Sugar and Cinnamon Fritters

It's Pool Party! over at I Heart Cooking Clubs (IHCC). I'm bringing something to snack on, Donna Hay's, Sugar and Cinnamon Fritters.

These are very easy and quick to make. Mix flour, baking powder, egg, milk, sugar, whisk to combine. Teaspoons of the batter is fried in hot oil for 2-3 minutes until golden brown, then drain on absorbent paper, and while still warm, roll in sugar-cinnamon mixture. 

I made only half the sugar and cinnamon mixture and there were plenty leftover.

Kids would love this sweet treat. 

Sugar and Cinnamon Fritters
(Donna Hay Magazine)
1 cup (220gm/7oz) caster sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 egg
1/2 cup (2 fl oz) milk
1/4 cup (55gm/2 oz) caster sugar, extra
1 cup (150gm/5-1/4 oz) all-purpose flour, sifted
1/2 teaspoon baking powder, sifted
vegetable oil, for deep-frying

Place the sugar and cinnamon in a bowl and stir to combine. Set aside.

Place the egg, milk and extra sugar in a bowl and whisk to combine. Gradually add the flour and baking powder, whisking well to combine. Heat the oil in a large deep saucepan over medium heat until hot. Add teaspoons of the flour mixture and deep-fry in batches for 2-3 minutes or until golden. Drain on absorbent paper and while still hot, toss in the cinnamon sugar. Makes 32.

This post is shared with 

I Heart Cooking Clubs (IHCC), theme for this week, Pool Party!

Cookbook Countdown #44

My Newest Gougeres

Cook the Book Fridays (CtBF) is cooking through Dorie Greenspan's latest book, Everyday Dorie, starting today! After my long break cooking with the lovely ladies at CtBF, I am back again, this time jumping into the wagon of Everyday Dorie. The first recipe that was chosen is My Newest Gougeres.

Gougeres are French cheese puffs, made with pâte à choux (the dough used for cream puffs), with added cheese, and Dorie's addition of Dijon mustard and walnuts. I have however omitted the walnuts as some of us are not fan of nuts. For the cheese, I've used Cheddar. These little puffs are quite easy to make, did not take much time at all. I've made half a recipe, baked half of it, and freeze the other half, though those would be gone soon!

I use a small cookie scoop to drop the batter onto the baking pan, and I got 25 gougeres for half a recipe.

Smells so cheezy nice while these are baking.

They are quite delightful and yummy! With light crisp crust and chewy soft centre. But I did find them a little salty. That being said, I would gladly made this again, with a lesser amount of salt.

Please do visit my friends' links at CtBF and see what they think of "My Newest Gougeres". 

The Union Square Cafe's Bar Nuts

If you are a nut lover, then do make these! They are addictive, just as Nigella says, "once you eat these, you will never want to stop"!

The nuts I've used are walnuts, hazelnuts, macadamia, peanut and almonds. Go easy on the salt. I have reduced the salt to half and thought that I could reduce it further. 

Sweet, salty, spicy, crunchy, and fragrant from the rosemary! This calls for a big glass of cold beer!

The Union Square Cafe's Bar Nuts
(Nigella Bites, by Nigella Lawson)
2-1/4 cups assorted unsalted nuts, including peeled peanuts, cashews, Brazil nuts,
hazelnuts, walnuts, pecans and whole unpeeled almonds
2 tablespoons coarsely chopped fresh rosemary
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
2 teaspoons dark brown sugar
2 teaspoons Maldon or other sea salt
1 tablespoon unsalted butter, melted

Preheat the oven to 350F.
Toss the nuts in a large bowl to combine and spread them out on a baking sheet. Toast in the oven till they become light golden brown, about 10 minutes.
In a large bowl, combine the rosemary, cayenne, sugar, salt and melted butter.
Thoroughly toss the toasted nuts in the spiced butter and serve warm.

Cookbook Countdown is cooking with Nigella Lawson this month. Make any dish of Nigella and join us. Or simply cook any recipe from any of your cookbook collection (other than Nigella's), and join us at Cookbook Countdown.

I'm linking this post with Cookbook Countdown #34 

Toasty Olive Oil Granola

It's Granola week at I Heart Cooking Clubs (IHCC). The theme for this week, Monthly Featured Ingredient/Dish : Granola! We are free to make any granola we like and feature it in any way we want. I love granola and have seen a recipe from Nigella Lawson which I've been wanting to try ever since I bought her book, Simply Nigella. 

Granola is very easy to make at home. Nigella's recipe uses olive oil, maple syrup, almonds both whole and sliced, brown flax seeds, sesame seeds, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, rolled oats with ground ginger and ground cinnamon. I did not have any maple syrup, so I have used an equal amount of honey.

Mix the ingredients together as per the instructions given, Nigella uses her hands to mix (using disposable vinyl gloves), but I've used a sturdy spatula which did a good job of mixing too. Bake for one hour at 300F, turning the granola over after 30 minutes of baking time, so that they bake evenly. Continue to bake until the granola is a deep rich brown. Let pan cool on wire rack.

Recipe makes quite a lot! This is very good! Very crunchy and not too sweet. Love it! Granola is one of my favourite snack to enjoy anytime of the day. My favourite way to eat granola is to enjoy it by the spoonfuls! The jar above, is the amount of the full recipe. By the next day, half has already gone. I'll be adding some dried fruits to my bowl, as I love having bites of dried fruits in granola, my favourite dried fruits are golden raisins, apricots and cranberries. And for the nuts, definitely almonds for granola.

Crunchy and very addictive! 

Enjoyed it for breakfast with milk and slices of strawberries. A great start to a busy day! Yum!

Toasty Olive Oil Granola
(Simply Nigella by Nigella Lawson)
Makes enough to fill 1x1.5 quart jar
3 cups quick-cooking rolled oats (not instant, preferably orgainic)
2 teaspoons ground ginger
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon sea salt flakes or kosher salt
3/4 cup raw almonds
1/2 cup sunflower seeds
1/2 cup pumpkin seeds
1/3 cup brown flax seeds
1/2 cup sliced almonds
3 tablespoons sesame seeds
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 cup maple syrup (I use honey)

1 x half sheet pan

1. Preheat the oven to 300F and line your baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. Tip the oats into a large bowl, add the spices and salt, and mix well. 
3. Now add all the nuts and seeds, and mix well again.
4. In a measuring cup, combine the oil and maple syrup, then pour the mixture into the oat, nuts, and seeds and, with either a fork, or hands encased in disposable vinyl gloves, mix to combine. Tip onto the prepared baking sheet, and move it around so that it covers the pan evenly.
5. Put in the oven to toast gently for 30 minutes and then, with spoons or spatula, turn it to help toast the underside as well. Put back in the oven for another 30 minutes, and then sit the pan on a wire rack until the granola's cold.

Store in a sealed jar or an airtight container for up to 1 month.

I'm linking this post with I Heart Cooking Clubs (IHCC), theme for this week

Monthly Featured Ingredient/Dish : Granola!

I'm also linking this post with Cookbook Countdown #25 hosted by 

Kitchen Flavours and Emily's Cooking (Makan2) Foray

Pithiviers

It is Tuesdays With Dorie week for Baking Chez Moi. Two recipes selected for this month, Black-and-White Marbled Madeleines which I have baked and posted here, and for this week it is Pithiviers. I have never made Pithiviers before, and Dorie's version is yummy!

Pithiviers, with puff pastry as the base and the top, sandwiched with the filling of frangipane and a layer of homemade prune jam spread on top of the frangipane. Very easy to make, especially when there's ready-made store-bought puff pastry stashed in the freezer!

My pithiviers is slightly smaller than the recipe states, as the frozen puff pastry I bought comes in 8" squares. Did not roll the pastry as they are already about 1/8 inch thick. You would need two sheets of puff pastry. I made the almond filling and prune jam the day before, keep refrigerated while the frozen puff pastry is left to thaw overnight in the fridge. I opted to use the dark rum over the vanilla extract for the prune jam. Both the almond filling and the prune jam are easy to make and takes only minutes.

Simply assemble the Pithiviers the next day. Place the smaller round of the pastry on a parchment lined baking sheet. Place the almond filling in the centre, and spread the prune jam over it. Brush the pastry with egg wash all around the filling, then top with the bigger piece of pastry. Press the edges together and seal. Brush the top with egg wash, then place in the fridge for at least 30 minute. Meanwhile preheat the oven at 450F. Remove the pithivier from the fridge, brush with egg wash once again, make some slits on top, and sprinkle with some sugar, of which I've used demerara sugar. Place in the oven, and immediately reduce the temperature to 375F. Bake until golden and puffy.

I did not seal the pastry well enough, and the almond filling leaked out, which is not a waste, as it bakes up around the pithiver, crispy and delicious! 

This Pithiviers are quite yummy. The prune jam and the almond filling are really good together. And I like it that it is not too sweet, with the crispy buttery pastry, makes it a delight to eat with a cup of warm tea.

Corn & Chive Fritters

I made these fritters for our afternoon tea snack during the weekend. This recipe is taken from the book by Parragon Publication, A Year Full of Recipes, one of the latest addition to my bookshelf. There are 365 recipes to try! Out of that many, this is the first one I pick.

I've used frozen corn kernels, thawed before using, and Chinese chives from my garden pot. The batter is simple and easy to put together. Once the batter is done, I test-fried one fritter and thought it needed some flavour. I then added some onion powder, and what a difference it made! 

These fritters are quite delicious. The onion powder adds a delicious flavour.  We dipped these fritters with some chilli sauce. They are also good without any dipping sauce, as they are quite tasty. These Corn & Chive Fritters makes a delightful snack to enjoy with the family.

Corn & Chive Fritters
(from A Year Full Of Recipes by Love Food)
1-1/2 cups all purpose flour
1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 cup milk
2 eggs, separated
2 tablespoons melted butter
1-1/2 cups canned or frozen corn kernels
2 tablespoons chopped chives, plus extra for sprinkling
oil for frying
salt and pepper
1 tsp onion powder (my addition)

1. Sift together the flour and baking powder into a mixing bowl and season with salt and pepper. Add the milk, egg yolks, and butter and beat to form a smooth batter. Stir in the corn kernels and chives.
2. Put the egg whites into a separate grease-free bowl and beat until they hold soft peaks. Fold lightly and evenly into the batter.
3. Pour a shallow depth of oil into a large skillet and heat until hot. Drop large spoonfuls of batter into the skillet and cook for 3-4 minutes, turning once, until golden brown. Cook in batches, draining the fritters on paper towels and keeping them warm, until you have made about 16 fritters.
4. Serve hot, sprinkled with chives.

I'm linking this post with Cookbook Countdown #13 hosted by 

Kitchen Flavours and Emily's Cooking (Makan2) Foray

Cranberry-Almond-Chocolate Clusters

This week at I Heart Cooking Clubs (IHCC), it is December's Monthly Featured Dish/Ingredient Challenge : Sweet Treats!.  I've made Ellie Krieger's sweet treat, Cranberry-Almond-Chocolate Clusters. Easy, simple and delightful. 

These chocolaty nutty sweet treat needs no baking at all. Simply toast the almonds and coarsely chop. Place in a bowl and mix with dried cranberries. Ellie's recipe uses dried cherries, but they are not available and even if I can find them, they are very costly. Dark chocolate is then melted, then mix the almond-cranberry into the melted chocolate, mix till well combine. Scoop heaping tablespoonfuls of the chocolaty mixture and place on baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Refrigerate for about 20 minutes until set. 

These are delightful to eat! 

Place each cluster on cupcake liners, would make a pretty plate on your dessert or snack table for the festive season. If I were to serve to guests, I would make them a little smaller, maybe a heaping teaspoon instead. These little sweet treats are a definite repeat!

Cherry-Almond-Chocolate Clusters
(So Easy by Ellie Krieger)
1 cup whole roasted almonds, coarsely chopped
1/2 cup dried cherries, coarsely chopped
6 ounces dark or bittersweet chocolate (60% to 70% cocoa solids), finely chopped

In a medium bowl, toss together the almonds and cherries. Line a baking sheet with wax paper.

Melt half of the chocolate in the top of a double boiler over slightly simmering water, over the lowest possible heat, stirring frequently, make sure the water is not touching the top pan. Remove the double boiler from the heat, and stir in the rest of the chocolate until melted. Remove the top pan with the chocolate in it, gently wipe the bottom of it, and set it aside for a moment. Replace the simmering water in the bottom pan with warm tap water. Put the pan of melted chocolate on top of the warm water. This will keep the chocolate at the right temperature while you make the clusters. 

(My note : I melted the chocolate in the microwave oven, and skip the step on placing the bowl of melted chocolate over a pan of warm water).

Stir in the fruit/nut mixture into the chocolate. Spoon out heaping tablepsoon-size clusters of the chocolate mixture onto the baking sheet about 1 inch apart. Put them in the refrigerator to cool and set for about 20 minutes. Store and serve at room temperature.

I'm linking this post with I Heart Cooking Clubs, theme for this week

Sweet Treats!

Sardine Spread

Cook The Book Fridays is cooking through David Lebovitz's cookbook, My Paris Kitchen, and the selection for this week is Sardine Spread. We love sardine as a filling for sandwiches and I was really looking forward to make this. 

I use two cans of sardine packed in extra virgin olive oil.  Drain the sardines and discard the oil.

Remove the bones from each piece of sardine. Mix the cream cheese and butter in a bowl and add the sardine, mashing them to combine. Cream cheese is an interesting ingredient here. Add some chopped scallions, capers, lime juice, salt, black pepper, cayenne powder to taste. Mix everything together. That's it! This has got to be the most simplest recipe from this book, so far! Simple and delicious!

We had the Sardine Spread with my homemade Olive Oil Focaccia, made into a sandwich, with lettuce leaves and slices of cheese, for dinner. The family loved it. 

I have always used canned tuna for making similar sandwich spread like this, but instead of using cream cheese and butter, I have always used mayo. Now, this Sardine Spread, has a place along with my favourite tuna spread. I will definitely be making this again. 

Do stop by CtBF to view everyone's take on this delicious Sardine Spread. If you have the book or thought of getting one, please do, and join us! Full details here.

Pepperoni and Egg Breakfast Tart

Cookbook Countdown Specials : Bake is a baking event, which I'm co-hosting with Emily's Cooking (Makan2) Foray.  This is a "spin-off" from our on-going monthly Cookbook Countdown. Cookbook Countdown Specials : Bake is for baking desserts ; pastries, cakes, cookies, pies, tarts, breads. While the monthly Cookbook Countdown is to use from one selected cookbook each month, for CC Specials : Bake, you may use any baking cookbooks of your choice, either from one single cookbook or from numerous books. The link is open from July to end September. You may link your post here. Do join us, everyone is welcome!

To link to Cookbook Countdown Specials : BAKE, click here

To link to Cookbook Countdown #9, click here

*************************************

A savoury bake that is perfect for brunch or as a light lunch. It is quick, easy and delicious. If you have a pack of frozen puff pasty in the freezer, thaw it overnight in the refrigerator, and by breakfast or lunch time the next day, you will be able to serve this savoury tart in less than half an hour.

The actual recipe is named Bacon-And-Egg Breakfast Tarts, but I do not have any bacon. However, I do have a pack of pepperoni which I wanted to use up. The pepperoni makes a delicious substitute. Or even slices of ham will be good too.

I've made this tart before with bacon, when I first purchased this book. And we really enjoyed it at that time. Definite worth a repeat! I've used a 4 inch square of puff pastry sheet bought from the supermarket, makes it so much easier, as there's really no need to measure and cut to size. Perfect size for individual serving.

The puff pastry is scored on all sides to make a border, then spread in the centre of the pastry to the cut lines,  with a mixture of cheddar cheese and sour cream. Bacon or pepperoni slices are pan-fried just until barely crisped. Place a few pieces on the cheese mixture and bake the tart in a preheated oven until the pastry is puffed, crispy and golden, takes about 15-18 minutes. Meanwhile fry the eggs to your liking.

When the pastry is ready, place a fried egg on top of each one, sprinkle some black pepper and chopped chives over, and serve immediately. With a cup of warm tea, would be very nice.

I drizzled some hot sauce over my eggs. Yums! Enjoy!

In the author's own words "Make these for a special brunch, especially if you want to impress your friends or in-laws."  

Pepperoni-And-Egg Breakfast Tarts
(adapted from Home Baked Comforts, by Kim Laidlaw)
makes 6 tarts
1 sheet purchased frozen puff pastry, about 10 x 14 inches (25x35cm), thawed
3/4 cup (3oz/90gm) shredded white Cheddar or Gruyere cheese
1/3 cup (2-1/2 oz/75gm) creme fraiche or sour cream
12 thick slices applewood-smoked bacon
1 tbsp olive oil
6 large eggs
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
1 tbsp roughly chopped fresh chives

Position a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 400F (200C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

On a lightly floured work surface, roll out the pastry into a rectangle about 12x15 inches (30x38cm). Trim the edges (I like to use a pizza wheel and a ruler to cut puff pastry). Cut the rectangle into 6 equal rectangles, each about 5x6 inches (13x15cm). Using a small, sharp knife, cut a line around each rectangle about 1/2 inch (12mm) from the edge. Do not cut all the way through; you just want to create a ridge when the pastry is baked. Using a fork, prick the pastry inside the line all over. Lay the rectangle on the prepared baking sheet. Refrigerate while you prepare the toppings.

In a small bowl, stir together the shredded cheese and creme fraiche. In a large frying pan (it's best to choose a nonstick pan with a lid, so you only have to clean one pan), fry the bacon over medium-low heat until just barely crisped, about 5 minutes. Drain on paper towels. Discard the fat in the pan.

Dollop a spoonful of the cheese mixture in the center of each pastry rectangle and spread it out to the cut line. Roughly chop the bacon and sprinkle it over the cheese mixture. Bake until the pastry is puffed, crisp and golden, about 15 minutes.

While the pastry is baking, fry the eggs. In the large frying pan, warm the olive oil over medium-low heat. Crack the eggs into the pan. Sprinkle with salt and a few grinds of pepper. Cover the pan (this is a handy trick for making beautiful over-easy eggs) and cook until the whites are cooked through and the yolks are still a bit runny.

Place the tarts on warmed plates and top each with a fried egg. Sprinkle with chives and serve.

I'm linking this post with Cookbook Countdown Specials : Bake
 hosted by Kitchen Flavours and Emily's Cooking (Makan2) Foray

Sweet & Salty Popcorn

This week at I Heart Cooking Clubs (IHCC), the theme is "Something To Eat On The Sofa!". I've made one of Curtis Stones's (the current featured chef at IHCC),  popcorn recipe, Sweet & Salty Popcorn, which I got from the website coles.com before the recipes became unavailable. 

These popcorn are made using maple syrup, of which I did not have any, so I've used Lyle's Golden Syrup, Maple Flavoured. I love Lyle's Golden Syrup which I always have in my pantry, and think that it is a wonderful substitute for Maple Syrup.  

Popping Corn kernels and Lyle's Golden Syrup. I love Lyle's Golden Syrup which I always have in my pantry, and think that it is a wonderful substitute for Maple Syrup.  

These popcorn are addictive! But they are not as crunchy like the ones we buy from the snack corner at the movies. My kids and hubby never fail to get their tubs of popcorn whenever we go for a movie. Not me though, I would pinch from their tubs if I want, but most times I prefer not to snack when at the cinema. At home is entirely different though!  :)

According to the tip by Curtis Stone, these popcorn would not set hard and crunchy because maple syrup is used. For a crunchier popcorn, replace half the maple syrup with sugar. I've made these using all golden syrup and even though they are not as crunchy, these are really yummy to eat. With the butter and the golden syrup, it has a delicious buttery butterscotch flavour. A big bowl of these yummy popcorn is just what you need when lazying on your sofa watching your favourite TV show. According to my son, these popcorn are even better than the ones they always buy from the snack corner at the cinema! I still have about 2 cups of popping corn kernels, so I'll be making more popcorns real soon. I think I'll try Curtis Stone's suggestion to replace half the maple syrup with sugar for a crunchier bite, just to see the difference.  

Sweet & Salty Popcorn
(adapted from coles.com by Curtis Stone)
Ingredients
1/4 cup vegetable oil (I use 3 tablespoons)
1/3 cup Popping corn (I use 1/2 cup)
75gm butter, chopped
3/4 cup Maple syrup
1 tsp sea salt flakes (I use scant 1/4 tsp, as the butter is salted)
2/3 cup toasted pecans, finely chopped (optional) (omitted this)

Method :

1. Heat oil in a large saucepan over high heat. Stir in corn. Cover and cook, shaking pan, for 3 minutes or until corn has popped. Pour into a large heatproof bowl. Set aside to cool.
2. Place butter, maple syrup and salt in a small saucepan over medium-high heat. Cook for 5 minutes or until reduced and thickened slightly.
3. Drizzle maple mixture and nuts (if using) over popcorn. Toss gently to coat. Spread popcorn on a tray lined with baking paper. Set aside to cool.

Tip : This popcorn won't set hard and crunchy as maple syrup is used instead of sugar. If you want crunchy popcorn, replace half  the maple syrup with caster sugar. Store popcorn in an airtight container for up to 2 days.

I'm linking this post with I Heart Cooking Clubs (IHCC), theme for this week,

Something To Eat On The Sofa!

Pigs In Blanket

"February Potluck", theme for this week at I Heart Cooking Clubs (IHCC). For our potluck week, I've made a simple snack that I'm sure everyone is familiar with, Pigs In Blanket. The name is rather cute! I've made Pigs In Blanket before which I would usually serve with a combination of mayo and chilli or tomato sauce. This time, I've decided to make Nigella Lawson's version, served with mustard sauce.

 

I'm sure everyone knows how straightforward easy it is to make Pigs In Blanket. To save time, use store-bought frozen puff pastry. The mustard sauce is a mixture of Dijon mustard, whole-grain mustard and sour cream.

Roll out the pastry a little to make it a little bit thinner, cut to size, brush each pastry section with egg wash, place a frankfurter one side, and roll it up snugly, pressing the seams to seal. Cut the rolled frank to your desired length, place seam side down, on parchment lined baking sheet,  glaze with egg wash and ready to go into the oven. I've baked them for 22 minutes to get them all golden brown at 200C. 

These are the perfect snack, the adults would enjoy these as much as the kids! A great idea to stock up some frozen puff pastry and frankfurters in the freezer, and these can be made in a jiffy. Just make sure you thaw the frozen pastry and frankfurters first! These little "piggies" can be assembled, cut and keep covered in a tray in the fridge, to be baked later. Brush them with egg wash just before baking. These may be served with your favourite chili or tomato sauce, or my kids' favourite; a mixture of mayo, mustard and tomato/chilli sauce! Serve a plateful of these little Pigs In Blanket with the dipping sauce in the centre, and I'm sure everyone would reach out for them! Who can resist pastry and frankfurters!

You don't really need a recipe to make Pigs In Blanket, (it's just puff pastry and frankfurters!) But then, since I did make the mustard sauce from Nigella's book, so here it is :


Pigs In Blanket
(adapted from "Nigella Kitchen", Nigella Lawson)

1 x approx. 17.3-ounce package ready-rolled puff-pastry sheets
     (gives 2 sheets, each approx. 10x9-1/2 inches), thawed if frozen
1 egg
3 x 12 ounce packages frankfurters or hot dogs (gives 21, but you only need 16)

for the mustard dipping sauce :
scant 1/2 cup wholegrain mustard
scant 1/2 cup Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons sour cream

1. Preheat the oven to 425F. Roll out one of the rectangular puff-pastry sheets to make it just a little bit thinner, stretching the long side rather than the short side as you roll. Cut the rectangle into quarters, then cut each rectangle in half lengthwise, to give 8 small pastry strips in total. You may need to roll each strip of pastry a little more to make sure it wraps snugly around your frankfurter.
2. Beat the egg in a small bowl and paint each pastry section with the egg wash. Sit a frankfurter horizontally on the left-hand side of one of the pieces of pastry and roll it up until it just seals. Then do the same with the remaining 7 small pastry strips.
3. Cut each rolled frank into 4 small pieces, pressing the pastry back around the sausage if it comes loose. Then place on a parchment paper-lined lipped baking sheet with the sealed bit down to prevent it springing open.
4. Paint the franks in blankets with the egg wash, and put them in the oven for 15-20 minutes. The pastry should have puffed up a little and turned golden. You can get on with the other sheet of pastry while the first lot of franks are cooking and repeat the process with the remaining franks.
5. Mix together the mustards and sour cream and put in little bowls.
6. Put the cooked franks in blanks onto a plate and serve warm with the dipping sauce in the little bowls (for ease of eating and passing) on the side.

Make Ahead Note : The frankfurters in their pastry can be assembled 1 day in advance. Put cut-up pigs in blankets on lined lipped baking sheets but do not glaze the outside. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until needed; store egg wash in a separate, covered container in the refrigerator. Glaze and bake, following instructions in recipe.

I'm linking this post to I Heart Cooking Clubs (IHCC), theme for this week "February Potluck"

Spiced Mixed Nuts

"Nibbles & Noshes", the theme for this week at I Heart Cooking Clubs (IHCC). I'm going "hot and nutty" this week with Spiced Mixed Nuts.

There's pumpkin seeds, peanuts, almonds, pistachios, cashew and I've thrown in some hazelnuts as well. Flavoured with the sweetness of honey (did not have maple syrup), spiced with curry powder, cayenne powder with dried rosemary and salt. Just mixed and bake until the nuts are fully toasted and crispy. They will be sticky from the honey. Some of the nuts will clump together when left to cool, no problem, just separate them later. But I find that I have to bake them about 10 minutes longer than the recipe states. 

I've used more cayenne powder, about 1/2 teaspoon and they have just the right kick in the spiciness, which I really, really like. Sweet and spicy, and very, very addictive. This is great for munching alongside a cold glass of beer!

Spiced Mixed Nuts
(adapted from "The Food You Crave" Ellie Krieger)
1/2 cup raw peanuts
1/2 cup raw almonds
1/3 cup shelled raw pistachios
1/3 cup raw cashews
1/3 cup shelled raw pumpkin seeds
1 tablespoon pure maple syrup
1/2 teaspoon curry powder
1/8 teaspoon cayenne powder, or more to taste
1/2 teaspoon dried rosemary
1/4 teaspoon salt
cooking spray

Preheat the oven to 325F. 

Combine the nuts and seeds in a medium bowl. Add the maple syrup, spices, rosemary, and salt and toss to combine,

Coat a baking sheet with cooking spray, then transfer the coated nuts to the sheet and spread evenly in a single layer. Bake, stirring once, until the nuts are fragrant and lightly toasted, 15 to 20 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool. The nuts will keep in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.

I'm linking this post with I Heart Cooking Clubs (IHCC), theme for this week

"Nibbles and Noshes"

and 

Cook-Your-Books #28 @ Kitchen Flavours

Croissant : Bake-Along #80

Bake-Along #80 theme bake is "Croissant", selected by Lena, to bake together with Zoe, myself and anyone who wishes to bake-along with us. When Lena suggested Croissant as our bake-along, I have mixed reactions to it, LOL! Firstly, croissant has been on my list for ages. This very "leceh" (troublesome!) yeasted pastry is a challenge indeed to make in our super hot blazing weather and I'm not sure whether I could pull it through. But I would love to give it a try, so why not! And tried it I did, a total of 4 times! And I failed in all tries!

Croissant is a yeasted pastry with a layer of butter enclosed in between two layers of yeasted dough. It is then rolled and folded (laminating process), which is repeated three times, then the final rolling to a very thin layer, cut to triangles and rolled into croissants. In between all the rolling and folding, the dough has to be refrigerated to keep it cool at all times. Some of the recipes requires that in the initial stage, the dough need to be refrigerated overnight, before it is rolled and folded the next day. Then again, before the final rolling and cutting, the dough is refrigerated once again overnight. It takes about 2-3 days, depending on the recipe, to make a batch of croissant. 

The first recipe I tried, the yeast did not rise at all. What a bummer! The second time I  made it using a different recipe (Bourke Street Bakery), I made half a recipe. During the laminating process, the butter leaks out, and I am unable to roll it out, even when I tried patching it with flour. In the end, I baked the croissant as squares as I did not manage to roll it out thinly. It was really ugly, but my goodness, it tasted awesome! The top is all crispy with soft chewy bread-like centres, and deliciously buttery! 

Dissatisfied, I tried making it again with the same recipe, but again, the butter softened really fast, even though I refrigerated the dough very often in between rolling, and was extra careful with the rolling. I failed again and that dough landed in the bin. After wasting a few bars of butters, and the time spent on it, I was feeling very frustrated, and asked Lena how her croissant was. Lena gave me the link to this recipe and I thought that whether successful or not, I'll just try this one more time. I was glad that this is a small recipe, it is easier to handle.

I did manage to roll it out thinly, cut it and shape into croissants.

.... and baked them till golden brown.

but I am not satisfied with this at all. These are far from perfect!

I love eating croissants and I'm not giving up on my attempt to make them again. There are many areas for me to improve. Making these yeasted pastry in our hot weather is very, very, challenging, and very, very, frustrating! I will have to make a few adjustments to that! 

Anyone interested to try your hands at making this really challenging Croissants? Please do! Join us, and link your post in our linky below.

I'm not giving the recipe, but if you would like to give it a try, you can find it here.

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Do stop by Lena of Frozen Wings and Zoe of Bake For Happy Kids, and all our friends who has baked along with us in the linky below :

For our next Bake-Along, we will be baking "Bacon Cheddar Scones", from Bouchon Bakery, pg 72, or here. Please do join us, link your post to our linky which will open from 18th till 27th June. Everyone is welcome to join us! Only current post please.

A friendly reminder when linking to our blog hop :

1. Please mention Bake-Along event in your own post linking direct to any of the hosts' post (Joyce, Lena or Zoe)

2. Please link only new and current post, PLEASE FOLLOW THE BAKE OR THEME provided by us. Unrelated post will be deleted.

3. Feel free to display our Bake-Along badge in your post.

An InLinkz Link-up

Mini Croques-Monsieur

"Fromage S'il Vous Plait!" (Cheese If You Please), the theme for this week at I Heart Cooking Clubs (IHCC). I've made Mini Croques-Monsieur, which according to Jacques Pepin, these mini sandwiches can be prepared ahead and baked as needed for a large party or wedding reception. Well, I made this for our afternoon light lunch.

Ham slices and cheese are sandwiched between two slices of white bread, which is buttered and toasted till brown and crispy.  I've used yellow cheddar cheese.

Cut into mini squares to serve. My kids rather enjoyed these cute little mini sandwiches.

Mini Croques-Monsieur
(adapted from "More Fast Food My Way", Jacques Pepin)
makes 6 mini sandwiches

Arrange 2 thick slices white bread next to one another on the counter and cover 1 slice completely with slices of cheese. Add 1 slice ham to cover the cheese and then add another layer of cheese and ham before finishing with the other slice of bread. Spread about 1 teaspoon butter on each side of the sandwich and arrange it on a foil-lined cookie sheet. Bake in a preheated 375-degree oven for about 12 minutes, or until the croque-monsieur is brown and crusty on both sides. Cool for about 5 minutes. Trim off the crust if you like and cut into 6 small rectangles. Serve hot with toothpicks.

I'm linking this post with I Heart Cooking Clubs (IHCC), theme for this week 

"Fromage S'il Vous Plait!" (Cheese If You Please)