Bubur Candil (Sweet Potato Balls in Palm Sugar Syrup and Coconut Milk)

In Indonesia, Bubur Candil can easily be found during ramadhan.  I understand why this sweet treat is very popular during this fasting period.  The gooey texture of candil (sweet potato balls), the sweetness of palm sugar syrup and the richness of coconut milk, all of these can satisfy what you have been through all day during these fasting period days.  It is just simply tasty and will bring you to the moon :)

It is almost hard to believe, that this sweet Indonesian dumpling is really easy to make.

So let's start!



Bubur Candil (Sweet Potato Balls in Palm Sugar Syrup and Coconut Milk)
Ingredients :
Candil (sweet potato balls):
500 g sweet potatoes, peeled and steamed
200 g tapioca flour (or gelatinous flour)
½ tsp salt

Palm sugar syrup:
1,8 L water
250-300 g palm sugar/coconut sugar, shredded
1 tsp salt
1 pandan leaf (optional)

Coconut milk sauce: 
400 ml canned coconut milk (60-70 % extract) or 750-800 ml extract from 1 coconut
300-400 ml water
1 pinch salt
1 pandan leaf (optional)

* For thickening sauce (optional)
1 tsp cornstarch 
2-3 tbsp water


Methods:
Candil (sweet potato balls):

• Bring water to boil over medium heat.
• Add salt to the steamed potatoes then mash them.
• Mix with tapioca flour then knead until becoming a smooth dough. 
• To form candil easier, divide dough into 4 portions then roll out a portion to form cylinder.
• Cut the cylinder dough into small pieces then shape them into small balls.
• Drop the sweet potato balls into boiling water. We can start to prepare palm sugar syrup.  If the balls start to float, take out from the heat, set aside.

Palm sugar syrup  

• Take 2 glasses of hot water from the candil boiling water then pour it into a sauce pan. 
• Add palm sugar, pandan leaf (optional) and salt into the pan until the palm sugar dissolved.

 Candil in palm sugar syrup 

• Sieve the palm sugar syrup back into the candil pan. Simmer (cook over low heat) the mixture for about 20-30 minutes until it reaches the thickness you desire.  Or you can add our thickening agent.
• Remove from the heat after it is thick enough. 

Coconut Milk Sauce

• Put water and canned coconut milk into a saucepan.
• Add salt and pandan leaf (optional) then bring it to boil over medium heat. Stir this mixture throughout the boiling process to have the smooth sauce.
  
  * Optional: If you want this sauce to be thick, add our thickening agent. 
• Remove from heat. 

Serving

• The taste of candil in palm sugar syrup will be richer if you add some of coconut milk sauce in it.
• Enjoy it warm or cool (as you desire)

Pizza Muffins

Craving something savory but simple to make?  Why not making pizza but in form of muffin:)

The great thing about this recipe, you can be creative about the ingredients of your pizza muffin.  How about the flavor of your favorite pizza? You can use ingredients that available at your kitchen. 

Lovely texture

So lets started!

Pizza Muffins
(Serve: 12 muffins)

Ingredients:

• Dry ingredients:

200 gr all-purpose flour 

2 ½ tsp baking powder 

½ tsp baking soda 

½ tsp salt
¼ tsp ground black pepper
125 gr cheese (I use Mozzarella (another type cheese like cheddar and emmentaler would be fine as well)

*My favorite pizza flavor : * 100 gr sausage (I use salami)
                                       *  50 gr red pepper
                                       *  4 pcs dried tomatoes
                                       *  2 pcs pepperoni (if you want it to be hot)
                                       *  1 tbsp black olive
                                       *  2 tbsp chopped parsley 
                                       *  1 tsp Italian herbs mix (rosemary, thyme, oregano, basil, etc)
*other ingredients that can be added : sweet corn, mushroom, canned tuna, etc.

• Wet ingredients:

1 medium egg
100 ml vegetable oil 
200 ml milk
2-3 cloves of garlic, minced 


Method:

1.  Preheat oven to 180°C then place the oven rack  in the lower 3rd or in the middle of   

     the oven.  Grease muffin tin with butter or use muffin case. 

2.  Prepare 2 large bowls.

•  First bowl for dry ingredients: mix the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, ground black pepper and cheese. Afterwards add your favorite pizza ingredients and stir until well combined. Then set aside. 
• Second bowl for wet ingredients: whisk vegetable oil, milk, egg and minced garlic until properly combined.  

3.   Pour wet ingredient mix into dry ingredients.

4.  With spatula, fold (lightly stirring up) the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients.   
     Don’t over stir the batter otherwise your muffin texture will be hard. Stop stirring 
     when you no longer see dry flour or flour pockets.   

5.  Pour the batter into your muffin tin. Fill each cup about 3/4th full. 

6.  Bake muffins for about 20-25 minutes. Baking time will vary. If they start to turn  

     brown, insert  a skewer in the center of the muffins to check if they are done. If the    

     skewer comes out clean, your muffins are done. 

7.  Allow the muffins to cool for about 10 minutes then remove muffins from pan. 
     *You can easily take out the muffin case paper, when it is  cold.

You will get this texture if you fold the batter in the right way

You can enjoy your pizza muffin with chilli sauce :)

In my opinion, this muffin is tastier when it is cold.

Pineapple Upside Down Cupcake (Cake Nenas)

Usually pretty cake is linked with complicated cooking methods and also expensive ingredients.  

But this retro American dessert, pineapple upside down cake, is super easy to make!

If you use ramekin or muffin tin, the cuteness of this cake will be doubled :)  How can you resist a caramelized pineapple cupcake :)

By the way, I´ve posted the recipe of other pretty cake (mini apple rose tart) in April,  to welcome spring.  Just put it this way, I share this recipe to welcome summer :)


Mini Pineapple Upside Down Cake
Serve: 6-12

Ingredients:

For the topping:
6 tbsp unsalted butter
6 tbsp brown sugar
1 canned pineapple or fresh pineapple (sliced)
 Maraschino cherries (*or you can use raisins, raspberry, or other fresh berry)

For the cake:
Dry ingredients:
200 gr all purpose flour
2 tsp baking powder
 ¼ tsp salt

Wet ingredients:
2 tbsp unsalted butter, melted and cooled
180-200 gr granulated sugar
1 tsp vanilla sugar
2 egg, separated
150 ml milk or pineaple syrup or pineapple juice


Methods:
1. For the topping:

• Grease ramekins or muffin tin with butter.
• Making the caramel topping:

1. Place butter and brown sugar in a small saucepan and cook over medium heat until the butter and sugar combined then divide evenly the mixture into ramekins or muffin cups. 
2. Divide evenly brown sugar and butter into 12 greased muffin cups (which would be 1 tsp brown sugar and 1 tsp butter into each cup) then place it in the preheated oven for 5 min until the butter melts.
   

• Arrange pineapple rings or pineapple slices over the caramel mixture then place cherries in the center of pineapple ring or in the center of muffin cup.                (*The round part of the cherry would be facing down (if you use half cherries, the cuted part would be on the top))

 2. For the cake:

• Preheat oven to 180°C and place the oven rack in the middle of the oven.
• Sift all the dry ingredients. Set a side.
• In a large bowl, beat butter and sugar until fluffy.
• Add the egg yolks, mix well. (* Or you can add whole egg (not separated))
• Add vanilla extract or vanilla essence then mix well.
• Add some of the milk or pineapple syrup into the mixture and mix well and followed by flour then mix it until combined. Continue on doing these steps one after another until milk and flour all added into the mixture.
• In another bowl, beat the egg whites until it has a firm peak then fold it (lightly stirring up) into the cake batter using spatula until combined. Do not over stirring the batter otherwise your cake will have hard texture.
• Pour the batter over the top of pineapple, fill each cup about 3/4th full.  
• Then bake it for 20-25 minutes.  (* Insert  a skewer in the center of the cake to check if it is done. If the skewer comes out clean, your cake is done).  
• Let cake cool in baking pan for five minutes and then invert it onto serving platter.  (* If your cake has been cooled in pan more than 5 min, your cake will stick in cake pan.  Loosen the edges with a knife before flip it over onto serving platter)

 Enjoy your pretty cake :)