Wordless Wednesday

Something to hang at your door maybe?

Raya cookies project done.

Every year I usually leave it to the pros to prepare Hari Raya cookies for me. I would have a few favourite suppliers of  both cookies and cakes. This year I thought I should cut down on my orders cause usually I have to admit that the ordering and the collection of these cookies and cakes are the highlights after which these cookies are normally not finished even 2-3 months later. This year I vowed to myself to order only the minimum, only the absolute must have and some to give away to my mom and mother in-law. However, hubby requested that I make 2 of his favourite cookies. So, I did last weekend. I had to get it over and done with so that next weekend I am free. On Saturday I baked  Chocolate Chip Cookies  and on Sunday I made Almond Clusters. No recipe really, I just had the ingredients and just followed my instinct. Ha!ha!ha! Okay, so I did study some recipes I found online when I tried for the first time a while back, but now, I find that it's quite easy to prepare. So, I say my hari raya cookies project is done because I have no other plans to bake anymore cookies... though I did just buy Jam Tart presser on Sunday when I bought the paper cups for the Almond Clusters. Well, you never know... 

Zarif was so tempted to lick the spatula... yes he was fasting, and has not missed a day yet. 

Handy helpers.

Almond Clusters

Nayli and her Crazy Cookies

One day in spite of being on sick leave from school, Nayli wanted to try out a recipe she found in a new activity book for girls. It was called Crazy Cookies, though it's just butter cookies, really. 

After measuring the ingredients for her, I left her to do the rest pretty much except for the baking bit.

Sifting the flour.

Preparing the icing. 

Her favourite part.

Trying out different types of cookie cutters.

 

Results.

Toppings on the icing as a final touch.

Well, her cookies turned out good and there's none left for Hari Raya! Good job Nayli!

Another chocolate chip cookie recipe?

Really? Yeah, by now you would have thought you 

already have THE chocolate chip cookie recipe that you'd use till... forever right? Well, yes that's what I thought when I first got a chocolate chip cookie recipe when I was in my teens. Another when everyone received this chain emails about Famous Amos Cookie Recipe years ago until.... I got Nigella's KITCHEN and tried her cookie recipe! And followed her suggestion to scoop with ice-cream scoops! I ended up with huge chunk of cookies that are just out of this world.  So yes, this is my last chocolate chip cookie recipe ever! :-)

 Ingredients:
150g unsalted butter
125g soft light brown sugar
100g caster sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 egg, fridge-cold
1 egg, yolk fridge-cold
300g flour
1/2 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
1 X 326g packet milk chocolate morsels or chocolate chip

 ** I used Van Houten's chocolate buttons and chocolate chips
Imagine how chocolatey the cookies are!
** If you want the cookies to be less sweet, just reduce the sugar measurements a little.

Method:

• Preheat the oven to 170 degrees celcius. Line a baking sheet with baking parchment.
• Melt the butter and let it cool a bit. Put the brown and white sugars into a bowl, pour the slightly cooled, melted butter over them and beat together. 
• Beat in the vanilla, the cold egg and cold egg yolk until your mixture is light and creamy.
• Slowly mix in the flour and bicarb until just blended, then fold in the chocolate chips.
• Scoop the cookie dough into an American quarter-cup measure or a 60ml ice cream scoop and drop onto the prepared baking sheet, plopping the cookies down about 8cm apart. You will need to make these in 2 batches keeping the bowl of cookie dough in the fridge between batches.
• Bake for 15-17 minutes in the pre-heated oven, or until the edges are lightly toasted. Cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring to wire racks.

Here's the cookie jar that will not be full for long... once you fill it with these yummy cookies!

Maybe you can try this recipe for this Eid??? 

Wordless Wednesday

Baked Doughnuts

Here's a simple recipe that I have used over and over again. Something that I got from one of the recipe books received during the Naturel Bento workshop that I attended (thanks to advertlets :-)). Do give it a go. Make double batches at least because I can assure you it will just disappear as soon as you serve it! I usually make 2 batches, serve 1 and freeze the other batch for a surprise tea time treat another day.

Ingredients:

50ml Naturel Blend Cooking Oil
2 large eggs
80 ml sour cream or plain yogurt
1tbsp lemon juice
120g self-raising flour
20g cocoa
1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda
80g caster sugar
pinch of salt
Naturel Soft Margerine, to grease

STEP 1

Brush a 12-hole doughnut pan lightly with Naturel  Soft Margarine and preheat oven to 160 degrees celcius. Beat Naturel Blend Cooking Oil, eggs, yoghurt and lemon juice together with a fork until well mixed.

STEP 2

Sift flour and bicarbonate of soda into a mixing bowl and stir in sugar and salt. Make a well in the centre and pour in the liquid ingredients (from STEP 1). Mix until well combined.

STEP 3

Spoon mixture into greased tins, filling only half-full and bake for 10 - 12 minutes or until well risen and a skewer inserted into doughnuts comes out clean. Remove from tin and cool on wire rack. If you wish, sprinkle the top lightly with some sifted icing sugar before serving.

** if you wish to freeze some, once cooled, place in containers and freeze immediately.

Enjoy!

Zarif's 1st Sports Day

This is a belated entry of Zarif''s and Nayli's sports day that took place on June 25th. Nayli participated in the March Pass. Zarif in the telematch. 

Can you see Nayli?

Zarif in line.

Picture with lil bro.

Zarif's classmate Zahir.

He is so adorable isn't he?

In action.

Well done Zarif!

Group picture.

Nayli with her buddies.

Wordless Wednesday

Part of Iftar Menu for the family these past couple of days :-(

Divine Durians.

  So are you a durian lover? I have my phases with this King of Fruits. I used to be okay with them at one point of my life, then I went through a period when I thought it was too revolting. However, eversince married to a durian fan, I have to oblige and keep on having a wee bit of the fruit each time hubby brings home or we'd go our for a durian fiesta. Just the weekend before Ramadhan, we stayed over at his dad's who surprise surprise is also a durian fan. The whole lot of us went for a durian supper at SS2 PJ. We had what my friend call at the office, the "branded" durians which were the Musang King and the D101 as opposed to the normal durian kampung.

Yummy!

I had quite a lot of the durians even if I declare myself as not a fan, hi!hi!hi! Though not without hunting for a mint right after to freshen my breath and just to get rid of the awful after taste that really makes me avoid eating this fruit if I can. 

Coconut Drink to cool the body down after the durian biznez!

Baby Sara was there too!

Are you a die hard durian lover or a "social eater" like moi! :-)