Spring into Lavender Shortbread

Today is the first day of Spring down under. I knew that spring was coming because I could her the "tweet! tweet! tweet!" from the baby and mommy birds at dawn....and when my lavender bush started to flower for the first time a few weeks ago. Quikong planted this lavender bush many months ago as a surprise because he knew that lavender is my favourite essential oil. I love rolling the fresh flowers between my palms and breathing in its soothing aroma. Even the leaves and stems of the lavender has a fragrance.

After an exhausting but rewarding pre-spring cleaning weekend, I thought that these Lavender Shortbreads were the perfect way to welcome spring. Although Quikong was initially apprehensive about consuming lavender, even he was surprised how delicious these were.

I used this Lavender Shortbread recipe from Jen of Milk & Cookies (thanks, Jen!!) who adapted it from this award winning matcha (green tea) shortbread recipe. The result was as Jen promised - "blissful buttery texture that melts in your mouth....aromatic sweetness". It also keeps its shape perfectly (great for more elaborate shapes if you wish) and is simple to make.

Kitchen Notes:
- I didn't coat the cookies in granulated sugar before baking.
- Make sure that you use lavender specifically for baking. The ones for potpourri usually has chemicals added into them.
- Vary the strength of the lavender aroma:
(a) Stronger: For a stronger lavender flavour without adding more dried lavender - crush the lavender in a mortar and pestle and let the aroma infuse over night by mixing the crushed flower into the sugar.
(b) More subtle: Omit the dried lavender. Instead, roll a few whole fresh lavender stems between your palms and place it in the sugar overnight. Remove the lavender before using the sugar in the recipe.

I think these shortbreads are rather elegant and make great gifts. Since the recipe uses dried lavender, you do not have to wait for spring to make these shortbread.

To our Muslim readers: Wishing you all a blessed month of Ramadan. These shortbreads and a cup of tea could be a sweet way to break a day of fasting. :-)

Enjoy!

All that Zest - Cumquat Marmalade

Photo & Bread by Eva

Cumquat (Aus) / Kumquat (USA, UK) / kin kan (Jap) / aranja de ouro (Brazil) is native to China and means "gold orange". Fresh cumquats can be eaten raw (skin and all) or easily preserved whole in syrup. Sticking to seasonal cooking and keeping with the Beijing Olympic theme, I present to you, Cumquat Marmalade.

Making marmalade is a real winter treat since it’s citrus and slow-cooking season. A refreshing aroma also permeates through the whole house - it's my kind of aromatherapy! But move over Seville, blood and navel oranges....cumquat marmalade is our current favourite. No traces of bitterness and the perfect balance of sweet and sour. However, not everyone likes marmalade, so I am usually slightly hesitant about giving it away as a gift unless I know that the recipient is a fan.

My friend Eva (of Sweet Sins) was the lucky recipient of a jar of this marmalade ("lucky" because Quikong originally wanted to keep it all for himself! He is a marmalade fanatic). I'll link Eva's post here when it's ready so that you can hear what a non-marmalade fan thought about this particular cumquat marmalade and also for Eva's recipe of this gorgeous looking bread. She ran out of rye flour and used maize flour instead - clever girl! (Thanks to Eva as well for these lovely photos!)

Photo & Bread by Eva

Winter Fruit

With mid-late winter being the height of cumquat season in NSW, we were lucky enough to be able to freshly pick (for free!) a kilo of home-grown cumquats at a homestead/vineyard that we were staying at in the Hunter Valley region last month. The lemon I used in this recipe was also home-grown from a neighbour's garden.

Cumquat Marmalade
Adapted from The Produce Bible (by Leanne Kitchen)

Ingredients:
1kg unwaxed, organically grown cumquats
1.25L (5 cups) water
1 large lemon, juice (about ¼ cup) & zest
1.25 kg sugar
muslin cloth

Method:

(a) 24hrs before – Prepare the fruit:
Wash and dry the fruit. If waxed, scrub the kumquats under running water to remove any wax. Place a sieve over a large non-reactive container (with a lid), pot or bowl. Cut each fruit in half and squeeze out the juice over the sieve. Collect the pips and place it in a piece of muslin cloth. Tie it securely & place it in the container together with the juice. Using a sharp knife (I used a kitchen scissors), cut the peel finely or coarsely, according to your preference. Add the peel and water in the container with the bag of pips and the juice. Cover and leave to soak overnight or for 24 hours. This helps to extract the maximum amount of pectin from the fruit pulp and pips, which will give a better set. It also helps to soften the peel, which will reduce the amount of cooking needed.

Soaking Cumquats Overnight with Bag of Pips

(b) Next day:
- Place 2 saucers in the freezer.
- Place the cumquats, water, pip bag, lemon juice and lemon zest in a large saucepan. Bring the contents slowly to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer, covered, for 30 to 45 minutes.
- While cumquats are simmering, warm* the sugar by spreading it in a into a large roasting tin/baking dish and putting in the pre-heated oven (150-170°C) for 10 to 15 minutes or until warmed through. (I used a microwave).
- When the cumquat is tender, tip the warmed sugar into the saucepan and stir over low heat, without boiling, until dissolved. Return to a boil. Boil rapidly and stir often for 20-30 minutes.
- When the syrup falls from a wooden spoon in rather thick sheets, remove saucepan from heat and put a small amount on a saucer that has been chilled in the freezer and briefly return it to the freezer. Check it in a minute or two - it should be slightly jelled and will wrinkle just a bit when you slide your finger through it. If not, continue to cook until it is. (Quikong prefers a thicker set, so I cooked the marmalade for a bit longer).
- Remove the bag of seeds when the marmalade is done. Wait for about 10-20 minutes before ladling into hot sterilized jars to prevent the zest from floating to the top. You can then safely store it in canning jars, freeze it, or keep it in the fridge. Makes about 6-7 cups.

Storage:

Store in a cool, dark place for 6 to 12 months. Refrigerate after opening for up to 6 weeks. Too much light is not good for storage, while a damp or steamy atmosphere can cause mould to develop on the surface of the marmalade.

Variation:

- Use Earl Grey or Jasmine tea instead of water.
- Add half a dried-out vanilla bean to each jar.
- If you like a darker, Oxford-style marmalade, then add 1 tbsp treacle when you add the sugar.

Marmalades are not just for toast:

Don't just spread it on a buttered toast! Warm it up slightly and use it as a glaze for cakes (e.g. cheesecake), swirl it through a chocolate cake mixture before baking it or to fill vegan thumbprint cookies. And don't forget savoury dishes like glazing roast duck, chicken or carrots.

*What do you think?

I’m not convinced that warming the sugar actually does anything, but many recipes mention it. If someone has scientific or even anecdotal evidence to back this up, I’d be interested to hear from you.

Photo & Bread by Eva

Beijing 08.08.08...Fortune Cookies and Chinese Custard Tarts

In case no one noticed, the date yesterday was 08.08.08 ("8" is a very auspicious number in Chinese culture) and not surprisingly, the date chosen for the opening ceremony of the Olympics held in Beijing. When Quikong invited our friends, N & T, over for dinner last night, I thought that it would be a great excuse to have Chinese as the theme for the meal. And a terrific reason for me to go food shopping in Chinatown! It's amazing the kind of interesting ingredients that one can find there. It certainly fires up my culinary juices.

The Menu:

Starters - BBQ duck buns, Chive dumplings, Scallop siu mai and Prawn gow gee (all steamed)
Mains - Crab Fried Rice, Sweet sour garlic prawns and stir fried baby pak choy
Dessert - Homemade fortune cookies and Chinese custard tarts (recipes below)

The most fun part of the evening was watching our friends N and T crack open their personalised fortune cookies. Quikong was the mastermind behind the funny "fortunes". I don't recall where I got this fortune cookie recipe from. I think that it tasted good and looked authentic but after a day, it lost its crispiness. Perhaps the container that I stored it in was not airtight. If anyone has a reliable Fortune Cookie recipe, please let me know. I am keen to try again because it really is so much fun to serve at dinner parties.

Fortune Cookies
1 extra large egg white
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla essence
1/2 tsp almond essence
pinch of salt
water
fortunes

Method:

- Cut 3- by 1/2-inch strips of paper and write or type your own fortunes with non-toxic ink.
- Preheat oven to 180°C. and butter a baking sheet.
- In a small bowl whisk egg white just until foamy. Add flour, sugar, essences and a pinch salt and beat until smooth. Depending on the size of your egg and the type of flour (it varies in every country), add a few drops of water to achieve the desired consistency.
- Put 2 teaspoons of the batter on buttered area of baking sheet and with back of measuring spoon (or your index finger) spread batter evenly into a 3 inches diameter circle. It has to be rather thinly spread out (almost translucent), otherwise the cookie will not be crispy.
- Bake cookie in middle of oven until golden around edge but pale in center, about 5-8 minutes. - Working quickly, with a spatula remove cookie from the baking sheet and invert onto a kitchen towel. Put a folded fortune in middle of cookie and fold cookie in half. Bend pointed edges of cookie toward each other. Use a muffin tin to hold the cookies in shape as they cool (stick the pointed ends down into the tin).
- Make more cookies with remaining batter in same manner, letting baking sheet cool slightly between cookies. Makes about 10 cookies.

These custard tarts remind me of my childhood. Bakeries in Singapore are commonly run by Singaporeans of Chinese backgrounds so these tarts can be found everywhere. Some were made with shortcrust pastry while others with flaky pastry (similar to Portuguese-style custard tarts); some were round and yet others were oval in shape. My sis was the custard tart connoisseur - we've lost count of how many different eggs tarts she has "tested". We used to judge bakeries by its custard tarts and dinner rolls. :-)

Chinese Custard Tarts
(from Australain Women's Weekly Chinese Cooking Class Cookbook)

Tart shell:
Your fav. short crust pastry/pâte brisée recipe#

Custard:
3 extra large eggs
1/3 cup caster (superfine) sugar
1 1/2 cups whole milk
1 tsp vanilla essence
few drops of yellow food colouring*

#Use half butter/half shortening to achieve a lighter, flakier crust
*This can be ommited but it does give the deep coloured custard that is characteristic of these tarts that are commonly seen at Chinese bakeries and dim sum restaurants.

Method:
- Roll out the dough to 3mm thickness. cut out with a 8cm fluted cutter. Put into buttered patty tins. No need to blind/par bake the tart shell.
- Beat together eggs and sugar. Gradually add milk. Add vanilla essence and food colouring (if using). Mix well but try not to produce bubbles. Pour custard carefully intro prepared pastry cases.
- Bake at 220°C for 10 minutes, reduce the heat to 180°C, cook further 10-15 minutes until the custard is set.

Note: The filling makes approx 30 small tarts.If you end up with leftover custard mixture after all the tart shells have been filled, butter a ramekin and bake the custard without the shell.

-----------------------------------------

As for the opening ceremony of the Beijing Olympics - I was really blown away!!! Did you catch the opening ceremony? What did you think of it? It was also Margot's (Coffee and Vanilla) birthday, so Happy Birthday, Margot!! I hope that you had fun with M & the kids. :-)

Have a nice weekend and a terrific week ahead everyone!

Pacri Nenas - Spiced Pineapple Chutney

Moving from Two to Four Seasons
Growing up in Singapore, we like to pretend that we have seasons – simply categorised as “rainy/wet” or “hot and humid” seasons. This is not surprising since Singapore is just a tiny, tropical island located near the equator. Now that I live in Sydney, Australia, I have been reflecting on how the four seasons has changed the course of my culinary adventures. When I started this blog, one of my intentions was to document this metamorphosis, but it did not quite work out that way....

Seasonal Cooking
Since moving to a Sydney, I also noticed that the seasons or weather does influence what we cook. While everyone in the northern hemisphere are frolicking on the beach and eating sorbet, we are bundled up in several layers and often find ourselves turning to nourishing foods like soups, casseroles, stews, roasts, risottos and curries.

Curry in Winter
How very strange that I now associate curry with cooler weather - I used to eat it regularly in Singapore and it is almost always hot and humid there. I recall that it was the norm to get all sweaty after tucking into a good bowl of curry – it was worth it!

How Hot can You Handle?
Another interesting observation is that Indian restaurants in Sydney and possibly all other countries outside of Southeast Asia label the curries “mild”, “medium”, “hot”. This creates problems between me and Quikong when we eat out because even though he thinks he was Indian in a previous life (he LOVES Indian food), we get into arguments over which curry I am “allowed” to order. He does not like his food (chilli) hot. If you are a regular reader, you already know that I am the opposite - when it comes to certain Southeast Asian dishes, the hotter the better! I usually give in, and try to get my chilli fix another day.

An Accompaniment for Curry
Today, I am not posting a recipe for curry because I am not expert in that department. While my curry skills are getting better and better, I find it impossible to replicate Mom’s curries. What I would like to share is a popular accompaniment for curry or spiced-based dishes such as nasi beryani/biryani. Mom’s combo of lentil dhal and nasi beryani meal is not complete without pacri nenas (pineapple chutney). The combination of sweet, sour and a touch of spice really whets the appetite.

While I was frying the spices, the wonderful aroma that resulted reminded me of Mom’s kitchen and instantly comforts me. In my version, I added some chopped dates and it was a winner with both Quikong (I served it with beef curry) and my neighbours (it makes a great gift!).

Pacri Nenas
(Spiced Pineapple Chutney)
Loosely adapted from Nirmala Magazine

1 fresh ripe pineapple, peeled (about 600g)
1-2 tbsp neutral vegetable oil
1 red (Spanish) onion (or 6 shallots), sliced thinly
2 cloves of garlic, finely sliced
2 x 4cm cinnamon sticks
1 star anise
3 whole cloves
2 whole cardamoms
15 fennel seeds
¼ tbsp cumin powder
3cm fresh ginger, peeled and sliced
2 red chillies, deseeded and sliced
½ cup water
1 tsp each of salt and sugar
(optional: 100-150g pitted dates, chopped in half)

Method:

- Cut pineapple into 8 sections lengthwise. Cut the core off & discard. Slice the pineapple flesh into 1cm thick pieces. Reserve the juices from the chopping board.
- Heat oil in a non-stick pan/wok. Fry the onion and garlic over medium heat till wilted (be careful not to burn/brown the garlic or onion). Add spices, ginger and chillies and cook till fragrant. Add pineapple pieces and till slightly wilted. Add reserved pineapple juice, water, salt and sugar. Cook till pineapple is wilted. Add chopped dates and stir carefully. Let it cool. Adjust seasoning if necessary (e.g. more salt or sugar or dash of lemon juice). Store in the fridge for a week or two.

Bread Activity for a Rainy Day: Poppy Seed Pinwheels

It rain all day today. On my day off!!!

I had to put away my running shoes and decided I may as well get some chores done. The best kind of baking between three loads of laundry is bread making. This time, I decided to do something creative and made these pretty pinwheels with poppy seed fillings. The dough reminded me of a lighter cousin of brioche and was perfectly paired with the poppy seed filling. The sweetness and richness of the filling was just right.

I am so glad it rained today.

Bread Rolls with Poppy Seed Filling

Dough
350g unbleached plain flour
1 ½ tsp instant yeast
25g caster sugar
¼ tsp salt
½ cup milk, lukewarm
50g butter, melted
1 egg, lightly beaten

Filling
250g poppy seed filling (e.g. Schwartau Mohn-Back#)
50g ground almonds (or hazelnuts/ walnuts)

Glaze
1 egg yolk and a little milk

# Lucky me, my German friend Eva "imported" it for me. You can purchase this product on-line: US, Canada, Dublin and UK.

Preparation

- Mix the flour, yeast, salt and sugar together in a large bowl and make a well in the center. Add all the liquid to the centre of the flour and mix to a soft dough. Knead dough on a lightly floured surface until smooth and elastic. Place in a lightly oil bowl, cover with a clear film and leave in a warm place for 1-1 ½ hour, or until doubled in size.
- Turn the dough into a lightly floured surface and knock it back (punch down) lightly then roll it out to form a rectangle. This is the part you can get creative. I rolled it quite thinly (17x11 inches).
- Mix the poppy seed filling with the ground almond. Using a spatula, spread the filling evenly on the dough. Trim the edges, if desired.
- Mark the centre of the short end of the dough. Carefully roll up the dough on one side of the long edge, stopping in the middle. Do the same with the other side. Gently press the two rolls together. Cut the bread to fit the pans you are using and gently lift them into the lightly buttered pans. Using a fork, prick the top of the dough. Cover with cling film and leave the rolls in a warm place for 30-60 mins or till it increases in size (they won’t double in size).
- Brush the top of the breads with a lightly beaten egg yolk mixed with a little milk.
- Place the breads in a preheated oven (190° C) for 20-30mins or until golden brown. Turn out onto a wire rack. Slice and serve warm with a cup of tea or coffee.

Dough recipe adapted from The Complete Book of Bread and Bread machines by C. Ingram & J. Shapter.

Rolling the dough to make the twin pinwheels

Golden brown and boring looking, but wait till you slice it...

Ooooh, moist poppy seed goodness!

Since I like mini-anything, I also made a mini version, and...

with the scraps, I kneaded the filling into the dough and got these mini rolls.

Say Cheese!

On July 1st, Haalo published her 700th post! Most of you would be familiar with her food blog Cook (Almost) Anything At Least Once. I always learn something new when I visit her blog, and the photos are just simply stunning. That’s why I was prompted to participate in the event “Say Cheese” that Haalo is hosting. The requirement was to post and photograph a favourite cheese in July.

I did not eat much cheese in my childhood because my mother’s culinary repertoire did not include the use of many dairy products. But as I traveled to other parts of the world and was exposed to different culinary habits, I learnt to savour different types of cheese as a course on its own, rather than on a cheese burger or grated on my pasta. Although the proper cheese etiquette is to serve cheese after mains and before dessert, I've fallen into the Australian habit of having it as an appetizer before mains. Oh, and don't get me started about the art of cutting cheese!

My first love was with Mozzarella di Bufala Campana, especially in a insalata caprese. My favourites since moving to Sydney have been washed rind and ripened brie and I tend to buy only Australian milk and goat cheeses (or a blend), especially local produce from New South Wales and Tasmania.

As a “newbie” cheese lover, I am still getting accustomed to the pungency of stronger and more ripened cheeses. Hence, I have only a teeny-weeny piece of blue cheese on my cracker. Happily, last year I discovered a cheese by Binnorie Dairy (Hunter Valley Region, Pokolbin, NSW) that suited my palate and what I consider a good “training” product for the non-blue cheese lover. It’s called Duetto and is a combination of Gorgonzola and Mascarpone cheeses, both produced on the Binnorie dairy farm. The flavour of the Gorgonzola was prominent enough to give it a nice "bite" and the addition of Mascarpone meant that it was not too pungent for me and lends a melt-in-your-mouth texture. The downside is that I can only buy it during my annual visit to the Hunter Valley because Binnorie is a small dairy company with a small list of distributors. Quikong suggested that I try to blend my own version of Duetto. Maybe I will!

Haalo did write “no cheese in a can or similar plastic products” for this event. But this cheese in a tub did win the Blue Mould Section of the 4th Fromage du Monde last year. Fromage du Monde claims to be the largest public cheese judging event in the world. So I hope that I can still enter to win Haalo's very own cheese photo book.

Willie Nelson's “Famous” Banana Choc Bread

Can someone please explain to me the difference between a banana bread and a banana cake? Do we use the word bread to fool ourselves because we feel less guilty when we have “bread” rather than “cake”? Perhaps banana bread is supposed to contain less sugar and butter? Or maybe banana breads have to be baked in a loaf pan? So what should I call this delicious treat which has absolutely no butter or oil, but was baked in a round cake pan? (This reminds me of the muffin vs cupcake debate....)

At the end of the day, it really doesn’t matter what you call this yummy treat. This recipe is a keeper – so quick and easy to make and freezes exceptionally well. It has a moist crumb which is studded with choc chips (ok, so it’s not fat-free), and I love the crunchy topping.

Oh, and I have no idea why this recipe is associated with Willie Nelson. Kickpleat got it from a friend in San Fransisco and she's not sure either if Willie ever made this bread or if it really was some kind of famous secret recipe....and the plot thickens....

Willie Nelson's “Famous” Banana Choc Bread (Cake?)

My version (original here)

3 really ripe bananas, mashed
2 large eggs
1 ¼ cup flour
¼ cup cocoa powder
1 cup sugar (mix of white & brown sugars to make about 1 cup)
1 tsp baking soda
¼ tsp baking powder
¼ tsp salt
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
2 tsp ground cinnamon
1 cup chocolate chips (white &semi-sweet)
topping: extra brown sugar

1. In a large bowl, mix bananas with eggs and stir till well combined. Place your sifter containing the flour, sugar, baking soda & powder, salt, vanilla, and cinnamon above the bowl, sift, and mix well. Briefly stir through 3/4 cup of the chocolate chips into the batter. Do not over-mix.

2. Pour batter into a non-stick cake/loaf pan. I used a round 8” springform pan. Sprinkle with the extra brown sugar and the remaining chocolate chips.

3. Bake at 180 degrees C for 35-40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into cake comes out clean. Place pan on a wire rack for at least 15 minutes to cool before removing the cake from the pan and serving.

This will be my contribution to this week's Weekend Herb Blogging event. WHB is a food blogging event sponsored by Kalyn's Kitchen where each week food bloggers around the world photograph and write about herbs, plants, veggies, or flowers, and on the weekend, a Recap with links to all the posts is published by the host for that week. This week’s host is Pam from Sidewalk Shoes.

Banana
In my opinion, the banana is the perfect snack because it is highly recognized for its undisputed health benefits. When comparing fruit to fruit, none can compare to the nutrition found in the banana.

Storage & Freezing
Keep bananas on a fruit bowl at room temperature. If you want the bananas to ripen faster place the bowl near sunlight. Similar to other tropical fruits and tomatoes, never store bananas in the refrigerator. Bananas will not ripen but the skin will darken in the refrigerator. Ripe bananas (with skin on) can be frozen. However, the skin will turn very dark and it gets slimy on the inside. I frequently freeze bananas for baking (or smoothies) at a later time. When using whole frozen bananas, let the banana defrost for 15 minutes before pealing the skin. If you freeze them as a puree, add 1 tablespoon of lemon juice to each cup of mashed fruit before freezing. Don't forget to label indicating the number of mashed bananas in each container/freezer bag.