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

Muruku II

I bought a packet of 'Tepung Kacang Hitam' and have wondered if it is the right kind for making Muruku. The following recipe calls for 'Black Bean Flour' , so i used it and they turned out to be the best Muruku that i have tasted.

Ingredients:

16 ozs Rice flour

4 ozs black bean flour

2 teaspoons caraway seeds(oom seeds would be better)

4 teaspoons cumin seeds,

1/2 teaspoons tumeric powder

2 level teaspoons salt

2 ozs grated coconut

1 can 400 ml coconut cream

55 ml water

Oil for frying

Method:

Mix all the ingredients together and knead to a semi-firm dough.

Allow to sit for 30 minutes.

Put dough in muruku presser to test for texture. It should flow easily showing clear pattern.

Heat oil for frying and press dough into heated oil. I like to pipe the dough out into a spiral circle into individual parchment paper, then lower the dough into the hot oil)

Fry over moderately high heat till golden brown

Serves

Watercress And Pork Ribs Soup

The word watercress in Chinese means ‘foreign vegetable,’ as in not indigenous to their country. How then did watercress become such an important part of Chinese cuisine? Watercress soup, a staple in most Chinese households , seems to bring their body back into balance (both nutritionally and holistically), and well...it just tastes good.

Read about The History for Watercress and Medicinal Uses for Watercress here http://www.watercress.com/

Ingredients:

- 1 big bunch of watercress(Dried watercress can be used but soak in cold water to reconstitute)

- 1/2 lb lean pork + 1 lb of pork neck bones

- 1 piece dried squid (optional)

- 1 tsp scallops

- a handful of pitted red dates

- 6 cups hot water

- salt and pepper to taste
.

Method:

1. Wash watercress thoroughly and set aside.

2. Blanch lean pork and pork neck bones in hot water to remove scum. Transfer pork to a slow cooker or pressure cooker

.
3. Add dried squid, dried scallops and pitted red dates.

4. Add hot boiling water and set slow cooker to high heat. When the water comes to high boil, add in the watercress. Cook for 6-8 hours using low heat or 4-5 hours using high heat. If cooking with the pressure cooker, 1/2 - 3/4 hour will do, remember to add watercress only when water comes to a boil).

5. When soup is ready, using a pair of scissors, cut watercress branches into bite size.

6. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Serves

Linzer Cookie

My daughter loves to buy me all sorts of cutters, cake pans and whatever is related to baking. She bought these Linzer Cookie Cutters when she was in Washington DC for a business trip and i had to play with my toy as soon as i get it and i love adapting the recipe which comes with the cutter and this is a keeper recipe.


Ingredients:

1 cup butter

2 cups sifted cake flour

1 tsp orange extract

1/2 cup powdered sugar

1 jar raspberry or apricot jam

Method:

Mix butter, orange extract and sugar

Stir in 1 cup of flour at a time, mixing well (I put all the ingredients except the jam of course in a food processor and pulse until combined)

Chill the dough at least 2 hours

Roll out 1/2 of dough on cookie sheet to 1/4 inch thick and chill 30 minutes more.

Cut with linzer cookie cutter without an insert.

Remove excess dough and bake immediately at 350 f for 12 minutes.

Roll out other half of dough on a second cookie sheet and chill for 30 minutes.

Cut with the linzer cookie cutter with your choice of the 6 inserts in place.

Remove excess dough and bake immediately at 350 f for 12 minutes.

Cool completely.

Dust tops with powdered sugar.

Spread about 2 teaspoons jam on each cookie bottom.

Place tops over bottoms to create the sandwich effect.

Serves

Sweet Watercress Soup

Watercress contains significant amounts of iron, calcium and folic acid, in addition to vitamins A and C.

A nutritional analysis done by Lyndel Costain, a leading dietitian, nutritionist and health writer, reveals that watercress is brimming with beta-carotene and vitamin A equivalents which serve as important antioxidants.

We were told to make this soup for my Dad who was suffering from TB and it seemed that after consuming this soup at a regular basis, the lungs will be strengthened and cured of TB. This advise came too late for poor Dad and he passed away. God bless his soul.

This Soup is really good for cough but don't wait to make this soup when you are not well, cook this soup as often as possible.

Dried watercress can also be used if fresh ones are not available.

Ingredients:

Watercress

Honey Dates

Water

Method:

Bring water to the boil before adding in the watercress(if watercress is added in to cold water, the soup will taste slightly bitter).

Add in the honey dates and bring to high boil,

When high boil is achieved, reduce to a simmer and cook for 2 hrs.

Alternatively, use the pressure cooker and the cooking time is only 1/2 hr.

Serves

Asian Pear Sweet Soup

I had a cough which did not go away and my friend, Tamy, who runs a chinese medicine shop recommended me to make this soup. It was supposed to nourish lungs, eliminate phlegm and relive coughs (dry cough or wind-heat cough or chronic cough), clear away heat, disperse stagnation, relieve swelling carbuncles and lung and breast tumors.


Ingredients:

Fritillariae Cirrhosae (chuan bei mu) 川貝母
Asian Pear

Rock Sugar

Method:

Wash the asian pear and remove the core.

Fill the cored pear with chuan bei mu.

Put it in a small slow cooker, fill enough water to cover the pear.

Add in a few pieces of rock sugar

Turn on slow cooker and leave to cook overnight (at least 8 hrs)

Drink soup while it is warm.

Serves

Cinnamon Rolls

My friend commented - this is not cinnamon rolls, where is the icing? Ok, I will make the icing for his sake. As soon as they were frosted, the rolls were gone before i had a chance to take some pictures. Sorry!!!!!! These rolls are so good with or without the icing, we can now forget about Cinnabon

Ingredients:

Dough:

1/2 cup milk

8 tbsp/1 stick/4 ozs/113 gm unsalted butter plus 1 tbsp for greasing baking dish

1/2 cup water

1/4 cup sugar

2 egg yolks

1 egg

1 1/2 tsp salt

4 - 41/2 cups( 20 to 21 1/4 oz) unbleached all purpose flour, plus more for work surface

2 1/4 tsp instant yeast

Icing:

8 ozs cream cheese

2 tbsp corn syrup

2 tbsp heavy cream

1 cup confectioners' sugar

1 tsp vanilla extract

Pinch of salt

Filling:

3/4 cup light brown sugar

3 tbsp ground cinnamon

1/8 tsp salt

Method:

Melt milk and butter in the microwave for 1 minute and put this in the bread machine bucket.

Add in water and the rest of the ingredients, the yeast should be on the top.

Select the dough function and then start.

When the dough is ready, remove from the bread machine bucket.

Punch down the dough and form into a ball, rest the dough for another 15 minutes.

While the dough is resting, preparing the filling.

Roll dough out into a rectangle 16 inches by 12 inches and spread the filling evenly over the dough , except for the top 1/2 inch of the dough.

Roll the dough, beginning with the long edge closest to you and using both hands to pinch the dough with your fingertips.

Moisten the top border with water and seal the roll.

Lightly dust the roll with flour and press on the ends if necessary to make a uniform 16 inch tube.

Grease a 9 by 13 inch baking dish.

Cut the roll into 12 pieces using dental floss and evenly distribute the rolls, cut-side up, in the greased baking dish.

Cover with plastic wrap and place in a draft-free warm spot until doubled in bulk, 1 1/2 to 2 hours.

When the rolls are almost fully risen, adjust an oven rack to the middle position and heat the oven to 350 f.

Bake until golden brown and thermometer inserted into the center of the rolls registers 185 - 188 f, 25 - 30 minutes.

Invert the rolls onto a cooling rack and allow to cool for 10 minutes.

Turn the rolls upright on a large serving plate and use rubber spatula to spread with icing.

Serve immediately.

Serves