Madeliene

After so many recipes, i finally am satisfied with the result of this recipe. To me, this could be the true Madeleine, as it has a knob on it's back, a slightly crispy crust, and a huge buttery flavor. Strangely, i thought that almond flour would make a heavy textured cake but instead it added flavor and lightness to this madeleine.



Ingredients:

1 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 tsp baking powder

1/2 cup almond flour

1/4 tsp salt

4 ozs/1 stick unsalted butter - softened

1/2 cup fine granulated sugar

1/4 cup honey

1 tbsp vanilla extract

1/2 tsp orange paste

4 large eggs

1 tsp orange zest

Method:

Triple-sift the flours, baking powder and salt.

Beat butter on high speed until soft and creamy. Slowly add in the sugar, 1 tbsp at aa time, beating continuously on high speed. The mixture should be light, fluffy, and a creamy white color. Stop the mixer and scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula.

Beat in honey, vanilla, orange paste and the orange zest. Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula.

Add the eggs, one at a time, be sure each egg is completely incorporated and scrape down the sides of the bowl before adding the next one.

Add the flour mixture to the batter in thirds, beating on low speed until just incorporated.

Cover the batter and chill it for at least 2 hours and up to 4 hours.

Preheat the oven to 375f. Adjust the rack to the center of the oven.

Brush the madeleine moulds with melted butter, then dust them lightly with flour.

Spoon the chilled batter into the madeleine pan, filling each shell three-quarters full.

Bake for 10 minutes for mini madeleines or for about 15 minutes for santard-size or until they are golden brown and firm to the touch.

Repeat until all the batter has been used., brushing the pans with butter if needed.

The madelienes are best served warm from the oven but can be stored, wrapped airtight, at room temperature for up to 3 days and in the freezer for up to 3 weeks.

Variations:

Lemon - Replace the orange paste with lemon paste/oil and orange zest with lemon zest. If desired, add a drop of yellow food color.

Chocolate: Replace 1/4 cup all-purpose flour with 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder.

Pistachio: Replace 1/4 cup all purpose flour with 1/4 cup pistachio flour.(Pistachio flour can be made by finely grinding pistachios)

Serves

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Chinese Pinwheel

It is difficult to find a recipe if we don't even know what it is called. When i made the 'Cow's Ear Biscuit', my vietneamese friend, Lan dropped by and i offered her some and she told me that it is called 'Banh Tai'. So, i googled and found some recipes and have it translated. By looking at the translation, it is still not quite like the ones we have in Malaysia. So, i just combined the recipes and came up with this which is close enough.

Ingredients:

A

1 piece nam yee (red fermented bean curd)

1/4 tsp pepper

3 small shallots

3 cloves garlic

1/4 cup toasted sesame seeds

2 egg yolks

5 tbsp condensed milk

1 tbsp oil

4 ozs all-purpose flour

1/4 tsp 5 spice powder

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp black soya sauce

B

2 egg whites

2 tbsp sugar

1/2 tsp salt

1 tbsp oil

4 ozs all-purpose flour

Method:

Chop shallots, garlic, sesame seeds in the food processor or chopper until fine, then add in nam yee, pepper, 5 spice powder and salt, pulse to combine.

Add in egg yolks, condensed milk, oil and oil. Continue to pulse. Then add in flour and pulse until it comes to a dough.

Remove dough into a ziploc bag and leave to rest in the fridge for 1/2 hr.

Now, prepare B: Put the flour in the food processor, then add in the sugar and salt. Pulse a few times to mix the ingredients. Then add in the oil and egg whites and pulse until a dough is formed.

Remove to a ziploc bag and rest in the fridge for 1/2 hr.

Prepare the first dough by putting dough onto clingwrap and roll it out thinly into a rectangle(5 inch x 10 inch) and leave in the fridge while you prepare the white dough.

Roll the white dough between clingwrap into the same size rectangle as the first.

Take the flavored rectangle and place it on top of the white dough.

Roll dough up like a swiss roll from long side and wrap tightly.

Leave the rolled dough in the freezer for at least 1 hour.

Heat oil to moderately hot.

Slice the dough into thin slices. and fry them in moderately hot oil until golden brown.

Serves

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cow's Ear Biscuit

When i saw this posting from Florence's Blog . I knew i had to give this recipe a try. I have always liked this biscuit but does not know what it is called. This biscuit is very delicious and since we do not know what the name is, my family used to call it 'scrappings from the chopping board'.

Thank you Florence for sharing this recipe but this is not the type that i like - the white part of the biscuit is right but not the flavored part. Anyway, this is very good as a snack and thank you again, Florence.


Ingredients:

(A)75g plain flour

40g water

(B)

30g water

30g sugar

0.25 tsp baking soda

0.75 tsp salt

1.5 tsp fermented yam

2 tsp corn oil

100g plain flour

Method:

1. Mix (A) till a smooth dough is formed.

2. Mix everything in (B) till well blended. Add in the flour and knead till a smooth dough is formed.

3. Roll dough (A) into a rectangular flat sheet.

4. Roll dough (B) into a rectangular flat sheet.

5. Apply some water to the surface of dough (A)

6. Stick dough (B) on to the top of dough (A).

7. Roll it up swiss roll style and chill in the freezer for 15 minutes.

8. Slice the dough as thin as possible.9. Fry in oil till biscuit is cooked.




Serves

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Chai Choy/Vegetarian Delight

This would be my vegetable dish when i ran out of greens. The only fresh ingredients are the Nappa Cabbage or ordinary cabbage and carrots, the rest are dried. There are many ingredients involved but even with a few ingredients less, this dish will be very flavorful especially if the sauce is right. This is a classic to the vegetarian and it can be a meal by itself for there are so many nutricious ingredients involved. Although this is a vegetable dish, dried oysters can be added for flavor and oysters are acceptable and considered vegetarian.

Ingredients:
4 tbsps cooking oil
2 pieces fermented beancurd(preferably the red type which is called 'nam yee'

1/2 cup dried oysters - soaked(optional)
8 dried shitake mushrooms, soaked and halved
1 lb Nappa cabbage, sliced
1 carrot, sliced

6 - 8 pieces Fried tofu (tofu pok) - halves

3 long pieces dried bean curd (foo chook) - soaked and break into small pieces

1/2 cup black fungus - Wan yee - soaked

1/2 cup lily bulbs - soaked and tied into knots

1 small bundle glass noodles - soaked

Seasonings:

1/2 tsp white pepper

1 cup water

2 tbsp oyster sauce

1 tbsp soya sauce

1 tsp sugar

2 tbsp sesame oil

Method:

In a wok, heat oil and stir-fry fermented beancurd until fragrant. Add oysters (if using),mushrooms, cabbage and carrot. Stir-fry until cooked through.

Add in the rest of the ingredients except the soaked glass noodles and the seasonings

Bring to the boil, add the seasonings, then reduce heat, cover with lid and simmer.

Add in the glass noodles and continue to simmer, you might have to add in more water/stock if the sauce has thickened too much. Do no be afraid to add more water/stock as the glass noodle will swell and soak up all the goodness.

Simmer until sauce has thickened.

Dish up and sprinkle with sesame oil.

Serve hot.

Serves

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Steamed Salted Fish With Pork

This dish is one of many homestyle recipes in the Cantonese repertoire. I remember my mom hand chopping the pork with a chinese cleaver to make this dish or any steamed pork. The hand chopping creates a more al-dente texture and it is worth the effort. However, this dish is still as delicious if made with ground pork. The salted fish of choise is the soft type as the hard type does not marry or blend well.

Ingredients:

8 ozs of ground/minced or hand chopped pork

2 tbsp of soya sauce

1 tsp of sugar

1/2 tsp pepper

1 tbsp of tapioca flour

a pinch of msg(optional)

1 tbsp of sesame

1 piece "mui heong' salted fishoil

2 tbsp of julienned ginger

Method:

Mix pork with all the seasonings, then place the salted fish on top and spread the julienned ginger on top of prepared dish.

Steam until cooked in a steamer or put on top of the rice before rice cooker's function turns to 'keep warm'.

Enjoy with white rice.


Serves

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