Thursday 30 May 2013

Rainbow Cheesecake by Cindy Koh

Rainbow Cheesecake

 



Ingredients
·Crust
·2 cups (200g) finely crushed graham crackers
·2 tablespoons sugar
·1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
·1 pinch salt
·6 tablespoons (85.05g) unsalted butter, softened
·Filling
·32 oz (908g) cream cheese, room temperature
·1 1/3 (266g) cups sugar
·2 teaspoons vanilla
·1 pinch salt
·1 cup (242g) sour cream
·1 cup (232g) heavy cream
·4 large eggs
·1 each of liquid food colors (blue, yellow, green, red)
Directions
1. Preheat oven 350°F (175C). Before you get started with the crust, make sure your 9 inch springform pan is water tight. Do this by carefully wrapping a few layers of foil on the outside of the pan, so water cannot get into the pan. Be careful not to rip the foil or water will get into your cake and ruin it!
2. Mix crushed crackers, 2 tablespoons sugar, the cinnamon and salt together in a bowl. Then mix in butter with your clean fingers, until crumbs are pea sized.
3. Press all of the graham cracker mixture into the prepared springform pan. Press it down firmly in the pan. Use a measuring cup for this, which makes it easy to get around the edges. You should have an even, flat crust.
4. Bake the crust for 10 minutes on a low oven rack. Remove from the oven, and cool completely before continuing. Turn oven temperature down to 325°F.
5. To make filling, cut cream cheese into pieces and add to a mixing bowl. Whip until smooth, maybe 4 minutes. Then add 1-1/3 cups sugar, and continue to beat until smooth again, another 4-5 minutes. Next, add vanilla, salt, sour cream and heavy cream; beat until smooth. Add in 1 egg at a time, beating briefly between each egg.
6. Once the mixture is well combined and very smooth, divide evenly into 6 dishes. Add food color to each dish to get the desired colors. (Red = 25 drops of red, Orange = 18 drops yellow + 6 drops red, Yellow = 18 drops yellow, Green = 18 drops green, Blue = 18 drops blue, Violet = 18 drops red + 12 drops blue)
7. Pour colored mixtures into cooled crust. Start with red filling, and slowly pour it right in the center of the crust. Continue to build the rainbow by pouring the fillings directly in the center. This will create layers so that each slice has some of each color.
8. Place cheesecake into a baking dish on oven rack, and fill baking dish with boiling water about 1 inch up the side of the springform pan.
9. Bake at 325°F (160C) in the water bath for 1 hour and 40 minutes to 1 hour 50 minutes or until set but still jiggles slightly 2 inches from the edge. If cheesecake begins to brown on top, cover loosely with foil during last 5 minutes of baking.
10. Turn off the oven, open the oven door a crack, and let the cake cool in the oven for 1 hour. The slow cooling will help it not crack.
11. Then loosely wrap the dish in foil so the foil isn't touching the top of the cake and refrigerate for at least 4 hours.
12. When ready to remove cake, run a clean narrow knife around the edge of the dish, remove the foil, unlock the spring, and carefully lift off the outer ring.
13. Serve either alone or with a cherry/raspberry sauce. It's so rich and creamy that it really doesn't need a topping.

Wednesday 29 May 2013

Chocolate Éclair by Amanda Tay

Chocolate Éclair



Ingredients for choux puff:
A
60g butter
130ml water
1/2 tbsp caster sugar
B
80g plain flour
C
2 eggs (A)
Method:
1. Boil butter, sugar and water in a pot.
2. Add flour and mix till thick.
3. Pour the batter into a bowl immediately.
4. Add in eggs one by one (the butter will become gluten when it is cold, so you must add in the egg while it is still hot).
5. Mix batter till its surface shines and the batter flows down when you scoop it up with a spatula.
Ingredients for Chocolate Éclair:
1 portion choux puff
Fillings:
A
2 egg yolks (A)
60g icing sugar
B
250 butter
100g shortening
C
90g dark chocolate (chopped)
50g UHT whipping cream (heated)
Decoration:
200g cooking chocolate (melted)
Method:
Puff:
1. Place puff batter into a piping bag fitted with nozzle No. 805, pipe into long trips. Wet a folk with some water. Make lines on the puff with folk to make it even.
2. Bake in a preheated oven at 190 deg C for about 15 minutes. Reduce to 150 deg C, bake for 15 to 20 minutes.
Fillings:
3. Mix A till well combined. Cook it over medium heat till thick. Remove from heat and leave to cool. Beat B till fluffy. Add in A. Add C and mix well. Pour fillings into piping bag fitted with nozzle no. 6. Pipe fillings into puff through bottom part of puff. Rub with melted chocolate.

Monday 27 May 2013

Pulut Hitam Chiffon by Carol Lam


Pulut Hitam Chiffon

 

 
 
Recipe for 17cm chiffon tin

Ingredients:

(A):
4 nos Egg Yolk
25g Cake Flour
50g Black Glutinous Rice Flour (Only available in Bake King)
1 tsp Baking Powder
15g Castor Sugar
55g Coconut Cream
2 tbsp Corn Oil
(B):
4 nos Egg White
55g Castor Sugar

Method:
 
1. Preheat Oven to 160C.
2. Mix egg yolks and sugar till sugar is dissolved.
3. Add in oil and coconut cream into the egg yolk mixture. Mix well.
4. Combine the Black Glutinous Rice Flour, Cake Flour and baking powder well.
5. Sieve in the flour mixture into the egg yolk mixture and mix well into a smooth batter. (Take note: Mix the flour into the batter in different directions)
6. Beat egg whites and add in the sugar gradually after the egg white become soft peaks. Continue beating the egg white till it becomes stiff peaks. Stop when the egg white doesn't drop off from the spatula when scoop up.
7. Fold in 1/3 of egg white mixture into batter. Then slowly fold in the rest until well mixed,do not deflate the egg white mixture.
8. Pour into an ungreased tube tin and bake for 45 mins.
 
*Baking time depends on each individual oven heat.

Lychee Kasutera (Castella) Cake by Valerie Ong

Lychee Kasutera (Castella) Cake





Ingredients:

96 gm bread flour
Pinch of salt
4 egg yolks
4 egg whites
96 gm caster sugar
1/2 tsp lychee essence
40 ml lychee syrup (from canned lychee)

Method:

1. Line a 7 inch pan with aluminum foil and add a piece of parchment paper onto the base of the pan.
2. Sift the flour and salt together.
3. In a mixing bowl, beat the egg whites at high speed until foamy. Add in the sugar in 3 batches. Beat till stiff but not dry peaks form.
4. Add in egg yolks one at a time on low speed until well combined and soft peaks form when the whisk is lifted up, about 1 minute.
5. Add in sifted flour on low speed and beat until just combined and no pockets of flour are visible.
6. Add lychee essence and lychee syrup and continue to beat on low speed for another minute.
7. Pour the cake batter from 30cm height directly into the prepared baking pan.
8. Tap pan on the counter to remove any large bubbles and smooth out the surface with the spatula.
9. Bake in a preheated oven at 160 degrees celsius for 50 mins till golden brown and skewer comes out clean.
10. Take the cake out of the oven and drop the pan on the counter top from about 30cm height to prevent shrinkage, thrice.
11. Lightly sift a little icing sugar on top of the cake to prevent it from sticking to the parchment paper.
12. Invert cake onto a fresh piece of parchment paper, remove foil and base parchment paper, wrap up with the parchment paper and put the wrapped up cake into a plastic bag and keep chilled in the fridge, overnight.
13. Cut off the edges of the cake with a serrated knife and slice to pieces to serve.

Important: Must wrap the cake when it is still hot/warm so as to lock in the moisture.

Eggless Steamed Kueh with Cheese Filling by Cassandra Nah

Eggless Steamed Kueh with Cheese Filling







Recipe as modified from Jamie Jong, 无蛋糕饼.

Ingredients:
320g self raising flour
1 tsp double action baking powder
150g sugar
160ml water
130g butter
Laughing cow triangle cheese


Method:
1. Combine sugar, water & butter in a sauce pan, stir over simmering water till smooth. Set aside and let it cool.
2. Make a well in the centre of the sieved flour+baking powder, pour the liquid mixture slowly and mix till well blended.
3. Pour mixture into paper cups 1/4 full, put in half of d trangle cheese followed by filling the cups till 3/4 full, steam for 12-15mins.

Saturday 25 May 2013

Japanese Cotton Cheesecake by Joanna Choo

Japanese Cotton Cheesecake





Ingredients:
(A)
160g cream cheese
25g butter
120g milk
(B)
40g plainflour
30g cornflour
(C)
4 egg yolks
(D)
4 egg whites
1/8 tsp cream of tartar
100g sugar
Pinch of salt

Method:

1) Grease and line the bottom of 8 inch round pan. Wrap outside of the pan in foil.
2) Place (A) in mixing bowl and stir over double-boiler until thick. Remove it from double-boiler. Use a hand whisk to keep stirring until mixture became thick and smooth.
3) Add (B) and mix until well combined. Add (C) and mix until well blended.
4) Whip the egg whites in (D) until foamy. Then add the remaining (D). Continue whipping until soft peak. Add it into the cheese mixture. (Do not draw circle. Fold in the egg whites from bottom to top.)
5) Pour the cheese filling onto the prepared oval pans. Bake in water bath at 160C for 45 mins.

6) After the first 20 to 30 mins, check top of cake and tent aluminium foil over cake after it has turned light brown.
7) Once cake is done, open oven door slightly and let cake cool in oven for about 30 to 45mins.

8) Bring cake out and remove from pan.

(Recipe taken from: http://angelcookbakelove.blogspot.sg/2009/10/japanese-cotton-cheesecake.html?m=1)

Wholemeal French Bread by Lim Yen Li

Wholemeal French Bread



Ingredients:
400g bread flour
100g wholemeal flour
12g yeast
10g salt
30g sugar
350g water
30g unsalted butter

Method:
1. Mix well all ingredients except butter. 2. Add in butter and knead till smooth.
3. Proof dough for about an hour till double in size.
4. Divide into smaller doughs of 250g each.
5. Roll into round shape and rest for 20 min.
6. Shape dough into desirable shapes.
7. Proof again till double in size.
8. Using a blade to make slits on the bread. Bake in preheated oven at 200 degree for 25 to 30 min ( I used a razor blade to make slit of a " W " shape on the bread. I baked my bread at 200 degree for 15 min).

法式全麦面包 from Wendy's book <欧风面包>

Baked Salmon with Miso by Gwen Chow


Ingredients:

500g Salmon fillet
1/4 cup Miso paste
3 TBsp Mirin
2 TBsp Sake
1 TBsp sugar
1 TBsp soy sauce

Method:

1.  Cut salmon fillet into thick slices.
2.  Marinate salmon with the above seasoning for 1 hr or more.
3.  Pat salmon dry and place on a lined tray.
4.  Bake at 220 degrees, 10 - 12 mins until cooked through.

Brinjal Pizzas by Gwen Chow


Ingredients:

1 large Eggplant or brinjal
4 tsp olive oil
1/2 tsp salt
8 tsp black pepper
1/4 cup tomato paste
1/2 cup mozzerella Cheese
Pizza Toppings of your choice

Method:

1.  Slice eggplant/brinjal into 1cm slices
2.  Brush both sides with olive oil and season with salt and black pepper.
3.  Bake in 220 degrees oven for 6-8 mins until brown or almost tender, turning once.
4.  Spread tomato paste on the eggplant/brinjal slices.
5.  Add toppings of your choice and top with Mozzerella Cheese
6.  Bake in 220 degrees oven 3-5 mins till cheese melts.

Friday 24 May 2013

Airfried Cajun Wings by Tiffany Koong




Ingredients:


 3 Chicken Wings
1 tsp of paprika powder( can use Cajun Seasoning too)

1 tsp brown sugar,
1 tsp soya suace
1 tsp garlic powder
Some lemon juice
Some black pepper

Method:
1) Mix all the above ingredients well and marinade for an hour.

2) Air fry at 170Deg for 15mins

Basic Bread Dough Recipe using BM 250

Ingredients:

230g bread flour
70g cake flour
30g sugar
1 egg yolk + milk (add up to 210g)
4 g yeast

18g unsalted butter
4.5g salt

Method:

1.  Place egg yolk and milk into BM.
2.  Cover the liquid with bread and cake flour.
3.  Pour sugar at the side.
4.  Pour yeast in the centre of the flour. Take note that yeast should not touch any of the liquids below.
5.  Put bucket into BM and choose 500g loaf, medium crust colour, select function 1.
6. Press start button.
7.  When timer at 3.12, it will stop mixing. Add in salt and butter.
8. Leave BM to do the rest.

Note:
To add ingredients into the loaf (eg walnuts, cranberries), add them into BM at 2.56 when you hear the beep.
To add toppings to the bread, (eg almond slices), add them into BM at 1.15 timing.

Wednesday 22 May 2013

Kenwood BM 250/450 User Manual + Tips

 




GUIDE FOR BUTTONS
Button 1 >>>- Weight
Button 2 >>> Functions 1 - 11
Button 3 >>> START Button
Button 4 >>> Loaf Colour (Medium is most commonly used)

Button 5 >>> Rapid Bake Button (DO NOT USE THIS FUNCTION!)
(I'd suggest that you use a sticker to paste over it or something)


WEIGHT SELECTION FOR LOAVES
Total Flour:
250-300g flour >>> choose 500g loaf
350-400g flour >>> choose 750g loaf
450-500g flour >>> choose 1kg loaf


The Time routine for bread loaf
Duration: 3 hour 18 minutes
1. at 3.12 stop
2. at 3.08 add salt & butter just when it starts to knead again
3. at 2.56 beep while kneading, add ingredients
4. at 2.48 stop for proof
5. at 2.09 knead for few seconds
6. at 1.43 knead for few seconds
7. at 1.15 put toppings during final stage of proofing
8. at 0.54 baking

For shaped bread
Function 8 (Function 10 for BM450 model): 1 hour 30 minutes
1. at 1.25 stop
2. at 1.20 - add salt & butter when it starts to knead again
3. at 1.00 proofing

Once done, take out the dough from BM, press it gently to allow air to escape. Roll & divide the dough into 3 balls and allow it to proof for another 15mins. Then divide into smaller doughs of 50g each, add filling, make shapes, egg wash and proof another 1 hour before baking for 15-20mins at 170 degree until top turns brown. (timing depends on your oven, thus watch the colour of your buns too)

NOTE:  Yeast is very sensitive, thus handle it with care. Ensure open bottle of Yeast must be kept in the fridge after used. Ensure not expired and avoid yeast touching any ingredients except flour, especially no water and salt.

REMOVAL OF KNEADER
We can choose to remove the kneader in the BM if we do not want it to be stuck in the baked loaf which will cause a big hole on the bottom and/or risking slicing the kneader. It is also helpful to have it removed if you are giving the loaf unsliced to family or friends.

Basically, you may open the BM cover, use a chopstick or spatula to lift up the dough and remove the kneader. This should be done after the kneading and before the first proof.

The exact timing as below:

For Program 1- Basic:
500g - 2.43
750g - 2.48
For Program 4 - Sweet (Program 6 for BM450):
500g - 2.47
750g - 2.52
 

Spring Onion Pancake by Gene Sim


Ingredients
225g all purpose flour
150 ml warm water

Method
 
1. Mix both ingredients together to form a dough.
2. Let the mixture rest for 10 mins in a covered pot or container.
3. After 10 mins, knead a bit to make dough smooth.
4. Split into 2 portions and keep half in container.
5. Roll half into rectangle thinly and spread some oil, salt and spring onions on it .
6. Roll up then cut into parts. 
7. Seal the ends of each part and press towards each other to form a circle then roll into flat circle.
8. Do the same for the rest then pan fry and enjoy.

Chocolate Chips Cookies by Vanessa Tay

Chocolate Chips Cookies (A Jacques Torres' Recipe)






Ingredients:

2 cups minus 2 tablespoons (8½ ounces) cake flour (approx. 240.97g)
1 & 2/3 cups (8½ ounces) bread flour (approx. 240.97g)
1¼ teaspoons baking soda
1½ teaspoons baking powder
1½ teaspoons kosher salt (I substituted with 1 tsp sea salt)
1¼ cups (10 ounces) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1¼ cups (10 ounces) light brown sugar (approx. 283.50g) (I reduced to 250g)
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons (8 ounces) granulated sugar (approx. 226.80g) (I reduced to 200g)
2 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
3 & 1/3 cups (20 ounces) dark chocolate chips, at least 60% cacao content (approx 566.99g) (I used 500g)
Sea salt, for sprinkling

Method:

1. Sift together the cake flour, bread flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt into a large bowl and set aside.
2. Cream together the butter and sugars on medium speed until very light, about 5 minutes. Add the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition, then add the vanilla. Reduce the mixer speed to low, gradually add the dry ingredients and mix until just combined, 5 to 10 seconds. Using a rubber spatula, fold in the chocolate chips.
3. Press plastic wrap against the dough and refrigerate for at least 24 hours, up to 72 hours.
3. When ready to bake, preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a nonstick baking mat. (As I am making smaller sized cookies, I reduced the temp to 140 deg cel)
4. Scoop 3 1/2-ounces of dough, roll into a rough ball (it should be the size of a large golf ball) and place on the baking sheet.  Repeat until you have six mounds of dough on the cookie sheet. Sprinkle lightly with sea salt and bake until golden brown but still soft, 18 to 20 minutes. Transfer the parchment or silicone sheet to a wire rack for 10 minutes, then transfer the cookies onto another cooling rack to cool a bit more, until just warm or at room temperature. Repeat with remaining dough (or keep some of the dough refrigerated for up to 3 days, and bake cookies at a later time). Store leftover cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.

Source: http://www.browneyedbaker.com/2012/10/16/the-new-york-times-chocolate-chip-cookies/

Note:

(1) I am not able to find kosher salt (which is coarser and less chemical taste) and so substituted with sea salt. As my sea salt is fine type, I replaced with 1 tsp. If your sea salt is coarse type, you may still use 1 1/2 tsp.

(2) Instead of the size suggested in the above recipe, I made mine smaller, 16g each dough ball. Hence I reduced the temp to 140 deg cel and baked for 12min.

(3) As the dough balls will spread during baking, there is no need to flatten the dough balls before baking.

Tuesday 21 May 2013

Chocolate Chips Walnut Cookies by Eleanor Lim

Chocolate Chip Walnut Cookies 
(Courtesy from PP BEST kitchenaid promoter)

Ingredients
250gm Butter
480 gm Self Raising Flour
1/2 tsp Baking Soda
2 Eggs
200g Sugar (I used 190g)
300g Choc Chip (I use only 200g)
200g Walnut (I only left with 130gm, so still ok)

Method:
1) Whisk butter with sugar till creamy.
2) Add the egg one at a time, mix until incorporated.
3) Sift flour with bicarbonate soda and fold into the batter , add in choc chips and walnut. Just mix well will do Cling wrap and chill for an hr.
4) Preheat oven to 160/170 deg.C.
5) Scoop them and roll into a rough ball of your preferred size. I prefer them in mini bite size, estimate abt 5gm each and yield about 280 pcs in total.
6) Bake them for 10-15 min, pending your own oven heat. If bigger size then will take slightly longer. Bake till slightly golden brown and it's done.
7) Transfer to rack to cool.

Notes: This was claimed by the promoter to be as good as Famous Amos cookies, so it's for you to bake and judge it. I wasn't told how long to bake but to observe for the color change to slightly brown.

Happy Baking!

Fruit Cake by Clarine Peh


Ingredients
150g unsalted butter
130g castor sugar
3 eggs
150g top flour
1 tsp baking powder
100g dried fruits (I soaked them in 1 tbsp rum + 1 tbsp water overnight)

Method
1. Cream butter and sugar till it is light and fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time till it is well incorporated.
2. Fold in flour and baking powder.
3. Drain the excess liquid from the fruits and coat them with flour before adding them into the batter.
4. Pour the mixture into a  7" round tin and bake in oven preheated at 180 degree Celsius for 45 minutes or till a skewer comes out clean.
5. Cool the cake on a rack before serving. 

Napoleon Cheesecake by Karen Yee


Napoleon Cheesecake (parts of recipe adapted from Cheesecake Mania)

For the crust
160 g oreo crumbs
60 g melted butter

For the cheesecake
500 g of Philadelphia cream cheese softened to room temperature
120 g caster sugar
60 g diced strawberry
1 tbsp of lemon juice
100ml of fresh milk
1 tbsp of corn flour
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 tsp strawberry extract
2 drops red food colouring (or till a desired pink )

For garnishing
Strawberries 

Method
1. Preheat oven to 180C, line the cupcake tray with liners.
2. For the crust, mix the crushed oreo with the butter till it resembles wet sand. Press about a 1 tbsp into each cupcake liner. Bake the crust for about 8 to 10 mins. Remove at let it cool down.
3. Continue to preheat the oven to 170C.
4. Meantime, cream the cream cheese with a mixer. Add sugar and beat till smooth.
5. Add lemon juice, vanilla extract and mix well.
6. Add corn starch and milk and mix well.
7. Divide the mixture into 2 equal parts.
8. In one of the mixtures, mix the strawberry essence and red food colouring in until well blended. Add the diced strawberries and stir well.
9. Scoop the strawberry mixture evenly into each liner and bake for about 10 to 15 mins or till set c(cheesecake may still jiggle a little).
10. Remove from the oven and let it cool slightly. Then add the vanilla mixture on top of each cup and continue to bake for another 15 mins or until cheesecake sets.
11. Remove from oven and let it cool.
12. Garnish as you prefer. Keep them refrigerated.

NOTE: you can also bake this as a whole cake. Just need to adjust the cooking time to about 25 to 30 minutes for each layer.

Baked Ovaltine Cupcakes by Astin Lee


Ingredients
(A)
100g unsalted butter
50g sugar
50g condensed milk
100g fresh milk
100g Ovaltine Malt ( Can be replaced with milo or horlicks)

(B)
2 eggs
1/4 tsp vanilla extract

(C)
(can replace with self-raising flour if you don't have plain flour and baking powder)
100g plain flour
2 tsp baking powder

Method
(makes 10)
1) Place all Ingredients A in a pot, cook over low heat and stir constantly until all melt, remove from heat and leave to cool. (I cooled it over a pot of ice water)
2) Transfer mixture A to a mixing bowl. Add mixture B and mix well. You can just use a manual whisk.
Note: make sure mixture A is cool first before mixing. Else you will cook mixture B.
3) Add in Ingredients C and fold using a spatula until it is well-mixed and a smooth batter is formed.
4) Pour the batter into muffin cups or mould, each about 2/3 full.
5) Bake for about 15-20 mins at 160 degrees or until the skewer comes out clean. 

Homemade Caramel Kaya by Carol Lam


Homemade Caramel Kaya
(recipe source: Sonia a.k.a Nasi Lemak Lover)

Ingredients
3 large eggs, lightly beaten
250g caster sugar
350ml thick coconut milk
(500ml water + grated coconut (from one large old coconut), keep the balance)
2pcs pandan leaves, knotted

Method
1. Mix 150g sugar with coconut milk, use a hand whisk stir till sugar dissolved.
2. Add in egg, stir to combine well, set aside.
3. Add balance 100g sugar in a saucepan, cook over medium heat till became golden syrup.
4. Pour golden syrup into egg and coconut milk mixture, and the syrup will form into curd,. Fret not, continue stirring until syrup dissolves in the mixture (Be careful when you pour the syrup, it will spill !)
5. Sift the kaya mixture into another mixing bowl (stainless steel preferred), add in pandan leaves.
6. Place mixing bowl over another pot of boiled water on low heat (double boil method). Stir kaya mixture occasionally.(Do not stop for too long, 1- 2mins intervals would be good). Discard pandan leaves once the kaya is cooked.
7. It took at least 1hour to cook till desired thickness. Cool completely before store in a clear jar and keep in the fridge.

Friday 17 May 2013

Choux Puffs with Pearl Sugar by Sharron Wee





Choux Puffs with Pearl Sugar ( recipe adapted from Okashi Recipe Book )

Ingredient
( makes about 15 pcs)

Top flour 75g
Water 75g
Fresh Milk 50g
Unsalted Butter 50g, cut into small cubes
Salt 1/2 tsp
Sugar 1 tsp
2 medium size eggs

Method

Preheat Oven to 200deg

Line Baking tray with parchment paper

Sift flour once

In a small sauce pan, combine water, milk, sugar, salt and butter. Bring to a boil over medium heat. Immediately remove from heat.

Using a wooden spoon, quickly stir in flour until combined and mixture comes together in a ball. Return to heat and cook. Stir constantly until mixture leaves the side of the saucepan.

Add eggs one at a time, beating with the wooden spoon until eggs are fully incorporated before adding the next.

Test if the batter is ready by scooping it up using the wooden spoon. Batter should hang down and form a smooth triangular (V) shape. If it doesn't hang, the batter needs another egg but do add half portion of the egg mixture at a time.

Pour batter into piping bag fitted with a 1cm star piping tip. Pipe out 5cm circles onto baking tray and gently smoothen pointed peaks.

Bake for 20 mins at 200 deg then reduce heat to 180deg and continue when baking for another 20 mins.

NOTE : To ensure choux pastry rises, the dough has to be stretchy and glue like. Ensure milk and water mixture is boiling hot before adding the flour. Dough should look glossy and not be too runny.







Banana Macadamia Nuts Muffin by Vanessa Tay

Banana Macadamia Nuts Muffin


Ingredients:

1½ cups unbleached all purpose flour
1½ teaspoons baking soda
¼ teaspoon salt
⅛ teaspoon ground nutmeg
1¼ cups mashed ripe bananas (about 3 large)
½ cup granulated sugar
¼ cup dark brown sugar (I used molasses sugar)
½ cup unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly
¼ cup milk (whole, 2% or 1%)
1 large egg
1 cup unsalted macadamia nuts, toasted and finely chopped

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a standard-size muffin pan with paper liners or spray with non-stick cooking spray; set aside.
2. Sift together the flour, baking soda, salt and nutmeg into a large bowl.
3. In a separate medium bowl, whisk together the mashed bananas, both sugars, butter, milk and egg. Pour over the dry ingredients and fold to combine. Add half of the chopped macadamia nuts to the batter and fold gently to combine.
4. Divide the batter evenly between the muffin cups. Sprinkle the tops with the remaining chopped macadamia nuts.
5. Bake until golden brown and a thing knife inserted into the center comes out clean, about 25 minutes. Let cool in the muffin pan for about 10 minutes, then remove to a wire rack to cool completely. Store muffins at room temperature for up to 3 days.

*Recipe adapted from: http://www.browneyedbaker.com/2013/04/08/banana-macadamia-nut-muffins/

Chocolate Marble Rice Loaf by Vanessa Tay

Chocolate Marble Rice Loaf





Ingredients:

Make a 500g loaf

(A)

Cold cooked rice - 150g

Bread Flour - 200g

Caster Sugar - 25g

Salt - 3g

Milk Powder - 30g

Egg (beaten) - 25g (about half an egg)

Water - 75ml

Instant Yeast - 4g

(B)

Cocoa Powder - 12g

Egg - for egg wash

Method:

1. Add the ingredients (except for ingredients in B) as you would for your bread-maker. Knead the dough accordingly.

2. After first proof (approx. 1 hour), take out the dough and rolled into a 25cm by 25cm square. Apply thin layer of egg and sprinkle in alternate rows the cocoa powder.

3. Roll up the dough and form a U-shaped. With the arch on top, place the rolled dough back into the breadmaker pan. Continue as per normal bread-making process.

4. Remove the bread when it is baked and let it cool on a rack completely.

Almond Biscotti by Vanessa Tay

 Almond Biscotti






Ingredients
  • 3 egg whites
  • 120 gm plain flour - sifted
  • 90 gm caster sugar
  • 120 gm unblanched whole almonds
Method
  1. Whisk egg whites till foamy on slow speed, add in sugar and whisk on higher speed till egg whites are stiff but not dry. (To check whether the egg whites are done, remove and invert the whisk and if the peak of egg whites stand, then it's ready).
  2. Add in sifted flour, mix well, followed by the whole almonds. The consistency should be soft and light.
  3. Pour mixture into a lightly greased dish, 15cm x 8cm.
  4. Bake in a preheated oven @ 180 deg C for 30 mins till light brown.
  5. Let it cool in the dish completely.
  6. Remove from dish, wrap up in foil and put in the fridge for a day or two. It can also be freezed if you wish to keep it longer.
  7. When needed, slice thinly, about 2mm thick with a serrated knife.
  8. Arrange slices onto paper lined baking sheet and bake @ 130 deg C for 45 mins. till crispy and crunchy.
  9. Store in air-tight cookie jar once completely cooled.

Strawberry Hazelnut Mousse Cake by Clarine Peh

Strawberry Hazelnut Mousse Cake



Basic sponge base
Ingredients
4 eggs
60g castor sugar
86 g top flour
33ml corn oil or any veg oil will do

Method
1. Whisk eggs and sugar till light and fluffy.
2. Fold in the corn oil and flour (alternate) and pour into a lined 8” round cake tin.
3. Bake at 175 degree Celsius for about 25 mins. Cool the cake on rack and use a7” heart shaped cake ring to cut out the shape.
4. Set aside to cool and line it into the cake ring. While you prepare the mousse.

Hazelnut mousse
Ingredients
20g milk
20g instant custard powder
20g cold water
30g Nutella
85g whipped cream
6g gelatine & 25g water (mixed well)

Method
1. Mix milk, cold water and instant custard powder together. Stir in Nutella and gelatine mixture.
2. Fold in the whipped cream. Pour in over the cake.
3. Leave in fridge to set.

Strawberry Mousse
Ingredients
175g strawberry puree
60g sugar
½ tsp strawberry paste
200ml whipped cream
14g gelatine powder & 56g water (mixed well)

Method
1. Mix strawberry puree, sugar and strawberry paste in a saucepan and warm it over low fire, to melt the sugar.
2. Remove from heat, add in gelatine mixture. Leave to cool.
3. Fold in the whipped cream.
4. Pour over the hazelnut mousse and leave in fridge to set.