Lemongrass Butter Cupcakes

My grandfather used to faithfully fly the Malaysian flag outside his house every year when Hari Merdeka (Malaysia's independence day) approached. He was a patriot, my grandfather - having lived through the Japanese and British occupation in Malaysia, he valued the country's independence and was never remiss in reminding himself (and us) how precious freedom is. My grandfather passed away just months short of his 100th birthday and he used to, until the final years of his life when he wasn't too well, correspond via snail mail to the country's first prime minister, Tunku Abdul Rahman, who hailed from Kedah, the same northern state as my grandad. He was extremely proud of the fact that the statesman actually replied his letters a couple of times. 

I don't fly the flag outside my house nor on my car (as many of my countryman/women do). But to celebrate Merdeka this year, I decided to eat an array of my favourite Malaysian dishes! Why not? After all, food is one of the many reasons I love living in Malaysia. 

Listing out the food fest I had over the weekend would be embarrassing. Suffice to say I haven't eaten so much in a long while and am thoroughly guilt-ridden now. 

But I do want to highlight these cupcakes I made which were infused with a lemongrass syrup and topped with strawberry and lemongrass compote.

Lemongrass is one of my favourite Malaysian ingredients and though it is used primarily in cooking curries and savoury dishes, it lends a nice flavour to desserts and drinks too.

For the cupcakes, I used a basic butter cake batter that was flavoured with lemon zest and extract.

Once baked, the cakes are then infused with a lemongrass syrup which soaks into the cupcakes making them not only moist but giving them the unmistakable punch of the lemongrass. 

The strawberry compote is also flavoured with lemongrass: I cooked the fresh strawberries in water and some of the lemongrass syrup that I used for the cake. I wasn't sure if strawberries and lemongrass go well together but I am happy to report that they do :)

Lemongrass infused Butter Cupcakes
For the cake
175g self raising flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
pinch of salt
175g butter, softened
100g caster sugar
3 eggs
1/2 tsp lemon extract
1 lemon, zested and then sliced

For the syrup *
180ml water
200g sugar
3 stalks fresh lemongrass, crushed and cut into pieces
3 slices lemon

For the compote
1 cup strawberries
1/2 cup water
1/4 cup syrup*

Preheat the oven to 180C.

Sift together the flour, baking powder and salt and keep aside.

Rub the lemon zest into the sugar until the lemon is well infused and the sugar is fragrant. Cream the butter and the lemon-flavoured sugar until light and creamy. add the eggs (one at a time) until well incorporated into the butter and then add the lemon extract.

Add the flour mixture in three installments, making sure it is well combined before adding more.

Remove and spoon the batter into the cupcake liners and bake for 18-20 mins or until a tester comes out clean.

While the cake is baking, make the syrup. Put the water to boil and then add the sugar, lemongrass and lemon slices in. Once the mixture boils, turn the heat low and allow to simmer for about 15 mins.

Once the cakes are done, use a toothpick (I didn't have any so I used the small, sharp end of a chopstick) and poke holes all over the surface of the cupcakes. Spoon the syrup carefully over the surface, allowing it to seep into the cupcakes through the holes.

Leave to infuse for 10 mins and the repeat.

To make the compote, hull and cube the strawberries. Add the strawberries, the water and the syrup in a small saucepan and cook, under low heat, until the berries start to soften and the mixture starts to thicken.  Spoon the compote over the cupcakes once they are cool.

Strawberry Crumble Cake

The best part of any fruit crumble, for me, is the streusel topping on the top. Buttery and sweet: what's not to love, right? Well, imagine that crumble topping over a cake! Ah-Maaaayyyyy-zingggg! A coffee crumble cake is a true indulgence. It has lots of butter and isn't shy of sugar either. Sinful? Perhaps but you can bet your bottom dollar it is 100% worth it. A slice is all you need a day. Two would be indulging. Three? Woah, you're brave. The good news is that the cake keeps and two or even three days later and out of the fridge, it tastes even better (that is if you are baking it for yourself and don't plan on sharing!)

The original crumb cake, or streuselkuchen, is a German dessert where a yeasted cake covered with a crumb topping (streusel). I didn't make a yeasted cake. I chose to go with a regular vanilla-flavoured cake instead. Also, I added some strawberries in between the cake and crumble layers and some nuts into the crumble. 

The great thing about this coffee cake (that's what these are called, by the way, and not because there's any coffee in it) is the pay-off is so much more than the investment. It takes barely any time to put together: the streusel layer comprises just of rubbing butter into a mixture of flour, sugar and cinnamon. You can also add finely chopped nuts for some texture and crunch. That's it. Won't take you more than 5 minutes. 7 if you're watching a particularly exciting episode of Homeland (what a show, right) while crumbling.

The cake? Oh my... nothing to it. Honestly. I mean, unless you plan on creaming the butter and sugar by hand in which case, you're earning your third slice right there.

Strawberry Crumble Cake
(Adapted from Saveur)

For the crumble
11/2 cups flour
3/4 cup sugar (I reduced this by a couple of tbsp to reduce my guilt!)
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
170g butter, cold and cut in cubes
1/2 cup finely chopped walnuts/pecans/pistachios (or a mix, its up to you)

about 15 strawberries, hulled and cut in half

For the cake
113g butter, at room temp (plus a but more for greasing the pans
2 cups flour
1 tbsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
3/4 cup sugar
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla extract
2/3 cup buttermilk/milk

Make the crumb first. Mix the flour, salt, sugar, cinnamon, baking powder and nuts together. Add the cold butter cubes and using your fingers rub the butter into the dry ingredients till you get really chunky crumbs. Chill for about 30 mins or so.

Heat the oven to 180C.

Now the cake. Whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt till well incorporated. Cream the butter, sugar and vanilla till light and fluffy. Add the egg and beat on medium to low speed till combines. Alternately add the flour mixture and buttermilk, starting and ending with the flour till combined.

Pour batter into a greased baking pan (an 8inch pan would be perfect). Arrange the strawberries on the top of the batter and then sprinkle the chilled crumble mixture over the strawberries and batter.

Bake for about 40 mins or till top is lightly brown and a tester comes out clean from the center of the cake.

Kek Batik (Revised)

In Australia, this desserts (or a variation of it) is called a hedgehog. In Malaysia, we fondly refer to it as Kek Batik. Essentially, both are frozen no-bake desserts that combine melted chocolate with biscuit pieces/crumbs. They are insanely easy to make (honest to goodness, folks) and they are even easier to gobble.

Home cooks often put their own spin on recipes, as I discovered when I asked a few friends about how they made this delicious dessert. (Though I grew up eating Kek Batik in friend's houses, I'd never made it until very recently and so I had to do some research).

The common ingredients are chocolate and biscuits, the type of chocolate and biscuits used different considerable. Some cooks use cooking chocolate, others use cocoa and some others use Milo. As for the biscuits, most used the modest Marie biscuit (available at almost every grocery or sundry shop) while some used oat biscuits or ginger snaps. Oooooh.

Some cooks use condensed milk to help bind the ingredients together. Some use a single egg. Some use both.

I was a little lost at first but then I decided to stick to the staples: dark chocolate and Marie biscuits and experiment with the rest.

I decided not to add condensed milk. It's toooooo sweet and I am on a diet goddammit! I included the egg. If your alarm bells are ringing — adding an egg in a no-bake dessert??? — rest assured, the egg is added to the chocolate as soon as it is melted over a double boiler with some butter. The chocolate-butter mixture is hot and the raw egg should be mixed quickly into it to avoid scrambling.

I also decided to add some nuts (roasted cashews, unsalted) and also fruit (strawberries) instead of added sugar into my dessert.

Guess what? It was amazing. The tiny bits of strawberry and the nuts added texture and depth to an already tasty treat. And the pink bits of strawberries peeking through was just so pretty.

Kek Batik (Revised)

400g dark cooking chocolate, cut roughly into pieces

200g butter

200g Marie biscuits

1 cup chopped roasted cashews

1/2 cup strawberries, cut up into tiny pieces

1 egg

1 square/rectangular baking dish

Melt the chocolate and butter in a bowl over a pot of boiling water. Once both are melted and combined, take it off the heat (it should be nice and shiny) and quickly stir in the egg. 

Break up the biscuits and mix in the nuts and berries in a bowl. Pour the chocolate mixture over the biscuits and mix to combine well.

Transfer the mixture into a square/rectangular baking dish and press down hard. Refrigerate or freeze to set. 

Strawberry, Ricotta and Yoghurt Scones

Pretty? Pretty darn good is what these scones are. I got them off Smitten Kitchen -- hers were Raspberry Ricotta Scones. I used strawberries instead because frozen raspberries cost a bomb-and-a-half here (and we hardly get them fresh).

I kinda feel like a stalker though as this is the second Smitten Kitchen recipe I've tried in a week: the first was a cheese, honey and sea-salt flat bread which was really to die for. And now, this. But, really, I am no stalker though I like the blog a lot.

Let me explain. I was out shopping. I saw this carton of strawberries -- imported from Driscolls in the United States -- for just RM10. I had to get it even though I had no idea what I would do with them. Maybe jam? Anyway, I bought them. They looked lovely. So bright, so juicy. 

I went home and went on my daily blog patrol (I visit my favourite blog sites a couple of times each  week) and I saw  the raspberry scone post on SK. Sooooooo pretty. Oh my god. I had to make them. I'd use the strawberries I bought! (that was a light bulb moment, btw).

So you see. I am not a stalker. I had the strawberries already.

Scones.So quintessentially British, right? I've made scones a few times before and I have eaten them many, many times, mostly with clotted cream and strawberry jam. Am I tempting you yet? Well, with this scone, you don't need cream or jam. Just a little butter, perhaps.

Scones are quick breads. They're pretty straightforward to make, technique-wise that is unlike the French Macaron for which factors beyond your control like the temperature of your kitchen or the humidity in the air impact on the baked product. No, scones are less complicated to make. But, having said that, getting a light, fluffy and moist scone (the way I like them) isn't a sure thing. In fact, it's a lot easier to end up with a dry, heavy and flat baked piece of dough (I am unwilling to call these scones) that's more like a thick biscuit than anything. I'm not dissing; I'm sharing as I've been down that road before.

Check out this article in The Guardian on How To Make The Perfect Scone and you'll begin to understand the science behind this treat. And then there's this other article in the same publication about how you should eat your scones -- so you spread the jam first and only then add a dollop of cream or is it the other way around. The English do take their scones seriously.

Me, I just wanted a light, soft, fluffy and pretty scone.

Apart from swapping the raspberries for strawberries, I also made a few alterations to the original recipe from SK. I used Greek yoghurt instead of double cream and I changed the ratios between the whole wheat flour and plain flour indicated in the recipe. Minor changes and thankfully they didn't adversely affect the scone turn out. They were soft, light and the baked strawberries were jammy and nice. Perhaps, next time I will add a little more baking powder or as the Guardian article suggests, mix a little bicarbonate soda to the blend. 

Next time. For now, I will leave you with the original recipe, indicating the changes I made.

Strawberry Ricotta Yoghurt Scones 

Adapted from Smitten Kitchen

1 cup whole wheat flour (I used 11/4 cups)

1 cup all purpose flour (I used 3/4 cup)

1 tbsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 cup granulated sugar

85g unsalted butter, cold and cut into cubes

1 cup fresh strawberries, roughly chopped up

3/4 cup ricotta cheese

1/3 cup Greek yoghurt/double cream

Preheat the oven to 200C.

Whisk the flours, sugar, salt and baking powder in a bowl.  Add the butter and using your finger tips, rub the butter into the flour until the mixture resembles coarse breadcrumbs. Add the chopped strawberries and mix with a wooden spoon till the strawberries are well incorporated with the crumbly flour. It's fine if the strawberries get a little mushy and colour the flour. In fact, it kinda looks really pretty this way.

Add the ricotta and the yoghurt/cream and gently stir in with a spatula until the mixture comes together to form a dough. It will be a little wet and sticky, don't panic. 

Generously flour your work surface and your hands, and gently move the dough from the bowl onto your work surface. You will need to flour your hands else the dough will stick to you.

Sprinkle some dough on the dough and gently press it into a 15-20cm square that's 1-1.5 cm high. Cut into nine small and equal squares and then transfer them one by one onto a lines baking sheet. Use a floured spatula/knife to do the transfer.

Bake for about 15 mins or till the sides start to get golden. The smell of the strawberries and the butter will be irresistible but take heed of the next step. Remove and let the scones cool before you eat them. They will set as they cool. But, don't let them get cold though cos scones are best eaten warm.