Almond Cookies

                              

Been baking peanut cookies last year, this year trying to make almond cookies. The result is good as peanut cookies.

Adapted from : breadetbutter
(Makes approximately 50-60 cookies, depending on size)

100 gm ground almonds
150 gm plain flour
75 gm caster sugar (you may adjust the sugar accordingly)
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
pinch salt
100 ml corn oil, or other flavourless oil (you may need a little more/less oil depending on the climate you are in)
1 egg yolk, beaten
Some almond flakes

Method: 

1. Sieve the flour, caster sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt into bowl of your stand mixer.
2. Add the ground almonds to the flour/sugar mixture.
3. With your mixer on medium speed (with the beater attachment),* slowly trickle in the corn oil into the bowl containing the flour/sugar/almonds. Mix until a dough forms. You may need more or less oil depending on the humidity/moisture levels – the aim is to reach a dough which is just able to hold it’s shape (and doesn’t crumble) when you attempt to roll it into a ball. 
4. Pre-heat the oven to 180C.(adjust accordingly to your type oven)
5. Roll the dough into 8 gm to 10 gm  per balls, and place on a baking tray lined with parchment paper/a silpat mat. Repeat until all the dough is used up.
6. Using a pastry brush, lightly glaze the tops of the cookie balls with the beaten egg yolk and place the almond flakes on top.
7. Bake for 15-20 minutes, or until the cookies become slightly golden.
8. Leave to cool on a wire rack, then tuck in.

* You don’t need a stand mixer to do this, you can use a handheld mixer/food processor/a spatula. 

         

Sheep German Cookies

 

           

Another keep recipe for Chinese New Year cookies. My monsters love is so much and say it will be her first choice of cookies in Chinese New Year. Can be shape to any other animal, according to the favourite of the kids. 

Adapted from : Verance's Kitchen

125 gm unsalted butter, soften
40 gm icing sugar (you may adjust the sugar accordingly) 
125 gm potato flour, sifted
80 gm superfine flour, sifted
Some chocolate chips (for the ears)
Some black sesame seeds (for the eyes)

Method:

1. Place the butter & sugar in a mixing bow, beat on medium speed until fluffy & light in color.
2. Stir in the flour, mix well.
3. Form into a soft dough.
4. Cling wrap the dough & chill in the fridge for 1-2 hours (so the shape can hold better).

Shaping:

1. Pre-heat the oven to 140C to150C.(Adjust accordingly to your type oven).
2. Roll the dough into a small ball, I used 10 gm per ball so every ball will be of the same size, the dough will be able to form about 25 - 30 small balls.
3. Roll the remaining dough into mini balls, place 2 of the mini balls on the center top of each ball.
4. Stick on 2 black sesame seeds on the center of each ball to form the eyes.
5. Lastly, stick 2 chocolate chips on each side to form as the ears.
6. Bake in the pre-heated oven for 20-25 minutes.

           

Ice Cream Cookies(Mocha Meringues)

               

Chinese New Year is round the corner, is time to get busy with all the New Year cookies. Will be the second year to bake this lovely ice cream cookies. Easy and delicious cookies to celebrate the Chinese New Year. 

Adapted from : Nasi Lemak Lover

110 gm egg white
70 gm icing sugar
2 teaspoon coffee powder
2 teaspoon cocoa powder
1/4 teaspoon cream of Tartar
1/2 tablespoon corn flour
some chocolate chips on top (optional)

Method:

1. Beat egg white over high speed for 1 minute till foamy, add in tartar and continue to beat.
2. Gradually add in icing sugar and beat till soft peaks formed.
3. Add in corn flour and continue beat till stiff peaks formed.
4. Mix coffee and cocoa powder together, add into egg white mixture. Slowly combine well.
5. Pipe the egg white mixture (meringue) on the baking tray that line with non-stick baking paper, place a chocolate chip on top. (you can use any cake pipe nozzle)
6. Bake at pre-heated oven at 70 C for 75 minutes or adjust accordingly to your type of oven with low temperature and long baking time till dry and cripsy.
7. Remove pan from oven, not more than 2 minutes (don’t wait too long otherwise it will became sticky), try to peel off a meringue and it should come off easily if done. Otherwise, put back into oven and continue to bake.
8. Store in air-tight container straightaway (don’t wait to cool).
9. Don’t have a air-tight container, you can store in used Milo or milk powder tin, very useful as it is able to maintain the crispyness of this cookie.

              

Red Bean Pastry

Have some left over red bean filling in the fridge..search around any good snack for the monster on afternoon tea time.

Saw this beautiful fan pastry recipe, the outcome is great and easy to prepared.

Adapted: Kitchen Flavours

Fan Pastry

Water Dough

120 gm flour
1/4 teaspoon maltose or golden syrup
20 gm sugar
35 gm shortening
65 gm water

Oil Dough

100 gm flour
60 gm shortening

Filling

400 gm red bean paste

Method :

Water Dough : 

Mix all the ingredients to form a smooth dough. Divide it into 16 parts of 15 gm each.

Oil Dough : 

Mix all the ingredients to form a smooth paste. Divide it into 16 parts of 10gm each.

Filling : 

Divide the red bean paste into 16 parts of 25 gm each.

Method to assemble:

1. Wrap the oil dough with water dough.
2. Roll out the dough into thin sheet. Then roll it up like Swiss Roll. Repeat this step one more time. Let it rest for 10 minutes.
3. Flatten the above dough and wrap the filling in.
4. Roll out the dough flat using a rolling pin. Along the round edge cut the pastry into 8 equal portions about 2.5cm thick. 
5. Twist the edges into petal shapes. Egg wash twice and stick some black sesame seeds at the centre.
6. Bake at 200C for 20-25 minutes.

If the doughs is wet, especially the Oil Dough. Added about 1-2 tablespoons flour to the Water Dough and about 2-3 tablespoons flour to the Oil Dough.  

      

          

Flaky Swirl Mooncake

                             

First attempt to make flaky swirl mooncake, the result is good but the  outcome of the swirl is not perfect. Because of the lazy rolling, must roll it more longer to get nice swirl. But definitely is a keep recipe for Mid Autumn Festival. The original recipe is with yam flavour with yam paste filling but I'm replace it with pandan flavour with green tea paste and lotus paste.

Adapted : Anncoo Journal 


(Make 20 pieces)

Water Dough

250 gm Plain flour
65 gm Shortening
50 gm Warm water + 30g sugar = stir well
50 gm Corn oil

Method: 

1. Put corn oil and water in mixing bowl together with flour and shortening. 
2. Mix well and let it rest for 15 mins. Divide water dough into 10 portions.

Oil Dough

150 gm Plain flour
75 gm Shortening
1/2 teaspoon Pandan essence 

Method:

1. Combine oil dough ingredients together. Divide oil dough into 10 portions.
2. Dough mixture should a little sticky, add a little corn oil if you find the dough is a little dries.

500 gm paste filling = divide into 20 portions, each filling 25 gm. (use any type of filling you prefer)

Method for assemble:

1. Wrap water dough with oil dough inside.
2. Roll out into long shape about 6" long and roll up Swiss roll style.
3. Flatten length wise, roll out dough a little longer and roll up Swiss roll style again.
4. Cut each dough into half. (total 20 dough)
5. Lightly flatten dough and overturn with the cut side facing down.
6. Roll out dough lightly and evenly, wrap in paste filling and seal the ends.
7. Bake at 200C for 15 mins.

             

Mooncake Biscuits

                        

My monster favourite mooncake biscuits. Been making two characters...piggies and rabbit with green tea paste and lotus paste.

Adapted from : Anncoo Journal

Makes 20 to 22 pieces 

(skin : 30 gm and filling 20 gm)

450 gm Hong Kong flour (sifted) or low protein flour

270 gm Sugar syrup/golden syrup

9 ml Alkaline water

113 gm Peanut oil

Egg wash : 1 egg yolk + 1 tablespoon fresh milk, mix well and strain

Method: 

1. Mix sugar syrup, alkaline water and peanut oil to combine.
2. Sift Hong Kong flour in a large bowl, make a well in the center and pour in the sugar syrup mixture. Using a rubber spatula to mix and form a soft dough. Cover and rest for 20 minutes.
3. Divide the green tea paste or lotus paste into 20 gm and shape into ball.
4. Lightly dust some flour on the table and knead the dough again till smooth. Measure each dough to about 30 gm and roll it into a ball.
5. For each dough, place it on palm and flatten with fingers to form a round dough, wrap the dough skin around the filling and shape it into a ball. 
6. Shape the ball to a variety characters mooncake biscuits. (I'm using a chopstick to make all the shaping)
7. Place it on the lined baking tray, do not place it too closely.
8. Baked in preheated oven 160C for 10 minutes and take it out, rest to cool down for about 10 minutes before egg wash with a soft brush. Then bake the biscuits again for another 15 minutes or until golden brown.
9. Cool down completely before store them in an airtight container.

           

Mocha Jelly Mooncake

                           

Another choice of mooncake for Mid Autumn Festival. Love the taste and texture. The original recipe is using 3 in 1 sachet coffee but I replace it with mocha mixture.

Adapted from : Simple Recipe 

For the jelly egg yolks

125 ml water
50 gm sugar
1 teaspoon agar-agar powder
2 knotted pandan leaves
60 ml thick coconut milk
1/2 tablespoon custard powder
1/8 teaspoon orange-red colouring
Equipment: Ball ice-cube trays (jelly egg yolk mould)

Method:

1. Bring water, sugar, agar-agar powder and pandan leaves to boil. Lower heat and add coconut milk, custard powder and colouring. Stir with a hand whisk and continue to cook until it thickens. Once the mixture starts to bubble, turn off heat and pour into the moulds.
2. Pour the jelly mixture up to brim of the lower ice tray and cover with the upper tray. Expect the mixture to overflow from the top. Place a heavy object on the ice tray to keep the cover in place and leave jelly to set completely, about 20 minutes.
3. Refrigerate for a further 30 minutes before removing the jelly egg yolks from the mould. Leave in a bowl for later use.

For the filling

3 teaspoon cocoa powder
1/2 teaspoon Nescafe
2 teaspoon sugar 
250 ml water 
1/2 tablespoon agar agar powder
1 tablespoon cornflour( mix with 1 tablespoon water)
Equiment : Jelly mooncake filling mould 


Method: 

1. Cook mocha mixture with agar agar powder and water will it dissolved. Add in corn flour mixture and cook for a while.  
2. Pour half the mixture into jelly mooncake filling mould, leave it half set place the egg yolk on the center and pour the remaining mixture to cover..  
3. Leave till it set, remove from the mould and set aside.

For the jelly skin

3 teaspoon agar agar powder
3 teaspoon instant jelly powder
80 gm sugar
160 gm coconut milk (mix with 240ml water)
2  tablespoon evaporated milk
2  teaspoon corn flour
2  teaspoon water

Method: 

1. Cook agar agar powder. instant jelly powder and sugar with coconut milk and water until they are dissolved.  
2. Mix evaporated milk and corn flour with water.  Add into agar agar mixture and cook till well combined.
3. Stir with hand whisk and continue to cook until it thickens.

To assemble the mooncake

Pour 3 to 4  tablespoon of the jelly skin mixture to the mooncake moulds respectively and add the prepare fillings.  Pour in the jelly skin mixture till full.  Leave to cool and chill in the fridge.