of both toppings. Ensure there is plenty of extra so people can top up to their own taste. Dig in!

Homemade Kaya (Malaysian Coconut Egg Jam)

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*Also available made-to-order at $10 per 16 fl oz tub (1 lb/454g)

After several failed attempts trying to make kaya the lazy way (using the jam function of a breadmaker then blending it afterwards), I have resigned myself to the fact that there simply is no shortcut- 75-90 minutes of patience and manual labour are absolutely essential in achieving the right consistency, colour and flavour for this luscious glossy spread. Whilst blending a lumpy breadmaker-made jam may remove its watery scrambled-egg appearance and make it smoother, the texture usually ends up too thin and drippy (due to the excess moisture created by cooking in an enclosed space) or too matte-like and pasty (like peanut butter instead of a shiny curd).

Kaya translates literally to mean "rich" in Malay, and that is precisely what this delicious Malaysian staple is- a thick, sticky, luxurious blend of coconut cream, eggs, and sugar fragranced with the aroma of pandan (screwpine) leaves. The beautiful amber hue is achieved by adding a bit of melted caramelised sugar towards the end- if you prefer your kaya pale then by all means omit this step, and use a touch of pandan paste instead of leaves if desired (though your jam will be a green version).

It's easy but tedious- if you like kaya, have time on your hands and don't mind standing in front of the stove for over an hour (or pull up a chair to sit like I did), then I'd say you're in for a highly rewarding experience :) Happy stirring!

Homemade Kaya (Malaysian Coconut Egg Jam)
Yields 2 cups (16 fl oz/454 g)

Whisk together lightly:

3 whole eggs

2 egg yolks

Stir in 1 cup (200g) caster sugar until completely dissolved.

Stir in 300ml coconut milk, then pour entire mixture through a sieve into a large mixing bowl (to make sure all those lumpy eggy bits are removed).

Add 3-4 pandan leaves, knotted, then plonk your bowl above a pot of simmering water (the bottom of my bowl was submerged in the water) or use a double boiler if you have one.

Cook over low heat for about an hour, stirring continuously.

Stir stir stir stir stir.

Bring a book or laptop if you get bored, but make sure you continue stirring with the other hand.

If it starts getting lumpy, stir HARDER.

After 45 minutes- a teensy bit darker and thicker. I won't lie, as you can see

it takes AGES before any discernable change happens.

After about 75 minutes, dissolve 4 tbsp caster sugar with a bit of water in a separate pan over low heat until a dark golden caramel is formed. I would recommend you switch off the heat a few seconds before it becomes the colour you want, as it will continue browning. Be careful as caramel burns very fast!

Stir the caramel into the hot kaya (it should look golden brown like the picture). Don't worry

if the caramel hardens upon contact- continue cooking and it will eventually dissolve.

Add more darkened caramel if the colour isn't too your liking.

Cook another 10-15 mins until the desired consistency is achieved (remember

it will thicken once cooled). Remove the pandan leaves, scraping off

any kaya stuck to them (nobody likes wastage!)

Let cool, then pour into a jar and store refrigerated. Best enjoyed sandwiched roti bakar style with slabs of butter, or spread on your morning toast, or slathered on crackers or hot waffles or pancakes, or as an accompaniment to sweet sticky rice, or as a dip for breadsticks, or spooned directly into your mouth, or licked off your sticky fingers...