Vanilla Cupcakes

This is a simple vanilla cupcake that you can jazz it up with vanilla, chocolate or lime buttercream or simply any toppings to your fancy.

For me, this cupcake is good enough to eat it on its own and my 3 years old son readily agrees with me hahahahah. I don't really fancy buttercream with except if it is swiss meringue buttercream as that taste a lot lighter than regular buttercream. Just the thoughts of buttercream already add kilos to my waistline! hahahaha

Vanilla Cupcakes

Makes 12 regular or 36 mini cupcakes

Ingredients

110g Unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
225g Caster Sugar (golden caster would be better)
2 Large Eggs
150g Self-Raising Flour, sifted
125g Plain Flour, sifted
120ml Non-fat milk or skimmed Milk, at room temperature
1 tsp Vanilla Extract

Method

1. Preheat oven to 175°C. Line the cupcake tray with cupcake cases.
   
2. Using the paddle attachment, cream butter & sugar until the mixture is pale & smooth.
   
3. Add eggs, one at a time, mixing for a few minutes after each addition.
   
4. Combine the 2 flours in a separate bowl.
   
5. Add the Vanilla Extract to the Milk.
   
6. Add 1/3 of the flours to the creamed mixture & beat well.
   
7. Pour in 1/3 of the milk and beat again.
   
8. Repeat these steps until all the flour & milk have been added.
   
9. Carefully spoon the mixture into the cupcake cases, filling them to about 2/3 full.
   
10. Bake for 25 mins (regular size) or 15 mins (mini size) until slightly raised, golden brown & skewer come out clean.
    
11. Remove from the oven & leave the cupcakes in their tins for about 10 mins before placing them on wire rack to cool.
    
12. Once they're compeletly cool, frost the cupcake with your choice of buttercream or toppings or just eat them plain! :)
    

Minced Chicken with Salted Mustard & Tomatoes

Servces 3 Paxs

Ingredients:

280g Salted mustard (kiam chye), finely sliced
4 tbsp Cooking oil
2 tsp Ginger, peeled and finely shredded
1 tsp Garlic, peeled and pounded

1 tsp Yellow bean paste (taucheo)

200g Minced Chicken

2 tsp Sugar

115ml (1/2 cup) Water

2 Tomatoes, cut into wedges

½ Chicken stock cube

Method

1. Soak salted mustard in water for 5 minutes. Drain and squeeze to remove excess water. Set aside.
   
2. Heat 1 tbsp cooking oil in a wok and stir-fry the mustard until limp, about 3-4 minutes. Set aside.
   
3. In the same pan, heat the rest of the oil and lightly brown the ginger and garlic.
   
4. Add the yellow bean paste, minced chicken , sugar and half of the water and fry until fragrant.
   
5. Add the mustard, tomatoes, the rest of the water and the chicken stock cube and cook over low heat for 20mins.
   
6. Add a little water if gravy dries up too much
   
7. Transfer to a dish and serve

Bryan's 2nd Birthday

My baby is growing up so fast that sometimes I wish I could just have a "pause" button somewhere ;)

Bryan will be 2 years old this year and as usual, I had already started to shortlist some cartoon charactes that he has been toying with during this year. Here are the shortlist:

1. Double Decker Bus
2. Pororo
3. Barney

Guess what, he gave me a really tough challenge suddenly. "Mummy, I want a fan birthday cake, must be able to spin ok?"I was like "Ok baby" and in my mind I was doing this " OH NO!!! how to make a fan can plus get it to spin!" You can sense the panic in me from miles away!

I was discussing with hubby the other day and he was like " Oh, not a problem, I can cad that on my autocad and you can just cut the cake out using the fan template" . I had to give a huge hug to my dear genius hubby for solving the design issue! hahahahaah I just need to place it on the cake turn table and that solved my spinning issues as well ! Yippee!!

So that comes down to what flavour cake. Bryan immediately piped " chocolate banana cake mummy" ...so all was settled :)

This year was quite an easy task as most of the design and cake flavours were selected with ease.

I began making the cake and cupcakes one day before his birthday and this is our end results :)

Ice cream cone cupcake surprise - the cone rim is welded with hazelnuttella and dark chocolate cereal balls. Underneath the upturned muffin is a treasure trove of candies - mixed M&Ms and japanese jelly chocolate beans. Topping it all is a swirl of nutella, sprinkles of rainbow rice and a marshmellow flower.

Nice & Easy Banana Cake

This is a really simple and yummy banana cake. I made some of these to share with my colleagues and they really like it and many kept asking me for the recipe.

This recipe can be made into regular size cupcakes or mini cupcakes. My 3 years old son loves them in mini size and he can easily finished 5 minis at a go!

Ingredient

180g Salted Butter
180g Caster Sugar
2 Eggs
4 Ripe Bananas, coarsely mashed to get 1 cup
1/8 tsp Banana Essence (Optional)
3 tbsps Milk mixed with
1 tbsp Lemon Juice

(A) Sieve together
240g Plain Flour
1 tsp Baking Powder
1 tsp Baking Soda

Decorations
2 Ripe Bananas, Sliced
1/2 Lime

Method

1. Preheat oven to 180°C. Grease & lined a 25cm x 15cm / 10" x 6 " loaft tin or prepare cupcake pan with liners.
   
2. Cream butter & caster suger till light & fluffy.
   
3. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition
   
4. Mix in mashed bananas, banana essence, sour milk and (A) till well combined. Do not over mix.
   
5. Pour into a greased loaft tin or paper cups if you're making cupcakes.
   
6. Squeeze lime juice over banana slices and arrange it on top of the cake / cupcake as decoration
   
7. For loaft cake & regular size cupcakes, bake for about 15-25 minutes till cooked, golden brown & skewer comes out clean.
   
8. For mini cupcakes, bake for about 10-15 mins until skewer comes out clean.
   
9. Remove cake from the oven & leave to cool before serving

Mummy's Pork Chop

This is an all time childhood favourite dish that my mum would whipped up to ensure that I take my meat! I never really fancy meat since I was a child as I could not tolerate the meaty smell and would vomit if the meat is not well marinated.

I really have to thank my mum for loving me so much that she will constantly whipped up delicious meals with nicely marinated meat so that I can get to have my regular intake of meat proteins.

Everytime I cooked this dish, my love for my mum deepens even further. She was my best friend and my mum and I really missed her so much. I wish my son could have the chance to meet his wonderful grandmother. I'm sure my mum will be whipping up fantastic dishes for my son too if she is still around. I miss you mummy.

Mummy's Pork Chop
Serves 3 (if this is your only dish)


Ingredients

2 pkts Pork Loin, sliced
2 Potatoes, cut into small pieces
1 Large yellow Onion, thinly sliced
1 cup Mixed Peas
3 tbsps Ketchup
1 tbsp Oyster Sauce
1 bowl Water
20pieces Cream Crackers, grounded into powder
Salt to taste

Marinate for Pork (please marinate for at least 4 hours prior to cooking)

1 Egg
3 - 4 tbsps Light soya sauce
Salt & Pepper to taste


1st Step

• Sliced the pork to about 0.5cm thick and pound the meat with a meat mallet or the back of the knife to tenderise the meat.
  
• The meat will spread out quite a bit after the hammering :)
  
• Once this is done, marinate all the pork slices and seal the bowl with saran wrap and put it into the fridge.

Putting the dish together

1. Heat the wok with oil and deep fry Potatoes till golden brown. Scope it out and leave it on paper towel to drain off excess oil.
   
2. Next, coat the marinated pork slices with the grounded cream cracker powder.
   
3. Once it is evenly coated, deep fry in the same oil. Continue the process until all the pork slices are done.
   
4. Leave the pork slices on paper towel to drain off excess oil. Once cool, cut into 1.5cm strips.
   
5. Pour the oil away and wash the wok.
   
6. Heat some oil in the cleaned wok and start by frying the sliced Onions till fragrant.
   
7. Next, pour in the cup of mixed pea and stir for 1 min.
   
8. Add ketchup and continue frying for another min. Add in the bowl of water.
   
9. Continue stirring for about 2 mins, add the oyster sauce and some salt to taste. Do not add too much salt at this point as the pork chop may be salty.
   
10. Once the sauce starts to bubble, add in the potatoes and the pork chops
    
11. Now you can taste the sauce and if it is still too bland, you can add salt or more oyster sauce to your taste.
    
12. Cover the wok and let it simmer for 1 min just to get the flavour into the pork
    
13. If you want more sauce, you can add more water.
    
14. Serve with rice.
    

Claypot Chicken Rice (Maxwell Market Style)

Claypot Chicken Rice
(pre-soaked the claypot overnight so as to avoid cracking the pot)

Ingredients

1/2 Chicken, chopped into bite size pieces
1 piece Salted Fish (Ikan Kurau), slice thinly
Cooked Rice (for 3 paxs)
5 pcs Sliced ginger (smashed with back of knife to release flavour)
1 pc Chinese XO Sausages, (boil first to loosen skin, peel skin away)
5 pcs Shitake mushrooms, soak & cut into halves
5 pcs Chinese Chestnuts, halves (optional)
5 large Button mushrooms
Dark Soya Sauce (to add to rice later)

Marinates for Chicken pieces (Marinate overnight in the fridge)
2 tbsps Oyster sauce
3 tsps Soya sauce
1 tbsp Chinese Shao Xin Wine
1 tbsp Seasame oil
2 tbsps Grated ginger
Grated Ginger juice
Pince of sugar
Pince of salt

Method

1. Fry salted fish pieces until golden brown & crispy. Set aside.
   
2. Using the oil from the salted fish, add sesame oil, ginger, Chinese XO sausages and fry for a while, add shitake mushrooms & button mushrooms. Fry till fragrant, about 5 mins.
   
3. Add cooked rice and fry until it is thoroughly coated with the oil.
   
4. Scoop the cooked rice and transfer it into the claypot.
   
5. Put in chicken pieces & some pre-fried salted fish on top of the rice in the claypot. Cook for 20 mins or until chicken is thoroughly cooked.
   
6. Serve the rice with good quality dark soya sauce.
   
7. Provide more crispy salted fish for top ups.

Parmesan Crusted Chicken with Mashed Potatoes

Parmesan Crusted Chicken with Mashed Potatoes
Serves 2 Kids

Ingredients

(A)
210g Breadcrumbs
50g Butter, melted
40g Grated Parmesan

(B)

600g Chicken Breast Fillet, sliced in half horizontally
150g All Purpose Flour
2 Eggs, lightly beaten

(C)
150g French Beans, blanched & sliced , set aside

Mashed Potatoes

800g Potatoes, peeled & chopped
60ml Milk
25g Butter, melted
60g Grated Chedder Cheese

Method

Preheat oven to 200 C

Place (A) in a bowl and mix to combine. Set aside

Coat the chicken in flour, dip into the egg & press intot he breadcrumb mixture.

Place the coated chicken pieces on a lightly greased baking tray.

Bake for 15 mins or until cooked through & golden.

While the chicken is cooking, make the mash.

Place the Potatoes in a pan of cold salted water. Bring to the boil & cook for 15-20mins or until tender.

DRain & return potatoes into the pan

Add butter & milk to mash till you get a smooth consistency.

Stir through the cheese.

Arrange the chicken on top of the mash and french beans & serve.