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Saturday, 30 November 2013

Fried Fish with Sour Pepper & Coriander Sauce

We had rice with seafood tom yum & fried fish with sour pepper & coriander sauce for lunch last weekend. It was a simple yet very satisfying meal. My husband couldn't stop eating the fish especially because the fish was crispy, the way he likes his fish fried.




Fried Fish with Sour Pepper & Coriander Sauce
Source: Family Circle Thai Cooking.

Ingredients:
1 kg whole snapper or red emperor (or any firm, sweet fish), scaled & cleaned
1 cup oil, for frying
4 spring onions, chopped
5 cm piece fresh ginger, grated
2-4 tsps fresh green peppercorns, crushed - I didn't use.
2-4 tsps chopped red chillies
1/2 cup coconut milk
1 tbsp tamarind puree
1 tbsp fish sauce
1 cup fresh coriander leaves
Thai chilli sauce, for serving - I used the commercial sauce.

Method:
  1. Cut a shallow, criss-cross pattern on both sides of the fish. Using kitchen scissors or a sharp knife, trim the fins, if they are very long. Heat the oil in a large wok or heavey-based, deep fryig pan.
  2. Place the whole fish in the oil & cook for 4-5 minutes on each side, moving fish around in the oil to ensure the whole fish is crisp & cooked (including the tail & head). Drain fish well on paper towels & place on a warmed serving plate. Keep warm.
  3. Drain almost all the oil from the wok & heat the wok over medium heat. Add the spring onions, ginger, peppercorns & chillies, stir-fry for 3 minutes. Add the coconut milk, tamarind & fish sauce to the wok. Cook for 2 minutes.
  4. Pour the sauce over the fish. Sprinkle with coriander leaves & then serve, on a bed of lettuce &, if you like, with chilli sauce.
I'm submitting this post to Asian Food Fest (Thailand) November 2013 hosted by Lena of frozen wings.
I'm also linking this post to Cook-your-books event no.6 organised by Kitchen Flavours.

Friday, 29 November 2013

Youghurt Panna Cotta


Panna cotta, which literally means cooked cream, is an Italian dessert which has cream, milk, sugar & gelatine as the basic ingredients. It's quite easy to prepare & you can do it in a jiffy! I've never tasted it before, so I didn't really know what to expect, taste & texturewise..... It's quite rich & sweet, but the youghurt adds tanginess to it, which I like. What I also like is the fresh strawberries on top which makes this smooth dessert quite refreshing. One thing for sure, it makes a beautiful dessert to end a meal.




Yoghurt Panna Cotta
Recipe by Bill Granger.

Ingredients:
185 ml cream (I used dairy whipping cream, 38% fat.)
55 g caster sugar
0.5 vanilla bean split lengthways (I used 1 tsp pure vanilla paste.)
1.5 leaves gelatine (I used 1tsp  gelatine powder + 1 1/2 tsp water.)
250 g skim milk yoghurt (I used low-fat milk.)

Method:
  1. Place the cream and sugar in a saucepan over a medium heat.
  2. Using the point of a knife, scrape the vanilla bean seeds into the saucepan before adding the entire bean.
  3. Stir until the sugar is dissolved, then just bring to the boil before removing from the heat.
  4. Soak the gelatine in cold water until soft. (I poured the 1 1/2 tsp water into the gelatine powder & set it aside for few minutes. Then I microwaved it for 20 seconds until the gelatine dissolved.)
  5. Squeeze out the excess water and drop the gelatine into the hot cream mixture and whisk until dissolved. (I added the gelatine.)
  6. Add the yoghurt and whisk until smooth.
  7. Strain the mixture through a fine sieve, discard the vanilla bean. (I didn't do this.)
  8. Divide between four 125 ml (1/2 cup) ramekins, cover with plastic wrap and chill for at least 3 hours, or until just set.
  9. To serve, place spoonfuls of the rose-scented raspberries on top of each panna cotta & serve immediately.
Rose-scented Raspberries - I used strawberries.
1 punnet raspberry or ½ packet of frozen raspberries, thawed
2 tablespoons icing sugar sifted
1 teaspoon rose-water

Method:
  1. Place half the raspberries in a glass bowl and crush with a fork. - I forgot to do this.
  2. Stir in the icing sugar and taste for sweetness.
  3. Fold in the remaining raspberries and the rosewater.
  4. Chill until ready to serve.
I'm linking this post to Cook like a Star, Bill Granger event hosted by  Zoe of Bake for Happy Kids, Mich of Piece of Cake and Baby Sumo of Eat your heart out.

Wednesday, 27 November 2013

Wholesome Spiced Banana Muffins

I've been baking quite a bit these few days... well, it's the school holidays.... so time is definitely on my side. Besides, my boys are at home, so they're always looking for something to munch on. I've not been baking for some time, so it feels great to be able to do that... almost everyday! 

I baked these banana muffins 2 days ago. What a delight.... I'm pleasantly surprised by the texture & flavour... I can't stop munching on them. This is my first time making muffins using wholemeal flour, so I expect them to be dense. But, surprise, surprise.... they are quite light! Given that it uses little butter & only 1 banana, they are quite moist. But what I can't get over with is the combined flavour of banana, orange & the spices... I love it! My daughter suggested that I should replicate the flavour on a cupcake... I'll definitely do that one day. To top these delightful & wholesome muffins are the nuts & oats that add texture & crunch as you bite them.


Notes & modifications:
  1. I  mixed the batter like I do with any muffins. I combined the flours, baking powder & spices & set the mixture aside. Then I mixed all the liquid (melted butter, egg & milk as well as the  sugar, orange rind & mashed banana) together. Then finally I combined both mixtures & mix until well blended (Like any muffins, don't over mix!).
  2. I used my mini muffin pans & this recipe makes 24 mini muffins. If you use the standard muffin pan, you'll get 12 muffins.
  3. On the first day, the muffins tend to stick to the paper liner but I didn't face that problem the next day. So I suppose, if I want to consume the muffins on the same day, I should do away with the paper liner & just pour the mixture into greased pans. Or, I would use the silicone-lined paper cups.
  4. I would advise you to sprinkle the oats & hazelnuts generously because the muffins rise quite a bit & the topping will spread out. So, you may be using more oats & hazelnuts than suggested in the recipe. Actually, I didn't measure mine.
  5. Since the banana that I have was not ripe enough, I baked the banana in the oven for about 10 minutes at 150 deg C to enhance the banana flavour. I read this tip on the net.

Wholesome Spiced Banana Muffins
Recipe by Carol Pastor from Muffins, Irresistible creations to share with family & friends.

Ingredients:
75g (3/4 cup) wholemeal (whole-wheat) flour
50g (1/2 cup) plain flour
1/2 tsp baking powder - I used double-acting.
1 tsp mixed (apple pie) spice - I replaced this with 1/2 tsp of ground cinnamon & a pinch of nutmeg.
50g (1/4 cup) soft light brown sugar
50g (1/4 cup) butter, melted
1 egg, beaten
150ml (2/3 cup) milk
grated rind of 1 orange
1 ripe banana
20g (1/4 cup) rolled oats
20g (1/4 cup) chopped hazelnuts

Method:

  1. Preheat the oven to 200 deg C (400 deg F). Line the cups of a muffin tin with paper cases.
  2. Sift together both flours,  the baking powder & mixed spice into a bowl, then add the bran remaining in the sieve (strainer) to the bowl. Stir in the sugar & set aside.
  3. Pour the melted butter into a mixing bowl. Allow to cool slightly, then beat in the egg, milk & grated orange rind.
  4. Gently fold in the dry ingredients. Mash the banana, then stir it into the batter. Do not over mix it.
  5. Spoon the batter into the prepared paper cases.
  6. Combine the oats & hazelnuts & sprinkle a little (I did it generously.) of the mixture over each muffin.
  7. Bake for 20 minutes until the muffins are well risen & golden. Leave to stand for a few minutes, then transfer to a wire rack & serve warm or cold. Store in an airtight container for up to 3 days.



I'm linking this entry  to the event, Little Thumbs Up - Oats, organised by Zoe from Bake for Happy Kids and Doreen from My Little Favourite DIY & hosted by Vivian of Vivian Pang’s Kitchen.


I'm also linking this post to the Cook-Your-Books No. 6 organised by Joyce of Kitchen Flavours.

Monday, 25 November 2013

Red Velvet Cupcakes

My daughter & I were so excited when we saw the mini red velvet cupcakes, which I baked on Saturday, just out of the oven. The colour was just so gorgeous, the cakes rose quite neatly & I really love the size! They're so cute!!


But when it was time for me to frost them, I got quite anxious because  my piping skill is pretty bad. That's why, if you notice, I've not piped any of my cakes for this blog... I'd just spreaded the frosting with a spatula.. But this time, I was determined to pipe the frosting although the cream cheese frosting (which has dairy whip cream in it) was quite challenging to handle given the hot & humid weather we have here in Singapore.  Next time I'm piping any frosting on a cake, I would not use dairy whip cream even though it tastes so good. Ok.. I'll leave you with the recipe & more pictures for you to admire... hehe. I couldn't stop admiring the cuties myself!



Red Velvet Cupcakes
Recipe by Joy of Baking.

Ingredients:
125g (1 1/4 cups) sifted cake flour
1/4 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
10g (1 tbsp) regular or Dutch-processed cocoa powder
57g (1/4 cup) unsalted butter, at room temperature
150g (3/4 cups) granulated white sugar
1 large egg
1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
120ml (1/2 cup) buttermilk
1 tbsp liquid red food coloring
1/2 tsp white distilled vinegar
1/2 tsp baking soda

Method:
  1. Preheat oven to 175 deg C (350 deg F) & line 12 muffin tins with paper cupcake liners.
  2. In a large bowl sift together the flour, baking powder, salt, and cocoa powder.
  3. In the bowl of your electric mixer, or with a hand mixer, beat the butter until soft (about 1-2 minutes). Add the sugar and beat until light and fluffy (about 2-3 minutes). Add the egg and beat until incorporated. Scrape down the sides of the bowl. Add the vanilla extract and beat until combined.
  4. In a measuring cup whisk the buttermilk with the red food colouring. With the mixer on low speed, alternately add the flour mixture and buttermilk to the butter mixture, in three additions, beginning and ending with the flour.
  5. In a small cup, combine the vinegar and baking soda. Allow the mixture to fizz and then quickly fold into the cake batter. 
  6. Working quickly, divide the batter evenly among the 12 muffin cups and smooth the tops with an offset spatula or the back of a spoon. Bake in the preheated oven for approximately 18 - 23 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cupcakes comes out clean.
  7. Cool the cakes in their pans on a wire rack for 10 minutes and then remove from pan. Let cool completely before frosting. Either spread the frosting with a knife or offset spatula, or use a large 1M Wilton open star decorating tip to pipe the frosting.

Cream Cheese Frosting
227g (8 oz) cream cheese, room temperature
1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
60g (1/2 cup) confectioners' (icing or powdered) sugar, sifted
160 ml (2/3 cup) cold heavy whipping cream (double cream) (35-40% butterfat)

Method:
  1. In the bowl of your electric mixer, or with a hand mixer, beat the cream cheese until smooth.
  2. Add the vanilla and confectioners sugar and beat until smooth.
  3. Using the whisk attachment, gradually add the heavy cream* (See Note) and whip until the frosting is thick enough to pipe. Add more sugar or cream as needed to get the right consistency.
Note: 
You must use a brand of heavy cream that whips very easily to stiff peaks. If you are using a brand of heavy cream that does not whip easily to stiff peaks then whip the heavy cream separately to stiff peaks and then fold it into the cream cheese mixture.

Makes 12 cupcakes. (I used the mini muffin pans. The recipe yields about 26 small cupcakes.)

Friday, 22 November 2013

Soto Ayam

Soto ayam needs no introduction in this region. In Singapore, we can enjoy soto ayam any time of the day in many food outlets. Nevertheless, I still cook it at home at least once a month as my family loves this dish very much. I also like to serve this dish to my guests during hari raya.


This recipe is my mum's. I usually just estimate the amount of ingredients, but since I'm sharing the recipe here, this time I measured all the ingredients that I used.


Notes & modifications:
  1. This is a truly homemade soto. The flavour comes from the chicken & other ingredients in the recipe… no chicken cube or msg.
  2. Alternatively, instead of cutting the chicken into small pieces, you can cook the whole chicken. Once cooked, separate the chicken from the soup & shred the chicken meat.
  3. The soup can also be served with yellow noodle or rice vermicelli (commonly called bee hoon). Just cook the noodle in boiling water & drain it. Then serve with the soup & garnish.

Soto Ayam

Ingredients:
nasi impit (or yellow noodle  or bee hoon)
1 chicken (cut into small pieces.)
7 cups water
1 stalk lemongrass – bruised
2-cm thick sliced galangal (lengkuas) – bruised

Grind to paste:
*2 ½ tbsp coriander powder
*1 ½ tsp cumin powder
*1 ½ tsp fennel powder
*1 tsp white pepper powder
*(You may replace these ingredients with 4 tbsp store-bought dry soto mixed spice (rempah soto)
3 candlenuts
400g onions (about 4 large pieces)
4 pieces of garlic
2 cm-thick sliced fresh turmeric (Fresh is better, but you may replace it with the dry ground form.)
1 small slice (about 1cm) cekur root - no need to use this if you can't find it.
- In a large pot, put the chicken, ground paste, water, salt, lemongrass & galangal. Bring to a boil & then allow chicken to simmer for about 20 minutes. (*Read notes & modifications for alternative method of cooking.)

Garnish:
bean sprouts (Blanched in boiling water.)
fried shallots
spring onions & celery – chopped fine
begedil (potato cutlets)

Chilli Padi Sauce:
¼ cup birds-eye chilli (chilli padi) – If chilli padi is not available, you may use fresh red chilli.
3 pieces of garlic
dark soya sauce ( I used sweet dark soya sauce.)
- Blend chilli & garlic into a coarse paste. Add in black soya sauce & mix well.

To serve:
Put the nasi impit in a dish, sprinkle bean sprouts & add soup & chicken pieces. Then garnish & serve with chilli padi sauce.

Begedil (Potato Cutlets)

Begedil needs no introduction at all. Besides serving it with soto ayam or rice, it can also be eaten as a snack! I made these to go with the soto ayam, the recipe is coming up next...


Notes:
If you don’t want to consume the begedil within the day, you may store the shaped begedil in the fridge. When you want to eat it, dip it in the egg & fry it.


Begedil ( Potato Cutlets)

Ingredients:
1 kg potato
200g ground beef
1 tsp ground black pepper
1 tbsp chopped spring onion & celery
1 tbsp fried shallots
pinch of nutmeg
salt to taste
2 eggs (beaten)
oil for frying

Method:
  1. Peel & slice potatoes about ½ cm thick. Deep fry until cook. Once cooked, remove from frying pan & place on kitchen paper towel to drain oil. Then mash when still warm. Put the mashed potato in a mixing bowl. Set aside.
  2. Place ground beef in a pan & cook on medium fire until it’s cooked & almost dry. Remove from fire & add to the mashed potato. 
  3. Add in ground black pepper, chopped spring onion & celery, fried shallots, nutmeg powder & salt. Mix well.
  4. Take a small amount of the potato mixture & form into a ball. Then flatten it slightly. Do the same with the rest until finish.
  5. Pour some oil into a frying pan (preferably a flat one), about 1-cm deep. Dip a piece of the begedil into the beaten egg until well coated & fry until golden brown.
  6. Once cooked, place the begedil on a plate lined with paper kitchen towel to drain the oil. Serve.

Nasi Impit

I grew up eating home-cooked meals most of the time. My mother has been a full-time homemaker all her life, so my family gets to enjoy delicious home-cooked meals everydat. My mother loves to cook & she’s a fantastic cook too! Thanks to the great cooking knowledge & skills passed down by my late grandmother & the daily practice my mum had, cooking for the family & my late grandfather’s employees (he ran a medium-scale leather factory in the backyard). Growing up in the 70s & 80s, I remember that my mother made sure that I did my share in the kitchen. I really treasure the memories of cooking everything from scratch…


One of the things I remember my mum prepared was nasi impit or compressed rice. Every time she planned to cook soto ayam, lontonggado-gado or sate,  she would start to cook the nasi impit early in the morning so that it would be ready by lunch time. Last week, I cooked soto ayam, my family's favourite. Instead of taking the easy way out by just buying the ready-made lontong or cooking the ketupat in plastic packs, I decided to make the nasi impit myself. Why go through all the trouble, you may ask… Well, recently, Victoria of Victoria Bakes asked me if I could share the soto ayam recipe. Her husband loves eating soto ayam but since they are now residing in Beijing, the only way to have it is to cook it at home. So since I’ve never prepared nasi impit myself at home, I thought I should try out & share the recipe here. I like the way it turned out... the firmness is just nice, not too firm & not too soft either. I hope this sharing will benefit those of you who want to enjoy homemade nasi impit & especially those living in areas where it's not possible to get hold of the ready-made or instant ones. 


Notes:
  1. I used Thai rice to cook the nasi impit. If broken rice is available in your area, you could use it, after all, the cooked rice needs to be mashed... My mum used to use ‘beras Cina’ or Chinese rice, I suppose it’s from Chinese. This rice is great for nasi impit or ketupat as it produces better texture for the rice cakes. Apparently, Chinese rice is not exported overseas any more because of limited supply but some managed to be smuggled into Singapore… so you may want to ask around.
  2. The amount of water you need will depend on the type of rice you’re using. Use the recipe below as a guide but you may need to make some adjustments.
  3. My mum always used banana leaves to line the container for the nasi impit, so it’s  more fragrant.

Nasi Impit (Compressed Rice)
Ingredients:
1 cup rice (I used Thai long grain rice.) – clean, wash & drain
2 3/4 cups  plus 2 tbsp water (You may need to adjust the quantity.)
½ tsp salt

Method:
1. Combine above ingredients in a saucepan & bring to the boil. Reduce heat to medium low stirring every 5 minutes, mixing & mashing the rice with a wooden spoon to give the rice a smooth texture. Cook over low heat till the rice has completely absorbed the water & become a smooth paste.

2. Line a heat-proof container (I used an aluminium army mess tin.) with plastic or silicone paper (I used silicone baking paper.).  Pour the cooked rice into the container & smoothen the top.


3. Then cover the top with another piece of plastic or silicone paper & place another tray on top. 



4. Place a heavy weight on it (I used stone mortar & pestle.) for 2-3 hours to compress the  rice into a solid cake & until it has completely cooled down.
 


5. Remove from container, cut into small pieces & serve.

Banana Fritters

There were some leftover bananas after frying Thai-style banana fritters... so I fried my version of pisang goreng. Enjoy!



Banana Fritters
Ingredients:
5 bananas (Any suitable bananas for frying.) - peeled, thinly sliced lengthwise
1/2 cup rice flour
2 tbsp plain flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp sugar
1/4 tsp salt
2 tsp lime water (air kapuh sirih) or lye water
6 tbsp water
Oil for deep frying

Method:
  1. Sift rice flour, plain flour and baking powder together in the mixing bowl. Add salt, sugar, and gradually add water & lime water & mix well to create a smooth batter.
  2. Heat oil in a frying pan over medium heat.
  3. Dip banana slices in the batter and deep fry them until golden brown. Serve hot.

Wednesday, 20 November 2013

Thai Coconut Pudding.... on a wordless Wednesday




Notes & modifications:
  1. Since I used palm sugar instead of brown sugar, I modified the cooking method. In a saucepan, I combined  palm sugar, white sugar,  1.5 cups of water & torn pandan leave. I brought to a boil over medium-high heat. Then I strained the syrup. I washed the saucepan & pour back the strained sugar syrup into the saucepan. Then I added in the chopped chestnuts & continued cooking over medium fire. After that,  I continued with step 3.
  2. I find the pudding quite sweet, not sure if it's because I used the palm sugar. So, next time I make this, I'll reduce the sugar.
  3. I also find this pudding slightly soft, I like it better if it's firmer. So I'll reduce the liquid or increase the flour the next time I make it.

Thai Coconut Pudding (Thago)
Recipe  from Thai Cooking from the Siam Cuisine Restaurant by Kwanruan Aksomboon, Somchai Aksomboon, & Diana Hiranaga.

Pudding:
1/2 cup rice flour
2 cups water
1/2 cup sliced water chestnuts (I used 3 whole chestnuts.)
1/3 cup brown sugar, packed [I used 80g gula Melaka (palm sugar.)]
1/4 cup white sugar
1 pandan leaf - torn & tight into a knot (I added.)
  1. In a small bowl, combine the rice flour & 1/2 cup of the water. Set aside.
  2. **In a small saucepan, combine the water chestnuts, brown sugar, white sugar & remaining 1 1/2 cups of water. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, then lower heat to medium. 
  3. Slowly stir in 1/2 cup of the rice flour mixture with a wire whisk. Reserve the remaining rice flour mixture for the topping. Whisk for about a minute & remove from the stove. The pudding should still be opaque. Makes about 1 1/2 cups. 
  4. Spoon  the pudding into dessert or pandan cups, filling them to 1/4 inch below the rim. Smooth the surface & set aside.
** Refer to my notes & modifications above on what I did for step 2.
    Topping:
    1 cup thick coconut milk
    1 tbsp sugar
    1/4 tsp salt
    small red rose petals for garnish
    1. Combine the coconut milk, sugar & salt in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, being careful not to let it burn. 
    2. Slowly stir in the reserved rice-flour mixture to thicken slightly. Remove from heat.
    3. Pour 2 tablespoons of the topping over the pudding, filling the cups to the rim. Garnish with rose petals.

    How to make the pandan leaf cup:

    1. Take a pandan leave, preferably a wide piece. Cut one end of the leaf & fold it five times to make markings on the leaf. Press the folds so the markings are clear.


    2. Unfold. There must be 5 equal parts, each measuring about 1.5 - to 2 inches long. Cut the excess part at the other end of the leaf.


    3. Snip the leaf at the fold lines up to the centre of the leaf. Cut off a lower end part completely.


    4. Fold to form a cup. Attach the last part to the cup using a stapler.




    5. If there's any hole at the center of the cup, cover it with a piece of cut leaf.



    I'm submitting this post to Asian Food Fest ( Thailand),  November 2013 hosted by Lena of frozen wings. I'm also linking this post to Cook-your-books event no.6 organised by Kitchen Flavours.

    Sunday, 17 November 2013

    Banana Fritters a.k.a. Pisang Goreng - Thai style

    Besides the regular eggs & bread, my family had banana fritters, or more commonly known as pisang goreng, for breakfast yesterday. Normally, I would just agak-agak & throw in the ingredients for the batter, but this time, I tried the Thai version & measured all the ingredients in the recipe.

    The pisang goreng had beautiful golden brown coating & tasted delicious! The coating turned out crispy even after the fritters had cooled down.  I particularly like the sesame flavour. This is a great recipe! You should try...


    Notes & modifications:
    1. The amount of bananas used will depend on their size. The recipe used 6, I used more than that!
    2. You may use any type of bananas suitable for frying like pisang nipah/kepok, pisang raja, pisang nangka or pisang tanduk. I used pisang kepok. (Want to know what they are..? Ask Mr Google image... hehe.)
    3. I used only 1, instead of 2  tbsp of sugar because I did not want the batter to be too sweet. The recipe did not use any colouring,  so the batter was almost white. But after frying, the fritters turned out golden brown. I think it's the result of the sugar which caramelised & gave that beautiful colour. So, you don't need to add any colouring.


    Banana Fritters a.k.a Pisang Goreng - Thai style
    Recipe by Tes At Home.

    Ingredients:
    6 Thai Banana (Nam Wa banana) - peeled, thinly sliced lengthwise 
    1 cup rice flour
    1/3 cup plain flour
    1 tsp baking powder
    1/2 cup freshly-grated coconut
    2 tbsp sugar (I reduced to 1 tbsp.)
    3/4 tsp salt
    2 tbsp sesame seed
    1 cup water
    Oil for deep frying

    Preparation:
    1. Sift rice flour, plain flour and baking powder together in the mixing bowl.
    2. Add salt, sugar, and gradually add water and mix well to create a smooth batter.
    3. Add sesame seed, coconut, and stir well together.
    4. Heat oil in the pan over the medium heat.
    5. Dip banana slices in the batter and deep fry them until golden brown. Serve hot.
    I am submitting this post to Asian Food Fest ( Thailand) November 2013 hosted by Lena of frozen wings.

    Tuesday, 12 November 2013

    Lapis Limau Purut

    I baked Lapis Limau Purut for Hari Raya Haji about a month ago. I did not plan to bake any lapis cake at first, but since I was baking for a friend three Lapis Lengit Betawi, I thought I might as well bake one lapis for my family because, whenever I bake lapis cake, I like to bake two simultaneously. I decided on one that used kaffir lime rind as it's been a long time since I last baked it. I've also not shared the recipe in this blog. This is a classic lapis cake... it's very moist, rich & delicious with a subtle kaffir lime flavour. I like! 


    Some notes:

    1. Since no emulsifier (like ovelette) is  used in this recipe, ensure that the bowl & whisk used for beating the eggs are clean & completely dry & the egg white is completely separated from the yolk. Otherwise, the meringue will not develop well. 
    2. Refer to my Lapis Strawberry Ice Cream for other tips on baking & storing lapis cake.


    Lapis Limau Purut (Kaffir Lime Lapis Cake)
    Recipe by Wannah Alshatrie.

    Ingredients:
    400g butter
    4 tbsp sweetened condensed milk
    20 egg yolk (use large eggs)
    5 egg white
    250 castor sugar
    *100g cake flour
    *25g cornflour
    *1 tsp baking powder
    (* sifted together)
    1 tbsp kaffir lime rind (I used rind from 1 kaffir lime.)
    a few drops of green colouring

    Method:
    1. Preheat oven at 180 deg C. Use top heat only.
    2. Line & grease the base of a 10x7 or 8x8-inch baking pan. Set aside.
    3. Combine butter & condensed milk & cream until white & creamy. Set aside.
    4. If using a big cake mixer, combine eggs & sugar in a clean & dry mixing bowl & beat until thick & fluffy. If using a hand-held whisk, beat egg white in a dry & clean mixing bowl until soft peak. Then add sugar gradually & beat until stiff peak. Then add egg yolk one at a time. Continue mixing until mixture becomes thick & fluffy.
    5. Add butter & mix thoroughly. (I used a hand whisk.)
    6. Fold in flour & baking powder. Add in kaffir lime rind & colouring & mix gently but thoroughly.
    7. Pour 2 ladles of batter (I weighed 80g for each layer.)  into the pan. Grill for about 2 minutes till cook & top turns golden brown. (You may need to adjust the temperature of your oven such that the layer will be cooked in about 2 minutes). Remove baking pan from oven. Press the top of cake gently with a lapis presser (or flat glass) to pop up any bubbles to produce a neat lapis.
    8. Repeat step 7 until finish.
    9. After baking the last layer,  bake the whole cake using top & bottom heat at 200 deg C for about 10 minutes.
    10. Remove cake from pan and allow to cool on a cooling wire rack before cutting & serving.