Monday 20 November 2017

Anpan Milk Bun

Hi

Yesterday I baked this Anpan Milk Bun.  The red bean paste goes really well together with this soft sweet bun.  I grew up with this bread and have never grown tired of eating it.    

A dear sister in church posted this Anpan Milk Bun in her FB and her comment was…. thankful for these breads, which money can’t buy…  She is honouring our friendship by expressing her gratitude.  When I read it, I felt sweetness arising within me and it has reminded me that to have friend you must be a friend and I think this is so true.

Sometime it’s so easy to take granted on people who have been giving and helping us all the time.  They could be our spouse, love ones and good friends.  Many times, we tend to forget their kindness towards us. 

End of the year is always the best time of the year for me to count my blessing and reflect back on how great my year really went.  Looking back on the passing year’s blessings has made me realise the importance of appreciating what I have…

HAPPY BAKING!

INGREDIENTS

(A)Dough
400g         high protein flour
100g          plain flour
90g            castor sugar
20g            milk powder
7g               salt

(B)
8g              instant yeast
1                 extra large egg
250g          cold water
[I replaced with 150g cold milk and 100g of cold water]

(C)
60g            butter

Filling and Topping
Red bean paste [40g for each bun]
Almond flake


HOW TO MAKE

Mix ingredients A until well combined.  Add ingredient B and mix into dough.  Add ingredient C and mix until the dough is shinny and elastic.

Cover the dough and let it rise in a warm place for 50mins or until double in size.

 Divide the dough into 14 portions of 70g each.  Roll into balls and rest for 5 mins.


Slightly flatten the balls and wrap in adequate red bean filling and seal.  [I divided the red bean filling into 40g each and rolled them into a ball]




Use a rolling pin to roll the dough flat and then roll it up.  Cut 4 deep slits on the roll.  Twist the dough to form flower shape.


 Arrange in a greased baking tray.  Let it rise for another 5 mins or until double in size.

Egg wash and sprinkle with almond flakes.  Bake in a preheated oven at 190°C for 12 to 15mins or until light golden brown.



Wednesday 15 November 2017

Gouda Herbs Sausage Muffins


Hi

It has egg, sausage and cheese so I can’t argue this is great additional to a brunch table.

I ate two warm and called it lunch on Saturday. The rest kept in the air tight container as I can see by Sunday, when the boys are at home, it will be gone.

I used to bake these savoury muffins when I was juggling between my work and 2 young kids.  I would make a few varieties and freeze them.  The boys would eat it for tea break when they came back from school.  They would take them out from the freezer and heat it in the mini oven on their own.

Now they have grown up and these muffins are still their favourite for tea break.

Happy Baking!

INGREDIENTS

250g          Pre-mix flour, sifted
¼ tsp        Salt
¼ tsp        Dried thyme
¼ tsp        Dried rosemary
¼ tsp        Dried parsley [I use fresh parsleys since I have some]
¼ tsp        Black pepper
1                 Medium size onion
300ml       Milk
1                 Egg
112g           Canola oil [set 3 tbsp to saute onion]
230g          Gouda cheese, shredded (set aside some for topping)
230g          Pork sausage, cut into small pieces


HOW TO MAKE

1)Pre-heat oven at 200°C.

2)Saute onions with oil for 3 to 5 mins or until tender.

3)In a large mixing bowl, combine the dry ingredients – flour, salt, pepper and dried herbs.  Stir in the gouda cheese.

4)In a smaller bowl, whisk together the egg, milk and oil.  Stir in sautéed onion and sausages.  Fold in the dry ingredients, making sure all the bits are well coated.
  
5)Grease the holes of a muffin pan or line with cupcake liners. Spoon the batter in the muffin pan about 2/3 full.

6)Top with the reserved cheese and decorate with some leaf.

7)Bake at 200°C for about 22-25 minutes, or until the tops of the muffins are brown. Allow the muffins to cool in the pan for about 10-15 minutes before transferring them onto a wire rack to cool completely.




Tuesday 14 November 2017

Walnut Bread

Hi

Things got ahead of me and find myself catching up on updating my blog.  This is what happens when you’re stuck with a day job and having to juggle between home, church ministry and work.

Recently God challenged me to face the truth of a situation that I really hit the bottom and I shouted out loud to Him, “God, these whole things are really a shit!  And it didn’t do any justice to me.  The way this person treat me isn’t good and what she said was really hurt and it’s painful.”

I’m generally a cheerful and optimistic person.  I like seeing goods in situation and people.  People and situation in life can be totally disappointing. I hate to dwell with negative thoughts but sometimes I have to be honest to myself when facing the truth in seeing not so good in situation and not so good in people.

I tell myself it’s just another life lessons to learn and let’s forgive, let go and move on…
 After so many days of feeling uninspired to bake, the desire to spend time in baking has come back!  I have few recipes which I want to put them on my blog but I started to feel lazy to updating my blog.  One of the recipes is this Walnut Bread and it’s one of my favourite bread.

HAPPY BAKING!

INGREDIENTS
A. Dough
230g          High protein flour
50g            Wholemeal flour
35g            Caster sugar
3g               Salt
3g               Instant yeast

B.
180ml       Cold water

C.
30g            Butter
100g          Walnut (chopped)
                   Chocolate nibs (optional)

METHOD
1)Mix ingredients A until well combined.  Add ingredient B and mix until dough forms.  Add ingredient C and blend until the dough shinny and elastic.

2)Cover the dough and rest in a warm place for 50mins or until double in size.  Divide the dough into 6 portions of 110g each.  Roll into balls and rest for 10mins.


3)Shape into balls again and arrange in a greased baking tray.  Let it rise for another 50mins or until double in size.


4)Sprinkle some sesame on top, bake in a preheated oven at 190°C for 15-20mins or until golden brown.


Wednesday 20 September 2017

Blueberry Cheesecake


Hi

I’m in love.  I was actually hoping for my 2 boys to fall in love with this homemade blueberry sauce but I fell in my own trick and I couldn't stop drowning food with blueberry sauce.  I had it on pancakes, ice cream, waffles, cheesecake and even on a slice of toast.

Thanks to my baking buddy, Hazel.  She made a bottle of this blueberry sauce for me.  I decided I should tried making cheesecake and have blueberry sauce topping.  So I baked this water baked cheesecake.  My 2 boys agreed that the blueberry sauce really took this cheesecake to the next level. 


It’s amazingly good and have a try on making it!


INGREIDENTS
Crust
25 or more        Oreo cookies (remove the fillings)
5-6 tbsp              Melted butter

1)Finely crush your cookies by putting it in a plastic bag and roll the sealed bag (let the air escaped) with a rolling pin.   I like to use a food processor for this step so that the crust will stick together best when the cookies are crushed finely.

2)Stir the cookie crumbs and melted butter together with a fork. Press crumbs into the bottom of a 8" springform pan.  Chill until ready to fill.


Cheese Fillings
500g          Cream cheese
200g         Sour cream
3                 Eggs (about 60g each)
1 tsp           Packed finely grated lemon zest
1 tbsp        Lemon juice
1 tsp           Vanilla extra
150g          Caster sugar
¼ tsp        Salt

1)Beat cream cheese on medium speed until smooth. Gradually beat in granulated sugar until light and fluffy, 2 to 3 minutes. Beat in lemon juice and salt. Beat in eggs, one at a time, then sour cream and vanilla until smooth.

2)Wrap the bottom of the springform pan with double layer of aluminium foil. Lift edges of foil up, wrapping it tightly around sides of pan and folding it in under itself as necessary until flush with top of pan. (This prevents water from seeping in.)



3)Pour filling into pan (it should come right to top of rim) and smooth top with a small offset spatula.

4)Place springform pan in a roasting pan; transfer to oven. Pour enough boiling water into roasting pan to come halfway up sides of springform pan. Bake at pre heated oven of 180°C or until cake is puffed and golden brown on top and slightly wobbly in center, 1 hour, 45 minutes to 2 hours.



5)Remove springform pan from roasting pan; let cool on a wire rack 20 minutes. Remove foil and run a paring knife around sides of pan to loosen. Let cool completely. Drape pan with plastic wrap; refrigerate until cold, at least 8 hours and up to 3 days. Remove cake from pan; serve.




Thursday 29 June 2017

Glass Candy Lychee Cake


Birthdays are by grace of God.  I’m thankful for every birthday cake that I made.
A decorated cake with candles is a symbol closely tied to birthday.  Therefore, to me, birthday is an important day and no birthday would be complete without a cake.

It has been awhile since I made a layer cake.  I gladly volunteered to make one for my Life Group to celebrate the month of June birthday.

I started brainstorming 3 weeks ago and the idea of using glass candy to be part of the decoration on the cake was inspired by Hazel, a young lady whom I got to make friend with at the Bread Making Foundation class.  I saw her made a 2-tier cake beautifully decorated with Disney’s Frozen themed and she was using the glass candy to make the ice castle.  I was so amazed by her creativity.
This cake was well received.  It was extremely challenging to frost cake with fresh whipped cream in our hot and humid weather.  But I like fresh cream because it makes the cake “light” and refreshing with a hint of lychee. 

The cake was also infused with lychee syrup, adding rich flavor to it and ensuring that it won’t dry out.  In between the layers of cake, it was sandwiched with fresh cream and lychee.

The glass candy can look insanely difficult to make, but I tell you, it was worth a try.  It’s not difficult to make at all and looks incredibly impressive as it whips up a unique cake topper.

This is a birthday cake which specially made for Jaclyn and Chin Heng.  My wish for dear sister Jaclyn is that our God will fill her life with infinite happy moments and countless of love moments and for brother Chin Heng, I pray that he will enjoy good health and that all may go well with him.


HAPPY BIRTHDAY!


Wednesday 21 June 2017

Caramel Nuts Tartlets


Hi

On Father’s Day, the boys hugged and wished their daddy before they were out for their programme.   Since there was no special celebration on Father’s Day, I decided to stay home to bake.  
While I was browsing through the book Okashi Sweet Sweet Treats Made With Love written by a Japanese lady named Keiko Ishida.  These pretty tartlets caught my eye and I decided to make this.  

My boss has bought a few cookbooks for me and this was the latest one from him which I received it on last Friday.  I’m totally into this book.  It’s so pretty and really able to make someone happy and alive by just looking at it.   
I love making sweet snacks on special or rare occasion.  Since it is Father’s Day and it was only hubby and I, so I decided to adore him with these pretty sweetie tartlets. 
My sweet tooth was totally satisfied and I've absolutely no guilt for these sweet treats.   Hubby and I had 5.  The boys had the rest and I kept a special one for my boss!

HAPPY BAKING!


INGREDIENTS
Sweet Shortcrust Pastry
140g           Unsalted butter at room temperature or softened
70g             Icing (Confectioner’s) sugar
A pinch      Salt
2 tsp           Vanilla extract
40g             Eggs
40g             Ground almond
260g          Pastry flour or top flour

Almond Cream
90g             Unsalted butter, softened
75g             Castor sugar
1 tsp           Vanilla extract
90g             Ground almond
75g             Eggs

Caramel Cream
75g             Castor sugar
10g             Glucose (which is also Light Corn Syrup)
100g           Whipping Cream (35% fat)
50g             Unsalted butter

Assorted Nuts
20g             Hazelnuts
20g             Almond silvers
20g             Walnut
20g             Pistachios

Dried Fruits
6 pcs          Dried Apricots
3 pcs          Dried figs (skipped, reason being I don’t have them in the fridge)
30g             Black raisins (skipped, reason being I don’t have them in the fridge)
30g             Dried cranberries


METHODS

(1)Prepare sweet short pastry.  Beat butter, icing sugar, salt and vanilla extract with an electric mixer until just completed.  Add egg yolk and beat well.  Add ground almonds and mix well.  Add flour and fold through completely.  Using a bench scraper, mix batter until a smooth dough is formed.  Wrap dough in cling film, then place in the refrigerator to rest for at least 3 hours.

(2)Preheat oven to 180°C.

(3)Unwrap dough and place on a non-stick baking mat or parchment paper. Roll out to a thickness of 3-5mm.

(4)Using a 9.5cm fluted pastry cutter, cut out 10 rounds from pastry.  Gently press cut dough into 10 round tartlets tins, each 8 x 3 cm.  Prick center with a fork.  [I short cut this step by dividing the dough equally, roll it in round shape and press it directly into the tartlets tin].

(5)Chill dough in the freezer for about 10 mins then bake for 20 mins or the tart shells are light golden brown.  Remove from heat and set aside to cool.  Keep oven heated.

(6)Prepare almond cream.  Beat butter and sugar until just combined.  Add vanilla and mix.  Add ground almonds, followed by eggs and mix well.  Do not over mix.  Spoon almond cream into a pipping bag fitted with a 1-cm pipping tip and pipe cream into tart shells, filling them up only halfway.  


(7)Bake for 20 minutes until golden brown in colour.


(8)Prepare caramel cream.  Place sugar and glucose in a saucepan and heat until sugar caramelizes.  Gradually add cream while stirring with a spatula.  Mix until smooth.  Remove from heat and leave to cool slightly.  Add unsalted butter.

(9)Bake assorted nuts in the oven for 20 minutes at 150°C without preheating oven.  


(10)Blanch dried fruit in boiling water, then drain and pat dry.  Cut blanched dried fruits into small cubes.  


(11)Stir toasted nuts and dried fruit into caramel cream.  Spoon mixture onto prepared tart shells and serve.