Double chocolate chiffon

I've tried two chiffons so far and they've all come from Domestic Goddess Wannabe as her recipes are pretty foolproof for beginners but more importantly, tailored for the 25cm pan which is the closest to the 26cm I have. However, they aren't the lightest as they have a higher proportion of flour to liquid and this is a case in point. This recipe is an adaptation of her chocolate milk with chocolate chip chiffon and cocoa chiffon except the latter seems proportionately to have a lot less liquid, sugar, and flour but a lot more chips. This recipe follows the cocoa chiffon but I reduced the sugar to compensate for the very sweet choc chips. It came out like a light choc chip cake rather than a chiffon per se, which is not to say that it's bad because it was quite moist. Next time I might just try the chocolate milk with chips recipe directly ... except if the batter is less thick, I don't see how it can suspend the chips in the batter and not sink?

Ingredients (for 26 cm pan)

7 eggs, separated

160g sugar (for the yolks; reduced from 168g)

119 canola oil

182ml milk (room temp)

42g cocoa powder

224g cake flour (mine was self-raising, if not add ¾ baking powder)

½ tsp salt

120g sugar (for the egg whites: reduced from 126g)

100g chocolate chips (reduced from 140g) I mixed dark and milk chips)

Method

1) Beat the yolks with the sugar until creamy and pale yellow.

2) Add the oil and beat until pale. Add the milk and beat.

3) Sift the cake flour, salt, and baking powder.

4) Using a whisk, carefully stair into the yolk mixture. (This was very thick compared to my other chiffon recipes.)

5) In a really clean bowl, whisk the egg whites. Add the sugar in three additions, the first time after the whites have just turned opaque. Whisk to just before stiff peaks and be careful near the end.

6) Take ⅓ of the meringue and whisk into the yolk mixture. You don't have to be too careful but this time but ensure that no whites remain. Take the next ⅓ and repeat but be more careful time times.

7) Tip the yolk mixture into the remaining ⅓ meringue. This time, carefully fold in until no whites remain.

8) Pour ⅓ of the batter into the cake tin. Sprinkle ⅓ of the chocolate chips on top. Pour the next ⅓ and repeat. Finally, pour in the last ⅓ of the batter and sprinkle on the chocolate chips for that 'professional' finish.

9) Using a skewer, draw zig zag lines to dispel the air bubbles. (Do not drop on the counter top! I made that mistake and all my choc chips sank to the bottom)

10) Bake at 170 deg C for 65 mins (no grill). I turned down to 165 deg C after 30 minutes and when the remaining 35 mins was up, I switched off the heat and left it inside for another 5 minutes.

My beauty at 20 mins

Too hot at 170 deg C, it started to crack

All the choc chips sank

Recipe feedback: As mentioned, not as light as previous chiffons, probably because of the milk. 

Also, I've learnt not to drop the chiffon if there is 'filling' otherwise it all sinks. Using a skewer is the way but I was lazy to wash up another item 😰

Pressure cooked BBQ pork ribs

My first attempt using the pressure cooker. The recipe isn't important, what's more important are the learnings.

Based on some research of pork ribs, I used the Meat function with a cooking time of 30 minutes based on the thickness of the ribs. Beef ribs would probably take 40 mins and korean short ribs would probably take about 20 minutes. This excludes the time taken to come up to pressure. I read that if the ribs were put in frozen, first, they must be covered in a liquid and second, the cooking time remains the same because it just takes longer to come up to pressure e.g. 20 mins instead of 10 minutes.

Despite marinating the ribs in a dry rub for 6 hours, it wasn't very tasty. I placed the ribs at the bottom, then layered on the hard vegs (potatoes and carrots), poured on a homemade bbq sauce (brown sugar, HP sauce, mustard, Worcestershire sauce, tomato paste) and finally, layered on the soft vegs (tomatoes and broccoli). I left the hard vegs very chunky.

The result? The ribs were fall off the bone soft, I was amazed. However, the gravy was very watery, perhaps due to the 4 tomatoes I put in. Some recipes recommend using the Saute function to reduce this. The hard veg came out ok and could be easily forked through. However, the broccoli was dismal - overly soft and discoloured. I might need to steam this separately in future.

Overall, not bad for 30 mins (+ 10 mins to come up to pressure) work!

Instant pot yoghurt

Based on the previous post that compared yoghurt recipes, this recipe was more a trial run of IP and a science test rather than any attempt to make a refined product. At the end of the recipe, I'll input some learnings to improve the recipe for next time. I'm using deg F for this recipe instead of C purely because I don't have a digital thermometer and my analogue one reads in 5 deg F increments.

Ingredients

2l of milk (slighly over the half gallon that 1 recipe suggested)

¼ cup of yoghurt as a starter

Method

1) Press the Yoghurt and Adjust to boil the milk. It should come up to 180 deg F (optimum 82 to 87 deg C).

2) When it beeps, stir/whisk with a plastic whisk and check the temp. You may need to reboil. I tried two further cycles but finally needed to use the Saute function to get it over 180 deg F. This took about 30 to 40 mins.

3) Take out the inner pot and put it on a wire rack (or water bath) to cool. Bring the temp down to 110 deg F (optimum: 42 to 45 deg C; about 40 mins on a 29 deg C day). Remove the skin that has formed on the surface.

4) Temper the starter by putting it in the container that will be used to hold the yoghurt. Add ½ cup of the milk mixture and whisk. Pour it back into the main pot and whisk to incorporate

5) Put it back in the IP and press Yoghurt and set the time for 8 hours. I was worried that my 8 hrs would end over night which might spoil the yoghurt but it went to the yoghurt keep warm and it was all right.

6) Whisk smooth so the fat globules disperse. Pour into the prepared containers. Ideally, these should be sterilised so that the yoghurt will last longer but I didn't bother.

Recipe feedback

1) Some recipes recommend sterilising the pot and equipment and I was a bit paranoid whether my equipment (my thermometer, scoops, whisk, yoghurt containers, etc) would introduce bacteria that would affect the final product but they didn't. However I did sterilise the pot beforehand and let it air. The IP has to cool down thoroughly or else the milk might scorch at the bottom. The thermometer, scoop and whisk were 'sterilised' when they was immersed in the liquid, and I didn't wash it until I left it to incubate, so that seemed ok.

2) The recipes recommend removing the skin and whisking the final product before pouring the yoghurt into the empty containers but I didn't. The product turned out lumpy and I could taste the skin. Not really noticeable but something to note for next time.

3) The yoghurt was slightly thinner than the store bought pot set yoghurt but I didn't really mind. I could strain it a bit as some recipes suggest but again, it didn't really bother me. 

4) Trying to 'hold the boil' at 180 deg F for 5 mins proved difficult using the saute function (high) as the temp kept climbing. I ended up bringing it to 190 deg F (and was afraid that I had killed off some bacteria or something) and then letting the temp drop naturally, so it stayed at 180 deg F for about 5 to 7 minutes. Not a bad 'accidental' find with no adverse effect on the final product.

5) I didn't add sugar or vanilla but these can be added at the same time as the starter.

6) Some recipes suggest that adding less starter (i.e. 1 tbsp for ½ gallon instead of 4 tbsp or ¼ cup) and incubating for longer (ie 10 hr) would lead to a less sour product. I found it less sour than store bought and relatively thick despite using 4 tbsp of yoghurt and technically incubating for 20 hours, so I'm not convinced about this point.

Yoghurt recipe comparisons

So excited to get my instant pot finally! First thing I'm going to try is the yoghurt function. I kept a started from my week of yoghurt breakfast for this purpose.

Putting Instant Pot through its trial run cleaning

Looking at several recipes, I discovered 2 main ways of making yoghurt: either directly in the pot, or to put it in glass bottles and sterilise the pot and milk at the same time.

1) Covers both methods

Many bloggers quote this article, so it should be quite definitive

http://www.teamyogurt.com/posts/2016/3/30/making-yogurt-in-an-instant-pot-is-it-worth-it

- ½ gallon (1893 ml)

- keeping temp at 180 deg F for 5 mins makes a thicker yoghurt

- when removing the cover, don't let condensation drip into the milk

- discard the milk skin after it has cooled

In short, the steps are:

i) Sterilize to 82 deg C (180 deg F) (about 26 mins) and hold the temp (boil) for 5 mins

ii) Cool to 46 deg C (115 deg C; about 37 mins)

iii) Add starter : 2 tbsp

iv) Incubate and ferment for 8 hrs

2) Based on the first article

http://www.tidbits-cami.com/2015/09/homemade-yogurt.html/2

- 1 gallon (3785 ml)

- uses powdered milk

- whisk using plastic (not metal) whisk

- Boil for 1 hour to get to 82 deg C (180 deg F) for 1 gallon of milk

- Cool to 43 deg C (110 deg F)

- ¼ cup starter

- Ferment for 8 hrs

- Strains whey for ½ hour

- Return to pot and stir to get a smoother consistency before placing in jars.

- Whey + yoghurt becomes buttermilk

3) Here is an article that covers potential failures and also gives a recipe for less sour yoghurt

http://thisoldgal.com/instant-pot-greek-yogurt/

- 1 gallon milk

- sterilize the pot first before boiling the milk, running it thru a steam cycle. The inner pot should air dry (or put it in the fridge) and the instant pot should cool down completely.

- Not reaching the right temp 82 -85 deg C (180 deg F) after a boil cycle, and maintain it for a few minutes. This temp of 82 to 85 also leads to a thicker yoghurt.

- If you haven't reached that temp, saute at low

- Purchase a good quality starter. Starters can be saved and frozen.

- No need to add powdered milk.

- whisk using a plastic (not metal) whisk to help cooling and halfway during boil cycle

- Cool down on wire rack or in a water bath to 43 deg C (110 deg F)

- inaccurate reading of temp (whisk the milk)

- add vanilla when adding the starter.

- Using less starter (2 tbsp) takes longer (10 instead of 8 hours) but makes it less sour.

- Don't stir

4) This link uses the glass bottle method but includes a video. This is also the official Instant Pot recipe site.

http://www.hippressurecooking.com/video-how-to-make-yogurt-in-instant-pot-duo/

Updated: Tried out recipe #1 for making yoghurt in the pot and it was a success, sorta.

Sweet miso daikon and wakame salad

I have been going to the asian supermarket and shopping for asian vegetables more recently. I usually find that they're more troublesome to prepare but they provide the green, leafy veg that my diet so sorely needs. Anyway, asian veg also includes radish or daikon but I've very little experience in how to cook it other than in soup. And today is the first official day of summer so soup isn't likely to be on the menu any time soon!

Wonderfully, I found this recipe: https://cookpad.com/us/recipes/243781-daikon-radish-and-wakame-stem-salad-with-sweet-miso

It belongs to the family of 漬物 (tsukemono) which means Japanese pickle but in the subset of quick pickles浅漬け (asazuke) that are more like a salad because they aren't salted or vinegar-ed for very long - typically a few hours - and meant to be consumed within a few days.

I have adapted the Cookpad receipe to upsize it for my liking and also added in carrot to give an extra sweetness. The daikon adds another element of taste - pepperyness - which I'm not used to but is intriguing.

Ingredients

Half a daikon, peeled

2 small carrots, peeled

2 slices of wakame, soaked for 30 minutes

3 tbsp miso

2 tbsp honey

2 tbsp apple cider vinegar

2 tbsp Japanese mayo

Method

1) Add the dressing ingredients into a big bowl. Stir to combine well.

2) Prepare and add the vegetables. Toss the vegetables. Transfer into a container with a lid and cover. 3) Place in the fridge for several hours to get cold before eating. Preferably served cold.

Coffee chiffon

I had 166g of cake flour which I want to finish up before the end of Spring. Summer and autumn will be too hot to bake and I don't want the flour to lie around and get stale. So I found this recipe which uses 163g of flour! Wonderful! Although I won't get to bake the black sesame seed chiffon that I was looking forward to, it's not so bad because I couldn't find a recipe particularly for a 25cm pan without adapting. And I'm petrified of adapting baking recipes. Interestingly, I noticed that this baking temp is lower than the previous tea chiffon, perhaps because there's less liquid.

Source:

http://thedomesticgoddesswannabe.com/2015/11/coffee-chiffon-cake/

Ingredients
7 eggs
117ml milk
3 tbsp instant coffee powder (reduced from 3.5 tbsp)
105ml oil
45g sugar (for the yolk; reduced from original 47g)
163g cake flour
2 tsp baking powder
110 sugar (for meringue; reduced from 117g)

Method
1) Prepare the milk coffee. Heat up the coffee to just before boiling point (small bubbles), and add the instant coffee power. Dissolve and let the coffee cool.
2) In a bowl, whisk the egg whites with the sugar until creamy.
3) Add the oil and whisk until pale, about 2 minutes.
4) Add the coffee and stir to incorporate.
5) Sift the cake flour and baking powder and add it to the yolk mixture. Beat gently just to break up the pockets of flour.
6) In a big bowl, beat the egg whites until foamy and opaque at low speed. Add the sugar in 3 additions. Turn up the speed to max and beat till just before stiff peaks.
7) Add the meringue to the yolk batter in 3 batches. The first batch is just to loose the yolk mixture so don't worry about breaking up the foam. Be more careful with the second batch and fold it in and ensure no white meringue streaks remain.
8) Finally, return the mixed batter back to the final batch of meringue. This batch, very carefully fold in the meringue, drawing the meringue from the bottom and lift to the top. Rotate the bowl as you go.
9) Pour into an ungreased pan from 10cm height. Drop the pan sharply on the counter top several times, and use a skewer to slash near the sides of the pan, or use a zig zag action. This will release the bubbles.
9) Bake at 160 deg C (no grill) for 65 minutes.
10) Once out of the oven, invert carefully onto a tin. Make sure the cake doesn't fall out (if it's undercooked. I took a risk and didn't test with a skewer)

11) This time, to speed up the cooling, I draped 2 damp towels over the pan. That cut down the cooling time by half, ie 1.5 hours.

13) Run the offset spatula around the sides of the pan and and cut as close as possible to the sides of the pan. Try to do it in one swift motion and avoid sawing. I managed to save some of the 'skin' but otherwise the cake was quite moist, which leads to its crumbly appearance.

Also, my cake didn't turn out as prettily because in my haste and excitement at having achieved the optimum oven temp, I forgot to drop the cake tin and slash the cake batter! As you can see from the pictures, there are big bubbles.

Recipe feedback: 

1) The coffee powder is important. I didn't quite like the taste but other than instant coffee which tasted a bit burnt, I doubt that brewed coffee would been strong enough. Hmm, maybe coffee essence is needed. 

2) The cake was very very moist though, altho heavier than the tea cake. This could be because I wasn't as conscientious with extract as much egg white as possible, or because there was 3g more cake flour than the recipe required, or because it used milk rather than water.

3) Compared to the tea cake, this recipe uses the same number of eggs and almost the same amounts of oil and flour. The major difference is that this one uses less milk by volume compared to the water that the tea cake uses.

Min chang kueh (red bean yeast pancake)

I found two recipes of this by the same blogger and tried the 'overnight' version which had a distinctively sour taste. Altho that's characteristic of min chang kueh, my taste tester didn't like it.

No overnight:
http://mymindpatch.blogspot.com.au/2013/05/happycall-pancake-with-red-bean-paste.html

Overnight using natural yeast:
http://mymindpatch.blogspot.com.au/2016/03/natural-yeast-red-bean-pancake.html

My version is heavily edited, with the most important change being the use of bread rather than plain flour which I feel gives a more crispy texture.

Ingredients (makes 4 HCP pancakes)
200g warm water
200g cold milk
30g sugar
1 tsp instant dried yeast
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp vanilla
2 egg
250g bread flour
10g tapioca starch (or replace with flour)
200 to 300g red bean paste

Method
1) Sift the bread and tapioca flours. Add the salt and sugar. Stir.
2) Add the yeast and stir.
3) Prepare the liquid: add the milk to the water and warm up to 38 deg C (ie finger dipping temperature)
4) Create a well in the dry ingredients and crack in two eggs. Whisk in the egg and start pouring in the liquids. Whisk well to incorporate.
5) Cover and leave to proof for 45 mins to 1 hour until it doubles in volume. If you have time, I deflated the bubbles and let it proof again for an hour. You can also let the time do all the work. After combining all the ingredients, let it proof 4 to 6 hours in the fridge or overnight. The next day, let it come back up to room temp, about an hour.
6) Add in the baking soda.
7) Prep a HCP pan by pouring 1 tbsp of oil on the bottom, apply to the bottom and sides of the pan and then use a kitchen towel to wipe off.
7) Ladle on about 1.5 ladles's worth. Swirl so that it also coats up the side. Cover and cook for about 5 to 6 minutes on medium high heat. Every 1 to 2 minutes, alternate the base of the pan to the left and right to ensure even browning.
8) Once the sides have shrunk away from the pan, check that the bottom is golden. It is cooked when the top of the pancake is dry.
9) Remove from the fire and spread on the red bean paste on half the pancake. Fold the pancake in half to cover the red bean paste. Serve immediately.

Different recipe without peanut: https://simmetra.blogspot.com/2016/11/min-chang-kueh-red-bean-yeast-pancake.html

Earl grey chiffon

Based on a previous post that compared chiffon cake recipes, I decided to use DGW's actual tried and tested recipe for a 25 cm cake tin rather than 'upsizing' Christine's recipe from 20 to 25cm by a factor of 1.25 as she suggests in her comments. A side by side comparison of the ingredients showed that Christine's recipe has very little flour but a lot of liquid and sugar, which makes me question its structure. After my experience with collapsing meringue-based cakes (ie my cheesecake), I'm ultra wary of cakes with too little structure. It's fun eating moist pouffy pieces of 'air' but not so fun if they need to be inverted as chiffon cakes do when cooling!

Source: http://thedomesticgoddesswannabe.com/2014/08/earl-grey-chiffon-cake/
I found out that my tin isn't 26 cm but actually 25.5 cm so a recipe for the former works. The cake is flatter but the cooking times are about there. In fact, after trawling the Internet for any chiffon recipe, I only came across 1 recipe for a 26 cm tin which was for Pandan Chiffon by ieatshootpost. That recipe says that a 26 cm tin uses a 9-egg recipe. Gosh! 9 eggs is way too much for 2 people to consume!

My recipe adapted some of the measurements e.g. I reduced the sugar, omitted the cream of tartar (which I have found from my cheesecake souffle recipe research to be unnecessary and adds an unwanted sourness), and reduced the tea (which seemed rather wasteful and the same thickness of tea can be achieved with fewer teabags but a longer steep). The method has also been adapted from Christine's.

Ingredients
7 eggs
140ml of boiling water (increase to 200ml because i) the tea bags absorb water and I was left with approximately only 100ml of tea and ii) insufficient water to steep the tea bags in)
5 tea bags (reduced from 7 because I had plenty to rebrew and make very strong leftover tea!)
93ml oil (not the same as 93g of oil, luckily I checked!)
35g sugar (for addition to the yolks)
175g cake flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
140g sugar (for addition to the whites) (reduced from 150g but someone said that while it was edible, it could have been sweeter! The sweetness should be just right once the tea is reduced too)

1) Make the tea and leave the tea bags in to steep until it cools down completely.
2) In a bowl, whisk the eggs with the 35g sugar and the salt until light and creamy.
3) Add the oil and continue to whisk until pale and creamy.
4) Add the 140ml of the brewed tea and stir to incorporate.
5) Sift the flour and baking powder. Add it to the egg yolk mixture in 2 additions, whisking carefully each time just to get everything to combine so that there aren't pockets of flour. Don't beat too vigorously because you don't want to create gluten.
5) In another big and very clean bowl (I wipe down the bowl, my whisk, and any spatulas I here with a vinegar soaked kitchen towel to remove any grease, water, or soap), whisk or beat the egg whites until opaque and foamy using a low speed. Add the first addition of sugar and beat. Add the sugar in another 2 additions (total 3 additions). Increase the speed and beat until just before stiff peaks. After the meringue reaches soft peaks, stop every 30s to check that you don't over beat the meringue and go beyond stiff peaks.
6) Taking 1/3 of the meringue, add it to the yolk mixture and fold in with the whisk. You don't have to worry too much about beating out the air at this point, this is just to lighten the mixture.
7) Taking a second 1/3 of the meringue, this time, fold in more carefully with a whisk.
8) Return the yolk + meringue mixture to the leftover meringue. This time, using either a spatula or whisk, very carefully fold in the meringue (I draw the meringue from the bottom of the bowl and lift through to the top as I rotate the bowl) until no egg white remains.
9) Pour into the cake tin from a height of 8 cm. (ieatshootpost advises not rotating the tin but this was lousy advice - my cake was lopsided! Maybe it depends on the batter. My batter wasn't flowy, so the tube blocked it from flowing to the other half of the tin. I would say, rotate the tin once or twice but not continually.)
10) Burst the bigger bubbles in the batter by dropping the cake tin sharply on the counter top several times. Using a skewer, draw zig lines through the batter, paying attention to the sides and bottom of the tin. No need to smoothen the top of the batter.
11) Bake at 170 deg C (no grill; it reads 175 deg C on my oven's dial) for 65 minutes at the bottom of the oven. Check after 60 minutes by inserting a skewer, which should come out clean. I found no need to open the door to rotate the tin at all for even browning this time.
(i) Some recipes suggest tenting with foil and reducing to 160 deg C but I found these unnecessary, AS LONG AS the temperature is constant at 170 deg C. I watched my oven thermometer like the hawk for the entire baking time. 
ii) Another recipe stated that even after the skewer comes out clean, the cake still needs another 5 to 10 minutes to firm up, otherwise it might drop out under its own weight when inverted)

12) Never open the door until at least after half time or the cake will collapse. Christine opens the door at half time to score the top of the cake. This makes sense now after I developed serious cracks on the top.

13) Immediately once the cake is out of the oven, invert it onto a raised surface, I used a can of tinned food. (ieatshootpost asserts that u want to elevate it as far off the counter as u can to avoid condensation. He also advises draping with a damp towel to speed up the process. I didn't and it took 3 hours to cool completely, which is why the pictures go from day time/dusk to night time!)

14) Only attempt to unmould when the cake is complete cool. Insert a small offset spatula and trace around the tube. Insert a larger offset spatula or sharp knife and cut around the edges. Try not to use a sawing motion which leaves a shaggy/jagged edge, but use one swift continuous scraping motion. In both cases, scrap as close to the tin as you can, don't leave the delicious brown skin behind! (I managed to get some, as seen from the picture)

15) Invert the tin onto a serving plate or wire rack. Carefully push the bottom out (I nearly tore my cake because some of it was still stuck on the side, so run your spatula around again just to be sure). Now also cut/scrape the bottom of the cake off the bottom of the tin. 

Voila! A beautiful chiffon in all its glory.

Enjoy!

あんパン Anpan (Mixed flours)

Since I last tried this recipe which used plain flour, I decided to go back to the original JOC recipe which uses bread and cake flour. The results were quite good: the bun was soft and fluffy and didn't feel as dense compared to the version that used plain flour. The bun was more 'spread out' and flat compared to using normal flour, but the fluffiness of this version is far preferable. Fresh out of the oven, the 'skin' is even slightly crunchy!

Having a machine this time also saved me a lot of anguish in terms of working with oily slippery dough all over my benchtop and the feeling like it will never become smooth. I still didn't get the moistness that I associate with anpan buns from Yaohan in my childhood, but the texture of this bun is like what I'd get in the neighbourhood bakeries where they used to sell 3 assorted varieties of buns for $1 in the good old days, even up to 7 years ago.

Recipe: http://www.justonecookbook.com/anpan/

My adjustment to the recipe is to double the recipe. I spent 6 hours on the entire recipe from start to finish including proving, and making just 8 buns didn't make sense! Watch and read the original JOC recipe for the kneading method.

Ingredients (makes 16 buns)

450g bread flour (3.25 cups)

50g cake flour

2 tsp salt

100g (1/2 cup) sugar

2 tsp instant dried yeast

2 eggs, beaten

100 ml milk 

100 ml water

70g butter, cubed and slightly softened

560g red bean paste (I used store bought)

Egg wash and topping

1 egg + 2 tbsp water, beaten

1 tbsp black sesame seeds in a deep bowl

Method

1) Combine the flours, salt, and yeast in the bowl of a mixer. I'm using a food processor.

2) Bring the milk and water to about 35 deg C. Add in the beaten egg. Pour the liquids into the mixer and on a low speed, beat for 2 minutes. The dough should come away from the side of the bowl. If it doesn't, add in 1 tsp of bread flour at a time and beat for a minute each time until it happens.

3) Add in the cubed butter and beat on low speed till combined. Continue to beat on low speed for about 5 minutes, then increase the speed to medium (never go to high speed) for around 10 minutes minutes until the dough leaves the side of the bowl and gathers on your dough hook. It should leave a clean bowl. It should feel soft to the touch yet not stick to your fingers, and look smooth and shiny. (One other Internet recipe said that it takes 30 minutes of hand kneading to get to this stage! At this stage, JOC uses the window pane test but I find that it never works until the dough has rested, as confirmed by some forums). 

4) Pour out onto a lightly floured working surface (if your dough is correct, you won't need too much flour on the surface, just a thin layer) and fold like a book (see JOC video). Tuck the ends under to form a ball. 

5) Place the ball into a well-oiled bowl and cover with cling film and a tea towel. Leave it to prove until it has doubled in size, about 1 to 2 hours (usually closer to 2 hours even in summer). I leave it in an oven set at around 35 to 45 deg C. Never enter into the 55 to 60 deg C range which is when the yeast will be killed.

6) Stick a well-floured finger into the dough and if the indentation remains, you're ready. Degas the dough gently and pour out onto the floured surface. Again, fold like a book and tuck the ends underneath to make a ball. Divide the ball into 16 pieces. Work each ball in the same kneading method (fold like a book and tuck underneath to make a ball) and place on a parchment-lined baking tray. Cover with cling film and leave to rest at room temperature.

7) Prepare the red bean filling, measuring each 35g ball of filling. I used the size 20 cookie scoop to help, and only filling the cookie scoop 3/4 full.

8) Take out one dough ball at a time. Work in the same kneading method to form a ball. Flatten the ball with the palm of your hand and then work it into a 3 to 3.5 inch disc. 

9) Place the filling in the centre and bring the edges of the dough up and around the ball. Crimp and twist the ends to seal. Try not to get the filling onto the outside of the dough because it becomes next to impossible to seal (trust me, I had several leaky buns)

10) Place ready buns back onto the parchment-lined baking trays, cover with cling film. Return to the oven to proof for 30 minutes.

11) Remove baking tray from the oven and start pre-heating the oven to 200 deg C. 

12) Meanwhile, egg wash each bun carefully. Using a French/Asian rolling pin, wet one end with egg and coat it well with the black sesame seeds to ensure no blank spots. Stamp the sesame seeds onto the bun, very gently pressing down to create a nice round edge to the sesame seed 'stamp' and embedding them into the dough.

13) Bake at 200 deg C for 13 to 15 minutes. I swopped the tray from the shelves and turned the trays around at 9 minutes to get even browning.

14) Once out of the oven, remove from the tray immediately and cool on a wire rack. Store in an airtight container, out of the fridge, for up to 3 days.

No knead Sticky cinnamon buns

I have been looking for saucy cinnamon bun recipe for a long time. Since I tried this no-knead recipe a year ago, I hadn't given up on finding the prefect saucy recipe. And then the same recipe created came out with this recipe, which is also no-knead, and uses caramel sauce. Together with my new no-leak PushPan, this was a SCORE.

Original recipe: http://www.biggerbolderbaking.com/sticky-buns/
I have tweaked some of the ingredients and technique. The ingredients are similar to Gemma's cinnamon bun recipe.

Ingredients (makes 8 - 9 buns)
3 1/2 cup all purpose flour
2 tsp dried yeast
1 tsp salt
2 large eggs
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 cup honey
1 cup milk, slightly cold
1/2 cup (115g) butter, melted

Topping/filling
3/4 cup butter, softened. This excludes the butter for buttering the pan.
1 1/4 cup (220g) brown sugar
1/3 cup honey
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon
3/4 cup whole walnuts
3/4 cup raisins

Method
1) In a big bowl, combine the flour, yeast on one side and salt on the other. Mix everything together well. Set aside.
2) Melt the butter and add the milk. The temperature of the liquid should be around 35 deg C. Crack in the eggs one at a time and beat. Add the vanilla and honey.
3) Create a well in the centre of the dry ingredients and pour in the wet ingredients a bit at a time. Combine with a wooden spoon until there is no dry flour left. The mixture should be sticky and slightly wet.
4) Cover the bowl with cling film and a towel and let it prove for 4 hours. At the end of that time, it should have doubled in size. At this time, either continue with the preparation or put in the fridge for up to 3 days.
5) When ready to bake, remove the dough from the fridge to let it come up to room temperature. Meanwhile, prepare the filling (this can keep in the fridge).
6) To the softened butter, add the cinnamon, sugar, and honey and mix well.
7) Butter the 9" pan. If using a regular pan, don't use a springform or one with a loose bottom or the sauce might leak out. Spread half of the filling on the bottom and halfway up the sides of the pan, then set the pan aside. Scatter the walnuts at the bottom of the pan, I try to keep them in a single layer.
8) Pour the dough out onto a well-floured surface (I used a pastry mat). Flour the rolling pin and roll out to 1/8 inch thick and 20 inch long. Try to keep it rectangular.
9) Spread on the other half of the filling but keep a 1 inch border clear of any filing on the top and bottom long edges. Scatter on the raisins.
10) Using a scraper to assist you, roll up the dough, starting with the long edge. Try to roll it as tight as possible. (The pastry mat was fantastic as I was able to use it like a sushi mat, together with the scraper. Bliss unlike the sticky mess the last time.)
11) Pinch the seams close and again on a well-floured surface, place the entire roll seam-side down.
12) The roll is very soft and difficult to handle, but you need that in order to get the fluffy cake-like texture of the bun. Using dental floss, cut 2.5 inch pieces and place into the filling-coated pan. I put the end seam which is less pretty in the centre and surrounded it with the other buns.
13) Cover and let it proof for 45 minutes to 1 hour.
14) Preheat the oven to 180 deg C and prepare a baking sheet with parchment on top. This catches any over-flowing caramel sauce.
15) Bake at 180 deg C for 40 to 45 minutes until golden brown, turning halfway. Once out of the oven, immediately place the serving dish over the pan and invert. Let the sauce flow out. This has to be done as soon as possible after it is out of the oven otherwise the sauce sets quite fast.
16) Best consumed while it is still hot but not when the caramel is scalding!

Recipe feedback:
- The original recipe called for melted butter for the filling but this made the sauce too sloppy and there was no way it could be buttered up the sides of the pan. I've adjusted the recipe to use softened butter which makes it more spreadable.
- After 40 minutes, the outside was nicely brown and crusty but the middle was not fully cooked. I did not bake any further but I might have to tent the outsides next time.
- Not kneading was fantastic because the bread was cake-like rather than bread-like rather than developing tough glutein.

Update (30 Jun 18)
- This time I decided to leave the butter softened instead of melted. Made a whole lot of difference!
- Did 45 minutes and the centre bun was cooked. Tented the last 15 minutes.
- The bread was crusty on the outside. The inside was moist, soft and fluffy. The caramel hardened (almost giving it crispy texture) almost immediately once out of the oven. Luckily I well oiled the sides of the tin and also placed parchment at the bottom. It fell out and slid off the plate and onto the benchtop :( but the caramel had absorbed into the bread. Brilliant.

Update (14 Sep 17)
New recipe that has just been posted. Similar idea of creating a sticky sauce which is not the same as the glaze.
http://www.joyofbaking.com/breads/StickyBuns.html

Slight differences in recipe e.g. the butter is room temp and beaten in like a broiche instead of melted (which is supposed to give it more lift). While Gemma's recipe uses the same cinnamon sugar for the glaze, this recipe has a cinnamon sugar which uses 2 type of sugars (soft brown sugar and normal sugar), and the glaze uses honey with soft brown sugar. I read elsewhere that the meltiness actually comes from the normal rather than the soft brown sugar, which makes sense why my sticky buns are more dry than melty and sticky!

She also puts them into texas muffin tins which is an interesting idea as it gives all the buns a regular round shape.

Might give this recipe a try next time.

Chiffon cake comparisons

I love doing these comparisons as research for my recipes. Having just finally bought an angel food pan for chiffon cakes, I’m eager to try it out. Now that I've had some experience beating meringue, I've also got more confidence to finally try chiffon out. All the baking temps are the same, at 170 deg C.

Earl grey
Here are 3 recipes and their features:
1) JOC
: http://www.justonecookbook.com/earl-grey-chiffon-cake/
- 17cm or 7" pan
- 3 eggs
- adds tea leaves in the cake

2) Domestic Goddess
: http://thedomesticgoddesswannabe.com/2014/08/earl-grey-chiffon-cake/
- She is fantastic, she worked out the proportions for 18cm to 25cm pans.
Now I just have to measure my pan! Oops!
- 18cm: 4 eggs; 21cm: 5 eggs; 23cm: 6 eggs; 25cm: 7 eggs What do I do if my pan is 26 cm?

3) Christine
: http://en.christinesrecipes.com/2014/10/earl-grey-tea-chiffon-cake.html
- makes milk tea
- 20cm or 8" pan
- 5 eggs
- adds tea leaves in the cake
- makes a slash on top halfway thru baking

Pandan
1) Jo the tart queen
https://jothetartqueen.wordpress.com/2012/11/10/pandan-chiffon-cake/
- 23cm pan
- 5 yolks, 6 whites

2) Kitchen Tigress
http://kitchentigress.blogspot.com.au/2011/03/pandan-chiffon-cake.html
- 21cm pan
- measures egg by volume
- bakes at 180 deg C!

3) Christine
http://en.christinesrecipes.com/2011/06/pandan-chiffon-cake.html
- 20cm pan
- 5 eggs

4) Ieatshootpost
http://ieatishootipost.sg/how-to-make-a-pandan-chiffon-cake/
- 25 cm pan
- 9 eggs

Black sesame
1) Christine
http://en.christinesrecipes.com/2013/02/black-sesame-chiffon-cake.html
- 20 cm pan
- 6 egg whites and 6 yolks
- uses black sesame powder. Cake doesn't come out black?

2) Baking language
http://www.bakinglanguage.com/?p=1571
- Adapted from Christine
- Adds charcoal to make cake black

3) Gin's Kitchen
https://ginskitchen.wordpress.com/2013/08/08/black-sesame-chiffon-cake/
- Also adapted from Christine

Orange
The only recipes that I could find with a 10" (ie 25cm) chiffon pan.

1) Mandy
http://mandysbakingjourney.blogspot.com.au/2013/11/orange-chiffon-cake.html
However she bakes at 180 deg C for 1 hour. Maybe because it's more 'wet' since it uses orange juice
- 6 egg yolks, 7 egg whites
- 10" or 25cm pan
- 130g juice

2) Joy of baking
http://www.joyofbaking.com/OrangeChiffonCake.html
- 6 egg yolks, 7 egg whites
- 10" or 25cm pan
- 180 ml juice
- Bakes at 170 deg C for 55 to 60 minutes

3) Rasa Malaysia
http://rasamalaysia.com/orange-chiffon-cake-recipe/2/
- 7 eggs
- Weirdly using self-raising flour rather than cake flour
- 60 ml juice
- 22cm pan

General tips
1) https://jothetartqueen.wordpress.com/2013/09/12/back-to-basics-how-to-make-the-perfect-chiffon-cake/
- the right aluminum pan with removable bottom. Never grease it.
- proper whisking in of egg whites to avoid heaviness or streaks of egg white.
- No opening during the first 20 minutes and don't keep the door open for too long, or it may deflate.
- Foil the top once you have achieved the right colour to prevent over-browning.

2) http://kitchentigress.blogspot.com.au/2012/05/pandan-chiffon-cake-step-by-step-video.html
- Whisk egg whites in bowl with straight not curved sides if you want it more moist!
- Stale egg whites whisk better than fresh ones which turn out grainy
- Skewer inserted should come out clean but needs further 5 to 7.5 baking time for the right crust color.
- Immediately once out of the oven, invert. If it falls out, game over. If it doesn't budge, it's over done. Ideally it should drop a bit but stay on.
- Scrape the pan when cutting out the cake, don't leave the tasty brown bits behind!

3) http://ieatishootipost.sg/how-to-make-a-pandan-chiffon-cake/
- use the right size pan. For a 9 egg recipe, use 25 cm. A pan that is too big will not rise proper.
- cream the egg yolk and sugar instead of just whisking. Also, beat in (with mixer) the sifted flour rather than just mix in with whisk. This makes it easier to fold in the meringue.
- Whisk the meringue to just before stiff peaks otherwise it is difficult to fold in
- Pour in the batter from one side of the pan only. Don't rotate the pan.
- Sharply tap the pan on the countertop but also use a chopstick to go around the sides.
- Elevate the cake far off the counter otherwise there will be condensation. You can drape a wet towel over the tin to speed up the cooling.
- Use a sharp (serrated) knife and press against the side of the pan. Use one movement only, don't saw.
- You can place in the fridge to cool completely before cutting as this helps the cake to stabilise and to cut neat slices.

Pizza base (bread flour)

Since my last effort at making pizza where I used plain flour, I have read from this source http://pizza.about.com/od/PizzaBasics/a/Best-Flour-For-Making-Pizza-Dough.htm that different flours produce different results and thus different types of pizza dough.  In general, cake flour cannot be used because of the low glutein content. Mutipurpose flour is great for thin crust pizza but tears easily. Bread flour is better for chewiness and deep dish pizza but easier to work with. I thought I’d try this recipes that are for thin crust pizza ie Italian and NY style pizzas.

Recipe (Italian): http://www.sbs.com.au/food/recipes/mauros-perfect-pizza-dough
Method (NY): http://feelingfoodish.com/the-best-new-york-style-pizza-dough/

The tips say to avoid pre-grated cheese which has stabilisers that prevent it from melting properly or to put the tomato sauce on top. Other interesting tips include not punching the dough but using the hands instead of a rolling pin to stretch out the dough and leaving a rim of air at the edges, a well floured surface, and not putting too much oil or it gets soggy.

Salami, peppers, mushroom, cheddar

Corn, pepper, salami, anchovy, olives

Ingredients
3 cups bread flour (makes 2 medium sized pizzas)
1 tsp yeast
1 tsp salt
1 tsp sugar
2 ½ tbsp oil
200 to 250 ml 35 deg C water

Method
1) In a big bowl, add the salt, yeast and sugar to the flour. Keep the salt and yeast separate. Mix each item with the flour then mix everything together.
2) Create a well in the centre and pour in the oil. Add the water a bit at a time until all the flour comes togeter into a shaggy dough. You may not need all the water depending on the ambient humidity. The bowl should be clean.
3) Pour onto a well floured surface and knead for 10 minutes till elastic and smooth.
4) Place back into a well oiled bowl and cover. Set aside to prove for 1 to 1.5 hours till doubled in size.
5) Meanwhile, prepare the toppings. Prepare the baking sheet by sprinkling on cornmeal. Preheat the oven to 220 deg C. 
6) Roll out the dough. I prefer to stretch with my fingers. Transfer to baking dish.
7) Coat the top with a thin layer of olive then spread on tomato paste. Top with desired toppings.
8) Turn down to 200 deg C and bake for 15 to 20 minutes till the cheese has melted and is golden brown. Serve immediately.

Recipe feedback The pizza stays crunchy compared to using plain flour. It stayed crunchy even the next day, cold from the fridge. However, bread flour makes the dough extremely fragile and keeps tearing.

Japanese cheesecake (6 eggs)

After the last disaster, I decided to try again using the recipe from Diana's Desserts. Although water wasn’t the reason for the failure, I bought a PushPan anyway after hearing great reviews about its no-leak and no-seepage claims. It’s great for baking cheesecake which uses the water bath method, and in fact, that’s how it’s advertised. Hence, the instructions below have been edited for PushPan, ie any mention of water bath, wrapping the pan in foil, etc etc. have been removed. You can refer to the original disaster recipe for that.

 Ingredients 

 250ml milk 

 250g cream cheese at room temp, cubed  

 60g butter, room temp  

 6 eggs (21 deg C is ideal), separated  

 55g cake flour  

 20g corn flour  

 120g sugar (reduced 10g from original recipe)

1 tsp lemon juice 

1/2 tsp salt 

1 tsp vanilla extract

Method    

1) Butter the bottom and sides of the springform tin. Add a disc of parchment to the bottom of the pan. Cover the outside of the tin with several layers of foil to prevent water seepage later on. (I don’t need to do this as I’m using a PushPan.) Preheat oven to 200 deg C.  

2) Sift the corn flour and cake flour mixture twice. Boil the water. Heat milk hot to the touch.  

3) In a medium bowl, beat butter and egg yolks using a whisk. Beat the cream cheese in until smooth. Add vanilla, salt, milk and lemon juice and whisk till smooth.  

4) Using the whisk, whisk in the flour in 3 batches till no lumps of flour remain. Strain mixture and set aside. 

5) In a very clean bowl (no oil, soap, or water), beat egg whites on low speed until foamy and opaque. Add sugar in 3 batches. Once all the sugar has been added, increase to max speed and beat till stiff peaks (double in volume and glossy) which takes about 4 mins. (A telltale is that just before soft peaks, the volume ‘suddenly’ increases and once again just before stiff peaks). It is best to stop beating at soft peaks to check then repeat beating at 30s intervals because once the meringue is over-beaten, it cannot be used. Beat to just before stiff peaks.  

6) Using the whisk, fold in 1/3 of the meringue to the yolk/flour batter and break up the egg white. You can whisk (but not too vigorously!) and not worry too much about breaking the foam. Use the whisk and add another third of the meringue to the yolk/flour batter but carefully break up the foam. Finally, TRANSFER the entire batter to the bowl with the remaining 1/3 meringue and use the whisk to fold in by scooping then lifting action from the bottom and lift through to the top. Rotate the bowl slowly as you do this. 

7) Pouring slowly from a height of 2 to 3 inches above, pour in so that you don’t get big bubbles. Make slashes in the batter with the spatula or run a skewer in a zigzag fashion in the batter and pierce big bubbles. Gently smoothen the top of the batter. (Update: Previously, I recommended 'dropping' the cake tin on the table but realised that after 2 days, the cake 'separated' ie the cheese sank and the meringue 'floated' to the top. From my experience with chiffons with 'filling' e.g. choc chips, I found that the filling sank when I dropped the batter on the table top.)

8) In a baking tray, place the cake tin and pour in about 1 to 1.5 cups of water to bake in a water bath. It should come up to about 2 cm up the side but up to no more than halfway.   

9) In the lowest rack of the oven, turn down the temp and bake at 155 deg C (without grill) for 50 minutes (it reads halfway between 150 and 175 on my oven’s dial), checking for doneness after 45 mins. The initial burst of hot air helps to brown the top. After the 30th minute (and only then otherwise the cake may deflate), rotate the pan to get even browning. The sides should be set but the centre still slightly wobbly.  

10) Leave cake in the oven with door ajar for 10 to 15 minutes, then place on a wire rack to cool slightly.  

11) Once the the cake has slightly shrunk away from the pan, run a knife around the sides to prevent cracking as it shrinks. Leave to cool completely on the wire rack. 

12) Once completely cooled, do not unmould. Place a kitchen paper on top of the springform and cover with a plate to absorb any further condensation. Place in the fridge to cool for at least 12 hours. 

13) Again, run a knife along the sides. Unmould the side but not the bottom. Serve it on the bottom.

Black sesame paste

I am interested in using up my bread flour and decided to use black sesame paste for a change instead of red bean. This site http://japanesefood.about.com/od/saucecondiment/r/Black-Sesame-Paste.htm gas a great recipe and also explains the difference between Asian (Japanese/Chinese) black sesame paste and black tahini. The Asian version uses roasted seeds and emulsifies using its own oil and adds sugar (either as sugar or honey) but the tahani uses oil to emulsify.

Ingredients
1/2 cup black sesames
3 tbsp honey (if you prefer it sweeter, use 4 tbsp which also makes it less dry and easier to handle)

Method
1) Roast the black sesame seeds in a pan. Swirl them around and watch carefully because they burn easily. Set aside and let it cool.
2) In a food processor that is able to cut very finely (not all models do, you'll have to test), add the sesame seeds and pulse till it becomes very finely ground. The oil should secrete but it takes some time.
3) Once you're happy with the consistency, add the honey.
4) Use within the day or store in an air tight container and use within 2 days.

Kimchi pork bao

Since I tried this meat bao recipe over a year ago, I thought I'd try to use up my cake flour. When I found that my particular brand of cake flour could double up as bao flour, how excited and happy I was! The original recipe used plain flour, and came out a bit yellowish. Bao flour (HK flour to be exact) is supposed to be whiter. Aside from the filling, the difference between this recipe and the original one is that the baking powder is worked into the dough just before forming the buns. This makes sense as baking powder should be cooked as soon as possible, the longer it is left out (ie during the proofing time), it loses it efficacy.

Source for bao dough: http://www.malaysianchinesekitchen.com/char-siu-bao-steamed-barbecue-pork-buns/ Since this recipe is for char siu bao which tends to be sweetish, I've reduced the sugar. Also, compared to using normal flour, bao flour is supposed to make the bao spread out more so it's less upright and 'peaky' but flatter.

This recipe also has a lot longer proofing time (1 hour compared to 30 minutes total).

Ingredients
3.5 cups (450g) cake flour
1 tbsp sugar
1/2 tsp salt
2 tsp yeast
1 1/4 cup (300ml)
40 deg C water
3 tbsp vegetable oil
2 tsp baking powder

Filling
250g pork 4 prawns, minced
5 water chestnuts, chopped finely
1.5 tbsp light soya sauce
1 tbsp cooking wine
Dash of pepper ½ cup kimchi + 1 tbsp kimchi juice

Method
1) Combine the flour, sugar, and salt. On the opposite side of the salt, add the yeast. Mix well.
2) Add the warm water and mix well with a wooden spatula until there are no dry pockets of flour. Add in the oil.
3) Oil your hands (I forgot to do this and it was a messy, sticky disaster). Remove from the bowl and knead until the dough is smooth and leaves the surface/bowl/your hands clean. I also alternated with slapping the dough on the surface. This whole process takes about 10 to 15 minutes until you reach the window pane stage.
4) Leave it in a oiled bowl, cover with cling film and a towel. Let it proof for 1 to 1.5 hours until it has doubled in size.
5) Take out the dough and sprinkle on the baking powder in batches. Work it in until the baking powder is finished. If the dough is too dry, wet your hands.
6) While the dough is proofing, prepare the filling. Combine all the filling ingredients together in the bowl and set aside.
7) Prepare the parchment, I simply cut squares of about 4".
8) Roll the dough into a cylinder and cut the dough into 12 discs.
9) Keep half of the dough covered and in the fridge so that the baking powder doesn't activate.
10 ) Flatten each disc into and roll out into 4" wide discs. I use an asian rolling pin for this and ensure that the sides are thinner than the middle.
11) Portion out the filling (a cookie scoop helps). In the centre of each disc, place the filling and crimp to seal. Place on the square of parchment. Again, I place the prepared buns covered into the fridge to prevent them from proofing too fast and at a different rate from the second batch.
12) While preparing the buns, bring a pot of water to a rolling ball.
13) Fill the steaming basket with 5 buns and ensure that they have enough space to spread out without sticking to each other. You would need to steam all the baos in batches. Steam for 10 to 12 minutes. Turn off the fire and rest for 5 minutes so that the shape stabilises. After 5 minutes, remove to a baking rack to cool so that it doesn't get a soggy bottom.
14) Best eaten hot. Uneaten bao should be refrigerated. They can also be wrapped in cling film and frozen. Reheat in the microwave steamer.

Recipe notes

1) The taste of baking powder is discernible but the sudden expansion gave the signature 'smile'. Great if this was a csb but unnecessary for other types of bao. 

2) The dough was very sticky and difficult to work with, and didn't hold its shape, as u can tell from the lack of folds.

3) The texture was not as fluffy as the csb in dim sum restaurants. Instead, it was chewy despite using cake flour. The original recipe still seemed better.

Might try this recipe next time for bao because it mixes cake and bread flour which might be easier to work with.

Char siu soh

Fantastic recipe!
http://thedomesticgoddesswannabe.com/2014/05/char-siu-sou-chinese-bbq-pork-puff-pastry/

Here's my interpretation with some adaptations, eg I can't be bothered to cut circles. The thawed pastry is too soft to handle.

Ingredients (makes 16)
4 sheets of puff pastry
350g char siu
1 tbsp flour
1 tbsp corn flour
2 tbsp hoisin sauce
1 tbsp light soya
1 tbsp dark soya
2 tbsp sugar
1 cup water
2 stalks spring onions, chopped
2 eggs, beaten
1 tbsp sesame seeds

Method
1) Thaw the puff pastry in the fridge, about 15 minutes before using.
2) Make the sauce. Pour the flour, corn flour, sauces and sugar into a pot. Add the water and stir till there are no lumps left. Add the spring onions.
3) Put it on the stove and whisk till it boils and thickens. Once thick, set aside to cool.
4) Prepare 2 baking trays by lining with parchment. Preheat oven to 200 deg C.
4) Chop the char siu into cubes. Pour on the sauce and mix together.
5) Take 1 sheet and cut into 4. Do not remove the plastic sheet.
6) Place 1.5 tsp of the mixture in the centre of each square.
7) Using the egg wash, brush each edge of the square. Fold the pastry in half: into a triangle or the more traditional rectangle.
8) Using a fork, crimp all open sides shut.
9) Transfer onto the parchment and egg wash each pastry. Sprinkle on the sesame seeds.
10) Bake for 15 minutes at 200 deg C. (I rotated the tray at 9 minutes to ensure even browning).
11) Leave on the tray for 10 minutes to cool then transfer to a wire rack to cook completely. Don't eat it straight out of the oven, the sauce is scaldingly hot!

Donut icing ideas

Sources: http://www.biggerbolderbaking.com/no-knead-donuts/
http://www.wikihow.com/Make-Coffee-Icing
http://www.biggerbolderbaking.com/gemmas-cinnamon-roll-pancakes/
http://sallysbakingaddiction.com/2014/09/17/maple-glazed-donuts/

- proportions adjusted for 3 donuts
- unless indicated, add the liquid to the dry and whisk till smooth

1) Chocolate frosting
1/3 cup powdered sugar
1 tbsp cocoa powder
1/2 tsp vanilla
1.5 tbsp milk

2) Vanilla frosting
1/3 cup powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla
1.5 tbsp milk

3) Coffee frosting
1/3 cup powdered
1 tbsp milk
1/2 tbsp hot water
1/2 tsp espresso powder

4) Cream cheese
1/3 cup powdered sugar
2 tbsp melted butter
1 oz cream cheese, room temp
½ tsp vanilla
- Using a whisk, beat together the cream cheese and butter.
- Stir in the powdered sugar and vanilla and whisk till smooth.

5) Cinnamon sugar
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
3 tbsp melted butter
- Dunk the donuts straight from the oven into the melted butter and they will soak up the butter
- Roll in the cinnamon sugar.

6) Maple butter
1/3 cup powdered sugar
1/4 cup maple syrup
2 tbsp melted butter
- Melt the maple syrup and butter in the microwave in a microwaveable bowl, at increments of 30 seconds.
- Whisk in the powdered sugar.

No knead donuts

This recipe is more of a logistical (and washing up) nightmare than the making of the donuts itself. The great thing about this recipe is that it's baked not fried, and also that there is hardly any kneading involved. But it is very very very fattening - with lots of butter and sugar, so not something to be eaten by one person but to be shared around!

From this fantastic recipe, watch the video too: www.biggerbolderbaking.com/no-knead-donuts/

I've not made changes to the ingredients but just noted some notes that are specific to me. However, this recipe has taught me that having a proper donut cutter is important, or at least a proper scone cutter! I improvised with a milk jug and it didn't turn out too badly taste-wise but the look could be improved! I initially tried cutting holes in them but gave up. That's one more piece of dough to worry about (the donut holes) in terms of uneven baking, coloring, dunking in frosting, etc.

Ingredients (makes 20 * 3" donuts)
1.5 cups of flour
2 tsp dried yeast
1 tsp salt
4 eggs, beaten, room temperature
1 tsp vanilla
3/4 cup (200ml) milk (warmed to the touch, about 1 minute in the microwave)
3/4 cup (170g) butter, melted
1/4 cup sugar (original recipe used honey)
Melted butter for brushing

My tower of donuts

Method

1) Mix the dry in a big bowl: flour, salt, yeast (keep it separate from the salt), and sugar.

2) In a separate bowl, mix the dry: melted butter, milk and beaten eggs.

3) Add the wet to the dry and stir to combine till no pockets of dry flour remain. There may be some lumps but the proved batter will be fine. The batter is on the soggy and sticky side.

4) Cover with cling film and a towel and set aside to proof for 2 to 3 hours until doubled in size. Then stick it in the fridge for at least 12 hours (best overnight) and up to 3 days. The size doesn't change much after putting it in the fridge, instead, I noticed that it deflated a bit. It must have the 12 hours and cannot be used after just the 3 hours.

5) The next day, remove it from the fridge to warm up a bit so that it is easier to roll out. At this time, I start preparing my icing but I don't add the final liquid yet otherwise the frosting may set by the time I'm ready to glaze. I also prepare my baking trays by placing parchment on them.

6) On a floured surface, take out half the dough (keep the other half covered) and lightly knead. Roll out to 1/4 inch thick. Cut out the donuts with a donut cutter if using, or a 5" scone cutter and a piping nozzle for the centre. I decided to stick with just a 3" milk jug with no centre hole to worry about.

7) Lay the donuts on the parchment and cover with clingfilm and put it back in the fridge so that both batches rise at the same rate.

8) Take out the other half of the dough and continue to make the donuts. (halfway through, I remove the first tray of donuts to warm up so that they don't get too cold and stop proofing)

9) Leave to proof for 30 to 45 minutes until doubled in size.

10) Brush with melted butter.

11) Bake at 190 deg C for 15 minutes. (I usually bake for 9 minutes, then rotate the trays to ensure even browning and continue with another 6 minutes, including an extra minute or 2 to compensate for the loss of hot air if they haven't browned enough). While waiting, I finish up my frosting by adding the liquid to make the paste.

12) Once out of the donuts are out of the fridge, glaze immediately while the donuts are still warm as they tend to absorb the sugar better.

Lamb osso bucco with pumpkin

I have never seen or known that lamb had osso bucco too but then I saw it at the supermarket ladt week.

Ingredients
500 to 600g lamb osso bucco
2 to 3 cups of water
2 tbsp onion chopped onion
1 tsp minced ginger
1 tsp minced garlic
1 tbsp rosemary leaves
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp dried sage
1 tbsp soya sauce
1 tbsp Chinese cooking wine
1 tbsp mustard
1 tbsp worchester sauce
½ pumpkin, cubed
2 medium potatoes, cubed

Methods

1) Brown the osso bucco on all sides. Add the onions, ginger and garlic and fry till fragrant.

2) Add all the herbs and sauces, and the water. Bring to a boil and skim off any scum. Turn down and simmer for 3 hours. The water should just cover the meat.

3) In the 4th hour, add the pumpkin and potatoed. Top up with water is required.

4) Serve with crust bread or over rice.