Custard Cake Mini's

I have this custard mini’s adopted from my pretty Custard Cake ckick link for the recipe posted a while ago. Mini cakes are just simply attractive and are always fun to eat with. I made some alteration on the ingredients and the alternative way how it was cooked which I will share with you later.

What I love in making this cake is the mouth-watering fragrance of chiffon batter! Even you are still in the process mixing-in everything of the ingredients, your turn to grab some of this cooked mini cakes can’t really wait! Really tempting!

This is quite different from my previous cake because I didn’t use round baking pan to mold this instead, utilizing my heart-shaped baking pan and muffin tin. The procedure is quite tricky considering that you have to fill each muffin tin starting from the caramel all throughout the batter before you can start putting it in the oven. But that doesn't become a big deal 'cause I believe that the more challenging the thing is; the more exciting is the outcome. Hmmmmm. Hope my belief will turn out right on this!

Fresh rom the oven. I've got this four holes over the cake!?? Not bad...I just wanted to share you how many times I've checked the cake by my wonder toothpick before I took it out from the oven! I'm just too conscious I might over baked it :-)

Anyway, I have two reasons why I did some alteration on the recipe. First, because these are only ingredients left available in our kitchen. Second, I want to try another experiment again hoping it would turn out right after doing some adjustments…. And yeah! I guess I didn’t fail on this!! Except on a little burned out caramel on top but overall, the taste is perfectly delicious! Only that the crème caramel also is thinner compared to my previous custard cake because this is where I made the alteration (except, on the  recipe on chiffon cake). I also used brown sugar for the caramel to have a golden brown finish and creamier too! The sweet taste really tempted me to eat more!! a sweetness which is not irritating to the throat.

I just can't take not to post this one! I know the cake is not so good-looking compared from my previous post but mind you…this is really delicious! And I like most using brown sugar because it's creamier than the white. I guess you can only say that I'm right and what I am trying to say now, once you've tried cooking the recipe! I will try next time not to burned-out the sugar so it wont get look messy, but overall?! Its yummmm!!!

So much to say anyhow. But heyy!!! I know the procedure is quite long but don’t get bored! This cake is worth your effort! Let me show you how!

Ingredients:

Caramel

·   1/2 teaspoon brown sugar (you can make it to 1 teaspoon for a sweeter taste)

Custard

• 2 eggs
• 1/4 cup condensed milk
• 1/4 cup evaporated milk
• 2 tablespoon granulated white sugar

Meringue

• 3 egg whites, room temperature
• 1/4 teaspoon lemon juice (cream of tartar if using)
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar

Chiffon Cake

• 3 egg yolks
• 4oz water
• 1/4 cup vegetable or canola oil
• 1/2 tsp vanilla
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1 1/4 tsp baking powder
• 3/4 cup of all flour
• 1/2 tsp salt

Procedure

Caramel (I’m using oven to caramelize the sugar)

Pre-heat oven to 180 F.  Place 1/2 teaspoon of brown sugar into each muffin tin. Place muffin tin in a pre-heated oven for about 5-10 minutes or until sugar forms into caramel. Check the oven before the stated time to make sure not to burn the sugar.

Custard

In a clean bowl, combine egg yolks, milk, and sugar. Stir until well blended. Pour about 2-3 tablespoons of custard mixture on the muffin tin with caramel. Set aside

For the Meringue

In a large mixing bowl beat egg whites and cream of tartar, gradually adding in the sugar. Continue beating until very stiff and shiny. Set aside.

Note: Do not use the egg whites if they fall down and become watery. The cake won’t turn out successful.

Tip: Buy fresh eggs from the market. Be sure that the eggs come to room temperature before beating.

For Chiffon Batter

1. Sift together flour, baking powder and salt in a bowl and set aside.
2. In a separate mixing bowl beat together egg yolks, vegetable oil, sugar, water and vanilla.
3. Add the flour mixture and beat until batter is smooth.
4. Using a spatula, take some of the meringue, do it by batch and fold-in to the batter (egg yolk mixture and flour mixture. Mix until combined.
5. Pour slowly into the muffin tin with caramel and custard mixture about half full. (Do not grease the sides of the tin).
6. Place a rack on the center of the rectangular foil and pour-in about 2-3 cups of hot water. Place the muffin tin on the rack. (The rack is used to raise the bottom of the baking pan and provides steam to cook the cake and not to burn the custard).
7. Preheat the oven. Place the rectangular foil that contains the muffin tin with water in the oven. Bake in 350 degree for 55 to 65 minutes or until toothpick inserted comes out clean and the cake springs back when lightly touched.
8. Remove muffin tin from the oven. Loosen the edges with a knife and let it cool over a wire rack for about 30mins.
9. When cooled, place the pan in the fridge for about 1 hour. (I do this to help the cake stable while inverting the cake later).
10. Carefully take each cooked mini cakes using a spatula or spoon and transfer to a clean plate.
11. Serve chilled and enjoy!

Makes 6 serving of Mini Cakes, since the remaining custard and batter were cooked on a heart-shaped baking pan.

Note: Preparing the recipe on a heart-shaped baking pan has similar procedure on the mini cakes. You can place 3 tablespoon or more of brown sugar to make a caramel. Spread evenly. It’s easier compared in cooking over muffin tin since you will no longer do the procedure individually to fill the muffin tin.

Siopao -My Own Style

 

 

Hello guys, here’s another recipe on my cooking list; or it might be on your list too! Today I am making a Siopao recipe. For us Filipino’s, we call it as Siopao, and some would call it as steamed buns. I’d love eating this for an afternoon snack together with cold drinks or even also for dinner with my family. Most home bakers out there has so many ideas on how these homemade steamed buns recipe were made with various filling but this time, allow me to share mine. As long as you have all the needed ingredients and paraphernalia’s available in your kitchen, it’s not impossible to try this one at home!

Since we are now in summer season, and of course it’s obviously hot inside and out, I’m thinking of a food which will no longer need an oven for now. Just a thought, why not try making a Siopao! Exciting! Might as you as well and will get interested on this too! I adopted this recipe from my previous post and did some experiment on my Shakoy click this link for the recipe. Why!?- Because the dough I am using here is the one I made from my Shakoy dough! Hmmmmm…..this is quite experimental! I’m hoping this would turn out right! And Yesss.,,,! I’ve made it though! From using yeast as leavening ingredient, I used baking powder instead… I am also using chicken, veggies and egg for filling.

The procedure is quite long but don’t get turn-off because once you’ve performed it, everything are just simple and it’s worth the effort. Remember, cooking is like  doing an experiment. Expect that some attempts would fail; and some are successful! If cooking does interests you, start with lesser amounts by dividing all the ingredient. Once you've worked well and successful, that would be the time for you to try and cook more. Happy kneading! :)

Ingredients:

Dough

• 5 cups (about 1 kilo) all-purpose flour (reserve 1 cup for add-on/dusting)
• 2 tablespoons brown sugar
• 3 tbsp. baking powder (you can use yeast: 3 teaspoons)
• 1 tsp salt
• 1-2 cups lukewarm water, divided

Filling

• 4 large eggs, boiled (divide each eggs into 4 slices)
• 1 lb boneless chicken, shredded
• 1 onion, minced
• 1 tbsp garlic, minced
• 1 cup potato, diced
• 1 cup carrot, diced
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 tsp sugar
• 1-2 tbsp cooking oil

 

 

                                                  Freshly cooked Siopao

Covering Siopao Filling

Procedure for Siopao:
 

Dough

1.    In a clean bowl sift together flour, baking powder and salt. Mix well. Before mixing everything in, don't forget to set aside 1 cup of flour for dusting and for add-on later.

2.    In a separate bowl, pour 1 1/2 cup of water. Add sugar. Stir until sugar has melted.

       If using yeast: Sift flour and salt in a bowl and mix well. In a separate bowl, pour cups of water (lukewarm) with sugar. Pour yeast and set aside for 5mins to bloom.
 

3.    Gradually add flour to the water and sugar mixture (or to the yeast mixture, if using). Mix well until everything is completely combined. If the mixture appears dry, gradually add remaining 1/2 cup of water, and knead to form a ball.

4.    Dust a clean surface with flour. Knead. Grease hands with oil while you continue kneading. If dough is still sticky, sprinkle small amount of flour on the surface. If the dough is still dry, grease hands with oil and knead more until you get the desired consistency. You’ll know if the dough is set and ready to use when you feel it’s soft, smooth and elastic in texture.

5.    Cut the dough into small pieces depending on what size you want for your siopao. Form into circles and place these in a baking sheet or in flat surfaced container. Set aside.

Filling:

1.    Pour the cooking oil in a pan over medium heat. Saute the garlic and onions.

2.    Add the shredded chicken then cook about 5mins or until turns light brown.

3.    Add about 2-3 tablespoon of water then stir. Add-in carrots and potatoes and simmer for about 4-5 minutes.

4.    Sprinkle sugar and salt then simmer for another 5 minutes

5.    Turn off the heat. You can drain excess liquid. Allow to cool.

To assemble

Take each of the dough and flatten to form a circle. You can use rolling pin or anything available in your kitchen to flatten. Put a spoonful of siopao filling in the middle of the circle. Place sliced egg over the filling. Cover up the filling with the dough to form a siopao. Place a small square of paper under the siopao so it won't stick to the steamer while cooking. Repeat procedure until you finish everything. Steam for about 10-12 minutes. (I’m not good in covering or to form this into siopao but you can always use your creativity here to make this job simple. Just be sure to put enough amount of filling: 1 1/2 tablespoon for you to easily cover it).

Makes 10-12 Siopao depending on size.

You can divide all the ingredients if you want to try this recipe lesser than approximated serving.

 

 

 

Filipino Breakfast Treat

This is my own way of preparing a simple Filipino breakfast treat!!! – Garlic rice, beef tapa and egg! I prepared and marinated the beef a night before I had planned to prepare this meal to avoid rush. Please see the article I’ve made for Beef Steak or you may click this link for the recipe. I want my beef steak here to be dry so I let everything of the sauce get absorbed in the beef. Here, I will also share with you how I prepared my own style of garlic rice and fried eggs. What I like in garlic rice is the aroma which is so appetizing! And mind you this is not oily as what you have known for garlic rice out there! I said, this is my own simple way of making this, so take a look in the procedure how I did it! For the fried eggs I like those whites cooked in soft texture. Mostly fried eggs had brownish and crunchy edge when fried. In here, I am going to share with you how to prepare it just like other restaurants did on their sunny side up version! Sounds exciting right…!? Then scroll down and go over HOW I did this breakfast treat you might try at home!

Procedure:

For Garlic Rice (I apologize but this is what I wanted to name it: garlic rice J )

Take 4 cloves of garlic (finely chopped). Set aside. Take a bowl of steamed rice (preferably the one which was cooked earlier and still hot). Set aside. Heat a non-stick frying pan over medium heat and pour about 2 tablespoons of cooking oil. Fry chopped garlic until golden brown. Do not burn. Immediately place fried garlic in a saucer and allow to cool. Dust about 3/4 of fried garlic in a bowl of steamed rice and mix well with a spoon. Serve immediately! Or you can also fill a cup with a garlic mixture and press to compact. Slowly invert compact garlic rice in a plate and use remaining fried garlic for garnishing. Very simple!!

For the Fried Egg

Place 2 tablespoons cooking oil in a non-stick frying pan over medium heat. Once oil was heated, adjust the heat into very low….as in verrrry low. This is to protect the egg whites from burning easily and will result into soft texture as what I’ve said. Slowly break the egg over the heated pan. Check until everything of the egg whites is properly cooked. You can also take some of the oil in the pan using a spoon and slowly pour it over the egg whites to help cooking the whites faster. Transfer to a plate and serve.

There you go! Hope I made your breakfast at home special for this simple recipe! Have a great day ahead evryone! Good morning!!!

Banana Cake Recipe

 

 

Many say that banana cakes are very simple to make….Do you agree? Well for me, it’s a big Yes! Truly it is! This encourages me to cook the recipe too the next time I've got bananas at home . Since I started cooking other cake recipes which are a bit complicated than this, why not try this simple one! I have ripe bananas in the kitchen, as in verrrry ripe that when you tried peeling it, it breaks and falls down.. Yeah! I think this kind of banana is right enough to complete this recipe!!

Banana cakes are commonly displayed and sold in school canteens or even in bakeries and restaurants. It is made affordable yet delicious! It is a dessert which you can give yourself a treat anytime you want! What I like in this cake is the aroma which tempted you to eat more and the luscious banana puree that gives the cake a moist texture when eaten. I made it in a traditional way of cooking banana cakes. No need of more sugar to add in it; no need for frostings because banana cakes are naturally sweet in taste and that makes this dessert really tempting!!!

Ingredients:

• 1 1/4 cup ripe Banana, mashed
• 2 large eggs
• 1 1/4 cup all purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup oil
• 1/4 teaspoon vanilla

Procedure for Banana Cake:

1.  Mash peeled bananas with a fork. Set aside.

 

2.  Combine well the flour, baking powder and baking soda. Set aside.

3. Whisk banana slices, eggs and sugar in an electric mixer (you can also mix it by hands just beat-in  the ingredients very well) and mix until such that you raise the hook of the mixer it will create such ribbon-like texture. Set to high speed until becomes stiff.

 

4.  Fold in flour mixture using a spatula. Mix well.

 

5.  Add-in oil. Mix until batter is smooth and shiny.

6. Pour batter in a round baking pan (8 inches) and bake in a pre-heated oven (160 C) for 40 – 50mins or until toothpick inserted comes out clean.

 

 

Serve warm or chilled. Enjoy!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sausage in a Shakoy

Meat and pastry is a great partner ever! One sunny afternoon during our vacation stay in my hometown, I have made Shakoy  click here for the recipe for snack for my family. This time I’ve come to an idea of having variations on Shakoy so I am thinking what if I’l put meat on it as filling? Why not??! This is just a hit and miss thought but it’s going to be an exciting experiment then! Nothing came in my mind what meat I am going to pair for this but.... --- a sausage! Sounds yummmy and interesting!

Sausages are appetizing and are always readily available anywhere. What is unique in this recipe is the filling is larger than the dough or the covering. Hmmmmm…. I can’t imagine how it looks like when cooked. It’s a type of a finger food where everybody would enjoy and have fun with, together with your family on holidays. Well, I have to cook another one again for this soon ‘coz it’s simply delectable! This a new thing to add on my cooking lists!

To enjoy more the food make sure your Shakoy must be light and soft in texture or else you are not absolutely be enjoying the recipe. Check out the link above for Shakoy recipe. As you can see the sausage here is slightly overcooked so please consider my suggestion to coat  the whole sausage with the dough (as in properly covered). Through this, the dough protects the sausage not  to burn easily. Another alternative for filling is hotdog. Hotdog has harder texture compared to the sausage so that would be my filling the next time I'm coking this recipe.

Enjoy!!

Ingredients:

Shakoy Dough:

·   3/4 cups all-purpose flour + 1/4 cup all purpose flour, for dusting
·   1 teaspoon instant dry yeast
·   1/2 teaspoon sugar, for the yeast to bloom
·   1/4 cup warm water, for the yeast to bloom
·   1/4 teaspoon salt
·   1 cup oil, for frying + 1 tablespoon to grease in hands while kneading

Procedure for Shakoy Dough (for coating)

CLICK HERE for Shakoy procedure with Photos
 

Activate the Yeast:

 

Pour 1/2 teaspoon sugar  to 1/4 cup of warm water. Slightly stir. Set aside and wait to bloom.

 

Dough:

1. In a clean bowl, mix together flour and salt. Combine properly. Make a well in the flour mixture and pour the bloomed yeast in the center. Mix all together until forms a dough.
2. Dust a clean surface with flour. Knead the dough. If it's too dry, gradually add 1 teaspoon tap water. If it's too sticky, add a little flour until desired consistency. Knead more until smooth, elastic and manageable for shaping.
3. Transfer to a greased bowl (use oil to grease). Cover and let stand for 30mins for the dough to rise.
4. Once the dough has raised to its volume, divide the dough into small sizes. The size of divided dough depends on the number of your sausage.

 

To Assemble:
 

1.   Open sausage can and drain. Transfer to clean bowl. Set aside.

 

2.   Take each dough and roll to form a log then press to flatten. Take a sausage and swirl flattened dough into it. Repeat until you finish everything. Transfer to a baking tray or in a flat surfaced container. Cover the sausage with swirls for another 30mins for the dough to rise.

If coating the whole sausage as suggested: Take each dough and use rolling pin (or anything available) to flatten the dough. Form a square or enough size to cover the whole sausage. Place the sausage in the edge of the flattened dough and roll up. Lock the edges. Place in a baking tray or in a flat surfaced container. Repeat until you finish everything. Cover the dough with filling for another 30mins for the dough to rise.

3.   Place a wok with cooking oil on medium heat. Slowly deep-in shakoy w/d sausage and fry until golden brown or until shakoy is cooked. Do it by batch. Be careful not to burn the sausage. Adjust the heat if necessary. Prepare a bowl with a kitchen tissue (this is where you place your cooked food; tissue helps absorbed remaining oil from the food and keep it not-oily when served).

4.  Serve with cheese dip and enjoy!


Dough recipe can cover 10-12 Sausages