Savoury Pies

It's very challenging to juggle a full time job, 3 children and household chores. Squeezing some time to bake may seem impossible but i somehow manage. I would love to update this blog as often as i possibly can but i had to settle on posting new recipes and dishes that i offer in Jun's Oven.

For Jun's Oven, i have recently introduced a selection of savoury pies. Suitable for brunch on a weekend or even as a light dinner on a busy weeknight.

Everyone knows how comforting a Chicken Pot Pie is. I used mixed vegetables and button mushrooms in the filling as well. Creamy and smooth, it is always best served right out of the oven.

Then for the red meat lovers, i came up with my own version of the Minced Meat Pies. Available in mutton or beef, i also include vegetables, potatoes and a hint of chilli to spice up the filling. And instead of placing it in a 'pot', i shaped them into the classic shape of the curry puff, except that they are made with puff pastry of course.

Then i thought, what about our vegetarian friends. There has to be a selection just for them. So i came up with the Vegetable Open-pies and the Cheese and Herb Pies. Both made with fresh and dried herbs with a touch of cream cheese. Though the original recipe calls for ricotta, i wasn't able to find any Halal Ricotta cheese in the local market. I sure hope they'll bring some in soon.

So on the day that i made these for the purpose of photo-taking, my family and i had pies for dinner and boy were we filled to our brims!!

Fruit Tarts

I made fruit tarts last night!

I remember helping mum out with these little goodies almost every week. Mum has her own version of the vanilla custard, it's not overwhelmingly sweet and tastes light.
Instead of a full 2 cups of heavy cream, mum halved the cream and added some water to dilute it. So here is our version of the light custard,

Light Vanilla Custard

1 cup heavy cream or half & half

1 cup water

1/2 cup sugar

salt

5 large egg yolks

3 tbs corn starch

vanilla extract (or vanilla beans if available)

This is made with the standard procedure of heating up the cream+water and then tempering it into the eggs (cornstarch and sugar beaten in), and then back on heat to thicken.

The crust i used wasn't the basic pie crust recipe. Mum's version, she can't recall where she learned it from, is lighter and flakes in your mouth as you bite into it..... apparently it's similar to that of the crust of pineapple tarts. Here is mum's version,

Pie Crust

250gm butter

2 tsp powdered milk

2tsp sugar

salt

1egg

add all purpose flour till dough forms 

(see... we dont even have a measurement for the flour.) 

I grew up with this and now i am including it into my menu of Jun's Oven Do check it out!

Story of the Strawberries.

I love strawberries!!!!

I really do!!!!

I am really excited to include these strawberry treats to Jun's Oven on FB. .

Made my own strawberry filling...i'd rather make my own filling for obvious reasons, i can control the level of sweetness and with one batch of filling i can make so many more goodies!!

So here they are,my strawberry turnovers....

And my Strawberry and Cream Cheese Vol-au-vents.....

And what do i do with the left over jam? The kids get a treat of course!

Apples, Apples, Apples!!!

Was working on the puff pastry a few days ago and in my head was a list of yummy pies and tarts that i can make with just a batch of it. Though ready-made puff pastry is easily available in the supermarket, i enjoy making my own. Yes it can get fiddly and sloppy but i guess it takes practice to work with it. And when the end result exits the oven accompanied with it's heavenly aroma, you know your effort's paid off.

Then i thought apples!!! Yeah, Granny Smiths!!! Apple Pies!! Apple turnovers!!! So there i went picking the nicest looking green apples offered. And after slicing them, i added brown sugar and a dash of cinnamon and nutmeg.

And so i made apple turnovers. Placing a spoonful of the apple filling and folding it in the puff pastry. Then i thought why not apple Vol au Vents?
                                                                                   

So there you have it..... 2 types of apple desserts from the same basic ingredients. :)

In my mind right now, are ideas of other fillings............. stay tuned!!!

My Birthday Gift

Yes sir!

It's my birthday today. A big 3-0!

I am thrilled coz today, not only am i saying goodbye to my twenties, (it's really not a bad thing), i am also launching my very own Facebook Page!

Do take a peek at what i have in store. A dear cousin did an awesome job at coming up with the logo for my page and i love it!

I aim to provide HALAL baked goodies for parties and events, or anytime the cravings strike! Cakes, pies, pastries and tarts...

I am very excited for one of my dreams, has come true today...... :)

Link: Jun's Oven - Freshly Baked Delights

Chocolate Melts - Kisses in a Bottle

What started as a hobby and love of sharing escalated to meeting requests of loved ones to provide them with these lovely sugar-shots (as what my good friend calls them).

The wonder of beaten egg whites, which some describe as snowy, silky and smooth.With a hint of red colouring, streaks of pink are created as i pipe them out into soft little peaks. Chocolate rice added just as a surprise when you pop these darlings into your mouth. 

Never in my wildest dreams did i imagine them to be so addictive! And i played about with ways to bottle them, other than the basic plastic bottle which could fit about 80 pieces or so. Then i found this lovely jam jar in the local supermarket, and viola!! 

A perfect gift jar, with just enough Chocolate Melts to tell that special someone that he/she is important to you. The jar can definitely be put to great use after the Melts are all eaten up, or better still, fill them up with more Chocolate Melts!

The Oven that Started it All

Ok guys.

Here it is, the oven that started it all....

La Germania... was told that it's from a good grade of ovens.
Nope, i am not the kinda girl who would insist on the 'brand'.
Having this baby in my kitchen was purely luck at its best.

We moved into our own place over a year ago and the husband got me a portable stove. The kind that needs a gas cylindar to work. I am fine with that. Happy with anything that could provide heat to my pots for me to cook.

Then i itched. Itched to bake. We were on a very tight budget and i sourced around for a pre-loved oven. Ego had it that i did not want a small oven coz i knew i was going to bake a lot. So i updated my Facebook status asking if anyone knew where i could go about getting a pre-loved oven, preferably connected to a stove.

Like an angel sent from above, an old friend replied. Her sister was moving to Hong Kong and was looking for a buyer for her 2 month old oven/stove.

Cut to the chase, we made arrangements for it to be delivered to my place, never once did i ask for the brand. And as the delivery guy pushed his trolley with this baby on it, i gasped at how pure its shade of white was.... still is.

We carefully positioned it and unwrapped the clingwrap and there, in front of me was the King of Ovens......... i lost consciousness (for about a second). I squealed as i called my friend and thanked her profusely for the unexpected surprise.... a brand new La Germania would cost us more than $1000!

Only a baking/cooking enthusiast can relate to what i felt. What i experience was probably similar to the feeling hubby gets when he gets to sit on a Harley or when any guy were to get hold of the latest sports car or gadget.

The night the gas supply got connected to the stove and oven, was the very night i started cooking and of course ... baking... and i hadn't stopped since.....

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