Cream Puffs In A Jiffy

Why In A Jiffy?  Yes, it did not take long to cook the dough as it was done in the microwave.  The longest time is the baking time.  Prep time is less than 5 minutes.  Hurray!! No washing of saucepan and wiping the stove top.  Try baking some and give me a feedback. Perhaps give two thumbs up for i can assure that you will not  regret baking them.

Kuih Talam Revisited

Although my previous recipe Kuih Talam is ok but my need to tweak more for a better texture has been on my mind for the longest ever.  I think i have found what i tweaked is to my satisfaction and i have to post it, not for my own reference but for everyone or anyone who will be interested to make a perfect kuih talam. Sweetness is just nice, just as what kuih should be, sweet enough to please the palate and the tinge of saltiness is there, complementing the sweetness.  Oh yes, the richness of the coconut milk is just right from the whole can of CHAOKOH coconut milk which has 50% of saturated fat.

Flaky Pastry Egg Tarts

 When my friend, Peng, linked me a video about a hong kong grandpa retiring and teaching his grand daughter to make his famous flaky pastry egg tart, i remembered that i have also made the flaky pastry this way but have not posted cos i have been neglecting my blog, but this recipe will be lost if not shared.  All flaky recipes have been following the western way of layering by wrapping the butter dough with the less butter dough(the chinese called this the water dough and the butter dough, oil dough), but for this egg tart, it is the other way round, the water dough is wrapped by the oil dough.  It is really flaky and easy to roll.  I have used the traditional ingredient - LARD but vegetable shortening can be used.  LARD  is available in 1 lb block in all our supermarkets and it is inexpensive.  Follow my instructions and you will have perfect flaky egg tarts.

Orange Chiffon Cake Revisited

I would like to share this new method of heating up the liquid and mixing it to the dry ingredients while it is hot.  Also the sugar is sieved with the flour, salt and baking powder. It does give a finer crumb and improved the texture.  i too find that there is no need to add the sugar slowly while whisking the egg whites.  It makes no difference, so just add egg whites, cream of tartar and sugar all at once and whisk at a constant slow speed.(speed 4 in kitchenaid mixer)

Nutella Flower Bread

There are several Youtube videos making this bread and all of them are pretty good but i find that Steve's Kitchen is clear and his instruction is easy to follow. I have changed the bread recipe and used a bread machine to make the dough.  The result is a lovely googy sweet bread which is too pretty to break up and devout, but who can resist, the fragrance perfumed the whole house.

Mothers Day Butterfly Cake

The ultimate tender, moist cake is really perfect for any special occasions as suggested at Baking Banter, King Arthur Flour Blog.  It is high rising with a moist, tender crumb and uses the paste method, so no need to cream the butter and sugar. Although a stand mixer is recommended for this cake, or a sturdy hand mixer, i used the food processor.

This cake was actually baked for Renee's 12th Birthday but i would like to dedicate this cake to all MOTHERS who have obligated to love you and that is the purest love on earth.

HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY

Kasutera - Japanese Honey Castella For Chinese New Year

Here is another cake which is deliciously sweet to serve to your guests during the Chinese New Year.  The green tea present will be auspicious and bring 'choy'/prosperity to your home. Kasutera aka Castella is a speciality of Nagasaki, this cake was brought to Japan by Portuguese merchants in the 16th century.  This cake does not contain any fat or butter but it is very moist and soft, the honey is the culprit, that is why sometimes this cake is called Honey Cake..  

Popovers

Can you believe the end of the year is already here? It has gone by so quickly, with a blink of an eye, a few pinches of this, a handful of that and lots of sprinkles with  garnished passion, this year has gone by under my nose, but a new year of hope and prosperity awaits.  A VERY HAPPY NEW YEAR to all family and friends.

I find that making POPOVERS at the end of the year is appropriate, POP the old year and bring OVER the goodness to the new year to come.

The popover is an American version of Yorkshire pudding in England. These impressive popovers have only a few humble ingredients - eggs, milk, flour, salt and butter and they make your meal special.  Made well they should have large crowns, lightly crisp. golden brown exteriors and tender, moist, airy interiors crisscrossed with custardy webs of dough.  This recipe is adapted from America's Test Kitchen and unlike most popover batters, this one is smooth, not lumpy.  HIGH HEAT is crucial to the speedy, high rise of these popovers. 

Pumpkin Cinnamon Christmas Tree Bread

I got up early on Christmas Eve to make this bread so that i can post the recipe and wish all family and friends a very Merry Christmas but i had a problem with my computer and am not able to do so until now.  Sorry about the late wishes but the bread turned out so well and the fragrance of Christmas filled the whole house and woke everyone up earlier than usual.  I am sharing how this bread is shaped and to WISH YOU ALL A MERRY CHRISTMAS, HAPPY HOLIDAYS AND A HAPPY NEW YEAR.

Beef Stroganoff

Renee, my grand-daughter, loves pasta in any shapes or form and she loves eating beef like in slices or in a piece of steak, but she will not eat a beef burger.  I thought that she does not like ground beef but she will eat ground beef in the Bolognese Sauce.  So, it must be the burger that is not appealing to her cos she will not have a chicken burger too. 

I know that she will enjoy this dish, Beef Stroganoff and it did.

According to  Wiki, Beef Stroganoff or Beef Stroganov (in Russian: Бефстроганов Befstróganov) is a Russian dish of sautéed pieces of beef served in a sauce with smetana or sour cream. From its origins in 19th-century Russia, it has become popular around the world, with considerable variation from the original recipe.

Christmas Log

 

 

It's The Most Wonderful Time Of The Year and

Bing Crosby, dream on, your dream will be coming true for us here this year, we will be getting A White Christmas.  So - Let It Snow, Let It Snow. Baby It's Cold Outside, Start the fireplace and gather your family around and have A Jolly Holly Christmas and Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree.  All I want for Christmas is my two front teeth would be Alexander's wish and Renee will be happy that her FROSTY is a rabbit and not melt away when the sun comes out like Frosty the snowman,  . We Wish you (all) a Merry Christmas.

Since it is going to be A White Christmas, I have made the Christmas Log covered with whipped cream and it has real shitake mushrooms.  Yes, these shitake mushrooms are a snack and so appropriate for my christmas log. 

Rose Wantan

 

 

Has it been that long?  5 weeks????? no posting!!  OMG, time really goes by fast when you are occupied.  Was really occupied, entertaining visitors, entertaining myself by going for a
Cruise - Disney Fantasy Cruise.  Had a Fantastic time especially enjoyed the food on board,  fine dining nightly with the most fabulous menu.  Could not decide what to order and our server had to bring me 2 entrees and 2 desserts - yes nightly.  The best part of all is that the orders are free,  the menu has no price tag.  Can't wait for breakfast every morning,  the buffet lounge is endless, the food was displayed in a circle and breakfast items are endless too - gravlax, smoked salmon, smoked mackerel, smoked trout, etc. Even the egg benedict served here was perfectly done and i had the pleasure of ordering egg benedict at Royal Court which was delicious.  Am running out of words to describe the food.  The second best part of the cruise was that i did not have to cook although i would love to.  But i did learn how to make strudel dough from scratch and make lobster ravioli from the chef of REMY. the famous french restaurant on board.

 

Now that i am back on land, the kitchen will be busy again.  There is nothing much that i can cook with until grocery shopping time.  Found some shrimp and wanted to make wantan but oh no, no wantan skin!!.  Found a packet of egg roll skin and remembered that making fried wantans with egg roll skin is in my do list.  Can't wait to start making them and the finished wantans were not only deliciously crispy but oh so pretty.

 

Lego Pirates Of The Caribbean Cake -

It was my grandson Alexander's 7th birthday and the theme this year was Lego Pirates of the Caribbean.  Thank goodness they were pirates, i was so untidy and Jack Sparrow looked like he did not have a bath for a long long time.  It was fine with Black Beard as his beard covered up his dirty face.  Davy Jones was scary enough, his squid beard was more bushy to start with and some fell off.  

Opera Cake

I have always been fascinated about this cake - OPERA CAKE.  Fascination turned into Inspiration by looking at all the lovely pictures of this cake baked by so many.  At a glance of the ingredients, i can attest that it will be a very very rich delicious cake.  It is so rich that some said that it was served during the Intermission of Operas and it will help to keep spectators awake through the second half. It will not be so for those who cannot resist this decadent delight and have another helping, will stay alert from over indulgence.  I have found so many recipes but Joe Pastry's Opera Cake overwhelmed me with step-by-step instructions which was so clear and easy to follow.  Thank you, Joe Pastry for sharing.

This cake was made for a dear relative who turned 50 and being half a centenarian, deserve something special.