If you love snacking but want to keep things light, wholesome, and irresistibly crunchy; crispy thin Whole Wheat Biscuits might just become your new favorite treat.
Packed with the nutty flavor of whole grains and baked to delicate, golden perfection, these biscuits strike the ultimate balance between health and taste 🤩🤤 Whole wheat retains the bran and germ of the grain, making these biscuits naturally high in fiber, which supports digestion and keeps you feeling satisfied longerCompared to many commercial cookies, these crispy thin whole wheat biscuits are light on sugars and fatsPerfect for those watching their calorie intake without giving up flavor 😘You will need Whole Wheat Flour and Oat Bran for this recipe My go-to brand is Bob’s Red Mill 😚
If you haven’t seen Oat Bran before, it’s the outer layer of the oat grain Adding oat bran to biscuits is an easy way to boost fiber, texture, and nutrition without changing the flavor too much. It gives your baked goods a slightly nuttier, hearty crunch that’s really tasty.
Whether you pair them with tea, enjoy them as a mid-day munch, or use them as a base for creative toppings.
These biscuits deliver a rich, nutty flavor and a hearty crunch; they’re so easy to bake 😉I’ve been making these for a while now, and I haven’t bought store-bought biscuits since 😇
Crispy, golden, and baked with love 💞
Perfect anytime, especially with coffee or milk 🤓😋A little healthy, a whole lot yummy! 😍😁Hope these biscuits bring a little comfort and joy to your day 🥳
Give them a try and let me know how yours turn out! 😉
WATCH HOW TO MAKE CRISPY THIN WHOLE WHEAT BISCUITS
Tips for Success (Please Read First):
Make sure the Butter and Eggs are at room temperature before you start. This helps the dough come together smoothly and makes your biscuits light and tender
Prepare the pan in advance, line a baking tray with Parchment Paper
Keep two additional pieces of parchment paper ready (you’ll use these to roll out the dough) Using parchment paper helps you to roll thinner, avoid sticking and transfer easily
If you can get 3 mm perfection strips, I highly recommend using it (those strips are very helpful for rolling evenly)
Don’t be tempted to add flour to the dough or sprinkle too much flour on the work surface, as this will make the biscuits tough
Try not to roll the biscuits too thick, or it will take longer to bake and won’t be as crispy
Don’t forget to lightly prick each biscuit with a fork before baking; this allows steam to escape and helps them bake evenly, staying flat and crisp
Bake in a preheated oven until they turn light golden brown (don’t bake it for too long or it will burn and taste bitter) Rotate the pan halfway through baking so the colour of the biscuits bakes evenly
Once they’re fully cooled, pop them into an airtight container to keep them nice and crisp
Never store warm biscuits, as they can become mushy and may develop mold
🪴 Ingredients 65 g Unsalted Butter 25 g Caster Sugar 1 tbs Honey 25 g Eggs 60 g All-Purpose Flour 60 g Whole Wheat Flour (100% Stone Ground) Less than 1/2 tsp Baking Powder (Double Acting) A pinch Salt 8 g Oat Bran * Extra Oat Bran (for sprinkle)
🪴 Instructions
Cream the Unsalted Butter and Caster Sugar for about 3 minutes, or until the mixture is pale, light, and fluffy
Add the Honey and mix thoroughly
Addthe Eggs and beat again until fully combined (this creamed mixture should be soft and smooth)
Add the sifted dry ingredients(All -Purpose Flour, Whole Wheat Flour, Baking Powder, Salt, Oat Bran) Don’t throw away the Bran left in the sifter, return it to the bowl and mix in gently Mix until just combined
Once the mixture comes together into a rough dough, use your hands to knead it lightly until it’s uniform (be gentle, over-kneading can make the biscuits tough)
Roll the dough Place the dough between two sheets of Parchment Paper and roll it out to about 3 mm thickness (use perfection strips if available); Sprinkle a little extra Oat Bran while rolling the dough Add a little flour (NOT too much) to the surface of the parchment paper, cutter or rolling pin as needed to prevent sticking (If you don’t have perfection strips, try not to roll it too thick, or the biscuits will take longer to bake and won’t be as crispy)
Then using a 6 cm fluted or plain cutter, cut the dough into rounds
Use the bottom parchment sheet to help lift the cut dough; this keeps the pieces from stretching or breaking; place them into prepared baking trays If you have any dough scraps, collect them, press them gently into a ball, and reroll to cut again
Lightly prick each biscuit with a fork 6 tiny holes before baking (this allows steam to escape and helps them bake evenly, staying flat and crisp)
Bake in a preheated oven at 180°C/ 160°C fan) / Gas Mark 4 for 13-15 minutes, until they turn light golden brown Rotate the pan halfway through baking so the colour of the biscuits bakes evenly
Once done, let the biscuits rest in the pan for a few minutes, then transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely
When they’re fully cooled, place the biscuits in an airtight container to keep them nice and crisp
NOTES
Never store warm biscuits, as they can become mushy and may develop mold
These Biscuits stay fresh for up to 2 weeks at room temperature or around 3 weeks in the fridge
Choux Pastry or Pate A Choux (French: [pat a ʃu]) is a delicate and the most versatile French Pastry that everybody loves.
The essential ingredients are Butter, Water, Flour and Eggs.
The signature feature is the hollow center that forms when baked. It’s perfect to fill with Pastry Cream, Jam, Curd or even Ice Cream 😘
Instead of a raising agent, this dough is dependent on the steam created from the liquid content and the heat that expands and stretches the dough into beautiful hollow shapes just waiting to be filled or eaten as is!
The high moisture content is achieved by boiling the water and butter, then adding the flour. The mixture is cooked a few minutes longer, then cooled before adding enough eggs to achieve the desired consistency.
The key to Choux Pastry is looking for the right texture to know that enough egg has been added and NOT opening the oven during the baking process.
For pipping, you can use 12 mm round or star nozzle
If the eggs are not enough, the dough will be too thick, difficult to pipe and won’t rise perfectly; on the other hand, if use too many eggs, it will be too runny and become flat when baked.
Eclairs 😻
The number of eggs depends on the egg size, flour absorption and the humidity in your kitchen on any given day.
Dip your fingers in water, pat down any points or help form of your piped shapes into better mounds
DO NOT OPEN the oven door when the dough is baking, especially in the first 30 minutes until they are a deep golden brown or it may collapse as the structure is still unstable
Look how beautiful and puffy this Choux Pastry is !! 😍
In this recipe, I will share with you a few tips to make this multipurpose dough along with filling and decorating options.
Produce large, sturdy pockets with visible shape but still soft inside 🤗
Once you understand the basic technique, you can make everything from irresistible Cream Puffs, Eclairs, Profiteroles or even Paris-Brest.
I LOVE IT Cream Puff shell with a star nozzle, it’s beautiful with the top points ♥️❤️
Let’s Talk about choux PASTRY ingredients
FLOUR – All-Purpose or Bread Flour works well for Choux Pastry Bread Flour produce thicker, sturdier shell and more visible shape; while using All-Purpose Flour produce a softer shell. After years of experimentation, combining the two flours yielded the best results; the Choux will produce large, sturdy pockets with visible shape but still soft inside.
FAT – You can use either Margarine, Unsalted Butter or Salted Butter There is not much different. If you prefer Margarine, make sure you choose a good quality one.
LIQUID – You can use just Water or a combination of Milk and Water. Milk gives a nice aroma and color to the Choux shell.
EGGS – Use fresh room temperature eggs for best result If your eggs are too cold, you will have trouble incorporating them into the dough.
SUGAR – Traditionally NO Sugar was added, but it does make the Choux Pastry shell more flavourful and enhances browning.
SALT – Salt is use for flavouring, avoid using coarse salt. Omit salt if you use Margarine or Salted Butter.
Eclair with Round Nozzle 😃
Once its baked, you can store in a freezer bags and freeze them. Then when you need it, re-crisp the Choux directly from frozen, baking in the preheated 170°C fan oven for 2 to 3 minutes or until hot to the touch.
😌 Eclair with Star Nozzle
And the good thing about this dough; You can freeze them before baking.
Pipe them on baking pan (lined with parchment paper) and freeze. They will harden like a rock, store in a freezer bag, put in the freezer. When you need it, bake from frozen according to the same baking times and temperatures as called for in this recipe.
For the filling, one of my favourite is Cream Patissiere or Pastry Cream. A delicious custard filling which is adaptable and delectable. It’s easy to change the flavor of this custard to make your own creations.
Delicious Vanilla Pastry Cream 🥲 hungry….Tasty Chocolate Pastry Cream 😍🥰 my favourite …Various choices of Eclairs
There are endless possibilities !!
🤤
Something I usually do for my dinner parties; take it to the next level !!
I cut the cooled Choux in half, fill it with a small scoop of my favourite ice cream
Pipe some Chantilly Cream on top, put the top back on and store in the freezer until ready to eat.
Then when it’s ready to serve, I will poured some warm chocolate sauce on top 😂
I’m sure your guest will fall in love with it 😊
And I promise you, they are so delicious !!
Bon Appétit
Hopefully this video can build your confidence in making Choux Pastry 😚 LOVE you ALL !!! ❤️
WATCH HOW TO MAKE “CHOUX PASTRY 101”
TIPS FOR SUCcESS for making choux pastry (PLEASE READ FIRST):
Use fresh room temperature eggs for best result If your eggs are too cold, you will have trouble incorporating them into the dough
It is important that the butter is at room temperature and cut into small cubes, so the liquid doesn’t boil for a long time while it melts (this can cause too much water to evaporate and can affect the final texture)
When you cook the liquid mixture, make sure it reaches full boiling point otherwise it will not come together into a smooth ball (it will look like oatmeal)
Avoid adding the eggs before the cooked mixture has cooled or you will end up with scrambled eggs
Add eggs one at a time Fully incorporating each egg before adding the next and check the consistency after you have added 4 eggs If the eggs are not enough, the dough will be too thick, difficult to pipe and won’t rise perfectly; on the other hand, if use too many eggs, it will be too runny and become flat when baked
DO NOT OPEN the oven door when the dough is baking, especially in the first 30 minutes until they are a deep golden brown or it may collapse as the structure is still unstable
Once it’s baked, remove from the oven and let it cool completely before filling
RECIPE
CHOUX PASTRY 101 Yield: Makes about 20 Cream Puffs or 30 Eclairs
INGREDIENTS ❄️ Choux Pastry Dough 180 g Water 180 g Whole Milk 150 g Salted Butter (cubes, room temperature) 1½ tsp Sugar 3/4 tsp Salt (omit if you use Salter Butter or Margarine) 45 g Bread Flour 180 g All-Purpose Flour 4-5 Eggs (large)
❄️ Pastry Cream 85 g Egg Yolk 75 g Sugar 22 g All-Purpose Flour 15 g Corn Starch 90 g Whole Milk 360 g Whole Milk 21 g Unsalted Butter (room temperature) 15 g Sugar 1½ tbs Vanilla Extract or 3/4 tbs Vanilla Paste or 1½ Vanilla Bean
Flavour Combination: – Chocolate: Add 80 g Dark Chocolate (chopped) in the end of cooking – Fruit: Let the pastry cream cool completely, then add fruit puree or jam (start with 3 tablespoons) – Coffee: Add 1½ tablespoon of Instant Expresso Powder to thickening ingredients at the begining
❄️ Chantilly Cream 240 g Heavy Cream 20 g Icing Sugar 1 tsp Vanilla Extract 1 tsp Gelatine Powder 1½ tbs Cold Water 1½ tbs Boiling Water
❄️ Chocolate Sauce 85 g Dark Chocolate (chopped) 120 g Heavy Cream
INSTRUCTIONS ❄️ Choux Pastry Dough
Preheat the oven to 170°C fan/ 190°C/ gas mark 5
Prepare the pan in advance (lined with parchment paper) and weigh all the ingredients before starting to make the dough Pipe a small dots of the batter in the corners to glue the parchment paper to the pan so it doesn’t move around
In a medium saucepan, combine Water along with Milk, Salted Butter and Sugar Cook over medium heat, stirring as needed until they come to a full boil and the butter is melted (take it off the heat as soon as full boil is reached)
Add both flour all at once and stir with a spatula or wooden spoon until a ball of dough forms
Once you reach this smooth ball, turn the pan back to medium heat and stir continuously for 30 seconds to 1 minute until a slight film covers the bottom of the pan (this dries out the dough a little and also cooks off any flour flavour)
Then transfer the dough to a clean large bowl, spread the dough around the sides of the bowl and let it cool for a few minutes until no longer hot (avoid adding the eggs before the mixture has cooled or you will end up with scrambled eggs)
Once it’s cooled, add 4 eggs first(one at a time); fully incorporating each egg before adding the next Use a wooden spoon or spatula stir the mixture (I found using a hand mixer and spatula is the best and least tiring way) Kindly use a stand mixer with a paddle attachment for a large batch. The dough will look separated and then come together as you continue to mix it
Check the consistency after you have added 4 eggs To test, scoop up a large amount of dough, turn the spatula to the side and wait for the dough to fall, it should be take about 5 to 10 seconds to drop; If the dough still seems thick and it doesn’t fall, add just a little beaten egg at a time and test until you reach the right texture
There are 3 important things to look for to know that your Choux Pastry is ready:
FIRST, the dough looks shiny
SECOND, is the V test (when it is the right texture, it will fall in a define point known as a bird’s beak like this)
THIRD, to make sure that our mixture is not too runny is to take your finger and draw a trench, if it holds that’s means it’s ready
9. Once the dough is ready, pipe the dough into the desired shape (kindly watch the video for complete instuctions) 10. Then you can dip your fingers into water, using wet fingers pat down any points or help form your piped shapes into better mounds 11. Once it’s done, bake in the preheated 170°C fan/ 190°C/ gas mark 5 , on the middle rack for 40 minutes DO NOT OPEN the oven door when the dough is baking, especially in the first 30 minutes until they are a deep golden brown or it may collapse as the structure is still unstable (so if you have small oven, bake only one pan at a time; the remaining dough can be sit in a piping bag until the oven is free) 12. Once it’s baked, remove from the oven and let it cool completely on the cooling rack before filling
❄️ Pastry Cream (make sure you follow the steps carefully, adding the ingredients in this order will prevent lumps)
For the thickeners In a medium bowl, beat the Egg Yolks and 75 grams of Sugar vigorously for 30 seconds or until the color of the mixture brightens slightly
Add in the All-PurposeFlour and Cornstarch, stir well until there are no lumps
Then slowly pour 90 grams of Whole Milk and mix again until smooth (milk will loosen up the mixture, making it easier to incorporate with the pastry cream liquids later), set this aside
Then, in a medium saucepan, combine the 360 grams of Milk along with Unsalted Butter, 15 grams of Sugar and your choice of Vanilla Flavoring (the small amount of sugar will keep the milk from scalding) Cook over medium heat, stir once or twice to help the sugar dissolve When it comes to a simmer, take it off from the heat; and slowly pour this mixture into the egg yolk mixture while whisking (this is called tempering the eggs, bringing both mixtures to the same temperature so the eggs won’t cook)
Pour the mixture back to the saucepan, increase the heat to medium high and whisk strongly for several minutes
When the mixture start thickens and boils, whisk for an additional 30 seconds It is very important to whisk while the mixture boils for 30 seconds or your Pastry Cream might not set (sometimes it’s hard to see the boil unless you stop whisking for couple of seconds to look for big plops coming to the surface)
Once you see that the texture is really smooth and thick like a pudding, take it off from the heat (if you don’t see any little bits or lumps, there’s no need to strain out) Pour into a clean bowl, cover with plastic wrap, touching the surface of the Pastry Cream (this helps it cool faster and prevent skin from forming on top)
Chill until cold about 1 hour
If you want to make the Chocolate version, simply add chopped bittersweet, semisweet or milk chocolate to the hot Pastry Cream right after you finish cooking it and whisk until smooth
Once it’s cooled, you will find the texture is like jelly Whisk by hand just until it’s smooth, this only takes a minute (DON’T whisk too long, you can loosen the firm structure too much and it might start to get runny)
❄️ Chantilly Cream
Simply mix Heavy Cream along with Icing Sugar and Vanilla Extract over an ice bath Whip at high speeduntil the mixture is at medium-firm peak, set aside
Then in a small bowl, bloom the Gelatine in Cold Water, let stand for about 5 minutes
After 5 minutes, add Boiled Water to the Gelatine mixture, stir to dissolve And pour immediately into the Cream, mix well (Gelatine mixture acts as a stabilizer so that the cream is more stable)
❄️ Chocolate Sauce
Chop the Dark Chocolate into small pieces so it will be easier to melt and combine, then place in a heatproof bowl
In a medium saucepan, heat the Whipped Cream until it starts simmering and pour it all in one go over the chopped Chocolate
Let is sit for a couple minutes for the chocolate to start to melt, then whisk until it come together into a thick, glossy chocolate sauce If you have a chocolate pieces that haven’t melted, gently warm in a Microwave or place the bowl on top of a saucepan of steaming water to make a double boiler
This Chocolate Sauce can be used as an icing, letting it cool to spreadable consistency on Eclairs or you can also drizzle it over a Cream Puffs as topping or garnish
METHODS TO FILL CHOUX PASTRY First Method
Using a chopstick or skewer, punch a hole in the bottom of the Cream Puff or 3 holes in the bottom of Eclair
Transfer the filling to a piping bag fitted with a 5 mm round piping tip
Press to fill
When the shell feels heavy and a little bit comes out the hole, it’s full
Wipe off any excess with clean finger
And to finish, you can dust the top with icing sugar just before serving or dip to coat the top with chocolate sauce
Second Method
Cut the Cream Puff or Éclair in half with a serrated knife
Fill the base with delicious filling or if you like berries, that’s also a great choice
Place the bit that was cut off on top as a little hat or enjoy it as a snack
To finish brush or drizzle chocolate sauce on top and sprinkle with some rice chocolate or shavings
If you want Ttake it to the next level I usually cut the cooled Choux in half, fill the base with a small scoop of my favourite ice cream; Pipe some Chantilly Cream on top Put the top back on; And store in the freezer until ready to eat Then when it’s ready to serve, I will poured some warm chocolate sauce on top (yummy!!) 🥰
NOTES
You can freeze the unbaked Choux Pastry Dough before baking Pipe them on baking pan and freeze, they will harden like a rock Store the frozen dough in a freezer bag, put in the freezer When you need it, bake from frozen according to the same baking times and temperatures as called for in this recipe
Once the Choux Pastry shells is baked, store unfilled shells at room temperature for up to a day, or in an airtight container in the freezer for up to a month. Then when you need it, re-crisp the shell directly from frozen, baking in the preheated 170°C fan oven for 2 to 3 minutes or until hot to the touch
Once the sheells filled with cream, Choux Pastries should be kept in the fridge for up to 5 days (but it taste best eaten within a day or two).
Pastry Cream can be made 3 to 5 days in advance, depending on the expiration date of your milk.
WHAT IS THE SECRET OF MAKING GOOD SCONES? The recipe seems so simple, but the perfect Scone doesn’t come easy.
There are many little gritty things that can get in the way of achieving that all-buttery point of perfection.
Scones are supposed to be light, fluffy and soft interior with a little crisp to the edges and top.
Can you see those layers?? 🧐A little crisp to the edges and top 🥲🥲
Making Scones requires a VERY light touch.
Only use the tips of your fingers to rub in the butter into the flour, lightly lifting and dropping the mixture.
Scones Dough before baking
The trick is to use light pressure and only work the dough until it just comes together.
One common mistakes that causes Scones to be dry and tough is being too heavy-handed with the dough.
When you overwork the dough, your Scones can come out tough and chewy, rather than that desired light and crumbly texture.
If scones aren’t part of your baking repertoire, I suggest you give them a try.
Look at those flaky texture 🤗
They come together quicker than almost any other baked good and taste absolutely delicious 🤤
Messy and crumbly is a good thing! 🤩
Scones are best served warm, with Clotted Cream and Strawbery Jam of course; And not forgetting a pot of good Earl Grey Tea.
Choose your favourite Strawberry Jam 😍
If you cannot get Clotted Cream, you can try Crème Fraîche or Unsalted Butter; it goes quite well with Strawberry Jam.
And what is the proper way to eat a scone? Jam first or Cream first? Lots of people are debating this 🤭
The Cornish tradition is to cut the scone in half, so you have two flat rounds; On each side, Jam is spread first and then the cream on top. The Jam being spread first is what makes it the ‘Cornish way‘
I personally prefer the Royal Way I would put Jam on first, with cream on top and then sandwich them together so it’s not overly sweet 😚
😱😱😱 ……can’t wait to eat them!!!
But ultimately, You can do what you want! 🤣😂 The scones will still be tasty 😍
I will eat my Scones like The Queen… 👸🏻 …. shy…. 😌☺️
Take a small bite and enjoy the happiness brought by the Scones … 🥰
Look at those beautiful texture … 🤪
Kindly follow all the tips and instructions in this recipe, I’m sure you’ll end up with tender, flaky Scones that will literally melt in your mouth.
😊 😍 HAPPY BAKING !!!
WATCH HOW TO MAKE “FLUFFY FLAKY BRITISH SCONES”
The Key to Perfect Scones (Please Read First) :
PREPARE A LARGE MIXING BOWL Prepare a large bowl for making scones. You will need some space for the mixing process; this provides plenty of room to spread the butter and mix the dough easily.
USE COLD BUTTERSTRAIGHT FROM THE FRIDGE Make sure that the butter is extremely cold. Cold butter promotes the flakiness, high-rise and fluffy scones. I usually take the butter out of the fridge and cut it into large cubes right before I’m ready to mix the dough. Don’t cut it too small or even grate it. That will make the butter melt faster and you’ll have trouble with a sticky dough. If you keep the butter in larger pieces, you get flakiness. Once it hits the oven, the dough around the butter starts to set, the butter melts, and steam from the water content puffs the layers apart.
COLD BUTTERMILK FOR TENDER SCONES For the liquid, most recipes calls for Whipped Cream or Milk. However, when the Scones are served with Clotted Cream or Butter and Jam, I found this combination way too rich and not tasty. I prefer to use homemade Buttermilk for the Scones which is the key to softness and lightness. Buttermilk makes the scones very tender, has a better crumb and provides a slightly tangy taste To make it: simply mix regular cold milk with some lemon juice or white vinegar, then let the mixture sit for 5 minutes to curdle and thicken slightly before using.
SIFTING ALL THE DRY INGREDIENTS Don’t skip this step, it helps to build a light texture
INCLUDE BAKING SODA TO THE RECIPE Since we are using Buttermilk, Baking Soda is added to this recipe. The acid in the Buttermilk reacts with the Baking Soda and produces Carbon Dioxide which helps the Scones rise.
DON’T OVERWORKED THE BUTTER When you mix the Butter with the Dry Ingredients, don’t pinch or overworked the butter into too tiny pieces or you will end up with Scones that are soft but not flaky.
USE A FORK TO WHEN ADDING THE LIQUID By using a fork, the liquid (Buttermilk) will evenly distribute without overmixing the dough.
A ROUGH PASTRY-STYLE FOR EXTRA FLAKINESS For extra flakiness, do a “Rough Puff Pastry-Style” flattening and folding the dough. Fold three to four times, Building in those layers. DO NOT kneading or stretching the dough, we don’t want to develop gluten and have a very tough Scones.
SHAPE THE DOUGH INTO A THICK DISC The thickness of your Scone dough is all important. Before you cut, Shape the dough into a thick disc about 3-4 cm thick
DO NOT TWIST THE CUTTER Remember when you cut it, don’t twist the cutter or the Scones will be lopsided (it won’t look pretty 😒)
COLLECT AND PRESS THE SCRAPES After you cut the dough, you will have those little scraps. DO NOT knead it! What you can do is collect and press it together; stand the dough up and press again. Press until it is 3 cm thick and then you can cut again.
APPLY SOME EGGWASH To give the top of the Scones a bit of shine, apply some egg wash. Avoid the sides and bottom because they will affect the rise. This will give your Scones a nice golden brown finished.
BAKE WITH IDEAL TEMPERATURE AND TIME Use 15 minutes of a Scones in oven as a good rule, you can’t foget about it! 🤖
Recipe
FLUFFY FLAKY BRITISH SCONES Yield: 9 Scones (Diameter 5 cm, 3 cm Tall)
🍰 Ingredients 115 g Cold Unsalted Butter 150 g Cold Milk + 2 tsp Vinegar (to make Homemade Buttermilk) 335 g All-Purpose Flour 50 g Caster Sugar 1 ⅓ tsp Double-Acting Baking Powder 1/3 tsp Baking Soda 1/3 tsp Salt Zest from 1 Lemon (1 Egg for egg wash~beat the eggs)
🍰 Instructions Preparation
Prepare a large bowl for making scones.
Right before you are ready to mix the dough, take the butter out of the fridge and cut it into large cubes. Don’t cut it too small or even grate it; that will make the butter melt faster and you’ll have trouble with a sticky dough.
Prepare Homemade Buttermilk Simply mix regular Cold Milk with Lemon Juice or White Vinegar; let the mixture sit for 5 minutes to curdle and thicken slightly before using.
To Make Scones Dough (Kindly watch the video for completed instructions)
Add Unsalted Butter in Cubes to the dry ingredients. Then, to incorporate the butter: – FIRSTSTEP Coat the butter with the flour, Using your fingers pinching and squishing the pieces of butter (broke down the butter into smaller pieces). Don’t pinch or overworked the butter into too tiny pieces or you will end up with scones that are soft but not flaky. – SECONDSTEP Take a handful of the dough with the bits of butter and flatten it between your palms (this thin sheets of butter that’s once it enters the oven, it melts and releases steam, which leads to that magical texture) When you feel between your hands all the butter pieces are flattened, you can start adding the liquid
Slowly pour in the Buttermilk. Stir gently with a fork (by using a fork, the liquid will evenly distribute without overmixing the dough).
Once you see the dough comes together, you can stop mixing it (if there are a few dry crumbs left, that’s okay).
Dust your work surface with some flour (not too much) and transfer the dough over.
Gather and press the dough together into a large ball, gather up any small crumbs (you can flour your hands lightly).
Then using a large scraper; do a rough Puff Pastry-Style flattening and folding the dough. Fold three to four times, building in those layers (DO NOT kneading or stretching the dough; because we don’t want to develop gluten and have a very tough Scones). * If you like to add some dried fruit, nuts or maybe fresh fruit, you can add while you building this layers.
Once it’s done, shape the dough into a thick disc about 3 cm thick
Cut into rounds with a 5 cm diameter floured round cutter (remember when you cut it, don’t twist the cutter or the scones will be lopsided). Place them on a parchment-lined baking tray. * Feel free to vary the cutter size a little bit, as long as the thickness is the same, it will bake at the same speed
After you cut the dough, now you have those little scraps. DO NOT knead these scraps. What you can do is collect and press it together; then stand the dough up and press again until it is 3 cm thick; And then you can cut again. * Do the same with the remaining dough (if there is only a little dough left, just shape it into a round with your hands.
To give the top of the Scones a bit of shine; using small brush apply some Egg Wash. Avoid the sides and bottom because they will affect the rise (this will give your Scones a nice golden brown finished).
Bake them in the preheated 200°C fan/ 220°C/ gas mark 7 for 15 minutes.
Once it’s done, you can serve them immediately (Scones are best enjoyed when still warm) or let them cool completely on a cooling rack before storing.
Notes
Scones are best enjoyed when fresh while still warm, but with proper storage they can extend their delight beyond the baking day while keeping safe to eat.
Storage Method Room temperature 1-2 days in a covered container away from heat and sunlight
Refrigerator Up to 3 days in an airtight container with a paper towel lining
Freezer Up to 1 months in a freezer bag or tightly wrapped in an airtight container
To preheat: In the preheated 180°C oven for 5-10 minutes or Microwave on high 10-20 seconds; They should be as good as freshly baked 😄.
Mooncakes Symbolise Family Reunion. A full moon symbolises prosperity and reunion for the whole family.
In this recipe, I’m going to use Ghee instead of Lard to make a pastry mooncake with Durian filling. It creates more flaky, tastier pastry with beautiful crispy layers.
I like Ghee so much…. 🥰 It has a wonderful smell !! 😗
If you are not familiar with Ghee, Ghee is a type of clarified butter, originating from India. It is commonly used in India for cooking. Ghee’s distinctive smell is often described as nutty, buttery, and aromatic, which adds depth and richness to dishes.
This type of mooncake is actually called Su-Style Mooncakes (苏式月饼 Su shi yuebing) which originally from Suzhou 苏州市. As you can see, their uniqueness is in the crust, which is closer to flaky pastry with multi-layered.
To make those beautiful multi-layered pastry shells we have to make2 different types of dough; The first is Water Oil Dough and the second one is called Pastry Dough.
Unlike the common recipe that using Lard or Shortening as a fat; Ghee in pastry crusts deliver a tender, flaky crust with a richer, more buttery flavour. It also have a more pleasant palate feel as compared to one made from Lard or Shortening.
Who doesn’t like durian? For me… it smells so GOOD… 🤣😅
And the key to make this delicious pastry filling is to use fresh durian fruit. Frozen durians usually has almost no smell or the taste is milder than fresh durian, so it won’t be tasty.
🙄 Can you count how many layers there are? 😳
Look how thin, crispy and flaky the crust is ! Ghee really gives a rich flavour to the pastry while the thick and sticky durian filling was so tasty 🥰.
🤤 So… hungry…
These pastry mooncakes are best served once it’s come out from the oven 👍🤤 The crust will be really crispy while the thick Durian filling inside are still warm and gooey .
I hope you will enjoyed this recipe, especially with your loved ones or given as gifts to express love and good fortune. Wishing you a Happy Mid-Autumn Festival !! ❤️💋 LOVE YOU ALL
WATCH HOW TO MAKE SUPER FLAKY DURIAN PASTRY MOONCAKE
RECIPE
SUPER FLAKY DURIAN PASTRY MOONCAKE WITH GHEE Yield: 10 Pieces Active Time: 2 Hours Total Time: 4 Hours
INGREDIENTS ☘️ Durian Filling 75 g Mung Bean 600 g Water 130 g Fresh Durian Flesh 125 g Milk 35 g Caster Sugar 15 g Glutinous Rice Flour 1/8 tsp Salt 25 g Vegetable Oil
☘️ Water Oil Dough 130 g All-Purpose Flour 10 g Caster Sugar 1/8 tsp Salt 40 g Ghee 70 g Hot Water (40-60°C)
☘️ Pastry Dough 120 g All-Purpose Flour 50 g Ghee
☘️ Decoration Wooden Stamp Red Food Colouring
INSTRUCTIONS Durian Filling
Rinse Mung Beans until the water runs clear and pour it to a medium pan. 75 g Mung Bean
Add in the Water, cook until they are very soft; set aside 600 g Water
Scoop out the durian flesh. 130 g Fresh Durian Flesh
Into the food processor- pour the cooked Mung Beans along with durian flesh and the rest ingredients (except the oil); Blend until smooth. 125 g Milk; 35 g Caster Sugar; 15 g Glutinous Rice Flour; 1/8 tsp Salt * If the mixture is too thick, you can add a little bit of water to help the spinning process.
Pour the blended mixture into a non-stick pan; Add in the oil. 25 g Vegetable Oil Cook over medium heat and keep stirring (please note never leave it out when cooking this mixture); This process will take for about 30 minutes (the water will slowly evaporate and the mixture star to thickened).
Once the mixture formed a thick paste, turn down the heat to medium low (be careful not to burned it) and continue cook until the paste comes together and no longer stick to the pan.
Once it’s done, remove from heat. Pour it to a plate, cover it with a cling wrap to prevent from drying out and store them in the fridge for at least 1 hour to firm up.
After 1 hour, the filling is firmer than before so it’s easier to handle. Divide it into 10 equal portions (about 30 grams each) and roll each portion into a ball. Cover with a cling wrap while waiting for the pastry dough.
Water Oil Dough
In a large bowl, simply combine all the ingredients; Mix well (there’s no need to be so smooth). Cover with a cling wrap and let the dough rest for 15 minutes. 130 g All-Purpose Flour; 10 g Caster Sugar; 1/8 tsp Salt; 40 g Ghee; 70 g Hot Water (40-60°C)
After 15 minutes, using your hands start kneading the dough (you can see that the dough become really smooth after kneading for a while).
And then, continue kneading by slam the dough for about 5 minutes until you can pull the dough into a thin membrane (kindly follow video instructions).
Wrap the dough in a plastic wrap and let it sit at room temperature for at least 30 minutes.
Pastry Dough Simply combine All-Purpose Flour and Ghee. 120 g All-Purpose Flour; 50 g Ghee Mix and knead the dough until you don’t see any flour left in the bowl; and then cover and let it rest at room temperature for at least 30 minutes.
Laminate the Dough
Take the Water Oil Dough, press it into a thick round disc. Place the Pastry Dough in the center and then wrap it up (gently fold and seal).
Turn it over so the seam facing down (sprinkle some flour to prevent from sticking). And to prevent it from breaking, lightly press the dough with the palm of your hand first; And then you can use rolling pin gently roll into a long rectangular shape (about 15 cm x 20 cm).
Fold into thirds.
And then, roll it into a bigger rectangle shape (about 25 cmx35 cm). * I usually press the dough first and then roll it out slowly, it so much easier.
Once it’s done, spray or brush some water on the surface (not too much), this water acts as a glue; Then gently roll it up into a long log (make sure that you roll it tightly)
Divide the log into 2 equal portion, cover and let it rest for 10 minutes.
After 10 minutes, divide each log into 5 small equal portions (so total will be 10 small portions). * Remember always cover the dough along the process to prevent it from drying
Once it’s done, we are ready to shape the mooncake.
Shape & Bake the Mooncake
Take 1 dough; Turn it over so the smooth side facing down.
Pinch both ends; Fold and stick the two ends together (pinch to seal).
With the smooth side facing down, roll the dough into a 10 diameter round shape.
Place the filling in the centre.
Using your right hand, slowly squeeze and push the wrapper up while left thumb press the filling down; Pinch to seal. * You can pull off the excess dough, I don’t like to waste any dough so I just press to flatten it.
Don’t worry if the skin of the dough is broken, you can always fix it. Just apply a little bit of flour and rub gently, it will be smooth again.
Once the mooncake is done, place it on the pan lined with parchment paper.
Use your palm or jar lid to flatten the mooncakes into a thick round disc.
Spray some water on the top to prevent the surface from cracking.
Apply some red food colouring to a kitchen paper; using wooden stamp create the pattern on the mooncake.
Bake the mooncake in the preheated 190°C oven for 25 minutes.
Once it’s done, transfer them onto a cooling rack and let them cool completely before storing.
NOTES
These pastry mooncakes are best served once it’s come out from the oven; The crust will be really crispy while the thick Durian filling inside still warm and gooey .
To Store At room temperature (in an airtight container) for 2 days; Fridge (in an airtight container) for 1 week; Freezer (in an airtight container) for 1 month
The Durian filling is best consumed as soon as possible, but it will keep in an airtight container in the refrigerator (for up to a week) or in the freezer (for up to a month).
This unique Taiwanese Pineapple Cakes no longer makes us bored with the standard rectangular shape; And I’m sure that your kids will love it too
Hi Everyone, today I am making these cute “Korilakkuma Taiwanese Pineapple Cakes”. Taiwanese Pineapple Cakes actually almost similar to other Asian Pineapple Cakes; but typically larger than the Singaporean / Malaysian Pineapple Cakes.
They are made with butter pastry crust filled with thick pineapple jam. The cakes are baked in an individual mould, usually in square or rectangle mould.
Taiwanese style (left) ~ Singapore/ Malaysia style (right)
I was told by several Taiwanese-style bakeries that the traditional kind of Taiwanese pineapple cakes are made of pineapple jam that is made of winter melon and maltose syrup so that the jam is extra sweet, heavy and sticky.
Pineapple Jam
However, due to the change of time, most consumers are becoming more health conscious these days and prefer the less sweet and sticky version of pineapple cakes (I personally don’t like food that overly sweet). For this reason, in this recipe I would like to stick to my regular pineapple jam with NO winter melon and maltose syrup.
And I always think, how to make these Pineapple Cakes look more attractive? This cute Rilakkuma cookie cutter with facial stamp really make life easier; No longer makes us bored with the standard rectangular shape and I’m sure that your kids will love it too.
The crust to filling proportion is spot-on; thin crust with the right amount of filling.
And people often ask, what is the tips so that the crust is tender? As soon as the bottom and edges golden brown, take them out from the oven. Let it stay in the pan for about 5 minutes; Don’t wait it to cool, put in the sealed box while still hot (place kitchen paper on the bottom and the top to absorb the excess moisture).
This way, the cakes won’t be hardened and the crust will be tender. These Pineapple Cakes will keep well for up to 3 months in the fridge, in an airtight container.
Some people use chocolate for the details; I prefer royal icing because the chocolate that comes out of the fridge will “sweat”, melt easily, it definitely will ruin the look of your Korilakkuma.
Look how cute they are ☺️
Pineapple cakes make a great Chinese New Year gift for family and friends or a tasty birthday gift for loved ones!
The filling is just perfect not too sweet, they are such an addictive tea snack.
Tender buttery crust with a sweet and tang of homemade pineapple filling inside. The crust is crumbly and melt-in-the-mouth and the pineapple jam is just perfectly thick but not tough.
I hope this korilakkuma cake can make everyone smile 🙃❤️.
Love you All 🥰
KORILAKKUMA PINEAPPLE CAKES Yield: 40 pieces Active Time: 3 hours Total Time: 4 hours
🌿 Pineapple Filling 1000 g Pineapple (after peeled) 200 g Granulated Sugar 10 ml Lemon Juice 1/8 tsp Salt
🌿 Crust Dough 340 g Salted Butter (soft) 100 g Icing Sugar 85 g Egg Yolks 75 g Condensed Milk 530 g Cake Flour 1/2 tsp Salt
🌿 Royal Icing 130 g Icing Sugar (sifted) 4 tsp Lemon Juice 30 g Corn Syrup
Cut pineapple in half (the lower part of the core is a bit hard, so you need to remove it). 1000 g Pineapple (after peeled)
Shred pineapple into small pieces (about 1×1 cm), cut he core thinly.
Place the shredded pineapples along with the juice into a non-stick pan.
Pour in the sugar along with lemon juice and salt; and then bring it to a boil. 200 g Granulated Sugar; 10 ml Lemon Juice; 1/8 tsp Salt There’s no need to cover with a lid, what you need to do now is to evaporate all the liquid. Cook over high heat (as long as there is a water in a pot, it will not burn the bottom).
Once the pineapple juice almost completely dry, lower the heat to medium low; And continue cooking until it turn into dark brown caramel colour, take it off from the heat.
When the filling is cooled completely, it will become sticky and a bit hard; make it easier to wrap. Divide them into small portions; 10 grams each; Roll each portion into an oval shape, flatten it; And cover them with a cling wrap to prevent from drying out.
🌿 Crust Dough
In a large bowl, using whisk or mixer; beat the soft butter for a few seconds. 340 g Salted Butter (soft)
Add in the icing sugar and continue beat over high speed until the mixture is pale and fluffy (about 5 minutes). 100 g Icing Sugar
Mix in the egg yolks (this yolks is going to give extra flaky texture). 85 g Egg Yolks
Pour in the condensed milk, mix it really well. 75 g Condensed Milk
Sift in the flour along with the salt; mix until well combined. 530 g Cake Flour; 1/2 tsp Salt You don’t want to over-mix it, you can use whisk or mixer first (low speed) and then using spatula to make sure all is well combined and there’s no butter mixture left at the bottom of the bowl.
Cover the bowl with a cling wrap and let the dough rest for half hour.
After 30 minutes, the dough is ready. Divide it into small pieces; 30 grams each. Roll each piece into a smooth ball. Cover the balls with a cling wrap to prevent from drying out.
🌿 Moulding the Cake
Take 1 piece of the crust dough, roll into a cylinder shape;
Press down in the middle and place the filling in the centre; Wrap it up
Then over a piece of parchment paper, put the filled dough inside the cutter with the smooth side facing down.
Using your palm; press down while spreading the dough, filling in the blanks (this step will be time consuming especially hands part, so be patient).
Release the cake from the cutter with a smooth part facing up (baking sheet lined with a parchment paper); And carefully; press the facial stamp on top of each cake.
Store the cakes in the fridge for about 30 min before baking so it doesn’t spread too much
Bake them in the preheated 170°C oven for about 18-20 minutes (rotate the pan halfway through baking).
As soon as the bottom and edges golden brown, take them out. Let the cakes stay in the pan for 5 minutes; Don’t wait it to cool, put in the sealed box while still hot (place kitchen paper on the bottom and the top to absorb the excess moisture). This way, the Pineapple Cake won’t be hardened and the crust will be tender.
On the next day, you can continue with the details.
🌿 Royal Icing Simply combine the sifted icing sugar, lemon juice and Corn Syrup. 130 g Icing Sugar (sifted); 4 tsp Lemon Juice; 30 g Corn Syrup *If you feel the consistency is too thick, you can add a little bit of boiling water; on the other hand if it’s too thin; add more icing sugar.
🌿 Notes
These Pineapple Cakes will keep well for up to 3 months in the fridge, in an airtight container.
For the details Some people use chocolate, I prefer royal icing because the chocolate that comes out of the fridge will “sweat”, melt easily, it definitely will ruin the look of your Korilakkuma. Let the first layer of the icing sets hard before you add another details on top. If you are in humid conditions, you can turn on the air conditioner to speed up the drying process.
I have been baking since I was little. Baking to me is a wonderful way to be able to share food and joy with other people. These beautiful Apple Pie recipe was taught by my cousin’s helper when I was in fourteen “Thanks to her!”
After reading a unique cookbook “Naturally Sweet” from America’s Test Kitchen, I was inspired to use Sucanat as a sweetener in this recipe.
If you’ve never heard about Sucanat; it’s an unrefined sugar made from minimally processed sugar cane juice with no chemical.
Beautiful tan brown colour of Sucanat
Since it is less processed than granulated sugar, it retains additional vitamins and minerals from their natural molasses. The granules are a tan-brown colour with a deep molasses-y flavour that far more flavourful than regular white sugar.
Sucanat sometimes never dissolved completely
And while granulated sugar dissolve quickly into batter, Sucanat took much longer to dissolve and sometimes never dissolved completely. So don’t worry too much if at some point you still can see the sugar granules.
For the apple, Granny Smith apples are great for pies because their crisp texture holds well even after baking, they got soft but they are not break down into mush.
Peeled the apple, cored and cut it into thin slices
If you prefer to be sweeter, look for varieties such as Gala, Pink Lady or Honey crisp.
Cut the apples into 1/4 inch thick
I like to squeeze some lemon juice on top of the apple slices. This lemon juice not only prevent browning but also help balance the sweetness of the sugar and tartness of the Granny Smith apples.
You could bake an Apple Pie without Cinnamon Powder of course, but it’s convention that apples and Cinnamon go together, much like Peanut Butter and chocolate.
And to keep the cake from sticking to the pan, grease some butter to the pan and sprinkle with fine, dry breadcrumbs instead of flour. This breadcrumbs will add the beautiful crispness to the outer pie crust.
I suggest to distribute the batter in a few spots so it will be easier to spread evenly.
Arrange the apple slices on top of the batter in an overlapping pattern 45 degrees angle.
I feel so relax when arranging these apples 😊
Make sure that you press the apples slice down so that half part of the slice is inside the batter.
If you use bigger apple, you can arrange it horizontally. I’m prefer to do it vertically so it looks prettier when I cut it into portions.
Lemon is another unsung flavouring for Apple Pie. Adding a teaspoon of finely grated lemon zest to your Apple-Pie filling is always a good idea. That hit of citrusy acid also helps set off the flavour of apples.
These Apple Pie bake in 2 different temperatures; First in the preheated 200°C oven for 10 minutes to get that nice brown pie crust and then reduce the temperature to 170°C and continue baking for another 35 minutes until the apples are tender.
Apple pie needs some time to cool down before cutting into it, you will want to wait at least 30 minutes before actually steal your first slice.
The outer crust is really crispy. Sucanat really gives the pies an earthy, molasses flavour and golden brown colour which is really tasty 😘.
Hm..mm it’s really good! 🤪
Another secret of an Open Face Apple Pie is that every bite is made smoother and velvety with the absence of a top layer of crust like in usual pies.
Serve slices of warm with a cup of tea or coffee or maybe cooled pie with a scoop of your favourite ice cream or a spoonful of whipped cream.
No matter what you choose to top your Apple Pie with, the all-time classic dessert will not disappoint. I hope that you enjoy it as much as I do, I hope you learn something! Love you All 🥰
LOW SUGAR OPEN FACE APPLE PIE Yield: 1 Rect. Fluted Pie Pan (25 x 10 X 2.5 CM) or 7-inch Round Pie Pan Active time: 30 minutes Total time: 1 ½ hours
INGREDIENTS
2-3 Medium Apples
1 tbs Lemon Juice
1 tsp Cinnamon Powder
75 g Salted Butter
60 g Sucanat (you can substitute it with 70 g Granulated Sugar)
50 g Eggs
100 g All-Purpose Flour
1 tbs Sucanat (for sprinkle) or Granulated Sugar
1 Grated Lemon Zest
Bread Crumb
INSTRUCTIONS
Grease the bottom and sides of the pan with generous amount of butter, then sprinkle a small amount of bread crumbs. Tap the pan to spread the crumbs, twirled around all over the bottom and sides and excess thrown out.
For the apple Peeled the apple, cored and cut it into thin slices (as shown in the video). Squeeze the lemon juice on top of the apple slices. Add the cinnamon powder, mix it really well.
For the batter In a medium bowl, mix the butter and Sucanat for about 3 minutes until pale and fluffy (Sucanat took much longer to dissolve, don’t worry too much if at this stage you can still see the sugar granules). Add in the eggs and mix until all the eggs well incorporated with the butter mixture. Finally, pour in the flour and stir until just combined (do not over mix, stir until all the flour has disappeared).
Place the batter in the prepared pan, spread it evenly (I suggest to distribute the batter in a few spots so it will be easier to spread).
Arrange the apple slices on top of the batter vertically in an overlapping pattern, 45 degrees angle. Press the apples slice down so that half part of the slice is inside the batter. Sprinkle some Sucanat and grated lemon zest on top of the apple slices.
Bake it in the preheated 200°C oven for 10 minutes. Reduce the temperature to 170°C and continue baking for another 35 minutes.
Allow the pie to cool down in the pan for 30 minutes before cutting.
NOTES
Best serve on the day it’s made.
To store; 4 days in the fridge (in an airtight container).
To reheat; Set the pie on a parchment lined baking sheet and put it in a preheated 180°C oven for about 15 minutes.
Hey Guys, today we will recreate a very whimsical Choux Pastry “Courtesan au Chocolat.”
I’m so in love with this vintage box
These pastry was featured in Wes Anderson’s movie “The Grand Budapest Hotel”.
Production still of a scene at the lovely bakery shop Mendl’s
I am just happy just to see them. These cream-filled pastry not only beautiful but it also looks regal and elegant.
If you’ve seen the movie, you no doubt are in love with these pretty pastries from Mendl’s Bakery, carefully crafted by the lovely Agatha.
Production still of Agatha putting on the finishing touch on the beautiful pastries of Mendl’s
In a brilliant promotional video for Wes Anderson’s new movie, there’s a tutorial that shows you how to make your own Courtesan au Chocolat.
Choux Pastry filled with a rich Chocolate Creme Patisserie, glaze with a creamy colourful icing glaze on top and decorate with an American Buttercream Frosting. Very good recipe! Pretty sweet, but it was delicious!
And the fun part is how you interpret them and make them your own. With a little bit twist and tweak from the original recipe; this recipe is not overly sweet, still delicious, happily coloured and playful decorated.
I always like to sift my Creme Patisserie to make sure there’s no lumpy at all
The Chocolate Creme Patisserie is the main component in this pastry. I try to reduce the amount of the sugar to balance the sweetness of the icing glaze. Make sure that you don’t overfill the medium and small size Choux Pastry because it will be too heavy and difficult when stacked.
Can’t help myself to lick it 😅
Some people are afraid of making Choux Pastry, because the amount of eggs added is variable.
If you aren’t experienced in making Choux Pastry, it can be a little bit tricky. You need to have enough practice to know how much eggs you should add to reach the desired consistency. BUT no need to worry so much, trust me practice always makes perfect!
When I first learnt how to make Choux, I was told to incorporate the eggs by hand as I could have more control. However, I would say adding the eggs by hands is only suitable for a small recipe as it can be really exhausting. That said,if you are confident enough, feel free to use the machine right away!
Just be mindful that a tiny extra amount of egg can make the Choux too wet to pipe properly, and you might have to start all over again.
V Hanging Shape Test
To prevent the dough from being too runny, I like to have all the eggs whisked well in a bowl first before adding it into the dough. And then I will add it a little at a time, mix in each addition until I get the right consistency.
What you’re looking for; is a dough that looks glossy, but still thick, can hold it’s shape and pipeable. You can do the V test to make sure it’s the right consistency; If you stir and scoop the dough with a rubber spatula and slowly lift the spatula straight up. The dough should form a V hanging shape, that’s what we are looking for!
And when you pipe the dough; remember to hold the pastry bag and tip upright when you’re piping, and you’re not doing it at an angle. This way your Choux Pastry will rise perfectly upwards, and not be lopsided.
Place the large and medium size on first pan, and the smallest size on a second pan as they will cook more quickly, and then bake one pan at a time.
And before you bake them; it is important to use a damp finger to flatten the apex or any points, so it will be easier when stacking them later.
Some recipes call for Choux Pastry to be baked at two different temperatures (high and low). If this works for you, go ahead. I find that the high temperature makes the shells expand too much, causing cracks.
I’m prefer to bake it at one constant temperature for perfect Choux Pastries, every single time.
🥰
And since choux pastry relies on steam to expand while baking, it’s VERY important to not open the oven door until the choux pastry shells have set properly.
This means you should never open the door during the first 25-30 minutes of baking (for standard-sized choux pastry; the time goes down for smaller shells and up for larger ones).
Wait till the shells are golden colour before opening the door. This prevents steam from escaping too early, which will cause the shells to collapse.
As soon as they came out from the oven, using sharp knife prick each bottom of the shell to allow the steam to escape and dry out the shell faster; and let them cool completely on a cooling rack.
Because the glaze is quite thick, I’m prefer to use my small spatula to apply the glaze on my Choux rather than dip into it
For the icing glaze, the idea is to aim for a thicker consistency, don’t be tempted to add too much milk, otherwise the glaze will slip right off your pastry balls.
Allow the icing to dry a bit before you decorate the balls with filigree of white icing glaze as desired.
Used left over white icing glaze as a glue; dye it with blue colour and add 1/2 tsp of the icing sugar to make it thicker.
It’s time to assembly our whimsical pastry ball! YAY…. 😋
I love the movie so much not only because the movie made me smile, but also because this pastry makes me happy 😊.
Decorate the joint space with the blue buttercream…
And the bottom part with white buttercream…I fell like Agatha 😚
Then place a single cocoa bean on the star as garnish ☺️
Oh.. it’s so beautiful and elegant pastry tower! 😘
I was happy when I first saw it in the movie, happy when I was making it, and happy when I was finally able to taste it.
I hope you Guys are inspired as much as I am 🥰 LOVE YOU ALL!
MENDL’S COURTESAN AU CHOCOLAT Yield: 6 towers Active time: 1 hour Total time: 2 hours
INGREDIENTS Creme Patisserie/ Pastry Creme:
15 Corn Flour
50 g Sugar
10 g Cocoa Powder
50 g Milk
40 g Egg Yolks
200 g Milk
25 g Dark Chocolate (70 %)
1 tbs Rum Liquor
Choux Pastry:
100 g Water
65 g Salted Butter
1/8 tsp Salt
75 g All Purpose Flour
2-3 Eggs (110-165 g)
Buttercream:
80 g Shortening
20 g Salted Butter
20 g Condensed Milk
1/2 tsp Rum Liqueur
Icing Glaze:
230 g Icing Sugar
2 ½ tbs Milk
1/2 tbs Unsalted Butter
1/4 tsp Rum Liqueur
Food Colouring (Purple, Mint green, Soft Pink)
Edible Glue:
Left over white icing glaze
Blue food colouring
1/2 tsp Icing Sugar
INSTRUCTIONS Creme Patisserie / Pastry Creme
In a medium bowl combine the corn flour, sugar, cocoa powder and 50 grams of milk. Mix well, set aside.
In a medium saucepan heat the 200 grams of milk, add in the dark chocolate. Continue stirring until all the chocolate melted (make sure that you use a good quality of chocolate for a rich flavour).
Once the chocolate melted, turn off the heat. Combine the egg yolk into the corn flour mixture, mix really well; and then slowly pour this mixture into the hot chocolate milk mixture. Whisking constantly to temper the egg mix.
Back to the stove; on medium low heat continue cook while stirring until the mixture starts to thicken, allow the pastry cream to come to a boil. After you see the first bubbles break the surface, lower the heat and let it cook further for about 1 – 2 minutes so that the corn starch will cook well and you won’t be left with a starchy flavour.
Take it off from the heat, add in the rum or Vanilla Extract; mix well. Your Pastry Cream should be nice and smooth (I always like to sift it to make sure there’s no lumpy at all).
Once the Pastry Cream is cooked, spread it in a shallow pan; cover it with a cling wrap. Press the plastic down down, make sure the plastic touch the surface of the Pastry Creme to prevent a Pastry Creme skin from forming on top.
Store it in the fridge for at least 1 hours.
Choux Pastry
Sift the flour, set aside.
In a medium saucepan combine the butter, water and salt. Bring it to a simmer, turn off the heat.
Pour in the sifted flour in one go, mix immediately. Make sure that you mix it really well and there are no lumps visible.
Over medium low heat, continue cook the dough until it comes together and the dough leaving a thin film at the bottom of the saucepan
Take it off from the heat and the next step is wait for the dough to cool down or until warm. Place the dough in a bowl and then flatten the dough along the sides of the bowl (this increases the surface area, so it cools down faster and more water evaporates as you do this).
After your dough is cool enough, now we can start adding the eggs. The amount of eggs added is variable. To prevent the dough from being too runny, I like to have all the eggs whisked well in a bowl first, before adding it into the dough.
Add the eggs to the dough a little at a time, mix in each addition; until you get the right consistency. What you’re looking for; is a dough that looks glossy but still thick, can hold it’s shape and pipeable. You can do the V test to make sure it’s the right consistency; If you stir and scoop the dough with a rubber spatula, and slowly lift the spatula, straight up. The dough should form a V hanging shape.
Once the dough is ready, place the dough in a pipping bag with a 1.2 cm (#2A) round nozzle.
Pipe the dough into large (5 cm diameter), medium (3.5 cm diameter) and small (2.5 cm diameter) size dollops on a pan lined with a parchment paper. Remember to hold the pastry bag and tip upright when you’re piping, and you’re not doing it at an angle. This way your Choux Pastry will rise perfectly upwards, and not be lopsided. Place the large and medium size on first pan, and the smallest size on a second pan as they will cook more quickly.
Use a damp finger to flatten the apex or any points, so it will be easier when stacking them later.
Bake them in the preheated 180°C oven (25 minutes for the Large and Medium size) and (20 minutes for the small size). Since choux pastry relies on steam to expand while baking, it’s VERY important to not open the oven door until the choux pastry shells have set properly.
As soon as they came out from the oven, using sharp knife prick each bottom of the shell to allow the steam to escape and dry out the shell faster. Let them cool completely on a cooling rack.
Buttercream
In a medium bowl, mix the shortening, butter and condensed milk until well combined. Add in the rum and whisk together for about 5 minutes until it become really light and smooth
Place half portion into the pipping bag with #17 star nozzle. Colour the rest with blue colour and place it into another piping bag with #7 round nozzle.
Icing Glaze
Simply combine all the ingredients. The idea is to aim for a thicker consistency. Don’t be tempted to add too much milk, otherwise the glaze will slip right off your pastry balls.
Divide the glaze into each colour portions; add food colouring for each portions (remember always cover the icing glaze to prevent from drying out): Light Purple: 90 grams Mint Green: 70 grams Soft Pink: 40 grams White: 60 grams (place in the pipping bag with #1 round nozzle)
Edible Glue Combine the left over white icing glaze, a bit of blue food colouring and icing sugar; mix well. Place it in the pipping bag with #17 star nozzle.
ASSEMBLY
Place the cooled cream patisserie in a pipping bag with a long round nozzle. Pipe into each size portions of a pastry ball (large 40 grams, medium 20 grams, small 5 grams).
Using small spatula glaze the pastry ball with each colour of the icing glaze; light purple for the large, pale mint green for the medium and soft pink for the small size. Allow the icing to dry a bit; and then you can decorate the balls with filigree of white icing glaze as desired.
To assemble Place the large purple ball at the bottom, pipe a dollop of the blue icing glaze on top of a purple ball. Take a medium mint green ball and press it gently on top of the large one so it stick in place. Pipe the blue icing again as a glue; and finally place the smallest pink ball on top of a medium green ball. Decorate the joint space with the blue buttercream; and the bottom part with white buttercream. Make a white star buttercream on top and place a single cocoa bean on the star as garnish.
NOTE
These pastry are best eaten the day you made them.
You can store the left over Courtesan au Chocolat in the fridge for up to 2 days; however the glaze will become watery as they absorb the moisture in the fridge.
Hi Guys, have you ever tried making icebox cookies? The cookie dough is shaped into a specific design, freeze until firm, then sliced and baked.
Yes you need to plan well for these and it is a little complicated task, but it’s a lot of fun making these! They also not overly sweet, hold their shape and bake up perfect every single time.
This shortening based cookie recipe is easy to make, it doesn’t require any dough chilling, easy to work with (as it’s melting point is higher than butter), so it doesn’t soften as quickly while you handle it.
I use superwhite powder from Sugarflair for white bright colour
You will need some food colouring to dye your cookie dough. Try to use natural dyes as much as possible such as cocoa powder for brown, beetroot for pink or matcha powder for green colour.
Make sure that you use a very sharp knife
And while this dough doesn’t technically have to be chilled, chilling it can make it easier to cut out more intricate shapes and transfer them to your baking sheet.
Slicing the first piece is always so exciting! I get a little nervous, too 😥. Look at that awwwwww!!! 🤣😱🤗
Don’t forget to chill the cookies in the fridge for about 30 minutes before baking to maintain the details, and don’t forget rotating your pans halfway through baking. When bake, leave at least 1-inch of spare in between the cookies, the dough won’t spread but will puff a bit.
Don’t throw the dough scraps, you can definitely reuse it. Roll and cut them with your favorite cookie cutter, I love to shape them with this tiny flower shape tart mould as a decoration.
The baking time will vary depending on the size, bake the cookies until the the bottom edges are just lightly browned. We don’t want overcooked the cookies as the colour detail is really crucial. When take out from the oven,cool them on the baking sheets for 5 to 10 minutes and then transfer to a wire rack to finish cooling.
And for the details and outline, I choose royal icing coz it sets a little bit harder and it’s pretty simple. Royal icing is all about consistency, so depending on how you want to decorate yours, for example, this cookies I will go with the thicker consistency for more of lining things out.
No. 1 round noozle
I suggest to use no. 1 round noozle for this delicate details and you can use small damp brush to correct the details.
Look how cute they are! 🥰
Arh…SUPER cute!
Around these holiday season, is there anything more iconic than these cute doodle icebox cookies?
You can make many people smile with these cookies! They are perfect for casual gifts for your friends. Wrap them into a beautiful box or maybe in a homemade bag, like this.
The cookies are crispy on the outside, not overly sweet and not too hard in the inside. Hmm.mmm so yummy !!! These cookie may be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to one week.
I hope that you enjoy the recipe and have some beautiful moments with your family in this lovely season! 💗 LOVE YOU ALL💞
DOODLE ICEBOX COOKIE Yield: 24 pieces Active time: 3 1/2 hours Total time: 6 hours
🌿 Cookie Dough 170 g Shortening 200 g Granulated Sugar 50 g Whole Eggs 2 tbs Milk 1/2 tsp Almond Extract 380 g All-Purpose Flour 2 tsp Double Acting Baking Powder 1/2 tsp Salt Food Colouring (Pink, Turquoise, White, Brown)
🌿 Royal Icing 120 g Icing Sugar 3 tsp Milk 1 tsp Light Corn Syrup or Honey 1/4 tsp Almond Extract Food Colouring (Black, Pink, Turquoise)
INSTRUCTIONS 🌿 Cookie Dough
Cream the shortening and sugar together until well combined for about 3 minutes (there are gonna be much fluffier when you’re done).
Add in the eggs, along with milk and extract. Mix until all that liquid is well incorporated into the butter and sugar.
Add the sifted dry ingredients; the all-purpose flour, baking powder and salt. Mix well (the mixture will be a little bit crumbly at first, but keep mixing and it will come together just fine). Note: To get a flakey and snappy cookies, don’t overwork this mixture; you’re kind of just incorporating the flour.
This cookie dough is ready to use (it doesn’t require any dough chilling), colour your cookie dough and to shape it ~ kindly follow instructions according to the video.
Store the completed cookies in the freezer for at least 30 minutes.
Cut the frozen cookies for about 5 mm thick (make sure that you use a very sharp knife), place it on a baking try and then store them in the fridge for 30 minutes before baking (to maintain the details).
Bake them in the preheated 160°C oven (baking time will vary depending on the size); and don’t forget rotating your pans halfway through baking. * Bake the cookies until the the bottom edges are just lightly browned (don’t overcooked the cookies as the colour detail is really crucial).
When take out from the oven,cool them on the baking sheets for 5 to 10 minutes and then transfer to a wire rack to finish cooling.
🌿 Royal Icing
Simply combine all the ingredients together. You do wanna work a little bit quickly with royal icing coz it will sets hard or else cover it with clingwrap. *Note: If it’s too runny, add some icing sugar and if it’s too thick, add the amount of milk 1/4 teaspoon at a time until you reach the desire consistency.
Colour it, transfer to a piping bag and then draw the outline . Use a damp brush to correct the details.
🌿 Notes Baked cookies may be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 week. Make sure to let the icing fully harden before stacking the cookies. It also freeze well for up to 3 months, thaw to room temperature before serving.
Hey Guys, today we are making these “Homemade Assorted Biscuits”.
As a 90s kid, Khong Guan was my favourite brand for snacks. A huge tins of assorted biscuits which contain at least 5 varieties of biscuits with plain and sugar icing swirl in the middle. I don’t know if children nowadays still take Khong Guan, but for my generation and before me, this is what our childhood was made of.
Classic Kong Guang Biscuits
My personal favourite are their cream sandwiches. These bit-sized little biscuits are addictive and are really tasty, specially the creamy chocolate flavour. I grew up with them and it’s still as tasty as before.
The cream biscuits are buttery, and slightly sweet, without being excessively oily like many of the other biscuits on the market.
As I grew up and learned baking, I still love them, but I try to avoid consuming any artificial food flavours as much as I can.
So I was thinking of making my own healthier version of assorted biscuits. With this recipe, you can make 6 flavours with 1 dough. The flavours are endless, feel free to make any flavour you like, just remember that you need to combine the flavour ingredient with hot milk first before you mix it into the dough.
Cookie Cutter Collection
You can create any shape you want, these are some cookie cutter collection that I had. The round and square brown colour vintage style cookie cutter with embossing words in the middle (I bought in Daiso) are my favourite, it’s really similar to the real Kong Guan biscuits.
Raw Dough
I am using 3 mm thickness ring for the rolling pin. Try not to roll more than 4 mm thick as the dough will be rise up while baking.
It’s not necesarry to spare a lot of space in between the biscuits, coz the dough doesn’t tends to spread while baking
Look how beautiful this vintage biscuits!
And please note that always bake equally sized biscuits together to make sure they are cook in the same time. If you mix different sizes, the small ones are already cooked when the larger ones are still raw in the middle.
Light and crispy texture
Some people like to have them just plain without any icing. I personally love to fill them with some creamy icing as a sandwich biscuits to bring back some memories of my childhood days.
Beautiful Vanilla Flavour
You can use small spatula to apply the filling, I found that using piping bag is easier for me, so I can reach the edge of the biscuit.
Perfecto!
No need to be so perfect, and if you have a huge sweet tooth, you can add a little bit more icing and vice versa.
Chocolate flavour is a must!
I like to apply huge filling for my chocolate sandwich biscuits because it’s so… yummy…
Matcha for green tea lovers
Some matcha flavours for green tea lovers? The bitterness from the green tea powder perfectly balance the sweetness of the icing sugar.
I love coffee so much, specialy with this adorable Rilakkuma cutter
And if you have a cute cookie cutter it will be even more perfect!
How about some fresh fruity rappberry?
Gets bored with sweet and bitter flavours? Add some fresh sour fruity flavour to compliment the biscuits.
Blue Pea Almond make the biscuits more interesting!
Last and the most important; create 1 flavour that makes people curious, your biscuit box will be so much fun!
Place them in individual cupcake case and store in an airtight jar or maybe a vintage box.
My favourite way to eat them was to bite off the biscuit before the icing sets hard so the icing melts in my mouth. It’s really light in texture, crunchy, not too sweet, heavenly assorted sandwich biscuits! I’m sure your kids are gonna love them so much!
Looking for special gift for someone? These homemade biscuit box works best!! I hope that you will enjoy the recipe, Love You Guys!
HOMEMADE ASSSORTED BISCUITS Yield: 18 pieces sandwich biscuits Active time: 1 hours Total time: 2 hours
INGREDIENTS Biscuit Dough:
260 grams All-Purpose Flour
A pinch of Salt Less than
1/2 teaspoon of Baking Soda
1/2 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
60 grams Unsalted Butter
150 grams Condensed Milk
4 tablespoon Milk (hot)
Food Colouring and Flavouring
Creamy Icing Filling:
100 grams Canned Butter
125 grams Icing Sugar
1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
Food Colouring and Flavouring
INSTRUCTIONS Biscuit Dough
In a large bowl mix all the dry ingredients (flour, salt and baking soda).
Add in the unsalted butter, rub in with your fingers until the mixture looks like fine crumbs.
Pour in the condensed milk, stir a while with a spatula, then using your hand continue kneading, gather all the small crumbs until the dough comes together and form a smooth ball (do not over mixed or it will end up with a tough biscuits).
Divide the dough into 6 equal portions (78 gr each), always cover the dough with a plastic wrap so it doesn’t dry up.
To create flavour variations I suggest working on the dough one flavour at a time so the dough won’t sit to long and becomes greasy. – Vanilla: add 1 portion of the dough with 2 teaspoon of hot milk, mix well. – Chocolate: diluted 2 teaspoons of cocoa powder with hot milk, mix it with 1 portion of the dough. – Matcha: diluted 1/2 teaspoon of Matcha Powder with hot milk, mix it with 1 portion of the dough. – Coffee: diluted 1 teaspoon of instant coffee with hot milk, mix it with 1 portion of the dough. – Raspberry: diluted a bit of red food colouring with hot milk, mix it with 1 portion of the dough. – Almond: diluted 1/4 teaspoon of blue pea powder with hot milk, mix it with 1 portion of the dough.
To roll the dough To maintain each shapes make sure that every pieces cut on top on their own greaseproof paper that will be bake later. The dough is quite sticky, I suggest to place the dough in between greaseproof paper so in won’t stick to the rolling pin. Using 3 mm thickness ring for the rolling pin, roll the dough and cut it with cookie cutter. * Try not to roll more than 4 mm thick as the dough will be rise while baking. It’s not necesarry to spare a lot of space in between the biscuits, coz the dough doesn’t tends to spread while baking.
Bake them in the preheated 160 C oven for about 10-12 minutes, depending on size or until golden brown around the edges.
Take it off from the heat and transfer to a rack until cooled completely.
Creamy Icing Filling
Simply combine the canned butter, icing sugar and vanilla extract. Mix them until completely smooth.
Divide into 6 equal portions (40 gr each), add in the extracts or flavour powder: – Cocoa: add 2 tsp cocoa powder to 1 portions of icing – Matcha: add 1 tsp matcha powder to 1 portions of icing – Coffee: diluted 1/2 tsp of instant coffee, add in with 1 tsp of cocoa powder to 1 portion of icing. – Raspberry: add 1/2 tsp of raspberry powder to 1 portion of icing – Almond: add 1/4 tsp of blue pea powder and 1/2 tsp of almond extract to 1 portion of icing.
Assembly Sandwich the plain biscuits with the icing filling and vice versa, place it in an airtight jar, Let it sets hard for at least 2 hours before eating.
NOTES
Always bake equally sized biscuits together to make sure they are cook in the same time. If you mix different sizes, the small ones are already cooked when the larger ones are still raw in the middle.
Don’t re-roll dough more than 2 times or it will become tough.
Make sure that you store the biscuits in an airtight jar or container, so the crunchiness can last longer.
For the filling; you can substitute canned butter with either margarine, shortening or ghee if you like.
Stored properly, biscuits should last for up to 2 week at room temperature.
Hi Guys, today we are making these “My Melody Taiwanese Savory Mooncake”. It’s a flaky crust moon cake with the savoury sweet fillings inside which has a really unique texture.
Unlike the common traditional mooncake that are sweet, some spicy braised meat was added to the mung bean paste as a filling, they blends really well, the savoury perfectly complement the sweetness.
You have some bits to bite in the smooth fillings, the savoury pairs the sweetness perfectly, the crunchiness of the layer crust even make it more special.
You can actually omit the meat portion if you wish too, but that’s what makes it special in my opinion. And if you are not preparing this for moon cake festivals, it’s definitely a good snack or a nice breakfast item.
Look how adorable they are!
The beautiful flaky crust itself created by combining 2 different type of dough which is called water and oil dough that has been layered by rolling and folding similar in making puff pastry dough.
Feel free to create any design you like but always remember that for the combined dough, you need to make the oil dough colour slightly lighter than the water dough so it doesn’t show on the surface of the water dough when you roll it.
So this is how we combine the dough; Lightly press down to flatten the water dough and place the oil dough in the center of the water dough. Fold the combined dough like an envelope, seal all the seam and shape it round again. Cover and let them rest for at least 10 minutes so the gluten can relax a bit.
Place oil dough in the center of the water dough
After resting, take one combined dough, using rolling pin, roll the dough into a long rectangular shape as evenly as possible, don’t press it too hard as you might tear the water dough membrane, about 3 mm thick is enough (pic. 1) And then roll it up like you are preparing swiss roll (pic. 2)
Then turn the swiss roll direction with the shorter side pointing at you, using rolling pin roll it again into a long rectangular shape (pic. 3 & 4)
*One important tip when you roll the dough is always make sure that your rolling pin is clean from any dough flakes coz it will attracts the water dough surface which can cause a lot of cracks on the mooncake later.
And finally, roll it up again like a swiss roll (pic. 5 & 6)
Please note the colour will be much lighter when baked in the oven. The minced meat is slightly on the salty side to compliment the sweet of the mung bean paste. If you prefer more spicy, feel free to add more chili or for a bigger kick, you can add a teaspoon of cayenne pepper, that will be great too!
And if the times permit, you even can prepared this meat the night before and store them in the fridge to let the flavor develops, it will taste even better.
Oh I love My Melody so much, they are my favorite Sanrio character since I was a child.
They taste amazing when served slightly warm and paired with a cup of hot tea or maybe your favorite coffee. They are so adorable, tasty and also satisfying with their unique texture, it’s really hard to describe unless you have a chance to taste it
The recipe is rather long winded but it is rewarding coz they are so pretty and delicious. I really hope you Guys give it a try coz this mooncake really suit my taste buds and I have to stop myself for further eating.
And if you want; you can share your creations with me with the “hastags bembumkitchen”, I really love to see all your creativity and I’ll make sure to give a like or thumbs up!
Enjoy the recipe, Love you All!!
MY MELODY TAIWANESE MOONCAKE Yield: 10 pieces Active time: 3 hours Total time: 4 hours
INGREDIENTS Mung Bean Paste:
100 gr Split Yellow Mung Beans
100 gr Hot Water
75 gr Granulated Sugar
Braised Meat:
100 grams Minced Pork
1 tbs Corn Flour
1 tsp Garlic (Minced)
1 tsp Ginger (Minced)
1/2 tbs Onion (Minced)
1/2 tbs Rice Wine
2 tbs Soy Sauce
1 tsp Chopped Chilli Padi
1/2 tsp Five Spice Powder
1/4 tsp White Pepper
1/4 tsp Salt
2 tsp Sugar
1/2 tbs White or Black Sesame Seeds
Water Dough:
200 gr All-Purpose Flour
50 gr Shortening
20 gr Icing Sugar
100 gr Cold Water
Food Colouring (Pink, Black, Blue, Yellow)
Oil Dough:
75 gr Cake Flour
35 gr Shortening
Pink Food Colouring
INSTRUCTIONS Mung Bean Paste
Wash mung beans in several rinses of water until the water runs clear, then soak them in a hot boiling water for 30 minutes (the water will be absorbed and the beans gets bigger).
Preheat the steamer, bring water to a boil and then steam the soaked beans for about 30 minutes or until it can be easily mashed.
Pour the beans into a non-stick pan, add in the sugar, cook over medium low heat (it will be wet at first as the sugar melts,keep stirring until it gets drier). Using a spatula, press the beans until it resembles a thick paste (as the water evaporates, the beans will no longer be sticky). Feel free to use blender or immersion blender if you prefer a really fine paste.
Take it off from the heat, cover it with a plastic wrap, store in the fridge to firm up.
Braise Meat
Sprinkle corn flour to the meat before cooking (it will helps prevent overcooking and toughening of the outer layers so the result will be more tender and flavourful).
In a medium pan, heat 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil, add in the minced garlic and onion, cook until golden brown. Add in minced pork, continue cooking until it change in colour. Pour in the rice wine and soy sauce, stir well. Add in the rest ingredients and mix until well combined. *Feel free to add more chili or cayenne pepper if you like more spicy.
Cover and store them in the fridge to let the flavor develops.
Water Dough
In a medium bowl, combine all the ingredients, stir until it forms a sticky dough.
Lightly transfer to a work surface and knead until it forms a smooth dough.
Divide the dough for each details, color as needed
Cover each colours with a cling wrap and let it rest for at least 20 minutes.
Oil Dough Mix the flour and shortening, add in the pink food colouring (this oil dough colour must be slightly lighter than the water dough for the base of My Melody’s head). Keep mixing until it forms a soft dough (it can be slightly sticky). Cover it with a plastic wrap to prevent the dough dry.
COMBINE, ROLL & BAKE
Divide the bean paste into 10 equal portions (25 gr each), shape it into a ball. Using your thumb press the center of the bean ball to create a hole. Insert about 1-2 tsp of the braised meat filling in the center, and then wrap and seal. Perform the same for the remaining 9 portions.
Combine 2 dough: Divide the “soft pink” water dough and oil dough into 10 equal pieces (19 grams water dough, 11 grams oil dough). Lightly press down the water dough to flatten and place the oil dough in the center of the water dough. Fold the combined dough like an envelope, seal all the seam and shape it round again. Continue with the rest dough. Cover and let them rest for at least 10 minutes so the gluten can relax a bit.
Roll the combined dough: Take one combined dough, using rolling pin, roll the dough into a long rectangular shape as evenly as possible (don’t press it too hard as you might tear the water dough membrane), 3 mm thick is enough. Roll it up like you are preparing swiss roll. Turn the swiss roll direction with the shorter side pointing at you, using rolling pin roll it again into a long rectangular shape. Then roll it up again like a swiss roll. Set aside, cover it up while continue with the rest dough.
FILL & DECORATE
Fill Take one of the swiss roll dough, using rolling pin, flatten it into a circle shape. Flip the dough, place one portion of a bean ball at the center of the dough, and start covering the bean ball from all sides, rotate while tighten your palm, make sure the skin and filling stick together evenly. Seal all the seam. Shape the mooncake a bit oval as My Melody’s head. Repeat this process for the rest of the Mooncake.
Decorate Add details according to My Melody’s Head, add the spark of her eyes with some white food colouring
BAKE Bake in the preheated 170°C oven for about 15-18 minutes. Remove from the heat, allow to cool slightly on the pan for about 10-15 minutes then transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely.
NOTES
Don’t let the water dough sit too long coz it will release the oil and cause a lot of crack on the mooncake surface later.
Best serve 20 minutes freshly baked.
To store in an airtight container; 1 day at room temperature, 1 week fridge, 1 months freezer.
