Wednesday, August 6, 2008

Easy homemade desserts!

For the first time ever, the witch is going to teach you how to cook! Well, more like make yummy-licious desserts. OK fine, call it re-heating frozen food if you must then. It's not that I don't cook, I just don't have the proper kitchen to cook in! For starters, I don't even have a gas cylinder! My stupid house mate stole it away when he moved out, without us even realizing it! Argh.. so sneaky. And he didn't pay for his half of the deposit for the gas ok! Never mind, that was ages ago. I guess in a way, it's good to do without gas and stove, because I wouldn't want the kitchen floor to get all oily, like last time when my ex-house mate used to cook. So now, whatever methods of cooking I do have to make use of either the rice-cooker or the slow-cooker. :) Thinking of it, it just means all my meals are either boiled, steamed or half-boiled. :P Which means healthy cooking, without oil!

Anyway, I use my rice cooker to cook instant noodles most of the time, until one day Saucer kept telling me about this glutinous rice balls dessert that he ate from a pasar malam in PJ, and told me how good they were. Then when he came to visit one time, I decided to make the glutinous rice balls dessert for him. Well, fine, I reheated the frozen balls. I bought mine from Jusco, and I chose those big fat round ones, so that there would be more filling inside.

This was the brand that I chose, Spring Home. I had never heard of it before, but it was the only brand with large sized balls, so I bought this.

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Glutinous rice balls

I loved that they packaged the balls really nicely, in a separate plastic container complete with a cover! Just like packaging eggs! This would make sure that the balls wouldn't get all mashed up if you accidentally put something heavy on top while you're shopping. You know how it is with shopping carts.

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Nice packaging


According to the instructions, you just need to put the balls into the boiling water and let them simmer until the balls start to float. It also strongly recommended that you place the balls directly from the freezer into the boiling water, without letting it thaw. I have no idea why though, anyone knows why? Anyway, in the balls went into my trusty multi-purpose rice cooker. :)

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Rice cooker wonder


I waited and waited for the bubbles to start forming and for the balls to come afloat. And voila!

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Look it's bubbling!

Don't leave them on for too long though. I heard of cases where the balls ended up exploding under the heat and caused the filling to leak everywhere. Eewww! Look at my final product! I managed to keep every ball in its good perfect shape, and the filling that oozed out was amazing! Just the right amount and it wasn't too sweet either. You really should try this simple dessert. :) Saucer loved it! And he even said this was very similar to the one he bought in pasar malam for RM3.50 a bowl. With only 4 balls (I swear this is the only post where I had to use the word balls so many times!). So expensive! :P

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Final product


While I was at Jusco, I also bought the cute mini red bean frozen buns. I know, frozen things are not good for health, but I was really tempted! I ended up buying the mini red bean buns from KG brand, and they turned out to be not bad after all. So adorable!

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Red bean buns


Eat it while it's hot!

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Gorgeous filling


Oh and here is an attempt I made at boiling red bean dessert. Well not much skill needed really. Just put the red bean inside the slow cooker and add a reasonable amount of water, then wait. I let it boil for almost 8 hours (started at night and ate in the next morning), then added in sugar to taste. That's it!

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Red bean dessert

So there you have it! People say, "the way to a man's heart is through his stomach". I think the saying was meant for real cooking not the frozen food, but still, if they taste good, why not?? :)

8 comments:

Anonymous said...

I've bought those big Glutinous rice balls in a pack too! Delicious! No need to make it from scratch! :P

Not sure whether it's just my computer, but the photos are not showing up.

Anonymous said...

Ok, now can see. LOL

Bamboo said...

Sigh, if I let the cooker on for 8 hours, my housemates would have complained until my ears bleed... the buns look nice though

Anonymous said...

Glutinous rice ball... Love 'em. The best I've tried is the one where my mum's friend bought back from Hatdyai. I'm telling you... it is by far the best, home made glutinous rice ball ever made. =) If you happen to go there, I'll let you know the address where you can go get it. hehehe

Josephine said...

I like the peanut fillings!
What i normally is, I put the rice balls in cold water after they are cooked(float), this is to prevent the filling from leaking out, and also to make it more 'Q'.
The red bean pau looks 'beautiful', the best thing is, they are PINK!!!

CY said...

i believe the traditional way of eating "tong yuen" (glutinous rice balls) is with a ginger and sugar based soup.

I wonder if it is the effect of the photo, or the red beans look bigger than those used for red bean soup...hmm..

still, it's the effort that matters.:P

iamthewitch said...

cc: You did too?? What flavour did you buy?? :)

bamboo: Slow cooker doesn't take up much electricity. Really!! You won't even realize it's taking up electricity at all, it's probably SIPPING electricity only. :)

chiaoju: Haadyai so far! Ok, if I ever go there, I'll keep in mind to ask you about those balls. :P

josephine: I haven't tried the peanut filling one yet! My next attempt ;)) Oh I didn't know you have to put in cold water first to make it look cute! Hehe.. Shall keep this trick in mind for my next attempt. :) And yes! Pink rules! *LOL*

cy lee: You're right! I thought I had ginger when I bought the balls. When I got home, I realized all my ginger went bad with fungus all over! Gross! :P Haha, I thought those red beans looked bigger than usual too... but fear not, they tasted just as nice. :P

Anonymous said...

I like the red bean ones, the black sesame ones are nice too. So yummy!