Chiffon Cake, Finally!

Most of my friends and relatives know that I like to bake but I don't really like to eat cakes, or pies, or biscuits. I like to try out new recipes, test out my skills, and happy to see people around me enjoying the output. But there is one cake I do like and I will eat a couple pieces every time I buy them. It's the Chiffon Cake. It is very soft and light, not oily and I don't really feel stuffed after I ate it. I love them and I found out that Charlotte also likes Chiffon Cake. That makes me an excuse to try making it. Actually, I tried baking a Chiffon Cake many years back, when I was in my teen. But it was a total failure and I never touch on that recipe ever since.

I have been trying baking Chiffon Cake for the past few weeks and I had disasters that no one could imagine. I didn't come across any of the challenges mentioned in every recipe such as difficulty in removing the cake from the cake pan, egg whites not beaten to the right stage, cake did not rise properly and etc. What I had was my cake raised perfectly and I didn't have any trouble removing it from the pan because it fell off from the pan the moment I inverted it! So what I had from the last few attempts were all collapsed Chiffon Cakes that looked like this...although it all tasted great.

I asked the experts, I checked the recipe, I bought fresh ingredients, but nothing helps. Finally I was looking into my oven last night and I realized something. I realized that my baking tray was closer to the upper heat element of the oven than the lower ones. I recalled all my Chiffon Cakes had nice golden brown top but the bottom and sides looked "naked" when removed from the cake pan. Maybe the bottom wasn't completely baked and that's why it fell off the moment it was inverted. So I moved the baking tray to a level lower and tried baking another one. This time I tried the Orange Chiffon Cake recipe as I ran out of coconut milk (santan) for Pandan Chiffon Cake and I had no more bananas for Banana Chiffon Cake. I separate the egg yolks and eggs whites carefully and followed the recipe steps as much as possible. I want to rule out all the possibility of "is it something wrong with the ingredients I put, or is it my skill in making it".

And finally there is a decent looking Chiffon Cake from my oven...

And a happy customer...she's my biggest supporter afterall and she said "mommy, 你成功了!"

Next, I need to work on the skill removing the cake from the pan so that the side doesn't look so "cacat", haha!



年年有鱼(余)!

It's the year of Rabbit and Gong Xi Fa Chai everyone!! This year I didn't bake any of the Chinese New Year cookies because physically I just couldn't cope with the chores. However, I still did something, something easy but interesting --- Jelly. I bought several fish molds and with simple coloring I made Japenese Koi Fish Jelly, symbolizing 年年有余. My initial attempt only yielded half of the portion. The control of the coloring wasn't good, and the mold was a little too difficult to handle. But the result was very nice. So I decided to do it again, and I had 100% yield the 3rd time, at last. I gave this auspicious symbolic jelly away to my parents, brothers and in-laws. They all loved it!

I also had several demand of cakes that I used to bake, like the Orange Cranberry Buttercake and Cheesecake. I had my brother to buy back a big pack of dried Cranberries from the States and it was just in time for CNY baking. The biggest hit this year was a new Cheesecake recipe that I found. I tried it a couple of weeks before CNY, and I baked it for my parents on new year's eve and then I baked it again for another gathering with my in-law. It has great smooth and silky texture, not too sweet, not too heavy. I am definitely adding this to my recipe collection!

CNY Cookies II

Yes, I am in the mood to bake again. My last baking session was the Swiss roll back in Aug last year and I haven't been baking until last week when I did the CNY peanut cookies. I have plan for the pineapple tarts too although I wasn't very confident in making it.

Today, I thought of baking the pineapple tarts but then I went with the peanut cookies again. My dad gave me a tip when I gave a bottle of my last result to my parents. I said why my cookies were not as golden brown as those sold commercially? I did brushed the top with egg but still it wasn't as nice. My dad said I have to brush it twice actually, once before it went into the oven and take it out from the oven when it is half done and brush it again. Yup, he was the baking expert for my grandfather when my grandfather was running the famous Penang Dragon Ball biscuits shop. My dad was assigned to the oven baking role while my other uncle was assigned to make the pastry and fillings. My dad didn't know the ingredients for the different type of biscuits that my grandfather used to sell but he was the expert when comes to temperature and the finishing of the "product". The oven my grandpa had was an old fashion, huge, wood fire, and manual "oven" by the way.

So I took my dad's advise and true enough the cookies came out with very nice golden brown and shining look. I also found a perfect tool to imprint the circle on the cookies this time!

Actually, I outsourced the labor intensive part of the task to my maid this time. I measured all the ingredients called for, made the dough and brushed the egg and watch over the oven when it is about time to remove the cookies (the time on my oven is no longer working), and my maid did the rest, including the washing (hehe!).

So, while waiting for the peanut cookies to bake I started with the pineapple tart preparation. I rolled out the pineapple jam into small portions, made the pastry dough and line the baking trays. The dough smells very good already even before going into the oven because of the custard powder. Then it was ready for the action. I wasn't very confident in making pineapple tarts because this tool...

I couldn't imagine how to hand press the pastry through it but I was told by the seller that most people feedback that it is very easy to do with this tool! So I bought it with 80% of doubt, and 20% of back up plan in my head. I was planning on creating other shapes of pineapple tart if this failed. But true enough, it is a very simple yet good tool to make pineapple tart! See how nicely the tarts lining up on the baking tray and ready for the oven.

I used the egg brushing tip that my father taught me on these tarts too and they turned out very well! MIL was just visiting when I was ready to put these into the containers. I let her try one and she said very good (because I put a lot of pineapple fillings!). She happily took 1 container back (it only yield 2 containers actually).

I still have a small portion of pastry dough left, will do more pineapple jam and bake more pineapple tarts soon. Now I am getting the hang of it :)

CNY Cookies

I have never had the experience of making CNY cookies, not even when I was little. As business owner my parents used to get very busy around CNY and my mom has never bake any CNY cookies like other mothers with their kids and so I never know how to make the "kuey ka pek" nor experienced the "CNY cookies making environment" like other kids do.

Last week, I checked out the peanut cookies recipe and I was surprised that it is so simple. So I decided to give it a try and also let Charlotte to help out. I prepared all the ingredients in the afternoon and we were into action when Charlotte came home from school.

It was a very simple recipe indeed, and very easy to do. Charlotte totally enjoyed it!

My table top height is not right for Charlotte to do the task, it is either too low if she sits on a stool or too high if she stands on one. So, I put everything down on the floor and we were making the cookies in the "kampung" style, hehe!

Charlotte was all into it and she participated till the last dough. She then washed up and changed to her PJ and when she came down the cookies were ready! She gave a big thumbs up and said "Good", what a generous supporter! :)

I know, the print is wrong! It usually looks like a circle in circle, but this is just a hole in the middle *LOL*. I couldn't find the right tool to imprint the right shape on it, so I just took a chopstick and poke a hole in the middle *ha, lousy job*

She asked to pack the cookies into the nice containers and she brought it to her grandparents this weekends. She said "Ah Mah, I made this, you try la, so delicious you know!" *LOL*

I think this is a very nice and warm CNY greetings to giveaway and I'm going to adventure to another recipe next week, if I have time. Will see :)

Can't Get You Out Of My Head

Nah...I'm not talking about boys...I'm talking about my Swiss Roll! I kept wondering what could have went wrong ever since that 1st attempt. Actually I tried a couple more times after that, made some adjustments, tried to let the skin side cool and dry a little bit more, hoping it won't stick on the parchment paper but no, still failed. I didn't know what went wrong as I followed the recipe and instruction very carefully :(

I finally thought that I should be referring back to the person who shared this recipe and she told me that it probably due to the parchment paper itself (duh!). She mentioned that the only possibility is due to the type parchment paper that I used. Apparently not all parchment paper is good for this purpose and she uses the Glad specifically.

I so happened to be at a grocery store early this week, I was looking for a new roll of aluminium foil and sandwich bags but then I saw "GLAD Baking Paper"! Just the something that I should get for another try.

Actually the making/baking part is rather quick for Swiss Roll since it is only baking a thin layer and the washing is rather easy too. I decided to try it last night since both Charlotte and I had our dinner early, daddy was not home, and we were a bit bored. She helped me with the process until putting the batter into the oven. Then she lost her interest to follow through and I was crossing my fingers while watching over the oven closely. I took out the cake shortly after it turned brown and let it cool as instructed. Carefully I flipped the skin side down on a new sheet of Glad baking paper and quickly spread the strawberry jam on it and started to roll. I was very happy when the first turn came out clean!! Yeah, it worked, it worked!

See how beautiful it is! I was smiling ear to ear, admiring my own achievement (crazy, I know)...

Then I looked closer, I think I need to work on "tightening" the roll a bit more next time, which I think is easier to accomplish than trying to find out what went wrong to the skin side getting stuck on the paper earlier.

I'm sure going to bake a few more Swiss Rolls this weekends. Free Swiss Roll, any taker? :)

Have A Wonderful Weekend!!!

Birthday Surprise For Brother & SIL

My nephew Isaiah is enjoying his one month school holiday since last week and SIL is asking if there is anything for him to do to pass time. I told her I don't really know what to do with boys, I mean since I don't have one right?

Then a birthday reminder popped up on my cell phone and it is my brother's birthday on the 4th this month, and BINGO! I thought I have just a something for Isaiah. I told SIL and she agreed.

This was what we've been doing this whole morning...a lil birthday surprise for my brother (Isaiah's dad) and I included SIL in this surprise too since her birthday is just a week a way.

Actually, I did many of those miniatures days before as I knew Isaiah couldn't finished doing all that in a day. He was caught with a surprise himself when I told him what to do, he thought we are doing a big cake instead. It took him quite awhile to warm up, but he did the cars eventually.

I bake those cupcakes while letting Isaiah to have a little fun with the fondant. When the cakes were all cooled, I showed Isaiah how to assemble them. I started with the "happy birthday papa & mama" and he got the idea. He asked to let him decorate and assemble the rest.

The three faces represents the three boys (Solomon, Isaiah and Abraham) that my brother has and 2 cars that they owned and a house. Then I saw a volcano! I asked why is there a volcano? What does it represents? He said, mommy la, like volcano sometimes. Oops! (The volcano was the first thing SIL noticed when she came pick up Isaiah, luckily she didn't blow. LOL!).

I think he put a bit too much of sprinkles, looks too busy for me. Isaiah was definitely excited and thrilled to see his own creation and he couldn't wait for his daddy to come home :)

Will see what my brother says tonight. I bet his first reaction will be "huh? how to eat? all the coloring!" Yeah, my brother is a very conscious person. But I'm sure he appreciates the effort from his son :)

*The volcano is on the "b'day" cupcake. Not very clear from top view. Pardon my photography skill :p

My First Birthday Cupcake Creation

It's Pat's birthday today and I had this idea in my head since several days ago, something that I want to try and hopefully to put a smile on both Pat and Charlotte's face. I waited and waited, until this morning, after sending off everyone to school and to work. Finally, I have a nice quiet and peace of mind to work on my little "project".

I took out the fondant, colors, cutters, food picks, trays, rollers and I tied up my hair, washed my hands and...yes, I wanted to make birthday cupcakes for Pat! I just want to make something simple, not so much of fondant as we don't really have sweet tooth, not even Charlotte. Something simple yet meaningful, and hopefully not too sweet.

Honestly, I already know what I want the cupcakes to look like and I just get down to business right away. The clock was ticking and I needed to get everything done before Pat and Charlotte gets home. I did it just barely as Pat came home when I was assembling the cupcakes. Being his usual self, he didn't bother of what I was doing but just asked why I bake again, or maybe he knew?

After dinner, I told Charlotte to wish her daddy happy birthday and told her about this little secret. I asked her to bring the surprise to daddy...

We planned to have a little desert after dinner and I was really hoping to get nice ice-cream treat, like BR31 or Häagen-Dazs but Charlotte wanted McD Sundae twist :( Here I am trying to stay positively, it was good for our pockets and it was good for my diet too. My little princess is very easy to please, yes? :)

Happy Birthday Daddy!

Experimenting With Fondant

Back dated post...

I got a pack of ready-to-roll fondant for quite some time now but I didn't have the courage to open it. I am the kind of person that prefers to work quietly and alone especially when I want to try on something new. Somehow, privacy and "me time" have becoming something very important to me ever since I delivered Charlotte and had a maid at home (not anymore).

Now that I am a SAHM, I get to do what I want to do rather freely (except I am rather busier now than what I thought and almost couldn't find extra time to experiment new things). Anyway, I was stranded at home last Friday as Pat drove my car off for some meetings that he had to attend (his car is still in the workshop) and I had nothing for lunch. I thought maybe I should just get my hands dirty with the fondant :)

So, I baked Double Orange cupcakes and got myself busy with the fondant. Charlotte has been asking for "caterpillars" and "butterflies" ever since her good friend Chloe gave her one of Ann's creations. My skill is nothing compared to Ann's and I was laughing at myself while making those miniatures. I didn't have enough colors and my "bugs" were all having different colors than it should be and it all didn't look like what it should be either (LOL!)

Then I thought I want to make something simpler. Just small flowers and I started to look for my bento cutters. What I know was all those cutters seem too big for the cupcakes that I had in the oven! (need to do some baking accessories shopping soon) Then I thought maybe it wasn't that difficult to mold it with my hands. I should have learn from the "bugs" lesson but no...easy as it seems, not really. My flowers were all very primitive :( furthermore Pat was home before I finished my "project" and the nag started like bees in my ears.

Please don't laugh when you see what I did...
.
.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

The Double Orange was very good at least :) and it was really fun working on the fondant I tell ya. See if I get another chance to do it again, and hopefully I can do it better next time.

My First Attempt Of Making Swiss Roll

Now that I have becoming more and more skillful in baking spongecake I planned to try making Swiss Roll as my next challenge. I have been gathering ingredients, tools and methods for the past week for my first experiment today.

I woke up this morning having all the morning plans in my mind (in fact was already thinking about it the night before, heehee!) and one by one I quietly and quickly got the tasks done before I set my hands on the baking tools. I gotten Charlotte ready and sent her off for school, swiped and mopped the floor after returning home, put the laundry in the washing machine and get the eggs and butter out from the fridge to cool in room temperature (trust me, this mommy is very good at multi tasking).

By the time I am ready, the eggs and butter were ready too. I put the butter over a boiling water while started to get busy with the mixing in another bowl. When I was done with the cake batter and ready put it into the oven the washing machine had just finished its washing cycle too. So I get to hang all the washed clothes while monitoring the baking as it was advised to keep a close monitoring in order not to over bake the cake.

Everything went on very well. The cake came out well and I managed to spread Charlotte's favorite mixed fruits jam on it and it was ready to roll. I was so excited!

And....tada!!!

You must be thinking and envying how good I was, right? Look further...

Half way through the rolling I found the skin side got stuck on the parchment paper! Arghhhh!!! See the peeled off skin near the middle part of the Swiss Roll? When I was reading and preparing, I was worried about the cracking during rolling as it is the most common failure in making Swiss Roll. I never expect to have to deal with the skin-stuck-on-the-parchment-paper failure :( I suspected that I could have turned the skin side down a bit too soon and caused the failure like this. Also, the skin looks a little too damp than it should be. Nevertheless, it tasted great!!

I am going to try it again, hopefully will be able to share a nice piece of Swiss Roll with you soon :) As for now, anybody don't mind a piece of ugly but guaranteed good taste Swiss Roll? :D

How Would You Like Your Cookies To Look Like?

Enough of cakes, it's time for cookies. I am never good with cookies. The dough I make is always wet and soft, the cookies cutouts always stuck on the working surface. But it never stop me from trying :)

First I tried the doggie cookies again as Charlotte took an "order" from her friend in school. I made it with Horlicks this time and I love this version better than the Milo version. It looked better with the color contrast, it also tasted better.

The little bottles were for Charlotte's friends in school :)

Then I tried a new butter cookies recipe and when I was just preparing the dough I found it was a little dry than usual. So I thought this should be it as I always got it too wet and too soft. As I was rolling out the dough, it started to crack here and there :( I had to make the cutouts really carefully and transferring it from the working surface to the baking tray. I was harder than I thought but it worked!

It looked nice, tasted great but still need a little bit of practise on working with the dough :)

Yummy Chocolate Swirl Frozen Cheesecake

I have been baking almost every week lately, mostly improving my skills on some of the old recipes that I (and my family members) really love. Occasionally, I also try new recipes but only on those that really interest me, just like the cheddar cheese cake (I can't mention enough of this).

This week, I made my husband's favorite frozen cheesecake again with chocolate swirl. I did this a couple of weeks back for a family gathering but I forgot to take a picture. So I made it again just for the picture library and shared it with friends.

I tried to swirl with Ribena before, it tasted great but the color contrast wasn't very good because I didn't put enough amount of Ribena to make the purple color stands out. The last chocolate swirl that I made was not quite successful either as I had the chocolate portion to much and instead of making a swirl the whole cake almost looked like a chocolate cheesecake.

I think I did it alright this time although the patterns are still not to my satisfactory.

New Experience With Cheese Cake!

What is your experience with cheesecake? What come to your mind when someone mentioned about cheesecake? It is cheesy, rich, heavy, and you cannot eat much as the guilt builds up as you bite? Well, at least I feel that way every time I have cheese cake...but not any more!!

It is a whole new experience with the cheddar cheese cake! The ingredients are very light, the texture is soft and spongy, the cake melts in your mouth almost instantly! It does not taste as cheesy (surprisingly) and heavy as the ordinarty cheese cake. It is so soft and fine that you will want to eat another piece!

A friend of mine gave 4 pieces to me last week and I told her that I am not much a cake person. I like to bake but I don't like to eat. But I thank her anyway and put the 4 pieces untouched. Until that late evening, I was so hungry and I thought let's just settle the hunger with those cakes instead of have to run out and get something to eat or to cook. I took one, and another one, and another one, without knowing it I finished them all! I sms my friend and asked what that was and she said that's the cheddar cheese cake that she mentioned to me earlier.

I baked it myself and share it with with my in laws and friends, they all loved it!

Thanks Ann!