Cranberry Swiss Roll

Happy New Year

2012

This is my last post of the year 2011. 2012  will be arriving in a few minutes time. May you have a blissful, lovely year. May 2012 mark the beginning of a Tidal Wave of Love.. Happiness and Bright Future.

RECIPE:

Ingredients for the candles:
25g butter  (room temperature)
25g icing sugar
25g egg whites
25 g Hong Kong flour
a few drop of  red, blue, purple and orange colouring.


Method:   Prepare a 21cm x 36 cm baking tray. Line with baking paper and lightly grease.
1) Beat butter and icing sugar till creamy and light.
2) Add egg whites  in 3  stages. Beat well after each addition.
3) Gently fold in flour, mix until well combined.
4) Spoon mixture into 4 different bowls, add in colouring. Fill the coloured  mixture to the small piping bags respectively.
5) Pipe the pattens onto the greased baking tray carefully.
6) Pour Swiss Roll batter over 5) and using a rubber spatula  gently spread evenly. Gently tab the tray 2-3 time to minimise bubbles.
7) Bake in  preheated oven (190 degree C) for12 -15m minutes.


Swiss Roll:
A)
73g egg yolk
21g caster sugar
38g corn oil
38g fresh milk
73g  low protein flour
(B)
146g egg white
73g caster sugar

 Method: ( Chiffon cake method)
1) Mix  ingredients A together.
2) In another big bowl, beat B ingredients until stiff peak form but not dry.
3) Mix 1) and 2) ingredients together.

Cranberry cream:
100 g fresh Cream - Whip cream with 1 tbsp of caster sugar, add in 2 tbsp cranberry sauce, mix well. Ready to use.

Cupcakes with Orange n Cheese Frosting

Recipe:  (adapted from 美味糕点新主张)

Ingredients:
(A)
120g unsalted butter (at room temperature)
65g icing sugar
120g egg yolk

(B):
120g egg whites
65g fine sugar
120g low protein flour

Frosting:
30g cream cheese (at room temperature)
50g u unsalted butter (at room temperature)
15g icing sugar
1tsp orange juice
1/2 orange rind


Methods:  Preheat oven to 170 degree C.
1)  Beat butter and sugar till fluffy and its colour turns white.. Add in yolks and beat until all well mixed.
2)  In a clean bowl, beat egg whites with sugar till thick but not hard.
3)  Take 1/3 of egg white mixture (meringue) mix to the mixture 2, use a rubber spatula to stir well,  then fold in 1/3 of the flour, scrap gently  from bottom and mix evenly.
4)  Lastly, add in the remaining meringue and flour, mix until mixture is all well blended.
5)  Deposit mixture into paper cupcakes or baking moulds till 3/4 full.
6)  Bake for 20 minutes or till cooked. Leave to cool.
7)  Decorate cake with cheese frosting to your liking.

Making Frosting:
Beat cream cheese, butter and sugar till smooth and its colour turns white.  Add in orange juice and zest.
Ready to use.

Dhall Cakes

I made some square and triangular shaped dhall cakes.

This Indian snack reminds me of my Secondary school days. I learnt of this little savoury snack when I was in Secondary 2. I still can remember my Home Science teacher’s name. She is Miss Sinamah (at that time she was still single), we girls gave her a nickname that translates directly to mean “死老妈“in Chinese, or “dead old mother” in English. I knew we were very bad to label her with that nickname. Miss Sinamah was also our P.E teacher. She was fit  and  loud, and liked to command us to run around the badminton court for a few rounds before we start playing netball. The reason we gave her the name is because she liked to scold us and would nag, nag and nag….for small matters! Oh yes, she has a gold tooth too. Hahaha… A few years after we graduated, I gathered the news that she got married and lived in Kuala Lumpur. I wonder if I would still recognize her if I chanced upon her. Sigh….... those were the days. I missed the laughters of my classmates and the memories from schooling days.

This dhall cake is so easy to prepare and nice to eat. Like a typical Indian snack, a dhall cake is saturated with fragrant ingredients including curry leaves, onion and chilli. Dhall is a healthy alternative as it is protein-rich and can replace meat or fish in one’s diet. Give it a try.

Recipes:

Ingredients:

8 tablespoons broken black peas

1 Bombay onions

2-3 spring curry leaves

2-4 green chillies

salt, oil for deep-fat frying

Method:

1) Wash and soak the peas for 4 hours

2) Grind or pound the peas to a paste.

3) Wash and dice the onion, chillies and curry leaves.

4) Mix all the ingredients together with enough salt to taste.

5) Shape dhall cakes into neat, even rounds and fry slowly in deep-fat till brown and well cooked.

6) Drain well and serve with green chillies.

Dumplings in Red Bean Soup

Recipe:

 A: Dumpling ingredients:

~240g glutinous rice flour

~20g rice flour

~120g warm water

~80g  either water or coconut milk

~ 2 tsp sugar

few drops of  red, yellow, green and purple colouring.

 B: Red Bean Soup :

300g red beans – soaked overnight or at least 4 hours.

5 pandan leaves

200g sugar ( adjust to your liking)

1500g water  (adjust amount to get  the thickness of the soup base to your liking).

Some corn starch  water mixture to thicken the soup.

Cook the beans until soft with the pandan leaves. Discard the pandan leaves and add in sugar . after the sugar is dissolved,  blend the mixture with electric blender until fine and smooth .

C: Peanut  filling. Mix filling, shape them into small balls and keep them in the fridge for 30 minutes.

60g peanuts (roasted and pounded)

3 tbsp. brown sugar

1 tbsp peanut butter

1 tbsp peanut oil

D: Black sesame filling.  Mix filling, shape them into small balls, and keep in the fridge for 30 minutes.

35g black sesame powder (roast  black sesame seeds and pounded into powder)

5g icing sugar

15g softened butter or peanut oil.

Method:

1) Knead dumpling ingredients into smooth dough, then separate into 4 equal portions and add in red, yellow, green and purple colour respectively. Each colour dough makes 8 balls, each ball is about 15g, shape roundly, flatten and wrap in the filling,  set aside.

2) Boil small pot of water and pour in the dumplings, cook until they are afloat.

3)  Dish out and add into the hot  red bean paste soup . Serve while hot.

ENJOY!

Fried Chicken with Salted Black beans

Recipe:

Broad bean chilli paste and salted black beans

Ingredients:

A:

550 g chicken, cut into bite pieces

½ tbsp light soy sauce

½ tsp white pepper powder

½ tsp sesame oil

¼ tsp sugar

½ tbsp corn flour

B:

1 big onion – cut into 4 halves

1 tbsp salted black beans

½ tsp ginger-chopped

½ tsp garlic –chopped

3 chilli padi

4 big green chillies – cut into pieces

C:

2 tbsp water

½ tbsp oyster sauce

1 tsp broad bean chilli paste (辣豆瓣酱)

salt and sugar to taste

½ tsp sesame oil

1 tsp Chinese cooking wine

Method:

1)  Marinate chicken with ingredients A for 20 – 30 minutes.

2)  Deep fried chicken until just cooked and tender.  Dish up and drain.

3)  Fry ingredients B until aromatic, dash in Chinese cooking wine and the rest of ingredients C and chicken. Stir fry for few minutes till the chicken has absorbed all the gravy.

4)  Dish up and serve.

My mistake at Panettone that turned out nice

If  I ask you what is this,  your answer could be that it is a either a sponge cake or a chiffon cake. But both are incorrect.

And what is this? A mushroom? No. it is a panettone. The recipe asked for 6" round tin. However I used a 7" but it looks like it still requires a bigger one.

This is my panettone which was tore into halves. hahaha...

There was nothing wrong when I made my started dough (Ingredients A) until i came to mix my ingredients B. The recipe calls for 3 grade A eggs. Once I added eggs in my mixture , I knew straightaway there was something wrong. The dough was very wet and sticky , so I added more flour into the mixture for easy handling and kneaded until a pliable dough was formed. As I had no confidence whether the bread would be a successful one, I did not add in mixed fruits as I do not want to waste anymore ingredients. At this stage I had forgotten to add in  yeast, and by the time I  realized, it was already too late. The amazing thing is after 3 proving stages, the dough still rose up very well. I  baked  it at 180 degree C for 40 minutes.

The finished product was surprising.  It grew so big and tall.  What a relieve that it is edible and yet the texture is very fluffy and soft like cake.

Here, it is the recipe, I would appreciate if anyone can comment and tell me if 3 eggs as advised by the recipe is a mistake.

Recipe: (adapted from Yum Yum No.75)
Ingredients A:
150g plain flour
5g instant dry yeast
1/2 grade A egg
80g milk


Ingredients B:
350g plain flour
5 g instant dry yeast
7g salt
200g caster sugar
3 grade A eggs
80g milk

Method:
1) Combine ingredients A and mix well.  Place into mixing bowl and cover with a piece of wet towel.  Leave to prove  for 1 hour.

2)  Add in ingredients B and mix well.  Add butter and beat into a smooth and elastic dough.  Lastly mix in mixed fruits.

3)  Leave dough to prove for 1 hour.  Round out the dough and rest for 5 minutes.

4)  Flatten and round up the dough.  Place into a 6" round baking tin.  Cover with a piece of wet towel and leave to rove for 40-50 minutes or until it doubles in bulk.

5)  Bake in a preheated oven at 180 degree C for 35-40 minutes or until cooked.  Remove and leave to cool on the rack. Cut into pieces and serve.

Note: Soak mixed dried mixed fruits in hot water for 10 minutes and drain.  Soak them in a little extra   brandy overnight and proceed with the recipe next day.

Black Sesame Seed Bread-黑芝麻面包

Recipe:

Ingredients: (yields 10 buns)

250g bread flour

120g cold water

50g sugar

10g milk powder

7.5g instant yeast (1.1/2 tsp+1/4tsp+1/8tsp)

1/2 egg

20g soft butter

5g salt

30g black sesame seed (roast and grind into powder)

Method:

1) Mix yeast and egg together. Put all the ingredients except butter in a mixing bowl, using a hook whisk to beat the dough appears roughly and dense, or the dough attaches on hook. Add in butter continue to beat until the dough is smooth and elastic. Place the dough in a lightly greased bowl, cover with a piece of damp cloth or cover with clingwrap to rest for 30 minutes.

2) Beat for 2 minutes. Divide dough into 50 g per portion. Wrap in your favourite filling (30 g each) and shape into your desired pattens. Brush with egg wash and sprinkle sesame seeds on top. Leave to prove for 45 minutes.

3) Spray water on the buns, and bake in preheated oven at 200 degree C for 12 minutes.

D.I.Y Handy Pot Carrier

I wanted to post about my DIY pot carrier for very long time. However, I was held up because my profile pictures had gone missing. It is until today that I received help from my husband to retake the pictures. My DIY carrier is very useful, unique and presentable, handy and practical.

With this carrier, you will find ease and convenience at carrying your pot around very steadily. The ideal cloth for the carrier should be a thicker one, for it has to withstand a certain amount of heat (you would not want to be burnt by your piping hot food) as well as take the loading from your heavy hot of food! What better way to carry a pot of hot food?

The best thing about DIY is that you can customize your own carrier. It comes in 3 sizes to fit different pot - the largest fits a 5L pot; the medium is for 23cm/9” pot/container while the small one is for the 7” pot/container. Besides, you can also choose your favourite cloth and colours for different settings like picnic, gathering or potluck.

Braised Pork Trotter with Assam Keping-阿三皮酸猪手

My husband and my son kept nodding their heads while eating assam pork trotters. You can imagine how delicious the dish is. Compared to my previous post 'Spicy, Sweet & Sour Trotter', I will prefer this dish. no doubt both of them have a somewhat similar taste, the sourness of assam and vinegar brings out a different class of sourness. It is tough to use words to describe the awesomeness of food so you will have to give it a try to understand the supremacy of this popular dish.

Recipe: Adapted from Yum Yum No.67

(I have slightly modified the original recipe)

Ingredients:

1 pork trotter, cut into pieces

1 tbsp oil

1500ml water

6 shallots, peeled

8 dried chillies

10 pieces assam keping ( dried tamarind slices)

Seasoning:

1 tsp salt

3 tbsp sugar

Method:

1) Blanch pork trotter in boiling water for 5 minutes. Dish and drain.

2) Heat up oil, stir-fry shallots and dried chillies until aromatic.

3) Add in the remaining ingredients and bring to boil over high heat. Lower the heat and cook until trotter is tender. Dish up and serve.

ENJOY!

Almond and Seaweed Jelly Beancurds -杏仁海藻豆腐

Ingredients:

1 packet agar- agar powder -seaweed flavour (7g)

500ml Magnolia fresh milk or evaporated milk

700ml - 750ml water

350g sugar

1 tbsp almond essence

3 pandan leaves

1 tsp green colouring

Method:

1) Bring water and agar-agar powder, sugar, pandan leaves together to boil. Add in milk, mix well.

2) Add almond essence, mix well. Pour mixture into moulds, when cool, chill in the fridge until completely set. Remove from moulds and serve with your favourite fruit, or canned longan syrup.

Steamed Chocolate Brownies Layer Green Cheese Cake

RECIPE: from STEAMED CAKE by Zubaidah Bte Chepa

Ingredients ( A):

60g butter

30g cooking chocolate

(B)

4 egg yolks

2 egg whites

110g caster sugar

(C)

25g plain flour

25g cocoa powder

1/2 tsp baking powder

(D)

1 tsp chocolate emulco

Method:

1. Melt ingredients A, leave to cool.

2. Beat Ingredients B until fluffy and add into mixture (1). Finally add in ingredients C and D.

3. Combine mixture evenly and pour mixture into a lightly greased 8" x 8" square mould.

4. Cover with aluminium foil and steam for 35 minutes.

Cheese Layer:

Ingredients A:

1 egg

30 g castor sugar

1/2 tbsp ovalett

B:

30g superfine flour

20g corn flour

C:

100g cream cheese

1 tbsp condensed milk

1 tsp apple green colouring

D:

50 g cooking oil

Method:

1. Beat A until fluffy and thick.

2. Sieve flour into egg mixtures and mix well.

3. Beat C until soft and add into above mixture.

4. Finally pour in oil and mix well.

5. Pour directly onto chocolate mixture, cover with aluminium foil and steam for another 30 minutes.

Blue Pea Flower Fragrant Rice With Curry Chicken

This is the fastest and easiest way to prepare my lunch today. It took me less than one and a half hours from cooking to serving (including the time I went to buy the chicken, coconut and vegetable from the market). I bought the instant curry paste from Melaka a week ago. My children and I agreed that it tastes better than A1 brand. This is my first time cooking rice with blue pea flower. It looked so beautiful and appetizing compared to our routine plain white rice.

My verdict: Good and fragrant. I definitely will cook again.

Recipe:

Ingredients: (for 4 persons)

3 cups white rice, washed and drained

1.1/2 tbsp cooking oil

3-4 cardamom

some black pepper to taste

25g young ginger, chopped

1 heap tbsp dried blue pea flowers/15 fresh blue pea flowers.

4 pandan leaves

1-1.1/2 tsp salt to taste

water ( for cooking rice)

Method:

1) Heat up oil, stir-fry chopped ginger until aromatic. Add in remaining ingredients except flowers, and stir-fry until fragrant.

2) Transfer the rice mixture into a rice cooker, add water, salt and flowers and cook until done. Discard flowers and pandan leaves. Serve with your favourite curry.

Kuih Seri Muka

Recipe: source from "Aromas of Kuihs"- by Amy Wong

Ingredients:

(A) BASE:

300g glutinous rice

60ml coconut milk

200ml water

3/4 tsp salt

1.1/2 sugar

4 pieces pandan leaf

(B)

2 egg )
120g caster sugar ) Mixed till sugar dissolved

(C)

25g corn flour

25g custard powder

1/4 tsp vanilla essence

1/4 tsp salt

2-3 drops yellow colouring

300ml coconut milk

120ml water

Adequate blue-pea flower juice

Method:

1. BASE: Wash glutinous rice, soak it for 2 hours. Drain and place it into a large bowl . Mix in remaining base ingredients and steam for 30 -35 minutes till cooked.

2. Discard pandan leaf. Mix the blue-pea flower juice with 1/3 of the steamed glutinous rice, then combine it with the rest of the glutinous rice lightly, return to steam for another 10 minutes.

3. Place the cooked glutinous rice into a greased 7"x7" square mould, level it and press tightly down the rice or place a heavy object on top to compress the rice (about 30 minutes).

4. Mix ingredients B with ingredients C and filter, then cook till slightly thickened. Pour the mixture onto steamed glutinous rice and steam again for 20-15 minutes. Leave to cool completely before cutting into pieces.

Steamed Meat Floss Cake

Recipe:

Ingredients:

3 whole eggs  (about 180 g without shell)

100 g sugar

8 g cake emulsifier

20 g water/fresh milk

130 g plain flour

1/2 tsp double action baking powder

50 g corn oil/melted butter

50 g meat floss

Method:

1) Beat eggs, sugar and emulsifier until light and fluffy.

2) Add in water, continue to beat it rises and thickens.

3) Fold in Sifted flour and baking powder, mix well until well combined. Gently add in oil, mix until all well blended.

4) Pour into a greased and lined 23cm square baking pan and level it. Steam for 20 minute over high heat.

5) Cut the cake into 2 equal portions, one layer spread with butter cream or mayonnaise, then place the 2nd piece of cake over it. Sprinkle  meat floss on top.  Cut into pieces and serve.

Mua Chee bun - 麻薯包

When I first saw this “Mua chee Bun” –麻薯包 recipe, I was very intrigued with it. There is a phrase in Chinese says like that,‘心动不如行动’. So this morning, I gathered all the ingredients and started my bun making.

Unlike the usual bao (bun) that you grew up eating, this bao I made is - surprise, surprise! There are 3 layers to the bite:

1) soft dough,

2) chewy muah chee (green colour),

3) sweet and mushy bean paste.

Each layer adds a different dimension to the total flavour with each bite, as your mind and taste buds are occupied trying to distinguish each distinct taste. In fact, the muah chee adds a little bit of QQ and uniqueness.

Recipe: Adapted from Yum Yum magazine

Ingredients:

Mua chee:

200g glutinous rice flour
1 tbsp sugar
a pinch of salt
1 tbsp oil
100 – 120 ml pandan juice

Some red bean paste/lotus seed paste/green bean paste (I used 275 g red bean paste =11 portions x 25g red bean paste)

Skin (dough):
300g bao flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp instant dry yeast
50g sugar (I used icing sugar)
About 180ml water

40g oil (I used shortening)

Method:
1. Mua chee: Combine all ingredients and mix into a pliable dough. Cover with a piece of damp towel and rest for 10 minutes.

2. Divide the dough into 11 portions and wrap up the red bean paste. Arrange them onto a grease plate and steam over high heat for 8 minutes. Remove and leave to cool.

3. Skin: Combine all ingredients and mix into a dough. Add in oil and mix well. Cover with a damp towel and rest for 30 minutes.

4. Divide the dough into 11 portions and wrap up filling. Proof for 30 minutes. Steam over high heat for 12 minutes. Serve.

Banana Walnut Bread

I baked this banana bread for breakfast. The texture of this bread is like cake. It is moist and fragrant. It tastes so good, I don't even need to spread butter or jam on it.

Recipe:

Ingredients:

100g butter

120g sugar

3 whole eggs

50ml milk

200g bread flour

100g plain flour

2 tsp baking powder

1 tsp bicarbonate of soda

2 tsp Cinnamon powder (optional)

2 tsp mixed spice (optional)

4 bananas (about 400g)- mashed

60g chopped walnuts (roasted)

Method:

1) Cream butter and sugar till creamy.

2) Add in eggs one at a time and beat well.

3) Add in sifted flours, baking powder and baking soda alternately with milk, mix well.

4) Add in mashed bananas, walnuts and spices (optional) till well combined.

5) Pour into a greased loaf tin. Bake at 180 degree C for 45 - 50 minutes till golden brown and cooked.

Note: I made 1/2 recipe, baked in a 20 cm x 12 cm x 7 cm loaf tin.

Butter Milk Bun -奶香牛油面包

Source: Malaysia Baking Chef - Alan Ooi

Ingredients:( Bread)

(A)

250 g bread flour

3 g salt

40 g fine sugar

4 g (1 tsp) instant dry yeast

(B)

125 ml cold fresh milk

25 g egg

(C)

30 g butter

Topping:

60 g butter, 20 g icing sugar, 110 g plain flour

Combine together to resemble butter crumbs. Ready to use.

Filling:

50 g butter, 20 g icing sugar, 60 g milk powder

Mix all until well combined, divide into 9 equal portion round balls, set aside.

Method:

1) Combine all ingredients (A) in the electric mixer with dough hook at low speed, blend together for 1 minute. Add in fresh milk, mix on medium speed to develop the dough for 3-4

minutes.

2) Put in butter and continue beating for further 8-10 minutes until the dough is fully developed.

3) Remove the dough, and round up dough and place into a greased big mixing bowl or container cover with a piece of damp cloth or plastic wrap to prove in a warm place for 1 hour until dough is double in size.

4) Divide the dough into 9 equal portions, round up the dough and rest for 5 minutes.

5) Flatten slightly each dough, wrap in filling and form into round shapes. Arrange on a greased baking tray, cover with a piece of damp cloth or plastic wrap, prove for 1 hour.

6) Brush dough with beaten egg and top with topping. Bake in a preheated oven at 190 degree C for 12-15 minutes until golden brown. Remove and cool on a wire rack.

Vietnamese Steamed Rice cake

I remember when I was young, every 1st and Fifteen, Festivals and Chinese New Year of the Chinese Calender, my mom would buy 'fa gao' from the market for praying to the gods and ancestors. In those time, ' fagao' was mainly made with rice flour and came in 2 colours - white and pink. They tasted a bit sour and hard, not very nice, thus we did not usually ate those meant as offerings.

One day, I chanced upon this link ( http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BCp7O03IV_E) Vietnamese steamed rice cake. Literally translated, the Vietnamese name "Banh Bo", means cow cake. That resembles the "bai tang gao" (白糖糕) and "fagao"(发糕）。However, the Vietnamese rice cake is mainly made with coconut milk rather than the typical plain water. I also noticed very creative Vietnamese steamed rice cakes from some links, some are salty, others have meat fillings, while some also have cheese, chocolate, peanuts etc. They are attractive and beautiful due to the bright and and wide range of colours used.

Today, I gathered all ingredients for this recipe. It tastes better than the traditional steamed rice cakes because I used coconut milk. I like how fragrant and chewy the small cake is.

There is a subtle difference in using plain flour vs rice flour. I suggest you try out, it is worth the effort.

Recipe: Adapted from Helen's Recipe

Ingredients:

500 g rice flour

1 bowl (1 00 g) tapioca flour

7 g instant yeast (1tsp + 3/4 tsp)

400 ml coconut milk

300 g sugar

450 ml warm water

Method:

1) In a saucepan, dissolve sugar and coconut milk on medium heat. One dissolved, let cool to room temperature.

2) Mix rice flour, tapioca flour and yeast in a mixing bowl. Add in warm water and knead well for 10 minutes (very soft dough).

3) Mix the batter with the mixture of sugar and coconut milk until everything has dissolved.

4) Let sit for at least 1 1/2 hours until batter rises and many bubbles appear.

5) Bring water in the steamer to boil.

6) Grease the moulds. Cover the lid to warm up the moulds for a few minutes.

7) Pour the batter into the cups till full. Steam for 10 - 15 minutes.

8) Remove the cakes from the moulds. These cakes should have a slight chewy and honeycomb like texture with distinctive "fermented" taste.

Tuna Croquettes

Recipe:

Ingredients:

(A)

300 g potatoes

1 small can tuna chunk (150 g), drained

1 red chilli, seeded and chopped

some black pepper to taste

1/2 large onion, peeled and chopped

1 tsp lime juice (optional)

1 tsp salt

1 tbsp olive oil/cooking oil ( for stir-frying onion)

4 - 5 tbsp plain flour

some bread crumbs

1 egg (beaten)

2 cups oil for deep-frying

Method:

1) Boil potatoes. Peel skin off and mash. Heat oil; stir-fry onion until fragrant, remove from fire.

Mix in all ingredients A until well combined.

2) To make croquettes, brush a little oil on hands, shape the tuna mixture into oval or round flat shapes. Coat with plain flour, dip in beaten egg and then breadcrumbs.

3) Heat up oil for deep-frying, deep-fry patties at medium-low heat until golden brown. Dish, drain and serve while hot.

Pumpkin Cheese Slice

I have lately been having sleepless nights because my mind has been swirling with wondrous thoughts. You see, I bought over ten cooking books from Taiwan recently and all the recipes look so tantalizing. I just feel so tempted to try my hands at them but the problem I face is - I do not have enough time. Haha, so I have to face difficulties choosing which one to do everyday.

I eeny-meeny-miny-moe and I will start with this book.

Verdict: I have been experimenting pumpkin with bread, kueh, chiffon cake, muffins etc... this is the first time with cheesecake. The colours are very eye-catching. The yellow portion (cheese) melts too easily once you put it into your mouth. It may not be the best tasting but however, the colours are too attractive to resist another bite.

Recipe: (adapted from 美味糕点新主张)

Ingredients:

Base:
170g biscuits (crushed or finely milled)
50 g unsalted butter (melted)

Cheese cake:
140g pumpkin (without skin – steamed and mashed into puree)
280g cream cheese (softened at room temperature)
25g icing sugar
40g egg yolk
20g egg white
15g unsalted butter (melted)
25g fresh cream

60g egg whites ) Beat in a clean and dry mixing bowl
40g caster sugar )

Method:
1) BASE: Grease and line with parchment paper. Combine all the ingredients and press into an 8”x8” baking tin. Chill in the fridge for use later.

2) CHEESE CAKE: Sift icing sugar in a mixing bowl, add in softened cream cheese, and beat well. Place bowl over boiling water, stir till sugar dissolves (use egg whisk).

3) Remove from boiling water, add in egg yolk and egg white, beat until mixture binds.

4) Add in pumpkin puree and mix well

5) Add in butter and fresh cream mix well.

6) In a clean and dry bowl, beat egg whites until soft peaks form, add sugar gradually and beat until stiff.

7) Add in pumpkin batter, mix well till all combine.

8) Pour batter onto baking tin.

9) Bake in preheated oven in water bath for 180 degree C for 15 minutes; reduce the temperature to 140 degree C for 20 minutes.

10) Remove from oven, leave to cool. Chill m in the fridge for 3 hours till the cake is firmed enough to remove form the cake mould.

11) Cut with a warm knife, cut into 16 slices.

Note: Strain mashed pumpkin into fine pumpkin puree

Chocolate Chiffon Cupcakes

Recipe: Adapted from 美味糕点新主张

Ingredients:

Chiffon Cake: (makes 12 cakes)

(A)

60 g corn oil

80 g fresh milk

20 g unsweetened cocoa powder

80 g Hong Kong flour or Top flour

80 g egg yolks (about 5 eggs)

(B)

160 g egg whites

90 g fine sugar

Chocolate custard:

45 g egg yolks

60 g fine sugar

15 g Hong Kong flour/ top flour

210 g fresh milk

½ tsp vanilla essence

100 g fresh cream

80 g bitter sweet chocolate

5 g butter

Method for chiffon cake:

1) Place corn oil and fresh milk into a metal mixing bowl, warm over low heat. When mixture is slightly boiling, remove from heat, add in cocoa powder, stir well, then add in egg yolk , stir well and mix well.

2) Fold in sifted flour and mix until becomes cocoa batter.

3) In a clean, grease-proof bowl, beat egg whites for a few seconds until frothy, add 1/3 of sugar, then beat hard until soft peaks form when the whisk is raised. Beat in the remaining sugar a tablespoon at a time a nd beat just until stiff not dry, shiny peaks form.

4) Take 1/3 egg whites mixture add into cocoa mixture. With a spatula, gently fold the egg whites in few additions, scraping the bottom and sides of the bowl, until just blended.

5) Fill up mixture into paper cups till 3/4 full.

6) Bake in preheated oven at 180 degree C for 10 minutes, reduce the temperature to 150 degree C , continue to bake for 15 minutes.

Method for chocolate custard:

1) In a mixing bowl, use egg whisk to beat eggs and sugar.

2) Add in sifted flour, mix well.

3) Add in milk a little in few times, mix well.

4) Add in vanilla essence, boil over low heat, stir occasionally to avoid burnt at the bottom.

5) Cook until the mixtures becomes thick and bubbling, remove from heat.

6) Add in butter, stir well and blend well.

7) Let (6) sit on ice, stir until cold and smooth.

8) Double boil chocolate and fresh cream until smooth. Leave to cool.

9) Add in (7) and mix well. Transfer to a piping bag (with nozzle), insert the nozzle into the cake and gently squeeze the custard till ooze . Sprinkle icing sugar on top and serve.

Note:

The cakes shrink is normal.

Potato And Minced Pork Croquettes

Recipe:

Ingredients:

250 g potatoes

1/2 tsp salt

100g minced pork

1 /2 onion, peeled and chopped

some black pepper to taste

Coating:

4 tbsp plain flour

1 small egg

some bread crumbs

Method:

1) Cook potatoes in boiling water until soft, drain. Peel and mash into paste while still hot.

2) While cooking the potatoes, heat up a non-stick frying pan with little oil, saute the big onion until fragrant. Dish up.

3) In a mixing bowl, mix all ingredients until well combined.

4) Divide mashed potato mixture into 15 equal parts and form into cylinder/round shapes. Coat with plain flour, dip in beaten egg and coat with bread crumbs .

5) Heat up oil, deep-fry potato croquettes at medium-low heat until golden brown and cooked. Dish up and serve.

Cincaluk Fried Rice

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My niece, who runs a Nonya Restaurant in Melaka, had recently passed me a bottle of her super premium quality cincaluk. From my past bad experience ,cincaluk is very salty and smells stale. But until the day I patronized her restaurant, her cincaluk fried egg omelette changed my biased impression.

Today is my first attempt at frying rice with cincaluk. Actually I was inspired by one of my recipe books - they had dishes like cincaluk chicken; fried cincaluk omelette; fried rice and others.

My cincaluk fried rice turned out to be good and fragrant. We enjoyed eating it. My daughter suggested that if the dish had more lime leaves, some curry leaves and other herbs, it will have the similar taste to Nasi Ulam.

If you like cincaluk, give it a try. But make sure you buy a good quality one (better grade).

Recipe:

Ingredients:

(A)

2 tbsp cooking oil

1 medium onion, peeled and shredded

1 red chilli, shredded

1 green chilli, shredded

100 - 150 g chicken breast, cut into pieces

12 medium size (or more) prawns, shelled

4 bowls cold cooked rice

2 lime leaves (shredded)

(B) Blend together:

1.1/2 tbsp cincaluk

2 red chillies

2 red chilli padi (optional)

3 shallots

1 pip garlic

1 lemongrass (serai)

2 tbsp cooking oil

Seasoning:

1tsp sugar

1/2 tsp pepper

2 tbsp light soy sauce

1 tsp dark soy sauce

2 tbsp water

Method:

1)Heat up oil, saute blended ingredients until fragrant. Add in onion, and stir fry until soft.

2) Add in chicken, prawn and stir fry until the meat is cooked. Add in seasoning and stir fry for a while.

3) Add in cooked rice and stir fry until well mixed and fragrant. Add in chillies and stir fry for a while. Dish up and serve.

May be you will like to visit this Authentic Home-Cooked Peranakan Cuisine:

Banya Restaurant

154, Taman Melaka Raya,

75000 Melaka.

Tel/Fax: 06-282 8297

Pumpkin Huat Kuih - 南瓜发糕

My Huat Kuih looks beautiful and springy in texture, but just do not understand why they don't smile (means split open).

为什么今天做的发糕不会笑（裂口)? 幸好做出来的颜色是美美的啰，还有口感是QQ的.

Recipe:

Ingredients:

A)

100 ml water

1 tsp instant yeast

100g plain flour

B)

250 g plain flour

2 g double-acting baking powder

200 g pumpkin (steamed and mashed)

150 g sugar

150 g coconut milk

1 whole egg

Method:

1) Combine ingredients A and mix well, cover with a piece of damp cloth and rest for 1 hour at room temperature.

2) Add in mashed pumpkin and sugar into mixture 1) , stir well and pour in coconut milk, mix well.

3) Fold in sifted flour and double-acting powder, blend well till well mixed.

4) Spoon batter into paper cups or small tea cups (grease) till 3/4 full.

5) Steam for 20-25 minutes.