Peanut Chilli bread ( Dan Lepard)

My son came back from school, first thing he complimented the bread was really good for his lunch yesterday.  Needless to say, all these breads were gone in the same day!  Yes, just like Dan said, this goes well with any sorts of cured meats.

     Recipe from: Dan Lepard ( The Guardian)
     Ingredients
     50g tahini
     75g crunchy peanut butter
     1 tbsp cumin seeds
     1 tsp fine salt
     2 long red chillies, not too fiery, charred over a flame
     75g roasted peanuts
     500g strong white flour
     1 tsp instant dry yeast
     Oil, for kneading
     sesame seeds

well-risen dough

ready to be baked

yes!

My son's school lunch :)

   Method

   1.  Spoon the tahini, peanut butter, cumin and salt into a bowl.  Add 100ml hot water.  Dessed the chillies, chop roughly and add to the bowl (leave the charred bits on).  Stir in 200ml cold water and the peanuts, add the flour and yeast and mix to a soft sticky dough. Leave for 30 minutes.  Gentle knead 10 seconds and leave for an hour.

   2.  Divide into three, shape into balls, leave for 15 minutes, then shape into sticks.  Pat each stick into an oval (use flour), folding it i upon itself a few times, roll into 30cm in length.  Brush with water, roll in sesame seeds and leave to rise on a baking tray for 45 minutes.  Slash down th elength with a sharp knife, and bake at 220C ( 200 fan assisted)/425F/gas mark 7 for 30 minutes.

   Note:  For mine, I filled a pan with boiling water underneath the oven when baking.

Angel Hair Pasta with creamy garlic prawns

                                           Another delicious quick midweek dinner :)

Kopitiam milk bun (plain)

Again, it is silky soft, light, moist buns just like the Black sesame kopitiam milk buns.




           Recipe: Gourmet Living Magazine (with slight modification)
       Sponge Dough ingredients
       214g bread flour
       2g instant yeast
       128g cold milk

       Method
       1.  Mix above ingredients into dough. Cover with cling wrap. Let it rise in room temperature for 4 to 5 hour.




      Main dough ingredients
      90g bread flour
      30g egg wash
      3g instant yeast
      1/2 tsp salt
      45g unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
      45g castor sugar
      12g mik powder
      12g cold milk

divide into 9 equal portions

well-risen dough
ready to be baked

      Method

      1.  Tear sponge dough into little pieces. Mix with main ingredients (except butter).

      2.  Add butter. Continue to beat until smooth and elastic.

      3.  Set aside for 10 minutes.  Divide into 9 small dough. Roll them into balls,  arrange on an 8-inch greased baking tray.

      4.  Cover the dough.  Rest at room temperature for about one hour or, until it double it's size.

      5.  Bake at pre-heated oven at 170C for about 20 minutes.

Spiral Cookies

You can taste the real spice from the chilli powder, white pepper, five spice powder and fermented red bean curd, so yum.

Water chesnut sweet soup

                         Very simple, refreshing Chinese dessert soup.  Best when it is chilled.

Coconut Nian Gao ( CNY Bakes)

               I should say this is really easy to make, quite a "fusion" type of taste that you get here, we liked it though.  Coconut milk and dark brown sugar brings out such a beautiful fragrance.

               I made several batches, they are good to be Chinese New Year gifts.

Black sesame kopitiam milk buns

Silky soft, nutricious little buns, good to go on its own without any spread.

generous amout of black sesame seeds

        Recipe: Gourmer Living Magazine
     Sponge dough ingredients
     214g bread flour
     2g instant yeast
    128g cold milk

     Method
     1. Mix above ingredients into dough.   Cover with cling wrap.  Let it rise in room temperature for 4 to 5 hours.





     Main ingredients
     62g bread flour
     30g black sesame powder
     12g milk
     30g egg wash
     3g instant yeast
     1/2 tsp salt
     45g light brown sugar ( I used dark brown sugar instead)
     12g milk powder
     45g unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
     25g roasted black sesame seeds

Tear sponge dough, add with all other ingredient

Well-risen dough

divided into 9 equal small portions
(the 9th portion is on top of the weighing scale :))

Ready to be baked

    Method

    1.  Tear sponge dough into little pieces.  Mix with main dough ingredients (except butter and black sesame seeds).

    2.  Add butter and black sesame seeds.  Continue to beat until smooth and elastic.

    3.  Set aside for 10 minutes.  Divide into 9 small portions.  Round them then arrange on an 8 inch greased baking tray.

    4.  Cover dough.  Rest at room temperature for 60 minutes until double in size.

    5.  Bake in preheated oven at 170C for about 20 minutes.

Birthday Longevity Peach buns

                      These buns go well with my Chinese Red Eggs   just perfect for my dad's birthday :)

Chinese red eggs ( birthday)

Recipe: Nasilemaklover

Ingredients:

(10 hard-boiled eggs)

1 tablespoon rice vinegar ( I used normal white vinegar)

1/2 tablespoon rose syrup

you need vinegar and rose syrup

keep twirling around with a spoon
drain excess dye away with the sieve 

Method ( with modification):

1.  Mix vinegar and syrup together in a small bowl.  Set aside for later use.

2.  Boil the eggs in cold water, low heat, with a pinch of salt and dash of vinegar. This is to strip the waxy coating from the eggs.  Simmer the eggs for about 30 to 40 minutes.

3.  When eggs are hard boiled (while it is still warm), start by dropping one egg at a time, in a bowl filled with the prepared red coloring, keep twirling around with a spoon, allow as much dye to drain as possible.

3.  Place eggs in sieve to let the excess dye drip away.

note:  dye your eggs while they are still warm also, dye one egg at a time.

I also made Longevity Peach steamed buns for celebrating my dad's birthday.

Longevity Peach steamed buns click here

Salted egg yolk cookie (CNY Bakes)

                    If you haven't, then I recommend you to bake now.
                    Crunchy.. a little salty.. with aromatic salted egg yolk flavour, just too good.

CNY Buddhists Delight ( mock meat)

    Good to watch the helpful link below.

Seaweed cookie (CNY bakes)

        According to Lydia, Mayonnaise is optional here, adding it would certainly delivers extra       flavour. Also, as said, you may add spices or adjust sugar to create your own taste.

        Thanks Lydia for the beautiful cookie :)

Mini egg cake (CNY Bakes)

                         I made it mini sizes, just good for my CNY celebration.

Mangoes and cream ice cream

Weather has been really hot these few days, this mango ice cream is so welcomed and it is gone in two days!

Bo Luo Bread

Good recipe indeed

        Recipe from here
      Ingredient (A)
      Bread flour  500g
      Castor sugar  70g
      Salt 1/2 teaspoon
      Plain yogurt 160g
      Instant dry yeast  6g
      Lukewarm water  160g


     Ingredient (B)
     Unsalted butter  40g



      Ingredient(C)
      Po Luo skin
      Unsalted butter  80g
      Castor sugar 60g
      Whole egg  30g
      Cake flour  110g
      Milk powder  20g


      1 whole egg (beaten) for egg wash

       Method (slight alteration, I used hand kneading instead of mixer)

       1.  Whisk and well dissolved the yeast with 3 tablespoons of your lukewarm water.  It should become frothy in a short moment. It is ready to be used.

       2.  Pour all ingredients in the flour and mix everything into a rough dough, add in unsalted butter, do a quick knead.  Cover and leave for 10 minutes.  Gentle knead, fold and stretch for 10 seconds. Cover and leave for 10 minutes. Do twice more for the 10 minute interval. Cover and let it rise for 80 minutes.  

       3.  Meanwhile, prepare your Bo Luo skin:

Whisk in softened butter with castor sugar until light and creamy. Add in whole egg and continue to whisk until it is well mixed.  Next, add in cake flour and milk powder. Use rubber spatula to fold until everything is well combined and the paste looked silky smooth.  Shape the Bo Luo skin to the size of your loaf pan, wrap with cling wrap and store in fridge to set, for 20 minutes. 

       4. Once the dough is well-risen, divide into 3 portions, each roll into ball shape, cover and let rest for 15 minutes.  Shape ( braiding) and lay dough in the loaf pan, gently press down to flatten the dough.  Cover and let it rise second time for about 60 minutes. 

       5.  Lay the Bu Luo skin on top of the dough, egg wash.

       6.  I bake in pre-heated oven 180C for 30 minutes, or until it turns golden brown (every oven varies).

Ham Cheese roll

Ham and cheese roll

very soft fluffy bread

good stuff

Recipe
Ingredients ( 10 buns)

Bread flour  400g
Castor sugar  30g
Salt  1/2 teaspoon
Egg white  140g
Instant dry yeast 1 teaspoon
Lukewarm water  100g
Unsalted butter  30g


Filling
10 slices of Ham
10 slices of Cheese

divided into 10 portions, rolled into balls

Cheese stays at the top while Ham at the bottom
roll it up gently
seal all seams up

cut in the centre halway through to the end

open it up
let it have second rise before baking

Method ( Bread machine):

1.  Luke warm water and egg white goes in the container first.

2.  Sugar on one side while salt on the other. Next, flour goes in and last the yeast.

3.  Set to "Dough" and press "Start".  When everything comes together as a rough dough, add in the soft butter now.

4.  When it is done, transfer dough to the worktop, punch down air. Let it rest for 10 minutes.

5.  Divide  dough into 10 portions, roll them into balls, let rest for 10 minutes.

6.  Roll into long shape each, place one slice of ham and cheese on top, gently roll it up, seal seam  up. Make a slit in the centre of the bun "only" half way through to the end, open it up sideways, you let it face upward.  Do that to the rest, place them on baking tray , cover and let rise again for about 25 minutes.

7.  Egg wash all rolls, bake at pre-heated oven 190C for about 20 minutes.

Pork floss seaweed bread

                                                      Pork floss and seaweed...
                                     

Very soft and fluffy

Recipe taken from here
Ingredients
Bread flour  400g
Castor sugar  20g
Salt  1/2 teaspoon
Plain yogurt 70g
Instant dry yeast  1 teaspoon
Egg yolk  40g
Lukewarm water  160g

Unsalted butter  30g ( room temperature soft butter)

Filling:  Pork floss 120g
              Seaweed   2 sheets


note: original recipe is half of the quantity above

Spread pork floss evenly and press down gently

lay a seaweed sheet on top and roll it up slowly and gently

ready for baking now

one "fatter" than the other, how come ?   

Method ( Bread machine):
1.  Lukewarm water, yoghurt and egg yolk mixed together.  Pour into the container. Sugar on one side while salt on the other, follows by the flour and last, the yeast.  When everything comes together as a rough dough, add in butter.  Let machine do the rest of the job for you now.

2.  When it is done, transfer dough to working surface, punch down air, roll into a ball, let it rest for 10 minutes.  Divide dough into 2 halves.  Flatten and roll out dough into square , spread pork floss evenly and gently press it down so it sits firm a bit.  Lay one sheet of seaweed on top, gently and slowly roll it up, seal up the seams. Cover and let it rise again for about 50 minutes.

3.  Egg wash  and bake at pre-heated oven 180C for about 30 minutes ( it was slightly below 30 minutes for mine).