Posted on by Bembum Kitchen

Pink Totoro Chigiri Pan

Hi Guys, today we are making Pink Totoro Chigiri Pan or commonly known as tear off or pull-apart bread. This kind of bread has become extremely popular in Japan.

The name of chigiri comes from the Japan word chigiru, meaning “tear off”, it’s the fact that you can tear off the bread as much as you want from the original square and eat it as you like.

These bread using 5 degress celcious cold storage liquid method. A small percentage of the flour, water and yeast, that have been stored for at least 18 hours in the fridge.

By using this method, it pre-gelatinizes the starches in the flour, meaning they can absorb more water. The bread may rise higher, they will be moister, and will stay soft and fresh longer, and best of all, the method is very natural, no chemical needed.

You can see how puffy it looks, see the inner fluffy structure of this bread. It’s still super fluffy and light as you can see it just melts in your mouth, you will just enjoy it like eating a cloud!

I hope you guys enjoy this video and give it a try as well. If you’re a soft bread lover, I think you’ll enjoy the results. Happy baking All!!

PINK TOTORO CHIGIRI PAN (PULL-APART BREAD)
Yield: 9 pieces (7 inch Square Pan)
Preparation time: 18 hours
Active time: 1 1/2 hour
Total time: 2 1/2 hours

INGREDIENTS
5°C Cold Storage Liquid :

  • 300 grams Bread Flour
  • 300 grams Cold Water
  • 1 gram Instant Yeast
    ** This Cold Storage recipe produce more than we need. You can keep the rest for the next batch.

Bread Dough:

  • 250 grams Bread Flour
  • 15 grams Milk Powder
  • 45 grams Granulated Sugar
  • 3 grams Instant Yeast
  • 150 grams Cold Storage Liquid
  • 38 grams Whole Eggs
  • 90 grams Cold Milk
  • 30 grams Unsalted Butter (softened)

Facial Features Details:
Melted White and Dark Chocolate


INSTRUCTIONS
5°C Cold Storage Liquid

  1. In a bowl or a container, mix in together the flour, water yeast. Mix well (make sure that you are using the instant yeast).
  2. Cover and let them sit at room temperature for outdoor fermentation for about 1 hour and then put them in the fridge for at least 18 hours until ready to use them.

Template For Totoro’s Tummy
Using A4 paper, divide 3 equal sections at the bottom of the paper (it’s about 7 cm each), using round cutter to make the curve shape. Cut it out the curve.

Prepare The Pan
Fold the non-stick baking paper that fits to the bottom of the 7 inch Square Pan, Cut out the sides, then place it into the pan.

Bread Dough

  1. In a large bowl mix in the flour, milk powder, sugar, and instant yeast. Mix well. Add in the wet ingredients (cold storage liquid, eggs and the milk), mix it all through.
  2. Add in the softened butter and mix, pour them on our work surface and start kneading the dough (you can use a dough hook of your stand mixer). If you’re gonna do this by hand it will take for about 15 minutes or so, and with a stand mixer for about 5-10 minutes.
  3. Knead the dough until you can stretch the dough into a thin translucent membrane (this is called windowpane test) without breaking it, that means the gluten is well developed and your dough is ready to rise.
  4. Add on some red food colouring and then start kneading to incorporate it.
  5. Let the dough rest for about 10 minutes (please remember always cover the dough with a plastic wrap or a damp clothes to keep the moisture in and prevent the skin from drying out).
  6. After the dough got enough rest, divide the dough into 9 equal parts (it’s about 45 grams each) and also don’t forget to spare some dough about 30 grams for the ears (cover it with plastic wrap).
  7. Rounding the divided dough one by one and let it rest again for about 10 minutes.
  8. After resting, take one of the dough, flatten it by hand, fold the dough twice, roll it into a smooth ball and then place it in the pan (don’t flour it too much to prevent the dry result). Continue with the rest dough, and they are ready for the fermentation process.
  9. Cover the shaped dough in a pan with a plastic wrap and let them rise for about 50-60 minutes until they are double in size.
  10. Preheat the oven to 170 degress Celcious.
  11. 10 minutes before fermentation is completed, the ear dough is ready to shape. Flaten the dough, cut into small pieces, then shape it into a cone.
  12. Spray the proofed dough surface with some water, and stick the ear to each position.
  13. To complete Totoro’s tummy, place the curve template on the dough, and using a mesh strainer sprinkle some cake flour on the uncovered dough.
    Please note that you need to start from the top row and the rest row should be covered with another piece of paper to avoid the flour.
  14. Cover the dough with a piece of aluminium foil, bake it for about 20-25 minutes (you don’t want to over bake, like have a brown Totoro, so turn on your alarm and check them out right after 20 minutes baking and quickly safe your cutie Totoro).
  15. After baking, take it out from the pan and let it sit on the cooling rack, and don’t forget to remove the baking paper as well (this way will prevent the bread to gets soggy which can cause a wrinkle on their surface later).
  16. After cool completely, add the details with regular melted white and dark chocolate.


NOTE

  1. I usually make the 5°C Cold Storage Liquid one day in advance, so I can immediately use it on the next day.
  2. You can store them for 3 days in the refrigerator and 1 month in the freezer. Store them in the sealed bag or a plastic container to prevent the bread dry.
  3. To reheat the bread: Microwave (30 seconds) or 180° C oven (10 minutes).

Category

Howto & Style

Posted on by Bembum Kitchen · 2 Comments

Teddy Bear Choco Pies

Hi Guys! I hope that you are doing well, and today we are making these gorgeous “Teddy Bear Choco Pies“.
Choco pie is a popular Korean snack, some call it National Snack. It consist of 2 cakes with marshmallow fillings in between, and the whole thing is covered in chocolate.

I’m the biggest fan of Choco Pie. 2 of the most popular Choco Pie brand are Oreon and Lotte. They got the original and also other flavor varieties.

And out of all the Choco Pies, my favorite will have to be Cacao Choco Pie. I love the the cacao version because it has chocolate cakes instead of Vanilla. The extra chocolate just adds a little richness to the Choco Pies and it taste really good.

So today I’m gonna show you how to make my homemade and healthier version of Cacao Choco Pie.

We need to make homemade chocolate cakes, homemade marshmallows, and then assembling it in the end to make Teddy Bear Choco Pies. It’s quite a long step, but of course it’s really worthed in the end.

The chocolate cake is soft and moist, the marshmallow fillings itself are so fluffy, kinda a spongy texture. And the melted chocolate… it’s just a chocolaty goodness. And yes, it was definitely fun to make.

I hope that you will enjoy this recipe. Have fun with it, create any design your want! Love you Guys!!

TEDDY BEAR CACAO CHOCO PIES
Yield: 16 pieces
Active time: 2 hour
Total time: 3 hours

INGREDIENTS
Cake Batter:

  • 145 grams Unsalted Butter
  • 105 grams Granulated Sugar
  • 150 grams Eggs
  • 190 grams All-Purpose Flour
  • 30 grams Cocoa Powder
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons Baking Powder

Marshmallow Fillings:

  • 10 grams Gelatine Powder
  • 80 grams Water
  • 220 grams Granulated Sugar
  • 60 grams Water
  • 1/2 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
  • Pink Food Colouring

Coating & Decorating:

  • 350 grams Dark Chocolate
  • 150 grams Milk Chocolate
  • 100 grams White Chocolate
  • 50 grams Strawberry Chocolate

INSTRUCTIONS
Prepare design template. Secure the template to the pan with some tape (so they stop slipping around). Over the top of the design, place a piece of baking parchment that fits exactly the bottom of the pan.

Chocolate Cake Batter:

  1. Preheat the oven to 170 C.
  2. Combine the soft butter and granulated sugar, continue mixing until light and fluffy. Add in the eggs, and mix that all through (don’t worry if the batter looks like curdling now, the mixture will comes back together when we add the dry ingredients later).
  3. Mix in all of the dry ingredients (flour, cocoa powder and baking powder), mix until the batter is really smooth and no lumps remains.
  4. Transfer the batter into a piping bag with a 1 cm round tip. Pipe according to the design template.
  5. Bake it for about 13-15 minutes. Let it sit on the pan for about 3 minutes then transfer them onto a cooling rack to cool completely (if you find that you have a little bit of uneven surface on your teddy bear cakes, it doesn’t really matter since we’re going to be dipping them in Chocolate anyways)

Details Decorations:

  1. Using the same Teddy Bear template as above, tape some wax paper right on top (just to make sure it doesn’t budge).
  2. Melt the chocolate in microwave of a double boiler, transfer it to a piping bag. Pipe each details with melted chocolate.
  3. Pop them in the freezer, let them set until ready to use them.

Prepare the Chocolate Cake:
Melt some dark chocolate. Dip each chocolate cake into some melted dark chocolate, shake off the excess (shake the teddy bear to get it nice and smooth). Let them dry on the cooling rack so it’s firm to touch.

Marshmallow Fillings:

  1. Pour the gelatine into a mixing bowl, add 80 grams of water and mix, let it stand for a while.
  2. In a sauce pot, mix the granulated sugar and 60 grams of water. Cook over medium heat until the sugar dissolves and the mixture comes to a boil. Cover the saucepan with a lid and let boil for about one to two minutes (to allow any sugar crystals to dissolve from the sides of the saucepan). Remove the lid and attach a candy thermometer to the side of the pan. Boil, without stirring, until the syrup reaches 240 degrees Fahrenheit or the softball stage (if you don’t have one, just bring it to a rolling boil and let it boil for 1 minute)
  3. Pour in hot sugar syrup over the soft gelatine. Whip this up on medium speed with a hand mixer. Add in your favorite extract and food colouring, continue whip for about 8-10 minutes, until it gets super thick and fluffy. Transfer the marshmallow into a piping bag.

ASSEMBLE
Take one of the chocolate cake. Squeze a generous amount of marshmallow to the center of the cake and then put another cake on top. Decorate with chocolate detail decorations (using melted chocolate as a glue to attach the details).

NOTE

  1. Let the marshmallow set a while before piping it, so it doesn’t melt around the edges of the cake.
  2. I don’t have milk chocolate on hand, so I’ve just mix the dark and white chocolate together to create a soft brown chocolate colour. And for the red mouth, I’ve just add a bit of red food colouring to the white chocolate.
  3. You can keep them quite well at room temperature in an airtight container for up to 1 weeks, 3 weeks in the fridge.

Posted on by Bembum Kitchen

Totoro Choux au Craquelin (Crispy Cream Puff)

Hi Everyone! Today we are making these cute “Totoro Choux au Craquelin”.
Choux au Craquelin is a dessert made with Choux Pastry, and topped with a thin cookie disc called Craquelin.
It’s only a little step up from classic Cream Puff.

These little GREEN disc is made with a mix of Butter, Sugar and Flour – just like Pie or Shortcrust Pastry.

In contrast to regular Choux Pastry buns, Craquelin adds a layer of sweetness and makes the Cream Puff delightfully crunchy.

Once you’ve tried these, you will never go back to normal Cream Puffs, because these are so delightfull and flavourfull.

That lovely, crackly top takes these Cream Puffs to a whole new level, plus the Craquelin helps keep the Cream Puff Crisp for longer, even when it’s filled with a filling. 

The Craquelin adds a really nice texture and sweetness to the Choux Pastry, they are really perfectly round with that even looking 🤩


The Cream Puff will have beautiful crack on tops and the inside will be hollow, you can fill these with whatever fillings you prefer 😌

I’m using my favorite buttercream fillings which is light, creamy and not too sweet.
I find this buttercream absolutely addictive! 

Do whatever kind of designs you like!

🙄… 🤤 hungry

Have fun getting creative with it!
Love you all! 🥰

WATCH HOW TO MAKE TOTORO CHOUX AU CRAQUELIN


TOTORO CHOUX AU CRAQUELIN
Yield: 10 pieces
Active time: 1 1/2 hour
Total time: 2 1/2 hours

INGREDIETNS
🍀 Craquelin Dough
40 grams Unsalted Butter
50 grams All-Purpose Flour
50 grams Granulated Sugar
Mint Green Food Colouring

🍀 Choux Pastry
100 grams water
63 grams Unsalted Butter
1/8 teaspoon Salt
75 grams All-Purpose Flour
Approx. 100 grams Eggs

🍀 Buttercream
270 grams Milk
4 ½ tablespoons All-Purpose Flour
270 grams Unsalted Butter
135 grams Icing Sugar
1 ½ tablespoons Vanilla Extract

INSTRUCTIONS
Preheat the oven to 200°C, put a tray at the bottom of the oven.
🍀 Craquelin Dough

  1. Mix all ingredients together until it’s form a dough ball.
    Add some food colouring or flavouring (optional), mix until the colour incorporated.
  2. Transfer the dough onto a Parchment Paper, and place another piece of Parchment Paper on top.
    Roll the dough for about 3 mm thick, freeze it for about 20 minutes to firm up a bit.
  3. Take it out off the freezer, cut out it individual little disk (cut the dough with a round cookie cutter that slightly smaller that the size of the Choux Pastry).
    Let the little disk sit in the freezer while preparing the Choux Pastry dough.


🍀 Choux Pastry

  1. In a sauce pan combine Butter, Water and Salt.
    Cook over a MEDIUM heat until the Butter dissolved and the Water stars to boil.
  2. As soon as the Water comes to a boil, turn OFF the heat
    Add in the Flour in all at once; stir vigorously so that it absorbs all of the water.
  3. When the Flour has absorbed the Water and it’s forming a dough, return the pan to the stove, then cook the dough on LOW heat for about 2 – 5 minutes (keep beating, cook until you get a dough that pulls away from the sides and leaves a little bit of the skin on the bottom of the pan).
    Take it off from the heat and let it cool down slightly for a few minutes.
  4. Once it the mixture feels warm,
    With a wooden spoon, slowly pour in a little by little of the Eggs.
    Mix the dough while adding the Eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition (what we are looking for is we want the mixture to fall of the spoon within about 3 seconds and it should have slightly soft peak).
  5. Once it’s done; transfer the dough to a pastry bag with a 1 cm round tip.
    Press the bag flat with hands to get rid air bubbles out.
  6. Place the template underneath the Parchment Paper (it’s about 4,5 cm round diameter each).
    Don’t forget to give some space between them coz the pastry will raise pretty much later
  7. Get ready for piping
    Hold the bag vertically, squeeze with even pressure (you want to pipe this pretty high).
  8. Take your little Craquelin disk out off the freezer.
    Carefully place them on top of the piped Choux Pastry, press them gently (make sure they are in the center).
  9. In the preheated 200° C oven, throw in some water to the tray that we’ve have been place at the bottom so it creates a steam.
    Put Choux Pastry in, close the door and drop the temperature to 160° C, bake it for about 35 minutes.
  10. Once it’s done, turn OFF the oven, open the door slightly and let it sets in the oven for another 5 minutes.
    Then, take it out from the oven and let it cool completely on the cooling rack.


🍀 Buttercream

  1. Mix the Milk and Flour until no lumps, then Microwave it in 20 seconds intervals or cook on the stove until it just become a paste, then set aside to cool completely.
  2. In a large bowl, cream the Butter until it gets a really smooth consistency;
    Add in the Icing Sugar along with Vanilla Extract, mix well.
    Add in the cooled Flour Paste, mix until it’s incorporated.
  3. Create Totoro or other design character that you like.


ASSEMBLE
Take one of our Choux au Craquelin, cut the top with serated knife;
Fill it with buttercream (or other fillings you prefer) then place your adorable character on top.


NOTES

  1. For the Choux, there’s no the exact amount for the Eggs; You might need more or you might need less.
    The amount off Egg you use depends on the Flours (you might have different All Purpose Flour in your country which has different kind of absorption properties).
    If you add too much Egg and it’s too runny, then your Choux Pastry won’t raise
  2. Do not open the door while baking, to prevent the pastries from collapsing.
  3. These pastry can be kept at room temperature for 1 day and 3 days in the fridge.

Posted on by Bembum Kitchen · 6 Comments

Rilakkuma Deco Roll Cake

Hi Everyone! Today we are making these adorable “Rilakkuma Deco Roll Cake”.
Cake roll painted with cute Rilakkuma and filled with the most delicious and cloud-like buttercream frosting called Ermine.

The cake is super light, moist and really fluffy, no cracks, and rolls beautifully 🥰

Some people use different recipe for the decorating batter, but I found that the best method is to use the same batter as your Sponge Cake batter.
You can use any pattern or draw your own to create a beautiful and delicious roll cake.

You can use a small round tip if it makes you more comfortable when piping the finer details of your pattern. I just cut a small hole in the piping bag to fill in the larger sections

Ermine Frosting tastes really good!
The frosting is super smooth and creamy, not overly sweet and egg-free. A nice light Vanilla Flavor and no hint of a flour taste. I promise!😉

This might sound like a bizarre process (it did to me at first) but it’s actually a delicious frosting! Ermine frosting is a very light and almost like Whipped Cream 😚

The frosting (also called Roux Frosting or Boiled Milk Frosting) is made by cooking flour and milk to make a sweet paste. This paste is then whipped into Softened Butter and Icing Sugar until light and fluffy, then Vanilla is added for flavoring.

I really love these cake so much and have a lot of fun making these!
Hope you guys try this and have a lot of fun with this recipe.

Rillakuma and Friend Design Template

WATCH HOW TO MAKE RILAKKUMA DECO ROLL CAKE


RILAKKUMA DECO ROLL CAKE
Yield: One 10-inch square pan
Active time: 1 hours
Total time: 2 hours

INGREDIENTS
🍰 Decorating Batter
30 g Unsalted Butter
8 g Milk
45 g Cake Flour
40 g Egg Yolks
38 g Whole Eggs
1/4 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
30 g Milk
70 g Egg Whites
1/4 teaspoon Vinegar
45 g Granulated Sugar

🍰 Cake Batter
50 g Unsalted Butter
13 g Milk
75 g Cake Flour
68 g Egg Yolks
63 g Whole Eggs
3/4 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
50 g Milk
113 g Egg Whites
3/4 teaspoon Vinegar
75 g Granulated Sugar

🍰 Buttercream
90 g Milk
1 ½ tablespoons All-Purpose Flour
90 g Unsalted Butter
45 g Icing Sugar
1 ½ teaspoons Vanilla Extract


INSTRUCTIONS (please watch the video for complete instructions)
🍰 Design Preparation
Print the A4 Rilakkuma design template (or any design you want).
Over the top of the design, place a piece of Baking Parchment that’s fit exactly the bottom of the 10-inch square pan. Secure them each other with some tape so they stop slipping around.

🍰 Making Decorating Batter (for the Cake Batter the instructions are the same)

  1. Preheat the oven to 340 F/ 170 C.
  2. Place Butter and 8 grams Milk in a saucepan (for cake batter it’s 13 grams of Milk).
    Cook over a LOW heat until simmer and the Butter melted, then turn of the heat. Add in the sifted flour, mix well; stir until it’s form a dough ball, then transfer it to a bowl.
  3. Wait until the dough a bit warm, slowly add the mixture of the Egg Yolk, Whole Egg and Vanilla Extract, mix until no lumps and well combine.
  4. Then in another pan, heat the 30 grams of Milk (for cake batter it’s 50 grams of Milk) until just warm, gradually add in to the Eggs Batter while keep stirring; mix until well combined.
    Strain the batter so there’s no lumps remain, set aside.
  5. In a large bowl, whisk the Egg Whites and Vinegar, once it’s get nice and foamy, slowly add in the Granulated Sugar in 3 batches, whip until they form stiff peak.
  6. Fold 1/3 of the whipped Egg Whites into the Egg Yolks Mixture;
    Then pour this mixture to the remain 2/3 Egg Whites mixture and continue folding until everything is incorporated.
  7. Divide the batter into a couple small bowls (using one bowl for each colour that you want to use) then transfer each colour to a piping bag.
  8. To decorate
    Start with the outline, after the outline is done you can continue with the colouring.
  9. After finish with all the design, carefully transfer the design paper onto a Grease pan, bake it for about 1 to 2 minutes (just until it gets kind like a skin on top so this way it won’t bleed into our Cake Batter when we add our Cake Batter on top).
  10. Next, prepare the Cake Batter
    (please follow the same 1-5 instructions as above).
  11. Pour the Cake Batter into the pan, and very gently spread the batter evenly, being careful not to disturb the Rilakkuma design underneath.
  12. Shake and give a couple tap to even it out and get rid of the excess air bubbles, bake it for about 15-18 minutes.
  13. Once it comes out from the oven, tap the pan so it wont’ shrink too much, then turn it out onto a cooling rack that has some Parchment Paper on top.
    Peel the parchment paper carefully, then quickly cover it with some more parchment paper to prevent your cake roll dry out
  14. Once cool;
    Trim off the edges of the cake to make it more neat and beautiful.
    Spread the buttercream evenly on top of the cake, and then roll it up.
    Let it sit for about 15-30 minutes to set up a bit.

🍰 Making Buttercream

  1. Mix the Milk and Flour until there are no lumps;
    Microwave it in 20 seconds intervals or cook on the stove until it just become a paste, set aside to cool completely.
  2. In a large bowl, cream the Butter until it gets a really smooth consistency, add in the Icing Sugar along with Vanilla Extract, mix until well combined.
    Add in the cooled Flour Paste, mix until it’s incorporated.


NOTES

  1. To make the Cake Batter, please follow 1-5 Decorating Batter instruction.
  2. Make sure that you use Parchment Paper for the design paper, they are used in baking as a disposable non-stick surface (DO NOT use wax paper).
  3. Ermine frosting can be left at room temperature for 6 hours as long as it’s not too hot.
    Because it contains milk, leftovers should be refrigerated for up to a week or frozen for up to 6 months.
  4. The cake can be kept at room temperature for 1 day and 3 days in the refrigerator.
  5. Bring your cake out of the fridge for an hour or two before consuming. 

Posted on by Bembum Kitchen

Pao De Queijo (Chessy Dip Chewy Cheese Balls)

Hellooo friends and welcome back!! Today we are making some delicious “Chessy Dip Chewy Cheese Balls”  a.k.a “Pao de Queijo“.

It was crunchy outside but amazingly soft and chewy inside, these little cheese balls with their addictive cheesiness, they are super easy to make at home.

These Brazilian Cheese Bread is tasty as it gets, since they are so flavorful due to the Cheese and the Tapioca Flour.

It’s really the most comforting and satisfying snack for a Cheese Lover .
These flavor was so haunting and I still dream about it. 🤤

However, it’s even better if you serve them with  these mild creamy and velvety chessy dip sauce.

🥲 I want !!

The recipe is super easy, fail proof and absolutely mouthwatering. Try to make these at home and go enjoy your ooey gooey “Pao de Queijo” !

WATCH HOW TO MAKE Pao De Queijo (Chessy Dip Chewy Cheese Balls)


CHESSY DIP CHEWY CHEESE BALLS (PAO DE QUEIJO)
Yield: 16 pieces
Active time: 20 minutes
Total time: 1 hours

INGREDIENTS
🧀 Cheese Balls
120 grams Milk
80 grams Water
3 tablespoons Vegetable Oil
200 grams Tapioca Starch
50 grams Eggs (beaten)
80 grams Parmesan Cheese (Grated)

🧀 Cheesy Dip
160 grams Milk
2 ⅔ teaspoons All-Purpose Flour
1/4 teaspoon Salt
1/4 teaspoon Ground Black Peper
1/4 teaspoon Ceyenne Pepper
40 grams Cheedar Cheese (Grated)

INSTRUCTIONS
🧀 Cheese Balls

  1. Preheat the oven to 180 C/ 350 F.
  2. In a medium saucepan, combine the Milk, Water and Vegetable Oil.
    Heat the mixture until just before it begins to boil, then take it OFF from the heat.
  3. Place the Tapioca Starch in a large bowl,
    Pour the Milk Mixture into a bowl of Tapioca Starch, then quickly combine the mixture (BE CAREFUL the mixture is quite hot, you can use a fork or wodden spoon to mix this).
  4. Add the beaten Eggs and continue mixing
  5. When the dough is cool enough to touch, you can knead it by hand
  6. Add the grated Parmesan Cheese; continue kneading the dough until the Cheese is mixed evenly.
  7. Take about 1 tablespoonful of the dough (about 35 grams each) and shape it into a ball.
    Place Cheese Balls onto a baking sheet lined with a parchment paper (Don’t worry if the balls are uneven, they will become round while baking).
  8. Bake it for about 20 minutes. Place the balls onto a cooling rack to cool down a bit.

🧀 Cheesy Dip

  1. In a medium saucepan combine Milk, Flour, Salt, Black Pepper and Cayenne Pepper (If you don’t like spicy, you can omit the Cayenne Pepper).
  2. Bring to a boil over MEDIUM heat, stirring constantly until slightly thickened. Remove from heat, add the grated Cheedar Cheese, stir until well combined.


NOTES

  1. Some people use All-Purpose Flour to make this; I personally don’t recommend it because you won’t get the chewy texture that you are you are looking for.
    So, better stick with the Tapioca Starch.
  2. You can adjust and add the amount of Cheese if you want.
  3. It’s best to serve it hot, coz it will be a bit tough when it’s gets cold.
  4. To reheat, either Microwave them on a paper towel for about 20 seconds (they won’t be crispy at all),
    OR if you want that crispy-chewy texture, pop them in a 350 F oven for about 8-12 minutes. Keep an eye on them so you don’t end up burning them.
Posted on by Bembum Kitchen

Homemade Healthy Caramel Popcorn (No Bake) Free of Corn Syrup and Baking Soda

Hi Everyone, today we are making these “Homemade Healthy Caramel Popcorn” .
This Easy Homemade Caramel Popcorn is super delicious, it’s buttery, crunchy, sweet, caramely and salty all at once.

I love everything about this recipe, especially that it only requires a few inexpensive ingredients that I usually have on hand and it could not be easier to make ☺️

It’s pretty foolproof, and you DON’T need Baking Soda, Corn Syrup or a Candy Thermometer like a lot of Caramel Popcorn recipes call for.
In my opinion, this is a healthier way to make Caramel Popcorn.

😉 Unpopped popcorn kernels are super easy to find. You can generally find them at the supermarket.

I love to buy an expensive container of white kernels from Bob’s Red Mill.
That’s because Bob’s Red Mill Whole White Popcorn Kernels are contain the perfect moisture content for optimum popping.

When these premium kernels pop, they burst their hulls and transform into wonderfully fluffy blossoms of corn with a delightful crunch. https://www.bobsredmill.com/white-popcorn.html

🤩 are you ready for movie night??

I don’t know about you, but Caramel Popcorn and I are BFF’s.
It’s a super easy snack for movie night, or perfect to package up and give as gifts around the holidays!

WATCH HOW TO MAKE NO BAKE CARAMEL POPCORN


NO BAKE CARAMEL POPCORN
Yield: 8 Cups
Active time: 15 minutes
Total time: 1/2 hours

INGREDIENTS
🍿 Popcorn
100 grams Popcorn Kernels
2 tablespoons Vegetable Oil

🍿 Caramel
120 grams Granulated Sugar
30 grams Unsalted butter
1/4 teaspoon Salt


INSTRUCTIONS
🍿 Popcorn
Pour the Popcorn Kernels into 13-inch wok or bigger, then add in the Vegetable Oil, pop the lid on.
When popping starts, lower the heat to MEDIUM.
When popping slows down, turn OFF heat.
Wait till popping stops completely (which is when you think it’s stopped, plus 30 seconds) before removing cover.
Transfer corn to a bowl.

🍿 Caramel

  1. Pour Sugar into a wok. Over MEDIUM heat, cook till sugar starts to melt.
    Swirl wok to heat evenly till melted Sugar is reach just lovely rich amber colour (never stir the caramel otherwise it crystallizes)
    **Be carefull DO NOT over cooked or you might burnt the sugar
  2. Reduce heat to LOW, add Butter; stir till thoroughly mixed.
    Add Salt, mix well
  3. Tip Popcorn into wok.
    Caramel may now thicken because popcorn is cold or at most warm.
    Working fast, toss till corn is evenly coated. Turn OFF heat.
  4. Transfer Popcorn to a bowl, break into small pieces.
    Taste and sprinkle with more Salt if necessary.
    Serve immediately or keep in airtight container.

NOTES
With homemade Popcorn, you can adjust the sweetness to your preference.
I don’t have a sweet tooth, so for me this is just a perfect amount of Caramel.
Don’t reduce the amount of Sugar because the popcorn won’t be crunchy if there’s too little Caramel.
If you do have a sweet tooth, you can double the Caramel recipe.

Posted on by Bembum Kitchen

Kawaii Mitarashi Dango

Hi Guys, today we are making these adorable “Kawaii Mitarashi Dango”.  Have you ever eaten Japanese confectionery DANGO? Small round sweet dumpling balls are skewered on bamboo sticks and covered with a gooey brown sauce.  

Mitarashi dango are my favorite traditional sweet, they are quite satisfying without being overly sweet 🤤

The shiny brown colored sauce (which is called Mitarashi Sauce) is sweet and savory at the same time.
It goes perfectly with the bland, slightly chewy Dango or dumplings (Dango is the name for unfilled solid dumplings.)

This traditional Dango dessert is not as difficult as you may think. I hope you enjoy these traditional snacks and a taste of history today!

WATCH HOW TO MAKE KAWAII MITARASHI DANGO


KAWAII MITARASHI DANGO
Yield: 18 pieces
Active time: 1 1/2 hour
Total time: 2 hours

INGREDIENTS
🍡 Dango
240 grams Glutinous Rice Flour
60 grams Icing Sugar
260 grams Japanese Silken Tofu
Cocoa Powder
Food Colouring (Black, Red)

🍡 Mitarashi Sauce
130 grams Water
20 grams Soy Sauce
10 grams Corn Starch
45 grams Brown Sugar


INSTRUCTIONS
🍡 Dango

  1. In a large bowl, mix together Glutinous Rice Flour, Icing Sugar and Japanese Silken Tofu. Simply mix the ingredients together until it’s form a dough ball.
    *If the dough is too dry, you can add more tofu and if it’s too sticky to handle just add more Glutinous Rice Flour.
  2. Once the dough reach the right consistency, you can start to colouring them (for the extra flavor, instead of using food colouring I’m using Cocoa Powder for the brown colour).
    *You can create any design and colour you want, just take note that after boiling, the colour will be darker than before, so be mindfull with the colour.
  3. Take about 20-25 grams of dough and roll it into a ball shape (for Teddy Bear, Lucky Cat and Panda head).
    Place EACH head onto a small piece of Greaseproof Paper, then add the details as shown in the video.
  4. To cook Dangos
    After finish with all the design, bring a small pot of water to a boil, then lower the heat to a simmer.
    Carefully lift the Greaseproof Paper; place the dangos into the simmering water (you can cook a few of them at a time). Remove the floating Greaseproof Paper.
  5. When Dangos start to float, that means they are ready to be picked up! (it will takes for about 3-5 minutes).
    Scoop them out and place it into a bowl of ice water so they don’t stick together.
  6. After cooling down a bit, take out the Dangos from the ice water, then simply stick the Dango into a skewer. Make sure that you stick it right in the middle of the head

🍡 Mitarashi Sauce
Put all the mitarashi ingredients in a saucepan, then set on a medium heat and bring it to a boil; Keep stiring until the sauce has thickened.
Pour it onto the Dangos and serve.

NOTES

  1. Dango comes with many different varieties, so they are usually named after the various seasonings served on or with it.
  2. In Japan, this Dango is easily found in markets or convenience stores and I think you also might find it at Japan store in your country.
  3. Some people use water to make these, but I’m prefer to use Tofu for a hint of extra flavor and it will give the Dangos a light and fluffy texture.
  4. It’s best to serve it hot, coz the colder it gets, the chewier it will become.
  5. Put the Dango in an airtight container and keep at room temperature up to 2 days.
    If you live in hot place, I recommend to put them in an airtight container or a ziplock bag and store them in the refrigerartor.
    If you can’t eat them after a day or 2, you might try freezing them (you can keep them for about a month in a freezer).
    When you want to eat them, It is the best to thaw them naturally at room temperature (this takes about 30-60 minutes) or you can Microwave it.
  6. As for the uncooked Dango, although you can freeze them in ziplock bag for up to 3 months, these method will dry them out and they cracked slightly around the edges.
    They did cook as per normal once they were dropped into the boiling water, but the cracked edges are not as perfect as you’ll like them to be, so better not freeze them too long.

Posted on by Bembum Kitchen

Easy (NO BAKE) Kero Keroppi Cake Pops

Hi Everyone, today we are making these cute “Kero Keroppi Cake Pops”.  They look so adorable that I just couldn’t help myself.

I love all Sanrio Character so much when I was a child, I felt like a little kid again making these 😚

These super easy recipe is a NO bake version Cake Pops, the texture is fluffy and moist and it wasn’t messy and no time consuming.

You’ll need a Food Processor or rolling pin to crumble up the cookies. It’ll be like playing with mud, but it’s really fun, trust me

🤤 looks good !!

They already look cute and adorable and also the Chocolate Rum Truffles are so tasty! You might not be able to resist popping one in your mouth.

If you try this recipe, please let me know! Leave a comment and tag a photo #bembumkitchen on Instagram so I can see it.

I always love to see what you Guys come up with 🤗
Happy Baking!

watch how to make kero keroppi cake pops


NO BAKE KERO KEROPPI CAKE POPS
Yield: 7 pieces
Active time: 1 1/2 hour
Total time: 2 hours

🍡 INGREDIENTS
360 grams Digestive Biscuits
2 tablespoons Cocoa Powder
50 grams Unsalted Butter
200 grams Condensed Milk
2 tablespoons Rum Liqueur
7 pieces Ice Cream Cones
300 grams white Candy Melts
2 teaspoons Matcha Powder
Fondant (Black, Soft Pink, Red, White)
Black Colour Edible pen

🍡 INSTRUCTIONS

  1. Put Digestive Biscuits in a plastic bag (or use a Food Processor) and bash with a rolling pin until you have a nice fine crumbs.
  2. Heat the Butter and Condensed Milk.
    Put the Butter and Condensed Milk in a pan over a low heat, stir constantly until the Butter melted.
    Allow to cool slightly, then pour in to the Biscuit Crumbs, mix well (the texture will be like a cookie dough-not too wet not too crumbly, just right).
  3. Before start rolling out the cake pop balls, cut down the Ice Cream Cones (about 2 cm), so that you know what size to roll them out to.
    Just really carefull with these or they may crack, making just a bit by bit to cut it through.
  4. Don’t waste up the cone crumbs, throw these into the Food Processor, add Colourful Chocolate Rice and fill into the cone for a little surprise (like Pinata).
  5. To roll these up; for the head take about 60 grams of Cookie Dough, squeeze that together so you don’t have any air pockets in your cake ball and then roll out between your hands really lightly (you don’t really want to be applying any pressure here, just enough to form it into a ball).
    **Now double check that It’s the right size for your cone.
    And for the eyes; take 10 grams of the dough for each eye, and roll it the same way (note that you need to make 7 heads and 14 eyes).
  6. Just go ahead and roll off the rest of your cake pop balls.
    Once it’s done, pop them into the fridge for about 10 minutes so they can firm up.
  7. In the meantime, melt the white Candy Melts, then add in the Matcha Powder. Mix well.
  8. To start assembling
    Grab one Ice Cream Cone; dip the “head” Cookie Dough in a little bit of Candy Melts, then press it on the Ice Cream Cone.
    Then for the eyes, dip each eye into a Candy Melts and stick it to the head and set aside.
    Continue cranking out the rest of these, then pop them again into the fridge for another 10 minutes (it’s really a great way to use something to hold these while they are drying).
  9. After 10 minutes
    Grab the assembled Ice Cream Cone Cake Pop and dunk it right into the melted Candy Melts; Tap your wrist to get off any excess Candy Melts;
    Set aside and then do the second time dip for more smooth finished.
  10. Once you have them all dipped, add on the details (as shown in the video)
    I’m using some Fondant for these and I’m just sticking it on with a bit of water.


NOTES

  1. You can use White Chocolate instead of Candy Melts (Wilton brand), but I does have some candy melts tips here and that is my major tip when it comes to cake pops.
    Candy melts so much better that White Chocolate in my opinion, it has the perfect consistency and set to a smooth hard finish,they also has a lot of colour variation so you don’t need to color it by yourself.
    If your Candy Melts is too thick, just add a bit of shortening or EZ Thin (Wilton Brand).
    ***Check out on my “Pikachu Donuts” video for more info about Candy Melts: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BMS2VKqsrGo&t=12s
  2. You can substitute Digestives Biscuits with any plain biscuits you want.
    Some people use biscuits with fillings type (like Oreo) to make these.
    I found that it’s too oily and also the fillings inside Oreos will add more sweetness to the final result so I’m personally not recommend these type of biscuits.
  3. It will be great if you have green colour Candy Melts or you can use green Candy Colouring
    I don’t have any of that, so I just add some Matcha Powder.

Posted on by Bembum Kitchen

Chocolate Tiramisu in A Cup

Hi Everyone, today we are making these yummy “Chocolate Tiramisu in A Cup”.  Tiramisu is one of my absolute favorite desserts 😛  It is even simple to make, you just need a little time.

Ladyfinger Cookies

Traditional Tiramisu is made with Espresso and Rum soaked Ladyfingers. The version below has subbed in hot Cocoa and Rum for the Espresso and Rum.

Creamy Custard Layers

And since I know many people are nervous about eating raw eggs, I went with the cooking-the-eggs method. This makes a bit more dense than authentic Tiramisu since the creamy layers is like a custard.

I can honestly say this is the perfect tiramisu that I’ve ever tasted! And I hope you can love it as much as I do! Enjoy Guys! 😉

CHOCOLATE TIRAMISU IN A CUP
Yield: 5 cups (8 Oz)
Active time: 1 hour
Total time: 5 hours

INGREDIENTS

  • 360 grams Hot water
  • 3 tablespoons Cocoa powder
  • 2 tablespoons Rum liqueur
  • 1 teaspoon Vanilla extract
  • 4 Egg yolks
  • 100 grams Granulated sugar
  • 1/8 teaspoon Salt
  • 60 grams Whipping cream
  • 230 grams Cream Cheese
  • 120 grams Whipping cream
  • 20-30 pieces Lady fingers
  • Cocoa Powder (for sprinkle)

INSTRUCTIONS
Cocoa Mixture:
In a large bowl, mix cocoa powder and the hot water, mix well. Allow the hot cocoa to cool until lukewarm, then add the Rhum and Vanilla extract. Set aside. Note: Due to the high cocoa to water ratio, whisk the cocoa mixture frequently to keep the cocoa suspended.

Cream Cheese Custard Mixture:

  1. In a medium heat proof bowl beat the egg yolks until just combined. Add in the sugar and salt, beat at medium speed until pale yellow for about 2 minutes. Pour in the 60 grams of whipped cream, mix well. After well combined, set the bowl over saucepan of water that has come to a simmer. Cook these mixture, stirring constantly and scraping along the bottom and sides of the bowl until the eggyolk mixture coats the back of the spoon (it will take for about 4-7 minutes). Take it off from the heat, set aside to cool completely.
  2. As soon as it cool completely, gently pour in the cream cheese and beat at medium speed until no lumps remain. Set aside.
  3. In a medium bowl beat the 120 grams heavy whipping cream at medium-high speed until stiff peaks form.
  4. Using a rubber spatula, fold 1/3 of the stiff whipped cream into the cream cheese mixture. Then gently fold in the remaining whipped cream until no white streaks remain. Set the mixture aside.

ASSEMBLY

  1. Give the hot cocoa mixture a good whisk to combine. Dip 1 ladyfinger into the cocoa mixture at a time, allowing it to soak up the hot cocoa for about 1-2 seconds per side. Transfer each ladyfinger immediately to a cup. Lay the cookies side-by-side to create one even layer (you may have to trim/break the soaked cookies to fit the dish).
    After finishing the first layer of the cookies, spread about 3 tablespoons of the cream cheese mixture evenly over the ladyfingers.
    Then using a small fine-mesh strainer, sprinkle a generous amount of cocoa powder over the cream cheese layer.
  2. Repeat these process, creating 2 more layer of ladyfinger over the cream cheese cocoa layer. After finished with all the layers, spread evenly with the remaining cream cheese mixture. And finally dust the top with more cocoa powder.

NOTES

  1. These Tiramisu need to refrigerate it for at least 4 hours to chill and set, they taste even better if you can made it 1 day in advance.
  2. Store the Tiramsu in an airtight container, it will keep for up to 4 days in the refrigerator.
  3. It also will stay fresh frozen for 3 months.
    To freeze the Tiramisu; you can wrap it with two layers of cling wrap (make sure that it is an airtight), either by individual slices (if you are not planning to eat everything right away) or as a whole if you are sure that you can consume everything once thawed, cover the wrapped Tiramisu with an alumunium foil, then freeze.
  4. To thaw the frozen Tiramisu; simply put it in the refrigerator overnight and it’s ready to enjoy.

Posted on by Bembum Kitchen

Kanahei Usagi Steamed Buns

Hi Everyone, today we are making these cute “Homemade Kanahei Usagi Steamed Bun”. 
Too cute to eat? But again there’s no such things as too cute to eat at Our Kitchen 😛

These soft fluffy steamed buns are just basic lightly steamed buns with a yummy milky filling. They are so fun to make though. 
Making them is as fun as eating them. Opening the lid of the steamer to reveal all these cute rabbits and chicks inside just melts my heart 🙂

These cute character buns aren’t super hard to make, especially if you have already made steamed Chinese buns before.

I made them with these soft and creamy milky filling, but you can certainly stuff them with other sweet fillings such as red bean paste or lotus seed paste or custard or even any savory stuffing.

Feel free to get creative with the character. I went with Kanahei Usagi as my favorite character but I’d love to see what other character you guys can come up with :). Enjoy Guys!

KANAHEI USAGI STEAMED BUN
Yield: 10 pieces
Active time: 2 1/2 hours
Total time: 3 hours

INGREDIENTS
Milky Filling:

  • 38 grams All-purpose flour
  • 30 grams Milk powder
  • 90 grams Granulated sugar
  • 190 grams Milk
  • 15 grams Condensed milk
  • 15 grams Unsalted butter
  • 1/2 teaspoon Vanilla extract (optional)

Bun Dough:

  • 1 tablespoon Warm water
  • 1/2 + 1/4 teaspoon Active dry yeast
  • 250 grams All-purpose flour
  • 75 grams Glutinous rice flour
  • 50 grams Granulated sugar (spare 1 tablespoon to activate the yeast)
  • 1 teaspoon Baking powder
  • 150 grams Milk
  • 1 tablespoon Heavy cream
  • 1 Egg white
  • Food Colouring (Red, Black, Yellow)

INSTRUCTIONS
Milky Filling:

  1. In a large heavy saucepan combine all purpose flour, milk powder, granulated sugar, milk and condensed milk. Mix well.
  2. Then add in the unsalted butter, cook over medium-low heat, stirring constantly until the mixture thickens and comes to a boil.
  3. Add in vanilla extract, mix well. Set aside and let it cool completey.

Buns Dough:

  1. To activate the dried yeast; Pour warm water into a small bowl, add a tablespoon of sugar then add in the yeast. Stir until the yeast completely dissolved, let the mixture stand for a while until yeast begins to foam vigorously  for about 5 – 10 minutes.
  2. In a large mixing bowl, mix the all purpose flour, glutinous flour, the rest sugar and baking powder. Mix until well combined.
  3. Stir in milk, heavy cream, egg white and the activated yeast mixture to the dry ingredients. Stir until the dry and wet ingredients incorporated and then start to knead it.
  4. Knead the dough manually by hand until it’s form a smooth dough ball for about 20 minutes. You can use your bread maker or stand mixer to make this (if using machine, this process will takes for about 10 minutes).
    Note: Sometimes different brand flour can have different moisture level. So if it’s to dry, you can just add a tablespoon of milk or heavy cream and if it’s too wet, just add a bit of flour.
  5. Divide the dough by 2 equal part. Colour the one part dough soft pink. Spare a bit of white dough. Colour it dark pink, black and yellow for the details.
  6. Cover and Let the dough rest for about 10-15 minutes (to relax the gluten).
  7. After the dough has been rested, divide the white and soft pink dough for about 45 grams each (this recipe can produce 5 steamed buns for each characters, so total will be 10 pieces).
    *** Please remember always cover the rest dough with plastic wrap, because the dough tend to gets dry if you leave them uncovered.
  8. Roll each pieces dough round. Hold and roll the dough with our hands in “C” shape give a little pressure on it until create a smooth ball, set aside.
  9. Create the Head: Take a dough ball, press it out from edge to center, rotate, and repeat until it forms a 3-inches circle. The center should be slightly thicker than the edges. 
  10. Add about 25 grams of filling to the center, and then fold and twist the bun repeatedly until the top is closed.
    After closing, if you want the buns round and plump using your palms press inward, then raise it up a bit (that will make it stay up after fermentation and they will become more round after steaming).
  11. After rolling put the dough onto a piece of steam paper. Don’t forget to cover them with a plastic wrap to prevent them getting dry after shaping.
  12. Add the buns details: eyes, nose, mouth and blush (as shown in the video).
  13. For the fermentation: After all the details is done, let the buns sit in a warm place (covered with plastic wrap) for about 1 hour.
    Note: This step is very important, because if the ferment is not enough, the buns texture will be hard after steaming and when the ferment is overtime, the skin will be not smooth or bright.
  14. If the volume is double in size and if pressing hard on the sides it’s sink, that’s means the fermentation is completed and we can get ready to steam them.
  15. Preheat the steamer on medium high heat (about 3 cm of water level is enough). Wrap the lid with some cloth to prevent the water condensation from steam drops to the buns.
  16. Put the buns in the steamer, steam for about 8 minutes. Remember to keep a distance from each other, don’t make the steam paper overlap too much or they will stick together after fermentation and steaming.
    Note: if your steamer is not big enough, you can steam half of them first and then continue with the other batch.
  17. Don’t take off the lip immediately after turning off the heat. Let it sit for about 3 minutes, then open the lid (don’t make the buns stay in the steamer too long, they will get sticky and wet)
  18. Cool the bun completely on the cooling rack.

NOTES

  1. Fermentation time is depends on room temperature, if the weather is hot it can ferment more quickly than when it’s cold.
  2. There are two ways to decide whether it’s finished or not by hand touching and volume. If the volume is double in size and if pressing hard on the sides it’s sink, that’s means the fermentation is completed and we can get ready to steam them.
  3. If you cant finish them all, you can store them for 3 days in the refrigerator and 1 month in the freezer. Store them in the sealed bag or a plastic container to prevent the buns dry.
  4. To reheat the buns: Place them in your microwave safe plate (30 seconds) or in the steamer (20 minutes) and heat them.