Pancakes

I made pancake for my kid as her breakfast this morning. She liked it very much. When it was hot, the surface was crispy. When it was cold, it was soft and fluffy. We spread Nutella on the pancake and it was delicious.

Recipe adapted from Food 4 Tots

Preparation and Cook Time: ~ 40 minutes

Make 8 pancakes.  

Ingredients:

65g      Superfine Flour

1tsp     Double Action Baking Powder

100ml   Milk

1tbsp   Castor Sugar

½ tbsp Sunflower Oil

1          Egg, separated (at room temperature)

Pinch of Salt

Method:

1. In a bowl, sieve flour and baking powder. Set aside.
2. In another bowl, whisk egg yolk, sugar and milk together until thoroughly combined. Then stir in oil and mix well.
3. Gradually stir in the sifted dry ingredients and mix till a smooth batter is formed.
4. In a clean bowl, whisk egg white with salt till they form soft peaks.
5. Gently fold the egg white mixture into batter with wire balloon whisk to roughly incorporate.
6. Heat a non-stick pan on medium low heat.
7. Pour little oil onto the pan and wipe with kitchen paper.
8. Change the heat to low.
9. Pour 2 tbsp pancake batter onto the pan and pan fry. Cook until air bubbles form and the edges are dry. Loosen and flip over. Fry till the surface turns golden colour. Once it is done, remove from pan.
10. Serve warm with your favourite dressing sauce.

Apple Muffins with Sunflower Seeds

I was trying to make an easy yet nice to eat little muffin. I tried this apple muffin with sunflower seeds. I am not sure is the texture used to be like soggy type or should it be a dry texture?! Anyway, I will share the recipe because this is the last baked cake from my oven. After I had finished baking the muffins, my oven’s door was sliding down and one of the screws dropped out. I need to send it to the service centre and not sure when I can get back my lovely oven.

This recipe is adapted from Food Lovers: Cupcakes & Delicious Bakes.

Oven Temperature: 200C

Baking Time: 20-30 minutes

Yield: 24 muffins (2.5 Oz each)

Ingredients:

30g      Sunflower Oil

4          Small Green Apples

225g    Superfine Flour

2tsp     Baking Powder

60g      Brown Sugar

1tsp     Mixed Spice

1          Egg

150ml   Plain Yoghurt

Topping: Sunflower Seeds

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 200C.
2. Peel, core and finely chop the apples.
3. Sift the flour and baking powder into a large bowl.
4. Stir in the sugar, mixed spice and apples.
5. Put the egg, yoghurt and oil in a jug and mix together.
6. Pour the liquid ingredients into flour mixture and stir for a few seconds until just combined.
7. Spoon the mixture equally into muffin cups. Sprinkle over the sunflower seeds.
8. Bake in the oven for 20-30 minutes until the muffins are well risen and firm. Leave to cool on a wire rack.

Soft Sweet Buns

I made the buns last week according to my friend’s recipe. The buns were really soft. It was tedious because of waiting the dough to proof. Anyway, this is the recommended type if you like to eat soft bun.

Oven Temperature: 200C

Baking Time: 12-15 minutes

Yield: 12 Buns

Ingredients:

(A)

280g    High Protein Flour

3.5g     Instant Dry Yeast

167g    Cold Water

(B)

120g    High Protein Flour

8g        Instant Dry Yeast

6g        Salt

80g      Castor Sugar

15g      Milk Powder

27.5g   Cold Water

40g      Eggs (1 Egg)

40g      Butter

29g      Shortening

(C) For Glazing

1          Egg White

1tbsp   Water

(D) Fillings: (Optional)

Chicken Floss

Cheddar Cheese

Hotdog

Method:

1. In a mixing bowl, mix well ingredients (A) without electrical mixer. Cover with cling wrap or towel and let the dough to proof in double size. This will take around 4-5 hours.
2. Mix the proof dough with ingredient (B) except butter and shortening. Knead the dough mixture till the flour is well combined. 
3. Add in butter and shortening. Continue to knead until it becomes smooth and elastic (non-sticky as well). (I used KA mixer to knead it at speed 3-4 for 20 minutes.)
4. Put the dough in a tupperware with cover and rest it in the fridge for 15 minutes.
5. Divide the dough into 50g each. Set aside for 15 minutes.
6. Shape the dough and put some fillings.
7. Allow the dough to proof for 1 hour at 40C. (I put it in the oven without switch on the temperature, but put a bowl of hot water underneath the tray.)
8. Brush the dough with glaze and bake at 200C for 12-15 minutes. 

Basic Swiss Roll

This is my first Swiss Roll after seeing my friend baked so many Swiss Rolls. First time to bake the cake and I found the cake baked with bubbles. I might need to shake the batter next time before I bake it.  

The steps are pretty simple and easy except the egg white mixture must be whisked till it forms a soft peak. The method is just similar to the chiffon cake method. I would say this is the basic Swiss Roll recipe and I still have rooms to improve. So, I will update the improvement methods for my next Swiss Roll.

Here is the recipe I baked for my first Swiss Roll.

Oven Temperature: 200C

Baking Time: 15 minutes

Mould: 10” x 14” x 1”

Ingredients:

For Sponge Cake:

(A)

4          Egg Yolks

25g      Castor Sugar

45g      Sunflower Oil

45g      Milk

85g      Superfine Flour

(B)

4          Egg Whites

85g      Castor Sugar

Filling: Strawberry Jam

Methods:

1. In a mixing bowl, mix well egg yolks and castor sugar.
2. Add in milk and oil. Mix well.
3. Fold in superfine flour and mix well.
4. In another clean mixing bowl, beat egg whites at low speed for 1 minute. Change the speed to higher. Add in sugar gradually when you see bubbles. Beat till soft peak is formed.
5. Fold the egg whites mixture into egg yolks mixture gently and mix well (not to overmix).
6. Pour the batter into greased mould. Use spatula to smoothen the batter surface.
7. Bake in preheated oven at 200C for 15 minutes or until you press the surface and it springs back.
8. Remove the cake from mould and cool at rack.
9. After 1 hour or the cake is fully cooled down, remove the cake from the baking paper.
10. Spread the jam on the cake.
11. Start to roll …. (I rolled the cake by mistake and it looks not round in the middle.)
12. Wrap and seal the cake with clean baking paper. Keep it in the fridge at least 1 hour to hold the shape.

Orange Muffins

These days the weather is not so good. We are encouraged to drink more water and eat more fruits to keep our body hydrated. To have some fruits in my pastries, I found I still have some Valencia oranges in my fridge. Something has just clicked in my mind! Orange muffins, here I go!

Oven Temperature: 180C

Baking Time: 15-20 minutes

Yield:  24 big muffins or (12 big muffins and 24 small muffins)

Ingredients:

(A)

250g    Butter (melted at room temperature)

(B)

180g    Castor Sugar

¼ tsp    Sugar

(C)

300g    Superfine Flour

1tsp     Baking Powder

10g      Milk Powder

50g      Ground Almonds

(D)

4          Eggs

(E)

50ml     Orange Juice

1tbsp    Orange Zest

Method:

1. Beat butter on slow speed for 30 seconds. Add in ingredients (B) gradually and beat on high speed for 3 minutes till creamy.
2. Change the speed to low speed and add in eggs one at a time. Mix well.
3. Fold in ingredients (C) and mix well.
4. Blend in Ingredients (E).
5. Spoon the batter into muffin cups and bake in preheated oven at 180C for 15 – 20 minutes.