The Original Juice

I was trawling the net for some simple Eid cookies when i stumbled upon this site:

My Fellow Al-Maarifians! Remember Cik Lah used to sell these back in... 1999?

It's almost impossible to find this now in Singapore and I was all for making it!!! But because we already had too much cookies, i had to postpone it. And Tufeil's Children's Day celebration just beckoned me to serve this.

I like this trolley! Can pull him in it!

After awhile he got tired and wanted to help push it instead.

The forgot tt the recipe actly called for WHITE marshmallows! So the effect became kinda brown...

After all melted, pour in 6 cups (250gm x 6) of Rice Krispies and fold until all is mixed well.

I hafta warn you tho tt it's kinda difficult with this stickiness. Buttered utencils are recommended. Oh luckily, I grabbed a second box of the cereal otherwise it won't be enough!

You're supposed to line the baking pan in which you're gonna pour this into with butter  / oil or wax paper.


I just use foil.

Then wait for it to set (no longer sticky) before you cut them into squares.

The other suggestion by the author was to put in mini cups.

We spent the whole weekend making a total of 7 packets worth of Kuih Layang-Layang (Literally: Kite cookie) well minus a few sheets ended up torn and in our mouths. I totally regretted letting Tufeil and Syifaa' taste the raw sheets cause then the entire time we were rolling them, they bugged me for some pieces. *padan muka aku!* (Serve me right!)

 It is imperative that you NOT choose the BLUE packet from this brand because they tear easily (a lot ended in our mouths!) The green one was good. There are orange one too but I'm not sure what it is. BTW, i think its a local brand.


Now, it's time to fry them I like them kinda deep brown as opposed to pale.



My mum said "toast" but I think the right word is to STRAIN it once

And then another time to make sure excess oil is gone



And then stir in caster sugar as desired



Cool and store!

This recipe is courtesy of Bridget from Twinisms.com Original Recipe post here.

I bought the cream cheese like... a month ago but had been procastinating cooking it because I was lazy to convert the measurement to something I know. I thought it might be difficult or Tufeil might not like it because it's using chicken breast (I prefer Boneless Skinless Chicken Legs). Turned out its the total opposite!!! It's soooo nice and easy to make!!

Ingredients


1 8 Oz. Package Cream Cheese, softened
1 Can Cream of Chicken Soup
4 Chicken Breasts, cooked and cut into cubes
1 Sleeve Ritz Crackers, crushed
4 Tbs. Butter, melted
Pepper

Combine the cream cheese and soup until mostly smooth.
Add in the cubed bird hooters.
Combine the first 3 ingredients. Place them in a lightly greased baking dish.
Combine the melted butter and crushed crackers in a bowl and pour on top on this chicken.
Just throw it in a 350 degree oven for about a half hour and you’re done!

I had about 300gm of chicken fillets... so decided to halve everything else as well. Hentam bocai! (Anyhow)
 
Firstly, I cooked the chicken. Do you know that I had to email the author on how she cooked the chicken! LOL! I'm such a novice! I decided to steam the chicken instead because that's the easiest way I know how. Before that I rubbed it with some worcestershire sauce and McCormick's All Seasoning... I don't think it made a diff though. and then instead of cubing, i shredded them.

Tufeil insisted on "helping" me

Just before entering the oven

He ate the rest of the soup using bare hands!!! Had to change pajamas!

I had a taste of this after Tufeil was asleep, and it was HEAVEN! The smell when it was baking was also delicious!!! The texture of the chicken make me think i was eating cheese! hahaha... I think I would serve it with my mashed potatoes or macaroni and cheese. I just this could just be my next specialty other than the beef meatloaf!

Sat, 25th June 2011
Tufeil was so happy when I announced that we'll be making cookie. He was prolly excited to be eating the dough again! He tasted everything every step of the way. Even the butter and sugar mixture he said nice. *shake head*

Like an Indian boy w face paint

Should I be worried of bacteria??

Yummm

We don't have a kiddy table. So on the floor it is

Difficult to take it out

Tufeil's dough pressed over and over

He kept insisting to play with MY dough! Cheh. And he kept breaking my nicely cut-out but fragile elephants and bear! He didn't eat much of the dough this time around prefering to break them to tiny little pieces and scatter them around (outside the newspaper lining)! *heart pain trying to clean the mess*

But we did have fun. Hope to do it again when Syifaa' is around. And this time i think i should put T on the high chair to limit his destruction!

I picked a recipe from here but the dough was too soft i added some more. and even after baking double the time required, it didn't brown (as i like them). A few more minutes and it came out brown. And hard. but edible for adults and tasted very nice =)

Thanks to Bermudabuttercup for sharing the recipe. (See ingredients and instructions at the end)



The batter. Totally cheated by using mixer.




Had to ply him w Peach and biscuits bcos i'm using the phone to read the recipe




Just before entering the oven




After. A bit burnt, is it?

1/4 cup butter

1/2 cup white sugar

1 cup all-purpose flour

1/4 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 cup milk



2 cups fresh peaches, pitted and sliced or 1 big can of peaches

1/4 cup white sugar

1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 1/2 cups water (or less) or the juice from the fruits.



Directions

1.Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Lightly butter a 9x9 inch glass baking pan.

2.In a large bowl, cream the butter and 1/2 cup sugar.

3.In a separate bowl, mix flour, salt and baking powder. Add to the creamed mixture alternately with the milk.

4.Spread mixture evenly into baking dish .

5.If using canned peaches, drain thoroughly, reserving the juice. Spoon fruit over batter.

6.Sprinkle with cinnamon and 1/4 cup sugar. Pour fruit juice (not heavy syrup!!) or water over the top.



Essential teaspoon and tablespoon measuring spoons for baking Did i tell you our house lacks bowls of any kind let alone one that is microwave save? It's only $2.50 Luminarc brand



Pizza screen - About $5? Pizza stone is $22. But I didn't dare to invest in one cause I haven't even made one yet so not sure if it'd be worthwhile.

Totally had to get a new pair of gloves. The old one looks burnt out, literally. $8?

2pcs ramekins for $10? Safe for ovens/microwave and freezer



I intend to do more baked rice or pasta hence this baking dish $11

I was quite disappointed to find that I couldn't find any baking ingredients despite them having a Bake & Go section. I guess I should go to Phoon Huat for that.

Overall very happy with my purchases. But I think other than these, I don't really need anything else. Except maybe more bowls.



Spooning the chocolate mixture




Realize too much chocolate




Why my cake always break in the middle one?

 It was nice (or not terrible) tasting but a bit "rapuh" er... crumbly. Maybe should add more butter to make it soft is it? *no idea* I just wished I hadn't had too much of the chocolate.

But really, the steps are super easy!!! Basically, put all ingredients except cocoa powder in the mixer, pour 3/4 in the pan, mix 1/4 with the chocolate and spoon them into the pan and swish a knife at it to make patterns and wa la!


Ingredients


2 cups all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 cup white sugar

1/2 cup butter, softened

2 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 cup milk

2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder



Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour a 9 inch round pan.

Place flour, baking powder, salt, sugar, butter or margarine, eggs, vanilla, and milk into mixing bowl. Beat slowly to moisten, then beat with an electric mixer at medium speed for about 2 minutes until smooth. Reserve 3/4 cup batter; pour the remainder into pan.

Stir cocoa into the 3/4 cup reserved batter. Drop by spoonfuls over top of white batter. Using a knife, swirl the cocoa batter into the white batter to incorporate it in a marble effect.

Bake in preheated oven for 30 to 35 minutes, until an inserted wooden pick comes out clean.

Sunday 3rd April 2011. I had about 5hours to myself at home and I got cracking in the kitchen. Thanks to kak Norza for sharing her Tasty Tuna Bake recipe she found in a book.

Tasty Tune bake
from Little Kitchen
1 small red capsicum, seeds and white membrane removed 1 medium onion, roughly chopped
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon tomato paste
½ cup milk
1 tablespoon plain flour
½ teaspoon salt
3 pinches of black pepper
1 x 425 g can of tuna
1½ cup cooked white rice
1½ cups grated cheddar cheese

Preheat the oven to 180°C. Put the capsicum and onion into a food processor and blitz it to a paste. Tip the paste into a small bowl. Heat the oil in a frying pan. Carefully scrape the paste into the frying pan. Add the tomato paste and fry for about 10 minutes, stirring every now and then. Add the milk, flour, salt and pepper to the frying pan. Mix well and cook over low heat for a couple of minutes. Add the tuna, breaking up the chunks carefully and mixing it in very well. Spread the cooked rice over the base of the baking dish. Spoon in the tuna mixture and spread it over the rice. Finally, top with the grated cheese. Bake into the oven and cook for 14 minutes, or until the cheese is golden. Remove the baking dish from the oven and divide it into 4 big portions.

They actually ran out of Red Pepper at the Fairprice supermarket near my house so I had to use Green Pepper instead. And then to my horrors, I found that my fresh milk is gone from the fridge! (Not sure if somebody drank it or threw it away cause it may have expired?) So I had to substitute with Soymilk instead! HAHAHAHa Instead of rice, I used COUSCOUS because I have bought one quite some time ago and still haven't used it. Also, instead of Tuna, i steamed the Sutchi fillet I still have in my freezer.

I totally cheated by using sliced cheddar cheese.

Some people say the sliced ones are not 100% real as it contains fillers? *shrug*

•4 eggs
•1 1/2 cups sugar
•1/2 cup vegetable oil
•2 cups flour
•4 teaspoons baking powder
•1/2 teaspoon salt
•1/2 cup fresh orange juice
•zest from 1 or 2 oranges
•1 teaspoon vanilla

Preparation: Preheat your oven to 350° F (180° C). Grease and flour a tube pan. If using fresh oranges, zest and juice them. With an electric mixer or by hand, beat together the eggs and sugar until thick. Gradually beat in the oil. Stir in the flour, baking powder and salt, and then the orange juice. Beat until smooth, and then mix in the zest and vanilla. Pour the batter into your prepared pan, and bake for about 40 minutes, or until the cake tests done. Allow the cake to cool in the pan for 7 to 10 minutes, then turn out onto a rack to finish cooling.

Sunday 12th Mar 2011

Yesterday was cleaning day so today is Cooking day. While Tufeil was out, I managed to make the usual Meatloaf and mashed potatoes.

It was about 5.30pm, and to fill in the time till bath, dinner and sleep routine time, I decided to let Tufeil handle some cooking material while I made my brownie.

Sat 26th Feb 2011

We just finished watching an episode of Junior MasterChef Australia Season 1 that's running on StarWorld. The second segment was about making Donahue's (not sure if i got the name/spelling right) four tier choc cake. I started craving for something sweet too and remembered I haven't used the unsweetened Cocoa Powder I bought and whipped out this BETTER BROWNIE, recipe courtesy of allrecipes.com

Ingredients
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 cup white sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 eggs
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup chopped walnuts (optional)

Directions
1.Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease a 9x9 inch baking pan.
2.In a medium bowl, mix together the oil, sugar, and vanilla. Beat in eggs. Combine flour, cocoa, baking powder, and salt; gradually stir into the egg mixture until well blended. Stir in walnuts, if desired. Spread the batter evenly into the prepared pan.
3.Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until the brownie begins to pull away from edges of pan. Let cool on a wire rack before cutting into squares.


I was nervous about making this brownie FROM SCRATCH. I had only ever made from a box and I LOVE Pillsbury's Double Choc and I'm scared if this would not be up to par. Only one way to find out!

I don't get why they ask you to mix diff items in diff bowls.

Clearly I'm running out of proper bowls for cooking.

Sun 13th Feb 2011.

The whole day I didnt get the chance to cook. I've already got most of the ingredients. While my signature dish is Beef Meatloaf, I think its time to try CHICKEN meatloaf. As soon as T slept, i rushed around in the kitchen.

Got the recipe from Cooks.com

2 lb. ground chicken
1 c. soft bread crumbs
1 c. tomato sauce
1/4 horseradish sauce
1/2 c. finely chopped onion
1/4 c. butter (butter flavored), melted
1/4 c. chicken broth, heated
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
2 eggs

In large bowl, mix together chicken, bread crumbs, onion, salt and pepper. In small bowl; beat eggs. Add tomato sauce and horseradish sauce; mix well. Pour egg mixture into ground chicken mixture and mix well.

Lightly oil 9 x 5 x 3 inch loaf pan; pack chicken lightly into prepared pan. Bake in 350 degree oven about 1 hour, basting occasionally with melted butter and chicken broth which have been mixed together. Chicken loaf will be done when it shrinks from sides and springs back at a gently touch. Pour off liquid. Let loaf sit several minutes, turn out onto a serving platter


Horseradish Sauce was nowhere to be found in Cold Storage nor NTUC. So i replaced with Mustard instead since its also there in Beef Meatloaf, I reckon it would do. I have NO IDEA what BASTING technique is cooking is so I skipped the Chicken Broth and butter altogether.

I halved the portion cos but forgot to divide the egg!

50 minutes later

Hmmmm... Not to my taste. I've always been a fan of BEEF. What do i do with all of this??

Firstly I'd like to thank Syrian Foodie for the recipe.

I had loved the Cheese puff I had in Damascus so much I googled around to find the actual name and stumbled upon the link above. Since it was equipped with a recipe and the ingredients looked simple enough, I thought, "Why not give it a go?"

The Pastry:
Flour 2 cups
Boiling water 3/4 cup
Vegetable oil 1/4 cup
Salt 1 tsp

For the filling:
Arabic White cheese (eg: Nabulsi) 200g
Chopped Parsley 30g
Sesame seeds (optional)
Black sesame seeds (optional)
Black pepper

Please see the rest of the instruction at the original website.

Of course there isn't any Arabic cheese to be found. So I had to use the alternative he'd given: equal amounts of Mozarella and Feta cheese.

And yes, just like he said, the dough was very easy to mix....

and because of the oil, it doesn't stick to the rolling pin - much. But I was soooo painstakingly slow at rolling them, it got a bit dry and started to stick.


Nope, I didn't have a pizza cutter either.