Best Vanilla & Chocolate Milk Pudding

There are so many versions and ways of making a pudding. Some people associate pudding as bread pudding, while others think of it as rice pudding. I have only tried the latter once while I was still in States...didn't really fancy it. But I had made bread puddings several times now (nice comfort food). These are usually the more hearty ones. For end of the meal, desert varieties, there is baked custard pudding, like creme brulee and non baked (no egg) chilled pudding as well. When it comes to my kids, they usually relate pudding as the non baked, chilled pudding that is made with just the simplest ingredients, like milk and cream. ;) My elder child love (the word "love" here is actually under-rated) pudding. She would bug me to buy whenever we do groceries together. Somehow I seldom make it at home...I don't know why? *bad mummy, lol!*

Since my kid is going through the "gruesome" exam week right now, I figured why not make her what she love most. Vanilla and Chocolate milk pudding....the best I've ever made so far. :))

Yeah, you might think this is such an easy recipe, why bothered to post it up? Oh no, this is really a surprise for me as well, but I have not made such a smooth, creamy and delicious pudding before! lol! Both my kids, even my hubs were going like "Mmmmm...how did you make it so so smooth and creamy?" And I was asking myself that question too, haha! 

Okay, why not just make all chocolate or all vanilla? Why mix? I guess I wanted to try both and make it the best of both worlds, hehehe. :D In fact after tasting it, I found that these two flavors actually compliments each other and not over powering over the other. Okay, in case you are wondering what is that tiny specs on the surface of the pudding in the above pic, it's just condensation going on...I'm slow with cameras. :P

I read quite a number of pudding recipes online and manage to come up with this one myself. But do try it, I guarantee you will love it as much as I do. ;)

Ingredients for Vanilla & Chocolate Pudding (serves 4, fills four 6 oz ramekins)

250ml fresh full cream milk

40g caster sugar

1/2 stick vanilla pod, slit open

10g gelatin powder

30g quality dark chocolate, chopped

10g quality cocoa powder

165ml + 50ml dairy heavy cream

• Place the chopped chocolate and the 50ml heavy cream in a heat proof bowl, microwave it for a minute. Let the mixture sit for 5 minutes and then mix well. Sift in the cocoa powder and whisk well till you get a smooth, thick consistency. Set aside for use later.
• In a small pot, heat up the milk, sugar and vanilla pod over medium low heat. Once the sugar has melted and the milk is almost boiling (tiny bubbles on the side of the pot appears), remove from the heat and let cool for 3-5 minutes.
• Add in the gelatin powder and whisk well, making sure it is melted thoroughly.
• Add the 165ml heavy cream into the milk gelatine mixture. Stir well and sieve mixture.
• Pour half of this milk cream mixture equally into 4 ramekins, half way through. Chill for at least 30 minutes or till the surface is slightly firm to the touch.
• Add the chocolate mixture to the other reserved half milk cream mixture and whisk well till no visible lumps. Sieve again and pour into the 4 ramekins that already has the chilled vanilla milk pudding inside, dividing equally.
• Chill again, this time up to 2 hrs or more. Serve when ready. Enjoy!!

How about topping it off with some Oreo cookie crumbs to dress it up a little and add that extra texture? Yums! My kids really love this very much....will for sure make this again. ;) Hope this little treat will motivate my kid a little from all those annoying exams going on. :P

Of course, the shot that actually show how smooth and creamy this pudding is. This pudding is so smooth! It melts slowly in your mouth and the vanilla chocolate flavors lingers a while. Thumbs up!! ;) Chilled desert is so good in such hot weathers. Do remember the part about sieving the mixture, it does help remove tiny lumps which is definitely not desirable in such deserts.

I am happy to submit this to this month's  Aspiring Bakers #24 (October 2012)  Jellies & Puddings hosted by Charmaine of MiMi Bakery House

Enjoy your long weekend everyone! Cheers!

Summer Treat: Heavenly Milo & Oreo Jelly

The weather is getting hotter as summer heat moves in. But as much as we are enjoying nice warm weathers here with occasional showers, there are still storms and floods in parts of China, while terrible typhoons threathens the coast of Taiwan. Not to mention droughts in parts of US that results in poor crop yield and thus global food shortage. Mother nature is getting more tempermental then before as the global warming is getting more imperative, something that we shouldn't just ignore now. Have you been playing your part in helping our planet Earth? Perhaps recycling more, less usage of air conditioner or even your car might just be the first few steps. ;)

Okay, all this talk about our Earth, perhaps will trigger you a little to help out too....even in the smallest way.

Back to today's post. (^.^) Its a really simple summer treat and I think not only the kids will love it, the adults will too! ;P It's Heavenly Milo and Oreo Jelly which was posted by Rima from Bisous a Toi. When I saw this, I knew at that moment I have to try it out. ;)) But it's too bad mine didn't turn out as beautiful as hers. :P

Somehow I suspect the jelly powder I use does not "gelatinize"as well as the one Rima used. I shall up my jelly powder amount the next time I make this. Regardless the jelly was delish! Indeed heavenly and addicitive. ;))

The Milo and oreo flavor blend in really well. My kids loved it very much and so did I, hahaha! I must say I haven't enjoyed jelly this much for a long time. :)

I will repost the recipe here but with slight modifications. Thanks Rima for sharing!

Ingredients for Milo & Oreo Jelly:

15g Jelly Powder (Agar-Agar Powder)
650ml water
150g caster sugar
1 can (400g) Evaporated Milk / (400ml fresh milk is fine)
3/4 cup Milo Powder
1 pack (137g) Oreo Cookies - Break up the cookies and leaving the creme inside

• In a large saucepot, add the water and jelly powder in. Heat the mixture and stir till jellypowder has dissolved.
• Add in caster sugar & cook until sugar is dissolved. Then add in evaporated milk, stir to mix well then switch off fire once you see bubbles forming at the side of the pot.
• Ladle out 2 cups of the jelly mixture into another pot and stir in the Milo powder. Continue to stir making sure all of the milo powder is properfly dissolved in.
• Ladle about half of the Milo mixture into your jelly moulds and let the remaining half warm up on smallest fire.
• Let the milo jelly set slightly in the mould (but not too much!) on surface before pouring the milk jelly layer on. when you ladle the milk jelly in, be at most caution else might end up mainx the two layers.
• Sprinkle oreo cookies into the milk jelly layer. then let it set for awhile.
• Lastly add the remaining milo mixture as the final layer. Let cool before putting into the fridge to chill for at least 2 to 3 hours. Serve cold.

Due to the insuffucient jelly powder I used, the jelly's texture turned out to be like those soy beanurd...a wee bit soft. But I guess different brand of jelly powder probably yield different texture. I love Pearl Mermaid Brand(from Thailand), it always gives really smooth texture. If you are using other brand, perhaps you might want to use the original amount of 10g instead of 15g.

Loads of yummy Oreo inside. ;)) Hope you folks will give this fun and delicious recipe a try.

Gonna sign off now. Wishing everyone out there a wonderful and relaxing weekend! Cheers!

Easy Gourmet Pumpkin Soup

Apologies for the slow posting this week, but my laptop has been giving me problem lately. I am actually using my husband's now and have to get mine fix over the weekend. *haiz* Luckily I still have a couple of recipes in the flash drive that I can share with you all this week. Else I'll be MIA in the coming 2 weeks! Anyway, these 2 recipes are really easy to whip up and it actually took me less then 2 hours to get them on the table. First recipe is this delicious pumpkin soup that taste like from a fine dining restaurant but yet it can be so easily prepared at your own kitchen. Don't believe me? Just check it out for yourself:

Okay, maybe the presentation need some work, but I can guarantee you this soup taste really good. Don't like pumpkin? Don't fret, you won't feel like you're drinking pumpkin soup! I know most Asians don't usually fancy such thick, creamy soup since it doesn't go with the vegetables and dishes on the table. But having this soup occasionally on a lazy weekend, serving it with some salad or bruschetta is quite a delight too. :P

When I was in California, I made this so often since my husband and I love it very much. Plus having it during winter was so comforting! Downing it with some simple toast and we are already feasting, hahaha! This soup taste like restaurant gourmet soup that will surely impress your family and guests. But you will be surprise how simple the ingredients are involve, check it out:

Ingredients for Simple Gourmet Pumpkin Soup: (Serves 5-6) (adapted from Foodnetwork.coml)

1 tablespoons butter
1 large onion, diced
1 large carrots, peeled and diced
1 apple, peeled and diced
2 cups fresh pumpkin, roasted and diced
1/2 tsp dried thyme
1 bay leave (omit if not available)
2 cups chicken stock
1 cup fresh cream
Salt and freshly ground pepper
4 portabella, sliced

• To roast the pumpkin, preheat the oven to 200C. Peel and dice the pumpkin and place on baking dish. Sprinkle salt and black pepper over the diced pumpkin and coat with some olive oil. Roast in the oven for 15 minutes till tender. Note that dice the pumpkin smaller to save roasting time.
  

• In the meantime, heat up a large pot with the butter. Add in diced onions, apples and carrots. Stir and cook till slightly tender. Add in the dried thyme, bay leaf and the roasted pumpkin.
• 
• Continue to cook till mixture is slightly mushy. Add in the chicken stock and cream into it. Cook the mixture till just boil. Off the fire and let cool slightly.
• 
• Then remove the bay leave. Blend the mixture till creamy and return the mixture into the pot and heat up again, but no need to boil. Add salt and pepper to taste. (I only added pepper, the soup was already very flavorful!)

• In a saute pan, heat a tsp of oil and saute the sliced portabella till soften and cooked. Sprinkle some black pepper and salt and garnish over the pumpkin soup if desired.

If you prefer a healthier version, you can choose to omit the cream. Else, live a little...pour on the cream and taste the heavenly creamy soup. ;))

Hope this soup will be served at your dinner table too. It's really a nice simple gourmet soup that is so easy to make. Try it and you will know how delicious this is. ;)

Still not used to this laptop, so will post the other recipe some other day.
Hope to see you folks soon.....cheers all!