CREAMY CARAMEL FLAN

WHAT YOU NEED (makes one 10-inch round):

3/4 cup caster sugar

 250g cream cheese, softened

 5 eggs

440g can sweetened condensed milk

375g can evaporated milk

1 teaspoon (5ml) vanilla essence

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 175 degrees C.  

2. In a small, heavy saucepan over medium-low heat, heat sugar, stirring, until melted and golden. Pour into a round 25cm baking dish, tilting to coat the bottom and sides with caramel. Set aside.  

3. In a large bowl, beat cream cheese until smooth. Add eggs, one at a time, beating until well incorporated. Add condensed and evaporated milk and vanilla, beating until smooth. Pour into caramel-coated dish. Line a roasting pan with a damp tea towel. Place baking dish on tea towel, inside roasting pan, and place roasting pan on oven rack. Fill roasting pan with enough boiling water to come halfway up the sides of the baking dish.  

4. Bake for 50 to 60 minutes, until centre of flan is just set. Cool for 1 hour on a wire rack, then chill in refrigerator for 8 hours or overnight. To unmould, run a knife around edges of pan and invert on a rimmed serving platter.

* Photo and Recipe credit : allrecipes.asia

BERRY SMOOTHIE

WHAT YOU NEED (4 servings):

2 cups total of either Bluberries, Raspberries, Blackberries, Strawberries (or you can combine)

1 cup of any berry-flavored yogurt

1 tsp white sugar

Blender

Glasses

DIRECTIONS:

In a blender, combine all the berries, yogurt and sugar. Cover, then blend until smooth. Pour into glasses.

* Photo Credit: rightathome . com

WHITE CHOCOLATE TRUFFLES

WHAT YOU NEED:

150g (5oz) white chocolate

80g (3 1/4oz) unsalted butter

Double boiler (or heatproof bowl and saucepan)

Wooden spoon

1/2 tsp. vanilla essence

2 egg yolks, lightly beaten

Mixing bowl

DIRECTIONS:

1. Roughly break up the chocolate. Cut the butter into small pieces. Slowly melt the chocolate and butter pieces in the double boiler. Stir with a wooden spoon.

2. Remove from heat and stir iin the vanilla essence.

3. Tip the egg yolks into a mixing bowl. Gradually whisk the warm chocolate mixture into the eggs. Cover the bowl with clingfilm and place in refrigirator for about 8 hours, to firm.

4. Place the chocolate mixture on a pastry board. Scoop up some of the mixture with the dessert spoon and roll between your palms into a ball.

5. Sprinkle the icing sugar over a plate, then roll the balls in the sugar.

* Milk chocolate truffles—Instead of using white chocolate, substitute milk chocolate. Then, in step 5, roll the balls in grated chocolate rather than icing sugar.

* Recipe Credit: Creative Crafts for Kids, Octopus Publishing Group Ltd

* Photo Credit: annesfood | blogspot