My Failed Swiss Macarons

I usually use French method for macarons.  Thought maybe I'll get better result trying Italian or Swiss methods.  I feel Italian might be harder so I'm trying swiss method first. Here is my result...failed..lol. The shell is slightly hollow and very thin top. It's so fragile and cracks easily. It's very very chewy. I also need to work on the temperature and time too. My white sheeps turned brown sheeps after baking so long. Will try again one more time.🤣

Before baking.

Pipe face first, then head and body. Then ears, feet and hands.
Then hair. Let dry a bit before doing bow or flower

Mango Pineapple Tarts

I was not planning to make pineapple tarts again so soon but pineapples were on sale and they were huge over 6 lbs each! Couldn't resist and bought four huge pineapples. Gave two to mom to eat and two to make regular and mango pineapple tarts. Since a lot of mango puree used, the filling is not as chewy compared to regular pineapple tart. However, the mango taste in pineapple tart is very yummy!

Check on tarts if brown evenly on both sides or not. If not bake another few minutes.  More brown more crisp.

Baking after 10 mins. Top not dry, bake another 5 minutes. Take out and flip , bake another 6-8 minutes

Shape into mold. Try to do oblong shape, then place into mold and use stamp to press

Wrapping fillings. Total dough is about 600g so divide into 20 g each and fillings 10 g each

Using food processor to blend dough ingredients into dough 

Mango pineapple paste after cooking

Mango Pineapple Paste
Yield 40 --10 g (so can reduce pineapple/ mango a little to get 30.)

1000 g peeled pineapple
800 g champagne mango puree(3 large)
1/2 cup sugar + 1 tbsp 
3 tbsp light corn syrup or maltose
pinch of salt

Instructions:

1. Use food processor to blend pineapple. Strain the extra juice for faster cooking. (Can save juice for drinking)

2. Use food processor to puree mango.

3. Place all ingredients except corn syrup to a non-stick pan. Stir and cook until mixture is sticky. Add in corn syrup and continue to stir and cook until dry. (Took about 1.5 hr. Start with medium high heat then lower heat when sticky to prevent burning bottom. Stirring the whole cooking time.)

4. Cool jam and refrigerate until ready to use. (Paste good in refrigerator for few weeks. Left mine in refrigerator for 2-3 weeks one time.)

Pastry dough: by Linda A. 
Yield 30- 20g dough

200 g cake flour
50 g cornstarch
75 g powder sugar
1/4 cup milk powder
1/4 cup custard powder (optional)
180 g cold butter cut in cubes
2 egg yolks 40 g total
1/2 tsp vanilla extract

1. Mix dry ingredients together and place in food processor along with butter, yolks, and vanilla.  Blend until form into dough. (best sift all flour, powder, and sugar first)

2. Cover while dividing pineapple paste into 10 g each.

3. Now divide dough to 30 pieces about 20 g each. (Original is 12 g filling+18 g dough=30 g for these molds)

4. Wrap filling with dough and place into mold and use stamp to press. Repeat until done. (Best use parchment paper)

5. Refrigerate whole tray while waiting for oven to preheat. Preheat oven 165C (330F). Bake for 10-15 minutes and flip over and bake another 6-8 minutes until desired browning. (Watch last minutes do not let filling explode. If start seeing cracks, take tray out, cool few minutes then bake again)

6. Leave to cool before unmold.

Enjoy!

Korean Scallion Pancakes

Korean pancakes is very delicious! A lot cheaper to make at home too. There are different brand for pancakes mix. I tried a few all pretty good. So I just buy whatever on sale...lol🤭 Fried some without scallions for kids and they love it! Dipping sauce can use dim sum sauce or make your own. ⬇️

 No scallions for kids

Seafood mix have cooked mussels,  squid, shrimps , and clam. Sometimes I add in octobus too.











Follow instructions on batter mix and use amount you like. Add in defrosted seafood mix and chopped scallions. Heat pan with oil and pour in batter. Must need enough oil to fry for crispy pancakes.  Once the side is golden crispy then flip to fry the other side. Add more oil if need. Fry until crispy. Serve with dipping sauce.

Dipping Sauce:
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 teaspoon vinegar
1 tablespoon water
1/2 teaspoon sugar
pinch of black pepper (optional)
pinch of gochugaru Korean red chili pepper flakes
1/2 tsp sesame oil

Cream Puffs/Crack Buns/Choux Au Craquelin

Finally baked some cream puffs with crispy top for dessert tonight! Filled half with just whipped cream and half with cream cheese! Both taste very yummy but kids of course only want whipped cream. I will certainly make these again as it's easy and delicious!!!😋😋😋Daughter already asking when I'm making again. 😆

Finished baking

After 15 mins

I doubled recipe for 18 puffs enough for 6 people

Crispy topping

Puffs batter
















Recipe from➡️ CookingTree -Cream Cheese Cream Puffs
9 small puffs about 2 inches

Ingredients

Crispy Topping:
35g Unsalted butter
25g Sugar
35g Cake flour

Puffs Batter:
30g Unsalted butter
33g Water
33g Milk
a pinch of Salt
40g Cake flour
75g Egg

Cream Cheese Whip:
300g Cold cream cheese
1/4 tsp Vanilla bean paste
Whipped cream (170g whipping cream + 35g sugar)

Instructions:

1. Cream butter and sugar. Then add in flour and mix well. (I used food processor and blend into dough). This is for crispy topping

2. Push flat on two sheets of parchment or plastic wrap and put in refrigerator or freezer.

3. Put butter, water, milk, and salt in the pan. When the edge boils and butter melted, remove it from the fire.

4. Add the flour and mix well into smooth dough. Place back into low heat to continue cooking dough until smooth and not stick to pan. Turn off. Let warm. Then mix in the gently whisked eggs in 3 portions until smooth batter.

5. Put batter into piping bag with 1A tip. Pipe into small desired size onto parchment paper or silicone tray.  (Mine is about 1.75 inches)

6. Use circle cutter to cut crispy topping about the same size as piped puffs about 2 inches. Place crispy topping on top of piped batter.

7. Bake in preheated over 375F (190C) for 13-15 minutes. Then lower oven to 320F (160C) for 15-17 minutes. Then turn off oven, leave door slightly open for 30 minutes to slowly cool puffs.

8. Whip heavy whipping cream with sugar. Set aside.

9. Whip cold cream cheese, add vanilla paste and mix well. Add in whipped cream and gently fold whisk together.

10. Make a hole in the bottom and fill the puffs with cream.

Enjoy!

Tips: Only fill the one you will eat as the puffs will soften over time. Unfilled puffs can heat in 150C (300F) oven for 5-8 minutes to crispy. Cool and then fill in cream.

Tiramisu Macarons

One of the first macarons I baked for family is the tiramisu macarons.  Our family love tiramisu cake and macarons. I have not bake both for almost a year now. I decided to bake some with the extra egg white from caneles. I still have not perfect the shape but taste is awesome! The shells is coffee flavor. Filling is made of coffee, mascarpone cheese, kahlua liqueur, sugar and butter.  😋😋😋

Pack for brother since he loves them so much

Crispy outside and chewy inside

Tsunami Topography Castella Cake

I want to bake a Castella cake since we miss the soft fluffy cake with sliced cheese. Also because I have not bake this cake for a while too.  Then I remember Amanda's beautiful tsunami topography ogura, so with that picture in mind, I baked a tsunami Castella using hurricane method...lol. Why hurricane method? Because I forgot to read instructions and didn't know what to do...Haha. Lucky I still get a small tsunami. Will work harder next time.😆

Some big bubbles since didn't try hard to remove before baking😪

 Pan inside pan steam bake (optional with cardboards)

 Fill top with rest of batter

 Sifted cocoa powder on blue layer

 After mixing with merginue

Firm peak. No more beating or cake will be harder












Recipe adapted from 8days.sg. Design credit to @autumn.kitchen

Ingredients:

100g           milk
45g             canola oil
120g           cake flour
7                 large egg yolks (weighing 60g-63g each in shell)
1 tsp.         vanilla extract (optional)
1 tsp          blue pea powder or 4 drops blue food color
Cocoa powder

Merginue:

8                 egg whites
1/2 tsp       cream of tartar
110-120g   caster sugar

4 slices     cheddar cheese (optional)

Instructions:

1. Cut out 4 pieces of cardboard to fit the sides of an 8×3 inch square baking tin. Wrap each piece tightly in foil, shiny side up. (Can put 8in pan in a 9in pan with the cardboards inside 9in pan.)

2. Line baking tin with parchment paper same or taller than the height of the tin.

3. Preheat oven to 150°C (305F). Prepare a baking tray and metal rack. Fill tray with boiling hot water about rack level.

4. Heat oil in microwave oven for 60 seconds until hot. Pour oil into a mixing bowl with cake flour. Mix well.

5. Heat milk for 30 seconds  and mix into cake batter.

6. Mix in egg yolk one at a time until smooth batter. Add in vanilla extract.

7. Measure out 130 grams of batter for blue color. Mix in blue pea powder. Set aside.

8. Beat egg white until frothy.  Add in cream of tartar.  Continue whisking until foamy. Slowly add in sugar until gone. Whisk on medium high until firm peak.

9. Measure out 115 grams merginue to blue batter. Fold until incorporated. Careful not to deflate merginue.

10. Fold remaining merginue to yolk batter in three additions. Fold until well incorporated without deflating merginue.

11. Pour half batter into baking pan. Then pour in blue batter. Use the end of spoon or knive to draw straight lines horizontally from one end to the other without lifting. Then draw line vertically. Remember your last drawing as you'll need to cut cake to see lines. Gently tap pan to remove large bubbles.

12. Sift in cocoa powder. Add sliced cheese. Then fill the rest of batter on top. Smooth top as much as possible.

13. Put pan on baking rack tray with hot water and place into preheated oven on second lowest of lowest level. Bake for 70-75 minutes at 305F. (Steam bake method, pan on top of water)

14. Remove to a cooling rack. Then flip over on a parchment paper to remove bottom cake paper. Now quickly flip back to cooling rack to cool.

15. Best to slice after cooling. However, we find cake super delicious when hot!😜

Enjoy.

Korean BBQ Night

Tonight is a Korean bbq night! So yummy!!!😋😋😋

Marinated boneless short ribs

Marinated octobus and cuttlefish

Spicy and non spicy pork bulgogi

Hot and sweet suasages

Marinated shrimps

Plain boneless short ribs for salt & pepper

 Pork belly

Vegetables for wrapping

Yellow squash, zucchini, oyster mushrooms and onion

Hot pepper paste and bean paste for dipping