Pineapple & Coconut Cupcakes

My spouse likes to buy fruits to feed the family. Then he will made everyone eat. It's a good thing because by forcing my children to eat, it really build up their immunity. I must say, my children are quite healthy. They don't get sick very easily, thanks to their daddy.

This week, we bought a lot of fruits, but he were away for business trip. There were so much fruits at home - watermelon, apple, honeydew, pineapples, jackfruits and bananas! Gosh, we could not finish them within a week! So I decided to bake Pineapple & Coconut Cupcakes. The cupcakes were creamy, soft and fluffy. It's really nice, and I think it can be used as a basic cupcake recipe.

Recipe for Pineapple & Coconut Cupcakes, adapted from the hummingbird bakery cookbook.
(Makes 12 regular cupcakes)

Ingredients:
120g Plain flour
80g Caster sugar
1 1/2 tsp Baking powder
A pinch of salt
40g LIV unsalted butter, room temperature
120g Whipping cream
1 tsp Vanilla extract
1 tsp Coconut oil (optional)
1 Whole egg
2 slices Pineapple (fresh or canned), cut into small pieces
Some Desiccated honey coconut

Method:

1. Put the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt and butter in a mixing bowl.
2. Using a whisk, mix until you get a sandy consistency and everything is combined.

3. Mix the cream and the vanilla extract in a separate bowl, then beat into the flour mixture until combined.

4. Add in the coconut oil, followed by egg and beat well. Scrape down the sides and mix well.

5. Divide the chopped pineapples between the paper cases.
6. Spoon the cupcake mixture on top until two-thirds full. Sprinkle desiccated coconut on top.

7. Bake in the preheated fan oven of 160C for 20mins, or until golden.
8. Leave the cupcakes to cool slightly in the tray before turning out onto the wire cooling rack to cool completely.

Hazelnut Bakewell Tart

This post is sponsored by Liv butter. Try Liv today!

After a super long holiday in Germany during October, it was quite difficult to get back to my baking. :p I can only salivate at all other food bloggers' good foods and bakes.

After thinking and browsing through the recipes, I finally decided to bake a simple tart - Hazelnut Bakewell Tart. I realised that hazelnut-related snacks are really cheap in Germany. They have abundant hazelnut snacks - chocolates, wafers, biscuits and what-have-yous. I also didn't hesitate to buy a packet of 200g ground hazelnut (crazy me). So for this tart, I decided to use all hazelnuts. I even used ground hazelnut for my tart crust. All in all, it's a wholesome hazelnut treat!

Recipe for Hazelnut Bakewell Tart, modified from Kitchen Corner.
(Makes a 9" tart)

Ingredients:
Use your favourite tart crust recipe.

For the fillings:

100g Ground hazelnuts

25g Plain flour

1 tsp Hazelnut extract

83g Liv Unsalted butter

50g caster sugar

1 egg

50g Halved hazelnuts, toasted

Some chocolate ganache, or Nutella

Method:

1. Prepare your tart crust and mould it into the tart pan. Place it in the fridge until ready to use.
2. For the fillings, cream the butter, sugar and hazelnut extract in a bowl until light and creamy.
3. Add in the ground hazelnut, plain flour and beaten eggs and mix well.
4. Place in the fridge to firm up for at least half an hour.
5. Spread the chocolate ganache into the tart crust. Then spread the hazelnut cream over the chocolate.
6. Arrange the toasted hazelnuts on the surface of the hazelnut batter, pressing them in lightly.
7. Bake the tart in the 180'C preheated oven for about 25 minutes. Remove tarts from the oven and leave it to cool.
8. Spread a layer of chocolate ganache on top, and refrigerated.
9. Serve chilled.

Tiramisu Birthday Cake

My elder sister just returned from her Italy holiday last week. She was very kind to host an Italian dinner for us last evening. She shared with us her truffles and porcinis. It was a wonderful family dinner!

To complement her Italian fare, I made a Tiramisu cake, also to celebrate my spouse's birthday. I remembered Annie had a tested and proven recipe on her blog, so I used her recipe. It was so good that everyone had seconds after that heavy dinner!! Even my mum who doesn't like coffees, had second piece. Ok, I shan't say more, you know how good it is now. This is definitely a keeper for me!

Recipe for Tiramisu, adapted from Annielicious.
(Makes a 8" square cake)

Ingredients:
8 tsp Instant coffee powder
8 tsp Caster sugar
15 tsp Kahlua (Coffee Liqueur) + 3 tsp Kahlua
500g Mascarpone Cheese
200g Chilled Whipping Cream (I used all of my remaining 245g)
2 large Eggs
1 large pack of Cantreau brand Savoiardi (Sponge Fingers)
Cocoa Powder (To sieve on top before serving)

Method:

1.   Mix 8 tsp instant coffee powder and 8 tsp caster sugar in a bowl. Add 15tsp Kahlua into the coffee mixture. Stir until coffee and sugar completely melted. (I added about 2 tbsp water to the mixture thereafter)
2.   Pour coffee mixture into a dish. Dish length must be longer than the Sponge finger.
3.   Whisk cold whipping cream till stiff. Once done, put the cream back to the fridge.
4.   Separate egg whites and egg yolks. Beat egg yolk till pale color.
5.   In another clean and dry mixing bowl, beat the egg whites till stiff peak.
6.   Add mascarpone cheese into a mixing bowl, add egg yolk and mix well.
7.   Add in whipping cream, egg whites and 3 tsp kahlua into the mascarpone mixture. Mix until everything is incorporated. Put the whole bowl of mixture back to the fridge for later use.
8.  Prepare a 8" square mousse cake ring.

Assembling: 

1st Layer – Dip sponge fingers (Sugary side) into the coffee mixture. Do not wet the sponge finger too much. Just dip in, count 1, 2, 3. And you will have to take the sponge finger away.  
Cut the sponge fingers to fit onto the cake tin (if required). Put dipped sponge fingers into the cake tin, sugary side up.

2nd Layer - Spread the creamy mixture on top of the sponge fingers. Sift some cocoa powder on top.

3rd Layer – Repeat step 1. Dip sponge fingers into the coffee mixture (non-Sugary Side this time). Put another layer of sponge fingers on top of the cream.

4th Layer - Spread the creamy mixture on top. Again, sift some cocoa powder on top.

5th Layer - Dip whole sponge fingers into the coffee mixture. (I wanted to use up the coffee mixture, so I dipped the whole sponge fingers into the coffee mixture). 

6th Layer - Cover the sponge fingers with the remaining creamy mixture. Place the cake ring on a cake container and keep it into the fridge for at least 8 hours. I kept mine overnight.

Finishing:

1. Using a spatula, loose the sides of the cake ring, Remove the cake ring from the cake.
2. Sift cocoa powder on top. Wipe away the cocoa powder at the side to give it a clean finishing.
3. Use the sponge fingers to place it at the side of the cake. As I do not have sufficient, I cut some into half.
4. Serve the cake.

Note: The Kahlua alcohol wasn't that strong after keeping it in the fridge for a day. As I am very sensitive to alcohol, I couldn't really taste the alcohol, which I really like. Therefore, it's good to make the day before you want to serve.

马来糕 Ma Lai Koh (Steamed Cake)

This post is sponsored by Liv butter. Try Liv today!

My transport mate was sharing with me that she liked the pau recipe from "Delightful Snacks & Dim Sum" by Agnes Chang. I told her that I also had this book and likes her recipes too. So this evening, when I decided to do a steamed cake, I thought of this book almost immediately. And so, I chose this Steamed Cake, 马来糕.

This recipe is very simple, and the result was a light, fluffy and custardy steamed cake. It was really nice.

Recipe for 马来糕, Steamed Cake, adapted from "Delightful Snacks & Dim Sum" by Agnes Chang

Makes a 8" round basket.

Ingredients:

(A)

120g Bread flour, sifted

90g Plain flour, sifted

1 tbsp Custard powder, sifted

(B)

200g Caster sugar

120g Liv Unsalted butter, melted

3 Eggs, mixed with 1 tsp vanilla extract, beaten lightly

180g Whole milk

(C)

3 tsp Baking powder

1/2 tsp Dark soya sauce

Some sunflower seeds (or other nuts)

Method:

1. Sift ingredient A into a big mixing bowl.
2. Add in ingredients B and mix thoroughly.
3. Add in ingredients C and mix well.
4. Pour into an 8" round basket lined with baking paper.
5. Sprinkle some sunflower seeds on top.
6. Steam with high heat for 35mins until cooked.
7. Cool, cut into pieces and serve.

Durian Puffs

This post is sponsored by Liv butter. Try Liv today!

About five years ago, dad started organising a family gathering for all his siblings and their children at his place. It is usually after the seventh month of the Lunar calendar. During the first party, I made durian puffs from the leftover durians that he had given me. Since that year, every year, I will make durian puffs for his party. My relatives, big and small, all loved the puffs. However, I wasn't consistent. Every year, I used different recipe for the choux pastry. 

Perhaps my relatives who only had it once a year at the party, were full of praises for the durian puffs. I supposed it was mainly due to the quantity of good durians I have in the puffs. However, my siblings, being more picky, preferred one of the year where the puffs were very light. So I deduced that the best choux pastry I ever made was from that recipe which used more egg whites. And this year, I decided to use that recipe that produces a light and thin pastry puff. I didn't have the chance to try the puffs as two trays were snapped up in minutes. In fact, many of my relatives remembered dad's party for my durian puffs. ^~^

Therefore, here is the best choux pastry for you - Rose Levy Berandaum's Cordon Rose Cream Puff Pastry.

Recipe for Durian Puffs
Makes approx. 110 mini puffs

Choux Pastry, adapted from Rose Levy Berandaum's "The Pie and Pastry Bible".

Ingredients:
236g Water
113g Unsalted Liv Butter
1 tsp Sugar
1/2 tsp Salt
142g Plain flour
(240g) 3 large Whole Eggs + 3 Large Egg whites (I used 60g eggs with shell and came out to be approximately 258g, and I used them all.)

Method:

1. In a medium saucepan, combine the water, butter, sugar and salt and bring to a full rolling boil.
2. Immediately remove the saucepan from the heat and add the flour all at once.
3. Stir with a wooden spoon until the mixture forms a ball, leaves the sides of the pan, and clings slightly to the spoon.
4. Return the pan to low heat and cook, stirring and mashing continuously, for about 3 mins to cook the flour.
5. Without scraping the pan, empty the mixture into a mixing bowl.
6. Turn on the k-beater, and add whole eggs one at a time, followed by egg whites, beating them to incorporate after each addition.
7. The mixture will be smooth and shiny, and should be too soft to hold peaks when lifted with a spoon. If it is to stiff, add a little extra water.
8. Prepare a tray with baking sheet or silicon mat.
9. Fill a pastry bag, fitted with Wilton 1M nozzle, with the mixture.
10. Pipe puffs about 1 inch in size, and 1/2 inch apart from each other onto the sheet.
11. Bake for 10mins at preheated fan oven of 220C. 
12. Then lower the temperature to 180C, and continue baking for another 15mins or until golden brown.
13. Remove from the oven and leave it on the rack to cool completely.
Durian Fillings
200g Whipping cream
800g Durian pulps

Method:

1. Whipped the whipping cream till soft peak.
2. Add in the durian pulps, and fold to incorporate.
3. Use a handheld blender and blend the mixture till smooth.

White Chocolate Decoration
60g White chocolates, chopped finely

Method:

1. Melt the chocolates. If too dry, add some cooking oil, and mix well, till smooth.
2. Set aside for later use.

To fill the puffs:

1. Slit the bottom of the puffs with a small sharp knife.
2. Fill a pastry bag fitted with Wilton #6 round tip with the durian filling, and put it through the slit hole.
3. Gently pipe in the fillings and move the tip out as you feel the fillings being filled in the pastry.
4. Fill a paper silicon cone piping bag with white chocolate. Cut the tip.
5. Decorate the durian puffs with white chocolate and serve.

Charcoal Chiffon Cake

Baking is contagious, especially so when you are connected to baking friends on your Facebook, or baking groups. When I saw Veronica with her charcoal zebra cake, it reminded me that I have still have charcoal powder to be used.

So here is my Charcoal Chiffon Cake. It's really light and fluffy, tasted sweet, with a hint of sesame. Can't taste the charcoal though.

Recipe for Charcoal Chiffon Cake.
Makes an 8" Tube pan

Ingredients:
4 Egg yolks
20g Caster sugar
50g Cooking oil
55g Whole milk
80g Self-raising flour
1/2 tsp Charcoal powder

4 Egg whites
1/2 tsp Corn flour
65g Caster sugar

Method:

1. Beat egg yolks with sugar in a bowl. Add cooking oil, mix well, followed by milk, then mix.
2. Sieve flour and charcoal powder into the mixing bowl. Mix till incorporated. Set aside.
3. Mix the cornflour into the sugar. In a separate mixing bowl, beat the egg whites till foamy.
4. Gradually add in the sugar.
5. Beat till just before stiff peak.
6. Take one third of the egg whites and gently fold them into the egg yolk batter.
7. Then pour the egg yolk batter into the egg whites and fold till incorporated.
8. Pour the batter into a 8" tube pan.

9. Bake it in a preheat fan oven of 160C for 45mins.
10. Remove from the oven and invert the cake into a bottle until it is completely cooled.