Fruit Salad

Ingredients

greek yoghurt (can substitute for cream)

condense milk

cheese

any fresh or dried fruits:

blueberries

apples

grapes

mixed canned fruits also can (but not healthy already hehe)

raisins

seeds etc.

Directions

• mix yoghurt and condense milk
• combined all other fruits/ingredients
• keep in chiller overnight before consuming

Foodnote: I remembered eating a nice fruit salad at a hotel once. So decided to make my own. Saw a keto fruit salad recipe that called for all purpose cream and condense milk. I just use whatever I have on hand: condensed milk, greek yoghurt, blueberries, an apple, a small can of mixed fruits and shredded cheddar cheese. I adjusted the milk+yoghurt to desired taste and tadaaa... super yummy fruit salad hehe. I topped it with some dried fruits and seeds that I have. Delicious and "healthy" dessert woohoo.

Basic French Baguettes 2023

Ingredients

500g strong bread flour

10g instant yeast

350g distilled water

20g sea salt

Directions

• in a mixing bowl, add water, flour and yeast and mix using dough hook > slow speed 4min then fast speed 4min
• add salt after 4min
• dough will be sticky
• transfer to working surface and using a scraper lightly tuck and round the dough till top is no longer sticky
• lightly dust the top with flour and transfer to bowl (smooth side up)
• rest it for about 1hr (max 2hr) then leave it in the fridge overnight
• next day dough will be bubbly
• flour woking surface and top of dough
• release the edge of dough with scraper and turn bowl upside down to transfer dough on working surface
• using a sharp scraper gently cut the dough (about 145-150g each) ~ will yield 6 baguettes
• shape baguette > create a spine in the middle, roll rop over to the spine, roll bottom to the spine... put the edges together and pinch together
• roll the edge of roll to sharpen the edge of baguette
• place into baguette tray with seam side down
• proof for 45min and score
• spray tray generously before baking
• bake at 220°C without fan at 3rd bottom level ~ add tray with ice to create steam
• remove ice tray at 5min and spray water on dough (may want to rotate tray for even baking)
• total 25-30min baking time till desired dark golden brown is achieved 
• I left it for 5min the oven with temp off before transferring to cooling rack

Foodnote: Impressed with the youtube video and decided to try it out. I tested with 50% portion so each dough is approx 145g. It seems easy. The only thing is need to use the mixer but that is ok. My scoring still need improving hhmmm. I think I can bake a little bit longer as the color looks a bit pale. Will try again soon.

To freeze: Bake for 5-8min and remove from oven. After bread is completely cool, shrink wrapped and put in ziplock. 

My Cousin's Prata Style Roti

Ingredients

2/3 atta flour

1/3 plain flour

pinch of salt

water

vegetable oil

Directions

• mix both flour together in a bowl and add in salt
• add water till a soft dough is formed
• rest dough for 1hr or leave it in the fridge till ready to cook
• when ready to cook, pre-heat flat pan or non-stick pan on low heat
• round dough into a ball and flatten it on a lightly floured work station
• put vegetable oil on the surface of the flatten dough
• roll the dough and roll spiral (as picture)
• roll the dough again to flatten as thin as possible
• cook on pan with oil just like a prata

Foodnote: When I went to KL after a work trip, my cousin cooked this for me (besides the yummy pakistani briyani). It is easy to make and very nice. Her pakistani husband taught her to make it and my cousin, the brother... insisted that she cooked it for me. It is just like a combination of chapati and prata. We ate with mince meat but I am sure it will be nice with curry or keema. Now... need to go and buy atta flour. 

Sourdough Bread with Great Oven Spring

Ingredients and directions same as here

Only difference is baking directions

• pre-heat dutch oven to 230°C for 30min or more
• transfer dough with parchment paper into pre-heated dutch oven and spray with water and quickly put the lid on
• transfer the dutch oven in the pre-heated oven and turn off the oven... yes turn it off!
• leave the dutch oven in the heated oven for 20min
• after 20min, remove the dutch oven cover, admire the oven spring and turn on the heat to 230°C with fan
• bake for 15-20min till desired color
• cool for few hours before serving

Foodnote: Wanted to bake a plain sourdough bread to eat with rendang or SCS butterscotch butter with butterscotch spreadable. Saw this tip online and I just have to try it because I love to see the oven spring. It didn't disappoint and it really gives a very impressive oven spring. I will probably be doing this from now on :) Always good to learn new things to improve my bakes.

Sourdough Bread with Inclusions

Adapted from here.

Ingredients best for 1 loaf

70g active starter

210g water

315g bread flour

7g salt

4g diastatic malt

Dry Inclusions: +/- 1 cup depends on ingredients and how much you want

For sourdough starter: I add 50% water + 50% bread flour to any amount of starter (1 tsp up to same amount of water/flour. Leftover scraping also can use) and leave it for at least 4hrs or overnight. Can use unfed starter but have to leave mixture up to 24 hours and then shape. Sometimes to speed up fermentation, place newly fed starter in oven and place a bowl of hot water beside it to create warm environment.

Directions

• in a bowl, mix starter with water
• add in bread flour, salt, malt and mix till even (to add dry inclusions eg. seeds, nuts, dried fruits at this stage)
• cover bowl and leave for 1hr 
• first fold and fold 2x after 30min (to add fresh inclusions eg. blueberries together with 1st fold)
• check for window pane... if not fold again 1-2x
• cover bowl again and let it proof till double in size (~ total 8 hours from mixing... up to 24hrs if starter have not been fed and not active)
• shape and place in banetton that have been lightly dusted with rice flour
• let rest for 30min and keep in fridge till ready to bake (~8hrs or within 3 days)
• bake with top bottom heat and fan at 230°C in pre-heated dutch oven for 20min covered
• open cover of dutch oven, and bake for another 10-15min depending on desired crust coloration
• let cool for few hours before cutting

Foodnote: Find that this works best so far for sourdough with dry inclusions so. This time I bake 1 loaf with Origins california treat that have almonds, black raisins, cashew nuts, cranberries, pine nuts, pumpkin seeds and sunflower seeds. I chopped the whole almonds and cashew nuts to make it smaller. The other loaf is with mixed citrus peels that I bought from Phoon Huat. Turns out well and inclusions are evenly distributed. 

Going to try the following flavours sourdough next:

- pumpkin cinnamon

- apple cinnamon

- orange or purple sweet potato

- fresh blueberries + lemon zest

- cheese + cranberry

- walnut + cranberry

- and many more woohoo

So excited to bake more sourdough to share with friends and families. 

Burnt Cheese Cake

Ingredients

250g cream cheese

60g castor sugar

5g flour

1 egg + 1 yolk

150g whipping cream

Directiona

• pre-heat oven to 230°C
• using a spatula, cream the cheese
• add sugar and mix till smooth
• fold in flour and lightly whisk in the eggs
• add in the whipping cream and mix evenly
• lined a small mould (I use 12 inch) with parchment paper
• pour in the cheesecake batter and drop it few times to remove air bubbles
• bake for 30min and increase the temperature to 240°C after 30min to bake for another 5min till top of cheesecake is burnt
• cool the cheesecake and enjoy

Foodnote: Found a packet of cream cheese in the fridge and I can't remember why I bought it hehe. So I look for a simple recipe for burnt cheesecake to try and tadaaa. I like that the recipe is easy and I don't have to make a big portion. I can just keep it all to myself and eat it bit by bit everyday ahaha. Anyway it tasted good even though there is no vanilla or lemon juice like other recipes... and I like simple basic recipe. Also, it taste soooo GOOOD when left in the fridge overnight. Yummeh! #mustbakeagainsoon

Pau Sambal / Burger Malaysia

Ingredients

50ml warm water

1/2 tbsp instant yeast

1/2 tbsp fine sugar

> mix everything together and put aside for 5min till bubbly

2 cups flour

2 tbsp fine sugar

2 tbsp milk powder or condensed milk

1/4 tsp salt

2 tbsp butter or vegetable oil

50-80ml water

Fillings

sambal ikan bilis

cucumber

salad

Directions

• in a large bowl mix all the dry ingredients together and mix well
• add butter and mix using hands
• pour in the yeast mixture followed with water (a bit at a time) and knead till a dough is formed
• cover the bowl and proof for 1-2hr till dough is puffy
• punch down the dough and lightly knead to smoothen the dough
• divide the dough to desired size (44 - 45g each = 10pcs), round and transfer to parchment paper
• cover with shrink wrap and let it rest for another 30min
• lightly flatten before deep fry in very low heat till golden brown (be patient so that the inside is fully cooked)
• once cooled, cut into two and fill with sambal, cucumber and salad

Foodnote: Was thinking of burger but ended up with this Malay burger instead hehe. Turns out very well. I kept some frozen so that I can eat it other day. Yum yum. Craving satisfied. 

The recipe can also be used as donut or fill with peanut paste.

No Knead Cranberry, Walnut and Honey Bread

Ingredients

3 cups of bread flour

1 tsp active dry yeast

1/2 tsp salt

2 tbsp honey

1 1/2 cup warm distill water

1/2 cup chopped walnut

1/2 cup dry cranberry

Directions

• in a large bowl add bread flour, dry yeast and salt
• in another small bowl add honey to warm water and mix thoroughly
• add the honey water to the dry mixture and mix till well combined
• add walnut and cranberry and mix well
• cover the bowl and let it rest for 1-3 hours (till dough double in size)
• transfer dough to well floured working surface
• fold the dough a few times and shape it into a ball
• transfer dough into a bowl/banetton and let it rest for final proofing
• pre-heat oven with a dutch oven at 230°C
• 30-45min transfer dough to a parchment paper, score and bake dough covered for 20mins and uncovered for 10-15min
• cool on a rack for 1hr or so

Foodnote: Need a good bread fast to bring to a gathering at my friend's place. Just use yeast because if not my yeast will cry in the fridge since I'm always using sourdough starter hehe. Fast good and yummy woohoo. This bread is a hot favourite with my friends who ate it with Golden Churn spreadable butter with avocado oil.

Maybe next time I might try to add honey to my sourdough bread with inclusions eh.