Buttery Dinner Rolls

These buns are really really hard to shape. It's very sticky.
I made half of the recipe, and I reduce the kneading timing to 4 minutes. I don't have the wrinkles part, but because it's so so hard to shape it into a smooth balls, I just leave it like that and baked.That's why I don't have a smooth buns.

Why I made those buns??First, when I saw it for the first time in Wendy's blog, those buns reminds me the bun that I had from the airline, ya we love those buns,with lots of butter on it.

Second, I still have leftover buttermilk from the Red Velvet Cupcakes , don't waste it.

The taste, I didn't get what I expected, but still taste good.

Recipe from Wendy's .
Ingredients:
500 gm all purpose flour

200 gm plain yogurt ( I used buttermilk)
200 gm fresh milk/full cream milk
60 gm butter
50 gm sugar
8 gm salt
10 gm instant yeast
1 small egg beaten
Some poppy seeds for sprinkling

Method:
Put everything together and knead until you form a dough.
Continue to knead on low speed for 8 minutes.
A slacky and slightly sticky dough will form.
Let it proof(covered) until double, about 1.5 hours.It will turn tacky.
Divide into 50 gm balls of dough.
Roll the dough into balls  and place on a line or grease pan.
Proof (covered) , until dough balls double up again.
Preheat oven to 180C.
Brush top of dough with beaten egg and sprinkle some poppy seeds.
Bake for 15 minutes or until golden brown.
 

Red Velvet Cupcakes

This one of the popular cakes.The cake texture, really soft and light, just like velvet.Although the cream cheese frosting a little bit runny, I really enjoying it with the cake.
Recipe source from Sonia's and Lena's recipe with a little bit changes.

Ingredients:( 11 cupcakes)
150 gm cake flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1 tbsp cocoa powder
80 gm unsalted butter, at room temperature
120 gm caster sugar
1 large egg
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 cup buttermilk, at room temperature( or substitute by combine 1/2 cup milk + 1/2 tbsp lemon juice, set aside for 5 minutes)
1 tbsp liquid red food coloring
1/2 tsp white distilled vinegar
1/2 tsp baking soda

Method:
Preheat oven to 180C.
Line muffin pan with paper liners.
Sift flour, baking powder, salt and cocoa powder together in a bowl.
In a jug, stir the red coloring into the buttermilk. Set a side.
Beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
Beat in egg, followed by vanilla extract until the mixture is smooth.
With the mixer on low speed, alternately add the flour and buttermilk in 3 additions, starting and ending with flour.Mix until evenly combined.
Combine vinegar and baking soda in a small bowl until it fizzes. Quickly add to the batter and fold through briskly until evenly incorporated.
Divide batter evenly among lined cupcakes and bake for 20 minutes or until skewer inserted comes out clean.
Let cupcakes cool before frosting.

Cream Cheese Frosting :
110 gm cream cheese
35 gm butter, at room temperature
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 1/4 cup icing sugar, sifted

Method:
Beat butter and cream cheese until fluffy.
Add in vanilla extract.
Gradually add in icing sugar and bear till creamy.

 Ready to bake......180C for 20-25 minutes, depends on individual oven.

The cake really soft, just like velvet....

Crispy Fresh Squid/Cuttlefish In Sweet And Sour Sauce

If you have a maid, or your stove outside of your house, you might considering making this dish.If you like me, no maid, stove in the kitchen inside the house, then you're also like me CRAZY!

WHY? When deep-frying the squid, the squid will pop,pop,pop out and burst the oil, splatter around the kitchen HAVOC!!Even if you put on the lid, can still hear the pop,pop sound.My kitchen turned up very oily.......no maid, so have to clean up by myself....zzzzzzzzzzz...

OK, the taste....according to the book, it should be crunchy, but mine not enough crunch.And,I thought it will be hard and dense, but not, it's just chewy, softly chewy type, with a little bit crunchy,ya little bit only... and it goes well with the sauce.
Will I make it again???I will....hahahha

Recipe source: Hawker's Fair...Best Of all time Favourites.

Ingredients:
1kg fresh squid/cuttlefish,cut into pieces
1 tbsp shredded red chilli
1 tbsp shredded ginger

Sauce:
2 tbsp worcestershire sauce
3 tbsp tomato sauce
2 tbsp chilli sauce
1 tbsp black vinegar
2 tbsp sugar
1 tbsp soy sauce( can omit this)
1/2 tbsp oyster sauce
5 tbsp water

Method:
Blanch squid/cuttlefish in boiling water for 1/2 minute. Dish and drain. 
Heat up oil for deep-frying, put in squid/cuttlefish and deep fry until dry and crispy. Dish and drain.
Pour sauce into wok and cook until thick.
Add in fried cuttlefish, shredded chilli, ginger and mix well.
Dish up and serve.

**When frying fresh squid/cuttlefish, lots of heat up oil are needed.
First round of frying may not be crunchy.
Dish up the squid/cuttlefish, add more oil and heat up.
Pour in the squid/cuttlefish again for deep frying until crunchy.
The stove at home with lower fire may need another round of deep frying.
This particular dish of squid/cuttlefish is only tasty when crunchy.

 ** I copied from the book.

This is how I scoring the squid and make patterns.

Blueberry Crumble Cupcakes

I made this blueberry crumble cupcakes twice! It is so delicious with the crunch of the crumble toppings. The first time I made, I double the crumble topping, but found it too oily.The 2nd batch, I reduce the crumble topping to 1 1/2 crumble topping, and it is very nice.
The recipe was from Sonia  . I made 10 cupcakes from this recipe.

Ingredients:

Crumble Topping: ( 1.5 from the original )
30gm cold butter
30 gm caster sugar
30 gm top flour or cake flour
15 gm ground almond

Cupcakes:
125 gm butter, room temperature
80 gm caster sugar
2 large eggs
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
100 gm self raising flour or 100 gm cake flour +1 tsp baking powder
2 tbsp milk
80 gm fresh blueberries, dust with some flour

For the topping---fresh blueberries

Method:
Make crumble topping:
Combine ingredients in a bowl and mix with fingers until mixture resembles coarse breadcrumbs.
Refrigerate until needed.
Preheat the oven to 180C.
Put paper cases in a muffin pan.

Put butter and sugar in a mixing bowl, beat together until light and fluffy.
Add in vanilla extract then add egg one at a time , combine well.
Add in the flour and milk alternately, fold till well combine.
Add blueberries and mix well.
Spoon the mixture into the paper cases.
Top with few blueberries , then sprinkle crumble topping over.
Bake the cupcakes in the oven for 25-30 minutes, or until risen and firm to touch.
Transfer to a wire rack and let it cool. Serve.

Oreo Cheesecake

We really enjoy and love this oreo cheesecake.The oreo gives a crust crunchy taste,the cream cheese needless to say, so rich & nice aroma perfect combinations.
The sweetness of the cake, are just nice, no need to cut down the sugar.
I adapted this recipe from 100道小蛋糕   . This recipe called for a small tin, (18cmx8cmx6cm), but I used slightly big (23cmx8cmx8cm). So I made 1 1/2 half recipe.

Ingredients:( for small 18cmx8cmx6cm)
(A)
15 gm butter ,let it soft at room temperature
55 gm oreo

(B)
150 gm Cream Cheese
50 gm caster sugar
85 gm whipping cream
1 tsp flour
1 egg yolk

Method :
Use a roller pin and a plastic bag, finely crush the oreo.
Mix butter with crushed oreo. Set aside.
Line the tin with aluminium floil.
Beat cream cheese & sugar over double boiler , till smooth.
Add in whipping cream & cream well.
Take off from the heat, add in egg yolk & flour, mix well.
Spread mixed (A) onto the bottom of the prepared tin.
Pour in cream cheese mixture , top it with the remaining oreo.
Cover with aluminium floil and bake in preheated oven 180 C for 30 minutes.
Cool on wire rack, and chilled in fridge before serving.

 Crush the oreo this way, safe time, and it gives the oreo crust more crunchy.

 Mix in the butter. No need to melt the butter, just leave the butter to room temperature till soft.

 Line the tin.

 Beat cream cheese and sugar over double boiler till smooth, and no more lumps.

Top with the remaining oreo.

Ready to bake.

And thanks to Amelia for the lovely award.

 

Longan Konyaku Jelly

This is our favorites dessert, longan konyaku jelly. I'd tried lychees flavor before, but longan flavor is still the best. 
I used pre-mix konyaku jelly.

Ingredients:  
1 can longan
1 packet of pre-mix konyaku jelly
1000 ml water
250 ml longan syrup
Few drops of red coloring

Method:
Mix 1000ml water with 250 ml longan syrup into a pot.Bring the mixture to boil.
When the mixture boils, stir in the  pre-mix konyaku jelly & red coloring.
Let it boils for another 5 minutes.
Mean while ,place some longan into konyaku  mould.
Pour the mixture into the prepared mould, let it half set, then chill in the fridge till firm.
Serve.

Here's some pictures taken from Taiwan.
At Sun Moon Lake ....

 I like this pic......nice..

 On the way to Sun Moon Lake, we saw lots of Areca trees....

These are Areca nut...

We visited this shop....the shop selling candied plums

 Assorted candied plums for you to taste.....