Semolina Lemon Cake

I was looking for a cake recipe that I can use up all my Semolina Flour and I found the Semolina Orange Cake with Syrup by Alia but I transformed it to my own Semolina Lemon Cake. This is a simple recipe with step by step instructions in youtube. The only thing I omitted was the orange glaze which poured over the top of cake. I actually thought that the sugar was way too much so I reduced it to 200g but after tasting the cake, I agreed to stick to 220g. Overall, the cake tasted refreshing with the lemon zest and if I could replaced vegetable oil with butter, I believe it would be even perfect for a butter lover like me :)

Ingredients 

4 eggs
A pinch of salt
220g Sugar
Zest lemon
20g plain flour
400g semolina flour
2 tsp baking powder
240g Vegeatable oil
250g milk
Almond flakes

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 170 deg C. 
2. Line pans with baking paper and grease the baking pan.
3. Whisk eggs, salt and sugar at high speed for 5 mins until thick texture. Add lemon zest.
4. In a large bowl, sift flour and add semolina flour and baking powder. Mix well.
5. Pour the egg mixture into the dry ingredients and use spatula to mix till all ingredients well incorporated.
6. Add vegetable oil, mix well till oil is absorbed.
7. Add milk and continue to mix till get a smooth and liquid batter.
8. Pour over prepared baking pan and sprinkle almond flakes over the top.
9. Bake at 170 Deg for 35 - 45 mins.

Sugee Cookies

I spotted this Sugee Cookies recipe unknowingly from SCS website with the use of Semolina Flour. I was curious about how it would take taste and amazingly, the cookies came out crunchy and buttery. Even though I used Buttercup instead of SCS butter, my whole kitchen was covered with the wonderful butter aroma. Frankly speaking, I felt these cookies tasted more like butter cookies than Sugee Cookies.

Another note - I found it was not easy to handle the dough and cut into shapes as the dough was quite wet. So I put the dough into the fridge for a while and dusted some plain flour on the surface before I flattened the dough and cut it into shapes.

Ingredients 

200g butter
100g icing sugar
180g semolina flour
120g plain flour
1/2 tsp baking soda

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 175 deg C. 
2. Line sheet pans with grease-proof paper.
3. Put all the dry ingredients in a bowl and whisk to combine.
4. In a large mixing bowl, cream the butter for a bout 2 mins until smooth and creamy.
5.Gradually add in the dry ingredients and combine with a handheld mixer. It should form a soft dough.
6. Roll the dough into balls, shape into cubes, or other cute shapes.
7. Place them on the pan for about two inches apart and bake for 14 to 16 mins.
8. Let the cookies cool and keep them in an airtight jar.

Rock Buns

Woweeee! These Rock Buns are really super yummy and indeed brought back those memory of my Secondary School Home Economics lesson. It tasted crispy like cookies and soft inside like cake, what a good combination. Thanks to Kenneth Goh for this wonderful recipe.

Ingredients

200g plain flour
100g butter (softened)
50g castor sugar
150g dried mixed fruits
1 egg
2 Tbsp milk
1 tsp baking powder

Direction

1. Preheat the oven to 200 deg C.
2. In a bowl, add the softened butter and flour. Use fingertips to rub the butter and flour such that it resembles bread crumbs. Add in the mixed fruits and sugar. Use a fork or a tablespoon to stir such that it is well mixed. Make a well in the centre and crack the egg followed by the milk.
3. Use the tablespoon or fork to lightly and swiftly mix it until it forms a sticky dough. Take a spoonful and drop the batter on the baking tray leaving some space for expansion. Bake in the pre-heated oven for 15-20 mins or until a skewer inserted into the cakes come out clean. Best served warm.

Steamed Pork Floss Cake

Thanks to Karen Ng from Baking Delights and Cake Making by Singaporeans for Singaporean for this yummy recipe. I love Pork Floss very much and this recipe combined cake and pork floss to perfection, what's more it's steamed so healthilicious! However, I did some modifications to the recipe. I increased the sugar from 60g to 80g and used Self Raising Flour. I did not have any spring form pan, so I used the normal pan with the baking paper cross and longer so I can lift the cake out of the pan.

Ingredients

5 Eggs
120g self raising flour
1/4 tsp baking powder
80g sugar
Pork Floss

Direction

1. Prepare steamer and grease baking mould and line with baking paper.
2. Whisk the egg until fluffy, add castor sugar and continue to beat until turns thick and pale.
3. Sift flour 3 times. Fold into the batter slowly and mix well.
4. Divide batter into 2 portions. Pour 1 portion of batter into the baking mould and spread neatly. Sprinkle pork floss on the batter and steam with high heat for 15 mins.
5. Pour 2nd portion of batter and spread neatly on the surface. Steam on high heat for 15 mins.
6. Remove from mould steamer and let it cool. 

Milo Bread (with Bread Maker)

I made this bread with Takada Bread Maker (loan from my Sis-In-Law) to see if it really can make a good loaf of bread, however it did not meet up to my expectation. The texture was not as soft and light and it did not rise as high and large as I expected it should be. I guess I cannot really expect too much from a bread maker since it is already a short cut. Hope I can find the best bread maker that can yield a super soft bread.

Ingredients

1+1/8 cup water (I used fresh milk)
3 cups bread flour
2+ 1/2 tbsp Skimmed Milk Powder (in replaced with Milo)
2 + 1/2 tbsp Sunflower oil
2 + 1/4 tbsp sugar
1 + 1/4 tsp salt
1 + 1/4 fast action yeast (I used Instant Dry Yeast)

Directions

1. Add all ingredients into the Bread Maker with the above sequences (taking note sugar & yeast placed at different corner).
2. Press No. 1 Basic White of Bread Maker and leave it to knead and bake (estimated 3hrs)

Marshmallow Lollipops

This is definitely a great receiving snack by the kids, easy and quick to make too! As my kids invited their friends for a play date, I decided to surprise the kids with this Marshmallow Lollipops. The difference from my usual way of making these lollipops was I used Pretz biscuit sticks instead of satay sticks, so they can eat up the whole lollipops including the sticks. The only bad side of this method is you will not be able to stand these lollipops because the biscuit sticks are easily breakable. Perhaps, will have to use stronger biscuit sticks.

Ingredients

Compound Chocolate
Large Marshmallows
Thousand & Hundred (colourful sprinkles)
Decorative candies
Pretz biscuit sticks

Directions

1. Melt chocolate in microwave (stir till all melted).
2. Poke the Pretz biscuit sticks into the marshmallows.
3. Dip one side of marshmallow in the melted chocolate and brush off excess chocolate.
4. Sprinkle the Thousand & Hundred over the chocolate.
5. Stick a piece of candy on top of marshmallow.
6. Place the sticks in the fridge to harden the chocolate coating.

Birthday Cake - Oreo Butter Cake (2015)

Made this Oreo Butter Cake for my colleague, Mary's 28th Birthday. Glad that she loves it!

Bubble Rice Cookies

15 Nov 2014
(baked with Kellogg Rice Krispies)

9 Nov 2014

I am so glad that I found this recipe from Anncco Journal, indeed irresistible and addictive as mentioned by her. This is an easy recipe which does not require much effort to make. My kids love it so much and they keep asking for more!

Note: I would prefer to use Kellogg's Rice Krispies as the one that I bought from Phoon Huat, you can chew on some hard parts.

Ingredients

130g butter
80g sugar
1 large egg
1 tsp vanilla extract
170g plain flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
A pinch of salt
80g Kellog Rice Krispies
70g chocolate chips

Directions

1. Cream butter and sugar till white and fluffy. 
2. Add egg and vanilla extract, mix well.
3. Sift flour, baking soda and salt and continue to mix well.
4. Pour in Rice Krispies and chocolate chips, fold well with a rubber spatula,
5. Scoop chocolate mixture with a dessert spoon and drop onto a lined baking tray and bake at preheated oven at 150 deg C for about 25 mins or until golden crisp.
6. Cool down cookies and store in an airtight container.

Portuguese Egg Tart (II)

I came across this recipe from Yummy Little Cooks and the methods of egg filling were different from my previous recipe. So I gave it a try to see if this would taste better. What I can say is, the top was able to turn browner at 180 deg C while I could not get this nice brown top for the other recipe. However, this recipe needs to cook the whipping cream whereas the other recipe just have to mix all the filing ingredients together. Both tasted as good with using Pampas Puff Pastry but if you would like to try making your own pastry, you can check out the recipe from Yummy Little Cooks.

Ingredients

3 sheets pampas puff pastry

200g dairy whipping cream
300g milk
80g sugar
3 eggs
3 egg yolks
1/2 tsp vanilla essence

Directions

1. Dust rolling board with some flour and lay out a sheet of puff pastry. Use a wide opening cup (larger than the tart mould) to cut out round pastry. Dust some flour in the tart mould and lay the cut pastry in it.
2. Cook whipping cream and milk until 70 deg C. 
3. Stir in sugar and cook until the sugar dissolves.
4. Add it into the beaten eggs and egg yolks and mix well until blended.
5. Add in vanilla essence and set aside to cool.
6. Use a ladle and scoop the mixture into the prepared pastry shells till 70% full.
7. Bake at 180 - 200 deg C for 20-25 mins or until top brown.
* Best served hot.

Oats Cookies

My eldest daughter is very health conscious at her age (18 years old) so when I came across this recipe, I knew that she would like these cookies. This is a easy recipe with simple steps and I am sure it will be a popular snack for everyone.

Ingredients 

100g plain flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
200g rolled oats
100g soft butter
80g light brown sugar
1 egg (lightly beaten)
1/2 tsp vanilla essence

Directions

1. Sift flour and baking soda into a large bowl. Add in rolled oats and mix well, set aside.
2. Cream butter at medium till light and add light brown sugar into it and beat till butter becomes white.Add in beaten egg and vanilla essence, mix well.
3. Pour in flour and rolled oats mixture, fold well with a rubber spatula to form a soft dough.
4. Roll dough into small balls and place on a lined baking tray.
5. Lightly press down dough ball with your finger and bake for about 20 mins till crisp.
6. Store cookies in an airtight container after cooling.

Lao Ban Beancurd

My kids love this type of beancurd while I love the traditional ones. An easy to make dessert and very cooling for a hot afternoon.

Ingredients 

1 litre Drinho Soya Bean Milk (Must use this soya milk)
50g Nestle Coffeemate Powder
4 tsp Instant Jelly Powder

Directions

1. Heat the soya bean milk in a pot till hot, be careful not to let it reach boiling point.
2. Add in coffeemate and stir till fully dissolved.
3. When soya milk is hot (you should feel the steam coming from the pot), add in instant jelly powder and stir fully dissolved. Important: don't stir in when the milk is just warm, if not it won't set nicely.
4. Quickly turn off heat and pour into containers.
5. Refrigerate overnight or at least 4-5 hours before serving. 

Sweet Potatoes Soup

As I had alot of dried logan, I decided to cooked this Sweet Potato Soup (with Logan) for dessert for my family.