Chess cookies by Angela Seah Thulin

I remember the first time i had such cookies. They were offered by my mother in law. My husband was sharing to me how much he loves these cookies and he had them very often when he was a kid. Well well, i was hesitating even to try as i don't really fancy butter cookies. They were amazingly fragrant and i couldn't taste the butter so much .. I'm falling for them.

Chess cookies by Angela Seah Thulin

It looks complicated and you probably have to use a ruler to measure if you like an even design.. But hehe, i don't. All done free hand so i don't really have a detailed explanation to that. And yes this is another easy recipe.

Ingredients - 

325g All purpose flour

220g room temperature butter

140g granulated sugar

20g cocoa powder, sifted

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 tsp lemon zest

1 large egg

1/4 tsp salt

Steps - 

Preheat oven - 175 degree celsius

1. In a baking bowl, beat the butter and sugar until light and fuffy (about 2 minutes).

2. Add the eggs, vanilla extract and lemon zest in till well mixed. 

3. Then add the flour in and beat till they are well combined.

4. Divide the dough into half and place one half of the dough back into the bowl. Add the cocoa  powder and beat until fully incorporated.

5. Place the two doughs on 2 parchment papers. Roll and shape them accordingly. For this part, you really have to use your imagination to ponder .. :) 

Brush in between layers with water. Press down gently and then wrap and freeze for 15 minutes or until they are firm.

6. When firm, remove from freezer and cut them. Into preheated oven and bake them for about 6 -9 minutes or until you see the browning at the cookies edges. Remove from oven and place on wire rack to cool completely. 

Watermelon Jelly by Angela Seah Thulin

My husband bought me the WORLD smallest watermelon yesterday... (ok, I exaggerate abit too much. Anyway, it's the smallest watermelon I ever own). Eating the fresh and with the leftover skin, i used it to make into jelly. 

Bought the packet in Singapore and behind the packet, there are clear simple instructions of how to do it.

Photo credit: Vivawoman

Minced meat with tofu by Angela Seah Thulin

I was super happy to receive a big parcel (16kg) at my doorstep just a few days ago. It was from my cooking friends in Singapore. There were so many goodies in it. Curry paste, herbs, noodles, biscuits, sauces and the list goes on looooong... One of them was Taucu (salted soy bean). I have always seen recipes using it but i have never really tasted it. So with the Taucu, i cooked it with minced meat and tofu. Woah, i was so happy with the result that my son and i were almost fighting over it... Just a very simple dish to whip up. 

Marinate (30 mins) -

150g minced meat

3/4 tbsp light soya sauce

1 tsp sugar

1 tsp sesame oil

1 tbsp corn starch

Few dashes of pepper

Other ingredients - 

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 tbsp oil

2 tsp Taucu

1/2 tsp dark soya sauce

1/2 cup water

Tofu (egg tofu 1-2 or silken tofu), cut into cubes

Scallions for garnishing

*Opt - bit of cornstarch to thicken the gravy

To cook -

1. In a wok with oil, add the garlic in and cook till fragrant and then add taucu in. Stir fry for a few seconds.

2. Add the marinated meat in and cook till the meat is no longer pink. Stir and separate the meat into smaller pieces.

3. Add the water and dark soya sauce in, let it come to a boil.

4. Follow by adding tofu in and let it simmer for 2-3 minutes. Gently stir to avoid breaking the tofu. Garnish with scallions.

Done! 

Thanks Lily Ooh for the Taucu :)

Pan-fried rice cake with red bean paste by Angela Seah Thulin

For more recipes - https://www.facebook.com/sassyangelakitchen

It was only yesterday that i brewed a big pot of red bean soup. As i have always liked the soup only, i tend to use the leftover beans to make them into red bean popsicles, but this time i made this sticky snack. This rice cake is crispy on the outside with a sticky texture from the glutinous rice flour. You will taste the sweetness of the red bean paste and also smell the fragrance of the sesame seeds...mmmm... 

It's super easy to make this!

1. Red bean paste (or you could use ready-made paste) - 
400g overnight cooked red beans
6tbsp brown sugar

In a pot - stir, mash them and cook till dry. You should have about 250g bean paste when done.

2. The dough - 

150g Glutinous rice flour

estimated 140ml water (start off with 80ml water and add slowly)

In a large bowl, mix the above together till the dough comes together and soft. 

3. To assemble - 

Weigh each dough to be 20g

Weigh each bean paste to be 15 or 16g

Flatten the dough, wrap up the bean paste and shape into a ball. Then gently press it flat and coat with sesame seeds.

4. Heat up non-stick pan with alittle oil over medium heat, pan fried the rice cake for 2-3mins on each side, you will know it's ready when the rice cake has soften.

Done! Hope you like it!

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Sweet Potato Fries by Angela Seah Thulin

Few members in my Facebook - Global Dining group have been sharing the new snack that is going on in Singapore Mac Donald now - The sweet potato fries. So I thought i should make some too .. 

I used the sweet potato that has been in my fridge for some time. And to achieve the crispiness, i tried on 3 types of flour. I think cornstarch lasted and was indeed crispy. 

All i did was >>> 
1. Cut the sweet potatoes (do not wash otherwise please pat dry) into strips.
2. Place them into a ziplock bag, add the cinnamon powder and caster sugar in and shake to combine. 

For every 1/4 tsp cinnamon powder, I used 1 tsp caster sugar.

3. Add the cornstarch in and shake to combine. 

Its important that the strips have a thin layer of cornstarch dusting. 

4. In hot oil, i deep fried them first on low heat and then slightly increase to medium heat..  

Done!

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Tapioca flour jelly by Angela Seah Thulin

I have always love this tapioca flour jelly in my dessert BuBur Chacha (cook with coconut milk, sweet potatoes, yam - a common dessert serve in Singapore(. 

And very often  i have to get up very early just to go to the wet market in Singapore to buy this. Staying in Sweden, i have to make myself from scratch for most of my cravings. 

This is the tapioca flour jelly. Since i love it so much, this time i added them to my Longan/red dates dessert instead. 

Ingredients - 

100g Tapioca flour
est. 80ml boiling hot water (starting from 50ml, add slowly)
*opt - coloring
*opt - caster sugar (abit)

Steps-
- Mix together and knead them into a pliable dough
- In a pot with boiling water, cook these till float, then scoop up after 1-2 mins.
- Transfer them into icy cold water to achieve the chewiness.

Join me at Facebook cooking group - Plate & Palate
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Clutch Bag Cake by Angela Seah Thulin

When i was bedridden the last few days, i watched quite abit of You Tube videos and had an idea to do something challenging. I have never baked a 3D cake before so i was deciding to either bake a simple animal cake or try with a clutch bag cake. Since i have not bought any fanciful bags the past two years, I tried a bag instead. This took me about 4hrs in the kitchen and the end result for a beginner - I am a HAPPY girl! 

Recipe:
Cake -
345g sifted all purpose flour
1 tbsp baking powder
224g salted butter at room temperature
330g granulated white sugar
4 large eggs, at room temperature
2 tsp pure vanilla extract
240ml room temperature milk

Frosting -
690g icing/powdered sugar, sifted
450g butter, room temperature
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 tsp strawberry emulco
Opt - drops of pink/red coloring
*Add 1-2 tbsp milk if you prefer creamy texture (i did not)
- There will be some leftover frosting. Keep it and frost on cupcakes next day if you like.

Steps -
1. Preheat oven to 180 degrees C. Butter or spray your baking pan and lay with parchment paper. I use disposal aluminum tray, rectangular shape.
2. In the metal bowl of your stand mixer using paddle attachment (or with a hand mixer) - beat the butter until soft and creamy (about 1-2 minutes).
3. Gradually add the sugar in and beat until light and fluffy (about 3-5 minutes). Add the eggs in one by one. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed.
4. Add the vanilla extract in and beat until combined.
5. In a bowl, sift and whisk the flour + baking powder together.
6. Now add the flour mixture in to point 4 (in three additions) and milk (in two additions), beginning and ending with the flour.
7. Evenly divide the batter between the two trays filling 3/4 full.
8. Bake 27 to 35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean.
9. Place the ready cakes on a wire rack to cool completely for frosting.

Frosting: In the bowl of your electric mixer, beat the butter until smooth and creamy. Beat in the vanilla extract and strawberry emulco. Then gradually beat in the icing sugar. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed. If desired, add food coloring now. *Add 1-2 tsp milk if you prefer creamy texture. Then on high speed, beat frosting until it is light and fluffy (about 3-5 minutes). Add more milk or powdered sugar, as needed, to get the right spreading consistency.

Assemble: Place one cake layer over the other. Spread the frosting in between and around it. Place into fridge to chill for 15mins. Then the rest of the cream, i scoop into piping bag and start to pipe rose around the cake. Rose swirl tip - use Wilton 1M or Closed star Ateco 852.

Handle: I use marzipan.

Done!

Mini Egg Cuppies 鸡蛋糕 by Angela Seah Thulin

Sometime ago, i baked mini egg cuppies using 4 large eggs and alot of members in Plate & Palate followed. Well, the recipe is too easy not to try. But yesterday i was left with only 3 large eggs, i proceed to bake accordingly.

Recipe for 4 large eggs link  - 

https://www.facebook.com/groups/platepalate/permalink/736684639719172/

Recipe for 3 large eggs link -

https://www.facebook.com/groups/platepalate/permalink/898163123571322/

Ingredients -
30g oil
3 large eggs
160g plain flour
170g fine sugar
1 tsp baking powder
Pinch of salt

Steps -
1) Whisk the eggs, sugar n salt until light and fluffy.
2) Sieve the flour and baking powder in to no. 1 and fold in one motion until well combined. I use ballon whisker.
3) Then add the oil in and fold until well combined.
Opt* add chocolate rice
4) Pour the batter into cupcakes.
5) Bake at preheated oven 180degree C. for about 18-20mins
*Every oven temperature is different. Mine was baked at 165degree for 15mins.

Done!

Steam Cod Fish Fillet (suitable for confinement)

I am not a fish person. I've never like to eat fish since young :)

But since i just had a robotic operation in Sweden one week ago and according to Chinese, fish will help to heal the scar faster. So this is my steam fish cooked with deep fried ginger and sesame oil.

Facebook link - 
https://www.facebook.com/groups/platepalate/permalink/897478586973109/

Ingredients -

230g cod fish fillet, wash & pat dry
1 tbsp wolfberries, rinse
1 tsp sesame oil
1 tbsp light soya sauce
40g ginger + 2 tbsp sesame oil

Steps -
1. Cut the ginger into strips.
2. Cooked the ginger with 2tbsp sesame oil till crispy.
3. In a plate - lay some of the cooked ginger on plate then fish fillet on it.
4. Pour the remaining ginger strips including sesame oil in, together with wolfberries, light soya sauce and sesame oil.
5. In hot boiling water, place the fish to steam for 5-8mins or until fish is cooked.


Done!

Bak Chor Mee (dry version) by Angela Seah Thulin

Love the stewed chinese mushroom to go along with this noodles! 

Ingredients 
Mushroom - 
6-7 big chinese dried mushrooms or less
600ml water
1 tsp light soy sauce
1 tbsp dark soy sauce
5 pcs of crystal sugar (square)

To marinate pork (minced or lean pork) -
150 grams minced pork
1 tsp corn flour
1 tsp sesame oil
1 tsp light soy sauce
Few dashes of pepper

Steps -
1. Rinse the mushroom then soak with 600ml water & note to keep this amt of water.
2. Squeeze dry the mushroom (keep the water) and slice them thinly.
3. In a small pot, pour in 600ml water and all mushrooms, after it gets boiling, low heat and stew the mushroom till soft est. 30-40mins.
4. In a pot with boiling water, cook your noodles first then blanch (cook for few mins) the minced pork.

Assemble -
In a bowl to serve, I add 1 tsp vinegar, 1 tsp of light soya sauce, 1 tsp of shallot oil n some crispy shallots - add in my ready noodles in n mix well. Then top with minced pork and mushrooms n gravy 2 tbsp from the mushroom is a must too. Add ketchup or chilli. Blanch some bean sprouts to go along if you like.

Done!