Chocolate Mousse Cake

This chocolate mousse cake makes the perfect light dessert. It is made with a rich chocolate cake base, cool creamy mousse filling and topped with rich chocolate ganache.

This cake has loads of chocolate from top to bottom. The cool, rich texture makes it great for any special occasion or holiday.

Rich and velvety Chocolate Mousse Cake is an impressive yet oh-so-easy cake recipe that is sure to wow at the dessert table!

Ingredients:

For the cake: 

• 145g granulated sugar
• 60ml vegetable oil
• 2 large eggs, at room temperature
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 48g sour cream, at room temperature
• 140g plain flour
• 20g cocoa powder, sifted
• 1¼ tsp baking powder
• ¼ bicarbonate soda
• ½ tsp salt
• 157ml hot brewed coffee

For the chocolate mousse layer:

• 1 tbsp cold water
• 1 tsp gelatine powder
• 1 cup + 2 tbsp double cream, divided
• 115g dark chocolate, roughly chopped
• 65g icing sugar
• 225g cream cheese, at room temperature
• 50g granulated sugar
• 2 tsp cocoa powder
• 1 tsp vanilla extract

For the ganache:

• 75g dark chocolate
• 90ml double cream

For the whipped topping:

• 1 cup double cream
• 65g icing sugar
• 2 tbsp cocoa powder
• 1 tsp vanilla extract

Method:

For the cake: Preheat the oven to 175ºC/160ºC for fan assist oven.  Line an 8"/20cm cake tin with baking paper.

In a large mixing bowl, combine the sugar, vegetable oil, eggs and vanilla extract. Beat on medium speed until the eggs and oil are well combined and the batter is lighter in colour. Next mix in the sour cream and beat until well combined.

In a separate bowl, sift together the dry ingredients. Add half the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, followed by half of the coffee, and mix until the flour is just incorporated at a low speed. You can also use a hand whisk to do this. Then add the remaining dry ingredients and coffee. Beat until all of the ingredients are well combined.

Use a spatula to scrape down the sides of the bowl and stir the batter from the bottom to the top to ensure it is well mixed.

Bake for 30 minutes or until the skewer inserted comes out clean. Cool completely.

For the mousse layer: Place 1 tablespoon of cold water in a small dosh. Sprinkle the gelatine powder over the cold water. Allow the gelatine to bloom, about 3-5 minutes.

In a microwave-safe bowl, combine the chocolate and 2 tablespoons of the double cream. Microwave in 30 second increments, stirring each time until the chocolate is melted.

Next, melt the gelatine in the microwave for about 5 seconds until it turns back liquid. Watch it closely. Remove any lumps that did not melt. Stir the liquid gelatine into the melted chocolate and set it aside to cool.

Prepare the whipping cream. Using the clean bowl, beat the double cream on high speed until it is thickened to soft peaks. Next, add the icing sugar and continue beating at high speed until stiff peaks form. Set the whipped cream aside.

Beat the cream cheese until it is completely smooth. and free of lumps. Scrape down the sides of the bowl, add the granulated sugar, cocoa powder and vanilla extract, and beat until well combined.

Next, add the melted chocolate, beating until it is completely mixed into the cream cheese, scraping down the bowl as needed. Lastly, fold in the prepared whipped cream and mix until all the ingredients are combined.

To assemble: Transfer the cake layer to an 8 inch spring form pan, or line the cake tin with baking paper along the bottom and up the sides if you want to remove the cake from the pan. Place the cake in the bottom of the pan. Pour the chocolate filling over the chocolate cake, spread evenly and refrigerate until the filling is set, 2-4 hours.

For the chocolate ganache: In a microwave-safe bowl, combine the chocolate and the double cream. Melt the chocolate in the microwave in 30 second increments and stir until completely combined. Allow to cool.

Pour the chocolate over the mousse layer and spread evenly. Allow the ganache to set a little bit before adding the topping.

For the topping: Prepare a second batch of whipping cream following the same instructions as above, adding cocoa powder together with the icing sugar and vanilla. Pipe the border using a large open star tip. 

Biscoff Drip Cake

The Biscoff  Drip Cake is the ultimate Biscoff showstopper!!! It is made up of three layers of brown sugar and Biscoff cake, filled and covered with Biscoff buttercream, and decorated with a Biscoff spread drip and Biscoff biscuits. It is basically Biscoff heaven!!! 

It would be such a perfect cake for a Biscoff  fan's birthday - or any other celebration.

Depending on where you live, Biscoff might not actually be called Biscoff. It may be known as Speculoos or Cookie Butter. No matter what you call it you cannot deny that it is utterly delicious!

This Biscoff Drip Cake is three layers of utterly incredible toffee sponge. In the cake I used light brown sugar instead of caster sugar. This is completely optional and you can use caster sugar if you prefer. The reason I used light brown sugar is because it gives the cake a delicious toffee flavour, which is incredible but it also goes well with the Biscoff spread.

Ingredients:

For the cake:

• 400g unsalted butter
• 400g light brown sugar
• 400g self raising flour
• 8 medium eggs
• 2 tsp baking powder

For the buttercream:

• 250g unsalted butter
• 500g icing sugar, sifted
• 300g Biscoff spread

For the sugar syrup:

• ¼ cup of sugar
• ¼ cup of water

For the drip:

• 140g Biscoff spread smooth

For decoration:

• 16 Biscoff biscuits

Method:

For the cake: Preheat the oven to 180ºC/160ºC for fan assist oven. Grease three 20cm/8" cake tins with butter and line the base with baking paper.

Add the butter and sugar in a mixing bowl and beat until fluffy and light. You can use a hand mixer or stand mixer for this.

Add in the flour, eggs and baking powder and beat until all the ingredients are well mix, a lovely smooth cake mixture is formed.

Split evenly between the three tins and bake in the oven for 30-35 minutes ( or until the skewer comes out clean).

Once baked, leave the cake to cool in the tin for 10 minutes, and then remove from tin and leave to cool fully on a wire rack.

For the buttercream: Beat the butter with a hand mixer or stand mixer until it is smooth and supple.

Add in the icing sugar, a little at a time and beat fully until it is light and fluffy. Add in the Biscoff spread and beat until combined. If it is really stiff, add in 1-3 tbsp of water or milk mixing fully each time.

For the syrup: In a small sauce pan boil the water and the sugar until fully dissolve on a low heat. Continue to stir for 3-4 minutes. Let the syrup cool completely in the saucepan.

To assemble the cake:

If the cakes have domed on top, level them off with a cake leveller or a serrated knife.

Spread a smidge of buttercream on the cake board. This is to prevent the cake from sliding off the board when decorating. 

Place the cake board on a decorating turn table and add your first cake to the cake board. Spread over some of the buttercream.

Add the second cake and repeat the same. 

Add on the third cake. Spread some of the butter cream on top and around the edges till the sides are smooth and you have created a crumb coat. It doesn't need to be thick, it just needs to refill any gaps or holes that may be on the sides.

Refrigerate the cake for 15 minutes to set the crumb coat.

Once set, coat the cake with second and thicker layer of buttercream and smooth it out as best you can using buttercream scraper or smoothing tool. Then put it back in the fridge for 30 minutes to set and firm up.

Melt the Biscoff for the drip in the microwave for 20 seconds, or until it is a pourable consistency. Put it in a piping bag, squeezy bottle or if you are confidence you can use a spoon.

Pipe the Biscoff around the edge of the cake, allowing it to drip down the sides in varying amounts.

Once the drips are completed, cover the whole top of the cake with the remaining Biscoff spread. Use a palette knife to smooth it out. Put the cake in the fridge for 30 minutes for the Biscoff to firm up.

Put the remaining buttercream into a piping bag with your chosen nozzle and pipe swirls all around the edge of the cake.

Decorate with Biscoff biscuits, the biscuits will go softer after being in contact with the buttercream so do this as close to serving the cake as you can.

Fuwa fuwa (Japanese Soufflé Pancake)

Fuwa Fuwa mean fluffy fluffy in Japanese. These fluffy Japanese Soufflé pancakes are like eating cottony clouds, but even better with homemade whipped cream and fresh berries!

Hugh in Japan, soufflé pancakes are trending on social media- and they are great alternative recipe for Pancake Day. Or any day of the year!

Japanese fluffy pancakes are deceptively simple. The fluffy soufflé effect is achieved by combining egg white meringue with classic pancake batter. You can either pipe them freely into a pan, to rise on their own. Or use a ring, to help guide them vertically as they cook and rise. If you are using a ring, it is vital to grease them well so you can easily release them once cooked.

Ingredients:

For the pancake batter:

• 2 large eggs
• 2 tbsp milk
• ½ tsp vanilla extract
• 35g plain flour/cake flour
• 30g granulated sugar
• ½ tsp baking powder
• 1 tbsp neutral-flavoured oil (vegetable, sunflower, canola) for greasing
• some water, for steaming

For fresh whipping cream (optional)

• ½ cup double cream
• 2 tbsp icing sugar, sifted

For the topping:

• 1 tbsp icing sugar
• fresh berries
• maple syrup/ chocolate sauce

Method:

For the whipping cream: If you like to serve the fluffy pancake with fresh whipped cream (optional), make it before making the fluffy pancake. In a clean chilled bowl, add in the double cream and sugar. Whisk on high speed until medium to firm peaks form. The cream should not be runny but soft, fluffy and firm instead. Keep the whipping cream chilled until you are ready to serve the pancakes.

For the pancake batter: Separate the egg whites and egg yolks into two different bowls. In the egg yolks bowl, add the milk and vanilla and whisk using a hand whisk until thick and frothy. 

Sift the cake flour and baking powder into the bowl. 

Whisk to combine thoroughly; do not overmix. Set aside while you make the meringue.

In the egg whites bowl, using hand mixer, whisk the egg whites until frothy and opaque. Gradually add in the sugar, one-third of it at a time. Then increase the mixer speed to high and beat vigorously until still peaks form. It takes about 2-3 minutes of beating at high speed to reach stiff peaks.

To check for stiff peaks, stop whisking and pull up your beaters or whisk. The meringue in the bowl or on the whisk should be firm enough to hold peak, pointing straight up. By this time, the meringue should have a glossy texture too. 

Heat a non-stick frying pan over a lowest heat. Brush with cooking oil and lightly remove any visible oil with kitchen paper. This is to prevent spotty pattern on the pancakes. Keep the pan on low heat while you combine the egg whites and egg yolk mixture in the next step.

To fold in the meringue: Take one-third of the egg whites and add to the egg yolk mixture. Whisk together by hand (don't worry too much about breaking air bubbles at this point).

Next, take half of the remaining meringue and add to the egg yolk mixture. using a hand whisk, gently fold them in without breaking the air bubbles in the egg whites. 

Now all the remaining meringue into the egg yolk mixture. Very gently, fold the two mixtures together, taking care not to deflate the air bubbles in the meringue and batter as you fold. Mix the batter very gently until well combined and homogenous.

To cook the pancake: Keep the frying pan at all times over low heat. Each pancake gets roughly four small scopes of batter, and you will be making 3 pancakes. For the first pancake, place one scoop of batter and make a tall mound in the frying pan, using an ice cream scoop or a small ladle or a serving spoon. Next, stack one more scoop of batter onto the first scoop already in the pan. Repeat for the next two pancakes, giving each pancakes two scoops of batter.

By the time all three pancakes have two scoops, the surface of the batter is slightly dry already. At this point, you can mould one more scoop on top of each pancake, keeping the batter piled up high. In  the bowl, you should have roughly 3 scoops left ( no worry if you have more).

Set the timer for 6-7 minutes, add 1 tbsp water in the 3 empty spaces inside the pan, and cover with a lid. The steam from the water keeps the pancakes moist while they cook.  Cooking time is just a guideline; how long you cook the pancakes is based on the temperature of your frying pan.

After 2 minutes, lift the lid, add one final scoop for each pancake. Make sure to stack the batter high, not wide. If the water has evaporated, add a little bit more. Cover with the lid and cook.

After 6-7 minutes, lift the pancake VERY GENTLY using an offset spatula. If the pancake is stuck, don't touch it until it firms up a little. If you force it, the pancake will crack in the middle. When the pancakes is ready, you can easily move the pancake.

Add more water to the empty spaces in the pan and cover. Set the timer for 4-5 minutes to cook the other side on the lowest heat setting. Once they are nicely browned, transfer the pancakes to your serving plates.

To serve: Place the optional fresh whipped cream on the pancakes (or leave it at the side of the pancake) and top with the berries. Dust the pancake with icing sugar and drizzle with maple syrup or chocolate sauce.

                               Enjoy!!

Vegan Moroccan Stew

There is nothing quite like a cozy stew in the Autumn & Winter. This Moroccan stew recipe is perfect combination of protein, vegetables and carbs and spices to create a delicious dish that can be enjoyed on its own or served with rice, quinoa or couscous.

The stew is made with warming spices like cumin, cinnamon and paprika which are traditional in Moroccan cooking and give the stew a unique Middle-Eastern taste that you won't be able to get enough of.

Ingredients:

• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 large onion, diced
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 tsp ground cumin
• 2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp paprika
• 1 tsp ground coriander
• ½ tsp ground ginger
• ½ tsp ground allspice
• ½ tsp black pepper
• ¼ tsp cayenne pepper
• 3-4 cups cubed sweet potatoes
• 3-4 cups cubed potatoes
• 2-3 cups chopped carrots
• 1 cup dry green lentils, rinsed
• 1 tin chickpeas, drained and rinsed
• 1 tin chopped tomatoes
• 4 cups vegetable stock
• 1 cup water
• 1 tbsp coconut sugar *
• 2-4 cups kale, optional
• coriander, for garnish

Method:

Warm a large pot on medium heat. Cook the oil and diced onion, stirring frequently, for 5 minutes or until the onion is translucent. Add the minced garlic and spices. Sauté for additional minute.

Add cubed sweet potatoes, potatoes, carrots, chickpeas, dried lentils, chopped tomatoes and vegetable stock. Bring to a rapid boil, then reduce heat and simmer (covered) for 25 minutes or until the vegetables are fork-tender.

After, remove lid and add coconut sugar and kale. Cook for an additional 5 minutes (uncovered). If needed, you can thin the stew by adding extra vegetable stock, water or coconut milk.

Serve vegan Moroccan stew alone or with rice, quinoa, couscous, nan or your favourite flatbread. Garnish with coriander leaves. 

Enjoy!

Note: coconut sugar can be replace with light brown sugar

Scottish Beef Stew

Stay warm and cosy with this old fashioned Scottish beef stew recipe. Tender chunks of beef with onions, carrots and swede in a rich beef gravy. This fall-apart beef cooked in the slow cooker or oven, perfect for Burns Night or any other nights!

This is classic comfort food that is made with simple ingredients and is very easy to prepare.

Ingredients:

• 2 tbsp vegetable oil
• 1kg stewing/braising beef, cut into bite-size chunks
• 2 tbsp plain flour, mixed with a pinch of salt and pepper
• 2 large onions, peeled and chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed
• 2 tbsp cranberry sauce
• 500ml red wine
• 2 large carrots, peeled and chopped
• 2 medium  potatoes, peeled and chopped
• ½ small swede, peeled and chopped
• 700ml beef stock, if using cubes, just use 2 cubes
• 2 tbsp tomato puree
• 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
• 4 bay leaves
• 2 tsp dark brown sugar
• 3/4 tsp salt
• 3/4 tsp crushed black pepper
• fresh thymes sprigs

Method:

Heat the oil in a large pan. Dust the chunks of beef in the flour and fry the beef for 7-8 minutes until golden brown all over. Add the onions and cook for a further 5 minutes. Stir in the garlic. Add the cranberry sauce, then pour in the red wine and simmer for 5 minutes.

Add in the carrots, potatoes, swede, stock, tomato puree, Worcestershire sauce, bay leaves, sugar, salt and pepper. Bring to a gentle boil then transfer to a slow cooker and cook on high for 5-6 hours or low for 7-8 hours. Alternatively you could place a lid on the pot and cook in the oven for 3-4 hours, stirring a couple of times during cooking.

Serve topped with a little fresh thyme and some freshly cut bread. 

                                  

 

Seitan Chicken & Stuffing Roast

Have you had enough of that nut roast? Are you crying out for the perfect Sunday joint?

Look no further. Whether it's your Sunday roast or that all important Christmas dinner, this seitan chicken & stuffing roast joint will impress any guest!.

This stuffed seitan roast is full with flavour!. Just because it is vegan doesn't mean it doesn't taste amazing! This roast can be made in the morning and left to cool before things get too hectic. Then just slice off the portions you need for dinner and reheat for 10 minutes until hot all the way through just before serving. This way, it frees up space in the oven and makes preparing dinner more relaxed and less overwhelming!. The perfect centerpiece to Christmas, Thanksgiving or even just a homey dinner with the family. This stuffed seitan roast is just as great during the holidays as it is during the year!

Ingredients:

Wet ingredients:

• 200ml boiling water
• 1 tin (400g) cooked chickpea and aquafaba from tin
• 1 tbsp lemon juice

Dry ingredients:

• 250g vital wheat gluten
• 4 tbsp nutritional yeast
• 4 tsp vegan bouillon powder
• 2 tsp onion granules
• 1 tsp garlic granules

Stuffing:

• 100g sage and onion stuffing

Method:

Sage & Onion Stuffing: Add 200ml boiling water to the stuffing mix in a bowl.  Mix until consistent then add 1 tsp vegan spread. 

Leave to stand whilst you make the dough, then add a little more water so the stuffing is not dry. You want it to be a bit sticky.

For the dough:  Put 200ml water, lemon juice and the tin of chickpea beans with all the juice from the tin into a plastic jug.

Using a stick blender, blitz until it makes a completely smooth paste.

Grind the nutritional yeast, stock, onion and garlic granules using pestle and mortar or electric herb mill (if you have one at home) until it makes a fine powder and add to the wet mixture, blitz until combined.

Now add the gluten to the food processor then pour in the wet mix whilst it's running then hold on as its going to get a bit active. Mix on full power for 2 minutes.

Leave to stand for 1 minute.

Mix on full power again for 2 minutes or until a uniform stretchy consistency has been achieved.

Making the joint: Spread the dough flat and measure it to be as wide as your steamer and twice as long.

Roll out the stuffing to match the width of the dough then place near the top of the dough.

Roll up the stuffing with the dough and create the joint shape.

Tuck in excess dough around the roll of the joint, try to make this as uniform as possible.

Oil a sheet of aluminium foil then roll up the roast as tightly as you can, cover this with another layer of foil so it looks like the photo. 

You will need to gently force this into the steamer. Steam for 1 hour.

                                  

Turn out the joint and pop it back in upside down and steam for a further hour.

Pop the joint out and flip it over then steam for a final 30 minutes.

When the joint has finished steaming, remove the foil, put it on a cooling rack and leave to stand for 30 minutes, this will let it tighten up and form an outer layer.

Carve into slices and serve!

Notes: Ideally you want to make the joint the day before to let it rest and firm up completely. This makes it much easier to carve.

Agar Agar Koi Fish (Koi Jelly)

Want to "wow" your family with something sweet, beautiful and auspicious this Chinese New Year? Try making Koi Fish Jelly!

There’s a Chinese proverb that goes ‘nian nian you yu’ (年年有余) which means having things in surplus every year. As ‘yu’/ surplus sounds like ‘fish’, which symbolizes wealth and prosperity, the Chinese loves to serve fish on Chinese New Year. With this recipe, you can have fish for dessert too 😉

I absolutely enjoy making this jelly. Seeing how the fish come to life is so satisfying. It's like magic!

Ingredients:

• 9g Agar Powder
• 100g granulated sugar
• 650ml water
• raisin, for the fish eyes
• yellow and red food colouring
• Koi mould

Method:

Make the agar jelly: Add water, sugar and agar powder into a pot of water to boil, then lower to a simmer.

Stir until the sugar and agar powder has dissolved. Turn off the heat.

Next, take some of the agar liquid (about 3 tablespoons) into a small bowl. Using a tweezers, grab the raisin, dip it into the agar liquid, and then place the raisin into the eye of the koi mould (do this to both eyes).

Add yellow food colouring to the bowl of agar liquid and mix well. With a teaspoon, add a bit of the yellow agar mixture to the koi mould. It only takes about 1-2 minutes to harden.

Next, take again some agar liquid about 3 tablespoons into a small bowl. Add red colouring to the bowl and mix well. With a teaspoon, add a bit of the red agar mixture to the koi mould.

When it has hardened, gently pour the agar liquid into the mould. Allow it to set. Find some bowls or cups to hold the mould steady!.

Poke any air bubbles with a toothpick. Once set, place in the freezer or fridge to chill for an hour. Once it is firm, you can easily pop the koi jelly from the mould, or if needed use a toothpick for assistance.

Beef & Stout Pie

Rich and savoury, this beef and stout pie recipe is always a huge success every time I serve it. This beef and stout pie is the perfect St Patrick's day dinner recipe. Succulent beef and mushrooms cooked in rich Guinness gravy baked under hot milk pastry is a dish that is guaranteed to impress.

Dark and hearty on its own, the Guinness gives an incredible richness to the finished pie. Its flavour goes particularly well with the beef. 

Meat pies are common all over the British Isles. And beef and Stout pie is particularly common in Ireland where it's also referred to as Beef and Guinness Pie. 

Don't let the length of this recipe scare you away. Even though it has quite a few steps, it's really a simple recipe.

 

Ingredients:

For the pastry:

• 1¼ cups milk
• 135g lard
• 3½ cups plain flour
• ¾ tsp salt

For the filling:

• ½ cup flour
• 1 tsp thyme
• 675g stewing beef
• 1 brown onion, sliced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 cup sliced button mushrooms
• 1 can Guinness stout, approx. 2cups 
• 2 cups beef stock
• ½ tbsp Worcestershire sauce
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1 tsp thyme
• 2x45g butter 
• 45g butter, melted for greasing the tin

Method:

For the hot milk pastry: Cut the lard into small chunks. In a medium saucepan, over medium heat, combine the milk and the lard, heating until it is almost boiling.

Combine the salt and the flour, then slowly add the hot milk to the flour mixture, stirring with a wooden spoon until a dough forms. Or if you have a food processor, you can combine the flour mixture and hot milk, pulsing until a dough forms into a ball.

Flour your counter. Form the dough into a disc shape and let it rest for about 20 minutes, or until cool. Once the pastry is cool, you can wrap it and refrigerate it up to two days, but you have to let it come to room temperature first.

In a bowl, combine the flour, salt, pepper and thyme. Add the beef cubes, tossing them until coated with flour. Heat vegetable oil to fairly high. Fry off the beef in batches, don't over crowded the pan. After all the pieces are browned, set aside the beef.  

In a cast iron or oven safe pot, over medium heat, melt 45g butter and add the mushrooms, allowing them to sweat and cook. While the mushrooms are cooking, melt another 45g butter in another pot and cook the onions down slowly, allowing them to caramelize. Once the mushroom are cooked down add the beer to the cooked mushroom and bring it to a simmer. Reduce the beer by half, then add the beef, caramelize onions, beef stock, Worcestershire sauce, season to taste with salt and pepper, then add the garlic and thyme. Simmer the stew until the beef is tender. You can also transfer the beef stew mixture into a slow cooker to cook until the beef tender. Allow the beef stew to cool before adding to the pastry.

For the pastry: Roll the pastry dough out to about ¼ inch thick on a floured surface. Brush a muffin tin thoroughly with melted butter, then using a round cookie cutter to make the initial shape, press the dough-round into the muffin tin. Fill the dough with the cooled stout stew, then cut another round to make the top of the mini pie. Roll the two edges of the pastry together. Cut a small vent on the top. Repeat until all of the dough and stew have been used up. Chill the meat pies in the fridge while you heat up the oven. 

Pre heat the oven to 190ºC/170ºC for fan assist oven. Place your muffin tin filled with chilled pies into the oven and bake for 30 minutes or until the pastry is golden brown.

Serve with vegetable of your choice. Enjoy!

Vegan Steam Vegetable (Bangkuang) Bao

Bāozio 包子 are a very popular Chinese breakfast item. These buns usually present themselves as sweet or savoury fillings wrapped in a dough and also it is one of the popular street foods in China or Southeast Asia. 

Surprisingly, steam bao find its origin in the 2nd century, when this food was much simpler. Over the course of history, steamed baos have witnessed many changes, which leads to the diversity of this traditional Chinese delicacy. Today, you can find bao in different sizes, shapes and with various stuffing.

Today I decided to make a vegan vegetables bao using bangkuang (know in Malaysia) Bangkuang/ sa kot/ yam bean/ jicama is a tuberous root native to Mexico. The Spaniards spread its cultivation to Philippines, and from there it went to China and other parts of Southeast Asia. It is sweet with a crisp texture and yellow papery skin. It is commonly eaten raw in salads such as Rojak and Yee Sang. It is an essential ingredients in Jiu Hu Char or Popiah. That is how bangkuang look like as below photo.

For the bao dough follow the link below:

https://yummymummyrecipes.blogspot.com/2019/06/steamed-bao-buns.html

For the filling:

• 750g coarsely shredded bangkuang/jicama/yam bean
• 200g coarsely shredded carrot
• 5 dried shitake mushroom, soaked to softened and cut into small pieces
• 2 pips garlic, finely chopped
• 3 stalks of fresh coriander, finely chopped
• 2 tbsp sesame oil
• 3-4 tbsp vegetarian oyster sauce
• 2 tbsp light soy sauce
• 1 tbsp sugar
• 1 tsp white pepper
• 2 tbsp cooking oil
• salt to taste

Method:

For the filling: Heat 2 tbsp cooking oil, add in the garlic and fry until fragrant, then add in the carrots. Stir for 1-2 minutes. Add in the bangkuang and continue frying for another 2 minutes. 

Add in the oyster sauce, light soy sauce, sesame oil and salt. Mix well and add in about ¼ cup water and bring to boil. Once boil, let it simmer until soft and nearly dry. Just before taking the fillings off the heat, add additional seasoning such as white pepper, salt and sugar. Make sure you are slightly heavy handed adding in the seasonings because it will be eaten with steamed buns which is plain.

Transfer the cooked fillings to a bowl. Leave it aside to cool completely before filling the bun.

To fill the bun, shape the dough into round shape using a rolling pin. Put the dough on your hand or on top of the table. On the top of the dough, put 1-2 tbsp of the cooked fillings. Pull up the sides of dough and seal off the edges with your fingers. Well seal needed so that the fillings do not burst out from the dough.

Put the buns on top of a square baking paper on top of the steamer rack. Leave space of about 1.5cm between the dough for expansion. Proof the dough for another 30 minutes or almost double in size. By the end of the second proofing, you will notice that the dough skin become smoother as compared to before proofing. 

After the second proofing, get ready the steamer with some water. Bring to boil. When the water boils, steamed the buns under high heat for about 15 minutes. After 15 minutes, off the heat and let the buns sit in the steamer, without opening the lids for about 10 minutes before transfer the buns out of the steamer. The process of letting the buns sitting in the steamer is to prevent wrinkles and rough surface appearing in the buns. Put the buns in cooling rack.

Best served warm as breakfast or snack items. Re-steam the buns for 3-4 minutes will make the buns soft as if they are freshly prepared.

Lion's Head Meatballs (獅子頭 Shi Zi Tou)

 With the grand and exotic-sounding name, you would think the Chinese meatballs known as "Lion's Head"( 獅子頭 Shi Zi Tou ) would be troublesome to make at home. Fortunately, they are as easy as can be. A Shanghai speciality, Lions Head meatballs are made of simple, humble ingredients.

You will find quite a few versions of Lion's Head in China. One popular rendition in northern China is braised meatballs, which are braised in a soy-sauce-based liquid after browning. Another type is meatballs cooked in chicken broth. 

What are Lion's Head Meatballs?

Lion's Head meatballs (獅子頭 Shi Zi Tou) are large pork meatballs that steamed/braised and served with vegetables. Their name derives from their shape, which resembles the head of a Chinese guardian lion, or foo dog. It can be eaten anytime of the year, but is often served as a celebration dish!

Ingredients:

• 450g ground pork/chicken
• 10g ginger, minced
• 1 spring onions, finely chopped
• 1 large eggs
• 3 tbsp plain breadcrumbs
• 1 tbsp Shaoxing wine
• 1 tbsp light soy sauce
• 1 tbsp oyster sauce
•  ½ tsp white pepper
• ¼ five spice powder
• 1½ tsp corn flour
• ¼ cup water
• 100g water chestnuts

For the sauce:

• 1 tbsp cooking oil
• 4 slices ginger
• 2 spring onions, cut into 2 inch lengths (separate the white and green)
• 2½ tsp brown sugar
• 1 tbsp Shaoxing wine
• 1½ tbsp light soy sauce
• ¼ tsp dark soy sauce
• 1 tbsp oyster sauce
• 1½ cups water
• 1 tsp corn flour, mixed with 1 tbsp water
• ¼ tsp sesame oil
• bok choy for serving

Method:

For the meatballs: Put the ground pork/chicken in a large bowl. Add the minced ginger and spring onions, egg, breadcrumbs, Shaoxing wine, light soy sauce, oyster sauce, white pepper, five spice powder, corn flour and water.  Whip everything in one direction for about 10 minutes, until the meat mixture resembles a paste. This step is important to making sure the meatballs have the right texture and don't fall apart during frying.

Finely minced the water chestnuts and add to the meat mixture and continue to mix everything together for further 5 minutes. Use a spatula to scrape everything together.

Heat enough oil to submerge the meatballs in a small, deep pot (small pot requires less oil) to about 175ºC. Make sure there are enough oil to cook the meatballs evenly.

With oiled hand, divide the meat mixture into 8-9 equal portions and shape each into a ball. Carefully lower the meatballs one at a time into the heated oil, and fry in batches until the meatballs are evenly golden brown. Remove the par-cooked meatballs with slotted spoon and set aside.

For the sauce: Heat 1 tbsp oil in a wok over low heat. Add the ginger and white parts of the spring onions and cook for 1 minute. Then add the sugar and cook until dissolved.

Add 1 tbsp Shaoxing wine, 1½ tbsp light soy sauce, ¼ tsp dark soy sauce, 1 tbsp oyster sauce and 1½ cup water. Stir and bring the liquid to a boil.

Once boiling, add the fried meatballs. Cover and cook for about 15 minutes over medium/low heat, flipping the meatballs halfway through.

After simmering, there should be about ¾ cup liquid left. Remove the meatballs from the liquid and arrange on your serving plate. I served mine with blanched baby bok choy. Just add 1 tsp oil to boiling water for the shinny look, and blanched for 30 seconds.

Mix your corn flour mixture, and pour into the sauce to thicken. Once it is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon, stir in ¼ tsp sesame oil and the green part of the spring onions. Once the spring onions are wilted, drizzle the sauce over the meatballs.

Bunny Red Bean Bao Buns

To usher the Year of the Rabbit, I decided to make my bao buns in the shape of a bunny! Bunny Bao Buns!! These vegan bunny-shaped boa buns are ridiculously fluffy, soft, shinny and sooooooo cute.

The dough can be all be mixed into one bowl which is the best. And great news is no hand muscles needed to make this delicious bao buns, all just mix in a cake mixer. 

If you want to make a plain boa buns, you can go ahead and divide and shape the dough into a ball, let it rest and then steam. However, if you want to make a bunny shaped like this, have pink and black good colouring on hand!

You only need a little dough for the pink and black details. I then divided the remaining dough for 30g each balls. Once I had all my dough separated out, I lightly covered them with a tea towel to avoid them from drying out while I shaped each bunny.

You can make it a plain buns. I like mine filled with shop bough red beans paste. You can find the paste in any Asian shop.

 For the ingredients and method on how to make the buns but not shaping, following the link below:

https://yummymummyrecipes.blogspot.com/2019/06/steamed-bao-buns.html

To assemble the bunny:

To make the bunny ear and eyes, once the dough is all ready mixed, pinch about 25g for the plain dough and add the pink colouring to the dough and mix well. 

Again take about 10g of another plain dough and add the black colouring and mix well. Set aside separately both the pink and black dough and cover with a cling film to avoid dryness.

Put the packet of the red bean paste in freezer for about 4 hours. This will make the paste much easier to handle. Then take about 15g to 20g and shape them into balls. You can also freeze the red bean balls for easy handling.

You should get about 14-15 plain dough balls. Flatten and shaped the balls into circles, with the outer edge thinner than the centre.

Place the red bean ball in the centre and encase the filling with the dough. Press and seal the dough well. Slightly elongate the bun into an oval-egg shape. Place seam-side down into a piece of baking paper.

Create a pea-sized pink ball, about 14-15 pink balls for the tail, another pea-sized of 14-15 pink dough for the ears (divide the dough into 2 to make a pair of ear) and a buckwheat-sized black dough balls for the pair of eyes. Adhere all pieces with a touch of water.

Allow to rise, covered, for 30 minutes.

Steam in a bamboo steamer for 10 minutes, and serve immediately.

Any leftovers can be stored in the fridge for 5 days, or frozen for 2 months.