Rice Krispies

Few days ago when I had conversation with a friend of mine about sweet treats we used to eat as a kid. Rice krispies came up in the conversation and it makes me want to have some. I can't remember when was the last time I had rice krispies, must be ages ago. Anyway, went to Kellog's website and found the simple, delicious, yet sinful recipe. It's so easy to make, even a 5 year old can make it.

I added vanilla in the marshmallow mixture to add the nice vanilla smell that I love.

Rice Krispies Treats

3 tbsp butter
10 oz marshmallows
6 cups rice krispies
*1 tbsp pure vanilla extract (optional)

1. In a saucepan, melt butter and marshmallow on low heat. Add rice krispies and mix well. Put the mixture inside a square pan lined with parchment paper. Press tightly into the pan and let cool for 30 minutes.
2. Cut into bars and enjoy :)

You can add nuts, chocolate chips, syrup or whatever topping you like into the mixture. I'm thinking of adding M&Ms next time.

Chocolate Cupcakes with Marshmallow Frosting

I have been on Junior Masterchef marathon since weekend. Those kids are amazingly good cooks! Can't believe my eyes when I saw the dishes they made. Their creativity is out of this world, especially the cooking skill which, in my opinion is on par (or almost) with professional chefs.

When they had to make Donna Hay's 4 layers chocolate cake, it looked really good. So, I decide to give it a try. I don't use chocolate cream cheese frosting as the recipe suggest, but I use marshmallow frosting instead. It's so fluffy like a cloud sitting on top of the chocolate cupcakes.

You can find the original layer cake recipe here. This one is my version for cupcakes.

Donna Hay's Chocolate Cake

1/2 cup (125ml) water
60g butter, chopped
2 tablespoons cocoa, sifted
1 cup (150g) plain flour, sifted
1/2 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda, sifted
1 cup (220g) caster sugar
1 egg
1/4 cup (60ml) buttermilk
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1. Preheat oven to 150'C fan-forced.

2. Place the water, butter and cocoa in a saucepan over medium heat and stir until the butter has melted. Place the flour, bicarbonate of soda and sugar in a bowl, add the cocoa mixture and whisk to combine. Add the eggs, buttermilk and vanilla and whisk to combine. Divide mixture into muffin tin lined with cupcakes liner. Bake for 20-25 minutes.


Marshmallow Frosting

Some people and intimidated with the thought of making their own marshmallow. It's not that hard, in fact, very easy to make. The only tools you need are electric mixer, spatula, and candy thermometer.

2 egg whites
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup water
1/3 cup light corn syrup
2 tsp gelatin
2 tbsp cold water

1. In a small saucepan, combine sugar, corn syrup and water. Cook until sugar reach soft ball stage (118-120 C). Remove from heat and set aside.
2. Meanwhile, bloom gelatin with cold water until dissolve. When Sugar mixture has cooled down, add the gelatin into the syrup.
3. Whip egg whites until soft peaks, pour syrup into egg white, add vanilla, and continue beating until stiff.

When you are icing the cupcakes, work fast, otherwise the marshmallow will harden and you won't get the pretty and smooth fluffy top.
Broil in the oven for 10 seconds or until top is golden brown. Remove from the oven and let cool.

If you can't be bothered to make your own marshmallow frosting, you can do it the quick and instant way.

Quick Marshmallow Frosting

1 bag of store bought marshmallow

1. Put marshmallow into a heat proof bowl and put it in the microwave until it melts. Frost quickly on your cupcakes.

 Yum yum...

(REVISED) Basic Chicken Vegetable Puree

I finally found the original basic recipe of chicken and vegetable puree for babies. Digging through my computer, finally I found it burried inside my non-recipe folder *duh*.

Chicken Vegetable Puree

1 free range chicken leg, skin removed (ayam kampung)
1/4 tomato (pick big, red, sweet and juicy), diced n deseed
1 shallot
1/4 onion, diced
2-3 cloves garlic
1/4 stick carrots, sliced
2 red potato, sliced

1. Using butter, brown shallot and onion, followed by garlic, add tomato, stir until soft.
2. Add boiling water to about 1/3 of saucepan, then put potato and carrrot. Let simmer for 15 minutes.
3. Last, add chicken leg, cover with more boiling water until barely covering the chicken.
4. Turn up the heat to high, cover. Once boiling, switch to low heat and simmer for another 2 hours. Let cool, take out chicken, debone, discard bone, put meat and everything else into blender and puree. Steam 15 min before serving.

Note: you can replace water with chicken stock

Lemon Meringue Cupcakes

It's been more than a month since my last post. A lot of things happened. My lil Gwynnie was sick, i was sick, hubby was sick, gazillion things to take care of... anyway, i was in the mood for something sweet and sour. What is better than lemon meringue cupcakes? I love anything with lemon in it, even though some people can't stand the sourness (including my dear husband).

I baked this cupcakes and share it with my fellow lemon fan friend, Kiki. This cupcakes are a little dense but very moist. It has lemon curd filling inside and a meringue frosting.

Cupcakes:

1 cup butter, melted
1 cup sugar
3 eggs
1 1/2 cup flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
zest of 1 lemon
1 tsp vanilla extract
pinch of salt

1. Preheat the oven to 180 C
2. In a bowl, sift flour, baking powder & salt, set aside.
3. In a bowl, mix butter, sugar and eggs until well blend, add vanilla and continue mixing. Add flour mixture and lemon zest.
4. Divide into cupcake liners and bake in the oven for 20-25 min or until toothpick inserted comes out clean. Let cool inside the tin.

Lemon Curd:

1 cup lemon juice
6 egg yolks
1 cup sugar (or more if you don't like lemon's sourness)
30 gr butter

Combine lemon juice, egg yolks and sugar in a saucepan. Cook over medium-low heat, stirring continously, especially the sides to prevent eggs curdled and turn into omelet :p Continue cooking until it become thick and glossy. Remove from heat and add butter, stir until all butter has melt. Let cool and set aside.

Meringue:

3 egg whites
1 cup sugar

1. Beat egg whites in an electric mixer until foamy, add sugar in 3 additions and beat until stiff peak.
2. Transfer egg white into a piping bag with round tip (or star, whichever tip you prefer).

Assembly:

1. Cut holes into the cupcake, fill with 1-2 tsp of lemon curd, close the top with cupcake cut out.
2. Pipe meringue on top of the cupcakes and let broil in the oven for 10 seconds or until golden brown.

The finished product