Koong Chai Pneang (Mooncake Biscuits)

I love to eat this mooncake biscuits with kopi O.

Ingredients:

• 200g golden syrup
• 1/4 tsp bicarbonate of soda
• 1/4 alkaline water ( kan sui)
• 50g corn oil
• 300g plain flour, sifted

Egg glazed: mix well

• 2 egg yolks
• 1 tsp water
• pinch of salt

Method:

Combine golden syrup, alkaline water and sifted bicarbonaye of soda in a basin. Add oil and mix with a wooden spoon and allow to rest for 4-5 hours

Fold in sifted flour gradually an mix evenly to form a smooth, soft dough. Do not knead. Let the dough rest for another 6-7 hours.

Divide dough into small portions. Dust with flour and press into figurine mould. Knock out and place on greased baking tray and bake in preheated oven at 180C for 8 minutes. Remove tray from the oven and leave for 1-2 minutes. Brush biscuit with egg glaze and bake again for 6-7 minutes or until golden brown.

Happy Mid-Autumn or Happy Mooncake Festival (中秋节) to all.

Was a last minute decision to make some  traditional mooncake as I decided to invite my Malaysian friends to come over for some food and also to enjoy the mooncake with a nice cup of chinese tea.

 

The ingredients and method of making this mooncake is in the blog http://yummymummyrecipes.blogspot.com/2007/09/tradisional-lotus-mooncake.html

Lemon and Almond Cake

Lemon....lemom......lemon.....
I have few lemons in my fridge and been thinking what should I do with them. Came up with lots of ideas and even thinking about making another Lemon Drizzle but decided to be more adventurous this time and make a different cake. So here it is Lemon and Almond Cake. Intead of using just whipping cream I used mascarpone cheese combine with whipping cream. And the results is lushhhh....

Ingredients:

• 225g unsalted butter, softened plus extra for greasing
• 225g caster sugar
• 4 medium eggs
• 1/2 tsp almond extract
• 11/2 lemons, finely zested
• 75g plain flour
• 150g ground almonds
• 11/2 tsp baking powder

For the mascarpone cheese:

• 200g light mascarpone cheese
• 100ml whipping cream
• 3 tbsp icing sugar
• 5-6 tbsp lemon curd
• 15g almond flake, toasted

Method:

Preheat the oven to 190C or 170C for fan oven.

Lightly grease 2 x 20cm sandwich tins. Line the bottom of the tins with nonstick baking paper.

In a large bowl, beat the butter and caster sugar until light and creamy. Gradually add in the egg, one at a time and beat until pale and fluffy. If the mixture looks like it is starting to split, add 1 teaspoon of flour.

Beat in almond extract and zest into the egg mixture. Then sift over the dry ingredients and fold in using a spatula. Mix untill well combine. Spoon half of the batter into each tin and smooth the tops to make them level. Bake in the oven for 20-25 minutes, until risen and golden. The cake should just coming away from the sides of the tin. Leave the sponges in the tins for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack and leave to cool.

While the sponges are cooling, make the mascarpone cream. Beat together the mascarpone, cream and icing sugar in a bowl until smooth. Put one sponge on a serving plate and spread with 3 or 4 tbsps of lemon curd. Top with half of the icing and smooth it out with a palate knife. Top with the other sponge and spread over the rest of the icing.

Add in a little water to the lemon curd to loosen, the drizzle it over the top of the cake and scatter with the toasted almonds.

Raspberry Cheesecake Brownie

Been looking at this recipe for a while now. It's from Hummingbird bakery. Has a layer of choccy brownie topped with cheesecake and covered with fresh raspberry flavoured whipped cream.

Ingredients for the brownie:

• 200g dark chocolate, roughly chopped
• 200g unsalted butter
• 250g icing sugar
• 3 eggs
• 110g plain flour

Ingredients for cheesecake:

• 400g cream cheese
• 150g icing sugar
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 eggs

Ingredients for cream topping:

• 300ml whipping cream
• 100g icing sugar
• 150g rapsberries, plus extra for decorate
• 33x23x5 baking tray, lined with greaseproof paper

Method:

For the brownie:

Preheat oven to 170C/150C for fan oven.

Put chocolate in a heatproof bowl over a pan of simmering water (do not let the base of the bowl touch the water). leave until melted and smooth.

Put in butter and sugar in a freestanding electric mixer with a paddle attachment and beat until all the ingredients are well incorporated.

Add in the eggs one at a time, mixing well and scraping any unmixed ingredients from the side of the bowl with a rubber spatula after each addition.

Gradually beat in the flour, mixing well each addition, then turn the mixer up to a high speed and beat for a little longer until you get a smooth mixture.

Slowly pour in the melted chocolate and mix thoroughly. Pour into the prepared baking tray and smooth over with a palette knife.

For the cheesecake:

Put in the cream cheese, sugar and vanilla extract in a freestanding electric mixer with a paddle attachment and beat on slow speed until smooth and thick.  Add one egg at a time, while still mixing. Scrape any unmixed ingredients from the side of the bowl with a rubber spatula after each addition. The mixture should be very smooth and creamy.

The mixer can be turned up to a higher speed at the end to make the mix a little lighter and fluffier but be careful not to overmix, otherwise the cheese will split. Spoon on top of the brownie and smooth over a palette knife.

Bake in the preheated oven for 30-40 minuted, or until the cheesecake is firm to the touch and light golden around the edges. The centre should still be pale. Leave it to cool completely, then cover and refrigerate for 2 hours, or overnight if possible.


For the cream topping:

Put the cream, sugar and raspberries in a freestanding electric mixer with a whisk attachment and beat until firm but not stiff.

Turn the brownie out onto a board and turn the right way up.

Spread the topping evenly over the brownie and decorate with more raspberries.

Banoffee Cake

Time to bake and update my blog again. Been away for more than a month and I do miss baking and cooking. When your are away in places where food is cheap and good, I don't see the point to cook & bake. But today my hands starts to get itchy and decided to bake something quick & easy.

Ingredients:

• 3 ripe banana, mashed
• 75g butter, softened
• 1 can caramel (375g)
• 225g plain flour
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 25g caster sugar
• 1 large egg
• 55g dark choc chunks

Methods:

Preheat oven to 180C/160C for fan oven.

Grease and line a 1 kg loaf tin.

 Beat butter and sugar till light and fluffy. Then add in the egg and the caramel. Beat well.

Mix in flour and baking powder together and graduallu fold into the caramel mixture.

Fold in 3/4 of the chocolate chunks and the mashed bananas and then pour into the prepared tin. Sprinkle over the remaining chocolate chunks.

Bake in the preheated oven for 1 hour, covering loosely with foil for the last 15 minutes.

Allow the cake to cool slightly before removing from the tin then slice and serve whilst it is still warm.