Baby Rae's first bake!

Today my baby came home with excitement to show me what she had done in school, her 1st bake (with teacher's help), a cookie!

She managed to curb her desire to bite off this cute cookie so that she can bring home to show mommy.

I'm very proud of my baby.

This is the small thing that makes a mom happy, guess it's my bonus for this quarter!

Triple Chocolate Brownies

I've made this Triple Chocolate Brownies this morning.

Recipe:

A

50g Plain flour

1/3 tsp baking powder (sift together with flour twice)

B

Unsalted butter 80g

Unsweeten baking chocolate 110g (I used Hershey)

C

Castor sugar 90g

2 eggs

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

D

50g white Choco chips

50g semi Choco chips

Method (pre heat oven 170'c and line a 8" by 3.5" baking tin

1 melt B using microwave oven but make sure low heat with short  sec interval so that the mixture won't sizzle.

2 cream C in stand mixer till pale n frothy

3 add B into C n mix well

4 add in D

5 fold in flour

6 pour into baking tin and bake in 170'c for 15 min then change to 160'c for 30 min till top is dry but inside still moist

Bread making

I've been making my own bread since our return from Ipoh CNY trip in early Feb.

Bread recipe (using Tang Zhong method)

A

200g bread flour

90g plain flour

30g caster sugar

6g instant yeast

12g milk powder

1 egg (without shell 60g)

65g water

Salt 6g (if using salted butter 2g)

Tang Zhong 80g

Cranberry 30g (optional)

B

50g Butter (unsalted)

Method 

1 mix A group of ingredient using stand mixer (hook) till well mix and bowl clean using low speed

2 add in butter and mix using low speed till well combine then beat till non sticky and the dough is elastic (pass the stretch membrane test)

3 shape the dough into round shape & put it in a greased bowl and let it proof in room temperature for about 45mins (dough size double)

4 dust finger with flour and poke the dough to test if well proof, if hole remains then it's ok

5 Divide the dough into 10 to 11 round balls of about 55g each, let dough rest for another 10 mins

6 shape the dough into oval shape by flattening the ball, fold the long sides then seal the 2 ends tightly 

7 line the dough on a well greased baking tray, remember to leave sufficient gap in between

8 put the baking tray inside the oven to proof the dough for 40mins, turn on the oven light without the heat and put a tray of hot water underneath the baking tray of bread dough

9 check that the dough is double in size and butter wash the dough (can sprinkle cheese & parsley on top)

10 remove from oven n preheat 180'c

11 bake at 180'c for 15min

12 once turn golden brown, remove from oven n butter wash

Top pic is bread with cheese n parsley 

Bottom is plain butter roll

Merry Christmas 2013

Bb Rae loves cake, just like mommy.

To make her a happy girl this Christmas, I've made her a Oreo cheesecake.

Banana Blueberry Muffins

We've some over ripen banana and some blueberries so I've decided to use them for baking.

Banana blueberry muffins recipe

Ingredients: 

Dry

250 g all purpose flour 

1 tsp baking powder 

1 tsp baking soda

 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon 

1/2 tsp ground nutmeg

1/4 tsp salt

Wet

60 g unsalted butter (melted, at room temperature n mix into the wet ingredient but I prefer using cold butter doing rubbing in method to the flour

 60 g fresh milk 

2 eggs (lightly beaten) – I used medium 60g eggs 

2 tsp vanilla essence 

80 g  sugar 

 3 big over-ripe bananas (mashed) – about 80g each

I mashed 2 and lightly mashed 1 to be used as fillings insert in the middle of the mixture of the muffin cup

80g blueberry (leave some to sprinkle on top)

Method

1 Mix dry ingredient - flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg powder and salt in a bowl

Add in cold butter using rubbing in method.

2 marshes 2 banana till liquid like and likely mash the last one and leave aside.

3 Mix wet ingredient - egg, vanilla essence, milk and sugar then add in the marshy banana

4 preheat oven to 200'c and grease the muffin tray 

5 pour dry ingredient slowly to wet ingredient scope by scope and mix, then add in blueberry

Note: lightly mix and limit the mixing stroke to achieve fluffy muffin texture

The batter must be "spoonable" and not too wet.

6 Scope into the muffin cups till 90% full and sprinkle some blueberry on top

7 Bake in 200'c oven for 5 mins then turn to 180'c for about 15 mins or golden brown

Yield 12 muffins

Pandan Chiffon Cake

I've always wanted to bake chiffon cake but was told how tricky and difficult it can be as any mistake made during the preparation or baking processs, the whole cake will be a disaster.

With my new KA mixer, I feel that it's time for me to venture into "Chiffon" baking.

I'm not too receptive in using artificial flavoring so I bought a bunch of fresh pandan leaves to extract the juice with the help of my muscle man - my hubby, RY, since I've don't have the juicer equipment so I need him to do manual squeezing using the bare hand.

Pandan Chiffon Recipe

Pandan Juice Extraction

A bunch of pandan leaves (about 20 to 30 leaves)

Trim away the tip and discard old and dried leaves

Wash and soak leaves till water is clear

Blend with minimum water

Squeeze the juice out

Leave in fridge for over night to get the dark green substance settles.

Use 25g of Pandan juice extracts

Coconut milk 70g (preferably fresh but pasteurized packet from the cold refrigerator section in supermarket is ok)

Mix coconut milk and pandan juice to get 95g total volume of mixture and set aside at room temp

Egg White

180 g egg whites (I used 5 egg whites as my eggs are smaller)

½ tsp cream of tartar

50 g sugar

Egg Yolk

60 g egg yolks (I used4 yolks)

50 g sugar

60 g vegetable oil

¼ tsp salt

100 g cake flour, sifted with baking powder 

1 tsp baking powder

Method (preheat oven 180'c and ensure the lowest rack in the oven is used for the baking, wash and dry a 21cm chiffon tin - ungreased and clean dry tin)

Egg Yolk

1 Mix yolk and sugar in mixer and whip till pale yellow, thick & creamy and ribbon like

2 Add in green coconut mixture mix till evenly incorporated 

3 Add in oil and mix till evenly incorporated

Set aside mixture

Egg White

1 beat egg white till foam like using mixer

2 add in cream of tar tar

3 add in sugar in 3 portion to beat till stiff peak

Cake mixture 

1 add in cake flour sifted with baking powder into the egg yolk mixture and mix till well incorporated with no traces of flour

2 fold in egg white into the egg yolk mixture in 3 batches

3 lift up bowl and hit few times to release air bubbles

4 gradually pour the mixture into the chiffon in

5 use a chopstick to run around the edge of the tin to release more air bubbles

6 even out the surface

Baking

1 place chiffon tin I the oven bake for 15 mins

2 use a baking tray cover the top part of the oven to prevent upper heat to brown the cake surface fast and bake for 22 mins

3 remove the cover and continue to bake for another 10 mins

4 remove from oven and invert the whole chiffon ton upside down to cool the whole tin (cake inside the tin) for min 1 hour

5 when cake is completely cook, run a sharp knife around the tin edge to remove the cake

Fresh Apricot Muffins

Last week we bought a box of fresh apricot for my baking use.

I like the unique scent of the fruits and if fully ripen, the fruit will be really sweet.

I've left the fruit in the room temperature for 4 days hoping that it will be ripen.

This afternoon I used it to bake a tray of apricot muffins.

But I was disappointed that the fruit was really sour eventhough it had turned soft.

I've to use more sugar in this recipe which I'd normally not.

I'm glad that the muffins turn out really good, not too sweet or sour.

Recipe

Muffins

Ingredient A

Plain flour 250g

Baking powder 1tsp

Baking soda 1tsp

Salt 1/4 tsp

Cinnamon powder 1/4 tsp

Nutmeg powder 1/4 tsp

Cold butter 80g (can be melted n add to Ingredient B)

Ingredient B

Egg 2 (60g each)

Milk 60ml

Sugar 120g (if the fruit is sweet, use 90g)

Vanilla essence 1tsp

Fresh apricot 250g and remove skin and stone to purée which yield 160g (coarsly blend to have some bits n pieces)

Method (preheat oven 210'c and line 12 muffin cups in tray7

1 mix ingredient A and B separately in different bowl

2 add in cold butter in A using rubbing in method

3 mix B into A gradually with minimum stroke, fold till no traces of flour till mixture is lumpy and spoonable but not dry

4 scope into muffin cups till 90% 

5 bake 1st 5min at 210'c and next 15 min at 190'c

Yield 12 muffins

Banana Orange Muffins

I'm exploring diff flavor of muffins and this time I mic orange with banana and the taste is fantastic!

I've used the banana muffins recipe done previously and substitute 30ml juice and reduce milk to 30ml.

I also use 2 orange zest.

Kitchen Aid

This is my new Kitchen Aid mixer which I hand carried back from Mayer warehouse sales.

The sales told me the weight is about 5kg, so I thought I should be able to manage taking it via bus service.

After much toil and sweat, I mananged to bring it back via bus service as I'm very thrifty and didn't  want take taxi.

The equipment was really heavy and I didn't think it weighed just 5kg.

When I got home, I checked the specification and realised that the actual weight with box packaging was about 12kg!

No wonder I was so drained out and exhausted when I got home!

Banana walnut cake

I just got a Kitchen Aid mixer KSM150 yesterday and today I used it to whip up this simple banana walnut cake.

RECIPE FOR BANANA WALNUT CAKE

Baking tin: 1 unit of 8" x 3.5" x 3" (height)

Ingredients:
60g unsalted butter
80g castor sugar
1 egg (medium) – at room temperature, lightly beaten
130g plain flour (can use cake flour)
½ tsp baking soda
¼ tsp baking powder
¼ tsp salt
80g plain yogurt 
2 or 3 fully ripen bananas (120g)
30g walnuts

Preparation:

1. Cut butter into 7-8mm thickness and leave it at room temperature until it turns soft (it is ready to be used if you can press it lightly with your finger tips). Or grate the frozen butter into the mixer bowl and let it soften while preparing other ingredient.
2. Combine flour, baking soda and baking powder in a mixing bowl and sieve twice.
3. Put walnuts on a baking tray and roast them in a preheat oven at 120°c for 15 minutes. Remove from oven and let it cool down completely before breaking up into smaller pieces.
4. Lightly grease the baking tin and line with grease-proof paper.
5. Preheat oven to 180°C (at least 15 minutes)

Methods:

1. Cream butter, sugar with an electric mixer and beat till mixture is well combine and look creamy.
2. Add in vanilla essence. Make sure it is well combined in mixer.
3. Add in lightly beaten egg little by little, beat until creamy using mixer.
4. Add in salt and mix well in mixer, then remove from mixer to check texture is creamy before commencing step 5 onwards.
5. Mash bananas with a fork. Add into the mixture and mix well using a spatula.
6. Add in 1/3 flour mixture through a sieve and mix well by folding in gradually.
7. Add in yogurt and mix well.
8. Add in the remaining flour mixture through a sieve. Use a spatula to fold into the mixture until no traces of flour. Do not over-stir the batter!
9. Add in chopped walnut and mix well. But leave some to sprinkle.
10. Pour the mixture into the greased lined baking tin. Shake it lightly to distribute the cake mixture evenly.
11. Bake in a pre-heat oven at 180°C for 50 minutes or until golden brown and fully cooked. If a toothpick comes out clean, it is done.
12. Remove it from the oven and leave the cake in the tin to cool on the wire rack for another 5 minutes. Best to serve it warm.

Note:

1. If the cake turns brown before end of the cooking time, cover it loosely with a piece of aluminum foil.

Blueberry Muffins with Crumb Topping

RY bought a box of blueberry and I used it to bake some blueberry muffins but to add a twist to it, I've added crump topping.

Recipe

Muffins

Ingredient A

Plain flour 220g

Baking powder 1tsp

Baking soda 1tsp

Salt 1/2 tsp

Cold butter 80g

Ingredient B

Egg 1

Milk 100ml

Sugar 80g

Vanilla essence 1tsp

Blueberry 120g (leave some to sprinkle)

Raisin a handful (optional)

Method

1 mix ingredient A and B separately in different bowl

2 add in cold butter in A using rubbing in method

3 mix B into A gradually with minimum stroke, then fold in blueberry and raisin till mixture is lumpy and thick which is spoonable

4 scope into muffin cups till 90% full then coat the crumb topping and sprinkle the blueberry 

Yield 10 muffins

Crumb Topping Ingredient 

1 tsp flour

2 tsp brown sugar

1 tsp butter

1/4 cinnamon powder

1/4 nutmeg powder

Mix the above and leave aside (if want more crump topping, can increase the ingredient portion)

Update : to make 18 muffins

Dry ingredient 

Plain flour 300g

Baking soda 1 tsp

Baking powder 1 & 1/3 tsp

Salt 1/4 tsp

Blueberry 180g (leave some to sprinkle)

Wet ingredient 

Butter 110g

Eggs 2

Milk 140ml

Sugar 110g

Vanilla extracts 2 tsp

Cranberry Cheese Muffin

This morning I saw a packet of cranberry sitting inside the cabinet with the expiry date Jan 2014.

I think if I don't do something about it, I'll forget about it and risk binning it.

So I decided to make cranberry cheese muffins.

I've created thus recipe base on what is available in my fridge.

Recipe

Ingredient A

Self raising flour 220g, salt a pinch, baking powder 1/2 tsp, baking soda 1/2 tsp, cranberry 50g n raisin 30g, cheese slices cut into quarters (I used Kraft, but can use cream cheese as desired)

Ingredient B

Sugar 90g (if prefer sweeter can add more), unsalted butter 80g, egg 1, vanilla essence 1 tsp, milk 120ml

Method 

1 Mix ingredient A & B separately in 2 separate bowl (leave cheese aside as it's to be used as fillings inserts in between the scooping of batter into the muffin cups)

2 Mix B gradually into A till mixture is thick and lumpy 

3 Scoope into muffin cup and put in quarter of cheese in the middle

4 Bake 1st 5 min 220'c and then 15 min 190'c

I yield 9 muffins.

Serious Chocolate Muffins

I've baked these chocolate muffins this afternoon and it's really yummy!

I've named thus recipe Serious Chocolate Muffin.

I'm very happy because this recipe is my own creation since I can't find any for me to follow exactly.

RecIpe

Ingredient A 

Self raising flour 250g, baking powder 1 tsp, baking soda 1/2 tsp, salt 1/4 tsp, cocoa powder 70g, Choco chips 100g and a handful of raisin (optional but I like bit of diff texture n taste n not just coco taste)

Cold unsalted butter 100g

Ingredient B 

Egg 2, sugar 100g, vanilla essence 1 tsp, chocolate milk 125ml, milk 100ml (I added 80ml first and the bal I add in when I feel the texture too dry, as it depends how big your eggs are) 

Total milk added was 225ml

Note can add in more sugar if want sweeter or not using chocolate milk. I use Choco milk cos I want finish it n not let BB Rae drink since I find it too sweet.

Method (preheat oven 220'c and grease baking tin and line the muffin cups)

1 Mix all dry ingredient in big bowl, then add in cold butter via rubbing in method.

2 Add in raisin and Choco chips

3 in another bowl, mix all ingredient B 

4 Gradually fold in B into A bit by bit till mixture is lumpy and thick but not dry (must be spoonable and not pourable)

5 scope into muffin cup 90% full and sprinkle some Choco chips

I bake first 5 mins 220'c and subsequent 15 mind 190'c.

I yield 14 muffins.

Update: to make 18 muffins

Dry ingredient

Plain flour 300g

Baking soda 1+1/3 tsp

Baking powder 1 tsp

Salt 1/4 tsp

Cocoa powder 80g

Raisin a handful

Choco chips 110g (leave some to sprinkle)

Wet ingredient

Butter 120g

Eggs 3

Sugar 110g

Choco Milk 250g

Vanilla extracts 2 tsp

Play Date

Last Wed, Rae's friends came over for a play date and I've prepared some snacks.

I've prepared egg mayo sandwich, mushroom cheese sandwich and banana muffins.

Banana muffins recipe

Ingredients: 

250 g self raising flour 

1 tsp baking powder 

1/2 tsp baking soda

 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon 

1/2 tsp ground nutmeg

Pinch of salt

60 g unsalted butter (melted, at room temperature n mix into the wet ingredient but I prefer using cold butter doing rubbing in method)

 60 g fresh milk 

2 eggs (lightly beaten) – I used large eggs 

2 tsp vanilla essence 

80 g  sugar 

 5 medium over-ripe bananas (mashed) – about 6 inches long - 

I mashed 4 and lightly mashed 1 to be used as fillings insert in the middle of the mixture of the muffin cup

Method

1 Mix dry ingredient - flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg powder and salt in a bowl

Add in cold butter using rubbing in method.

2 marshes 4 banana till liquid like and likely mash the last one and leave aside.

3 Mix wet ingredient - egg, vanilla essence, milk and sugar then add in the marshy banana

4 preheat oven to 220'c and grease the muffin tray.

5 pour dry ingredient slowly to wet ingredient scope by scope and mix 

Note: lightly mix and limit the mixing stroke to achieve fluffy muffin texture

The batter must be "spoonable" and not too wet.

6 Scope into the muffin cups 90% full

7 Bake in 220'c oven for 5 mins then turn to 190'c for about 15 mins or golden brown

Orange Scones with Raisin

Today RY will not be back for dinner so I decided to do some baking since I don't have to cook dinner except porridge for baby.

I was wondering what to bake then suddenly recalled that RY bought a lot of oranges which are not sweet to my liking, so instead of throwing them away, I decided to test out this orange scones recipe.

I've done some modification in the recipe.

Ingredient:

All purpose flour 240g (but later I increased to 280g  as I've added too much milk)

Sugar 30g (I don't like too sweet but can add more if want it sweeter)

1 egg lightly beaten (keep little yolk to mix with milk as the egg wash on the scones surface)

Butter 40g

Baking Powder 1 tablespoon but later I added half teaspoon more due to flour increase

Raisin - a cup

1 orange, extract juice and also grate the skin for the zest

1/4 teaspoon salt

Milk moderation (recipe stated 125ml for 350g flour and for 240g flour should be about 85ml but I added 30ml already find it too watery)

Method:

Grease the baking tray to get ready.

Pre heat the oven 190'c

Mix flour, baking powder, salt, sugar in a bowl, then add in butter using the rubbing in method till it resemble breadcrumbs.

Add raisin and orange zest to the mixture.

In another bowl, beat egg and add into the mixture.

Add orange juice

Add milk in moderation (think I added about 30ml then I realised the mixture was to sticky so I added more flour and baking powder.

Mix all well and make the mixture into a dough.

Roll the dough into 2cm thick on a flat surface (flour dust the surface)

Use cookie cutter to cut the shape.

Use the egg yolk with bit of milk as egg wash on the scones surface

Baking:

Bake 190'c for about 16 to 18 mins or till golden brown.

New hobby - Baking

I've a new found hobby which is possible to do now as bb goes to school, I've some free time to read up on the recipes, do baking essentials shopping etc.

I started with the basic Rock Buns to build up some confidence before I progress to more difficult recipes. 

Then I moved on to making scones and this morning I baked chocolate chips muffins.

I'm very happy with my baking adventures since all have been a success, both Bb Rae and RY like them very much.

Next in line will be cake baking which I hope would be a success too .........

Rock Buns

Recipe http://smallsmallbaker.blogspot.sg/2007/11/chocolate-chips-rock-buns.html

Scones

Recipe http://rasamalaysia.com/recipe-raisin-scones/2/

I replaced with Chocolate Chips.

Chocolate Chips Muffins (Recipes http://www.thelittleteochew.com/2013/05/chocolate-chip-muffins.html. But I replaced with butter and further reduced sugar)