One thing I miss the most about home is my kitchen. Fine, it isn't exactly mine (i.e. family kitchen) but I certainly like to call it mine when I'm busy flurrying about doing my stuff :) I'm not complaining about the kitchen here in Oz though, but I'm sure a baker / cook would agree with me that you're not really "in the zone" as you should be when you're in an unfamiliar environment.
Baking has to be my favourite pastime of all time. I would choose baking over cooking any day. There's a certain satisfaction in seeing and hearing people say they enjoy what you've baked. It's also extremely satisfying once you see your concoction looking good in the oven. Oh and have I mentioned the heavenly smell of your kitchen once you're done? Vanilla essence all over the place. Ahh :)
So... a few months ago I took the opportunity to bake once I was back at home. Eid was also approaching, and given that this would be the first in two years since I've celebrated it at home, I was excited to bake my favourite treats for the family! I should also mention that my parents bought an electric mixer for me as a surprise. It was definitely genuine, but I'd like to think that it was done to get me cracking in the kitchen ;)
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| Kueh Makmur |
The first recipe on my to-do list was Kueh Makmur. This is basically a biscuit with peanut filling on the inside. I found the recipe off Pinterest, and it wouldn't have been possible to complete it within the three hours I took without the help of my cousins. I love this kueh because of the saltiness that comes with it due to the peanut. If done well, the biscuit comes out soft and crunchy and melts instantly once you put it in your mouth. Glad to say that the recipe I followed was amazing because my kueh turned out perfect. Not too sure how much I ended up eating at the end :P
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| Kek Surabaya |
This cake is my all time favourite! I like a lot of cakes, but this one tops it all. I used my grandmother's secret recipe for this one and I'd like to think that it turned out just the way I hoped it would :) I still need to work on my presentation, but I realised that it turned out as such because I cut the cake up before storing it in the fridge for a few hours. It's layered with strawberry jam, but you may choose to layer it with any jam you fancy! The recipe is really versatile in that sense. I'm hoping to try using green tea / earl grey / chocolate in future!! Can't wait to experiment with those :)
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| Pineapple Tarts a.k.a Kueh Tart |
Finally, the kueh that highlights / welcomes Eid: The classic Pineapple Tart. As biased as this may sound, but I assure you that there is no other Pineapple Tart out there that I have come across that beats those baked by my grandmother. Her tarts are perfection. The pineapple filling is just the right amount of sweet, and complements very well with the biscuit that's just the right amount of salty. The biscuit isn't very thick, and goes very well with the amount of filling placed inside. This treat by far is the hardest to do. It's not something that can be done within one day! The pineapple filling can take up to three hours to make. Again, this would have been impossible to accomplish within the three hours that I took without the help of my dad who patiently placed the filling inside the biscuit for me.
Ahh I'm salivating just by looking at these pictures :( Most of the treats baked for Eid originate from the Straits / Indonesia (please correct me if I'm wrong), hence the names. These treats are loved across cultures as well and are often seen in Chinese homes during Chinese New Year Celebrations.
Can't wait to be back in my kitchen!!
xx.
