A cake that I can pass around making people think it's healthy. LOL. I just said, this cake has oats in it and they replied, "It's healthy, yumz" LOL.

So, if you want to make yourself 'feel' better when devouring a cake, try this out. LOL. Reasons, whether valid or not, just eat.

One regret with this cake. I shouldn't have used fortuna plums, instead go for black plums. Black plums when baked are very very pretty. It stains the cake pink, bright pink instead of being pale pink. I'll never bake with fortuna plums again.

Gosh, I wasted so many peaches when I planned on making this. I bought some, didn't have time as it was CNY. Some grew mould before I had the chance to use it. And I bought more and more peaches, each time telling myself ,"get ur butt moving!!". I finally made it in April this year.

Australian peaches were selling for RM4.99 per fruit that time. Recently I saw in Jusco, American peaches are at RM3.99 per fruit. But you can use canned ones for this, but the taste will be somewhat stronger. But if you like the taste of canned peaches, I don't see why not.

This is the cake that I've been wanting to make for the longest of time.

I recieved this cookbook from Aunt Grace for Christmas when I was 15. I was totally taken by the look of the cherry cake featured in the book. During that time, fresh cherries are unheard of.  I had my first taste of fresh cherries when my friend Yoke Waie gave me some after his parents returned from a holiday in Australia. That was when I was 18. My 2nd time eating this was when I was 21, buying 100gm for RM15 at Petaling Street with my then boyfriend. Expensive right? But it's so hard to come by that I didn't care much for its price. That ex-boyfriend paid for my cherries :p

I'm so so happy that cherries are getting more affordable here each year. This season (southern hemisphere's), the lowest was RM8.99 for 250gm at Tesco.

I grabbed 4 punnets when I saw it at this price because my mother's birthday was coming up and I want to make her a Black Forest with fresh cherries.
Why use canned ones when fresh ones are available? No doubt it is far far more pricey, but fresh ones still have nutrients in them, it's worth it. And I never scrooge when it comes to baking birthday cakes for family members.



For the cake, I used Rose Levy Beranbaum's chocolate cake base for her Designer Chocolate Baby Grands that doesn't harden in the fridge. I've also used the same chocolate cake recipe for my Chocolate Hidden Banana Cake. And all the cakes turn out lovely and soft, direct from the fridge. I made 1.5 portion of the cake and baked in a 8 inch cake pan. Cut the cake into 3 layers and then I prepared the rest.

I pitted 2 punnets of cherries using a chopstick, as seen here in this post. Then I halved the pitted cherries.
Kept the cherries in the fridge while I whipped the cream. And I also froze a block of chocolate at this point.

As always, I try to use dairy cream, and then stabilized it by using gelatin. I filled each layer with cream and pitted cherries, generously : )
Made a crumb layer, and chilled it.
Then I covered the whole cake with cream.

I looked for my serrated comb....................but it's no where to be seen! Yikes! Comb, please don't treat me like this, please don't. In the end, I used my zigzag jelly knife to comb the cake. The effect was different. The grooves were wider. But then, sigh, had to make do.

Then I piped ugly dots of cream around the cake, top and bottom. Piped small mounds of cream to attach more cherries on the top
I then grated the half frozen chocolate and sprinkled them on the cake. And top each mound of cream with a cherry.

Phew, cake done, and now, in the fridge it goes until it's time for dinner.



Verdict:
Everybody except my eldest brother enjoyed the cake. My eldest brother said, he cake texture is different, like a choc moist cake, he prefers sponge. But the rest felt that this cake taste better than sponge. With a better mouthfeel. The cherries also made the cake very very moist. Cakes with fruits are best chilled for a few hours before serving so that the juices will soak the cake.

Plums are the cheapest stone fruits available here. And although the season will end soon, it won't take another year for you to get some plums. Australian and South African fruits will be easily available here few months later.

A brown betty, (not a ugly betty, hahah) is a baked pudding made with buttered bread crumbs, not soft and mushy, but still very much retains its crispiness as seen in a lot of recipes. Apples are usually used, but other fruits may be used too. I was attracted to this recipe due the caramel, and not all recipes call for this. And when it has some sort of caramel, the whole thing holds together much better, but still, it won't come off in one piece like a pie.




Plum Brown Betty
Adapted from : Waitrose

5 black plums, halved and stoned
50gm butter
50gm caster sugar
2 Tbsp whipping cream
110gm whole meal sandwich bread (4 slices Gardenia), crust on, cut into 1 cm cubes
2 Tbsp brown sugar
1 Tbsp flour

1. Preheat oven to 170/190C. Butter and line a 8 inch shallow round pan
2. Slice plum halves into 6.
3. Melt butter, caster sugar and cream in a saucepan.
4. In another bowl, mix flour and brown sugar together. Toss with cubed bread. Set aside
5. Pour half the butter mixture into lined pan.
6. Arrange plum slices in pan. Sprinkle half the bread cubes over.
7. Arrange balance of plums over bread cubes. Sprinkle remaining bread cubes over plums.
8. Drizzle the remaining butter mixture over bread cubes.
9. Bake for 30 minutes.
10. Let the baked pudding cool for 5-10 minutes and then overturn onto serving plate. Do not wait until it's too cool, it'll stick to the pan or too impatient to overturn it too soon. I did the latter and some of the plums fell off cos the caramel was still gooey.
11. Serve warm with a dollop of whipping cream. (I just ate it like it was, crunchy buttery bread with soft sweet plums)

I have this large pack of mixed fruit and nuts that my MIL got me from US. There’s dried bing cherries, cranberries (they look brown cos no additive was added), raisins, pistachios and almonds. I didn’t know what to do with them, so, when I saw this recipe on Honey Bee Sweets, I was delighted!!!

I picked out the cherries and used some of the nuts, and voila, a yummy and chewy oatmeal cookie.
As Honey Bee says, this is supposed to be soft and chewy, and it’s not “Lau Foong 漏风", or masuk angin . It’s meant to be like that, and not crunchy. I did change the method though…. Using a method I learnt from doing a cranberry white chocolate cookie that never got photographed cos I was in my confinement when I did it.

Chocolate Cherries Oatmeal Cookies
Recipe adapted from Honey Bee Sweets

80gm dried bing cherries, chopped
1 egg, beaten
1.5tsp vanilla extract
Mix chopped cherries together with beaten egg and vanilla. Let it sit for at least half an hour until the eggs are absorbed by the cherries.

115gm butter, softened (I always use salted, and I skipped the salt)
100gm soft brown sugar
125gm rolled oats (I used quick cooking)
115gm all purpose flour, sifted with 1 tsp baking powder and 1 t/s tsp baking soda
100gm mixed nuts, chopped
75gm chocolate chips

1. Combine sifted flour with oats.
2. Cream the butter with brown sugar until light and fluffy.
3. Mix in half of (1), then the cherries and all that is in the bowl.
4. Mix in the balance of (1). Then mix in the nuts and choc chips.
5. Preheat oven to 170/180C. Prepare your cookie sheets and line them with non stick baking paper/parchment
6. Roll balls of dough and place them onto cookie sheet (I used a 1/2Tbsp measuring spoon to form half spheres)
7. Bake for 12-15 minutes. Place on rack to cool down before packing them in air tight jars.


My kids love these and kept on asking for more cookies : )

Then I saw Elin doing this as well with peaches and blueberries. That time I already have nectarine and blueberries (bought weeks ago) in the fridge. I shouldn't wait any longer. Actually, somehow I've forgotten about this cake, until I saw it on Elin's blog.


I used China nectarines, which are a lot cheaper. This cake is very nice to eat, moist and soft.


Nectarine and Blueberry Cake Recipe
Recipe source : Piggy's Cooking Journal who adapted from 手のひらサイズのベイクドケーキ

Ingredients:
144g butter, at room temperature
100g castor sugar
2 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
144g self-raising flour
1/4 teaspoon baking powder (I skipped this)
2 tablespoon yogurt
2 nectarines, cut into slices (mine was rather smallish)
40 blueberries (surprisingly, I really did throw in 20 blueberries per pan without counting initially, cos that is all that could fit the sides nicely)

Method:
1) Preheat oven to 170 deg C. Grease a 18cm loaf pan, and then line with baking paper.
2) In a medium bowl, whip butter and sugar with an electric mixer until pale and fluffy. Beat the egg into the batter, follow by vanilla extract. Mix until just combine.
3) Mix in yogurt, follow by flour and baking powder. Mix until the flour just disappear from the batter.
4) Scrape the batter into the pan. Arrange nectarine slices and blueberries on the batter.
5) Bake in the pre-heated oven for 40 minutes, or until a skewer inserted in the center of the cake turns out clean. Remove from oven, let the cakes cool on wire rack, serve.

Now…. Plums are full rage here. At RM10/kg, it’s not that expensive compared to the previous stone fruits that I’ve used, like apricots, peaches and cherries. And plums are easily available no matter which part of Malaysia you are in, well, I can’t say the same for really small villages or the interior of East Malaysia. I do remember Ting, my old Sarawakian housemate, that there’re no plums where she stay, and she has to order them from her fruit seller. But anyway, it’s still the most common and cheapest stone fruit in Malaysia.
And this time, I want to make a cobbler, a more usual cobbler compared to the rolled up one.I was attracted to this recipe, because the biscuit topping uses yogurt, and how I love yogurt in bakes. Makes the texture all so nice.

Initially I wanted to make a plum cobbler. Well, plums don’t have much fragrance, so I added in some nectarines. I saw these nectarines at the morning market at RM1/pc. Cheap huh!!! But these nectarines were a pain in the a** when it comes to pitting. Usually I’ll just cut at the slit, the run the knife all around the fruit, then twist the fruit to release from the seed. Darn!!! It just won’t budge, and the whole fruit squashed in my hands. Anyone wants nectarine pulp??? Well, anyway, luckily in this recipe, the fruits are chopped and hidden under that biscuit crust. I gathered the pulp, still in recognizable large pieces and chopped. I didn’t twist the other nectarines, but just cut them off the seed. Darn!!!


Nectarine and Plum Cobbler
Recipe adapted from Cupcake Muffin

Biscuit Crust
125gm all purpose flour
½ tsp baking soda
½ tsp baking powder
¼ tsp salt
50gm sugar
60gm butter
65gm plain yogurt

Filling
1kg of plums and nectarines (weighed before cutting)
60gm soft brown sugar (how much sugar depends on how sweet ur fruits are, if they are just sweet, then this will be nice, but if they are slightly sour, please be a lot more generous with the sugar as the sourness intensifies after baking)
1 Tbsp lemon zest
3 Tbsp lemon juice (I find it a bit too sour, maybe 1 tbsp might be sufficient, but adjust this to your liking)
30gm corn starch (I prefer cornstarch to flour)

1. Cut plums and nectarines into cubes. Put in sugar and let it macerate for 30 minutes.
2. Preheat oven to 160/180C.
3. Meanwhile (after step 1, while waiting), Sift flour with baking soda and baking powder. Mix with salt and sugar.
4. Rub cold butter into (3) until it resembles crumbs.
5. Put in yogurt, and with a spoon, gently mix until it becomes a soft and sticky dough. Add more yogurt by the teaspoon if you please, should you ever find it not soft enough.
6. Now, take the fruits and then toss in lemon zest, lemon juice and cornstarch. Toss toss toss.
7. Melt some butter (about 1 Tbsp) and pour into your baking dish (I used a 6X9 pan and a 6 oz ramekin), or you can actually melt the butter in the oven while preheating.
8. Pour all the fruits into the buttered pan. Dot with the sticky dough until surface seems all covered. No need to be too perfect.
9. Bake for 40 minutes or until surface looks golden and pretty.


I took the shot above when it was still very very warm, was rushing, actually. So, the filling looks runny. The colour of the filling actually darkened as it ages. By night, it turned so prettily pink that when I had this for supper, I truly regretted not taking the earlier pics against a dark backdrop. And it's a lot firmer too and no longer runny.

I was looking at some peaches, held one close to my nose for a whiff.
Lydia wanted to smell too. I let her hold one, but her finger nails went through the soft skin.
Sigh, I had to buy that fruit at RM4.59.

I kept the peach in the fridge for a week or two before I remembered Anna Olson’s recipe that I have bookmarked quite a while ago. Then while browsing through my favourites, I saw it and ah-ha. Alas, no milk at home. Had to wait until the birthday cakes are all over before I have some space for milk.
I finally made this (after 4 weeks of purchase) and Lyanne simply loved this. Lydia was ok and was trying to pick out the fruits and leave the cookie behind. That’s her usual antic.


Peach Oatmeal Griddle Cookies
Recipe adapted from Anna Olson
150gm milk
50gm oats
15gm butter
50m honey (or use 30-40gm sugar)
1 egg
20gm all purpose flour
¾ tsp baking powder
Small pinch salt (1/8 tsp)
½ cup diced peaches

1. Put oats into a small mixing bowl (a big noodle soup bowl). Put in butter
2. Bring milk to a gentle boil and pour over oats. Let it sit for 15 minutes.
3. In another bowl, combine baking powder, salt and flour.
4. Put (3) into the oats and mix.
5. Put in egg and honey mix.
6. Put in diced peaches and mix.
7. Heat a pan and lightly grease it.
8. Put in 2 tbsp of batter onto pan. When you see bubbles and the edges are no longer sticky, flip the ‘cookie’ and cook until golden. Be careful the ‘cookie’ browns very quickly due to its honey content.

If you think this tasted like cookies... then you'd be greatly dissapointed. It's pancakes!!
Wonder why did Anna Olsen called these cookies.

This cake was made on impulse.
I was suddenly craving for a butter cake. No, I’m not pregnant. Hahaha.

One two days before I made this, I was scratching my head on what to do with my balance of 500gm apricots. I don’t want to do another bake with apricot, cos I felt I was making too much of it this season. I asked Swee San for some ideas for what to do with them, and she gave me loads of it. But I brushed them all aside. I was only asking because I was at a crossroad, to make or not to make. Half crazy and only needed an outlet for blabbing. Poor Swee San. That shows how nice she is.

But today, I suddenly felt like eating a butter cake, and hahaha, an apricot one that will be then.
So, off I went to buy me some yogurt. I always like my butter cakes with some yogurt. Makes it fluffy and nice. And yes this cake is just like what I expected it to be, fluffy and tender. It may not be very very buttery, but it's definately an option to a healthier butter cake. If I don't tell you, you won't even know that it contains only that small knob of butter in a loaf cake. It cracked, as usual, but I don’t care much about cracks and most of my butter/oil cakes crack anyway. ;P


60gm butter
70gm sugar
1 egg
100gm plain yogurt
120gm fresh apricots, chopped (or use 60gm dried apricots, chopped and microwaved on high with 80ml of water for 2-3 minutes (until it looks plump), drain well before use)
150gm cake flour
½ tsp baking soda
½ tsp baking powder

1. Preheat oven to 160/180C.
2. Sift flour with baking soda and baking powder. Set aside
3. Put 2 Tbsp of the sifted flour into apricots and toss to coat. Set aside.
4. Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
5. Add in egg and beat for another minute.
6. Put in yogurt and beat for 30 seconds.
7. Put in sifted flour and beat until well combined, it should take you less than 30 seconds.
8. Fold in chopped apricots.
9. Pour batter into a 3X6 loaf pan and bake for 35 minutes or until skewer inserted comes out clean.

Fresh Apricot Jam. Yes. I made this and you might be calling me crazy.

Fresh apricots are so expensive here and buying a jar of this jam seems cheaper. True, very true.

I was lucky to get cheaper apricots the day I met up with Swee San of the Sweet Spot and Angie of Sea Salt with Food. Swee San told me to quickly go grab a few punnets as they were just selling for RM10/punnet of 350gm each. Haha, I bought 3 punnets and Swee San bought 3 too (Swee San , correct me if I'm wrong). Now with so much apricots, the first thing that came to my mind was "jam".

If I'm given a choice of jam, Apricot Jam/Preserves always comes first in queue. Then it's sweet marmalade, then only it's strawberry jam. So, I'm making my favourite jam. Yum Yum.

I have never made jam before, and I'm not much of a bread and jam person, although I do eat it every now and then, but I don't eat bread daily and not even weekly. I only eat bread once in a blue moon and jam is even blue-er. So, this was done out of curiosity. I googled for information and then I came out with this recipe. A bit from here, and bit from there, but basically, it's almost the same as most recipes.

500gm sugar apricots
350gm sugar (if apricots are sour, please use 500gm)
1 Tbsp lemon juice


1. Wash and slice apricots. Put everything into a heavy based pot.
2. Meanwhile, put a plate into the freezer. Boil 2 jam bottles and lids in water for 10 minutes, and your ladle and whatever utensil you intend to use for bottling or scooping the jam later.
3. Cook apricots (lid off) and sugar over medium low heat. It will bubble and bubble, just stir it every 10-15 seconds. I walked in and out of the kitchen during this time.
4. When the bubbling reduces (yes it's obvious), then start stirring it all the time so that it will not burn. The apricots will start to "melt" and you will see only "pasty" stuff, rather than whole bits of fruit.
5. To test whether jam is ready, drop a bit of jam onto the cold saucer that you've put in the freezer earlier. Push the drop of jam. If the upper skin wrinkles, it's ready. Put in lemon juice and let it boil for another minute.
6. Now fish out the bottles and lids (caution: hot), don't touch the inside or the neck of the bottle and the inside of the lids with your hands. Drain the bottles and it'll dry up very fast..
7. Scoop very hot jam into the prepared bottles. Be careful.
8. Then quickly put on the lid, screw tightly and overturn bottle. Remember to wear oven mittens or use a grabbing utensil for this.
9. Let it cool down completely overturned and the bottle will be vacuum sealed. To know whether it's vacuum sealed, just look at the lid. The bulging part of the lid would've gone down.

Do not open jam until you want to consume it, if not, the seal will be broken. Keep jam referigerated once opened.
If you're making this for personal consumption or you have loads of fridge space to spare, just put the jam into dry, clean jars (w/o boiling), no need to vacuum seal.
But if you plan to give these away as gifts or want to keep it in your cupboard, please vacuum seal.

Actually if you ask me, whether this jam smell super with all those apricots, I'd say, not really. It's due to my apricots. I used "sugar apricots" here. They may taste very sweet, but they are not as fragrant as my sour apricots used in the almond tart, galette and stone fruit cake. Next year, I'm going to get those sourish apricots to make jam. But no matter how this jam smells, it still smell like apricots, just not as fantabulous when compared to those sourish ones. Tastewise, very good. It's not that sweet when compared to commercial jams, like Chivers or St Dalfours. And you can spread a thicker layer onto your favourite bread.
My daughters love this jam and it's the fastest dissapearing jam ever in the house (until now)

How much did this 2 bottles of jam cost me? The amount of apricots here cost me RM15, and plus some sugar and some lemon juice, it's not even RM20 for 2 bottles. It's slightly more expensive than the two brands of jams I mentioned, but fruit composition wise.. mine is more. My MIL(yes, she's back) and aunt said, the best is eat with peace of mind. No preservatives and no additives. Please don't ask me how long this jam can keep. I have no idea because this jam was gone in just a week.



See the bread here? It's pumpernickel bread. I'll be posting this 2 days later. Oh yes, I might be trying out making apricot jam using dried apricots. Might only.. don't know when.