Soon Kueh (笋糕）

I am submitting this post to Aspiring Bakers #12: Traditional Kueh (October 2011) hosted by Small Small Baker.

Recipe

Ingredients (yield more than 20kuehs)
Skin:
250g rice flour
125g tapioca flour
550-600ml water
2tbsp oil
2tsp sugar
1/2tsp salt

Filling:
600g turnip(shredded and drain away liquid)
100g carrot(shredded)
100g minced meat
50g dried shrimps(soak and chopped)
2cloves garlic(chopped)
4 shallot(chopped)

adequate salt
adequate pepper
adequate light soy sauce

Steps:
Filling:
1. Heat up 3tbsp of oil in a wok, fry chopped garlic and shallot till fragrant.
2. Add in chopped dried shrimp and fry till fragrant.
3. Add in minced meat and carrot and stir fry for a while.
4. Add in turnip and stir fry until slightly dry.
5. Add in seasoning to taste and mix well.
6. Dish out and set aside to cool.

Skin:
1. Boil water, salt and sugar together in a pot. (Water must reach boiling point. Remove 50ml of water first.)
2. Add in rice flour, with a wooden spoon quickly mix well.
3. Add in tapioca flour and oil, mix till a soft dough. (Add in some more hot water if you find that the dough is dry.)
4. Cover lid and rest for 10mins.

Wrapping:
1. Grab some dough and flatten it on a silicon mat. (Cover dough to prevent surface of dough from drying.)
2. Roll it out into thin pieces.
3. With a 9cm ring cut out a round dough.
4. Wrap in filling, pinch edges to seal opening.
5. Grease steamer rack with oil.
6. Arrange kueh on steamer rack, brush surface of kueh lightly with oil.
7. Steam over high heat in a preheated steamer for 10mins.

Soya Bean Crispy Puff Pastry (黄豆酥)

The filling is made from soya bean pulp. After I made soya bean drink, I removed about 270g of soya bean pulp for the puff filling whereas the balance I used it as fertilizer for my plants.

Recipe

Ingredients
Water Dough:
130g plain flour
25g icing sugar
35g margarine/unsalted butter
55g water

Oil Dough:
90g plain flour
60g shortening

Filling:
270g soya bean pulp
1/2cup corn oil
1/2cup sugar (adjust to suit individual taste)
1/2tsp salt

adequate black sesame seed
adequate white sesame seed


Steps:
Filling:
1. Used a coconut squeezer bag, extract excess liquid from soya bean pulp.
2. Steam for 35 to 40mins until soften.
3. Blend immediately until fine paste.
4. Heat up wok fry paste, sugar, salt and oil until sugar dissolved and it slightly dry.
5. Dish out and leave to cool. (You can prepare this in advance and keep in fridge.)

Water dough:
1. Sift flour and icing sugar together into a big bowl.
2. Rub margarine into flour until it resemble coarse breadcrumbs.
3. Add water and knead to form soft dough.
4. Divide dough into 9pcs, 26g each.
5. Shape into balls, cover and set aside.

Oil dough:
1. Sift flour into a big bowl.
2. Knead shortening into flour to form soft dough.
3. Divide dough into 9pcs, 15g each.
5. Shape into balls, cover and set aside.

Shaping of dough:
1. Flatten water dough, wrap in oil dough.
2. Seal seam and shape into balls.
3. Flatten pastry, use a wooden rod and roll out pastry.
4. Roll in pastry, just like swiss roll.
5. Give a half turn and repeat the step again.
6. Cover and set aside to rest for 10mins.
7. Divide filling into 9 balls of 30g each.
8. Flatten pastry then roll into round shape.
9. Wrap filling with pastry.
10.Seal the seam securely.
11.Roll into balls and flatten it.
12.Place it on a greased tray, egg wash surface and sprinkle black and white sesame on top.
13.Bake in a preheated oven at 190C for 25mins.
14.Remove and cool on a wire rack.

Kuih Bingka

I am submitting this post to Aspiring Bakers #12: Traditional Kueh (October 2011) hosted by Small Small Baker.

Recipe

Ingredients
750g grated tapioca
(The tapioca which I bought is approximately 900g - peel and grated, pour grated tapioca into colander and set it aside to drain away excess liquid. Weigh 750g tapioca for use.)

260g demerara sugar/ light brown sugar
2tbsp melted butter
1 grated white coconut(about 400g)
150g water
1/4tsp yellow food colouring
1/2tsp salt

Steps:
1. Preheat oven at 180C.
2. Lined a 24cm by 17cm rectangle tin with banana leaf and grease with butter.
3. Add water into grated white coconut and squeeze out 320g of coconut milk.
4. Mix grated tapioca, coconut milk, sugar, melted butter, salt and yellow colouring together until well combined. (You can taste raw tapioca mixture to adjust sweetness.)
5. Pour into prepared tin.
6. Bake in a preheated oven for 40-45mins until crust is browned.
7. Leave kueh to cool in tin.
8. Remove kueh from tin, slice and serve.

Note: You don't have to follow the recipe to the dot. The important is that the tapioca batter should be wet, it should be of dropping consistence when you drop a spoon of batter. It should not be watery or dry. Each time when I baked this Kuih Bingka I will have to adjust the liquid according to the moisture of the grated tapioca.

Abuk-abuk Sago (Tradition recipe)

I am submitting this post to Aspiring Bakers #12: Traditional Kueh (October 2011) hosted by Small Small Baker.

Recipe

Ingredients
200g sago
120g grated white coconut
1/2tsp salt
1tbsp pandan juice

50g gula melaka (chopped)
1tbsp sugar

1sheet banana leaf

Steps:
1. Cut out 11-12pcs of 20cm by 15cm banana leaves.
2. Scald banana leaves in boiling water till it soften, dry it and put aside.
3. Soak sago for 15mins and drain well.
4. Mix sago, grated coconut, salt and pandan juice together.
5. Stir until well combined.
6. Mix chopped gula melaka and sugar together.
7. Fashion the rectangular banana leaf into cone-shape.
8. Fill 1tbsp of sago mixture, with the back of the spoon press the sago lightly.
9. Fill 1tsp of gula melaka mixture, cover it with another tablespoon of sago mixture and press lightly.
10.Fold in the opening to overlap the leaf and fastened it with a toothpick.
11.Steam in a preheated steamer at high heat for 15-20mins.
12.Leave to cool and serve.

Maria's Berry Cake

Recipe source from 'Table for 2 or more' - Maria's Cherry Cake.

I baked half portion of the recipe, using a 6inches tart tin and used blueberry instead. The recipe is basic and easy to prepare too and most of all the protion is perfect for my afternoon tea. :) Hehehe...I forgotten to dust it with icing sugar.

Next time when I baked this, I'll scatter blueberry in the batter and decorate the surface with more blueberry. More berries the merrier...;p

Chocolate Dacquoise

Recipe from 'okashi sweet treats made with love' by Keiko Ishida - Green Tea Dacquoise. This dainty little French cakes taste like 'Sponge Fingers', the ground almond give it the crumb rough texture.

I made half portion of the original recipe, replaced green tea powder with cocoa powder. I also replaced egg white powder which I don't have it with cream of tartar instead.

Recipe

Ingredients
Biscuit dacquoise:
100g egg white (at room temperature)
25g caster sugar
1/8tsp cream of tartar

80g ground almond
40g icing sugar
2tsp cocoa powder

Dusting:
adequate icing sugar

Filling:
butter cream }mix
hazelnut spread }together

Steps:
1. Line 2 baking trays with silicon sheet.
2. Use a round cookies cutter about 3cm, press it into some cocoa powder or flour.
3. Use the cookies cutter to make some round imprint on the silicon sheet and set aside.
4. Preheat oven to 180C.
5. Sift icing sugar, cocoa powder and ground almond together and set aside.
6. Use a cake mixer, whisk the egg whites and cream of tartar till frothy.
7. Gradually add in sugar and whisk till stiff peaks form.
8. Fold in the sifted mixture in 4 portions into the meringue till well blended.
9. Spoon batter into a piping bag and pipe it within the round imprint which had made earlier on.
10.Dust with icing sugar twice.
11.Bake in preheated oven for 15-20mins until dacquoise rises up completely and surface becomes dry.
12.Remove dacquoise and cool on a wire rack.
13.Pipe hazelnut butter cream onto flat side of the dacquoise discs.
14.Sandwich with another dacquoise discs.
15.Store in fridge to let the filling firm.

Chocolate Macarons