Black Pineapple Cupcakes by Angela Seah Thulin

Black cupcakes? Whahahaha ok.. I was actually trying to achieve black color buttercream frosting for my son birthday cake (next week 7th Nov). I guess this is the best tone i could achieve. Most importantly, my son approves the tone! I do not want to waste the buttercream so I baked some cupcakes to go with it. And since the frosting is in black...errrie... i used a halloween cupcake liners to match it :)

I'm not someone who likes vanilla or cupcakes. But this...I added pineapple to it, the sweetness of the buttercream blends well with the sourish pineapple bits. I like!!!

Pineapple cupcakes with buttercream frosting

Recipe:

Cupcakes -

190g plain flour

100g unsalted butter

180g pineapple from can, cut

210g sugar

1 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

1 tsp vanilla essence

2 large eggs

Buttercream

120g unsalted butter

150g icing powder

1 tsp vanilla essence

1 tbsp milk  (1.5% fat) 

Opt - tsp of flavoring 

Opt - drop of food coloring (any color but not black)

Steps - 

Preheat oven to 180degree celsius 

1. Squeeze the juice out from the pineapple itself (too wet will make the cupcakes very moist), cut them into bite size pieces.

2. In a bowl with flour, baking powder and salt - mix them well together. 

3. In your whisking bowl using electric mixer - beat the butter, sugar n vanilla essence. Then add the eggs in and beat till well mix. 

4. Add the flour in n give a quick whisk till well mix. 

5. Fold the pineapple bits in n mix well. Fill the cupcake liners to 2/3 full.

6. Bake for 18-20 minutes or until toothpick inserted center comes out clean. 

7. Let the cupcakes cool before you do piping. 

Buttercream -

1. Cream the butter and half of the icing powder first till well mix. 

2. Then add the balance icing powder in with vanilla essence and milk. Done.

Note - 

a) Every oven temperature is different. I baked mine at 160degree celsius for 20minutes.

b) Add more pineapple chunks if you like. Ensure little juice.

Decorated by son

All decorated by son

Peach Chiffon Cake by Angela Seah Thulin

I bought a can of peach for no reason (haha). No idea what to use it for but i do have cravings for chiffon cake. So... this is my peach chiffon cake!! 

Can you see from the pic that it is very very soft? Yes, it is! And for every bite, there is a hint of peach taste in it. I was initially very concerned about the sweetness as i was using canned peaches but i can tell you this tastes just nice. In fact, i would probably add alittle bit more sugar the next round.

I used four large eggs for this recipe so if you have smaller eggs on hands, please use five instead.

Part (A)

4 large egg yolks or 5 small

3 tbsp sugar 

150g canned peach and purée 

1 tbsp syrup from the canned peach

3 tbsp corn oil

1 tbsp water 
1 tsp vanilla essence

100g cake flour, sieve 

1 tsp baking powder (mix together with flour)

Batter Part (B)

4 large egg whites (175g) or 5 small

4 tbsp sugar 

1/4 tsp cream of tartar 

*I have super hot oven - i baked my chiffon at 140degree for 30mins with foil covered. Then 13mins at 125degree without foil.

Steps -

Preheat your oven to 160degree celsius

1. Beat the egg yolks and sugar till light & frothy.  Then add in peach purée, peach syrup, corn oil, water in beat for few secs. Add the flour & baking powder in, stir to well combine.

2. Beat egg whites till foamy then add cream of tartar. Beat till soft peak and start adding sugar. Whisk till stiff peak achieve. 

3. In 3 additions, take some of the meringue and fold in to the egg yolk batter. Using a balloon whisker, fold them together till well combined.

4. Pour the batter into 20" chiffon pan, 3/4 full.

5. Bake at pre-heated oven at 160c for 35mins-40mins at middle rack or until cooked. 

6. Once baked, turn your chiffon tin upside down and cool completely before removing from the tin.

Mango-lime swiss roll by Angela Seah Thulin

This is a very easy recipe. You could even use this recipe on any other flavors you like. Actually my swiss roll is supposed to be in black. I wasn't prepared to bake but since I bought a new flavor oil essence from a baking store here in Sweden and also a small bottle of black food coloring, i went ahead with it. But somehow the coloring turned out to be grey. I'm getting anxious as i need black color to bake a cake for my son. I thought grey looks ugly but my son finished the whole roll leaving us the front and last piece!

Mango-Lime Swiss roll 

(trying on colors & new flavor from a Sweden brand)

Recipe: 

Part (A) - filling
180ml of heavy cream
2 - 2.5 tbsp of granulated sugar
Few drops of mango-lime essence or 1 tsp other flavoring
*Whisk till creamy (3-4mins) and chill in fridge.

Part (B)
3 med egg yolks
2 tbsp sugar
60ml water
45ml vegetable oil
1 tsp vanilla essence or similar flavor as above
60g cake flour, sieve

Part (C)
3 med egg white
2 tbsp sugar
Pinch of cornflour
*In a clean metal bowl, whisk the egg white till soft peak then add sugar n continue whisking. Add pinch of corn flour and whisk till stiff peak formed. Set aside.

Steps -
1. Do Part A first, then chill.
2. Part (B) - Whisk the egg yolks n sugar till frothy. Then add water, vegetable oil, vanilla essence n whisk till mixed. Add the sifted cake flour and whisk till well-mix (will look runny).
3. Then do Part (C)
*Preheat your oven now at 170degree celsius.
4. In 3 additions - take the part (C) and FOLD in to Part (B) till well-combined. Add coloring and gently fold in again.
5. Pour onto a 10x10 baking tray lined with baking paper. Into the oven and bake for 14mins.
6. Dust some icing powder on the top. Roll it tightly and let the paper wrapped with it. Chill/let it be till cooled.
7. Release the roll, spread filling on it and roll the same way again. Back to the fridge to chill before you cut.

Spaghetti black noodles

Living abroad, i could only have spaghetti or ramen as my noodles when i have cravings. So, using the recipe my friends (Sharon & Lily) shared to me, i replaced the noodles with spaghetti. But i'm sure it will taste alot yummier if it's using the kind of yellow noodles (kee mee) from Singapore.

Simple Spaghetti black noodles (Singapore taste) 🍝

Recipe:

2.5 cups water
1 tbsp oil - 2 cloves garlic & 2 shallots
1 tbsp dark soya sauce
1 tbsp light soya sauce
1 tbsp oyster sauce
1/2 chicken knorr cube
Dashes of pepper

Chicken, diced
Marinate with light soya sauce, pepper & corn starch.

Steps -
Boil your spaghetti till al dente.
1. In a wok with oil, cook the garlic and shallots till fragrance.
2. Then add water in, dark soya sauce, light soya sauce, oyster sauce and chicken knorr cube. Let it come to a boil.
3. Then add chicken in and cook till cooked. Adjust taste accordingly.
4. Follow by your al dente spaghetti in and stir to mix well. Done.

Char Siew Ribs by Angela Seah Thulin

Facebook link - 
https://www.facebook.com/groups/platepalate/permalink/919595914761376/

Recipe link -
https://www.facebook.com/sassyangelakitchen/photos/a.233714530168481.1073741830.233664896840111/451725231700742/?type=3&theater

Char Siew Ribs

Ingredients -
1kg pork ribs
3 tbsp hoisin sauce
3 tbsp LKK light soya sauce
3 tbsp oyster sauce
1.5 tbsp + 3 tsp LKK dark soya sauce
9 tbsp sugar
3 tbsp honey
Opt - drops of red coloring or char siew powder
LKK - Lee Kum Kee

Steps -
1. Cut the ribs, mix them with the above ingredients and marinate them overnight.
2. Remove pork and rest for twenty mins.
3. In a pot, cook the ribs together with the sauce in high heat for 20 mins covered with lid. Stir/flip frequently.
4. Sauce will slowly thicken. Continue cooking for another 10-20mins in medium to high heat. Or till ribs are cooked. Remember to stir/flip frequently.

Note -

1. The type of pork I used in Swedish is Revben.

Halloween tombstone brownies by Angela Seah Thulin

I use my After Eight brownies recipe and top with chocolate ganache.

After Eight brownies recipe link - http://platepalate.blogspot.se/2015/05/after-eight-brownie-by-angela-seah.html

Chocolate ganache - 

80g chocolate

90ml heavy cream (36% fat content)

Using double boil method, melt the chocolate, let it cool for few minutes then add heavy cream in and stir till well mixed. Spread on brownie.

Garnish with crumbled oreos in front of each tomb.

Halloween Pumpkin cupcakes by Angela Seah Thulin

Do you like these pumpkins cupcakes? Simple to make but you need some time.

To make the batter - 

1. 15g cocoa powder, sieve

2. 1 small egg

3. 60g self raising flour

4. 32g room temperature butter

5. 32g granulated sugar

6. 1/2 tsp vanilla essence

7. 2 tbsp fresh orange juice

Preheat your oven

Steps - 

1. About 5-6 medium to big oranges, cut the top/acting as the hat and keep it. Cut the bottom flat to allow orange to stand.

2. Core the orange meat out. Set aside.

3. Using a hand mixer, blend the above batter till just well corporated.

4.Scoop the batter into the empty orange to about 3/4 full.

5. Wrap the oranges up with aluminum foil and place them on a baking tray.

6. I baked at 160 degree celsius for more than 20minutes. Every oven is different. 

7. As for the stem, i use pretzel and the green i use jelly bean.

Original recipe from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q8xuQplavpo

Chicken chop with black pepper sauce by Angela Seah Thulin

Marinate - 
650g chicken thigh fillet
1 tbsp water
1 tbsp light soy sauce
2 tsp corn flour
pinch of salt


Caramelized Black Pepper Onion Sauce -
1 onion (about 50g), sliced thinly
3 gloves garlic, minced finely
1/4 tsp ground black pepper (or more)
2 tsp sugar
2 tbsp Lee Kum Kee Light soy sauce
150ml water or more
2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce 
Opt - Cornstarch with water

Steps -
1. Cut away the fats, keep the skin, wash and pat dry. Then marinate the fillets for few hours.
2. To cook - remove the fillets from fridge to room temperature. In a pan/wok, heat up with some oil and pan fried the fillets with skin side down till cooked. Remove and set aside.
3. Then using the same pan/wok, add oil, saute the minced garlic and sliced onions until softened.
4. Add 1/4 tsp pepper in first, sugar, light soya sauce, water and worcestershire sauce. Taste and adjust the amount of ground pepper accordingly. Stir in cornstarch mixture if needed to thicken the sauce.
4. Add the chicken chops in and cook a while. Dish up and serve.

Orh Nee (Yam Paste) 芋泥 by Angela Seah Thulin

A traditional teochew dessert served in chinese restaurants and/or during chinese weddings. I'm away from Singapore yet i can have this in Sweden... I'm never far from home it seems. 

I like my orh nee with a little coconut taste in but not pumpkin. The creamy, thick, sticky and sweet orh nee is perfect together with the gingko nuts ... 

Not difficult to make - just steam, mash or blend and then cook it.

*Sweetness is entirely up to you, I used more than one pc of the bing tang/rock sugar boiled in 500ml water. I add ginkgo nuts in to the water together with pandan leaves and boil together.
*I don't like pumpkin so my total taro I used was 700g. 
*For thicker result, use less water ie.300ml.


Ingredients -

500g taro (slice thinly or cut in cube) 
300g pumpkin (cut into cube)
500ml water boil with one big piece of rock sugar (冰糖) + 3 pcs of pandan leaves tied together. 
Gingko (your choice of amount)
150ml coconut milk 
4 tbsp shallots oil

Directions - 

1)  Steam taro and pumpkin for 25 minutes or till very soft. Then use a fork/potato masher to mash it while it's still hot and set aside. Using a processor will get a smoother paste. 
2) Heat wok and add 3 tbsp shallots oil, add the mashed mixture in, stir fry the mixture over medium low. Stir continuously until taro and oil are well combined. (add 1 tbsp shallot oil if it's not combining). 
3) Reduce heat and add in the rock sugar water gradually n keep stirring till taro paste becomes smooth and paste-alike consistency.
4) Still in low heat - Add coconut milk in gradually and stir till well-combined. 
5) Top with gingko. 

Note - Do not consume too many gingko nuts (1-3 a day) as they can be toxic in larger doses especially for younger kids.

Dark Chocolate Chiffon Cake by Angela Seah Thulin

I was doing grocery when i spotted this bar of chocolate. Thinking i could probably use it to bake dark chiffon cake, i decided to give it a try!. I was tremedously happy when this chocolate chiffon cake turn out so well. The dark chocolate's rich taste, the right sweetness and the soft texture follow by a hint of raspberry flavour ... I took 2 slices straight after i cut them. Love them to the max!

Dark Chocolate Chiffon Cake (with a hint of raspberry flavour) by Angela Seah Thulin

Cocoa Batter -
150g Chocolate (70%), break into pieces
90ml water
100g corn oil
25g cocoa powder, sifted
65g cake flour, sifted
1/2 tsp bicarbonate soda
115g egg yolks (its about 6 large egg yolks)

Egg White Batter - 
225g egg white (its about 6 large egg white)
115g granulated sugar
a pinch of salt
1/8 tsp cream of tartar

Method:

1. Using double boil method, melt the chocolate and stir till smooth. Then add in corn oil slowly, continue stirring at the time till smooth. Then stir/fold in the rest of the ingredients and stir till smooth.
2. Using a hand mixer, whisk the egg white with cream of tartar till frothy, then add sugar in gradually follow by adding in the salt. Whisk till you achieve soft peak.

3. Fold the egg white into the egg yolk mixture and then pour into a 23" to 25" round chiffon cake pan.
4. Bake at 175degree celsius for about 45 mins or till cooked. I baked at 125degree celsius for 45mins.

*Every oven is different, please do adjust accordingly.

Recipe origin - Aunty Yochana 

http://auntyyochana.blogspot.se/2007/10/japanese-dark-pearl-cake.html