R & K stand for Raymond and Karina who graciously brought the powder from Singapore. This jelly will not be possible if not for them. Renee loves this type of jelly which is Konnyaku.
Ingredients:
10 gm Konnyaku powder
210 gm sugar
Juice from the tin of lychee + water = 950 ml
1/4 tsp Citric Acid
lychee, pineapple and glazed cherries
coloring
Method:
Mix the konnyaku powder and sugar together and mix them well.
Pour the mixture into the liquid gradually and stir till it comes to the boil and turn off the fire.
Keep stirring for 5 minutes till the bubbles disappear.
Add citric acid and coloring and stir well.
Put pieces of fruits in the moulds and fill the moulds with jelly.
Chill the jelly in the refrigerator before serving
Years ago this bun is known as the Mexican bun. When a friend asked if i know how to make rotiboy, i had to look it up and found that rotiboy is mexican bun.The rotiboy consists of three parts: the filling, topping, and sweet dough. The filling and topping can be prepared beforehand and kept in the refrigerator until ready for use. The ingredients and instructions for preparing each of the three parts are given as follows. Please don't be put off by all the steps, it is very detailed. The aroma fills your home while the buns are baking and i would suggest eating them fresh when they come out of the oven.
Ingredients:
Filling
170g unsalted butter, softened
1/2 teaspoon salt
Topping
100g butter, softened
100g confectioner's sugar(powder sugar), sifted
1 large egg + 1 egg yolk, lightly beaten
1 tsp coffee emulco + 1 tablespoons instant coffee powder dissolved in 1 tbsp warm water
(a pinch ground cinnamon can be added)
100 g all purpose flour
Sweet dough
480 g bread flour
20 g soya bean flour
20 g powdered milk
70 g sugar
6 g salt
8 g instant yeast
1 large egg slightly beaten
270 g water
25g butter
6 g bread improver
Method:
For Filling:
Beat butter in electric mixer on medium speed with the paddle attachment for three minutes.
Blend in salt and refrigerate until firm.
Divide mixture into 10 g portion into ball. Keep refrigerated until ready to use.
For Topping:
Beat butter and icing sugar in electric mixer with the paddle attachment on medium speed for five minute until mixture is light and fluffy.
Gradually beat in eggs.
Mix in coffee mixture.
Sift in flour and mix on low speed until combined.
Refrigerate until ready to use.
For Sweet Dough:
Mix 1/2 of the flour, soya bean flour,castor sugar, yeast and salt in electric mixer with paddle on low speed for one minute.
Add egg and water and mix on low speed for another minute.
Mix in butter.
Mix on medium speed for eight minutes until dough forms like spider web.
Change to dough hook and add the rest of the flour slowly.
Mix five minutes more on medium speed until soft, smooth and elastic(but not sticky) dough forms.
Remove dough from mixture and shape into a ball.
Divide the dough into 55 g portions(should get 17 portions).
Roll each portion into a ball. Cover the balls of dough and leave to rest for 10 minute
To shape the buns:
Flatten a ball of dough with the palm of your hand.
Place a ball of filling in the centre of the dough.
Gather the edge and pinch to seal. (Be sure to seal well or the filling will leak out during baking.)
Pat into shape and place on a greased baking tray.
Repeat with remaining portions of dough.
Place each bun about 7.5 cm apart on the baking trays.
Prove for 45 min in a warm place.
Pipe the topping on the buns in a spiral, starting from the centre. (Use a ziplog bag and cut 1/8 inch hole at one corner, pipe until half way down the bun)
Bake in preheated oven at 400 deg f for 12 mins, turn off oven and let the bun continue to brown.
We had a neigborhood block party and had to make something that is a pleaser as our neighbors are mostly caucasian. This is a moist and not so densed cake but the frosting is too sweet for me , anyway i guessed it should be sweet otherwise it will not be a frosting.
Eating this dish is best eaten at home where fingers can be licked and a mess made with the shells. The sauce is good for toasted bread but my family loves plain white rice.
Ingredients:
2 dungeness crabs(2 kg), remove the shells and cut into pieces, toss lightly with tapioca flour, then deep fry. Remove brain from shells and leave aside for the sauce
2 tbsp chilli sauce
2 tbsp orange marmalade or apricot jam
2 tbsp worcestershire sauce
2 tbsp hua tiau(chinese wine)
2 tbsp sugar to taste
Salt to taste
A dash of pepper
1/2 cup water
Method:
Saute ingredients (A) in two to three tbsp oil until aromatic.
Mix in seasoning and the brain of crabs, bring to a boil(sauce should thicken).
Add the crab pieces and stir-fry well. Then allow to simmer till sauce is slightly thick.
Black Vinegar purifies the blood, Old Ginger drives out wind, and Brown Sugar puts a check on "dampness". Pig's Trotters are said to provide collagen which is good for strengthening joints & lumbar. Sesame Seed Oil is also to promote blood circulation and the eggs for nourishment. This is a dish cooked for postnatal moms and in my case the mom did not like it and I ended eating most of it. Ingredients:
2 Pig's Trotters
1 kg Old Ginger, skinned & smashed lightly
4 Tbsp Sesame Seed Oil
1 bottle (~4cups) Black Vinegar
300g Brown Sugar
300 g Gula Melaka/Gula Kabung
4 Hard Boiled Eggs, shelled
9 cups water
Method:
Clean & pluck off the hair from the pig's trotters.
Cut into big pieces.
Heat Sesame Seed Oil and fry ginger until golden brown & fragrant.
Use a BIG corningware casserole, add fried ginger,vinegar, water, and brown sugar. Bring to a boil and leave to simmer for 1/2 an hour until ginger becomes soft.
Add pig's trotters and continue to simmer until soft & tender (approx. 2hrs)
Add shelled hard-boiled eggs 1/2 and hour before serving.
For Cantonese, this is traditionally cooked for distributing to relatives on the 12th day after delivery to inform them of the new addition to the family. New mothers are encouraged to drink this Chicken Wine to promote blood circulation & invigorate major organs in the body. The wine is good for warming the lower body, "mok yee(wood fungus)" has the property to cleanse the uterus and peanuts are good for promoting milk.
Ingredients:
200g Chicken pieces
10g "Mok Yee" (wood fungus), soaked & shredded
50g raw peanuts, soaked overnight & drained
1 cup Stone's Ginger Wine
2 cups hot water
1 tsp sesame seed oil
4 slices old ginger, shredded
I had to make ang koo for Alexander's full moon party and i have made them before for Renee's one year old party which was 3 1/2 yrs ago. This time the koo looked good but was not as soft. It was a pleasure to have Ah Mah Chew and family at the party. Ah Mah Chew was visiting from Malaysia and before she left for home, graciously taught me how to make ang koo, hokkien style. As all good cooks of yesteryears are, she does not have weigh and spoons and i have to document this recipe when i tried making them. Thank you Ah Mah Chew, the ang koo is nice and soft.
(B):
150g boiling water
1/8 tsp orange-red colouring
Banana leaves - cut into small circles and greased
Oil for glazing
Filling:
200g split and skinned green peas - washed and soaked overnight; drain well
150g sugar
1-2 tbsp oil
2 pandan leaves
Method:
Mix (A) in a large bowl
Add coloring to hot water from (b). Add to (A) and mix well. Knead to form a smooth but not sticky dough.
Divide dough into equal portions and roll into balls.
Flatten each portion slightly, add a small ball of filling.
Pinch and seal the edges.
Lightly dust ang koo mould with glutinous rice flour.
Press each ball of dough into the mould.
Knock mould lightly against table and the ang koo will slide out.
Place each ang koo on greased, cut-out banana leaves.
Steam ang koo over boiling water for four minutes, then open the lid and continue steaming for six more minutes or till cooked. This will ensure that the pattern comes out sharp and clear after cooking.
Remove ang koo from steamer and brush lightly with oil to prevent them from sticking to one anotherand also to get the sheen.
To make the filling:
Steam green peas in a steamer for 20-30 minutes or till soft.
Pulse the steamed green peas in the food processor.
Pour into a big microwable glass bowl, add in all filling ingredients and cook in the microwave on high till mixture is almost dry.
Remove the pandan leaves and leave aside to cool.
Roll green pea paste into small balls and set aside to be used as filling.
The fragrance of herbs in the air while making this dish brings back fond memory of the fragrance you get when you come near to the chinese medicine shop at a mall in malaysia which sells these eggs. Ingredients:
30 eggs
Seasoning:
2 tbsp salt
30 g black tea leaves
3 star anise
3 x 2cm piece cinnamon stick
3 thick slice tong kwai
3 tbsp sugar
3 tbsp soya sauce
6 pieces kum cho
2 pieces tangerine peel
1 tbsp pepper Method:
Put eggs and enough water to cover the eggs(have these at room temperature), bring to a boil.
Lower heat and allow to simmer for five to six minutes.(timed from the moment the water returns to a boil)
Remove eggs and soak in cold water.
Gently tap the eggs to crack the shells, with the handle of a large knife, but not hard enough to dislodge any of the shell. (these tiny, irregular cracks all over the egg will enable the tea to stain the surface of the thin membrane inside the "crackle' effect seen on old Chinese porcelain)
Put seasoning together with another half pot of water and bring to a boil.
Add the cracked eggs and add enough water, simmer over gentle heat for half an hour.
Soak eggs for two to three hours or longer before serving. Once cold they can be stored short term in the refrigerator.
Remove shells and serve eggs with a dash of pepper and a sprinkling of salt.
Pao is usually steamed but in this case it is 'siew' which means baked and it is actually a pastry - chinese pastry of which 2 types of doughs are used. I prefer to use lard for the oil dough which enhanced the flavor to the pastry. For health reasons, shortening is a better choice.
Ingredients:
Oil Dough
340 g plain flour
220 g shortening/lard
Process all the above in a food processor
Water Dough
550 g plain flour
150 g castor sugar
160 ml vegetable oil
240 ml iced water
2 tsp salt
2 tsp golden syrup
Process the all the above in a food processor.
Glaze – 2 egg yolks
Method:
Scale oil dough into 20 gm and water dough into 40 gm.
Wrap oil dough inside with water dough.
Roll flat and roll up like swiss roll.
Roll flat again and roll like swiss roll.
Cut each piece into halves.
Roll out each piece cut side down and put in filling. Wrap filling and seal well.
Repeat with the rest of the dough.
Preheat oven at 375 f Convection and bake for 10 minutes, remove from oven, glaze with egg yolks and bake another 15 – to 20 minutes.
Char Siew Filling
300 gm Char Siew ( finely diced )
3 tbsp sugar
1 tbsp tbsp Flour
¾ cup water
1 1/2 tbsp oyster sauce
1 Tbsp light soya sauce
1 tsp Dark soya sauce
4 chopped shallots
1/2 cup green peas
2 Tbsp oil
Heat oil and stir in the shallots.
Add in flour and fry until flour is cooked and brown.
Put in the diced char siew and fry for a short while.
Add in water, all the sauces and sugar.
Cook till the sauces thicken and gluey.
Lastly add in the green peas.
Set aside to cool .
Buttermilk of times past was left after butter was churned. Today it's made by adding bacteria to nonfat or lowfat milk for thickened texture and tangy flavor. I used the cultured buttermilk which comes in powder form which is very convenient as you make the amount required.
Ingredients:
4 tbsp powdered buttermilk
1 cup all purpose flour
1 tbsp sugar
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1 egg
1 cup water
2 tbsp vegetable oil
Method:
Sift dry ingredients together into a mixing bowl.
Add beaten egg, water and oil.
Beat just until batter is smooth(do not overbeat).
Drop from a spoon onto a hot, greased griddle and cook until top is full of tiny bubbles and the underside is brown.
Turn and brown the other side.
Serve with maple syrup or whatever filling you wish like red bean paste and kaya
