Creamcheese brownie

  Before everything, i need to say i am not a fan of chocolate. But after the first bite into this piece of gem, i was like...wow. It was just so.... delicious.

  Recipe: ( from here , original from How to be a Domestic Goddess by Nigella Lawson, with a slight modified)

Ingredients:

 - 125g dark chocolate ( I used 52% cocoa chocolate)

 - 125g unsalted butter

 - 2 eggs

 - 200g sugar ( I used 140g)

 - 1 tsp vanilla extract

 - 75g plain flour

 - pinch of salt

 - 200g of cold creamcheese ( I used 100g)

Method:

  Melt the chocolate and butter in a saucepan over low heat. Beat the eggs with sugar and vanilla. Mix flour and salt in another bowl. When the chocolate almost melted completely, take the pan off the heat. Leave it for awhile to cool slightly then beat in the egg mixture. Finally add the flour, beat until smooth. Pour half of the mixture in to a greased 18cm square pan, slice the creamcheese as thin as possible and put it on the mixture in the tin, pour the remaining mixture over the top. Smooth the top so that all the creamcheese is well covered. Bake for about 20-25' in a preheated oven at 180 degrees C ( 160 degrees C, fan- forced). Cool for about 10' before cutting it into squares.

  

I am linking this post to Cook Like A Star hosted by Zoe of Bake for Happy Kids, Joyce of Kitchen Flavours and Minch of Piece of Cake

Vietnamese " Bún Thang"

 This is a traditional dish that Northen Vietnamese usually eat during Lunar New Year Festival to look forwar to a prosperous, successful new year ahead. The ingredients for this dish usually made from the food that was used to pray on New year eve and 1st day of New year, that is boiled chicken and meatloaf ( giò lụa).
  Ingredients:
- Stock (made from pork ribs or chicken stock)
- Dried shrimps, washed, soaked
- Dried mushrooms, washed, soaked till soften
-1 Boiled chicken, deboned
- 400g meatloaf ( giò lụa)
- 2 eggs, beaten
- laksa leaves and spring onions, to serve.
- Rice noodle ( beehoon), to serve
Method:
  Boil the stock together with the shrimps and mushrooms under medium heat until the shrimps is soften. Season to taste. Chicken meat shred into bite size. Meatloaf cut into shreds. Beaten egg fry thinly, slice into fine shreds. Laksa leaves and spring onion wash and chop.
  Blanch rice noodle in boiling water, drain well. Put noodle in a big bowl, arrange chicken meat, meatloaf, shredded eggs on top. Decorate with laksa leaves and spring onion. Pour boiling soup on the noodle and serve hot.

I am back and happy Valentines.

 I was away for so so long because of my baby girl. Finally I am back to blogging.
I decide to start off on Valentines just because I tried on a batch of Nama chocolate and I am so satisfied with the outcome even though I am not a big fan of chocolate. It's just simply yummy!

Recipe: ( from Fait maison )
Ingredients:
 _ 400g chocolate ( I use 52% Beryl's chocolate)
 _ 200g whipping cream
 _ 20g unsalted butter
 _ 1 tbsp honey
 _ Cocoa powder for dusting
Method:
   Prepare chocolate in a mixing bowl, chop into small pieces if necessary.
  Cook whipping cream in a pot over low heat until bubbles appear, do not boil the cream. Pour hot whipping over chocolate, mix well with a balloon whisk until you get smooth mixture. Add butter and honey, continue whisking till combined.
  Pour mixture into square baking pan ( lined with parchment paper). Smooth the surface, cover with clingfilm and refrigerate it.
  When the chocolate is harden, cut into small pieces using warm knife and dust with cocoa powder. Serve.

Chocolate mooncake with creamcheese filling

 I have tried my hands on this recipe. It turns out better than i expected , the chocolate skin goes so well with the creamcheese. Another great recipe to keep for every Mid-autumn season.

Recipe:
Ingredients:
* Skin : ( adapted from Fly me to the moon )
- 200g golden syrup
- 1 tsp alkaline water
- 1/4 tsp baking soda
- 50g peanut oil
- 280g plain flour
- 40g cocoa powder
* Filling : ( adapted from Mooncake sonata )
- 300g creamcheese
- 450g coffee greenbean  paste
* Glazing :
- 1 egg yolk, mixed with 1 tsp water, sieved well.
Method:
* Skin : Put golden syrup, alkaline water, baking soda and peanut oil into a bowl, mix well, leave overnight. Mix plain flour with cocoa powder, make a well in the center, pour in the syrup mixture, knead well until can get a smooth dough ( i used mixer to do this step) . Let dough rest for about 15'. Divide into 10 portions, 50g each.
* Filling: Divide creamcheese and coffee greenbean paste into 10 portions . Flatten 1 portion of greenbean paste, place in the creamcheese, shape round. Continue the process until finish up.
* Flatten 1 portion of skin, place in the filling ball, wrap it well and shape round. Put it into the dusted mould, press tight . Unmould it into baking tray, lined with baking paper. Bake in preheated oven at 200 degree C for 10', bring the tray out, spray water on the mooncakes immediately, let cool for about 10' . Glaze the mooncakes with eggyolk mixture, put back into the oven, bake for further 10' more. Bring it out, let cool completely.

I am submitting this post to Aspiring Bakers #11: Mid- Autumn Treats hosted by Happy Home Baking

Custard Shanghai mooncake

Recipes: ( adapted  from Mooncakes by Alan Ooi )
Ingredients : (makes 14 mooncakes)
* Skin:
- 280g plain flour
- 50g milk powder
- 25g custard powder
- 1 1/2 tbsp baking powder
- 100g icing sugar
- 100g shortening
- 50g margarine
- 2 eggs
* Filling :
- 840g pandan lotus paste
- 14 salted egg yolks
* For glazing :
- 1 egg yolk, lightly beaten with 1tsp water
* For topping:
- some melon seeds
Method :
  Divide pandan lotus paste into portions of 60g each. Steam salted egg yolks in a steamer for 10'. Remove, let cool. Flatten lotus paste, place in egg yolk. Shape round, repeat process. Combine ingredients for skin. Use rubbing-in method to mix into breadcrumbs looking mixture with fingertips. Knead lightly into a dough, scale at 50g each portion. Flatten the skin, place in the filling. Shape round. Arrange on a baking tray lined with greaseproof paper. Glaze surfaces and top with melon seeds. Bake in a preheated oven at 180 degree C for 20-25' till golden. Cool well.

I am submitting this post to Aspiring Bakers #11: Mid-Autumn Treats hosted by Happy Home Baking.

Swiss roll with caramel cream filling

Recipe :
Ingredients :
* Eggyolk mixture :
- 3 eggyolks
-70g cakeflour + 5g corn flour , sift together
-40g corn oil
- 50g fresh milk
* Eggwhite mixture :
- 3 eggwhites
- 75g caster suger
- 1/4 tsp cream of tartar
* Filling :
- 250ml whipping cream
- 2 tbsp icing sugar
- 1 tsp caramel powder
Method :
 * Prepare a swiss roll tray lined with baking paper . Preheat the oven at 210 degree C ( 190 degree C - fan forced ). Prepare another sheet of baking paper that is bigger than the tray .
 * Eggyolk mixture : Put all ingredients in a mixing bowl . Use a baloon whisk , mix all together till smooth and creamy . Leave aside .
 * Eggwhite mixture : Put eggwhites in another dry and clean mixing bowl . Beat with a mixer till foamy , slowly add in sugar and cream of tartar . Beat until eggwhite become soft peak .
 * Add 1/2 the yolk mixture into the whites , fold gently with a spatula to combine , fold in the rest of the yolk mixture until well mixed . Pour the batter into prepared tray. Bake for 12 mins in the preheated oven.
 * When the cake is cooked , take out from the oven . Turn the cake upside down onto prepared baking paper immediately , roll the cake while it still hot to get in shape . Let cook on rack .
 * Filling : pour everything into a mixing bowl , stir to mix . Let cold in the fridge for 1 hour . Use mixer to beat until thick .
 * When the cake is cooled , unfold it gently , spread caramel cream on it , roll it back without the baking paper . Slide to serve.
 I am submitting this to Aspiring Bakers #9 : Swiss rolling good time , hosted by Obsessedly Involved with Food .

Blueberry muffin

Recipe :
* Ingredients : ( for about 8 medium muffins )
- 130g caster sugar
- 50g margarine ( at room temperature )
- 1 egg
- 150g self raising flour
- 80ml fresh milk
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 80g fresh blueberries
- 50g white chocolate chips
Method :
Line a muffin tin with muffin paper . Place the sugar and butter in a mixing bowl and beat them together with a wooden spoon . Add the egg into it . Sift in the flour and stir it . Add the milk , vanilla extract , blueberries and white chocolate chips . stir them in quickly . Spoon the batter into muffin tin till 2/3 full . Bake in preheated oven at 190 degree C for 20-25 mins or until cooked . Let muffins cool in tin