Viennese Fingers

These Viennese Fingers just melt into your mouth.... You can sandwich them using a thin layer of raspberry jam or just eat them as they are.  Absolutely yummy!  My little one loves them :-)

Ingredients:

Unsalted Butter (softened)           100g
2 large Egg Yolks                      
Caster Sugar                                 40g
Vanilla Bean Paste                       1 tbsp
Plain Flour                                    125g
Some good quality dark chocolate (for decorating purpose)

Method:

1.  Preheat oven to 180C.
2.  Put the softened butter in a medium bowl.  Use an electric mixer to beat it until light & fluffy.
3.  Add in caster sugar, continue beating.
4.  Add the egg yolks and vanilla bean paste into the mixture, continue beating until they're mixed well.
5.  Add flour and keep beating until smooth.
6.  Put the mixture into a piping bag fitted with a wavy piping nozzel.
7.  Pipe out the mixture into whatever shape you like on an oven tray with baking paper.
8   Bake for about 12 minutes.
9.  Set aside to cool down.
10.  Melt some good quality dark chocolate using double boiler.  Using a spoon, drizzle some of the chocolate onto the cookies.

Ice Skin Moon Cake

I made these mini moon cakes as gifts for friends to celebrate the moon cake festival :-)

Aren't they nice?  They were very yummy too.

The following recipe is from my sister and a video in You-Tube.

Moon Cake Skin:

Milk   250g

Glutinous Rice Flour (糯米粉)  70g  

Rice Flour (粘米粉）50g  

Flour  20g  

Vegetable Oil  10g

Caster sugar     50g

Condensed milk  40g

Method:

1. Sift all the flour together into a large bowl.

2. Add in the sugar and mix well.

3. Add in the milk little by little, use a spatula to mix until smooth.

4. Add the condensed milk into the mixture, mix well and then followed by adding the oil.

5. Gentle stir until all ingredients are mixed well.

6. Pour the mixture into a shallow heat proof bowl and steam it with high heat for 30 mins.

7. After 30 mins, the mixture should become solid with stretchy kind of texture.  

8. When the dough cools down, take it out from the bowl.  Put it on a clean kitchen bench (I put them on a piece of marble).  With food-grade gloves on, use your hands to knead the dough until it becomes shinny.

9.  Then roll the dough into a long log, wrap it with cling wrap and refrigerate until ready to use.

Tips:

* To make sure the mixture is lump free, pour the mixture into the bowl through a fine sieve.

* To prevent the steam water from getting into the mixture, wrap the bowl with foil before steaming.

* If you would like to colour the mixture, put the liquid or paste food colouring in the milk.  Warm the milk up first and then put the colouring in, mix well.  Set aside to cool before use.

Red Bean Fillings:

Red Beans  (wash and leave in water to soak overnight)   160g

Vegetable Oil    10g

Sugar 40g

Coconut cream   60g

Wheat starch flour  (澄面粉）10g

Method:

1. Put the softened red beans, vegetable oil, coconut cream & wheat starch flour into a food processor to make it as a thick puree.  

2. Transfer the mixture out from the food processor to a medium-sized pan on the stove.

3. Turn the stove on low heat.

4. Using a spatula, stir the mixture on the pan continuously until most of the liquid evaporates and the mixture becomes a thick paste.

5.  Set aside to cool down when it's done.

6.  Refrigerate until ready to use.

Assembling:

To assemble, you'll need to have a moon cake mould.  I used a mould which can make a 50g moon cake one at a time. There're lots of different kinds & sizes of mould.  Below is a picture of the kind that I used.  *To assemble the moon cake mould, simply push the pattern part inside the mould will do.  The side with the pattern should be facing up.

1. Cut out 23g of Red Bean Fillings, put it into palm and mould it into a nice round ball.  Set aside for use.

2. Cut out 27g of Moon Cake Skin dough.  Using a small rolling pin, roll the dough out as a circle evenly.  Do not roll it too thin, roll it into a size that is just enough to cover the round "Red Bean ball" (done from step 1).

3. Wrap the Red Bean Ball with the round-shaped Moon Cake Skin.

4.  Roll the ball in a small bowl with some plain flour so that it's covered by flour evenly and not sticky anymore.  Shake off excess flour if necessary.

5.  Put the ball in the centre of the moon cake mould.  Press it all the way down to the pattern and that the mould is filled evenly (especially the sides).  Don't be afraid to press it hard, or else you won't get the nice pattern.

6.  When it's ready, simply push the handle down to eject the dough out.  And there you go, you should see a nicely shaped moon cake in front of you :-)

Enjoy........

Elephant Birthday Cake

This was my gorgeous little one's 3-year-old birthday cake.  

I was going to make a 3D sheep birthday cake for her.  However the only sheep cake tin in the shop wasn't available for hire anymore (as an irresponsible customer didn't return it and the shop owner couldn't contact her anymore...... so it's gone gone gone!).  

While I was going through the cake tin collection book in the shop to decide which one to hire, my little one saw this elephant cake picture and demanded to have it.  She was so happy and excited.  So I ended up hiring the elephant cake tin to make her birthday cake.  Since then, she's not into sheep anymore.... but elephants!  She even got a pink elephant security blanket from her dad as birthday present :-)

I was intended to make it purple, but got the wrong colour.  So I ended up using pink.

Happy Birthday my dear Gabrielle, mommy loves you so much...... ~3~

Fluffy Pancakes

Who doesn't love pancakes?  These were the fluffiest pancakes that I've ever made.  Believe it or not, the secret ingredient is buttermilk!  It's the buttermilk that make the pancakes fluffy and tall.

If you don't have buttermilk at home, don't worry.  You can add 2 tbsp white vinegar to 3/4 cups of full cream milk and then set them aside for 5 mins. to "sour".

Another tips is using a non-stick pan to cook the pancakes and do NOT add any oil onto the pan, otherwise the pancake will be easily burnt especially on the sides.  See the above pancakes that I made, don't they look like those hot cakes in McDonald's? :-)

Ingredients (serves 4):

- 3/4 cup Buttermilk (or substitute by 3/4 cup full cream milk & 2 tbsp white vinegar, wait for 5 mins before use)
- 1 Medium Egg
- 2 tbsp Unsalted Butter
- 1 cup White Flour
- 1 tbsp white sugar
- 1 tsp Baking Powder
- 1/2 tsp Baking Soda (Bicarbonate Soda)
- 1/2 tsp Salt

Directions:

1.  Combine all the dry ingredients (i.e. flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda & salt) in a large bowl.

2.  Whisk egg & melted butter into the buttermilk.

3.  Pour the wet ingredients (i.e. buttermilk mixture) into the dry ingredients.

4.  Using a large balloon whisk, gently mix all the ingredients together until all lumps are gone.  Do NOT overmix.

5.  Heat a non-stick small / medium pan over low heat.  Pour some batter onto the pan and cook until bubbles appear on the surface.  Flip with a spatula and cook the other side until slightly brown.

6.  Serve with pure maple syrup & butter, enjoy!

Mango Mousse Cake

Are you craving for cakes but at the same time worried about your waist line?  I always do!

If you pay attention on the ingredients used in this Mango Mousse Cake, you'll find that it is relatively pretty healthy compared to other types of cake.  It's packed with Vitamin A & fiber.  Most important of all, it's low in fat & sugar!

I made this for a friend of mine whose daughter had to spend her time in hospital during Christmas.  So glad that her whole family enjoyed it very much :-)

Ingredients:

For Mango Mousse

-  300g Fresh Mango Puree
-  1/2 small lime / lemon
-  15g Gelatin Sheets
-  120g to 130g Italian Meringue (to be made by 2 medium Egg White, 80g White Sugar & 80g Water)
-  150g thicken cream (softly beaten)

For Mango Mousse Cake Topping

-  200g to 250g Fresh Mango Puree
-  5g Gelatin Sheets

Method:

Mango Puree

1.  Use an electric hand mixer or a food processor to blend 500g to 550g fresh mango until it reaches the texture of smooth puree.

2.  Pour puree out into a bowl, add the juice of 1/2 small lime / lemon and mix well.

3.  Soak 15g gelatin leaves in a bowl of cold water until they become soft.

4.  Put 300g of puree mixture into a small saucepan.  Reserve the rest for the cake topping.

4.  When the gelatin leaves are ready, squeeze out excess water and then put them into the puree.  Place the pan on the stove on very low heat.  Stir it gently until the gelatin is all melted.  Set aside to cool.

Italian Meringue

1.  Put 2 medium egg white into a large bowl, sprinkle with a little bit of salt (purpose is to make the meringue more stable).  Meanwhile, put the white sugar & water into a small pan, bring to boil.  Put a candy thermometer in to check the boiling temperature.

2.  When the temperature reaches about 110C, start beating the egg white using an electric mixer on medium speed.  Once the temperature reaches 118C, remove the pan from the stove and slowly pour the sugar syrup from the side of the bowl in a thin stream while beating the egg white.  Once it's all poured into the egg white, turn the mixer on high speed and continue beating until it reaches stiff peak.

Mango Mousse

Now the mixing part.....

1.  Put 120g to 130g of Italian Meringue into the bowl of mango puree. Use a large balloon whisk, fold the meringue in gently (repeating the "under-over" action) until it's well mixed.

2.  Gently stir in the lightly beaten cream into the meringue mixture and mix well.

3.  Pour the mousse into an 8" bottomless cake ring (lined with acetate sheet on the side and with a cake board on the bottom).

4.  Refrigerate for about 1 to 2 hours.

Mango Mousse Cake Topping

1.  Soak 5g gelatin leaves in a bowl of cold water until they become soft.

2.  When the gelatin leaves are ready, squeeze out excess water and then put them into the reserved puree in a small saucepan.  Place pan on the stove on very low heat.  Stir it gently until the gelatin is all melted.  Set aside to cool.

3.  When the puree is cooled, take the cake out from the fridge and pour it evenly on top of the cake.

4.  Refrigerate for another 2 hours.

* You can add some passion fruit into the puree to enhance the topical flavor.

Green Tea & Red Bean Mousse Cake

Full of oriental flavor, this Green Tea & Red Bean Mousse Cake is packed with antioxidant, fiber & different vitamins.  I made this for my mother-in-law's birthday last year, everybody absolutely loved it!

Green Tea & Red Bean.....umm..... what a perfect combination!

Ingredients:

For Red Bean Mousse

-  330g Red Bean Paste (to be made by 100g dried red beans boiled in 2 cups of water)
-  12g Gelatin Sheets
-  100g Italian Meringue (to be made by 2 medium Egg White, 80g White Sugar & 80g Water)
-  150g thicken cream (softly beaten)

For Green Tea Mousse

-  8g Matcha Power (dissolved in 125g hot water)
-  12g Gelatin Sheets
-  100g Italian Meringue (to be made by 2 medium Egg White, 60g White Sugar & 80g Water)
-  150g thicken cream (softly beaten)

Method:

Red Bean Paste

1.  Put 100g dried red beans in a small sauce pan with 2 cups of water and boil until the beans become very soft.  Check if there's enough water every so often during the boiling process.  Add more water if necessary.

2.  When the beans are ready, use an electric hand mixer or a food processor to blend them together.  Add some water if the paste is too thick and difficult to blend.

3.  Soak the gelatin leaves in a bowl of cold water until they become soft.

4.  When the paste is well-blended, put them in a small saucepan on the stove on very low heat.  Then, take the soften gelatin leaves out, squeeze out excess water and then mix it with the paste.  Stir it gently over the stove until the gelatin is all melted.  Set aside to cool.

Italian Meringue

1.  Put 2 medium egg white into a large bowl, sprinkle with a little bit of salt (purpose is to make the meringue more stable).  Meanwhile, put the white sugar & water into a small pan, bring to boil.  Put a candy thermometer in to check the boiling temperature.

2.  When the temperature reaches about 110C, start beating the egg white using an electric mixer on medium speed.  Once the temperature reaches 118C, remove the pan from the stove and slowly pour the sugar syrup from the side of the bowl in a thin stream while beating the egg white.  Once it's all poured into the egg while, turn the mixer on high speed and continue beating until it reaches stiff peak.

Red Bean Mousse

Now the mixing part.....

1.  Put 100g of Italian Meringue into the bowl of red bean paste. Use a large balloon whisk, fold the meringue in gently (repeating the "under-over" action) until it's completely mixed with the paste.

2.  Gently stir in the lightly beaten cream into the meringue mixture and mix well.

3.  Pour the mousse into an 8" bottomless cake ring (lined with acetate sheet on the side and with a cake board on the bottom).

4.  Refrigerate for about 1 or 2 hours.

Green Tea Mousse

1.  Soak the gelatin leaves in a bowl of cold water until they become soft.

2.  Dissolve the Matcha Powder with hot water in a large bowl.  Then put the bowl over a pan of steaming water on the stove.

3.  Take the soften gelatin leaves out, squeeze out excess water and then mix it with the dissolved Matcha mixture.  Stir it gently over the stove until the gelatin is all melted.  Set aside to cool.

4.  Make the Italian Mousse according to the instructions above.

5.  Put 100g of Italian Meringue into the bowl of Matcha mixture. Use a large balloon whisk, fold the meringue in gently (repeating the "under-over" action) until it's completely mixed.

6.  Then, gently stir in the lightly beaten cream into the meringue mixture and mix well.

7.  Take the Red Bean Mousse out from the fridge and pour the Green Tea Mousse on the top.

8.  Refrigerate for another 2 hours.

Decorate the top with strawberries and serve.  Enjoy......