Meme Time!

I was pleasantly surprised to be tagged by Happy Home Baker, my favourite local blog. I often visit her blog to get some yummy recipes to try and .... feed my two kids! Ha!

Here are the MeMe rules:

1. Link to your tagger and post these rules.
2. Share 5 facts about yourself.
3. Tag 5 people at the end of your post and list their names (linking to them).
4. Let them know they've been tagged by leaving a comment at their blogs.

Well, this is my first time being tagged. I shall try my best!

1. I live in an HDB exec apartment in the east.
2. My kids are in Primary 1 and kindergarten 2. I tried to cook/prepare their daily lunch instead of buying out. (A big headache everyday of what to prepare? )
3. I started my first bread making only in August last year.
4. I have quite a big kitchen. I'm using a 28L "Rowenta" mini oven with grilling, and rotisserie functions. I also own a heavy duty "Kenwood" Chef stand-mixer, which is really a great helper when kneading bread dough and I just discovered: whipping up cream in minutes:) I truly admire those who use their arm power to knead bread dough. I think I would lay flat the next day! lol!
5. Next, I hope to pick up the skills to make "chinese buns" (bao). This is one of my family's favourite. So far my 2 attempts failed :(

Ok, here are the bloggers I would like to tag:

1. Lily Wai Sek Hong: Amazing blog! She got whatever recipes you want! :)
2. The Cooking Diva

Have fun!

Caterpillar Rolls

Made these buns and rolls using a "coffee red-bean paste" given by my in-law.

The sweetness of the paste was ok: not too sweet. However, the coffee flavour wasn't that strong. Despite this, my two boys love them very much. My elder boy remarked that the rolls resembled like a "caterpillar" ;) and he wanted to bring it to school tomorrow :)



On closer look, it did resemble a caterpillar :)

Recipe as follows:

Ingredient:

1 qty "basic sweet bun dough

For filling:

250g red bean paste

some sesame seeds

For glazing:

1 egg (beaten)

For topping:

some white sesame seeds

Method:

1. Leave dough in a big bowl, covered with a damp cloth. Proof in a warm place for 30 mins till dough is double in size. Scale dough at 60g portions. Shape them into small balls and rest the dough balls for five mins.

2. Flatten and roll each ball of dough into a round. Place in a little filling, seal and wrap into a round. Roll flat once more and make several slits (use a dough cutter). Roll up and place on a greased baking tray. Repeat process with the rest of the dough. Cover with a damp cloth and leave them for 45 mins to rise a 2nd time.

3. Glaze with egg wash and sprinkle top with sesame seeds. Bake in a preheated oven at 180 deg C for 12-15 mins. Tray should be placed in the middle rack of the oven. Remove when golden. Cool well on wire rack.

Recipe source: Bread Magic by Alan Ooi

My CNY cookies

The following cookies were what I baked for Chinese New Year. I was crazy to attempt a few types of cookies and making a few batches EACH for my sisters, my mum, my in-law and myself! It was extremely tiring.... :( but very fun though, :) Luckily, all the cookies were very well-received by them. :)

These "Heart shape" almond cookies were made specially for my in-law who is diabetic. She had specially requested for no sugar. However, thinking that no sugar may taste bland, I added some sugar. Turn out that these "heart-shape" batch of almond cookies tasted the best! Think because of lesser sugar bring out the almond flavour even better. Next time, may consider using this method. :)

Flower-shape Almond cookies

Peanut Cookies: These peanut cookies were very well-received. Recipes taken from here.

Green peas cookies: Another well-received cookies :))

Here wishing everybody: GONG XI FA CAI! HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Sesame Seeds & Garlic Buns

Sigh! What shall we have for breakfast tomorrow? After browsing my recipes files, decided to bake these buns as I've all the ingredients on hand. I'd used corn oil in place of the butter called for in the "basic sweet bun dough".

My house was filled with the delicious aroma from the garlic bread...

Sesame Seeds & Garlic Buns (Make 8 buns)

Ingredient:

1 qty "basic sweet bun dough"

For garlic mixture:

100g butter (softened), 5 pips garlic (finely chopped)

1/2 tbsp parsley (chopped), 1/2 tsp salt (I used spring onion i/o parsley)

For Topping:

100g white sesame seeds

For glazing:

1 egg (beaten)

Method:

1. To make garlic mixture: Combine all ingredients in a blender and blend well.

2. Leave the dough in a big bowl, covered with a damp cloth. Let it proof in a warm place for 30 minutes until double in size. Scale dough at 80g portions and shape into balls.

3. Leave them to rest for 10 minutes. Flatten and roll out each ball of dough into a long shape. Glaze with egg and coat surface with white sesame seeds.

4. Place them on a greased baking tray. Cover and proof for the 3rd rising, taking about 45 minutes. Slit top and spread in garlic mixture. Baked in a preheated oven at 180 deg C for 15-20 minutes till golden. Cool well on wire rack.

Enjoy!

Recipe source: Bread Magic

Look at how my younger son enjoying his bread :))

Another Hot Dog Buns

This is my family's favourite bun. Made this countless times! :) Wanted to share with others that you can actually use corn oil in place of butter for bread (much healthier). This is my findings after trying with loaves and buns. I see no different in texture of the bread if corn oil is used.

Recipe as follows:

(Make 16 buns)

Ingredient A:

300g bread flour (I add abt 2 tbs more - add 1 tbs at a time)

1/2 tsp salt

1+1/2 tbsp milk powder

50g caster sugar

Ingredient B:

125ml water

1+1/2 tsp instant yeast

1 egg

Ingredient C:

40g butter (I use 40g corn oil)

For glazing:

1 egg (Beaten)

For filling

8 pieces chicken sausages/frankfurters (halved)

Some chilli sauce, some dried Rosemary (bottled) (I use tomato sauce)

Method:

1. To make bread dough: Combine ingredient A in a mixer and mix well. Add in ingredient B and beat till a dough is formed. Add in ingredient C and beat till dough is smooth and elastic to the touch.

2. Leave dough in a big bowl, covered with a damp cloth. Let it rise in a warm place for 35 minutes until double its original size. Divide dough into 35g portions. Flatten and roll out each portion dough into a longish shape. Place a halved sausage roll in the centre, roll up and seal. Arrange on a greased tray, well spaced apart. Cover and rest for the next 40 minutes until buns double in size once again.

3. Glaze with beaten egg wash and decorate with a spread of chilli sauce. Sprinkle some dried Rosemary on top. Bake buns in a preheated oven @ 180 deg C for 15 minutes. Cool well on a wire rack.

Recipe source: Bread Magic

While waiting for the buns to cool off, my sons asked for the buns. :)

My first cookies

My very first cookies in my whole life! I'm not a cookie lover, but my family members are, especially my husband. These cookies are my "trial" preparation for our chinese new year ;)

After blog hopping here and there, decided to use this recipe from Florence-Do what I like. Was very sure my husband will like the feeling of "melt in your mouth" :) True enough, he liked it except that..... the coarse peanut was not crunchy enough!!! :( Next time round, I'll just omit this ingredient.

As it was my first time baking cookies, I didn't find it easy to use the bottlecap method. I simply round it and flatten them a bit, that's why they are of different shapes! haha ;)

Wonder why the cookies cracked like that? Was it consider overbaked? Was it the oven temp? or the oil wasn't enough? How to make them uniform shapes ? :(

Banana Cake

Had been very busy for the past few days as my eldest son just started his primary school education. I basically ran up an down: sending him to school, went to the school again to observe the buddy system and fetching him home. Very tiring :(



He's in the afternoon session. For the first 3 days: all P1 students begin their lessons at 2.00 pm and end at 5.00 pm; during their recess, parents are allowed in the school to observe the buddy system. The buddy system works in such a way whereby all P1 students are paired with a P2 student during the recess to help them to buy food, showing them around, and "stick" to them at all times! Luckily, my boy's buddy was very responsible, according to my observation :)




Trying to clear my leftover bananas in my fridge and decided to bake a banana cake. After browsing my recipes file, I decided to use this recipe from here as I have all the ingredients on hand. Furthermore, it uses fresh milk instead of my normal bake using yogurt. Another good reason is: just whisk and stir, no need to use mixer :)



However, I added more mashed bananas than required (abt 375 gm total: including slices on top). I also add a teaspoon of vanilla powder as I simply love the smell of vanilla in my cake :)

My husband and sons love it! My eldest son even asked,"Mummy, can I bring this on Monday as my snack?" ;) I believe adding the "extras" mashed bananas help! The cake is moist and the sweetness is just right.

The next time I want to make banana cake this will be the recipe I'll turn to! :)