Apple cheese pie with almond crust

After tried the incorporation of mung bean in a pineapple pie crust last week, now I tried the almonds. I found the recipe in simply recipes. It is said that almond makes a crust pie a truly special one. And it did. This crust was very tender, not tough as my pie crust before. I added vanilla essence and it combined well with the flavour of almond, apple and cheese. I love this unique combination.

Ingredients
Filling:
2 tbs margarine
2 Malang apples (150 gr), peeled and cubed
2 tbs sugar
25 gr cheddar cheese, grated

crust:
16 tbs (225 gr) unsalted butter, cubed, chilled in the freezer for at least 15 mins
2 cups (250 gr) all purpose flour
1/2 cup (50gr) almonds meal
1/2 tsp salt
1 tbs brown sugar (skipped)
( I added 1/s tsp of vanilla)
3 - 6 tbs very cold water

Methods
For complete instruction with food processor please see simply recipes. As I didn't read the recipe carefully (I am really sorry for that) to chill the butter in the freezer, then I could only use fork. Here is what I did:

1. In a small pan, heat the margarine. Add apples and sugar. Stir and cook until the apples wilted. Remove from the heat. Stir in the grated cheese.
2. Combine margarine, flour, almonds meal, and salt until resembles coarse meal. Add water 1 tbs each time until it begins to hold together. Knead briefly so that the dough comes together. Carefully shape the dough into a disc. Wrap it with plastic wrap and refrigerate for about 1 hour.
3. Remove the dough from the refrigerator and let sit at room temperature for about 5 - 10 minutes.  Take a little portion of the dough. Put it between 2 plastic sheets. Roll out with a rolling pin. Cut out circles with a cup for the big pie and with a big pie dish for the small pie.
4. Gently press a circle to a greased pie dish. Prick the bottom with a fork. Bake in the preheated oven 170 C for about 10 minutes.
5. Spoon the fillings into the pie. Decorate the pie anyway you like, top with the dough, lattice, or just leave as it is. Make slits on the top. Brush the top with egg yolk. Bake again for about 35 minutes or until the crust are golden brown and the apples are bubbling.

This pie is my entry for masakbarengyuuk

Source: simplyrecipes and sajiansedap

(Unspicy) Pumpkin flaxseed bread

We can say that pumpkin bread is many people's favourite. We can easily find the recipes in books, magazines and internet. It is easy to make, moist, sweet and full of flavour. 
The first time I baked this bread, I put many spices in it, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and cloves. Hmmm, the aroma filled my home. It was this aroma that make people fall in love with this  bread. When I put that bread on the table, my children came and gathered around waiting for me to cut it. After the first bite, they put back the bread on the plate. Ha??? What happened? Then, I got the answer. Unlike most other people, my children did not like the aroma of the spices. 

That fact did not stop me baking again this beautiful bread. This time I skipped all the spices. I added a bit of vanilla and flaxseed ground for the flavour. It was still delicious. My children eat it without any complaints... ^^...

Ingredients
200 gr all purpose flour
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
200 gr sugar (I used 100 gr palm suiker/gula palem/gula semut)
240 ml pumpkin, steamed and mashed
120 ml olive oil (I used corn oil)
2 eggs, lightly beaten
60 ml water
1/2 tsp nutmeg (skipped)
1/2 tsp cinnamon (skipped)
1/2 tsp allspice (skipped)
1/2 cup (120 ml) chopped walnut (skipped)
I added 1/2 tsp vanilla
I added 2 tbs ground flaxseed

Methods

• Preheat oven 180C. Sift flour, salt, soda. Add sugar and flaxseed. Stir to combine.
• Mix together pumpkin, oil, eggs, water and spices (if using). Then, combine with dry ingredients, but do not overmix. Stir in the nut (if using).
• Pour into well-buttered loaf pan. Bake until done.

Source: http://simplyrecipes.com/recipes/pumpkin_bread/

Pineapple pie with mung bean crust

Who doen't like mini pie? It is sweet and fun to eat. Ground mung bean adds an extra crunchiness to this firm but crumbly pie crust.

Ingredients

For pie crust:

75 gr margarine

25 gr caster sugar

1/8 tsp salt

50 gr peeled mung bean, toasted and finely ground

1/4 tsp baking powder

1 egg yolk

125 gr all purpose flours

For filling:

250 ml milk

40 gr corn flour

30 gr sugar

1/4 tsp salt

75 gr pineapple, grated

75 gr pineapple, cubed 
2 drops yellow food colouring (skipped)

cherries

Methods

For filling: Combine corn flour, sugar, salt, and milk. Mix well. Cook on a low heat, stir constantly until thicken and cooked. Add pineapple. Mix well and stir it until bubbling. Set aside.

To make the crust: Sift the flour, baking powder and salt into a large bowl. 

Add the margarine, sugar, mung bean, and egg. 

Gather the mixture together into a dough. Take a bit of the dough and press it into the greased mini pie pan. 

Prick the bottom of the pie with a fork. Bake until golden brown.

Remove from the oven, set aside to cool. Once completely cool, 

remove the pie from the pan.

Spoon the filling onto the pie. Decorate with red cherries.

Source:

http://www.sajiansedap.com/recipe/detail/8897/pai-kacang-hijau-isi-tape

http://www.sajiansedap.com/recipe/detail/9823/pai-cokelat-nanas-ceri

Klepon labu kuning

It is always fun to eat klepon. Just remember to close your mouth tightly, and feel the sweet palm sugar burst inside it....

Ingredients
150 gr pumpkin, steamed and mashed
120 gr glutinous rice flour
30 gr tapioca flour
Salt
Vanilla
palm sugar, finely chopped, for filling
Freshly grated coconut, mix with salt, for coating

Methods

• In a bowl, combine mashed pumpkin, flour, salt and vanilla. Using your hand mix well and bring them all together to form a soft dough that does not stick to your finger. Add some more flour if the dough is too sticky. Take a small portion of dough, shape it into a ball. Flatten it, put enough palm sugar in the centre. Gather the dough around so that the filling is covered. Roll it again in your palm to form a perfect ball shape. Repeat for all the dough.
• Heat enough water in a pan until it start to boil. Drop the klepon in it. Boil until they float to the surface. Let it cook for 1 - 2 more minutes until well done. Remove them with a slotted spoon, drain well, and roll them in coconut.
• Enjoy!

Onde - onde kentang

I remembered when I lived in Perth I often came to canningvale to buy groceries. There, in Jakarta Asian store, we could find many Indonesian foods, but my eyes always came to this onde-onde. I don't know why, it was sooo tempting to me. At that time, it reminded me of my childhood, my hometown. It's nostalgic. And now, when I am already here, in my hometown, again this onde-onde reminds me of that canningvale market, of Perth. To me, onde-onde is really nostalgic!

Ingredients

The crust:

250 gr glutinous rice flour

50 gr potatoes, steamed and mashed

65 gr caster sugar

1/2 tsp salt

150 ml warm water

oil for frying

sesame seed for coating

The fillings:

150 gr mung bean, soaked overnight, steamed and mashed

125 ml coconut milk

1/2 tsp salt

130 gr sugar

2 pandan leaves

Methods

For the fillings: 

Cook all the ingredients on a low heat. Stir it constantly until it thickens and smooth.
Set aside. Remove the pandan leaves.

For the crust:

Combine the flour, potato, salt, and sugar. Mix well. Gradually pour the water, knead until the dough is smooth and elastic.

Divide the dough 20 gr each. Shape it into a ball.

Flatten the dough. Put enough filling in the centre. Roll it again.

Dip it quickly in water. Coat with sesame seeds.

Fry on slow heat until golden brown.

Source: Tabloid Saji

Eggless pumpkin chocolate cake

This cake had the same story with the one before. It was the result of my experiment of adding 'something' in a chocolate cake. This time that 'thing' is pumpkin.

Ingredients
I used the same recipe as the cake before, only that I used mashed pumpkin instead of banana. And I did not forget the baking powder and baking soda this time...^^...

160 gr flour 
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
65 gr cocoa powder 
50 gr palm suiker (gula semut) 
2 tbs milk powder
1/2 tsp salt
100 ml water
1 tsp vanilla essense
50 ml corn oil
1 cup (240 ml) mashed pumpkin 

Methods:

• Preheat the oven (160C). Butter a baking pan (I used 30 X 10 cm) and dust with a little flour.
• In a bowl, sift the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and baking powder. Add sugar, milk powder and salt. Mix well.
• Pour the mashed pumpkin, water, oil, and vanilla. Mix until just combined using a ballon whisk. Do not overmix.
• Pour the batter into the baking pan. Sprinkle with almond slices.
• Bake until done.

My Notes

This cake turned out so beautiful. The texture was fluffy and moist, I could hardly believe it was eggless and had pumpkin inside it. The colour is less dark than before because I omitted the chocolate paste, but the taste was still chocolatey. The taste of the pumpkin was completely undetectable, my children gobbled it up without knowing that there was pumpkin in it...The sweetness is so mild, I didn't mind with it but 1 or 2 tbs more sugar would be nicer. 

Is it a cake or a brownie?

I had 2 overripe bananas on the table. I was thinking to use it in a cake when, unluckily, I couldn't browse to get the recipe that I wanted. OK then, let's just try to incorporate the bananas in any one of the cake from my own blog. I chose the supermoist eggless chocolate cake.

The original recipe 
Here is the original recipe that I got from mba Hesti's blog. I have already converted the measurement from cup to gram. 


160 gr cup flour 
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
65 gr cocoa powder 
200 gr palm suiker (gula semut) 
1/2 tsp salt
2 tbs full cream milk powder
300 ml cold water 
1 tsp vanilla essense
1/2 tsp mocca or chocolate paste
100 ml sunflower oil
1 tsp vinegar or lemon juice


The update recipe
Then, here is my variation. I added a cup of mashed banana into that original recipe. Banana is known as a perfect substitution for sugar and oil. So, I cut down the sugar into only 50 gr and the oil into 50 ml. I had substituted milk powder and water for milk. But I forgot to stir in the baking powder, baking soda, and vinegar in the batter. Oh my...


1 60 gr flour 
65 gr cocoa powder 
50 gr palm sugar 
1/2 tsp salt
100 ml milk 
1 tsp vanilla essense
1/2 tsp chocolate paste
50 ml sunflower oil
1 cup (240 ml) banana, mashed
chocolate chips for sprinking

Method

• Preheat the oven (160C). Butter a baking pan (I used 30 X 10 cm) and dust with a little flour.
• In a bowl, sift the flour, cocoa powder, and baking powder. Add sugar and salt. Mix well.
• Pour the mashed banana, milk, oil, vanilla, and chocolate paste. Mix until just combined using a ballon whisk. Do not overmix.
• Pour the batter into the baking pan. Sprinkle with chocolate chip.
• Bake until done.

My Note
It is an easy cake, quite quick to make. Without egg, baking powder and baking soda of course this cake almost doesn't rise at all. It is dense but still moist. It kinda looks like a banana brownies...^^... It is pretty tasty though. My bananas taste a bit strong. But the combination of banana and chocolate is really interesting. I will not forget the baking powder and baking soda next time!

Donat tape (Fermented cassava doughnut)

I found the recipe for this tape singkong or fermented cassava donut in ncc-indonesia website. It looked like any other donut, ring-shaped with sugar coating. But I believed that this donut would taste different. Tape singkong never fooled me. It made my cakes taste beautifully unique. And it did the same with this little donut. The flavour of the tape singkong is present but not overwhelming. This donut really is pretty tasty, light and fluffy. Everybody loves it. Thanks NCC!

I made only half of the recipe. I divided all the ingredients into 2. Here is the original recipe with mine is in the brackets:

Ingredients
175 ml cold water (85 ml)
1 egg (1 egg yolk)
200 gr tape singkong, mashed (100 gr)
40 gr margarine (20 gr)
1 tsp salt (1/2 tsp)
400 gr bread flour (200 gr)
100 gr all purpose flour (50 gr)
1/2 tsp baking powder (1/4 tsp)
20 gr milk powder (10 gr)
40 gr sugar (20 gr)
11 gr instant yeast (6 gr)

Methods

• Place The ingredients in the above order into the bread bucket of breadmachine. Select the dough menu and press start. Watch the dough, if it is too wet, sprinkle a bit more all purpose flour. Wait until the machine beeps.
• Remove the dough to a floured table top. Punch the dough. Roll it out. Use a donut cutter to cut it out into rounds. Place them on a floured baking tin. Cover and let them rise until they are doubled in size.
• Fry on medium heat until golden brown. Dust with sugar.

Source: NCC Indonesia