Hazelnut capuccino coffee chiffon cake.

 I tried to make this chiffon cake after I saw Jane Chew method of making chiffon and I really love the result.
Recipe:
Ingredients:
- 4 eggs, separated whites and yolks
- 120g cake flour, sifted
- 120g fine sugar
- 2 pkt of hazalnut capuccino instant coffee ( I used Vietnamese G7 brand), mixed in hot water to make 60g mixture, let cool.
- 60g sunflower oil
- A pinch of cream of tartar.
- A small pinch of salt
Method:
  Preheat the oven at 150 degree C, fan-forced. Prepare chiffon pan.
 Slightly beat the egg yolks. Pour coffee mixture and sunflower oil into a stainless steel mixing bowl. Heat up this mixture on low fire to a warm touch ( about 40-50 degree C), take out of the heat. Use a handwhisk, beat in eggyolks, pour in sifted flour and salt, mix well until a smooth and thick batter is formed. Set aside.
  Put eggwhite in a clean mixing bowl, beat with electric mixer till foamy, add in cream of tartar, followed by sugar, beat until stiff peak formed.
  Put 1/3 of the eggwhite into eggyolk mixture, mixed well. Pour it back into eggwell, mix until 2 mixtures combined. Pour everything into prepared chiffon pan, tap the pan slightly a few tap. Bake in preheated oven for 45' or until cooked. Take it out, turn the pan upside down, let it cool completely before take the cake out of pan.

Red yeast whoopie pie.

Recipe: ( from Whoopie pies shop- Kevin Chai)
Ingredients:
- 50g butter, soften in room temperature
- 70g fine sugar
- 40g beaten egg
- 1/2 tsp vanilla essence ( I use 1 tsp vanilla extract)
- 120g plain flour
- 5g red yeast powder
- 2g biocarbonate of soda
- 1g baking powder
- 90g yogurt
* Filling:
- 200ml whipping cream
- 2 tbsp icing sugar
Method:
  Preheat oven to 180 degree C. Line baking tray with baking paper. Beat the butter and sugar in a mixer until light and fluffy. Beat in egg and vanill essence, mix well. Sift the flour, biocarbonate of soda and baking powder, fold in to butter mixture. /then fold in red yeast powder. Stir in yogurt, mix until batter is formed. Spoon batter into a piping bag fitted with plain tip and pipe onto prepared tray, about 3cm circles, spacing evenly. Bake in oven for 10' or until cakes are springy to the touch. Remove from oven and allow to cool completely on wire rack.
* Filling: Stir icing sugar into whipping cream, keep in the fridge for 1 hour. Use electric mixer to whip the whippng cream in a cold mixing bowl until cream thicken. Do not over beat.
* To assemble: Place the whoopie pies flat side up. Pipe the filling onto one, then sandwich with another whoopie, flat side down.
 Note: The original recipe uses buttercream for filling but I replace with whipping cream as I prefer a lighter taste.

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.