Tuesday 29 October 2013

Matcha Red Bean Swiss Roll


Hi

I must say that the success in making the Longan Cheese Swiss Roll at the 1st attempt was purely luck.  

Rolling a cake is really a challenge.  It’s not difficult to make the Swiss Roll but to roll the Swiss Roll is a great challenge.

I have failed several times.  It took me a few tries to get it right this time. Although it’s not as perfect as the Longan Cheese Swiss Roll, I’m rather happy with the outcome after so many tries.


I didn’t make the red bean paste (it is also called Azuki Bean) myself.  I bought it off the rack from my local baking supplies.  But I would like to try doing it one day as it can be used to make varieties of Japanese dessert.


The cake roll recipe is taken from 蔡老师 完美芝士, which I used it for Longon Cheese Swiss Roll.  But I substituted 15g of green tea powder with cake flour.

I’m including the recipe for making Azuki Bean.  It’s taken from Okashi, Sweet Treats made with Love by Keiko Ishida.


I hope you’ll like the cake.



INGREDIENTS

Cake Roll  (蔡老师 完美芝士)
3              Egg yolks
60g         Caster sugar
60ml       Fresh milk
40g         Corn oil
90g         Cake flour (75g cake flour and 15g Green Tea Powder)
3              Egg whites
¼ tsp       Cream of tartar

Fillings (by Keiko Ishida)
120g       Red bean paste
100g       Whipping cream (35% fat)
2 tsp        Castor (superfine) sugar

Making of Red Bean Paste
500g       Red beans (azuki)
430g       Japanese sugar (jo haku tou)
½ tsp       Salt


METHOD

Cake Roll
(1)Line a 25 x 35cm baking tray with parchment paper.  Preheat oven to 180°C.

(2)Combine egg yolks with 40g of sugar, stir in fresh milk and oil.  Then add in flour, mix until well combined.

(3)Whisk egg whites with 20g sugar and cream of tartar until stiff peaks is formed.  Gently fold egg white foam into yolk batter until well blended.

(4)Spread batter into prepared tray.  Bake in oven for 10-15 minutes or until it is baked.

Fillings
(1)Wash red beans well, then bring to boil in a pot of water.  Drain and place red beans in a saucepan.

(2)Pour in enough water to cover red beans and bring to a simmer over low heat for about 2 hours, skimming off the foam.  When the beans are soft, remove from heat and drain.

(3)Return red beans to saucepan and add sugar.  Cook over low heat and stir constantly for 5-10 mintues.  Add salt and mix well.  Spread paste out on a try to cool.  Weigh out 120g and store remaining paste in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks in the refrigerator, or up to 2 months in the freezer.

(4)Whip whipping cream and castor sugar in a chilled mixing bowl until stiff peaks form.

Assemble the Swiss Roll
(1)Spread whipped cream in an even layer cover the entire cake and spoon red bean paste on it.

(2)Gently roll up the cake.  Wrap with cling film and place in the freezer to chill and set before serving.


I’m contributing this recipe to Cook-Your-Book and it is linked to Cook-Your-Books #5 hosted by Kitchen Flavours.




Cook-Your-Books is all about cooking or baking from your many cookbooks or magazines that you have collected over the years.  It’s time to get those books (or magazines) out of the shelves, and start to cook or bake.

Monday 28 October 2013

Japanese Castella Cake (Kasutera カステラ、長崎市産)


This is a very popular Japanese honey sponge cake in Japan and it's specialty of Nagasaki.  The cake was brought by way of Portuguese merchants in the 16th century.  The name is derived from Portuguese Pão de Castela, meaning "bread from Castile".


This cake has a strong honey aroma.  It’s sweet and has moist texture.  It’s made of just 4 basic ingredients - bread flour, eggs, sugar and honey.  There’s no butter at all.

I had my 1st Castella cake from Japan few years back when my hubby was there for work.  I love its distinctive honey taste and gracious dark brown top.  I’m happy that I’m able to bake this cake on my own now.

Traditionally, Castella cake is baked in wooden mould to create an even smoother texture for the sponge.  Next week, my hubby is travelling to Nagasaki, hopefully he can find the wooden mould for me.

I chanced upon this recipe from Yen’s blog, Eat Your Heart Out and Nami’s Just One Cook.  As this is my 1st attempt, I decided to go for half recipe for a start.  Subsequently, I made a full recipe and gave a loaf to my brother.

Hope you’ll like the cake too.


INGREDIENTS

6 large eggs, at room temperature
1 cup (218 g) sugar
1 cup + 2 1/2 Tbsp (200 g) bread flour
5 tbsp honey
2 ½ tbsp warm water

For glazing
1 tbsp honey
1/2 tbsp warm water

Pan size
2 1-lb loaf pans (8.50 x 4.50 x 2.75 inch / 22 x 11 x 7 cm)

METHOD

(1)Preheat oven to 180°C (no fan). Base-line the loaf pans and grease the sides well.

(2)Sift the bread flour twice. Set aside.

(3)Mix the honey and warm water together. Set aside.

(4)In an electric mixer, add the eggs and whisk until combined and frothy (Speed 2). Then, add the sugar and beat the eggs on medium speed (Speed 6) for about 6-8 minutes, until the volume of the eggs have increased by 4 times and when the whisk is lifted, the mixture should fall in thick ribbons. The egg mixture will be a pale yellow in colour.

(5)Add the honey mixture (from Step 3) and then whisk on low speed (Speed 2) until combined.

(6)Add 1/3 of the bread flour, then whisk on low speed (Speed 2) for 15 seconds, until just blended. Then, add another third and whisk for a further 15 seconds. Add the remaining portion and whisk for about 1 minute, until well combined. Do not overmix.

*Speed indicated is from KitchenAid mixer.

(7)Divide the batter between the two pans, filling to about 80% full.

(8)Bake in preheated oven for 30-35 minutes or until a skewer inserted in the center comes out clean. The top of the cake will feel spongy when pressed with finger.




(9)Mix the honey and warm water for the glaze in a bowl and apply the honey mixture on top of the cake with a pastry brush.



(10)Important Step: Place a sheet of plastic wrap on the counter top and invert the loaf pan onto the plastic wrap. Gently peel off parchment paper on the bottom. Immediately wrap the cake to keep the moisture in and place in the fridge while it's hot for at least 12 hours; this will help the cake's flavour develop and also improve the texture. I kept it in the fridge for 24 hours, before slicing.  Store in the fridge with the top side facing down.


(11)To serve, slice off the sides of the cake with a sharp bread knife and cut into 3/4 to 1 inch thick slices (you get 8-10 slices in total). Bring the cake to room temperature before serving. The cake can be frozen for up to a month or keep in the fridge for 5 days.




Thursday 17 October 2013

Longan Cheese Swiss Roll


Hi

After a couple of practice, I think I’m getting more and more confidence in making Chiffon cake or Sponge cake.  I no longer feel that nervous when it comes to whipping the egg whites.  Although I’m still very much depend on my feelings of whether has it reached soft or stiff peak stage,  I got it most of the time right.


This is my 1st time making Swiss Roll.  I thought I may have difficulties with the rolling part but the whole process went pretty well and unexpectedly, it turns out so nice and neat!  The texture is so fantastic.  It’s fine, soft and as fluffy as clouds.  

The recipe is taken from a cookbook, which I bought recently.   

It’s by Chef Kelvin Chai, 蔡老师 完美芝士。

See!  The cake did crack a little at the start of the roll but it has been well concealed once the roll comes together. 


The recipe called for steamed pumpkin flesh.  Since I have a can of longan in the cupboard, I just made used of it.  


The juicy longan in the cheese fillings is mingling with the smooth and freshly whipped cream.  I simply love the fruity taste and will try mango the next time.



INGREDIENTS

Cake Roll
3              egg yolks
60g         caster sugar
60ml       fresh milk
40g         corn oil
90g         low protein flour (I used cake flour)
3              egg whites
¼ tsp       cream of tartar

Fillings
50g         cream cheese
30g         caster sugar
50g         fresh cream (whipped)
50g         pumpkin flesh.  Steamed and diced
                (can be replaced by fruits)



METHOD

(1)To make roll, line a 25cm x 35cm (10” x 14”) baking tray with paper.  Preheat oven to 180°C.

(2)Combine egg yolks with 40g of sugar, stir in fresh milk and oil.  Then add in flour, mix until well combined.

(3)Whisk egg whites with 20g sugar and cream of tartar until stiff peaks form.  Gently fold egg white foam into yolk batter until blended.

(4)Spread batter into prepared tray.  Bake in oven for 10-15 minutes or until cooked.


(5)To make filling, beat cream cheese and sugar until soft and smooth.  Fold in whipped cream, mix well.

(6)Line the cake onto paper, spread with whipped cream and arrange pumpkin dices on top, roll up and guide roll.



(7)Chill in fridge for awhile, slice and decoration as desired.


HAPPY BAKING!!



I’m contributing this recipe to Cook-Your-Book and it is linked to Cook-Your-Books #5 hosted by Kitchen Flavours.


Cook-Your-Books is all about cooking or baking from your many cookbooks or magazines that you have collected over the years.  It’s time to get those books (or magazines) out of the shelves, and start to cook or bake.


Sunday 13 October 2013

Soy Bean Pudding


Hi

The first time when I made this was like one over years ago and I have been doing it quite regularly since then.  It has become my family a “must have” dessert after dinner.


This is not traditional bean curd.  It is totally different from what we used to eat from market hawker centre or Mr Bean.


Many hawkers in Singapore have jumped into this Soy Bean Pudding bandwagon.  Personally I have never been a fan for traditional bean curd but I gladly like this.  The taste is rather similar to 老伴豆花.


It has to be eaten cold.  It’s so silky smooth, creamy and tender.  It melts into the mouth instantly.  Eat it when it is well chilled.



There are many version of recipe on the internet but for this, I got it from my colleague, Pwee Inn.  She’s so kind to share with me his grandmother’s recipe and I have got her permission to post the recipe on my blog.

This is a very refreshing dessert.  
I believe you will love it.


INGREDIENT

3 litres       Water
1 tbsp         Agar Agar powder 
                   (preferably Rose or Swallow Brand)
250g           Sugar (I have reduced it to 200g)
2                 Pandan leaves
225g           Coffeemate  (I replaced this with Anlene Milk Powder)
175g           Soy bean powder (Polleney brand)




METHOD

Mix Water, Agar Agar powder and Sugar and boil it with pandan leaves.  When boil, quickly remove mixture from heat.


Remove the pandan leaves and add coffeemate (or milk power) when the mixture is still hot.  Continue to stir until the milk powder is completely dissolved.  



Leave mixture to cool until it lukewarm.  Add in soy bean powder and stir until powder is completely dissolved.  


You'll see many small lumps floating on the mixture.  To get rid of those lumps, sieve it several times so that the texture will be smooth and silky.


Pour the mixture into individual container.  Pour it gently to avoid forming bubbles.  Chill them in the fridge.  



Serve when it is chilled.  

Enjoy!



I’m submitting this post for Little Thumbs Up.  The theme is Soy Bean for October.




Monday 7 October 2013

Polvorones



Hi

I had a great fun baking Polvorones together with a few friends at my house on last weekend.


I love the Polvorones, which my boss brought back from Philippines. The texture is like shortcakes, which is very soft, creamy and crumbly.


These Polvorones, which we made tasted more like almond cookies.  The texture is crumbly, buttery, sweet and slightly crunchy.  I think it’ll taste fantastic for dipping it in the hot chocolate.


Here u go, the recipe for Polvorones, adapted from Okashi Cookbook.

INGREDIENTS

110g       All-Purpose or Pastry Flour, sifted
100g       Unsalted Butter, at room temperature
40g         Confectioner’s (Icing) Sugar
50g         Ground Almond


METHODS
(1)Preheat the oven to 300°F (150°C)

(2)Line a baking tray with a piece of parchment paper. Spread the sifted flour and bake for about 20 minutes. Stir occasionally while baking, and then remove from the oven and let cool completely.

(3)In a large bowl, using a wooden spoon beat the butter and sugar until soft and creamy. Mix in the ground almonds until well blended. Add the flour and mix until smooth dough is form.

(4)Roll out the dough to a thickness of 10mm( 1/2 inch).

(5)Using a cookie cutters, cut out desired shapes and transfer them to a baking pan. Gather up and reroll the scraps and cut out more cookies.

(6)Bake for about 20 – 25 minutes and transfer the cookies to wire racks and let cool completely.

(7)Dust the cookies with some confectioner’s sugar, if desired. Store in an airtight container to keep them crisp 


According to Okashi Cookbook, Polvorones is a traditional Spanish cookie.  It is also known as Mexican wedding cookies as it is traditionally served at weddings celebration and festive occasions like Christmas.


The cookies are rich and crumbly.   The cookies can be in plain vanilla by itself and also in many variations.  You can have it in almond, peanuts, hazelnut and even cinnamon.  For this, I chose almond because I still have some ground almond which was left over from making macaroons.


I got this recipe from Okashi Cookbook by Keiko Ishida.  This is the 1st time I own her cookbook.  I like Okashi Cookbook for a long time.  I’m glad I finally own one.   Since I’m entitled 20% discount from our local bookshop, I also bought 2 other cookbooks at the same time -  AllanBakes and a Taiwanese Chef.  These will be the beginning of my cookbooks collection and I’m going to contribute the recipes to Cook-Your-Book hosted by Kitchen Flavours.



Cook-Your-Books is all about cooking or baking from your many cookbooks or magazines that you have collected over the years.  It’s time to get those books (or magazines) out of the shelves, and start to cook or bake.


This is my 1st post contributed to Cook-Your-Books and it is linked with Cook-Your-Books #5 hosted by Kitchen Flavours

Go!  Visit the link.  You’ll get to see many recipes contributed from the food bloggers.


ENJOY!