This is the dessert I made when G’s uncle came to visit. The citrus pudding was a great way to end dinner after a hearty meaty meatloaf.

On a totally unrelated matter, my best friend got married last Saturday. Carrie and I have known each other for half our lives. But it’s not just about knowing someone for a long time that makes it special, its the fact that we trust each other and depend on one another to keep the most secrets of secrets; talk about anything under the sun and moon; shared dreams, tears; talked about boys and now, our husbands.

Carrie is this sunny personality that believes in the best of people. She’s like a cute little cartoon character, with big go-go eyes that eats anything placed in front of her but never grows fat. Which makes it easy to dislike her but you just can’t bring yourself to, because… well, she’s too darn nice. Her superhuman powers are to kill everything in her way with niceness and cuteness.

To have seen her ‘all-grown up’ in a beautiful dress and even more beautiful smile – just makes me so soo soooo happy. It’s like seeing your kid sister get married. Golllly was I proud. I’ve been asked not to put photos up on Facebook but this isn’t FB is it? Muahaha…

Alright, I better stop at the one then. I did say our relationship is bind by trust. Still, *sniff* I am so proud.

Citrus Delicious Pudding (serves 6)
——————————————————————————
(adapted from Donna Hay #Issue 45)

Ingredients:

• 90g butter, softened
• 1 1/2 cups (330g) caster sugar
• 1 1/2 cups (375ml) milk
• 3 eggs
• juice of one lemon
• zest of one orange
• 1/2 cup (75g) plain flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• icing sugar for dusting

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 180°C (355°F).
2. Place butter, sugar, milk, eggs, lemon juice, flour, baking powder and orange zest in a food processor bowl and process until smooth (I just used a blender).
3. Pour into a lightly greased ovenproof dish and bake for 1 hour or until golden.
4. When pudding is cool, dust with icing sugar.
5. Serve with cream or ice-cream if you prefer.

I look forward to Saturdays. Saturdays are reserved for getting the weekly groceries. Last week  the supermarket had figs on special. Hmmm… Specials. I love Specials, the Chinese in me just can’t help it.

We have been jet-setting in February (which is why it has been so quiet around here lately). So to kick-start things, I’m posting a recipe on, surprise… figs! I have never cooked figs. One of the greatest pleasures of food blogging is to try something that I’ve never used before and this is such a opportunity.

I was tossing up between fig clafoutis and double chocolate fig slice but couldn’t decide. Instead of fighting over the two, I devoted my Friday afternoon to making both. Unfortunately my clafoutis volcano-ed and is quite un-bloggable so I’m glad that there is a backup.

Double Chocolate Fig Slice ( serves 8 )
—————————————————————-

Ingredients

• 200g dark chocolate, broken into pieces
• 150g butter, cubed
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon caster sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 eggs, whisked
• 250g fresh figs, finely chopped
• 1 cup self-raising flour
• 1/4 cup cocoa powder
• 1 tablespoon Kahlua (optional)

Method

1. Preheat oven to 180°C. Line base and sides of 4.5cm-deep, 18cm (base) square cake pan with baking paper, leaving a 2cm overhang on 2 sides.
2. Place chocolate and butter in a heatproof bowl. Put the bowl over a pot of hot water, be sure the bottom of the bowl doesn’t touch the hot water. Stir the chocolate mix constantly until melted and smooth. Set aside to cool for 5 minutes.
3. Stir egg and fig into chocolate mixture.
4. Sift flour and cocoa over mixture. Stir until well combined.
5. Spread chocolate mixture into prepared pan.
6. Bake for 25 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out slightly sticky. Slice should be set and have a crust, but still be a little soft inside.
7. To serve, heat in the microwave on Medium for 1 to 2 minutes. Serve with whipped cream.

Having spent most of my life in a non-seasonal country, I’m fascinated by the way things grow in a timely manner in Australia. The last of the blood plums are picked but the green apples are just starting to ripen.

I like to think that it’s a little bit like life, no?

With science these days, we can cheat a little bit. For instance, our regular green grocer commented how we can get strawberries any time of the year now. But the flavours are never as good when it becomes naturally in season. I’m re-reading Mirelle Guiliano’s French Women Don’t Get Fat. It was from her book I understood how food is to be consciously enjoyed, relished and tasted. I am guilty of gluttony. But this book reminds me to stop and taste food as God made it, in its most natural form; experience food with all my senses – sight, sound, taste, touch and smell.

I leave for KL this Sunday. February will be a very busy month for me. Family to hug. Kids to tickle. Friends to see. New family to introduce. Food to enjoy… in moderation.

I cannot wait.

Plum Galette (serves 6)

Filling:

• 1 kg of plums, cut into quarters, pits removed
• 200g strawberries
• 125g blackberries
• 2 tbsp Cointreau
• 1 tbsp cornflour
• 3 tbsp dark brown sugar

Pastry

• 1 cup whole wheat flour
• 3/4 cup plain flour
• 1/2 cup caster sugar
• 200g slightly salted butter, chilled and cut into small pieces

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 200°C or 400°F. Line a baking tray with baking paper.
2. To make pastry, combine flour, sugar, butter in a food processor. Pulse until dough resembles crumbs.
3. Use your fingers and knead until smooth. Add some ice water (one tablespoon at a time) if mixture is too dry.
4. Wrap dough in a plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
5. Place the dough on prepared baking tray and roll with rolling pin to 1 centimetre thick.
6. Prepare filling. Toss fruits in a bowl with sugar, flour and alcohol (optional).
7. Spoon filling onto the centre of the pastry and spread it out evenly, leaving 3/4 inch around the edges.
8. Fold over. Sprinkle with extra sugar on top and bake for 35 – 40 minutes.

Serve with cream, ice cream or natural yogurt.

I call this the 'Twilight Cheese Tart'

A girl friend and I were checking out old school and uni photos yesterday, some dated to more than 10 years ago. We were amazed at how baby-faced some of us looked and how some have simply ‘transformed’ themselves. We talked about the old days and how we have grown over the years.

A mutual friend of us diagnosed to having the ‘thirtiesitis’.

I’ll be turning thirty this year and it maybe a bad word to some but to me, it is a natural progression of age. I am even excited to what my thirties will bring. I guess, we’ve all heard proclamations like ‘Ohmygawd, I’m thirty and I’m not married/ don’t have a career/ not having babies/ haven’t got properties/ written a book’ etc.It is as if being thirty stops the process of achieving. As though it’s the end of life.

Funnily enough, I view it as, ‘Ooohh, what else can I do this decade?’

I am more comfortable with my self. I like me better. I know what I like and what I don’t. I know what is good for me and what isn’t (smoking, bad boyfriends, sneaking out at night, drugs, rebellion). I’ve learn to accept things for what they are (rain on your parade, late appointments, traffic jams) and say, ‘well, it is what it is’. And of course, I make mistakes. Tons! But so what? I learn from them and I move on.

Twenties to me was such a confusing, wild time and I am grateful for it. Because if I hadn’t gone through that I wouldn’t be me. I wouldn’t know better.

So, to all my friends who are turning 30 and fabulous (and those who are already 30-ish) Enjoy! Kick off your high heeled shoes, let your hair down and sip some champagne. You are so beautiful and more!

I dedicate this post to: Yanti, Gillian, Juleen, Jo, Mrs. McRae and Chics – here’s to another damn good decade together!

Continental Lemon Cheese Tart with Stewed Plums
(adapted from Women’s Weekly Cupcakes, Cheesecakes, Cookies)

Ingredients:

• 250g butternut snap biscuits (or plain digestives if you can’t find those in your local supermarket)
• 50g flaked almonds
• 125g butter, melted

Filling:

• 2 tsp gelatine
• 2 tbsp water
• 250g cream cheese, softened
• 1/3 cup (75g) caster sugar
• 1/4 cup (90g) golden syrup
• 300ml thickened cream, whipped
• 1 tbsp grated rind of a lemon*
• juice of 1 lemon*

Method:

1. Grease a 22cm springform tin or a 11cm x 34cm rectangular loose-based flan tin
2. Process biscuits and almonds until fine. Add butter; process until combined.
3. Press mixture over base and tin sides.
4. Heat up the water. Sprinkle gelatine over the water. Stir until gelatine dissolves. Allow to cool for 5 minutes.
5. Beat cream cheese, sugar and golden syrup with a stand or electric hand mixer until smooth.
6. Stir in gelatine, lemon rind and juice. Fold in whipped cream.
7. Pour filling into tin and refrigerate overnight.

*Note: My addition to the recipe and I think it’s done well.

I remember my first bite of peach. An uncle brought a box of Australian summer fruits fresh out from the plane and onto our dinner table. My whole family gathered around the table, savoring the heavenly scent that waft from the box. There were cherries, nectarines, plums and those beautiful pink peaches, tender to touch. Ripe to eat. Bursting with sweetness. It remain, till today, my favourite fruit.

In Japan, when my host offered me a plate full of cakes, the one I’d gone fork-first was the peach sponge cake. (Ahem, not before asking if anyone else had wanted it. I am greedy but I am not rude).

I had initially wanted to use mango in this cheesecake recipe but I spotted a tin of peaches looking very lonely in the cupboard, I had to make it happy and purposeful. Isn’t that the point of ingredients? To be used in some spectacular meal and then enjoyed with great pleasure.

Low-fat Peach & Ricotta Cheesecake (adapted from The Australian Women’s Weekly) (serves 4)

• 6 sponge fingers biscuits,
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• 1/2 tbsp gelatin
• 2 tbsp hot water
• 30 ml peach syrup reserved from tinned peach
• 250g low-fat ricotta cheese
• 1/4 cup of tinned peaches, sliced and chopped
• 1 tsp finely grated lemon rind
• 2 tbsp caster sugar
• 150ml low-fat cream
• 3 egg whites*

Directions

1. Grease base of 19cm square cake pan; line base and sides with plastic wrap, extending 5 cm over sides of pan.
2. Trim round edges from biscuits and place in a single layer over base of pan; brush with peach syrup.
3. Mix gelatin and hot water in a heatproof bowl and stand over a small saucepan of simmering water. Stir until gelatin dissolves completely. Allow gelatin mixture to cool.
4. Beat ricotta, rind and sugar with electric mixer until smooth, beat in cream and lemon juice. Stir in gelatin mixture.
5. Beat egg whites in a clean bowl until soft peaks form.
6. Fold in ricotta mixture in two batches.
7. Arrange chopped peaches on  the sponge fingers and then pour ricotta filling over it.
8. Refrigerate overnight.
9. Serve with sliced pieces of peach.

*Note: For this recipe, I had used 60g free-range eggs.

“Hi, I’m Mable and I am a cleanoholic.”

That’s right people, I’m addicted to cleaning. It’s a sad, sad fact that I enjoy tidying cupboards, scrubbing toilets, doing the laundry.

Today I had a free day. So, I started writing what we need for the week’s grocery. I rummaged through the freezer and then organized it back neatly into categories. Frozen berries to the right-hand corner. Frozen peas, bottom centre shelf. Then I looked into the pantry and started organizing E.V.E.R.Y.T.H.I.N.G. Pasta sauce. Baking ingredients. Canned soups. And then I vaccummed. The shelves.

Oh. My. Gawd. I’m turning into Momzilla. And I don’t even have kids.

Do you know how awful it is to realize this? I had shivers down my spine. I wouldn’t blame you if you did either.

G’s mom admitted that she wasn’t the domesticated type. G’s little sister, Miss B., said when she was a kid, her friends had to go home to clean their rooms. She thought it was very strange because she was never told to clean hers. It was only when she was older she realized it was because her mom never bothered with her own room. It wasn’t dirty. It was just an organized mess.

O.K. when I first heard that, I kinda cringed. Actually, even felt a tinge envious. But I also see that G’s home is filled with love. You walk in outta there and you feel loved. You’re allowed to be happy and you’re allowed to have faults. You’re allowed to be naughty once in a while. And you’re definitely allowed to make mistakes. His family home is the exact opposite of how I grew up. I mean, my parents are great but it was also very strict. Don’t talk back. Don’t speak when the adults are speaking. Girls don‘t do this. Boys don‘t do that. Don’t. Don’t. Don’t.

At’s G’s home, I’ve learned that it was ok to be a little messy. It’s ok to be a little bit bad. It’s actually really ok to be you. (It’s also definitely VERY ok to eat chocolates whenever you absolutely want to!)

I think it’s because it’s ok to be imperfect, there is so much more room for Love.

G.’s brother and sister are grounded, well-mannered, wonderful, sensible and practical people. I’m not saying this just because I’m marrying the guy. I’m saying this because I genuinely like them. Many (read: Asian) people would think that having grown up in a household as such would be disastrous but, on the contrary, I think it’s been a success.

So, instead of vaccumming the whole house down, I’ve allowed myself to have a cup of coffee and express my shocking realization that I am my mom. I think as much as it’s ok for me to be Clean-O-Freak – it’s more important that I accept others for who they are. And on my last note, I’ve also accepted that it is completely, utterly, remarkably okay to allow mess into my life sometimes.

Orange Almond Cake ( serves 6 ) – adapted and modified from Donna Hay
——————————————————————————————-

• 3/4 cup caster sugar
• 170g unsalted butter
• 1 tbsp finely grated orange rind
• 1 tbsp orange essence
• 3 eggs
• 1 1/2 tbsp orange juice
• 3/4 cup plain (all-purpose) flour, sifted
• 3/4 tsp baking powder, sifted
• 2/3 cup almond meal

orange syrup

• 1 cup caster sugar, extra
• 1/2 cup orange juice
• 1 tbsp Grand Marnier (orange liquer)

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 170*C (335*F).
2. Place sugar, butter, orange rind and essence in mixing bowl. Beat until light and creamy.
3. Add eggs one at a time. Beat in orange juice and beat well.
4. Fold through flour, baking powder and almond meal.
5. Spoon mixture into a lightly greased cake tin.
6. Bake for 45 minutes or until cooked when tested with skewer.
7. Cool in the tin for 5 minutes and turn out onto a wire rack.
8. Serve with orange syrup and cream.

Orange syrup

Place extra sugar, orange juice and liquer into a small saucepan over low heat and stir until sugar dissolved. Bring to the boil and cook for 30 minutes or until thick and syrupy. Set aside and keep warm.

This is a superwinterfood – the sort that warms you up, give you a nice tummy rub and makes you go ‘HhMMmmmm’.

It’s also one of G’s favourite dessert. I decided to make it for him before he left for Japan (two whole months!). His mother used to make it, especially around the school holidays, and the family always appreciates it when she does. Noted, I have never never met a family that loves their desserts or chocolate so passionately. They are HUGE, like, MAJOR chocolate fans. Needless to say it never lasts long in the house. It’s gone before you can say ‘Mars Bar’. Which actually makes it easy for me during birthdays, Christmas and Easters.

The original sticky date pud is apparently a to-die-for but I’ve added a few extra touches. This is how it went. I was cutting up the dates as indicated in the recipe and as I stole a date for self-consumption (labour tax), I realized how well it would go with chocolate. Chocolate and dates. A further thought emerged, hmmm… and what else better to go with chocolate but bananas? So therefore I decided to marry dates with chocolate and banana.

Now, we have convinced K’s girlfriend (who is a non-banana fan) to try a small slice last night and it was a success! The taste of the banana did not overpower the dates but instead, complimented the pudding rather well. It kept the texture of the cake moist and even after a few days of storage, it didn’t dry out. It’s definitely a keeper this one and one I can contribute into a family cook book. Enjoy!

Spicy Sticky Date Pudding ( serves 8 )
—————————————————

* 200g pitted dates, chopped
* 1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
* 1 cup boiling water
* 100g butter, softened
* 1 cup (150g) dark soft brown sugar
* 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
* 2 eggs
* 1 1/2 (180g) cups self-raising flour, sifted
* 1/2 tsp cinnamon sugar
* 1/2 tsp mixed spice
* 2 mashed banana / 1 cup
* 100g chocolate, chopped

Caramel sauce
* 1 cup (150g) soft brown sugar
* 3/4 cup light thickened cream
* 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
* 100g butter, chopped

Method

1. Preheat oven to 180°C. Grease and line the base of a cake pan .
2. Place dates and bicarbonate soda into a bowl. Pour over boiling water. Allow to stand for 20 minutes.
3. Add butter, sugar and vanilla and beat until light and fluffy.
4. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.
5. Fold through date mixture, banana, chocolate and flour until well combined.
6. Spoon mixture into prepared cake pan. Bake for 30-40 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. Turn onto a plate.

Toffee Sauce
Combine all ingredients in a saucepan over medium heat. Cook, stirring often, until sauce starts to boil, lower heat to low and stir and simmer for five minutes. Set aside until ready to serve, then quickly reheat when needed.

How to serve:
Traditionally the sauce was poured over the cake and returned to the oven for the last five minutes of baking to get really sticky.

Or, you can pierce pudding all over with a skewer. Pour 1/2 cup of warm sauce over warm pudding. Stand for 10 minutes. Cut into wedges. Serve with remaining sauce.

Alternatively you can pour hot toffee sauce over each slice and serve with fresh cream.

Try This:
Serve with a sprinkle of chopped hazelnuts or walnuts, cream or ice cream

Sunday is…

time to hit the snooze button and allow yourself to sleep in.

time to enjoy the sun and breeze in your hair while you stroll to the milk bar for the Sunday’s newspaper.

time for a cup of coffee while you read the funnies.

time for soft and fluffy banana pancakes!

Happy Sunday and enjoy your pancakes!

XOXO,

“Well can’t you see that it’s just raining
there ain’t no need to go outside…
But baby, you hardly even notice
When I try to show you
This song is meant to keep ya
from doing what you’re supposed to
Like waking up too early
Maybe we can sleep in
I’ll make you banana pancakes
Pretend like it’s the weekend now”
- Banana Pancakes by Jack Johnson

Banana Pancakes ( serves 2 )
———————————————-

• 1 cup of milk
• 2 tbsp of yogurt
• 1 cup self-raising flour
• 1/2 tsp bi-carb soda
• 1 tbsp caster sugar
• 1 egg
• 80g butter
• 1 large banana or 2 medium size ones, sliced

Method:

1. Sift flour and bi-carb soda into a large bowl. Add sugar and stir until well combined.
2. Make a well in the centre of the flour mix then add milk, yogurt and egg. Whisk until smooth.
3. Heat a non-stick frying pan over medium heat.
4. Melt butter then pour 1/2 cup of batter into pan. Cook for 1 minute and then place a few slices of banana on it. Let it cook for a further 1 minute before turning over.
5. Cook for a further minute or until pancakes are cooked through. Serve with extra banana slices and maple syrup.

Not bananas over bananas?

Then make plain pancakes and serve with smoked salmon with cream cheese, bacon and creamy scrambled eggs, blanched asparagus and shaved parmesan cheese, mushroom with sour cream and chives.

Bubur nasi hitam or black rice pudding is definitely a personal favourite. It’s a Malaysian (some argues Thai) dessert, always almost served warm with a drizzle of coconut milk. Mom usually made it on a weekend night in a slow cooker, so come morning, there would be a lovely aroma of pandan (screwpine leaves) wafting in the air. Yes, we have desserts in the morning! Oh glee! Oh joy! I am a lucky girl.

Dad and I would usually fight over the santan (coconut milk) which has a pinch of salt added to it. I always thought it was for flavour but I did some research on Google and it says that it’s to prevent freshly squeezed coconut milk from going rancid. So there you go.

Ah I miss those Sundays. Lazy easy-going Sundays and the only time for my parents to relax and chat with the kids. We would sit around the breakfast table and talk about the latest goss or read the funnies. My brother M and I used to take turns reading the comics from three different publications. For some reason my dad subscribed to all the local newspapers on Sundays but that only meant more of Garfield and Archie comics anyway. No complains there.

I still do that when I’m back home. Force of old habits. But no complains there either.

Bubur Nasi Hitam (serves 4)
——————————————–

• 1¾ cup black glutinous rice
• 2 pandan leaves or 1 tsp vanilla essence
• 5 cups of water
• ½ cup palm sugar
• Pinch of salt
• 1½ cups fresh squeezed thick coconut milk

Method:

1. Rinse rice thoroughly for 2 minutes under running water. Drain well.
2. Put water, rice and pandan leaves into a heavy-based pot.
3. Simmer over medium heat for approximately 40 minutes.
4. Add palm sugar syrup and continue to cook until most of the liquid has evaporated.
5. Season with a pinch of salt. Remove from heat, allow to cool.

Serve at room temperature, topped with a swirl of fresh squeezed creamy coconut milk.

Remember the leftover cherries from the cherry pie? Well I used the rest to make this baby.

I was in Perth two years ago and a friend recommended this place for apple strudel. I believe it’s called Corica Pastries. If you Google it, there are plenty of blogs that has raved about it. I’ve heard people buying boxes of it back to their home countries, because it’s really THAT good. So if you happen to be in Western Australia, don’t forget to pop by Corica – you’re in for a gastronomical paradise.

Anyway, I also had leftover puff pastry in the freezer and I put two and two together and Voila! Cherry strudel! It’s a really simple dessert to make and a guaranteed crowd pleaser.

Cherry Strudel
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• 1 puff pastry sheet
• 2 tbsp icing sugar
• 1 egg yolk
• 200ml thickened cream
• 1 cup cherries
• 2 tbsp caster sugar
• 1 tbsp plain flour
• 2 tsp ground cinnamon
• brown sugar to sprinkle

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 180C
2. Cut the puff pastry into half.
3. Brush some egg yolk on it.
4. Sprinkle some brown sugar and place it in the oven for 20 minutes or until pastry is golden and fluffy.
5. Set aside and let it cool.
6. Mix cherries, caster sugar, flour and cinnamon together.
7. Whip cream until light and fluffy.
8. Assemble strudel together first by putting cream on one pastry, then the cherry mixture and finally top it with the second pastry sheet.

Decorate with lots and lots and lots of icing sugar. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.