Oven Baked Lor Mai Fan { Glutinous / Sticky Rice }

Oven Baked Glutinous Rice

Ingredients
Glutinous rice, washed 2.3 times, soaked over night
1 onion, finely chopped
2 garlic, minced
cooking oil

seasoning
Light soy sauce
Dark soy sauce
Anchovy paste
Garlic powder
stock cube
white pepper

 Method :-
Oven baked following method from http://www.jemsrecipes.com/how-to-make-kao-niao-sticky-rice-in-the-oven/

What I did differently was I stir fried the glutinous rice for a few minutes in sauté onion and garlic.
Remove the rice from heat, I start seasoning to taste without ingredients stated above. Then add water slight more to cover the rice. Pour into baking dish and the rest I followed the instruction from link.

Easy Poppy Seeds Cake

Any tea or coffee time cakes get two thumbs up from me! I say this because they don't require much fussing about and the simplicity of it allows the ingredients to shine. If you are like me, you'll like this recipe from No Salty

Easy Poppy Seeds Cake / Bread
Serves : 8
Note: I halved the recipe

Ingredients :-
2 cups of flour (I used 1/2 AP flour , 1/2 ground poppy seeds) **may try with gluten free
2 tsp baking powder (also added baking soda)
1 cup whole poppy seed (I sub. with walnuts)
1 cup sugar or to taste (for my halved recipe, I used 1x7g sachet vanilla sugar, 3 Tbsp sugar)
1 cup milk, room temperature
1 cup vegetable oil
3 eggs , room temperature
pinch of salt
powdered sugar, for dusting  
++ 1 lemon zest

Method :-
1) Pre-heat oven at 180°c. Grease and line loaf tin.
2) Sift flour, baking powder, soda, salt and set aside
3) In a bowl, beat the eggs with sugar until combine. Pour in the milk, mix and then finally the vegetable oil.
4) Add in sifted flours,baking powder, soda, salt and lemon zest and ground poppy seed. Mix until just combine *DO NO OVER MIX
5) Pour batter into loaf tin and bake for 20 mins. Check at around 15 mins  when skewer stick in the middle comes out clean, it is done.
6) Let it cool. and serve dusted with powdered sugar.

Cinnamon "Marshmallow" Squares

Joy of Baking is a great source of recipe archive for me. Not only that, the owner of the site took the trouble to provide videos for some of the recipes. That way, when you're not sure how things should look , you could just refer to the videos for guidance.

Marshmallow squares recipe is one which come with a video and so I feel confident enough to give this recipe a go. Despite the end result was so different from the photo and video, I am actually happy with the taste and texture.  The difference in result could be due to my decision to drastically reduced the sugar used as well as the inclusion of cinnamon powder; which resulted in the grainy appearance (not in texture though). I will definitely make this again!

Marshmallow Squares

shortbread base:

113 grams unsalted butter, room temperature

3 Tbsp light brown sugar (reduced to 2 Tbsp + 1/2 sachet vanilla sugar)

130 grams all purpose flour

1/8 teaspoon salt

++ Note : to add lemon zest next time.

Filling:

180 ml cold water

a scant tablespoon / 7 grams unflavored powdered gelatin

150 grams granulated white sugar (reduced to 120gm + 1 sachet of vanilla sugar)

1/8 teaspoon salt

85 gram powdered or icing sugar, sifted (reduced to 50gm)

3/4 teaspoon baking powder

3/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

red food coloring (optional)

++ Note : added ground cinnamon together when adding powdered sugar

Garnish:

60 grams dried coconut (sweetened or unsweetened) (shredded or flaked)

Method:

shortbread:

1) Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C) and place the rack in the center of the oven. 

2) Lightly butter, or spray with a non stick cooking spray, an 8 inch (20 cm) square baking pan.

 

3) In the bowl of your electric mixer, or with a hand mixer, beat the butter until creamy and smooth. Add the brown sugar and beat until incorporated. Beat in the flour and salt until the mixture starts to form clumps. 

4) Press the dough evenly and firmly onto the bottom of the pan. Lightly prick the dough with the tines of a fork. 

5) Bake for about 20 minutes or until the shortbread is set and beginning to brown around the edges. Remove from oven and place on a wire rack to cool while you make the filling.

Filling: 

1) Place the cold water in a saucepan and then sprinkle the gelatin over the top. Let stand for five minutes or until the gelatin is swelled and spongy. 

2) Stir in the granulated white sugar and salt and place saucepan over medium heat. Heat, stirring constantly, until the gelatin and sugar are dissolved and mixture is hot to the touch. Remove from heat and stir in the powdered sugar. Let cool to room temperature.

3) When cool, pour into your mixing bowl, fitted with the whisk attachment, (can use a hand mixer) and beat until foamy. Add the baking powder, vanilla extract, and about 2 drops of red food coloring. Continue to beat on high speed until the mixture is very thick and holds stiff peaks. This will take about 10-15 minutes. 

4) Then pour the filling over the pre baked crust and smooth the top with the back of a spoon or an offset spatula. Sprinkle the toasted coconut over the top. Let stand for about 6-8 hours or until the marshmallow has set.

To serve, run a knife around the inside edge of the pan, and then cut into squares. The bars can be covered and stored at room temperature, or in the refrigerator, for up to five days. They can also be frozen.

Garnish: Place the coconut on a baking sheet and bake in a 325 degree F (165 degree C) oven for about 5-8 minutes or until the coconut is lightly brownied. Watch carefully and stir the coconut often as it bakes to prevent over browning.

Makes 16 Marshmallow Squares. Preparation time 45 minutes.

Check out: Original recipe + video

Chocolate sponge cake with mascapone whipped cream and punc flavoured butter cream

 

The story behind this cake was I started off wanting to bake a Hungarian classic, the Somlo Cake. That's when I came across a great sponge recipe; which I included below. As usual my mind can't just stick to one cake, I recalled another Hungarian cake, called LajcsiSzelet (Louie slice) ; which I haven't tasted before ; but the appearance really appeal to me.

Lajcsi Szelet (sort of)

Ingredients

Chocolate sponge cake
via you tube
basically based on the number of eggs you're using, the rest of ingredients just multiply by 2.

3 eggs
6 Tbsp water
1 sachet vanilla sugar
6 Tbsp sugar (I adjusted to my taste 4 Tbsp)
a pinch of salt

4 Tbsp All purpose flour
2 Tbsp cocoa powder, unsweetened
1 tsp baking powder
rum


Filling - Pink Layer
1x packet "punc" / pink pudding
300ml cold milk
84gm butter, room temperature
2-3 Tbsp powdered sugar

Filling - Vanilla Layer
1xpacket vanilla pudding
300ml cold milk
65gm butter, room temperature
2-3 Tbsp powdered sugar

Chocolate topping
100gm chocolate
3 Tbsp flavourless oil
rum

Method :-

Chocolate sponge cake

1) Pre-heat oven at 180°c / Gas mark 4. Grease and line baking sheet. Size
2) In a mixing bowl, crack in the eggs, pour in the water, sugars and a pinch of salt
3) Beat on medium to high speed for around 5 minutes, or until thick and creamy consistency.
4) Sift in the flour, cocoa powder and baking powder into egg batter.
5) Beat again until dry ingredients are well combine.
6) Pour into baking dish.
7) Bake for around 12-14 minutes until the sponge spring back when touched.
8) set aside to cool for 30 mins. - 1 hour.

Filling (same process for both flavours)
1) Cook pudding according to instruction without the sugar. Set it aside to cool
2) Whipped butter with sugar until light and fluffy
3) Whipped in the puddings until well combine.

Assembly
1) Divide chocolate sponge into 3 rectengle
2) Start spreading the pink butter cream on the first layer.
3) Place the second chocolate sponge cake on top. Spread the vanilla butter cream on top.
4) Finally place the third layer.
5) In the microwave or double boiler. Melt chocolate and oil until shinny, add in the rum and mix well.
6) Glaze the chocolate on top of cake and it it ready.

My Notes:-
1) I've used chocolate with 49% cocoa content ; which I find to overpowering.
2) The sponge cake recipe was so easy and could be reduced and multiply easily!
3) I'll probably add a layer of apricot jam next round to give some contrast in the taste.