Butter Cupcake

Besides the school project my boy did previously, where he laid his hands on a bit of 'cooking'. This is another recipe he did but this time mainly by himself. I managed to convince him to bake for his Nai Nai's birthday. So found this recipe that seems easy enough for him to handle. We passed him the ingredients and he measured out and even tried his hands on using the mixer.

Here's the link:https://oladybakes.com/2019/08/04/super-easy-mrs-ng-sk-butter-cake-no-egg-separation/

Even has step-by-step photo!

Btw, this 'Mrs Ng' website does seem to have quite interesting and nice recipes. If I have the time and am hardworking enough...

Recipe (makes 8 cupcakes)

• 125g salted butter cut into cubes

• 85g caster sugar

• Pinch of salt

• 2 eggs

• 1/2 tsp vanilla essence

• 100g plain flour

• 1/2 tsp baking powder

• 30 ml milk

Method1. Cream butter, salt and sugar till light and fluffy.

2. Add in eggs 1 by 1, beat well at high speed after each addition till well mixed. Add in vanilla essence with second egg.

3. Sift flour with baking powder. Then add half to the butter mixture. Mix well at low speed

4. Add in half the milk and mix and low speed again, just a few seconds. Repeat for the rest of the flour and milk. Batter is quite thick.

5. Spoon into paper cups as below about 2/3 full.

6. Top with chocolate chips if you like. Bake at 180 deg C for 25 min.

7. Cool on rack.

Makes about 12 for my own paper cups.
2nd time trying this recipe, we added 1 tbsp of chocolate powder, taste not very strong so can add more next time.

x

Famous Amos Cookie

During the period of Circuit Breaker, there is a recipe circulated that got me interested to try it.

Famous Amos Cookie!!! Who dun love those cookies right? I will always buy when going for road trips as the boys simply love them. 

Here's the link:
https://mustsharenews.com/famous-amos-cookie-recipe/

Tried it and while I will not exactly say it taste totally like Famous Amos (probably because I was using semi-sweet chocolate chips instead) but it does taste good and definitely crunchy.

This recipe makes about 4 containers of cookies!

Some minor points on the ingredients. I typically convert cups to gram.
Otherwise the whole recipe can be found below for my own easy reference.

Ingredients

• 250g of butter
• 1 and 1/4 cups of brown sugar (250g)
• 1 teaspoon of vanilla essence
• 1 egg
• 2 1/2 cups of wheat flour (I used 300g AP flour)
• 1/2 cup of cornstarch (aka 60g corn flour)
• 1 teaspoon of sodium bicarbonate (aka Baking Soda)
• 1 teaspoon of baking powder
• 6 tablespoons of cooking oil
• 2 cups of chocolate chips (I used 1 packet of Hershey semi-sweet mini choc chips)
• Almond nips or flakes (optional) (I did not add)

Steps

First, mix butter, sugar, vanilla essence and egg in a bowl with a spoon

The author warns that you shouldn’t use a mixer for this step. Using a spoon or spatula is ideal, or even your hands is fine too.

The stirring has to be done slowly, but you’ll only need to stir for 2 minutes.

Then, add wheat flour, cornstarch, bicarbonate soda, baking powder and cooking oil to the same container.

After, add the chocolate chips to what is now cookie dough. Add some to your mouth for good measure.

Mix everything together.

At this point, those who prepared almond nips or flakes can add them here, to your liking. Once again, stir well.

Place the dough in the fridge for 30 minutes, or if your fridge isn’t particularly cold, until the dough hardens.

Apply butter to a baking tray — don’t use baking paper. Then, pinch some cookie dough and socially distance each individual cookie as shown. (I did however use baking paper)

Preheat the oven at 150 degrees, then bake the cookies for 20 minutes. Monitor the dough to ensure that it doesn’t burn.

And there you have it, after 20 minutes of waiting and salivating — your Famous Amos replica cookies are done.

Marshmallows Cone

Oh i really love this. Frankly not difficult to do unless you want to do some complicated designs. Learn this from BakeFresh but on my own I modified abit. Instead of using fresh egg white, I used meringue powder instead.

To keep in air-tight container, under
room temperature (3~5 days)
chiller (5 days)
freezer (3 weeks)

Ingredients
For the marshmallow:

a)
1 egg white (large egg 65g, egg white ~40g)
  * one egg white = 2 level tsp of powdered egg white/ meringue powder PLUS 2 tbsp of warm water
30g castor sugar (SIS brand, very fine)

30g castor sugar
12g clear glucose
30g sugar

3 gelatine sheets (soaked with iced water, then squeeze off the water)
   * 2.5~3g/ sheet
1/2 tsp clear vanilla (optional)

b)
Food coloring gel paste
i.e. yellow, red, pink etc
Piping bags

10 mini ice cream cones
Some white compound chocolate (melted - double boil method or microwave on low-medium heat)
Some sprinkles for decoration (optional)
note: to coat the inner cones entirely with the chocolate to prevent the cones to turn soggy

c) Corn flour
note: to cook the flour, put in the oven in any temp higher than 100 deg c, put in oven for about 5 min, stir and put back in oven for another 5 min
otherwise dry fry in the wok

Directions
1. Beat egg white and sugar together until glossy and stiff peak form.
low speed until foamy
add half the sugar and beat about 1 min
add remaining sugar and beat another 1 min
change to high speed to continue to peak until glossy and stiff peak form
note: perferably glass/ plastic bowl, avoid stainless steel - heat resistant

2. Combine sugar, glucose, water into a heavy base  saucepan. Cook over medium low heat until temperature reaches 118 ~ 120 deg c.
note: do not stir at all
Over open fire gas stove, make sure fire do not go above the syrup in the saucepan
Over induction cooker, 130 deg c
candy thermometer: put in the middle to measure temperature

3. Pour hot sugar syrup into meringue and use medium low speed to beat until well mix.
note: low speed in 3~4 parts

4. Add in  gelatin and vanilla, continue to beat with low speed until mixture turns glossy and thick.
note: gelatin sheet vs gelatin powder (9g) - sheet is more premium quality; powder quality not as good and stronger fishy taste
can add 4 gelatin sheets for more chewy texture
to melt, put in metal bowl over hot water

5. Divide mixture into desired amount and mix with colorings. Fill colored marshmallow into piping bags, ready to pipe.

6. Upon piping, let marshmallow rest for about 10-15 minutes in freezer.

7. Dust generously with some flour, use soft brush to brush away the excess flour.
note: it will take 3~5 hours for marshmallows to dry entirely

Royal Icing/ Candy Glass Cookies

My friend and myself had being going to 'baking' classes from BakeFresh using our Skills Future Credit. They do offer very cute interesting classes. The first class we went is Tsum Tsum Agar Agar Cake. Looks quite a challenge to do on my own hence till not had yet done it.

She had gone for another class on her own, Candy Glass Cookies and very generously shared the recipe with me.


Ingredients (For Royal icing)

a)
400g icing sugar (sifted)
22g meringue powder

60g drinking water
1 tsp clear vanilla extract or any perference choice of flavouring (optional)

Food colorings (gel paste):
egg yellow, rose/ strawberry pink, turquoise, black and brown
black - charcoal powder

some drinking water

Piping bags and tooth picks

Edible black marker
Edible color dust for blush
Small brush

Directions
1. Combine icing sugar and meringue powder together into a mixing bowl. Mix well using low speed.

2. Add in vanilla extract then water, use paddle attachment to whip in low speed until well combined.
(If KitchenAid, use speed 3, handheld use low speed)

3. Increase to medium speed and continue to whip until the mixture is glossy and stiff peak form.

4. Transfer the icing into a clean air-tight container. (Can last in chiller up to 3 weeks)

5. Scoop some icing into a mixing bowl, add in coloring and mix until well blend.

6. Make two consistency mixture:
> outline consistency
> flooding consistency

7. Ready to use for cookies decoration

8. Dry the cookies into pre-heated warm oven at 45-50 deg c until icing is completely dry.

Ingredients (For Candy glass)

a)
100g isomalt
10g water

b)
Some colorful sprinkles
Some royal icing or white compound chocolate (melted)

Directions
1. Combine all ingredients into a heavy base saucepan. No need to stir.

2. Cook over medium low heat till isomalt completely dissolve and temperature reaches to 160 deg c. 100~130 deg c using convention cookier, if gas stove, use low fire.

3. Remove from heat and set aside for 1~2 minutes.

4. Arrange cookie sets on counter top lined with silicone mat, slowly pour melted isomalt into cookies' hole/ window.
Let it set completely before remove.
(Re-cook, go low 60 deg c)

5. Fill cookie base with one teaspoon of sprinkes, randomly piping some royal icing or melted chocolate, stack the other piece of decorated cookie on top and press gently to join.

6. Pack cookies into plastic bag and seal up.

Creamy Potato Soup

My boy's school project, one of the three recipes he requested:

Took it off from this website, simple and clear instruction, even comes with video. Taste test, passed! In fact he requested it again shortly after the first pot.

https://www.cookingclassy.com/creamy-potato-soup/

Ingredients:

6 cups peeled and diced Russet Potatoes about 5 medium potatoes. Dice into small cubes about 3/4-inch)

1-1/2 cups chopped Yellow Onion (1 medium)

1-1/4  cups peeled and diced Carrots (3 medium)

1 cup diced Celery (2 stalks)

2 cans (14.5 oz) low-sodium Chicken Broth (approx 430ml)

Salt and freshly ground black Pepper

1/3 cup Butter (75g)

1/3 cup all-purpose flour (43g)

2-1/2 cups Milk 

1/2 cup Sour Cream* (120g)

For Serving:

Crumbled bacon or chopped cooked ham, shredded cheddar cheese, chopped green onions or chives

Instructions:

1. Combine diced potatoes, carrots, celery and onion with chicken broth in a large stockpot and season with salt and pepper to taste.

2. Cover pot and bring to a boil over medium-high heat (it will take about 10 minutes to reach a boil), once it reaches a boil reduce heat to medium and continue to cook about 15-20 minutes longer until potatoes are very soft when pierced with a fork.

3. Meanwhile, in a medium saucepan melt butter over medium heat, add flour and cook for 1 minute while whisking constantly. While whisking, slowly add milk and cook, stirring constantly until mixture begins lightly bubble and thicken.

4. Once potatoes are soft add thickened milk mixture to potato soup mixture and stir (potatoes should start breaking down into soup, if not cook a few minutes longer). Add sour cream and mix well.

5. Ladle soup into serving bowls, top each serving with bacon or ham, cheddar cheese and green onions (Note that the soup will thicken as it rests so if you happen to have left overs you can thin with a little water or milk).

Tips to Perfect Potato Soup

1. Stick with russet potatoes. They aren't firm and waxy like the red and yellow and they'll start to break down and make the soup creamy.

2. Measure out the ingredients. If you have too many or too little potatoes it will change the consistency.

3. Don't add herbs or spices. I know that can be hard for some but the more neutral flavors are perfect here.

4. Don't leave off the toppings, those are what will add layers of flavor to the soup. Bring on the cheddar!

5. Try substituting heavy cream or half and half for the sour cream. It is also such a delicious option.

Sandwiches - Egg Mayo and Chicken Mayo

The boys favourite... Egg Mayo!

Ingedients:
Hard boiled egg (usually for my family of 4, around 3-4 eggs)
Mayonnaise

Steps:
Cooked the eggs to hard-boiled and use the egg slicer to cut up the chicken to small pieces
Add mayonnaise and mix, make sure all eggs and mayo and evenly mixed.
Can add pepper and salt to taste.
Serve with bread.

Chicken Mayo
A recipe that I decided to try when the boy suggested sandwich for his class party. A search on the Internet did not render a recipe that I like so I decided to tweak them to suit me.

Ingredients:
1 packet of chicken breast meat (approx 200g) - can cook quite alot, maybe can make about 10 sandwiches
Mayonnaise

Steps:
1. Marinate chicken with garlic powder, salt and pepper and leave it for approximately 20 mintues.
2. Boil the chicken in a pot of boiling water until well-cooked.
3. After cooled, shred up the chicken. (frankly I shred until my fingers nearly cramped, later I saw on some video hack that you can use handheld mixer to shred up the chicken faster and easily)
4. Add in mayonnaise and mix. Pepper and salt to taste.

Teriyaki Chicken Pizza

So encouraged! Even my picky brother-in-law asked to more. So far those who had a chance to try my pizza, give a thumbs up.

Hawaiian Pizza was my first try but I decided to try a new recipe and ventured into Teriyaki Chicken Pizza and sorta of understand why some mentioned that they do not have the recipe as everything is by agar-ation.

Dough, I used the same as previous but tried using 100% all purpose flour (no bread flour). I think the difference is the dough is slightly less chewy and if on the thick side, can be a tad bit tiresome to chew but I will still continue to use this recipe unless I have bread flour at home if not I will not intentionally purchase bread flour just for this recipe.

Ingredients:
1 packet of Chicken breast meat (approx. 200g)
1/3 capsicum
Teriyaki Sauce

Steps:
1. Cut the chicken into small cubes then marinate with teriyaki sauce, garlic powder, salt and pepper for about 15 minutes.
2. Fry the chicken and set aside
3. Spread the dough on pizza tray. Spread generous layer of teriyaki sauce over the dough. Sprinkle generously the cooked chicken meat and capsicum all over the pizza.
4. Preheat oven with 200 deg C for 10 minutes. Place pizza in the middle rack of oven and bake for 20 minutes, till crust lightly brown. Serve warm.