Kitchen Guardian

My first attempt at kek lapis, using superfine flour, instead of HK flour. Continue

And…I baked Kek Lapis Cempedak, using HK flour and a cake “leveller” to press out any trapped air bubbles ate each layer! See the difference from my earlier attempt at Kek Lapis Prune!…….simply magnificient!

For any queries on bakes and cakes, please email me at haqyani@gmail.com or kg@kitchenguardian.my. Thank you!

I have been turning down orders this month due to work commitments making me travel. Hence, in whatever free time that I have, I took the opportunity to try new recipes…. and this one will be used for Aidul Fitri orders, soon!

I like them, they are simple, the taste of the chocolate chips are not cluttered by the overwhelming taste of butter…what did I do!? I mixed in half butter and half corn oil…and I love, love, love the umpowering taste of brown sugar! So, folks if your orders have been turned down, do this at home!

Ingredients

2 1/2 cups all purpose flour

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup butter at room temperature, 1/2 cup corn oil

1 cup brown sugar 1/2 cup sugar

2 eggs

2 tsp vanilla

2 cups dark chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 150 degrees Celcius. Using a wire wisk, mix flour, baking soda and salt, set aside. Using a hand mixer, beat butter, oil and sugars until combined. Beat in eggs and vanilla. Add in flour mixture and combine well. Stir in the chocolate chips. Drop the dough using two teaspoons and bake for about 10 to 15 minutes.

And, that was supper for me, I also played around by cutting them using a cookie cutter!

Since we were left without a helper about three months ago, I seldom warm my stove. Even if I did, it would be simple meals like Fried Rice, Fish or Chicken Curry!

The road was quiet yesterday (post Worldcup Finals, you see!), so, I got home in almost a dash! So, I made this, Assam Pedas which is a favourite with my kids and hubby! Hubby had this with Roti Canai, Bread and Rice, all at one go during his iftar last night! It was indeed a hearty meal for the family….

And, since I learned this recipe from my mother in law, this is a recipe that you would want to also share with your daughter or daughter in law ….”grin”…

              Ingredients

• Soak or boil 10 to 15 dried chillies
• 1 medium onion or 8 shallots
• 5 cloves garlic
• 1 inch ginger
• 1 inch fresh turmeric
• 1 teaspoon shrimp paste (you can also Maggi Belacan Granules)
• 2 tablespoon juice from tamarind paste
• Red Snapper Fillet, Mackerel, Chicken (have not tried this, it’s quite yumms!)
• 1 torch ginger (bunga kantan)
• Tomatoes, French Beans or Brinjals, if you like!

              Method

• Blend dried chillies, onion, garlic, ginger, turmeric and shrimp paste into a paste, fry in 2 tablespoons cooking oil.
• When all moisture is dried up, add in the turmeric juice, let simmer.
• Add in the fish and vegetables.
• Add salt to taste, and it is ready for the family!

Voila, enjoy!

I couldn’t wait any longer, the thought of baking this gems have been lingering long enough! So, after I tucked my babies to bed on Saturday night, I embarked on the “Project”!

It was not that difficult to make these gems, but it was all about technique, technique and technique! And of course I chose the easier version to make…the French version….I will write more about this and the recipe next time when I had a successful attempt ya! I was following this methods from a book written by a famous Japanese pastry chef (Japanese Macarons??)

Anyway, mine didn’t “pied”, no “frills” or “foot”….but the look and taste were almost there, I think! (Haven’t tasted one before!) All this could be due to my oven being too hot, not using a non stick paper or matt (Silpat…..harooo, who wants to get my Silpat RM156 at Delicious Ingredients!) or the batter not enough “macarronage”…ie the act of folding and mixing that went wrong!

Anyway, I love them Macarons and fret not, I WILL ATTEMPT them again!

Congo Bars and Devil’s Food Chocolate Cake For for Muzal! Thank you Muzal! Muzal and I used to be regular visitors of the Law and Medical Faculties of Nottingham University…we used to share some good time in the kitchen (not in the faculty lah!), he he where else!?

Devil’s Food Chocolate Cake for Baba, thank you Aini! The legal version in my organisation is me, the finance version is Aini!

Vanilla Cupcakes for Sharina’s new baby girl’s Aqiqah ceremony! Thank you Sharina, one of my partners in crime in tudongs!

I have been holding this for quite sometime! And I can’t wait any longer, I can’t wait to perfect the imperfections…afterall this blogging and wordpress things are not my kind of things…yup, I can draft a computer or a software contract easily, but to tweak my blog or this site, my, it’s a real challenge, I struggle….a lot!! Err…pause…On this note, I wish to thank Emila of  http://emilayusof.com/ and Jon of  http://multimediamojo.com/ for helping me come up with this site. I will still haunt you guys, he he!

And, so, my life as a Kitchen Guardian has to go on…..hence….please welcome  My Kitchen Guardian, I promise you that it will be more than sugar and spice!