We didn't have much when we were young. Dad held a menial job while Mum stayed home full time to care for the 3 of us till I was deemed old enough to look after my siblings.
I was just about 11 years old when mum decided to rejoin the work force to help support the family. I have yet learn how to cook, so Mum would leave us with a big loaf of bread, some snacks or some loose change to buy food (there was still $1.50 chicken rice in those days). Mostly the bread since it is the most cost effective option. But kids be kids, of course we got sick of those mass produced bread very quickly. Nutella or peanut butter might have made it easier but those were considered luxury to us.
The bread would sit on the table till it had passed its prime. By then Mum had no choice but to turn the stale bread into french toast. It was nothing fancy, just a crude version using only eggs and sugar, but my sisters and I would snap them up in no time at all. It may appear trivial but for a young adolescent girl, every little thing is something when we had nothing.
That's why when I first came across Food from the Heart, I feel so much for the wonderful work they are doing. Especially their School Goodie Bag programme where they provide monthly food supplies to needy families with school children. They believe that no child should go to school hungry as it might hinder their learning abilities. Each goodie bag contains a number of necessities like rice, oil, canned food and even fresh eggs! As part of the programme, FFTH have engaged a group of volunteers, including myself, to create delicious food showcasing items from the goodie bag. Straight away, I knew I will create a French Toast recipe.
Stuffed Milo Lava French Toast (serves 2 or 1 very hungry kid)
30g Milo powder
15g Sugar (optional)
a bit of Water
100g Milk
10g Milo powder
15g Sugar (optional)
1 Egg
pinch of Salt
4 slices of Bread, white or wholemeal, any kind you prefer
Banana, sliced
50g Cornflakes, crushed
1. Mix water, a bit at a time, to the 30g of Milo powder and stir till it becomes thick and syrupy.
2. Dissolve the 10g Milo powder into Milk, then combine mixture with egg and salt.
3. Place banana slices onto a piece of bread, leaving some space around the edges. Drizzle 1-2 tablespoonful of Milo sauce onto the banana slices then cover with another piece of bread. Pinch together the edges of the 2 pieces of bread.
4. Carefully dip the bread into the Milo egg mixture. Make sure both sides get a good soak then transfer it to the crushed cornflakes and coat as thoroughly as possible.
5. In a frying pan, use either oil or butter to pan fry both sides of the french toast till golden brown. Serve immediately with more banana slices and the remaining Milo sauce (if any).
If you like this recipe and would like to share it, please link to this blog post with its original contents. All recipes are created by me (unless otherwise stated) and require a lot of effort and time to craft. Crediting back is the biggest form of encouragement for me! Thank you! =)
Thought: During conceptualisation, I know there are a few important things to note. Apart from using items from the goodie bag, the rest of the ingredients must not be too costly. For this purpose, only bread and banana has to be purchased separately but even so, they can be obtained cheaply. I assume that salt is available but it can be omitted regardless. However, I would suggest adding some sugar. Personally I have a low tolerance for sugar, so I'm satisfied with having the natural sweetness from the banana and Milo, which is already sweet. But hubs didn't find them sweet at all and I consider him a "normal" person, so it will be best to add in some sugar to sweeten up the french toast.
Next, this recipe must be relatively easy to put together. I remembered how my parents were dead beat from work everyday, so I imagine it's the same for these families.
On top of all that, I also want the french toast to have a "wow" factor. Kids do compare what they have (or don't have) among each other. For awhile, my young self felt inferior to peers because of all the things I don't have. I think it is worse now for kids trapped in the same situation, growing up in this kaleidoscopic world, filled with all the Insta-worthy food that cost 3 to 6 times a plate of chicken rice would.
Though my stuffed Milo Lava french toast is nothing fancy, neither is it very eye catching, I hope it will bring happiness to the kids in some of the families, just like my Mum's french toasts brought to me. I would be stoked if Mum had made me this back then!
This goodie bag initiative will most certainly help these families and lessen their burden in this society of ever rising costs. Help support them and their children, make a donation now.
Then make the french toast, take a pic and make it Insta-worthy. đ
And share with us your yummy creation and thoughts on facebook or tag @whattobaketoday on instagram!
All blog posts and photos are properties of WhatToBakeToday (unless otherwise stated). Unauthorized use and/or duplication of these contents, whole or part thereof, without express or written permission from this blog's author is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to WhatToBakeToday with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.
Time is something I don't have enough of since the arrival of my little bun. In the past whenever I feel like having cake, I can take my own sweet time in gathering the ingredients and spend a full day to make one. Now, I'll be happy if I have time to enjoy a slice!
That is why when creating this recipe, I planned in such a way that most of the steps can be done separately. It is not necessarily a quick cake recipe, but at least when I need to walk away to feed or soothe my baby, I can do so without having to worry that the meringue will deflate, the butter will melt or the cake will burn. If like me, you also don't have the time to bake, this recipe is for you.
Salted Gula Melaka, Coconut Cream and Banana Magic Icebox Cake
(makes 8" square)
Salted Gula Melaka Syrup
200g Gula Melaka, shaved
3 Pandan leaves, knotted together
2 tbsp Water
good pinch of Salt
1. In a sauce pot, over low heat, combine all ingredients and let the gula melaka melt completely. Let cool slightly, strain and transfer to a small bowl.
Salted Gula Melaka Coconut Cream
270g Coconut cream
200g Heavy cream
150g Salted Gula Melaka syrup
10 Pandan leaves, knotted together
60g Corn flour
30g Water
300g Heavy Cream
2. In a sauce pot, combine coconut cream, heavy cream, salted gula melaka and knotted pandan leaves. Bring the mixture to a gentle simmer.
3. Mix the corn flour with water and remove the pandan leaves. Gradually add the corn flour slurry into the coconut cream while stirring constantly. The mixture will thicken up and resembles the consistency of condensed milk. Transfer to a bowl and cover with cling wrap, letting it touch the surface of the cream to prevent a skin from forming. Let cool slightly before chilling in the fridge completely.
4. Whisk the heavy cream till stiff peaks, and briefly whisk the chilled coconut cream to loosen it up. It should have set as a soft custard. Gently fold the whipped cream into the coconut cream.
Assembly
1 packet Marie biscuits
Bananas, sliced
5. Line an 8" tin with cling wrap, leaving an overhang of about 10cm on each side. Start the first layer with salted gula melaka coconut cream, then place as many Marie biscuits as you can on top. Smear another layer of coconut cream then add in the banana slices before covering them with more coconut cream.
6. Repeat process till you have no more cream left. Ideally you should end with the Marie biscuits layer with just enough cream to cover it. Cling wrap the top with the overhang and chill in freezer for at least 6 hours or preferably overnight.
Optional
300g Heavy cream
Banana
Salted gula melaka syrup
7. Whisk the heavy cream till stiff peaks. Overturn the frozen cake onto a cake board or serving plate. Remove cling wrap and decorate with whipped cream, banana and salted gula melaka and let thaw before serving.
If you like this recipe and would like to share it, please link to this blog post with its original contents. All recipes are created by me (unless otherwise stated) and require a lot of effort and time to craft. Crediting back is the biggest form of encouragement for me! Thank you! =)
Thoughts: Unlike conventional cake making, this "cake" doesn't require any baking nor any skills or techniques. And the cake is simply Marie biscuits, softened by the moisture from the salted gula melaka coconut cream. It practically made itself while chilling overnight! To the current me, that's the beauty of this recipe! *waves hands in the air* Magic! Tadahhhh~
I'm lame like that and will totally do it in real life too. đ
Forgive me.
Icebox cake is not a new concept. In fact you already know one -- Tiramisu! I just wanted to make something simple and thought why not make one with the flavours we are familiar with?! Gula melaka, coconut and pandan are like the holy trinity of our South-east Asia dessert world. They complement each other perfectly, so I wouldn't change anything except for a big pinch of salt!
That salt really makes a difference! It balances out the sweetness from the gula melaka, so the icebox cake is still sweet enough, rich and creamy without being cloying. But the banana and Marie biscuits play an important supporting role too! Without them, the dessert will be one dimensional and boooring~ Many times, I found myself digging for them through the coconut cream! Maybe next time I'll slice the bananas smaller so I can fit in more layers of Marie biscuits. And of course, make more of that delicious salted gula melaka I can't seem to get enough of.
I like how luscious this icebox cake is and yet didn't require too much of my time or effort. Even my mother couldn't tell it is non-baked and was impressed that I got it done while caring for little bun. I love having my cake and eating it too. đ
If you're a busy lady who loves making or eating desserts, do try out this "magic" recipe! Then share with us your yummy creations and thoughts on facebook or tag @whattobaketoday on instagram!
All blog posts and photos are properties of WhatToBakeToday (unless otherwise stated). Unauthorized use and/or duplication of these contents, whole or part thereof, without express or written permission from this blog's author is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to WhatToBakeToday with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.
This is supposedly one of the famous Thai dishes along with Tom Yum Goong. I wonder how many of you have tasted or even heard of this soup before, because of all places, I first had it in Australia! I didn't see it in Thailand or Singapore, but then I probably didn't look in the right places.
It was winter, nearly 2 years back. We decided to lunch at a small Thai eatery just 5mins drive from our place. The staff there swore this is what we need to warm our bodies and whet up an appetite. She is absolutely right!
Tom Kha Gai (serves 4-6) ā¸้ā¸Ąā¸่ā¸˛āšā¸่
1.5L Chicken stock, homemade preferred
1" Galangal, sliced
2 Lemongrass, just the white portion, smashed slightly
5 Kaffir lime leaves, vein removed, torn and bruised slightly
4-5 Chili padi, sliced
500g Chicken thigh, diced
540g Coconut milk
300g Shimeji mushrooms
250g Straw mushrooms
Adjust the following to preference:
1-2 tsp Fish sauce
15-30g Palm sugar
70-100g Lime juice
To serve:
Lime wedges
Chili padi
Coriander
Optional
Mung bean vermicelli aka glass noodles
Cherry tomatoes
Baby kailan
1. In a large pot, bring chicken stock, galangal, lemongrass, kaffir lime leaves and chili padi to a boil.
2. Turn to low heat and add in chicken thigh. Simmer for about 15mins or till chicken is cooked through.
3. Gently stir in coconut milk and simmer for 5mins.
4. Add in the mushrooms and cook till just soften. Season to taste with fish sauce, palm sugar and lime juice.
5. Serve immediately with lime wedge, chili padi and coriander.
If you like this recipe and would like to share it, please link to this blog post with its original contents. All recipes are created by me (unless otherwise stated) and require a lot of effort and time to craft. Crediting back is the biggest form of encouragement for me! Thank you! =)
Thoughts: Don't let the milky colour deceive you as it did with me. I initially thought it was going to be bland and boring. I was wrong, of course. Tom Kha Gai is sour and spicy, slightly sweet and slightly salty, creamy and so aromatic! Quite the contrary from how it look like it will taste!
I learned that even though Tom Kha Gai is often called a "soup", it should really be categorised as "curry". The authentic way to enjoy it is with a bowl of fluffy, steamed rice; spoon the gravy and ingredients over, a few tablespoonfuls at a time.
I haven't been very into rice since giving birth. So to make it a complete meal, I added glass noodles, baby kailan and some cherry tomatoes. Keeps it light too.
Try this super moreish dish and share with us your yummy creations and thoughts on facebook or tag @whattobaketoday on instagram!
All blog posts and photos are properties of WhatToBakeToday (unless otherwise stated). Unauthorized use and/or duplication of these contents, whole or part thereof, without express or written permission from this blog's author is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to WhatToBakeToday with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.
