Sweet Corn Pudding (Che Bap)

It's summer time and there are abundance of corns. Bought a lot so made some dessert for party. It was so yummy, all gone in an 1hr.😁 I love the chewy glutinous rice and crunch of corn in every bite. Everything delicious serving with coconut milk. I also made Portuguese egg tarts at friends party as requested. Everyone super happy!😋😋😋

 Cooking the naked cobs gives more flavor

Portuguese egg tarts














Serves 15-20 people

Ingredients:

10 ears of corns
1 cup glutinous rice
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 tsp salt
2 liter +500 ml water
1/4 cup white small tapioca 
3 tbsp tapioca starch + 1/4 cup water

Method:

1. Clean the corns and use a sharp knife to shave the fresh kernels as thin as possible. 

2. In a pot add in the water (optional put naked corn cobs in) and bring to boil for few minutes. Remove naked corn cobs and add in the shaved corns. Bring to boil and remove foam. Then turn heat to medium.

3. Rinse the glutinous rice and then pour into the pot. Stir to prevent rice sticking to the bottom of pot. Cook until rice is tender about 10 minutes. 

4. Add in tapioca and stir. Need to stir occasionally to prevent burning on bottom. Cook for about 7 minutes more.

5. The corn and rice should thicken up at this point. Add in the sugar and salt. Stir and taste. Mix the tapioca starch with water and slow stir into the corn. The corn pudding should be thicken but not dry. Rice should be cooked but not mushy.

6. Remove from heat and let it cool. It will thicken up more as it cools.


Coconut Milk:

2 can coconut milk 14oz each
6 tbsp sugar
1/4 cup water
1/4 tsp salt
2 tbsp tapioca starch + 1/4 cup water

1. Bring coconut milk, 1/4 cup water, sugar, and salt to a slow boil. Then slowly pour in the starch water. Do not need to pour all starch into the coconut milk. The coconut milk should be slightly thicken with a hint of sweet and slight salty.

To serve: Pour some corns into a bowl and add in coconut milk. Serve hot or cold.

* Refrigerate leftover pudding. Heat to warm in microwave next day still delicious! 

Happy 8th Birthday to Ethan

Happy 8th birthday to my son Ethan! He is growing too fast!!! We've been too busy all weekend so this is a last minute bake. Son requested for a chocolate cake. So I baked him chocolate sponge and frosted with chocolate swiss merginue buttercream. First time doing the drip and not so perfect since also rushing. Happy the cake tastes good and everyone is happy!🥳

Steam bake with rack and hot water underneath














Chocolate sponge adapted for 7 inch cake from➡️Jeannie Tay

6 large eggs yolks – about 60-62g with shell
70g canola oil
80g cake flour
20g cocoa powder
Pinch of salt
100g milk

6 large eggs whites
100g sugar

1/2 tsp cream tarter

Line the base of two 7 inch round pan. Do not grease the sides.

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven 305F. Prepare pan and boil water for steam bake with rack or water bath. 

2. Heat oil in microwave on high for 1 minute.  Pour into sifted flour, cocoa, and salt. Whisk until smooth.

3. Heat milk for 30 seconds and add to flour mixture. Whisk until smooth.

4. Slowly whisk in yolks until smooth. Set aside.

5. In a separate bowl whisk egg whites to frothy and add in cream tarter. Continue to whisk until foamy and slowly add in sugar. Whisk on medium high until firm peak.

6. Fold 1/3 merginue into yolk mixture. Repeat until finished.

7. Divide into two 7 inch pans. Use steam bake method on lowest or second lowest rack for 50-55 minutes. 

8. Remove baked cakes and drop 2-3 times on counter. Remove from pan, remove parchment paper and cool cake on rack.

Chocolate Swiss Merginue Buttercream adapted from ➡️Gretchensveganbakery only enough to frost cake. If want to decorate then double recipe. 

105 g egg whites (that's 3xl egg white)

130 g granulated sugar *reduced

140 g confectioner powder sugar *reduced

310 g unsalted butter room tempt. 30 min-1hr

2 tsp clear vanilla 

Dash of salt

2-2 1/2 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder

1. Heat a small pot with water. Once boiling, should lower heat to medium. 

2. Place egg whites and granulated sugar in a steel bowl and place on top of double boiler. Water should not touch bowl. Stir continuously once placed on boiling water to prevent cooking egg white. Stir until sugar dissolves and not grainy about 2-3 minutes. Temperature around 115F.

3. Pour the mixture into your stand mixer. Use whisk attachment and whisk on high speed for about 6 minutes where white is firm. Add in confectioner powder sugar and stir at first then back on high speed. Whisk for another 4 minutes until stiff again.

4. On med high speed slowly add in cubed butter. Whisk until smooth and add in salt and vanilla. Whisk about 5 minutes. 

5. Sift in cocoa powder and whisk until combined. 

6. Switch to paddle attachment and whip on medium low speed until smooth and no bubbles. 

Chocolate Drip

1/4 cup heavy cream

1/3 cup Semi sweet chocolate chips 

Microwave cream 1 minute.  Pour into chips. Let sit 2 minutes.  Stir until smooth. Pour into a squeeze bottle.  Let cool until desired consistency about 20 minutes or refrigerate for faster.

Assemble Cake

1. Divide cakes into 4. 

2. Use an ice scoop to scoop smbc for even layers.

3. Frost top and sides of cake. Refrigerate cake until firm.

4. Apply chocolate drip to cake.

5. Decorate with macarons or chocolates. 

Portuguese Tarts 2

I am searching for a perfect recipe for Portuguese tarts. I think I'm closer to my goal. This is homemade puff pastry and it's so crispy! I love it!!!

After watching numerous videos on Portuguese tarts, I find the real tart uses egg yolks and flour cooked to paste with milk. Also baking in high temperature of 250C 482F or higher for a shorter baking time. The inside custard is creamy and outside super crispy even after cooling. So good! Now I will try for a silky custard similar to egg tarts.😋😋😋

Fill with custard solution all the way up for 11 tarts or 3/4 for 12 tarts.

Divide pastry dough into 11 pieces to shape in tart molds.  (Grease molds with melted butter first.)

Third time apply butter to pastry dough and roll it into a log. Then cut into 11 pieces.

First roll dough flat into a rectangle shape.  Apply 1/3 soft butter to 2/3 of dough. Then fold side without butter in first then fold the other side on top like pic. Repeat.















Ingredients: makes 11-12 tarts standard tart molds

Custard:

200 ml whole milk
50 ml heavy cream
115 ml water
90-100 g sugar
30 g all purpose flour
4 large or xl yolks
20 g condensed milk
1 tsp vanilla or use lemon peel

Instructions:

1. In one pot, mix flour with some milk, stir and slowly add in all milk and heavy cream until smooth. Turn on heat and continuously stir into a thick paste about 3-5 minutes.

2. In a separate pot, mix sugar and water together.  Boil it 6-7 minutes or until temperature reach 105C.

3. Slowly add the sugar syrup to dough mixture. Mix until smooth. Strain with a fine mesh strain. Cool 10 minutes.

4. Mix condensed milk with yolks. Now add dough mixture into yolks.  Mix until smooth. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use.

Puff Pastry:

165 g all purpose flour
140 g unsalted butter room temperature
85-90 g cold water
1/8 tsp salt

Instructions:

1. Mix flour, salt and water and knead into stick dough. Let rest 10 minutes to relax dough.

2. Sprinkle flour on counter. Place dough and roll into flat thin rectangle shape.

3. Spread 1/3 butter on 2/3 of dough. Fold the end without butter in then fold the other end over like folding letter.

4. Repeat. Sprinkle flour and roll dough out into thin rectangle shape if possible.  Spread butter to 2/3 of dough and fold again.

5. If dough too soft to handle then cover and freeze 10 minutes.  Then roll out again. This time spread butter all over surface of dough.

6. Starting from one end and roll dough into a log. Now cut and divide into 11 pieces. (Melt some butter and brush into mold first for easy remove tarts.) Then place dough into molds and start spread to mold shape. Refrigerate for 10-15 minutes.

Assemble:

1. Preheat oven 250C 485F. Or 500F

2. Take tarts molds out of refrigerator and fill with custard solution.

3. Bake on middle rack for 10 minutes.  Then place on top rack for 5 minutes or until see brown burnt spots. (If after 5 minutes no burnt spots then turn on broil for few more minutes. )

4. Turn off oven. Leave door slightly open for 3-5 minutes before taking out of oven. Or take out right away if already too dark.

5. Leave in mold to cool for few minutes before consuming.  Custard extremely hot.

6. Enjoy!

* Can reheat in oven at 350F for 5-7 minutes next day.

Portuguese Tarts

Today trying Portuguese tarts. I used store bought puff pastry and it is so easy and yummy too. First time making these so still need to revise recipe since they sink in too much after baking. But the taste is still yummy! I ate 4 or 5...🤦‍♀️😋

Lemon Old School Buttercream Cakes

Baked vanilla and lemon old school buttercream cakes for teacher appreciation week. Teachers and staffs were happy eating them and love the lemon cakes the most!

Since I couldn't tell what flowers I piped on my first bake, I went on Google and YouTube to study some piping. Went and bought some smaller tips too since I need to pipe them really small. Very challenging when they are so small.😣

Learning as I piped directly onto cakes so couldn't make mistakes. At least now we can tell what some of the flowers are?😆

Since I gave away all the cakes, I came home and baked 2 more lemon and coffee cakes for us to enjoy! I think I am liking smbc now! Used all butter and reduced sugar a bit. Frosted and decorated with minimum smbc so I'm not too guilty eating. This is also the best way for me to practice piping flowers.🤪🙃

Lemon sponge with lemon SMBC

Coffee sponge and coffee SMBC

Cake from 9x13 inch pan is thicker. Thinner if use 10x13.5 inch pan. Anything larger will be too thin.

 Cooling cake

Look closely at the peak inside  bowl. Firm peak with a curve.

Light Lemon Sponge 

Fluffy thick cake using 9x13 inch or use 10x13.5 inch pan for thinner cake

Ingredients

5 extra large yolks (egg w/ shell 62-65g)

85g Cake flour

40g canola oil

30g lemon juice

30g water

1/4 tsp salt

1 tsp vanilla 

5 egg whites

100g sugar

1/4 tsp cream of tartar

Instructions

1. Heat oil in microwave for 1 minute until hot. Add to flour and stir to mix. 

2. Heat water for 30 seconds and stir into flour plus lemon juice. Stir into paste.

3. Add in one yolk at a time and stir until smooth. Add in salt and vanilla. Stir.

4. Whisk egg white until frothy. Add in cream of tarter. Continue to whisk until foamy. While whisking slowly add in sugar little at a time.

5. Whisk until firm peak where the tip of merginue bend over to the side.

6. Fold 1/3 meringue into yolk batter first. Fold in another 1/3 until all incorporated. Be gentle to not deflate merginue.

7. Pour into lined 9x13 pan. Drop pan on counter to release trapped bubbles.

8. Bake at 355F (180c) preheated oven 2nd level for 18-20 minutes until top is golden. 

9. Cool 2-3 minutes then unmold on another parchment paper. Peel off bottom paper on cake and then flip back on cooling rack with parchment paper.

Lemon Curd get recipe from ➡️lifeloveandsugar 

Swiss merginue buttercream adapted from ➡️Gretchensveganbakery

105 g egg whites (that's 3xl egg white)

130 g granulated sugar *reduced

140 g confectioner powder sugar *reduced

310 g unsalted butter room tempt. 30 min-1hr

2 tsp clear vanilla 

Dash of salt

1. Heat a small pot with water. Once boiling, should lower heat to medium. 

2. Place egg whites and granulated sugar in a steel bowl and place on top of double boiler. Water should not touch bowl. Stir continuously once placed on boiling water to prevent cooking egg white. Stir until sugar dissolves and not grainy about 2-3 minutes. Temperature around 115F.

3. Pour the mixture into your stand mixer. Use whisk attachment and whisk on high speed for about 6 minutes where white is firm. Add in confectioner powder sugar and stir at first then back on high speed. Whisk for another 4 minutes until stiff again.

4. On med high speed slowly add in cubed butter. Whisk until smooth and add in salt and vanilla. Whisk about 5 minutes. 

5. Switch to paddle attachment and whip on medium low speed until smooth and no bubbles. 

Lemon SMBC

1/2-3/4 cup lemon curd 

2-3cup SMBC

1 tsp lemon Juice (more or less)

Whisk  until light and  fluffy.  Use lemon smbc for fillings and cover top. Use the regular smbc for flowers and decorating. 

Enjoy!

Old School Buttercream Cakes

Teachers appreciation week and one of the day is give a snack or treat. Scratching my head as what to give. Then thought of these old school buttercream cakes as it's on my to do list. This is just a test baking and it turned out well. Cake is a swiss roll recipe. The cream is swiss merginue buttercream.

Actual size is 10x13.5 inch but can use 9x13 inch pan for thicker cake.












Swiss roll cake recipe adapted from➡️ Suka Amel
(10x13.5 inch or 9x13 inch pan) bought from Michael's

115 ml whole milk
80 ml canola oil
85 g cake flour
15 g milk powder
1 tsp vanilla
1/4 tsp salt
6 Xl egg yolks (375g with shell)

Merginue:
6 Xl egg whites
1/2 tsp cream of tartar
100 grams of castor sugar


Instructions:

1. Line pan with parchment.
Preheat oven 375F 190C. When bake lower to 340F 170C.

2. Heat milk and oil over boiling water for 1 minutes until hot.

3. Pour milk into flour, milk powder, and salt. Whisk until smooth paste.

4. Add in one yolk at a time until finish with all yolk. Whisk into smooth batter.

5. Whisk egg white in a separate oil water free bowl until frothy about 1 minutes. Add in cream tarter continue to whisk until fine bubbles. Add in some sugar continue to whisk until all sugar gone. Whisk to soft peak. (Do not under whip or you'll get custard cake instead.)

6. Fold merginue to yolk batter in 1/3 increments. Use balloon whisk stir in circular motion is easier and then use spatula to fold at the end.

7. Pour into pan. Gently tap to remove some large bubbles.

8. Lower temperature to 340F 170C. Bake for 10 minutes at middle level.

9. Lower temperature to 305F 150C for 25 minutes.

10. Remove baked cake out of oven. Drop 2-3 times on counter. Wait 1-2 minutes and flip on another parchment paper, remove bottom paper.  Then flip back on cooling rack to cool. Make swiss merginue buttercream while cake cooling.

11. Divide cake into 2. Spread filling with cream, stack the other cake on top and spread more cream on top. Cut off edges. Cut into desire sizes. Then pipe flowers, stems, and grass.

Swiss merginue buttercream adapted from ➡️Gretchensveganbakery

This recipe uses high ratio shortening (sweetex).  Why did I choose this recipe instead? If only making with butter, my lips will end up very oily feel after eating. With this shortening, it's not as oily, gives smoother whiter buttercream plus hold better with hot weather. Now where to find this shortening? You can buy 3 lbs online or visit one of the American bakery and ask them if they can sell you some. I was able to buy from a local bakery for $5/lb. You might able to get at cheaper price than me since my bakery didn't know how to sell it. I bought 3 lbs and keep in container in a cool place. Bought 6 months ago and still very good. 

Ingredients: Edit, if don't want sweet buttercream then reduce sugar to 130g. Confectioner to 140g for not so sweet smbc.

105 g egg whites (that's 3xl egg white)

150 g granulated sugar (can reduce to 130)

160 g confectioner powder sugar

85 g high ratio shortening (sweetex) (can replace with butter)

226 g unsalted butter (2 sticks)

2 tsp clear vanilla 

Dash of salt

1. Heat a small pot with water. Once boiling, should lower heat to medium. 

2. Place egg whites and granulated sugar in a steel bowl and place on top of double boiler. Water should not touch bowl. Stir continuously once placed on boiling water to prevent cooking egg white. Stir until sugar dissolves and not grainy about 2-3 minutes. Temperature around 115F.

3. Pour the mixture into your stand mixer. Use whisk attachment and whisk on high speed for about 6 minutes where white is firm. Add in confectioner powder sugar and stir at first then back on high speed. Whisk for another 4 minutes until stiff again.

4. On med high speed add in shortening and slowly add in butter. Whisk until smooth and add in salt and vanilla. Whisk about 5 minutes. 

5. Switch to paddle attachment and whip on medium low speed until smooth and no bubbles. 

6. Divide about 1/4 cup for each for pink, purple, yellow,  and green. The rest leave for filling and topping.

7. Piping tips used: #352 for leaves, #2 for stems grass, #81 yellow flowers, #86 purple flowers, #102 pink flowers. Use couplers so can change tips if want other flowers for that color.

Tips: cover and refrigerate any leftover cake. Leave at room temperature 30 minutes prior eating so smbc can soften for better texture.

Egg Tarts with Puff Pastry

I'm still trying to make puff pastry for egg tarts. I'm using butter even though the recipe call for lard. I used most of my lard for wife cakes so didn't have enough for egg tarts...😆 The egg tarts turns out good but not very pretty. I think I might buy the ready made pastry next time to save some time and maybe store bought might look better. 😄 This recipe only uses 80g sugar which is on low sugar side so just barely sweet. Will need to add a little more sugar if you like sweet. I also add in one yolk to the water dough and reduced some water. Used cold butter and food processor to make both oil and water dough.

Recipe from gwenskitchencreations

Filled tarts all the way up. Recipe can make 18-20 tarts.
Baked at 4th level 25 mins at 180C

Prebaked shells too puffy so need to press the center down before filling.

Prebaked shells 200C for 10 minutes but still white. Will need to move tarts to level 2 instead of 3 for golden shells. 10 minutes

Sambal Eggplant with Shrimps

I learn a delicious dish and that is sambal eggplant with shrimps.  It is very flavorful and perfect with rice! I add in a lot of dried shrimps and some big chilies which is not very spicy. This dish is on mild spiciness and so fragrance.😋😋😋

Frezno chilies


















Ingredients:

3 medium large eggplants
10-15 large or jumbo shrimps
3 frezno chilies
2-3 red thai chilies
2-3 shallots
3 cloves garlic
About 2-3 tbsp dried shrimps soaked

about 2 tbsp oil
2 tsp oyster sauce
1 tsp soy sauce
Dash fish sauce
Dash salt
1/2-1 tsp Sugar
1-2 Chopped scallions

1. Place all chilies, shallots, garlic and soaked dried shrimps into food processor to blend them finely. Or use mortar and pestle to pound them finely.

2. Wash and chop eggplants. Deep fry or pan fry in two batches with little oil. Set a side.

3. Heat wok with oil. Add in the finely blended chilies mixture. Cook until fragrance and somewhat dry. Add in shrimps and continue to cook until shrimps almost cooked. Add in some water if wok is dry and burning.

4. Add in eggplants and give it a good stir. Add in seasonings such as oyster sauce, soy sauce, fish sauce, salt and sugar. Stir well. Taste. Add more fish sauce if needed. Add in scallions. Remove to plate.

5. Serve hot with rice.

Enjoy!