Chicken Liver Pâté 雞肝醬

Husband always complains why I only make dessert! He wants to have something that is not sweet! I told him I made meals everyday, and those are already dishes not sweet! And this liver pate as well! Then he SILENTS!

Ingredients:

1/2 pound chicken livers

1 shallot (1/3cup), finely chopped

1 garlic clove, finely chopped

1 bay leaf

1/2 cup water

1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp ground black pepper

2 tbsp Brandy
3 to 6 tablespoons unsalted butter (at room temperature). For pâté that is very dense and buttery, add between 8 to 12 tablespoons of butter







Directions

1. Rinse chicken livers; trim and pat dry. Set aside. 
2. In large skillet, melt 1 tbsp butter over medium heat; fry shallots and garlic. Then add liver. Fry a few minutes and add 1/2 cup water and bay leaf to saute livers until liver is well done.
3. Remove from heat. 


 
4. Discard the bay leaf. Drain the liquid out and transfer the livers, shallot and garlic to a food processor. Add nutmeg, salt, ground pepper, and brandy. Process just until the livers are finely chopped, then, with the blade still running, start adding the butter 1 tablespoon at a time.
5. Scraping down side occasionally, until smooth. Transfer to two 1-cup (250 mL) serving bowls; smooth surface. Place plastic wrap directly on surface; refrigerate for 4 hours. (Make-ahead: Refrigerate for up to 2 days. Or overwrap with heavy-duty foil and freeze for up to 2 weeks.)

This liver pate is good to serve with biscuit or sandwich, but I tried to serve with congee. It tastes good too.

Madeleines 馬德蓮貝殻蛋糕

Special equipment: Madeleine pan



Ingredients (makes 12-15 pieces)

4 tbsp (56.7g) unsalted butter, melted and cooled

1/3 cup all purpose flour, sifted plus extra for dusting

1/3 cup sugar

2 large eggs at room temperature

1 tsp pure vanilla extract

1/4 tsp baking powder

Confectioner's sugar, to dust

Method:

Preheat oven to 350F (180C). Brush pan with melted butter and dust with flour. Invert the pan and tap to remove excess flour

Put the sugar, eggs, and vanilla into a mixing bowl and whisk. Until mixture is pale, thick, and will hold a trail. This should take 5 mins with an electric mixer, or a bit longer if you are whisking by hand

Sift the flour and baking powder over the top and pour the melted butter down the side of the mixture.

Using a large spatula, fold them in quickly, being careful not to knock out any air

Fill the molds with the mixture and bake in the oven for 15 mins or until golden brown around the edges and springy to the touch.

Remove from the oven and transfer to a wire rack to cool before dusting with confectioner's sugar.

STORE: The madeleines will keep in an airtight container for 1 day.









Bought this from Daiso $2.

Curry beef dumpling 咖喱牛肉餃子

I got leftover minced beef from my chilli beef pasta that I made for my previous party occasion. I mixed them with curry, paprika, turmeric powders. Also add a bit flour, salt, black pepper, and oil and mixed them well until it is gluey. I bought some instant dumpling sheets and put the marinated minced beef to it. Simply just glue the dumpling sheet with water is fine. You can steam, boil and pan fried the dumpling to serve.

Cake pops (Lollie Cake) with Banana cake base

Kids stay home as summer holiday already began! I need to continue To plan activities for them at home. Recently I bought a cake pops (lolli-cakes) pan from XS Cargo at price of $5.96. It is time to try that out. I tried to make similar kind of lollie cake before using normal cake recipe. But the texture always too soft or too moist to put the stick in. The stick, therefore, cannot hold the cakes at the top. It just goes right through the cakes. This time I tried to use banana cake bread recipe. The texture is between bread and cake. The result was just perfect. And taste not so sweet so that kids can decorate it with icing and stuffs.

Banana cake recipe: ~36 cake pops

Ingredients

1 ripe banana (peeled)or 80g

80g sugar

2 eggs

100g bread flour

1/4 tsp baking powder

35g vegetable oil

1/8tsp baking soda

20g evaporated milk



You can trim the side to make it more like a ball shape



Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 200C (390F)
2. Whisk banana and sugar with mixer at low speed until even.
3. Add eggs. Whisk at high speed until fluffy and thick.
4. Slowly add bread flour and baking powder. Whisk with egg whisk while adding.
5. Add vegetable oil, baking soda and evaporated milk. Mix well.
6. Grease pan with butter or spraying oil. Transfer batter to mould or lolli-cake pan.
7. Place cake in middle section and bake for 20 minutes.
8. Take out cake pops and cool down. Insert a lollipop stick to centre of cake pop then decorate! Enjoy!

Profiteroles (Cream Puff)

Yesterday afternoon. I finished all housework and there is still 1.5hours time before leaving home to church cell group meeting. What can I do during this time? I want to do some baking but most of the cookie and cake recipes need eggs or butter prepared ahead and make them to room temperature. I don't have this time to wait for the butter to soften. So I go through my cookbook and found this! No need to prepare anything ahead. And the ingredients are common ingredients that every kitchen should have. FLOUR, EGG, BUTTER. Great! I can make something while waiting to go out in 1.5 hours of time. It's surprisingly easy to make! My husband and kids love it!

Preparation time: 30mins Cooking time: 22 mins

 

I did not make the chocolate topping this time. I just use instant dessert chocolate syrup.But the kids already have enough fun to pour as much as syrup and cream they want to decorate their own puff!

Ingredients: (makes around 20)

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

4 tbsp unsalted butter  (56.7grams)

2 large eggs, beaten

2/3 cup water

For Filling and topping

(Since I am in hurry, I just put whipping cream and chocolate syrup, I did not make this filling and topping this time)

1 3/4 cup heavy cream

7oz (200g) dark chocolate, broken into pieces

2 tbsp butter

2 tbsp corn syrup

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 425F(220C). Line large baking sheets with parchment paper
2. Sift the flour into a large bowl, holding the sieve up high to aerate the flour
3. Put the butter and 2/3 cup water into a small saucepan and heat gently until melted
4. Bring to a boil, remove from the heat, and add in the flour all at once
5. Beat with a wooden spoon until smooth; the mixture should form a ball. Cool for 10 mins.
6. Gradually add the eggs, beating very well after each addition to incorporate
7. Carry on adding the egg, little by little, to form a stiff, smooth, and shiny paste
8. Spoon the mixture into a piping bag fitted with a 1/2 inch (1cm) nozzle
9. Pipe walnut-sized rounds, set well apart. Bake for 20 minutes until risen and golden
10. Remove from the oven and slit the side of each bun to allow the steam to escape.
11. Return to the oven for 2 minutes, to crisp, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely
12. Before serving, pout 1/2 cup cream into saucepan and whip the rest until just peaking
13. Add the chocolate, butter, and syrup to the cream in the pan and heat gently until melted
14. Whip the remaining cream until peaking. Pile it into a piping bag fitted with a 1/4inch(5mm) star nozzle
15. Pipe cream into each choux bun and arrange onto a serving plate or cake stand
16. Stir the sauce well, pour it over the buns and serve immediately

PREPARE AHEAD: The unfilled buns will keep in an airtight container for 2 days or freeze unfilled bun for 12 weeks