Christmas 2008: Chocolate Pavlova and Lemon Curd Tartlets

It's been too long since my last post. I've thought of a long list of excuses as to why it has taken me 3 months (!!) to finally blog again: started full time work, facebook, social events (baby showers, weddings), camera battery was never charged, I usually cook/bake at night (bad lighting for food photos), etc.

Enough excuses. I am sure you are all tired of looking at those broad bean photos. ;-)

I love the holiday seasons because I associate it with spending time with family & friends, sharing food and baking. Lots of it! It's become a tradition that I make the dessert for the Christmas day feast with Quikong's family. I usually make the 'best ever baked cheesecake' which is always a crowd pleaser. But this time I wanted to make something to suit the season (it is after all summer downunder). So after some consultation with Quikong's mum and sister, I decided to try something different this year: Chocolate Pavlova with fresh berries. Since I needed to use up the remaining egg yolks, I also made lemon curd tartlets.

This is my last post for 2008 and hopefully I will get my blog mojo back for 2009. :-)

Happy Holidays and best wishes for the New Year!!!

Chocolate Pavlova
By Nigella Lawson, 'Forever Summer' p. 189
Serves 8-10

Ingredients

For the chocolate meringue base:
6 egg whites
300g caster sugar
3 tblspns cocoa powder, seived
1 tsp balsamic or red wine vinegar
50g dark chocolate, finely chopped

For the topping:
500ml double/thickened cream
Vanilla bean
500g raspberries or any berries that are in season
2-3 tbspn coarsely grated dark chocolate

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 180C and line a baking tray with baking parchment.
2. Beat the egg whites until satiny peaks form, and then beat in the sugar a spoonful at a time until the meringue is stiff and shiny.
3. Sprinkle over the cocoa and vinegar, and the chopped chocolate.
4. Then gently fold everything until the cocoa is thoroughly mixed in.
5. Mound on to a baking sheet in a fat circle approx. 23cm in diameter, smoothing the sides and the top.
6. Place in the oven, then immediately turn the temperature down to 150C and cook for about 1 to 1 1/4 hours. When it's ready, it should look crisp around the edges and on the sides and be dry on top, but when you prod the centre you should feel the promise of squidginess beneath your fingers.
7. Turn off the oven and open the door slightly, and let the chocolate meringue disc cool completely.
(Note: This can be prepared 1-2 days in advance and stored in an airtight container. )

To Serve

1. When you're ready to serve, invert onto a big, flat-bottomed plate.
2. Scrape vanilla bean and put it in a big bowl together with the cream. Whisk the cream till thick but still soft and pile it on top of the meringue, then scatter over the berries.
10. Coarsely grate the chocolate so that you get curls rather than rubble, as you don't want the berries' luscious colour and form to be obscured, and sprinkle haphazardly over the top. I also threw on some edible silver pearls. Serve immediately.

Lemon Curd Tartlets

For curd
(Recipe from Maggie Beer)
4 egg yolks
½ cup castor sugar
60 g unsalted butter
3 teaspoons zest of Meyer Lemon
100 mls Meyer lemon juice

Method

Whisk egg yolks and sugar until sugar is dissolved and the mixture well combined but don’t allow to become frothy. Then put that mixture and other ingredients all together in a heavy non reactive saucepan at low temperature and bring to a simmer. As it becomes thicken and you see bubbles appearing take it away from the heat continuing to stir. Allow to cool. Cover until ready to fill the pastry cases.

Pastry

Use your favourite sweet shortcurst dough recepe. Roll out the dough to the desired shapes (i.e. a big tart or tartlets) and fully bake the pastry according to the recipe. Allow to cool before filling it with curd.

Serving suggestion

Dust with icing sugar and serve with something as luscious as double Jersey cream. I kept it simple by decorating the tartlets with a few strands of shredded mint leaf.

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!

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.

Solstice Cake 2008: Rich Chocolate Drambuie Fruit Cake

Fruit Cakes are not just for Christmas

The topic of fruit cake seems to divide people into pro- and anti-fruit cake camps. In my family, Mom, Dad and I love fruit cakes. My sis couldn't care less about fruit cakes - she prefers mince pies. I recall Mom spending hours preparing her fruit cake for festive occasions (not just for Christmas or weddings). My childhood memories of weeks leading up to those special occasions are filled with the wonderful smell of caramelised sugar, which is part of Mom's labour intensive recipe. Her large and rich fruit cake is steamed for hours on the stove, which means she has to regularly check if she needed to add more boiling water to the steamer. Even with her decades of experience making fruit cake, there were odd occasions when her cake does not turn out perfect such as resulting in a soggy consistency. During my annual visit to Singapore to visit my family, Mom always has some of her fruit cake in the freezer ready for me to devour slowly (one small slice a day till it runs out). Fortunately in Sydney, Quikong's grandmother also makes a deliciously moist traditional fruit cake each year for us in time for the Christmas season.

Solstice Cake Event 2008
So really, there has been no need for me to make fruit cakes for myself. But in the spirit of research and prompted mainly by Sydney's current winter weather as well as an Australian blogger, The Food Nazi's inaugural food blogging event Solstice Cake 2008, I decided to make a different sort of fruit cake. I would have loved to try Lucy's version of the Marzipan Solstice Cake, especially since I discovered how easy it was to make my own marzipan last Christmas, or Aimée's Figgy Christmas Fruit Roll, which are full of figs, dark chocolate and spices. Unfortunately, Quikong doesn't like marzipan and I also did not have much time to mess around in the kitchen last week, so I dabbled with this recipe from the Australian Women's weekly instead because it intrigued me. Similar to Aimée's Figgy fruit roll, this cake has chocolate as well as cocoa in fruit cake! This recipe did not require much effort or skill, just time because rich fruit cakes take a long time to bake in a slow oven. I had all the ingredients in the pantry - we eat dried fruit regularly, and yes, I even stock glacé cherries because Quikong loves them.

Rich Chocolate Drambuie Fruit Cake

This quantity of mixture makes one 22cm round cake and 6 individual cakes which are ideal for gift-giving. If you prefer, you can make a large cake from this mixture — use a deep 22cm square or deep 25cm round cake pan and allow about 4 to 4½ hours for baking. This cake can be made three months ahead and stored in the refrigerator or freezer.

Moist ~ Luscious ~ Goodness

Kitchen Notes
- My substitutions:
Thickly sliced soft & juicy figs (e.g. Angus Park brand) instead of mixed peel
Almonds instead of pecans
Golden syrup instead of honey
- I added 1 tsp vanilla essence and also threw in some ground cinnamon and some freshly grated nutmeg.
- I forgot to add the dates (aarrgh!!), happens to me sometimes with long ingredients lists.
- Omitted: I did not use the browning essence (food colouring)
- Since I have an electric scale, I was able to half the recipe and baked it in a 18cm round cake tin and one mini spring-form tin (9.5cm).
- I set the temperature at 130°C fan-forced (150°C) throughout the baking process. The large cake took about 2.5 hours to bake.

Original recipe below is from the Australian Women's Weekly

Ingredients
2 1/3 cups (375g) sultanas
2¼ cups (375g) raisins, chopped
1 2/3 cups (250g) currants
1½ cups (250g) pitted prunes, chopped
1½ cups (250g) pitted dates, chopped
¾ cup (125g) mixed peel
2/3 cup (140g) red glacé cherries, halved
1 1/3 cups (340ml) Drambuie
1/3 cup (115g) honey
1 tablespoon grated lemon rind
250g butter, chopped
1½ cups (300g) firmly packed dark brown sugar
6 eggs
1 tablespoon Queen Parisian browning essence
90g dark chocolate, grated
1¼ cups (125g) pecans, toasted, chopped
2 cups (300g) plain flour
1 cup (150g) self-raising flour
¼ cup (25g) cocoa powder
extra pecans and glacé cherries, optional

Method

Combine fruit, 1 cup of the Drambuie, honey and rind in a bowl; mix well. Cover and stand overnight or for several days.

Grease 6 (¾ cup/180ml) paper cake moulds (or 6-hole Texas muffin pan). Line base and side of a deep 22cm round cake pan (or deep 19cm square cake pan) with 2 layers of brown paper and 2 layers of baking paper, bringing paper 5cm above the edge of the pan. Preheat the oven to very slow (120°C/100°C fan-forced).

Beat the butter and sugar in a large bowl with an electric mixer until just combined. Add the eggs one at a time, beating until just combined between additions. Beat in the essence. Add butter mixture to fruit mixture; mix well. Stir in chocolate, nuts, then sifted dry ingredients in two batches; mix well.

Fill the paper cake moulds to within 1cm from the top (fill muffin pans level with top of pan). Spread the remaining cake mixture into prepared cake pan.

Decorate tops with extra nuts and glacé cherries, if desired.

Bake individual cakes in a very slow oven for about 1½ hours or until cooked when tested. Brush hot cakes with some of the remaining Drambuie. Cover hot cakes tightly with foil; cool in pans. Increase oven temperature to slow (150°C/130°C fan-forced). Bake round cake in slow oven for about 3 hours or until cooked when tested. Brush hot cake with Drambuie, cover tightly with foil; cool in pans. Suitable to freeze.

Baby Fruit Cake with Mama Fruitcake

Tasting Notes
The chocolate taste was subtle and compliments the fruits nicely. I enjoyed sinking my teeth into the moist figs and prunes. We usually prefer eating the traditional fruit cake with custard but I was too lazy to make some. Instead, Quikong enjoyed it with a scoop of vanilla ice-cream. His only complaint was that it needed more fruits - I couldn't bring myself to tell him that I actually forgot to put in the dates. He doesn't usually read my blog, so I can admit this mistake to all of you :-)

I wonder if the flavours in this cake will develop more with time, just like a traditional fruit cake? But this cake is disappearing fast. This non-traditional fruit cake might even appeal to non-fruit cake lovers.

5-day update: Mmmm....The cake is even more moist and somehow the fruits have gotten sweeter after 5 days. I'll have to hide the rest of the cake from Quikong so that I can test out what happens to the cake when it has more time to rest.... ;-)

Buñuelos y Natilla - Colombian Cheese Fritters and Custard

Not-quite-round Buñuelos and Natilla

A Savoury and Sweet Colombian Pair

Buñuelos and Natilla are traditional Colombian Christmas snacks. Buñuelos are of hispanic origin and different versions are popular all over Latin America. The Colombian variety are savoury cheese fritters made of "farmer's cheese" or queso fresco. While some Colombians prefer to serve buñuelos with hot chocolate, my friend, Jairo, prefers it with natilla. Natilla is a firm custard that is thickened with cornstarch rather than eggs. I was not sure how a savoury cheese puff would go well with a sweet custard, so I asked Jairo to explain how one would go about consuming these snacks. According to him: "You eat them separately, first you bite a piece of natilla and after that you bite your buñuelo, just delicious".

Thanks to Jairo, I've discovered two new recipes and the cultural stories that come with it. I never knew these snacks existed till last week when I asked Jairo what dessert he missed from home. His birthday was round the corner and special occasions are always good inspirations for me to bake/cook something different.

Adapting the Original Recipes
While researching the recipes, I discovered that a lot of Colombians make buñuelos and natilla from packet mixes because it was quicker and still tasted great. Thankfully, a blogger with Colombian roots, Paola, came to my rescue with the recipes of how to make them from scratch. The original recipes are from the book called Secrets of Colombian Cooking by Patricia McCausland-Gallo.

Then, I came across another problem - finding the right ingredients or substitutions. I could not find the correct cheese that is required for the fritters and also the panela (similar to jaggery in Indian cuisine) for the natilla. Fortunately, Jairo said that I can be creative with my interpretation, so I did. Queso fresco is made by pressing the whey from cottage cheese and therefore a substitute could be Indian paneer or mild feta. My local grocery store sold out of paneer (!!) so I went with an Australian-style feta, which is a creamier, milder version of the Greek feta.

Kitchen Notes
Buñuelo: If there are any Colombians reading this right now, you must be wondering why my buñuelos are not round. They are supposed to look like this. Due to my adaptation of the recipe, I got a softer dough that refused to be rolled into balls. Instead of adding more cornflour, I tried my best to make a round-ish shape with two spoons before slipping it into the hot oil (FYI: This is my first time deep-frying anything). Hence the rustic look of these buñuelos (don't you just love the word "rustic"). I almost threw the dough away and thought of just giving Jairo the natilla. But I remembered what he told me: "You know, having natilla without buñuelos would be almost a capital sin." I just had to pray real hard that somehow he will like these imperfect-looking buñuelos that were made of feta.

Natilla: I had better luck with the natilla, it tasted so good, even if I didn't use panela. I added golden syrup because it gave the natilla a deeper flavour. Paola remembers her aunt stirring the natilla for hours on Christmas Eve. Fortunately, I didn't have to stir it for hours, but I did cook it long enough to remove the "raw" taste of the cornstarch and for the mixture to thicken.

The Verdict
Jairo considers my experiment a success (he is such a sweet guy, so I hope he was not just being nice). I liked the texture of these buñuelos use it's airy and pillowy inside although Jairo said that the original is more compact than these. As for the natilla, it was hard not to eat spoonfuls of it, so very moreish!

You judge for yourself :-) Here are the recipes of my version (interpretation) of buñuelos y natilla.

~ Buñuelos ~
Colombian-style Cheese Fritters
(original recipe by Patricia McCausland-Gallo here)

Golden brown and slightly crisp on the outside, and pillowy soft an airy on the inside.

Indredients
200g feta (or paneer) cheese
1/2 cup cornstarch
1 tbsp caster sugar
1 large egg
Vegetable oil (e.g. peanut, sunflower, canola) for deep-frying

Method

Place the cheese in a bowl and break it up with a fork. (If using paneer, you may need to add a salt to taste). Crack the egg on top of the cheese. Using a hand-held blender, blend the cheese with the eggs to form a smooth paste. You can also use a food processor. Add the sugar and cornstarch and mix it with a spatula till it is well blended.

Heat up a few inches of oil in a pot. Over medium heat, drop teaspoonfuls in the oil (I used two spoons to do this - use one spoon to scrape the dough off the other spoon). I cooked about 6-7 fritters at a time. The fritters should expand or "puff up" after about 30 seconds and shouldn't brown too quickly. If it does brown too quickly, then the temperature of the oil is too hot, so lower the heat slightly. This is not the traditional way to fry the fritters, see the original instructions for that. Turn the fritters occasionally so that they are golden brown all over, then remove the fritters with a slotted spoon and drain on a paper towel.

Serve slightly warm or at room temperature with natilla. Cool completely if you want to store them in an airtight container.

Mixing the ingredients to a smooth dough.

My first time deep-frying anything ever!!

~ Natilla ~
Columbian Christmas Custard
(inspired by the recipe by Patricia McCausland-Gallo)

Natilla firms up as it cools

Ingredients
2 cups whole milk
1/4 cup cream
1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1 heaped tsp golden syrup
1 stick cinnamon
pinch of salt
1/2 cup cornstarch
1/2 tbsp butter
ground cinnamon for garnishing

Method

Place 1 cup of the milk, sugar, syrup, cinnamon and salt in a pot and simmer over low heat till the sugar and syrup has dissolved completely. Do not let the mixture boil.

In a small bowl, stir the remaining 1 cup of milk and the cornstarch until completely dissolved. Stir it into the sugar mixture on the stovetop.

Raise the temperature slightly and stir continuously to "cook" the cornstarch (the taste of uncooked flour is awful). Add the cream, then raise the heat again to medium, continuously stir and scrape the bottom of the pot until the mixture has thickened.

Remove the pot from the heat, add the butter, mix well and remove the cinnamon sticks. Pour the mixture into a mould or serving dish. You can coat the mould with oil spray and it will unmold very easily if you prefer to serve it on a platter. Sprinkle with the ground cinnamon. Let it cool and set before serving (it will be firm).

Aussie-Canadian: Macadamia Maple Cake

Macadamia Maple Bundt Cakes - Photo by Em

Saying goodbye to loved ones seems to be a regular part of my life since I’ve lived in different parts of the world in pursuit of knowledge and work. Last month, I said goodbye to one of my best friends, Em, who returned to her hometown Québec City, Canada. She was (still is) not just my confidant; she was also my culinary and running buddy. We initially met due to our love for running. We’ve also had lots of wonderful adventures trying and discussing foods, as well as checking out new or interesting restaurants. She’s one of the few friends who has seen my grumpy and angry side and still loves me ;-)

When Em celebrated her last birthday in Australia in December last year, she gave me the challenge of using a “mystery” ingredient (a la Iron Chef) in her birthday cake. This mystery ingredient was soon revealed to be maple sugar:

The texture and colour of maple sugar is similar to brown sugar, but tastes distinctively like maple syrup. Maple sugar is almost impossible to find it in Sydney and it’s very costly, so I had to think very carefully about how I would utilise this precious ingredient.

Knowing that this might be the last birthday cake that I will bake for Em in Australia, I also wanted to use an Australian ingredient. Essentially making an Aussie-Canadian cake. Hence the birth of the Macadamia Maple Cake. Apparently, macadamia is the only Australian native plant crop that has been developed commercially as a food. I always thought macadamias were originally from Hawaii. More about the history of macadamia and its nutritional value after the cake recipe.

To add more Ausssie-ness to this cake, of course I had to turn to an Australian cookbook for inspiration. This recipe is an adaptation of a recipe I found in Jane Lawson’s Grub: Favourite Food Memories, which is filled with delectable photos and very straight forward recipes. The original recipe is for a macadamia cake with lime syrup. Since I was given the challenge to make a cake with maple sugar, I replaced the sugar with the maple sugar and made a maple glaze instead. As I didn't have enough macadamia nuts for the full recipe, I made half the quantity and used 3 mini bundt pans that Eva (Sweet Sins) gave me last Christmas. The cakes turned out moist and had a lovely crumb which was surprisingly light. A rich and decadent cake, perfect as a special birthday treat for a very special friend.

Macadamia Maple Bundt Cakes - Photo by Em

Macadamia Maple Cake
Adapted from Jane Lawson’s Grub
Makes 6 mini bundt cakes

200g organic macadamia nuts
185g self-raising flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
200g reduced-salt butter, softened
230g maple sugar
4 large eggs
1 teaspoon organic vanilla extract
80ml (1/3 cup) milk

Warm Maple Glaze, to finish

Method:

Preheat oven to 160°C. Grease a 25 cm wide non-stick bundt mould or 6 mini non-stick bundt moulds.

Grind the macadamia nuts very finely using a food processor (or in a few batches in a blender) and place into a mixing bowl. Sift the flour and bicarbonate of soda over the nuts and mix well.

Beat the butter and sugar til pale and creamy. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in the vanilla. Mix in half the flour mixture, then half the milk. Repeat with the remaining flour mixture and milk, until all the ingredients are well combined.

Spoon into the prepared tin and smooth over. Bake for 45 minutes, or until the cake is dark golden and comes away slightly from the side of the tin. A skewer inserted into the centre should come out clean.

Allow the cake to rest in the tin on a wire rack for 10 minutes, before inverting onto the rack to cool completely. Drizzle with warm maple glaze and devour.

The unglazed cake can be stored in a airtight container at room temperature for 2-3 days, refrigerated for a week, or frozen for a few months.

Maple Glaze
A dollop of butter (about 50g, or less than ¼ cup)
2 tablespoons pure maple syrup
2 tablespoons cream
6 tablespoons maple sugar

Melt butter with maple syrup and cream in heavy small saucepan. Remove from heat. Add maple and whisk until smooth. Cool glaze until slightly thickened, about 10-15 minutes. Drizzle glaze over the cakes.

This will be my contribution to WHB #122, a weekly event created by Kalyn, and this week hosted by Lia from Swirling Notions. Last month, I introduced the King of Fruits (Durian). This week it’s all about the King of Nuts - Macadamia.

The Macadamia Story

(From Australian Macadamia Society Ltd)

It is believed that long before Australia was mapped by European explorers, Aboriginal people would congregate on the eastern slopes of Australia's Great Dividing Range to feed on the seed of two evergreen trees, one of which they called 'Kindal Kindal'.

In the 1850's these trees were noticed by a British botanist Ferdinand Von Meuller and Walter Hill, the Director of the Botanical Gardens of Brisbane, Australia. The two men were struck with the majestic beauty of the specimens found growing in the rain forests of Queensland. A distinction was made between Macadamia integrifolia (smooth shelled) and Macadamia tetraphylla (rough shelled) which also produces a nut that is edible, although not as good for roasting as Macadamia integrifolia. The genus Macadamia was named after a prominent scientist of that time, Dr John McAdam.

In the early 1900s, a group of American horticulturists took some seeds to Hawaii and began growing and eventually selecting the best varieties. It wasn't until the 1960s that Australians planted trees in north-eastern New South Wales using the improved Hawaiian stocks. Today Australia is the world's largest producer of macadamia nuts with the Northern Rivers area of NSW accounting for about 60 per cent of national production.

The Healthy Nut- Nutritional Information:
When eaten in moderation (since these nuts contain 74% natural oils), raw Macadamias are a healthy snack choice. They contain a high percentage of good monounsaturated fats, which are also found in olive oil, avocados and almonds. The percentage of the good monounsaturated fats in Macadamias is nearly double that of almonds. The oil in macadamias is largely monounsaturated which is often described as the “good oil”. Macadamias contain a higher percentage of monounsaturated oils than any other natural product. Macadamia oil is similar to olive oil in its composition and use.

Roasting macadamia nuts:
One of the easiest ways to roast macadamia nuts is to scatter them over an oven tray. Cook in an oven, about 160°C, for about seven to eight minutes or as soon as they start to tan as the browning process continues after removal from the oven. As there are variations in nuts, oven temperature regulators etc, it is best to watch closely and adjust time and temperature to meet your own conditions and tastes. By roasting these nuts in the oven, they will be of an even colour. If you try roasting them in a dry pan, they can scorch more easily because of their high oil content. The following flavourings may be sprinkled on the nuts: salt, curry powder, garlic powder, paprika, lemon-pepper seasoning, cayenne or chilli powder. Serve hot or cool.

Storing Macadamias:
Roasted macadamias can be stored in an airtight container for a few days before using. If you intend to keep it for a longer period, macadamia producers recommend that the nuts are stored in a tightly sealed jar in refrigerator or freezer. In Australia, especially in warmer seasons, macadamias are stored in the refrigerator to keep them fresh and 'crunchy'. It will not make you sick to eat macadamias that have not been stored in the refrigerator. You will be able to tell if a macadamia has gone rancid as soon as you taste it.

Other Macadamia Recipes - Savoury & Sweet:

Macadamia Pesto

Tomato & Macadamia Mozzarella Linguine

Macadamia Nut Chicken

Macadamia-crusted Salmon

Macadamia Maple Granola

Mini Mocha Macadamia Muffins

Chocolate Macadamia Brownies

White Chocolate & Macadamia Cookies

Daring Bakers Jan 2008: Lemon Meringue Pie

Greetings from Tasmania, an Australian island south-east of mainland Australia. I've been here with Quikong for over a week now. Lots of outdoor adventures, enjoying the fresh produce and relaxation. No internet, TV or mobile for most of our trip. It's been really refreshing. I'll write more about this wonderful place in my next post.

I have 3 hours before my flight back to Sydney and remembered that I have to post the first Daring Bakers' challenge for 2008, hosted by Jen of The Canadian Baker. So here I am at an internet cafe. I don't intend to be here long, so excuse this quick post. I have to hunt down more plump oysters and luscious cherries before I leave this beautiful island.

Jen chose Lemon Meringue Pie for this month's challenge because after all the holiday treats, she wanted something lighter. I've made lemon meringue pie heaps of times before and was excited to try a new recipe. I actually ended up baking this pie twice during the two weeks I was in Singapore because my family loved it so much. Jen, my family thanks you for picking this pie because it's my sister's favourite dessert.

I made a "standard" pie for the challenge (very un-daring of me, I know...) but you can check out my mini lemon meringue tart that I wrote about last year here. Do check out the other pies created by the other Daring Barkers here.

Kitchen Notes:
- Working in hot & humid weather:

I had to work very quickly because of the hot and humid Singapore weather. I also had to make the pastry by hand because despite Mom's vast collection of gadgets, she did not have a food processor. As a Daring Baker, I had to rise to the challenge - I froze the butter and that helped somewhat.

- Meringue oven temperature:

I also did not know Mom's oven that well. The photo you see is from my first attempt. On my second attempt, I used a much lower temperature to bake the meringue and was happier with the result.

If you still haven't made your own Lemon Meringue Pie, I urge you to have a go. Here is the recipe:

Lemon Meringue Pie
from Wanda’s Pie in the Sky by Wanda Beaver, 2002

Makes one 10-inch (25 cm) pie

For the Crust:

¾ cup cold butter; cut into ½-inch (1.2 cm) pieces
2 cups all-purpose flour
¼ cup granulated sugar
¼ tsp salt
⅓ cup ice water

For the Filling:

2 cups water
1 cup granulated sugar
½ cup cornstarch
5 egg yolks, beaten
¼ cup butter
¾ cup fresh lemon juice
1 tbsp lemon zest
1 tsp vanilla extract

For the Meringue:

5 egg whites, room temperature
½ tsp cream of tartar
¼ tsp salt
½ tsp vanilla extract
¾ cup granulated sugar

For the Crust:

Make sure all ingredients are as cold as possible. Using a food processor or pastry cutter and a large bowl, combine the butter, flour, sugar and salt. Process or cut in until the mixture resembles coarse meal and begins to clump together. Sprinkle with water, let rest 30 seconds and then either process very briefly or cut in with about 15 strokes of the pastry cutter, just until the dough begins to stick together and come away from the sides of the bowl. Turn onto a lightly floured work surface and press together to form a disk. Wrap in plastic and chill for at least 20 minutes.

Allow the dough to warm slightly to room temperature if it is too hard to roll. On a lightly floured board (or countertop) roll the disk to a thickness of ⅛ inch (.3 cm). Cut a circle about 2 inches (5 cm) larger than the pie plate and transfer the pastry into the plate by folding it in half or by rolling it onto the rolling pin. Turn the pastry under, leaving an edge that hangs over the plate about ½ inch (1.2 cm). Flute decoratively. Chill for 30 minutes.

Preheat oven to 350ºF (180ºC). Line the crust with foil and fill with metal pie weights or dried beans. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes. Carefully remove the foil and continue baking for 10 to 15 minutes, until golden. Cool completely before filling.

For the Filling:

Bring the water to a boil in a large, heavy saucepan. Remove from the heat and let rest 5 minutes. Whisk the sugar and cornstarch together. Add the mixture gradually to the hot water, whisking until completely incorporated.

Return to the heat and cook over medium heat, whisking constantly until the mixture comes to a boil. The mixture will be very thick. Add about 1 cup of the hot mixture to the beaten egg yolks, whisking until smooth. Whisking vigorously, add the warmed yolks to the pot and continue cooking, stirring constantly, until mixture comes to a boil. Remove from the heat and stir in butter until incorporated. Add the lemon juice, zest and vanilla, stirring until combined. Pour into the prepared crust. Cover with plastic wrap to prevent a skin from forming on the surface, and cool to room temperature.

For the Meringue:

Preheat the oven to 375ºF (190ºC). Using an electric mixer beat the egg whites with the cream of tartar, salt and vanilla extract until soft peaks form. Add the sugar gradually, beating until it forms stiff, glossy peaks. Pile onto the cooled pie, bringing the meringue all the way over to the edge of the crust to seal it completely. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, or until golden. Cool on a rack. Serve within 6 hours to avoid a soggy crust.

WHB #116: The Odour that Launched a Thousand Ships

Durian Flesh - "XO" variety

Durian. Hail the King of Fruits.

(Try googling "King of Fruits" if you don't believe me!)

So potent is the odour from durians that they are prohibited in Singapore's full-airconditioned (and super-clean) subway system (called "MRT" - Mass Rapid Transit). This "no durians" rule is made very explicit - have a look at the sign that I saw outside the subway station last week:

How serious are the transport authorities about that? Have a look at the steep fine:


Whoooah!!!!

This is my last post from Singapore and my contribution to this week's Weekend Herb Blogging. WHB, created by Kalyn and now in its third year, is hosted by Rinku of Cooking in Westchester this week. I thought it would be appropriate to talk about this very interesting and infamous fruit.

Durians evokes very strong reactions - loved, revered, feared and loathed all at once. World renowned naturalist, Alfred Russel Wallace had this to say about the durian: "It is like a buttery custard flavoured with almonds, intermingled with wafts of flavour that call to mind cream cheese, onion sauce, brown sherry and other incongruities... It is neither acid, nor sweet, nor juicy, yet one feels the want of none of these qualities, for it is perfect as it is." Others speak just as strongly about this controversial fruit, but to contrary effect.

Love it or hate it, there is no middle ground with durians. Durian-lovers go through great lengths to locate special seasonal varieties. How durian-crazy can we get? Well, we have durian cake, durian mousse, durian paste, durian crepes, durian puffs, durian porridge, durian ice-cream, durian jam... you get the picture.

A Thorny Fruit:
Have a look at a photo of the fruit here. The word Durio was established by Adnanson in 1763, derived from the Malay word duri which means "thorns." Zibethinus was established by scientist Murray in 1774 . He named it such as the fruit's repugnant smell was reminiscent of Zibetto, which is Italian for "civet cat".

The melon-shaped fruit then takes approximately three months to ripen, before falling and splitting on the ground. Durian fruits are distinguished by their olive green colour and coarse rind, which is studded with sharp, formidable spikes. This thick armour protects the durian fruit from being damaged by the impact of falling from considerable heights (that makes a lot of sense). The segments of the fruit reveal several portions of creamy, yellow flesh, each encasing a hard, light brown seed. It is this rich, custard-like flesh that is so eagerly devoured by durian fanatics.

Origins:
The durian is indigenous to Southeast Asia and can be found in many of the region's low-lying forests. Due to the limited land area in Singapore, we now only have a small number of durian trees. Therefore, the durians we get in Singapore mostly are sourced from Malaysia and Thailand. I recall seeing durians in supermarkets in the USA (I think I was in California), perhaps when I was in BC, Canada, and it's definitely seasonally available in Australia.

Varieties:
To date, there are more than 100 durian clones available in the region. The more popular ones found in Singapore are the XO, D24, D145, D158 and the Thai Mon Thong. With their thick, sweet flesh, unique aroma and full flavour, they command the highest prices and are indulged by the more affluent Singaporean customers.

Nutrition:
Durians are an important and nutritious source of food for many wild animals that inhabit the rainforest. Evidence shows that even tigers and elephants are fond of the fruit, valuing it for its high vitamin and mineral content, which includes vitamins A, B, C, and iron.

Consumption:
Arguably, the fruit tastes best when eaten fresh, but there are other ways to enjoy it as I’ve stated above. More traditional ways of using durian flesh includes: bubur (pudding, recipe below), dodol (sweet sticky rice flour snack), tempoyak (adding prawn paste to salted, preserved durian flesh). Another popular method is to preserve the flesh with brown sugar, then boil or fry it, to suit ones taste (lempok). Durian flesh can be frozen for months.

While researching for this post, I also discovered that durian seeds are also edible and are served boiled, baked or fried. Might try that during my next trip.

Source: National Library Board Singapore

Mom's Bubur Durian
- Durian Pudding -

Mom usually makes this durian pudding with a lower grade durian (we eat the good stuff fresh). Cooking durians somehow reduces the potent odour although you can still smell it a mile a way. My 10-year-old half-English nephew refuses to be in the kitchen when I am eating it. But then again his Marmite toast has the same effect on me ;-)

Ingredients:
Durian Flesh
Palm Sugar
Sugar
Pandan leaf
Fresh coconut milk
Water

The quantity of each ingredient is really up to personal preference. Mom uses lots of durian flesh (to minimize the use of sugar) and just a touch of coconut milk. You can use only palm sugar but the pudding may end up too brown in colour. Therefore, Mom uses a combination of palm sugar and white sugar in order to maintain the natural colour of the durian.

Method: Over low-medium heat, cook the durian flesh with some sugar and pandan leaf. When the pandan fragrance is well incorporated into the mixture, add coconut milk and palm sugar. If the pudding is too thick, add some hot water. This pudding can be frozen.

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Selamat Jalan…

This is my last day in Singapore but I will be back again in a year. My foray into the blogging world has definitely added a new element to visit with my family this time. I’ve always been interested in cooking but I’ve always left the cooking of traditional foods to Mom’s. Now that I’ve taken a greater interest in her recipes, I am more excited to practice more traditional recipes from my heritage in Sydney. Two weeks is not enough time to learn from Mom’s wealth of information and experience, but with the two books that she gave me, and a little experimentation depending on the ingredients I can find in Sydney, I am sure that my cooking repertoire will evolve in a refreshing and delicious way in my Sydney kitchen. Of course, no one can ever replace Mom’s cooking.

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World's Smallest Pineapple Tart

<Kuih Tart - Pineapple Tart

Without fail, whenever I return to Sinagpore, there will be a jar of freshly baked kuih tart, or miniature pineapple tarts, waiting for me. I've eaten these since I was a child. I'm not even sure of the history of this little tart. The word "kuih" usually refers to dessert. I just realised while writing this post that the name "kuih tart" does not make sense because we eat these tarts not for dessert but more as a snack or afternoon tea, and the name also makes no reference to pineapple. But everyone in Singapore and Malaysia knows that kuih tart always refers to these miniature pineapple tarts. In Singapore, they are commonly baked for festive occasions such as Eid, Chinese New Year and even Christmas. The pineapple jam filling is spiced with clove and cinnamon so it smells heavenly when Mom is simmering the jam on the stove.

As I have a busy day ahead of being pampered by my sis (lucky me to have a big sis!), I won't have time to translate Mom's recipe for these melt-in-your-mouth-can't-stop-at-one kuih tart today. But I will do so hopefully before I leave Singapore.

Mom also made these crispy and buttery almond cookies. I'll have to bug Mom for that recipe too because they are addictive. If only Mom wroted down all her recipes, catalogued them and also translated them to English. Maybe that will have to be my next project after I finish my thesis...

Have a great day everyone!!! :-)