COCONUT BARS

Looking for something indulgent to satisfy a sweet tooth?  Look what I have baked today, this is what you might need. These homemade Coconut Bars are filled with soft and chewy coconut topping are a sheer delight.

You have an option to add an egg to the dough or go egg free, the choice is yours also for the jam you can choose whatever fruit jam you  love.

You'll know it is done, when the edges and coconut topping  turn slightly brown.  Let cool in the pan before slicing into bars.

These Coconut Bars will bring a smile to the face of whomever you serve them for sure. Enjoy!


COCONUT BARS
Yield  :     16 bars

1.5 cups  plain  flour
125 g melted butter
2 tablespoon sugar
1 egg or 4-5 tablespoon milk
5-6 tablespoon fruit jam

TOPPING
1.5 cup  grated  coconut
1/4 cup sugar
4 tablespoon condensed milk

METHOD

1.  Grease lightly 19 x 29 cm slice pan.  Preheat oven @ 175 C.

2.  Combine topping ingredients, keep aside.

3.  Add sugar, egg or  milk  to melted butter, stir well.

4.  Pour butter mixture over dry ingredients, mix until it forms into soft dough.

5.  Press dough into prepared pan  using  a plastic sheet.

6.  Spread liberally with jam.

7.  Cover base evenly with topping.

8.  Bake until  slightly golden for 20 minutes.

9.  Cool completely in pan.  Cut into squares to serve

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BLACK SESAME SEEDS CORNFLAKES COOKIES

Kids love to bake cookies. Young kids can practice to measure out ingredients used and stirring them. So tag them along when baking, it is a great learning experience and let them understand the basic kitchen rules.

This is a new batch of festive cookies that I baked every year. It has a slight crunch to it and buttery too. In fact they are suitable to be eaten anytime, all year round!

These Black Sesame Seeds Cornflakes Cookies were the first one to disappear from my  cookies collection, my whole family can't stop gobbling these little treats whenever it was laid on the table.

I have made slight adjustment and turned  the recipe  into egg free version.

CAULIFLOWER & PUMPKIN CURRY

To all my Muslim readers, HAVE A BLESSED EID!

Get bored with your stir fry vegetables?  You might just change your mind, when you discover this simple and healthy  Cauliflower & Pumpkin Curry.

This is an easy recipe but make sure you have all the spices on hand before you try this Cauliflower & Pumpkin Curry.  A combination of Indian spices transforms this simple vegetarian dish into a delight for the senses.

Here is my tips for perfect Cauliflower & Pumpkin Curry

1.  If possible cut the vegetables almost the same size and thickness. This to ensure uniform cooking time

2.  Do not add water, the veggies will ooze out water while cooking.  This is sufficient to cook the vegetables

3.  After you cover the pan, stir in between and check for tenderness. Don't overcook, the pumpkin will lose the shape and becomes mushy

EGG FREE FRUIT CAKE

This holiday season why not give this fruit cake a try by whipping one that is egg free and alcohol free. Just follow the simple directions and you'll have the best Egg Free Fruit Cake.

If you're looking for Egg Free Fruit Cake, this recipe is ideal for people who  prefer a lighter version. It's quicker and does not involve soaking of the mixed fruit for days or months but tasted as delicious as the traditional fruit cake.

For those who are allergic to dairy, replace yogurt with  soy milk, unsweetened apple sauce or pureed tofu.

EGG FREE FRUIT CAKE
Serves   :    6-7

1 1/4  cup plain flour
1/4  cup corn flour
1/2 cup melted butter or oil
3/4 cup  fine sugar/powdered sugar
1 1/4 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/8 tsp salt
1 cup yogurt
1/2 cup mixed fruit
2 tablespoon raisin
4  red/green glace cherries  sliced
1 tsp vanilla extract

METHOD

Preheat oven @ 180 C and lightly grease your baking pan.

Beat melted butter with sugar until well mixed.

Whisk together yogurt  and baking soda. You will some bubbles appear on top.  Leave for 5 minutes.

Sift together both flour with baking powder and salt into mixing bowl.

Combine mixed fruit and glace cherries with 2 tsp flour, keep aside.

Now mix together flour mixture with wet ingredients, add the vanilla extract.

Fold  in mixed fruit and glace cherries. Stir to mix.

Pour mixture into prepared pan, bake for 40-50  minutes or until a skewer inserted comes out clean @ 180 C.

Leave in pan for 10 minutes before inverting the cake onto rack to cool.

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CRUNCH DROPS

Do you have friends or family coming to visit? Treat them to some delicious and relatively healthy Crunch Drops  Cookies for dessert. These cookies are made with rolled oat and breakfast cereal (cornflakes). This recipe is very simple and not time consuming to whip up.

These are healthy, fiber packed, indulgent and delicious! Another tip, you must let them sit about 3 minutes in a pan after baking since they tend to break and still very soft before transferring them onto rack to cool. They are crunchy outside but chewy inside, great for morning tea or afternoon snack too.

COCONUT CREAM AGAR / AGAR2 SANTAN

With the temperature rising, it's time for a refreshing dessert. made of agar agar.   This  low calorie agar2 is derived from  natural water soluble fiber with no fat or starch.

Coconut Cream Agar  is simple to prepare and much healthier than the egg and cream type. What you need is to stir the mixture of agar2 powder, sugar and coconut milk until boiling and thicken, pour into your favorite mould and once it comes to room temperature place them in a refrigerator to chill.

Beside coconut milk, you can add canned fruit, corn, cocoa or even fruit juice to the jelly, the choice is endless, just use your imagination to explore this versatile dessert.

ALMOND CHOCOLATE COOKIES

These Almond Chocolate Cookies are deliciously simple to make yet are elegant and tasty dessert.

The dough of these cookies can be prepared in advance, keep refrigerated for use the next day. Substitute your choice of nuts for the almonds if needed.

As we grow older, we tend to be more health conscious and avoid taking overly sweet desserts. This is the reason why I resort to make my own rather than buying the ready made cookies that are way too sweet.

BUBUR SUJI / SEMOLINA KHEER

One of the most popular desserts during Ramadan is this Bubur Suji that was made with semolina, milk and sugar.

It is fairly simple to make  but care should be taken once you've added the semolina to the hot milk. You need to stir constantly to avoid lumps and sticking to the bottom of the pot.

If you're not keen to use the ghee. just dry roast the semolina  until  you get nice aroma also you can bake  the almond  instead of frying.

Bubur Suji is individually served in a small bowl/cup and garnish with raisin and nuts.

It tends to thicken up  as it cools down. No worries, just add some milk or hot water to get the pouring consistency again.

Bubur Suji  can be served either hot or cold.

3 INGREDIENTS OATMEAL COOKIES

Am looking for something healthier for my breakfast/snack  and bumped into various recipes using oatmeal.   That's where this  3  Ingredients Oatmeal Cookies can be a wonderful treat not only for me but for the whole family.

This is darn easy and the last ingredient  is variable according to your preference. The suggested add in are:
raisin/dried fruit, coconut, peanut butter chips or chopped nuts.

I love my cookies to be super cute so have shaped them into 1/2 in  tiny balls but this entirely up to you.

Banana adds sufficient sweetness and moistness to this healthy cookies so we can avoid those fat and sugar from our diet.

3 INGREDIENTS OATMEAL COOKIES
Yield :    18 cookies

1 cup rolled oat
1/2 cup mashed banana (2 banana)
3-4 tablespoon chocolate  rice (sprinkles)

METHOD

1.   Preheat oven @ 180 C and grease your cookie sheet.

2.  Combine oat and mashed banana in a bowl.

3.   Add in chocolate rice (sprinkles), mix to combine.

4.   Pinch mixture into small balls, flatten slightly.

5.  Place cookies onto baking sheet.

6.  Bake until  firm  for 15 minutes.

7.  Cool in pan for 5 minutes, transfer onto rack to cool.

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EGGLESS SEMOLINA CAKE

A fantastic recipe and my family favorite that you can make anytime of the year.  This Eggless Semolina Cake  is a different version of semolina cake that was low in  fat and egg free.

Eggless Semolina Cake  has  a lovely texture that is distinctly different than cakes made with flour. Although it wasn't super soft as a normal cake but it was moist due to the addition of mashed banana.  I will make this again for sure only next time and  will  double this recipe.  I hope others find it delicious too!

Had used canola oil instead of melted butter. If you're allergic to dairy products, soy milk, almond milk or rice milk is a great substitute.

ROTI BOYAN

Roti Boyan (Bawean) is a popular snack made with flaky pastry and stuffed with mashed potato.  It is a sort of cross between a samosa and empanada. It is most probably created by Baweanese  -  they are from an island in East Java, Indonesia.

It is either shaped into round or square, deep or shallow  fried  until crispy and golden. Roti Boyan  is usually found and sold at roadside stalls.

Like most pastry recipes, the quantity of liquid is very important so take care  to add the water gradually until a pliable dough is formed.

Another important factor, heat the oil  to the proper temperature and maintain it throughout the cooking process.   If it is not hot enough, it will soak up extra oil.

If you're  allergic to eggs, simply omit them but sprinkle some water to the mashed potato just to bind them.

Also sprinkle some salt when heating the oil.  I noticed  my Roti Boyan   does not absorb excess  oil.

EASY TOMATO RICE

There  are various ways to cook Tomato Rice either using fresh/canned tomatoes or  tomato puree. Even I have shared  another  recipe  that were differ slightly from one another due to the ingredients/spices used. If you want to check the recipe click here. .

Easy Tomato Rice  is one of my favorite weekend meal. It uses tomato puree instead of fresh tomatoes. Please take note. different brands  of tomato puree produce extra  sour  to this dish. So  use your own  judgement as to how tangy  you want the rice to be.  Am using a concentrated tomato puree of Italian origin  but for other brand, highly recommended to add more than 2 tablespoon.

A blend of tomato puree, onion, garlic and spices are used to create a bed of delicious fluffy rice. Easy Tomato Rice goes well with spicy chicken, lamb or vegetable gravy if you're a  vegetarian.

CHOCOLATE SWIRL BREAD

This Chocolate Swirl Bread surprised my family and friends, it tastes so good. Don't be intimidated by the process of making the yeast bread, it's surprisingly  easy if you follow the basic steps.

If you have to choose a perfect time of the day to eat Chocolate Swirl Bread, it's probably snack time -  time when you come home from school or work and your  mom/wife   prepares  something warm and sweet to revive your fatigued  day.

For smoother spreadable filling, I strongly  suggested that you use icing sugar but this time had used castor sugar  since that was available in my pantry.  If you're pressed for time, opt for ready made chocolate spread for the filling.

BOTTLE GOURD DHAL CURRY

Bottle Gourd or sorakkai (Tamil) or lauki (Hindi) was found in every Indian kitchen. Not only it was inexpensive but easily available in the market.

In fact this Bottle Gourd Dhal Curry is loaded with fiber, vitamin C, zinc, iron and magnesium but low in fat. It is great for treatment of acidity, weight loss and constipation.

The combination of bottle gourd and mung beans produce a delicate and awesome flavor that you can consume it by itself but equally great with steaming hot rice and freshly baked chapati.

PEANUT BUTTER COOKIES

These  Peanut Butter Cookies are perfect dessert that can be prepared ahead of time and kept on hand for surprise guests.

Everyone's favorite cookies gets a double hit of peanut butter. Peanut butter is added to the dough and the balls of cookies are sprinkled with peanut before they are flattened.

Have used only 1/4 cup of brown sugar since I prefer a not so sweet cookies but add more if you want it sweeter.

You  can also omit the cherries by shaping the balls of dough then flatten them using a fork in a crisscross pattern.

PEANUT BUTTER COOKIES
Makes  20 cookies

1/4 cup butter/margarine
1/4-1/2 cup brown  sugar
1/4 tsp baking powder
1 cup plain flour
1/4 cup peanut roughly chopped
red  cherries for decoration

METHOD

Cream butter, peanut butter  and sugar until creamy.

Sift plain flour and baking powder together.  Preheat oven @ 160 C.

Combine dry ingredients and butter mixture.

Shape into small  ball , lightly press a few  peanuts on each cookies.  Place them on baking sheet and dot each cookies with red cherries..

Bake for 15-20 minutes until golden.

Stand on baking sheet for 5 minutes, transfer onto rack to cool.

Store in an airtight container.

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BANANA HONEY CAKE

I've been looking at these poor bananas getting more and more ripe every day for the last week.  Obviously baking banana bread came to my mind. Hmm.. this comforting Banana Honey Cake was the answer to what to do with those  banana.

I have used melted butter but it  can be substituted with vegetable  oil for healthier option. If you're allergic to milk,  soy milk, almond milk or rice milk  can all be     easily  replaced   for dairy  in  most recipes.

Am not keen on dressing up my bakes with frosting but you can go ahead to use your favorite frosting if desired.

In case you have overly ripe banana,  peel  the skin then  wrap in plastic individually, again keep them sealed in a zip lock bag before putting them in a freezer.  If you want to use,  thaw them in your refrigerator overnight.



BANANA HONEY CAKE
Serves :  12

230 g self raising flour
30 g corn flour
1/2  cup  brown sugar
3 medium banana mashed
1/4  tsp salt
1/2 cup oil/melted butter
3/4 cup milk or non dairy milk
2 tablespoon  honey
1 tsp vanilla extract

METHOD

Preheat oven @ 180 C and grease 7 in cake pan.

Sift together self raising flour and corn flour.

Combine mashed banana, sugar, salt, oil, honey and milk.. Whisk until well combined.

Add in banana mixture to the dry ingredients, add in vanilla extract, stir until well incorporated.

Spoon mixture  into prepared pan, bake for  30-40 minutes or until a skewer inserted comes out clean.

Cool in the pan 5 minutes, transfer onto rack to cool.

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KUIH BAKAR KENTANG (BAKED POTATO CAKE)

It is baking  time again in my kitchen. We had this traditional kuih called  Kuih Bakar Kentang (Baked Potato Cake)  a long time ago. This is a simple dessert using coconut milk and mashed potato.

Am using milk but it would be  much tastier if you're using coconut milk.  For smoother and well mixed batter, a blender/food processor  is highly recommended..

Normally Kuih Bakar Kentang (Baked Potato Cake)  uses egg but my version is totally egg free.  You can bake the with or without sesame seeds but  I love the contrast of color it gives.

Make sure to grease the pan generously  to avoid sticking  since there isn't any fat in the recipe. Over all, they are awesome for breakfast or tea time snack.