Madeleines

Ingredients:
160g castor sugar
Zest of 1 lemon
3 eggs
50ml milk
170g plain  flour
30g corn flour
11/2 tsps baking powder
1 tsp vanilla essence
200g salted butter, melted


Method:

1. Sift flour and baking powder set aside.
2. Mix the sugar with lemon zest and set it aside for 1 hour for the smell to be infused into the sugar.
3. Then add the eggs into the sugar mixture and beat until mixture is slightly thick and add in milk and mix well.
4. Add in sifted flour and mix well.
5. Add in melted butter and mix until batter is glossy. Cover with a cling wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour.
6. Oil the madeleines moulds with butter and lightly flour it. Tap away excess flour from the moulds.
7. Fill the moulds with batter just slightly more than ½ full.
8. Preheat oven at 190C and bake the madeleines for 15 to 20 minutes or until brown. Unmould and leave on rack to cool. You can sift some icing sugar or snow powder on the madeleines when it has cool down completely.

Adapted from: http://bakingmum.blogspot.com/2009/08/another-medeleines-recipe-for-you-to.html

Chocolate Hazelnut praline cake

It my birthday tomorrow. But somehow felt so deserted from the world outside. Anyway bake a cake for myself with lots of chocolates hoping that it helps.

Ugly looking cake, just like my feeling right now

Left over mousse, use it to sandwich the chocolate cake.

I used my same chocolate cake, hazelnut praline, chocolate hazelnut mousse and chocolate coating. Those bump on the mousse are the hazelnut. A lot of step in the process and left with no time for me to do a proper decorating. I had always wanted to do a proper piping on cake, but unable to do so :(  Excuses due to poor piping skill !

Piping Gel

Recently have been busying searching and planning cakes for myself and my daughter. Anyone out there please share chocolate praline royale mousse cake (Four leaves coco exotic cake)? Trying to do for my birthday on 25 Nov. Nothing beats a favorite and lovely cake bake by myself on my birthday. PLSSSS!!!

Prepare this gel for my daughter birthday cake decoration.

Ingredients:
2 tbsps gelatine
2 tbsps cold water
2 cups light corn syrup

Methods:

• Sprinkle the gelatin over the cold water in a small saucepan and let set for about 5 minutes.
• Double boil or microwave on low until the gelatin has become dissolved - DO NOT BOIL.
•  Add the syrup and heat thoroughly. Cool and store, refrigerated, for up to 2 months.

TO COLOR: Add coloring paste/gel or food coloring drops to get desired color.
TO USE: Put in icing bag or plastic squeeze bottle and decorate.




Adapted from www.dianasdesserts.com

Mango Yogurt Sponge Cake

Another overdue posting on May 2010.  I find it so difficult to to express my feeling in words and I'm so afraid that i might make a fool of myself by posting error here and there :( Anyway who cares, i am what i am. Blur Blur queen!!!

This is my another first attempt of sponge cake. I always find it so difficult to bake a sponge cake, as compare to chiffon. Don't understand why? This is a mini mould cake, but i was too lazy to grease the mini mould one by one. Hence, i did it into a "8 inch" cake square mould. Look ugly but delicious and not too sickening

Ingredients:
(A)
3 eggs
280g sponge mix
(B)
100g mango yogurt drink
(C)
120g melted butter
60g Mango yogurt

Methods:

1. Whip (A) until light. Stir in (B) and continue whipping until light and fluffy.
2. Fold in (C) and mix until well blended.
3. Pour the batter into a greased square mould. Bake at 180C 40 minutes remove foil and bake for 10 minutes to brown the surface.

Adapted from: Alex Goh baking book (Fruity Cakes)

Chocolate biscuit cake

Feeling so exhausted recently i decided to do some chocolaty stuff to boost my energy level and clear some stock in my cupboard. Here is a quick post of the recipes.

Ingredients: ("8 inch" square tin)

18 pieces of  Marie biscuits

140ml UHT whipping cream

350g cooking chocolate

1 tbsp butter

Methods:

1. Heat cream in double-boiler and add in chocolate and butter. Stir until chocolate has melted.
2. Leave to cool slightly before pouring in the cake tin.
3. Divide into 3 portion.
4. Spread evenly on the base of a fully grease and lined cake tin.
5. Place the Marie biscuit 3 by 3, total 9 pieces.
6. Using the 2nd portion of chocolate spread evenly on the biscuit.
7. Then repeat step 5 method. Lastly use the 3rd portion chocolate pour and spread properly.
8. Cover tin and put into the fridge until set.

This taste abit like kit Kat to me. Slice and wipe your knife after each cut. Warning don't attempt to stack the layer thick. It's better to watch your waistline :)

Dragon Fruit Chiffon

This was done long time ago during July. I was so hooked on cafe world at that time, that i did not post in my blog. Hee!!! So lazy of me :< My MIL like to buy dragon fruits alot and my family do not like to eat and instead of waiting for it to serve the bin. I use it to bake chiffon cake, at the same time i can practice my skill.( Kill two bird at one time)

Ingredients:

(I)

4 large egg yolks
40g sugar
180g mashed dragon fruit
40g vegetable oil
1/4 tsp salt

(II)

120g plain flour ( i remove 2 tbsp of plain flour and replace with 2 tbsp corn flour)
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda

(III)
5 large egg whites
40g sugar
1/4 tsp cream of tartar

Methods:

1. Hand whisk egg yolks with sugar until dissolves.
2. Add salt, oil, banana essence and mashed banana mix until combined.
3. Then add in the sifted flour, mix until no lump form.
4. In another bowl whisk egg whites at a high speed until frothy, add in the cream of tartar whisk till soft peaks. Add in the sugar in patches and whisk till stiff peaks.
5. Fold 1/3 of the meringue and mix with the egg yolk until combined. Add the remaining meringue and mix well.
6. Pour the batter into 21cm chiffon tin. Bake at 180c for 50 mins.
7. Remove the foil and bake for 5-10 mins for browning the surface.

I used my banana chiffon recipes for this. I will not bake this again, it taste normal and nobody in my family wants to eat. Because it dragon fruit i think.

Dengue Fever

Firstly, i not too sure if this helps. But personally my hubby caught dengue this year on Jan 2010 and discharge 4 days before Chinese new year. It was so scary his blood count was below 28 and have to infuse a packet of blood early in the morning. Then go around asking and seeking advise on what Chinese herbal to brew for him.

At the same time i have to bring my son to school and preparing for coming new year. Phew so tiring!!! I hardly have any sleep. So if anyone out there, whoever have loved ones that caught this virus, please try this method it seem to work for me and it brings up his blood platelets.

I even shared with my sis in law and she pass this recipes to her friend son who just caught dengue fever. He was admitted to hospital and that very night his mum bought this soup for him and surprising doctor said he can be discharge on that day. As his blood count was better. His mum was so happy and thank me continuously.

Ingredients:

1. 3 whole frogs (tian chi skin remove), chopped slightly
2. 8 small bitter gourd (can put the whole bitter gourd or remove the seed inside)
3. 10g of wolf berries
4. 20g of seedless red dates

Method:

• Wash clean put everything into the slow cooker and double boil until all the juices come out. (About 2 hours)
• Do not add anything. If you are going to use it as normal drink, try adding a bottle of chicken essence or any bottle of herbal. (such as tong Cong char). This is to help to speed up, the immune system. Coz during recovering process, the body structure is still very weak. You will need to boil tonic, just like doing confinement.

If suffer for more then 2 weeks. Try using grounded 8 papaya leaf soup. If got any enquires, pls leave a message in my blog. I can share more with you. I'm plain too lazy to type everything out. Lol!

Hope it helps for those with loved one suffering from this horrible mosquitoes virus.

M&M Shortbread Cookies

Some cookies for my son to bring to school Christmas party celebration. His school holiday starts at 19 Nov, so the school decided to bring forward their Christmas celebration and was requested to bring some finger food to school on that day to share with their friends. I guess all kids will be thrill to have chocolate treats.

Ingredients
210g plain flour, sifted
50g cornflour, sifted
100g chocolate chips
226g butter (room temperature)
60g icing sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
Some M&M chocolate for deco

Method

• Whisk butter until smooth and creamy. (i use hand whisk)
• Add sugar beat until smooth, then add vanilla essence.
• Gently, fold in flour mixture until incorporated. (Do not over mix)
• Flatten the dough to the thickness as desired and freeze for 2 hours.
• Using any cookies cutter of your preferences and cut.
• Place it on a baking sheet freeze another 20 minutes.
• Put into a preheated oven and bake for 15-20 minutes until lightly brown.
• Cookies must be completely cool to be store in an air-tight container.

Left over dough can be freeze up for weeks, if wrapped properly. Optional you can add chopped nuts to enhance the taste. I prefer thicker cookies. I like this cookies very much as i do like hard cookies and the taste wise is very crunchy and not hard.

Noted: The dough is very sticky, flour the work surface and cookies cutter. Can be spoon drop on baking sheet.

Extracted from: joyofbaking

Blueberry Jam and Yogurt Chiffon Cake

Wondering whether to submit or not. Another post of Chiffon submitting to: Aspiring Bakers #1: Chiffon Cakes (Nov 2010) http://smallsmallbaker.blogspot.com/2010/11/aspiring-bakers-1-chiffon-cakes-nov.html

As compare to my previous fresh blueberry and yogurt chiffon, i had horrible large holes that looks so scary. So this time round i tried using blueberry jam instead of fresh blueberry. Mmmh!!! What i can said it looks so much better then scary cat eyes. One thing that i love chiffon cake is that i do not need to grease the tin and it taste so soft.

Ingredients
4 Egg yolks
40g Castor sugar
40ml Oil
100g Blueberry yogurt (i used low fat yogurt)
80g Blueberry jam (i used homemade)
120g Plain flour** (cake flour)
1 tsp Baking powder
Pinch of salt

4 Egg Whites
40g Castor sugar
1/4 Cream of Tartar

Method

• Whisk yolks and sugar until dissolves.
• Add oil, salt, blueberry jam and yogurt. Mix well.
• Then add in sifted flour, baking powder and mix until no lump.
• Using an electric mixer, beat egg whites till frothy. Add in cream of tartar and beat until soft peaks, follow by the sugar continue to beat until stiff peaks.
•  Fold in 1/3 of the meringue and mix with the egg yolk until well combined. Add the remaining meringue and mix well.
• Pour the batter into 21cm chiffon cake tin. Bake at 180C for 50 mins. Remove the foil and bake for 10 mins to brown the surface.
• Immediately invert it after taking out from the oven. When it cools, remove it from the mould.

American Carrot Chiffon Cake

Aspiring Bakers #1: Chiffon Cakes (Nov 2010)

This is the first time i decided to join in a challenge and i find it's an interesting experience for me. Usually, i'll alway hid in a corner sliently every night searching blogs and source for new recipes to improve my baking skill .  Hence, i'm sumitting this post to Aspiring Bakers #1: Chiffon Cakes (Nov 2010) http://smallsmallbaker.blogspot.com/2010/11/aspiring-bakers-1-chiffon-cakes-nov.html

 

Ingredients A  (21cm chiffon tin)

4 Egg yolks

40ml Oil

80ml Milk

50g Castor sugar

120g Carrot, Shredded

60g Walnuts, chopped

Pinch of salt

120g Plain Flour (i used 100g plain flour and 20g cornflour)

1 tsp Baking Powder

11/2 tsp Cinnamon powder

Ingredients B

4 Egg Whites ** (5 Egg White if desired)

50g Castor Sugar

1/4 tsp Cream of Tartar

Methods

1. Mix A until well blended.
2. Whisk the egg whites in B until foamy. Then add in the sugar and cream of tartar. Continue whisking until stiff.
3. Take 1/4 of the meringue and mix it into the egg yolk mixture from step (1) until combined. Add the remaining meringue and mix well.
4. Pour the batter into the chiffon tin. Bake at 180C for 50 minutes and 10 minutes to brown the surface.
5. Immediately invert it after taking out from the oven and let it cool.

Black and White Chocolate Mousse Cake

Baked a chocolate mousse cake for my V sister 20 years old birthday. It was very time consuming, as i need to rush between housework and it falls during weekend. The kid do not have to go school. I had to handle multi task during cake making process. In the end, i spend the whole day making this cake. During the process i have to feed my 2 kids, do the washing and even cooking.

But my hard work pays off, coz my sis feedback was marvellous. My mum dislike me baking cake, coz she find it a waste of time. I do not have proper baking classes and she got negative thought of my baking. Worse of all she hate cakes.  My sis told me that, this is the first time my mum said it was very delicious and go for second and third helping. Ooh gosh!!! I was so happy :)

Our family birthday are somehow very close. Finally, i can have my chance to bake a birthday cake, as an excuse to spend more time in baking. Lol. My both sis 23 oct, 1 Nov, mine 25 Nov, daughter 10 dec, hubby 19 dec, son 08 Jan and follow by feb and march. Great!!!

OK ok ... Back to baking..

Prepare 2 pieces 1cm thick and "8 inch" chocolate sponge cake

Dark Chocolate Mousse        

Ingredients A                                                            

50g milk    

1 tsp instant coffee powder

 Ingredients B                       

20g sugar

1 egg yolk

Ingredients C                                                            

60g dark couverture (melted)           

Ingredients D                                                                               
2 tsp gelatine                                                            

30g water           

Ingredients E                                                            

140g Whipped topping cream

White Chocolate Mousse
Ingredients A
50g milk
Ingredients B
20g sugar
1 egg yolk
Ingredients C
60g White couverture (melted)
Ingredients D
2 tsp gelatine
30g water
Ingredients E
140g Whipped topping cream

 
Dark Chocolate Mousse:
Method

1. Cook A until boils. Add into B, mix until well-blended. Continue to cook for 1 min.
2. Add in C, mix until well-combined. Mix D until well-combined and place it over double boil, cook until gelatine has melted.
3. Add it into the above mixture, mix until well-blended. Cool it over ice water to 30C.
4. Add in E, mix until well incorporated. Place 1 layer of the cake onto the bottom of "8inch" ring mould.
5. Pour some dark chocolate mousse onto the cake. Top second layer of the cake.
6. Keep in the fridge for 15 mins while preparing the white chocolate mousse.

White Chocolate Mousse:
Method

1. Cook A until boils. Add into B, mix until well-blended. Continue to cook for 1 min.
2. Add in C, mix until well-combined. Mix D until well-combined and place it over double boil, cook until gelatine has melted.
3. Add it into the above mixture, mix until well-blended. Cool it over ice water to 30C. Add in E, mix until well incorporated.
4. Remove the cake and pour the white chocolate mousse on top. Keep in the fridge to let it set over-night.

Happy baking....
Recipe source: adapted from  Alex Goh Bakingcode

Pandan egg tarts

My first attempt and it turns out delicious. I'll definitely try again.

Ingredients:

Pastry Tart Shell:
250g butter
50g sugar
1/4 tsp salt (omit if using salted butter)
1 egg beaten
360g Plain flour (sifted)

Pandan Egg Custard:
100ml hot water
80g sugar
50g pandan juice
50g fresh milk
3 eggs
a drop of green colouring (i use pandan paste)

Method:

Pastry Tart Shell:

1. Cream butter with sugar until creamy. Add in beaten egg gradually and mix till well combined.
2. Add in sifted flour and mix into a pliable dough.
3. Wrap the dough and chill for 20 mins.
4. Press into tart mould and leave in the fridge to chill, while prepared the egg custard.

Pandan egg custard:

1. Mix hot water with sugar till sugar dissolves. Add in the rest of the ingredients and sieve it twice.
2. Pour egg custard until almost to the rim (80% full), taking care not to let it overflowed to the edge.
3. Bake at preheated oven 160C 30 mins. Remove Pandan Egg Tarts and leave to cool on a wire rack.

Tips:

• BE CAREFUL not to let the egg liquid flows to the side, or else it will be difficult to remove from the tart mould.
• Don't need to bake the raw tarts.
• Personal note: 180 25-30mins, using lowest rack top and bottom heat.

Extract from aunty yochana's

Strawberry marshmallow cake

This is the first cake i bake for younger sis 19 birthday. I really crack my head for a special and yummy cake for my dear sister. Through out the whole process, i encounter lots of unexpected surprises. Such as the cake drop when i remove from oven, then placing the strawberry too slow, not enough space for jello (realize that i bought cake tin too small), strawberry too sour and many were spoilt. Then forgot to line the cake tin had difficulty in removing and etc. But i finally completed it.

I make a chocolate cake with walnut and chocolate chips, as base. Then strawberry milk marshmallow, topping using Raspberries jam with gelatin. Neverless to said i really tried my best, really hope she like it. The feedback was excellent, all thanks to hug bear recipes.

Recipes source from bakingmum.blogspot.com/2006/11/strawberry-marshmallow-cake.html