SINGAPORE: Loysel's Toy

Winter's cold threatens to engulf us. I would complain about the 10 degree drop that happened overnight but then again, autumn temperatures have lingered on for far too long. My cappuccino  addiction has come back with a vengeance - there's something comforting about a warm mug nestled between cold fingers. It's times like this that I long for the blistering heat of Singapore's sun and lazy afternoons spent at charmingly homey cafes. 

Now that A Curious Teepee at Scape has closed down, there is one less place to get my fill of papa palheta coffee. Thankfully, Loysel's Toy is still alive and kicking. I wouldn't say the desserts are particularly exceptional, but the food is good and coffee is more than satisfying. I find myself inevitably drawn to places that exude a sense of lackadaisicalness and Loysel's Toy is one of them. 

mushroom linguine

Beef sandwich: pan-fried strip steak, rocket, caramelized onions, dijon mustard

spinach and rocket leaves, finely sliced onions and sprigs of mint set the stage for bright, juicy watermelon, finished with pine nuts and crumbled feta cheese

rent a bicycle for $10/hr

Loysel's Toy
66 Kampong Bugis, Ture, #01-01 
Singapore 338987
Tues to Fri 9am - 6pm
Sat and Sun 9am - 7.30pm 

How To Bake Sticky Date Toffee Pudding

Sticky date toffee pudding

I now trust Jamie Oliver whole-heartedly. Having successfully attempted his fluffy pancakes on the first try, I thought his recipe for sticky date pudding would be worth a try, and I was right. What I like about his recipes is that, for dessert anyway, they are somewhere in between Gwyneth (Paltrow)'s healthy recipes and Nigella (Lawson)'s over-buttered,sugar-stuffed ones. 

I'm not quite sure how to describe sticky date toffee pudding. It's neither soft nor crumbly. It isn't intensely sweet but neither is it savoury. Like Jamie Oliver's recipes on the Gwyneth-Nigella spectrum, sticky date pudding is somewhere in the middle; but nonetheless elicits sheer pleasure at every bite. 

I baked this for my birthday dinner on new year's eve and I have to say, there is nothing more satisfying than sharing something you've baked fresh out of the oven with a group of hungry friends. 

How to bake it:

I baked this with the sole pack of pitted dates I brought back from waitrose in London. It's impossible to find pitted dates in Singapore so I'd recommend you buy some overseas if you study/are on holiday there. 

1. chop 225g fresh, pitted dates

2. cover with 200ml water and a tsp of bicarbonate soda, allow time to soften.

3. measure out 170g self-raising flour, 1/4 tsp cinnamon, 1/4 tsp mixed spice and 2 tbsp cocoa powder/ovaltine

4. cream together butter, caster sugar and 2 eggs

5. add the flour mixture to the butter-sugar-egg mixture

6. puree the softened dates after draining half the water and add to the mix

7. Pour into a buttered, oven-proof dish (or just a silicone one) and pop into oven for 30-25 mins at 180degrees.

What it should look like after 35 mins. (If you added ovaltine powder instead of cocoa powder, it'll be lighter)

For the toffee sauce: 

1. melt 115g unsalted butter, 115g brown sugar and 140ml double cream on low heat in a pan

2. Stir on low heat for a few minutes until it thickens into a toffee colour

3. Pour half the toffee sauce onto a warm sticky date pudding

Serve warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream and drizzle with extra sauce

When it comes to sticky date toffee pudding, dinner is just the appetizer to dessert. It's a terribly unhealthy thought, I know, but then I proceed to convince myself that the sweet dates replace most of the butter and sugar in the recipe anyway so it can't be that bad, right? 

Jamie Oliver’s Sticky Date Toffee Pudding

ingredients

• 225g fresh dates, stoned

• 1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda

• 85g unsalted softened butter

• 170g caster sugar

• 2 large free-range eggs

• 170g self-raising flour

• ¼ teaspoon ground mixed spice

• ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon

• 2 tablespoons cocoa powder

• 2 tablespoons natural yoghurt

for the toffee sauce

• 115g unsalted butter

• 115g light muscovado sugar

• 140ml double cream

method

You are going to love this pudding – it has a rich, fantastic flavour and the sauce is amazing. Fresh Medjool dates are best to use, but dried ones work well too.

Preheat your oven to 180ºC/350ºF/gas 4. Put the dates in a bowl with the bicarbonate of soda and cover with 200ml/7fl oz of boiling water. Leave to stand for a couple of minutes to soften, then drain. Whiz the dates in a food processor until you have a purée. Meanwhile, cream your butter and sugar until pale using a wooden spoon, and add the eggs, flour, mixed spice, cinnamon and cocoa powder. Mix together well, then fold in the yoghurt and your puréed dates. Pour into a buttered, ovenproof dish and bake in the preheated oven for 35 minutes.

While the pudding is cooking, make the toffee sauce by putting the butter, sugar and cream in a pan over a low heat until the sugar has dissolved and the sauce has thickened and darkened in colour. To serve, spoon out the pudding at the table and pour over the toffee sauce.

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CHRISTMAS: Gingerbread Animals with Extra Christmassy Glaze

Cinnamon and ginger have to be two of my favourite spices and I love that they go together so well. In the spirit of Christmas, I decided to try my hand at gingerbread animals. I bought the cookie cutters from Ikea last summer thinking I would make tiny animal shaped pancakes, but I think they work better as actual cookie cutters. No gingerbread men this christmas, but I think adorable little animals are a nice substitute. 

I can't imagine why I haven't made gingerbread cookies before but despite the process, I think it was worth it. I found the icing recipe on foodgawker, then made it Singapore-humidity-compatible (with putting the cookies in the oven a second time) so I'm pretty proud of it. 

Guess the animals: Reindeer, Bear, Squirrel, Hedgehog, Wolf and what I thought was a whale until my friend told me was a snail.

Recipe: 

Gingerbread Cookies:

3 cups (390 grams) all purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

3/4 teaspoon baking soda

2 teaspoons ground ginger

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

1/2 cup (113 grams) unsalted butter, room temperature

1/2 cup (100 grams) granulated white sugar

1 large egg

2/3 cup (160 ml) unsulphured molasses (To prevent molasses from sticking to the measuring cup, first spray the cup with a non stick vegetable spray.)

For the glaze:

1 cup (200 g) granulated sugar

1/2 cup (100 g) brown sugar

1 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp cloves

2 egg whites

lemon juice

 Gingerbread Cookies: In a large bowl, sift or whisk together the flour, salt, baking soda, and spices. 

In the bowl of your electric mixer, with the paddle attachment, (or with a hand mixer) beat the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the egg and molasses and beat until well combined. Gradually add the flour mixture beating until incorporated.

Divide the dough in half, and wrap each half in plastic wrap and refrigerate until firm (at least two hours or even overnight). 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (177 degrees C) and place rack in center of oven. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.

On a lightly floured surface, roll out the dough to a thickness of about 1/4 inch. Use a gingerbread cutter to cut out the cookies.  With an offset spatula lift the cookies onto the baking sheet, placing about 1 inch (2.5 cm) apart. If you are hanging the cookies or using as gift tags, make a hole at the top of the cookies with a straw or end of a wooden skewer. (If cookies are a little soft, place the baking sheet (with the cookies) in the fridge for about 10 minutes. This will prevent the cookies from losing their shape.)

Bake for about 8 - 12 minutes depending on the size of the cookies. They are done when they are firm and the edges are just beginning to brown. Remove the cookies from the oven and cool on the baking sheet for about 1 minute, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. If desired, you can press raisins, currants, or candies into the dough for eyes and buttons while the cookies are still warm. Otherwise, confectioners frosting can be used to decorate the cookies. Store in an airtight container (and refrigerate if you are in Singapore.)

Gingerbread Icing (for Singaporeans) 

To make the icing, combine sugar, cinnamon and cloves together and grind in a coffee grinder till you get the spice infused powdered sugar. (It has to be so fine you can sieve it, so no huge clumps.) Beat the egg white till foamy. Gradually beat in sugar mixture and lemon juice according to taste. Continue beating hard until the icing is firm enough to stand in straight points when spoon is lifted out of bowl.

Use a teaspoon and a chopstick to spread the icing on the cookies.

Put them in the oven for 4 minutes at 175 degrees till the icing is hardened.

Let them cool and then put them in the fridge before they get soft!