Longan Mousse Cake

Made this Longan Mousse Cake for YN's Birthday on the 7th Feb and also celebrates "My Blog First Anniversary" on the same day.

I completed 249 posts and 96318 visitors this past year which exceeded my own expectations. It's been such a great year and I got to know so many great bloggers who I consider to be friends. I'm really grateful to all of you who visit my blog. Its really means a lot to me...THANKS TO BLOGGERS!

Sponge Cake

2 Large cold eggs

30g Ice water

125g Optima flour

35g Corn oil or melted butter

1tsp Vanilla essence and few drops of rose pink colouring

• Put all ingredients in mixing bowl except corn oil and whisk till thick.
• Then slowly add in corn oil, mix well and pour into a 8" lined cake tin.
• Bake at preheated oven 180C for about 20 mins.
• Remove cake from tin, leave to cool and cut cake into 2 slices.

Longan Mousse

2 cans Longan in syrup~strain longan & keep syrup, cut 50g longan into small pieces

200g Longan syrup

100g Full cream milk

20g Sugar

20g Gelatine

100g Whipping cream + 200g Fresh milk

1/2 tsp Almond essence (optional)

Method:

• Soak gelatine with 2 tbsp water.
• Boil 200g longan syrup and sugar together till sugar dissolved, add gelatine~stir well till boiled.
• Remove from heat and add milk & almond essence into it, mix well~leave to cool and put in fridge for about 5-8 minutes till longan mixture thickened a little.
• Whip up fresh cream and whipping cream together to soft peak and fold into longan mixture with a hand whisk. Add in 50g longan pieces.
• Sandwich the cake layers with longan mousse in an adjustable cake ring.
• Press whole longan gently on top of longan mousse.
• Chill the longan mousse cake for at least 4 hours or overnight.

Jelly Topping

200g Longan syrup + 80g water & a drop of rose pink colouring

1tsp Gelatine

30g Instant jelly

• Boil jelly topping ingredients together and let it cool down a little. Then slowly pour liquid on top of the logan mousse cake.

Kitchen note: Add few pieces of fresh red berries or red chelory (wash and pat dry), place on top of longan before pouring jelly topping.

Almond Cookies

This year 2010, Year Of The Tiger~ Chinese New Year has fallen on the same day as Valentine's Day (February 14). Today I made this melt in your mouth heart-shaped Almond Cookies for all bloggers who have visited my site.

Wishing ALL Happy Lunar New Year & Happy Valentine's Day.

Ingredients:

250g Plain flour

1 tsp Baking powder

3/4 tsp Baking soda

1/4 tsp Salt

90g Icing sugar

60g Ground almond

130g Corn oil

Method:

• Sift all the dry ingredients together in a large bowl.
• Make a well in the centre and pour in corn oil.
• Use spatula to mix the ingredients till combined and use hand to knead it into a soft dough.
• Roll dough between 2 plastic sheets to a thickness about 3mm. click here
• Cut out the dough by using cookie cutter and use a small palette knife to lift up the cut-out soft dough and place on a baking tray lined with baking sheet.
• Lightly brush the dough twice with egg wash. (1 egg with 2 tsp water and 1-2 drop of egg yellow colouring)
• Sprinkle extra some almond nibs on top if you prefer.
• Bake in preheated oven at 150C for about 20 mins or until golden brown.
• Leave cookies to cool on wire rack and store in airtight container.

Kuih Bahlu

Kuih Bahlu, Kuih Baulu or Kuih Bolu (鸡蛋糕) is one of the many traditional Chinese New Year goodies not to be missed.

Ingredients:

3 Large eggs

90g Sugar

1 tsp Vanilla extract

90g Plain flour

3/4 tsp Baking powder

Method:

1. Place a greased kuih bahlu mould into a preheated 190C oven.
2. Whisk egg at full speed for 1-2 minute until light, pale and frothy.
3. Add sugar and vanilla extract and beat at full speed for another 1-2 minute until thick and creamy.
4. In another bowl, sift together the flour and baking powder. Fold lightly into the above mixture with a hand whisk.
5. Grease the heated greased mould again, scoop batter and fill to the top of the mould.
6. Bake at 190C for 7 minutes or until the top is golden brown.
7. Remove kuih bahlu from mould with the aid of a skewer and leave to cool on a wire rack. Continue with the rest of the batter (step 5-7).
8. Store in an airtight container.

Recipe from The Waitakere Redneck's Kitchen

Click HERE to watch the demo of making kuih bahlu

Kitchen note: This Kuih Bahlu is spongy and light, not the crispy type. 这个鸡蛋糕是有一点弹性带软，不是很酥脆。

Sushi Cake and Birthday Gifts

Surprised! Received a package today (25 Jan afternoon) from Rachel Hei, she is so sweet to remember my big day...Yes, today is my Birthday *-* The knitted clips are very pretty were made by Rachel and the magnet cute "Finnegan" was bought in Ireland when Rachel and her family went there for Christmas holiday.

Thank you very much Rachel for sending all these special gifts and the lovely cards to me , I almost don't mind getting another year older ;D

This is the first time that I made a birthday cake for myself . Being baking so many sweet cakes, just for a change I decided to make Sushi cake.

Very simple cake~ line cling wrap at the base of the mould, mix cooked sushi rice with some toasted sesame and dried wakame (bought this in Daiso) and press it into the mould. In between the cooked sushi rice, place one sheet of beaten fried egg, spread some mayonnaise and nori seaweed in it. Cover the last layer of sushi rice with cling wrap and give a good press on the sushi rice so that sushi rice will stick together and put in the fridge for about at least one hour or more.

Remove the cling wrap and carefully overturn sushi cake on a serving plate. Decorate the top as desire. I sprinkled some fish roe on top and slice fresh salmon (sashimi) into long strips and roll it into a rose form. Hope you all will like it and come to share with me, especially Rachel.

The beautiful cake is made by Rachel ~ Thank you Rachel, I love it!

This cute birthday card is from Sharon Lim~ Thank you so much, Sharon.

Butter Cookies

A quick and easy recipe that some of you might like to try~Very buttery fragrant and crispy. Recipe from 星厨房

Ingredients:

200g Butter (use good butter~ Lurpak or SCS)

50g Icing sugar

150g Plain flour with 50g Corn flour (sifted)

• Beat butter and icing sugar till creamy and smooth.
• Add in flour and mix well till batter becomes a soft dough.
• Scoop dough into piping bag and pipe dough evenly on baking tray.
• Bake at preheated oven at 180C for about 15 minutes or golden brown.
• Allow cookies to cool and store in airtight container.

Wordless Wednesday

SURPRISED KITTY

Apple Cake

Ingredients:

180g Butter, keep at room temperature

Grated zest of 1 lemon

140g Sugar

3 Eggs, lightly beaten

210g Self raising flour, sifted

100ml Milk

1 tsp Vanilla essence

2 Green apples, peeled and quartered, soak in salted water before slicing

Method:

• Beat butter, zest, vanilla essence and sugar until light and fluffy.
• Beat in the eggs, a little at a time, until well combined. This should take about 3 minutes.
• Fold in the sifted flour and milk alternately until well mixed.
• Place batter into a lined 20 cm cake tin.
• Place apples round side up on top of cake batter.
• Baked in a preheated oven at 180C for about 40 minutes. Remove from oven.
• Brush with apricot jam while cake is still hot. (1 tbsp hot water + 2 tbsp apricot jam)
• Serve warm.

Received Two Awards from :

Michelle See , My Little Things Corner, Dodol Mochi & Cooking with Thas

Aux Delices Des Gourgmets

Thank you very much ~ Michelle, My Little Things Corner, Dodol Mochi & Cooking with Thas and Aux for passing these Awards to me.

Cheesy Cookies

Ingredients:

300g Soft butter

60g Crisco

200g Cheddar cheese - grated

1/2 tsp Salt

160g Icing sugar

600g Plain flour

1 tsp Baking powder

Method:

• Sift flour and baking powder together.
• Beat soft butter, crisco, salt and grated cheddar cheese until light and white.
• Then add icing sugar and mix well and slowly add flour, mix mixtures to a soft dough.
• Divide dough into 3 portions, roll one dough at a time between 2 plastic sheets to a thickness about 3mm.
• Cut out the dough by using cookie cutter and use a small palette knife to lift up the cut-out soft dough and place on a baking tray lined with baking sheet.
• Lightly brush the dough with egg wash. (1 egg with 2 tsp water and 1-2 drop of egg yellow colouring)
• Sprinkle extra grated cheddar cheese on top if you prefer.
• Bake in preheated oven at 170C for about 15-18 mins or until golden brown.
• Leave cookies to cool on wire rack and store in airtight container.

Crisco shortening has 50% less saturated fat than butter and zero gram transfat per serving. It is great for baking - giving you higher-textured baked goods.

Awards Time

Received 3 Awards from my wonderful blogpals~Thank you very much! They are :

~~~~Chapot ~~~~ ~~~~~~~ Dolly ~~~~~~~~~ Lia Chen~~~~~~

Das Ma Coquerie,~~~~~~Curry & Beyond ~~~~~~Bentolicious~~~

Recettes De Cusine

These are the great blogs that all of you should check out.

I would like to pass them this Award in return.