Salted Caramel Snowskin Mooncake II

Today I am trying the same Mooncake for the second time. Yesterday the filling was so yummy but the snowskin did not 'play' it's role well and compliment it. Just felt tt it gotta be improve.

It came to my mind that chocolate or coffee goes well with the salted caramel filling. And I remembered I bought a caramel chocolate coffee powder over the weekend and I can use that for my skin. I also decided to use the ice cream soda snowskin recipe that I tried last year. I think the ice cream snowskin texture, with my caramel chocolate coffee, it will go well? On top of that, I remembered that I bought a box of Reese Peanut Butter Balls the other time. So, I gonna plant a little surprise.

I feel that the skin is softer, with the aid of 7-up. (Oh, I can't find ice cream soda, seems out of stock) And the filling, after fridging it, it seems more easy to work with. But once I get to my 3rd filling to wrap around the balls, it soften aldy. So u need to work a bit at a time, and fast too. So now, resting in the fridge, waiting for tonight's verdict. 

Verdict: Skin is softer, in my views. But once again, the filling still overtake the skin's filling. As per what I tried at the Mooncake fair held at Taka. I saw 2 hotels selling Caramel Mooncakes as well. And yes, their skin also same, tasteless and all you can taste is the caramel filling.. 

Ice Cream Soda Snowskin Recipe (adapted from AuntyYochana)

20g Kou Fen

1/2tsp Caramel Chocolate Coffee Powder

8g Icing Sugar

6g Shortening

40g Ice Cream Soda

1) Put dry ingredients in bowl, mix well. Add in shortening and mix together.

2) Make a well, pour in ice cream soda. Knead well to form a dough.

3) Weigh out preferred portion and wrap with filling. 

*i am using 23g dough for 1tsp salted caramel filling + 1 peanut butter ball

Salted Caramel Mocha Snowskin Mooncake

This is hubby's request and also 1 of the challenge posed to myself. We first tasted Salted Caramel Mooncake at SweetSpot from MBS. We both caught caramel poison, butterscotch or anything equivalent. 

The skin is not too sweet, so the overall taste is just nice. It is very fragrance, the caramel fragrance and it is so so soft. The texture of the caramel 'paste' or filling is much much softer than the usual Mooncake filling. Very nice!!

I told hubby I will take the challenge to replicate and has been browsing for caramel recipe. Anything tt catches my attention, anything tt could be 'solid' enough for me to wrap. I tried 2 recipes before and it couldn't really harden. Finally I found this, it is supposedly to be able to use for tarts etc. So, can anot?

I first cooked with caution, very scared cos it is very hot if u come into contact with the sugar syrup when u r cooking it. And I also scared it will splatter. Stress!! Finally it thickens, brownish in colour so I off the fire, strain and leave aside. I wrapped for the very first time, still too liquid and it keeps breaking up the Snowskin. 

I return to boil again, trying to make it thicker. (Source says to re-cook again if it is not thick enough) So another 20mins of cooking, it seems harder.. And finally I can wrap but with caution cos it seems so soft. I left it in the fridge to 'SET'... 

Verdict: I am using mocha flavoring to add to RedMan Snowskin Premix. Super lazy, yes I know.. But in the process of trying so I just want to try. Taste wise, salted caramel is nice and not too sweet. But the Mocha Snowskin a bit bitter so doesn't really compliment the skin. So my nxt trial, to find another suitable skin.. Yummy!!

Thick Caramel (adapted from HowToCookThat.net)

*recipe is halve*

500ml Milk

1Cup Sugar

1/2tsp Baking Soda

Vanilla Extract

1) Put all together and bring to boil. Then simmer over low fire. Strain off the foam/froth as you simmer.

2) leave to cool and it will thicken up

***Do refer to video from source adapted from if you want visual aids***

Piglets visiting again, by special request from daughter

This year, I got special request. 1 from my gal, she has been asking about it ever since she saw them from bakery. She is asking me to make the little piglets again. 

I did them last year, moulding them freehand and got a lot of comments from hubby lo. He says look like cows! Alamak.. So this year, I gave up! I bought the wooden piglet mould from Phoon Huat at $4. I decided to just throw my dough in, mould them and he will have nothing to say! Ha~

This year, mummy added 1tsp of Nutella to the piggies. So, it will be the kids' fav snack.. Irisa simply can't stop eating.... She can easily pop 3 piglet at a time... =)

Nigella Lawson - Chocolate Chip Muffins

Finally I have decided to 'hand in' my homework for this month's Cook Like A Star featuring Nigella Lawson. I decided to go for her simplest recipe - Muffins! And I also want to use my Hershey's White Chocolate Chips too... 

I decided to use Dark, Cream and White Chocolate Chips for my muffins. I have the recipe to try out cos recently I fail in baking 1 batch of muffins and went to feed Mr Bin.. Sob sob =( So wasteful and also demoralizing..

Verdict: it's very soft and moist. Only flaw was my chocolate chips didnt spread well.. Hmmm... Super simple and easy to mix and it is yummy!! Loves..

I'm submitting this post to Cook Like A Star, where the featured chef for this month is NIGELLA LAWSON, organized by Zoe from Bake For Happy Kids, and the co-hosts for this month are Anuja from Simple Baking and  Joyce from Kitchen Flavours.


and

I am submitting this to the Little Thumbs Up "Egg" event hosted by Baby Sumo of Eat Your Heart Out, organized by Bake for Happy Kids, my little favourite DIY.

Chocolate Chip Muffins (adapted from Nigella)

125g Cake Flour

80g Sugar

1Thsp Cocoa Powder

1tsp Baking Powder

1/4tsp Baking Soda

125ml Milk

45ml Canola Oil

1 Egg

1tsp Vanilla 

Dark, Cream & White Choc Chips (mixture to make up 100g)

1) Put all dry ingredients in a bowl, make a well. In a measuring cup, measure all liquid together and mix well. 

2) Slowly pour into dry mixture, mix gently and once no trail of flour, stop mixing. Do not over mix.

3) Add in 3/4 Chocolate Chips and mix well. Scoop 2/3 full and sprinkle balance chocolate chips on top of batter.

4) Bake 20mins at 200deg or until skewer comes out clean.

Custard Pudding II

As mentioned in my post, I tried out both version from JustOneCookBook. I wanted to see the difference. Tis is so straightforward and easy to make. 

I steam over low heat but my pudding have a lot of air bubbles. And I think I should fill to so full, it sort of rise to the brim. I tasted it without the caramel, a bit like egg pudding to me. So again, shall wait for the review tonight..

Verdict: FAILED! My pudding appearance is way way different from the source. I may have over-steam? Texture wrong, taste wrong! Even my gal also can tell me this pudding not nice, as compared to the non-baked version. 

Custard Pudding (adapted from JustOneCookBook)

3 Eggs

240ml milk

3Tbsp Sugar

1tsp vanilla

1) whisk egg n sugar well. Add in milk and vanilla.

2) Strain mixture and steam for 10mins over low fire. Off fire and keep it covered for another 10mins.

3) Pour caramel sauce over and chill. Serve cold.

Custard Pudding

After handing in my 'instant' pudding, hubby tried and asked, 'I tot u wanna try the same pudding that PB is selling?' So, I guess it means that even though the instant ones taste not bad, he is looking for that familiar taste that is so delish.

After looking around, I am trying the recipe from JustOneCookBook. I am trying both her steamed pudding and non-baked/steamed pudding. Her non-baked/steamed version indeed was tedious, cos got minor cooking involved. But the steps are quite similar to cooking custard when I make ice cream so it is quite alright to me. 

I tasted a bit of the pudding mixture as I was pouring them into the pudding bottles, I think it is somewhere there. But I still need to get my food critics at home to try it. Feeling so excited..

Verdict: It's almost 90% similar to the ones frm PB. I just need to improve on the consistency of the pudding, maybe reduce 2g of Gelatine. It's definetely a keeper... (If only can lesser the steps)

I am submitting this to the Little Thumbs Up "Egg" event hosted by Baby Sumo of Eat Your Heart Out, organized by Bake for Happy Kids, my little favourite DIY.

Crime Caramel (adapted from JustOneCookBook)

4 yolks

1/3Cup Sugar

400ml Milk

1/2Cup Whipping Cream

10g Gelatine

4Tbsp Water

1tsp Vanilla

80g sugar

1/4Cup water

1/2Cup boiling water

1) Put gelatine into water, leave aside. Whisk yolk and sugar well. Heat 200ml milk til almost boil, slowly drizzle in to egg mixture. Pour back into pan and warm it up. 

2) When mixture is warm, add in Gelatine mixture and stir til Gelatine melts. Off fire and let mixture cool a while. 

3) Add in remaining milk, whipping cream and vanilla into mixture. Strain mixture and pour into measuring cup. 

4) Cook sugar and water, without stirring. Once colour turns to light brown, slowly swirl and off heat. Pour into pudding bottle. 

5) Pour mixture into pudding bottle and fridge for at least 1hour or til set. Serve cold. 

Dessert Time

Been on my to-do to make caramel pudding for the big and small kids at home. I am seriously so lazy to put my hands down. Ended up, I gotten a pack of Happy Grass Soya BeanCurd and Tortally Jelly as short-cut.

Last weekend, we went to Jem shopping, ended up at Paris Baguette for our Pudding dose. It is really over priced at $4.50/btl for Mango and Strawberry flavour. But my kids really like it a lot, even hubby and myself. My fav is caramel pudding, which is original. I must really put my hands down to it SOON!

Back to the Soya BeanCurd, I managed to make 4 btls and a small bowl from the packet. Each bottle is about 90ml. Taste wise, I tried it after boiling and dissolving the sachet. It is not overwhelming sweet, light light soya fragrance. I would say it is very good for a cheap pack of instant mix. Good on lazy days when you want a simple a dessert. 

As for the jelly, I would not need to review, it has been a childhood dessert that mostly my generation kids grow up eating. Now, it is my kids time. The colour, my gal's favourite. The flavour, also her favourite. And the dessert, am sure it is motivational for her to quickly finish up her dinner!

Another big project!

I am using this same butter cookies recipe that I used previously. As for the icing, I replaced egg whites with boiled water. Seriously I never really liked the idea of raw egg whites. At least today I dare to let them eat the cookies with icing.. Ha~

I did this over 3 days, spreading the job, spending almost 12hours in total. I made the fondant, using red man ready white fondant on thurs, baked the cookies on fri nite, did icing and piece everything together today. And I even prepared a simple steamboat dinner for my GF. Tiring tiring!! All done and job handed to my neighbor. 

Happy Birthday Palsen & Azelval!!

I am submitting this to the Little Thumbs Up "Egg" event hosted by Baby Sumo of Eat Your Heart Out, organized by Bake for Happy Kids, my little favourite DIY.

Light, delicious Comfort food

This week has been really lazy.. So so lazy, haven baked for almost a week. And today finally I remembered I got an order for customized cookies for next Monday! Oopsss..

Anyway, been tired and didn't want to cook up a feast and cleaning up after that. I decided to go for mainly 1-dish meal. I tried a few variety of food, seafood soup w/rice, luncheon meat porridge, fish slice porridge. My fav, Fish Slice Porridge cooked with Batang fish steak.

This is very simple, fast to prepare. I can get my dinner in 30mins, including preparation and cooking time. I added a little bit of minced meat balls and tomatoes as well. Try it, esp for working mums who need to rush home to cook. Healthy and nutritious..

Batang Fish Steak Porridge

1 Batang Fish Steak, deboned and marinate with cornflour, sesame oil and pepper

1 Tomato, wedged

3 slices of Ginger

1stalk Spring Onion, chopped

50g Minced Meat

1 1/2cup Rice, washed

1) Put rice, filled with about 800ml water. Add in ginger slice, tomato and the fish bone.

Bring to boil.

2) Take out the fish bone once it's cooked, u can still 'clean' up the flesh on the bone. Add in spring onions, minced meat.

3) Once rice is almost cooked, add in fish slices and cook til done. Serve warm.