Diary Foods: November 2010

Seri Muka II/Glutinous Rice Layer Cake Recipes

I’ve posted this before but it is a different recipe. I did some changes to the recipe and also tinted the glutinous with some bunga telang(butterfly pea or clitorea ternated) given to me by Sonia when I went back to Malaysia early this year. This flower which was used to blue the rice in nasi kerabu (rice salad) or nyonya kueh but now many of them just used the blue coloring. To obtain the color from the bunga telang, the blooms are dried in the sun before storing. When required, they are soaked in water to allow the color to seep out and subsequently, obtain the rich blue color. My friend Sue given me some seeds and I planted it during summer. I think I planted it a bit too late and by the time it started to flower it was already late summer so I didn’t get much flowers out of it. I kept quite a bit of seeds for my next season planting.

No sure why but the plants have more leaves than flowers.

Ingredients:

600 gram glutinous rice - wash and soaks the rice overnight
300 ml thick coconut milk
1 tsp salt
10 dried bunga telang/blue clitorea flower (soak in a bit of hot water, mash and squeeze it to extract a deep dark blue hue)

Custard topping:

3 eggs
130 gram sugar
3 tbsp custard powder
2 tbsp flour
300 ml thick coconut milk

1. To make the rice layer – drain the rice well. Combined the rice, coconut milk and rice and mix well. Pour it into a well greased 8” x 8” pan and steam over high heat for 30 minutes or until rice is cooked.
2. Remove from heat, fluff up the rice with a fork and drizzle the blue flower juice all over the rice. Press the rice with a banana leaf or aluminum foil to compact and level the surface. Set it aside.
3. To make the custard layer, combined all the ingredients and mix well. Strain into a saucepan to remove any lumps. Cook over low heat, keep stirring until mixture slightly thickens. Remove from heat and pour the mixture over the glutinous rice. Cover the top of the pan with a piece of foil and steam it over medium heat for 30 minutes.
4. Remove from heat and let it cool complete before cutting into it.

Note: To get a smooth and even top layer you have to steam it over medium heat and if not you will get bumpy and wrinkle layer. I do have some extra seeds for this flower and if anyone interested and you can email me your name and address and I will mail it to you.

I am submitting this dish to Muhibbah Malaysia Monday

For more details please refer here

Homemade peanut butter cups - Dairy Foods

My mom, sister and I got together last weekend to make an old childhood favorite, chocolate peanut butter cups. When my sister, brothers and I were little my mom would always draw a heart in a newly opened jar of peanut butter. Because she always did this, growing up I believe peanut butter came with a heart drawn in it's smooth top. My mom is really awesome, she has a way of making everyday things like opening a jar of peanut butter special.

Chocolate peanut butter cups

Ingredients

1 package chocolate almond bark
1 stick of unsalted butter, at room temperature
2 2/3 cups confectioner's sugar
1 1/2 cups peanut butter

Preparation

In a bowl, combine the peanut butter and butter. Gradually add in the confectioner's sugar and stir to fully incorporate.

Melt the entire package of chocolate almond bark over a double boiler, over low heat, stirring frequently.

Line mini muffin cups on a baking sheet or in a mini muffin tin. Drop melted chocolate into the bottom of the muffin cup to cover the bottom. Add a teaspoon of peanut butter mixture (rolled into a ball then flattened a bit) into the cup and cover with chocolate.

Refrigerate for at least an hour.

These are easy, fast and way more delicious than the store-bought version. They would be a perfect edible gift, just wrap a few in a cellophane bag and tie with a label and ribbon.

Real party: a butterfly birthday party - Dairy Foods

Lindi of Etsy Shop, Love the Day, sent me this spectacular butterfly-themed party she threw for her daughter London's fourth birthday. Lindi designed all the printables and styled the party herself, with the help of some fabulous vendors (complete vendor list at the bottom of this post).

No detail was spared for this well-styled party. Everything from the delicate dessert table to the pretty garland is absolutely perfect. No doubt that this party can serve as inspiration for weddings, bridal showers, baby showers, etc.

Photo credits to Jon and Melissa Photography

I love this different use of a teacup and those heart-shortbread cookies are adorable.

A picture-perfect party scene.

Thanks so much to Lindi for sending this party my way. Be sure to check out her Etsy shop and blog!

Vendors:

Fairy Costumes: Halo Heaven
Flower Headbands: The Little Pea
Linens: Mandi Jackson
Printables and Styling: Love The Day
Ruffle Garland: Hank And Hunt
Cake: Rene Takes The Cake
Lemon Curd Tarts, Blueberries Pies, Cupcakes, Chocolate Mousse, Marshmallows, Dipped Cookies: City Sweets Shop

Corn Fritters Recipes

I made these sometime ago when corns were at their peak during summer. I will usually grill or boil it but this time I made some fritters out of it. I used a bit of oil to pan fried them in a non stick pan and it turn out more like a pancakes. The fritters were crispy on the edges and tender in the middle. We had this with my homemade chili sauce.

Ingredients:

2 cups corn kernels
1/2 cup chopped shrimps
1 egg
1/2 cup flour
1/4 cup cornmeal
1 small onion
¼ cup chopped cilantro
4 spring onions – chopped
2 red chilies – chopped
½ tsp baking powder
¼ tsp turmeric powder
Salt and pepper to taste
enough water to hold the batter together

1. Put one cup of corn kernels, shrimps, and onions in a food processor. Give it a few pulses until all ingredients are roughly chopped. Remove to a mixing bowl.
2. Add in all the rest of the ingredients and mix well. Set it aside to rest for 15 minutes.
3. Heat up some vegetable oil (just enough oil) to coat the bottom of a non stick frying pan. Drop 1 tbsp of batter into the pan. Fry both side of the fritters until golden brown (about 2 minute per side).
4. Transfer fritters to paper towels to drain the oil. Serve immediately with some chili sauce.

Happy Thanksgiving! - Dairy Foods

{Photo credit: Martha Stewart}

It's easy to have a lot of love for Thanksgiving. It's a day spent with family and eating great, comfort food. It's warmth and love wrapped in in one day. It is, by far, my favorite holiday of the year.

There is lots to be thankful for on this Thanksgiving. If your family is anything like mine you'll go around the table and say what you're thankful for. Growing up my siblings and I would giggle and/roll our eyes and never take it seriously. But now as an adult it's a tradition I really enjoy.

I wish you all a wonderful and safe Thanksgiving!

Prickly Pear Chiffon Cake Recipes

Now what is this exotic Prickly Pear?? They are known to few, the fruit of the nopales cactus (cacti with beaver tail-like paddles), are actually edible. Called prickly pears, these vibrant magenta color fruits are delicious,they taste like a cross between watermelon and pear. The best way to eat this is just cut it into halve and use a spoon to scoop out the flesh. The juice is often used to make jam or candy, but works wonders in cocktails and used in vinaigrettes for salads. I've seen people used the juice to flavor cream cheese frosting for cakes and have seen others boil it down with a bit of orange and lemon juice to make a sauce for fruit salads and cheesecakes.

We used to have one huge cactus plant at my mom house and there were plenty of these fruits on it but during that time we have no clue that they are edible. So the birds had a field time eating the sweet fruits.

Many Mexican markets, farmers markets, and some natural food supermarkets carry prickly pears, but you can find these mostly in California, the Southwest and Mexico. You can imagine my excitement when I saw these prickly pear fruits at our produce place as it is not easy to find them here in PA and without any hesitations I grab a few of it. It cost me quite a bit of money too.

Here is what I made out of the beautiful fruits. The juice of this pear gives a really beautiful pink color to the batter but after baking it kind turn into bright orangey color.

Ingredients:
(A)
1 ¾ cups Self Rising Flour
1/8 tsp of salt

(B)
6 egg yolks
1/3 cup of sugar
3/4 cup Prickly Pear juice (you need 4 prickly pear to get the juice)
1/4 cup of vegetable oil

(C)
3/4 cup of sugar
6 egg white
1 tsp of cream of tartar

1. Cut the prickly pear into halve. By using a spoon scoops out all the flesh. Put it in a food processor and give it a few pulses. Strain out the juice to get rid of the black seeds. Set it aside.

2. Pre-heat oven to 325 degree F. Sieve all the (A) ingredient in a mixing bowl until well combined. Mix ingredient (B) until well blended and then add in ingredient (A) and mix until smooth. Set it aside.
3. Whisk ingredient (C) in mixer over high speed until stiff peak. It should not fall out when you turn the mixing bowl over. Fold 1/3 of the egg whites into the egg yolks mixture and continue to do so until egg whites is finish. Remember to fold in gently until well mixed.

4. Pour batter into ungreased 10" tube pan and bake for an hour or used a bamboo skewer to test the cake. Just insert the skewer into the center of the cake and it should come out clean.
5. Invert cake and let it cool complete in the pan. When is cool, loosen the edge of the pan and remove cake.

Note : Be warned though, while the ones in markets have been cleaned of the tiny hair-like thorns, the ones fresh off the cactus plant are covered with them, so be sure to handle them with heavy leather work gloves and scrub them hard to ensure all the painful little barbs are off. Also the juice might stain your clothing too. Either way, please handles them carefully.

I want to wish eveyone a very Happy Thanksgiving and hope you all have a wonderful time with your family and friend.

I am submitting this second chiffon post to Aspiring Bakers #1: Chiffon Cake (Nov 2010) hosted by Small Small Baker

Guess the Flavor of Chiffon Cake – The Result!! Recipes

Yes, we have a winner. The person who guessed the flavor correctly is Wendy of Table for 2 or More. The Chiffon Cake is made out of Prickly Pears. The recipe and details of the fruits will be coming up next. Thank you everyone for taking the time to participate. There are some very good guesses and I will be making some of the flavor that you suggested. Do come back and check out another one of my giveaway soon.

Wendy, these gifts will be coming your way soon.

1. 2 packets of cupcake wraps (12 and 18 pieces each)
2. 1 packet of Wild Rice
3. 1 year 2011 and 2012 planner - cupcakes photographs by Kylie Lambert.

Homemade crackers - Dairy Foods

I love to bake but I am not actually the hugest fan of sweets. Don't get me wrong I adore a pretty cupcake but I usually end up eating one of the 2 dozen I bake and giving the rest away. I am more of a salty/savory gal.

So when my sister asked if I would bake her homemade crackers for her upcoming birthday I thought it was an awesome idea (click here for the recipe that inspired my sister from Much To My Delight blog). Why not bake more savory items?

These crackers would be a perfect snack on Thanksgiving while waiting for the big meal. They would be great by themselves or paired with a dip. Yum. Now that's my kind of baking.

Photo credits and recipes:

Green-Peppercorn Cornmeal Crackers via Epicurious
Flaxseed, Fig, and Walnut Crackers via Epicurious

Olive Oil Crackers via 101 Cookbooks

Olive Biscuit Cookie (these are sweet and salty) via 101 Cookbooks

Gruyere-Thyme Icebox Crackers via Martha Stewart
Thyme Crackers via Martha Stewart

Salt-and-Pepper Crackers via My Recipes
Blue Cheese Cocktail Crackers via My Recipes

Are you all as excited for Thanksgiving as I am? If you are still searching for the perfect turkey recipe be sure to check out this Parmesan-Sage Turkey recipe. It is my absolute favorite, I've made it for the past five years.

I am definitely going to test one of these cracker recipes and I'll let you know how it turns out!

Real party: a garden party first birthday - Dairy Foods

Corinne of Etsy shop Style My Party sent me this adorable garden-themed party she hosted for her daughter's first birthday. With the temps dropping below 20 degrees in MN today this sunny, bright party has me dreaming of summer. And just wait until you see the cutie little birthday girl.

Photo credits to Center of Attention Photography.