Apam balik

Apam Balik is a local food where you can find from the stalls along the street. This recipe is from Seasaltwithfood and it suppose to be thin and crispy at the outer edge and thick and soft inside however I've got a thin and crispy texture. My son and hubby loves it so much as I added extra creamy corn and peanuts

Apam Balik (Thick Version)

Yield: 2pcs of 30cm

Ingredients:

Batter

1 1/4 Cups All-Purpose Flour

1/2 tsp Baking Soda

1/2 tsp Instant Yeast

1 Large Egg

2 Tbsp Cane Sugar

1 Cup Water

Filling

2 Cups Roasted Peanuts, coarsely ground

1/2 Cup Cane Sugar

Instructions:

1. In a bowl, whisk together all purpose flour, baking soda, instant yeast, egg, sugar, and water. Wrap the bowl and refrigerate for 5 hours or overnight.
2. Lightly oil a small non-stick pan or a crepe pan (about 5 - 6 inches diameter) over a moderate heat (I used a 30 cm big pan).
3. When the pan is hot, add about 1/2 cup of batter, evenly coating the pan. Cook for about 1 minute until the batter sets and form small bubbles.
4. Sprinkle some sugar evenly and cover with a lid. Cook for another minute.
5. Then sprinkle some ground peanuts on top of the pancake. Continue to cook until the pancake is light golden brown in color.
6. Loosen the edges with a palette knife. Fold the pancake into half, and transfer it onto a plate.
7. Slice into 2 or 3 pieces and serve warm. 

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Steam Rice Cake @ Pak Tong Kou

I remember my dad use to buy steam rice cake (pak tong kou) for me as late night supper from a stall in Penang. My dad first introduce me to this cake when I'm about 8-9 years old and he told me that there is a type of cake which is as white as snow, springy, tasted tangy and sweet. He brought me together to a roadside stall in Penang road and bought a piece for me. Just like what my dad told me the cake looks simple but it's really nice.I love it so much and it became one of my favorite dessert since then. Nowadays it's easy to find this cake in the wet market but not all of them selling the right texture and it doesn't taste the same like before. I got to read the recipe from wendyinkk and the process of doing this cake is rather long and being a lazy person I did not try and choose to buy rather than doing it but somehow, someday I will try to make it, I knew this. Finally I read about a simpler version of making this cake, the ingredients and process is really simple and so I thought I should give it a try. I am awed looking at the honeycomb formed, and I quite like it although it doesn't taste as good as the cake I use to ate those days because it lack of the rice wine yeast smell. But I am happy with the result although the colour of the pak tong kou is not as white as those selling out there....

Steam Rice Cake @Pak Tong Kou (adapted from MyKitchenSnippets)
Yield: One 8" pan

Ingredients

(A)
280gm rice flour
300ml water

(B)
300ml water
280gm castor sugar (I use 200gm)
1/2  tsp salt
3-4pcs of pandan (screwpine) leaves

(C)
1 tsp dried yeast + 3 tbsp lukewarm water

Instructions:

1. Add in (A) into a mixing bowl and mix well.
2. Add in (B) into a saucepan and bring it to boil. Once boil remove pandan leaves and pour the syrup mixture right into (A), mix well and leave aside to cool.
3. Dissolve yeast in the lukewarm water and pour in the cool rice flour mixture. Stir well, cover and set aside for fermentation process for about 1 1/2 or 2 hours or until tiny bubbles are formed on top of the batter.
4. Prepare the steamer and bring the water to a rapid boil. Grease and preheat an 8" square or rectangle pan.
5. Add in 1/2 tbsp of the vegetable oil into the mixture, stir well and pour into the heated tray and steam the mixture for 20 minutes or until the skewer comes out clean when tested.
6. Grease the top part with some oil and wait for it to cool completely before cutting it.

Note:
For a firmer texture, you may add 1/4 tsp of alkaline/lye water into the tray before pouring the rice mixture.

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Easy bread machine pandan kaya

I love 'kaya' (coconut egg jam) especially the kaya made by my grandma. I use to help her stirring the kaya to prevent it from burnt and turning lumpy. But now with the help of the bread machine this is lots easier. Just dump everything in the bread machine and after an hour your house will full of the pandan fragrance and then you are done.


Pandan kaya (bread machine method)
Yield: 7 bottle

Ingredients
500ml coconut milk (apptox. 2 old coconut milk)
500ml eggs (approx. medium size 10 eggs)
420gm castor sugar
10-15pcs of pandan (screwpine leave)

Instructions:
1. Cut pandan leave horizontally (about 1cm) and put into a blender.
2. Pour in the coconut milk and blend it finely.
3. Sieve the pandan coconut milk into the bread machine.
4. Then beat eggs with sugar till combine.
5. Pour in the egg and sugar mixture into the bread machine.
6. Select the jam function and let it do the wonders.
7. To have a smooth creamy kaya, you may use a hand mixer to blend it.

Note:
For those who don't have a bread machine, you may follow the above step from no. 1-5, then followed by the below steps.

1. Pour in the ingredients into a saucepan (preferably double boiler or double noil method) and cook under low fire.
2. Keep stirring until the mixture become thick and then it's done.



















Happy trying!

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Cute Assorted Buns

My son doesn't really fond of soft textured food, so he told me that he doesn't like the bread that I've made. So I thought maybe I should bake some cute animal buns to attract him. He just ate too much stall bought kuih and bread, since I have my own breadmaker I thought it's better to let him ate more of the homemade bread/buns. I've googled to find some inspirations and the sleeping doggy bread bun and the piggy bread bun caught my attention, it is too cute and I thought my son would love this too. I've all the ingredients needed and so i gave it a try last Tuesday.

Cute Animal Buns
Yield: 11pcs 50gm bun and 3pcs 36gm bun

Ingredients

120gm water
60gm milk
3/4 beaten egg (balanced use for egg wash)
375gm bread flour
60gm sugar
1/4+1/8 tsp instant yeast
5pcs sausages (half)
raisins (enough for the eyes and nose)

Instructions:

1. For breadmaker user: Add in all the ingredients according to your bread maker guide and set to dough function and let the machine knead for 30mins. When it's done, select the proofing function and let it proof for about 1 1/2 hrs.
2. Hand method: Mix all the ingredients, except butter, in a large bowl to get a dough. Add in butter and knead until dough is springy and soft, this takes around 10 minutes. Then cover the dough with cling wrap and keep in a warm place for it to rise. This take around an hour and the dough should double in size. Do a finger check to check the readiness.
3. While the dough is raising, soak raisins in water so that they will soften and expand. Dry them on a paper towel and set aside. These will be for the puppy's nose and piggy's eyes. 
4. Once the dough is ready, punch out the air from the dough with your fist.
5. Divide the dough to approximately twelve 50gm balls and three 36gm balls. Cover with cling wrap and let the dough rest for 15 minutes.                  
6. Then follow steps of preparing the dough for each type of bun that you wanted to make.                                                                                                                                                                 For Puppy Bun
   - For the puppy bread, you'll need to divide the 50gm balls again into 35gm and 15gm ball.
   - Half 5 sausages, place a sausage in the middle of the 35gm ball, fold top and bottom and seal by pressing the dough together. Turn the sealed part face down. Seal and form one end as the tail, lightly twist and seal it to the body.
   - Cut the other end of the body to form the legs. Flatten the smaller (15gm) dough ball, make 2 cuts for the ears. Place the head on the body.
   
   For Piggy bun
   - Slice out 2pcs of sausage and cut one into half for the ears and use a skewer to poke two holes in the other one for the nose.
   - Take a 50gm ball, flatten it and insert 2 candy melts (chocolate) in the bun and seal it.                                                                                                                                      
   For Rope Cheese bun
   - Take a 36gm dough, make a rope from it and twist around the hotdog.                                                
7. Cover with cling wrap and let the buns proof for 40 minutes.
8. At the end of 40 minutes, gently place and press the raisins onto the puppy and piggy bun.  Place the ears and nose (hotdog) on the piggy bun. - Slice the cheddar cheese into strips and arrange on top of the rope cheese bun.                    
9. Brush with egg wash and bake at 180 degrees celcius for around 15 minutes or till they turn golden brown. 
10. Draw eyes using melted chocolate or food marker as creative as you are.

Top left: Puppy (hotdog) bun,  Left down:Piggy chocolate bun,
Down right: Puppy (hotdog) bun with chocolate deco,  Top right: Cheese hotdog bun

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Coconut Jelly

It was a hot day and one of my colleague voluntereed to bought us the coconut. I've ordered one from him and brought back home to drink as I'm too busy with my work. But I've totally forgotten about it and the next day my colleague ask whether we would like to buy the coconut again and so many other colleagues have ordered from him again.Then only I realize that I'e totally forgotten about the coconut that I've bought previously. To cut the story short, I've ordered three more coconuts from him with the intention to make coconut jelly as my husband love coconut and jelly. It was so long since I ate the coconut jelly during my university days in Alor Setar and I regretted that I never thought of making it earlier. There's a saying, when we are single we neglected the family but after marriage and got our own children we'll try to make everything in order to please everyone and that's the job of  a human called 'mother'. As I grow older I understand the meaning and quite agree with it and started to appreciate my mum more. When i pass the coconut jelly to my mum she loves it so much and ask for a second one. Below is the recipe based on my assumption from what I've eaten years ago and just tested out last Saturday.

Coconut jelly
Yield: 4 coconuts for 4-8 ppl

Ingredients
4 coconuts
10gm agar-agar(jelly) powder
castor sugar - adjust according to your own tastebud

Instructions:

1. Pour out the coconut water from the coconut to a jug with a unit marker and take the measurement*.
2. Scrape the coconut flesh and remain some in the coconut.
3. Transfer to a saucepan and stir in the agar-agar powder and sugar till it dissolve.
4. Bring it to a boil and turn off the heat. 
5. Combine the flesh in the mixture and pour in the individual coconut till full.
6. Leave it on a table and let it set, then chill it in the fridge for at least 2-3 hrs and serve it.

Note:

1. For jelly with a mould, the ratio of water to agar-agar powder that I'm normally using is 200ml:1g 
2. I'm using 1375ml:10gm in this recipe for a firmer tetxture.

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Purple Sweet Potato Hei Ban (no kitchen gadget required!)

My son loves to eat 'Hei Ban' and we always bought for him from the kuih stall near our house and I've decided to try the recipe from Spice Up My Kitchen. The texture of the homemade Hei Ban is really soft and chewy due to the use of sweet potato. They rose higher compared to the stall bought one. If your little one like it too, you must give this a try as the homemade version is always healthier and the cleanliness is assured.

Purple Sweet Potato Hei Ban 
Yield: Approximately 12 pcs (+/- 50gm each)

Ingredients
A:
150gm mashed sweet potato (I use 140gm)

B
3gm instant yeast
50ml water (I use infused screw pine leaves (pandan) water)

C
125gm flour (I use 130gm cake flour)
125gm glutinous rice flour (I use 130gm)
75gm sugar
A bit of water

D
15gm oil (I use 10gm)
Banana leaves (I used non stick baking paper-no oil is required).

Instructions:

1. To make the pandan infused water, wash pandan leaves (5-6 pcs) under running tap water and put in a saucepan containing 1 ltr water. Bring it to a boil, once it boils off the flame, put it aside and let it cold to room temperature. (This step can be done earlier)
2. Peel purple sweet potato (any colour- yellow/orange/purple), steam until soften and mashed using a fork.
3. Mix instant yeast with the 50ml pandan infused water and set aside. 
4. Sieve flour and glutinous rice flour in a bowl and add in castor sugar, mashed sweet potato and pour in the yeast mixture a little bit at a time to form a soft dough. You may need to add in the extra pandan infused water if the dough is too dry.
5. Apply some oil on the surface of the banana leaves (I omitted this) and add the rest of oil in the dough and mix well.
6. Divide the dough into 50gm each, knead and mould into a sphere and lightly flatten the dough and put on top of the banana leaf.
7. Repeat with the rest of the dough till finished and leave for 20-30 minutes. 
8. Pour water in a wok and bring water to boil, use medium flame to steam the Hei Ban for 12 minutes. Turn off the flame, do not remove the lid immediately, but slighly open the lid and remove the Hei Ban from the work after 3 minutes.

Note:

1. If the Hei Ban is fermented in a good condition, once you press the surface lightly, it will bounce back due to its elasticity.
2. If the Hei Ban has excessive fermentation, it will has wrinkled skin.

Happy baking!

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Tang Zhong Method Fruit Bread

The bread doesn't do justice to the existence of strawberries!

I have read and heard about 'Tang Zhong' method bread and bun quite some time ago and how it magically turn the bread soft and fluffy and recently learnt about the 5C method but have not tried any of these method yet. I'm just too lazy to try earlier and I worry that if I failed to prepare the 'tangzhong' the whole bread will be ruined. Since there are so many good comments about it I think I shall give it a try this time. I've followed the recipe from TheWonderMummy and I've read from many websites and blog on how to prepare the 'tangzhong' before this, so that I can do it correctly. But if you never try, you can never get the hang of it, so you must try it yourself. I am using an induction cooker and a stainless steel saucepan and cook it under medium-low heat but within a few seconds or nearly a minute the 'Tangzhong' paste is form. I immediately stop the cooking by removing the saucepan and give it a stir to combine the half liquid and half paste form (as though the way we make glue in the olden days - it does smell like glue-starchy!). I then transfer it to a bowl, cover it with a cling wrap and let it cool down to room temperature. When it's cool down, I find that the moisture that trap in it makes it more runny compared to when it's cook earlier (yay succesful otherwise I'll have to redo). Ladies and gentlemen, I have to assure you that the Tangzhong method bread is really worth the effort and try, as it yields a really soft texture (even the skin) if compared to the normal bread.  I will surely use the Tangzhong method and never look back although it took a step more.

Tang Zhong Method Fruit Bread
Yield: One 750gm loaf

Tang Zhong paste (good for 1 loaf without leftover)

Ingredients

50ml water
10gm bread flour

Instructions:

1. Whisk/stir the water and flour till it is well combined without any lumps
2. Stir the mixture constantly over medium low heat for about 2-3 minutes until the mixture thickens up and leaves behind traces of 'line' (I guess this statement only true for the gas stove cooker, if you are using induction cooker and stainless steel saucepan, I suggest to use low heat to avoid overburn due to the fast distribution of heat)
3. Remove immediately from the heat, transfer to a bowl and cover with cling wrap with it touching the surface. Let it cool down completely while you prepare the rest of the ingredients of the bread.

Note: The ratio of bread flour to water is 1: 5, so if you want to make more for keeping or for large quantities just follow the ratio. You may keep it in the fridge without removing the cling wrap. Discard it when you found that it turns greyish colour. 

Tang Zhong bread loaf
250gm bread flour
3 tbsp sugar
3 tbsp milk powder
1 tsp salt
1 tsp instant yeast
1 egg lightly beaten
100 ml water (I've used blended strawberries and milk)
20 gm butter
1 batch of Tangzhong

Instructions:

1. Place the Tangzhong, water/milk, egg into the bread tin. (I omitted water and replace with crushed fresh strawberries with milk).
2. Add in the flour, and then place the sugar, salt, butter and milk powder in each corners of the bread tin.
3. Lastly, make a well in the middle of the bread tin and place the instant yeast in it.
4. Select white loaf function if you are making white bread or according to what are making (I am using fruit/vege function, 750gm, light crust)
5. When you hear the second 'beep' (Joyoung bm), add in your preferred fruits/nuts. In my case I've added cranberries, raisins, sunflower seeds and pumpkin seeds

Happy baking!

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Mini/Bite Size Wholemeal Parmesan Cheese Bun

I always store baking and cooking stuff in case I need them and will comes in handy. However I always have to throw all the the rotten stuff because I've forgotten what I've bought previosly. Lately,when I throw the mozarella and cream cheese and I've found that the Parmesan cheese is going to expire soon. In order not to waste it, I've googled for a good recipe. I saw this bite size Parmesan cheese bun from a few blogs and I've decided to give it a try by using my bread machine. The first blog that I came accross is from Sze Min's blog and the second is from yukiecody and from a few others too. I've made some changes to the recipe as I don't have enough bread flour and substituted with wholemeal flour and added more Parmesan cheese as compared to theirs. (The actual recipe is by Carol Hu, a popular Taiwanese baker/author.)

Mini/Bite Size Wholemeal Parmesan Cheese Bun

Yield: 23 mini buns

Wet Ingredients

80gm milk
1 beaten egg

Dry Ingredients
200gm bread flour (I've used 142gm hi-protein bread flour and 58gm unbleached whole meal flour)
1/3 tsp yeast
30gm sugar
2 tbsp shredded Parmesan cheese  (I've use 4tbsp finely chopped Parmesan cheese)

To be added later
30gm cold butter (cube)
1/8 tsp salt

Instructions:

1. Add all the wet ingredients into the bread machine (bm), followed by the dry ingredients and make a hole in the center to contain the yeast.
2. Choose 'Dough' function on the bread machine and press 'Start'
3. After 25 mins (I'm using Joyoung bm), the bm will stop and you may add in the butter and the salt.
4. Choose 'Proofing' function and let it knead and proof for 1 1/2 hrs (1st proofing). During kneading period, you'll find that the dough is quite oily and sticky at this time but fret not.
5. Take out the dough after that and gently punch the dough to release the air in it. Shape it round and cover with cling wrap and proof for 15 mins
6. Roll out with 1 cm thickness and cut into 2cm x 2cm small squares, place them apart and proof for another 50-60 mins. (I just shape it round and let it proof)
7. Egg or milk wash the surface. (I use egg wash method)
8. Bake in a pre heated oven at 180 degree C for 12-15mins

Happy Trying !!

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QJ 1st Birthday vs 2nd Birthday

Hi all,

Last year has been a busy year for me. With QJ growing up and coping between my personal life, career and dream made my life packed. Juggling between career, dreams, interest and baby equals to hectic yet interesting life. Life has never been easy and full of learning curve, at that moment I'm learning to be a good wife then a preggy and now a mother.

I've always wanted to post up his 1st birthday celebrations which I've drafted last year's January so that it will be recorded but due to my packed schedule I've never made it till today. We've celebrated QJ 1st birthday last year and in a blink his 2nd birthday passed too. Both his 1st and 2nd birthday are quite successful at least in a way which satisfy me.

For his 1st birthday I've made him a two tier birthday cake, cupcakes, elephant and elephant sugar cookies all according to the blue-greyish elephant theme. While this year we held a Pororo theme birthday for him. I've bake him a Pororo & friends cake. It's easier for me this year as I just bake his cake and the rest of the cupcakes and dessert were bought. I guessed he enjoyed both his birthdays very much as he got to ate sweet things, play with his peers and received many gifts. However we did not manage to take as many photos as compared to last year as he cannot stand still and always on the move now.

QJ Cheeky Faces

QJ and his 'auto' members

Daddy, mummy and QJ

Daddy, mummy and QJ

QJ 2nd birthday

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Red Velvet Cheese Cake for Hubby's Birthday

Hubs and my sis birthday are on the same date. I am too busy last year and just got to post this now although their birthday already passed for 4 months. I planned to bake two cakes initially but later I've changed my mind to bake only one as I will be throwing a family gathering party with steamboat dinner. After giving a thought, I've made up my mind to bake a red velvet cheese cake with a surprise for both of them. They have a common interest in photography so I make a cake which resembles a camera figure.

Red Velvet Cheese Cake

Yield: 8" cake

Ingredients

2 1/2 cups (250 grams) sifted cakeflour

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 tablespoons (15 grams) regular or Dutch-processed cocoa powder

1/2 cup (113 grams) unsalted butter, at room temperature

1 1/2 cups (300 grams) granulated white sugar

2 large eggs

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1 cup (240 ml) buttermilk

2 tablespoons liquid red food coloring

1 teaspoon white distilled vinegar

1 teaspoon baking soda

Cream Cheese Frosting:

1 - 8 ounce (227 grams) cream cheese, room temperature

1 - 8 ounce (227 grams) tub of Mascarpone cheese, room temperature (I omitted this)

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1 cup (115 grams) confectioners' (icing or powdered) sugar, sifted (I use 80gms)

1 1/2 (360 ml) cups cold heavy whipping cream (contains 36-40% butterfat)

Preheat oven to 175°C (180°C) and place rack in center of oven. Butter two 9 inch round cake pans (I use two 8” and 1 retangle pan) and line the bottoms of the pans with parchment paper. Set aside.  

Red Velvet Cake: 

1. In a mixing bowl sift together the flour, salt, and cocoa powder. Set aside. 

2. In bowl of your electric mixer, or with a hand mixer, beat the butter until soft (about 1-2 minutes). 

3. Add the sugar and beat until light and fluffy (about 2-3 minutes). 

4. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Scrape down the sides of the bowl. 

5. Add the vanilla extract and beat until combined.

6. In a measuring cup whisk the buttermilk (milk+vinegar) with the red food coloring. 

7. With the mixer on low speed, alternately add the flour mixture and buttermilk to the butter mixture, in three additions, beginning and ending with the flour. 

8. In a small cup combine the vinegar and baking soda. Allow the mixture to fizz and then quickly fold into the cake batter. 

9. Working quickly, divide the batter evenly between the two prepared pans and smooth the tops with an offset spatula or the back of a spoon.

10. Bake in the preheated oven for approximately 25 - 30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cakes comes out clean.

11. Cool the cakes in their pans on a wire rack for 10 minutes.

12. Place a wire rack on top of the cake pan and invert, lifting off the pan. 

13. Once the cakes have completely cooled, wrap in plastic and place the cake layers in the refrigerator for at least an hour (or overnight). (This is done to make filling and frosting the cakes easier.)

Cream Cheese Frosting: In the bowl of your electric mixer, or with a hand mixer, beat the cream cheese and mascarpone cheese until smooth. Add the vanilla and confectioners’ sugar and beat until smooth. Using the whisk attachment, gradually add the heavy cream* (See Note) and whip until the frosting is thick enough to spread. Add more sugar or cream as needed to get the right consistency.

Assemble: With a serrated knife, cut each cake layer in half, horizontally. You will now have four cake layers. (I made two layers and cut out a camera figure) Place one of the cake layers, top of the cake facing down, onto your serving platter. Spread the cake layer with a layer of frosting.  Place another layer of cake on top of the frosting and continue to frost and stack the cake layers. Frost the top and sides of the cake. You can garnish the cake with sweetened or unsweetened coconut. Serves 10-12 people.

Note: You must use a brand of heavy cream that whips very easily to stiff peaks. If you are using a brand of heavy cream that does not whip easily to stiff peaks then whip the heavy cream separately to stiff peaks and then fold it into the cream cheese mixture.

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