Pandan Meringue Drop

Meringue is always my favourite cookie, I always wonder how that delicious cookie made, I was searching a recipe for cake and found this accidentaly, I gave my self a try and..VOILA...it didnt fail!!! YAY!!

Pandan Meringue Drops

Ingredients:
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup water
2 large egg whites
1/4 teaspoon salt

Method:

In a metal bowl set over a pan of simmering water whisk together frosting ingredients until mixture is warm and sugar is dissolved. With a portable electric mixer on high beat frosting 6 to 7 minutes, or until thick and fluffy. Remove bowl from heat and beat frosting until cooled slightly (I let it cool completely)

Transfer meringue to a pastry bag fitted with tip (I usea 1/2-inch star tip) , then dab some meringue under corners of parchment on all baking sheets to secure to sheets. Pipe 1-inch-wide stars (1 inch high) about 1/2 inch apart.

Bake 300F about 25min (middle rack), turn the oven off and let meringue cool in the oven

Note :  For this meringue I didn’t use cream of tartar but I still like the result. Also some recipe said to bake in 200F for 1 1/2 to 2 hours and you have to switching position of upper and lower sheets halfway through baking, until dry, crisp, and firm. I found out that is really complicated so I’m thinking just to use this recipe and bake the way I did J

Macadamia Coconut Cake

I was thinking to make special cake for hubby's birthday, something different but yet good. One of my good friend told me about this site www.epicurious.com. Google it and found this recipe. What I like the most about this cake is the filling, it is really good and the icing that made from egg white. I'll keep this recipe and will try to make it again sometime :)

Ingdredients
For cake

• 3/4 stick (6 tablespoons) unsalted butter, softened
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 1/4 cups cake flour (not self-rising)
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 3 large egg whites

For filling

• 1/3 cup plus 3 tablespoons sugar
• 3/4 cup macadamia nuts
• 3 large egg yolks
• 3/4 cup milk
• 2 tablespoons cornstarch
• 3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/4 cup chilled heavy cream

For frosting

• 1 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup water
• 2 large egg whites
• 1/4 teaspoon salt

• 1 cup sweetened shredded coconut for coating cake
• macadamia nuts brushed with honey for garnish

Preparation

Make cake:
Preheat oven to 350°F. Line bottom of a buttered 9-by-2 inch round cake or springform pan with a round of wax paper and butter paper. Dust pan with flour, knocking out excess.

In a bowl with an electric mixer cream butter with 2/3 cup sugar until light and fluffy. Onto a sheet of wax paper sift together flour, baking powder, and salt. Stir flour into butter mixture alternately with milk in batches, beginning and ending with flour. Stir in vanilla and blend batter until just combined well.

In another bowl with clean beaters beat egg whites until they hold soft peaks. Beat in remaining 1/3 cup sugar gradually and beat meringue until it holds stiff peaks. Stir one fourth meringue into batter to lighten and fold in remaining meringue gently but thoroughly.

Spread batter evenly in prepared pan and bake in middle of oven 30 to 35 minutes, or until cake begins to pull away from side of pan and a tester comes out clean. Cool cake in pan on a rack 10 minutes. Invert cake onto rack and cool completely. Cake may be made 1 day ahead and kept at room temperature, tightly wrapped.

Make filling:
In a dry heavy skillet cook 1/3 cup sugar over moderate heat, undisturbed, until it begins to melt. Cook, stirring with a fork, until melted completely and a light caramel. Add macadamia nuts and cook, stirring, until nuts are coated well and caramel is deep golden. Pour praline onto a sheet of foil and cool completely. Break praline into pieces and in a food processor grind fine. (Do not purée to a paste.)

In a small saucepan whisk together remaining 3 tablespoons sugar, egg yolks, milk, and cornstarch. Bring pastry cream to a boil over moderate heat, whisking, and cook over low heat, whisking constantly, 2 minutes. Whisk in vanilla. Transfer pastry cream to a bowl and chill until cold, its surface covered with plastic wrap. (Pastry cream will be very stiff.)

In a bowl beat heavy cream until it just holds stiff peaks. Whisk pastry cream to loosen and whisk in praline. Fold in whipped cream and chill while making frosting.

Make frosting:
In a metal bowl set over a pan of simmering water whisk together frosting ingredients until mixture is warm and sugar is dissolved. With a portable electric mixer on high beat frosting 6 to 7 minutes, or until thick and fluffy. Remove bowl from heat and beat frosting until cooled slightly.

Assemble cake:
With a long serrated knife cut cake horizontally into 3 layers. Spread filling between layers on a cake plate and spread cake with frosting. Coat cake with coconut. Cake may be made 6 hours ahead and chilled, covered loosely. Garnish cake with macadamia nuts.

 

Strawberry Gelato

Strawberry Gelato Recipe – Gelato di Fragola

Ingredients

• 1 lb. fresh strawberries
• 12 oz. granulated sugar, about 1.5 cups
• 1.5 cup cold whipping cream
• 1.5 cup cold water
• dash of lemon juice (only if fruit isn’t “bright” enough)

Directions

1. Clean and cut washed berries into quarters, or just smaller pieces.
2. Put berries, sugar and water into a blender or food processor and blend until liquid and smooth. (This is also where you’ll add lemon juice if necessary.)
3. Whip the cream until slightly thickened – like the consistency of buttermilk.
4. Combine the cream with the strawberry mixture and mix thoroughly until blended.
5. The mixture will lose a little of its sweetness when it goes through the freezing process, so if the finished product seems a bit too sweet to you, that’s a good thing.
6. Freeze as indicated by the manufacturer of your ice cream maker.

Note : I don't have ice cream maker, so I just put all ingridients on my magic bullet and store in a freezer, check after 30 min, stir using spatula..store back into freezer and check again after an hour.

SOURCE : http://www.italylogue.com/food-drink/strawberry-gelato-recipe.html

Garlic Chicken

Oneday my good friend told me about garlic chicken she made for her dinner. It's sound delicious but I thought it will be hard to make..nope, I was wrong. This is very simple chicken dish I've ever known. I bake thi garlic chicken many times now and still is our favorite dish.

1 Whole chicken
1 Bulk of garlic
2 Tbsp. salt.
Pepper

Mashed garlic,salt and pepper together. In a bowl rubbed the garlic mixture all over the chicken, inside,outside, under skin, just make sure they have enough marinade. Cover the bowl with a plastic wrap and leave it in a refrigirator all night. Bake in 400F for about 2 hr. If the chicken brown enough after 1 hour lower the tempt to 375F.

Note : To bake the chicken,  I'm using beer can holder for making beer can chicken so the chicken can stand instead  (of course I don't use beer at all on my recipe)

Chicken Pot Pie

It has been awhile since I make chicken pot pie for our dinner. So I think tonight is the night lol...anyway, for the pastry I always use Tyler Florence from Tyler Ultimate recipe. I’ve been using this pastry recipe since the first time I learned cooking and I like it. It is good and easy to follow. But the filling, I just make my own simple recipe by using secret ingredient (condensed soup cream of chicken), my friends, my husband and now my daughter love it and they think it is delicious

Chicken Pot Pie

Pastry recipe

Ingredients

2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for rolling

3 tablespoons sugar

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 lemon, zested and finely grated

3/4 cup (1 1/2 stick) cold, unsalted butter, cut into small chunks

1 egg yolk

2 tablespoons ice water, plus more if needed

Directions

Combine the flour, sugar, salt, and lemon zest in a large mixing bowl. Add the butter and mix with a pastry blender or your fingers until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Add the egg yolk and ice water and work that in with your hands. (Or do the whole thing in a food processor, pulsing a couple of times to combine the dry ingredients, and then pulsing in the butter, and then the egg.) Check the consistency of the dough by squeezing a small amount together between thumb and forefingers: You want there to be just enough moisture to bind the dough so that it holds together without being too wet or sticky. If it's still crumbly, add a little more ice water, 1 teaspoon at a time. When you get it to the right consistency, shape the dough into a disk, cut a half and wrap it in plastic. Put it in the refrigerator and chill for at least 30 minutes.

For filling

3 Boneless skinless chicken breast or leftover chicken

1 Can (10,75oz.) condensed soup cream of chicken

1 Bag (12 oz.) Frozen vegetable (peas and carrots)

Direction

Dice the chicken and cooked until no longer pink, add frozen vegetable and let it cook for a couple of minute and add the soup. Cook more until heated through. Set aside

Meanwhile, on a lightly floured surface, use your hand to slightly flatten 1 dough ball. Roll dough from center to edges into a circle 12 in in diameter.

Banana Cupcakes

Ingredients:

½ Cup shortening

1 ½ Cups sugar

2 Eggs

1 Tsp. vanilla extract

1 Cup mashed ripe banana

¼ Cup buttermilk

2 Cups all-purpose flour

1 Tsp. baking powder

¾ Tsp. baking soda

½ Tsp. salt

Frosting:

½ Cup butter or margarine, softened

2 ½ Cups confectioners’ sugar

3 Tbs. milk

½ Cup mashed banana

Directions

1.     In a large mixing bowl, cream shortening and sugar. Add the eggs, vanilla, bananas and buttermilk. Combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt; add to banana mixture. Fill 18 paper-lined muffin cups two-thirds full.

2.     Bake at 350F for 15-20minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Remove to wire racks to cool completely. In a small bowl, cream the butter, sugar and enough milk in achieve desired spreading consistency. Frost cupcakes

Note: I add mashed banana to the frosting is to have more banana flavor and reduce the sweetness from sugar

courtesy of allrecipes.com

Macaroni Shotel

My mother cooked really good macaroni schotel, wish I can call and ask her recipe but of course I can’t (she passed away long time ago). So I try to remember what did she put in it, well, It’s not exactly like her but I think it’s as good as hers J so enjoy this easy recipe..

Macaroni Schotel

Ingredients

1 Box (16 oz.) elbow macaroni, cook as direction

2 Boneless skinless chicken breast, chopped

1 Bag (12 oz.) frozen vegetable (I use carrots and peas)

3 Cups Italian style shredded cheese or you can substitute with any cheese you like

¼ tsp. nutmeg

¼ tsp. pepper

1Tbs ground chicken bullion

3 Eggs

½ Cup flour

2 Cups milk

1 Medium onion, chopped
Parmesan cheese (optional)

Directions:

1.       Cook noodle as direction on the box and set aside

2.       Cook onion and chicken until the onion until tender-crisp and chicken is no longer red

3.       Add vegetable, nutmeg, pepper, bullion, cook little bit longer and add flour. Cook 5 more minute

4.       Add noodle and cheese, meanwhile mixed eggs and milk and pour on the noodle mixture

5.       Pour the noodle mixture onto prepared pan, sprinkle with parmesan and bake 325F for 45 min