Recipe: Pineapple Tarts/Pineapple Shortcakes (凤梨酥/菠萝酥)

(Click the above to view 7 pictures. Best viewed with Internet Explorer 7.) It worked. My self-imposing carb-free and sugar-free diet worked. Remember that annoying "I lost 40 pounds in 2 weeks" Google ad showing at the bottom of my post? Now, I can proudly have a banner up that says "I lost 7 pounds in 3 days!" All it takes was discipline, really. After 3 days of eating organic greens, tofu, fruits, and soups, I developed a critical craving for carb and sugar--I needed a kick to my bland palate, I needed something loaded with carb, hopefully sweet and sinfully buttery. Then, I thought about the various pineapple tarts recipes that I have been saving for months. What a brilliant idea! Pineapple tarts have gotten everything that I was craving for: carb, check; pineapples, mmmm yum; sugar, oh yeah; butter, hell yeah! And hence, two trays of buttery, sweet, flaky, delicious, and beautiful pineapple tarts were born in my kitchen. Thanks to my Malaysian friend Mandy at Fresh from the Oven, I couldn't get enough of them, and I am definitely saving her recipe for good... (Pineapple tarts/凤梨酥/菠萝酥 are commonly baked for the celebration of Chinese New Year festival in Malaysia and Singapore. In Taiwan, pineapple tarts/凤梨酥 are exceedingly popular but the recipe calls for shortening and milk powder and taste slightly different. Because shortening is used in the Taiwanese version, they are also called pineapple shortcakes. ) Making these pineapple tarts (凤梨酥/菠萝酥) takes some patience, especially with the pineapple filling. As with every single baking project that I have undertaken, I cheated and took some shortcuts and luckily they worked out. The pineapple tarts looked so photogenic I just had to put in some extra efforts to make them picture perfect, and I think they turn out to be quite Donna Hay worthy. What do you think?*wink* (Don't forget to read the comments section of this post; things get a lot more interesting--and controversial--there.) Recipe: Pineapple Tarts Adapted from Fresh from the Oven (Makes 24 tarts) Ingredients: For the pasty filling: 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour 2 sticks butter (I used Challenge brand, which is recommended by Saveur magazine as one of the best butter brands in the US) 1/4 teaspoon salt 2 egg yolks 4 tablespoons confectioners' sugar/icing sugar 2 tablespoons cornstarch 1 tablespoon vegetable shortening (optional but it will make the tarts extra crumbly) 1 egg yolk (lightly beaten for egg wash) For the pineapple filling: 2 cans (20 oz can) sliced pineapples 10 tablespoons sugar (more or less to taste) 1 teaspoon cornstarch (mixed with 1 teaspoon water) Method: Using low to medium heat, cook the drained crushed pineapple and sugar until most liquid has evaporated, and the filling turned golden. Stirring constantly using a wooden spoon to avoid burning. Taste, and add more sugar when needed. Add in the cornstarch to thicken the mixture. Set aside and let it cool in the fridge. Sieve the flour, corn flour, salt and sugar into a medium bowl. Beat butter in a mixer until it turns light in color and fluffy. Add in egg yolks until well combined. Slowly beat in the flour mixture until just combined. Divide the pastry dough and pineapple filling each into 24 equal rounds. Flatten the pastry dough with the palms and put the pineapple filling in the middle and use the dough to cover the filling. Use your palms to round it up and then shape it into a roll about 1.5 inch long. Use a fork to make criss-cross patterns on the tart and then brush it with the egg wash. Preheat the oven for 350F and bake for 20-25 minutes or until light brown. My shortcuts: For the butter, I didn't cream it with the electronic hand mixer. I nuked it in the microwave for 10 seconds and then mix everything together with hands. I know this is not the best shortcut because the heat in the butter might "cook" the flour. For the pineapple filling, drain the pineapple slices and then squeeze the extra water/juice with your hands. If you don't, it's going to take you an hour or more to make the pineapple filling. I didn't crush the pineapple slices manually, I dropped them into a mini food processor and blend them for 10 seconds. I didn't use low to medium heat to cook the pineapple fillings. I use high heat (but stir continuously) and then lower to medium heat. I don't have patience for low heat. Note: Please use the shortcuts above with caution. It worked out for me, but I would advise you to follow the proper instructions instead of cheating like I did. ;) Continue Reading "Recipe: Pineapple Tarts/Pineapple Shortcakes (凤梨酥/菠萝酥)"

Recipe: Butter Cake

(Click the above to view all pictures. Best viewed with Internet Explorer 7.) Even though I am still a rookie in the baking department, I am slowly but surely getting the hang of things, especially baking cakes. I love baking cakes; I find it rather easy, well, if I choose a simple recipe. I especially enjoy baking cakes in the weekends because nothing tastes better than a cup of hot coffee with a freshly baked cake--while I read through my magazines or newspaper on a Sunday morning. And then, on Monday, I can heat up my leftover cake in the microwave for 10 seconds and have myself a nice breakfast to beat my Monday blues and start off my hectic work week on the right foot. I love cakes, and now I love baking them... One of the cakes I absolutely love is butter cake--plain old simple but always good butter cake. It calls for really common ingredients that everyone has in their fridge or pantry, and that totally fits my bill in terms of convenience. For butter cake, I used to cheat with store-bought yellow cake mix--Duncan Hines, Pillsbury, or Betty Crocker. Now that I have the following butter cake recipe, there is no turning back. :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: Love Baking? Try these baking recipes from Rasa Malaysia Banana Nut Muffins Banana Bread/Banana Cake Lemon Chiffon Cake Blueberry Pound Cake Red Lobster Cheddar Bay Biscuits :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: Recipe: Butter Cake Adapted from About.com Southern Food Ingredients: 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour 1/2 tablespoon baking powder 1/2 teaspoon salt 3/4 cup butter, softened 1 1/4 cups sugar 2 eggs 3/4 cup milk 1 teaspoon vanilla extract Method: Put all ingredients into a big bowl and use an electric hand mixer to blend all ingredients until smooth. Grease and flour a 9 x 5 inch loaf pan and transfer the batter into the baking pan. Bake at 350° for 50 - 60 minutes or until golden brown and a cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean. Continue Reading "Recipe: Butter Cake"

Recipe: Banana Bread / Banana Cake

(Click on the image above to view the complete photoset of 9 pictures) These past few days, I cooked up a storm--a crazy storm!--in my kitchen. There was nothing special going on, but I was hit by a giant cooking bug and went completely bananas (pun intended). I prepared so many dishes they were enough to feed the whole family of Bradgelina and their brood, PLUS those paparazzis stalking them! (Well, if Bradgelina would like to taste my humble meals, my door is always open for you, well, sans those paps.) Anyway, I "invented" and "developed" some new recipes (which I am going to share with you here soon): braised pork ribs with daikon/turnips and dried oysters (yum!), Chinese herbal chicken wings (with my leftover chicken wings from the Malaysian Turmeric and Honey Wings post), a nice dim sum item using my leftover fish paste from fish rolls, and a new twist to the Malaysian butter prawn dish. I also made some classics such as Chinese stir-fried greens with oyster sauce, a seafood curry, and chicken curry. I know, I just went crazy... I rewarded myself--mostly my stomach--handsomely with my home-cooked meals, but the punishment came in an intangible form. As you might have guessed, the after smell practically choked the house and every living organism in my neighborhood. The myriad of Asian "aromas"--Chinese, Malaysian, Indian, herbal, etc.--had me turned to my remedy. Yes, baking as a remedy to neutralize the smell in my house. (Previously, I baked banana nut muffins to perfume my house.) I baked banana bread or banana cake. And then, I took numerous shots of my banana bread happily because it was so photogenic. The unpleasant smells are gone, and I have this recipe and many banana bread pictures to share with you. :) Recipe: Banana Bread / Banana Cake Adapted from Joy of Cooking 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour 3/4 cup granulated white sugar 1 teaspoons baking powder 1/4 teaspoon baking soda 1/4 teaspoon salt 2 large eggs, lightly beaten 1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted and cooled 3 ripe large bananas (approximately 1 pound), mashed well (about 1-1/2 cups) 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract Garnish: (Optional) A few slices of banana Method: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Butter and flour the bottom and sides of a 9 x 5 x 3 inch loaf pan. Set aside. In a large bowl combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside. In a medium-sized bowl combine the mashed bananas, eggs, melted butter, and vanilla. With a rubber spatula, lightly fold the wet ingredients (banana mixture) into the dry ingredients just until combined and the batter is thick and chunky. (The important thing is not to over mix the batter. You do not want it smooth. Over mixing the batter will yield tough, rubbery bread.) Scrape batter into prepared pan and place the slices of banana on top of the batter for garnish. Bake until bread is golden brown and a cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean, about 60 minutes. Place on a wire rack to cool and then remove the bread from the pan. Serve warm or at room temperature. Makes 1 - 9 x 5 x 3 inch loaf. Other Banana Bread Recipes: David Lebovitz's Banana Bread or Banana Cake Recipe Simply Recipe's Banana Bread 80 Breakfast's Banana Bread Continue Reading "Recipe: Banana Bread / Banana Cake"

Recipe: Baked Almond Tea with Puff Pastry (酥皮杏仁茶)

(Click on the image above to view the complete photoset of 7 pictures) I hate cold weather. There I said it, I haaaaaaaate cold weather. Thanks to Blame it on my tropical blood, I dread cold temperatures. Winter makes my face crease like a dried prune and my winter wardrobe of fleece, wool, sweaters, jackets and such make me look--and feel--utterly frumpy and unattractive! I love warmth and sun--80 degree Fahrenheit and 80% humidity is my natural habitat. While most people shuns away from humidity, I for one think that humidity does wonders to my complexion--it makes my skin looks perfectly dewy and glossy (perhaps it's SWEAT?!). I digress... So, when it comes to cooking during this time of year, I only have one thing in my mind: foods that make me warm. Other than my claypot dishes, this baked almond tea with puff pastry (酥皮杏仁茶) has been an absolute life-saver, especially during those cold mornings and nights. I learned this from a Chinese restaurant near where I live. While it might seem hard to prepare, it's actually quite easy to make this baked almond tea with puff pastry (酥皮杏仁茶) with store-bought ingredients such as puff pastry sheets, almond powder, and canned ginkgo nuts. It's great sipping the almond tea while munching away the crispy and flaky puff pastry, with a magazine or newspaper in hand. And that's when I feel that I might actually start to like cold weather. *wink* Other bakes goods/recipes that go well with Baked Almond Tea with Puff Pastry (酥皮杏仁茶): Shortbread Cookies Mini Portuguese Egg Tarts Banana Nut Muffins Lemon Chiffon Cake Recipe: Baked Almond Tea with Puff Pastry 2 servings Ingredients: 5 tablespoons sweetened almond powder 1 teaspoon honey 10 ginkgo nuts (canned) 1 cup water 1 puff pastry sheet (thawed and cut into two 4.5 in. x 4.5 in. squares) Method: Preheat oven to 400 degree Fahrenheit. Bring one cup of water to boil and add in the almond powder, ginkgo nuts, and honey. Stir well and set aside. Transfer equal portion of the boiled almond tea into two regular soufflé dishes. Top the soufflé dishes with the puff pastry squares. Stretch the puff pastry square to cover the dish opening tight. Bake for 12-15 minutes or until the puff pastry turns golden brown. Serve hot. Cook's Notes: You can get both almond powder and canned ginkgo nuts at Asian food stores. Fresh ginkgo nuts (pictured above) can be used. Use a nut cracker to crack the shell, then remove the skin and soak the ginkgo nuts in water for a few hours (to soften them) before use. Continue Reading "Recipe: Baked Almond Tea with Puff Pastry (酥皮杏仁茶)"

Recipe: Shortbread Cookies

(Click on the image above for more pictures) One thing I resolved to do better is learning how to bake, so when I was home this past trip, I managed to pick up a ton of baking essentials: cookie cutters, scale, baking thermometer, cake tester, scraping spoons, etc. (Things are a lot cheaper in Malaysia despite the weak dollars!). Last weekend, I unwrapped all my shiny new baking gear and put them to good use. I made some shortbread cookies. I am always green with envy when I see blogs graced with adorable and beautiful cookie pictures such as this, this, and this--the ribbon, the composition of the pictures, and those little cookies that you just wanted to scratch from the monitor and pop them in your mouth--so I decided to dress up my blog with some eye-candy pictures, too... Not too shabby, huh? My recipe is adapted from Joy of Cooking. It's really simple to follow and almost fail-proof (that's always a big plus). I really like the shortbread cookies. They are simply delicious. Recipe: Shortbread Cookies 3 cups all-purpose flour 1/4 teaspoon salt 2 teaspoons vegetable shortening 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature 1/2 cup powdered (confectioners or icing) sugar 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract Method: In a separate bowl whisk the flour with the salt. Set aside. In the bowl of your electric mixer, cream the butter until smooth (about 1 minute). Add the sugar and vegetable shortening and beat until smooth (about 2 minutes). Beat in the vanilla extract. Gently stir in the flour mixture just until incorporated. latten the dough into a disk shape, wrap in plastic wrap, and chill the dough for at least an hour. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F with the rack in the middle of the oven. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. On a lightly floured surface roll out the dough to 1/4 inch thick. Cut into rounds or whatever shapes you wish using lightly floured cookie cutter. Place the cookies on the prepared baking sheet and place in the refrigerator for about 15 minutes. This will firm up the dough so the cookies will maintain their shape when baked. Bake for 8 - 10 minutes, or until cookies are lightly brown. Cool on rack. Continue Reading "Recipe: Shortbread Cookies"

Recipe: Lemon Chiffon Cake

This is my lemon chiffon cake. I love the lemony essence and the pillowy soft texture of this chiffon cake. Other than lemon flavor, I also love coffee and pandan (screwpine leaf) chiffon cake. What kind of chiffon cake do you like? Recipe: Lemon Chiffon Cake (Adapted from Oprah.com) Ingredients: 2 cups flour 1 1/2 cups sugar 1 tablespoon baking powder 1 teaspoon salt 3/4 cup water 7 egg yolks 1/2 cup vegetable oil Grated zest of 2 lemons 2 teaspoon vanilla 8 egg whites 1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar Method: Preheat the oven to 325°. In a large bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. Make a well in the center; add the water, egg yolks, oil, lemon zest and vanilla. Whisk the dry ingredients into the yolk mixture until the batter is blended and smooth. Set aside. In a large mixer bowl, beat the egg whites and the cream of tartar at medium-low speed until foamy. Gradually increase the speed to high and beat the whites until stiff (but not dry) peaks form. Gently fold 1/3 of the beaten whites into the batter with a rubber spatula just until blended. Fold in the remaining whites just until combined. Pour the batter into an ungreased tube pan or bundt pan. (I used bundt pan because I don't have a tube pan). Bake 1 hour, or until the top springs back when lightly touched with a fingertip and a cake tester inserted into the center comes out clean. Continue Reading "Recipe: Lemon Chiffon Cake"

Recipe: Blueberry Pound Cake

Guess what? My neighborhood Ralph is giving away more eggs--another carton of 18 large eggs--so that gives me another shot of cultivating the inner-baker in me. I baked a pound cake. With some blueberries. It was yum. (I finally made good use of the bundt pan that I bought months ago.) After a few failed attempts--which I chose not to document here--I think I am slowly (but surely) getting the hang of baking, and I thought the following tips might help if you are a budding baker... RASA MALAYSIA NEWBIE-BAKER QUICK GUIDE Follow the recipe. Just follow the darn recipe and no questions asked. Step-by-step. Cup-by-cup. Spoon-by-spoon. If the recipe calls for 1 cup of butter, don't use 1.5 cup. More butter doesn't mean that your baking will turn out more buttery (you are not cooking butter prawns!). If anything, it might render your cake too buttery it won't rise properly. Trust me, I'd been through this mistake. Don't try to be creative. Don't even attempt to be creative when you are learning to bake. If the recipe calls for milk, use milk even though cream tastes like a thicker milk. Again, follow the recipe...there is a reason why milk is used in baking and cream is used for making sauces. And don't even think that you can use condensed milk to replace milk--condense milk + water don't equal milk! Yeah, I'd been through that mishap, too. Don't let your baked goods sit in the oven. Oven is a very hot thing--an average of 350 degrees Fahrenheit or more--so hot that it takes a while to cool down. So, if you are smart, you won't let your muffins or cake or cookies or pies or tarts sit in the oven heat after baking is done. Take them out, let them cool off OUTSIDE the oven on a cooling rack, not inside the oven. You are warned, so don't blame me when your muffins or cake or cookies or pies or tarts look all BLACK and burnt even though they were perfect when you turned off your oven like 4 hours ago! Last but not least, there is no guestimate in baking. Baking is not cooking, you can't guestimate the ingredients. There is no "to taste" unless you really want to taste raw batter. Stock up on kitchen scales, measuring cups, measuring spoons, and all the baking essentials. Online conversion websites and your calculator won't help much when you are trying to convert a pound to pints or cups or spoons. Plus, baking is already tough enough, you don't want Math to get into the way, do you? That's all and good baking. :) Other baking recipes on Rasa Malaysia: Banana Nut Muffins Portuguese Egg Tarts Red Lobster Cheddar Bay Biscuits Recipe: Blueberry Pound Cake Adapted from About.com Southern US Cuisine Ingredients: 1 cup butter (softened) 2 cups sugar 4 eggs 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 3 cups flour divided 1/2 teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon baking powder 1 cupsfresh or frozen blueberries Method: Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Cream butter and sugar. Add eggs one at a time and beat until light and fluffy. Add vanilla. Sift 2 cups flour, salt and baking powder together. Add sifted ingredients to creamed mixture and beat. Dredge berries in remaining flour. Gently fold floured berries into the batter. Grease and dust the bundt pan (or tube pan) with flour; pour batter into it. Bake for 1 hour and 15 minutes, or until it's done. Continue Reading "Recipe: Blueberry Pound Cake"

Recipe: Banana Nut Muffins

(Click on the image above to view the photoset of 7 pictures) I am not much of a baker, but whenever I make stinky pungent and highly aromatic dishes such as this, this, this, and this, I usually bake the next day. Baking is my secret remedy to get rid of the lingering repulsive smell, just right before the neighbors come knocking on my door or a giant RED notice from the HOA (Home Ownership Association) is plastered all over my walls. "IF YOU HAVE A DEAD ANIMAL IN YOUR HOUSE, PLEASE DISPOSE THE BODY REMAINS IMMEDIATELY." Baking works wonders all the time, such as these banana nut muffins that perfumed my house with the sweet aroma of bananas and the unmistakably something-is-baking buttery fragrance. My recipe is adapted from Food Network. It's really simple and non-baker friendly. Try it because it's great waking up in the morning and smell the banana nut muffins... Recipe: Bananu Nut Muffins Adapted from Foodnetwork.com Ingredients: 2 cups all-purpose flour 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda 1/2 teaspoon salt 4 overripe bananas 1 cup sugar 3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter (melted) 2 eggs 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract 1/2 cup chopped walnuts Preheat oven to 375 degrees F and arrange the baking cups in a muffin pan. Mash 2 of the bananas with a fork in a small bowl so they still have a bit of texture. In a large bowl, combine the flour, butter, eggs, baking soda, the remaining 2 bananas, sugar, and vanilla extract. Beat the ingredients with an electric mixer for 3 minutes or until all ingredients are mixed together. Fold in the chopped walnuts and the mashed bananas with a rubber spatula. Spoon the batter into each of the baking cup and fill about halfway. Bake for 18-20 minutes or until the muffins turn brown. Makes 18 regular muffins. Continue Reading "Recipe: Banana Nut Muffins"

Lobster Recipe: Baked Lobster with Cheese

Just think of this as an episode of Iron Chef...the chairman says "The secret ingredient is... LOBSTER. A la cuisine!" I rush out to the aquarium frantically, catch my prey, and off I run to the "Kitchen Stadium" and start cooking. I whip up dishes upon dishes of drool worthy lobster dishes to the judges and then the chairman announces "The winner of battle lobster is Rasa Malaysia!" Audience cheer and applause! Well, that was just me day dreaming... What really happened was I got myself a gigantic 5-lb lobster over this past Labor Day weekend and created 3 dishes. All I can say is that I was totally lobster'ed out with the 5-pounder (so much so that I think I am going to stay off lobsters for a while!). Anyway, today I am going to share the first recipe--baked lobster with cheese. In my opinion, you can do no wrong with lobster and cheese in the oven. The dish was simply scrumptious and delectable. I will be sharing two more lobster recipes in the next few days, please stay tuned. For now, just look at these and eat with your eyes, will you? *wink* Recipe: Baked Lobster with Cheese Ingredients: 1/2 lobster 2 teaspoons melted butter 2/3 cup light cream 1/2 slice bacon (chopped finely) 1 stalk spinach 1 clove garlic (chopped finely) 2 slices cheese (use your favorite cheese) Salt to taste A pinch of sugar Some flour Dried parsley flakes Method: Clean the lobster and cut it into halves (use only half the lobster). Boil the spinach in hot water, drain the water dry and chop the spinach. Set aside. Heat up a wok/skillet and add in the melted butter. Saute the garlic and bacon until aromatic, then add in the spinach and cream and bring to boil. Add salt and a pinch of sugar, and a little flour to thicken the sauce. Dish out. Preheat the oven to 375 degree. Spread the mixture onto the body of the lobster and its head evenly. Break the cheese into small pieces and top the lobster with them. Bake in the oven for 20-25 minutes or until the cheese turns golden brown. Sprinkle dried parsley flakes on the lobster and serve hot with lemon wedges. Cook's notes: I used Kraft American Cheese for this recipe; I found Kraft to be light and becomes crispy when baked. Plus, I actually like processed cheese. You might want to use sharp cheese if you want to try this. (I don't intend to commit a "culinary sin" by using Kraft!) *wink* I saved the other half of this lobster for my second recipe, and the lobster claws for the third recipe. Continue Reading "Lobster Recipe: Baked Lobster with Cheese"

Recipe: Baked Sea Bass

What do you cook when you need to impress your guest(s)? Well, for me, I made this mouthwatering, succulent, and juicy baked sea bass that screams "I am a catch!" A couple of weekends ago, my buddy Melting Wok came to my house. Prior to her visit, I was thinking hard about the dish I was going to make--a dish that would impress her so much that she couldn't stop ooohs and aaahs after tasting the goods. Well, I have to because S is really an excellent cook and has deep knowledge about food, for example: she can pretty much decode the composition of ingredients used by simply sniffing the food. Yes, I kid you not. If you have visited her blog, you should know that she has real talents in the cooking department. If you haven't yet checked it out, I urge you immediately click here to see how she whips up gourmet and droolsome dishes using like leftover tortilla and exotic creatures such as jellyfish... Anyway, back to how to impress my guest. That weekend, I went to the market and picked up some fresh sea bass fillets that had just arrived at the store, marinated them with some sake, mirin (yes, my food crush with Japanese cuisine is here to stay), soy sauce for 30 minutes, and then pan seared them lightly on both sides before baking them. The end result was simply sublime. Was S impressed, you ask? Well, we will wait for her to comment. Recipe: Baked Sea Bass with Ginger Ponzu Sauce Ingredients: 1/2 pound sea bass (2 fillets) 4 tablespoons sake 1/2 teaspoon mirin 1 tablespoon soy sauce Ginger Ponzu Sauce 5 tablespoons Kikoman Ponzu sauce 1/2 inch fresh ginger (grated) Method: Marinate the sea bass with sake, mirin, and soy sauce for 30 minutes. Preheat oven to 400 degree F. Pan-sear both sides of the seabass until the surface turns light brown. Transfer the fish fillets to the oven and bake for 10-15 minutes. Pour the ginger ponzu sauce generously over the baked sea bass and serve hot. Note: The apricots served only as the backdrop of my pictures and were not used in the preparation of this dish. Continue Reading "Recipe: Baked Sea Bass"

Mini Portuguese Egg Tarts (and Blogger's Choice Awards)

I made these mini Portuguese egg tarts for a birthday party a couple of days ago and I just have to share the new pictures with you because they are simply too cute. Somehow the mini egg tarts tasted even better than the regular ones I made months ago. I am also entering this to "June 2007 Monthly Mingle - Birthday Party Bang" organized by "What's for Lunch, Honey?" My friends loved these mini Portuguese egg tarts and I hope Meeta likes them too for her upcoming birthday... By the way, see that Blogger's Choice Awards brag badge on the left nav? Yes, many thanks to Chris Abraham, I am officially nominated as one of the contenders for "Best Food Blog" (gasp, I know! Best-Food-Blog!!). So, if you're so inclined, just click on the badge and vote for me. I voted for myself accidentally and who knows what they might forfeit me now. ;) I am truly thankful for all your support and encouragement. I will continue to do my best to make Rasa Malaysia even better. Terima kasih. Thank You. 谢谢. Now, click here to view more mini egg tarts... Related Post: Portuguese Egg Tarts Continue Reading "Mini Portuguese Egg Tarts (and Blogger's Choice Awards)"

Recipe: Red Lobster Cheddar Bay Biscuits

(Disclaimer: This post voices my personal preferences and opinions. If you love chain restaurants, please don't get offended.) NEW: I have added Lightbox to Rasa Malaysia so I can share more pictures with you. To view all pictures, please click on the image below and click on "NEXT" (or press the right arrow key on your keyboard). To view previous picture, click on "PREV" (or press the left arrow key). When you are done, click on "CLOSE" or press "Esc" on the keyboard. Enjoy! Truth be told, I am a food snob. I shun away from chain restaurants--Cheesecake Factory, nah; The Olive Garden, meh; Denny's, are you kidding me?! So, you have it, I am a food snob. I avoid going to franchise or chain restaurants at all cost, well, unless I am starving to death or stuck in the middle of nowhere and the only restaurant in town is Applebee's. Somehow, the notion of an evil a huge restaurant empire scares me. I am afraid they are going to take over the world and infest the dining scenes with the likes of Planet Hollywood (are they still in business?) and Rainforest Cafe. I yearn for pure culinary originality and I champion epicurean creativity. Dining out is one of the most enjoyable and best things in the world, so a restaurant should be unique, possesses lots of character, and has its own identitity (no cookie-cutter decor and menu, please!). However, I have to admit that there is an exception. I go to Red Lobster, occasionally. As a seafood connoisseur, you must think that I go there for seafood, but no, I go there for the sole reason of stuffing myself silly with their biscuits. Yep, you heard it right--those fluffy-cheesy-buttery-garlicky-fresh-off-the-oven world famous Red Lobster biscuits. (Red Lobster serves almost 1.1 million of their Cheddar Bay Biscuits every day.) You have the statistics, they are spectacular... Wait a minute, didn't I just proclaim that I don't do chain restaurants? I can't lose my integrity (and reputation), but I am nuts for Red Lobster biscuits. What to do? What to do? I made them, well, after hours of Googling for the secret recipe on the internet. I don't think I got the real secret recipe for Red Lobster Cheddar Bay biscuits, but they were not bad. In fact, they were about 80% close to the original in terms of taste. That's good for a knock-off. Will I go back to Red Lobster again for their biscuits? Perhaps I will. *wink* Recipe: Red Lobster Cheddar Bay Biscuits Ingredients: 2 cups Bisquick biscuit mix 2/3 cup milk 1/2 cup cheddar cheese (shredded) 1/4 cup butter (melted) 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder 1/4 teaspoon dried parsley Preheat oven to 450 degree. Mix biscuit mix, milk, and cheddar cheese until soft dough forms; beat vigorously for 30 seconds. Drop dough by spoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheet. Bake for 8-10 minutes or until golden brown. Mix melted butter, garlic powder, and dried parsley; brush generously over warm biscuits before removing from cookie sheet. Serve warm. Make 10-12 biscuits. Continue Reading "Recipe: Red Lobster Cheddar Bay Biscuits"