Banana Muffin

Banana, I hate banana and never eat it but I love banana cake and it's smell. I don't know why so many peoples gave me bananas last week. This recipe is actually banana cake but I bake it into muffin size and I rename it as banan muffin. It is very soft, fluffy and really tatsy.

Source: Baking mum, Yochana

Ingredients:

180g butter
180g sugar
2 nos eggs (slightly beaten)
250g cake flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
220g very ripe bananas - mashed
50g evaporated milk
1/2 tsp banana or vanilla essence
2 bananas - slice

Method:

1. Cream butter and sugar till light and creamy. Add in egg once a time and beat the batter till creamy.
2. Add in milk, mashed banana and essence and mix well.
3. Sift all the dry ingredients and fold into th batter.
4. Pour into paper cups or pan, decorate with some sliced bananas.
5. Bake in preheated oven at 175 degree celcious for 20 minutes or till done.


Notes:

1. If your bananas are very ripe, you will get really nice banana cake.
2. The key to get fluffy and soft banana cake is in step 1, you must cream your butter and sugar till very light, pale and creamy before adding egg. Fold your flour and never beat it---- overmix will causing tough cake.

Peanut Candy

Peanut candy is a old fashioned snack, still remember when I was a young girl, my mom will served it during chinese festival, nowdays people is forgeting this snack already. I have been want to do it for a long time, and it is during chinese new year and I made it for my kids, they like it and perhaps in the future I'll make it again but with only sesame to make sesame crunch.

Source: Amy Beh

Ingredients

300g peanuts, toasted
30g sesame, toasted
150g castor sugar
1 tsp lime or lemon juice
75ml water
3/4 tbsp maltose (mak nga toong)

Methods:

1. Boil sugar, water and lime juice, add in maltose after it start to boil, reduce heat and cook till thick. (Test: drop the syrup into ice cold water, if it form to hard ball, it is ready.)
2. Add in peanut, mix well. Spread on a greased tray, sprinkle sesame on top.
3. Cover greased aluminium foil or plactic sheet, use rolling pin to press to a flat surface. Cut into shape and cool completely before store in air tight container.

Taiwanese Beef Pie 牛肉餡餅

This is a common street food that you can find in taiwan, it is a half fermented bread that filled with minced beef and some scallion (spring onions) and some seasoning. Easy, simple and tasty. But, becareful when you eat it cause it has a lots juices and it is very hot!!!!!

Source: Eupho Cafe, YTower

Ingredients:

300g flour
1/8 tsp icing sugar
1/8 tsp salt
170g water
1 tsp yeast
1 tbsp oil
360g minced beef
Seasoning:
1tsp sugar
2tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
1 egg
50g chopped spring onions
2 tbsp light soya sauce

Methods:
1. Combine the minced beef with seasoning, beat the meat till dry and ealstic. Keep aside.
2. Dissolved yeast into water, in a big bowl, combine flour, salt and sugar. Pour in the yeast liquid and knead to form a dough, add in oil and knead till smooth. Cover the dough and let it prove for about 20 minutes in a warm place. Test the dough after 20 minutes, if the dough is done, you will see a hole after you press it with a finger. If not, prove it again for another 10 minutes.
3. Divided the dough into 16 small balls (about 30g each), wrap the filling and slightly flat.
4. Pan- fry it over low heat for about 15 minutes or till done.

Notes:
1. I didn't use oil to pan-fry it, but you may pan fry it with some oil.
2.

Pita Bread

Pita bread is round, brown, flatbread that always served by middle eastern and mediterranean cuisin. It may served with gyros, shoarma, curry, or anything else you likes.

Source: Lily Wai Sek Hong

Ingredients:

3 cups all purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 Tablespoon sugar or honey
1 tsp instant yeast
1 1/4 to 1 1/2 cups water, - room temperature
2 tablespoons olive oil, vegetable oil, butter, or shortening

Methods:

1. Combine all ingredients except oil, knead to form dough and add in oil and knead till smooth and shiny.Let it rise in a greased bowl for 90 minutes (double size).
2. Punch down, divide to 8 portions, cover with damp clothes and rest 20 minutes. In the same time, preheat the oven 250 degree celcious.
3. Spray some water onto your baking surface and close the oven for 30 seconds, then bake for 3-5 minutes or till done. .

Notes:

1. If the dough does not stretch sufficiently, cover it with the damp towel and let it rest 5 to 10 minutes before trying again.

Palm Sugar Huat Kueh 椰糖发糕

Time flies, so soon and chinese new year is ended already. I steamed huat kueh again as my friend has been never taste steamed cakes before. This time I steamed my huat kueh in small tea cups and hoera, my huat kueh blowing up just likes flower blossom. It is not only pretty looks but taste just good.

Source: Amy Beh, Jo's Deli and Bakery

Ingredients:
2 large eggs
80g soft brown sugar
130ml water
130g palm sugar
5 pandan leaves
130ml coconut cream
250g cake flour
1tbsp double action baking powder

Preparations:
1. Boil water and palm sugar and pandan leavestill dissolved, cool completely before add in coconut cream. Set aside.
2. Beat eggs and brown sugar till fluffly and lightly, fold in sifted flour and baking powder, then mix in coconut syrup to a smooth batter.
3. Pour into small moulds or pan, steam for 30 minutes over rapid boiling water.


Notes:

1. It taste really nice with soft textures,moist and fragnant cake.
2. Store this cake in refrigrater during hot summer cause it contains coconut milk.
3. If you don't have mini cups, just steam it in a pan or even rice bowl.
4. Make sure the water is roaring bowl before you start to steam them or you will not get open mouth huat kueh.

Vanilla Cupcakes

Cupcakes or known as fairy cakes, I love simple things and originale tatse. My children love plain, simple food rather than mixed or complicated one. I'd been try a lots of cakes but this one is so simple but tasty. Everyone will love it, and it is worth to try.

Source: Baking Mom, Little Corner Of Mine, Imperial Kitchen

Ingredients:

195g cake flour
140g flour
150g sugar
100g light brown sugar
1 tbsp baking powder
225g cold butter
4 eggs
1 cup milk
1 tbsp vanilla essence

Methods:

1. Preheat oven 165 degree celcious. Line the muffin tray with paper cups, set aside.
2.In a bowl, combine cake flour, flour, baking powder, sugar and light brown sugar. Add in cold butter and mix it till resembers coarse crumbs.
3. In another bowl, combine eggs, milk and vanilla essence till well mixed. Fold in the flour mixture and mix well but not overmix.
4. Fill the papercups with batter till 2/3 full. Bake 20-25 minutes or until done.

Notes:
1. You may use vanilla sugar in stead of vanilla essence.
2. You may add some raisin or chocolate chips too.

Pineapple Tarts 马来西亚凤梨酥

Finally, I made my own pineapple tarts after years craving for it. Pineapple tarts is one kind of chinese new year cookies which can be shaped by open-tart shape, open-ended roll, ball shape or fruit shape in malaysia, singapore or even in brunei or indonesia too. Indonesian pineapple tarts or better known as Nastar (ananastaart) have a slightly different with malaysia-nyonya, it containt some cheese in the pastry and it is always a ball shaped with a clove on the top. Well, taiwanese pineapple shortbread which better known as Feng Li Shu (凤梨酥)is quiet similiar too, the filling may combine with some winter melon and the pastry is a kind of shortbread and it is usually need holded by square cookie cutters. Why peoples love to serve pineapple tarts during new year? Pineapple in chinese-hokkien dialets means 'prosperity come' an auspicious symbol for the new year.

Source: Recipe from pineapple moulds

Ingredients:

Filling:
250- 400g grated pineapple
125g sugar
some cinnamon and star anise
Pastry:
250g butter
125g icing sugar
2 egg yolks
270g flour
200g custard powder
1/4tsp vanilla

Methods:

1. Prepare the filling one night before. Cook the filling over medium heat till thick and dry . Set aside and let it cool completely.
2. Cream butter in a large mixing bowl until light and fluffy. Add egg and beat well.
3. Sift icing sugar, flour and custard powder into the mixture. Fold to incorporate all ingredients to form a smooth pastry dough.
4. Roll out the dough till it's about 0.7 cm thick. Cut into shapes with a pineapple tart mould. Brush sides of tarts with egg wash. Bake in a greased, lined baking tin for 10 minutes.
5. Remove tarts from the oven. Fill centre of tarts with some pineapple jam. Return tarts to oven to bake for a further 10 minutes, or until golden brown.Cool the tarts on wire rack.


Notes:
1. I used canned pineapple in stead of fresh pineapple and I onitted the sugar. I cooked it with the syrup till thick and dry enough to form a paste.
2. I used only 60g icing sugar for the pastry as my pinepple filling is sweet enough for me.
3. I didn't use cinnamum or anise cause I don't really like the smell.

Angku Kuih 紅龜粿

Angku kuih is a famous kuih that you can find it everywhere in Souteast Asia and Taiwan. During baby full-month or festival, peoples will serve it. While, peples will served it but in different colour --- OOhkoo during funeral too. Ang means red, ku means turtle and it symbolic long-life for new baby. This kuih's filling may made by sweet mung beans, sweet red bean paste, sweet coconut filling or even with savoury minced meat or vegetables.

Source: Do What I Like, Amy Beh, Streetfood Cookbooks

Ingredients:

200g yam/taro or sweet potatoes
300g glutinous rice flour
2 tbsp oil
160ml hot water
red colouring
Filling:
200g splitted mung beans (soaked overnight)
100g sugar (please adjust, it is not very sweet)
1/2 tsp salt
2 tbsp oil
3 pandan leaves
water

Methods:

1. Prepare filling first. Drain and steamed the splitted mung beans with pandan leaves till soft.
2. Blend the cooked splitted mung beans when it is still hot with oil and some water till puree. Pour it into a sauce pan, cook the puree with sugar till dry. Set aside till cool.
3. Steamed the sweet potatoes till soft and mashed it, when it is still warm, add in the glutinous flour and some hot water for form a dough. Knead till smooth.
4. Divived the dough 26g each and 19g filling each. Wrap the filling and press it into angku mould.
5. Steamed on high heat for 8 minutes or till done.

Notes:
1. Remember dust the mould with some glutinous rice flour before press the angku.
2. If your angku don't have clear prints, steam the next batch 3 minutes on high heat, release the steam and resteam 3 minutes over medium heat.
3. If you don't have angku mould, just shape it round and steam.
4. For leftover angku, pan-fry it with a bit oil and you will get a very crispy, chewy and tasty kuih.

Crispy Honeycomb - Kuih Rose 酥脆糖環

A very popular chinese new year cookies in southeast asia, it is also known as kuih rose, kuih loyang, kuih goyang or crispy honeycomb. It is very easy to prepare and all you just very need it the mould! Finally I can make it--- as I get the mould from my beloved sister during summer vacation in mlaysia. I gave a bit to my friends and all of them are just crazy for it----- asking for making more. It is true---- once you eat and you want it more!!!!!!!!!

Source: A cookbook from Yasa Boga, Jo's Deli And Bakery, Lily Wai Sek Hong

INGREDIENTS:

200ml concentrated coconut milk
1 egg
85g castor sugar
50ml water
Pinch of salt
120g all-purpose flour, sifted
50g rice flour, sifted
Oil for deep frying

METHOD:

1. Prepare at least two moulds.
2. Combine all, leave aside for at least for 1 hour.
3. Heat oil in a wok/deep fryer. Preheat moulds in the hot oil. When the oil is hot enough, dip mould into batter. Make sure batter coats only the bottom and sides of mould.
5. Place coated mould in hot oil. Shake to release honeycomb from moulds. If needed, use chopsticks to help releasing. Fry until golden brown.
6. Leave to cool completely before store in air-tight container.



NOTE:
1. The moulds have to be hot enough for batter to cling on them. That was why I suggested to use two moulds alternately. You can use one while the other is being heated up in hot oil.

Paper- Lined spongecake 紙包蛋糕

I still have a lots of sponge stabilitier as my sis bought it for me during summer holiday in malaysia. My kids shouting to have sponge cake and I make it with using hug bear's recipe. It turn out nice with collapsing but I don't know why the surface is not very smooth.

Source: Baking Mum, Do What I Likes, YTower, Jo's Deli And Bakery

Ingredients:
4 eggs
100 gm cake flour
100 gm castor sugar
12 gm spongecake stabliser
25 gm milk
90 gm melted butter

Methods:
1. Put all the ingredients except the melted butter and beat till ribbon stage, add in melted butter and mix throughly.
2. Pour into paper-lined paper cups and bake in preheated oven at 175 degree celcious for 20 minutes or till done. Remove to wire rack to cool immediately.

Notes:

1. Make sure the eggs are very fresh.
2. Ribbon stage is mean the batter is very thick and if you write '8', it will appear on the batter for awhile.

Cucur Badak

A very very tasty, delicious malay snack in malysia. I have been missed malaysia for all the time and it is the main reason that I start my cooking and baking and also blogging. The filling that I make is also nice for pulut udang. I need to adjust the chilies as my 3 lovely toddlers can't eat spicy food.

Source: Mamafami, Hanieliza, Rasa Malaysia, Yasa Boga, Streetcookbook

Ingredients:

600g sweet potatoes, steamed, mashed
2 cups flour
(A) Pounded together
8 dried chilies, soak with hot water till soft
4 stalk lemongrass
10 shallots
6 pips garlics
4 candlenut/ kemiri
1 tbsp chili powder
1 tsp tumeric powder
(B)
120g dried shrimp, soak, drained, pounded
250g desicated coconut
4tbsp sugar
6 tbsp oil
dash of pepper

Methods:
1. Make the filling first, heat up oil and sauted the (a) ingredients till fragnant, add in pounded dried shrimp and stir fry till aromatic. Add the remaining ingredients and stir fry till dry. Set aside.
2. Steam sweet potatoes till soft, mashed it and add in flour when it is still warm and knead smooth.
3. Take a bits of dough, flatten it and wrap the filling in and seal it neatly. Repeat till done.
4. Heat oil, deep fry till golden colour and cooked.

Notes:
1. If you can't find dried shrimp, subtituded it with fresh prawn.
2. I can't find fresh grated coconut at here, I replace it with desicated coconut. But I add some water in step 1.
3. I omitted the dried chilies and I add some spices likes ground cumin, ketubar and belacan.

Steamed meat and vegetable bun 菜肉包

Bao, pau or steamed buns is a common food for chinese, there is so many kind of flavours with sweet or savoury. For me, I likes meat and vegetable pau. It makes me remember how my granny made it for me. It is very good recipes from my granny, but unfortunately I don't know how to pleat my buns. It don't look very nice but taste very good. Any tips for me?

Source: TPC, Eupho Cafe, Jo's Deli and Bakery, Lily Wai Sek Hong

Ingredients:

(a) old dough - about 300g gram
200g flour
a pinch salt
1/2tsp yeast
110g water
(b) main dough - about 770g
200ml cold milk
350g cake flour
5g yeast
80g sugar
1/8tsp baking soda
1tsp bread improver/ bread softerner (optional)
100g old dough
15g oil
Filling:
250g minced meat (pork or chicken)
200g chinese cabbage, shredded
2 tsp salt
11/2 tsp rice/Shao Xin wine
2 tsp sesame oil
2 1/2-3 tbsp light soya sauce
2 tbsp cornflour
1 tbsp oyster sauce
1/2 tsp dark soya sauce
1/2 tsp sugar
Pepper to taste

Methods:

1. Mix (a) old dough, knead till smooth and let it prove till double bulk for about 40-50 minutes. (during winter might longer)
2. Prepare filling: In a plate, add salt to shredded chinese cabbage. Leave for 15 minutes. Squeeze to remove excessive water from the cabbage. Mix cabbage with the rest of the ingredients of filling. Marinate for about 1 hour.
3. Weight out 100g old dough for main dough recipe. Mix (b) main dough, knead smooth and add in old and knead till smooth and shinny. Rest the dough for 20 minutes and divide 60g-80g. Knead a bit and wrap the filling.
4. Cover the bun with damp clothes and final prove for 20-30 minutes. Steam over medium heat for 15-20 minutes, turn off heat and let it stay 3 minutes inside the steamer before taking out.

Notes:
1. Avoid water condensate at steamer's lid from dropping to the man tou. Dry lid with a cloth every time you uncover the steamer.
2. Don't worry if your pau are not as white as those sold in the restaurant. This is because you do not use 100% bleached pau flour in this recipe. I mixed pau flour with superfine/cake (low protein) flour so that texture of pau would not be too "glutenized/ fibrous''.
3. If you are not able to finish all the pau at one time, keep them in an air-tight container or plastic bag and freeze. Just reheat them whenever you want to have them. Estimated storage period is 2-3 months.
4. I used 200g flour and 150g wheat starch-- tang min fun to reduce the gluten and make my buns soft.

Penang Lobak

Penang Lobak is fried coarse minced pork and various veggies rolled in tofu skin which is very popular in malaysia or known as Ngoh heong 五香 in singapore. As I know, hong kong peoples have this kind of snack too but in different name---- 鮮竹卷 sing chuk quen. It is best served with five spice dipping sauce and chilli sauce or even just plain. Normally, peoples will eat it with prawn fritters, a few slices of century egg, fried tofu and cucumber. I have no much time as I have 3 young toddlers. Hope you will like it too.

Source: Streetfood Cookbooks

Ingredients:

2 pieces bean curd skin (fu chuk/ fu pi) (soak till soft)
cut into 16cmx8cm
2 cups oil
Filling:
1kg minced meat
2 onions, peeled and chopped
3 tbsp chopped garlic
3 tbsp chopped spring onion
2 eggs
Seasoning:
1/2 tbsp five spice powder
1-2 tsp salt
1 tbsp sugar
1 tbsp light soy sauce
1tsp pepper
3 tsp sesame oil
2 tbsp tapioca flour
2 tbsp corn flour

Methods:

1. Put all ingredients for fillings and seasoning into a big mixing bowl. Stir until well mixed. For a bouncy nice texture, hit it with your hand till it has close texture.
2. Put some filling onto the bean curd skin and roll up neatly. Press the two ends slightly.
3. Heat up oil for deep frying. Deep fry lobak with medium heat untill golden brown and cooked. Dish up and drain. Cut into pieces and served.

Kibbeling

Kibbeling is a common snack for dutch peoples wnich you can buy it anytime and anywhere. Kibbeling is actually crispy fried cod fish and dutch likes to serve it with augurks (pickle gherkin) and mayonaise or other sauce.

Source: A dutch friend, Amy Beh

Ingredients:

1kg cod fish filets (any kind of white fish also can)
6 tbsp plain flour
6 tbsp cornflour
2 tsp rice flour
1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1/2 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp salt
2 tbsp oil
240ml or enough water/ milk
Fish marinate (ready in supermarket)

Methods:

1. Cut fish into3cmx3cm or bigger. Marinated with some fish marinate.
2. Prepare batter, combine all and leave aside for at 10-15 minutes.
3. Heat oil, dip the fish into the batter and fry the fish till golden crispy crust.
4. Served with sauce as wished.

Notes:
1. You can omit the fish marinate and just season it with salt and pepper.
2. The oil should be around 180 degree celcious.

Japanese Terriyaki Samon

This is one of our favourite dish that quiet often served during dinner time. It is very simpel and easy to do and most important is it is quiet healthy. If I served this, my kids will finish their meal much faster.

Source: Japanese Friend, YTower, Japanese Cookbooks

Ingredients:

700g salmon fish filet
160ml japanese soya sauce
160ml mirin
2 tbsp sake
1 tbsp sugar

Methods:

1. Cut the salmon in pieces as desired. Combined all of ingredients, let the salmon marinated for at least 2 hours or more.
2. Heat pan, put in very little oil and fry it. Turn to another side and fry again. Lastly, pour in the marinated sauce and cook till the fish is done and the sauce is thicken. Served.

Notes:

1. In stead of fry, you may grill it or baked in the oven.
2. Mirin is sweet sake, you can make it with sake plus sugar too.
3. One time, I pour in chinese cooking wine in stead of sake( take wrong bottle) and it taste good too.
4. Please adjust the sweetness. Beside os salmon, you may choosed white fish filets like cods too

My New Toy - Multifunctionele keukenmachine Artisan 5KSM150PSEIC ijsblauw

Hi, this is my lovely kitchenaids from my lovely husband. It is very useful, handy and easy to use without any noise. It is not only good and easy to make cakes, cookies but also for bread and buns. Now, I don't need to knead any dough anymore since I get this multifunctional kitchenaids. Besides, it can be used for grinding, rolling pasta, mince meat. It is very powerful, so becareful when you use it. Thanks to my dear husband.

My first homemade birthday cake 自製生日蛋糕

I always dream to make my own birthday cake, this year I make it myself in stead order from bakery. OOoo... pity enough, my birthday is during christmas eve. When I went to supermarket to buy whipping cream to decorate my cake, there is no more whipping cream,...... oh no what to do?! I decorated it with simple glaze. It is not beautiful cake but my kids likes it so much.

Source: YTower, Myself

Ingredients:
(a)4 egg yolks
60g milk
60g oil
60g sugar
some vanilla essence/extract/vanilin
a pinch of salt
(b)120g cake flour
3g baking powder
(c)4 egg whites
2g cream of tartar
70g sugar

Methods:
1. Sift (b) for 3 times.
2. whisk egg yolks with sugar using hand till dissolved. Add in oil and vanilla essence, mix well.
3. In another clean, dry bowl. Using electric mixer, beat egg whites with cream of tartar, add in sugar in 3 times and beat till stiff stage.
4. Fold in 1/3 of egg whites into yolk batter, mix well. Pour it into the rest of egg whites and folf in gently.
5. Bake in preheat oven 175 degree celcious for 35 minutes or till done. Invert immediately after out of oven.
6. Decorate the cake as you wish after the cake is completely cooled.

Notes:
1. Invert the cake is to prevent shrinking.
2. If you don't have cream of tartar , replace it with 1tsp vinegar or lemon juice to reduce the ph and can beat the egg whites easily.
3. This is a recipes of chiffon cake, it is soft and moist.

Tang Yuan - Tong Yuen - glutinous balls - 元宵 - 湯圓

Tang yuan (mandarin), tong yuen(cantonese), glutinous balls is a common snack during chinese new year, dongzhi( 21st or 22nd december) or even during lantern festival. It is symbolic family reunion. Tang yuan can be filled with peanuts, black sesame or any filling. It can be coated with some peanut powder or soy bean powder instead or sweet soup. In northern china, tang yuan might filled by minced meat and served with some chicken stock. Tang yuan is also known as yuan xiao, but yuan xiao sound identical likes 'remove yuan', so peoples change the name to tang yuan which sound fimiliar 'reunion'. Funny enough, taiwanese served it with some ferment glutinous rice. Japanese and korean eat it too, just in different taste and form.

Source: xiaoxiaomitong, myself

Ingredients:
100g glutinous flour
50g peanut powder
50g sugar
some oil

(B) sweet soup
1.2 liter water
4 pandan leaves
suagr to taste
Methods:

1. Cook sweet soup for about half hour or till fragnant.
2. Mix peanut powder with sugar and some oil and roll it into 22 small balls. Set aside.
3. Mix glutinous rice flour with warm water to make a soft dough.
4. Boil water till roaring boil, drop 20g of dough, cook it and let it float 1 minute, and dish up and drain.
5. Combined the cooked dough with the rest of dough and knead till smooth, divide into 22 pieces.
6. Wrap filling and cook till cooked.
7. Served with sweet soup.

Notes:

1. I cooked some dough and kned it with the rest of dough is to get a soft, chewy and bouncy tang yuan.
2. In stead of peanut powder, you can replace it with some toasted black sesame poweder. Or without filling.

French toast - wentelteefjes - 法国吐司 - 西多士

French toast or wentelteefjes 法国吐司 in dutch is very famous and common snack and breakfast in europe, america or even in asia. It is so easy to do and tast nice. For a heavier version, use cream in stead of milk---- it may tastier but not so good for your shape. Everyone may enjoy these simple french toast......

Source: Lily Wai Sek Hong, Amy Beh, Koopmans, Myself

Ingredients:

1/3 cup Whole milk
2 Large eggs
5 tbsp Sugar
1/2 tsp Vanilla
1/4 tsp Salt
3 slices White or egg bread
1 tbsp Butter


Method:

1. In a shallow bowl, whisk together milk, eggs, sugar, vanilla and salt.Melt butter in large frying pan on medium heat.
2.Dip bread in egg mix, turning to coat each side.
3. Cook bread in frying pan until underside is golden, then turn and cook until reverse is golden.Serve immediately.

Notes:

1. Dutch love to served it with some cinnamon sugar.

Steamed bun 壽桃包 vs 鮮奶饅頭

壽桃包 is actually chinese birthday bun, a kind of steamed bun (baozi) in peach shape. It symbolic longevity, prosperity and happiness, so, in elder's party, you will see it. It is easy to do too. This time, I make it with old dough. It is soft and cottonny and taste much better than straight dough one. I made it for my mother in law's birthday party.

Source: Eupho Cafe, Yee's Kitchen

Ingredients:
(a) old dough - about 300g gram
200g flour
a pinch salt
1/2tsp yeast
110g water
(b) main dough - about 770g
200ml cold milk
350g flour
5g yeast
80g sugar
1/8tsp baking soda
1tsp bread improver/ bread softerner (optional)
100g old dough
15g oil

Methods:

1. Mix (a) old dough, knead till smooth and let it prove till double bulk for about 40-50 minutes. (during winter might longer)
2. Weight out 100g old dough for main dough recipe. Mix (b) main dough, knead smooth and add in old and knead till smooth and shinny. Rest the dough for 20 minutes and divide 60g-80g. Knead a bit and shape as desire.
3. Cover the shaped bun with damp clothes and final prove for 40 minutes. Steam over medium heat for 12 minutes, turn off heat and let it stay 3 minutes inside the steamer before taking out.

Notes:

1. Keep the remaining old dough in freezer, may keep 3 months. Thaw before use to room temperature, this recipe can make 3 times 100g old dough.
2. I steamed buns over medium heat to prevent bursting buns. If you make char siew pau, must steam it over high heat.
3. You should boil the steamer till roaring boil and then turn to medium heat before steam.
4. If you don't have bread improver or bread softerner, may avoid it.
5. I used 200g flour and 150g tang min fun (wheat starch) in stead or 350g flour for a softer bun as I reduce the gluten.

Mah Dou Koh 椰汁馬豆糕

Mah Dou Koh 椰汁馬豆糕 is a very famous and common dessert for cantonese which you can find it at any chinese restaurant. It is simple, delicious, sweet and tasty, but it is very easy to do too. Normally, chinese will make it during new year. Hope you will like it too.

Source: Yee's Kitchen, Mrs. Choi,

Ingredients:

100g yellow split peas (soak overnight)
165g evaporate milk
150-200g sugar (original recipe is 300g)
400ml coconut milk
170g cornstarch
5 cups water

Methods:

1. Cook yellow splits peas till soft, drain.
2. Combined cornstarch and coconut milk and evaporated milk.
3. Boil water and sugar till dissolved, slowly pour in (2) and stir constantly till thick and then mix in cooked yellow split peas. Remove from heat.
4. Pour into mould and when it come to room tempreture, chilled it in refrigerator for hours before served.

Notes:

1. The reason to soak the peas is to get the right texture---- soft but unbroken.
2. It is still sweet to me, please adjust the sweetness.

Orange Tart 香橙撻

My husband bought too much oranges for me, I can't eat it all, beside my kids want to eat egg tarts. And I get this idea---- find orange tart recipe which a bit likes egg tart with a tint of orange flavour. The result is satisfied, everyone like it and happy to taste it. My kids say it is a sunflower tart.

Source: Seadragon

Ingredients:
150g flour
1/4 tsp baking powder
50g sugar
100g butter
1 yolk
1 tsp lemon juice
3 tsp water
Filling:
125ml orange juice
40ml lemon juice
1 whole egg
2 egg yolk
60g sugar
2tsp custard powder
1tsp orange zest

Methods:
1. Sift flour, baking powder and sugar, rub in butter into bread crumbles. Add in yolk, lemon juice and enough water to firm a dough. Don't overmix it!
2. Refrigerated it for 30 minutes with wrapping it with a cling or aluminium foil.
3. Preheat oven 200 degree celcious.
4. Dissolved custard powder with lemon and orange juice, add in sugar, beaten egg and yplks. Cook it over low heat for about 5-8 minutes for thickening.
5.Remove heat, add 1tbsp butter and orange zest, mix well and leave to cool completely.
6. Blind bake the pastry for 10 minutes, remove weight, bake for another 10 minutes. Leave to cool.
7. Preheat oven 180 degree celcious, pour the custard batter into the baked pastry and bake it for 20-25 minutes. Cool before cutting.

Notes:
1. When you grate the orange zest, make sure don't get the white part or you will get bitter taste.
2. If you have orange essence, may subtitute it for orange zest.
3. Just simply combine the pastry and never mix it throughly or you will get very hard pie crust.

Kuih Talam Ubi Keledek 蕃薯椰絲糕

I have lots of sweet potatoes in my kitchen, don't know what to do but thinking of making something special and not too complicated. I found this recipe and I modified it and reduce the sweetness and everyone enjoy it.

Source: China Express

Ingredients:

400g sweet potatoes
150g tapioca flour
50g rice flour
150ml coconut milk
80g sugar ( it is not too sweet, please adjust)
200ml water
1tsp salt
some desicated coconut for topping

Methods:

1. Steam the sweet potatoes, mashed it and mix in the rest of ingredients except desicated coconut. Combine well.
2. Steam the batter over medium heat for 1/2 hour.
3. Cool completely and cut and top it with desicated coconut.

Notes:

1. My sweet potato is very sweet, pleas adjust the sweetness as you wished.
2. Please cover the lid to prevent water dripping.

Chocolate chiffon cake 朱古力雪芳蛋糕

Chocolate chiffon cake is very welcomed by everyone with their softness and chocolate flavour. It is not difficult to do as you thought, if you get the right amounts and doing it in right way will ensure you get soft,moist, fluffy chocolate chiffon cake. I used it to do black forest cake.

Source: Jo's Deli And Bakery, Do What I Like, Lily Wai Sek Hong

Ingredients:
A)3 small egg yolks (small egg weight 50g include shell)
110g flour (prefer cake flour)
1/2 tsp baking soda
20g cacao powder ( Van Houten)
60g sugar
70g oil
100ml milk
(B)3 small egg whites (small egg weight 50g include shell)
1/4tsp cream of tartar
60g sugar

Methods:

1. Preheat oven 190 degree celcious.
2. Sift flour, baking soda and cacao powder in a big mixing bowl. Add in egg yolks, sugar, oil and milk, whisk with hand until just combine and sugar is dissolved. Don't over mix.
3. In another clean and dry bowl, beat egg whites and cream of tartar till foamy, add in sugar and whisk at high speed till soft peak. Turn to medium speed and whisk till stiff peak, turn off. Don't overbeat.
4. Fold in 1/3 of egg whites into the batter, be gently and not deflate the egg whites.
5. Pour into (4) and fold gently .
6. Bake in 8" pan for 40-50 minutes. Invert the cake immediately after out of oven.

Notes:
1. Be very careful when folding the egg whites or your cake will not rise high and soft as cotton.
2. Don't grease your pan when you bake chiffon cake or sponge cake, I lined my cake mould with parchment paper and it rise very well even it should be bake in aluminium pan.
3. If you don't have cream of tartar, subtitute it with vinegar or lemon juice. It can reduce the alkaline PH and you can beat the egg whites succesfully.

Mooncake Golden Syrup 轉化糖漿

Golden syrup is a kind of syrup which you need it to make mooncake skin. It is not difficult to make by your own but just preferbary making it earlier so that your mooncake skin is easier to handle and it is more fragnant and nicer colour. If you lazy to make it may subtituted it with light corn syrup.

Source: Eupho Cafe, Amy Beh, Mooncake Cookbooks, Yochana

Ingredients:
1.2 kg sugar
1 liter water
1 lime
1tbsp maltose

Method:
1. Place all the ingredients into a heavy-based saucepan. Bring to a boil until sugar has dissolved. Lower the heat and continue to boil until syrup turns a light golden colour.
2.Switch off the fire and add the maltose. Stir well to dissolve. Leave to cool and store in clean jars for use as syrup for mooncake pastry.

Note:
1.Golden syrup can be prepared months in advance. Allow the syrup to mature with time the longer you keep, the better it is for making the mooncake pastry.

Salted Eggs 鹹蛋

Salted duck eggs is a common chinese preserved food and very easy to make it by your own too. There are many methods to make salted duck eggs likes soaking in brine(salt solution), or cover with salt or even wine addition or chilies etc. Chinese loves to eat it with congee, use the salted dugg yolks to make mooncake filling or biscuits' filling or cooking it with other materials.

Source: TPC

Ingredients:

25 duck eggs or 30 chicken eggs
8 cups water
2 cups salt
some sichuan pepper (about a pinch)
1/2 cup chinese cooking wine

Methods:

1. Wash and dry the eggs carefully. Set aside.
2. Put water and salt in a big pot, heat it till salt is dissolved, turn off heat and sprinkle a pinch of sichuan pepper. Set aside and let cool completely.
3. Arrange the eggs in a big pot, mix the cooking wine into the cold brine and pour into the pot to soak the eggs. Seal the pot.
4. Keep it in a shadow and cool place. It is ready after 25 days.

Notes:
1. Must wash and dry the eggs carefully, they break easily.
2. By adding sichuan pepper and some chinese cooking wine makes your salted eggs taste a bit fragnant and not so smelly.
3. Must let the brine(salt solution) cool completely before soak the eggs or you may get bad eggs.
4. Please write down the date of making to prevent over or undersoaking. Seal the pot tightly and remember never touch the pot again during 25 days or you will get breaken yolks but not beautiful yolks.
5. Prefer use glass pot that you can see through, if eggs break up, remove the eggs and soak it with new brine.

Pulut Tai Tai, Pulut Tekan 馬來西亞椰汁糯米糕

Pulut Tekan or pulut tai tai is one of the classic nyonya kuih which common served with kaya spread. Blue rice???? no, I coloured it with blue food colouring cause I can't find out bunga telang to extact the blue colour. This version is good to try, cause it is so delicous and easy to do too....

Source: Lily Wai Sek Hong, Seadragon, Streetfood cookbook

Ingredients:

500g glutinous rice ( soak overnight, drained)

350ml coconut milk

1tbsp sugar

1 tsp salt

some blue colouring

pandan leaves, knotted

Method:

1. Put all ingredients into a steaming try, steam it on high heat for 30- 45 minutes. Open the lids and fluff up the rice and steam again for 10 minutes, repat till rice is cooked.

2. Removed from steamer, 1dd blue colouring into 1/3 of cooked glutinous rice , mix through. Pour the coloured glutinous rice into 2/3 glutinous rice and mix it for marble effect.

3. Transfer it to another square pan which lined with banana leaves, press it and put something heavy on the top till the kuih is cool and firm.

4. Cut and served with kaya.

Notes:

1. I use not much coconut milk to steam the glutinous rice cause I soak the glutinous overnight and it is east to steam.

2. The reason the fluff up the rice for every 10 minutes is to get fluffy rice but not sticky.

3. You may avoid the banana leaves or pandan leaves if you don't have it.

Mandarin Pancake 荷葉餅

Mandarin pancake 荷葉餅 is a famous wrapper for peking roasted duck but I wrap it with char siew. It is ver easy to make it and taste good too. The main concept to get soft pancake is not to pan fry it too long or it may turn out hard.

Source: Euphocafe, chinese cookbook

Ingredients:

2 cups flour

3/4 cup hot boiling water

2 tbsp oil

Methods:

1. Place flour in a big bowl, pour in hot boiling water and stir it constantly with chopsticks. When it is slighlt cool down, knead it to a smooth dough.

2. Cover and rest the dough for 15 minutes.

3. On a floured surface, roll ot dough 3/4 cm thick, cut it out in circles (about a small bowl size. Repeat.

4. Brush the under circle dough surface and stick it on another dough circle. Roll it out to a bigger dough.

5. Pan fry it on a preheat non-stick pan for seconds and turn it to another side and pan fry it for second.

6. Dish out, seperate the pancake when it is still hot. Served with char siew or any fillings you like.

Notes:

1. Don't pan fry it too long or you will get hard pancake, it is already cooked when you pour in hot boiling water.

2. If you use normal pan, oiled a bit surface to prevent sticking.

Barbecued Pork (Char Siew) 叉燒

Char Siew is also known as barbeque pork with a slighlt red colour. It is tasty, and could served with rice, noodles, filling in puff pastry or in buns or pau. It is a well known cantonese cuisin in the whole world and you may find it in any chinese shop or restaurant.

Source: Amy Beh, Lily Wai Sek Hong, Jo's Deli And Bakery


Ingredients:

500g pork (pork loin or tenderloin)
2tbsp soy bean paste (tau cheon)
2tbsp hoisin sauce
5-8 tbsp sugar
1/4 tsp salt
1tbsp rice wine

Methods:

1. Marinade the pork with all of the ingredients for at least 4 hours or preferably overnight.
2. Roast the pork on a rack in preheat oven at 220 degree celcious for 10minutes, turn the pork and bake for another 10 minutes. Repeat till cooked. Basting the pork with marinate for every 10 minutes while you turn the pork to another side.

Notes:

1. In stead of baking, you can cook it in a pan over low heat till all the sauce is thicken.
2. I avoid red colouring, that why it is in black colour.
3. Most os chinese use pork belly to make char siew but I choosed pork tenderloin cause I hate fatty pork and it is healthier.
4. You can freezed it in fridge and just reheat it before you eat.

Serikaya 咖央醬 2

Kaya, (also Serikaya means /sich in malaysbased on its golden colour) is jam made from eggs, coconut milk, sugar which flavoured with pandan leaves and caramized by sugar. Kaya is typically served with a warm toast with lots of butter and kaya or as filling for pau, buns and kuih. There are also kaya in green colour with coloured by pandan paste.

Source: My Mom, Seadragon


Ingredients:

1 bowl eggs
1 bowl sugar
1 bowl coconut milk
5-6 pandan leaves, knotted
1 slow cooker

Methods:

1. Dissolved sugar with eggs, then add in coconut milk and mix well.
2. Pour mixture into slow cooker and add in knotted pandan leaves. Turn on the slow sooker at low heat.
3. Check the kaya every hour and stir it. After 3-4 hours (depends to your slow cooker, it may a bit later or quicker), it may set and firm already, in another small sauce pan, heat it with some sugar till it is caramized and quickily pour it into the kaya and stir constantly. Done.

Notes:

1. Last time, when I make kaya, I need to stand for hours to cook my kaya. But now, I put all the ingredients into my slow cooker and I blend it to a smooth kaya with my blender.
2. It may be a bit lumpy, so blend it for a smooth silky kaya.
3. If you don't have pandan leaves, just flavour it with vanila extract or with pandan paste.
4. You may make your kaya with breadmachine with 'jam' function.
Here is my another green kaya http://fcngoleong.blogspot.com/search/label/Jam%20and%20Preserved