Tuesday 23 November 2021

Goat Cheese Honey Citron Puff Pastry Appetizer


This is my first attempt in baking puff pastry appetizer using frozen pastry and adding French Chèvre or fresh goat cheese to my baking 😊

Fresh and young chèvre is soft, creamy, and spreadable, with a mild, buttery flavor and a color similar to cream cheese. It carries a little tangy taste which made it suitable be used as the topping of a rich puff pastry snack.

To be honest, I was not a fan of goat products. I always perceived goat products as having a peculiar smell and taste. However, after tasting Ile De France fresh goat cheese, it totally changed my perception of goat cheese. It is creamy, and taste like light cream cheese with mild tangy taste 😋 As goat cheese only softened but does not melt under high heat like cow cheese, this property made it suitable to be used as topping over open tart or puff pastry.

To balance the flavours of the snack, a very small drop of Korean honey citron tea and a skosh amount of chopped mint leaf were added. Do not add too much of the honey citron tea and mint leaf as they will overpower the taste of the chèvre

Drizzle a few threads of golden syrup across the face of the snack not only add sweetness to it, but also give the face a nice glossy look.

Enjoy this tasty appetizer 😋


Yield: about 12 bite size snack


Ingredients
130g frozen puff pastry block *
30g chèvre or French goat cheese
12~15g Korean honey citron tea
2~3 tsp golden syrup/honey for drizzling
1 mint leaf, chopped finely

Some beaten egg as egg wash

* you can also use frozen puff pastry sheet which has been rolled out into thin sheets.



Directions

1. Thaw the frozen puff pastry block in its own packaging for about 1 hour in room temperature. Or, thaw in the fridge overnight.

2. Cut a desired portion (about 130g) and place on a floured surface. Let it rest for about 10 to 15 minutes, or till becomes pliable.
I wrapped the remaining puff pastry block in cling wrap, and sealed back the original packaging. I kept it in the chiller. Best consume the remaining puff pastry dough within 3 days after opening as advise by the instruction stipulated on the packaging.

3. Apply some flour over the surface before rolling out to a thickness of about 3mm.

4. Cut the puff pastry dough into about 12 squares using a wheel pizza cutter, or a pairing knife.

5. Use the pointed edge of a pairing knife to give the edge of the cut puff pastry dough about 2 to 3 3mm short slits.

6. Make a depression at the center of the cut puff pastry dough,

followed by pricking a series of holes over the depression using a fork. This is to prevent the center of the puff pastry from over inflating during baking.

7. Transfer the cut puff pastry to a baking tray lined with parchment paper. 
Dispense small amount of chèvre or goat cheese enough to fill up the pricked area in the center.

8. Apply egg wash over the exposed puff pastry surface.

9. Bake at middle rack of a preheated oven at 190℃ for 10 minutes, lower the temperature to 180℃ for about 5 to 10 minutes, or until the puff pastry bases have puffed up, and become golden.

End of baking 👇

10. While the puff pastry is baking, take about 1 heap tsp of Korean honey citron tea, and cut the rind into tiny bits using a pair of scissors. Set aside.

Cut one mint leaf into fine bits. Set aside.

11. Transfer the tray of baked chèvre or goat cheese puff pastry to a cooling rack.

12. While the baked items are still hot, add a small amount of Korean honey citron tea next to the goat cheese. Sprinkle some mint leaf bit over.

13. Enjoy the appetizer warm and crispy 😋


Thank you Savencia Fromage & Dairy for the complimentary blocks of chèvre 😊




Thursday 18 November 2021

Panda The Rabbit


Our second rabbit, Panda or 小黑 which we used to call her, sadly left us to join her only rabbit friend 
Furby, on 19 November 2021 afternoon. It was only 4 days to Furby the Rabbit first anniversary 🐰

Panda was a smart and observant rabbit. She spent about 8 years in a cage due to her bad relationship with her rabbit "friend" Furby. Usually we would let her out to play in a bigger enclosed area during the evenings. She escaped a few times from the enclosure either by finding a way to lift up the fence, or found an escape route behind the back of the cage. And we had to think of ways to block her escape routes by clipping the fence joining points with pegs, or blocking her potential escape route with open plastic box or wood plank. It was really like playing a strategic game with this little bunny. Our battle of wits between animal and human. She would sat at one corner quietly thinking and planning, so did I 😠🐰

She was finally able to run freely in the house after Furby left for the rainbow bridge in November 2020. As she was kept in the cage for majority of her life, she was not used to coming close to us during her early cage-free days. She only got used to come to my kitchen to ask for food about 2 months ago. She would stay in front of the fridge to ask for fresh green vegetables, or stood beside the kitchen cabinet where her titbit was kept.
It was a fast relief for Panda during her final days - just 3 days. She became weaker and with poor appetite on 17 November 2021 - a drastic different from the day before when she was actively moving and eating. It was a miracle - when she was up running and roaming the house, but eating less on the next day. We thought she was recovering. Unfortunately, her condition deteriorated in the same day evening.  Panda passed on peacefully in her sleep on 19 November 2021 afternoon 😔
Panda was sleepy on 18 November 2021





About Panda

Name: Panda
Alias: 小黑,兔子
Birth Date: 06.06.2012  in Year of Dragon, we truly did not know her exact birth date. In order to celebrate her yearly birthday, we just fixed it on 06.06 for easy remembrance. 
Last Date: 19.11.2021 afternoon between 2:30 to 3:30 pm
Breed: LionHead rabbit
Color: black and white
Hygiene level: excellent self hygiene. She would always go back to the same spot to poo and pee. No stinky odour till her very last day 👍👍 She groomed regularly of her face, ears and limbs 🐰
FaceBook account: shared account with Furby TheRabbit


Furby celebrating her 9th Birthday on 06.06.2021



Panda was bought from a pet shop in Yishun on 14 July 2012 for S$70 🐰

Arrived in a carton box.

She was only about a palm-size.


After spending about 8 years in the cage, Panda was finally free to roam around the house 🏠







Continuing the havoc in every corners of the house left by Furby
Torn piano corner...

Bite off wood skirting ..

Panda's birthdays 🎂
3rd birthday

4th birthday

6th birthday

7th birthday

8th birthday

9th birthday and the last one 🎂

Some of the beautiful moments ...







To be continued ...🐰

Panda's final resting place 🏠
Back to our home,

together with Furby,

standing in the cabinet joining us 😇😇