It’s been a while, more than 2 months and also the longest I’ve been away from this little space of mine. I was away for 2 holidays, had a good recuperation from all the all hard these years and indeed is a good one. Am ready to restart everything from Yr 2012.

A big thank you to all who are still visiting and those who dropped me emails. Here is wishing everyone a Happy and Blessed New Year!

I started with some festive cookies and this Green Pea Cookies remain to be my favourite and also most sellable cookies. The green pea powder could be purchase from Sun Lik for S$6.80 a kg.

Ingredients :
130gm deep-fried green peas (milled) or Green Pea powder
100gm icing sugar (to sift)
1/4 tsp salt
150g plain flour (to sift)
100gm groundnut oil

For glazing – 1 egg yolk beaten (which I omitted)

Method
1. Combine all ingredients well except the groundnut oil.
2. Add in groundnut oil to form a dough.
3. Roll dough in between plastic sheet and cut out cookies.
4. Bake in preheated oven at 170 degrees for 15-20 mins till well-baked.
5. Cool before storage

Adapted from Y3K New Year Cookies Book – Alan Ooi

I wanted a quick bake so stir ‘n’ bake suit me well. I saw this easy recipe from 爱’生活 My Life and as a lover of Mixed Fruits, it became a must try. What probably disappoint me is the packet of dried mixed fruits contain more raisins than any other fruits, will have to buy the dried cherries and orange peel to add in next time. With the usage of butter instead of oil, the cake flavour is more intense than those using oil.

Ingredients :
125g melted butter
50g caster sugar
3 beaten egg
120g Self-Raising Flour
40g mixed fruits (I added to 60g)
1 tsp vanilla bean paste (additional I add in)

1) Melted butter and whisk in caster sugar
2) Whisk in beaten eggs and vanilla bean paste
3) Fold in flour
4) Add in mixed fruits and mix well
5) Bake at 180 degrees for 25 mins.

Nothing beat a good slice of home baked cake.

Somehow walnut is a staple nut in the baking pantry and it’s important to get good walnuts so I dun mind paying a bit more, like those from US.

My 2 mini loaf tin which is just nice for this recipe. The smaller one measure 4.5cm (width) x 17.5cm (length).

I like how *almost* straight the edges are.

Coffee Walnut Cake
Ingredients :
150g plain flour
20g wheat germ *I omit*
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tbsp instant coffee powder
1 tbsp water
3 eggs
150g caster sugar
120ml corn oil
50 ml evaporated milk
60g walnuts

* I added 1 tsp of coffee emulco*

Method :
1. Grease and line two 8cm x 15cm small loaf tin
2. Sift flour, wheat germ, baking powder and baking soda in a mixing bowl.
3. Stir instant coffee powder with water until melted. Add in eggs, sugar, oil and evaporated milk.
4. Stir into flour mixture together with 50g chopped walnuts until well blended.
5. Pour mixture into prepared pan. Sprinkle with remaining chopped walnut in a pre-heated oven at 170 degrees for 30 mins.
6. Stand for 10 mins and turn to wire rack to cool.

Recipe adapted from Easy Stir n Bake Cakes by Kevin Chai

Good old favourite Butter Cookies for an order. Buttery and full of vanilla bursting when you bite on it.

Wanted to bake a pound cake to test a new loaf tin I got – super mini in fact, each slice is approximately just palm size!
Not only it’s easy to consume cos it’s small but I like that not having to bake too much which will take a few days to finish.

Mine din turn out as dark as the picture shown in the book probably because I didn’t add Kahlua and despite adding a good 20g of instant coffee (I did 2/3 of the proportion) the coffee flavour isn’t strong. Probably should have use Illy instead or add some Coffee Emulco or Coffee Extract will be good!

Coffee Pound Cake (for 8″ tin)
Ingredients :
150g unsalted butter
120g caster sugar
150g egg (approximately 3)
50ml milk
150g cake flour
2 tbsp instant coffee
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp cinnamon (which I omit cos I didn’t want it to cover the coffee flavour)
2 tsp Kahlua

Method :
1. Cream butter and sugar till white and fluffy.
2. Add in egg bit by bit till well mixed.
3. Sift cake flour, instant coffee, baking powder, cinnamon powder together.
4. Alternate fold in flour and milk.
5. Bake in a pre-heated 170 degrees oven  for 60 mins.

Recipe adapted from 123 Pound Cake

Taking a break from making mooncakes, here is an order of Angry Bird Cake – 7″ Dark Chocolate Cake cut into 3 layers and sandwich with a good 250gm of Valrhona Chocolate Ganache!

If you are keen to learn how to mould the Angry Birds, please email eo_garfield@hotmail.com. She is starting a new class on 1 Oct!
Find out more details here.

I love how pretty the egg yolks look!

Here’s another variation of mooncake to try but instead of sweetness, this is savoury! I first tried this mooncake made by K, she highly recommend me to give this different recipe a try. The filling is a mixture of  butter cake and salted egg yolk. With the snowskin slightly on the sweet side and banana flavoured, the salted filling did give a whole new dimension to mooncake.

The mixture of butter cake and salted egg yolk has a slightly sanded texture and can be easily rolled into a ball. I make them into egg yolk size and wrap around with Lotus Paste. I will recommend to make this type of mooncake small and the size you seen here is merely 25g.

Ingredients :
100g butter cake
3 salted egg yolk  (steamed and leave to cool)

Method
Blend both ingredients together and set aside to use.

Note
The original recipe call for 4 egg yolks to 100gm butter cake which I’m afraid it may be too strong hence I’ve cut down the proportion which I thought it’s just nice now.

Recipe adapted from Alan Ooi – Love.Mooncakes

I was quite resistant towards another type of mooncakes. To me, it’s baked or snowskin or agar agar but the 1st taste of Walnut Mooncakes handmade by Ida was so good that I told myself to remember to make it this year! The crust is so “酥” and as I made them smaller, it’s easier to eat them too. I made about 18 mooncakes (12 White Lotus Paste + 7 Pandan Paste) and receive very good reviews from family members and colleagues. Do give it a try!

Ingredients A
25g icing sugar
25g shortening
110g salted butter
1/4 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 tsp ammonium (can be omitted)

Ingredients B
1/2 egg

Ingredients C
190g plain flour
13g custard powder
1/4 tsp baking soda

Method :
1. Cream Ingredients A together till slight white and well mixed.
2. Gradually add in egg and mix well.
3. Sift Ingredients C together and add into mixture and form a dough. Do not knead.
4. Leave the dough in a plastic bag or cling wrap and leave in the fridge overnight or for a few days.
5. Weigh out the skin to 20g and 25g filling
6. Wrap lotus paste in the skin and decorate with Walnut (I stick walnuts to the side of the dough).
7. Apply egg wash and bake at 160ºC for 10 mins.
8.  Bring out and leave to cool for 10 mins.
9. Apply egg wash again and bake for another 15 mins.

Note :
- Feel free to adjust the proportion of skin and filling. I personally love the crust hence I didn’t mind thicker skin.

Recipe adapted from http://bakingmum.blogspot.com/2008/09/walnut-mooncakes.html