Baking Recipe: Pineapple Tart Cookie (A Malaysian Favourite Festive Cookie) -#citruslove

Chinese New Year is exactly a week plus away from today and I have only started baking.. oh! boy.. talk about being last minute. No matter what, the next few days are going to be ultra busy for me and perhaps that might kill my legs since I will be standing for hours. However peeps, despite the crazy long hours pacing back and forth to the oven, every single minute of it is worth it.

Let me see, the reasons to do so is endless..Firstly, my family gets to enjoy the pineapple tart cookies, my first time posting on my Asian roots on baking, the best part is having you to pop over to feast your eyes and perhaps give it a shot in baking this cookie.

Pineapple Tart Cookies are really famous here in Malaysia, and it's usually a yearly affair. These cookies are sold everywhere by commercial bakeries to home baked whenever Chinese New Year is coming. Of course, there are other various style too depending whether its Nyonya, Indonesian, or Taiwanese; but the base ingredients are pretty much the same.

For recipe: Click on image + zoom

I know it sounds rather confusing, if you're thinking it sure don't look like a tart. However,this cookie has been named this way for several years. So please don't correct me ;). The 'tart' is mainly due to the pineapple jam like filling; made from scratch using fresh shredded pineapples, cooked down in it's natural sugar which caramelises the pineapple flesh and juice making it stringy, sticky and easy to shape. To compliment the 'tart', it is paired with a crumbly, buttery melt in the mouth butter cookie.

It's essential to get the balance between the tart and cookie right for the ultimate Pineapple Tart Cookie experience. Sweet tangy pineapple nectar encased in an ultra moist aromatic buttery melt in the mouth cookie is definitely heaven in a single bite. Since it's #CitrusLove month hosted by Cafe Terra this January 2012, I am thinking this little cookie will be a perfect candidate. Make sure to hop on over there to check it out too.

Till then... to all my Asian readers, Gong Xi Fa Cai..May you have lots of good health and prosperous year!!!

xx

Cooking Recipe: Tangy Chili & Garlic Tiger Prawns Noodle

What's for dinner? Another spontaneous meal that I put together. I found some prawns, and french beans. And then an A-HA moment came along. I recalled reading Pierre's post on duck and scallop with yellow egg noodle and I thought .. "okay tonight's dinner will be significantly Chinese".

I decided that we are not having rice, so instead I will fry some prawns with chili, lime juice, lots of garlic, some shallots and pair it with a simple fried yellow egg noodle. There's a secret in the dish.. pssts.. come closer.. there's bacon. ;) LOLs..

The lime juice ties up the whole dish nicely. It has the perfect balance of heat, sourness and saltiness from bacon and natural sweetness from french beans, prawns and yellow egg noodle. Enjoy!!

Recipe
yields 4-6 pax
Note: To marinade prawns, I always use my mom's basic recipe and it goes well with just any meat and poultry. Add some light soy sauce, couple dashes of sesame oil, white pepper, shaoxing wine and couple teaspoon of cornstarch. If possible, marinade a couple hours ahead or even better, marinade overnight.

For the tangy chili prawns

200g tiger prawns, deveined
5 cloves garlic, diced or finely chopped
3 shallots, sliced finely
1 medium red chili, seeded and finely chopped
1 tbsp Dry sherry or Shaoxing rice wine
1 lime, juiced
75g french beans, chopped into 2 cm lengths
dried chili flakes
6-8 streaky bacon, sliced into cubes
2 tbsp vegetable/canola/peanut oil
salt and pepper to taste

For fried yellow egg noodle:

1 1/2 packet yellow egg noodle
1 tbsp canola/vegetable/ peanut oil
2 cloves garlic, diced of finely chopped
1tbsp oyster or hoisin sauce
3 tsp sesame oil
3 tsp light soy sauce
some white pepper
1 tsp caster sugar/ brown sugar
1 1/2 tbsp water

To prepare tangy chili prawns:

1. Fry streaky bacon without any oil until they are golden brown. Remove excess oil from wok or pan and leave about 2-3 tsp of bacon oil behind. Set bacon aside.

2. At this point, wok or pan will still be hot. Add the oil then fry garlic, onions and chili for few seconds until they are fragrant.

3. Then add the prawns, sherry or rice wine and the lime juice and stir fry until the prawns start to turn pink.

4. Add  the French beans and  bacon and mix together. When prawns have turned pink, season with a little salt, white pepper and a pinch of chili flakes. Set aside.

To prepare fried yellow egg noodles:

1. Combine all the ingredients and mix well  leaving out garlic and yellow egg noodles.

2. Heat a clean pan or wok, add oil and fry garlic for a couple seconds making sure they don't burn.

3. Immediately toss in yellow egg noodles and pour noodle mixture and stir fry for 1-2 minutes until noodles are evenly coated. Add a little water (2-3 tsp) if noodle is too try.

4. Lastly, add in the fried tangy prawn and mix it up with the noodle. Serve immediately.

xx