Steamed Kuih Bakul

I'm not too sure if "post-festival withdrawal symptoms/blues" are a real thing... But if they were, I'm sure feeling it now.

However, one of the best things about post CNY is that we can now eat the 年糕！

I used to think 年糕 was written as 黏糕, the former literally means "year cake" and the latter "sticky cake". I thought "sticky" made sense as it signifies a complete reunion, that a family and friends stay close and prosper together (this is where the 糕 = 高 part comes into play). My mom told me this year that niangao (年高) implies prosperity for the year as in 年年高升, and not 粘在一起...

In any case, ti kueh (hokkien/teochew name for Kuih Bakul; gosh is this cake complicated or what!) is very versatile and can be made into a savory dish with meat and cabbage or added into soup. It can also serve as a between-meals snack when pan-fried with egg and sweet potatoes and yam, or steamed and coated with coconut. Though I have not tried the savoury versions, the sweet ones are amazing good! (making the steamed ones is super fast and no-frills...)

What?

• Kuih Bakul
• Dessicated coconut

How?

1. Cut / slice Kuih Bakul into smaller pieces (roughly  5 x 4 x 2 cm cuboids).
2. Steam Kueh Bakul and dessicated coconut for about 10 minutes.
3. Coat the Kueh Bakul in coconut. (It will be sticky!) Serve and enjoy!

Konnyaku chrysanthemum jelly

Home sweet home. Been a week since I've been back! I was so excited to start baking again that I went on a mini baking shopping spree in the supermarket. Gathered some almond meal, baking powder, cocoa, chocolate, vanilla and flour. Then when I got back, I realised I forgot good ol' butter. GARH.

In need of a quick dessert fix, I decided to raid the pantry and the fridge to see what I can come up with. 

I found packets of konnyaku jelly powder sitting right there on my shelf! In place of fruits, I decided to make some jellies with chrysanthemum flowers.

Chrysanthemum flowers were first washed and boiled with about a litre of water. After sifting out the flowers, the jelly powder was then added while stirring.

These perky, bouncy chrysanthemum-flavoured little rounds are strewed with wolfberries for some natural sweetness.

A healthy and delightful treat for a quiet, pleasant evening. It feels good to be back. :)

Green bean dessert

It is always a comfort to have warm desserts in a faraway land. :) However, mom said that green bean is "cooling" and I shouldn`t be taking it during the cold winter. Haha, whether a certain dish is "heaty" or "cooling" is a concept of the east, I can`t even explain it properly - moms.just.know.

Yet I like my green bean soup best served warm, and was craving for them when it was freezing cold here. So if I can`t have them in winter, I made it as we break into spring. :) The beans were first soaked in water for 2-3 hours before they were poured into a pot of water to boil. I added rock sugar together with the beans - got the sugar from a chinese shop in London and they were a little orangey in colour, hence the slight golden tinge in my soup. When the sugar have dissolved and the beans have softened (haha the picture shows them a little mushed...), I added my favourite component - sago! :D

I finished the whole pot in 2 days. One of the few times I think it`s just right to cook for 1. :D