Suum Cuique

Whaddya know.. we're already into the 2nd quarter of 2010. Ack! Who ever says that?? I only picked it up during my working days, where we need to do a review of the business at the end of every quarter. Bad habits break hard.. :P

Strange that the older I get, the faster time seem to fly. The weeks just seem to swoosh by - we start off slow on first day of school/work on Sunday but in a blink of an eye, it's already Thursday, the last day of the week! I remember how I used to moon and daydream in class, wishing and hoping it's already the last day of the week/term and how the days always seem to crawl at a snail's pace. Maybe it's because as a child, we don't have much to think about other than day to day stuff like homework, exams, parties...^_^ As adults, there always seems so much to think of and plan and worry about...

That's why I like baking. It's my form of escapism. I don't have to do any major thinking or planning. Just flow with the moment - follow the recipe, execute the instructions and by the time you clear up, the cake is done. And then bump! - back to reality..


Here's the recipe for a very rich Sugee Cake by Betty Yew in Asian Delights, All-Time Favourite Recipes.

300g butter
200g + 100g sugar
1/2 cup milk
300g sugee/semolina
14 med egg yolks
4 whites

A:
120g ground almonds
60g plain flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
pinch of salt

2 tbsp brandy
2 tsp vanilla essence

Cream butter and 200g sugar til light and fluffy. Add milk a little at a time. Beat in sugee and stand for 1 hour.

Whisk yolks with 100g sugar until thick and light yellow. Add to butter mixture a little a time, beating well with each addition.

Whisk whites until stiff and carefully fold into butter mixture. Fold in A and mix in brandy and vanilla.

Pour mixture into a 25cm square cake tin lined with double sheet of greased greaseproof paper. Bake in 175C for approximately 60 - 70 minutes.

Note:
My small handmixer was barely enough to make this quantity of cake batter. It will be much better to use a stand mixer as the butter-sugee and egg yolk mix becomes quite substantial when you mix them together. I was kind of worried I might burn the motor as in addition to the heavy load, I also had to whisk the whites. Better to halve the recipe next time as I have only a 20cm square tin too.

And with 10 egg whites leftover, what can you do with them? These..


Almond Crisps from Agnes Chang, Baking Made Easy

4 egg whites
160g sugar
100g plain flour
200g - 250g almond flakes
2 tsp vanilla essence

Method:
1. Add sugar to egg white, stir until sugar dissolves.
2. Mix sifted flour and almond flakes in a bowl. Add to egg-sugar mix and stir in vanilla. Mixture should look creamy.
3. Line a baking tray with baking paper. Put a few dollops of mix on the baking (silicon) paper, well spaced apart and use the back of the spoon to flatten the mix as thin as possible on the paper.
4. Bake in preheated oven 180 C for about 12-15 minutes or golden brown. Remove and cool slightly before removing each cookie from baking paper.

Note:
I took the easy way out and made my biscuit in one big thin layer. But it did not bake evenly and the sides got slightly burnt before the middle was baked through. So it's better to make individual biscuits. Size is entirely up to you. Just make sure it is very thin, otherwise it will end up hard although still crunchy. I found it easier to remove from the paper after it cools down as the biscuit will harden upon cooling.

I must warn you, these almond crisps are incredibly addictive because they are so deceptively light and crispy. :)

Labels: almond, almond crisps, cake, sugee cake