In a blink of an eye, we are now in our last week of online/home based learning. This is it. Bella will officially be done with 5th grade and Jamie with 1st grade. Time really flew by. We have been living this new normal for the past 8 weeks now. And even though I know it has been difficult for my kids, more so Bella than Jamie, they have been superb! They do what they are supposed to do when it comes to homeschooling, they help around a lot with house chores and I think we definitely appreciate each other more. I know I do.

We are spending so much of our waking hours together since they haven't been going to school. And that means cooking 3 meals a day, everyday! And I haven't even included the crazy amount of snacks these kids need! While I do stock the pantry with store bought cookies, chips and other snacks, Kian is always trying to encourage us to not consume so much snacks that has added sugar. But this mama here sometimes have sweet cravings too.

So, these Almond Flour Chocolate Chip Cookies are a great substitute. It is low in carbs because it is flourless. Almond flour aka almond meal is not type of flour actually. It is basically ground blanched almonds. I used Monk Fruit Blend as a sugar substitute and because everyone is baking at home during this pandemic, sugar free chocolate chips or dark chocolate chips were out of stock. So, I had to used semi-sweet chocolate chips instead. But you can absolutely make this a flourless and sugar free recipe if the ingredients are available to you.

Almond Flour Chocolate Chip Cookies
by Miss Crumbs A Lot, adapted from Chocolate Covered Katie

Recipe
Ingredients
1 cup Almond Flour or Almond Meal (finely ground)
2 tbsp Monk Fruit Blend
1/4 tsp Salt
1/8 tsp Baking Soda
1/4 tsp Xantham Gum
2 tbsp Coconut Oil
1 tsp Vanilla Extract
1  tbsp Almond Milk
4 tbsp Chocolate Chips (of your choice)

Cooking Method
1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.
2. Mix the almond flour, monk fruit blend, salt, baking soda and xantham gum very well together.
3. Dissolve the coconut oil in the microwave in short cooking times (20-30 seconds) until it is in a liquid form.
4. Add the coconut oil, vanilla extract and almond milk to the dry ingredients. Mix until a soft dough is formed. If it is too dry, you may add another 1/2-1 tbsp of almond milk.
5. Shape the dough into round cookies and place on a parchment paper lined baking tray.
6. Bake for 10-12 minutes or until golden brown. Let cool for 10-15 minute as they will be very soft and delicate when first taken out of the oven. The cookies will firm up once cooled.

Makes 10 small cookies.

Does this happen to your family a lot too? Whenever I buy bananas for the family, nobody eats them and then they get overly ripe, just hanging around in the kitchen. And when I don't buy any bananas, my family asks me for them. I never seem to be able to catch the wave. :)

So, having a couple of recipes that would use up these overly ripe bananas comes in handy. One of my family's favorite is Cekodok Pisang (Fried Banana Balls). They're lovely as an afternoon snack with a cup of tea or coffee. Some other recipes that I'd make with bananas are "Old School" Banana Cake or for a simple breakfast option, Gula Melaka Banana Pancakes.

This time around, I decided to make a Banana Bread instead. It is a basic recipe that you can build upon and customize to your own liking. I only had 3 bananas left and it still turned out great. However, I am certain you can add up to 5 or 6 bananas if you have that many. Both Bella and Jamie enjoyed the bread for breakfast and sometimes for afternoon tea too.

Banana Bread
by Miss Crumbs A Lot, adapted from All Recipes

Recipe
Ingredients
2 cups All Purpose Flour (sifted)
3/4 cup Pure Cane Sugar
2 Eggs
1/2 cup Butter
3 to 6 Overly Ripe Bananas (mashed)
1 tsp Baking Soda
1/4 tsp Salt

Cooking Method
1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and lightly grease a 9 x 5 inch loaf pan.
2. In a mixer, cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
3. Add in eggs and mashed bananas, mix until well combined.
4. Gently stir in sifted flour, baking soda and salt until well combined.
5. Pour batter into greased pan and bake for 60 to 65 minutes or when a skewer comes out clean when inserted into the middle of the loaf. Cool slightly before removing from pan to slice and serve.

Japanese cuisine has always been very popular in Singapore and is also one of my family's favorite. The Japanese cuisine offers such a great variety of dishes and regional specialties. Needless to say, Japan is one of our favorite countries to visit.

Kian and I have visited multiples times but Bella and Jamie have yet to do so. Although, we have stopped over at Narita Airport a few times and the both of them always enjoy what ever little time they have immersing in the language, culture and of course the food. With their love for Japanese food, we think they are absolutely ready to tour the country.

I've mentioned before in my other Japanese inspired recipes, Chicken Donburi and Pork Katsu Curry, that the cuisine is more than just raw seafood and sushi. And one of my children's favorite is Chicken Karaage. This simple recipe calls for chicken thigh meat that is cut into small bite size, marinated and then coating them with corn starch prior to deep frying. An easy recipe that is so versatile, it can be served as an appetizer, side dish or as a main meal with rice or noodles.

Chicken Karaage
by Miss Crumbs A Lot, adapted from No Recipes

Recipe
Ingredients
1 1/2 lbs Chicken Thighs (skinless and boneless)
1/4 cup Soy Sauce
2 tbsp Sake or Japanese Cooking Rice Wine
2 tbsp Minced Ginger
1 cup Corn Starch
Vegetable Oil for Frying
Lemon Wedges

Cooking Method
1. Cut chicken thighs into small bite sizes. Marinate it with soy sauce, sake or Japanese cooking rice wine and minced ginger for 1 to 2 hours in the refrigerator.
2. Heat vegetable oil in wok until the oil reaches approximately 350 degrees F.
3. Dredge the chicken pieces in corn starch and coat each piece evenly.
4. Deep fry the coated chicken pieces in batches. Once the chicken is golden brown and crispy, remove from oil and allow the chicken to rest on tempura paper or paper towels for a few minutes before serving.
5. Serve with lemon wedges.

Makes 4 servings

It has been quite a while since Kian and I started the Slow Carb Diet, reducing carbs, sugar and dairy. Having lost a significant amount of weight, we have since kept up with the diet loosely and also started experimenting with others as well. We recently introduced intermittent fasting into our routine and have taken interest in the Ketogenic diet. Having read up a little about it, I found so many delicious and interesting recipes out there.

I made a Almond Flour Bread recipe that was very similar to the Flourless Almond Butter Bread that I had shared some time ago. However, this recipe produced a more spongy texture and is less dense. I personally felt it was more bread-like. It is very easy to make and keeps very well wrapped up in foil in the refrigerator. And the bread makes an awesome avocado toast or sandwich while maintaining a low carb count.

Almond Flour Bread
by Miss Crumbs A Lot, adapted from FatForWeightLoss

Recipe
Ingredients
1/2 cup Butter (room temperature)
2 tbsp Coconut Oil
7 Eggs
1 tsp Baking Powder
2 cups Almond Meal / Flour
1/2 tsp Xanthan Gum
1/2 Tsp Salt

Cooking Method
1. Preheat oven to 355 degrees F. Grease and line a bread pan with parchment paper.
2. Melt 1/2 cup butter slowly using the microwave in 30 second intervals. Mix in 2 tbsp coconut oil. 
3. Using an electric mixer, beat 7 eggs until light and fluffy. Add in melted butter and coconut oil. Mix well.
4. Add in 2 cups almond meal, 1 tsp baking powder, 1/2 tsp xanthan gum and 1/2 tsp salt. Mix well.
5. Pour batter in lined bread pan and smooth out the top.
6. Bake for 45 min in 355 degrees F. Insert a skewer into the middle of the bread and ensure it comes out clean. Cool on a cooling rack.

​Makes 1 loaf

This year's summer holidays came and went by in a flash! I had taken the entire summer off from blogging and had the most wonderful time with my family traveling, boating, swimming and just about any family-fun activity there is. The kids are now settled back in school and I am feeling refreshed & excited to share with you what I have been up to all summer.

Every summer, as a fun family tradition, I try to get my kids involved in the kitchen. Inviting your kids into your kitchen to help with meal preparations or to make a special recipe not only helps them learn and refine some basic skills, it is also a wonderful way to spend quality time together. They get to explore new foods & learn about nutrition and also develop math and reading skills as they help measure and read directions.

So, for the 4th of July, we decided to bake some cookies together. This recipe is so simple & easy to follow and yet, they bake up so tender and delicious! We used red, white and blue M&M's in honor of America's Independence Day but any colors will work just fine. In fact, Bella said that we could make another batch in August with just red and white M&M's for Singapore's National Day. Orange and black would be perfect for Halloween. Orange, yellow and brown for Thanksgiving or any Fall festival party. And not forgetting Christmas with red and green. The possibilities are endless!

For more of my favorite recipes to make with kids, go to:

Gem Biscuits - These adorable "Gem Biscuits" promises fun and color in every bite! Kids will have so much fun icing the biscuits and learning about colors
Homemade Wontons - With the little extra hands helping, this batch recipe will leave you with ready made meals for days to come.
Sweet Potato Balls - A great recipe to include for Thanksgiving as the kids lend a hand and talk about what they are thankful for.

Candy Coated Chocolate Cookies
by Miss Crumbs A Lot, adapted from Robbi's M&M's Cookies

Recipe
Ingredients
1 cup Brown Sugar (packed)
1/2 cup White Sugar
1 cup Butter (cold)
2 Eggs
1 1/2 tsp Vanilla Extract
2 1/2 cups All Purpose Flour
1 tsp Baking Soda
1 tsp Salt
1 1/2 cup Candy Coated Milk Chocolate Pieces (We used M&M's)

Cooking Method
1. In a large mixing bowl, cream the butter, brown and white sugar together.
2. Add in eggs, vanilla extract and mix well.
3. Add in the sieved all purpose flour, baking soda and salt and mix well until a soft dough is formed. Add in 3/4 cup of candy-coated chocolate pieces and set the rest aside. Mix well.
4. Drop dough by spoon onto a baking tray. Push a few candies gently on top of each dough ball with the candies that was set aside.
5. Place the trays of dough in the refrigerator for about 10 minutes before baking.
6. Bake at 350 degrees F for 9 to 11 minutes or until golden brown.

Makes 36 pieces

One of the fun things that I often do whenever I bake Pineapple Tarts, especially during Chinese New Year, is to make these super easy Chocolate Dipped Shortbread Cookies with the extra pastry. They are so simple and easy to make on its own too. And it can be a fun family activity for the kids, with them helping you dip the cookies into chocolate and sprinkles.

The shortbread cookie is not too sweet and hence, goes perfectly well with the pineapple jam in the Pineapple Tart recipe, and in this case, the sweet melted chocolate and sprinkles. You may also sprinkle them with colored sugar while they are cooling too.

We made these heart shaped ones with pink and red sprinkles for Valentine's Day last month. But you can pretty much cut the cookies out into any shape and use any color sprinkles to match the occasion. You can have clover leaf shaped with green sprinkles for St. Patrick's Day or egg shaped with pastel pink, blue and yellow for Easter, just to name a few.

Chocolate Dipped Shortbread Cookies
by Miss Crumbs A Lot

Recipe
Ingredients
​5 cups All Purpose Flour
4 tbsp Cornstarch
1/2 tsp Salt
​8 tbsp Powdered Sugar
2 cups Butter (4 sticks)
4 egg Yolks
Dark Melting Wafers (I used Ghirardelli Chocolate)
Colored Sugar or Sprinkles.

Cooking Method
1. Sieve flour and cornstarch into a large mixing bowl. Cut cold butter sticks into small cubes and place them into the flour.
2. Using your finger tips only, rub the cold butter cubes into the flour, until it resembles breadcrumbs.
3. Add in salt, powdered sugar, egg yolks and mix until a soft dough is formed. The dough should not stick to your hands. More butter may be added if it is too dry.
4. Roll out the dough till it is about 1/2 inch thick and use your choice of cookie cutter to cut out the dough and place onto a baking tray.
5. Bake at 350 degrees F for 20 to 25 min.
6. Place wafers in a top pan of a double boiler over low heat. Stir constantly until smooth and melted. Do not allow water to boil.
7. Once cookies are baked and cooled, dip them into the melted chocolate and sprinkles. Place on parchment line tray to allow them to set.

Makes approx. 100 pieces (depending on size of cookie cutter)

In a blink of an eye, here we are with a week of the New Year gone already. 1 week down and 51 more weeks to go. It may seem like a long time to go but time always seem to just fly by when you're not paying attention.

I have kept myself busy by spending time with family who is visiting from Singapore, hosting parties and keeping up with our annual family traditions. And before I knew it, we were sprinting toward Christmas, Bella's birthday (which falls on December 27) and the New Year. While I took a month off from my blog, I never took a break from the kitchen. I was constantly making dinners for a household of 8 people or preparing dishes for a party.

On the topic of parties, for Bella's 9th birthday party, she wanted it to be "Harry Potter" themed. I had so much fun preparing and cooking for it. And I was so glad that my family is visiting. They helped out so much! We created letters from Hogwarts as invitations, hung battery operated candles with fishing line over my kitchen island to recreate the Great Hall, made Polyjuice Potion Slime and even made a Dementor pinata. The house was decorated with "wanted" posters of Sirius Black and Moaning Myrtle made a couple of appearances in some of our mirrors.

The refreshments had to be in theme too. I found non-alcoholic Butter Beer from my local grocery store and served it with vanilla ice cream and whipped cream. A little too sweet for my liking but I think the kids had a blast! We even printed paper wings and stuck them onto Ferraro Rocher chocolates to make them look like "Golden Snitches". But the highlight had to be the Curry Puff Pastries that we named "House Elf Curry Puff Pastries" for the party. Inspired by Harry Potter's Pumpkin Pasties, I tweaked my traditional Singapore Curry Puffs recipe and made them with store bought frozen puff pastries instead. In fact, some bakeries in Singapore make them this way too. These flaky and crispy curry puff pastries were absolutely delightful and were flying off the platter at the party. A perfect finger food for any occasion really.

Curry Puff Pastries
by Miss Crumbs A Lot

Recipe
Ingredients
5 tbsp Cooking Oil
1 Medium Red Onion (diced finely)
3 tsp Garam Marsala Powder
4 tsp Curry Powder
1 tsp Chilli Powder
1 tsp Turmeric Powder
1 cup Chicken Breast Meat (diced 3/8")
2 large Potatoes (skinned, boiled and diced 3/8")
1 1/2 tsp Sugar
1/2 tsp Black Pepper
1 tsp Salt
3 boxes Pepperidge Farms Puff Pastry Sheets (6 sheets)
1 egg (beaten)

Cooking Method
1. Prepare the filling first. Heat oil and stir fry onions on medium heat until golden brown.
2. Add in 3 tsp garam marsala powder, 4 tsp curry powder, 1 tsp chilli powder, 1 tsp turmeric powder and continue to stir fry gently.
3. Add in 1 cup diced chicken and stir fry until chicken is cooked. Add in potatoes, 1 1/2 tsp sugar, 1/2 tsp black pepper, 1 tsp salt and mix well. Set aside to cool.
4. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
5. Remove pastry sheets from the box & packages and allow them to thaw for up to 40 minutes, until it is soft and does not crack or break when unfolding. The pastry sheet should still be cold.
6. Cut each pastry sheet into 4 squares. Place 2 to 3 tbsp of curry filling in the middle of the pastry and fold it over into triangles, sealing the edges with water. Use a fork to create a crimping pattern on the edges and brush the beaten egg over the top.
7. Bake for 15 minutes or until golden brown at 400 degrees F.

Makes 24 pieces.

Snow Skin Mooncakes with Red Bean Paste is another one of the many variations of mooncakes that we eat during Mid Autumn Festival. It falls on the 15th day of the 8th lunar month, which is October 4 2017 this year and that happens to be tomorrow.

I had previously shared a variation of this recipe, Snow Skin Mooncakes with Mung Bean Paste and shared a little about this unique traditional dessert snack from Singapore. Click on the link above to find out more. This time, I made a red bean paste for the filling  instead and played around with the food coloring a little. I did not use yellow the last time so I included it this time. And I also mixed pink and blue to achieve a lavender color.

This recipe is similar to the one with mung bean paste but because red beans take a longer time to cook, the time required for this recipe would be a little longer. And I doubled the amount of snow skin wraps as I was not sure if the previous recipe would have enough for the amount of red bean paste that I would have. I had a little bit of snow skin wraps left and I saved it in the freezer for my next batch.

Bella and Jamie loved it and when I asked them if they have a preference for either the mung bean paste or red bean paste, they could not pick. They liked them both. So on a festive note, I wish you and your family a Happy Mid Autumn Festival! May you have a long life to share the graceful moonlight!

Related Posts:
Snow Skin Mooncakes with Mung Bean Paste
Easy Pandan Snow Skin Mooncakes

Snow Skin Mooncakes with Red Bean Paste
by Miss Crumbs A Lot, adapted from FOOD52 & Christine's Recipes

Recipe
Snow Skin Wrap Ingredients
90g (3.2oz) Glutinous  Rice Flour
70g (2.4oz) Rice Flour (water milled)
40g (1.6oz) Wheat Starch
80g (3oz) Sugar
360ml (12 fl oz) Unsweetened Coconut Milk
36ml (1.2 fl oz) Vegetable Oil
1/2 cup Glutinous Rice Flour (for dusting)

Red Bean Paste Filling Ingredients
1 cup Dry Red Beans or Azuki Beans (soaked in water overnight)
2/3 cups Sugar
6 tbsp Shortening

Equipment
1 50g size Mooncake Mold

Snow Skin Wrap Cooking Method
1. In a bowl, mix 90g (3.2oz) of glutinous rice flour with 70g (2.4oz) rice flour and 40g (1.6oz) wheat starch together.
2. In another bowl, dissolve 80g (3oz) sugar in 360ml (12 fl oz) unsweetened coconut milk. Then mix in 36ml (1.2 fl oz) of vegetable oil.
3. Slowly pour the coconut milk mixture into the flour mixture while whisking it gently. Mix well. Strain it once and set it aside, allowing it to rest for 30 minutes.
4. Cover the mixture with plastic wrap and steam cook it over high heat for 30 minutes.
5. Once ready, remove from heat and use a pair of chopsticks or fork to stir the mixture until a soft and smooth dough is formed.
6. Once cooled, wrap the dough in plastic wrap and knead it with your hands for 10 to 15 minutes. You can also use a pestle and gently pound it. It is imperative to knead it to ensure that the wrap will be soft and smooth.
7. Refrigerate for a minimum of 4 hours before assembling the mooncake.

Red Bean Paste Filling Cooking Method
1. Drain the soaked red beans and place them in a pot. Add in 3 cups of water and bring it to a boil. Once boiling, reduce the heat to medium/low and simmer for 1 hour 15 minutes. As the water boils down, right around 30 minutes onwards, you will need to add just enough water to keep the beans submerged in water.
2. After about an hour, to ensure that the beans are ready, pinch a bean between your fingers. It should mash very easily between your fingers.
3. Once done, turn off heat, drain the beans and allow it to cool slightly. Blend the beans in a food processor until a smooth paste is formed (hummus like)
4. Pour the red bean paste into a non-stick wok or pan, add in 2/3 cup sugar and 6 tbsp of shortening. Over medium heat, mix all the ingredients together. As the sugar dissolves and shortening gets mixed it, the paste will be watery. Continue cooking, stirring constantly until the moisture has evaporated and a soft dough is formed. Once the paste can hold its shape, it is ready.
5. Remove from heat and refrigerate until ready to use.

Assembly Method
1. Toast 1/2 cup of glutinous rice flour in a non-stick wok or pan over medium heat until it turns light yellow. Remove from heat and set aside to cool.
2. Measure each snow skin wrap and red bean paste to around 20g and 30g respectively. Shape them into balls and set aside.
3. Dust your hands, counter top and mooncake mold with toasted glutinous rice flour.
4. Wrap each mung bean paste ball with snow skin wrap and seal completely. Shape it into a ball first then gently mold it into an oval.
5. Place the oval into the mooncake mold, place it on the counter top and gently push the shaping tool to shape the mooncake into the mold. Remove from mold gently.

Makes 16 50g Mooncakes
​
Check out Snow Skin Mooncakes with Mung Bean Paste
Check out Easy Pandan Snow Skin Mooncakes

Gem Biscuits are one of the "old school" snacks that is possibly every Singaporean's favorite childhood sweet treat. The small round biscuits are topped with bright colored icing, typically pink, yellow, white and green (as a kid, the white gem biscuit was my least favorite so I omitted white and added blue instead). And they have been a hit with children in Singapore for several generations now. 
​
Bella has tried them before when I bought some back to Houston from Singapore years ago. But Jamie has never tried them. So, I decided to make some and surprise them when they came home from school. I made the biscuit portion a little different from the original - mine tastes more like butter shortbread which I personally liked better. They were not quite ready yet when the kids got home so I promised them that they could have some for desserts if they finished their dinner. Dinner has never gone as smoothly as that night! 

Gem Biscuits
by Miss Crumbs A Lot

Recipe
Ingredients
1 stick Salted Butter (4 oz) (cold)
2 oz Sugar
5 1/2 oz Flour (sifted)
4 cups Powdered Sugar
2 Egg Whites
1 tsp Water
Gel Food Coloring

Cooking Method
1. Mix 2 oz sugar with 5 1/2 oz of sifted flour in a large bowl.
2. Cut 1 stick of cold butter into small cubes into the flour and sugar mixture. Using your finger tips, rub in the butter into the flour until it resembles breadcrumbs. Using your hands, pack and knead it until a soft dough is form (do not overwork it as the warmth from your hands will melt the butter).
3. Place the dough in between some plastic wrap and roll it with a rolling pin till about 1/4 inch thick. Using a small cookie cutter, cut out the biscuits and place them on a parchment paper lined baking tray. Refrigerate them for 30 minutes.
4. Bake at 350 degrees F for 8 to 10 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to cool completely before icing them.
5. Mix 2 egg whites and 1 tsp of water together. Whisk it on low speed until it is frothy. Add in 4 cups of powdered sugar in small batches and whisk in on medium speed. Once all sugar has been added, whisk on high speed until a firm peak is form.
6. Divide the icing into portions and add gel food coloring. Pipe the icing on top of the cooled biscuits with a piping bag and tip.

Makes 100 pieces

Basic Donuts is a recipe that is made from scratch and so simple to make, you can have them ready in under 20 minutes. With basic ingredients that you would probably already have in your pantry, the flavor is anything but basic. With this classic donut recipe, you can let your creativity take over by creating different shapes and seasoning them in various ways.
​
Bella and Jamie are always starving after they come home from school. So, I decided to make some homemade donuts for them. I kept it simple by dusting the donuts with powdered sugar. Other seasoning suggestions include cinnamon sugar, glazing, topping with icing and sprinkles etc.

Basic Donuts
by Miss Crumbs A Lot, adapted from allrecipes.com

Recipe
Ingredients
2 tbsp White Vinegar
6 tbsp Milk
2 tbsp Shortening (butter flavor)
1/2 cup Sugar
1 Egg
1/2 tsp Vanilla Extract
2 1/4 cups All Purpose Flour (sifted and divided)
1/2 tsp Baking Soda
1/4 tsp Salt
1 quart Vegetable Oil (for frying)
1/2 cup Powdered Sugar (for dusting)

Cooking Method
1. Mix 2 tbsp of white vinegar with 6 tbsp of milk together. Set aside as it thickens slightly.
2. Cream 2 tbsp of shortening with 1/2 cup sugar until smooth.
3. Add in 1 eggs and 1/2 tsp vanilla extract. Mix until well combined.
4. Mix in 1 cup sifted all purpose flour, 1/2 tsp baking soda and 1/4 tsp salt until well combined.
5. Add in vinegar and milk mixture. Mix until well combined.
6. Add in 1 more cup of sifted all purpose flour. Mix until well combined and a soft dough is formed.
7. Heat 1 quart vegetable oil in a pot over medium heat.
8. At this point, the dough will be very soft and sticky. Dust counter top and hands with the remaining 1/4 cup of sifted all purpose flour.
9. Pinch off about 3 tbsp of dough, roll into a ball with hands then press it flat on the counter top till about 1/4 inch thick. Using a bottle cap, cut out a hole in the middle and immediately place dough into oil to fry. You may fry the cut out holes and make donut holes or combine them to make a whole donut.
10. Fry until they are golden brown, turning over once. You may have to lower the heat to prevent the donuts from browning too quickly. Drain the donuts on paper towels then dust them with powdered sugar or any other seasoning of choice.

Makes 10 3" wide pieces