Prawn Dumplings (虾饺)

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Prawn dumpling is best serve while it is hot. In order to finish in one go I used 1/3 of the recipe. I had some difficulty while pleating the dumplings. I would say I only manage to get nicer shape after half of the dough :p I believe practice make perfect. I definitely will make again whenever craving for these prawn dumplings.

Adapted and slightly modified from Agnes Chang Delightful snacks & dim sum cookbook
Ingredients:
~Dough
100g wheat starch
30g tapioca flour
Pinch of salt
120-140ml hot water
1 tsp vegetable oil
 
~Filling(I didn't weight)
Equal portion of minced pork and pawn
Seasoned with salt, pepper, cooking wine, cornflour and sesame oil

* Mix all till well combined and fridge till needed
 
Methods:
1. Mix the flour and salt in a bowl. Pour in the hot water (reserve 10-20ml) and mix with fork. Add a bit more if the dough is too dry.
 
2. Once cool enough to handle knead with hands. The dough is done when become smooth.
 
3. Transfer some of the dough on working surface. Cover the rest with wet towel. Roll out into rectangle shape and cut with round shape cutter.
* I have difficulty in getting round by roll up individually. Tend to get thicker skin :P
 
4. Place a teaspoon of filling in the center and wrap. Place on the steamer and proceed with the rest.
 
5. Bring water to boil and steam for 5 minutes. Serve while is hot. Enjoy!
 
I am submitting this post to Aspiring Bakers#19- Dim Sum Affair ( May 2012 ) hosted by SSB of Small Small Baker

Old-Fashioned Banana Muffins(Barefoot Contessa)

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Another simple and yet delicious recipe from Barefoot Contessa I manage to find, old-fasioned banana cake. I baked in muffin cup for easy consume. The orange zest really gives some bonus to these banana muffins.

This is another bakes I brought to son's school together with the chocolate chips cookies.

 

Another post for this month blog hop event, Cook like a Star, organised by Zoe, Bake for Happy Kids.

 

Adapted and slightly modified from Barefoot Contessa
Ingredients:
3 very ripe bananas, mashed (I used 5 medium size)
2 eggs, at room temperature
60g castor sugar
60g light brown sugar
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup sour cream (replace with milk)
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Grated zest of 1 orange
 
(C)
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda(I used 1/2 tsp baking soda and 1/2 tsp baking powder)
1/4 teaspoon salt

Some almond flakes for deco(optional)
 

Methods:
1. Whisk the egg and sugar till combine.

2. Add in vegetable oil, milk, vanilla and zest. Whisk to combine.

3. Add in sifted ingredients from (C). Slightly whisk to combine. Make sure do not over mix.

4. Lastly add in the mashed banana and mix well.

5. Spoon the batter into lined muffin cups. Sprinkle almond flakes on top. Bake at 180C for 20-23 minutes. Cool on rack and serve!

Chocolate Oatmeal Cupcake with Frosting

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I’m glad that I have been invited to be one of the featuring blogs in “Best of the Web” series by Be @ Home Decor Blog. They have shopping tips, buying advice and more to read. Don’t forget to drop by this Tip Center which features anything from baking tips to gift tips.

Today is a cupcake recipe with oatmeal. I read this recipe from Ricke’s Ordinary Kitchen. She strongly recommend this chocolate oatmeal cupcake. I know you might not interested on adding oatmeal inside your cake/muffin especially if you are not oatmeal person. What if I tell you the oatmeal able to produce soft and moist cake? The key is to soak the oatmeal in hot milk/water before adding into batter. They taste great too even without the frosting.

Adapted and slightly modified from Ricke's Ordinary Kitchen
Ingredients:

~Cake
(A)
60 oatmeal (Quacker Oat)
250ml milk

(B)
120g butter/margarine
150g sugar
2 eggs
1tsp vanilla essence

(C)
110g all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
20g cocoa powder
100g chocolate chips
 
~Frosting
Whipping cream and chocolate rice
 

Method:
1. Bring the milk to boil. Off the heat and mix in the oatmeal. Stir to combine and leave aside for 20 minutes.

2. Cream butter/margarine with sugar till light and fluffy. Add in egg one by one and beat well after each addition.

3. Sift in the flour, cocoa powder and baking powder. Follow by chocolate chips. Fold to combine. Add in the milk oatmeal mixture and mix well.

4. Pour the batter into lined muffin cup till 80% full. Bake in preheated oven 180C for 20 minutes.

 
5. Leave on rack to cool. Decorate with frosting of your choice.
 

Enjoy!

Chocolate Chips Cookies (Barefoot Contessa)

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I baked these cookies as one of the bakes for my son's school. Another year of Mid-term Parents/Teachers conference Day. We will meet teachers and find out how is our son's progress in school. As long as he is happy and keen to learn I'm happy :)
 

These cookies are soft in the center and had cakey texture. In order to make my work easy I replace chocolate chunks with chips, save chopping trouble. I found that the baking soda is a little bit too much as I can taste it in the cookies.

I’m linking this post for this month blog hop event, Cook like a Star, organised by Zoe, Bake for Happy Kids.

Adapted and slightly modified from Contessa Barefoot, Chocolate Chunk Cookies

Ingredients:
(A)
110g unsalted butter, at room temperature
100g castor sugar

 

(B)
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
2 eggs, at room temperature

 

(C)

2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda

*I think can reduce to 1/2 teaspoon
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 20g chocolate chips
 

Methods:
1. With electric mixer cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the vanilla, then the eggs, one at a time, and mix well.
 
2. Sift together the flour, baking soda, and salt and add to the butter with the mixer on low speed, mixing only until combined. (I mix by hand with spatula)
 
3. Fold in the chocolate chips
 
4. Drop the dough on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, using a 1¾ -inch-diameter ice cream scoop or a rounded tablespoon. (Mine is smaller, about 1½ teaspoons)
 
5. Dampen your hands and flatten the dough slightly. Bake for exactly 15 minutes (Mine 11-12 minutes).
 
6. Remove from the oven and let cool slightly on the pan, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

Plain Sponge Cake- 4 Ingredients Bakes

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Baking with 4 ingredients challenge here I come! I’m joining Bake-Along No.24 hosted by Zoe from Bake for Happy Kids, Lena from Frozen wings and Joyce from Kitchen Flavours with the theme of baking with just 4 ingredients. I present you this simple sponge cake. With the air incorporated inside the batter during the beating process make this cake soft and spongy although without any raising agent. You can bake this as the base for birthday cake or having it just like that.

Adapted and slightly modified from Carol
Ingredients:
3 eggs (room temperature)
60g castor sugar
60g cake flour
20g vegetable oil
 

Methods:
1. Put the eggs and sugar in a mixing bowl. Place the bowl on a pot with simmering water. Beat with electric mixer at high speed till light and triple in volume (testing by draw an 8, it should stay for few seconds before disappear).
 
2. Add in the sifted flour in 3 batches. Fold till well combine.
 
3. Spoon 3-4 tablespoons of batter into the bowl with 20g oil. Stir to mix well.
 
4. Pour back into the main batter and fold till well combine.
 
5. Pour into a lined 6' round pan. Bake in preheated oven at 160C for 30 minutes.
* do adjust according your oven temperature
 
6. Once done immediately remove from oven and turn over the cake on wire rack. Cover it with wet cloth and leave to cool.
 
7. Once completely cool remove the lined paper. Place into plastic bag and keep overnight before use or serve.
 

Do hop to others and find out what have they baked with limited 4 ingredients. 

Smilling Char Siew Pau/ Starter Dough Method(Traditional Way)

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It has been a long journey for me to get these smiling char siew pau with traditional way. My family consume a lot of steamed buns for the past 2 weeks :D Too much until my elder son complaint too much for him :p The efforts are pay off after seeing all these steamed buns with big smile :)
 
First I like to thanks Lily's Wai Sek Hong for her recipe. Thanks for her efforts of showing step by step pictures tutorial on making smiling steamed buns in professional way.

Pau dough recipe adapted and slightly modified from Lily's Wai Sek Hong
Ingredients:

Char Siew Filling

* more than enough for one batch of steamed buns

~Char siew filling with homemade Chinese roasted pork (char siew)

(A)

300g char siew, dice

 

(B) Thickening sauce

120ml water

5 tbsp homemade char siew sauce(from roasted pork)

1 tbsp tapioca flour

1 tbsp corn flour

½ tbsp all-purpose flour

Mix all the thickening sauce till well combined. Bring to simmer at low heat by stirring continuously till thicken. Off the heat and add in the diced char siew. Stir till well mix. Cover and keep in fridge to set for several hours before use.

* Do not skip the thickening sauce as this will create the ‘sauce’ while having the hot char siew pau.

Or

 

You can replace with ordinary pork meat and cook as below.

~Char siew  filling with ordinary pork meat

(A)

300g pork loin(梅花肉)‏, dice

1 onion (dice)

2 tbsp oil

(B)

Seasoning: 2 tbsp oyster sauce, 3 tbsp soya sauce, 3 tbsp sugar, 1 tbsp sesame oil

Thickening sauce: ½ cup water, 2 tbsp cornflour, 1 tbsp plain flour (mix and set aside)

Heat up the wok. Add in oil and fry the onion till fragrant. Add in the diced pork and cook till turn white and cooked. Pour in the mixture of seasoning and cook till become thick sauce. Off the heat and dish out the filling. Cover and keep in fridge to set for several hours before use.

Pau Dough

* yield about 8 pieces of steamed buns (about 38g each)
~Starter dough (yield about 350g;only used 150g for this recipe;keep the rest for other batch)
250g pau flour
1 tsp instant yeast
1 tsp sugar
130-150ml water
 
~Main dough
(A)
150g starter dough
50g castor sugar
 
(B)
1 tsp double action baking powder
1/2 tsp Ammonium bicarbonate
A tiny drop of potassium carbonate & sodium bi-carbonate solution a.k.a. Kan Sui (<1/8tsp)
3 tsp water
 
(C)
5 tbsp pau flour
4 tbsp wheat starch
 
1 tbsp lard/shortening
 
 
Methods:
~ Starter dough
Knead all till form into dough. Put inside a container and flatten the dough. Cover with wet cloth. Leave to rest overnight at room temperature.

* As you can see the dough has double in size. I left mine about 12 hours.
* Inside turns foamy and yeasty.

~ Main dough
1. Weigh 150g of starter dough and add in the sugar.  Mix until the sugar has dissolved. 
* I mix with scraper as the mixture is sticky to handle.
 

2. In a small plate, add 1/2 tsp double action baking powder, 1/2 tsp ammonium bicarbonate and a drop of kan sui with 2 teaspoons water.  Stir to dissolve. Add into starter dough mixture.  Mix well to combine.
 

3. Add in the pau flour and wheat starch. Mixing with scraper till most of the flour form into lumps. Transfer to working surface and knead with hand to soft dough.  (a little more water might be needed as it depends on how wet the starter dough is).
* I added about 2-3 teaspoons. One teaspoon at a time.
 

4. Add in 1 tablespoon lard/shortening and knead well.
*At first it might seems very oily. Don't worry as the dough will absorb as you knead.
 

5. Flatten dough and spread it out. In a small plate, dissolve the remain 1/2 teaspoon double action baking powder with 1 teaspoon water. Rub/spread all over the dough. Fold the dough in and knead well, so that all the baking powder is well spread.  Dough is ready to be shaped.
 

6. Divided into 8 portions (about 38g each). Shape all into balls.
 
7. Flatten one portion and put the Char Siew filling.  Pick up the edges and wrap up the filling. Place the bun on parchment paper. Repeat till all finish.
* Do refer Christine and dim sum chef video on how to pleat steamed buns.

8. Bring the water in a steamer to rapid boil. Steam the buns for 10 minutes.  Turn the heat (stove) to lowest and steam further 1 minute. Off the heat and leave the buns inside for few minutes before open the lid.
* This process is to avoid sudden decrease pressure inside steamer which can cause shrinking.
* If the ammonia smell is too strong do steam 2nd time for few minutes. This will get rid of the unpleasant smell.

I'm sharing this post via Muhibbah Malaysian Monday.

Japanese Style Crispy Pork

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This is our family favourite dish, crispy pork chop. I learn this dish from a Taiwanese cooking show. It is really easy to prepare.  

Some of you might concern about problem of keeping used oil after deep frying. I have the same thinking as you too. Crispy = deep fry with lots of oil. After watching the show I learn that actually crispness can be achieved with pan fry (amount of oil about half way cover the food). I pan fry in 2 batches. So this can minimize the consumption of oil. Hope you will try.

Ingredients:
8 pieces pork loin (about half of palm size with 1cm thick)
50ml water
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
 
~Coating
Few tbsp low protein flour (or replace with all-purpose flour)
An egg (slightly beaten)
Some breadcrumb
 
Methods:
1. Tenderized the pork slices and set aside.

2. Dissolve the salt and pepper in the water. Add in the tenderized pork and marinate about 30 minutes.

3. Place the flour, beaten egg and breadcrumb separately.

4. Place the pork slice on kitchen towel to dry. Coat the pork with flour, egg and lastly breadcrumb. Proceed with the rest till finish. Leave aside for about 10-15 minutes. Now is ready for pan fry.

5. Heat up a wok. Pour in vegetable oil (about half way cover the pork slices). Arrange the coated pork slice inside. Fry with medium low heat till cooked and golden brown. 
*do not fry with high heat as the breadcrumb will get burn easily.

6. Place on kitchen towel to drain excess oil. Serve!

I'm sharing this post via Muhibbah Malaysian Monday.

Featherlight Cheesecake

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This feather light cheesecake is indeed very fragile. The texture almost like wet cake :D I'm not sure whether I succeed or not. Feel very awkward having this cake. But when I asked my hubby about this cake he told me he likes it. Well I guess that is the different between chiffon cakes lovers and butter cakes lovers :D  
 

I can't get pretty swirl into the cake. Maybe should swirl slowly when moving around the cake batter. Anyone have any advice?

Adapted from Wendy, Table for 2..... or more

Ingredients:(A)

250g milk
20g butter
125g cream cheese(room temperature)
 

(B)

50g all-purpose flour
3 egg yolks
1 tsp vanilla extract

(C)

3 egg whites
1/8 tsp cream of tartar
80gm sugar
 

(D)

½ tbsp cocoa powder
1 tbsp boiling water
 

Methods:

1. Line the base of a 8 inch square pan and preheat the oven at 150/160C.

2. In a medium sized bowl, cream cream cheese until smooth.

3. Bring milk and butter to a boil and pour ¼ of it into cream cheese and gently stir until incorporated. Pour in another ¼ the milk and stir again. Lastly pour in all the milk and stir until smooth. (At this point, prepare some boiling water)

4. Let the cheese mixture cool down and put in flour. Mix until smooth. Then put in egg yolks and vanilla. Mix until smooth.

5. In another clean bowl, beat egg whites until frothy. Put in sugar and cream of tartar and beat until soft peaks. Put in sugar gradually and beat until stiff.

6. Put 1/3 of egg whites into cheese mixture and fold gently but quickly.

7. Pour the cheese mixture into the egg whites and fold until well incorporated.

8. Mix cocoa powder with boiling water until smooth. Put in a few tablespoons of the cheese batter and mix until a smooth chocolate batter is formed.

9. Pour main cheese batter into prepared pan. Drizzle chocolate batter over main cheese batter.

10. Use a knife and cut through the batter to create a marbling effect.

11. Put pan into slightly bigger but shallower pan. Fill the bigger pan with boiling water until halfway up and bake for 50-60 minutes.

12. When cake is baked, remove from oven and release the sides of the cake from the pan immediately by running a knife between the sides of the cake and the pan. Cake will shrink tremendously but evenly. Leave it to cool down totally and chill until cold before cutting.

Notes:

~ I bake mine at 150C for 25 minutes and bake further 30 minutes at 120C.

I’m very happy when my son gave me this flower and card.

I like to take this opportunity to wish all mothers Happy Mother’s Day!