Butterscotch Madeleines and a New Hand Mixer

How often do you replace kitchen appliances?? In the Eugenio household, we tend to buy new gadgets but use the old ones until they stop working. A great example is our hand mixer. My mum bought our hand mixer back in 1988. It was one of the first things she bought when we moved into our house.

Thanks to Kitchenware Direct, I had an opportunity to review one of their new products. I chose the Red Kitchenaid Hand Mixer.  It was time for the old mixer to retire and for the new one to make it’s debut. What better way than with these simple Butterscotch Madeleines from Bill Granger’s book Bill’s Basics.

Butterscotch Madeleines

Ingredients

100 grams unsalted butter

2 tablespoons golden syrup

2 eggs

60 grams caster sugar

75 grams plain flour sifted

1 teaspoon baking powder

pinch of salt

icing sugar for dusting

Method

1. Pre-heat the over to 170C. Grease a madeleine tray and dust with flour, shaking of the excess.

2. Melt the butter in a small pan. Remove from the heat, stir in the syrup and leave to cool.

3. Using a hand mixer, whisk the eggs, sugar and a pinch of salt, until pale and fluffy. Add the flour, baking powder and syrup mixture. Fold everything together until well combined.

4. Spoon the mixture into the madeleine tray and bake for 8 to 10 minutes. Cool on a wire rack and dust with icing sugar before serving.


The Madeleines are delicious on it's own or served with lightly whipped cream . They are also a fantastic idea for a homemade Christmas present. The recipe makes close to 20 madeleines.

The Kitchenaid Mixer is a delight to use. It has 7 speeds and the attachments are extremely easy to clean. Although stand mixers are all the rage, this hand mixer is ideal for people who don't have the room for a massive stand mixer. If you are looking for an affordable and attractive looking hand mixer, then the Artisan mixer is perfect.

For the best prices on a range of fantastic Kitchenware Essentials, make sure to check out Kitchenware Direct. They currently have some fantastic offers such as free shipping, cash-backs and bonus gifts with selected items...

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Japanese Cooking At Kei’s Kitchen

This would be my third class at Kei’s Kitchen. The class we are doing is a Large Platter Class, which Kei and Masako normally do at the end of the year. The dishes you make at this class are normally dishes you would see at big parties.  They are all designed to feed 10 or more people.

On the menu is Ocean Trout Kenchin Style (Stuffed with Tofu), Chicken Rolls with Smoked Salmon, Asparagus with a Tomato and Egg Jelly, Beef Shabu Shabu Salad and two types of Sushi Rolls.

The first thing that Kei teaches the class is how to make the Dashi. She always says at the beginning of every class “No Dashi, No Japanese Food”. After the Dashi is made, we begin by de-boning the 2.5 kilo Ocean Trout which we will later stuff with a Tofu mix.

Kei shows us how to carefully de-bone without damaging too much of the flesh. What took 15 minutes will probably take me an hour to do. She cuts across the back bone without damaging the outer skin and proceeds to take the bones of almost in one piece. One of the students made a comment that its almost as precise as a surgeon.

The fish was later stuffed with a tofu mixture and sewn back together to be baked in the oven. Masako points out that we should always use black thread so its easier to take it off the fish once cooked.

I was assigned to cook the beef for the Shabu Shabu Salad. The meat was thinly sliced Wagyu Beef which I quickly dipped in hot Dashi. This was then served on a bed of salad greens, blueberries, kiwi fruit, radish sprouts, cucumber, oranges and witloof. I have never thought of putting fruit in a salad but it certainly worked and took away from the richness of the thinly sliced meat.

When you think of Japanese food, you don't really think of Chicken Rolls stuffed with Smoked Salmon and Asparagus. I certainly changed my mind after my first bite. The chicken was lean and full of flavour from the smoked salmon and asparagus. The panko crumbs added crunch and even though we fried this dish it was light.

The Chicken Roll was served with a Tomato and Egg Jelly which was made by using Agar Agar. I must admit this was a challenge for me to eat. I found the texture odd but the flavours were amazing.

Each of us had to make a Sushi Roll. We made two Sushi Rolls. A Tuna, Sprout and Wasabi Mayo Roll and a Prawn and Avocado Uramaki. The sushi rice was carefully weighed and we were each shown the proper way of rolling.

After all the preparation, we set the table, ready to eat what we have all made. It was certainly a massive spread, that was beautifully presented. There was so much food that the whole class managed to fill containers with food to take home.

It was a fantastic day, I learnt so much. Kei and Masako have certainly taught me a lot about Japanese Cuisine and I cant wait to go to another class in 2012. 

If you are interested in learning about the art of Japanese Food, make sure you check Kei's Kitchen for their 2012 class schedule.

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Halloween and The House That Boo Built

Mwahahahahaha… It’s not long till Halloween. I never used to be one to make a big deal of it, until my nephew and niece were old enough to go trick or treating.. It’s so much fun celebrating with the kids. Who knew that carving a pumpkin could be so therapeutic.

“What’s New Cupcake?” is one of my favourite books. It’s by Karen Tack and Alan Richardson. The book is full of fun ways to decorate cupcakes. For Halloween, I decided to make my version of “The House That Boo Built”. 

The House That Boo Built

What you need..

1 black cake stand

2 edible sugar eyes (I got mine from Kitchenware Direct)

3 large pre made chocolate cupcakes iced

3 medium pre made chocolate cupcakes iced

1 chocolate ice cream cone

7 - 8 pieces of pineapple lumps

4 dark chocolate trees made with dark chocolate and orange sprinkles (instructions for trees in Step 1)

candy pumpkins, fake spiders and skulls (optional)

Instructions

Step 1 - Making the Chocolate Trees

Melt 1/2 cup of dark chocolate in a microwave safe bowl for approximately 2 minutes. Put the melted chocolate in a small squeeze bottle. Put some wax paper down on a flat surface and start drawing some trees. There is a pattern in the book that you can use as a guide. Make sure the trees are thick so they do not break when you put them into the cupcakes. Add the orange sprinkles to the trees before they set. Repeat the process until you have made 4 trees. Cool in the fridge for at least an hour before using.

Step 2 - Assembling the Haunted House

- Put 1 large cupcake in the middle of the cake stand, put another large cupcake on top. Get the ice cream cone and carefully place on the top cupcake. Add the edible sugar eyes. Put 2 pineapple lumps on the bottom cupcake. These are the headstones. I was suppose to write RIP on the headstones but my dog Gizmo ran off with the white icing pen that I bought.

- Take another large cupcake and place it in front of the cupcake tower. Add two or 3 more pineapple lumps, some skulls, bones and pumpkin candy. Repeat this with the remaining cupcakes, but place the 4 chocolate trees on the cupcakes too. Put them at the back to make it look like a forest.

This is such a simple way of making Halloween fun. You can use different size cake stands, assorted decorations. It's really up to you. This is also a fun way to get the kids involved. Feel free to be as creative as you want.

Here's to another fabulous goulishly fun Halloween.. Make sure you have plenty of lollies for the Trick or Treaters...... There is nothing worse than being tricked on Halloween.. Mwahahahahahaha..

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Red Curry Prawn Dumplings

Working in the city, means that I have to travel 45 to 50 minutes each way on the train every single day. My Ipad is pretty much my best buddy on these long trips. One of my favourite Aps is the Martha Stewarts Everyday Food Magazine. The magazine is full of articles, chef bios, handy craft tips and most importantly simple delicious recipes.

These Red Curry Prawn Dumplings are from October’s issue. To make them look pretty I julienned the wonton wrappers instead of wrapping each dumpling. I also steamed them instead of the fry steam method on the recipe.

This dish took me 10 minutes to prepare, 8 minutes to cook and 2 minutes to eat. Not bad eh….

Red Curry Prawn Dumplings

(From Martha Stewart’s Everyday Food Magazine)

Ingredients

400 grams raw green prawns (peeled and deveined)

3 tablespoon grated ginger

2 shallots thinly sliced

4 teaspoons red curry paste

1 teaspoon fish sauce

1 packet wonton wrappers (this recipe makes approx 24 dumplings)

Method

1. In a small frying pan, heat 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil, over medium heat. Fry the ginger and shallots until the shallots are slightly soft.

2. In a food processor, add the peeled prawns, fish sauce and red curry paste. Put the mixture into a bowl and add the cooked shallot and ginger. Stir until combined. Cover with glad wrap and set aside for about 15 minutes to let the flavours combined.

3. Separate the wonton wrappers and julienne small portions at a time, making small strips. Put the wonton strips in a  large deep bowl.

4. Using a melon baller or a measuring spoon, drop small amount of the mixture into the wonton strips. Put each dumpling into a steamer lined with wax paper.

5. Steam the dumplings for 8 to 10 minutes. The dumplings are cooked when they are firm to touch and the wonton strips are translucent.

6. Serve the dumplings with a dipping sauce made with 2 tablespoons of soy sauce, 1 tablespoon of grated ginger and 1 teaspoon of sesame oil.

These dumpling are just delicious. The red curry is a fantastic addition and doesn't take away from the flavour of the prawns. Make sure you add your own flavours to the mixture such as bamboo shoots or water chestnuts for crunch. Frying them would also give you a different texture and flavour.

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A Perfect Sunday Afternoon..

What's a perfect Sunday Afternoon for you? For me it's all about the weather. Spring is here. Although we had a few cold days, the sun seems to come out on the weekends, which is when it really counts.

This weekend was the perfect time to give my new Bodum Picnic Grill a bit of a whirl. I have always wanted a picnic grill and this one is light, cute and comes in an amazing array of colours.

I made some Spiced Steak Kebabs and for dessert, BBQ Pineapple Chunks with Cinnamon Sugar.

Spiced Steak Kebabs (Martha Stewarts Everyday Living September Issue)

Ingredients

12 – 15 pieces sirloin steak chunks (cut into 1½ inches each)

½ cup extra virgin olive oil

2 teaspoons ground cumin

1 teaspoon ground coriander

1 medium green capsicum (cut into 1½ inch chunks)

1 medium red onion (cut into 1 inch pieces)

salt and pepper

Method

1. In a small bowl, combine the oil, cumin, coriander, salt and pepper together.

2. Thread the steak, onion and capsicum onto your skewers. I only used 4 chunks of steaks per skewer.

3. Brush the skewers with the oil mixture making sure that it is well coated. Set aside in the fridge for about 30 minutes.

4. BBQ the skewers, turning frequently to avoid burning. It’s best to take it off the heat when the meat is slightly pink. The skewers will continue to cook off the heat. Let it rest for 5 minutes before serving.

I first tasted these Pineapple Chunks at a Brazilian BBQ Restaurant. The sweet pineapple is perfect with the cinnamon sugar. Such a simple but delicious dessert.

BBQ Pineapple Chunks with Cinnamon Sugar

Ingredients

1 Pineapple (skin off and cut into thick chunks)

2 tablespoons cinnamon

4 tablespoons castor sugar

BBQ skewers (wooden skewers should be soaked in water to prevent burning)

Method

1. Mix the cinnamon and the sugar together and put it on a plate.

2. Coat each pineapple chunk in the cinnamon sugar mixture before putting onto the BBQ Skewers.

3. BBQ for 6 minutes each side. The outside should start to caramelise.

4. Let it cool slightly before serving.

You can add a little more cinnamon sugar after it has cooked. Don’t add too much as it will take away from the charcoal flavour. This is perfect served with coconut ice cream or fresh cream.

Thank you to Kitchenware Direct for sending me the Cool Bodum Picnic Grill to review. For more information on the Bodum range just go to Kitchenware Direct. 

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Popcorn Cake Pops

Cake Pops, they are slowly popping up everywhere. They are so simple to make and you can let your creativity run wild.

Kitchenware Direct were kind enough to send me some cool moulds, candy dips and a book to get my creative juices flowing. The book called Pops, Sweets on a Stick, gives you tonnes of different ideas on how to make all sorts of different cake pops.

One that caught my eye was the Popcorn Cake Pop. It looked like so much fun to make and all I really needed was some marshmallows to turn a simple cake pop into Popcorn.

Popcorn Cake Pops

Makes 13 -15 Cake Pops

Ingredients

150g Packet Oreos

2 tablespoons Light Philadelphia Cream Cheese

1 Packet White Mini Marshmallows

1 Wilton Pops Candy Dips in White

Yellow chocolate food colouring (powder form)

You will also need:

13 – 15 Paper Lollipop Sticks (15cm in length)

Styrofoam block

1. Using a food processor, blitz the Oreos until they resemble fine cookie crumbs.

2. In a medium bowl, add the Oreo cookie crumbs with the 2 tablespoons of cream cheese. With a spatula, combine the cookie crumbs and the cream cheese until it holds its shape.

3. Roll a teaspoon of the mixture into a ball and gently indent a side. This will make the Popcorn shape. Once you finish rolling all of the mixture into cake balls, set them aside in the fridge to cool for 5 minutes.

4. Microwave the Candy Dips for 2 minutes or until completely melted. Add about half a teaspoon of yellow food colouring and stir until combined.

5. Remove the cooled cake balls from the fridge. Dip about half a centimetre of the lollipop stick into the chocolate and insert into each cake ball.

6. Take a cake pop and stick marshmallows all around the bottom, using the chocolate as the glue, making sure to squash and pinch each marshmallow to make it look like popcorn. Put the cake pops into the freezing for a minute to set.

7. Remove the cake pops out of the freezer and dip each one in the chocolate to coat. Gently tap the excess of the Popcorn Pops and put it on the Styrofoam block to set.

If you are interested in making your own Cake Pops, make sure to check out the Cake Pops section at Kitchenware Direct. You will find everything you need to make your very own Cake Pops to impress. 

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Mini Goat's Cheese Tarts

As I walk from the station to work every morning, I always make time to stop at the Gourmet Supermarket at Greenwod Plaza. They have rows of homemade pates, local jams, sauce and goats cheese.

Goat’s cheese is one of my favourite cheeses. Its soft and tangy, it also goes with just about anything. These Goat’s cheese tarts are simple and moreish.

Mini Goat’s Cheese Tarts

Makes 4 mini tarts

Ingredients

1 sheet of puff pastry

2 large free-range eggs
150ml thickened cream

¼ cup of goat’s cheese

1 teaspoon of dried oregano or parsley

salt & pepper to taste

Optional: caramelised onions and more goats cheese for topping

 

Method

1. Pre-heat the oven to 170°C (338°F).

2. Cut the puff pastry into 4 squares and line 4 mini tart pans with the pastry. Gently dart the pastry with a fork. Line with wax paper and weigh it down with some pie weights. Blind bake for 10 minutes or until they are slightly golden brown. Set aside while you make the filling.

3. In a medium bowl, beat the eggs with the cream, oregano or parsley. Crumble the goats cheese into the mixture and fold in. Season with salt and pepper.

4. Pour an even amount of the mixture into the 4 blind baked pastry shells.

5. Bake for 10 to 15 minutes or until a skewer comes out clean when you insert it through the middle of the tart.

6. Serve the tart topped with caramelised onions and more crumbled goats cheese.

Tips: Make sure to use free-range eggs. Fresh farm eggs work best. They are a lot tastier and the colour is more vibrant.

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Chocolate Cake with Fresh Cream and Mixed Berry Sauce

Ok so I admit it, I use pre packaged cake mix. I love to make my own cakes but sometimes time gets the better of me and when I need to make something quickly I resort to good ol cake mixes. I honestly don’t see anything wrong with it. There are some delicious mixes out there. You just have to look for it.

At the Good Food & Wine Show in Sydney, I found just that, I saw a crowd at the La Cour Patisserie Stand and headed over there. I met Natalie, who has developed a range of sweet cafe treats for people to make at home. Her products are preservative free and have no artificial flavours. That instantly won me over, and I ended up going home with 3 cafe style treats to make at home.

So here is my version of a quick Chocolate Cake, this took me all of 10 minutes to prepare.

Chocolate Cake with Fresh Cream and Mixed Berry Sauce

Ingredients

1 x Double Layer Chocolate Cake Baking Kit

1 cup of frozen mixed berries

¼ caster sugar

1 teaspoon lemon juice

1 cup thickened cream

Method

1. Make the cake as per the instructions on the box. Allow the cake to cool completely before decorating

2. In a saucepan, add the caster sugar, berries and lemon juice over medium heat. Stir the mixture until the sugar has dissolved and the berries start to burst. Try not to over cook the sauce. You want the berries to retain their shape.

3. Whip the cream until stiff peaks and set aside.

Assembling the Cake

1. Take the 2 chocolate cakes and trim the tops to make them even.

2. Fold the whipped cream with half of the berry sauce. Put the cream on top of the first chocolate cake.

3. Put the second chocolate cake on top of the cream. Gently press the cake down.

4. Ice the top layer with the Chocolate Icing and serve on a pretty cake stand.

This cake is deliciously decadent and addictive. I recommend it to anyone looking to impress friends and family with a dessert that looks like it took hours to make.

If you want more information on Natalie's delicious range of sweet treats or if you would like to order just go to her website La Cour Patisserie

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Dani’s Son-In-Law Eggs from the MasteChef Magazine

The first time I had Son-In-Law eggs was at a friend’s house back when I was in high school. My friend’s dad made it for us and served it with some steaming hot rice as an afternoon treat. I remember thinking, how on earth am I going to eat this. I hate runny eggs.

A number of years later, my palette has certainly changed. I now love runny yolks and never eat eggs that are overcooked and rubbery. When I saw the recipe on the MasterChef magazine, I knew I had to try to make the dish myself.

I made this dish using Quail eggs instead of your standard chicken eggs. Soft boiled quail eggs have a delicious flavour and I prefer to use them for this dish.

Dani’s Son-In-Law Eggs

Ingredients 

12 quail eggs (room temperature)

2 tablespoons of tamarind puree’

1/4 cup of caster sugar

1/3 cup of water

Zest and juice of 1 lime

2 long red chillies (we only had the small super hot chilli. I used half of that)

Vegetable oil for frying

Salt or fish sauce to taste

1. To soft boil the quail eggs, put the eggs in a saucepan of cold water. Bring to the boil, carefully swirling the eggs so that the yolk stays in the middle. As soon as it boils, turn the heat off and run cold water on the eggs to stop the cooking process. Carefully peel the eggs and set aside.

2. In a small saucepan, add the tamarind puree, sugar, water, zest and lime juice. Stir until combined and bring to a boil until the mixture is thick and syrupy. Season with salt to taste, I used a few drops of fish sauce instead as tamarind and fish sauce are a great flavour combination.

3. Fill a saucepan with vegetable oil. Bring the heat up to around 180. You can drop a small piece of bread into oil to check if it’s ready. If the bread starts to sizzle, then the oil is ready for frying.

4. Fry the eggs until they are golden brown. Let them drain on some paper towel. Serve the eggs on top of some salad leaves or steaming hot rice. Top with the sauce and some thin slices of chilli.

I found that the quail eggs cooked a little more during the frying stage. I would suggest draining the eggs from the boiling water as soon as it comes to the boil, put the eggs in some icy water to cool it down quickly. Peeling the eggs can be very time consuming so be patient. 

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Kulinarya Cooking Club - June Theme "White Food"

Thanks to Adora from Adora’s Box and Diona from Tita Flips for this months Kulinarya Theme “White Food".

I must admit, it's been a few months since I have had the chance to do a Kulinarya Dish. It was so good to be back in the Kitchen with Mama Eugenio.

I love learning new desserts and dishes from her. This Cassava Cake recipe is one of my favourite desserts. The best part of this dessert is the topping. When I read my email and saw the theme, I knew that this was the dessert to make.

Cassava Cake With Lanka (Jackfruit)

Cake
 

Ingredients

2 packets of grated cassava (454 grams per pack)

4 cups coconut milk
1 cup of caster sugar
50 grams butter (melted)

1 can of jackfruit in syrup

Method

1. Preheat your oven to 200C.

2. In a bowl, add the grated cassava, coconut milk and caster sugar. Stir until the mixture is combined. Make sure to break down all the cassava, as it tends to be a little lumpy.

2. Drain the jackfruit from the syrup and slice into thin strips. Add half of the drained jackfruit to the cassava mixture. Add the melted butter and stir.

3. Pour the cassava mix into a wide pyrex dish. Bake in the oven at 200C until the top starts to set (approximately 30 minutes).

Topping

Ingredients

2 eggs

1 and half cans of condensed milk

Method

1. Beat the eggs using an electric mixer. Slowly add the condensed milk until combined.

2. Pour the topping over the top of the cassava cake and bake for a further 15 minutes or until the topping is a golden brown.

This is a delicious dessert perfect for a party. You can use the jackfruit syrup instead of the sugar for taste. This dessert is also delicious with buko (young coconut) instead of jackfruit.

Kulinarya Cooking Club was started by a group of Filipino foodies living in Sydney, who are passionate about the Filipino culture and its colourful cuisine.

Each month we will showcase a new dish along with their family recipes. By sharing these recipes, we hope you find the same passion and love for Filipino Food as we do.

If you’re interested in joining our Kulinarya Cooking Club, please feel free to drop by our foodblogs and leave a comment – we would love to hear from you!

To access the list of members and their blogs just go to Kulinarya Club

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