Chocolate Marble Chiffon

After successfully baking my very first chiffon cake - Banana Chiffon Cake. I straight got hooked to this new method of baking cake. All the while I will just bake butter cake and cupcakes or muffins. As mentioned in my previous Banana Chiffon Cake post, I don't bother to learn baking chiffon cake as we can easily get them in the supermarket or morning market. But, after all I don't think we can get the banana flavour, chocolate marble chiffon, green tea flavour etc..etc.. out there, right?..

I think I have found a chiffon's cake master - Kitchen Corner, most of the chiffon cake she baked turn out fantastic and I hope to try out all her recipes. What attract me to try out her recipe beside viewing on her yummy cake pics is her chiffon recipe without the use of baking powder, soda bicarbonate or the cream of tartar. Amazing right??? I always limit the use of flavour essense or food colouring in all my baking. I got excited when I know I can bake a cake without baking powder and cream of tartar. Simply interesting right?? and,.. the cake turn out GREAT! Soft and spongy, not too moist or too dry. It's just perfect!

I modify the recipe from Kitchen Corner to fix my size 23cm cake pan. I reduce some sugar as I still found it is still a bit sweet. Guess what, I bake this Chocolate Marble Chiffon twice in one day. My first cake all gone in 30mins time. I give half of the cake to my mother in law. My kids each had 2 slices for breakfast. As I wanted to give some to my parent as well, so I bake another cake...hehe! The second cake turn out with even nicer marble pattern or effect... yeah!! I can bake it very well already~ hahaha! Oh well, practice makes perfect right? teehee..

Here is the recipe I modify from Kitchen Corner
(my recipe is for 23cm cake pan, please refer to recipe at Kitchen Corner if you are using a 21cm cake pan)

Chocolate Marble Chiffon Recipe:

(A)
95g egg yolks
25g caster sugar
pinch of salt
1 tbsp honey (optional)

(B)
80g cooking oil (I use corn oil)
80g water

(C)
95g flour (I use cake flour)

(D)
10g cocoa powder
10g flour

(E)
240g egg whites
120g caster sugar (I reduced to 110g)
15g corn flour

Method:

1. Cream ingredient (A) with hand whisk till sugar dissolved.
2. Add in ingredient (B) in respective order and mix well before adding the next item.
3. Fold in ingredient (C) and mix till no lumps.
4. Divide the egg yolks mixture into two equal portion in two separate mixing bowl.
5. Mix 10g flour into one of the egg yolks mixture and 10g cocoa powder into the other bowl of egg yolks mixture respectively. Mix well till no lumps.
6. Beat egg whites in a clean large bowl until soft foam. Gradually add in sugar, one tablespoon at a time and finally add in corn flour. Mix well.
7. The egg whites mixture should be peak foam, smooth and shiny.
8. Gently fold in half of the egg whites mixture into the cocoa egg yolk mixture and plain mixture accordingly until well combined (Note: Make sure the egg whites are well combined with the egg yolks mixture, do it slowly and gently without breaking the egg whites)
9. To assemble the marble effect: Spoon in the plain batter to three or four different corner of the 23cm cake pan, then continue to cover the plain batter with cocoa batter. Layer by layer till the end. Bake at preheated oven at 170c for 35-45 minutes or till it's cooked.
10. Invert the cooked cake immediately on a wire rack until it's completely cool before remove the cake from cake pan.

HAPPY BAKING!

AMY

Butter Raisin Cupcakes

On Thursday, I bring my 3 kids to pray at a temple near Naka. It's about 1 hour drive from Alor Star. The temple there held the candle lighting prayer. It's believe will bring us brighter future and success in whatever we do. I bake this butter raisin cupcakes and bring it along, just in case my kids hungry they can have a bite on it. A quick bake, nothing fussy or complicated ~ 12 Butter Raisin Cupcakes are ready in less than an hour time.

Tada... here is my 12 yummy cupcakes!!!!

Ingredients needed for baking this yummy cupcakes:

This recipe yields 12 cupcakes

140 g butter, softened
110 g castor sugar
3 eggs
1/2 tsp vanilla essense (increase it to 1 tsp if you prefer it more vanilla flavour)
200 g cake flour
2 tsp baking powder
pinch of salt
45 g raisin

Method:

• Sieve cake flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside.
• Cream butter and castor sugar till it's pale and light (Approx. 2 mins)
• Add in egg one at a time and mix till it's well combined.
• Add in vanilla essense.
• Preheat oven at 170c.
• Fold in flour mixture slowly until finished all the flour.
• Lastly, add raisin and mix well.
• Scoop the batter into cupcake liners and bake in the preheated oven for 30 mins or till it's golden brown colour and cooked.

A very easy recipe for baking newbie out there. Do give it a try!!

P/S: If you wish to add more raisin, reduce the amount of sugar used or it'll be too sweet.

HAPPY BAKING!

AMY

(Non-Halal) Braised Fried Pork Belly - Hakka Style（客家炸肉）

Braised Pork Belly - Hakka Style（客家炸肉）。This is one of my mother in-law signature dishes and one of our family's favourite. My mother in-law will cook this dishes whenever there are special occasions like Chinese Lunar New Year, etc. Although we are not "Hakka" but we just simply cannot resist this yummy dishes of "Hakka" people. In "Hokkien" we call it "Zhar Bak" means "Fried Meat". The used of 'reddish cheese' - （南乳）make it taste differently with other meat dishes we have and I love the black fungus in the dish. It's yummy!

Ingredients A:

1kg pork belly with skin
100g black fungus (soaked & cut into biting size)
30g chopped garlic
1 stalk coriander (sectioned)
1 1/2 tbsp plain flour
1000ml water

Ingredients B:

150g shallots
8 garlic cloves

Marinade:

1 egg (beaten)
1 1/2 tsp sugar
1/4 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp salt
1 tbsp lime juice
1 1/4 pieces reddish cheese（南乳）
1 tsp five spices powder
2 tbsp rose wine

Seasoning:

1/4 tsp reddish cheese（南乳）
1/4 tsp five spices powder
1/2 tbsp "Shaoxing" wine
1/2 tsp salt

Method:

• Blend ingredients B finely become paste and squeeze, reserved the shallot and garlic juice. Set aside.
• Clean and cut the pork belly into small pieces. Marinate it with the marinade ingredients and the shallot & garlic juice (ingredients B), marinate for at least 4-5 hours or preferably overnight in the fridge wrapped with cling wrap.
• Coat the meat with plain flour and deep fried into hot oil at high heat until it's golden brown in colour. Dish out and leave aside.
• Leave 2 tbsp oil in the wok, fragrant 1 tsp chopped garlic, add in water, seasoning and bring to boil.
• Place in pre-fried pork belly pieces and black fungus, bring to boil. Cover, simmer at low heat for 30-40 minutes until the pork belly pieces are tender and the flavour has been absorbed.
• Lastly, add in the remaining chopped garlic and mix well. Cook for further 5 minutes, sprinkle with coriander. Dish up and serve warm.

P/S: This dish will be tastier if we keep overnight. We can always prepare this dish one day ahead and keep it in the fridge before we heat it and serve.

Just in case you don't know what's reddish cheese/red fermented beancurd（南乳）or how it looks like??

source of picture from flickr Piggy

HAPPY COOKING!!

AMY

Banana Chiffon Cake

Chiffon cake is one of my favourite cake. I love it's spongy and soft texture, not too oily and very light. I don't even bother to find out it's recipe as I can get it at the market with cheap price. A friend of mine, Ai Lee borrow me her Chiffon Cake Is Done - Bake with Kevin Chai recipe book the other day. After flipped over the pages and read it, I finally make up my mind to try this Banana Chiffon Cake since I have all the ingredients needed.

-the top of the cake after 3hrs cooling time-

-texture of the cake ~it's very soft and spongy-

This recipe will be a great keeper for sure. My first chiffon cake turn out GREAT! The texture of the cake are just nice, it's soft and spongy, not too moist or dry. I follow exactly the ingredient stated in the book without reduce the amount of sugar and the sweetness of the cake are just nice, not too sweet. I omitted the usage of banana essense and colouring. However, this cake still contain natural sweet banana smells on it even though without the usage of banana essense.

-my first chiffon cake-

Ingredients:

Egg Yolk Batter

6 egg yolks
1/4 tsp salt
60ml corn oil
170g banana puree
1/2 tsp banana essense (optional)
50g caster sugar
few drops yellow colouring (optional)
110g plain flour (I use super soft flour)
1/4 tsp bicarbonate of soda

Egg White Foam

6 egg whites
1/2 tsp cream of tartar
100g caster sugar

Method:

• To make egg yolk batter: Combine egg yolks, salt, oil, banana puree, essense (if you are using), sugar and colouring (if you are using) in a mixing bowl. Mix till well combined.
• Fold in flour and bicarbonate of soda until forms batter. (sieve the flour with soda first before mix it in the egg yolk mixture)
• To make egg white foam: Beat egg whites and cream of tartar until mixture forms soft peaks. Gradually add in sugar, beating at high speed until frothy and stiff peaks form. (*make sure the bowl and the mixer use to beat the egg whites are free from oil*)
• Gently fold the beaten egg white foam into egg yolk batter until it's well blended.
• Pour batter into ungreased 9" (22cm) tube cake pan. Bake in preheated oven at 170c for 30-40 minutes or until it's cooked.
• Remove from oven, invert cake onto table until it's completely cooled before unmould it.

This is a worth-try recipe. Do give it a try when you free.

HAPPY BAKING!!

AMY

Double-Boiled Peanut Root Chicken Soup

I made this Peanut Root Soup for my 12 yrs old son after I got to know it's nutrients and that this soup help youngsters to grow taller. It help to increase immunity and promote better health especially when given to them during their teen years. I don't know how true is it and there is also no scientific report on how the soup made from peanut root would affect the growth of children but, it's no harm to try right?? Nevertheless, the soup is very tasty!!

- This is how the peanut root look like-

To make this soup we need:

100g peanut roots (wash and clean it's soil)
1 young male chicken (cut into 4 pieces)
10 red dates
1 tbsp wolfberries
1 bowl of water
salt to taste


What to do?

1. Place peanut roots, chicken, red dates and wolfberries into the pot.

2. Pour 1 bowl of water in it. Fill the lower layer of the pot with water and bring to boil.

3. Lower fire and cook it for 3 - 4 hrs.

4. Add some salt to taste. Serve warm.

5. It's best taken at night before bedtime.


HAPPY COOKING!

AMY

ABC Soup

ABC Soup, why it's call ABC soup since we didn't see any of the 26 alphabets in it??? This is actually soup with potatoes, sweet corns, carrots, tomatoes and onions as ingredients. Maybe, it's the mixture of all those colourful ingredients got it named "ABC soup" This soup is famous among children. They just love it so much, and so do I ! ☻

My kids requested me to cook them their favourite ABC soup today. I use chicken bones to make the stock for this soup as my kids normally won't take the meat. They just love the potato, corn and carrot in it. This soup taste naturally sweet and it's very easy to cook.

Here is the recipe for this ABC Soup:

Ingredients:

600 g chicken bones (can replace it with the same amount of chicken thigh)

2 sweet corns (unskinned and cut into 4 big chunks)
500 g potatoes (peeled & cut half)
1 large carrot (peeled & cut into bite size)
2 large tomatoes (quartered)
2 large onions (peeled & cut into wedges)

some peppercorn (about 1/2 tbsp, smashed)

2 litre water

salt to taste

Method:

• Get all the ingredients ready. Remove the skin, blood and fat on the chicken bones. Clean it with water and set a side.
• In a pot, bring the 2 litre water to boil. Add in the smashed peppercorn, chicken bones and sweet corn. Let it cook for 5 - 10 mins.
• Add in potatoes, carrots and onions. Continue to let it boil for 10 mins. Lower the heat and continue to simmer until the potatoes and carrot turn soft.
• Lastly, add the tomatoes and salt, continue to simmer for 5 - 10 mins until the tomatoes are cooked.
• Serve hot with dash of pepper on it.

p/s: Click HERE for more ABC Soup related post!!

Happy Cooking!! ☻

AMY

(Non-Halal) Pork Belly & Preserved Mustard Cabbage -“梅菜猪肉”

For those who follows my BLOG, I'm sorry to keep you all waiting for my updates. I was busy and also down with fever last week. After my son was down with fever, it's me and then my youngest daughter. It's school holidays and all of us are sick...too bad ya!!

“梅菜猪肉”- Pork Belly with Preserved Mustard Cabbage are one of my favourite dishes. I can finished one big bowl of rice with it.

For pork lovers out there, try out this dish and I bet you'll love it straight away. It's great to go with rice or porridge. If u eat them with rice, don't forget the sambal belacan ~ slurppss!

Here is my very own recipe to cook it, try it... :)


What you need:

800g pork belly with skin, thickly sliced
400g salted preserved mustard cabbages
80g garlic cloves, skinned & flatten

Seasoning:
1 1/2 tbsp oyster sauce
1 1/2 tbsp "Shao Xing" cooking wine
1 tbsp dark soy sauce
sugar to taste

3 tbsp cooking oil


What to do:

Wash and sliced the meat. Drain the excessive water and marinate it with oyster sauce, cooking wine & dark soy sauce for at least 30 mins.

Rinse to clean the preserved mustard cabbage from salt. Cut the preserved mustard cabbage finely and soak into clean water for 20-30 mins (this depend on the saltiness of the mustard) Remove, squeeze it's moisture and set a side.

Stir-fry preserved mustard cabbage in hot wok without oil for approx. 5 mins until aromatic and dry.

Heat oil in wok, fry the garlic till it's fragrant and golden brown. Add in just the meat (set aside the marinate meat sauce) and stir-fry briskly until it's aromatic. Stir in the preserved mustard cabbage and continue to stir-fry it till it's a bit dry and fragrant. Pour in the sauce from marinated meat, add sugar to taste and continue to stir-fry for 2-3 mins.

Place the half cooked meat into a small pot. Add water, enough to cover 80%-90% of the meat (too much water will make it tasteless) Bring the meat to boil. Cover and simmer at low heat for 1 hour. Stir constantly to make sure all the meat are evenly cooked.

Serve warm with rice.

HAPPY COOKING !!~☻

AMY