Passionfruit Meringue Cupcake

To Joyce: thank you for the pretty cake cases that you sent me!

Cupcakes are usually topped with sickly sweet frostings, which frankly I am not a big fan of. This one, admittedly, is still sweet, but the slightly browned marshmallowly meringue makes it so desirable to eat. To counter the sweetness, I lessen the sugar in the sponge and added tangy passionfruit curd to the centre. I would suggest making the passionfruit curd the day before making the cupcake, and you are advised to make more than the recipe called for, because passionfruit curd is heavenly stirred in icecream, sandwiched in a sponge cake, and for the naughtiest of all, a spoon to dung in and straight into the mouth.

Makes 6 big muffins or 12 fairy cakes

Ingredients:

For passionfruit curd

1. 5 passionfruit
2. 1 egg + 1 yolk
3. 75g caster sugar
4. 50g unsalted butter

For sponge

1. 125g unsalted, softened
2. 120g caster sugar
3. 2 eggs
4. 80ml milk
5. 185g self-raising flour

For meringue

1. 4 egg whites
2. 220 caster sugar

Method:

1. To make the passionfruit curd: scoop out the flesh of 5 passionfruit and blitz in a food processor. Then use a sieve to filter away the seeds. Keep the juice. Beat the egg, the yolk and the sugar together. Melt the butter in a heavy based pan using a low heat, and when fully melted, stir in the juice and sugar-egg mixture. Keep stirring and keep an eye on the heat. If you think it's going to curdle, take the pan off the heat for a while. You will see the mixture thickens, keep stirring until the mixture is as thick as hollandaise. Let cool. This can keep in the fridge for at least a week.
2. To make the sponge: peheat oven to 180c. Line muffin/fairy cake pan with paper cases. Beat butter, sugar and eggs in a small bowl with an electric mixer until light and fluffy. Stir in the milk, and then sift flour on it. Fold until combined. Divide mixture among cases. Bake for about 20-25 minutes. Take out the cakes and let them cool in the muffin/cake pan. Turn up the oven to 200c.
3. To make the meringue: do this while the cake is in the oven. Beat egg whites in a bowl with an electric mixer until soft peaks form. Add caster sugar in three additions, and it's ready when it forms stiff peaks.
4. Use a teaspoon to cut a hole in the centre of each cake and fill the hole with a tablespoon of passionfruit curd. Pipe or spoon the merignue on top of each cake. Bake in the oven for about 8 minutes, or until the meringue is browned lightly.

Chinese Tomato and Pork Rib Broth

This you-won't-believe-it's-so-simple soup was the default summer soup when I grew up. The clear broth is so light yet tomatoey...just the perfect soup for summer! You can also put in potatoes which makes a filling soup. Most of the time, when I am playing lazy and do not want to spend time in the kitchen, I make this soup and put in a scoop of rice (straight from the rice cooker) and this is our light dinner! Luckily Y doesn't see this as under-catering on my side, as he seems to like all kinds of 'soup rice'...

Serves 3

Ingredients:

1. 600g pork ribs, chopped into cubes
2. 2 teaspoons salt
3. 5-6 tomatoes
4. 1.5 litre water
5. 2 potatoes (optional)

Method:

• Wash the pork ribs and use kitchen paper to pat dry. Put the ribs into a bowl and add 2 teaspoons of salt. Combine well and leave to marinate for at least 2 hours (better if overnight).
• In a big pot, on high heat, add ribs and water and bring to a boil. Turn down the heat to medium. Use a ladle or a sieve to remove all the scum and froth that surface every 15 minutes or so. Boil for an hour. (Normally in Chinese soup making, people would par boil the ribs for a few minutes to remove the scum, but in this particular soup, if you do it, this parboiling process would dilute the flavour.)
• Chop the tomatoes (and potatoes, if using) into quarters, and add to the soup. Boil for a further 30 minutes and turn down the heat to low and boil for a further 30 minutes. Taste if you need any more salt. Serve.

Lettuce Wrap with crumbled beef, pine nuts and fried cellophane noodles

This is a cross-over dish masterminded by me: my granny's version of Ants on the Tree (minced beef with fried cellophane noodles) and San Choi Bao (Thai lettuce wrap). The crispy fried noodles soak up the beef juices, the pine nuts add to the crunch and the lettuce leaves bring freshness to the dish. This is so popular with Y that it has become the default dish for using up beef mince...

Serves 3

Ingredients:

1. 400g beef mince (you can also use mince pork or a combination of both)
2. 3 teaspoons light soy
3. 2 teaspoons dark soy
4. 3 teaspoons Worcesterhsire sauce
5. 6 tablespoons water
6. 1 teaspoon cornflour
7. 2 teaspoons + 2 teaspoons oil
8. 50g pine nuts
9. 100g celloaphane noodles
10. 1 iceberg/romaine lettuce

Method:

• Marinate the beef with light soy, dark soy, Worcestershire sauce. Stir in 6 tablespoons of water until the mince has absored the water. Then add it cornflour and mix well. Finally add 2 teaspoons of oil. Marinate for at least about 3 hours.
• Toast the pine nuts on a pan on low heat/in a baking tray in the oven for about 3 minutes. Watch closely as pine nuts burn easily. Let cool.
• Wash the lettuce leaves in cold water and drain them well. Trim if necessary.
• Deep fry the cellophane noodles by heating a deep pot/pan and fill with about 1.5 inch of oil. Test whether the temperature is ready by dropping a strand of cellophane noodle into the oil. If it puffs up instantly, the oil is ready. Add the cellophane noodles into the oil, they should puff up in seconds. Take out the fried noodles immediately and drain on kitchen paper.
• In a shallow pan/wok, put 2 teaspoons of oil when the pan/wok is hot. Tip in the marinated beef mince. Use a wok scoop/spatula to loosen the mince while you go. When the mince is cooked, adjust the seasoning if necessary. If there is not enough juice left, add in 1 tablespoon of oyster sauce with 3 tablespoons of cold water. If the juice isn't thick enough, add in 1 teaspoon of cornstarch with 1 tablespoon of cold water. Cook for a further minute.
• Place the beef mince on top of the fried noodles and sprinkle with pine nuts. Serve with lettuce leaves.