Orange Truffle_Pineapple Mini Cakes

Chinese New Year is an annual celebration marking the start of the year according to the Chinese lunisolar calendar. Chinese New Year always falls in the months of January or February, and each Chinese New Year is represented by 1 of the 12 creatures of the Chinese Zodiac – 2014 is the year of the Horse. Chinese New Year is also known as the Spring Festival and in pre-modern times it would signal to farmers in China that they must begin preparation for the sowing of their fields.

After Christmas each year, the Christmas decorations come down in all the malls, and are quickly replaced with Chinese New Year decorations of lanterns, cherry blossoms, orange-trees and lots of red colour. In the lead-up to Chinese New Year, distinct classical spring festival music is played in public places, most commonly the bowed-stringed instrumental style. The traditional display of dragon dances is also commonplace across the country.

Malaysian Delicacies would like share a few recipe ideas for the festival .The first is Orange Creamsicle Truffle . I got the recipe from the site Onsugarmountain . I feel in love with her images and place the sweet as on my to try out list , what better time than now, during the Lunar New Year, Mandarin oranges symbolise prosperity, but here I have used Sunkist oranges !!The second recipe is Pineapple Mini Cakes .I have used the same pandan flavoured Kuih Cara/Mini Cake recipe and have changed it with pineapple filling. The pandan flavouring had been replaced with vanilla essence .

 Orange Creamsicle Truffle 




Ingredients

• 1/4 cup butter
• Zest of 1/2 orange
• 2 Tbsp heavy cream(I used thickened cream)
• 1 cup white chocolate chips
• 1/2 tsp orange extract
• 1/4 cup powdered sugar/icing sugar
• Orange food coloring 

Directions

• Pour melted white chocolate chips into a mixing bowl, set aside. Melt butter along with orange zest in a small saucepan. Stir in cream and scald mixture. Pour hot cream mixture through a fine mesh sieve over white chocolate chips and using a rubber spatula press zest against sieve to release orange oils into mixture. Allow mixture to rest 1 minute, add orange extract and optional food coloring to white chocolate chip mixture then stir until smooth. Cover mixture and refrigerate 2 hours or until firm enough to handle. Scoop mixture out by heaping teaspoon fulls and form into balls then roll in powdered sugar.I have rolled some with desiccated coconut and coarsely grounded peanuts for variance.Freeze truffles 20 minutes then enjoy. Store truffles in the refrigerator as they will soften at room temperature or freeze for up to 1 month.
• Note : I had one problem whereby the mixture separated with excess oil/butter floating. After researching , noted that heavy cream and thick cream are the same ! I discarded the excess butter and refrigerate it.Anyways ,sharing the recipe as it did set and was so delicious and was a hit at home. 

If you do not like orange , can use lemon or even key lime for variance .
Source :http://onsugarmountain.com/2013/04/24/orange-creamsicle-truffles/



Kuih Cara Nenas 

Mini cakes with pineapple filling



Ingredients: 

100 g cake flour /can use plain flour
170ml of coconut milk 
1 egg (beaten lightly)
¼ tsp salt or to taste
1 tsp vanilla essence

Filling :
Pineapple jam(I bought mine from the baking store ).
For home made jam : puree  1 pineapple .Cook with 1/2 cup  sugar,1  cinnamon stick and 2 cloves until thick and the juice evaporates. Coule take up to 2 to 3 hrs depending on the water contain in the fruit.Discard the spices .Keep refrigerated .Use the next day.

Method

In a blender, add in 1 cup grated coconut, 170ml hot water mix tepid water, 3-4 screwpine leaves (cut into a few parts) and blend it . Sieve to obtain 170ml of pandan coconut milk !

In a clean blender, pour the coconut milk , add in the flour,salt and lightly beaten egg. Blend or pulse the mixture until well incorporated . Sieve the batter.Add in green colouring . Stir.

Heat up the Kuih Bahulu mould over a gas stove.When the mould is hot, grease the cavity with cooking oil. If you find it difficult to grease on the heat , just remove the mould ,grease and return it back on the heat .

Spoon batter into each cavity half full (about 1tbsp).Place  about ½ tsp of pineapple filling in the centre.Spoon batter to completely cover each of the cavity. Close with a lid.Cook till golden brown (take about 3-4mins, and no more seen uncooked (white) batter).Remove the kuih with a skewer.

A step by step with images can be referred here :http://malaysiandelicacies.blogspot.com/2013/12/kuih-pandan-cara-manis.html

Am submitting the Orange Creamsicle Truffles to
Inspire Me Monday-week 108 hosted by Create With Joy