Butternut Squash Cuties

This is another way to use up the other half of the butternut squash that has been my fruit's companion. These cuties are so easy to make and too pretty to eat. The color of the butternut squash is so vibrant and a few speckles of black sesame seeds is a crowned glory.


Ingredients:
1 1/4 cup steamed buttersquash(mashed)
1 cup glutinous rice flour
3/4 cup tapioca flour
2 tbsp sugar
A pinch of salt
50 - 75 ml water

Oil for brushing

Filling:
1/2 cup chopped roasted peanuts
2 tbsp sugar
1 tbsp toasted sesame seeds

Garnish:

Toasted black sesame seeds

Method:

Mix the filling ingredients and set aside.

Mix glutinous rice flour, tapioca flour, salt and sugar together.

Knead the steamed mashed butternut squash and water into the flour mixture until it form a soft dough. (Add some water at a time. You may need more or less water depending on the moisture of butternut squash.)

Cook mixture on high in the microwave, one minute at a time, stirring after every minute until the mixture is cooked - the color should change to a bright orange and the dough feels dry.

Use rubber gloves as the dough is sticky, rub a little oil before removing a small ball of dough and flatten ball into a circle. Spoon a little filling onto circle and bring edges up to form a ball. Using the edge of a plastic spatula, push sides of ball in to form ball to look like a flower. Top with toasted black sesame seeds.

Alternatively, drop back the filled balls into the filling and swirl around to coat or shape filled balls to look like mini butternut squash

Serves

Hot Cross Buns

Hot cross buns,

Hot cross buns,

one ha' penny,

two ha' penny,

Hot cross buns.

If you have no daughters,

give them to your sons,

one ha' penny,

two ha' penny,

Hot Cross Buns

Hot cross buns are traditional buns baked for the Easter time celebrations. The fact that they are homemade makes them extra special.Hot cross buns are traditionally served on the Christian holiday of Good Friday and during Lent. They are smallish, slightly sweet buns containing spices and raisins, or currants, and they sometimes contain chopped candied fruit. Their tops are marked with a distinctive white cross made of glazed sugar or lightly cooked dough to symbolize the Crucifixion of Jesus Christ.These festive buns are best served warm from the oven with a butter spread. They taste so good you will want to eat them the year-round



Ingredients:

Bun Crossing Paste
1/2 tbsp vegetable oil
1/4 cup flour
1/8 cup water
Pinch of salt

Bread:
All the Water Roux
100ml water
1 large egg
2 tbsp fine granulated sugar
1 tsp salt
1 tbsp milk powder
2 1/2 cups plus 1 tbsp bread flour
2 1/2 tsp instant yeast
2 tbsp butter

Water-Roux Paste:
2 tbsp bread flour
100ml water

Glazing:
1 tbsp Milk
1 tbsp Apricot Jam

Method:

To make the Water Roux follow Tangzhong Starter-Water Roux.

For the Bread:

Put the bread ingredients into the bread machine bowl according to the order in the list. First the liquids and ending with the yeast.

Select the dough function and press to start. When the dough comes to a ball, add in the butter and continue the function. When a beep is sounded, added in the raisins and mixed peels. Continue the function until the dough has risen, in 1 1/2 hr.

When function is done. Remove the raised dough gently and divide into 8 pieces.

Rest cut dough for 10 minutes before shaping.

Shape each piece into a tightly formed ball and place on greased 10 inch x 6 inch baking pan.

Cover baking pan with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place until buns are touching and doubled in size.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Brush buns with milk

Place bun crossing paste in a ziplog bag and snip off one of the ends of the bag.

Pipe crosses over the surface of each bun.

Transfer buns to oven and bake until golden brown, 18 to 25 minutes, rotating baking sheets after 10 minutes.

Transfer to a wire rack and cool to room temperature.

Meanwhile, place apricot jam in a small microwable bowl and nuke on high for 20 seconds, until heated through; (strain through a mesh sieve set over a bowl if jam is very lumpy - in this case, use more than one tablespoon of jam, otherwise it is not worth the effort to strain ).

Brush heated jam over buns.

Serve warm with butter.

Bun Crossing Paste

In a medium bowl, whisk together oil and water. Add flour and salt, and whisk until well combined.

Let stand 1 hour before using.

Serves

Yoke Lan Kai/Steamed Chicken with Ham and Kai Lan

This dish used to be on any chinese restaurant's menu of yesteryears and i wonder if it is still as popular. It is one of my favorite dish to prepare - the saltiness of the ham enhances the smooth velvety chicken, and the luscious green , crunchy kai lan gives a touch of sweetness. I garnished with a couple of spoonfuls of XO Sauce - homemade of course. This dish is easily prepared if you have leftover White cooked chicken, then you only have to cook the kai lan and assemble the dish.

Ingredients:

White Cooked Chicken slices

Boneless Ham Slices

Yau Kai Lan

2 tbsp XO Sauce

Sauce:

1/2 cup chicken stock

1/2 tbsp cornstarch/tapioca starch + 1 tbsp water

Sesame oil

Method:

Assemble the dish by alternating slices of chicken and ham.

Prepare kai lan and decorate it around the chicken and ham.

Heat saucepan or wok and pour in the chicken stock. When stock comes to a boil, drizzle in the cornstarch/tapioca starch mixture and bring back mixture to the boil. Pour sauce over the assembled dish.

Top with XO sauce and drizzle with sesame oil.

Serves

Sweet And Sour Gluten Puffs

Typical dishes incorporating sweet and sour sauces are sweet and sour pork or chicken balls, sweet and sour prawns or sweet and sour stir-fried vegetable. I am going to introduce Sweet and Sour Gluten Puffs which is fun to make and to eat. This dish is dedicated to all vegetarians who i hope will enjoy this dish as much as i do. Many people find combining sweet and savoury foods together a little strange for their palettes, however, the sweet and sour dishes are possibly the most popular when visiting a Chinese restaurant.

Ingredients:

8 ozs Fried Gluten Puffs

Sauce:

1/2 cup ketchup

1/4 cup sugar

1/4 cup rice vinegar

2 tbsp shaoxing wine

1/4 tsp salt

1 1/2 tbsp cornstarch + 1/4 cup water

1/2 cup vegetable stock/water

White pepper

Method:

Combine the ketchup, sugar, rice vinegar, pepper and salt in a small bowl, and set it aside.

Dissolve the cornstarch in 1/4 cup cold water in another small bowl, and set it aside.

Heat wok and pour in the vegetable stock and add in the fried gluten puffs. Cook until puffs are soft and heat through.

Add the ketchup mixture and bring to a boil.

Add the cornstarch mixture and stir-fry until the puffs are coated with sauce and the sauce comes to a boil again(this is to ensure that the cornstarch is cooked through).

Serve immediately.

Serves

Homemade Gluten Puffs

Making gluten the traditional way is time consuming. It calls for mixing 8 cups of flour with 3 to 5 cups of water and forming a dough. The dough is then kneaded and rinsed under running water to remove the wheat starch. After about 20 to 30 minutes of kneading and rinsing, which to me seems like a considerable amount of time, the resulting 2 or so cups of stretchy gluten is evident. At that point the gluten needs to be simmered in broth for at least 1 hour and up to 2 hours or more or deep-fried to make gluten puffs

Luckily there are some shortcut methods for making gluten that make it a convenient food to prepare. I have had the most luck using high gluten flour or vital wheat gluten, although I have found that until you become familiar with the texture you are aiming for during the mixing and kneading process, the results will vary somewhat.

The added benefit of using this method is that you can flavor the gluten during the kneading process by adding herbs and spices of your choosing other than the traditional ginger and garlic. You can use poultry seasoning or chicken flavor broth powder to make a "chicken" flavored seitan, or a blend with paprika, cayenne, fennel, garlic, and Italian seasoning for a "sausage" flavor. Flavoring is limited only by your imagination.

Ingredients:

4 ozs Vital wheat gluten

5 ozs lukewarm water

1/4 tsp salt

Method:

Put the wheat gluten in a large bowl.

Dissolve salt in lukewarm water and pour over the wheat gluten.

Mix into a dough and knead 8 to 10 times.

Cover dough and let it stand for 2 hours.

Heat a wok with 2 cups of oil and when temperature is 350 f, drop tiny pieces of dough to fry until golden brown.

The puffs are now ready for a variety of recipes.

Serves

Butternut Squash Muffin

This butternut squash has been sort of a decor, sitting next to all the fruits on the countertop since Christmas. It was supposed to be served as a side for our Christmas Dinner, but ?????. Lately fruits have been in abundance, so the squash has to make way and that is how it turned into steamed muffins.

Ingredients:

1/2 cup butternut squash - steamed and mashed

1 1/2 cups bleached all-purpose flour

1/2 cup fine granulated sugar

1 1/2 tsp. Baking powder

1/2 tsp. salt

6 - 7 tbsp thick coconut milk or evaported milk

1 egg

2 tbsp oil

1 tsp vanilla extract

Method:

Fill steamer with water and bring to the boil.

In a large bowl sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt and set aside.

In another large bowl, whisk together the mashed butternut squash, sugar, oil, egg and coconut milk/evaporated milk.

Add the dry ingredients, stir mixture until just combine.

Using an ice cream scoop, pour the mixture to greased silicone cups.

Put to steam on very high heat for 15 - 20 minutes.

Remove to cool completely.

Serve immediately

Hokkaido Bread

The Hokkaido Milk Loaf has apparently been the rage of baking bloggers some time ago, and it has been in my 'to-try-list' for awhile. Finally, i have made it. This bread is fragrant and cottony soft, it is a 'can't-stop-at-one-slice' deliciousness! Extra good when fresh out of the oven and a favorite for those who like their bread sweet.


Ingredients:

1 cup Whole milk

5 fl oz Whipping cream
1 large Egg

1 1/2 tsp Salt

5 tbsp Sugar
3 tbsp Milk powder

4 cups Bread flour
1/2 cup Cake flour
3 tsp Instant yeast

Method:

Put the ingredients in the bread machine according to the order , first the liquids and lastly the instant yeast.

Use the dough function of the bread machine.

When dough is proven , remove from bowl of bread machine and press out the gas produced during the proof.

Divide it into 4 portions.

Round up and let rest for about 20 minutes.

Grease 2 loaf pans.

Roll each dough out and roll up. Place 2 rolls into a loaf pan.

Let the dough rise up to double.

Brush with egg wash or milk.

Bake in a preheated 350f oven for about 35 - 40 minutes.

Serves