Recipe - Es Puter (Indonesian Traditional Ice Cream)

Indonesian Jackfruit Ice Cream

This is my favourite desserts of all time.

Indonesian made their ice cream using coconut milk instead of regular milk, which made this ice cream very tasty.

The regular flavours are as follow:

• coconut
• chocolate
• red bean
• mung bean
• durian
• jackfruit
• avocado
• palm sugar

Here is the recipe, if you are tempted to try it.

Ingredients:

• 1 litre coconut cream
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 pandan leaf, cut into a few pieces
• 150 g sugar
• 1 tbsp cornstarch, diluted with 3 tbsp water
• For flavouring:
• Coconut: 200 g young coconut flesh, roughly minced
• Avocado: 200 g avocado, roughly minced
• Jackfruit: 200 g jackfruits, roughly minced 
• Durian: 200 g durian, roughly minced
• Mung bean: 200 g mung beans, soaked in water for 1 hour, then boil until soft
• Red bean: 200 g red beans, soaked in water for 1 hour, then boil until soft
• Palm sugar: replace sugar with 200 gr palm sugar, shaved
• Chocolate: 50 g cocoa powder, diluted with a bit of hot water to make a paste

Directions:

1. Mix coconut cream, salt, and sugar in a saucepan, then cook in medium heat with the pandan leaf. Keep stirring until boiling.
2. Add the diluted cornstarch and mix well. Remove from heat.
3. Remove the pandan leaf pieces and add the flavouring bit.
4. Use an ice cream maker to process the mixture.

Notes:

• You can make this without ice cream maker, but it will take hours. Putting the mixture in a container with a lid, then leave the mixture in the refrigerator for 3-4 hours, mix, then move the container to the freezer for the next 3 hours (mix well every hour).

Resources:
- Recipe: http://www.resepnugraha.net/resep/detail/?no=5
- Photo: http://hendrarosani.files.wordpress.com/2009/10/es-nangka.jpg

Recipe - Creme Brulee

Creme brulee with diced fresh strawberry

Creme brulee is a French custard desserts. A bit tricky, but you will definitely impress your family and friends.

Serving: 4 ramekins

Ingredients:

• 600ml thickened cream
• 1 vanilla bean, split, seeds scraped
• 6 egg yolks
• ¼ cup caster sugar
• 120g demerara sugar

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 120°C.
2. Place the cream, vanilla bean and seeds in a saucepan over medium heat and bring to scalding point, then remove from heat. Remove vanilla bean and discard.
3. Whisk together egg yolks and caster sugar in a bowl for 2-3 minutes or until pale.
4. Pour hot cream over egg yolk mixture, continuing to whisk until well combined. Strain mixture into a jug, evenly divide between 4 x 200ml ramekins.
5. Carefully place ramekins in a deep roasting pan lined with a folded tea towel. Pour boiling water into pan to come halfway up the sides of ramekins. Cover pan loosely with foil.
6. Bake in the oven for 40 minutes or until the custard has just set. Remove ramekins from the water bath, and set aside to cool.
7. When ready to serve, sprinkle demerara sugar evenly over the surface of the baked custards. Run a kitchen blowtorch over the custards, or place under a preheated grill until the sugar bubbles and caramelises. Serve.

Notes:

• Vanilla bean can be replaced with vanilla extract, but it will not be as strong as vanilla bean.
• Demerara sugar is natural brown sugar.
• Water bath is cooking in double container, where the outer container is filled with water, so that the inner container is immersed halfway with water. This way the heat materials gently and gradually to a fixed temperature.

Review - Gelatissimo

Nothing beats gelato (Italian ice cream) in the summer. It is very refreshing and texture is smoother than regular ice cream. They have dairy and sorbet flavours.

Various gelati

Some interesting flavours are:

• cassatta (traditional sweet from the area of Palermo, Sicily)
• biscottino (Italian cookies and cream)
• panna cotta (Italian cooked cream desserts)
• profiterole (choux pastry balls filled with whipped cream or pastry cream)
• tiramisu (popular Italian cake)

My favourite is chocolate sorbet.

For locations and more information, please visit Gelatissimo Website.


Resources:
- Information: http://www.gelatissimo.com.au/
- Logo: http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_fINkzDsQCc8/TGFRTteTT0I/AAAAAAAAAXc/ILbsQ9ulnpk/s1600/Gelatissimo_Logo.jpg
- Photo: http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_AQRXx3tt3II/SoUXQ1WHTDI/AAAAAAAAAEo/0YN6RqfHF0U/s320/Gelatissimo2.JPG

Recipe - Mango Sago

Mango sago

Mango sago is a Filipino dessert. This one is a fantastic cold dessert, especially for Mango lovers like myself.

The recipe is easy to make and also kids friendly, so you can include them in the process.

Here is a recipe that I found at Pinoy Food.

Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup small sago pearls
• 3 to 4 tablespoons sugar
• 2 cups water
• 2/3 cups evaporated milk
• 6 tablespoons coconut cream
• 1 cup mango puree
• 2 mangoes, cubed

Directions:

1. Cooking the sago
• Soak sago pearls in water for 30 mins.
• Boil water in a saucepan and add the sago.
• Boil the sago cook for about 5 minutes.
• Cover the saucepan with a lid and let stand for 30 minutes.
• Run cold running water on the sago pearls to cool the sago and keep the sago from being overcooked.
• Drain the sago in a colander.
2. Dissolve the sugar with the water in a saucepan.
3. Cool the sugar-water mixture before adding the evaporated milk and mango puree. Stir well.
4. Add water or milk for the desired mango base consistency.
5. Add in the mango cubes and drained cooked sago.
6. Chill in the refrigerator.
7. Serve cold.

Note:

• Be careful when cooking the sago. Overcooking the sago pearls will ruin this dessert.

Reference

- Recipe: http://pinoyfoodblog.com/recipes/mango-sago/

- Photo: http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_CdF_nh1tEpw/Sn5QupdFloI/AAAAAAAAGS0/dbmURLSStRQ/s400/IMG_6792-a.JPG

Review - CHATIME Tea House

Chatime is my new favourite place to get bubble tea (Taiwanese sweet tea with toppings). Their tea has a subtle flavour that blends nicely.

My favourites are:

1. CHATIME roasted milk tea with grass jelly
2. Sun Moon Lake milk tea with grass jelly/pearl
3. Mango QQ jelly

CHATIME roasted milk tea with pearl

Topping selection range are:

• pearl
• grass jelly
• coconut jelly
• fig jelly
• coffee jelly
• custard

You have the option of reducing/adding ice and sugar level.

For frequent buyer like me, there is a membership card that will give you 10% of your purchase credited into your card that can be used for future purchases.


References
- Information: http://chatime.com.au/
- Company logo: http://110.174.59.94/CHATIME/Images/chatime_logo.jpg
- Photo: http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4142/4915729913_157c809dc4.jpg

Recipe - Mock Champagne

Mock Champage with Strawberry cube

Since Christmas is almost here. Here is a non-alcoholic recipe that will certainly quench your thirst and put you in celebration mood.

The original recipe comes from Allrecipes.com, but this one is slightly modified to suit my taste.

Recipe

Servings: 2.7ℓ

Ingredients:

• 1ℓ ginger ale, chilled
• 700ml pineapple juice, chilled
• 1ℓ white grape juice, chilled

 Directions:

• Mix ginger ale, pineapple juice and grape juice together.

Suggestion for garnish:

• Use bright coloured berries and freeze them in your favourite ice cube moulds with ginger ale.
• Dice a few crunchy summer fruits and mix them with the drink mixture.

References
- Recipe: http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Mock-Champagne-2/Detail.aspx 
- Photo: http://images.media-allrecipes.com/global/recipes/small/32333.jpg