Black Pepper Bread

Bread making again. This is another successful attempt at Meng Lao Shi's recipe. Having gone through trial and error, I have gained more confidence in bread making now, and the result is better than the previous.

I have a feed back to this bread's filling. The filling is too little (insufficient) for the bread, and the seasoning taste very mild. So, I suggest to double the amount of the original recipe and the seasoning should be stronger by adding 1/2 tablespoon dark soy sauce or oyster sauce. Despite the taste, the bread still taste good.

Recipe:

Ingredients:

(A)

250 g bread flour

25 g fine sugar

1/2 teaspoon salt

10 g milk powder

3 g (1/2 tsp. +1/4 tsp) instant dry yeast

15 g whole egg

140 g plain water

(B) 20 g unsalted butter, 1 teaspoon black pepper

(C) Filling:

minced pork, 40 g

chopped onion 30 g

salt, black pepper 1/8 teaspoon each

(D) 1 tablespoon black sesame seed

Method:

~~1)Mix (A) almost a smooth dough.

~~2) Add in butter, with medium speed to beat the dough until smooth and it can be stretched to a thin layer without breaking apart.

~~3)) Add in black pepper, knead and mix well.

~~4) Place the dough into a big bowl, cover with clingwrap. Leave to prove for 80 minutes.

~~5) Filling: Stir fry minced pork for a while, add onion and stir fry until fragrant. Turn off fire, add in salt and pepper to your desired taste. Leave to cool.

~~6) Divide dough into 6 equal portions. Roll into balls, and leave to rest for 5 to 10 minutes, wrap in filling, and place them into a greased 8" round cake tin. Cover with clingwrap and let it prove for 50 minutes.

~~7) Brush with egg wash and sprinkle sesame seeds.

~~8) Bake in a preheated oven at 180 degree C for 28 minutes.

Pan Fried Minced Pork Omelette

My husband is a pure Cantonese. . I am not very sure whether this is a authentic Cantonese dish or not. But I know when he was a little boy, his mother used to cook this dish for his family. The ingredients are very simple and easy to prepare. if you prefer, you can add a little bit of onion or shallot or spring onion.

Today the reason I post this recipe here is so that my children can refer to in future. They like this egg omelette very much especially my youngest son, he can have it everyday.

A delicious dish does not mean it must comprise of expensive ingredients. This hand-me-down recipe only needs humble eggs and minced meat that you can easily get from your neighbourhood supermarket.

Recipe:

Ingredients:

200 g minced meat (pork)

2 large eggs

salt

light soy sauce

pepper (optional)

corn flour/tapioca flour (1/2 tsp)

Method:

~~1) Heat up wok, add 1 tablespoon oil, stir fry minced meat (add salt to taste) until just cook. Dish out.

~~2)Beat eggs with salt, light soy sauce to taste and corn flour, beat until well mix.

~~3) Add 1 into egg mixture, mix well.

~~4) Pour enough oil into wok, fry egg/meat mixture with medium heat, fry until the egg batter almost firm, then fold into half and continue to fry until crispy and light brown on both sides .

Mango Pudding 芒果布丁

I have not made mango pudding for a long time. This mango pudding is awesome. I purposely use big chunks of fresh mango as fillings so as to enhance the taste when you devour the pudding. Best serve chilled。

Recipe: (Makes 16)

Ingredients:

24 g gelatine powder

100 g Carnation evaporated milk

110 g fine sugar

100 g whipping cream

225 g ice cubes

225 hot water

3 ripe mangoes (Half cut into cubes and half blend into puree)

Method:

~~1) Mix sugar and gelatine powder well.

~~2) Add boiling water to No.1, using a whisk to stir constantly until mixture dissolves. (OR you can boil them)

~~3) Add milk to No.2 . Stir well.

~~4) Then add whipping cream and stir till well mixed..

~~5) Add mango puree, Stir well.

~~6) Add mango cubes to the mixture. Mix well.

~~7) Add the small ice cubes into the mixture, gently stir with whisk till ice is all melted and mixture is smooth.

~~8) Pour into moulds and leave to set in refrigerator over night.

Enjoy!

Spicy, Sweet and Sour Trotter

In my family of five, only my daughter and my youngest son do not eat trotter and fatty meat. So whenever I cook trotter I have to (actually is a must) buy lean meat or the muscle to add into the dish.

As the name of the dish suggests, the trotters are a mixture of sweet, sour and spicy flavours that make it a very appetizing dish that goes well with plain rice. Make sure you cook extra rice for the day. The sourness and spiciness are just right but I find it a bit too sweet for my taste buds. This dish is something different from what I used to cook my pork trotter with dark soy sauce and sweet dark vinegar （猪脚醋）。It is very delicious and unique - I recommend u to give it a try if you like strong tastes.

Recipe:

Ingredients:
~~ 1 pig trotter (cut onto pieces)
~~ 100 g ginger (sliced)
~~ 10 pcs chilli padi
~~ 6 big red chillies
~~ 1 teaspoon chopped garlic
~~ 50 ml Chines rice vinegar (I put 100 ml)
~~ 1 litre water

Seasoning:
1 tablespoon oyster sauce
1 tablespoon light soy sauce
1/2 tablespoon dark soy sauce (I put 1 tbsp)
4 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon chicken stock granule

Method:
~~1) Wash and drain pig trotter.

~~2) Heat up enough oil in the hot work, saute chopped garlic and ginger until fragrant. Add in trotter, stir- fry briskly until the meat changes the colour.

~~3) Add in water, rice vinegar and seasoning, bring to a boil. Put in chilli padi and big red chillies, cover and simmer at low heat for 35-40 minutes until trotters are tender and the gravy has been absorbed by the meat. Dish and serve hot.

Recipe reference: Hawker Secret Recipes (part 1)

Steamed Banana Cake 蒸香蕉蛋糕

In one of my earlier post (banana chiffon cake) I mentioned that my husband brought a lot of banana from Malaysia. Today I have finally finished up all the banana by making this cake which needs 500 g of banana..

I bake cakes most of the time. But today I would like to share with you my steamed banana cake recipe. This cake is really full of banana fragrant ( make sure you use much ripen banana), it is so delicious to eat with a cup of hot coffee or tea on a lazy Sunday afternoon.

Recipe:

Ingredients:
A)
~~500 g very ripen banana
~~ 2 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda

B)
~~5 whole eggs
~~250 g fine sugar
~~250 g plain flour
~~2 teaspoon baking powder
~~1/2 teaspoon salt

C)
100 ml corn oil

Method:
~~1) Peel and mash banana, add bicarbonate of soda , mix well and leave to ferment for an hour at room temperature.

~~2) Add ingredients B into 1) above, mix well and leave to 2nd fermentation for an hour at room temperature.

~~3) Add oil , stir and mix well , rest for 5 minutes.

~~4) Pour batter into a greased 8" x 8" (20cm) square baking tin . Steam over high heat for 35 minutes or until cooked (when the skewer inserted in the centre comes out clean ).

材料∶

甲）500克 香蕉
~~~~2 茶匙 小苏打粉

乙）
5个蛋
250克细糖
250克普通面粉
2 茶匙发粉
1/2小匙盐

丙）∶
100 毫升玉米油

做法∶
1）将香蕉压碎和苏打粉拌均，待发1小时。
2）加进 乙, 搅拌均匀，再待发1小时。
3）加进油休息5分钟。
4）倒进1个8寸四方烘烤盘（用少许油涂在盘底和四边）以大火蒸35分钟至熟即可。

Healthy Oatmeal Apple Muffin

My daughter asked ""mum, can you think of one healthy muffin or cup cake recipe? I want to give it to one of my friends, because she is a very healthy conscious person."

Here I would like to share with you this recipe which I classified as a healthy muffins which contains healthy ingredients such as apple, walnuts and instant oat.

Verdict: Texture of the cake is spongy, soft and light, and the sweetness is just right . It is best to eat after a day old.

Recipe:

Ingredients: (makes 8 - 9 small muffins)
80 g plain flour
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/16 tsp. bicarbonate of soda
2 tablespoon instant oatmeal
1 whole egg
60 g brown sugar
60 g apple (cut into strips or cut into small cubes)
50 ml fresh milk
4 tablespoon corn oil (I reduced to 3 tablespoon)
2 tablespoon raisins
2 tablespoon toasted walnuts (chopped)

Method:

~~1) Preheat oven to 180 degree C.

~~2) Place sifted flour, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda and instant oat into a mixing bowl. Leave aside.

~~3) Whisk egg with sugar until foamy, add apple strips, corn oil and fresh milk mix until mixture is incorporated.

~~4) Mixture 3) add into mixture 2) mix well until there is no lumps. Add raisins and walnuts, mix well.

~~5) Spoon batter into muffin cups and sprinkle some instant oat on top. Bake for 15 - 18 minutes until golden brown.


Recipe reference: 忽然一周

Banana Chiffon Cake

Last week my husband went to Malaysia to visit his sisters and brother. He brought back banana, passion fruit and longan . Some were planted by his brother and some were given by friends. The banana is of a species we have never taken before. it has a distinct taste and is the sweetest banana we have ever eaten. I used some of the very ripen banana to bake chiffon cake and I also made steamed banana cake. Of course my family can't finish all, I gave some to my friends.

This chiffon cake is very soft and light, is an ideal breakfast and tea break for the elderly because the cake is not oily and banana is one of the most nutritious fruit you can get.

For recipe click here. (This recipe makes 2 mini 5" chiffon cakes)

Boston Cheese Cake

Recipe:

Ingredients:

A)
~ ~150 ml milk
~~20 g sugar
~~3 eggs
~~20 g corn flour

B)
250 g Cream Cheese

C)
~ ~Zest of 1/2 lemon
~~130 ml Whipping cream (whipped before use)

D)
~~2 tablespoon plain flour
~~60 g sultanas

E)
~~3 Egg Whites
~~60 g sugar
~~1 tablespoon lemon juice

Method:
1)Bring 100 ml of milk from (A) with the sugar to the boil. Add the remaining milk,egg yolks and cornflour. Continue to cook till it thickens. Leave to cool. Set aside.

2) Beat the cream cheese till smooth and light. Add in the cooled (A). Mix till well blended.

3) Add (C) and mix till evenly blended.

4) Add (D) and mix till well combined.

5) Whip the egg whites in (E) till foamy. Add the sugar and lemon juice. Continue to whip till stiff, then add in to the cheese mixture and mix well.

6) Line a 9" round mould with greaseproof paper on the bottom and sides.

7) Place the sponge cake on the bottom, then pour cheese batter onto it. （Sponge cake recipe is not given here, You may use your own recipe).

8) Bake in water bath at 150 degree C for about 2 hours or until the centre is set and the surface turns light golden brown. Remove the cake from the oven.

9) Unmould the cake only when it is totally cool.

Recipe reference from Alex Goh (Creative Making Of Cakes)

Fun with creative Swiss roll

Yes, Swiss Roll again. Having made my first successful creative Strawberry swiss roll and receiving a slew of compliments from my friends, I was motivated to make the swiss roll again.

Today I actually wanted to make some hearts and ball disigns instead but they turned out not what I expected and envisaged. So I just simply gave up and adapted what I had done to form the eventual disigns. hahah...hehehe.

The sponge cake was not well made as you can see air bubbles. After all it is still worth all the efforts. I really had fun and enjoyed the process very much.

.Recipe is the same as the creative strawberry swiss roll.

Creative Strawberry Swiss Roll

Last week I chanced upon one of the blogger's recipe. It was a very very beautiful strawberry swiss roll. The recipe was very easy to follow. I tried and succeeded.

My verdict:

~~1) Texture very soft, light and moist. After the next day remains the same.

~~2) Thumbs up by my "makan kaki".

~~3) Very attractive and creative. Even children were intrigued by it.

The recipe makes 2 swiss rolls as I do not have the right size swiss roll tray, I made one 31 cm x 26 cm swiss roll and one 14 cm heart-shaped cake for my daughter.

Thanks 小本 , for sharing this beautiful recipe.

Click here for Chinese recipe http://www.wretch.cc/blog/bear1210/16700656 give it a try.

Recipe:

Ingredients:

Sponge cake:

A) 6 egg yolks

20 g fine caster sugar

B) 60 g fresh milk

45 g corn oil

C) 100 g plain flour

15 g corn flour

D) 5 egg whites

70 g fine caster sugar

Strawberry ingredient:

e) 20 g egg white

10 g fine caster sugar

f) edible food red coloring

g) green tea powder, cocoa powder

Filling for the cake: whip 250 g fresh cream with 25 g sugar. Some fresh strawberries cut into 4 halves or into 2 halves.

Method: (chiffon cake method)

~~1) Place ingredients A into a mixing bowl, mix well. Add ingredients B and stir and mix until smooth.

~~2) Add sifted flours (ingredient C) into egg yolk mixture until well blend.

***making strawberry:

** line greased proof paper/Glad Bake onto a swiss roll tray.

**Take 30 g (about 2 tbsp) from the above premix mixture, add in red colouring .

** Beat ingredient e) until stiff but not dry. Mix together with the red mixture. Put them in a piping bag.

** Pipe out a few triangle shapes on the pre-prepared swiss roll tray. Bake in preheated oven for 1 1/2 minutes at top temp 190 deg. C and bottom temp. 180 deg C. Remove from oven immediately when is done.

Come back to the sponge cake:

1) Beat 5 1/2 egg whites ((about 210 g, the 1/2 egg white is from (e) until peak form but not dry.

2) Mix in the balance egg yolk mixture until mixture is well combined.

3) Pour into the swiss roll tray, use a spatula to level evenly. Bake for 12 - 13 minutes at 190 degree C.

4) When cool, spread fresh cream and place strawberries, roll up and put in the fridge for about 20 -30 minutes.

5) 2 different small bowl fill with little of cooked cold water. One mix with green tea powder, the other mix with cocoa powder.

6) Take out swiss roll, use a very fine brush to draw sepals/leaves in green, and cocoa mixture for tiny dots on the strawberries.

HAPPY BAKING ~~~

Fudgy Brownie

Yummy yummy! This is one of my favourate brownies. It is light, fragrant and moist. But.. but, remember to gargle your mouth after eating because the cake will get stuck in between your teeth.

Recipe:

Ingredients: (makes 12 cups)

A) 6 oz (about 170 g) butter
3 oz ( 70 g) sugar

B) 3 eggs

C) 2 oz (50 g) cocoa powder
5 1/4 oz (150 g) plain flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
12 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon vanilla

D) 4 oz chocolate chips

Method:

~~1) Preheat oven to 160 degree C.

~~2) Cream butter and sugar together until light and pale.

~~3) Add egg one at a time to the creamed butter mixture.

~~4) Fold in sifted flour and ingredients (C) and mix mixture till well blended.

~~5)Add in chocolate chips and combine well.

~~6) spoon mixture into paper cups until 3/4 full. Bake for 20 -25 minutes or until cook.

叉烧肉包 BBQ meat bao

几天前外甥的太太打电话来问关于做包子的问题。想想我也有一段日子没做叉烧肉包子了。

昨天一早起来就上巴杀买肉自己来腌制叉烧。这个叉烧食谱容易做又好吃，不防一试。

叉烧材料∶

三层肉/五花肉 － 1000克

食用叉烧红粉 － 1/4 茶匙 (1/4 teaspoon)

黑酱油 － 2茶匙 (2 teaspoon)

食盐 － 1 大量匙 (1 tablespoon)

酱青 － 1 大量匙 (1 tablespoon)

白幼糖 － 10 大量匙 (10 tablespoon)

请水 － 8 大量匙 (8 tablespoon)

做法∶

1）把肉切成粗条状，用以上的材料腌至少6个小时。

2）把烘炉预热约15-20分左右，然后将腌好猪肉一条条排放在跌架盛着，放进烘炉里，用上火烤12-15分钟。

3）接着取出，每条再涂上少许腌猪肉的汁水，然后每条反转，再放进烘炉里烤12-15分钟左右，使其全部香熟就好。

馅料的制法∶

一粒 大葱 （切成小粒）
5朵 香菇（切成小粒）
500 克 叉烧 （切成小粒）
2 汤匙 黑酱油
3汤匙 白糖
1茶匙 麻油
1汤匙 蚝油
1/2碗水及1 1/2汤匙玉米粉
芫荽少许

方法∶烧热油炒香大葱，再下香菇，叉烧炒香，加入味汁炒至发亮状即可。待用。


包皮材料∶（可做28粒）
（A)
375 克 香港面粉
200 毫升 温水
10 克 干即速酵母

做法∶
1）先将酵母容于水中约10分钟。
2）加入面粉揉成滑面团，用湿布盖着放醒1个钟或发大一倍 。

（B)
125克 香港面粉
150克 白幼糖
1 1/2　大量匙 双倍发粉
10克 白油 （crisco)

做法∶

1）将面粉和发粉一起混和筛均匀。

2）将发好的面团加入（1），加入糖一起揉成面团再加进白油揉至糖粒溶化和光滑状，放约10分钟。

3）分成30克的小面团，将面团压成薄片，将叉烧馅料包入，底放一张1.5"x1.5"的油纸，再醒约10分钟，放进蒸炉大火steam 15分钟即可享用。


馅料的制法：（这个馅料食谱是给不吃葱和香菇的人）

１）热锅加油，放入葱３支，姜３片炒香，捞起扔掉。放入黑酱油２大匙，蚝油２大匙，糖３大匙，玉米粉１大匙(调水), 煮到黏状才放进叉烧５００克拌均即成。

Summer Fruits Chiffon Cake

Paiseh (means embarrassing in Hockian)! I am still not very good at unmoulding the cake from the baking tin. Despite the appearance, the cake turned out to be Q soft and moist - a successful recipe.

Today I have a very weird idea by adding the canned summer fruits into my chiffon cake. Can you imagine what the taste will be like? You might say it will taste very fruity. No, no you will get disappointed. It tastes very very very plain and bland, and the tiny seeds of the fruits are so irritating once you accidentally bite in your mouth.

And you will wonder why i still want to post this blog here. Aiya! It is just because you could hardly buy this flavour chiffon cake from the bakery shop. hahahaha....It could be a very tasty chiffon cake if i change to other brand of canned summer fruits/fruits. Be patient, I will let you know the outcome. It is just an idea you can replace with your favourite fresh fruits. it definitely tastes better than the canned fruits.

Recipe

Ingredients:

A)

~~ 80 g egg yolks

~~40 g caster sugar

~~80 cc corn oil

~~160 g plain flour

~~1/4 teaspoon salt

~~160 g summer fruits + syrup (blend into puree)

~~1 tablespoon strawberry emulco/paste

B)

~~120 g egg white

~~60 g caster sugar

~~1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar

Method:

~ 1)Chiffon cake method

~ 2) Pour batter into a 20 cm chiffon cake mould. Bake at 160 - 170 degree for 50 minutes