The Sweet Revenge Very Crunchy Chocolate Chip Cookies

If you Google for Chocolate Chip Cookie recipes, chances are, you will end up like a kid in a candy store.  Or for a more rip-roaring comparison, like Alice in Wonderland.  For the baker in us, that means pretty exciting news.  There are enough recipes to put us into baking marathon 24/7, 365.  Never mind that there will be an oversupply of cookies at the end of it because everyone, young and old, knows and loves CCC.

I have stopped searching for CCC recipes ever since I found this one nearly a decade ago, which by the way, is a famous urban legend.  If you're serious about baking your own CCC, you would probably have heard about it too.  It made its round in the virtual world community circa mid 1990s.  A pretty enthralling tale that is not without the sweet smell of revenge.  If your memory hasn't been jolted yet, let me give you a clue.  It's the notorious $250 cookie recipe.

Ok, enough said.  It's time for you to sift the flour and decide on macademia, pecan or hazelnut, white or dark chocolate because I am going to spill the secrets of this confectionery urban legend (albeit I modified it a little for convenience without compromising on the cookie texture and taste).  Try it and you'll cast aside all other CCC recipes you had before.

Be warned though that addiction to these yummy cookies has no therapy or cure!              



Dunk it in milk or eat it just like that. One thing's for sure - no one will
refuse an offer of these super yummy crunchy cookies

Ingredients:

230 grams butter
285 grams self-raising flour
2 tsp baking soda
150 grams brown sugar
1 egg yolk
1/2 cup oatmeal, blended into fine powder
1/2 cup Milo powder
1/2 tsp salt
2 tsp vanilla
1 cup chopped nuts (your choice / optional)
180 grams chocolate chips (I love Hershey's ones)


I love mine with dark choc chips and pecan nuts in them.  Magnifique!

Preparation:

1. Pre-heat oven to 170*C.  Cream the butter and sugar.  Add egg yolk and vanilla; mix together with flour, oatmeal, salt and baking soda. 

2. Add Milo powder, chocolate chips and nuts and mix until all ingredients are combined.

3. Roll dough into balls and place two inches apart on a cookie sheet.  Bake for 10-12 minutes at 170*C. Cool the cookies completely on the cooling rack before serving or storing in an airtight container.  Makes 60+ cookies. 

Tips:

- As cookie will spread during the baking process, do not roll a big dough if you plan to have a small cookie and there's no need to press the dough down before baking.
- Different ovens have different heating capability.  Keep an eye on your cookies while baking is in progress to ensure they do not overbake and become bitter.

Fearlessly Simple & Home Cooked

Singapore Satay



As this is my debut entry for the blog, I thought I'd give the honour to a popular dish that's not only linked to my heritage but also one which is not difficult to love at first bite - Satay. 

I've been a satay aficionado since I was able to pronounce the word.  As a child, I remember telling my Dad it didn't really matter what presents I would get for my birthday as long as I would get to wolf down satay all day. And boy, did he honour my wish, year after year. I've never had better birthdays!

It's worth noting that satay is not merely umarinated skewered meat. There's a pretty interesting mix of spices that's responsible for its aroma and delectable taste.  And then there's the equally appetizing peanut sauce in which you dip the satay.  Other accompaniments are cucumber slices, diced red onions and ketupat or lontong (traditional Malay/Indonesian rice cake). 

Fasten your seat belt because the moment you take your first bite, you will be on your way to a blissful makan* journey.  Bon voyage!

*Makan is Malay for "eat".

Ingredients:

(Makes 20+ sticks)

500 grams beef or any meat of your choice - slice the meat very thinly and into small pieces.

Bamboo skewers

Meat Marinade

2 lemongrass

1/2 inch ginger

1/2 inch galangal

1/2 cup cumin seeds

1/2 cup coriander seeds

1/2 cup sugar

1 tbsp tumeric powder

4 tbsp sweet soy sauce

4 garlic

4 onions

5 tbsp vegetable oil

Chopped lemongrass

Peanut Sauce

500 grams peanuts (fry with 2 tbs of oil, skin-on)

15 dried chillies (soak in warm water before use)

2 shallots or red onions, chopped

2 garlic, chopped

2 lemongrass, chopped on the bulb end

1/2 cup brown sugar

2 cups water

Salt to taste

Barbecue or grill the skewered meat

Preparation:

1.  Grind all ingredients for marinade until smooth.  Smear evenly on meat and marinade for 2 hours.  Skewer about 5cm of meat on the bamboo skewer.  Barbecue/grill skewered meat until cooked, occassionally brushing oil on it using the ends of 2-3 sticks of lemongrass.
2.  Coarsely grind all ingredients for peanut sauce except salt.  Cook in a saucepan over low fire, stirring occassionally.  Sprinkle salt to taste.  Turn off fire when sauce thickens.
3.  Serve cooked satay with peanut sauce, sliced cucumbers, diced onions and ketupat/lontong (optional).

Tips:

- For greater aroma, sautee the coriander and cumin seeds without oil before blending.
- Soak the bamboo skewers in cold water for 20 mins before using. This will help to prevent the sticks from burning.
- Brush the cooked satay with honey just before removing it from fire. This gives the dish a delightful sweetness.


Fearlessly Simple & Home Cooked