Baked Macaroni & Blueberry Muffin

Last 2 weeks, I found that I still have a packet of Blueberry Muffin ready mix which I bought from the market many months ago. So I decided to make it. Well, it turns out nice and tasty. Not what I was expecting at all. I thought it will not taste good. I was wrong except that it was a bit on the sweet side.

This is the first tray of muffins

This is the second tray of muffins which looks funny, not nice

This is the third tray of muffins which luckily turns out nice

The next day, I decided to make Baked Macaroni, which I have cooked once many many years ago. I looked through my recipes book, paper cutting and all but couldn't find the one that I made many many years ago. So I have to settle for this one....

Baked Macaroni

Before baking

I did not exactly follow the recipe. I did not use chicken stock but only water. I also did not follow the measurement and use more macaroni and other ingredients than required so the eggs mixture which I used exactly as the recipe are not enough to cover up all my macaroni.

After baking but excuse the middle which don't look nice because I used chopsticks to dig it to see if it's cook

Baked Macaroni
Ingredients
200g macaroni
125g chicken sausage, sliced thinly
100g buttons mushrooms, sliced thinly
1/2 cup mixed vegetables ( I used onion only)
1 tsp chopped garlic
3 tbsp oil
75g cheddar cheese, grated

Combine
4 eggs, beat
350ml chicken stock, 3/4 to 1 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp pepper

Method
Bring water to a boil in a pot. Add a teaspoon of salt and a few drops of oil, Put in macaroni and boil for 8 to 9 minutes or until al dente. Drain.

Heat oil and saute garlic till golden and fragrant. Add button mushrooms, sausage and macaroni. Mix well. Dish out into a mixing bowl. Stir in mixed vegetables.

Grease a deep square casserole lightly with corn oil and pour half of the cooked macaroni mixture into it. Sprinkle with grated cheese and top with the remainder of the mixture. Sprinkle with cheese sparingly all over. Pour the eggs mixture over the macaroni and bake in a preheated oven at 180 C for 30 to 35 minutes or until egg mixture sets. Remove and serve either hot or cold.

Bracelet from ring pattern

Finally I finished this bracelet. The actual pattern for this bracelet is for a ring. My friend told me that she wanted a bracelet like it and asked if I can made it into a bracelet. Since the pattern is very easy I said yes. Following the pattern, I just made it longer and wider.

This is the first one that I made using thread. I also made a beaded clasp for it. But it looks bulky, not nice. Then I realised that the thread may not be strong enough and it will break easily. So I cut the bracelet and make a new one again. This time, I used fishing line. I also change the clasp to a bought one.

I think the bracelet is quite nice. I used pearl beads, seed beads & bugle beads (I think that's what it's call). I haven't made the ring yet. Maybe I'll made it one day. But I think it make a nice bracelet too.

Lemon Cheesecake

Since I have lots of cream cheese and whipping cream left from my Oreo Cheesecake, I decided to make another cheesecake. After pouring through my recipe books, I decided to make this Lemon Cheesecake since I have all the ingredients. Save me time from going to the supermarket.

Ingredients :
250gm cream cheese
220gm cream
1 1/2 tbsp gelatine
3 tbsp water
1 egg (separate yolk and white) - I omitted this
80gm granulated sugar
2 1/2 tbsp lemon juice
140gm Digestive biscuits (I used Marie biscuits)
60gm melted butter (I needed more)

Method :
1. Whip cream until firm peaks form. Chill.

It's a bit messy

2. Finely crush biscuits. Combine with melted butter. Press into base of 8 inch cake tin.

3. Mix gelatine with water in a bowl. Stand the bowl in hot water until gelatine has dissolved.

4. Using electric beater, beat cream cheese until smooth. Add egg yolk and sugar. Beat well.

5. Stir in gelatine solution and lemon juice.

6. Add cream and mix until well combined.

7. Beat egg white until firm peaks form. Fold in cheese mixture. Pour mixture into prepared cake tin.

8. Chill until firm and decorate. I didn't do any decoration.

Green Tea Bing Pi Mooncake

Last week I made Snow Skin Mooncake again. Since I have some kau fun and lotus paste left, I decided to finish up all. I made my first Snow Skin Mooncake last month. The first attempt, I put too much water to the flour and my mooncake skin is very soft and sticky. The second attempt is just right.

Ingredients :

Filling : (A)

1.5kg green tea lotus paste (I bought from the store)

70gm melon seed (toasted)

Dough : (B)

1 pkt (500gm) bing pi mix (I bought Baker's One Brand. It is all ready mixed)

70gm shortening

290ml cold water

1/2 tsp green tea essence

Apple green colouring

Mix (A) together together. Divide into equal portion.

Mix (B) together. Rest for 30 minutes. Divide into equal . This packet yields about 12 mooncakes.

Wrap (A) into (B). Press into mooncake mould. Tap out the mooncake and chill.

*This method was written on the packet.

Mooncakes

This year I decided to make mooncakes  again. Last year one are too sweet and pale in Icolor because the golden syrup I cooked is not brown enough. This year I used ready made one which I bought from the shop. So last month, I decided to make some.

Lotus Paste Mooncake

I didn't brush them with egg wash, so it's not glossy

Ingredients
600g flour
600g syrup (I bought from the shop)
140g groundnut oil
1 tsp alkaline water
Lotus paste ( I bought from the shop)

Method
Mix flour, syrup, oil and alkaline water and knead until elastic. Set aside for 3 hours, Divide the dough into 15 equal portions ( I only made 12 mooncakes, the leftover dough, I used to made figurine mooncake biscuits).

The final step
Take a portion of the dough and roll into a thin circular piece. Take a 150g ball of lotus paste and wrap with the mooncake skin.

Dust a mooncake mould with flour. Press the dough with filling into mould. Tap lightly to demould.

This is the mooncake

And this is the figurine mooncake

Grease baking tray and bake mooncake in oven at 220C for about 20 to 30 minutes.

For a glossy sheen, bake the mooncakes for about 10 minutes, then brush them with egg wash and continue to bake until golden brown.

I got this recipe many many years ago from The Star newspaper but never try it until last month.

Oreo Cheesecake

I don't know what got into me last month, I made lots of cakes (for me it's a lot because I only made 1 or 2 a few months). I made 2 cheesecake, traditional mooncake & snow skin mooncake. This is my Oreo Cheesecake......

Oreo Cheesecake

I don't do much decoration, only sprinkle some Oreo on top.

Recipe:

Biscuit:

200 gm Oreo biscuits, minus the cream & crushed

70 gm butter, melted

Cake:

250 gm cream cheese

250 gm whipping cream

80 gm castor sugar ( I reduced it)

60 ml water

15 gm gelatin

3 pcs Oreo biscuits, crushed coarsely

Method:

1. Prepare a 7" round loose bottom cake tin.

2. Biscuit : Mix all together and press into the bottom of the cake tin.

3. Cake : Beat the whipping cream until soft peak form. Keep in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.

4. In another bowl, beat the cream cheese, Oreo biscuits cream and castor sugar until fluffy and creamy.

5. Heat the gelatin and water until dissolve. Let it cool and mix into the cream cheese batter. Mix in the whipped cream and beat for a while.

6. Mix in the coarsely crushed Oreo biscuits and mix well. Pour onto the chilled Oreo biscuits base and keep in the refrigerator for 5 hours or until it has harden.

* I got this recipe from a recipe book which I bought recently but it was in Malay. So I'm only doing a simple translation.

BBQ & Tuna Pizza

It has been a few years since I last bake a pizza. So a few months ago, I decided to make 2 pizzas because 1 is not enough for everyone at home. This time I decided to use another recipe for the base which use olive oil....

Tuna Pizza

BBQ Chicken Pizza

The base using olive oil is drier than those using butter or margarine. Since I didn't made pizza for quite sometime, I kept having this feeling that I miss out something but couldn't figure out what it is. Only when I was having the last bite of a piece of pizza that I realised I forgotten to put the tomato paste. But everyone is happily eating their pizza and nobody's complaining, so I'm safe....

As for the recipe, I think I have misplace it......can't remember where I kept after doing the pizza...'sigh'......