Ang Ku Kuih (Red Tortoise Cake)

I used to eat these when I was living in Penang. I think it is more than 20 years since I last had one.

There is a request for Ang Ku Kuih, and I'd decided to take up the challenge & try to make them in Paris.  Fortunately I bought the mould from Penang last August. 

Thanks to my friend, SiewLoon who shared her yummy recipe!

Here is her recipe from Rasa Malaysia:

http://rasamalaysia.com/angku-kuih-red-tortoise-cake/2/

My first attempt was a success!!!  It has a chewy skin & yummy bean paste, just like how it should taste like.  They were well received at the Chap Goh Meh's lunch reception today. : ) 

Pandan Chiffon with Extra Egg Whites

Had to bake a quick cake for my daughter to bring to school for Charity Cakes Sales. I did not want to bake the cup cakes with icing & thought it might worth to try Pandan Chiffon.

The recipe is my usual chiffon recipe but this time round I tried something different.

1. I put in extra 3 eggs whites left over from my pineapple tarts' bake. ;) 

2. Divided the mixed batter into two 17" chiffon pans & baked in a preheated oven at 160 degree C.  

The result, very soft & airy. Hope the kids like them.  None came back, it is a good sign! Phew! 

Here is the original recipe: 

http://fromchinshome.blogspot.fr/2015/12/pandan-chiffon.html?m=1

Clafoutis aux Poires

A very yummy French pear pie ( Clafoutis ), that my friend, Caroline made on one of the gatherings. It is an easy recipe.  I tried to bake one today. :p

Traditionally it was made with black cherries. I will try to make one when cherries are in season. Won't be long!

Recipe shared by Caroline, original recipe: 

http://m.marmiton.org/recettes/recette_clafoutis-aux-poires-facile_11719.aspx

Clafoutis aux Poires 

Ingredients: 

4 pears halved & removed the core.  Original recipe asked for 3 pears. 

2 eggs 

15 g of sugar

25ml of milk 

60g of sugar 

40g of all purpose flour. 

1 ready made puff pastry. 

Preparation steps : 

1. Prepare the pastry puffs & lay it on the pie baking tray. 

2. Lay the cut pears neatly on the puff pastry. 

3. Mix all the other in a mixing bowl & pour over the pear. 

4. Bake in a preheated oven at 200 degree C for 35 mins. 

Voilà!

Shell Pastry Curry Puffs

Curry puff is a popular snacks among the Singaporean / Malaysian. We have it for breakfast, we have it for tea with a cup of "teh tarik" - Yum!! These are easily available at the market or at the hawker's stall or at the mall in Singapore / Malaysia.

I'm glad that I tried this recipe.  I'm very statisfied with the pastry, they were very flaky. 

Pastry recipe adapted from Jane's Corner link below: 

http://janechew.blogspot.fr/2009/08/spiral-curry-puff.html?m=1

Mixing & folding the water dough & oil dough gives the pastry it's shell prints. 

Here is how the dough was folded. 

Wrapping the water dough with the oil dough.
Roll out and fold.

Fold and roll out and repeat.

After the dough been rolled & folded 3 times.
Tightly rolled the dough into cylinder.

Flatted the dough into a flat round dough.
Filled with desired filling, seal and pleat the dough.

Shell flaky potato curry puffs.

Shell Pastry Curry Puff

Ingredients :

Water Dough 

200g all purpose flour 

90g water 

1/2 tsp salt 

3 tbsp cooking oil 

25g sugar 

Oil Dough 

100g all purpose flour 

4 tbsp cooking oil 

Preparation Steps: 

1. Mix all the ingredients for the water dough & form a dough. Give a few good knead until the texture is smooth. Shape into a ball & set aside.

2. Mix all the ingredients for the oil dough until it form a dough. Make into a ball. 

3. Flatten the water dough & place the oil dough in the middle & wrap the water dough around the oil dough. Form a ball. 

4. Flour the working board & rolling pin to prevent sticking of dough. With a rolling pin, flatten the dough into a rectangular shape (pic 3). Imagine the rectangular is divided into 3 sections. Fold from the left 2/3 (pic 4), & fold the right end to meet the left folded end (pic 5). Rotate the folded dough 90 degree clockwise (pic 6). 

5. Repeat step 4, 2 more times. 

6. Roll the folded dough into a rectangular shape, tightly roll from the left to the right to form a long cylinder (pic 10&11). Trim of  the ends. 

7. With a knife divide the dough evenly (10 - 12 pieces) - (pic 12).

8. Dip into some flour & flatten with the rolling pin to get a flat round dough. About 6mm thickness. Not too thin as the dough will tear during the frying. 

9. Fill the dough with potato curry / mashed sardines / beef rendang. Seal & pleats the edges. 

10. Heat up enough oil in a wok for deep fying & deep fry the puffs  until golden brown. 

Bon appétit !

Chin's notes: 

1. Made a very simple potato curry with onions, potatoes, curry powder, salt & sugar to taste. 

Mooncakes Round 3 - 2015

Tried making snow skin mooncakes (冰皮月饼) using recipe from Rasa Malaysia blog. It was easy & the texture was good.

Ready Red bean & green tea pastes purchased from Kwong Cheong Thye ( Singapore). 

Lychee with red bean

Lychee with red bean paste snowskin mooncakes: 

65g Cooked glutinous rice flour (gao fen).

70g icing sugar 

65ml lychee syrup from canned lychee

1 tbsp fresh milk

1 tbsp shortening 

Food colouring of choice (optional)

Red bean paste

Preparation steps: 

1. In a big bowl sift the cooked glutinous rice flour & icing sugar together. 

2. Rub shortening into the mixture until it resembles crumbs. 

3. Add the syrup, milk & colouring.

4. Form a dough and give a few good knead until texture is soft. (if too sticky add a bit of gao fen). Set aside for 10mins.

5. Weigh the red bean paste & shape into a ball. My red bean is 30g & dough is 26g. 

6. Flatten the dough & place the paste & seal it completely. Roll onto the gao fen & dust off the excess flour then shape it using the mooncake's mould. 

7. Keep in the airtight container in the fridge for at least 1hr before serving. Serve cold with tea!

Voilà! 

Mini snow skin mooncakes

Chin's notes: 

1. Original recipe from Rasa Malaysia Blog : http://rasamalaysia.com/snow-skin-mooncake/2/

2. Will add some lychee flavour in the future, because I can't taste the lychee. 

3. Reduced the sugar because lychee syrup is sweet. 

4.I halved the ingredients, made about 12 mini mooncakes. 

5. With green tea paste

Second batch - Green tea paste

Chiffon Cupcakes Again

I'm very pleased with my bake today. :) Tried the following method and it seems to give me a nicer chiffon cupcakes after they have completely cooled. 

Fill the cake mixture to about slightly more than half full in the baking liners.

Baked at 165 degree C for 20 mins then lower oven temperature to 160 degree C for another 25 mins. 

After 4hrs, the cupcakes still looks good. 

Pandan Chiffon Cake recipe: 

Ingredients 

A 

6 egg whites 

80g sugar 

1/2 tsp cream of tartar 

B 

6 egg yolks 

100g sugar 

100g plain flour 

1 tbsp pandan extract 

1/4 cup / 50g coconut milk 

1/4 cup / 50g vegetable oil 

Preparation steps: 

1. Whisk ingredients for A until stiff peak. 

2. In a separate bowl, mix well all the ingredients  for B. 

3. Gently fold mixture A into B. 

4. Transfer mixture to muffin tray lay baking liners. Fill to slightly more that 1/2 full. 

5. Bake on the lowest rack in a preheated oven at 165 degree C for 20 mins then 160 degree C for another 25mins. 

6. Remove from oven, & leave cupcakes to cool upside down on cooking rack. 

Voilá! 

Chin's notes: 

1. This is the same recipe that I used for the normal chiffon baked in the chiffon pan. 

2. For normal chiffon bake, bake for 55 mins to get the lovely crust on the side. Turn baking tin upside down for cooling. Remove cake from baking tin. Slice the cake into serving portion before serving. 

3. Other chiffon bakes 

http://fromchinshome.blogspot.fr/2014/09/earl-grey-chiffonc.html?m=1

4. These were baked in March 2015. 

I did not get the nice dome then. 

5. Added on 26 April 2015 - baked more cupcakes by halving the ingredients. I managed to get 17 cupcakes. I also got the same results with nice dome & they stays nice. 

Middle & bottom racks were used for these bakes. 

Ku-Chye Kuih ( Steamed Chinese Chives Dumplings )

Ku-Chye Kuih ( steamed Chinese chives dumplings), one of the many Nyonya's snacks that I love! 

This is my first attempt to make these. It was not difficult but a bit time consuming to make the fillings, skin & wrapping. It was worth it all for my craving!! 

I need to work on my wrapping as they broke during the steaming process. 

I followed the skin recipe from Rasa Malaysia - link below. 

http://rasamalaysia.com/chai-kueh-steamed-vegetable-dumplings/2/

Makes 30 dumplings

Ku-Chye Kuih Fillings ingredients: 

500g Chinese Chives, thinly sliced. 

6 cloves of garlic - minced 

30g dried shrimps - clean 

3 dried mushrooms - soaked & thinly sliced. 

5 water chestnuts (optional) - cut into small cubes

1 tbsp oyster sauce 

1 tsp sugar

Salt & pepper to taste 

3 tbsp vegetable cooking oil

Dumpling skins ingredients: 

165g wheat starch 

85g tapioca flour

420g hot water 

5 tbsp vegetable oil 

Preparation steps: 

1. Prepare all the ingredients. 

2. In a wok, heat up the oil, then add in the garlic. Fry until fragrant. Set aside some fried garlic for garnishing. 

3. Add the dried shrimp. Fry until the dried shrimps are fragrant , add in the mushrooms, then add in the Chinese chives.

4. Add in all the seasonings & fry until vegetable is cooked & set aside to cool. 

5. Prepare the dumpling skin, recipe & methods from Rasa Malaysia. 

6. Wrap the dumplings. 

7. Place dumplings on parchment paper on the steamer tray. Steam for 12 - 15 mins on high or until dumpling skin is translucent. 

8. Garnish with fried garlic & your favourite chili sauce. 

Bon appétit ! 

Chin notes: 

1. Take note to seal the dumplings with a bigger sealed allowance to avoid breaking of dumplings.

2. I added water chestnuts, normally water chestnuts were not added.

Added on 24 April 2015 

3. Leave about 1 to 2 cm gap between dumplings on the steaming tray. The dumpling will expand slightly.

4. They freeze quite well too. Made extra to freeze. No thawing is required, I steamed them directly out from the freezer. 

Frozen dumplings

Pandan Chiffon Cupcake

Trying to bake pandan chiffon in the form of cupcakes. Always wonder if it can be done. Saw some others tried & posted their bakes.

Here are my bakes. They are nicely baked on the outside & soft on the inside. I like the outcome.  

Pandan Chiffon Recipe:

Ingredients 

Batter A : 

6 egg whites 

100g sugar 

1/2 tsp cream of tartar 

Batter B:

6 egg yolks 

100g sugar

100g plain flour 

50g ( 1/4 cup) oil

50g ( 1/4 cup ) coconut milk 

1 tbsp Pandan extract 

1/2 baking powder ( optional ) 

Preparation steps : 

1. Separate the ingredients needed respectively. Batter A & batter B. 

2. Put all the ingredients for batter A in a mixing bowl & whisk until stiff peak. 

3. In a separate mixing bowl, add egg yolks & sugar. Mix well. Then add the coconut milk , oil & Pandan extract. Mix well. 

4. Fold in the flour until well mixed. 

5. Gently fold batter A into batter B until well combined. 

6. Line muffin trays with liners & fill in the batter until 2/3 full. Tap a few times to release the trapped air if there is any. 

7. Bake in a preheated oven at 160 degree C for 30 minutes. 

8. Remove & let it cool completely. 

Bon appétit ! 

Chin's notes: 

1. This is the same recipe that I used for baking chiffon in the chiffon baking tin.

2. For normal chiffon bake, bake for 55 mins to get the lovely crust on the side. Turn baking tin upside down for cooling. Remove cake from baking tin. Slice the cake into serving portion before serving. 

3. Other chiffon bakes 

http://fromchinshome.blogspot.fr/2014/09/earl-grey-chiffonc.html?m=1

4. 1 March 2015 - a few asked if Cream of tartar is a must. I don't think it is a must as long as the egg white is whisked to stiff peak. I just have to test it out.  It is possible & below is my bake without cream of tartar added to the egg whites. 

Fortune Sacks that brings good fortunes

Fortune Sacks / Money Bags a popular dish during Chinese New Year that served is some restaurants. I made these from wanton skin and used the ingredients similar with Jiao zi with a slight different marinating ingredients.

Here is a video on how the sacks were prepared.
Link : http://youtu.be/yL2gUUjlmf4

Ingredients:
100g minced pork
10 medium size prawns
10 water chestnuts
2 dried mushrooms (soaked)
2 cloves garlic
thumb size ginger
2 stalks spring onions
1 tbsp oyster sauce
1 tbsp fish sauce
1 tsp sesame oil
pepper to taste

for wrapping :-
Wanton skins
Spring onions / Chinese chives

Honey Combs / Bee Hives Snack

A popular snack usually during the Chinese New Year celebrations. Crispy & a very fragrant snack.

I have always wanted to make this snack but never get around to make them. The mould is more than 10 years old, bought by MeiCheen's mom from Thailand. It was almost gone with all the junks when I was moving. Phew! 

9PM - Interesting I just found out that there are other names for this snack. Lotus blossom from the Thai people & Rose biscuits by others. 

Finally I made some today.

Honey Comb Recipe: 

Ingredients: 

80g sugar 

150g rice flour

50g self raising flour 

250ml coconut milk

2 tbsp sesame seeds 

2 eggs 

Oil for deep frying 

Icing sugar for garnishing - optional 

Preparation steps: 

1. Put all the flour in a big bowl.  Make a well, then add in the eggs. With a wooden/big spoon, slowly mix the ingredients in a circular motion.

2. Add in coconut milk bit by bit as you stir. When you have a smooth batter, add in the sugar & sesame seeds. Mix well.  Remove any lumps. 

3. In a wok / pan , heat up the oil. Heat up the mould, by letting it sit in the hot oil for a while. 

4. Dip the hot mould into the batter mix and then quickly dip the battered mould into the hot oil. After a few seconds, slowly shake it off the mould. Let it bobble in the hot oil until golden brown. Repeat the process until all the batter finished.

5. Drained the oil, and leave them completely cool before storing in airtight containers. 

6. Optional - Sprinkle with some icing sugar before serving. 

Bon appétit !

Chin's notes: 

1. Wash & soak the mould with some tamarind juice before use. It will gives it a nice shine.

2. Don't dip the mould completely into the batter.  Leave about 3 - 5 mm of the top of mould without batter. If dip completely, it may be difficult to shake if off, during the cooking process. 

2. It may be difficult to shake the batter off the mould initially, use a chopstick / tip of knife to remove. After a few application, it will get easier. Took me almost 8 times to get it easier. Phew!!

3. Always stir the batter before you dip the mould in because the sesame seeds may be at the bottom of the batter. 

Heat up the mould before dipping into the batter mixture.

Transfer the mould dip in batter into the hot oil.
Slowly shaking off the batter from the mould.

Minutes Snacks - Sausage rolls

An easy snack in less than 30 minutes. I bought the ready made pastry puffs & some cocktail sausages. 

They are also yummy with smoked salmon slices!!! 

Easy steps to get the snacks served.

1. Cut the pastry & roll up the sausages

2. Glaze with milk & garnish with parley or sesame seeds

3. Bake based on the packaging instructions.
For this brand, I baked at 210 degree C for 15 minutes

Bon appétit ! 

Chin's notes: 

1. They are great with smoked salmons too. 

Pineapple tarts made with Ghee

Playing with shapes!! :) Lessons from paperclay projects does come handy in cooking too.  I tried shaping with salt dough before working on the actual tarts. Salt dough are easier to manage than the actual tart dough. ;)  

Just made some pineapple tarts, recipe adapted from NasiLemak Lover's recipe. Thanks to my friend Jane Lee, who tried & shared her ghee & butter ratio. 

These tarts taste better if they have been aged for a day or 2. I know it is difficult to resist the temptation! Hide some & taste the difference! You'll be surprised!!! 

Pineapples Tarts with Ghee, adapted from NasiLemak Lover's recipe. 

Ingredients: 

250g salted butter 

100g ghee - I used QBB ghee

100g condensed milk 

2 egg yolks 

510g plain flour ( I used 480g plain flour + 30g cornflour). 

600g Pineapple jam - roll into balls. 

Egg wash : 1 egg yolk + 1 tbsp milk  + 1/2 tsp salt. 

Preparation steps: 

1. Cream the above ingredients except the jam in a mixing bowl untill they form a dough.

2. Set aside for 10 mins in the fridge. 

3. Shape the pineapple tarts with the jam. Brush with egg wash. 

4. Bake in a preheated oven at 165 degree C for 20mins or until golden brown. 

5. Remove from oven & leave it completely cool before storing. 

Bon appétit ! 

Chin's notes: 

1. I find that this recipe not suitable for open tarts because the dough is a bit sticky. 

2. When they are just out from the oven, the pastry is very flaky. Leave it to cool completely the pastry texture is better. 

3. Let the pineapple tarts aged at least a day / 2. They taste better when they are aged!

4. Here is the link to NasiLemak Lover's recipe: 

http://nasilemaklover.blogspot.fr/2013/02/my-best-melt-in-mouth-pineapple-tarts.html?m=1

5. Added on 24 Jan 2015 - Wonder what to do with the left over egg whites? 

I made some Meringues à la françaisel

6. Added on 24 Jan 2015 - Recipe to homemade pineapple jam : Pineapple Jam

7. Here is how I shaped the tarts. Need to work very fast on the dough, because the butter from the dough will melt due to the warm hands & it will become very difficult to manage.  

Added 22 April 2015 : other shapes.

Daisy Pineapple Tarts - embossed with fondant cutter

Rosie Pineapple Tarts - shaped with a crimper

Pineapple Rolls

Finally got around to make these.  These are popular snacks for Chinese New Year.  My first attempt for Pineaple rolls.  I think it is a great way to start a new year!! :)

It is very nice of my friend Evelyn Lim to share her lovely recipe with me.  I made some adjustment to her recipe because I do not have all the needed ingredients & wanted so badly to try to make these rolls.  Ghee is also another ingredients which I'd read in many blogs that it will give the tarts a buttery flavour.  

These rolls are so yummy & they melts in your mouth. 

I used these tools to help me piped out the pastry. Thanks to my friend SiewLoon who brought me these when she visited Paris in March 2014. 

Pineapple Rolls Adapted from Evelyn Lim's Recipe.  

Pastry Ingredients : 

150g butter 

100g pure ghee ( I used QB pure ghee )

60g icing sugar 

2 egg yolks

370g plain flour

2 tbsp custard powder 

2 tbsp cornflour 

Tart fillings :

500g pineapple jam 

Egg wash :

1 egg - beaten 

1/4 tsp salt 

Method : 

1. Divide the pineapple jam into small portion & form into an oval shapes. 

2. Combine all the pastry ingredients into a mixer, set on low speed until a soft dough is form. Remove & let it rest for 5 minutes. 

3a. Place some dough into to the mould & pressed out the dough about 5cm in length. Place a piece of jam fillings on one end & roll up to enclose the fillings. 

Note: with the grains facing down. 

3b. Alternatively you can piped out a long strips , put the jam filling at the end , roll & cut out, continue until you finish the whole strips. Hence you do not need to measure the each strips.  Thanks to Christina Lim's advise. I'll try that the next batch of bake! ;) 

4. Brush some egg wash on the pastry. Bake in a preheated oven at 180 deg C for 15 mins or until golden brown. 

5. Remove from oven & leave it completely cool before keeping them in an airtight containers. 

Bon appétit !! 

Chin's Note:

1. The original recipe as for 250g margarine. I replaced with butter & ghee. 

2. Here are some pictures of the process for making these rolls. 

3. There are other moulds used to pipe out the pastry. I find the tools that I have needs a lot of strength, after a few my thumb & fingers hurts. I could be doing it the wrong way. 

4. Added 05/01/2015 - Apparently there is an extension for my mould. Here is a picture of Chirstina's tool to pipe out the pastry. 

Cheese Tarts with Flower Prints

Mini Cheese Tarts with prints.  My first attempt which turned out quite well and yummy.  They were all gone before I get a chance to try one. The feedback from my "tasters", all said yummy.   

A recipe which I adapted from http://www.azlitamasammanis.com, and followed the ingredients measurements closely.

Here is my version of making these tarts:

Part1 - Making tart shells tutorial :- http://youtu.be/EhVgyNr_IXY

Part 2 - Making Mini Cheese Tarts :- http://youtu.be/SHm7PEBZT1A

Mini Cheese Tarts Recipe :

Tart Shells

Ingredients :
170g butter cut into cubes
50g icing sugar
290g All purpose flour, sifted
1 small egg
1 tsp vanilla extract or essence
tart moulds

Preparation methods :
1. Put flour and icing sugar in the mixing bowl.  Add in the butter.
2. Rub the butter into the flour mixture until it resembles crumbs texture.
3. Add in the vanilla and egg into the mixture, and form a dough ball. Do not knead.
4. Wrap/bag the dough and leave in the fridge for 30mins.
5. Measure each dough for making the tart shell, about 14g or lesser.
6. Shape the tart shell onto the tart mould.  Refer to video tutorial, http://youtu.be/EhVgyNr_IXY
7. Prick holes with fork / toothpick on the dough.
8. Bake in the preheated oven at 170 degree C, for 20 minutes or until golden brown.
8. Take them out from oven and leave them to completely cool, remove from tart shell and store them away or add filling.

Chin's notes :
1. These can be made in advance and stored in an airtight container.
2. Do not knead the dough, just gently make the dough into a ball.
3. My pastry is quite thick on each tart shell, I yet to try thinner pastry with lesser dough.

Cream Cheese Fillings 

Ingredients:
250gm Cream Cheese
50g fine sugar
1 small egg
1 tsp vanilla extract or essence
Jam of choice, I used raspberry jam
Colourings for tart decoration

Preparation methods:
1. Put the cream cheese into the mixing bowl,  beat with the electric mixer until creamy.
2. Add in the sugar, egg and vanilla. Continue to beat until well combined. Transfer into a piping bag / plastic bag. If plastic bag is used snip off one of the corner.
3. Prepare colourings red for the flower petals and green for the leaves and set aside.
4. Place some jam onto the tart shell.
5. Pipe in cream cheese mixture onto the jam. I filled it up to the top to get the fuller tart.
6. Smooth with a toothpick.
7. Decorate your cream cheese, draw on the cheese filling with a toothpick.  Remember to clean your toothpick after each application.
8. Bake in a preheated oven at 170 degree C for 5 minutes or until cook.
9. After 5 minutes, touch the cheese fillings with your finger, if it comes out clean it is cooked.  If it stains your finger, leave them in the oven for an extra minute or 2 minutes. Watch them closely!!!
10. Take them out from the oven and leave them completely cool.  Keep them cool in the fridge before serving.

Have fun & Bon appétit

Chin's notes :
1. You can choose different jam flavour of your choice.
2. I get about 45 mini cheese tarts.
3. Try to make your tart shells in advance.