Chinese Pork Meatballs (Char Siew Style)

Ingredients:
250g minced pork
1/2 tbsp cornflour
1/2 tsp minced ginger
2 garlic cloves (minced)
1 tsp brown sugar
1 tsp light soy sauce
1/2 tsp five-spice powder
Dashes of grounded white pepper
Cooking oil (for frying)

Dipping Sauce:
1 1/2 tbsp light soy sauce
1 tbsp boiled water (room temperature)
1 1/2 tbsp. honey

Methods:

1. In a  bowl combine minced pork, cornflour, ginger, garlic, brown sugar, light soy sauce, five-spice powder and pepper, and mix well.  Cover with cling wrap and let it sit in the fridge until time for cooking.
2. Roll 1/2 heaping tablespoon or more (depending on your preference) of pork mixture into a ball and continue until all the pork mixture is used up.  Place them in a flat plate.
3. In a wok heat enough cooking oil (for medium fry). When the oil reach medium heat, lower the meatball into the oil in batches.  
4. Cook without moving for about 2 minutes, or until the bottom are cooked through.  Use the spatula to carefully rotate the meatballs to cook on the other sides.
5. When the meatballs are cooked through, dish and place on kitchen paper to remove the excess oil.  Continue until all is done.
6. Combine all the dipping sauce ingredients together and mix well.
7. Serve with dipping sauce.

Notes:  I am using the normal light soy sauce instead of the low-sodium soy sauce, thus I am adding a tablespoon of water to reduce the saltiness.  I serve this meatballs as a meat dish for dinner, accompanied with rice.

I adapted this recipe from Charmaine Ferrara of WEST via MIDWEST with slight amendments.

Jam Doughnut Muffins

Ingredients:
1/2 cup fresh milk
5 tbsp corn/vegetable oil
1 large egg
1 1/3 cup self-raising flour (sifted)
1/3 cup caster sugar
Strawberry Jam
50g melted unsalted butter
1/2 cup caster sugar

Methods:

1. Grease the mini muffin pan with oil/butter and set aside.
2. In a bowl add milk, oil and eggs and beat using a hand whisk.
3. Add in self-raising flour and 1/3 cup caster sugar and roughly fold the mixture until just combined.  The lumps doesn't matter as this will make the muffin soft.
4. Spoon the mixture into each pan hole to half full. Then add about 1/8 teaspoon strawberry jam, then top with more muffin mix until just about full.
5. Place them in a preheated oven and bake for about 18 to 20 minutes until the tops have puffed up into little toadstools.  Meanwhile, melt the 50g unsalted butter and place it in a small bowl.  Lay the 1/2 cup caster sugar in a shallow plate.
6. As soon as the muffins are out from the oven, remove them from the pan.  Dip the top in butter and then in the sugar.
7. Serve immediately.

Notes:

1.  I did not dip the whole muffin in butter as I am not coating the whole muffin in the caster sugar.  I prefer it less sweet.
2. These little muffins taste equally tasty when served warm or after cooling down at room temperature.  I place the leftover muffins in a container and keep them in the fridge. To consume, I warm them in an oven toaster for a quick 1 to 2 minutes and it's as fresh and yummy as the "just cooked" ones.
3. This recipe makes 24 mini muffins and for the leftover mixture I use the normal muffin pan.  It makes 2. Ta...da...

Another great and easy recipe adapted from Anncoo Journal by Ann Low with slight amendment to suit my family's taste buds.

Chia Seeds Almond Butter Cake

Ingredients:
250g unsalted butter (room temperature)
130g caster sugar
4 large eggs (lightly beaten)
200g plain flour 
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
4 tbsp ground almond
4 tbsp natural yoghurt
2 tbsp black chia seeds

Methods:

1. Line a 8 inch round cake tin at the bottom and grease sides. Set aside.
2. Sift plain flour, baking powder and salt into a bowl, then mix in ground almond and set aside.
3. Beat butter and caster sugar with an electric mixer at medium speed until light and fluffy.
4. Reduce speed to low and slowly add in beaten eggs until mixture incorporated.
5. Add in flour mixture in 3 batches and fold well with a rubber spatula.
6. Add in yoghurt, fold well and lastly add chia seeds and mix well.
7. Pour batter into prepared cake tin and bake in a preheated oven of 180 degree Celsius for about 45 to 50 minutes or until a skewer inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean.
8. Remove the cake from the oven, let it stay in cake tin for 10 minutes, then turn it out onto a wire rack to let it cool completely.
9. Slice and serve!

Notes: I place the leftover cakes (after 2 days) in a container and placed in the fridge.  It still taste great!

This recipe is adapted from Anncoo Journal by Ann Low.