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

The Blue Pea flower is highly valued in Ayurvedic medicine as a memory enhancer, antistress and tranquilizing agent.  In Malay it is called 'Bunga Telang' and its petals are very versatile as it's a great source of natural blue colour food dye.  Initially when I boiled the blue pea petals the colour was a dark blue but after baking, the colour changed to a slightly aquamarine bluish green.  Nonetheless this is a soft and moist chiffon and it's best served with a cup of Blue pea flower tea.



Blue Pea Flower Marble Chiffon Cake ~蓝花戚风蛋糕 Ingredients (A)
6 large egg yolks75 ml canola oil75 ml milk (I used soy milk)50 gm caster sugar90 gm plain flour15 gm cornflour30 petals of blue pea flower + 100 ml water(B) 6 large egg whites45 gm caster sugarMethod Boil the blue pea flower in 100 ml of hot water, strain out 30 ml juice, set aside to cool.Sift the plain flour, set aside.Whisk egg yolks with sugar, add in oil and milk to combine well.Sift in the flour again and fold into the yo…

The scientific name for Peach resin is Prunus Persica which is resin secreted from the Peach tree and form like crystals which are stuck to the tree.  Originated from China, the composition of peach resin is collagen, amino acids.  The rich collagen helps to improve the complexion, nourishes and helps to prevent dryness of the skin.  It also helps to improve bowel movement.  In short, this is an inexpensive substitute to the highly expensive birds nest.



Peach Resin Snow Fungus Dessert  ~    桃胶雪耳糖水

Ingredients 50 gm Peach resin20 gm snow fungus30 gm dried longan30 gm seedless red dates2 lt water100 gm rock sugar(I used 150 gm organic cane sugar) or to taste6 Pandan leaves, knottedMethod Soak the peach resin in a lot of water for 12 hours or preferably overnight.  The peach resin will expand to about 8 to 10 times after soaking.   Remove the impurities and rinse the jelly like peach resin, let drain on a sieve, set aside.Soak the snow fungus for a few hours and remove the hard stem, snip i…

I've tasted vanilla slice before but not Kaya Slice.  My first taste of Kaya Slice was at a fusion cafe in Perth and the combination was truly wonderful.  So when I returned from my vacation, I just had to give it a try with my homemade kaya and believe me, it's real yummy especially if you are a kaya fan.  Serve this as a dessert to jazz up your reunion dinner during this coming Chinese New Year!





Kaya Slice ~   咖椰片 Ingredients 2 pieces of 8 inch sq frozen puff pastryHomemade kaya/coconut egg jamIcing sugar to dustMethod Defrost the frozen pastries.Place a puff pastry onto a parchment lined pan.  Prick holes with a fork to prevent it from blowing up.Bake in a preheated oven @ 180 deg.C for 15 to 20 mins. till brown.Remove from oven and place a pan on top and gently press down to give a flat surface.Repeat with the other pastry.Cut pastry into 2 halves to make 4 halves.Spread a  generous amount of kaya on one half of the pastry and place another half sheet on top.  Repeat.Dust wit…

These biscuits are crunchy and delicious with a slight hint of citrus lemony flavour.   They are suitable as a gift to relatives and friends for any occasion or to be enjoyed at any time of the day.



Choc-chip Lemon Biscuits ~ 巧克力柠檬饼干
Ingredients
160 gm butter75 gm muscovado sugar75 gm sugar2 eggs beaten400 gm plain flour1/2 tsp baking powder1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda100 gm choc chipsZest from 3 lemons1 Tbsp lemon juicea pinch of saltMethod Beat butter, zest, sugar till fluffy.  Add in beaten eggs gradually followed by lemon juice.Sift in plain flour with baking powder, bicarbonate of soda and salt.Mix till dough comes together.Roll into balls of walnut size, flatten it.Arrange dough onto a parchment lined baking pan, about an inch apart.Bake in a preheated oven @ 180 deg.C for 25 mins. till biscuits are lightly golden.Remove from oven and let cool on a cooling rack.  Store in cookie jar when cooled.Yield :  20 big, thick biscuits.  (Can achieve more if biscuits are smaller).

How wonderful it is to wake up to a sweet aroma of chocolate wafting from the kitchen.  These rich and moist chocolate coconut muffins make a perfect morning treat for breakfast and will certainly brightens up your day!



Chocolate Coconut Muffin  ~  巧克力椰子玛芬
Ingredients
200 gm plain flour50 gm cocoa powder40 gm shredded coconut30 gm choc chips70 gm caster sugar2 tsp baking powder1 egg1 cup skim milk1/4 cup canola oil1 tsp vanillasome shredded coconut for topping (optional)Method Sieve plain flour with baking powder, whisk in cocoa powder, mix till well combined.  Add in shredded coconut and choc chips.In another bowl, whisk eggs, sugar, milk, vanilla and oil thoroughly.Pour the dry ingredients into the egg mixture. Mix till just combined.Scoop the batter into a lined muffin pan.Bake in a preheated oven @ 180 deg.C for about 20 mins.  Test with a skewer till it comes out clean.  Remove from oven and let cool in pan Sprinkle on some shredded coconut before serving.Yield : 8 muffins

Deliciously crunchy and citrusy cookies, decadent with a hint of coconut.  You  can snack on them at any of the time of the day and mind you, they can be sinfully addictive.  Why not make them as a gift to your relatives and friends for the forthcoming festive season.




Lemon Coconut Cookies ~  柠檬椰子曲奇
Ingredients
170 gm butter200 gm caster sugar250 gm plain flour, sifted1 egg plus 1 egg yolk100 gm desiccated coconut1 Tbsp lemon juice1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda1/4 tsp saltzest from 1 lemonMethod Beat butter and sugar till fluffy, add in eggs, blend well.Fold in sifted flour, zest and juice.Add in the desiccated coconut.  Mix till well combined.Roll into balls, place on parchment lined baking tray.  Do not press the dough.Bake in a preheated oven @ 180 deg.C for 15 mins. till golden brown.Yield :  54 cookies

I kick start 2019 with  this  post  ....... Chicken Floss Chiffon Cake. 
This is another cake with a layer of chicken floss and topped with more chicken floss and a sprinkling of lightly toasted sesame seeds.  This time I baked this with my normal chiffon cake recipe.  The recipe is slightly different from the Chicken Floss Cake which I posted not too long ago.  But if you ask me, both cakes are equally good in texture and delicious.  Yumm is the word!







鸡松戚风蛋糕
Chicken Floss Chiffon Cake
Ingredients (A)
5 'L' egg yolks50 ml canola oil65 ml milk40 gm caster sugar85 gm plain flour1 tsp vanillaPinch of salt2 heaped Tbsp peanut butter or mayonnaise (I used peanut butter)Chicken flossLightly toasted sesame seeds(B) 5 'L' egg whites40 gm caster sugarMethod Beat egg yolks with sugar with a ball whisk, then add in oil followed by milk.  Whisk till well blended.  Sift in plain flour and add in salt and vanilla.  Blend well.In a clean bowl, whisk egg whites till frothy, then add in su…