Lime and Longan Slush with Pomegranate - Fruit Week #6

It's crazily hot these few days right?
Last year December it was pretty chilly.. well, for Malaysia a night temperature of 22C is considered chilly. And after Chinese New Year, it turned so so so so hot. The sun stings the skin and it's a pain to go out, even in the shade.

Even Lyanne reduced her diaper use, it seems much much dryer now : ( All that she ever drank seem to have evaporated rather than passed out.

This is perfect for this stupid weather. After I downed one shot of this, I felt so much better. My MIL said it was good too.

Lime and Longan Slush with Pomegranate
Recipe source: Wendyywy

200gm ice (lightly crushed before use)
1 Tbsp lime juice
80ml longan syrup (from the can)
1 Tbsp sugar or more (I used 2 Tbsp of homemade sugar syrup cooked using 1:1 volume ratio)

Blitz everything in the blender until fine. Pour into serving glass, top with canned longan flesh and pomegranate

Next,

Seafood Week

I'll be cutting my posting days from Monday to Friday.

Let's make it a 5 day work week now, :p

See you on Monday

Peach Chiffon Slice - Fruit Week #3

I have 2 pieces of canned peach left over from Lydia’s carousel cake (this cake was made in Aug 2010). I don’t feel like eating it just like that.

So, I used it to make this, a sudden idea.
The peach flavor was just so so but texture is very soft, as all chiffons are.
I wonder if fresh peaches will taste the same when used to make this.

Peach Chiffon Slice
Recipe Source: Wendyywy

2 pcs canned peach halves, pureed (about 80gm)
80gm cake flour
20gm sugar
4 egg yolks
50ml corn oil

4 egg whites
50gm sugar
¼ tsp cream of tartar or 1 tsp lemon juice

Buttercream for filling

Method
1. Preheat oven at 160/180C. Fully line a 10 inch shallow square pan or a swiss roll pan
2. Combine egg yolks, 20gm sugar and peach puree. Mix until well combined.
3. Put in flour and combine, then oil and combine.
4. In a clean bowl, beat egg whites until frothy.
5. Put in cream of tartar or lemon juice and continue to beat until soft peak.
6. Gradually add in 50gm sugar and beat until stiff
7. Fold ¼ of egg whites into yolk mixture. Repeat with another 1/4 of egg white.
8. Pour (7) into beaten egg whites and fold.
9. Pour batter into prepared pan. Level surface and bake for 30 minutes or until golden and springs back to touch.
10. Leave cake to cool in pan for 5 mins. Remove cake from pan and place on rack. Pull away baking paper from the sides and let cake cool completely on the rack
11. When cake has totally cooled down, cut into half and spread with butter cream. Top with the other half and slice to serve.

The peaches I used here as props weren't used to make the cake. They tasted YUCKS!!! They were peaches from China and I so so so so so regretted buying them. They totally didn't taste sweet and there is no fragrance at all. Maybe they were very very under ripe when they were picked for export. I don't know and I don't want to know. This is my first and last purchase ever. But somehow, China's nectarines are fine and fragrant. It's just the peaches. Ignore them if you ever see them.

Longan Tofu

Days are hot now!!! Why not cool down a bit with some longan tofu.. Why isn't this called Longan Soybean Jelly?? Well, it's because the texture is as soft as tofu. Soft, slippery, destructs at the slightest pressure in the mouth.

I learnt to make this after eating some at my friend, Alyssa's home. Her mom made this from scratch,.... as in extracting the soy milk from the beans to the end product. I did it that way too.... 15 years ago. And wringing the milk from the finely blended soy beans is so tedious that it tore the skin of my palms, my brother's palms and my mother's palms.. Why so, cos we had to hold on so tight to the slippery muslin bag, and when u wring it with such strength, it just tore our skins.. just like what happens in a tug of war.

I changed the recipe a bit from what I was taught. I prefer the milk less pronounced and the texture to be softer, almost like tofufah. Now, I just use bought soy milk.. no more soaking, blending and wringing. Some tofu sellers sell thick soy milk, or u can buy the hot milk from soy milk hawkers. The iced one is watered down.

1 level Tbsp Agar-agar powder (8gm)

1L water
250gm sugar
2 blades pandan leaf, tied into a knot
1L thick unsweetened soy milk
150ml evaporated milk
150ml canned longan syrup (from the longan can)
Canned longans


****Makes abut 10 cups of tofu


1. Prepare containers / jelly cups. Place 2 longans or more into each container.
2. Cook sugar, 750ml water and pandan leaf until water boils.
3. Mix agar-agar powder with 250ml water and pour into (2). Bring to a boil again, simmer for another 2-3 minutes. Turn off heat.

4. Put in soy milk, evaporated milk and longan syrup. Mix well.

5. Pour soy mixture into prepared containers.
6. Let them cool down and set. Chill in fridge before serving.

*** the longans in the pics are put on top for deco. There're longans in the tofu/jelly.

Fruit Ring Cake 水果圈蛋糕

My brothers and I usually celebrate Mother's day late, because on the actual day, eateries are crammed with families celebrating their mothers. We did it yesterday, and I made this cake for my mom.

It's an orange chiffon cake with canned peach, fresh kiwi and strawberries. The fillings consist of the same fruits aranged in the same order.

Mom liked the cake.... well, my mom likes everything I bake for her. She loves all my bakes, just the way she loves all of me.