Sagon Bakar [Indonesian Coconut Slice]

300g dessicated coconut
2 Tbs hot water
200g caster sugar
400g tapioca flour
100g caster sugar
100g margarine
salt
coconut essence, optional

Preheat the oven to 170C. Line the tray with baking paper.

Wet the dessicated coconut with the hot water. Mix well. Add in the sugar, salt, and flour. Combine well. Beat the margarine until pale. Mix in the combined dry ingredients and coconut essence if using. Using your fingers to mix them until well combined.

Spread the mixture on the tray and press to level. Mark the slices and bake for 20-25 minutes or until baked through.

Makes 16.

Blueberry Cheesecake

For the crust:

2 cups shortbread crumbs (about 20 to 25 shortbread cookies finely crushed)
6 tbsp. unsalted butter, melted

Generously butter a 9-inch springform pan.

Combine the shortbread crumbs and the butter in a bowl and mix well.

Pack the crumbs into the pan, making sure to spread them about a quarter of the way up the sides of the pan. Place the crust in the refrigerator while you prepare the filling.

For the filling:

3 8-ounce packages cream cheese, at room temperature
3/4 cup sugar
3 large eggs
1 large egg yolk
1/2 cup heavy cream
2 tbsp. finely grated lemon zest
1/2 cup fresh lemon juice
2 tbsp. all-purpose flour
2 tbsp. vanilla extract
1/2 tsp. salt
2 cups ripe blueberries

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.

Combine the cream cheese and the sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Mix at medium speed until smooth and fluffy (4 to 5 minutes).

Beat the eggs and the yolk in one at a time making sure to scrape down the sides of the bowl occasionally.

Add the heavy cream, the lemon zest and juice, the flour, vanilla and the salt. Mix well.

Using a rubber spatula, carefully mix in the blueberries.

Pour the filling into the prepared pan. Place the pan in the oven for 15 minutes.

Lower the oven temperature to 200 degrees F. and bake for an hour. Once done, turn off the oven and open the door slightly. Leave the cheesecake in the oven for 45 minutes.

Remove the cheesecake and let it cool completely on a wire rack. Once cool, refrigerate the cheesecake overnight (or for about 8 hours) before serving.

Serve the cheesecake with a fruit sauce like raspberry curd.

Enjoy!

Pecan pie cheesecake

You will require a 20 cm (8 inch) loose based cake tin, base lined.

PECAN CRUST
5oz of pecan pieces
7oz of brown sugar
1¾ glass of water
---> toast the chopped pecans for 5 minutes in the oven at 160°/ 320F
---> mix water and sugar in a pan, put on low het and bring to a
boil, stirring often. When it thickens, take it off the heat and stop
the (bain marie hm). Stir in the nuts before it hardens, then spread
on a cookie sheet lightly swept with oil. Let cool in the fridge.

CRUMBLE CRUST
1½oz of salt(ed butter
3oz of floor
2 tablespoon of brown sugar
---> Mix everything (everything what?) manually til you get a crumble
type dough, store in the fridge for later.

CHEESECAKE FILLING
12oz of Mascarpone cheese (creamy) or Ricotta cheese (firm)
12oz of Philadelphia cheese
1 teaspoon of vanilla essence
3¾oz of brown sugar
3 eggs
1 egg yolk
a pinch of lemon zest
---> Mix slowly, adding ingredients one after the others slowly.
---> grease the tin with butter. Pour in and bake in a low oven,
150C/300F, until the centre just wobbles and the top is golden brown
---> After 40mn, add the crumble dough on the cake so it bakes too
---> When the cake is done, take it out of the oven and spread the
caramelized pecans on top evenly. Refrigerate at least 6 hours before
serving.

Serve with a cup of cofee, Bon Appétit !

Pumpkin Cheesecake

Crust:
1 1/2 C Gluten Free Ginger Snap crumbs (food processor)
1/4 C Butter (melted)
1/4 C Sugar

Mix together and press into bottom of prepared springform pan. Bake in preheated 350 oven for 7-8 minutes. Set aside.

Filling:
2 packages softened cream cheese (I used one Fat Free Philadelphia Cream Cheese and one Neufchatel)
1/8 C granulated sugar
2/3 C brown sugar
1 T Tapioca Starch
1 T vanilla extract
3 eggs
1 1/2 C Pumpkin Puree (Libby's canned pumpkin)
3/8 t ground cinnamon
3/8 t ground nutmeg
3/8 t ground cloves

Cream cheese should be room temperature and softened. Stir sugars with tapioca starch and mix it with cream sugars. Add in vanilla. Beat eggs in separate bowl and mix into cheeses slowly. Spoon in pumpkin and sprinkle spices. Mix until just blended.

Pour into springform pan with crust and bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. Turn down oven to 325 and continue to cook for additional 35 minutes.

Gluten Free is delicious!!!

Raspberry Chocolate Cheesecake

Cake base

- Crush 125 gr chocolate biscuits
- Melt butter 50 gr butter in a frying pan - add crushed biscuits and stir until butter is absorbed
- Put this mixture in bottom of a springform tin (22 cm)
- Let cool in fridge

Chocolate cream cheese

- Beat 250gr cream cheese with 80 gr sugar till smooth and gently mix it with 150 gr whipped double cream
- Add 80 gr melted chocolate and stir till well incroporated
- Mix 6 gr gelatin powder with 15 gr water and let melt over boiling water. Incorporate it in the chocolate cheese mixture.
- Pour it in the tin and let set in fridge

Raspberry topping

- Blend 200 gr raspberries to puree
- Mix 100 gr sugar, 6 gr gelatin powder with 70 gr water and let melt over boiling water
- Mix with raspberry puree and 1/2 tbp raspberry liqueur
- Pour this mixture on top of the chocolate cream
- Let set in fridge

Homemade Okonomiyaki

Okonomiyaki is sometimes called Japanese Pizza because it is round and contains different ingredients. Okonomi means “As you like” and Yaki means “grilled” so every Japanese family has their own Okonomiyaki recipe “as they like”. Some people put seafood, mochi, kimchee or even cheese on it. Create your own Okonomiyaki that suits your taste buds!

Japanese families usually cook Okonomiyaki on a Hot Plate or Teppanyaki Grill in the middle of the dining table much like Fondue. All the family members pitch in to prepare the meal and enjoy conversation while waiting for it to be steamed. :o)

Special Kitchen Tools

Hot plate - A large frying pan will work also.
Grater or Food Processors
Mixing Bowl - A large bowl works best.


Ingredients

Japanese Cabbage - 1/2 of a head, approx. 300g
Nagaimo (Chinese yam) or Yamaimo Powder - 1 package
Sakura-ebi (Sakura Shrimp) - 3 tablespoons
Okonomiyaki-ko (Okonomiyaki Flower) - 3/4 cup
Pork (Thin sliced pork loin) - 6 slices
Okonomi-sauce - Moderate Amount
Mayone-zu (Japanese Mayonnaise) - Moderate Amount
Katsuobushi (Dried bonito) - Moderate Amount
Ao-Nori (Green Seaweed Flakes) - Moderate Amount
Water or Milk - 160 cc (I use milk for a better flavour)
Eggs x 2
Vegetable Oil - 2 Tbsp (I recommend Light Olive Oil)

Prep

1. Chop the cabbage to 1/4 of the head, cut off the core and shred.

2. Peel a nagaimo (chinese yam) and grate. Wrap it with paper towel to prevent it from slipping. At Japanese Specialty store also sells a great product called Yamaimo powder which works as a substitute for this.

3. Pour Okonomiyaki powder and water or milk into a bowl and mix until the lumps disappear and it is smooth. (If necessary, use a whisk to avoid creating lumps while mixing.)

4. Put eggs, nagaimo, sakuraebi (Sakura Shrimp), cabbage and the Okonomiyaki powder mixture together and mix it gently from the bottom to soak it with air.

5. Spread vegetable oil (1 tablespoon) on the heated hot plate or frying pan. Pour in half of the mixture gently to make a round shape. Cook it at 350 degrees for about 3 minutes. Then, put three pieces of pork on the top, make sure to stretch them thin.

6. Flip over and close the lid to steam for about 5 minutes.

7. Open the lid, flip over one more time, close the lid and steam for another 2 minutes. It is done!

8. Mix Mayonaise and Okonomi Sauce and spread it on top. Sprinkle katsuobushi (dried bonito) and aonori (Green Seaweed lettuce) “as you like”.