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

To beat the heat and quench your thirst in this hot and sticky weather, try these Coconut Fruity Popiscles.  Naturally refreshing, low in fat,  coconut water is sweet and contains electrolytes which our body loses through our sweat and coconut water is more hydrating than water. Coconut Fruity Popsicles ~  椰子水果冰棒 Ingredients 1.1/2 cups fresh coconut water 1 Tbsp pandan sugar syrup  to mix with the coconut water (optional) coconut & jack fruit meat Method Divide the coconut and jackfruit meat between the ice moulds Fill with coconut water Insert the stick and freeze overnight till firm Yield :  6 Popsicles

This is a very easy and quick ice cream recipe without the need for cooking the custard and the end product is just as smooth.  I reduced the amount of sugar for the ripe mangoes were already very sweet and the sweetness was just to my family's liking! Recipe for Mango Ice Cream   ~   芒果冰淇淋  (adapted from 'here' ) Ingredients 1 cup milk 1 cup cream 90 to 100 gm sugar 2 ripe mangoes, mash up the meat or grate the mango Method Blend the cream and sugar on low speed to let the sugar mix well with the cream, for about 15 to 30 secs. Add milk, blend till everything mixes well together. Add in the mango pulp, blend again, till creamy. Cover this mango mixture and chill in the fridge, overnight. Churn this mixture according to the manufacturer's instructions, about 30 mins. Pour this into a container and freeze before serving. This post is linked to the event  Little Thumbs Up (November 2015 Event: Mango)  organise...

This recipe is adapted from the Cuisinart recipe booklet but I made some adjustments to it.  First and foremost, I reduced the recipe to a smaller portion and subsequently adjusted the amount of sugar and used whatever chocolate I had on hand instead of the peanut buttercup candies, as per recipe.   The taste is extremely gorgeous with the combination of the rich peanut butter flavour and the nutty chocolate. Recipe for Peanut Butter Ice Cream  ~   花生酱冰淇淋 (adapted from the Cuisinart recipe booklet with adjustment) Ingredients 3/4 cup peanut butter 80 gm sugar (reduced from 2/3 cup) 3/4 cup whole milk 1.1/2 cups cream 1 tsp vanilla 3/4 cup Hazelnut milk chocolate, chopped (any chocolate of your choice) Method With a handmixer on low speed, combine peanut butter and sugar till smooth. Add milk, mix on low speed till sugar is dissolved. Stir in ...

I made this Strawberry ice cream with our locally grown strawberries from the Cameron Highlands.   Must admit that they are not as sweet as their imported counterparts but definitely much more affordable.   Great to serve this as a dessert after a meal or as a snack in this hot weather. Recipe for Strawberry Ice Cream  ~   草莓冰淇淋 Ingredients                                           1.1/2 cups strawberries, hulled 110 gm sugar 3/4 cup milk 1.1/2 cup whipped cream 1 tsp vanilla pinch of salt Method Use a food processor to pulse the strawberries. Whisk the sugar with milk till sugar is dissolved. Stir in the cream and vanilla, mix well. Pour in the strawberries and juice, mix well. Cover with cling wrap and keep chilled in the refrigerator, overnight. Churn in the ice cream maker as per the instructions in the manual. Pour int...

This honey flavoured vanilla frozen yoghurt is an A,B,C recipe.  Just dump all the ingredients into a mixing bowl, plunge in an immersion blender, blend till the mixture is smooth, then keep in the refrigerator overnight.  The next day, I freezed it in the ice cream maker and it could be served straightaway or freezed further for a desired firmer texture.  A bit tart though, so added a sprinkling of dried berries for more sweetness and nuts for added crunch! Recipe for Honey Vanilla Frozen Yoghurt  ~   蜂蜜 香 草 优 格 Ingredients 1 litre low fat plain yoghurt 1/2 cup honey Vanilla seeds from a Vanilla pod a pinch of salt Method In a mixing bowl blend all the above ingredients using an immersion blender till mixture is smooth. Cling wrap the mixture, keep refrigerated overnight. Freeze in the ice cream maker for 30 mins. Pour the mixture into a container and keep in the freezer before serving.  I'm submitting this post to...

Sorbet i s a refreshing dessert to cleanse your palate after a  meal.   I've made mine with some mangoes given by a friend from her orchard and it's fruity and fresh.  Yum is the word and it's perfect to snack on more so on a hot and humid day! Recipe for Mango Sorbet    芒果沙冰  (adapted from 'here' with modification) Ingredients                                2 ripe mangoes, about 1 kg, peeled and pitted 130 gm sugar 160 ml water Juice from 1 lime, about 4 tsp 1 Tbsp Rum or more to taste pinch of salt Method Cook the sugar and water till sugar has dissolved, let cool. Cut the mango into chunks, put them into a food processor.  Add in salt and lime juice and puree till smooth. Sieve the puree and discard any pulp. Mix in the sugar syrup, test for taste. Pour into ...

I've bought this set of ice popsicle moulds quite some time ago and had totally forgotten to put them to good use until lately.   We have had some durians for dessert and I used the leftover to make this yummy frozen popsicle.  Well, enjoying durians is a much acquired taste, it's either you like it or you don't.  Some people just adore the smelly fruit while others are simply repulsed by it!  Which category are you? Recipe for Durian Ice Popsicles Ingredients                                              250 gm durian flesh            5 Tbsp caster sugar 250 ml full cream milk a pinch of salt Method     Put all the above ingredients into a blender and blend till thick and creamy. Pour the mixture into the ice popsicle moulds. Freeze till firm, preferably overnight.     ...

This is the cool gritty luscious dessert that I've always wanted to try.  I surfed the internet for an 'easy to follow' recipe and chanced upon this delectable dessert from 'justonecookbook'.   Mine didn't turn out as smooth as hers, maybe because I didn't grind the roasted black sesame seeds till very, very fine. Nonetheless, it was enjoyed by members of my family and they nodded with approval when I asked them whether it was good or otherwise. Recipe for Black Sesame Ice Cream  (adapted from 'here' ) Ingredients 2 Tbsp roasted black sesame seeds, roasted       400 ml milk 70 gm sugar 3 egg yolks 2 Tbsp honey 3 Tbsp black sesame paste (homemade) 200 ml heavy cream 1 tsp vanilla a pinch of salt Method To make the black sesame paste.  Mix 3 Tbsp of  roasted and grounded black sesame seeds with 3 Tbsp of honey to form a paste.  Set aside. Pan fry the black sesame se...

This is a non-dairy ice cream which is absolutely easy to make with only three ingredients.  I like it that it's light and fat free, except for a bit of oil from the peanut butter and it's refreshing, just right for dessert after a hearty meal. Recipe for Non-dairy Banana Ice Cream Ingredients 420 gm/4 frozen ripe bananas (nett weight) 2 Tbsp peanut butter 3 Tbsp water to facilitate blending a pinch of salt (optional) Method Cut the  bananas into 1/2 inch slices.  Place on a plate lined with a plastic sheet, uncovered, in the freezer, for 2 to 3 hours till hard. Blend or process in a food processor together with the peanut butter.  Add water to facilitate blending if necessary. Serve immediately or store in the freezer in a container for a firmer and scoopable ice cream.

This is a rich and indulgent ice cream comprising of vanilla and peppermint choc chip cookies which give the creamy dessert the added crunch.  Perfect as a treat or a snack, any time of the day! Recipe for Mint Cookies Ice Cream Ingredients 1 cup heavy cream 1 cup whole milk 3 oz sugar 3 egg yolks 1/8 tsp salt 1/2 tsp vanilla 10 choc chip peppermint cookies, crushed. Method Bring heavy cream, milk and salt to a simmer, let cool. Whisk egg yolks with sugar together till pale. Add the milk mixture to the egg mixture, mix well. Then pour back the egg yolk milk mixture into the pot, stirring continously till mixture thickens and can coat the back of the wooden spoon.  Add in vanilla. Pour into a bowl and cover with cling wrap, let cool and keep refrigerated overnight. Process the mixture in the ice cream maker according to instructions.  Transfer 1/3 ice cream to a container, add in the crushed cookies, mix quickly...