Pandan Ping Pei Lotus Mooncake

I have wanted to make ping pei mooncake for years but just couldn't find the courage to do so. As I'm afraid of failure and afraid nobody wanted to entertain it later. At first i thinking to give up making it for this year too as too costly to buy the ingredient of the lotus paste. If fail everything will go to the dustbin like my previous Green tea swiss roll! With the courage of my husband..."nothing is perfect at first and practise make perfect". Therefore, yesterday during lunch time, i went to buy all ingredient including the mould to make the mooncake! Straight away, i make the mooncake on yesterday night too.

The skin is a bit too thick but the taste is very much like the commercial type too.

Hence comes the recipe for the Pandan ping pei mooncake

Ingredient
For the skin
225g Kof Fun
55g Shortening
300ml cold water
225 Icing sugar
20g Wheat flour
2 drop of pandan essence

For the filling
600g Lotus paste

Method:-
1. Mix koh fun, wheat flour, icing sugar and shortening
2. Add in cold water and essence and mix well until it become a dough.
3. Rest for 10 mins
4. Meanwhile roll up 100g each of the lotus paste
5. Divide the dough about 80g each(will have some leftover)
6. Wrap the filling with the skin and put into the mooncake mould. then press out.
* i used the modern mooncake mould as no need to knock on the table!

Ribena Cheesecake

Last Friday, 10th Sep is my father in law birthday, but i don't have time to bake a cake for him as never in mind to bake a cake as we are going to Bukit Tinggi for our family trip. While having dinner together only we realise that none of us bought a cake for my father in law. At that time, i told my husband that i'll bake a cake for your father on Sunday as a replacement.

On Sat's night after an evening shopping at Sunway pyramid, i felt very tired. Thinking to give up to bake the cake. Hoping everybody will forget on my promise. But i just can't feel right. therefore, i take out the cream cheese to cold to room temperature while making my daugther to sleep. Right after my daugther fell to sleep, i quickly start on my mission on this Ribena Cheesecake as i thought cheesecake is more easier to make as no baking time is required.

i found this recipe from Happy Home Baking.

Crust:
180g digestive biscuits, finely crushed (Original call for 150g)
100g butter, melted (original called for 60g)

Filling:
100ml water
20g (2 tablespoons) gelatin powder (Should reduce to 1.5tbsp as the cheesecake turned out to be very jelly type)
250g cream cheese, soften at room temperature
75g caster sugar
250ml (1 cup) natural plain yogurt
75ml Ribena blackcurrant juice cordial (Should add more as i hardly can taste the Ribena flavour)


Method:
For the Crust
1. To make the crust, combine crushed digestive biscuits and melted butter together in a mixing bowl. With the back of a spoon, press the biscuit crumbs onto the base of the prepared pan. Chill in the freezer compartment for at least 1 hour.

For the filling
1. Pour the water into a bowl and sprinkle in the gelatin (without stirring with a spoon). Set aside to allow the gelatin grains to swell (10 mins) before setting the bowl over a pot of simmering hot water. Stir with a spoon and once the gelatin melts, remove the bowl from the pot and set aside to cool to room temperature.
2. With an electric mixer, beat cream cheese and sugar together until smooth. Add in the gelatin solution and yogurt, beat till the mixture turns smooth.
3. Divide mixture evenly into two bowls. Add 75ml of Ribena into one of the bowls and mix well with a spatula.
4. Spoon the two mixtures in alternate blobs into the chilled crust. Level top and swirl with a knife through the mixture to create a marble effect. Refrigerate for overnight.

Green Tea Ice Cream

Before I attempt to make this green tea ice cream, i have successfully make the Vanilla ice cream and "Cream n Cookies" ice cream without a ice cream maker. quite nervous at the beginning as most of the recipe i found for the green tea ice cream require a ice cream maker. But after i read thru Blessed Homemaker blog which she making this green tea ice cream without the ice cream maker, i have the couraged to do so also.

therefore, during the Raya holidays, i make this green tea ice cream. I can say it quite successful as the texture turned out to be creamy and not icy. The recipe of this green tea ice cream i get from Kitchen corner blog which i reduce to half as i don't have enough whipping cream store in the fridge. But i intend to make this ice cream again during the coming weekend! cheers

Ingredients (Original version)
250ml whole milk
150g sugar
Pinch of salt
500ml heavy cream
4 teaspoons matcha
6 large egg yolks

Method

1. Warm the milk, sugar and salt in a medium saucepan.
2. Pour the cream into a large bowl and whisk in the green tea powder. Set a mesh strainer on top.
3. In a separate medium bowl, whisk together the egg yolks.
4. Slowly pour the warm mixture into the egg yolks, whisking constantly, then scrape the warmed egg yolks back into the saucepan.
5. Stir the mixture constantly over medium heat with a heatproof spatula or wooden spoon, scraping the bottom as you stir, until the mixture thickens and coats the spatula.
6. Pour the custard through the strainer and stir it into the cream, then whisk it vigorously until custard is frothy to dissolve the green tea powder. Stir until cool over an ice bath.
7. Chill the mixture thoroughly in the refrigerator for about 3-4 hours, then take out from the freezer and beat with the electric mixer and re-freeze again for another 3-4 hours and beat again with the electric mixer before pour into a container and freeze for overnight

Ham and Cheese Bread

Actually this bread has been baked a week ago, and i'm feeling lazy to update and upload due to limited internet accessibility and Raya holidays!

For this bread, the outlook is not attractive at all so i don't have the mood to really post the ingredient here. However, the taste of bread is still there. Luckily the ham and the cheese smell is so strong so the bread still can be edible. hahaha Will try to bake again in the future

Green Tea Cake

Green tea cake

During my birthday, my husband bought me a green tea cake with red bean paste, which i found it so delicious. Important is my daughter loves to eat the cake too. As you know small children tend to be picky in eating. I remembered i saw one of the recipe of the same green tea cake with red bean paste in one of the Flavour magazine. Therefore, without wasting time, i followed the recipe and bake the cake once i got hold all the ingredient. So sad to say that this cake turned out to be unsuccessful. My heart sank as I've planned to bake this cake for my daugther and husband birthday sometimes next month. The cake flavour is there but the texture is a bit wet and heavy. i guess it has to do with how I beat the egg whites. Since their birthday still a month ahead, i guess i still have time to practice. Hope my next baking will turn out to be successful then i will post the recipe here.

Raisin bun

I purposely bake this bread for my daughter as she loves to eat bread so much. Plus raisin is her favourite too. I've got the recipe from Daily Delicious blog. The bread turn out to be nice just the process is a bit messy especially after i pouring the custard and raisin. i got difficulty to roll it up. Later, when i cut the roll into 6 pieces, ouch... too much custard leaking out. The whole table turned very messy with all the custard batter.

Nevertheless, it still a very nice raisin bun to have for the breakfast: 2 for myself, 2 for husband, 1 for my daughter and the other one is for my mum in law. I intend to bake it again :)

9 Layer Cake

I like to eat 9 layer cake. However never bother to know how is the process until I saw the recipe note from Florence blog. Told myself should give it a try. Overall the taste is good but the texture of the kueh is too sticky until i had hard time to cut it! i guess i know where has gone wrong... should use lesser water. The recipe is called for 560 - 750 ml of water. i selected 700ml which is too sticky for me. i guess for next time i should try to 560ml only. Will update the result later

Durian Baked Cheesecake

Since I had some leftover of durian in the fridge. I think i better make use of it before it turn rotten. Therefore, I decided to bake a Durian cheesecake. This time round i'll try to make a durian cheesecake which is baked version as i have tried the non-bake version which i don't like to use the gelatin powder. I guess this cheesecake should be fine for those that is vegetarian.

Ingredient:-
For the Cake Base
200g of digestive biscuit - blended
100g of butter

For the Filling
350g of durian flesh - mashed finely/blended
500g of cream cheese
100g of sugar
40g of cornflour
180ml of evaporated milk
100ml of whipping cream
3 eggs (beaten)

Method:-
1. Mix all the digestive biscuit and the butter together and press into a 8" springform cake base. Chill in the fridge while preparing the filling.
2. Beat the cream cheese together with the sugar until well combine. Add in the corn flour followed by the rest of the ingredient. Mix until a smooth batter.
3. Pour cream cheese durian mixture into the chilled biscuit base and then steam bake at 160 degree for about an hour 20 mins.

NOTE: Remember to wrap the springform using a aluminium form to prevent the water leaking into the cake base.

Durian Choux Puff

Since now is durian session, I have try to search internet for any recipe of it. Too many and finally decided to make the following as it is quite easy and straightforward to understand.

Ingredient for the puff:-
125ml water
50g butter
A pinch of salt
A pinch of sugar
70g All purpose flour
2 nos of egg (lightly beaten)

Ingredient for the filling:-
150g durian
125ml of non-diary whipping cream

Method for the puff:-
1. Boil the butter, water, sugar and salt in a saucepan until bubbling start to form then turn to low heat.
2. Pour all the flour one go into the mixture and stir vigorously using a wooden spoon until a dough is formed.
3. Keep on stirring until a white coat/film formed at the botttom of the saucepan and remove from the heat (about 1 - 2 mins)
4. Transfer the dough to a mixing bowl and beat till it is lukewarm.
5. Add in the egg by half and mix till well blended and smooth before adding in the remaining egg. You will find your batter will be very sticky but smooth at the end
6. Place the batter into a piping bag and pipe it onto a lined pan in rounds of about 4cm in diameter or you can also scope out a spoonful of the batter and lined it up.
7. Spray some water on it. (I guess without will be better)
8. Bake at 200 degree for 25 mins then 180degree for 10 mins or till dry and golden brown in colour. Turn off the oven and let it cool in the oven for 30 mins before take it out.

Method for the filling:-
1. Beat the whipping cream until soft peak
2. Add in the durian flesh (mashed) and mix until combine
3. Put the filling into a piping bag and freeze. Remove from freeze when needed.

Basic Vanilla Sponge Cake

Even though this is already 4th time i've make this sponge cake but i find the result still not 100% perfect. If I'm going to rate it, is about 7 only. I'll try to improve from time to time.

Anyway, this is the recipe for the sponge cake:-

Ingredient:-
140g cake flour
4no eggs
30g milk
200g sugar
1 tsp vanilla essence
4g salt
30g oil

Method:-
1. Sift the cake flour and set aside
2. Add salt and sugar and pour in a mixing bowl with eggs. Immediately using high speed beat the egg mixture until pale and fluffy then reduce to medium speed. Continuous beating until the egg mixture reach soft peak (when the mixer lifted, the dripping about 2 to 3 sec once)
3. Now mix the flour into the batter using slow speed to avoid the flour from flying then follow for medium speed until just well combine. (NOTE: Don't overbeat as the egg batter will deflate - possible just use a rubber spatula to mix)
4. In another clean bowl, mix the milk and oil together. Pour 1/3 of the egg batter into it and mix well. Pour back the oil mixture into the remaining egg batter and mix until just combine, when you will notice that the batter is shining.
5. Pour the mixture in a loose baking base and fill up to 70% to avoid uneven baking especially the middle part.
6. Bake at preheated oven at 170 degree for 35 mins or until a skewer inserted into it comes out clean.

Chocolate Cake

Thinking to bake a "Banana Chocolate Cake" over the weekend. Unfortunately, run out of banana, therefore switch to just Chocolate Cake. However, with a modify version :p as I'm lazy to spread the filing in between the layer instead I poured over on the top part just to cover the cracked i've make during the baking process.

For this cake, i didn't take any photo on the whole cake as I felt quite disappointment at the beginning as my cake cracked so badly on top of it plus i need about double the recommended time of baking to have this cake. At first i really thought it will taste bad but after I've tried a piece, I found it actually not that bad at all and finish quite fast:p

Ingredient:-

250g butter

300g castor sugar

200g self-raising flour; sifted

4 eggs

1 tbsp baking powder; sifted

1/2 tbsp bicarbonate of soda; sifted

250ml local warm black coffee

Chocolate sauce

250ml whipping cream

125g icing sugar

250g dark chocolate; chopped

2 tbsp of butter

Method:-

A. Preparing the cake:

1. Cream the butter and the castor sugar
2. Gradually add in the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition so that the mixture does not curdle
3. Add in sifted ingredients and warm coffee; afternately in small quantities, mixing thoroughly.
4. Pour into a cake tine
5. Bake in a preheated overn of 180 degree celcius for 45 minutes (which i need about 1.5hrs)
6. Remove from oven and cool

B. Preparing the chocolate sauce

1. Combine the whipping cream, icing sugar, chocolate and butter in a small saucepan.
2. Stir over low heat until thick and smooth.
3. Remove from heat, cover and keep warm

C. Finishing

1. Pour the chocolate sauce all over the cake
2. Chill in the fridge and slice to serve

Hawaiian Pizza

Hawaiian Pizza

Ingredient:-
120g High protein flour
120g Plain flour
120ml Warm water
1 tbsp Olive oil
1 tsp Salt
1 tsp Instant dried yeast
1 tsp sugar

Topping
Pineapple slices
Mozarella cheese
Ham
Tomato puree

Method:-

1. Pour the warm water, sugar and yeast in a clean bowl. Wait for about 10 mins or until there is bubble rises on the top
2. Sift the high protein flour and plain flour together in a mixing bowl. Add in the salt, olive oil and the yeast mixture together and whisk using a dough hook until all the ingredient are incorporated
3. When the dough is no longer stick to the mixing bowl, take out the dough onto a lightly floured tabletop
4. Knead until the dough is smooth and elastic - about 20 mins
5. Place the dough into a lightly grease clean bowl and rest for 1 or 1.5 hrs or until the dough double in size cover with a cling wrap/warm tea towel
6. Take out the rising dough and punch down the dough to release the air inside. Knead for another few more round
7. Shape the dough into a round ball and rest for another 10 mins
8. Roll out thinly(as per your preference) to fit into a lightly grease baking tray.
9. Prick the base of the pizza dough with a fork. Bake for 8 mins
10. Take out the bake pizza dough and spread the surface with tomato puree sauce followed by mozarella cheese, ham, pineapple slices, and finished with mozarella cheese.
11. Bake in preheated oven at 200 degree celcius for 18 mins or until golden brown.
12. Cut and serve when the pizza is still warm

Cocoa Sponge Cake

Recipe adapted from Grace Kitchen
Finally, this is the first successfully sponge cake that i've ever made. therefore, i would like to share this recipe with all of you.

Ingredient:
6 eggs + 2 egg yolks
Castor sugar 135g
Glucose syrup 21g
Salt 1 g
Oil 32g
Cocoa powder 21g
Cake flour 106g
Baking soda 1g
Milk 21cc

Method:-
1. Heat up the oil; just about to heat up, pour the cocoa powder and mix well until all powder is
dissolve and off the fire and set aside to cool.
2. Beat the egg, sugar and salt together using high speed until very pale and fluffy.
3. Then add in the glucose syrup and whisk using mediuspeed until reaching a consistency
level where when the mixer is lifted the dripping is about 3 seconds once
4. Add in the sifted flour and baking soda. Use low speed for about 3-4 round then off the mixter
and turn to medium speed for another 20 seconds or until all the flour is mix well with the
batter
5. Mix about 1/3 of the egg mixture to the cocoa mixture and mix well
6. Pour back the mixture in (5) into the remaining egg mixture and add in the milk together and
mix using a rubber spatula until the mixture has spread evenly.
7. Pour in the 8 inches cake mould until 60-70% full
8. Bake in a preheated oven at 180 degress celcius for about 30-35 mins

Sausage Cheese Roll

This morning having a sausage cheese roll as breakfast which i baked on the night before. This time the texture is far more better than the previous first 2 attempts. However, i guess it could still be improved if I can knead a bit longer.
One comment I should make is, I should have make 4 instead of 6 so that my sausage rolls will look fatter :p

Here is the recipe for the Sausage Cheese Rolls (Adapted from dailydelicious blog)
Ingredient:-
150g bread flour
2.5g instant dried yeast
5g sugar
3g salt
110 - 115g 1/2 egg plus whole milk
6 pcs sausage (should be 4 pcs)
3 slices cheddar cheese (should be 2 slices)
1/2 egg plus 1 tsp of waer for glazing

Method:-
1. Put the flour, sugar and yeast in a bowl, whisk to combine, add salt and whisk again.
2. Pour the egg and milk mixture into the bowl
3. Take the dough out of the bowl and knead, you will see the dough will be elastic after about 2 minutes
4. Add the butter and knead again by using the heel of your hands to compress and push the dough away from you, then fold it back over itself. Give the dough a little turn and repeat. Put the weight of your body into the motion and get into a rhythm. Keep folding over and compressing the dough. Knead for 10-15 minutes or until the dough is soft, pliable, smooth and slightly shinny, almost satiny.
5. Or you can also try stretching part of the dough, if it can stretch into a thin sheet without breaking, you've kneaded enough and the dough is ready
6. Put the dough into a light buttered bowl. Let the dough rise in a warm place until double in size (can be 1 hr or 1 and 1/2 hrs)
7. Take the dough out of the bowl, deflate by touch it lightly
8. Cut the dought into 6 pcs (should be 4 pcs), roll into a ball and let them rest for 10 mins
9. Using a rolling pin to roll the dough into a oval shape, place the sausage in the middle, cut both sides of the dough into strips, and place half of the cheese slice over the sausage. Fold the strips alternating the left and right over the sausage.
10. Place the dough on the oven sheet, lined with baking paper. Preheat the oven to 200 degress celcius. Let the dough rise until almost double in size, brush with egg wash. Bake for 8 minustes then reduce the temperature to 180 degree and bake for another 5 mins or until the rolls are golden brown.

Just started my blog today. Hopefully when time comes, I have quite a lot of collection of my baking. All the while, i never really successfully bake any dishes. But, i've promised myself that i'll make baking a fun and for my family. I always wanted to have a good afternoon tea break/time with my family in a garden enjoying my baking. Hope my dream will realise soon.