Tag: baking

Easy Peasy Fig Tart

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FIGS. Believe it or not. Just a month ago was the first time I ever had fresh figs! When I tried it, I wish I had it sooner! Fortunately, I scored a bargain at Springvale Market and bought 7 for $2.50! I had to head back to buy more.

Just couldn’t get enough!

So the first time I had it, I slid the top of it twice and stuffed them with ricotta and topped it with honey. It was DELICIOUS! But to be honest, I preferred mine without the ricotta. Just honey! The mr loved his with the cheese though.

So after a few nights of having the same thing, I decided to do something different. Looked into the freezer, and VIOLA! Puff pastry! Perfect. A quick tart it is.

Trust me, it’s the quickest and yummiest thing you would have! The sweetest of the figs, with the buttery-ness of the pastry. That made our night. Of course, to top it up, some macadamia ice cream from Connoisseur. The mr had two! (: Always a joy to see him eat the food I make with the satisfaction on his face.

So for a quick fix to your sweet tooth, I urge you to give this easy recipe a try!

Easy Peasy Fig Tart

1/2 sheet of store bought puff pastry (with butter), cut into 3 or 4 rectangles

3-4 fresh figs, sliced into quarters

caster sugar, enough to lightly sprinkle on top of the pastry

tightly packed brown sugar, to sprinkle on top of the figs

scoop(s) of ice cream, to serve (flavour is up to you!)

Steps:

1) Preheat the oven to 170 degrees celcius. On the rectangular sheets of puff pastry, lightly sprinkle caster sugar on the top.

2) Place the figs, aligned in the middle. Leaving some space on the sides.

3) Sprinkle some brown sugar on the figs. Bake the pastry for 15-20 mins, or until the pastry is golden brown.

4) Serve with a scoop of ice cream and ENJOY!

ps : you can either place the ice cream on the side, or put it on top like the mr did! haha

Crazy About Hazelnut.

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Macarons. I just can’t get enough of it. I don’t think my craze about them will diminish anytime soon. This was made a while back but this were the best macarons I’ve made. I made it before heading back to Singapore so I could bring it back for the loves of my life : family (:

And fortunately, they loved it! and these shells were the nicest I’ve made so far with happy feet!So sticking to using the Italian meringue for the shells!

I’ve made a few successful ones before : pb&j and bandung are just 2 of my favourite ones. This macaron was inspired by the sister-in-law-to-be! When she was in Melbourne, the only flavour of macarons she would have is hazelnut! So I promised her that I would try making them and bring them back home if they were successful. And thank goodness they were!

So I packed them nicely and neatly and compactly so that would be able to survive the 7 hour flight home!

Now enough about the shell. As for the beautiful filling, I attempted to make my own nutella! And I was so worried. Cos I LOVE nutella. and trying to make it from scratch was just something I never thought I would even attempt! When I made it, having it on its own (which I always do;digging a spoonful of nutella) didn’t have the “WOW” factor, but having it together – NOMS!

So here’s the recipe that I adapted from Anita from the Dessert First (: definitely a keeper!

Hazelnut Macarons with Homemade Nutella

Ingredients :

Italian Meringue Hazelnut Macaron Shell

200g hazelnuts, toasted and skinned
200g confectioners’ sugar
200g sugar

50g water
150g egg whites, divided into two 75g portions

A bit of cocoa powder, for dusting (optional)

Steps :

1. Stack two baking trays on top of each other. Line with a silicone baking mat or parchment paper. (I actually prefer the parchment paper, but that’s just me!)
2. Process hazelnuts with confectioners’ sugar in a food processor. Sieve out any large bits of hazelnut. Combine sugar and water in a saucepan. Heat on medium until all the sugar is dissolved. Meanwhile, place 75g of egg whites in a mixer bowl with the whisk attachment. Continue cooking until the sugar syrup reaches 118 C/245 F.
3. While the sugar is cooking, begin whisking the egg whites. They should reach stiff peaks by the time the syrup is at  118 C/ 245 F. If it whips too fast, turn down or turn off the mixer. Turn the mixer speed to low. Carefully pour the sugar syrup in a slow stream into the mixer.
4. Turn the mixer speed to high and let the meringue whip for several minutes until it has cooled (to touch) and appears glossy and firm.
5. In a large bowl, combine the hazelnut mixture with the remaining 75g of egg whites until partially combined. Scoop the meringue on top of the hazelnut mixture. Using a spatula or dough scraper, carefully fold the meringue in, trying not to deflate it.
6. The final batter should be thick and flow slowly like magma. Do not overmix. Scoop the batter into a piping bag fitted with a ½” diameter plain tip.
7. Pipe 1 ½” rounds of batter onto the prepared baking sheets. Sprinkle some cocoa powder straight after piping. Let the sheets sit for about 30 minutes to let the shells harden. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 160 C/320 F.
8. Bake one set of macarons for 15 minutes, rotating once. Let tray cool for a few minutes before removing from the silicone mat. Let finish cooling on wire racks.
Homemade Nutella

1/2 cup (70 g) hazelnuts, toasted and skinned

8 ounces milk chocolate, chopped into small pieces

2 ounces semisweet/bittersweet chocolate

1 cup (240 g) heavy cream

1/2 teaspoon salt

Steps :

Place hazelnuts in food processor and pulse until nuts are ground into a paste.

Place both chocolates in a metal bowl and place on another saucepan of simmering water. Stir chocolate occasionally until fully melted.

Place cream in a clean saucepan and bring just to a boil on the stove over medium high heat.

Stir cream into chocolate until fully combined.

Add ground hazelnuts and salt and stir until combined.

Pour mixture into a container and chill in refrigerator for 1-2 hours until it has firmed up slightly and can be spread/piped onto the macaron shells.

ENJOY! (:

Yorkshire Puddings.

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This is no ordinary pudding. Not something sweet, in fact it’s savoury!

The first time I sunk my teeth into these beautiful puff was at Cafe Vue at Melbourne airport and they were a whole plate of deliciousness with waygu beef, mash and a thick and and luscious gravy. O-M-G!

So when I returned back from Singapore, I had to try making it. I was reading one of the older editions of the Delicious magazine and I found a perfect recipe that was as easy as mix-stir-pour-bake-VIOLA! So I couldn’t resist and had to make it. And it’s the cutest thing!

loved how they just pop up and have that beautiful golden brown. You kinda have to eat it as soon as it’s out of the oven (with caution not to burn urself!) cause it’s not as nice cold!

I cooked a stout beef stew to go with it and it was a match-made in heaven! (: And the tummies were happy and very satisfied.I reckon it will go well with any kind of stew that has thick and yummy gravy.

So give this easy treat a go when you’re thinking of making a stew! (: You’ll love it!

Easy Yorkshire Pudding (Adapted from Delicious Magazine)

Ingredients

1/2 cup canola oil

2/3 cup plain flour

Good pinch of salt

1 large egg

1 egg yolk

1 cup milk

Steps :

1. Preheat oven to 200°C fan-forced (220°C conventional). Pour 1 tablespoon of oil in each of 12 holes of a cupcake baking tin. Out in the oven for 5 mins or until oil is hot.

2. Sift flour and salt into a bowl and combine. Add egg and egg yolk and use a balloon whisk to whisk until combined. Gradually add the milk in a thin, stead stream and whisk until smooth.

3. Pour batter into a jug and divide evenly among the cupcake holes, pouring the mixture carefully into the hot oil. Return tin to the oven and bake for 15-20mins or until puffed and golden brown. Serve warm!

ENJOY!

A Pie Like No Other.

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Ever seen a recipe and add it to your bookmark list almost immediately but have no courage to give it a try? This was one of them. I got about 100 more recipes bookmarked and still trying to give them a go! I’m not kidding or exaggerating.

Truth be told, I never had a very good experience with pies. Or tarts for the matter. Especially food that involve the pie/tart tin. haha. One horrible experience was the Chocolate Ganache, Cream and Strawberry Tart that I tried to bake after watching Masterchef. It was a DISASTER! Free form tarts like Hot Apple Tart I could still handle. anything to do with short crust pastry or a tin, not so much.

But I decided to suck it up, and give tarts another shot. One consolation was that I didn’t need to make shortcrust pastry. But that’s not to say that this is any simpler! Although I have to admit, I love the fact that the base is made of oats! That made me push myself even more to try this recipe!

And so I did. As you can see from the picture above, it’s not a perfect looking pie. But I think I did pretty well! And boy was it yummy! The gooey-ness of the filling was just to-die-for. REALLY. Everyone should give this a shot! Don’t think about the calories, just have it. You will love it!

One of the challenges I had was taking the pie out of the tin, without the sides and corners crumbling on me. Let me tell you this, it is not a one person job. You need extra hands for this! Thankfully I had the Mr help me! (: And he also helped me in finishing up the pie! haha and after you do finish the pie, you need to head to The Training Geek to get some exercise tips and work the sugar off! But it will all be worth it, I repeat, worth every calorie intake!

So here’s the recipe from the Momofuku cook book! Enjoy every single crumb!

What’s better than hot gooey pie and ice cream?

Oatmeal Cookie for Crust

Ingredients
2/3 cup plus 1 tablespoon flour
Scant 1/8 teaspoon baking powder
Scant 1/8 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup softened butter
1/3 cup light brown sugar
3 tablespoons sugar
1 egg
Scant 1 cup rolled oats

Directions
1. Heat the oven to 190°C.
2. In a medium bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
3. Cream the butter, brown sugar and sugar until light and fluffy.
4. Whisk the egg into the butter mixture until fully incorporated.
5. Stir in the flour mixture until fully combined. Stir in the oats.
6. Spread the mixture onto a 9-inch-by-13-inch baking sheet and bake until golden brown and set, about 20 minutes. Remove from heat and cool to the touch on a rack. Crumble the cooled cookie to use in the crust.

Crust

Ingredients
Crumbled cookie for crust
1/4 cup butter
1 1/2 tablespoons brown sugar
1/8 teaspoon salt

Directions
Combine the crumbled cookie, butter, brown sugar and salt in a food processor and pulse until evenly combined and blended (a little of the mixture clumped between your fingers should hold together). Divide the crust between 2 (10-inch) pie tins (I used a long rectangular tin and 8 small round ones). Press the crust into each shell to form a thin, even layer along the bottom and sides of the tins. Set the prepared crusts aside while you prepare the filling.

Filling

Ingredients
1 1/2 cups sugar
3/4 cup plus a scant 3 tablespoons light brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup plus 1 teaspoon milk powder
1 cup butter, melted
3/4 cup plus a scant 2 tablespoons heavy cream
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
8 egg yolks

Prepared crusts

Powdered sugar to garnish

Directions
1. Heat the oven to 180°C.
2. Whisk together the sugar, brown sugar, salt and milk powder. Whisk in the melted butter, then whisk in the heavy cream and vanilla.
3. Gently whisk in the egg yolks, being careful not to add too much air.
4. Divide the filling evenly between the 2 prepared pie shells.
5. Bake the pies, one at a time, for 15 minutes, then reduce the heat to 325 degrees and bake until the filling is slightly jiggly and golden brown, about 10 minutes. Remove the pies and cool on a rack.
6. Refrigerate the cooled pies until well chilled. Serve cold, and the filling will be gooey. Dust with powdered sugar before serving.

You. Will. Love. It. I. Promise. (:

Bandung Macarons

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For those of you who are not familiar with the flavour bandung, it’s basically a drink that consists of rose syrup and carnation milk! How delicious does that sound? Imagine that in a macaron – a whole mouthful or two of yumminous. Like a mini explosion in your mouth!

I have been in a baking macaron frenzy lately. And I am addicted to using the Italian meringue method. The macarons just turn out much smoother and shinier. And I just wanted to create a flavour that I miss and love. One flavour came to my mind : bandung. I love ordering this drink while eating prata. Just one of the best combinations besides teh cino. haha Maybe that would be my next flavour. hmm..

okie back to this macaron post! I wanted to also create a storng intense rose flavour when you bite into the macaron. So my solution is to make an intense rose syrup jelly to put in the middle! The deep red against the pink macaron shell and faint pink buttercream was a really good contrast! (: I was a happy girl. hehe

So it is basically a rose macaron shell filled with a rose syrup and carnation milk buttercream with a rose syrup jelly! One bite and you can really taste the rose. Not so much the carnation milk which I was hoping it would. Well, we always need to improve don’t we? But still yummy and everyone loved it!

so here’s the recipe of my bandung macaron. Have a go! Especially if you miss having bandung like me!

Rose Macaron (A Pierre Herme’s recipe from The Boy Who Bakes)

300g Ground Almonds

300g Icing Sugar

110g Egg Whites, aged

5g Red Food Colouring

300g Granulated Sugar

75g Water

110 Egg Whites, aged

Steps :

1. For the TPT : Mix the almond meal and the powdered sugar and put it int a blender to make the mixture finer. Sieve the almond mixture to make sure there are no big bits or lumps.

2. Place the egg white in a clean mixing bowl, add in the red food coloring then stir to mix. Add the almond flour mixture, using a rubber spatula, and fold until it forms into a sticky ball, cover with food wrap, set aside.

3. For the Italian merigue : Pour the water and sugar into a saucepan and swirl together. Add the second portion of egg whites to a mixer fitted with the whisk. Cook the syrup to 118C. Once the mixture reaches 115C start the mixer on high. Once the syrup reaches 118C take straight of the heat and pour in a thin stream down the side of the mixer bowl continuing to whisk on high.

3. Continue to whisk the meringue on high until the side of the bowl is no longer hot. You still want it a little warm, around 50C. Add the meringue to the bowl with the almond sugar mixture in 3 portions.

4. Using a large spatula fold the mixture together until it starts to shine and forms a ribbon that stays visible for about 30 seconds.

5. Pour the batter into a piping bag with a small round tip and pipe the batter from the center of the drawn circle onto the baking sheets. Let dry at room temperature for 30 minutes before baking to allow skins to form. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 300°F/150°C, with racks in upper and lower thirds.

6. Once the batter is dry to the touch, place into the preheated oven and bake for 12 minutes. Remove from oven and transfer to cool on the cooling rack. Once cooled, slide a knife (fragile, must be careful) underneath the macarons to remove from the parchment paper.

Rose Syrup Jelly

3 tbs gelatine

75g rose syrup

250ml water

Steps :

1. Place 3 tbsn. cold water in a small bowl and sprinkle the gelatin over the top, let sit while you do the next step.

2. Mix the rose syrup with the water and bring it to a boil. Remove from the heat and add the gelatin. Stir until well combined.

3. Pour the mixture into a container that is wide enough so that the liquid will be spread thinly (1/2 cm). Allow it to chill in fridge for at least 3 hours or until you need to use it.

 Bandung Buttercream

200g sugar

75g water

150g eggs

90g egg yolks

400g butter, softened

4g rose water

30g rose syrup

20g carnation milk

Steps :

1. Add the sugar and water to a saucepan and cook over medium heat to 120C. Whilst the syrup is coming to temperature add the eggs and egg yolks to the bowl of a stand mixer with the whisk and whisk until the thicken and lighten in colour.

2. With the mixer still on slowly pour the syrup down the side of the bowl and continue to whisk until cooled.

3. Switch to the beater, begin to beat in the butter at medium/high speed one or two pieces at a time. Once all the butter is beaten in and the buttercream is smooth beat in the rose syrup, carnation milk and rose water.

4. Pair two macaron shells of the same size together, pipe the rose buttercream on the flat side of one of the shell and top with a small piece of rose syrup jelly, then sandwich them.

PS : if you are making this in winter, don’t panic if your buttercream looks like scrambled eggs, heat it over a water bath and continue to beat it until it becomes smooth!

So what is your favourite drink that you think could be made into a macaron?  (:

Homemade Garlic Bread

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Do you love garlic bread? Do you often find yourself walking the aisle where the garlic bread is and cannot resist getting a loaf when you see it? Especially when it’s on sale? Or when you order pizza, you would not miss ordering garlic bread?

Then you are exactly like me! (: If you love it so much, why not make it? So let’s go!

Homemade Garlic Bread

3 handfuls parsley, chopped

50g butter, melted

pinch of salt

whole bulb of garlic

3 tbs parmesan

A loaf of baguette, sliced 1-inch thick

Steps :

1. Preheat the oven to 160 degrees Celcius. Bake the whole bulb of garlic for 20 mins.

2. Remove the garlic from the skin and mash it with a fork. Mix the garlic, parsely, melted butter, salt and parmesan in a bowl until well combined.

2. Spread it on the bread and bake for 10-15mins.

ENJOYYYY!

ps : I’m very sure you will.

pss : I’m very sure you will always make this and not buy store bought ones anymore! (:

Peanut Butter and Jam Macarons

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I have an infatuation for macarons now. I would go down to Lindt just to buy 2 macarons and devour it slowly just to satisfy my cravings. But recently, I’ve discovered the joy of making my own.  I’m sure you all know there are 2 kinds of macarons : French and Italian.

I’ve only had the chance to make the French macarons, and never had the courage to make the Italian ones, although I know it is a more stable method.I think it’s because when I first tried making the French macarons, I failed. TWICE. haha But with the success of my salted caramel macarons, I took a deep breath and decided to give the Italian macarons a try.

And boy was I glad I did! The shells just came out smoother and shinier. There was the “happy feet” in every shell and that made me smile and happy for the whole day! (: I am so sticking to this method of making the macarons from now on! So what inspired me to make peanut butter and jam macarons? A trip to LuxBite did! I tried two of their macarons : Kaya (their signature) and PB&J. They were awesome! So I had to make some so that I could have it more often! haha

This made me want MORE! (From LuxBite)

So here’s the recipe I used, try it yourself! I’m sure you would love the Italian macaron as well! (:

Peanut Butter and Jam Macaron (adapted from L’Atelier Vi)

Tant pour tant (TPT)
125g almond flour
125g powdered sugar
47g egg white
5 drops red food coloring

Italian meringue method
125g caster sugar
47g egg white
30g water

Steps :

1) For the TPT : Mix the almond meal and the powdered sugar and put it int a blender to make the mixture finer. Sieve the almond mixture to make sure there are no big bits or lumps.

2) Place the egg white in a clean mixing bowl, add in the red food coloring then stir to mix. Add the almond flour mixture, using a rubber spatula, and fold until it forms into a sticky ball, cover with food wrap, set aside.

3) For the Italian merigue : Bring water and caster sugar over high heat to a boil and until it thickens and register at 230°F/118°C on a candy thermometer. While the syrup is heating, begin whisking the egg white at high speed in the bowl of a mixer using the whisk attachment, whisk until pale and foamy.

4) Reduce the mixer speed to low speed and begin slowly (very slowly) pouring the syrup down the side of the bowl, being very careful not to splatter the syrup into the path of the whisk attachment. Some of the syrup will spin onto the sides of the bowl but don’t worry about this and don’t try to stir it into the mixture, as it will harden!

5) Raise the speed to medium-high and continue beating until it becomes thick and satiny and the mixture is cool to the touch. When you lift the meringue with the whisk, it should form into a stiff peak. With a rubber spatula, fold the almond batter to the meringue and fold until completely incorporated. (Lift some batter with the spatula, it should fall into the bowl in a ribbon fashion, and should look glossy)

6) Pour the batter into a piping bag with a small round tip and pipe the batter from the center of the drawn circle onto the baking sheets. Let dry at room temperature for 30 minutes before baking to allow skins to form. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 300°F/150°C, with racks in upper and lower thirds.

7) Once the batter is dry to the touch, place into the preheated oven and bake for 12 minutes. Remove from oven and transfer to cool on the cooling rack. Once cooled, slide a knife (fragile, must be careful) underneath the macarons to remove from the parchment paper.

Peanut Butter Cream (Adapted from Martha Stewart)

2/3 cup natural, creamy peanut butter

8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened

3/4 cup confectioners’ sugar

Steps :

1. Cream peanut butter and butter in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment on high speed. On low speed, mix in sugar until combined, then beat mixture on high speed until fluffy and smooth, about 3 minutes. Use immediately.

2. Pair two macaron shells of the same size together, pipe the peanut butter cream on the flat side of both of the shell and top one side with a bit of jam (any of your favourite), then sandwich them.

Store the rest in an air tight container and put it in the fridge. Should be able to last for 3-5 days.

ENJOY!

So what is your favourite flavour of macarons? Or the best you have tried? Would love to hear from you! (:

Instant Gratification : Cinnamon Sugar Churros

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Ever saw something and want to have it right that instant? But it’s too cold to head out cos of the 50km/h winds and below 10 degrees ?

Well. That was me last night. I saw a post on cinnamon sugar churros and just had the cravings for them almost immediately. And nothing was going to stop me from making them. Not even the lack of vegetable oil to fry them. I scurried to the nearest supermarket to get a bottle just so I could fry them in. haha

Trust me, if you love cinnamon sugar churros, you should really try making these cause they were SO EASY! You don’t even need to use a mixer of any kind. Just have a fork, mixing bowl, put everything together and MIX! Don’t get frightened by the sound of deep frying. You really just need a small pot and fill it up to the halfway mark, and heat it up slowly. It’s not that bad really!

Give it a go (: I’m very sure you won’t regret it! Especially if you’re craving for some like I was!

Cinnamon Sugar Churros (adapted from Toasty Biscuit)

2 cups plain flour

1 tbs baking powder

pinch of salt

600ml of boiling water

2 tablespoons of olive oil

1 tsp vanilla paste

vegetable oil, to fry

cinammon sugar, to dust (just combine caster sugar with ground cinnamon)

Steps :

1. Fill a deep, heavy based saucepan with vegetable oil. Place on medium-high heat and allow to heat. In a bowl, combine the flour, salt, baking powder, vanilla paste, water and oil. Mix with a fork and make sure there are no lumps.

2. Spoon the mixture into  a piping bag with a star tip. When the oil has reached 170 degrees, pipe 12cm lengths into the oil, using scissors to snip them from the bag. Be careful not to splash the hot oil.

3. Fry until golden brown, strain off excess oil and dust in cinnamon sugar.

Tip : Best to make and eat it hot/warm, but if you made too much, share it with others! They will love you for it. (:

PS : Once again, I got invited to Lisa’s Sweet Treat Linky Party! Head there to check out other sweet treats!

A First Time For Everything.

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Everyone who knows me, know how much I love food. Sweet or savoury; I have too many to choose and count. But one thing I do know is I like to end a good meal with a homemade dessert! Doesn’t everybody? (:

I have heaps of favourite desserts : brownies, bread and butter pudding, jelly hearts and plum tatin ! But instead of always making the same desserts, I like to get inspiration from Tastespotting and other food blogs, and try new ones that catches my attention!

I was recently inspired after reading a post from Laureen of Eat and Be Happy and her amazing looking panna cotta and I just had to give it a try too!

I have been having a lychee craze now. So everything I want to make is lychee related. Makes me miss having Tango’s lychee martini more after having this dessert. Sadly, the lychee juice and cream layer split, so it became a three layer dessert. But the cream layer was nicely and subtly infused with the lychee flavour and it was still smooth and oh-so-good! The blended lychee at the bottom turned into a smooth lychee jelly which was like a surprise when you dig into it! So its not too bad a first try if you ask me. haha

I also decided to make berry ice cream to cut the sweetness of the panna cotta and it worked! I know it may sound like I spent alot of time on this dessert, but actually, I didn’t. Most of the time was for the panna cotta to set in the fridge! The berry ice cream took about 5 minutes from taking out the ingredients to freezing it! It is Jamie Oliver’s 1-minute berry ice cream that I saw on tv during the 30-minute meals. It’s healthy, and really good as well!

So yes, there is a lot of first tries in this one post, but well. If you don’t try, you’ll never know how it tastes will you?

So go on, give it a shot! (: You’ll not regret it !

Lychee Panna Cotta and Pomegranate Jelly (adapted from Une-deux Senses)

For the panna cotta :
1 can lychees, in syrup
2 tsp. powdered gelatin
1 cup heavy cream
1 cup whole milk
2 tbsn. sugar

1 tsp. vanilla paste (optional, I just like to see the black dots in the cream)

For the pomegranate jelly :
1 1/2 tsp. powdered gelatin
1 cup pomegranate juice (I used POM pomegranate wildberry white tea)
1/2 cup sugar

Frozen berries, just to place above the panna cotta

Steps :

1. Open the can of lychees and pour the lychees and syrup into a food processor. Process until smooth. There will be a lot of bits of lychee flesh and pulp, strain into a measuring cup until you get 1 cup of clear liquid. ( Tip : do not throw the bits of lychee flesh and pulp, could put it in the berry ice cream!)

2. Place 3 tbsn. cold water in a small bowl and sprinkle the gelatin over the top, let sit while you do the next step.

3. Combine the lychee liquid, cream, milk, vanilla paste and sugar in a medium saucepan. Heat on medium, stirring until the sugar is dissolved and it just comes to a boil.

4. Remove the lychee mixture from the heat and add the gelatin. Stir until the gelatin is fully melted and combined. Divide mixture among glasses and refrigerate until set, at least 2 hours.

5. To make the jelly, place 3 tbsn. of cold water in a small bowl and sprinkle the gelatin over the top. Let sit while you do the next step.

6. Combine the pomegranate juice and sugar in a medium saucepan and heat on medium, stirring until the sugar is dissolved. Add the gelatin and stir until fully melted and combined. Remove from heat and let cool for about 10 minutes.

7. Make sure the panna cotta is set, place a few frozen berries on before pouring the jelly mixture over and refrigerate until set, about 2 hours.

For the berry icecream (adapted from Jamie Oliver) :

500g pack of mixed frozen berries, do not thaw
lychee flesh and pulp (from straining the lychee juice)
3–4 tablespoons runny honey
500g tub of natural yoghurt

Steps :

1. Put the frozen berries and lychee flesh and pulp into the blender and the add the yogurt and honey and whiz until smooth and combined.

2. You could use it immediately, or place it in a bowl and freeze until needed.

Not that difficult aye? Give it a shot and let me know how you go! (:

ENJOY!

ps : Please be patient when pouring the jelly mixture on top the panna cotta, make sure the panna cotta is set well. If you see mine, there is a rim of white cream around the top, haha it’s because I was overly excited! 😛

If you love it, make it

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I have a confession. I love bread.

Any kind of bread : White, multigrain, loaves, buns, sweet and savoury. You name it, I love it. Not good for the waist. but SO good for the tummy. haha of course, there is an abundance of bread here in aussieland. But honestly, what is better than baking your own bread? You could add anything you want into the dough, any combination! And there is something about seeing it rise and proof and punching out the air before kneading it. Therapeutic. Awesome.

one of my favourite breads is no doubt garlic bread. The buttery-garlicky goodness when you bite into the bread could just put a smile on my face every single time. I came across this recipe while recipe searching, and I love the way it’s called. Monkey bread. Just sounds so playful. I’ve seen other recipes of monkey breads, and most of them are sweet ones with cinnamon sugar. So I was thrilled when I saw this parmesan-garlic one!

I loved the whole process. From mixing the dough, watching it rise, cutting it into smaller pieces, dipping it into butter and coating it with the parmesan garlic mixture. Doesn’t it already sound yummy?After making this, now I wanna try making the sweet one. hmm.

So how did we devour them? Have them with homemade roasted pumpkin soup ! (:

So I urge you all to start trying making your own bread. I’ve failed a few times before, and they turned out to be really dense, but they were still yummy! Nothing beats freshly baked bread, and having the whole house smell of it! You will not only enjoy the process, but also enjoy the end product! I don’t think there is anything better than that.

It turned out a little darker than I hoped, but it was still super yummy : warm, crusty, cheesy, buttery and garlicky!

Garlic-Parsley-Parmesan Monkey Bread (adapted from No Face Plate)

1 pkg active dry yeast
1 tsp sugar
2 cups bread flour
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon salt

2/3 cup parmesan cheese, grated
3 tablespoons freshly minced parsley
Black pepper, tons
10 cloves garlic, crushed, minced

1/4 cup butter

Steps :

1) In your stand mixer bowl, pour one cup warm water. Add your yeast and mix. After a minute or two, add your sugar and mix well and let stand for 5 minutes.

2) Add salt, then while mixing, gradually add your flours. Use a scraper to push the mass into the bread hooks and let it run 5-6 minutes, until a firmish dough has formed. Let the dough stand for 15 minutes, then knead another 2-3 minutes, until the dough’s “skin” is slightly shiny. Remove to an oiled bowl, cover, and let your dough rise for an hour.

3) Mix cheese, herbs, salt and pepper in a small bowl. Melt your butter in a small saucepan and set aside. Preheat the oven to 200°C.

4) Turn out your dough onto a very lightly floured board and here comes the fun part! Pull out about a tablespoon of dough and form a ball. I ended up with about 30 pieces. Dip into the butter, then dip into the cheese mix, rubbing the mix around the entire piece.

5) Place in your buttered bundt pan. Continue until your dough has been used up, filling the pan evenly and flatly. Let the dough rise another 15-20 minutes, until about doubled. Bake for 30-35 minutes, until the top of the bread is browning.

The fun thing about this is you can pull out the bread bit by bit so easily and just pop them into your mouth! Fun and yummy : Best combination ever! The mr and I had so much fun pulling it apart. haha

ENJOY! (: