Miso steamed buns

These are low in sugar, great for breakfast or a snack.  The texture is chewy and soft, oil free, egg free and packed with nutrinious oatmeal.  Not just that, it comes with a hint of mild sweet miso, absolutely beautiful...

Simple delicious chocolate ice cream

Days are getting warmer here, I expect my children to request more homemade ice-cream as usual. They started off with simple chocolate type, their most favourite ice cream out of all. Who wouldn't like chocolate?

Homemade baked blueberry cheesecake

This is the second time I made cheesecake, the first was French cheesecake.  For this blueberry cheesecake, I read and re-searched quite a bit of cheesecakes recipes and came up with the right amounts and ingredients that I would like to add to my own. It is going to be very homemade, simple one.
They all liked it thank goodness.  When everyone got home early evening today, suddenly...half the cheesecake was gone, and guess what...? they were too full for dinner :)

I need a proper knife to slice it...:) never mind, it was still very yummy

I wrapped the other half of the cheesecake with cling wrap and another layer of aluminiam foil insecured in a ziplock bag. It can be kept in the freezer for good 6 months.  But, I bet it will be gone by the end of this month..


Steps:

Process biscuits using food processor

Biscuits spread and pressed evenly on the pan using a cup.
Let it set for at least 20 minutes in the fridge for later use.

Next, pour everything into the food processor and "Pulse".
When the mixture becomes smooth and creamy, it's done.

Ingredients:

250g plain chocolate biscuits
80g butter (melted)
200g blueberries
450g cream cheese
150g castor sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 tablespoons lemon juice
4 eggs ( lightly beaten)
1 and 1/2 tablespoons cornflour with 1 and 1/2 tablespoons water mixed

You can have more blueberries for toppings if you like..

Method:
1.  Pre-heat oven to 150C, grease pan, lay parchment paper on the base of a 24cm ( 9 and 1/2 inch) springform pan.
2.  Pulse biscuits in the food processor until quite fine or, you may place biscuits into a plastic bag and bash it with a rolling pin.  Mix well with melted butter, spread on the pan.  Use a cup and press evenly.  Refrigerate at least 20 minutes for later use.
3.  Pour cream cheese, sugar, vanilla extract, lemon juice, eggs, cornflour mixture into the food processor. Pulse until everything comes smooth and creamy.  Remove from the food processor, add blueberries  in the mixture and pour everything onto the prepared pan. Run the back of a spoon on the surface top to rub off the bubbles. Bake for 60 minutes or until it turns pale golden,  it should feel a bit jiggly when gently shake the pan.
4. Open the oven door very little and leave the cheescake inside for an hour.  Let it cool completely on wire rack and keep in fridge overnight.
5.  Run a knife around the edges to loosen it and slowly release the springform ring and transfer to a plate. Serve with more blueberries for toppings if you like.
6. Enjoy!

Healthy Walnut Gojiberry bread (wholemeal Rye)

Again, I tailored this bread for my diet. It is packed with omega 3 and antioxidants, great for my lunch or breakfast.  Good quality plump goji berries will certainly deliver a more pleasant, juicy, sweet taste.

To soften the goji berries, I first rinsed it with hot boiling water before I soaked it for a few hours in red wine.  As for the walnuts, I toasted them and broke them into small bite sized pieces, that way I can get that chewy texture. It is always a pleasure to eat such big buns. :)

It is not dry, not crumbly but moist with beautiful aroma of goji berries..

They might be a little heavier and dense bread as these flours are slightly lack of gluten, but it is still good and healthy buns.  Low GI, keeps you full and satisfied..

Toasted walnuts, broken into bite sizes

Goji berries rinsed in hot water, soaked with 2 tablespoons of red wine

Ingredients:

Water ( lukewarm)  300ml
Sugar  ( I used honey)   2 tablespoons
Yeast  1 teaspoon
Salt  1 teaspoon
Skim milk powder  1 tablespoon
Rye flour    280g
Wholemeal flour   280g

note:  One grated apple added to soften and moist the bread texture
          Goji Berries  80g ( rinsed and soaked with red wine for several hours)
          Raw walnuts   80g (toasted)

Grated apple added into the yeast mixture and get chilled 10 minutes

 dough comes together now

Walnuts and gojiberries added in

Resting period

Divide and roll into balls

Resting period until size doubled

Baked, soft and moist buns with beautiful aroma..

Method ( I used food processor):
1.  Prepare the sponge.  Yeast, sugar and lukewarm water dissolved well in a jug. Wrap with cling wrap for 5 minutes until frothy.
2.  Mix in with grated apple. Wrap again and chill in the fridge for 10 minutes.
3.  Meanwhile,  salt, flours and skim milk powder goes in the food processor, pulse 2 to 3 times to get it mixed.
4.  Pour in oil and pulse for 2 to 3 times.
5.  Gradually pour in the yeast mixture as you continue to pulse the machine. As soon as dough comes together, it's done. ( do not over mixed with food processor)
5.  Scrape out dough, mix goji berries and walnut in. Roll into a ball, sit on oiled bowl, cover it  and let it rise for an hour or until the size is doubled.
6.  Deflate the air bubbles, roll into a ball again and let it rest for 10 minutes.
7.  Divide into small buns, lay in the prepared pan.  Let it have second rise about an hour or, until size is doubled.
8.  Quick water spray and bake in a pre-heated oven 180C for 30 minutes or until it is golden ( all ovens varies).
9.  Brush with butter as soon as you remove them out from the oven.
10.  Enjoy!

Magic Custard Cake ( one batter 3 layers)

So, this is the Magic Custard cake that many people have been talking about lately..  and when I found youtube video of Mabel's Tart Magica, it actually went back to as early as Feb 2013.

one batter with 3 layers

Not overly sweet...with 3 interesting texture, you just love it when the moment you bite into it!

Recipe: Mabel Mendez, White On Rice Couple
Ingredients
113g unsalted butter
2 cups (480ml) milk
4 eggs, separated
4 drops white vinegar
1 and 1/4 cup (150g) confectioner's sugar
1 tablespoon (15ml) water
1 cup (115g) flour
1 teaspoon (5ml) vanilla extract
extra confectioner's sugar for dusting

Whisking..whisking...this way (using the hand whisk)

It's done , using pyrex dish.

Method
1.  Pre-heat oven to 325F and grease a 8"x 8" baking dish ( I used pyrex) and lay parchment paper for the base.
2.  Melt butter and set aside to slightly cool.  Warm the milk to lukewarm and set aside.
3.  Whip egg whites and vinegar to stiff peak. Set aside.
4.  Beat the egg yolks and sugar until pale and light. Mix in melted butter and the tablespoon of water for about 2 minutes or until well combined.
5.  Mix in flour until well combined. Slowly beat in milk and vanilla extract until all is well mixed.
6.  Whisk in egg whites gently, 1/3 at a time until all done ( hand whisk, refer method in the youtube)
7.  Pour batter into the pan and bake for 45-60 minutes or until the top is golden. It will looked slightly jiggly.  Let it cool completely, run a knife around the edges, invert it.
8.  Dust with icing sugar before serving.
note: I kept it in the fridge for 3 to 4 hours, it is good to have it when it is chilled.

Sourghum Rice bread

I bought a packet of Red Sourghum flour, again it is tailored for my own diet, don't think my kids would like this kind of bread, they think this is too healthy for them. :)

Sorghum is gluten free, this would be a great alternative for someone who can't take wheat.  It is also packed with an impressive number nutrients as far as I know.  It may help manage cholesterol, low GI therefore good for people with diabetes and insulin resistance,  may inhibit cancer tumor growth....and so forth.

Can you see the black rice and some grains? Rice does give chewy interesting texture.
I have always loved bread made with rice.
Soft and chewy mild tasting bread!

Ingredients:

Left over cooked rice, 1 cup  (any kind)

Wholemeal flour, 1 cup

Bread flour, 1 cup

Sorghum flour 1 cup

Lukewarm water, 1 cup

Salt, 1 teaspoon

Sugar  2  tablespoons ( I used honey)

Oil, 1 tablespoon ( I used grapeseed oil)

Skim milk powder, 1 tablespoon

Dry instant yeast, 1 teaspoon

Yogurt 2 tablespoons

Sourghum gives you mild taste..

My left-over rice from dinner. Mixture of barley, black and brown rice, millet.
Simply blend them with one tablespoon of water.

Gluey, sticky... with the technique of 10 seconds quick knead and 10 minutes rest, repeated another time,
dough became more easy to manage.
 These stages of gentle manipulation of the dough actually giving the yeast time to ferment.
 Oiled hands, scraper and spatula are great tools to help job done easily.

It has risen beautifully

with sesame seeds for topping

Method ( food processor):
1.  Prepare the sponge.  In a jug, whisk yeast, sugar and lukewarm water until everything well dissolved. Let it sit for 5 minutes until it become frothy.

2.  Add rice and yogurt in the yeast mixture and mix well.  Wrap with cling wrap and let it chill in fridge for 10 minutes.

3.  Meanwhile, all flours, salt, skim milk powder goes in the food processor. "Pulse" 2 to 3 times to mix them well.

4. Pour in oil as you "pulse" 2 to 3 times again.

5. Gradually pour in the yeast mixture as you are running the machine, do this very briefly.  Over mixing is not good with food processor.  When you see everything comes together, it's done.

6. Scrape out dough and roll into a ball shape.  At this stage, you find dough very sticky and gluey.  Just make sure you have oiled hands, scraper and spatula to help you do the job all the way.

7. For twice, after 10 minutes, knead (using spatula) 10 seconds.  You will find flours absorbing the water better and better each time.

8. Let dough rise for an hour or, until it has doubled its size.

9. Scrape dough onto working surface area, deflate air bubbles, roll into ball shape and let gluten rest for 10 minutes.

10. Divide into buns sizes.  Let it rise for about an hour again or, until size is doubled.

11. Quick water spray on buns and bake at pre-heated oven for 170C, 15 minutes ( all oven varies).  Insert a skewer through deep end of a bun in the centre, if it comes out clean, it's done.

12. Good luck!

Kampar Chicken Biscuits ( Kai Zai Paeng)

Thin and crispy with beautiful Nam Yee flavour.