We will be extending the closing date for Aspiring Bakers #15 - Auspicious Dishes for CNY (Jan 12) to 6th February 2012 (which is the last day of CNY), with additional giveaways!! The round up will be posted on the 7th February 2012. Check out the event details 'here'.
I guess everyone is busy so hopefully this will give you more time to submit your entries. Next month's theme will still start on 1st Feb 2012. So look out for the announcement.
Keep your entries coming in!
Friday, January 27, 2012
Wednesday, January 25, 2012
Salted Egg Yolk Tofu
My mother got some curry leaves to plant plucked from somewhere in my neighbourhood. It was almost dying.
A day after it was re-planted and watered. It was revived!
Last time we had to pick curry leaves from our neighbour whenever we wanted to cook cereal tofu/prawn (still experimenting). Now we can have curry leaves whenever we want.
1. Cut the tofu and pat dry on paper towel. Lightly coat the tofu with corn flour. Heat some oil in a frying pan and pan-fry the tofu on both side until light golden brown. Dish out and drain well.
2. In the same frying pan, melt butter, and then add in curry leaves and chilli (if any) and stir fry until fragrant.
3. Add in salted egg yolk. Stir rapidly until well mixed.
4. Add in the fried tofu. Stir until the tofu are well-coated. Dish out and serve warm.
You can check more Salted Egg Yolk Tofu recipes from here:
http://www.mykitchensnippets.com/2009/10/salted-egg-yolk-tofu.html
http://ellenaguan.blogspot.com/2011/03/salted-egg-tofu.html
http://www.thelittleteochew.com/2010/06/crispy-tofu-with-salted-eggs.html
I am submitting this Salted Egg Yolk Tofu to Aspiring Bakers #15: Auspicious Dishes for CNY (January 2012), hosted by Wen's Delight.
A day after it was re-planted and watered. It was revived!
Last time we had to pick curry leaves from our neighbour whenever we wanted to cook cereal tofu/prawn (still experimenting). Now we can have curry leaves whenever we want.
Salted Egg Yolk Tofu
Ingredients
2 pieces firm tofu, each cut into 8 pieces
some corn flour, for coating
1 knob butter
1-2 sprigs curry leaves
1 bird’s eye chilli, sliced thinly (optional)
1 cooked salted egg yolk, mashed (you can use 2 if you like more)
Method
2 pieces firm tofu, each cut into 8 pieces
some corn flour, for coating
1 knob butter
1-2 sprigs curry leaves
1 bird’s eye chilli, sliced thinly (optional)
1 cooked salted egg yolk, mashed (you can use 2 if you like more)
Method
1. Cut the tofu and pat dry on paper towel. Lightly coat the tofu with corn flour. Heat some oil in a frying pan and pan-fry the tofu on both side until light golden brown. Dish out and drain well.
2. In the same frying pan, melt butter, and then add in curry leaves and chilli (if any) and stir fry until fragrant.
3. Add in salted egg yolk. Stir rapidly until well mixed.
4. Add in the fried tofu. Stir until the tofu are well-coated. Dish out and serve warm.
You can check more Salted Egg Yolk Tofu recipes from here:
http://www.mykitchensnippets.com/2009/10/salted-egg-yolk-tofu.html
http://ellenaguan.blogspot.com/2011/03/salted-egg-tofu.html
http://www.thelittleteochew.com/2010/06/crispy-tofu-with-salted-eggs.html
I am submitting this Salted Egg Yolk Tofu to Aspiring Bakers #15: Auspicious Dishes for CNY (January 2012), hosted by Wen's Delight.
Saturday, January 21, 2012
Happy Dragon Year!
Here's wishing everyone a happy, healthy and prosperous Dragon Year!
恭祝大家：龙体安康，龙马精神，龙年大吉，龙众舞！
Thursday, January 19, 2012
Cashew Nut Cookies 2012
These are my Cashew Nut Cookies for the coming Dragon Year. Same recipe, same cookie mould, as usual every year.
每次有人称赞我的腰豆饼时，我就会说：
市面上永远找不到腰豆跟饼干一样大的腰豆饼。只有我家才有。所以一小粒就吃到满口的腰豆香，真材实料。而且得花更多时间制作。一小桶就有上百粒那么多。呵呵，有点自大起来了。:)
I always like to proudly say to people that you can never find anywhere selling Cashew Nut Cookies like mine, which has cashew nut as big as the cookie. I think the size of my cookie cutter does matter. Because it is small, you can put the whole cookie into your mouth and when you bite, you have a whole mouthful of cashew nut fragrance.
This session of photo-taking is exactly the same as the German Cookies. I have absolutely no creativity in food photography.
The two 2 types of hongbao are free from U-weekly magazine. See my mum's hongbao collection here.
These are another batch of German Cookies. The marbled pattern is more obvious and better than the last time.
Although I have a long list of CNY cookies recipes yet to try, I must stop CNY baking already since this weekend will be the reunion dinner and no more messing up the kitchen.
I'll be looking forward to all the posts about your reunion dishes recipes. And do submit to Aspiring Bakers. :)
Before I end, just a small note on something I'm not very happy about...
I woke up one day checking the internet, and visiting some of my favourite websites. There is this Singapore Happycall pan group which has a lot of recipes using the Happycall pan. Although I do not own one, I like to check up the recipes there. But I was surprised to find my Cashew Nut Cookies posted by one member. She copied my entire recipe but did not link to my page. As much as I welcome anyone to share and quite happy that people are reading and trying out my recipes, I appreciate if you can link back to me. Trust me, it doesn't feel too good to see that. I usually don't like to confront (or quite afraid to confront), but this I can't stop myself from writing out. I hope the other recipes posted in this group are not similarly copied from other blogs without giving credit.
每次有人称赞我的腰豆饼时，我就会说：
市面上永远找不到腰豆跟饼干一样大的腰豆饼。只有我家才有。所以一小粒就吃到满口的腰豆香，真材实料。而且得花更多时间制作。一小桶就有上百粒那么多。呵呵，有点自大起来了。:)
I always like to proudly say to people that you can never find anywhere selling Cashew Nut Cookies like mine, which has cashew nut as big as the cookie. I think the size of my cookie cutter does matter. Because it is small, you can put the whole cookie into your mouth and when you bite, you have a whole mouthful of cashew nut fragrance.
This session of photo-taking is exactly the same as the German Cookies. I have absolutely no creativity in food photography.
The two 2 types of hongbao are free from U-weekly magazine. See my mum's hongbao collection here.
These are another batch of German Cookies. The marbled pattern is more obvious and better than the last time.
Although I have a long list of CNY cookies recipes yet to try, I must stop CNY baking already since this weekend will be the reunion dinner and no more messing up the kitchen.
I'll be looking forward to all the posts about your reunion dishes recipes. And do submit to Aspiring Bakers. :)
***
Before I end, just a small note on something I'm not very happy about...
I woke up one day checking the internet, and visiting some of my favourite websites. There is this Singapore Happycall pan group which has a lot of recipes using the Happycall pan. Although I do not own one, I like to check up the recipes there. But I was surprised to find my Cashew Nut Cookies posted by one member. She copied my entire recipe but did not link to my page. As much as I welcome anyone to share and quite happy that people are reading and trying out my recipes, I appreciate if you can link back to me. Trust me, it doesn't feel too good to see that. I usually don't like to confront (or quite afraid to confront), but this I can't stop myself from writing out. I hope the other recipes posted in this group are not similarly copied from other blogs without giving credit.
Wednesday, January 11, 2012
Melt-in-mouth German Cookies: Chocolate Marble Version
I started on my CNY cookies baking last weekend. I don't intend to bake a lot this year, although I might be tempted to bake more after seeing all the cookies posted. :) No more pineapple tarts this year after baking for 3 consecutive years, I'm a little sick of wrapping pineapple balls. ;)
So I plan to make 2 of my favourite cookies from past years. One of them is this Melt-in-mouth German Cookies, very well-rated by everyone who tasted.
This year's one comes with a new variation, the Chocolate Marble Version, learnt from Min and Ann.
I prefer this chocolate version since I like anything chocolate. You can also replace cocoa powder with green tea powder if you like green tea flavour.
This cookie is very soft and delicate. I give my little nieces one and they "crush them into powder form" as they hold too tightly. Wasted. Hehe! I make them smaller so that you can just pop the whole cookie into your mouth. It will just melt in your mouth!
I will quickly post this recipe up, so that you can try making it for this CNY. If you still have not make this cookie yet, please move this recipe to the top of your list and don't wait anymore. Do it NOW!
Melt-in-mouth German Cookies: Chocolate Marble Version
Ingredients (makes 60 pieces)
125g butter (I use SCS butter)
40g icing sugar, sifted
125g potato starch
80g superfine flour/plain flour
1 tbsp cocoa powder
Method
1. Beat butter and icing sugar till fluffy and lighter in colour.
2. Sift in potato starch and flour, mix to form a soft dough.
3. Divide the dough into 2 equal portions, add 1 tbsp of cocoa powder to 1 portion and knead well.
4. Divide the plain dough into 60 pieces and the chocolate dough into 60 pieces.
(Or you can just pinch a bit of dough from both plain and chocolate dough. But make sure the combined dough are of roughly equal sizes.) Roll into small balls to form marble pattern.
5. Arrange on lined baking pan and press lightly with a fork (dip the fork in water after each press to prevent cookie dough from sticking to the fork).
6. Bake in preheated oven at 170 deg C for 15 mins, upper rack (need not bake till cookies turn brown).
Recipe adapted from: Melt-in-mouth German Cookies (last year) and Min's blog
So I plan to make 2 of my favourite cookies from past years. One of them is this Melt-in-mouth German Cookies, very well-rated by everyone who tasted.
This year's one comes with a new variation, the Chocolate Marble Version, learnt from Min and Ann.
I prefer this chocolate version since I like anything chocolate. You can also replace cocoa powder with green tea powder if you like green tea flavour.
This cookie is very soft and delicate. I give my little nieces one and they "crush them into powder form" as they hold too tightly. Wasted. Hehe! I make them smaller so that you can just pop the whole cookie into your mouth. It will just melt in your mouth!
I will quickly post this recipe up, so that you can try making it for this CNY. If you still have not make this cookie yet, please move this recipe to the top of your list and don't wait anymore. Do it NOW!
Melt-in-mouth German Cookies: Chocolate Marble Version
Ingredients (makes 60 pieces)
125g butter (I use SCS butter)
40g icing sugar, sifted
125g potato starch
80g superfine flour/plain flour
1 tbsp cocoa powder
Method
1. Beat butter and icing sugar till fluffy and lighter in colour.
2. Sift in potato starch and flour, mix to form a soft dough.
3. Divide the dough into 2 equal portions, add 1 tbsp of cocoa powder to 1 portion and knead well.
4. Divide the plain dough into 60 pieces and the chocolate dough into 60 pieces.
(Or you can just pinch a bit of dough from both plain and chocolate dough. But make sure the combined dough are of roughly equal sizes.) Roll into small balls to form marble pattern.
5. Arrange on lined baking pan and press lightly with a fork (dip the fork in water after each press to prevent cookie dough from sticking to the fork).
6. Bake in preheated oven at 170 deg C for 15 mins, upper rack (need not bake till cookies turn brown).
Recipe adapted from: Melt-in-mouth German Cookies (last year) and Min's blog
Saturday, January 07, 2012
One Bite Crisp 一口酥
Happy 2012! A late new year greeting to all of you.
There's a lack of motivation to complete my writing in my drafts lately. Looking at the way I start, I guess this year will be a slow blogging year for me.
CNY is so early this year. There is only 2 weeks left and I have not planned baking any cookies yet (except for my cashew nut cookies, which is a must every year).
I have made something last year that is very suitable for cny baking. So shall share it with all of you first. I saw this from Qi Qi in the house, and made this immediately because of the same reason... the leftover lotus paste from mooncake making. It is still stuffed in the freezer and I am ordered to clear the space for CNY. :)
After baking it, it was like discovering another treasure out of the so many recipes in the blogosphere. I describe them on my FB as 小巧可爱，一口一口，停不了口的一口酥, which I loosely translate into English as One Bite Crisp. You can just pop one into your mouth and I guarantee you that you won't stop at one!
It was a little sweet with lotus paste, but I think it will taste great with pineapple paste filling for CNY. :)
One Bite Crisp 一口酥
Ingredients (I made 60 pieces)
Pastry:
100g unsalted butter
55g icing sugar
40g egg
145g cake flour
40g ground almond
Filling:
350g lotus paste (or any paste you like)
Topping:
1 egg yolk, for glazing
some black sesame (I use white sesame)
Method
1. Whisk butter and icing sugar until pale and fluffy.
2. Gradually add in egg, whisk until combined.
3. Mix sifted cake flour with ground almond. Add into egg mixture and combine to form dough.
4. Wrap the dough in cling wrap and chill for 1 hour.
5. Divide the filling into 5 portions, 70g each. Roll each into a long strip of 20-25cm.
6. Divide the pastry dough (in step 4) into 5 portions, ~70g each. Roll each dough into a long strip of 20-25cm, flatten, put the filling in the centre. Wrap and seal well.
7. Roll the wrapped dough slightly to make sure the long strip is of even thickness.
8. Cut the long strip evenly into 2cm portions. (Mine smaller, I cut each into 12 pieces)
9. Brush egg yolk on top 2 times and sprinkle some sesame seeds.
10. Bake in preheated oven at 180 deg C for 10-15 minutes till nice golden brown.
Recipe from: 美味糕点新主张 and Qi Qi in the house
There's a lack of motivation to complete my writing in my drafts lately. Looking at the way I start, I guess this year will be a slow blogging year for me.
CNY is so early this year. There is only 2 weeks left and I have not planned baking any cookies yet (except for my cashew nut cookies, which is a must every year).
I have made something last year that is very suitable for cny baking. So shall share it with all of you first. I saw this from Qi Qi in the house, and made this immediately because of the same reason... the leftover lotus paste from mooncake making. It is still stuffed in the freezer and I am ordered to clear the space for CNY. :)
After baking it, it was like discovering another treasure out of the so many recipes in the blogosphere. I describe them on my FB as 小巧可爱，一口一口，停不了口的一口酥, which I loosely translate into English as One Bite Crisp. You can just pop one into your mouth and I guarantee you that you won't stop at one!
It was a little sweet with lotus paste, but I think it will taste great with pineapple paste filling for CNY. :)
One Bite Crisp 一口酥
Ingredients (I made 60 pieces)
Pastry:
100g unsalted butter
55g icing sugar
40g egg
145g cake flour
40g ground almond
Filling:
350g lotus paste (or any paste you like)
Topping:
1 egg yolk, for glazing
some black sesame (I use white sesame)
Method
1. Whisk butter and icing sugar until pale and fluffy.
2. Gradually add in egg, whisk until combined.
3. Mix sifted cake flour with ground almond. Add into egg mixture and combine to form dough.
4. Wrap the dough in cling wrap and chill for 1 hour.
5. Divide the filling into 5 portions, 70g each. Roll each into a long strip of 20-25cm.
6. Divide the pastry dough (in step 4) into 5 portions, ~70g each. Roll each dough into a long strip of 20-25cm, flatten, put the filling in the centre. Wrap and seal well.
7. Roll the wrapped dough slightly to make sure the long strip is of even thickness.
8. Cut the long strip evenly into 2cm portions. (Mine smaller, I cut each into 12 pieces)
9. Brush egg yolk on top 2 times and sprinkle some sesame seeds.
10. Bake in preheated oven at 180 deg C for 10-15 minutes till nice golden brown.
Recipe from: 美味糕点新主张 and Qi Qi in the house