Walnuts Mooncakes

自古中秋月最明，凉风习习夜清清；

十五月亮十六圆，团圆日子浓浓情；

天上星星亮晶晶，祝福心愿一声声；

愿你中秋尽欢乐，好运连连伴你行！

Ingredient (24 pcs)

• 360gm plain flour
• 25gm custard powder
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 50gm icing sugar
• 50gm shortening
• 200gm salted butter
• 1/2 tsp vanilla essence
• 1 egg
• 850gm lotus paste
• 100gm toasted walnuts, chopped
• 1 egg yolk + 1 tsp water for glazing

Method

1. Cream sugar, shortening, butter, vanilla together until light. Add in egg and beat till combined.
2. Sift in flour, custard powder and soda and beat lightly till a dough is formed, do not over beat.
3. Keep dough in a air-tight container and chill in fridge overnight.
4. Take out dough from fridge and divide into 30gm each.
5. Divide fillings into 24 portions, approx 40gm each.
6. Wrap fillings into dough and decorate with extra walnuts. Apply egg wash and bake in preheated oven at 160 deg cel for 10mins. Remove from oven and rest for 10mins. Apply egg wash again and bake for another 15mins until golden brown.

Recipe modified from Baking Mum

Shanghai Mooncake

Ingredient (24 pcs)
A

• 200gm icing sugar, sieved
• 120gm egg
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 70gm milk
• 190gm peanut oil

B (sieved)

• 550gm plain flour
• 65gm custard powder
• 1 tbsp baking powder

Filling

• 50gm melon seeds, toasted
• 900gm green tea lotus paste
• 360gm red bean paste

Glazing : 1 egg yolk + 1 tsp water

Method

1. Combine melon seeds and green tea lotus paste. Roll into 24 portions.
2. Roll red bean paste into 20gm each. Wrap into green tea lotus paste and shape round. Set aside.
3. Beat A until well mix. Add in B and beat till a soft dough is formed. Dough should be soft and non sticky to handle. Shape into 60gm each.
4. Wrap up the filling and shape into round shape. Place on baking tray and glaze with egg yolk.
5. Bake in preheated oven at 180 deg cel for 10mins. Remove from oven, glaze again and garnish with some melon seeds. Return to oven and continue to bake for another 15min or until golden brown. (overbaking will cause the mooncakes to crack)

Mini Butter Nutty Mooncakes

Counting down to 2012 Mid Autumn Festival 中秋节!! Till now I've yet to attempt traditional mooncakes as it seems quite challenging to me :P For the past years, I've only tried snowskin mooncakes, agar agar mooncakes & some flaky pastry mooncakes. Hopefully...maybe....next year I will pick up the courage to conquer traditional mooncakes! hehehe till now I will just present simple mooncakes which does not need much preparation and moulding ;) Initially i thought I failed this batch of moonies as they feel hard rocked after baking!! Knock against the table top and able to hear the 'kok kok' sound hahaha...Thank goodness they turned soft and buttery after the next day! 

How mini are they? about 5cm in length :)

Ingredient (approx 32 mooncakes)

• 360gm cake flour
• 150gm icing sugar
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 2 tbsp milk powder
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 80gm butter
• 40gm maltose
• 30gm fresh milk
• 650gm green bean lotus paste
• 32 toasted cashew nuts
• 2 tbsp milk + 1 tbsp water for glazing

Method

1. Sift flour, icing sugar and baking powder together.
2. Add in milk powder, salt, butter, maltose and milk into the flour mixture.
3. Use a electric whisk and beat lightly till bread crumbs formed.
4. Knead the mixture with hands till a soft dough is formed.
5. Divide filling into 20gm each and wrap up a piece of cashew into the filling.
6. Divide dough into 32 portions, approx. 23gm each.
7. Roll skin into thin round and wrap up filling.
8. Press the dough into a floured mooncake mould. Knock out and arrange on a baking tray,
9. Bake in preheated oven at 180 deg cel for 10mins. Remove from oven and glaze with milk. Return to oven and continue to bake for another 10 - 15 mins or  until golden brown. Best serve on 2nd day onwards!!

Recipe modified from Yum Yum 新新饮食

蚂蚁上树

An interesting story behind this dish :) ：A widow 窦娥 (dou er) living with her sickly mother-in-law, they were very poor...On one particular day, she was thinking what to prepare for her sick MIL as not much food were left in the house, then she saw some dried glass noodle left and she just cook it with some minced, garlic, ginger & spring onion....When the food was served to her MIL, being old so she could not see clearly and thought she saw some black spots on the dish, "why are there ants on the noodle?" she exclaimed. But her MIL finished everything as the noodle was very delicious! So 窦娥 named this dish as 蚂蚁上树 Ma Yi Shang Shu!

Ingredient

• 200gm glass noodles, soaked and drained
• 200gm minced pork
• 1 tbsp chopped garlic
• 1 tbsp chopped ginger
• 1 tbsp spicy bean paste (I use non spicy)
• 1/2 tbsp light soy sauce
• 1/2 tbsp sugar
• 1 tsp sesame oil
• dash of pepper
• 100ml water
• 3 stalk spring onion, chopped

Method

1. Heat 2 tbsp oil in pan and saute ginger and garlic until fragrant.
2. Add minced meat and stir fry evenly. Break up the meat using the spatula.
3. Add glass noodle and seasoning and stir well for 3mins.
4. Toss over spring onion and mix well. Remove from fire and serve.

Cabbage & Roast Pork Rice

Went to the market this morning with no idea what to prepare for today lunch and dinner >.< Just grab, pay and go hahaha. While preparing simple lunch : soup + steamed fish + stir fry vegetable, at the same time thinking what's for dinner, muti-tasking?! hahaha....Then saw a head of beijing cabbage in the fridge and some roast pork I've bought in the morning and realised I can whip up some cabbage rice!! Here is what we have for dinner, a hearty pot of 'Kiam Png' Cabbage Rice with Roast Pork! :) Happy Weekend Ahead!!

Ingredient

• 240gm rice, washed and drained
• 6 cups shredded cabbage
• 8 pcs dried shitake mushroom, soaked and sliced thinely
• 150gm roast pork, thinly sliced
• 1 red onion, thinly sliced
• 1 tbsp chopped garlic
• 2 tbsp dried prawns, softened and chopped
• 300ml water
• 1 tbsp sesame oil
• 2 tbsp oyster sauce
• 1 tbsp light soy sauce
• 1 tbsp dark soy sauce
• 1.5 tsp pepper
• 3/4 tsp salt

Method

1. Heat 3 tbsp oil in wok, saute onion, garlic, mushroom & dried prawn until fragrant for about 2mins.
2. Add in cabbage & roast pork and stir fry for a mix briefly.
3. Add in rice and seasoning and mix evenly.
4. Transfer rice mixture into a rice cooker and add in water. Cook as usual.
5. Fluff up the rice evenly before serving.

Ayam Golek & Nasi Hujan Panas

Oh I'm so addicted to curry and spicy chicken recently >.<" Think I need to 'rest' for quite sometime before I cook such dishes if not I my waistline will be out of control again hahahah...

Grilled Spicy Chicken (Ayam Golek)

Ingredient

• 3 stalk lemongrass, white section
• 4 kaffir lime leaves
• 250ml coconut milk
• 5 whole chicken leg

Spice Paste, process till fine :

• 15 shallots
• 5 dried chillies, soaked to soften
• 6 cloves garlic
• 7 candlenuts
• 1 inch ginger
• 1 inch turmeric
• 1/2 inch galangal
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 2 tsp ground fennel

Method

1. Heat 5 tbsp oil in wok, add spice paste and saute till fragrant, for about 10-15mins.

2. Add in chicken, lemongrass & kaffir lime leave and stir to mix.

3. Add in coconut milk and bring to boil, lower heat and simmer for 10mins till gravy thickens. Stirring occasionally to prevent scorching at the base.

4. Transfer mixture into a oven proofed casserole and bake in preheated oven at 200 deg cel for 30mins, stirring twice in between.

5. Serve immediately or cool completely before chilling. Best serve next day for flavour to infuse.

The next day, I thaw the dish to room temperature, place the chicken on a baking sheet and bake at preheated oven at 180 deg cel for 30mins. Warm the extra gravy over stove and serve with the chicken and Nasi Hujan Panas (recipe below)

Nasi Hujan Panas (Rainbow Rice)

Ingredient

• 200gm basmati rice (soak for 10min, wash and drain)
• 2 cups water
• 1/4 cup milk
• 1 stalk lemongrass, bruised
• 3 pandan leaves, knotted
• 1/2 cube chicken stock
• some red, green & yellow food colouring

Spices :

• 2 cloves
• 2 cardamon
• 1 star anise
• 1/2 inch cinnamon stick
• 1/2 inch ginger, pounded
• 3 shallots, pounded
• 2 cloves garlic, pounded

Method

1. Heat 1 tbsp oil and 1 tbsp butter in pan.
2. Add in all spices with lemongrass and pandan leaves and saute till fragrant, about 5mins.
3. Add in basmati rice, stock cube and mix evenly.
4. Transfer to a rice cooker or steamer, add in water and milk.
5. When rice is cooked, pour in the colourngs onto 3 different spots and cover for another 15mins. DO NOT STIR AT THIS MOMENT.
6. After 15mins, stir the rice to get an even mix of the colors.
7. Serve with Ayam Golek.

Cranberry Cornmeal Quick Bread

hmmm where are the cranberries?.....

here I am!! beneath the loaf! ^.*

Wonder why the western called this quick bread? Maybe it is baked in a loaf pan and shape like a loaf of bread?? hehehe but it does not have a bread texture. This cranberry cornmeal quick bread is very moist and buttery, and it is a beautiful loaf with fresh cranberries embedded at the bottom!

Recipe adapted from Martha Stewart

Ingredient

• 100gm unsalted butter + 30gm extra
• 80gm + 1.5 tbsp sugar
• 80gm fresh cranberries
• 60gm plain flour
• 1/4 cup fine yellow cornmeal
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp baking soda
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1 large egg
• 1/2 tbsp candied ginger, chopped

Method

1. Melt 30gm butter and 1.5 tbsp sugar in a saucepan. Add cranberries and stir to coat. Cook until cranberries begin to pop, about 1 min. Scoop mixture into a lined 7" x 3" loaf pan, evenly cover the bottom
2. Cream remaining butter and sugar until pale and fluffy. Add in egg and beat till combine.
3. Sift over flour, cornmeal, baking powder, baking soda & salt until combine. Fold in ginger.
4. Pour batter into pan over cranberries, smoothen the top.
5. Bake in preheated oven at 180 deg cel for 30mins until golden brown.
6. Transfer pan to a wire rack and cool for 10mins. Invert pan and cool completely, cranberry side up.

Bake-Along #32 : Everyday Yogurt Cake

A quick cake recipe which can be whipped up anytime when you wish to have a slice of simple tasty cake :) A simple garnished with strawberry and cream transformed it into a lovely little cake :) Taste wise is so so, moist and fluffy but not as light & airy as what the recipe stated :) I still prefer a slice of rich moist butter cake hehehe....

Recipe adapted from culinate.com

Ingredient (6" cake)

• 125gm plain flour
• 80gm sugar
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/8 tsp baking soda
• pinch of salt1
• 120gm plain yogurt
• 30ml vegetable oil
• 1 large egg
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• fresh strawberry for garnishing
• frosty whip for garnishing

Method

1. Whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a mixing bowl. Whisk together the yogurt, oil, eggs and vanilla in a medium mixing bowl. Pour the yogurt mixture into the flour mixture and stir until just moistened.
2. Pour batter into a lined 6" pan and spread evenly. Bake in preheated oven at 180 deg cel for 25-30mins. Let the cake cool in pan for about 5 mins, invert it onto a wire rack then turn right side up on a rack to cool completely. Garnish with cream and strawberry.

I'm joining this BakeAlong event hosted by Joyce from Kitchen Flavours, Lena from Frozen Wings and Zoe from

Chicken Ponteh

This is my 2nd time cooking chicken ponteh :) The very first time I done it was cooking with a instant mix. Making from scratch was very simple as this particular recipe does not uses much spices, only large amount of shallots needed to be peel, some garlic and tau cheo paste to bring out the flavour of this dish :P The original recipe uses chicken and pork belly. But I do not fancy pork belly so I replaced with a large chicken :) Taste wonderful with a bowl of rice!

Recipe adapted from Phong Hong Bakes

Ingredient

• 1 large chicken, chopped into pieces
• 5 tbsp oil
• 400gm shallot paste
• 1 tbsp garlic paste
• 2 tbsp bean paste, tau cheo
• 10 dried shitake mushroom, softened and trimmed
• 800ml hot water
• 4 potatoes, peeled and quartered
• 60gm palm sugar
• salt to taste (optional)

Method

1. Heat oil and saute shallot & garlic paste until fragrant, stirring continuously. Add tau cheo and fry until oil starts to separate.
2. Add in mushroom and chicken and stir fry for 3mins.
3. Add in water and bring to boil. Lower heat and simmer for 10mins.
4. Add in potatoes and sugar and simmer for another 15mins until gravy is thickened . Best served the next day for flavour to infuse.

Sweet Sandwich Bread

'clap clap clap' I'm so happy with my 2nd attempt on the pullman tin ^.^ It risen beautiful, almost overfilled :P I made use of the proofing time and went out to do a quick marketing. Upon reaching home I quickly went to check the pan, and it already risen beyond the pan. So I actually press down slightly and tried to close up with the lid >.<" Luckily did not cause the bread to be out of shape.

Recipe adapted from Alex Goh 'Baking Code'

Ingredient (makes 1 loaf 20cm x 10cm)

• 280gm bread flour
• 40gm sugar
• 3gm salt
• 10gm milk powder
• 5gm instant yeast
• 75gm overnight sponge dough **
• 30gm beaten egg
• 135gm water
• 35gm butter

**Sponge Dough : 50gm bread flour, 30gm water, 1/4 tsp instant yeast , knead together and proof for 30mins and cling wrap, chill in fridge overnight or up to 48hours.

Method (hand knead)

1. Mix bread flour, sugar, salt, milk powder & yeast together. Tear sponge dough into pieces and combine with the flour mixture.
2. Add in egg and water and knead to form a dough.
3. Add in butter and knead the dough till smooth and elastic, about 15mins. Cover and proof for 1 hour until double in bulk.
4. Punch down dough and knead lightly, divide dough into 3 equal portions, approx 200gm each. Shape into round and rest for 10mins.
5. Roll out the dough using a rolling pin. Roll it up like a swiss roll. Rest for another 10mins. Repeat process and roll out into a 40cm x 10cm sheet. Roll up and place into a greased loaf tin. Proof for another 1 hour until 80% full of the loaf tin, cover it with the lid.
6. Bake in preheated oven at 200 deg cel for 35-40mins. Unmould immediately and cool completely on rack before slicing.

Quinoa & Cranberry Muffins

Muffin recipes usually yields 12 standard size and I always halve the recipe to get at least 6 muffins which we can consume within 1-2 days. At times I do bake full recipe but will end up cannot finish them in time and I do not have the habit of freezing muffins! Fresh muffins always taste the best :) Like today I've baked this interesting muffin which incorporate cooked quinoa into the batter, hubby ate 1 and packed 2 to work, dear son ate 1, me and daughter shared 1 and left ONE for dear son to bring to school tomorrow, hehehe no more left and I can start trying new muffins recipe again :) Am glad that my family members loves the taste of these muffins :) The texture is very light and very mouthful able to bite on the chewy quinoa.

Recipe adapted from Martha Stewart

Ingredient (yields 6 muffins)

• 1/2 cup quinoa, rinsed
• 125gm plain flour
• 80gm light brown sugar
• 3/4 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 65ml olive oil
• 180ml milk
• 1/2 tsp vanilla essence
• 1/4 cup cranberries

Method

1. Preheat oven to 200 deg cel.
2. In a saucepan, bring quinoa and 1 cup water to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer till quinoa is tender, about 10-12 mins. Drain away water. Measure 1 cup cooked quinoa for use. (balance cooked quinoa? discard? no lah, just mix into your normal cooked white rice and eat hehehe)
3. Sift flour, baking powder into a mixing bowl. Stir in sugar, salt & 1 cup quinoa.
4. Whisk oil, milk, egg & vanilla together. Pour mixture into the flour and fold just till combined. Fold in cranberries.
5. Spoon batter into muffin cases until 80% full. Reduce oven to 180 deg cel and bake for 25-30mins until cooked through and lightly brown. Best serve warm.

Nyonya Curry Chicken

This is a wonderful & awfully delicious dish! Even my boy could not help and steal bits of the kerisik mixture :) Seems like his getting very adventurous in food tasting especially spicy food! He even requested me to cook more curry next time :)

Recipe adapted from Frozen Wings

Ingredient

• 1 whole chicken, chopped into large pieces
• 2 star anise
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 150gm thick coconut milk
• 50gm kerisik (I used 30gm dessicated coconut)
• 80gm chilli boh ( chilli paste)
• 2 blades pandan leaves, knotted
• 6 tbsps of cooking oil
• salt and sugar to taste (I used approx 1 tsp each)

Pounded ingredients:

• 100gm big onion
• 50gm shallot
• 30gm garlic
• 1 tsp turmeric powder
• lemongrass - 2 stalks, white parts only
• dry prawns - a small handful
• toasted belacan - about 1"x1"

Method

1. Pour oil into a wok over low fire and saute pounded ingredients until fragrant. Add in chilli boh and continue frying , this process takes about 10 minutes.
2. Add in star anise and pandan leaves and cook for 3 minutes.
3. Add in the kerisik and the chicken. Keep tossing and stirring, adjust to medium-high fire and pour in some coconut milk or add a little water if you find it too dry and cook for a few minutes, add in the balance of thick coconut milk, stir them around and let simmer until chicken is tender. (I stirred the mixture frequently to prevent scorching for about 45mins till the meat is cooked through.)
4. Lastly, add salt and sugar to taste.

Serikaya Sarawak Cake

This is another interesting cake I discovered through Malaysian Food Fest Sarawak Month. It is also known as Kek Belcan as it really resembles a piece of belacan! Don't you think so?? ^.^ As I'm not able to obtain the browning essence which suppose to make the cake really really dark brown, therefore I replaced with other alternative. Guess what I've added??.....dark molasses sugar and kicap manis (thick dark soy sauce)! >.<" What a wierd combination and was hoping the cake turn out decent hehehe...

I checked out the cake after 1 hour of steaming and am very pleased with the color! is really really dark hahaha...So I continue the steaming time for another 2.5 hours, this is suppose to extend the shelf life of the cake without the need of chilling it and I suppose it does affects the texture, as the cake turned out very moist! Besides, moist & smooth, be-warned that the cake is extremely sweet & rich though I reduced the sugar & butter amount! :)

the main ingredients - condensed milk, horlick, molasses & kaya

It really does look like a piece of Belacan!! of course it does not TASTE like belacan hehehe...

Recipe adpated (with modifications) from Lily's Wai Sek Hong blog

Ingredient (7" square pan)

• 200gm butter
• 50gm molasses**
• 4 eggs
• 1 tsp vanilla essence
• 2 tsp kicap manis
• 120ml condense milk
• 1/3 cup serikaya
• 1/4 cup horlick
• 125gm flour
• 1 tsp baking powder

** Original recipe uses 50gm castor sugar, I replaced with molasses which caused the cake to be slightly on the 'wet' side, so I think the molasses can be further reduced to 30gm or so)

Method

• Beat butter until fluffy. Beat in molasses sugar until well combined.
• Beat in eggs, one at a time.
• Beat in vanilla essence and kicap manis
• Beat in condensed milk and kaya until well blended.
• Stir in horlicks.
• Sift in flour and baking powder and fold till smooth batter formed.
• Pour batter into a lined 7" square pan and steam over high heat for 30mins. Reduce heat to medium and steam for up to 4 hours (I steamed it for 3.5 hours). Replenish the steamer with hot water when necessary.
• Cool completely before slicing and serve.

I am submitting this dish to Malaysian Food Fest, Sarawak Month hosted by Sharon of Feats of Feasts” (remember to link to MFF and the host)

Roasted Pandan Chicken

Another delicious roasted chicken I found from Jane's Blog :) I find the roasted chicken very tender and flavourful, as I've marinated it for more than 6 hours instead of the 1 hour indicated and I also increase the salt to 1 tsp. To enhance the flavour, I've actually lined my baking rack with some pandan leaves then place the chicken over, definitely does not taste bland to me :) I also prepared Nasi Lemak again and pair with a salsa as a side dish :)

Pineapple, Cucumber & Tomato Salsa

Ingredient

* pineapples, cubed

* 1/2 cucumber, cubed

* 1 tomato, deseeded & cubed

* 1 red chilli, deseeded & sliced

* handful of chopped coriander

* 2 tbsp olive oil

* 4 tbsp apple balsamic vinegar

Method : Toss everything together and chill before serving

Recipe adapted from Mimi Bakery House

Ingredients

• 1 chicken (about 1.5kg)
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp curry powder
• 10 pandan leaves, knotted

Marinade (mixed well)

• 2 tsp salt
• 1 tbsp chilli boh
• 1 tbsp curry powder
• 3 tbsp thick coconut milk

Method

1. Spoon the marinade into the chicken cavity and place pandan leaves inside.
2. Rub the salt & curry powder over the chicken and marinate for at least 1 hour or more.
3. Bake in a preheated oven at 180 deg cel for about 50 mins. Remove chicken from the oven and cut into pieces. Serve.