What a Chiffon Day

What a sad and happy chiffon day for me. Few days ago, my mum bought a few grapefruit and the grapefruit smell so fragrant. Immediately I got an idea of baking a chiffon cake. So today I prepare and bought all the ingredient. I was so excited watching my chiffon cake rise high in the oven with a beautiful brown surface. After 40 minutes, the chiffon is still uncooked inside so I bake it longer for another 10 minutes. To make sure the cake is cook, I inserted a tooth pick into the centre of the cake and remove it come out clean.

So I removed the cake from the oven and immediately invert the chiffon upside down to let it cool and guess what? The whole chiffon cake fall off from the tin and I got a shock. So I turn the chiffon cake over and I got a 2nd shock because the whole chiffon cake collapse. I was so turn off and my mind filled with lots of why why why, why the chiffon cake collapse. Anyway I tasted the chiffon, somehow the chiffon is soft and a bit wet, not the kind of fluffy texture. I'm really disappointed that the attempt is failed today, it didn't happen before the past 2 times of baking a chiffon cake. I'm guess is not the oven cause the problem as I did a keep watch out on the temperature which is consistent. Perhaps might be the egg whites cause the problem or the cake is under baked. What a sad chiffon day.

I had wanted to make a trip down to bras basah complex. Just nice I had a facial at Bugis today so after the facial done, I walked down the street and pass by a book store (The Commercial Press (S) Pte Ltd). I went into the store, as usual browsing and looking for baking/dessert book. I found and bought one interesting book, 美味滿點的法式鹹蛋糕. Instead of sweet pound cake, this recipe book is all about salty (咸) pound cake. By the way the shop and the staff give me a kind of nice and good feeling over there. When I approached one of the staff for help, he was walking over with a sweet smile on the face and service is good. Even the cashier also carry a nice smiling face when I make the payment to her with a sweet thank you voice.

So I continue my trip to bras basah complex, after reached I was walking around since I still have time and I saw a book store at level 3 (Union Book Co, Pte Ltd). I decided to go in and have a look for books again. The shop is spacious but looks old so I enter and approach the cashier. I asked her, where is the baking/cooking book locate at which section? She give me a ?_? face so I repeat myself again and this time she repeat back with a frustrated tone and face, and telling me is locate to her left side of the cabinet which are all baking/cooking magazine. I was asking for book not magazine. I repeat myself the 3rd time, and still she giving me a piss off and unwilling face with an attitude voice. This is really a horrible service! Anyway I walked over to the baking books section and I found a books which I wanted it very very much. I'm so glad I found this book 戚風鹹蛋糕&戚風甜蛋糕 in the shop even thorough the aunty attitude is suck. What a happy chiffon day because of the book.

If I have the chance to visit Taiwan again, I will definitely make a trip to visit their book store. It is so expensive to buy the Taiwan / Hong Kong books in S'pore. This book 戚風鹹蛋糕&戚風甜蛋糕 cost taiwan currency $280, after convert to S'pore currency is S$11.69 but I paid S$22.45 for this book. Isn't expensive!? almost double the price. -_-"

Baked Donut

Most of the donut that we bought from the bakery shop are deep fried version, which are pretty unhealthy but it taste super yummy. Fried food are always licking good. ^^

There are two reason why I bake the donut instead of fried it. I happen to saw this cute mini donut mold at Sun Lik and immediately I bought it.

If I will to make the fried version donut, the ingredient require for yeast and I lazy to knead the dough. Hopefully I will own one bread machine soon, so I do not need to knead the dough. Tsk tsk..

For the bake version, the ingredient do not require for yeast and is easy and fast method.  

The texture for bake version taste like steam cake and is soft in the inside. After coated with the castor sugar, the donut taste delicious. But honestly I still prefer the fried version donut. =p

*Recipe source:
http://bunsinmyoven.com/2012/07/12/browned-butter-glazed-cinnamon-donuts/
(I make some adjustment on the ingredient)

Ingredient:

• 128gm Flour
• 3 tbsp white sugar
• 3 tbsp brown sugar
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 90 ml butter milk (I use regular milk)
• 1 Eggs
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 tbsp butter (melted)
• Some castor sugar

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 160°C. Lightly grease a donut pan.
2. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt.
3. In a small bowl, stir together the butter milk, egg, and melted butter.
4. Add the wet ingredients to the dry and stir with a wooden spoon until fully incorporated.
5. Fill the donut pan and bake for 8 minutes or until lightly browned and cooked through.
6. Remove from the oven and cool in the pan for a few minutes before transferring to a wire rack.
7. Dip the donut with the castor sugar and serve.

Happy Birthday WT

This green tea cookies is specialty make for my girlfriend birthday. Our friend-ship has been running for 17 Years! And I believe and hope our friend-ship will keep on running till we old. We knew each other thorough primary one and we have been in the same class for 6 years, but we will separated after secondary school however we did not lost contact. I really treasure our friendship rather I would said sister-ship. She more than a friend to me, not just a simple friend.

She love anything that make of mint and green tea. We share the same taste buds, I love green tea too but I dislike mint. I don't like the taste of mint, I don't know why but I just can't accept it.

The instruction given is to roll the dough into a log but the dough keep crack and it's very difficult to cut the logs into thick rounds shape. In the end I gave up and was thinking how to cut out a beautiful round shape cookies as I do not have a round cookies cutter.

I was searching high and low in my kitchen and tadah, I got an idea of using my donut cutter and cut out the round shape, I use the center round part of the cutter. The donut cutter is shown on the top picture.

The green tea taste is fabulous and the cookies is just right of crisp but I find it quite sinful because the ingredient contain lots of butter and sugar.  If you are a green tea lover, give it a try and make this cookies.

*Recipe source:
http://www.amazon.com/Okashi-Treats-Sweet-Made-With/dp/9812617809/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1344949245&sr=8-1&keywords=okashi

Ingredient:

• 240g Pastry flour or Top flour
• 15g Green tea powder
• 150 unsalted butter
• 130g Icing sugar
• A pinch of salt
• 2 Egg yolk

Method:

1. Sift flour and green tea power together twice. (I sift 3 times)
2. Beat butter, icing sugar and salt until soft and creamy. Add egg yolks and mix well. Add flour and green tea powder mixture and fold in with a spatula. Cover dough with cling film and chill in refrigerator for about 15 minutes.
3. Divide chilled dough in half. Place a portion of dough on a large sheet of parchment paper, then shape it into a log about 3.5cm in diameter. Wrap log with parchment paper. Repeat with other portion of dough. Refrigerate dough until firm. If not using immediately, wrap with cling firm and freeze. Cookies dough can be kept for up to 2 months in the freezer.
4. Preheat oven to 150°C. Cut logs into 7-mm think rounds. (I use the donut cutter unstead of cut out the logs)
5. Place cookies on a baking tray lined with parchment paper. Bake for about 25 minutes, then remove and leave to cool on a wire rack before serving.
6. Store cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 10 days.

Clear Water Cake 清水蛋糕

This clear water cake remind me of the 蒸鸡蛋糕, steam eggy cake. My mum used to make this steam version when there are special occasion such as Mercy Goddess (观音) or Buddhism celebration for the goddess. I miss the steam eggy cake that my mum make, its been years since she make. I did ask her but she doesn't want to make because she find it a hassle and she rather buy from the bakery shop. Another one of her specialty are 发糕, Fa Gao. But I not a fan of fa gao, I prefer steam eggy cake.

I found this wonderful recipe from Angelcookbakelove. I was browsing her blog and suddenly I saw this recipe which is similar to the steam eggy cake, immediately I told myself I want to make this too. My saliva going to drip when I see the picture and I was anxiety waiting for the weekend to arrive to bake this too.

This is a simple and easy recipe, it only require a few ingredient which is not difficult to get it. By the way I added one tsp of vanilla extract which the recipe did not yield for. The taste of the clear water cake is soft and fluffy, I love the eggy aromatic smell. Even my mum like it too. The cake still taste as good after the next day. This recipe is definitely a keeper.

*Recipe source:
http://angelcookbakelove.blogspot.sg/2009/11/clear-water-cake-sponge-cake.html

Ingredient:

• 3 egg yolks
• 1 whole egg
• 50g corn oil ( I used vegetable oil)
• 1 tsp vanilla extract (Optional)
• 50g  cake flour (Sieve the flour)
• 3 egg whites
• 50g castor sugar
• 1g salt (I omitted this)

Method:

1. Preheat oven at 150°C. 
2. Combine the egg yolks, 1 whole egg, oil and vanilla extract in a bowl and mix well with a hand mixer till incorporated.
3. Add the flour into step 2 and mix with spatula.
4. In a separate bowl, whisk the egg whites till stiff peaks form. 
5. With a spatula, fold in the egg white into the egg yolk mixture in 3-4 batches.
6. Scoop out  ¾ of the batter into the paper cups and bake for 18-20 minute.

Happy National Day

Happy National 47th Birthday to Singapore. I have been to the national parade for 2 times only but is not on the actual day, hey at least I went before. Anyway hopefully today I will be able to watch the firework live at the area near the parade. The most memorable part for me is the firework, definately worth to watch it LIVE.

Now is the berry season, there are lots in the supermarket. I bought some and kept in the freezer, just in case I have inspiration to make something sweet with this berry. I saw one recipe from Sweethappylife and I was attracted by the ingredient it used. Perfectly what I was looking for an healthy snacks, blueberry oatmeal cookies. 





The texture of the cookies is soft not the crunchy type. I bought one tin of the cookies to office and share with my colleague, they will asking how come the cookies is soft, after one another when I was offering individual. I guess it might be because of the oats and wholemeal flour. The taste is just good and not so sweet, soft and chewy.



Wish everyone have a enjoyable holidays. =D

*Recipe source:

http://www.sweethappylife.com/2012/easy-family-recipes/desserts/blueberry-oatmeal-cookies/

Ingredient:

• 1 cup old-fashioned rolled oats
• 1/2 cup whole-wheat flour
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled
• 1 large egg
• 1 tablespoon milk
• 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
• 1 cup fresh blueberries

Method:

1. Preheat your oven to 170°C and line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.
2. In a small bowl combine the oats, flours, salt, cinnamon and baking soda.
3. In a medium bowl combine the butter, egg, milk, vanilla extract and light brown sugar.
4. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and stir until just combined. Gently fold in the blueberries. Spoon heaping tablespoonfuls of dough onto the lined cookie sheet, spacing the cookies about 2 1/2 inches apart.
5. Bake for 10-14 minutes until the edges are set and the cookies are beginning to brown but are still soft, puffy and underdone. Bake cookies one sheet at a time.
6. Let cookies cool on the baking sheet for 10 minutes. Serve warm or store in an airtight container for up to 2 days once the cookies have cooled completely.

Onde Onde

This one of my flavour nonya dessert, Onde Onde (Glutinous Rice Balls). I prefer the fillings, filled with gula melaka syrup. Pop one onde onde into your month and bite, the syrup will blast in your month. That how I like it with the sweet gula melaka. But some onde onde fillings, filled with the shredded coconut which I don't find it taste that shiok.

There is a store in Chinatown, located at maxwell market selling onde onde and tapioca cake (木薯糕). I really fall in love with their tapioca cake, is the BEST tapioca cake I have even ate. Even my parent also like it very much, especially my dad. As for the onde onde is also one of the fabulous selling, it has the standard which I mention the kind of explosion when u serve the onde onde into your mouth. I was quite disappointed with my onde onde, the skin was rather thick and it doesn't have the kind of explosion. I should have make the dough skin slightly more thinner but I was worry that it might break and all the filling will flow out. My mum told me one of her friend child like it and the child have one and continue the serving for 3 in total. I was quite surprise that the child like it so much. ^^

The portion yield more than 20 pieces and of course I could not finish all by alone plus there are nobody at home that day when I make this onde onde. So I gave some to my friends and my mum friends too. Luckily I manage to share out all the onde onde because it cannot left overnight due to the coconut. I did not manage to used up all the shredded coconut so I kept the remaining in the fridge. The following day my mum took out the shredded coconut from the fridge and she told me the coconut is spoil, the smell turn sour. Indeed fresh shredded coconut cannot be left overnight.

Ingredient:

• 90gm glutinous rice flour
• 35gm tapioca flour
• 200ml pandan juice
• 50gm shredded white coconut (I didn't measure the weight, I pour 3/4 of shredded coconut from the packet)
• Pinch of salt
• 125gm palm sugar (I didn't measure the weight too for this)
• A few drop of pandan paste food colouring (Optional)

Method:

1. Pour a few drop of pandan paste into the pandan juice and stir to combine.  
2. Pour the salt into the shredded coconut and steam for 5 minutes.
3. In a large mixing bowl, place in glutinous rice flour and tapioca flour (sift both together), add pandan juice little by little and knead well till form smooth pliable dough.
4. Pinch a small amount of dough and roll it in your palm to form a smooth ball. Make a small well in the centre of the dough and fill it with chopped palm sugar. Pinch dough to seal, roll into balls again.
5. In a pot of boiling water, drop the balls in the simmering pot and when it floats, remove them with a slotted spoon and allow excess water to drip off.
6. Drop the balls gently on the shredded coconut and coat it evenly, than transfer to a plate to serve.