Rose Lychee Cake with Cream Cheese

The kids and I are obsessed with Rose Lychee cake recently.  We first had it in Dreamz Bakery, a popular bakery and cafe in Kota Damansara and we were hooked since.

Xin and I tried to bake it on our own last weekend.  Here is the recipe :


Cake :

1 cup + 2 tbsp    flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
56g butter
1/3 cup sugar
1 egg + 1 egg white
1/2 tsp vanilla
1 tsp rose essence
2 tbsp lychee syrup (from canned lychee)
1/2 cup milk
1/4 tsp pink coloring (optional)


Method :

1)  Cream butter and sugar
2)  Add egg and egg white, vanilla essence, rose essence and pink coloring (if using)
3)  Beat in lychee syrup
4) Add sifted flour, alternate with milk
5) Pour batter into 2 x 6 inch baking pan
6) Bake in pre heated oven at 175 deg C for 20 minutes



Cream cheese :

125g  cream cheese
1 tbsp icing sugar
7-10  lychee (from canned lychee)

1) Whip cream cheese with sugar
2) Beat in chopped lychee
3) Frost cake with the cream cheese  + lychee

The rose aroma filled the kitchen as the cake was baking.  It is delightfully moist and not sweet.  May I add that this recipe uses less sugar than usual as we do not have sweet tooth.

Do give it a try and happy baking!

Happy 8th Birthday Princesses!!

Like a blink of the eyes, eight years have passed.  Just like that.

This year, the kids had their friends over for a party and mummy got to bake the cake.  The 2 girls did not request for any particular type of cake so I chose to make a red velvet cake in carousel theme. 

So here are the cake at different setting : home and party venue.

The girls were happy and excited to see the cake.  They were all smiles upon receiving admiration from their friends and parents. As for me, I still can't believe I managed to pull it off.

Hokkaido Milk Buns

My children love when I bake.  They love everything that I made for them.

Here is a soft and delicious Hokkaido Milk Bun recipe that I stumbled in the internet. Its fragrance penetrated the whole house and the texture is just oh so soft.  It is a sure winner with my kids.  Every. Time.


Ingredients :

470g bread flour
63g   plain flour
250g low fat milk
200g whipping cream
1 egg
2tbsp milk powder
4tbsp sugar
3tsp yeast
1/2 tsp salt


Instructions:

Mix all ingredients and knead till the dough is no longer sticky.  Let proof for 1 hour.  Divide the dough into balls of 70g each.  Shape into rounds.  Let rest for another 1 hour.

Egg wash and bake in preheated oven at 190 degree Celcius for 20-30 mins.

I have made this several times, tweaking the recipe every now and then.  I would say that the amount of milk and whipping cream can be adjusted as long as the total amount of these two is 450g.  However, I always make it a habit to use less whipping cream as it would be healthier, but then, the choice is yours.

Happy baking!

Grapefruit Marmalade Jam

A tried and tested grapefruit marmalade recipe that a friend gave me and which I have tweaked a bit.


Ingredients :

3 grapefruits (~800g)
850g sugar
juices from 2 lemons


Method :

1)  Put the grapefruits in a pot, add in enough water so that the grapefruits are able to float freely.   Bring to a boil till for 2 hours. 
 Note : Water need to be replenished every now and then.

2) Remove the grapefruits from the pot and let cool.
3) Chop the grapefruits thinly, remove the pith and put the chopped grapefruits back into a clean pot.
4) Add in the lemon juice and sugar.
5) Let the sugar dissolve and stir constantly.
6) Bring the mixture to a boil till it reaches the setting point of 110 deg C.

Note :  If you do not have any thermometer, drop a little of the mixture onto a plate that has been put in the freezer beforehand.  Let chill for 1 - 2 mins. Push the mixture with your finger.  If the surface wrinkles, it means the setting point has been reached. Otherwise keep heating and repeat the testing procedure.


7) Ladle into mason jars, cover and leave to cool completely.


The jam sets perfectly.  It is not too sweet and leave a little bitter after taste, which is not unpleasant.

Strawberry Jam with Thermomix

I  like homemade strawberry jam as I find commercial ones to be too sweet.  However, what I don't like is to hover over the stove to cook the jam while stirring it constantly.  With Thermomix, it is all a breeze.



Ingredients :


400g     strawberry (de stemmed)
120g     sugar
juice from 1 lemon




Method :

1) Put all ingredients in Thermomix bowl and cook at 100 deg C for 12 minutes, speed 2.
2) Blend the mixture at speed 4 for 10 seconds.
3) Cook at Varoma at speed 2 for another 10 minutes or till it achieved  your desired thickness.
4) Pour the jam into sterilised mason jars and closed tight.


Usual jam making requires the use of a thermometer to see whether the gelling temperature (~105 deg C) has been reached.  In the absence of thermometer, the gelling phase can be tested by putting a little of the jam mixture onto a metal spoon that has been placed in the freezer for at least 15 minutes.  If the mixture sets on the spoon, this indicates that the gelling temperature is achieved.  However, with Thermomix, these steps can be omitted as the Varoma setting cooks at 120 deg C, way beyond the gelling temperature.

Scones served with strawberry jam

Raisin Scones by Thermomix

The Thermomix is a great machine when it comes to preparing batter for scones.  Less than a minute, and they are done!



Ingredients :

450g          self raising flour
50g            butter
30g            sugar
1                egg
1tsp           vanilla essence
250mL      buttermilk
1/2 cup      raisins
pinch of salt




Method :

1)  Pulverise the butter and flour at turbo speed for 2 seconds.
2)  Add in the rest of the ingredients and knead for 20 seconds at dough setting.
3)  Open lid, scrape the sides of the thermomix bowl and knead again at dough setting for 10 seconds.
4)  Transfer the batter onto slightly floured surface and roll to 3 - 4 cm thick.
5)  Cut into round shape with a round cutter and place on baking pan lined with grease proof paper.
6)  Glaze with milk or beaten egg.
7)  Bake in preheated oven at 210 deg C for 8 minutes.


I like scones served with strawberry jam, homemade of course.

Scones served with strawberry jam

Savoury Sour Noodles

This is a recipe that I came across from the show 'Easy Chinese', hosted by Ching-He Huang.    Ching prepared this dish using the noodles handmade by the sifu.  I used hokkien noodles instead :


Serves 2 :

Ingredients :

1 tbsp      oil
4 cm        ginger (sliced)
1/2           medium chinese cabbage (chopped, with whites and greens separated)
3              shiitake mushroom (stemmed and sliced)
2 blocks   extra firm tofu (cut into long strips)
220g         hokkien noodles
3 cups       water
1 tsp          chicken stock paste
1 tbsp        light soy sauce
1 tbsp        black vinegar
1 tbsp        chinese cooking wine


Method :


1) Put oil and ginger in TMX bowl.  Set to 100 deg C,  1min, speed 2.
2) Add in chicken.  Set to 100 deg C, 2 mins, reversed gentle stir
3) At the last 1 min, add the chinese cooking wine.
4) Add the white part of chinese cabbage, tofu and mushrooms. Set to 100deg C, 2 mins, reversed gentle stir.
5) Add in water and the rest of the seasonings.  Set to 100 deg C, 7 mins, reversed gentle stir.
6) At the last 2 mins, add in the green part of chinese cabbage and noodles.
7) Garnish with scallions and serve.


The broth is so delightfully warm.   I imagine adding fresh cilantro will give it better taste, only that I did not have any at home and my planted cilantro is still in the sprouting process.  Well, maybe next time..

Another Frozen 5th Birthday

Upon request to have all the main characters of Frozen on the cake for the girls' birthday celebration at the kindergarten, I finally came out with a new design. 

 

The cake décor was fairly simple and not as time consuming.  I just had to roll the fondant and put those figurines in place and finished it off with some snowflakes.  The girls were thrilled with the cake.

 

 

 

 

 

Upon finishing the cake, I worked on the packing the party packs next.  The party packs consist of set of stationeries, Frozen stamps (chops), jigsaw puzzle and the cookies that I baked earlier, which I packed in separate paper bags.  The paper and party packs were adorned with the girls' pictures in their Elsa and Anna costume.

Party packs

 

 

 

 

The girls were very excited on the morning of their birthday, reminding me to reach their kindergarten by 10am, which is their recess time.  I brought over the box filled with party packs when I sent them off to school early in the morning and drove to the kindergarten again at 9am, driving very slowly to not damage the cake.  Gosh!  It was so stressful!

 

 

The teachers at the kindergarten have become so used to Frozen themed parties by now but nevertheless, were impressed with the cake.  The children like it too and 'fought' for the tiara and the figurines.  Finally the teacher put the tiara on the elder birthday girl and returned those figurines to me at the end of the day.

The birthday girls with their teacher and classmates
 

 

The birthday girls cutting the cake

 

 

 

 

I used to think that parents spoil kids too much by throwing themed birthday parties for them.  But having gone through it myself now, I understand that seeing the smiles and happiness at their eyes make all the effort worth.

 

A Frozen 5th Birthday

It is the girls' birthday, finally!  And the Frozen fever continues......

The girls requested for a Frozen theme birthday cake and I came with this idea, a Queen Elsa cake with a long, flowy gown and train.

Couldn't find the original Elsa doll by Mattel locally and I had to make do with the Rapunzel.  Elsa is regal and cool while Rapunzel looks a bit too sweet as Elsa.  But at least she has the long straight hair which I could braid it up easily. 

 

 

 

The cake that I made is not the usual princess gown cake with the doll in the middle.  The doll is in front instead.  The cake is at the back, covered with fondant 'train'.  This is the first time I make cake of this style.  There is lot to improve but overall I am pleased with the result.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Elsa and Anna plush dolls that I ordered online arrived just the day before.  Just in time for the birthday celebration.

The girls are thrilled with the cake, exclaiming it is very pretty.  But to my dismay, they requested a cake of another style for the celebration at the kindergarten, consisting of the whole Frozen gang, Elsa, Anna, Kristoff, Olaf, Sven and Hahn.  With just days to the celebration at the kindergarten, I will have to crack my head to come out with a brand new cake design.

Attachments for KitchenAid Mixer

I really like my KitchenAid mixer, for the fact that it mixes my cakes batter really well and for its aesthetic value.  To top it, I like that there are many attachments available that make the mixer versatile for many other uses : pasta making, food grinding and shredding, sausage making, juicing, etc, etc.  The only drawback is that, while these attachments are nice and useful, they are very costly in Malaysia.

 

People have been saying left and right that KitchenAid products are very cheap in the USA and naturally, I planned to purchase the attachments that I need (want) during my work visit there two weeks ago.   However, I was also cautioned against the compatibility of the attachments purchased in USA with the European model mixers, which is exactly what I own.

 

The main difference between the USA and European model is the voltage.  KA mixers for used in USA are of 110V while the European models are 220V.  The difference in voltage will either cause the mixer to not work properly or even in some cases, burnt the motor.  Information that I obtained online said that using a USA model in countries with 220V is still possible with the right power transformer.

 

The second difference between the two models is the presence of a small circular metal piece located just below the motor head and right above the area where we attach the dough hook and balloon whisk and the paddle/beater.  This circular metal piece can be found in the European models but not the USA.  I was told that the ice cream maker attachment that is meant for USA models will not fit the European models.  So question is, will other attachments fit?

I have been searching online for information about this.  What I found seemed to be contradicting and so did the word by mouth from people around me.  Nevertheless, I went ahead with the purchase of some of the attachments when my KA vendor said they will fit.  I was thinking, at least there will be someone responsible if they are not usable.

So, I purchased the pasta roller and cutter set, food grinder and the flex edge beater. Upon coming home, I tested them right away and was delighted to see that they fit like a glove and work without any problem at all. 

Food grinder

Pasta roller

Flex edge beater

Very pleased for getting all these attachments at a fraction of their prices in MY.  These will surely make it into my shopping list the next time I go to the USA again.

Hello Kitty Snow Skin Moon Cake

My niece is a huge fan of Hello Kitty.  My sister in law had to had Mc Donald every week when the Hello Kitty toys were launched recently (the sacrifice mummies make!).  As such, it is no surprise that she requested for Hello Kitty moon cakes.  I have thus, made these to tempt her..


The recipe is the same as what I made last year (Mini Snow Skin Moon Cake) with the exception that I substituted the pandan juice with water.  This is because the pandan juice will make the skin greenish in color while I wanted it to be white for the Hello Kitty.

Strawberry Frozen Yogurt

The main reason I bought the ice cream maker which I made the Chocolate Ice Cream with was to make frozen yogurt. I figured it is a healthier option than ice cream and definitely cheaper than buying them outside.   It is only today that I really get down to make it.  I have chosen strawberry as my debut.

Ingredients :

2 1/2 cups     natural low fat yogurt
1       cup       thickened cream
2       tbsps    brown sugar
1       cup      fresh strawberries



Method :

1) Pureed the strawberries with a food processor.
2) Add in the rest of the ingredients and mix well.
3) Refrigerate for at least 2 hours.
4) Churn the mixture with the ice cream maker for 35 minutes.
5) Keep in freezer till set.


The frozen yogurt is a bit to the sour side.  Drizzling with honey helps tame the sour.  One can still taste the fresh strawberries in the yogurt.  Definitely an advantage over artificial flavouring.

Churning in process

Served with fresh strawberry

  

Served with Chocolate Sauce

Breastmilk Teething Biscuits

My breastfeeding journey this time round has been smooth sailing so far.  My boy is on breastmilk exclusively, unlike his twin sisters of whom I needed to supplement with formula milk.  My bm supply was low back then, plus, there were 2 mouths to feed.  After ensuring my boy has enough bm for the day plus storage, the expressed breastmilk I have this time is enough for me to turn them into soaps.  Hb's 15 year old niece even requested for my ebm saying she needs all the 'power' to score As in PMR.  However, I suspected that the real reason she wanted it is because she heard that breast milk is able to help teenagers grow taller. 

Today I did something new that utilises bm as well :   breastmilk teething biscuits.

I get the idea of making my own teething biscuits from a post in the MC group.  A mummy was asking about homemade teething biscuits few weeks ago.  My boy is ready to bite anything that he can grab these days thus, teething biscuits would come in timely.

Ingredients :

1 cup    flour

1 cup   organic baby cereals

3tbsp   vegetable oil

4oz      chilled expressed breastmilk (ebm)

Method :

1) Mix flour, cereals and oil together.

2) Add in ebm a little at a time and stir well.

3) Keep adding ebm and mix till the dough just separated from the bowl.

4) Scoop the dough into a piping bag and pipe about 4cm each onto a tray lined with baking sheets.

5) Flatten the piped dough a little and bake in preheated oven at 215 degree celcius for 10 - 12 mins.

6) Let cooled and store in air tight container.

Took a bite myself once the biscuits are done.  They take on the taste of breastmilk.  Come to think of it, this is the first time I consume my own bm.   Having exposed to high temperature, the antibodies in the ebm would have degraded.  However, one can still benefit from other compounds contained in the ebm.  The biscuits are crunchy at the outside and soft at the inside.  Care must be taken when feeding little ones with any type of biscuits, not just homemade teething biscuits.  Never leave a child who has just started solids unattended when they are munching something.

Mango Jelly Mooncake

I seemed to be in a 'mooncake making' marathon lately.  Having tried making the snow skin as well as the traditional baked mooncake, I am putting my hands in making the jelly version.  Bought the book 'Fashionable Jelly Mooncake' by Wong Sip Moi in City Baker in Dataran Sumway.  Cost only RM10, very cheap.

There are many types of jelly mooncakes featured in the book.  However, I have decided to modify one of the recipe to suit my taste.  Here are the modified recipe :

(This recipe yields 4 normal size mooncakes)


Ingredients :

A
1 tsp       agar-agar powder
10g         castor sugar
50mL     coconut milk
200mL   water

B
30g        sweet potato (steamed and mashed).


C
1/2 tsp + 1/4tsp     agar-agar powder
250mL    mango juice


D
1.2 tbsp        agar-agar powder
30g               castor sugar
1/8tsp           salt
100mL         coconut milk
350mL         water
1 - 2 drops   pink (or green) coloring



Method :

1)  Bring A to boil.  Add in B and mix well.  Turn off heat and pour into small cups.  Unmould and trim edges after it has set.

2)  Bring D to boil.  Strain and divide into 2 parts.  Pour the 1st part into the mooncake mould.  Let it set a little.  Put (1) in after it has set a little.

3) Bring C to boil.  Strain and pour into (2).  Let it set a little.

4) Pour the 2nd part of D into (3).

5) Let the mooncakes cool and set.  Keep chilled.

The sweet potato is used as mocked egg yolks.  However, I decided to use the japanese sweet potatoes, which are purple in color instead of orange as I already have them at home.  I did not add any sugar into ingredient C as the mango juice that I used is already sweetened.  All the sugar used is reduced by more than half from the original recipe.  This resulted in a not too sweet jelly mooncake.  The mango juice also added in a little sour taste which I like. 

Mixed Herbs Bread with Breadmaker

Another recipe from the 'Bread Machine Cookbook' by Jacqueline Bellefontaine.  The original recipe calls for onion, garlic and fresh rosemary.  I changed it to onion, garlic and mixed herbs instead.


Ingredients :

2 tbsp     olive oil
1            small onion, chopped
3            cloves garlic, chopped
2 tsp       brown sugar
1 tsp       mixed herbs
240mL   water
1 1/2tsp  salt
450g       bread flour
1tsp        instant yeast


Method :

1)  Heat the oil in a small frying pan.  Add in the chopped onions.  Stir till the onions soften.
2)  Add in the garlic and sugar.  Continue to cook till the onions just turned golden.
3)  Add in the mixed herbs and remove from heat.
4)  Put the water into the bread pan.  Add in the onion mixture and salt.
5)  Add in the bread flour to cover the liquid.  Sprinkle with yeast.
6)  Fit the breadpan into the breadmaker.
7)  Set the setting to Basic, medium crust and press start.
8)  Remove the bread to cool in wire rack after the cycle has completed

The aroma of the mixed herbs filled my house when the bread is baking.  The bread turned out soft and fluffy.  It is delightful to serve with olive oil and balsamic vinegar.   Very Italian..

Lotus Paste Moon Cake

Seems like I am in a mooncake making marathon these two days.  The snow skin mooncakes that I made earlier were a hit, which brings me to making the baked version today.  The recipe is adapted from Christine's Recipes.



Ingredients :


100g         plain flour
60g           golden syrup
1/2 tsp      alkaline water
28g           vegetable oil ( I used palm oil)
420g         lotus paste  (roll into 7 balls of 60g each)
1 egg yolk + 2tbsp egg whites (for egg wash)


 Method :

1)  Combine golden syrup, alkaline water and vegetable oil.
2)  Add in sifted flour.  Mix well but do not over mixed.  Knead lightly, cover and let it rest for 1 hour.
3)  Roll the dough into balls of 30g each. 

4)  Flatten the dough and place a portion of lotus paste in it.  Wrap to cover the lotus paste.
5)  Roll to smoothen the surface and press with the moon cake mould.
6)  Bake in pre heated oven at 180 degree Celcius for 10 - 12 mins.
7)  Egg wash the surface and remove from oven 5 mins later.
8)  Let the mooncake cool, cover and store for at least 2 days before consuming.

The ratio of the skin to filling is ideally to be 1:3 for the mooncake to have a thin skin.  However, being a beginner in mooncake making, I find it a bit tough to handle, thus, ended up with slightly thicker skin.  Should one wish to make mooncake with yolks, it should be noted that the weight of the yolk should be taken off the weight of the lotus paste filling.

The use of alkaline water in mooncake making is to neutralise the acidity of the golden syrup.  It also contributes to the browning of the mooncake's skin.  Once cooked, the mooncakes should be left for at least 2 days before consuming so that the 'return oil' process can take place.  This is a process where the mooncake gains the oil, giving it a nice shiny surface.

Every year, without fail, I will buy at least 4 mooncakes of pure lotus paste for own consumption.  Now that I can make them myself, looks like I will give it a pass this year and the years to come.   Considering the prices of mooncakes are getting ridiculously high these days, making them on our own is a real saver not to mention that it is a skill and knowledge that will last us a lifetime.

Buttermilk Honey Bread with Breadmaker

Stumbled upon this book ‘Bread Machine Cookbook’  by Jacqueline Bellefontaine in MPH.  I have quite a few books on bread making but none of them is dedicated for bread making using a breadmaker.  Thought I might as well buy and try it out.

The first bread that caught my attention is the Honey Buttermilk Bread.  Since I have all the ingredients, I started making it right away.  Did a little modification to the recipe though.

Ingredients :

284mL    buttermilk (or prepare buttermilk by adding in ½ tsp vinegar into 120g milk)

50mL      water

3tbsp      honey

1tsp        salt

500g      bread flour

1 ½ tsp  yeast

Egg

Rolled oats

Procedure :

1)       Put the buttermilk and water into the bread pan.  Add in honey and salt.

2)      Add in the flour, followed by the yeast.

3)      Set the programme of the breadmaker to basic setting, medium crust and press start.

4)      When the rise cycle has completed, egg wash the surface of the loaf and sprinkle with rolled oats.

5)      Once the bake cycle has completed, remove the bread from the pan and let cool.

I removed the kneading blades right after the kneading cycle has completed as I do not like my bread to have big holes at the bottom.    However, there are still 2 holes visible even after the removal of the blades though they are much smaller. 

Bottom of bread where the kneading blades have been removed

During baking, the aroma of the bread was so good that I was very impatient for it to be done.   The bread turned out soft and fluffy with a really crunchy crust.  Taste good too.  This recipe however, is not suitable for making using the delay timer of the breadmaker as it contains milk and the surface needs to be egg washed before the baking cycle starts.  

Chocolate Ice Cream

After the mango ice cream the other day, this is my second attempt with my newly purchased ice cream maker.  The mango ice cream turned from yellow to brownish color after a day and some mummies commented that the color changed is due to oxidation of the mangoes.  In order to not have the same episode again, I have decided to try my hand in making chocolate ice cream instead.

The chocolate ice cream recipe that came with the ice cream maker looked easy and I have made some changes to the recipe myself.  Below is the recipe with changes that I have made :

Ingredients :

3/4 cup   cocoa powder, sifted

1/3 cup   granulated sugar

1/4 cup   brown sugar

1 pinch of salt

1 cup      low fat milk

2 cups    thickened cream

1/2 tbsp  vanilla essence

Method :

1) Whisk together cocoa, sugars and salt.  Add the milk and beat to combine till the cocoa, sugars and salt are dissolved.

2) Stir in thickened cream and vanilla essence.  Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours.

3) Churn the mixture with the ice cream maker* for 25 minutes.

Note * :  The freezer container of the ice cream maker should be placed in the freezer beforehand and the liquid contained within should be frozen

Cocoa mixture before cooling in fridge

Churning in process

Churning completed

Chocolate ice cream served with bananas

The changes in the recipe include reduced sugar and changing from the use of whole milk to low fat milk.   I feel that the new recipe is healthier and less sinful.

The resultant ice cream is, I would say, heavenly!  Not too sweet and full of the aroma of the cocoa.  It tasted even better when served with bananas.   I can say that this is an ice cream that I will make over and over again.