the Raya Haji returns...

When I woke up this morning ( it's very early morning, I meant) I saw a crescent moon was peeping on me through my window glass. The crescent moon and the two star sisters hovering over the western horizon.Was that Jupiter and Venus. I don't really know what was that stars but I'm pretty sure the crescent moon is a sign that marks the “new month” when the “old” month end.

 Zulkaedah is about to end in 2 days  and Raya Haji is in less than 2 weeks to come. The pilgrimage is about to end and we celebrate it by going to morning prayer at mosque instead of eating breakfast. This is another days of being together with family and friends having feast with prayers, sacrifice and food. I do remember of this hadith narrated by Muslim radhiallah hu 'anhu. Shame on me as not knowing  this hadith but feeling grateful when I learned about it just about this time last year, as they said,better late than never...

Diriwayatkan dari Ummu Salamah radhiyallaahu 'anhu, Nabi shallallaahu 'alaihi wasallam bersabda,
إِذَا رَأَيْتُمْ هِلَالَ ذِي الْحِجَّةِ وَأَرَادَ أَحَدُكُمْ أَنْ يُضَحِّيَ فَلْيُمْسِكْ عَنْ شَعْرِهِ وَأَظْفَارِه
“Apabila kalian melihat hilal Dzilhijjah dan salah seorang kalian ingin berkurban, maka hendaknya dia menahan rambut dan kuku-kukunya (yakni tidak memotongnya,- red).” (HR. Muslim)
Then let's 'cut and cleanse" within this 2 days if  we have intention to do sacrifice on this Raya Haji. This is not only the do and the don't by rules but it's symbolising a plant which is now seeding to be harvest in the thereafter.May all of us be blessed. Aminnn..

Let's celebrate! Let's cook! Let's bake. Try out this easy to make recipe, kid's approved and ..it's yummy...

Chocolate Rice Bar

Ingredient A: 

375 g butter,

100 g castor sugar, 

1 tsp vanilla, 

1 tsb chocolate emulco

Ingredient B: 

2 tbs milo

2 tbs cocoa powder

1 tbs condense milk

Ingredient C:

30 g nestum

30 g cornflakes ( blended)

1 tbs almond nib

Ingredient D:

100 g corn floor

2 tbs rice flour

400 g all purpose flour

Whisk A then add in B into it. Mix well. Blend in C, followed by D. You may knead it sofly by hand.

Spread into cutter pan. Place in cutter then bake for 10 mins. Take out from oven and remove cutter, then put back into oven until it is done

Strawberry White Chocolate Tart

125 g butter
1 tsp castor sugar
1 egg yolk
1 tsp vanilla essence
1/2 tsp strawberry paste
1/2 tsp pink coloring
2 tsp ghee.
Flour: mix all together
90 g all purpose flour
100 g corn flour
50 g milk powder
Strawberry jam for roll tart.Easily available in bakery ingredient shop.
White chocolate

Whisk all ingredient except flour til fluffy then add in flour. Knead softly. Pipe out from mold and roll out with jam. Bake until done. Cool off until it is completely ready for chocolate glaze.

How to do chocolate glaze:
Chop the white chocolate chunk coarsely and place in a stainless steel bowl.
Put a hot water in pot -about the same size with the chocolate bowl  -
Place stainless steel bowl on top of pot.
Stir until chocolate melt. Put into piping bag. Cut a small hole at the bottom of piping bag and you can start doing the glazing.

Good Luck!.. this is yummy. Not too sweet as castor sugar content is less; blended well with the soury  taste of strawberry jam.