Leopard Print Orange Cupcakes

I came across someone posting this Leopard Print Cuppies the other day in the Facebook Group members page.  Looking at these pretty leopard print top of the cupcakes captivated me immediately and I just got to try it out too.

I'm sure these Leopard Print Cuppies makes a good choice for children's parties too and to impress your guests.  These cuppies are spongy and light and with some orange zest added, it just taste absolutely yummy!

LEOPARD PRINT ORANGE CUPCAKES

Ingredients 
Meringue 
5 egg whites (medium size)
80g caster sugar
10g corn flour

Yolk batter 
5 yolks
20g caster sugar
60g vegetable oil (canola or sunflower)
50g milk (warm) (You can substitute with orange juice)
1 tsp vanilla extract
90g cake flour

1 orange zest 

Spot batter
1 tsp Chocolate powder
1 tsp Black powder or Charcoal powder

Method

Place cupcake liners into your muffin pan.  Set aside. 

Combine the caster sugar and corn flour together.  Place the egg whites in a bowl and using your electric hand mixer, whisk the egg whites in medium speed till frothy, add in the corn flour sugar mixture gradually continue to beat until stiff peak.  Set aside.

In another bowl, using your hand whisk, lightly beat the egg yolks, then add in the sugar and whisk till combine and thick.  Add in the oil, followed by the warm milk and vanilla extract.  Mix till all well blended.  Sift in the cake flour and mix till all combined.

Gently fold 1／3 of beaten egg white into egg yolk batter, use cut and fold method until well blended. Then pour the batter back to the rest of the egg white and fold until mixture is well blended. 

Scoop out 2 tablespoons batter each for the chocolate and black spots into a small bowl.

(Add in 1 tsp of cocoa powder and 1 tsp black powder to the bowls and mix till combined).  Pour batter into piping bag to draw spots on the cupcakes.

In the main batter, add in the orange zest and mix to combined.  Pour the batter into the cupcake liners just below the liners.

For chocolate colour spot and drop round and long spots onto the cupcakes.  After that, for the black colour spot, just draw on the edges on the chocolate spots.  

(Tips : Please make sure that these two colours batter are slightly thicker than the main white batter). 

Bake the cupcakes using water bath method in 110 celcius for 25 minutes, 140c for 10 minutes and last 5-10 minutes raise the temperature to 160c.  

Remove from oven and let cool.

Recipe sourced from this link (SingaporeHomeCooks)

Please check out this Original Chinese link (BrendaWang) to view her tutorial pictures 

  

Pumpkin Pie

October now ~ Pumpkin month too and seeing lots of pumpkin recipes in the internet recently.  

PUMPKIN PIE

Ingredients

Pie Dough:
250g plain flour
1 tablespoon sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
226g unsalted butter, cut into cubes
2 egg yolks
3 tablespoons milk

Filling:
1 1/2 cups pumpkin puree
110g brown sugar
2/3 cup heavy cream
7 tablespoons sweetened condensed milk
6 1/2 tablespoons evaporated milk
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 teaspoons ground ginger
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
Pinch ground clove
Pinch salt
2 eggs
1 egg yolk

Directions

Make the Pie Dough: In a standing mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the flour, sugar, and salt and mix to combine. Add the butter and continue mixing until the mixture holds together when you clump it, and there are pecan-sized lumps of butter still visible.

Meanwhile, whisk together the yolks and milk in small bowl.

Add the yolk mixture to the flour mixture and mix until a dough forms. Transfer the dough to a sheet of plastic wrap, wrap well and store in the refrigerator for several hours. (The dough will keep for several days in the fridge and several weeks in the freezer.)

On a lightly floured work surface, roll half of the dough into a 11 to 12-inch circle about 1/8 inch thick. Line the pan with the dough and crimp the edges. Chill the pie shell for about 30 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 180 degrees C.

Line the pie shell with aluminum foil and fill with dried beans. Bake the shell until golden brown, about 45 minutes. Remove the foil and beans.

Meanwhile, make the Filling: Lower the oven to 160 degrees C. In a medium saucepan, mix together the pumpkin and sugar. Cook over medium heat, stirring frequently, until reduced and thick, about 15 to 20 minutes. Remove from the heat and whisk in the cream, milks, vanilla, ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, clove, salt, eggs, and yolk. Pour the filling into the pie shell and bake until set, about 45 to 55 minutes. 

Cool and serve

Recipe sourced from Food Network

                             Overall , I'm quite pleased with the pumpkin filling as I can smell

                              the aroma of the spices and the pumpkin.

                        I thought I want to put a creepy ugly looking edible mice on my pie for the 
                      halloween feel....unfortunately I haven't got that ingredient to make it.. so....

                        

This post is linking to Little Thumbs Up event (Pumpkin), 

organized by Bake For Happy Kids and My Little Favourite DIY，

 hosted this month by Eileen's Diary .

Sago Ruby With Grated Coconut

Do you like sago desserts?  Oh..... there's another name for sago....tapioca pearl.   I remember there was a time when I was in overseas, I asked the shop assistant for sago, and they don't know what I am talking about.  Lucky there was another customer overheard me and told the shop assistant.... "tapioca pearl".   

Sago Ruby With Grated Coconut

  

Ingredients

(A)

150g Sago (washed and drained)

6 tbsp sugar

1 ½ cups water

2 pcs pandan leaves (knotted together)

Few drops of red food colouring

(B)

½ piece grated young coconut

1/8 tsp salt

Method

Mix the ingredients B together and steam over medium heat for 5 minutes. Set aside to cool.

In a medium saucepan, bring sugar, water and pandan leaves together to a boil until sugar dissolves.  Add in sago and red food colouring, stir constantly until parboiled, and turn off heat.

Pour parboiled sago into a preheated 8” round steaming tray.  Steam over low heat for 15 minutes and set aside to cool.  Using your small spoon, scoop out a spoonful of the sago and roll it all over to coat with the grated coconut.  

 

 

Red Bean & Sesame Seeds Ring Bread

It has been quite awhile now I have not bake any bread or buns.  Probably just lazy to knead the dough and trying not to "slave torture" my mixer too.

I was "spring cleaning" my handphone gallery pictures and came across one picture my sister send to me thru Whatsapps long ago.  This pic was from one cookbook she borrowed from the library;  Dean Brettschneider - Global Baker.  From the look at the picture, the red bean ring bread look so gorgeous and delicious but..... I don't have the recipe!  Aah....ha.....I remember my good buddy friend, Hui has this book...hence I whatsapps her to forward me the recipe!

And here goes, today my Red Bean & Sesame Seeds Ring Bread

Red Bean & Sesame Seeds Ring Bread

Ingredients

Dough

300g bread flour

5g salt

25g sugar

1 tsp active dried yeast (or instant yeast)

1 small egg (about 50g after cracked)

150ml fresh milk

Zest of 1 orange (optional)

1 tbsp fresh coriander, finely chopped (optional)

Sesame seeds, for coating

180g ready made red bean paste

Egg Wash

1 small egg

2 tbsp water

Method

Mix everything together and knead till it is no longer sticky and becomes smooth and elastic.  Cover and let it rest for 45 minutes to 1 hour or doubled in size.

Knock the dough back in the bowl and gently fold back onto itself and cover to rest for another 30 minutes.

Divide the dough into two equal size.  Place one dough on working surface and roll out into a large rectangle to the size approximately 30cm long x 25cm wide.  

Using your palette knife, spread half the red bean paste over each dough.  Then, roll up the dough from the long edge to form a swiss roll shape.  Ensure that the seam is sealed properly.

Lightly brush the egg wash all over the dough surface.   Coat the dough surface all over with the sesame seeds.  Then shape the dough into a ring and pinch both ends together to close up the ring.

Place the ring on your baking pan with grease proof paper, seam side down.  Using your shape knife or scissors, cut through the dough 1cm-1.5cm apart .  Cover with plastic wrap and let it proof another 30 minutes.

Preheat your oven to 180 Celcius.

Bake the loaves for 12-15 minutes till golden brown.

Recipe extracted from Dean Brettschneider - Global Baker with changes

 This recipe yields two bread rings.

                          If you love red bean paste, you will absolutely love this red bean bread.