Vanilla Bean Cupcakes with Salted Caramel Filling

On a trip to PasarBella one day, I found really reasonably-priced vanilla pods. 4 for $8.90 (I seem to recall) I grabbed, without really know what I would do with them. It has then been on my mind to try a vanilla bean cupcake. Everyone needs a basic cupcake recipe. I've my go-to recipe for chocolate cupcakes from ThePioneerWoman. My favourite fruit-based cupcake is definitely the Hummingbird or the Sticky Date. Now and then, I like a banana walnut muffin. Guess it's time I venture into the realm of a classic vanilla cupcake. Hopefully one that is soft, light and slightly crumbly yet moist. 

Google for vanilla cupcakes and many versions of "the Best vanilla cupcake" & "the Perfect Vanilla cupcake" popped up. Taste is subjective after all. I supposed I would have to test out a few recipes like I did for my chocolate cuppies. Decided on the recipe by My Baking Addiction. She has many cupcake recipes under her belt and all looks great! In addition, hers is one of the few recipes that uses seeds from vanilla pod. Being a newbie to this pod and vanilla business, I decided to go safe and chose that I can follow, rather than use my own judgement. This is also a white cake recipe which means it omits egg yolks and I've seen many recipes using white cakes which seem to give a lighter and fluffier crumb. 

Took the recipe, did accordingly except to reduce the sugar content as with all US/European recipes I follow as those tend to be too sweet for the typical asian palate (or could be just me!). Then, I brought the remaining of my salted caramel sauce to room temperature and spooned a teaspoon of it into each cupcake, cover back the cup cap and frosted with a vanilla bean SMB. The cake is slightly on the dry and tough side; I wonder if it's the reduced sugar content. Though the salted caramel made up for the dry cake, I would still prefer a softer crumb with more moisture on its own. It could be me baking this for the first time or could be the reduced sugar. May try again by increasing the milk or egg next time. However, the whole flavour combination went quite well, with the salted caramel adding a sweetness to the light and fragrant with vanilla seeds buttercream. Probably worth another try!

Vanilla Bean White Cupcakes (from my baking addiction. Make around 20 cupcakes)

2.25cups cake flour

1 tablespoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon seasalt

1.25 cup milk, room temp

4 egg white, room temp

113g unsalted butter

1 cup sugar

seeds from 1 vanilla bean

2 teaspoon vanilla essence

Steps: 

1. Beat softened butter with sugar and vanilla bean seeds until light and fluffy. 

2. Add in vanilla extract and beat till combined

3. Sift flour, baking powder and salt together. Add 1/3 to the butter mixture and beat on medium speed.

4. Whisk together sugar and egg whites. Add 1/2 to the mixture and beat on medium speed. 

5. Beat in half of remaining flour mix, then milk mix. 

6. Add the last flour mix and continue to bear. Add the last of the milk mixture and beat until combined. Increase speed to high and beat for 3 minutes. 

7. Pour into cupcake holders and bake at 180C for 22 minutes. 

8. Cool thoroughly.

Salted Caramel Filling (from Kelsey Nixon)
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup water
3/4 cup heavy cream
50g unsalted butter
1 teaspoon sea salt

Steps:
1. Combine sugar and water in a saucepan or pot.
2. Keep mixture on low heat until sugar is dissolved.
3. Bring to a boil, do not stir.
4. Boil until the mixture turns amber (for around 5minutes)
5. Remove from heat and whisk in the heavy cream. Be careful of sputters. 
6. Stir in the butter then the salt.
7. Cool to room temperature before keeping. 
Note: This will make a large portion. Keep the rest in the fridge up to 2 weeks and bring to room temperature or re-heat before using.

Vanilla Bean Swiss Meringue Buttercream (from Sweetapolita)
5 large egg whites250g granulated sugar340g unsalted butter, softened and cut into cubes1 teaspoons vanilla bean paste or essenceseeds from 1 vanilla podpinch of salt
Note: You will probably use less than half of this portion. Keep the rest in the fridge for 1 week or freezer for up to 1 month. Remove from fridge and rewhip with paddle attachment to make it smooth before using again.

Steps:1. Place egg whites and sugar in a clean and dry metal mixer bowl, and simmer over a pot of water (not boiling), whisking constantly but gently until the sugar has completely dissolved and the egg whites are hot.
2. Using the whisk attachment of mixer, immediately start whipping until the meringue is thick and glossy. The mixture should be at room temperature by now (It may take around 10 minutes)
3. Switch over to paddle attachment and on low speed, start to add butter cubes gradually, and mix until it has reached a silky smooth texture. Add vanilla, salt, and seeds from vanilla bean. Continue to beat on low speed until well combined.

Assembly:
1. Cut a small hold on top of cupcake, dig out some of the cupcake crumbs, insert a dollop of salted caramel.
2. Frost with vanilla bean swisss meringue buttercream.
3. Serve at room temperature so that the salted caramel oozes and is not a chilled ball.

Multi Grain Rice Salad

To balance all those sinfully rich desserts and daily Milo/coffee drinks I indulge in, I try to make balanced wholesome meals at home sometimes. Much as I try to buy enough for 3x cooking a week, we usually end up cooking barely once or at best, twice. Today I discovered an even faster way of whipping up a meal than my usual cut/marinade/oven-grill. It's probably used by many ladies all the time already but somehow only occur to my little-used culinary mind.. and that is to cook rice in the rice cooker and steam the vegetables at the same time!

Everything will put together in only 15min of prep and 30 minutes of cooking (by the rice cooker). It was delicious and entirely wholesome! Multi-grained rice cooked to plumpness, steamed broccoli and carrots for the vegetable portion, chickpeas and tuna in olive oil for protein, avocado for healthy fat and coriander/chilli padi for that additional oomph to the overall flavor of the dish.

Hub and I loved the one-bowl dish and he has declared this as his preferred grain over quinoa. It's so easy to eat that we probably over-ate the necessary portions and it kept us full over the next 5 hours! It's so easy, so healthy, so packed with nutrients, I urge everyone to try this:

Ingredients: (serves 2 hungry adults)
3/4 cup Multi-grain rice (you can substitute with brown rice or quinoa)
Cut Broccoli and sliced carrots (or any veg of your choice)
4 garlic cloves
Pinch of Sea salt
Half can of garbanzo beans, washed and drained
1/2 can of Tuna flakes in olive oil
1 avocado, sliced
Handful of coriander
2 chilli padi

Dressing:
6 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon honey
Juice from half a lemon
2 finely chopped garlic cloves
1 finely cut chilli padi
Sea salt and pepper
Mix everything together, stir to emulsify and place in fridge to cool

Method:
1. Soak rice for 15 minutes, wash and place in rice cooker
2. Add 1.5 cups of water, one tablespoon olive oil, pinch of sea salt and garlic cloves. Start the "cook" process.
3. 10 minutes later, add the broccoli and carrots to the steaming basket and place into the rice cooker.
4. 10 minutes later, add the chickpeas to the steaming basket.
5. Once rice is cooked, toss vegetables, tuna and dressing together. Add avocado, coriander and chilli padi to serve.

Goodness in a plate!

Sticky Date pudding

It's a new found love. Sticky Date pudding. Prior to trying this bake by a friend, I've never had any interest in date puddings. The lure of decadent chocolate layer cakes and calls from walnut-studded carrot cakes just distract me too much usually. To my surprise then, the sticky date cake my fren baked was uber good! Her version is light and a little fluffy, almost has the texture of a steamed cake. That.. started my journey into dates and butterscotch!

Still, few places I frequent offer sticky date cakes on the menu. It's an Australian favorite and my search for good sticky dates has so far proclaimed Robert Timms to have the best one. Heard that PS Cafe and Marmalade Pantry have good renditions as well. Planning to go PS Cafe next week, will update!

Sticky date pudding is also not a difficult bake, in fact, one of the more fuss-free recipe with less things to wash up. I used the recipe from The Little Teochew, and as with all her bakes, the cake did not disappoint. It's my 3rd time baking this today and so far, all who have tried it liked the cake. It's yummy, easy and you can ease back on the sugar and butter scotch. To all fans of sticky date pudding, please please try this on your own. You'll love it!

Recipe (Source) :

Cake:
270g pitted dates (I used King Soloman Deri Dates)
1 1/4 cup water
1 tsp bicarb soda
60g unsalted butter, chopped
1 1/4 cup all purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
100g brown sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla essence

Preheat oven to 180C.

1. Place dates and water in a pot, bring to boil on high heat.
2. Add bicarb soda and unsalted butter. Remove from heat and cool for around 10 min.
(be careful, the mixture will bubble up when soda is added, make sure the pot has sufficient height)
3. Blend the mixture with a hand blender
4. Add the eggs and vanilla essence and blend to combine, short few pulses is sufficient.
5. Mix all flour and sugar in a separate bowl and ensure that sugar has no clumps.
6. Add the wet mixture into the dry mixture and fold in to combine.

Pour into lined 8-in pan and bake for 55 to 60 minutes. I tent it after 30 minutes to prevent a charred top.
(If using muffin cups, bake for 25 - 30 minutes)
I made 1.25 times the above portion and baked for 60 minutes. I think 5 to 10 more minutes would be good as the base was still a little molten.

Butterscotch sauce:

180g thickened cream
160g brown sugar
150g unsalted butter
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon sea salt

Place all ingredients in a pot and bring to boil. Simmer at low heat for around 5 minutes, constantly stirring the mixure until it thickens.

Once cake is done, cool for 10 minutes. Poke numerous holes in the cake and drench the sauce over cake. This ensure that the dates become sticky with the caramel sauce.

Drizzle more butterscotch for that additional buttery sweetness.
Serve warmed with a scoop of vanilla bean ice cream for best enjoyment.

The sauce can be refrigerated and stored for up to 2 weeks. Reheat before use.
Puddings can be refrigerated for up to 3 days and warm before serving.
Yumz!

Spicy Mango BBQ Sauce

Over the last few weeks, I've come to realised that being a vegetarian in the neighborhoods of SG is difficult and not exactly healthy. There's usually only 1 store selling V food in each food place and most sell fried bee hoon/white rice/ brown rice with a variety of mostly fried beancurd (& skins) and greasy/spicy vegetables. There's also usually many choices of bean products, somewhat done to resemble meat in taste/texture as well, which just doesn't cut it for me. If I want to be vegetarian, I wanna eat vegetables!

After 2 weeks of greasy beehoon and bread in every form, we went to Salad Stop at Novena Sq. Spinach, pumpkin, sunflower seeds, onions, mango etc wrapped in a toasted spinach wrap with a spicy thai sauce was refreshing. Now... That's a healthy vegetarian dinner for us!

It can also be easily replicated at home. I set out to look for a delicious and non-creamy dressing since I shun anything that screams milk. Pinterest, my latest best friend, yielded a recipe that suits just this occasion! Adapting it in a variety of ways due to availability (or rather unavailability) of ingredients in the nearby supermarket, the Spicy Mango dressing is borned.

Definitely spicy, the sweetness of the mango somewhat tempered it and a fruitiness in the sauce shone through. However, beware if you are non-spicy eater, the bird's eye chilli has a potency that creeps up on you. In a very Singaporean way, it would simply be Shiok!

Recipe:
1 Large very-ripe Mango, diced
Juice from half a lemon
1/2 an onion, chopped
5 cloves of garlic, chopped
2 teaspoon sea salt
4 chilli padi, cut (seeds removed if you prefer it less spicy)
1/2 cup unsweetened apple juice
2 tablespoons maple syrup
1/2 cup sunflower oil
2/3 cup ketchup
2 tablespoon rice vinegar
2 tablespoon Nando's Garlic Peri Peri sauce (optional, I added it just to increase the usage)
Black Pepper (to taste)
Coriander (optional, I used it when I use this sauce as a marinade, it complements the taste)



It's a very simple recipe. Cut and measure everything, dump it all into a pot, bring to boil and simmer for around 10 -15 minutes. Cool it and I used a hand blender to emulsify it.

I used it as a marinade for the grilled chicken breast (no longer vegetarian but trying to stick to lean protein) and mixed 3 parts natural yoghurt to 5 parts sauce as the salad dressing. Thumbs-up by the hubby!



Add some toasted walnuts, dried cranberries and thick cubes of mango to the usual salad suspects and you've yourself a very satisfying grilled chicken salad.