Baking frenzy

It all started when I asked my mum to teach me how to make her delicious corn pudding sometime ago. As I was actually baking solo, I thought to myself : "Hey.I can actually do this." And so I did. It became my signature dessert for awhile...even sold some at college. Then came English Club's Carnivale which included a chocolate dessert competition where my class won with our Chocolate Tiramisu. I was hooked, and I attempted the original tiramisu which for me, tastes better - my next all-time favourite. Back in NZ, my friends and I had this thing where we would attempt to make new dessert every week. One of my memorable moments in baking apart from actually eating the sweet treats is of course, taking photos of 'em before they get harmed. And dessert has never looked so good. Seriously. As I spent my summer holidays in Malaysia, I can't help but put all that I've discovered into practice. So every week, every event or every time I know there will be people in my house, I bake. I take some more pictures. I post 'em up on FB and people give all sorts of comments. Many ask for the recipe. So instead of meeting everyone's requests over and over again, I figured I should just share 'em with everyone else who wants to. Now it's public. Here's what I can conjure up and if a recipe that you're looking for is not here, that would mean I can't exactly give it away. Really sorry but some recipes are pretty personal, only passed on to family members, something of a family tradition or else they're friends' so I can't exactly claim them as mine. Nevertheless, I hope you'll enjoy the others as much as I have! =)

• TiRAmISu (Originale)

Ingredients :

Sponge/lady finger biscuits
250g cream cheese
150ml whipped cream
3 eggs
castor sugar
cocoa/coffee powder
hot water

Method :

1) In a big bowl, beat the cream cheese n add 1tbsp sugar
2) Beat in the eggs, add 1 tbsp sugar
3) Beat in the whipped cream, add 1 tbsp sugar, whisk till creamy
4) Arrange the biscuits covering the base of the container/tray
5) In a cup, mix the coffee/cocoa powder n hot water
6) Drizzle the coffee mixture over the biscuits so that it covers all the biscuits but make sure it's not too soggy
7) Pour the bowl mixture over the biscuits, making the 1st layer
8) Arrange the biscuits n pour the mixture again, making the 2nd layer
9) Decorate the top layer -use your creativity! chocolate flakes, icing sugar..

• ChoCOLatE tIraMisU

Everything is the same as for the original tiramisu with the exception of replacing the eggs with 2 oz. cooking chocolate which should be double-boiled and added into the mixture.

• BanANa CrEAm PiE

BASE

225g vanilla wafer (vanilla biscuits can be an alternative)
2 tbsp honey
2 tbsp water

1) Preheat oven at 180C
2) Crumble the wafer/biscuits using food processor/blender/hands
3) Mix everything and press into pie plate
4) Bake for about 10mins or until set

FILLING

6 large bananas 1 tbsp butter
1/2 cup white sugar 1 tbsp vanilla
1/3 cup plain flour 1/4 cup orange juice
3 cups milk 2 eggs yolk + 1 whole egg

1) Whisk sugar + flour in saucepan until mixed, whisk in milk slowly, bring to simmer over medium heat
2) Beat all eggs in a medium sized bowl, whisk 1 cup of hot milk mixture into egg mixture and immediately pour everything back into the pan over heat to avoid curding
3) Cook and whisk til boiled. Remove from heat and whisk in butter + vanilla. Cool for 15mins
4) Slice bananas. Toss in juice. Line 1/3 bananas over crust and pour half the filling over it.
5) Lone another 1/3 bananas on top of the filling. pour remaining filling over it.
6) Top with remaining bananas in spiral design. Cool for 30mins and chill in fridge for 4hrs to overnight before serving

• ChOColATe CAraMEl SliCEs

BASE

1 1/2 cups plain flour
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 tsp baking powder
125g butter, melted

FILLING

395g condensed milk
1tbsp butter
2tbsp golden syrup

TOPPING

200g cooking chocolate
50g butter

Method :

1) Preheat oven at 180C
2) Press base into a 27x18x3 (cm) pan and heat for 10-12 mins
3) For the filling, mix all the ingredients together over low heat for 5mins and then cool. Pour the mixture over the base and heat for 10mins.
4) Prepare the topping and pour into pan.
5) Cut using warm knife into slices

• LeMOn SLIceS

BASE (exactly the same for chocolate caramel slices)

TOPPING

400g can lite sweetened condensed milk
3 eggs
1 tbsp grated lemon rind
1/4 cup lemon juice
2 tbsp plain flour

Method :

1) Preheat oven to 180C
2) Prepare the base - combine dry ingredients and melted butter, mix well. Press mixture into tin.
3) Bake for 10 mins
4) Prepare topping - beat milk and eggs in a bowl for 1min and add lemon rind, lemon juice and flour. Beat until combined and then pour over base. Bake for 20-25mins or until set.
5) Allow to cool and cut into pieces. Sprinkle with icing sugar and lemon zest before serving.

• BANoFfeE PIe

Ingredients :

100g butter, melted
250g pkt vanilla biscuits, crumbed
380g can caramel (the solid, slightly soggy kind)
2 bananas
3/4 cup cream, whipped
2-3tbsp grated cooking chocolate

Method :

1) Combine melted butter and biscuit crumbs. Mix thoroughly and press over the base and side of a deep 20cm loose-based flan tin. Chill for 30mins.
2) Spread the caramel over the crumb base, then chill for about 1 hour until the caramel is firm.
3) Upon serving, slice bananas and arrange all but a few slices over the caramel. Top with whipped cream and decorate with remaining banana slices and grated chocolate.

• CHocOLAte CAraMel MufFiNs

Ingredients :

1 3/4 cups plain flour
1/4 cup nestle baking cocoa
4 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt3/4 cup sugar
100g butter, melted
1 1/4 cups milk
1 egg, lightly beaten
3/4 cup caramel

Method :

1) Pre-heat oven to 200 C.
2) Lightly grease the muffin pans.
3) Sift the flour,cocoa,baking powder & salt into a large bowl. Stir in sugar. make a well in centre of dry ingredients.
4) Combine the melted butter, milk & beaten egg in a separate bowl. Pour the liquid ingredients into the well. Stir until the dry ingredients are just dampened. Don't mix too much.
5) Using a large spoon half fill muffin pans with mixture. Place a tablespoonful of caramel on top. Put more mixture over the caramel to almost fill each muffin pan.
6) Bake in the preheated oven for 15 minutes or until cooked. Stand for 5 minutes, then lift out onto a rack to cool.

• CoRn PuDdInG
  

Ingredients :

4 or 5 eggs
1 can evaporated milk
1 can cream of corn
1 can of fruit cocktail
3/4 can of water
3/4 can castor sugar

Method :

1) Break all eggs into a bowl.
2) Add the milk into the bowl. Pour sugar into the soon empty can until 3/4 filled and then pour into the bowl. Do the same for water.
3) Add cream of corn.
4) Steam for half an hour or until cooked over medium heat
5) Cool it down and store in fridge.
6) Upon serving, add fruit cocktail on top.

That's all for now...I'll add more interesting delicacies pretty soon insyaAllah. Happy baking people~