Coconut tapioca with mangoes

So.  I made this for an office birthday lunch Thai cuisine theme.  And everyone fell in love.

I have made this at one of our street BBQ parties and it was a hit.

Hubby loves this and eats portions of it every day when its in the fridge, slowly partaking of the sweet dessert controlling himself.  Otherwise he could eat it in one sitting.

I posted this on FB and was asked the recipe.

Sometimes, what seems easy can be complicated when specific details are amissed.  For example. A friend of mine in Manila asked me for the recipe and so I told her what I did - boil and cook the tapioca, warm the coconut milk and add sugar, mix the tapioca with the coconut milk, pour into pyrex or tray, chill then top with mangoes.

Seems easy, right?

Of course, I didn't realise that she buys the tapioca from the markets cooked already.   

Was she suppoesd to boil and cook them again?  

Of course, this will make things a little less starchy as cooked tapioca bought from the markets has been washed.

Nor did it occur to me that of course absolutely, fresh grated coconut is available and that she will squeeze the milk out of them to come up with, say... 400ml.   

How many cups per squeeze can you get from one whole grated coconut?  Does she use the first extraction or the second extraction?

If she had followed what I said, she would have missed a few points.  Lost in translation. Or in this case, lost in ingredient translation.

And in other news - we are on our way to a new parenting challenge in the guise of the HSC.  As migrant parents, we obviously did not go through the High School Certificate (HSC) in Australia and now that our oldest daughter is going to take it next year, there's a lot of learning and understanding that is going on in my head and hubby's.  With all the media attention during HSC and the unnecessary stress that is highlighted in the news, kids can get easily swayed into the axiety parade.  HSC is somewhat similar to the NCEE that hubby and me took in high school going to college.  This is now known as NSAT (National Secondary Achievement Test) which is a goverment initiated as well.  The difference is that the NSAT is a test based on all general subjects taken during high school which becomes a factor when applying for a place in university.  Whereas the HSC is a test for subjects which the students have chosen from a list by the Board of Studies including general subjects, and which they are preparing for from Year 11 to Year 12.  The HSC exams result per se, is not the be all and end all of the assessment.  The results is a 50/50 mark of 1) school based assessments tasks, and 2) examination marks.  It seems pretty straightforward, until they introduced another acronym called the ATAR - Australian Tertiary Admision Rank which is a basis for acceptance into some universities.  Or so I think....  as you may already noticed, we are still learning.  And HSC is part of it... learning to be Australian.

If you're a migrant like us, or a Filipino family with young kids, I'll keep you updated on what have we learned from the HSC as a family.   And if you're a parent who went through HSC, please send me some encouraging thoughts. 

For now, here's a fool proof recipe for this sweet and easy dessert.

Ingredients

1 cup mini tapioca pearls

10 cups water

 2 cans 400ml coconut milk

1 1/2 cups raw sugar

1 mango, sliced into thin strips

Method

Boil 10 cups of water.  When rapidly boiling, add the tapioca pearls and continue to boil.

Once the tapioca pearls are half way through cooking - the outside part of the pearls are transparent but the middle part is still white, turn the heat to low and simmer the pearls until cooked through, stirring occasionally to prevent from sticking to the bottom.  This can take from 30-45 minutes on simmer.

Drain the cooked tapioca pearls through a sieve under cold running water.  Set aside.

In a medium sized pot, boil the coconut milk then add the sugar, stirring to make sure the sugar has dissolved.  Simmer until the sauce thickens slightly.

Add the tapioca pearls and stir distribute the pearls throughout.  

If the sauce looks too much, scoop some of the sauce into a bowl and set aside.  The pudding should have enough sauce to tapioca pearl.  Reserve the extra coconut milk mixture.

Transfer to a pyrex or dish and chill in the refrigerator overnight, or 8 hours.

Top the pudding with the mango strips and served.

 

Tips and tricks:

*If you are using already cooked tapioca, simply drain the store bought pearls before adding to the thickened coconut milk.

* If using freshly extracted coconut milk, use the first extraction and about half a cup of water added per whole coconut.

* If after chilling, you find that the pudding is too thick, add a half cup of the reserved coconut milk mixture at a time until you get the desired consistency and thickness.

* These can be served in individual cups or serving glasses like my previous post with papaya, topped with any fruit you prefer.

* Fruit topping should be tropical like mangoes, papaya, purple yam or pineapple to suit the dish.  As coconut works well with tropical fruits.

* I have prepared this before in individual cups for my mom's 75th birthday party and topped them with purple yam / ube jam.

The "Baked" gluten free brownies with raspberries

I'm a sucker for brownies.  And brownie recipes.  There can never be just ONE brownie recipe and I thought that I will never reach my limit for trying new ones.   Until I found this.  345g of pure dark chocolate goodness with some espresso mixed in and voila!  I've struck gold through my social network!

I only found this "Baked" brownie recipe through Selina who I virtually met on Instagram and makes these brownies by the hundreds.  Well, hundreds of squares that is.  The rich, dense, dark look of the brownies on the photos got to me.  And I could not stop thinking about these brownies until I actually bought some espresso powder and made them.  Now I don't just think of them, I make them every so often just to eat at home.  I use gluten-free flour which makes it even more dense and rich, and also add some raspberries for that sour factor.  It's sensational! 

This recipe is adapted from The Baked : New Frontiers in Baking via The Browned Eye Baker

Ingredients

1 and 1/4 cups gluten free flour*

1 teaspoon salt

2 tablespoons dark unsweetened cocoa powder*

345g dark chocolate 70% preferred, coursely chopped

250g unsalted butter, chopped into cubes

1 teaspoon instant espresso powder

1 and 1/2 cups caster sugar

1/2 cup packed light brown sugar

5 eggs, room temperature

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

2 cups frozen raspberries (optional)



Method

Preheat oven to 175*C

Grease and line the base and sides of a 9x13 pan with baking paper.

In a medium sized bowl, whisk together flour, salt and cocoa powder. 

Melt the butter, chocolate and espresso powder in a large bowl over a pot of simmering water.  Stir until the chocolate and butter has melted and the mixture is smooth.

Turn off heat but keep the bowl over the pot.  And add the sugars to the chocolate mixture and stir with a spatula or a whisk until completely combined.  Remove from heat.

Add 3 eggs to the chocolate mixture and stir with a spatula until just combined. Add the remaining 2 eggs and continue to stir until eggs are incorporated into the batter.

Add the vanilla and stir.  Do not over mix.

Add the flour mixture to the chocolate mixture in 2 to 3, and gently fold with a spatula.

Pour onto the prepare tins. Scatter and press the raspberries on top of the batter (if using).

Bake in preheated oven for 30-40 minutes, or until a skewer inserted comes out with a few moist crumbs.*

Tips and tricks:

* If you prefer the original version, use equal amounts of plain flour.  I used the local (Woolworths) brand gluten free flour which is a combination of tapioca starch, maize, corn and rice flour.

* I usually don't test with a skewer but when the top looks matte-like (not shiny) I take them out of th oven.  

Coconut tapioca pudding with red papaya

  

We have been back from a very brief trip to the Philippines and there’s nothing like a holiday to re-energize the senses.  Especially going back to one’s home country where the familiar is always welcomed, where family and friends are missed and food, oh so craved.

Papaya is one of those easily available year round back home and best eaten as is, usually with a squeeze of the local citrus (calamansi), or lemon/lime.  It’s one of those tropical fruits that I grew up eating and a favourite now at home by the girls.  We’re lucky that Australia has papaya grown locally now. Whatever the variety (red papaya, yellow or pawpaw), they are packed full of A vitamins, potassium and beta-carotene. 

For this quick and easy dessert, morning or afternoon tea, you’ll need:

1 cup small tapioca pearls

2 400ml can coconut milk

1.5 cup caster sugar

½ slice of red papaya, diced squeezed with the juice of half a lime

zest of half a lime

Toasted coconut (optional) for garnish, or drizzled with honey

Cook the tapioca pearls in 10 cups boiling water.  Once the pearls are slightly translucent (there is still a white dot in the middle), turn down heat to low and simmer until the tapioca pearls are cooked – they will be transparent.

Drain onto a strainer with cold water.  Set aside.

In  a pot, boil the coconut milk with sugar, until sugar has dissolved.

Add the cooked tapioca pearls and turn off heat.

These can be served as is, warm.

Or cool slightly, spoon onto small bowls or cups.  

Top with a some diced papaya, toasted coconut (if using) and some lime zest. 

Tips and tricks:

* Because the tapioca is starchy, draining the cooked pearls in cold water will removed some of that starch.  It will however help thicken the pudding, so don't over wash the pearls.

Disclaimer: This post is written as part of the Papaya Australia recipe challenge.  The papaya used in this post were provided by Papaya Australia. 

 

Ice buko (coconut pops)

We're feeling the last of the summer breeze and the last couple of days have been grey and wet and humid.  Exacly the summer I grew up with back home. 

In the tropics.  Philippines.  Where I grew up.  

I spent most of my childhood in two places.  Subic Olongapo up north from Manila and Quezon which is south of Manila, where my grandparents were.  We'd be shuttled to the south during school holidays and back home after two months.  From the city to the country and back again. 

Two different worlds here, as Subic is monopolised by PX goods (PX meant Post Exchange or import restricted items from the US).  This was back in the day when the Subic was one of the Naval hubs in the Philippines.  While Quezon brings back memories of fresh, from-paddock-to-plate kind of food.  

There's a lot to look back to with childhood and what we ate back then and how food and consumers have evolved over the course of less than 20 years.  Compared to today's generation where there are so much variety and healthier options, one would think how we survived with canned food and loads of sugar in everything from cereals to juices -I'm thinking Tang orange juice here.  But not all my food memories were packed in tins and boxes and came from the freezer.  

Spending the holidays with my grandparents meant eating food from the local market - produce, meat and poultry grown by local farmers (back in the day when organic simply meant fresh, no regulations or certifying bodies), coffee beans grounded right there and coconut juice doesn't come in a tetra pack.  Trips to the market with my grandmother was always a treat where my prize for helping is a bag of freshly boiled peanuts, a glass of "palamig" (usually coconut juice with fresh coconut strips and some gulaman).

And afternoon play at the local playground meant waiting for the street vendors set up their kiosks in the afternoon offering the day's treats - and this ice buko (coconut) pops is just one of the many.  Ice buko (coconut) pops is a creamy, milk-based ice popsicle with some fresh coconut flesh and sometimes with sweetened adzuki beans (red mung beans).  They're the best treat after a day of hide-and-seek-running-climbing-trees-hop-scotch-outdoor-play-etc.

This recipe is inspired by one of my fave Filipino bloggers Jun Blog's -  ice buko with sweetened adzuki.

Thanks to Sophie from The Sticky and Sweet for hosting this month's theme at the Sweet Adventures Blog Hop.    Check out her Mars Bar Slice Cupcakes!    This was a fun theme, reminiscing about food from my childhood and the challenge to recreate them here.    I can't wait to see what the rest have created from their childhood memories. 

Ingredients:

2  330ml tetra packs organic coconut water*

1 397g can condensed milk

1 cup coconut cream

1 pack 494g shredded young coconut


Method:

Prepare ice pop moulds.
Or if you don't own one, prepare plastic cups and food-grade popsicles sticks.

Spoon a tablespoon each of the shredded coconut into the cups/moulds.

In a large bowl or a large measuring cup, mix thoroughly the coconut water, condensed milk and coconut cream.

Pour the coconut-cream mixture into the cups.

Place in the freezer until slightly set, about 30 minutes to an hour.

Place the popsicle sticks into the cups/moulds.

Freeze for another 4-6hours until solid.

Tips and tricks:

* You can use fresh young coconut juice bought from Asian shops or your local fruit and veg grocer.  And use 2 and half cups;

* I used C Coconut Water for convenience.  And after comparing the other brands available, this was the best I could get my hands on.  Most of the brands I found locally had sugar in them.  Check out the comparision review made by Coconut Water Australia to help you decide which brand to use. 

* If you can't get your hands on food-grade wooden popsicle sticks, you can also use wooden cutlery.  I actually used a wooden fork because I like the sticks are wider.

* To remove the popsicles from the plastic cups, place the popsicle under running water until loose.

Now, Sophie has got me reminiscing other things besides food from my childhood.  

 

I asked my Filipino friends and family on Facebook and what chlidhood food they miss growing up, and the response was just classic!  Here's what most of them are craving in no particular order:

1. Magnolia Chocolait;

2. White rabbit

3. Bazooka Joe bubble gum

4. Texas  and Tarzan bubble gum

5. Ice candy - homemade ice pops using fresh fruits pureed with juice

6.  Curly tops;

7. Horlicks malted milk tablets;

8. Haw flakes;

9. Kraft caramels;

10. Ice buko

How about the days when blank cassette tapes the means to get the latest pop music via the radio.  Waiting for my fave song to play on the radio and pressing record.

Typewriters.  Carbon paper.  Aerosol hair sprays (gah!!!). Shoulder pads. Casey Kasem's Top 40. MTV. Duran Duran.  Sony Walkman. The Donny and Marie show. ....  Hahaha!  I should stop!  I'm giving away too much!

Avocado ice cream

Spring is here and it's been wonderfully warm.   I guess we are lucky as winter was not that cold and now spring is a tad bit higher in the temperature scale.  It did soar up to 41*C last year in the summer, so we can expect another scorching HOT summer down under.  I don't mind HOT, just as long as bushfires are contained and everyone exercises caution - you know. Slip-Slop-Slap. 

And as the warm days come, its time to share this ice cream recipe found from a local supermarket magazine.  Its easy, no need for an ice cream maker.  And it has a touch of tropical in it with the addition of coconut milk and its egg free too.  Australian avocados are abundant at the moment at my local green grocer and they're beautiful! Nice and clean on the inside and the seeds are just the right size so you get a good portion of avocado flesh.  I won a tray of these yummy goodies a couple of weeks back which I shard on IG.  I made lots of savoury dishes with it but not a sweet one.   

In Asia, avocados are actually used mostly for sweets - in fruit shakes mostly and in ice cream.  Besides the classic guacamole, it was only in Oz that I adopted the habit of adding it to savoury dishes like chicken or salmon to prepare a sandwich or eating as is with just pepper or salt, not the usual mashed with milk and sugar.   In the Philippines alone, avocados are eaten as a dessert. 

To make this yummy avocado ice cream:

Ingredients:

3 medium avocados

2 tablespoons lemon juice

1 395g can of condensed milk

1 270ml can of coconut milk

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

toasted nuts to serve

Scoop avocado flesh and spoon into food processor with lemon juice.  Process until smooth.

Add condensed milk, coconut milk and vanilla and continue to process until mixed thoroughly.

Pour into an air tight container and place in the freezer until slightly frozen, about 2-3 hours.

Spoon everything back into food processor and process again until smooth.

Place into air tight containers and freeze until ready to eat.

Thaw for at least 10-15 minutes before serving.

To serve, add some toasted nuts (pistachios or almonds work nicely).

 

Tips:

* The lemon is important as it helps the avocado retain its green colour and not turn brown.

* After 3 hours in the freezer, the avocado ice cream will be a little bit icy but not yet frozen.  It's important process them again to get the creamy texture result.

* When ready to serve, depending on the weather and the season, thaw the avocado 10-15 minutes before serving.  Then top with toasted nuts.

 

Mango hazelnut torte

It's halfway through to winter in this part of the Southern Hemisphere, and I'm dreaming of tropical places. I miss my home country during this time especially when family and friends have just gone back from their summer outings and post drool-worthy photos online.  Sigh. 

Personally, the only upside of winter is wearing boots, scarfs and jackets.  I just love wearing them.  And since I come from the tropics, winters always leave me cold even with the slightest dip in temperature.  I'd be walking around with the complete package while some people in the shops are simply wearing T-shirts and thongs.  Seriously. It's winter people!  Gear up!  I found this article in the SMH back in May which I support completely.  Dress for the winter cold!

 

And while some of us can only dream of warm sunny skies and tropical escapes, here's a summer inspiration for those in the Northern Hemisphere who have access to some fresh ripe mangoes at this time.  And if you're really keen, keep this somewhere and make it when its summer at your place.  

This is a mango torte that's famous in the Philippines.  You'd see these at specialty cake shops like Dulcelin Gourmet and  Cuerva Bakeshop among a few. Original mango tortes sold in Manila are made of a cashew-meringue base and topped with buttercream.  I made this version very light using creme chantilly (whipped cream with icing sugar) spread around the base and piped in between the mango balls, instead of a basic buttercream.  The base is a recipe for a classic dacqouise which I made for my version of the sans rival for the Sweet Adventures Blog Hop in March last year, but substituted the almond meal with hazelnut meal.

Whip egg whites to stiffness.  A beautiful sight!

Fold through the 110g ground hazelnut (hazelnut meal)

Pipe two 20cm rounds onto a baking sheet with baking paper.  Left overs are piped into small rounds, for sampling and testing.  Bake at 100*C for 1 hour and 15 minutes.  

Mangoes are scooped with a melon baller.  Sweet!

They look really fancy, schmancy....

To make this hazelnut torte, you'll need:

3-4 fresh mangoes

a classic dacquoise recipe

creme chantilly recipe

Using a melon baller, scoop out balls from fresh mangoes and set aside.

Assemble the torte.

Place your dacquoise on a round tray.  Spread some creme chantilly on top, then layer the other round dacquoise and spread some more creme chantilly.

Place the mango balls on the top.

Using a piping bag with star tip, pipe the creme chatilly in between the mango balls and around the torte.

Serve immediately.

Tips:
* If you can make the base as thin as you can, the crispier and crunchier it will be as a base. Make sure to keep the dacqoise in an airtight container when making a day ahead.

* Because this is a meringue-nut base torte, using whipped cream for the topping will moisten the base so it's advisable to assemble the cake a few minutes before serving. Otherwise, susbtitute the topping with your favourite buttercream recipe.

* When making creme chantilly (or whipped cream), make sure your mixing bowl is cold.  Keep it in the fridge for half an hour before you start whipping.  You can add as much icing sugar as you want (I usually just use 25 grams - not too sweet).  You can also opt not to flavour the whipped cream with vanilla.  Its up to you.

PS - I have made this recipe many times during the summer but have only recently been able to clean up photos and files.  Been fighting the monkey mind mode for some time.  Thanks to Chari-G from My Glory Box for the inspiration and pushing me once in awhile from my lazy mode.  xx

Nutella crunch ice cream cake

That moment as a parent, when your kids turn into teenagers is when you try and pull the reigns a little.  An invisible one.  Tighten it up a little bit.  I guess its every bit exciting and daunting to have kids enter that phase.  You know when they start being independent, going out with friends without you.  There's that knot in my stomach everytime my teen is out with friends - at the movies, at the mall, at sleepovers.  There's always that unnecessary paranoia.  It gets animated, so I'm not going to have to tell you the details.  The ups and downs of understanding the hormonal changes in girl teens can be exhausting.  Its like a roller coaster ride.  One moment, high pitched and excited.  Then the next thing you know, there's some drama happening.  But then there are also those cuddles and hugs and kisses just because.  That's when I know she's still my baby.   

My daughter turned 16 recently.  A milestone number.  We hosted a sleepover party for 10 teen girls which can be listed in our "craziest things you've done" list.  Of course I lost some needed sleep that night.  More worried about our next door neighbour's sanity than mine, but we survived.  And here's a revelation. Girls eat as much as the next boy.  A bucket of KFC, mountains of chips and gravy and 2 large pizzas was dinner.  With breakfast, we made sure there's enough eggs and bacon for everyone.  Lunch onwards was a small backyard barbecue with close mates and family and friends.  A simple celebration that of course,  required cake.   She requested ice cream cake.  And this was a Pinterest-find.  And this was perfect - all her favourite things.  Nutella, rice bubbles and vanilla ice cream!  This recipe is adapted from A Family Feast.

Taken with my iPhone.  The photo's a bit blurry.  And the ice cream at melting point!

This is an easy cake to make.  Its got that crunch like a cookies and cream ice cream.  As it is winter in Sydney, the cake held itself up longer (20 minutes taken out of the fridge before slicing).  

To make this easy-peasy yummy ice cream cake:

3 litres vanilla ice cream

2 cups Nutella hazelnut spread

6 cups rice bubbles

Line one or two cookie sheets with baking paper.

In a large non stick skillet and on low heat, melt the Nutella then add the rice bubbles.

Mix thoroughly with a silicone spatula making sure all the rice bubbles are covered in Nutella.  

Spoon the Nutella rice bubbles onto the cookie sheet/s and spread evenly.  

Let it cool for 15 mintues at room temperature, then place in the freezer to chill further.

While the Nutella rice bubbles is cooling, bring your ice cream out from the freezer to thaw.  The ice cream needs to be soft, but not melting.

Prepare a 23 cm spring form cake pan/tin.  Spray the sides a little canola oil and line with baking paper.  This will make it easier to loosen the frozen cake from the tin when serving.

Once the Nutella rice bubbles have hardened (not frozen), use a knife and fork to separate them into small nuggets.

Using a large mixing bowl, place softened ice cream and mix with half of the chilled Nutella crunch. Use a spatula and mix thoroughly so that the Nutella crunch is evenly scattered within the ice cream.

 

Spoon the ice cream into your prepared pan, pack firmly and smooth the top with a spoon.

Scatter the remaining Nutella crunch on the top of the ice cream cake. Using the back of large spoon or spatula, smooth the crunch on top of the cake.

Freeze for 4-6 hours or overnight.

Take the ice cream from the freezer to thaw 10-15 minutes before serving.  Run a butter knife around the sides of the pan to loosen the cake.  Remove the sides of the pan then remove the baking paper.

Before serving, run the knife through hot water in the tap, then wipe dry with a kitchen towel.  Then slice into portions. 

 

Aah teenhood. It's always "Wow!" in all manner of emotions.  And we're only up to our oldest.  We still have our three younger ones to go through.   

And now that she's 16, she declares she wants to take her L's.

Someone please pass me some wine.

Peanut butter choc-chip cookie dough bites

"Think what a better world it would be if we all, the whole world, had cookies and milk at about 3 o'clock in the afternoon and then lay down on our blankets for a nap." - Barbara Jordan

That would be a great idea, right?  I mean imagine, the whole world - politicians, world leaders, miners, teachers... everyone, would actually sit down at 3 o'clock in the afternoon, have some cookies and milk and take a nap!  Imagine what it would be like!  It would be WOW!  There's be some giggling, and laughing and for a few minutes each day, there'd be harmony and peace.  Really!  

I've read about that quote by American politician and leader of the Civics Rights Movement Barbara Charline Jordan in the book by one of my favourite authors Robert Fulghum in his book All I Really Need to Know I Learned in Kindergarten. It's one of those staright-forward-simple books that inspires and makes you laugh and think a little.  I've quoted this book many times in previous posts, including this here.   And writing this post, I am once again drawn back to it.  If you haven't had the chance to read it, go get yourself a copy and read on!  I promise you, you'll sit back and smile at every page.

Now back to the order of things.  This month's theme at the Sweet Adventures Blog Hop is hosted by the lovely Nic from Dining with a Stud.  She's come up with a real challenge of sweets without heat. Check out her raw chocolate ganache tart - with a surprise ingredient!   The pictures are so drool-worthy!

Initially I thought there's no way I can make anything sweet without heat - but then I remembered when cookie doughs became a hit a few years back.  Maybe an onset from Ben & Jerry's ice cream flavour combinations.  Who knows.   But I first saw them from Joy the Baker , bookmarked and never really got the chance to try.  Recently though, I've been back on the Pinterest arena and once again hooked on pinning and browsing, with lots of hours wasted (?) bookmarking and planning stuff to do.  And so this post is inspired by a Pinterest-find from the Disney Family.com site - cookie dough bites.  

To make these peanut-butter-chocolate-chip-cookie-dough bites:

125g unsalted butter, softened

3/4 cup packed light brown sugar

1 tsp vanilla extract

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 cup flour

1 tablespoon peanut butter

1 cup bittersweet/dark chocolate chips

Method

In a large mixing bowl, cream together sugar and butter until pale.

Add the flour, vanilla, salt and peanut butter and continue to beat until everything is incorporated.

Add the chocolate chips and mix with a wooden spoon.

Using a teaspoon, shape into round balls.  

Chill for a few minutes.

These are quite addictive.  They're sweet with some bursts of saltiness.  Something like a chocolate-covered pretzel or a salted caramel ganache.  I must say the peanut butter made it a little bit better.  Packed and wrapped with a ribbon - they can be great Christmas presents too!  Eaten as is, chilled or covered with melted dark chocolate, these are great anytime of the day. With milk, and possibly a nap afterwards.