Custard and Chocolate Tarts

March Baking Time - our first try in making our own tarts. Yummy!!!

Custard and Chocolate Tarts

For Sweet Tart Dough

Ingredients

• 285g unsalted butter (at room temperature)
• 150g icing sugar (sifted)
• 100g finely ground almond powder 
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/s tsp vanilla extract
• 2 large eggs (at room temperature, lighly beaten)
• 490g all-purpose flour

Method

1. Place butter in the bowl (beat on low speed until creamy)
2. Add sugar, almond powder, salt, vanilla and eggs
   (on low speed beat to blend the ingredients, scraping down the sides of bowl as needed, 
3. dough may look curdled is ok)
4. Add flour in 3 or 4 additions and mix until mixture become a soft moist dough
   (at low speed, a matter of seconds so dont overdo it)
5. Gather the dough into a ball 
6. Gently press each into disk and wrap in plastic
7. Allow the dough to rest in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours, or for up to 2 days, before rolling and baking (dough can be wrapped airtight and frozen for up to a month)

Note

• Make this at least 1 day in advance because you need to chill and rest the dough for a minimum 4 hours or up to 2 days, before rolling and baking
• Please make the full quantity because lessening the measurement may not yield the best results
• Unused dough can be kept in refrigerator for up to 2 days or wrapped airtight and frozen for a month
• Frozen dough take about 45 minutes to an hour at room temperature to reach a good rolling out consistency. 
• Baked crust can be kept uncovered at rom temperature for about 8 hours

Prepare for baking

1. Pinch balls of dough and press them into each tart mould using your thumb
   Make sure you press more around the bottom rims where dough tends to gather
2. Place them back into the fridge for another 15 minutes before baking
3. While dough is chilling, preheat oven at 180°C
4. Put dried uncooked rice on the tart mould before baking
5. Fully bake the crust for about 20 minutes or until they turn golden
6. Transfer the crust to a rack to cool
   (Can keep uncovered at room temperature for 8 hours)

Oven Temperature: 180°C (Place rack in center of oven)

Time to Bake: 20 minutes

For the Crème Pâtissière

Ingredients

1. 1 cup of milk (236 ml)
2. 2 egg yolks
3. 1/4 cup caster sugar (55g)
4. 1/8 tsp vanilla extract
5. 2 tbsp cornflour
6. 1 pinch salt (only if not adding butter or using unsalted butter)
7. 1/2 tsp unsalted butter, for additional shine and firmness
8. Picture adapted from The Little Teochew

Method

1. Whisk together egg yolks, 1/4 cup milk (60ml), sugar and vanilla extract. 
2. Mix in cornflour and salt (if using).
3. Bring the remaining milk to a heat (just below boiling point) in a saucepan. 
4. Pour the hot milk in small stream into the egg mixture, whisking constantly with a balloon whisk as you pour (very important). Once incorporated, pour everything back into the saucepan.
5. Whisk the mixture over medium heat until it thickens and firms up. 
6. Remove from heat and whisk in butter.
7. Pour the hot custard into a bowl and plunge the bottom of the bowl into another larger bowl of iced-water to cool, give it a whisk occasionally. 
8. Once it reaches room temperature, scoop the crème pâtissière into a piping bag (twist the open end to seal up the custard) or into a ketchup bottle. 
9. Keep in the refrigerator until ready to use.

• A: Add yolks, 1/4 cup milk, vanilla beans, salt, cornflour in a bowl. In the meantime, bring the remainder 3/4 cup milk to a scald in a saucepan.B: Mix your egg mixture well.
• C: When the 3/4 cup milk is hot, stream it into the egg mixture to temper the yolks. You will get a pale-coloured, creamy liquid.
• D: Pour the liquid back into the saucepan and cook on low heat, stirring constantly. It will continue to thicken as it cooks.
• E: Add in butter. Just keep stirring until the whisk leaves swirls from the stirring. As it cools, the custard will thicken even further. 
• F: I like to store the crème pâtissière in a ketchup bottle because it makes the job of filling the choux puffs easier.

Assembling the Tarts

1. Hull and half the strawberries. Set aside.
2. Pipe the crème pâtissière into tart shells, into a rounded mound. This will provide the fruits with some support to stand at an angle.
3. Place the strawberry halves all around.
4. Close gaps with blueberries (optional).
5. Glaze the fruits (not the tart rims)
6. Strawberry jam, which intensified the flavour of the fresh strawberries.
   Other fruits, apricot jam is usually preferred because it is clear and does not mask the true colours of the fruits. (don't need a lot of jam ... as long as the fruits look shiny)
7. Chill the tarts (in a covered container) in the fridge till it is time to serve. The colder, the better. These are best eaten fresh. Do not keep them for more than 24 hours.

Recipe adapted from: The Little Teochew

Red Velvet Mini Cupcakes for Valentine!!

February!! Is Friendship and Valentine Day!! So we decided to bake something related!!

Yummy!! Yummy!! Everyone that eat it! Love it! Time to share our recipe.


Red Velvet Mini Cupcakes


Ingredients for Cake

•  250g sifted cake flour
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 tablespoons (15g) of Hershey Cocoa Powder
• 113g unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 300g granulated white sugar 
• 2 eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla esscence

• 240ml buttermilk (can be prepared by the method below)
• 2 tablespoon red colour dye

• 1 teaspoon white distilled vinegar
• 1 teaspoon baking soda

Perparing Buttermilk 

• 180 ml of Magnolia Fresh Milk 
• Half lemon (1 tablespoon) - alternative white vinegar

Let the mixture sit for 5 mins.

Oven Temperature: 175°C (Place rack in center of oven)
Time to Bake:10 minutes

Method

1. Sift together the flour, baking powder, salt and cocoa powder
2.  Using Electric Mixer to beat the butter until soft (abt 1 to 2 minutes)
3. Add sugar and beat until light and fluffy (abt 2 to 3 minutes)
4. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition
5. Scrape down the sides of bowl
6. Add vanilla esccence and beat until well mixed
7. In a cup, stir the buttermilk with the red colour dy
8. At low speed, alternally add the flour mixture and buttermilk to the butter mixture in 3 additons till well mixed. Beginning and ending with Flour
9. In a saucer, add baking soda to vinegar. Allow the mixture to fizz and then quickly fold into the cake batter.
10. Working quickly, place the batter on muffin cups and smooth the tops with the back of the spoon
11. Bake in preheated oevn for about 10 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the centre of the cupcakes comes out clean
12. Cool the cakes in their pans on a wire rack for 10 minutes and remove from pan
13. Let cool completely before adding the frosting, topping.

Recipe adapted from: Joy of Baking

Banana Crumb Muffins

Successful attempts of Banana Muffins. And it was finished in a few days by us and had to bake another batch for friends to try. So Yummy!!

Banana Crumb Muffins

Ingredients

• 190g all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 3 bananas, mashed
• 150g white sugar
• 1 egg, lightly beaten
• 75g butter, melted (which you can replace with vegetable oil, if you prefer)

Oven Temperature: 190°C
Time to Bake: 15 mins to 20 mins

For the crumb topping

• 75g packed brown sugar
• 2 tbsp all-purpose flour
• 1/8 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1 tbsp butter

Method

1. Mix Flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Sift.
2. In another bowl, beat together bananas, sugar, egg and melted butter. 
3. Stir the banana mixture into the flour mixture just until moistened.
4. Spoon batter into prepared muffin cups.
5. Preheat oven at 190°C
6. Preparing cumb topping. Using Zip Lock bag, mix together brown sugar, 2 tbsp flour and cinnamon. Cut in 1 tbsp butter until mixture mixed well. Sprinkle topping over muffins.
7. Bake in preheated oven for 10 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into center of a muffin comes out clean.

Recipe adapted from: The Little Teochew ; All Recipe

Kueh Bangkit - 3rd Time

We made another batch of Kueh Bangkit requested by our grandmother.
Batch 1 was successful but Batch 2 turn out to be not crispy. My father suggested to reheat the Batch 2 Kueh Bangkit and it really works. Now the it is very crispy and nice to eat. Yeah!! Now both batches are successful.

2 Batches of Kueh Bangkit 

Batch 1

• 150g tapioca flour
• 1 tsp of pandan essence
• 40g margarine
• 120g icing sugar
• 1 egg yolk
• 125ml coconut milk

Batch 2 

• 150g tapioca flour
• 1 tsp of pandan essence
• 30g margarine
• 140g icing sugar
• 1 egg yolk
• 125ml coconut milk

Method

1. Place a paper towel on a microwave safed bowl, add the tapioca flour and microwave for 1 minute. Set aside and let it cool. Microwave extra tapioca flour to flour the surface and kneading purpose. Fill the microwave safed bowl to about 1/3 or 1/2 each time. (If you do not have microwave, you can fry the flour)
2. Sift tapioca flour and icing sugar in a big bowl. 
3. Beat the butter and egg 
4. Add in the flour, icing sugar and coconut milk
5. Knead until the dough is pliable. (If the dough is wet or soft, add more tapioca flour, 1 Tbp. at a time and knead until it becomes a harder dough. Likewise, if it's too dry, add more coconut milk).
6. Roll dough on a floured table to about 3mm thickness. 
7. Use cookie cutters to cut the dough 
8. Bake on lined tray in preheated oven at about 150°C for about 10 to 15 mins depending on the thickness of the dough. (It will puff when baked)
9. Remove to cool completely before storing.

Note:

Make sure the dough is not too wet, if it can't hold the shape. When you rolled it out and cut it with a cookie cutter and placed it on the baking tray, the shape disappeared before your eyes. If this happen, add a little more tapioca flour and knead it again. But if the shape hold, you are fine to go.

Troubleshoot:
If cookie turns out to be soft and not crispy, can try reheat them again.

Recipe adapted from: Little Corner of Mine

Kueh Bangkit!! - 2nd Attempt

Kueh Bangkit!!
This time the kuah bangkit is more crispy and taste better than previous one. And the dough is not as cracky and is easier to cut.

Ingredients

• 375g tapioca flour
• 1 tsp of pandan essence
• 30g margarine
• 160g icing sugar
• 1 egg yolk
• 150ml coconut milk
  

Method

1. Place a paper towel on a microwave safed bowl, add the tapioca flour and microwave for 1 minute. Set aside and let it cool. Microwave extra tapioca flour to flour the surface and kneading purpose. Fill the microwave safed bowl to about 1/3 or 1/2 each time. (If you do not have microwave, you can fry the flour)
2. Sift tapioca flour and icing sugar in a big bowl. 
3. Add melted butter, yolk & coconut milk. 
4. Knead until the dough is pliable. (If the dough is wet or soft, add more tapioca flour, 1 Tbp. at a time and knead until it becomes a harder dough. Likewise, if it's too dry, add more coconut milk).
5. Roll dough on a floured table to about 3mm thickness. 
6. Use cookie cutters to cut the dough 
7. Bake on lined tray in preheated oven at about 150°C for about 10 to 15 mins depending on the thickness of the dough. (It will puff when baked)
8. Remove to cool completely before storing.

Note:

Make sure the dough is not too wet, if it can't hold the shape. When you rolled it out and cut it with a cookie cutter and placed it on the baking tray, the shape disappeared before your eyes. If this happen, add a little more tapioca flour and knead it again. But if the shape hold, you are fine to go.

Recipe adapted from: Little Corner of Mine