Drunken Prawn 醉虾

That day I was craving for 醉虾, and I always have fresh prawns in my fridge, so I thought maybe I can try to cook this dish. I searched for a easy to adopt recipe and this is where I get my inspiration. I modified with the ingredients I had in my fridge.

Ingredients:
16 medium prawns
1/2 cup water
1/4 cup shao xing wine（绍兴酒）
5 ginger slice
1 tbs or more Chinese wolfberries (枸杞子）

Method:
1. Boil wolfberries and 1/2 cup of water for 10 minutes. Set aside.
1. Boil 1/3 cup of wolfberry water, ginger and wine.
2. Add prawn.
3. When prawn turn colour, add remaining wolfberry water.
4. Add salt for seasoning. simmer on low heat for 30 minute.
5. Add wolfberries and simmer on low heat for another 5 minute.
6. Serve when hot.

One Bowl Easy Chocolate Cake

Not sure if you miss me when I MIA (missing in action)for almost two week. I am now back in action after a work trip to Beijing. Will show what I ate there later in this blog, stay tune. ;)

I definitely miss home and miss cooking and baking. I love the smell of Changi Airport when i touched down... Mmmm.. So nice! Like home cooked food... Haha!

Looking back at what i have baked and cooked... This is by far one of my favourite recipe! It's easy, no fail and nice to eat--soft, spongy, and so "chocolate-licious"! Adopted from Martha Steward recipe, it require no mixer, little oil and just mix all in a bowl. Here is the original recipe and what I used:

Ingredients:
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder (I used 1/2 cup, 120g)
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour (360g)
1 1/2 cups sugar (I used 1/2 cups, 120g)
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
3/4 teaspoon salt
2 large eggs
3/4 cup warm water (180g)
3/4 cup buttermilk (I used 3/4 cup low fat milk with 3/4 tsp vinegar, set for 5 minute or more)
3 tablespoons safflower oil (I used canola oil)
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Method:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Sift together cocoa powder, flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, and salt into a large bowl.
3. Add eggs, warm water, milk, oil, and vanilla, and mix until smooth, about 3 minutes. Scrape down the sides and bottom of bowl to assure batter is well mixed.
4. Pour batter in lined loaf pan, filling 3/4 full.
5. Bake until tops spring back when touched, about 30 minutes.
6. Transfer to a wire rack; let cool completely.

P.S: I topped cake with cream cheese and almond flakes.

Lemon Cake with Lemon Curd

Mentioned earlier in my previous post that I promised to bake lemon cake for my friend. And she had a special request: to include lemon curd.
So for the past few days, I have been looking around for easy to follow recipe and I stumbled upon this one. As I did not use many eggs so I modified a little and substitute egg for cornstarch. The result: shiny, tangy, not too sweet and a little thick, just the right texture and taste. And my friend was surprised to learn that this was my first attempt. So proud of myself ;)

Ingredient:
1/2 lemon zest and juice
25g caster sugar
1/2 egg
20g unsalted butter
1 tsp corn flour

Method:
1. Place sugar and lemon zest in a bowl.
2. Whisk lemon juice with egg then pour this over the sugar mixture.
3. Add butter, cut butter into little pieces.
4. Place the bowl over a pan of barely simmering water.
5. In another bowl, put corn flour and add a few tablespoon of warm mixture, stir till well mixed and thicken. Pour it back into the simmering mixture.
6. Stir frequently till curd thicken, about 5 minutes. Leave to cool.
7. Top the cake with lemon curd and put in the fridge to set before serve.

Cake recipe from here.

Soy Milk Beancurd Pudding

Frankly speaking this is my second attempt. First attempt, I used agar agar powder with soy milk. The result was coarse and watery, guess I overcooked it. This second attempt, I followed this recipe and used gelatine powder with soy milk. The result was promising: smooth, soft and mouth in your mouth.. Yum! Will definitely make it again! Thanks Ellena for sharing such a clear recipe.

Ingredients:
500ml Soy Bean Milk (I used Vitasoy)
2 tsp Gelatine powder

Method:
1. Heat up soy bean milk in a sauce pan over low heat(do not let it boil).
2. Put gelatine powder in a small bowl, ladle about 50ml of warm soy milk in it and stir till powder dissolve and well mixed.
3. Pour mixture back to sauce pan and stir well. Let it simmer for 30 second (do not let it boil).
4. Off the heat. Wait till mixture cool off slightly before sift it into a container to cool completely.
5. Chill mixture for 3 to 4 hour in fridge before serve.

Black sesame marcaron

My 1st attempt and a very last minute project. As I only picked up my courage at this last minute. This was my 1st patch. Doing better for sure for 2nd patch. Recipe adopted from here.

I wanted to submit this post to aspiring bakers- march marcaron madness. Too bad I clicked post at 11.59pm but it showed 1 april for this post.
Good also, I can share more about this experience. This was my 1st attempt and definitely the not as difficult as I thought experience.
As I always find a lot of marcarons too sweet, so i reduce sugar to 20g instead of 40g.
1st patch, I did not cut the Parchment hole big enough, that's why my macaroon look like Indian sweets, hee!
My 2nd patch is definitely better, as I cut a bigger hole and the shape is better. The taste and texture is to my surprise, good! For 1st attempt, this is definitely a big encouragement.