Almond Sable Cookies

I learned how to make this cookie a few years back when I was in cooking school. But I have tweaked the recipe to a level that it is unrecognisable from the original. This is an icebox cookie, and very easy to make.


INGREDIENTS:
500 grams butter
250 grams caster sugar
1 whole egg (beaten lightly)
1 teaspoon vanilla essence
1/3 cup cornflour
2/3 cup cocoa powder (sifted)
4-5 cups plain flour
1 1/2 cups almond flakes

METHOD:
1. Beat butter and sugar until sugar dissolves. Add egg and essence. Continue to beat until combined.
2. Add cornflour and cocoa powder to the mixture. Continue to beat.
3. Gradually add plain flour. Mix until the dough can be kneaded into a ball. DO NOT put all the flour in one shot. The amount of flour needed depends on the moisture in your dough and the temperature of your kitchen.
4. Add the almond flakes and knead it into the dough. Divide the dough into small balls.
5. Roll the balls into ropes 10 to 15 cm long. Wrap with cling wrap or greaseproof paper and store in the fridge for at least 3 hours.
6. Remove from fridge and unwrapped. Slice each rope about 1/2 inch in thickness. Arrange on a baking tray and bake for 10 to 12 minutes in a 170-180 degrees Celcius.
7. Remove from oven, cool and serve.
Bon appetit...

Sambal Udang Petai (Prawn Sambal with Petai)

Sambal udang with petai is one of my favourite dish. Delicious eaten with steaming white rice, as a sandwich filling, even as a pizza topping.

INGREDIENTS:

500 grams prawns (cleaned and deveined)

1 large onion (sliced thinly)

4 tbsp chilli paste

1/2 teaspoon tamarind paste (diluted in 1/2 cup water)

petai

oil for sauteeing

salt

sugar

METHOD:

1. Heat 2 tbsp of cooking oil in a wok. Chuck in the onions and fry till fragrant.

2. Add chilli paste and continue frying until fragrant and the oil separates from the chilli paste.

3. Add a tablespoon of sugar. Stir and let it caramelise. The chilli and onion mixture should be of a darker red due to the caramelisation effect of the sugar.

4. Add in the tamarind juice. Bring to simmer.

5. Add in prawns. Bring to a boil. Season with salt, and if needed, a bit more sugar.

6. Add in petai, and let the sambal cook a bit more until it dries a bit.

7. Turn off the stove and serve with your choice of carbohydrate.

Bon appetit....

Brownie Slice

Sorry for the poor quality of the picture. This brownie is baked in a swiss roll pan as opposed to the usual rectangular shallow cake pan. The finished product is therefore wider and thinner than your usual brownie would be.

INGREDIENTS:
200 grams bittersweet chocolate (chopped)
100 grams butter
1 cup sugar2 cups flour
2 eggs
vanilla essence
your choice of topping (sprinkles, 100s & 1000s, choc chips, nuts)

METHOD:
1. Melt butter in a heavy-based pan (or wok ^_^). Add in sugar and stir until dissolved.
2. Add in chocolate and stir until melted and combined. DO NOT LEAVE unattended as this might result in burning the pan.
3. Turn the heat down and stir in flour. Beat until the mixture becomes thick and leaves the side of pan (or wok).
4. Turn off the stove and wait for the mixture to cool a bit. Pour a bit of the egg + vanilla mixture to temper it down. Pour the rest of the egg mixture and beat until smooth and glossy.
5. Pour batter into a swiss roll pan and smooth the surface with a spatula or a gloved hand. Sprinkle on your choice of topping.
6. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes in a 170 - 180 degrees Celcius oven. Cool and slice.
Bon Appetit

Macaroni Arrabiatta with Chicken Meatballs

This Arrabiatta sauce had been tweaked to suit my tastebud. The recipe might not be as the original Arrabiatta sauce should be but I still retain the name Arrabiatta because the sauce is a bit hot from the chillies. Arrabiatta means fiery in Italian.

INGREDIENTS:

2 cups macaroni (or any other types of short pastas)

1 large onion - minced (yellow or red, whichever suits your taste)

1/2 a carrot - minced

2 fresh tomatoes (skinned, seeded and chopped)

1 medium can tomato puree

2 tbps chilli paste (ready made or freshly blended using dried or fresh chillies)

1/2 cup minced chicken meat

1 cup chicken meatballs (halved)

1/2 a litre chicken stock

salt

sugar

pepper

chopped basil

oil

METHOD:

1. Boil a large pot of water. Drop a tablespoon of cooking oil. Once the water started to boil rapidly, chuck in the macaroni. Bring the water back to a boil. Immediately turn the stove off and cover the pot. Leave for 10 to 15 minutes. The pasta should be just nice.

2. Heat 2 tablespoons of cooking oil in a heavy-based pan or a wok (I use a wok to cook everything, including brownies, heh heh...)

3. Sautee the onions until fragrant. Chuck in the carrots and cook till soft.

4. Put in the chilli paste and fry until fragrant. Add minced chicken and chicken meatball.

5. Add tomato puree and fresh tomatoes. Bring to boil. Add chicken stock. Continue to cook until it boils and reached the desired consistency.

6. Adjust the sourness of the tomato with a bit of sugar. Sometimes the sourness of the tomatoes can be overpowering and left the sauce a little bit on the icky side. But it all depends on your personal taste.

7. Season with salt, pepper and chopped basil (fresh or dried). Serve with macaroni (or any other short pasta of your choice).

Bon appetit.....