Onde-onde

Second attempt at onde-onde today. It is actually quite easy to make and this time, I've got a batch done in about 15 mins (with some leftover gula melaka from the last round). The toughest bit was actually scraping the gula melaka together into little balls to be put in the centre of the glutinous rice balls. I've got no colouring at home so they are not coloured but they still taste good.

Ingredients (makes about 12):
½ cup glutinous rice flour
70ml water (cool to room temperature is fine) OR coconut milk
Palm sugar (gula melaka)

Method:
Shave palm sugar by slicing thin slivers off the block and then chop roughly. Pinch small amounts together and roll into small marbles. Freeze.

Knead glutinous rice flour with water or alternatively, coconut milk till a ball gathers and the dough is slightly moist. Add water gradually so that the dough does not get too wet. If the dough seems a little dry add a teaspoon of water or coconut milk and knead till incorporated.

To stuff the dough, pinch a small portion of the dough, toll roughly into a ball and squash so it's about four to five millimetres thick. Place palm sugar into the centre and gather dough around so the stuffing is covered, then pinch away any excess dough. Roll in palm of hands till you form a perfect ball.

Fill a medium to large pot with boiling water. When the balls are cooked, they will float to the top. Scoop out with a slotted spoon and transfer to sieve to drain for about five seconds. Don't leave for too long or they will get sticky and unmanageable.

Tip balls into desiccated coconut and roll till completely covered. Rest on paper towel to catch access moisture from balls as they cool.

Sujee Biscuits

With cooking shows and celebrity chefs being all the rage now, Shawn got into the spirit of things and wanted to make some local food. We've now got a bunch of recipes for yam cake, onde-onde, chee cheong fun and sugee biscuits. We got most of the ingredients after work today and here is the first thing we tried out. Most of the recipes can be found here.

Ingredients
230g butter
150g castor or icing sugar (icing sugar creates shorter texture)
300g plain flour sifted
1 tsp baking powder sifted (you can omit this which results in a slightly more dense texture)
100g ground almonds/almond meal
1 tsp Vanilla or almond essence
Red glazed cherries, cut into tiny pieces for decoration

Method
Set oven to 160° C.
Cream butter, sugar and vanilla or almond essence till pale and fluffy.
Add flour and baking powder and mix with a wooden spoon.
Add almond meal and mix till combined.
Line baking tray with parchment. Roll dough into circles the size of large marbles about 1 inch apart. Top with a piece of cherry and squash down a little.
Bake for about 10 mins or till pale gold - these are not meant to be golden brown. Cool on a wire rack and store in an airtight container.


They are quite yummy!

Another year older

It's my birthday today and I am on leave to spend some time with myself :)
Since the Good Food and Wine show this year starts on the same day, I thought I would go and have a look and at the same time see my favourite Masterchef judges live. It is amazing that so many people are going to the show on a weekday too. Spent about 3 hours at the show. Lots of food samples to try and of course bags of stuff to buy. Here's what I got.



Here are the presents I've got this year too from Mathilda, Mammo and Godma. Thanks!


Flowers from Shawn.


Got to do a little bit of gardening when I got home which was nice because the plants aren't looking too good with the cold weather and hopefully some TLC will perk them up a bit.