“Promise me something when you decide to write a cookbook.”

“What?” I looked at G curiously. The idea that he’s so confident that I’d write a book and that he’s making a request has got me.

“Make sure you put in a recipe for kaya.”

It’s true, G’s probably more of a kaya fanatic than I am. He has been hooked to the eggy custardy jam since his first bite at my parents’ place two years ago. My mom has always made our kaya supply from scratch. I, on the other hand, have never learned how to make it, up until now.

Now.

When the kaya supply I’ve smuggled from KL have run out.

Now.

When G. insisted me to ring my mom for the recipe.

Now.

When I know the secret tool to bribe G. … like, I dunno, that weekend getaway to a spa resort?

I didn’t ring my mom for the recipe but I did find a recipe on the pioneer of Malaysian food bloggers: Lily’s Wai Sek Hong. This lady is probably the first Malaysian who started food blogging. She, as well as Bee of Rasa Malaysia, are like the big guns of the Malaysian food blogsphere. And, I kid you not when I say they were the ones who created the term – food blog superstardom.

Back to the kaya story. While Lily used the microwave to make kaya, I decided to go the ’slow food’ way – patiently stirring the jam over a hot stove. Well, ‘cos I’m not a big fan of microwaves. My parents have inculcated the ‘evil ways of the microwave’ in us and since then, I’ve never reacted normally near those things. You can find Lily’s original recipe here. This is my adapted version.

Kaya (makes about two jars (2 x 400g) worth of jam )
————————————————————————————————-

Ingredients:

• 6 small eggs (60 gram each)
• 2 cups  (280 gram) dark brown sugar
• 200 ml light coconut cream
• a pinch of salt
• ½ tsp pandan extract or vanilla extract

Method:

1. Whip all the ingredients in a large mixing bowl. Beat well to make sure everything is well combined.
2. Strain mixture and pour into a saucepan.
3. Turn heat to medium-low. Stir constantly until kaya thickens. (If custard curdles, quickly remove saucepan from heat. Keep stirring, then return to a low flame)
4. Stir for at least 25 – 30 minutes until mixture becomes thick and caramelized.
5. Place custard into a food processor and blitz for 5 – 10 minutes. This will smoothen the kaya and remove lumps.
6. Put in sterilized jam jars, allow to cool before refrigerating.

Note: Kaya is very sensitive to heat since it is mostly all eggs so please be wary of your temperature. It’s best to start on a low flame and just keep stirring to prevent it from curdling. If the custard is runny, remove it from the stove and beat in an extra egg to thicken it further.

Happy cooking!

When I was back in KL recently, I noticed many hawker stalls had Cambodians, Indonesians and/or other nationalities cooks cooking Malaysian dishes. If I may say so, the platter – taste, texture, smell – were not how I remember it to be. The local flavours have become somewhat almost foreign in itself. I have nothing against foreign cooks however, I am just bitterly disappointed how Char Keow Teow just doesn’t seem to taste like Char Keow Teow.

As a Malaysian, I pride myself of knowing my food. In fact, food… good food is part of our heritage. We have been blessed with so many array of flavours; Indian, Malay, Baba + Nonya, Chinese… etc. One of the things I made sure I did was to introduce G’s family (who are Australian) to Malaysian food. A food tour in Malaysia isn’t a choice, it is compulsory. A keen observation made by G’s aunt, at the end of her two weeks sojourn, was that Malaysian lives to eat and eats to live. She’s not far from the truth.

However, it did take me three years to be away from home to really appreciate home. As the years passed, I’ve realised that generations of recipes would be lost if not for some effort to document them. Which is the whole point of this project.

Several months ago I emailed some Malaysian food bloggers asking if they’d be interested in contributing a recipe (or two) to my latest project called ‘From My Mother’s Kitchen’.

I personally wanted to try all these recipes so I could learn them myself (the ‘teach a man to fish’ strategy) and in the process preserving it to share with other Malaysians and people who are genuinely interested in Malaysian cuisine.

The very first entry to the project is Audrey from Audrey Cooks with her Braised Pork in Soy Sauce and Rock Sugar recipe. This dish is one of my favourite, with the pork sautéeing in its fat and then slowly left to simmer to reduce the liquid, the pork caramelises and becomes incredibly tender. My friend Lyn was just asking me for the recipe the other day so, it is a timely coincidence that I have it with me.

*Please note that this is an adapted version as I could not find certain ingredients in this sort space of time. For the original recipe, please go here.

Braised Pork Ribs with Soy Sauce (serves 4)

Ingredients:

• 600  grams of pork ribs (cut into 3 cm chunks)
• 2 Tbsp dark soy sauce
• 4 Tbsp light soy sauce
• 5 cloves of garlic
• a generous drizzle of olive oil
• 1 teaspoon of Chinese five spiced powder
• 60 gm rock sugar (crushed)
• 250 ml hot water
• 4 peeled hard boiled eggs

Method:

• Marinade pork ribs in half the soya sauces for two hours in the fridge.
• Heat up a non-stick saucepan and drizzle in olive oil.
• Fry garlic cloves for 1 minute. Add spices and fry for another minute.
• Put in the ribs and stir till the ribs are slightly brown, lower heat, then add in the remaining soya sauces. rock sugar and water.
• Stir until sugar dissolved, simmer for 20 minutes on low heat uncovered and stirring from time to time.  This is to let some liquid evaporate thus creating a thicker gravy.
• Cover with a lid and simmer for another 40 – 50 minutes. Checking frequently to avoid gravy from totally drying up and burning the contents. If gravy is rapidly drying up, add a little more hot water and stir.
• When almost ready, put in eggs and stir until well coated with gravy.
• Ribs are ready when thoroughly cooked through, meat is tender, ribs well coated with thick gravy.
• Serve with steamed fragrant white rice.

Thanks Audrey for your fantastic recipe. Just so you know, I’m having it for dinner tonight and G’s already liking it.

XOXO,
Mable

P.S.: If you like the sound of the project, and have more Malaysian food blogger friends you think that will be keen to join in, please feel free to let them know. I will be most grateful for any help I can get.

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.

Today felt like Christmas. Not because Santa came by 11 months too soon but remember as a kid you would jump out of bed before anyone else did on Christmas morning? That feeling.

Let me start from the beginning. G’s dad has a fantastic garden filled with fruit and vegetable plants. We grow our own lemons, tomatoes, passion fruit, potatoes, green apples and blood plums. We would like to grow more like bok choy, lettuce and so forth but till then, our buckets are happily filled. There is nothing cooler than harvesting your own produce.

It’s late summer here in Melbourne and the season for blood plums. When G’s dad shook the plum tree, it was like jackpot. BING, Bing, bing, bing! Blood plums were aaalllll over the garden floor. And in that instant, my head went ZING, Zing, zing, zing!

We threw out the bad ones and stewed the softer, riper plums. The aroma… ohmygawd… the smell of hot plums stewing is probably one of the most divine perfumes in the world. I can stand over the stove stirring these rich, garnet plums for hours; heady from inhaling the fragrance. I kid you not, it is the best thing to do in an Australian summer.

With that much plums to get down and dirty with, I started devising ways to use it. Would it be possible to re-create a black forest cake by using stewed plums, I asked?

I found a recipe in Sarah Magid’s ‘Organic & Chic‘ {I read every single delicious page of that book, studying all the recipes and photographs within 3 days} and found an egg-less, butter-less, mixer-less chocolate cake. Yes, you heard me. No eggs, no butter, no hand mixer chocolate cake.

My reaction? It cannot be true.

So I decided put it to the test. This is the recipe:

*Easiest Chocolate Cake (and it is) makes one 8″ or 9″ cake or 24 cupcakes

• 2 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
• 2 cups caster sugar
• 1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 2 tsp baking powder
• ½ tsp salt
• 1 tbsp vanilla extract
• 2/3 cup canola oil
• 2 tsp white vinegar
• 2 cups cold water

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 180°C or 350°F. Grease your cake pan.
2. In a large bowl, sift dry ingredients together.
3. Mix vanilla extract, oil, vinegar and cold water in a bowl.
4. Slowly stir in wet ingredients into flour mixture. It will be fairly watery. Be careful not to overmix.
5. Pour batter into prepared pan and bake for 40 – 50 minutes or until skewer comes out dry; 25 – 30 minutes for cupcakes.
6. Cool in the pan for 15 minutes; invert in wire rack.

*Please note that because it is called Organic and Chic, all the ingredients are suppose to be organic but I’ve replaced with ordinary un-organic stuff.

Voila! There you have it. A simply, simple, over easy, moist and soft chocolate cake.

Today, my-personal-Christmas-Day, I woke up bright and early to get ready to ice the chocolate cake. I made the cake the previous day and let it cool overnight. The next thing I did, which I have never done before in my life, is to make buttercream.

This, my friends, is truly, a historical moment. My. first. step. into. cake. decorating. *Inhales*

Of course with the success of Sarah’s easy chocolate cake, I decided to once again use The Book. This time it’s the Vanilla Whipped Buttercream.

Ingredients:

• 220g unsalted butter
• 1 cup caster sugar
• 1 cup full cream milk
• ¼ plain flour
• 1 ½ tbsp vanilla extract

Method:

• Cream butter on medium speed for about 30 seconds.
• Add sugar and beat on high for about 5 – 7 minutes, until light and fluffy.
• In a small saucepan, combine a quarter of the milk with flour and vanilla extract. Whisk until no lumps.
• Over medium heat, slowly add the remaining milk, whisk constantly.
• Cook mixture until comes to low boil and then reduce heat to low and whisk until mixture thickens.
• Remove from heat. Keep stirring and leave to cool to room temperature. (Sarah cautions: After you have removed the pan from the heat, the mixture will continue to cook for a minute or two on its own. If you have overheat it and get small lumps, try to whisk it vigorously to get them out or pass the mixture through a fine-mesh sieve). [Sarah says: If necessary, place the pan over a bowl of ice water to stop the cooking process and allow the mixture to cool.]
• With mixer on low speed, pour mixture into the butter.
• Increase speed to medium and beat for 3 – 5 minutes.

This post is longer than usual. Chop-chop, Mable.

I carefully halved my 8″ cake. Placed one half on a plate. Brushed some Kirsh and then plopped a generous amount of buttercream on it. Next, spooned some stewed plums. Replace the other cake layer on top. Brush it with some cherry brandy again, then, spread an even more generous amount of buttercream and hope to dear God that I’m doing the right thing.

I think we’ve done a pretty good job with the cake. Or at least that’s what Mr. G says. He says, ‘Hmmm, tastes like blackforest cake.’

Let’s just go with that, shall we?

Happy New Year everyone! I hope you had a fabulous Christmas and New Year.

Welcome to the first post of twenty ten! And, there’s no better way to start the year than with a travel post.  Over the Christmas holidays, G. and his dad invited me to Kangaroo Island in South Australia. This awesome island owns some of the  most pure and breathtaking natural views. Admittedly, it is rugged and harsh so a 4WD is essential.

Lazy piña colada beach combers be warned.

Kangaroo Island is Australia’s third largest island, measuring up to 4,405 km². The island is accessible via ferry or plane. See how it says Kangaroo Island: Too Good To Spoil? The island prohibits items like honey, bees, potatoes, foxes, rabbits and weeds. From what I’ve gather, KI (Kangaroo Island) is famous for its honey, in fact, it is the oldest bee sanctuary in the world. A special breed of bees called the Lingurian bees were brought over from Linguria, Italy in 1881. KI is now the only place in the world that has this species as the original Linguria bees have either cross breed with other species of bees or died off.

We had a lot to see on KI. Good for us that G.’s aunt Helen is a licensed tour guide (and that she drives like a Tasmanian devil) in KI which means we had the insights to the best parts. Woot!

I’d strongly recommend to spend at least five days on KI as there is plenty to take in. There are days I’d rather sit on a beach than be speed off somewhere. (Yes, yes, I know that makes me a lazy beach comber)

KI has some of the most fantastic beaches. Somewhere in something, Vivonne Bay apparently won the award as best beach in Australia.

What I did not expect to see in the middle of the island was a desert. Equipped with sand dunes and a name like ‘Little Sahara’, it was supremely awesomely cool.

You can opt to hire sand boards for (i think) $A45 per day and have the time of your life tobogganing down the dunes. However, the problem is not spitting out a mouthful of sand later, but, hiking up those damn giant sand dunes. Let me just say this: is bloody exhausting. It’s definitely easier down than up.

The busiest seasons on KI is after Christmas till February, drawing 140,000 visitors each year. We were lucky. In some places, it was just us three magpies cackling away.

What you will encounter on KI is the lack of originality in names. If you want to see pelicans on KI, you go to Pelican Bay. You go to Seal Bay for the seals.  And if you’re an explorer and you’ve found some amazing looking rocks, you call it ‘The Remarkable Rocks’.

“The “Remarkable Rocks,” as they are called, are a collection of enormous eroded granite boulders sitting atop a giant dome of lava coughed up about 200 million years ago. Wind and sea spray have since carved the chunks into what look like monumental Henry Moore sculptures perched 200 feet above a crashing sea.” The Washington Post

Because KI is so isolated from the rest of Australia it contains its own unique animals like the small marsupial carnivore called the Kangaroo Island Dunnart. The numbers of its natives are sadly declining due to climate change and other conditions. KI is also the last South Australian refuge of the endangered Glossy Black Cockatoo. This reflects why it is so important that non-native animals like foxes and rabbits are not introduced into KI in order to maintain its fine ecological balance.

As rugged as it is on KI, the landscape is incredibly beautiful. There is a bush in Helen’s ‘garden’ (she has no garden. It consists of a salt lake with sandy shores you sink in like quicksand, sharp hostile rocks, and even sharper thorny weeds. There are snakes and spiders you do not want to meet. And even so, the sunsets are breathtaking and the silence is so peaceful it quietens your soul) that sounds like a popcorn machine when the seeds pop out of its pods. It’s a funny little place KI.It’s funny wild place.

I must have had shortbread before. But for the life of me, I can’t remember what it’s suppose to taste like. I had to ask G. and his sister B. if these shortbread tasted like… well, shortbread. It’s a little weird making something without an idea what it might taste like – but then I guess that’s what happens when you try something new.

I have been itching to make shortbread for some time now. Only because I get to play with cookies cutters! *Ooooh I wurve to pway with pwetty cookie cutters!* Sorry, ahem….

This Christmas, G. and dad has invited me to Adelaide and Perth for two weeks. We’re going to take a roadtrip from Melbourne to Adelaide and then fly to Perth for about a week while bumming on the beach (though I’m not so keen on experiencing the blistering Perth summer); then back to Adelaide again only to drive to Canberra to send Miss B. off to music camp (she’s a fantastic double bass player). Puff. puff. puff. It’s going to be one crazy whirlwind holiday. And yesh, I’m very excited!

Oh, oh, oh, can I also share some happy news with you?

G’s dad bought us (me) a Kitchen Aid! We’re (I’m) absolutely bowled over by his generosity. We’re (I’m) really, really grateful for this amazing tool. Since getting it last Saturday, I’ve so far made shortbread, pizza dough and coconut cakes. Christmas has definitely come early for us (me). *Glee! Whee! Tee Hee!*

This will be my last post for the year on Happee Monkee. Thank you for reading and sharing with me your thoughts and comments all these time. For those silent readers, thank you for coming back time after time and being so patient with me. I know I don’t blog frequent and I can’t promise that I will increase the number of posts but thank you anyway for being here.

Have a great Christmas and a very fantastic 2010! Let it be great for all of us!

XOXO,
Mable

Shortbread (makes approximately 50 Christmas trees)
(adapted from Donna Hay magazine)

• 250g cold butter, chopped
• 1 cup (160g) icing sugar, sifted
• 1 ½ (225g) cups plain flour, sifted
• ½ cup (100g) rice flour, sifted
• 1 tsp orange essence or vanilla essence

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 180°C (355°F).
2. Place butter, icing sugar, plain flour, rice flour and orange essence in mixer bowl. Beat until dough just comes together. (Note: The K-Aid has a special dough hook to knead pastry ingredients together, if you don’t have a dough hook, you can just use your hands to combine mixture until you achieve the right consistency).
3. Refrigerate for 15 minutes or until firm.
4. Roll the chilled dough out between two sheets of non-stick baking paper and use cookie cutters to make shortbread.
5. Prick shortbread with fork and bake in oven for 35 – 40 minutes or until light golden.
6. Remove from oven and allow to cool on a wire rack. Dust with extra icing sugar if you like.

This year I’m grateful for being able to…

• realize my childhood dream of going to the Ice Hotel, Sweden and Tsukiji Market in Japan.
• constantly meet amazing people like Asumi Kato and Shinobu Takagi, who never hesitate in showing me their culture, history and traditions.
• learn more about photography. I’m learning new styles + techniques every day.
• have a job even after being away for months at a time.
• have loving, caring, generous people that I’m proud to call my family.
• walk, eat, sleep, play, feel, think.
• laugh with The Girls. Thank you for being there for me whenever I need support and encouragement.
• lastly and most importantly, I am grateful to be engaged to the love of my life. Thank you Mr G. for my making dreams come true.

~

My dearest Chocolate Cake,

I can’t believe you’re gone. Our meeting was so sweet and yet, all too brief.

You were so beautiful.

Our courtship was intense, passionate and sprinkled with a hint of nuttiness.  You were special – you are special.

We will meet again. Another time. Another place.

Le sigh. I can’t wait.

Your lifetime devotee,
Me

A year ago, I stumbled on this french chocolate cake recipe. The first time I made it, I was extremely pleased with myself – having no baking experience prior to that – it was delicious. Although, I do remember being extremely nervous and overwhelmed by the slight technicalities of the recipe. I’ve decided this time – to add to the decadence – a thick blanket of ganache. You can never have too much chocolate I’d say.

This is the original recipe from Carole Clements + Elizabeth Wolf-Cohen’s French: Delicious classic cuisine made easy.

French Chocolate Cake ( serves 10 – 12)

• 3/4 cup icing sugar
• 280g dark chocolate, chopped
• 3/4 cup unsalted butter, chopped
• 2 tsp vanilla essence
• 5 eggs, separated
• 1/4 cup of plain (all-purpose) flour, sifted
• pinch of salt

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 190°C. Generously butter a 9½-inch springform pan, then sprinkle the pan with a little sugar and tap out the excess.
2. Set aside 3 tbsp of icing sugar and place remaining sugar in a saucepan with the chocolate and butter over low-heat.
3. When the ingredients has melted and dissolved, remove the pan and stir in vanilla extract. Let mixture cool slightly.
4. Beat the egg yolks into the chocolate mixture, beating each in well, then stir in the flour.
5. In a clean grease-free bowl, beat the egg whites slowly with an electric mixer until they are frothy. Increase the speed, add the salt and continue to beat until soft peaks form.
6. Sprinkle over the reserved sugar and beat until whites are stiff and glossy.
7. Beat one-third of the whites into the chocolate mixture, then fold remaining whites.
8. Carefully pour the mixture into the springform pan, tap the pan gently to release any air bubbles.
9. Bake the cake for about 35 – 45 minutes until well risen or when skewer comes out clean.
10. Transfer the cake and let cool completely.

Chocolate Ganache

• 8 ounces, or approximately 230g semi-sweet chocolate, chopped
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 2 tbsp brandy or run
• 2 tbsp unsalted butter, softened

Method:

1. To make the ganache, bring the cream to boil in a heavy saucepan over medium-high heat.
2. Remove the pan from the heat and add chocolate all at once, stirring until melted and smooth. Stir in brandy or rum and beat in softened butter.
3. Set aside for about 5 – 10 minutes to thicken slightly. (Ganache should coat the back of a spoon in a thick smooth layer)

To Assemble:

Pour the warm ganache over the cake all at once, titling gently to help spread it evenly on all surfaces. Use a spatula to smooth sides, decorate with a sprinkle of chopped pistachio nuts (¼ cup)

Chocolate. Peanut butter. Cookies.

Where do I even begin?

Tis’ is wonderful when you can combine three of your favourite foods together.

Chocolate. Peanut butter. Cookies. Absolutely delish.

On a different subject matter, I would like to know how you would measure the level of success? Do you measure success from a materialistic point of view of cars, villas, private planes? Or, do you measure it with a spiritual sense i.e. personal contentment, happiness and fulfillment?

And then again, what is ’success’? If I am happy doing what I do, wouldn’t I be classified as a success? Or, do I need to show a flashy car and several investment properties in order to be one?

I reckon, it really is up to an individual. I believe that people should not compare themselves to others in order to measure how successful they need to be in life. I believe that every seed should take its own time to grow into its full potential. I believe if you think you need to be wealthy in order to be successful then you’re right. And if you think that you are successful being the way you are sitting in a cave, then you are also right. Because that’s all success is, isn’t it?  It’s just a thought.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Cookies (makes approximately 60)

• 1 cup unsalted butter
• 1 cup crunchy peanut butter
• 1 cup good-quality dark chocolate, chopped, (or use chocolate chips)
• 1 cup packed brown sugar
• 2 eggs
• 2 ½ cups all-purpose (plain) flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• ½ tsp salt
• 1 ½ tsp baking soda

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 190° C. Cream butter, peanut butter and sugar until pale and light.
2. Then beat in eggs one at a time.
3. In a separate bowl, sift flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
4. Gradually add flour mixture into batter.
5. Stir in chocolate until properly combine.
6. Roll cookie mix into 1 inch balls and put on baking sheets. Flatten each ball with a fork.
7. Bake for about 8 – 10 minutes or until cookies begin to brown. Careful not to over-bake cookies.