Gift pack for Choc Chip cookies

We make and sell  Choc Chip kismis, Choc Chip Almond, Choc Chip Hazel and Just choc chip.  This is the gift pack version.

Simple orange cake

Picipu brought home some  plump oranges. They were sweet and very juicy   She said it cost RM2.00 each.  Alhamdulillah for this bounty.

This morning, there was only one orange left and for everyone to be able enjoy this last fat orange, Hajar and I made a simple orange cake.  I had only 1 egg left and the recipe calls for 2 eggs.  I increased the orange  juice and baking powder and we had a lovely orange cake. Anyway,  less egg is better.

Orange cake 

125 gm butter (softened)

1/3  cup milk

1/2 cup orange juice

1 egg

1/2 cup caster sugar

1 1/2 cup plain flour with 2 teaspoon baking powder or 1 1/2 cup self raising flour with 1/2 tsp baking powder

Zest of 1 orange

a pinch of salt

Beat butter and sugar.  Add egg, milk and orange juice.  Add the sifted flour and salt. Add in orange zest. 

Pour into a cake tin that has been greased and sprinkled with flour.

Bake at 180 oven for 40 mins until golden brown.  Poke the middle with toothpick to see if cake is done.

You are sweeter than lots of candy

Start them young

                                               Sammy and Bella


The whole family love to watch My Kitchen Rules on 702 Astro, on Fridays.  Yesterday was the finals for which team is the best cooking team.

This is the 2nd season and it is our favorite cooking show.  We look forward each  time to see  the meals they set up at their own homes, their presentation, the all sorts of dishes they will be cooking, and the 2  gorgeous judges Manu and Pete.  The contestants kind of grow on us and gradually from the first episode to the finale, we got to know them better and see what they are  about .  This Aussie production has got a wonderful line-up of people, who are interesting in their own ways with  their charms and quirk. And of course, their passion for cooking.

In the last season the winners were the beautiful and talented  ladies, Leigh and Jen.  Yesterday 2nd season  winners were Sammy and Bella.   We also got to know yesterday that these 2 young cooks and sisters had been helping their grandmother in the kitchen since they were 3 years old. 3!!!! And if they started cooking at 3, it is no wonder by the time they got to their present age, early twenties,  their cooking is as good as real professional chefs, a comments given to them by the guest judges, and were better than the older and more experienced contestants. At the beginning, all the contestants were good, but Sammy and Bella had proven to have the talent, skills,  perfectionism and tenacity that kept them safe from eliminations and finally winning the contest.  It  shows that you do not win by talent alone.

So, moral of the story, get your daughters or sons to help in the kitchen as early as they can, provided you keep away all sharp objects.  Let them put cherries on the cakes or roll out some dough and by the time they grow up, they will be amazing cooks like Sammy and Bella.

Youth Festival at Putrajaya

We walked 2 km in the hot sun at the festival to search for Intan's stall.

Along the way, the girls stopped at a few 'attractions'.

Big bubbles for big girls

We finally found Intan (my niece) and her delicious cookies and pies

   
                                     

                                         

Picnic at Putrajaya

Apple pie for picnic at Putrajaya

That night I made apple pie for our picnic.

The girls were sprawled out watching Wreck-it Ralph.

"What shape do you like, Ai?" I asked Picipu.  "Star", she replied.  Sign of ambition.

"Ja?" I asked Hajar. "Love," said my daughter with the loving heart.

"Mi?" I asked Mimi. "Teeth", a predictable answer from a future dentist, InsyaAllah.

The only shape  I could think of was, well, you know.

I am sure all of you can do better than this.

Apple cinnamon pie

4 apples, peeled and sliced thinly
150 gm butter
300 gm flour
2 tablespoon brown sugar
1 tablespoon caster sugar, more if you want a sweeter filling
1 heap tablespoon ground cinnamon,
a bit of iced water
1/2 teaspoon of salt (put in iced water)
1/2 cup of raisins

Rub butter into flour When mixture resembles breadcrumbs, add in enough ice water and salt (put in little by little) to form a dough.  Roll out pastry and line the pie dish. The remainder keep to cover the apples.

In a separate bowl, mix apples, sugar, cinnamon and raisin. Arrange apples on the pastry. Cover with another piece of rolled out pastry. Make a hole for the steam to escape. Sprinkle sugar on the top of pie if you like.

Bake 180 oven for 30 minits on lower grill and another 20-30 min on both grills.