Honey Bee Sweets

Caramelized Banana Chocolate Tart & Banana Oat Oreo Cake

2013-05-30T22:48:00.001+08:00

Hi folks! It actually took me awhile to decide what I should post before I go off on my long vacation. Yeah..my blog will be "closed" temporarily for the time being while I gather more fun, interesting stuff to share with everyone, blog or IG! Finally decided on these 2 banana recipes: A decadent caramelized banana chocolate tart which I think anyone will fall in love with and a fluffy, healthy steam-baked banana oat Oreo cake!

First is this ultimate chocolate and banana lover dessert! I actually got this fabulous idea from Zen Can Cook. I fell in love with Zen's tart the moment I saw it! Haha! You love chocolate? Check! You love bananas? Check! You love buttery tart crust? Check!!

Goodness, looking back at these pictures again made me crave for it! Haha! This tart is practically just chocolate with banana encased in sweet buttery crust...what's not to love?! Okay, will post my version of the recipe as I made several changes to it, here it is:

Ingredients for Banana chocolate Tart (Makes a 10")
Pastry tart shell
130g cake flour, 60g cold unsalted butter, cut small, 50g confectioner's sugar, 2 egg yolks, 1/8 tsp salt

In a large mixing bowl, add in the cake flour, powder sugar and salt. then using only your finger tips, work the cold butter into the flour mixture. Alternatively, use a mixer to combine the ingredients till it resembles bread crumbs.
Next add in the egg yolks and gently work the dough but not over kneading it. Over kneading the dough will make it hard and not flaky.
Chill the dough in plastic wrap for at least 30 mins till ready to be used.
Preheat the oven to 180C about 5 minutes prior to taking the tart dough out.
Roll out the dough into the circular disc of about 11" diameter. Then gently transfer the tart crust on to the greased tart pan.
Gently press in the sides and make sure the edges are trimmed nicely.
Blind bake the tart shell in the preheated oven for 10 minutes then remove from oven, the aluminum foil and weight. Return the tart shell in the oven and bake for another 5 minutes more.
Let the tart shell cool on the rack.

Caramelized Bananas
3 large ripe bananas, peeled and sliced into 1/2-1/3" thickness
1/2 lemon juice
2 tbsp butter unsalted
4 tbsp sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract

In a non stick saute pan, add the butter in at medium low fire. Once the butter starts to bubble, add the banana slices (make sure you don't over crowd).
Sprinkle the sugar over the bananas and continue to cook till both sides are golden brown. Remove from pan and let cool for use later.

Chocolate Ganache:
5 ounces bittersweet chocolate (I used 65% Valhrona, finely chopped)
4 ounces unslted butter, cubed
1 large egg
2 large egg yolks
2 tbsp sugar

In a large heat proof bowl over a double boiler, melt the chocolate and butter till everything has melted and reaches (104F/40C). Remove from fire. The consistency should be smooth and shiny.
In a separate bowl, add in sugar, egg yolks and egg, mix well. Make sure you don't over beat and stir up bubbles.
Add in a couple spoonfuls of warm chocolate into the egg mixture. Then slowly add the rest of the chocolate into the egg mixture till all is incorporated.

Assembly:

Preheat the oven to 170C.
Place all except 8-9 caramelized banana slices at the base of the tart shell. Spread out evenly so when the tart is sliced up later, each slice will have some sweet banana inside.
Pour the cooled chocolate ganache over the banana slices and fill the whole tart base.
Gently place the reserved caramelized banana slices on the top as decoration.
Bake in the oven for 10-11 minutes. The center will still be a little jittery but it is ok. The chocolate ganache will slowly cool and set.

Original recipe suggested not refrigerating the tart and served it warm. I actually did that but still kept the remaining in the fridge. I just toast it up for 5-6 minutes in the oven at 140C.

Notice that the chocolate ganache is not overly thick, just enough to cover the bananas. But trust me, it is enough to enjoy the wonderful chocolate decadence. :)) The caramelized bananas gives off this toasty nutty taste and went absolutely well with the chocolate ganache and buttery tart shell! Hope you all will give this recipe a try, it's simply wonderful!

Next recipe is a simple Banana Oat Oreo Cake which was baked impromptu. I wanted to finish up the remaining overly ripened bananas but wanted to make it into a much healthier and yet "attractive" to the kids. And there I came up with this yummy recipe...

Ingredient for Banana Oat Oreo Cake (Makes a 8X8 square)
150g unsalted butter (room temperature)
5 egg yolks
120g caster sugar
2 very ripe bananas, mashed
1 tsp vanilla extract
100g oat flour (blend 100g of rolled oats till fine)
100g cake flour
1 tsp baking powder

5 egg whites
40g caster sugar

Cream the soft butter with 120g of sugar until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add in the vanilla extract and beat till mixed in. Then add in the egg yolks one at a time and mix to incorporate each one after addition.
Add in the mashed bananas, follow by the vanilla extra, mix well.
Preheat the oven to 155C. Place a water bath in the oven which the square pan can bake in.
Sift in the cake flour and baking powder to the yolk batter. Then add in the oat flour, stir well. Set aside.
Beat the egg white and salt till foamy, then gradually add in the 75gm sugar until stiff.
Gently fold in 1/3 of the egg white mixture to the yolk batter. Then continue to fold in the rest in 2 separate portions till all is folded in.
Pour the batter into the prepared square pan which has been greased and lined with parchment. Place as much Oreo chunk as you like on the surface. I stink some completely in while mostly on the top.
Bake for 38-40 minutes until the tester comes out clean. I covered the top of the cake with aluminum foil when I notice the cake was turning a little dark.

I was super happy that the cake turned out great! Gonna let the pictures do the talking instead! My kids absolutely loved the Oreo chunks and still complained that I didn't put enough in the cake!? The cake was moist and soft, and yet still light and creamy at the same time...awesomeness!

See? Moist and yet fine crumbs, heehee! I believe the egg separation method plus the steam baked version contributed a lot to the wonderful texture of this wonderful cake. Plus the oats made the cake nice and creamy after taste. And not forgetting adding oats just made this cake a little more healthier, yay! So do try it out if you have extra ripen bananas sitting around in the house.

Okay folks, really hope you all like these two wonderful recipes and try them out during this long school holiday / summer break! Gotta go pack now, I will see you all in a couple weeks later! Cheers!

Meaty Egg Rolls (Chung Kian) - MFF featuring Sabah

2013-05-24T14:47:00.000+08:00

Happy Vesak Day everyone! Hope that you all have a great break from all the exam and hectic schedules. Well I am...that is why I can have the leisure to blog today, haha! Nothing out of the ordinary but wanted to get this post up before the end of the month for MFF. This time is the simple Meaty Egg Rolls, also known as Chung Kian (corrected by a local, haha).

I absolutely love Sabah dishes so far, haha! Easy and delicious! This was made last minute and yet it turned out fabulous. My whole family enjoyed it...well eggs and flavorful meat, what is not to love? I adapted the Happycall method from Peng's Kitchen to make the egg crepe...so easy! Brilliant idea Peng!!

Ingredients for Meat Rolls (Makes 2 rolls)
Egg crepe

2+2 large eggs (I separately cracked 2 eggs each time)
1/4 tsp salt (This is for 2 eggs)
1/2 tsp mirin (optional, but I like the slight sweetness) -(for 2 eggs)
1/4 tsp cornflour (for 2 eggs)

Heat up the pan with 1 tsp of oil at low fire. Lightly beat 2 eggs and add in all the seasoning. Do not over beat!
Pour the egg batter in and cover lid. Cook at lowest heat for 3-5 minutes, and do not brown it as you want to keep the crepe in it's bright yellow colour. Do not overcook as over browning it will not look as nice.
Once the surface has cooked through, remove from pan. Repeat with the other 2 eggs and seasoning. Set aside for use later

Meat filling: (You can use either chicken or pork)
250g minced meat ( I bought those ready minced packaged pork, it does contain some fat)
1 tsp minced garlic
1 tsp minced shallot
1 tbsp finely minced ginger
1 egg white
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp sesame oil
1/2 tbsp light soy sauce
1/2 tsp sugar

In a mixing bowl, add in minced meat and all the rest of the ingredients and seasoning. Use a pair of chopsticks and mix in vigorously till the meat is sticky and pasty like.
Divide the meat mixture into 2 equal portions and then spread one of the portion on one of the egg crepe wrapper.
Then from the meat covered side (The left side from the above pic) and roll it in like a swiss roll...tightly if possible. Then wrap the whole roll in plastic wrap and close up the opening ends. repeat the same with the other portion meat filling and egg wrapper.
Gently place the 2 egg rolls in the steamer and then steam at medium-low fire for 20 minutes.
After steaming, gently remove and let cool completely before unwrapping and cutting it up.

It was great that the texture was just right, not tough or chewy on the meaty part. Do remember to wrap it nice and tight so as to avoid any air pockets. As you can see mine still needs to work on that. :P Such a simple dish isn't it? It's yummy too! So if you ever ran out of ideas what to cook...this will be an perfect dish to try out. :))

I am happy to submit this to Malaysian Food Fest Sabah Month hosted by Mary Of a Pepper's Love.

Okay, got to go folks!
Hopefully I will be able to post up something before I disappear for 2.5 wks! Yikes! That's long! :P
Have a happy long weekend my friends!

Burnt Bottom Rice Vermicelli with Pork Gravy (MFF featuring Sabah)

2013-05-17T21:16:00.002+08:00

Hi all! Sorry for missing in action again. It's no surprise as it was the exam season and thus being the mummy and worried as always, had to be studying with my kids. :P I guess most mummies does that nowadays. :( But today was her last paper and hooray! Away are the books and time to rest and relax! As my kids are watching "Alice In Wonderland" on TV now, I can happily blog away, haha!

I finally did a dish for this month's MFF featuring Sabah! I actually cooked this dish 3 days back but had to wait till today to post it. :P Anyways, this was a great simple homey dish that I highly recommend to any mommies! Simple ingredients, simple to prep and cook and with such clear steps shown on Wendy's blog...you can't go wrong, really. Most importantly, it is delish!

Ingredients for Burnt Bottom Rice Vermicelli with Pork Gravy (Serves 2)

100gm rice vermicelli
3 eggs (beaten lightly and season with 1/2 tsp light sauce and dash of pepper)
1 shallot, chopped fine
1 garlic clove, chopped fine
150gm lean pork, sliced thinly

Marinate for the pork:
1.5 tsp soy sauce
1/2 tsp sugar
1/4 tsp sesame oil
1 tsp corn starch
Gravy
3 tsp corn starch
1.5 cup water
1 tbsp oyster sauce

1 tsp sugar
salt, soy sauce and pepper to taste

Soak the rice vermicelli in warm water till soften, about 30 minutes.
Marinate the pork slices for at least 20 minutes.
Heat up the work and pour the egg into the work, making sure the fire is at medium low.
Gently place the vermicelli in the center of the egg and let cook for another minute before flipping the whole egg and noodle so the vermicelli will be at the bottom.
Cook the vermicelli for at least 5 minutes and lift to see making sure it didn't burn. Once the vermicelli takes on some golden colour and crisp up a bit, dish out on a big bowl with the egg side up, set aside.
Prepare the gravy, mixing everything together and making sure no lumps.
Now add a little more oil, and heat at medium low. Add in garlic and shallots and cook till fragrant. Add in marinated cook slices and stir to all cooked.
Add in the prepared gravy and cook till it thickens.
Dish up the pork over the egg and scoop gravy and drizzle all over. Serve while still hot!

Doesn't this just look so homey and totally comforting to you? I am sure to make this again as my kids really enjoyed it. It is important you marinate the pork earlier so that it will be tender and soft.

A picture to show you how yummy it is inside where the vermicelli soaked up all that awesome gravy, haha! Go now, go make a bowl for yourself my friends....you can't go wrong with this. :)

I am happy to submit this to Malaysian Food Fest Sabah Month hosted by Mary Of a Pepper's Love

Okay, got to run folks, got a movie to catch! Watching Star Track "Into the Darkness" with hubs, haha! Have a great weekend all!

Chocolate bread : Roped and Loaf

2013-05-07T21:45:00.001+08:00

I just realized that I have not been posting any bread or chocolate recipe for ages! Super unlike me, hahaha! So today I shall "kill 2 birds with one stone"...a chocolate bread post, heehee. :D I found this great recipe book in the library the other and fell in love with it! There are countless recipes inside that I cannot wait to try out! Title of book is "Bread顶级风味面包书" and it is published in Chinese. Anyway, my first one will be this yummy Chocolate bread with some modification ...just to make it a wee bit healthier. ;)

One of the thing I love about this recipe is it's a straight dough method, no pre fermented dough or Tangzhong required. ;) I really love the texture of this bread, so easy to handle and yet so soft and yummy. Not to mention it is packed full of chocolaty flavor too! I had replace some of the bread flour with wholemeal flour to make it healthier, here is my version of the recipe:

Ingredients for Chocolate Bread: (makes one 9x5x4 loaf, and 5 roped buns)
400g bread flour
60g wholemeal flour (I used Prima)
40g organic brown rice powder
7g salt
60g caster sugar
20g milk powder
15g honey
20g cocoa powder (I used Valrohna)
50g egg without shell
300-325ml water (add as per needed)
8g instant active yeast
40g unsalted butter, room temperature
50-80g raisins (depending how much u like)
80g dark chocolate, chopped into chunks

In a large mixer, add in all the ingredients except for water, butter and chocolate chips.
Gradually add in 300ml water and start mixing. If needed, add in the additional 25ml water and continue to knead till dough is not sticky and very elastic which will pull away from the sides.
Add in the butter and continue to knead till it reaches window panel.
Cover and let proof for 1-2hrs or till dough doubles in volume.
After proofing, punch out the air and weigh out 600g for the loaf and the remaining dough for the buns.
Grease the loaf pan. Roll out the loaf dough portion into a large rectangle. Sprinkle the raisins all over the surface. Then roll it up like a swiss roll and seal up the edges. Then fold the log into half like a skinny U shape, then take the two tips and start twisting it till it is like a twisted rope, then seal the two ends tightly. Gently lay the loaf into the loaf pan. Cover and let proof till it reaches the rim.
Next roll out the bun portion into a large long rectangle as well. Again sprinkle the chocolate chunks all over the surface. Then gently fold it into 3 fold like a letter, seal the edges. Then using the rolling pin, roll it slightly flat.
Using a knife, cut the dough length wise into 5 long strips. It will be a little tricky if your chocolate chunks are big.
Take one strip to shape: Take about 5 cm worth of the tip and fold it up like a U shape. Then the longer end tip and start twirling around the U until all used up. Seal the tip to the center of the dough. Repeat till the remaining 4 portions are all shaped. (Sorry forgotten to take pics this time)
Let dough proof till double in size. Preheat oven in the meantime to 175-180C.
Bake in the preheated oven for 15 minutes for the buns while 28-30 minutes for the loaf. I did an open loaf, so no cover. You can cover if you wish.
Once baked, remove from oven and let cool completely on the rack.

I had to admit that I did not do a good job on the shaping, haha! But I still had fun nonetheless and it does look a little bit likes ropes, ya? ;) The bread still turned out soft and awesome with chocolaty taste even with the addition of the wholemeal and brown rice powder. Note that you can purchase brown rice powder in Organic Shops.

The twisted loaf also turned out great too. :) Although one end of the loaf was taller then the other, haha!

It is almost mandatory that I show a sneak peek of the inside of the bread, haha! So again proving that healthy can be tasty as well! Yums! But no worries if you have no brown rice powder or you don't fancy wholemeal in your bread, just use 500g of bread flour. :)

Okay, that's all folks! Hopefully you all will try out this recipe as well. Happy baking all!

Pumpkin Cheesecake

2013-04-30T21:03:00.004+08:00

I think Cheesecake is always a love hate thing for me. Love? What's not to love? It's creamy, luscious and such a comfort food on lousy days, or any other day, haha! Hate? It's highly packed with fats and calories! Eating it is just simply diet ruining, haha! So that is why you do not see me baking cheesecake that often. But...this pumpkin flavor cheesecake has been on my mind like...forever! I ever heard a DJ on the radio commenting that the best cheesecake has gotta be pumpkin cheesecake. Really? Gosh? Why in the world have I not baked it yet or even taste it before! But that diet thing came in and I just put it aside. :P Procrastination took over....only after 3 months did I finally baked it! Boy oh boy was I regretful...Pumpkin cheesecake is the BOMB!

Don't you just love that golden "sun"! I was surprise how creamy and delicious this cheesecake turned out to be! Even if you are not a fan of pumpkin itself, you will fall in love with this, really! Very faint pumpkin taste but you know it is there. One thing to note though is to choose good pumpkins namely from Japan or the least from Australia. I particularly love pumpkins from Japan...their much smoother, creamier and sweeter too! I even eat the skin when it is washed properly and soft enough, haha! :D

Ingredients for Pumpkin Cheese Cake (makes a 6" by ~2.5" round)

Cookie Base:
137g Oreo cookies (1 tube pack), finely crushed/blend
40g unsalted butter, melted

Finely blend or crushed the oreo cookies together with the cream into fine crumbs.
Add the melted butter in and mix well.
Press the cookie mixture into a greased 6" (removal base) round cake pan, making sure it is evenly spread out and leveled.
Wrap the whole cake pan with heavy duty aluminum foil for water bath baking later. Chill in fridge till needed.

Cream Cheese filling:
200g pumpkin, peeled, cut into smaller chunks

Roast the pumpkin chunks in the oven at 200C for 20minutes or more till it is fork tender. Alternatively, you can steam your pumpkin at medium fire for 15 minutes. Personally I like roasting it because I think it brings out the taste of pumpkin more.

250g cream cheese at room temperature
70g caster sugar
2 large eggs
70g sour cream
100ml heavy cream
25g cornflour or Hong Kong flour

Preheat the oven to 180C and prep a water bath for baking.
In a mixer, beat the cream cheese and caster sugar till light and creamy.
Add in the eggs one at a time till everything is nicely incorporated.
Next add in the sour cream and heavy cream to the mixture and mix at low speed till all is well combined and no lumps.
Lastly sieve in the flour and mix well till no visible flour.
Pour the cream cheese mixture into the prepared cake pan with the chilled cookie base.
Using a tooth pick to swirl around the batter making sure there are no trapped air bubbles.
Bake in the preheated oven at 180C for 15 minutes, then lower the temperature to 155C and continue to bake for another 50 minutes (or till the surface is not wobbly any more)
Remove from oven and let cool completely.
Chill in the fridge for at least 4 hours or better yet overnight in the fridge. Serve cold and enjoy!

It is so so important that you wrap the base of the cake pan properly with double duty aluminum foil! I cannot stress this enough because once the water from the water bath sips in...the cookie base will become soggy! What a waste! So remember, do not assume..double check and make sure you have wrap it properly. :)

Doesn't that look just awesome! Hahaha! I am so stoke when I slice the first piece out and saw this perfectly baked interior! *happiness* :)

Sorry, can't resist not posting another picture, haha! Hope this picture itself will be able to motivate you more. :)

Okay folks, gotta run and cut this short...have a great week everyone!
Cheers!

Ayam Percik for MFF featuring Kelantan

2013-04-26T20:56:00.003+08:00

Hi hi again, look who's posting another curry recipe, haha! Yeah, ever since I started joining MFF, I have been cooking up delicious dishes that I would probably not even cook off from a cookbook. I really learn a lot in these few months,mainly about the Malay food culture in different states and how yummy they are. Thanks again to the organizers for hosting such a great event for all of us bloggers and readers to learn about the wonderful food in Malaysia!

My post today is Ayam Percik. After seeing Kelly and Peng posting this recipe, I was pretty much sold! My key concern is usually the gathering of the spices or root vegetables that are required in the spice mix. Since this recipe's spice mix was not too complicated, this dish was relatively easy to prepare! The only mistake I made was adding a little too much of the tamarind paste....yikes! So it was kind of on the sourish side, and I had to add a wee bit more sugar to mild it down, haha!

Ehh...why my Ayam Percik colour different from Kelly and Peng's version?! Okay...because I used ground chilli paste instead of the dried chilli! Sorry, laziness got the better of me. :P But i reckon the taste shouldn't differ too much. :P Here is the recipe for my reference and the slight change I made:

Ingredient

4 chicken drumsticks
200ml coconut milk
3 cardamoms
3 cloves
1 stalk lemongrass, bruised
1 tbsp tamarind paste
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1 tsp sugar
1 tsp cornstarch mixed with water

Spice paste : Blend till paste form

3 cloves garlic
1 thumb sized ginger
3 shallots
1.5 tbsp of chili paste (I used Singlong brand)1/4 cup water
1 stalk lemongrass

Method

Marinate chicken drumsticks with spice paste for at least 1/2 hours.
Transfer everything into a pot or pan and pour half the coconut milk over it. Add in cardamon, cloves and lemongrass and cook over medium heat until chicken is partly cooked, for about 15mins. Season with tamarind paste, salt & sugar halfway through.
Take the chicken out from the pot, reserving the coconut milk mixture. Place the chicken on a baking tray and grill for 10mins.
Meanwhile, discard the cardamom and cloves from the gravy. Add the remaining coconut milk and the starch water and simmer until thick. Adjust taste if necessary.
Coat the chicken with some of the coconut sauce and continue to grill for another 5 mins.
Once done, drizzle some reserved gravy over the chicken and serve with steam rice while it is still warm.

I think this is quite a delicious curry! It is amazing how the change and twist of some ingredients can result in all these different curry flavors. I truly regret not doubling this recipe!

I am very happy to submit this post to Malaysian Food Fest Kelantan Month hosted by Gertrude of My Kitchen Snippets.

Have a great weekend all!

Ham and Stewed pulled-beef Quesadillas

2013-04-20T22:11:00.002+08:00

I made quesadillas! I can't remember the last time I made these...but I used to whip up quesadillas so often for a quick lunch when I was in CA. Perhaps it's because I can't find flour tortillas until lately it starts "popping out" in the neighborhood grocers. It's getting more popular in Singapore, where people starts to use it for And it didn't register in my mind until lately that I decided to make my all time favorite easy quesadillas!

I actually made two different fillings, one with Ham, the other with stewed pulled-beef. Since my hubs is on a non-beef diet, I only made one set for myself, haha!

Ingredients (serves 4)

Scrambled Eggs
4 large eggs
4 tbsp of milk
salt and pepper to taste
1 tbsp butter

Crack the eggs into a mixing bowl and add in the milk, salt and pepper. Whisk it well till you see small bubbles on the side.
On the non stick pan at low fire and add 1 tbsp of butter. Once the butter melt, add in the egg mixture and once you see the sides starts to solidify, use spatula and gently push in towards the center. Continue to do this until the mixture is not runny but still glossy.
Immediately remove from the fire and set aside. It will continue to cook even after you plate it, so do not over cook it and will be rubbery and not fluffy.

6 flour tortillas

4 eggs
6 -8 slices of ham, torn into bite size
2-3 oz of stewed pulled-beef
Sauteed portabella mushrooms (Sliced and cooked for 5 minutes with just salt and pepper)
250g shredded quesadilla cheese (Mixture of cheddar and monterey jack)
Some julienned green onion

In a non stick pan, place one of the flour tortilla on it at medium low fire.
Quickly sprinkle some cheese on half of the circle and follow by all the desired toppings, namely some egg, ham/pulled-beef, mushrooms, green onion and lastly more cheese.
Flip the other empty side on over to cover the filling to make it into a semi circle. Then flip the whole quesadillas to let it cook and melt the cheese.
Remove from pan when both sides of the semi circle has crisp up. Then cut the semi circle into half.
Serve while still warm.

At first I was a little worries my little ones were not acceptable on this new cuisine, but surprisingly they loved it! Crisped up tortilla, savory meats, soft fluffy eggs, juicy mushrooms and gooey cheese, what's not to love? I actually preferred the pulled-beef version, so much heartier...definitely a very satisfying meal indeed! You can always substitute the ham or beef to roast chicken meat, it should be equally yummy!

I actually reduced the stewed beef sauce to make it thick as a dipping sauce for the beef quesadillas. It's actually not a bad idea! Lol!

Anyway, hope this recipe is easy and fun enough for you to explore and try out. Have a great weekend everyone! Cheers!

Kuzi Ayam (Kelantan Style Chicken Curry)

2013-04-10T21:48:00.001+08:00

Yay! I am so glad I got to make a dish for MFF event earlier this time! Hate it when I had to do the mad rush all the time. Ehh...not that I am particularly free now but it was all due to Phong Hong's fabulous recipe and urged me to cook it proto, haha! After the Kay Hong dish (which I cook so often now), I knew I can trust her dishes. :) I had to hand it to her that she shares one the yummiest curries. Thanks Phong Hong! :D So this time in support of MFF event featuring Kelantan, I've made Kuzi Ayam (Kelantan Style Chicken Curry), yummy!

I actually had a hard time trying to take nicer pictures out of this curry dish, lol! I bet all bloggers have this annoying problem when it comes to brown colored food...so hard to capture a good one *sigh*. :P But I tell you the taste is so yummy...even though it is the first not spicy curry I made. I was thrilled to make it because my little ones can enjoy it together with me, haha! Plus the ingredients were not hard to gather at all. :) Here is the recipe as adapted from Phong Hong:

Ingredients for Kuzi Ayam (Serves 4-5ppl)
Dry spice powder mixture:
1 tbsp ground coriander
1 tsp ground fennel
1 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp white pepper
1 tsp freshly grated/pounded peeled ginger
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon

800g chicken thigh and drum
3-4 garlic cloves, chopped finely
1 tsp salt

1/3 cup vegetable oil (I completely omitted ghee)
250g thinly sliced onions
30g slivered almonds
80g California raisins
150ml tomato puree
50ml ketchup
200ml coconut milk
300-350ml water

1 tbsp sugar (optional: to counter off the tangy taste from the tomato)

In a mixing bowl, marinate the chicken pieces with the chopped garlic and salt and let sit for 10-15 minutes.
In a frying pot, add the vegetable oil and heat up at medium fire. Fry the onions till golden brown, dish up and drain on paper towels.
Fry the slivered almonds for just a minute to get it slight golden brown. Don't over do it, or it'll char and taste bitter...not good eats. :P (I did not fry the raisins because it plums up after boiling in the curry sauce)
Remove most of the oil leaving only 1 tsp amount. Add in the marinated chicken pieces and cook till lightly brown .
Add in coconut milk, water, tomato puree, ketchup and stir a while. Then add in all the ground spices and again stir to mix well.
Add in the fried onions (which I didn't ground also), silvered almonds and raisins. Bring mixture to a boil and add in sugar and salt to taste. Reduce fire to low and simmer mixture for about 15-20 minutes till tender.

My kids really like this curry! And I was really glad the spices didn't give off a strong spice taste...really creamy with a slight tangy taste. I actually added a potato and some hard boiled eggs, haha...Sedap!

Unfortunately I didn't try to make nasi tomato as what Phong Hong as suggested...but it was still very good! :P And I am very sure I will be cooking this again ...and again! :)

I am very happy to submit this post to Malaysian Food Fest Kelantan Month hosted by Gertrude of My Kitchen Snippets.

Have a great day all!

Strawberry Cream Cheese Stuffed French Toast

2013-04-02T22:31:00.003+08:00

Ever wonder if you can have gourmet breakfast, served right at the comfort of your own cosy home? Plus it is much more economic and you can eat at your own comfort, i.e. in your bed, in front of the TV, haha! Well, I love to serve up a nice breakfast every weekend. It's a time where there's no rushing involve, my family and I can have the delicious meal together. We enjoy some quality family bonding as well. So no boring slice bread with same old spreads please Mommy! I seriously don't mind waking up a wee bit earlier too...because it's all worth it when you see their happy faces when they eat the awesome breakfast, hah!

Who doesn't love french toast? It's one of those comfort food that makes you all warm inside! And I decided to make it even more awesome by stuffing them with delicious Strawberry cream cheese, yum! No worries if you don't have brioche (rich egg bread), just get any loaf from the bakery but unsliced. You will need to slice the loaf to the thickness you want in order to make the stuffed french toast. Yes, white loaf or wheat loaf is absolutely fine. :) Without further ado, here is the recipe:

Strawberry Cream Cheese Filling (This can be made the day before)
1 tbsp strawberry compote / jam
120g cream cheese, room temperature
1 tsp powdered sugar

In a small mixing bowl, mix all the ingredients together until everything is well combined.

Ingredients for Stuffed French Toast: (Serves 4)
1 loaf of bread, will have left over (mine was pumpkin oat loaf)
200ml fresh whole milk

2 eggs
1 tsp cinnamon powder

In a large bowl or wide plate, add milk, eggs and mix well with a whisk. Add in cinnamon powder and whisk well again.
Slice the loaf so that each slice is about 2 slices in thickness.
Then use a small knife to cut a cavity in each slice but not all the way through.
At this point, stuff about 1/4 of the cream cheese stuffing into the bread cavity. Making sure not to push too hard to break the bread. Repeat for the remaining slices.
Get ready a non stick pan (I used my happycall) and heat at medium low fire. Take a stuffed bread and dipped one side facing down into the egg milk mixture. Bare in mind not to push the whole bread in. Gently turn lift up and turn over the other side and dip again.
Now carefully place the dipped bread on to the pan. Repeat with the other stuffed bread.
I fried each side about 8 minutes, or when it has become golden brown and crisp up. Flip and cook for another 8 minutes.
Repeat with the rest of the stuffed bread until all is cooked.
You can either serve as is or slice diagonally like what I did and show off that stuffed cream cheese. Dust some powdered sugar over the surface and with some fresh strawberries or fruits. Bon Appetit!

My family loved this very much! I was very thrilled that it turned out well on my first attempt. :) When biting into the crunch bread and creamy sweet cream cheese, it was heavenly! Love it!

Looks good eh? Lol! You can even make it even more yummy by drizzling hot chocolate sauce over it! Hope my post is enough to motivate you to make this delicious breakfast for your love ones. :)

Have a good week everyone! Cheers! ;)

Roti Jala, MFF featuring Johor

2013-03-30T14:40:00.000+08:00

Finally! I managed to squeeze out sometime today to make something in support for this month's MFF, featuring Johor. Must support must support...many of my blogger friends doing it, so must give face, lol! Since I was pressing for time, I chose one of the easier recipes to tackle, which is of course Roti Jala. Although I still had to cook the curry to go with it, it was still worth the effort when you dip and bite that first mouth, yummy!

Actually I had quite a lot of fun making these thin crepes...even my little one was very excited and helping me out, haha! :D It's like free form crepe making...squiggling the batter around the pan, haha! And since I did not have that special roti jala tool that helps drizzle the batter, I used my handy dandy squirt bottle, heehee..

This squirt bottle has been used mainly for my desert recipes, I am happy that it actually work beautifully with this roti jala recipe...save some $$, lol! Plus the recipe is super easy! The only troublesome part is straining the batter and scooping it into my squirt bottle. :P Here is my version of the roti jala recipe:

Roti Jala (Makes about 16 to 18)

130g plain flour

1/2 tsp salt

2 large eggs

250ml coconut milk / fresh milk

1 tsp turmeric powder

In a large mixing bowl, beat the eggs and coconut milk together till well combined.
Sift in the plain flour and salt and stir well with whisk till it is completely incorporated and forms a thin batter.
Strain the batter through a sieve to catch any lumps, but you can skip this step if you have the roti jala tool, seems like those that uses it has no problem not sieving.
Heat up a pan at medium low fire, and squirt batter over it...at free form!
It takes only 20 to 30 seconds for one of these thin crepes to cook, so be watchful. And you do not want to over cook them as they become crispy...which I think will be hard to fold later.
Once you see the surface starts to dry out, quick dish out. There is no need to cook the other side...I find the texture just right .
Repeat until all the batter has been used up. Serve while still warm with curry of your choice. Yummy!

If you ever hesitate about making this, don't! This is such an easy recipe to whip up, I'm serious...not to mention the fun I had too, haha! And when you dip into that creamy, spicy curry, it is awesomeness to the max!! You can opt for a healthier version by using only fresh milk instead of coconut milk but bare in mind it will not be as fragrant.

I love how the tumeric powder gave it it's light golden shade....and thankfully it didn't contribute much taste to it, else my little ones will be complaining, haha! And you see those yummy pumpkin chunks in my curry? Those are the bomb! It's Japanese pumpkin, slightly expensive but so sweet and smooth....so glad it went well with my chicken curry. Make sure you add some pumpkin too next time if you are a pumpkin lover like me, heehee!

Okay, I am super happy to finally submit this one post to this month's Malaysian Food Fest ( Johor Month ) hosted by Annie of Annielicious Food. Yay!!!

Have a great weekend everyone...before it's over! Cheers!

Healthy Treats: Banana and Oat Muffin

2013-03-27T20:47:00.003+08:00

When you have that 2 or 3 overly ripe bananas in your kitchen, "looking" at you every time you walk pass. You know it ain't that tasty anymore since it's too ripe and mushy when you peel it. And kept emitting that ever so fragrant banana scent, telling you it's now or never! Never because it might just rot before you can get to it. :P I am sure everyone of us experience this all too often! Well, as I always say, there's never enough banana recipes to go around! So here I am again, after trying to justify why I am posting this yet another banana cake recipe on my blog, (busted! lol!!) share with you this wonderful and healthy muffin cake that you will not feel guilty chowing down 2-3 of these babies.

Actually I got this recipe idea from Veronica from Peng's kitchen. I believe she got her recipe from Kevin Chai's book. I decided to modify it to even healthier version by not using butter and adding some wholewheat flour. Check it out:

Healthy Banana and Oat Muffins (makes about 10-12 small)

120ml vegetable oil

70g dark brown sugar

1/4 tsp salt

1 whole egg, lightly beaten

1/2 cup low fat plain yoghurt / fresh milk

140g ripe and mashed bananas

1 tsp pure vanilla extract

100g cake flour

25g wholewheat flour

1 tsp baking powder

1/4tsp baking soda

90g instant oat

Walnuts(roughly chopped) and chocolate chips each 1/4 cup

Preheat the oven to 175C. Line muffin tins with paper liners.
In a large mixing bowl, beat the oil, egg and sugar together till brown sugar has melted. If sugar did not melt properly, place mixture over double boiler to help speed up the process.
Add milk, vanilla extract and salt and stir well.
Sift in cake flour, baking powder and baking soda and stir well.
Lastly, add in wholewheat flour and oats, stir well till combined
Add in walnut and chocolate chips in desired and stir to mix.
Scoop batter into muffin cups or baking trays. Bake in the oven for 15-18 minutes till tester comes out clean.

I actually divided the batter into 2 portions and half for walnuts and the other half for chocolate chips. Since my hubs and I wants the healthier version, we opted for the walnut ones...:D

I was surprise these muffins turned out moist and delicious! I really enjoy the walnut chunks and the slight chewy texture given by the oats. I am already planning to bake these again for my parents knowing that they will enjoy them and also not harmful to their health. :)

See that chunky walnut in there? Yummy! Nom nom nom...I love walnuts! And don't get me started on how healthy they are to us...so snack on them walnuts! :D

Alright, gonna keep this short since tomorrow is still another school day. *sigh* And there's much to do. :P Will try to be back with another post real soon...hopefully before end of the month! *Fingers crossed*

Have a good evening then everyone!

Steamed Herbal Chicken Drumlets

2013-03-22T20:47:00.002+08:00

As promised, I will post up something before the crazy new school term starts again. I'm actually setting my kids "free" today since it's their last free day...so they are basically doing whatever they want. Playing 24-7. (~.~") Have to keep reminding myself, you only get to be a kid once. :P And because of that, I have some free time now to blog, lol! Today a simple and yet healthy recipes that I am so sure anyone can do it in jiffy! First is Steamed Herbal Chicken Drum-lets.

This is a dish I have made up to 6-7 times for the last couple months. Because it's yummy and easy! I either change the main ingredient to a whole chicken or white fish fillet. This time I made it slightly simpler by using just chicken drum-lets, which I find it much easier to eat too. :P

Ingredients for Steamed Herbal Chicken Drumlets: (Serves 4)
12 chicken drumlets, skin removed
6 pieces of dried red date
10 pieces of dried longan
5-6 pieces of Yu Zhu Pian ( 玉竹片)
5-6 pieces of Dang Gui (当归)
2 tbsp Gou Qi (枸杞)

Marinate:
1 tbsp light soy sauce
1/2 tsp sesame oil
some white pepper

Seasoning:
1 tbsp Shaoxing cooking wine
1/2 tsp salt

In a mixing bowl, add in the de-skinned chicken drumlets and all of the marinate ingredients. Mix well and cover to marinate for at least an hour.
Give all the herbs a quick rinse. Then in a small bowl, add in all the rest of the herbal ingredients except the Gou Qi (枸杞). Add a cup of water and soak the herbs for 15 minutes, except Gou Qi (枸杞).
Meanwhile, set up the steamer. Line your chicken drum-lets in the steamer bowl and pour in the soaked herbs and add the Gou Qi (枸杞) over the top.
Steam at medium high heat for at least 10-15 minutes. If you are using whole chicken, steam at least 20 minutes.
Once done, remove from steamer and serve immediately with steam rice. Enjoy!

Fresh out of the steamer! Yummy! If you are worried that your young child doesn't like the taste, you can add a wee bit sugar to the marinate or seasoning to sweeten it a little. But you know the red dates, gou qi & dried longan makes the dish naturally sweet and yummy already!

Bare in mind to remove the skin of the poultry so the dish will not turn out greasy. I literally drink the soup just like that, it is so yummy! :) Even my kids find this dish delicious, and that is why I repetitively made it over the last couple months, lol! Plus us woman totally need to eat more tonic food to keep up our health. :)

Okay, gonna keep this a short one, have a great weekend everyone!
Promise will be back soon with a desert and I just fell in love...stay tune. ;)

Chocolat Fraise Cake, replica of Chocolat Framboise

2013-03-19T21:37:00.001+08:00

Hello all! Apologies for my long absence! Almost 2 weeks since my last post but who's counting, haha! Can't really say that I am busy but just couldn't get my momentum back in blogging. :P Although I do still bake and cook a lot lately, just didn't find the inspiration to post anything up. :( Damn...I hope I don't lose it, this blog has been my baby for 4 years now....*sigh*. I guess every blogger faces this issue some where along the way. :P I just hope this passion about blogging won't die on me anytime soon. :P *fingers crossed*

Back to today's post. It was my FIL's birthday last weekend, so it goes without saying that I had to churn out a cake for his big celebration. Although I was down with flu(recovering), it seems like a bad excuse to the old folks if you tell them I can't bake his cake because I ain't feeling too well. So by hook or by crook, I bit my lip and got to work. I browsed through so many cake books and finally decided on a recipe from this fabulous book from "Le Cordon Bleu (De la Cueillette, a la Recette)" also known as "法國藍帶糕點應用". I acquired this cookbook while I was touring in Taiwan last Nov and fell in love with it. I doubt I will be able to find a copy here in Singapore. I grabbed the opportunity to bake one of the simpler recipes in the book...yeah, Le Cordon Bleu...renowned French culinary school. ~stress~ At some point while I was preparing for this cake...I was asking myself if I was kidding myself to go with this recipe, lol! Anyway, I did made some changes to the original recipe, mainly because of the preference of taste in my family and also the fruit in season.

The recipe I choose from the book was Chocolat Framboise, simply mean Chocolate Raspberry cake. It may sound simple, but it's pretty complicated when you read the recipe. It's a cake with layers of chocolate cake also called Sacher, Cremeux Framboise (raspberry cream jelly), Mousse Chocolat (chocolate mousse) and raspberry jam. One of the major change in the recipe is I used strawberries instead of raspberries. I know, it's like a totally different cake! I felt I didn't do the recipe justice by changing this main ingredient. :P But I thought strawberries are in season now and it won't differ that much maybe in taste? Anyway, I swore I will bake this again using raspberries, just you wait! Lol!

The other part which I made changes to is using a chocolate sponge cake recipe versus the sacher cake as stated in the recipe. As the sacher uses almond paste and I didn't have any at hand, I decided to just go with my all trusty chocolate sponge cake. Without further ado, here is the recipe of the cake I made:

Ingredients for Chocolat Fraise Cake (makes a 8" round)

Please refer to here for the Chocolate Sponge Cake recipe

Cremeux Fraise (Strawberry cream jelly)

140g strawberry puree

40g egg yolk

50g whole egg

40g caster sugar

3g gelatine sheet

50g unsalted butter

Mousse Chocolat (Chocolate Mousse)

113ml simple syrup (at 30C temperature)

(2 part sugar, 1 part water ratio, heated together till melted and cool to 30C)

98g egg yolk

45ml fresh whipping cream

225g quality dark chocolate (70% cocoa)

389ml fresh whipping cream

fresh strawberry compote (you can use strawberry jam)

Cocoa powder

fresh strawberries, halved for deco

Method:

After you have baked the chocolate sponge cake, let cool and then cut it into two 7" disc and two strips that are at least 3" height, as shown below:
Set the cake slices aside for use later. In the meantime, make the strawberry cream jelly layer.
In a saucepan, add in egg yolk, whole egg, caster sugar and strawberry puree and mix well. Place over medium low fire and cook mixture till slightly thicken.
Add in the soften gelatin sheet and stir well till completely incorporated. Remove from the heat and add in the butter and stir till butter has melted and combined. At this point you can sieve this mixture but I choose not to.
Pour the mixture into a prepared 6" round cake pan and cover with plastic wrap and chill till firm. What happened to the colour?!? O well.... :P
To make the chocolate mousse: Beat the egg yolks till foamy, then gradually add in the warm sugar syrup and continue to beat till doubled in volume and lightened in colour.
In another heat proof bowl, heat up the 45ml cream till almost bubbly and pour over the chopped chocolate. Let mixture stand for 5 minutes. Then stir well to get a thick chocolate ganache.
In a mixer, whip the heavy cream till stiff peaks. Add half of the whipped cream to the egg yolk mixture. Then the other half of the whipped cream to the chocolate ganache. Then combined both these mixture together till well combined and be careful not to deflate the mixture. Chill chocolate mousse till needed.
Assembly: Place the 2 (or less, cut away as per needed) strips of chocolate cake along the inner cake ring.
Next place a 7" round cake disc at the base...make sure there is no gap between the cake layers else the mousse will ooze out.
Spread some strawberry jam at the surface of the base cake layer...generously.
Next pipe a layer of chocolate mousse over the jam layer.
Next, place the strawberry cream jelly over the mousse. Make sure the jelly is firm enough to handle. Mine was a little wobbly but I still manage to slide it in ok. Else you can freeze it to firm it further.
Next, pipe another layer of mousse over the jelly and then place the other cake disc over the mousse.
Lastly, spread some mousse over the cake layer and smooth it out. Chill the whole cake in the fridge for another hour before removing the cake ring.
You can at this point frost the cake with more chocolate mousse and decorate at will.

My goodness...that is a load off! Sorry for being so long winded but these are basically the steps. :P But making this cake is a real experience...loads of work but sure pays off when you take the first bite~!

It's funny how sometimes we ordered such a cake and never really notice how all these wonderful and yummy layers that marry each other so nicely! After baking one myself, then I truly appreciate each individual layer much much more, haha!

Everyone that tasted the cake liked it, going for seconds and cleaning up their plates in no time. The strawberry did pair off nicely in place of the raspberries, lol! Come-on, you can't go wrong with strawberries and chocolate right? I declare this attempt a successful one! Yoohoo! Looking forward to tryinbg out more challenging cake recipes from this Le Cordon Bleu book....if I dare, lol!

If you ever do attempt to bake this cake, do drop me a note/comment and let me know how it turns out ya?

There you go! An almost 2 weeks break and I came back with this super long post of a 5 layer cake! Hope I redeemed myself, haha! Have a great day all!

Almond wholewheat Piggy buns & loaf

2013-03-06T21:20:00.002+08:00

Another week gone, and I am still slacking! I really need to get my momentum going on my posting. I have not been blogging much but I have been more active on my new "passion"....Instagram, lol! If you are too an Instagram user, do come look for me and search for "honeybeesweet88" and you will find me. :P Do drop me a comment if you find me there ya?

Okay, back to my posting. It's been more then a month since my last bread post...geese, so unlike me! Lol! Anyway, I bake bread at least once a week...but this particular recipe has been my favorite lately. After my "Snake buns" episode, I decided to bake something fun again this time...piggy buns!!! *Oink* (ok, it's not a hint about my personality ah, lol!)

I just love these chubby-face piggies, haha! I had fun fun fun making them too! My kids were picking off their eyes, ears and snout when they eat their piggies, haha! This recipe is pretty much similar to the multigrain snake buns I posted earlier. But instead of almond+walnut+oats puree, I used almond+brown rice and wholewheat. :) But I do apologise that I didn't get to snap any pictures while I was shaping the piggies. :P But its not too complicated...read on. :P

Ingredients for Healthy Piggy Buns (recipe by HoneyBeeSweets)
Filling:

2 russet potatoes, peeled and cut into big chunks
5 slices of think ham, cut into small squares
1/2 tsp salt
1/8 tsp pepper
1 tbsp butter
1 tsp powder sugar

Boil the potatoes in a pot of water till it is fork tender. Scoop out and mash well.
Then mix together with the rest of the ingredients and set aside for the buns later.

Dough:

420g bread flour
55g brown rice powder/ flour (you can sub this with rice flour)

40g wholewheat flour (I used Prima)
50g caster sugar
6g salt
7g instant active yeast
150g almond+brown rice puree (I got this from my soymilk machine, you can use okara too)
160ml fresh milk
200ml water (+- 15 ml ; add as per needed )

30g unsalted butter

3 slices of kraft cheese, cut into 4 squares in each slice (yields 12 small squares)

some mini chocolate chips for eyes

In a large mixing bowl, add in all the ingredients except the butter. Stir and mix till everything comes together to form a pliable dough.
Continue kneading till the dough becomes elastic and pulls away from the side of the bowl and not sticky anymore.
Add in the butter and continue to knead till it reaches window stage.
Place the dough into a greased bowl and cover to let proof for 1.5-2hrs till it doubled in size.
Punch out the air and divide the dough into 50g & 18g portions. (Note: I made ~9 piggy buns & a plain loaf (9x4x5).)
First take the pig head, take a 50g portion and roll flat into a flat disc shape. Place one cheese square at the center, then 30g of the filling over the cheese. Seal up the edges into a roll ball.Then using your palm, press it down slightly to make it a slightly flat for more face "area".
Take the 18g portion, divide into 5g, 5g & 8g. The two 5g are for the ears and the 8g for the snout. Roll round and stick the snout and ears on the main face dough surface.
Using tooth pick, dip it in some cooking oil (prevent sticking) then poke the nose to create the nostrils. For the ears, use kitchen scissors to snip the lower end to create an opening.

Lastly stick 2 mini chocolate chips above the snout to make the eyes. Let it proof for at least 15 minutes and preheat the oven to 175C.
Then bake these buns in the preheated oven for 13-15 minutes till slight golden brown.

I really love the filling! I wondered why I never use that combination before, lol!

With the remaining dough, I made a plain loaf as well. :) I guess I can just let the pictures do all the talking ya? :D

Hope this recipe will also become a favorite for you and your family too. And have fun baking those piggy heads too! :) Have a fantastic day everyone!

Kumquat & Banana Chocolate Chip Ogura Cake

2013-02-27T22:06:00.001+08:00

Okay, don't ask me why but I also can't believe I am so hardworking myself, lol! Up with another post on the following day!? Gee...haven't done that for ages! And because Jessie left a comment "motivating" me to post up, I decided to heed her "advice", haha! Thanks Jessie! Plus my hubby is out with friends tonight...so can lah, hahaha! Sound like I'm cheating!! Lol! Shhhhh!

Okay, today's recipe is another classic, it's none other then the Ogura cake (a.k.a. 相思蛋糕). I posted 2 different flavors before, namely Pandan and chocolate. Today, it'll be Kumquat flavor with chocolate Swiss meringue (in lieu of CNY, haha) and Banana with mini chocolate chip (my kids' favorite!).

It was quite awhile since I last baked an Ogura cake...forgotten how moist and soft it taste. :)) I was inspired by Cathy after she baked her Passion fruit version quite awhile back.

Ingredients
(A):
100g egg yolks
1 whole egg
1/4 tsp salt
60g vegetable oil
80g kumquat marmalade (pls refer to Wendy's recipe for detail, I used hers)

(B)80g cake flour, sifted

(C)
200g egg whites

55g sugar

Chocolate Swiss Meringue Buttercream: (Optional if you like cake plain)

75g chopped dark chocolate

300g Swiss Meringue Buttercream

Melt the chocolate in the microwave and let cool for a minute before mixing into the room temperature buttercream.

Method:

Whisk ingredients (A) together in a mixing bowl. Add in (B). Set aside.
Whisk egg whites until frothy & add in sugar. Continue to whisk until soft peaks.
Gently fold in the whites into (1). Pour into prepared pan and sprinkle chocolate chips over the top.
Steam bake in a preheated oven @ 150 degrees for 40mins.
Once tester comes out clean, remove from oven and let cool completely.
Slice the cake into 2 and spread the chocolate swiss meringue buttercream in between.

I'll let the picture do the talking....nom nom nom! Hahaha! Everyone that has tasted the cake all raved how good it was....*happiness*! I guess orangy citrus taste plus chocolate is a sure win situation! :P

You can opt not to spread any buttercream but I like mine with it since I'm all for buttery taste, lol! I also made kumquat compte, which in fact can be made in to the marmalade by just blending it. :)) Thanks Wendy! *muahs* lol!

The other Ogura cake is Banana flavor with mini chocolate chip. At first I was hesitant to post this but since my kids love this so much, I figured why not just share with everyone then. :))

This is another fabulous combo, banana and chocolate, you can't go wrong with it! I actually regretted not sprinkling more chocolate chips!!! Lol!

The recipe is very similar to the one above, will post ingredients needed but please refer to above the method, heehee.

Ingredients
(A):
100g egg yolks
1 whole egg
1/4 tsp salt
60g vegetable oil
2 large ripe bananas, peeled and mashed

(B)80g cake flour, sifted

(C)
200g egg whites
65g sugar

Mini Chocolate chips

Note: Sprinkle the chocolate chips over the batter right before you place into the oven to bake.

Nice right, hahaha! Do try it out yourself, guarantee satisfaction!

I am submitting these 2 lovely cakes to Sonia's blog event :Chinese New Year Delights 2013 新春送礼.

Okay folks! Will go hibernate another 2 more weeks now, hahaha, just kidding!

Have a good evening all! Cheers

Sweet Glutinous Rice Cake (Nian Gao/年糕)

2013-02-26T23:06:00.002+08:00

Hi hi everyone! Yes yes, I'm finally back...finally got my "heavy" bums off the couch and seat in front of the computer, lol! Actually, I haven't been lazing around. It's just that there was so much to do that I just brush off blogging to the last. :P So bad right, haha! My FB friends would know that I am still busy baking away, posting pictures and all, the easier "blogging", lol! Anyway, I am back to post up one last new year recipe in support of Sonia's CNY blog event before it ends this Thursday. :)) Unfortunately I do have 4 other CNY recipes that I didn't manage to post up...hopefully next CNY then. :P

I actually wanted to make my own nian gao(年糕) since last year, and this time I finally did it. Some would say why bother over things that cause you only a couple bucks? Well the satisfaction of making and eating homemade food is beyond description sometimes. :D Anyway, I was pretty inspired by Kelly whom posted earlier about her nian gao. She adapted the recipe from none other then our dear Sonia herself, haha! Since these ladies made it so easy, I had to try it myself too, so here it is:

I did make some adjustments by reducing the amount of sugar. Base on the ratio that Kelly stated, I came up with the following recipe. Feel free to adjust the ratio as needed. Mine made one 6" by 2.5" round and two 1-ounce ramkins.

500g Glutinous Rice flour
500ml Water
400g Sugar (I used 200g caster sugar and 200g gula melaka)
4 tablespoons peanut oil
Banana leaves (I used parchment paper instead)
3 Red Dates

In a large mixing bowl, sift in the glutinous rice flour. Then add in water and peanut oil and whisk till no lumps and well combined.
In another heat proof sauce pan, add in caster sugar and 3 tbsp of water and cook mixture till it starts to caramelize. Immediately remove from fire and add in the chopped gula melaka and stir well till everything has melted and smooth. Be extra careful not to burn your sugar or your end product will have a bitter after taste. :P
At this point, stir in the thick caramelized sugar into the rice mixture and stir well till all is combined.
The mixture should have a creamy coffee color.
Pour the mixture to the prepared ramkins or baking pans lined with either banana leaves or parchment paper.
Steam at medium fire for about 1.5hrs. When it is done, stick a red date on the center top to give it a red coloring.
Let it cool completely before unmoulding it. And don't even think about slicing it yet as it will be pretty sticky. Let it seat covered for a day or two for it to harden slightly.

See all those wrinkles on my nian gao? I covered it with plastic wrap when I chill it in the fridge which causes it to form when it hardens...sigh. :P

What is nian gao if you didn't fry it up with some batter or something creative to make it more tasty ? I presume most people eat their nian gao that way, lol! This year I decided to give Wendy's recipe a try, which is the Nian Gao Taro Rolls.

This is so yummy! Crispy crunchy exterior and creamy sweet interior...nian gao at it's best, seriously, lol! Thanks to Wendy's ingenious idea, it has become pretty popular in the blog sphere too! I made slight changes and omitted the grated coconut, so here is my recipe for easy reference:

Taro filling:
500g peeled taro
5 tbsp confectioner's sugar
pinch of salt

Slice the taro into chunks and steam at high heat till cooked and soft.
While it is still hot, mash it together with the confectioner's sugar till well combined.

Assembly:
250g nian gao, cut into thick long sticks
Spring roll wrapper (190mm by 190mm -hubby bought wrong size, lol!)
1 egg white to seal the wrapper edges

Lay a wrapper on a clean work area.
Spread about a tablespoon of taro filling at the center, spread it out a little.
Place a nian gao on top on the taro filling. Then fold in the corners of the wrapper.
Then seal the edges with the egg wash. (For more detail steps, head over to Wendy's)
Fry the rolls in medium fire till golden brown and crisp.
Serve up while still hot and crispy to enjoy it at it's best.
I kept some in the fridge and I reheated them the next day in the oven at 150C for 10 minutes and it crisp up.

I think I will try it with mashed sweet potato next time, yum! Do give this a try if you still haven't eaten up your nian gao. ;) Hope everyone has a great and prosperous snake year ahead, 一定要步步高升！

I am happy yo submit this post to Sonia's blog event :Chinese New Year Delights 2013 新春送礼.

There, I finally finish this post, lol! Okay, have a good one all! Cheers!

Bak Kwa (猪肉干)

2013-02-15T12:04:00.002+08:00

Hi everyone! Happy Snake Year! 大家蛇年行大运！I trust everyone had a great celebration, with loads of good food and wonderful company...that is what Chinese New Year is all about. :) Well, I sure did...been avoiding the weighing scale for days, lol! And it took me much effort to come blog my first post after CYN, had too much fun, haha! But several of my friends had been asking me about how I made this Bak Kwa, (a.k.a pork jerky) for the past week, so I figured not to delay it any further. :P I first saw this recipe on Lena's blog which she in turn got from Sonia(yes again, these ladies are great inspirations, heehee). I knew I had to try it since Lena raved how yummy and easy it was to make it. :) So thanks again Lena & Sonia! Now, here is mine!

Because of its color, I actually had a hard time taking nice pictures of these pork jerkies. :P Anyway I did very slightly over baked them...you can see a few charred spots, haha! But overall I still love this recipe, it is gooood! As what Lena said, the meat was flavorful, still tender and yummy. Of course we cannot compare with those selling outside, but for a first timer, I'm pretty happy! And yes from now on, I will be only making my own Bak Kwa...well unless someone give me as a gift, lol!

I made little changes to the recipe, so it should almost taste the same....

Ingredients for Bak Kwa (猪肉干) (I made into a 13" by 14" tray)
450g minced pork
90g fine sugar
1tbsp light soy sauce
1/2 tbsp fish sauce
1tbsp oyster sauce
1tsp sweet dark soy sauce (or dark caramel sauce)
dash of pepper
1/2tsp
2tbsp golden syrup

In a large mixing bowl, mix everything together until well combined. Then cover with plastic wrap and let it marinate overnight or up to 6hrs in the fridge.
Remove marinated meat from the fridge and spread it evenly on a greased and parchment paper lined baking pan. I used the back of a spoon to slowly spread a thin even layer.
Preheat the oven to 160C.
Bake the meat for 15 minutes till it is half baked. Remove from the oven and cut it into squares of the size you like but not too small.
Return the tray into oven and up the temperature to 200C and grill for another 15 minutes. At this point, you do need to keep a close watch over the meat in case it over burnt.
Flip the slices over to the over side after 7-8 minutes and continue to grill it. Once both side is nice grilled and only slightly charred, remove from the oven and let it cool completely before serving or keeping it in air tight containers.

Looks juicy and yummy isn't it? (thick-skin, haha!) But do try it, I guarantee you, you will not be disappointed. :)

I am happy to submit this post to Sonia's blog event :Chinese New Year Delights 2013 新春送礼.

Okay my dear readers and blog friends, have a super weekend!

Hakka Yam Abacus (算盘子）

2013-02-05T00:26:00.000+08:00

I love yam, be it yam cake, yam kueh, yam buns or even yam bread loaf, (just to name a few) I won't miss a chance to try them out. And it goes without surprise that I love the Hakka dish: yam abacus. But somehow it never occur to me to make it myself because I felt making those lovely chewy yam abacus can be pretty daunting. :P Until recently, when I saw Lena post up her version and after reading her recipe, it just strike me, it ain't as complicated as I imagined it to be! Thanks Lena!! *muaks* So here it is, my first attempt of Hakka Yam Abacus(算盘子）.

I did make slight changes to the recipe to suit my liking. Here is my version with adaption to Lena's:

Ingredients for Yam Abacus (serves 4)

For the Abacus

240g yam fresh which has been peeled & steamed

110g tapioca flour

pinch of salt

A pot of boiling water

After you have steamed the yam, place it in a large mixing bowl together with the salt. Then add in the tapioca flour while the yam is still warm. You can either use your hands to knead the yam and flour together, or be like lazy me, use the mixture to beat it together to forma soft pliable dough.
Roll into a long log and cut into chunks.
Roll the chunks in between your palms and roll round into balls.
Press flat and use a chop stick end to make a indentation in the middle.
Boil the abacus in the pot og boiling water till it floats. Scoop out and drizzle some sesame oil/ vegetable oil over. Mix to coat and set aside first.

Accompanied ingredients:

2 garlic, minced

200g minced pork, marinated with 1/2tsp light soy sauce and dash of pepper

5 ears dried shitake mushrooms, soaked and sliced

50g dried squid, cut thinly

5 medium dried wood-ear mushroom, soaked and sliced

3 tbsp dried shrimp, soaked

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp sugar

1/2 tsp chicken seasoning

In a work, add 2 tsp oil at medium fire. Stir fry the garlic till fragrant, then add in the dried shrimp and dried squid. Add in the minced pork and cook till opaque.
Cook for a couple minutes till aromatic, add in the mushrooms and cook a couple more minutes.
Add in the yam abacus and stir fry till everything mixed. Add some water if needed.
Lastly add in the seasoning and stir well.
Dish up and serve while still hot.

Although I have tasted better ones, but I am still pretty please with the outcome! The texture of the abacus was soft and chewy...with a hint of yam, yum!

Definitely a great dish to serve up during the Chinese New Year table. Anything that associate with calculation (算), the Chinese will like! Why? So that we are good at counting our money, haha!

I am very happy to submit this post to Sonia's blog event :Chinese New Year Delights 2013 新春送礼.

Okay, got to go, tomorrow is another long day! Cheers!

Negeri Sembilan MFF : Seremban Siew Pau

2013-01-31T19:23:00.000+08:00

Okay, I will keep this post short since I am pretty tight down by other stuff. Why bother if I'm so busy? Well, I meant to bake and put up this post earlier this week, but waited till this very last day of the month!! *sucks to be so busy* Nevertheless, here it is, my version of Seremban Siew Pau, in support of this month's MFF, featuring Negeri Sembilan.

This is the 2nd time I attempted this. Frankly speaking I can't really remember how it was back when I first did it, but at least I remember the taste was not bad, lol! Anyway, here is the new version of this Siew Pau:

Ingredients (makes 12 pau)

Ingredients for Char Siew filling:300g Char siew pork, chopped finely (store bought)
6 shallots*, sliced thinly and fried till golden brown
Seasonings:
120ml water
2 tbsp light soy sauce
1 tbsp oyster sauce
1 tsp dark soy sauce
2.5 tbsp sugar
1 tbsp tapioca flour
1 tbsp corn flour
1 tsp plain flour

In a large mixing bowl, add all the seasoning ingredients together and mix well.
In the saucepan with medium low heat, add the seasoning mixture and cook till it thickens.
Add the chopped char siew pork and fried shallots and stir till well combined.
Off the fire and dish up to cool till ready to use. This can be made ahead of time and kept in the fridge for 24 to 48 hrs.

For making the pastry skin: (recipe adapted from Carol's "The First Book of Noodles for Beginners)

(Water Dough)

95g plain flour

15g confectioner's sugar

20g vegetable oil (I used ghee)

50ml water

In a large mixing bowl, add flour, confectioner's sugar, and ghee/oil then add the water to form a soft dough.
Knead dough until it's not sticky and smooth, about 5-6 minutes.
Let dough rest for 30 minutes and cover with plastic wrap.
Divide the dough into 15g each.

(Oil Dough)

90g cake flour

30g vegetable oil

Mix the shortening into the cake flour. It will feel crumbly at first, but continue to knead to form a dough that is pliable.
Divide the dough into 10g each.

Assembly:

Roll the water dough flat enough to encase the oil dough inside. Place oil dough inside water dough, cover and seal the edges.
Then press and roll out the combined dough into long flat oval. Then start rolling in from one end to make the dough like a swiss roll. Cover let rest for 10 minutes.
Then again repeat by taking a portion and roll it flat into a long rectangle and then roll it up from the short end into a swiss roll.
Using your rolling pin, roll out the dough into a roll disc at least 10cm diameter.
Place 1 heaping tablespoon of the filling in middle of the dough. Gathering the edges of the dough into top middle, pinching the edges together to seal up the top.
Preheat oven to 180°C.
Brush the surface of each Siew Pau with egg wash and sprinkle some sesame seeds on top.
Bake in the oven for 20-23 minutes till golden brown. Remove from oven and let cool before serving.

I was very please with the siew pau. Although can't compare with the original Siew Pau in Seremban, but it was still tasty. ;) The filling was flavorful and the crust was crisp and flaky! As you can see, I might have over-filled the pau which causes the yummy char siew oozing out, waste! Lol!

Indeed packed full of yummy char siew~! Will reheat it in the oven (140C for 10 mins) next morning to have it for my breakfast with a cup of coffee. ;)

I am happy to submit this post to this month's Malaysia Food Fest, Negeri Sembilan month hosted by Hody of Cook 4 you & me.

Okay, all have a great weekend ahead! Happy baking NY goodies that is, lol!

CNY Bake : Almond Cookies

2013-01-24T20:34:00.000+08:00

I am sure most of you have tasted almond cookies before. I would say a good recipe should be those that will slowly melts in the mouth. It should have a faint almond fragrant and sweet buttery after taste. I don't really fancy those that has almond essence nor small almond chunks in them. The essence taste artificial & those chunky almond bits get stuck in my teeth! If I say I like almond cookies, it is an understatement...I can chow down a tub all by myself if I am not watching my waistline, lol! But hey, looking on the brighter side, almonds has so many health benefits, it's alright to indulge in it right?

It is essential you get whole blanched almonds for this. Roast them and then grind them to fine powdery texture. If you choose to use store bought fine almond flour, it should be okay if you know the store has fresh stock every time. Else those almond powder that has been shelved too long will loose its fragrant and might even have an old stale taste to it. :P

Ingredients for Almond cookies

250g whole blanched almonds

- Roasted at 200C for 10 minutes till slightly golden. Let cool completely then grind it till very fine.

100g plain flour

120g cake flour

1 tsp baking powder

95g confectioner's sugar

1/2 tsp fine salt

100g peanut oil

50g melted unsalted butter

Egg wash for glazing (omit if you want it vegetarian version)

In a large mixing bowl, sift both flours & baking powder in. Then sift in the confectioner's sugar and salt. Now add in the grind almond and mix well.
Add in both peanut oil and melted butter. Stir the whole mixture until it comes together to form a soft pliable dough.
Preheat the oven to 170C.
At this point you can choose to cut out or shape the dough into rounds as desired. Lay them on a baking tray lined with parchment paper. Repeat till all the dough has been shaped out.
Glaze the cookie tops with egg wash.
Bake the cookies in the oven for 15-18 minutes till light golden brown.
Remove from oven and let cool before storing. Enjoy!

Don't ask me how many of these cookies I have eaten...I've already lost count, lol! I had to seal the tubs to stop myself from sneaking a few cookies ever so often!

Even though I baked double the above recipe, it still seems not enough. :P Anyway, I doubt I have the leisure to bake another batch for CNY...since I still have a few more cookies to bake!

I am happy to submit this to Sonia's blog event :Chinese New Year Delights 2013 新春送礼.

Okay folks, gonna go bake more cookies...until next time, happy baking all!

CNY Bake: Multigrain Snake Buns

2013-01-22T10:23:00.000+08:00

My, it's less then 20 days to Chinese New year!? Where did the time go? Didn't we just had a festive Christmas celebration last week? Well, nothing wrong with my sense of time, but it sure feels like last week, lol! I guess most of us home bakers are frantically baking the new year cookies in preparation for the celebration and to give away as well. As usual, I baking the pineapple tarts, almond cookies etc etc. But since there is a blog event over at Sonia's in lieu of CNY, I decided to join in the fun. :) I made snake buns! Lol, sound creepy and unappetizing isn't it. No worries, no snakes are harmed in the making of these buns. :P Haha...

I know, not exactly snake looking buns...but you can imagine soft sticky dough ain't exactly that easy to mould either. :P But I had loads of bun making them! Haha, like a big kid with "play dough"!

This dough recipe is actually similar to the one I used for my healthy cinnamon buns I baked last week. But instead of the red bean, red dates & black rice trio puree combo, I used almond, oats and walnut puree instead. I will still post the recipe here for easier reference.

Ingredients for Healthy Cinnamon Buns (recipe by HoneyBeeSweets)
420g bread flour
105g five grain flour (you can sub this with rice flour)
50g caster sugar
6g salt
7g instant active yeast
170g almond+walnut+oats puree
160ml fresh milk
200ml water (+- 10 ml ; add as per needed )

30g unsalted butter

Filling:
mini smoked sauages

tuna mayo (1 can of chunky tuna, drained and mixed with 2-3 tbsp mayo, 1/4 tsp salt, 1/2tsp sugar, pinch of pepper)

some red beans for eyes

In a large mixing bowl, add in all the ingredients except the butter. Stir and mix till everything comes together to form a pliable dough.
Continue kneading till the dough becomes elastic and pulls away from the side of the bowl and not sticky anymore.
Add in the butter and continue to knead till it reaches window stage.
Place the dough into a greased bowl and cover to let proof for 1.5-2hrs till it doubled in size.
Punch out the air and divide the dough into 40g and 50g portions. (Note: I made at least 12 of these snakes buns. But you can make less and use the rest of the dough to make a loaf)
First take the snake body, so take a 50g portion and roll flat into a rectangular shape:
Roll it up lengthwise and seal the edges nicely. Then roll the whole thing into a coil to look like a snake body:
Next, make the snake head. Cut the sausages into 3 length wise and cut the tip to make it look like a snake tongue. Then wrap the sausage with the 40g dough portion like a drumstick shape. Then place the head over the coil dough:

Repeat till all the dough portions has been used up. Let proof for 30-45minutes covered. Preheat the oven 175C while waiting. Brush egg wash if desired.
Place 2 red beans on top of the head to make it look like it's eyes.
Bake in the oven for 15 minutes until golden brown. Enjoy!

Seems a little complicated, but I guarantee you that you will have loads of fun making this. Get your kids to involve too to make it a bonding project! How cool is that?

You can use any bread dough recipe you are comfortable to work with. The one I'm using can be a little sticky and require more kneading time. But the next photo will proof that it is all worthwhile, haha!

Feel free to use another kind of puree if you don't fancy nuts. And you can also reduce the recipe into half to make a smaller manageable portion. :)

I am happy to submit this fun post to Sonia's blog event :Chinese New Year Delights 2013 新春送礼. Have you submited yours? Do join in the fun! Thanks Sonia for hosting this! :)

Have a great week ahead everyone! And happy baking all!!

Seremban Hakka mee - Seremban MFF

2013-01-15T23:05:00.001+08:00

If you live in Singapore or Malaysia, I am sure that you are familiar or even tasted "Ba Cho Mee" (肉挫面) which is essentially means minced pork noodle. This local delight can be found in essentially any hawker place in Singaproe. But my first time tasting the all traditional Seremban Hakka Mee was when I was staying in Petaling Jaya a few years back. This little store nicely hidden in a place call Arman Suria, sells the best Char Siew Fun (roast pork / BBQ pork rice) I have ever tasted...serious! The meat and fat literally melts in your mouth! And their other best seller was their Seremban Hakka mee. It was super delish! And frankly the taste is quite different from the version in Singapore. And every time I visit KL, that store is a must go, lol!

When I saw this month's MFF featuring Seremban, I was delighted! Knowing that there will be fellow Malaysian bloggers posting up this Hakka mee recipe, haha! But little did I know, there was already a good recipe around from Baby Sumo. :) And she has conveniently used Cintan instant noodle in place of the traditional Hakka noodle, I like! (Knowing that I won't be able to find the latter, lol!) So here it is, my Seremban Hakka Mee.

Since I made this for my little ones as lunch, I have decided to omit the step of making the pickled green chillies. I know I know...what a loss! But I swear I will do it the next time, heehee. :D I will repost the recipe for easier reference next time. Thanks to Baby Sumo for this great recipe!

Ingredients for Seremban Hakka Mee (Serves 4)

4 servings of non-fried flat noodle (I used Cintan instant noodles)

250g ground pork

4-5 pieces of dried shitake mushrooms, soaked and diced

4 garlic cloves, minced

2 tbsp cooking oil

2 tbsp fish sauce

2 tbsp soy sauce

1 tsp chicken stock seasoning

1 tsp sugar for taste (optional)
Enough water for the mince pork gravy (about 300ml)

1/2 tsp sesame oil (optional)

In a large wok, heat the oil over medium high heat. Add the minced garlic and stir fry for 2 minutes till fragrant.
Add in the minced pork and stir fry for 2 minutes. Add in fish sauce, soy sauce, chicken stock seasoning & sugar and stir in well. Lastly add in the water and let the meat stew over low heat for 10 minutes. Feel free to add more water if more sauce is desired.
Bring a pot of water to the boil and cook the noodles for 3 minutes,or until al dente. Drain and divide into two bowls. Sprinkle some sesame oil over the cooked noodles and toss to coat.
To serve, top the noodles with the minced pork with gravy, and some spring onions. Serve while still hot.

I love the addition of fish sauce in the meat sauce...really brings out the wonderful flavor, yum yum. By the way, I added a bit of sugar to balance off the taste, and it worked pretty well for me. :) And the addition of sesame oil in the noodle also makes it more fragrant. :) But all these are optional...base on your own preference of course.

Now, a look at the picture just want to make you say "Ahhh..." Lol! I really enjoyed this dish, will definitely cook it again. Thanks again Baby Sumo. ;)

I am happy to submit this post to Malaysia Food Fest, Negeri Sembilan month hosted by Hody of Cook 4 you & me.

Healthy Cinnamon Buns

2013-01-10T22:18:00.001+08:00

Whenever I think of cinnamon buns, the image of the bread covered with a oogey layer of thick icing on top always pops up. If you have ever tasted one that looks like that, you will know how sinfully good but also sinfully sweet it is! But who can resist a good soft cinnamon bun? Not me for sure, haha! In order to satisfy my craving for cinnamon buns (meaning eating one after another without guilt), I came up with a pretty good recipe (if I do say so myself, lol!) that will satisfy anyone's cinnamon bun appetite!

Why would my cinnamon buns be healthy? Well, besides the addition of the 5 grain powder which I bought all the way from Taiwan, I even added a combination puree of red dates, red beans and black glutinous rice puree. You must be thinking where in the world can you get this 5 grain powder....well any orangic store will carry them. But here is a picture of the one I bought:

No worries if you can't find the same exact brand, I believe the quality won't differ much. As for the trio puree, I actually got it from my latest gardget Luby puree king, but you can of course get the puree yourself by cooking these 3 components together of equal amount without sugar till it is soft. Then using a blender to zap it till smooth.

You can even opt not to add this puree in if you find it too much of a trouble, the texture of the bread should not differ too much.

I actually shaped the dough the night before and left them in the fridge overnight to proof. I wanted them freshly baked the following weekend morning but by all means you can bake them anytime you like. :)

Ingredients for Healthy Cinnamon Buns (recipe by HoneyBeeSweets)
420g bread flour
105g 5 grain flour
50g caster sugar
7g salt
7g instant active yeast
100g red bean+red dates+black glutinous rice puree
165ml fresh milk
200ml water (+- 10 ml ; add as per needed )

40g unsalted butter

Filling:
3 tbsp salted butter, melted & cooled
6-8 tbsp light brown sugar (depend how sweet you want it)
1 tsp cinnamon power

In a large mixing bowl, add in all the ingredients except the butter. Stir and mix till everything comes together to form a pliable dough.
Continue kneading till the dough becomes elastic and pulls away from the side of the bowl and not sticky anymore.
Add in the butter and continue to knead till it reaches window stage.
Place the dough into a greased bowl and cover to let proof for 1.5-2hrs till it doubled in size.
Punch out the air and roll out the dough into a large rectangular, about 11" by 14".
Brush a thin layer of butter over the surface of the dough, leaving about 1" at one of the long ends.
Mix the brown sugar and cinnamon powder together. Then sprinkle the mixture all over the surface of the dough where there's butter. Spread evenly if needed.
Then taking the other long end of the dough, start rolling it in like a swiss roll till it reaches the other end which we initially left without brushing butter on it. Seal it tight.
Slice the roll carefully and place each wedge in a well greased baking dish (deep enough for it to bake up) Again brush a bit of the melted butter over the top, or you can omit this step.
Cover and let proof. At this point you can either let it proof at room temperature till it double in size or leave it overnight in the fridge till next morning to bake. If you do leave it in the fridge to proof, make sure you let it seat out at room temperature for 15-20 minutes before baking it.
Preheat the oven to 175C.
Bake in the oven for 25 to 28 minutes till the buns are golden brown and your kitchen is filled with that wonderful buttery-cinnamon scent!!
Serve while it is still warm...yummy!

The cinnamon buns was a big hit, everyone loved it! Sorry about the arrangement though, looks kind of mis-arranged. :P I was trying to squeeze in a couple more buns into the whole dish, lol! My hubs said it's even better then those sold outside...*victory*!

A close up look of the soft, delicious bun.....you can see the specs of the trio-puree and yet the fluffiness of the bread. This is what I say "Healthy can be delicious too!". I have actually baked this recipe twice already, once without the puree, so don't worry if you want to omit it. But be a bit watchful of the liquid addition. :)

Gotta show you all this last picture to temp you all further, hahah! The oogey sweet cinnamon sugary syrup oozing out, yummy! Do away with that thick icing coat over the buns, really not necessary to sweeten it up so much in my opinion. Do give this recipe a try, it really won't disappoint. :) Bake a batch this weekend and give your family a very good and sweet reason to wake up to... ;)

Okay, got to go, hope everyone have a great weekend ahead!
Cheers!

Pandan Chicken Revisited

2013-01-08T22:04:00.003+08:00

Hi hi! Happy New year one and all! Sorry again for the long silence. Have been trying to adjust to the new time schedule plus adapting back to "school life" after it reopened. :P It's never easy, but a mommy's got to do what a mommy's got to do right? Lol! Anyway, I'm also glad my kids are back in their school routine to keep them busy and learning...so I have more free time to bake, haha! (happily rubbing hands) I guess those friends in FB will notice I have been baking more often this month! So much so that I have already 5-6 backlogs for the past 2 weeks! :P

Without further ado, let's start the new year post with a wonderful Asian dish, Pandan Chicken! Okay, I actually made pandan chicken years back, but somehow I remembered besides the wonderful pandan scent, the taste of the chicken was not flavorful enough. *bummer!* And just last Sunday, I had Pandan chicken at a Thai restaurant which left me wondering if I can replicate that wonderful taste myself! I searched on the net and realize some on the recipes online are leaning more to the "Chinese" flare rather then the authentic Thai taste, with the addition of oyster sauce? Hmmm....anyway, I found Gertrude's recipe (My Kitchen Snippets) is the closest version to Thai. She used turmeric and fish sauce for the marinate, pretty Thai I think. What's best, it can be baked! No messy frying and its healthier, I like! :)

This recipe indeed didn't disappoint. :) Although the chicken does look a little pale versus those fried ones. :P I reckon if I did fry it, it will taste pretty much like the ones I had at the restaurant. ;) However, being lazy to clean up the oily mess, I settled with baking. :) Nevertheless, the aroma from pandan was heavenly! And the chicken was still tender and very flavorful, score!

I made slight changes to the original recipe as I wanted a smaller portion and I didn't have all cilantro roots with me. :P Nevertheless, it turned out super! Thanks Gertrude!

Ingredients for Pandan Chicken (Serves 3-4)

300-400g boneless skinless chicken thighs, or chicken breast
1 tbsp of minced ginger
1 tbsp finely minced garlic
1/2 tbsp fish sauce
1 tbsp light soy sauce
1 tbsp palm or light brown sugar
1/2 tsp of tumeric powder
pandan leaves (soaked in clean water for at least an hour)

Cut the chicken into pieces of about 1.5 to 2 inches cube/size.
In a large mixing bowl, add in all the ingredients except the pandan leaves and the chicken pieces, mix well.
Marinate the chicken for at least for an hour or overnight in the fridge.
Preheat the oven to 200C. Remove the pandan leaves from the water.
Wrap the chicken pieces in the pandan leaves and secure it with a toothpick. Repeat till all the chicken pieces has been wrapped up.
Bake in the oven for 18-20 minutes till clear juices oozes out and the pandan leaves turn brown.
Once cooked, remove from oven and serve while still warm.

I really enjoy this dish very much, and will definitely make this again for sure, especially since my picky eater daughter gave compliments on how delicious it was. :) Looks like I have ways to use up my pandan leaves besides baking cakes now, heehee. :)

Okay, have a wonderful night all! Will try to post up a bread recipe before the week ends.

Cheers!

Fried Purple Sweet Potato Balls (炸紫薯QQ球) and Happy 2013!

2012-12-31T15:39:00.002+08:00

Hi my dear readers and fellow bloggers! It's already the last day of 2012! Hope everyone is all ready for the arrival of the new year. Well, to me, last day of 2012 is just another ordinary day really. No no late night parties nor clicking champagne glasses today. Actually I can't ask for more but to spend the day quietly with my kids before the hectic school life starts again. ~Bliss~ I had promise them a game of monopoly later after my post and they are actually "eyeing" on me right now as I type, lol! I guess I will have to keep this a short one. :) So today I will be posting a very simple dish call Fried Purple Sweet Potato Balls (炸紫薯QQ球), in support to this month's MFF, featuring Pahang. ;)

I know the usual fried sweet potato balls are in a nice golden colour...but mine are just ehh....purplish-brown?! Okay, it probably seem like a bad idea to use purple sweet potatoes here...but I reckon why not break from the norm? It won't hurt to be a little more adventurous no?

Since there was quite a number of recipes out there for this simple desert, I had to decide what kind of texture and mouth feel do I really want to achieve here. When I saw Gert's recipe, I knew her's was THE one I would want to try. Gert's version has included glutinous rice flour which result in a mochi like texture which I think will be pretty delicious and unique! However I did made some slight changes to it as I didn't want it to be too chewy, I reduced the glutinous rice flour. Plus I omitted the shredded coconut since I didn't have any and I prefer without it too. Here is my version:

Ingredients for Fried Purple Sweet Potato Balls (yields about 50-60 balls)

450g peeled and steamed purple sweet potatoes
150g glutinous rice flour
100g cake flour
30g corn flour
100g caster sugar (Original calls for 120g)
Vegetable oil for frying

caster sugar for coating (optional)

In a large mixing bowl, mash the still warm sweet potatoes together with the sugar. Add in the rice flour, cake flour and corn flour and mix well. Knead everything together until it comes together to form a soft pilable dough.
If the dough is too wet, add a little bit more rice flour, if it is too dry, add a tablespoon of warm water. It shouldn't be sticky.
Weigh the dough into 15g each and roll round with your palms, continue till all has been rolled.
Heat up some vegetable oil for frying at medium low fire. Deep fry the balls till golden brown or purplish brown in my case, haha
Remove from hot oil and let sip over paper towels.
Since my sweet potato balls were not sweet enough, I ended up rolling them in fine caster sugar after frying them. You can skip this can just add more sugar into the dough.

As you can see I rolled most of them in fine caster sugar. Well, I thought it will be sweet enough but too bad it turned out not so. But feel free to omit this if you don't have a sweet tooth like me, heehee. :D

The texture of these balls was just as expected! Crunchy good on the outside and soft chewy interior was really yummy! I made this for a family BBQ gathering and it was very well received. ;) This is truly an "old-school snack" as my MIL love it the most, haha!

I am happy to submit this to this month's Malaysia Food Festival featuring Pahang with this post, hosted by Wendy from Table For Two...or more. Thanks again for hosting this month! :)

Before I sign off, I want to wish everyone out there a very HAPPY 2013 ahead! Although the new year may be full of new challenges, but I believe that as long as one puts their heart to it, each hurdle will just be another experience that will build a stronger you. So stay strong and healthy my friends! Peace!