Lemon & Lime New York Cheese Cake

Guess what ? I went for another camping trip with hubby last weekend. Just the two of us ! And this round we were extremely lucky cause I finally got the chance to meet the whole bunch of wild elephants face to face. We were just about 50m away from these wild life. Extremely close up ! Gosh..... just imagine the excitement and the situation we were about to get into. We were actually on our way leaving the forest that day and by luck we bumped into them. The mother elephant making whole lot of noises and about to chase us away cause there are a few cubs with her. Hubby driving very fast to prevent her from knocking to our 4 wheel drive. However, further ahead there's a bigger one in front of us. This round hubby drive slow & steady not to frighten her and we managed to follow behind her back for a few meters till she sneaked into the bushes. Phew.....What an outrages experience ! Honestly, I am now very much looking forward to our next trip. However before heading for my next trip, I finally decided to make a cheese cake since my kids are craving for one as well. Yes, it's been a long time since I made one.

Ingredients for crust :
180gm   graham crackers, finely crushed
(I used Tiger biscuit, butter or chocolate flavour)
100gm    butter, melted

Method :
Combine all ingredients & mix well then press it to a 8" springfoam pan, keep refrigerated for about an hour or till set.

Ingredients for fiilings :
500gm  cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup  icing sugar
1-1/2 TB  corn starch
1 tspn  vanilla essence
2 eggs
1 lemon juice & rinds
2 lime juice & rinds
1/2 cup  yogurt

Method :
(1) beat together cream cheese & yogurt till creamy smooth.
(2) then add in the remaining ingredients and beat till well combined & smooth.
(3) pour mixture to chilled cookie crust pan and bake at preheated oven 160'C for about an hour or till the center is set. Once its ready, leave cake in the oven for 30 mins with door ajar before removing.
(4) finally, keep refrigerated for overnight or till set.

Note :cover the cake loosely with aluminium foil for the first 30 mins when baking.

My kids are too excited to have these home baked cheese cake. It's been a long time since they had one.

I only managed to place on simple decorations on the cake but my kids already felt so satisfying. Such blessings to have them around to wallop everything up while I still have time to bake for them. Yeap, I should bake more often. >o< Hope you guys are having a wonderful week.

Hot Pot Taro Soup @ Yu Tou Gang

I've been having this soup for so many times already from one of our local restaurant. It was introduced to me by a friend (an old uncle). At the beginning, I was quite curious about the whitish soup. I thought the chef uses evaporated milk on it. But after further explanation by my friend, the colour of the soup is actually produced by the melted taro. OLALA...... what a surprise ! No wonder the soup tasted really good & aromatic. I've been eyeing on all the ingredients (like a spy) whenever I'm having this soup for the last few times. haha.... Finally, I am brave enough to try this at home. >o< Not bad at all. It tasted just right except the restaurant uses dried clams instead of dried oysters on it.

For fish bones, I just used the leftover one from my previous cooking. I used the meat for making fish paste. Or you may also use fish head, just chopped them into small chunk & coat with a bit of tapioca flour then fry till golden brown.

Ingredients :
400gm  taro, divide into half
a few white nappa cabbage leaves, tear into pcs
1 tube Japanese tofu, cut small
handful of instant seaweed strips
80gm   da tou cai (preserved big head vegetable)
50gm  dried oysters, washed
6 cups water
1TB  white peppercorn, crashed
1 whole big fish bones, fried to golden brown
a few slices ginger
2 pickled salted sour plum
salt & granules to taste

Method :
(1) divide yam into 2 portion, cut half into big chunk and diced the other half.
(2) fry all yam separately then mash only the diced yam and set aside.
(3) bring water to boil together with ginger, dried oyster, mashed yam and da tou chai till yam melted.
(4) now, add in the remaining fried yam, salted plum, cabbage, tofu, fried fish bones, salt & seasoning and let to cook over medium heat for about 15 mins or till cabbage turn soft. Add in extra water if necessary.
(5) finally, stir in instant seaweed and serve hot.

This soup is best to serve hot. I can have at least 3 bowls at a time without any rice. The soup itself already so tasty. The soft cabbage, tofu and especially the taro is a plus. This dish is quite filling. So, don't be too greedy to overload your belly with all those yam especially for those who has gastric problem. hehe.... Cause yam/taro is considered as slow digesting food source. However, hope you guys will love it too. Enjoy & have a great week ahead everyone.

Eggless Pesto Pull-Apart Rolls For WBD

Finally, 2013 World Bread Day is here already ! Hopefully, I made it to the event this year. Its such great fun baking along with all the bread lover from all over the globe on the same day. And I am honour to be a part of it. I actually just returned from my previous camping trip, a four days three night stay. And this bread was baked only at the very last minute with my favourite pesto mixed. Though it's just a simple bread, it surely fills our belly with joy. Thanks to Zorra for this wonderful World Bread Day event.

Here's my other World Bread Day submission :
(1) 2010 World Bread Day
(2) 2011 World Bread Day



Ingredients :
4 cup  all purpose flour
2 tspn  yeast
2 TB sugar
1 tspn  salt
300ml  water
2 TB  corn oil

*3 TB  pesto paste
*1/2 cup  grated cheese
*2 TB honey for glazing

Method :
(1) combine all the dry ingredients into a big mixing bowl.
(2) slowly stir in water to form a soft dough, then add in oil and knead till smooth.
(3) set aside to rest for an hour or till dough double in size.
(4) once it's ready, punch dough to release air and again knead till smooth.
(5) place dough to a slightly floured working table, roll it flat for about 20x24" the size (or as thin as possible).
(6) then spread on thin layer of pesto paste, and roll it up like a swiss roll.
(7) divide dough into 9-10 portions (depends on the size of your pan).
(8) place rolled dough to a 9'greased tray and again let to rest for about 30 mins (maybe longer for lower room temperature).
(9) now, brush with honey glazing & top with grated cheese, then bake at preheated oven 180'C for about 20 mins.

Me and my kids can at least wallop a few each of us especially when its still warm. >o< Such irresistible aroma. Can't wait for more deliciousness from my oven. Hope you guys will love it too.

HAPPY WORLD BREAD DAY EVERYONE ! HAVE FUN !

Double Goodness Devil's Food Cake

Nothing better than to have an indulgence rich chocolate cake on the table right now. Devil's food cake, my special whipped of the day. It's been ages since my last baked one. After cutting down my work force recently, I have more time spending in my kitchen again and of coz, with my family too. Pretty excited about it especially on the go trying out some of my new baking toys. I've been travelling a lot as well with hubby. We were trying to get away from town and the city life......staying away from all noises. By just mentioning about the trip, I am too excited to share with you guys that hubby & I both so lucky to have over heard the sound of the wild tigers roar for a few times in between the several hours nearby our camp site on our 3rd trip there at Sg Madek, Kahang. The tigers were just about 500m-1km away from our camp site, as predicted. They were enjoying their meal...a wild boar (as we over heard they caught their prey that day). The whole forest was in peace & quiet that night. Not a single sound made by any other animals around.>o< Can you imagine the situation ? haha.... 

Ingredients for Devil's food cake :
(A)
150gm  butter
3/4 cup  sugar
2 eggs
1 tspn  Singing Dog Vanilla Paste

(B)
1/2 cup  boiling water
6 TB  cocoa powder
1 TB  dark cocoa powder
(combine everything to became paste)

(C)
1-1/2 cup  all purpose flour
1 tspn  baking soda
1/2 tspn  baking powder
1/2 cup  milk
a pinch of salt

Method :
(1) combine flour, baking soda & baking powder into a bowl, mix well & set aside.
(2)  in another bowl, beat ingredients (A) till light & pale.
(3) whisk in ingredients (B) till well combined.
(4) now, add in salt and alternately beat in flour mixture & milk till everything well mixed.
(5) pour batter to a 6" greased tray and bake at preheated oven 175'C for about 40-45 mins or till tester came out clean.
(6) remove cake from tray after 30 mins then divide into two once its cooled.

Ingredients for white chocolate ganache :
250gm  white chocolate, chopped
80ml  heavy cream

Ingredients for chocolate ganache :
250gm  dark chocolate, chopped
1/2 TB  instant coffee powder
80ml  heavy cream

*2 cups strawberries, halved

Method : 
(1) (Heat both chocolate separately) heat heavy cream over a sauce pot till almost bubbling over low heat.
(2) off the heat, then place in the chocolate. Stir till everything melted creamy smooth.
(3) pour chocolate to a bowl & cover with plastic sheet then keep refrigerated for 30-60 mins or till almost set but still runny.
(4) once it's ready, spread half white chocolate ganache to the middle of the cake then arrange strawberries over the chocolate. Finally, cover it with the remaining white chocolate spread.
(5) cover the white chocolate ganache with the other half of the cake then top with dark chocolate ganache.
(6) keep refrigerated before serving.

This is definitely something I wanted to bring along on my next coming trip. Something to pamper myself well indeed while enjoying myself with the natural fish foot spa pedicure. >o<
Hope you guys are having a great week ahead too. Enjoy !