Post by SeaDragon on Dec 17, 2017 9:07:41 GMT 10
Bake and merry
By Amy Beh (circa 1995)
Christmas would not be Christmas without the baking and good tidings around the home. Be merry and have a wonderful Christmas with these great recipes. Happy cooking and "Merry Christmas" from me to you.
MIDNIGHT CHRISTMAS CHOCOLATE CAKE
Ingredients:
(A):
225g butter
375g soft brown sugar
(B):
4 eggs
(C) mix well in a small bowl:
1 tsp vanilla essence
1 tsp good-quality instant coffee
1 tbsp hot water
1 tsp coffee paste
1/4 tsp brandy essence
(D) sift together:
250g flour
8Og pure cocoa powder
1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
(E):
1 tin reduced cream mixed with UHT milk (plain) to make up 325ml
Topping:
100ml whipping cream
75g fresh cream
maraschino cherries
Method:
Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time. Mix in essence gradually and continue to cream.
Fold in sifted dry ingredients alternately with liquid portion (E). Pour the blended mixture into a well-greased tin.
Bake at 170°C for 60-70 minutes or until it is cooked through when tested with a skewer. Cut the cake into small squares.
Whip the cream until stiff and pipe rosettes on the cake squares and top up with a maraschino cherry before serving.
CHRISTMAS PEACH PIE
Ingredients:
Pie shell:
325g plain flour
3/4 tsp salt
125g cold butter, diced
25g cold shortening, diced
5-6 tbsp (approximately) ice-cold water
Filling:
1 can peach halves -- 500g drained weight -- wash off syrup and drain well
Mix together:
1 tsp ground cinnamon
35g sugar
2 egg yolks
250ml sour cream
Glaze:
Beat well together:
1 egg yolk
1 tbsp water a pinch of salt
Method:
Pie shell:
Sift the flour and salt into a bowl and rub in the butter and shortening until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs. Stir in enough water to make a firm dough.
Knead lightly until smooth and wrap in clingfilm and chill for 30 minutes.
Roll out the pastry on a floured surface and use it to line a 20cm loose-bottom flan tin. Chill for 30 minutes, then bake "blind" in a preheated moderately hot oven, 200°C for 20 minutes.
Filling:
Arrange the peach halves in the pie case. Sprinkle the mixed cinnamon-sugar over the fruit.
Beat the egg yolks and sour cream together and pour over the peaches. Bake in a preheated oven of 200 degrees C for about 20 minutes. Leave in the tin to cool slightly.
Roll out remaining pastry dough to 2.5mm thick. Cut out leaf shapes and rose petals. Mark veins with a knife on the leaves. Cut a round piece enough to cover the entire pie. Assemble the leaves around the pie and make a rose with the petals. Place the rose at one corner of the pie. Brush with glaze.
Preheat oven to 200°C and bake the pie for 30 minutes or until done.
COCONUT CHRISTMAS TREE COOKIES
Ingredients:
120g butter
100g sugar
1 whole egg
1/2 egg yolk
1 tsp vanilla essence
Sift these ingredients:
200g self-raising flour
30g custard powder
1/2 cup desiccated coconut
Glaze:
1 egg white, beaten lightly
Method:
Cream butter and sugar together with vanilla essence until light and fluffy. Add the egg and egg yolk and continue to cream well.
Add the sifted flour and stir in the desiccated coconut and mix well.
Roll out dough in between two plastic sheets and cut out Christmas tree shapes. Brush with beaten egg white and sprinkle lightly with desiccated coconut and dot with silver dragees on the tips of the Christmas tree-shaped cookies.
Bake in a preheated oven of 180°C for 12-15 minutes or until golden brown.
SPICED SESAME CHEESE STARS
Ingredients:
100g margarine
75g grated cheddar cheese
half of a beaten egg
Sift:
175g flour
50g rice flour
1 tsp curry powder
1/4 tsp pepper
2-3 tbsp sugar
50g sesame seeds mixed with 1/2 tsp salt
Method:
Beat margarine and cheese until light and fluffy. Add the egg and beat thoroughly.
Fold in the sifted dry ingredients and mix well to form a dough. Roll out the dough and cut out with a cookie cutter. Brush half the star cookie with egg white and sprinkle with sesame seeds.
Bake at 18O°C for 10-15 minutes or until golden. Transfer to a wire rack and cool; then store in an air-tight container.
SHOOTING STAR COOKIES
Ingredients:
120g butter
100g icing sugar
1 tbsp honey
1 (small) egg
Sift these ingredients:
270g flour
2 tsp ground ginger powder
1/4 tsp cinnamon powder
1/2 tsp salt
icing sugar -- for dusting
Method:
Cream butter and icing sugar until soft, then add honey and beat until light. Add the egg and beat thoroughly.
Work in sifted dry ingredients a little at a time. Roll out dough to 0.5cm and cut out star shapes. Place cookies on a greased baking tray.
Bake at 180°C for 10-15 minutes or till golden. Transfer to a wire rack to cool, then dust with icing sugar.
ALMOND BELL COOKIES
Ingredients:
(A) sift:
150g flour
50g rice flour
A pinch of salt
100g sugar
100g butter
3 tbsp sliced almonds
Method:
Sift (A) into a mixing bowl and add in sugar and mix well. Rub in the butter lightly until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs. Knead lightly but do not overwork the dough.
Roll out the dough flat and cut out with a cutter. Place the cut-out cookies on a baking tray.
Brush the top lightly with water, sprinkle on the almonds. Bake at 180°C 10-15 minutes or until golden.
STUFFED CHRISTMAS ROASTER
Ingredients:
1 big chicken about 1.5 kg
Seasoning:
1 tbsp light soya sauce
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1 tbsp honey
1 tsp dark soya sauce
Stuffing ingredients:
150g fresh chestnuts -- parboil until cooked through then remove the shells
6 pieces black mushrooms, soaked until soft then diced
100g button mushrooms, halved
100g carrots, diced
50g ginkgo nuts, shelled and parboiled till tender
1 piece of ham (optional), diced
1 tbsp chopped garlic
1 big onion, diced
Sauce for the gravy:
2 tbsp oyster sauce
1 tsp light soya sauce
1 tsp sesame oil
1 tsp sugar
1 tsp salt (or to taste)
A dash of pepper
1/2 tbsp Chinese cooking wine (optional)
1/2 tbsp cornflour
1 tbsp chicken stock granules
3 tbsp water
Method:
Wipe the chicken thoroughly, inside and outside. Rub chicken with the seasoning and marinate for 4-5 hours.
Heat a wok and saute diced onions and chopped garlic. Add the rest of the stuffing ingredients and the sauce for the gravy. Mix and blend well.
Stuff the chicken with the filling and sew up the opening. Brush oil lightly on a piece of aluminium foil and wrap stuffed chicken loosely and place on a roasting pan.
Bake in a preheated oven at 200°C for 25-30 minutes then reduce the temperature to 180°C and continue to roast till golden brown. Serve with garnishings.
By Amy Beh (circa 1995)
Christmas would not be Christmas without the baking and good tidings around the home. Be merry and have a wonderful Christmas with these great recipes. Happy cooking and "Merry Christmas" from me to you.
MIDNIGHT CHRISTMAS CHOCOLATE CAKE
Ingredients:
(A):
225g butter
375g soft brown sugar
(B):
4 eggs
(C) mix well in a small bowl:
1 tsp vanilla essence
1 tsp good-quality instant coffee
1 tbsp hot water
1 tsp coffee paste
1/4 tsp brandy essence
(D) sift together:
250g flour
8Og pure cocoa powder
1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
(E):
1 tin reduced cream mixed with UHT milk (plain) to make up 325ml
Topping:
100ml whipping cream
75g fresh cream
maraschino cherries
Method:
Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time. Mix in essence gradually and continue to cream.
Fold in sifted dry ingredients alternately with liquid portion (E). Pour the blended mixture into a well-greased tin.
Bake at 170°C for 60-70 minutes or until it is cooked through when tested with a skewer. Cut the cake into small squares.
Whip the cream until stiff and pipe rosettes on the cake squares and top up with a maraschino cherry before serving.
CHRISTMAS PEACH PIE
Ingredients:
Pie shell:
325g plain flour
3/4 tsp salt
125g cold butter, diced
25g cold shortening, diced
5-6 tbsp (approximately) ice-cold water
Filling:
1 can peach halves -- 500g drained weight -- wash off syrup and drain well
Mix together:
1 tsp ground cinnamon
35g sugar
2 egg yolks
250ml sour cream
Glaze:
Beat well together:
1 egg yolk
1 tbsp water a pinch of salt
Method:
Pie shell:
Sift the flour and salt into a bowl and rub in the butter and shortening until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs. Stir in enough water to make a firm dough.
Knead lightly until smooth and wrap in clingfilm and chill for 30 minutes.
Roll out the pastry on a floured surface and use it to line a 20cm loose-bottom flan tin. Chill for 30 minutes, then bake "blind" in a preheated moderately hot oven, 200°C for 20 minutes.
Filling:
Arrange the peach halves in the pie case. Sprinkle the mixed cinnamon-sugar over the fruit.
Beat the egg yolks and sour cream together and pour over the peaches. Bake in a preheated oven of 200 degrees C for about 20 minutes. Leave in the tin to cool slightly.
Roll out remaining pastry dough to 2.5mm thick. Cut out leaf shapes and rose petals. Mark veins with a knife on the leaves. Cut a round piece enough to cover the entire pie. Assemble the leaves around the pie and make a rose with the petals. Place the rose at one corner of the pie. Brush with glaze.
Preheat oven to 200°C and bake the pie for 30 minutes or until done.
COCONUT CHRISTMAS TREE COOKIES
Ingredients:
120g butter
100g sugar
1 whole egg
1/2 egg yolk
1 tsp vanilla essence
Sift these ingredients:
200g self-raising flour
30g custard powder
1/2 cup desiccated coconut
Glaze:
1 egg white, beaten lightly
Method:
Cream butter and sugar together with vanilla essence until light and fluffy. Add the egg and egg yolk and continue to cream well.
Add the sifted flour and stir in the desiccated coconut and mix well.
Roll out dough in between two plastic sheets and cut out Christmas tree shapes. Brush with beaten egg white and sprinkle lightly with desiccated coconut and dot with silver dragees on the tips of the Christmas tree-shaped cookies.
Bake in a preheated oven of 180°C for 12-15 minutes or until golden brown.
SPICED SESAME CHEESE STARS
Ingredients:
100g margarine
75g grated cheddar cheese
half of a beaten egg
Sift:
175g flour
50g rice flour
1 tsp curry powder
1/4 tsp pepper
2-3 tbsp sugar
50g sesame seeds mixed with 1/2 tsp salt
Method:
Beat margarine and cheese until light and fluffy. Add the egg and beat thoroughly.
Fold in the sifted dry ingredients and mix well to form a dough. Roll out the dough and cut out with a cookie cutter. Brush half the star cookie with egg white and sprinkle with sesame seeds.
Bake at 18O°C for 10-15 minutes or until golden. Transfer to a wire rack and cool; then store in an air-tight container.
SHOOTING STAR COOKIES
Ingredients:
120g butter
100g icing sugar
1 tbsp honey
1 (small) egg
Sift these ingredients:
270g flour
2 tsp ground ginger powder
1/4 tsp cinnamon powder
1/2 tsp salt
icing sugar -- for dusting
Method:
Cream butter and icing sugar until soft, then add honey and beat until light. Add the egg and beat thoroughly.
Work in sifted dry ingredients a little at a time. Roll out dough to 0.5cm and cut out star shapes. Place cookies on a greased baking tray.
Bake at 180°C for 10-15 minutes or till golden. Transfer to a wire rack to cool, then dust with icing sugar.
ALMOND BELL COOKIES
Ingredients:
(A) sift:
150g flour
50g rice flour
A pinch of salt
100g sugar
100g butter
3 tbsp sliced almonds
Method:
Sift (A) into a mixing bowl and add in sugar and mix well. Rub in the butter lightly until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs. Knead lightly but do not overwork the dough.
Roll out the dough flat and cut out with a cutter. Place the cut-out cookies on a baking tray.
Brush the top lightly with water, sprinkle on the almonds. Bake at 180°C 10-15 minutes or until golden.
STUFFED CHRISTMAS ROASTER
Ingredients:
1 big chicken about 1.5 kg
Seasoning:
1 tbsp light soya sauce
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1 tbsp honey
1 tsp dark soya sauce
Stuffing ingredients:
150g fresh chestnuts -- parboil until cooked through then remove the shells
6 pieces black mushrooms, soaked until soft then diced
100g button mushrooms, halved
100g carrots, diced
50g ginkgo nuts, shelled and parboiled till tender
1 piece of ham (optional), diced
1 tbsp chopped garlic
1 big onion, diced
Sauce for the gravy:
2 tbsp oyster sauce
1 tsp light soya sauce
1 tsp sesame oil
1 tsp sugar
1 tsp salt (or to taste)
A dash of pepper
1/2 tbsp Chinese cooking wine (optional)
1/2 tbsp cornflour
1 tbsp chicken stock granules
3 tbsp water
Method:
Wipe the chicken thoroughly, inside and outside. Rub chicken with the seasoning and marinate for 4-5 hours.
Heat a wok and saute diced onions and chopped garlic. Add the rest of the stuffing ingredients and the sauce for the gravy. Mix and blend well.
Stuff the chicken with the filling and sew up the opening. Brush oil lightly on a piece of aluminium foil and wrap stuffed chicken loosely and place on a roasting pan.
Bake in a preheated oven at 200°C for 25-30 minutes then reduce the temperature to 180°C and continue to roast till golden brown. Serve with garnishings.