"Kuih Makmur" aka "Snowballs"

Kuih Makmur (Trixie’s version! :))

Warning: EXTREMELY ADDICTIVE!!

Ingredients:

1 ½ cup flour

½ cup clarified butter (ghee) (melted)

2 tbsp or 1/4 cup icing/ confectioner sugar (if you’re sugar conscious, you can omit/decrease this)

2 tbsp or 1/4 cup powdered milk (any type) (increase to 1/2 cup for added luxury!)

pinch of salt

1 cup icing/ confectioner sugar for makmur balls to roll around in!

Utensils:

1 baking tray/ cookie sheet that can hold approximately 2 ½ dozen makmur balls

mixing bowl

wooden spatula

frying pan/ wok

sieve

Steps:

1. Heat pan on medium-low.
2. Stir flour into pan; stir constantly for about 5 mins. Flour would slightly brown.
3. Sieve flour, icing sugar, salt and powdered milk into mixing bowl. Mix well.
4. Melt/heat clarified butter/ghee in the microwave and mix in to form a soft dough (wet sand-modeling clay consistency).
5. Shape into balls and place onto baking tray.
6. Bake for 10-12 minutes at 170C. 
7. When done (small bubbles of heat will appear (and disappear) on top of balls and some browning also on bottom), let balls cool for 5 mins before rolling in icing sugar.

Variation:

For peanut flavor: You can add some peanuts (grind fine) into the flour mix or as filling (add a little peanut butter to make a paste). And/Or add 1-2 tbsp peanut butter to the ghee but add 1-2 tbsp flour to flour mix (to make sure the dough is not too soft).

For “Snowballs” (a “shortbread” style/type of kuih makmur): Substitute ghee above with regular butter/margarine and add vanilla essence. Also bake a little longer for about 15-20 minutes. Roll onto icing sugar to cover.

Notes:

The balls may be still quite soft (and hot!) even after several minutes of cooling down. If you do handle them while they are this soft, fine cracks may appear but the icing sugar will seal in the cracks. Or you choose those more presentable to serve friends but eat the ‘with-cracks’ ones yourself! :)

Chocolate cake

My favorite chocolate cake recipe:

Ingredients -
DRY:
3 cups of flour
1/2 cup cocoa powder
1 cup caster sugar
2 tbsp baking soda
1 tsp salt

WET:
1 cup cooking oil (or melted butter)
2 cups water (or coffee/milk)
1 tbsp vanilla essence
2 tbsp vinegar


CHOCOLATE SYRUP:
2 cups chocolate milk
1 tsp vanilla essence (or coffee essence)


FILLING:
1 cup buter
2 cups icing sugar, sifted
1/2 cup cocoa powder
1 cup whipped cream
1 tsp vanilla essence (or coffee essence)
2 tbsp vodka/brandy/liquer (optional)


ICING:

1 cup whipped cream
1/2 cup cocoa powder
a dash of vanilla/coffee essence, and/or vodka/brandy/liquer


STEPS:

THE CAKE - PART 1
1. Sift all dry ingredients together.
2. Add wet ingredients into dry, and mix thoroughly.
3. Bake in two baking tins at 180C degrees for 30 mins, or till done.
4. Cool on rack till completely cooled.

THE FILLING -
1. Whip butter and icing sugar till blended.
2. Add cream and essences, and whip again till fluffy.

THE CAKE - PART 2
1. Split cakes into two; you will have 4 slices altogether.
2. Take first slice and place in baking tin.
3. Poke holes all over with fork/cake pin, etc.
4. Pour 1/4 cup of chocolate syrup all over cake slice.
5. Spread 1/3 of filling on top of cake slice.
6. Repeat steps 4 & 5 with remaining cake slices.
7. Press cake firmly into tin to make sure cake is absorbing syrup and filling.


THE ICING -
1. Whip cream till fluffy/ soft peaks.
2. Sift cocoa powder over cream, add essences and whip till fluffy.
3. Turn cake upside down onto a cake board/plate.
4. Pipe cake with icing or free-style ice your cake.
5. Sift cocoa powder all over cake.


TIPS: When cake is filled, prior to icing the cake, cake should be left under proper plastic wrap overnight in the fridge, to allow all flavors to come together.

An early demise!

Unfortunately, all the glorious cookbooks in the world, coupled with the exhilaration of Masterchef, cannot create a cook out of my husband. Hence, I have to close this still-new blog for the time being! And perhaps, rebirth it some time in the future with a new theme, and purpose!

C'est la vie!

Yours truly...

p/s - September 2011: Blog now features collection of recipes instead... enjoy :)

What's for dinner?

Introduction:

Cooking has always been a best friend of mine. It resonates so well and deeply with(in) me that I really need no encouragement to whip up something good but quick! Therefore, I love to cook for my family, and being the designated chef at home has never ever bothered me. (When I cook, something magical happens to my tired-out-wife-mom-student soul, and I become recharged, and think that I could sing a solo in the Opera House in Sydney!) :)

However, since I'll be away for my research for months on end, Wendell will be left to his own devices when it comes to food. Therefore, I thought to post some of the favourite recipes from our household in the hopes that they would tickle his fancy some days and get him to cook, and feed himself some homey and hearty meals (not to mention save some $! eating out is an expensive hobby, unfortunately). So, Wendell: put down those chips, and fix yourself something for a change! :)


Content of blog:

Since I got this site open/registered the other day, I have started to jot down a few recipe ideas, but was becoming unconvinced day after day that this was how Wendell would see food, and cook it. Slowly, it became clear to me that recipes would have to be prefaced with some kind of introduction to the food/ingredient in question to help him understand what is being consumed, on top of how to prepare a decent meal.

I have also been debating on which cooking method would best apply to a novice, and more importantly, keep that novice on the path of culinary enlightenment (before becoming so disheartened as to make a daily pilgrimage to the take-aways for a more satisfying 'fill'). Hence, earlier recipes would have to feature easier-less fussier cooking strategies, I think. And only later on, recipes might feature more elaborate preparation and methods, etc. (The deal is: Wendell must try the easier, before progressing to the more challenging, right? :)).

Last but not least, nothing in the world, including food, is so boring that it could not change in a moment to become more lively, more engaging, more interesting. So, things that give a punch, take the recipe to gastronomy heaven, need to be thought of ever so often. Recipes for condiments like chili sauces, etc, would also be something that I will be interested to post here.

So, on that note, here's to life, as I look forward to love, eat, cook... and hey, teaching your husband to cook, long-distance, is something worth looking forward to, right? ... and if all else fails, why, I still have you! :)

Trixie, feeding Wendell since 1999

A little side info:
Wendell is your basic 'meat and potatoes' type man, so our home food have always been of the oily-schmoily variety. How very artery-clogging you say? Why yes, and lovely to eat too! Hehe... We do however, surprisingly, have a dedicated vegetarian at home in the form of Kimo, our 4 year old boy, so we have to try and abide to the 2 + 5 fruit and veg recommendation of the health professionals.