MY SIMPLE VERSION OF CHAI KUEH

                                          VEGETABLE STEAMED DUMPLINGS

Chai Kueh is one of my old time favourite steamed desserts.The most sought after "kueh" during my
younger years.It is a past favourite dessert now since I have many other favourites,but from time to time I still craved for this super yummy delicious kueh.
In the olden days,I can easily find nice chai kueh,but now most stalls that sell this kueh aren't nice to eat anymore.They are not as tasty as before.Therefore,fom time to time when I think of  chai kueh,I made it at home.I can adjust the taste of the fillings to my own preferences,be it sweet,salty or spicy.In the past,people add monosodium glutamate or aji-no-moto for tastiness,but now people uses sugar as an alternatives.There are some who use chicken stock,but for me,I still used aji-no-motto to enhance the flavour.
Chai kueh is a light,crystal skin appetizer with fillings inside,The fillings are usually sengkuang(turnip) and carrots,but you can add in some other vegetables like mushrooms and beans.


INGREDIENTS;

SKIN DOUGH;

120 grams wheat starch

80 grams tapioca starch

1/2 tsp salt

250 ml hot boiling water(not hot not working)

1 1/2 tbsps cooking oil


METHOD;

1.  Mix wheat starch,tapioca starch and salt together..

2.  Pour hot water into the flour mix. Use spatula or spoon to mix until the dough is translucent.

3.  Gradually,add the oil in to mix. Knead the dough well.

4.  Divide the dough into equal parts.

For the fillings,I have no actual measurements.I just use one sengkuang,one carrot,5 dried mushrooms,and 10 french beans.

FILLINGS;

(A)

Sengkuang

Carrots

Mushrooms

French beans

Dried prawns

Onions


cooking oil

salt

aji-shio (pepper)

Method:

1. Wash and  cut (A) small. Soak the mushrooms and dried prawns before dicing small to soften first.

2.  In a wok,pour some cooking oil and stir-fry the onions and dried prawns.

3,  Throw in the cut vegetables into the wok to fry.Add some salt and aji-no-moto to taste.

      Add a little bit of water in. Cover the wok and simmer.

     Cook until done and dish it up to cool.

4.  Wrap the fillings with the dough and form shape. Cut circle shape. Add 1 tbsp of fillings in and sealed the edges or use Chai Kueh cutter or pleat the edges.

NOTE; My next door gave me her recipe not too long ago.Hers is bigger portion and estimated recipe.She just use the bowl to measure everything. I've follow once and is not bad either.


2 Bowls of Wheat Starch

1 Bowl of Tapioca Flour

3 Bowls of Water (do not pour the water too quickly or else it is too wet the dough)

1 tbsp salt

1 tbsp of cooking oil

The day I use her recipe,I found that the dough is too wet,so pour the water slowly and see how the dough turns out first before adding too much water.As I say this is an agak-agak recipe,not very actual.She has been making Chai Kueh regularly and gave this recipe for me to jolt down.

KEK LAPIS PRUNE

Since morning I was feeling very excited to make my kek lapis prune or prune layered cake.I love eating prune as much as eating kek lapis prune.The illustrations of kek lapis prune is always attracting me and is pushing me forward to learn to bake the cake.

This is my second time making prune layered cake.I'm sure many of you like prune cake just like I do.They are sweet and sour,but not too sour.Although time is very much consuming and hard,but once you completed making,your effort is much much worth it.When people compliments me,I'm
much much delighted and proud of myself.

After every two layers then I put my prune on top.The prune is cut to half size.

Don't you think I have put too many prunes on my cake? I like it! The cake itself don't smell of eggs like some other layered cakes do because of too much egg yolks.

I was also so busy making other types of cakes and cookies for the Chinese New Year season.

Recipe adapted from the web by Kak Rosnah.

INGREDIENTS;

(A)
10 egg yolks
6 egg whites
225 grams castor sugar
200 grams Hong Kong flour
2 tbsp ovalette
1 tsp vanilla essence
50 ml cold water

(B)
425 grams unsalted butter
4 tbsp condensed milk

1 packet  Sunsweet pitted prunes(cut half)

Cream butter and condensed milk(Ingredients B)until pale and creamy.Set aside.

In another mixing bowl,add in ingredients (A) till fluffy and thick.Mix(1) into (2).Divide into three

times to mix in and blend well.

Preheat oven to top and bottom grill 200°C for 5 minutes.

Spoon 5 tbsps of mixture into the baking tray and spread evenly.Grill for 5-7 mins or until brown.

Take out from oven. Change the oven to top grill  only.

Spoon second layer of  mixture and spread on top of first layer and arrange

prunes on top.Grill on top heat  for 5-7 mins or until it is brown in colour.

Repeat the same process until all the mixtures are used up.(after every layers brown,take it out and top with another layer)(don't forget the prune after every 2 layers)

Leave the cake to cool in the baking tray.Slice and enjoy!

CHOCOLATE CHIPS LAYERED CAKE

KEK LAPIS COKLAT CHIPS/CHOCOLATE CHIPS LAYERED CAKE

 Ok! I did another layered cakes and this time is the choclate chips layered cake.This one shares the same recipe as the Water Melon layered cake.I put in cocoa powder and red colouring for the brownish look.Each layer is top with some chocolate chips.
I spent about three and a half hours preparing this cake for the Lunar New Year.Baked layer after
layer and it's a tedious job.You'll be feeling happy if you made it the perfect layered cake and for this,
I've achieved so far.

INGREDIENTS;

10 Eggs
500G Golden Churn butter
200G caster sugar
300G Hong Kong flour
1 small tin kaya
1 small tin condensed milk
50G santan/coconut cream
1Tbsp ovalette
1Tsp vanilla essence
1 botol chocolate chips
2Tbsps of cocoa to mix with the red batter


METHODS;

1.  Preheat oven to 200°C.Line an 8"x 8" baking tray with ungreased baking paper.
2.  Beat butter,sugar,vanilla and ovalettes till creamy and fluffy using high speed.
3.  Add in eggs one by one till well combined.
4.  Switch the beater to low speed and add in the milk,kaya and santan/coconut cream. 
    Beat again till all are well-mixed
5.  Add in the flour in batches or slowly(bits by bits).Mix well.

6.  Add in red colour and cocoa powder

7.   First layer,set the oven to top and bottom heat.(Use 1 soup ladle)

8.  After the first layer,change the oven setting to top heat only till the end.
     .
9.  Bake layer by layer.Each layer must put chocolate chips on top.

10. Cool the cake on a wire rack.

CORN FLAKES COOKIES

Corn Flakes Cookies

Corn flakes cookies are so easy to make.It doesn't take long to finished making it.The result you'll

love it.It's very crunchy since it is rolled with cornflakes to bake.My daughter took one bite and she's asking for more.It's likely I'll make another batch with her help.

Perhaps you'll like it too.Happy Trying and Happy Baking!

INGREDIENTS;

250g Butter

150g Sugar

2 Eggs

300g All-Purpose Flour

150g Nestle Corn Flakes

1 tsp Vanilla Essence

30g Corn Flour

METHOD;

Beat butter and sugar till pale and creamy.Add vanilla essence.Stir in the eggs.Fold in the flour mixture and corn flour.Take out 1 tsp of dough and roll over the crushed cornflakes.Put the cookie to a baking tray lined with parchment paper and bake for 25 minutes at 180°c top and bottom heat till golden brown.

Wait for it to get cool before putting in an airtight container.

This recipe yields exactly 100 pieces.

Note:  Sometimes can also add in some cherries.

ASSORTED BUTTER COOKIES

 As Chinese New Year is approaching near,I baked my first cookies.It is butter cookies with assorted shapes.Recipe is adapted from the book,BUTTERCUP and this old recipe book was kept on my shelf
for many years .I altered a bit of the recipe to suit my taste.

This time I used ANCHOR BUTTER to make and I must say it is much buttery and fragrance.
I recommend SCS butter and Anchor butter to yield a better result.

I make 2 tubs but I didn't exactly count how many pieces.I guess it's about 200 plus pieces.Now that the tub are sealed,I can't open it to count until Chinese New Year has arrived then I"ll open it and perhaps start counting to know how many I have made.Sound silly!

I finished baking one batch and decided to make another batch so that I can have more cookies.Each tray can hold about 38-39 pieces and I baked 3 trays for one batch.So one batch should be around a hundred or more pieces.

INGREDIENTS:

250 G Anchor Butter
190 g Fine Sugar
200 g Plain Flour
100 g Corn Flour
150 g Tapioca Flour
1 Tsp Vanilla Essence
2 Tbsp Condensed Milk
2 Egg Yolks

Cherries For Decoration

METHOD:

1.  Mix butter and sugar thoroughly.Add in condensed milk and egg yolks.Stir until mixture is creamy.             

2.  Add in vanilla essence and the 3 types of flour.Mix into a dough.

3.  Line baking tray with baking sheet.Make assorted shapes using cookie cutter or serrated tube
     and press on baking tray.

Decorate with cherries or cake decoration.

 
4,  Heat oven to 190°C or 375°F for 10-12 minutes until golden. Cool slightly.Put biscuits on wire
     rack and cool completely.

5.  Store in an air-tight container.

HAPPY CHINESE NEW YEAR 2020 THE YEAR OF THE RAT

Red Velvet Crepe Cake

 This is my second crepe cake.This time is Oreo Red Velvet.It is 20 layers tall.

CREPE BATTER;

250 g all purpose flou
  15 g black cocoa powder
4 eggs
50 g caster sugar
1/2 tsp liquid red colouring
500 ml milk
60 g salted butter,melted

CREAM CHEESE FILLING;

500 g cream cheese
100 g icing sugar
450 ml whipping cream
1 tsp vanilla

METHOD;

1.  In a large bowl,sieve together flour and cocoa and set aside.

2.  In another large bowl,add eggs,vanilla,sugar and red colouring and mix till well combined.
     Stir in milk and melted butter.

3.  Add in the egg mixture little by little into the flour.Mix well until smooth and no lumps are seen.

4.  Grease the non-stick pan 24 cm with little butter and use napkin to absorb the excess oil.

5.  Pour 1/3 cup of batter in the middle of the pan and move the pan in a circular motion to make
     round crepe.After a few minutes,flip over to the other side.Take out and put on plate when done.
   
6.  Repeat no.5 until all the batter are finished.Cool the crepes.


FILLING;

1. In a chilled bowl,beat the cream cheese and vanilla until it turned creamy.

2. Sieve in the icing sugar and mix until well combined.

3. In another chilled bowl,whip the whipping cream until soft peak formed.Add in the whipped cream to
the cream cheese mix and mix until well-combined.

ASSEMBLING THE CREPE CAKE;

Take a plate.Put the first layer of crepe onto the plate.Spread a spoonful or more of the filling on top
of the crepe.Top with another layer and spread the filling again and go on repeating the layers and
spreading the cream cheese filling till all are finished.The leftover cream cheese can be used to spread on top of the crepe cake.Do some flowers piping for the cake.

Refrigerate the cake.

MILO CREPE CAKE

Crepe cakes were sold everywhere in kl city.Lots and different kinds of flavours.I vow to make one at home.Not sure which flavour to start of with,I decided to make from what ingredients I had in stored in my kitchen.I search and found nothing but milo and so make this milo crepe cake.
At first it wasn't easy making the crepes cos I have to stand for few hours making layer after layer  in front of the hot heat and I was feeling so hot.Then at last,I managed to finished it all and I was happy when the final results turned out good.Not bad for a first start of making crepe
cake.I'll be sure to make other types of crepe cakes from now on.So much waiting lists
coming my way!
I guess I'm always too late in observing what is trending,but never mind,I think nothing is ever
    too late as long as you are hard working and always willing to catch up.What matters is you have
    succeeded in making the things that you love.


INGREDIENTS;

11/4 cup flour

3/4 cup sugar

44g milo drink

5 eggs

1 can(370ml)evaporated milk(I replace with full cream milk)

1/4 cup melted butter

 1/2 tsp vanilla

 280g whipping cream

  21/2 tbsps sugar

  Some milo for dusting the top

METHOD;

1.  Chill a bowl and beater inside the fridge for few hours.

2.  In one bowl,mix flour,sugar and milo.then in another bowl,mix in the eggs,evaporated milk,melted butter and vanilla.

3. Then add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients. Mix all together till well-combined.

NOTE: It would be better if your blender is large enough to blend all this together.Otherwise sieve through if there are lumps.Make sure to get a smooth batter.

4.  Brush some melted butter onto a non stick pan.Pour 1/3 cup of the batter onto the pan and swirl the pan round to make crepe.

5.  When the top is dry,flip to the other side.Repeat for all the layers till finished.Butter the pan only once.

6.  Using plate to measure,cut the crepe round and neat if you want.(skip if don't want to cut)

7.Now it is time to make the whipping cream.Take the chilled bowl out from the fridge.Beat the whipping cream and sugar till stiff peak formed.

8. On a serving plate,start to apply cream on the first layer evenly,then the second,then the fourth and the rest untill all are finished.(I think I have about 16 layers).

9.  After all layers are done,sieve some milo on the top.

10.  Chill in the fridge for several hours or overnight.Cut to serve.

BURNT CHEESECAKE

I don't know I'm happy or not after making this burnt cheescake as it don't look like burnt to me?I expect it to be more darker but it's not.Perhaps I set my temperature not high enough.I should have set it at 200°C instead of only 180°C.Anyway,it is still a burnt cheescake.

INGREDIENTS;

500g Cream Cheese,room temperature
170g Caster Sugar
200ml Double Cream
4 eggs
18g Flour

METHOD;

Line cake pan extend 2" above rim.

Beat cream cheese till creamy.

Add eggs,one at a time,beating well after each addition.

Add double cream and beat till well incoporated.

Sift flour into batter in 3 additions and use spatula to fold.

Pour batter into prepared tin and tap few times.

Bake 180°C-200°C for 1 hour.Top and bottom heat.