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

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 pastry Homemade kaya/coconut egg jam Icing sugar to dust Method 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 k...

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 butter 75 gm muscovado sugar 75 gm sugar 2 eggs beaten 400 gm plain flour 1/2 tsp baking powder 1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda 100 gm choc chips Zest from 3 lemons 1 Tbsp lemon juice a pinch of salt Method 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 ...

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 flour 50 gm cocoa powder 40 gm shredded coconut 30 gm choc chips 70 gm caster sugar 2 tsp baking powder 1 egg 1 cup skim milk 1/4 cup canola oil 1 tsp vanilla some 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...

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 butter 200 gm caster sugar 250 gm plain flour, sifted 1 egg plus 1 egg yolk 100 gm desiccated coconut 1 Tbsp lemon juice 1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda 1/4 tsp salt zest from 1 lemon Method 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 yolks 50 ml canola oil 65 ml milk 40 gm caster sugar 85 gm plain flour 1 tsp vanilla Pinch of salt 2 heaped Tbsp peanut butter or mayonnaise (I used peanut butter) Chicken floss Lightly toasted sesame seeds (B) 5 'L' egg whites 40 gm caster sugar Method 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 ad...

This is a very simple, straightforward muffin recipe but it produces good result.  Full of apple flavour with aromatic cinnamon but it's truly yummy when taken freshly baked, especially the crusty, caramelised top. Apple Raisin Muffin ~  苹果和葡萄干玛芬 Ingredients                                                     125 gm plain flour 1/2 tsp baking powder 1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda 1 large egg 85 gm caster sugar 65 ml canola oil 60 ml milk 1/2 tsp cinnamon 1 tsp vanilla 30 gm raisins 1 apple, skinned, cored and diced Raw sugar to sprinkle (optional) Method Sift the flour with baking powder, bicarbonate of soda and cinnamon, set aside. In another bowl, whisk the egg with sugar, then add in the oil and milk, mix till well incorporated.   Pour the flour into the egg mixture, add in the diced a...

Delight your family and friends with these easy chocolate chip cookies with butter and walnuts.  These cookies are fairly big, thick, crunchy and not very sweet as I've cut down on the amount of sugar.  These are always a hit amongst adults and children alike. Chocolate Chip Walnut Cookies ~  巧克力 核桃 奇曲 Ingredients 170 gm unsalted butter 90 gm dark brown sugar  ( I used Rapadura sugar) 50 gm caster sugar 1 large egg 2 tsp  vanilla 250 gm plain flour 2 tsp cornflour 1 tsp bicarbonate soda 1/2 tsp salt 150 gm choc-chips 30 gm walnuts, coarsely chopped Method Sift plain flour, bicarbonate of soda and salt, mix in cornflour set aside. Using a handheld whisk, beat butter and sugar till smooth and creamy. Add in the egg, mix well. Lightly whisk in the flours, mix till well combined. On low speed, add in choc-chips and walnuts, or you can opt to mix in by hand with a spatula. Wrap dough in clingwrap, chill in the fridge for a few hou...

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, toasted 25 gm dried blueberries 25 gm dried figs 3 egg whites 90 gm caster sugar 120 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, arra...