LIQUORED CHRISTMAS FRUIT CAKE

It's not Christmas yet, I know. LOL.

I made this as a birthday cake for my best friend's mother who loves this fruit cake. There was once I made a fruit loaf for her, but I think she prefers the fruity cake with lots of liquor in it. So to make an elderly happy, I kind of fulfilled her desire (but I still had reservations on making it too liquored as there were young children around too.)

The cake looks daunting to make, but it is actually pretty easy.

 Recipe:
500g dried fruits of any kind (cubed into similar sizes)
500g raisins
200g butter, softened
200g dark brown sugar
175ml golden syrup (I used honey)
1 tsp mixed spice (I used 2 tsp five spice powder)
2 tbs cocoa powder
125ml cognac
4 eggs, beaten
225g plain flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda

some extra cognac for brushing

Method:
1. Line side and bottom of 24cm round cake tin with baking paper. Set aside.
2. Place dried fruits, butter, sugar, golden syrup, mixed spice and cocoa into a large pot.
3. Heat the mixture, stirring frequently, over low heat until the mixture reaches a simmer.
4. Add cognac while stirring and let it simmer for 10 min.
5. Remove the pot from heat and allow to cool. Preheat oven at 150C.
6. Using electric egg beater, beat the eggs until soft and fluffy. It is ready when the beater balloon can draw a trail on egg surface without disappearing immediately.
7. Mix flour, baking soda and baking powder together.
8. Fold the eggs into the fruit mixture in three batches.
9. Fold in the flour mixture in three batches and mix well.
10. Pour mixture into cake tin and bake for about 45-60min or until a skewer comes out clean when poked in the centre. It may be a little sticky due to the fruits.
11. Remove from oven and cool. Poke some holes with a skewer and brush cognac all over the cake.

Notes: 
1. You may use nuts combined with fruits in any proportion, as long as they come up to 1kg.
2. For a more liquored taste, may soak fruits (not the nuts!) in cognac for a week. I used 300g raisins that were used to ferment wine for this batch.
3. It is recommended to bake this at least 5 days earlier to allow the cake to mature. Brush the top daily or every few days with cognac.
4. You may opt out the liquor and replace with orange juice.
5. May decorate by dusting icing sugar on it. (But because I felt that it was probably very sweet to some people, I did not dust anymore sugar. I only wrapped around with broad golden ribbon)
 

 

HAPPY (HAMMY) BREAD WITH NATURAL YEAST

The other day, I came across a picture of a beautiful array of roses in a basket, but they were actually all bread. Since then I harboured the thought of replicating the design, but using my own version and recipe. I wanted a very soft, sweet and light version and since my boys loved ham, I added in their favourite.

My version of Happy Bread

Recipe
140g bread flour
110 low protein flour (I used top flour)
80g sugar
125g natural yeast
100ml water approx.
2 tbsp oil
Some melted butter

1. Mix flours, sugar and yeast in a mixing bowl. Mix them and slowly add water until the dough just holds. 
2. Pour out the dough onto the counter top. Knead to form a ball and add the oil. 
3. Knead and fold until the dough is smooth and can stretch a thin film.
4. Lightly oil the mixing bowl. Place the dough in it and flip over to ensure all surface is lightly coated with oil.
5. Cover the bowl and place in an oven with a cup of hot water to assist proofing. 

kneading completed

before proofing

sit in the oven till rise to double

 6. Depending on the performance of the natural yeast, it may take about 90min to 2.5hrs to proof. (I forgot about my dough and left the house for 3 hours!) 
7. Dough is ready when it has doubled in size and pass the poke test. (Flour a finger and poke the dough. If the hole does not bounce back, it is ready.)

doubled in size after 3 hours

8. Punch out all the air. I learnt that this is crucial if you do not want a sour-tasting bread.
9. Gently knead into a log and let rest for 30 min.
10. Cut the dough and shape to your desire.

brush with melted butter

the left and right will form the roses

 open up the petals

 place the roses in the centre and the rest at the sides. Leave some space!

10. Let the bread dough proof again for about 30min - 45min.
11. Brush the top with melted butter. Bake at 180C for 20min. Brush with melted butter again and bake for 5min or until brown.

We enjoyed this bread very much. My sons requested me to make this again. I was quite amazed at how much my youngest son ate. Usually he would only eat the ham. I think he likes the soft, sweet bread too.  成功! ^0^
 
 

FERMENTED RED TOFU YAM PORK BELLY 南乳芋头肉

As I age, I grow to love the taste and fragrance of fermented red tofu. I learn this dish from my lovable mother-in-law. She deep fries the yam and pork, but I only deep fry the root. As for the pork belly, i used Philips Airfryer to do the job  :)

 Ingredients:
1kg Pork belly
1kg Yam

Marinade:
3 pieces red fermented tofu
3 tbsp sweet rice wine
1.5 tbsp sugar
some fermented tofu sauce and juice from steamed pork
1 tsp dark soya sauce (optional - I did not add)

1. Slice yam into 1cm thick. Deep fry till cooked.
2. Wash and clean pork belly. Steam for 25min (it should not be thoroughly cooked)
3. Use a fork to poke the skin of pork. Deep fry until the skin is almost crispy. I used Philip Air Fryer to do the job at 160C for 20 min, 180C for 10min, 200C for 10min.
4. Prepare the marinade and mash the tofu. May add some dark soy sauce if preferred.
5. Slice the pork and slash all sides with the tofu mixture. Assemble the pork and yam alternatively with the skin of pork facing down.
6. Steam for about 2.5hrs or until the meat is soft. Flip over on serving plate.

my mother-in-law insists to buy the ones packed in clay pot. I chose this Shaoxing red tofu.

Steamed pork belly. Don't discard the juice!  mix into red tofu mixture instead

So glad to have this arifryer to help me :)

 

Mochi Snowskin with Tofu Bailey's Chocolate Truffle

Since I am going to make mooncakes this year and I am NOT using salted egg yolks (high cholesterol! and wasting of whites) , I decide to make my own truffles. Then, I also thought of the high sugar/fat content of mooncakes (which I devour quite a bit every year), I considered using low fat content instead -- Tofu or beancurd.

First attempt failed as I used the wrong type of tofu. Second attempt was a success, thanks to my wonderful, logical thinking husband.

Tofu Bailey's Dark Chocolate Truffle
Makes about 28 balls
2 x 150g tofu (taukwa, firm)
3 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder 
1/2 tbsp instant coffee powder
40-50g softened butter
6 tbsp condensed milk or honey
3 tbsp Baileys Irish Cream (optional)
200g semi-sweet chocolate chips*
100ml milk**

1. Blend tofu in blender till fine. 
2. Add in cocoa and coffee powder. Blend well.
3. Mix in butter and condensed milk. You can adjust the sweetness to your own liking.
4. Add liquor to masquerade the tofu taste. (Personally I do not like tofu!)

5. Chill in fridge for about 1-2 hours.
6. Bring the milk to simmer at edge over small fire. Remove from fire.
7. Melt chocolate chips in warm milk till smooth.
8. Using a 2.5cm ice cream scoop, scoop the tofu mixture and roll into ball.

9. Dip the ball into melted chocolate. Place the dipped balls onto a tray lined with baking sheet.

10. Freeze till ready to use.

Notes:
* I used semi-sweet chips as that was what I had in my kitchen.
** I used milk as I wanted the truffles to be in mooncake so the casing would not be too hard. If you are making truffles to be eaten as it is, you do not need to use milk. Just double boil chocolate chips till they melt. Dip as above and decorate with cocoa powder / white chocolate / sprinkles.


I am searching for a recipe for snowskin mooncake that allows the dessert to remain soft even after chilling in fridge, but I really want to avoid use of shortening as it is not healthy. I am prepared to use pre-mix only as a last resort. I came across this mochi recipe that mentioned the dessert would remain soft even after chilling, so I gave it a try.

Mochi Snowskin Mooncake
This can yield about 4 x 70g snowskin. (I made 7 times of this batch!)
45g Glutinous rice flour
35g Rice flour
20g Wheat starch flour
18g Oil
185g Milk
50g Sugar

1. Mix all flours together, set aside.
2. Mix oil, milk and sugar and stir till sugar is melted.
3. Pour flours into liquid mixture, and stir to combine well.
4. Sieve two times to ensure smooth mixture. Rest for 30min.
5. Cover the top with plastic wrap, steam on high heat for about 45 min or until mochi does not have flour taste. (I made a mistake to make 7 times of above ingredients at one go. The pot was too deep for the mochi to cook evenly and well. It took me 3hrs to steam them thoroughly :<. It is better to steam in small batches on a broad plate)

6. Using two pairs of chopsticks, stir the mixture till smooth while still hot.
7. Once mochi is cooled, chill in fridge so that it will be more pliable to shape. (I did not chill at first, the starch was soooo sticky!!)
8. With cooked glutinous rice flour in palms, shape mochi into balls. Flatten the ball.
9. Wrap filling into mochi, chill at least 8 hrs.

Notes:

*Prepare some extra cooked glutinous rice flour for shaping mooncake. Fry flour in pan over low fire until the raw flour taste is gone. This is kor fen (糕粉)

**Due to the size of my truffles, I could not use any mould to fit my mooncake, so I have to shape on my own. Weight used: one truffle + 35g white bean paste + 25g mochi

*** Mochi can be kept in fridge and still stay soft for 3 days; after which the snowskin will harden. So best consumed within 3 days.

truffles wrapped in white bean paste

used toothpick to carve out the petals

FLAKY SKIN APPLE MOONCAKE

Mooncake time! Slurp! Slurp!

This year, I am going to make my own Purple Sweet Potato filling. 

Recipe for filling:
1kg purple sweet potato, peeled
150-180g cooking oil
100g sugar (according to your liking)
50g wheat starch flour, sift
80-120g melon seeds

Method:
1. Slice the roots thin to allow quicker steam process.
2. Place in steamer / wok and steam for 15 min.
3. Mash the root.
4. In a wok, add oil, sugar,flour and mashed roots and fry over medium fire until well mixed. Cool completely.

 No machine to help me, so mash it manually. Not difficult :)

Frying the beautiful root

Roll a small ball in hand to check if oil is enough. It should be when a little oil is stained on palm.

5. Bake melon seed in oven at 120C for about 10 min. Leave to cool.

6. Stir melon seed into mashed potato, roll into 20 balls (about 55g each). (Or you can keep in fridge until you are ready to use.) 

reminds me of dinosaur eggs. =}

Flaky Skin Apple Mooncake Recipe:
(Set of 10 mooncake skins, I doubled ingredients to make 20)
Skin A (水皮):
115g plain flour
35g oil
55g water mixed with 1 tsp malt (can be replaced by sugar)

Mix above into dough. Let it rest for 30min,

Skin B (油皮):
130g plain flour
55g shortening
15g oil

Press into a dough. Split into 3 balls, add colours yellow, red and green. (If the dough gets too soft, chill in fridge for 10 mins)

 Inside bowl: Skin B. Outside bowl is Skin A

 Roll Skin A into rectangle.

 Press coloured Skin B onto Skin A

Fold 1/3 upwards (below green), 1/3 left and 1/3 right

 Roll out the skin

 Roll the dough downwards to become a coiled log (starting from red)

Cut into 10 equal pieces (should be about 3cm thick per piece)

 Press down and roll flat. Wrap the filling and seal at bottom.

With your pinkie, poke a small dent on top, use cloves as the stem, and some green Skin B as leaves. (my 4 year old's station)

Bake at 170C for about 15 mins, or when the flakes appear.

 Done  =)