Saturday, August 20, 2016

Hungary's Annual National Cake 2016

photo : https://www.facebook.com/gregory.iron.photography/


Every August 20th, Hungary introduces two new winning National cakes (one non-sugar option) on the occasion of her founding day by Saint Stephen. You can read more about the winners on Daily News Hungary.

photo : cukrasz.net

Each year we make a point to try the winning cake on the actual day of the introduction. The pumpkin seed cake white chocolate ganache (named “Green Gold of Őrség”) was unique. I liked the pumpkin seed flavour in the cake as well as in the crispy praline. The white chocolate ganache compliments the cake and raspberry jelly beautifully. I will buy this again definitely!


Sunday, July 24, 2016

Native American Fried Bread


This fried-bread looks very much like the Hungarian Lángos. However, the Hungarian version is leaven using yeast. While this Native American version uses baking powder ; which makes the process faster. Of course, there are difference in taste too.

For testing purposes, I have reduced the ingredients to a third of the original.

Native American Fried-Bread
via The Pioneer Woman

1 cup All-Purpose Flour
a pinch of salt
1 tsp Baking powder (slightly rounded tsp)
1/4 cup milk
water as needed
Lard or shortening , for frying (I used vegetable oil, will try lard the next round)
    Stir together flour, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl. Stir with a fork as you pour in the milk; keep stirring for a bit to get it to come together as much as possible. Add just enough water to get it to come together. Cover the bowl with a dish towel and let it sit for 35 to 45 minutes to rest.

    When you're ready to fry the bread, heat about 1 to 2 inches shortening/lard in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Grab a plum-sized piece of dough (or larger if you want larger fry bread) and press it into a circle with your fingers: place it on a clean surface and begin pressing in the center and work your way out, stretching it as you go.

    When the circle is about 4 to 7 inches (however big you want it) carefully drape it into the skillet. Allow it to fry on one side until golden brown, about 1 minute, then carefully flip it to the other side using tongs. Fry it for another 30 to 45 seconds.

    Remove the fry bread to a paper towel-lined plate and allow it to drain while you fry the other pieces.

    Serve warm!

    Monday, July 18, 2016

    Zucchini and Cheese Bites


    I have to say I'm one of those people that don't eat enough of zucchini .  The funny thing is I actually love zucchini but some how I only eat them when someone else had cooked them; which is not frequent.

    With this recipe I'll be buying and cooking them in my kitchen this summer and the coming ones. They are great for meatless days!

    Zucchini and Cheese Bites
    serves : 4
    source : No Salty
    note : video available on above link 

    Ingredients
    +/- 600gm Zucchini (I used more)
    1 tsp salt
    1 pinch of black pepper
    1 tsp garlic paste (used granulated garlic)
    1 large egg
    100gm grated cheese (used cheddar, will use a more intense cheese next round)
    4 Tbsp bread crumbs
    ++ sauté onion


    For breading
    3 Tbsp flour
    1 large egg
    5 Tbsp bread crumbs

    Method :
    1) Grate zucchini into a fairly large bowl. Sprinkle the salt all over. Let it sit for 15 mins.
    2) Strain away the liquid from zucchini as much as possible. Return grated zucchini to bowl.
    3) Put in black pepper, garlic paste, sauté onion, crack-in the egg, grated cheese and bread crumbs. Mix well. shape into a bite-size balls. and place on a plate.
    4) Coat each balls in this sequence first into flour, then egg and finish with a good coating of bread crumbs. shake of excess crumbs. Place on a plate. Repeat coating process until zucchini mixture is finished.
    5) Heat up the oil in frying pan. Fry until golden brown. Serve immediately.



    Wednesday, June 29, 2016

    Coleslaw


    I have never checked a coleslaw recipe before preparing this post just to compare my ingredient list with what is the norm. It's good to know it is not far off.

    Coleslaw

    Ingredients
    Equal quantity of Cabbage and Carrot, shredded or cubed
    Spring onion, slice thinly
    salt, to taste
    sugar, to taste
    ground black pepper
    Mayonnaise, to taste
    2 tsp of sour cream
    a little water

    Method :
    1) Rinse cabbage and carrot before shredding or cubing
    2) In a salad bowl, put in the thinly sliced spring onion follow by salt, sugar and ground black pepper
    3) Put in half the vegetables, drizzle with some mayonnaise and a teaspoon of sour cream. Place the remaining vegetables and again drizzle on some mayonnaise and another teaspoon of sour cream.
    4) Mix well and let it chill in the fridge for minimum 30 mins.


    Sunday, May 15, 2016

    Roasted Radish


    It is common to eat radish raw. However, in Chinese cuisine, radish is also cooked in soups and also sun-dried. I much preferred the taste of sun-dried radish than raw. Since I am not so adventurous to sun dry radishes myself, I tried roasting them in the oven. The results is quite similar to dried ones but with enhanced sweetness and milder peppery taste.

    Roasted Radish
    Radishes
    salt
    oil

    1) Pre-heat oven at 170˙c
    2) Slice radishes into rounds. Place on oven-proofed dish, drizzle with some cooking oil and sprinkle with salt.
    3) Bake for 30mins. until slightly brown.

    raw radishes

    Saturday, February 20, 2016

    Hungarian Fairy Cake { Tündérsüti }


    Hungarian Fairy Cake { Tündérsüti }
    recipe via Tundi Konyha

    Ingredients

    For the dough
    200gm Plain flour
    80gm Powdered or Confectioner's sugar
    100gm Butter, room temperature
    2 Egg yolks
    1 tsp Baking powder
    1 pkt vanilla sugar
    pinch of salt

    For the filling
    1 packet "puncs" / strawberry pudding powder
    200ml Cold Milk
    4 Tbsp sugar
    180gm Sour cream, room temperature (normally 20% fat, but I only had 12%)
    2 Egg whits
    Rum extract, to taste
    small drop of red food colouring

    Powdered sugar for dusting

    Method
    1) Pre-heat oven to 180°. Prep cake tin (17.5x23.5cm) by greasing and flouring it. Set aside.

    2) Make the dough by mixing  mixing flour, powdered sugar, baking powder and pinch of salt. Then add in butter by gently pinch butter into flour mixture until crumbly. Create a well in the centre of the bowl, pour in the egg yolks and gently knead into becoming a soft dough.

    3) Divide dough into 6:4 portions. Roll out the bigger dough to the size of the bottom of baking dish. Place in the baking dish. Place the baking dish in the fridge to let the dough rest. The smaller portion of dough, wrap in cling film and let it rest in the fridge too.

    4) While the dough is resting, prepare the filling. In a sauce pan , pour in cold milk, then slowly mix in the pudding powder and powdered sugar. Cook the pudding on stove top until thickens.

    5) When pudding has thickens, carefully mix in the sour cream. This process will easily split the mixture. What I did was, take a little of the hot pudding, and add into the sour cream and then pour the whole sour cream mixture into the  hot pudding and quickly whisk it to avoid splitting. Then put in the rum and red food colouring, mix well. Set aside

    6) In a bowl, beat egg whites until stiff. The slowly fold into pudding mixture.

    7) Take out the baking dish from the fridge, pour the filling over the dough base. Finally roll out the smaller portion dough, cut into strips and lay a criss cross pattern on top (see pic from recipe link above).

    8) Bake in the oven for 30-35 mins. until pudding is firm nad pastry is golden brown.

    Wednesday, February 03, 2016

    Chinese New Year Baking : Almond London Cookies

    Chinese New Year is once again around the corner (February 8th)! For this year, I thought aside from the staple pineapple tart, I should try my hand at another favourite cookies for the festival. When I saw a recipe for Almond London Cookies during my blog surfing, I knew I want to make these. These did not originate from London and I have no idea why this cookies exists in Malaysia. The cookie is basically a toasted almond wrapped with short cookie dough, bake lightly, then dipped into melted chocolate and finish off with a sprinkle of chopped/nibbed almonds.

    For step-by-step tutorial, please go to Nasi Lemak Lover.


    Almond London Cookies
    Source : Nasi Lemak Lover (linked above)


    150g whole almonds

    30g nibbed almonds




    170g butter (salted)

    60g icing sugar, sifted

    20g egg yolk (used 1 yolk)

    300g cake flour (used plain flour)


    300g chocolate

    Method

    1. Toast whole almonds in oven at 180°c for 13-15mins, and toast nibbed almonds at 180°c for 1-2mins. Set aside to let it cool completely before use.
    2. Cream butter and icing sugar till light and pale.
    3. Add in egg yolk, beat well to combine.
    4. Add in cake flour, mix until it come together to form soft dought. Do not over work it.
    5. To weight dough 6g each, wrap up a whole almond, and shape into oval shape.
    6. Bake cookies at 160°c (fan forced) for 15mins or until golden brown, set aside to cool completely.
    7. Melt chocolate over double boiler or microwave oven. Dip cookie in melted chocolate. Use a small fork, transfer coated cookie into a mini paper cup.
    8. Sprinkle some toasted nibbed almonds on top. Chill in the fridge (~10mins) to set the chocolate before storing in air-tight container. Store in cool place to prevent chocolate from melting.

    Saturday, August 20, 2016

    Hungary's Annual National Cake 2016

    photo : https://www.facebook.com/gregory.iron.photography/


    Every August 20th, Hungary introduces two new winning National cakes (one non-sugar option) on the occasion of her founding day by Saint Stephen. You can read more about the winners on Daily News Hungary.

    photo : cukrasz.net

    Each year we make a point to try the winning cake on the actual day of the introduction. The pumpkin seed cake white chocolate ganache (named “Green Gold of Őrség”) was unique. I liked the pumpkin seed flavour in the cake as well as in the crispy praline. The white chocolate ganache compliments the cake and raspberry jelly beautifully. I will buy this again definitely!


    Sunday, July 24, 2016

    Native American Fried Bread


    This fried-bread looks very much like the Hungarian Lángos. However, the Hungarian version is leaven using yeast. While this Native American version uses baking powder ; which makes the process faster. Of course, there are difference in taste too.

    For testing purposes, I have reduced the ingredients to a third of the original.

    Native American Fried-Bread
    via The Pioneer Woman

    1 cup All-Purpose Flour
    a pinch of salt
    1 tsp Baking powder (slightly rounded tsp)
    1/4 cup milk
    water as needed
    Lard or shortening , for frying (I used vegetable oil, will try lard the next round)
      Stir together flour, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl. Stir with a fork as you pour in the milk; keep stirring for a bit to get it to come together as much as possible. Add just enough water to get it to come together. Cover the bowl with a dish towel and let it sit for 35 to 45 minutes to rest.

      When you're ready to fry the bread, heat about 1 to 2 inches shortening/lard in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Grab a plum-sized piece of dough (or larger if you want larger fry bread) and press it into a circle with your fingers: place it on a clean surface and begin pressing in the center and work your way out, stretching it as you go.

      When the circle is about 4 to 7 inches (however big you want it) carefully drape it into the skillet. Allow it to fry on one side until golden brown, about 1 minute, then carefully flip it to the other side using tongs. Fry it for another 30 to 45 seconds.

      Remove the fry bread to a paper towel-lined plate and allow it to drain while you fry the other pieces.

      Serve warm!

      Monday, July 18, 2016

      Zucchini and Cheese Bites


      I have to say I'm one of those people that don't eat enough of zucchini .  The funny thing is I actually love zucchini but some how I only eat them when someone else had cooked them; which is not frequent.

      With this recipe I'll be buying and cooking them in my kitchen this summer and the coming ones. They are great for meatless days!

      Zucchini and Cheese Bites
      serves : 4
      source : No Salty
      note : video available on above link 

      Ingredients
      +/- 600gm Zucchini (I used more)
      1 tsp salt
      1 pinch of black pepper
      1 tsp garlic paste (used granulated garlic)
      1 large egg
      100gm grated cheese (used cheddar, will use a more intense cheese next round)
      4 Tbsp bread crumbs
      ++ sauté onion


      For breading
      3 Tbsp flour
      1 large egg
      5 Tbsp bread crumbs

      Method :
      1) Grate zucchini into a fairly large bowl. Sprinkle the salt all over. Let it sit for 15 mins.
      2) Strain away the liquid from zucchini as much as possible. Return grated zucchini to bowl.
      3) Put in black pepper, garlic paste, sauté onion, crack-in the egg, grated cheese and bread crumbs. Mix well. shape into a bite-size balls. and place on a plate.
      4) Coat each balls in this sequence first into flour, then egg and finish with a good coating of bread crumbs. shake of excess crumbs. Place on a plate. Repeat coating process until zucchini mixture is finished.
      5) Heat up the oil in frying pan. Fry until golden brown. Serve immediately.



      Wednesday, June 29, 2016

      Coleslaw


      I have never checked a coleslaw recipe before preparing this post just to compare my ingredient list with what is the norm. It's good to know it is not far off.

      Coleslaw

      Ingredients
      Equal quantity of Cabbage and Carrot, shredded or cubed
      Spring onion, slice thinly
      salt, to taste
      sugar, to taste
      ground black pepper
      Mayonnaise, to taste
      2 tsp of sour cream
      a little water

      Method :
      1) Rinse cabbage and carrot before shredding or cubing
      2) In a salad bowl, put in the thinly sliced spring onion follow by salt, sugar and ground black pepper
      3) Put in half the vegetables, drizzle with some mayonnaise and a teaspoon of sour cream. Place the remaining vegetables and again drizzle on some mayonnaise and another teaspoon of sour cream.
      4) Mix well and let it chill in the fridge for minimum 30 mins.


      Sunday, May 15, 2016

      Roasted Radish


      It is common to eat radish raw. However, in Chinese cuisine, radish is also cooked in soups and also sun-dried. I much preferred the taste of sun-dried radish than raw. Since I am not so adventurous to sun dry radishes myself, I tried roasting them in the oven. The results is quite similar to dried ones but with enhanced sweetness and milder peppery taste.

      Roasted Radish
      Radishes
      salt
      oil

      1) Pre-heat oven at 170˙c
      2) Slice radishes into rounds. Place on oven-proofed dish, drizzle with some cooking oil and sprinkle with salt.
      3) Bake for 30mins. until slightly brown.

      raw radishes

      Saturday, February 20, 2016

      Hungarian Fairy Cake { Tündérsüti }


      Hungarian Fairy Cake { Tündérsüti }
      recipe via Tundi Konyha

      Ingredients

      For the dough
      200gm Plain flour
      80gm Powdered or Confectioner's sugar
      100gm Butter, room temperature
      2 Egg yolks
      1 tsp Baking powder
      1 pkt vanilla sugar
      pinch of salt

      For the filling
      1 packet "puncs" / strawberry pudding powder
      200ml Cold Milk
      4 Tbsp sugar
      180gm Sour cream, room temperature (normally 20% fat, but I only had 12%)
      2 Egg whits
      Rum extract, to taste
      small drop of red food colouring

      Powdered sugar for dusting

      Method
      1) Pre-heat oven to 180°. Prep cake tin (17.5x23.5cm) by greasing and flouring it. Set aside.

      2) Make the dough by mixing  mixing flour, powdered sugar, baking powder and pinch of salt. Then add in butter by gently pinch butter into flour mixture until crumbly. Create a well in the centre of the bowl, pour in the egg yolks and gently knead into becoming a soft dough.

      3) Divide dough into 6:4 portions. Roll out the bigger dough to the size of the bottom of baking dish. Place in the baking dish. Place the baking dish in the fridge to let the dough rest. The smaller portion of dough, wrap in cling film and let it rest in the fridge too.

      4) While the dough is resting, prepare the filling. In a sauce pan , pour in cold milk, then slowly mix in the pudding powder and powdered sugar. Cook the pudding on stove top until thickens.

      5) When pudding has thickens, carefully mix in the sour cream. This process will easily split the mixture. What I did was, take a little of the hot pudding, and add into the sour cream and then pour the whole sour cream mixture into the  hot pudding and quickly whisk it to avoid splitting. Then put in the rum and red food colouring, mix well. Set aside

      6) In a bowl, beat egg whites until stiff. The slowly fold into pudding mixture.

      7) Take out the baking dish from the fridge, pour the filling over the dough base. Finally roll out the smaller portion dough, cut into strips and lay a criss cross pattern on top (see pic from recipe link above).

      8) Bake in the oven for 30-35 mins. until pudding is firm nad pastry is golden brown.

      Wednesday, February 03, 2016

      Chinese New Year Baking : Almond London Cookies

      Chinese New Year is once again around the corner (February 8th)! For this year, I thought aside from the staple pineapple tart, I should try my hand at another favourite cookies for the festival. When I saw a recipe for Almond London Cookies during my blog surfing, I knew I want to make these. These did not originate from London and I have no idea why this cookies exists in Malaysia. The cookie is basically a toasted almond wrapped with short cookie dough, bake lightly, then dipped into melted chocolate and finish off with a sprinkle of chopped/nibbed almonds.

      For step-by-step tutorial, please go to Nasi Lemak Lover.


      Almond London Cookies
      Source : Nasi Lemak Lover (linked above)


      150g whole almonds

      30g nibbed almonds




      170g butter (salted)

      60g icing sugar, sifted

      20g egg yolk (used 1 yolk)

      300g cake flour (used plain flour)


      300g chocolate

      Method

      1. Toast whole almonds in oven at 180°c for 13-15mins, and toast nibbed almonds at 180°c for 1-2mins. Set aside to let it cool completely before use.
      2. Cream butter and icing sugar till light and pale.
      3. Add in egg yolk, beat well to combine.
      4. Add in cake flour, mix until it come together to form soft dought. Do not over work it.
      5. To weight dough 6g each, wrap up a whole almond, and shape into oval shape.
      6. Bake cookies at 160°c (fan forced) for 15mins or until golden brown, set aside to cool completely.
      7. Melt chocolate over double boiler or microwave oven. Dip cookie in melted chocolate. Use a small fork, transfer coated cookie into a mini paper cup.
      8. Sprinkle some toasted nibbed almonds on top. Chill in the fridge (~10mins) to set the chocolate before storing in air-tight container. Store in cool place to prevent chocolate from melting.