Peanut Butter & White Chocolate Blondies by Rachel Allen

Taken from Astroview July 2009

100gm butter
150gm crunchy peanut butter
1 tsp vanilla extract
175gm light golden sugar
1 egg
75gm white chocolate (chopped)
125gm plain flour
1 tsp baking powder
Icing sugar or nuts of your choice

Method:
1. Use a wooden spoon and beat the butter and peanut butter together until it is light, soft and creamy. Add in the vanilla extract
2. Add sugar and egg. Beat the mixture slowly at first and then speed it up until it turns light and creamy
3. Stir in the white chocolate pieces. Also sift in the plain flour and baking powder and mix well
4. Line a baking tin with grease proof paper and butter the sides around the edges. Pour mixture into the tin and spread it out evenly, ensuring that the top is smooth
5. Preheat oven to 170'C and bake for between 25 - 30 mins
6. Stick a skewer in to check if it is ready - it should come out clean. The blondies should look golden brown on top and the centre will be just set. Allow blondies to cool in the tin and once cooled, remove it from the tin and cut them into squares
7. To decorate, sprinkle chopped nuts or icing sugar over them and serve!

Home-cooked: Fried Nian Gao (年糕)

I have always loved Fried Nian Gao as compared to just steaming it plain. MIL gave me one during CNY so I've finally fried it over the weekend.

 

 What you need:

• Some eggs
• Some butter or oil for frying
• Nian gao 

Slice nian gao into bite-size pieces. Boil a wok of water and steam the nian gao first until it's soft on the outside. The reason for doing so is to allow the eggs to stick onto the nian gao. Whisk some eggs and add a little salt to taste. Heat up frying pan or wok with some butter or oil. Dip nian gao into the whisked eggs, place it in the wok and fry it over low heat. Easy peasy!

I know majority would prefer the 3 layer ones i.e. nian gao in between 2 slices of yam but I still prefer this original one. The taste of the nian gao is distinct without the yam overshadowing it :-)