Mini Raspberry Cheesecakes

I was having a few mums and bubs over for a catchup this week so wanted to bake some sweet treats for us. I bought the ingredients for the New York Baked Cheesecake from Taste website but I never found the time to prepare it the day before as my little one was needing my attention. I woke up early the morning of my mum & bub catchup and decided that instead of just ordering cakes from a local bakery I would try making Mini Raspberry Cheesecakes instead. I figured they would be quicker to prepare, bake and set as they would require approximately half the ingredients and occupy a smaller surface area. Not only were they delicious, but they were quick and easy too!

miniraspberrycheesecake

Ingredients (makes 10-12):

200g plain sweet biscuits (I used digestive biscuits but use anything you have)
100g butter
250g cream cheese
1/3 cup sour cream
1/3 cup castor sugar
1/2 lemon rind grated
1/2 tsp vanilla essence
1 large egg
fresh raspberries

Preheat oven to 180 degrees.

Line a muffin tray with grease proof paper or cup cake casings, and lightly grease the sides of the muffin tray.

Blitz biscuits in a food processor until they become like breadcrumbs. Add the softened or melted butter and process again. Spoon into the muffin tray to create a thin base for each mini cheese cake and then pop into the fridge to set whilst you prepare the rest of the recipe.

Process the cream cheese, sour cream, castor sugar, lemon rind and vanilla essence until just combined, then add the egg and mix together again. Pour the mixture evenly between the muffin trays and bake in the oven for approx 15-20 minutes or until the cheesecakes are slightly firm in the middle.

Cool in the tray and then transfer to the fridge to set for 30mins before serving, otherwise the biscuit base will appear quite crumbly. Top with fresh raspberries (or any fruit you prefer) and accompany with tea or coffee to serve. Enjoy!

Steak and Frites at L’Entrecôte in Duxton Hill

We went to a fabulous French restaurant called L’Entrecôte over the weekend which brought back wonderful memories of our holiday to Paris a few years ago. Conveniently L’Entrecôte is located within walking distance from our place in Duxton Hill so we can go back and reminisce anytime we want.

L’Entrecôte specialises in steak and frites but they also have a classic French menu of entrées and desserts too. I was too hungry to remember to take photos of our entrées sorry but I had the Pâté de Campagne described as a ‘delicious French pork country-style pâté served with pistachio, crunchy pickled gherkins and grilled buttered Poilâne bread’. Rodney had the Soupe a l’oignon ‘Classic French onion soup with cheese toasts’.

As I might have mentioned L’Entrecôte specialises in steak and frites, and they literally only have 3 options to choose from: classic, large or Wagu, so be warned do not go there if you are vegetarian or want anything other than steak. All options are served with their classic walnut green salad to start and accompanied with their classic French Fries and ‘Legendary’ sauce (light and country Vinaigrette).

And did I also mention that the steak and frites come in two servings? Yes that’s right, you can eat a second serving of classic French steak and frites. Had I known this earlier I would not have ordered an entree (although it was delicious) and there’s also no need to order the large serving either unless you are really hungry (don’t tell them I told you that)!

For some strange miracle we managed to find room for dessert. Maybe it was due to curiosity or maybe it was due to only having had brunch that day (or maybe we are just greedy), but either way I’m glad we did. So after much deliberation Rodney went for the classic Crêpes Suzette ‘Crêpes in a citrus butter and Grand Marnier sauce’ and I had the ‘Sorbet Lemon & Limoncello (40°)’ which was amazing. Considering it had 2/3 parts of my favourite Italian cocktail Sgroppino, the only thing left to do was have a cheeky Prosecco nightcap down the road to create ‘white clouds on the inside.’

L’ENTRECOTE
36 Duxton Hill, Singapore 089614
T: 6690 7561
E: info@deliciae.sg

No Reservations.

Opening Hours:
Monday to Thursday 12PM to 10.30PM
Friday 12PM to 11PM
Saturdays 5PM to 11PM
Sunday 12PM to 10PM

New Bakar Restaurant by BIG Group Opened

Last night we checked out the newly opened Bakar Restaurant by the BIG Group in Bangsar. Despite arriving very late in the evening they welcomed us and allowed us to place a quick last order for dinner.

The review we read about Bakar lead us to believe this was an Australian BBQ style place but I would not describe it that way. The menu, though limited, is a modern cuisine with mixed influences across Japan, Korea, Australia, New Zealand, America and Spain.

The food was beautifully plated and there were some good flavours too, just like you’d expect being situated next to their sister restaurant Hit&Mrs. We choose the classic poached egg caesar salad, grilled watermelon and strawberry salad, BBQ squid, baby zucchini and rib eye steak to share.

This was followed by a selection of desserts including grilled pineapple with mint and ice cream, smores (American classic), cookie cooked in a pan (chocolate brownie), and fruit granita.

The interior of the restaurant was quite different to what we expected. Bright and fairly casual with a mix of seating options from around the kitchen counter to high benches. It felt more like an American diner which was quite relaxed.