Strawberry Sorbet....to cool off

Hi peeps!! How are you all doing? i have been feeling a little irritated and lousy lately.....well I blamed it totally to the 'fiery' hot weather. It's like an overheated oven in the morning till late evening, then it started to pour in the middle of the night. Then lately, it's getting more heated up where not a drop of rain was being released from heaven.....sigh!!

However, the reason me being irritated was not really the cause of the heat, but more to the irritating 'trying to control everybody, especially the kids' kinda attitude of my MiL. Well, not that she only started to be like this lately, it was since long time ago........but lately it's getting more overboard, and sometimes I just can't take it anymore .....but still persuaded myself to keep calm and cool. With the weather and the heat like these days..........I sometimes just don't know how long I can bear to withstand and not burst!!! LOL.......

What on earth was I thinking when I agreed to Hubby to move back into that house??!! Well, I know damn well why I agreed.......I was left with no other choice :(

Argh!!!! I need a punching bag where I can punch and kick my heart out.....and yet, not in the sight of Hubby, as this will put him in a difficult position ........ya, ya, I know how it works, and I hate it!!!! I really envy those of you who has your own little nest, it doesn't have to be big, it doesn't have to be bold, as long as it's something that you can call your own @-@ The most that I envy of you all  are those of you who still has a 'mother' to go home to when your mind are troubled by all these stupid things!!! Well, I know I can only just wish and wish .....but nothing will happen :P

Sorry to bored you peeps with my little 'babble'....LOL....so I made "Strawberry Sorbet" for you to compensate for the boredom ....hahahaha, kidding! Anyway, this Sorbet was really good, though I find it a little sweet, but will definitely cut down the sugar next time I make again. Angel likes it to the max, and she is the only one patronizing it, as the boys don't fancy 'strawberry' which they thinks that strawberry is for 'girls'.......hmm, that make me wondered a while, then what's for boys?........Banana? Watermelon? hmm........

Its super easy to make, but I must say this only works well if you have an ice-cream maker, as for those of you who asked me if you can do it without the maker.....totally, I doubt!! For hot humid weather like ours, this sorbet is really refreshing and cooling and though its sweet, it still is a perfect solution for times like this!!

Here's the recipe, and the source of this is from "Sweet Scoops" by Shelly Kaldunski (Page 74, initial recipe title was 'Strawberry -Basil Sorbet', but I choose not to put the basil, cos the kids don't like that)

STRAWBERRY SORBET

Makes about 1 quart

Ingredients

3 cups strawberries, hulled and cut into half

2/3 cup sugar, you may want to decrease if your strawberries are the sweet type

2 tsp fresh lemon juice

Pinch of salt

Method

1. In a bowl, stir together the strawberries and sugar. Cover with cling wrap and let stand at room temperature until the berries release some of their juices and the sugar is completely dissolved, about half an hour.
2. Pour the strawberry mixture into a blender or food processor and add in the lemon juice and salt. Blend until very smooth. Transfer the blended fruit to a bowl, cover, and refrigerate until cold, at least 2 hours or up to 1 day (mine was half a day).
3. Pour the cold strawberry puree into an ice-cream maker and churn according to the manufacturer's instructions. Spoon the sorbet into a freezer-safe container  and place a piece of parchment paper or waxed paper directly o the surface. 
4. Cover tightly and freeze until firm for at least 2 hours or up to 3 days. 

Enjoy!

Osmanthus Konnyaku Jelly

The other day I bought a Groupon Voucher for a quite a good deal. The voucher was a 2 person for RM12.90 (actual value is worth more than RM30.00) for 2 bowls of Assam Laksa, 2 Iced-lemon tea and 2 pcs of Osmanthus jelly.


I would say overall, the whole meal was really worth it and it tasted really good too. Well, as you may have know, why this post was created , it was due to the Osmanthus Jelly that we had there, it was so refreshing and it tasted really yummy. Especially with the awesome weather that we have here in Malaysia, you'll constantly think of ways to soothe and cool yourself........like drinking as much cool drinks as possible, or eating something that is really cooling, calming and most of all, refreshing, sometimes I would think of storing the watermelon into the freezer and later, using s scoop to scoop out the fruit to eat it, wondering if it'll turn into 'watermelon ice cubes or better still, 'watermelon Ice blended!! LOL......


Other times, I would make some agar-agar or konnnyaku jellies, as the my kids are a big fan of these two dessert. So, this is how I got the idea of making this 'Osmanthus Konnyaku Jelly'.....thanks to the outlet that I went to, hehe :) The two of us was complaining not enough after we gobbled up the little piece of jelly, and when we check the menu for the cost of this small piece of dessert, it cost RM3.90 per piece (the size of 1.5 x 1.5 inches) and therefore I assured my friend that I'll come up with the recipe and I'll make a lot and we can share then, LOL

Here is the recipe......hope you like it as much as me and my friend did :)


OSMANTHUS KONNYA KU JELLY
Ingredients
- 1 packet of Konnyaku Jelly powder, mine was the one in the picture, you can get other brands in the supermarket
- 950ml water, as required in the packet (as stated in the packet)
- 240gm castor sugar (as stated in the packet)
- 1 - 2 Tbsp of Osmanthus flower tea
- Some wolfberries, optional and quantity up to your own liking

Method

1. Soak the wolfberries , if you are using, into some warm water to softened. Set aside.
2. Bowl the water on medium heat. When it starts to boil, lower down the heat and pour in the Osmanthus flower tea into the pot, stir for awhile and let it simmer for about 4-5 minutes. Let it flavored the water.
3. While its simmering, mix the Konnyaky powder and the sugar together in a bowl and slowly pour into the pot.
4. Constantly stirring until the sugar is all melted and let it boil on medium low heat for about 6-8 minutes. 
5. Add in the wolfberries and stir it in. Turn the fire off .
6. With the jelly moulds ready on the table counter, slowly spoon in the mixture.
7. Let is set a little at room temperature before storing it into the refrigerator for about 2-4 hours.
8. When it's cold and fully set, dis-mould it, and serve .......the kids will love it!!

Enjoy!

Simple & Easy is always good......Almond Florentines

Agree?  LOL.......Well, depends on what, right? I used to have doubts when people tells me the 'easiest' way to get things done. I always think that doing the proper way is the way to get it done....there is always 'no such thing as shortcut'. Of course, in this case, it's a different 'simple & easy'  method to get things done.........and you just have to agree with me that it is G-O-O-D! *wink*

When I was in KL during the recent Chinese New Year celebration, I went to my sister's house for a CNY gathering with the other siblings. She is a dedicated baker and cook herself, therefore there were lots of goodies and cookies stored in jars and air-tight containers, all made by her and her daughter, Kimberly. I sat down on the couch, enjoying and taste-testing all of it.......one by one, hehe. One that really caught me hanging to it was this 'thin transparent-like' Almond Florentine.

According to my sis, it's really easy to prepare and you only need these two things that you can get it at BWM ......

Bee Sting Mix (600gm for RM18.00 and Almond Slices (500gm for RM14.00)

So, once I got back from KL, I decided to get to BWM soonest I can and lay my hands on these two items, and I found it!! hehe....however, due to my SiL's wedding after that, I totally have to put it aside first :( 

Now that the wedding is over, and I have no cake orders as yet.......so it's high time I get back on my personal blogging, kekeke :P

As mentioned already, it was really super easy. BWM's lady boss told me to follow the recipe that they published in one of their baking book, which uses the following measurements, however, I found that it's not really necessary, as I just draw out my own measurement according to my own judgement :P (and it works out nicely)

Recipe from BWM's Lady Boss : 100gm Bee-Sting Mix and 150gm Almond slices (lightly toasted).

Pre-heat oven to 200~C. Use a 10x14x1 baking tray, lined with parchment / baking paper. Evenly spread the Bee-Sting Mix on the parchment paper. Remember, do not spread a thick layer, just enough to cover the paper (thinly). Then spread the 'toasted' Almond slices evenly on the mix, and bake for 10 -12 minutes, depending on your oven heat. You will see the mixture bubbling when the temperature heats it up, and it melts to blend the almond slices and glued them on. Let it bubble for awhile and then take it out from the oven when you see your almond starts to brown.

COOKIES & CREAM (OREOS) ICE-CREAM

ARGHH!! Can someone tell me what is happening to the weather lately!!! It's hot and burning in the day and when mid-afternoon arrives, it poured like nobody's business....what??!! I know I shouldn't be complaining about weather as it's God's work on something , hehe....but well, humans are humans to be normal....we just complaint about almost 'anything'.....*tongue*

Anyway, stop the complaining and I head into the kitchen (my comfort zone aside my bedroom) and started my mind blogging of what to bake or cook or make on a sunny day like this. Well, those of you who are following me now for awhile, knows that I'm "SO" into macaron baking lately......and that means, I am having a lot of 'egg yolks' that was being dumped  or abandoned ...(LOL) for they are not wanted in this macaron project....poor egg yolkies...kekekeke

I guess you know the thing to do with 'too much' leftover egg yolks would be either to make a jar of lemon curd or churn up a batch of homemade ice-cream *wink*....and that is exactly what's on my mind. By the way I forgot to update or shout out loud to you guys , that I have achieved one of the items in my 'Wishlist' and that is.....I finally bought an 'Ice-cream Maker'. It's from Kenwood IM280 and I pretty liked it as it's not a very big and bulky one, just nice for home use....making a 1.5 litre which is sufficient for the kids to enjoy over a day or two.

Kenwood IM280 - 1.5 litre Ice-Cream Maker

So, this is what I made.....Cookies & Cream Ice -Cream as I have leftover Oreos from my previous bake, which comes out to just the right amount I need for the ice-cream.

COOKIES & CREAM (OREOS) ICE-CREAM

Recipe adapted from the book "Sweet Scoops" by Shelly Kaldunski

Ingredients (Makes about 1 litre)

2 cups whole milk

1 cup heavy cream

4 large egg yolks (Grade A eggs)

3/4 cup sugar (I used castor sugar)

2 tsp clear vanilla extract

1/4 tsp salt

1 cup crushed 'Oreos' cookies in a ziplock bag

Method

1. In a heavy saucepan, combine the milk and cream , warm it over medium -high heat, stirring occasionally, until the mixture almost comes to a simmer (about 5 mins). meanwhile, in  heatproof bowl, combine the egg yolks, sugar, vanilla and salt and whisk vigorously until the mixture turns pale and doubles in volume (about 2 mins).
2. Remove the milkmixture from the heat, and whisking constantly, slowly pour about 1 cup of the warm milk mixture into the egg mixture and whisk until smooth. Pour the egg-milk mixture back into the saucepan, and heat it over medium heat, stirring constantly using a wooden spoon. A custard-like texture will form when it is thick enough to coat the back of the spoon (about 1-2 min), then off the heat. (Remember: Do not let it boil).
3. Set up an 'ice-bath' in a larger bowl than can accommodate a smaller heatproof bowl, and pour the custard through a fine-mesh and sieve through to the smaller bowl. Stir occasionally to let it cool. Remove the bowl  from  the ice-bath and cover with plastic-wrap, refrigerate for about 4 hours or up to 3 days.
4. When it is cold (4 hours or 3 days) , pour the cold custard into the ice-cream maker and churn according to the manufacturer's instructions. Add in the crushed cookies  during the last minute of churning. Spoon the ice-cream into a freezer-safe container and place a parchment paper directly on the surface (to avoid any crystallization). Cover tightly and freeze until firm (at least 2-3 hours) and serve........hmm, yummy!

Happy ice-cream making!

YUM CHA STYLE - DURIAN PANCAKE (1)

I bet a lot of you like 'Yum-Cha' where you find a really comfortable place, not too crowded, not too expensive and they serve really yummy desserts and snacks....and best of all, you can just hang in there with your BFFs and chat the whole day from A-Z....LOL

In fact, I haven't been going out to Yum-Cha places for quite sometime already, not that I don't like, but it's just so hard to find the time that the ones you wanted to hang around are free at the same time as you are....you know what I mean? Sometimes when you are so free, your friends might not be..........and worst of all, some are not living in the same town as you are.

However, the topic of this blog is actually about this 'Durian Pancake', so I will not bore you with my babbling about my going out yum-cha story, hehe.... Actutally, the other day, I had a dinner meet with a few of my really old time BFFs, and one of them came back to KK for the "National Raya holidays" (National Day and Hari Raya) with her son. So after having our really 'heavy' seafood dinner, we head to a place called 'Lucy's Kitchen' for dessert and also to continue our gossiping, LOL

We ran through the menu and ordered some drinks and one of my friend suggested that these 'Durian Pancake' and 'Mango Pancake' is a 'must try'. Therefore, we ordered one of each, and it came ......like 3 'golden pillows' in each plate, wrapped up with whipped fresh cream mixed with durian flesh  and mango pieces. It was served cold and once you bite it, you'll know that you have fallen in love with them, hahaha.

That's how I got hooked, and guessed what, the following day, I was out searching every corner of the earth looking for a recipe to make this pancakes.

Many of you would say, what's the big deal about pancakes?? Well, the texture of this pancake is not like the usual morning breakfast pancakes that we used to eat. They are very smooth, soft in texture but it doesn't tear when wrapped in with those fresh cream. It's not oily, and it has a really nice yellow color, not burnt marks from the pan and really really 'thin'. I know I'm pretty lousy when it comes to describing of something.....but those of you who has eaten this at any Yum -Cha outlet, would agree and know what I meant :P
I posted on my Facebook to ask if anyone has a recipe for this, and sad to say, some doesn't even know what I'm looking for......*sigh*
Anyway, after a thorough search through the internet, I found Wendy actually ever posted a Durian Pancake in her blog and she adapted the recipe from Elaine's blog, where she made the Mango Pancake version. I copied both and decided to try Wendy's version first as I have Durian at home to clear, hehe....
Erm, I wouldn't say I totally like it, as the texture was not as smooth, and maybe because I did not made it thin enough, it appeared to be quite tough and thick, when folded to wrap the fillings, it actually break at the sides. My in-laws tasted it and agreed that we need to do some changes to the recipe to better perfect it :) 
Anyway, I will buy some mangoes to try the Mango Pancake recipe ,as I find that the type of flour used in the Mango Pancake was not the same as the Durian ones, and who know, this is the fact that the pancake turned out otherwise. Anyway, thanks to Wendy and Elaine for sharing these recipes, at least I know where to start to do my experiments :)
If you are interested to try it out, you can hit on the above recipes button, and it will leads you to both Wendy's and Elaine's blog page. Of course, they have more yummy tested recipes to share with you all too.

Thanks for Sharing !! 

My Battle with Macarons.........(2) The French Meringue Method with Fresh Egg Whites

After yesterday's attempt in making macarons......and succeeding it, I am indeed very happy, hehe :) However, I realized that this success is only the beginning, as a total success in 'Macaron Making' is not only to have a mac with feet, but the overall form of a macaron has to be standard, in order to have a perfect match when pairing them together, and also to have a perfect texture in and out ....for example, a friend told me that a macaron is supposed to be crispy on the outside (the shell part) and 'chewy but not wet' in the inside. Moreover, the inside should not be 'hollow' as some of mine actually turned out that way yesterday :(

I have been searching and googling the internet for more background stories of Macarons. OK, I admit I'm a bit obsessed with this little 'yo-yo'.........or 'totally' obsessed with it, :P

I realized that a lot of 'experts' out there do fail once in awhile in their macaron baking , even-though they have been baking it like baking a normal cookie.
I also realized that they stick to the method which they find they are comfortable with. I have also come to know there are in fact 3 methods of making macarons :-

1. French method - this method uses raw egg whites (either fresh egg whites or the most recommended 'aged' egg whites) beaten to a peak (French Meringue) and mix into the almond mixture;
2. Spanish method - beaten egg whites, but with higher sugar content, added to the almond mixture;
3. Italian method - this one uses a cooked sugar syrup added into beaten egg whites (Italian Meringue) and then added to almond mixture.

A lot has been said about the above methods, some mentioned that the Italian method promises a more solid shell but a lower feet, while the French method is more straight forward and promises a higher looking feet, however, the shell sometimes can be hollow.......but no matter which method you opt for, the end result still bolts down to the 'macaronage' stage, where the 'folding' technique comes in.

Anyway, I wish to try all the methods if possible to see the end results and to find one that I am comfortable with. However, this 2nd attempt I chose to use back the French method, but instead, I used fresh egg whites instead.....meaning I just cracked open it from the shell and no aging involve, as I also realized that the 'egg white' is also one of the very often talk about caused of a failed macaron.

I used back the same recipe I did yesterday except for the egg whites. 

Well, like what I did yesterday, I piped all the mixtures on 2 trays of lined parchments papers. This time I also did not use my Mastrad Macaron Sheet as it doesn't fit nicely into the oven, I wanted to stick to just parchment paper this time. I let it sit for 30 minutes plus (about 45-50 minutes) for the second tray, as my oven can only fit one tray at a time. Not being very optimistic (as usual when it comes to macaron), I brought a stool and sat right in front of the oven staring into the window, praying for those 'dainty feet' to appear before my eyes (sounded really crazy , I know).

Yes!! during the 8th minute, those pretty little feet slowly and gracefully raised up from their little skirts. Hehe.........I couldn't believe my eyes and like many have said........I was jumpin up and down (ya, again) and was so thrilled that I have succeeded 2 days in a row!!! WooHoo!! Should I head to the nearest 4D outlet and try my luck? kekeke........nah! just kidding :P

So, waited for them to come out of the oven, check on the shells, pretty crispy and solid.......then broke them in half to check the inside, much better than the previous day I would say........not so much emptiness (hollow) this time :)

I promise to myself that I will try to bake macarons more often now, so that I can master it, and also next attempt, I will try with some flavoring in it.......maybe Mocha! I have so many Macs, for once in my life, that I can play with it..........enjoy my pics ya and hope that they will encourage you to whip up a batch too........don't worry too much about failing or having a feetless mac........try it first, to know what Macaron making is about, and you'll figure out the techniques later, trust me!!~

Till then........enjoy!

Happy Macarons Baking!!

You can even make 'Macaron Pop'....aren't they cute?