No-Frills Recipes ... cooking, baking & excerpts on travel

Tis the season for gifting and indulging.  This cookie is crunchy on the outside and yet not too hard on the teeth.  It can be a grab-to-go snack or you can simply dunk it into your coffee or tea.  They can be addictive and Santa may come back for seconds!





Blueberry Almond Bread ~  杏仁蓝莓脆饼
Ingredients
75 gm whole almonds, toasted25 gm dried blueberries25 gm dried figs3 egg whites90 gm caster sugar120 gm plain flour (sifted)Method Coarsely chop up the whole almonds, dried blueberries and dried figs.  Set aside.Beat egg whites till frothy.  Add in sugar gradually and beat till stiff peaks but not dry.Add nuts, chopped fruits and sifted flour. Mix till well combined.Spread onto a parchment lined 8 x 4 x 4 inch pan.Bake in a preheated oven @ 180 deg.C for 30  mins. until top is lightly brown.Let cool, wrap with cling wrap and put in freezer till the next day or so.Using a serrated knife cut into thin slices, arrange onto a tray and bake for 8 mins. on each side till golden and crisp.Cool comp…

These dainty looking Lavender lemon cookies have a subtle taste of lavender, not too much for I used  fresh leaves instead of dried flowers.  They are buttery, taste like shortbread with a light floral aroma.  They are simple, cute and sure to impress.  Try gifting them at a Christmas cookie swap or great to give as a gift during the coming festive season.


Lavender lemon cookies ~  薰衣草柠檬曲奇
Ingredients

263 gm butter80 gm caster sugar245 gm plain flour50 gm cornflour2.1/2 Tbsp icing sugar1.1/2 Tbsp freshly snipped lavender leaves1 tsp lemon zesta pinch of saltMethod Sift plain flour with the cornflour, set aside.Cream butter, sugar and icing sugar till fluffy.Mix in the snipped Lavender leaves and lemon zest.Mix in the sifted flour and cornflour mixture.Wrap up the dough with cling wrap and keep chilled for an hour or more.Roll the dough into 1/4 inch thick and cut with cookie cutter.  (Alternatively, roll into a log and cut into 1/4 inch thick).Place cookies onto a parchment lined baking …

It's normal to find buns coated with meat floss in any bakery, but yet to find a meat floss coated piece of cake.  I saw this Chicken Floss Cake on youtube and was eager to give this a shot.  The recipe is quite similar to a chiffon cake and I was curious to find out the taste which should be slightly sweetish and saltish.  Wouldn't it be weird, I wonder.  But it turned out that the taste is rather unique with a light and soft texture and my family members gave me a thumbs up and asked for more!



Chicken Floss Cake ~  鸡肉松蛋糕
Ingredients (A)

4 egg yolks40 ml oil50 ml milk65 gm plain flour, siftedChicken flossWhite sesame seedsChopped spring onions (optional)a pinch of salt (B)  4 egg whites        40 gm caster sugar
Method In a bowl, beat egg yolks, add in oil, mix well, then add in milk.Mix in sifted flour till well combined.In another clean bowl, beat egg whites till frothy, then add in sugar in 2 batches and beat till stiff peaks form.Fold in 1/3 egg whites into the egg yolk mixtu…

Delight your afternoon with these tropical flavoured tasty cupcakes....... Lemon Coconut Cupcakes.  The cake is moist, topped with a spread of tart lemon curd and rounded up with a sprinkling of shredded coconut.  They are yummy too without the 'add-ons'! 


Lemon Coconut Cupcakes ~  柠檬椰子蛋糕
Ingredients

200 gm butter150 gm caster sugar4 eggs200 gm self-raising flour (sifted)25 gm dessicated coconutJuice and zest from 1 large lemonLemon curdShredded coconutMethod Cream butter, zest and sugar till light and creamy.  Add in the eggs one at a time.  Mix well.Fold in the sifted flour with the juice.Add in the dessicated coconut, mix till well incorporated.Use an ice cream scoop to divide the batter into paper lined muffin pan.  Bake in a preheated oven @ 180 deg.C for about 20 to 25 mins. till golden brown.  Test with a skewer till it comes out clean.Remove from oven and let cool in pan for about 10 mins. before removing and letting them cool on a wire rack.Once cooled, spread lemon cur…

Fruit pastry cakes have been on the blogosphere some time back and it was then the trend to bake fruit pastry cakes.  One can bake a fruit pastry cake with whatever fruits you fancy, they can be canned fruits, fresh or stone fruits.  As for the post that I'm sharing today, I only used one type of fruit and here I've decorated the cake with just segments of Mandarin orange.




Mandarin Orange Fruit Pastry Cake ~  橘子蛋糕
Ingredients 
100 gm butter150 gm caster sugar2 Tbsp yoghurt or sour cream (I used yoghurt)3 eggs lightly beaten1 tsp vanilla1.1/2 Tbsp lemon juiceZest from 1 lemon210 gm plain flour, sifted1 tsp  baking powderpinch of saltMandarin oranges, segmentsSnow powder or icing sugar for dustingMethod Grease the sides and line the base of an 8 inch spring form pan.Sift flour with baking powder and salt, set aside.Beat butter and sugar till well incorporated, add in yoghurt and beat till light and fluffy.Dribble in the the beaten eggs gradually.  Batter will curdle.Add vanilla, le…

This is a light and soft chiffon cake well liked by my family.  I like the sweet aroma of green tea and the marbling effect in this cake.   Definitely a crowd pleaser recipe.   Try it!



Matcha Marble Chiffon Cake ~   抹茶戚风蛋糕   (Adapted from  'here' )
Ingredients (A)
5 egg yolks70 gm plain flour5 gm green tea powder + 1 Tbsp hot water20 gm caster sugar70 ml water60 ml canola oil(B)  5 egg whites70 gm caster sugar10 gm cornflourMethod Sift flour twice, set aside.In a bowl, beat egg yolks and sugar, mix well.Add water and oil and blend together.Add sifted flour, mix well, set aside.Combine sugar and cornflour.In another clean bowl, beat egg whites till foamy, then gradually add in cornflour mixture and continue beating till stiff peaks form.Fold 1/3 egg whites into the egg yolk mixture gently, then pour the mixture into the remaining egg whites and mix thoroughly but not to overmix.Take 1/4 of the mixture and mix in the green tea paste.  Mix well.Spoon plain and matcha mixture into an …

I am a fan of Thai basil and this dish can be whipped up in 15 mins, and served on the dinner table.  I like the intense flavour of the basil mixed with the fish and oyster sauces and onions,  Great to pair with plain white rice.



Pork fillet with Basil and Onions ~  罗勒和洋葱猪肉罗
Ingredients  200 gm pork fillet, sliced 2 Big onions, cut into wedges 2 stalks of Thai basil leaves 1 Tbsp fish sauce
2 tsp oyster sauce A bit of Bird eye chillies, chopped
Method Season the pork fillet with some salt, sugar and pepper Heat up some oil in a pan and stir-fry the pork fillet till cooked Add in the onion wedges, basil leaves, stir-fry Add fish sauce, oyster sauce and toss in the bird eye chillies
Stir-fry, dish up and serve