Monday 26 March 2012

Yaw char kwai

Yau Char Kwai 

Let me tell you the actual story what happen when I was making the first time of yau char kwai or malay people called cakoi. I have every ingredients accept ammonia powder or cantonese called  'chow fun'..and it looks nice the shape and colour, but as I have a first bite, I knew there is a missing  something with the texture. Is suppose to be chewy as you bite it and you can see the air hole in the cakoi itself. Mine don't have for the first attemp of making it!! ;((  But thank god that one my closest friend have the ammonia powder that her mum send it all over from malaysia. And she didn't know it was an ammonia powder. So she let me try some of the powder to experiment again with the same recipe I have and ....walllaaaaaaa....finally is come true!!!! so here the recipe that I would like to share with you guys!! Don't be afraid to see if the dough very sticky...

Yau Char Kwai (Chinese Crullers)

Ingredients
      (A) Sift:
    • 300g high protein flour
    • 50g flour
    • 1/2 tsp baking powder
    (B):
    • 1/2 tsp sugar
    • 2 Tbsp lukewarm water
    • 2 tsp instant yeast
    (C):
    • 250ml water ( I don't put exactly the amount stated, estimate 210-220, depend on the flour)
    • 1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda
    • 1/8 tsp alum (pak fun)
    • 1/8 tsp ammonia powder (chow fun)
    • 1 tsp salt
Method
    Put (A) in the bowl of an electric mixer. Mix (B) and leave aside to froth for 10 minutes. Combine (C) together.
    Pour (B) into (A) and mix well, then add in (C) and beat for five minutes until a soft dough is formed. Cover and leave aside to rise to double its size.
    Turn out dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth. Roll out into a long rectangle, then cut into strips.
    Place two strips one on top of the other and allow to rest for five to 10 minutes.
    Heat a wok with oil till hot. Press lightly on the two strips of dough with a satay stick. Stretch the strips a little and lower into hot oil. Deep fry, turning constantly until each cruller turns puffy and golden brown.

Japanese Cottonsoft Cheesecake


This is my first time doing the Japanese cottonsoft cheesecake, the texture, the moist and the method of doing it is the same like making the Angle Food cake or for fellow asian friend is Chiffon Cake. I been telling you the truth I has eaten it first time when I bought it frozen from Asian Market at Drury Street, Dublin City Centre. I bought 2 of them, thinking to left for my daughters, I don't expect the taste is so yummy and I end up eating all of them....what a selfish am I... ;(( Thank god I keep the wrapper and I know the cake name and finally I got the recipe from net. Very easy if you follow the method properly...

Japanese Cotton Cheesecake
Ingredients:
140g/5 oz. fine granulated sugar
6 egg whites
6 egg yolks
1/4 tsp. cream of tartar
50g/2 oz. butter
250g/9 oz. cream cheese
100 ml/3 fluid oz. fresh milk
1 tbsp. lemon juice
60g/2 oz. cake flour /superfine flour
20g/1 oz. cornflour (cornstarch)
1/4 tsp. salt
Instructions:
(Preheat oven to 160deg)
1. Melt cream cheese, butter and milk over a double boiler. (Softening the cream cheese WITHOUT its foil, in a microwave helps speed up this step. Should take 15-20s depending on your microwave)
2.Cool the mixture. Mix in lemon juice, egg yolks and then fold in the flour and cornflour.
3. Whisk egg whites with cream of tartar until foamy. Add in the sugar and whisk until soft peaks form.
4. Fold egg white mixture 1/3 at a time, to the cheese mixture until the batter is even.
5. Pour into a 8-inch round cake pan (Lightly grease and line the bottom and sides of the pan with greaseproof baking paper or parchment paper).
4. Bake cheesecake in a water bath for 1 hours 10 minutes or until set and golden brown. (I left mine to cool for half an hour in the oven with the doors ajar as advised from other bloggers cos I was afraid that it would collapse suddenly if there was too big a change in temp)

Pierre Herme Mint macarons

My 2nd Attemp is Duo Mint Chocolate Macaron
This Mint chocolate macaron recipe is basically the same with rose only I change it to mint green colour gel (normally I bought the wilton gel food colouring because is much more nicer and brighter, only a 1/4 tsp already make the batter nice and radiant) and don't forget to dust it slightly with cocoa powder. ( I do it after piping all the macaron batter to the baking paper). Then as usual you have to wait to dry up the macaron in room temperature at about almost 45 minute to 1 hours in order to get nice and glossy shine at the surface of the macaron. While you wait the mixture to dry up, you can now start to do the Chocolate Ganache for the filling. I normally start with white because I'm short off whisk at home..so lazy to clean up the whisk, I reuse the whisk for dark chocolate ganache. Safe my time!!!!hehe..here are the recipe for the ganache.


Whipped White Chocolate and Mint Ganache

8 Ounces / 226g white chocolate
1/2 Cup / 120ml heavy cream
1 tsp peppermint extract
1. Place the chopped up chocolate into a medium bowl, set aside. Bring the cream just to a boil then pour over the chocolate. Stirring from the centre outwards mix until you have a smooth ganache. It will be much thinner than usual but thats how you want it.
2. Chill the ganache in the fridge until chilled then whisk until thickened and is in a pipeable consistency.
Bittersweet Chocolate Ganache
8 ounces / 230g bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
1 cup / 250g heavy cream
4 tblsp / 60g unsalted butter, room temperature
1. Place the chocolate in a medium bowl, set aside. Bring the cram to a full boil in a heavy bottomed saucepan. Whilst the cream is coming to a boil beat the butter with a rubber spatula untilvery soft and creamy, set aside.
2. Once the cream reaches a boil take off the heat and gently stir into the chocolate using a spatula. Continue to stir, gently so as not to incorporate any air, until the chocolate is completely melted and smooth. Let the ganache cool for a minute or two.
3. Add half the butter and stir with a spatula until smooth, repeat with the rest of the butter. Once fully incorporated the ganache will be smooth and glossy. Let the ganache cool on the counter until thickened and pipeable.