Melaka - Portuguese Settlement (Restaurant De Costa's 8)

Lemme speak a tiny bit on Portuguese Settlement. Those I think I am familiar with instead of taking the easy way out by cutting and pasting, obviously in academic terms we call it “plagiarism”. Plagiarism indeed is a rampant madness attitude even among the self-proclaimed top-notch bloggers, all in the name of fanning for popularity, fame, likes and followers. The best part of it all is that people actually fall for copied crab stuffs instead of believing those who share their sincere, genuine and honest real-time experiences. Wish I can shame those copycats who evidently have not the mastered the art of copying, sadly though. Sad isn't? I should mill them through "Plagiarism" software.

Eggless Molten Lava Cake

Hunny Bunny sugar rush and candy crush sweet treat. Literally for rushing and heightening your sugar rush (Chocolate Genoise, Easy Banana Bread & Cocoa Butter Cake). Believe me. Believe me as well that I have been baking. I have. Unsure I am what got into me, but when it gets in, I am on the go for baking (Lemon Bars, Traditional Butter Cake, Sujee Cake & Marble Cake). Daily meals cooking of course shouldn't be forgotten. In fact, it is an utmost priority and every now and then when time permits, I get down to baking. Most probably when my hormones won't stop raging and I think after baking, hormones sort of settle down without me realizing. During this round of my hormones like twisting and turning me, I quickly looked for a recipe and after reading through a couple of few, I decided I will make Eggless Molten Lava Cake. The microwave using concept instead of oven inside (Chocolate Rum Tart). Easy-preasy, like easy on the go, within minutes making and once Eggless Molten Lava Cake out came from my microwave oven, oh what a joy. Oozy gentle eruption of lava (Chocolate Cheesecake) once you fork in and surrounded by soft melting moment cake (Milo Cake Eggless, Mandarin Orange Cake Eggless & Cayenne Chocolate Cookies Eggless). 

Chocolate Genoise

On the go. Baking is still on the go? Looks like it, but perhaps sooner or later, most probably sooner I foresee I will be pulling the brakes to baking (Easy Banana Bread & Cocoa Butter Cake). Enough. I think enough of practice and trying to make perfect, and also putting some much of effort on baking. Done it and I am quite satisfied actually (Lemon Bars, Mandarin Orange Cake, Milo Cake & Sujee Cake). Pretty much satisfaction attained, but I thought I will still do one for the road and out came from the oven this Chocolate Genoise. The other side of the coin to Classic Genoise. Of course the intention was also for finishing up the box of cocoa (Chocolate Cheesecake & Cayenne Chocolate Cookies). Chocolate Genoise as you can see is an ultimate sweet delight right? And the technic to making? Remember, the folding must be done daintily and without rushing. Otherwise? You tell me please (Traditional Butter Cake). 

Ingredients

3 eggs (room temperature)

80g sugar

30g warm melted butter 

70g cake flour

15g cocoa powder

15g corn flour

Method

Create a double boiler (a bowl placed on top of a pan simmering with water)

Whisk eggs and sugar (on the bowl) till slightly warm and foamy.

Remove from heat.

Whisk to the ribbon stage (drop to see a line)

Combine/mix cake flour, corn flour and cocoa together. 

Sift the flour mixture over the egg mixture.

Carefully fold in. Do not over fold but ensure there's no lumps. 

Stream warm melted butter inside and fold in.
Tip cake mixture onto a greased baking pan (size depends on how thick or thin you prefer the cake)

Bake at 170C (preheated for 5 mins) for about 40 mins or until cooked.

(Note; adjust heat according to your oven and baking time, depending on the size of the pan).

Remove from oven, cool down and optional - dust some icing sugar atop. 

Cocoa Butter Cake

Me and my baking story? I think you already know it (Traditional Butter Cake)? My pastime and not hobby. Baking definitely can't be my hobby (Lemon Bars, Mandarin Orange Cake & Milo Cake) and me and baking are not even distant cousins. In fact, we are like touch and go, hit and run, acquaintances. Wish I can actually develop my interest in baking, but trust me, seemingly still inconclusive. What then to the outcome of this happy-tummy, soft and moist Cocoa Butter Cake? The calling for using up the ingredients and maybe, practice must make perfect. Absolutely. Cocoa Butter Cake actually is the other side of the coin to my previous Marble Cake. And pretty much, we need the same ingredients right? Of course. But instead of doing the swirling, I decided I want to a contrast between the dark brown tone (Chocolate Cheesecake) and yellow buttery tone (Sujee Cake). Not at all a letdown. I am sure you are agreeing?

Lemon Bars

Made once before but it headed to almost to disaster. Not to say couldn't be eaten, but I personally didn't like how the pictures of the previous lemon bars.  So, I deleted the recipe after leaving it uploaded in this space of mine for a year. Not at all regrettable because when I decided to make Lemon Bars again, I already knew it. Which and what ingredients and also keeping the oven temperature in control for the birth of these Lemon Bars. Lemons of course, tell me about it? Scent and their tanginess and tartness (Lemon Cashew Rice &  Baked Lemon Chicken). Oh my, I can feel my tongue being tickled right now, and pretty much lemons jiving and dancing well in savory and sweet pleasures (Lemon Cream Pie & Lemon Buttermilk Cake). Naturally then, do we have say anything else when these Lemon Bars are a concern? Oh-my-my. Simply the melting and crumbling moment. The moment you daintily bite in and the scent of lemon an ultimate dessert time (Nescafe Ice Cream, Classic Genoise, Mandarin Orange Cake, Saffron Poached Pears & Chocolate Cheesecake).

Classic Genoise

Me and baking again? Honestly, I really don't know what got into me. But seemingly, I was still gamed for baking (Mandarin Orange Cake & Oatmeal Raisin Cookies). I guess sometimes we don't have answers to what we do or badly want to do? Supposely! Nevertheless, the dilemma or deciding fact couldn't be none more except which kinda cake and out of somewhere, in fact after referring to my own recipes and one shared by my friend, my baking enthusiasm spiralled towards Classic Genoise. Which requires further whisking of eggs and sugar once they have been whisked till slightly warm and foamy over double boiler (water boiling in the bottom pan, eggs and sugar in a bowl atop). A prerequisite crucial technic before gently folding cake flour and corn flour, and alternating between warm melted better for the outcome of such a really soft, crumbly and heaven taking you Classic Genoise (Traditional Butter Cake, Milo Cake & Sujee Cake).

Mandarin Orange Cake

The heat is one and the heat ignited for baking (Oatmeal Raisin Cookies & Chinese Peanut Cookies). Not something I planned actually, but when you receive loads of mandarin oranges during Chinese New Year from your Chinese friends despite telling them enough is enough, yet they won't stop. Honestly, I am not sure if the giving is out of goodwill or as a clearing stock by dumping on us, or for them receiving bounds and bounds of prosperity. Beats me and we on the other hand, just can't refuse because this oranges giving is supposedly like we are receiving gold in return. Oh-god! Wish the oranges will churn into real gold, but dream on and if you continue to gobble down as many oranges, cold and cough will end up being your best friend. Thus, tell me when. What should we possibly do? Of course, we can't offend our Chinese friends by refusing, but potentially we can use some for the oranges for this Mandarin Orange Cake. Sounds logical, isn't it? Easy-preasy and without having to use the cake mixer (Traditional Butter Cake & Sujee Cake), all you got to do is mixing and gently incorporating all the ingredients. Eggles  Mandarin Orange Cake? Sincerely a soft appreciated bliss in our mouth (Eggless Orange Cheesecake & Lemon Buttermilk Cake).

Milo Cake With Milo Glaze (Eggless)

Cake time ladies and gentlemen. Looked like I was in the mood? I was in fact. Most probably because my cake making utensils were lying around instead of me putting them back in the cupboard. Great valid reason I told myself before moving on to thinking and deciding which kinda of cake it should be this time (Traditional Butter Cake & Eggless Orange Cheesecake). Thanks to instructables for the recipe which caught my attention the moment I started searching online. Thank you once again, but me being someone who don't fancy a totality in replicating a recipe, I made the change. The change to using Milo instead of cocoa and despite doing so, cake turned out as a fantasy coming true. Recipe definitely can't be disputed compared to those other cake recipes I have taken from the virtual and which turned out witches from hell. This one must be utterly praised. Soft melting moment and beautiful to look at and once I did the glazing with Milo too, and after some of the store bought pink sugar flowers going atop, oh-my, what a beauty to the eyes and fantastically fabulous in the mouth. 

Traditional Butter Cake

So I baked after a lapse of few months and I baked traditionally. In other words, I baked a Traditionally Butter Cake. Why traditional? Well, because traditional will always be in demand and traditional also means the recipe has been existing for many, many years and still cherished till this day (Sujee Cake, Eggless Orange Cheesecake, Lemon Buttermilk Cake, Lemon Cream Pie & Marble Cake). Where did by the way the  recipe for this traditional butter cake derived from? From my friend. My friend who bakes like nobody's business and she sharing her recipe on the phone. To tell you the truth, initially I hesitated. I doubted myself if I can do a real-deal baking job for ensuring that I will not be a failure in making this traditional butter cake, though generally I never doubt myself when other types of sweet delights are a concern (Malaysian Sago Pudding, Kuih Buah Melaka, Rava Laddu & Payasam). In the end, as much as I wasn't really sure what will be the outcome, Traditional Butter Cake that came out of my oven I must say was a winner in my own category (Baked Rice Pudding). Soft, crumbly, not overly sweet and honestly, awesomeness.

Sujee Cake

Can you believe it? I actually baked. Baking and yours truly? I think you know it. Not my forte. Neither do I have a burning desire, nor, like I have told you before, there are no takers for cakes or even desserts (Saffron Poached Pears, Honeydew Sago, Rava Kesari & Bubur Cha Cha) in my home. Not even me. Maybe every now and then, I craze, but that too is countable. Of course, the mood for baking (Marble Cake & Lemon Buttermilk Cake) does linger on my mind whenever I feel I want to break free from cooking the usual daily meals. On this day, I was so into baking (Baked Rice Pudding & Chocolate Tart) and specifically a Sujee Cake. Where did the recipe come from? Actually, to tell you the truth, I did refer to some recipes from my old recipe books (Cream Puffs) and of course, what is the virtual world for? Millions of recipes popping up the moment you search and seek online (Eggless Orange Cheesecake)? Still, somehow I am quite apprehensive when it comes to especially cake recipes from books and tell me about what can go wrong for online recipes. Thus, I actually was more convinced by this recipe handed over by my friend who does baking as her part time income. What I learned from her is that you need to soak sujee in milk for softening. Otherwise, sujee will remain grainy once cake is already baked. Made sense and I must admit its a crucial technic because, wouldn't you agree this Sujee Cake is really-really a baking show stealer? Cake sampled by colleagues and they couldn't agree more. So, guys, I will strongly suggest you grab this recipe of mine and I am really certain you will love this soft and melting in the mouth sweet non-sinful pleasure.

Eggless Orange Cheesecake

Seems like I have not pulled the brakes to cheesecakes. I have not obviously, but I think I will finally. Enough of me (Chocolate Cheesecake & No Bake Cheesecake), and me practicing on cheesecakes and for me personally, since I stick to the easy way out cheesecakes (Mango Cheesecake & Pandan Cheesecake), neither do I have the intention of spiraling my cheesecake making further, I see the end. This eggless, yes guys, eggless, who said you can't make eggless cheesecake, not me though, another fruitiness version (Honeydew Sago, Mango Cocktail, Lemon Cream Pie, Poached Pear & Grapefruit Jelly), definitely is the last draw. Sort of similarities, what can be different anyway for the bottom layer except a biscuit layer, but like I have already told, fruity cheese topping made from fresh orange juice (Orange Sangria), cream cheese, condensed milk only instead of adding sugar and orange zest. My-my! Don't you think Eggless Orange Cheesecake is truly luring your dessert attention? Your crazing really popping up? Of course? So, get going foodies. Make this my version of Eggless Orange Cheesecake and of course, I will be glad to hear from you how it turned out. Bye. Take care guys.

Creamy Mushroom Soup

Cold weather calling dish. Of course, when weather is cold, don't you think we yearn for a bowl of hot piping soup? Of course. Any kinda of soup by far will be good for warmth and the list is endless. So many times of soups we can make and if we are speaking about simplicity, then we must refer to those light soups (Mixed Vegetable Soup, Corn Soup, Tomato Spinach Soup & Lentil Vegetable Soup) & or even Chinese soups (Chinese Chicken Herbal Soup & Burdock Root Soup) in which whatever ingredients you prefer can go in (Chicken Vegetable Soup & Vietnamese Fish Soup) and all you got to do is slow simmering. This Creamy Mushroom Soup on the other hand is not the same (Tom Kha Gai & Onion Soup). First we sweat/saute garlic, shallots and mushrooms in butter. Next is pouring water and then pulsing/blending these ingredients, before pouring back into the pot for simmering and adding milk, salt and pepper for this Western style creamy soup. Of course toast will be good for a complete, wholesome meal. Recipe for toast is attached as well. Butter, rosemary and garlic toast for dipping into this thick, creamy and absolutely favourable mushroom (Mushroom Veggie Burger & Mushroom Rolls) soup. Fab right?   

Chocolate Cheesecake

What an emptiness to desserts in this precious space of mine. In fact, when was the last time I shared a dessert recipe? Oh my godness! Been quite a while (Watermelon Sorbet). Well, you can't blame me. Basically, there are no takers for desserts in my house. Between the two of us, we don't desire sweetness and also, shall I say the focus is mostly our daily meals instead of sweet rush or sweet crush (Saffron Poached Pears, Citrus Poached Pears, Fried Apple Fritters & Bake Rice Pudding). When I bake, whatever I bake is given away to friends, colleagues or neighbours (Lemon Buttermilk Cake, Lemon Cream Pie & Coconut Panna Cotta). Anyway, time was in hand and I decided I should bake. Not those major rocker kinda desserts, but the familiarity I have done before (Pandan Cheesecake & Mango Cheesecake). I mean what can be different for a cheesecake if you are considering simplicity? Biscuit bottom layer and for this latest version cheesecake, I did the cocoa powder chocolate and of course, the top must be the creamy and sweet cheesy layer? Of course.

Pandan (Screwpine) Cheesecake

What's next after the pretty-pretty Mango Cheesecake & No Bake Cheesecake? Obviously, as you have already noted, Pandan (Screwpine) Cheesecake. Idea invention tumbling down from? No where actually. One of those things I suppose. One of those when you keep thinking and thinking. How far by the way I could I gone? Basically, the two previous cheesecakes being the idea ideology. After all, you tell me. Those of you who have already had a hands-on experience to baking (Lemon Cream Pie) cheesecake, I bet you know. You know which are the standard ingredients we need? Precisely. Cheese and the bottom biscuity layer. Right. But the challenger for me really was how much of, pandan/juice should I add instead of, of course, we love citrusy fruitiness and most probably can I say from mangoes (Mango Coconut Jelly, Mango Coconut Cake, Prawn Mango Curry & Mango Cucumber Salad). Or maybe even fruits, but I was so adamant about how can I incorporate Pandan juice from pandan leaves. Those of you are growing them, I bet you can connect to me? Why not to our garden harvested scent? Of course. I am one of them alright. Typical Malaysian my (Pandan Jelly With Coconut, Poached Pears in Citrus Syrup & Coconut Panna Cotta). What else should I say. Can I assume you are triggered? You like can't wait to make this Pandan (Screwpine) Cheesecake?