Recipe: Chocolate cupcake

Orange cupcakes (serves 18 cupcakes):

Ingredients

• 250g caster sugar
• 250g of unsalted butter
• 4 eggs
• 340ml warm milk
• 330g self raising flour
• 60g cocoa powder
• A pinch of salt
• 1 teaspoon of butter oil
• 1 tablespoon finely grated orange zest
• Paper cupcakes

Preparation

1. Preheat oven at 160 degrees Celsius.
2. Beat butter and sugar for 5 minutes until fluffy.
3. Add eggs (with yolk), one at a time, and beat to combine.
4. Sift the flour and cocoa powder into a bowl and add the salt.
5. Add the flour and milk mixture to the stand mixer, alternating flour and milk one after another. Then add butter oil and beat for 3 minutes.
6. Scoop the batter into the paper cupcakes until 65% filled.
7. Finally, bake mixture in preheated oven for 19 minutes or until well baked.

Baking cupcakes with mom

During my recent home trip, I pestered mom to teach me how to bake a cake. She gave me the look, "Oh sure! Never thought you'd ever ask." *exciting* Mom suggested I start with cupcakes first and once I succeed, then only I bake cakes. So, we spent the afternoon baking. 

The cupcakes were turned out perfect. Beginner's luck, hehe. But I can't believe the amount of sugar used to bake cupcakes. No wonder kids love it cos it's so sweet. I also realized baking isn't difficult at all. I just need to follow the recipe step-by-step.

Butter cupcakes (serves 18 cupcakes)

Ingredients

• 250g of unsalted butter, softened
• 250g sugar
• 4 to 5 eggs
• 250g plain flour
• 3 teaspoon baking powder
• A pinch of salt
• 1 teaspoon of vanilla essence
• 1 teaspoon of butter oil
• 1 cup of milk
• Paper cupcakes

Preparation

1. Preheat oven at 160 degrees Celsius. 
2. Beat the butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
3. Add eggs (with yolk), one at a time, and beat to combine.
4. Sift the flour and baking powder into a bowl and add the salt.
5. Add vanilla essence and butter oil and beat for 3 minutes.
6. Scrape the batter into the paper cupcakes.
7. Finally, bake mixture in preheated oven for 20 minutes or until well baked.

My Virgin Tiramisu

Inspired by Tiramisu Hero, I decided to make tiramisu for the very first time. I was so excited. I bought the ingredients, a balloon whisk, and stole the boyfriend's stash of rum.

If you don't already know, the boyfriend is extremely fussy with food. "Hmmm... Very good. Just like the ones in Italy. But dear, please don't use 23 year old premium rum, okay? We'll get cheaper rum for tiramisu," he said. HAHAHAHA.  

Tiramisu (serves 6 to 8)

Ingredients

• 36 pieces ladyfingers  
• 450g mascarpone cheese
• 5 egg yolks
• 1 whipped egg white
• 150g sugar
• 12 cups of sugarless coffee
• Rum liquor  
• Powdered plain cocoa

Preparation

1. Whisk the egg white.
2. Beat the egg yolks separately with sugar in a bowl until a frothy mixture; then stir in the mascarpone cheese and mix carefully.
3. Add in the egg white and mix well into a smooth cream.
4. In a baking dish, spread a layer of cream.
5. Soak the ladyfingers in liquor coffee, on both sides, and line them on top of the cream.
6. Pour second layer of cream and arrange more coffee-soaked ladyfingers on top.
7. Top with another layer of cream, spreading it evenly with a spatula.
8. Using a sieve, sprinkle powdered cocoa generously over the cream.
9. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours. It's at its best if prepared 1 day in advance. 

Alagappa Fish Curry

The way to a man's heart is through his stomach. Oh yes, I concur. :)

I cooked fish curry for lunch. It was spicy, sour, tangy, just the way I like it.  The curry fish was so good that we took second serving of rice. And for the boyfriend to say my fish curry is on par with his mom's fish curry, I knew I scored. :D Thank you Alagappa for making me MasterChef of the day!

Ingredients 

• 1 big onion 
• 10 shallots 
• 10 cloves of garlic 
• 2 tomatoes 
• 6 okras 
• 2 fillets of red snapper 
• Alagappa fish curry powder, mixed with water  
• Tamarind juice
• Coconut milk, fresh milk or yogurt  
• Sugar  
• Salt  

Preparation

1. Chop the big onion, shallots, garlic and pound it with pestle and mortar.
2. Heat up the pan, add frying oil and stir fry the garlic, shallots and garlic.
3. Add in curry mix, tamarind juice followed by the fish, okras and tomatoes.
4. Add milk, sugar, and salt to taste.

Nyonya Kerabu Beehoon

I grew up enjoying kerabu beehoon. The toasted coconut and fragrant ginger flower, oh so yummy! Over the years, my kerabu beehoon recipe evolved. Here's my personal favourite recipe. Oh by the way, if there are leftovers, you can keep it in the fridge and eat it the next morning. Though chilled, it tastes as good. :)

Ingredients 

• Beehoon (rice vermicelli)
• Bean sprouts
• Prawns, boiled, peeled and deveined
• Kerisik (coconut, grated & toasted) 
• Dried shrimps
• Sambal belacan (chilli paste & toasted shrimp paste)
• Bunga kantan (torch ginger flower)
• 15-20 shallots, thinly sliced
• Mint leaves, thinly sliced
• Coriander leaves, thinly sliced
• Kafir lime leaves, thinly sliced
• Calamansi
• Bean curd
• Sugar to taste
• Salt to taste

Preparation

1. Soak dried shrimps for 10 minutes and pound it until coarsely ground. 
2. Finely slice bunga kantan, shallots, mint leaves, coriander leaves and lemon leaves. 
3. Mix everything in a big bowl together with sambal belacan, dried shrimp and kerisik. 
4. Blanch the beehoon for 1-2 minutes.
5. Boil bean sprouts and put it aside. 
6. Boil the prawns, shell it, devein it and slice it into 2.
7. Add beehoon, bean sprouts and prawns into the ingredient bowl and toss it well.  
8. Fry bean curd and cut it in long strips. 
9. Squeeze calamansi juice into the mixing bowl. 
10. Garnish with fried bean curd, lime and mint leaves and serve immediately. 

Thai Fishball Glass Noodle

During my work trip to Bangkok this year, I saw my client order a bowl fishball glass noodle. I ordered the same. It was a simple noodle dish yet tastes so good. A few months later, I had an unusual craving for it. So I rushed to the wet market to buy the ingredients and started cooking. To my surprise, I replicated the taste. *orgasmic* My cravings satisfied. 

Ingredients 

• Glass noodle, soak to soften
• Fishball
• Minced pork
• Beansprout
• Spring onions, chopped
• Coriander, chopped
• Lettuce
• Cloves of garlic, chopped finely and fried
• Salt
• Pepper
• Fish sauce
• Light soy sauce
• Sambal chili sauce

Preparation

1. Add the softened glass noodles in a pot of simmering broth.
2. Remove the glass noodle and place it in a serving bowl. Add lettuce.
3. Season minced pork with salt and pepper.
4. Add pork, fishball and beansprout into the leftover broth. 
5. Let it boil until the broth evaporates.
6. Pour the broth onto the glass noodle.
7. Season with fish sauce, light sauce, sambal chili sauce and pepper.
8. Garnish with fried garlic, spring onions and coriander. Enjoy!

Penang Koay Teow Soup

When I was a child, I look forward to Saturdays cos mom would usually make koay teow soup for breakfast. And I know mom cooked with love 'cos it tastes so incredibly good. The recipe below uses minced pork, but you could also use chicken or duck meat. As I enjoyed my bowl of koay teow soup, I'm glad I got my fix of mom's love. Thank you mom for such fond childhood memories. 

Ingredients 

• Koay teow (flat rice noodle) 
• Fishball
• Minced pork
• Bean sprout 
• Spring onions, chopped
• Chinese parsley, chopped
• Lettuce
• Cloves of garlic, chopped finely and fried
• Salt
• Pepper
• Sliced red chilies & soy sauce

Preparation

1. Cook bean sprout in a pot of boiling water and drain it dry. 
2. Place the koay teow, bean sprout and fresh lettuce in a serving bowl. 
3. Season minced pork with salt and pepper.
4. Then add minced pork into the pot of boiling water. 
5. Add salt and pepper to taste. 
6. Scoop soup into the bowl of koay teow. 
7. Garnish with fried garlic, spring onions and Chinese parsley. Serve immediately.