Aspiring Bakers #12: Steamed Egg Cake (Ji Dan Gao) 鸡蛋糕

After seeing so many entries posted for our traditional kueh theme, which are all very pretty and colourful, I feel a bit embarrassed about posting my plain plain kueh.

Bloggers here have again set another difficult theme for me, who hardly know how to make kueh. Few years ago, I did tried Ang Koo Kueh and Min Jiang Kueh before.

This time I was trying to find something easy to start with. So I tried Ellena's Ji Dan Gao. It uses the tradtional way of making using fizzy drinks like cream soda, 7-Up or Sprite. While it is very soft and spongy, I feel like it is the same as any sponge cake. I wonder if I got it correct.

With only less than 2 weeks left, I hope I have the time to make nicer kuehs.

I am submitting this Ji Dao Gao to Aspiring Bakers #12: Traditional Kueh (October 2011), hosted by Small Small Baker.

Prawn Golden Fried Rice [午餐速递] 虾仁金包银蛋炒饭

各位，这是我刚炒好，还热腾腾的炒饭。是我今天的午餐，也是有史以来最快上帖子的作品。

一个人的午餐，刚好有剩饭，所以炒饭是最简单解决一餐的办法。

这个炒饭我给它取个很好听的名字，叫“虾仁金包银蛋炒饭”。所谓“金包银”，就是每粒饭都被鸡蛋裹住。有些做法是先把鸡蛋打散，倒入米饭，把米饭浸泡在蛋液里，才下锅炒。因为我喜欢吃到有鸡蛋块，所以先炒一半的鸡蛋，剩下的蛋液才用来裹饭。如果要饭粒炒得更美更金黄色，可以只用蛋黄。

我很少下厨的。以下是我没根据食谱，乱乱做的做法，不怕你就试试看。:)

虾仁金包银蛋炒饭

1碗 隔夜饭
1个 鸡蛋，打散
3个 虾仁，切丁，加点盐
少许 盐，酱青，胡椒粉

1。锅中倒少许油，下虾仁，翻炒至变色。
2。倒入一半的蛋液，蛋稍微凝固后，倒入米饭，快速翻炒，把米饭炒散成一粒粒。
3。把剩下的蛋液均匀的倒入，让米饭都沾上蛋液。翻炒至干。
4。加入调味即可。

吃饱后，是时候。。。洗碗啦。我最讨厌的就是洗碗了。

Jacob Ballas Children's Garden

I visited the Jacob Ballas Children's Garden sometime in August. It is part of the Singapore Botanic Gardens, only open to children up to 12 years old. And adults who do not bring any kids along cannot enter the garden. So when my brother wanted to bring his girls there, I decided to tag along. Or else I have no chance to go in. :)

A few shots out of the many trees and plants in the gardens.

Some nice areas, including a small suspension bridge. Even the toilet is so green with the plants

The cave with small waterfall. Nice photo area.

And a small pond with floating platform.

Caught sight of a squirrel (lower right photo).

Fun areas for the children.

A playground, a mini maze, sand area and waterplay area.

A small cafe at the entrance for light refreshments.

JBCG is at the Bukit Timah side of the Botanic Gardens. With the opening of the SMRT circle line, it is now easily accessible with public transport. Just alight at the Botanic Gardens station.

Butter Sugar Buns - cooked dough method (烫面)

哈哈！今天突然很想用中文写部落格，不知道大家会喜欢吗？

其中原因是看到Min很可爱的形容这是“一起来笃洞”的洞洞牛油面包。

这款面包我在八月的时候就做了，放上来的速度真的是越来越慢。我照原食谱做，只是放牛油进洞洞里，撒上糖。刚出炉时还很漂亮。不过因为时间太迟了，所以到隔天早上才拍照。没想到糖都融化了。就随便只拍一张照交差。

烫面面包是第一次做。面包是松软的，但觉得跟其他方法差别不大。可能得多做几次比比看。

Butter Sugar Buns - cooked dough method (烫面)

Ingredients

(A)
100g bread flour
70g boiling water

(B)
300g bread flour
100g plain flour
80g sugar
6g salt
20g milk powder
9g instant yeast

(C)
175g cold water
60g cold eggs

(D)
60g butter

(Topping)
beaten egg
butter
sugar

Method

1. Add the boiling water into flour for ingredients (A). Mix well to form dough. Cover and set aside to cool. Keep it into refrigerator for at least 12 hours.
2. Mix (B) until well-blended. Add in (C) and knead to form rough dough. Add in (A) from step 1 and knead until well-blended.
3. Add in (D) and knead to form elastic dough.
4. Let it proof for 40 minutes.
5. Divide the dough into 80g each and mould it round. Let it rest for 10 minutes.
6. Roll the dough flat into 1cm thick. Place it on a greased pan. Let it proof for 45 minutes.
7. Egg wash the surface and use fingertip to make small indentation over the dough. Pipe some soft butter into the indentations and sprinkle the top with sugar.
8. Bake in preheated oven at 180 deg C for 12 minutes.

Recipe adapted from: Magic Bread 烫出面包香 by Alex Goh

Purple Sweet Potato Chiffon Cake

Chiffon cake again! I'm getting better and better at chiffon cakes. :)

Have been wanting to try the purple sweet potato chiffon for a long time. :)

More chiffons baked to be given away... purple sweet potato (left) orange (right)

Some of you may find it hard to find purple sweet potatoes. For those living in the west side of Singapore, I bought it from the wet market at Blk 505 Jurong West. Ask the vegetable stall owner for purple ones cos I also cannot tell which one is purple inside. This is one of the variety (below).

Purple Sweet Potato Chiffon Cake 紫薯戚风蛋糕

Ingredients (makes one 22cm chiffon tin, half the recipe for 16cm chiffon tin)

4 egg yolks
30g sugar
1/4 tsp salt
60g vegetable oil
70g coconut milk (I use fresh milk)
70g purple sweet potato, steamed and mashed
100g cake flour
1/2 tsp baking powder

4 egg whites
100g sugar
1/4 tsp cream of tartar (I omitted)

120g purple sweet potato, steamed and diced

Method

1. Whisk egg yolks, sugar and salt until the sugar dissolves.
2. Gradually add in vegetable oil, followed by coconut milk. Add in mashed purple sweet potato, mix well.
3. Fold in sifted cake flour and baking powder until well-mixed. Set aside.
4. In another bowl, whisk egg whites and cream of tartar until foamy. Add in sugar gradually and continue whisking until stiff peak form.
5. Gently fold in the egg white into the egg yolk batter (in step 3) in 3 batches. Lastly, add in diced purple sweet potato.
6. Pour the batter into an ungreased chiffon tin. Give the tin a few slight knocks on the tabletop to remove air bubbles. Bake in preheated oven at 170 deg C for 40 minutes.
7. Remove from oven and invert the tin immediately onto a cooling rack.
8. Unmould the cake only when it is completely cool.

Recipe adapted from: Fruity Cakes 鲜果蛋糕香 by Alex Goh

Aspiring Bakers #12: Traditional Kueh (October 2011)

Hello to all Aspiring Bakers Family members and members-to-be!
I'm back hosting Aspiring Bakers #12!

I have asked everyone to decide the theme for this month and received many good suggestions. They will all be taken into consideration. Another good news is the future themes will not be restricted to baking only as we will also have cooking-related themes. :)

Back here. The theme for this month is "Traditional Kueh"!

I understand why it is so popular. For most of us, they are our favourite local delights for breakfast and snack times. From steamed carrot cake, pumpkin kueh, yam kueh to png kueh, soon kueh, chwee kueh and ang ku kueh. I also like to include chee cheong fun, fatt kueh, mian jian kueh and many others too.

Besides Chinese kueh, I'm sure you also like all the malay and nyonya kueh which most of the time uses coconut, coconut milk, pandan leaves or gula melaka. I'm not too familiar with nyonya kueh, I only remembered I always eat steamed kueh lapis peeling layer by layer. Kueh tutu is one of my favourite too!

Do make some and share your recipes with us. I look forward to your active participation and support for this event!

Who can join?
Everyone! (if you do not have a blog, just send me a photo and recipe of your bake/dish)

How to join?

Step 1 :
Make traditional kueh (kuih), can be any chinese or malay/nyonya kueh, in the month of October 2011.

Step 2 :
Post it on your blog between 01 October 2011 and 31 October 2011.
Your post must include the recipe or link to the original recipe. If you are using a recipe from a book, please include the title of the book too.
Any entries that are posted outside the date range will not be accepted.
Any entries that do not include a recipe or link to the original recipe will not be accepted too.

Step 3 :
Please mention that you are submitting your post to Aspiring Bakers #12: Traditional Kueh (October 2011) hosted by SSB of Small Small Baker and provide a link back to this post HERE.
Entries will not be accepted if the above is not included.

Step 4 :
Email to smallsmallbaker@yahoo.com.sg in the following format:

Your name or nickname:
Your blog name: (omit this if you do not have a blog)
Name of your bake/dish:
URL of your post:
URL of your photo (one photo for each entry):
(alternatively, you can attach your photo in your email, preferably less than 500kb).

Please use "Aspiring Bakers #12" as your email subject. You may submit more than 1 entry.

The roundup will be posted on 01 November 2011.

***
If you are interested to find out what's on the previous Aspiring Bakers #11: Mid-Autumn Treats (September 2011) entries, hosted by HHB of Happy Home Baking, see the roundup HERE.