Greatest Gift: Have a Blessed Christmas

Today is another day fill with love and I decided to pen it down to make it the closure post for year 2012. Two more days, all my stuff will be in the 40 footer container and this will be the the closure of my kitchen in Singapore. However, I anticipate the new beginning of my life in Australia with great hope and excitement than I can imaging. I have faith in God that whatever Jesus bring me in He will bring me through. Because of that, I'm so excited to see what future He have planned for me. If you ask me whether I will miss Singapore, the answer is a definitely yes. Singapore is the place where I build my family and career. Staying 14 years in this land, this is the place where I call it home. 

I baked the below jelly cheesecake sometime ago, using my previous recipe with Oreo biscuits and without strawberries :) 

And, I want to share the news about I received the cheque from Nuffnang! The first cash out since I start blogging!  It is so happy to share it will other blogger out there. I just change to become Nuffnang Glitterati member since July this year and as you know, I was busy shifting house and my posts was not as frequent as last time... and now because of relocation again, I won't be posting until everything settle down. Thank you Nuffnang for the advertisements. Thank you my blogger friends for always there when I come back to this place. 

Wish you all a Blessed Christmas and Happy New Year in advance! See you next year!

Recipe from The Sunday Times with changes:
6" round baking mould

Ingredients:
15 Oreo biscuits, crushed 
70g butter, melted
250g cream cheese, room temperature 
295g condensed milk
1/2 lemon juice
1 tbp gelatin
50ml hot water
One 90g box of Tortally raspberry flavoured jelly crystals

Step:
1. Crush the biscuits and mix in the melted butter in a bowl.
2. Pour the biscuit mixture into a round baking tin. Compact the biscuit mixture.
3. Chill in the fridge for at least 1 hour.
4. Beat the cream cheese until smooth using a whisk. Add condensed milk and lemon juice. Continue to mix.
5. Dissolve the gelatin in the hot water. strain it if there are insoluble granules. Add to cream cheese mixture and mix well.
6. Pour cream cheese mixture into the tine and spread evenly.
7. Leave to set in the fridge overnight.
8. Follow the instructions on the jelly crystals box to make the jelly solution. Let it cool to room temperature.
9. Pour jelly solution over the cheesecake. Place the baking tin back to the fridge until the jelly set.

Steamed Vegetable Dumplings (Chai Kueh)

Mid of next month, the shipment company who provide relocation service will come to pack up all my stuff. I'm glad that my parent are visiting me before I leave. Saw some blogger making this steamed vegetables dumplings recently, I decided to make this for my parent, this is the first time they have chance to taste my chai kueh, I'm happy and hope there are more opportunity to come. I'm using my old recipe and double the ingredients to make 22 pieces. This round I make sure that I shredded the jicama and carrot properly and wrapping of the dumplings skin was smooth and easy one. The end result is a soft and crystal clear dumplings skin that doesn't harden when cool down.    

Recipe for filling from Ah Tze's Kitchen Play

Ingredients:

600g jicama, shredded
200g dried prawns, soaked and chopped
1 big carrot, shredded
4 tbsps sugar
2 tsp salt
2 medium bowl of water
cooking oil
80g chopped garlic
6 stalks of mushroom, chopped
some Chinese Spinach, washed and chopped

Method:
1. Heat the oil in wok, stir-fry garlic until fragrant.
2. Add in dried prawns and fry until fragrant.
3. Add in jicama, carrots and mushrooms. Stir fry for 5 mins, add in water. Let it simmer until the vegetable is soft and cooked. Add Chinese Spinach. Add in sugar and salt to taste. If you like me, prefer my vegetable to taste sweet to cover the raw smell of the jicama, you may add in more sugar. Let it cool for later use.

Recipe for dumpling skin adapted from Hot Favourites Kuehs and Pastries cookbook, with minor changes

Ingredients:
300g wheat starch flour
300g tapioca flour
500 ml hot boiling water 
2 tsp salt
6 tbsp cooking oil

Step:
1. Place wheat starch flour, tapioca flour, and salt in a bowl. Make a hole in the centre and pour in hot water. (the water must be boiling hot) Mix well with a pair of chopstick, mix to form a dough. 
2. Add oil and knead to form a smooth dough. (make sure to knead well so to produce soft dumpling skin) Cover with wrapping film, set a side to rest for 30 mins.
3.Rroll dough into long strip. Divide into 22 portions. Roll dough to form a thin circle.
4. Wrap 1 tbsp of filling with each dough. Fold into semicircle and seal the opening by pressing the edges together.
5. Line steamer with non stick baking paper or a piece of banana leaves. Place the chai kueh on top and steam for 10~15 mins or until the dumpling skin turns translucent.
6. Remove the chai kueh and brush the surface with some oil. Serve hot.

My Father enjoying the homemade steamed vegetable dumplings 

Hokkaido Chiffon Cupcakes

These few days I was very busy with lots of decisions to be made. The trip to Melbourne was a fruitful and happy one. End of this week, my family and I will be flying to Perth, by then, lots of decisions pending us again. 

Tomorrow is my birthday, I baked this Hokkaido Chiffon Cupcakes which is very popular among blogger, I used the recipe from Sonia,  Nasi Lemak Lovers which she adapted from Forbidden Garden, like what she recommended the taste of this chiffon cupcakes is light and soft! However, my chiffon cupcakes was not perfect because it shrinks when I took it out from oven :( I think I over whisk the batter, for sure I will try out this recipe again. Do hop over to see Sonia beautiful Hokkaido Chiffon Cupcakes.

Not sure whether I still got time to bake anything this year, I may not be able to post anything until I settle down in Australia next year. If everything go smoothly, I will be relocated to Australia by next Feb. Bye! 

Recipe adapted from Nasi Lemak Lovers

Ingredients:

3 egg yolks

20g sugar

35g corn oil

60g milk

70g cake flour

3 egg whites

25g sugar

filling:

60g whipping cream

10g sugar

1 tsp instant custard powder

icing sugar for dusting

Method:

1. Pre-heat oven to 170C

2. Arrange paper liners on baking tray.

3. Hand whisk egg yolk and sugar till pale in colour.

4. Add corn oil and milk, mix well.

5. Sift in cake flour, stir to combine.

6. Beat egg white till foamy, gradually add sugar and beat till soft peak form.

7. Take 1/3 of meringue and use a hand whisk to mix into egg yolk batter.

8. Fold in the balance egg white with a spatula till well combine.

9. Scoop batter into paper liners to about 3/4 full.

10. Bake for 20-25 mins at middle rack.

11. Beat whipping cream with sugar till firm and stiff over a bowl of iced cubes.

12. Add in custard powder and mix well.

13. Pipe custard cream into cupcake and dust with icing sugar. Refrigerated before consume. 

Attached also my son first stage performance at Canadian International School on the Kindergarten Graduation Day (23/11/2012). His nursery teachers had played a big part in his learning journey. My boy enjoyed himself and The Learning Ladder teachers accepted who they are. With only one rehearsal before the day, he is doing very well! A big step forward for this 4.5 years old boy. The words "brave boy" 勇敢的孩子 from the teachers meant a lot to him. Thank you teachers for your encouragement!