Mango yogurt chiffon cake with dried fig

It was our favorite day- Sunday again.

It's been a busy week for both myself and the lil' fella as we had lots of visitors from KL. He had lots of fun just playing and 'talking' with his friends (he called Goh Goh Jie Jie) and I brought them to all the places of interests in Sandakan. They left on Saturday. So this Sunday, we get to rest and recuperate. The lil' fella took a long deserved nap of about 3 hours. With that, I get to bake my favorite Sunday's bake - chiffon and prep his lunch.

Today I have decided to bake a mango yogurt chiffon with chopped dried fig. I love the way the figs give the extra bite and texture to this soft and fluffy chiffon. Figs are good sources of calcium and they aren't as sweet as raisins nor dried cranberries. I coated them with half teaspoon of cake flour, so that they will not all sink to the bottom of the cake when baking.

Here's the recipe, adapted from Happy Home Baker. 

Ingredients:(I used an 18cm chiffon pan)

4 egg yolks (medium)
2.5tbsp brown sugar
3tbsp rice bran oil
40g plain yoghurt
50g mango puree
1 teaspoon lemon juice
80g cake flour

4 egg whites (medium)
3tbsp brown sugar

60g chopped dried fig
1/2 tsp cake flour for dusting

Instructions:

1. Sieve cake flour and set aside. 
2. Chop dried figs into small cubes. Coat with flour and sieve to remove excess flour. Set aside.
3. Place egg yolks in a mixing bowl. With a manual hand whisk, whisk the yolks a little. Add in sugar and whisk to combine.
4. Add in rice bran oil gradually, whisk to combine. 
5. Combine mango puree, yoghurt and lemon juice. Add into egg yolk mix. Whisk to combine. Sieve over the flour and whisk till the flour is fully incorporated. Do not over mix. Set aside.
6. In a clean, dry mixing bowl, beat egg whites with a handheld electric mixer on low speed until mixture becomes frothy and foamy.  Add half of the sugar amount and turn to high speed and beat the mixture. Continue to add in the remaining sugar and beat until the egg whites reaches the soft peak stage.The soft peak stage is reached when the peaks of the whites curl over and droop slightly. The egg whites should appear smooth and glossy, and if you overturn the bowl, the egg white meringue doesn't drop.
7. Add the beaten egg whites into the egg yolk batter in 3 separate additions, each time folding gently with a spatula until just blended.
8. Add in the prepared dried fig. Fold in until just blended Do not over mix.
9. Pour batter into a 18cm tube pan (do not grease the pan). Tap the pan lightly on a table top to get rid of any trapped air bubbles in the batter.
10. Bake in pre-heated oven at 140 degC for 40 mins (every oven differs, my oven has been a very friendly one, after about 20min in the oven, I had to tent an alum foil loosely oven the chiffon to avoid the top from getting too brown), bake until a toothpick inserted into the centre comes out clean, when lightly pressed the cake will spring back. Invert the pan immediately and let cool completely before unmould (I usually wait for at least an hour before I unmould the cake from the pan).  

See the following video to check out how I unmould the chiffon from the pan (Pardon my lil' fella. He just got up from his nap and must be starving).

Wholemeal croissant

This is gonna be a busy week for me. I have some friends with babies visiting from KL. I’ll be bringing them around Sandakan, checking out the orang utans, proboscis monkey (my son would love seeing them, he calls them ma-rao), crocodile and bears. Lucky that we have quite a lot of these in Sandakan. I’m sure both my son and I will have an excited week ahead.

The gang will be arriving late afternoon today and tomorrow. Thinking of making something for their tea later on today. Should I make them some nice, buttery, flaky croissants? But I haven’t made them for years. And the last attempt didn’t turn out perfect. Or should I just make them some of my usual cupcakes or buns? Me, knowing myself, I would definitely challenge myself in making the croissants. Who am I, if I’m not up for a simple challenge?

Tada!! The wholemeal croissants turned out ‘perfect’ .. or not so. I rated them 7 out of 10. They still don’t look that ‘perfectly’ pretty. But since they are ‘home-made’, I’m sure I’ll be pardoned. Taste and texture wise, GREAT!! Lovely buttery aroma lingers on even hours after they are baked. The thing I love about this recipe, it’s not that tedious compared to the usual croissant recipe, yet still turn out tasting awesome (it only took me about 3hours from start till finish)! That’s why I’ve been trying out quite a lot of recipe from Vic’s blog. So far, most of the recipes I’ve tried out from her blog turned out good. I’ve made some modifications to mine by replacing some of the plain white bread flour with wholemeal flour, so I don’t feel that gush of guilt eating these buttery morsels. Instead of pastry margarine as recommended by the recipe, I still insist that I use real butter. If you’ve been following me or my blog, you know that I’ve banned all sorts of trans-fat ingredients or food. But I knew that croissants with butter would be much harder to work with if compared to that using pastry margarine, due to the weather here. I would just have to give my best.

They said no one make perfect croissant on their first attempt. It needs lots of practice, patience and dedication. I’m only afraid that by the time I get there making the best croissant ever, my waistline would get super out-of-shape. Anyway, no one talks about ‘waistline’ when comes to good food. My favorite quirky filling for my wholemeal croissant is peanut butter and sliced banana (.. don’t give me that rolling eyes). What’s yours?

Recipe adapted from Victoria Bakes, further adapted from Alex Goh’s The World of Bread

• 45g butter, softened (I used grapeseed oil)
• 180ml cold water
• 1tbsp soy milk powder
• 1tsp salt
• 2tbsp brown sugar
• 150g bread flour
• 60g wholemeal flour
• 90g all purpose flour
• 2tsp instant active dry yeast

• 120g unsalted butter, left in freezer for 30min

Instructions

1. Grate frozen butter with a cheese grater onto a piece of cling film and form into a square block, measuring about 15cmx15cm. Chill in refrigerator.
2. Prepare dough by kneading all ingredients. I kneaded the dough using my Donlim breadmaker for 20minutes. All the ingredients are added in based on the order they are listed above.
3. Roll dough out into a square, measuring about 30cmx30cm, wrap with cling film, and chill for 1 hour.
4. Remove dough and butter block from frige. Place butter block in the middle of dough, and pull 4 corners of dough together to wrap the butter in the middle, seal the seams.
5. Gently flatten the dough with my palm, using the rolling pin, roll dough out into a long rectangle till it is 1cm in thickness. Fold out in thirds like an envelope, turn dough 90 degree, and repeat the same process once more.
6. Wrap dough with cling film and chill for 30 minutes.
7. Remove chilled dough. Dust the tabletop with bread flour. Repeat the above process (Step 5) once more and chill dough for another 30 minutes.
8. Remove dough from fridge, and roll it out to 5mm thickness (mine was about 10mm thickness, I couldn’t roll it any thinner or the butter would be oozing out), cut triangles (with base width measuring about 5cm and length measuring about 5-7cm), roll and shape into croissant.
9. Prove croissants in oven for an hour.
10. 15 minutes before the hour, remove croissants from the oven. Preheat oven to 170degC (for my Khind oven), brush with egg wash and sprinkle with topping (optional).
11. Bake for about 18-20 minutes or until croissants turn golden brown.

*I made 13 croissants using this recipe



This post is linked to the event Little Thumbs Up (June 2014 Event: Butter) organised by Zoe (Bake for Happy Kids) and Mui Mui (My Little Favourite DIY) and hosted by Jozelyn Ng (Spice Up My Kitchen)" 

I am also submitting this post to "My Treasured Recipes #1 - Alex Goh (June/July 2014)" hosted by Miss B of Everybody Eats Well in Flanders and co-hosted by Charmaine of Mimi Bakery House.

Toddler pretend play 1 - Let's go travelling!

Toddlers are sponges - learning and growing from each exposure. How did my 19month old knew what to do or what to say when we played this imagine play of let's go travelling? It was all by exposure. He was quick. I put on his backpack and sticked his teddy on his backpack. He lugged his suitcase. I waved him goodbye, he said 'Bye', and walked towards the door. I reminded him, don't forget to wear your shoes, Josh Josh. He then stopped and went for his shoes at the shoe-rack.

 

Pretend play is not just about imagination, but it's something that boosts learning and development. Pretend play teaches (resources from whattoexpect.com):

• Empathy (he puts himself in someone's shoes, this time, he's someone who's going to board the plane)
• Language skills (he engages in a two way communication with me, saying Bye in return)
• Problem solving (the little brain is constantly thinking and imagining the scenes in her head. What does he need to do to get down the stairs when lugging a suitcase? or to open the door? Note to parent: Try not to get too involved. Let his imagination run, and you're just the supporting role in the scene)
• Courage (pretend play is a safe way for little kids to work out their feelings in a safe environment)

Pretend play is also called symbolic play, it helps develop the ability to think symbolically, and that is essential to learning math and language.

He enjoyed it very much. He stepped out of the house and rode on his 'suitcase' and was having some fun time 'out' there while I prepped myself for his next game.

 

This time, I made sure I kissed him farewell.

 

MOM: Josh.. are you.. J: Mom, I'm busy! >.<

 

 

 

Suggestions for other pretend play themes:

• Let's go picnic (bring out the rug, water bottle, the teddy, and some picnic snacks)
• Dinner in a restaurant
• Beach
• A visit to the doc

 

Any others that you can think of for a toddler aged 18-36month old?

 



 

My first egg tart

 

 

Note for myself:

• Great recipe, but try to make the crust thinner. Assuming that way, the crust will be crispier. But lovely crust! It gets removed easily.
• I halved the recipe for both the crust and the filling. The filling fills up just right (nothing extra) making 8 egg tarts.
• I baked at 170degC for 25min in my Fotile oven (mode: no fan on, but bottom and top heat on), but the filling was still wobbly. Baked for another 5min, and they come out looking a little brown on a few of the egg tarts. I would think maintain the temp and bake for a total of 28min, it should be okay. Note: this is only for my own reference. Different oven differs.
• I reduced the sugar content of the filling by 10g. The sweetness was just right.
• I would omit using vanilla essence or I would use real extract from vanilla bean pod. 
• I used disposable aluminium foil tart pan. It's time I get some real tart pan for next bakes.

 

Hohohooo.. I quickly jot down these notes for my own referral so that I can make improvements for my next egg tart bake, which I believe will be very soon. This is a superb recipe. The crust tastes great, with just the right sweetness and butter in it. The filling is good too! I must thank Mui Mui from My Little Favorite DIY for sharing this. She calls this her perfect egg tart. Since it's my first attempt, I wouldn't know which recipe to start with, so I trusted her and attempted her 'perfect' egg tart. It doesn't disappoint me. If you haven't had any favorite recipe for egg tart yet, this is a good one to start with.

 

Both recipes are by Mui Mui from My Little Favorite DIY, adapted from Wendy from Table for 2.

 

Recipe for egg tart pastry

 

Ingredients:

• 250g unsalted butter, at room temperature  
• 1 egg
• 2tbsp castor sugar (I used brown sugar)
• 400g all purpose flour
• I added a pinch of salt

Instructions:

1. In a mixing bowl, beat butter with sugar until fluffy. Add in egg. Mix. Add in flour till it resembles texture of coarse crumb. Prepare a large sheet of cling film. Pour the crumbly dough onto the cling film and bring together to a lump. Let rest for 15 minutes in the fridge.
2. If the dough has become too hard from sitting in the fridge. Warm it up just slightly with the warmth of your palm. Roll dough to about 4mm thickness. Cut with a 7cm round pastry cutter (I just used my rice bowl which measures 7cm diameter). Place round dough disks into egg tart tins (I used disposable aluminum foil tin).
3. Refrigerate the lined tart tins till they are very firm, for at least 2 hours. (I did mine the night before, and left in the refrigerator, with the whole tray wrapped up in a plastic bag).

Recipe for egg tart filling

 

Ingredients

• 150g sugar (I used brown sugar)
• 150ml hot water
• 250ml fresh full fat milk
• 1/8 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 3 large eggs and 1 egg white

Instructions

1. Dissolve sugar in hot water. Chill.
2. Combine sugar syrup, salt, vanilla extract. Beat eggs lightly (try not to incorporate air) and combine all.
3. Sieve egg mixture and pour into a pitcher (for easy pouring), then fill up tart case with egg mixture.
4. Bake in a preheated oven at 170degC for 28 minutes.

Half of this recipe made 8 egg tarts.

 

 

 

This post is linked to the event Little Thumbs Up (June 2014 Event: Butter) organised by Zoe (Bake for Happy Kids) and Mui Mui (My Little Favourite DIY) and hosted by Jozelyn Ng (Spice Up My Kitchen)" 



Spaghetti stir fry with pumpkin and fish 南瓜炒意粉

To be more exact, this is a Fettuccine stir fry, cos it was Fettuccine that I used, not spaghetti. This is a quick and easy breakfast cum lunch prepared for the lil' one. The Fettuccine was boiled the day before and stored in the fridge. In the morning, I just soak it in hot water for about 5 min before stir-frying it. I only got little time for a quick and easy recipe this morning, cos I was also making egg tart for our breakfast. See this post for the egg tart's recipe.

 

Fettuccine or spaghetti are great for stir-fry, and especially if you are like me, keeping it warm in the thermal for the little one's consumption later on, unlike some noodles, fettuccine or spaghetti doesn't get soggy easily. It still maintain its bite even after a few hours sitting in the thermal container. Here's the recipe for this Fettuccine stir fry. Bon Appetit!

Ingredients:

• 2 cups of cooked fettuccine (or any pasta of your choice)
• about 200g pumpkin, julienned  
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1/2 onion, thinly sliced
• 1 piece of threadfin fillet (thinly sliced) and marinated with Bragg's Liquid Amino, toasted sesame oil and black pepper powder
• 1/2 cup water + seasoning (optional), I added 1/2 tbsp. Bragg's Liquid Amino
• 1 egg, beaten with 1tbsp milk

Instructions

1. Heat up the fry pan with 1tbsp grapeseed oil.
2. Pour in beaten egg mix and cook on low-medium heat until one side is cooked. When the upper side is cooked, roll up and remove from fry pan. Thinly slice and set aside.
3. Add a little oil to the fry pan and heat up. Stir in minced garlic and onion, followed by pumpkin julienne. Cook until garlic and onion turns soft and fragrant. Add in fish fillet.
4. When fish is cooked through, add in cooked fettuccine. Stir fry for about 1-2 minutes.
5. Add in water and seasoning. Put on the lid and let the noodle simmer for another 3 minutes (this stage is optional. I do this because I want the fettuccine is softer, easier for consumption by my 19mo).
6. When the liquid has been absorbed, remove fettuccine stir fry from pan and serve with sliced omelet.

Hello there! This is my jolly lil' fella, enjoying the Fettucine stir-fry.

Pasta with creamy broccoli sauce/ soup

The lil' fella had been refusing to eat his broccoli lately! To avoid him wasting the remaining broccoli I have in the fridge, I decided to turn them into pasta sauce. Any kid that refuses vege wouldn't know this super creamy and yummy pasta sauce has veg in it.

Ingredients (this makes about 3 baby's meal portion)

• 1 stalk of broccoli, cleaned and cut into florets
• 2 small size potato, peeled and cut into cubes
• 1 cup of water or vegetable stock or 1/2 water 1/2 milk
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1/4 onion, minced
• 1tbsp butter

Instructions

In a pot of boiling water, cook cubed potato and cut broccoli till soft (about 5min). Drain off and set aside.

Heat up a soup pot, or fry pan. Add in the butter. When it starts to sizzle, stir in the minced garlic and onion. When the garlic and onion are brown and fragrant, add in boiled potato and broccoli. Saute for another 1-2 minute.

Add in water/ stock. Simmer for another 5 minutes.

Bring the mix to a blender and blend until creamy and smooth.

Serve with cooked pasta or serve as soup.

He told me he was going to board the airplane and waved me 'bye'.

This post is linked to the event Little Thumbs Up (June 2014 Event: Butter) organised by Zoe (Bake for Happy Kids) and Mui Mui (My Little Favourite DIY) and hosted by Jozelyn Ng (Spice Up My Kitchen)" 

Orgran vanilla cupcake (Gluten free)

 

 

This is another beautiful gluten free and wheat free product by Orgran. I have tried out their apple and cinnamon pancake last week. I was very impressed by the turnout. For this vanilla cake mix, instead of baking it as a 8-inch cake, I baked them as cupcakes. Again, they are very easy to prepare, it only required butter (or oil), water and egg. For vegan, you can opt out the egg. The batter was quite runny compared to the other cupcake batter I have made, but they turned out soft and fluffy. The texture was still good, and the flavor was better the next day, when eaten cold.

 

One pack makes about 10-12 cupcakes, you may also add in raisins, chopped cranberries or chopped fig into your cupcakes. I had about a teaspoon of peanut butter added into each of the cupcake. I filled the cupcake to about 75% full and they raised till the brim upon baking.

 

Ingredients (as per packaging)

• 165ml water
• 2 eggs, lightly beaten
• 60g butter (at room temperature) or 2tbsp vegetable oil
• 1 pack of Orgran vanilla cake mix

Instructions as per packaging:

1. Add contents of Orgran vanilla cake mix to 165ml water, 2 eggs (lightly beaten) and butter.
2. With electric mixer (I didn't use an electric mixer, I just used a folk), mix on low speed till evenly combined.
3. Pour batter into cupcake liner.
4. Bake in preheated oven at 170degC for about 20-25min or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean.