Konnyaku Coconut Jelly

These miserable, hot, monsoon-rain-scarce days, it's nice to cool down by slurping konnyaku jellies. According to a google search, konnyaku is supposed to refer to fat-, calorie-, gluten- and soy-free traditional Japanese food. Don't know where mum picked up the name but hope it is true. Gimme more jellies...(the white bits are coconut strips)...

Blackforest Muffin

Yoikes! It's been ages. Week after week, mum made cheese tarts, egg tarts, cupcakes and chocolate cakes but nothing new until...these blackforest muffins. Delish and garnished with chocolate sprinkles, chopped walnuts and a cheery ol' cherry.

Strawberry Cheesecake

For my aunt's birthday earlier this month, mum tried out this new cheesecake recipe she found in a cookbook. The base is made of crushed digestive biscuits, followed by a layer of melted chocolate. The body is a thick layer of cheese blended with low fat cream and ground strawberries.

The cheese was surprising light (because it is made fluffier by the cream) and refreshing (because of the strawberry flavour). I would have preferred the cheese layer to be thinner but that's not a criticism in itself. Definitely to be included into mum's list of offerings.

Sweetcorn Muffin

Something new was in the oven yesterday and it turned out to be these experimental sweetcorn muffin. I promptly cut one up for tasting.

The verdict? I felt it should be a bit fluffier and sweeter. Also offered a suggestion for mum to add peanut sprinkles to mimic the flavourful crispy pan peanut cake sold at pasar malam food stalls.

Watch out for Sweetcorn Muffin, Part II...

Lemon Peach Cake

These hot and muggy days, no one has much of an appetite for chocolate-y goodies. Mum gets a lot more requests for chilled fruity creations. She baked this lemon peach cake for my cousin who needed something for her mother-in-law's birthday celebrations. 

Here are the thick middling layers of chopped peaches and whipped cream.

And a bit more to top things off.

Chinese Eggtarts

One of my favourite desserts since childhood is the Chinese eggtart. I love it best when they come just out of the oven at dim sum restaurants but failing that option, I always go for the Tong Kee ones. So as a real eggtart fan, I was somewhat sceptical when mum said she was going to make her own.

The batch that you see below was part of her first attempt. The base that she used was not the flaky one but the harder dough variety. These just came out of the oven.

After this, she prepared the egg filling, I think with egg (duh), sugar and milk. The filling was then added to the bases and baked again. And the finished product:

I registered my vote by chomping up two at one ago and bringing one to work the next day. Pass with distinction.

Double Chocolate Muffin

I don't think this one needs too much introduction or description. If this isn't enough chocolate for the chocolate addicts out there, let me add that at the heart of the muffin is a blob of soft chocolate cream.