VANILLA CUPCAKES

 

Ingredients :
(Recipe adapted from here) 

makes 24 cupcakes
195 gm cake flour
140 gm plain flour
150 castor sugar (I reduced sugar to 120g)
100 light brown sugar 
1 tbsp baking powder
225 gm salted butter, cut into 1-inch cubes 
4 large eggs
1 cup whole milk (I used normal fresh milk)
1 tbsp vanilla extract

1. Preheat oven to 165C. Line cupcake pan with paper cups. In a bowl, combine flour, sugars, baking powder on low speed until well mix with the k-beater. Add cold butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs.

2. In another bowl, combine eggs, milk and vanilla essence. Light whisk to mix well. With mixer on medium speed, add wet ingredients into the flour mixture in 3 parts, scraping down the sides of the bowl before each addition. Beat until ingredients are incorporated but do not overbeat.

3. Fill papercups with batter to two-third full (for me I filled it up slightly more than 2/3 for a rounder cupcake). Bake it for at least 20 to 25 mins depending on how brown you want you cupcakes to be. Test cake with cake tester and when it comes out clean, it is ready. Transfer to cooling rack to cool down completely.

DIM SUM PRAWN ROLLS

Ingredients :
(Recipe adapted from here)

(makes 10 rolls)
250gm prawn meat ( after deshell weight ) my prawns are quite big, each prawn i sectioned into 3
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp sugar
60g fish paste
2 water chestnuts, peeled and chopped
1/2 tsp cornflour
slightly more than 1/2 tsp of salt (I reduced to a 1/8 tsp)
1/2 tsp of chicken powder (I reduced to 1/8 tsp)
few drops of sesame oil and some white pepper
a small sprig of coriander leaves, chopped (I used spring onions)

1 large sheet of beancurd sheet, cut into 10 pieces of 9cmx12cm
1 tbsp of flour and 3 tbsps of water mixed together for sealing purpose

Method :
1.After cleaning the prawns, pat them dry and mix them with sugar and baking soda for 20 minutes. Rinse them and pat them dry.

2.Mix the prawn meat , fish paste, water chestnuts and the rest of the ingredients well and keep in the fridge for 30 minutes.

3.Place some fillings onto each small piece of beancurd sheet, brush the edges with the flour water solution and roll them up, pinch the sides a little. (I soaked the beancurd sheet in water as it is too saltish)

4. Deep fry them till they are slightly golden.

EARL GREY MACARONS WITH BLUEBERRY COMPOTE BUTTERCREAM (french method)

Ingredients :
(Recipe adapted from here) I made half the recipe

yields approximately 50 cookies (I made half the recipe)
5g dehydrated egg white powder
28g granulated sugar
225g confectioners (powdered) sugar
125g almond meal
100g aged egg whites
2 bags of shifted Earl Grey tea leaves (I added this)

1. Prepare two half sheet pans with parchment or silicone baking mats. Pre-heat your oven to somewhere between 290-300°F. (I preheat to 160C)

2. Start by weighing out your sugar and egg white powder into a small bowl. Mix with a fork until uniform and set aside. Sift together your almond meal and powdered sugar.(Add in the 2 pkts of Earl Grey tea leaves)

3. Weigh out your egg whites and begin beating them on low speed until foamy. Begin slowly sprinkling in the powdered egg white and sugar mixture as you beat. Then increase the speed to medium and beat until a firm meringue forms.

4. You want firm, glossy peaks in your meringue, you don't want to beat all the way to stiff peaks. So hold yourself back.

5. Beat in food coloring gel now and then add 1/3 of the almond mixture. Folding it in gently. Once combined, add another third of the almond mixture, and so on. For visual reference on how to combine and fold, see this video by Chef Nini.

6. Add your batter to a piping bag with a round tip (any size bit under 1cm works fine) and pipe rows of macarons. 

7. Pick up the pan with both hands, and holding it level, tap it firmly onto the counter several times. This will bring up any air bubbles in the cookies. Pop the bubbles with a toothpick if they don't break while tapping.

8. These cookies NEED to rest on the counter. Between 30-60 minutes depending on the humidity.

9. Bake the cookies for roughly 15 minutes. One sheet at a time.

10. Once the cookies lift easily from the parchment or silicone baking mat they're probably done. To be sure, pop a cookie off with an offset spatula and break it open. The insides should be set and not overly moist (wet uncooked meringue is no good). If it is too moist the cookies will collapse when they cool.

11. To avoid hollows: aim for slightly overcooking the cookies, rather than under cooking them. Yes, this means your cookies might cool a little crisper than you like your macarons. 

Blueberry Compote Italian Buttercream

(Recipe adapted from here)

(fills 50 macarons)

100g blueberries
1 tbsp caster sugar
lemon juice (to taste)

36g egg white (1 egg white)
70g caster sugar
15ml water
120g butter
pinch of salt

Method:

1. Place blueberries, sugar and a squeeze of lemon juice into a pot. Let it cook for 2-3 minutes. Taste. Let it cool.

2. To make the Italian Buttercream, first cut butter into knob sizes and let it chill in the fridge until ready to use.

3. In a pot, add in caster sugar and water. Bring to a temperature of 118 C. When the temperature reaches 110 C, whisk the egg whites in a mixer. By the time the sugar reaches 118 C, the egg white should be in medium peaks. Gradually stream in the sugar syrup while the mixer is still on medium speed whisk.

4. Whisk till it’s somewhat glossy and that the bowl is not so hot, remove the butter from fridge. Add in a knob into the mixer (while the whisk is still running) one at a time. If you add the butter when the meringue is still very hot, it turns soupy. If you add int he butter when the meringue is cold, you get a split buttercream. After all the butter has been added, whisk for another further 2-3 minutes. If it’s still warm, chill in the fridge for 5 minutes before you whisk it up again.

5. The buttercream should be glossy and buttery. Now, add in the blueberry compote.

PIERRE HERME BITTER CHOCOLATE MACARONS (italian method)

Ingredients:
(Adapted from Pierre Herme Macaron book.  I made half the recipe)

 For the macaron shells:

• 120 grams cacao pâte (or dark chocolate 100% cocoa) (I used 90% cocoa)
• 300 grams ground almonds
• 300 grams icing sugar
• 110 grams aged Egg Whites
• 4.5 grams Red food coloring (or cochineal)

• 300 grams caster sugar
• 75g mineral water
•  110 grams aged Egg Whites

 For the bitter chocolate ganache:

• 400 grams liquid creme fraiche or whipping cream (35% fat)
• 360g grams Valrhona Guanaja couverture chocolate  (I used 90% cacao chocolate)
• 40g cacao pate (or dark chocolate, 100% cocoa solids)
• 140 grams 'La Vierra' butter (sweet  butter from Charentes) at room temperature (I used unsalted butter)

METHOD :

1. Sift together the icing sugar and ground almonds. Chop up the cocao pate and melt it at 50C in a  bowl over a pan of barely simmering water. Stir the food colouring into the first portion of aged egg whites and add this to the bowl of icing sugar and ground almonds but do not stir.

2. Bring the water and sugar to boil at 118C.  When the syrup reaches 115C, simultaneously start whisking the second portion of aged egg whites to soft peaks. (I started whisking the egg whites when the syrup reaches about 100C as I used KA)

3. When the sugar reaches 118C, pour it over the egg whites.  Whisk and allow the meringue to cool down to 50C, then add it to the bowl of icing sugar and ground almonds, stir, then fold in the melted cocao.  Spoon the batter into a piping bag fitted with a plain nozzle.

4.  Pipe rounds of batter measuring about 3.5cm in diameter, 2 cm apart on baking trays lined with baking parchment.  Using a sieve, sprinkle them with a light dusting of cocoa powder.  Rap the baking trays on the work surface covered with a kitchen cloth.  Leave to stand for 30mins until a skin forms on the surface.

5. Preheat the fan oven to 180C.  Put the baking trays in the oven.  Bake for 12 mins, briefly opening and shutting the oven door twice during cooking time. (I baked for 8 mins). Take the shells out of the oven and slide them on to the work surface.

6. For the chocolate ganache.  Cut the butter into pieces.  Chop up the chocolate and tip it into a bowl.  Bring the cream to the boil.  Pour it over chocolate and tip it into a bowl.  Bring the cream to the boil.  Pour it over the chopped chocolate a third at a time.

7.  When the mixture reaches 50C, add the pieces of butter a few at a time. Whisk to obtain a smooth ganache.

8.  Pour into a gratin dish.  Press clingfirm over the surface of a ganache and set aside in the fridge for the ganache to thicken.

9.  Spoon the ganache into a piping bag with a plain nozzle.  Pipe a generous mound of gananche on to half the shells.  Top them with remaining shells.

10.  Store the macarons in the fridge for 24 hrs.  Remove from the fridge 2 hrs10mins before eating. 

CRISPY ALMOND BUTTER COOKIES

Ingredients  
(Recipe adapted from here) 

190g butter  
100g icing sugar  
50g egg white  
220g Top flour or Cookie flour (I used Top Flour)
2tsp custard powder  
50g ground almond
 
Almond flakes
For egg wash-3 egg yolks + 1tbsp milk

Method  
1. Cream butter and icing sugar on low speed for 1 minute. Scrape mixing bowl and continue to mix on medium high speed for 3-4minutes till light and fluffy.  

2. Add in egg white and mix on medium high speed for 1min.  

3. Add in ground almond, mix well. Sifted in cookie flour and custard powder. Mix for 1 min to form soft dough (dough is wet).  

4. Spread the dough onto the tray a piece of greaseproof baking paper placed on top of a board. Cover a plastic sheet on top and roll evenly with a rolling pin. Remove the plastic sheet. Transfer dough on greaseproof baking paper onto a baking tray.

5. Bake in a preheated oven at 170C (lower rack, fan forced) for 4mins until half cooked. 

6. Take out from oven and let cool for 1min. Use a pizza cutter or knife, slice into rectangles.

7. Brush with egg yolk and place two pieces a handful of almond flakes on each of the cookie repeat until finished.  

8. Do not brush egg yolk for the whole baking tray at one time, because egg yolk will turn dry quickly and almond flake will not stick to the cookie base.  

9. Continue to bake at 170C (lower rack, fan forced) for 10mins or until golden brown ( try to rotate the tray for few times for even browning).  

10. Once done, remove from oven and cool on a wire rack. Remove from the tray and store in air-tight container.

PINEAPPLE TARTS (buttery melt in your mouth pastry)

 Recipe for Pastry
(Recipe adapted from here.Yields about 96 tarts)
- 400g plain flour*
- 50g corn flour
- 1/4 (heaped) tsp salt (I added another 1/8 tsp of salt)
- 280g cold, unsalted butter (do not allow it to soften) (I changed to 300g)
- 3 egg yolks, beaten
- 3 tbsp cold water (or iced water)
- 6 tbsp icing sugar**
- 1/2 tsp cognac or pure vanilla extract
- 1/4 tsp of milk powder (I added this)
- For glaze, mix 1 egg yolk + 1 tbsp water (I mixed in some milk into the 1 tbsp of water)

1. Sift the flours, icing sugar and salt. Mix well to combine.

2. Using the pointed ends of a fork, rub the butter into the flour until it looks like fine bread crumbs. If necessary, use fingertips to continue rubbing lightly the bigger pieces into finer pieces. Basically, just scrape / flake the butter with your forks. You essentially want to coat the butter crumbs in flour. Using forks prevents the cold butter from melting since there is no contact with heat. If you want to rub the butter into the flour using your hands, make sure you use only your fingertips.

3. Beat together egg yolks, cold water and cognac (or vanilla extract). Add it into the butter-flour mixture. Using your finger tips, gently coax all the crumbs into one large dough ball. Do not knead. As long as all the crumbs come together, stop. Chill in the fridge for about 10mins, covered.

4. Roll out to desired thickness (mine was about 8mm thick). Cut out dough using cutter. Arrange neatly onto baking tray, with at least 1.5cm apart. Since this is a very buttery, oily pastry, it would be good to use a small portion at a time. Keep the rest covered in the fridge, otherwise it will ooze oil.

5. Once you have arranged the tart shells on your tray, glaze them (the entire surface, not just the rims).

6. Place the pre-rolled pineapple jam balls onto the centre of each tart shell.

7. Bake at 160°C for 20 minutes, turning the tray halfway through baking.


PINEAPPLE PASTE

Ingredients:
(Recipe adapted from here)

2 large Morris pineapples (about 1.6kg each fruit before peeling, after peeling it’s about 900gm each) (I used honey pineapples)
2 cups sugar (400gm) (I reduced sugar to 300g)
1 smallish cinnamon stick

Method:
 
1. Peel the pineapples. 

2. Cut pineapples into chunks. DO NOT DISCARD THE CORE. That part has the most of the precious fibre.

3. Put half the pineapple chunks into a blender, add 1/3 cup of water and blitz away. Pour 80% of the blended stuff into a pan or wok (please, no pot, you need a large evaporation surface)

4. With the remaining blended pineapple in the blender, repeat blending process with the rest of the pineapples, always leaving some blended stuff in the blender if you need to blend more chunks and you won't need more water. (I drained away some of the juice as the pineapple taste is too strong)

5. Cook pineapple paste with cinnamon stick on medium heat until it's very pasty, like thick oatmeal. I don't stir it all the time.

6. Add in sugar, it'll turn watery again. Turn to lower medium heat, and cook until it is very pasty. Stir once a while only, but keep an eye on it. 

7. Increase the heat to high. Don't stir and let the base take on some colour. It will caramelize the jam. Stir once a while to check on the colour. Stop when it almost reaches your prefered colour. Take note that some pans will continue to caramelize even when the heat is off. 

KOU ROU BAO

Ingredients :
(Recipe adapted from here)

Makes 10-12 buns
1kg whole piece pork belly
5g dried red chillies, seeded
5 cloves garlic
5 star anise
5 slices of ginger
15 whole white peppercorns
4 tablespoons dark soy sauce
4 tablespoons light soy sauce, plus 2 extra tablespoons
4 tablespoon sugar, plus 2 extra tablespoons
1 tablespoon cornflour, mixed with 60ml (1/4 cup) water
some 5-spice powder (I added this)

(I omitted these ingredients)
½ cucumber, thinly sliced
30g toasted peanuts, finely chopped
A handful of coriander leaves
Sriracha hot sauce, optional
Pickled Carrot
2 large carrots
1 cup hot water
½ cup rice wine vinegar
6 tablespoons sugar
2 teaspoons salt

Gua Bao Dough
200ml water, at room temperature
7g dry yeast
150g high gluten wheat flour (see note), plus extra for dusting
150g low gluten wheat flour
10g dry milk powder
4 tablespoons caster sugar
A pinch of salt
½ tsp baking powder
½ tsp baking soda

Method
1. Prepare pickled carrot a day or a week before. Mix hot water, vinegar, sugar and salt together, stir well until all sugar has dissolved. Julienne carrots into matchstick size about 5cm in length then put them in an airtight sealed jar. Pour the solution into the jar until all carrots are fully submerged. Close lid and keep in the refrigerator up to a month. The carrot taste better after they’ve been pickling for 3 to 4 days.
2. Put the whole piece of pork belly, skin side up, in a large saucepan and fill it with 2 liters of water or until about an inch high from the skin of the pork. Bring it to the boil on high heat, skim out all the impurities floating on the surface.
3. Turn heat down to a simmer, add garlic, ginger, red chillies, peppercorns, soy sauces and sugar, give it all a stir until the sugar has dissolved. Let it braise for 1.5 hours or until the pork is melting tender but not falling apart. Remove the pork from the stock and transfer to a plate, set aside to let it cool down.
4. Meanwhile, to make sweet sauce, strain 2 cups (250ml) of the braising stock into a small saucepan, add 2 tablespoons each of light soy sauce and sugar then bring to boil. Reduce the liquid by half, stir in cornflour water until it thickens. Remove from heat, set aside until ready to be used.
5. Once the pork is cool enough to handle, cut it into thin slices about 5-7mm thickness. Put the meat back in the stock, close the lid and keep warm until ready to be used.
6. To make the bun dough, add yeast to water and let it activate for 10 minutes or until frothy. Add the remaining dry ingredients in the bowl of a stand-mixer with a dough hook. Pour the yeast water into the bowl and start mixing on low speed until it forms a rough dough. Keep kneading the dough for another 5 minutes until the dough feels smooth and elastic. Grease a bowl with oil and put dough inside, cover with cling film and let it rest for 1 hour until the dough has doubled in size.
7. Punch the air out of the dough, transfer it to a floured surface and spread it out into a 40cmx15cm rectangle, then roll it into a tight log. Cut the log into 12 equal size pieces, about 35-40 grams each. Flatten each dough then roll them up into balls. Place them on a baking tray lined with baking paper, cover with tea towel and let it rest for 30 minutes. It will double in size again.
8. In the mean time, cut out twelve 8cmx8cm squares of baking paper. Take one dough and using a rolling pin, roll the dough into a 8cmx15cm oval shape, dip a chopstick in vegetable oil and place it in the center of the oval, fold it in half then pull the chopstick out. Place the bun on a square of baking paper and put it back on the baking tray, repeat with the rest of the dough. Once completed, cover with tea towel and let it proof for another 30 minutes.
9. Set up a steamer over simmering water, in batches and steam the buns for 10 minutes.
10. To assemble, remove paper from the bun and peel it open, layer the bun with cucumber slices, pickled carrot, slices of pork belly and coriander. Slather with sweet sauce and Sriracha sauce, then sprinkle with peanuts. (I omitted this)