Traditional Baked Mooncake

Recipe adapted from The Fatty Rie.

Ingredients:
*6 x 125g baked mooncakes

Crust
150g hong kong flour
90g golden syrup
30g canola oil
1/2 tbsp alkaline water

Filling
Lotus paste or any paste of your choice
20g to 30g melon seeds
6 Salted eggs

Egg Wash
1 chicken egg yolk + 1 tbsp milk, beaten and sift


Method:
1. Salted egg yolks preparation - Crack the eggs and remove the yolks, then soak the yolks in canola oil for about 15-20 mins, to remove the fishy smell.  After removing the yolks from the oil, use kitchen paper towel to dab dry the yolks.

2.   Place the melon seeds and egg yolks on lined baking tray.   Bake in preheated oven at 140C for about 8-12 mins. Once the yolks turn slightly lighter in color, and the melon seeds toasted, you can remove from oven and cool completely.   Set aside.

3.   Mooncake dough preparation - Sieve the flour into a mixing bowl, and create a well in the middle.  Add in golden syrup, oil and alkaline water.  Mix the ingredients into a dough and let the dough rest for about 30-35 mins.

4.   Lotus paste preparation -  Mix the toasted melon seeds into the lotus paste, and roll the paste into ball shape, then make a hole in the centre and place 1 yolk in it.  Gently roll the lotus paste back into a ball shape.  Set aside.
*Note:
a)  use plastic gloves as the paste can get very sticky
b)  lotus paste + yolk filling = 75g

5.    Divide the mooncake dough into 50g portions.

6.   Take 1 ball of the mooncake dough, flatten it and wrap the lotus paste in it, sealed the ends and roll it into a ball shape.

7.   Flour the mooncake mold generously and knock out excess flour, then imprint the prepared dough (from #6), and transfer it to lined baking tray.

8.   Bake in preheated oven at 180C for 5 mins.  Remove from oven and cool it for about 2-3 mins. Brush gently with egg wash, then return the mooncakes back into oven to continue baking for another 10-15 mins, or golden brown coloured.

9.   Once done, remove from oven and cool completely before storing them for about 3-4 days to to 回油 (crust soften).

Pineapple Tarts (melt-in-the-mouth)

Tart recipe adapted from Nasi Lemak Lover.

Ingredients
*Makes about 100 tarts

350g butter (I used salted)
100g condensed milk
510g plain flour
2 egg yolks

700g Pineapple filling (I used store-bought types, but if you prefer to make them yourself, you can take a look at this Kenneth Goh's recipe that just required 30mins to make!)

Eggwash: 2 egg yolks + 1tsp water + 1tsp oil

Optional (depending on design): Sesame seeds & green coloring


Method

1. Roll pineapple jam into balls of 8g each (Tip: wet your hands while rolling, it'll prevent the jam from sticking to your hand) I did this the night before baking the tarts, and store them in an airtight container and left it in the fridge.
   
2. Cream butter and condensed milk with mixer, until light & well-combined.
   
3. Add in egg yolks, one at a time.
   
4. Then mix in sieved flour (half by mixer, and the other half manually).
   
5. When the mixture comes to a soft dough, roll each dough into balls of 10g.
   
6. Shaping into balls:
   (1) Flatten a piece of dough on your palm, then place a piece of the roll pineapple filling in the middle. Seal the edges of the dough and roll it into a round ball shape.
   (2) Apply egg wash and sprinkle some sesame seeds in the center.
   
7. Shaping into pineapples:
   (1) You need to color a small portion of the dough with green coloring.
   (2) Flatten a piece of dough (original) on your palm, then place a piece of the roll pineapple filling in the middle. Seal the edges of the dough and roll it into a round ball shape.
   (3)  Press a skewer lightly across the ball to create the lines.
   (4) Using a small flower plunger, cut out 3 small flowers from the green dough.
   (5) Stick them on the sides of the ball to create the leaf.
   (6) Apply egg wash.
   
8. Shaping into nastar:  Transfer dough to the nastar plunger and pipe out a strips of dough, add a piece of pineapple jam, roll up and cut off extra dough.
   
9. Send to bake at 160C for 20mins.
   
10. Once baked, leave to cool completely then store in airtight container.

The jams I used.

Roll them into balls of 8g each.

Pineapple Balls: before baking.

Pineapple Balls: baked!

Pineapple shapes: before baking.

Pineapple shapes: baked!

This is the flower plunger that I used to make the leaf on the pineapple shape tarts.

Nastar: before bake

Nastar: baked!  For this shape, I did it without eggwash.

This is the plunger that I used for the nastar shapes.

Illustrations on the nastar shaping.
Photo credits to Food4Tots.

All baked & packed!

Baked Seaweed Crackers

We usually had this during the Chinese New Year period, and everyone at home loves this :)  Not difficult to make and it's also a more healthy version because there's no oil use at all!  And super crunchy!

Ingredients
*makes around 2 jars

20 pieces of popiah skins
10 pieces of grilled seaweeds (i use 'Big Bang' brand)
1 egg - beaten


Method
*Greased and line baking tray
*Preheat oven at 180C

1.  Lay 1 piece of the popiah skin on your rolling mat.

2.  Brush a layer of eggwash.

3.  Lay a piece of seaweed and press down firmly.

4.  Brush another layer of eggwash on the seaweed.

5.  Lay another piece of popiah skin on top, and press down firmly.

6.  Cut into desired shapes, and lay them on the baking tray.  They could be side by side but not stack up.  Send to bake at 180C for 8mins, or till they are light golden colours.  

Clear Glaze for Fruits

Be it decorating a cake, tart or pie.  If you are using fruits as part of your decoration, you'll need to apply a layer of glaze over it to give it a shiny gloss and to 'trap' the moisture within the fruits.   I've tried a couple of recipes and these two are my favourites to use :)

Photo credits to Baking Project.

Glaze #1
I learnt this during the schooling days from my Home Economic teacher :)

Ingredient
1tbsp apricot jam
1tsp hot water

Method
- Mix both ingredients together, stir to quickly dissolve jam with hot water.
- Apply mixture over fruits with a small brush.


Glaze #2
Recipe origins from this link.

Ingredient
1/2cup water
1/4cup sugar

1/4cup water
1tbsp corn starch

Method
-  Add 1/2cup water and 1/4cup sugar in a small saucepan, over medium heat, stir until sugar dissolved.
-  Mix corn starch with 1/4cup water together and pour this mixture into the hot mixture on the stove, while pouring it in, keep stirring constantly. Allow the mixture to simmer for one to two minutes until it has thickened, then remove the pan from heat.
- Set aside to cool in room temperature,then brush it on the fruits.

Almond Puff Fingers

So, my family complain of having too much cakes recently, so I made something different today, with Flaky Pastry 😏

Flaky pastry is different from rough puff pastry.  Rough pastry is quicker to make as the butter are added at all once and it is all spreaded out evenly.  For flaky pastry, you'll need to spread the butter a little at a time while rolling and folding the sheet.  This action helps to build up the think layers of pastry that raise while baking.

Generally, there are 2 golden rules in making pastry:

1.  Everything has to be cool.  Ingredients, utensils and also your hand.  Hence, avoid having the palm touching the dough, use only your finger tips to manage.

2.  Pressure on the rolling pin have to firm , downwards and only roll out in one direction.  Because that's how to keep the pastry even.

Ingredients

*makes 9 sticks

100g bread flour (you can also use plain flour, but it is preferred to use a high gluten flour for pastry making)

1/4tsp salt

75g butter

4tbsp cold water

1/4tsp lemon juice

For toppings

25g sugar

25g almond flakes

1 egg - beaten as eggwash

Method

1.  Sieve flour and salt.

2.  Cut butter into small even sizes and divide into 4 portions.

3.  Rub 1 portion of the butter into the flour until it looks like breadcrumbs.

4.  Mix in water and lemon juice to form a dough.

5.  Lightly dust the rolling mat, transfer dough onto it.  Knead and roll into a long rectangular shape of around 1cm thickness.

6.  Put 1 portion of the butter, evenly on the lower end of the dough. Flour lighly and fold into 3 layers.

7.  Seal the edges and make a turn to the right.  Roll out and repeat step#6 until you use up all the butter.

8.  Wrap dough with a cling wrap and leave it to rest in the fridge for 15min.

9.  Lined a baking tray and preheat oven to 210C.

10.  After the dough is ready, bring it back to the rolling mat, re-roll and fold at least 3 times.  Note:  the more you fold and roll, the more layers you'll get in the pastry.

11.  After the final roll, cut the pastry into long strips.  

12.  Transfer them to the baking tray, sprinkle almond flakes over it and press down gently.  Apply a thin layer of eggwash, then sprinkle sugar on top.

13.  Send to bake for 25-30min. 

Rub 1st portion of fat until it looks like breadcrumbs.

Add water and lemon juice, mix to a dough.

Spread 1 portion of the butter at the lower end of the dough and dust little bit of flour over it.

Fold 1/3 of the dough from top.

Make another fold to cover the butter.

Seal the edges.

Make a turn to the right.

And roll down.  Repeat the steps until finish up all the butter.

After chilling in fridge: roll down the dough.

Fold 1/3 of the dough from top.

Fold the bottom 1/3 to cover the earlier fold.

Make a right turn.

And roll down.  Repeat folding for at least 3 times.

All ready to be sent to the oven!

Yumyum :)

Chouquettes

I remembered gulping down these pasteries at Delifrance outlets when I was a kid.  And now that I'm starting to bake, I've always wanted to make it.  And I should had did it earlier because these are absoutely AMAZING!!!

Ingredients

125ml water

125ml full cream milk

100g butter

1tsp salt

1tsp sugar

170g plain flour - sieved

4 eggs

Some icing sugar for dusting

Some pearl sugar to drizzle on top

Method

*preheat oven to 180C and lined baking tray

1.  Melt water, milk, salt, sugar and butter in a saucepan.

2.  When the butter has melted, add in flour and beat with a wooden spoon, till the mixture becomes a dough and comes away from the side.

3.  Transfer the dough to a large mixing bowl, continue to beat the mixture for few more minutes to release the heat.

4.  Add in the egg, 1 by 1, and mix until the mixture becomes thick and smooth.

5.  Transfer the mixture to a piping bag.

6.  You may pipe with nozzle.  Pipe small balls on the tray.

7. Dust some icing sugar over the piped balls, then drizzle the pearl sugar over them.

8.  Send to bake for 25min.

Portuguese Egg Tarts

I wanted to make something simple tonight and also something to welcome my daughter back home from her 2 days school camp.  She likes egg tarts I have some frozen tart case in the fridge, so here it goes :)

This is really easy to make, barely any hassle and within 10mins in preparation! :)

Ingredients

*yields 6 tarts

15g castor sugar

60ml milk

60ml all purpose cream (i used Nestle)

1 egg

6 tarts case/shells

Method

1. Preheat oven at 220C.

2. Put all ingredients together in a mixing bowl and mix till the mixture is smooth.

3. Fill each tart with the mixture, about 70% or 80% full.

4. Send to bake for 25min.  The finished bake should have brown crust and dark brown tops.  If you preferred the tarts to go darker, bake for another 5mins.