Ensaimada de Mallorca

hand-kneaded , how's that for dedication ?! lol 

I've been itching to make some ensaimada , the Filipino version since forever .....

As it is a bread , yes , with yeast , I just ignore it and made some easy to make recipe without yeast ! lol

I need to practice making bread as there are loads of wonderful bread  recipe out there .....

As everybody will agree , nothing beats homemade !

sans topping 

But instead of making the Filipino version initially , I stumbled upon this Spanish version ......

It is more easy and straightforward and only use 2 eggs  ....

I was concerned at first when I read it at Deliciousdays' blog that her dough was sticky since I'm planning to make mine by hand .....

Good thing though that my mine was okay and was easily handled without the need to add more flour .....

I made some variations in the filling and been planning to add cream cheese , grated cheese and sugar , peanut butter , apricot jam and strawberry preserves .....

The first two , I've forgotten to take out from the fridge -___-''

The peanut butter works very well , though a tad dry , I love the jam and the preserves but the bottom becomes sticky as some of the filling leaked out ....

with peanut butter filling 

with apricot jam

with strawberry preserves

I made one with sugar and cheese on top as a nod to our own ensaimada ^___*

The taste tester here though thinks that the plain one tastes so-so ! hee hee

Me ?! I love it plain or fancy ! But then I made it using elbow grease , right ?! lol

Please check recipe @ kuechengoetter.de , foodielady and deliciousdays

Dan Dan Mein

This is what the dan dan noodle looks like in one of the Chinese resto here ......

It may look darker and the flavor a little bit stronger but it tasted just as good ...

Or maybe should I say , this version is much more better ?! lol

Hey ! It's Martin Yan's recipe ! ^____^

I just added some ordinary ingredients to make it extraordinary ! pfffftttttt

And even without any sides , it's the most delicious noodles that I've eaten so far ....

To think I don't really like soupy noodles ....

Original recipe here from Martin Yan's Chinatown Cooking

Serves two hungry me or 4 normal person

400 ml water
200 ml chicken broth
generous 4 tablespoons smooth peanut butter
1 1/2 tablespoons  *homemade sesame paste
2 tablespoons Chinkiang vinegar
2 tablespoons light soy sauce
1 tablespoon sesame oil
generous tablespoon brown sugar
1 1/2 tablespoons homemade chili garlic sauce
1/2 tsp five-spice powder

* Process some baked sesame seeds into the food processor until very fine and add a little oil at a time to get the right consistency .

* Cook 200 grams of fresh egg noodles for 4-5 minutes .
* While you're cooking the noodles ; pour water and broth into a saucepan and let it boil ; turn off heat and add the remaining ingredients and use a whisk to combine . Let the mixture boil for a minute or two whisking it thoroughly ; cover and set aside .
* Drain and rinse the noodles in warm water then drain again ; divide noodles into big bowls and pour over the sauce , add 1 1/2 tsp of chili garlic sauce on top and stir ; sprinkle some spring onions , Sichuan preserved vegetables and some chopped roasted peanuts . Garnish with some cilantro ; take some photo immediately then enjoy ! Sluuuuurp !

Homemade chili sauce , Martin Yan's recipe as well ....

Oatmeal whoopie pies with cherry-cream cheese filling

The pie may look craggy and thick .....

But it's soooo darn good and the pink colored filling looks pretty , isn't it ?!   ....

The cinnamon flavored cakey cookies tastes simply yummy ....

And don't let me start about the filling ....

What would you expect if you combine homemade cherry sauce and cream cheese anyway ! lol

I never thought making whoopie pies could be this easy .....

The dough didn't spread that much and I should have flatten the top of the dough before baking it , to have a much more even top pffft .....

I used lard instead of shortening , maybe that contributes to a more compact and thick cookies ....

That said , should I say yummy , again ?! lol

Original recipe @ The Pioneer Woman

I made half of the recipe

3/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup / 56 grams unsalted butter , softened
scant 2 tablespoon lard
1 egg
scant 1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp baking powder
1 1/2 tablespoon boiling water
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
generous 1 cup quick oats

* Preheat oven to 350°C / 180°F .
* Cream the first 3 ingredients ; add the egg and mix . Add in salt , cinnamon and baking powder , mix . Combine baking soda and boiling water then add to the bowl and stir until combine ; add flour and oatmeal and mix well .
* Scoop about a rounded heaping teaspoon of dough onto a parchment-lined cookie sheet and bake for 10 minutes , I baked mine for 11 minutes .

For the quick and easy cherry-cream cheese filling :

* Combine 90 grams ( because that's all have ) cream cheese , about 1/3 cup of homemade cherry sauce ( with cherry pieces ) and 1 1/2 tablespoons icing sugar in a bowl and beat until smooth ( though mine's not that smooth :D ) . Put a large dollop of the filling into the flat side of one cooled cakey cookies , top with a second piece and press gently ; repeat with the rest .

I'm submitting this post to the Bake Along # 31 co-hosted by Joyce of Kitchen Flavours , Lena of Frozen Wings and Zoe of Bake for Happy Kids



Do check out some blogging friends gorgeous bakes !

Peanut sesame noodles

This wasn't the dan dan noodles I was hankering for .....

It looks like a noodles with peanut butter and sesame dressing - because well , these two are the main ingredients ....

So I called it peanut sesame noodles instead of dan dan noodles ....

Hopefully , Chef Yan won't sue me ! hee hee

This is much more like an American Chinese cuisine version of the popular Sichuan dish ...

The one we have here ( the one I've eaten , that is ) is soupy - just like the Sichuan dish -  but the flavor has a  hint of sesame paste , maybe some peanut butter and less spicy .....

Actually , the dan dan noodles I've eaten 3 days ago tasted just like this dish .....

The sauce is fairly thick and coats the noodles beautifully ^___^''

For such a simple and easy recipe , this is really a deliciously satisfying dish and best serve with roast chicken  or fried luncheon meat  - which unfortunately I don't have *sigh* -___-''

Will try making a soupy version next time using this recipe ....

Dan dan noodles , recipe from Martin Yan's Chinatown Cooking

For the sauce :

6 tablespoon chicken stock
2 tablespoons cream peanut butter
2 tablespoons sesame paste or tahini paste
1 tablespoon Chinese black vinegar or balsamic vinegar
1 tbsp soy sauce
1 tbsp minced garlic
2 teaspoons sesame oil
2 teaspoons sugar
1 tsp dried red chili flakes
1/2 tsp ground  toasted Sichuan peppercorns

* Stir all ingredients above in a saucepan ; heat the sauce over medium heat until hot and well combined ; cover and set aside .

1 pound fresh Chinese egg noodles
1 green onion , trimmed and thinly sliced
1 tablespoons chopped Sichuan preserved vegetables , optional
1 tablespoon chopped roasted peanuts

* Cook noodles in a large pot of boiling water , about 4 to 5 minutes ; drain noodles and rinse under warm water and drain again .
* Mound the noodles in a serving platter and pour sauce over them ; scatter the green onion , preserved vegetable , if using and the peanuts . Serve immediately.

Cherry and cream cheese muffins

You know that if you click all photos in this site , you can drool more ?! lol 

Thank you , Foodporn ! ^___^

So , I still have some cream cheese that's getting moldier each day ....

I think I should buy just 1 pack instead of a kilo ...

But then a kilo is way cheaper than just an 8 oz package ....

Who could resist such a bargain ?!

And then there are loads of luscious cherries at the wet market ....

If I thought last time that cherries couldn't get any cheaper ...

$30 for 2 pounds ! 3 days before that I bought 2 pounds for just $25 ......

Oh Yeah !!! lol

My stomach is really quiet happy right now ...

All those luscious cherries .....

Buuuurp !

I'm thinking of freezing some cherries for next year , hello ! cherry ice cream - but it's too time-consuming to remove the pits pffftttt !

Uhm I kept popping the pitted cherries in my mouth ! lol

I saw this recipe from Lena's  blog and what could be better than cherries and cream cheese in a muffin ?!

Check out Lena's blog for recipe so as the full recipe @ BBC Goodfood

***** The original recipe used cranberries ..... I didn't cook the cherries , I added the sliced cherries to the muffin mixture ...... I just used 115 gram of caster sugar - the 15 grams added to the cream cheese .....I used 55 ml of sunflower oil .

Peanut Butter Chip Ice Cream

Just once , try making this yourself !

No ice cream maker ?!

Heck ! Just use some elbow grease !

You'll be glad you did ......

One of the easiest ice cream recipe around ...

Okay , I'm always saying that , but hey ! ^__*

No eggs , guys ! lol

This recipe calls for half and half but I sub it for whole milk and cream .....

Eventhough the mixture was still slurry after being churned for an hour - more milk than cream , I guess - but no worries,  as the mixture sets after 4 hours ....

This ice cream is smooth as silk and well , peanut buttery for lack of a better word ?! lol

So , if you LOVE  peanut butter , this is for you !

Recipe from David Levobitz via annies-eats

3/4 cup smooth peanut butter
3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoon sugar
2 2/3 cups half-and-half ( I used a generous 1 2/3 cups of milk and a scant cup of cream )
pinch of coarse salt
dash of vanilla
1 heaping cup of Reese's peanut butter cup , frozen and chopped , optional ( I used peanut butter chips )

* Combine all ingredients above except the candy in a food processor or blender ; process until smooth ; chill the mixture thoroughly in the fridge .
* Churn mixture in the ice cream maker according to the manufacturer's instruction ; I added the chips after the last 2-3 minutes of churning ; transfer mixture in a container and freeze for at least 4 hours or overnight .

* Making ice cream without the ice cream maker : After chilling the mixture thoroughly , freeze for at least 30 -40 minutes . Take it out from the freezer ; scrape the mixture with a large spoon and beat it with a handheld beater in high speed until smooth but not melted . Freeze the mixture for another 45 minutes then beat again until creamy . Repeat this 2 times more and freeze the mixture for at least 4 hours before serving .

Apple-Cornmeal Upside Down Cake

Nice save , I might say ....

I added the sliced apples into the sugar and butter mixture not knowing that the mixture is burned ...

Maybe because I left it too long on the stove top tsk tsk

So when I tasted it after a minute - ekkkkkk bitter much ?! Added some brown sugar but still no go ! tsk tsk

Burned caramel really tastes bitter and no matter how much sugar you're going to add , it will still taste bitter as I found out  -____- ''

I was thinking of just throwing it , go down and buy some apples but I'm sweating buckets - the kitchen was so hot - I didn't have the energy or just pure laziness hee hee

So I just washed the sliced apples instead and made another caramel while watching it with eagle eyes ^___-

Saves time , money and energy  lol

Good thing though that the apples that I used - Braeburn - keeps it shape despite washing and cooking it again !

Burned caramel aside , this recipe's the easiest I've tried so far ...

Cornmeal really adds an awesome texture in this moist and delicious cake ...

So , who wants a slice then ?!

I made half of the recipe and used 3 apples .

Please check recipe @ Epicurious

I'm submitting this blog post to the Bake Along event hosted by Joyce of Kitchen Flavours , Lena of Frozen Wings and Zoe of Bake for Happy Kids .

Do check out some baking friends posts !

Double Chocolate & Peanut Butter Chip Cookies

Shaken not stirred er got milk ?! lol Photo idea stolen from Tumblr ^_^ "

Every time I saw some blogging friends cookie(s) pix  , I couldn't help but drool and sigh lol

I've been craving for it !

So I baked some and I used Claire Clark recipe again .....

One of the easiest and foolproof cookie recipe !

But then most cookies are ....

Er I'm one of those who can make a hash of such a simple recipe -____-''

Even a simple cookies recipe , I might say ?! lol

Not this time though as was the first time for that matter ; that's why I tried this recipe again just in case the first time was just a fluke ! hee hee

It's crispy , chewy , chocolaty and with added extra layer of flavor from peanut butter chips ....

What more could you ask for ?!

A keeper in my opinion .....

Chocolate Chip Cookies - recipe from Claire Clark's Indulge book

185 grams / 6 1/2 oz plain flour
1/4 tsp baking soda
a pinch of salt
125 grams / 4 1/2 oz softened unsalted butter
165 grams soft dark brown sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 medium egg , lightly beaten
225 grams /8 oz dark chocolate ( 55-70 % ) , chopped ( I used 150 grams white chocolate , 100 grams peanut butter chips and 50 grams bittersweet chocolate chips ) 

* Preheat oven to 180°C / 350°F . Sift flour , baking soda and salt twice and set aside .
* Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy ; add vanilla and mix well ; add egg a little at a time , beating well after each addition . Add dry ingredients , on low speed , just to bring the ingredients together enough to form a dough , a very soft and slightly sticky dough ; do not overwork . Mix in the chocolate .
* Scoop out a tablespoonful of the mixture to a baking sheet lined with baking parchment ; bake at the center of the oven for 10 - 12  ( I baked mine for 15 minutes ) minutes until golden brown and slightly puffed ; remove and leave to cool on the baking sheets .

Vegetables and Pork Potstickers

So another post er day , another potstickers ...

This filling was intended as a stuffing for the steamed buns that I've been planning to make ....

But as I have more than enough of it , why not make some potsticker ?!

So I bought some wrapper and made these but haven't made the dough for my buns ! lol

Hopefully , half of the filling will still be edible until I can make ( up my mind ) some dough -___-''

500 grams napa cabbage , coarsely chopped
150 grams yellow chives , slice into 1/4-inch long or as prefer
75 grams green onion , sliced
300 grams ground pork
1 1/2 tablespoon sesame oil
1 tbsp chicken powder
1 tbsp brown sugar
some coarse salt
a generous dash of ground white pepper

some potsticker wrapper

***For the dipping sauce , combine some rice vinegar , dark soy sauce , brown sugar and salt ; add some chilli sauce if prefer

* Mix all ingredients above ( except the wrapper ^-^ ) , adjust taste ; chill in the fridge for a while or just use it right away .
* Put filling onto the wrapper , moistened the lower half of the wrapper with some water ; fold it in half and using your thumb and index finger , make several pleats and seal the edge , repeat with the rest .
* Heat a nonstick pan , put several potsticker , and fry until golden brown or you may prefer just to fry the bottom ; add some water , cover ; turning in between until water evaporates . Transfer to a plate and serve with dipping sauce .