Steamed Maize buns ( mantou)

I like to bake with polenta / cornmeal / maize, it  gives a beautiful fragrance and brings a bright yellow colour to the buns.

Pumpkin dumplings (tangyuan) with Purple Yam

        I never knew homemade dumplings ( tangyuan) could taste so good, way better than the ones I always get from the Asian grocery shops here!  It is actually very easy to make, takes a few short minutes and it's done!

        I believe the pumpkin mash does a lot of good, bringing a wonderful chewy texture, I shall try the  sweet potato mash next time.  What a good dessert....

Tapioca Pandan Coconut layered cake ( Malaysian Kuih)

     This is a very good recipe,  easy to follow, tasted really good.  Everyone at home loves it and finished it in no time!

    Recipe from: Star Online
  Ingredients
  (A)
  45g rice flour
  110g tapioca flour
  115g castor sugar
  100ml pandan juice
  200ml coconut milk
  100ml water
  A pinch of salt



  (B)
  45g rice flour
  110g tapioca flour
  115g castor sugar
  200ml coconut milk
  Pandan juice (blend 6-7 pandan leaves with 150ml water, strained)
  1 tsp pandan essence

   Method
  1.  Mix (A) well in a large bowl.  Mix (B) well in another bowl.

  2.  Set up steamer. Grease prepared tin and pre-heat in the steamer.

  3. Pour 140g mixture (A) into the tin. Cover and steam 2-3 minutes until it thickens.

  4. Pour in the same amount for (B) mixture and steam for 2 to 3 minutes.  Repeat procedure.  Pour final layer and cook at least 15 minutes.  Final layer should be green.

  5. Cool for 7-8 hours before slicing.

Dan Lepard's peanut butter and pumpkin seed cookies

There's combinations of pumpkin seeds, peanut butter, muscovado, (choc chips and sesame seeds as extras) in every bite you take, we just loved it so much.
The middle part is soft while the edge is crispy.

Dan Lepard's easy white bread

                                  A quick and easy way to bake a bread this way.
                                  Light, moist, airy good bread.




      Recipe: Dan Lepard ( BBC Food Recipes) 
     Ingredients
     400g bread flour
     1 tsp yeast
     1 tsp salt
     300ml warm water
     Oil for kneading

very sticky dough...

   Method
   1.  Flour, yeast and salt in a bowl. Pour in warm water and stir. Cover and leave 10 minutes.
note: dough should be sticky.

   2.  Do 10 seconds light kneading and leave 10 minutes.  Do twice more at 10 minute intervals. Let it prove for 45 minutes.

   3. Roll dough tightly and lay in a greased pan, leave until the dough has increased in size by a half, about 45 minutes.

   4.  Bake at pre-heated oven of 220C/425F/Gas 7 (fan 200C).

   5.  Flour the top dough, make a slash down the middle and bake for 35-40 minutes.

Dan Lepard's muscovado peanut cookies

These are really good stuff, after these you just don't want to have those ordinary kind of chocolate cookies.

Earl Grey tea chiffon cake

      I'd finally made a good chiffon cake without a fault, I think...:)
      6 teabags is just the perfect amount for bringing out the aroma of the bergamot citrus flavour I wanted to have.

       Inspiration from Domestic Goddess Wanabe
    Ingredients:
   ( I used 24cm chiffon pan)

    Yolk batter

    7 egg yolks (700g egg with shell)

    30g  castor sugar

    60g  light oil

    120ml hot water

    6 Earl Grey teabags (twinnings)

    150g cake flour

    1 tablespoon baking powder

    Meringue batter

    7 egg whites (700g egg with shell)

    90g castor sugar

    2 teaspoons lemon juice

     Method

     1.  Pre-heat oven 160C.

     2.  Discard the bags, pour in 6 bags of leaves into a jug with hot boiled water.  Cover it up to infuse the aroma from the leaves. Let cool and set aside.

    3.  Using a mixer, beat in yolks with sugar until it turns pale and light.  Add in oil, beat well. Add in tea and the leaves, beat to mix well.  Add in baking powder, add flour in 3 batches.  Set yolk batter aside.

    4.  Beat 1/3 of sugar with lemon juice.  Add in the remaining sugar  (in 2 batches) and beat until it reaches stiff peak.

    5.  Use 1/3 whites to add in the yolk batter,  using spatula and mix it well to lighten the texture.

   6. Fold in the remainder 2/3 of whites gently in 2 batches , making sure no lumps appears.

   7. Pour batter into the ungreased chiffon pan. Tap gently to release air pockets.

   8.  Bake for 55 minutes. Insert a skewer deep down in the centre part, if it comes out clean, it's done. Immediately invert the pan and let cool completely ( I took 2 hours).  Use a knife to go round the edges of the pan to loosen it before releasing cake out.