December 2009

This is not a good month as both uncle and grandma have left us. Hope they have found each other company along the way.

Avrem's Birthday

This year we celebrated early for Avrem's birthday. We have a potluck session at Sister house and I have baked a simple cake and a Hawaiian pizza.

My niece 33 also baked a colourful pavlova for this session. She's really talented :)

Batam Trip (12 Dec -14 Dec 09)

This trip was organised by the department. We stayed at a 2yrs old hotel styled 'I-hotel'. Room is spacious and comfortable. This hotel is located near Nagoya hill shopping mall and is very convenient. Just take a 5mins walk from the rear of the hotel and you are there. The operating hrs of the mall is 10am-10pm. There is a shop styled '61' that sell T-shirt at as low as Rupiah 15,000 @ SIN$2.20. Bought quite a no of pieces there. There is also a hardware shop located beside the hypermart that sell baking tins. Didn't write down the unit no but it is easily located at the corner. Within the hypermart there is also baking tins and ingredients for sale. The tins are cheaper then JB but the quality may not be as good but its still good enough for baking.


These are vegertarian bao. Rupiah 3000 @ $0.45

This stall is located inside the mall selling kueh kueh. Bought the steam yam and surabaya cake to try. One is too salty while the other is too sweet.

As this is a guided tour, we also visited Batam centre shopping mall, polo outlets etc. Among these places is a Kuek Lapis factory. Managed to take some pictures and saw them using golden churn butter. A orginal lapis cost $23 while prune cost $26. I bought the latter. Did you see the 2 pails? Its egg whites as the shop claimed that they uses only yolks to bake the lapis.

Short Break

Took a short break from baking. Went over to Cameron Highland, Malaysia with family and Batam, Indonesia with colleague. Weather at Cameron Highland is cooling while Batam is super warm. However have enjoy myself on these 2 trips. Bought some baking stuff from batam...very cheap esp the baking tins. Heart shape, square tin, round tin you name it I bought it hahaha.....I don't have enough hands else sure get even more stuff back.

Fresh Fruits Flan

M told me that she would like to have the Fresh Fruit Flan for her boy Birthday. Managed to bake one. Hope M family will like it and Happy Birthday to Alden.

Strawberry shortcake

I have done badly on this cake esp the sponge cake. But colleague commented that the cake was nice. Guess they are too kind in their words. Will have another attempt.

Recipe from 自己動手做鬆鬆軟軟的海綿蛋糕

Sponge cake (18cm tin)
2 eggs
70gm sugar
60gm cake flour
20gm melted butter

Method
1) beat eggs & sugar to fluffy at high speed. When about to stop reduce the speed to stablise the batter.
2) fold in flour
3) add in melted butter and fold.
4) Pour batter from a height into a grease mould. Baked 170c for 25mins

Sugar syrup
2 Tbs sugar syrup
1tsp cherry liquor

Making of Sugar syrup
Ratio is 2:1 (sugar : Water) i.e 50gm sugar you will need 25gm water
Boil sugar and water together * can add vanilla pod optional

Cream
300ml whipping cream
Cherry liquor 1Tbs

Method
1) whipped cream and set aside in fridge
2) sliced cake into half, brush sugar syrup on the cake
3) spread whipped cream on the cake, lay the strawberry in circular making about 2 inner rounds leaving the centre empty
4) spread some whipped cream and cover another layer of cake
5) Spread remaining cream on cake.
6) Leave in fridge for 2-3hrs before serving

竹碳乳酪土司

This supposed to be a toast but I guess my bread tin is too big for the amount of dough. Recipes from 孟老师的100道面包。 Though this bread does not have the 土司 look, the taste is almost similar to the one I had at JB bakery shop.

Soft bread & Pandan Chiffon

After seeing my fellow blogger annann baked the bread for so many times, I bet the bread must be very nice. I tried out the recipes and indeed it yield very soft bread. The filling is cheese and Otah but mine the out look appear much like 小豆沙饼.

My girl also requested to eat pandan chiffon cake. Hence I whipped up one for her. Have reduce the sugar to 100gm. Again its a skinless one. :( But the texture is very soft.

Totoro Durian Cream Puff

Thanks to my niece 33 for showing me this cute little Totoro. Too cute not to bake right? Anyway 33 is only in her Secondary 3 and have great interest in baking. So am sure she has the potential to be a good baker one day! 加油哦33！

Back to the puff, I did not follow the above recipe. Instead I tried using My-Sweet-Kitchen durian cream puff recipe. For baking temperature I used 200c for 23mins. I should have increase the baking time for another few mins as I noticed the inner part of the pastry is still not well baked. The pastry shrink when it cool down and its not puffy. Hence as a result I have difficulty filling in the cream. Nonetheless, this puff is cute! Think still got room for improvement to get close to the creator Totoro.

Japanese Steamed Cake

Using the hot water bath method, this is the Japanese steamed cake or I should label it as 'Kosong cake'. The texture is similar to the Japanese cheese cake but without the cheese taste as the cheese is omitted in this recipe. Very Soft. :)

猪肉馅饼

Using the same filling of 水煎包 but another type of dough and frying method. The dough taste bit chewy and my family prefer the former.

水煎包（2）

Have some cabbage left in the fridge hence decided to do 水煎包 again. This time I add more seasoning to the filling. On top of that I fried 2 eggs and added some fresh mushroom. Yummy! My next attempt will be 胡椒饼 :P

Ingredients

For dough
250gm plain flour
135gm water
3gm yeast
10gm sugar
5gm oil

For filling
150gm minced meat
3Tbs water
1/2 tsp salt ( can increase if you prefer a more savory filling)
2Tbs sesame oil
thick chicken stock sauce (any type. jst happened I have this in my fridge)
50gm carrot (diced)
150gm cabbage (diced)
4 fresh mushroom (diced)
2 eggs pan fried and (chopped to smaller piece)
some black fungus (diced)
some vermicelli (cut)

For pan frying(A) (mixed and set aside. Remember to stir when using it)
200gm water
10gm plain flour

Methods
1) add water + salt to the minced meat and use 2 pairs of chopsticks and stirred vigorously @ one directon
2) add the rest of the seasoning sauce and the remaining ingredient meant for the filling. Mix and keep in fridge
3) Prepare the dough. Add all ingredients and knead it to a smooth dough ( The texture of dough should somehow similar to the dough we make bread. I usedKA speed 2 to mix).
4) Rest at room temp for 50mins or double the size with the dough cover
5) Roll the dough and cut about 8-10 pcs of smaller dough. Depending on how big you want the pao to turn out.
6) Start to work on the 1st smaller dough you have cut earlier. Used a rolling pin to flaten it to make a round shape.
7) wrapped the filling into the dough. Avoid the filling to touch the edge of the dough when wrapping. Else you will have difficulty to close up the dough
8) Rest the wrapped pao at room temp for 15-25mins cover with dam cloth
9) pour some oil to a frying pan
10) placed the pao onto the pan and pour abt 2 ladle of (A) and cover it to simmer. When (A) is almost drying up drizzle some sesame oil.
11) overturn the pao and serve hot

Managed to find this in you tube on how to wrap. Good one. :) Have fun

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nRLiTtVZ5z4&feature=fvw

Tiramisu

After looking at the yummy delicious Tiramisu from Tested and Tasted , I decided to bake one. This cake is not for myself but for a group of 'uncles from SxxT' who have been helping me in some of my work. This cake looks on the plain side but hope the taste is alright. Hope 'uncles' like it and really appreciate their help.

Kaya

I have google for kaya recipe and settled down the recipe from 人生加油站. I have almost everything at hand. I have reduced the amount of sugar to suit my taste. However my kaya turn out not very smooth but still is spreadable. Perhaps got to do with the modification I have made.

Ingredients (modified)

3 eggs

160gm fine sugar ( think can reduce further to 140 -150gm)

2 tsp molasses sugar

120ml coconut milk (I used packet type)

6 leaves of pandan leaves (cut)

method

1) Using double boil method. In a saucepan stirred eggs, sugar & molasses sugar till melt.

2) Sieved (1) using a strainer

3) placed pandan leaves into (2) stirred the mixture

4) add coconut milk and stirred till thicken

5) Remove pandan leaves

5) cool (4) before storing into bottle

More toys added...

Yap now got more 'toys' added in my cupboard. L friend J went to HK and with L helps, J agreed to bring back these toys for me. Thank you so much to L & J.

Majority are Bento stuff so I hope I can make some decent bento for my rascals. :)

Peach Swiss Roll

My swissroll turn out skinless, all due to my poor rolling technique. Should I wait for the sponge to cool totally before rolling or to roll while its still hot???? I made 2 different sponge. One is using vanilla while the other is using pandan. I prefer the former and find pandan combination is weird but I like the pattern done on it.

Vanilla Sponge
Pandan Sponge

Home version Pop corn

Borrowed 2 machines from my sister about 2 weeks ago. Didn't know she got such gadget at home. A Pop corn machine and an ice cream machine. The rascals have so much fun when I used it for the pop corn. Home made pop corn. I pour some honey over it but still prefer the commercial version. Not sure if it got to do with the packet of corn??? I did not get those meant for pop corn use. Any different????

My next on the list to do will be ice cream :P

Green Tea Chiffon Cake

I used the green tea powder bought from JB....find the green and taste are not strong enough. Unlike the previous attempt on another recipe, which can still see a slight dull green colour. This recipe only asked for 6gm so not sure if it has got to do with amount that call for it. Anyway I like this recipe as the result of the bake is not so sweet. This recipe yield only 2 Daiso size chiffon pan. Alternatively, can use a 6' chiffon pan. Recipe from 戚风+海绵 轻蛋糕77种. Btw my chiffon is still skinless.

Green Tea Chiffon Cake 6' chiffon pan 180c @ 30mins

Set A

50gm egg yolk （I used 3 small egg yolks @ 45gm)

37gm sugar (I Used 30gm)

Set B

58gm flour

6gm green tea powder

Set C

30gm oil

30gm milk

little salt

Set D

80gm egg whites ( I used 3 small eggs Whites @ 105gm)

35gm sugar (I used 30gm)

Method

1) Whisk (A)

2) Add (B) & (C)

3) Whisk (D)

4) Take 1/3 of (D) and mix into (2), once well mixed, add the rest of (D)

5) Fold in the batter. Avoid over mixing.

6) Pour into non grease mould and bake

7) Overturn the cake and allow to cool before unmoulding

Oatmeal Bread

I used the premix oatmeal bread to do this. Find the dough difficult to handle. More suitable for loaf bread then individual bun.

水煎包

This is also under my to do list after I saw my sister doing it last week. I replaced the filling with minced pork, cabbage, carrot, mushroom, Chinese vermicelli & cloud ears or more commonly known as black fungus. This is the only way I can get them to eat vegetables.

Panda Bread & Stuff crust pizza

This is under my to do list after I saw bake a story posting. The original recipe is from Taro Taro and a blogger Florence was kind enough to translate it. I was attracted by the cuteness of the bread...PANDA. Instead of using my KA to mix the dough, my niece 33 thought me the manual method. Lots of throwing involved and at the end of the day my arm was aching. Maybe I'm too greedy cos I did a pizza follow by this panda bread. Not sure if I will use the manual method again....hubby commented that 厉害就好，不要假历害 ：（

Panda Bread

Stuff Crust Pizza

Orea Cream Cake & Hazel nut Cream cake

Orea Cream Cake
Hazel Nut Cream cake

L came over to my place last night to bake cake. We settle for something easy to whip up. Surprisingly, we baked these 2 cakes within 4 hours. Hope she enjoy the fun of baking and of course the cake.

Charcoal Cointreau, Pandan & Milo Mooncake

I still have some lotus paste in the fridge and since I have the charcoal powder I thought why not use it on the mooncake. So I simply scoop a tsp of the Charcoal powder + 3 tsp of cointreau+ 2 tsp orange paste and make it into the pingpi dough. I'm afraid it may be too dark to be seen haha..... but the taste is still not bad.....anyway wishing all bloggers 中秋节快乐!

Guess what I supposed to make this for my mil but she have already bought hers....now they are left in the fridge..think have to give away to my neighbour then.

Milo Mooncake

Childrens Day Celebration

Hello Kitty and Doraemon
Garden Bugs

Bumble Bee (notice the rear of the bee? )

Blue bug & caterpillar

Prepare these for Ashly to bring to school for her classmates. While preparing, Alden say he wants a Blue lady bug and a caterpillar. This is how the 2 came about in the picture. I hope they have a joyous Childrens Day celebration.

When Hello Kitty meet Doraemon...

...one will never greet (HK got no mouth) while the other will never hear (Do got no ears) keke...Doraemon is meant for GSM niece, hope she will like it. While HK is left behind the container.....Time for me to buy a pen for such fine detail drawing.

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