Durian Butter Cake

Every year during the period between June and September, this "spiky" green thorns fruit known as "Durian (榴莲)" can be found everywhere in the HDB market area or some local supermarkets fruit section (fruits remove from shells and tightly sealed). So is either you love or hate this fruit due to it's strong odour where some said it is fragrant while others might find it distinguishing.

Last week while thinking of what to do with those "excess" Durian in the fridge, I do a quick post from "instagram" via Cuisine Paradise Facebook page and I  received many interesting suggestions (read more HERE) within a short while.  So after browsing through the comments, I decide to make some Durian Butter Cake for afternoon tea as well as a giveaway to mum's friends.

Durian's shape ranges from oblong to round and the colour of its husk is either green to brown with its flesh pale to darker yellow depending on the species. There are many species around and the most common and popular few in Singapore are "D24", "XO", "Mao Shan Wang", "Red Prawn" and etc (which is on the higher price range that goes by weight).  Or you can choose those "Kampong Durian (甘榜榴莲)" which price as low as "S$0.50 - S$1.00" (smaller in size) each Durian.

DURIAN BUTTER CAKE

From the photos of the cake in this post you can more or less visualize the texture which looks moist, soft, rich and "super fragrant" (too bad you can't smell it virtually) due to the amount of durian pulps added. And during the baking time, you will be amazed on how aromatic your house smells like provided you are a Durian lover.

(Make 4: 5.5 x 9.5 x 4.5cm  | Preparation: 10 minutes  | Baking: 40 minutes)

Ingredients:
250g Self-Raising Flour, sifted
250g Unsalted Butter, soften
200 - 220g Caster Sugar
5 Eggs (55g each)
350g Of Fresh Durian Pulps
50ml Fresh Milk
1 Teaspoon Vanilla Extract

Method:-

1. Scrap the flesh of the Durian into a bowl and set aside for later use.

2. Preheat the oven to 170 degree.

3. Cream the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy (beating with an electric mixer for about 5 minutes on medium speed).

4. Add in 1 egg at a time, beating well in between each additions.

5. Beat in Durian pulps till combined, using a rubber spatula to fold in half the sifted flour (careful not to over-stir or beat the mixture) and follow by milk and remaining flour.

6. Divide the batter into the prepared casing, hollowing it out slightly in middle to prevent it rising to a dome in the centre. (you can add in some extra durian pulp on top like what shown in the 1st photo above).

7. Bake the cake in preheated 170 Degree Celsius oven for 40 - 45 minutes or until a skewer insert in the middle and come out clean.

8. When cooked, remove cake from the oven, allow it to cool completely on a wire rack before cutting.

DURIAN ON BAGUETTE

This "special" idea comes from one of my recent post on the Buah Keluak Toast where by I used some of the leftover Buah Keluak paste to make the toast. But as for this "Durian On Baguette" is so simple that I just spread some durian pulp (I have kept some in the fridge from previous night dessert) on freshly toast baguette which makes it so yummy and similar to ice-cream on warm toast effect. For more recipes using Durian, you can refer to the post HERE.

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Ayam Buah Keluak And Deep-fried Buah Keluak Toast

Ayam Buah Keluak (黑果焖鸡) is a distinctive Peranakan dish combining chicken with Buah Keluak to produce a rich sauce which is sweet, spicy and sour. This key ingredient of this unique dish is "buah keluak (黑果)" which is not a common ingredients in Singapore. And to prepare this dish, you need extra effort on preparing the buah keluak (wash, soaked and remove the flesh), meat stuffing and rempah (spice paste) before you get to cook and enjoy this hearty dish.

Although my granny is a Peranakan, I did not really get to learn her secret recipes because she passed away during my teenage time. And moreover she only has a few signature dishes due to her busy timing. But despite of that, Ayam Buah Keluak is definitely one of her best shot which we all loved.

AYAM BUAH KELUAK

Finally with the help of my brother who visited Malacca recently, he managed to find and brought back some "processed (washed and cleaned)"  buah keluak from one of the eatery there. So using  those 20 pieces of "treasure" that he gave me, I decided to cook this popular Peranakan Dish.

Recipe adapted and modify from Famous Cuisine, May And June 2010 issue.

(Serves: 4 | Preparation: 30 minutes | Cooking: 30 minutes)

Ingredients A:
10 Buah Keluak (黑壳果)
1/2 Portion Chicken (600g), cut into pieces
2 Pieces Tamanrind Slices (亚参皮)
500ml Hot Water

Ingredients B:
200g Chicken Fillet
3 Dried Shiitake Mushrooms, soaked until soften
100g Shelled Prawns
1/2 Teaspoon Salt
1/4 Teaspoon Pepper
1/2 Teaspoon Sugar
5 Buah Keluak Flesh (黑果肉)

Ingredients C - Rempah:
20 Dried Chillies, soaked in hot water until soften
5 Buah Keluak Flesh (黑果肉)
2 Stalks Lemon Grass (香茅)
2cm Fresh Galangal (南姜)
2cm Fresh Ginger
2 Candlenuts
5 Garlic Cloves
5 Shallots

Method:-

1.Wash and clean the unprocessed "Buah Keluak", soak them in water for 3 days (change water daily).

2. Cut off a small opening on top of the shell, remove the flesh in it and set aside.

3. After which, rinse the empty shell and place it in a pot with water to cover it and bring to boil for 10 minutes. Next dish up, rinse and drain well before stuffing in the buah keluak paste mixture.

4. To make the fillings:- Blend all Ingredients (B) in the blender until it form a smooth paste, remove.

5. Stuff filling back into the cavity of the Buah Keluak shell till full. Set aside.

6. Heat up about 3 tablespoons of oil in frying pan, suate the blended Ingredients (C) until fragrant.

7. Add in chicken pieces and continue to fry until aromatic before putting in the stuffed "Buah Keluak", water and tamarind slices. Bring mixture to boil, add in 1/2 cube of chicken stock and simmer over low heat until chicken is cooked thorough and flavour has been absorbed (about 20 - 30 minutes).

8. Lastly, season with salt and sugar to taste. Remove from heat and serve hot with steamed white rice.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

*Note:-

- You can get Buah Keluak in Singapore from Chinatown Market, Teka Market or Bukit Panjang Wholesale Centre.

~ If you or anyone going to Malacca, you can also easily get the "process" Buah Keluak from there.

DEEP-FRIED BUAH KELUAK TOAST

My inspiration for this "Deep-fried Buah Keluak Toast" comes from a similar snack which is available from My Peranakan Spice Box Restaurant, located at Toa Payoh Hub. Their Buah Keluak Toast is mainly made with soft buah keluak meat served on crunchy baguette which taste like Asian caviar on toast. Whereas for mine, I used the left over Buah Kelauk Chicken Paste from the dish above, spread it on some halved sandwich bread and deep-fried to achieve that crunchy texture similar to "prawn toast".

(Serves: 2   |        Preparation: 5 minutes     |       Cooking: 5 minutes)

Ingredients:
2 - 3 Slices of Sandwich Bread, halved
Some Buah Keluak Chicken Paste (80g), recipe above
1 Tablespoon Each of White And Black Sesame Seeds
Oil for deep frying

Method:-

1. Spread about 3/4 - 1 Tablespoon of the Buah Keluak Chicken Paste over the top of each slices of bread.

2. Hold the bread upside down (paste facing downward), coat it evenly with the sesame seeds mixture and set aside.

3. Preheat a pan with oil and deep-fried the bread over medium low heat until golden in colour and chicken paste is cooked through (about 2 minutes).

4. Drained well and serve warm plain or with chilli sauce.

There are a few ways to prepare this "Ayam Buah Keluak" dish depending on individual preference and taste. While preparing the stuffing you can use either pork, chicken or just the buah keluak flesh itself. And as for the gravy, you can simmer the mixture until it resemble "rendang" or quiet watery like normal chicken curry. But no matter which is your choice, I am sure you would love this appetizing dish which makes you crave for more.

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Homemade Fan Choy (饭菜) aka Steamed Rice

Fan Choy (饭菜) is a common breakfast or tea time item which can be found from those stalls selling steamed bao (包) and dim sum. It is a one dish meal which consists of rice that steamed together with char siew (barbecued meat) and hard-boiled egg or sometime with other ingredients such as stewed mushrooms.

From the photos in this post you can see that our homemade Fan Choy is loaded with lots of ingredients as compared to those selling from store bought. This makes it a plus point for homecook dishes whereby we are assured that fresh ingredients are being used as well as we can load it with more stuffing of our choice. So here is my mum's version of easy homemade Fan Choy which she had taught me. It is so easy that it can be done within 30 minutes with 3 key ingredients such as cooked rice, char siew and hard-boiled egg.

FAN CHOY
饭菜

When compare Fan Choy with Lor Mai Gai (糯米鸡）, I still prefer Fan Choy because of it's fragrant char siew sauce and hard-boiled egg. So for my very own homemade Fan Choy, I have added extra portion of char siew and egg as compared to those store bought.

(Make: 6 (4" round)   |  Preparation: 10 minutes  |  Cooking: 20 minutes)

Ingredients:
2 Cup Uncooked Rice
3 Hardboiled Egg, shelled and halved
200g Char Siew, sliced
1/2 Cup Char Siew Sauce
1/2 Teaspoon Dark Soy Sauce
2 Tablespoons Hot Water
Some Stewed Shiitake Mushroom, optional
1/4 Cube Chicken Stock Cubes, optional
1 Knot Of Pandan Leaves, optional

Method:-

1. Rinse and cook the rice in rice cooker as per normal by adding in optional pandan leaves and chicken stock cubes for flavour and taste.

2. Mix about 2 tablespoons of hot water with the char siew sauce(obtain from the stall where you buy the char siew) and dark soy sauce to dilute it and set aside.

3. Meanwhile distribute the ingredients (char siew, egg and mushrooms [if using]) evenly in each aluminum foil cases together with 1 - 2 teaspoons of dilute char siew sauce while waiting for the rice to be cooked.

4. When the rice is done, remove the pandan leaves, fluff it with a fork and slowly drizzle in the char siew sauce, mix well according to your preference. (you might not need all the sauce)

5. Divide the rice equally among the prepared aluminum foil cases, steam it on a steamer rack for 5 - 8 minutes on medium heat and served hot/warm.

6. You can keep the fan choy(without steaming) in an air-tight container in the fridge for 2 - 3 days. To eat, just reheat it in the microwave oven or steam it for 5 minutes before eating.

NOTE:-
~ The key to make delicious "fan choy" lies on the char siew and char siew sauce used. So try to grab some decent char siew (a little fat makes it taste better) from your favourite stall and also request for some of the special char siew sauce to enhance the colour and flavour of your fan choy.

For those who have emailed me asking for the Fan Choy recipe, I hope this quick and easy version will enable you to prepare your favourite Fan Choy especially for those are staying overseas. If Char Siew is not available at your area, perhaps you can try making some from "Rasamalaysia"(recipe) or "Maameemoomoo"(recipe) and use them for making Fan Choy.

COME AND JOIN US @ #CookForFamily

Recently Daniel from Daniel’s Food Diary has started a little bloggers’ initiative called #CookForFamily. The purpose of #CookForFamily is to encourage family member(s) to get together to prepare any simple homecook dishes in the month of July to promote goodness of healthy home cook food as well as create family bonding time whereby everyone gets to eat together.

If you are keen in joining us for this #CookForFamily, you can refer to Daniel's post over at this link HERE or HERE for more details. Hope to see you onboard soon!

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Blueberry Vs Raspberry Compote

Although in Singapore we do not have our own seasonal fruits like berries, stone fruits and etc. But we can easily get fresh seasonal fruits from the supermarkets and every year during summer which is the best time to buy "cheap" berries such as "Blueberry" and "Cherries" that are imported from overseas. So during this season, grab more "berries" and freeze it for later use in your bakes or dishes.

BLUEBERRY COMPOTE

"Compote" is sweet dessert or topping which make from cooking fresh/dried fruits together with sugar and other flavorings. Here when berries are in season, I would often make some Blueberry or Raspberry compote to go with either homemade yoghurt(recipe), pancakes(recipe), crepes or cheesecake for breakfast or tea time.

(Make: About 1 Cup | Preparation: 2 minutes | Cooking: 3 - 5 minutes)

Ingredients:
1 1/2 Cups Blueberries
2 Tablespoons of Caster Sugar
Zest Of 1 Lemon
Juice of 1/2 Lemon

Method:-

1. Place all ingredients in a small saucepan and cook over medium low heat until the sugar melt and some berries have burst. (Do not overcook the berries else the compote will end up to be with too much juice)

2. Remove from heat and serve warm with pancakes or crepes. Alternatively you can stored cool compote in sealed container in the fridge for up to a week.

For us we love to have blueberry compote with our homemade yoghurt which brings up the flavour of both the compote and yoghurt.

RASPBERRY COMPOTE

If "blue" is not your preference, perhaps some Raspberry Compote will be great to use as topping for the Lemon Cheesecake (recipe) together with some extra fresh berries.

(Make: About 1 Cup | Preparation: 2 minutes | Cooking: 3 - 5 minutes

Ingredients:
1 1/2 Cups Raspberry
2 Tablespoons of Caster Sugar
Zest Of 1 Lemon
Juice of 1/2 Lemon

Method:-

1. Refer to the steps on making Blueberry Compote above.

Till then, have some fun making your very own "fruit compote" which the seasonal fresh fruits which are available in the supermarkets.

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Magic Of BOSCH MCM4100 Food Processor - Part II, Baked Mini Lemon Cheesecake

This is a super "over due" recipe which I found in my "draft" a few days back while sorting out some my posts. I guess it has being almost 6 months since the other related Part I post had being published. So please accept my sincere apologies if you are waiting for this recipe.

I love cheesecake especially those that are baked rather than the non-bake type. And out of all the different types of cheesecake, New York and Boston Cheesecakes are two of my favourite because I love its thick and creamy cheesy flavour.

BAKED LEMON CHEESECAKE

At a glance you might thought the above mini cheesecakes look similar to one of the dim sum item,  "Portuguese Egg Tarts" due to the caramelised colour on its surface. But indeed these are very yummy Baked Lemon Cheesecake which is served in mini portion which is great for party, gift or tea-time.

(Make: 10 Medium Cupcakes | Preparation: 10 minutes | Cooking: 20 minutes)

Ingredients:
1 Pack (135g) OREO Cookies, cream removed and finely crushed
50g Unsalted Butter, melted
150g Sour Cream
250g Philadelphia Cream Cheese
1/2 Cup (115g) Caster Sugar
3 Eggs(55g each)
10 - 12 Fresh Raspberry
1 Teaspoon Vanilla Extract
1 Tablespoon Finely Grated Lemon Rind, about 3 lemons
3 Tablespoons (45ml) Fresh Lemon Juice
Extra Mixed Berries for Toppings, optional

Method:-

1. Process the biscuits in the bowl of BOSCH MCM4100 food processor until crumbs form. Slowly add the melted butter and process until combined (you might not need all the butter).

2. Divide the crumbs evenly into 10 - 12 medium cupcake causes, press it evenly over the base by placing another cupcake case over it. Chill in the refrigerator for 20 minutes before use.

3. Meanwhile, clean the food processor bowl. Process the cream cheese, sour cream, sugar and lemon rind in the bowl of the food processor until smooth.

4. Add the eggs one at a time, processing after each addition before adding in the lemon juice. Process until combined.

5. Remove the cupcake cases from the fridge, place a Raspberry in the cupcake case, divide the cheesecake mixture equally amount the cases and bake in the preheated 160°C for 40 - 50 minutes or until just set and centre wobbles slightly.

6. Turn the oven off and cool the cheesecake with door slightly ajar for an hour or so.

7. Chill in the refrigerator for a few hours or overnight. Serve with extra fruit fresh and whipped cream.

If you would like to try this recipe and yet you don't have any food processor, don't worry you can always replace using normal electric beater/mixer and beat it as per normal like other cheesecake recipes. For this recipe, I love the adding of raspberry and lemon rinds which gives it a freshly berries fragrant and taste. But if raspberry is not your preference you can always replace it with blueberries. Hope you would like this quick and easy mini cheesecakes!

LEMON BERRY TARTS

Above is the Lemon Berry Tarts which featured in "Magic Of BOSCH MCM4100 Food Processor - Part I". You can find the related recipe HERE.

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