Pandan Kaya Roll

A simple Pandan Roll with kaya filling submitting to: Aspiring Bakers #9 July 2011 "Swiss Rolling Good Times" http://obsessedfoodie.blogspot.com/2011/07/aspiring-bakers-9-swiss-rolling-good.html

After 2 flung cases i was a quite dishearten, so secretly i told myself, this is my finally attempt (the deadline reaching, i have no time). The cake was left to cool on my table and my heart was pounding again. I wonder can the cake be roll, will it break into strip or crack. No! These was easy no cracks, no strip and even allow my son to touch too. Actually, my DH requested for a pandan chiffon, he complaint that i did not bake his favourite pandan cake for a long time and he is misses it so much. While preparing the ingredients for the chiffon, i remember that some blogger recommend that Swiss roll can be bake in chiffon method. So i quickly took a tray out and lined it with baking paper and then at the moment i was wondering should i grease it (luckily i did). Now i can finally roll a Swiss roll cake, tho picture was not well taken and roll was not attractive enough; but i was very contented, my family loves it. Especially my son (his golden mouth), he even took the little crumb i trim away from the cake side to eat licking his finger after eating too.

Ingredients

80g plain flour

20g corn flour

1 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp salt

4 egg yolks

50g castor sugar

11/2 tbsp pandan juice

90g coconut milk

30g canola oil

1/4 tsp pandan paste (optional)

4 egg whites

1/8 tsp cream of tartar

50g castor sugar

80-90g kaya (own preference)

Method

1.  Line all the side and bottom of the 35 x 27 x 3-cm tin with baking paper.
2. Sift the flour, baking powder and add the salt. Set aside.
3. Whisk the egg yolks and castor sugar until sugar dissolve. Add oil, pandan paste, coconut milk and flour ingredients mix till smooth.
4. Whip egg whites until foamy and add in the cream of tartar, following by the sugar. Continue whipping until stiff peak.
5. Mix the meringue with egg yolks mixture until well incorporated.
6. Pour it into the lined tin and bake it in a preheated oven at 200C for 15 minutes.
7. Unmould it immediately when done. when it is cool spread the kaya on the cake and roll it up.
8. Leave it in the fridge for 1 hour. Remove from fridge slice and serve.

Notes:

• For easy folding of meringue with egg yolks mixture, take 1/3 of the meringue and mix well. Then add into the rest of the meringue.
• Pandan paste was added to enhance the fragrance, can be replace with green colouring.
• Trim all side of the cake.
• I just grab the nearest tin around me.

Banana swiss roll

I wonder this Swiss roll was a success or failure again. I flung my previous one, it broke in strip while i tried to roll. These was a modified recipe, i did manage to roll up with slightly crack on the surface. But overall it was still quite good, i mean at least i can still roll up without any breaking in strip or pieces again. But i find it too soft and must really handle with care. It like rubbing lotion on a newborn baby. Phew! Finally manage to roll one after my third attempt. Maybe i should have try to make Swiss rolls like chiffon method.

 I always find that baking chiffon cake are much more easier than sponge cake. Again and again, i end making the same mistake (too greedy) always tried to stuff too many cream and cut my fruit too thick. Oh! Boy look at my fatty Swiss roll, adorable right.... I used the left over cream and play around by piping on the roll. Horrible piping, i know (the cream was not thaw, left in the fridge for two days). But my DH loves this roll alot, he finish the whole roll all by himself. The only complain i receive was the roll was too fragile, must handle with care and his tummy is becoming dibo.

The recipe was adapted from: http://smallsmallbaker.blogspot.com/2011/07/soft-spongy-banana-cake.html 

The original recipe was from: http://wensdelight.blogspot.com/2011/03/soft-spongy-banana-cake.html

Will be posting the recipes soon.

Fudge chocolaty cake

Suddenly had the craving to take very chocolaty stuff. Hence, recently have been baking alot of chocolate cupcakes to cakes. I was suppose to make a fudge icing, but my laziness creep in, Therefore i just dust some icing sugar on the cake.

Ingredients (Makes a 9 inch square tin)
100g caster sugar
100g brown sugar
130g dark chocolate
6 tbsps chocolate chips
350ml  chocolate milk
300g self-raising flour
130g unsalted butter, (softened)
1/4 tsp salt
1 large egg, (beaten)
2 tsps vanilla essence
some icing sugar to sprinkle

Method:

1. Grease and lined the cake tin. Preheat the oven to 180C.
2. Place half of sugar and chocolate in bowl. Heat the milk in a pan and when simmering remove from heat.
3. Add in the chocolate and sugar. Stir till chocolate melted and sugar dissolved.
4. In another bowl, whisk the butter, remaining sugar and vanilla essence until light and fluffly.
5. Stir in the beaten egg and whisk for a 5 minutes.
6. Mix in the chocolate mixture, 3 tbsps of the chocolate chips and flour.
7. Pour the ready batter into the cake tin, sprinkle the another 3 tbsps of chocolate chips and bake for 45 minutes or until just set.

Dulce de leche pound cake

Ingredients (Makes 2 loaf tin or 8 inch square tin)

160g unsalted butter
60g caster sugar
1/4 tsp salt
2 tsp vanilla essence
1 cup homemade dulce de leche
200g plain flour
40g corn flour
2 tsp baking powder
4 large eggs

Methods

1. Sieve all flour twice and set aside.
2. Grease cake tin if using and preheat oven at 170C.
3. Cream butter and sugar till light and fluffy.
4. Add in salt, vanilla essence and dulce de leche, whisk till incorporated.
5. Turn to low speed slowly add in all the sifted flour and whisk till smooth and not lumpy.
6. Add in the eggs gradually one at a time, whisk well.
7. Pour the mixture into the prepared pan and bake at 170C for 1 hour.

Adopted from: http://allthatmatters2rei.blogspot.com/2008/06/condensed-milk-pound-cake-ii.html with some changes.

Verdict of this cake

• My DH and son like it alot, they had it for supper and breakfast. Each took two slices at ago.
• Don't be fool by it appearance ( lousy presentation and foto taking), the pound cake itself was very moist and light..... I can't describe the feeling some furry feeling with the strong aroma of dulce de leche lingering in your mouth.
• Will try to bake it again using the original recipes with condensed milk.

Hope it not too bad for my first attempt!

Assorted mini cupcakes

These was a last minutes decision to bake for my dear son Bird Park outing with school. I didn't expected to have so huge patch of cupcakes made. But the batter was already done, so i decide to share with his classmate too. I packed 30 pieces in a box, 6 pieces in his lunch box and 6 in our stomach, 27 in another box for my DH colleague and left 9 for supper. Finally, settle the whole huge patch. Yummy!!! The assorted cupcakes are consists of chocolate chips, white chocolate chips, strawberry jam and Blueberry jam.

Ingredients: (Makes 76 mini pieces)
125g unsalted butter
1/2 tsp sea salt
2 large eggs (70g each / i used white eggs/ slightly beaten)
210 plain flour
40g corn starch
1 tbsp baking powder
81/2 tbsp milk
Some strawberry jam, blueberry jam, black and white chocolate chips (1/4 tsp on the cupcake and swirl)

Method

1. Preheat oven at 190C for 15 minutes.
2. Sift all flour, baking powder and sea salt together. Mix well using a fork or spoon.
3. Using a mixer whisk the butter and sugar till light.
4. Add the eggs slowly.
5. Fold in the sifted flour, alternatively with milk in 3 patch.
6. Pipe the batter into the mini cupcakes holder till 80% full.
7. Sprinkle chocolate chips or spoon the jams on the batter.
8. Bake it for 20-25 minutes

Remedy for Urine Infection

Recently my daughter was hospitalise for Urine Infection (UTI) for 4 days. After she was discharge, i made a trip down to my usual medical store a kind lady taught me this method to boil for (UTI). Later on, i hear from some old folks mentioning about this remedy and hence i decided to post this on my blog. Hope it will be useful for others too.

Here are some research i found on the website:

 Corn Silk

• A soothing diuretic for irritation of the bladder, urethra and prostate.
• Relieves urinary tract inflammation and bedwetting in children.
• Effective for difficult and scant urination, cystitis and kidney stones.

Ingredients  (For kids/adults please double the ingredients)

1 cup dried corn silk (a handful)

140g Chinese barley

650ml water

35g-40g yellow lump sugar (individual preference)

35g raw winter melon (optional)
2 dried winter melon (optional)

Method

1. Wash all ingredients. Boil water put all ingredients into the boiling water.
2. Using medium heat continue to boil for 30 minutes till the barley are soft and the water become thicken.
3. Add sugar and stir well.
4. Sieve away the barley and serve it warm or cold.

Notes

• Serious cases boil 2-3 times per week.
• Normal on recovering process boil 1-2 times per week.
• The above recipes was purely rely on my own estimation, as i had the habit of using my hand to boil soup (lazy to measure one-by-one). But i tried to measure the ingredient this time round.
• The portion of the recipes are only suitable for kids, as for adults please double the ingredients.
• I used cane sugar (yellowish colour small rock sugar) and Chinese barley, cos it more cooling.
• To speed up the process put a ceramic spoon in the boiling water.

Personal eruption

Recently have been feeling really down and tired. It seems like every month starting from march, i have been regularly reporting to hospital. First my daughter fell and have to rush to hospital for stitches, then my son running high fever rushing to hospital in the morning at 5am+, followed by daughter fits and high fever rushing to hospital at 4am+ and hospitalised for four days dialogues with urine infection. Currently, still on medication next came another news.

My dearest grandma had a fall and was hospitalised, i had to quickly finish the housework settle my 2 kids and rush to hospital again. Through the phone my uncle sound normal, so i thought it was a minor fall. But when i arrive at the hospital, my heart sank. My poor grandma got a big bao on the forehead all the way to her eyes and it was quite swollen and her nose was stain with dry blood. Her both hand was also swollen and she look so much in pain. I could not describe how i felt at that very moment, on the surface i do look and sound very normal. ( but deep inside me was very worry) I'm the type of person who do not know how to express myself. So people might think that i do not care or even think that i am heartless.

I blame myself for being so fussy, if only i can accept a maid and keep my eyes shut; allowing them to do what they like. Then my life could be alot easier and have more time to look after my grandma. I really hope to take care of her or stay by her side to help her. She was like a mother to me, she was the one who bought me up taking good care of me when i am sick and pull me back when i goes on the wrong path. But now she's so old and alone, i cannot do my part at all. I offered her to stay with me, but she rejected. She stay in town area, whereas i stay so far away mountain side Haa!

I am now a full time stay at home housewife and have lost all my friends. I have no one to pour my woes, so i spent my time baking and baking to distress. But it seems that i have lost all those passion in baking recently. I have to drag myself to bake and recently all my bake flung. Luckily, the cakes are still edible, but all crack or slightly drier then usual ( i am a perfectionist type of person, so i became more impatient). I tried to do spring cleaning, but the more i force myself the more emotional i am. As times goes by i have now develop into a very temperamental person and my body seems to change into sleep mode. I overslept every morning and even during daytime i felt very sleepy. Basically, i just felt like sleeping all the time.

If only god can hear me, plss send someone to love me and i badly need to rest in arms away from all the emotional struggle. Take me out of here, let me close my eyes and sleep till my personal emotion disperse. Well that's life! Everyone have to go through the process. Is just that some are more fortunate and some are not.

                                                                  




Get Well Clip Art

My dear friend

Sometime really felt gulity for negecting my dear friend, whom had alway been by my side. Be it through rain or shine. Time really passes in a blink. He had been with us for 7 whole years, that i have been taken him for granted. In the past, he is the one who sat with me and look after me while i was pregnant with my eldest son. I can still remember clearly, he is like the brother of my son. He will follow me wherever i goes around the house and if i stays in the toilet for too long he will get anxious and scratch my door until i open the door. After he sees that i am fine, he will return to his bed and sleep. During my late pregnancy, he will keep peeping at me wherever i goes and if i wash the toilet, he will come and sit infront of me (as if he was saying stop plss and take a rest). When my eldest son was born, i was afriad that he will not like him and bite him. But i was wrong. If my son cried, he will appear anxious and run very fast to the kitchen and bark at me, then he run very fast to my son bedroom door looking at me. If i happens to be bathing and my son cried, my dear friend will came scratching my door non-stop, till i open the door he will run to my son room door again. But now he was alway lock in the kitchen to prevent him from urine all around the house. I guess! It due to aging process. While, i was clearling my cupboard i took some photo of him and those memories of him came suddenly.

Remedy for dengue fever

A quick post to show what is double boil frog leg soup. These remedy are for beginner, if serious cases you will have to boil papaya leaf soup.

Ingredients
8 small bitter gourd ( encore the seed, optional)
3 whole frog (skin remove chopped)
3 tablespoon of red dates (seed remove)
2 tablespoon of wolf berries

Method

1. Wash the frog leg and chopped them evenly. Leave on a wire rack to drain excessive water.
2. Encore the small bitter gourd or just wash them. Set aside.
3. Half the red dates and remove the seed and wash the wolf berries.
4. Put all the ingredients in a double boiling jar.
5. Placed double boiling jar inside a big pot half-submerged in water. Cover the pot and heat the water in the jar on medium heat or just sufficient heat so that the water does not boil over. Boil for 45 minutes or juice coming out of the ingredients. (Just like the way, we double boil chicken essence without water added in the ingredients.)
6. Another way is to put all ingredients into small crockery pot on medium heat boil for 1 hr till juice coming out of the ingredients.