Home-made Sweet & Sour Dip

I first created this sauce when hubby requested for Sweet & Sour Fish. I then decided to try something out of my usual concoction for a little tangy, sweet & spicy sauce instead.

I used fresh lemons, tomato sauce, sugar and sambal chilli by my mum. I mixed it up before cooking over stove top, adding starch water to thicken it. I personally love it so much. Hubby gave the thumbs up when he eat it with the fried fish fillet.

The next day, I was deep-frying Tau Kwa strips. I decided to make some more as dipping sauce for the Tau Kwa. My son enjoys the Tau Kwa as fries, healthy fries. And we adults enjoy the sauce as it goes very well with the bland Tau Kwa. So here I go, sharing with my readers..

Sweet & Sour Dip

1tsp Chopped Garlic

1tsp oil

1 Lemon, squeeze out juice

1Tbsp Tomato Sauce

1/2Tbsp Sambal Chilli

11/2Tbsp Sugar

3Tbsp Water

Some Corn Starch

1) Heat oil, fry garlic fragrant. Mix above seasonings and pour in to heat up.

2) Once bubble, stir well. Add Corn starch. Off heat, serve.

'Wu Pao Chun' Champion Bread

I was introduced to this bread by a reader who commented on my 5K Bread post. I am thankful that she told me about it. Finally my lazy butt decided to give it a try after the kids' school holiday. This month has been real busy...

I used my BM to knead and 1st proof as per Baking TaiTai did, where in gotten the recipe link from. I then shaped and baked in my BM after the 2nd proof. The bread is nicely browned after 45mins of baking in the BM. I did poke a little cos I was excited to see if it's really soft. Haha. It did give me the feel of satisfaction and tells me I am not gonna regret baking it.

Indeed for a straight bread recipe, it is soft and yummy. I liked that it uses very little butter, as that makes it more healthier if you do not wish to put on too much fats. (Am I right?) hubby commented that it is ok, soft in his view. 

My view is that it is not as soft as compared to 5K bread. But with the fuss free and fast way of baking a loaf of bread this texture, it is definetely a keeper for a Striaght bread recipe. Go ahead, try it. You will love it on a lazy day or need to bake a loaf in limited time.

Champion Bread (adapted from BakingTaiTai)

198g Milk

300g a Bread Flour

24g Sugar

1tsp Salt

1tsp Yeast

14g Butter

1) Put all above in the sequence, butter last. Set BM function to Menu 8:Dough function.

Once dough starts to form, add butter.

2) Once dough finish 1st proof, punch out air and divide into 2. Roll out and roll it up like swissroll. Repeat for the other half. Put into baking tin. Proof for 1hr or til dbl in size.

3) Select Menu12:Bake. Check around 40mins to see if bread is browned nicely. Once browned, can off BM and take out loaf to cool. Slice and keep in airtight once totally cooled. 

Favourite recipe - 5 Thousand Dollar Recipe

Again, I baked them again, using the correct proportion of Bread & Cake Flour and a full recipe. We finished up all of it, in 3 days. 2 adults & 2 children... Omg!! Pls try them.....

5-Thousand Dollar Bread

I have seen this bread recipe previously but it didn't really catch my attention then. Til lately a FB fren who always bake bread posted about it twice, commenting on how soft and fluffy the bread is. The picture really shows me how soft it was and it really prick my curiousity to give it a try.

I am always going with straight bread recipe, reason being that I bake quite last minute or in short period of free time. I rarely had chance to shaped into assorted buns lately as I am fighting with the clock for more sleeping time. (I got 2 years to get used before my gal goes to P1 )

I make the starter dough the night before, leaving it to proof in the fridge for about 15hrs. Once you see the dough is with lots of hole, like fermented dough, it is almost ready. You just need to mix with the main dough ingredient and let it proof as per normal bread baking session. 

I halve the recipe and managed to have 600g dough. I braided 300g for a bread loaf and divide the remaining 300g into 6x30g and 2x60g buns, 3 cheesy sugar, 3 cheesy herbs & 2 hotdog roll. (My 1st in braiding a nice sausage roll le. I am so proud!!!)

Final results: I really never regret baking it. This recipe is really soft, even much much softer than those TangZhong bread recipes in my view. Pls, try it... 

5-Thousand Dollar Bread (adapted from BakingIntoTheEther)

*halve recipe and I yield 600g dough

Starter Dough

150g Bread flour (supposed to be 105g Bread + 45g Cake flour)

12g Caster Sugar

3g Instant Yeast

120ml water

1) Jus mix above together until not lumpy. Leave to proof in a warm place for 2hrs or overnight in the fridge.

Main Dough 

105g Bread Flour

45g Cake Flour

40g Caster Sugar

1tsp Salt

12g Milk powder *i omit as I don't have

45g egg

27g Water

36g Butter

1) I use my BM for kneading so I put ingredients in the order of Water, Egg, Flour, Sugar, Salt. Set to Menu 8: Dough function. Add in starter dough. 

2) Once the dough comes together, I add in the butter and let it continue to knead.

3) Once the 1st proof is done, I divide accordingly to my preference. Bake at 180-200deg, depending on ur oven for 20-25mins for buns and 35-40mins for loaf.

PS:: If you want to know why it is call 5 Thousand Dollar Bread recipe, go to my recipe source to find out more. What I understand is that a Shifu spent 5 thousand dollar to find this recipe and share with his/her fren, whom in turn post in her blog.

Quick Fix - Salmon & Mushroom Sandwich

What inspire me for this quick meal was a advert poster from McCafe. I saw the yummy sandwich, with oozing cheese. I told myself, OK I am having this for lunch!

I put together a few ingredients, cheated with Gardenia Walnut Loaf as my sandwich base. Ha~ Even my kids had a great lunch, served with fruits, mini cupcake and Orange juice. A wholesome, healthy lunch for the whole family.. 

Salmon & Mushroom Sandwich (Serve 2)

1 Slice Salmon, sliced

2 White Mushrooms, sliced and stir fry with salt & pepper

2 Slice Cheese

1/2 Tomato, sliced

1/2Cup Wasabi Peas

1/2Cup Shredded Cheddar

2Tbsp Japanese Salad Cream

4 Slice of Walnut Loaf

1) Stir fry mushroom, leave aside. Prepare sandwich by matching 2 same sizes bread slice on baking tray.

2) Put cheese on 1 slice, top with mushroom and salmon. Add some salad cream and shredded cheddar

On the other slice, put salad cream, tomato and more mushroom. Topping with more cheddar. 

3) Repeat for the other 2 slice. Bake at 160deg for 15-20mins til cheese melts. Put both slice of bread together serve warm.

A Keeper Recipe - Muffin overloaded with Chocolate

My mum asked me to help with baking a cake for her RC Kakis' KTV session tml. And since I have bookmarked this Must-try Muffin recipe, I have to ask her if I could bake some muffins instead. She said YES and I was over the moon. We could never finish a full recipe and I really want to try this out.

I saw a fren from a baking group posting this recipe. I was so so drooling over the 'inside' look of her muffins. It looks soft, fluffy and yummilicious. I wished I could bite into my phone screen... Haha~ I Whatsapp her, she told me taste slightly like those muffins from the famous ShunFu stall, and she actually modified it from some other recipe. 

I did a quick batch, with the help of my neighbour's oven, I managed to bake 33 normal-sized muffins and 12 mini muffins. I added some lemon Emulco and again, not enough lemon taste... Ha~ But luckily it still have that hint of vanilla fragrance, and still taste soft and yummy with the chocolate chips. And I reduce sugar by 40g and kinda regret, perhaps the full 250g sugar would have make these muffins taste better. 

I kept 2 mini muffins to go with my kids lunchbox for Friday's Fruit Day at school. Along with their favourite strawberries, I am positively sure they will enjoy their snack..

Muffins (adapted from Grace Tan)

250g Butter

250g Sugar

3 Large Eggs

4tsp Vanilla Extract

470g Cake flour

450g Milk

4tsp Dbl Acting baking powder

Toppings (optional)

1) Cream butter til creamy and add sugar graudually. (I add in 3 additions)

2) Add egg 1 at a time, mixing well. Scrap down if needed. Add vanilla extract.

3) Sift Flour and baking powder and divide into 3 portions, divide milk into 2 portions.

Alternate with flour first, adding into the mixture. 

4) Using an ice cream scoop, scoop about 1 full scoop into each cupcake case and top it up with your preferred toppings.

5) Bake at 180deg for 20-25mins.

PS: BIG THANKS TO ALL READERS! I AM SO GLAD TO HIT MY 1ST MILLION!! PLS CONTINUE TO SUPPORT....

Strawberry Melon Bread

Knowing that my gal will definitely fall in love with this lovely pink coloured melon bread, I knew I haf to find time to try this when I first saw this. It's a simple bread bun, with a cookie dough on top, very similar to the Mexican buns I made previously. 

Since my gal always brings an extra snack on Wednesday before her enrichment class, I decided to try this today with hope that it will succeed and she be thrilled. And before I could send the bread to oven, she aldy asking if she could have it for snack when I told her to go for her afternoon nap.

The bread dough was slightly sticky, and instead of butter cubes as filling I choose strawberry jam as per her preference between Nutella or Strawberry filling. Great choice cos I always worried about them eating too much chocolate. 

Alright, my melon pan not as nice as the recipe source.. But overall, brings a smile to my gal face. They had 1, split into half for the 2 kids for afternoon snack. But my kids asked for 1 more. I bet this brings more joy than my imperfect melon cookie... Bread is soft and cookie is crispy as described by my gal.

Strawberry Melon Pan (adapted from DailyDelicious with slight modifications)
Bread Dough
70g Egg
130g Milk
300g Bread Flour
50g Sugar
8g Salt
1tsp Yeast

Pink Cookie Dough
30g Butter
30g Sugar
20g Egg
65g Cake flour
1tsp baking powder
Pink Colouring

1) Using my breadmaker, I choose Dough Function 8 and let it knead and first proof.
2) Meanwhile, I prepare the pink cookie dough. Beat Sugar, Butter and salt til light yellow.
Add yolk, vanilla extract and strawberry flavour. Mix well. (I used a tsp of strawberry jam)
3) Add colourings Cake flour and baking powder. Mix to a dough. (I put the dough in fridge while waiting for the bread dough to be ready)
4) Once bread is ready, punch out air and shaped into 30g balls. Rest 10mins. I wrap 4 buns with strawberry jam filling and leave the remaining plain.
5) Take out cookie dough and weigh 20g each, I flatten with my palm n cover the round buns. Using a knife, I carve out the lines. Proof for an hour or until double.
6) Bake at 189deg for 20-25mins.

**Make a total of 17x30g buns. I halve recipe for cookie dough and makes 8 Melon Pans and 9 Sugar buns.

Simple Happy Meal

The other day, I just baked  Italian Bread with mixed Fruits and since i was running out of ideas what to cook for lunch on a Friday, I decided to make sausage and cheese bread. I pair with the kids fav corn and chocolate fondue cereal. And of cos, both have their juice fix, since I aldy prepared strawberries for their snack in school. What's a little treat, chill orange juice? Haha~

I drizzled some salad cream, placed the sliced mini sausage on the bread, put shredded cheddar and little cubes of Laughing Cow cheese, dash of chopped Thyme. Wow, lunch is fixed. Baked for 10mins and it smell great. I microwaved the frozen corn for 30seconds, put into my gal's fav pink heart-shaped Cuppies, together with their favourite cereal and chilled juice. I think they would be thinking its great to be on a Friday! 

Therefore I am sharing this quick and simple meal with my readers, am sure it will solve some headaches for meal time. And not to mention when my older gal requested to have it for breakfast on some days as well as she wanna bring to school for snacks before enrichment classes. 

Mini Sausage and Cheese Bread

3 Slices of Bread (u can use any you like)

4 mini sausages, sliced

Some shredded cheddar

2 Laughing cow cheese, small cubes

Dash of chopped Thyme

1.5Tbsp Salad Cream

1) Prepare above ingredients, preheat oven and place sliced bread in baking tray.

2) Spread alad cream on bread, arrange sliced sausage on top. Gently out cheddar, then topped with cube cheese. Sprinkle chopped thyme on top.

3) Bake for 10mins at 180deg. Serve warm.

Italian Bread with Dried Mixed Fruits

This morning I saw this post about the Italian Loaf in Facebook and is excited about the ingredients. I tried recipe before that doesn't uses milk and butter, the texture is less soft and fluffy as compared. Thought the taste is the same but the fluffiness is what my kids and family love about bread. So when I saw the picture that Rita posted in Facebook, I told myself I am so gonna try it.

I gotten the recipe from here and being kiasu, I halve the recipe. Anyway only hubby and 2 kids eating bread at home for this week. I added some dried fruits as I want to intro more fruits, in terms of dried and fresh too. I am adding some on alternate days to their Nestum cereal every morning too.. I think it is a good source of fibre in some ways too..

I use the Dough function as I wanted to braid into a Mixed a Fruit Braid Loaf, so look more appealing right? It is still not too sticky, quite easy to work with. I added the dried fruits once the dough come together and let it go through the proofing with the dough twice. Lazy lo.

Texture of bread is very crusty, soft n chewy texture. Hubby prefer the traditional soft bread so doesn't really work for him. I myself feels taste like those ang moh bread, like baguette texture.. Maybe shall shape into mini long loaf if I wanna make curry. And I just bookmark a new recipe to try again! Stay Tune!!

Kids having them for breakfast this morning, sliced away the crust, spread some kaya to go. Fuss free n complete with milo!

Italian Loaf with Dried Mixed Fruits (adapted from RitasVibrantKitchen)

150ml water

2 1/8cup Bread Flour

1Tbsp Sugar

1tsp Salt

1Tbsp Olive Oil

1tsp Instant Yeast

1) I put according to the sequence above, select menu 8. I added mixed fruits when the dough starts to come together.

2) Once it beeps, I punch out air and roll into a strips. I cut into 3, leaving the top intact and braided my dough. Proof for another hour or til double. Bake in BM with Bake function.

Mochi Cheese Puff

I have bookmarked this recipe as soon as I seen it. I know I must at least give it a try. Why? First, it is a very simple and straightforward recipe. Second, I know outside selling them quite ex. I saw Takashimaya selling them for a few bucks. Thirdly, I think it will be a hit with my kids.

So, after dinner, cleaning up and bathing the kids and all. I just had the spur to bake them. And since I only had 100g of Tapioca starch left, I decided to halve the recipe. Was a bit worried as batter is a bit of thick but thin consistency. Haha, sorry, I am really no good in describing my food... 

End results, I have 12 mini cheese puff. It's really chewy, like mochi texture and soft. Not sure if it's due to not using blender, I find cheese taste not strong enuf. I am thinking strawberry or chocolate milk to replace for nxt attempt..

Mocha Cheese Puff (adapted from MummyMoo)
**i halve recipe
65g Tapioca Starch
36g Olive Oil
80g Milk
1tsp Salt
25g Cheddar
25g Parmesan Cheese
1/2 Egg

1) I put all ingredients in a metal bowl and whisk til well mixed with a whisk. Approximately about 10mins.
2) I butter my mini muffin trays, scoop and fill each hole to the brim. Bake at 180deg for 20mins.
3) Serve warm or keep on airtight after cool.