Monday, January 8, 2007

Condiments: Strawberry and Mango Jam

As soon as I saw the plentiful mangoes everywhere in its peak season, I just knew I had to use it in my morning tea. Be it a cake or pie.
At the same time I got two boxes of fresh organic strawberries left in refrgerator.
Unfortunately I got my baking-blue coming back. Needless to say, I won't do any baking works while am not in a good mood, unless I'll produce the worst cake ever :))
At the end, the fresh and tempting smell of riped mango and strawberries gave me idea of making jams. Then there I was, sipping my morning tea with a mango sandwich toast, while I had chocolate cake with strawberry sauce in the afternoon ;)

STRAWBERRY JAM
Ingredients:
400 gr fresh strawberries, clean, hulled and chopped
200 gr cane sugar (increase or reduce to your taste)
75 ml water
Method:
Heat chopped strawberries in a saucepan over low heat until the natural liquid comes out.
Add in sugar and water, let it comes to a boil without stirring until half of the sugar is dissolved.
Stir well and turn the heat to simmer, cook until it's jellylike thickened or into spreadable consistency.
Turn off the heat, pour the jam onto sterilized bottle, seal tightly and steam for 30 minutes.
Let it cool, store in refrigerator. Unopened bottle can be kept up to 5 months.
Note:
You can add a 5-6 cm cinnamon stick at the first step for richer flavour and taste.
Use the same recipe to make Strawberry Sauce by adding 200 ml water to the recipe and cook until just slightly thickened.



SELAI STROBERI
Bahan:
400 gr stroberi segar, cincang kasar
200 gr gula pasir (ato sesue slera)
75 ml air
Cara:
Panasin stroberi di panci kecil pake api kecil ajah hingga keluar airnya.
Masukin gula dan air, diamkan hingga gula larut sebagian.
Kecilkan api hingga simmer, aduk2 sampe mendidih dan mengental hingga konsistensinya cukup pekat.
Matiin api, transfer ke botol selai yang udah disterilkan, tutup rapat dan kukus 30 menit.
Dinginkan, bisa tahan disimpan di kulkas hingga 5 bulan.
Note:
Tambahkan 5-6 cm kayu manis di tahap awal bila ingin rasa & aroma yang lebih kaya.
Untuk bikin saus, dengan cara yang sama tambahkan 200 ml air dan masak hingga rada kental.

MANGO JAM
Ingredients:
600 gr riped mango flesh
200 ml water
400 gr small diced mango
200 gr cane sugar (increase or reduce to your taste)
1 tbs lemon juice to taste (optional, if you like it a little sour)
Method:
Put mango flesh and water in electrical blender, process until smooth.
Pour into saucepan, cook over low leat until the liquid is reduced.
Add in diced mango, sugar and lemon juice, stirring frequently until thickened into spreadable consistency.
Turn off the heat, pour the jam onto sterilized bottle, seal tightly and steam for 30 minutes.
Let it cool, store in refrigerator up to 5 months.
Note:
You can add a 5-6 cm cinnamon stick at the first step for richer flavour and taste.

SELAI MANGGA
Bahan:
600 gr daging mangga masak + 200 ml air, blender halus
400 gr daging mangga masak, potong dadu kecil2
200 gr gula pasir (ato sesue slera)
1 sdm air jeruk nipis (optional, kalo mangganya manis ajah gak asem blas)
Cara:
Panasin blenderan mangga di wajan sambil sesekali diaduk hingga airnya menyusut.
Masukin gula pasir, potongan mangga dan air jeruk, masak sambil diaduk2 hingga konsistensinya cukup kental untuk olesan.
Matiin api, transfer ke botol selai yang udah disterilkan, tutup rapat dan kukus 30 menit.
Dinginkan, bisa tahan disimpan di kulkas hingga 5 bulan.
Note:
Tambahkan 5-6 cm kayu manis di tahap awal bila ingin rasa & aroma yang lebih kaya.

Monday, January 1, 2007

Candies: Nuts Chocolate Candy

I love chocolates. Well, who dont anyway :)
I made this candy for my mom who loves chocolates much, as much as we all do.
I wont explain anything about chocolates. Everyone know it, even kids do.
I wont give ideas of what you can mix within chocolates. You know you can throw anything into it, even kids know better :)
I only wanna tell you, that I've just used up my pistachio nuts and milk chocolates for my mom, cos she wanted me to.


Nuts Chocolate Candy
Ingredients:
400 gr milk cooking chocolate, chopped
200 gr shelled roasted nuts, coarsely chopped (I used pistachio)
22 x 22 cm cookie pan, lined with plastic film or baking paper
Method:
Heat water in a small saucepan, turn off the heat just before it reaches boiling temperature.
Place chocolate in a bowl, sit it over the saucepan (the bowl must be larger than saucepan).
Let chocolate melt slowly until half of it, remove from the saucepan.
Stirring occasionaly, let the remaining chunks of chocolate melt completely by the heat of the surrounding warm chocolate.
Stir in chopped nuts, mix well.
Spread over prepared pan and refrigerate until firm.
Store at room temperature. Cut into squares, store in cool place.

Indonesian Version
Permen Coklat Kacang

Bahan:
400 gr milk cooking chocolate, cincang
200 gr kacang2an kupas sangrai, cincang kasar (gue pake pistachio)
Loyang tipis ukuran 22 x 22 cm pan, lapisi plastik ato kertas roti
Cara:
Panaskan panci kecil berisi air hingga hampir mendidih, matikan api.
Tempatkan coklat cincang dalam mangkuk yang berukuran lebih besar dari mulut panci, dudukkan diatas panci berisi air panas tersebut.
Diamkan hingga coklat meleleh setengahnya, pindahkan mangkuk ke meja.
Aduk2 coklat sebentar, diamkan kembali hingga seluruh coklat meleleh sempurna.
Masukin kacang cincang, aduk rata.
Tuang ke loyang yang udah disiapin, ratakan permukaannya. Diamkan di kulkas hingga beku, keluarkan dan diamkan hingga mencapai suhu ruang kembali.
Potong2 sesuai selera, masukin toples dan simpan di tempat sejuk.