Ham n Cheese Bun

These are very soft sweet buns with a savory taste to it.

The original recipe by Khoo See Yew's recipe book DIY Home Bread mayonaise cheese bread.

I have made some changes to it by adding some chicken ham for filling.

I also did an egg glaze instead of spraying with water.

Recipe - makes 10 buns you will need approximately 3.5 hours

Ingredients 

A-

230 gm bread flour/high protein flour 

5 gm instant yeast

170gm water

1/8 tsp bread improver(omitted)

B- 

20gm egg

60 gm castor sugar 

1/4 tsp salt

25 gm cold water

2.5 gm instant yeast

C

30 gm butter(softened)

100 gm bread flour ( I used an additional 10-20gm)

Filling

3 slices of cheese diced

2 tbsp mayonnaise

25 gm castor sugar

Additional 3 slices of cheese for topping

Method

1. Mix A till even n rest for 1 hour- 1.5 hours. I used my k beater. I rested only 1 hour. Covered with cling film in my cupboard.

2. Add B to A, mix till smooth dough, add in C  n knead ( I used hands on) to firm a smooth dough. Occasionally I added a sprinkle of flour as I found the dough too wet. Rest for 15 mins. Covered with cling film.

3. Divide into 60 gm each n shape into balls, let them rest 5-10 minutes.

4. Flatten dough, wrap in filling, knead to round balls, placed on greased tray let it prove to double the size. Maybe around 30 minutes. I didn't use greased tray but paper trays for buns.

5. Apply balance egg as egg wash to buns n place the 2 strips of cheese in a X position.

Pipe out some mayonnaise in circles  ( I omitted)

6. Bake at 190 celcius for 10-12 minutes.

Using the cornell oven I used convection mode middle rack about 13 minutes till the x shape of the cheese becomes pronounced.

Remove from oven n cool before storing in airtight container.

Happy Baking!!

Baked potato pie

Potato pie with mixed grated cheese toppings. Using recipe from Baked cookbook.Boil 2 large potatoes about 220gm each n cut into cubes. Prepare red green n yellow capsicums n diced without seeds. Dice 1 large peeled onion. 3 egg whites. 300 ml unsweetened soy milk. Plain flour 180 gm. Baking powder 1 tsp. Salt 1/4 tsp. In my opinion can increase the salt.

Method

Grease 2 pie trays diameter size 6 inch.

Layer with potatoes then chopped onions then capsicums n sprinkle salt. 

Mix soy milk with egg whites. Add in sifted flour n baking powder in batches n use a wooden spatula to blend till smooth. 

Pour over the two trays.

Bake at 200 c or 400 f for 30 minutes. Cool slightly before serving.

In addition , I also topped with grated mixed cheese at 20 minutes of baking and when done the top is golden brown.

The capsicums offer sweetness to the pie.

I would increase salt or add some fried bacon in the next time to increase the savory taste.

Enjoy baking!!

I used only green n yellow capsicums

Golden brown n so fragrant!

Thai Yellow Curry Paste Chicken

My friends all know me to shun chilli because I really have a low tolerance. When I told some friends I am cooking curry, they were pretty shocked!

Anyway, I am getting pretty adventurous recently in cooking. And this curry really tastes great!

I didn't follow the packet of yellow curry instructions exactly . 

This is what I used - Dancing chef yellow curry paste.

And, no, after eating the curry, I did not dance! Lol!

Recipe

9 pcs of chicken mid joints

4 small potatoes, cut to halves n boiled.

200 ml coconut milk

300 ml water

1 onion sliced into thin rings

Some oil

Some salt

Some Kikkoman soy sauce 

1 pc of red chilli

1 teaspoon of sugar (optional)

In a deep pot, sauté the onions till slightly translucent.

Rub some salt onto chicken wings n fry in pot with onions add a drizzle of soy sauce n fry till skin lightly browned 

Remove from pot.

Into the pot put the coconut milk, water, curry paste , stir n heat till boiling.

Add in the chicken , cooked potatoes and red chilli n simmer till chicken is cooked. 

Serve with white fragrant rice.

Ingredients

Fry the wings with the onions

I added a bit of soy sauce 

Set aside the wings n boil the curry

Mix in the chicken and potatoes n cooked till chicken is ready.

Lovely taste! 

Carrot Cake with cream cheese frosting

This is a simple carrot cake recipe that requires no electric beater just the wooden spoon for mixing.

Adjusted recipe from Pooh's Yummy Cookbook.

Recipe

2 large carrots peeled n grated roughly (about 250 gms after grating)

200 ml of canola oil/ sunflower oil

3 eggs lightly beaten

250 gm self raising flour

1 loaf tin 

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon ground allspice

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

225 gm brown fine sugar - original muscovado sugar 250gm

Method

Preheat oven to 180 celcius. I used 170 for cornell oven using convection mode fan in the upper tray.

Weigh the flour into large bowl, add in the  baking powder, spices, sugar n carrots.

Add in the eggs n oil. Mix well n pour into the loaf tin. I sprayed some oil all around the tin first. 

Bake for 50 -60 minutes 

Remove from oven and cool 10 minutes .

Then place wire rack on top and carefully turn out cake.

When cake is cool, apply cream cheese icing.

Icing recipe

150 gm cream cheese softened.

4 tablespoon unsalted butter about 76 gm

1 tsp vanilla extract

180 gm icing sugar 

Beat all the ingredients together till smooth n creamy using your wooden spoon n chill in the fridge for 10 minutes before using a palette knife to apply cream.

The ingredients 

Before baking

After baking n the cream cheese icing

Cut into 12 pcs

Decorate with raisins or toasted walnut for a nice afternoon tea snack

You can try to colour the balance cream cheese icing n make carrots on the cake 

Decorated with a dollop of strawberry jam 

Steamed Glutinous Rice

Currently it is Chinese New Year and because of this festival, waxed meats are sold in supermarkets - Chinese sausages, wax duck, wax chicken n wax pork.

I remember always going with my mom to Chinatown to get waxed duck or in Cantonese Lup Ngap. It is always a essential item to give to my grandma.

Today I attempted to cook glutinous rice with waxed duck.

Very simple ingredients.

Recipe 

I made adjustments to recipes from Smoky Wok blog and to recipe book 1 Dish 2 Flavours by Patsie Cheong.

One wax duck breast 90 gm bought from Fairprice supermarket (replaced lup cheong in original recipes)

About 600gm of glutinous rice, washed n soaked for about 2 hours

4 Chinese dried mushrooms, soaked till soft 

Some oil

300 ml chicken stock

1 tablespoon soy sauce

A dash of pepper

Spring onions chopped. White for frying. Green part for garnishing.

Some roasted cashew nuts.

I also used 4 rice bowls.

Method.

Boil water in a pot n place wax duck inside and boil for 15 minutes to remove some of the salt.

Cool n dice the duck meat.

Dice the softened mushrooms.

Mix about 300ml of chicken stock with 1 tablespoon soy sauce and pepper and 1 tablespoon oil.

Heat the wok. Add 2 tablespoon oil n add the mushroom n white part of spring onion. Fry a bit.

Then add the waxed duck n fry together. 

Now add the soaked rice n fry together continuously. Sprinkle in the chicken stock if starts to appear dry.

Ladle into 4 rice bowls. 

Steam for at least 50 mins for the rice to cook.

Throughout the steaming time I also added chicken stock to the rice by tablespoons in about 10 minutes break.

Invert into a plate and decorate  with green spring onions n cashew nuts before serving.

The rice is soft and my hubby says like  bak chang - rice dumpling rice texture. I think good attempt. Happy cooking!

Soak mushrooms n rice n the waxed duck in packing

Bought the golden bridge brand 

Using my electric steamer to steam rice n standby the chicken stock

After cooking

Ready to serve