Mung Bean With Fig Dessert

Mung beans are packed with nutrition and high in dietry fiber. Figs contain good levels of potassium, calcium, magnesium, iron, copper and manganese. Dried figs contain twice the amount of calcium compared to whole milk.

Mung Bean With Fig Dessert Recipe

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• 2 cups mung beans
• 8 dried figs
• Brown sugar
• 1.5 ltr filtered water
  

Directions

1. Bring water to boil in a pot
   
2. Boil mung beans and figs over low-medium heat for 1 hour
3. Add brown sugar to taste and boil for another 10 minutes
   

Serves 3-4

Chocolate Mousse

This is an incredibly easy recipe for a delightful dessert. I usually make this mousse in the afternoon so that it sets just in time for a dinner dessert. It's great served with fresh berries or by itself. As this recipe requires the use of raw egg whites, it is best to finish the mousse on the same day.

Chocolate Mousse Recipe

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• 1 bar (100g) of good dark chocolate (e.g. Lindt)
  
• 4 egg whites
  
• 3/4 cup of full cream for making whipped cream
  
• 1 tsp vanilla essence
  

Directions

1. In a double boiler, melt chocolate.
   
2. While chocolate is melting, prepare the egg whites and whipped cream in separate bowls.
   
3. Using an electric mixer, beat egg whites until stiff and beat cream until soft peaks form.
   
4. Add half of the melted chocolate to egg whites and combine well. Add in rest of the chocolate and combine.
   
5. Fold whipped cream and vanilla essence into egg white and chocolate mixture.
   
6. Fill small ramekins or cups with chocolate mousse and place dessert in refrigerator for at least 2 hours to allow mousse to firm up before serving.
   

Serves about 4.

Sweet potato dessert soup

Even though this is considered a dessert soup, I find myself having it as part of my breakfast or during teatime. It's extremely easy to make and simply good to eat!

I like using brown slab sugar, but if that is not available, rock sugar will work just as well. Back home, mum added a pandan leaf (screwpine leaves) knot in the soup giving it a nice sweet aroma. Osmanthus flowers are a good substitute as pandan is relatively difficult to find outside of Southeast Asia.

Sweet potato dessert soup recipe

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• 1 sweet potato, cut into chunks
• brown slab sugar to preferred taste
• 6 big slices of ginger
• enough water to cover ingredients in a pot
• 1 knotted pandan leaf or 1 tsp of dried osmanthus flowers (optional)
  

Directions

1. Put all ingredients in a pot and cover with water.
2. Bring to a boil and reduce heat to low.
3. Simmer for 15-20minutes.
4. Serve and enjoy!
   

Flaky pie dough

I got this recipe years ago while browsing a book by Nick Malgieri. If you love making pastries and desserts, his books are a must have. Most of his recipes that I've come across are very simple and uncomplicated.

I make this dough often, so often that the recipe has reserved a little space in my head for itself. It's great for any kind of dessert tart or pie. I even use it to make savory pies and quiches. You can't ever go wrong when a recipe calls for a generous helping of butter!

Flaky pie dough recipe

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Ingredients for 1 crust pie
Double ingredients for a 2 crust pie.

• 1 1/4 cups allpurpose flour
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon baking powder
• 8 tablespoons (4 oz.) cold unsalted butter, cut into cubes
  
• 2 to 3 tablespoons cold water

Directions

1. In a mixing bowl, place allpurpose flour, salt, baking powder and cubes of butter together.
2. Using your fingertips, coat cubes of butter with the dry ingredients and break apart the pieces of butter until the mixture resembles coarse bread crumbs (as pictured above).
3. Add a tablespoon of cold water and mix. If the dough is still dry, add a little more water until dough comes together. It should not stick to your fingers.
4. Turn out dough onto a lightly floured surface and roll out into a disk. Refrigerate for 30mins to an hour before using it.
   

Note: If your kitchen is warm, you might find your dough becoming too soft to handle. Pop it in the fridge for several minutes for the dough to firm up again.