Tee nyah kuih

 This 'kuih' is typically 'hokkien' and it is time that i talk about my heritage as hokkien 'lang' after being branded as a 'macau sai' by my paternal grandmother cos me and my siblings do not speak our 'mother tongue' that well or rather not at all. We spoke our Mother's tongue, cantonese, but it should not be our Mother's tongue but my Grandma's - Ah Po, who is cantonese. There was once when i was asked by my Ah Ma to tell this hokkien guy who came to look for my Ah Kong - 'ie kee liao pee la lui lee eh au pit'  - hokkien guy seemed to understand what i said, while i myself took a long time to figure out what i said.  Can any of my 'hokkian lang' readers tell me what i said?. 

This kuih is a speciality and will appear on the table of hokkien families during hokkien festivals.  My one and only Ah Koh, made the best tee nyah kuih and i would like my Ah Ma and Ah Koh to be proud of me by making this kuih although mine is not as good.

Ingredients:

1 lb rice flour
2 tbsps tapioca flour
1/2 tsp borax/ pang sar (optional)
2 tbsps potassium carbonate & sodium bi-carbonate solution
2000 ml/2 liters water
1 ½ tbsps cooking oil
1 tsp salt


Method:

Combine rice flour, tapioca flour, borax, potassium carbonate & sodium bi-carbonate solution, salt together in a microwave-safe bowl. . Add in the water, a little at a time, to prevent lumps. Give it a good mix before adding cooking oil and stir well and make sure borax is  dissolved.

Cook in the microwave until a very thick consistency, stirring after every intervals.
Pour in a greased 9 inches round steaming tray and spoon the 2 tablespoons of tap water over surface of kuih.

Steam kuih over rapidly boiling water for one hour.  Replenish water if necessary.  To prevent condensation, wrap steamer cover with a large piece of cloth(using a bamboo steamer is the best).

Test for doneness with a wooden skewer(lidi) pierced in the centre,  It should come out clean.

Cool kuih for a couple of hours before slicing.

Serve with Hong Bak or Red Cooked Pork or Tau Yue Bak

Serves

50

What do you think you'd be doing when you turn 50?

I know I'd be dancing! At gym! at home? At the grocery store! ...and I'll would imagine having children i'm terribly proud of and making a hobby out of nagging them to the ground! *laughs*
I would still be doing cakes; but they'd be out of this world! stuff you can't imagine cake could be! They'd be super duper awesome and have crazy coolness written all over them! My kids would think "PWOoaRGHH! LOOK at what MOM made!" My hubby then would shrug it off and say "Yeap; another beautiful masterpiece... nothing beats your delicious lasagne at dinner tonight though" I'd then tilt the newspaper away from his under his nose to give him an eskimo kiss! *teehee

I dream lots... it's never a bad thing. It gives me direction; it shows me my ultimate goals and the many precious memories I hope to achieve in my future.
The near future are my life hurdles... the distant future are the beautiful triumphant days which make difficult times worth all effort.

Gingery Chilli Sauce

How can anyone eat Hainanese Chicken Rice without the Gingery Chilli Sauce?!! You are missing one of the essences of eating Chicken Rice.  The most important part of a successful and delicious chicken rice meal, is not on the chicken or the rice, but the chili sauce. The chili sauce has a fresh taste of ginger, chili, garlic and calamansi juice  which gives a flavorful “kick”to the meal.  I am very particular about the ingredients used - ginger : it has to be young ginger, ginger which are like my age will not do.  Chillies have to be fresh red and a few fresh  red Chilly padi.  Calamansi juice is a must but sometimes, like the hokkien saying goes - Boh hu hae pun ho - if fish is not available, shrimp will do, then lime juice will be ok.  The proportion of ingredients do not have to be specific - if you like it more gingery, use more ginger and likewise.

Ingredients:

Fresh red chillies
Fresh red chilly padi
Young ginger
Garlic
Calamansi juice/lime juice
Salt and sugar to taste

Method:

Seed the fresh red chillies.

Remove the skin off the young ginger and garlic.

Put all the ingredients except the calamansi/lime juice, in the food processor and process until it becomes a paste.

Remove into a microwave-safe bowl and microwave on high for 1 minute.

Add in salt and sugar and let it cool, then add in calamansi/lime juice.

Pour into a sterilized jar/bottle and keep in the fridge.

Before serving, a little rendered chicken fat and sesame oil can be added.

Serves

Skillet Naan

(8-10 pieces)

I just had to make fresh naan to go with the butter chicken. This became an Indian themed weekend.

2/3 cup warm water
2 tsp sugar
2 tsp dry yeast
3 1/2 - 4 cups unbleached flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 cup greek style plain yogurt, (I used some leftover herbed yogurt)
1 egg

ghee or olive oil for the skillet

Combine the water, sugar and yeast. Set aside for 5 minutes.

Add 3 1/2 cups of flour (to start) and baking powder to the bowl of a *food processor fitted with a dough blade. Pulse a few times to combine. Add the water and yeast mixture as well as the yogurt and egg. Pulse a few times.

If the dough remains in clumps, then add tiny amounts of water until you get a ball. If on the other hand the dough is very gooey and sticky, add small amounts of flour until you get a ball. I like my dough to be very soft and slightly sticky to the feel, yet still have the ability to pull away from the bowl of the food processor.

Process the ball for about 2-3 minutes. Place into a greased bowl, cover loosely and set aside for about 1-1 1/2 hours or until it has doubled in volume.

Punch down and divide into 8-10 pieces. Roll each one into an oval about 1/4" thick.

Heat up a non-stick skillet over medium to medium low heat and coat it with a small amount of ghee or olive oil.

Place one circle of dough at a time and cook for about 1-2 minutes on each side, or until both sides are lightly browned.

*If your food processor is on the smallish side, then half the recipe. Use the entire egg and add a bit extra flour to make up for that.

Murgh Makhani, Butter Chicken

(4-6 servings)

This wonderful Indian dish features marinated chicken braised in a a spiced tomato cream sauce. It's one of those dishes which seems to taste even better reheated the next day.

Last week, a fellow at work mentioned there was a new Whole Foods near his office. As soon as I was done for the day I raced over there to check it out. It's a bit further than the one I've been going to, but the route is more direct, making it easier to get to.

I went all out in the bulk spice section. Everything was fresh (the store had only been open for one week). Among the 15 or so spices I ended up getting, was ground cardamon. That wonderful odour filled my entire kitchen within an hour or two.

Chicken Marinade
3/4 cup plain yogurt
2 tbsp fresh ginger, finely minced
2 tbsp paprika
1 1/2 tsp ground cardamom
8 chicken thighs,  skinless and boneless (about 1 1/2 lbs) cut into bite-size pieces
(you could use breasts instead, I just happen to love thighs)

Sauce
2 tbsp ghee or clarified butter (or regular butter, if you wish)
1 large onion, chopped
2 large cloves garlic, finely minced
2 jalapeno peppers, seeded and finely chopped
3 roma tomatoes, chopped
2 tbsp tomato paste
1/4 cup water
1 tbsp honey
1 tbsp garam masala*
1 tsp ground turmeric
1 tsp ground fenugreek
1 tsp chili powder
small handful of fresh cilantro, chopped
1/4 cup heavy cream
a pinch or two of cayenne if you prefer more heat
salt to taste

Combine all of the chicken marinade ingredients in a bowl and let sit for an hour or two.

Heat the ghee or butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the chopped onion, garlic and jalapeno pepper and fry until the onion  becomes transparent; about 5-7 minutes.

Add the tomatoes, tomato paste, water, honey, garam masala, turmeric, fenugreek and chili powder. Stir to combine well. Lower the heat, cover and simmer for about 35-45 minutes, or until the mixture is very soft.

Remove the cover and raise the heat a touch, and add the chicken and all it's marinade. When everything starts to simmer, lower the heat again, cover  and cook for about an hour.

Remove the cover and cook until the sauce thickens slightly, stirring a bit from time to time; about 5-10 minutes.

Stir in the cilantro and heavy cream. Check for seasoning. Cook for another minute or two, remove from heat. Nice with rice or naan.

*Garam Masala - in recent years I have noticed this more and more in the spice section of regular grocery stores. The brands can vary somewhat, but typically this is any combination of cinnamon, coriander, fennel, cumin, black pepper, cardamon, nutmeg, star anise, bay leaves and cloves.

It's my job to make it NOT feel like a job.

Do you ever wonder what goes through my mind when i make cakes?
Sometimes till wee hours in the night..what am I thinking about? How do I stay awake? Haha well.. mom always has this sarcastic idea of propping my eyelids up with a pair of matchsticks! sounds painful! hahaha but always an option mom; "Noted with thanks".

Everyone's favourite question for me after a long absence to my store is; "So how's work?"
Facepaint and extra colourful clothing doesn't seem to hide the fact that I am in desperate need of a break. I always respond with an enthusiastic chirp "Great! I'm busy but it's good!"
Then..the question that comes after usually would be; "So you do all the cakes yourself still?" haha; well NO! of course not! I'm an exceptionally dedicated worker; but i'm not monster-workaholic-superwoman! haha I've got a team of happy cake elves who help me bring everything together. In order to realise more and more of my cake creations and ideas, I've been working with them to carry through our daily and weekly masterpieces. With them learning to do more and more each day; I've got time to free more of my energy to bring fun additions to our Delectable brand and make more Designer projects each week! It's just amazing to see how much we now can handle in comparison to months before. I'm so proud of us. From 1-2 projects; i can now cover 3-4! I was shocked to see how much quicker and better I work myself personally as well. I guess it all comes with loads of practice and getting more acquainted to working with delicate sugar in our climate.

These couple of weeks of cakes had me tangled in knots. I've been working till late most nights; focused on coming up with better concepts and making sugar pieces for hand moulded cake decorations. There was so much to do; to paint; to sculpt, cover.. stack.. *phew* I would often wake up wayy past 10am! My elves get to work at 7; and they get things done and pull my weight where they can for our daily items to get on shelves on time. It's nice to understand that they've gotta work twice as hard and quick when i've got my attention focused on our weekend designer cakes.

Hiring good people really is a task and a half. Most of them come to us with an ulterior motif. And honestly; i'm cool with it! I just need them to me honest and upfront about it. I understand very clearly from being in this business and speaking to those who've been around for decades... it isn't the recipe that places you above the crowd; it is a very very important secret and factor to the success of any F+B outlet; but it isn't the only one that can guarantee success.
Though what we do in the store and production is pretty repetitive and frustrating at peak periods; I as 'Boss elf' always try my very best to show the girls it isn't work that feels like the WORK we're used to. I've got days myself where i find my brain pep-talking my tired arms and fingers to remember to be creative and to see the job as a fun task i've always enjoyed.
Giving pep-talks has never been my kinda thing; i'm such a straight forward person; none of my sulking, heartbroken girlfriends came to me for comforting hugs; haha i'd make them cry even more with the honest truth! But since i've learnt to work with others as a team; and they look to me as superior figure; it's quiet amazing how the little things i often forgot to mention made a difference in their day. I'm still not a master at this; haha but i'm working on being better. By first practicing on myself! :P

Disciplining and inspiring someone is a walk in the park compared to carrying out things you tell yourself! Oh damn.. I sometimes feel so corny making positive mental images to create happy places for my brain to bask in! hahaha but it helps! Seriously! Butterflies; cute little bunnies and fluffy clouds! No kidding! hehe
Anyone out there got any more for me? What's keeps your choo choo chugging through those tough times?

Gajar Ka Halwa, Carrot Halwa

(about 20-24 pieces)

I used to live near Coxwell and Gerrard in Toronto (home to one of the largest East Indian communities in North America). Walking towards the end of my street in the summer, I would often encounter heavenly scents from the spice shops and restaurants on Gerrard.

Carrot Halwa was available at several shops and restaurants where it often had a thin layer of edible silver on it. I don't bother looking for the silver when I make these, way too much driving I imagine.

2 tbsp ghee, or clarified butter (or regular butter )
2 lb carrots, grated
3 cups evaporated milk
3/4 cup sugar
1 tsp ground cardamom
1/3 cup cashew nuts, chopped and toasted

extra cashew nuts, chopped and toasted for garnishing

Heat the ghee in a saucepan over medium heat. Add the carrots and saute until they soften. Add the milk, sugar and cardamon and bring to a simmer. Lower the heat and continue to simmer for about 1 1/2 hours, stirring occasionally.

Add the cashew nuts and continue to cook, stirring until the mixture pulls away from the sides of the pot and resembles a soft dough.

Pack into an oiled (ghee) 8" or 9" baking pan, sprinkle the top with cashew nuts. Cool and cut into squares.

Daring Baker Challenge, March 2010, Orange Tian

(8-10 servings)

Last month I became a member of the Daring Kitchen, and by the end of the month I signed up for Daring Bakers. I may sign up for Daring Cooks as well at some point.

Each month recipes are revealed and then over 2000 bakers/cooks from around the world create one of those recipes in their kitchens. Substitutions are only allowed for such things as food allergies/intolerances or ingredients which are unavailable in certain regions.

Looking through the photos and comments members send in of their resulting recipe is quite intriguing; so many interpretations of the same thing. It's really quite wonderful, and what prompted me to join and give it a try.

This month's baker challenge was hosted by Jennifer from Chocolate Shavings and she proposed an Orange Tian, a dessert she had made for the first time a few months earlier at a cooking school in France.
We made everything from scratch, including the marmalade, and the finished dessert was quite tasty.

I decided not to mess around with cookie cutters because I don't have enough. I used a 9" spring-form instead which turned out to be a challenge. Although I left the dessert in the freezer for twice the amount of time, it clearly wasn't enough. After I carefully loosened the edges and inverted it onto the cake plate, it didn't hold it's shape. I nearly died laughing. If I make this again, I might increase the amount of gelatin to 2 teaspoons and I'll definitely leave it in the freezer longer.

The only changes I made (I also used one grapefruit for colour) was for the marmalade. I didn't bother with the pectin and the mixture gelled just fine without it. It was so delicious I regretted not making more of it. The recipe calls for the peel of 1 orange, and I used 3 (for a little extra) when I should have used up the peels from all of the oranges. There's always a next time.

Needless to say, I'm really looking forward to the next challenge.

Below, I have copied the recipes we were given:

Recipe Source: Recipe slightly adapted from Alain Ducasse‘s Cooking School in Paris, France

For the Pate Sablee:
Ingredients U.S. Imperial Metric Instructions for Ingredients
2 medium-sized egg yolks at room temperature
granulated sugar 6 tablespoons + 1 teaspoon; 2.8 oz; 80 grams
vanilla extract ½ teaspoon
Unsalted butter ¼ cup + 3 tablespoons; 3.5 oz; 100 grams ice cold, cubed
Salt 1/3 teaspoon; 2 grams
All-purpose flour 1.5 cup + 2 tablespoons; 7 oz; 200 grams
baking powder 1 teaspoon ; 4 grams

Directions:

Put the flour, baking powder, ice cold cubed butter and salt in a food processor fitted with a steel blade.

In a separate bowl, add the eggs yolks, vanilla extract and sugar and beat with a whisk until the mixture is pale. Pour the egg mixture in the food processor.

Process until the dough just comes together. If you find that the dough is still a little too crumbly to come together, add a couple drops of water and process again to form a homogenous ball of dough. Form into a disc, cover with plastic wrap and leave to rest in the fridge for 30 minutes.

Preheat your oven to 350 degree Fahrenheit.

Roll out the dough onto a lightly floured surface until you obtain a ¼ inch thick circle.

Using your cookie cutter, cut out circles of dough and place on a parchment (or silicone) lined baking sheet. Bake for 20 minutes or until the circles of dough are just golden.

For the Marmalade:
Ingredients U.S. Imperial Metric Instructions for Ingredients
Freshly pressed orange juice ¼ cup + 3 tablespoons; 3.5 oz; 100 grams
1 large orange used to make orange slices
cold water to cook the orange slices
pectin 5 grams
granulated sugar: use the same weight as the weight of orange slices once they are cooked

Finely slice the orange. Place the orange slices in a medium-sized pot filled with cold water. Simmer for about 10 minutes, discard the water, re-fill with cold water and blanch the oranges for another 10 minutes.

Blanch the orange slices 3 times. This process removes the bitterness from the orange peel, so it is essential to use a new batch of cold water every time when you blanch the slices.

Once blanched 3 times, drain the slices and let them cool.

Once they are cool enough to handle, finely mince them (using a knife or a food processor).

Weigh the slices and use the same amount of granulated sugar . If you don’t have a scale, you can place the slices in a cup measurer and use the same amount of sugar.

In a pot over medium heat, add the minced orange slices, the sugar you just weighed, the orange juice and the pectin. Cook until the mixture reaches a jam consistency (10-15 minutes).

Transfer to a bowl, cover with plastic wrap and put in the fridge.

For the Orange Segments:
For this step you will need 8 oranges.

Cut the oranges into segments over a shallow bowl and make sure to keep the juice. Add the segments to the bowl with the juice.

[See YouTube video in the References section below for additional information on segmenting oranges.]

For the Caramel:
Ingredients U.S. Metric Imperial Instructions for Ingredients
granulated sugar 1 cup; 7 oz; 200 grams
orange juice 1.5 cups + 2 tablespoons; 14 oz; 400 grams

Place the sugar in a pan on medium heat and begin heating it.

Once the sugar starts to bubble and foam, slowly add the orange juice. As soon as the mixture starts boiling, remove from the heat and pour half of the mixture over the orange segments.

Reserve the other half of the caramel mixture in a small bowl — you will use this later to spoon over the finished dessert. When the dessert is assembled and setting in the freezer, heat the kept caramel sauce in a small saucepan over low heat until it thickens and just coats the back of a spoon (about 10 minutes). You can then spoon it over the orange tians.

[Tip: Be very careful when making the caramel — if you have never made caramel before, I would suggest making this step while you don’t have to worry about anything else. Bubbling sugar is extremely, extremely hot, so make sure you have a bowl of ice cold water in the kitchen in case anyone gets burnt!]

For the Whipped Cream:
Ingredients U.S. Metric Imperial Instructions for Ingredients
heavy whipping cream 1 cup; 7 oz; 200 grams
3 tablespoons of hot water
1 tsp Gelatine
1 tablespoon of confectioner's sugar
orange marmalade (see recipe above) 1 tablespoon

In a small bowl, add the gelatine and hot water, stirring well until the gelatine dissolves. Let the gelatine cool to room temperature while you make the whipped cream. Combine the cream in a chilled mixing bowl. Whip the cream using a hand mixer on low speed until the cream starts to thicken for about one minute. Add the confectioner sugar. Increase the speed to medium-high. Whip the cream until the beaters leave visible (but not lasting) trails in the cream, then add the cooled gelatine slowly while beating continuously. Continue whipping until the cream is light and fluffy and forms soft peaks. Transfer the whipped cream to a bowl and fold in the orange marmalade.

[Tip: Use an ice cold bowl to make the whipped cream in. You can do this by putting your mixing bowl, cream and beater in the fridge for 20 minutes prior to whipping the cream.]

Assembling the Dessert:

Make sure you have some room in your freezer. Ideally, you should be able to fit a small baking sheet or tray of desserts to set in the freezer.

Line a small tray or baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone sheet. Lay out 6 cookie cutters onto the parchment paper/silicone.

Drain the orange segments on a kitchen towel.

Have the marmalade, whipped cream and baked circles of dough ready to use.

Arrange the orange segments at the bottom of each cookie cutter. Make sure the segments all touch either and that there are no gaps. Make sure they fit snuggly and look pretty as they will end up being the top of the dessert. Arrange them as you would sliced apples when making an apple tart.

Once you have neatly arranged one layer of orange segments at the bottom of each cookie cutter, add a couple spoonfuls of whipped cream and gently spread it so that it fills the cookie cutter in an even layer. Leave about 1/4 inch at the top so there is room for dough circle.

Using a butter knife or small spoon, spread a small even layer of orange marmalade on each circle of dough.

Carefully place a circle of dough over each ring (the side of dough covered in marmalade should be the side touching the whipping cream). Gently press on the circle of dough to make sure the dessert is compact.

Place the desserts to set in the freezer to set for 10 minutes.

Using a small knife, gently go around the edges of the cookie cutter to make sure the dessert will be easy to unmold. Gently place your serving plate on top of a dessert (on top of the circle of dough) and turn the plate over. Gently remove the cookie cutter, add a spoonful of caramel sauce and serve immediately.

Resources:
http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-a-tian.htm (An article about the dessert known as tian.)
YouTube link on how to segment an orange: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZG5mcEEBlcI
To learn more about Pectin: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pectin
What to substitute for Pectin: http://www.gourmetsleuth.com/Dictionary/P/Pectin-6222.aspx

Nasi Biryani

I have cooked nasi biryani many times and somehow, this chinese lady is not getting it right.  My nasi biryani did not have the indian or malay umph and more often than not, the rice was not totally cooked through according the method provided in most recipes, and i have to resolve by using the microwave to finish the cooking.  But, nowadays, cooking nasi biryani is no more a problem, thanks to Vivien Tan, one of my readers who have become a dear friend, send me a few packets of 'SHAN"  brand for  biryani .  I followed the instructions on the back of the packet and my biryani rice have always been cooked through and the nasi was spicy, with all the umphs.  I find the taste to be slightly too salty so i reduced the amount of salt recommended to 1 tablespoon, when i was cooking the rice.  Thank you Vivien for sending me the Shan premixed, they are available now here in our indian stores.

Ingredients:

1 1/2 lbs chicken pieces
1 1/3 lb basmati rice - soaked for 30 minutes and drained
1 tbsp tamarind pulp - soaked in 1 cup water for 30 minutes, Then press and sieve the juice.
2 - 3 medium onion - sliced(about 1/2 lb)
2 tbsp grated ginger
2 tbsp chopped garlic
1 cup cooking oil
1 packet 'Shan' Malay Chicken Biryani
Rasins
Fried shallots
Toasted cashew nuts
Cilantro for garnishing

Method:


Marinate chicken pieces with ginger, garlic and 2 tbsp of Shan Malay Chicken Biryani mix for 1 hour.

Heat oil and brown the marinated chicken pieces. Remove and set aside.

Sweat the chopped onions, then add in browned chicken pieces,  the rest of the Shan Malay Chicken Biryani mix, tamarind juice and 1 cup water.  Continue to cook and stir until sauce is thickened. Set aside.

Boil 10 cups of water with 1 tbsp salt and add in the soaked rice.  Boil until the rice is three-quarter tender.  Drain the liquid.

Assembling the Biryani:

Spread the cooked chicken pieces and the drained rice in layers into the rice cooker.

Top with raisins, then cover and press the cook function and cook until rice is cooked through.

Slightly mix the rice and chicken pieces and garnish with cashew nuts and fried shallots before serving.

Serves

Biscotti

This recipe is from Jacques Torres's book - Dessert Circus.  According to Jacques Torres, biscotti is traditionally an italian cookie which is baked two times to produce a hard cookie that they like to dip in sweet wine.  He has adapted the recipe so these cookies are not quite so hard and also cut the baking time in half.  He used cold butter so he can roll and bake them right away.  These fragrant, flavorful cookes are great by themselves or dunked in coffee and since Jacques Torres is from Provence, he prefers to dip his in 'pastis'.  Me, having lived in Malaysia,  will have mine with 'Kopi-O'.



Ingredients:

3/4 cup/4 ozs/100 gm whole unblanched almonds
1/3 cup/1.6 ozs/50 gm whole pistachios
7 tbsp/3.5 ozs/100 gm Cold unsalted butter, cubed
3/4 cup/5.25 ozs/150 gm granulated sugar
2 cups/8.8 ozs/250 gm all purpose flour
1 tbsp/0.3 oz/8 gm Anise seeds
1 tsp/0.2 oz/6 gm baking powder
Grated zest of 1 lemon
Pinch of salt
2 large eggs

For the egg wash

1 large egg white, beaten

Method:

Preheat the oven to 300 f(150 c). 

Spread the almonds and postachios evenly on a bking sheet and place in the oven,

Toast for about 30 minutes, until they are golden brown.

You will be able to smell the n uts when they are ready.

A good test is to break a nut in half and check to see if it is light brown on the inside.

Toasting the nuts brings out their natural flavor.

Remove them from the oven and allow to cool completely on the baking sheet on wire rack.
Place the remaining ingredients in a large mixing bowl and beat with an electric mixere on medium speed until well combined, abvout 5 minutes, the mixture will hold together in a soft dough.

Add the colled toasted nuts and mix until they are evenly incorporated, about 1 minute.  If you are using hand-held mixer, you may want to knead in the nuts by hand to avoid buring out the motor of the mixeer.

Remove the dough from the mixing bowl and place on a very lightly floured work surface.  If the dough is stickly and hard to work with, it is too soft.  To fix this. flatten it into a disk, cover with plastic wrap, and place it in the refrigerator for  a minumum of 1 hour.(When the butter in the dough gets cold, the dough will stiffin).  Remove from the regrigerator and proceed.

Preheat the oven to 350 f(175c).

Divide the dough into three equal pieces.  Use the palms of your hands to roll each piece on the lightly floured work surface into a rope 1 - 1 1/2 inches in diameter.  Each rope should be even and fit on your bking sheet lengthwise.  If the dough sticks to your hands or to the work surface as you are rolling it, dust it lightly with flour.

Roll firmly to remove any trapped air bubbles (At this stage, you can wrap the dough well in plastic wrap and freeze for up to two weeks.  Bring it back to room temperature before baking.)

Place two of the piscotti ropes on a parchment paper-covered baking sheet.  You will only have room for two because they spread as they bake.  With a pastry brush, lightly brush each rope with the egg white; this will add shine to the4 baked biscotti.

Bake until golden brown, about 30 minutes. 

Remove from the oven and let cool slightly on the baking sheet.

Use a serrated knife to slice the biscotti on a diagonal into 1/2 inch thick cookies.  If you do this while the biscotti are still warm, they not crumble.  The biscotti will harden as they cool.  If they are still soft when you slice them, place the slices on a bking sheet and bake at 300f(150c) for another 10 - 15 minutes.  Repeat the baking and cooling procedure with the remaining biscotti rope.

Store in an airtight container at room temperature for two or three weeks.

Variation: 

Dip the biscotti halfway on a diagonal into tempered bittersweet chocolate.  Wipe the excess chocolate from the tip and place the bniscotti on a sheet or parchment paper to allow the chocolate to set.

Serves

Easy Cupcake

It's Mother Nature's form of March Madness in Colorado! Heavy snow fell overnight, leaving more than a foot of heavy snow.  I am glad it was not yesterday, cos i had to make and bring these cupcakes to Renee's school, so that her classmates can have them during recess.   A double-dose of lemon extract and lemon juice-- in the cake and in the buttercream frosting -- gives these cupcakes great lemony taste and just the right amount of sweetness -- and they were more than irresistible. 

Ingredients:

2 cups self rising flour or 2 cups bleached all-purpose with 2 tsp baking powder
1 1/4 cup fine granulated sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup butter/shortening(very soft but not melted, Crisco is best)
3/4 cup water with 1 tbsp lemon juice(any juice of your choice)
2 large eggs
1/2 tsp lemon extract(pair with the juice of your choice)

Method:

1 Set oven to 350 degrees F.

2 In a large bowl, mix together the flour with sugar and salt until combined.

3 Add in the butter/shortening , beat on medium speed of an electric mixer until all the flour/sugar are coated.

4.Add in eggs and lemon extract to the juice and beat lightly.

5.Add liquid to the dry ingredients and beat until well combined and blended, scraping the bowl constantly. (the batter will be thick, if desired you may add in a few more tablespoons juice).

6. Pour into paper-lined regular size muffin tins filling under just three-quarters full or half full.

7.Bake for 20-22 minutes or until the cupcakes test done (do not overbake as they will be dry).

8.Immediately remove from pans.

9.Cool completely before frosting.

Buttercream:

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter or margarine softened
1/2 tsp lemon extract
2 cups sifted confectioners' sugar (approximately 1/2 lb.)
1  tablespoons milk

Makes: About 1 1/2 cups of icing.


Method:

In large bowl, cream butter/shortening with electric mixer.

Add lemon extract..

Gradually add sifted sugar, one cup at a time, beating well on medium speed. Scrape sides and bottom of bowl often.

When all sugar has been mixed in, icing will appear dry. Add milk and beat at medium speed until light and fluffy.

Keep bowl covered with a damp cloth until ready to use.

For best results, keep icing bowl in refrigerator when not in use.

Refrigerated in an airtight container, this icing can be stored 2 weeks. Rewhip before using.

For thin (spreading) consistency icing, add 1 tablespoons light corn syrup, water or milk.

Serves

Renee's 8th Birthday Cake

Today is Renee's 8th Birthday and i am still busy although her birthday party for her friends was on Saturday last weekend, i have to make cupcakes for her class, now and the sooner i get this posting done, the faster i can get started with the cupcakes.  There were so much prep for her Birthday Cake, her theme was Art and Craft and she wanted so many impossibles which i am not capable of.  I had just wanted to make the figure 8 and put in sweet girly things.  In the end, we compromised, i had my figure 8 and she had her paint palate, with paint brushes, paints etc.  HAPPY BIRTHDAY RENEE.



Ingredients:

2 x 8 inch cake of choice
Buttercream
Modelling paste - 1/3 cup water
                            2 tsp powdered gelatin
                            3 tsp glucose/corn syrup
                             4 cups confectioner's sugar
 -

Method:

Put water into a small saucepan, sprinkle the gelatine on to the water.

Heat gently until the gelatine dissolves, do not allow to boil. 

Remove from heat, stir in the glucose /corn syrup and allow to cool.

Place confectioner's sugar into a bowl.  Gradually pour in the liquid, mixing till the paste forms a plastercine-like consistency.

Turn out onto a a clean board dusted with a little cornstarch and knead till smooth.

To make different colours, divide the dough and tint each piece with food coloring, kneading well with the colours you wish to use.

Serves