咖啡花生布丁 Coffee Peanut Layered Pudding

Pudding, agar agar, jelly or anything close to that form I will wallop everything in mere seconds (provided it is free from animal by product, dairy and eggs).

Despite my crazy love for it, I normally prefer to bake than doing the preparing for pudding like desserts. Yesterday, I came across a packet of leftover fresh grated coconut in the freezer so here I am mooring through my collection of books for something with distinct taste and color as the subject for my next photo shoot.

Recipe derived from Sweet Jelly 菜燕甜品 by Khoo See Yew 丘思耀.  Another neglected pudding jelly recipe book bought 2 years ago but yet to try.  As I have not tested any from this book but from the outcome of my first attempt, I think this recipe passed reasonably.

咖啡花生布丁 
Coffee Peanut Layered Pudding

Ingredients 材料
(A) Sugar Syrup 糖水
180g Golden / Castor Sugar 细糖
300ml Water 水
Few Pandan Leaves 少许香兰叶

(B)
70g Green Bean Starch 绿豆澄粉
250g Water 水
1 Tbsp 即溶咖啡粉

(C)
240ml Water 水
240ml Sugar Syrup 糖水

(D)
100ml Thick Coconut Milk 浓椰汁
30g Green Bean Starch 绿豆澄粉

(E)
300ml Peanut Mixture 花生混糊
(100g Peanut 花生 + 500ml Water 水, cooked till tender and blend 煮软, 用混合器𤧷或磨烂)

120ml Sugar Syrup 糖水

1/4 Tsp Salt 盐

Method 做法

Combine ingredients (A) in a pot and boil until sugar dissolves completely and the aroma of pandan is infused into the syrup.

把材料(A)混合在锅中煮沸，直到糖完全溶解和香兰的香气注入糖浆。

In a separate heat proof pot with medium low heat, warm up ingredients (C). Combine ingredients (B) evenly and transfer the mixture the the pot of (C). Keep mixing / stirring until mixture becomes slightly thick and transparent. Remove from heat and set aside.

把材料(B)混合搅拌成糊. 煮滚材料(C), 把(B)咖啡糊慢慢加入, 继续搅拌成糊状. 离火待用。 

Cook ingredients (E) under medium low heat  until combined. Stir in ingredient (D) and continue mixing until slightly thickens. Remove from heat. 

把材料(D)混合搅拌好, 慢慢加入正煮滚的材料(E),  继续搅拌成糊状. 离火.

Spoon both mixtures alternately into then jelly mould. 

用汤勺将2种面糊分次倒入模型内.

Leave to cool before cutting. Best eaten after refrigerated.

待凉切块, 冷食更佳.

Do link back to Coco Sweet Tooth if you have used any information as published in this blog.

This post is linked to Cook Your Books Event #24hosted by Joyce of Kitchen Flavours

Tabby Tuna Bread 鲔鱼喵喵面包

Attempted this recipe once when I first started bread baking in 2013 from the book 烘焙新手必备的第二本书 The Second Book of Baking for Beginners by Carol Hu 胡涓涓. This 392 pages baking book is one of the best value for money book for beginners as the book comes with pictorial illustration on every step by step preparation until the completion for all the breads featured. Even being self taught and baked vigorously for 2 years+, I still find the recipes challenging. A ever green 'hands on' bread baking bible that will never go out of date.

Unfortunately, her books is only published in Chinese language until now.  I hope her books would be printed in English language to benefit more people one day. If you do not have her book, you may also get check for this recipe from her site.

鲔鱼喵喵面包 
Tabby Tuna Bread 
Recipe adapted from Carl Hu's

Ingredients 
(A) Fillings
1/2 Onion, diced
1 Canned Tuna in Oil (drained)
2 Potatoes (cooked and mashed)
6 Tbsp Sweet Corn Kernel
1/4 Tsp Salt
Pepper
2 Tbsp Cheddar Cheese (finely grated)

(B) Plain Bread Dough
300g UHT Fresh Milk
1 Tsp Instant Yeast
40g Castor Sugar
540g Bread Flour
60g Cake Flour
2 Grade A Eggs
50g Corn Oil
1/2 Tsp Salt

(C) Chocolate Bread Dough
90g UHT Fresh Milk
1/2 Tsp Instant Yeast
1 Tsp Castor Sugar
150g Bread Flour
1.5 Tbsp Unsweetened Cocoa Powder

Egg Wash (Optional)

Directions

Combine all the ingredients (A) into a mixing bowl until evenly combined. Store in the fridge until ready to use.

In the bowl of a stand mixer with dough hook attachment, combine all ingredients from (B) and mix with lower speed until combined. Add more milk (when necessary) if the mixture is to dry and crumbly to form a smooth dough. 

Continue using the mixer to knead with medium speed for another 15-20 mins. Once you are able to stretch the dough to a thin membrane before breaking, it is ready for proofing. Otherwise, continue kneading for another 5 mins. 

Transfer the dough to a slightly greased bowl, cover bowl with either cling wrap or cloth. Allow the covered dough to proof in a warm place (under 28 celsius degrees)  for 1-2 hours or until doubled in size. 

Repeat the same process for making of the chocolate dough. In a separate mixing bowl, combine all ingredients (C) and knead for 8-10 mins until the dough is smooth and non sticky.

Transfer the dough to a slightly greased bowl, cover bowl with either cling wrap or cloth. Allow the covered dough to proof for 1-2 hours or until doubled in size. 

Test the readiness of the dough with a finger lightly dusted with low gluten or cake flour. The dough is ready when the dough remain indented after the finger pokes into it.

Punch down the dough. Divide dough into 12 ps of 60g equal portions and another of 24pcs of 15g equal portions. Mould it round. Let it rest for another 15 mins.

Lightly dust the work top with bread flour, using a rolling pin, roll out the 60g dough into round disc while using palm to shape the 15g balls into teardrop shape. 

Fill the center of the round disc with 2 Tbsp of tuna filling. Round and seal the seams tightly. Place the bread onto baking tray. Take 2 pcs of the 15g tear shape dough and tuck 1/2 of the dough underneath  the top part of the tuna bread to create the ears. Brush a light coat of water over the adjoining part where the lines and attachment part connects.

Roll the chocolate dough into long thin strips. Adjust and trim the length to create whiskers and facial lines on the bread.  Repeat the process for the remaining dough until completed. 

Lightly sprinkle water over the bread and leave to proof into an unheated oven for 50-60 mins.

Apply egg wash and bake in a preheated oven on the middle lower rack at 170C degrees for 18-20 mins, or until the bread surface turns golden brown.

Remove from oven. Leave to cool completely on cooling rack before storing / consuming.

Do link back to Coco Sweet Tooth if you have used any information as published in this blog.

This post is linked to Cook Your Books Event #24hosted by Joyce of Kitchen Flavours

玉米三层糕 Three Layer Corn Cake

I am a huge fan of local kuihs, particularly the sweet and savory ones. However when it comes to making the kuih myself I started to withdraw away. Why is that so? I guess it has something to do with the santan preparation (coconut milk) and the cooking method ....steaming, which, I rendered troublesome. 

That was the wrong perception I held, considering the fact cakes and pastries making require more (before and after) preparation work than that of making our local steam kuihs, in general. Of course there are still some which need advance preparation of the base ingredients since most of the flavor comes from unprocessed sources of fresh vegetables, roots, leaves or raw sugar. In summary, they use simpler cooking method, usually through steaming than oven baking. 

Given that the batter from the kuih can be baked with an oven instead of using steamer alone, I could end up eating  a hardened, cracked or dried out cake. Or maybe not. The enjoyment of eating the local sweet and savory kuihs come from the 'Chewy Melt in the Mouth' sensation right down to the part when the cake smoothly glides down the throat. I doubt I could still get this wonderful feeling from the coarse cake like texture once the kuih come out baked from the oven. 

Perhaps I might try out one day.

Right now, I am going to enjoy this batch of Three Layer Corn Cake / Kuihs and leave the issue of oven baked kuih till another time.  Along with the 椰林风光 Coconut Flavor Kuih I recently posted, both of these wonderful recipes are taken from the book 'Malaysian Kuehs and Snacks 粿香满堂' by Andrew Kow 许孙祥. I am linking back this posting to Cook-Your-Books-24 hosted by Joyce of Kitchen Flavors. 

Enjoy....

玉米三层糕 
Three Layer Corn Cake

Ingredients
(A)
250g Canned Corn Kernel

(B)
100g Rice Flour
50g Tapioca Flour
20g Corn Flour
25g Custard Powder
100g Sugar
1/2 Tsp Salt
250ml Fresh Coconut Milk
230ml Water

(C)
100g Rice Flour
50g Tapioca Flour
40g Corn Flour
100g Sugar
250ml Fresh Coconut Milk
230ml Water
8-10 Drops Pandan Essence
Green Coloring (Optional)


Method

1. Grease and heat up (steam for 5 mins) several heat proof muffin cup moulds before using.
2. Combine ingredients (B) and filter. Cook the mixture under medium low heat until slightly thickened. Stir in (A) and mix until evenly combined.
3. Combine ingredients (C) and filter. Cook the mixture under medium low heat until slightly thickened.
4. Fill the muffin cups with 1 to 1-1/4 Tbsp of the pandan batter (C) as the first layer and steam at medium high heat for 10 minutes.
5. Fill the muffin cups with 1 to 1-1/4 Tbsp  of the corn batter (B) as the second layer and steam for another 10 minutes.
6. Repeat the process until you finished using the batter. Steam the last layer for 15 minutes until set.
7. Remove from heat and allow to the steamed cakes to cool in the baking cups until set and cool.
8. Serve.

Do link back to Coco Sweet Tooth if you have used any information as published in this blog.

This post is linked to Cook Your Books Event #24hosted by Joyce of Kitchen Flavours

夏威夷豆杂果面包 Macadamia Fruity Bread

Another great bread recipe from Alex Goh's 'Magic Bread'. This bread book had been once my daily bread bible when I started baking two years ago. As I progressed in my bread baking experience, this book has been sitting idly among the array of cook books waiting for their turn to be discovered. 

Two years later, I woke this book from its deep slumber and began leafing through it for something to bake as my forthcoming photography subject. This is how this bread recipe got selected and featured in this blog, mainly due to me wanting to use up the Grand  Manier orange alcohol and macadamia nuts previously bought for baking purposes but still left untouched in their respective storage place.

This is my second attempt at making this bread since year 2013, and during then I chose to use orange juice to soak the dried fruits instead. As for whether are there any difference between using orange juice and orange alcohol to infuse the dried fruits, I suppose there are. Since I stopped consuming alcohol after becoming a vegetarian, I usually rely on my sense of smell to gauge the taste of any non vegetarian food I prepare. This batch of macadamia fruit bread not only have stronger aromas than the orange juice infused ones, it also camouflage away the yeasty scent of the bread.

Yes yes I know, another bread making through sponge dough method. Requires slightly more steps and time to follow for every process right up until baking time. I can assure you it is an effort worth making to create this 'commercial' looking bread. A crowd pleaser.

夏威夷豆杂果面包 
Macadamia Fruity Bread

Ingredients
(A)
120g Bread Flour 高筋面粉
85g Boiling Water 滚水

(B)
280g Bread Flour 高筋面粉
60g Sugar 糖
1 Tsp Salt 盐
20g Milk Powder 奶粉
6g Instant Yeast 即用酵母粉
1 Nos. Orange Zest 柳橙皮屑

(C)
100g Cold Water 冷水
3 Egg Yolks 蛋黄

(D)
80g Butter 牛油

(E)
30g Sultanas 葡萄干
40g Golden Raisins 金黄葡萄干
40g Dried Cranberries 蔓越莓干
1-1/2 Tbsp Grand Manier / Orange Juice 柳橙酒 

(F)
20g Chopped Macadamia Nuts 切碎夏威夷豆
(Bake the nuts in the oven at 150C degrees for 10-13 mins.Chopped into fine bits and set side to cool for later use)


(G) Mexico Topping
60g Butter 牛油 (softened to room temp 四室内回温)
45g Sugar 糖
1 Egg 鸡蛋
65g Plain Flour 面粉
1/4 Tsp Baking Powder 发粉

• Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add in egg and continue creaming until smooth. Add in flour and baking powder until evenly combined. Transfer the mixture into piping bag and set aside for later use. Any leftover toppings can be refrigerated for another 1-2 weeks for future use.

Method

Sponge Dough Method. Combine ingredients (A) and mix evenly to form a dough. Cover and set aside to cool. Refrigerate for at least 12 hours before using.

Premix E and set aside for at least an hour before using.

In the mixing bowl of a stand mixer fitted with dough hook, combine ingredients (B) and (C) together with lower speed to form a rough dough. Add in the overnight sponge dough (A) and continue kneading until all ingredients are well combined. 

Add (D) butter and continue kneading with medium speed to form an elastic dough. Once the dough can be stretched to a thin membrane without breaking, it is ready for proofing.

Transfer the dough to a slightly greased bowl and cover with cling wrap. Allow the dough to proof in a warm place for an hour or until doubled in size. I kept mine inside the idle and unheated oven for proofing.

Test the readiness of the dough with a finger lightly dusted with cake flour. The dough is ready when the dough remain indented after the finger poked into it.

Punch down the dough and divide the dough into 90g each and mould it round. Let it rest for another 10-15 mins.

Place the rounded dough onto baking mat / tray. I placed mine into  individual 5.5" muffin paper liners. Apply egg wash onto the surface and sprinkle chopped macadamia nuts. Allow the dough to proof for another 50 minutes.

Pipe the mexico topping over the dough and bake in a preheated oven at 180C degrees for 15 mins.

Do link back to Coco Sweet Tooth if you have used any information as published in this blog.

This post is linked to Cook Your Books Event #24hosted by Joyce of Kitchen Flavours