Sugar Cookies For Patrick's 4th Birthday

It is almost Christmas and I feel that (decorated) sugar cookies are appropriate treat for Patrick's friends at the daycare. So, we are doing the this project. First, looking for the recipe and cookie cutter. After that, start with the baking.

I am glad that I ended up with not-so-sweet cookie recipe but tastes good. I used the so-called A-merk (the so-called good brand) butter for the cookie. I avoid using not-known brand for butter, since I tasted the difference of the taste when I used certain random butter. Consequently, the cost of the ingredients is increased. But not significantly, fortunately.

Here is the recipe I used with some modification.

Ingredients:
750 gr. all purpose fluor (*I used this time only 700 gr)
475 gr. butter at room temperature
400 gr. fine granulated sugar (*if you want sweeter cookie, you can add the amount of sugar)
2 eggs at room temperature
1 tsp baking powder
2 tsp vanilla extract

Method:
1. Mix the sugar, vanilla and butter using the mixer at low speed while adding the butter. Mix it until it looks creamy.
2. Add the egg one by one and mix again at low speed until the dough mixed well.
3. Mixed the flour and baking powder in another bowl.
4. Add the flour and baking powder mix into the mixer bowl in several parts and mix it until it mixed well using the low speed.
5. Roll the dough between two sheets of plastic foil until it reaches the desired thickness.
6. Let the dough rest in the refrigirator for at least 1 hour.
7. Cut the dough using cookie cutter and bake the cookies on the baking sheet in the (at least half an hour) pre-heated oven (180Celcius) for around 10 minutes.

A tips: keep the rolled dough between the two sheets in the refrigirator while you cut the cookie dough. Roll the left over dough between the two sheets again and keep it in the refrigirator while waiting for the batch before baked in the oven. This will minimize the mess.

Here are the cookies, fresh from the oven.

You can decorate the cookie if you like to. In this picture, I used te Dr. Oetker ready to use marzipan in three colours. It was only a simple decoration. But it has made Patrick's birthday a good one.
My husband helped me to wrap the cookies in individual plastic bag and tied the bag with colour ribbon.

The theme was Christmas because Patrick's birthday is 24th December. We shared the cookies with his day care friends during his birthday celebration at the day care which was also a good bye because Patrick would go to school. This cookie is crunchy and not too sweet. That is why I love it and will definitely make it again.

Home made Quiche with Italian Sausage

This is a very simple dish. Easy to make, and does not require a lot of preparation.
However, there is a min point of this dish, it is not quite filling for a dinner, if you are used to eating rice for dinner.

But, I like this dish, especially if I do not have idea what to make.
And you can vary the filling.

Here is the variant with spinach and Italian sausage.

Ingredients:
1 box of frozen puff pastry
3 eggs
100-150 gram grated cheese
150-200 gram spinach
150 ml (fresh) cream
150-200 ml milk (or adjust as needed)
salt and pepper to taste
1/2 tsp nutmeg
3-4 Italian sausages, in slices
1 piece of butter
1 onion, cut

The steps

1. Let the frozen puff pastry at room temperature and set aside
2. Heat the butter and the onion until the onion is golden brown
3. Add the spinach, stir fry for a while
4. Add the sausages and spices. Stir that for 1-2 minutes.
5. Add the milk and (fresh) cream. Note: you may want to dilute the cream with the milk first before pouring it into the pan.
6. When the spinach is well soaked and reduced in volume and the mixture is almost boiled, taste and add the salt/pepper as needed.
7. Remove the pan, and wait until it is a bit cool, then add the beaten eggs and half of the cheese.
8. Prepare and arrange the puff pastry on the pie mold.
9. Bake the puff pastry in the oven, around 180Celcius and for 5-10 minutes.
10. Take the pastry out and fill in the mold with the spinach mixture.
11. Cover with the rest of the grated cheese.
12. Put it back in the oven and bake it for around 30 minutes or until the mixture is cooked and the cheese is melted and golden brown.
13. Enjoy it.

And here is my little hero ready to eat it.

Japanese Cotton Cheesecake

I really wanted to try to make this one. Japanese cotton cheese cake. A cake you can simply buy anywhere in Singapore. You can find some stores selling it in malls. However, it is not easy to find here, in the Netherlands.

To be honest, I really miss the cake shops back home, in Asia.

So, I tried to make this one a few months ago. I just have had the chance to post it.
The first effort was a total loss case. I did not mix the egg whites correctly. The cake separated. The second one was better, but can be better. The key is not to overmix it but you have to mix it correctly. So, no overmix but also no undermix.

The recipe below was taken and quoted from Little Teochew's blog. She makes very beautiful Japanese Cotton Cheesecake and she gives very good tips. Follow her tips for a good and delicious cotton cheese cake.

Here are the ingredients:
1. 140g fine granulated sugar
2. 6 egg whites
3. 6 egg yolks
4. 1/4 tsp cream of tartar
5. 50g butter
6. 250g cream cheese
7. 100ml fresh milk
8. 60g cake flour (it is not easy to find cake flour in the supermarket here. My tip is: go to Asian shop, you will find the cake flour on one of the racks)
9. 20g corn flour
10. 1/4 tsp salt

Steps

1. Preheat the oven at 160°C. Melt cream cheese, butter and milk over a double boiler. Cool the mixture. Fold in the flour, the cornflour, salt, egg yolks and mix well.

Tips: sieve the flour-cheese mixture before continuing to the next step to ensure a good and smooth cake result.



2. Whisk egg whites with cream of tartar until foamy. Add in the sugar and whisk until soft peaks form.

3. Add the egg whites to the cheese mixture to and fold well. Pour into a 8-inch round springform cake pan or removable-bottom cake pan (lightly grease and line the bottom and sides of the pan with greaseproof baking paper or parchment paper. The side lining baking paper should be 3-4 cm higher than the pan because the cake will rise during baking before settling to its final height). Wrap the base of your cake tin with aluminium foil, to prevent seepage.


Tips: Make sure that the cheese mixture and the egg whites are folded well. If the two do not form a well-mixed mixture, your cake will be separated to an upper sponge-cake like layer and an under pudding like layer.


4. Bake cheesecake in a water bath for 1 hour 10 mins or until set and golden brown at 160°C.


Tips: Instead of baking the cake in water bath, I put 2-3 water containers under the cake in the oven. This will give the same effect, but more practical.

During the first 60 minutes, cover the cake with aluminium foil. Remove the aluminium foil around 10 minutes to the end of the baking time to make the cake top brown and "dryer".


5. Leave to cool in oven with door ajar, about 30mins to 1 hour. Sudden changes in temperature may cause the cake to cool too quickly and collapse.

And here is how my cake looks like. Fresh from the oven.