Aspiring Bakers: 南瓜小馒头&刈包

真好笑。查看了我以前的记录，竟然没做过包子！可能是太容易买得到的关系吧。

就在去年的时候，我尝试了第一次做包子。虽然感觉不是很完美，但是趁现在Aspiring Bakers是包子主题，终于有勇气把它们post上来。

这两个食谱都是来自《孟老师的中式面食》。是当时从图书馆借来的书。食谱我随意的抄下。如果有不清楚的地方，请去找找这本书吧。

I did 2 chinese baos last year. Don't laugh at me yah, it was only my first time making baos. Since this month's Aspiring Bakers is Bao Ho-Chiak, I find the courage to post up these not so nicely made baos.

There are 2 types of method for making baos based on the Chinese book by 孟老师. The Mini Pumpkin Mantou 南瓜小馒头 is made using one-time proofing method. The Lotus Leaf Buns 刈包 is made using two-time proofing method. I tried both and find that the two-time proofing method seems to produce softer buns.

Mini Pumpkin Mantou 南瓜小馒头 - Before steaming

Mini Pumpkin Mantou 南瓜小馒头 - After steaming

Lotus Leaf Buns 刈包 - The process

Lotus Leaf Buns 刈包 - The fat fat buns

Mini Pumpkin Mantou 南瓜小馒头 (one-time proofing method)

Ingredients (40 pcs):

60g pumpkin (without skin), diced, steamed and mashed
90g water
1/2+1/4 tsp instant yeast
250g plain flour
25g sugar
2 tsp oil

Method:

1. Mix water and instant yeast.
2. Add in mashed pumpkin, flour, sugar and oil. Mix well and knead to form a smooth dough. Rest the dough for 5 minutes.
3. Roll the dough into 30x20cm flat rectangle shape. Brush away excess flour. Then brush a layer of water over the dough.
4. Roll up the dough swiss-roll style into a cylinder shape. Then continue to roll it thinner until you get a longer cylinder shape of about 85cm in length. Make sure the diameter of the cylinder dough is of even thickness.
5. Cut the dough into 40 even portions.
6. Put the dough on baking paper and into the steamer (heat off). Cover and proof for 15 minutes.
7. On the fire, when the water starts boiling and steam on medium-high heat for 10 minutes.
8. Off the heat, leave the lid slightly open for 3-5 minutes before removing the whole cover.

Lotus Leaf Buns 刈包 (two-time proofing method)

Ingredients (10 pcs):

(A)
160g water
1/2 tsp instant yeast
180g plain flour

(B)
120g plain flour
25g sugar
2 tsp oil

(C)
1 tbsp oil for brushing

Method:

1. Mix (A) water, instant yeast and flour. Cover in cling wrap and proof for 1 hour.
2. Mix (A) from step 1 with (B) and knead to form a smooth dough. Rest the dough for 5 minutes.
3. Roll the dough flat into about 0.8cm thickness. Cut out round doughs with a 10cm round cutter.
4. Roll each round dough to oval shape.
5. Brush the surface of the dough with some oil (to prevent sticking), then fold the dough into half.
6. Put the dough on baking paper and into the steamer (heat off). Cover and proof for 25 minutes.
7. On the fire, when the water starts boiling and steam on medium-high heat for 12 minutes.
8. Off the heat, leave the lid slightly open for 3-5 minutes before removing the whole cover.

Recipes from: 孟老师的中式面食

I am submitting 南瓜小馒头&刈包 to Aspiring Bakers #31: Bao Ho-Chiak 包好吃 (May 2013) hosted by Miss B of Everybody Eats Well in Flanders.

Bake sale is back - Kids special!

Since my last CNY charity bake sale with lots of support, I have been thinking about organizing another one.

During the past few weeks, I baked quite a few times with my nieces and shared with their friends. All of them like the kids cookies that we have made. So since exams are over soon and school holidays are coming, I have decided to sell some cookies again.

These are the 3 types of kids cookies that I am currently selling.

Doggie butter cookies - Most Popular!
* Container full: $8.00

Honey stars cookies - Simple and Yummy!
* Container full: $8.00

M&M's cookies - All Time Favourite!
* Container full: $8.50

Please note that this will be the container I'm using (wrapping excluded)

Top diameter 11.5cm, Height 6.5cm

This bake sale is ongoing till End of June! Order anytime!

Email to order: smallsmallbaker@yahoo.com.sg

Collection:

Self collect at Toh Guan Road (near IMM).

Courier delivery:

From $6 onwards

***

For every container of cookies sold,

I will donate $1 to "Make-A-Wish Foundation® (Singapore) Ltd"

which helps make wishes come true for children with life-threatening medical conditions 
and bring them hope, strength and joy.

(Through sggives.org charity donation portal)

***

Please support and a big thank you!!!

The bright sunny sunflower

I had a lot of fun growing a sunflower last year. Bought a packet of seeds that contains only 12 seeds, so precious! So I only planted 1 seed in to see if it can grow successfully.

(6 Sep 2012) I planted the seed on 2 September 2012. 4 days later, it had already become a little seedling.

(30 Sep 2012) This was how it looked like about 1 month later. It was only this tall, quite slow. But growing well.

(5 Nov 2012) At 2 months, it had grown much taller and stronger.

(25 Nov 2012) When it was almost 3 months old, I noticed something different. Yes, a sunflower is forming! Excited!

(22 Dec 2012) It took another month for the sunflower to develop. Do you know that the sunflower follows in the direction of the sun, turning from east to west everyday? Yes, it is true. The flower head will face east in the morning and then slowly turn to west in the evening. Then next morning, you will find it facing east again. Amazing! That's why it is called 向日葵 in Chinese, which means "facing the sun".

(26 Dec 2012) Waiting to bloom!

(27 Dec 2012) Very soon!

(30 Dec 2012) Finally fully bloomed, just before the New Year.

(8 Jan 2013) The sunflower started to dry up. I was eager to collect the seeds. I read that you have to wait for the seeds to mature first, that is when it is completely dried up.

(18 Jan 2013) While waiting for the sunflower to dry up to harvest the seeds, a baby sunflower started growing below the main sunflower! Can you spot it? Never expected this little surprise!

(22 Jan 2013) The baby sunflower! :)

(5 Feb 2013) After the baby flower wilted, the main sunflower head had also turned brown and dry, so we cut off the flower head, let it dry up further. This is how we harvest the seeds. Just rub the flower with your fingers and the little seeds will drop out. I was expecting a lot of sunflower seeds. But to my little disappointment, I only managed to collect 7 seeds. But I'm still happy about it. I have learnt more about sunflowers and watched them grow from seeds to seeds (harvested). Always remember the joy that the bright sunny sunflower gives us!

Aspiring Bakers: Matcha and Milktea Chiffon

I don't drink coffee and tea at all. To support this month's Aspiring Bakers #30: It's Tea Time! (April 2013), I tried out 2 types of tea chiffon cakes.

These 2 chiffon cakes are supposed to be my 12th and 13th chiffon cake (my target to do many chiffon cakes). But to avoid posting for Aspiring Bakers too late, I skip my 9-11th chiffon cakes to post up these 2 first. :)

Chiffon Cake #12: Matcha 抹茶

I wonder why my matcha chiffon did not have a nice green colour although I'm using a very good quality matcha powder. If anyone has any idea or suggestion do let me know. I love this matcha chiffon as it tastes so light and refreshing.

17cm chiffon tin:

3 egg yolks
12g sugar
36ml vegetable oil
42ml water
42g cake flour
6g matcha powder

3 egg whites
54g sugar (can reduce a little)
6g cornflour

Bake 170 deg C, 35 minutes

Adapted from Okashi: Sweet Treats Made With Love

Chiffon Cake #13: Milktea 奶茶

17cm chiffon tin:

1 tbsp tea leaves (I use 2 sachets 2g lipton tea)
30ml water
90ml milk

Heat up water till boiling, add in the tea leaves. Off the heat, cover and steep the tea for 3 minutes.
Add in milk, bring the mixture to a boil again, cook for 2-3 minutes.
Filter the mixture and measure to get 60ml* of milktea. Set aside to cool.
* If more than 60ml, can boil again to reduce to liquid, if less than 60ml, add more milk to get 60ml

3 egg yolks
20g sugar
40ml vegetable oil
80g cake flour
1 tbsp tea leaves, chopped finely (I use 2 sachets 2g lipton tea)

Whisk egg yolks and sugar till sugar dissolves. Add in vegetable oil, followed by 60ml milktea (from step above). Add tea leaves and then sifted flour.

4 egg whites
50 sugar

Beat egg whites till foamy, add in sugar gradually and whisk until stiff peak. Add egg white into the egg yolk batter in 3 additions. Pour into the cake tin. Knock the pan a few times to get rid of air bubbles.
Bake 170 deg C, 35 minutes

Adapted from 好吃戚风蛋糕轻松上手

I am submitting Matcha chiffon cake and Milktea chiffon cake to Aspiring Bakers #30: it's Tea time! (April 2013) hosted by Food Playground

爱上~微波面包 (中种)

做面包真的不是我的强项。因为做面包时间太长，而且又没有机器揉面包团，所以很少做面包。我应该只算是面包初学者。

可是最近开始上了做微波面包的瘾。一个月内竟然就做了三次（我平时三个月都没做一次面包）！说真的，它并不是我做过最柔软的面包。主要是因为好玩。因为这微波面包的杆法好玩，杆了又卷，杆了又卷。最后成型的面包，小小圆嘟嘟的。烘烤以后里面又是一圈一圈的。吃的时候又更好玩，可以一层一层的拨来吃。所以我就这样的爱上了~微波面包。

微波面包的食谱都是从微波面包达人Siew Hwei学来的。自从她在去年开始post了很多口味的微波面包食谱后，中文部落格掀起了微波面包的热潮。简直是，一波未平一波又起。Oops, 用错了！其实微波面包跟微波炉没有关系。至于为什么叫微波面包，我不知道。反正好吃就可以了。

第一次做的是：原味中种微波面包。功夫不到家，表面很粗糙。

第二次做的是：红麴蔓越莓微波面包。有点小进步，颜色很漂亮！

第三次做的是：巧克力微波面包。里面包了巧克力粒。我还特地拍了杆卷的步骤（下）。

Switch channel... haha! Just feel like talking in Chinese just now.

As I was saying, because bread-making takes up so much time and without the help of a mixer/bread machine, I hardly make breads. But recently, I got addicted to making this Weibo bread and made 3 times within a month! The main reason is because I really have fun rolling the dough and the bread looks so round and cute after shaping. And I enjoy tearing the bread layer by layer when eating. :)

There is this Weibo bread craze among the Chinese bloggers. It all started from Siew Hwei who posted the Weibo bread recipes since last year. She is really good at it and created so many different flavours of Weibo bread. In Chinese, Weibo means microwave. But Weibo bread has nothing to do with the microwave oven. As for the reason why it is called Weibo bread, I have no idea at all. I only know it taste good!

My first attempt is the original flavour of Weibo bread. I consider myself still a beginner at breadmaking. See the bread isn't so smooth.

The second time I make red yeast and cranberry Weibo bread. There is a little improvement. The bread surface is smoother and the texture is softer cos I knead a bit longer. The red yeast powder make the bread so lovely in pink!

The third time I make chocolate Weibo bread. I added extra chocolate chips in.

Original Weibo bread recipe

Ingredient (for 12 pcs):

Starter dough (中种)
201g bread flour
4g instant yeast
16g milk powder
50g egg
73g fresh milk

Main dough
67g bread flour
40g sugar
4g salt
27g milk (or water)
30g butter

Method:

1. Mix the starter dough ingredients together until a dough is formed. Cover and proof for 1 hour.
2. Tear the starter dough into small pieces. Mix with all the main dough ingredients (except butter) until a dough is formed. Add in butter and continue to knead until the dough is elastic and can be stretch into a thin membrane without tearing.
3. Divide the dough into 12 equal portions (about 40g each). Roll them round and rest for 10 minutes.
4. Roll the dough into a long strip and roll up swiss-roll style. Rest for 10 minutes. (See photos 1-3 above)
5. Roll the dough into a long strip and roll up swiss-roll style again. (See photos 4-6 above)
6. Place them on a baking tray and proof for 50 minutes.
7. Brush the bread with egg.
8. Bake in preheated oven at 175 deg C for 15 minutes.

For red yeast and cranberry version: Add 1/2 tsp red yeast powder to the starter dough and 50g dried cranberry to the main dough.
For chocolate version: Replace 10g of bread flour with 10g of cocoa powder. Add extra chocolate chips during step 5.

Recipes adapted from: Siew Hwei's Kitchen

Chiffon Cakes 5 to 8

More chiffon cakes baked in 2012.

Chiffon Cake #5: Chocolate Marble

I love the swirls in this cake.

18cm chiffon tin:

3 egg yolks
15g sugar
50g oil
50g water
65g cake flour
1 tsp baking powder

4 egg whites
65g sugar
1/4 tsp cream of tartar

Cocoa batter: (add to half of the plain batter)
10g cocoa powder
1 tbsp hot water

Bake 160 deg C, 40 minutes

From 茄子

Chiffon Cake #6: Sweet Corn

The sweet corn taste is not strong enough for me.

17cm chiffon tin:

3 egg yolks
18g sugar
36g oil
72g canned sweet corn
60g cake flour
12g corn flour

4 egg whites
30g sugar

Bake 170 deg C, 35 minutes

Adapted from Carol 自在生活

Chiffon Cake #7: Red Yeast Cranberry

This is adapted from the cranberry yogurt chiffon. I just add some red yeast powder for the nice pink colour.

17cm chiffon tin:

3 egg yolks
25g caster sugar
40ml vegetable oil
1 tsp lemon juice
80g plain yoghurt
80g cake flour
1/4 tsp red yeast powder

4 egg whites
55g caster sugar

60g dried cranberries, chopped to small pieces and coat lightly with cake flour

Bake 170 deg C, 35 minutes

From 好吃戚风蛋糕轻松上手

Chiffon Cake #8: Chocolate (cooked dough method)

This chiffon cake is made using the cooked dough method. I did this during Christmas, covered the cake in ganache and let the kids put on all the decorations for fun.

17cm chiffon tin:

69ml milk
12g sugar
18g oil
Heat up milk, sugar and oil till the mixture boils. Lower heat.

36g cake flour
12g cocoa powder
Add in sifted cake flour and cocoa powder. Quickly stir the mixture until the mixture does not stick to the pan and a dough is formed. Off the heat.

36g whole egg +
3 egg yolks
When the dough has cooled down, add in the egg mixture slowly, stirring well before each addition.

3 egg whites
36g sugar
Beat egg whites till foamy, add in sugar and whisk until stiff peak. Add egg white into the egg yolk batter in 3 additions.

Pour into the cake tin. Knock the pan a few times to get rid of air bubbles.
Bake at 160 deg C, 50 minutes

Adapted from 烘焙新手必备的第一本书

The red radish that did not make it

Just before Chinese New Year, my mum bought a red radish from the market for fun. Just as we were wondering what to do with it, I saw a few IG friends posting about growing radish. Pardon my ignorance cos I have never heard of planting radish before. So after asking, I was told it is grown for its flowers.

After more reading about radish flowers, I then know that radish plants are commonly sold as festive plants during CNY. Because radish is also called 菜头 which sounds somewhat similar to the pronunciation of (好)彩头 which means "good luck"!

We planted our radish on 4th Feb. I was told to put some ice to speed up its growing. Oops, should put it on the leaves instead of on the soil!

On 7th Feb, only 3 days later, it had grown quite a bit of leaves.

Took this photo on 10 Feb - the 1st day of Chinese New Year. Wishing that it will 花开富贵!

Unfortunately, it didn't. On 21 Feb, it was already on the dying side. Not sure if it was due to too much rain.

This was the last photo taken on 27 Feb. The radish had reached the end of its life before it can produce any flowers. :(

So do you want to know how the plant will eventually look like if succeed? Here is a plant taken at my mum's friend's place. It was blooming with flowers for the CNY! So envious! Well, nevermind, I shall try again next year. You too!