Vegan Flourless Oat Cookies

I made oat cookies yesterday - and they were delicious and crunchy. Today, I felt like making something healthier and I decided not to add any flour to the batter. Since I was already going this far, I decided again to go the extra mile and make it vegan. These are the ingredients, or what you would need:

• 50g Rolled Oats
• 1 Tbspn Brown Sugar
• 1/4 Tspn Sea Salt (pinch)
• 15g Coconut Oil
• 1/2 Tspn Vanilla Essence

Simple and healthy, I made this in also about 50 minutes. All the ingredients, put in a food processor and then pulsed a second each time for three times. Scrape down the sides and pulse again if required. Now, what you want to do is to sprinkle some water, stir it up with a spatula/spoon/your hands and then refrigerate for half an hour so that it is easier to work with. 

After refrigeration, they should be easier to shape. Divide into several portions and put them on a baking tray lined with baking paper. With a fork, gently press down so as not to make the dough crumble too much.

Bake in an oven preheated to 160'C or 300'F for 10-12 minutes. When this is done, put them on a rack to cool, and then serve.

So there you have it, vegan flour-less cookies

Thank me later!

• Kii

Oat Cookie Recipe

I am Kii, and this is my take on crunchy delicious oat cookies. These are what you will need to make fourteen cutesy bite sized cookies.

• 45g Plain White Flour
• 1 Tbspn Brown Sugar
• 1 Tbspn Rolled Oats
• 1/4 Tspn Sea Salt (I used a pinch, not sure if that amounts to 1/4 tspn)
• 30g Butter
• 1 Tspn Cold Milk
• 1 Tspn Vanilla Essence

As a rule of thumb, I love to find the simplest way to do things, and so this recipe will show you how to bake these crunchy delights without taking too much time. I made this in 50 minutes.

What you want to do is to measure the flour, brown sugar, salt, rolled oats, butter and vanilla essence (Basically all the ingredients except milk) and then put them into a food processor. Pulse them three times for one second each. I use Thermomix, so there was no real need to scrape down the sides and pulse again, but if necessary please do so. Once this is done, empty the processor and you should get a mixture that looks like this.

So what you want to do now that you have this mixture is to mix in one teaspoon of cold milk, and that should be enough to hold these crumbs together. Bear in mind that if you want to make double the amount to be served, just use double the ingredients. Roll with cleaned hands and you should get a cookie dough as such:

Perfectly round and serene, like the moon. Now roll them to make them like a small rope (like what you normally would to when making Challah bread, but not to that length). Use a knife or a spoon to divide them into balls of dough to be rolled of size to your liking (I made fourteen!). Decorate the top of the mini balls with rolled oats and press down with a fork on a baking tray lined with a baking sheet as such:

Notice how uneven the cookies are - I can't be bothered to make them even so I just went with the flow. You want to press the rolled oats into the cookie dough and not just sprinkle them on top. Now Bake in a preheated oven of 160'C for about 12 minutes.

And there you have it, beautiful crunchy oat cookies.

Thank me later!

• Kii

FIRST TRY! APPLE ALMOND TART

So I was feeling kinda adventurous today

Not. I was scanning my laptop for malware and viruses and it was taking freaking long and so I thought; why not make something while waiting?

I looked into the fridge and saw a slab of butter and two apples. And then there was a packet of flour under the sink. I was like - why not make an apple tart?

What I used:

• 120g Plain White Flour
• 60g Butter
• 1 Tsp Cold Milk
• 2 Apples
• A few Almonds
• Cinnamon Powder
• Brown Sugar

I poured the flour into the processor and it weighed 120g. I then cut up the butter into a few pieces at 60g and processed them together. They processed real nicely (pulsed just three times for one second each) and then it's time to make the dough. A teaspoon of cold milk was enough to hold them together to make a pretty dough. I then added a tablespoon of sugar and packed them together into a ball and froze the dough for half an hour while I prepared the apples.

Once the dough was cold enough, I took out the tart tin and pressed them down evenly. This I poked holes around to prevent rising, and then baked for 15 minutes at 180'C. While waiting for that, I started to poach the apples in sugar and cinnamon (some water as well).

I thought that it would taste good as well, so I added some almonds I soaked in water for about a few minutes. When the apples have caramelized, the tart shell was done baking, and so I took it out and poured these naughty boys in em.

Then, it was time for baking. I baked them at 160'C for 15 more minutes. Removing the tart from the tin was hard, cause it was really - really hot.

Then, it was done. It tasted so wonderful and majestic with yogurt. I noticed, however that the middle of the crust was a little raw (from the image) even though they taste normal to me. Reminder to self to bake the crust longer maybe around 25 minutes at 180'C before pouring the apples and almonds in. All in all, a very educational session!

My Second Shakshuka

I am a lazy person

Yeah, second time mentioning that.

When I cook stuff, I prefer it to be fast (especially when I am hungry). Today, I made Shakshuka for dinner. I know that there's the traditional way of making it properly, but I just couldn't wait. I had all the right ingredients so I was just like you know: "Bring it!".

Hereby starts the journey of Shortcut Shakshuka

I prepared the most basic of ingredients:

• 1 chopped onion (big ones)
• 1 tspn cumin (the seeds, cause I didn't have the powdered ones)
• Pinch of salt
• Some pepper
• Heinz tomato paste
• Chilli Sauce (I used Life Chilli Sauce)

I do also know that paprika should be essential to the Shakshuka, but unfortunately I don't have them with me.

1. So I light up the stove, throw all the ingredients into the pan and begin to stir fry.
2. When the onions turn slightly golden, I pour in the tomato paste, sprinkle some basil and add in the chilli sauce.
3. It begins bubbling, and so I turn off the flames, pour the mix into a baking bowl (Pyrex) and then preheat the oven to 160'C (320F).
4. I then make two wells and add in two eggs and then stash it (the bowl) into the oven for 20 minutes.

• Inspired by Joy of Kosher; Jamie Geller
• Shortcut Shakshuka

Raw Oats

I am freaking lazy.

I am the epitome of laziness.

Because of that, sometimes when I am too lazy to make myself something to eat - I just eat oats and cold milk. Thing is, I don't steep them first. Of course, I buy only rolled oats so I don't have to nibble through the tough husk. It is generally fine to eat rolled oats raw because the process of making them involves steaming and so they are actually already cooked beforehand. Besides that, the flattening makes it easier for our digestive systems to break them down for consumption [1].

I read that grains generally contain phytic acid, that if untreated can combine with other nutrient in the digestive system and prevent absorption which will then lead to mineral deficiencies. Soaking with warm water will then neutralize the phytic acid and make the oats suitable for consumption [2]. Oats are good fiber material, but excessive consumption can lead to irritable bowel syndrome and constipation - an adverse effect.

I normally try to eat healthy and cook everything from scratch - like if I want to make pasta, I will make them from flour and eggs instead of buying those instant ones you need to steep. This year, I got to know an Australian exchange student from my class (Hey Hugh!) that regularly brings fruits and vegetables to nibble on. I would see him munching on nuts, eating apples and oranges and most recently nibbling on carrots. Raw carrots. That actually piqued my interest to eat things raw (except meat of course).

The breakfast I have now is most commonly oats and yogurt. Not sure if it makes me any healthier, but I certainly don't feel anymore different. I also add in two eggs, either half or hard-boiled - no sauce, no salt.

Being lazy might actually be beneficial for my health - lets see how this goes in the long run.

[1] Stakal, K 2011, "Can You Eat OatsRaw", Energetic Health, Organic Authority, read 24 November 2015

[2] "Why you should never eat raw oats" 2014, Claire Obeid, The Wellness Project, Sydney, Australia, read 24 November 2015

Fusion: Kimchi Meatballs & Couscous

Components:

a) Kimchi
b) Meatballs
c) Couscous

Method:

a) Kimchi

If you don't have Kimchi or they don't sell it where you are, you can make this by hand. Not as good as the original but yeah. You might need:

Greens/Whites/Oranges (Cause I judge vegetables by color :P)

- Wong Bok cabbage (that's what we Chinese people call it, I think it's called Napa cabbage as well. Prepare by you know, how you normally prepare cabbage)

- Carrots (thinly sliced)

- White radish (cubes or sliced whatever floats your boat)

- Chives (normal preparation. Prepare tissues to cry on)

Seasonings (I use teaspoons but the size metric might differ so yeah)

- Pinch of salt (I use sea salt/ Kosher salt)

- Teaspoon of Ginger (shredded)

- 3 Teaspoons of Garlic (minced)

- 2 Teaspoons of Sugar (I use brown sugar)

- 5 Teaspoons Korean red pepper powder (Not sure where to find this in Malaysia though)

- 1 Teaspoon fish sauce (The smell is strong but :x )

Steps are as follow:

1) Throw all prepared vegetables into a huge mixing bowl. 

2) Add all seasonings and mix with hand

3) Keep in enclosed jar in a dark room for at least a week. Shake the jar daily.

b) Meatballs

The meatballs are easier to make. I use chicken mince but you can use whatever meat you want I guess:

Ingredients (Add as you like, I adjusted the proportions so that it isnt as sweet)

- Chicken Mince

- Sweet Soy Sauce (Add more for more delicious flavor - sweeter though)

- Light Sauce

- Sesame Oil

- Brown sugar

- Pepper (the powdered one)

- Plain white flour for rougher balls

- Glutinous rice flour for soft silky balls

 Steps:

1) Defrost mince and add the other ingredients in a proportion you like.

2) Wet your hands and roll them into balls, set aside.

3) Pour kimchi into a pot and add a cup of water. Also add two teaspoons of sugar, one teaspoon of light sauce and sweet soy sauce. Now gently put in the meatballs and cover until cooked. You can put in corn if you like.

c) Couscous

I swear to God this is the easiest thing to cook like seriously. I just pour in the boiling stew from cooking the meatballs earlier and they soak it up and get cooked. Aw yeahhh science b*tches!

> Inspiration came while re-watching videos on my Youtube channel and got hungry

> Saw the kimchi in the fridge and some chicken mince (already defrosted and was like hmmmm)

> COOKED. ATE. still one more portion in the pot :3 guess who's happy tonight?

Homemade Matzoh Ball Recipe

Easy to make. There are only three parts to it:

a) The Matzah

b) The Matzo Meal

c) The Matzo Balls

a) You only need to make the Matzah if you do not have Matzo Meal. The only two ingredients in Matzah is water and flour. The trick though, is you have to make it fast.

Prepare a cup of all purpose/ plain white flour (about 60g) and a cup of water. Pour the water little by little (you don't need to use up all the water) and mix with a fork until a dough is formed. Knead the dough on a clean floured surface until smooth. Quickly preheat the oven to about 230'C and start rolling the dough until thin. You might need to turn the rolled dough over a few times and dust the underneath. Once done, quickly poke holes into the flat dough to prevent rising (front and back). Bake for 7-10 minutes and let cool.

b) To make the Matzo meal, you only need to grind the Matzah. Use a food processor (I used thermomix and pulsed a few times).

c) For the balls, crack open an egg and check for any blood particles carefully. If clean, add some kosher salt to the egg and pour in about a tablespoon of virgin olive oil. Pour in 60g of water mixed with two teaspoons of baking powder and mix with a fork. Now, pour in the Matzo meal slowly and mix in until there a consistency is reached. Cover with a plastic foil/ a plate and let set in the refrigerator for an hour or two.

Now, bring a pot of water to simmer (add a pinch of salt to the water). Wet your palms with a sprinkle of virgin olive oil and begin rolling the balls. Add them to the pot right after you roll them. Let boil and then serve with any soup of your choice.

Inspired by Jamie Geller (A wonderful lady, respect!) - to get more Kosher recipes from her, go to JoyofKosher.com



Matzo balls are the Jewish penicillin (like the panadol) or something like that. Good for sicknesses probably :) had that really warm vibe when eating it. I hope it's supposed to taste that way or I will be reallly sad.

Anyways, I recently met an Australian who I mistakenly (I am a horrible horrible person) assumed to be Jewish because of his surname (Vaisman). He is a very interesting person, I was curious so I asked a lot. Turns out he isn't Jewish because Judaism is passed down by the mother. I asked too about Kosher dishes because I like how Kosher food looks and tastes (there is this amazing concept behind the different techniques like knotting to make Challah and the use of Matzo meal that is essentially grounded from unleavened bread or Matzah). He isn't actually really into the concept of Kosher - but he knows the basics. Also, when I showed him the Matzo balls I made he was actually quite surprised at how well it turned out and I got a few compliments. I'm not actually very used to compliments because as an Asian you don't really get that very often UNLESS U DOCTOR OR U ENGINEER AND U EARN THE MONEY (please read with strong Asian accent) so I think I might have a little crush on him now shit, am I gay!?  that inspires me to continue doing what I love most. 

Inochigake Hekireki's Facebook Page!

I recently created a page for Inochigake Hekireki on Facebook right here (Just click, it will open in a new window):

Just two likes for now, but it's okay. The mountain will slowly be climbed! :P

So for newcomers wondering who InochigakeHekireki is....

• He is a human being (like duh hahah)
• He loves Touhou, and hence his art in covers are always influenced by Mamizou Futatsuiwa.
• His most famous cover is Marukaite Chikyuu (Malaysian Version)
• Tries hard to survive with a sub-par microphone
• From Borneo, more precisely Sarawak, Malaysia

He loves creating games and directing storylines - and hence he creates Warcraft III maps via Worldedit under the alias of Shodaimehs. He is not a scriptor, but manages to portray the stories via imagination and creativity. Besides that, he also makes a visual novel "Serenity" and another one which is predicted to be a big hit when it is released: "Edo kara Koto no Monogatari" / The legend of Koto from Edo which can be seen as below (pictures only for now! the project is on hiatus now though).

So this is Edomonogatari - the theme of the game is black-and-white with only a few prominent colors to symbolize the important stuff. The visual novel is made by using Novelty. InochigakeHekireki made this game, inspired by the many anime and manga he has read. 

• His favorite manga type is Horror and Guro. His favorite mangakas are Junji Ito, Kazuo Umezu and Shintaro Kago. 
• InochigakeHekireki is often defined as a weird person for his interests as above ^
• He is born on the year 1993 and will complete his Bachelor of Engineering studies (Electrical and Electronics) at the end of year 2015. 
• If everything goes smoothly, he will work as a graduate trainee in Intel, Penang as of 2016.
• InochigakeHekireki is always a Shinpachi character. Not in terms of STRAIGHTNESS/NANDEYARE-ness but his glasses. He sometimes makes fun of his glasses by saying that his glasses are the parasite (himself) and the body is the human host.
• He loves cooking and baking, and has baked some beautiful stuff he himself didn't even notice he was capable of.

Above are some pictures from his Facebook account of what he makes. 

• He has 3 other siblings, an elder brother and two elder sisters. They pamper and spoil him very much.
• He has a weak spot for animals, especially dogs and cats.
• His favorite staple ingredient and food are potatoes. He never has the potato section of his pantry empty. 
• He has a Youtube Account, but that should be obvious by now.

【Cover】 Ring of Fortune/佐々木恵梨 (プラスティック・メモリーズ OP) 【InochigakeHekireki】

The name of the song is Ring of Fortune, from the anime Plastic Memories. One of the songs that captured my hearts from the anime this season. I do hope for at least a good ending though! 

The anime at first gave me the "Chobits" vibe, but as I continued watching, I realized that almost every episode has at least one scene which made my eyes water :/ no kidding.

There audio here is rich, but the S's are really sharp and combined with my lousy processing skills it is even more so. If desired, download the higher quality version right here:

https://app.box.com/s/d9j2kovcbtqv7qy...

Or if you prefer streaming, you can even find it on Soundcloud :o

https://soundcloud.com/shodaimehs/rin...

I've got myself a new microphone, but I have not did the selection of choice properly and it's really sucky to have to edit the audio to make it sound up to par :( 

Anyway, when recording this - I tried to put in what I usually go through in life. Hearing random voices and trying to go on with my life and learning how to love. (Yeah thats not a recording gone wrong when you hear random talking voices. definitely not subliminal either)

Originally sung by Sasaki Eri.


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Lyrics (From Animelyrics)


Hikari o atsumete Yozora no kanata e 

Sayonara no omoide o 
Hitomi ni tataete Mitsumeru yume Tooku 
Kowarete shimau Utakata no memorii 
Samishisa no namida Sotto fukou 

Nobashita te wa kanransha Yasashiku toraete 
Mezame souna Kioku no kakera 
Utsumuite Kiete hoshii to inoru kedo 

Kimi ga mitsuketekureta kono koe o 
Ugokidashita tokei no hari  
Sekai wa yagate irodzuite 
Purasutikkuna kokoro ga kagayaki dasu yo 
Wasurenaide Oboeteite 
Itsuka mata meguriaeru hi made Zutto 

Yuugure Tomoru hikari 
Chiisana gondora nobotteyuku Sora e 
Tonari ni suwaru Kimi no nukumori ni 
Naze ka na Namida ga hoho o tsutau 

Meguri mawaru kanransha Shizuka ni yurarete 
Mune no oku ga Harisake sou de 
Mado no soto Nagareru kumo Miageteta 

Zutto kono mama futari Yorisotte 
Unmei no wa Kurikaeseba Omoi wa yagate tsunagaru yo 
Kotae o sagashi Mirai e negai tsudzukeru 
Mayowanaide Shinjiteite 
Omoide wa honmono ni naru kara 

Koware sou na Kioku no subete 
Utsumuite Kienu you ni to inoru kedo 

Konya Yume no jikan wa owari tsugeru 
Kowakunai yo Sekai wa mada yasashiku irodzuiteru kara 

Kimi ga mitsuketekureta kono kotoba o 
Unmei no wa Kurikaeseba  
Omoi wa yagate tsunagaru yo 
Purasutikkuna kokoro ga mitasareteiku 
Wasurenai yo Oboeteru yo 
Itsuka mata meguriaeru hi made Zutto

Transliterated by Kazari

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Personal feelings


Was quite a very emotional song. I sung it with regards of how the special person feels up my world with many different colors. How I will never forget the word uttered to me on that fateful day - and how I just wanted to leave everything behind and go... but I did not.


I added in ad-libs in the song at multiple parts to signify the minute depression and anxiety I have towards life. The voices I hear is similar to what I have acted out right there. As I become more and more stressed out, the voices become clearer and clearer. But they still seem to be in a different language which I cannot quite concur to. But that's a different story when I am near the special person. The voices all disappear. Thank you.

Cover - Le Jour (Original by Satomi Sato) (Ushinawareta Mirai wo Motomete - 失われた未来を求めて)

The anime is Ushinawareta Mirai wo Motomete - 失われた未来を求めて- À la recherche du futur perdu

I didn't finish watching because I had limited internet back home where I can record, but I know the gist to the storyline. When I first started watching this anime, the opening song; Le Jour struck a nerve and it got me addicted to replaying every first few minutes just to listen to the song again and again.

I contemplated covering the song earlier - but I had classes and when my classes ended I went on a holiday trip to Queensland, Australia. Needless to say, this cover became delayed by two months or so before I finally went "Fck it, I MUST do it TODAY". And it took me around 6 hours to record. The MV itself took me around 5 hours, due to movie maker going buggy on me.

Again, as with Kuusou Rumba - the cover is HEAVILY customized. I would love to give my hearfilled thanks to sky_starry for the instrumental. Sound effects and illustrations used in the making of the MV are creditted in the video.

Uploaded this half an hour prior to Lunar New Year - just that it takes so long to upload. Happy Lunar New Year :)

--------------------------------------

So yeah, I am back in Malaysia. The flight back was long and taxing. International flight was okay - I got to rest my long legs and all that but the domestic flight sucked real bad. I mean everyone wants to save money - but we do not need to be tortured so badly we have to squeeze into our seats and have nowhere to place our legs (yes, it sucks being tall). AirAsia is such a bitch to tall people with long legs :/

The weather in Malaysia is still the same - humid and hot. It rains freaking every day in Kuching. Drivers in Malaysia are still inconsiderate (70% of them!) - like they cut into lanes without any signal and park like assholes. I am glad there are a few special people in Malaysia who actually gives a flying fck about how they drive. It is safe to say that I will still look to public transport as a relevant means of travel - and since Malaysia's public transportation system is .. underdeveloped, the best life for me is out of it (no braindrain! well - partly it is because of the job opportunities as well but I just want out).

It is funny how everyone is wishing EVERYONE a happy CHINESE New Year. I mean it is a new year for Koreans, Japanese, Vietnamese etc - would people name it Korean New Year or Japanese New Year? I think not. The best bet is to rename it Lunar New Year, but well - conventions set by predecessors are hard to change. 

New Year New Me, bake more. be healthy. meet new people. be awesome. dont cry. dont think suicidal thoughts. no self harm. 

Valentines Special ( Meringues on a bed of Poached Apples ) Recipe

Backstory

• Since I will be on the plane for the whole day tomorrow, I made this today for an early valentines. I like to think that each half of the meringue linked together by the double cream symbolizes human relationships, and since compote means "mix" in some language - I would like to represent mixed feelings in relationships. So deep I can't even see myself anymore.
  
  Happy Valentine's! (Belated)

What to Expect

• A trio of meringues with double cream on top of unsweetened refreshing apple compote. Since meringue is technically baked sugar and egg white, the sweetness is balanced by the double cream and the apple compote. Yeap, the simpler the better. Not too much technicalities involved.

  
Ingredients
Part A : The Meringue
a) Two Egg Whites
b) Pinch of Salt
c) 125g Castor Sugar

Part B : Plating
a) Double Cream ( Half a teaspoon to a teaspoon per two meringue sides )
b) Apples
c) Cinnamon (Powder)
d) Water and Vanilla Essence (1 drop) mixture

•  You can make either Poached Apples (Diced) or an Apple Compote. To make the apple compote, simply add more liquid to make the final product more syrupy. The poached apple (if you are making it) should be crunchy and unsweetened to complement the texture of the meringues. 

Procedure

a) Pour the egg whites into a mixing bowl and add in the pinch of salt. Start beating (it is easier to use a machine mixer since you will take years to beat it to stiff peaks. Make sure that there is no other impurities in the egg yolk or else it will not stiffen.

b) When the mixture is stiff and forms peaks, gradually add the sugar whil mixing at high speed until the mixture is glossy and stiff. 

c) Spoon the mixture into a piping bag and then begin piping on a baking tray lined with baking paper.

d) Preheat the oven to 120'C for about 20 minutes, and then bake for around an hour until the meringues are pale golden brown.

e) Now, dice the apples and put in a pan. Sprinkle cinnamon on top of the diced apples and then pour in the water and vanilla essence mixture. Stir fry until you can smell a heavy aroma of apples and cinnamon (like that of apple pie)

f) Put them on a plate and separate into as many factions as you want. Spoon half a teaspoon to a teaspoon of double cream and put on the flat side of a meringue. Take another and clamp them together. Serve on the poached apples (diced) 

 

Croquembouche Recipe

Backstory

So after watching MasterChef Season 5 and seeing Courtney, Christian and Jaimee making the incredibly beautiful and stunning profiterole tower, I took a liking and kept a mental note about how ONE DAY, I WILL BE THE ONE MAKING THE SAME TOWER OF YUM. And I did.

What to Expect

Expect freaking profiterole tower covered with delicious toffee. In the profiterole, you will have beautiful tasty freaking cream yaw. And if you are expecting to make this, be prepared to risk two hours or more, since it took me about the same time. A complex yet fulfilling dish.

Ingredients
Part A: Profiterole

Part i : The Puff
a) One finger of butter (About the size of two fingers width - I would say around 70g)
b) Milk (200 ml - yeah, I freaking measured, Yay me.)
c) Plain White Flour (I used around 100g - YES I MEASURED)
d) 3 Eggs

Part ii : The Cream
a) Double Cream (The whole cup)
b) Milk (1/3 of the double cream cup)
c) Icing Sugar (I used two teaspoons)

Part B : The Tower of Sauron ( I mean the tower of profiteroles)
a) Profiteroles from Part A
b) One cup of Castor Sugar
c) Half a cup of water

---

Procedure
Part A : Making the Profiteroles (The torturing part)

Part i : The Puff
a) Pour the milk and put the butter in the pan and stir with a wooden spoon until it boils. Sift the flour into a bowl and pour it into the mixture after it boils and stir until it has the consistency of soft dough. BRING AWAY FROM FIRE to cool.
b) Bring back to the fire, and beat in eggs one by one while stirring constantly. You do not want the eggs to be fried. To make the process easier, pour cold milk into the pan while doing this. Stir and mix until the mixture has a soft consistency.

When you hold the mixture up with a wooden spoon, you can technically see the batter falling. Its like the consistency of wet mud.

c) Prepare a piping bag and fill the piping bag with the batter. Pipe the batter onto a prepared baking tray lined with baking paper.

How to pipe the profiteroles? Start at the bottom, pipe a little - when you see the batter forming a circle around two inches wide, adjust the height of your pipe higher and pipe again. Then, stop piping and remove the pipe. You do not need to create any pattern by rotating nor piping in a circular motion, the only motion you need to move is upwards from earth. Your piped batter should look like poo, if that is easier to note.

d) Preheat the oven at 190'C double fan forced for around 10-15 minutes and start baking the "to be" profiteroles. It should take around 25 - 35 minutes to be ready. Note the color of the top of the profiteroles should be brown.
e) Take out the profiteroles from the oven when ready, and with a skewer (I used a chopstick coz I asian yo) poke a hole at the bottom of each profiterole. It is easier to do it while it is hot, so get used to enduring the heat.

To know whether you are doing it right, remember that a profiterole is a cream puff. The puff should be just filled with air. It shouldnt have the consistency and texture of bread. So when you poke the bottom of the puff, you should realize that the middle is basically empty.

f) Set aside to cool

Part ii : The Cream
a) Pour everything into a mixing bowl and whip until it has the consistency of cool whip.

If you are lazy, you can just whip the double cream until it is soft instead of using milk and icing sugar. It won't taste as good, but on the bright side it is easier and healthier - NO DIABEETUS YO

b) Fill in a piping bag (I used an icing bottle and a funnel so imagine my pain) and pipe into each profiterole by using that hole you made in its bum. Gonna make more dirty jokes but too lazy to think.
c) Leave the profiteroles bottom side up for the cream to set.

Part B : THE TOWER OF SAU.. Profiteroles. (But hey, tower of god, babel, druaga, saviors etc would work too)
a) Pour the castor sugar in a pan with the water and spread everything evenly.

Don't stir the mixture please. During caramelization you should not lay one finger on the mixture. Just let it boil and caramelize.

b) Boil until the mixture bubbles and turns brown. (Yes this is the caramelization process)
c) Remove from heat.
d) Now, prepare your profiteroles. Dip the bottoms of each profiterole and build them on each other to form a tower.

Croquembouche - the tower of profiteroles should be hollow in the middle. If you are new or is lazy, then you can just make one in which the middle of the tower is also profiteroles. A little less traditional but hey, it is nice to be lazy.

e) After the tower is done, with the remaining caramel/toffee - use two forks. Dip one fork into the caramel, press one fork on the other for a few seconds and separate to form a string of toffee. Weave it around the tower to form a web.
f) Repeat the toffee weave several times.
g) Weave several more times around the freaking tower.
h) FREAKING WEAVE IT BABY
i) Serve

During this process, it is important to construct the tower fast - or else the toffee will cool down and harden. Of course you can leave it be under a small fire, but you risk burning your delicate fingers when the mixture is bubbling. I burnt mine several times doing this even after removing the mixture from the fire.

Chocolate Tiramisu Recipe

Backstory

Sometimes when I am down (mostly a week or so before freaking valentines day), I just need something to maybe "Pick me up" and make me experience a haven, a sanctuary of escapade from everything else that just "let me down".

Tiramisu is the perfect dessert for that, as it literally means "pick me up"! I kinda went the kinda vegan way (no eggs, only milk), as the recipe does not contain eggs nor do they contain mascarpone. Also, I dislike Alcohol and Caffeine, and so Rum and Coffee/Expresso was not something I would love to incorporate into something that I want to "pick up".

What to Expect

Well, you should not be expecting the flavors of rum and caffeine which I feel is some sort of delicacy, or something of an acquired taste that my tongue does not respect well. The cream will not have hints of eggs or mascarpone either, so that means that the tiramisu will be far softer than any that you have ever tasted before. It tasted like heaven for me, so everything is sort of going great for me.

Ingredients
Part A: The Bases
a) Lady Fingers (Or you know, sponge fingers where they say it differently)
b) Hot Chocolate
c) Water

You might want to make enough brew of the hot chocolate so that you can easily just dip the lady fingers in, the rest of them you can drink later on, so there is really no wasting going on.

Part B: The Cream
a) Thickened Cream (Half the bottle)
b) Milk (Full cream is better, but yeah you get the idea - 1/4 of the bottle)

In the video, I used one whole bottle of thickened cream and so I put in half the amount taking the bottle by size. I realized it was too much and so half the bottle is actually enough.

c) Mixture of Cacao Powder and Icing sugar. ( 1/4 of each which contributes to half a cup )

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Procedure
Part A: The Bases
a) Brew the hot chocolate by boiling water in a pan and then stirring in the hot chocolate until mixed well.
b) When it starts to boil, take it off and let it rest.

Part B: The Cream
a) Pour the thickened cream into a mixing bowl and add milk.
b) Add in the mixture of cacao powder and icing sugar and stir to mix.
c) Now, beat/whip the batter in an electric mixer at medium speed until the batter has a consistent color.

If you dont have an electric mixer you will have a horrible time and a muscular arm by the time you finish!

d) Once the color is consistent for the batter, beat/whip at high speed until soft peaks form. Took me around 8 - 10 minutes to get it to that consistency.

Part C: The Tiramisu
a) Layer the bottom of the mold with a thin layer of the cream.
b) Line the second layer with lady fingers quickly dipped in the brew of hot chocolate

If your mold is too small, you might want to cut the lady fingers with a knife first before you dip it.

Also, make sure you only dip the lady fingers and not SOAK them. If you soak them, your tiramisu will be SOGGY and it will mean "put me down" and that means that the tiramisu has failed in its attempt at making you want to pick it up.

c) Layer again with cream and continue the process until you get at least two layers. The last layer must be cream!
d) By using a sifter, dust the top of the tiramisu with a mixture of cacao powder and icing sugar.
e) Refrigerate for around 4 - 6 hours.

If you refrigerate for less than that, you can see that the lady fingers have not yet completed their mission of absorbing the liquid, and so you can still see the lady fingers. I do have people I know who love that texture (like my dad), so it is up to you. I love to leave mine in the fridge overnight to chill before I have them.

Plating
a) Remove from mold with a (whatever its called) but I used a rice scoop (flat)
b) Sprinkle sliced hazelnut on top of the tiramisu

Some people I know laughed at me when I told them I put hazelnut on the tiramisu and said that it was unconventional. I told them the recipe in itself was already unconventional (no eggs, no mascarpone, no rum, no expresso) - and so I am kinda original. Kinda.

Video at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OIXBdGDH5oc&app=desktop

Cheese Crackers

Backstory

Once upon a time, I was at home after eating crazy sweet desserts all day. I needed something to nibble on, but I didn't want it to be too salty etc. I was also craving the flavor of cheese spread and so I just ran into the kitchen and started to bake

What to Expect

If you are looking for junk food, this recipe is only half fitting. Its healthier than junk food ( self proclaimed ) and you can taste subtle cheese.

Ingredients
a) Stick of butter as long and wide as your index finger ( yeah it also worked for my friends )
b) Two tablespoons of cream cheese
c) One teaspoon of salt
d) One teaspoon baking powder
e) One cup of plain white flour
f) Whipping cream
g) One egg
Procedure
a) Melt butter and cream cheese in a mixing bowl with the salt. Crack in one egg and whip until mixed.
b) Sift in flour and baking powder, fold and then knead until the consistency of dough.

Like bread or cookie dough, check if it tends to be springy when using a rolling pin. If it isn't, then its more of a pastry dough.

c) Cut shapes of your preference with a cookie cutter and a rolling pin. Smoothen surface with flour for ease.

I am not skillful, so I tend to use lots of flour just to do this. Flour on surface, rolling pin and both side of the dough.

d) Line on baking paper on baking tray and spread whipping cream on top so that it retains its shape when baking.
e) Preheat oven to 200'C, and bake for 5 minutes.

Consumption

Eat when binge eating or eat with dips. I know I made two sizes, the smaller one is for when I want to binge and the larger one is for dipping. Yeah, I binge eat when I am depressed 

Not overly crispy. Texture is unique. A must try.

A different rendition is also available: Spicy Cheese Crackers. A video tutorial is up on Youtube, but instead of giving you the link, I will try to put it up here.

Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wz3W-eBIclI

Video

Savory Tiramisu ( One Layer )

Back story

I saw Cho Ahran making Savory Tiramisu on Master chef, and then I thought to myself that it would be nice to start making savory dessert instead of the normal desserts I usually make. Also, I didn't follow Ahran's recipe but rather tried to innovate and build as I go along.

What to Expect

If you don't like the taste of Pasta Sauce, then I will tell you straight up that you will freaking hate this. Expect something different and unique!

Ingredients
a) Lady Fingers ( Or as my Aussie friends say, sponge fingers )
b) Two cans of diced tomatoes
c) Brown Sugar ( I used three tablespoons )
d) Minced Meat of your choice
e) Ketchup ( Half a cup mixed with water )

You can use any sauce you like for the taste

f) Thickened cream
g) Sour Cream ( Sprinkle some salt)
h) Spices ( Oregano and Basil )
I) Big Onions ( Add garlic if you love them )
j) Olive Oil

Procedure
a) Slice Big Onions and fry in pan with olive oil till golden brown. When golden brown, throw in the minced meat and fry until cooked.

Season the minced meat with a little salt and pepper first. I usually add a dab of oyster sauce but yeah, I'm Asian. "What the heck is Fish Sauce, and why does it taste like death?" Quoted from Monti, Masterchef Season 3.

b) Pour in the diced tomatoes, Ketchup water mix and the sugar and stir. Taste along the way and improvise if you need to.
c) When done, separate the liquid and the other things in the pot. The liquid will be used to dip the lady fingers in.
d) Dip the lady fingers and build the base of the Tiramisu.

I know people who soak the lady fingers. Their Tiramisu becomes soggy and quite scary really. Just dip and take it out. Count to three quickly if it helps.

e) Spread the solids separated from the liquid mixture on top of the lady fingers evenly.
f) Whip the thickened cream and sour cream together and then pour on the base of the Tiramisu.

People tell me they hate this part cause its hard. I tell them just concentrate on covering all gaps, the unevenness will fix themselves later in the oven.

g) So preheat the oven to 160'C and wait.
h) Now, sprinkle the oregano and basil on the Tiramisu.

If you are a fan of cheese, you can sprinkle some mozzarella on top before baking.

I) Bake for around half an hour while constantly checking on the Tiramisu. This will allow the cream to even themselves out and let them give a better aroma while the lady fingers absorb the sauce.
j) Serve hot or warm.

My friend tried my recipe but used mascarpone instead. He said it tastes better. But I don't know.
Sure, my recipe goes against the conventional rules ( I mean baking a Tiramisu? Seriously ) but you know what, YoLo.