Alexander's 3rd Birthday Cake

Alexander turned 3 last month and this was his last decision for the theme to his party. He had wanted Thomas the Tank Engine but when we took him to get party favors, he saw the truck cups, plates etc, he said he wanted a truck cake. Oh boy, what a relieve for me, i had planned to make the Thomas cake and have printed the instructions and all but this idea for a truck cake is better. He has a huge truck to play with and my life was easier cos i just made brownies and cupcakes. I would like to share the cupcakes recipe cos it is the easiest and a very good one especially for anyone who is allergic to butter and milk.


Ingredients:

2 cups self rising flour
1 1/4 cups fine granulated sugar

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup shortening(very soft but not melted, Crisco is best)
3/4 cup orange juice(any juice of your choice)
2 large eggs

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 shortening , juice and eggs; beat on medium speed of an electric mixer scraping the bowl constantly until just blended (the batter will be thick, if desired you may add in a few more tablespoons juice).

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

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

6 Immediately remove from pans.

7 Cool completely before frosting. (Frosting recipe is below)

Frosting:

2 cups Crisco Shortening

1/4 to 1/2 cup non dairy cream

2 tsp. clear vanilla

1 1/2 pounds (6 cups) powdered sugar, sifted (measure, then sift)

Method:

In your mixer bowl, beat the shortening until it's smooth, light and fluffy.

Add the smaller amount of the non dairy cream indicated in the recipe, add the vanilla and mix well.

Add half the powdered sugar and mix for 5 minutes on low-med. speed.

Add remaining sugar and mix well.

Add more non dairy cream or powdered sugar if necessary to adjust the consistency.

Serves

Dora Cake

To make this cake, use a prepackaged cake mix prepared according to the pound-cake directions. You'll also need several zip-close plastic bags (or pastry bags), red decorator frosting and brown and orange paste food coloring, which are available at baking-supply stores. Watch the step-by-step video

Ingredients:

1 package (18.25 oz.) yellow-cake mix, prepared according to pound-cake version
4 large eggs
1 box (3.4 oz.) instant vanilla pudding
1 cup water
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1/4 cup dark chocolate chips
1 can (16 oz.) vanilla frosting
1 can (16 oz.) dark chocolate frosting
Brown and orange paste food coloring

Dora Face Cake Template

2 three-inch-long pieces strawberry fruit leather (such as Fruit by the Foot)
2 black candy-coated chocolates (such as M&M's)
1 tube (4.25 oz.) red decorating frosting

Method:

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease and line the bottom of a 9- by 13-inch cake pan with wax paper.

Prepare the cake mix according to the package directions for the pound-cake recipe. (Add the pudding mix, increase the number of eggs to 4, and decrease the water to 1 cup.)

Pour the batter into the pan and smooth the top.

Bake until golden brown and a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean; about 35 to 45 minutes.

Transfer the pan to a wire rack to cool for 10 minutes, and then invert the cake ont a rack and allow it to cool completely.

Line a cookie sheet with a piece of wax paper.

Place the chocolate chips into a resealable bag and microwave (with the bag open) on high for about 30 seconds or until the chocolate chips are melted. Snip a small corner from the bag and pipe a "Y" about 3 inches long onto the wax paper. (This will be Dora's cowlick.) Transfer the cookie sheet to the refrigerator until ready to use.

Spoon 1/4 cup of the vanilla frosting (for Dora's eyes) into a resealable bag and set aside.

Mix 2 tablespoons of the vanilla frosting with 2 tablespoons of the chocolate frosting (for Dora's irises) and spoon this lighter chocolate frosting into a resealable bag; set it aside.

Tint the remaining vanilla frosting a golden brown using the orange and brown food paste coloring.

Tint 3 tablespoons a darker shade of this color and spoon it into a resealable bag (for Dora's nose and chin); set it aside.

Trim the top of the cake with a large serrated knife to make it level.

Place the cake trimmed side down onto a serving platter.

Using the Dora Face Cake Template, cut the cake and discard the scraps.

Use the template again to score or mark outlines of Dora's face and hair with a toothpick.

Frost the top and side of Dora's face first with the golden-brown frosting.

Spread some of the chocolate frosting on the side of the cake (for the sides of Dora's hair).

Spoon the remaining chocolate frosting into a resealable bag and sip a corner from bag.

Pipe on Dora's hair.

Mark the center of Dora's eyes with a toothpick.

Snip a small corner from the vanilla-frosting bag and pipe in the eyes.

Snip a small corner from the light-chocolate bag and pipe the irises.

Add candy-coated chocolates and a dot of white to finish Dora's eyes.

On a clean work surface, press the two pieces of fruit leather together, overlapping them slightly.

Cut out the mouth shape according to the template.

Place the mouth on the cake and pipe a line around it with the red decorating frosting.

Snip a small corner from the bag with the dark golden-brown frosting and pipe on Dora's nose and chin.

Peel Dora's cowlick from the wax paper and insert it into top of her head. (You may need to use a toothpick to stabilize


Serves

Ground Pork and Holy Basil Paste

My friend Tahai from Thailand got me hooked on Holy Basil. She sent me a packet of Holy Basil chilly Paste and it was so good with Chicken. I was so happy that i found bottled ones and gave it a try with ground pork. Yes, this dish is delicious and easy.

Ingredients:

1 pound ground pork

1 bottle of Lee's Chilli Paste With Holy Basil

Method:

Heat oil and add in ground pork to brown.

Add in the chilli paste with holy basil and fry until well combined.

Serve with white rice

Serves

Agar Agar Fishes ala Lena

Lena, my dear friend, you have sent me these fish moulds awhile ago and i did make these but somehow did not post them. So, now here they are, aren't they the best looking fishes you have seen? Thank you and kam seah, without your generosity, this will not happen.

Ingredients:

2 tbsp agar agar powder
400 ml concentrated coconut milk
800 ml water
200 gm sugar
1/2 tsp salt

Method:


Boil the agar agar powder and sugar with the water until dissolve.

Remove 1/2 cup and color it orange/red. Using a tiny paint brush, paint onto the the gills, tails and wherever you wish on to the koi fish moulds. Use raisins for the eyes. Let it set.

Add coconut milk to the rest of the dissolved agar agar and then fill up the koi fish moulds.

For the dolphins, add blue coloring.

Leave to set in the fridge.

Serves

Sweet Peanut Soup

It took me a long long time before i could make this peanut soup, of which the peanuts melt in the mouth. I was told that i have used the wrong type of peanuts. The peanuts have to be the white skin and small in size but i remembered that half a century ago, the peanut soup sold in Seremban wet market was so good and the peanuts were long and huge. How did they make the peanut so soft??????? I have tried cooking the peanuts to death and tried pressurizing, still crunchy peanut soup. Ask around and my sifu, tt, came up with the answer, soak the peanuts with alkaline solution. Thanks tt, now i make the best melt in the mouth peanuts.



Ingredients:


12 ozs blanched peanuts
1 tbsp potassium carbonate & sodium bi-carbonate solution(kan sui)
2 pandan leaves (optional)
Sugar to taste

Method:

Wash the peanuts and steep with enough water to cover and add in the tablespoon of potassium carbonate & sodium bi-carbonate solution for at least 4 hours.

After steeping, drain and steep with fresh water for 1/2 hour, repeat this changing of water 2 more times, this should rid the alkaline solution.

Put peanuts, pandan leaves if using and 6 cups water in a pressure cooker.

Close lid and pressurized for 1/2 hour from hissing.

Let the pressure released before opening the lid

Bring the soup back to the boil and add sugar to taste.

Cook until sugar dissolve.

Soup is ready for serving

Enjoy

Serves

Pork with Blackeyed Pea Chili &Toasted Cornbread

Recipe by Michael Symon

From Super Bowl Blowout

This recipe originally appeared in Food & Wine February, 2008.

The original recipe can be found here http://www.foodandwine.com/recipes/pork-cheek-and-black-eyed-pea-chili.

I scaled down the recipe and cooked it to my taste.


Ingredients

1/2 tablespoon ground coriander
1/2 tablespoon sweet smoked paprika
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
2 pounds cleaned and trimmed pork shoulder - cut into 2-inch chunks
Salt and freshly ground pepper
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 pound slab bacon, cut into 1/2-inch dice
1/2 onion, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 jalapeños, seeded and very finely chopped
1 red bell peppers, finely diced
1/2 bottle of One 12-ounce bottle amber ale
1 cup chicken stock or low-sodium broth
1 cup canned whole Italian tomatoes, crushed
1 canned chipotles in adobo, seeded and minced
1/2 pound dried black-eyed peas, picked over and rinsed
1 small cinnamon stick
Shredded smoked cheddar cheese, cilantro leaves and sour cream, for serving

Method

In a large bowl, combine the coriander, paprika and cumin and toss with the pork.

Season with salt and pepper.

In a wok(i am chinese, ok), heat 2 tablespoons of the oil.

Add half of the pork and cook over moderately high heat, turning once, until browned, about 8 minutes. Transfer the pork to a plate.

Add the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil and brown the remaining pork over moderate heat. Transfer the pork to the plate.

Add the bacon to the wok and cook over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until browned and slightly crisp, about 7 minutes.

Add the onion, garlic, jalapeños and bell peppers and cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are softened, about 5 minutes.

Return the pork cheeks to the wok along with any accumulated juices. Add the ale, chicken stock, tomatoes, chipotles, black-eyed peas and cinnamon stick and bring to a boil.

Transfer to the slow cooker. Cover and cook over very low heat until the meat and beans are tender, about 3 hours or longer

Season the chili with salt and pepper.

Spoon off the fat from the surface and discard the cinnamon stick.

Serve the chili in bowls.

Pass the smoked cheddar, cilantro and crème fraîche at the table.

MAKE AHEAD The pork chili can be refrigerated for up to 5 days.


SERVE WITH Toasted Cornmeal Corn Bread.

ONE 9-BY-13-INCH CORN BREAD

This sweet, moist corn bread makes a perfect accompaniment to the meaty pork chili, though it's quite delicious all on its own. Toasting the cornmeal first gives the corn bread a heartier flavor.

Ingredients

2 cups coarse yellow cornmeal
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 tablespoon kosher salt
1 1/2 cups whole milk
2/3 cup honey, warmed
2 large eggs, beaten
1 stick unsalted butter, melted

Method:

Preheat the oven to 350°.

Oil a 9-by-13-inch metal baking pan.

In a medium skillet, toast the cornmeal over moderately high heat, stirring constantly, until lightly browned, about 5 minutes.

Transfer to a large bowl and whisk in the flour, baking powder and salt.

In a separate bowl, whisk the milk with the honey and eggs.

Add the liquid to the dry ingredients and whisk until moistened.

Add the butter and whisk until smooth.

Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake in the center of the oven for 30 minutes, until golden and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Let the corn bread cool on a rack for 15 minutes.

Cut into squares and serve warm or at room temperature.

MAKE AHEAD The corn bread can be wrapped in foil and kept at room temperature for up to 2 days. Reheat in the foil.


Serves

Pineapple 'Open' Tarts

This recipe is from The Best of Singapore Cooking, 5th reprint 1995. This book was given to me by my dear friend, Agnes. Thank you, dear Agnes and CM, you don't know how happy i was. I owned a photostated copy of this cookbook since 1988 and have made so many recipes with success. The only difference in this reprint is, this recipe which makes very good tarts is not in my copy, if it was, i would have tried this recipe a long long time ago.

I will only share the pastry recipe as the filling recipe and making of the tarts can be found in the earlier Pineapple Tart posting.


Ingredients:

A

1 1/2 lb flour

1 tsp salt

2 tbsp fine granulated sugar

B

1 lb cold butter - cut into small pieces

C

1 egg

2 fl oz ice water

2 tsp vanilla extract

3 drops of yellow food coloring

Method:

Put A into food processor and pulse twice.

Add in B - cold butter and using the pulse function, pulse until mixture resembles breadcrumbs.

Add in C and pulse until dough is formed.

Remove and chill for 30 minutes.

Pastry is ready to make into tarts.

Serves