I’m so excited to participate in my first ever Sugar High Friday! This month, Elise of Simply Recipes is hosting the event, so please head over for the round-up.
In keeping with this month’s theme of Cooking up Custard, I made a Spicy Coconut Custart Flan and Yo-Yo bisuits. Fortunately, Elise had decided it the use of custard powder would be okay as it turned out that both of my recipes called for this ingredient.
Well, after searching around for a suitable recipe, I came across a delicious-sounding spicy baked coconut custard that was just begging to be made. About 10 minutes later, I also stumbled across a ‘Family Favourite Custard Flan” from a cookbook (yes, another one) 
that was recently purchased.
It was a difficult decision, but in the end I went with the flan as it reminded me of my mum’s famous sponge cakes. I did, however, simmer the coconut custard with cinnamon, star anise and cloves because I really liked the sound of the spicy custard. After making the sponge base and letting the custard layer set on top, I also added a final layer of agar-agar (jelly). Again, this was inspired by the cakes that mum is famous for. The picture does not do it justice, but trust me, the flan is delicious even though I was hoping that flavouring of the spices would shine more. If only you could smell the coconut custard! I will be posting the recipe separately as I am interstate and do not have it on me. Here’s the modified recipe from a recipe book by Betty Saw I ordered recently from Singapore called Asian High Tea Favourites.
Family Favourite Custard Flan
For sponge: 45g AP flour, 15g corn flour, 3/4 tsp baking powder, 2 large eggs, 55g castor sugar, 1/2 tsp vanilla extract, 1/2 tbs olive oil, 1tbs coconut cream. For Custard Topping: 30g custard powder, 225ml coconut cream, 340ml coconut milk, 75g sugar, 1 pinch salt, 1/2 tsp vanilla essence, cinnamon stick, cloves, star anise.
1. Whisk eggs, sugar & vanilla extract until light and fluffy. Sift in flours & baking powder & fold quickly.
2. Stir in olive oil and coconut cream.
3. Pour batter into greased & floured 21cm round spring cake tin and bake at 190C for 15 min until well risen & golden brown. Leave to cool in tin.
4. Dissolve custard powder in a little coconut milk & transfer to saucepan. Add remaining coconut milk, sugar & salt and stir over low heat together with cinnamon stick, cloves and star anise. When mixture is near boiling, add coconut cream and vanilla extract. Keep stirring until mixture comes to bubbly boil
5. Pour coconut custard over cooled sponge & chill in refrigerator. Serve chiled.
The Yo-Yo biscuits actually came about because I wanted to bake something for my Blogging by Mail recipient. Now, I’m not really sure whether the origins of Yo-Yo biscuits are Australian, but it is a biscuit that many of us learned to make during Home Economics classes in high school and it’s sold in almost every cafe too. 
Yo-Yos are a shortbread-style biscuit, reminiscent of Melting Moments, that are made with custard powder. The dough mixture is shaped into balls and flattened onto the baking sheet with the back of a fork, giving it the typical pronged pattern on top. After baking, two halves are sandwiched together with a buttercream mixture.
YoYo Biscuits
Biscuit: 300g AP flour, 300g soft butter, 100g icing sugar, 100g custard powder, pinch of salt, 1/2 tsp vanilla extract. Filling: 60g melted butter, 240g icing sugar.
1. Whisk all ingredients for biscuit together.
2. Roll dough into small balls and place on baking sheet.
3. Press down gently with prongs of a fork, then bake at 180C for 10 to 15 min. Biscuits should remain pale.
4. Mix butter & icing sugar together. Sandwich two halves together with filling when cool.
Salt water barramundi with olive & herb-crushed potatoes
Please head over to check out all the entries for August!
