Chocolate Orange and Oatmeal Muffins

Nowadays, got not much of the time to bake some goodies as I'm busy as a working mom. I bake only during my day offs. Making muffins or cupcakes or fairy cakes; whatever you call it, is my interest to try baking. I bought a splendid small book titled cupcakes by Mark and Spencer. They are cute little cakes that are wonderful for teatime and parties.






Chocolate orange and oatmeal muffins is best eaten when its still warm and freshly baked. Healthy type of muffins and good for kids to put in their lunch box.





Chocolate orange and oatmeal muffins
(Chocolate 70 of the best recipes by Hamlyn)


225 g plain flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
finely grated rind of 1 orange
50 g medium oatmeal
75 g light muscovado sugar
200 g Greek yogurt
4 tablespoons vegetable oil
150 ml milk
1 egg
200g milk chocolate, chopped
oatmeal, for sprinkling

• Sift the flour and baking powder into a bowl. Stir in the orange rind, oatmeal and sugar.



• Beat the yougurt together with the oil, milk and egg and add the mixture to the bowl of dry ingredients with the pieces of chocolate. Use the large metal spoon to fold the ingredients until they are only just combined, adding a little extra milk if the mixture seems dry.



• Line a 10-section deep muffin tun with paper cases. Divide mixture among the cases and sprinkle some extra oatmeal over the top. Bake the muffin in a preheated oven, 200C/400F, for 15-20 minutes or until risen and just firm. Serve the muffins warm or cold.
  

Orange Crème Caramels

This little puddings are like crème caramels only made with freshly squeezed orange juice instead of cream - I love this puddings. The orange and the dark caramel blend well and make a fantastic combination.Leave the puddings in the fridge for a night so the caramel base can slowly melt into a syrup. You can make this in advance if you are serving it in a dinner parties.




Orange Crème Caramels

200 g caster sugar
600 ml fresh orange juice or orange nectar juice
6 eggs, beaten

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C. Place half of the sugar in a small pan with 100ml water and cook gently, stirring from time to time, until the sugar dissolves. Once the sugar has completely dissolved, raise the heat and bubble rapidly until the mixture starts to caramelize.



2. Carefully pour the caramel into the moulds, swirling it round the sides so it goes up the edges, then place in a roasting pan.



3. Beat together the orange juice , eggs and the remaining sugar, then carefully pour into the moulds. Pour boiling water into the pan so it comes three-quarters of the way up the sides of the moulds.



4. Bake for 20 minutes until just set, still jiggle like a jelly. Allow to cool.



5. Cover and chill for several hours or overnight until ready to turn out and serve.
   

Apple and Cheddar Scones

Beautiful, bountiful apples, we have to make the most of the apple harvest, hearty apple dishes. From sweet to savory, we've five rich pickings to savor. I usually make a sweet or just a classic kind of scones. Having tried this, is not bad altogether as it taste good and very different from the usual type of scones we usually have.








APPLE and CHEDDAR SCONES

225g self-raising flour, plus extra for dusting
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp baking powder
50g unsalted butter, chilled, plus extra for greasing
1 tsp Colman's Mustard Powder
75g extra mature English Cheddar
1 eating apple, such as Discovery
100ml milk



1. Preheat the oven to 200ºC. Grease and flour a large baking sheet. Sift the flour, salt and baking powder into a large mixing bowl. Add the butter to the flour and rub in with your fingertips until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs.

2. Mix in the mustard and 50g of Cheddar. Coarsely grate the the unpeeled apples into the bowl, discarding the core and any pips. Mix well to coat the apple in the flour. Gradually pour in the milk and mix with a knife to make a soft dough.

3. Turn out onto a well-floured surface and roll out until about 2cm thick. Using a 4-5cm round cutters, stamp out about 12 rounds, re-rolling the dough if necessary. Place onto the baking sheet and sprinkle the tops with the remaining Cheddar.

4. Bake for 15 minutes, until well risen and golden. Leave to cool on a wire rack. Serve warm or cold, split open and topped with Ham, a slice of apple, and a spoonful of Apple and Walnut Chutney.

Tinkerbell Themed Birthday Cake (Chocolate Chiffon Cake)

Tinker Bell (also known as Tinkerbell in common usage, or Tink for short), is a fictional character from J. M. Barrie's 1904 play and 1911 novel Peter and Wendy. In her animated form she leaves a trail of twinkling pixie dust.






My friend Karen called me up 2 weeks ago to order a fairy cake for her daughter who will be turning 3. She suggested that if possible for me to make a Tinkerbell as that's what Lianne's request. It never entered my mind that I will encounter a problem in acquiring a Tink figure or a candle as all the site on a buy online are all sold out and out of stock, and I don't have much time. 3 days before the day I got an email from the shop online that their stock just arrived, lucky me and it's a relief!





With this cake I made a 2- layer cake of chocolate chiffon cake. The top is 6½ inches and the bottom layer is 12 inches. Frost it with boiled icing. The mushroom and the rose flowers are made of fondant. First time for me to make the flower and it turn out quite well, I think. Not bad for a first timer.







Yesterday when I woke up and check to see if the flowers and the mushroom and the lettering's are dry. But to my dismay they are soft and bit wet. My suspicion is due to the humid as it was really cold that night. The lettering's just drop off from the flower wire so I need to make another option. So I decided to make a sash, I really don't know how you call it. Next time I will make sure to use gum paste in modelling flowers and figures, as it dries faster.













Finished decorating the cake and just waiting for it to be delivered and assemble the Tink doll and the accessories at the venue. Another problem strike again as the sash crack on the middle. What a disaster, mended it with a little icing to stick together.





The top layer of the cake I used the chocolate chiffon recipe of Nigella Lawson. The outcome is a lighter chocolate shade unlike for the bottom layered cake that is darker. I used the family secret recipe for this. Nigella's chocolate chiffon is light and moist cake, it's a recipe that you can depend on as I made this for 3 times already.





Chocolate Chiffon Cake
from Nigella Lawson website.com

2 cups flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp bicarb
2 tsp cream of tartar
1 pinch salt
1 ¼ cups sugar
½ cup cooking oil
5 jumbo eggs (separated)
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup water
½ tsp cream of tartar
2 table rich cocoa powder (heaped)


1. Sift flour, cocoa, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, salt and 2 teaspoons of cream of tartar together.

2. Separate eggs and mix together, egg yolks, water, vanilla and oil,beat this with a fork and add to dry ingredients, mix well and set aside.

3. Beat egg whites until white and frothy and then add ½ teaspoon cream of tartar. Beat until white and peaky.

4. Pour the batter mixture into the middle of the egg white mixture and gently fold two together. Do not BEAT!!! (it should look like chocolate mousse).

5. Place in the preheated oven for 1 hour at 160°C.

6. Cool in the pan upside down (hang the cake), when cool then turn out to ice.(DO NOT GREASE PANS!!)


Note: If not using the chiffon tube pan like I did, line the pan with parchment paper. Cool the cake for 5 minutes and turn it upside down in a cooling rack but not hanging.

Banana Loaf

This is a lovely, moist loaf, which really doesn't need to be buttered. It freezes extremely well. Any bananas left in the fruit bowl are ideal for this cake - the riper they are, the better.






Banana Loaf

100 g butter, softened
175 g sugar
2 L eggs
225 g self-rising flour
1 tsp baking powder
2 tbsp milk

1. Lightly grease the loaf tin and line it with greaseproof paper. Preheat the oven to 350 F.



2. Measure all the ingredients into a medium mixing bowl and beat for about 3 minutes, until well blended; an electric mixer is best for this but of course you can also beat by hand with a wooden spoon.



3. Spoon the mixture into the prepared pan and level the surface.
   



4. Bake for about 1 hour, until well risen and golden brown. A fine skewer inserted in the center of the cake should come out clean.



5. Leave the cake to cool in the pan for a few minutes, then loosen with a small palette knife and turn the cake out. Remove the lining paper and leave on a wire rack to cool completely. Slice thickly to serve.
   

Earl Grey Chiffon Cake

Earl grey tea is a black tea derived from bergamot orange , a fragrant citrus fruit. It has a distinctive taste and aroma.






I love drinking tea especially the jasmine,green tea and earl grey tea. All tea's are refreshing to drink and calming at the same time. As I was searching for a plain chiffon cake recipe, I chanced upon this earl grey recipe by happyhomebaking. Originally the recipe is for a green tea but she tweaked it instead using the earl grey tea. I don't have the special chiffon pan, so I just bake it in a rectangular pan. Wasn't able to photograph the whole cake as I have no more time, Bake this cake to bring in Karen's place for house blessing.




Earl Grey Chiffon Cake

1 tablespoon Earl Grey tea powder (about 3 satchels)
100g cake flour
1½ teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
3 egg yolks
40g caster sugar
50ml vegetable oil
75ml water
3 egg whites
40g caster sugar



1. Sieve flour, baking powder and salt together, set aside.

2. Separate eggs and bring to room temperature. (It is easier to separate eggs when they are cold.)

3. Place egg yolks in a mixing bowl, add in sugar, in 3 separate additions and with a manual whisk, whisk till the mixture becomes sticky and turn pale.

4. Drizzle in the oil, whisking at the same time till the mixture is well combined. Repeat the same with the water. Sieve over the flour mixture and whisk until flour mixture is fully incorporated into the batter. Add in the earl grey powder and mix well.

5. In a clean, dry mixing bowl, beat egg whites with an electric mixer until mixture becomes frothy and foamy. Gradually beat in the sugar and beat on high speed until stiff peaks form.

6. Add the beaten egg white into the egg yolk batter in 3 separate additions, each time folding gently with a spatula until just blended.

7. Pour batter into a 18cm (7 inch) tube pan (do not grease the pan). Bang the pan lightly on a table top to get rid of any trapped air bubbles in the batter.

.8 Bake in pre-heated oven at 170°C for 45 ~ 50mins or until the cake surface turns golden brown, and a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean.

9. Remove from the oven and invert the pan immediately. Let cool completely before unmoulding. To remove the cake from the pan, run a thin-bladed knife or a long metal spatula around the inside of the pan and the center core. Release the cake and run the knife along the base of the pan to remove the cake.

Note: you may replace Earl Grey tea with other tea of your choice, like matcha or green tea. If the tea leaves are coarse, use a mortar and pestle or a grinder to grind it till fine and powdery.

Poolish Ciabatta Bread

Ciabatta pronounced "cha-BAHT-ta", literally, carpet slipper is an Italian white bread made with wheat flour and yeast. The loaf is somewhat elongated, broad and flattish and, like a slipper, should be somewhat collapsed in the middle. This kind of bread has a firm crust and dense crumb, to bread that has a crisper crust and more open texture. The more open-crumbed form, is made from a very wet dough, often requiring machine-kneading, and a biga, poolish or sourdough starter.







In the mean time I have been trying different bread recipes and I believe that baking bread is an adventure. Peter Reinhart's "The Bread Baker's Apprentice" is one of the most popular for bread testing. This is a 2-day process but well worth the time and trouble. Poolish ciabatta proves a much more pliable dough. This is one dough that simply can't be kneaded by hand; it's just too wet and sticky. But it's a wet dough that results in that nice crusty hole-y bread you can find(mine has just a tiny hole- need more practise). An electric stand mixer or a food processor, will do the trick.




I added black olives and few sprigs of fresh rosemary. As I have an abundant rosemary in my garden.





Poolish Ciabatta Bread
Adapted: The Bread Baker's Apprentice by Peter Reinhart


For the Poolish
* All Purpose Flour - 2 1/2 cups (12% protein)
* Water - 1 1/2 cups
* Active Dry Yeast - 1/4 tsp

For the Ciabatta
* Poolish - 3 1/4 cups (All of the Poolish above)
* All Purpose Flour - 3 cups (12% protein)
* Active Dry Yeast - 2 tsp
* Salt - 1 3/4 tsp
* Water - 1/2 cup (I use a couple of tablespoons more than this)
* Olive Oil - 4 tbsp




1. Prepare the Poolish - Warm the water for the Poolish. You should be able to dip your finger in the water i.e it should be lukewarm. In a larger bowl, add the yeast to the lukewarm water and keep aside for 10 minutes until it frothes. Add the flour and mix everything. Cover with a plastic wrap and keep aside at room temperature until the poolish starts bubbling and frothy on top. This takes me about 6-8 hours and I usually keep it overnight. Keep the prepared poolish in an air tight container in the fridge. Poolish keeps well for 3 days according to the book. I have never had the opportunity to find out! I use it the very next day.

2. Take the poolish out of the fridge and rest for 1 hour.

3. Warm 1/2 cup water until lukewarm. Add yeast and rest for 10 minutes until it froths. Add the flour, salt, olive oil and poolish and whisk it all together until it comes together as a dough. While forming the dough, whisk fast in one single circular direction until everything comes together. If the dough doesn’t clear the sides of the bowl or in other words is still too sticky add a couple of tablespoons of flour.

4. Flour your working counter. Transfer dough to the working counter with a flat scraper. Stretch the dough to a rectangle about quarter of an inch thick. Fold the dough over itself the way a letter is folded. Stretch into a rectangle. Repeat this stretch and fold again. Mist the top of the dough with some oil. Cover and let it rest for 30 minutes. Repeat the stretch and fold again. Mist with oil again. Cover and let it rise for 2 hours until it looks inflated but not doubled.

5. Spread a cloth on a smooth surface. At intervals, about the width of a ciabatta, raise the cloth to form divisions. Transfer dough carefully to a well floured working surface. Divide into two or three rectangles using a scraper that has been dipped in water. Using a well floured scraper carefully transfer this to the compartments that had been formed with the towel. Mist the loaves with some oil and cover with a cloth and let it rise for 1 hours until the loaves look inflated or swollen.

6. Transfer loaves to a baking sheet dusted with cornmeal/ semolina. Bake at 220 C for 30-35 minutes or until loaves turn golden and are done. I check by tapping loaves at the bottom. The original recipe recommends baking with steam - i.e, mist oven twice in 30 second intervals and bake with a bowl of water. I have done the mist and shut oven door, put a bowl of water and all of that circus in many recipes before. I have subsequently made the same recipes without the steam and frankly found no difference as long as my oven is concerned. I prefer to make my dough more hydrated to get better texture.

7. Cool completely for about 1 hour before slicing and serving.

Apple Muffins

As having an extra apple in the fridge, I attempt on trying this recipe. You have to cut the apple into large chunks as they just melt and disappear, and you can't have the taste of apple and it's bite. You can add vanilla extract instead of cinnamon, if you are not fun with spices. Turn out soft and delicious.





Apple Muffins


280g plain flour
3 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
50g butter, soften at room temperature
100g caster sugar
1 egg, lightly beaten
1½ teaspoon cinnamon
1 cup milk
1 cup apples,peeled, chunks



1. Preheat oven to 220°C. Grease or line muffin pans with paper cups.

2. In a bowl, sift together flour, baking powder, cinnamon powder and salt, blend well.

3. In another bowl, cream together butter and sugar, still creamy. Add in egg, gradually, mix well after each addition. Stir till mixture is creamy and fluffy.

4. Add flour mixture (in 3 additions) alternately with milk (in 2 additions) , starting and ending with flour. Mix only until well combined. Gently fold in the chopped apples.

5.Fill muffin cups with batter till 2/3 full. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until muffins turn golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

6.Transfer and cool in a wire rack.

Cashew Nuts Cookies

Cashew Nuts Cookies

2/3 cup butter, softened
½ cup caster sugar
1 egg yolk
1½ cup flour, sifted
1 tsp baking powder
1 tin (397g) condensed milk
1 cup toasted cashew nuts, finely chopped
1 tsp vanilla essence
1 cup dessicated coconut
1 egg



1. Beat the butter and caster sugar for 5 minutes until creamy, add the egg yolk and beat well.

2. Fold in the flour and baking powder into the mixture, mix well then press into the base of a 28cm x 24cm baking tin lined with parchment paper.

3. Combine condensed milk, cashew nuts, vanilla essence, dessicated coconut and egg, mix well and pour over the prepared base.

4. Bake for 20 - 25 minutes in a 180°C preheated oven. Remove from from oven to cool down to room temperature.

5. Cut into small slices and you can sprinkle the top with icing sugar if you wish.

Lemon tart

Finally I managed to make my first pastry , as I dreaded this to make like the breads. It looks very laborious to make but it's not. I have a lot of lemons and I don't want it just to go to waste what with the recessions going around the world. I usually buy lemons for making the vinaigrette for the salad and for marinades. Since it's for Christmas, I decide to go through with my tart for a change.

As what Rachel's said, this lemon tart is really light and creamy, and not quite as heavy and intense as other lemon tart you can find, but wonderfully fresh and tasty----YUM!.





I don't have a removable base tart pan, so I used my glass pie plate instead. Upon handling the baked pastry it breaks, so the outcome of it was not pretty. It's also gave me a hard time in removing the whole tart into a serving plate. The shots I have with this lemon tart is not so clear as maybe its the effect of the light and I also have to learn a lot about photography.



Lemon Tart
adapted from Rachel's Food for Living

FOR THE PASTRY
175 g flour
⅛ tsp salt
100 g butter (chilled)
25 g sugar
1 egg, divided

FOR THE FILLING
3 eggs
125 g granulated sugar
Juice and zest of 2 lemons
100 ml double cream


1. First make the pastry, which can be done a day in advance of filling and serving. Sieve the flour and salt into a large bowl. Cut the butter into small cubes and rub into the flour until the mixture is like crumbs. Add the sugar and gently mix in with a fork. Drizzle in the egg yolk and lightly stir it into the mixture with a knife until the mixture sticks. If the mixture does not come together, add 1-2 teaspoons of water. Roll out the pastry into a round about 2cm thick, then cover and chill for at least 45 minutes in the fridge.

2. Preheat the oven to 190°C(375°F). Grease a 23cm(9in) shallow tart tin with a removable base with a little butter.

3. When you are ready to roll out the pastry, remove it from the fridge. Place the pastry between two sheets of the cling film, which should be larger than your tart tin. Using the rolling pin, roll out the pastry until it's about ⅛in thick and large enough to line the base and sides of the prepared tin. Make sure to keep it round, if the tin is round, and large enough to line the base and sides of the tin. Remove the top layer of the film and place the pastry upside down (cling film facing up)in the tart tin. Presss into the edges, cling film still attached and, using your thumb, 'cut' teh pastry on the edge of the tin to give a neat finish. Remove the cling film and pop the pastry in the freezer for at least 10 minutes.

4. Nest, 'blind bake' the pastry case. Blind baking is a way of partially cooking a pastry case before adding its filling. Line the pastry with greaseproof paper when cold (leaving plenty to come up the sides), fill with baking beans or dried pulses (you can use this over and over), and bake for 15-20 minutes in the oven, until the pastry feels dry. Remove the paper and beans, brush with a little egg white and return to oven and put to one side while you prepare the filling.

5. Lower the heat 9or heat to this temperature if filling the case the next day) to 120°C(250°F).

6. To make the filling, place the eggs and sugar in a medium-sized bowl and, using the electric mixer, whisk until pale and creamy (about 10 minutes). You can also do this in a food processor. Add the lemon juice and zest and mix for another 5 minutes, then pour in the cream and mix for a further 5 minutes. Carefully pour the filling has just set in the center.

7. Remove from the oven, allow to cool for about 10 minutes before removing the tart from the tin and transferring to a plate or cake stand. When it's cool, dredge icing sugar over the top, and cut into slices and serve.

White Yeast Bread

I was hesitant to make bread as I never get successful in making one. I really don't know what have gone wrong or maybe it's the way how I knead it or over mixing it. But I have to conquer it to keep on making until I have the right dough and beautiful outcome. With this bread recipe, finally I managed to have it come out perfect and this is the second time I made with this recipe. The first try I wasn't able to take a picture of it as my husband immediately tried it right after I put out from the oven. This time, I warned him not to touch it before I get a picture of it.





But well, he still can't resist and thank goodness I made individual rolls instead of making 2 loaves. Brushing of the risen dough with egg wash, makes the bread golden brown and shinny. You can omit the egg wash and just sprinkle with little water and dust with the flour instead, like what I did in my first trial.






White Yeast Bread
Adapted from Rachel Allen, Bake (Collins)

2 tsp caster sugar
425ml warm water
2.5 tsp dried Yeast, or 20g fresh yeast
750g strong white flour, plus extra for dusting
2 tsp Salt
40g Butter, or 4 tbsp olive oil
vegetable oil, for greasing
1 Eggs, beaten
poppy or Sesame seeds, for the top of the loaf (optional)


Method

1. In a measuring jug, mix the sugar with 150ml of the warm water and yeast and let stand in a warm place for five minutes, or until frothy. If using fast-acting yeast, there is no need to let the mixture stand.

2. Sift the flour and salt into a large bowl. Rub in the butter and make a well in the centre. (If using olive oil instead of butter, pour the olive oil into the remaining water.) Pour in the yeast mixture and most of the remaining water (and the olive oil, if using). Mix to a loose dough, adding the remaining water if needed, plus extra if necessary.

3. Knead for about ten minutes or until the dough is smooth and springy to the touch. (If kneading in an electric food mixer with a dough hook, five minutes is usually long enough.) Put the dough in a large oiled bowl. Cover the top tightly with cling film and place somewhere warm to rise until doubled in size. This may take up to two or even three hours.

4. Preheat the oven to 220C/gas 7.

5. When the dough has more than doubled in size, knock back and knead again for 2–3 minutes. Leave to relax for ten minutes before you begin to shape the bread.

6. Shape the bread into loaves or rolls, transfer to a baking tray and cover with a clean tea towel. Allow to rise again in a warm place for 20–30 minutes, until the shaped dough has again doubled in size. When fully risen, it should leave a dent when you gently press the dough with your finger.

7. Gently (as the bread is full of air at this point and therefore very fragile) brush with egg wash and sprinkle with poppy or sesame seeds (if using), or dust lightly with flour for a rustic-looking loaf.

8. Bake in the oven for 10–15 minutes for rolls or 30–45 minutes for a loaf, depending on its size. Turn the heat down to 200C/gas 6 after 15 minutes for the remaining cooking time. When cooked, the bread should sound hollow when tapped on the base. Transfer to a wire rack to cool.

Cook’s note: Slow rising gives bread an amazing texture and flavour, if you have the time I would recommend trying it. Use cold water instead of warm water and at step 3, leave the dough to rise in a cool place (or fridge) overnight. Then, when the dough is shaped (step 6), leave to rise again for eight hours in a cool place.

Pear and Chocolate Sponge

I baked this last 2 weeks ago but just slip out of my mind to post this. This Pear and Chocolate Sponge is a real feelgood pudding. Pears and chocolate go perfectly together and with its hot chocolate drizzle, this is ideal for entertaining.






Pear and Chocolate Sponge

Ingredients:
100g margarine or butter
100g caster sugar
100g self-rising flour
5 ml Baking powder
2 medium eggs
25g cocoa powder
2 ripe pears
50g plain chocolate
50 ml double cream


1. Preheat oven to 180 °C.

2. Place margarine, caster sugar, flour, baking powder, eggs and cocoa into a bowl with 15ml ( 1 Tbsp) water. Mix with an electric mixer until light and creamy.

3. Peel,core and slice the pears. Grease and line a 8 in round cake tin and arrange the pear slices on the bottom. Top with the cake mix. Level then cook for 30-35 minutes until the cake springs back when lightly touched.

4. Turn out onto a serving plate.To make the drizzle, break up the chocolate. Place in a small saucepan with the cream. Gently melt, then spoon over the slices of the warm cake.

Thin - Crust Pizza

Sunday is Pizza day for us. Yesterday we have chillies and herbs with 3 cheese pizza and cheese and tomato pizza. Actually the topping depends on what we have. Like tuna with corn, vegetable, seafood, minced beef and just the sauce alone with a little drizzle of cheese.






It is essential to proof the dough for 24 hours, to develop its nice texture,and most importantly its unique flavor. I have tried a lot of pizza dough recipe, and alas this is the one that we found to be tasty and really crispy and thinly crust.








Thin - Crust Pizza

3½ cups all- purpose flour
¾ cup warm water
1 T vegetable oil
1½ t active dry yeast
1½ t sugar
1 t salt


1. In an electric stand mixer, fitted with dough hook, add the water, oil, yeast, salt and sugar. Mix thoroughly until yeast has dissolved. Add the flour and mix on low speed until all of the flour and water have mixed and a stiff dough ball forms about 3 minutes. Stop mixing as soon as the dough ball forms as this type of dough should not be kneaded.

2. Place the dough ball into a large bowl and cover tightly with cling wrap. Let the dough rise for 24 hours in refrigerator before using.

3. Tip the dough out onto a floured surface. Using a heavy rolling pin, roll the dough out very thinly and form into circle fit to cover the pizza tray. Lift the dough into floured pizza tray and trim out the excess hanging on the edge by using the rolling pin. Prick the dough with a fork to prevent air bubbles forming in the crust.

4. Pre-cook the crust in the oven for 4 minutes before spreading the sauce and adding the topping. Add the sauce, shredded mozzarella cheese or any choice of topping you prefer.

5. Bake in a preheated oven 500°F for 10 - 15 minutes. Bake on the lowest rack and rotating the pan half way through to cook it evenly until brown and crisp.

Fried Sesame Ball

Making this Sesame balls make me recall my college days when I get to have this in Ongpin. You can fine this kind only in the chinese restaurant. Here, in the village I live there's a chinese restaurant but they don't make any of this kind or dimsums. If you don't like too sweet, you can reduce it to 130g (although its not that sweet, just a medium sweet) and frying this balls is very tricky. Oil is too hot it will have a burn golden ball and the inside is still gooey, if the oil is just slightly hot, your ball will be absorbing and drench with oil. You have to have a trial frying to have the correct temperature for this or if you have a candy thermometer then do use of it until it register 170°. Happy eating my friends!








Fried Sesame Ball

300 g plain flour
150 g sugar
30 g shortening
1 egg
1-1/2 tsp baking powder
50 ml water
1/4 tsp baking soda
sesame seeds, for coating



1. Sift flour, baking soda and baking powder.

2. Add shortening, sugar, egg and water till turns to a dough. Rest it for 30 minutes.

3. Roll into small ball and coat with sesame seeds and deep fry in 170°. Drain in a colander or in a kitchen paper. Serve warm or cool and store in a tight container to retain its crispiness.

Balloons

"Balloons" are like a doughnuts, soft and a little bit airy inside. When I saw this in Rachel Allen's Book "Rachel's Food for Living, It make me go back to my childhood days when I was still living in Jolo and my mom often buy the palikambing in the coffee shop beside our store for merienda. Palikambing is more heavier, thicker than this balloon. And its usually mixed with mashed banana. I tried the plain and with banana, the outcome is still same with the plain its just that it have a different flavour and texture and colour . My kids loves it with or without the sugar coating. This one is very simple and quick to make.






Balloons

140 g plain flour
2-4 tsp sugar, plus
25g for tossing
1/8 tsp salt
1 tsp baking powder
200 ml milk

1. Heat a deep pan with oil. Place all the dry ingredients in a bowl and whisk to mix. Add the milk gradually, whisking all the time until you have a thicker batter.
2. When the oil is hot in the deep pan, take a dessertspoonful of the mixture and push it gently using another spoon, so that it drops in a round ball into the oil. Repeat with the remaining batter.
3. Fry until deep golden, about 4-5 minutes, turning over halfway through cooking. Remove wth a slotted spoon, drain on kitchen paper and toss in the caster sugar or you can add some cinnamon to the sugar for different flavor, and serve warm.

Egg-Free Raisin Scones

Traditionally, scones were part of an elegant tea-time spread with jam and whipped cream or with clotted cream along with Earl Grey tea. Scones are easy to make and quick to bake. To be at their very best they should be freshly baked and served warm. Follow this simple recipe, put the kettle on and enjoy simply the best cream tea ever. Piled high with cream and jam, scones become the most luxurious, tempting teatime treat imaginable. This recipe is good for those who are allergic with egg and nuts. I will also add the dairy and gluten free recipes.





Raisin Scone (egg & nut free)

225 g self-rising flour plus extra for dusting
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
30 g sugar
45 g butter plus extra for greasing
30 g raisins or sultanas
120 ml milk
2-3 tbsp cream or milk to glaze

1. Preheat the oven to 425°F. Grease a baking sheet or line it with parchment paper.
2. Sift together into a medium-sized bowl the dry ingredients: flour, baking powder, and salt. Mix in the sugar.
3. Cut up the butter and rub it into the dry mixture until it resembles fine breadcrumbs. Add the raisins.
4. Add three quarter of the milk and mix it quickly with a knife. Add the remaining milk, only if it is needed, to mix to a soft dough. Do not over mix as this will make the scones tough.
5. Turn out the dough onto a lightly floured area and pat or roll out 2cm thick.
6. Cut out the scones with a 5cm floured cutter. Gather up any trimmings, roll into a ball, and cut more scones.
7. Place the scones on the baking sheet and brush the tops with milk and dust with flour.
8. Bake near the top of the oven for 10m - 20 minutes or until the scones have risen, are lightly browned on top, and the bases sound hollow when tapped. Cool on a wire rack.

TIP:
1. If you like the scone with a soft crust, cover them with a clean tea towel for one minute after removing from the oven.
2. There's no need to slice the scones. Simply pull each scone apart at the natural break in the middle.


Dairy free Scones

Follow the recipe above, but replace the butter with an equal quantity of firm non-dairy spread( the soft ones have too much water in them); and the milk or cream with the same quantity of soya equivalent.


Gluten Free

Follow the recipe above, using the following ingredients:
60 ml black tea
30 g raisins
225 g gluten-free self-rising flour
½ tsp baking powder
¼ tsp salt
½ tsp xantham gum
30 g sugar
45 g butter
1 egg, lightly beaten
50 ml milk
2-3 tbsp cream or milk to glaze

Gluten-free flour can be slightly drier and absorb more water, so make the following alterations. First soak the raisins on the black tea for at least 30 minutes. Add the xantham gum with the dry ingredients in step 2. Drain the raisins and add to the rubbed-in mixture in step 3. Add the beaten egg before the milk in step 4.