ORANGE GLAZED CINNAMON ROLLS

The dough used for these cinnamon rolls is similar to my yesterday's post on Upside Down Honey Glazed Rolls. Here, I made only 6 of them [looks quite gigantic for a cinnamon roll] cos’ I wanted to use the new muffin pan which I bought from Giant Hypermarket for only RM5.00. It is very reasonably priced for a non-stick baking pan, worth it.  You can actually stick to making 9 or 16 pieces and bake them it a square baking pan.

This dough is pliable, easy to handle and shape. These rolls are soft, moist, fluffy, fine texture, aromatic and sweet. The orange glazed is not intense at all, hardly noticeable in looks and taste wise.  Overall, it isn't that sweet as the basic dough only uses 1 tablespoon sugar. 

Recipe adapted from Yum Yum Magazine No. 89

Ingredients for Dough

[makes 9 – 7 inch square pan]

250 gm bread flour 

50 gm plain flour

2 tbsp milk powder

1 tbsp castor sugar

½-1 tsp salt

1 small egg

1 ½ tsp instant yeast

130-140 ml cold water 

30 gm butter

Cinnamon Sugar Filling

60 gm melted butter

60 gm brown sugar

2 tsp cinnamon powder

• Mix brown sugar with cinnamon powder. Set aside.

Orange Glaze [mix together]

60 gm icing sugar - sifted

1 tbsp fresh orange juice

1. Knead all the ingredients [except butter] into a soft dough. Add in butter and continue to knead until soft, smooth and elastic. Shape into a ball, cover to proof for about 20 minutes.
2. Punch down, roll into a rectangle [15” x 10’], spread melted butter evenly over dough and sprinkle cinnamon sugar filling on top of the buttered area or you can divide into 2 portions.
3. Roll up the dough into a log, then cut into equal portions.
4. Invert cut dough and place them evenly on a greased baking pan or muffin pan. Leave to proof for 40-45 minutes or until double in size.
5. Glaze with beaten egg.  Bake in preheated oven at 180 degrees C for 20 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from oven and leave to cool.
6. Pipe or drizzle orange glaze on top of rolls.  Serve.
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   

I am submitting this post to Cook Your Books Event #28 [November 2015] hosted by Joyce of Kitchen Flavours

Read more »

UPSIDE DOWN HONEY GLAZED ROLLS

I was inspired to bake these honey rolls after eating this kind of rolls in Xiamen. These are sold in the wet market and according to weight. Half a kilogram [about 11-12 buns] costs RMB10. They tasted good freshly baked and even on the next day.

These buns are exactly the same as cinnamon rolls with the exception that they are plain without any filling inside the rolls. After baking, the buns are turned upside down and then generously brushed with melted butter honey glaze that flows to the sides and absorbed into the buns. It tasted buttery, sweet and a hint of salty taste. Overall the buns are soft, moist and fine texture. Tasted good with the honey glaze.

Ingredients for Dough

[makes 9 or 16 rolls in a 7 inch loose bottom square pan]

250 gm bread flour 

50 gm plain flour

2 tbsp milk powder

1 tbsp castor sugar

½ tsp salt

1 small egg

1 ½ tsp instant yeast

130-140 ml cold water 

30 gm butter

Ingredients for Honey Glazed [mix together]

20 gm butter [melted]

2 tbsp honey

1 tbsp castor sugar [optional]

¼ tsp salt

1. Knead all the ingredients [except butter] into a soft dough. Add in butter and continue to knead until soft, smooth and elastic. Shape into a ball, cover to proof for about 20 minutes.
2. Punch down and divide into 2 equal portions [need not divide if you are making 9 buns]. Roll one portion into a rectangle, roll into a log and seal the edges well, then cut into equal portions [8 pieces if you are making 16 buns].
3. Invert cut dough and place evenly on a greased baking pan. Leave to proof for 40-45 minutes or until double in size.
4. Bake in preheated oven at 180 degrees C for 20 minutes or until golden brown.
5. Remove from oven, loosen the edges and invert pan onto a wire rack. Remove baking pan, brush honey glaze all over buns.
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
6. Serve warm.  Sprinkle some chocolate rice over glaze if preferred.
   

See tomorrow post on Orange Glazed Cinnamon Rolls

Read more »

DRIED OYSTERS AND MEAT BALLS PORRIDGE

Another tasty porridge which is an easy, complete meal for all.  This is a homey porridge that is easy to prepare yet it is flavourful and tasty. Served with shredded ginger and chopped spring onions, add flavor and fragrance to this simple porridge.
I added some crispy Chinese crullers to this porridge. Nice.

Recipe adapted from Feminine Magazine No. 552 [Secret Recipes] – slightly modified
Ingredients
[serves 2-3]
Ingredients A
1 cup rice – wash and drain
10 cups water
3-4 dried oysters – washed and soaked for 5 minutes [keep whole or sliced]
3-4 dried scallops – washed and soaked for 5 minutes [I omit]
Ingredients B – mix together
100 – 150 gm minced meat marinade with some salt and pepper to taste
½ tbsp cornflour
2 tbsp water
Ingredients C
1 tsp sesame seed oil
½ tsp salt and pepper to taste
Ingredients D
Some shredded ginger
Some chopped spring onions

1. Cook ingredients A [about 30 minutes - medium  heat] until smooth.
2. Shape ingredients B into small balls, put into porridge to cook.  Season with ingredients C.
3. Cover for a few minutes.
4. Scoop porridge into serving bowls, sprinkle with ingredients D.   Serve hot.
5. Add crispy Chinese crullers if preferred.
   
   
   
   
   

I am submitting this post to Cook Your Books Event #28 [November 2015] hosted by Joyce of Kitchen Flavours

Read more »

EZCR#37 - GUI FEI SPARE RIBS [SPARE RIBS STEW]

This is a Chinese way of cooking stewed pork ribs. It is very easy to prepare yet the dish is delish. The sauce is sweet, sourish and savoury. Nice colour and aromatic.  Tastes much better after resting.

You can savour this dish with broccoli florets which can be added just before dishing up. Feel free to garnish it with some chopped red chilli and coriander leaves, too. 

A yummy-licious dish to go with rice.

Ingredients

300 gm meaty spare ribs – bite size pieces

1 white carrot [about 250 gm] – peeled and cut chunks

1 red carrot [about 150 gm] – peeled and cut chunks

1 onion – cut wedges

2 star anise

2 pieces bay leaves

Enough water for braising dish

Seasoning

4 tbsp tomato sauce

2 tbsp each of light soy sauce and cooking wine

1 tbsp each of chilli sauce and brown sugar

Some broccoli florets - optional

Some chopped red chilli and coriander leaves – optional

1. Fry star anise and onions with ½ tbsp oil in a non-stick wok until aromatic.
2. Add in the carrots. Stir to mix and add in the pork ribs and seasoning.
3. Stir to mix well and let it cook for 5 minutes so that the ingredients are well coated with the seasoning.
4. Add in enough water to cover the ingredients [can add more water if the ribs are not tender after the sauce has reduced].
5. Bring to boil, cover and lower heat to simmer until ingredients are cooked and tender [about 40 minutes]. Sauce should be reduced and thick.
6. Dish up to serve.
   
   
   
   
   
   

Read more »

EZCR#36 - STIR FRY BITTERGOURD WITH SHREDDED MEAT

A Chinese dish. Good serve with rice or porridge. The blanched bitter gourd pieces are crunchy with a bite and not bitter at all. The marinated pork strips are tasty and tender. 

It is so easy to prepare this dish yet awesome.

Ingredients

[serves 3-4]

200 gm bittergourd – washed, halved and scrape off the white pith with a metal spoon and cut slantwise

150 gm tender pork meat – cut strips and marinate with 1 tbsp each of light soy sauce, wine and cornstarch, mix well

1 red chilli – seeded and sliced

1 stalk spring onions – cut 1 inch length

50 ml water

Seasoning

1 tbsp preserved soy bean paste

1 tbsp each of light soy sauce and wine

Dash of msg [optional] or sugar

1. Bring some water to boil. Blanch bittergourd for awhile until it turns bright green. Drain.
2. Heat 1 tbsp oil in a non-stick wok, stir fry marinated pork strips until cooked through [best to use a pair cooking chopsticks], push aside add in red chilli and some spring onions. Stir fry until aromatic. Add in blanched bittergourd and seasoning ingredients.
3. Stir fry to mix ingredients and add in water. Let it boil and dish up to serve.
   
   
   
   
   
   

Read more »