Catching up

..... with CNY baking. I know I've been slacked with blogging and baking for at least 3 weeks. This blog would probably be neglected for even longer period, but because I really like baking my own pineapple tarts that pushed me to start preparing the pineapple paste last week. The usual shredding, cooking, and rolling them into little balls.

Unlike years of making all covered up, i wanted to 'expose' them!! Open tart or nastar? A very ignorant me, I thought the nastar was using a knife to cut the pastry across many times. I tried that before and of course, the outcome was disastrous! Until recently i saw a post from Quinn that i realised that there is actually a tool to make nastar, and it cost only a few bucks. I did open tarts before, like 4 years ago, and i still have the moulds.

Ok, Sunday is a good time to start baking CNY cookies, and here it goes. But only nastar. Because there's not enough pineapple paste left for open tart. Maybe next year? There are probably about 190 pineapple nastar, and they are definitely prettier than my closed pineapple tarts ;-)

With some leftover dough, i added chocolate rice and 'concorted' my own Butterfly cookies.

Tiramisu Charlotte Cake

My laptop is giving me problems again!!! Urgggh! It happened after we got a free subscription for virus and the usual activity of checking mails, editing photos, write a post, etc became snail slow. I really couldn't stand the speed (pun intended) and the frustration that sometimes the laptop get hanged after i open a few application, and even shutting down the laptop is a pain!

The last straw came when chatting for 2 lines in msn with my friend, the laptop decided to stop responding for more than 2 times today. Out goes the virus scan - bye ;-) Hopefully i won't have other problems with the laptop or its speed.

All these technie problem made blogging a nag, which is why my tiramisu charlotte cake took a while to be here. I love how the cake looks in Happy Home Baking, and of course, mine couldn't hold a candle to hers. Although the cake taste good, it was almost 'melting' by the time we eat the cake. Luckily the recipient of my cake is very pleased with it, and thank me profusely. She's none other than my aunt wendy's mil. If i could put up the pictures taken during that day, you could see how happy she was on that day, because it's another of our big family gathering and celebration! The next time i attempt this delicious and pretty cake, i would probably add gelatine.

Oreo lemon non-baked cheesecake (Icebox cheesecake)

Many times i got stuck in what i want to write in my blog, and how to start writing or have an opening statement... just like now.

Perhaps i should just leave it as Wordless Tuesday, or maybe not?

This Oreo Lemon non-baked cheesecake (aka icebox cheesecake) is made especially for my youngest aunt steph, whose birthday falls on this Thursday. We had a little celebration on Sunday and we will be getting a birthday treat from her this Friday. It's celebration-makan-and celebration-makan and more celebration-makan since Dec and it does not seem to end anytime soon ;-) That's how fortunate coming from a very big family like us!

Ingredients/ Method:

(Recipe adapted from Food-4Tots with modifications)

Crust

11 slices of digestive biscuits

55g unsalted butter, melted

1. Crush the biscuits and mix with melted butter and press firmly in 8" round springfoam baking tin.

2. Refrigerate until ready to use.

Filling

1 tbsp gelatine powder

3 tbsp hot water

250g cream cheese, room temp

40g caster sugar

2 large egg yolks

zest from 1 large lemon

3 tbsp lemon juice (i doubled the amount and it was too sour)

2 tsp cointreau (can omit)

150g diary whipping cream

Oreo topping

6 pieces of oreo biscuits, crushed finely

1. Dilute gelatine powder with hot water in small bowl until dissolve. Set aside.

2. Beat cream cheese and sugar until soft and creamy.

3. Add in egg yolks, followed by lemon zest. Mix well and set aside.

4. Pour dissolved gelatine powder into cream cheese mixture and mix quickly.

5. Add in lemon juice and cointreau. Mix well and set aside.

6. Whip cream with hand whisk till creamy and soft peak. Do not overbeat the cream.

7. Fold in whipped cream into cream cheese mixture until well combined.

8. Spoon filling onto crust. Smoothen the surface.

9. Spread crushed oreo biscuits onto the cake and press lightly.

10. Cover the baking tin with cling wrap and refrigerate for at least 3-4 hours (best overnight) until firm before serving.