Dancing Crab

Wanted to eat something different for a change! Cobby once had a cohesion session with his colleagues at this restaurant, so he brought me here on our date day for lunch. I let him do the ordering and this is our lunch!

Combo Bag #02 - SGD$40.00
300g Prawns, 250g Mussels, 250g Clams,
Potatoes, Corn, Sausages with Dancing Crab Signature Sauce (Mild)

After a short wait, the waitress came with a plastic bag and unceremoniously dumped the contents onto the table!

I've never experience dining like this before. So fun! Disposable aprons and gloves were the only thing else on the table. So it's quite obvious how they want us to eat. All HANDS on deck! Hehehe..

First of all, the seafood was VERY fresh, very sweet and succulent. The crab meat was very meaty and the prawns were so delicious! The sausages in the mix was also surprisingly yummy. The sauce was not like our Singapore style chilli crab. It's more tomato base, herby and spicy! Surprisingly spicy really, and our order wasn't the most spicy choice! Respect! But I'm glad we didn't order one that was too spicy. I don't want the spice to overpower the sweetness of the seafood!

As much as I enjoyed the meal, it feels a little lacking in terms of substance. There were potatoes in the mix but I still don't feel very full after eating. In the end we ordered a serving of truffle fries, which was quite generous in proportion, so I felt better after having some carbs in me.

Overall an enjoyable meal. The combo was delicious but I suggest ordering it with something else to make it a more filling meal.
http://www.dancingcrab.com.sg/

No skills required - Braised Peanuts 焖花生

There's this Chinese restaurant that we love to go to and the moment we settled down they would serve these delicious little plates of braised peanuts as appetiser. My son would demand, "peanuts!" and us the servants would pour a few at a time into his kiddy bowl. Before the food arrived he would have polished off at least a third of the plate. Back before we had kids, the both of us can leisurely enjoy the delicious plate of peanuts while we chat. Now it's like a competition. If you eat any slower the kid would finish all the food! -_-"

But as a parent I'm always on a lookout for food inspirations. Especially food that the kids like to eat! I did a little research on the internet and I was a little surprised that this dish is really a no-brainer. But to be honest, the 1st time I did struggle to catch the perfect cooking time. Those peanuts sure take a long time to cook! Once I got the timing right, it's really a too easy recipe. To me, the peanuts have to be soft and NOT crunchy. BUT, it should still hold it's shape. That would be perfect. No wonder the kids love it!

1 cup of raw peanuts
3 cups water (double the height of the peanuts in the pot)
2 tablespoons light soya sauce
1 tablespoon dark soya sauce
1 tablespoon sugar
1/2 tablespoon oyster sauce
1/4 teaspoon Chinese 5 spice powder
a few dash of pepper

Put everything into a pressure cooker and stir well.

• Pressure Cookers:
1. Bring to pressure using high heat.
2. Bring to low heat and cook for 1 hour and 50 minutes.

• Regular Pots:
1. Bring to boil using high heat.
2. Bring to low heat and cook for 2-3 hours.
3. Check every 30-45 minutes to make sure it doesn't dry out. Add water if necessary.

And that's it! Sorry but it really is that simple. Haha, but it's so good, you cannot stop at just one. Yummy! Here's a video tutorial.

Danish Butter Cookies (Vaniljekranse)

Recently the famous Jenny Bakery from Hong Kong came to Singapore and suddenly everybody started going butter cookies crazy. I tried one of the "copycat" recipe online and found out that the famous butter cookies were actually the melt-in-your-mouth type. I don't like them. -_-

My ideal butter cookies comes in a famous blue tin. I don't even know how to pronouce the word! I only know it as Danish Butter Cookies. Choose from a few different designs in a little white cupcake case and pair it with a hot cup of coffee.. Ah.. the perfect tea time!

So I went online to search for a good recipe and settled on the one by Nordicfoodliving.com. Afterall, who better than the Danish to learn Danish Butter Cookies from right? But I did tweak it abit. (see below recipe) Furthermore it's a Christmas dish, how appropriate, given that it's almost Christmas now.

One bite and I know that this is the one! Nice crunchy texture, sweet with a wonderful rich aroma of butter. And the recipe is so simple! Great for gifts on Chinese New Year!

I made a few designs with my piping gun. After they come out of the oven, I noticed that they do spread out a little bit. So I spread a little batter onto a bear cake mould (see my carrot cake bears) and popped it into the oven to see if it works. It works and I got bear shaped cookies! So cute! Just remember to keep it a thin layer for a crispy texture.

Ingredients
175g sugar
200g unsalted butter (softened)
1 egg
1 tbsp vanilla extract

250g plain flour
75g almond meal

Demerara sugar (optional - for sprinkling)

1. Preheat oven at 200°C. 
2. Using a paddle attachment, mix butter, sugar, egg and vanilla extract. 
3. Add flour and almond meal and mix until just incorporated.
4. Pipe into desired shapes. If you want to use a piping bag, make sure you have strong hands and even stronger piping bags. Sprinkle Demerara sugar on top. (optional) 
5. Bake in preheated oven for 8 minutes or until edges are golden brown. (turn tray halfway through to have an even baking)
6. Cool on wire rack before storing in air tight containers.

Stir Fry Long Beans with Pork - 乱棍打死猪八戒

乱棍打死猪八戒 This was the name my Mum used for this dish and it stuck in my head for years! It's a clever name as the string beans were the poles while the pork was Zhu Bajie, one of the characters in the story Journey to the West.

Names aside, this is a simple home-style dish that is easy to whip up and it goes nicely with a bowl of rice. I cooked the long beans a little more softer because of the kids, but you can cut the cooking time if you prefer it more crunchy.

Long beans
Pork shoulder
Seasoning:
1 tsp Bean paste with garlic
1 tsp Sugar
a dash of pepper

1. Slice pork shoulder into thin slices. Marinate with seasoning for 15 to 20 minutes. 
2. Wash the long beans, cut into segments. 
3. Add a teaspoon of salt and oil in boiling water and cook long beans until desired texture. Drain and set aside. 
4. Stir fry marinated pork slices. 
5. Add a little water until just half of meat level. Bring to boil, cover up and simmer in lowest heat for 10 minutes. 
6. After 10 minutes, stir in cooked long beans and thicken sauce with corn starch and water slurry. 
7. Serve.

See video here.

Fruit and Nuts Bread Loaf - Tangzhong Method

Many friends, family and acquaintances always commented that my husband must be a very lucky person, to be able to enjoy all the bakes I make regularly. But the truth is, my husband doesn't have a sweet tooth like me and would only try my bakes when I ask him to. So when he requests for something, I know I need to go all out to make it happen.

One day he causally asked if I could make a fruit and nut loaf. He's like a mouse and loves to nibble on dried fruits and nuts! I on the other hand, have the impression that fruit and nut bread loaf are dry and boring. But since he requested it, I will make it happen!

Since it's home-made, I decided that those crappy dried fruit at the baking aisle will not do. Instead, I hunted down those good quality trail mix with huge raisins, great variety of nuts and even dried figs in it! On top of that, we recently bought a huge packet of dried blueberries, so that will be in the loaf too. So luxurious!

Next I looked for a good bread dough recipe. I'm thinking of a fluffy and moist bread dough to go with the fruit and nuts, so it's Tangzhong again for me. Hey, if it's not broken, why fix it?

So let's put two and two together!

Bread dough
210 gm bread flour
40 gm wholemeal flour
3 tbsp Sugar
1 tsp Salt
1 tsp Instant Yeast
1 Egg (lightly beaten)
100 ml Milk
20 gm Butter (softened)
1 batch of Tangzhong

Filling
Good quality trail mix with nuts and dried fruits
enough juice to soak the dried fruits

1. Pick out the dried fruits and soak in juice for at least an hour. You can use it as it is or chop into smaller pieces. 
2. Prepare the bread dough with the bread maker using the "DOUGH" mode. The recipe for the dough is here . 
3. Dust the kitchen counter, take out dough and roll out the trapped air. Divide the dough into 3 portions and roll into a long rectangle. Sprinkle the nuts and fruits onto the dough and roll it up tightly from the long end up. 
4. Butter your loaf tin and place the rolls in. Cover loosely with a clingwrap and let it proof until it doubles in size. Gently brush some egg wash on top of the loaf (careful not to brush onto the pan. Makes it hard to unmould later) 
5. Bake it in a preheated oven at 180 degrees Celsius for 30 minutes. When it's done remove loaf from pan to cool off in a wire rack.

I didn't grease the pan and the loaves stuck. They fell apart when I try to shake it out! (T-T)

Didn't roll tight enough, causing a huge air pocket.

Flaws aside, it was a very good bread. Bread was soft yet chewy, the fruits and nuts added so much flavour and texture to it. Even a person who don't like fruits and nut loaf (I meant me) will love it!

This recipe is definitely a keeper!
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Sugary Yeasted Donuts

I love donuts, but not the type you see at the fancy American donuts shops. I always find those donuts too dense and WAAAY too sweet. My favourite type of donut is commonly found at a humble neighbourhood bread shop, a simple donut with sugar dusting. To me, a good donut have to be big, soft and fluffy. A good and even coat of caster sugar would be all that's enough to pair with it's light fluffy goodness.

In order to get that kind of fluffiness, you either cheat with baking powder or use yeast. Baking powder usually have this after taste that I really don't like. So if I'm going to make my own donuts, it has to be done using the slow proofing method with the good-ol-fashioned yeast.

Also, don't get me started on baking the donut. I always roll my eyes when I read about baked donuts. Come on lah, if you are really health conscious, don't eat donuts in the first place. Baked donuts are sad, dry and tough pieces of dough that cannot be compared with the crispy, fluffy heaven of fried donuts.

OK, enough said. I had always like to make some donuts for tea break but it is a little time consuming. One weekend I decide to plan ahead and made some in time for tea. I used Byron Talbott's recipe and it was perfect. It's everything I expected. Sugary and crispy on the outside, fluffy on the inside. Great recipe!

So here I am, sharing it with you.

1/2 cup milk
1 tsp dry active yeast
1/4 cup sugar
2 cups flour
4 tbsp melted butter
1 whole egg
Caster sugar for coating
TIME

1. Warm up the milk in the microwave for about 10 seconds. Stir in the sugar and yeast and let it sit for 15-20 minutes until it is frothy. 
2. Add the yeast mixture, butter and egg in the mixer and mix well. With a hook attachment, gradually add in the flour and let the mixer knead it for about 5 minutes until it is well incorporated. 
3. Put the dough in a floured surface and roll out into about 1 inch thickness. Cut it into desired shapes, I used the classic donut ring. 
4. The shape gets warped a little when you transfer from table to the pot of hot oil. To prevent this, place your cut doughs on individual parchment papers. After proofing, pick up the dough using the paper and flip it into the hot oil. If you don't mind the slightly warped shape, skip this step. 
5. Let your dough proof for about 1 hour. 
6. Fry the dough in oil at medium heat until light golden brown. Let it drip of some oil on a wire rack for half a minute before tossing it in caster sugar. 
7. Serve hot with coffee!

A taste of sunshine - Lemon Cornmeal Cake

I came across this recipe while watching Cupcake Jemma on YouTube and I know I have to give it a try. Gluten free!!

Besides, I do have 2 lemons sitting sadly in my fridge, waiting patiently to be transformed into something delicious. So I bought myself some polenta and almond meal and got to it.

Before I start, I need to clarify something. The orignal recipe is called Polenta Cake. But Polenta is actually a NAME of a dish. And this dish is made from cornmeal. So technically we should call it Lemon Cornmeal Cake right? So if you can't find "polenta" in your stores, try cornmeal. It's the same.

165g unsalted butter (softened)
150g caster sugar
zest of 3 lemons
2 tablespoons of lemon juice
2 large eggs (about 112g)
1/2 teaspoons of vanilla

175g ground almonds
70g polenta / cornmeal
1 teaspoon baking powder
a pinch of salt

100g icing sugar
1.5 tablespoon lemon juice

1. Grease a loaf pan and line with parchment paper. Preheat oven to 170C. 
2. Cream butter and sugar together with a paddle attachment until it is very pale and light. 
3. Using a fine grater, directly grate lemon zest into the mixing bowl. Add in lemon juice and mix well. Add in one egg at a time, mixing well before adding another. Add in vanilla and mix well. 
4. In a separate bowl, whisk all the dry ingredients together, getting rid of all lumps. 
5. Fold the dry ingredients into the butter mixture. Pour into the loaf pan and bake for 50mins, or until it is done. It is done when you poke the middle of the cake with a skewer and it comes out clean. 
6. Remove from pan and let it cool completely on a wire rack before icing. For the icing, whisk icing sugar with lemon juice. Pour onto the cooled cake.

The whole house smells amazing when the cake was baking. I really love the bright yellow colour of the cake, so cheerful!

Taste wise, the cake was DELICIOUS! It tasted better than I expected. Looks dense like a butter cake, but it was very light and airy, breaks off easily actually. It taste good just as it is, but top it up with the lemon icing REALLY made a big difference in the flavour. I love the bright taste of the lemon with the fluffy cake. It's like eating sunshine!

One of the best thing I have baked so far. Definitely will do it again!

Brown Sugar Banana Bread 黑糖香蕉面包

I seem to have a habit of buying recipe books and not "using" them. So I left clear instructions to the kids NOT to eat the last banana left. I need the last one to try out a new recipe from my newly bought bread maker book (麵包機新手的第一本書).

The original recipe was for a sandwich loaf. But I was feeling a little creative that afternoon, so I made the recipe into little individual bear buns instead. I was on the fence on whether to add fillings to the buns or not. But since there's banana and brown sugar inside, I decided to just make it plain.

The recipe is so easy to make and the bear was so cute! But I would definitely skip the egg wash the next time as it turned out too brown!

90g Milk
90g Banana Puree
20g Brown Sugar
1/4 tsp Salt
230g Bread Flour
20g Wholewheat Flour
20g Unsalted Butter
3/4 tsp Instant Yeast
black food colouring

1. Put all ingredients in to the bread making machine and select "DOUGH" mode. This will mix, knead and proof the dough for you. If you don't have a bread maker: 
• Make sure all ingredients are in room temperature. 
• Mix the yeast with the milk and wait for a few minutes until the yeast blooms. 
• Put all ingredients except butter into a mixer with a paddler attachment and mix it all up. 
• Once the ingredients are well mixed, add in the butter. Switch to the hook attachment and knead the dough in medium speed for about 10-15min. 
• Remove the hook and cover up the bowl with cling flim and proof until the dough double in size.
2. When the dough is ready knock out all the air and weight it. Divide the dough into 12 equal pieces.
3. From each piece cut out about 5 grams and cut it into 2 pieces for the ears.
4. Roll all the dough into balls. Place them into muffin tins, add the ears. 
5. Cover the muffin tin with a clean tea towel and let it rise again for about 20 minutes.
6. Using a toothpick and black food colouring, draw eyes and nose on the bears.
7. Bake in preheated oven at 180 degress celsius for 15 minutes.
8. Cool on a wire rack before eating!

The next morning, I toasted the bears a little and spread a little peanut butter for the kids. They loved it! For me, I'm a Nutella fan, and Nutella on banana buns was SO DIVINE! Maybe next time I'll wrap it inside the buns.

Braised Fish with Leeks

I learned this dish from my Mother-in-law, and in turn I think she learned it from her Mother too. I like recipes like these. But like most "Mama's recipe", nothing is written down. You learn by tasting the dish, asking questions and watching them cook. After that, good luck and try not to screw up.

I guess when it comes to cooking, there is no hard and fast rules. Most importantly is to:
1. BUY FRESH INGREDIENTS (especially FISH)
2. GET THE TIMING RIGHT

I cannot emphasize enough the importance of the freshness of the fish. I've learnt the lesson the hard way and the dish had came out tasting fishy and horrible. If you are cooking the dish today, buy the fish this morning. The wonderful taste of the fresh fish makes up to 60% of the dish!

The timing part, I don't know how to teach you except to use your eyes and experience. The bigger the fish, the longer it takes. I have cooked so many undercooked, overcooked fishes myself! Check every so often if you are new to this and as time goes by, your experience will guide you through.

So important notes aside, let's go to the recipe

Fish (mine was about 600-700g)
2 tbsp Cornflour
1 tsp salt
a dash of pepper

3 stalks Leeks
100g pork
1 tomato
1 slice of ginger

water or soup stock
1 tsp soya sauce
1 tsp sugar

Preparation:

• Cut pork into thin slices and marinate in a little soya sauce. 
• Peel away the outer layer of leek. Slice leeks diagonally and only use the lighter colour part of the stalk. Wash thoroughly. 
• Slice tomatoes and remove seeds. 
• Make cuts on the fish. 

1. Mix cornflour, salt and pepper together and rub all over the fish. 
2. Heat up oil and fry the fish for only 2-3 minutes on each side. (We don't want to cook the fish, just fry the outside) Set aside. 
3. Heat up wok with a tablespoon of oil and stir fry ginger, pork and leeks for a minute. (careful they burn easily, lower heat if the edges started to char) 
4. Add water or soup stock till the ingredients are covered. Add 1 teaspoon soya sauce, 1 teaspoon sugar and bring to boil. 
5. When sauce is boiling, add fish and tomato slices. Put on the lid and cook in low heat for 4 minutes. 
6. After 4 minutes, check if the fish is cooked all the way to the bone. If cooked, dish up. If not cooked yet, gently flip the fish over and cook for another 4 minutes. Done!

Whole Wheat Sweet Potato Bread With Cheese

I was recently in Hong Kong and I came across this big bookstore in Hysan Shopping Centre. As usual, I headed straight to the cookbooks section and a book caught my eye. It says 麵包機新手的第一本書 (The first book for bread making machine amateurs). Hmm sounds like me. Haha.. But I do like it that the author has alot of interesting ideas for different flavours. I also like it that it has alot of step-by-step photos.

This is the 1st recipe I'm trying from the book and so far I like it. Well, I did make slight adjustments to the original recipe, but it still works.

1. Original recipe uses 40g of cream cheese instead of butter. I don't have any, so I opt for butter. Will try cream cheese next time.
2. Original recipe is actually a sandwich loaf. I divide into 12 pieces and wrapped cheddar cheese cubes in them. YUMS.

They say sweet potatoes are super food, so I guess this must be one nutritious bun! Because it's supposed to be a sandwich loaf, it's not sweet. So if you like it sweeter, you can add some more sugar. I like it as it is. Soft, fluffy and goes well with the salty cheese in the middle. Thumbs up!

110g milk
120g sweet potato mash
15g sugar
1/4 tsp salt
Whole wheat flour 30g
Bread flour 220g
Butter 40g
3/4 tsp Instant yeast

Cheddar cheese cubes (about 2cm cubes)
Extra milk for brushing

1. Cut sweet potatoes into small cubes and steam them under high heat for about 10mins, or cooked through. Mash them up and set aside 120g to cool. 
2. Place all ingredients except for the cheddar cheese cubes into the bread making machine pan and select "DOUGH" function. 
3. When the dough is ready flatten it out and roll it up again into a log. Cut out 12 equal portions. (I weighed the whole dough and divided the weight by 12. Which is about 45g each.)
4. Flatten each dough, place a piece of cheese in, pinch it together to close and gently roll the dough to smoothen it. Place it seam side down into a muffin tray. 
5. Proof for 30-45mins. 
6. Preheat oven at 180 degrees Celsius for 10-15mins. 
7. Gently brush milk on top of buns before baking in a preheated oven for 20mins. 
8. Remove buns from muffin tray to cool on wire rack. Best eaten warm!

Breakfast Chocolate Muffins with a warning

PLEASE READ FIRST!!!

I don't know how to post this recipe.

It started out with my daughter requesting for chocolate muffins for breakfast. The glutton in me screamed yeah! But the Mom in me frowned disapprovingly. So in order to meet in the middle, I adjusted my go-to muffin recipe and try making it healthier with whole wheat flour and oatmeals. They turned out GORGEOUS!


I posted it on the FaceBook and the members of the baking group loved how it looks. But when I took a bite, it turned out that it was a tad dry.

Don't get me wrong, it tasted DELICIOUS and I loved how the wholewheat flour and oatmeal added a little texture and flavour to it. But still, a little dry. I tried baking another batch with more buttermilk. It's softer, but it turned out like cupcakes, which defeats the point of a muffin. A muffin is SUPPOSED to be firmer than a cupcake FYI.

So. After much deliberation, I think I should just post the recipe as it is. I think people should be smart enough to adjust the recipe according to their own liking? Let me know how it goes!

1 cup plain flour
1/3 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 cup cocoa powder
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 tsp salt
2 tsp baking powder
4 tbsp instant oatmeal

1/3 cup vegetable oil (try 1/2 cup instead)
1 egg
2/3 cup buttermilk (you can use milk with a tablespoon of white vinegar)

1. Preheat the oven to 200 degrees Celsius. 
2. Sift all the dry ingredients except for the oatmeal. Add in the oatmeal to the sifted ingredients. 
3. Mix all the wet ingredients together. 
4. Gently FOLD the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients until they are just incorporated. Do not overmix! 
5. Scoop muffin batter into lined muffin trays and fill it up to the brim to get a nice muffin top. 
6. Bake for about 20mins. You know it's done if you insert a skewer into the middle of the muffin and it comes out clean.

Overnight Yeasted Waffles

I think I mentioned it before, but I'm gonna say it again just emphasize my point.

I LOVE WAFFLES.

My favourite is from Geláre, and I love how it's crispy on the outside and yet soft and fluffy on the inside. Yeasted waffle like these need time to proof, and I don't think I can make the effort to wake up early just to make breakfast, so I've never made these until today.

For this recipe, you just need to do the work the night before you sleep. The next day, just take it out of the fridge for a hour or so. (go wash up and get the kids out of bed) By then the batter would be ready for you! My hubby wakes up an hour earlier than me, so I asked him to take the batter out.

The original recipe comes from here. I halved it, because there isn't that many people eating. Besides, this type of waffles is best eaten fresh! Also, the recipe ask us to leave the batter on the countertop overnight?? And add in the egg the next day. I'm afraid that our warm tropical weather would spoil the ingredients, so I add everything in a large pot and put the whole pot into the fridge. Works anyway!

Overnight Yeasted Waffles

Makes about 6-7 standard waffle squares
Note: Use a large mixing bowl to make this recipe as the batter will double in size as it rises.

1/4 cup warm water
1/2 tablespoon active-dry yeast

1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon sugar
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1 large egg
1/4 cup melted butter
1 cup warm milk
1 teaspoon vanilla

1. Combine the yeast and the water and let stand for a few minutes. Stir to make sure the yeast dissolves into the water. 
2. Mix together all the dry ingredients using a whisk in a large mixing bowl. 
3. Add in the warm milk, the yeast mixture, the melted butter, the egg and the vanilla. Mix well into a smooth batter. 
4. Cover up with either clingfilm or a lid and let it proof in room temperature for 1 hour. 
5. After an hour place the whole bowl into the fridge to proof overnight.
6. The next morning, place the bowl on the kitchen counter top at room temperature for at least an hour. 
7. Make the waffles according to your waffle maker's instructions, cooking until the waffles are golden-brown. Cooking time will vary with your waffle maker, but it is typically 4 to 6 minutes.

Waffles are best if served immediately, but re-heat well in the toaster. Leftovers can be kept refrigerated for up to a week. Leftover waffles can also be frozen for up to 3 months and toasted straight out of the freezer.

No time? Try my Quick and Easy Waffles instead.

Best Durian Cake - Don't take my word for it

It's so funny. This is the second time I made this cake and I have no idea what it tasted like. My Mother takes Chinese opera lessons and they like to have these little pot luck sessions after class. One day my Mother asked me to make durian cake for her classmates. That was the very 1st time I made this cake. Since the cake was for someone else, naturally I didn't get to taste it. But my mother came back with rave reviews, saying all the "aunties" at her class loved the cake.

Last week my mother came to me again and commissioned me to make a durian cake for her teacher's birthday. Apparently they loved my cake so much that they wanted me to make the cake again. Whao~ That was so flattering.. The cake must REALLY tasted good! So setting aside my giant inflated head, I went shopping at Phoon Huat and got to work.

This is not my recipe. The sponge cake recipe is from Ann Reardon from How To Cook That and the stabilized whipped cream recipe is from Gretchen's Bakery. Since they turned out so good, I thought I blog it down for my future reference. Maybe SOMEDAY I'll get to taste it myself.

NOTE!

1. I followed it quite closely, but I needed a 11" X 11" square cake instead of a 20cm round cake, so I poured everything into 1 big pan instead of splitting into 2 small pans.
2. The original recipe flips the cake upside down to cool off. I blindly followed instructions without using my brain and the cake was nearly destroyed! Don't forget that mine was in a bigger pan so naturally the weight would pull the cake down from the pan! Stupid! Luckily I flipped it back quickly, so it was only a large crack rather than a total destruction. Phew~ Covered up with whipped cream and pretended nothing happened.

Sponge Cake

2 cups plain all-purpose flour
1 1/4 cups sugar (I reduced it)
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 tsp gelatine (powdered)

1/2 cup vegetable oil
7 egg yolks
1 cup cold water

7 egg whites
1/2 tsp cream of tartar

1. Preheat the oven to 160C or 130C if using a fan forced oven. 
2. Place your flour, sugar, baking powder, salt and gelatin into a bowl and whisk it to incorporate air and get rid of any lumps. 
3. Make a well in the centre of the flour mixture then pour in the oil, egg yolks and water in that order. Set that bowl to one side. 
4. Put your egg whites and cream of tartar into another bowl and whisk on high speed until you get soft peaks. 
5. Mix together the flour mixture for 30 seconds only or until just combined, don’t ovemix this. 
6. Using a spatula fold in your egg whites in three batches. 
7. Line but do not grease one 11 inches square cake tin and spread the mixture evenly in it.
8. Bake in a slow oven, 130C for 90 minutes. When it is done leave in the tin to cool.

Stabilized Whipped Cream (Yield: 3¾ Cups)

1 tsp Plain Powdered Gelatin
1 1/2 tbsp Cold Water
1 1/2 tbsp Boiling Water
2 cups Heavy Cream
¼ cup Fine Sugar (adjust according to your taste)

1. Bloom the gelatin in the cold water. Let stand about 5 minutes.
2. Add the boiled water to the gelatin mixture and stir to dissolve.
3. Using a cold bowl, whip and heavy cream whip the cream and gradually add the sugar.
4. Whip to soft - medium peaks and then add the melted stabilizer all at once.
5. Continue to whip for a few seconds longer until desired consistency.
6. Use immediately on your cakes and desserts

Durian Mousse

3 packets of durian
1/4 cup heavy/whipping cream
1/2 cup whipped cream

1. Remove the flesh from durian. 
2. Add heavy cream into durian and blend it up using the pulse function. (Taste better with some texture) 
3. Fold whipped cream into the durian paste and use immediately as cake filling.

Assembly

1. When sponge cake is completely cooled, slice into two from the middle and spread durian mousse in the middle. 
2. Do a crumb coating by spreading a thin layer of cream all over the cake and chill the cake in the fridge for 1 hour. 
3. After an hour frost the cake with the rest of the whipped cream and decorate accordingly.

 If you are lucky, slice and enjoy. If you are like me, just imagine how delicious it's gonna be!

*Apparently Mum brought home a big slice of leftover cake! Unfortunately my Dad found it first and devoured the whole thing. -_-

Tangzhong Wholemeal Milk Bread (Bread Machine)

I think I found it.

My dream was to be able to replicate a loaf of store bought bread with my bread maker. I'm not ashamed to say that we love our store bought bread. We love it so much that we can finish the whole loaf before the week ends. So I think it's cheaper to make our own bread instead of having to buy it. Besides, I see it as a personal accomplishment. :)

The problem is, everybody claims that their recipe is soft/moist/fluffy, but they still turned out a little dense. I think it's because the Westerner's preference in bread is different from us Asians? So I tweaked my search to "soft asian bread maker recipe" instead. The results were mainly Hokkaido Milk Bread and Tangzhong Bread. I didn't have any whipping/heavy cream on hand, so I did the Tangzhong method last night.

If you see my last blog on Tangzhong bread, it explains that a water roux with a 1 : 5 (bread flour : water) ratio is added to the ingredients, resulting in a soft, fully and moist bread.

I am SUPER happy with the bread. Very touched. Very 感动. Finally, a bread that is SOOO close to the ideal texture! It's soft, very fluffy and quite moist. It was an emotional morning. :') Thank you The Wonder Mummy! See how soft the bread is!



OK, before we go to the recipe, please TAKE NOTE!

• The original recipe select dark crust, but because every machine is different, mine ended up a little too dark. I will use medium or light crust next time. 
• Dough using the Tangzhong method is known to be wetter, so don't be worried if it looks very wet. As long as the dough is able to come together during the kneading process, it's ok. 
• Different brands of flour have different absorbency rate. Don't follow the recipe blindly. My dough was a little too wet and couldn't come together during kneading, so I sprinkled about 1 tablespoon of extra flour to the dough. Use your own judgement! 
• This is considered a small loaf for my SEVERIN bread maker so I have to adjust the settings to "small loaf". This affects the baking time.

Tangzhong paste (I super love that it makes exactly enough for a loaf of bread without any leftover!)

50 ml Water
10 gm Bread Flour

- Mix flour and water together and keep stirring over low heat with a whisk until mixture turns thick and swirl lines appear.
- Cover with a plastic/cling wrap. Make sure it is in contact with the tangzhong.
- Let the tangzhong cool down to room temperature before using.

Bread Dough Ingredients

210 gm bread flour
40 gm wholemeal flour
3 tbsp Sugar
1 tsp Salt
1 tsp Instant Yeast
1 Egg (lightly beaten)
100 ml Milk
20 gm Butter (softened)
1 batch of Tangzhong

1. Place the Tangzhong, milk, egg into the bread tin. 
2. Add in the flour, sugar, salt and butter. Lastly dig a shallow pit in the middle of the flour and add in the instant yeast. 
3. Select white loaf function, small Loaf, light crust. 
4. Press START.

Honey Oat Bread (Bread Machine)

I'm obsessed.

I'm always thinking of ways to sneak in fiber into my children's diet. Always have vegetables in every meal and healthy choices for snacks! I know, I'm so boring. Oats are SOOO nutritious, I wish my kids would love them. But even with added chocolate, my elder girl wouldn't touch a bowl of oatmeal with a 10 foot pole. I have to beg, nag and even threaten her in order for her to take a few bites. So let's get creative! This recipe would be a perfect way to sneak in some oats into the kid's breakfast without them even knowing! Heehee..

I don't know why there's a giant crack on my bread. Rustic looking? :P

There were raving reviews for this recipe online, and yes, the bread does turn out quite delicious. But do take note that Western style bread is more dense with a nice crust. So don't expect the bread to turn out soft and fluffy. It's great for making sandwiches as it holds it's shape pretty well. I like it plain or toasted with butter as the honey and oats give it alot of flavour.

I followed the previous method of dissolving the yeast in the water 1st before adding the flour. It's unconventional, but I feel like it makes the yeast more effective.

1 cup water
1⁄4 cup honey
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 cups white bread flour
1 cup whole meal flour
1⁄2 cup oatmeal (I use instant oatmeal)
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons active dry yeast

1. Place the water, honey and yeast in the pan of the bread machine. Let the yeast dissolve and foam for 10 minutes.
2. Add the oil, flour, oatmeal and salt to the yeast mixture.
3. Select Basic or White Bread setting, and press Start.

White Loaf Bread

In recent years I'm starting to lose faith in cook books. I'd rather believe in the recipes from the internet, especially those with reviews. Many reviews means that it is a tried and tested recipe by actual people out there. So for my 2nd attempt for my bread machine I looked to the internet and found this recipe. This recipe is rather interesting as it defies conventional method of making bread using a bread machine. Instead of putting the yeast on top of the flour, away from the liquid, you mix the yeast with the liquids 1st, just like how you make bread by hand.

Flavour wise, I like this better than my last loaf. It uses less yeast, so the yeasty smell was less apparent. Hubby commented that it was more dense than the last one, but I don't feel it. But we both love the crust on this one. I think it will taste even better with some wholemeal flour added to it.

I wanted the bread to be ready for breakfast, but I wasn't sure if I can set the timing for this recipe due to it's unconventional method. Is it OK to let the yeast and liquid ferment for a few hours? I don't know. So I set the bread machine on just before I go to bed, and woke up at around 4am to take the bread out of the machine when it was done. By morning we woke up to the wonderful smell of freshly baked bread!

I forgot to take a picture of the whole loaf but it does look a little darker than the last loaf. I was a little too busy making tuna sandwiches for the kiddo's breakfast! I only remember after I made the sandwiches...

I think I need to buy a better serrated knife. Mine's too short and not sharp enough.. Enough talk. Here is the recipe.

1 cup warm water (110 degrees F/45 degrees C)
2 tablespoons white sugar
7 grams instant yeast
1/4 cup vegetable oil
3 cups bread flour
1 teaspoon salt

1. Place the water, sugar and yeast in the pan of the bread machine. Let the yeast dissolve and foam for 10 minutes. 
2. Add the oil, flour and salt to the yeast. 
3. Select Basic or White Bread setting, and press Start.

Quick and Easy Waffles

Had a sudden craving for waffles one weekend afternoon, so I searched the website for a quick waffle recipe and found THIS. The verdict? Not bad! Not bad at all! Well, its a quick recipe, so naturally it needs baking powder instead of using the slow rising effect of yeast. Honestly I prefer the yeast version but this is great if you need a quick waffle fix.

2 eggs
2 tablespoon white sugar

1 3/4 cups milk
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 cups all-purpose flour
4 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt

1. Preheat waffle iron. 
2. Mix milk, oil and vanilla extract together. Sift the flour, baking powder and salt together. 
3. Beat eggs and sugar separately in large bowl with hand beater until fluffy. 
4. Fold in the sifted flour alternately with the milk mixture until smooth. 
5. Butter the preheated waffle iron. Pour mix onto hot waffle iron and spread it out. Cook until golden brown. Serve hot.

I tried one with honey and then one with Nutella. Everything taste awesome with Nutella! But with honey you can taste the flavor of the waffle better. So get creative!

My 1st Breadmaker Bread - White Bread

Hubby said he wanted to buy something expensive and nice for me on Mother's Day and asked me what I want. My answer? A breadmaker.



I know, I know.. it's a little cliche. The little woman, asking for a bread making machine for Mother's Day. Feminist all over the world would roll their eyes and groan. But I've been wanting to get a breadmaker for so long! Every weekend I look for sale on breadmakers at electronic stores. I don't want to get one that is too expensive because I'm afraid that I would lose interest after awhile and waste money. So even as I get the opportunity to get one for free I chose the one on sale.

The machine comes with an instruction booklet and some recipes. But the promoter said that being a German brand, the bread in the recipes are more tough, like most European bread. So the staff actually experimented it himself and wrote down some of his own recipes, more suitable for the Asian palette. I thought that was SO SWEET and thoughtful! Talk about customer delight! So, the recipe that I'm sharing today, my VERY FIRST breadmaker bread, is by the Severin staff.

It's nothing fancy, but I thought I start with the basics 1st.

350ml Water
1 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoon sugar
75 grams butter (melted)
100g wholemeal flour
400g bread flour
1 1/2 teaspoon yeast

1. Place everything except for the flour and yeast into the baking pan. 
2. Sift the flours together and add into the pan. 
3. Make a little well on top of the flour and pour in the yeast. 
4. Close the cover, choose program 2 (white bread/french bread) and start the machine.

It took about 4 hours and it's so fun to watch the bread being made while I just carrying on with my daily activities!



The last hour is the best as the baking process starts and the house smells so nice! It also signify that the bread would be done soon, so it was quite exciting! Finally it's done!



I was quite worried as it felt quite dense as I try to lift it up.



But it turned out quite well! The taste was really good!



To be totally honest, the store bought wholemeal bread is still better and we will still continue to eat that. But now I have an additional option and I can't wait to try more interesting bread the next time!

Georges By the Bay

I've heard about some restaurants sprouting up at some ulu parts of Punggol. A quick search and The Punggol Settlement came up. So we decided to bring the kids there for dinner. I was surprised at how packed the place was on a weekend! It reminded me of the East Coast Park seafood restaurant area. The place is a 2 storey building where the ground floor are all big chinese seafood restaurants, full of big groups of families waiting for their turn to get seated down for dinner.

Not exactly what I was looking for! I pictured a peaceful dining experience, a bistro style restaurant where I can spend some quiet time with my family. So we quickly went upstairs and found a perfect spot right at the corner. Georges By The Bay is located right at the corner unit of the 2nd floor, so there's plenty of Al Fresco dining area facing the sea. Unfortunately most of the best open air seats were located at the smoking section. The kids were with us, so we sat as near to the open area as we can without needing to suffer the gas poisoning.

The kids shared a fish and chips, which was pretty good. Crispy, flaky, not bad. Hubby and I ordered their signature Georges Burger and we were not disappointed! The beef patty was thick, char-grilled and very tender. Even though it was thick, it was perfectly cooked and soooo juicy. Topped with cheese and bacon, this burger awesome enough. But what surprised us more was the burger buns. It was firm enough to hold the juicy burgers together, lightly toasted so there's a slight crisp around the edges, and the sesame seeds give a nice nutty fragrance. A cherry on top of the sundae!

I guess we weren't expecting to find such a good burger in a little place like this! We had a really nice time. Our seat was facing the sea, the air was nice and cooling after the rain. The kids loved their koi fish ponds and we even got to go to the nearby playground for some fun after dinner. Yes it's more like a sports bar, but the food is good, the environment is pleasant and we all had a good time. When you have 2 kids in tow, it's more than what you can ask for!

GEORGES BY THE BAY
3 Punggol Point Road
#02-12 The Punggol Settlement
S828694
+65 702 6186
https://www.facebook.com/GeorgesB

Dak-bokkeumtang Korean Spicy Braised Chicken

Gochujang paste is such a versatile condiment! I know that this paste is widely used in Korean cuisine. So once again, I look to the master of online korean cooking, Miss Maangchi. I want something hearty and spicy this time, so Dak-bokkeumtang is perfect. It reminds me of our Asian chicken curry actually. Chicken and potatoes braised in spicy gravy? Sign me up! I didn't have any chicken wings or drumlets, so I used whole chicken drumsticks instead and it is still delicious!

The measurements of the recipe is quite straight forward so I didn't stray far from it. But I wasn't cooking for a party like she was,(see original recipe) so I just halved the recipe. We don't eat green chilli at home, but she said it's a crucial flavour, so I actually bought a whole packet, used ONE, and the rest just rotted away in the fridge. :( But she's right. You CAN taste the green chilli in the stew so try not to skip that.

500g chicken
2 onions (chopped)
2 tablespoons soya sauce
2 tablespoons minced garlic
2 tablespoons gochujang paste
2 tablespoons pepper flakes
1/2 tablespoon sugar
1 cup water

potatoes
1 big green chilli (cut)
Spring onions (for garnish)

1. Mix chicken, onions, seasoning and water together.
2. Boil without a lid on high heat for 20mins. 
3. Add potatoes and chilli and cook for another 20mins. This time with the lid on. 
4. Remove lid and cook for another 3-5 mins to thicken the gravy. 
5. Garnish with spring onions and serve!

Double Cheese Bread (Tangzhong method)

I've heard alot about the Tangzhong method but I've never had the chance to try it. Having 2 kids has been taking a toll on my baking time! Today I finally found the time and energy to try it out and I was not disappointed! The bread turned out just like they claim. Fluffy, chewy and yet still soft. The original dough recipe is from DessertzHouse. I just changed the filling.

HOW TO MAKE TANGZHONG
1 : 5 (bread flour : water)
example 100g flour : 500g water
- Mix flour and water together and keep stirring over low heat with a whisk until mixture turns thick and swirl lines appear.
- Let the tangzhong cool down to room temperature before using.

Double Cheese Bread
(makes 8 in a 8" pan)

240g bread flour
5g yeast
5g salt
20g sugar
1 egg
50g water
60g flour paste (tangzhong)
30g butter (softened)

1 egg yolk with a splash of milk for eggwash
Block cheddar cheese cut into small cubes for filling
Shredded cheddar for sprinkling ontop

1. Put all of the bread ingredients, except butter into a mixing bowl. 
2. Add butter after everything is nearly incorporated. 
3. Knead the dough until it becomes very elastic and smooth. I use the mixer. 
4. Grease a bowl with some oil, put the bread dough inside. Cover with some cling wrap and proof the dough until double in size. To check that the dough is ready or not, insert your floured finger into the middle of the bread dough, if the hole stays there then it is ready. 
5. Push the air out of the bread dough. Allow the dough to rest for 15 minutes. 
6. Cut the dough into 8 equal portions. 
7. Flatten each piece of dough, put a piece of cheese in the middle and close it up. Roll the dough into a ball and place into a greased 8" pan. 
8. Proof for the dough for the second time at a warm place until double in size. 
9. Brush dough with eggwash and sprinkle with cheese. 
10. Bake in a preheated oven at 170C for 15 minutes. Transfer onto a wire rack to let cool.

I am no expert in making bread. I learn as I go along. But here are some things I learned through experience so I'm sharing it with you here today.

The thing about bread is that there is no hard and fast rule. Instead of flour, try oiling your hands before handling the dough. It prevents sticking and keeps the bread nice and moist without the extra flour.

There is no exact timing for proofing. It depends on everything from the flour, the yeast to the weather and temperature of your kitchen. USE YOUR EYES to judge!

Overall I was quite pleased with the result of the bread. Best thing is that I have leftover tangzhong, so I can continue exploring this method tomorrow. Practice makes perfect!

Orange Butter Marble Cake

OK, Chinese New Year is long gone but I still have so many mandarin oranges left! So I found a good recipe online and made myself a delicious, rich and buttery marble cake with a delicate orange flavour. Perfect with a steaming cup of coffee or tea I tell you! I like recipes like these. Simple without too many ingredients. Less is more! And by the way, I can never understand people who want to make a BUTTER CAKE and yet are afraid of it being TOO BUTTERY?!? Then what's the point? Go eat a chiffon cake!

So if you are scared of butter, this is not for you. Come on, my motto is, everything in moderation. A slice of butter cake once in awhile is NOT going to kill you. As always, I have to give credit to the original post from pieceofcake, because this is such a wonderful cake! Thank you! To save you the trouble, here is the recipe.

Orange Butter Cake (8 inch round)

Ingredients
227 gram butter – room temperature
200 gram sugar
220 gram flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
4 large eggs
Zest of 2 mandarin oranges
5 tbsp orange juice (freshly squeezed)
1 1/2  tablespoon cocoa powder

1. Grease and line an 8” round baking pan. Preheat oven to 175 degree C. Sieve flour, baking powder and salt and set it aside.
2. Cream butter and sugar until light and creamy. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition until mixture is light and fluffy. Add in the orange zest.
3. Carefully fold in the flour. Finally add in orange juice. Mix until well combined.
4. Take out about 3 heapfuls of the batter and mix in the cocoa powder.
5. Turn out the plain mixture into prepared tin. Add in the chocolate batter and make swirls with a skewer or chopstick for the marbling effect.
6. Level out mixture at the sides but allow a shallow well in the centre. This is to enable the cake to level up evenly during baking.
7. Bake for 50-55 minutes or until cooked through when tested with a skewer.
8. Let it cool in the pan for about 10 minutes before transferring it to a wire rack.

Spritz Cookies

I wanted to make some CNY cookies for my girl's teachers but I guess it would be more meaningful if she helped out too, so I chose this simple recipe. This recipe is perfect for amatuers or children as they can easily help weight, mix, even pipe out the cookies and decorate! Such a simple recipe but so delicious! The cookies have a lovely sweet and buttery vanilla flavor with a texture that is crisp, fragile, somewhat dry, and buttery. "Spritz" is German for "spritzen" meaning "to squirt", which is exactly what is done with this cookie dough. So it's perfect to test drive my new toy, the cookie press gun! Yeah!

The original recipe is from here and I followed it quite closely, except for the change in colour!

227g unsalted butter, room temperature
100g white caster sugar
2 large egg yolks
1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
260g plain flour
1/4 tsp salt
red food colouring

1. Preheat your oven to 180 degrees C. 
2. Beat the butter and sugar until fluffy. 
3. Add the egg yolks and vanilla extract and beat until incorporated. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed. Add food colouring until desired shade is achieved. 
4. Add the flour and salt and beat until you have a well mixed dough. 
5. Using a cookie press, pump cookie dough onto baking sheet lined with parchment paper, about 2 inches apart. Decorate the cookies as you desire.* 
6. Bake cookies for about 11 - 14 minutes or just until the edges of the cookies are barely tinged with brown. Remove from oven and gently transfer the cookies to a wire rack to cool completely. In a covered container, these cookies will keep at room temperature for about 10 days or they can be frozen for several months.

*Chill piped cookies in the fridge while waiting for ones in the oven to be done baking. Chilling the cookie dough also helps to keep the shape better*

Orange Yogurt Cake

I saw members from my favourite Facebook group making yogurt cake and I was intrigued! Cake made from yogurt? The fact that it's healthier is secondary. More importantly was how they rave about how delicious and light it tasted and I knew that one day I had to try it. So yesterday at the supermarket, inspiration hit me and I bought a tub of yogurt home.

I looked for a simple recipe online and found this. It's like a muffin recipe. Dry ingredients in one bowl, wet ingredients in the other, fold them together and bake. Simple! Don't even need to bring out the mixer. Just a whisk from the drawer! BEST...

The cake looks like a rich butter cake but it actually taste lighter. It does have a light tangy flavour but not too much to say it's sour. Even my picky kids love it! It is a perfect tea break snack and goes beautifully with a hot cup of coffee. I made some minor adjustments and still it turned out great. So I think this cake would be great for beginners or when you don't want to waste too much effort on satisfying a cake craving. Next time I will tweak it to change the flavour!

Ingredients

vegetable oil and flour for dusting

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup sugar
1 tablespoon finely grated orange zest
3/4 cup full fat yogurt
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 large eggs
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1. Preheat oven to 180°C. Coat a standard bundt cake pan with vegetable oil. Dust with flour; tap out excess. 
2. Whisk all-purpose flour, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl. 
3. Using your fingers or a spoon, rub sugar with finely grated orange zest in a large bowl until sugar is moist. Add yogurt, vegetable oil, eggs, and vanilla extract; whisk to blend. 
4. Fold dry ingredients into wet ingredients by three separate parts until just incorporated. 
5. Pour batter into prepared pan; smooth top. Bake until top of cake is golden brown and a tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 50-55 minutes. 

6. Let cake cool in pan on a wire rack for 15 minutes. Invert onto rack; let cool completely.

*Can be made 3 days ahead. Store airtight at room temperature.*