Sweet Glutinous Bowl

Was trying to get rid of the freshly grated coconut (left-over from my Taro Sago Kuih) that has been sitting in my fridge for three days. I think I need to cook it otherwise it will turn stale.

Of course the perfect match will be gula melaka or palm sugar with grated coconut. Set off to the kitchen and started cooking the grated coconut. What to do with these then?

A few ideas crept through but I didn't want to do anything that is too tedious or time consuming as I have a high tea appointment. I chose to make this glutinous rice bowl and filled it with the coconut filling that I had just cooked. I dressed it up for the photo shoot and thought that it looked a little bland, so I cooked some palm sugar syrup and drench the bowl with it.

Here it is, chewy glutinous bowl with a hefty serve of coconut filling and a drench of aromatic palm sugar syrup. Simply delish if you love this match.







Ingredients: (about 13 pieces @ 20g)
Glutinous Bowl
150g glutinous rice flour
120ml - 125ml water

Filling
150g grated coconut
3 tbsp water
55g palm sugar (chopped up to small pieces)
10g -15g sugar or rock sugar (chopped to small pieces)

Method:
1. Put 3 tbsp water in a saucepan, add in both sugars. Cook over low heat till sugars dissolved. Add in the grated coconut and cook till a little dry or to your liking.
2. Combine glutinous rice flour with water till a dough is formed.
3. Divide dough into pieces of about 20g each and mold it into a bowl shape as in photo above. I used the back of my measuring spoon to help me (the back of my measuring spoon is a semi circle).
4. Cook dough pieces in a pot of boiling water till they float.
5. Dish them into a bowl of icy cold water. The ice water helps the glutinous bowl to be chewy in texture.
6. Fill with coconut filling and serve with palm sugar syrup.

Silver Needle Noodles

This noodle is commonly known in Hong Kong as "Silver Needle Noodle" (銀針粉) or as "Rat Noodle" (老鼠粉) in Singapore and Malaysia.

The noodles are named as such because of the tapering shape at both ends of the noodles which is much like a rat's tail or a needle. Not to worry, neither rat nor needle is used to make this noodle - safe for consumption.

This noodles can be made from a variety of flours or flour mixture like rice flour, corn flour, tapioca starch or wheat starch.

I have used a combination of wheat starch and tapioca starch in this recipe, as I like my noodles to be chewy.

My kids and I had fun shaping the noodles with our hands. Good fun with kids if you have plenty of time to idle and it is not messy at all. The best part is that you get to eat them at the end of the session.







Ingredients:
140g wheat starch
60g tapioca starch
pinch of salt
170ml boiling hot water
2 tsp olive oil

Method:
1. Put all the dry ingredients into a mixing bowl. Add in the boiling hot water and stir with a pair of chopsticks. Cover with a wet towel and leave to cool for 5 minutes.
2. Add in the olive oil and knead till you get a smooth dough.
3. Roll into two log-shaped pieces and cut them into small pieces about 3g each. Shape dough with your hands.
4. Put some oil into a big pot of hot water and cook the noodle till transparent.
5. Once the noodle is cooked, drain and put them into a mixing bowl, add one teaspoon of olive and toss the noodle around (to prevent them from sticking to each other).
6. Chilled overnight before using.

Crispy Sugar Coated Taro

Sometime ago, I was at a lunch gathering with some friends in a small and cosy Chiuchow restuarant in Taikoo Shing. After the main dishes were served it was dessert time. One of my friends who knew that I loved taro suggested that I should order crispy sugar coated taro (反沙芋頭) instead of the usual "orr nee" (芋泥).

I absolutely loved what I tried. The taro is encased in a layer of crispy sugar and the taro itself is light and powdery. Apparently this fare is a very famous Chiuchow snack and nowadays not many Chiuchow restuarants or eateries serve this anymore.

I memorized this recipe from a book by Winnie姐 at a book fair in Apita three weeks ago. The recipe is fairly simple but I also got some pointers off the internet too.

To do the snack is easy but to get a uniform crispy sugar casing all around the taro piece is not easy as the sugar syrup dries up pretty fast in the strong wind. See photo of my ugly crispy sugar coated taro!





Ingredients:
250g taro pieces
8 tbsp sugar
3 tbsp water

Method:
1. Cut the taro into pieces of 6cm in length and 2 cm thick as in photo above.
2. Heat up a wok with enough oil, deep fry the taro pieces till cooked and golden brown. Place cooked taro pieces on absorbent paper to remove excess oil.
3. Remove all the oil and wipe off excess with absorbent paper from the wok. Add in the sugar and water. When the sugar mixture is bubbly hot and thicken add in the taro pieces.
4. Stir fry till the taro pieces are coated allover with the syrup (about 1 - 2 minutes).
5. Remove wok from the heat and start up a strong fan. Stir the taro pieces in the wok infront of the strong fan and let the fan dry up the sugar.
6. Serve hot.

Notes:
Choose a light weighted taro for light and powdery texture.

Chrysanthenum Agar Agar

After the raining spell, the real hot weather is here. Temperature on average was above 31°C during the day.

What better way to beat the heat than a slice of cold agar-agar.

For this agar-agar, I used dried chrysanthenum and longans to brew the tea which is then set by agar-agar strands.

In Chinese food therapy and herbal medicine, longan is believed to have an effect on relaxation while chrysanthenum aids in influenza recovery. The dried longan is considered a "warm item" while the chrysanthenum is a "cool item". The mix of longan and chrysanthenum balances the "yin yang" in food therapy thus making it suitable for most people to consume.

Beat the heat and enjoy a chilling piece served with honey to soothe the body!









Ingredients:
13g - 15g agar-agar strands (I used 15g)

40g dried longans (桂圆 or 圆肉)
20g dried chrysanthenum (菊花)
1500ml water

80g -100g rock sugar

Method:
1. Cut the agar-agar strands into smaller pieces and soak in water till soften.
2. Put longans, chrysanthenum and 1500ml of water into a saucepan and bring it to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 30 minutes.
3. While simmering the tea, select some whole chrysanthenum flowers from the tea and keep for use as decor.
4. Strain the brewed tea and measure out 1000ml for the agar-agar.
5. Bring the 1000ml tea to boil again and add in the strained agar-agar strands. Stir till agar-agar strands dissolved before adding in the rock sugar. Simmer till rock sugar dissolved.
6. Strain agar-agar mixture into molds which are rinsed with cool drinking water. Add in longans if desired. Place the selected chrysanthenum flowers on top of the agar-agar (they will float) for a pretty presentation.
7. Chilled till set and serve with some honey if desired.

Notes:
For a crunchier texture use 15g agar-agar strands.

Taro Sago Kuih

I'm not sure if there is such a kuih combination around. I love gula melaka sago kuih and sweet taro kuih, so to kill two birds with one stone I made this layered kuih.

To do this layered kuih, I have to decide which layer I should steam first. After some deliberation with GS I decided to steam the taro layer first (bottom layer) as the taro can withstand heat and not lose its texture as it is embedded in glutinous rice flour and rice flour.





Ingredients:
Taro Layer
300g taro (cubed as in photo above)
50g grated coconut
80g glutinous rice flour
80g rice flour
120ml coconut milk
180ml warm water + 110g - 120g sugar + 1/4 tsp salt

Method:
1. Dissolve sugar and salt in the warm water, add in coconut milk then sieve in the flour mixture. Make sure the mixture is smooth and well-combined, strain if lumpy.
2. Remove 2 tablespoon of the flour mixture and keep aside for use later.
3. Add in the taro cubes and grated coconut, mix well.
4. Pour mixture into a tray which is lined in the base and greased with oil at the sides.
5. Steam on high heat for 30 minutes.

Sago Layer
135g sago pearls
70g grated coconut
85g gula melaka (chopped into small pieces)
45g sugar
4 tbsp water
60ml coconut milk
1/4 tsp salt

Method:
1. Soak the sago pearls in plenty of water for 20 minutes. Strain and leave aside for use later.
2. Dissolve gula melaka in 4 tbsp water over low heat. Strain and leave to cool.
3. Add all ingredients into cooled gula melaka syrup. Mix well.
4. Spread the 2 tbsp of flour mixture reserved from the taro layer (this is help the sago layer to stick to the taro layer) on to the cooked taro layer and immediately spread the sago layer evenly on top of the taro layer.
5. Steam on high heat for 30 minutes.

Pineapple Brownies

Heard many good reviews about the coupling of pineapple and brownies but never got a chance to taste it as I couldn't find this mix of brownies in the market. Got to taste it to verify the good statements, so it's hands-on.

Now you know why I made the pineapple jam yesterday.






Ingredients: (18cm x 18cm square pan)
(A)
130g chocolate (I used Valrhona 66%)
100g butter

(B)
2 eggs
50g - 70g sugar
1/4 tsp salt

(C)
1 tsp rum
2 tbsp pineapple jam

(D)
50g flour
1/4 tsp baking powder

(F)
60g walnuts
pineapple jam as desired

Method:
1. Melt (A) together via double boil. Cool slightly before use.
2. Beat (B) till creamy and pale. Add in (C) and mix till well blended.
3. Add (2) to (1) and mix well.
4. Sieve in (D) and mix thoroughly to a smooth batter.
5. Stir in walnuts.
6. Put batter into a greased and floured baking pan and top with optional amount of pineapple jam.
7. Bake at 180C for 30 minutes or till cooked.
8. Cool in the baking pan, then cut into serving squares.

Pineapple Jam

Panna Cotta

Panna cotta literally means "cooked cream", it's believed to originate from Italy. It is a rich, creamy and silky smooth dessert. The main ingredients in this dessert are whipping cream, milk and sugar and thicken with gelatin.

My kids love this melt-in-the-mouth fattening dessert, they especially love it if I cook this with the rich and aromatic Hokkaido full cream milk.



Ingredients: 3 bottles of about 90ml each
150ml Hokkaido full cream milk
150ml whipping cream
30g sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla essence
1 tsp gelatin dissolved in 2 tsp boiling water

Method:
1. Simmer milk and whipping cream with sugar till all the sugar dissolved. Do not let it boil. Stir in the vanilla essence.
2. Remove from heat and add in the gelatin mixture. Stir till well combined.
3. Pour into rinsed ramekins and chill for at least 2 hours or till set.
4. Eat it plain or serve it with fruit coulis.

Sesame Sauce Cold Noodles

Sakura Honey Jelly

Steamed Sweet Potato Fatt Koh

This morning K R and I were doing the Steamed Rice Cakes (Wa Ko Kueh) simultaneously, a few thousand kilometres apart though!

We were discussing about texture of the steamed rice cakes and KR told me that the texture is similar to the BSolo ones but the bottom of her cakes were a little wet. She side-tracked and told me that if I like steamed cakes then I must try the steamed sweet potato fatt koh as it is very nice and soft too! Over the phone, I jotted down the recipe and was eager to try it out.

It's really strange, these couple of days I have been doing steamed cakes! Once I get started on steamed cakes it seems that I can't stop. Pity my kids and friends who will have to eat my steamed cakes a couple of times across two to three weeks. MAD about steamed cakes???







Ingredients: (9 pieces @ 5cm)
(A)
50g plain flour
75ml water
1 tsp yeast

(B)
200g steamed sweet potato
130g coconut milk
60ml water
1 egg, lightly beaten
140g brown sugar/red sugar
pinch of salt

(C)
200g plain flour
2 tsp double action baking powder

Method:
1. Mix (A) and leave aside to proof for 30 minutes.
2. Blend (B) in a blender till smooth.
3. Put (A) a third at a time into (B) and mix till well-blended.
4. Sieve (C) into the batter a third at a time and mix till lump free.
5. Pour batter into paper cups till about 80% full and rest for 15 - 25 minutes.
6. Steam on high heat for 20 minutes.

Steamed Caramel Cake

Wrapped up and ready to be presented!


Cooking of caramel.

Coconut Milk Osmanthus Jelly

Typhoon Standby Signal No. I was hoisted since Monday. This typhoon Fengshen is currently about 200+km southeast of HK, and the weather has been terribly hot and humid day or night because of this typhoon.

Not wanting to bake anything today because of the hot weather, I chose to do some chilled jelly using Osmanthus fragrans or Gui Hua (桂花). Gui Hua, are really very tiny flowers but with a deliciously strong scent of ripen apricots. These tiny dried flowers can be infused into most type of green or dark tea leaves to create "Gui Hua Cha" which is very aromatic.

Besides its very aromatic fragrance, these tiny flowers has medicinal values. They are known to be able to release phlegm, alleviate cough, soothe painful joints and de-stress the body and mind.

The marriage of osmanthus and coconut milk produces an absolutely fragrant treat. The gelatin gives it a chewy and wobbly texture which is much more superior than using agar agar.





Ingredients: (5 cups of 115ml each)

Coconut Layer:
15g gelatin
50g sugar
200ml boiling water
135ml coconut milk

Osmanthus Layer:
15g gelatin
50g sugar
125ml boiling water
1.5 tsp osmanthus sugar
100ml cold water

Method:
Coconut Layer:
Mix gelatin and sugar well, add in boiling water and stir till gelatin and sugar dissolved. Stir in the coconut milk.

Osmanthus Layer:
Mix gelatin and sugar well, add in boiling water and stir till gelatin and sugar dissolved. Stir in the osmanthus sugar and cold water.

Assembling:
Pour a layer of osmanthus jelly into jelly cup, chill till a little set. Top it with a layer of coconut jelly. Alternate the layers till you finish the jelly solution. Make sure each layer is nearly set before you add in the next layer.

Reference: 小三看天下

65C Rainbow Rye Bread

Crispy Stuffed Bean Curd Puff

65C Fig Walnut Rye Bread

Black Sesame Chiffon Cake

Steamed Rice Cakes

Woke up early this morning in anticipation of what the Traditional Steamed Rice Cakes or "Wa Ko Kuehs" or "Huat Kuehs" will be like after waiting for 3 days and 12 hours. Yes, it takes 3 days and 12 hours before you can steam these rice cakes.

Though the process takes 3 days and 12 hours, it is actually really hassle-free. Mix and wait, then mix and wait again.

I have been asking around what is the actual name of this kueh. Is it "huat kueh" or "wa ko kueh"? Most people whom I consulted told me that it was "wa ko kueh". So it will be "wa ko kueh" then.

These steamed rice cakes are made using the traditional method of fermenting cooked cold rice with wine yeast. They smelt and tasted exactly like the ones that I used to eat in my childhood days in Singapore.

They were very soft, fluffy and light and I liked the delicate aroma from the wine yeast. Serve it with red sugar and freshly grated coconut - yummilicious!

I will definitely be doing this every week as it is one of my favourite childhood breakfast kuehs.

I used the recipe in this Y3K cookbook - my first Y3K cookbook. Tigger (JT), thank you for this book. I loved all the recipes in this book.

This is how my Wa Ko Kueh looks like!




Cold rice fermented for 3 days. This is what it looks like after 3 days. There should be a very nice and strong alcoholic aroma.


The fermented rice (see photo above)is added to rice flour and sugar syrup and left to ferment for another 12 hours. This is what it looked like after 12 hours.


The final batter with ENO and double action baking powder added will immediately turn thick and fluffy - sort of chiffon cake batter .


Wine yeast (酒餅)

New Loaf Pan

Met up with Y Chan (another talented baker and blogger) today at CityPlaza for lunch. We had gifts for each other and this new loaf pan is what she gave me.

It is a 450g aluminium loaf pan with crinkles in all six sides (that is inclusive of the cover) and the interior is supposed to be non-stick. I wonder if it will be difficult to dislodge the baked bread with all those crinkles. I'll have to try it to know then. Thank you very much Y and I liked it very much.

What gifts did I have for Y Chan?
Of course with my newly acquired skill of macaroons baking, I baked her some macaroons and a loaf of 65C Rye Raisins bread.

Macaroons

本人也上山拜師學艺囉 !

做馬卡龍技巧實在太重要了，蛋白要打得剛好；攪拌也得控制好，不可拌太久也不可以少拌，因為這种种都会直接引响到產品的質感和成敗。

雖然有導師在旁指導，但也有同學的其中一整盤馬卡龍都失敗了。庆幸自已的兩盤都算合格。謝謝導師的指點！

我自巳覺得最難的是要把馬卡龍擠得大小相若。我在擠馬卡龍時，手一直在發斗。我到底在怕什么呢? 不過是擠一個個 3cm 的小圓堆，真的是敗給自已！一句話就是我擠奶油的武功被廢掉了，因為太久沒做耍擠奶油花款的蛋糕！我要開始多多練功了！

拜師學艺是絕對值得，產品的質感和外形果然和書裡所形容的一样！ 讚！！！


Lemon macaroons with Lemon curd cream.


Raspberry macaroons with Raspberry custard buttercream.

Sweet Potato Chiffon Cake

Had a gathering today and the theme was purple. Each of us had to make/buy an edible purple item. The first thing that crossed my mind was purple sweet potato because my maid cooked some sweet soup with this last week and the sweet soup was nicely purpled. Having set my mind on that purple sweet potato, I decided to stick to what I do best - chiffon cake.

After mixing and blending in the egg white, I know that my cake will not be very purple in color. The batter sort of became Mauve in color. The original purple color of the sweet potato is very intense, just like those cubes you see embedded in the cake.

Anyway, the color of the baked cake is very pretty. The cake has very subtle sweet potato taste, without those cubes of sweet potato embedded, one wouldn't even guess that it was a sweet potato chiffon cake.

I have fun doing chiffon cakes with natural ingredient that gives you natural colors. Let's think what other natural colors we can give to chiffon cakes.



Ingredients: (17cm chiffon tube pan)

100g purple sweet potato (steam and mashed)
3 tbsp milk

(A)
3 egg yolks
20g brown sugar
pinch of salt
50ml corn oil
3 tbsp water

(B)
85g cake flour

(C)
4 egg whites
50g sugar
1/2 tsp cream of tartar

(D)
Diced steamed sweet potato cubes (optional)

Method:
1. Steam sweet potato, add milk to it and mashed till fine or blend it in a blender.
2. Mix all ingredients in (A) till well blended. Add in (1) and mix well. Sieve in (B) and mixed till smooth and lump-free. If batter is on the dry side, add a tablespoonful of water - some purple sweet potatoes can be quite dry.
3. Beat egg whites in (C) till stiff.
4. Add half portion of egg white mixture into egg yolk mixture and mix well with a spatula.
5. Pour egg yolk mixture into the remaining white and mix till well-combined. Stir in (D) - sweet potato cubes.
6. Pour batter into chiffon pan. Bang the cake pan a couple of times to release air bubbles in the batter.
7. Bake at 180C for 30 minutes or till cooked.