Clone of a Cinnabon / Cinnamon Rolls

When I saw Wendy post this up, I knew I must try it, and I am really glad that I did it.

These wonderful rolls are indeed sooo delicious, the soft rolls with the nice aroma of the cinnamon plus the topping/frosting , they were such a  perfect combinations......

Here's the recipe from Wendy , I reduced a bit the sugar, still very yummy...... 

Ingredients:
Dough:
250 gm bread flour
125 gm fresh milk
50 gm sugar
5 gm instant yeast
1/2 tsp salt
38 gm butter
1 egg

Filling:
100 gm light brown sugar ( I used 70 gm)
3 tsp ground cinnamon ( I used 1.5 tsp)
38 gm butter, softened
1 tbsp flour ( it's recommended by some reviewers so that the cinnamon sugar stays put)

Frosting/ Topping
45 gm cream cheese
30 gm butter
70 gm icing sugar( I used 60 gm)
1/4 tsp vanilla extract
Pinch of salt

Method:
Mix all the ingredients for dough in a mixing bowl.
Knead on speed 4 for 15 minutes( using KA) or until window pane stage.
Cover and let the dough proof until double, for about 11/2 hour.
While dough is proofing, grease a 9 inch tin, ( I use round spring form pan, so I didn't grease.)

Mean while prepare the filling :
Melt butter and mix everything else together ( it'll become a paste). Set aside.

When the dough is ready, roll it into a rectangle about 8mm thick( mine about 3-4mm thick)
Spread filling over the dough and roll up.
Pinch seams and cut roll into 9 pieces.
Arrange then in prepared baking pans.
Cover and let them proof for another 30 minutes, until they looks puffy.
Bake in preheated oven 150( fan) / 170C for 20-25 minutes.( Mine at 180C for 20 minutes)

While rolls are baking,prepare frosting.
Place all frosting ingredients into a microwaveable bowl and zap on high for 30 seconds.
Stir to combine.
(Or, you can just let everything come to room temp and beat together, not necessary to zap, but it's so much easier to zap)

If too runny, chill in fridge awhile waiting for the rolls to bake and turn warm.
Frost the warm rolls and serve.

Spread fillings....

Arranged them into prepared pan...let it proof for 30 minutes.

 After  30 minutes proofing....

Delicious!!!!!

Oven Grill / Bake Salmon Fish With Dill

This is a nice recipe from wokkingmum blog. It tastes really good and healthy too :)
As my salmon was quite a big slice, so I double up the recipe and I baked the salmon fish.

Here's the recipe from : Let's get Wokking! with a slightly change.
Ingredients:
1 slice Salmon
1/2 teaspoon Garlic Powder (I used 3 cloves of garlic, grated)
Zest of 1 Lemon
1/2 tablespoon Dill, chopped
1/2 teaspoon Olive Oil
1/3 teaspoon Salt
a dash of Ground Black Pepper
A wedge of Lemon 
Some cherry tomatoes
Some salad greens

Method:
Rub salt and pepper on salmon and set aside.
Mix the rest of the ingredients together except lemon.
Place salmon on a greased baking pan.
Spread the herb mixture on both sides of the salmon, more on the top.
Add some cherry tomatoes.
Grill in oven at 220C for 15 minutes or till cooked.( I baked)
Transfer the salmon fish on the salad greens.
Squeeze lemon juice on salmon and serve immediately.

Kumquat Almond Tea Cakes

Finally! Ya, finally I get to taste this wonderful kumquat almond tea cakes from Wendy .

Jeannie , Elinluv  and Quay Po also made this!! Mouthwatering lor...

I can't find any kumquat from super market,so have to wait for my kumquat to ripe,don't worry, I had this kumquat tree for 2+ years I waited, waited and waited and finally those kumquats ripen.....yay!!!

I really enjoy these cakes, so delicious!!! I made twice.The first batch I used ground almond,and for the 2nd batch  I ran out of ground almond, so I used ground hazelnut. But, still the ground almonds is the besttt!!!

The picture above is the 1st batch, which I used silicon rose mould to bake.I got 5 roses, and when its cooled down, we ate 3 of it and left 2 for my pic....lol....

My kumquat tree, not many fruits, but still enough for my cakes....still got balance ....lol.

Here's the recipe from Wendy.

Ingredients:
35 gm all purpose flour
50 gm ground almond
1/2 tsp baking powder

60 gm butter
50 gm caster sugar
2 eggs (grade B)
60 gm kumquat puree (recipe below)

18 pcs poached kumquat halves (recipe below)

If you're using tart tins,prepare 18 2 inch tart tins or 12 3 inch tins. Grease the tins with butter.I used silicon mould, and I didn't grease, luckily it didn't stick to the mould.
Sift flour and baking powder. Mix with ground almond, set aside.
Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
Beat in eggs one by one, beating well after each addition.
Put in flour mixture in 2 additions, mixing well after each.
Mix in kumquat puree.
Divide batter equally into prepared tins and top with a kumquat half
Bake for 12 mins (2 inch) or longer for larger tins.


Kumquat compote

20 kumquats
Sugar
Water

Weigh kumquats and prepare equal amount of water (in weight) and half amount of sugar (ratio: 2:2:1, kumquat:water:sugar, eg : 200gm:200gm:100gm)

Half kumquats and remove seeds. Put cleaned kumquats, sugar and water into a saucepan and cook (on med heat)until the kumquat looks glossy and soft. Remove 18 pcs of halves and puree the rest with some of the syrup. Unused puree can be eaten like jam.

 Kumquat compote, very additive, once you lick it from the spoon, you'll find it very hard stop !!!!!

This is the 2nd batch, which I used ground hazelnut, and tart tins.
Wendy, if you read this, I understand why you lazy to grease the tins,me too...hahaha, and it's a very tedious job to wash the tins too...;)

 yum....yum......

Curry Squids

Another squid recipe....This is a very easy curry squid, no need to do scoring and make patterns with the squid, save time ;). 

Ingredients:
2 fresh squids, cleaned and cut into rings
1 tbsp oil
1 onion, sliced
2 stalk lemongrass, finely chopped

Seasoning
1 tbsp curry powder
1 tbsp oyster sauce
1 tsp sugar
1/4 salt
4 tbsp water

Method:
Blanch fresh squids in boiling water until cooked. Dish and drain.
Heat up 1 tbsp oil, saute onion and lemongrass until aromatic.
Add in squids, seasoning and stir fry at high heat until well mixed.
Dish up and serve.

 

Pumpkin Layer Kuih/ Kuih Lapis Labu

This pumpkin layer kuih is adapted from yummylicious  , which she adapted from yatie . I found it a little bit sweet hmmm.....probably I use coarse sugar , but overall it's still a yummy and delicious kuih.

There's another mistake while doing this kuih, that is, I put more than 1 cup of pumpkin puree and turn up the pumpkin layer a little bit soft, not firm enough.A lesson to learn and always remember,to follow the recipe....don't simply simply add......lols

Ingredients:
(A)
2 cups water
11/4 caster sugar ( can reduce to 1 cup)
1/2 tsp salt
2 pieces of pandan leaves, knotted

(B)
2 cups flour
1/2 cup rice flour
1/4 cup cornflour
2 cups thick coconut milk
2 cups water

(C)
1/2 cup thick coconut milk

(D)
1 cup smashed pumpkin ( steam and smash the pumpkin)


Method:
Cook (A) until sugar dissolve, let it cool and set aside.
In another bowl, mix (B), add in the cooked syrup mixture from (A) , mix well.
Strain the mixture and divide into 2 portions.
Add in (C) to one of the mixture.Divide into 3 portions.
Add (D) into the other half. Divide into 3 portions.
Prepared 9 inch tray.I used aluminium floil to line up my tin.
Pour 1st portion of pumpkin mixture onto the prepared tray and steam for 5-7 minutes.
Pour the 1 st portion of coconut milk mixture onto the cooked 1st pumpkin layer, steam for another 5-7 minutes.
Repeat the process until finish.For the last layer, steam for 20 minutes. You'll get 3 layers of white color(coconut) and 3 layers of pumpkin kuih.
Let the steam cake/kuih completely cool, then use a plastic knife to cut out the shape. Serve.

Spaghetti with Fresh Button Mushrooms

I think everybody knows how to cook spaghetti, right? This is our favorite, spaghetti with fresh mushrooms.
My kids don't like to eat onions, but they can take it in this spaghetti. So, I purposely add more onions in this spaghetti.

Ingredients:
1/2 pct of spaghetti noodles
1 tbsp butter
3 tbsp vegetable oil/olive oil
2 onions, chopped
3 cloves garlic chopped
2 large tomatoes, chopped
4 tbsp tomato sauce
150 gm fresh button mushrooms, chopped
50 ml chicken stock
some pasta spice
Salt to taste  (optional)
some grated parmesan cheese


Method:
Heat 3 tbsp oil, add in chopped onions and garlic.
Add spices,fry until fragrant and soft.
Add in chopped tomatoes,  tomato sauce,button mushrooms and chicken stock.
Bring to boil. Turn down the heat and simmer for about 10 minutes.Add in salt to taste. 
Bring about 3 litres of water to boil.
Add in 1 tbsp salt.
Cook spaghetti for about 10 minutes until al dente.
Drain the spaghetti and toss in butter till well coated.
Transfer to plates, spoon on the sauce.
Sprinkle some parmesan cheese.Serve.

* if don't have chicken stock, can substitute with chicken/ikan bilis cube.

Chocolate Cranberry Cupcakes

While blog walking, my kids saw these yummy cupcakes, from Anncoo Journal .My youngest is a chocoholic, she likes everything with chocolate. Everyday she keep asking and asking, non stop,  about these cupcakes.....like,"when will I do for her, I missed chocolate cupcakes already, please do for me"...bla bla bla...kids....sigh...
After I baked those chocolate cupcakes, I let them to layer the top with ganache. Here's the cupcakes, not so beauty but it's so yummy ! They happy, mama also happy..... hahaha :)

Ingredients: Recipe from Anncoo Journal .

80 gm dried cranberries
3 tbsp rum
175 gm butter, softened
150 gm icing sugar
45 gm cocoa powder
90 gm hot water
1 tsp vanilla extract
3 large eggs
75 gm whipping cream
175 gm plain flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda

Method :
Soak dried cranberries with 3 tbsp of rum for 1 hour.
Mix cocoa powder with hot water and set aside.
Line muffin pan with cupcakes liner.
Sieve plain flour, baking powder and baking soda together.
Beat butter and icing sugar till pale.
Gradually add in cocoa mixture and vanilla extract, mix well.
Add eggs one at a time, mixing until incorporated and slowly add whipping cream into it, mix well.
Fold in flour, do not over mix and lastly add in dried cranberries, mix well.
Spoon chocolate  batter into prepared muffin cups to 3/4 full.
Bake at preheated oven 170C for 25-30 minutes, or skewer inserted into centre of the cupcakes comes out clean.
Leave cake to col on wire rack and spread some ganache on top of the cake.
Store the remaining cupcakes in the fridge and to soften them at room temperature for 15 minutes or longer before consume.

Ganache Cream :

125 gm cooking chocolate, chopped

100 gm whipping cream 

20 gm butter 

1/2 vanilla extract

1/2 tbsp rum (optional)

Method:
Put chopped chocolate and butter in a bowl.
Boil whipping cream and pour cream into the chocolate pieces and stir with a hand whisk to smooth.
Add in vanilla extract and rum, stir well.

If you find that the cream was not heated well enough for the ganache to be smooth, reheat the ganache under double boiler and stir till smooth. (note: off the heat after water is boiled)

You may like to apply 2 to 3 layers of ganache cream to make the chocolate cream thicker.

Kitchen Note: 

Ganache cream can be stored tightly covered in the refrigerator for a month or longer. Reheat the leftover ganache cream in the microwave for 20 seconds and give it a little stir and place it back to the microwave for 10-15 seconds and again stir the cream to smooth. You can use it to frost more baked goods, or drizzle on ice cream.