Tau Sar Piah Filling

After making those Taiwanese Mooncakes, I couldn't get the thought of Tau Sar Piah out of my head, seeing as the skin, is pretty much the same and having learnt the method or technique to making the flaky skin... so I searched the internet & found the Tau Sar Piah filling recipe here. I used her ingredients for the skin but my SIL preferred the skin that I used for the my Taiwanese Mooncake, so I have reverted back to that for the Tau Sar Piah too.

Here is the recipe again:

shallots

Ingredients:
180g oil
10-15 shallots-thinly sliced
300g sugar
3 tsp salt
3 tsp white pepper
600g mung beans

Method:
1. Soak the beans for at least 2 hours.
2. Steam for about 1 - 2 hours (my electric steamer took about 1.5 hours) until soft, then mash mung beans.

mashed mung beans
180g oil
thinly sliced shallots

3. Mix sugar, salt & white pepper together and add to the mung beans. Mix well till thoroughly incorporated.
4.Heat oil and fry shallots till brown and fragrant (approx 10 mins)
5. Pour in the bean mixture and fry mixture till dry and can make into a ball.
6. Divide filling in to approx 100 pieces (weighing approx 16g/ball).

7. Prepare and make Water Dough & Oil Dough as per my instructions here. Note: You would need approx 1.5 lots of the Water Dough & Oil Dough to wrap all the mung bean paste made here.

8. Weigh out 100 pieces of Water Dough (weighing approx 8g/ball).
9. Weigh out 100 pieces of Oil Dough (weighing approx 4g/ball).
10. Then follow same wrapping techniques as seen with the Taiwanese Mooncake recipe.

Mung Bean Paste

Shallots frying

Tau Sar Piah Filling

Hong Kong Style Sausage Bun (Asian Hot Dogs)

Hong Kong style sausage bun
Lunch: 15-Mar-2010

Picnic: 24-Sep-2011

Recipe was obtained from Kwong Wai's friend... (& tweaked slightly) I did however, use the method from this website (http://en.christinesrecipes.com/2010/03/hong-kong-style-sausage-rolls.html) Thanks heaps Wai for sharing your friend's recipe! :-D and thanks heaps Wai's friend for allowing her to do so... Have used it quite a few times with great success! *hehe*

Note of caution though, recipe is easy to do but including all the proofing & baking time, this recipe can take up to 3 to 4 hours to do... so make sure you've got time up your sleeves... but it does make the yummiest sausage buns... the bread is beautiful and soft on the inside and so delicious smelling when they are fresh out of the oven...

2nd proofing

bread dough & sausages

Ingredients:
Using a bread maker machine, add following ingredients in the following order:

2/3 cup warm water
2 tbsp olive oil
1 egg
300g Chinese Bread Flour
45g Raw Caster Sugar
2/3 tsp salt
1 1/2 tsp yeast (put last after dry ingredients)
---
Not to be put into bread machine the following ingredients necessary to complete dish:

approx 8 regular size frankfurter sausages (I like to skin them before using them or buy Costco's skinless american style hot dog sausages - about 14 in a pack - you would need to double the quantities of bread dough though, if you wanted to make all 14 into hot dogs.)

1 egg - lightly beaten for glazing

A few Cheddar cheese slices (I didn't use the Kraft Single slices, I find them to processed, I used the "real" "cheddar cheese... *hehe* OR grated mozzarella or cheddar cheese)

Method:
1. Set to "Dough" setting - includes kneading & 1st rise (approx 110mins)
2. Transfer to a clean floured surface.
3. Deflate and divide the dough into four to six equal portions (approx 75g per ball if doubled dough quantities for 15 sausage buns).
4. Knead into ball shapes.
5. Cover with cling wrap, let rest for 15 minutes.
6. Knead each part into a long tube, about 41cm in length (it depends on how long your sausage).

Optional:

with egg wash &
cheese sprinkled

Put cheddar cheese slices around the sausage then wrap dough around sausage & cheese... (Note: Mine were precut to squares then i further cut them so I could put 4 little pieces about the length of the sausage, all around the sausage) Gives it that extra yummy taste! :-D Hubby has just had his 2nd sausage roll... even though its been made for the children's lunch... *hahahaha* 

OR sprinkle grated cheese on top after brushing with egg wash glazing.

7. Roll to enclose the sausage, with start & end points facing down.
8. Place rolls on a tray lined with baking paper, covered with cling wrap or a wet towel.
9. Leave it for the 2nd round of proofing, about 45 to 60 minutes, until double in size. (the weird thing I found about this level is that prior to going into oven, buns don't look like they were rising... until I put them into oven... then it started rising... so don't be too concerned if they are not doubled in size.)
10. Brush whisked egg on surface of rolls. (& sprinkle cheese on top if using grated cheese)

what's inside...

11. Bake in a pre-heated 170-180C (356F) oven for 35 mins (mine took about 25 mins), or until golden brown.
12. Transfer onto a wire rack and let cool completely.

Tip: if not eating all immediately - put into zip lock bags or covered container & refrigerate. When ready to eat, just cover in a microwave & microwave for about 30 seconds on High... worked for us for morning b'fast! :-)

ENJOY!!  YUMMY! 

YUM YUM!

Hong Kong Style Sausage Bun (Asian Hot Dogs)

Yummiest Egg-Free, Nut-Free, Dairy-Free Choc-chip Cupcakes

These are the yummiest Egg-Free, Nut-Free, Dairy-Free Choc-chip Cupcakes...

(sugar flowers - I bought & its
not egg-free but it does make it
so much prettier don't you think?)

(or so I've been told, admittedly, I haven't had a chance to try them just yet... since I'm in a desperate attempt to lose some kilos! LOL! They sure smelt beautiful though... the many parents at Mainly Music have told me that they were the yummiest & they could not believe that it did not have any egg in it... *hehe*)

Morning Tea & Birthday Surprise at Mainly Music: 23-Sep-2011

Blessed Birthday Sharon & Lisa... :-) Hope you thoroughly enjoyed the indulgence... :-D


Recipe for cupcakes adapted from:
http://allrecipes.com.au/recipe/4534/egg-free-chocolate-cake.aspx

Recipe for chocolate ganache adapted from:
http://www.sewinlove.com.au/2010/06/19/krishnas-chocolate-cupcakes-egg-free-but-delicious/


serves: approx 36 (depending on the size of your cupcakes of course, I made small ones, not tiny but small)

Ingredients:
655g sifted plain flour
120g dark cocoa (Mine is Homebrand from Safeway but found in section with coffee)
3 tsp bicarb soda

(Reese's peanut butter cup
additional  - not nut-free)

1 tsp baking powder
660g raw caster sugar
4 - 8 tbsp dark chocolate chips (I think I added about 6-7 tbsp)

250ml vegetable oil (I used rice oil)
700ml water
1 tbsp vanilla essence
1/2 tsp vinegar

Method:
1. Preheat oven to 170C & line muffin tray with cupcake liners.
2. In a large bowl, sift all dry ingredients together (flour, cocoa, bicarb soda, baking powder). Add sugar & choc chips and mix all dry ingredients thoroughly.
3. Mix all wet ingredients (oil, water, vanilla essence, vinegar) together.
4. Pour wet ingredients into dry ingredients and mix thoroughly.
5. Pour into cupcake liners. Fill till about 2/3 full.
6. Bake in preheated oven for about 20 mins - 25 mins or until skewer inserted in centre of cupcake comes out clean.

Dark Chocolate Ganache Buttercream frosting (optional, but note, this is not dairy-free)
Ingredients:
250ml whipping heavy cream
400g dark eating chocolate (eg. Lindt 70% Cacao, I used Cadbury Old Gold Dark Chocolate - original)
250g unsalted butter (optional, but I added this as the ganache was not holding its shape, perhaps too much cream)

Method:
1. Coarsely chop dark chocolate into small pieces.
2. Bring cream to a boil in a small saucepan.
3. Remove from heat when bubbles subside and add chocolate, stir until smooth. Leave to cool.
4. Cream butter until light. Add chocolate & cream mixture in and beat until well combined.
5. Pipe onto cooled cupcakes.

Note: If chocolate ganache buttercream is not holding its shape, refrigerate for a while until buttercream is firmer, then try piping again.

Yummiest Egg-Free, Nut-Free, Dairy-Free Choc-chip Cupcakes

Taiwanese Mooncake

Made: Wed, 14-Sep-2011

This recipe was from Ruth Syn - thanks heaps! Love it & so do the children! I've made it just in time for Mid-Autumn Festival... Hopefully it'll last till the weekend, between me giving them away & the children (& hubby) popping them? LOL! 

My sis reckons this tastes very similar or exactly like Tau Sar Pneah, which I intend to try out soon... the flaky skin on the outside is similar or same as Tau Sar Pneah, but filling is lin yung like moon cake... :-)

- Makes approx 32 moon cakes (or 64 – 88 mini moon cakes)

Larger Mooncake
made with Ruth!
(my 1st time making)

Ingredients:

1 – 1.5 kg Lotus Seed Paste (Lin Yung)
(or Mung Bean Paste to make Tau Sar Piah)

Water Dough (Skin):

2 cups plain flour

½ cup water (room temp)

½ cup oil

Oil Dough (Inner layer):

1 ½ cups plain flour

½ cup oil

Method:

1. Mix & knead water dough ingredients together & leave to stand for approx 30 mins.
2. Weigh out Lin Yung & roll into balls approx 30g per ball (or 15g - mini mooncake version: Note: 1.5kg lin yung yielded approx 88 mini balls).

3. Portion out water dough to approx 32 balls (or however many to match lin yung balls – approx 12g per ball (or mini mooncake version it is 6g/ball).

4. Portion out oil dough to approx 32 balls (or however many to match lin yung balls - approx 8g per ball (or mini mooncake version it is 4g/ball).
5. Press out to a thin layer the water dough portion. Put oil dough portion inside & wrap with water dough portion to a little ball.

My children's play toys
came in handy! :-)

6. Flour table top & rolling pin (optional, do if sticking, I did when making for first time, but subsequent times, I found that I didn't need too). 7. Roll out in 1 direction the mixed dough ball to flat.
8. Roll back up into a sausage (like a swiss roll).

9. Flour table top & rolling pin again (optional - do if sticking).
10. Put sausage roll standing top down & press downwards, then roll back out again in 1 direction.

11. Put a portion of lin yung into rolled out dough and wrap lin yung ball inside. (Note:Dough can be stretched to fit over lin yung ball.)

12. Shape into a ball & place on paper-lined baking tray.
13. Do the same for the rest of the ingredients.

Mini Taiwanese Mooncake
made by yours truly! :-)

14. Bake at 170^oC for 10 – 15 mins.

15. Brush with beaten egg. Sprinkle with sesame seeds. 

16. Bake another 10 mins – 15 mins till golden.

17. Cool & store.
 

Taiwanese Mooncake

I-Scream, You-Scream, We all Scream for Ice-Cream...

8th Birthday Cupcakes: 17-Aug-2011

I could not resist making these for my oldest birthday - for him to share with his fellow classmates! What a ball they must have had... and of course, I just HAD to share some pictures... & here they are... Yum Yum Yum!! It sure smelt GREAT as I was carrying them to his classroom!!

So what did I do to produce these cute cupcakes, I hear you ask... 

Well, I used my favourite chocolate cupcake recipe (any cupcake/cake recipe will work really...) & filled each cone 2/3 with the prepared cake batter & baked it at 180C for about 30 mins. I then made a simple butter frosting (but half the amounts of sugar - as I found it too sweet, if 4 cups were added in...) and coated the cupcakes with it. Retain the remainder frosting, as you will need it again.

I then topped it with chocolate magic topping (what you would usually use on real ice-cream where the cold from the ice-cream will actually harden the chocolate), or you could make your own using this recipe, which I have yet to try & if anyone does, let me know how good it is... but at least making your own means that there will be minimal preservatives, additives, etc... :-D. Anyway, I digress...

Once topped with chocolate magic topping, using your icing bag, ice more buttercream on top of the chocolate topping (so that it resembles freshly piped whipped cream), sprinkle some 100s & 1000s on top, & top with an orange jaffa chocolate. Hopefully that doesn't sound too complicated! :-)

Packed & ready to go to school... :-)

Some inspirational sources when I was wondering how to do this & looking at pictures online to help...

(a) This one I thought was really cute... http://musiclovecupcakes.webs.com/apps/photos/photo?photoid=110635712

(b) http://tomkatstudio.blogspot.com/2010/03/cupcake-monday-super-cute-ice-cream.html

(c) Totally love the presentation of this one... http://cakecentral.com/gallery/41286

But if you do google & search for "ice-cream cupcakes" you will find tonnes of pictures... Really fun to do! ;-D And the kids will LOVE it... *hehe*

Thanks for reading & enjoy baking... :-D

I-Scream, You-Scream, We all Scream for Ice-Cream...

White Chocolate Chips, Cherries & Cranberries Muffin

After School Snack & Dessert: 6-Jun-2011

So I've bought a huge bag of dried cranberries & a big bag of dried cherries from Costco on my first trip.. (oh & yes, decided join the Costco membership...) & have been wondering what to do with both bags... apart from just chomping them straight... so I decided to browse through google & found this recipe... silly me though forgot to note down the website it came from & as such, I can't remember where it originated from... so sorry about that... I think it might have been a emmm forum of some sort though for the life of me, I can't remember which forum it could be... *sigh*

Ingredients:
2 cups plain flour
2/3 cups raw caster sugar
3 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 cup sunflower oil
1 egg - beaten
1 cup low-fat lactose free milk (or any milk you have)
3/4 cup white chocolate chips
1/2 cup dried cranberries
1/2 cup dried cherries

2 cups boiling hot water

Method:
1. Soak dried cranberries & dried cherries in boiling hot water for about 15 mins to plump it back up again. Drain (water will not be used in recipe).
2. Preheat oven to 180C.
3. Mix all dry ingredients together (ie. flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, white chocolate chips).
4. Add in oil, egg & milk. Mix well.
5. Add in drained cranberries & cherries & mix well.
6. Spoon into muffin trays till almost full.
7. Bake at 180C for approx 25 mins till golden & cooked through.
8. Remove & cool on cooling rack.

White Chocolate Chips, Cherries & Cranberries Muffin

Farewell Dinner...

Farewell Dinner: 20-May-2011

I found this cake idea & wanted to try to reproduce it... & here this is the result, my version of it anyway (which is pretty close, I think... don't you... *hehe*)

Baked this cake to share with the lovely ladies (& hubbies who came too) of the FGA ladies' group who attended the farewell dinner for Aunty Breda & Uncle Koo...
 

We will miss you both greatly! Come back for visits soon!

 I baked chocolate cupcakes and the Asian cotton soft cheesecake as the cake in the middle. Both the cupcakes and the cheesecake was covered in Vanilla Butter Cream Cheese Frosting that was absolutely yum... (btw, the chocolate version of this frosting placed ontop of the chocolate cupcakes will be the best ever combination!!) 

The farewell dinner was held at Ma Brown Restaurant. Details as follows:

Ma Brown Restaurant

Shop 6, 188-190 Belmore Rd,

Balwyn 3103.

Tel: 9816 3755.



Cutting the cake...



We had a great time there. The company was great & the food was EXCELLENT! It isn't a big restaurant and can get awfully crowded so it would be good to call & make a booking if you wanted to dine there. Just a word of caution, they do try their best but they are rather understaffed so many times you'd need to help yourself to things like tea refills, etc. It is best to book & pre-order your dishes as well as they will take awhile to attend to you when the restaurant gets super busy. Their signature dish is the spicy quails which I've been told you'll have to order at least 3 days in advance but it was totally YUMMY!



The cake was transformed into a
"tears of joy" cake by A. Breda! :-)



FGA Ladies' Group with A. Breda & U. Hock Poo

Here are pictures of what was ordered for that night...

 

Specialty Spicy Quails - we ordered 2 each! Yummy!!

Yummy crispy duck... Mmmm...
(but help yourself to sauce coz we asked for plum sauce
& chillie oil too, both of which never came!)

Braised Pig Trotter with Herbs

Teow Chew Steam Fish
(sauce is slightly sourish because of the sour plums used)

Sambal Long Beans - YUM!

Prawns with special sauce

And, just for the ladies who attended -
GUESS THE NAME OF THIS LAST DISH! 
*hahahahaha*

Red Bean Soup for Dessert...



Farewell Dinner...

Birthday Soccer Cake

Birthday Celebrations: 15-May-2011

We celebrated little Josh's b'day yesterday with a little surprise birthday party... His mum, Mary was most delighted & happy... Yay! :-D Blessed Birthday little Josh... :-)

 

Yummy Caaakkkkeeee!!!  :-)

 

The most moist delicious chocolate cake

I baked the case (the green field) as a chocolate cake and the soccer ball as an Asian cotton soft cheesecake. Both the base and the ball was covered in Vanilla Butter Cream Cheese Frosting that was absolutely yum... (btw, the chocolate version of this frosting is absolutely the best ever!!) - Part of the frosting was dyed with green & yellow dyes to the right color, then used to cover the base of the cake followed by a healthy sprinkling of rough coconut shavings that had also been dyed with green & yellow dyes.The other part was left as is to cover the "white" part of the ball. The small amount left was dyed with black as dark as I dared go without altering the taste of the frosting resulting in a dark grey instead of a black. If black was absolutely necessary, try using gel or powdered coloring, the colors will be much more intense. The little flower rosettes that made up the soccer ball, giving it color & shape was done using a #5 tip on an icing gun...

The Asian Cotton Soft Cheese Cake

Contrary to belief, I had an absolutely great time decorating this cake! I find it relaxing & fun...  *hehe*  Thanks heaps Anne for providing me with yet another perfect excuse to bake & decorate more cakes... LOL!

Blessed Birthday to you once again Josh... We love you heaps! :-)

Birthday Soccer Cake