Perfect Mashed Potato - step by step

This post is on behalf of my son, Naim.
The recipe is adapted from Masterclass No. 2 of MasterChef Australia Season 5 by Gary Mehigan.

Heat water in a large pot until it reaches boiling point. Cut up half a kilo of potatoes into two. Put them in a boiling water for 15 minutes until tender. Drain them in a colander and discard the water.

Working very quickly, using a pastry scrapper press the potatoes through the back of a large sieve or potato ricer into the same pot.  

Stir in the about 2 tbsp milk and 1/4 cup soft butter until very smooth.

 Season with salt and pepper if you like. It is also perfect as it is.

 Serve with roasted chicken with onion gravy. Perfect!

Lemon Chiffon Cake

The Cake

Ingredients:
4 medium sized lemons
2 1/4 cups cake flour
1 tbsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
1 1/2 cups caster sugar
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/4 cup water
6 large eggs, separated, at room temperature
1/2 tsp cream of tartar

Instructions:

1. Preheat the oven to 150 degrees Celsius and prepared one 25cm 2-pc ungreased tube pan or chiffon cake pan with removable bottom.
2. Grate the zest from the lemons and set aside. Juice the lemon and strain the juice into a cup. You should have 1/2 cup or 4 fl oz juice. 
3. Combine and sift flour, baking powder and salt into a medium bowl. Add in the sugar and whisk until the sugar incorporated with the flour. In a large mixing bowl, combine the oil, water, egg yolks, lemon juice and lemon zest. Using a whisk, beat until well blended. Using a silicone spatula, fold in the dry mixture into the wet ingredients until the batter is smooth.
4. In a mixing bowl of a stand mixer fitted with whisk attachment, combine the egg whites and cream of tartar and beat at medium speed until soft peaks form.
5. Using a silicone spatula, gently fold in one spoonful of the egg white into the yolk batter and carefully blend them together. Then fold in the remaining egg white mixture into the batter until combined.
6. Pour batter into the ungreased tube pan and bake for 50 minutes or until a cake tester inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean.
7. Immediately after removing the cake from the oven, turn the pan upside down and place it on a flat surface for cooling process. Let the cake cool for about 1- 2 hours before removing it from the pan.

The Citrus Glaze

Ingredients:
2 cups icing sugar, sifted
2 tbsp lemon juice, strained
1 tbsp heavy cream

Instructions:
In a small bowl, whisk together all the ingredients until the sugar dissolves and the glaze is smooth. Add a few drops of lemon juice if too thick, add a little more sugar if too runny.

Loosen the cake from the tin and glaze as pleases... :)

And the journey begins...

Farewell....my lovely friend!

We missed you already...

Hope we can do this again sometimes...

And the journey begins....Good Luck!

Yellow Butter Cupcakes

Theme: Butter & Buttermilk
Title: Yellow Butter Cupcakes
Inspirations: Rose's Heavenly Cakes

Ingredients:

2 large eggs, at room temperature
2/3 cup buttermilk, divided
1 1/2 tsp vanilla essence
2 cups cake flour, sifted into the cup and leveled off
1 cup minus 2 tbsp sugar
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
170g unsalted butter, at room temperature

Instructions:

1. Center a rack in the oven and preheat to 160C(fan forced). Have ready 16-18 cupcake liners set in muffin pans.
2. In a small bowl, whisk the eggs, 3 tbsp of the buttermilk and the vanilla until lightly combined.
3. In a bowl of a stand mixer, mix the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt on low speed for 30 seconds. Add the butter and the remaining buttermilk and mix on low speed until the flour mixture is moistened. Raise the speed to medium and beat for another 1 minute. Scrape down the sides of the bowl.
4. Gradually add the egg mixture in two parts, beating on medium speed after each addition. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and fold using a silicone spatula until smooth.
5. Scoop the batter using a small spoon into the cupcake liners until 3/4 full. Smooth the top using the back of a spoon.
6. Bake for 15-20 minutes until a wire cake tested inserted into the center comes out clean.
7. Cool cakes in the pan for 10 minutes. Remove from the pan and set them on a wire rack to cool completely