Simple Birthday Cake

First of all,I wanted to say everytime I wanted to blog,it's near to midnight.This explain why I'm always not writing something new.Today,I took some time off to write.Having been away for so long,I do not know what to start with or what to post.I think I just share with you my latest thing,that is making a simple flower cake for my son' birthday last Monday.

This cake is sponge with chocolate in flavour using the cake mix.

To go very simple without thinking hard,I just pump flowers all over the cake and finished off pumping smaller flowers all over the bigger flowers.It's that very simple although it's much more meant for girls.My son complained that it's so girlish and the color is purple too.(more girlish)

At least he is happy that he had got a cake and that I haven't at least once forgotten to celebrate his birthday.
 Using a cake mix is the easiest and fastest way to make a birthday cake if you have no time.The one I'm using is only adding in egg and water.

Here is my butter cream recipe:I hope you like it.

Butter Cream:
250g butter
750g icing sugar
a few drop of purple coloring

Method:
Cream butter until white.Add in sieved icing sugar.Beat mixture until smooth.

It is now ready to use.The sponge cake is according to the manufacturer's instructions.

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Pandan Chiffon Cake

I always thought that chiffon cake was the hardest to make.Not being able to make the cake lighter and pillowy was a total failure to me in the past years.1 or 2 tries of making chiffon cake and each time it turned out a bit moist and dense that I have to give up trying.Later,this year I found out that my egg white was not beaten well enough,not up to stiff peaked.I changed to a new recipe too.This recipe was different from the others.It uses cake flour instead of the ordinary plain flour.This recipe was adapted from my new book entitled"All about cakes and desserts".Most of the recipes from this book uses cake flour.If you don't have cake flour,you can make your own one at home.I searched from the internet and found the easiest way to make cake flour.It will be written below.All you need is plain flour and corn flour to blend together.Let's give you the chiffon cake recipe first:

I'm glad that my chiffon cake turned out successful this time.When I made my pandan chiffon cake,I don't have to use any colouring at all because I used screwpine leaves from my backyard that I've recently grown.It already gave me the green that I liked.Natural and not looking too green is what I prefer.


Ingredients:

5 eggs
110g cake flour
120g castor sugar
1/4 tsp baking powder
60ml coconut milk
5 stalks pandan leaves
3 tbsps water
1/4 cup oil(60ml canola or corn oil)
1/2 tsp vanilla essence

Method:

1.Rinse pandan leaves and blend together with water.Squeeze out 2 tbsps of pandan juice and mix together with thick coconut milk.Separate egg yolks and whites.Sift cake flour and baking powder together.
2.Add 1/2 of the sugar to egg yolks and beat till creamy and fluffy.
3.Add 1/3 of the pandan leave juice mixture and mix well,followed by 1/3 of the flour mixture and fold well.Continue with another 1/3 of the juice mixture and 1/3 of the flour mixture.Repeat until the juice mixture and flour are all used up.
4.Add in vanilla essence and oil.Mix well.
5.Beat egg whites till foamy.Add in the remaining sugar and continue to beat until firm peaks are formed.
6.Take 1/3 of the egg white and add to the batter.Gently fold in to mix well.Pour the batter into the remaining egg white and gently fold in to mix well.
7.Pour batter into chiffon cake mould.Gently knock the sides of the mould to release air bubbles trapped inside.
8.Bake in pre-heated oven at 150°C for about 60 minutes.Remove from oven,invert the mould and set aside to cool for about 30 minutes.Once cooled,remove from the mould.  

Cake flour recipe:

Measure 1 cup flour,then minus 2 tablespoon of flour away and substitute with 2 tablespoon of corn flour back to it.Mix well.Measure and make as much as you want and keep for later use.
 

All purpose flour + cornstarch

At first I couldn't find chiffon cake tin,I used the one picture above.

And when I've already found the chiffon cake tin,I made more chiffon cakes picture below.

Honey melon mixed with green tea chiffon cake.

Orange Chiffon cake.

  

 

Steamed Yam Cake

This is a great recipe by Agnes Chang.When I made again,I've to cut the recipe small cos her recipe are quite big and I only bought a small size yam.

 Ingredients:
 600g yam,cleaned and diced
4 tbsps dried prawns,soaked and pounded
3 tbsps chopped tai tou choy(preserved vegetables
1 tsp five spice powder
4 pips garlic,chopped
6 tbsps oil

Batter:(mixed and strained)
300g rice flour
75g tapioca flour
1200ml water
1/2 tsp alkaline water

Seasonings:
1 cube chicken stock
1/2 tsp pepper
salt to taste

Garnishing:
1 stalk spring onion,diced
2 red chillies chopped
3 tbsps fried shallots
3 tbsp coarsely chopped toasted peanuts

Chilli sauce:
4 red chillies,3 chilli padi and 3 pips garlics pounded and mixed with 1 tbsp vinegar,sugar and
1 tbsp tomato sauce

Method:
1.Heat up oil,saute garlic until fragrant,add dried prawn and stir until aromatic.Add yam,tai tou choy
five spice powder and stir fry until fragrant.
2.Add batter,seasonings and stir until batter is half cooked.Taste and pour mixture into a 22cm steaming tray.Steam with high heat for 45 minutes-1 hour until cooked.
3.Removed from heat,sprinkle all garnishings on top and leave to cool.
4.Cut into pieces and serve with chilli sauce.

Small size recipe:(for me to remember)

210g yam
100g rice flour
400ml water
a bit alkaline
25g tapioca flour

i didn't make the chilli sauce.I just used the bottled chilli sauce.

Wholemeal Bread-Bread machine

This is the medium size bread.Choose settings wholewheat,light colour.

350 g water
5 g salt
15 g olive oil or butter
500 g wholemeal flour
5 g dried yeast or 10 g fresh yeast or 3 g easy blend yeast

Origin source:www.sustainweb.org

Green tea Cheesecake

Base crust: 100 g digestive biscuits
30 g unsalted butter,melted

Filling:
500 g cream cheese,softened at room temperature
80 g granulated sugar
3 eggs(beaten)
80 ml whipping cream
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
2 tsp all purpose flour
4 tbsp green tea powder
some hot water

Method:
1.Crush the biscuits in a zipper plastic bag to make crumbs for the base.Mix in melted butter.
2.Pour into a baking springform pan for cheesecake.With the back of a metal spoon,smooth the surface.Grease the side with melted butter.Refrigerate first while you make and prepare the filling.
3.Preheat oven to 170°C. 
4.Mix the green tea powder with 4 tbsp of hot water until a thick paste formed.
5.Beat cream cheese in a large bowl until creamy.Add granulated sugar and beat with medium speed.
6.Add in beaten egg,slowly at a time.Beat until mixture turns soft and smooth.Add in vanilla essence.
7.Sprinkle all purpose flour on top and give a quick stir.
8.Now add in the green tea paste and mix till well combined.
9.Wrap bottom of springform pan with alluminium foil.Pour the cheesecake mixture in.Smooth the surface with a spatula and bang on the counter a few times.
10.Place into a deep baking tray and fill with hot water.
11.Bake for 15 minutes.Lower oven temperature to 120°C.Cover cake with alluminium foil and continue baking for 60-75 minutes.
12.Refrigerate cake after cool, overnight or at least 10 hours.

 

  

Sweet and Sour Chicken

I love sweet and sour chicken.

Ingredients:

A

400g chicken cubes
1 tbsp soy sauce
1 tsp rice wine
1 large egg
4 tbsp starch for marinating 

Cooking oil for deep-frying


Stir-fry: 1 small can pineapple cubes
4 red tomatoes
1 pit garlic,chopped small
1 small onion,chopped small

B Sweet sour sauce:

1/2 cup pineapple juice
2 tsp vinegar
3-4 tbsps ketchup/tomato sauce
3 tbsps rice wine
1 tsp soya sauce
1 tsp salt
4 tbsp sugar
1 tsp tapioca starch
1 tbsp oyster sauce(optional)

Method:

1.Mix A together.Set aside.
2.Mix B together.Set aside.
3.Deep-fry the chicken in a pan or wok until brown.Take it out onto a plate.
4.In a wok,add 2-3 tbsps of cooking oil.Stir fry the garlic and onions till slightly brown and fragrant.Add in the pineapple and tomatoes.
5.Add in the pre-mix sweet and sour sauce.Cover to simmer for 2 minutes.Open the cover again,stir for 2 more minutes.then add in the chicken.Stir,stir and mix well.
6.Dish it out onto plate and serve with rice. 

Char Siu

 

Sweet and savoury bbq pork/char siu

400 g pork tenderloins-cut into 4 long strips

Seasoning:

4 tbsps brown sugar

3 tsps sesame oil
2 tbsps. rice wine
2 tbsps light soya sauce
1 tbsps dark soy sauce
1 tsp five spice powder
a drip of red coloring

honey 

Season the meat and leave it in the fridge overnight.Barbeque over charcoal fire.Spoon some honey over it,turning here and there.When it is done,cut into thin slices.

Raisin Loaf

Bread Machine bread

Ingredients:
270 ml lukewarm water
1 tbsp butter
3 cups plain flour
1 tbsp powdered milk
1 tsp cinnamon
3 tbsps brown sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp dry yeast
1 cup raisins(coat with flour)

Methods:
Mix flour,milk,sugar,salt and cinnamon together,making sure there are no lumps.
Add lukewarm water and butter into the bread machine.
Then add dry mix ingredients into pan.Make a small well in the center and add the yeast.
Set bread maker to "sweet" setting and wait for it to beep(15 minutes) before adding the raisins.

Teochew Mooncake

This is my first try of spiral teochew mooncakes,and it doesn't look any spiral to me.The fillings consists of purple sweet potato instead of yam.I couldn't find yam.Substitute first.
Try the yam one later. The skin are not sweet,to the disappointment of my children.

 Pastry recipes adapted from magazine.

Ingredients A

240 g high protein flour,sieved
1 tbsp castor sugar
130 ml water
50 g shortening
1 tsp lime juice

Ingredients B

240 g superfine flour,sieved
170 g shortening

Filling recipe by me:

375 g purple sweet potato
90 g sugar
30 g wheat starch
20 ml water
50 g coconut milk
40 ml veg oil

1.Peeled the skin of the sweet potato and cut into cubes.Steam till softened.While it is still hot,put sugar and mix.Mashed with a fork.Mix the wheat starch with the water and pour to the sweet potato.Add the coconut milk and oil and stir to a smooth paste.Cover and chill in the fridge.

Skin:

1.Mix ingredients A together.Leave for 20 minutes.Divide into 8 portions.
2.Mix ingredients B together.Divide into 8 portions.
3.Flatten dough A.Put dough B onto it and wrap it up.Flatten length-wise.Roll it like a swiss
roll.Flatten again length-wise.Cut into half and stack up. Flatten length-wise and roll like
a swiss roll again.Leave for 10 minutes.Divide into 2.This makes 16 portions.
4.Flatten one skin and put the fillings in.Wrap it out.Repeat the rest till finished.
5.Bake in a preheated oven 170°C for about 20-25 minutes till slightly brown.You can also 
deep-fry if no oven.

Kam Tui Mooncakes

NUTS
135 g winter melon ,whole
135 g small almonds,whole
135 g walnuts,chopped into quarters

INGREDIENTS A

2 candied oranges,cut into small cubes
240 g candied gourd or sugar melon,diced small
180 g toasted sesame seeds

190 g castor sugar
1/2 can Hunan ham,cut into small cubes

INGREDIENTS B

2 tbsps water
2 tbsps oil
2 tbsps brandy
1/2 tsp salt
1 tbsp sesame paste
2 tsps rose jam
2 tsps golden syrup

180 g commercial cooked glutinous rice flour(kao fun)

Put nuts onto cookie tray and roast in a 150°C oven for 45-60 minutes.Allow to cool.

Combine nuts with A ingredients and mix in castor sugar and ham.Combine B ingredients and add 
to nuts and ham mixture.Let stand for 1-2 hours.

Stir in the cook glutinous rice and mix well.Form into round balls approximately 120 g each.

Proceed with pastry and baking with traditional mooncakes.

Recipe adapted from Betty Yew

Yew Char Kway

As I was searching online for yew char kueh recipe,I found out that many of the recipes have ammonia and alum added.It sounds scary to me.I'd known about alum.I used that when I have gum problem,but ammonia sounds like chemical things to me.Both ammonia and alum are out for me.
I kept on searching and finally,I found one that minus the two things.It was from a vietnamese woman named Helen.Actually,I'd tried wantanmien one from Hong Kong but the recipe didn't work for me.So,here I stick to Helen.I'd tried twice.You can watch her on youtube.OR here:http://danangcuisine.com/banh/recipe-fried-breadsticks-banh-quay-youtiao-patongko/
The dough have to kept kneading and resting for four times.In the final times,it had to rest for at least 4 hours.I don't have any problem with that.I go fetch my kids home and then come back in time to continue.

Here goes her recipe:
500 g all purpose flour(10-11% protein)
300 ml water at room temperature
10 g baking soda
5 g baking powder
1 tsp salt
1 tbsp sugar

Here's what Helen advise:
If protein % of flour is lower than 10 % use less water,between 250-300 ml.If want more crispy,use 5 g baking soda and 5 g baking ammonia to replace baking soda and baking powder in recipe. 

Method:
1.Place baking powder and baking soda in 2 separate small bowls.Take out from the measured water 50 ml(3 tbsps) water and add into each bowl.Stir well to dissolve.
 
2.Place the flour in a big mixing bowl.Add salt and sugar.Mix well.Make a well in 
the middle and pour the liquid from the bowls and the rest of the water into the well.
Stir well with a spatula until the flour absorbs all the liquid.Then knead with your 
hand for just 1-2 minutes until a rough dough is formed.Cover and let it rest for 20 minutes.

3.After resting for the first time,take out and knead for 1-2 minutes.The surface of the dough becomes smoother,but still not 100 % smooth.Cover and rest for another 20 minutes for 
the second time.

4.Repeat the process one more time.Take out and knead for 1-2 minutes. The surface of the dough now becomes very smooth. Cover and let it rest for another 20 minutes for the third time'

5.Take out and knead for a few more strokes. Then roll the dough flat to a thickness of 1cm (1/2 inch). Cover with a slightly damp cloth and let it rest for 4 hours. Make sure you let it rest long enough (minimum 2.5 hours and maximum 4 hours)

6.After resting 4 times, roll the dough flat to a thickness of 0.5 cm (1/4 inch). Cut into 8-10cm (3-4-inch) bands, and then cut each band into 2.5cm (1-inch) strips.

7. Dip a bamboo skewer in water and press down in the middle of each dough piece lengthwise. Do that for just half of them, and then stacked the other pieces on top to form pairs. Then use the same skewer to again press down in the middle of the pieces on top lengthwise.

8. Fill a large wok/frying pan with at least 2-inch vegetable oil. Heat the oil to 180°C/360°F, or until you stand a dry wooden chopstick in the center of the wok and see bubbles appear steadily around it. Lower the heat to medium and start deep-frying. 

9.Quickly pick up one dough pair (use both hands to hold near the ends), stretch out to double the length and carefully drop into the hot oil. The dough will float to the surface in a second. Use chopsticks or tongs to keep flipping the dough until it puffs up into the shape of the fried breadstick that we normally see. Deep-fry until it turns golden brown. Then let it rest on a rack or paper towel to drain off the excess oil. It’s easier to manage if you fry one at a time. If the pieces stick too tight together, use chopsticks to loosen a little, so that it has enough room to rise and puff up.(very tricky,I'm not skilled)

So,that is how I followed her recipe and steps in making a perfect yew char kway,though
not so perfect yet.I have to give myself a few more tries.

Kaya

Making kaya in the bread maker

Due to vanilla essence added,the colour turns olive green

This kaya is not sweet.It's just the right amount of sugar.Most store bought kaya are very sweet,not to my liking.I made this kaya using the bread maker.I think I better quickly write down what and how much ingredients I have used in making this.I tend to forgot sometimes.
This made 2 small plastic cups with lids(just like store bought one)

Ingredients: 
5 eggs 
1 1/4 cups sugar or 1 1/2 cups if you prefer more sweet
200 ml coconut santan
1 tsp vanilla(to get rid of the egg smell)optional

Whisk the ingredients needed with a balloon whisk or blender until smooth and mixed well.
Strain through a sieve into the bread maker.Choose "jam" setting and press start.The bread maker will begin the job.
When finished,pour into the blender to blend into a smooth consistency.