CasualCook

Red Velvet  Cupcake My daughter requested for this cupcake. To be honest, I was never a huge fan of red velvet cakes. The store bought ones were ultra dry and the flavor confused me.  But not going to lie, I ate two of these cupcakes for tea. Regret? No.  Delicious? Yes. The cupcakes were soft and light. The cream cheese filling in the centre lends to the moisture and richness of the cupcakes. These cupcakes can be eaten plain without the frosting. Its an individual preference. The base of this recipe are simple ingredients. Most of which you probably have in your pantry.  Cake flour is used in this recipe. It's a delicate flour with a low protein content. It makes the cake super tender . It's a clear path to a lovely soft cakes. You can use a combination of 160g all purpose flour and 32g of cornstarch to substitute cake flour. Buttermilk is required for this recipe. Works wonders when used in baking. It helps fluff up cakes beautifully, adds texture and provides tan...

    Bagels There is something simply satisfying about waking up in the morning to freshly baked bagels. These bagels are chewy and slightly crunchy crust. The cool slow rise enhances the flavor and texture of the bagels Usually bagels are poached in  boiling water that has been sweetened with malt syrup. I'm using honey as a substitute. Baking soda is also added, it makes the bagels shinnier after they are baked. Add any topping you prefer or leave it plain. There are endless flavor option with one recipe. Let's get baking! For   dough : 1 1/2cup  warm water : 1 tbsp sugar : 2 1/4 tsp instant dry yeast : 4 cups bread flour : 1 tsp salt For porching liquid : 1tsp salt : 3 tbsp honey : 1 tsp baking soda Method 1. Add 1 tsp sugar, and yeast to a warm     water. Set aside for 5 minutes until      frothy. 2. In a mixing bowl add flour, salt and the      remaining of the sugar. 3. Add the yeast mixture. Mix until the  ...

Mini Cream Cheese Tart with Chocolate filling These adorable mini tarts have serious wow factor! Recently this recipe was requested by my followers. I had made these tarts numerous times before and it is a family favorite.  Its super easy to make. Buttery and tender shells, filled with rich chocolate filling and a creamy cream cheese mixture and it taste better the next day. It's a must try! So let's bake! For crust :  125g butter  : 50g Icing sugar : 1tsp vanilla essence : 1/2 egg yolk : 250 all purpose flour : 5g full cream milk powder : 1/2 tbsp cold water Cream Cheese topping : 250g cream cheese ( room temperature) : 30g butter ( room temperature) : 50g icing sugar : 1 egg : Lemon juice ( half of a lemon) : 50g whipping cream : 20g all purpose flour Chocolate filling and drizzle : 1 cup chopped chocolate : 4 tbsp whipping cream Method 1. Preheat oven at  170C 2. Whisk butter and sugar until turns to creamy. 3. Now add eggs and vanilla essence. Stir    ...

Doughnut Don't you just wanna bite into this!! Doughnuts or donut whatever the spelling they still taste great! Homemade doughnuts seem really  intimidating, but I assure you they are not. I just love this recipe . I've made these doughnuts countless of times. It's not oily, soft and fluffy . Just the way I like my doughnuts. The dough itself is very easy to handle and whats more it takes no time to prepare at all! This recipe is only for the doughnut, not for the glaze and filling. Ive glazed mine with chocolate, pandan and strawberry flavors. You can use your preferred flavor or have it the old fashioned way,  coat the dougnuts with sugar. It will still taste great. Just remember to have fun and be creative. Let's get started. Ingredients: : 250g bread flour/ high protein flour/             All purpose flour : 30g sugar : 1/4 tsp salt : 5g yeast : 140g liquid ( cold milk + 1 egg yolk) Method 1. Add all the ingredients into a mixing bowl. 2. Add ...

Prawn Biryani cooked in rice cooker My family loves biryani .  It's been sometime since I've cooked biryani, so I thought of making good use of some beautiful and fresh prawns we had.  Not all biryanis are the same. The texture, moisture and flavours can differ vastly. I like it less oily but at the same time not too dry. Spices provide the aroma and punch.  Vegetables are added in this recipe to add extra flavour and texture. I would call this a one pot meal .  If u are short of time, in my opinion. Cooking biryani in a rice cooker  is a quick and easy way to have a hearty and fulfilling meal. So here is my version of an easy biryani recipe with some Malaysian influence. Ingredients - 1/2 kilo prawn ( clean and de-veined)  - 3 cups basmati rice (measure from rice                                         cooker cup) - l stalk lemon grass ( bruised) - 1 pandan ...