Cotton soft Japanese cheese cake ( Christmas cake)

As we all know is Christmas time, how about we make a Christmas cake? Here's a Japanese style cheese cake, we can make different decoration on top of the cake, in white? Hope you guys enjoy the cake and try to make one. ^^

Trust the Japanese to finetune and improve everything. Sometimes, reinventing the wheel does pay off. So you have cheesecakes and you have sponge cakes. Under the hands of the Japanese, these 2 cakes get married and voila! You get a Cotton Soft Japanese Cheesecake.


See how soft and spongy the texture is? Very unlike your regular cheesecakes, which are creamy and dense.


Before frosting.





This soft, cottony cake was a hit with everyone. Even after 2 slices, you don't feel bloated like you normally do with regular cheesecake. So, it was more than half gone after we ate it. The remainder, I shared with my nice neighbours.


Recipe
(adapted from Diana's Desserts)
- 140g fine granulated sugar
- 6 egg whites
- 6 egg yolks
- 1/4 tsp cream of tartar
- 50g butter
- 250g cream cheese
- 100ml fresh milk
- 1 tbsp lemon juice (I omitted this)
- 60g cake flour
- 20g corn flour
- 1/4 tsp salt

1. Melt cream cheese, butter and milk over a double boiler. Cool the mixture. Fold in the flour, the cornflour, egg yolks, lemon juice and mix well.

2. Whisk egg whites with cream of tartar until foamy. Add in the sugar and whisk until soft peaks form.

3. Add the egg whites to the cheese mixture and fold well. Pour into a 8-inch round springform cake pan or removable-bottom cake pan (lightly grease and line the bottom and sides of the pan with greaseproof baking paper or parchment paper). Wrap the base of your cake tin with aluminium foil, to prevent seepage ... although I never do, and it has never seeped! ;)

4. Bake cheesecake in a water bath for 1 hour 10 minutes or until set and golden brown at 160 degree celsius.

My own observation:
5. Leave to cool in oven with door ajar, about 1 hour. Sudden changes in temperature may cause the cake to cool too quickly and collapse.

Steamed Vegetable Dumplings

I think we have had too much meat this Christmas, how about we try something new, how about some Chinese cuisine, here's the steamed vegetable dumplings, ( not meat), is good to have some vegetables after some thick meal, hope you guys enjoy and have a try if you want to.

Steamed Vegetable Dumplings 

You might’ve noticed that my family and I are not vegan eaters. But I do love having many different vegetables served on table, sometimes enjoy a no-meat day. These dumplings have got several vegetables in five different colours for fillings, and can be a perfect light lunch, or snacks for tea time.

Steamed Vegetable Dumplings (Printable recipe)
By Christine's Recipes
Prep time: 40 mins
Cook time: 20 mins
Yield: 2 to 3 serves

Pastry Ingredients:

• 300 gm plain flour
• 150 ml hot water, 80C/175F
• 60 ml water, at room temperature

Filling ingredients:

• 1 to 2 shiitake mushrooms
• 45 gm corn kernels
• 25 gm carrot, diced
• 50 gm chinese chives, finely chopped
• 34 gm vermicelli/cellophane noodles, soaked, softened and sectioned
• 3 water chestnuts, about 56 gm, skinned and diced
• 45 gm spicy tofu (picture shown above), diced
• 1/2 tsp minced ginger

Seasonings:

• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp chicken bouillon powder
• 2 Tbsp water
• sesame oil, to taste

Method:

• Sift flour into a large mixing bowl. Drizzle the hot water evenly into the flour in a circular motion. Use a spatula or chopsticks to quickly mix well, to create little flour crumbs.
• Add room-temperature water in three batches and knead into a smooth dough. Place in a greased bowl, covered with a plastic film. Let it rest for 30 minutes.
• To make the fillings: Heat oil in a wok or frying pan. Saute ginger over medium-high heat. Add mushrooms, carrot, dried tofu, corn kernels and chives. Stir fry until aromatic. Add vermicelli and water chestnuts. Stir in the seasonings. Set aside. Let cool down.
• Roll out the dough into a long tube shape. Cut into 14 to 16 equal portions. Roll each portion into a small disc with a rolling pin, each about 8cm in size. Wrap a heaped tablespoon of filling and pinch the edge. Repeat this step with the remaining pastry and fillings.
• Steam the dumplings in a wok or a steamer over high heat, for about 15 minutes, or until cooked through. Serve immediately.

Notes:

• The chicken bouillon powder can be replaced with shiitake mushroom powder for vegan eaters, which is available at Asian stores.
• The leftover dumplings can be kept in a covered container in fridge up for 3 to 4 days. Frozen can be kept for a month.
• Spicy tofu is also available at Asian stores, often placed in chilling section.
• The texture of the dumpling skin is made from hot water and flour, produced a soft and springy feel. You might like to refer this video of how to wrap a dumpling. The pastry is very stretchy and tender, thus wrapping the diced fillings inside is quite a challenge for a beginner. It’s nothing wrong if seal tightly without pinching the edge at all. You'll make some beautiful rustic dumplings. Just make sure no fillings would leak out.

Read more: http://en.christinesrecipes.com/2011/12/steamed-vegetable-dumplings.html#ixzz1gr49naU2

Dessert time---Chocolate Mousse

It's dessert time and It is delicious to have Chocolate Mousse....Are you mouth-watering? Hahaa...Please read the recipe below and try it yourself then..remember to share with us, ENJOY!!

Chocolate Mousse

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Chocolate Mousse
By Christine's Recipes  
Cook time: 30 mins (with extra chilling time)  
Yield: 4 serves  

Ingredients:

• 100 gm black chocolate, coarsely chopped
• 15 gm unsalted butter
• 1 Tbsp caster sugar
• 150 ml whipping cream
• ½ tsp vanilla extract
• 1 egg white
• 1 egg yolk
• salt to taste

Method:

• Place the chocolate and butter in a large mixing bowl, over a pan of simmering water and leave to melt, stirring ooccasionaly. Remove from the heat and let cool down a bit. Add the egg yolk and combine well. Set aside.
• Meanwhile, add the cream, sugar and vanilla extract in another clean mixing bowl. Whip until silky, smooth with soft peaks.
• Place the egg white in a clean bowl. Sprinkle with a pinch of salt. Beat with an electric mixer until stiff peaks form.
• Transfer the chocolate mixture into the whipped cream. Use a spatula to fold-in the egg white. Divide the mixture and spoon into 4 serving cups. Chill in fridge until set, about 1 hour. Serve with strawberries or other favourite fruits and top with some whipped cream.

Read more: http://en.christinesrecipes.com/2011/08/chocolate-mousse.html#ixzz1gnVrD1Et

Butternut Snap Rudolph chocolate tartlets

Cooking Time

45 minutes

Makes

20

Ingredients

• 250g packet Arnott’s Butternut Snap Cookies
• 65g unsalted butter, chopped
• 1/3 cup cream
• 200g milk or dark chocolate, chopped
• 10 vanilla marshmallows, halved horizontally
• 2 tablespoons vanilla ready-made frosting
• 20 jaffas
• 20 mini vanilla marshmallows, halved crossways
• Rich choc fudge writing icing
• 40 mini star pretzels

Method

1. Preheat oven to 180°C (160°C fan-forced). Place 1 biscuit over each hole of a 12-hole, 1 1/2 tablespoon-capacity round-based tartlet tin. Bake for 2-3 minutes or until soft. Remove from oven. Using a small ladle or a lime, carefully press softened biscuits into tin to mould into a cup shape. Allow to cool. Remove from tin and transfer to serving plate. Repeat with remaining biscuits.
2. Place butter, cream and chocolate in a saucepan over very low heat. Stir constantly for 7 minutes or until melted and smooth. Pour into a clean, dry bowl and refrigerate for 20 minutes or until cool but not set.
3. Fill biscuit cases with 1 heaped teaspoon of chocolate mixture. Place in refrigerator for 20-25 minutes, or until set.
4. Using the picture as a guide, gently press 1 marshmallow half, cut-side down into each tartlet. Attach 1 jaffa to each marshmallow with ready-made frosting to form a nose, then attach 2 mini marshmallow halves above nose, cut-side up, to form eyes. Use a drop of writing icing to form pupils. Cut pretzels in half to form antler shapes. Place 2 pretzel pieces above eyes. Press to secure. Serve.

Black & white cheesecake

After the main dish, it is time to have a wonderful dessert.

Cheesecake is a diner classic, and this one is a hot favourite at San Francisco’s famous Fog City Diner. Begin this recipe a day ahead.

Ingredients (serves 8)

• 100g dark chocolate, chopped
• 200g sour cream or creme fraiche (see Notes)
• 600g cream cheese, softened
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 200g caster sugar
• 2 tbs plain flour
• 1 tbs grated orange or lemon zest
• 3 large eggs

• Biscuit base

• 300g digestive biscuits, finely crushed
• 125g unsalted butter, melted
• 1 tbs cocoa powder, plus extra to dust

Method

1. Grease a 23cm springform cake pan. For the base, process biscuit, butter, cocoa powder and a pinch of salt in a food processor until you have moist crumbs. Tip into the cake pan and press firmly over the base and 5cm up the sides. Refrigerate while making the filling.
2. Preheat the oven to 180C.
3. Heat chocolate and half the sour cream in a bowl set over a saucepan of barely simmering water, stirring until smooth.
4. Using an electric mixer, beat the softened cream cheese, vanilla extract, caster sugar and remaining sour cream until smooth. Beat in the plain flour and orange or lemon zest, then beat in the eggs one at a time. Pour two-thirds of the cream cheese mixture into the crust.
5. Whisk the melted chocolate cream into the remaining cream cheese mixture until smooth. Using a soup ladle, pour the chocolate filling over the vanilla filling until you reach the top of the crust.
6. Place in the oven and bake for 40 minutes, until the centre is just firm and the top is lightly golden – it will split slightly. Cool, then refrigerate overnight before serving. Dust with cocoa powder, use a hot knife to slice the cheesecake and serve.



Turkey

Christmas's coming soon! Let's make some delicious food.

Ingredients

Serves: 16

• 3/4 cup olive oil
• 1 head garlic, peeled and crushed
• good handful chopped fresh rosemary
• handful chopped fresh basil
• 1 tablespoon Italian herb seasoning
• salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
• 1 whole turkey
• 1 tablespoon of plain flour

Preparation method

Prep: 25 minutes | Cook: 4 hours

1.

Combine the olive oil, garlic, rosemary, basil, Italian herb seasoning, black pepper and salt. Set aside.

2.

Wash the turkey, inside and out and pat dry. Remove any excess fat deposits. Loosen the skin from the breast. This is done by slowly working your fingers between the breast and the skin. Work it loose to the end of the drumstick being careful not to tear the skin.

3.

Using your hand, spread a generous amount of the rosemary mixture under the breast skin and down the thigh and leg. Rub the remainder of the rosemary mixture over the outside of the breast. Use cocktail sticks to seal skin over any exposed breast meat.

4.

Place the turkey on a rack in a roasting tin. Add just enough water to cover the bottom of the pan. Roast according to the weight of your turkey. Roast in a preheated 180 C oven. When finished, a meat thermometer inserted in the thigh should read 82 C and the juices should run clear when pierced with a fork.

Cheat's roast turkey

Christmas is coming. hope you guys love this and try to make it.
I'm sure i will try to make it. It seems so yummy and not that hard to make.

If you can't cheat on Christmas Day, when can you cheat? With this simple roast turkey, you're guaranteed to have yourself a very tasty, not to mention happy, Christmas!

Ingredients (serves 6)

• 2kg frozen, rolled turkey breast*
• 1 orange, juiced
• 40ml (2 tbs) olive oil
• Rosemary sprigs and gravy, to serve

Method

1. Preheat oven to 180°C.
2. Defrost turkey in the fridge overnight. Place in a large roasting pan with the foil on and roast for one hour 15 minutes. Remove the foil.
3. Combine orange juice and oil together and use to baste the turkey breast. Return to the oven and roast for a further 30 minutes.
4. Slice the turkey, garnish with rosemary and serve with gravy.