Pork floss buns for the home sick

*Update: Metric Measurements are now included for the pork floss buns. Enjoy!*

I think I am sick. Ever since I came back from Asia, I have been dreaming about my friends and family every night. Last night, my dream was about me eating packed lunch in my secondary school canteen when some guys came in for extermination. I stood up and told the guys that they should do that after our lunch. But the rest of my friends just continued to eat their food and couldn't seem to care less.

I find it weird that most of the time, my dreams are so absurd and mean absolutely nothing. OCT on the other hand, says he always see whoever he misses in his dream. But his dreams are always filled with wars or other natural disaters he is trying to run away.

So why am I talking about dreams? Oh, I remember. I am telling you about my sickness. One that I call home sick. I can hardly believe that it will be another 11 months (or longer) before we can head home again. What more with the imminent move to a new city in April, I can't be all optimistic for a longer than 2 weeks stay in Asia next year.

Whenever I am in Singapore, I like to check out one of the 25 outlets of Breadtalk, and get one of their signature pork floss buns. It is nothing fancy but a sweet bun filled with a secret mayo-like cream and pork floss topping. Upon its induction, many of the local bakeries try to imitate the famous bun and introduce a similar version of their own. All of a sudden, pork floss buns seem to take over the whole island, and became a must have item in all the bakeries. The hype when the pork floss buns were first introduced was only like yesterday. I remember myself joining the beeline of people queuing for the freshly made pork floss buns, choosing one with the most floss on top of the bun, and wouldn't mind eating it for breakfast, lunch and dinner, oblivious to the amount of calories one pork floss bun actually packs. Those were the days. I miss the convenience of having a breadtalk (or other equally good bakeries, for that matter) at every corner I turn.

This is my version of the pork floss bun. It is by no means comparable to the real deal. But they will work for my craving and oh, the home sick for now.

Hungry for more bread?

French Bread
Chocolate Babka
Onion Mustard Monkey Bread
Tender Potato Bread

Pork Floss Bun

basic sweet bun dough:(In cups measurement)
3 cups bread flour
1.5 cups all purpose flour
1 pack rapid rise yeast
8 tablespoons granulated sugar
4 tablespoons dry milk powder
300ml warm water (about 105F)
1 egg
1 tablespoon salt
5 tablespoons of unsalted butter, at room temperature

in metric measurement:
480g bread flour
120g all purpose flour
1 pack rapid rise yeast
110g caster sugar
20g dry milk powder
300ml warm water (about 105F)
1 egg
1 tablespoon salt
60g unsalted butter, at room temperature

pork floss
mayonaise

Add yeast to warm water in a medium bowl, and set aside for 10 minutes.

Next, add the bread flour, all purpose flour, granulated sugar and dry milk powder into a large mixing bowl. Slowly mix in the water + yeast mixture with the help of a scraper.

Add in egg and softened butter. Mix well and knead to form a smooth and elastic dough. Because I know it will be easier to show you how to knead in a video, so I asked my boy friend to do just that. Enjoy!

(Ok,so you know he really can't be my boyfriend. But isn't he cute?)

After kneading, leave the dough to prove for 1 hour, or till it doubles in size.

Try pressing a finger into the dough, it should leave a clear mark when it's ready. The dough is now ready to be shaped.

For pork floss bun,
Divide the dough into 60g portion, shape into balls and leave them to rest for 10 minutes.

Shape the dough into oblong shape and put them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Or you can grease the baking sheet without using parchment. Leave the dough to prove for 45 minutes-1 hour.

Brush with egg wash and bake on the middle of the oven at 375F for 12-15 minutes.

When the buns are cooled, spread a thin layer of mayonaise on top of the buns and coat generously with pork floss.

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Vanilla Bean Cheesecake

I have been wanting to tell you about the last cheesecake I made from Junior's Cheesecake Cookbook before we left for vacation. It was the best vanilla bean cheesecake I have tasted in a long time. I have the recipe neatly typed and saved in the draft but never gotten around posting it. Mostly because the only photo I have taken of the cheesecake was a poorly lit and hideous one. It simply doesn't do the cake justice, let alone convincing you, my friends, that it's the best vanilla bean cheesecake one could ever ask for.

So, upon returning from vacation, I took this mission of capturing the beauty of the best vanilla bean cheesecake upon myself. This cheesecake entry deserves a better photo than the first hideous one I took!But really, if you know me well, you know that this is only half the truth. The bigger motivation for repeating the recipe, I am afraid, is the imminent expiring dates printed on the few bars of cream cheese I overbought on discount. OCT said I am so predictable.

As a trademark of the famous Junior's Cheesecakes, this cake has a sponge cake crust. Although it takes a few more steps to prepare the sponge cake, I find the outcome more than worth the effort it demands. Even if you are a hardcore cookies crust fan, I encourage you to give it a shot. Either way, the real star here is the cheesecake filling speckled with vanilla beans. The original recipe has the vanilla flavor infused by sticking the vanilla pod in the sugar overnight, and uses vanilla extract in the filling. I pumped up the vanilla flavor by scraping out the morsels and added them into the batter after the overnight infusion.

If you love cheesecake, I am sure you will like this one. In fact, all the cheesecake recipes from Junior's Cheesecake Cookbook have garniered nothing but rave reviews from my tasters. I have to wait until Easter for another round of cheesecake baking. Meanwhile, be prepared to see some bread posts ahead!

Have a great weekend and stay warm, y'all!

You may also like:
Apple Cheesecake
Mango Cheesecake
Tropical Cheesecake

Other cheesecake recipes from the same book:
Little Fellas Raspberry Swirl
Little Fellas Cappuccino
Little Fellas Chocolate Swirl

Vanilla Bean Cheesecake
adapted from Junior's Cheesecake Cookbook

four 8-ounce packages Philidaphia Cream Cheese (I use 3 packages of 1/3 less fat Neufchtel and 1 package of original cream cheese), at room temperature
1 2/3 cup sugar
1 vanilla bean (about 7 inches long)
1 recipe 9-inch Junior's Sponge Cake Crust, recipe below
1/4 cup cornstarch
1/2 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
2 extra large eggs ( 3 large eggs are fine too)
3/4 cup heavy whipping cream
one half pint fresh raspberries (about 6 ounces) (optional)
confectioners's sugar

The night before you plan to make this cake, put the granulated sugar in a small bowl and bury the vanilla bean in it, covering it completely. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and let stand overnight to flavor the sugar. When you are ready to make the cake, set the vanilla bean for later use.

Preheat oven to 350F. (I used 325F)Generously butter the bottom and sides of a 9-inch springformpan. Wrap the outside with aluminium foil, covering the bottom and extending all the way up the sides. Make and bake the cake crust and leave it in the pan. Keep the oven on.

Put one package of cream cheese, 1/3 cup of vanilla flavored sugar, and the cornstarch in a large bowl. Beat with an electric mixer on low until creamy, about 3 minutes, scraping down the bowl a few times. Blend in the remaining cream cheese, one package at a time, scraping down the bowl after each one. Increase the mixer speed to medium and beat in the remaining 1 1/3cups vanilla sugar, then the scraped vanilla beans and vanilla extract. Blend in the eggs, one at a time, beating well after adding each one. Beat in the cream just until it's completely blended. Be careful not to be overmix. Gently spoon the batter on top of the crust.

Place the cake on a large shallow pan containing hot water that comes about 1 inch u the sides of the springform. Bake until the edges are light golden brown and the top is slightly golden tan, about 1 1/4 hours. Remove the cheesecake from the water bath, transfer to a wire rack, and let the cake cool for 2 hours. Leave the cake in the pan, cover loosely with plastic wrap, and refrigerate until completely cold, preferably overnight or at least 4 hours.

Wash and drain the raspberries and place them on paper towels to dry, if using. Release and remove the sides of the springform, leaving the cake on the bottom of the pan. Place on a cake plate. Put some confectioners' sugar in a tea stainer and sift enough over the top of the cake to evenly cover it with a fine dusting. Decorate the top with raspberries. Refrigerate until ready to serve. Slice the cold cake with a sharp straight edge knife, not a serrated one. Cover any leftover cake and refrigerate, or remove the decorations, wrap and freeze for up to 1 month.

Junior's sponge cake crust

for one 9-inch cake crust:
1/3 cup sifted cake flour
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
pinch of salt
2 extra large eggs, separated
1/3 cup sugar
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 drops pure lemon extract (or zest of half a lemon)
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar

for one 8-inch cake crust:
1/4 cup sifted cake flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
pinch of salt
2 extra large eggs, separated
1/4 cup sugar
3/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 drops pure lemon extract (I used zest from half a lemon)
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar

Preheat the oven to 350F and generously butter the bottom and sides of a 8- or 9-inch springform pan (preferably a nonstick one). Wrap the outsde with aluminium foil, covering the bottom and extending all the way up the sides.

In a small bowl, sift the flour, baking powder and salt together.

Beat the eggyolks in large bowl with an electric mixer on high for 3 minutes. With the mixer running, slowly add 2 tablespoons of the sugar and beat until thick light yellow ribbons form, about 5 minutes more. Beat in the extracts.

Sift the flour mixture over the batter and stir it in by hand, just until no more white flecks appear. Now, blend in the melted butter.

Now wash the bowl and beaters really well (even a little fat is left, this can cause the eggwhite not to whip). Put the eggwhites and cream of tartar into the bowl and beat with the mixer on high until frothy. Gradually add the remainining sugar and continue beating until stiff peaks form (the whites will stand up and look glossy, not dry). Fold about one-third of the whites into the batter, then the remaining whites. It's ok if you see a few white specks, they will disappear during baking.

Gently spread out the batter over the bottom of the pan, and bake just until set and golden (not wet and sticky), about 10 minutes. Touch the cake gently in the center. If it springs back, it's done. Watch carefully and don't let the top brown. Leave the crust in the pan and place on a wire rack to cool. Leave the oven on while you prepare the batter.

Dark Chocolate Sponge Cake Crust
Use the above recipe and technique, except you stir in 2 ounces of melted and slightly cooled bittersweet chocolate when you add the extracts.

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Vanilla Shortbread & The Simple Pleasure in Life

Not long before I went on vacation, I chanced upon Claire Clark's Indulge: 100 Perfect Desserts on the library's new arrival shelf. I was immediately attracted by the luscious chocolate cake on the cover and had to add it to my avalanche of checkout books.

It was only after reading the foreword, by the much celebrated and revered chef, which also happens to be Clark's employer, Chef Thomas Keller, had I known that Claire Clark is the pastry chef of the extraordinary, award winning, and the best restaurant in the United State- French Laundry.I am so ignorant!

Flipping through the brilliantly written book have me craving to conquer each and everyone one of the gorgeous creations in my tiny kitchen. I wanted to make the Red Wine and Chocolate Cake, Green tea Tiramisu, Rich chocolate ganache tart with salted caramel and candied peanuts, Opera and basically all the rest of the recipes.

But there's a technical problem. All the recipes in the book are written in weight measurement. Clark explains that it is the most accurate way to measure and I couldn't agree more. But an accurate weighing scale is one of the appliance that my tiny kitchen lacks. I was going to buy one months ago, but was promptly distracted to make other purchases and totally forgot about the scale!

With that, all the ambitious attempts have to put on a hold. But I hate to return the book without making a recipe from it. Especially a great book like this. So, I make the first recipe on the book- the Shortbread, which according to Chef Thomas Keller, is what he craves upon returning the restaurant from a trip.

An endorsement like that is undoubtedly assuring. I did a not-too-accurate weght to cup conversion of the recipe and proceeded gingerly. The Shortbread recipe from Clark's mum is simple yet wonderful. As I rubbed the butter with my fingertips into the dry ingredients, my hands were perfumed with the sweet scene of vanilla beans, an aromatic yet satisfying process. All one needs to make the shortbread is just a mixing bowl, a pair of willing hands and a weighing scale (or measuring cups in my case). I am once again reminded that my hands are my most adaptable and flexible tool I have.

The Shortbread was nice when it was fresh from the oven, but I am happy to report that it tasted better after 1 to 2 days of sitting. That is definitely a desirable property in my book. The Shortbread is indeed indulgence in its simplest form.

I packed half of the shortbread with the cookies bag my friend- Happy Home Baking sent me. I wish I could send the cookies to her, but I doubt the delicate shortbread could make it to Singapore un-crumbled. So, they were given to a friend who dropped by my place one night.


Shortbread
adapted from Indulge: 100 Perfect Desserts

225g/8 oz all purpose flour
75g/2 3/4 oz confectioners' sugar
1 vanilla pod
150g/ 5 1/2 oz unsalted butter, at room temperature
50g/1 3/4oz granulated sugar , for dusting

(my not very accurate ingredient list in cup measurement)
1 3/4 cup + 1 tablespoon all purpose flour
1/3 cup confectioners' sugar
1 vanilla pod
11 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
granulated sugar , for dusting

Preheat the oven to 350F. Sift the flour into a large mixing bowl and add the confectioners' sugar. Using a sharp knife, slit the vanilla pod open lengthways and scrape out the seeds with the tip of the knife. Add the seeds to the bowl, along with the butter. Using your fingertips, rub the butter into the dry ingredient. As the mixture begins to come together, use your hands to help it form a dough (alternatively, you could use an electric mixer with the paddle attachment on a low speed to make the dough.)

Shape the dough into a ball and flatten it slightly. Roll out on a lightly floured surface to about 1cm/1/2 inch thick. Cut into 15 oblongs and place them on abaking sheet lined with baking parchment.

Bake for 15 minutes, then turn the baking sheet around and continue baking for 10 minutes, until the shortbread is golden brown. Remove from the oven and dust with an even coating of granulated sugar. Leave on the baking sheet to cool.

Make 15-16 shortbread fingers.

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Time flies faster in KK and the Pineapple Tarts recipe

Seriously, I don't feel like I have spent enough time in KK, my hometown, surrounded myself with mum and dad, my aunties, best friends and my parents' friends. The day before I left for Singapore, to spend the Chinese New Year with OCT's family, mum and I tried to recount the stuff we have done for the past 10 days, to recall if we have wasted any seconds.

But we couldn't think of anything! We were busy baking, cooking, chatting, eating and meeting up with friends, and watching the TVB series on Astro when the clock struck 8:30p.m! The only reason I could think of, is time flies faster when one is having a good time. I made plans to meet up with more friends and wanted to show OCT some places during his short stay in KK but nothing was materialised. Poor OCT didn't even see the beautiful beaches my hometown is known for! He was flooded by enthuasiastic friends and my extended family with many dinner invites.

I am feeling a bit sad that I couldn't spend my new year eve at home, eating the reunion dinner with my folks this year. Reunion dinner on the Chinese New Year eve is a big deal in the eastern culture, and family members, no matter where they are;will usually come back for a sit down feast together. Depending on different dialect groups, the food that are served on the reunion dinner can be quite different. However, most often than not, there will be different dishes that signify good health, longevity and prosperity.

Mandarin orange/clementines 柑, that sounds like gold in Chinese is a "must have" item during Chinese New Year. There are quite a few varieties, including sweet tangerines but I am no expert in this clementine/mandarin/tangerine business. I would trade the clementine for orange (or better yet-meyer lemon!) anytime. I look uninterested when mum raved about a certain variety of clementines and much less when she bought boxes after boxes of them to give away.

One of the Chinese New Year item that I actually enjoy eating is the steamed brown sugar cake, which is more well known as nian gao 年糕. It is a combination of brown sugar, water and glutinous rice flour being steamed to perfection in a container made of banana leaves. When done right, the final product should have the right amount of sweetness and just a tad of stickness when one bite into it. I love mum's version of nian gao, where she coated the sliced nian gao in egg batter and panfry them to a light golden hue. It was to my disappointment that OCT's family doesn't eat nian gao during Chinese New Year! Instead, different food are served for breakfast on the first day of Chinese New Year. I would have bought some nice nian gao from KK had I known it earlier..

On top of the homemade cookies we baked, mum also stocked up with some indispensable snacks we love to eat during Chinese New Year. Among them are a certain well-known Hong Kong brand almond cookies that melt-in-your-mouth and egg rolls. Of course, Chinese New Year will not be complete without the prawn crackers. A snack that even the most resolved dieter couldn't resist a second helping.

And now, without further ado, is the recipe for the pineapple rolls/tarts many of you have requested. I like how buttery the rolls turned out and believe the use of a better quality butter does make a difference. As for the filling, we are using the ready-made variety comes from Thailand instead of sweating over the real stuff. Usually,we stick with whichever supplier we have tried instead of switching from one to another. When in US, I used the canned crushed pineapple, drained and cooked down to the desired consistency, with sugar to taste.

Pineapple Rolls/Tarts

for the pastry:
220g unsalted butter, at room temperature
375g all purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 egg yolks
50g confectioners' sugar/icing sugar
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1 egg yolk, for egg wash

for the pineapple filling (from scratch):
250g grated pineapple
150g sugar (or to taste)
1 tbsp lemon juice
1/2-1 teaspoon cornstarch

for the pineapple filling (from canned crushed pineapple)
1 can crushed pineapple, drained
1/4 cup granulated sugar (or more to taste)
1-1.5 teaspoon cornstarch
1 teaspoon lemon juice (optional)

To prepare the pineapple filling,
(from scratch):
Bring to a boil grated pineapple, sugar and lemon juice. Let it simmer for 30 minutes or until it thickens.Taste to see if it has achieved the desired sweetness. Add more sugar when necessary. Sieve in half a teaspoon of cornflour.

Let the pineapple filling cool to room temperature before using. It can also be kept in refrigerator for 1 week.

Pineapple filling from canned crushed pineapple:
Using low to medium heat, cook the drained crushed pineapple and sugar until most liquid has evaporated, and the mixture turned golden. Stirring constantly using a wooden spoon to avoid burning. Taste, and add more sugar when needed. Add in 1 to 1.5teaspoon of cornstarch to thicken the mixture.

Let cool to room temperature before using.

For the pastry:
Sieve all purpose flour, corn flour, salt and icing sugar into a medium bowl. Beat butter in a mixer until it turns light in color and fluffy.Add in egg yolks until well combined. Slowly beat in the flour mixture until just combined.

To assemble:
Roll pineapple filling into small individual rounds. Turn dough out and roll into small rounds.Flatten the rounds and use it to cover the prepared filling.

Brush the unbaked rolls with egg wash.

Bake in a preheated oven at 350F/180ºC for 10 to 15 minutes or till lightly brown.

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Happy Lunar New Year

The Lunar New Year falls on 7 Feb this year, which is less than two days from now. I just want to sneak in for a quick note to wish all who are celebrating the Lunar New Year a happy and prosperous new year. May your stomaches be filled with pineapple tarts, love letters, peanut cookies, nian gao, bak gua and all the delicious food lay in front of you. And those who are single, your pockets be spilled with lots of red packets!

Instead of meeting up with friends, I spent most of my time in KK baking at our new kitchen. I have lost count on the number of batches of pineapple rolls we baked.Even though we keep baking, the pineapple rolls keep disappearing. Some have undoubtedly ended in our stomachs, but most have been packed and given away to friends and relatives.

I also made 3 batches of horlicks animal cookies, in which they are supposed to look like doggies. However, as I was shaping them, the doughs seem to have a mind of their own, and some decided they should be piggy and bears,some wanted to be a hybrid of piggy+ bears, and the rest, hybrid of dog + piggy...Not exactly the way I have set out but I like how unique they each look nonetheless.

I will be bringing some of these back to Singapore tomorrow, hopefully OCT's nieces and nephews will like them.

I enjoy shaping the cookies but not so much on eating them. Horlick is definitely not my cup of tea. Our friends who have tried them thought they taste pretty good though....

Horlicks Animal Cookies
adapted from my blog buddy

180g butter, soften at room temperature
80g Horlicks (original flavour)
200g top flour or cake flour
25g corn flour
25g milk powder
100g chocolate chips (I used Hershey's kissable chips)
some chocolate rice
some Koko Krunch

Pre-heat oven to 140deg C. Line baking tray with baking paper and set aside.

Sieve cake flour, corn flour and milk powder.

Cream butter and Horlicks for about three minutes at low speed. Do not overbeat.
Put in cake flour, cornflour and milk powder and beat for about one minute to form
dough.

Divide dough into 10g each. Put three chocolate chips into each piece of dough and roll into balls.

Insert two pieces of Koko Krunch to form the 'ears', chocolate rice for the "eyes", and a mini chocolate chip in the centre for the 'nose'.

Bake at 140 deg C for about 25 minutes. Depending on your oven, it may take another 5 to 10 minutes more for the cookies to be ready.

Leave to cool on wire rack before storing in an airtight container.

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Daring Bakers do Lemon Meringue Pie : Sunshine on a winter day

Because I will be vacationing until mid Feb, I completely this month's challenge the week before we left. I am glad that our host for this month- Janet of Canadian Baker has chosen Lemon Meringue Pie as January challenge. As much as I love lemon, I have never made lemon meringue pie before. So this is indeed a great challenge to conquer.

Since we have an early morning flight to catch, I will cut short the rambling and get straight to my experience with this month's challenge.

The recipe is a straightforward one, although it involves 3 steps: crust, filling and meringue. It should be a breeze if I wasn't feeling unwell. I suspect I may have added 1 cup more of flour while making the crust. My crust turns out dry and hard.

The filling is on the loose side, but firm up upon cooling. Although I find the filling too sour initially, upon topped with meringue, the tart has the perfect balance of flavor.Surprisingly the sweet meringue pairs really well with the tart filling.

Instead of making one big lemon meringue pie, I opt for the mini version and make 6 3-inches tarts. OCT ends up passing two tarts to a stranger who asks him for change to buy food. I am not entirely sure if it's because the tart doesn't appear to him or he is just a kind person. :)

As I have limited internet access, I will have to check out the rest of the Daring Bakers' Lemon Meringue Pies when I return from vacation. You can check out my fellow Daring Bakers lemon meringue pies by clicking the pink Daring Bakers logo on my right side bar. These pies have brighten up my otherwise gloomy winter day, and I hope they would do the same to you too!

Lemon Meringue Pie
Makes one 10-inch (25 cm) pie

For the Crust:
3/4 cup (180 mL) cold butter; cut into ½-inch (1.2 cm) pieces
2 cups (475 mL) all-purpose flour
1/4 cup (60 mL) granulated sugar
1/4 tsp (1.2 mL) salt
1/3 cup (80 mL) ice water

For the Filling:
2 cups (475 mL) water
1 cup (240 mL) granulated sugar
1/2 cup (120 mL) cornstarch
5 egg yolks, beaten
1/4 cup (60 mL) butter
3/4 cup (180 mL) fresh lemon juice
1 tbsp (15 mL) lemon zest
1 tsp (5 mL) vanilla extract

For the Meringue:
5 egg whites, room temperature
1/2 tsp (2.5 mL) cream of tartar
1/4 tsp (1.2 mL) salt
1/2 tsp (2.5 mL) vanilla extract
3/4 cup (180 mL) granulated sugar

To Make the Crust:
Make sure all ingredients are as cold as possible. Using a food processor or pastry cutter and a large bowl, combine the butter, flour, sugar and salt.Process or cut in until the mixture resembles coarse meal and begins to clump together. Sprinkle with water, let rest 30 seconds and then either process very briefly or cut in with about 15 strokes of the pastry cutter, just until the dough begins to stick together and come away from the sides of the bowl. Turn onto a lightly floured work surface and press together to form a disk. Wrap in plastic and chill for at least 20 minutes.

Allow the dough to warm slightly to room temperature if it is too hard to roll. On a lightly floured board (or countertop) roll the disk to a thickness of 1/8 inch (.3 cm). Cut a circle about 2 inches (5 cm) larger than the pie plate and transfer the pastry into the plate by folding it in half or by rolling it onto the rolling pin. Turn the pastry under, leaving an edge that hangs over the plate about 1/2 inch (1.2 cm). Flute decoratively. Chill for 30 minutes.

Preheat oven to 350ºF (180ºC). Line the crust with foil and fill with metal pie weights or dried beans. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes. Carefully remove the foil and continue baking for 10 to 15 minutes, until golden. Cool completely before filling.

To Make the Filling:
Bring the water to a boil in a large, heavy saucepan. Remove from the heat and let rest 5 minutes. Whisk the sugar and cornstarch together. Add the mixture gradually to the hot water, whisking until completely incorporated. Return to the heat and cook over medium heat, whisking constantly until the mixture comes to a boil. The mixture will be very thick. Add about 1 cup (240 mL) of the hot mixture to the beaten egg yolks, whisking until smooth. Whisking vigorously, add the warmed yolks to the pot and continue cooking, stirring constantly, until mixture comes to a boil. Remove from the heat and stir in butter until incorporated. Add the lemon juice, zest and vanilla, stirring until combined. Pour into the prepared crust. Cover with plastic wrap to prevent a skin from forming on the surface, and cool to room temperature.

To Make the Meringue:
Preheat the oven to 375ºF (190ºC). Using an electric mixer beat the egg whites with the cream of tartar, salt and vanilla extract until soft peaks form. Add the sugar gradually, beating until it forms stiff, glossy peaks. Pile onto the cooled pie, bringing the meringue all the way over to the edge of the crust to seal it completely. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, or until golden. Cool on a rack. Serve within 6 hours to avoid a soggy crust.


Free-Style Lemon Tartlets
(from "Ripe for Dessert" by David Lebovitz)

Prepare the recipe as above but complete the following steps:

To roll out tartlet dough, slice the dough into 6 pieces. On lightly floured surface, roll each circle of dough into a 5 inch disk. Stack the disks, separated by pieces of plastic wrap, on a plate, and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

To bake the dough, position rack in oven to the centre of oven and preheat to 350ºF (180ºC). Place the disks of dough, evenly spaced, on a baking sheet and bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until golden brown. Cool completely.

To finish tartlets, first place oven rack in the upper third of the oven and increase heat to 425ºF. Divide the lemon filling equally among the disks, mounding it in the centre and leaving a 1-inch border all the way around. Spoon the meringue decoratively over each tartlet, right to the edges, in dramatic swirling peaks.

Return tartlets to oven and bake for about 5 minutes, until the meringue is golden brown.

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Meet the rest of the little fellas...

After a 26 hours of grueling travel, I am happy to report that we have safely arrived at the sunny Singapore, the first leg of our home visit. The long haul flight was undoubtedly exhaustive, but the joy of meeting our loved ones is priceless.

While I am happily catching up with friends, family and delicious local food, here's the recipes of another two little fellas from Junior's Cheesecake Cookbook, which I promised to share earlier. Although there are other drool-worthy cheesecakes in the book, I ended up making another two recipes of mini cheesecakes, otherwise known as little fellas. I am simply hooked with the neatness of baking the cheesecake into individual portion. They are the perfect sizes for this baker who is still trying to shed some festivities pounds but couldn't say no to dessert. :) I love the fact that they take lesser time to bake and don't crack as easily as their bigger brother.

So far, I have tried four recipes from the Juniors Cheesecakes Cookbook, and I must admit that I am totally sold on their claim to make "The World's Most Fabulous Cheesecake". These are really the creamiest and tastiest cheesecakes I have ever eaten.

Little Fella Chocolate Swirls
adapted from Junior's Cheesecake Cookbook: 50 To-Die-For Recipes for New York-Style Cheesecake (Juniors)

two 8-ounce packages Philadelphia Cream Cheese (use either full fat or 1/3 less fat Neufchtel), at room temperature
2/3 cup sugar
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
2 extra large eggs (I used large eggs)
1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
1.5 tablespoons unsweetend cocoa powder
Chocolate curl (optional, for decoration)
One 12-ounce jar hot fudge ice cream topping (optional), warmed

Preheat oven to 350F. Line 12 standard muffin cups with silicone, foil, parchment, or paper liners.

Put one package of cream cheese, 1/3 cup of sugar, and the cornstarch in a large bowl. Beat with an electric mixer on low until creamy, about 3 minutes, scraping down the bowl a few times. Blend in the remaining cream cheese and 1/3 cup sugar, then the vanilla. Blend in the eggs, one at a time, beating well after adding each one. Beat in the cream just until it's completely blended. Be careful not to be overmix. Remove 3/4 cup of the batter and stir in the cocoa.

Divide the white batter among the 12 muffin cups. Drop a heaping teaspoon of the chocolate batter in the center of each, pushing each down slightly. Using a small knife or skewer, cut through the batter until dark swirls appear.

Place the muffin tin in a large shallow pan and add hot water until it comes about 1 inch up the sides of the tin. Bake the cakes until set and slightly puffy, about 30-45 minutes, depending on how hot your oven is. Remove the cakes from the water bath, transfer the tin to a wire rack, and let cool for 2 hours.*Transfer the cake to a container and chill for at least 4 hours.
*note: instruction from the book: After 2 hours of cooling, cover cake with plastic wrap (do not remove from the tin) and put in the freezer until cold, at least one day.

To remove the cakes, lift them out with your hands and peel off the liner. Although I find it more convenient to hold and eat it with the liner on. For a dressier version, place the cakes, top side up, on a serving platter or individual dessert plates, Top with the chocolate curls if you wish and refrigerate. Serve drizzled with the hot fudge sauce, if you wish. If there are any cakes left, cover with plastic wrap and store in the refrigerator or wrap and freeze for up to 1 month.

Little Fella Raspberry Swirls
adapted from Junior's Cheesecake Cookbook: 50 To-Die-For Recipes for New York-Style Cheesecake (Juniors)

1/3 cup raspberry preserve
two 8-ounce packages Philadelphia Cream Cheese (use either full fat or 1/3 less fat Neufchtel), at room temperature
2/3 cup sugar
3 tablespoons cornstarch
1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
2 extra large eggs (I used large eggs)
1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
13 fresh raspberries (large and pretty ones)

Preheat oven to 350F. (I used 325F) Line 13 standard muffin cups with silicone, foil, parchment, or paper liners.(if you have only 12, use a custard cup for the thirteenth one. I use the Reynold's disposable aluminium foil cups.)

Put one package of cream cheese, 1/3 cup of sugar, and the cornstarch in a large bowl. Beat with an electric mixer on low until creamy, about 3 minutes, scraping down the bowl a few times. Blend in the remaining cream cheese and 1/3 cup sugar, then the vanilla. Blend in the eggs, one at a time, beating well after adding each one. Beat in the cream just until it's completely blended. Be careful not to be overmix.

Divide the batter among the 13 muffin cups(fill each one almost up to the top). Drop a heaping half teaspoon of the raspberry preserve in the center of each, pushing each down slightly. Using a small knife or skewer, cut through the batter until raspberry swirls appear.Do not mix in the puree completely or the cakes will turn pink and the swirls will disappear.

Place the muffin tin in a large shallow pan and add hot water until it comes about 1 inch up the sides of the tin. Bake the cakes until set and slightly puffy, about 30-45 minutes, depending on how hot your oven is. Remove the cakes from the water bath, transfer the tin to a wire rack, and let cool for 2 hours.*Transfer the cake to a container and chill for at least 4 hours.
*note: instruction from the book: After 2 hours of cooling, cover cake with plastic wrap (do not remove from the tin) and put in the freezer until cold, at least one day.

To remove the cakes, lift them out with your hands and peel off the liner. Although I find it more convenient to hold and eat it with the liner on. For a dressier version, place the cakes, top side up, on a serving platter or individual dessert plates, Top with fresh raspberries if you wish and refrigerate. If there are any cakes left, cover with plastic wrap and store in the refrigerator or wrap and freeze for up to 1 month.

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The tale about some little fellas called Cappuccino

I have made grand plan when I saw two granny smith apples sitting forlornly in the fridge a few days ago. I told them that they were going to be transformed into Mozart. No, not that musician you have heard of. I am referring to Pierre Herme's creation in his book -Desserts by Pierre Herme. Grand plan indeed and I can almost sense the apples' excitement, especially after they have been deemed as good looking last month. They simply couldn't wait to show off again.

Unfortunately, the Mozart endeavor met its hurdle in the beginning stage and had to be abandoned. For some unfathomable reason, the cinnamon crust required in the recipe turned out all cracked up and thus, spelled the end of project Mozart.

Now what? I end up with lots of cookie crumbs. Delicious crumbs I must add. Call me unimaginative, the only way I could think of to effectively utilize these crumbs would be making cheesecake. Or cheesecakes. So I turn to my favorite cheesecake book for the time being for inspiration.

I settle for the Cappuccino little fellas in the end, because I love any baked goods with coffee in it. Making little fellas which are basically mini cheesecakes make sense, because they are handy to share with friends as opposed to one big cake which I will inadvertently carve out a bigger piece for myself before cutting it for others. By making it into muffin cup size, this possibility could be eliminated.

The original recipe is one without the cookie base, but not wanting to waste my delicious crumbs, I simply fill each muffin liners with one heaping tablespoon of crumbs and press it lightly into place, just like one would for a classic cheesecake base. The cookie bases are then baked in a preheated 350F oven for 5-7 minutes until they looked dry and golden in color. I used lesser cheesecake filling in each molds, and came up with a total of 17 little fellas.

Of course you can follow the original recipe sans crust, you should be able to get 12 to 13 little fellas with more fillings than mine. As you may have guessed, both versions are equally delicious, and would stand in nicely in place of the real McCoy after a meal. In fact the recipe could easily be doubled and kept in the freezer for any dessert emergency. According to the author, the little fellas freeze exceptionally well. I have yet to try that out myself.

Cappuccino Little Fellas
adapted from Junior's Cheesecake Cookbook: 50 To-Die-For Recipes for New York-Style Cheesecake (Juniors)

1 tablespoon instant freeze-dried espresso or instand coffee or instant espresso powder
1 tablespoon hot water (I need 1.5 tablespoons)
two 8-ounce packages Philadephia Cream Cheese (the recipe says full fat only but I used 1/3 less fat Neufchtel, without any problem), at room temperature
2/3 cup sugar
3 tablespoons cornstarch
1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
2 extra large eggs (large eggs are fine too)
1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
Chocolate curls
1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder

Preheat oven to 350F. (I used 325F) Line 12 standard muffin cups with silicone, foil, parchment, or paper liners.Dissolve the instant espresso in the hot water in a small cup and let stand.

Put one package of cream cheese, 1/3 cup of sugar, and the cornstarch in a large bowl. Beat with an electric mixer on low until creamy, about 3 minutes, scraping down the bowl a few times. Blend in the remaining cream cheese and 1/3 cup sugar, then the vanilla. Blend in the eggs, one at a time, beating well after adding each one.Stir the dissolved coffee into the cream and beat in the cream just until it's completely blended. Be careful not to be overmix.

Divide the batter among the 12 muffin cups. Place the muffin tin in a large shallow pan and add hot water until it comes about 1 inch up the sides of the tin. Bake the cakes until set and slightly puffy, about 30-45 minutes, depending on how hot your oven is. Remove the cakes from the water bath, transfer the tin to a wire rack, and let cool for 2 hours.*Transfer the cake to a container and chill for at least 4 hours.
*note: instruction from the book: After 2 hours of cooling, cover cake with plastic wrap (do not remove from the tin) and put in the freezer until cold, at least one day.

To remove the cakes, lift them out with your hands and peel off the liner. Although I find it more convenient to hold and eat it with the liner on. For a dressier version, place the cakes, top side up, on a serving platter or individual dessert plates, Top with chocolate curls and dust with a little cocoa if you wish and refrigerate. If there are any cakes left, cover with plastic wrap and store in the refrigerator or wrap and freeze for up to 1 month.

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Some Happy News

As some of you may already know, my Normandy Apple Tart has been awarded the "Winner of Edibility" in December 2007 DMBLGIT, hosted by Dayna of Food and Photogaphy.

Although I have won twice in the past, I was nonetheless ectatic when my sweet friend Helen left a congratulatory comment to inform me the results were in! I was almost going to shut down my laptop when the news came. Needless to say, I was a happy girl that night, and went to bed wearing a broad grin.

The second piece of happy news: We are going back to Singapore and Malaysia on next Monday morning, which is less than 5 days from now! We will be home for 3 weeks, spending Chinese New Year with our families.

The night after we bought our airtickets, I was too excited about our trips that I had insomia. It persisited for the next few nights. I think my mind must be too busy planning on meeting friends, buying hard to find ingredients back to US, baking up a storm in my mum's new kitchen, learning some dishes from my mother in law and most importantly eating the local food! I will bring my camera back,in the hope of capturing some tasty meals I take to share with you. But I can't promise. It's too hard a task. The last time I brought my camera along to take some food shots, I managed to have totally forgotten about it until my stomach was full and the plates were mobbed clean!!

No recipe for this entry, but may I tease you with some cheesecakes? These are some cheesecakes I have made from Junior's Cheesecake Cookbook. A great book for anybody who love cheesecakes! I love all four of the cheesecakes I made from this book. Stories and recipes coming up soon!

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Light Dessert : Lemon Angel Food Cake

Dear friends who are trying to lose weights:

Some said there's a season for everything. And eating seasonal is the way to go. So what has the angel food cake has anything to do with seasonal eating? Everything!

Remember your new year resolutions to lose weights? This is also the time of the year I pulled out my tube pan and make angel food cake, the fat-free dessert I adore. Combined with my favorite citrus, I don't mind eating it whether I am on diet or not. Come to think of it, I don't remember myself being on diet before, except for the two weeks leading to my wedding. The stake of not able to fit into the custom-made wedding gown was far too high!

Anyway, my point is- whether you are on a diet or not, don't skip desserts! At least I won't. All we (I mean, you who are staring at this screen have considered of losing weights after the festive eating, no?) need is a good strategy. No point eating a bite of brownie which make you crave for more, (and end up doing just that) or a tiny sliver of cheesecake which could easily be blown away by the strong gush winter wind. I rather have a healthy serving of a piece of this. This airy, flavorful, fat free, good for you angel food cake!

Since new year is about a healthier, slimmer and prettier you, where not pair the angel food cake with a cup of warm honey lemon drink? Some experts claim that it's good for detox. There are some really gluesome regimes for body detox, but for me, honey lemon drink is a sweeter way to do it.

If lemon is not your thing, you can easily substitute it with orange, lime or grapefruit. I am sure you can also try clementine and tangerine, although the flavors may not be as assertive as the rest. I am waiting for the meyer lemon season to come, so that I can make a Meyer Lemon Angel Food Cake.

Lemon Angel Food Cake
adapted from The Best Light Recipe (The Best Recipe)

1 cup (4 ounces) cake flour
1.5 cuos (10.5 ounces) sugar
12 larg eggwhites, at room temperature
1 teaspoon cream of tartar
1/4 tsp salt
2 tablespoons juice from 1 lemon
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
2 tbsps grated lemon zest

Adjust the oven rack to the lower middle position and preheat the oven to 325F. Have ready an ungreased 9-inches, 16 cups tube pan.

Whisk flour and 3/4 cup sugar in a small bowl, set aside. In a dry, clean electric mixer bowl, beat eggwhites on low speed until foamy. Add in cream of tartar and salt, and increase speed to medium high. Continue to beat, adding the remaining 3/4 cup sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time, untill all the sugar is added and the whites are shiny and form soft peaks. Beat in the lemon juice, vanilla extract, lemon zest until just blended.

Sift the flour mixture over the whites, about 1/4 cup at a time, and gently fold it in using a large rubber spatula. Gently scrape the batter the batter into the pan and smooth the top with a spatula. Give the pan a couple of raps on the counter to release any large air bubbles. Bake until cake is golden brown and the top springs back when pressed firmly, 55 to 60 minutes.

If the cake pan has prongs around the rim for elevating the cake, invert the pan onto them. If the pan does not have prongs, invert the pan onto the neck of a bottle or funnel. Let the cake cool completely upside down.

To unmold, run a knife or long offset spatula around the edges of the cake pan, being careful not to separate the golden crust from the cake. You can either loosen the cake from the center with a wire cake tester, skewer or offset spatula.Slide the cake with the removable cake bottom out of the pan . Run a knife between the cake and the pan bottom to loosen, then gently flip the cake onto a platter, bottom side facing up. (which is also the more presentable side)

The cake tastes best when served the same day it is made. But we enjoy it just as much in the following few days.

Serves 16.

Per serving: cal 150; fat 0 g; Sat Fat 0 g; Chol 0 mg; Carb 33 g; Protein 4 g; Fiber 0 g; sodium 105 mg

Edit: I have added the nutritional info per serving as provided by the recipe for those who are interested. Note that although the cake is fat free and taste really yummy, don't attempt to finish it in a day on top of other tempting food you are already eating. :)

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Favorite Dim Sum item: Golden Crisp Daikon Cake

Not long after moving to US I developed a sudden craving for certain Malaysian/Singaporean food that I wasn't particularly crazy about back home. Is there a medical term for such condition? I generally called it home sick.

Back in the days when I was sharing an apartment with my friend Ying, she occasionally brought back homemade goodies made by her "considerate and caring" colleague. The thing is, most of the stuffs she made were, (erm, is there a way to put it mildly) didn't taste like what they were supposed to be. Most of th time, the items would vague resembled what she was trying to make, but taste nothing like it. But they were made with love nonetheless, so I admired her generosity. There was one thing however, that I think she made really well, and that was the steamed golden daikon cake.

I was always glad to see Ying came home with a packet of her colleague's golden daikon cake, as opposed to the "skinny version of chinese egg tarts". Being a good friend and a competent cook Ying would then sliced and lightly panfried them with lots of garlic, shallots and sometime toss in an egg or two. Those were the days.

The last time when we ordered the golden daikon cake at a local Chinese restaurant, we were appalled to see my beloved dimsum item came drenched in oil, (literally) and fell apart like a piece a soft tofu when I tried to pick it up.

I know I am on mission to look up for the recipe of a perfect daikon cake if I want to eat one. The first resource, is of course to ask mum. When mum gave me a somewhat vague recipe, I turned to OCT's mum. The thing about Asian mums when one inquires of certain recipes- they will inevitably provide one of the following answers:

"Oh, it's very EASY, just use some X, a little bit of Y, Z, W, X, mix together, then steam. Very EASY. Anybody can make it."

"Why don't you just eat/buy from the restaurant? Or just use the ready-mix?"

Everything is guesstimated, nothing specific. They presume you have certain level of experience and understanding of how things work. Like them. But I am not good at following vague instructions, although I prescribe them freely to friends who asked me for recipes all the times!

Long story short, I tried out a few recipes from Chinese websites which each gives very different directions but none worked. Finally, I stumble one in Bon Appetit. Ah, the end of my daikon cake quest. The recipe provides very clear steps and precise amounts of different ingredients. With some tweaking, it becomes my go-to recipe for golden daikon cake now.

To make the golden daikon cake, one has to begin with a trip to the Asian grocery stores. A lot of the ingredients such as dried shrimp, chinese sausages, dried shiitake mushroom and rice flour are not readily available at the neighborhood grocery stores, no matter how well stocked they are. While you are there, do check out the snack section, where you can stock up on Pocky, Calbee's Shrimp flavored chips (I like the wasabi ones), japanese rice crackers, Nissin Ramen Pork Tonkatsu, Shin Spicy Ramen and a thousand and one types of condiments.

Well I digress. Once the said ingredients are assembled, here comes the hard work. Using a box grater, grate the required amount of daikon using the side with biggest holes. Time yourself and see how long it takes you to grate 1.5 pounds of daikon. It counts towards your cardio exercise. If you have a food processor, spend some time to decide which finger needed to exercise most, and use it to press the grate button.

Next, dice the rest of the ingredients. The original recipe doesn't include dried shiitake mushroom but a lot of daikon cake I ate in the past had it as one of the ingredients. So I usually throw in 4 to 5 mushrooms in mine.

Stirfry everything, until fragrant. (this is the simplified expression. Ha! See the recipe below for the detail instructions)

In the same skillet, stirfry the grated daikon until it turns translucent. (like onion).

Mix all ingredients together and continue to stirfry, until everything is well mixed. Don't worry about overmix, or overcook, this is not a cake (or scones ;p)

Stir in the rice flour + water mixture after the daikon mixture has softened. With lower heat, quickly fold in the rice flour mixture. The whole thing will turn into a huge mass of glue in no time. Very quickly, season with salt and pepper before transferring your batter to an oiled pan for steaming.

Now you can rest for 40-50 minutes while the daikon cake is steamed.

When the daikon cake is cooked, cool and refrigerate overnight before panfrying. We like to pair the daikon cake with hot chilli sauce. Spicy and delicious!

Golden Crisp Daikon Cake with Spicy Herb Sauce
adapted from Feb 2007 Bon Appetit

1 1/2 pounds daikon (Asian white radish),* peeled, cut into 1-inch pieces
2 Chinese sweet pork sausages (lop chong),* cut into 1/4-inch cubes (about 3 ounces)
1/2 cup finely chopped green onions (about 3 large)
2 tablespoons small dried shrimp,* finely chopped
1 small shallot, finely diced
1 1/2 cups water, (squeeze the diced daikon to extract some of the liquid, and top up the volume with water)
4-5 pieces of dried shiitake mushrooms, reconstituted in hot water for 30 minutes.
Nonstick vegetable oil spray
1 1/2 cups rice flour*
1 cup soy sauce
1 tablespoon Asian sesame oil
2 tablespoons (or more) vegetable oil, divided
1 cup fresh cilantro leaves
1 tablespoon grated peeled fresh ginger, juices included
2 small Thai red chiles*, halved lengthwise, seeds removed, thinly sliced crosswise or 1 tablespoon hot chili sauce (such as sriracha)*
1 tablespoon sesame seeds, toasted

Fit processor with large-hole grating disk. Working with a few pieces of daikon at a time, place daikon pieces in feed tube and process until coarsely grated. Transfer daikon to bowl. Replace grating disk in processor with metal blade. Return daikon to processor and finely chop, using on/off turns.

Heat heavy large skillet over medium-high heat. Add sausage cubes to skillet and sauté until fat renders and sausage browns, about 5 minutes. Add green onions, shallot and dried shrimp; stir 1 minute. Add daikon and cook until daikon is soft and transparent, stirring frequently,about 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, spray 9-inch-diameter cake pan with 1 1/2-inch-high sides with nonstick spray. Whisk rice flour and water in large bowl until well blended. Pour into the daikon mixture. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Spread daikon mixture evenly in prepared pan. Place cake pan on bamboo steamer rack set over wok filled halfway with simmering water or on metal rack set over simmering water in pot. Cover with lid; steam over medium heat until cake is set and firm to touch, occasionally adding more water to wok or pot as needed, about 45 minutes. Remove pan from steamer; cool cake in pan 1 hour. Cover and refrigerate daikon cake in pan overnight.

Whisk soy sauce and sesame oil in small bowl. Heat 1 tablespoon vegetable oil in small skillet over medium heat. Add cilantro, ginger with juices, and chiles or hot chili sauce; stir 30 seconds. Mix ginger mixture into soy sauce mixture. DO AHEAD Daikon cake and sauce can be made 2 days ahead. Cover separately and refrigerate.

Run small knife around daikon cake to loosen. Invert onto cutting board. Cut cake into 1/2-inch-thick slices (not wedges), then cut each slice crosswise into 2-inch-long pieces.

Heat 1 tablespoon vegetable oil in large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Working in batches, add daikon cake slices to skillet and cook until golden brown, adding more oil to skillet for each batch as needed, about 5 minutes per side. Transfer slices to platter. Sprinkle with sesame seeds. Serve herb soy sauce alongside for dipping.

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