Monday, January 20, 2014

Crispy Baked Cod Fish Strips

I am not a good baker nor a good cook. But I love to test the recipes and love to bake/cook. Most of the time, my baking successful rate is higher than cooking. Anyway, most importantly, both my big man and little girl in the house do not fussy about my baking/cooking and yet, they always become my "white mouse" for all my bake/cook. :)

I see a lot of people making deep fried arrowhead (nga-ku) crisps and crabstick. I am so tempted to try. It looks easy for noob baker like me. But my intention always die when thinking the amount of oil needed and my kitchen condition. 

I joined a baking group in facebook and the people there are just too awesome! They share their bakes/tips/etc in the group. Ann from Anncoo Journal shared this very very very addictive and easy snacks for CNY, crispy baked cod fish strips. I warn you, this is very very addictive and I gotta hide this out of my sight, otherwise, I think it will be finish before CNY. 


Crispy Baked Cod Fish Strips
(adapted from Anncoo Journal)

Ingredients
2 pieces of medium size nori sheets I used roasted seaweed, the one use for handroll
50g of cod fish strips
adequate amount of egg whites
adequate amount of white sesame seeds (optional)

Method
1. Cut the nori strips about 2cm width and 5cm length.
2. Cut the cod fish strips into half.
3. Roll the nori strips over the cod fish strips (about 5-6 strips depending on your preference) and "glue" them with egg white.
4. Dap a little egg white on the nori and press on the sesame seeds.
5. Arrange nicely in the baking pan and bake at pre-heated oven 140c for 8-10mins or until turn golden brown.
6. Leave it cool and store them into air tight container.

Thursday, January 16, 2014

Blueberry Cream Cheese Butter Cake

I baked non-bake blueberry cheese cupcake before and it looked really awful and not promising. Since then, I have no courage to bake a cake. It looks so difficult to me and I afraid of failure, then all my effort, time and money will go wasted. :p 

I saw this blueberry cream cheese butter cake from Ellena Guan and I am so tempted to try to bake one. At least one. I gathered my courage once again and put my feet down to bake.

The cake was smelling so good after it came out from the oven. The cake is very moist and creamy topped with the fresh blueberries, it is very delicious! I love to have this after chill. It tastes so good to me. :) I'm so happy that I did it! Hubby non-stop compliment that this cake is very nice and even said better than those selling on the shelf! I'm flattered. :p 


The cake before pop into the oven. I was so nervous and praying hard it turns good at that point of time. I probably stop baking cake if this failed. :p


It looks so soft and fluffy after bake! If you like cheesecake texture like and creamier, then chill them in the fridge for overnight. :)

Blueberry Cream Cheese Butter Cake
(adapted from Cuisine Paradise)

*I halved the recipe for two reasons: 
 - Smaller cake for small family
 - Afraid failure! 

Ingredients
250g Philadelphia cream cheese, softened 
250g self-raising flour 
250g unsalted butter, softened 
200g caster sugar 
70ml fresh milk 
3 eggs 
1 tsp vanilla extract 
1/4 tsp of salt, optional 
250g fresh blueberries 

Method
1. Pre-heat the oven to 160c, grease and line cake tin with baking paper. 
2. Beat butter, sugar and vanilla using electric mixer until light and fluffy. Add in eggs, one at a time until well mixed.
3. Add in cream cheese and fresh milk and beat until smooth.
4. Add in flour and mixed well with spatula. Gently fold in blueberries (set aside some for toppings - optional).
5. Gently spoon the cake batter into the cake tin.
6. Pop into the oven for approximately 50 minutes or until a skewer in the middle comes out clean.
7. Dust with icing sugar when the cake is cooled.

I am submitting this post to the event, Little Thumbs Up hosted by Alice from I Love.I Cook.I Bake.


Tuesday, January 14, 2014

Melt-In-Mouth German Cookies

Baking marathon! I have been baking almost everyday since last two weeks. So much recipes in my mind to try for CNY. 

I have seen a lot this recipe from baking bloggers, melt-in-mouth german cookies. I never tried this cookies before and after seeing so many bloggers rave about this cookies, I told myself, I should try this! The recipe is quite easy and only needs 4 ingredients. 

I baked this babe last night. As it is my first time baking german cookies, I will start off with original flavour, vanilla. First thing I reached home after work is get the butter from fridge and leave it at room temperature before I have my dinner. This is what I usually do if I plan to bake for that night. :) As it was my first time tried and baked this cookies, I have nothing to compare whether it is good or not. It is indeed melt in mouth. As I have stuffy nose since yesterday afternoon, it blocked my taste bud. I can't really comment whether it is nice or not. My 3 year old girl, being my biggest fan for now, gave me thumbs up and asking me to pack some in her bento box tomorrow morning before I go to work this morning. LOL. 

I bring some to office for my colleagues. Colleagues in 20s commented that it is very nice buttery and vanilla fragrant. The melt-in-mouth texture is good! Colleagues in 30s and over commented that it is too plain and suggested me to mix with ground almond. 


Melt-in-mouth German Cookies
(adapted from Small Small Baker)

Ingredients
125g unsalted butter, room temperature 
40g sifted icing sugar 
125g potato starch
80g superfine flour/cake flour
1 tsp vanilla essence optional

Method
1. Cream the butter and icing sugar together until light and fluffy.
2. Add in vanilla (if any).
3. Sift in potato starch and superfine flour. Mix well with spatula to form a soft dough. Note: my mixture appears too soft, sticky and wet to shape. I keep the dough to chill in the fridge for about 15 minutes. 
4. Roll the dough into small balls and arrange on lined baking pan and press lightly with a fork. Remember to dip the fork in the water after each press to prevent cookie dough from sticking to the fork. I didn't in the beginning and the cookie dough keep on sticking on the fork and it really frustrated me and I almost wanted to throw away all the dough! LOL. I keep the dough back to the fridge to chill while waiting the first batch to bake in the oven. You no need to do this if your oven able to bake all at one time (my oven is small). 
5. Bake in pre-heated oven at 170degree for 15mins, upper rack (need not bake till cookies turn brown). I baked at 160degree for 16-17 mins as my oven only has even number temperature. :p

Try bake this babe at your own and let me know your verdict! 

I am submitting this post to the Bake Along event hosted by Zoe of Bake for Happy Kids, Joyce of Kitchen Flavours and Lena of Frozen Wings for the theme of: Chinese New Year Cookies. 


Monday, January 13, 2014

Chocolate Chip Cookies Recipe

I love chocolate chip cookies that I keep looking for good chocolate chip cookies recipe. I shared in my blog before on the chocolate chip cookies recipe that I used to bake since last year. I received lots of compliments on that chocolate chip cookies from my colleagues and friends. :) However, I am still searching for nice chocolate chip cookies that resembles Famous Amos cookies. I'm happy that I found it, from Wendy. :)

I baked again in whole lots for my friends and colleagues as Christmas gift this year and all of them love it! They said it is really taste like Famous Amos cookies. Even my hubby loves to munch them one after one while watching TV (he is not chocolatey person). 

I am happy with this recipe and I am going to bake this again for CNY. 


Ingredients
(recipe adapted from WendyinKK)
250g unsalted butter, room temperature I used SCS unsalted butter
200g brown sugar
1tsp salt I replaced with sea salt
2tsp vanilla essence 
2 eggs
500g chocolate chips 
400g flour
2tsp baking powder

Method
1. Line baking tray with parchment paper and pre-heat the oven to 180C.
2. Cream butter and sugar together until light and fluffy.
3. Add in eggs (one at a time), vanilla essence, salt and mix until well combined. This is wet mixture.
4. Sift in the flour and baking powder together. Gently fold in the chocolate chips. I used balloon whisk to mix them well. This is dry mixture.
5. Put the dry mixture into wet mixture and combined well using spatula.
6. Scoop 1tsp of cookie dough onto baking tray (line with parchment paper), leaving some space in between each cookie (they will spread!).
7. Bake at 180C for 15 mins.
8. Leave it cool completely before store them into airtight container. 

I am submitting this post to Bake Along event, Chinese New Year cookies again. :)


Friday, January 10, 2014

Almond Crisps Recipe

Hello all! I have been stopping to blog on my bento for quite some time. The reasons are because I only pack very simple snack bento for my little girl to daycare/nursery which I don't think the bento is worth to blog about. It is just very simple one. But I do take photos of the bentos I made occasionally. I update in my IG very timely usually. LOL. 

As Chinese New Year is around the corner, everyone is rushing to do spring cleaning and baking. For me, I have not started on spring cleaning yet, but I started baking. I started with almond crisps this year as I found this recipe for quite some time and I just can't wait to try! This almond crisps is a hit for my little girl and big man in the house! I uploaded my almond crisps photo to my fb wall and also baking group, and it was a hit among the baking mommies too. Many requested for the recipe, so I think it is better for me to quickly share the recipe here, so you guys manage to try this recipe for CNY bake. :)


Almond Crisps Recipe
(recipe adapted from food-4tots - you may check out this page for step-by-step photo tutorial)

Ingredients
2 large egg white, room temperature
50g plain flour (sifted twice) I used organic unbleached plain flour
60g castor sugar 
30g unsalted butter (melted)
100g almond flakes

Instructions
1. Line the baking tray with parchment paper.
2. Pre-heat the oven to 160 degree Celcius.
3. Whisk the egg white with hand whisk until you see white bubbles. Add in castor sugar and beat until the sugar dissolves.
4. Add in sifted flour and mix well until no traces of flour and lump-free.
5. Use spatula to fold in the almond flakes gently so not to break the almond flakes.
6. Stir in melted butter and mix well.
7. Spoon 1 teaspoon of mixture on the baking tray. Spread out the mixture using fork. Try to spread it very thinly and evenly (no overlapping of the flakes).
8. Bake at 160 degree Celcius for 13-15 minutes. 
9. Remove from the oven and leave it cool completely before store them into the air tight container. 

I am submitting this post to Bake Along event, Chinese New Year cookies for the first time! Please kindly click on the image below to check out more Chinese New Year cookies recipe.