Pork Floss Bun

"Pork floss buns, pork floss buns, one a penny, two a penny, pork floss bun...."  My kitchen was filled with Hot Cross Buns song but with Pork Floss Buns lyrics when i was making the buns.  ;P

My elder girl asked what were we making when they help to shape the dough into small balls, i told her that we were trying to make some pork floss buns.  She then lead the sister singing and humming this song while shaping the balls.  My kitchen was filled with the joyous noise that they made.  :)   

My first attempt of shaping a ball shape bun with filling was awful, i need to admit that when i got my hand doing it, i was not quite know how.  The result was the filling was not really in the center of a bun and some buns with some twist inside.  Believe that was caused by the way how i wrap it.   :(

Also, i found that the crust was not soft enough, will it due to the type of flour i use?  Perhaps i should try on using bread flour next time to see if there's any difference. 

Mhmm,  still quite some experiments for me to work on... 

Ingredients (make 9 buns):

• 1 tsp active dry yeast
• 1/4 cup warm water
• 1/4 tsp honey
• 2 1/4 cup all purpose flour
• 1/8 cup sugar
• 1 egg
• 70ml milk, room temperature
• 2.5 TBSP unsalted butter
• 1/8 tsp salt
• Mayonnaise & pork floss (for filling & coating)

Steps:

1. Dissolve honey in 1/4 cup warm water, add in the yeast and let it stand for 10min or until foaming/bubbling
2. Combine flour, sugar and yeast in a mixing bowl, stir to combine with the dough hood
3. Add the egg & milk, knead into a dough in speed 2
4. Add the butter & salt, continue kneading till the dough is elastic
5. Transfer to a slightly flour work surface and knead with hand for another 5min
6. Place in a greased bowl, turning to cover the top and cover with a damp cloth, let it proof for 45min or until double the size
7. Punch down dough and placed on a lightly flour surface,  roll out and shape into small balls of 60g each.  Let the dough rest for 10mins
8. Mix the mayonnaise and pork floss in a bowl
9. Flatten each dough and place 2 tsp of the mayonnaise mixture in the center of the dough and bring the side up to seal and form into a ball, seal the seams and place on a greased baking sheet/tray, with the seams side facing down
10. Cover the tray with a cloth and let it rise for about an hour or until double the size
11. Bake in a pre-heated oven at 350F/180C for 20-25mins
12. Remove from oven and let cool on a wire rack completely
13. Spread a thin layer of mayonnaise on top of the buns and coat generously with the pork floss

Berries in Season

The only fruit season that i know in the past was durian (king of fruit in M'sia), only now i learnt the different fruit season here in State, e.g. strawberry in season in June; blueberry, raspberry in July; apple in August; pumpkin in Oct etc.  With berries in season in July, we bought the girls to Ducky's Peachy Pick Farm for berry pick experience on 1st weekend of July.

It was a sunny day with 30 degree celsius.  The girls were still had fun under a pretty warm weather, sweating picking their berries.

1) "La...La...La, am going to the strawberry farm to pick my berry...'

2) "Searching...searching, where is my berry...' 





3) "I found it!..." 




4) "My pick....a big one."

5) "It's sweet & juicy!  Thumbs up!'

6) "See, who have more?"

7) "Time to rest & play."

We brought home 'bout 3 pound of berries...

Besides strawberry, there're also blueberry, raspberry, blackberry, cherry at home.  Other than eating them raw, i've turned it into a series of berries cupcake, batch after batch.  Can't remember how many batches i bake, felt like a small scale cupcake 'marathon' for me...haha.

Of course, we can't finish all the cupcakes by ourselves but shared those with friends.  My girls were happily helping to pack it and 'gift it'.  :)

Bon Voyage Cake

I called this Bon Voyage cake as this is the last cake that i made before i went for family vacation - cruising to Alaska, which is in fact our first cruising experience.  So hey, Bon Voyage!

It is a basic yellow cake layered with strawberry jam.  Strawberry jam again?  Oh ya, simply because this is my favorite home made jam and my fridge always have a jar of it.  Whenever it finished, i will make again as this jam come in handy with the bread that i made weekly.   ;)

For the first time, i used the lemon cream cheese frosting for a cake.  I used this frosting for cupcake before, but not on a cake.  I always wonder if cream cheese frosting will go well on a cake.  Well, it tasted good, especially when you're already bored with buttercream frosting like me.  However, it is not easy to frost a cake with cream cheese frosting as the frosting tends to be a bit runny as compared to buttercream (am not sure if this is only for my case..).  I have to do it real quick and put it in the fridge immediately to let the frosting settle down.  It was indeed a challenge for me...particularly a not pro home baker.

Ingredients:

For the cake

• 2 cups cake flour
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/2 cup (113g) butter
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 2 eggs, separated
• 2/3 cup milk
• 1 tsp vanilla

For the frosting

• 4 ounces cream cheese (softened)
• 1/2 cup butter (softened)
• 2 cups powdered sugar
• 1.5 tbsp fresh lemon juice

Steps:

1. Spray 2 8" round cake pans with non-stick vegetables and set aside
2. Preheat oven to 375F/190C
3. Sift the flour, baking powder, and salt into a bowl 
4. Sift together once more
5. Cream butter with sugar, beating until light and fluffy
6. Add the egg yolks and beat together
7. Beat in the sifted dry ingredients, alternating with the milk and vanilla
8. In another bowl, beat egg whites until stiff, fold into the batter
9. Pour the batter into the prepared pans and bake for 25mins or until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.
10. Let it cook for about 10mins before removing it from the pan.  Allow to cool completely on a wire rack prior to frosting.

Meantime, prepare for the frosting:

1. Beat the cream cheese and butter in a mixer bowl until smooth
2. Add in the sugar and lemon juice, beat until fluffy

Note:

• If the frosting is too runny/thin, add more powdered sugar

Cake Recipe Source: Everyday cake by D.Rattray

        

Dessert Pizza

When i came across this great recipe from a little chef (Liam), i know i need to try it one day for my two little lovers.  Finally, i made this dessert pizza as a reward for my girls who have been a great home helpers lately.

My 5yrs old has grown up day by day that she is now a real home helpers.  She helps to take care of her little sister and assists her to toilet when i took my bath or busy with cooking/baking.  

Saw this when i came out from bath one day : My 5yrs old is reading to her sister 

When i prepare a prawn dish, she will help to have the prawn peeled.  She has been helping me to prepare the rice for dinner almost everyday now too, from measuring the cup of rice to washing.  My 2yrs old also eagerly wanted to help when seeing her sister doing it  :)

Now, they're responsible to peel off the shell of the boiled eggs whenever we have that for lunch/dinner. 

My 2yrs old is changing her sleepwear by herself nowadays as well.  Guess what my 2yrs old told me today when i bath her?  She said: 'Mom, when u become old old, i will help to bath you'.  What a beautiful sentence that melted my heart.  I didn't expect her to say this and she probably don't quite aware what she is talking about yet, still this made my day sweet. ;D 

How could i ignore all their good effort?  Hence, this dessert pizza is specially made to reward them and my two little lovers enjoyed it very much, especially my 5yrs old.    :)

Ingredients:

For the cookie crust

• 6TBSP unsalted butter (cut into small cubes)
• 1/2 cup powdered sugar
• 1/8 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1/2, 1/4 & 1/8 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1 large egg
• 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract

For the topping

• 1 8-ounce package cream cheese (softened)
• 1/2 cup powdered sugar
• 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
• Strawberries slices (to garnish/deco)

Steps:

1. Lightly grease a pizza pan or baking sheet with butter
2. Preheat oven to 350F/180C
3. Add the powdered sugar, cocoa, flour and salt in a mixer bowl and whisk to combine
4. Add the cubed butter to the dry ingredients and stir mix till the mixture forms lumps about the sieze of peas
5. Beat in the egg and vanilla, until a stiff dough is forms
6. Knead the dough lightly on a flour surface
7. Curl the edges in slightly with the fingers
8. Bake for about 15mins or until the surface is firm to the touch and the edges are crisp.  Allow to cool completely

Meantime, make the pizza topping:

1. Beat the cream cheese, powdered sugar and vanilla in a mixer bowl until fluffy
2. Spread the cream sheese pizza topping on the cooled cookie crust with a spatula
3. Arrange the sliced strawberries on top
4. Cut into wedges and serve

Whole-wheat Raisins Bread (葡萄干麦片面包）

The process of bread making is always rewarding whenever a fresh hot loaf is out from the oven.  The preparation and hours of waiting became so worthwhile when you finally may take a bite on a slice of fresh loaf.

This time, i have a great little helper making this bread together with me.  It is fun making bread, especially doing it together with kids. 

 

Rolling the dough

Shaping

Ready to go.....in the oven


This follows the same recipe of the whole-wheat bread i made earlier, just added raisins into it.

Ingredients:

• 1 pkg active dry yeast
• 1 1/8 cup warm water
• 1 tbsp honey
• 1 tbsp vegetable oil
• 1 1/2 cup whole wheat flour
• 1 1/2 cup all purpose flour
• 1/4 cup raisins
• 1 tsp salt

Steps:

1. Soak the raisins in a bowl with hot boil water for at least 10-20mins, drain well b4 used 
2. Dissolve yeast in the water, add the honey and let sit 5min, until starts to foam/bubbling
3. Add the rest of the ingredients in warmed mixer bowl, stir and start mixing on speed 2 with an electrical mixer/stand mixer until dough starts to clean sides of bowl
4. Continue kneading on speed 2 for about 2 min longer, or until dough is smooth and elastic.  Dough will be slightly sticky to the touch
5. Scrape it onto a lightly floured surface and knead to form into a ball
6. Place dough in a greased bowl, turning to grease the top
7. Cover the bowl and let it sit at room temp, to double, about 1 hour
8. Punch, re-shape and rise again to double, about 45 min
9. Turn out onto a lightly floured surface, shape the dough into a loaf 
10. Place it in greased loaf pan, cover and let rise to double, about 45 min
11. Place the loaf pan in a preheated oven at 400F/204C and bake for 30-40min
12. Remove from pan immediately and cool on a wire rack  

Banana-Strawberry Cream Cheese Trifle

If you have left-over cream cheese frosting at home and not sure what to do about it, try to make a Trifle - a great idea that i learnt from a friend (SY) previously. 

This time, i made used of my left-over cream cheese frosting for a Banana-Strawberry Trifle.  Why banana-strawberry?  Simple, because i've many ripe bananas at home too... ;P 

I baked a banana cake, arranged the strawberry slices around a dessert cup, then made a two layers of banana cake with cream-cheese frosting, banana & strawberry slices, top with graham cracker pieces for a finishing, refrigerated for 2 hours before served. 

This made a great after meal dessert or a lovely treat for an afternoon tea time.  My two little girls just can't have enough of this.  :)

Classic Cheesecake

One of my friend is interested on the cheesecake that i made on my birthday and here i share this classic cheesecake recipe that i adopted from Philadelphia. 

Am so sorry to have her waited long for this recipe (my apologies, Michelle!)  :(

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 cups Graham cracker crumbs 
• 3 TBSP sugar
• 1/3 cup melted butter
• 4 pkg (8 oz each) softened cream cheese
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 4 eggs
• Strawberries (optional - for decoration)
• Foil (to line the cake pan)

Steps:

1. Melt the butter in a pan and let it cool
2. Crush the Graham cracker (about 30 pcs) to make the crumbs
3. Line a 9-inch pan with foil, with ends of foil extending over sides (to ease the cake release from pan later) 
4. Preheat oven to 325F/163C
5. Mix graham crumbs, 3 tbsp sugar and melted butter in a bowl until well combined, then pour and press evenly & firmly onto bottom of prepared pan, set aside
6. Beat cream cheese, 1 cup sugar and vanilla in a mixer bowl with electronic/stand mixer until well blended
7. Add eggs, 1 at a time, mixing on low speed after each just until blended.  Pour over crust.
8. Bake for 55min or until center is almost set 
9. Let it cool down completely and then refrigerate for 4 hours
10. Use foil handles to remove cheesecake from pan before serving.  Top with fruits if desired. 

Notes:

• To make the crumbs, put the crackers in a plastic bag and crush with a rolling pin/glass bottle
• Reduce oven temp to 300F/149C if using a darker pan
• If using a non-stick springform pan, ignore step 3 of lining the foil.  Release the cake by removing the rim after the cake is cool.  Then refrigerate for 4 hours. 

Whole-Wheat Raisin Rolls

My 1st try of whole-wheat raisin rolls.....not very pretty.  Obviously, more try is needed.  Hopefully my next attempt will be a better looking rolls.  ;P 

Ingredients:

• 2 tsp active dry yeast
• 1 1/4 cup warm water
• 1 tsp sugar
• 1 1/2 cup whole wheat flour
• 1 1/2 cup all purpose flour
• 2 tsp salt
• 1/4 cup raisins
• Melted butter for glazing

Steps:

1. Soak the raisins in a bowl with hot boil water for at least 10-20mins (or as long as you can, i soak for about 30min-1hr while putting my girls for their nap time), drain well b4 used 
2. Dissolve yeast in the 1/4 cup warm water, add the sugar and let sit 5min, until starts to foam/bubbling
3. Mix the flours and salt in a warmed mixer bowl, make a well in the center and pour in the yeast
4. Stir and start mixing on speed 2 with an electrical mixer/stand mixer
5. Mix in the raisin and gradually add in the remaining waters
6. Continue mixing till obtain a rough dough/dough starts to clean sides of bowl
7. Continue kneading on speed 2 till dough is smooth and elastic.  Dough will be slightly sticky to the touch 
8. Transfer to a floured surface and knead to form a ball
9. Place dough in a greased bowl, turning to grease the top
10. Cover the bowl and let it sit at room temp, to double, about 1 - 1 1/2 hours
11. Punch down the dough and divide into 12 equal pieces, roll the pieces into balls.
12. Place it in a greased square baking pan, cover and let rise to double, about 45 min
13. Brush the top with melted butter, place the pan in a preheated oven at 425F/218C and bake for 15min
14. Lower the heat to 375F/190C and bake for another 30min
15. Remove from pan immediately and cool on a wire rack  

Little Chefs in Action

Strawberry Banana Muffin

For the first time, i'm letting the girls do it all - from mashing the bananas to fill the batter into the baking pan (of course, with the guidance and assistance from me ;).  

Normally, they'll just be involved in some steps of baking for a while, but this time, they almost did it all, except the part of measuring the ingredients and put the pan in the oven. 

Luckily, it was not really an 'disastor' that i would have imagine, except with some unavoidable mess on the working table.  ;P

My 5 yrs old was very proud of herself for making the muffins and she can't wait till daddy's home to tell her daddy 'bout it. 

The girls' beautiful Strawberry Banana Muffins hot from oven

The girls seem to eat more too as compared to what they normally had from my baking.  Mhmm....seems like it's not a bad idea to have them involved in making...

A muffin normally do not have any deco, but who cares if it make the girls happy?  We ended up putting strawberries on top of some  muffins and the girls had a great afternoon tea-time...yummy!