Tofu Flower 豆腐花

I have such a weak spot for this totally plain and delicious dessert. Its so good! Its a bit challenging to make at first, took me quite a few attempts to get it silky smooth. A sure way to get it smooth is to use store brought unsweetened soy milk. That is a no brainer. However, I like to take it to the next level. Using soybeans, a blender and time.

1 pound of soy beans, soaked over night to absorb water. In the blender, puree the beans with water, 1 to 4. In the end, there should be about 6 liters of soy milk.

Tofu flower for 2 liters of soymilk recipe as follows:

2 liters of soy milk, bring to boil
2 teaspoon of gypson powder
2 teaspoon of corn starch
half cup of water (100ml, 4 ounces, half a bowl will do too, not too important to be exact to the dot here)

1. Mix the water with the two powders in a cup, dissolved well
2. When boiling soy milk, take care to stir it ever few minutes, it will burn easily.
3. Turn off heat after soy milk boils
4. Stir the powder solution again and pour it into a container large enough to hold the 2 liters of soy milk.
5. Quickly pour the soy milk into the powdered solution.
6. Cover with cloth/towel and lid
7. Give it about an hour to set, I've tried it after 15 minutes and it was too soft, so 30 minutes might work, if not, just wait the hour.
8. Serve with ginger and sugar syrup (2 cups of water, 2 cups of sugar (any kind is fine) and a few slices of ginger, bring to boil, simmer for 10 mins).

Tiramisu Cheesecake

My first attempt at making this wonderful cheesecake. I modify it to my needs, but in general, it still has the same basics. The recipe calls for ladyfingers, but I have not seen any at the local supermarkets. However I did manage to find some at a specialty store. But I have not used the package I just brought. The previous times I've made I used sponge cake that I made myself. Every time I've made this, my kids would each have one big piece and I would save some for later, but I would give most of it away.

Here we go...its not that hard, just time consuming, but well worth the time and effort!

Ingredients:
4 packages of cream cheese, regular or light, 8 ounce size
1 cup (8 ounces) sour cream, regular or light
1 package (12 ounces) lady fingers or sponge cake
8 ounces of strong coffee, divide in half
1 cup sugar
4 eggs, lightly beaten
2 cups whipped topping
2 tablespoon baking cocoa, divided in half

Directions
1. Line or grease a 13x9 baking pan, set aside. Preheat oven to 325° and set a large baking sheet with hot water inside, make sure the 13x9 dish can sit in the water, if not use something to support it over the water, baking in a water bath prevents cracking on the top.

2. In a large bowl on medium speed, beat cream cheese and sugar until smooth. Beat in sour cream. Adjust to slow speed and add in eggs, one at a time until combine.

3. Divide batter in half. Add in half the coffee and combine with half the batter. Layer half of ladyfingers or sponge cake in pan and brush with coffee. Spread the batter with the coffee on top of the ladyfingers/sponge cake. Sprinkle half the coco powder on top. Lay the remaining half of the ladyfingers/sponge cake on and brush with coffee. Spread remaining batter on.

4. Bake for 40-45 minutes or until center is almost set. Cool on a wire rack for 30 minutes. Run knife along edges to loosen, let cool for 1 hour and refrigerate overnight.

5. Spread with whipped topping and then sprinkle with remaining coco powder and serve.

Rice Cooker Steamed Chicken

Ever want to steam the perfect chicken but don't want to deal with cleaning up a big mess? I avoid making steam chicken because I don't want to wash a the big steaming pot. So...here we go with the rice cooker!

It turn out nice, just perfectly cooked and very tasty. I started with a large chicken, about three and half to four pounds. Marinated it for 2 hours in the rice cooker, then push the cook button and pretend its rice! It will cook on its own, after about 30 minutes it will be done! Pierce a chopstick or stick in the breast area to see if its cooked, clear fluids if it is, pink if its not.

The marinade is easy, just rub it on and let it sit.
3 teaspoon of coarse salt
1 teaspoon of garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon of white pepper
1/2 teaspoon of turmeric
1/4 teaspoon of five spice powder

Make this the day before and serve it cold the next day. Or make it before cooking rice, then enjoy it for dinner. My kids love it! I do too!

Dark Chocolate Souffle

Today was a new experience...new experiment...dark chocolate souffle! Its easy, its yummy and its perfect with ice cream! We served it with strawberry ice cream and the kids totally love it!

5 ounces of chocolate of you choice
1/4 cup of all purpose flour
1/4 cup of milk
3 egg yolks
6 egg whites
6 ceramic ramekins brushed with butter and coated with sugar


1. place chocolate in a metal bowl, then put that in a pot of boiling water, stir and melt chocolate(preheat oven 375)
2. mix yolks with a whisk and add in milk and flour, whisk to blend
3. add yolks mixture to chocolate, mix well, it will thicken up
4. use electric mixer and beat egg whites to stiff peaks
5. mix 1/3 of the egg whites into the chocolate mixture then pour that back into the egg whites and FOLD to blend
6. pour into ramekins, leaving 1/2 inch to rim to allow for rising

bake 375 for 25 minutes
remove and dust top with powder sugar, serve immediately

酥皮蛋撻 pastry puff egg custard tarts

I was going to try to make the pastry puffs long ago...finally had a chance to get the butter I needed for it...and it turned out pretty good...I think. It seem too puffy, or overfilled, not sure. But either way, I know how to make the puff pastry now. I don't think I'll be eating apple turnovers anymore...puffy pastry is 50% butter/lard. Don't think my cholesterol will like it.

Chiffon VS Sponge

A cake is a cake, but not all cakes are made alike. After many hours of research, I've come to understand the difference between the chiffon and the sponge cakes. Basically they are the same, with the exception of fat in the chiffon. Sponge cakes do NOT have fat, chiffons have liquid oil. Today I use my sponge cake recipe and added 1/3 cup of canola oil at the end. The result is a very moist cake, its spongy and airy with wonderful flavor. Here it is:

Classic Chiffon Cake
6 eggs separated
1 cup of cake flour
1 cup of sugar
1/4 teaspoon of salt
1/2 cup of milk or water or juice
1/3 cup of oil (canola, vegetable, safflower... probably not olive oil though)
1 teaspoon cream of tartar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

PREHEAT oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit
1. Beat egg yolks with half the sugar for about 4 to 5 minutes, to get a very light yellow fluffy mixture.
2. Shift in 1/3 of the flour with 1/3 of the liquid of choice, mix slowly with spatula or whisk, continue with other 2/3 in the same way. Mixture at the end should be fluffy and totally blended.
3. Beat egg whites on low speed for 1 to 2 minutes to foamy texture, add in salt and cream of tartar and vanilla and turn to high speed for 1 minute. Slowly add in the remaining sugar in three portions. Continue to beat on high for 2 to 3 more minutes to get stiff peaks. Totally beating time is about 5 minutes.
4. Pour oil into egg yolk mixture and blend by hand to incorporate, about 20-30 big slow big folds.
5. Scoop 1/3 of the egg whites into the egg yolks and fold to blend, slowly and big strokes, when combined, pour it into the egg whites and continue to fold until everything is even and blended. Mixture should be lightly yellowish and fluffy.
6. Pour into baking pan:
tube/angel food cake pan, bake 35 minutes
9 inch cake pan, bake 25 minutes
8 inch cake pan, bake 30 minutes
Insert skewer stick to test, if it comes out clean its ready.
Immediate turn cake upside down to cool on rack for 30 minutes, this will help the cake keep its volume and shape.


Whipped Topping
16 ounces of heavy whipping cream
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup of powder sugar (less if you lost your sweet tooth)

Put everything in a large mixing bowl and mix on low speed for 2 minutes, then high for 4 minutes, when its stiff and the cream holds its shape, it should be ready, do not over beat, it will turn back to liquid and then it cannot be used.

Grapefruit Souffle

Easy as all get-out grapefruit souffles

(adapted from a recipe found in Australian Gourmet Traveller March 2006 page 36)

Serves 6

250ml (1 cup) fresh squeezed grapefruit juice (you could use lemon, lime, orange or a combination as well) (about 3 small grapefruits or 2 large) - reserve the spent skins - you'll need the skin of six grapefruit halves.
rind of 1/2 grapefruit, finely minced (about 1.5 tablespoons)
100 grams sugar (divided in half)
15 grams corn starch (about 1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon)
2 tablespoons water
2 egg whites
Use a grapefruit spoon to clean any remaining pulp and membrane from the inside of 6 grapefruit halves. Dust the inside of the pith with sugar. Set aside.

Combine juice, 50g sugar and rind in a small saucepan over medium-low heat. Simmer until juice is reduced to 150ml. Strain out rind pieces.

Mix starch and water together. Whisk starch mixture into hot juice and continue to whisk over low heat until juice is substantially thickened. Remove from heat and immerse pan into a cool water bath. Whisk until the juice mixture is cold, about 3 minutes. Set aside.

Whip egg whites until soft peaks form. Add 50 gm sugar and continue whipping until firm peaks form. Fold egg whites into grapefruit mixture in two batches.

Spoon souffle mix evenly into grapefruit halves, filling until level with the top.

Place halves on a baking tray and bake in a 360F oven for 15 minutes, or until puffed and the tops are brown.

Serve with a dusting of icing sugar. If you're making these ahead, cool to room temperature and then refrigerate inside a plastic container large enough to accommodate the souffles without touching the tops. Reheat them in a 360F oven for 8-12 minutes, until they have re-puffed, before serving.

Each of these souffles is: 100 cal, 0.2 grams fat and 2 WW points

Simple Sponge Cake

Well, my baking experiments has started a baking venture in our family. After many attempts, my friend's cakes have been collapsing time after time. So here is a sponge cake so simple you can't go wrong, and I'm going to detail the instructions so it can't go wrong!

When I say simple, I mean simple, but of course you can complicate things and add in a tad of this, a dash of that and a spoon of what every you like. Such as cinnamon, vanilla, citrus zest, ginger juice, butter, vegetable oil, milk....what ever you wish, but do it sparingly, don't put in a cup of orange juice...I would say a tablespoon should be sufficient. But here are the basics to a wonderfully simple sponge cake.

Ingredients:
3 large eggs
1/2 cup of powdered sugar (65 grams) or use regular sugar 65 grams
2/3 cup of flour (85 grams)

Instructions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees (roughly 180 degrees in Celsius)
2. Beat eggs and sugar on low for 2 minutes, then on high for 3 minutes (should be very light in color and fluffy)
3. Shift half the flour in and fold 5 times, shift the remaining flour in and fold 8 to 10 times, should be all combined, if not, fold in a few more times, if its not combine, something is wrong...do it slowly and try to combine it with a large spatula. Should not need to use the mixer for this.
4. Pour in 8 or 9 inch cake pan and bake for 17 to 20 minutes, when top turns brown, insert a toothpick inside, if it comes out clean, its READY, if still wet/sticky, bake a few more minutes.

What is folding? like folding towels, treat the mixture as a round towel, bring the sides into the center and do it all around the bowl, so you bring the mixture from the side to the center about 10 to 15 times TOTAL!

Give this a try and have fun...ask if you have any questions!
Enjoy!

Egg Tarts

Yesterday my dear friend Elaine came over requesting to learn the 'piggy boy bread' recipe after trying it a few days ago. So we made that, some of them we even rolled a little sausage inside because her daughters likes sausage! AND! we made my kids favorite dim sum item: EGG TARTS!

Here is the recipe I concluded to after combing several online site's instructions:

For the 'buttery' crust:
225 grams of all purpose flour (almost 2 cups, I used 2 cups, its works)
125 grams of butter (1 stick is what I used)
55 grams of fine sugar (powder sugar is what I used, about half a cup)
1 egg
dash of vanilla extract

beat butter and sugar together, then add egg and vanilla, beat together, shift in flour, push around with spoon or hand form dough...set inside refrigerator while you make the filling

For the filling:
3 eggs
110 grams of sugar (about half a cup)
225 grams oh hot water (1 cup)
85 grams of evaporated milk (3 ounces, 100ml)
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

melt sugar in hot water
whisk egg with milk and vanilla
pour egg mixture into water, stir
shift out foam

To make tarts
turn oven on to 375 degrees
roll dough to 1/4 inch thick on flour surface
use a round shape (cup or bowl) to cut out to circles
put dough circles inside muffin cups or tart cups if u have them
use fingers to push dough on to cup
repeat till all dough is used
pour filling mixture into dough cups

bake 375 degrees for 15 minutes, reduce to 350 degrees, bake 10 minutes with door slightly open, do not keep the oven door close completely

insert toothpick into custard, if toothpick does not move, its ready.

Found a very descriptive method for puff pastry to use as the tarts shell:
http://www.barefootkitchenwitch.com/the_barefoot_kitchen_witc/2009/06/homemade-puff-pastry-dough.html

I will give it a try one of these days....
Enjoy

Sponge cake

This is a tried and never failed recipe, but measurements are important and need to follow steps carefully.

Measure out everything and have it ready before you start working.
1 cup of cake flour (if you don't have cake flour, add 1 tablespoon of corn starch to 1 cup of regular all purpose flour)
1 cup of sugar
6 eggs, separate egg whites from egg yolks, do not let any egg yolk get in egg whites! use fresh eggs, old eggs will not work
1 teaspoon of cream of tartar
1 teaspoon of vanilla
1/4 teaspoon of salt
4 ounces of liquid (water or milk or orange juice, other juices can be used)
cake pan, tube pan or roll pan, anything you want to use, I think the tube pan works best


BEAT EGG YOLKS to mix with flour
1. beat egg yolks on medium power for a 1 minute, add salt and half the sugar, beat on high power for 4 minutes, egg yolks should be lighter in color, pale yellow color
2. slowly add in 1/4 of flour and 1/4 of liquid, can use a shifter to make it easier, if not just do it by hand slowly, continue to add flour and liquid, 1/4 each time till its all mix in, can beat a few seconds on low power to mix it well
3. set aside
4. turn oven on to 325 degrees

BEAT EGG WHITES use clean beathers, must be clean, wash off egg yolks!
1. beat egg whites on low power for 1 minute, then go to medium power for 1 minute
2. add in cream of tartar and beat for 1 minute on medium power
3. go to high power and continue to beat, add in sugar a little at time, separate into 3 or 4 times to add in all the sugar and continue to beat.
4. watch for egg whites to change, at first its is bubbles, then it looks like a bubbly foam, then it gets thicker, it will get thick like a cream, when you see that it leaves beater marks on the surface, turn off the beaters and lift it out of the egg whites, if the egg whites do not move, then its ready. You can basically turn the egg whites bowl to pour it out and it should not move.

MIXING
Scoop 2 scoops of egg whites into the egg yolks mixture and fold it together, folding is moving stuff from the side to the center in 'folding' motion, not stir, not mix, not beat, do NOT beat!! very important, fold it like you would fold a towel

Scoop more whites into the yolks mixture and fold again

Pour all the yolk mixture into the egg whites and fold about 10 to 15 more times to get it all even in color

Pour into cake pan and put into oven

bake 325 degrees for 25 minutes for 9 inch cake pan, 40 minutes for tube pan, the thickness of the cake will determine how long it needs to bake

insert a stick inside to check if its done, will come out clean if its cooked.

take out of the oven and turn it upside down and let it cool for 1 to 2 hours

enjoy or decorate it with cream and fresh fruits

猪仔包

Today I wanted bread, this is one that I will always get when I am at a bakery, its light and simple. I try to search for recipes online, but my restricted Chinese doesn't help. After searching for a while, I improvised and decided to give it a try. Here is what I did, without using measuring spoons or cups, I just used a soup spoon to scoop it, but it should be about right and I don't think its to big of a deal if you use a little more or less.

In a bowl, mix these ingredients and set aside for half an hour or until foam forms on the top:
half a bowl (3 ounces) of warm water
1 teaspoon yeast
1 tablespoon sugar

In a large mixing bowl:
1.5 cups of flour (I used regular all purpose flour, didn't have bread flour at home)
1 tsp of salt
2 tablespoon of sugar
1 egg
1 egg yolk (save the egg white to brush the top later)
1 teaspoon of vegetable oil spread (mines was olive oil spread), butter is fine too

Mix all the ingredients, add in the yeast mixture and form a dough.
Knead the dough for a couple of minutes, add more flour if it sticks to your hands.
When you can form one big piece, then pick it up and throw it into the bowl, do 30 to 40 times, why I don't know..but that is what I did.
Set dough aside with cover and set in dark place (I put my dough inside the rice cooker and cover the lid) to rest for 3 hours...or until its double in size.
After 3 hours, take the dough out and knead to form a roll, use flour to keep it from sticking to hands.
Cut the dough to 8 pieces
Roll out to a long oval shape, and roll it into a log, put on baking sheet with edge on the bottom. I used a waxed baking paper so I don't have to use butter/oil on the baking pan.
Do that to all 8 pieces, set on baking sheet evenly spread out.
Brush the tops of each piece with egg white and sprinkle sesame seeds on top.
Set inside the oven for 1 hour
Take it out after 1 hour, turn the oven on to 400 degrees
Put it back in when its 400 degrees, bake for 12 to 15 mins, my oven is very powerful, 15 mins almost burned it! Watch closely!

I was very happy when this came out perfect. It was my first time making it and I had not follow any recipes!