Coconut
#COOKING: PANDAN CHIFFON CAKE RECIPE
PANDAN CHIFFON CAKE. Something green and lucky to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day! This delight isn’t very easy to find in these parts, but is a adored in its native Singapore. I’ve adapted this spongey, fluffy cake for the common Baker, using accessible ingredients. For those who don’t know, Pandan is a fragrant tropical green leafy plant with a creamy, vanilla-like essence, found in Southeast Asia. It is irresistible.
The trick with this cake is gentle folding of the stiff egg whites, into your egg yolk, coconut and pandan batter before transferring to the pan. Ensure also you do not grease your pan as there are enough oils in this cake for it not to stick. And if you don’t have the standard Chiffon cake pan, a Bundt pan will do.
This is decadent and indulgent, but also airy, not overly-sweet. Have tried this a few times and finally got the right height and texture. Cannot wait to make this again! Don’t know where to find Pandan Extract or Powder? Try Amazon or your local Asian grocer.
Ingredients:
1/2 cup + 2 tbsp flour5 eggs, separated at room temperature
100 ml Coconut Milk
2/3 cup Icing Sugar, divided in two
4 tbsps Vegetable Oil
1 tsp Baking Powder
1/2 tsp Cream of Tartar
1/4 tsp Sea Salt
1 tsp Pandan Extract
1 tsp Dried Pandan Powder
Instructions:
1. Pre-heat oven at 340°F.2. Sift flour, baking powder and salt and reserve in small bowl.
3. Place egg whites in one bowl, and egg yolks in another bowl.
4. Using Egg Beater, beat yolks and half of icing sugar till thick and creamy.
5. In a small bowl, mix coconut milk, pandan powder and extract, plus oil.
6. Pour coconut and pandan mixture into egg yolk mixture and beat till smooth. Add flour mixture in gradually, beating till smooth. Set aside.
7. Beat egg whites with Egg Beater, mixing-in Cream of Tartar and remaining Icing Sugar. You will be beating for about 5 minutes at medium-high speed minimum, or till egg whites can form stiff peaks.
8. Using spatula, gentle fold-in egg whites into egg yolk/pandan/coconut batter. Do not overmix.
9. Transfer batter into cake pan, gently doing an “S” motion till even. If you see little air bubbles, use a toothpick through the batter to pop these.
10. Bake for 40-45 minutes, or till toothpick is clean.
11. Cool upside-down for about an hour, allow ventilation. Using spatula, gently trace along edges of pan to let cake out of pan. Store at room temperature in air-tight container or bags for up to 3 days.
Gallery:
(Photo credit: Mr. Will Wong)
#COOKING: COCONUT CREAM PIE RECIPE
Coconut Cream Pie. This is a classic and it has been so liberating knowing now that making a pie crust isn’t so terrifying after all! Give this pie a little overnight patience. It is so worth it. Do be careful when baking this crust on its own, you need to weigh it down to prevent shrinkage.
Pie Pastry:
1 1/4 cups flour
3/4 tsp sea salt
1/4 cup butter, chilled
1/3 cup + 2 tbsps Crisco Golden All-Vegetable Shortening
1/4 cup cold water
Filling:
1 can coconut milk
1 cup half and half cream
4 egg yolks
1/2 cup organic raw sugar
1/2 cup shredded unsweetened coconut
1/4 cup corn starch
2 tbsps unsalted butter
1 tsp vanilla
2 tsps coconut extract
1/4 tsp sea salt
Topping:
1 cup whipping cream
3 tbsps icing sugar
1 tbsp coconut extract
2 tbsps shredded unsweetened coconut, toasted
Instructions:
1. Prepare pastry, combining ingredients, adding water 1 tbsp at a time, handling minimally. Knead dough gently on floured surface. Roll into ball. Chill minimum 2 hours, no more than 5 days.2. Roll dough out and fit into pie pan. Chill another 30 minutes.
3. Preheat oven to 400°F.
4. Place a small oven-safe plate stacked with small oven-safe bowl of water to weigh-down crust to prevent from shrinking.
5. Bake about 25 minutes or till golden brown.
6. Chill in refrigerator covered.
7. In bowl, mix yolks and corn starch.
8. On stove top with medium heat, melt butter, sugar, salt, cream and coconut milk, stirring frequently till it reaches boil.
9. Pour half of milk mixture into egg mixture and mix vigorously.
10. Pour mixture back into sauce pan with milk mixture. Stir till smooth as mixture will thicken fast. Remove from heat.
11. Mix-in butter, coconut and extracts.
12. Pour into pie crust and cover with Saran Wrap. It’s okay to have wrap touching filling. Chill overnight.
13. In large bowl, beat whipping cream with handmixer. Once stiff peaks form, use spatula to mix-in icing sugar and coconut extract.
14. Toast 2 tbsps coconut flakes, careful not to burn.
15. Pipe whipped cream onto pie. Sprinkle with coconut flakes and serve.
Gallery:
(Photo credit: Mr. Will Wong)
#COOKING: TARO-COCONUT CHICKEN RECIPE
Coconut-Taro Chicken. Pure decadence, this comforting dish is rich and creamy. The marriage of Taro (a versatile sweet, starchy potato), and Coconut is a union that came long before Bubble Tea and is just as perfect savoury. This one is dedicated to our friends at Taro PR!
Ingredients:
2 lbs chicken drumsticks, chopped into thirds and de-boned if you like
1 block of Taro, 1/2″ thick slices, then divided into quarters
1 small purple onion, sliced thin
1 can coconut milk
1/2 cup chicken broth
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 tbsps white or cooking wine
4 tbsps soy sauce
3 tbsps tapioca/corn starch
1 tbsp organic raw sugar
Sea salt and pepper, to taste
Canola oil
Coriander, to garnish
Instructions:
1. Marinate chicken with wine, 1 tbsp soy sauce and sugar in large bowl, careful to rid of bone shards. Keep in fridge minimum 2 hours.
2. Heat Canola oil in large skillet till hot on medium-high. Fry taro in batches, 3-4 minutes each side till golden. Place on dish lined with paper towels to absorb oil. Set aside.
3. Leave about 2 tbsps oil in the skillet and set remainder aside.
4. Sautée garlic and onions till almost caramelized and brown the chicken. Season with salt and pepper.
5. Add 3 tbsps soy sauce and stir evenly.
6. Add coconut milk, broth, 1/2 cup water and bring to a boil. Simmer on low, covered 15 minutes.
7. Add Taro, stir evenly and simmer another 15 minutes.
8. In small bowl, mix starch with equal parts water and stir into skillet, thickening sauce.
9. Transfer to a clay pot and broil 7-10 minutes till top has a bit of charring. Garnish with coriander and serve with rice. You’ll want seconds, potentially thirds so make extra rice!
#COOKING: PANDAN-MIC COCONUT COCKTAIL BUNS RECIPE
Pandan-mic Coconut Cocktail Buns. Someone requested a Coconut Bun recipe. Here it is! I dare you to find a better combo than Coconut x Pandan (Asia’s Vanilla). We crafted a hybrid brioche, combining Cocktail Buns (sweet white bread filled with a sweet coconut center) and Pandan-Coconut Milk Buns. These were soft, fragrant and the coconut center made these next-level! 🌴
(Photo credit: Mr. Will Wong)
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