Cranberry Oat Biscotti

     Today I decided to bake something that I used to bake when I was in Singapore: biscotti. I think it has been almost 2 years since I have baked biscotti. Biscotti is a twice-baked biscuit that originated in Italy. It's lesser known name is cantuccini. There is also a Jewish version of this called mandelbrodt. While biscotti is often made with many variations such as pistachio, aniseed, almond & chocolate, mandelbrodt is traditionally made with almonds (because 'mandel' means almond in Yiddish). 

     Biscotti is easy to make but it does require more time because of the slicing and double-baking. It is certainly so easy that it makes no sense to pay something like $2 for a piece of biscotto (singular form of the word) in a cafe. I reckon you can make the entire biscotti recipe below with $2. And you will get 48 pieces for that! AND my biscotti are low in fat. They are definitely suitable for people who like a cookie with their coffee but want to watch what they eat. Each biscotti is a very reasonable 52 calories. I will provide the full nutritional values after the recipe.

       I added a little wholewheat flour and some of Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf's White Chocolate Powder because I have a jar of it at home that will expire soon. You can choose to leave this out or substitute with powdered milk and sugar. The most difficult part is forming the batter into log-shapes. I halved the recipe when I made it, so feel free to do so BUT you will have to deal with weird amounts like 1½ egg!

You CAN bake these

Cranberry Oat Biscotti

makes 48 pieces

2 cup plain flour

1/2 cup wholewheat flour

1/2 oats (rolled or quick)

1/2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp salt

1 tsp ground cinnamon

1/2 tsp ground cardamom (substitute with cinnamon)

3/4 cup white sugar

3 eggs 

1 tsp vanilla extract

4 TBSP white chocolate powder (optional)

or 

4 TBSP powdered milk + 2 tsp sugar

100g dried cranberries

1. Preheat oven to 175°C. Line a big baking sheet with greased baking paper.

2. Whisk flours, oats, baking powder/soda, salt and spices together in a bowl.

3. In a medium bowl, whisk the eggs and sugar for 2 minutes until smooth and light.

4. Add vanilla extract and white chocolate powder to the egg mixture and whisk to combine.

5. Now add the flour mixture to the egg mixture and stir until well-combined. Stir in the cranberries.

*The mixture will be a thick batter, not a dough.

6. Drop ¼ of the batter by large spoonfuls side-by-side onto the baking sheet, then use a spatula and spoon to form into a log shape. Repeat with the remaining batter. You should have four logs, making sure there is enough room to accommodate for spreading

Make sure there is enough space for spreading.

7. Bake in the preheated oven for about 15 minutes, until the logs are lightly browned.

8. Remove from the oven and leave to cool for about 25 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 150°C

9. Using a serrated knife, slice the logs into halves first then slice each half into 1/2 inch-thick slices.

*Some people say don't use a sawing motion to slice, but I did.

Sliced and ready for second round of baking

10. Lay the sliced pieces on their sides in a single layer on baking sheet

11. Bake in the oven for 12 to 15 minutes, then remove from the oven.

12. Flip the slices over and bake again for about 10 minutes.

13. Remove from oven and leave to cool.

Your biscotti is now ready to enjoy with your coffee as a healthy alternative to a cookie!

Nutritional values per biscotto:

52 calories

Fat 0.6g, Saturated fat 0.3g, Carbohydrates 10.9g, Sugars 5.2g,

Fiber 0.4g, Protein1.2g

Oatmeal Chocolate Chunk Muffins

     So what do you do when a bad dream awakens you at 5:30am and you have a bar of dark chocolate that's not very nice for eating on its own? Me...I bake. I've recently returned from a vacation in Spain and bought a bar of sugar-free dark chocolate to take home with me. Something about that chocolate made me put it down when I started eating it, and that doesn't happen very often. However, it wasn't so bad that it had to go in the bin right away. I decided I could use it for baking. However, if you are making this recipe at home, regular dark chocolate would be perfect.
   
     The Spanish seem to have some sort of love-affair with sugar-free chocolate. The most prominent Spanish chocolatier Valor sells sugar-free versions of many of its chocolate. Even Nestle, which doesn't make very nice chocolate in my opinion, rolls out its own sugar-free milk chocolate in Spain. 

Furthermore, the sugar-free chocolate is always kept on the supermarket shelves right next to the regular chocolates, not in a separate aisle or shelf for special dietary needs like in most other countries.

     So anyway, having been awoken from my sleep, I did a quick search for recipes. I knew I wanted to bake something that would use that sugar-free chocolate up and I knew I wanted to add oats in it too. I found recipes for oatmeal cakes, oatmeal cookies and the like. I didn't have butter on hand, so cookies were out of the question. I ended up basing my muffins on a  recipe for chocolate chip muffins which I tried a month ago. I adapted it to suit myself and it worked out well.

     The oatmeal gives the muffins a nice 'bite' and a crispy top. The addition of cinnamon complements the oatmeal nicely. On hindsight, some desiccated coconut would have given the muffins a more irresistible allure. In future, I will add 2 tablespoons of desiccated coconut to the batter. This is a simple recipe that is quick to make, especially if you use chocolate chips.

Oatmeal Chocolate Chunk Muffins

makes 12 regular or 16 smaller muffins

175g plain flour

75g rolled oats

110g caster sugar

3 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

85ml vegetable oil (1/3 cup plus 2 tsps)

180ml milk (approx 3/4 cup)

1 large egg

85g dark chocolate, chopped into small chunks

(or semisweet chocolate chips)

2 TBSP desiccated coconut (optional)

1. Preheat oven to 180°C. Grease the bottoms of 12 muffin cases.

2. Put all dry ingredients except chocolate & coconut in a medium-sized bowl and whisk to combine.

3. In a smaller bowl, combine all the wet ingredients

4. Make a well in the middle of the dry ingredients and pour in the wet ingredients

5. Whisk the batter till well-mixed

6. Finally, reserve a small handful of the chocolate then stir the remaining chocolate and coconut (if using) into the batter.

7. Fill each muffin case 2/3 full and scatter some chocolate chunks on the top.

8. Bake 12 to 15 minutes, until golden brown. 

Don't overbake or the muffins will become a little tough.

LEAVE TO COOL FOR AT LEAST 15 MINUTES THEN DEVOUR!

Chocolate Glaze

     As promised, here is a recipe for an easy chocolate glaze that you can use on cakes and brownies. It can hardly be called a recipe since it requires only two ingredients. But here you go anyway:

Chocolate Glaze

40g dark chocolate

1 TBSP butter/margarine

flavourings* (optional)

makes enough to cover a small 6-inch cake

1. Chop the chocolate into small pieces and place in a microwave-safe bowl.

2. Microwave on medium power for 30 seconds.

3. Add the butter to the chocolate and microwave for another 30 seconds.

4. Stir the chocolate-butter mixture to check the consistency.

5. Continue microwaving in 15 second bursts until the mixture is a creamy consistency.

6. Add flavourings* of choice and stir well.

7. Using a spatula, spread onto cake/brownie.

8. Put the cake/brownie in the fridge to set for at least 2 hours.

* ½ teaspoon of any extract (vanilla, peppermint, almond...) 

OR

1 tsp grated orange rind

OR

1 tsp liquer

My go-to Chocolate Cake

    I can't believe I've not posted the recipe for this chocolate cake. I have made it 3 times in the past 2 months and it has always turned out perfectly. It even evokes "Mmmmms" and "Ahhhhhs" from my normally quiet husband. He reserves some space in his tummy for this cake whenever I bake it. That is how good it is.

Pictured with chocolate glaze

(recipe)

     I have just finished assembling a birthday cake for someone. It's a chocolate cake with vanilla custard filling and with chocolate ganache on the top. For the cake, I used this recipe which I can now follow without having to look at any instructions. I took the opportunity to take shots of the process, but please do pardon the fact that the shots are not the greatest.
      Without further ado, I present my favourite chocolate cake recipe to you. If you want a cake that is moist, chocolatey, but not too sweet, this is for you. This recipe baked quite a lot of cake, but it is easily halved. I have halved the recipe on two occasions to bake a smaller cake for just my husband and I.

Go-to Chocolate Cake

makes 2 8-inch cakes or one thick 9-inch cake

225g plain flour

350g caster sugar

80g cocoa powder

1½ tsp baking powder 

1½ tsp bicarbonate of soda (baking soda)

2 eggs

250ml milk
125ml vegetable oil

2 tsp vanilla extract

250ml boiling water

1. Preheat oven to 175°C. Grease and line 2 round 8-inch cake pans.

2. Place all the dry ingredients in a large bowl and whisk gently to combine.

3. Using an electric mixer or whisk, mix in the eggs, milk, oil and vanilla extract till well combined.

4. Add the boiling water to the batter, a little at a time, and mix well after each addition.

5. The batter will be very runny at this point, but don't worry.

6. Divide the batter evenly between the cake pans.

7. Bake in the preheated oven for 25 minutes, then remove the partially baked cakes from the oven.

8. Cover the cake pans loosely with aluminum foil (to prevent the top from burning) and return to the oven for another 15 to 20 minutes.

9. After 15 minutes, insert a skewer in the middle of the cakes to check if they are fully baked. The skewer should come out with a few crumbs on it. If the skewer comes out with batter on it, return the cakes to the oven then check the cakes with the skewer every 5 minutes.

10. When fully baked, remove the cakes from the oven and leave to cool in the pans for 10 minutes.

11. Invert the cakes onto a cooling rack and leave till completely cooled.

You can now proceed to make whatever cake filling you like and use the filling to sandwich the two cakes together. If you baked a big, thick cake, slice it through the middle with a big serrated knife to split the cake into two layers. 

Or have the cake on its own without any filling. I like it better without any filling, but with a chocolate coated topping (Chocolate Glaze recipe).

Potato Pie Crust

     Potatoes were once shunned by dieters trying to reduce their carbohydrate intake. However, not all carbohydrates are created equally and potatoes are an excellent choice with many nutrients and a high-satiety value. Don't believe me? Check this link out.
          Did you know that you can use mashed potatoes to make a healthy pie crust? I came across a recipe for a potato crust when I was looking for something healthy to use as a base for a quiche. 'Quiche' in my home is usually more like a baked omelette- no crust, no cream, and with cottage cheese to increase the protein content. But I had some leftover cream in my fridge from when I made a birthday cake for a friend. So I thought I'd make a 'proper' quiche with a crust for once. I wanted to lighten up the quiche by having a healthier crust instead of shortcrust pastry. So I tried a mashed potato crust and it turned out well!
       I have since used this potato crust for savoury pies topped with puff pastry (less sinful when potatoes are used as a base, instead of more puff pastry) and have always gotten good results. Try it out sometime if you need a healthy pie crust. A bonus is that it is so much easier to whip up than to make a shortcrust pastry!

Healthy pie crust, anyone?

Potato Pie Crust

makes enough for one pie crust

250g potatoes, skinned and cut into chunks

1 tsp margarine

Cooking/baking spray

1. Preheat oven to 180°C. Grease one big pie dish or two small pie dishes.

2. Boil the potatoes in cold water till fork-tender.

3. Drain the boiled potatoes and mash well.

4. Add the margarine and stir through.

5. Spoon 1/3 of the mashed potato into the pie dish. Using wet fingers, press the potato to form a thin layer on the bottom of the pie dish.

6. To form the crust up the sides of the pie dish, press the mashed potato upwards from the bottom edge of the pie dish with wet fingers.

7. Spray lightly with cooking spray and bake in the preheated oven until the edges of the crust are lightly browned. 

8. Let the crust cool before adding pie pilling, then bake pie following the normal baking instructions.

     The reason I say to use wet fingers is that it prevents a lot of the mashed potato from sticking to your fingers. The starch from the potatoes is rather sticky and I find that working with wet fingers helps a lot. You might end up with some leftover mashed potato. I had some leftover and gave it to my dog, who enjoyed it!

Ham, leek & mushroom filo pie

     Dinner this evening was a homemade pie. I had some filo pastry in the freezer so I decided to use that instead of potatoes to top the pie. The sauce was made with my usual shortcut white sauce. Look for my 'No-fail, Low-fat White Sauce' recipe
     Filo pastry is a good alternative to shortcrust or puff pastry, if you are concerned with the fat content in your food. It is also versatile in the sense that it can be used for sweet or savoury dishes such as apple strudel, baked chocolate parcels, spring rolls and so on. So if you like filo pastry, be assured that you can store it in the freezer, as long as the sheets of pastry are separated so that you can remove what you need from the freezer. To use frozen filo, simply thaw the frozen pastry in your refrigerator for a few hours.
      I'm not a big fan of filo because it can be so brittle and, hence, tedious to work with. It's good on a pie when you don't need it to look pretty. But for things like samosas, torn filo pastry can be a pain to work with.

My pie bubbled over while baking

Ham, Leek & Mushroom filo pie

makes one 9-inch pie OR 2 smaller individual pies

1 tsp vegetable oil

400g cooked chopped ham

1 cup sliced mushrooms (or more)

250g leeks, sliced thinly

2/3 cup grated carrot, optional

(just to add more nutrition)

1 quantity of my 'No-fail, Low-fat White Sauce'

1/2 tsp dried thyme

salt & pepper

4 or 5 sheets filo pastry

1 TBSP butter/margarine, melted

1. Preheat oven to 180°C. Prepare white sauce.

2.  Heat the oil in a non-stick pan.

3. When oil is hot, add the leeks and mushrooms and sauté till the mushrooms are browned.

4. Add the carrot and ham to the pan and sauté for another 2 minutes.

5. Stir the white sauce and thyme into the pan of sautéed ham & vegetables. 

6. Bring the pan to a simmer then turn off the heat. 

7. Check seasonings, add salt and pepper if necessary. I usually use a lot of pepper.

8. Pour the pie filling into your pie dish/dishes. 

9. Get your melted butter ready and lay one layer of filo pastry on the pie filling. You can tear or scrunch the pastry up to make it fit the pie dish.

10. Using a pastry brush, brush butter on the pastry.

11. Repeat the pastry and butter layers until all your pastry is used up.

12. Bake in the preheated oven for 20 to 25 minutes or until the pastry is golden brown.

13. Leave to sit for 10 minutes (just so that the pie isn't too hot) then serve!

Voila!

I made 2 individual pies because I like having a WHOLE pie

     Lately, I've been making individual pies instead of one bigger pie.  I use a small oven-safe dish (about 20cm diameter) for myself and a slightly bigger Pyrex dish for my husband. I like having my own pie to eat at my own pace. Enjoy your pie!!

No-fail low-fat white sauce

      White sauce....also known as béchamel sauce. It is a versatile sauce that every cook should know because it can be used in a multitude of recipes. It can be used for lasagnes, pastas, pies and for mac & cheese. Normally, you make roux using butter and flour to act as a thickener for the scalded milk. The roux should be equal proportions of plain flour and butter by weight. Normally you would melt the butter in a pan without letting it brown then mix in the flour till you get a paste. Then you would whisk milk into the flour paste.
      I used to be alright at making a white sauce, until I moved to the Netherlands. For some bizarre reason, I could never get a traditional white sauce right again. It always turned out lumpy, runny or just plain gross. Maybe it's the flour here. Maybe I never used the right amount of butter. Maybe it was just me. I got tired of trying. Then I discovered a different way to make a white sauce which, although thinner on flavour, is a lot quicker and never fails me.
   
      This method uses no butter at all and cornflour. It is lower in fat than a traditional béchamel sauce recipe (and maybe even gluten free)! No butter needed!
       This sauce can be used for lasagnes, mac & cheese, as a base for a lovely mushroom sauce, as a savoury pie filling etc....

Easy white sauce

makes a little less than 2 cups of sauce

2 cups semi-skimmed milk

1 bay leaf

1/8 stock cube

1 heaped TBSP cornflour

salt & pepper

1. Put the milk into a saucepan. 

2. Take out 2 tablespoons of the milk and put in a small bowl/ramekin.

3. Add the bay leaf to the milk in the saucepan and heat over a low flame.

4. Mix the cornflour into the remaining milk in the small bowl and mix to form a thin paste.

5. When the milk in the saucepan is hot, add the stock cube and stir to dissolve. 

6. Just when the milk starts to boil, remove the bay leaf and pour in the cornflour mixture.

7. Stir gently. Soon the sauce should start to bubble up and thicken. Reduce the heat and simmer the sauce for 1 minute. 

*If the sauce is too thin for your liking, dissolve another 1/2 TBSP cornflour in 1/2 TBSP of room-temperature water and stir into the sauce. Let the sauce simmer for 1 minute.

9. Add salt/pepper and that's it! Done!

Cheese sauce

1 quantity white sauce

1/2 to 1 cup grated cheese

a little mustard powder (optional)

1. Simply stir the grated cheese and mustard powder into the sauce while it is simmering for the last 1 minute.

*Use more or less cheese, if that's what you like.

Shortbread

      Today, let's focus on shortbread. Yes, those hellishly delicious biscuits that crumble when you bite them then melt in your mouth. It's a dangerous combination; crumbly and melt-in-your-mouth. It makes shortbread a more-ish disaster for anyone trying to watch his/her waistline. What makes them hellish is that they are so high in fat since they are made with butter, butter, and more butter.
      For the uninitiated who are wondering what the difference between shortbread and shortcake is, here's what Wikipedia has to say: Shortbread is different from shortcake, which can be similar to shortbread, but which can be made using vegetable fat instead of butter and always uses a chemical leavening agent such as baking powder, which gives it a different texture.
      When my husband had to go to the UK for work several months ago, I asked him to buy some shortbread and gingersnaps for me. That sweet man bought back 3 packs of each. I scoffed a pack of the shortbread in 2 days and had to keep the rest in my cellar.

Just a supermarket house-brand, but these are good anyway

       Last night, I opened the last pack of shortbread. I ungracefully took two pieces out of the packet, put them on a piece of tissue to catch the crumbs and plopped my bum on the sofa to savour the buttery delight. Then I went back for another 2 pieces, enjoyed them, and felt guilty. Oh well.
   
This all reminded me of when I baked shortbread earlier in the year. They turned out alright, but I learned a lesson from that baking experience. That is why I am posting this recipe with my two-cents' worth, so that you can learn from my mistake.
     The mistake I made was to use cheap butter for the shortbread. I had only been in the Netherlands for a few months then and was just learning to familiarise myself with certain words. What I didn't realise was that the 'butter' I bought was made with a percentage of vegetable oil. So while my shortbread tasted nice on the first day that they were baked, they tasted a little stale the next day. There was no fault with the recipe, only with my ingredient. Some of my biscuits also turned out over baked because they were not all of the same thickness. But I shall share a picture of them anyway.

     So people, use real good-quality unsalted butter to make shortbread. Anything less than that and you're just wasting your time. Try to make your unbaked shortbread of even thickness and size, and watch them while they bake.
   
     In the recipe provided here, you will see that cornflour is used. Some people use cornflour or rice flour in shortbread to give a lighter and more crumbly texture. I can say that this is a good idea and it works. Give it a try. And remember, use good butter!

http://britishfood.about.com/od/scottishregionalrecipes/r/Shortbread.htm
   

Chicken Jalfrezi for two

     I cook dinner on most days. Some days I just can't think of what to cook and some days I just don't want to cook. I have gotten better in cooking over the past year. My repertoire of food that I cook well include a variety of dishes now. I have become adept at cooking for two. So here's an easy, healthy curry that feeds two:

Chicken Jalfrezi

serves 2

 Approx 270kcals per portion without oil

200g chicken breast, diced

1/4 tsp cayenne pepper/chilli powder

1 tsp ground turmeric

1/4 tsp salt

1 tsp ground ginger

1 1/2 tsp ground cumin

1 1/2 tsp ground coriander seeds

1/2 tsp garam masala

1/4 tsp cayenne pepper/chilli powder (or more if you like)

1 TBSP vegetable oil (or cooking spray)

1/2 cup onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

300g tomatoes, chopped (fresh or canned)

1 cup green capsicum, diced

1/4 cup water

salt, as required

1 tsp butter

1 tsp lemon juice

1. Combine the first 4 ingredients in a bowl and stir well to coat the chicken. Marinate for at least 15 minutes.

2. Combine the next 5 ingredients (the spices) in a small bowl/dish.

3. Heat the oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add the onions and stir. After 2 minutes, add the minced garlic.

4. Cook the onions and garlic until softened, about 4 minutes. Don't let the garlic burn!

5. Add the marinated chicken to the pan and cook until lightly browned.

6. Now add the tomatoes and spices and cook for 5 minutes.

7. Add 1/8 cup of water to the pan, bring the pan to the boil, then cover and reduce the heat to low.

8. After 10 minutes, check on the curry and add more water if it looks too dry.

9. Add the capsicum to the pan then cover and leave to cook for a further 10 minutes.

10. Lift the lid and savour the aroma of your curry. Give it a taste taste and add some salt if required.

11. Turn off the heat then stir in the butter and lemon juice.

Serve with rice, naan, chapati or whatever floats your boat!

Dangerous Cocoa Fudge Brownies

    I have never been known for being lady-like or for having anything less than a potty mouth on me. So I shall go ahead and exclaim in the most unladylike manner: "I did it! I f***ing did it!" The 'it' that I am referring to is my quest to make a fudge brownie using only cocoa powder and no actual chocolate. A search on the Internet will show you that most fudge brownie recipes use semisweet/dark chocolate for the texture and flavour.

Made using ingredients you probably already have at home

      This is the first time that I have baked two brownies in one week. Surprisingly I have not received any complaints from my husband, who does not have a very sweet tooth. Having said that, he liked the previous brownies so much that he had 3 pieces in one night. As for this brownie, we had 2 pieces each. He liked those brownies better because he "likes frosting on his brownie". Pfft! What does he know!! Anyway, it should not be any wonder if both of us gain a few kilos in the next month.

     

       I woke up early one morning and was still thinking of finding the perfect recipe for fudgy brownies. I told the husband that I could try a recipe I've just seen but maybe he doesn't want more brownies in the house? No. He said "Go for it!" So I did, and I am glad for it.

      I think that I am entitled to changing the name of this recipe because I made alterations to it. I hardly ever follow recipes to the T. I have chosen to name this 'dangerous' because they really are. These brownies have a shiny, sticky skin and definitely leave no room for arguments about whether it is a cake or a brownie. They are soft, chewy and dense. They are perfect!

      

     The original recipe can be found here. Like I said, I altered the recipe. It was mostly because I had to, not so much that I wanted to make changes to the recipe. I did not have enough butter and cocoa powder at home so I improvised with the margarine I use on my bread. Please use the full quantity of butter of you have it at home. My recipe is as follows:

Dangerous Cocoa Fudge Brownies

makes 12 pieces (or more if you cut them smaller)

140g unsalted butter/margarine 
*(I used 110g butter and 40g Becel Light Margarine)
1 cup plus 1 TBSP caster sugar (approx. 215g)
(add another TBSP if you like sweeter brownies)
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder (approx. 89g)
1 tsp instant espresso powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
2 large eggs, cold
1/2 cup plain flour, sifted (66g)

1. Preheat oven to 170°C. Grease and line a 8x8inch (or slightly smaller) square baking pan with baking paper or foil, leaving some overhang on the sides.
2. Heat some water in a small pot till simmering. Combine sifted flour and baking powder.
3. Put the butter, sugar and cocoa powder in a heatproof bowl. Put the bowl over the pot of simmering water (bain marie) and stir the contents periodically with a spoon until melted together smoothly. 
4. Take the bowl off the heat and in the espresso powder and vanilla. 
5. Put aside to cool until you can dip your little finger into the mixture for 2 seconds without burning it.

6. Now add one egg into the mixture and stir until well mixed. Repeat with the second egg.
7. Using a rubber spatula, fold in the flour in 3 batches until your mixture is smooth.
* I refused to whisk or beat the mixture at any point because I wanted as little air in it as possible.
8. Pour the mixture evenly into the baking pan and put into preheated oven.
9. Bake 20 to 25 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the centre comes out with a little batter clinging to it. This took 20 minutes for me. 
10. Leave to cool in the pan for 15 minutes then lift the brownie out by the overhang and put in the fridge to chill. When cold, cut into pieces.

You don't want the edges to be hard or burnt so watch the oven carefully. The brownie should look shiny and not be wobbly when you shake the pan.

Voila!