Mini Cheeseburger Puff Pies

Mini Burger for breakfast? Mini Pie for breakfast?  Can't make up your mind? Well, combine them together, and you can have it as Mini Cheeseburger Puff Pies! These are super easy, fun and yummy to eat!

 I really like this book "Y'all Come Eat" by The Deen Brothers. Ever since I bought this book from the BBW sales a couple of years ago, I have only made a few recipes from it, and lots of stick-on notes on most pages! And am so glad to make full use of it for this month's CLAS! 

These are really easy to make, with store-bought puff pastry, I've used Pampas Puff Pastry. Firstly, prepare the patty. I have replaced the ground beef with ground pork, which is mixed with some ketchup, Dijon mustard, salt, black pepper and I have added some mayonnaise and chopped fresh parsley as well. Make this mixture into patties and fry in hot oil on both sides until brown and cooked. Drain on kitchen paper towel to rid of excess oil.

Roll out the puff pastry to about 3mm thickness, cut to squares that is big enough to wrap around the burger patties. According to the instructions in the recipe, place one burger patty on each square and top with shredded cheese. Wrap the pastry around the patty to fully enclose and pinch the edges together to seal. I have however, place the shredded cheese first on the pastry, then top with the burger patty, wrap the pastry around the patty to fully enclose, pinch the edges together to seal, and place it seam-side down on baking sheet. Brush the top of pastries with egg wash. Bake for 15 minutes in a preheated oven at 400F, until puffed and golden brown.

 These are great for breakfast, brunch or tea-time snack.

Best eaten warm, minutes from the oven! Yum!

Mini Cheeseburger Puff Pies
(adapted from "Y'all Come Eat", The Deen Bros)
8 ounces ground beef (I use ground pork)
2 teaspoons tomato ketchup
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 teaspoon mayonnaise (my addition)
3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley (my addition)
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
all-purpose flour for dusting
1 sheet puff pastry (from a 175-ounce package)
2 ounces cheddar cheese, shredded (about 1/2 cup)
1 large egg beaten with 1 teaspoon water

1. Preheat oven to 400F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper; set aside.
2. In a large bowl, mix together the beef, ketchup, mustard, salt, and pepper (mayonnaise and chopped parsley). Form the mixture into 8 equal-size patties. In a large skillet, heat the oil over medium-high heat until shimmering. Brown the patties in oil about 1 minute per side.
3. On a lightly floured surface, unfold the pastry. Cut the pastry lengthwise into four equal strips, then cut strips in half crosswise. Place one patty on each strip and top with cheese. Fold the pastry up around the burgers and pinch the edges together to seal, molding to fit around the patties. Brush the tops of the pastries with the egg mixture. (I placed the shredded cheese first on the pastry, top with the patty, fold pastry around the patty and pinch the edges together to seal. Place it seam side down on baking sheet, with the smooth rounded side on top).
4. Place the mini burgers on the prepared baking sheet. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes or until puffed and golden. Let stand for 5 minutes before serving.

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I'm linking this post to Bake-Along #62, hosted by Zoe of Bake For Happy Kids, Lena of Frozen Wings and Joyce of Kitchen Flavours

Cook Like A Star event, featuring Paula Deen and The Deen Brothers, hosted by Zoe of Bake For Happy Kids, Diana of Domestic Goddess Wannabe and Joyce of Kitchen Flavours.

and Cook-Your-Books #13 @ kitchen flavours

Chocolate Banana Quick Cake

It has been sometime since I last baked from "The Cake Book" by Tish Boyle, one of my favourite baking book. I have baked quite a number of cakes from this book, and all are really good, so is this Chocolate Banana Quick Cake. 

This cake is simple and easy to make. The only changes I've made is to replace the sour cream with homemade yoghurt, and to reduce the sugar to 150gm, as the bananas that I've used are really sweet, and also I've used chocolate chips instead of bittersweet chocolate. I like it that the cake bakes up really nice without any cracks with a lovely flat top.

It smells wonderful while the cake is baking in the oven. Could not wait for the cake to cool down to slice it! 

It has a very moist, soft and tender crumbs, with chunks of banana and chocolaty taste from the cocoa powder. Look at the melting chocolate chips. Makes the cake especially extra moist. 

Another keeper recipe from this wonderful book. If you love chocolate and banana, then I would encourage you to make this cake, you would be glad you did!

Chocolate Banana Quick Cake
(adapted from "The Cake Book", Tish Boyle)
Makes one 9x5-inch loaf cake, serving 8
1-1/4 cups (5.3oz/151gm) all-purpose flour
1/4 cup (0.8oz/23gm) Dutch-processed cocoa powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup (1 stick/4oz/113gm) unsalted butter, softened
1 cup (7oz/200gm) granulated sugar (I use 150gm)
2 large eggs
1-1/3 cups (320ml) mashed ripe bananas (about 3 medium bananas)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup (4.2oz/121gm) sour cream (I use homemade yoghurt)
4 ounces (113gm) bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped (I use chocolate chips)

1. Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 350F. Grease the bottom and sides of a 9x5-inch loaf pan.
2. Sift together the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt into a medium bowl. Whisk to combine, and set aside.
3. In the bowl of an electric mixer, using the paddle attachment, beat the butter at medium speed until creamy, about 1 minute. Gradually beat in the sugar and beat at high speed until well blended, about 2 minutes. At medium speed, beat in the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition and scraping down the sides of the bowl as necessary. Add the mashed bananas and vanilla extract and mix at low speed until blended. Add the flour mixture at low speed in three additions, alternating it with the sour cream in two additions. Remove the bowl from the mixer stand and stir in the chopped chocolate. Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top with a spatula.
4. Bake the cake for 55 to 65 minutes, until a cake tester inserted into the center comes out clean (except for any melted chocolate). Cool the cake in the pan on a wire rack for 15 minutes.
5. Unmold the cake onto the rack, turn right side up, and cool completely.

Store at room temperature, covered in foil, for up to 5 days.

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I'm linking this post to Little Thumbs Up : June 2014 - Butter, organized by Zoe of Bake For Happy Kids, Doreen of My Little Favourite DIY, and hosted by Jozelyn Ng of Spice Up My Kitchen

and Cook-Your-Books #13 @ kitchen flavours

Fried Rice with Sausages

"Let's Do Brunch!", our theme for this week at I Heart Cooking Clubs (IHCC), where we are currently cooking from our featured chef, Nigel Slater's recipes. 

I have some leftover rice and wanted to use it all up, so I searched for Nigel Slater's rice recipes. Found this recipe, which he named as Fried Rice, Spanish Style. He has used Spanish chorizo, and I have unfortunately used up all my chorizo, and what I had was some regular sausages, so that was what I've used. I have a few stalks of celery, spring onions from the garden and I'm good to go! 

This is really a recipe that do not need any exact measurement. Nigel has entered this recipe on Dec 3rd, and he has pretty much summarized everything in a paragraph, refer the "recipe" below.  Firstly the chopped spring onions and chopped garlic are sauteed in a little olive oil, then the celery and sausages are added in, stir for a few minutes until fragrant. Add in the rice and stir to combine. I have added some salt and black pepper to taste, though I supposed that if you are using chorizo sausages, you would probably need less salt or not at all. Overall, this simple fried rice is very tasty. A perfect meal to serve for one or two. Quick, simple and easy, perfect for brunch!

To round it off for a filling meal, I served it with a fried egg, topped with dashes of hot sauce. Simple and yummy! I made this for myself actually, but it ended up shared by my son and daughter! 

Fried Rice, Spanish Style

(adapted from "The Kitchen Diaries", Nigel Slater)

"There is some cooked rice in a cracked earthenware dish in the fridge. It will make a supper for two, just. I fry off some chopped spring onions and a chopped clove of garlic in a shallow pan with a glug of olive oil, then chuck in some chopped celery, several slices of brick-red Spanish chorizo and a couple of pieces of black pudding too. When all is sizzling and the smell of warm sausage comes up from the pan, I stir in the rice, gently teasing the grains apart. We eat the result, which whilst being utterly delicious looks a bit of a mess, with bottles of cold beer."

I'm linking this post with I Heart Cooking Clubs (IHCC), theme for this week is "Let's Do Brunch!"

and Cook-Your-Books #13 @ kitchen flavours