Thursday 23 July 2015

Wu Kok (yam puff)


This is one of the must have item when having dim sum. This is my first attempt so its not too bad !
Serve them hot ...... crispy crust and yummy filling!   Enjoy with a cup of hot Chinese tea!

Ingredients for the filling:
  • 300g-400g pork, diced
  • 1 onion, diced
  • 2 tbsp oil
Seasoning:
  • 11/2 tbsp light soy sauce
  • 11/2 tbsp oyster sauce
  • 1 tbsp dark soy sauce
  • 1 tbsp sugar
  • 1/4 tsp pepper
  • 1/2 tsp sesame oil 
  • 1 tbsp corn flour}
  • 1/4 cup of water}combine well
  • 1/2 cup of frozen green peas
Ingredients for yam pastry:
  • 700g yam, sliced thinly
  • 20g sugar
  • 90g wheat starch flour (tang mein)
  • 130 ml hot boiling water
  • 150g shortening 
Method:

To prepare the filling: heat the oil in a non-stick pan, fry onion until soft then add in pork and seasoning. Cook until the pork is tender. Add in the corn flour mixture. Toss well to mix. Add in the green peas and mix well. Dish out and leave aside to cool before use.

To prepare the yam pastry: Steam yam till soft, mash while still hot, add in sugar and mix well.  Set aside. 
Combine hot boiling water and wheatstarch, stir well till smooth, mix in with the mashed yam. Add in shortening till well combined.  (The dough is a bit sticky and soft at this juncture). Cover and  chill dough in the refrigerator for about 50 mins. to 1 hr.
Pinch off about 50 gm dough, form into a ball, flatten with your hand and wrap up with about 2 tsps of filling, seal the edges and shape into an oval shaped dumpling.
Heat oil in wok under high heat, once boiling, reduce to lowest heat, gently put in the dumplings, return heat to medium and deep-fry the dumplings till golden brown.
Drain on kitchen absorbent paper and serve immediately. Makes about 20 puff. 


Saturday 11 July 2015

Mango cream cake


It's summer so the best cake to bake is something feeling summer. Decided to bake this lovely sponge cake & using fresh mango to add into the summer feeling.

Ingredients:

For the filling:
  • 75 ml mango purée
  • 50 g icing sugar
  • 220 ml  double cream
  • 2 fresh mangoes - chopped into 1" cubes
For the sponge:
  • 250 unsalted butter, softened
  • 250 g golden caster sugar
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 4 large eggs
  • 250 g self-raising flour
  • 100 ml full fat milk
  • 1 pinch salt
Method:

Pre heat the oven to 180C/160C Fan and grease and line 2 x 8" round cake tins.

Cream together the butter, sugar and vanilla extract for about 10 minutes until pale and fluffy - this is key to the recipe so it is worth doing this bit well. 

Add the eggs, one by one, beating well between each one.

Carefully fold in the flour ensuring you don't lose any of the air in the mixture. It may need loosening so use as little milk until you get a dropping consistency.

Split the mixture into two equal sized portions into the prepared tins and place in the oven for 40-45 minutes until the sponge is golden brown and springs back to the touch, or until a skewer comes out clean. Remove from the oven and leave to cool.

To make the filling 
Lightly whip the double cream with the icing sugar until you get a soft peak, then stir in the mango purée.

Spread this evenly over the cooled sponge cakes (as you would do making a Victoria Sponge). Scatter over the fresh mango pieces and sandwich the cake together.

Dust the cake with icing sugar. For additional decoration place some of the remaining cream into a piping bag, and using a big star tip crown the cake with stars on the edge and place a piece of mango on each tip. Serve immediately.




Saturday 4 July 2015

Mango cheesecake


I love mango as it is sweet and fragrant especially during the mango season. Unfortunately living in UK I do not have any opportunity to buy those mangoes from India which has a stronger mango fragrance. I nowadays have to make do with mango in tin to make my cakes. This non-bake mango cheesecake  is easy to make. It's freshing and full with flavour. 

Ingredients:

For the base:
  • 100g digestive biscuits, crushed
  • 50g melted butter
For the filling:
  • 259g Phiadelphia cream cheese, softened
  • 100g caster sugar
  • 2 tbsp lemon juice
  • 1 tbsp gelatine
  • 200g mango purée
  • 200g whipping cream, whip until soft peak 
  • 1/2 cup chopped mango
For jelly topping:
  • 150g mango purée 
  • 1 tbsp gelatine
  • 4 tbsp water
Method:

Combine the biscuits crumbs with melted butter and press into the base of a 8 inch loose base cake pan.  Chill for 30 minutes in the fridge. 

Dissolve gelatine in lemon juice over hot water bath.

Beat the cream cheese and sugar until smooth. Add gelatine mixture, beat until well combine. Beat in mango purée. 

Fold in the whipped cream and chopped mango and pour over prepared biscuit base. 

To make the jelly topping, place the gelatine with water in a bowl for a few minutes. Dissolve over hot water then mix into the mango purée. Pour on the mango cheesecake and decorate with chopped mango and strawberries.

Chill until set.