Chinese New Year Cookies (Part II) ~ Hawana Sparkle & Dragon Cookies

One more week to Chinese New Year!!! I still have lots and lots of things that haven't done..:(
Tomorrow I still have to do some shopping and have to start cleaning and decorating the house...oh dear, it seems that I'm rushing for everything!
I'm trying my best to bake some cookies for this New Year, if you have read my last post, altogether I've done 4 types of cookies. But my husband still prefer those I baked last year..:( And that means I have lots more to bake!!!
Well, he's not the person who likes to try new things, especially my bakes..;p Nevermind then..haha!
Okay, here's the last 2 cookies that I'm going to post............

Hawana Sparkle!!...Its a very yummilicious cookies that most of my family love..(not my hubby of course)..lol. I got this recipe since I was in my secondary school but can't remember where I got it from.


Coated with rich melted chocolate with the crisp of the nuts in it....heaven!!

Cookies before coating.....

Recipe:

50g coffee mate

170g plain flour

50g cornflour

60g Nestum

50g icing sugar

1 egg

1/4 tsp vanilla essence

1/4 tsp salt

150g buter

**some hazelnuts (whole)

**melted dark-semi sweet chocolate (for coating)

Method:

~ Mix all ingredients together in a bowl into a soft dough. (Dough should be soft but not sticky)

~ Roll dough into small balls (according to the paper cups used) and wrapped in the hazelnuts.

~ Placed on a tray with parchment paper and bake at 150-160'C for 20 minutes.

~ Cool slightly and coat with melted chocolate then place into a paper cup.

Last but not least, a traditional cookies requested by my mother.

The Dragon Cookies!! I've added some lemon juice into it and hopefully she'll like the changes I made...haha!

There are few more to bake this coming week, so wish me luck!...^^

I'll like to wish all my friends and those who celebrating the Chinese New Year.....have a wonderful and prosperity New Year.....GONG XI FA CAI!!!

Chinese New Year Cookies (Part 1) ~ Traditional Cookies

This is part of my cookies baked this week. Those are very traditional ones..."Kueh Bangkit" and "Harp Tou Sou". These cookies can easily find in every home during the Chinese New Year.
The 'Harp Tou Sou" was not my 1st attempt...I've been making this almost every year but not last year...;p So this year, there are request on this..:)
About the "Kueh Bangkit"...this was my 1st time baking. I admit it was not as tasty as those I tried, but it still acceptable.


Gula Melaka Kueh Bangkit

Recipe:
90g gula melaka or palm sugar
150ml concentrated coconut milk
30g butter
1 egg yolk
250g tapioca flour
few blades of pandan leaves

Method:
~ Stir-fry tapioca flour with pandan leaves over low heat until flour becomes light and airy. Remove pandan leaves, cool flour and store for 1 week before using.
~ Combine gula melaka and coconut milk in a pot. Simmer over low heat until sugar dissolved. Strain through a sieve and keep aside.
~ Place flour, butter and egg yolk in a big bowl, mix evenly. Add in coconut mil syrup slowly and knead into a dough. It should be non-glossy looking dough and firm enough to stand without collapsing to one side. (Coconut milk syrup may not be totally needed as there could be a little surplus)
~ Wrap dough and rest for 30 minutes.
~ Remove from wrap, knead dough until softened again then roll flat to a thickness of 1/2cm.
~ Cut out dough with desire cutter and arrange on lined baking tray.
~ Bake at 170'C for 20-25 minutes. Cool well before storage.


Harp Tou Sou

Recipe:

500g plain flour

1tsp baking powder

250g sugar

1 tsp alkaline

1tsp fine salt

2 tbsps butter

300g peanut cooking oil

Method:

~ Mix all ingredients together until a soft dough form. (Cooking may not be totally needed)

~ Make dough into small balls and placed on lined baking trays.

~ Used a chopstick to make a small hole in the centre of the cookies.

~ Brush with egg wash and bake at 170'C for 20-30 minutes or until golden brown.

Stay tune for my next 2 cookies...:) Happy baking!!

Yam Cakes in Bowls

Counting down for the Chinese New Year. Are you busy baking cookies for the coming festive? I've finally started with my first cookies on my list today. Somehow I only managed to bake a batch of it, hopefully I'll have more time tomorrow.
Well, here's a recipe I'll like to share. This is another Yam Cake recipe which I found from one of my collection books. Slightly different from the one my mum taught me, and its not bad at all.

The texture is alittle soft compare to my old recipe, but is equally yummy..:) Especially it goes with my favourite chilli sauce.

Ingredients for Batter:
300g yam (taro), shreddered or diced as prefered
250g rice flour
250ml water
700ml hot water
2 tsps five spice powder
salt & pepper to taste

Ingredients for topping:
100g shallots (chopped)
80g dried shrimp (diced)
1 tbsp hoi sin sauce
2 tsps sugar
Spring onions & red chillis for garnish.

Method:
~ Heat up some oil in wok. Stir fry ingredients for fillings (except spring onions & chillies) until fragnant. Se aside.
~ Stir water into rice flour and mix evenly. Pour in hot water then shredded or diced yam. Season with salt and pepper, mix well.
~ Brush small bowls with alittle oil, arrange in a steamer. Pour in batter and steam for for 20 minutes.
~ Remove and sprinkle toppings and leave to cool before unmould.

You may find this is more simple compare with my previous recipe, and it cooked faster using the small bowls. Oh yes, you may also ask why there is hot and cold water used here...;p Pouring cold water and boiling water into flour helps make the cake soft and chewy.

And remember that the cake cannot be serve once its done. It was too soft and cannot be unmould properly. Frying the left overs the next day was another way of eating the yam cake...yum yum!!

Got to go...hope you'll like this recipe..:) Cheers!!

Simple Pandan and Raisins Swiss Roll

Another 3 weeks we'll be celebrating Chinese New Year. Busy baking cookies? I've planned the cookies that I'm going to bake and did some testing these few days. So stay tune for my cookies..;p
Well, this is the 2nd week of the school, and I'm happy that I've finally got the timing adjusted and have some time to bake too. So today's bake is a swiss roll. A very simple recipe that you can have it with any flavours you like.

The colour of the roll is alittle light here for my pandan juice was not that condense. Further more I have no pandan paste in my house..*gosh*. Anyway it still taste alright..haha!

Recipe makes a small roll with a 10x12" pan.

(A)

50g cornoil

55g plain flour

40ml coconut milk

1/2 tbsp pandan juice

1/2 tsp pandan essence (optional)

1 whole egg

3 egg yolks

15g sugar

(B)

3 egg whites

60g sugar

1/4 tsp cream of tartar

** Some whipping cream and raisins for fillings.

Method:

~ Whisk eggs and sugar from (A) until fluffy, then add in oil and continue to whisk.

~ Add in the rest of the ingredients in (A) and mix well.

~ Whisk egg white with cream of tartar until foamy and add in sugar. Whisk until a soft peak forms.

~ Fold egg whites into egg yolk batter slowly (divide into 3 times)

~ Pour onto a greased and lined with parchment paper (10x12") swiss roll pan.

~ Bake at 175"c for 12-15 mins.

~ Transfer cake immediately onto a cooling rack. Cool completely before spreading the whipped cream and sprinkle some raisins.

~ Roll up the roll gently and chill before slicing.

Cheers!!

Muah Chee (Sticky Glutinous Snack)

Its the first weekend of the New Year, and there are more work to be done in the following weeks. Chinese New Year is coming soon, what are you planning to bake this year? Oh me...there'll be some cookies to be done and also some cakes to bake. Hopefully everything will go smoothly as I've planned...:)
Well, today's post is a simple one. This was made when my hubby and I suddenly thought of supper last 2 days, and I've made this kueh the very last minute since I still have some roasted ground peanuts in the kitchen.

Recipe was adapted from one of my collection books. First attempt and it's beautifully done! (not that I'm smart, it was just easy). Have a look at the ingredients and method...you can do it too!

Here's the recipe...
150g glutinous rice flour
30g tapioca starch
1 & 1/2 cups water
30g sugar
1 cup toasted peanuts (grinded) with some sugar added.

Method:
~ Mix rice flour and tapioca flour together with water.
~ Pour into a plate or mould which has been brushed with oil.
~ Place in the steamer to steam over medium heat for about 15 minutes.
~ While its still warm, place the dough in a plastic bag and add sugar. Knead till the dough texture is chewy.
~ Then tear into small pieces and coat with grinded peanuts.

Here's the dough after kneading, the texture should be chewy.

Coated with peanuts. The dough can be teared into any sizes as desire.

See the texture from here? Yummy. This is definetley a good recipe to keep and it can be done in minutes! Try it out then you'll see.

Happy Weekend!!

Orange Butter Cake

Finally I got the time to bake!! I was trying to cope with my new timetable these few days, and I found myself rushing for everything since the first day of 2011..:( There are more works coming in for me and the time spending in the office are going to be longer this year..how boring..:(
Oh well, I hope everything will go smoothly and I hope I still have the time to bake as much as last year.
Now....my very first bake this year...Orange Butter Cake!! Freshly baked from my oven 2 hours ago and I can't wait to post it already...;p

A recipe adapted from one of my favourite collection, "I love Butter Cake from Kevin Chai".
Anyway I coverted his recipe from Lemon Butter to Orange..:D And worry that oranges scent will not be as strong as Lemons, I've made some changes here.

Result was wonderful, the cake was just the right taste as I wanted it to be...nice!

Recipe for 7" square pan:
160g butter
80g margarine
155g sugar
3 eggs (whole)
1 egg white
3 tbsps orange juice
2 tsps grated orange rind
1/2 tbsp "sunquick" orange nectar
200g plain flour
1/2 tsp baking powder

Method:
~ Beat butter, margarine and sugar until light and fluffy.
~ Add in eggs one at a time, then add in orange juice, rind and nectar.
~ Fold in flour and baking powder, pour into prepared pan and bake at 175'C for 30-35 minutes.

I've made some into cupcakes for my daughter to bring to school tomorrow. I find that kids like cakes in paper cups more than slices, but anyway that will be easier to handle.

Besides that, I baked some with my new heart shape pan..haha! Bought them from Daiso months ago but only have the chance to use it now....love the shape and the size...:)

Happy Baking!!