Cocoa Buns

Used same method as my earlier buns, except that instead of the pandan paste, I added cocoa paste. Turned out pretty good.

Cutout Sugar Cookie

This is a new recipe that I made for this cutout cookie.  The dough is so flavorful with lemon zest and lemon juice and the baking powder makes the cookie a little soft but firm enough for cutout.  The cookies are refrigerated for a while before baking to minimize it from spreading.

I made these cookies for my son's preschool.  They loved the texture and flavor of the cookie. I also used a new recipe for my royal icing and it uses light corn syrup.  The icing itself was really beautiful and I think the corn syrup help add some shine to it.

Ingredients

3 cups flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
2 stick room temperature butter
1 cup sugar
1 egg, room temperature
1/2 tsp lemon juice
1/2 tsp vanilla essence
3/4 tsp lemon zest

Method

• In a bowl. beat the butter and sugar till slightly fluffy, taking care not to overbeat.  Add the egg, vanilla, lemon juice and zest.  Beat just until everything combines well.  Add slowly the sifted flour, baking powder and salt.  Mix with a spoon or spatula.  
• Sprinkle some flour on the counter and roll the dough.  Cut with desired cookie cutter.  Place the cookies on a parchment lined cookie sheet.  Place the sheet in the refrigerator for about 20 minutes till firm slightly.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Bake the cookies for about 10 -12 minutes.  Once it finish baking, take it out and place the cookies on a cooling rack.
• Decorate as desired with royal icing.

Royal Icing

1 lb confectioner/powdered sugar
Scant 1/2 cup water
pinch of salt
4 tbsp meringue powder
1/2 tsp light corn syrup
1 tsp fresh lemon juice

• Combine the meringue powder and water. With the paddle attachment of an electric mixer, beat until combined and foamy.
• Sift in the powdered sugar and beat on low to combine.
• Add in the corn syrup and lemon juice
• Increase speed to med-high and beat for about 5-10 minutes, just until the icing is glossy and stiff peaks form. (You should be able to remove the beater from the mixer and hold up and jiggle without the peak falling.) Do not overbeat.
• Use as necessary to decorate.

Anytime Cinnamon Buns

This is a soft fluffy cinnamon rolls and not too heavy.  I absolutely love the filling since it does not use too much sugar.  The buns kept soft till the next day.

Ingredients

3 1/2 cups bread flour
2 teaspoons instant yeast
2 tablespoons instant potato flakes
2 tablespoons nonfat dry milk
3 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
4 tablespoons soft or room-temperature butter
2/3 cup lukewarm water
1/2 cup lukewarm milk

Filling
2 teaspoons cinnamon plus 1 tbsp brown sugar

Topping
2 tablespoons melted butter

Glaze
1 cup confectioners' sugar
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
 2 to 3 tablespoons milk

Method

• Combine all of the dough ingredients in a large bowl, and mix and knead — using your hands, a stand mixer, or a bread machine set on the dough cycle — to make a soft, smooth dough. I used my bread machine to knead and let it rise.  Once risen I took it out and shaped it and cut into 1in rolls.
• Place the dough in a lightly greased container and allow the dough to rise for 60 to 90 minutes, until it's just about doubled in bulk.
• Gently deflate the dough, and transfer it to a lightly greased work surface.
• Roll the dough into a 20" long rectangle, about 12" wide. 
• Sprinkle 2 teaspoons cinnamon over the surface of the dough. A small sieve or tea strainer works well here.
• Starting with a long side, roll the dough into a 24" log; it'll naturally stretch from its original 20" to about 24" as you roll. In order to make the neatest job of cutting out the buns, use a sharp knife to mark the log at 1 1/2" intervals.
• Slice the dough into 1 1/2"-thick buns. The neatest way to do this, by far, is by looping a piece of dental floss underneath the dough where you want to cut it, then pulling the ends in opposite directions. The floss will cut the dough neatly, without squashing it.
• Lightly grease two 8" round cake pans. Divide the buns between the two pans, spacing 8 in each pan.
• Cover the pans, and allow the buns to rise till they're crowded against one another and quite puffy, about 60 to 90 minutes. Towards the end of the rising time, preheat the oven to 350°F.
• Uncover the buns, and bake them for 20 to 23 minutes, until they're golden brown on top and the edges of the center bun spring back lightly when you touch it.
• To serve buns now: Just before the buns are done, stir together the confectioners' sugar, cinnamon, and cream or milk to make the glaze. Turn the hot buns out of the pan onto a rack, and brush with the melted butter. Spread with the glaze, and serve immediately.
• To serve buns later: Turn the hot buns out of the pan onto a rack, and brush with the melted butter. Cool completely. Wrap airtight and store at room temperature for a couple of days; for longer storage, freeze. Just before serving, tent the buns lightly with foil, and rewarm in a preheated 350°F oven for 10 minutes (a bit longer, for frozen buns). Stir together the glaze, brush over the buns, and serve warm.

Cookies

Cookies for my son's graduation party with his friends college initials.

Graduation Cake

My son graduated from his high school.  Made this cake for him and his friends.  Its a almond sour cream cake with almond flavored buttercream. Inside the cake I made swirls of cocoa mixed with the cake.

Pandan Custard Buns

I am going bun craze these past days.  The top layer on the buns are made with custard flour, cooked and piped on top.  The buns itself I used some pandan paste to flavor it.  They are super soft and tastes really good.  Again I used my Kitchenaid dough hook to mix up the dough.


Ingredients

Bread

350gm bread flour
200ml water
50gm sugar
1/2 tsp salt
3 tsp yeast
1 tsp bread improver, optional
20gm coconut powder
1 tbsp. milk powder
1 egg
30gm butter, softened
1 tsp pandan paste

Custard

1 tbsp. flour
4 tbsp. sugar
1/4 tsp salt
1 tbsp. custard flour
250 ml milk
1 tbsp. butter

Method

Following the bread machine method, add the liquid, egg,  sugar, dried ingredients, make a little hole on top of the flour and add the yeast. Using the dough hook of the kitchenaid mixer, mix the dough till soft but still a little sticky.  Add additional flour by tablespoons till you get the right texture.  I sometimes never use all the flour stated in the recipe.  Mix for couple of minutes.

Grease a bowl, put the dough in it and cover.  Let rise till double for about 60 minutes.  Punch dough down and divide into small balls and put in a greased baking pan.  I used my pyrex dish. Let rise for about 30 minutes.

Bake at a preheated oven for about 25 minutes.

Make the custard while the dough is rising the first time.  In a pot, add the ingredients for the custard except butter, whisk and cook in low heat till it is thick.  Take it off the heat and add the butter.  Whisk really well. Let it cool.  Put in a piping bag and pipe swirls on top before baking the buns.

Raspberry Muffins

Ingredients

1-3/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/3 cup shortening or butter
1 cup  less 2 tbsp sugar
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1/2 cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 to 2 cups fresh or frozen raspberries
Additional sugar


Method

Combine flour and baking powder; set aside. In a large bowl, cream shortening and sugar. Add eggs; mix well. Combine milk and vanilla; add to creamed mixture alternately with flour mixture. Fold in the raspberries.
Fill greased or paper-lined muffin cups two-thirds full. Sprinkle with sugar.
Bake at 375° for 20-25 minutes or until center of muffin springs back when lightly touched.

Sweet Potato Rolls

Once you try this sweet potato rolls, you will never likely to buy rolls from the store.  They were pillow soft and you could just eat and eat....and not stopping.  I have more leftover sweet potato and gonna make more for friends.

Ingredients

1 egg
½ cup mashed sweet potato
¼ cup sugar
1 teaspoon salt
¼ cup butter, melted
⅔ cup warm milk
Dash of cinnamon
3 cups bread flour
2 teaspoons bread machine or instant yeast

Method

• I made my rolls using the Kitchenaid dough hook.
• Add the liquid first, then sugar, flour and lastly make a well in the center and add the yeast.  Make sure all the liquids are warm.  The egg should be at room temperature.
• Remove dough from machine to a greased bowl and cover with a tea towel.  Let rise till it doubles.
• Form the dough into balls and bake at 350 degrees F for 12-15 minutes or until rolls are golden brown.
• Remove from pan or cookie sheet to allow cooling. (If you leave them in the pan too long, they will get soggy on the bottom.)

To Make Balls

Divide dough in half, then half again making four sections. Divide each of these sections into 4 pieces of dough which should leave you with 16 little doughballs. Form into round balls.
Arrange balls into two round (or square) 8 or 9-inch greased pans.
Cover rolls loosely with tea towel to rise.

Babka

If you do not know what a babka is.....its chocolate swirl bread which is almost like cinnamon raisin swirl bread. Instead of making  bread, I opted to make small rolls.  These babies were so deliciously yummy when eaten warm.  The chocolate just oozes out of the rolls. A little extra work but worth it.

For the bread dough 

1 package active dry yeast

1/2 cup warmed whole milk

1/4 cup white sugar

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 egg

1 teaspoon vanilla

Dash of salt

2 tablespoons butter

For the filling

3 tablespoons melted butter

1/4 cup brown sugar

2 tablespoons cocoa powder

1 cup mini chocolate chips

Method

• Dissolve the yeast in the warm milk and a dash of sugar. Let sit until foamy, about 5 minutes. Add egg and vanilla and whisk into the yeast mixture. Add flour and salt and stir until a dough forms. Put dough onto a floured surface.
• Knead with your hands for about 8 minutes, or until the dough is smooth and elastic.
• Grease a mixing bowl with oil. Add dough to the bowl and cover with greased plastic wrap. Place in a warm spot for about an hour, or until doubled in size. Gently punch down the dough and let rest for about 10 minutes. Once rested, place the dough onto a floured surface. Roll and spread the butter to the top of the dough with a spatula. Mix the filling together by whisking the brown sugar, cocoa powder and chocolate chips. Sprinkle the filling onto the melted butter covering the dough liberally.
• Roll the dough into a 12-inch log (like a jelly roll). Then cut the dough in 1 in segments and place in a greased baking dish cut side up. Cover with foil and let rise again, about 45 minutes.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Bake rolls for about 15 minutes, or until golden brown. The chocolate filling will be oozing out. Serve warm with chocolate drizzle or icing.