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

Baby booties

I started to get into sewing in July 2014. Made these booties to surprise a friend who just gave birth to a baby girl in a August 2014. These are the first few pairs of "shoes" to start with! They are on their way & I hope that they will reach you soon!!!

Mary Jane, with reversable prints.. To match with any clothing her mommy chooses. 

Colorful booties. 

Polka dots! This is my favourite pair!  One can never go wrong with black & red shoes. 

Tom-yum prawns

An easy to prepare dish.  My mom used to cook this dish when I was a child. She will add "petai" (stink bean / sciencetific name Parka Speciosa).  Since petai is not  available in Paris, I cooked without the petai. 

Ingredients:

300g of prawns, remove shells & cleaned. 

1 big onion, cut into big slices

1 big tomato , cut into chucks

1 to 2 tbsp of tomyum paste - I used HollyFarm tom-yum paste bought from Singapore. 

100g petai ( optional ) 

100ml of tamarind juice (add 100nl of water to1 tbsp of tamarind pulp) 

2 tbsp of oil

Sugar to taste 

Fish sauce to taste

Method: 

1. Heap up the wok with oil & add in the onions. Fry until onions are fragrant, add in the tom-yum paste & fry a little while.

2. Add in the petai (if you like) fry a little. Add in the tomatoes, fry until they are slightly cooked. 

3. Add in the prawns followed by the tamarind juice, sugar & fish sauce. 

4. Bring to boil. Turn off the flame. 

5. Serve while they are hot, wonderful with steamed rice. 

Bon appétit. 

The feet, the feet

I can't always get it right! But when I got it right, the feeling is wonderful! I made these by following a YouTube video forwarded by my friend SiewLee. Looks easy but it is a very challenging recipe.

Here is the video which I followed to make the above macarons. 

Macarons by 美食DIY

http://youtu.be/2Vuvvhw5jLo

Here is the my interpretation of the video in English.

Ingredients 

50g fine almond powder

80g icing sugar

40g egg white

16g fine/caster sugar 

Raspberry jam

Method:

1. Sift icing sugar & almond powder together & set aside. 

2. In a mixing bowl, add egg white & colouring. Beat egg white, until it turns white & not completely stiff. 

3. Add caster sugar in 3 parts, 1st after egg white turns completely white, beat a little longer, add the 2nd batch of sugar, continue to beat until it is almost stiff, add the remaining sugar & beat until stiff

4. Pour in the icing sugar & almond mix to the stiff egg whites. 

5. Use the cut & fold method to fold in the almond , icing sugar & white mixture. ( refer to video) 

6. Once done, you should get a shinny mixture. Transfer mixture to piping bag. 

7. Pipe onto the baking sheet, leave 1 cm apart each circle. 

8. Tap a few time to release the air. Should get a smooth round. 

9. Leave it to dry, for about 20 mins or longer. When you touch, the mixture after 20 mins, they must be clean on your finger. Just sticky but should not leave any stains on your fingers.

10. Bake @ 140C for 20mins in preheated oven.

11. Leave them to completely cool before you add the jam. 

12. Chill & serve cold. 

Chin's notes: 

1. Very fine almond powder is best. To get smooth top.

2. Step 8 & 9 are very important.

3. This not an easy recipe. I tried many times & not always successful. 

4. I used stale egg whites ( which had been left in the fridge for at least 3 - 7 days, the egg white will loose it's elasticity & will be easier to whisk to soft peak).  

5. To have nicer color, reduced the temperature to 120 degree baked for 30minutes  - (Added 3 Oct 2014 )

Heart Macaron - Baked on 2 Oct 2014 @ 120C for 30minutes

Bon appétit

Italian Ham with melon. A funny combination but they taste yummy!

This is a yummy combination and goes great with wine / champagne.   It was introduced by Christine, my French neighbour who invited us for a drinking session in July 2014.  I was skeptical at first but they turned out to be a great combination.  The ham tasted salty which compliments the melon's sweetness.

Ingredients

Some thin slices of Italian ham

1 Cantaloupe / Rock Melon

Some toothpicks

Method

1. Cut melon into half, remove seeds. You can cut the melon in any shapes you prefer.

2. With a toothpick, skew some ham and follow by a melon.

3. Chill & serve cold.

Bon appétit