Condensed Milk Chocolate Pound Cake

Thanks to Aspiring Bakers by Small Small Baker, I'm digging out all my backlogs and getting them posted online :)

This Condensed Milk Pound Cake was a hit back in 2007/8.  Many bakers tried and raved about it.

The only time I buy condensed milk is to make this cake (and this easy chocolate chip cookie here) for I have no other use for it.  Instead of baking the regular pound cake, I added some cocoa powder and turned it into a chocolate cake.

Verdict:  As good as plain, if not better.

I'm submitting this to Aspiring Bakers # 7: Chocolate Delight (May 2011) hosted by DG from Tested & Tasted.

Condensed Milk Chocolate Pound Cake

Ingredients

(A)
120g Butter, room temperature
40g Caster Sugar (I omit vanilla essence and used vanilla sugar instead)

(B)
1/4 Tsp Salt
1/2 Cup or 100g Condensed Milk

(C)
100g Cake Flour
20g Cocoa Powder
3/4 Tsp Baking Powder
1/4 Tsp Baking Soda
*Sift together

(D)
2 Eggs

Method

1. Preheat oven to 170 deg.C
2. In a bowl, cream butter and sugar till light and fluffy.
3. Add in salt and condensed milk, whisk till incorporated.
4. Add the sifted dry ingredients and beat until no traces of flour remains.
5. Beat in the eggs one at a time, beating well and scraping the bottom and sides of the bowl after each additions.
6. Pour the mixture into muffin cups and bake at 170 deg.C for 25 - 30 mins or till top is brown and skewer inserted comes out clean.

Mayonnaise Chocolate Cake

Whenever I have unfinished mayonnaise, I will use it to bake this cake.  I've blogged about this before but I've done injustice to it with my lousy photographs, so I decide to make another entry.

A few months ago, SM was sharing with me about her ailing grandmother and how her mother toiled through days and nights in the hospital, keeping her grandmother company.  Upon hearing what SM's mom was going through, and I know her family likes chocolate cake, I decided to bake her mom this Mayonnaise Chocolate Cake, hoping that it will cheer her up a little.

I baked a 7" x 7" and gave 1/2 to SM.  Her kids love this and she sms-ed me to ask if I would accept her order.  I feel honoured that I've got kind folks like her asking if I sell my bakes but I feel very stressful when it comes to taking orders.  I prefer to bake and give-away, at least the commitment level is different :P  Yes, call me a coward, I don't like to take on responsibilities like this, definitely too much for me to stomach.

The texture is soft and moist.

I'm submitting this to Aspiring Bakers # 7: Chocolate Delight (May 2011) hosted by DG from Tested & Tasted.

Mayonnaise Chocolate Cake

Adapted from My Cooking Escapades

Ingredients
110g mayonnaise
125ml buttermilk (I used 110ml milk + 15ml lemon juice, stand for  min 10 mins before using)
120g all-purpose plain flour
20g cocoa powder
1-1/2 tsp bicarbonate soda
110g vanilla sugar
1/2 cup chocolate chips (or more), optional

Method

1. Line a 7" square baking tin with parchment paper (no need to grease).
2. Sift flour, cocoa and bicarbonate soda together.
3. Place the sugar and sifted flour mixture into a bowl.
4. In a separate bowl, mix the mayo and buttermilk till smooth.
5. Add mayonnaise mixture to the flour and mix till the batter is smooth.
6. Pour mixture into prepared pan and sprinkle chocolate chips on top.  Bake at 170 deg C for 20-25 minutes or until skewer inserted to centre of cake comes out clean.
   
   

Ferrero Rocher Nutella Chocolate Cake

Time passes so fast and we're already into the month of May. Just a week ago, I was instant messenging with SL and suddenly remembered SA1 (Semestral Assesment) is just round the corner. As usual, I'm not sitting down with DD1 for her revision. Some people may ask, "You have time to blog but no time to do revision with your daughter? Which is more important?". Not that I'm blogging a lot lately...  oh well...  and if you know me in person, you must have heard enough of my dissatisfaction with DD1. She is not stupid but plain lazy. To make things worst, she's a dawdler. I won't go into details here, it will take a long time if I do.

There were 2 birthdays in April, DH and myself. With my frozen Nutella SMBC that was sitting in the freezer since February, it is time to clear some freezer space. With that intention in mind, I baked a chocolate chiffon cake again for DH's birthday, nothing fanciful again, just trying to clear off whatever I can find in my fridge.

DH got home after work and the moment he saw this cake, his first comment was "Oh.. it's a children's cake". He is not wrong to make this statement for these are all my kids' favourite (they have lots of favourites), Ferrero Rocher and wafer biscuits.

We received a box of Ferrero Collection last December and again, it was sitting in the fridge since. DS1 thought the white chocolate coconut was cool but upon his first bite, he grimmaced and asked if he could spit it out. DH couldn't disagree that the white rocher tasted yucky too :P

I know I lack the skill to cut these wafer biscuits into equal parts so I just cut them up randomly and cover the side of the cake. Bingo! What a perfect way to cover up the flaws and finish up the junks ;-)

I didn't bother to add any other junks goodies in the layer, just a thin layer of SMBC to hold the 2 layers together. I should have taken a picture of the cake in the day for natural lighting but the cakes were given away.

For recipe, please refer here.

I'm submitting this to Aspiring Bakers # 7: Chocolate Delight (May 2011) hosted by DG from Tested & Tasted.

Braised Mushroom Meat Sauce (香菇卤肉燥)

During my working days, I have a very close colleague turned friend.  In fact, we are still in touch now, meeting twice yearly on our birthdays.  Probably because we are so close, our many likes and dislikes are similar too.  I used to eat pork, but she doesn't.  So over time, I'm a convert.

After she left the company, I started to eat pork again since my lunch partners are pork eaters.  I never knew pork could be so tasty, didn't know what I've been missing hahaha!  But there is one exception, I won't order minced meat dishes from outside, for I've heard of so much horror stories about what goes into it.

Sometime back, I saw Shirley's Braised Mushroom Meat Sauce recipe and decided to give it a try.  I love mushrooms and added a few more than suggested.

I "ran out" of spring onions so the pictures look slightly bare.  Actually, I grow my own spring onions but they are not fully grown yet.

My family enjoys this dish and whenever I have any leftovers, they go into the freezer.  Great with instant noodles too!  There was also an occassion where I added the frozen stash to fry mee hoon :-)

I've modified the recipe slightly by reducing a small amount of seasonings and did the lazy way out (Shirley removed the fried shallots in Step 3, I didn't).  For those interested in the original recipe, please refer to Shirley's blog here.

Braised Mushroom Meat Sauce (香菇卤肉燥)

Ingredients 

300g minced pork
7 - 8 dried mushrooms
4 - 5 red shallots/small red onions, sliced
100ml - 120ml water/chicken stock

Seasonings
1/2 tsp light soy sauce
1/2 tsp dark soy sauce
1/2 tsp sugar
1/4 tsp sesame oil
some corn flour
* you may add more to your liking

Sauce
1 tbsp Oyster Sauce
1 tbsp Dark Soya Sauce
1 1/2 tbsp Light Soya Sauce
1/2 tbsp Rock Sugar
Dash of White Pepper
Pinch of 5 spice powder (we don't like it too strong so I only added a pinch)
1 tbsp Rice Wine (I used ginger wine)

Method

1. Season minced pork with seasonings.
2. Soak mushrooms in water and dice into small cubes.
3. In a heated wok, add 1 - 2 tbsp oil, fry sliced shallots until brown and crispy.
4. Add mushroom and fry till fragrant.  Add minced meat and stir fry until 70% cooked. 
5. Add sauce ingredients (please feel free to adjust according to taste).
6. Add water/chicken stock and simmer on low heat for one hour. Turn off heat and if possible leave the minced meat over night (I usually cook this in the morning with my thermal pot and we have it for dinner).
7. Heat up again before serving.  If a thicker texture is preferred, thicken with a little potato starch solution.

Parmesan Cream Crackers

How many of you are using dairy whipping cream for cake decorating and always end up with 1/2 or more carton left but do not know what to do with it?  I had this problem, that explains why I'm always on the lookout for recipes with whipping cream, so that the balance won't go to waste.  When I get lazy, I just freeze the balance to cook creamy pasta.

There are several recipes online with whipping cream and here's sharing one that I like, Parmesan Cheese Crackers.

The original recipe uses the food processor but I used the rub-in method.

I'm submitting this to Aspiring Bakers # 6: Say Cheese! (April 2011) hosted by Noms I Must.

Parmesan Cream Crackers
Adapted from Smitten Kitchen

Ingredients
1 cup all-purpose flour (120g), more as needed
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup (40g) grated Parmesan cheese
4 tbsp (60g) unsalted butter, cut into 1 inch cubes
1/4 cup (60ml) whipping cream, more as needed
Coarse salt, pepper, sesame for sprinkling (optional)

Method

1. Preheat oven to 190C.  Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or lightly dust with flour.
2. Put flour, salt and cheese in mixing bowl.  Using a fork, cut in butter until it resembles fine bread crumbs.
3. Add about 1/4 cup whipping cream and roughly work until a dough forms. If it does not come together, add more liquid a teaspoon at a time, until mixture holds together but is not sticky. (I didn't add any extras)
4. Roll out dough on a lightly floured surface until 1/4-inch thick or even thinner, adding flour as needed.
5. From here, you can either form them into individual crackers and bake them an inch apart on your baking sheet (the method I used) or transfer the entire rolled-out sheet to your baking sheet and score them lightly with a knife, pizza or pastry wheel to break into crackers after they are baked. For either method, dock all over with a fork and sprinkle with salt or any other toppings you are using. (I omit the toppings)
6. Bake until moderately browned, about 12 minutes. Cool on a rack; serve warm or at room temperature or store in a tin for a few days.

Apple Cider Vinegar Chicken

In a mothers' forum I'm visiting, LC shared this and it was a hit with all who tried this recipe.  I decided to give it a try but decided to reduce vinegar for I do not know how my kids will response to vinegar cooking.  Seasoning was also reduced as I reckon it might be too salty for my family.

I've cooked this several times, with chicken quarters and mid-joint chicken wings.  My kids prefer the latter, maybe because the skin was intact.  DH on the other hand shuns away from vinegar so I never cook this whenever he comes home for dinner.

If you like pork trotters vinegar, I'm sure you will like this too.  And a plus point is, you don't even need to marinate the meat in advance!   Quick and easy!

Apple Cider Vinegar Chicken

Ingredients

300 - 400g chicken wing or baby pork rib (here I used chicken quarters, deskined)

1 1/4 tbsp dark soya sauce (originally 2 tbsp)
1 1/4 tbsp light soya sauce (originally 2 tbsp)
1 tbsp of sugar, or honey
2- 3 tbsp of apple cider (originally 7 tbsp)
Enough water to cover the meat

Method

1. Wash and cut chicken quarters into cubes.
2. Add chicken pieces and all seasonings in a pot.  Using medium fire, cook till sauce is boiling.  Reduce fire and simmer for 30 to 40 mins.

Malacca, March 2011 - Part I

I'm rushing this entry for SL who will be travelling to Malacca (Melaka) this Saturday.

I've shortlisted a few boutique hotels for our stay in Malacca but after reading a recommendation in a mothers' forum, I decided to stay at Courtyard @ Heeren.

The main entrance.  Not too prominent in the day as there are way too many cars parking along the roadside.  As you enter the hotel, you are welcomed with a very refreshing smell of lemongrass and a welcome drink.  Very friendly staff.

These 2 pictures are extracted from their website.  I booked the Deluxe Family Room which is what you see above.

The deluxe family comes with a King and a single bed.  I had initially wanted to book 2 deluxe rooms since MIL will be joining us.  Unfortunately, only 1 deluxe room was available for the dates we wanted.  After some discussion with MIL and DH, we decided to squeeze into 1 family room and get an extra bed (praying hard no 2 person need to use the toilet at the same time).

The view from our beds.  The extra bed was placed at the left of the LCD TV. 

The bathroom - we love the strong water pressure.  It was so relaxing that we didn't want to end our shower.  There were some not so positive reviews from tripadvisor on the noise from the water pump.  To me, I find the noise level relatively loud but bearable.  By the way, this is the only place you get natural lighting as there are no windows.

The entrance to the toilet is in front of the sink.

To the right, it brings you to the safe box and the shower area.  Limited storage space for clothes.  No air conditioner in this part of the room.

The car park is at the rear of the hotel, marked with orange cones as barricade.  To park, you have to uncoil the rope around the cones and coil them back when you are done parking.  Guarded at night.  Within walking distance, there is a wet market (the guard told us about the market).
Sorry SL, I don't know the street name.

There is a section for the butchers, away from this market but I forgot to take a picture of it.  This stall we patronised sells vegetables and dried anchovies.

This is a rare sight for my children as they are all urban kids and have never stepped into a wet market.  It was an eye opener for them and it also relinquished my old memories:-)

The guard told us many Singaporeans bought fish from this market.  The fishmongers will help to pack them into styrofoam box so it's easy for transportation back home.

This caught my attention as the stall owner was calling out "duck" aloud in cantonese, but I thought he sounded more like quacking :P  There are many other stalls at the car park area.

A stall selling hair accessories, wallets and bags.  Typically what you can find in a pasar malam (night market).

The same stall, with DD1 choosing a hair band and DS2 going through the wallets.  DD3 was just busying around.

Just before we left the market, at the corner of the car park, we saw this fishmonger (?).  A rare sight indeed.

A few other stalls I've missed taking pictures are  fruits and vegetables.  Another stall with all the breakfast yummies,  fried noodles, nasi lemak and nonya kuehs.  We spotted a motorist selling char kway teow, was so tempted to have it for breakfast but was afraid to start the day with oily food.  Very interesting place and a great experience for urban kids like mine.

Sorry SL, not enough time to update on the teochew restaurant.  Along Jonker Street, just ask the shop owners, they will be able to direct you there.  Have a good trip!