Mother-in-law's Pa Mee version 2

My hubby's dialect is Heng Hwa (兴化), which is a little known sub group of the Hokkien clan. In order not to disrespect their tradition, I would say this is a modified version of their Pa-Mee (打面). They always sing praises of their grandmother's pa-mee, but since their grandmother is no longer around, I can only judge by my Mother-in-law's version of the noodles, which is pretty good. Too bad I can't taste the original version!

I previously did a post of this noodles and here it is. But as the time pass, I tweaked it a little here and there, adding ingredients to pump up the flavour in nutritional factor for my babies. Also, I watched the way my MIL cook this dish and copied accordingly.

Now here is the updated version. Hope you like it, cause I sure do!

Super cute ladybug steamed cakes!

I 1st saw this cake on a YouTube video, but it didn't post the details of the recipe, so I couldn't try it out. Interestingly a few months later a friend posted it on Facebook but still I didn't try it out. Last week another friend made it and posted it on Facebook, this time with a weblink to the recipe! This is perfect timing because my girl would be having her last day in K1 and I wanted to make something for her class to enjoy.

Original recipe from Mui Mui's blog (I made some adjustments)

Ingredients
3 cold eggs
1 tsp condensed milk
220g castor sugar
1 tsp vanilla essence

275g plain flour
3 tsp baking powder
150ml fresh milk

1. Put eggs, condensed milk, sugar and vanilla in a mixing bowl and beat with medium high speed for 6 minutes or until ribbon stage. 
2. Sift flour and baking powder together. Alternate folding half of the flour mixture and milk into the egg mixture. 
3. Take 1 tbsp plain mixture and put into a piping bag. Take 3 tbsp plain mixture, mix with 1.5 tsp cocoa powder and put into piping bag. Colour the rest of the mixing with bright red and filled into a piping bag. 
4. Pump the red into a paper cup about 80% full. Draw a cross with the brown mixture and do dots on both sides. Colour the upper half of the cross brown and make 2 plain dots for the eye and fill the inside with the plain mixture. 
5. Steam with medium high heat. 12 minutes for full sized cupcakes and 6 minutes for mini cupcakes.

I have a giant steamer, but my muffin tins is rectangular so it doesn't fit into the steamer. So I had to use my mini cupcake moulds. Even before steaming, they looked really cute already! Hope they turned out well!

Oh my gosh can you imagine my delight when I opened the lid of my steamer after 6 minutes! A bunch of mini lady bugs looking at me! So cute!

I couldn't stop taking pictures of them! So cute!

The fact that they are small made it even more cute! My girl loved it!

I made 2 batch of mini cakes and there's still some batter left, so I tried to make bigger ones. Unfortunately I didn't have the proper cupcake casing, so the big ones were a little out of shape. But put them together and the result was another round of squealing and "aaaawwwwww soooo cute!!!" They were like a class of little ladybugs and teacher ladybugs, so it was perfect for the occasion!

OK, have to regain composure to continue.. The insides were quite nice and fluffy, but taste wise, it was quite ordinary. Like 鸡蛋糕. Maybe next time I make strawberry flavoured ones.

The cakes were a hit! At assembly the classmates gathered around my girl excitedly and exclaimed how cute the cakes were. My girl said that everybody loved it and I assumed it made her a very popular person that day. I was glad everybody had a good time and good memories for the last day of school.

Devil's Food Birthday Cake

My baby boy loves trains, so for his 2nd birthday, I decided to make him an extra special birthday cake! A 3D train cake!

I used a devil's food cake for the cake base instead of the usual sponge cake as I love a good, rich chocolate cake. I experimented with a few different recipe and this (original recipe from Ina Garten) is definitely THE jackpot! It's so rich, chocolaty, moist and yet not too sweet. PUUURFECT! For the frosting, I love the Swiss Meringue Chocolate Buttercream I used the other time, so I'll just stick to it.

INGREDIENTS

Cake:
Butter, for greasing the pans
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for pans
2 cups sugar
3/4 cups good cocoa powder
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup buttermilk, (I used 1 cup of milk + 1 tablespoon white vinegar)
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 extra-large eggs, at room temperature
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 cup freshly brewed hot coffee

Swiss Meringue Chocolate Buttercream: (about 840g) (from my original post)
195g egg whites
220g caster sugar
385g unsalted butter, softened but still cold
100g cocoa powder (I used Hershey's)

Let's Bake!

1. Preheat the oven to 180 degrees C. Butter two 8-inch x 2-inch round cake pans. I used 1 9-inch x 9-inch square cake pan. Line with parchment paper, then butter and flour the pans. 
2. Sift the flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder, and salt into the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment and mix on low speed until combined. 
3. In another bowl, combine the buttermilk, oil, eggs, and vanilla. With the mixer on low speed, slowly add the wet ingredients to the dry. 
4. With mixer still on low, add the coffee and stir just to combine, scraping the bottom of the bowl with a rubber spatula. 
5. Pour the batter into the prepared pans and bake for 35 to 40 minutes, until a cake tester comes out clean. 
6. Cool in the pans for 30 minutes, then turn them out onto a cooling rack and cool completely. Since I'm using one big pan, slice the cake into 2 and frost accordingly.

Preparing the Swiss Meringue Chocolate Buttercream:

1. Place 195 egg whites and 220g granulated sugar in a heatproof bowl. Sit the heatproof bowl on a saucepan filled with water. The base of the bowl should not be in contact with the water. This is known as a double boiler. Bring the water in the saucepan to a slight simmer. Use a balloon whisk and stir the egg whites and sugar constantly until the sugar has fully dissolved and the mixture is warm to the touch (test by inserting your finger).
2. Remove the heatproof bowl and beat the warm egg white mixture on medium high speed to obtain stiff peaks using an electric beater. (It takes a longer time when sugar is added.) At stiff peaks, the beaten egg whites will not budge when bowl is overturned. When the beaters are lifted from the beaten egg whites, the surface of the egg whites should form stiff upright peaks (not drooping peaks). The beaten egg whites should be cool to the touch (room temperature), not warm like when it was removed from the saucepan.
3. Beat in 385g butter into the beaten egg whites in 3 batches, ensuring each batch is incorporated before adding the next. The egg whites will deflate furiously when butter is added. Continue beating until the mixture is creamy and fluffy (Initially when the butter is added, the mixture may become watery. As more butter is added, the buttercream thickens up).\
4. Lastly, sift in 100g cocoa powder and continue beating to obtain a smooth chocolate buttercream.

If you are making the cake a day ahead, just cool the cake completely, wrap it up carefully in cling film and keep in the fridge. After cake has been frosted, and there are leftovers, don't worry, just keep in a airtight container and keep in freezer. It can keep for up to a week! The cake is best eaten at room temperature, so just leave it on the table for a few hours and it's ready to be served with a glass of milk or a cup of coffee.

If you love chocolate cake, you will love this recipe. Try it. You won't regret it!

Chocolate Banana Cake

I have some bananas that's ripening too quickly. Must be due to this crazy hot weather! But it's ok, at least now I can bake! Let me think.. muffins? cookies? cupcakes? Banana cake? Boring... unlike chocolate cake! OMG I love chocolate cake! I wondered if there's such a thing as chocolate banana cake and Goggled it. Apparently there are! I surfed around and found a good looking one from Joyofbaking.com I made some adjustments to the recipe of my own, and this is the end result.

Heavenly..! It's the most moist, fudgy, chocolately cake I've ever tasted. A super rich chocolate cake with a light banana taste. So good, I'm speechless. So... let's bake!

Dry Ingredients:
2 cups white sugar
1 cup cake flour
3/4 cup whole wheat flour
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt

Wet Ingredients:
2 large eggs
3/4 cup mashed ripe bananas (I didn't have enough to make 1 cup -_-")
1 cup warm water
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup flavorless oil
1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

1. Preheat oven to 180C and place rack in the center of the oven. Butter a 23 x 33 cm pan. 
2. In a large bowl whisk together the dry ingredients. Set aside. 
3. In another large bowl, whisk together the wet ingredients. 
4. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and stir, or whisk, until combined. You will notice that the batter is quite thin. 
5. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for about 35 to 40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean. 
6. Remove from oven and let cool on a wire rack. When completely cooled, frost with the Ganache.

Chocolate Ganache Frosting:
8 ounces semisweet or bittersweet chocolate, cut into small pieces
3/4 cup heavy whipping cream
1 tablespoon unsalted butter

1. Place the chopped chocolate in a medium sized stainless steel, or heatproof bowl. Set aside.
2. Heat the cream and butter in a medium sized saucepan over medium heat and bring just to a boil. Immediately pour the boiling cream over the chocolate and allow to stand for 5 minutes. Stir until smooth. 
3. When Ganache has completely cooled, beat until soft and fluffy. Then spread the frosting on top of the cake.

*I didn't wait long enough for the ganache to set so it was quite liquid when I poured onto the cake. But it tasted awesome anyway!*

Tell me you don't want to put that into your mouth! Come on..!

Hassel Free rice cooker chicken rice 沙锅饭

As a stay home mum, I have to prepare 3 meals a day almost everyday. I love cooking, but sometimes you get sooo sick of it, but what to do? the kids still have to eat. Today was one of those days. I almost wanted to go to the nearby coffeshop to buy food until inspiration hit me at thye last minute. Rice cooker rice! It was so last minute, my chicken was barely defrosted when I put it into the rice cooker. But the outcome was still just as delicious. One pot meals, a stay at home mom's life saviour!

Ingredients
2 chicken drumsticks with thigh meat
4pcs of shitake mushroom
1/4 cup of pumpkin, skinned and cut into thin slices
1/2 pc Chinese waxed sausage (蜡肠) cut into small pieces
1.5 cups of rice

Seasoning
1 tablespoon oyster sauce
1 tsp sugar
1 dash of sesame oil
1 tablespoon shaoxing wine
1 pc of garlic minced

1. Cut the chicken into 2 pcs and marinate with seasoning. 
2. Wash rice and add the appropriate amount of water. (just like how you usually cook rice)
3. Add everything else into the rice and mix well. Pop into rice cooker and cook. 
4. When rice cooker indicates that it's cooked, do not open lid. Let the food steam in residual heat for another 15mins before opening.

5. Stir well and serve with freshly cut spring onions. (optional)

Enjoy!

Power Salmon Cakes

I bought a huge fillet of salmon the other day and wondered what to do with them. The only idea that popped into my head was pan fried teriyaki salmon. Yawn! So I saw this recipe on Jamie Oliver's Food Tube. This lady named Kerryan made these giant salmon cakes and they look simple enough!

Well, I was all ready to make these for the kid's lunch when I realised that I'm missing some ingredients. So I improvised and it turned out delicious! In fact, I think my recipe was even more nutritious as mine got some sweet potatoes added into them. As everybody knows, sweet potatoes are "power food" and sooo good for you, hence I'm naming mine, Power Salmon Cakes! Haha..

Makes 13 small fish cakes

Ingredients
1 potato cubed
Same amt sweet potato cubed
2 stalks spring onion cut finely
1 egg
250g fresh salmon, cut into smaller pieces
1/4 tsp salt
Dash of pepper
Some flour for dusting

1. Steam potatoes and sweet potatoes together for 10mins. Steam salmon for abt 5-10mins till just cooked.
2. Mash all ingredients in a large bowl. If u don't mind the raw egg, taste it to check seasoning.
3. Dust your hands with flour and roll into balls. With low heat and abit of oil, slowly pan fry them till golden brown. 
4. Serve!

On hindside, the mixture was so sticky, I'm not sure if the original recipe requires flour or not. But I believe not putting enhanced the flavor of the ingredients! Maybe next time I'll just scoop with a ice cream scoop and into the pan directly. The best way to describe this dish would be, begedil with salmon in it! Very kids friendly, very delicious and nutritious. A definite must try!

Cheese Cupcakes

My father used to own a neighbourhood bakery when I was a teenager and one of the items that I really liked (I love everything in a bakery!) was these little fluffy cakes flavoured with cheese. It's sweet yet savoury and does not have any frosting. Yummy! Fast forward 18 years, I came across this website of Filipino cuisines and lo and behold, cheese cupcakes! Apparently this is a popular local delight, interesting! Just so happened to have all the ingredients needed in my fridge(it's fate!) so let's bake!

Makes 12-14 cupcakes
Ingredients

1 cup cheddar cheese, grated + more for topping
1 3/4 cups flour
3 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 can condensed milk
120g butter, cut into small cubes and softened
1/2 cup sugar
2 eggs, lightly beaten

1. In a large bowl sift together flour, baking powder and salt. 
2. Beat together butter, sugar until light and fluffy. Mix in eggs. 
3. Add the flour mixture and condensed milk alternatively to the creamed butter and egg mixture while beating in low speed, combine until smooth in texture.
4. Fold the grated cheese into the batter.
5. Scoop batter into paper-lined muffin cups to 3/4 full. Top with cheddar cheese and bake in a 180C pre-heated oven for 30-35 minutes or until toothpick inserted comes out clean. Top should be golden and crispy.

It's not as light and cheesecake-like like my dad's cakes, but it's still super delicious! I love munching the crispy and cheesy top before sinking my teeth into the fluffy cake. So good..

Valentine's Day Pumpkin Cut Out Cookies

Wanted to make some Valentine's Day cookies for Jolie to bring to school, but I wanted something more healthy, so I found this recipe online. Since I'm going to glaze the cookie with royal icing, I decided to cut the sugar by half. You can check out the original recipe here.

1/2 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
1 cup roasted pumpkin puree (instructions here)
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon Baking Powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt

Instructions:

1. In a large bowl cream together butter and sugar; add pumpkin and vanilla and mix well. In a separate bowl combine flour, Baking Powder and baking soda. Add to creamed mixture and mix until thoroughly combined.
2. Refrigerate dough for at least 2 hours, until firm. Line cookie sheets with parchment paper and preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
3. On a floured surface roll out dough to about a 1/8 inch thickness. Cut with cookie cutters and place cookies 1 inch apart on cookie sheets. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes. Makes about 2 dozen cookies

For the frosting, I use royal icing using egg whites. (Recipe from Joyofbaking.com)

2 large (60 grams) egg whites
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
3 cups (330 grams) confectioners (powdered or icing) sugar, sifted

1. In the bowl of your electric mixer (or with a hand mixer), beat the egg whites with the lemon juice until combined. 
2. Add the sifted powdered sugar and beat on low speed until combined and smooth. 

The right consistency to cover or "flood" sugar cookies is when you lift the beater, the ribbon of icing that falls back into the bowl remains on the surface for a few seconds before disappearing. If the icing is too thick, add a little water. The icing needs to be used immediately or transferred to an airtight container as royal icing hardens when exposed to air. Cover with plastic wrap when not in use.