HappyPearEats

PerryMade >> Hong Kong Egg Tart

2017-04-14T20:59:00.001+10:00

Bought the tart mould for don't know how long already. I finally took it out and made this my all time favourite afternoon tea snacks. I am sure you will fall in love with this little egg custard tart! It looks hard to make than it actually does! Give it a try and let me know how you go. For traditional method, please click the link in post.

買了撻模好一陣子，最終我立下決心做了這個我很喜歡吃的下午茶點心。我肯定你會愛上它的！而且這個真的不難做，試做一下，然後展出一下你的成品吧！傳統做法請按文中的連結。

Hong Kong Egg Tart

港式蛋撻

makes 14 | TMX 20 s + chilling | bake 20-25 m | Asian

// adapted via 張媽媽廚房 Mama Cheung //

[ Ingredients ]

// Pastry 撻皮 //
- 200 g plain flour
- 100 g unsalted butter
- 40 g sugar
- 30 g egg
// Egg Custard 蛋漿 //
- 2 eggs 兩隻打發了的蛋
- 50 g sugar 糖
- 150 ml water 清水
- 50 ml milk 牛奶

[ TMX Method ]

1. Place all pastry ingredients into TM bowl to mix. 15 sec/ speed 4. Press 30 g pastry into each tart mould, use a fork to poke holes at the base of the tart moulds. Then chill in fridge for 1/2 hour.
把所有撻皮材料放進主鍋，以15 秒/ 速度4 拌勻。把大約30 g 的撻皮按壓到撻模中，再用叉在撻底刺小洞。然後放進冰箱30 分鐘。

point >> If the dough is a bit dry, you can add little more egg in the pastry dough. 5-10 g each time, then set 10 sec/ speed 4. Check again and repeat until you feel the dryness of the dough is just right.

如果你覺得面團有點乾，你可以加多一點蛋液。每次大概加 5-10 g，然後設定 10 秒/ 速度 4。重覆步驟至面團濕度剛好。這只能憑感覺，我也很難說大概是怎樣…

2. Dissolve sugar with hot water, then add in milk, set aside and let it cool.
在耐熱容器裡用熱水把糖溶解，然後再加入牛奶。放置一旁代涼。

3. Add eggs and the milk mixture in TM bowl, set 3 sec/ speed 4. Use the sifter to filter the egg mixture two times. Pour the mixture in the tart mould.
加蛋和牛奶混合物到主鍋，以 3 秒/ 速度4 拌勻。把蛋漿過篩兩次隔走泡泡和未打好的蛋液，然後倒進撻模內。

4. Preheat oven to 180C. Place the tart in the oven for 15-20 mins. When the side of the tart turn golden, reduce the temperature to 160C and bake for another 15 mins. Take out and rest in the mould for 5 mins, unmould.
把蛋撻放進已預熱至180C的烤箱內焗15-20 分鐘，當撻邊開始轉金黃色時，調低烤箱溫度至160C 再焗15 分鐘。取出後，留在撻模大概 5 分鐘後才脫模。

The egg custard was quite smooth. The key is to go through the sifter.
要蛋漿出來效果嫩滑，秘訣是要過篩！

[ Post Notes ]

>> This recipe is for my own record. If you use this recipe and would like to include in your blog, please be nice and credit the original site: 張媽媽廚房 Mama Cheung.

>> This recipe was made by Perry the Thermomix. For traditional method, please refer to the link above.

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PerryMade >> Salted Chunky Chocolate Cookies

2016-11-16T21:21:00.000+10:00

In late September, Mr. Pear and I made a life changing decision... We bought our first ever Thermomix!!! Woohoo~ I seriously cannot believe it as we have been thinking whether we should buy it... As we all know, the price is just too scary. Luckily, our dear friend Lianne told us 24 months interest free special promotion is on and Mr. Pear just gave a green light for me to buy my dream kitchen gadget (I still want a Kitchen Aid stand mixer though...).

As soon as we have got the machine, we named it Perry, just to give it a bit of personality and it is not just a kitchen gadget but more like a family :) I know we will have so much time to spend together in the kitchen~ hehe

Though we did make a vegetable stock paste in the delivery demo. However, I would still consider this yummy cookies the first thing I made with Perry :D

If you have a Thermomix or are considering to have one, follow us closely in this space or head to our new facebook page "PERRY The TMX". Happy Thermomixing :D

Salted Chunky Chocolate Cookies

鹽巴巧克力曲奇

makes 20-24 | TMX 3 m 10 s | bake 10 m | Western

{ adapted via Food Made with Love by Lianne Low }

[ Ingredients ]

113 g unsalted butter, cold and cut into cubes 冷凍的無鹽奶油，切成小塊
150 g packed light brown sugar 淺紅糖
25 g raw sugar 原糖
1 egg 蛋
1 tsp vanilla bean paste 香草膏
220 g plain flour 中筋麵粉
3/4 tsp baking soda 梳打粉
1/2 tsp baking powder 泡打粉
1/4 tsp sea salt 海鹽
200 g dark chocolate, cut into chunks 黑巧克力，切成小塊
Fleur de Sel, to finish (or flaky sea salt) 少量鹽之花或片狀海鹽

[ TMX Method ]

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C. Line two baking trays with baking paper and set aside.
預熱烤箱至180°C。把烤盤紙放到烤盤上,然後放在一旁。

2. Place butter, light brown sugar, raw sugar, egg and vanilla bean paste into the bowl and mix 2 min/ speed 3.
將奶油,淺紅糖,原糖,蛋和香草膏放進主鍋內,以 2分 / 速度 3 混合。

3. Add plain flour, baking soda, baking powder and sea salt and mix for 40 sec/ speed 4.
Add dark chocolate chunks and stir for 30 sec/ speed 2.
之後再加中筋麵粉,梳打粉,泡打粉和海鹽, 以 40 秒/ 速度 2 混合。然後放進切好的黑巧克力以 30 秒/ 速度 2 攪拌。

4. Form dough by scooping 1 heap tablespoon and rolling the dough into a ball. Place them on the baking tray with 3 cm space between each of them. Sprinkle some fleur de sel or flaky sea salt on top of the dough.
取出大概一湯匙混合好的麵團,然後滾成球狀, 放置在預備好的烤盤內。麵團與麵團間相隔3厘米。最後在麵團上灑上鹽之花或片狀海鹽。

5. Place them in the oven for 10 mins, until golden on the outside but still very gooey and soft inside. Out of the oven, let the cookies rest on baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring a cooling rack.
把準備好的曲奇麵團放進烤箱焗10分鐘直到外脆內軟。從烤箱取出後讓曲奇留在烤盤5分鐘再轉移至冷卻架。

[ Recipe Notes ]

* If you wish the chocolate to hold its shape, you may substitute with chocolate chips.
如果你希望巧克力保持形狀,可改用烘焙專用巧克力粒。

* Light brown sugar has been adjusted, original uses 180 g.
淺紅糖量有調整過,食譜原文用180 g的。

* I used one pack of 200 g dark chocolate instead of 220 g as per the original recipe.
我用了一排200克包裝的巧克力代替原文的220克。

[ Post Notes ]

This recipe is for my own record. If you use this recipe and would like to include in your blog, please be nice and credit the original site: Food Made with Love.

HOMEMADE IS ALWAYS THE BEST

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{ Recipe } Classic Gummy Bear

2016-08-22T22:25:00.000+10:00

Sorry for MIA for a long while. Where have I been? I have been busy with the new born and now Pear H is not a new born anymore. Ever since she was born, I have no interest to cook... when I have time, I do prefer to lie down and rest... haha

Anyway, not long ago, it was Pear H's first birthday. I don't know what we were thinking, we decided to cook all the food ourselves! Very brave! I KNOW! And I don't think it will ever happen again. These gummies were one of the goodies in the favour box. This is super easy to make, though this is not the recipes I would want to do at first, but lacking of time, I have to find something that is easy to make otherwise, there will be no favours for the guests.

This gummy is only made of three simple ingredients: water, unflavoured gelatin and flavoured gelatin. The best thing is it only takes less than 15 mins to set.

This recipe is also kids friendly! Next time, when you run out of activity idea, this could be your life saver! :)

I did not have the gummy bear mold. However, I am so happy that I can use my newly bought multipurpose molds for making this! Do you think they are just so cute? hehe :)

Classic Gummy Bear

makes heaps (depends on your mold size) | cook 10 mins | chill 10-15 mins
{ adapted via Sweet Pete's }

[ Ingredients ]

1/2	cup cold water
2	tbsp unflavoured gelatin
1	pk flavoured gelatin

[ Method ]

1　Place saucepan directly on the stove, add cold water and turn the heat to low.

2　Add 2 tbps of unflavoured gelatin and one full package of flavoured gelatin to the water.

3　Stir over low heat with a plastic spatula or wooden spoon.

4　Keep mixing until all the gelatin dissolves into water and there are no sugar crystals on the bottom of the pan.

5　Transfer the mixture into a small measuring cup or a pitcher.

6　Place your molds on a flat surface, and slowly pour the mixture into each space on the mold until it reaches just below the top edge.

7　Give the molds a small shake to ensure the mixture settles to the bottom.

8　Place the gummy in the fridge or your freezer for 10 mins or until the mixture is set. Then remove the gummy and enjoy.

[ Post Notes ]

This recipe is for my own record. If you use this recipe and would like to include in your blog, please be nice and credit the original site: Sweet Pete's .

HOMEMADE IS ALWAYS THE BEST

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{ Recipe } Japanese Hotcakes

2015-10-26T07:41:00.001+10:00

I love hotcakes. Every now and then, I will crave for McDonald's hotcakes for breakfast. But do you know, it is actually very easy to make at home? I am not referring the premix one that you can get from the supermarket. What I mean is to make it at home from scratch! Yes, you can do it!!! Trust me, you do have most of the ingredients at home already, what you really need is your motivation!

The Japanese hotcakes gives you a thicker and fluffier hotcakes compares to the traditional one. Hope you enjoy!

Japanese Hotcakes

makes 8 | prep 15 mins | cook 20 mins | Japanese

{ adapted via La Fuji Mama }

[ Ingredients ]

2	large eggs
200	ml milk
1	tsp vanilla extract
200	g all-purpose flour
8	g baking powder
40	g caster sugar

[ Method ]

1　Beat the eggs, milk, and vanilla extract together until foamy, about 3 minutes at high speed using a hand or stand mixer.

2　Whisk the dry ingredients together. Gently and quickly mix the dry ingredients with the egg mixture. Then let the batter rest for at least 15 minutes. (The batter will thicken slightly.)

3　Heat a frying pan over medium heat. Lightly grease the frying pan. The pan is ready to use if a drop of water will skitter across the surface, evaporating immediately.

4　Ladle 1/4 cupfuls of the batter onto the griddle. Cook on one side until bubbles begin to form and break, about 2 minutes. Then turn the pancakes and cook the other side until brown, about 1 1/2 to 2 minutes. Turn over only once. Drizzle with maple syrup and serve immediately. Delicious drizzled with maple syrup.

[ Picture of failure > . < ]

It is always time when thing doesn't turn out as expected! haha

[ Kitchen Notes ]

Serving suggestions: You can top with custard, fresh berries, and a dollop of whipped cream.

[ Post Notes ]

This recipe is for my own record. If you use this recipe and would like to include in your blog, please be nice and credit the original site: La Fuji Mama.

HOMEMADE IS ALWAYS THE BEST

♥ BON APPÉTIT ♥

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{ Recipe } French-Style Cottage Pie

2015-10-23T22:35:00.000+10:00

"It is this time of the year, everyone is craving for some kind of comfort food to keep them warm and cozy. While having a bowl of soup is definitely a must but sometimes another alternative can be quite appealing too."

This was written early June, I can't believe it took me almost four months to get to start write it again! Anyway, I have been quite busy the past few months. In early July, my precious little pear was born. Since then, I have been quite occupied with this little one. If you ask me how I feel to be a parent, I can honestly tell you, I enjoy more to be a mum now than the first three months. It was tough, but everything seems getting better and better. Little pear is now more fun to play with and she just melt my heart every single time she smile at me.

Back to the recipe, it might be a bit too warm to enjoy it now, but you can definitely keep this in mind for your next winter or a cool rainy day!

French-Style Cottage Pie

makes 4 | prep over 3 hours | cook 10-13 mins | French

{ adapted via Taste.com.au Magazine March 2014 }

[ Ingredients ]

80	g unsalted butter
1	brown onion, finely chopped
3	French shallots, finely chopped
2	garlic cloves, finely chopped
600	g beef mince
1	large tomato, finely chopped
500	ml beef stock
1	kg Desiree or brushed potatoes, peeled, coarsely chopped
200	ml milk
2	eggs, 1 separated
2	tbsp panko breadcrumbs
1	tbsp chopped fresh thyme leaves

[ Method ]

1　Heat 20 g of the butter in a large frying pan over medium heat until foaming. Add the onion, shallot and garlic. Stir for 5 mins or until soft. Add the mince. Cook, stirring with a wooden spoon to break up any lumps, for 5 mins or until mince browns. Add the tomato and stock. Bring to the boil. Reduce heat to medium-low. Simmer for 25 mins or until liquid is nearly evaporated. Season. Set aside to cool.

2　Meanwhile, cook the potato in a large saucepan of salted boiling water for 20 mins or until tender. Drain well. Return to the pan and shake over low heat to allow any excess moisture to evaporate. Use a potato masher to mash the potato. Add the milk, egg yolk and remaining butter. Continue to mash until mixture is smooth and creamy. Season.

3　Preheat oven to 200°C/ 180°C fan forced. Add the egg and reserved egg white to the mince mixture. Stir well to combine. Spoon mixture into four 500 ml ovenproof dishes. Smooth the top.

4　Spoon the mashed potato into a piping bag fitted with a 1 cm nozzle. Pipe mounds of mash over each pie to cover the mince. Sprinkle over the breadcrumbs and thyme. Bake for 35 mins or until mashed potato is golden and crispy.

[ Post Notes ]

This recipe is for my own record. If you use this recipe and would like to include in your blog, please be nice and credit the original source: Taste.com.au Magazine March 2014.

HOMEMADE IS ALWAYS THE BEST

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{ Recipe } Chawanmushi 茶碗蒸し

2015-05-13T16:44:00.000+10:00

Egg is such an amazing ingredient. No matter how you cook it, it still tastes nice (unless you really screwed up). Egg drop soup, quiche, hard boiled egg, scrambled egg, the list is just never end. Among all the egg dishes, chawanmushi is the first come to my mind, if you ask me what my favourite egg dish is. It is silky smooth like tofu. It has plenty of variations. It goes perfectly with shiitake mushroom, enoki mushroom, crab sticks, ginko etc. A good chawanmushi will just melt when you put a spoonful in your mouth. Just by thinking of it makes me feel like to cook some tonight...

What is your favourite egg dish?

Chawanmushi

serves 2 | prep 20 mins | cook 30 mins | Japanese

{ adapted via Just One Cookbook }

[ Ingredients ]

2	dried shiitake mushrooms
3	Tbsp. water - or enough to cover the mushroom
1/2	cup dashi stock - I used the powder one
1	chicken thigh
1/2	tbsp. sake
1	seafood stick
1	large egg
1/3	pack enoki mushrooms
6	thinly slices fish ball
4	coriander leaves for garnish

Seasonings

1/2	tsp. mirin
1/4	tsp. salt
1/4	tsp. soy sauce

[ Method ]

1　In a small bowl, combine dried shiitake and water. Let it soak for 15 minutes. When shiitake becomes soft, thinly slice it. Keep the mushroom stock.

2　Put the stock from Step 1 into a measuring cup, and then fill with dashi stock until you have 1/2 cup of liquid.

3　Cut chicken into small cubes so that they will cook faster. Marinate chicken in sake for 15 minutes.

point >> Sake can help getting rid of meaty taste and smell

4　Whisk the egg in a medium bowl. Add Seasonings and dashi mixture from Step 2 and mix well.

5　Then strain the mixture through a sieve into another bowl.

6　Start boiling water. The amount of water should cover 1/2 of chawanmushi cup. When boiling, reduce the heat to the LOWEST heat.

7　Divide all the ingredients into 2 cups. The colorful ingredients should be near the top of the cup.

point >> The night I cooked I doubled the ingredients, so you will see 4 cups were prepared.

8　Gently pour the egg mixture into the cups without creating bubbles. Instead of covering the ingredients completely with the egg mixture, leave some ingredients exposed so it will look nicer when cooked. Put the lid on (or cover with aluminum foil tightly if you don’t have chawanmushi cup).

point >> To avoid creating bubbles, I run through the sieve when I pour the egg mixture into the cup.

9　Place gently inside the hot water (it should NOT be “boiling”) and cover the pot’s lid. Cook for 25-30 minutes on the lowest heat. If you are not adding chicken, the cooking time should only be 15-20 minutes. Insert a skewer in the center of the cup to check if the egg is done.

[ Post Notes ]

This recipe is for my own record. If you use this recipe and would like to include in your blog, please be nice and credit the original site: Just One Cookbook.
The point below each step is either my experience or extra information from the original recipe. Hope it can help you to understand the step better :)

HOMEMADE IS ALWAYS THE BEST

♥ BON APPÉTIT ♥

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{ Recipe } Mango Mousse Ring

2015-03-22T20:29:00.000+10:00

Summer is the mango season in the Aussie land. Mr. Pear and I found a cheap grocery place few months ago. Every time we go there, sure will find something fresh and cheap to create our meal.

Early January (yes, I know, I have been so slow in catching up with update), this grocery shop sold a box of mangoes (it was over 15 mangoes per box) for just $9. How can anyone resist not to buy? They were all big and juicy.

However, how can we finish the whole box for only two of us. We needed to use them before it got rotten. Here were the solutions that we had:

1. give away to friends
2. make the mango mousse ring
3. make mango sago in coconut milk

We made the mousse for one of our dinner gatherings with friends to complete our three courses meal the other night. The result was amazing especially for a hot summer night.

This is absolutely easy to make and you can simply substitute the mango with other fruits. The original recipe actually uses strawberry instead which I will definitely try in next strawberry season :D

Mango Mousse Ring

serves 4-6 | prep 15 mins | fridge 3 hours | French

{ adapted via 究極蛋糕甜點裝飾技法 by 熊谷裕子 p. 92 }

[ Ingredients ]

140	g thicken cream
200	g mango
60	g caster sugar
9	g gelatin powder, mixed with 45 g cold water and set aside)
13	g lemon juice
Decoration
1	mango
	a small brunch of parsley

[ Method ]

1	Pour the thicken cream in a mixing bowl. Use a handheld electric mixer to whip the cream until just turn stiff peak (around 8 mins).
2	Puree the mango in a food processor.
3	Add in sugar, gelatin mixture and lemon juice (in sequence) and whisk at the same time until well combined. Point:if the gelatin mixture is solidified, place it in the microwave oven for a few seconds.
4	Place the mixing bowl over another mixing bowl with icy water. Keep stirring until the mango mixture start to thicken until lift up the whisk and the mixture fall back to the bowl with a ribbon on the surface of the mixture.
5	Add 1/2 whipped cream from step 1 to the mango mixture. Fold until combined. Then, fold remaining whipped cream to the mango mixture until fully combined. point>> Fold from the bottom of the bowl and bring it up to the top
6	Pour the mixture in the ring mould and tap the kitchen bench a few time to let the air out. Smooth the surface with a spatula and place in the fridge for 3 hours until set.
7	To unmould the mousse, place the mould over a mixing bowl with 40C warm water for about a minute. Place a plate on top of the mould and flip over. Decorate with diced mangoes and the parsley. point>> Make sure no water is going into the mould.

[ Post Notes ]

This recipe is for my own record. If you use this recipe and would like to include in your blog, please be nice and credit the original source: 究極蛋糕甜點裝飾技法.
The point below each step is either my experience or extra information from the original recipe. Hope it can help you to understand the step better :)

HOMEMADE IS ALWAYS THE BEST

♥ BON APPÉTIT ♥

HAPPYPEAREATS

X

OH wait! please don't forget to follow us on facebook for more updated and exciting adventures about HPE.

We don't want you to miss out! :D

{ Recipes } Black Forest Cake

2015-02-25T19:48:00.001+10:00

This is a kids friendly version of black forest cake. I made it for our connect Christmas party last year (plus a surprise cake for my dear friend). Since there are few kids and two pregnant ladies in the party, I decided to make a non-alcohol version of this cake.

I don't usually make the same thing more than once, because I like to try different things. If I ever make it again, it is either I really really love it (mango sago, which I will post later) or I really really want to conquer it (e.g. macaron). Nothing in between.

Sometimes, I don't know where I got this braveness from, but I always try to make new thing if I am going to a bring-a-plate party. It is not because I am so confident in my skill, this is only simply because I have a reason to make new and more complicated things. It is more a motivation to challenge myself, as I know I will only have one chance, otherwise, I am totally screwed and got nothing to share on the day (my plan B is always take away pizza lol).

Before Christmas, I bought a box of nice cherries from Garden City. To be honest, I know I am not going to finish it before it got rotten. I had to think a way to finish it before it happened. Then, black forest cake came across my mind. I wanted to make this for a long time and I know Mr. Pear like to eat chocolate cake. So, it was a win-win situation.

As I said, I was brave enough to make the cake on the day right before the party for the very first time. I would not have the luxury to redo if it stuffed. Therefore, I paid extra attention to every single step of the recipe. After the cake was out from the oven, I was not very happy as it looked so dry.

However, I really did not have time to make another one, so I still put the cake together and bought it over to the party.

Surprisingly, the cake came out very moist and it tasted just as nice as the store bought cake! I seldom say my food is good, as I was taught from young that this is not humble. But, I just can't help myself after the first bite of the cake... "It is so yummy!!!" I said that with an unbelievable tone, as I knew how it looked like before it got assemble. The result was brilliant and most of my friends liked it! Success! Yes! :D

Black Forest Cake

serves 8-10 | prep 30 mins | cook 45-50 mins | German

{ adapted via Carol自在生活 }

[ Ingredients ]

Cake Batter

5	egg yolks from the fridge
20	g caster sugar
30	g vegetable oil
50	g milk
70	g cake flour, sifted
20	g cocoa powder

Meringue

5	egg white (no trace of egg yolk, water or oil)
5	ml lemon juice
60	g caster sugar

Decoration

30	fresh cherries, stalk attached,
200	ml thicken cream
16	g caster sugar a pack of dark chocolate, grated icing sugar to dust (optional)

Syrup

10	g caster sugar
20	ml hot water

point >> If you want to make an adult version, you can add 1/2 tbsp cherry liqueur in the syrup mixture

[ Method ]

1　Preheat oven to 160°C.

point >> Oven temperature are for reference only, as different oven may vary. Best to have the oven thermometer

2　Mix egg yolk, caster sugar, vegetable oil and milk from the ingredients listed under "cake batter" with a whisk until combined.

3　Mix cake flour and cocoa powder in the same bowl until combined.

4　In another mixing bowl, whisk the egg white until bubbles comes out and add lemon juice and caster sugar (add slowly bit by bit or in two separate batches). Whisk until stiff peak.

point >> Better to use a hand held mixer or a stand mixer. Just to make your life easier and quicker.

5　Put about 1/3 of the meringue into the chocolate batter and mix until combined. Then pour the mixed chocolate batter into meringue. Using a spatula to mix from bottom to top.

6　Pour the batter into a 8" cake mould. Tap the bottom of the mould against the kitchen bench few times so as to let the air release from the batter. Place the mould to the oven and bake for 45-50 mins or until insert a skewer in the cake and come out clean.

point >> Better to check the cake 5-10 mins before the recommended minimum time.

I used two moulds so I don't need to cut the cake

7　Remove from oven and let it cool down in the mould before taking the cake out.

8　Mix the syrup ingredient together and brush the syrup evenly on the surface of the cake. Whip thicken cream to stiff peak and add the caster slowly while whipping (DO NOT over whipped the cream). Cover the first layer of cake with whipped cream and cut the cherries in half and pitted (save about 10 cherries for topping) and place all over the first layer. Then, place the second layer on top of the cherry filled layer.

point >> There is no need to use all the syrup.

9　Using a spatula to cover the whole cake with cream. Tap grated chocolate all over the cake and top with the remaining cherries. Optional: sprinkle the icing sugar on the cherries to make it more Christmassy.

[ Post Notes ]

This recipe is for my own record. If you use this recipe and would like to include in your blog, please be nice and credit the original site: Carol自在生活.
The point below each step is either my experience or extra information from the original recipe. Hope it can help you to understand the step better :)

HOMEMADE IS ALWAYS THE BEST

♥ BON APPÉTIT ♥

HAPPYPEAREATS

X

OH wait! please don't forget to follow us on facebook for more updated and exciting adventures about HPE.

We don't want you to miss out! :D

{ Recipe } Chicken Karaage

2015-01-21T21:31:00.000+10:00

This is one of the best fried chickens that I really don't mind to cook at home. Simple yet tasty! Mr. Pear and I like to order this when we eat out in the Japanese restaurant.

Chicken karaage is best serve with beer. I am not saying that I am an alcoholic or trying to promote alcohol, but deep fried chicken of course is nicer to eat with beer and friends, especially at a game night or party of some sort.

Forget about the alcohol. This is sure a big hit on the dinner table for most of the kids! Com'on, who doesn't like deep fried food! If deep fried Mars bar can be a hit, why can't chicken karaage? It is sure healthier than the Mars bar. At least, I think so. :P

I can confirm you that the taste is excellent. However, you may ask if it is hard to make. The answer is NO! Unless you truly hate deep frying at home, otherwise, there is no reason for you not to give it a go. Enjoy!

Chicken Karrage

Serves 2 | prep 70 mins | cook 10 mins | Japanese

{ adapted via No Recipes }

[ Ingredients ]

450	g chicken thighs, boneless skin-on cut into bite size
1	tbsp grated fresh ginger
1	clove garlic, grated
2	tbsp soy sauce
1	tbsp sake
2	tsp sugar
1/3	cup potato starch
	vegetable oil for frying
	lemon for serving

[ Method ]

1	Add the ginger, garlic, soy sauce, sake and sugar to a bowl and whisk to combine. Add the chicken, then stir to coat evenly. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
2	Add 1 inch of vegetable oil to a heavy bottomed pot and heat until the oil reaches 180°C. Line a wire rack with 2 sheets of paper towels and get your tongs out. Put the potato starch in a bowl.
3	Add a handful of chicken to the potato starch and toss to coat each piece evenly.
4	Fry the chicken in batches until the exterior is a medium brown and the chicken is cooked through. Transfer the fried chicken to the paper towel lined rack. If you want the chicken to stay crispy longer, you can fry the chicken a second time, until it's a darker color after it's cooled off once. Serve with lemon wedges.

[ More Pictures ]

[ Post Notes ]

This recipe is for my own record. If you use this recipe and would like to include in your blog, please be nice and credit the original site: No Recipes.

HOMEMADE IS ALWAYS THE BEST

♥ BON APPÉTIT ♥

HAPPYPEAREATS

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{ Recipe } Orange Madeleines

2014-11-06T22:20:00.001+10:00

I have heard madeleine for a long long time. It is a shame to tell you now... Actually, I have never had one before! Yes, please don't laugh at me... This little elegant looking cake is the best to have in any high tea gathering with friends.

I bought a madeleine tin for over a year, but I have yet to bake any until I saw this recipe from Better Homes and Gardens magazine. This is not difficult to make (only 4 steps!) and the smell of the orange is so attractive and addictive!

My first attempt was quite successful and I was surprised I got order straight away after I posted the pictures on my facebook page!

The pictures that shows in this post are the quantity for 4 batches of madeleines, but the measurement in the ingredient section is for 1 batch which is 12 madeleines. Therefore, please do not compare the amount in the pictures to the one that you make if you are using the quantity in the ingredient section.

Orange Madeleines

makes 12 | prep 10 mins | cook 10 mins | French

{ adapted via Better Homes and Gardens, July 2014, p.132 }

[ Ingredients ]

2	tbsp melted butter, to grease
1 1/2	tbsp plain flour, to dust
2	eggs at room temperature
90	g caster sugar - original 110 g
	Finely grated zest and juice of 1 orange
3/4	tsp baking powder
100	g extra plain flour
100	g extra unsalted butter, melted, cooled

[ Method ]

1	Preheat oven to 200ºC. Brush moulds of madeleine tin with melted butter. Dust with flour and shake off excess.
2	Put eggs, caster sugar and zest in the bowl of an electric mixer and beat on high, using whisk attachment, for 3 mins or until very light and frothy.
3	Sifted baking powder and extra flour into a large bowl, then slowly stir into egg mixture with extra butter until just combined.
4	Spoon batter into a piping bag fitted with a plain 1 cm nozzle and pipe into moulds until level. Bake for 10 mins or until just golden. Set aside for 2 mins, then turn out onto a wire rack to cool.

[ A Little More Shots ]

[ Kitchen Notes ]

It is better to eat on the same day. It is even better to eat them straight away from the oven.
I highly recommend to use the tin mould over the silicon mould. The tin mould gives a bit of crunch on the side of the cake. Taste very nice!

[ Post Notes ]

This recipe is for my own record. If you use this recipe and would like to include in your blog, please be nice and credit the original source: Better Homes and Gardens.

HOMEMADE IS ALWAYS THE BEST

♥ BON APPÉTIT ♥

HAPPYPEAREATS

X

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{ Recipe } Lemon Almond Ricotta Cake (GF)

2014-10-31T23:09:00.000+10:00

It has been while since last post. How have you been? It is almost end of the year. Can you believe it? I am pretty happy with what I have done earlier this year. But lately, my mind is full of many questions that I can't find the answers which makes me really stressed and unease. I seem to forget the basic of happiness.

Anyway, I made this cake back in August for a morning tea at work. This is my first time baking a gluten-free cake. I have to admit I have the impression that flourless cake must taste boring and the texture is very dense. But! This cake completely changed my mind! It was soft and tasty! The smell of almond was so strong when I took out the cake from the oven. It was absolutely amazing.

Lemon Almond Ricotta Cake

serves 10 | prep 20 mins | cook 40 mins | Western

{ adapted via Honey and Figs }

[ Ingredients ]

120	g unsalted butter, softened
240	g powdered sugar (icing sugar)
2	vanilla beans - I used 1 tsp vanilla paste
2	lemons, zested
4	eggs (separated and at room temperature)
240	g almond meal
300	g ricotta

[ Method ]

1　Freeze your beaters and a mixing bowl.

2　Preheat oven to 200ºC. Line a 20 cm round pan with parchment paper and set aside.

3　Beat softened butter, half of the sugar, vanilla seeds and lemon zest with an electrical mixer until pale and creamy, which should take about 5-6 minutes. Add egg yolks, one at time, and mix after each addition. Add almond meal and beat to combine. Fold in ricotta.

4　Take your mixing bowl and beaters out of the freezer. Beat egg whites and the remaining sugar until stiff. Gently, fold them into the cake batter.

5　Pour mixture into prepared pan and decorate with almond flakes if desired. Bake for 40-45 minutes (cover it with tinfoil after 25 minutes or so) until cooked. Let it cool for a couple of hours, or better yet, overnight!

[ Few more shots ]

[ Post Notes ]

This recipe is for my own record. If you use this recipe and would like to include in your blog, please be nice and credit the original site: Honey and Figs.

HOMEMADE IS ALWAYS THE BEST

♥ BON APPÉTIT ♥

HAPPYPEAREATS

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{ Recipe } Egg Salad Bun 蛋沙律包

2014-07-27T20:34:00.000+10:00

The mornings are still freezing cold here in the sunshine Brissy. Sometimes, I wish I don't need to go to work and stay in bed for the whole morning. Having said that, if I have some fresh bread coming out from the oven and waiting for me every morning, I am sure before my alarm goes off I have already out of my bed :D

Egg salad bun is something that I don't mind having everyday. Egg salad itself is nice, bake together with some flour and yeast which makes it like food falling down from heaven! I want to have one nooooow!!!

Let's make some bread!

Egg Salad Bun

makes 6 | prep over 3 hours | cook 10-13 mins | Asian

{ adapted via Veronica's Recipes }

[ Ingredients ]

Bread Dough

200 g bread flour
4 g instant yeast
25 g caster sugar
3 g salt
30 g unsalted butter, room temperature
125 ml milk - temperature: 30°C for summer / 40°C for winter

Filling

2 eggs
1/2 onion, finely diced
2 tbsp Japanese kewpie mayo
1 tsp water
1 tsp olive oil
salt to taste
white ground pepper to taste

Decoration

1 tbsp Japanese kewpie mayo

dried parsley

1 egg, lightly beaten for brushing

[ Method ]

Prepare for the filling - takes 15 mins

1　Stir fried onion in a pan at low heat. Hard boiled egg and shelled. Then, take out the yolk and mix with Japanese mayo and water. Add in olive oil, salt, white pepper, onion and finely diced egg white. Mix well and set aside.

Mixing & Kneading - takes about 30 mins

2　Put 100 g bread flour, instant yeast, caster sugar and water in a mixing bowl and mix well. Add in salt and the remaining bread flour until just combined.

point >> Do not put yeast and sugar together before mixing as it will affect the performance of the yeast.

3　Place the dough on the kitchen bench and knead until soft.

4　Add in unsalted butter and knead for about 5 mins or until all butter absorb in the dough. The dough is ready when you pull the dough apart and form a thin layer without breaking it.

5　Use both hands to push the dough up and pull the sides together to form a ball. Place the dough in a lightly greased bowl. Make sure the seam side down.

Initial Proofing - takes about 60 mins

6　Use cling wrap to wrap around the bowl and let it to rise at about 30°C for about 60 mins or until the dough is two times bigger before proofing. To test if the dough is ready, apply a thin layer of bread flour around the finger and insert the finger to the dough, if the hole does not bounce back, the initial proofing is completed.

point >> If proofing in a hot day, room temperature would be fine. If in a cold day, you can put the dough in the microwave oven with a glass of hot water.

Resting - takes 20 mins

7　Sprinkle with a thin layer of bread flour on the kitchen bench. Put the bowl up side down and let the dough fall on the bench naturally.

point >> To make the dough easier to fall, you can run a spatula around it before putting the bowl up side down on the bench.

8　Use hands to press the dough gently to release the air in the dough.

9　 Use a scale and kitchen scraper to divide into 6 small dough, roll a ball and cover with a wet cloth. Let it rest for 20 mins.

Shaping - takes about 10 mins

10　Sprinkle a thin layer of bread flour on kitchen bench, place the dough seam side up and press the dough to release the air.

11　Use a rolling pin to roll the bread dough to a 12 cm large round shape. Place the egg salad filling in the middle and seal the opening.

Final Proofing - takes about 40 mins

12　In the muffin tin, brush a little of melted butter and sprinkle a thin layer of bread flour. Put the muffin tin upside down to shake away the excess flour. Place the filled dough in the muffin tin with seam side down.

13　Loosely cover the filled dough with a cling wrap and let it raise for the last time before baking. When the dough raise to one time bigger than its size, it is ready for baking.

Baking - takes about 10-13 mins

14　Preheat oven to 220°C (fan forced 200°C), 20 mins after the final proofing started.

15　Brush the top with lightly whisked egg. Use scissors to cut a cross at the top and put some mayo in the opening.

16　Place the muffin tin in the oven. Lower the temperature to 190°C (fan forced 170°C) and bake for 12-15 mins or until the bottom of the bread turn golden.

point >> If the top part of the bread turn golden but the bottom is still not ready, you can place aluminium foil on top of the bread and let the bottom of the bread continue to bake until golden.

17　Take out the bread from the oven and place on the cooling rack to cool down and top with a bit of dried parsley. Enjoy!

[ Kitchen Notes ]

If you are not having it on the day, you can simply put it in the microwave for 10-15 seconds and you will have the nice and warm bread the eat for breakfast~

[ Post Notes ]

This recipe is for my own record. If you use this recipe and would like to include in your blog, please be nice and credit the original site: Veronica's Recipes.

The point below each step is either my experience or extra information from the original recipe. Hope it can help you to understand the step better :)

HOMEMADE IS ALWAYS THE BEST

♥ BON APPÉTIT ♥

HAPPYPEAREATS

X

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{ Recipe } West Lake Beef Soup 西湖牛肉羹

2014-07-09T20:24:00.000+10:00

Winter is finally here! This morning was freezing cold, a bowl of soup can surely warm me up! And this is the only thing that I like about winter... Talking about soup, it reminded me of the soup I made the other night -- West Lake Beef Soup.

Why West Lake? To be honest, I have no idea. It could be because it is originated from the area around West Lake or this soup is made with the beef there. Whatever the reason is, doesn't really bother me. It is the taste that matters.

This is one easy recipe that everyone can make. Ingredients are also easy to get. If you want some soup to warm up your night, try this tonight :D

West Lake Beef Soup

makes 4 | prep 10 mins | cook 30 mins | Chinese

{ adapted and modified via Day Day Cook }

[ Ingredients ]

Main Ingredient A

150 g mince beef
80 g frozen green peas
6 dried shiitake mushrooms, thinly sliced
80 g enoki mushroom, cut into 2 cm length
1 tbsp chopped spring onion
80 g tofu
750 ml chicken stock
2 tsp vegetable oil
2 egg white

Marinate

2 tsp oyster sauce
1 tsp light soy sauce
1/4 tsp chicken powder (optional)
1/2 tsp corn flour
2 tsp water

Seasoning

2 tsp oyster sauce
1/2 tsp soy sauce
1/8 tsp salt
1 tsp sugar
few drops of sesame oil
pinch of ground white pepper

Thickening

1 tbsp corn flour
4 tsp water

[ Method ]

1　Mix Marinate and beef together and marinate for 15 mins.

2　Heat the chicken stock in a pot until boil. Add in all Main Ingredient A except egg white. Slowly stir until the beef float and become loose

3　Add in Thickening and off the heat. Finally, stir in the egg white to make egg drop.

[ Post Notes ]

This recipe is for my own record. If you use this recipe and would like to include in your blog, please be nice and credit the original site: Day Day Cook.

HOMEMADE IS ALWAYS THE BEST

♥ BON APPÉTIT ♥

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{ Recipe } New York Vanilla Cheesecake with Blueberry Sauce

2014-06-21T19:59:00.000+10:00

I never have a sweet tooth and I am never fond of cheesecake. It sounds very weird that this comes from a person who bakes a lot of desserts. Having said that, every now and then, I will suddenly have a craving for some sweet stuff.

This time, I want to make a cheesecake and I have my reasons... another way not to waste food! :D

1. There are two blocks of cream cheese close to expiry date. (lesson learn: do not buy anything because it is on sale)
2. There is a pack of girl guide biscuit sitting in the pantry for over 10 months. (lesson learn: do not try to make all the little girls happy by buying all their biscuits on hand... but... I just want to encourage them!!)
3. There is a box of frozen blueberry in the freezer.

I have got most of the ingredients, all I need to do is putting them together. Simple as that!

If you want something refreshing and not too rich, this is the cheesecake you will love to try!

New York Vanilla Cheesecake with Blueberry Sauce

serves 10 | prep over 3 hours | cook 40 - 45 mins (plus chilling time) | Western

{ adapted via jamieoliver.com }

[ Ingredients ]

For the cheesecake

250 g digestive biscuits - I used the girl guide biscuits
150 g unsalted butter, melted
115 g caster sugar
3 tbsp cornflour
900 g cream cheese, at room temperature
2 large eggs
115 ml thicken cream
1/2 tsp vanilla paste
zest of 1 lemon

For the blueberry sauce

400 g blueberries
3 tbsp caster sugar

[ Method ]

1　Grease and line a 24 cm spring form cake tin and preheat the oven to 180ºC.

2　Prepare the base. Mix the biscuits and butter in a bowl, press into the base of the tin and cook for 10 minutes. Cool on a rack.

3　Turn the oven to 200°C. Combine the sugar and cornflour in a bowl. Add the cream cheese and beat with an electric whisk until creamy. Add the eggs and beat well. Gradually add the cream, beating until smooth, then beat in the vanilla and zest.

4　Tip the mixture into the tin, level the surface and sit on a baking sheet and place in the centre of the oven. Bake for 40–45 minutes until the top is browned and the filling set around the edges. A piece of foil over the top will stop it browning too much. Let the cheesecake cool, then put in the fridge for 3 hours or overnight.

5　Put the blueberries in a pan, sprinkle over the sugar and add a splash of water. Put on a low-medium heat to simmer gently for 10 minutes. Cool and serve with the cheesecake.

[ More Cheesecake...]

[ Post Notes ]

This recipe is for my own record. If you use this recipe and would like to include in your blog, please be nice and credit the original site: jamieoliver.com.

HOMEMADE IS ALWAYS THE BEST

♥ BON APPÉTIT ♥

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{ Recipe } Potato & Leek Soup

2014-05-01T22:34:00.000+10:00

I think most of you have heard about "Love Food Hate Waste" campaign. I am sure you agree with me that we all don't like to waste food. It is not just the money that we have wasted to buy them, but also wasted the energy that transporting them to where you buy, the landfill and so much more.

Head to this site by New South Wales Government. There have many ideas to help you save your food so as to reduce waste and guilt.

You may wonder, why suddenly I bring up this topic! haha... it is because this soup was made of all the leftover ingredients that were in my fridge! Plus as you know (or if you don't know yet), I love my soup like Manu (the judge from MKR) loves his sauce, I have to cook something that I love. Furthermore, this is the perfect weather to give myself excuse to cook more soup!

I was lucky enough to find this recipe on the newly released Taste.com.au magazine, so it saved me time to search on internet. This is absolutely an easy and simple recipe for your lazy weeknights :D

Potato & Leek Soup

serves 4 | prep 10 mins | cook 30 mins | western

{ adapted via Taste.com.au magazine, issue May 2014 }

[ Ingredients ]

25 g butter
2 tsp olive oil
2 thinly sliced leeks
500 g potatoes, peeled and coarsely chopped
1 L chicken stock
1/2 cup thickened cream
few chives, chopped

[ Method ]

1　Heat butter and olive oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat.

2　Add leeks. Cook, stirring, for 5 mins or until softened. Then, add potatoes, stirring often for another 5 mins.

3　Add chicken stock. Simmer, partially covered for 15 mins or until potatoes are soft

4　Use a stick blender to blend until smooth.

point >> You could blend roughly instead of smooth to give some texture to the soup. I personally like it that way :)

5　Add 1/2 cup thickened cream. Simmer for 5 mins or until heated through. Season.

6　To serve, sprinkle with chopped chives. Swirl through extra cream, if you like.

[ Kitchen Notes ]

Serve with some toasted bread makes a great starter of the night! Or it can be your lazy weeknights choice.

[ Post Notes ]

This recipe is for my own record. If you use this recipe and would like to include in your blog, please be nice and credit the original source: Taste.com.au magazine.
The point below each step is either my experience or extra information from the original recipe. Hope it can help you to understand the step better :)

HOMEMADE IS ALWAYS THE BEST

♥ BON APPÉTIT ♥

HAPPYPEAREATS

X

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{ Recipe } Chicken Sausage Rolls

2014-04-25T10:45:00.001+10:00

I am pretty sure you won't disagree if I say sausage rolls are one of the most popular finger food in Australia. From what i observe, sausage rolls are always quick to run out if not the first.

What makes sausage rolls so popular? Umm... honestly, I have no idea... ha! I am not a big fan, but if I do like sausage rolls, I think I like the flakiness of the pastry, easy to eat and I can dip into a pool of tomato sauce (any kind actually... doesn't really matter to me).

This is a healthier version from Louise Fulton Keats featured in taste.com.au magazine. I promise you will enjoy this classic dish in a healthier way :D But I think I just make it not as healthy as it supposed to be... You will know when you read the ingredients I used.

Chicken Sausage Rolls

makes 36 | prep & cook 60 mins | western

{ adapted via taste.com.au magazine november 2013 }

[ Ingredients ]

Bread Dough

2 tsp olive oil
1 brown onion, finely chopped
1 garlic clove, finely chopped
2 slices (80 g) wholemeal bread, torn - you can use stored brought bread crumb
500 g chicken tenderloins, chopped - i used chicken mince
1/4 cup chopped fresh continental parsley
2 tbsp chopped fresh chives
1 (about 120 g) zucchini, finely grated
1 tbsp lemon juice
1 tsp finely grated lemon rind
3 sheets frozen reduced-fat puff pastry, partially thawed, halved - umm... i don't really care if it is low-fat
1 egg, lightly whisked
1 tbsp sesame seeds

[ Method ]

1　Heat oil in a frying pan over low heat. Cook the onion and garlic, covered, stirring often, for 10 mins or until soft. Cool.

2　Process the bread to crumbs in a food processor. Place the bread crumb to a bowl and add the chicken mince, onion mixture, parsley, chives, zucchini, lemon juice and rind to the breadcrumbs. Season. Mix to combine.

point >> If you use the chicken tenderloins, process the chicken until a mince consistency forms.

3　Preheat oven to 220°C (200°C fan forced). Place one-sixth of the chicken mixture along the centre of each pastry piece. Brush the edges with water. Fold over the filling, pressing to seal.

4　Turn over the rolls, seam-side down. Brush with egg. Top with sesame seeds. Cut each into 6 pieces. Place on lined trays. Bake for 25 mins or until cooked. Serve with tomato sauce or your favourite dipping sauce.

point >> I misread the recipe... haha... what's new! I did not cut the pastry in half... so I use the whole sheet of puff pastry to make this gigantic sausage rolls. Thus, I did not have 36 rolls at the end! ha!

[ More Sausage Rolls ]

I am just so in love with the look of the puffy sausage rolls...
so I took million of photos of it... here just some of those....

[ Kitchen Notes ]

You can freeze them for a quick mid week dinner fix with some salad!

[ Post Notes ]

This recipe is for my own record. If you use this recipe and would like to include in your blog, please be nice and credit the original source: taste.com.au magazine november 2013.
The point below each step is either my experience or extra information from the original recipe. Hope it can help you to understand the step better :)

HOMEMADE IS ALWAYS THE BEST

♥ BON APPÉTIT ♥

HAPPYPEAREATS

X

{ Recipes } Mini Sausage Bun 迷你腸仔包

2014-04-18T13:33:00.000+10:00

Happy Easter!!! Long weekend just started. Have you got any plan? As for myself, Mr. Pear and I decided to have a quiet holiday. Staying home with our lovely Cindy who just dug her first hole in our garden...+o+ We may consider to see the royal tomorrow~ Or going to Gold Coast to soak up the sun sounds like a good plan too. :D

Anyway, if you don't have a plan like me, maybe this is a good time for you to try baking some fresh bread for your family! This is one of those yummy bread that you should never miss.

In Hong Kong, no matter who you ask, almost 9 out of 10 people will tell you their favourite bread from the bakery is sausage bun. Of course, I am not an exception. Why? As for me, it is easy to eat, especially you are in a hurry to go to work or school. Also, it is inexpensive and the smell and taste of the sausage is just so divine.

Since I am so into making bread and Mr. Pear loves his sausages, I combined our desire into this little gorgeous bun. Sure, we are the happy pair! :D

If you haven't tried, I highly recommend you to buy one from the nearest Asian bakery or simply follow the recipe and make one.

This recipe is again from Veronica's Recipes. Just love her work!

Sausage Bun

makes 12 | prep over 3 hours | cook 10-13 mins | Asian

{ adapted via Veronica's Recipes }

[ Ingredients ]

200 g bread flour
4 g instant yeast
30 g caster sugar
1 egg yolk (about 20 g)
120 ml milk - temperature: 30°C for summer / 40°C for winter
40 g unsalted butter, room temperature
2 g salt
6 sausage - I used Frankfurt sausage and cut it into half

[ Method ]

Mixing & Kneading - takes about 30 mins

1　Put the bread flour, instant yeast and sugar in a mixing bowl. Add 2/3 of milk to the instant yeast and mix well. Slowly enlarge the mixing area and avoid mixing everything at the same time.

point >> Do not put yeast and sugar together before mixing as it will affect the performance of the yeast.

2　Mix the remaining 1/3 of milk to the egg yolk and add in the mixing bowl to mix with other dry ingredients, until combined.

3　Place the dough on the working bench. Add salt and knead until soft and smooth.

4　Add in unsalted butter and knead for about 5 mins or until all butter absorb in the dough. The dough is ready when you pull the dough apart and form a thin layer without breaking it. This process will take approximately 15-20 mins, but your clue for the readiness of the dough is when it can form the thin layer.

5　Use both hands to push the dough up and pull the sides together to form a ball. Place the dough in a lightly greased bowl. Make sure the seam side down.

8　Use hands to press the dough gently to release the air in the dough.

9　Use a scale and kitchen scraper to divide into 12 small dough, roll a ball and cover with a wet cloth. Let it rest for 20 mins.

Shaping - takes about 10 mins

10　Sprinkle a thin layer of bread flour on kitchen bench, seam side up and use hand to flatten the dough. fold 1/3 of the two sides towards the middle of the dough, after that fold in half and firmly close the opening. Then, roll the dough to a long strip about 2-3 times longer than the sausage.

11　Roll the dough around the sausage.

Final Proofing - takes about 40 mins

12　Place the shaped dough on baking tray lined with baking paper. Loosely cover the dough with a cling wrap and let it rise for the last time before baking. When the dough raise to one time bigger than its size, it is ready for baking. The proofing temperature is at around 30°C.

point >> The one on the left was before proofing, the one on the right is after proofing. You can see the dough is double its size than the one on the left.

Baking - takes about 10-13 mins

13　Preheat oven to 220°C (fan forced 200°C), 20 mins after the final proofing started.

14　Once the final proofing is finished, brush the bread part with lightly whisked egg, then place the baking tray in the oven.

15　Lower the temperature to 190°C (fan forced 170°C) and bake for 10-13 mins or until the bottom of the bread turn golden.

point >> If the top part of the bread turn golden but the bottom is still not ready, you can place aluminium foil on top of the bread and let the bottom of the bread continue to bake until golden.

16　Take out the bread from the oven and place on the cooling rack to cool down. Enjoy!

♥ bon appétit :)

[ More Pictures ]

freshly out from the oven. smell really good!

the bottom of the bun: nicely golden! :D

another shots to admire the good work ^^

packed to share the love :)

[ Kitchen Notes ]

If you are not having it on the day, you can simply put it in the microwave for 10-15 seconds and you will have the nice and warm bread the eat for breakfast~

[ Post Notes ]

This recipe is for my own record. If you use this recipe and would like to include in your blog, please be nice and credit the original site: Veronica's Recipes.
The point below each step is either my experience or extra information from the original recipe. Hope it can help you to understand the step better :)

{ Recipe } Chorizo & Broccoli Quiche

2014-03-24T22:01:00.000+10:00

Early this year, our dear friend Nadyne came back from her six months business trip, so we decided to have meet up before she went on her next trip. Since two in our group have got kids, I thought meeting outside would be hard and we possibly won't have much time to catch up. Therefore, I was so brave to put my hand up and suggested to meet up for brunch at my place!

I have never cooked for seven adults plus three kids before. However, I do love being around with people. Well, it turned out not bad. Actually, I would say it was good! Considering, I have no experience at all :D So, that was a big proud moment for me when I put up the food on the table.

I always want to cook a nice breakfast / brunch to Mr. Pear and friends. This was the perfect time! A week before the brunch I tried to think about the menu and thought about if I could have enough time to prepare all the these that I wanted to cook. I was stressed, but a good one! I love the challenge! So, these were the dishes on the menu (clockwise):

Chorizo & broccoli quiche
Egg salad buns
Pancakes with blueberry compote
Curry chicken salad sandwiches

This is my first ever quiche from scratch. My first batch of the pastry was a disaster. I did not know what went wrong but the tart came out was ugly (but it still tasted good). So, I quickly did another batch and put it in the fridge and finished the rest in the next morning.

The second batch was not looking great but it was so much better. I love the tart pastry, very crunchy! I will definitely make it again for weeknight dinner!

Chorizo & Broccoli Quiche

serves 4-6 | prep 3 hours (+ 1 hour chilling) | cook 30 mins | French

{ adapted via Cafe Brunch 星期天的料理時光 by 鄭榮仙, p. 57 }

[ Ingredients ]

Pie Dough

70 g bread flour
80 g cake flour
90 g cold butter
2 g salt
5 g sugar
50 g cold water

Filling

2 chorizo - any sausages of your choice
1/2 broccoli
1/2 onion
50 ml milk
100 ml pouring cream
1 whole egg
1 egg yolk
salt & pepper to taste

[ Method ]

1　Sieve both bread and cake flour together and rub in cold butter to combine.

point >> If you don't have cake flour and bread flour, you can simply use all purpose flour as substitute.

2　Add in salt, sugar and cold water. Knead well and form a dough. Use cling wrap to wrap the dough and put it in the fridge for about 1 hour.

3　Roll out the dough to 0.3 cm thick pastry and place on the tart mould.

point >> I used the rolling pin to roll up the dough and place on the tart mould. I found this is easier to place the dough, as after rolling out the pastry it was very soft and easy to distort the shape which will also affect the thickness of the pastry.

4　Place aluminium foil or baking paper on the pastry and use baking weights or beans to blind bake the tart base at 180°C (160°C fan-forced) for about 15 mins. Then take away the aluminium foil and baking weights and bake for a further 10 mins.

5　Cut sausages and broccoli into bite-size. Slice the onion and saute until transparent.

6　Place ingredients in step 5 on the tart base. Mix pouring cream, milk, egg yolk and egg until well combined and pour into the tart. Add salt and pepper to taste. Then place the tart in the oven at 180°C (160°C fan-forced) for 30 mins.

ta da! the final product!

♥ bon appétit :)

[ Post Notes ]

This recipe is for my own record. If you use this recipe and would like to include in your blog, please be nice and credit the original source: Cafe Brunch 星期天的料理時光.
The point below each step is either my experience or extra information from the original recipe. Hope it can help you to understand the step better :)

{ Recipe } Sweet Corn & Tuna Bun 粟米吞拿魚包

2014-02-25T12:49:00.000+10:00

Have you attempted to make bread? I have made it ten thousand times, but none of them was success! Yes, it is depressing to be honest. I have come to the point giving up, as I just don't know what went wrong. All the bread I made were so hard to eat. Very unpleasant! -__-

Until I "met" Veronica, my bread making teacher on her blog "Veronica's Recipes", I was very reluctant to try making bread again. I just simply cannot afford the attack from failure.

In her blog, there are so many Asian bread/ bun recipes and it also has the step by step pictures, so you can follow better and know how your dough should look like in each stage. It's so helpful especially for the new bee like me.

Most of her recipes are using basic method which is mixing, kneading, initial proofing, resting, shaping, final proofing and baking. Yes, it is basic method even it has so many steps, but I guess this is the most direct way to make your bread dough. One thing you have to bare in mind, before you start to make bread, make sure you have plenty of time because it takes a very long time. However, it is very rewarding when the bread comes out from the oven. You can definitely taste the sweetness and love from each bite of the bread.

Ever since I have made my very first edible bread, I start to love making bread. Til today, I have made: this sweet corn & tuna bun, sausage bun (2 times), egg salad bun, pineapple bun and seaweed & pork floss bun. Exciting right? I start using tang zhong method for the last two buns. However, the results were not up to standard. They still tasted very nice, but I think the texture of the bread can be improved.

This is the first time, I kneaded the dough by hand... so it was a very good experience, even it is very tiring... Stay tuned for my bread making adventure.

Sweet Corn & Tuna Bun

makes 5 | prep over 3 hours | cook 10-13 mins | Asian

{ adapted via Veronica's Recipes }

[ Ingredients ]

Bread Dough

150 g bread flour - I used the German grain bread flour
1.5 g salt
3 g instant yeast
19 g caster sugar
15 g egg yolk
90 ml milk - temperature: 30°C for summer / 40°C for winter
30 g unsalted butter, room temperature

1 egg, lightly beaten for brushing

Filling

60 g canned corn, drained
80 g canned tuna, drained
Japanese kewpie mayo to your liking
lemon juice to taste
white ground pepper to taste

[ Method ]

Prepare for the filling - takes 5 mins

1　Mix all the filling ingredients in the mixing bowl and season according to your taste. Put it in the fridge for later.

Mixing & Kneading - takes about 30 mins

2　Put the bread flour and salt in a mixing bowl and mix well (left). Add instant yeast and caster sugar on the side of the bowl (right).

point >> Do not put yeast and sugar together before mixing as it will affect the performance of the yeast.

3　Pour in two third of the milk on the yeast and sugar side and mix with about half of the flour until well combined.

point >> The amount of milk is enough to mix about half of the flour at this stage.

4　Mix the remaining one third of the milk with the egg yolks. Pour the mixture and mix the other half of the dry flour until well combined.

5　Place the dough on to the kitchen bench and knead until soft and smooth.

6　Add in unsalted butter and knead for about 5 mins or until all butter absorb in the dough. The dough is ready when you pull the dough apart and form a thin layer without breaking it.

7　Use both hands to push the dough up and pull the sides together to form a ball. Place the dough in a lightly greased bowl. Make sure the seam side down.

Initial Proofing - takes about 60 mins

8　Use cling wrap to wrap around the bowl and let it to rise at about 30°C for about 60 mins or until the dough is two times bigger before proofing. To test if the dough is ready, apply a thin layer of bread flour around the finger and insert the finger to the dough, if the hole does not bounce back, the initial proofing is completed.

point >> If proofing in a hot day, room temperature would be fine. If in a cold day, you can put the dough in the microwave oven with a glass of hot water.

Resting - takes 20 mins

9　Sprinkle with a thin layer of bread flour on the kitchen bench. Put the bowl up side down and let the dough fall on the bench naturally.

point >> To make the dough easier to fall, you can run a spatula around it before putting the bowl up side down on the bench.

10　Use hands to press the dough gently to release the air in the dough.

11　Use a scale and kitchen scraper to divide into 5 small dough, roll a ball and cover with a wet cloth. Let it rest for 20 mins.

Shaping - takes about 10 mins

12　Sprinkle a thin layer of bread flour on kitchen bench, using a rolling pin to roll the bread dough to a 12 cm large round shape. Use a cookie cutter to cut a circle from the center. Pull the outer part of the dough to form a large circle, then twist the large circle into two overlapping circles. Place the overlapping circles around the dough that cut earlier. Then, place the shaped dough on the baking paper, then on the baking tray. Repeat this step for the remaining bread dough.

13　Take the filling from the fridge and put the filling in the middle of the shaped dough.

Final Proofing - takes about 40 mins

14　Loosely cover the filled dough with a cling wrap and let it raise for the last time before baking. When the dough raise to one time bigger than its size, it is ready for baking.

Baking - takes about 10-13 mins

15　Preheat oven to 220°C (fan forced 200°C), 20 mins after the final proofing started.

16　Brush the bread part with lightly whisked egg. Put a little bit of mayo on top of the filling, then place the baking tray in the oven.

17　Lower the temperature to 190°C (fan forced 170°C) and bake for 10-13 mins or until the bottom of the bread turn golden.

point >> If the top part of the bread turn golden but the bottom is still not ready, you can place aluminium foil on top of the bread and let the bottom of the bread continue to bake until golden.

18　Take out the bread from the oven and place on the cooling rack to cool down. Enjoy!

♥ bon appétit :)

[ More Pictures ]

close up :)

the inside

[ Kitchen Notes ]

If you are not having it on the day, you can simply put it in the microwave for 10-15 seconds and you will have the nice and warm bread the eat for breakfast~

[ Post Notes ]

This recipe is for my own record. If you use this recipe and would like to include in your blog, please be nice and credit the original site: Veronica's Recipes.
The point below each step is either my experience or extra information from the original recipe. Hope it can help you to understand the step better :)

{ Recipe } Chinese Radish Cake 廣式蘿蔔糕

2014-02-22T11:43:00.000+10:00

Happy Chinese New Year!! Oops... I think it is over ~~soon!~~ :P Anyway, how's your CNY so far? Mine, was good. Got a reunion dinner at in-laws, a little bit of fishing and I finally made this Chinese Radish Cake. I remembered mum used to make this and the New Year Cake (Niangao 年糕) every Chinese New Year .

I missed those days.

Anyway, have you tried the Chinese Radish Cake before? This is my all time favourite whenever I go yum cha. They normally served as a pan fried dim sum. But lately, they are also served as a steamed dish which I find more original and healthy. Mum used to fry radish cake with XO sauce and it is yummmm~

This batch I made it a bit lumpy but the taste was great. According to my father-in-law, he said next time I can put a little bit more water, then it should turn out smoother :D Thank God that I have a father-in-law who can really cook!

There are many different recipes in the internet world, this time I picked the one from Day Day Cook 日日煮. Yes, it is a Chinese site, but you can choose to read in English. Awesome right? I know! So now you can cook Asian food without any trouble! :)

Chinese Radish Cake

serves 6-8 | prep 15 mins | cook 40 mins | Chinese

{ adapted via DayDayCook }

[ Ingredients ]

800 g Chinese white radish
5-6 dried shiitake mushrooms
50 g dried shrimps
200 g Chinese sausage 臘腸

Flour Mixture
200 g rice flour 粘米粉
30 g corn starch 粟粉
250 ml water

Seasoning
1 tsp salt
1 tsp sugar
1/2 tsp white ground pepper

Garnish (optional)
20g spring onions
10 g sesame seeds

[ Method ]

1　Soak the mushroom and dried shrimp in water until soft separately for about 30 minutes. Once the mushrooms are soft, dice into small pieces and use a food processor to chop the dried shrimps.

2　Peel the radish and cut off both ends. Use a food processor with a coarse grater to grate the radish.

point >> I like my radish cake to have more texture, therefore, I usually use the coarse grater.

3　Cut the Chinese sausage into small pieces.

4　In a bowl, combine the rice flour and corn starch with water. Mix until smooth.

5　In a sauce pan, heat up some oil on medium high heat. Add Chinese sausage, and mushroom to sauté until aromatic (keep about 50g for garnish, optional), about 2 minutes. Then add the dried shrimp and sauté again for about 3-4 minutes.

6　Add the grated radish and sauté thoroughly for 5 minutes. Add the rice flour mixture and reduce to medium heat. Now keep mixing constantly and add seasoning. Once the radish mixture begins to thicken but not too firm, remove from heat and transfer to a glass or baking tray.

point >> If it looks firm, you can add some water and mix well.

7　Steam the radish cake over water on high heat for 40-45 mins. Before it's ready, add saved Chinese sausage and mushroom in step 5, on top of the radish cake for garnish and steam for an extra 3 mins.

8　Sprinkle with some sesame seeds and chopped green onions.

point >> You can serve this radish cake at this stage for a healthier option, otherwise, you may proceed to step 9 for a more sensational way to enjoy radish cake :D

9　Slice the radish cake into desired shape and thickness, then pan fry on medium high heat until golden. Ready to serve.'

♥ bon appétit :)

[ Kitchen Notes ]

This radish cake can be stored in the fridge for a couple of days .
Sick of having toast for breakfast everyday? Why not making this the night before and heat it up for the next morning? I am sure you will like it :D

[ Post Notes ]

This recipe is for my own record. If you use this recipe and would like to include in your blog, please be nice and credit the original site: DayDayCook.
The point below each step is either my experience or extra information from the original recipe and would like to share with you and to enhance your cooking enjoyment.

{ Recipe } Dark Chocolate Cupcake with Peanut Butter Frosting

2014-01-24T21:33:00.000+10:00

This actually happened in August last year. Yes, after that I was pretty occupied with different things and that is why I have been MIA… and I didn't think about this until now - making a good use of my commuting time on the bus. Do I get motion sickness? Not really, otherwise I will be really bored on the bus... haha.

Anyway, in early June (of course last year), a close friend of mine asked if I could bake some cupcakes for her wedding. She would like to have chocolate cupcake with peanut butter frosting and vanilla cupcake with strawberry buttercream. I know what you are thinking, you must think I must be very good at baking and friends keep asking me to bake for their special occasions.

I can honestly tell you that I am nowhere close to good, but I am persistent and determined. I like to challenge myself and try my best to achieve result. However, it only happens when I am interested. Heh~

I had not been baking back then as my oven was a bit old and the heat sneaks out from the oven. How can I bake a good cake with this oven? Plus, I have never decorated a cupcake! Can you believe it? So me being me, I was freaking out. Therefore, I started to practise with the RSPCA cupcake day and the result was amazingly good.

This cupcake is rich like brownies together with the peanut butter frosting. Tell me, who can resist such a perfect combination?

* Sorry, I was too concentrated to make this mini cupcakes, so I forgot to take the step by step photos.

Dark Chocolate Cupcake with Peanut Butter Frosting

makes 25 mini cupcakes | prep 15 mins | cook 20 mins | Western

{ cupcake via Master Chef The Ultimate Entertainer, p. 88 }
{ topping via Eat Your Heart Out }

[ Ingredients ]

Chocolate Cake
400 g dark chocolate, coarsely chopped (or half milk half dark)
4 eggs
100 g caster sugar
75 g plain flour, sifted
300 ml thickened cream, lightly whipped

Peanut Butter Frosting
45 g butter, softened at room temperature
140 g smooth peanut butter
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
25 g icing sugar, sifted
2 tbsp whipping cream

[ Method ]

For the cake

1　Preheat oven 170°C. Line cupcake tin with cupcake cases.

2　Melt chocolate in a heatproof bowl set over a saucepan of simmering water, stir occasionally. Cool for 10 mins

3　Using an electric mixer, beat eggs and sugar in a bowl until thick and pale.

4　Add cooled chocolate and beat until well combined. Using a large metal spoon, gently fold in flour, followed by cream.

5　Divide mixture between moulds. Bake 20 mins or until a skewer inserted in the center and come out clean.

6　Cool in moulds for 10 mins, then turn out onto wire racks to cool completely.

For the topping

7　Mix the butter and peanut butter together with a spatula until well combined.

8　Add the vanilla extract and mix. Then add the sugar gradually until incorporated.

point>> taste the sweetness of the mixture each time you add more icing sugar.

9　Using a piping bag with a star tip, swirl the frosting on the cupcakes.

♥ bon appétit :)

[ Kitchen Notes ]

These cupcakes can be stored in an airtight container for a couple of days in the fridge.

[ Post Notes ]

This recipe is for my own record. If you use this recipe and would like to include in your blog, please be nice and credit the original source: Master Chef The Ultimate Entertainer and Eat Your Heart Out.
If there is any point below the step, they are either my own experience or tips from the original recipe and would like to share with you in case you have the same or similar situation.

{ Recipe } Gyudon 牛丼

2014-01-17T18:31:00.000+10:00

Ok, it might be new to you... something about me... I always have a thing for Japan. I love almost everything from Japan, be it animate, manga, craft, home decor, people, or the place itself.

However, among all, I love Japanese cuisine the most. Not hard to understand why. They are simple, fresh and delicious, plus most of the popular dishes are actually super easy to make than they look!

Remember the oyakodon? Cooking gyudon is just like cooking oyakodon. 5 main ingredients and ready in less than half an hour. It is definitely a weeknight winner, especially after a long day at work :))

Gyudon

serves 2 | prep 5 mins | cook 15 mins | Japanese

{ adapted via Just One Cookbook by Nami }

[ Ingredients ]

1 large onion
2 spring onions
340 g thinly sliced beef
1 tbsp oil
2 tsp sugar
2 tbsp sake
2 tbsp mirin
1 tbsp soy sauce
3 large eggs, lightly beaten
3 cups cooked rice

[ Method ]

1　Cut the onion and green onion into thin slices and cut the meat into small pieces.

2　Heat the oil in a large frying pan over medium high heat and cook the onions until soft.

3　Add the meat and sugar and cook until brown.

4　Add sake, mirin and soy sauce.

5　Reduce heat and simmer until most of the liquid is gone.

6　Slowly and evenly pour the beaten egg over the beef. Covered and cook until the egg is done. Add the spring onion before removing from heat.

7　Place the beef and egg on top of steamed rice and pour the sauce according to your preference.

[ Post Notes ]

This recipe is for my own record. If you use this recipe and would like to include in your blog, please be nice and credit the original site: Just One Cookbook.
If there is any point below the step, they are either my own experience or tips from the original recipe and would like to share with you in case you have the same or similar situation.

♥ bon appétit :)

{ Recipe } Orange Flavour Macaron with Passionfruit Buttercream

2014-01-02T05:48:00.000+10:00

This is one of the two flavours for a church friend's wedding. I love the vibrant orange! This is my first time to make such a bright colour mac, but they look really nice with the wedding theme colour (orange and cream, yes, the other flavour is in creamy colour).

If you read my last post, you should know I am not a fan of macaron, mainly because of the sweetness. However, this one tastes so good and I am so addicted to it. The sourness from the passionfruit balanced just right with the sweetness of the mac. Plus the orange flavour in the shell which makes it a perfect summery dessert.

WARNING: it is very delicious and addictive. Please bear in mind the buttercream is mainly made from butter, so if you don't want to have a serious work out after this, make sure you know where to stop :P

Orange Flavour Macaron with Passionfruit Buttercream

makes 25 | prep 1 hr + drying time | cook 16 mins | French

{ shell via Zumbo by Adriano Zumbo, p. 16 }
{ filling via i ♥ macarons by Hisako Ogita, p. 42-25 }

[ Ingredients ]

Shell
150 g almond meal
125 g pure icing sugar
55 g egg whites, at room temperature
125 g caster sugar (original: 150 g)
35 g water
3/4 tsp orange food colouring (I used AmeriColor)
55 g extra egg whites, at room temperature

point>> 3 x large eggs will give you approximately 110 g of egg white

Filling
100 g unsalted butter (at room temperature)
40 ml water
40 g caster sugar
1 egg
50 g passion fruit (I used about 3 small passion fruits)

[ Method ]

1　Make the shell as per the direction from this link. Remember to add the food colouring when you cook the sugar syrup and add the flavour when you add the extra egg white to the almond meal mixture.

2　Stir the butter with a spatula until it becomes smooth and creamy like mayonnaise. To test the softness of butter, use your finger to press into the butter, if you could easily press the butter, they are ready to stir. If they are still hard, heat them in the microwave for 5 seconds.

point>> DO NOT melt the butter.

3　Put water and caster sugar in a heat-resistant container and stir them well. Heat the mixture in microwave for 1 minute. Take the container out and stir until the sugar is completely dissolved. Heat for another 4 minutes. Use a thermometer, if the sugar syrup reaches around 118°C, it is ready for next step.

point>> DO NOT over heat the syrup. It should not turn brown, if so, you have over heat the syrup.

4　While heating the syrup, break an egg in a mixing bowl and beat it lightly with a hand mixer. Pour the syrup made in step 3, like a thread, into the bowl and beat it at a high speed. Reduce the speed to medium and then to slow, and continue beating until the bottom of the bowl is no longer hot, and the mixture becomes pale and heavy.

5　Divide the prepared butter in step 2, adding it to the syrup in two to three batches. Beat with a hand mixer at medium speed each time you add the butter. When the butter is well mixed the process is done. Stir in the passion fruit into the butter cream until well combined.

point>>

While beating the butter and syrup, it may seem the butter separates from the syrup. You did not make mistake, just continue beating until the butter becomes creamy.
Add the passion fruit little by little to prevent the butter being thin out because of the extra moisture.

6　Use a pastry bag to pipe some cream on the flat side of the shell. Cover the bottom shell (spread with cream) with another shell, with the flat sides facing in. Gently press the top shell into place so that the cream does not come out and the macaron is done!

point>>

Pair up similar shape shell together, this can help you to make sure they are all in the similar size.
DO NOT pipe too much on the shell. Just pipe slightly smaller than the shell, when you sandwich the shell the cream will automatically spread to the edge of the shell.

[ Kitchen Notes ]

a good mac should have a dry base like this

these are the bad ones, as you can see they are under cooked
and therefore the base is stick to the baking paper

a good mac must not be hollow inside,
instead it should fill with the almond mixture like this

♥ bon appétit :)

{ Recipe } Plain Macaron Shell (Italian Meringue)

2014-01-01T11:24:00.000+10:00

Happy New Year everyone!!! How was your new year eve like? Mine was a quiet and relaxing one with Mr. Pear. He prepared a beautiful dinner and we shared a glass of champagne. It was wonderful :D

I am sorry for the lack of post for such a long time. I was meant to post this before Christmas. However, my computer was playing up, so I needed to get Mr. Pear to fix it... and now it is up and running again! Yay!

~~Not long ago~~ Two months ago, my dear friend Jade referred her friend to me as her friend wanted to have some macarons for her wedding. To be honest, I was really happy on one hand, coz someone trusted me and recommended me to their friends. How cool is that~

But on the other hand, I was a bit freaking out, as I haven't baked macs since 2010 after Jade's wedding. A good three year without making any, and now I have to bake for someone's wedding again?! How can I not freak out?!

So, the macaron madness begins...

I know I may shock you a bit if I tell you I am actually not a macaron fan but what makes me so fascinated about macaron is the unlimited combinations you can have with the shell flavours and the fillings.

If you follow my facebook page, you sure know how often I bake macs for ~~the past few~~ a couple of weeks. It has been an ups-and-downs journey. And it was so good to see the macs getting beta each time.

Of cause, every now and then accident happened, especially when trying new stuff.... haha...Yes, please do not expect to get it right at the first time. This recipe is a guide line for you to practise and the key steps are mostly followed from Adriano Zumbo's book, Zumbo with a little modification according to my personal experience and preference. However, please be aware that the outcome may vary due to different circumstances which will also be shown as we go through the process. It is gonna be a long post, but it records all I have come across these few weeks, so you know what to expect and what may happen :)

Once you have got the idea of how to make it and it is just a matter of time before you nailed it :) So, "Never Give Up" is the first and the main ingredient that you must have.

So, are you ready?

Plain Macaron Shell

makes 100 shells | prep 1 hr + drying time | cook 16 mins | French

{ adapted & modified via Zumbo by Adriano Zumbo, p. 16 }

[ Ingredients ]

300 g almond meal
250 g pure icing sugar (original: 300 g)
110 g egg whites, at room temperature
250 g caster sugar (original: 300 g)
75 g water
Food colouring, if required
110 g extra egg whites, at room temperature

(original recipe also include 2 g egg white powder, however, it turned out well without it for my macs, so it is up to you. The function of egg white powder is to stable the meringue.)

[ Equipment ]

sieve
couples of dry and clean bowls / containers (prefer non plastic)
2 large mixing bowls
stand mixer or hand held mixer (prefer stand mixer)
digital thermometer
oven thermometer
baking paper
piping bag
#12 plain nozzle (the round one)
4 baking trays / baking sheets
small saucepan
spatula
measuring spoon
digital scale

[ Preparation ]

# Drawing pattern on baking paper for easy piping (optional)

The size of the macs is up to you. According to Zumbo by Adriano Zumbo, he makes his macarons 4 cm diameter rounds. As for me, I use an Australian 50 cents coin to trace my mac size. It's about 3 cm diameter.

Draw the circle on the baking paper according to the size of your baking tray (it is better if you have a baking sheet). Depends on how many trays you have, as for me, four sets of the pattern are needed.

Make sure there are about 2-3 cm gap between each macs. To help the heat goes through the macs evenly, draw the circle in between the gap for each line like this:

O O O O O O O

O O O O O O

O O O O O O O
O O O O O O

Not like this:

O O O O O O O
O O O O O O O
O O O O O O O
O O O O O O O

After drawing the pattern, grease 4 large baking trays/ sheets and line with the pattern baking paper (draw side up or down doesn't matter, as long as you can trace the circle) and place another non-stick baking paper on top of it. Using two baking paper can help to prevent the bottom of the macs shell from getting overcooked. Some suggest to use two trays, one inside the other for the same reason.

point >>

If you are not good at piping like me, you can draw the circle on baking paper to help you trace later when you do the piping. I find it is very helpful especially you want to have your macs with the same size :)
I like a smaller size due to the sweetness of the biscuit. Plus, I think it is easier to consume especially in a special occasion like a wedding. It doesn't look good if it goes everywhere... (. __ .|||)

# Egg white separation

I use about 3 x 58 g eggs (large egg), it will yield about 110 g egg whites and you will need two sets of 110g egg whites. Put them in different containers.

Separate the eggs one by one and in different container. Just in case, you have a bad egg or break the egg yolks, then you don't have to throw all your good egg whites away.

Bring out the egg whites (if you age the egg whites) or separating the egg whites from the fridge when you start to measure your ingredients, by the time you are ready to whip the egg whites, it should be at room temperature.

point >>

You need to make sure all your containers are clean and dry before you store the egg white.
Discard any egg white that may have any yolk or water in it during the separation.
You can age your egg whites a day or few days before you make the macs. Cover the egg whites with a paper towel instead of cling wrap and place it in the fridge. The paper towel helps absorbing the moisture from the egg whites. I do not age my egg whites and it works well, so it is optional if you don't want to do that.

# Preparation of tant pour tant (TPT)

Processed 250 g icing sugar in the food processor until it becomes a fine powder. Then, add in 300 g almond meal and process until just combined. Do not over process.

Use a large spoon to push the powder mixture through a fine sieve into a large mixing bowl and set aside. I usually sift once, but you can sift twice maximum. Sift too many times will result in oily mixture.

Then put the powder mixture in the oven and set at 45°C. This help to keep away the moisture contain in the powder, especially in rainy or humid day.

point >>

The measurement that I used is not quite TPT. Tant pour tant refers to an equal amount of almond meal and icing sugar. However, the amount of sugar to make the macs really scares me. I decided to cut down the sugar by 50 g for both icing sugar and caster sugar and it works.
You can grind your own almond meal, but I choose to buy from store, simply because of convenience. I can't give more information about grinding almond as I haven't done it before. All I know is that you can't grind the almond too long which will make the almond meal too oily to use and will affect the result.

# Preparation the ingredients for Italian meringue

Measure 250 g caster sugar and 75 g water in separate containers and set aside.

If you are going to use colouring, you can add the colouring directly in the water, as long as the total weight of the water plus the colouring is between 75 g to 80 g, that should be fine.

point >>

If you want to make your macs in a dark colour, you may need to put more colouring as the colour will become lighter after you add into the meringue and will become even lighter after baking. Getting the right colour really comes down to practise. The brand of the colouring also vary, so it is hard to tell you how much you should put.
You must add the colour as you are making the syrup, because if you add it to the mac mixture itself it will change the mixture's consistency. Because of this, you need to get the colour right before your mix the syrup to the egg white later.

[ Method ]

If you have got all your preparation done, let's get start.

1　Put one set of the egg whites in a stand mixer with a whisk attachment (if don't have one, put it in a large mixing bowl and prepare the hand held mixer).

Place the sugar and water in a small saucepan over low heat and stir until the sugar has dissolved.

Use a clean pastry brush to brush down the side of the pan to avoid any crystallisation. Increase the heat and bring to boil. Cook until the mixture reaches at around 110°C, start whisking the egg whites on medium speed until frothy.

point >>

you need to be very patient in this step, too much heat will burn the syrup. Use a digital thermometer or a candy thermometer to keep track with the temperature.

2　 When the sugar syrup reaches 118°C, increase the mixer speed to high and slowly add the sugar syrup in a steady stream down the side of the bowl. Whisk until warm to touch the mixing bowl, it takes about 8 minutes. The meringue should be stiff, firm and has a glossy texture.

point >>

It is ok for the sugar syrup reaches 118-120°C.
You can test the stiffness of the egg white by placing the bowl up side down, the egg white should not fall if the texture is right.
It is not very hard to tell if the egg white are ready, when you start to increase the speed, the egg white looks very foamy. When you finish adding the sugar syrup, the egg white looks more solid and it is very glossy. If you are near to this stage, you need to watch it closely and don't over beat the egg white.

3　Take out the almond meal and icing sugar mixture from the oven , add the other set of egg whites to the mixture and combine it until a paste form. If you are making flavoured shells, you may add the flavouring in this step.

Then, add one third of the meringue and use a large spatula to fold them through until combined. After that, add another one third to the mixture fold through again until combined. Pour the meringue batter back to the meringue bowl and fold through. As you fold through the mixture, it will begin to loosen.

left: the first 1/3 of the meringue, you can see the almond mixture is more grainy.

right: the second 1/3 is added. The batter is formed and the mixture is loosen a bit.

When the mixture falls slowly off the spatula and forms a ribbon and the ribbon slowly disappear/ incorporate back into the batter within 15-20 seconds, then the batter is ready.

left: you see the ribbon mark on the batter.

right: after 15-20 seconds the ribbon will sink back to the batter and become smooth.

point >>

Make sure you are folding through from the bottom to the top, not stirring.
Remember under fold is always better than over fold. When the batter is almost done, you need to keep checking the texture.
Under fold the batter will have a rough and non-smooth surface.
Over fold... I haven't experienced before. But I have found some possible effects with over fold batter. Over folding will lead to a runny batter which contributes to the footless of the macs. Also the macs cannot hold its shape.

4　Transfer the mixture to a piping bag with a #12 plain nozzle. Holding the piping bag about 1.5 cm above a tray, pipe straight down onto the tray with the traced pattern and pipe just touch the line. As you finish piping each mac, move the nozzle from 12 o'clock to 6 o'clock quickly to finish the piping action. If you have the correct texture, the mac will soften again slightly and the tip on top of the mac will drop, leaving a smooth top. Some mac are dusted, using a fine sieve, or sprinkled with a flavour at this stage.

left: there is a little "nipple" after you piped the batter, this is normal.

Otherwise, your batter is too runny.

right: if the texture is right, the "nipple" will disappear and will leave a smooth top.

5　Tap the bottom of the tray lightly for few time and leave the mac at room temperature for 30 minutes or until a skin form or touch without any batter stick to your finger. After a 10 minutes of drying process, preheat oven to 130°C.

left: the shells look very shinny after piping. if you touch the top, it will stick to your finger.

right: if the shells are dried, it looks dull and when you touch it, nothing will stick on your finger and it is ready to put in the oven :D

point >>

Instead of leaving the mac room temperature, some suggest to put it in the oven about 40-45°C for 20 mins then straight away increase the temperature to 130°C. I have tried this and it works, so on a humid day, this is a very good method to use, as it takes longer to form the skin.
Tapping the bottom of the tray can help to get rid of the air in the shell. Do not worry if your texture is right, the hole from the bursted bubble will disappear.
The skin is important as it lifts while the mac cooks. creating a "foot" at the base.
However, do not over dry the shell, this might crack the shell as you bake.

6　Bake the macs for 16 minutes, until they have a firm outer shell. Remove from the oven and set aside for 2 minutes, then carefully remove one mac with a spatula to check that the base is also cooked and dry. If it is still slightly sticky, return the macs to the oven for 2-3 minutes, then check again. Cool the macs completely on the tray.

left: after a few minutes, the feet will start to form.

right: the macaron is cooked if the base is dry. (this is an orange macaron, you didn't have problem with your eyes :P)

point>>

Place the tray in the middle rack. If you have more than two trays, better to put in the middle and lower rack rather than middle and higher. As most of the heat will go to the top, and it will overcook the outside of the side quickly. Swap the trays half way if you bake two trays at one time, it helps to distribute the heat evenly as a result the colour of your shells will be more uniform.
The "food" should appear in the first 5 minutes.
Make sure you use your oven thermometer to get the right temperature.

[ Kitchen Notes ]

Being patient is one of the key to success.
I will try to make the french meringue next time, as it seems easier and less trouble. Stay tuned~

♥ bon appétit :)

{ Recipe } Cauli-Crust Pizza

2013-10-27T21:54:00.000+10:00

Yes, you did not read it wrong! It is a pizza with a cauliflower as a base!! Seriously, I don't know about you but I personally haven't heard that before. When I first read the title of the recipe, I was like does it really work? So, I decided to try it the other night and it was a pleasant surprise! At least, both Mr. Pear and I love to go for another slice :D Com'on it is healthy, why not?

I found this awesome recipe from a new launch magazine -- taste.com.au magazine formerly known as Australian Good Taste magazine. I have bought their first and second issues. I tell you, I love every single recipe that they have in the magazine. Without hesitation, I decided to subscribe for the very first time with their e-magazine for a year :D

I told myself since I have subscribed, I have to make the effort to try at least one recipe from each issue, otherwise, I will just waste the money. I think it can somehow improve my cooking skill too :D

Anyway, get back to the pizza. Though the crust is not as strong as the flour one, it tastes absolutely amazing. Best of all, it is healthier :D The topping is up to your imagination! Why don't you go get something cauliflower and make this for dinner tonight?

Cauli-Crust Pizza

{ adapted via taste.com.au magazine issue 1, p.60 }

serves 4 | prep & cook 1 hr | Italian

[ Ingredients ]

650 g piece caulifwer, trimmed, chopped
1 egg, lightly whisked
50 g (2/3 cup) finely grated parmesan
80 ml tomato paste (original use: passata)
60 g olives, pitted (original: Sicilian green olives, I am trying to clean my fridge, so I use whatever I had)
1 chorizo, sliced
10 fresh thyme sprigs (from my edible garden:D)

[ Method ]

1　Process the cauliflower in a food processor until finely chopped. Place chopped cauliflower in a microwave-safe bowl. Cover and microwave on high for 8-10 mins or until very tender. Drain through a fine sieve, pressing down well with a wooden spoon to remove excess liquid. Combine the cauliflower, egg and half the parmesan in a bowl.

point >> it depends on the power of your microwave, it took me about 20 mins to cook the cauliflower until very tender. Remember to drain as much water as you can, coz you don't want your pizza base too wet.

2　Preheat oven to 230C/ 210C fan forced. Line a 30cm-round pizza tray with baking paper. Press cauliflower mixture firmly into the tray. Bake for 20 mins or until golden.

before

after

3　Spread tomato paste over base and sprinkle with olives, chorizo, thyme and remaining parmesan. Bake for 7 mins or until chorizo is golden.

[ Kitchen Notes ]

My base was a bit wet. So next time I could either press harder to drain more water out or bake a bit longer to dry out a bit of the moisture.
Like any other pizza, you can put whatever you like, but I would advise you to precook the ingredients first as the baking time is not very long.

♥ bon appétit :)

HappyPearEats

PerryMade >> Hong Kong Egg Tart

Hong Kong Egg Tart

港式蛋撻

[ Ingredients ]

// Pastry 撻皮 //

// Egg Custard 蛋漿 //

[ TMX Method ]

[ Post Notes ]

HOMEMADE IS ALWAYS THE BEST

♥ BON APPÉTIT ♥

HAPPYPEAREATS

X

PerryMade >> Salted Chunky Chocolate Cookies

Salted Chunky Chocolate Cookies

鹽巴巧克力曲奇

[ Ingredients ]

[ TMX Method ]

[ Recipe Notes ]

[ Post Notes ]

HOMEMADE IS ALWAYS THE BEST

♥ BON APPÉTIT ♥

HAPPYPEAREATS

X

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HOMEMADE IS ALWAYS THE BEST

♥ BON APPÉTIT ♥

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Japanese Hotcakes

HOMEMADE IS ALWAYS THE BEST

♥ BON APPÉTIT ♥

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French-Style Cottage Pie

HOMEMADE IS ALWAYS THE BEST

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{ Recipe } Chawanmushi 茶碗蒸し

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HOMEMADE IS ALWAYS THE BEST

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Mango Mousse Ring

HOMEMADE IS ALWAYS THE BEST

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HOMEMADE IS ALWAYS THE BEST

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HOMEMADE IS ALWAYS THE BEST

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HOMEMADE IS ALWAYS THE BEST

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HOMEMADE IS ALWAYS THE BEST

♥ BON APPÉTIT ♥

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Egg Salad Bun