Almond Nestum Cookies coated in Dark Chocolate

~Makes 200 cookies
250g unsalted butter
150g caster sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4teaspoon salt
300g superfine plain flour (regular plain flour will do as well)
150g corn flour
50g nestum,crushed to very fine almost powder like (you can use crushed corn flakes as well if you don't have nestum)
1 teaspoon baking powder

750g - 1kg dark chocolate,melted
300g whole almonds
50g almond nibs,to sprinkle on top

1. Preheat oven to 180 C
2. Beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
3. Add in the egg & vanilla extract and mix thoroughly 
4. In a different bowl mix all dry ingredients together.
5. Add the dry ingredients into the butter mixture using a spoon carefully.
6. Mix until well combined.
7. Make a small ball dough and slightly flatten the surface. Add an almond in the centre and roll the dough making sure the almond is fully wrapped up in the dough. The dough should be oblong and carefully place the dough in a paper cup.
8. Bake for 20-30 minutes or until completely baked.
9. Allow the cookies to cool completely.
10. Melt chocolate over a double boiler or microwave (in lowest setting).
11. Slowly over cookies with chocolates using a clean spoon.
12. Sprinkle some almond nibs on top immediately as the chocolate is being poured over the cookies.
13. Allow to dry completely before placing it in an air-tight container.

Boysenberries Friand

I know it's been ages since I updated my blog! I have been so busy with assignments and last weekend I went for my first ever diving lesson. It was scary because the water was freezing and inhaling and exhaling only through your mouth was something so unusual. I have been baking over the few weeks that I have been missing but they didn't look pretty to blog about but they were delicious no doubt. I will try to make them again when I am back in Malaysia in June and blog about it. At the moment I am tied down with uni work that I have no time for anything including blogging. It's my final semester and I can't wait to graduate! Anyway yesterday I went over to my aunt's place to do some baking because I don't have a stand mixer here at mum's place. Macarons has been on my bake list since I bought the Mastrad macaron sheets from Victoria Basement for only $ 17! That's a steal! I bought both sizes, the regular small ridges one and the larger size ones suitable for Isphan macarons.Will blog about them and the other things I bought from VB and Kitchenware Direct.com

Taken from Bisous et Toi but slightly adapted.

6 egg whites

155g unsalted butter, melted

2tbsp milk, I used double cream

180g almond meal

240g home-made vanilla icing sugar,sifted ( original recipe is 240 g icing sugar + 1 tsp vanilla extract)

75g self raising flour

12-15 frozen boysenberries or whatever berries you prefer. If small berries you will need more.

almonds for sprinkling on top

vanilla dusting sugar for topping

1. Preheat oven at 180 C. Grease friand moulds generously with butter.
2. Place egg whites in mixing bowl and whisk until frothy. Add cream/milk, melted butter, extract if using, sifted vanilla icing sugar, almond meal and flour, mix until combined. Scoop batter into individual pan until the mould is filled 3/4 full, top with berries then sprinkle with almond flakes generously.
3. Bake for 12-15 mins, remove from oven, let it cool before removing from the moulds carefully.


4. Dust with dusting sugar before serving.

Pear Frangipane Pudding with fresh passionfruit pulp

Poached Pears

1 large brown pear,peeled,cored and cut into 5 medium chunks

1 cup water

1/3 cup caster sugar

1/4tsp vanilla extract

1 tbsp lemon juice

Frangipane

100g butter,softened

100g caster sugar

2 large eggs

100g almond meal (ground almonds)

50g self raising flour

1/4 tsp vanilla extract

2 tbsp poached pear syrup

pulp of 3-4 passion fruits,to serve (If you buy canned passion pulp,make sure it's not sweetened.

Prepare poached pears :

• Place sugar,water,vanilla extract and lemon juice in saucepan over medium heat.Let sugar dissolve. Add pear chunks,making sure the syrup covers the pears. Let it simmer for 15mins or until pears are just tender.

Prepare Frangipane :

• Preheat oven at 150C.Place an oven proof container at the bottom of the oven.
• Line 5 ramekins with butter.
• Cream butter, sugar and vanilla extract until creamy.
• Add one egg at a time. Mix batter until well combined.
  
• Add almond meal and flour and mix till combined.
• Lastly add the poached pear syrup.
• Scoop frangipane mixture in ramekins to about 3/4 of the ramekin capacity.
• Place one poached on top of the frangipane.
  


• Steam bake the pudding for about 20-30 minutes. Check pudding at the 20th minute making sure you don't over bake your pudding.
• Cut the middle of the pudding and place passion pulp in the middle. Dust with vanilla bean sugar. Serve warm.

Rich Sugee Cake

Been looking for a really rich moist sugee(semolina) cake. Wasn't quite sure how to make a sugee cake besides my maternal grandmother's christmas sugee cake which my aunty used to make for Christmas every year when I was younger. The basic rule to a nice moist buttery sugee cake was one - the quality of butter NOT margarine & two - the semolina needs to be 'soaked' in butter and brandy (or other flavours) for a few hours, preferably over night. Anyways this is my version of a rich moist sugee cake.=)

Part A

250g butter, softened

1 teaspoon brandy essence

175g semolina flour

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Part B

5 eggs

225g caster sugar

Part C

80g cashew nuts

150g almond meal

2 tablespoons self raising flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1tablespoon honey

100ml double cream

1.Line a square tin with GladBake with double lining to avoid the sides from being burnt.

2.Beat butter until light and fluffy then add semolina flour, brandy essence and vanilla extract.Leave it to sit for a few hours or overnight.

3.Preheat oven 150 Celsius.

4.Beat eggs and sugar until you get a thick pale creamy consistency (ribbon stage). Bubbles should appear.

5.Cream the butter,semolina,brandy essence and vanilla extract mixture until fluffy.

6.Add egg and sugar mixture to the butter semolina mixture and fold gently.

7.Add cashew nuts ,almond meal and baking powder to the Part A and Part B mixture, continue

to fold the mixture, do not over beat.

8.Lastly add double cream and honey to the mixture.

9.Transfer batter to prepared tin and bake for an hour or until baked.(golden brown)