Strawberry Shortcake

When I came across the Strawberry Shortcake at BreadTalk in Singapore sometime long ago, I was so tempted wanted to taste this beautiful looking little thing, but for just a tiny piece it was sold at S$6.50!  That was costly to me and I know this cake must be real delicious.

So I told myself I must try to look for the recipe to bake this one day no matter how tedious if I have to do one step after another.  I have bookmarked this recipe from Rima of Bisous A Toi  and sourcing from another site Fuji Mama of her Japanese Strawberry Shortcake and finally today I have made this Strawberry Shortcake.  In fact, this is my second time I've baked this.

All my family members gave a two thumbs up for this delicious and yummy cake.  Of course, I will make this again and again, and will put in different type of fruits in the fillings.

Strawberry Shortcake

Adapted from Bisous A Toi

 

Ingredients

Cotton Cake

145g cake flour

15g corn flour

1 egg

5 egg yolks – whisk lightly with a fork

150g unsalted butter

65g fresh milk

5 egg whites

100g caster sugar

¼ tsp salt

250g punnet strawberries

Method

1.  Preheat oven to 160C.  Grease and line a 7” or 8” square baking pan, and wrap the

     the bottom of the pan with aluminium foil.  

2.  Warm the butter and milk (do not boil).  Turn off heat, and stir in the sifted cake and

      corn flour using a wooden spatula.  Transfer to a bigger bowl, and add in the eggs and

      continue to mix till smooth.

3.  In another bowl, whisk the egg whites till frothy.  Add in the salt and add in the sugar

     in 3 addition.  Whisk till soft peak.

4.  Pour 1/3 of the egg whites into the egg/butter mixture and fold in gently.  Pour in the

     rest and fold in gently till combined.  Pour batter into the baking pan and bake it at

     Bain Marie method for about 45 minutes.

Stabilised Whipped Cream

2 tsp gelatin powder

8 tsp cold water

2 cups whipping cream, cold

½ cup icing sugar

1 tsp vanilla essence

Method

1.  Chill mixing bowl and beaters in the freezer for 10 minutes.

2.  Pour cold water in the small saucepan.  Sprinkle the gelatin powder over the surface

     of the water and let stand for 5 minutes.  Place saucepan over the low heat and stir

     constantly with a wooden spoon just until gelatin dissolves.  Removes saucepan from

 heat and cool to room temperature.

3.  Remove the mixing bowl and beaters from the freezer.  In the mixing bowl, combine

    the whipping cream, icing sugar and vanilla and whipped until slightly thickened. 

    Then, while slowly beating, gradually pour in the gelatin into the whipped cream

    mixture.  Then, whip the mixture at high speed until slightly stiff.

Simple Sugar Syrup

¼ cup caster sugar

¼ cup water

Method

1.  In a medium saucepan, combine the sugar and water.  Bring the water to a boil,       

     Stirring until the sugar has dissolved.  Remove from heat and allow to cool.

To assemble the cake:

1. Reserve a handful of nice and prettiest strawberries for decorating the cake.  Dice

the remaining strawberries into small cubes.

2. Slice the sponge cake horizontally into 2 or 3 layers.

3. Place one sponge layer cut-side up on a cake board or serving plate and lightly brush

the surface with the simple syrup.  Spread a thin layer of whipped cream over the cake

layer and arrange the dice strawberries over the surface.  Spread an additional layer of

whipped cream over the strawberries.  Brush the cut-side of the second layer with the

simple syrup and place it over the first layer.  Spread a thin layer over top of the cake

and return to fridge to chill for 30 minutes.  Using the leftover cream, pipe out the

cream as decoration.   Chill in fridge for cream to set for an hour or so.   Decorate as

desired and garnish with the reserved strawberries.

I make a little blunder when spreading the cream over and didn't let it set first before piping out.  This is why it is a little soft and wet.  A blunder for an impatient person!!
I will perfect it the next time when I bake this again, of course.

This Strawberry Shortcake is well received by everyone at home!

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Chelsea Buns

I know I have been missing in action for soooooo long..........!!  Well I did done some cooking and baking delicious cakes, but unfortunately I was just too busy (or I should said lazy too) to take out my camera to take shots at it.

Today I have baked this Chelsea Buns (also known as Cinnamon Rolls).  I have been searching for this recipe for quite awhile until I saw Wendy of Table for 2......or more and I know I will make this very soon too.  After finished baking this, I get everyone to taste it but my sister asked me have I taken any photo of it yet?  I told her just be with it and to dig it but she insist me to post it in my blog so that she can view it next time to bake it too.  So here with........

Chelsea Buns

Adapted from Wendy of Table for 2..... or more

Bread Dough

170gm plain flour

170gm bread flour

1/3 tsp salt

30gm golden syrup

150ml milk

1½ tsp instant yeast

28gm butter

1 large egg

1 egg yolk

Filling

1 tsp cinnamon powder

2 tbsp brown sugar

3 tbsp caster sugar

30gm butter

½ cup mixed dried fruit

Glaze

2-3 tbsp golden syrup

1 tbsp brown sugar

1.  Mix everything together and knead till it is no longer sticky and becomes smooth.

2.  Cover and let it rest for 1 hour or till doubled.

3.  Prepare a 9” baking dish (round or square).  Grease it with butter.

4.  Melt butter for the filling; set aside.

5.  Mix the cinnamon powder with both the sugars; set aside.

6.  Place dough on working surface and roll out into a large rectangle.

7.  Brush with melted butter and sprinkle with cinnamon sugars onto the dough.

     Sprinkle with dried fruits.

8.  Roll it up, tightly and cut it into 9 pieces.

9.  Arrange the rolls into the baking dish.  Cover and let it proof (no need double).

10. While waiting for the buns to proof, preheat oven to 150C (fan assisted) or 170C.

      Bake for 25 minutes till golden.

11. Remove from oven and brush golden syrup generously over the buns and sprinkle

      the brown sugar, if you preferred.  Let buns cool for 10 minutes and remove out.

Delicious when it is still warm and of course great having it with a cup of my favourite TEA!! 

Simmered Meatballs With Mushrooms

I loves to eat balls.  Noooooo..............what I meant is meatballs!  Be it beef balls, fish balls, prawn balls or meatballs, I like to try out  these recipes.  Usually when making meatballs, we will have to mince up the meat and add in other ingredients and thereafter forming into a ball. And meatballs I am sure is always a welcome to children and the elderly because it is easily chewable to digest in.

Recently I have came across a few bloggers posted some delicious meatballs and of course, I am going to make it at my soonest too.

Simmered Meat Balls With Mushrooms

Ingredients (A) :

200g minced pork

60g sweet turnips (chopped) (I used two medium size Water chestnuts)

½ egg

1 tbsp corn flour

Marinade:

½ tsp salt

½ tsp sugar

½ tsp pepper

½ tsp sesame oil

Ingredients (B) :

10 Chinese mushrooms (soaked)

1 stalk spring onions (sectioned)

10g carrot slices

4 ginger slices

½ tsp chopped garlic

200 ml water

Seasoning:

½ tbsp oyster sauce

½ tbsp light soy sauce

1 tsp sugar

½ tsp pepper

½ tsp sesame oil

1 tbsp Shaoxing Wine

1.  Mix Ingredients (A) with marinade, then form the mixture into meat balls.  

     Deep fry in the hot oil at high heat till golden in colour and cooked.  Remove, drain well and keep

     aside.

2.  Leave 2 tbsp oil in the hot wok, fragrant ginger slices and chopped garlic, add in mushrooms, carrot

     Slices and seasoning, stir fry until aromatic.

3.  Pour in water and bring to a boil.  Cover, simmer at low heat for 5-7 minutes, then add in the

     Meat balls, continue to simmer for further 10 minutes.

4.  Lastly, add in the spring onions, toss well.  Thicken with a little cornstarch solutions, remove from

      heat.  Serve hot.

Tish Boyle's Plainly Perfect Pound Cake

I am not bragging about this but this Tish Boyle's Plainly Perfect Pound Cake is really delicious; and at this post, this is already my third time baking it. 

When Rima posted and mentioned that this pound cake is so delicious, it just tempted me to go ahead to bake it,  And she is right, it is better than Orange Sicilian Cake! You thought it is just plainly a pound cake but wait till it goes into you mouth.  It is so moist and with the citrus zest in the cake makes the cakes taste ....... orh.....I speak no more but you have to bake it to find out yourself.

I gave a few slices to my neighbour and she commented the same too.

Tish Boyle's Plainly Perfectly Pound Cake

adapted from Rima of Bisous A Toi & Shirley of kokken69

Ingredients :

200g Plain flour
1/4 tsp Baking powder
1/4 tsp Salt
227g Unsalted butter (softened)
250g castor sugar (I added only 200g)
4 Large eggs
1 tsp finely grated lemon zest
1 tsp grated orange zest
1 tsp vanilla extract
80ml Heavy cream

Method :
1. Preheat oven to 170C.
2. Sift flour with baking powder and salt and set aside.
3. Cream butter in a mixer at medium high speed until creamy. Add sugar gradually and
    continue beating for 4 mins until light and fluffy.
4. Reduce the mixing speed of the mixer to low and add eggs one at a time mixing until well
     mixed.
5. Add the citrus zest and vanilla extract.
6. Add flour mixture in 3 additions, alternating it with cream (added in 2 additions).
7. Pour into 2 lined 3"x 7" pound cake mold and bake for 60-70 mins or until the cake turns 
    brown and a testing skewer comes out clean.

It does lives up to that name; it's plain but perfect.....pound cake !!

Liebster Blog Award........

Liebster is German and translates to

the English word “dearest”or” favorite”. It’s meant for up-and-coming blogs with less than "200 followers".

I was pleasantly surprised when Cosy Bake share her blog award with me. Yes me too, I was surprised as I never knew many bloggers who knew about my blog as I created this blog just to document all my food that I have baked and cooked and wouldn't expect much more from it.

This award was presented to me before by To Food With Love in December 2011 but I was not well that time and could not link back to others.  

This award is simply a way of giving recognition to newer blogs or those that have fewer than 200 followers, which is a wonderful idea. The recipient of the award then has to select five other such blogs to pass the award on to and here are my selection to : 


Lulu's Sweet Secrets

Simply Anne's

Hearty Bakes

Amelia's De-ssert

From My Lemony Kitchen


Here are the rules:

• Thank your Liebster Blog Award presenter on your blog.
• Link back to the blogger who presented the award to you.
• Copy and paste the blog award on your blog.
• Present the Liebster Blog Award to 5 blogs of 200 followers or less who you feel deserve to be noticed. (Some say just 3 or more blogs of less than 200 followers each).
• Let them know they have been chosen by leaving a comment at their blog.

Kumquat Almond Tea Cakes

I have gotten so addicted of the yummy Kumquat after my last bake of Orange Cheesecake with Kumquat Compote and I even have used the Kumquat puree to bake a pound cake (unfortunate I didn't have the time to take photos of it).

I really have to give thanks to Wendy again posting all her Kumquat recipes, and this Kumquat Almond Tea Cakes is soooooooo delicious!

Wendy, if we could easily get hold of this Kumquat 365 days, how nice it would be so I can bake this Almond Tea Cakes every alternate days!  I could eat the whole 18 pieces at one go!!! (Ha...how silly of me)  Maybe we can use some other fruits puree??

Kumquat Almond Tea Cakes

fully adapted from Wendy's - Table for 2....or more

Ingredients
35gm all purpose flour
50gm ground almond
½ tsp baking powder

60gm butter
50gm caster sugar (reduced to 2/3 of original ratio)
2 eggs (grade B)
60gm kumquat puree (recipe below)

18 pcs poached kumquat halves (recipe below)

1. Prepare 18 2 inch tart tins or 12 3 inch tins. Grease the tins with butter. Preheat oven at 150(fan)/170C
2. Sift flour and baking powder. Mix with ground almond, set aside.
3. Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
4. Beat in eggs one by one, beating well after each addition.
5. Put in (2) in 2 additions, mixing well after each.
6. Mix in kumquat puree.
7. Divide batter equally into prepared tins and top with a kumquat half
8. Bake for 12 mins (2 inch) or longer for larger tins.

Kumquat compote
20 kumquats
Sugar
Water

Weigh kumquats and prepare equal amount of water (in weight) and half amount of sugar (ratio: 2:2:1, kumquat:water:sugar, eg : 200gm:200gm:100gm)

Half kumquats and remove seeds. Put cleaned kumquats, sugar and water into a saucepan and cook (on med heat)until the kumquat looks glossy and soft. Remove 18 pcs of halves and puree the rest with some of the syrup. Unused puree can be eaten like jam.

Please do hop over to Wendy's Blog for more clearer details.

Delicious Kumquat Almond Tea Cakes!!

Cornflake Cookies

I made this Cornflake Cookies at the last minute during Chinese New Year.  I loves this cookies because of the crunch on the outside and soft in the inside.

Cornflake Cookies

Ingredients

120g butter

80g icing sugar, sifted

1 egg yolk

½ tsp vanilla essence

120g all purpose flour, sifted

30g cornflour, sifted

30g milk powder, sifted

30g raisins, cut into small pieces

100g cornflakes, lightly crushed

1.  Cream butter and icing sugar till light and fluffy.

     Beat in egg yolk, raisins and vanilla essence.

2.  Fold in sifted flour mixture into the butter mixture.

3.  Drop mixture teaspoon by teaspoon onto the crushed cornflakes.

     Shape it into balls and place into small paper cups.

4.  Baked at pre-heated oven at 170C for 20-25 minutes till golden brown. 

     When cool, store in an air-tight container.

This cookies is well likeable to all children........

Orange Cheesecake With Kumquat Compote

I have been so intrigue when Wendy of Table for 2....or more  posted this recipe early last year during Chinese New Year.  As we can only get hold of the Kumquat during the season (usually in Chinese New Year), I told myself that I must get hold of the Kumquat this year to make it.

Orange Cheesecake With Kumquat Compote

adapted from Wendy of Table for 2 .....or more

Ingredients
250gm cream cheese, softened
125gm sweetened condensed milk
60gm whipping cream
1 egg
20gm corn starch
40gm cake flour
1 Tbsp orange zest
60ml fresh orange juice
2 egg yolks
2 egg whites
¼ tsp cream of tartar
30gm sugar

1. Prepare and line a springform pan. Wrap pan with aluminium foil to prevent water from seeping into the
    baking pan.  Please refer to Wendy's blog here  of her photos how to wrap the baking pan if you do
    not know how.
    Preheat oven to 130C(fan)/150C  
2. Sift the cornstarch and flour; set aside.
3. Mix orange juice and egg yolks, lightly beat for a while; set aside.
4. With a large spoon, beat cream cheese until smooth and put in condensed milk and mix until smooth.
    Put in whipping cream and beat until smooth. Put in egg and beat until smooth. Put in sifted flour and mix
    until smooth. Put in orange juice mixture and and zest and mix until smooth.
5. Beat egg whites until frothy. Put n cream of tartar and beat until soft peaks. Put in sugar gradually and beat
    until stiff, and the peaks are softly hooked when whisk is turned upright.
6. Fold half of the beaten egg whites into the cheese mixture. Repeat with balance of whites.
7. Pour batter into prepared pan and put the whole set of prepared pans into the oven. Pour boiling water
    into the outer pan until it’s at least 1/3 the height of the inner pan. (Bain Marie bake).
8. Bake for 1 hour. Cool cake in oven (door ajar) for half an hour. Remove cake from oven and cool down
    totally. Chill in fridge for 5 hours before serving. With a skewer/toothpick, poke cake to create at least 30
    holes to absorb the syrup from the compote.

What I like this cheesecake is the flavour of the orange in the cheesecake, and most of all, is the Kumquat compote.  I really loves the taste of it.

Though the cheesecake may not be that soft in texture after the next day,  it is still yummy.
The more I munch, the more tastier it is felt in my mouth.

Spring Lime Tea Cookies

Everyday right after my lunch, I usually would like to have a cup of English Tea and that would make my afternoon complete.  So today,  I was thinking to bake something light to munch to go with my tea.

I always been curious how would this lime would taste in cookies.  This Spring Lime Tea Cookies to me, I would say more like little cakes because it is soft inside.  So this little thing would suit my dad the most!!

This recipe is adapted from Allrecipes.com

Ingredients

• 2 tsp lime juice
• 80 ml milk
• 115g butter, softened
• 150g white sugar
• 1 egg
• 2 tsp lime zest
• 220g all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp baking soda
• 30 ml lime juice
• 50g white sugar

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 175C. Combine the 2 teaspoons of lime juice with the milk, let stand for 5 minutes.
2. In a large bowl, cream together the butter and 3/4 cup sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the egg, then stir in the lime zest and milk mixture. Combine the flour, baking powder and baking soda, blend into the creamed mixture. Drop by rounded spoonfuls onto the ungreased cookie sheets.
3. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes in the preheated oven, until the edges are light brown. Allow cookies to cool on baking sheets for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
4. To make the glaze, stir together the remaining lime juice and sugar. Brush onto cooled cookies.

As this cookies are the soft cakes type, I feel it is best to consume on the same day.

Chinese New Year......Almond Cookies

Yes, it is the new year 2012 now and I know I have been missing in action for not posting any recipes here.  I have injured my right hand for almost two months now and I'm still undergoing my physiotherapy session.  At least for the time being, I could lift up my right hand or else I am not able to start baking any cookies for this coming Chinese New Year.

It is hard for me to view other bloggers posting their beautiful cookies and dishes while I could only look at them and not being able to do it myself.  Anyway I will take it slow as I need to get my right hand to fully recover.

Here my first start post of the new year is this Almond Cookies.   I have made it numerous times in the past years as this is my favourite cookies.  I loves this cookies so much that I got to make it and with the help of my dad, finally I have baked my first Chinese New Year cookies.

Ingredients
A
120g almond meal
180g plain flour
120 caster sugar
1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda

B
120ml vegetable cooking oil (sunflower, canola or corn oil)

For Glazing:
1 egg yolk (beaten)

1.  Combine Ingredients A and B in a mixer and mix to form a dough.
2.  Scale the dough of about 7g each rounded portion.  (I used a watermelon ball roller).
3.  Arrange on alined baking trays and glaze the surfaces with egg wash.
4.  Bake at a preheated oven at 180 Celcius for about 15-20 minutes until lightly browned.
     Cool well before storage.