Cake decorating tools

Found my tools.. Which I had them since 1993 but didn't have a chance to work on it. These sets of tools had been following me around from Sydney, Penang, Singapore & now France. 

I'm excited to see them!!!! Yay!! 

Croque Madame - Ham, Egg & Cheese on Bread

This is a well known dish on most French breakfast / lunch menu.  Here is a simplified version and has been my children's favourite breakfast meal.

Croque Madame with ham, egg and Gruyère cheese on sweet bread roll.

Ingredients :
1 sweet bread roll
1 slice of ham
1 egg
2 tbsp Gruyère shredded cheese

Methods :
1. Slice the bread roll in the middle & open the roll flat.
2. Spread butter on the bread, then add the ham.
3. Cook the egg over a pan ( sunny side up ) until all white is cooked.  Slowly transfer the egg onto the ham.
4. Sprinkle cheese on the egg.
5. Put into the toaster / oven grill mode.
6. Grill for 5 mins or less until all the cheese melted.
7. Serve hot.

Chin's notes :
1. If you prefer the yolk well done, cook the egg accordingly.
2. If you prefer tasted bread, toast them before you add on the butter & ham.
3. You can use any kind of cheese that you prefer.

Bon appétit

Apple Cupcakes

Apple cupcake with apple topping

Saw this recipe from cuisineaz.com a few days ago & decided to give it a try.  

Here is a link to the actual recipe ( in French ) : http://m.cuisineaz.com/recettes/cake-aux-pommes-au-beurre-sale-60141.aspx

I'd simplified the recipe & made them into apple cupcakes.  This cake is very moist, I'll try baking a little longer in the next bake. 

Apple cupcakes 

Ingredients : 

4 small gala apples

3 eggs

125g caster sugar

100 g flour

125g salted butter (soften at room temperature) 

2 tsp baking powder

Method : 

1. Peel the apples and cut them into small cubes.

2. Sift flour & baking power together & set aside. 

3. Cream butter & sugar until creamy. 

4. Add in the eggs one at a time. Mix well. 

5. Add in the flour. Mix well

6. Stir in the apples 

7. Fill up the cupcakes liner. 

8. Bake at preheated 180 degree C oven for 30 minutes or until cook. 

Cake texture

Chin's notes:

1. Chop the apples into small & tiny cubes, cut some circles for decoration. 

2. Can be baked in a loaf pan, for 45 minutes @ 180C

3. This is a very moist cake.

Bon appétit !! 

Vanilla with chocolate cupcakes

Vanilla Cupcakes tops with Chocolate Chips

An easy vanilla cupcakes. They are my kids favourite. This time round added some chocolate chips as topping.  This is a lovely cupcakes for other decorations such as sugar glacé or fondant.

Easy Vanilla Cupcakes tutorial video: 

http://youtu.be/EsgqxMxuF7o

Easy Vanilla Cupcakes

Ingredients :

115g self raising flour 

115g sugar 

115g butter at room temperature 

2 eggs

1 tsp vanilla essence / extract

Chocolate chips for toppings ( optional )

Methods :

1. Cream butter & sugar, then add the eggs (one at a time), then vanilla & finally the flour. 

2. Add toppings ( chocolate chips / nuts / dried fruits )
3. Baked at preheated over @ 180C for 15 to 20 mins

Chin's notes : 

1. This is a lovely vanilla cupcake recipe. Can be used for sugar glacé toppings or to be decorated with fondant.

2. If you do not wish to add any toppings, just skip step 2.
3. If you like to top with dried fruits like raisins/cranberries best to soak them in water for 15mins before adding as toppings to prevent burnt.

Bon appétit

Sugar glacé video tutorial: http://youtu.be/xCOXwOhlDQs

Vanilla Cupcakes decorated with Sugar Glacé & M&Ms

Vanilla Cupcakes decorated with Sugar Glacé & decorative sugars

Earl Grey Chiffon

Earl Grey Chiffon

I used Pandan Chiffon's recipe shared by my youngest aunt and changed to make Earl Grey Chiffon. This chiffon taste "yummy" according to my daughter.  I'm still working on improving the "appearance".  I prefer a more "tanned" chiffon so I baked for 55 minutes, originally was 45minutes.

Video Tutorial : http://youtu.be/mHe7yolzhdI

Un-moulded from chiffon pan

Cracked top

Earl Grey Chiffon Recipe

Ingredients : 

Meringue :-

6 egg white

80g caster sugar

1/2 tsp cream of tartar

Yolk mixture :-

6 eggs yolk

100g caster sugar

100g plain flour

50g vegetable oil

50g hot water

1 Earl Grey tea bag

Methods :

1. Add Earl Grey tea leaves into a cup of hot water & leave to cool.

2. Separate egg white and egg yolk into separate mixing bowl respectively.

3. Add cream of tartar and sugar into egg white, beat until egg white stiff.

4. Add sugar, tea, oil and flour into the egg yolk mixing bowl.  Mix well.

5. Gently & slowly fold the meringue (stiff egg white) into egg yolk in 3 parts.

6. Transfer the mixture into chiffon baking pan and tap 3 times. Do not grease the pan.

7. Bake at 160 degree C preheated oven for 55 minutes.

8. Perform toothpick test. It should come out clean when cake is completely cooked.

9. Remove from oven, immediately tilt chiffon pan upside-down and leave to cool completely

10. Use a sharp knife to slice the edges to un-mould chiffon from pan.

Chin's notes:

1. You need to be calm when making this cake.

2. Make sure there is no traces of egg yolk in the egg white.  If egg yolk exist, egg white won't stiff.

3. It is important to fold the meringue gently and slowly into the yolk mixture until all mixture are evenly mixed. 

4. If you prefer a lighter coloured chiffon, you can bake for 45mins or lesser.  Perform toothpick test to ensure cake is cooked. 

5. I don't have a solution on the cracked top yet. I'm still working on it.

Bon appétit

Banana Muffins with Chocolate Chips & Nuts

I'd always love muffins that looks "full". Our all time favourite Banana Muffins with Chocolate Chips & Nuts.

Tutorial video: 

http://youtu.be/bjNa_XJ-G6U

Banana muffins with chocolate chips & nuts recipe:
Recipe adapted from allrecipes.com

Makes 8 - 9 muffins

190g all purpose flour 

1 tsp baking powder 

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

3 large ripe bananas mashed 

150g sugar 

1 egg

75g melted butter 

Toppings:

Chocolate chips & nuts of choice. 

I used : 

Chopped Almonds & hazelnuts

Method: 

1. Sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda & salt. 

2. In a mixing bowl, add in butter & sugar. Mix well. Then add in the egg.

3. Mash bananas, add into mixture. Mix well.

4. Fold in the flour in 2 parts. Mix well until you get a smooth texture. 

5. Scoop into the muffin pan with paper liners. I like fuller muffins, will fill up to ard 80% - 90% full. 

7. Sprinkle with chocolate chips , almond & hazelnuts. 

6. Baked at preheated oven @ 175 degree C for 25 mins / until cook. 

7. Cool on the cooling rack. 

Chin's notes:

1. Don't mash the bananas too early, as it will change the color of your muffins due to oxidization. Best to mash just before mixing into the mixture. 

2. You can always use an electric mixer ;)

3. Remember to sift the flour, baking powder & baking soda to prevent uneven rising of muffins.

4. Added on 5th Feb 2015

Bake in cake pan, I baked in the preheated oven at 180 degree for 35mins.

Baked for Year 6 moms' coffee morning. 

Chinese Egg Tarts

Chinese egg tarts are my kids favourite & I used to buy them.  Since we moved to Paris, I don't see anyone selling but Portuguese egg tarts are easily available. 

I started making these tarts in May 2014, and slowly made some changes to the initial recipe which I followed from Baking's Corner. 

Chinese Egg Tarts 
- adapted from Baking's Corner. 

Makes: 

18 tarts with 2.5" diameter aluminium mould

15 tarts with 3" diameter aluminium mould 

Ingredients for pastry :

260g plain flour

30g icing sugar

150g cold butter ( cut into cubes )

1 egg

Ingredients for filling :

1 cup / 210g fresh milk

3 cold eggs 

80g icing sugar

1 tbsp vanilla essence 

Methods : 

1. To make tart pastry, mix flour & sugar, rub butter into mixture to form crumbs. 

Cold butter cut into cubes on flour and sugar mixture

Crumbs texture

2. Add the egg & combine to form into a dough.  If the dough is too soft / wet, just leave them in the fridge covered for 30 minutes before shaping.

3. Weigh your pastry dough abt 30g for 3" diameter tart mould / 26g for 2.5" diameter.  Make into a ball.

Before shape and after shaped tart pastry

4. Then press pastry into the tart mould. Here is a video on how to shape the pastry into the tart mould.  Shaping tart pastry tutorial : http://youtu.be/lSsXxzuFK70

5. Leave the tart pastry in the fridge while waiting for the filling. 

6. Mix all the filling ingredients together. Sieve the egg mixture to remove impurity. I'll do double sieve. 

Egg impurities

7. Brush some filling mixture onto the pastry. This will give the pastry a little brown during the baking process.

8. Gently pour filling into pastry.  

9.  Bake at 180C for 10 mins then Bake at 160C for 15 - 20 minutes or till cook 

Chin's notes: 

1. If you see your filling ballooning (normally after 15mins of baking). Just open the oven door, until it subsides. I usually needs to open the oven's door 2 - 3 times during baking process. 

Ballooning egg filling during baking

2. To know if your tart is cooked, perform the toothpick test. It should stand tall!

Toothpick test

3. I did not poke on the pastry, I noticed whenever I poked the pastry, it gives lots of tiny bubbles around the egg filings during the baking process. 

4. It is not necessary to flour / grease the aluminium moulds. Just give a little tap on the back, the tart will pops out from the moulds easily. Here is a picture of my aluminium moulds. 

Aluminium moulds

Recipe adapted from

http://bakingscorner.blogspot.sg/2014/06/egg-tart-by-my-niece-alyssa-chng.html?m=1