PUMPKIN GALETTE

A galette is a free  form pie, baked on cookie sheet instead of pie pan.  It is so versatile, you could actually filled with any seasonal fruit  or make it savory,  the  possibilities are endless.

Pumpkin Galette is made by rolling out pastry dough into large round. The filling is placed in the center of the pastry. The dough is pulled up around the filling and folded over to create a rustic looking tart.

My crust was hand made but it could also be made using a food processor. Another thing, if you are pressed for time, you can always buy ready made crust from your supermarket.

A really good tasting galette  -  the pastry must be light and the filling must not be too overly sweet. Try this Pumpkin Galette and you will see that sometimes simple is indeed the best.

KUIH SAGO / SAGO CAKE GLUTEN FREE

Most South East Asian cakes or kuih as we call it are bite sized dessert or snack,   mostly made with rice flour, glutinous rice flour, sago, tapioca flour or mung bean flour. They are usually steamed than baked or fried.

Kuih Sago is a traditional Asian dessert that was chewy in texture, made of pearl sago. I chose a different method to prepare  instead of steaming it. My cooking style requires constant stirring until the sago turns translucent  after adding them  to the sugar syrup. After cooking it was leave to cool until set. When completely cool, they are sliced and rolled in grated coconut.

Most desserts made with coconut will turn rancid  really  fast so it must be consumed on the same day other wise stored them in a refrigerator.  A jar with resealable lid works perfect to keep shredded coconut fresh and handy  in a fridge.

CHOCOLATE FUDGE SLICE

Who can resist Chocolate Fudge Slice? This recipe was foolproof and pretty darn simple - just basic ingredients and egg free. It's better than any fudge I've ever tried.

I used 11 x 7 in rectangle pan, lightly buttered. The Chocolate Fudge Slice was easy to cut and remove from the pan. It's chocolatey and sweet enough to satisfy my cravings.

Meanwhile, a lot of vegetarian cookery books rely heavily  on eggs, especially for cakes, pastries and pudding. These recipes can be replaced  and the following should provide some ideas.

Eggs are used to bind a dish, when whipped, may  also incorporate air  making a cake very light. Many recipes can be adapted using one of the suggestions below.

Instead of one egg, you can use::

1 medium  mashed banana
1/4 cup apple sauce or pureed fruit  (avocado, pumpkin, squash)
1 tablespoon ground  flax seed + 3 tablespoon of warm water. Let stand 5 minute before using
1/4 cup pureed tofu

COCONUT CAKE

In the weekend, I set aside some personal time and baked this Coconut Cake. It is egg free recipe and truly fabulous. It is moist and smells so good loaded with shredded coconut.

In case  you  have self rising flour in hand, you can use it but omit the baking soda and baking powder also you can add an egg, lightly beaten  if you're not a fan of banana.

My sons took a bite and declared this Coconut Cake as  our delightful  new favorite.

There is no reason why you're not baking this cake. It is super easy, all you need was to throw the dry ingredients in a mixing bowl, mix well then  fold  in mashed banana, milk and vanilla extract. Stir to combine and  pour into prepared pan and it is ready to be baked in a preheated  oven for 20-25 minutes.

SPICED COOKIES

For most of my friends, cookies were served  during festivals  (Eid,  Lunar New Year or Christmas) but not in my household. We are serving them regularly as our tea time treat.

I  recently bake these Spiced Cookies  and my family raved about them because they are unusual and delicious.  However this cookies is my to go. Simple, easy and loaded with warm spices.

Would  definitely prefer to bake in a smaller portion to maintain freshness but you can easily double up the quantity if needed.  I also make use of orange colored sugar  instead of white one.

To speed up the process, you can leave the butter on your counter  for few hours prior to baking or else use your microwave oven to soften it a little.

Another combination of spices could be added to the dough are nutmeg, cinnamon or mixed spices.