Egg Tart

One of the famous Dim Sum dishes that most people like is Egg Tart. Not only it looks delicious but tastes delicious too! This pudding like dessert comes in either a fluffy puff pastry as the base for the egg pudding or a simple shortcrust pastry as the base. Personally, I prefer the fluffy puff pastry base! 

I have always wanted to make my own egg tart because it looks so simple. I started to make some based on a recipe given by a friend. It was considered successful and taste good! However, I still need to improve the outlook of the tart especially the pastry base. Here are some photos to share with you...

If you want to try out your own, here is the recipe:

skin A:
150g plain flour, sifted
20g custard powder, sifted
30g icing sugar, sifted
60g shortening
2-3 tbsp water

skin B:
90g plain flour, sifted
60g shortening

filling:
3 eggs, beaten
120g castor sugar
250ml hot water, stirred & cooled
1 tsp vanilla essence, 1 tsp white vinegar

Method:
1) Skin A: mix and knead until smooth. Divide into 15 parts.
2) Skin B: mix and divide into 15 parts.
3) Wrap B with A. Roll into a long shape, roll up tighty like swiss roll. Then roll into a round piece and line onto the egg tart mould.
4) Mix and strain the filling. Pour into the mould until 3/4 full.
5) Bake in a pre-heated oven at 180C for about 15-20 mins until the filling is set.

Moist Marble Cake

This is one of my favourites .... Marble Cake. As the name implies, the cake has a marble effect in it - the swirled patterns from the cocoa batter. I have tried many recipes in the past but most of them are not as tasty as this one. I left some over night in an airtight container and it was even more moist! The other day, I came across another recipe for Marble cake which calls for the eggs to be separately prepared something like making a fluffy sponge cake. It's not a bad idea to separate the eggs as it will give more air to the texture and ultimately the cake will be lighter and fluffier. I will try it and post the outcome in my later episodes to come. But for now, the recipe I used here is using whole eggs and it's taken from the recipe book "Bread & Baking".  The recipe calls for SRF (self raising flour), but I ran out of SRF and hence I made my own SRF. It's a mixed of 3 simple ingredients: plain flour, baking powder and salt (you can refer to one of my earliest posts to get the deatils).

Ingredients:
225g butter/margarine
225g castor sugar
4 medium eggs, beaten
225g SRF, sifted
finely grated rind and juice of 1 orange
25g cocoa powder, sifted

Method:
1. Preheat oven to 190C. Lightly grease an 8" round pan and line the pan with parchment paper.
2. In a bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the beaten eggs into the mixture a little at a time. Mix well in each addtion. Slowly fold in the flour until well corporated.
3. Divide the batter into half. Add into the first half batter the orange rind and a little bit of orange juice and mix well.
4. Mix the cocoa powder and the remaining orange juice and add into the second half batter. Mix well.
5. Spoon into the round pan the 2 mixtures alternatively. Take a skewer or chopstick swirl the 2 mixture in the pan to create the marble effect. Bake in the preheated oven for 50 mins or until a skewer inserted into the centre of the cake comes out clean.

Orange Chiffon Cake

You may not like sweet desserts at all, but I am sure many of you have tasted Chiffon Cake at least once in your lifetime, ya? I don't think i am overstated here ... the reason is simple: it's a type of cake that is so conveniently available in many cake shops (at least in Malaysia), it's delicious and not oily/heavy in texture, and it's cheap - cost about RM6 - RM8 (more than enough for a family of 4). You can even get one for RM3.50 at those hypermarkets. So, it has all the right ingredients to sell as a 'hot' cake and loved by all.

So, why bother to make one yourself? Some may ask. My answer is simple: homemade is always taste much better than commercial (if you do it right), agree? Chiffon Cake though it looks simple, it does demand for skills and experience to make it right. When I first tried to make one, I started off with an Angel Food Cake recipe. I failed miserably. Then, I did a fair bit of research and went on a second attempt. Again, failed. So, I went full force to look for tips, techniques etc and finally I made it. During the course of this journey, I also learned something valuable that Angel Food Cake and Chiffon Cake are not the same. The former is oil free (no butter/vegetale oil needed) and the latter calls for vegetable oil in the recipe. My first Chiffon Cake (Pandan flavour) was taken from a well-known recipe. It was so so successful and delicious that my husband and I we fininshed it within a day! I will post it when I make one again. I subsequently made a few with different flavours. Here is one with the orange flavour:

I baked this in a 20cm tube pan. The citrus smell from fresh orange is so pungent and the cake is very moist!

Here is the recipe:

Ingredients

6 Large Eggs, separated plus 1 additional Egg White
2 1/4 Cups Sifted Cake Flour
1 1/4 Cups Superfine White Sugar
1 Tbsp Baking Powder
1/2 tsp Sea Salt
1/2 Cup Vegetable Oil
3/4 Cup Freshly Squeezed Orange Juice
2 Tbsp Orange Zest
1 tsp Pure Vanilla Extract
3/4 tsp Cream of Tartar

Method

1. Separate the eggs and place the whites in one bowl and the yolks in another.
2. Preheat the oven to 325F (170C) and have ready 20 cm tube pan. (ungreased).
3. In the bowl of your electric mixer, fitted with the paddle attachment, place the flour, sugar (minus 3Tbsp), baking powder, and salt. Beat until combined. Make a well in the center of the flour mixture and add the egg yolks, oil, orange juice, orange zest , and vanilla extract. Beat about one minute or until smooth.
4. In a separate bowl, with the whisk attachment, beat the egg whites until foamy. Add the cream of tartar and continue to beat until soft peaks form. Gradually beat in the remaining 3Tbsp of sugar and until stiff peaks form.
5. With a large rubber spatula, gently fold the egg whites into the batter just until blended (being careful not to deflate the batter).

Tips:
1. The eggs must be in room temperature before separate them.
2. The important step in this recipe is the beating of the egg whites. Make sure it reaches almost stiff peak. Over beating will spoil the whole thing.
3. A rule of thumb, I always scoop 1/3 of the beaten egg whites and mix it with the batter first. This helps the folding later.

Yam Swiss Roll

I love yam. I love anything that goes with yam. When it's cooked, its special taste and its smooth startchiness do wonders in many signature dishes. Well, a lot of people are familiar with yam in chinese dishes but do you know that yam is also famous in making perfect desserts and pastries? Here is one recipe which I have tried and fell in love with it - swiss roll with yam paste filling!

Remember the days where I went through so many recipe books and even in the Internet in a mission to find the best and most delicious Yam Swiss Roll. Finally, I found one that 'looks' delicious by a famous baking guru from Taiwan (孟老师). You know, there are many substitutes available nowadays. You name it and you have it ... durian paste, pandan paste, passionfruit paste etc. The problem with these substitutes is that they will never be able to substitute the real thing! Not even come close! Many recipes out there call for substitute which in my opinion is totally unacceptable. Nothing tastes better than making your own yam paste using real yam. Here is the recipe for the home made yam paste:

275g yam
45g icing sugar
35g unsalted butter
3 tbs coconut milk

Method:
Peel yam. Do not wash the yam. Cut the yam into small strips and steam on high heat for about 1 hour or until yam is very soft.
Smash yam with fork and mix well with icing sugar.
Add in unsalted butter to combine.
Lastly stir in the coconut milk and mix well. Yam paste should be smooth.

For the sponge cake, you can use the previous recipe published in my blog or you can use your own.

Lemon Swiss Roll

Hi my friends, it's been a long while I had not been updated my blog. My office job has demanded a lot of my time and energy lately. I always look forward to weekends so that I can spend time in my baking but tiredness has taken a toll on me. I wish I have more than 24 hours a day everyday to do things that I enjoy ... Nevertheless, I promise to do my best to upload and update this blog as frequent as possible.

From where I left off the last time, I promised you that I would share more swiss roll recipes with you. Here is another swiss roll that I love -- a lemony sponge fill with lemon butter cream.
Lemon is the main ingredient in this recipe. Most people love lemon because it brings more good than harm to us especially it has the power to open up our taste buds and our senses although physically our body does not feel like it. The juice and the zest of lemon make it light to the taste. For the fnishing touch, I decorated it with a thick layer of lemon butter cream on top ... enjoy!

Here is the recipe:

For the sponge:
80g egg yolks
25g castor sugar
1 tbs lemon juice
2 tbs + 1 tsp corn oil
2 tbs water
zest of 1 lemon
70g cake flour
160g egg whites
65g castor sugar

Filling:
65g castor sugar
60g egg whites
150g unsalted butter
3 1/2 tbs lemon juice
1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Method:
1. Whisk together egg yolks, 25g sugar, corn oil, water, lemon juice & lemon zest until combined.
2. Sift in cake flour and mix until smooth.
3. In a seprate bowl, beat egg whites until it turn frothy then gradually add sugar (65g) and continue to beat until becomes stiff peak.
4. Fold 1/3 of the egg whites into the egg yolk mixture until mix well. Then fold in the remaining egg whites into the egg yolk mixture until all incorporated.
5. Pour the batter into a baking tin measuring 12x12 inch and bake in a preheated oven (180C) for 8 mins or until it turns light brown. Set aside.
6. For the filling: Place egg whites & sugar over a double boiler. Constantly mixing it until sugar dissolved.
7. Remove from heat and continue mixing until it turns pale and creamy color and stiff.
8. Add in the butter to the egg white mixture and continue to beat until it becomes fluffy and thick.
9. Add lemon juice & vanila extract and beat well.
10. Assemble the swiss roll (follow the instructions explained in the previous recipe).

Strawberry Swiss Roll

Swiss roll, what an elegant name! Does it really originate from Sweden? The answer is 'no'. It's an european dessert however, which has been existed in the world of bakery long time ago. I was attracted to swiss roll when I was a little girl about 10 years old. The shape of the 'cake' is so unique, so different from the norm which is in either square or round shape. I wondered how the baker managed to make such a beautiful 'cake'. I was pretty excited about it. In those days, swiss roll was not a 'super star' amongst other desserts available. Its taste was quite plain. My dad used to buy back home swiss roll for me particularly the one with grounded peanuts spread on top of the swiss roll. The taste and the look are still vividly remained in my memory till today!

But, bakers nowadays have innovated the look, flavour and texture so much so that it tastes much much better than 20 years ago. I have made quite a few with different flavours in the past. Here is one that I love very much ... the Strawberry Swiss Roll.



The sponge cake texture is very soft and fine. The little red thing at the centre is cut strawberry.

If this is your first time of making a swiss roll, there are a couple of things you need to know:
1. Line your parchment paper well fitted in the baking tray. This will help you later to take off the sponge cake easily.
2. When stripping off the parchment paper from the sponge cake, do it slow and gentle. Some recipes advise to do this step while the sponge cake is still warm whereas others say wait till the sponge cake is completely cool down. My approach is doing it while it's still warm.
3. Do not over bake the sponge because it is a thin layer and hence easily get burnt or hardened. You will find it difficult to roll the sponge if over baked. You don't want any cracks on the sponge when roll it.
4. There is a technic to roll the sponge i.e. using a roller pin (if you have one). You can always check this out by watching videos from youtube. What you want to achieve is a compact swill roll.

I will share more swiss roll recipes in my subsequent posts.

Here is the recipe for the Strawberry flavour:
For the sponge cake:
Egg 200g
Egg yolk 40g
Sugar 80g
Honey 30g
Flour - sifted 80g
Milk 30g
Oil 20g

For the filling:
Heavy cream 200ml
Sugar 1 tbs
Fresh strawberries - cut in small bite pieces 200g (or more depending on your preference)

Method:
1. Preheat oven at 200C. I used a baking tray measuring 30x33cm.
2. Add eggs, egg yolk, sugar and honey in a bowl. Keep stirring it over a double boiler. When the temperature comes to about 39C (or not too hot), then remove it from the heat and continue mixing it with an electical mixer. This will take about 10 mins or more to reach a light, fluffy consistency with no bubbles left.
3. Add the flour in the mixture and mix slowly.
4. Heat the milk & oil (just before boiling point) and quickly pour it into the dough. Mix slowly to incorporate the milk mixture.
5. Pour out the dough onto the baking tray lined with parchment paper.
6. Drop the baking tray on the table (1 time) to release any air bubbles in the dough. Bake for 8 - 10 mins.
7. Whip the heavy cream & sugar. Then spread the cream on the sponge cake. Place the cut strawberries on the whipped cream line by line.
8. Roll it and then place the swiss roll in the fridge for at least 4 hours before cutting it.

Japanese Cotton Cheesecake

Most of us have tasted cheesecake ever since the existence of cheesecakes. There are some people have even taken it a step further to make it a part of their food chain. I am not kidding ... if you take cheesecake at least 2 to 3 time a month, you probably be classified as "cheesecakeholic". Many times, we take the very popular form of cheesecake that most people love i.e. heavy, solid & moist with 99% of cheese filling. Me too.. usually 1 slice is enough for the day because it gives you that 'heavy' yet satisfying feeling. Sometimes, I do feel guilty to take a second slice because of the fat content in the cheesecake... but nevertheless, that's the love-hate relationship I have with cheesecake!

Alternatively, there is another type of cheesecake which contains less fat but tastes wonderfully good i.e. the fluffy japanese cheesecake which is as light as feather and as soft as cotton.  Its smooth and fine texture causes it melts in your mouth almost immediately!

                                                                Fresh from the oven!

                                                               The texture is so fine - like sponge!

Here is the recipe:

Ingredients:

(A):

250g cream cheese

250 ml milk

120g butter

(B):

50ml fresh orange juice

2 nos orange rind, grated

(C):

6 egg yolks

60g sugar

(D):

70g plain flour

20g corn flour

(E):

6 egg whites

1/2 tsp cream of tartar

60g sugar

Method:

1) Melt cream cheese  and milk over a double boiler until cheese is dissolved. Drain to get smooth texture.

2) Remove from heat and add in butter, stir until butter dissolved.

3) Add in (B) & (C). Mix well.

4) Add in (D), mix until becomes thick.

5) Whisk egg whites & cream of tartar & gradually add in sugar (E) until stiff peak.

6) Fold egg whites to cream cheese mixture slowly.

7) Pour batter into a 8" square tin and bake in a preheated oven 150C with water bath for 1 hour 10 mins.