Coconut Slice

One fine Afternoon, I was browsing my pantry and the fridge looking for something I can bake out of it. I had the stock of sour cream and a bag of desiccated coconut, which I know I would be able to make something sweet and simple.

Coconut Slice is just a perfect simple thing to satisfy my sweet craving at that moment. As you may notice from the image, I made a thick coconut ice frosting and they just gave a perfect balance between the sweetness of the frosting and the cake.

So, indulge yourself with some Coconut Slices for afternoon tea treats.

Coconut Slice

Ingredients
125g Butter, Softened
1/2 Teaspoon Vanilla Essence
220g Caster Sugar
2 Eggs
40g Desiccated Coconut
225g Self Raising Flour
300g Sour Cream
80ml Milk


Method
1. Preheat Oven to 160°. Grease deep 23 cm square cake pan, line base with baking paper.

2. Beat butter, essence and sugar in a small bowl with electric mixer until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs, one at a time. Transfer mixture to a large bowl, stir in coconut, sifted flour, sour cream and milk, in two batches.

3. Spread mixture into pan, bake about 40 minutes. Stand cake in pan 5 minutes before turning, top-side up, onto wire rack to cool.

4. Meanwhile, make coconut ice frosting.

Coconut Ice Frosting

Ingredients

320g Icing Sugar

100g Desiccated Coconut

2 Egg Whites, Beaten lightly

Method

Sift the icing sugar into medium bowl, stir in coconut and egg white. Place half the mixture in small bowl.

Drop spoonfuls of frosting over top of cake.

Mocha Bread and Butter Pudding

I realized Easter has passed and I should have made bread and butter pudding using hot cross buns around Easter period. Well, it's better late than never...

Woolworths was selling their last stocks of Hot Cross Buns last week and I remembered I read the recipe on Australian Good Food Magazine (April Issue) using the chocolate flavor. Since I'm coffee addict, I would give mocha flavour a try..

Mocha Bread and Butter Pudding

(Recipe adapted from Australian Good Food Magazine (April 2011 Issue)

Ingredients

6 Mocha Hot Cross Buns

30g Unsalted butter, Softened

Grated rind of Orange

120g Dark Chocolate, chopped

250ml Milk

250 Pure Cream

2 Eggs

110g Caster Sugar

1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract

Icing Sugar, to dust

Method

1. Preheat oven to 160º. Split hot cross buns in half horizontally and butter each half. Place bases in baking dish, buttered sides up. Scatter with orange rind, then replace bun tops.

2. Heat Chocolate, milk and cream in a saucepan on medium, stirring, until chocolate melts. Remove pan from heat.

3. Whisk Eggs, Caster Sugar and Vanilla until combined. Stir in chocolate mixture, then pour over hot cross buns and stand for 10 minutes.

4. Bake for 35 minutes, until just set, then stand for 5 minutes. Dust pudding with icing sugar.

Bolu Pelangi (Indonesian Rainbow Sponge Cake)

All I need is rainbow color at the moment to ease my days lately. It has been a tough week at work and weekend baking and cooking are the ones I always look forward. This rainbow sponge cake or we call it "Bolu Pelangi" in Indonesia is one of my childhood snack along with the Dadar Gulung (Pandan Crepes with Coconut Stuffing).

If you know me well by now, you may notice that I have some addiction to Pandan Leaf.  Love the smell, love the texture, basically I love everything Pandan leaf to bits. Just a thought, I may change my blog name to "Pandan Pot" instead or.. Maybe not.

Most of Indonesian sweets use Pandan Leaf as one of the core ingredients. The green layer on this rainbow sponge cake is indeed Pandan flavor. Although they are only 3 colors but this dish is known as rainbow sponge cake in Indonesia. They make pretty colors, aren't they?

Bolu Pelangi (Indonesian Rainbow Sponge Cake)

Ingredients

350ml Coconut Milk

250ml Egg White

1/2 teaspoon Pandan Extract from 5 Pandan Leaves

1/2 teaspoon Salt

200g Caster Sugar

1/4 teaspoon Vanilla Essence

1/2 teaspoon Cream of Tartar

150g Plain Flour, Sifted

Pink Food Colouring

Method

1. Cook the coconut milk until boil. Set aside.

2. Get the steamer ready. Grease the square tin, line the base and the side with cling film. Meanwhile, Beat the egg whites with salt until soft peak form. Add sugar, vanilla essence and cream of tartar whisk until smooth.

3. Add the sifted flour and coconut milk into the egg white mixture and fold until incorporated. Divide the egg white mixture into 3 different bowl. Mix the pink food coloring onto the mixture for the first bowl and 1/2 teaspoon Pandan Extract to the mixture 2nd bowl and leave the third  bowl for the plain egg white mixture.

4. Pour 1/4 of the green mixture onto the tin, steam for approximately 4-6 minutes until firm. Pour the plain mixture for the second layer and continue to steam and layer with different color until reaching the top of the tin and steam the whole cake for another 25 minutes.

5. Invert a cake onto the rack and leaves to cool upside down in the tin. Slice and Served.

What is Indonesian Food?

People occasionally asked me a random questions "What's Indonesian food?" and my first thought was "Where should I begin? Savoury food? Sweets? Snacks?" Well, I say no more..  Here are roughly ideas of Indonesian food that I love the most and always make sure that I never missed them whenever I go back to my hometown.. Oh gosh.. I have huge craving while editing these photos..

Let me first introduce you with Indonesian Seafood. We call this dish "Kepiting Saos Padang" which means "Crab with Padang Sauce". Padang is the capital city of West Sumatra Province and this spicy dish is very famous in the region as well as seafood restaurant in the country.

"Kepiting Soka" or "Soft Shell Crab". I never have enough of them, unfortunately..

Ok, enough with the crabs.. Let's move on to one of mouthwatering dish called "Ikan Bakar"or "Grilled Fish". You must eat this Grilled Fish with "Sambal" or "Chilli Sauce" to make them more interesting..

We call this dish "Ikan Gurame" or "Fried Fish". It was one interesting presentation, I must say.




This dish is my childhood meal. My mum cooked the best Fried Prawn with butter sauce or we usually call "Udang Goreng Mentega"




My brother in law took us to the most delicious street food, Fried Oxtail Soup.. Oh yum.. Hubby went for second..




Okay, Let's move on to the next dish, "Nasi Goreng Iga" or "Fried Rice with Beef Ribs"

The famous "Nasi Uduk" or "Scented Coconut Rice". This dish is very well known in Indonesia especially in my hometown, Jakarta. We usually eat the coconut rice with fried chicken, satay, tempeh, tofu and chilli.

There are many versions of "Mie Ayam" or "Chicken Noodle" in Indonesia. Love this street food and hubby never miss this whenever we are in town.

This is my old time favourite dish, "Siomai Bandung" or "Steam dumplings with Peanut Sauce".  Love the technology these days, with just one phone call away, this lovely man, Benni, showed up on my parents in law's doorstep and apparently they have been loyal customers for years.

Let me take you a little closer, the mouthwatering "Siomay Bandung" or "Steam Dumplings with Peanut Sauce".




Another version of "Siomay" or "Indonesian Steamed Dumplings".

Okay, we have enough of savoury dishes, Let's move on to Sweets. This famous Indonesian sweets called "Martabak Manis" or "Sweet Thick Pancake". I must warn you though, this is not very healthy dish as they use lots and lots of butter and condense milk. Yet, this one sweet dish I can not miss and I love the most.

This is another style of "Indonesian Sweet Pancake/ Crepes". I still love the thick layer better.




In case you are wondering the making of this delicious "Martabak Manis"or "Indonesian Sweet thick Pancake". I wasn't joking when I said this is not a healthy dish. Oh yum...




The other famous street food "Roti Kornet Keju" or "Corned Beef with generous cheese on Toast".




The refreshing "Es Shanghai" or "Ice with mix of everything (e.g. grass jelly, avocado, jackfruit, slice coconut, condense milk".




Hubby's favourite drink, es Cendol




Or Do you prefer some Coconut Juice?

While we were in the seafood restaurant, I found this unusual fish with 2 eyes on the side and just plain on the other side. I am not really sure what this is called in English, Do you have any idea? 

Kaya Coconut Jam on Toast

Have I told you that I am addicted to Pandan Leaf? Did you know that I always store them in my freezer? Can I tell you a little secret? I can be a little freak out when comes to the last packet of Pandan Leaf, I just have the needs to rush to the local asian grocery and restock them again. Somehow, I have some admiration with the flavor and the smell.. Oh Yum..

The first time I tried Kaya Jam was in Singapore, when my sister used to live there couple years ago. I immediately fell in love at first taste. Then when I was back in Melbourne, I found similar Kaya Jam from Malaysian Restaurant in Doncaster, despite of this similarity texture and taste with the one I had in Singapore, it is very expensive, long way drive from my house and last but not least, I never had enough as they sell in a very small container. So, I decided to browse for the recipe and tried to make my own with a little patience standing in front of the stove, just keep stirring and stirring for hour or until I find the perfect consistency. The end result? I gave my best friend and her malaysian husband tried my first attempt of Kaya Jam. Guess what? They love it and so do I.

So, here they are.. I present you my love for Kaya Jam on Toast

Kaya Jam on Toast

Ingredients

8 Eggs

2 Egg Yolks

500g Caster Sugar

550ml Coconut Milk

5 Pandan Leaves, tied together in a knot

Method

1. Prepare double boiler with water and bring to a simmer. Whisk eggs and egg yolks in a heatproof bowl until all combined. Add the sugar and keep whisking until sugar dissolve.

2. Add the coconut milk and Pandan Leaf into the mixture and cook, stirring continuously with silicon spatula until thick and smooth. (Approximately 50-60 minutes). Remove the Pandan leaf. 

3. Serve on Toast. In my case, I served on the heart toast. 
    I heart Kaya Toast.

Dadar Gulung (Pandan Crepes with Coconut Stuffing)

My old time favourite childhood snacks. Oh boy.. I still remember those days eating so many of these for after school treats.. This dish was the beginning of my love for coconut and my addiction or Pandan leaf. It has been 2 months since I came back from my hometown in Indonesia, as always it takes quite sometime for me to settle back in Melbourne again, even though I have been living away from home for the past 14 years. How weird is that? I miss my family, friends, food, ohh food..

We call this dish "Dadar Gulung", which means Pandan Crepes with Coconut Stuffing. In the meantime, while I'm still settling back here, let me have some nostalgic moment and a bite of Dadar Gulung.

Dadar Gulung (Pandan Crepes with Coconut Stuffing)




Pandan Crepes Ingredients
150g Flour
1/4 teaspoon Salt
1 Egg, lightly beaten
85ml Fresh Milk
1/2 teaspoon Pandan Extract from 5 Pandan Leaves
250ml Water
2 teaspoon Melted Butter or Oil


Coconut Filling Ingredients
300g Shredded Coconut
375ml Water
3 Pandan Leaves
1 teaspoon Sugar
1 teaspoon Cornstarch
1/4 teaspoon Salt

Method

1. To make batter, mix the flour and salt together in a bowl, add the egg, milk, pandan extract and water. Stir until batter is smooth. Add the butter or oil and mix well. Cover and allow the batter to stand for 20 to 30 minutes.

2. Place all the sweet coconut filling ingredients in a saucepan and simmer over low heat, stirring occasionally for about 30 minutes until thick and almost dry. Remove from heat, transfer to small bowl and set aside to cool. Then discard the pandan leaves.

3. To cook Pandan Crepes, grease pan with a little butter and spoon 3 tablespoon of the batter onto the pan. Cook over low heat until the crepes sets and browns. Flip the crepes over and cook over a few seconds. Remove from the heat and set aside on a plate.

4.  To serve, place 2 tablespoon of the filling on one side of each crepes, fold the sides in and roll up.

Ninja Ginger Bread

I heart Japan. A lot. That's really all I can say.

If you remember my post about Beautiful Japan couple weeks ago, you may also notice about the links of charity funds I listed and encourage people to lend a hand in times of needs. Australian Red Cross organised the event "Tea for Tsunami Appeal" and gave many great ideas on how we can contribute. I am proud to say that my workplace was part of this event. It was a great feeling to see people participate, how we can help to others in every way we can. 

Few weeks after I came back from my Japan holiday, I found this cute Ninja Ginger Bread cutter from Typo. How cute are they?.. I was originally going to bake Green Tea Cookies but I bought wrong kind of Green Tea powder in Japan. How disappointed. So, I moved to plan B instead..

While enjoying Ninja Ginger Bread and zipping a hot drink, please also check out the links of charity funds below and find out how we can make a difference. 

Japanese Red Cross Society
World Vision
Japan Animal Welfare Society
Tea for Tsunami Appeal

Ninja Ginger Bread



Ingredients
400g Plain Flour
3/4 teaspoon Bicarbonate Soda
2 teaspoon ground Ginger
2 teaspoon ground Cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground Allspice

1/4 teaspoon ground Nutmeg

1/2 teaspoon Salt

180g Unsalted Butter, at room temperature

125g Dark Brown Sugar

1 Egg

125g Black Treacle

Method

1. Sift together the flour, bicarbonate of soda, ginger, cinnamon, allspice, nutmeg and salt in bowl. Set aside.

2. Put the butter and sugar in a mixer and cream on slow speed until light and fluffy. Turn the mixer up to medium speed and beat in the egg and treacle. scrapping any unmixed ingredients from the side of the bowl with a rubber spatula.

3. Turn the mixer back down to slow speed and slowly add the flour mixture a couple of tablespoon at a time. Once an even dough has formed, take it out of the mixer, divide into 3 and wrap each piece in a clingfilm. Leave to rest for few hours.

4. When you are ready to bake the cookies, preheat the oven to 170º.

5. Take the dough out of the fridge and leave to soften for about 10 minutes. Lightly dust a clean work surface with flour and roll out of the dough to a thickness of about 4mm with a rolling pin. ut out the shapes with ninja biscuit cutters.

6. Arrange the cookies on the prepared baking trays and bake in the preheated oven for about 10-15 minutes. Leave the cookies to cool slightly on the trays before turning out onto a wire cooling rack to cool completely.

Royal Icing

Ingredients
1 Egg White
1/2 teaspoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
310g Icing Sugar. sifted
Food Coloring

Method
Beat the egg white and Lemon Juice together in electric mixer. Gradually start adding the icing sugar, mixing well after each addition to ensure all sugar is incorporated. Whisk until stiff peaks. Stir in couple of drops of food coloring. Once the cookies are completely cool, decorate them.