For It Is By Grace

Wordless Wednesday - I just sent some people to cheesecake heaven

Mini Cheesecakes 
makes 12

24 pcs Lotus biscoff
50g butter, melted

250g(8 oz) x 2 cream cheese, softened
100 g castor sugar
1 tsp vanilla bean paste
2 large egg, room temperature
4 tablespoons yoghurt or sour cream
2 tsp lemon zest, omit if baking mango cheesecake

Topping

1 cup Strawberry puree
1 cup Mango puree
Fresh blueberries, raspberries
1 large mango, cubed


Method

• Preheat oven to 150C and place the rack in the center position. Leave a tray of hot water on the bottom rack. Line a muffin tin with 6 liners. Set aside.
• Make the crust. Combine melted butter and finely crushed biscoff in a bowl. Spoon a heaped tablespoon of mixture into the muffin liner. Press it down with a glass or spoon. Set aside.

• Make the filling. Place sugar and lemon zest into a small bowl and rub together with your clean fingers,until fragrant and slightly damp. Set aside.(omit this step if baking mango cheesecake)
• Place the softened cream cheese in a mixing bowl and beat on medium low with a hand mixer until creamy and smooth, about 1-2 minutes. Add the lemon-sugar mixture and vanilla. Mix until thoroughly combined. Scrape the bowl as needed.
• Add the yoghurt and add egg. Mix until well incorporated. Scrape the bowl to be sure ingredients are thoroughly combined, and mixture is smooth.

• Spoon the mixture evenly into the muffin tins over the crust. Use an ice cream scoop.

• Bake for about 16-18 minutes or until centers are almost set. C
• Chill cheesecakes in the muffin tin. 

To make mango puree

Blend half mango till smooth. Add some sugar if mango is sour.  Ssimmer on low heat. Leave to chill.

To make strawberry puree

Blend 1/2 punnet of frozen/fresh strawberries till smooth. Add a little sugar and lemon juice to taste. Simmer on low heat. Leave to chill.

To serve cheesecakes: Remove liners and top each cheesecake with puree and fruits.

If the cheesecakes have been removed from the liners and are allowed to sit on a plate in the fridge for hours, the crust may begin to soften. The crust stays crisp much longer in the liner. You can use any kind of biscuits but I prefer Lotus Biscoff.

Ephesians 2:8-9

8 For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— 9 not by works, so that no one can boast.

Be Still Before the LORD

To some people, Mac and Cheese is one of the comfort food they're after, for nothing beats a generous helping of creamy, oozy cheese. 

Some people swear by mac and cheese boxes, but made from scratch is much better. Ingredients are mostly pantry essentials.

The recipe is from Miss Tan Hsueh Yun, a food editor  with The Straits Times/Sunday Times. 
This is a straightforward recipe with versatility. In the recipe, two types of cheese are used, sharp cheddar and gruyere, a bechamel sauce and Ritz crackers topping. Gruyere is used for its creamy and nutty taste, while sharp cheddar is more  flavorful  and tangy. Bechamel sauce gives the dish a creamy and silky base. Ritz crackers provides a buttery and crunchy topping. Together, they made a very delicious and indulgent dish. Mac and cheese can be served as main or sides.

Mac and Cheese

Serves 4 as main course, 6 as a side dish

Ingredients 

2 tbsp salt

250g elbow macaroni 

100g ritz crackers

150g sharp or mature cheddar cheese

150g gruyere cheese

500ml milk

50g salted butter

50g plain flour

Salt and freshly cracked black pepper to taste

Chopped chives,scallions or flat leaf parsley for garnish (optional) 

Method

• Preheat oven to 180C
• Bring a large pot of water to boil, add the salt and then the dried macaroni. Set the timer for 2 minutes before the recommended cooking time. For example, if the recommended cooking stated on the package is 11 minutes, set the timer for 9 minutes.

• Place the crackers in a resealable plastic bag, seal the bag. Using a rolling pin or the bottom of a sturdy glass, bash the crackers as finely or coarsely as you like. Pour the crumbs into a bowl and set aside.
• Grate the cheeses using a coarse grater or a food processor fitted with a grating or shredding disk. Set aside in a bowl.

• If the pasta is ready, drain in a colander.
• Heat the milk in a small saucepan until it is hot but not boiling. Turn off the heat.

• Place a medium saucepan over medium-low heat. Melt the butter in the pot and then add the flour. Whisk the flour and butter together until it becomes a paste. 

• Slowly add in the hot milk, whisking thoroughly until it becomes a smooth sauce.

• Add the cheese and continue whisking until the cheese melts. If the mixture becomes too thick, thin it out with extra hot milk, 1 tbsp at a time. Turn off the heat.

• Taste the cheese sauce and add salt if needed, and pepper to taste. Pour the drained pasta into the sauce and mix both well using a metal spoon.

• Spoon the pasta into a medium oven-proof baking dish. Sprinkle the cracker crumbs over the pasta. Place in the oven and bake 20-30 minutes or until the crumbs are brown.
• Let pasta rest for 10 minutes, sprinkle chopped chives, scallions or flat leaf parsley if using. Serve.

Note: If using panko or fresh breadcrumbs, drizzle some melted butter over the dish after sprinkling the crumbs over, so they turn a lovely golden brown. Cooking the bechamel sauce over medium-low heat ensures that the flour is cooked thoroughly so the raw taste of it does not mar the bechamel. Aside from salt and pepper, other seasonings can include freshly grated nutmeg or dried mustard powder.

To turn this dish into a one dish meal, add chopped ham or leftover roast chicken and some spinach leaves to the pasta. Other additions can include sundried tomatoes, juicy corn kernesl, sauteed mushrooms and even bacon.

This post is linked to Little Thumbs Up CHEESE hosted by Alice, ILove.ICook.IBake, organised by Zoe, Bake for Happy Kids, and Doreen,My little favourite DIY

Be still before the LORD and wait patiently for him; do not fret when people succeed in their ways, when they carry out their wicked schemes. Psalm 37:7

Keep Your Father's Command

Mozzarella Sticks,Potato Skins, and Sliders are so American restaurant food chain. They are also my children's favourites. They are popularly served as starters or party finger foods.

Both the mozzarella sticks and potato skins are easy to prepare. I usually do not refer to any specific recipes when making them. However, for this post and for the benefit of those who have not made them before, I shall refer to Ree Drummond's Pioneer Woman Cooks

Mozzarella Sticks

These are usually serve with a Marinara sauce or Ranch dressing dip. Like Pioneer woman, I also prefer to use panko because they are so light and crisp. 

Mozzarella Sticks

Adapted from Pioneer woman cooks 

Ingredients

16 pieces, String cheese, removed from wrappers(mozzarella block)
1/2 cups all purpose flour
2 whole eggs
3 tablespoons milk
1 tablespoons dried parsley flakes
Canola oil, for frying
Marinara sauce, for dipping
2 cups Panko bread crumbs


Method

• Slice string cheese pieces in half, for a total of 32 pieces
• Place flour in a small bowl.
• In a separate bowl, whisk eggs and milk.
• In another separate bowl, combine panko bread crumbs with parsley flakes.
• One by one, roll mozzarella sticks in flour, then dunk in egg/milk mixture, then place in panko crumbs. 
• Use your hand to sweep crumbs all over the mozzarella stick.
• Repeat until  all mozzarella sticks are coated.
• Heat canola oil in a large skillet over medium heat. When hot, add mozzarella sticks 8 at a time. Watch closely and turn over to evenly brown, cooking less than 2 minutes. 
• Do not allow cheese to bubble and leak.
• Remove to a paper towel-lined plate.
• Serve immediately with warm marinara sauce.

Potato Skins

Potato skins are classics appetizer of the early 80s. Everyone loves potato skins and there is always never enough to go round. 

Potato Skins

Pioneer Woman Cooks, Ree Drummond

Ingredients

8 sliced thick cut bacon 

8 russet potatoes, scrubbed clean

Canola oil

Kosher salt

1 and half cup sharp cheddar cheese 

1 cup sour cream 

4 green onions, sliced 

Method

• Preheat the oven to 400F
• Fry the bacon and leave aside
• Wash the potatoes and rib the skin liberally with canola oil. Place on a baking pan and bake for 45 minutes to 1 hour, until the potatoes are fork tender. ( I parboil the potato first to cut short baking time).
• Slice the potatoes in half lengthwise. With a cookie scoop or spoon, scrape out the inner flesh of the potatoes, leaving a small margin of potato in the skins,
• Brush both sides of the potato skins with canola oil. Salt both sides liberally.
• Place the skins cut side down on the pan and return to the oven.
• Bake for 7 minutes, then flip the skins to the other side.
• Bake for 7 minutes more or until the skins are crispy.
• Grate the cheddar and chop the bacon into bits.
• Sprinkle cheese into each potato skin and then sprinkle with bacon and return to the oven just until the cheese melts.
• Just before serving, spoon 1 tablespoon of sour cream on each skin and sprinkle with sliced green onions.

A good cook never let anything to waste. Can you guess what I made with the potato flesh?

I shall post the Mini Sliders recipe in the next post. The recipe is adapted from Gordon Ramsey Ultimate Cookery.

This post is linked to Little Thumbs Up 'Cheese' hosted by Alice from I love.I cook. I bake. This is organised by Zoe of Bake for Happy Kids and Doreen, My little favourite DIY.

This is also linked to Joyce, Kitchen flavours' 'CookYour Books' event.

Proverbs 6:20-23
My son, keep your father's command and do not forsake your mother's teaching. Bind them always on your heart;fasten them around your neck.  When you walk, they will guide you; when you sleep, they will watch over you; when you awake, they will speak to you. For this command is a lamp, this teaching is a light,and correction and instruction are the way to life.

You Will Be My Witnesses

Cheese straws, one of the best party nibbles to have are easy to make. Crisp and savory, they are ideal for  drinks, soups and salads.

                     These are baked at 18 minutes.

Cheese straws are popular snack of the Southern United States. Originally made in biscuit form, they now come in all shapes and sizes. They are traditionally made using a cookie press with a star nozzle, and dough made with flour,butter,salt,cheddar and cayenne. There are also cheese straws made from puff pastry and with other type of cheeses and herbs.

This is a traditional recipe adapted from the Lee Brothers' Southern Cookbook.

Cheese Straws



Ingredients

1 1/2 cups grated extra sharp cheddar cheese
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened (56)
3/4 cup flour, plus more for dusting
1/2 tsp kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (moderately hot cayenne pepper)
1 tablespoon half and half (milk)



Method

• Preheat oven to 350F(180C).

• In a food processor, combine the cheese,butter,flour,salt and red pepper(cayenne) in five 5-second pulses until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Add the half and half(milk) and process until the dough forms a ball, about 10 seconds (mixed in Kitchenaid)
• On a lightly floured surface, using a lightly floured rolling pin, roll the dough into an 8 by 10 inch rectangle that is 1/8 inch thick. With a sharp knife ( or a pizza or pastry wheel;both worked great),cut the dough into thin 8 inch strips, each 1/4 to 1/3 inch wide (dipping the knife in flour after every few inches ensures a clean cut)(didn't follow measurement)

• Gently transfer the strips to an ungreased cookie sheet (parchment), leaving at least 1/4 inch between them. The dough may sag or may break occasionally in the transfer, but don't be concerned - just do your best. The straws can be any length, from 2 to 10 inches.(various length and thickness in two batches)

• Bake the straws on the middle rack for 12-15 minutes (18mins 1st batch and 20 mins 2nd batch), or until the ends are barely browned.
• Remove from the oven and set the cookie sheet on a rack to cool. Serve at room temperature. 

Note: Cheese straws will keep in the refrigerator, in a sealed container for two days. They will not last an hour at a party! For a crisper bite, bake at 20 minutes.

   These are baked at 20 minutes

This post is linked to Little Thumbs Up 'Cheese' hosted by Alice of I love.I cook.I bake, organised by Zoe from Bake for Happy Kids and Doreen from My favourite DIY

What Have I Learnt Today?

Last Sunday was the first week of Sunday School term. The lessons for the first term will be on the Book of Acts. The book of Acts gives an eyewitness account of the birth and growth of the early church. Acts records the apostles being Christ's witnesses in Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria and to the rest of the world.
The book also records the gift  of the Holy Spirit who empowers,teaches and serves as our guide.. There were many miracles being performed during this time by the disciples.

But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth. Acts 1:8