Baked whole chicken

On Christmas night, we made ourselves a simple dinner at home.

The shops were closed and the streets quiet on this very day. Everyone is home (or not) with loved ones celebrating the annual festival with togetherness and feasting.

This year, I have B with me again for Christmas, and I'm utterly thankful for him.

He made the chicken by the way. I was just in his way, sprinkling the seasonings on the chicken while belting out Christmas jingles as he was preparing our dinner...

Wishing everyone a Merry Christmas and happy start to 2016!

What?

• 1 whole chicken
• Olive oil
• Salt
• Pepper
• Garlic, chopped
• Mixed herbs (basil, thyme, oregano etc.)
• Vegetables

How?

1. Rub cleaned chicken with olive oil and marinate it generously with salt and pepper.
2. Stuff garlic into the chicken and sprinkle herbs on the chicken.
3. Place the chicken in a baking dish and fill it with vegetables. I used tomatoes, carrots and brussels sprouts.
4. Bake at 180 degC for about 40 minutes or until juices run clear.

Christmas tree meringues

I came across an advertisement from a local grocery shop about making cute Christmas tree meringues. It looked pretty simple and fuss-free, so I thought why not?

We used to have a faux live-sized Christmas tree at home. I distinctly remember shopping with my family for it many years back. We picked gold and red ornaments. I love gold and red decorations; they give Christmas a snug, warm feel. The Christmas tree would stand against a wall in the living room, hence we adorned it mostly only where people could actually see it. Embellished with sparkly ornaments and illuminated with colourful lights, the tree was a charm when it was done.

I miss home. I would like to put up the Christmas tree with my family again.

These meringues were made with the intention of being a tad more green than they turned out to be. I was a knucklehead to think that they would be fine for the whole 30 - 40 minutes in the oven unsupervised; I actually went to take a bath when they were still baking! To my horror, they were already browning at the 30 minute point when I checked them.

Well, for some self-comfort, now that they look pale, they can be snow-decked Christmas trees right?

What?

• 2 egg whites
• 1/8 tsp salt
• 1/2 cup sugar
• Green gel food colour (for green trees!)
• Piping bag
• Round piping tip
• Sprinkles
• Writing/decorating chocolate

How?

1. Beat egg whites until foamy.
2. Add salt and beat until soft peaks form.
3. Add in the sugar a little at a time and continue to beat the batter.
4. Add in the green gel food colour until desired shade is achieved. Whip the mixture until stiff peaks form.
5. Fill piping bags (with round piping tip attached) with the meringue.
6. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and pipe the meringue onto the paper. Pipe onto the parchment paper vertically until a nice round (roughly 1") circle is obtained. Pipe another (medium-sized) circle on top of the 1" circle, and finish with a small circle at the very top.
7. Decorate the tree meringue with sprinkles and bake in a preheated oven at 150 degC for about 30 - 40 minutes. Check it every now and then to make sure that the meringue does not brown.
8. Using writing/decorating chocolate, draw out some stars for the tree top. When it is completely dry, stick it to the top of the cooled meringue with a bit of melted chocolate.

Stuffed peppers

I love my bell peppers. My mom used to pack some peppers (she cut them into nice strips) in lunch bags which I brought to school. Friends were always amused at my mix of red and yellow pepper strips.

"HOW do you eat that thing?!"

"Chomp chomp. Well, these are sweet, crunchy and refreshing. Plus my mom says they are rich in antioxidants..."

You don't argue with Mom. :D

Bell peppers' appeal is more than their stunning good looks. Packed with a good load of vitamin C and E, they boost the immune system and help keep the skin looking pretty and youthful.

This recipe calls for a light roasting of these peppers, leaving them sweet as always and juicy with a crunch. What's not to love!

I like how everything is neatly packed in the cavity. I made a vege-version here, but minced meat, shredded meat, ham or sausages can be added during the stir fry as well.

What?

• 2 bell peppers, halved and seeded
• 1/2 cup rice
• Water as needed
• 1 1/2 tsp salt
• 2-3 tsp black pepper
• White/black pepper, to taste
• Olive oil for frying
• 1 tbsp chopped garlic
• 1 onion, chopped
• 2 tsp soy sauce
• Vegetables (broccoli, carrots, corn)
• Mozzarella
• Dash of basil

How?

1. Cook rice in a rice cooker or over the stove with water, salt and pepper.
2. While rice is cooking, roast the peppers in the preheated oven at 200 degC for 15 minutes.
3. After the rice is cooked, heat up some olive oil in a frying pan and cook the garlic and onions until they begin to brown. Add the soy sauce and fry the vegetables together with the garlic and onions.
4. Spoon the cooked rice into the frying pan and stir until cooked through. Add in more pepper (white/black) to taste.
5. Mix in the mozzarella.
6. Spoon the rice mixture into the roasted halved peppers.
7. Place the peppers back into the oven for about 5-10 minutes.
8. Sprinkle with a dash of basil (or spring onions) before serving.

Chocolate Rudolph cupcakes

Rudolf, the red-nose reindeer

Had a very shiny nose

And if you ever saw it

You would even say it glows

All of the other reindeers

Used to laugh and call him names

They never let poor Rudolph

Join in any reindeer games

Poor Rudolph, literally excluded from the group because he was different from (and so much cuter than!) the rest. Absolutely not a legit reason to be ostracised!

Then one foggy Christmas Eve

Santa came to say

Rudolph with your nose so bright

Won't you guide my sleigh tonight?

Then how the reindeers loved him

As the shouted out with glee

Rudolph the red-nose reindeer

You'll go down in history!

They don't seem to be very pleasant reindeers, only cordial when they realised Rudolph had some level of importance. Orbiquek to them, I'd say. However, Rudolph being as good-natured as he was adorable, welcomed the new friendship with open antlers. I adore his virtuously forgiving nature, so chin chai and amiable. 

In celebration of the Christmas season and our red-nosed friend, I made Rudolph a dozen others just like him!

These are piped chocolate eyes and antlers. They hardened very quickly on this cold, freezing day.

You definitely made history, Rudolph!

Chocolate cupcakes
What?

• 1 cup sugar
• 1 cup plain flour
• 1/2 cup cocoa powder
• 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 egg
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup hot water

How?

1. Stir the sugar, flour, cocoa powder, baking powder and salt together.
2. Add in egg, milk, oil and vanilla extract and mix until incorporated.
3. Pour in the hot water and stir until an even consistency is achieved. The batter will be very thin.
4. Line muffin tins with paper liners and fill the liners with the batter to about 3/4 full. 
5. Bake the cupcakes at 180 degC for about 20 minutes.
6. Cool completely on a wire rack before frosting.

To make Rudolph...

What?

• Writing milk/dark chocolate
• Parchment paper
• Coffee buttercream
• Piping bag
• Red chocolate buttons (I used red M&Ms)

How?

1. Melt the chocolate according to the instructions on the tube and pipe out eyes and antlers for the reindeers onto parchment paper. Leave to harden.
2. Prepare the coffee buttercream (click link for the recipe!) and put it into the piping bag. Snip off the end of the bag and pipe the buttercream onto the cupcake in a circular manner until almost the entire cupcake is covered.
3. Use a red chocolate button as the nose and place it in position on top of the buttercream.
4. Add in the chocolate eyes and antlers for the reindeer.

Chocolate walnut cookie slab

This is the start to a joyful December. I love this time of the year - the warm, fuzzy feeling as we approach Christmas. It is a merry, joyous and festive season, underlined with tranquility that is so surreal. Then comes New Year (Double celebration! Woohoo!), which gives the end of winter holidays a brand new beginning to look forward to.

This December is a little extra special because I have a special guest.

Who's that, you ask?

”She is your mirror, shining back at you with a world of possibilities. She is your witness, who sees you at your worst and best, and loves you anyway. She is your partner in crime, your midnight companion, someone who knows when you are smiling, even in the dark. She is your teacher, your defense attorney, your personal press agent, even your shrink. Some days, she's the reason you wish you were an only child.” 
~ Barbara Alpert

We did many things together this week. We shopped from the city to the outlet, had tea in quaint teapots and tiny tea cups, delighted in cakes and savoury pre-meal snacks, explored the old city streets and touristy sights... I relished every minute we spent together, the heart-to-heart talks and all the silly moments. :) And of course, we have to bake together this holiday!

From what was supposed to be a-dozen-cookies, to a huge slab of cookie on the cookie sheet. Don't ask. It was intentional. :D We reckoned the slab looked like chocolate brittles so we broke it into serving-sized pieces. This turned out to be a cookie that was crispy on the outside and chewy on the inside.

And it was extra tasty when you have someone to share it with.

The best thing about having a sister was that I always had a friend. 

~ Cali Rae Turner

What?

• 2 cups icing sugar
• 1/2 cup cocoa
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 1/2 cups chopped walnuts
• 2 eggs
• 1 tsp vanilla essence

How?

1. Mix icing sugar, cocoa, salt and chopped walnuts.
2. Stir in the eggs and vanilla essence until well combined.
3. Pour the batter onto a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper.
4. Bake in a preheated oven at 180 degC for 15 minutes.
5. Cool completely on a cooling rack before cutting to serve.