Season's Greetings! (lady's kisses / x'mas cookies / banana & choc muffins / konnyaku jellies)

Wow! Its a pre-x'mas tea party tml and everyone is supposed to bring an item each.. =) i m bringing pastries and konnyaku jellies! =D

Lady's Kisses (almond cookies sandwiched with nutella)
Comparing to my previous attempt, i have used caster sugar & ground almond powder!

Xmas's Cookies

Ingredients: (makes about 36 pieces)
100g butter, softened at room temperature
80g caster sugar
1 egg yolk
180g cake flour
20g corn flour

Method:

1. Sift cake flour and corn flour together and set aside. Line baking tray with parchment paper, set aside.
2. With an electric mixer, add in sugar to the butter in 2 ~3 additions and cream till the mixture turns pale and fluffy.
3. Add in egg yolk and mix well.
4. Add sifted flour mixture in 2 ~ 3 additions, stir with a spatula to form a soft dough.
5. Place dough in a plastic bag and flatten with rolling pin.
6. Refrigerate the dough for about half an hour.
7. Remove dough from fridge. Roll out dough on slightly floured work surface and cut out with slightly floured cookie cutters. If the dough appears to be a little to hard and breaks into pieces while rolling, leave it at room temperature for a few minutes. The dough will soften up and can be rolled easily.
8. Bake at pre-heated oven at 175 degC for 15 ~ 20mins.
9. Let cool and store in air-tight container.

(Recipe adapted from Happy Homebaker's blog)

Banana & Chocolate Muffins

Ingredients: (makes 16 muffins)
275g plain flour
3 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 large bananas, about 450g
100g brown sugar (original recipe calls for 125g brown caster sugar)
1 large egg, lightly beaten
50ml semi-skimmed milk (I used low fat fresh milk)
75g unsalted butter, melted and cooled
50g chocolate chips

Method:

1. Pre-heat oven to 180degC (350 degF). Line muffin pans with paper muffin cases.
2. Sieve together flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt into a mixing bowl. Mix in the chocolate chips. Set aside.
3. Peel the bananas and mash with a fork in a bowl. Add in brown sugar, egg, milk and melted butter. Mix until well combined.
4. Pour the liquid mixture into the dry ingredients. With a wooden spoon or a spatula, gently fold all the ingredients to form a wet batter. Stir gently, using only a few strokes and mix until the flour are incorporate into the batter. DO NOT Over mix. The batter should appear lumpy.
5. Spoon batter into paper muffin cases. Bake for 20mins until muffins turn golden brown or a toothpick inserted into the centre comes out clean.
6. Let cool on a wire rack. Serve warm or cold.

Konnyaku Jelly

Ingredients: (makes 32 jellies)
250gm of Red Man Konnyaku Powder
1 teaspoon of Red Man Kiwi Seeds
1 can of Longans
1250ml of water
Jelly moulds

1. Soak kiwi seeds in water for 20mins, remove floating seeds and husks.
   
2. Pour the Konnyaku Powder and Kiwi seeds into water gradually and stir till boiling.
3. Turn off the flame and keep stirring for about 5 minutes, till the bubble dissipates and the Konnyaku Jelly solution becomes clear.
4. put the pieces of fruits in the moulds, then pour the Konnyaku solution into the moulds for 3 times, every time pour 1/3 of the mould.
5. Chill to set the moulded Jelly solution in the refrigerator for 3 hours before serve.

All ready for tml's party!!

Eggless Banana cake!

I having cravings for banana since last week! hmm, and i have finally managed to grab a bunch from the supermart this morning.. =) I have gotten this recipe from the professional baking book.. and made some changes to it as i do not have any more eggs!!! Due to this, my confidence level of baking a banana cake w/o egg successfully wasn't on the upswing.. well, I read up from the 'common subsitutions' column that i could replace an egg with an extra teaspoon of baking powder and 1/2 pc of mashed banana.. hehhee.. and i would like to humbly declare that i m sooooo SATISFIED with the outcome!!! Its so yummmie that i think i'm able to finish everything just by myself!! But of cos wont be performing such a self-destructive act as i will be having my bridal shoot on 20th!!! hehehe.. it's really very delicious and i m definately amazed of the outcome despite the easy ingredients used!


Ingredients:
Makes a 9 by 3 inch tin.

60g unsalted butter, melted
250g cake flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 mashed bananas
125ml skim milk
100g brown sugar

Method:

1. Pre-heat oven to 180degC (350 degF).
2. Place butter into a plastic bag (similar to ziplockbag) and roll over using a rolling pin several times. It really helps to melt butter faster =] - i am just too lazy to melt it over a heated pan.. hahaa...
3. Sieve together flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt into a mixing bowl.
4. Make a well in the centre.
5. Place melted butter, milk and sugar and mix (with a manual whisk) until thoroughly well blended and then add on the mashed banana.
   
6. Pour the liquid mixture into the flour mixture. With the spatula, gently fold all the ingredients to form a wet batter. Just mix until the flour are incorporate into the batter. The batter will appear lumpy.
7. Place greasing paper over the tin, and pour in the mixture. Bake for 50mins until top of the cake turn golden brown and then insert the skewer into the centre - it should comes out clean.
8. Let cool on a wire rack and serve.
   

My 1" high Matcha chiffon with choc chips! =P

i'm so excited to try baking another chiffon cake after last week's attempt. Hehehe - wanna explore other combination and came by hhb's matcha chiffon ! i'm such impressed with her creativity!

hmm, as i am using a 8inch tube pan (20cm compared to hhb's recipe which is using 16cm)- i am prepared to bake something rather flat with hhb's recipe. Hehee.. and also, rather then having a fluffy feel of chiffon, i decided to use cake flour to have another type of taste... just that what i have used for my pandan cake.

here's the recipe from hhb's blog;

Matcha Chiffon Cake with Chocolate Chips

Ingredients(make one 16cm cake) - i have used a 8"/20cm tube pan
1 tablespoon green tea powder
30ml milk
2 egg yolks
20g caster sugar
20ml vegetable oil - i have used olive oil
40g self-raising flour - i have used cake flour

2 egg whites
1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
50g caster sugar

some dark chocolate chips

Method:

1. Sieve flour and green tea powder together, set aside.
2. Separate egg yolks/whites and bring to room temperature.
3. Whisk egg yolks and sugar in a mixing bowl until sugar just dissolved. Add in milk and oil. Whisk till combined. Sieve over the flour and green tea powder mixture and fold gently with a spatula until flour mixture is fully incorporated into the batter.
4. In a clean, dry mixing bowl, whisk egg whites and cream of tartar with an electric mixer until mixture becomes frothy and foamy. Add in the sugar in 3 separate additions while beating at high speed till stiff peaks form.
5. Add the egg white foam into the egg yolk batter in 3 separate additions, each time folding gently with a spatula until just blended.
6. Pour 1/3 of the batter into a 16cm (6 inch) tube pan (do not grease the pan). Sprinkle chocolate chips over the batter. Pour the remaining half of the batter. Sprinkle with chocolate chips. Pour the rest of the batter into the pan. Spread the batter evenly.
7. Bake in pre-heated oven at 170 degC for 25 ~ 30mins or until the cake surface turns golden brown, and a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean.
8. Remove from the oven and invert the pan immediately. Let cool completely before unmould.

Here are the pictures presented by my dear nephew & niece!!

my first pandan chiffon cake!

It has really been so long ever since i experiment on something new! ever since i lay my butt on my new work desk - in conjunction with this new yr bash, i have really neglected my oven =)

its such a misty day filled with the scent of rain.. there's no any more butter left in my fridge, hmm but i do have some cake flour plus eggs.. and oh yes.. its finally the time for some pandan chiffon since i hv yet to try on aunty yochana's recipe!

here' the pics after been thrown into the oven for 45mins ! Hmmmm... i am really satisfied with my another 'first attempt' Wooooh! But i think i overbeaten the egg white mixture.. hence the cake becomes not so spongy cake but bouncy.. the cake also didnt rise properly.. its abit curvy.. i am also unsure if the cracks should be the top or bottom of cake.. =) but tot that the greeny surface looks better!

I love those cracks as they resembles the outline of a rose!

recipe adopted from aunty yochana's blog;

Ingredients for egg yolk mixture:

6 egg yolks
2 Tbsp. Pandan juice
150 gm. coconut milk
1/4 tsp. salt
4 tbsp. Corn oil
1 tsp. Pandan Paste
1/4 tsp. Green colouring (i did not add any.. )
80 gm. caster sugar
140 gm. Cake flour

Egg White Mixture:

6 egg white
1/4 tsp. Cream of Tartar
100 gm. caster sugar

Method:

(1) Mix all the egg yolk ingredients together and stir till smooth.
(2) Whisk egg white with cream of tartar and gradually pour in the sugar. Whisk at high speed until frothy and stiff peak forms.
(3) Gently fold egg yolk mixture with egg white mixture until blended.
(4) Pour into a 9" (23 cm) tube pan. Bake at 170C for about 40 to 45 min.s or until cooked.
(5) Remove from oven, invert cake onto cooling rack until completely cooled before removing from the pan.
(6) Slice and serve.

Tiramisu - My first attempt!!

I have been pondering for the longest time of what to make for my ex-colleagues 'to be', on my last day.. and till the last min, i guessed i need not make any decision myself.. Received a bottle of Baileys on my desk upon my arrival at work today.. and my colleague who gave it to me, has an request for me to try making tiramisu cake tml!! I was trying to find a recipe that's easy to make and not much of an hassle as I have to hunt for those ingredients after work still.. =D

Managed to get an eggless recipe from another colleague!! She is none other then JY! This is a rather unique recipe as it doesn't contain eggs, which is very ideal for kids as they are no-bake cakes.. and uncooked eggs may not be suitable for them.. but of cos the most tempting part is, its of the lowest calorie content for tiramisu cakes! =D I have decided to use an aluminum tray (those disposable kind) for easy assembling / storage and can carry to office the next day without much trouble..

Here's the recipe from JY, who gotten from this weblink;

I have modified the recipe to a aluminum tray that measures 11inch by 9inch;

Ingredients

• 2tsp INSTANT ESPRESSO COFFEE POWDER - used 20gm of Nescafe gold blend coffee powder
  
• 1 cup HOT WATER - used 1 and 1/2 cup
  
• BAILEY'S IRISH CREAM, 2/3 cup - used 1 cup
  
• MASCARPONE CHEESE, 500gm - used 750gm
• FAT-FREE CREAM CHEESE, 8 ounces, softened - used 450gm
• BROWN SUGAR, 1/3 cup, packed - used 110gm
  
• LADYFINGERS/SPONGE FINGERS BISCUITS, 24 - used 48
  
• UNSWEETENED COCOA POWDER, 2 teaspoons - used 4 tbsp (for 1st layer's cream mixture as well as the final layer on top)

Directions

1. Make coffee by dissolving the coffee powder in the hot water.
   
2. Transfer coffee to a shallow dish.
3. Add 2 tablespoons Baileys' Irish Cream.
4. Set aside and allow to cool.
5. In a large bowl, combine Mascarpone and cream cheese.
6. Beat at high speed until smooth.
7. Add brown and granulated sugar and remaining Baileys' Irish Cream.
8. Beat until well-blended.
9. Have a 9-inch square baking dish ready. - used 9 by 11 inch
10. Briefly dip sugar side of ladyfinger in coffee mixture, abt 3secs.
11. Place (flat side down) ladyfinger on bottom of baking dish (you should use half of the ladyfingers).
12. Spread half of cream cheese mixture over ladyfingers.
13. Sprinkle with half of the cocoa powder.
14. Repeat with remaining ladyfinger (dip the flat side with the coffee mixture), cream cheese mixture, and cocoa powder.
15. Chill 2 hours. - chilled overnight before making my way to office!

Yippppie!! Here are the shots!! - All thanks to JY's recipe once again! The cake was so well received by all of my colleagues and most of them love it mucchie.. but it wasn't enough for any second helpings.. as i have to distribute to 38 ppl... i m such overjoyed over the feedback as its my first attempt and yet successfully done up.. =D And one of my sweetie colleague has placed an order for her bday cake in april.. heex.. its such encouraging!!! =)

Pic for #8 (Mascarpone/Cheese/Sugar/Baileys, well-blended)

Pic for #11 (placing 1st layer of sponge fingers, soaked with coffee/baileys)
Pic for #12 (spreading half mixture over sponge fingers)

Pic for #13 (sprinkle with cocoa powder)

Pic for #14 (placing final layer of sponge fingers, mixture & cocoa powder)