Chicken Teriyaki

Adapted from Wokking Mum

1. Marinate breast meat or drums (deboned) with 1 tbs sugar, 1 tbs mirin, 1 tbs cooking wine, 2 tbs light soy sauce, 1 tsp dark soy sauce, 1 tsp sesame oil for at least half an hour.
2. Dust chicken with corn flour and saute till lightly burnt (Use little oil, or no oil if drums still have skin on them; I used some sesame oil).
3. Pour remaining marinade over chicken and cook till sauce thickens.
4. Cut into pieces (optional) and serve hot with steamed rice.

Kung Po Chicken

Adapted from Wokking Mum

1. Marinate diced chicken meat (breast or drums) with 1 tbs cooking wine (I use hua tiow chiew), 1 tbs light soy sauce and 2 tbs corn flour for an hour or more.
2. Stir fry chicken till golden brown. Set aside.
3. Fry 1 big onion (quartered) or some shallots, and garlic and ginger till fragrant. Add 20 dried chillies (soaked for a few hours and cut in halves) and fry for another minute or so.
4. Add 2 tbs black vinegar (or balsamic vinegar), 2 tbs sugar, 2 tbs water.
5. When mixture boils, stir in chicken and ensure it's well-coated. Then add, light soy sauce, dark soy sauce, and cooking wine, bit of salt, to taste.
6. Add corn flour mixture (from the marinade) if you like your sauce thick.
7. Boil, add water if you like more sauce and black vinegar if not sour enough.
8. Serve with steamed rice.

optional: Cashew nuts can be added.

Devil's Chocolate Cake & Ganache

Cake

1 and 1/2 cups plain flour
2 tsp baking powder
3/4 tsp baking soda
3/4 tsp salt
11 tbs unsalted softened butter (2/3 cup = 10 and 2/3 tbs)
1 and 1/2 cups granulated sugar
2/3 cups cocoa
2 large eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 and 1/3 cups warm water

1. Preheat oven 150 deg C for fan-assisted. I prefer to use non-fan-assisted at 170 deg C.
2. Grease and line two 9" cake pans.
3. Sift flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt. Mix well.
4. Beat butter @ medium till creamy.
5. Add sugar and beat high speed 3 min.
6. Add cocoa and beat 1 min, scrape.
7. Beat in eggs one at a time.
8. Beat in vanilla.
9. Fold in flour etc in 3 additions, alternating with warm water in 2 additions. Scrape.
10. Mix @ low 30 seconds. Pour into pans.
11. Bake 40-45 min. Cool 20 min. Transfer to wire.

When cake is cooled, spread cream between cakes and at the top if you like. Pour cooled ganache all over. Allow cake to set in fridge for an hour or so. Remove 10 minutes before serving. Cake can be stored for a few days in the fridge, just microwave it for tens of seconds and it will be moist and soft again. Enjoy!

Cream for between cakes (and on top of cake)

1 cup unsalted softened butter, 1 cup icing sugar, some double cream, 1 tsp vanilla, some salt if required. Beat.  (I prefer this cream to the next one)

OR

Beat 150 g unsalted softened butter and 250 g sugar. Add 1 tsp vanilla, beat till smooth and creamy.

Ganache

6 oz chocolate (I like a mix of dark and milk chocolate)
2/3 cup double/whipping cream
1 tsp vanilla.

1. Boil cream. Remove from stove.
2. Add chopped chocolate and vanilla.
3. Stand. Stir. Cover with wrap. Cool for 5 min.