Walnut and Date Biscotti

There's  neither oil nor fat in this Biscotti and with reduced sugar, one can pamper oneself with  a few extra pieces without feeling guilty and worrying over the waistline.  Dunk them into either hot coffee or tea ...... enjoy!

Recipe for Walnut and Date Biscotti  (adapted from  'here' with slight modification)

Ingredients


• 100 gm caster sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1  tsp vanilla
• 1  tsp baking powder
• 1/4  tsp salt
• 230 gm plain flour
• 60 gam walnuts, coarsely chopped
• 75 gm dates, chopped
Method
1. Beat sugar and eggs on high speed till thick, palte and fluffy.  Add in vanilla.
2. In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt, mix well.
3. Add to the egg mixture and beat till well combined.
4. Fold in chopped walnuts and dates.
5. Transfer dough to a well-floured suraface and toll into a log, about 12 inches long and 3.1/2 inches wide.
6. Place log onto a parchment lined baking tray and bake @ 180 deg C for 20 to 25 mins. or till firm to the touch, slightly golden.
7. Remove from oven and let cool on a wire rack for about 15 mins.
8. Transfer log to a cutting board and cut into 1/2 inch diagonal slices.  Place Biscotti, cut side down, on the baking sheet.  Bake @ 165 deg C for 8 to 10 mins., turn slices over and bake for another 8 - 10 mins. or till golden brown.  Remove from oven and let cool.  Store in air tight container.
9. Yield 20 to 24 Biscotti.

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Honey-Glazed Grilled Chicken

This is a very easy, fuss-free chicken dish which is finger-licking good.  Just marinate the chicken with some sauce for a few hours, preferably overnight, put them under the grill and you'll be rewarded with a delicious meal.  This is also a quick way to serve something delicious which is also very affordable.

Honey-Glazed Grilled Chicken

Ingredients

  3 pieces chicken thigh, deboned

       6 cloves garlic, minced

      10 gm  ginger, minced

Marinade

  1  Tbsp honey, 1/2  Tbsp lemon kumquat vinigen

 1.1/2 Tbsp light soya sauce, 1.1/2  Tbsp cooking wine

   1.1/2 tsp each of oyster sauce, fish sauce and sesame oil.

Method

Rinse chicken thighs. Pat dry.  Make some cuts on the chicken thighs.

  Mix with the minced garlic, ginger and marinade for a few hours, preferably overnight.

Place marinated chicken thighs on an alluminium foil lined baking tray.  

Glaze with some marinade. Grill both sides for about 6 mins.

Remove  and glaze with the remaining marinade, grill for another 3 mins.

Serve with some salad greens.

This post is linked to  Little Thumbs Up event organised by  Zoe of   Bake for Happy Kids
and   Doreen of  my little favourite DIY   and hosted by  Alvin of  Chef and Sommelier

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# Bundtamonth : Salted Caramel Bundt Cake

This Caramel Bundt Cake of mine does not have a caramel topping or a glaze and I just tossed in some nibbed almonds to help give this cake a little facelift.  Now, where's the caramel you may wonder for Caramel Bundt Cake is the theme for July's Bundtamonth.  Ah... the caramel is inside the cake!
I did burn the caramel syrup a little, must admit, and it tasted a wee bit bitter on its own.  Fortunately, this was not evident in the baked cake.  In fact, the dark amber syrup helped in giving the cake a nice golden colour.

Recipe for # Bundtamonth :   Salted Caramel Bundt Cake
(adapted from ' here'  with modification)

Ingredients - for the Cake


• 240 gm plain flour
• 1/2  tsp baking powder
• 144 gm salted butter  (Add a pinch of salt if unsalted butter is used)
• 140 gm sugar (original 250 gm)
• 2 eggs
• 1/2  tsp vanilla
• 1/3 cup salted caramel syrup
• 1 cup milk
• Nibbed almonds (optional)
Salted caramel
• 200 gm granulated sugar
• 3/4 cup water, divided
• 1  tsp light corn syrup  (I used golden syrup)
• 1/8  tsp seasalt
Method for Salted Caramel
1. In a deep, thick saucepan, add 1/4 cup water, sugar and golden syrup, mix well.  Bring to the boil on medium heat.  Cover with lid for 2 to 3 mins.  Remove lid and cook till sugar turns light amber, swirling occasionally.
2. Remove pan from heat, add the remaining 1/2 cup water.  (Do be careful as it'll bubble quite vigorously).
3. Return to medium heat, whisk till syrup is smooth, add in the seasalt.  Set aside to cool.
Method for Cake
1. Lightly grease and flour a 6 cup Bundt pan (I used an 8 cup), toss in the nibbed almonds at the base.
2. Sift the flour with baking powder, set aside.
3. Cream butter and sugar till light, creamy and fluffy.  Add in vanilla.
4. On low speed, mix the caramel in 2 batches (batter will curdle).
5. Fold in sifted flour alternatively with the milk.
6. Pour batter into the prepared pan.  Level the surface.
7. Bake in a preheated oven @ 180 deg C or 45 to 50 mins.  Test with a skewer till it comes out clean.
8. Let cake rest in pan for about 20 mins. before unmoulding onto a wire rack to cool completely.

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Steam Fish with Essence of Chicken

Ginger, young and old be it  sliced, julienned or chopped  is a common ingredient in Chinese cooking.  I used fresh young ginger in this quick and easy dish of mine, simply put, it's Steam Fish with Essence of Chicken.  Ginger pairs well with fish and other seafood as it helps to neutralise the excessively strong fishy flavours and also it adds aroma to the dish.

Recipe for Steam Fish with Essence of Chicken

Ingredients

• 220 gm Garoupa  fillet
• 1 bottle of Chicken Essence
• 1 small knob of young ginger, finely chopped
• 2  tsp fish sauce
• 1/4  tsp sugar
• 2  tsp garlic oil
• A red chilli and spring onion to garnish
• A bit of seasalt to season
• Dash of pepper

Method

1. Wash and pat dry the fish fillet, place on a plate, and season with a bit of seasalt and a dash of pepper.
2. Combine the chicken essence, fish sauce, sugar and chopped ginger.
3. Drizzle the sauce onto the fish fillet.
4. Steam on high heat for 5 mins.
5. Drizzle on some garlic oil and garnish with spring onions and red chilli.
6. Serve immediately.

Linking this post to  Little Thumbs Up event  organised by  Zoe of  Bake for Happy Kids  and
Doreen of   my little favourite DIY   and hosted by  Alvin of Chef and Sommelier

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Dilmah Cranberry and Apricot Friands

This is another French 'tea cake' with Dilmah tea .... Dilmah Cranberry and Apricot Friands.  These little cuppies are fruity, light and moist but I couldn't really detect the taste of  tea in them.  They are at their best, served warm with a hot cup of tea.

 

Recipe for Dilmah Cranberry and Apricot Friands

Ingredients

• 4 egg whites
• 115 gm butter, melted
• 60 gm almond meal
• 80 gm icing sugar, sifted
• 50 gm plain flour, sifted
• 60 gm dried cranberries, chopped
• 40 gm dried apricot, chopped
• 1 Dilmah teabag + 60 ml boiling water
• Icing sugar for dusting
Method

1. Add boiling water to the tea bag and let steep for 10 mins.  Set aside.
2. Place egg whites in a large bowl and whisk until frothy.
3. Add melted butter, almond meal, icing sugar and flour.  Stir till well combined.
4. Squeeze the remaining water from the tea bag and remove it.  Add tea and  chopped cranberries and apricots to the batter.  Fold through gently until the tea is  well blended.
5. Divide the mixture into the lightly greased and floured Friand moulds.
6. Bake in a preheated oven @ 180 deg.C for 15 to 20 mins.  till golden brown.  Test with a skewer till it comes out clean.
7. Stand Friands in the moulds for about 5 mins. before unmoulding onto a wire rack to cool.
8. Dust on some icing sugar.  Serve.
9. Yield :  12 Friands

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Slow Cooker Braised Chicken and Feet

Braised chicken feet in black bean sauce is a common sight at Dim Sum restaurants and most of  the time they are pre-fried. Being the lazy me, I just dumped them into the slow cooker together with the chicken, added in some spices and let them mingle together while I attended to my other household chores.  I put the slow cooker on 'high', attended to it some three hours later and after adjusting the taste, it was ready to be served.

Recipe for Slow Cooker Braised Chicken and Chicken Feet

Ingredients

• 300 gm chicken feet
• 400 gm chicken, cut to bite size
• 3 slices ginger
• 8 cloves, garlic, crushed
• 3 dried chillies soaked in water to soften
• 3 star anise
• 4  tsp light soya sauce
• 1  tsp each of dark soya sauce, rock sugar and seasalt
• 2.1/2 cups water
• 2  tsp cornflour + sauce to thicken
Method

1. Season the chicken pieces with some salt, light and dark soya sauce, set aside.
2. Blanch the chicken feet in boiling water for about 10 mins to rid of some oil.  Drain and rinse in running water.
3. In a slow cooker, add in the dried chillies, ginger, crushed garlic and water.  Add in the chicken feet and cook on high for 2 hours.
4. Add chicken  and cook for another hour or more till the chicken feet are soft and the chicken tender.
5. Use some of the sauce to make the cornflour thickening. 
6. Fine tune to taste, dish out onto serving plate.
7. Seve hot with white rice.

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X'tra Good Apple Walnut Bundt Cake

This is a sugar dusted Apple bundt cake with a thin crunchy crust and a moist and nutty inside.  Made  with tart Granny Smith apples, chopped walnuts and a sprinkling of cinnamon, it was very aromatic.  The sweet smell of cinnamon and vanilla lingered in the kitchen for quite a while.

Recipe for X'tra Good Walnut Apple Bundt Cake

Ingredients

• 3 eggs
• 1 cup sunflower/canola oil
• 7 oz soft brown sugar
• 12 oz plain flour
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1  tsp baking soda
• 1  tsp cinnamon
• 1  tsp vanilla
• 1/4  tsp salt
• 2 cups peeled, cored and shredded apples
• 1 cup walnuts, lightly toasted and coarsely chopped
• Icing sugar for decoration (optional)

Method

1. Grease and lightly flour a 10 cup Bundt pan, set aside.
2. Sieve flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.  Stir in the cinnamon.  Set aside.
3. Beat eggs, oil and sugar till light and creamy.
4. Add in the shredded apples to the egg mixture.
5. Fold in the sifted flour.
6. Finally, mix in the chopped walnuts.
7. Bake in a preheated oven at 180 deg.C for about 50 - 60 mins. till golden brown.  Test with a skewer till it comes out clean.
8. Let cool in pan for about 30 mins. before  unmoulding onto a wire rack to cool completely.
9. Lightly dust with some icing sugar before serving.

Incidentally, I am bringing this dish over to a picnic organised by Louise @  Months of Edible Celebrations.   Louise has been hosting this picnic game for many years and this is the first time that I'm going  to this picnic. Each participant will pick an alphabet and make something with the dish name starting with that alphabet and my chosen alphabet is " X" .. X'tra Good Apple Walnut Bundt Cake. As you can see my alphabet is 'X' as I'm rather late in participating.  But thanks to Louise, I managed to squeeze in my dish at the last minute.  The roundup of the picnic game will be on 1st July, 2013 at Louise's blog.

As a rule of the game, I have to list this down.  I'm going for a picnic and I'm bringing :-

A -  Aloo Gobi
B -  Blueberry Cucumber Salsa
C - Crispy Curry Fried Chicken
D - Dying for Chocolate Chocolate Cake
E -  Tina-Eton Mess
F -  Fish in a Jar
G - Golden Pillow Hee Ban
H - Hummingbird Cake
I -  Ice Cream Sandwiches
J - Jersey Hot Dogs - Nee
K - Kahlua Mocha Ice Cream
L - Light and Soft Japanese Cheesecake
M - Ma'moul ~ A traditional Lebanese cookie
N - Nettle Quinoa Tart
O - Oriental Pasta Salad
P - Pan de Mango
Q - Quinoa Pizza Balls
R -  Rainbow Connection Cupcakes
S -  Strawberry Yogurt Ice Cream
T -  Telosma Cordata Eucheuma Jelly
U - U never fail Cheesescake
V - Vanilla & Cream Cheese Pound Cake & Citrus Glaze
W - Watermelon Sorbet
X -  X'tra Good Apple Walnut Bundt Cake

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