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.  

Mini Snowskin Mooncake

                               

Mid Autumn Festival is around the corner, first time try to make this mini snowskin mooncake about three years ago. The monster love it so much because they prefer snowskin instead of traditional. Been making it for every year with different  flavour. This year I'm trying four flavour mini snowskin mooncake for this coming festival.

Adapted from : Happy Home Baking

I'm using characters mould but the result is not good as traditional mould
You can use any type of mould you prefer. I'm half the amount of ingredients to make it 6 pieces for each flavour.

(Make 12 pieces)

75 gm cooked glutinous rice flour
50 gm icing sugar
25 gm shortening,
90 ml cold water (replace with any flavour you prefer)

360g lotus paste (replace with any flavour you prefer)

Method:

1. Sieve together cooked glutinous rice flour and icing sugar into a mixing bowl. Rub the shortening into the flour mixture with fingertips until a crumbly mixture forms. Add cold water to the mixture and knead for a couple of minutes to form a soft dough. Do not over work the dough.
2. Leave dough in the fridge for about 15 mins. (You may skip this step.)
3. At the mean time, divide the lotus paste into 30g portions and shape into balls. (Note: used a ratio of 40% dough to 60% filling for my 50g mooncake mould.)
4. When ready, divide snowskin dough into 20g pieces. Shape each dough into a ball. For each dough, place it on palm and flatten with fingers to form a round dough about 5cm in diameter. Wrap the dough skin around the filling and shape it into a ball. Seal the seams.
5. Dust mooncake moulds (diameter 4cm, for 50g mooncake) with some cooked glutinous rice flour. Place the wrapped dough into the mould and press the mooncake out. Make sure the surface of the dough in contact with the patterned-face of the mould is smooth. Store mooncakes in fridge for up to 1 week. Leave it under room temperature for about 15mins for the skin to soften before serving.

The four flavour 

1) Matcha flavour - replace cold water with: mix 1 teaspoon of matcha powder with 90ml of hot water. Leave to cool and then chill in fridge for at least 30mins before using for the skin and I'm use green tea lotus paste for the filling.
2) Chocolate flavour - replace cold water with: mix 1 teaspoon of cocoa powder with 90ml of hot water. Leave to cool and then chill in fridge for at least 30mins before using for the skin and add 1 tablespoon of cocoa powder to the lotus paste to make the cocoa filling.
3) Mango flavour - replace cold water with same amount of mango juice for the skin and I add some mango bits and mango juice on the lotus paste to make the mango filling.(must put the mixture of mango lotus paste in the fridge at least one hour before, if still sticky add some cooked glutinous rice flour to make it more easy for the wrapping) 
4) Strawberry flavour - replace cold water with same amount of fresh strawberry juice (blend from fews fresh strawberry to make the juice) for the skin and I add some fresh strawberry juice with strawberry bits on the red bean paste to make the strawberry filling.(must put the mixture of red bean paste in the fridge at least one hour before, if still sticky add some cooked glutinous rice flour to make it more easy for the wrapping) ) 

                           

Oreo Cheesecake

Monster requested to bake a lemon cheesecake, saw an offer on Oreo biscuits in Tesco. Then have an idea to make a easy Oreo cheesecake. The monsters and shark love it so much.


Recipes source : Same as Lemon Cheesecake but replace the lemon to Oreo biscuits with minor changes

The bottom layer
1 pack of vanilla Oreo biscuits (around 14 pieces) without the filling, see the picture below how to remove the filling. Twisted the biscuit and use a knife to remove the filling and set aside.
2 tbsp melted butter
1 to 2  tbsp brown sugar

Cheesecake layer
560 gm or 600 gm(depend the quantity per pack) cream cheese room temperature(I'm using medium cream cheese)
200 ml of condensed milk
4 pieces Oreo biscuits (without filling)
3 eggs

Top layer

The left over vanilla filling
2 pieces Oreo biscuits (without filling)

For the crust

1. Prepared 7" loose round cake pan, wrap the bottom with kitchen foil.
2. Make the biscuits to fine crumbs.
3. Add in melted butter and sugar, stir the mixture evenly.
4. Press the mixture into the bottom of the pan and put it to refrigerate for 30 minutes.

For the filling

1. Preheated the oven(fan) 150 C, because this cheesecake need low temp.(Every oven is different)
2. Crush the Oreo biscuits to smaller piece but not fine crumbs and set aside.
3. Stir the cream cheese with spatula in a big bowl.
4. Add the condensed milk.
5. Add the eggs.Combined but don't over beat.
6. The last add in the crush biscuits and mix it.
7. The batter should be smooth but not watery.
8. Take out the crust from refrigerate and pour the filling in.
9. Set the round pan to a slightly larger pan, shallower pan on bottom.
10. Set in the oven and then pour the hot water into the outer pan. This call water bath bake.
11. Bake for 50 minutes to 1 hour or until the center is just firm. Don't over bake the cake will cause cracking and dry.
12. Turn off the oven. Leave the oven door open ajar for 1 hour. Remove from the oven and let cool completely. Remove from the pan. Set aside

For the top layer

1. Melt the vanilla filling in the microwave around 30 seconds or until it melt. Let cool down for a second.
2. Make the 2 pieces biscuits to fine crumbs.
3. Add one tablespoon biscuit crumbs to the melt vanilla filling and mix it.
4. Spread on top of the baked cheesecake, cover the whole top layer.
5. The last using a small sieve, spread the fine crumbs biscuits on top of the vanilla filling.
6. Chill in a fridge for more then 4 hours or overnight before serving.

Note: 

Open the oven door ajar is let the cheesecake cool down gradually. But remember don't keep it too long in the oven because moist will develop at the bottom of the pan.

Remember don't over beat the mixture.

The water bath bake is to let the cheesecake from cracking and moist texture. Have try to bake without water bath but result is not good as water bath.

Remember , when slicing the cake need to dip the knife in warm water and clean it after every slice. 

Chinese Crispy Roast Pork(Siew Yoke)

Crispy as eating a crisp...mention by my monsters. Absolutely fabulous, thank so much Happyhomemaker for the fantastic recipe. Been try two other recipe before but the result is not crispy at all. 

Crispy Roast Pork is one of our favorite. Finally I'm get what we like... been making this crispy crispy every two weeks even when we celebrated the festival.

Adapted from : Happyhomemaker88

2.5 kg to 3 kg belly pork with skin

Marinade on meat side

1 1/2 cube fermented red beancurd (nam yue)

3 tablespoon 5-spice powder (ng heong fun)

3 tablespoon salt

2 tablespoon pounded garlic

2 tablespoon sugar

Brushing for the skin

2 to 3 tablespoon white vinegar

2 tablespoon salt

Method Marinade and Brushing(first day)

1. Washed the pork belly, scald the skin side in boiling water for 3 to 5 minutes. This is to make the skin slightly cooked then is easily to be pricked with a fork or sharp point of knife.
2. Take it out and drain off in a colander and pat dry with paper kitchen towels.
3. Prick all over with the tines of a fork or sharp knife on the skin side. (prick as many hole as you can)
4. Turn it over, use a sharp knife to make shallow cuts on the meat side about 1 cm apart each cut.
5. Mix all the ingredients for marinade and rub thoroughly into the meat side of the pork. (even inside the shallow cuts)
6. Brushing the vinegar all over the skin.
7. After brushing vinegar follow by brushing the salt all over the skin.
8. Place pork belly meat side down in a rectangular baking tray.
9. Place uncovered in the refrigerator overnight until an hour before roasting. The air in the fridge will dry out the pork skin. 

Method for roasting(second day)

1. Take the roast pork out of fridge back to room temperature before roasting.
2. Test the skin, if the skin not dry enough or still soft use a hair dryer to dry it up. (very important step, to make sure the skin is dry. If the skin not dry enough then the roast pork won't be crispy)
3. To roast, preheat oven to 200 degrees celcius. Have both the upper and lower heating elements as well as the fan in the oven on. (every oven is different, you must adjust the temperature accordingly). 
4. Place pork belly on a rack in the middle of the oven. Have a pan below to catch the dripping fat during roasting. Placed a piece of aluminium in the pan for easy cleaning later. Roast for 30 minutes.
5. After 30 minutes , change the oven setting to just the upper heating element or “grill function to 250 degrees celcius and roast for one hour or more, depending to the oven and the charred of the skin.
6. When you see some liquid fat building up on the skin, Using a pair of long tongs, dab frequently with kitchen paper towels frequently to promote more crackling/bubbling crispy. (very important step)
7. Around 20 to 30 minutes roast,  turned the meat around to make sure all the skin is exposed.
8. Must to monitor the pork quite often by looking at the progress of the skin in getting crispy. The total time it takes for the skin to get really light and crispy will depend on your oven and how dry the skin was before roasting.
9. Look at the skin closely. The  pork skin needs to get charred and burnt as that will mean that the skin has become really crispy all the way through.
10. Don’t worry about the burnt parts – use a steak knife that has a serrated edge and you can easily scrape the charred bits off in 2 minutes. The roast pork will be look nicely.
11. Crispy homemade roast pork is ready. Let it rest for about 15 minutes or more before CHOP (don’t slice as the crispy skin will drop off) it into bite sized pieces. 

Cinnamon Pumpkin Bun

Autumn is over....when another season taking place, the markets will have offers on the Pumpkin. Is a bargain I'm brought the whole pumpkin just  £ 0.10. Unbelievable...the oven is calling.

Adapted from: My Kitchen Snippets

Dough

3 cups flour
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
3 tablespoon sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 packet/7 gram dried yeast
½ teaspoon salt
1 cup pumpkin puree – drains and squeeze out all the water
2 eggs
1/4 cup milk *
4 tablespoon butter

Filling

4 tablespoon soft butter

4 tablespoon dark brown sugar(I'm used light brown sugar)
½ teaspoon cinnamon powder
½ cup pumpkin seeds(I'm replace with melon seeds, will try to use raisin on next attempt)

Note from My Kitchen Snippets :*Adjust the amount of milk. It depends on your environment, the dryness of your flour and the wetness of your pumpkin puree. It’s always best to start with the lesser amount; you can always add more, but it’s pretty hard to go back and add less.

Method:

1. Fit the mixer with the dough hook attachment. Combined all the dried ingredients for the dough and mix it well. Combined the eggs and pumpkin. Add it into the dried ingredients and turn on the mixer to medium speed. Slowly drizzle in the milk until the dough comes together and forms a nice ball of dough. (I'm used bread maker to make the dough)
2. Slowly add in the cut butter and continue to mix until dough is smooth. Remove the dough from the mixing bowl and place it in buttered bowl and cover it with plastic wrap and let it rest and raise at room temperature until double it size. 
3. Punch down the dough; dust the work counter with some flour. Roll out the dough into rectangle shape and about 1/3” thickness, spread on the soft butter. Combined together the brown sugar, cinnamon and pumpkin seeds. Sprinkle it all over the roll out dough.
4. With your palm lightly press the filling ingredients into dough and then roll them up. Secure the roll by pinching both ends of the roll. Cut the rolls into ¾” pieces and arrange them in a well butter baking pan. 
5. Cover them and let them rest and rise for an hour or until they are doubled in size. Bake them at 350°F for about 25-30 minutes or until they are golden brown. (I'm bake at 160 C)
6. Remove them from the oven and let them cool on wire rack.