Bread and butter pudding is made by soaking buttered stale bread in custard and then baked till the custard is set. This English classic dessert, though made from simple ingredients, takes bread to the next level. It is one of the good old desserts that never fail to please my palate. For most people, the whole idea of making this pudding is to “salvage” the stale bread that is nearly going into the bin. But I love this pudding so much that I purposely “created” stale bread to make this dessert.

My ideal bread and butter pudding must have beautiful crusty top with soft and moist custard inside. Although this pudding requires little effort, it takes time and patient to make. You need to allow 30 minutes for the custard to be fully absorbed into the bread before popping it into the oven.

One interesting point is that this pudding will be baked using water bath/ bain marie. The baking dish holding the pudding is placed onto a larger pan which is filled with hot water. This technique helps to cook the pudding with more uniform heat as well as prevent it from drying.

When choosing bread, the common types used for this dessert are white bread, wholemeal bread, croissant, brioche and panettone. Stale bread (ie 2 days old) is often preferred over fresh bread as the latter will make your pudding soggy. The thickness of the bread also plays an important role if you do not wish to see your pudding to collapse and shrink after baking. I learned this tip after making mistake to use pre-sliced bread with a thickness of 1cm. My hubby would giggle every time he saw my ugly looking pudding. Nevertheless, he  still gobbled up all of them happily as they tasted delicious.

I found that most bread and butter pudding recipes don’t match my personal requirement. They are either called for a square or rectangle baking dish or made large quantities which usually serve 6-8 persons. Thus, with my own concoction, I came out with a recipe that does not only yield a smaller portion serving 2-3 persons but also fits well into an oval shaped baking dish.

My son and I had a great time making this pudding. In fact, he did most of the steps. So happened on that day my sister came for a visit. As I know, she never likes bread and butter pudding as the ones she tried before were mushy. Much to my surprise, she loved my version a lot!! She even brought some home. Later that day, she called to say that her family including her maid liked it very much. This made my son very happy and proud of his “baking skill”! He kept reminding me to post this recipe up as soon as possible so his aunt can make this delicious pudding for her family too.

-> Get the recipes and step by step photos at PAGE 2 below.

Each time we had dim sum in our favourite Chinese restaurant, we would surely order their best-selling mango pudding. Unlike others, this restaurant used fresh mangoes to make their mango pudding instead of canned mangoes or mango essences. Both its texture and taste of the pudding pleased our palate very well. So, whenever my hubby and son suggested the idea of making this dessert at home, I would refuse by saying that no matter what, mine can never be as good as theirs. But, they still insisted and kept pestering me to give it a try since mango was in season now. Finally, I “surrendered” and agreed to fulfil their request.

After trying it out myself, I was surprised to discover some great things about homemade mango pudding. It was so easy-to-make (30-40 minutes to prepare plus a little bit of patience to wait for the puddings to set), incredibly cheap (only 1/3 of the price charged by the restaurant), and absolutely delicious (as endorsed by my resident testers!).

My family was so satisfied with my homemade mango pudding. They claimed that it tasted just like (if not better than) the ones served in the restaurant. Even my sister and her family gave it a thumb-up after sampling this dessert.

This heavenly desert offers a combination of fresh mango and soft pudding indulgence. Its creamy and smooth texture compliments well with the rich and fragrant mango flavour. You also get to savour plenty of tiny mango cubes when you dig into this pudding. Oh, gosh!! It’s so satisfying and refreshing!!

One thing I like to emphasise is that, it’s important to use good quality mangoes if you want to produce a perfect mango pudding. This is because mango is the key ingredient (making up about 90% of the ingredients) of this recipe. I find that the best time to make this dessert is during mango season when good quality mangoes are easily available. I use Thailand honey mangoes for this recipe as they are bountiful in Singapore now. Other varieties that I like are Arum Manis (Indonesia), Alphonso (India), Chansa (Pakistan) and Bangapali (Pakistan). You are free to use any varieties of your choice as long as they are fragrant, sweet, less fibrous, fully ripen and fairly soft.

For those who are great fan of fresh mangoes and fruit-based pudding, this one guarantees to please your palate. It makes a perfect summer dessert for your family too!

>>>>> Click on PAGE 2 BELOW for Mango Pudding Recipe with step by step photos…………………

Apples are traditional remedies for diarrhea. But do you know that raw grated apples are used to treat constipation whereas stewed apples for diarrhea? No, not me. I was totally ignorance about this fact until last December when my son was hit by a stomach virus. When I read up on what food to offer for kids with diarrhea, I found out that we should avoid raw apples!! This is because they contain high fiber which may irritate the kid’s digestive tract. It is better if we cook or blend the apples first to take advantage of the pectin and other nutrients in them. In this case, applesauce should be offered as it is high in pectin, which helps to naturally firm very soft or liquid bowel movements. Applesauce is also one of the highly recommended foods for kids with diarrhea besides rice, bananas, toast, tea (herbal) and yogurt. (Source: Wisegeek)

Looking at my son’s loss of appetite for regular food after recovering from stomach flu, I decided to cook for him my own applesauce. Making homemade applesauce is not difficult at all. The applesauce recipe I featured today was adapted and modified from both Cook Like Your Grandmother and Simply Recipes . You can choose any type of apples you like. The amount of sugar should only be used as a guide. Feel free to adjust according to your personal preference. The  lemon juice and lemon strips are to enhance the flavor, and balance off the sweetness of the applesauce. Since sugar and lemon juice compliment each other, if you want to reduce the amount of sugar, you should correspondingly cut down on lemon juice too. Cinnamon stick is an optional ingredient, but it can certainly give the flavor of the applesauce a lift. If you don’t have it, you can substitute by adding a pinch of ground cinnamon at the end of the cooking process. I pureed my applesauce in a food processor to obtain a smooth texture. If you like chunky texture, then just lightly mash it with a potato smasher.

When I served the applesauce to my son as a dip for his toast, I was surprised to see him enjoying eating it, and finishing in no time. He even requested me to make more for his snack in future. Ever since then, applesauce has become a hit in my family. Applesauce can be used in a variety of ways, either as a side dish or dessert. Our favourite way now is to use it as jam spread. What is your favourite way of eating applesauce?

>>> Click on PAGE 2 BELOW for Homemade Applesauce Recipe.……………..

If you had been blog-hopping, you would have discovered many posts on popsicles during this summer season. Everyone has his/ her most favourite method of making popsicles to share. I can’t tell you how much I love looking at those individualistic creations. None of them are 100% identical. I’m truly amazed by how a simple recipe can be tweaked in so many interesting ways. So I told myself that I must join the fun too. Without much ado, I bought 2 sets of Ikea popsicle moulds and got ready for action. But deciding on which one to follow based on the recipes I had bookmarked earlier can be a real headache. They all look so GOOD!! In the end, I decided to pick a bit from here and there to come out with my own version which combined fresh fruit, yogurt and honey.

What’s so special with my so-called “healthy” version? First, I used creamy and tangy Greek-style yogurt. Of course, you can always substitute it with any plain yogurt or vanilla yogurt. Second, I used fresh fruit. (This is another fun way to include fruit into your toddler’s diet).  The cherries I used to make these popsicles were bought from a fruit wholesaler near my hubby’s workplace. They were so sweet and juicy! But this shouldn’t limit your choice of other seasonal fruits. You can choose to use concentrated fruit juice too. Lastly, you will find lemon juice in my recipe. It is because blending yogurt with lemon juice results in an airy mixture that is more delicious when frozen. This marvellous tip is adapted from Martha Stewart’s site. 

So, what is the result? The popsicles tasted so fruity, creamy and delicious. The perfect summer treat for kids! Needless to say, my son enjoyed it very much. Let the photos speak for themselves.

This recipe is very versatile as you can make the pops in layers, swirl the ingredients to give it an artistic look, or even combine everything together. Get adventurous and be creative in your experiment. No matter how terrible you are as a cook, you should be able to handle these homemade popsicles with ease. Not much effort is involved. Althought it only takes a few minutes to make, it can bring your kids an abundance of joy. Better still if you and your kids make them together. Have fun and enjoy!!!

>>>> Click on PAGE 2 BELOW for cherry yogurt popsicles recipe……

Other gorgeous popsicle recipes:
- Tropical ice lollies by Annabel Karmel
- Berry and yogurt popsicles by Bread & Honey
- Cherry yogurt popsicles by Naturally Ella
- Gummy pops by Cooking With My Kid
- Patriotic fruit pops by The Magic Onions
- Strawberry watermelon yogurt ice pops by And Then I Do The Dishes (without popsicle moulds)
- Strawberry yogurt popsicles by Zoom Yummy
- Pomegranate yogurt pops by The Kitchn
- Popsicles for breakfast by How Does She
- Tie Dye Pops by Martha Stewart

Have you heard of Konnyaku?

Konnyaku (蒟蒻) is also known as “konjac, konjaku, devil’s tongue, voodoo lily, snake palm, or elephant yam”. (Can anyone tell why so many eerie nicknames? ). It is a natural food made from a type of mountain potato mixed with calcium hydroxide or calcium oxide extracted from eggshells.

It is a traditional Japanese health food and has been consumed for over 2000 years. It appears in many dishes in Japanese cuisine such as oden, sukiyaki and sashimi. Besides that, it is also widely used as a substitute for gelatin in making jelly dessert.

Konnyaku has no fat, low in calories and rich in dietary fiber. Hence, it can bring us many excellent health benefits as below:
a)      normalize cholesterol level.
b)      control sugar level in blood for diabetes.
c)      prevent high blood pressure.
d)      clean toxin in the intestines and prevent intestinal cancer
e)      ideal for weight control as it expands in the digestive system and gives the feeling that the stomach is full.

Apart from its nutritional value, Konnyaku jelly yields a firmer and springier texture compared to normal jelly. Because of these two signature qualities, it caught on fast to become a popular household choice for healthy snack after it was first introduced to Singapore and Malaysia about one decade ago.

You can find Konnyaku jelly moulds of different types and shapes as shown in the photo below. As for preparing Konnyaku deserts, it’s idiot proof. You only need to follow the simple manufacturer’s instruction on the packaging of the Konnyaku powder, and adding on fresh or canned fruits of your own liking.  Properly supervised, even a kid can do it!

However, parents and caretakers should be aware that jelly products containing Konnyaku may pose choking hazards as it is extremely difficult to remove if it gets stuck down the throat. Thus, it is not suitable to serve children below 4 years old and the elderly. Even for older kids and adults alike, to prevent getting choked unnecessarily, it is recommended that the jelly be first cut or bite into smaller pieces and chewed properly before swallowing.

I like to share this jelly desert recipe with you because it uses Konnyaku, a not-to-be missed super food. This recipe is also made mostly of fruits juice and fresh fruits. I only used a little bit of sugar for this recipe to suit my personal palate. You can adjust the amount according to your preference. It is also not necessarily to use any special Konnyaku jelly moulds to make these jellies. However, they are great for presenting attractive and cute looking jellies to your kids.

This homemade jelly may not be one of the healthiest snacks, but it is definitely a healthier version compared to those bought off the shelf in the store that comes with preservative and colouring additives. I bet this delicious jelly, when served chilled, would be a cool treat that can surely cheer your little ones up during this hot weather.

Suggested reading references for Konnyaku:
- http://www.shakespeare-w.com/english/konnyaku/whatis.html
- http://www.konnyaku.com/e_data/konnyaku.html

Konnyaku jelly cooking video clip by Phoon Huat:
- http://www.phoonhuat.com/special.htm

>>> Click on PAGE 2 BELOW for Konnyaku jelly recipe………………………

My son loves a variety of fruits, be it sweet or slightly sour. Does that mean he is not picky about fruits? Not really. In fact, he can be outright picky. He clearly likes some (a lot) and dislikes many as well. One particular fruit that is near to the bottom of his preferred list is Chinese pear, especially when served as freshly cuts. He would only take one small bite and give me the standard “Mummy, I’m full” excuse. “Sweet talking” him to try a few more cuts didn’t work, and I have been scratching my head on how to entice him to like Chinese pear until I almost give up and hope for miracle.

Sometimes a better answer lies in approaching a problem indirectly, which brings me to try out this Chinese “osmanthus poached pear” sweet dessert soup. When I made it for the first time, to my surprise, my son finished an entire bowl of the soup including the poached Chinese pear!  He loved the soft and smooth texture of the poached pear just like the softened apple in his favourite apple soup. Don’t you think that kids’ taste bud is so unpredictable? Hmm! So, by thinking laterally, you don’t really need to wait for a miracle to happen. And, I was persistent enough to be answered.

According to traditional Chinese medicine, pear is capable to remove excess body heat, moisten throat and lungs, and help relieves cough and clear phlegm. Hence, you will find poaching or boiling pear soup quite common among Chinese households. But I find it interesting and unique to use dried osmanthus flowers (桂花) in poaching pears as these yellow tiny dried flowers are more commonly used to infuse tea and in making Chinese desserts (such as osmanthus jelly).

I find the overall taste of this sweet dessert soup incredibly fragrant with the infused scent of osmanthus in the poached pears and not overly sweet as well. I was totally enchanted by its sweet floral and apricot scent of osmanthus when sipping the soup. It’s very nutritious and healthy too.  You can serve it warm or chilled. Definitely a perfect choice of “cooling” dessert for this hot weather!

Apart from pear, the use of white fungus and Chinese almonds (both sweet and bitter almonds also known as apricot kernels or seeds) can bring substantial benefits to our body too. White fungus can treat insomnia while Chinese almonds are good in treating cough and phlegm. If you want to know more about Chinese almonds (also known as apricot kernels or seeds) and candied dates, please refer to this post and this post.

I had tried making it using both pot method and slow cooker method (yeah, that’s my cheater method!) as mentioned in my recipe. Both methods worked well for me. Taste-wise, the end result is the same. But I prefer the latter as it is easier and straight forward. So just let your reliable slow cooker do the job while you watch your World Cup worry-free!

>>> Click on PAGE 2 BELOW for osmanthus poached pears recipe…………

How many of you would think that good nutrition starts with a good nutritious breakfast? Definitely not me when I was staying on my own. I didn’t really put much effort to make sure I have a good breakfast. It was either getting a hefty breakfast or skipping one altogether. Back then, breakfast to me is the least important meal of the day. That was then. Ever since I became a mother and done a bit of research on child’s nutrition, I started appreciating the benefit of getting into the habit of eating a healthy and nutritious breakfast. It’s not just any breakfast it has to be a healthy and nutritious one. Nowadays I make sure my family gets a nutritious breakfast to start the day.

Like many of you, I have problem getting up early to prepare an elaborate breakfast, especially when I am still semi-conscious and my “engine” hasn’t warmed up yet. Thus, I only choose those healthy breakfast recipes that are quick and easy to prepare and still allow me ample time to enjoy the breakfast with my family. One of them is this strawberry crunch /strawberry yogurt parfait, which I will now share with you.

Photo taken by my hubby. Do you like it?

This strawberry crunch is not only super-healthy but also super-easy to make. It has the combination of nutritious ingredients such as yoghurt, fresh fruit, honey, oats and nuts, all of which are perfect selections for breakfast. Here are some healthy facts about this recipe:

• Yoghurt is a low-fat source of protein and calcium. It contains good bacteria that is good for your digestive system;
• Strawberries and orange juice are rich in vitamin C. Both are antioxidant rich fruit;
• Besides adding natural sweetness, honey is a healthy alternative to super-refined sugar.
• As for the toasted oats and seeds, it boosts the nutrient contents as well as provides a crunchy layer for this breakfast treat.

If you want to speed up your preparation in the morning, you can toast the oats and nuts over-night and store them in the fridge. Then you only need to assembly all the required ingredients during breakfast. Tada! The eye-pleasing strawberry crunch will be ready in seconds! Does this parfait look impressive enough to “wake you up”?

For a tasty twist, try swapping strawberries with any choice of your favourite fresh fruit such as kiwi fruit, bananas, mangoes, blueberries and peaches, or even a mixed combination of them. Do you know that you can also make some healthy snack bars by tweaking this recipe as what I did in my earlier post?

Strawberries from Korea. Aren’t they pretty?

On a separate note here, on 1st May 2010, Foodbuzz had launched a new section called Healthbuzz which features and promotes various health and nutrition-related content from across the community of Featured Publishers. This Health section has been sub-divided into 4 categories: diet and nutrition, fitness, recipes and specialty diet. I feel so excited that my application to become a Healthbuzz Contributing Editor has been accepted. For parents and caretakers, don’t miss out this May feature highlighting children’s health and nutrition. Hop over and check it out now!

>>> Click on PAGE 2 BELOW for strawberry crunch recipe and step-by-step photos………………

>>> Click on PAGE 2 BELOW for recipe and more photos………………………….