Beurre And Sel Jammers

In a couple of hours time here in Singapore, it will be the last day of 2015..... I guess this post will be my last for the year.... And let me end the year with a post on my attempt at baking these yummy beauties.. They are called jammers and used to be sold at a cookie boutique ran by the amazingly talented Dorie Greenspan and her son in New York City. Unfortunately, the stall, Beurre and Sel, has since been closed.. No worries since Greenspan has kindly shared the recipe, so we get to taste them. That's a good thing. 

Before I leave you with the pictures and recipe, I would like to thank you for dropping by here... For those who have attempted the recipes from this blog, thank you for the trust and feedback.. As far as baking, cooking and blogging are concern, it has been a good year for me... I hope I'll be able to maintain the stamina to carry on sharing more great recipes with you. Happy New Year and may 2016 brings more joy and happiness for all of us! Muahh!

Beurre And Sel Jammers

COOKIE DOUGH

Ingredients:

125g unsalted butter, room temperature
56g caster sugar
1/4 tsp fine sea salt
1 large egg yolk, room temperature
1 tsp vanilla extract
138g all-purpose flour

Method:

1. Using an electric mixer at medium speed, beat butter in a large bowl until smooth and creamy, about 3 minutes. Add sugar and salt, beat until well blended, about 1 minute. Reduce speed to low, beat in egg yolk and vanilla. Add flour and mix just to combine. Dough will be soft and sticky. 
2. Place dough between sheets of parchment or waxed paper. Flatten dough into a disk. Roll out dough, occasionally lifting paper on both sides for easy rolling, until 1/4 inches thick. Freeze dough in paper until firm, at least 2 hours.
3. DO AHEAD: Dough can be made 2 days ahead. Cover and keep frozen. 

STREUSEL

Ingredients:

50g all-purpose flour
35g caster sugar
1/8 tsp fine sea salt
40g chilled unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
3/4 cup thick jam, such as lingonberry, apricot, orange marmalade, and blackberry (I used homemade strawberry compote. Refer to recipe below.)

Method:

1. Mix flour, sugar, and salt in a small mixing bowl. Using your fingertips, rub butter and vanilla into dry ingredients until no large lumps remain and butter is well incorporated. Streusel will be sandy and hold its shape when pressed between your fingers. Cover and chill. 
2. DO AHEAD: Streusel can be made 2 days ahead. Keep chilled.

ASSEMBLY

1. Arrange a rack in middle of oven. Preheat to 180°C. 
2. Using cookie cutter, cut out rounds of frozen dough from freezer. Place rounds in bottom of muffin cups and gently pat to flatten. (I had to dap my finger with flour as the dough was quite sticky.) Continue cutting frozen dough into rounds; gather scraps and repeat process of rolling out, cutting and patting. Cover muffin tins with foil and chill in freezer until dough is firm, about 30 minutes or up to 2 days. 
3. Spoon about 1 teaspoon jam into the center of each round of dough. Using your fingers or a small spoon, sprinkle 1-1 1/2 tablespoons streusel around edges of each cookie, trying not to get any in the jam. 
4. Bake cookies, in batches if needed, until sides and streusel are golden, 20-22 minutes. Let cool in tins for 15 minutes. Run a small knife around edges of muffin cups; gently remove cookies and let cool completely on a wire rack. 
5. DO AHEAD: Cookies can be baked 2 days ahead. Store airtight at room temperature .

Adapted from recipe by Dorie Greenspan.
Source: Bon Appétit.

STRAWBERRY COMPOTE

Ingredients:
500g ripe strawberry, hulled
4 tbsp caster sugar
2 tbsp lemon juice
few drops balsamic vinegar (optional) - I didn't add.

Method:

1. Cut the strawberries in half or in quarters if large, and put in a pan with the sugar and lemon juice. 
2. Heat gently until the sugar dissolves, then bring to a simmer. Cover the pan and cook the strawberries for 3 mins or until dark red and syrupy. 
3. Cool, then add the balsamic vinegar, if using. The compote can be stored in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.

Recipe by BBCgoodfood.

Notes & modifications:

1. The above jammers recipe is half the original recipe and I converted it into metric measurement. I used mini muffin pans and the recipe yielded about 18 pieces. The jammers turned out too big to my liking. In future, I would just fill up about half the cavity, so I should get more than 20 jammers.
2. The dough is quite challenging to handle in this humid weather as it becomes soft & sticky quite easily. So instead of rolling the dough, you may want to just scoop it using a spoon into the muffin pan. Then pat the dough with your floured finger.

Roasted-Potato Bread

I baked roasted-potato bread last week.... It's been a long time since I last baked a rustic bread. I wish I'm able to bake it more often, but, the problem is, baking any kind of bread entails a long process.... it takes hours from the mixing to the the baking stage and if you want to bake one which uses a pre-ferment dough, it can take days...

Given that I'm often out of the house either for work or running of family errands, baking bread at home is a luxury....  Last week, I started mixing the dough for the potato bread before going to bed and thought that I would be able to bake it in time for breakfast the next morning. Alas, it was not meant to be... I had to leave the house in the morning and only managed to bake it in the afternoon. 

I love baking breads that involves the use of starter dough or an overnight proofing... this method always produces breads that are  more fragrant and have more intense flavour than the straight-dough method. With the addition of whole-grain flour and roasted potato, this potato bread has even more robust and distinctive flavour, something that's always absent in those soft & fluffy store-bought breads... My eldest daughter and I had the bread with kacang pool while the rest had it with scrambled eggs. Everyone liked it.

This recipe is taken from a book that my husband bought for me many years ago. Although he does not bake, he knew that the book was a good one after browsing it. He was so confident that he did not even consult me before paying for it. Indeed, the book by Jeffrey Hamelman is an excellent book. It is thoroughly researched and has very detailed explanation on all you need to know about baking bread. It should be a textbook for all bread-baking students. Another great feature of this book is, besides giving the recipe in US and metric measurement for bulk baking, it also includes recipe that's designed for home baking.

So if you have not tried baking rustic bread before, I would encourage you to try making this... The recipe below is half the recipe designed for home baking. Take a look at the videos that I recommend below so that you'll have a better idea of the correct way of handling the dough. Also, you may want to read more bread-making tips by Peter Reinhart, another bread-making guru, which I shared before.

ROASTED POTATO BREAD

Ingredients:

Pâte Fermentée  (Starter Dough):
136g (4.8 oz) bread flour
88g (3 oz) water
1/2 tsp salt
1/16 tsp  instant yeast (I used a pinch.)

Final Dough:
250g (8.8 oz) bread flour
68g (2.4 oz) whole wheat flour
190g (6.7 oz) water
1/2 tbsp salt
1/2 plus 1/8 tsp (2g) instant yeast
115g (4 oz) baked potatoes (The recipe recommended Yukon Gold, I used Russet.) - mashed or cut into small pieces
all of the above pâte fermentée

Method:

1. The day before baking the bread, mix the pate fermentee in a medium bowl until just smooth. Cover and allow to sit for 12 to16 hours at about 20 deg C. (I placed the bowl in the fridge. Before mixing the final dough, I removed the bowl of pate fermentee from the fridge & left it in room temperature for about 30 minutes before proceeding with the next step.)
2. Add all the ingredients to the mixing bowl, including the potatoes, but not the pâte fermentée. In a spiral mixer, mix on first speed for 3 minutes in order to incorporate the ingredients. As the dough is coming together, add the pâte fermentée in chunks. If necessary, correct the hydration by adding water of flour in small amounts. The dough should feel slightly stiff, but since the potatoes hold a fair amount of moisture, which they will eventually contribute to the dough, be careful not to add too much water as the dough mixes. Finish mixing on second speed for 3 - 3 1/2 minutes. The dough should be supple & the gluten moderately developed. 
3. Place the dough into an oiled bowl, cover, and let it rise until doubled, about 90 minutes, with one stretch & fold after 45 minutes. (Watch this video on how to stretch & fold bread dough.)
4. Divide the dough into two pieces and form it into two boules (French for balls) or batards, and let rise for about 75 minutes. (Watch this great video on how to shape & bake bread.)
5. Preheat the oven to 230 deg C (450 deg F) & pre-steam the oven. 
6. Score the loaves and bake them for about 40 minutes. If the loaves are turning dark too quickly, lower the temperature by 10-20 deg.
7. Cool completely on a rack before slicing.

Recipe is from Bread, A Baker's Book of Techniques and Recipes by Jeffrey Hamelman.

Pastry Pockets with Nutella Filling

It feels like a long time since I last posted here.... Been pretty busy this past month... spent the first part of the holidays decluttering the house, which has not been an easy task especially since we have lived in this house for 20 years now.... We also spent a week in UAE for a family getaway.... that, was truly awesome since we had not gone for a holiday outside SE Asia for the longest time! It was also an eye-opening experience for the family as this is our first (except for my husband) visit to the Middle East. Now we are back to continue with the decluttering  before the school term starts in two week's time. Oh no!!

So today's recipe is inspired after I tasted some addictive pastry pockets from Tim Hortons when we were in Dubai. They are basically doughnuts, cut in rectangles & filled with Nutella... but they taste so good, especially when I had them with the hot cardamon chai. Just talking about it makes me want to have it right now! Haha.. 

If you had made doughnuts before, this would not be too difficult... the only messy part was when I tried to pipe the filling..... but believe me, the mess is all worth it! For the dough, I used the potato doughnut recipe which I shared before as I just love its soft & fluffy texture. Do try making these gems.... I know it's not something out of the ordinary but anybody who tries them would definitely have only good things to say.... just don't let them talk about the calories. :D

I went overboard with the filling for this piece... hehe..

Pastry Pockets with Nutella Filling

Ingredients:
250g high protein flour (bread flour)
25g milk powder
5g instant yeast (1 tsp)
50g sugar
100g potato
50 ml cold water (I added 3 tsp more water. See note no. 1)
2 egg yolk
40g butter
1/4 tsp salt

vegetable oil for deep frying
Nutella spread (for filling)
icing sugar for coating the pockets

Method:

1. Steam, microwave or roast the potato. Leave to cool slightly. Remove the skin and blend with the cold water until it becomes a smooth puree. Leave to cool. (I peeled & cut the potato into big pieces & roasted them until cooked & soft. I roasted them because I was also roasting some potatoes for my roasted-potato bread.)
2. Combine flour, milk powder, yeast and sugar in a mixing bowl. Add the blended potato and egg yolk and mix using the dough hook for about 2 minutes. 
3. Add in butter and continue mixing for about 2 minutes. Finally, add in salt and mix for another 3 minutes until the dough is smooth & elastic.
4. Remove the dough from the bowl and shape it into a ball and place it in a clean & greased bowl. Cover the dough with a cloth & leave it to prove for about 45 minutes.
5. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured board and knead for 4 minutes or until the bubbles are out of the bread. Leave to rest for 10 minutes.
6. Roll out the dough evenly into about 1 cm thickness. Using a knife or pizza cutter, cut the dough into rectangle or diamond-shaped pieces. Place the cut pieces onto a floured tray. Cover with tea towel & leave to proof for about 35 minutes.
7. Deep fry in medium hot oil till golden brown.
8. Fill up a piping bag with Nutella spread. Using a small plain nozzle, make a hole on one side of the fried pastry & pipe the filling. Finally coat  with fine sugar.

Notes & modifications:

1. The mixture will look very dry at first, just carry on mixing until a soft dough is formed. If the mixture is still dry, add some more water, one teaspoon at a time until it forms a smooth & soft dough. I think the amount of water needed will depend on the type of potato used. Previously when using this recipe, I did not have to add more water but this time, I added 3 teaspoons.
2. I started mixing the dough late at night. So after step 3, I placed the dough in an air-tight bowl & left it in the fridge. The next morning, I took the bowl out of the fridge & left it in room temperature for about 30 minutes. Then I continued with step 5.
3. The above recipe is half the original recipe & it yields quite a lot of pastry pockets. So for small serving, you may want to start with half the above recipe. But I must warn you, these pockets are quite addictive! 

Apple Coffee Cake with Crumble Topping

It's been a long time since I last baked apple crumble cake for my family. As far as I can remember, the only recipe that I've tried is by Donna Hay which I shared before. I thought it's time to try a different recipe.... & I decided to use one with yogurt in it as I had some leftover after baking the marble cake. 

I'm glad I chose this awesome recipe.... All my tasters (family and colleagues) gave their thumbs up! The cake is delicious, fragrant, soft & moist and the apples also gave some texture to an otherwise fine crumb. The crumble topping just completes the cake to produce an excellent dessert! Just make sure that you use the best quality ingredients for that unbeatable flavour.

Apple Coffee Cake with Crumble Topping

CAKE
Ingredients:
1 stick (125g) unsalted butter
1 1/2 cups packed (300g) light brown sugar (I used only 200g.)
2 large eggs
2 cups (240g) all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup (240g) sour cream - I used Greek yogurt.
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 cups peeled, cored and chopped apples - I used 3 Granny Smith apples.

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (180 deg C). Lightly grease a 13 by 9-inch glass baking dish with butter. (see note below)
2. In a large bowl, cream together butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the eggs 1 at a time, beating after the addition of each. 
3. In a separate bowl or on a piece of parchment, sift together the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt. 
4. Add to the wet ingredients, alternating with the sour cream and vanilla. Fold in the apples. Pour into the prepared baking dish, spreading out to the edges.
5. Sprinkle the crumble topping over the cake and bake until golden brown and set, 35 to 40 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool on a wire rack for at least 10 minutes. 

CRUMBLE TOPPING
Ingredients:
1/2 cup (100g) packed light brown sugar - I used demerara sugar instead & reduced the weight to 80g.

1/2 cup (60g) all purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
4 tablespoons (56g) cold unsalted butter (cut into small pieces)
In a bowl, combine the sugar, flour, cinnamon, and butter.  Then mix until it resembles coarse crumbs.

Recipe by Emeril Lagasse. 

Source: foodnetwork.com.

Notes & modifications:

1. I've decided to do away with the glaze which is included in the original recipe.
2. The cake is still soft & moist even though I reduce the sugar by a third. I'm glad I reduce the sugar as the cake would otherwise be too sweet. I used demerara sugar (which is quite coarse) for the crumble topping & that creates an added crunch to the topping.
3. I used a 6-cup bundt pan & filled it with the batter & crumble to the brim. The cake overflowed  as it was baking and as a result, I had a lot of difficulty removing the cake out of the pan. A big part of the crumble topping broke into small pieces like what you see in the picture. So if you wish to use a bundt pan, I would  suggest an 8-cup pan. However if I were to bake the cake again, I would use a rectangular pan so that I can cut it into squares.

Moist & Tender Marble Cake... again

I made the moist & tender marble cake again... this time it's for lunch at the in-law's on Sunday. Had decided to bake it only in the morning after making some karipap bai. Made 3 changes for this cake.. made it with less chocolate batter, replaced the sour cream with greek yogurt & baked it in a square pan. It was a hit with the family... I promise you I'll be baking this again & again...

Moist & Tender Marble Cake

Ingredients:
2½ cups (8.7oz/ 250g) cake flour
2½ teaspoons baking powder - I used double-acting baking powder.
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
¾ cup (6.4oz, 181g) greek yogurt, at room temperature
¼ cup whole milk, at room temperature
1 cup (8oz, 227g) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
1½ cups (10½oz, 300g) granulated sugar
2 large eggs, at room temperature
1 large egg yolk, at room temperature
1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract (1½ tablespoons if using imitation vanilla extract)

Method:

1. Adjust the oven rack to middle position and preheat the oven to 350F/180C.
2. Butter and line a square baking pan. (I used a 9x9-inch pan.)
3. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Set aside. In a liquid measuring cup (or a small bowl), whisk together the yogurt and milk. Set aside.
4. In the bowl of a electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment (or in a large bowl and an electric hand mixer), beat the butter on medium speed until creamy, ribbon-like and slightly lightened up; 2 to 3 minutes.
5. With the mixer running on medium-low speed, gradually add in the sugar. Raise the speed to medium-high and continue beating together until lightened up in both colour and texture; 4 to 5 minutes. The colour should turn very pale (almost white) and texture should look fluffy.
6. Add the eggs and egg yolk, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add in the vanilla and beat together for one minute.
7. On lowest speed, add in one-third of the flour mixture and mix until mostly combined. Add in half of the sour cream/milk mixture and lightly stir until almost mixed in. Continue with adding another one-third of the flour mixture, followed by the remaining sour cream and ending with the last third of flour mixture. Mix until just combined and a smooth batter forms. Do not overmix. With a rubber spatula, give the batter one good, final stir to make sure that everything is well incorporated.
8. Remove 1½ cups of the batter from the bowl & mix with the chocolate paste (recipe below).
9. To create the marble effect, start by filling the bottom of the pan with vanilla cake batter, followed by the chocolate batter. Continue pouring in alternate pattern. Finally, you may use a butter knife and swirl the batter in an 'S' shaped motion, but don't over do it. (I did not swirl the batter.)
10. Bake in the oven for 40 to 50 minutes, or until the center springs back to the touch and a skewer inserted down the center of the cake comes out clean or with a few moist but cooked crumbs attached.
11. Allow to cool in the pan for 20 minutes then invert onto a wire rack to cool completely. Serve plain or dust with powdered sugar or drizzle with chocolate ganache glaze if you prefer.

CHOCOLATE PASTE FOR THE CHOCOLATE BATTER
Ingredients:
¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons (30g/ 1⅛oz) unsweetened cocoa powder
2 tablespoons milk
1 tablespoon (1/2 oz, 15g) unsalted butter
1 tablespoon sugar
⅛ teaspoon baking soda

Method:

1. In a medium bowl, combine the milk, butter and sugar and heat in the microwave until the butter has melted. Whisk to dissolve the sugar. 
2. Add in the cocoa powder and stir really well until there are no lumps and a very thick chocolate paste forms. Add in the baking soda and stir again.
3. Take a few tablespoons from the reserved vanilla cake batter and stir really well into the chocolate paste to lighten it up. Add the remaining reserved cake batter into the chocolate mixture and fold until evenly incorporated and no light streaks remain.

Recipe by Tasbih of Cleobuttera.

The karipap bai....

Ondeh-Ondeh Cupcakes

Ondeh-ondeh cupcake is another popular fusion cupcake and this cake is based on the traditional kuih ondeh-ondeh. I baked the cupcakes this morning but only managed to assemble them late in the afternoon. Unfortunately, I didn't manage to catch the sunlight for the pictures... just snapped some pictures using my iphone. I need to post this entry tonight as I would like to link it to the Little Thumbs Up event which is ending very soon. I hope I can make it. 

Ondeh-Ondeh Cupcakes
CAKE
Ingredients:
110g cake flour (original recipe uses plain flour)
3/4 tsp baking powder (I used double-acting.)
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 tbsp concentrated pandan juice or 1/2 tsp pandan essence
100 ml freshly-squeezed coconut milk or 100 ml coconut milk from the box + 1/2 tbsp water
1/2 tbsp vegetable oil
a few drops of green colouring
2 medium eggs (I used two 60g eggs.)
90g castor sugar

Method:

1. Combine flour & baking powder. Sift & set aside.
2. Combine salt, vanilla, pandan juice, coconut milk, oil & colouring in a container. Mix thoroughly & set aside.
3. Combine eggs & sugar in a mixing bowl & beat at high speed until thick & pale, about 5 minutes.
4. Add flour in three parts, alternating with the coconut milk mixture. With each addition, beat until the ingredients are incorporated, taking care not to over beat.
5. Fill paper cups or muffin pan with batter until almost full.
6. Place baking or muffin pan on the middle rack of the oven & bake at 180 deg C for about 20 minutes.
7. Cool cakes completely on a wire rack. Once cooled, core the center of the cake. Pour the gula Melaka syrup. Pipe the whipped cream onto cake as desired. Sprinkle grated coconut followed by shredded palm sugar.

FILLING
100g palm sugar (gula Melaka)
50ml water
Combine sugar & water in a saucepan & cook until the syrup becomes thick. Leave to cool. (Reheat the syrup first if the cooled syrup becomes too thick to pour into the cake.)

TOPPING
100ml non-dairy whipping cream (whipped)
freshly-grated coconut (steamed & mixed with a dash of salt)
palm sugar (shaved)

Adapted from Curlybabe Satisfaction.

I'm linking this post to the event Little Thumbs Up (October 2015- Coconut)  organised by Zoe of Bake for Happy Kids and Doreen of My Little Favourite DIY, and hosted by Jess from Bakericious.

Moist & Tender Marble Cake

I made this super moist & delicious marble cake more than a week ago... had wanted to complete & publish this post much earlier but it had taken me a few logins before I could complete this. Anyway, I stumbled upon an awesome instagram by a blogger, Tasbih of Cleobuttera (I love the name too!) & couldn't wait to bake the marble cake that she had baked. Definitely one of the best marble cakes I've ever eaten before! Just look at the pictures below or just hop over to her blog post for more beautiful pictures of the cake. Don't you want to bake it too?

Moist & Tender Marble Cake

Ingredients:
2½ cups (8.7oz/ 250g) cake flour  (* see note below for the substitute)
2½ teaspoons baking powder - I used double-acting baking powder.
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
¾ cup (6.4oz, 181g) sour cream, at room temperature
¼ cup whole milk, at room temperature
1 cup (8oz, 227g) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
1½ cups (10½oz, 300g) granulated sugar
2 large eggs, at room temperature
1 large egg yolk, at room temperature
1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract (1½ tablespoons if using imitation vanilla extract)

Method:

1. Adjust the oven rack to middle position and preheat the oven to 350F/180C.
2. Butter and flour (or generously spray with a non-stick cooking spray) a 10-cup bundt pan (*see note no. 2).
3. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cornstarch, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Set aside. In a liquid measuring cup (or a small bowl), whisk together the sour cream and milk. Set aside.
4. In the bowl of a electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment (or in a large bowl and an electric hand mixer), beat the butter on medium speed until creamy, ribbon-like and slightly lightened up; 2 to 3 minutes.
5. With the mixer running on medium-low speed, gradually add in the sugar. Raise the speed to medium-high and continue beating together until lightened up in both colour and texture; 4 to 5 minutes. The colour should turn very pale (almost white) and texture should look fluffy.
6. Add the eggs and egg yolk, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add in the vanilla and beat together for one minute.
7. On lowest speed, add in one-third of the flour mixture and mix until mostly combined. Add in half of the sour cream/milk mixture and lightly stir until almost mixed in. Continue with adding another one-third of the flour mixture, followed by the remaining sour cream and ending with the last third of flour mixture. Mix until just combined and a smooth batter forms. Do not overmix. With a rubber spatula, give the batter one good, final stir to make sure that everything is well incorporated.
8. Remove 2 cups of the batter from the bowl & mix with the chocolate paste (recipe below).
9. Transfer the vanilla cake batter into the prepared pan, then using the back of a spoon, make a tunnel in the middle, around the pan. Spoon the chocolate batter into the tunnel, avoiding the sides. Using a butter knife, swirl the 2 batters together in an 'S' shape motion. 
10. Bake in the oven for 40 to 50 minutes, or until the center springs back to the touch and a skewer inserted down the center of the cake comes out clean or with a few moist but cooked crumbs attached.
11. Allow to cool in the pan for 20 minutes then invert on to a wire rack to cool completely. Serve plain or dust with powdered sugar or drizzle with chocolate ganache glaze if you prefer. The cake will keep for 3 days stored in air-tight container, at room temperature.

CHOCOLATE PASTE FOR THE CHOCOLATE BATTER  

Ingredients:

1/2 cup (40g) unsweetened cocoa powder - I used Valrhona.
3 tablespoons milk
1½ tablespoons butter
1½ tablespoons sugar
3/8 teaspoon baking soda

Method:

1. In a medium bowl, combine the milk, butter and sugar and heat in the microwave until the butter has melted. Whisk to dissolve the sugar. Add in the cocoa powder and stir really well until there are no lumps and a very thick chocolate paste forms. Add in the baking soda and stir again.
2. Take a few tablespoons from the reserved vanilla cake batter and stir really well into the chocolate paste to lighten it up. Add the remaining reserved cake batter into the chocolate mixture and fold until evenly incorporated and no light streaks remain.
3. For less chocolate batter (as used by Tasbih), mix 1½ cups of the vanilla batter in the following amount of chocolate paste:
   ¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons (30g/ 1⅛oz) unsweetened cocoa powder
   2 tablespoons milk
   1 tablespoon (1/2 oz, 15g) unsalted butter
   1 tablespoon sugar
   ⅛ teaspoon baking soda

Recipe by Tasbih of Cleobuttera.

Notes:

1. Using cake flour in cake baking produces a finer and more tender crumb. However, if you don't have cake flour on hand, Tasbih suggests that you replace it with a combination of 2 cups plus 3 tablespoon (7⅜ oz, 210g) of all-purpose flour & ¼ cup plus 1 tablespoon (1⅜ oz, 40g) cornstarch.
2. Tasbih used 1½ cups of the vanilla batter for the chocolate marbling while I used 2 cups. Hence, the chocolate marbling for my cake is more pronounced than Tasbih's.
3. The method of marbling used in this recipe creates a cake with subtle marbleness, meaning that the vanilla and chocolate portions are more distinct in 2 different ends, instead of them being thoroughly mixed in a zebra-like pattern. To create a more layered marbling effect, you may alternate between batter layers. Start by filling the bottom of the pan with ⅓ of the vanilla cake batter, followed by ⅓ of the chocolate batter, then cover with another third of the vanilla batter, then another third chocolate, the remaining vanilla then finishing off with the chocolate. Using a butter knife, swirl together in an 'S' shaped motion, but don't over do it.
4. Based on the volume of the batter, I suggest that you bake in a 10x10 8x8 or 9x9-inch baking pan if you are not using a bundt pan.

Bingka Cempedak

Eid Mubarak to all Muslim readers. Looks like the primary & secondary school kids in Singapore will have another long weekend as schools will be closed tomorrow due to the worsening haze... This is the first time we have to close the schools because of the haze as the last time we experienced a hazardous level was during the June holidays two years ago.  If this unhealthy level continues, it's going to cause a high level of anxiety for schools since the major exams are around the corner. So let's hope this haze will go away soon....

So I baked this bingka cempedak this morning. It was really a last minute decision... Was looking through my recipe file & decided to try the recipe shared by Aini Salim. Another great recipe by Mdm Aini... I didn't change any of the ingredients in the recipe & after baking it, I don't think there's a need to change any.

Bingka Cempedak
Ingredients:
300g cempedak flesh (pureed)
240g plain flour
2 eggs
650g coconut milk (I used 250g thick coconut milk + 400g water.)
150g sugar (You may reduce if the cempedak is already very sweet.)
80g butter (melted)
1/2 tsp orange colouring (optional) - I didn't use.
1/2 salt

Method:

1. Grease a baking pan (20x20x7cm) & line with grease paper. Then grease the paper. Preheat oven at 160 deg C.
2. Combine cempedak, coconut milk, sugar & blend until well mixed.
3. Add in flour & eggs & continue to blend until well mixed. Strain.
4. Add in melted butter, salt & colouring (if using). Mix well.
5. Pour the batter into the pan & bake for 30-40 minutes. 

Recipe by Aini Salim.
Source: Berita Harian (Singapore) 27 April 2007.

Notes & modifications:

1. I used a jug blender to mix the batter.
2. I baked using 2 Nordicware pans as shown above & a mini muffin pan, yielding 65 pieces. I greased the pans with cooking oil before pouring the batter.

Black Bottom Milo Banana Bread

I had some unattractive-looking overripe bananas hanging in the kitchen...  Clearly nobody was going to pluck & snack on any of it. But we bakers know that that's the best kind of bananas to bake with, so I wasted no time & baked this wholesome Milo banana bread using the recipe shared by Zoe. 

If you are looking for a soft & spongy banana bread, then I'm afraid this bread will disappoint you because it is quite dense but still moist. It would have been more moist if I had more bananas in hand. However, if you are looking for a delicious & wholesome grab-and-go breakfast or snack, then this is the one as it uses many flavourful & nutritious ingredients like wholemeal flour, bananas, eggs, yogurt & Milo. Give it a try the next time you have overripe bananas lying around in your kitchen.

Black Bottom Milo Banana Bread

Ingredients:

165g wholemeal flour
55g all-purpose flour
2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda (I added.)
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup + 2 tbsp mashed bananas (about 2 extra large or 3 medium banana) - I only used 1 cup because that's all I had.

100g (1/2 cup) caster sugar
60g (1/4 cup) unsalted butter, melted
3 tbsp (45 ml) plain yogurt
1 1/2 large eggs, lightly beaten (I used two 55g-eggs.)
3/4 tsp vanilla extract
50g chocolate malted powder (Ovaltine or Milo) - I used Milo.
non-stick cooking spray for greasing the pan - I used butter.

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 350°F or 180°C. Spray loaf pan (10 x 20 cm) with nonstick cooking spray and line the pan with baking paper, leaving an extra inch or two overhanging each end. This helps to remove the bread easily.
2. Combine whole-wheat flour, all-purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a medium bowl. Set aside.
3. Combine bananas, sugar, butter, yogurt, eggs and vanilla extract in large bowl; stir well. Sift in the flour mixture and mix until just combined. Do not overmix. 
4. Remove 1 cup of batter and place it in a separate bowl. Stir in Ovaltine or Milo & mix until combined.
5. Spoon the Ovaltine/Milo mixture into the prepared pan. Then top it with the remaining banana batter. 
6. Bake for 50 minutes or until a wooden stick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pan on wire rack for 15 mins. Remove bread from the pan and transfer to wire rack to cool completely.
7. Slice and serve. To store, wrap in plastic wrap and store at room temperature for up to 3 days.

Sourced from & adapted by Zoe @ Bake For Happy Kids.

Original recipe: Nestle Kitchen.

I'm linking this post to the Little Thumbs Up event, organized & hosted by Doreen of My Little Favourite DIY & Zoe of Bake for Happy Kids.

Beehive Sweet Bun

It's Polling Day here in Singapore & counting of votes is now taking place.... I thought I'd just complete this post while waiting for the results  to be released. Well, I'm pretty sure which party will win for my constituency but, like many Singaporeans, I'm more interested with the results of the hot areas... So it's going to be a long night for us..

This is the honeycomb bun that I made two days ago. Had wanted to bake it long time ago when I saw many Malaysian bloggers showcased theirs. Isn't it gorgeous...? It also tastes finger-licking good! This is one awesome bun which I highly recommend you to bake. Just take a look at the following pictures & see if you are inspired to bake one.

Beehive Sweet Bun

DOUGH
Ingredients:
300g bread flour (high protein flour) - I added about 1 tbsp of flour as my dough was too sticky.
200g plain flour
2 tbsp milk powder
1 tsp baking powder
2 tbsp honey
1 egg
250ml fresh milk
2 tbsp plain yogurt
6g dry yeast
40g sugar
40g butter (softened)
1 tsp salt (I added.)
1 egg + 1 tbsp fresh milk - lightly beaten (for egg wash)
sunflower, pumpkin & black sesame seeds for topping (optional) - You may also use other nuts like almond or walnuts.

USING A BREAD MAKER
      Combine all the ingredients in a bread maker & start mixing using the 'dough' setting. This will take about 1 & 1/2 hour, including proofing time. Then proceed with step 3 below.

USING CAKE MIXER FITTED WITH A DOUGH HOOK (My method.)

      Combine bread flour, plain flour, milk powder, baking powder, honey, egg, milk, yogurt, yeast & sugar in a mixing bowl. Beat on medium speed (I used speed 3.) until well combined. Add butter & continue beating until a dough is formed. Add salt & continue beating until a soft & elastic dough is formed. (I beat for about 15 minutes.) Then proceed with step 3 below.

USING HAND

1. Combine all the ingredients in a mixing bowl & mix until the dough doesn't stick to your hand. Then transfer the dough into a clean plastic bag. Squeeze the bag for about 8-10 minutes. Remove the dough from the bag & place it in the mixing bowl again. Continue kneading the dough until it becomes soft & elastic.
2. Leave the dough in the bowl & cover it with a plastic wrap or clean cloth. Leave the dough to rise to twice the volume for about 40 minutes to 1 hour. Leave it in a warm place like in a cabinet or an oven (without switching it on) for best results.
3. Gently punch down the dough to remove some gas bubbles. Then divide the dough into small balls (about 40g each). Knead & form into smooth balls. Arrange the balls in a baking pan that has been greased with some butter. Cover the pan with a clean cloth & leave to proof for about 40 minutes.
4. Brush the top of the bun with egg wash. Sprinkle with sunflower, pumpkin & black sesame seeds. Brush with egg wash one more time to ensure the seeds stick to the bun.
5. Bake in a preheated oven at 170 deg C for about 20 minutes. (I baked for about 35 minutes.)
6. Once the bun is cooked, remove the pan from the oven & immediately brush the top with some butter or margarine for a shiny look.
7. Remove the bun from the pan & place it onto a plate. Pour the caramel sauce before serving.

CARAMEL SAUCE
Ingredients:
2 tbsp butter
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup cream, thick cream or fresh cream
a dash of salt
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup fresh milk (when necessary)

Method:

1. Melt butter in a saucepan.
2. Add in brown sugar  & continue stirring & cooking until the sugar melts.
3. Add in cream, salt & vanilla. Mix well & continue cooking until the caramel thickens a little bit. Add fresh milk if the caramel becomes too thick.

Source: Azlita @ Masam Manis.

Notes & modifications:

1. Azlita used a breadmaker. She also included  the instruction for mixing with hand. I used my Kenwood Major cake mixer, fitted with a dough hook.
2. I arranged nineteen 40g-balls in an 8-inch round pan & baked the rest of the dough in paper cups.
3. The caramel tends to thicken up when it's cool.
4. The bun is best served on the day it's baked. You can also heat up the bun in the microwave oven for about 10 seconds.

Banana Nutella Pound Cake

This is the pound cake that I baked on Thursday evening... was inspired to bake it after seeing the moist cake on Cheryl's blog. Another great marble cake recipe... the cake is moist & has moderately dense texture with fine crumbs. It also has just the right level of sweetness & the banana flavour is just nice. What's lacking is the Nutella flavour... Nobody could actually tell that there was Nutella in the cake... Perhaps adding hazelnuts & more Nutella would enhance the overall Nutella flavour. 

Banana Nutella Pound Cake
Ingredients:

225g premium unsalted butter, at room temperature (must not be too soft, just until you are able to make a slight impression with your finger)

140g caster sugar

1/4 tsp salt

1 tsp pure vanilla extract

3 eggs, room temperature

200g all-purpose / plain flour (I used cake flour.)

1/4 tsp baking powder (I used double acting.)

1/4 tsp baking soda

35g fresh whole milk (I used UHT.)

100g mashed banana (from 3 small bananas)

1 tsp fresh lemon juice (combined with the mashed banana)

50g nutella

Method:

1. Preheat oven at 160 deg C. Line & grease a 9x5-inch loaf pan.
2. Combine flour, baking powder & baking soda. Sift & set aside.
3. In another bowl, combine butter, sugar, salt & vanilla extract. Beat until pale & creamy.
4. Add eggs, one at a time, & beat until just combined.
5. Fold in flour in 3 parts, alternating each part with milk.
6. Scoop out about 1/3 of batter into another bowl & add in nutella. Mix well. Add the mashed banana into the remaining batter. Mix well.
7. Drop spoonfuls of banana batter into the pan. Then drop a spoonful of the Nutella batter on the banana batter. Continue doing this until finish. (I poured 2-3 parts banana & 1 part Nutella batter.) Using a skewer or knife, swirl the mixture a few times to create a marbled effect. 
8. Bake at 160 deg C for about 50 to 60 minutes or until skewer inserted in the center of cake comes out clean. Remove from pan & leave to cool.

(The above recipe is half the original recipe posted by Cheryl.)
Recipe by Baking Taitai, with slight modifications to the method.