Almost Fat Free Fudge Brownies

When I was kid I was a fat girl. After schooling in secondary school I always wanted to shred my body fat. Like other girls went for diet, eat less and avoid fatty food. With all those diet I still couldn't lose weight in my teenage years until married (lucky I have my hubby to like me :p).
 
I started good exercise habit after I worked in Hospital (as admin staff). The working environment and good colleagues company made me change. I exercised twice a day. Early morning when it was dawn I went for jog. After that rushed back home get myself clean and dressed up for work. After work I will join my colleagues for Aerobic session which organized by company (still in working premises). Sometimes I will head to company gym. I like the Steps exercise the most which I can step nonstop for 45 minutes! Incredible huh? I don't think I can do it nowadays :D If no Aerobic class, not heading to gym I will go swimming. Twice a day or at least once a day for 6 days a week!
 
After I resigned as staff from the hospital I couldn't live without exercise. I did my daily exercise although during pregnancy (exercise programme meant for pregnant lady). Exercised at home by doing Aerobic with the guide of video :P That's what I can do with small kids around. After years of exercised my body metabolism had increase and I able to maintain my ideal body weight. With the routine exercise I can enjoy dessert which is my favourite food.
 
I understand how hard I went through until today. Therefore I'm very concern about my food intake. I'm glad I can cook and bake for myself and family. Being a home baker I can control the fat and sugar level of my bakes. Whenever seeing recipes with low fat or low calories sure catch my eyes. Today I like to share with you almost free fat fudge brownies. These eggless brownies are suitable for those allergic to eggs too as no egg is added.

Do you feel guilty of having brownies? If yes the name Almost Fat Free Fudge Brownies sound good right? Believe it or not no butter neither oil is added. Texture wise is there but is not as rich as butter version. Myself and my kids enjoy it after all this is healthy version of brownies with wholemeal added. It even tastes better after chilled. Hope you will give this a try.

Adapted and slightly modified from Eggless Cooking

Ingredients:
(A)
1/4 cup wholemeal flour
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup cocoa powder
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 cup almond flakes (original used 1/2 cup chopped pecans;or any other nuts optional)

(B)
100g semi sweet cooking chocolate
1 cup plain yogurt
1/2 cup water

Methods:
1. Line an 8×8 inch square pan with aluminum foil, with some extra foil hanging around the edges so that it is easy to lift the brownie.

2. With double boiler method melt chocolate until smooth when stirred. Leave to cool a bit before adding other ingredients.
*or heating in 30 second intervals in microwave. Stir well with a fork between each interval. Cook until chocolate is smooth when stirred.

3. Add in sugar then yogurt into the melted chocolate. Mix until combined.

4. Sift flour, cocoa powder, baking powder and nuts (if using) and stir roughly combined (at the stage where some flour still visible).

5. Add water in batches (about 3 times) and stir carefully until the batter comes together. Do not over mix. The batter is quite watery. Pour the batter into lined greased pan.

6. Bake in pre-heated oven 180C between 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.

*I bake mine for 20 minutes.
*Start with the minimum amount of time mentioned in the recipe and increase the time in small increments if it doesn’t bake.

7. Remove the pan from the oven and leave it on a cooling rack for 15 minutes. After 15 minutes carefully lift the foil and let the brownies cool completely before you can cut it. If you don’t use the aluminum foil the cooling time will be much longer.

Own notes:
* These fudge brownies still sweet for my liking if having directly. However it is perfect with a cup of bitter coffee. Do taste your yogurt sourness level. You might need to increase the quantity of sugar to sweeten the brownies.

I'm sharing this post at:

~Aspiring Bakers #22: Lightened Up Cakes (August 2012) hosted by Qi Ting of A Dessert Diet

~Muhibbah Malaysian Monday hosted by Sharon of Test with Skewer

 

~ Sweets As Sugar Cookies hosted by Lisa

~Recipe Box 12 hosted by Bizzy Bakes

~Made with Love Mondays hosted by Javelin Warrior's Cookin w/ Luv

~My Sweet and Savoryhosted by Chaya Selig

~Cast Party Wednesday by Lady Behind the Curtain

~ Full Plate Thursday by Miz Helen's Country Cottage

 

Vanilla Swiss Roll with Vanilla Crème Mousseline

 

 

Recently I have less or no time sitting in front of my computer. My little girl hardly takes her morning and even afternoon nap! If happen it will be short one. After settle her down I need to rush for daily house works and preparing meals.  
 
She won't sit still if I'm working on my posts with the computer. She will crawl to me and want to sit on my lap. Then, her little fingers will try to reach keyboard or mouse. It is impossible for me to do my typing with her >.< That's the reason less posting lately... Hope she will get back to her routine nap so I can have my own time.

It has been quite sometimes I baked swiss roll. Quite numbers of readers asking how I roll my swiss roll. This time with the help of my hubby I manage to provide pictures on the rolling process. Hope it is good enough to show steps on rolling.

As for the filling I used vanilla crème mousseline which is basically custard + butter cream. At first prepare the custard which made from eggs, milk, sugar and flour (or cornflour). The mixture is cooked till smooth and creamy before adding to butter cream. I used only half of the cream for my swiss roll. You might use all if you like.

Reference from Carol and 孟老師的美味蛋糕啳 cookbook

Ingredients:

~Swiss roll
(A)
4 yolks
20g castor sugar
30g vegetable oil
40g milk
60g cake flour
20g rice flour

(B)
4 whites
1 tsp vinegar (or lemon juice)
50g castor sugar


~Filling: Vanilla Crème Mousseline
40g egg yolk (from 2 eggs)

40g sugar
20g low protein flour
200g milk

1 vanilla pod

100g butter

Methods:

~Vanilla Crème Mousseline filling

 

1. Add yolks and sugar in a bowl. Whisk till well combine. Add in cake flour. Stir to well incorporate. Pour in milk and stir to well combine.

 

2. With a sharp knife spilt vanilla pod into two. Slowly run blade over the pod to get the seeds. Add the seeds together with pod into milk mixture.

 



cooking with double boiler method

 

Make sure cover with cling film if chill in fridge

 

3. Cook the milk mixture on stove at low flame. Do whisk constantly while heating up the mixture. The custard is ready once the mixture turns thick (obvious lines appear on mixture surface as you stir). Discard the pod and leave aside to cool.

 

 

4. While waiting for the custard to cool down, beat butter till light and creamy. Add in the cool custard in 2-3 batches. The filling is ready to be used once all combined.

* You can save the cream inside fridge. Do whisk again to soften the cream to achieve spreading consistency.

~Swiss roll
1. Whisk yolks and castor sugar till well combine. Add in vegetable oil and mix well.

2. Whisk in the sifted flour and milk in 2 batches alternatively.

3. In other bowl beat the whites till foamy. Add in 1/2 the castor sugar and vinegar. Continue beat till glossy. Add in the rest of castor sugar. Beat till stiff form.

4. Spoon 1/3 of the stiff whites into yolks batter. Fold to combine. Pour the yolk mixture into the remaining whites bowl. Fold till well combine.

5. Pour the batter into lined and greased swiss roll pan (I'm using 30cm x 36cm). Smooth the surface with scraper. Give the pan some tap to remove big bubbles.

6. Bake in preheated oven at 180C for 15 minutes. Turn the heat to 200C and bake further 3 minutes.
* I'm using steam bake method. Bake by placing a pan with hot water at the bottom of oven.
* I bake further with higher temperature to get brown darker surface. Do adjust according to your oven temperature.

7. Once cooked, transfer the cake by lifting the baking paper (edges) to wire rack. Leave to cool (about 5 minutes).

8. Invert the cake and gently remove the baking paper. With a knife cut 2 lines (at the beginning of rolling point) but the cake is still attached to each other. Spread the filling evenly on the surface. Leave 1-2cm remain unspread.

9. Hold the cake with both hands with the help of rolling pin and roll gently. When the swiss roll is rolled up, make sure the ending portion facing downward. Keep the roll in the refrigerator at least 30 minutes before cut and serve.

 

This is how I roll wiss roll. After removing the baking paper from the cake reuse it for rolling as well. Recycle ^^  





Make sure the end is facing down while chilling in fridge



   

 

I'm sharing this post at:

~Recipe Box 12 hosted by Bizzy Bakes

~Made with Love Mondays hosted by Javelin Warrior's Cookin w/ Luv

~My Sweet and Savoryhosted by Chaya Selig

~Cast Party Wednesday by Lady Behind the Curtain

~ Sweet Treats and Swanky Stuff by Something Swanky

 ~Aspiring Bakers #22: Lightened Up Cakes (August 2012) hosted by Qi Ting of A Dessert Diet

 

White Chocolate Banana pistachio cake

 

This cake actually is a mission to clear stuff from my pantry. Pistachio nuts which leftover from Chinese New Year (Yes! more than 6 months :p It is not nice to consume directly). White chocolate which I bought quite sometimes and still nicely sealed untouched. I have some very ripe bananas in fridge too. So in order to get rid of them I bake this white chocolate banana pistachio cake.

Believe it or not this is my 1st time adding nuts inside my cake. All along I thought I dislike nuts inside my cake just like I dislike nuts inside my chocolate bar. This cake proves me wrong as I like the texture of nuts in my cake bites! Next time going to bake more with nuts! :D

I use very little sugar as the sweetness from the white chocolate is sufficient to sweeten the whole cake.

This cake is very moist and soft. Do you agree?

Ingredients:
(A)
80g butter, softened
20g sugar
2 eggs
100g white chocolate, chopped
1 tsp vanilla extract
250g banana (mashed)

(B)
1 1/2 cups low protein flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/8 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt

50g pistachio (lightly crushed)
*I use ready to eat type. Remove the hard shell. Put into plastic bag and crush with rolling pin.

Methods:
1. Sift flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Set aside.

2. With double boiler method melt chocolate until smooth when stirred.
*or heating in 30 second intervals in microwave. Stir well with a fork between each interval. Cook until chocolate is smooth when stirred.

3. Beat butter and sugar until light and creamy.

4. Add in eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Follow by melted chocolate, vanilla and mashed banana.

5. Add in dry ingredients and fold to combine.

6. Pour batter into lined baking pan (I baked in L21cm x W10cm x H11cm  sandwich tin) and sprinkle top with some crushed pistachios nuts.

7. Bake in a pre-heated oven at 180c for 40-45 minutes or until done when tested with a skewer.

8. Remove from mould and cool on wire rack. Like other butter cake it is best to serve the next day. Enjoy!

 

 

 

I'm sharing this post at:

~Recipe Box 10 hosted by Bizzy Bakes

~Made with Love Mondays hosted by Javelin Warrior's Cookin w/ Luv

~Muhibbah Malaysian Monday hosted by Sharon of Test with Skewer

~My Sweet and Savoryhosted by Chaya Selig

~Cast Party Wednesday: Link Party #55 by Lady Behind the Curtain

Pumpkin 'Puppy' Manton/ Straight Dough Method

Recently I saw this 'puppy' shaped buns appeared in food blogsphere. They look cute. Do you think so? Here I would like to share with my readers on this less effort and easy to shape cute 'puppy'. Thanks to blogger friends for their sharing :)

I make 'puppy' steamed buns instead of bread. For the eyes I prefer black beans as the black beans look more like eyes and nose. Do use cooked beans as you can enjoy the 'puppy' with those eyes and nose :D I hope your family members especially kids like them. Let's see how to make your own edible 'puppy'!

Lovely texture!

Ingredients:
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup low protein flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp instant yeast

30g sugar
200g pumpkin purée
80ml water

Some cooked black beans for decorate

*Tip on how to cook black beans.

Soak the beans in salt water overnight (or several hours). After the soaking process the beans will turn soft to press but still hard inside. Cook with pressure cooker for about 5 minutes or according to your pressure cooker instruction. The cooked black beans can be kept well in freezer. Do cook more as it is nice and good to eat as snack at anytime.

Methods:

1. Put flour, baking powder, yeast, sugar and pumpkin puree into mixing bowl. Add in water and knead to form soft dough. Cover and rest for one hour or double in size.



2. Transfer the dough to working surface. Divide into 80g portions. Shape into round and leave to rest for 10 minutes.

 

3. Roll out into oval shape. With a pizza cutter make cuts at both sides to shape ‘ears’. Place on greased paper and leave to rest for 20 minutes.

4. Decorate with cooked black beans for ‘eyes’ and ‘nose’.

5. Start steaming from cold water with medium heat. Once the water boiled steam further 8 minutes.

6. Leave the steamed buns inside steamer for few minutes before open the lid.

I'm sharing this cute 'puppy' steamed buns at :

~ Yeastspotting

~Recipe Box 10 hosted by Bizzy Bakes

~Made with Love Mondayshosted by Javelin Warrior's Cookin w/ Luv

~Muhibbah Malaysian Monday hosted by Sharon of Test with Skewer

~ My Sweet and Savoryhosted by Chaya Selig



Cream Cheese Buns/ 17hrs Pre-fermented Sponge Dough

 

I was attracted by Sabrina 'yoga' bread. Immediately I bookmarked and try out. After the 1st time, I bake for 2nd, 3rd, 4th... and many times to come! Yes this 17 hours pre-fermented sponge dough bread has been my regular bread making method. I'm sure whoever tried will like it too ^^ Do visit Sabrina blog for her beautiful bread photos. You will impress how her 'yoga' bread looks like!
 

This portion is enough for two 450g sandwich loaf tins. But today I used it for my cream cheese buns.

Ingredients:
~cream cheese filling (for 9-12 buns)
(A)
30g butter
40g icing sugar

(B)
100g cream cheese
1 egg yolk

(C)
10g cornflour

Cream butter and icing sugar till combine (hand whisk will do). Add in cream cheese and yolk. Make sure well combine before adding the next ingredient. Lastly add in cornflour and fold to combine. Keep chill until little firm to touch.

* it is a lot easy to handle and wrap with chilled cheese filling.


~17 hours pre-fermented sponge dough(yield about 300g)
1/4 tsp instant yeast
150g water
150g bread flour
   

Add yeast, water and flour in sequence into a container (same container for storage as well). Mix with spatula till well combine. Cover and leave at room temperature for an hour.



After an hour at room temperature.

 



Keep inside refrigerator at least 16 hours before used.



After 16 hours inside fridge.



Sticky 17hours pre-fermented sponge dough is ready to be used.

*I find that it is easy to mix by adding yeast, water and lastly flour.
*I prefer to use all the chilled sponge dough after the 17 hours. Unless you need big portion of bread dough.

~main dough (yield about 810g dough)
50g sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1 egg
75ml water (or milk)
350g bread flour
1 tsp instant yeast

50g butter

~ Topping

Some egg for egg wash

Few cubes of butter

Some sugar for sprinkle

Methods:
1. Put all pre-fermented sponge dough into mixing bowl. Follow by the rest of ingredients for main dough except butter. Knead till form dough. Then add in butter and knead till form smooth and elastic. Cover and leave to rest for 1 hour 15 minutes.

2. Transfer to working surface. Divide the dough into 65g portions. Shape into balls and leave to rest for 10 minutes.

3. Roll out the ball into disc. Wrap with cream cheese filling. Seal tight and shape into round. Place on grease paper and leave to rest for 45 minutes or double its size.

4. Apply egg wash. With a pair of scissors make a small cross cut on top. Place a cube of butter and sprinkle with sugar. Bake in preheated oven at 180C for 15 minutes.

buns are ready to be baked!

I'm sharing this yummy bread recipe at :

~ Bake Your Own Bread (BYOB) hosted by Girlichef, Delectable Musings and My Discovery of Bread

 

~ Recipe Box hosted by Bizzy Bakes

~ Yeastspotting

~My Sweet and Savory hosted by Chaya Selig

Here I like to take this opportunity to wish

Selamat Hari Raya and Happy Holidays

to all my readers.