History:

I love chocolate chip cookies, especially the soft baked type. The first time I had soft baked cookies was on a conference trip to Toronto, when it was given as part of the lunch packs. Those cookies were huge, bigger than the size of my hands. They were great as a late afternoon snack, and were a life-saver during one of the late days. Back in Singapore, it was really hard to find the soft bake types, I only know Subway stocks them, but I've never tried. Recently, I found the soft backed series by Pepperidge Farm and after trying them, I decided, I shall try to bake my own soft baked cookies.

Ingredients:
90g softened butter
1 cup white sugar
1 cup brown sugar
2 eggs
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp baking soda
2 tsp hot water
1/2 tsp salt
3 cups flour
2 cups chocolate chips
100g macadamia nuts


Method:

1. Preheat oven to 175 degrees C
   
2. Cream the butter, white sugar and brown sugar until smooth
3. Beat in the eggs
4. Stir in the vanilla extract
5. Dissolve the baking soda in the water
6. Add to the batter
7. Add in the salt
8. Stir in the flour
9. Stir in the chocolate chips and nuts
10. Use a large spoon to drop batter onto baking sheets on an ungreased pan
11. Bake for 10mins
12. Take the cookies off the pan immediately to cool
13. As soon as the cookies cool, store in air-tight containers

Note:
Do not overbake the cookies or else they will become the hard type
Cooling immediately after baking is very important as the pan is hot and continues to bake th cookies even after removal from the oven
There is no need to cream the sugar into the batter completely. I had some sugar crystals in the cookies, but nobody noticed/cared. :P
Precutting the baking sheets into individual sheets for each cookie makes removal from the pan much easier
The cookie dough can be stored as is, up till step 6. I have another batch sitting in the fridge and I think I shall try another flavour within the week. :)
Air-tight storage is very important!!!

Posted by R. at 1:15 AM | Permalink | Comments

Seared Rosemary Lamb Chops with Mint Jelly and Asparagus



History: Yx was having quite a nasty flu at that time, and just about the only meat she could taste would be lamb! I was also aching for some proper meat, not the thrash you get outside.

Ingredients:

• Lamb chops - about 2 pieces per person is plenty, 1 if you eat like a bird
• Mint jelly
• Fresh mint leaves
• Dried rosemary
• Salt & pepper
• Asparagus - try to get the huge Australian kind!
• Olive oil
  
• Cooking wine - chinese cooking wine is a godsend, as usual
  

The method:

• Using a mortar and pestle, pound the dried rosemary until powdered
• Marinate the lamb chops in some cooking wine and a pinch of salt for 10 mins
• Evenly coat each chop with powdered rosemary
• Skin the tough outer coating of the asparagus if you're using the large type
• Blanch the asparagus in boiling water for 2-3 minutes until tender
  
• Lightly oil a frying pan, heat till very hot, and sear the chops on one side
• When the chops are browned at least 3/5 the way through, flip over to the other side and continue cooking for 2-3 minutes
• Serve with a dollop of mint jelly on top and garnish with fresh mint leaves
  

Posted by R. at 7:42 AM | Permalink | Comments

Recipe: Serves 6

1) medium crabs x 4 (1 kg)
2) 6 tbsp vegetable oil
3) 16 cloves of garlic, finely chopped or blended
4) 16 large fresh red chilli, finely chopped or blended
5) 16 chilli padi, finely chopped or blended
6) 2 eggs
7) 4 spring onions, chopped to about 2 inches long
8) 2 tsp fresh lime juice
9) 1 small bunch of coriander

Sauce ingredients:
1) 2 cups of water
2) 10 tbsp ketchup
3) 4 1/2 tbsp sugar
4) 3 tbsp cornflour
5) 2 tsp preserved brown soyabean paste
Mix all ingredients well

Method:

1. heat the oil well
2. fry the garlic for only 1 minute
3. add in the chillies and fry until fragrant
4. add in the crabs and fry until they start turning red
5. Add in the sauce ingredients and stir well
6. Simmer until the crabs turn completely red
7. Add in the eggs and stir to streak the eggs
8. Simmer until eggs cook
9. Add in the lime juice and stir
   
10. Add in the spring onions and fry for a short while
11. Garnish with the coriander and serve with some bread

Posted by R. at 3:51 AM | Permalink | Comments