LEMONY MANGO YOGHURT COTTONY CAKE [OGURA CAKE]

Baked the Sicilian Orange Cake the other day which uses butter.  My family [especially my elders] prefer cottony cakes. They say it is soft, moist, light and fluffy and best of all the cake does not have the 'choking feeling' when eating it compared to butter cakes. 
I personally feel the same and this is a much healthier cake compared to butter cakes cos' it's low in sugar, fats and flour.  This cake texture is cottony soft and has a tangy taste cos' of the mango, lemon zest and juice. 

Ingredients for Egg Yolk Mixture

65 gm superfine flour - sifted

1/4 tsp salt

5 egg yolks

1 whole egg

45-60 ml corn oil [3-4 tbsp]

85 ml mango yoghurt 

1 tsp lemon juice
zest of 1 lemon

1. Place the dry ingredients in the mixing bowl and make well in the centre.  Add in eggs, corn oil, lemon juice, zest and yoghurt.  Using a paddle hook, beat ingredients until creamy and well combined.  Set aside.  Preheat oven at 160 degrees C for 10 minutes with a water bath [use 1 1/2 cups water for the water bath].
   
   

Ingredients for Egg White Mixture
5 egg whites
1/2 tsp cream of tartar
65 gm castor sugar

1. Using an electric mixer, whisk egg white until frothy, add in cream of tartar until slightly foamy.  Add in sugar in 3 batches.  Whisk until soft to stiff peaks formed.
2. Using a spatula, fold in 1/2 of the meringue into egg yolk mixture.  Lift and fold until well combined, then add to rest of meringue.  Fold again until well mix.
3. Pour into a 8" square tin [greased lightly the sides with corn oil and lined base with baking paper at the bottom only].
4. Smooth the surface by shaking the pan lightly side ways and steam bake in oven at 160 degrees C for 10 minutes, then for 50 minutes at 140-150 degrees C.
5. Invert the cake after baking  and let it cool before removing the baking paper.   
6. Cool cake before slicing to serve.
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   

Notes:

- can be served chilled 

- keeps well in an airtight container refrigerated.

I'm submitting this post  to the Little Thumbs Up (November 2015 Event: Mango) organized by Zoe (Bake for Happy Kids) and Mui Mui (My Little Favourite DIY) and hosted by Jozelyn Ng (Spice Up My Kitchen).

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FUZHOU VEGETABLE PORK PAUS

My husband told me that my mother in-law ate the Hock Chew Ang Chow Meat Paus right away when he brought some to her the other day. Whenever he goes visiting her, he must bring her something to eat, that prompted me to make more paus over the weekend. One of them, is this vegetable pork paus.

The filling is very easy and quick to prepare with just 2 main ingredients [cabbage and pork], no pre-cooking is needed.

This pau skin dough is a good one - pliable and easy to handle. I advise not to reduce the sugar as the pau skin should be a little sweet to taste good with the savoury filling. Looking at the pleated paus tells that the dough is good.   I could even pleat it into a leaf shaped pau.  

After steaming, it is soft, moist, fluffy and remains soft even on the next day.  But I always prefer steaming hot paus, it is more aromatic.

Recipe adapted from Coco Kong’s book on ‘Paus’ [slightly modified]

Ingredients For Filling

150 gm minced pork [with some fats should be good]

150 gm cabbage – chopped, marinated with ½ tsp salt and squeezed out excess water

1 tbsp fresh ginger juices [I used grated ginger]

1 tbsp spring onion juices 

Seasoning

1 tbsp light soy sauce, 1 tsp sugar, ½ tsp each of msg and dark soy sauce

1. For Filling – Mix and knead ingredients for filling with seasoning until it has a springy texture. Chilled for an hour in the fridge before use [I prepare this a day earlier]. Divide into 12 portions. 
   
   

Ingredients For Pau Skin

[makes 12 paus]

250 gm pau flour

25 gm wheat starch

60 gm icing sugar

½ tsp double action baking powder

1 ½ tsp instant yeast

130 – 140 ml water

¼ tsp vinegar

15 gm shortening

1. For Skin – Mix and knead all the ingredients [except shortening] into a soft dough. Add in shortening and continue to knead until dough is soft, smooth and shiny. Shape into a ball, cover to rest for 20-30 minutes.
2. Punch down and divide it into 12 equal portions [see photos]. Shape into ball and flatten it. 
3. Wrap up filling and gather the edges by pleating. Seal well and place it on paper case in a steaming tray. Repeat the same for the remaining ingredients.
4. Rest for 30 minutes and steam at medium heat over boiling water for 12 minutes. Off heat and leave paus in the steamer for a further 3 minutes before removing to serve or cool on wire rack.
   
   

Click Here For Other Pau Recipes

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

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YAM ANGKU KUIH

This is the first time I came across this recipe in a cookbook. Yam is added into the mung bean filling and glutinous rice flour dough for Angku Kuih.

The AKK turned out very well. The kuih skin is soft and chewy [QQ] and the filling is good as the sweetness is just nice for me. 

My mum and brother in-law ate it and said it is nice.

I have made my AKK in 2 designs,  that is the usual tortoise design and peach design. Recently, I had ‘acquired’ the peach design mold from my MIL’s kitchen and put it to use here. I like the design and moulding the AKK is not difficult at all. I managed to make 12 pieces with the tortoise design and 6 pieces with the peach design from this recipe.

I had prepared the ingredients [filling and skin]  a day earlier and shaping them for steaming the next day. It is quick and easy.

Recipe adapted from a book ‘Pasar Malam Delights’ – slightly modified

Ingredients for Filling:

150 gm spilt green peas – soaked overnight, drained and steamed until soft [about 40 minutes]

150 gm castor sugar [I used 120 gm]

100 gm yam – steamed and mashed

2 tbsp oil

1. Filling – Put steamed green peas and oil into a blender and blend into a thick paste while still hot [you may need to do it in batches]. 
2. Transfer to a non-stick pan, add in the remaining ingredients and mix well. Stir ingredients over low heat until it is almost dry but moist. Off heat and leave to cool before shaping into small balls [depends on the size of mold used]. Chilled until required.
   
   
   
   

Ingredients for AKK Skin:

250 gm glutinous rice flour

3 tbsp coconut milk powder

100 ml blue pea flower water [soak 10 blue pea flower in hot water, strained and let it cool]#

100 gm yam, steamed and mashed

1 tbsp castor sugar

1 tbsp oil

# you can use water with a few drops of purple colouring

1 piece banana leaf – cut into small pieces according to the size of your AKK mold – lightly oiled

1. Mix all ingredients into a soft, smooth dough. Transfer to a plastic bag, tied up and leave to chill overnight in the fridge.
2. To Shape AKK - Before shaping, thaw dough to room temperature, then divide into small portions.
3. Shape into round and flatten it. Wrap up filling and shape with AKK mould.
4. Put onto greased banana leaves and steam over medium high heat for 10 minutes, lifting the cover halfway through the steaming time to release some hot steam [this helps to keep the design to stay after steaming].
5. Remove and brush with a little oil while it is still hot. Leave to cool on wire rack.
6. Store in air tight containers or best to serve soon.
   
   
   
   
   
   
   

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

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HOCK CHIEW ANG CHOW MEAT PAUS

The original recipe for this pau filling is from Coco Kong’s book on ‘Paus’. I followed the meat filling recipe but used my usual ‘Sure-Can’ pau skin recipe cos’ I wanted a bigger quantity.

For the filling, the meat is cooked with red rice wine yeast [ang chow], thus is the name of this pau ‘Fookchow Red Rice Wine Yeast Paus’. The filling is quite like Char Siew with red rice wine yeast flavor, more of a savoury taste than the sweetness of char siew. It has the fragrance of rice wine.

Overall, it is quite unusual but good. The pau skin is perfect – soft, light and fluffy. If you are one that loves meat paus but afraid of the sweetness of char siew filling, then you can give this one a try.

I made a total of 16 medium size paus. You can make smaller or bigger ones, according to own preference. 

Recipe adapted from Coco Kong’s book on ‘Paus’ [slightly modified]

Ingredients for Filling

[makes 16 paus]

300 gm pork tenderloin with some fats – diced or coarsely chopped

1 heaped Tbsp red rice wine yeast residue [Ang Chow in Hokkien]

1 tbsp each chopped ginger and garlic

1 stalk spring onions – chopped

Some toasted sesame seeds [optional]

Seasoning

1 tbsp oyster sauce

1-1 ½ tbsp light soy sauce

2 tbsp brown sugar [optional]

½ tsp each of salt and msg [I omit the msg, replaced by sugar]

120 ml water

1 tbsp each of plain flour and cornflour

1. For Filling - Heat a non-stick wok with ½ tbsp oil, sauté ginger and garlic until aromatic. Add in the meat and fry until meat colour turns white. Add in ang chow and seasoning, stir fry to cook for a few minutes, then pour in the water.
2. Bring to boil and simmer until the sauce is reduced. Add in plain flour and cornstarch to thicken.  Off heat, add in spring onions and toasted sesame seeds.
3. Dish up to cool and chill in the fridge until required [can prepare the filling a day earlier].
   

Ingredients for 'Sure-Can' Pau Skin

[makes 16 paus]

350 gm pau flour

1 tsp double action baking powder

40 gm castor sugar

1 tsp instant yeast

200 ml luke warm water

¼ tsp vinegar

1 tbsp shortening

1. For the Skin – Sift flour and baking powder into a mixing bowl of an electric mixer, add in the sugar and yeast. Pour in water and vinegar, knead into a rough dough.
2. Add in shortening and continue to knead until the dough is soft, smooth and shiny. Shape into a round ball, cover and leave to rest for 20 minutes.
3. Punch down and divide dough into 2 equal portions [about 300 gm each]. Shape each portion into a round ball.
4. Divide a portion into 8 equal portions, roll into rounds. Flatten each round and wrap up filling, gather the edges into a round or pleated pau. Place on paper case in the bamboo steaming tray. Finish doing the same for the remaining dough.
5. Leave to proof for 30-40 minutes or until double in size.
6. Steam paus over medium high heat for 12 minutes. Off heat and leave the paus in the steamer for a further 3 minutes before removing to cool on wire rack or serve immediately.
   
   
   
   

Click Here For Other Pau Recipes

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

Read more »