Pear Drink (鸭梨水)

I remembered this drink we had during the last haze period. It was said to be a cooling drink for the body and expelled heatiness. So it was time that I made this drink for my family members with the recent haze. Glad that everyone love this drink!

Ingredients 

6 Pears (cut each pear into quarters)
1 pkt Rock Sugar
Water

Directions

1. In a pot add water and pear (I used a big pot and add more than 1/2 pot of water).Cooked till boiled.
2. Add rock sugar and continue to boil another 30 mins. Can serve hot or chilled.

Orange Cake

Trying out to make a whole cake (exclude cranberry and double the ingredients quantity) with my Orange Cranberry Cupcakes Recipe. Not quite satisfied with the texture though as it did not rise as I expected from the cupcakes. The texture was tight and not spongy enough, perhaps due to the use of my new mixer (Kenwood) to whisk the eggs and sugar. It took a long time to whisk till pale and fluffy stage. I guess I will try again with my long time Philip Mixer if it yield the same result.

Coconut Buns

It was a hazy day (PSI 262) and since we plan not to go out, I decided to bake this Coconut Buns. I had cross referenced with a few recipes on the coconut filings but the quantity was too much for 1 lot of dough. So I decided to come up with this adjusted quantity which I feel should be perfectly fit the amount of dough. I love the filings with a little moist and  the gula melaka flavour that blends so well with the bun.

Ingredients 

Coconut Filings
130g gula melaka
130g water
2 pandan leaves
250g grated coconut

Dough
320g bread flour
30g sugar
5g instant yeast
210g milk
40g salted butter

Milk (I used Soya Milk for brushing)

Directions

1. In a frying pan, add water, pandan leaves and gula melaka. Cook till the sugar completely dissolved. Reduce heat and stir in grated coconut. Cook until gula melaka has evenly coated the grated coconut. Set aside to cool down.
2. Mix bread flour, sugar and yeast in the mixing bowl, mix well.
3. Add in the milk and mix into a dough.
4. Add in butter and continue kneading for another 10 mins.
5. Allow the dough to rest about 1 hour or till double in size.
6. Divide the dough into 35g and roll into round shape. Spoon coconut filing in the centre, seal the edge and place them on a lined baking tray. Allow the dough to proof for about 40 mins.
7. Brush the dough with soya milk (or fresh milk).
8. Baked in a preheated oven 180 Deg C for about 15 mins or until the top brown.

Soya Milk/Pandan Soya Agar Agar (2015)

This year, I have decided to make the non Traditional & Cooling Mooncakes ie Soya Milk Agar Agar and Pandan Soya Agar Agar Mooncakes. My first attempt making the Pandan Soya Agar Agar Mooncakes failed as I did not cook the mixture long enough (till thicken). I have updated the recipe for future reference.

Moist Banana Cupcakes

I was craving for banana cake and since I needed to clear a packet of walnuts which was going to expire, I decided to whip up this easy and yummy banana cupcakes with my Moist Banana Cake recipe. Feeling satisfied!

Colourful Agar Agar

I was in the mood to make something colourful and cooling, so I bought different colour of Agar Agar powders from Supermarket and get my hands to make these. This was quite time consuming as it needed time for them to set before adding the next layers but after completion, it was indeed pretty. They kids love them as it was not only nice to see but cooling too.

Ingredients 

Coconut Layer
10g Agar Agar powder
800ml water
200g sugar
200g coconut milk
2 pandan leaves

Colour layers
1 pkt Green Agar Agar Powder
1 pkt Red Agar Agar Powder
1 pkt Yellow Agar Powder
1 pkt Orange Powder
Colorings (optional)

Directions

1. Coconut layer - In a pot, add water, pandan leaves and agar agar powder and heat t boils. Turn off heat and add coconut milk. Remove pandan leaves and set aside to cool slightly. 
2. Coloured layers - I start with green colour and follow by other colours (to your reference). Dissolve 1 pkt of Agar Agar powder in 1 litre of water. Add 250g sugar, stir and bring to boil on low heat.
3. Assemble - Scoop a few spoonful of Green Agar Agar and let it set in fridge for a while. Scoop a few spoonful of coconut agar agar (just enough to see the white layer) and let it set in fridge.
4. Cook the next colour as per Direction #2. Follow by filling in the coconut layers after each colour till all complete.

Condensed Milk Bread

Came across this great recipe from MiMi Bakery House and immediately got my hands on baking it. My dough did not rise alot but I am satisfied with my final bakes. The texture was soft and the sweetness from the condensed milk made the bread really yummy. Will definitely bake this again.

Recipe with modifications

Ingredients

200g bread flour
20g sugar
3g salt
3g instant yeast
25g condensed milk
130g milk
20g unsalted butter

Fillings
20g condensed milk
20g unsalted butter

Topping
Sliced almond
Icing sugar for dusting

Directions

1. Put all the bread ingredients into your mixer bowl, knead on Medium speed for about 7-10 minutes, pliable dough. Cover with damp towel and proof for 30 mins until the dough doubles up in size
2. Meantime, place the ingredients for condensed milk fillings into another bowl and allow the butter to soften. Mix the condensed milk +soften butter to get a smooth paste.
3.Once proofing is ready, roll the dough into a rectangular shape. Spread the condensed milk filling onto it, and cut the dough into 4 equal strips. Stack the dough strips onto one another and cut them into 8 equal parts.
4. Place them into an 8-inch chiffon pan and allow them to proof for the 2nd time, about 30-40 minutes.
5. Sprinkle some almond flakes on the ready dough and bake them in a preheated oven of 150 Deg C for about 20-25 minutes. Remove the bread from the bread pan and dust them generously with icing sugar.

Apple Bread Pudding

I have never liked bread pudding because of the wet sponge texture but when I saw this recipe from MiMi Bakery House, I decided to give it a try. Simple steps and I have added chocolate chips and almond flakes. Overall, the texture wasn't as bad as I thought but I felt if it was sweeter it would be perfect! Now, I can make this if I have bread that are going to expire.

Recipe with modifications

Ingredients

4 pieces slice bread (diced)
1 apple (diced)
5g butter
1 tbsp sugar
Raisins
Chocolate chips
Almond flakes
Icing sugar

3 eggs (small)
200g milk
40g yoghurt (I did not use whipping cream)
20g sugar

Directions

1. Cook diced apple with butter under low heat. Add sugar and cook for awhile.
2. Beat eggs, milk and yogurt until well combined. Add in sugar and mix until sugar dissolved.
3. Put apples, bread, raisins, chocolate chips into baking tray or ramekins.
4. Pour egg mixture over and spread almond flakes on top.
5. Baked 190 Deg C for 30-40mins. 

Bread

Thanks to MiMi Bakery House for this great bread recipe. I have used this recipe to make into Mini Kaya Cheese Buns (topped with Kaya and cheese) and Plaits Bread. The Cheese Bread Sticks were crusty when they were out from the oven while the Kaya Cheese Buns has soft and airy texture inside. The only thing with bread making is the waiting time for proofing. Great satisfaction to see the final product

Recipe with slight modification

Ingredients 

320g bread flour
4g salt (I omitted)

30g sugar
4g instant yeast
210g milk

40g unsalted butter (I used salted butter)

Grated mozzarella cheese
Sugar
Kaya

Milk (for brushing)

Directions

1. Mix bread flour, sugar and yeast in the mixing bowl, mix well.

2.Add in the milk and mix it into a dough.
3.Add in the butter and continue kneading for another 5-7 minutes.
4.Expel the air the dough and shape the dough into a round ball and allow the dough to rest for about 10 minutes.
5.Roll out the dough into rectangular shape. Cut the dough in stripes and place them on a lined baking tray.Allow the dough to proof for about 40 minutes.
6.Brush the dough with some milk, sprinkle both cheese and sugar over the dough.
7.Bake in a preheated oven of 175 degree Celcius for about 10-12 minutes.

Curry Puffs

I had a craving for Curry Puff and found this simple dough recipe from Coco's Sweet Tooth. I cooked the curry fillings in my own preference (you can do the filling your way too). The curry puffs tasted fantastic. I just love the crispiness on the outside and tasty curry filings inside. 

Recipe with modifications

Ingredients 

Pastry
250g Plain Flour
2 1/2 tbsp corn oil
120g water
1/2 tsp salt

Curry Potatoes Fillings (you can refer to this instructions)
4 potatoes
200g breast meat (diced)
2 tbsp curry powder
1 tbsp salt (adjust according to your taste)
2 eggs (hard boiled and cut into 8 parts each)

Directions

1. Combine ingredients using dough hook and knead for 10 mins to form a smooth dough. Cover with damp cloth and rest for 15 mins.
2. Sprinkle flour onto worktop. Roll the dough into long rectangular and into a long roll.
3.Cut rolled dough into small pieces and roll each cut into round disc.
4. Place 1 tbsp of curry potatoes fillings and fold into half. Press and seal the edges with fingers. Use fork to make imprints on the seal edges.
5. Deep fry till brown and drain the oil. 

Green Tea Cotton Cake

I was so attracted to Julynn Tan's post of her Matcha Condensed Milk Cake in Facebook (very nice green color) and also My Mind Patch post of her Condensed Milk Cake, so I decided to cross reference both recipes to bake using Green Tea Powder. The result was amazing (though the green wasn't the bright green I wanted)! The cake did not shrink badly, the top did not crack, the cake did not collapse and there was no thick layer at the bottom (which I always had these problems). I can taste the fragrance of green tea in the cake and the texture was soft and well risen. Great instructions from My Mind Patch to bake the cake at different temperature ie  170 Deg C with only upper heating for 30 mins and 150 Deg C with upper and lower heating for another 20 mins (I reduced the timing as my portable oven is usually hotter than conventional oven).  I also learned about banging the baking tin 3 times to prevent the cake from over shrinking during cooling period. Will definitely bake more of this cake (with different flavors) :)

Recipe with modifications:

Ingredients 

4 egg yolks (small eggs)
1 whole eggs (small egg)
35g salted butter (melted)
40g cake flour (I used Top flour)
10g Green Tea Powder
50g condensed milk

4 egg whites
50g sugar

Directions

1. Line baking tin with parchment paper at the base.
2. Mix eggs and set aside.
3. Melt butter in microwave and add sifted flour mixture (cake flour and green tea powder). Fold to mix with a spatula.
4. Add in the condensed milk to combine.
5. Add the above to eggs mixture and mix till well combine.
6. Beat egg white till frothy for 30 seconds. Add in the sugar, in 3 batches and beat the meringue till almost stiff peak (the meringue has a slight dip at the tip).
7. Scoop 1/3 of the meringue into the yolk batter. Fold to mix.
8. Pour the yolk batter back to the remaining meringue and fold into a smooth batter.
9. Pour the batter into the baking tin and lightly bang the tin on the table to remove any trapped air bubbles.
10.Bake in water bath in preheated oven at 170 Deg C with only upper heating for 30 mins. After 30 mins, reduce temperature to 150 Deg C with upper and lower heating for another 20 mins.If the cake turn brown too fast, cover with aluminium foil.
11.Remove the cake from the oven and drop the baking tin 3 times from a height about 5cm. This is to prevent the cake from over shrinking during cooling period.
12. Let the cake cool down for 10 mins (when the cake slightly shrink away from the wall of the cake tin). Run along the edge of the cake and remove the cake to a wire rack (to prevent accumulation of moisture at the base of the cake).

Milo Cookies

Thanks to Sharon Lam for this recipe. I love Milo and always wanted to have it in my baking. These cookies are the chewy type instead of crunchy ones.  I preferred the crunchy texture more but my kids love the chewiness. Overall, a good to keep recipe.

I am sending this post to Little Thumbs Up September 2015 - Milo organised by Bake for Happy Kids and my little favourite DIY.

Recipe with slight modification

Ingredients 

190g plain flour
2 tsp baking powder
100g Milo
Pinch of salt
125g butter
110g brown sugar
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla essense

Directions

1. Mix all dry ingredients together (plain flour, baking powder, milo, salt)
2. Whisk eggs and sugar until creamy.
3. Add in egg and vanilla essence. Mix till well combined.
4. Add half the dry ingredients and fold well. Follow by the other half .
5. Scoop batter using 2 teaspoons (shape as round as possible) and drop onto baking tray, leaving some space between (as it will expand while it bakes).
6. Bake for 10 mins and transfer to wire rack to cool completely.

Mini Egg Cuppies 鸡蛋糕

I am a Egg Cuppies (鸡蛋糕 ) lover and when I came across this recipe from Angela Seah, I was so excited to try it out. It was indeed an easy recipe with no hassle steps like egg white separation and folding method.  I could make quite alot from the quantities of ingredients used. When they came out from the oven, the top were a little crusty and once cooled down, it softened as what I expected and preferred. Overall, I like it very much but if they were more eggy, it would be perfect. 

Ingredients 

3 large eggs
170g sugar
Pinch of salt
160g plain flour
1 tsp baking powder
30g oil

Directions

1. Whisk eggs, sugar and salt until light and fluffy.
2. Sieve in the flour and baking powder till well combined (I used hand balloon whisk).
3. Then add in oil and fold with spatula until well mixed.
4. Scoop batter into fillers and fill 3/4 full.
5. Bake at preheated oven 170 Deg C for 15-20 mins or until top lightly brown.

No Bake Strawberry Cheesecakes - Orders (Sep 2015)

Thanks to Felicia for the orders of No Bake Strawberry Cheesecakes on 4 Sep 2015

Chocolate Chips Cookies & Muffins - Orders (Sep 15)

Baked Chocolate Chips Cookies for Teacher's Day Gift

 Also did these Hershey's Chocolate Muffins

Thanks to Felicia for the above orders for her kid's Teachers..