PennyLane's Chocolate Cookies

If you're looking for that Perfect chocolate cookies, you've certainly come to the right place. Did I say perfect?? Yes, with a capital P! No doubt.

This is my kind of cookies. Crispy on the outside, fudgy on the inside with a hint of white chocolate chips (please please don't omit this item. I know...I know...for some people including me, white chocolate is not a chocolate but this time it's exceptional. It's there to strengthen the taste of the dark chocolate) mixed with nuts and chocolate chips.



Nuff said, I lost word and my mouth is full. I couldn't stop nibbling on all of these cookies *now I become a cookie monster*. I don't even care about my waistline and my digital scale. Sorry Arwen and Leia, you have to share them with mommy :D

To my dearest friend, Mindy Jordan, you should put this recipe on the top of your baking list this week ;). Must try!

5 stars to this recipe! Thanks for sharing the recipe, mbak Riana. Damn girl, you're so genius! This is the best chocolate cookies ever.

PennyLane’s Chocolate Cookies
Original source: Joy of Baking
Modified by: Riana



Ingredients :
60 grams cake flour (low protein flour) (dita-I used all purpose flour)
1 teaspoon baking powder
450 grams bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
60 grams unsalted butter or margarine
250 grams granulated white sugar
4 eggs, room temperature
1/4 teaspoon salt
4 gram instant coffee powder (2 sachet @ 2 grams), diluted with a few drops of hot water
1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
175 grams semisweet dark chocolate chips
175 grams white chocolate chips
200 grams your favorite nuts, coarsely chopped and toasted (dita-I used walnut)

Directions :
1. Mix together the flour and baking powder. Set aside.
2. Melt the chocolate and butter/margarine in a stainless steel bowl placed over a saucepan of simmering water, stirring until smooth. Remove from heat and set aside.
3. In the bowl of your electric mixer (or with a hand mixer), beat the sugar, eggs and salt until pale yellow and thick, about 5 minutes. Beat in the melted chocolate mixture, coffee and vanilla extract. Sift the flour mixture above the batter and fold it in. Mix only until incorporated. Stir in the chocolate chips and nuts. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate the batter until firm, about 30-60 minutes.
4. Preheat oven to 170-180 degrees Celcius and place rack in center of oven. Line baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mat.
5. Using ice cream scoop, small or medium –whatever you prefer, scoop and drop batter onto prepared cookie sheets, spacing evenly. With moist fingers, press batter a little bit.Bake cookies about 10 - 12 minutes or until the tops of the cookies become dry and cracked, but are still shiny. Do not overbake these cookies.
6. Remove from oven and place baking pan on a wire rack to cool. When cookies are firm, remove from baking pan and let completely cool on rack.



Note from Riana :
* The time you need to let the batter harden in the fridge could be varied, depending on the chocolate you use. One chocolate could make the batter thicker or runnier than the other one. Check every 30 minutes, just until the batter is easy to scoop and drop without spreading.
* When you found your batter is too hard to scoop, or the cookies are too flat, it means the batter is too cold to begin with. Let it stand at room temperature until it reaches right consistency, then continue baking. The cookies should not be too flat.

SHF-Spice Up Your Life : Favourite Boiled Fruit Cake

I still remember very well when I was a kid, my grandma always made delicious fruit cake for Idul Fitri. But I never knew the recipe until now.

And a couple of weeks ago, my KBB friend, Lina, was asking the recipe of English Fruit Cake on the mailing list. Ine Sena recommended us the famous Rea's recipe. I was so curious and dared everybody in the klub to make this cake ;).

And ta raaaa I've made it.....Girls, you must try this recipe! Enjoy my fruit cake!! I love it. Thanks Rea. I just couldn't stop myself for a second bite ;). This one is as scrumptious as my grandma's.



As you know me, I'm Dita I'm a spice girl :D, so with a lil' reworked from me, I added some kind of spices (the original recipe doesn't use anykind of spices).

And it's been a long time since I participated on the last SHF event. Now, I'm going to bring this cake to Sugar High Friday - Spice Up Your Life hosted by Anita of Dessert First.

Favourite Boiled Fruit Cake
adapted from Kue Bali by Rea

Ingredients :
375g sultana, chopped
250g raisins, chopped
250g currant
75g mixed peel
75g glazed cherry, halved (dita - I couldn't find glazed cherry, so I skipped it)
75g dried pineapple, chopped
50g dried apricot, chopped
250g butter
200g dark brown sugar
125ml brandy (dita - I used pineapple juice, another juice will do. You can even use milk)
100ml water
6 eggs, lightly beaten
1 tbsp honey
2 tsp orange zest
1 tsp lemon zest
250g cake flour (dita - I use all purpose flour)
50g self-raising flour
½ tsp baking soda
(dita) 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
(dita) 1/2 tsp ground ginger
(dita) 1/4 tsp ground clove
(dita) 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
(dita) 1/4 cup cashew nuts for the topping



Directions:
Mix fruits, butter, brown sugar, brandy and water altogether in a large pan. Cook without boiling until sugar has dissolved. Stir frequently. Bring to boil in low heat (put the fire only bit above the minimum level) with closed lid for +/- 10 minutes. Remove from stove. Set aside and cool (dita - I let it cool overnight).

Grease and double lined a 20x20cm or Ø24cm cake tin including its all sides. Let about 5cm extra of parchment paper out from the tin level.
Add eggs, honey, lemon zest and orange zest to boiled fruit mixture, combine well. Add sifted dry ingredients. Pour in to the prepared cake tin. If you like, you could make ornaments using nuts and glazed cherry on top. Bake at 150°C for 2 ½ hours (dita - my cake only took 1 1/2 hour, depend on the pan that you use). Wrap cake with aluminium foil, let it cool.



Note : wrap around the pan with parchment paper or newspaper during baking.



Spice Up Your Life with these recipes!

ITB : Fruits and Nuts - Carrot Pineapple Walnut Upside-Down Cake

Fruit and veggie based cakes are always my favorite. Especially the ones with a touch of spices such as cinnamon, clove and nutmeg.

When I saw this recipe at Vania's, I raised my eyebrows. Pineapple and carrot? Sounds weird. But I was really curious because Vania said, "enak banget!" (means "so delicious!") *I always rely on your taste bud, dear :D*.



And yes indeed! This cake was so delectable. I love it and I assume an addition of ground cinnamon would make it perfect.

I want to bring this cake to In The Bag-September : Fruits and Nuts hosted by my dear friend, Scott of realepicurean. But ohh la la...I just realized that I'm late :( *kamana wae neng?*, I forgot the deadline date is Oct 5th. Then I told Scott that I'm sorry I cannot participate on this event. But he still counting me in and asked me to submit my entry *thanks Scott, how generous you are ;)*



Carrot Pineapple Upside-down Cake
Source: Better Homes and Gardens India, April 2008 (copied from Vania's)
prep: 30 min, bake 45 min, cook 35 min.

Ingredients :
1/3 cup packed brown sugar
2 tbsp butter
1 tbsp water
6-8 1/2 inch thick slices fresh pineapple, cored and halved
2 cups all purpose flour
1 tbsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/tsp ground nutmeg
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 cup granulated sugar (dita - I used light brown sugar)
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
3/4 cup milk
3 carrots, finely shredded (1 1/2 cups)
(dita - I added 1/2 cup walnut)

Directions :
1. Preheat Oven to 350F. Lightly coat a 9x9x2 inch baking pan with non-stick cooking spray or oil; set aside.
2. In a small sauce pan, combine brown sugar, 2 tbsp butter, and water. Cook and stir over medium heat until mixture comes to boiling and is smooth. Pour in prepared pan; tilt to evenly coat bottom. Arrange pineapple slices over top.
3. In a medium bowl, combine flour, baking powder, salt and nutmeg; set aside.
4. In a large mixing bowl, beat 1/2 cup butter on medium-high for 30 seconds. Gradually add granulated sugar, beating until combined; beat 2 minutes more. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in vanilla. Alternally add flour mixture and 3/4 cup milk; beat on low after each just until combined. Stir in carrots. Add walnut (dita). Spread batter over pineapple.
5. Bake 45 minutes or until golden and wooden pick inserted in centre comes our clean. Cool in pan on the rack for 5 minutes. Invert on platter. Cool 30 minutes.

Home Food Photography # 4 : Konsep

Home Food Photography datang lagi dengan seri # 4-nya! Maaf lama absen soalnya bulan-bulan kemaren banyak kesibukan (yang sok dicari). Mohon maaf lahir batin sebelumnya buat temen-temen yang merayakan Idul Fitri, maaf kalo pernah ada salah-salah kata, salah-salah ketik dan salah-salah round up :D.

Terus terang, belakangan ini gue makin bangga dengan eksistensi Foodie Blogger Indonesia (FBI) di antara para Foodie Blogger dunia. Karya-karya foto temen-temen dan sahabat-sahabat FBI bener-bener gak dipandang sebelah mata. Makanya jangan heran, sekarang kalo masuk ke event-event food photography macem CLICK, DMBLGIT (Does My Blog Look Good In It) atau Inspiring Food Photography, kita bakal menemukan salah satu karya FBI bersanding dengan manisnya di antara jajaran pemenang. Sebutlah sahabat-sahabat gue Arfi Binsted, Elsye Suranto, Irma Rode, Dwiana Poter (Dwi, kenapa blog lo gak bisa diliat?), Sheila, Mindy Jordan, Sefa Firdaus, Eliza, Vania, Pepy Pattern, Ema yang karyanya boleh dibilang sudah diakui foodie blogger dunia.

Silahkan mampir ke FLICKR KBB (yang isinya karya foto para FBI) untuk membuktikan tulisan gue ini, bahwa kemampuan FBI dalam bidang food photography boleh dikata gak diragukan lagi. Khusus temen-temen KBB, gue semakin bangga dengan karya-karya kalian yang dari hari ke hari terus menunjukkan kemajuan dan pantang menyerah belajar (walopun gak punya DSLR tapi semangat memaksimalkan fungsi kamera sakunya, walopun gak punya fancy studio tapi bisa menghasilkan foto-foto bagus).

Nah, ngomong-ngomong soal foto bagus....relatif ya memang sifatnya, soalnya hubungannya sama selera. Paling nggak dari foto-foto juara temen-temen kita bisa belajar, kira-kira foto seperti apa yang layak dikatakan bagus. Kenapa foto-foto mereka bisa keluar sebagai pemenang di event-event online dunia. Karena motretnya gak asal!! Yak becul!! Gak asal jepret. Semuanya dipikirin. Nih, bocoran dikit....apa sih komponen-komponen yang diperhitungkan dalam event-event online food photography itu?

Ini nih beberapa komponen yang harus diperhatikan :
KONSEP, KOMPOSISI, LIGHTING, KOMUNIKASI, STYLING

Niat??? Emang iya! Harus! Kalo kita berangkat motret gak pake konsep, mana bisa punya nyawa fotonya, secara yang dipotret benda mati, MAKANAN.

Mungkin buat sebagian orang, ngapain sih capek-capek? Tinggal jepret makanannya (karet kali) masukin blog udah deh cerita selesai. Heeyyy...we're talking about a bunch of people yang punya interest di sini. Sama aja deh kayak orang yang punya hobi tertentu. Kadang suka melakukan hal-hal yang dirasa gak masuk akal :).

Mungkin emang capek ya kalo setiap motret kita harus mikirin konsepnya. Kadang gue juga suka kehabisan energi atau mati gaya gak tau musti gimana dengan obyek foto gue. Jangan salah, banyak juga foto-foto gue yang gak pake konsep :D. Biasanya kalo udah kejer setoran postingan. Karena udah diburu-buru pingin nge-post, akhirnya foto juga dibikin cepet-cepetan.

Nah, lewat HFP # 4, yang kali ini mengambil tema KONSEP. Udah baca seri "Sharing Food Photography" yang ini? Yuk kita praktekin dan belajar dikit-dikit gimana menghasilkan foto yang punya konsep/tema. Susah? Gak lah. Katanya mau belajar. Kan misi utama event ini buat sama-sama belajar bukan sekedar lucu-lucuan.



"Assignment"-nya bikin satu buah foto dengan tema tertentu yang diinginkan (bebaskan imajinasi). Ngomongin konsep gak bakal lepas dari komposisi, komunikasi, lighting dan styling yang diinginkan. Jadi silahkan cerita foto yang disubmit konsepnya apa berikut komposisi, styling dan lighting yang dipilih.

Ini pancingannya :D :



Gue mengambil tema pagi yang indah dan penuh semangat untuk foto di atas. Untuk menggambarkan suasana makan pagi yang cheery dan cerah, perlu elemen-elemen yang sifatnya optimis dan happy. Misal : gue sengaja pilih warna pink untuk kesan ceria di pagi hari dengan sentuhan tanaman berwarna hijau di belakang dan bunga di pink di meja untuk memberikan kesan "hidup". Cahaya yang gue gunakan adalah natural light dengan pemilihan backlight yang menghasilkan cahaya dengan efek over exposed di background sehingga terkesan light/airy. Sementara bagian depan sengaja lebih sedikit gelap untuk mendapatkan kesan homey dan hangat. Sengaja diambil medium shot supaya terlihat ambiance di sekitar obyek. Mudah kan?

Ini masih satu seri dengan foto di atas :



Seperti biasa format pengiriman entry (HARAP DIPERHATIKAN BAIK-BAIK YA, supaya gak bolak-balik terjadi kesalahan) :
Nama :
Nama blog dan alamat blog :
Judul dan URL post :
Foto (ukuran gede boleh)
Please do make a link from your post to this post
Kirimkan ke charmawendi AT gmail DOTCOM dengan subyek : HFP # 4
Logo silahkan comot dari atas.

Event dibuka dari tanggal 9 Oktober 2008 sampai 10 November 2008. Round Up seperti biasa 3 hari sesudah deadline, syukur-syukur bisa lebih cepet :P.



Related posts :
1. HFP # 1 : A Tiring Job!
2. HFP # 1 : The Round Up
3. HFP # 2 : Gila Properti!
4. HFP # 2 : The Round Up
5. HFP # 3 : 'Studio'
6. HFP # 3 : The Round Up
7. Komposisi dan Styling

[Indonesian Traditional Food] Ketan Sarikayo - Steamed Glutinous Rice and Coconut Milk Custard

I made this Padangnese/Minangnese (also known as Minangkabau, is indigenous to the highlands of West Sumatra, in Indonesia) style as our break-fast dish. They call it Sarikayo, some people may call it Srikaya and Sarikaya. But it never come into questions, in fact it enriches the culinary world of Indonesia.

Perhaps, not many of you knowing that Indonesia has various kind of foods. Not just the iconic dish beef rendang (which come from Padang/Minang), gudeg (young jackfruit in coconut milk, from Central Java), satay ayam (from Madura) or mie goreng Jawa (javanese style fried noodle), etc. In Indonesia you can find tons of traditional recipes that comes from each ethnic groups inherited in generations. They are usually rich in ingredients and full of spices.

Sarikaya itself is varied in Indonesia. You will find Sarikaya in green color with pandan extract in Palembang, Sarikaya pudding without steamed glutinous rice in Makassar and Sarikaya mold in the baking dish with steamed glutinous rice in Java.

To honour my home country Indonesia, I'd like to introduce this dish to the world through Waiter There's Something in....Indonesian hosted by Andrew of Spittoon Extra.





Ketan Sarikayo - Steamed Glutinous Rice and Coconut Milk Custard
adapted from : Uni Dewi Anwar's Family Recipe

Sarikayo (Coconut Milk Custard)



Ingredients :
* 1 cup egg (dita-I used 3 eggs)
* 1 cup dark brown sugar/coconut sugar/palm sugar, shredded
* 1 cup thick coconut milk
* 1/2 tsp salt
* 1/2 tsp vanilla
* 2 pandan leaves, knotted
* 1 tbsp ginger water (dita-I used 2 tbs)

Directions :
1. Mix sugar and coconut milk, stir until sugar dissolves, strain. Set aside.
2. Beat loosely the eggs. Pour in the coconut milk-sugar mixture. Stir well. Add ginger water, vanilla and pandan leaves.
3. Pour in the baking dish. Steam for about 30 minutes. Remove from heat. Cool and serve.

Ketan/Steamed Glutinous Rice

Ingredients :
300 gr glutinous rice/sweet rice, soaked for 1 hour, drained
1/2 tsp salt + 1 pandan leaf
150 ml coconut milk

Directions :
1. Steam rice until half-cooked. Remove from steamer. Set aside.
2. Mix coconut milk, salt and pandan leaf, stir well, bring to a boil. Remove from heat.
3. Add coconut milk to the half-cooked rice. Stir until absorbed.
4. Put the rice back on the steamer. Steam for 30 minutes.
5. Cool and serve with Sarikaya.



The soft texture of Sarikayo blends with the ginger aroma, serves with steamed glutinous rice is really a sweet indulgence in the afternoon.

Another Indonesian Food Recipes from my kitchen :
1. Klepon - Sweet Rice Balls Stuffed with Palm Sugar
2. Biji Salak - Sweet Potato Balls in Palm Sugar Syrup
3. Bubur Kacang Ijo - Mung Beans Porridge with Pumpkin Puree
4. Nasi Langgi
5. Kering Kentang - Spicy and Crispy Potato
6. Tongseng
7. Mie Bakso Iga
8. Wedang Ronde - Ginger Ronde Drink
9. Roti Gambang - Indonesian Traditional Bread
10. Gohu - Unripe Papaya in Sweet, Sour and Spicy Syrup
11. Ketan Serundeng - Sticky Rice Balls with Spicy Grated Coconut
12. Gemblong - Deep Fried Sticky Rice Coated with Caramel

[Indonesian Traditional Food] Gemblong - Deep Fried Sticky Rice Coated with Caramel

Ooooohhh my oo my....this is my all time favorite!!!



PS : I recommend this recipe, because on the next day gemblong still soft and chewy (gak alot loh!)

GEMBLONG - Deep Fried Sticky Rice coated with Caramel



Ingredients :
250 glutinous (sticky) rice flour
150 gr young coconut, grated (I used desiccated coconut)
25 gr butter/margarine
40 gr caster sugar
100 ml hot coconut milk
1 tbsp water + 2 tsp salt
oil for frying

Directions :
Combine the flours, grated coconut, butter, caster sugar, water and salt, mix well. Add in the hot coconut milk gradually, mix well until the mixture resembles a dough. Roll into balls, then deep fry until golden brown. Remove and drain well. When all finished, coat them with the caramel.



Lapisan gula/Caramel
Ingredients :
150g palm sugar/coconut sugar/gula jawa
75g white sugar
50ml water
1 tbsp butter

Directions :
Put all ingredients in a saucepan or a frying pan (big enough to put all the fried cakes) on a medium heat until bubbly and thickens. Lower the heat, add in the fried cakes. Mix well to coat the cakes evenly. Remove and cool.

[Indonesian Traditional Food] Ketan Serundeng - Sticky Rice Balls with Spicy Grated Coconut

I still remember, my mom used to make this dish for our breakfast.



Ketan Serundeng
Mom's recipe

Ketan/Steamed Glutinous Rice
Ingredients :
2 cups glutinous rice/sweet rice, soaked for 1 hour, drained
1/2 tsp salt + 1 pandan leaf
1/2 cup coconut milk



Directions :
1. Steam rice with pandan leaf and salt until half-cooked (about 15-20 minutes). Remove from steamer. Set aside.
2. Mix coconut milk, salt and pandan leaf, stir well, bring to a boil. Remove from heat.
3. Add coconut milk to the half-cooked rice. Stir until absorbed.
4. Put the rice back on the steamer. Steam for 30 minutes.

Serundeng
Ingredients :
1 cup dried grated coconut
5 kaffir limes leaves, chopped finely
1 tbsp caster sugar

Spices, grind to paste :
5 shallot
3 cloves garlic
1 tsp dried shrimp
1 tsp palm sugar/gula jawa/dark brown sugar
2 red chillies (as desired)
salt to taste
2 tbsp fried peanut
1 tbsp vegetable oil for sauteeing



Directions :
Sautee the paste in a hot pan until fragrant, add dried grated coconut and chopped kaffir limes leaves, sprinkle with sugar, mixed well. Remove from heat.

Serve : form the sticky rice into mini balls shape and coated with serundeng

[Indonesian Traditional Food] Gohu - Unripe Papaya in Sweet, Sour and Spicy Syrup

They who come from Manado (the capital of the North Sulawesi province of Indonesia) are definitely familiar with this drink. Gohu is pretty much similar with asinan (assorted fruits in sweet, sour and spicy syrup). The typical characteristics of Gohu are in the use of ginger water and the unripe papaya.



My dear friend Sefa posted about this on her blog around August 2008 and I got really excited (since I'm a big fan of asinan, and unripe papaya that usually appears in rujak- assorted fruits in peanut sauce). This is the refreshing way to make use of unripe papaya! *Thanks Fa*

Gohu
Recipe by Miund's Mother, copied from Sefa of Dapur Negeri Dongeng

Ingredients:
1 unripe papaya, peeled, cut julienne
500 ml water
3 tbsp granulated sugar (dita-I used gula jawa/coconut sugar/palm sugar)
1 tbsp vinegar (as desired)

Spices, grind :
3 red chilies, soak in hot water, drained (dita-as desired, add more chillies if you want a kick!)
1 knucklebone of fresh ginger, peeled



Directions :
1. Boil the ground spices with water. Remove from the heat and sieve.
2. Add sugar, mix until dissolved. Season with vinegar. Mix well. Let it stand until cold (room temperature).
3. Fold in unripe papaya. Mix well and store in refrigerator for 1-2 hours before serving.

[Indonesian Traditional Food] Roti Gambang - Gambang Bread (Indonesian Traditional Bread)

Some of my Indonesian friends know that this bread would bring the childhood memories back. Do you remember Roti Lauw (there are bread men using bicycle and put the breads on a box on their bike, selling anykind of breads around the neighbourhood) that usually sell this chewy brown bread? I bet you do.



In fact, it's really easy to make, better than the ones I usually bought from the bread man ;). When I baked the bread, my entire flat smell heavenly. I did a little reworked from the original recipe. I skipped milk powder and used coconut powder instead. And added more spices (nutmeg and clove powder).

Gambang Bread - Indonesian Traditional Bread
Original recipe by: Femina Online
Modified by Riana with a little reworked from me



Ingredients :
250 g Java red sugar, grated (you can substitute with palm granulated sugar, but the texture would be a little bit drier)
175 ml water
375 g all purpose flour
125 dry fine bread crumbs
25 g milk powder (dita-I used coconut powder)
1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
2 tsp baking powder
2 tsp cinnamon powder (dita-I added nutmeg and clove powder)
1/4 tsp vanilla powder/vanilla extract
2 egg yolks
50 to 100 g margarine, to your taste. The more the margarine, the softer the bread. Many people like it chewy. (Original recipe: 200 g)
3 Tbsp water, for brushing
3 Tbsp sesame seeds



Directions :
1. Boil Java red sugar with water until dissolved and hardboiled. Set aside and let cool.
2. Mix flour, breadcrumbs, milk powder, salt, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, vanilla and egg yolks. Blend well. Pour in sugar syrup, knead until well blended.
3. Blend in margarine, knead until well blended.
4. For the dough into ball shaped, cover with pastic sheet. Set aside for about 30 minutes at room temperature until the dough becomes dry and easy to roll.
5. Uncover, form the dough into round oval shape, each weighed 75 g. Arrange them on greased cookie sheet, give space among them as they will rise. Brush the surface with water, sprinkle with sesame seeds. (dita-don't flatten the oval shape or they will end up like biscotti just like mine :D).
6. Bake in a preheated oven at 150˙Celsius for 30 minutes until done.

Yields 12-15 oval bread

[Indonesian Traditional Food] Wedang Ronde - Ginger Ronde Drink

A popular dish from Java Island.

And here's my entry for FOOD PHOTOGRAHY competition to celebrate the 1st anniversary of Klub Berani Baking (Indonesian Baking Club).





Wedang Ronde (Ginger Ronde Drink)
Adapted from Yasa Boga



Ingredients:
Dumplings :
• 150 grams glutinous rice flour
• 2 teasoons sago flour (dita-I used tapioca flour)
• salt, according to taste
• 25 cc betel lime liquid/air kapur sirih (??) (dita-I skipped)
• 50 cc warm water
• food dye, according to preference

Filling :
• 50 grams peanuts, dry-fried, peeled and pounded coarsely with 2 tablespoons granulated sugar

Ginger Syrup :
• 1 litre water
• 2 ½ tablespoons ginger, minced
• 3 stalks lemon grass, cut into 3 pieces each and bruised
• 2 pandan leaves, knotted
• 200 grams granulated sugar (dita-I used palm sugar)



Directions :
• Dumplings : mix glutinous rice flour, sago flour and salt. Add betel lime liquid and warm water a little at a time, kneading until the dough can be shaped. Divide into 2-3 parts, each dyed a different colour.
• Make balls as big as quail’s eggs, flatten and place filling in the centre. Close up the dough and reshape into balls.
• Cook balls in the boiling water until they float and are done. Drain.
• Put Ronde balls in ginger syrup and serve.

• Ginger Syrup : boil water and ingredients in covered saucepan on low heat for 30 minutes until the aroma is quite strong. Sieve.

[Indonesian Traditional Food] Biji Salak - Sweet Potato Balls in Palm Sugar Syrup

Making this brings my childhood memories. My mom used to make this dessert during ramadhan. Actually you can get this popular break-fast dish from the street vendor but we always prefer the homemade ones :).



After having some sips of warm sweet tea, this is definitely a luscious break-fast dish.

Biji Salak - Sweet Potato Balls in Palm Sugar Syrup
adapted from Dapurbunda

Ingredients :
500 g sweet potatoes
50 g tapioca flour
¼ tsp salt



Syrup :
250 g gula Jawa/palm sugar/brown sugar/coconut sugar, shredded
250 ml water
1 pandan (screwpine) leaf

Coconut Milk Sauce :
500 ml coconut milk
2 pandan (screwpine) leaves
¼ tsp salt

Directions :
1. Steamed sweet potatoes until done. Remove from heat. Peeled and mashed.
2. Take mashed sweet potatoes, mix with tapioca flour and salt, knead until smooth. Roll into small balls, about 1 cm in diameter, set aside. Sprinkle with flour to avoid sticking.
3. Bring water to a boil, and drop in the sweet potato balls, cook until they float. Drain and set aside.

Syrup
Directions :
Put the water, sugar, and pandan leaf in a saucepan and boil, strain and put back in the saucepan. Boil again. Add in the balls until they are all floating. Serve with coconut milk sauce.

Coconut Milk Sauce
Directions :
Cook coconut milk with salt and pandan leaves, stirring on low heat until the mixture boils. Remove from heat. Cool and serve.

[Indonesian Traditional Food] Klepon - Sweet Rice Balls Stuffed with Palm Sugar

Ramadhan is a special month of the year for muslims throughout the world. During this month muslims fast from dawn to sunset everyday. It's time for inner reflection, self-control and devotion to God.

In the month of ramadhan, we usually eat sweet for breaking our fast. Maybe because I'm far far away from my home country, Indonesia, I got excited to make anykind of Indonesian traditional dessert nowadays.



In Indonesia when ramadhan comes, we could find traditional desserts everywhere, especially in the street vendor. They sell variation of sweet before iftar. These kind of desserts known as jajan pasar (jajan means buying some food from the street vendor, pasar means market) because usually they sell food in the market instead of the street.

In this special month, I'm going to make posts about some of Indonesian traditional food. Enjoy!!

Dearest Lubna dan Yasmeen, here's my submission for "Joy from Fasting to Feasting". Ramadhan Kareem.



This one is my family all time favorite :).
Klepon (Sweet Rice Balls Stuffed with Palm Sugar)
adapted from : here



Ingredients:
* 1½ cups glutinous rice powder
* ¾ cup lukewarm water (dita-I used coconut milk)
* 2-3 drops green food coloring or pandan paste
* 8 tsp. grated coconut sugar/Java dark brown sugar/gula Jawa/palm sugar
* 1 cup fresh-grated coconut, mixed with ½ tsp. salt



Directions :
* Mix the glutinous rice powder with the lukewarm water and green food coloring into a firm but flexible dough.
* Pull off one full teaspoon of the dough and shape it into a ball with approximately 1-inch in diameter.
* Push a finger into the center of the ball to make a hole, and put in approximately ½ tsp. of the grated sugar. Seal, and roll it back into the ball shape with the palms of your hands. Prepare all the balls and set them aside.
* Prepare a pot half filled with water and bring it to a boil.
* Drop the balls into the boiling water. Remove the balls with a spoon once they float to the water surface and then roll the balls in the grated coconut.
* Serve at room temperature.

Makes 30 rice balls.

Fried (and Baked) Blueberry Cream Cheese Pies

I got this bright idea recipe from Dhi's *thanks dear*. It's easy to make (since it use ready to use puff pastry) with delicious results. The only thing that you should prepare is the filling. You can varied the filling depend on the fruits you like.



The original recipe ask for apples but since I didn't have ones, I managed to use the leftover frozen bluebberies mixed with cream cheese mixture.

I made 2 versions on this recipe. The fried ones and the baked version. Both tastes scrumptious! But frankly, I'll pick the fried one although my waistline prefers the baked one :D.


The Baked Ones

Here's the original recipe :

Fried Apple Pies
adapted from Epicurious via Dhilicious

Ingredients:
* 2 sheets of puff pastry
* 5 pcs apples, grated
* 2 cups unfiltered apple cider
* 1 1/2 cups water
* 4 tbs light brown sugar
* 1 teaspoon grated orange zest
* 2 pcs cinnamon sticks
* extra sugar if you like it sweeter

Directions:
Pie Fillings:
1.) Briskly simmer all filling ingredients & a pinch of salt
2.) Stir occasionally & mashing apples with a potato masher,
until a thick purée forms, about 20 minutes. Cool completely.

Directions:
1.) Divide pastry dough into 6 equal pieces.
2.) Roll out 1 piece on a lightly floured surface with rolling pin
3.) Place 2 tbs of filling in center. Lightly moisten edge with water
4.) Fold dough over - I made triangle shape
5.) Press out air around filling, pressing edge to seal.
6.) Transfer to a large sheet of parchment papers.
7.) Heat 2 inches of oil in a heavy pot (preferably cast-iron)
over medium heat.
8.) Fry pies. Layers should separate slightly as they get crisp,
turning occasionally, until deep golden-brown.
9.) Transfer to rack to drain.
Dust warm pies with icing sugar before serving.



Blueberry Cream Cheese filling (dita-my version) :
Ingredients :
1 cup blueberries
2 tbsp sugar
1 tsp balsamic vinegar
1/2 cup cream cheese
1/4 cup icing sugar

Directions :
1. In a saucepan combine the blueberries and sugar over medium heat. Bring to a boil, stirring occasionally, until sugar dissolves (3-5 minutes).
2. Simmer for 7-10 minutes or until blueberry are tender. Add balsamic vinegar. Remove from heat.
3. Whisk cream cheese and sugar until creamy. Mix blueberry mixture with cream cheese.


The Fried Ones

(KBB # 7) Colourful Birthday : Apple Tart with Almond Nougatine

Yiippeeee!!! Happy 1st anniversary KBB (Klub Berani Baking is Indonesian Baking Club where a bunch of Indonesian ladies gather and daring ourselves to try new recipes every 2 months)! Through KBB, we share recipes and make friends. And to celebrate KBB 1st anniversary, they gave us 3 special options for the challenges : COOKING, BAKING and FOOD PHOTOGRAPHY. It's up to us which one we want to choose.

I chose 2 challenges to join, BAKING and FOOD PHOTOGRAPHY. And here's my entry for BAKING competition.



My entry for FOOD PHOTOGRAPHY competition, here.

Apple Tart with Almond Nougatine
adapted from Ripe for Dessert by David Lebovitz (the original recipe is Rhubarb Tart with Almond Nougatine)

The Dough :
6 tbsp (3/4 stick) unsalted butter, chilled
1/2 cup sugar
2 large egg yolks (reserve the whites for the nougatine topping)
1 1/4 cups flour
1/2 tsp salt



The Filling (dita's version) :
1/2 stick butter
4 apples, peeled and cored
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
a pich of ground black pepper
a pinch of ground nutmeg

The Almond Nougatine :
2 large egg whites
1/4 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1 1/2 cups sliced almond

Directions :
To make the dough :
1. Cut the butter into 1-inch pieces and let stand at room temperature for 10 minutes. Butter the bottom of a 9-inch springform pan.
2. With an electric mixer or by hand, beat the butter with the sugar until no visible lumps of butter remain. Beat in the egg yolks. Add the flour and salt and mix at low speed until the dough begins to come together.
3. Gather the dough and press it evenly over the bottom and halfway up the sides of the prepared pan. Use the heel of your hand. (Dust your hand with a bit of flour if the dough is sticking to them). Put the pan in the freezer for at least 30 minutes.
4. Position the oven rack in the center of the oven and pre-heat the oven to 375 degrees.

To make filling :
4. Melt the butter in heavy medium skillet over medium-high heat.
6. Add brown sugar. Cook until thick grainy sauce forms, about 1 minute.
7. Mix in apples. Cook until apples are tender and sauce is reduced to glaze, tossing often, about 7 minutes.
8. Mix in spices. Cool filling at least 30 minutes and up to 3 hours.

9. Remove the springform pan from the freezer (dita-prick the base of the pastry with fork several times) and line with foil. Pour in a single layer of pie weight, dried beans or raw rice. Bake the dough for 20 minutes (dita-15 minutes). Remove the pie weights and foil and bake for 5 to 10 minutes more, until the dough is browned. Remove from the oven and cool on a wire rack. Do not turn off the oven.
10. When tart shell has cooled, spread the apples filing in it.

To make the almond nougatine :
11. beat together the egg whites, brown sugar and cinnamon with a fork. Stir in the almonds. Spread the nougatine evenly over the tart.
12. Bake the tart for 40 minutes (dita-30 minutes), until the nougatine is crisp and browned. Cool the tart on a wire rack for 15 minutes. To serve, remove the sides of the springform pan.



Serving : serve with vanilla ice cream or grand marnier-flavored whipped cream, or simply eat by itself.

Take a seat and please enjoy the step by step video ;)