Dark Chocolate Chunk and Dried Cherry Cookies
I came across this recipe on Goop, and pleaded Mags to make some. Because the last thing my ass needs is for me to start baking… She obliged and they were delicious! Chewy, chocolatey with a bit of a cherry bite. Yum. Again, again! Recipe here
My mum is an amazing Peranakan cook. We have amazing food on order, from mee siam, buah keluak, garang assam to bakwan kepiting…we’re really lucky. Mum’s actually written her recipes down, so if you have a special request, I’ll dig up the recipe for you. I thought I’d start with an easy one.
Udang Masak Nanas (Prawns cooked with Pineapple)
Makes enough for 4. Savoury, sweet, tangy and slightly spicy. Delicious, and easy to make, and ingredients readily available.
Serve with white rice and sambal belachan.
You’ll need:
To make the rempah (this is the paste that forms the base of the gravy):
And here’s how you do it::
Friend Bel is an avid baker. I don’t understand how she and her family are not enormous, given the amount and level of baking that goes on! Look at this recipe, I think I am putting on weight just looking at it…
You can cut out a step by buying the brownies instead of making them.
My girls like a double crumb crust. They just can’t get enough cookie. Below are proportions for one crust with the amounts to double the recipe in brackets. Try a double crumb crust. There will be no turning back!
1 1/2 cups (3 cups or 10 ounces to double) finely ground cookies such as chocolate wafers, or Chocolate Teddy Grahams.
5 tablespoons (10 tablespoons to double) unsalted butter, melted
1/3 cup (2/3 cup to double) sugar
1/8 (1/4 teaspoon to double) teaspoon salt
Stir together crust ingredients and press onto bottom and 1 inch up side of a buttered 24-centimeter springform pan. Fill right away or chill up to 2 hours.
4 ounces unsweetened chocolate (Baker’s chocolate, optional of course)
(1 1/2 sticks) butter
1 3/4cups sugar
3 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup flour
Preheat oven to 350°F. Line 13×9-inch baking pan with foil, with ends of foil extending over sides of pan. Grease foil.
Microwave chocolate and butter in large microwaveable bowl on high for 2 minutes, or until butter is melted. Stir until chocolate is completely melted. Stir in sugar. Blend in eggs and vanilla. Add flour and salt; mix well. Spread into prepared pan.
Bake 30 to 35 minute or until toothpick inserted in center comes out with fudgy crumbs. (Do not overbake.) Cool in pan on wire rack. Remove brownies from pan, using the foil handles.
Cool brownies, then cut into 3/4- to 1-inch squares for use in the cheesecake.
3 (8-oz) packs cream cheese
4 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup sugar
Preheat oven to 350degF. Beat cream cheese until fluffy and add eggs, 1 at a time, then vanilla and sugar until you get a smooth fluid mixture
Fold brownie cubes in very gently and pour mixture into prepared pan. Put springform pan with crust in a shallow baking pan. Pour filling into crust and bake in baking pan (to catch drips) in middle of oven 45 minutes
When completely cool, top with following glaze:
3 oz. bittersweet chocolate, broken up, or 1/2 cup chocolate morsels
2 oz. butter
1/4 cup heavy cream
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 tablespoon icing sugar
Grind the chocolate into powder in the food processor, scald the butter and cream in a saucepan. Pour the hot cream/butter mixture slowly through the feed tube onto the chocolate. Blend until completely smooth, stopping machine to scrape down sides once or twice. Add the extract and sugar and process until smooth. Spread over cheesecake while ganache is still warm. Chill until ready to serve.