Thursday, December 31, 2009

Bread sticks (Pai pau)

I wanted to prepare some bread as snack for Atalie. This is suppose to be cheese stick. But when I am preparing the dough, I realise my cheese had expired, then it became plain bread. It reminds me of the "pai pau" that I saw somewhere before. This recipe is taken from Kitchen Corner. It was very good. Soft and light. I am definitely going to make them again and again. But the next time, I must roll it thinner. Mine becomes a loaf.





Bread stick

195g bread flour
90g plain flour
12g milk powder
30g caster sugar
6g salt
6g yeast
60g beaten eggs
65g water
45g unsalted butter
75g water roux**
Egg wash and cheese

Water Roux**
250g water + 50g bread flour.
Combined water and bread flour in pot over low medium heat. Keep stirring till there is not lumps and resembles baby porridge. Transfer to bowl and cover top with cling wrap to prevent skin from forming. Remaining water roux can be kept in fridge for up to 2 days. If you see grey spots forming, please discard.

1. Put all ingredients (except salt and butter) into mixing bowl and knead. When dough is form, add in salt and butter. Knead till dough is elastic and smooth (about 15 mins).
2. Cover and stand for 40 mins or double in size.
3. Afer 1st proofing, remove from bowl and knead slight. Divide into 9 portion and roll into smooth ball shap. Rest for 10 mins.
4. Flatten dough and roll into longish shape. (if you want a stick type, roll thinner. Else it will become like mine)
5. Place in greased baking tin and proof for another 40 mins. Then brush egg wash over and sprinkle with cheese.
6. Bake in the preheat oven, 180 degree for 15 mins.

2nd Attempt on Bread - Dinner Roll

This is my 2nd attempt on the next day after the white bread roll. It was much successful. It is quite soft. But doesn't keep well on next day.

This will be best served within the day with butter/jam/soups.



Recipe adapted from Women's Weekly Australia.

1tsp instant yeast
1tsp caster sugar
1cup (250ml) warm water
100g plain flour
220g bread flour
1tsp salt

1. Whisk yeast, sugar and water till yeast is dissolve. Cover and stand for abt 15 mins or till mixture is frothy.
2. Sift flour and salt into large bowl. Add in the yeast mixuture.
3. I used my kenwood mixer dough hook to knead. Knead till dough is smooth and elastic (abt 15 mins)
4. Place dough in large greased bowl. Cover and stand for about 1 hour or till dough is double in size.
5. Prepare greased tray. After 1st proofing is done, knead on flour surfact slight. Divide dough into 40g each and shape into balls.
6. Place dough on tray and cut a cross in top and grease the dough lightly.
7. Stand for 20 mins or double.
8. Bake in preheat oven for 15 mins.

1st Attempt on Bread - White Bread Roll

Finally, I embark on the journey of making bread. It is quite easy but time consuming. Have to wait for it to proof.

Below is the bread that I made. I used the recipe from Happy Home Baking. You can find the recipe here.

The bread dough didn't manage to become smooth. Thou the proof works. After baking, it was still soft when its warm but after awhile it become very chewy. The taste of yeast is also very strong.

After kneading.


Finished product.

Monday, December 28, 2009

Atalie's 1st Birthday

The day has finally come and IT is finally out and completed. Yes, Cuen is satisfied with the work. thou there is quite a few hipcups along the way. I think IT has scored 99 marks. I'm talking about the birthday cake for my darling, Atalie. It is her 1st birthday party. I have planned over a period of 2 months on just the cake itself and made it over 3 days. It was really tiring but worth every single bit of effort.




My sketches



I want to thank Lee Lee and Ginny for helping me out on the birthday cake. Thanks so much for sharing with me your precious knowledge. And not to forget my Daddy Hubby who help to take care of Atalie while I'm busy preparing the cake.

Caihui has helped me to prepare a montage but the projector is not working. Hope to post it up on youtube or facebook for viewing.

Process of making the cake.
Day 1, I had to mould all the figurines to ensure it drys on time.


Day 2, I baked the cake and frosted it with chocolate ganache.
Top tier: 6 inch cranberry butter cake. Bottom tier: 8 inch steam moist chocolate cake.






Day 3, assembling of the cake with fondant.







The figurine was tough as the joints of the girl refuses to stick, keep coming on. If you notice closely, as the end of the day, the girl has got no more nose. It dropped off and I'm too tiring to doing anything about it. The sugar paste recipe calls for gelatine foil but I couldn't get it then, hence I replace with gelatine powder. The effect turn out bad, as I was rolling the fondant, I could see the un-dissolve gelatin still there. It was somehow patchy. As my based fondant is white, I had to be very careful as I've used chocolate ganache.

This is the finished and final product.


Sunday, December 27, 2009

Cupcakes for Mummies

This is the cupcakes made for the mummies. Used my favorite chocolate cupcake recipes. With the help of Shan and Caihui, these are the finished products.




Monday, December 21, 2009

Mixed fruits Butter Cupcakes

Updated with recipes. Almost forgot about it.

Week after week, my schedules are very packed! From weekdays to weekends, with lotsa things and agenda going on. Last Sunday, we have the leaders' thanksgiving party at Regency House, followed by thanksgiving service. In between Saturday and Sunday, I gotta prepare desserts for the party and cupcakes as Xmas gifts for colleagues and friends. Thank God for the capacity and wisdom to manage everything.

I modified my buttercake recipe slightly and add in mixed fruits and baked them into small cupcakes. The cupcakes are dense yet soft and moist. The mixed fruits goes very well with it. I decorated them with some fondant.and packed them into the decorated containers.



 

 


Makes 30 small cupcakes (Base diameter is abt 4cm)

Mixed fruits Butter Cupcakes

250g butter
1 tsp vanilla extract
180g caster sugar
4 eggs
335g self-raising flour
90ml milk
60ml whipping cream
250g dried mixed fruits

1. Preheat oven to 170 degree.Prepare the cupcake liners.
2. Beat butter, vanilla extract and sugar till light and fluffy.
3. Beat in egg one at a time
4. Sift the flour for 2 times. Mix in the flour and milk alternately in 2 batches.
5. Fold in the mixed fruits. And fill the liners with batter till about 3/4 full.
6. Bake in the preheated oven 170 degree for about 15-20mins.

Sunday, December 6, 2009

Steam Moist Chocolate Cake (updated the recipe)

I've previously baked this before. But here is the recipe. Please refer to here for the pics and "story"

Recipe for Steam moist chocolate cake
180g corn oil
1 cup castor sugar (225g)
1/2 can evaporated milk (200g)
2 eggs, lightly beaten with a folk
1 cups plain flour (110g)
1/2 cup Cocoa powder (45g)
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 /2tsp vanilla extract

Method:
1. Combine castor sugar, evaporated milk, vanilla extract or essence and oil in a saucepan.
2. Stir over low heat until sugar is dissolved, off fire and keep warm.
3. Add the beaten eggs into the slightly cooled oil mixture and stir well
4. Sift the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder and baking soda into a large mixing bowl then pour the eggs mixture over the flour and stir till well mix (cake batter should be runny, I used whisk to mix)
5. Heat up the steamer.
6. Lined and greased a 6 inch round cake tin.
7. Pour the batter into prepared pan and place the tin into the steamer and cover the top of the pan loosely with a piece of aluminum foil.
8. Steam over medium heat for 45mins. Cool the cake in pan before turning out for further decoration.


Recipe for Chocolate Gananche (1st try, successful)
170g semi sweet chocolate, chopped
1 cup milac whipping cream

1. Pour whipping cream into a saucepan and heat it up.
2. Add in the chocolate chopped and stir till it melt completely in the cream
3. Remove from heat and pour into a bowl.
4. Stir frequently and try to incorporate some air till it is almost cooled.
5. Use as desired when it is completely cooled.

You may keep leftovers in fridge. Take it out half an hour before you want to use the next time.

Recipe for Chocolate Gananche (2nd try, unsuccessful)


170g semi sweet chocolate, chopped
1 cup milac whipping cream

1. Pour whipping cream into a saucepan and heat it up. When bubbles forming, remove from heat.
2. Pour in the chopped chocolates and sit for 1 minutes. Then stir till the chocolate completely dissolves.
3. Leave it to cool with minimal stirring. Just occassionally.
--> When it cools completely the gananche is still very watery. I try to whisk it slightly, it did helps a little.

For Caihui & Ivy's birthday

I specially made for the cake for Caihui's and Ivy's birthday.

Shan, Eileen and Caihui came over for steamboat on Sunday evening. The steamboat was good and yummy except with a few hipcups along the way. Thank God, everything still went on well. I've used the steamed moist chocolate cake recipe and cover with chocolate gananche and some fondant decor.

Today, I baked another one for Ivy's birthday using the exact same recipe. However the chocolate gananche didn't turn out the same it was rather watery. I will indicate the methods in detail that I used to make in the next post. First chocolate gananche work very well, it didn't melt even thou it was put outside for a long while..

Hence, I had to redo the fondant for Ivy's birthday. Thank God, there is enough time and it actually turn out even better. I use the chocolate favor fondant from Bakels and my own made sugar paste for the rest of the decor.








For IVY


For Ivy (1st try)



For Ivy (2nd try)

Saturday, December 5, 2009

Marble Butter Cake (Lee Lee)

I tried out this recipe from Baking Mum. I could have over baked slightly, it turn out to be slightly dry.

Ingredients


250g butter, room temperature
200g caster sugar
6 eggs
1 tsp vanilla essence
300g self-raising flour (sifted)
½ to 3/4 cup of evaporated milk

1. Preheat the oven to 160°C. Line and grease an 8" round cake tin.
2. Beat the butter with the caster sugar until pale and fluffy. Add in eggs one at a time and mix well. Then add in vanilla essence and evaporated milk and mix well.
3. Lastly fold in sifted flour into the butter mixture and mix well. Pour into the prepare cake tin and bake for about an hour.
(I add some cocoa powder for the marble effect.)