Makmur....

I found this....

...and decided to make these...

Biskut Makmur is the all time favourite for a lot of people, especially during Hari Raya.  I never did really like this biscuit.  Maybe because of only one reason.....it's too crumbly!  Before even putting it in your mouth, there'll be a trail of powdery crumbs following you from the plate to your mouth!  And do not even think of opening your mouth while munching on them.  If you do open your mouth, you'll be just like a dragon.  But instead of breathing fire, you'd be spraying ashes of makmur! 

My late Nyai used to make lots of them and I think they should be nice as quite a lot of people ordered from her.  I liked the smell of the dough and the peanut filling while my Nyai was making them.  I can still remember that.  It was not until a few years back that I started to eat these biscuits and thought "Hmmmm...they are not that bad and messy after all".  Maybe I didn't know how 'to handle' them when I was young..hahaha..  But still I had no desire to try to make them myself eventhough most of the ones we bought were nowhere near 'nice'...  My husband bought a bottle of biskut makmur from Simpang Renggam about 2 months ago for us to try.  It was a small bottle. There may be about 30-40 pieces in it.  Lo and behold!  It was tasty and not too fragile when being handled!  It did not take us too long to finish up that bottle though.  Two weeks after that, when we went to Simpang Renggam to buy more of them, but there were no more to be found!  The shelves were empty!!  What a disappointment...sigh...

Yesterday, I decided to try make them myself after I found the 'penyepit'.  Found a recipe that looked ok enough for me to try.  Quite easy to make but I didn't really like the texture and taste.  The peanuts I bought was also not that tasty, I guess.  It had a funny smell....  Aaahhhhh...maybe it was just me who did not do justice to the recipe.  I spoke to my aunty last night and asked her if she can give me the original or actual recipe.  Will give this new recipe a go once my existing bottle of biskut makmur is finished!

Epok - epok

Each time I make epok-epok, I have to make 3 different types - potato, sardine and kosong.  The kosong is requested by Nadyn.  If we buy epok-epok, she's ok with the kentang ones but if I make them at home, she will automatically say "I want the kosong one!".  This time round I was able to make quite a lot as my Mum gave me her old trusted pastry roller machine thingy.  Both of us were so happy when we found out that the motor was still ok.  Anyway, if it decides 'to go', I can still roll it manually using the available handle. 

The epok-epok kosong puffed up like a ball in the hot oil!  Once done, it was nice and crispy!

I made the filling using about 2.5kg of potatoes.  I'll usually make a lot and freeze them in the freezer.  They especially come in handy when you have unexpected visitors at home or as a snack on any lazy afternoon for lazy me...hahaha..  The all-time favourite, epok-epok...

Another Choux for me..

We had this for breakfast yesterday - Choux Fritters.  It's very light and tasty.  I like the fact that it has cheddar cheese in it and on the outside, it is coated with cinnamon sugar.  Niceee...

This is very nice especially if you like cucur bawang, cucur ikan bilis, cucur udang, cucur sayuran, or any other cucur-cucur lah.  Instead of the normal flour batter, this uses choux pastry and is coated with cinnamon sugar.  Quite a nice change.  Tasty indeed!

Choux Doughnuts anyone?

I am crazy about choux pastry at this present moment!  There are so many other recipes to try out, but I end up trying out different choux pastry recipes.  I am in love with "chouxs"!!

My daughter wanted those ordinary sugar-coated doughnuts yesterday.  And so, being a good Mum..ehemmm..I went straight to the kitchen once everything else was settled, and started with the doughnut making.  All seemed to be going on well.  I got the dough and cut them out using the doughnut cutter.  Arranged them on the tray and left them aside to "grow".  After about 45 minutes or so, I came back in the kitchen and checked on my doughnuts.  They did not "grow" at all, not even increased a millimetre!!!  Hmmphh...there goes all my effort.  I was not in the mood at all to try out another recipe.  Tried frying 1 or 2 pieces, but nothing happened.  It turned out hard.  What a waste!

Just last Saturday, I made another batch of Cream Puffs.  This time I added some cocoa powder to the Cream Chantilly.  I liked the result.  Everyone at home liked them too!  Sooo happy lah I!  My Mum, my brother and his family came over on Sunday and I served them some of this cocoa Cream Puff.

Did not take any pictures of those filled with the cocoa cream as I was too busy munching on them!  Hahaha...

I recalled looking through a recipe book that had Choux Doughnuts!  And why not give it a try.  So I took out Alex Goh's - Irresistible Pastry and tried it out.  It did not fail me.  It was such a pleasure to see the doughnuts turning golden brown in the hot oil!  They are just lovely.  You can either coat them with melted cocolate or icing sugar, it's totally up to you.  Ahhh...this is one recipe that I'll use over and over again.



My 'avant-garde' Kue Sus..

What an afternoon!  I had wanted to make something for all to eat at home and have been browsing through my recipe books.  Quite a few looked interesting but I ended up trying out the Cream Puff a.k.a Kue Sus.  I know the taste and I know how it looks like but I have never made it. 

And so I started on my quest.  Rummaged through the kitchen cabinets and drawers, gathered all the ingredients and tools of the trade.  Then I realised there were no more fresh milk left in the refrigerator.  Sighhh...time to go to recipe no. 2!  It's ok, there's still hope of trying out the cream puff.  Wasn't really sure which nozzle to use and also how to fix the attachment for the nozzle!  I just could not figure out how to fix it.  Finally, when all looked ready and ok, I started...Bismillah...

Alhamdulillah, it turned out ok and the taste is delicious, not too sweet and not too rich.  The texture of the Choux pastry is very light and slightly crispy at the edges.  The recipe is also soo simple to follow.  But take a look at the shape of the puff!  It's neither here nor there!  And so, this is the humble beginning of "My 'avant-garde' Kue Sus"!

Don't play-play ok.  It's a bit slanting here and a bit crooked there.  But it's mine, all mine!  Hahahaha!!  There are no two pastries that are alike.  All are different in their own way (especially when I was the one who piped out the pastry..LOL!)

Now take a look at this one.  It's like a mini 'icing sugar/cocoa powder capped' mountain.  My daughter said "The shapes don't look the same from all angles!"  Ahaa..can you actually replicate my cream puffs?  No easy task, right?!?!?

However funny they looked, I still like the taste.  It's so delicious and light.  As for the Choux Pastry, I got the recipe from the blog For the Love of Baking.  She's got a lot of lovely recipes with lovely pictures.  I didn't use her recipe for the filling as I did not have all the ingredients required.  Instead, I used the recipe from Rachel Allen, and I am glad I used that cos it is so sedap!  Now what I need to do is to practice piping the pastry so that it'll at least look like normal choux pastry!  hahaha...

Kue Sus (Choux Pastry)

130gm plain flour

1 tsp salt

100gm butter

4 eggs

250ml water

Place water, salt and butter in a saucepan and set over a medium-high heat, stirring until the butter melts.  Allow the mixture to come to a rolling boil then immediately remove from heat.  Add the flour and mix well.  Reduce the heat and replace the saucepan, stirring until the mixture starts to slightly stick to the base of the pan.  Remove from heat and let cool a while.  Preheat the oven to 200C.  Add the eggs, one at a time - beating either with a wooden spatula or a hand-held mixer.  Mix well until the mixture has softened and has a nice "dropping" consistency.  Place the dough into a piping bag fitted with a nozzle and pipe onto the the tray that has been lined with grease-proof paper.  Bake in the oven for about 25 minutes.

Creme Chantilly Filling

50gm icing sugar, sifted

1 tsp vanilla extract

400ml whipped cream (measure when whipped)

Fold the sifted icing sugar and vanilla extract into the whipped cream.  Chill until you are ready to use it.  Make a small slit on the pastry and pipe the Creme Chantilly into it.