Mini Cream Puff aka 'Choux Pastry'

I've been wanting to make this puff for quite sometime but most  of the recipes looked way complicated for an amateur like me :-) I found this recipe from the book 'Caldo Recipes 2' sold in a local cake supply store. It looked very easy to make. I used the acoompanying custard recipe as well but will try to make durian custard when it is Durian season time. You can also fill it with whipped cream.

I had to make some adjustment on the baking time and manage to get a better product the at the 2nd try.

Ingredients

A. 50g High Protein Flour
     50g Low Protein Flour   * I used 100g all purpose flour the 2nd time
     pinch of salt
B. 35g Butter
    2 Eggs
    150 ml water

Filling: 80g instant Custard powder
          180ml drinking water
          1 tbsp Condensed milk

1. Add water & butter of (B) into a pot and bring to boil. Remove from heat and add ingredients (A). Use a pair of chopsticks to mix them together.
2. Add in eggs from (B) immediately and beat to form a smooth mixture with a wooden spoon.
3. Put into a piping bag fitted with a 'star' nozzle and pipe onto a tray lined with greaseproof paper.
4. Bake in preheated oven of 180 degree C for 20 mins.
5. Remove puffs and leave to cool. Make a slit at the side of each puff and pipe in filling. Keep chilled & serve.

Fillings: Mix water, instant custard powder and condensed milk together for 2 mins.

Fruit Cake

Most people associate fruit cakes with Christmas Season. Last years' Christmas I did not attempt the fuit cake as my family & I are not an avid fan of it. Few days ago I had an order for a fruit cake. With only 3 days, I had to try and bake a fruit cake that does not need to 'age'. Luckily I found one which just require to keep for a day. This recipe is taken from 'The Joy of Baking'.

Ingredients
A. 250g Butter                                                          D. 225g Flour
     250g Brown Sugar                                                    1/2 tsp Baking powder
                                                                                         1/2 tsp mixed spice
B. 1 tbsp golden syrup
     1 tbsp black treacle                                              E. 750g mixed fruits
                                                                                        50g flour
C. 4 cold eggs
     25ml Cold water

1. Beat (A) till creamy. Add in (B). Slowly add in (C ) and continue creaming and then fold in (D). Lastly fold in (E).
2. Pour batter into a 6 x 10 in cake tin that has been doubled lined with paper and buttered.
3. Bake in preheated oven of 180 degree C for 1 hour and then at 160 degree C for 1 hour or more.
(After 1 hour cover cake with foil to prevent the top from getting burn).
4. Take out and keep for a day. Sprinkle with rum or brandy.

Mini Nutella Cheesecake

I have been searching for recipes using Nutella as I was trying to finish it up before it expires in July 2010. Other than spreading on bread or sandwich in between cookies, I found few recipes using Nutella as one of the ingredient. I tried this one and found that it's almost like the Oreo cheese cuppies I made last time but my children says it smells like 'Ferrero Rocher' ha..ha..Thats Good I think.

500g Cream Cheese, softened
2 Eggs
3/4 cup Castor sugar
1/4 cup Nutella Spread
Some Oreo cookies or Chocolate Wafers

1) In a bowl, combine eggs & sugar & beat till fluffy.
2) Mix in Nutella & beat till combined.
3) Add in Cream cheese & mix till combined.
4) Put 1 oreo cookie or wafer to each cup. Pour cheese mixture into each cup 3/4 full.
5) Bake at 160 degree C for 25 mins.
6) Let it cool before leaving in fridge overnight.
7) I use Chocolate flavour whipped cream as topping but you can use butter cream, butter icing or chocolate ganache.

Seaweed Crispies

I used to buy this seaweed crackers by the containers during CNY as my family loves it and also a way of getting my youngest son who dislikes anything green to eat it. He only takes seaweed on its own or wrapped as sushi. He likes this crackers but not very into it...:-)

Recently I bought a book entitled 'Biscuit D.I.Y' published by One Publisher. The recipes inside are mostly the classic cookies and are not difficult to make.

This seaweed crispies is taken from the book:

1 packet Spring Roll Sheets (50 pcs)
50 pieces Seaweed Sheet
2 eggs (lightly beaten0
Oil for deep frying

1) Use a pastry brush to brush a thin layer of beaten egg on a piece of spring roll sheet.
2) Put a piece of seaweed sheet on top. Press firmly.
3) Proceed with the rest of the spring roll & seaweed sheets.
4) Use a scissor to cut into squares.
5) Deep fry seaweed spring roll pieces in medium hot oil till crispy. Remove & drain well before storing.

Melt-in-the mouth Cookies

Very very sorry for the lapse in updating my blog....Anyway, Chinese New Year is not officially over so if you run out of goodies, there's still time to bake some more cookies. Normally after the CNY open house, I will have lots of mandarin oranges leftover and also biscuits & cookies from the hampers given by friends & hubby's associates. I usually give them away as I noticed they are near expiring date. I think its one way for the supermarket to get rid of their stocks.

For this cookie, I got the recipe from a food blogger Angel, http://angelcookbakelove.blogspot.com/. This cookie is actually known as German cookie and is very easy to make. I find that it tastes better after a few days.

125g Butter
40g Icing sugar
125g Potato Starch
80g Superfine Flour
chopped red & green cherries (for decoration)

1) Beat butter & icing till fluffy & light in colour.
2) Sift in potato starch & flour. Mix to form a smooth dough.
3) Roll into small ball. (I used a piping bag & pipe into small cups)
4) Bake on top rack at 150 degree C for 20 mins. No need to bake till brown.