Yam Ring

Yam ring is a good dishes to celebrate festival. I'm make it on the reunion dinner for Chinese New Year. Look nice and delicious.

Adapted from: Y3K Recipes

Yam Ring
300 gm yam (skinned)(diced)
150 gm wheat starch flour (tangmin flour)
some boiling water
1 tablespoon oil

Seasoning A:
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon sugar
1/4 teaspoon five spice powder
1/2 teaspoon white pepper

Filling
Handful of rice vermicelli
80 gm chicken Meat (diced)
2 black mushrooms (soaked, diced)
1/4 carrots (diced)
1/4 green peppers (diced)
10 cashew Nuts (deep fried)
1/2 tomato (diced)
5 dried Chilies (soaked, cut into lengths)
(can add any vegetable on your own favourite)

Marinade for chicken
1/2 tablespoon light soy sauce
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon corn flour
1/2 tablespoon oil

Seasoning B:
1 tablespoon oyster sauce
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1/2 tablespoon chili sauce
pinch of white pepper

Method: 

1. Steam yam over high heat till cooked. Blend into paste while hot. Add in seasoning A and mix well.
2. Put flour into bowl, pour hot water and stir well with chopstick.
3. Add in yam paste and oil, knead well with hand while hot. Chill in fridge for 30 minutes.
4. Remove the paste from fridge. Knead well and shape to form a ring.
5. Heat up 1/2 wok oil on high heat till boil.(make sure is boil)  Place yam ring onto a piece of bamboo grid. Deep fry till golden brown, remove and set aside. (I didn't use bamboo grid)
6. Deep fry the dried rice vermicelli in boiling oil till crispy. Set aside.
7. Heat up some oil. Saute dried chilies, add in other filling and fry a while. Add in seasoning B and fry till fragrant.
8. Pour the filling into yam ring. Sprinkle crispy rice vermicelli on top and side as a garnishment.

Notes from Y3K

1. The purpose of chill the yam dough is to prevent the yam ring from breaking during deep fry process.
2. After remove the dough from the fridge, it need to knead again as the oil will sink to the bottom of the ring.
3. Sprinkle some water onto the surface of oil when deep fry, will make the yam ring more crispy.
4. Placing yam ring onto a bamboo grid prevent it from sticking to the bottom of the wok.

Horlick Cookies

When I'm searching for the new year cookies, this cutie cookies give me a big interesting. My two monsters will like it so much. All the recipe is say Horlick Doggies Cookies but I'm using the different type of coco crunch to make it look like piggies. We can make the whole progress together, I'm making the head and nose and they making the eye and ear with their own decorate.

Adapted from: happy home baking

(makes about 48 to 50 cookies)

180 gm butter, soften at room temperature
80 gm Horlick
200 gm cake flour(sifted)
25 gm corn flour(sifted)
25 gm milk powder(sifted)
chocolate chips
chocolate rice
coco crunch

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 140(fan)C. Line baking tray with baking paper and set aside.
2. Cream butter and Horlicks for about three minutes at low speed. Do not overbeat.
3. Put in cake flour, cornflour and milk powder to form a dough.
4. Divide dough into 10g each. Put three or four chocolate chips into each piece of dough and roll into balls.
5. Insert two pieces of coco crunch to form the 'ears', chocolate rice for the "eyes", and a chocolate chip in the centre for the 'nose'.
6. Bake at 140(fan) C for about 25 minutes. Depending on your oven, it may take another 5 to 10 minutes more for the cookies to be ready.
7. Leave to cool on wire rack before storing in an airtight container.

Dragon Cookies

My favourite Chinese New Year Dragon cookies....melt in mouth not on hand with milky taste. Every year when coming to  new year this cookies will be the first choice.  But we can't get it here at all, then I need to make it myself. At first I'm always think is hard to make it but when you just thinking to have it, I will try. This is my second attempt, the first attempt  is fail. I will try as many times to make it perfect. 

Adapted from:  che-cheh.com

(minor changes by monsterandsharkkitchen)

170 gm Planta margarine(I'm using the Stork butter)
70 gm icing sugar
3 egg yolks
1/2 tsp vanilla essence
300 gm cornflour (sifted)
80 gm milk powder (sifted)
60 gm plain flour (sifted)

some water if too dry

Method:

1. Beat Planta margarine or butter and icing sugar until light and fluffy.
2. Add yolks one by one, beating well after each. Add in , vanilla essence and mix well.
3. Then slowly stir in cornflour, milk powder and plain flour. Mix well.
4. Fill batter into piping mold and press out ‘S’ patterns on baking tray with baking sheet.(I'm using star nozzle number:22). Dot the eyes red.
5. Bake at 140(fan) for 10 to 15 minutes.(depend the oven) DO NOT bake till brown. These cookies are supposed to be white or yellowish.
6. Leave to cool on wire rack before storing in an airtight container.

Notes from che-cheh:

Seal the batter with a wet cloth when you’re busy piping out the patterns as the batter will harden up due to the cornflour.

If the batter does harden up add a little bit of water. Plus I find that after adding a little bit of water, the cookies taste much nicer (more loose) plus your hands won’t be so tired

Honeycomb Cookies (Kuih Rose)

Chinese New Year is here of course we need some new year cookies to go with it. And also can show to my monsters what is the traditional Chinese New Year in my hometown. My aunt left me this beehive mould when she back to K.L. Then I'm give a try...is my first time to make new year cookies. 

Adapted from: A Table For Two

Make 40 to 50 pcs

400 ml coconut milk

200 gm all-purpose flour

200 gm rice flour

2 large eggs

170 gm sugar(I'm cut to 150 gm)

200 ml water

1/2 teaspoon salt

Oil for deep frying

Method:

1. Add coconut milk, eggs, sugar, water and salt in a mixing bowl and mix well combined until all sugar are dissolved.
2. Sift all the flour into the mixture. Whisk until well combined with no lumps.(you can sieve if still have lumps) If too thick, add one tablespoon of water at a time until the mixture resembling of a pancake batter.
3. Heat up oil in a wok/saucepan on medium heat. Dip a wooden chopstick into the hot oil, if have bubbling up then is ready.
4. Preheat the mould in to the hot oil, about 2 to 3 minutes.( The mould have to be hot enough for batter to cling on)
5. Dip hot mould into batter for 10 seconds. Make sure batter coats only the bottom and sides NOT over the top.
6. Slowly lift it up and dip mould back to hot oil. Shake to release from mould and fry until golden brown on both sides.
7. Take it out from hot oil, let cool over paper towel to soak up all the oil. Store in air-tight containers.

Notes:

Deep fry on medium heat, not high heat it will burn easily.

Sticky Glutinous Cake(Nian Gao)

When coming to Chinese New Year, definitely we need to have nian gao at home for the good luck of the whole year. This year I'm make it myself to make it more luck. Not easy to get fresh banana leaves here and the price is high, then I'm replace with square foil container that I have it at home.(make it to round shape) 

Adapted from: Nasi Lemak Lover

Make 3 cakes
Glutinous Rice flour 500 gm
Water 500 ml
Sugar 600 gm
Cooking oil 2 tablespoon
Banana leaves - soften it by blanched in hot water
Steaming bowls (if using banana leaves)

Method: 

1. Line banana leaves on the steaming bowl.
2. Place the glutinous rice flour in a large bowl, mix in sugar (500 gm), oil and water. Stir the mixture till sugar dissolved.
3. In another pot, cook the balance sugar (100 gm) till became golden syrup.
4. Pour golden syrup into flour mixture, and the syrup will form into curd, don’t worry, continue stir until syrup dissolved in the mixture (Be careful when you pour the syrup, it will spill !)
5. Strain the mixture and pour the mixture in steaming bowl.
6. Steam cake over high flame for 1 hour, and turn to low flame for 4 hours. Make sure the water does not dry up, refill hot water from time to time.

Notes: 

The result steaming total 5 hours is can be kept in the fridge up to 6 months even no preservative is added..message from Nasi Lemak Lover.
But I'm just steam total 3 hours because I will finish it in between two weeks time. 
Depend how long you need to keep it then adjust the time of steaming.

Pork Floss

When I'm making the Dried BBQ pork, of course the next recipe will be this pork floss because the are partner when we eat with bread. Then on this Chinese New Year we will have this delicious partner with us to celebrate. Will need some time to prepared but worth the effort.
Thanks Chowtimes for the recipe.

Adapted from: Chowtimes.com

3 lbs pork shoulder
1.5 cups water
1.5 tablespoons dark soy sauce(if you prefer light color floss then omit it)
6 tablespoons light soy sauce
2 teaspoons white pepper powder
1.5 teaspoons salt
250 gm sugar

Method:

1. Slice the meat into medium thickness. Simmer the meat with water until the pork is soft. This takes about one hour.
2. Stir in the seasoning(except sugar) and cook again over medium heat until the stock is almost dry.
3. Remove the meat and cut the meat into fairly big pieces.
4. Shred the meat into fine shreds with a fork.
5. Put the shredded meat in a wok together with the remaining stock and fry till almost dry.
6. Lower the heat and add sugar while the meat is still moist.
7. Keep on frying until the meat floss is dry and crispy.The whole process of frying takes at least one hour or more. 

Dried BBQ Pork

Normally we will having this dried BBQ pork slice on festival like Chinese New Year or Mid Autumn Festival. Brought as a gift giving to relatives and friends. Everyone will love it..so tasty and delicious. 
But what we can get it here is from a pack with a very small slice, maybe 6 or 7 small slice in a pack and so expensive. 
Then I'm try to make it on this Chinese New Year. Result is good and delicious, the monsters have it on breakfast with some pork floss, cucumber and ketchup.

Adapted from: Pig Pig's Corner and Nasi Lemak Lover
(minor changes by monsterandsharkkitchen)


750 gm minced pork (at least 10% fat)
1 to 2 tablespoon dark soy sauce (depend how darker color you prefer)
1 tablespoon light soy sauce
2 tablespoon oyster sauce
1 tablespoon chinese rice wine

1 tablespoon fish sauce
3/4 cup sugar
1 tablespoon five spice powder
A dash of white pepper
2 tablespoon honey
1 tablespoon oil

Method:

1. Put all ingredients in a big bowl and start mixing them with a pair of chopsticks. Blend and stir the mixture in one direction until the meat becomes gluey. Very important to stir till gluey otherwise meat will break out. Cover and leave to marinate overnight in the fridge.
2. Spread the marinated minced pork thinly onto the baking tray with greaseproof paper. Cover with clingfilm so the meat won't stick to your fingers. (using fingers to spread) . About 2mm thick (if too thin will easily burns) My first attempt is using rolling pin but I'm prefer using fingers the result is better. 
3. Bake at pre-heated oven at 140C(fan) for 10 to 15 minutes. Remove from oven. Increase the oven temperature to 220C(fan).
4. Wait to slightly cool, cut into your desired size and shape using scissor, knife or pizza cutter, place them in the same baking tray.
5. Grill (top heat only) one side at 220C for 8 to 10 minutes (depend your oven , keep a close watch, as it burns easily at this stage. Remove from oven, flip over another side, and grill for 5 to 7 minutes or until golden brown with slight burnt. Also keep a close watch, as it burns easily.
6. Let it cool and enjoy! 

Notes from

Nasi Lemak Lover - you may store Bak Kwa (at stage 4) in the freezer for later consume. Defrost and grill (stage 5) before serve. It will be even taste perfect if you charcoal grill it. Adjust your oven temperature accordingly, you know your oven better.

At Stage 4