Tapioca Cookies

My first attempt on Kuih Bangkit recently was not successfully. They turned out to be a very different cookie than my intension, the cookies were rubbery, almost felt like marsmallow cookies on every bite. I believe I didn't prepared the flour dried enough.

Here is my "Take 2" on these cookies. I am using only tapioca flour this time (without adding any corn flour). I paid more attention on the dryness of the flour and I heated up the tapioca flour in smaller batches on a large flat plate by spreading a thiner layer of flour on the plate and heat up the same way in the microwave. I also added a little margarine and used only coconut cream.

I was able to use the wooden moulds (thanks to my mom's hand me down cookie moulds) to cut the cookie shapes successfully and patiently. I am happy with the taste and texture of these cookies, though 100% like my mom's but close enough :)

Ingredients:
500 gm tapioca flour
100 gm tapioca flour - for dusting cookie dough
3 eggs
3/4 cup sugar
120 ml coconut cream (avoid using the water part of the milk)
2 Tbs margarine

Directions:
Flour Preparation -
In a large plate,
1. Spread 1/3 cup of tapioca flour on thin layer on plate.
2. Heat flour in microwave for 1 minute on the first heat up
3. Take out plate and stir flour lightly, repeat heating for another 40 seconds.
4. Pour heated flour in a big bowl.
4. Repeat the above steps on subsequent 1/3 cup flour batches until the flour is all heated up.
5. Save flour bowl and let flour cool overnight.

Cookie Making -
In a mixer, beat egg and sugar till light. (Scoop out 1/4 cup of egg mixture as reserve for later use if needed if dough gets too dry).
Add margarine, and beat a few more minutes.
Add flour gradually, one spoonful at a time to egg mixture and mix and knead well.
(Reserve 100 gm flour for working on the dough, dusting and cutting the cookie.)
Add coconut milk one spoonful at a time to flour and egg mixture and knead till it form to a nice workable dough texture. (not too dry or too soft).

Line parchment paper on cookie tray.
Keep a damp paper towel or using a air tight cover to cover dough in container while not in use.
Pull a small ball of dough from container,  (working in a small tennis ball size dough at a time).
Dust wooden mould with flour, press a tiny piece of dough onto mould and smooth the surface of dough out to level the mould. Light knock out cookie mould onto working area and pick up cookie gently and transfer to cookie tray. (cookie can be place slightly apart just enough so cookie won' collide together)
(If dough gets too dry, add a few drops of egg mixture to mix well to form workable dough)

Bake at preheated oven 350degree for 12 mins.
Let cookie cool, serve or store in air-tight container.

Yeasted Carrot Cake Bread

The classic carrot cake is usually topped or frosted with cream cheese icing, for what ever reason, carrot cake seems to go hand in hand with cream cheese, seems to me they both are in separable. So, I am not going to divorce this perfect pair and thus, I am baking my Carrot Cake Bread filled with cream cheese frosting :)

This carrot cake bread can be served as breakfast, meal time, dessert or as tea time treats, it is an all around / purpose cake/bread.

Cream Cheese Filling Ingredients:
In a mixer, mix well all the below ingredients for about 5 to 8 mins, store in air-tight container in fridge until ready to use.
8 oz cream cheese
1/3 cup corn flour
3/4 cup sugar
1 tsp vanilla

Carrot Cake Bread Recipe

Tangzhong Starter:
1 cup water ( I use 1/2 cup water + 1/2 cup milk)
1/3 cup flour

Heat up water, add flour and stir till mixture incorporates and thicken. Turn off heat, let starter cool to just warm to the touch or cool completely. Starter can be stored in refrigerator for later use.

Dough:
A:
1/2 warm water (can substitute for milk) - (if you are not using sweet potato, increase water to 1 cup)
1 tbs yeast
1/2 cup flour

B:
5 - 6 cup flour
3 eggs
4 tbs butter or margarine (soften)
3 cups shredded carrots
1/2 baked sweet potato  ( optional , note and adjust A: above on water volume used )
1/2 cup raisins
1/2 cup sugar

In a small bowl, stir yeast and water and flour, let mixture stand and proof for 5 mins, should be foamy.

In a mixer bowl,  mix eggs + sugar.
Add in foamy mixture A to mixer bowl, gradually add flour. ( use 2 to 3 cups )
Add in potato and then butter.
Mix in rest of starter and flour gradually.
Mix in carrots and raisins, mix well.
Total mixing time should be  around 10 to 15 mins.

Fold in dough a few times into a smooth ball.
Cover dough with towel and let dough stands in a dry warm place until dough double in size (at least hour ++).
Punch down dough. Divide dough into desired sizes.
Divide and form each size dough to preferred sizes, roll each dough out and spread a generous amount of cream cheese on dough, roll up and tuck into shape, set aside
Let prepared dough stands for another 30 mins or more.

Bake in heat up oven at 350 degree for 20 to 25 mins.

This post is linked to the event, Little Thumbs up organised by Doreen from my little favourite DIY and me, Bake for Happy Kids, hosted by Alice from I Love. I Cook. I Bake. at this post

 

Chocolate dipped Mini Spring Rolls

As promised, I decided while I am still so keyed up with this mini spring rolls, I went ahead to make 1/2 a batch of mini spring rolls dipped with chocolate melts.

These mini spring rolls were prepared the same way as I did on those filled with cream cheese. I like to repeat these mini spring rolls are really healthy snacks (for those of you watching those high calories, these are BAKED not fried without the grease) and tasty especially when freshly made.

You can get recipe on the Mini Spring Roll filled with cream cheese : here

Once the mini spring rolls are baked, start preparing the chocolate melts for dipping:

Chocolate Ingredients:
4 oz Chocolate Chips
1 Tbsp butter

1. In a bowl, add chocolate and place bowl in microwave for 1 min.
2. Take out bowl and stir chocolate.
3 .Reheat chocolate in microwave for another 30 microwave watching through the glass door of microwave making sure chocolate does not splatter out.
4. Repeat #3 again until chocolate is soft to the stir, add butter and stir well.
5. Chocolate mixture should be very fluid.
6. Dip each mini spring roll half way onto the chocolate mixture, give a a slight shake so excess will drip back to the chocolate bowl.
7. Place dipped mini spring roll on lined cookie tray to dry firm ( I used the cookie tray I used to bake the mini spring roll earlier ).
8. Once the chocolate dipped mini spring rolls is set dry and firm, serve or store them in air-tight
container.

     

I am linking this post to Bake Along event, Chinese New Year Cookies for the month of Jan 2014 organised by Lena of Frozen Wing, Zoe of Bake for Happy Kids and Joyce of Kitchen Flavours.

Baked Mini Spring Rolls with hint of cream cheese fillings

These treats were a lot of fun to make. Though I had to admit these mini rolls were very time consuming but the results were worth the time put in. I recently baked a carrot yeasted bread filled with cream cheese and I thought I tried using the same cream cheese filling to fill these mini spring rolls. I first tried a few mini spring roll samples before I ventured into working on the entire batch.

I also dipped a small batch of the mini spring rolls with melted chocolate, hmmmm they are pretty tasty too. That will be my next batch with better preparation on the right chocolate chips ingredient. For now, I focused on the cream cheese fillings.

BTW: I am not a big fan of deep frying therefore I opted to bake these rolls and they are as crispy as those of deep fried.. hey don't need the extra calories :)

Here is the recipe.

Cream Cheese Fillings:
4 oz cream cheese
2 1/2 Tbs corn flour
6 Tbs sugar
1 tsp vanilla

Spring Roll Pastry
1 package of Spring Roll Pastry Sheets (store bought). Package contains 25 sheets of 8 inch by 8 inch square sheets.
3 Tbs of flour. (for sealing of mini rolls on pastry )

1. In a mixer, mix all the cream cheesse filling ingredients for about 10 mins until well blended. Stored in air tight container in fridge until ready to use.
2. In a small small, mix flour with water to make a wet flour paste, sticky to the touch but not too watery.
3. Cut each sheet in 4 quarters. Keep pastry in covered containers while working on each individual mini spring roll.
4. On each quarter sheet, spoon 1/2 tsp cream cheese mixture and smears on the pastry sheet, fold and tuck roll into mini roll. Seal end with a tiny dab of wet flour. Store each mini roll in container with lid.
5. Heat up oven at 350 degree F.
6. Line all the mini spring rolls on cookie sheet lined with parchment paper.
7. Bake for 20 minutes or until mini rolls are golden.
8. Let mini rolls cool and store in air-tight containers.

This post is linked to the event, Little Thumbs up organised by Doreen from my little favourite DIY and me, Bake for Happy Kids, hosted by Alice from I Love. I Cook. I Bake. at this post

 

Cranberry Tea Cookies

I love adding cranberries to my baking, whether they are cookies, muffins or breads, cranberries add texture, flavor and zest to the bake. Last year I baked some cranberry cookies using regular sugar cookie recipe and just adding chopped dried cranberries.

This time around, I am sort of playing with the idea of using regular pie crust recipe, adding just a little sugar and chopped dried cranberries. 

Here is the recipe:

2 cups of flour

1/2 cup of vegetable oil

2 Tbs of water

4 Tbs of sugar

1/2 cup dried cranberries

In a mixer, mix well all ingredients except the cranberries. 

When dough is well mixed add in cranberries, continue to mix well.

Form dough to 3 or 4 square long strips.

Place dough strips in seal containers, keep in fridge for at least an hour.

Once cool, slice dough into 1/4 inch cookie.

Place on cookie tray lined with parchment paper.

Heat up oven at 350 degree.

Bake cookies for 18 to 20 mins.

Cool and store in air tight container.

Good with hot tea.

I am linking this post to Bake Along event, Chinese New Year Cookies for the month of Jan 2014 organised by Lena of Frozen Wing, Zoe of Bake for Happy Kids and Joyce of Kitchen Flavours.

Coconut Tarts

I have always loved coconuts and so I decided I baked coconut filled tarts. I like the idea of preparing the coconut filling a day or 2 ahead. Since I am no experts in making this tarts, I thought I better make sure I give myself plenty of time to not ruin my effort.

Coconut Filling Ingredients:
 7 oz sweetened shredded coconut
1 cup unsweetened dessicated coconut
3 og cream cheese
1 egg white
1/4 cup sugar
2 tsp water
1 tsp syrup (pancake syrup)
1 tsp vanilla

In a small pan, heat sugar, water, syrup and vanilla till blended and dissolved.
In a mixer, mix together cream cheese and egg white.
Add to mixer the sweetened coconut, followed by 1/3 cup of dessicated coconut.
Mix well.
Set the other 2/3 cup of dessicated coconut in a small bowl for dusting.
Roll small balls and dusting to coat with dessicated coconut. ( depending on how big you want , I make 80 fairly tiny ones ).
Set aside in fridge if you are not ready to use yet.

Tart Shell Ingredients:
1 3/4 cup flour
1 stick of margarine ( 1/2 cup )
1 egg
2-3 tsp of water if needed.

Mixed all tart shell ingredient in a mixer and mix well till dough is well incorporated and soft the touch.
Dough should soft and rollable.
Pinch 1 inch size ball dough, roll out with tart roller or rolling pin to form a 2 and 3/4 inch strip.
Place a coconut ball on strip and roll tight and tuck the end to bottom.

Heat up oven at 350 degree.
Whip an egg in small bowl as egg wash. Using a kitchen brush, brush each coconut tart with egg wash.
Bake tarts for 20 - 25 mins until  tarts look shiny and golden.
Cool and store in containers.
Enjoy!

I am linking this post to Bake Along event, Chinese New Year Cookies for the month of Jan 2014 organised by Lena of Frozen Wing, Zoe of Bake for Happy Kids and Joyce of Kitchen Flavours.

Kuih Bangkit

This is my first CNY 2014 cookie baking and I chose to try baking kuih bangkit for the first time by myself. I used to help make these cookies with my mom while I was in Penang. I have to confess this kuih bangkit does not taste as good as the old days ... but I tried and I will fine tuned the cookie further on my future attempts.

Ingredients:
600 gm tapioca flour
150 gm corn flour
(100 gm of the above flour mixture for dusting dough)
3 egg yolk
1 egg
200 gm sugar
250 ml coconut milk

Directions:
Mix tapioca flour and 150 corn flour together in large bowl. Heat flour in microwave for 1 minute each in 5 or 6 batches using a wide plate. Save flour in bowl and let flour cool overnight.

Beat egg and sugar till light. (Scoop out 1/4 cup of egg mixture as reserve for later use if needed if dough gets too dry)
Transfer egg mixture to a large bowl for mixing.
Add flour gradually, one spoonful at a time to egg mixture and mix and knead well.
(Reserve 100 gm flour mixture for working on the dough, dusting and cutting the cookie.)
Add coconut milk one spoonful at a time to flour and egg mixture and knead till it form to a nice workable dough texture. (not too dry or too soft).

Line parchment paper on cookie tray.
Keep a damp paper towel or using a air tight cover to cover dough in container while not in use.
Pull a small ball of dough from container,  (working in a small tennis ball size dough at a time).
Roll out dough on lightly floured surface. Cut cookie using cookie cutter and place cookie on cookie tray 2 inches apart.
(If dough gets too dry, add a few drops of egg mixture to mix well to form workable dough)

Bake at preheated oven 350degree for 12 mins.