Fried Clams with Ginger, Vinegar

One of my favourite seafood...clams! This is a dish which I love since young, my mother will always prepare this dish for me when I go to visit her. I always buy clams when I  see it in the wet market. The sauce from this dish contains the natural sweetness from the clams and a bit sourness from the vinegar which make me finished the whole plate of rice! 

Muah Chee (Microwaved Version)

My hubby loves Muah Chee because of the peanuts. When I saw Janine from Not The Kichen Sink made one with microwaved version, I quickly hopped over to read her post :) Janine's recipe is enough to serve only one, therefore I'm using the lovely recipe from Ju, The Little Teochew 

Stone Ground Berry Rye Bread

This is my first attempt on stone ground bread, I used the healthy rye bread mix. I based the steps and recipe by using Carol's 天然孝母黑麦杂粮面包 with modifications because I don't have the natural yeast. End result of this project is ...burnt one of my right hand finger :(

Ingredients:

1 tsp Instant dry yeast 

250g bread flour

50g rye bread mix

120ml cold water

1/4 tsp salt

3 tbsp olive oil

some berries

Steps:

1. Add all the dry ingredients in a bowl except oil and berries. Knead the mixture until forming a smooth nonsticky dough. (Liquid part has to reserve 20-30ml, add in slowly)

2. Add in oil. Knead the dough with the standard kneading method, which is in an action of pushing the dough out. Knock the dough on the work surface until the dough is able to form elastic film.

3. Add in berries. Roll the dough into ball, spray water on the surface and cover it with damp cloth. Let it proof for 1 hour (about 2 times bigger)

4. Once proofing complete, use hands to press out air. Roll the dough into ball and cover it with cloth. Let it proof for 1 hour. (I don't have the round basket mould as stated in the recipe therefore I omitted the step)

5. Preheat oven to 210C. Place a cup of water into oven. Heat up the baking tray if you don't have the baking tiles.

6. Spray water on the bread dough and place it on the hot baking tray. (This is the part which burnt my finger :( My dough collasped when I moved it to the baking tray and I've to quicky took out for proofing again)

7. Place bread dough in oven at 210C for 15 mins, and reduce heat to 190C for 10-12 mins or until browning. Spray water on the dough a few times in between to get a crispy crust.

 

Place water in the oven and spray water on the bread about 3~4 times until the bread browning. See the ramekins...kekeke bought at Daiso for $2 each!

Crispy crust!

Texture is soft but not as soft as the usual bread that I made, I'm looking for a harder texture, still room to improve.

This is not a perfect stone ground bread but I love the crust and the chewy texture.

Imaging start a bright day chewing these rye bread with Balsamic vinegar, isn't it lovely?

I'm submitting this post to Aspiring Bakers #5 : Fruity March (March 2011) hosted by Jess of Bakericious

Soft and Spongy Banana Cake

If you are following my posts, for sure you knew about my attempts on banana cakes. Some cakes texture didn't turn out well as what I expected, mainly I'm too wild in changing the original recipes or could it be the method used :) When I saw Joelyn幸福起点 daring to add 500g bananas to her banana cake, I stunned and realized adding more banana wouldn't make the cake texture looks dense, it must be another reason....

Recently I saw Wen's Delight baked a Soft and Spongy Banana Cake, she used 400g bananas! Moreover, she has a special slide created to show how to make a perfect soft and spongy banana cake, this encourage me to give myself a try to bake a big banana cake :) Thank you Wen for your beautiful recipe and step by step slide!

The cake is for tomorrow cell group and I think it has the blessing from God as this is my first successful banana cake texture (not counting my previous chocolate banana cupcake, as it is smaller in size)

Gabriel, Gabriel you are 3!

Let me present...Lightning McQueen Fondant chocolate cake from Cupcakedivinity! It is a very lovely cake, Dr. Mater and Lightning McQueen expression are super cute! The chocolate sponge is soft, moist and delicious!

Gabriel can't resist to put his hands on McQueen before his birthday party, luckily the figures are firmly stick to the cake surface.

Here he goes...with a cheeky expression!

Using my camera to shoot photos

Photo (1) taken by Gabriel, not bad for his age, right?

Photo (2) taken by Gabriel

Photo (3) taken by Gabriel

Photo (4) taken by Gabriel

Digging the cake with fork before the party

Happy Birthday, Gabriel!

May God pour forth his favour abundantly upon him and bless him with a bright future. May God watch over every steps he made and may everything he do will be blessed and everything that he set his hands upon will be fruitful and multiplied.  

Blew off the candle with a single blow

Insist to cut the cake by himself, he did it well!

Calssmates, everyone finished their cake except my Gabriel who was too indulge in eating the fondant Lightning McQueen and Dr. Mater...and the traffic light :(

Love you my darling!

Goodie Bags for Gabriel's Classmates

Gabriel will be 3 tomorrow! It will be his first birthday party with his friends besides the fullmoon birthday party. Gabriel one and two years old birthday were very simple. He is very excited about his birthday cake and started asking for "X" cake since he first saw the cartoon character on a brochure, I tried to change his mind (well I think Pooh Bear and Friends is sweet, don't you think so :)) but he insists until ...now! My boy, he is really strong will kid! Anyway, I already surrender one month ago, he will get what he wants ^_^

He loves sorting out, he did a good job in packing the goodie bags for his friends.

able to resist eating the soft candies and biscuits ...

Trying out the party hat...

These are the items in goodie bag, can you guess what will be his cake :)

Steamed Creamy Sweet Corn Custard Bun 玉米奶黄包 （Sweet Corn Nai Huang Bao)

My previous creation on Steamed Creamy Custard Bun is popular, until today it still my most popular post. I guess lot of people like the creamy custard! This round I'm trying out using Carol's (奶黄馅) creamy custard recipe with modifications in the custard ingredients, more healthy version if compared to my previous creation as no evaporated milk and coconut milk but sweet corn and cheese!

Orange Honey Bread

I love the taste of orange cake , it makes me dig into all my recipes to find a bread or cake that use orange as main ingredient and I found Carol 's Orange Honey Bread 鮮橙蜂蜜麵包. I'm using gelatinized dough or Tanzhong method 汤种法 again. First time not using sugar but natural honey in bread, the taste is divine! 

Dough ready for proofing. My bread shaping skill has improved, right? Hahaha...

Bread dough ready for oven, top with rolled oats, sesames and salted pistachios.

Recipe adapted from Carol

Gelatinized Dough Ingredients:
250ml milk
50g bread flour

Steps:
1. In a bowl, add milk then stir in flour.
2. Bring batter to gas stove, on medium heat cook and stir until the batter thicken.
3. Leave the gas stove once the batter thicken, continue stir until swirling batter.
4. Once cool, the dough can be used directly, if saving in refrigerate has to use within 3 days.


A. Bread Dough Ingredients:
100g Gelatinized Dough
270g bread flour
30g plain flour
1/2 tsp instant dry yeast
1 egg
30g honey (used 50g)
1/8 tsp salt
1 tbsp orange jam (substituted with 1/2 grated orange zest)
150ml orange juice (warm juice)
30g butter

Steps:
1. Place all ingredients A into a mixing bowl (except butter and grated orange zest), knead the mixture until forming a smooth nonsticky dough. (Liquid part has to reserve 20-30ml, add in slowly)
2. Add in butter. Knead the dough with the standard kneading method, which is in an action of pushing the dough out. Knock the dough on the work surface until the dough is able to form elastic film.
3. Add grated orange zest. Roll the dough into ball, spray water on the surface and cover it with damp cloth. Let it proof for 1 hour (about 2 times bigger)
4. Once proofing complete, use hands to press out air. Divide into six small doughs and form into ball, cover with damp cloth and let the dough rise for 15 mins.
5. Roll the dough into olive-shape dough, and roll it into long strip. Plait 3 strips together and place it onto greased pan. Let it proof for 60 mins.
6. Egg wash the surface, decorate as disire and bake at 180C for 35-38 mins.
7. Immediately turn out the bread from pan when it is done.

See the lovely topping and the brown crust! 

Divine bread texture which I always want my bread to be! Crispy crust with an ultra soft texture!

Excellent bread! The orange fragrance and the natural sweetness from the honey!

Want to try?

I'm submitting this post to Aspiring Bakers #5 : Fruity March (March 2011) hosted by Jess of Bakericious

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Stylish Blogger Award

One Lovely Blog Award

I would like to thank Lena of Frozen Wings (Stylish blogger award & One lovely blog award) and Kitchen Flavours (One lovely blog award) for passing on the awards to me. Thank you very much!

Lena of Frozen Wings has a wonderful blog with delicious Nyonya Curry Chicken and Nyonya Fried Turmeric Chicken Wings that makes me drooling. She is very talented and creative in her baking and cooking. Do give her blog a visit!

Kitchen Flavours has a wonderful blog with mouth-watering yummies. She has various types of recipes which make me surprised on how all rounded she is in baking and cooking! Do give her blog a visit, you will definitely enjoy her food as much as I do! 

Rules:
1.Accept the award. Post it in your blog with the name of the blogger who has given u this award with a link to his/her blog.
2.Pass it on to 15 other blogger friends…. to keep the ball rolling.
3.Let the nominated blogger know about their award [leave a comment in their most recent post].

I would like to pass on the above awards to the following fabulous blogs, at random order :

1. Catherine from Living the Gourmet
2. Amy from uTry. it
3. Vivian from Vivian Pang Kitchen
4. Lizzy from That Skinny Chick Can Bake!!!
5. Umm Mymoonah from Taste of Pearl City
6. Jeannie from Baking Diary
7. Zoe from Bake for Happy Kids
8. Jess from J3ss Kitch3n
9. 鲸鱼 from 鲸鱼蓝蓝小窝居
10. Mary from One Perfect Bite
11. Angie from Angie's Recipes. Taste of Home.
12. Min from Min's Blog
13. 茄子 from 袅袅烘焙香
14. 苏联 from 苏联妈妈
15. Joyce from Chunky Cooky

Please do pay a visit to these fabulous blogs. You'll make some new foodie pals and you will be glad you did! Thank you !

Osmanthus Sweet Corn Soy Toast

There is a twist on Gabriel lunch arrangement. Gabriel persistence in his choice of food makes the teacher surrender...they arrange a snack for him instead of forcing him to take the school meal. I'm happy about the special arrangement because the food I prepared in the early morning will turn cold when he eat it at 11.30 am, and that might be chances of food poisioning too. Today his teacher told me the kitchen prepared cheese sandwishes for him and he ate it!!

Talk about healthy choice, this time I added osmanthus and soy flour in my bread. It is mainly for trying out and using Carol's recipe as a guide the bread turned out well. Initially I was thinking of the bread might be with the lovely osmanthus frangrance, but no, it doesn't carry the strong osmanthus frangrance but the sweet corns is the dominant. I didn't use gelatinized method for this toast purely with a heart to try out something different. Ready? Lets go!

Recipe from Ah Tze's kitchen play

Ingredients:
100g soy flour
270g bread flour
30g plain flour
1 egg
1/2 tsp instant dry yeast
10g milk powder
40g butter
1/2 tsp salt
15g caster sugar (if you prefer sweeter, add more)
150ml warm milk
100g sweet corns (I used can sweet corns)
20g Osmanthus flowers, soak in water and drain well

Steps:
1. Place all ingredients into a mixing bowl (except butter, osmanthus flowers and sweet corns), knead mixture until forming a smooth nonsticky dough. (Liquid part has to reserve 20-30ml, add in slowly)

2. Add in butter. Knead the dough with standard kneading method, which is in an action of pushing the dough out. Knock dough on the work surface until the dough is able to form elastic film.
3. Add in osmanthus flowers and sweet corns. Roll the dough into ball, spray water on the surface and cover with damp cloth. Let it proof for 1 hour (about 2 times bigger)
4. Once proofing complete, use hands to press out air. Divide dough into 2 balls, cover with damp cloth and let dough rise for 15 mins.
5. Flatten the dough with rolling-pin and roll up the dough swiss roll style. Let it rise for another 15 mins.
6. Repeat step 5 and the width of the dough should be the same width size of your loaf pan. Place doughs in grease loaf pan, lightly use hands to even its height. Spray water on the surface of dough. Let it proof for 60 mins.
7. Preheat the oven to 210C, when height of the dough has reached 90% of the loaf pan.
8. Cover the loaf pan, bake for 35-38 mins.
9. Immediately turn out the loaf from loaf pan when it is done.

If come to cutting skill, as you can see I'm not that kind of perfectionist.

See the lovely osmanthus? They are not burnt.

This baking regain my confidence in using the direct method in bread making. The combination of osmanthus, soy flour and sweet corns are lovely, it smell very healthy too...hehehe.

Orange Almond Cake

Today is Monday, I baked this quick cupcake for Gabriel. It looks like a sun; bright and cheerful. The orange frangrance, wake up everyone in the morning!

Gabriel doesn't like the almond pieces on his cake, this time I do away with the almonds topping.