Scones

Best served warm from the oven, with jam and cream.  These are really easy to make and can be on your table, ready to serve, in 20 minutes.  Serve with a nice cup of tea.

Ingredients

• 140 gms self raising flour - if you don't have self raising flour just take normal flour and add in 1 1/4 tsp of baking powder and 1/4 tsp salt
• 1 tbsp castor sugar
• 30 gms butter
• 120 ml milk + 60 ml water
• jam
• cream

Method

1. Sift the flour, castor sugar and salt together.
2. Cut in the butter and mix till the flour resembles fine breadcrumbs.
3. Make a well in the center and add the liquid mix.
4. With quick movements bring the dry and wet ingredients together, taking care not to overmix.
5. Transfer to a floured surface and knead gently.
6. Pat into a round circle, 2 cm in height, and using a 7 cm round cutter, cut into rounds.
7. Place on a lightly greased tray & brush the tops with milk
8. Bake for 18 - 20 mins in a 190 C preheated oven
9. Serve hot with jam and cream

Red Velvet Cake

I've made this before as cupcakes but did not use cream cheese frosting on it.  I doubled the recipe I used is as in my earlier blog which can be found here ...... Please remember to double

For the frosting I used 200 gms cream cheese softened to room temp.  Beat same with 115 gms of icing sugar till light and fluffy.  Fold in 200 gms whipped cream and vanilla extract.

Split your cake in two and sandwich with the icing.  Cover the top and sides with the frosting and serve.

Khao Suey

Ingredients

4 rounds of rice noodles or tagliatelle noodles

2 large onions

3 large cloves garlic

2 tbsp fish sauce

2-3 green chillies  

1 inch ginger 

1/2 tsp turmeric pwd

1/2 cumin pwd

1 tsp coriander pwd

1/2 tsp chilli pwd

4 chicken thighs

400 ml coconut cream - dilute 1/2 cup with 2 cups water & keep balance thick

2 tbsp chickpea powder

1/2 tbsp lemon juice

Salt to taste

Garnishings:

3 hard boiled eggs

fresh coriander

spring onions

Roasted and salted peanuts

Lemons

Chilli flakes/ green chillies

2-3 onions

few cloves of garlic

Method:

Grind the onions, ginger, garlic, green chillies, fish sauce and turmeric powder to a fine paste. 

Heat oil, add the onion paste and saute well.  Add in powdered cumin & corriander and cook till oil separates

Now add the chicken and mix well so that the chicken is coated with the spices. 

Add diluted coconut milk to cover the chicken, season with salt and let the chicken cook. Add lemon juice.

To prepare garnishes - 

In a little oil fry sliced garlic till crisp.  Keep aside

In the same oil fry finely sliced onions and till golden brown. 

Chop the boiled eggs & the coriander and keep in separate bowls

Slightly crush the peanuts

Make lemon wedges

Once the chicken is cooked, add the balance coconut milk alongwith the chickpea powder and let the curry simmer.

Cook the noodles as per the instructions on the packet. Drain and set aside. Remember to under cook them a little bit.  

To serve:

Scoop the noodles into a deep bowl, and serve with the chicken broth and the garnishing separately so that everyone add their own toppings.

Mini Cheesecakes

Excitement ..... bought my mini cheesecake pan and of course, who was going to wait for the weekend to use it.

Made two different cheesecakes - strawberry and caramel.  I just love mini bites - it makes me feel less guilty eating them - drool.

The recipe is here

Caramel Cheese Cake

Strawberry Cheese Cake - will upload soon

Caramel Cheesecake

Salty Caramel over a baked cheesecake - perfection

Ingredients

1 cup crushed digestive biscuits
1 Tbsp granulated sugar
4 Tbsp salted butter, melted
400 gms cream cheese, softened - Britannia has a new cheese
3/4 cup castor sugar
2 Tbsp all-purpose flour
2 large eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 cup sour cream
1/4 cup heavy cream

Salted Caramel Sauce - click for recipe

Directions

Preheat oven to 180 degrees. 

In a mixing bowl, mix together crushed graham crackers with granulated sugar. 

Pour in melted butter and stir mixture until evenly coated. 

Put the mixture in a cheesecake tin.  Press mixture into an even layer. 

Bake in preheated oven 5 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to cool while preparing filling.

In a small mixing bowl, whisk together castor sugar with flour until well blended. 

Add softened cream cheese to a separate mixing bowl and mix sugar mixture over top. 

Blend mixture on low speed until smooth. 

Mix in eggs one at a time and blend on low speed, while scrapping sides and bottom of bowl and mixing just until combined after each addition. 

Add vanilla, sour cream and heavy cream and mix just until combined. 

Put mixture on top of baked crust. 

Bake in preheated oven 20 - 23 minutes, centers should still jiggle slightly, don't overbake (if they begin to crack they are starting to become overbaked). 

Remove from oven and allow to cool 1 hour. 

Cover loosely with plastic wrap and transfer to refrigerator and chill 2 hours. 

Once chilled top with Salted Caramel Sauce