Chocolate Meringues (that taste like Milo nuggets!)

When I first made this I thought it will just be a chocolate meringue cookie and it turned out to taste very much like the Milo nuggets! This is the second time I made this recipe; the first time I made this, I made a boo boo of forgetting to double the rest of the ingredients when I used double the amount of egg whites but the final product turned out yummy but still a bit on the sweet side. This time i reduced the sugar but it is still quite sweet. I think i can go lower on the sugar again.

Needless to say, they are a hit with my 3 little ones. I shall share this "boo boo" recipe with you first so that you can recreate them in your kitchen. :)

Adapted from book 每天都是饼干日 (ISBN 978-986-5912-04-8)

Ingredients:

- 100 gm egg whites2, room temperature1
- 100 gm caster sugar 2
- 40 gm water
- 20 gm Valrhona cocoa powder, sifted

Method:

1. Put the egg whites into a clean mixer bowl.

2. Put water and half the amount of sugar into a small base pot. Bring it to a boil until it reaches 110C 3. Meanwhile whip the egg whites till foamy, add the remaining sugar into egg whites as the whipping continues.

3. When the syrup reaches the correct temperature, pour the hot syrup into the egg whites, with the mixer running. Take care not to let the hot syrup hit the whisk as that can cause serious burns if the syrup splashes out.

4. Whip till the meringue has reached stiff peak and has cooled to room temperature. You should have a glossy Italian meringue by now.

5. Sift in the cocoa powder and fold gently to get an even mixture.

6. Pipe onto lined baking trays and bake at 120C (fan forced) for 1.5hrs to 2hrs. The meringue cookies are done when they do not stick to the trays. Adjust your baking timing if they stick to the bottom.   

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Notes:

1. This recipe uses an Italian meringue (IM) which basically makes a hot sugar syrup and pour it into half whipped egg whites. Previously I had made the mistake of using cold whites straight from fridge hence my IM didn't get as hot as required. The lucky thing was the end product still turned out yummy. Hence do remember to bring your egg whites to room temperature before you start making them.

2. The 1st time, I wanted to do a double portion recipe and I happened to have enough egg whites for that but I made a mistake of forgetting to double the rest of the ingredients. However the taste and level of sweetness is just right for that, hence I will not suggest doubling the sugar or the other ingredients. In fact I find the meringue cookies still a bit on the sweet side, The second time I used only 100gm caster sugar and I think it can be further reduced by a bit. 

3. I usually use my thermometer to make the syrup for my IM but I skipped that as the amount of sugar and water was not sufficient to properly submerge my thermometer to get an accurate reading. Besides, the original recipe calls for the syrup to reach 110C but I have always make my IM using 118C syrup. So I just eyeballed the bubbling (small and big bubbles) of the syrup to decide when it is ready.

卤肉饭 Taiwanese Braised Pork Rice

I came across this recipe in a cookbook on Taiwanese dishes about 2 years ago and have cooked it a few times. It gives me sweet, fragrant pork belly that melts in the mouth. It is not quite the same as the minced pork version I have tried in Taiwan but I prefer this which is mildly sweet and my kids love it so much they always ask for second helpings! 

Adapted from Home-Style Taiwanese Cooking

Serves 4 pax

Ingredients:

- 800 gm pork belly
- 15 gm garlic cloves, peeled and minced
- 30 gm rock sugar
- 60 gm fried shallots
- 4 soy sauce eggs

- 1 cucumber, sliced

- Cooked rice, enough for 4 pax

Seasoning1

- 400 ml water
- 2 tbsp light soy sauce
- 2 tbsp thick dark soy sauce
- 1/4 tbsp dark soy sauce
- 1 tbsp rice wine
- 1/2 tsp Chinese five spice powder

Method:

1. Blanch the pork belly to remove any impurities. Blanching the pork belly also partially cooks it and makes it easier to cut into small pieces. Pat dry and cut into small strips. Set aside.

2. Heat some cooking oil in a wok and saute the garlic. Add the cut pork belly. Stir fry the pork till it's slightly golden brown. 

3. Add the rock sugar and fry till it is dissolved. 

4. Add the crispy shallots and stir fry for 2-3 minutes. 

5. Add the water and seasoning and bring it to boil.

6. Transfer to a slow cooker and set on high, simmer for at least 2 hours. If you want it to really melt in the mouth (including the lean part), simmer it for more than 2 hours, I usually start cooking this after lunch and serve this for dinner. 

7. Skim off any oil on the surface from time to time during cooking.

8. Serve with rice, soy sauce eggs and sliced cucumber. 

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Notes:

1. I halve the amount of water (and seasoning too) because my slow cooker is very small so it is just barely big enough to hold the pork belly and the gravy. The gravy is however enough to go with the pork belly. If desired, the amount of water and seasoning can be doubled.