These scrumptious impress-theguests treats look as good as they taste.
These scrumptious impress-theguests treats look as good as they taste.
"Cookie dough can be made ahead and kept in the refrigerator for a week before baking."
BUTTER COOKIES COATED WITH CHOCOLATE
Prep 20 mins | Cook 40 mins | Serves 8
230 g unsalted butter, room temperature
70 g icing sugar, sifted
2 tsps vanilla essence
¼ tsp fine salt
300 g all-purpose flour, sifted
CHOCOLATE DIP
150 g cooking chocolate
1 tsp vegetable oil
Hundreds & thousands sprinkles, for decorating Hard candy, crushed coarsely
1. Preheat oven to 160 C. Line baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. In a bowl, cream butter, sugar, vanilla and salt for 3 to 4 mins, until pale. Cookie dough can be made ahead and kept in the refrigerator for a week before baking.
3. Mix in flour to form a dough. Divide into two portions. Wrap in cling wrap and let them sit in the refrigerator for 30 mins.
4. Remove one and allow to thaw slightly, then roll out to 0.5 cm thickness. Cut out shapes using a cookie cutter of your choice. Next, place the cut-out cookies onto baking sheet, slightly apart and bake for about 15 to 17 mins. Repeat with second batch. Leave aside to cool.
5. CHOCOLATE DIP In the meantime, melt chocolate in microwave, stirring every 30 secs or over a double boiler until chocolate dissolves. Add in vegetable oil to ensure the chocolate stays glossy.
6. Dip one side of each cookie into chocolate then place onto a wire rack to allow excess chocolate to drip off. Top with sprinkles and crushed candy.
7. Store in airtight container.
"You can prepare dough ahead: Freeze cut-out doughnuts, after they have risen for the second time, in a container."
PEANUT BRITTLE DONUTS
Prep 20 mins + Proofing | Cook 20 mins | Serves 4
300 g all-purpose flour, sifted
5 to 8 tbsps crushed peanut brittle
60 g softened butter
40 g caster sugar
Pinch of fine salt
6 g active dry yeast
1 egg
130 ml full cream milk, slightly warmed Oil for deep frying
GLAZE
160 g confectioners’ sugar, sifted
4 to 6 tbsps full cream milk Blue and rose-pink food colouring
1. In a mixing bowl, add in flour, peanut brittle, butter, sugar, salt, yeast, egg and milk. Beat mixture using a dough hook until dough pulls away from the sides of the bowl.
2. Remove dough onto a floured tabletop, gently knead until smooth. Lightly grease a deep bowl with oil and put the dough in. Cover with cling wrap and let it rise at room temperature until it doubles in size.
3. Turn the dough out again onto a floured table top and roll it to 1 cm thickness. Cut out with a doughnut cutter. Knead the scraps together and roll it out again to make more doughnuts.
4. Place cut-out doughnuts onto a floured baking tray and leave room between each one. Cover with kitchen towel and allow to rise for a second time.
5. Deep fry doughnuts in hot oil, a few at a time. Cook until they are deep golden all over and remove to a wire rack to cool.
6. GLAZE In a bowl, combine sugar with milk and stir till smooth. Mixture should be thick and runny. Divide into 2 portions, colour one portion blue and the other rose pink. Dip cooled doughnuts into the glaze and let it set for 20 mins before serving.
"You may substitute feuilletine with unsweetened cornflakes or rice puffs."
KEK LAPIS OPERA
Prep 20 mins | Cook 1 hour | Serves 10
165 g superfine flour, sifted
4 g fresh nutmeg seeds, finely grated, sifted
3 tsps mixed spice, sifted
1 ½ tsps fine salt
370 g salted butter
2 tbsps condensed milk
10 egg yolks
190 g caster sugar
5 egg whites
60 g caster sugar
½ tsp cream of tartar
400 g dark chocolate, chopped
200 ml whipping cream (35 per cent fat) Feuilletine flakes (available at baking supply stores), for topping, optional
1. Preheat oven to 180 C. Just before baking, change to top grill mode at 200 C.
2. Line base of 17-cm square baking pan with a layer of parchment paper and lightly grease sides of pan.
3. In a bowl, add the dry ingredients flour, nutmeg, mixed spices and salt. Set aside.
4. Cream butter till light and fluffy. Add condensed milk 1 tbsp at a time and beat for 1 min after each addition. Set aside.
5. In another bowl, whisk egg yolks with sugar for 5 to 6 mins until mixture is pale and thick. Set aside. Next, whisk egg whites with cream of tartar for 2 mins, then spoon in sugar in three parts. Whisk until egg white mixture is stiff and glossy.
6. Fold in alternately ⅓ of flour mixture, ⅓ egg yolk mixture and ⅓ egg white mixture into the creamed butter mixture. Repeat process with the remaining ingredients and mix until well combined.
7. Place prepared empty baking pan in the oven for 5 mins. (This step will ease the batter to smoothen out easily).
8. Spoon 4 tbsps of cake mixture onto the prepared baking pan and spread mixture evenly. Bake for 7 to 8 mins or until light brown. (If needed, use skewer to prick any air bubbles on top of cake).
9. Repeat the above step layer by layer until mixture is all used up. Leave cake to cool in the baking pan until fully cooled.
"This recipe works great with other jam flavours. Dough keeps well for a week in the refrigerator."
THUMBPRINT PINEAPPLE COOKIES
Prep 20 mins | Cook 40 mins | Serves 8
200 g unsalted butter, room temperature
50 g confectioners’ sugar, sifted
1 egg yolk
2 tsps vanilla essence
½ tsp fine salt
310 g all-purpose flour, sifted
1 egg white, for brushing
50 g instant cereal
1 bottle store-bought pineapple jam
1. Preheat oven to 160 C. Line baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. Cream butter, sugar, egg yolk, vanilla essence and salt for 3 to 4 mins.
3. Mix in flour to form a dough. Cling wrap dough and leave in the refrigerator for 30 mins.
4. Remove from fridge and when dough is slightly thawed, roll into small balls of 10 g each. Press each down slightly with your thumb to get an indentation. Smoothen back the dough should there be any cracks.
5. Brush sides of dough balls with egg white and roll the sides with instant cereal. Spoon ½ tsp of pineapple jam to fill each indent.
6. Bake for 15 to 17 mins. Remove to cool on wire rack.
TEXT: SA’IDAH SHEIKH JAFFAR / PHOTOS: ROBIN YONG/BLU INC MEDIA / ART DIRECTION: CHIN CHEE LEONG / RECIPES & FOOD STYLING: CINDY KOO
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