Pandan chiffon, light and flavourful

This recipe is from dear mum, whose pandan chiffon beats any of those you find in the shops.

Ingredients:

1a. Flour 140g (5 oz)

1b. Baking powder and bicarbonate soda, each 1/2 tea spoon

2. Sugar 220g (8 oz), divide into 2 portions, each 110g (4 oz)

3. Coconut milk 170g (6 oz)

4. Pandan leaves, about 4 to 5 leaves

5. Green colouring, a few drops

6. Corn Oil, 3 table spoons

7. Eggs 10, separate egg white and yolks (use only 6 to 7 yolks)

8. Cream of tar tar, 1 tea spoon

Preparation:

• Sieve 1a) and 1b) and set aside;
• Cut up the pandan leaves, chop it up finely or just process it in a blender. Put the chopped leaves in a small cotton sachel, add a little water and extract 2 table spoons of pandan juice.

Process:

• Beat egg yolks and half of the sugar (110g/ 4 oz) till creamy, slowly and evenly stir in coconut milk, oil, pandan juice and green colouring;
• Mix pre-sieved flour (ingredients 1a. and b.) evenly into the mixture till it's smooth, set aside;
• Beat egg white, cream of tar tar and remaining half portion of sugar till white and stiff. The time varies between 15 to 30 minutes, depending on the strength;
• Gently and very evenly stir-mix the batter mixture into the egg white;
• Pour into cake tin (pref. tall ones with a hollow in the middle, to allow the cake to rise sufficiently). Do not oil the tin's wall as this will affect the rising process;
• Bake in pre-heated oven at about 170 c (gas mark 6 though it really varies with ovens) for approx. 45 minutes to an hour (again it varies with ovens)

Apple pies, the apple of my eyes

Where shall one begin with a cranky, tiny old oven and a rusty pair of hands?

I shall start with apple pies. Crispy and crusty on the outside, sweet, juicy and flavourful inside...

Ingredients (makes one medium (9") plus one small (6") pies):

1. Filling - 10 Fuji apples, 250g sugar (medium sweet), 50g butter, 1 table spoon (optional) lemon juice
2. Pie Crust - 200g flour, 100g butter, 10g sugar, pinch of salt, 1 egg
3. Crumble - 200g flour, 200g butter (enough for lots of crumble on top!)

To prepare pie filling, core apples and cut into small or medium size cubes;

• Cook the cubed apples with all other ingredients in 1. above, bring to boil; turn down the fire till the apples caramalise (Note: as Fujis are in itself juicy, do not add water);

• For the pie crust, mix flour and butter with hand, till fluffy and soft, add the egg to consolidate the mixture into a ball of dough;
• Wrap the dough in cling wrap and place in the fridge for 30 minutes;
• Pre-heat oven to 160 to 180 degree C / gas mark 5-6 (different ovens vary in heat);
• Cut the dough into 2/3 and 1/2 (for medium and small pies), scatter some flour on a clean table top and roll each as evenly as possible, then place it on the pie pan and mould into shape;
• Put in the caramalised apple filling;
• Mix ingredients in 3. above, i.e. butter and flour into crumbly bits and spread it on top of the pies;
• Bake for approx. 30 to 40 minutes.