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Showing posts with label Snack. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Snack. Show all posts

Simple sponge cake

>> Jun 13, 2012


Light, soft and fine texture, that’s what I like about Sponge cake. It’s the very first cake I tried baking when I got my oven.

Looking back…it’s not an easy cake to begin the journey into the world baking as compared to the traditional butter cake. Strangely enough, I was not deterred by the difficulty. I kept trying to improve and kept reading up on the tips.

And, so… my lovely supportive family had to endure the 3 sponge-cake-sessions a week! Feeling guilty, I added different flavours to create varieties!

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Dong Zhi Tang Yuan (Glutinous Rice Balls)

>> Dec 22, 2011

Happy Winter Solstice (Dong Zhi 冬至) everybody.


I got up early this morning to make some tang yuan (湯圓) which is enjoyed by many Chinese families, normally celebrated around 22 December.




Together with Hubby and the little one, we made some. To me they all turned out beautifully, does not matter that they are different or odd sizes but made as a family.


This is a simple recipe, made enough for three of us, please double, triple, quadruple...the recipe to fit your family. 

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Fruity Snack

>> Jul 22, 2011

Fruit Yogurt Parfait




Antioxidants, fruits, yoghurt, Vitamin C, ….and the healthy diets….and so on so on… J

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Chinese Steamed Yam Cake (Wutao-kou)

>> Jul 11, 2011

This has always been on my To-Do List and finally I got it done! And taste good too, if Hb may say so... (biased, probably?) :-D




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Sunrise Peach Muffin

>> Jul 8, 2011

Why Sunrise Peach Muffin?


I got up at 6.00am, prepared the ingredients, made them and got them out of oven just at sunrise for breakfast on Saturday morning. :-)

hibiscus from my garden

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Summer’s best... simple pleasure

>> Jun 20, 2011

Pan-scorched Corn Cob


You can enjoy an indoor grilled corn cob without an outdoor BBQ any time. Here’s what I did.


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3-Tenors Saturday

>> May 26, 2011

I woke up to the robust tenors of Carreras-Domingo-Pavarotti! Never mind that I don’t understand a single word except, mamma mia and dolce…:-) The combo of the 3 greatest tenors filled our home from Marc’s AV station.  So sad that Pavarotti died of pancreatic cancer in 2007, and I’m one of the mourning fans. I'm glad I still have the CD.

You can also get this CD from the Ad box on the left.


Right after a quick breakfast, I felt energetic enough to punch some dough! Strange that I get this feeling each time hubby plays the 3-Tenors… and I have a suspicion hubby is trying to hint to me that he wants me to get my hands dirty and sticky…









Haha…nothing Italian or Spanish, I’m afraid…just,


Chinese Steamed Red Bean Bun (or popularly known as Tau Sar Pau), sori for the misleading heading... :-)

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Deep-fried Wontons

>> Nov 27, 2010

I like making wontons, fried ones because I can hide prawns in them. Picky little Max just refuse to eat prawns, shrimps, crabs because these crustacean friends are just too cute to be consumed!  He has seen them swimming in the ‘live’ sea creatures tanks in Chinese Restaurants and have liken them to Sebastian the crab in the Little Mermaid!





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Quick Pear Tart

>> Nov 16, 2010

I’ve been on “MIA” for the last 5 months. I have to apologize to my friends and blog-friends. Many things have happened and I’ve been short on time. There were a million things to look into. Sadly, I’ve pushed blogging to aside… :-(

I’ve been walking my friend’s dog ;-)
I’ve been hibernating
I’ve been dreaming

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Apple Muffin

>> May 26, 2010


This was one of the few first recipes I tried when I began baking. It was the success of this muffin that gave me the courage to continue baking…I’m glad I don’t always produce disasters in the kitchen! J

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Mocha Cupcakes

>> Dec 17, 2009

I have this ‘thing’ to try coffee-something… hahaha, no, I’m not pregnant! Just a yearning to make some stuff with coffee or coffee-flavoured something-something. It’s not a stress thing, it’s the year-end, Christmas is coming, New Year is coming and my “Bosses” are also in holiday mood, as I am… J



While browsing the net, this gorgeous looking cupcake from MyBakingAddiction.com caught my eyes and I just knew I gotta try. If you check up Jamie’s site, you’ll know what I mean…all the cupcakes are just so yummilicious-looking. Thanks Jamie - your pics got me craving for more...hahaha!

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Nutella Cupcakes

>> Dec 3, 2009

This is the first time I’m baking Nutella Frosted Cupcake.


I first saw these delectable cupcakes in Baking Bites and another posted by Mandy of Fresh from the Oven and they also appeared in a few other sites too. I just knew I got to take a bite of these… well, I had 4 small ones, they were not that big! Really! Well, they were slightly bigger than minis, and definitely not in the BIG category.


Yikes, there goes my promise to myself to ‘restrain’ my indulgence in view of the recent luxurious cheesecake tea-time treat @ Secret Recipe and with year-end parties, Christmas, and New Year just around the corner… maybe, around 2 corners and Chinese New Year in Feb 2010. That doesn’t give me enough time to work out at the gym. I really gotta draft out my ‘strategic plan’… (sigh!)…I really-really  need to get rid of at least 3kilos so I can stuff myself during the festive seasons!

Anyway, I made these so simple, so yummy, so addictive, so delicious, so irresistible, so scrumptious, so fragrant and so popular cupcakes last night. I simply couldn’t wait much longer while they were cooling on the rack and took a bite of these delectable treats fresh from the oven, still slightly warm and crusty …mmmmmmmmmm, trust me, if you are a big fan of nutella, you gotta try this if you haven’t already.




I read some comments and suggestions here and there, and have made some very slight adjustment. Here’s the recipe,

140g butter, softened
3/4 cup caster sugar (1 use 100g)
3 eggs
1/2 tsp vanilla essence
200g plain flour
1/4 tsp salt
2 tsp baking powder
3 tbsp low-fat milk (I added this)
Nutella, approx. 1/3 cup

1.  Pre-heat oven to 190C. Line cupcake pan with paper liners.
2.  Sift flour, salt and baking powder together.
3.  Cream butter and sugar till light, about 2 minutes.
4.  Add in eggs one at a time, until fully incorporated.
5.  Add in vanilla essence and fold in flour until batter is uniform and no flour remains.
6.  Scoop batter and fill each muffin liner till 3/4 full.
7.  Top each cake with 1 tsp Nutella (I use 1/2 - 1 tsp)
8.  Swirl Nutella in with a toothpick, making sure to fold a bit of batter up over the Nutella.
9.  Bake for 20 minutes.
10. Remove to a wire rack to cool completely.

Makes 24 cupcakes (small) (Mine made 28 pieces)


It may not be easy to swirl with the toothpick but you’ll get the hang of it, I was assured by one blogger.  Mine is a little over-done, I think, the next time I’m going to get them out at 18 minutes, so please check your oven.


I like to make small cute cupcakes, to lessen the ‘calories guilt’ or rather allowing ample time to ‘apply the handbrake’ before pigging out! I do sound like a pig…but who can resist good snacks? :-)

These cute fellas got the ‘thumbs up’ from Max and Hubby late last night.

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Sunshine Orange Smoothies

>> Oct 31, 2009

Grabs some oranges, apples and banana from your fruit-basket if you have them and start making yummy snacks for your little one. It’s packed with Vitamin C, essential minerals & anti-oxidants and good for warding off H1N1 and seasonal ‘flu.


I read somewhere or was it Dr Lester Packer’s “The Antioxidant Miracles” (sorry, I can’t remember) that Vitamin C cannot cure ‘flu but rather help ward off and speed up recovery.


2 oranges, peeled
1 red apple, peeled and cored
2 green apples, peeled and cored
1 ripe banana, peeled, of course
1 tsp honey (optional)
4 ice-cubes
(Serves : 3)


Put all the fruit pieces in the blender, blend it all. Lastly add in the ice cubes and press “ice crush” button and you get your slushy Sunshine Orange Smoothies.


If your little one is not fond of fruits, you might want to try this. Serve the Smoothies in fancy tall plastic tumbler with Mickey Mouse cartoon or Transformer (or Ben-10 which is currently Max’s favourite), complete with coloured straw. Here, I used McDonald's latest Coca Cola Glass tumblers.

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Blueberry Muffins

>> Oct 13, 2009

Nice, soft and fluffy blueberry muffins, perfect for breakfast as well as afternoon snack.



Just perhaps a little too sweet, I think. No, I didn’t make this from scratch. This comes in a packet I bought from a bakery supply shop, an instant premix. Just add water, eggs and vegetable oil, give it a stir and spoon into muffin pans lined with paper liners.


One packet of  500g can make 24 pcs small-size muffins.


I made it on Sunday night and it was all gone by Monday afternoon. J Sounds like 3 hungry pigs?

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Cool Red Smoothies

>> Oct 9, 2009

Fancy a sweet, juicy, thirst-quencher smoothies packed with fiber, Vitamins and anit-oxidants ? All it takes is just 10 minutes and a blender with watermelon, apples and oranges.

A diet with high intakes of vitamin C and beta-carotene have been shown in a number of scientific studies to reduce the risk of heart disease, reduce the airway spasm that occurs in asthma, reduce the risk of colon cancer, and alleviate some of the symptoms of osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis.

A cup of watermelon provides 24.3% of the daily value for vitamin C, and, through its beta-carotene, 11.1% of the DV for vitamin A.

Watermelon has very high water content of 92% and the red flesh watermelon is also a source of the potent carotenoid antioxidant, lycopene, found to be protective against a growing list of cancers.

Watermelons are in nature an excellent source of vitamins B6 and B1. They are also a great source of potassium, magnesium and extremely low in sodium. Watermelons makes great snack for both children and adults, for the reason that they contain practically no fat. The good news is also that it is not a commonly allergenic food.

Apple is a good source of dietary fiber, although I’ve chosen to peel these apples due to pesticides residues and wax-coating, unless you opted for the organically grown. So much of the fiber, Vitamin C, anti-oxidant and flavonoids are found in the skin and pulp. Anti-oxidants and Flavonoids play a significant role in lowering heart-disease risks, regulate blood pressure, prevent unwanted inflammation, protect against cancer and help regulate over-production of fats in the liver.

There’s the Granny Smith, Royal Gala, Honey or Fuji available here. Apples may seem common and sold through-out the year but of different varieties & origin. So, don’t forget to include these anti-oxidant packed fruits in your weekly diet.

Orange is an excellent source of Vitamin C. Just one orange supplies 116.2% of the daily value for vitamin C (Wow!). Vitamin C is the primary water-soluble antioxidant in the body, disarming free radicals and preventing damage in the aqueous environment both inside and outside cells. Inside cells, a potential result of free radical damage to DNA is cancer. Especially in areas of the body where cellular turnover is especially rapid, such as the digestive system, preventing DNA mutations translates into preventing cancer. This is why a good intake of vitamin C is associated with a reduced risk of colon cancer.

Orange is high in fiber, and has been known to lower cholesterol, thue helping to prevent atherosclerosis. An orange has over 170 different phytonutrients and more than 60 flavonoids, many of which have been shown to have anti-inflammatory, anti-tumour and blood clot inhibiting properties, as well as strong antioxidant effects. In addition to oranges' phytonutrients, vitamin C and fiber, they are a good source of thiamin, folate, Vitamin A (in the form of beta-carotene), potassium and calcium.


Scientific research can boast all they want on the nutritional benefits of these fruits but I do noticed the radiant and youthful complexions of people who regularly consume a diet high in fiber and Vitamin C…(chuckling)…I’m gonna make sure I include lots of these in my diet from now on… as age is catching up!




Recipe for Cool Red Smoothies

12cm x 12cm x 12cm watermelon
2 green apples
2 oranges
4 ice-cubes

1.      Rinse blender
2.      Cut watermelon into 4 pieces
3.      Peel and core green apples, cut into 8 and squeeze 2 oranges
4.     Put all into the blender and blend till slushy.
5.      Add in ice-cubes, and press ice-crush button on blender.
6.      Pour into 2 plastic tumblers with straws.
7.      Serve.

Ta-dah!... There’s your refreshing Cool Red Smoothies, perfect for a HOT-HOT afternoon.

Enjoy!

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A nostalgic trip to Central Market and Petaling Street

>> Sep 22, 2009

After a failed trip to Hibiscus Garden (Taman Bunga Raya) in Taman Tasik Perdana which was closed for 2 days, 20-21 Sept for Hari Raya. We decided to head over to Central Market, the local centre for handicrafts, batiks and souvenirs, which is just about 1 km away. Driving in the city is relaxing on public holiday morning, when there were merely a handful of cars on the road.

It was still early, barely 10am, the centre has not fully woken up yet. As Max complained he was hungry, despite having oats and milk for breakfast this morning at 8am, we stopped by Old Town Central Market for breakfast part 2.


We ordered a Double Oldtown Toast with butter & kaya (4 pcs) for Max and thought of trying out Nan Yang Kopi ‘O’ and Rendang Chicken Rice.




The toast is crispy, toast crunch with real buttery (Old Town has partnered with pure butter, SCS) and sweet kaya spread. Max finished 2 slices and was starting on his 3rd when he spied the Rendang Chicken rice his Dad was just tucking in. Sweetly, he said, “Dad, can I try your rice?” … and that’s it! He happily finished the spicy rendang and sambal, leaving red lips but no moanings of too spicy hot. So, Dad and Mom finished his toasts instead.



In the next couple of hours, we could hear roller-shutters rolling up signaling a busy business day ahead with more tourists coming in. Some could be seen selecting souvenirs, trying out beautiful & colorful batik outfits, Chinese cheongsams, silver trinkets and ladies accessories, wooden handicrafts & traditional musical instruments, hand-made kites, local delicacies & tid-bits.







Being Hari Raya weekend, some stalls are not opened. I bought an interesting interlocking wooden puzzle egg toy for Max to unravel. I love browsing thru’ the stall in search of some gifts and home decorative items.



I re-visited the bookstore that I used to frequent many years ago during my college days. The proprietor told me they have been around for 20 over years. I got to read Tom Clancy's, John Grisham's and Sydney Sheldon's book here to name a few. They sell new magazines too. You can buy these 2nd hand books for a certain price and re-sell back to them within 1 month for a lower price after reading or you can choose to keep these 2nd hand books. Being an avid reader especially novels, I find this an excellent arrangement without my bookshelves groaning and books littering everywhere in the house.



Next, we walked over to Petaling Street, the Chinatown bazaar with lots of bargains and yummilicious food. There were fresh fruits stalls, fresh roasted chestnuts, apparels, bags, watches, traditional cookies & biscuits, tid-bits, fresh flowers, roasted duck & goose, curry puffs, dried meat & meat floss, Nike & Adidas shoes…and so much more. There’s a charm about this place that draws the crowd, both local and foreign, not just the bargain items and mooncakes or lanterns as it’s nearing Mid-Autumn (or Mooncake) Festival...



We stopped by for a must-have at Chee-Cheong-Kai, the local Chinese called it (Petaling Street), Koon Kee’s Wantan Noodle. We finished the noodle before remembering to take pictures. The springy noodle with special thick dark soy sauce accompanied by the char-siew is our favourite and right in front of the partially hidden shop is an old man selling fresh-made Chinese pancake, some called it “Apam balik”, a flat 16” (diameter) large hot plate cooked batter liberally sprinkled with sugar and coarsely chopped peanuts, folded and cut in to smaller pieces, sold for RM0.70 each. He has been there for as long as I can remember.


A couple of stalls down, we bought our favorite “Shat-ke-ma”, which is basically crispy fried bits of batter, coated with thick maltose, cooled and cut in blocks. These were my grand-mother's favorite too.


We bought a lantern in the shape of Spiderman (RM8.00) for Max and a “Choo-chai paeng” (Basket piglet) for RM1.00 from Loong Kee, all in the spirit of the coming Mid-Autmn festival. We just couldn’t resist the variety of mouth-watering pastries from Foong Wong, and bought some egg-tarts, siew-paus and plain lotus-seed mooncakes.






We left mid-afternoon when the sun was just too hot, for the cool interiors of Central Market again, then drove home, the parking came to RM9.00 for the few hours. We snacked on the yummy & very satisfying pastries we bought, on the way home.

It’s been an enjoyable family day though we couldn’t visit Hibiscus Garden but we’ll try that again another day.

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