Tiramisu

I made this sinful cake for our Anniversary. This is my second attempt making Tiramisu. The first time I didn't have all the right ingredients and I just used whatever I had in hand and it turn out a huge dissapointment in taste.

So this time I bought ladyfingers, mascarpone cheese, best cocoa powder, dark rum and heavy whipping cream. All I have to do is assemble the cake with all these ingredients and the taste is to die for.

Ingredients :

2 tub 8oz mascarpone cheese
1 tbsp of coffee liqueur
8 tbsp of sugar (you can add more)
450 ml of heavy cream
1 cup of hot strong brewed coffee
1/4 cup of dark rum
48 lady fingers (more or less)
unsweetened cocoa powder

Decoration :

Strawberries, raspberries and lady fingers

1) In a mixing bowl whisk the whipping cream with 4 tbsp of sugar until firm peak. set aside.
2) In a second mixing bowl cream the mascarpone, coffee liqueur and 4 tbsp of sugar
3) Fold the whipping cream into the mascarpone cheese and set aside
4) Mix the coffee and dark rum. Dip lady fingers into coffee mixture and place in the bottom of the baking dish or spring form pan.
5) Spread some cream cheese mixture over the ladyfingers and dust with cocoa powder.
6) Dip some ladyfingers into coffee mixture and repeat step '5' again.
7) Cover and refrigerate tiramisu overnight.
8) Just before serving decorate it with some cocoa powder or fresh fruits.

This is how the tiramisu looks like inside

Gave some to my neighbor Nancy and Diana. This is what left of the cake :) :)

Note : You can add more sugar if you want a sweeter Tiramisu

Anniversary

To my dearest Hubby,

Joy for me is loving you and sharing our life together
With that special kind of closeness between a husband and wife
Setting goals and working to reach them one by one
Sharing quiet moments all alone with you when each day is done
Discovering each other always something new to know
Helping you, as you help me to learn, to dream and to grow
We're lovers and companions, best friends and partners too,
More and more with every joy, for me is loving YOU.

Happy Anniversary My Love !!!

This is a special song for you :

http://www.stcatherines.org/atlantaeme/MESong.html

Apam Balik

There are so many names out there for this kueh. Some call it Ban Chien Kueh, some call it 'Tai Gau-Meen' but we called it 'Chin Loong Pau'. This will be the kueh that I asked my sisters to bring me each time they come for a visit. There are two version of it. One thin and cripsy and the other one is thick and spongy. I remember buying this kueh every week at our Subang Jaya SS15 pasar malam and we will usually order it first before we walk around the pasar malam and come back to pick it up when we are done. There is always a very long line for this kueh.

The filling is usually peanuts and sugar with a tiny dollop of butter but some might put sweet corn and coconut. Actually you can put any sweet fillings like red beans, sweet coconut, nutella, chocolate, kaya to your apam balik. I read somewhere that people even put cream cheese and minced meat to their Apam Balik. I wouldn't go that far :). I like mine the old fashion way. Nuts and sugar.

Ingredients for batter
(adapted from Kuali.com)

200 grms of flour
2 tsp of baking powder
3/4 tsp of baking soda
1/2 tsp of salt
50 grms of sugar
160 ml water
160 ml milk
1 egg
40 grms melted butter
1 1/8 tsp alkaline water (optional)


Filling
1 cups of toasted peanuts - grind coarsely
1/2 cup of sugar
some butter

1) In a large bowl add in all ingredients for batter. Mix ingredients well into smooth batter. Set aside in the fridge for 2 hours.
2) Heat up a non-stick pan and very lightly grease it with a bit of oil. Clean off any access oil with a paper towel.
3) Pour a ladle full of batter into the pan and swirl the pan is full cover with batter. Put more batter if you want a thicker pancake.
4) Sprinkle some peanuts, sugar and a few dollop of butter then put a cover over it.
5) Cook until the centre of the pancake is cooked and the edges brown.
6) Remove and fold into half.
7) Serve.


Note : I didn't put any alkaline water to my batter since I don't have it. I like my apam balik crispy so I cook it over medium heat and I don't even need to cover the pan when I cook it.

Sweet and Sour Fish

I am not good at cooking fish. Never know what kind of fish to buy or what type of fish to cook with what dish that is why I always end up buying fish fillets. I remember we used to eat sweet and sour fish back home and we will have the fish whole. It's fried to crispy and I even enjoyed eating the fish head. This is going to freak Carlos out because he can't eat fish with the head still on ;)

Anyway, since I don't have a whole fish I cook this dish with fish fillets.

Ingredients :

2 fish fillets - cut into chunks
salt and pepper
2 tbsp of corn starch
1 egg white

Mix all the above ingredient together and deep fried fish until golden brown. Drain on a paper towels.

Vegetables

half red pepper - cut to bite size pieces
half yellow pepper - cut to bite size pieces
a few slices of ginger
1 small onions - cut to chunks
1 small cucumber - cut to bite size pieces
1 cup of pineapple or longan
1 small chili - slice

Sauce - mix together

2 tbsp of ketchup
2 tbsp of sweet chili sauce
1 tsp of sugar
1 tbsp of vinegar
1 tsp of corn starch
1 cup water - depend on how much sauce you want
Salt and pepper to taste


Heat up wok with 1 tbsp of oil. Saute the onions & ginger until lightly brown. Add in all the vegetables and stir fry for 1 min. Add in sauce and cook until thicken. Toss in the fried fish and toss it gently until the fish is well coated with sauce.

Turn off the heat and dish out. Serve with warm rice.

Note : If you want sweeter or tangy sauce you can add more sugar or vinegar.