Sweet Cinnamon Rolls

After I take out all my baking ingredients in my kitchen cupboard to wipe and rearrange them back. I checked one by one it's expired date and only notice that I still got one pack of Bread Flour untouched which is expiring very soon on 30 April. Oh my god, I must finished this 1kg bread flour in one week time. I think I will use it to make some sweet buns and use it for making Pizza Crust again. Since I still didn't get myself a bread maker, kneading the dough using my hand are really time consuming.

I read most of the recipes for making bread are using machine to knead the dough, I don't know if I can hand knead the dough. Again, this time I use the recipe from Constance and I just shape it the other way making them into small buns.

HAPPY BAKING!!

Steamed Chicken With Salted Fish

Today, I'm going to share this simple and easy chicken dish with all of you. There are times when we do run out of ideas on what to cook for our family. You can try this simple yet tasty Steamed Chicken With Salted Fish. I always try not to eat or cook too much fried food which I found it's unhealthy, I prefer steamed recipes than fried one. This steamed chicken with salted fish is easy to prepare and it's a good choice when for those who are lazy like me ~☻ Come on, do give it a try!!

Ingredients:

4 chicken thighs (or 1/2 a chicken)-chopped into bite-sized pieces

Marinade:
1 tbsp sesame oil
1 tbsp ginger juice
1 1/2 tbsp Shao Hsing Hua Tiao cooking wine
1/2 - 1 tbsp light soy sauce or to taste
1 tsp sugar
1/4 tsp pepper

(pic above: meaty type salt fish that I use)

2 tbsp oil for cooking
some ginger, shredded finely
50 g meaty type salt fish, sliced

Garnishing:

some shredded red chillies and spring onions
coriander leaves

(pic on left: chicken after stir-fry and ready to be steamed)

What to do?

Remove as much fat on the chicken pieces as you can see. Clean and season the chicken with marinade ingredients for several hours or preferably overnight in the fridge.

Heat the wok with oil, stir in ginger and fry till fragrant (but not crispy). Add chicken and stir-fry briskly until heated through. Dish out chicken and arrange on a steaming plate.

Fry salt fish with a little oil till light golden brown and crispy then sprinkle over the chicken.

Steam over rapid boiling water for 20-25 mins until the chicken is tender. Serve hot with rice.

Notes: If you don't want it too oily, reduce the amount of oil used for frying as much as you can. Always add less soy sauce first, the salt fish might produce saltiness to this dish and just add the soy sauce to taste after the dish are cooked.

Happy Cooking !!! ~☻

(Non-Halal) BBQ Pork Buns - "开口笑"~叉烧包

叉烧包 - pronouns as "Char Siu Bao" in cantonese means BBQ Pork Bun. There are variety types of Char Siu Bao out there - steamed, baked or fried Char Siu Bao. For me, I prefer the mini steamed one and those which "smile"/cracked on top of the baos. I've read several recipes online and I found some of them are very time consuming. We have to let the dough proof overnight about 8-10hrs and very complicated ingredients using shortening, ammonia and vinegar. As a beginner in 包's making, I don't have a bread maker/stand mixer and I have to hand knead the dough. I just try out this simple recipe of 叉烧包/Char Siu Bao shared by my close friend Wendy.

On my first time making this baos, everything turn out right. The baos are soft, fluffy and cracked like it has to be but there are tiny brown spots all over it. I try to figure out what happen to the tiny spots. I can't get the answer online as Wendy are not online at the time and I try to search and read others blog but still couldn't got the answer. Since I still have some "char siu" fillings left, straight I make the second batch of this little baos. The result is still the same, everything are okay except the brown spots again. What I did to cause the brown spots???

Although there are brown spots on my baos, but the baos are all finished up by my kids and I give some to my parents too~lol... It's really yummy!!

I leave message for Wendy, telling her my problems. She figure out that, maybe I didn't knead and mix the baking powder mixture correctly. It's cause by the uneven dough. Arhh..maybe she is correct~lol..

I try making it again yesterday night. This time round, I put more time to knead the dough. Pour in the baking powder mixture slowly, bits by bits knead the dough till it's really mix thoroughly and soft. Oh my, finally I got the WHITE baos smiling at me~ yeah!!! Although it turn out much more better than my previous one but I still not very happy with the result of my baos. My baos still splits but not as pretty as Wendy's. Need more practice as practice makes perfect~haha!! I found it really hard when fold and sealing the baos after we spoon in the ingredients, really need more practice on that.

Bao's Skin Dough Ingredients:

(Recipe from The Adventures Of Giggles!!!)

Makes: 18~20 petite buns

(A)
4 g instant yeast
70 g warm water

(B)
140 g cake flour - 低筋面粉
60 g wheat starch - 澄面粉- normally used for cai kuih skin
60 g sugar
20 g oil

(C)
7 g baking powder
10 g water

Method:

Mix yeast in warm water.

Sieve cake flour and wheat starch together. Slowly add in the yeast water into ingredient (B) and knead to mix well, this will take about 20mins.

Let the dough rest for 90 minutes. The dough will be a bit dry at this stage. There will be another 10g water to be added in (C)

After 90 minutes, mix the dough with baking powder mix in 10g water. Slowly pour the baking powder mixture into the rested dough and knead the dough to mix well. Rest for another 20 minutes.

Divide the dough into 25g balls (for petite size bun).

Dust your working surface, hands and rolling pin with some flour.

Roll the ball to a 1.5" diameter skin (the middle should be thinner than the edge).

Spoon the BBQ pork mixture in the middle of the skin, fold and seal with your fingers. Do not let the fillings touch on the edge as this will make your buns not cracked/smiled.

Steam at high heat for 10 minutes (petite size), 12~15 minutes for bigger size baos.

Prepare the BBQ Pork Fillings:

Ingredients:

120g BBQ pork, diced finely - (recipe for BBQ Pork)
1 tsp sesame oil
1/2 tsp fresh grated ginger
1/2 tsp oyster sauce
1 tsp soy sauce
1 tsp thick soy sauce
1 tsp hoisin sauce
a pinch of five spices powder
a pinch of white pepper
1 tsp honey
1 tsp corn starch
some roasted sesame seed
1/4 cup spring onion, chopped

some water

Method:

In a bowl, add in all ingredients and mix well. Warm the non-stick pan and stir in the fillings until it's a bit sticky. Stir in the roasted sesame and green onion.

Click HERE for more 叉烧包/Char Siu Bao's and the filling's recipe at My Home Kitchen.

Fine Butter Cake

Butter cake was the cake I used to bake for my family all the while. They simply love it so much. It's great for breakfast, teatime snack and to serve our guest on special occasion. Recently, I've been busy on trying out new recipes and I didn't bake butter cake for quite sometime. When I browse through this Fine Butter Cake recipe in Do What I Like - Florence's Blog, her butter cake straight caught my eyes. I do miss eating them!!! After read her recipe, I decided to give it a try as her recipe are different from the butter cake I used to baked. Her recipe requires corn starch and whipping cream and looking at the picture of her cake, the cake texture really fine,,.. no wonder it's called "Fine Butter Cake" ~☻

This cake are easy to bake, it's suitable for beginner who just started baking and I tell you, when you smell the buttery smells of this yummy butter cake warm from the oven. I'm sure you'll end up like me ~LOL I take a bite on this cake as soon as I finished doing my photography of the cakes for my blog.

The texture of the cake are very different from the butter cake I used to bake. It's very fine with rich buttery smell and with the right amount of sweetness, if it's more moist then this cake would be perfect. I found it a bit dry. Maybe I'll add a little more oil or butter when I bake this again.

Here goes the recipe for this Fine Butter Cake
(recipes from Florence - Do What I Like)

Ingredients:
150 g Golden Churn Butter (softened)
1 tbsp corn oil/olive oil (I use corn oil)
110g sugar
pinch of salt
1 tsp vanilla essence/1/2 tsp vanilla paste
3 large egg
140 g cake flour
40 g corn starch
1/3 tsp baking powder
3 tbsp whipping cream/milk

What to do:

Sieve together twice cake flour, corn starch and baking powder into a large bowl. Set aside.
Cream butter, sugar, salt, oil, and vanilla till it's fluffy and pale.
Add in eggs one at the time, beat well to mix after each addition.
Add in the flour mixture and mix at low speed till well blended.
Stir in the whipping cream and mix well.
Pour the batter into a lined or greased 8"x4" loaf pan and bake at 180C for 35 - 45 minutes or till it's golden brown and the toothpick inserted in the center came out clean.

Tips shared by Florence:

Notes: After the batter 10 - 12 minutes in the oven, remove it and make a length-wise cut on the surface of the batter with a knife so that the cake will "explode"/cracked nicely with a neat line in the middle.

For best result of this recipe use Golden Churn brand butter and whipping cream.

HAPPY BAKING ~☻

Swirl Skin Curry Puff

One of my favourite snack are curry puff. It was my favourite since my schooling days and I'll eat it almost everyday, without getting bored. I just love the crispy pastry with the curry potato fillings. All the while I'll just bought 2 or 3 pieces from the stall selling kuih when I'm craving for them. I wanted to learn making curry puff long time ago but I couldn't find a good recipe for it. I want to thank my friend Wendy for sharing her wonderful recipe of swirl skin curry puff with me. Wendy, the curry puffs are yummy!! ~☻

Recipe from The Adventures Of Giggles :

Puff's Fillings Recipe:
150 g chicken breast - diced, marinate with some salt and curry powder
200 g potato - diced
20 g carrot - chopped
30 g tomato - diced
250 g shallots - minced
1 stalk lemon grass - crushed
5~6 piece curry leaves
2 tbsp spoon curry powder - mix with some water
sugar and salt to taste
some water
2~3tbsp thick coconut milk

Dough Recipe:

Water Dough:
350 g all purpose flour/plain flour
40 g margarine
180 ml hot water
1/3 tsp salt

Oil Dough:
120 g all purpose flour/plain flour
60 g margarine

Method:

Puff's Filling:

Heat the wok/pan with some oil, stir in the minced shallot and cook until it's fragrant.
Add in lemon grass, curry leaves and curry powder, stir for about 2 minutes.
Add in potato dices, carrot and tomato, stir and cook for another 5 minutes or until potato sightly tender.
Slowly add some water for better cooking.
Add the chicken and cook until they are done
Sugar and salt to taste.
Stir in coconut milk and cook for another minute or two.
Remove from heat and set aside.

Prepare the dough:

Water dough:
Melt the margarine, salt in the hot water.
Make a well in the middle of flour and pour in the margarine salt water
Mix well and knead to form a smooth dough. Let it rest for 15 minutes. If it is too dry to handle, rub your hands with some water to work on it.
Divide the dough to 8 portion.

Oil dough:
Rub margarine into flour until they mixed well, divide to 8 portion.

Wrapping the puffs:(for 2" diameter curry puff mold)

Wrap the oil dough with water dough.
Flatten it to a 4" X 6" piece sheet using the rolling pin.
Roll it up lengthwise like making swiss roll
Repeat the step #2 and # 3.
Cut the roll into 6 piece portions.
With the cutting edge facing down on your work surface, roll it to a "2.5~3" circle skin.
Place the skin on the mold, fill up with the curry filling, fold the mold and trim the extra skin.
Remember to keep the sealing edge clean and oil free, or your curry puff will "pecah"/breaks when we fry it.
Fry the curry puffs until it's golden brown.

Try it!! Happy Cooking ~☻

Double-Boiled D.O.M Chicken

ATTENTION: Pretty mommies out there!!! Let me introduce to all of you this very nutricious, delicious, easy and simple dish. When I first visit a Chinese Acurpunture Master few years ago, I got introduce to this dish by him. When I first saw his 63 years old wife at his home that time. I was wondering how she could maintained her good health and beautiful skin, she doesn't look like a 60 years old lady at all. Her face are free of wrinkles and freckles. Her face and neck look so firm and both her cheeks are rosy red in colour. I asked him half jokingly "Wow, what your wife eat, she look so young & pretty???" He smiled and tell me, "It's easy, let me teach you a simple recipe and my wife cook this most of the time" .... that's this simple & easy Double-Boiled D.O.M Chicken☻.

Wolfberries & red dates are used for this dish.

Chicken drumsticks in the double-boiled pot with all the ingredients.

This dishes are suitable for those who are in their confinement too, just add in a few slices of ginseng & cook it on low fire for longer time.

Recipe for this Double-Boiled D.O.M Chicken:

Ingredients:

2 big chicken drumsticks
3 tbsp D.O.M liquor
1 tbsp ginger juice
5 tbsp water (optional, I prefer it to have some soup to go with white rice)
1 tbsp wolfberries
10 red dates
1/2 tsp sesame oil

pinch of salt

* I measured the ingredients with the spoon we normally use for drinking soup-bigger size one*

Ways to prepare it:

Remove all the fat you can see on drumsticks and raise it to clean with water.
Place the chicken drumsticks into the double-boil pot.
Add in ginger juice, D.O.M, water, sesame oil.
Raise the wolfberries and red dates before add into the pot.
Cover the pot and cook the chicken on high heat until the water at the lower layer of the double boiler are boiling.
Lower down the heat and continue to cook for about 40 minutes.
Switch off the fire and place the chicken drumsticks on a bowl.
Stir in some salt into the chicken soup and pour the soup onto the drumsticks.
Serve hot with or without rice.

D.O.M Liquor

Notes: We can always use the whole chicken for this dishes. Just double or triple the ingredients used and it's all depend on the size of the chicken. Children too can take this, as the alchohol's content have reduced after we cook them. It's delicious!! ~☻

Steamed Egg Cake

Yay~ Yay~ I'm back finally !!! It's really sorry to say that, I can't get online because my WiMax account got suspended ~☻. I didn't pay a cent since the first day I sign up the internet service. I was frusfrated when the connection are slow and it also keep on disconnect most of the time and was in between the decision to continue using its service and vice-versa.

In the passed weeks, I've been browsing for this steamed egg cake recipes online and came up with few different way of making it. Some recipe required the "chiu peah" and I saw one recipe using "7-up" as their ingredients. I would like to apologise for those who are waiting me to post the recipe of this steamed egg cake because I've actually make this cakes using the "Happy Grass" steamed cake-mix and I don't have the actual recipe for it.

I don't know if you can get this type of steamed cake-mix at your place but it's truly recommended by me. The cakes are yummy, not too sweet, soft, fluffy and the most important part is it's cracked at the top and "smiled" when we steamed it.

Each time when I bake my own cakes, I try not to use as much colourings, flavour essense or preservatives on it. At first I just want to make this cake in white colour but my elder daughter, she want it in pink. Just like the one she use to eat, the one that I bought for her from the market. I scoop few big spoons of the batter into another bowl, mix it with a drop of pink food colouring and cover the white batter in the paper cup with a spoon of this pink batter before I steamed them and here we got the lovely pinky cakes~ ☻

"Happy Grass" steamed cake-mix that I've been use to bake those lovely cakes above.

Here is the recipe for the simple steamed egg cake:

1 packet of Happy Grass steamed cake mix

4 eggs (room temperature)

100ml milk (room temperature)

Method :

Beat the eggs and milk in high speed till the bubbles appears (about 2 mins).
Add in the steamed cake mix graduallyand continue to blend for 6 minutes till the mixture is smooth and white.
Spoon the mixture into the lined steam cups, about 90% full. Use a small knife coated with some oil and draw a cross "X" mark on top of the batter.
Steam the cakes in steamer with hot boiling water for 15-25mins (depend on size of the cups).