Two Days Before Raya

...it was a baking frenzy! I had to bake all this, or else I wouldn't make it before raya!So, I started at 11 after getting some groceries from Econsave and began making Lapis Prune, Prune Cake (MIL requested), Victoria Sandwich Cake (x2, one for Mak Arah), and Coffee Macarons for iftar!

It was prunes affair! Lucky I was fasting, if not I would have popped a few into my mouth!

Kek Lapis Prune....recipe from Rima

Ingredients

(A)

250g butter, I have been using SCS after the Golden Churn on off scandal, haha!

80g condensed milk

1 tsp cake spice

1/2tsp vanilla powder, I added vanilla essence as well

80g golden syrup

(B)

15 egg yolks

3 egg white

120g caster sugar

80g superfine flour, I used Hong Kong flour

1 tbsp ovalette

20ml cold water

(C)

a few drops yellow colouring, I omitted

150g pitted prunes, I used about 200 g

melted butter

Method

1.Prepare lose bottom 8x8x4 cake tin.preheat oven at 150C, arwah's oven ok!

2.Whisk A till thick and creamy, set aside.

3.Whisk B till thick and creamy and ribbony.

4.Add A into B, whisk till well blended.

5.Separate batter into 10 portions, about 90 g each layer.

6.Spread a portion evenly into pan, tilt left right to even out the layer, bake under grill fire for about 5 mins or until tan.

7.Remove from the oven, press to remove excess air, brush evenly with melted butter.

8.Spread another layer, and arrange prunes...I cut my prunes to smaller pieces.

9.Alternate layer and layer prune, till finish.

10.Once done, cover the cake with aluminium foil, bake using upper and lower heat at 150C for about 20 minutes. 

Prune Cake...recipe from Razlyn's mom

Ingredients

2 cups pitted prunes

2 cups water

2 tsp bicarb soda

4 eggs

8 oz butter (250g ), I used SCS

2 cups caster sugar

1 tsp vanilla essence

3 cups flour

3 tbsp cocoa powder

Method

1.Boil prunes with water for about 5 minutes. I used water just enough to cover. Once boiled, I lightly mash the prunes and use the water as well in the batter.

2.Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy.

3.Add eggs one by one, whisk until well mixed only.

4.Sift flour with bicarbonate soda. Add into 2 and 3 mixture, fold until well incorporated.

5.Last, add in prunes with its boiled water.

6.Spoon into cake tin, bake for about 40 minutes in 160C oven.

I halved the recipe and bake in a 8x8x4 cake tin. The cake became more moist the next day!

Coffee Macarons...basic recipe from Jill Colonna's Mad About Macarons

Ingredients

50g egg whites, aged for 3 days in the fridge

30g caster sugar, I used 25g

60g ground almond, sifted

80g icing sugar

1 tsp instant coffee, I used Nescafe

Method

1.Measure all ingredients, set aside.

2.Sift ground almond, icing sugar, and Nescafe.

3.Beat egg whites till foamy, add caster sugar bit by bit, beat until soft peak. Beat for 2 minutes at high speed to have a meringue at soft peak, but not dry.

4. Fold in the almond icing sugar mix in 3 batches, I just dumped all at once. 

5.Mix the ingredients well, and start macaronnage to have a batter that is shiny and folds ribbony..

6.I filled the macarons with Salted Caramel.

Salted Caramel

Ingredients

200g sugar

200g whipping cream

150g butter

1/2 tsp salt

Method

Heat sugar in a pan until caramel colour, turn off heat. Add in whipping cream. Last add in cubed butter and salt, leave to set.

...I was one happy woman, after all this were done...I shared the Coffee Macarons with Busu, Mil's younger sister....when I arrived in Muar, she kept asking MIL if I was making that bulat bulat kueh with inti...ahah...macarons...

Tomorrow I was going to make some Congo Bars with Butterscotch and some more macarons for Raya! ...hmmm  awesome filling when I could just bake for pleasure....

Tra for now...am blogging from Muor!