Posted on by Bembum Kitchen

Peppermint Hot Chocolate Drink Fruit Cake

Hey Guys, happy early holiday season to you all!
As the end of the year mean a lot of parties and food; and one of my favorite Christmas dessert is traditional fruit cake with loads of dark rum.
A festive, flavorful, and moist fruit cake to enjoy all holiday season. 

Bland and Boring Style Fruit Cake 🙁

Sometimes I have no time left to marinated the dried fruit and I felt the appearance of the fruit cake can get a little bland and boring, anyway… I still want to eat fruit cake.

So I was thinking why not we try something that’s a little different? It’s gonna be a “Quick Fruit Rum Cake”, decorate as a Peppermint Hot Chocolate Drink! How cool is that?

No Cooked Homemade Egg-Free Marzipan

And to decorate the cake, of course marzipan is the best and traditionally has been used to cover fruit cakes with it.

You could use ready made marzipan, I personally love to make my own “No Cooked Homemade Egg-free Marzipan” which is very simple and easy. It only takes 10 mins and needs no special skills or equipment to make it.

Sifted Almond Flour and Icing Sugar

So… you will need to sift the almond flour and icing sugar.
It will be easier if you have food processor on hand, you can just pulse them until smooth, coz how smooth you grind the almond will determine the texture of your marzipan.

I don’t have one, so… I just do it manually by hand, try not to do it all at once, sift it gradually.
It will be a bit time consuming, just keep smiling and be patient.

My Sweet Little Gingerbread Man

And the most fun part, by using marzipan you can create customize decorations for your Hot Choco Mug.
I really fall in love with this cute little Gingerbread man cake topper, it’s perfect for my Christmas Cakes.

Look how cute he is!

The liquor will make the fruitcake more moist, and will help it last longer.
Well, traditionally one of the most important function of fruitcake is for storage. It could be stored for weeks, sometimes half year, if stored properly.
But in this recipe, it tastes the best when it’s fresh in my opinion.

Beautiful Golden Colour, Loads of Rum and Moist Cake

Unlike the other brownish fruitcake, this one has a beautiful golden color. The Marzipan is so soft not too sweet. A thin slice of this cake is a wonderful treatment with a cup of black coffee or tea.

I hope you Guys give this recipe a try and have a wonderful Christmas & Happy New Year!
Love you all…

PEPPERMINT HOT CHOCOLATE DRINK FRUIT CAKE
Yield: Five Pieces (Upper diameter: 6.8 cm, Bottom diameter: 6 cm, Height: 5 cm) cupcakes liners
Active time:  2 hour
Total time: 3 hour

INGREDIENTS
Marzipan:

  • 300 grams Almond Flour
  • 775 grams Icing Sugar
  • 2 1/2 tablespoons Corn Syrup
  • 1 teaspoon Almond/ Rose/ Vanilla Extract (or any favourite extract)
  • 2-5 tablespoons Water


Fruit Rum Cake:

  • 100-120 grams Dried Fruit (cut into small pieces)
  • 80 grams Dark Rum
  • 40 grams Orange Marmalade
  • 130 grams Cake Flour
  • 2/3 teaspoon Baking Powder
  • 100 grams Salted Butter
  • 50 grams Brown Sugar
  • 50 grams Granulated Sugar
  • 2 Eggs

Soaking:
30 grams Dark Rum, 1 tablespoon Orange Marmalade

Decorating:
Candy Canes, Mini Marshmallow, Food Colouring (red, black, green, pink)


INSTRUCTIONS

Marzipan

  1. In a large bowl, sift together the almond flour and the icing sugar.
    If you have food processor on hand, you can just pulse them until smooth, coz how smooth you grind the almond will determine the texture of your marzipan.
  2. Pour in the corn syrup and mix.
    Add in the water and almond extract, mix well (the mixture started grainy).
  3. Using hand, bring it all together into a ball (you can add one or two teaspoons of water if necessary if you feel the dough too dry). Lightly knead on a work surface until you have a smooth ball.
    Please note, try not to ever kneading, coz it will cause the almonds to give out oil and that can make the marzipan too oily.
  4. Place it in a plastic wrap and store them in the fridge for at least 1 hour before using. Colour as needed.

Soaking
Mix marmalade with dark rum, strained the mixture.

Fruit Rum Cake

  1. Mix dried fruit and dark rum, let it soak for at least 1 hour. Add in marmalade and fold to combine.
  2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour and baking powder, set aside.
  3. In another large bowl, combine the butter and both kinds of sugar, beat until fluffy. Pour in the eggs and mix until well combined.
    Add half of the flour mixture and mix. Pour the soaked dried fruit rum mixture that has been mixed with marmalade and fold to combine. Pour the rest of the flour mixture to the bowl and mix until well combined.
  4. Pour the batter into the prepared cupcake liners about ¾ full and bake them in the preheated 180°C for about 30-35 minutes of until toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
  5. Once they come out from the oven, brush the with generous amount of soaking mixture and let them cool completely on the cooling rack.


Decorating

  1. Trim the top of the cupcake so it have an even flat top.
    Sprinkle some icing sugar so the marzipan won’t stick to the work surface. Roll some red marzipan about 3 mm thick for the base of the mug cake, using some marmalade jam as a glue.
  2. For the sides; prepare a piece of greaseproof paper as a marzipan templates so we know how long and how much marzipan should we roll for the sides of the mug cake.
    Roll the marzipan about 5 mm thick according to the template, stick onto the cake with some marmalade jam. Cut off the excess.
  3. Using fondant smoother, press the marzipan onto the sides of the mug cake to make sure that it stick well to the cake surface
  4. Using knife tool, tuck the marzipan under a cake so it completely seal.
  5. For the decorations; add some ribbon and tiny hearts around the cake. Stick all mug details and handle with some marmalade. 
  6. Insert a stick of candy cane to the mug, add some mini marshmallow and tiny gingerbread man 


NOTES

  1. You can use your favorite dried fruits such as raisins, figs, prunes,cherries, apricots, or maybe peaches.
  2. If you don’t like dark rum, feel free to use other liquor.
  3. To colour the marzipan, you can use any food colouring, water based, gel, powder. 
  4. I highly recommend to use concentrated food colouring, specially for a deep colour (so you can add less and still get a deep colour).
    Food coloring can throw off the consistency of your marzipan, especially if you have to add a ton to achive the color you’re after.
  5. To store marzipan; wrapped well in an airtight container or it can dry out easily. I suggest to store your Marzipan in the fridge (1 month) or freezer (up to 6 months), when you are ready to use take it out from the fridge or freezer then lightly knead to make it pliable again.
  6. To store fruit cake; In an airtight container for about 3 days at room temperature, 1 month in the fridge and 3 month in the freezer.
Posted on by Bembum Kitchen

Black Forest Cake

Hi Guys, there’s something about Christmas that makes everything a bit more magical, even the dessert. I grew up making treats to share with the entire family and I love baking so much.

And for this special day, I’m gonna share with you my signature “Christmas Blackforest Cake”. The perfect dessert for Christmas dinner that my whole family will love.

This is the first cake that I’ve learned to made when I was 13 years old. I was so happy and proud of myself at that time because everyone (specially my Mom) said that the cake was delicious.
Sometimes I think they gave me compliment just to make me feel good, they don’t want me to be disappointed.

But as I got older, I just realized that what they said was true.

Dark Sweet Cherry Filling

This Blackforest Cake combines a very soft chocolately chocolate sponge cake, layered with a rich dark cherry fillings, covered with fluffy frostings and sprinkle with a generous amount of dark chocolate shavings.

What make it special from other Blackforest Cake is the rich dark sweet cherry filling, which people usually use only whipped ceam.

And because it has always been very difficult to get Kirsch in my country (Kirsch is a traditional cherry liquor for Blackforest Cake), I always substitute it with my favourite Dark Rum for the wonderful aroma.

You can use Vodka, wine or Brandy if you want or just leave this out if you’d like to keep it kid-friendly.

Look how soft and chocolately this chocolate sponge cake!

The cake so soft, melts in your mouth, full of that rum flavour cherries filling, and the fluffy light frosting and dark chocolate shaves, really create a decadent, rich!

Light, fluffy, not too sweet frosting

Black Forest Cake was a staple when I was growing up. It’s a light and perfectly sweet German dessert that is easy to make and a chocolate-lover’s dream!

I created this special frosting recipe, coz I don’t like to use whipped cream for covering the cake which is melts easily.

And of course it’s not complete without some fresh cherries, sift some icing sugar for the snow effect, and I would like to add silver sugar pearls for a sweet touch.
Feel free to add other decoration as desire.

The frosting won’t melt , so you we don’t need to worry too much 🙂

Isn’t this cake look tempting? It’s ready to serve or you can pop it into the fridge to hang out for a while.

Look at the inside, that delicious chocolately sponge cake!
And the thick rich dark sweet cherry filling in between

I’m so ready for a Christmas celebration, they are also perfect with your favorite tea or coffee.

I now you can’t resist it!

No one thought we would be celebrating Christmas in the midst of a pandemic, yet here we are. But we are still grateful for everything we have and always hope for the best.
May your Christmas be a merry one! Stay safe!! Love you All…


BLACKFOREST CAKE
Yield: One 8-inch Round Pan
Active time: 1 hour
Total time: 3 hour

INGREDIENTS
Chocolate Sponge Cake:

  • 100 grams Cake Flour
  • 25 grams Cocoa Powder
  • 65 grams Granulated Sugar
  • 50 grams Vegetable Oil
  • 65 grams Milk
  • 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
  • A Pinch of Salt
  • 85 grams Egg Yolks
  • 165 grams Egg Whites
  • 1 teaspoon Lemon Juice/ Vinegar
  • 65 grams Granulated Sugar

Cherry Filling:

  • 1 can (16 Ounces) Dark Sweet Cherries
  • 80 grams Granulated Sugar
  • 30 grams Corn Flour
  • 3 tablespoons Dark Rum/ Kirsch

Frosting:

  • 225 grams Shortening
  • 40 grams Unsalted Butter
  • 190 grams Icing Sugar
  • 2 tablespoons Dark Rum/ Kirsch
  • A Pinch of Salt
  • 60 grams Whipped Cream


INSTRUCTIONS
Prepare the panFor the water bath; Line the inside bottom part of 8-inch round pan with parchment paper and wrap the outside bottom part of the pan with aluminium foil.
Place the wrapped pan on bigger baking pan, set aside.


Chocolate Sponge Cake

  1. Preheat the oven to 150°C.
  2. In a large bowl, sift the flour and cocoa powder, set aside.
    In a medium bowl, combine the sugar, vegetable oil, milk, vanilla, salt and egg yolks, mix well. Pour the egg yolks mixture into the flour mixture and mix until no lumps remain.
  3. In another large bowl, whip egg whites and lemon juice until a bit foamy. Add the sugar gradually, continue mixing until reach a stiff peak.
  4. Very gently fold the egg whites into the egg yolks batter in three batches (don’t mix it together all at once, to prevent the egg foam deflate).
    Using spatula, mix gently just until all incorporated, make sure there’s no egg yolks batter left on the bottom of the bowl.
  5. Pour the mixture into the baking pan, tap the pan a few times to get rid off air bubbles.
    And for the water bath; pour about ½-inch hot water onto the bigger pan.
    Place both pans on the bottom rack of the oven and bake it for about 85 minutes.
  6. Once it come out from the oven, take it out immediately from the water bath. Tap the pan a few times so it won’t shrink too much, remove the cake from the pan and let it cool on a cooling rack.


Cherry Filling

  1. Strain the cherries and place the syrup to a medium sauce pan.
  2. Soak the cherries with generous amount of dark rum for about 1 hour (you can leave this out if you’d like to keep it kid-friendly).
  3. To make the cherry filling; Combine the reserve cherry syrup with sugar and corn flour (strain to make sure there’s no any lumps) pour it back to the pan.
    Cook over medium low heat, keep stirring until it boil becomes transparant and thickened. Remove it from the heat, add in rum, mix well
  4. Drain the soaked cherries and combine with the cherry filling.


Frosting

  1. In a large bowl combine the shortening and unsalted butter mix until soft and well combined.
  2. Add in the icing sugar, rum and salt, continue mixing until becomes light and fluffy.
  3. Pour in the whipped cream and mix until just combined.


Assembly

  1. Using a large serrated knife, divide the cake into 3 equal layers.
  2. Place the first cake layer on a cake plate, brush it with rum. Pipe a rim of frosting around the cake layer before adding the filling (this creates a nice barrier so the filling stays in place), spread half of the cherry filling within the frosting barrier.
    Place the second layer on top, repeat the step. Place your final cake layer bottom side up on top of the cake.
  3. Crumb coat your cake with a light coat of frosting (freezer for about 10 or 30 minutes in the fridge to set the crumb coat). Continue frost the cake with remaining frosting.
  4. Press generous amount of the chocolate shaves onto the cake, sprinkle some for the top
    (Tip: grate the chocolate 1 hour in advance and store them in the fridge so it’s easier to handle).
  5. Pipe frosting to make it pretty, place some fresh cherries. Sift some icing sugar on top of the cake. Add another decoration if desire.


NOTES

  1. Best serve on the day it’s made.
  2. Cover in an airtight container and store leftover cake in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
  3. I suggest to use 16 Oz S&W Dark Sweet Cherries brand for the best result coz it serve fresh cherries inside and better taste than any other brand.

Posted on by Bembum Kitchen

Molang & Piu Piu Jiggly Pudding

Hey Guys, today we are making these Molang and Piu Piu Jiggly Pudding. A light, smooth, firm-yet-soft milky pudding pairs with chocolately creamy chocolate custard.

Unmould Pudding

This type of puddings are quite soft.
So I suggest to prepare them 1 day in advance to make sure that they are firm enough before we unmold them.

Creamy Chocolate Custard

This supersilky and chocolately chocolate custard quick and easy to make, it’s creamy and delicious and is kid friendly.

Edible Chocolate Cup

And to make it more special, we will serve them in individual edible chocolate cup. I am using these 4 oz half-sphere silicone mould for the the cups and donut silicone mould for the cup saucers.

If you not keen to buy this kind of mould, kindly substitute them with silicone cupcakes liner or maybe other shape and you can simply pipe circle chocolate decorations on parchment paper to create the saucer.

To kind of fancy the cup up, I dip the rim of the chocolate cup into the melted chocolate and then dip that into the nonpareils. Isn’t that beautiful?

Chinese Tea Cup

And for the pudding moulds, I found that my pretty chinese tea cup and this super tiny measuring cup suits perfectly for this kind of project.

Super Tiny Measuring Cups

Look how small and adorable they are!! They are perfect coz they have a round bottom shape, quite similar to our lovely character’s head.

What I love about this pudding is that it’s not too sweet and it’s pretty light. There’s something so satisfying about spooning out that first bite.
It should keep it’s shape on your tongue and until you sink into it, it will dissolve into a velvety smooth melty bite.

It’s really an easy, simple, yet stunning dessert. You can make them ahead of time and serve on a dinner party.
I hope you give the a try and I’m sure that everybody will love them!

MOLANG & PIU PIU JIGGLY PUDDING
Yield: 2 portions
Active time:  1 hour
Total time: 8 hour

INGREDIENTS
Pudding:

  • 20 grams Cold Water
  • 4 grams Gelatine Powder
  • 20 grams Granulated Sugar
  • 115 grams Milk
  • 1/2 teaspoon Vanilla Extract (optional)

Chocolate Custard:

  • 20 grams Granulated Sugar
  • 2 teaspoons Cocoa Powder
  • 2 teaspoons Cornstarch
  • A pinch of salt
  • 12 grams Egg Yolks
  • 160 grams Milk
  • 1 teaspoon Unsalted Butter
  • 2/3 teaspoon Vanilla Extract/ Rhum


Decoration:

  • White Chocolate Compound
  • Dark Chocolate Compound
  • Food Colouring (Pink Rose, Yellow)


INSTRUCTIONS
Prepare the templates and moulds

  1. For Templates
    Print some templates for Molang and Piu Piu details. Stick some greaseproof paper on top of the templates, then apply some shortening to the greaseproof paper to prevent the chocolate stick to the paper surface.
  2. Pudding Mould
    Prepare pudding mould for Molang and Piu Piu that have a round bottom shape (quite similar to our lovely character’s head, for example chinese tea cup).
  3. Edible Cups and Saucers Mould
    You can use 4 oz half-sphere silicone mould or silicone cupcakes liner and maybe other shape for the the cups and donut silicone mould for the cup saucer (or manually make simple circle chocolate decorations on parchment paper for these saucer).


Pudding

  1. Bloom the gelatine with cold water and let it stand for about 3-5 minutes.
  2. In a medium sauce pan, mix the milk and sugar. Cook until the mixture simmering or reach about 60°C. 
  3. Mix in the bloomed gelatine into the milk, stir until well combine.
  4. Pour the white pudding mixture into Molang mould, colouring the rest with a bit of yellow food colouring for the Piu Piu, and then pour the yellow mixture into Piu Piu’s mould.
  5. Store them in the fridge for at least 6 hours (preferably over night).


Custard

  1. In a medium saucepan, mix the sugar, cocoa powder, corn flour and salt. Add in the egg yolks and mix until just combined.
  2. Gradually pour in the milk and whisk until no lumps remain.
  3. Cook the mixture over medium heat, keep stirring until it starts to boil and the mixture thickens. Take it off from the heat, add in the unsalted butter and rum or vanilla extract, mix well.
  4. Strain the custard to get rid of any lumps. 
  5. Let it cool about 5-10 minutes. Cover the surface with plastic wrap, pushing it directly on top of the mixture (make sure there are no air pockets, to prevent skin formation on top of custards). 
  6. Let it chill in the fridge for about 2 hours.


Character Details
Melt some white and dark chocolate compound, colouring as needed, pour each colour into a piping bag then trace characters details onto a parchment paper. Let them set hards in the fridge for about half hour.


Edible Chocolate Cups and Saucers
Cups; Pour melted rose pink colour chocolate compound fill up our moulds here, fill it right up to the top.  Flip it right over to make sure all the excess drips out, scrape the edge of any of that excess (we don’t want it to be a real jagged looking cup).
Repeated this 2 times, make sure you let these set in between each layer.
Saucer; Fill about half of the donut mould
*Store both cups and saucer for about 10 minutes in the fridge so they are completely solid and sets.


ASSEMBLY

  1. Unmould the Cups and Saucers
    Pull that silicone away from the chocolate, being very careful not to crack the chocolate.
    To fancy the cup; dipped the rim of the chocolate cup into the melted chocolate and then dip that into the nonpareils.Stick the cup onto the saucers with some melted chocolate.
  2. Crush some marie biscuit for layering in between the custard to add crunchiness and strengthen the base of the pudding so it won’t sink too much (can substitute with digestive or oreo).
  3. Pour about 2 tablespoons of chocolate custard into the edible cup, sprinkle about 1 tablespoon of crushed marie biscuits, spread another layer of custard evenly over the biscuits. 
  4. Slowly and carefully unmould Molang and Piu Piu pudding then place the pudding on top of the custard.
  5. Stick all the details.


NOTES

  1. Prepare the pudding 1 day in advance to make sure that they are firm enough before we unmold them.
  2. You can make the pudding and custard ahead of time (store them in the fridge for 2-3 days).
  3. You can use Candy Melts for Chocolate Compound.
  4. If you made edibles cups and saucers in advance, I suggest to store them at room temperature in an airtight container, so there is no moisture when served.
  5. For the presentation purpose; I recommend to assembly these dessert directly before serving to make sure that the biscuits don’t get mushy so the pudding doesn’t sink into the custard.

Posted on by Bembum Kitchen

15 Minutes Quick and Foolproof Pizza Dough

Hey Guys, today we are making these “15 Minutes Quick and Foolproof Pizza dough” that rises quickly and makes incredible homemade pizza! It comes together in just minutes, you really doesn’t need a long rising time to make a fabulous pizza.

This pizza dough is fantastic with part whole wheat flour or all white flour, it also doubles, triples and even quadruples beautifully.

The dough is easy to work with and it’s a great last minute family dinner that you can prepare within 30 minutes from start to finish.

My favorite quick and easy toppings

There are also no rules about the kinds of toppings you put on your pizza. Choose ones you love. Don’t put yourself at risk of getting sick. When using toppings like sausage, chicken, steak, mushrooms or bacon, always cook them before preparing your pizza.
Keep in mind that more toppings generally mean more cook time.

It’s crispy around the edges, it’s soft and folds perfectly and of course the caramelized cheese and pepperoni even makes it more delicious!

Beautiful golden crust that’s super crispy around the edges and not soggy at the bottom, just nice!

Smells like heaven! It’s salty, spicy, crunchy…a bit sweet, It’s really good!!
I hope that you will enjoy the recipe!

15 MINUTES QUICK FOOLPROOF PIZZA DOUGH
Yield: 1 Regular Pizza
Active time: 15 Minutes
Total time: 30 Minutes

INGREDIENTS
Pizza Dough:

  • 120 grams Warm Water
  • 1/2 tablespoon Granulated Sugar
  • 1/2 tablespoon Vegetable Oil
  • 1/2 tablespoon Instant Yeast
  • 195 grams All-Purpose Flour
  • 1/2 teaspoon Salt

Sauce & Toppings:

  • Tomato Ketchup
  • Mozzarella Cheese
  • Salami(Pepperoni)
  • Parsley Flakes

Condiment: Cheddar Cheese and Chili Flakes Chili Sauce

INSTRUCTIONS
Prepare the Oven and Pan
Crank your oven up as high as it goes.
The closer you can get to 260°C, the better.
Flip a rimmed baking sheet upside down, place it in the oven and preheat it for about 30 minutes before baking.

Pizza Dough:

  1. Mix the water, sugar, oil and the yeast. Add the flour and mix until just combined, pour in salt and stir until a soft dough forms. The exact flour amount will vary, the dough should be soft and smooth, not leaving a residue on your fingers but not super stiff either. Not too sticky and definitely not overfloured.
  2. Pour the dough onto a work surface, knead it for about 5 minutes, then shape it into a ball. Place the dough in a greased bowl, cover it with a plastic wrap and let it rest for about 10 minutes to relax the gluten.
  3. Shape the dough into pizza Roll the dough onto a piece of parchment paper (you can stretch the dough with your hands, your fingers and kind of spread it or even use a rolling pin). If you want it a little bit thinner, feel free to roll it out more.
  4. Pizza toppings Spread 3-4 tablespoons of red sauce (no-cook blender sauce), Tomato Ketchup is the best option. Pesto or rich Ricotta are wonderful substitutes as well. Sprinkle generously amount of grated mozzarella all the way around, place pepperoni on top (make sure everyone gets one per bite), then sprinkle with some more mozzarella and parsley flakes.
  5. To Bake Place the pizza onto the middle of the hot baking sheet, bake for about 10-15 minutes until the cheese is a nice dark deep brown and the crust is like a golden brown as well.
  6. Take it off from the heat, serve immediately or transfer it to a cooling rack so the bottom not become soggy.

NOTES

  1. Do not add salt directly to the yeast because it will kill the yeast.
  2. I always use 1/2 or up to 3/4 whole wheat flour with good results (I let it knead for a few minutes longer).
  3. This recipe doubles, triples and quadruples really well. Keep an eye on the flour if increasing the recipe. You want a soft, smooth dough – not too sticky and definitely not overfloured.
  4. Don’t put yourself at risk of getting sick. When using toppings like sausage, mincemeat, chicken, steak, or bacon, mushrooms always cook them before preparing your pizza.
    Keep in mind that more toppings generally mean more cook time.
  5. To store; place the pizza in an airtight container, fridge for 3-5 days, freezer for up to 6 months.
  6. To reheat; in the preheated 180° C oven for 10 minutes, microwave for 30 seconds to 1 minutes.

Posted on by Bembum Kitchen

Perfect Fluffy Pancakes | With Homemade Maple Syrup

SIMPLE. EASY. QUICK. FLUFFY. The Perfect Fluffy Pancakes recipe you will fall in love with!
I’ve tried so many recipes using milk or buttermilk but none of it as fluffy as this recipe. These homemade Greek Yogurt Pancake so delicious and incredibly quick to whip up.

Do not overmix the batter, a few small lumps is perfect!

It all starts with the batter! The key to light and fluffy pancakes is mixing just until combined, it’s important not to over mix.

Don’t use electric beaters or a mixer, just whisk it by hand until it’s generally smooth, but you still can see a few small lumps. That way you know you’ll have tender fluffy light pancakes.

Cook until small bubbles appear on the surface and the edges lose it’s shine

You can add some toppings to the batter directly before flipping; such as Blueberries, Chocolate chips, slices bananas, nuts anything you like . Just drop them on the top of the pancake, distribute them evenly.

When you can see small bubbles appear on the surface and the edges lose it’s shine, that way you know it’s cooking from underneath and they are ready to flip (it will takes for about 1-2 minutes).

Homemade Maple Syrup can be store 2 months in the fridge

I love to pair them with my Homemade Maple Syrup. This Maple Syrup is low budget, simple, easy to make and it taste like pure Maple Syrup, how cool is that?

If you don’t like to use my Canadian style Maple Syrup, feel free to serve them with your favorite Nutella, fruit jams, chocolate sauce, caramel syrup or maybe a bit savory like cheese if you want.

Look how fluffy those are!

I love everything about these pancakes, they turns out perfect every single time! An amazing fluffy and light texture, they make me hungry as soon as I see them.

They are so tender and warm.
If you are making these on the weekend and you have a few extra left, just keep them in the fridge.
When it comes to Monday morning when you are in a hurry, just take them out from the fridge, pop  in the microwave or toaster for a few seconds, and you have got a quick breakfast on the go!

Start your mornings with these perfect pancakes, I’m sure that you will love them!

PERFECT FLUFFY PANCAKES (WITH HOMEMADE MAPLE SYRUP)
Yield: 10-12 pieces
Active time: 1/2 hour
Total time: 1 hour

INGREDIENTS
Maple Syrup:

  • 160 grams Granulated Sugar
  • 20 grams Granulated Palm Sugar
  • 2 teaspoons Honey
  • 140 grams Water
  • 2 teaspoons Vanilla Extract
  • 1 teaspoons Maple Extract (optional)


Pancakes Batter:

  • 195 grams All-Purpose Flour
  • 1 tablespoon Granulated Sugar
  • 1/2 + 1/4 teaspoon Baking Powder
  • 1/4 + 1/8 teaspoon Baking Soda
  • 1/4 teaspoon Salt
  • 180 grams Plain Greek Yogurt
  • 180 grams Milk
  • 75 grams Whole Eggs
  • 3 tablespoons Vegetable Oil


INSTRUCTIONS
Maple Syrup

  1. In a medium saucepan, combine the granulated sugar, granulated palm sugar, honey and water.
  2. Bring the mixture to boil, then reduce the heat to low. Cover the pan and allow it to simmer for about 15 minutes.
  3. Take it off from the heat and let it cool for 20 minutes.
  4. Stir in the extracts, mix well.
  5. Let the syrup cool completely before pour them in a jar or containers. You can store them for up to 2 months in the fridge.


Pancakes Batter

  1. In a medium bowl whisk together all the wet ingredients; Greek Yogurt, milk, eggs and vegetable oil, set aside.
  2. In another large bowl combine all the dry ingredients; the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
  3. Pour the wet ingredients to the dry .
    The key to light and fluffy pancakes is mixing just until combined (don’t use electric beater or mixer, just whisk it by hand).
    Do not over mix, whisk until it’s generally smooth but you still can see a few small lumps.
  4. To cook
    On a medium heat, preheat a nonstick pan until a drop of water sizzles. Pour batter into rounds (about 3-4 tablespoons).
    Cook until small bubbles appear on the surface and the edges lose it’s shine (it will takes for about 1-2 minutes).
    *At this point you can add some toppings to the batter directly (blueberries, chocolate chips, slices bananas, nuts anything you like). Just drop them on the top of the pancake, distribute them evenly.
  5. Flip the pancakes and then cook for another minute or so until golden and cooked through. Repeat with remaining batter.

NOTES

  1. For the Pancake Batter;You can substitute the vegetable oil with melted unsalted butter, it will gives the pancakes a bit more flavor.
    Sour cream subs great for the greek yogurt, or you can use regular plain yogurt.
  2. Store leftover pancakes in an airtight container. They’ll be good in the refrigerator for 2-3 days, or you can freeze for up to 3 months.
  3. To reheat Pancakes
    Microwave: 20 seconds to 1 minute
    Oven: 10 minutes in the preheated 180°C
  4. Maple syrup can be store in the fridge for up to 2 months.

Posted on by Bembum Kitchen

3D Magical Carousel Cookies

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Hi Guys, today we are making something very special “a Magical Carousel Cookies”. This was replicated from my previous cake project that I have designed for my client a few years ago.

Original Cake Design

Instead of using cake as a base structure of the design, I’m gonna use sugar cookies for the construction.

Cut off every pieces according to the templates

Special Cut Method for the Unicorns (with bamboo skewers underneath)

When you had this kind of project, it is very important to start by designing the construction drawing in 2 dimension.

Edges are golden brown means the cookies is done

The main purpose of construction drawings is to provide a graphic presentation of what is to be built. It showing the relationship between the components and how they fit together.

Stacking and Sticking to Develop the Structure

Carousel Design Construction

This dazzling Vintage Carousel Cookies featuring whimsical Unicorns would make a spectacular gift.


If you are looking for some cookies design that will have a hint of playful and look strikingly attractive just opt for these lovely Carousel Cookies and you are good to go.

Using Embossing Cutter for the Design

This also make a really cool birthday, upcoming christmas or even a wedding present.

Gorgeous Unicorns

You can simplify the design or even change the colour to suit the theme of your party.
How about A Magical Carousel Cookies for a magical party?

Center Pole Design

Our Magical Carousel Cookies goes round and round it goes, it looks so beautiful and amazing!


If you keen to make these kind of project kindly find the completed design templates in the description below.


I hope that you will fall in love with this Magical  and Dreamy Carousel Cookies as much as I do. Take care Guys, Love you all!

Print the attached files below in a standard A4 paper and simply cut the design out

Print in A4 Paper- Cut out the Design

Print in A4 Paper- Cut out the Design

Print in A4 Paper- Cut out the Design

Print in A4 Paper- Cut out the Design

Guide for Grouping, Sticking and Colouring Each Group

List of Tools That I Used in Creating This Project
Scissors https://amzn.to/3CEmqk5
Rolling Pin & Cutting Tools https://amzn.to/3V8yH7g
Marzipan Spacers https://amzn.to/3eaqoaB
Round Plunger Cutter https://amzn.to/3e8fYsa
X-ACTO Knife https://amzn.to/3ehZVrw
Dual Sided Cookie Cutter Rectangle https://amzn.to/3V1N9yd
Scriber Needle https://amzn.to/3rBtQyc
Straight Frill Cutter https://amzn.to/3EirQSY
Strip Cutter https://amzn.to/3CCeyPV
Textured Lace Set https://amzn.to/3CcJapQ
Mini Heart Plunger https://amzn.to/3CaYjrO


3D MAGICAL CAROUSEL COOKIES
Yield: 1 Carousel (16 cm diameter, 24 cm height)
Active time: 3 hour
Total time: 5 hour

INGREDIENTS
Sugar Cookies:

  • 200 grams Unsalted Butter (soft)
  • 200 grams Granulated Sugar
  • 50 grams Whole Eggs
  • 400 grams All-Purpose Flour
  • 1 teaspoon Favorite Extract or Grated Zest (optional)


Marshmallow Fondant:

  • 150 grams Marshmallow
  • 2 tablespoons Water
  • 350-450 grams Icing Sugar
  • 35 grams Shortening
  • Food Colouring (Rose, Delphinium Blue, Turquoise)
  • Edible Pen (Black)


Royal Icing:

  • 15 grams Egg Whites
  • 100 grams Icing Sugar
  • 1/6 teaspoon Cream of Tartar 
  • 1/3 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
  • 1-2 teaspoons Water

Sugar Syrup: 50 grams Granulated Sugar, 50 grams Water

Assembly: Paper Straws, Bamboo Skewers, Small Brush, Gold Luster Dust, Embossing Cutter, Silver sugar pearls sprinkles

INSTRUCTIONS
Design Structure and Templates
Print Side View Design Structure and cookie templates on standard A4 paper, then simply cut all the design out

Sugar Cookies

  1. In a large bowl mix the butter, sugar and favorite extract or zest until well combined and just becoming creamy in texture.
    Do not overwork, or the cookies will spread during baking.
  2. Slowly beat in the eggs until well combined.
  3. Add in the flour and mix until it creates a dough ball.
  4. Gather it into a flat disk, wrap it in a plastic wrap and chill it in the fridge for at least 1 hour.
  5. Trace and Cut
    Prepare marzipan spacers for an even thickness (you can use wooden chopstick if you don’t have it on hand), rolling pin, knife, cut off templates and some greaseproof paper for the base of the cookies.

    Place the chilling dough on a floured surface and knead it briefly so it’s pliable.
    Place the dough on top of a greaseproof paper, using marzipan spacers on both sides and another greaseproof paper on top, roll it out into an even thickness.

    Trace and cut out the shapes according to the templates (to maintain each shapes make sure that every pieces cut on top on their own greaseproof paper that will be bake later).
  6. Lay cut out pieces on a baking tray. Please note, always bake equally sized cookies 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.
  7. Chill the cut out cookies in the fridge for about 30 minutes before baking to maintain it’s shapes, and then bake them for about 8–15 minutes, depending on size, until golden brown around the edges. 
  8. Take it off from the heat, wait for 5 minutes then transfer them to a cooling rack to cool completely.

Marshmallow Fondant

  1. Pour marshmallows into a microwave-safe bowl or in a double boiler (you might want to grease the bowl and spatula with a bit of shortening before mixing, to prevent stickiness).
    Add about 2 tablespoons of water and microwave it in 30 seconds intervals, stirring in between, until the marshmallows completely melted.
  2. Add in ¾ of the icing sugar and mix (you can add any flavouring you want).
    After the fondant begins comes together, grease hands and table work generously with shortening, and then turn marshmallow mixture onto the table work.

    Add some more left over icing sugar, and continue kneading until it’s form a firm nice and smooth elastic ball (you might need less or more icing sugar).

    If it’s a bit dry, add 1 teaspoon of water at a time and if it’s too wet, add a bit more icing sugar. Knead until it feels soft and pliable.
  3. Once it’s done, grease the outside of the fondant with shortening to prevent dryness and then store them in a ziplock bag to keep it moist.

Simple Syrup
Over medium heat, bring equal amount of sugar and water to a boil, turn the heat to low, stir constantly until the sugar dissolves and the mixture is clear and thickened.
Take it off from the heat, pour into a clean glass jar and let it cool completely.

Royal Icing
In a medium bowl, combine egg whites, Cream of Tartar, icing sugar, and Vanilla Extract.
Beat on high speed for 5 to 10 min or until very stiff (feel free to add 1 or 2 teaspoons of water as needed if you fill it’s to thick).
Covering icing in bowl at all times with a plastic wrap to prevent from drying.


Assembly

  1. Group, stick (use royal icing as a glue) and cover baked cookies with fondant (use simple syrup as a glue) according to the “Side View Design Structure” template.
  2. Decorate the Unicorns.
  3. Place paper straw as Carousel Center Pole (which has been inserted by 2 pieces of bamboo skewers to make it stronger), using royal icing as a glue to assemble and build the cookies group (except for the rooftop).
  4. Decorate the Carousel Center Pole (feel free to use any embossing cutter).
  5. Insert another 3 bamboo skewers around Carousel center pole for the Unicorns. Using paper straw (to cover the bamboo skewers) and thick round paper to support the Unicorns.
    Using royal icing to fill in the base of the pole.
    Place Unicorn on top of round paper, stick both sides together (use royal icing as a glue).
  6. Place and decorate the Carousel rooftop. 
  7. Add finishing details.    


NOTES

  1. To Store Decorated Carousel Cookies; 1 week at room temperature in an airtight packaging.
  2. To store baked cookies; 1 week at room temperature in an airtight container. For longer storage, pop in the freezer (in an airtight container) for up to 3 months.
  3. To store Sugar Syrup; keeps for a while in the refrigerator. Eventually mold will begin to grow if stored too long.  You can also stir in 1 tablespoon corn syrup to help ensure the syrup stays smooth.
  4. To store Royal icing; 1 week in the fridge, always cover bowl in a plastic wrap.
Posted on by Bembum Kitchen · 6 Comments

Traditional Mooncake (Inspired by Sin Hap Hoat Brand)

Hi Guys, today we are making my favorite childhood Traditional Mooncake inspired by the famous brand “Sin Hap Hoat”.
And until now, I still fall in love with this moon cake.
Mid-Autumn Festival takes place when the full moon is said to be the largest and brightest of the whole year. It was traditionally a time to give thanks to the Gods.

This is the type of moon cake that capture my heart, it brings fond memories for me and my family.
The round moon cakes are symbols of the great family reunion just like the round, as usual we sit together under the bright light of the moon, sip tea, nibble on mooncakes.

It’s completely different with alkaline water or snow skin kind moon cake, no need any fancy ingredients such as golden syrup or alkaline water.
They original Brand “Sin Hap Hoat” have flavour varieties such as Chocolate, Milk, Durian, Jackfruit, cheese and many more. My favorite flavour will always be these lovely chocolate.

Yummy Thick Chocolate Paste

The chocolate paste mixed nut filling is not too sweet, it’s pretty thick and so flavourful.

“Tjoklat” Old Stamp Spelling

And originally it still use the old stamp spelling of the flavour on the top of the Mooncake, like Tjoklat means Chocolate.

DIY Stencil

As I don’t have customized stamp for the cake design so I decided to make my own DIY cake stencil.

These mooncake has an equal proportions of skin and filling. That helps the mooncake to balance out the sweetness and make it taste so good.
They are best enjoyed with a strong, palate-cleansing cup of Chinese tea.

The cake skin will be sturdy and a bit crunchy after baking, but as you store them, it will absorb the oil from the filling and become softer, which is a good thing! Make them even tastier.

I hope that you will enjoy these recipe, maybe turned them into gifts for friends or relatives and have a happy Mid-Autumn Festival.
Love you Guys!


TRADITIONAL MOONCAKE (INSPIRED BY SIN HAP HOAT BRAND)
Yield: 4 pieces
Active time: 1 hour
Total time: 1 1/2 hour

INGREDIENTS
Chocolate Nut Filling:

  • 15 grams Unsalted Butter
  • 45 grams Dark Baking Chocolate (Compound or Couverture)
  • 65 grams Granulated/ Raw Sugar
  • 40 grams Water
  • 1/2 tablespoon Vanilla Extract
  • 80 grams All-Purpose Flour
  • 20 grams Cocoa Powder
  • 60 grams Baked Cashew Nut

*For those of you who prefer savoury flavour, you can substitute the chocolate filling with this delicious Cheese Filling:

  • 120 grams Grated Cheddar Cheese
  • 95 grams Icing Sugar
  • 80 grams All-Purpose Flour
  • 40 grams Salted Butter

Skin Dough:

  • 125 grams Condensed Milk
  • 44 grams Eggs
  • 1/2 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
  • 165 grams All-Purpose Flour
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons Milk Powder
  • 1/3 teaspoon Baking Powder

Cake Stencil:

  • Printed design on A4 paper
  • Greaseproof Paper
  • Double Tape
  • Red Food Colouring Powder
  • White Vinegar
  • Small Brush


INSTRUCTIONS
Cake Stencil
Print the design on a piece of standar A4 paper. Laminate back side of the A4 printed design with a greaseproof paper using double tape. Then using sharp Xacto knife carefully cut out the design out.


Chocolate Nut Filling

  1. In a medium pan, combine the unsalted butter, dark sweet chocolate, granulated or raw sugar, water and Vanilla Extract. Cook over medium low heat until start to boil and the chocolate melted. Take it off from the heat.
  2. Sift the flour and cocoa powder immediately into the pan, mix until well combined until it create a smooth shiny chocolate dough.
  3. Add the crushed cashew nuts into the chocolate filling, mix well.
  4. Divide the fillings into 4 equal pieces (about 80 grams each), shape the chocolate filling into a disk about 1-inch thick, set aside.

Cheese Filling
Simply combine all the ingredients. The mixture will be gritty at first, keep kneading until it creates a dough ball.
Divide into 4 equal pieces (about 80 grams each) shape into a disk.

Skin Dough
In a large bowl combine the condensed milk, eggs, and vanilla extract, mix well. Then pour in the all-purpose flour, milk powder and baking powder Mix until well combined.
The dough should be sticky at first, cover and let it rest for about 5 minutes to let the flour absorbed the water so it’s will be less sticky.
Divide the skin dough into 4 equal pieces (about 80 grams each).


Wrapping, Decorating and Baking

  1. Wrapping;
    Using rolling pin, gently flatten and roll the skin dough into 7 cm in diameter disk, put some flour on your palm, then pick up the skin and put it on your palm.
    Place one portion of the chocolate nuts filling ball at the center of the skin, gently wrap the dough upwards and around the filling, tighten your palm, pinching edges at the top to seal.
    Make sure the skin and the filling stick together evenly.
  2. Place a piece of greaseproof paper on top of the mooncake. Using flat surface, press the mooncake gently into a thick flat disk (make sure the top is flat and it should be about the same diameter size as the template).
    *If you see a shadow of the chocolate filling on the skin surface, don’t worry it won’t be visible after the skin dough risen in the oven.
  3. Decorating;
    Dilute about 1/2 teaspoon red food colouring powder with a bit of white vinegar. Place your stencil on top of the mooncake, using round brush tap the coloured gently over holes in the stencil (make sure it doesn’t move around while you stenciling).
    Gently peel away the stencil, using tiny brush paint the rest of the missing details.
  4. Baking;
    Bake the mooncake in the preheated 160°C oven for about 25 minutes.
    After baking, remove it from the heat and let it cool completely on the cooling rack.
  5. Store them in an air-tight container.

NOTES

  1. The cake skin will be sturdy and a bit crunchy after baking, but as you store them, It will absorb the oil from the filling and become softer, which is a good thing, Make them even tastier.
  2. The mooncake has an equal proportions of skin and filling. That helps the mooncake to balance out the sweetness and make it taste so good
  3. You can substitute cashew nut with any other baked nut you like (macademia, almond, walnut or peanut).
  4. Best serve after you keep them 1-2 days at room temperature (in an airtight container), when the skin soften a bit.
  5. You can store them 4 days at room temperature or 3 months in the fridge.

Posted on by Bembum Kitchen

Rabokki 라볶이 (Ramen+Tteokbokki 떡볶이) | Homemade Rice Cakes & Gochujang Sauce

Hi Guys, today I’m going to show you how to make Rabokki. It’s actually the same thing as Tteokbokki. But besides using rice cake which is called Tteok, we will add some Ramen noodles for Rabokki. So there’s where the “Ra” words in Rabokki coming from.

Rabokki (라볶이) is consists of Tteok, a cylinder-shaped white rice cake and Ramyeon (Ramen) as the main ingredients; with other ingredients such as vegetables, fish cake, boiled egg, seafood, and even melted cheese.

I will use my homemade rice cakes and also my homemade Gochujang Sauce in this recipe.
I really recommend to use the freshly made rice cakes because the frozen one tends to be dry, easy to crack, and not chewy.

Look how chewy and flexible this homemade Rice Cakes are, they even don’t gets hard when they are cold.

The ingredients are coated with sweet and spicy homemade Gochujang Sauce and the chewy rice cakes and soft noodles soak up a lot of the flavor. 
You can simply use water to make Rabokki or you can use broth if you want to make it tastier.

Add ramen noodle at the last minute of cooking Rabokki, when you add them at the beginning, the noodles will soak too much water and become to soft and soggy.
Some people also add the instant Ramen seasoning to make the flavor more savoury.

You can use ready made Gochujang Sauce, I’m prefer homemade version coz it’s healthier. The rice cakes and ramen noodle will thicken the Gochujang Sauce. 
If you do not like the sauce to be too spicy, omit the cayenne pepper or chili powder. If you like it super spicy, adding Cayenne Powder or chilli powder is the way to increase the heat level without altering the flavor.

Best serve the same day you cook it as Rabokki leftover does not reheat well. If you want to store them in the fridge, make sure there is no Ramen left before you put your Rabokki, considering leaving Ramen in liquid will make it soggy and disintegrate into porridge texture.
Enjoy the recipe!

RABOKKI (RAMEN+TTEOKBOKKI)
Yield: 4 Servings
Active time: 1 hour
Total time: 1 1/2 hour

INGREDIENTS
Tteok (Korean Rice Cakes):

  • 120 grams Glutinous Rice Flour
  • 75 grams Tapioca Starch
  • 1/4 teaspoon Salt
  • 150 grams Boiling Water
  • Sesame Oil (for grease)

Side Dishes:

  • 1 large Onion
  • 1 large Carrot Cabbage (optional)
  • Fish Cake
  • Ramen Noodle


Gochujang Sauce:

  • 800 Boiling Water
  • 6 tablespoons Miso Paste
  • 4 1/2 tablespoons Granulated Sugar
  • 4 1/2 tablespoons Chili Sauce (preferable with garlic)
  • 1 teaspoon Ceyenne Pepper or Chilli Powder (optional)
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons Garlic Powder
  • 1 teapoon Salt
  • 1 tablespoon Sesame Oil
  • 1 tablespoon White Vinegar


Garnish: Spring Onion, Roasted Sesame


INSTRUCTIONS
Tteok (Korean Rice Cakes)

  1. In a large bowl combine glutinous rice flour, tapioca starch and salt. Pour in the hot boiling water and mix until just combine.
    Then using my hand I will continue to knead them (it will look a bit dry and floury at first, continue kneading it until it create a smooth ball).
  2. Divide the dough into 8 equal pieces. Roll each dough into 1 cm thick, and then bend and cut them into 2 equal pieces. Set aside to the tray, continue with the rest dough.
  3. To cook the rice cakes
    Bring a medium pan of water to a boil and carefully place the rice cakes into the simmering water.
    In the meanwhile, grease a tray with a bit of sesame oil to prevent stickiness.
    When the rice cakes start to float that means they are ready to be picked up, scoop them out and place them into the tray.
  4. The rice cakes is ready to use, if you want to keep your rice cakes for a long time, make sure they are grease well with sesame oil, place them in an airtight container and store them in the fridge or freezer.

To Cook Rabokki

  1. Slice onions, carrots, spring onions, fish cake and rice cakes into small pieces.
  2. Pour some hot water into a wok, add all the Gochujang ingredients (Miso paste, sugar, chilli sauce, cayenne pepper or chilli powder, garlic powder, salt, sesame oil and vinegar).
    Stir until well combined and bring it to a boil.
  3. After boiling, pour the red onions and carrots. Cook for about 5 minutes so they’re soften a bit. Add in fish cakes and rice cakes, stir well.
    Add your favorite ramen noodle and cook until they soft enough.
    *Be careful not to cook the noodles too long, as they become mushy very quickly.
  4. Sprinkle with spring onions and roasted sesame as a garnish.

NOTES

  1. To store the Rice cakes; place them in an airtight container and store them in fridge (1-2 days) or freezer (3 months).
  2. Please note; add ramen noodle at the last minute of cooking Rabokki, when you add them at the beginning, the noodles will soak too much water and become to soft and soggy.
    Some people also add the instant Ramen seasoning to make the flavor more savoury.
  3. The rice cakes and ramen noodle will thicken the Gochujang Sauce.
  4. You can find Tteok (Korean Rice Cakes) sold freshly made, refrigerated, or frozen at Korean grocery stores.
    I really recommend to use the freshly made rice cakes because the frozen one tends to be dry, easy to crack, and not chewy.
  5. You can use ready made Gochujang Sauce, I’m prefer homemade version coz it’s healthier.
  6. If you do not like the sauce to be too spicy, omit the cayenne pepper or chili powder. 
    If you like it super spicy, adding cayenne powder or chilli powder is the way to increase the heat level without altering the flavor.
  7. You can simply use water to make Rabokki or you can use broth if you want to make it tastier.
  8. Best serve the same day you cook it as Rabokki leftover does not reheat well.
    If you want to store them in the fridge, make sure there is no Ramen left before you put your Rabokki, considering leaving Ramen in liquid will make it soggy and disintegrate into porridge texture.
    You can reheat any leftover along with a little bit of water in a small pan over low heat.

Posted on by Bembum Kitchen

Banana Hand Pies

Hey Guys, today we are making these adorable “Banana Hand Pies”. These hand pies is decadent  and really easy to make.

Slices of fresh bananas, brown sugar and cinnamon, baked to perfection inside of an individual pie crust. The most perfect, amazing pie crust I’ve ever made.

The key to a really good pie crust is to have super cold butter, so, make sure you freeze them well in advance.
Instead of that classic ice water, we are gonna use sour cream to make the pie crust. Not only the dough extremely easy to work with, but the crust also buttery, light and flaky.

The pie crust dough can be prepared in advance and have it ready for whenever you are craving for some delicious snack.
You also can choose each time a different filling, there are so many options apple, pineapple, chocolate and various savory fillings.

The great thing about this dough is we don’t need store them in the fridge for a few hours before rolling. But even you can roll the dough immediately, I suggest to finish with all the pie details first to avoid the filling sit to long and becomes watery.

The uncooked pies

It’s really hard not to fall in love with them…

I like these best when they are still warm from the oven, when the filling is hot and the brown sugar is melted.

They will still be delicious the day after they were baked. You just need to reheating them a few minutes in the oven to crisp up the pastry.

And a scoop Vanilla ice cream served alongside makes a perfect combination with these adorable pie.

Hm..mm it’s really smells good. I hope that you will love these recipe and give them a try, enjoy the recipe!

BANANA HAND PIES
Yield: 5 Pieces
Active time: 1/2 hour
Total time: 1 hour

INGREDIENTS
Pie Dough:

  • 150 grams All-Purpose Flour
  • 1/4 teaspoon Salt
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons Granulated Sugar
  • 1/4 teaspoon Tumeric Powder
  • 105 grams Unsalted Butter (Frozen)
  • 90 grams Sour Cream (Not Lowfat or Light)


Filling:

  • 2 Bananas (Overripe)
  • 30 grams Brown Sugar
  • 1 teaspoon Cinnamon Powder

    Cocoa and Red Food Colouring
    Egg Whites (For Glue)


INSTRUCTIONS
Design Template
Tracing the outline template to some greaseproof paper and gently cut the outline.

Pie Filling
Cut the bananas into small pieces, mix it with the brown sugar and cinnamon, set aside.


Pie Dough

  1. Preheat the oven to 200°C
  2. In a medium bowl, lightly whisk together all the dry ingredients the flour, salt, granulated sugar and turmeric powder.
  3. Using the large holes of a box grater, grate the frozen butter into the dry ingredients.Using a fork, toss the butter and flour mixture.
    Do not break down the butter pieces in this step, just lightly toss until they are coated with flour or until you see a crumbly consistency.
  4. Add in the sour cream
    Using the same fork, mix the sour cream into the butter flour mixture. Pressing the fork down into the sour cream, in order to mash the large clumps of sour cream into the flour and butter.
    Try not to overwork the dough, if the butter pieces get too small and overprocessed, the crust will be tough.
    Then use hands to pull out the dough together (it will look a bit shaggy at first, but as you press it quickly and firmly together, it should start to form a cohesive ball).
    *If the dough seems overly wet, you can add a tablespoon of flour and if it’s too dry, add a teaspoon of sour cream at a time.
  5. Spare some pie dough for the details
    About 10 grams for the dark chocolate and 2 grams for the red.
    I am using cocoa powder and red food colouring powder for colouring, you can also use liquid food colouring if you want.
  6. Making pie details
    – Combine the oval shape of dark brown and red dough to create his mouth and tongue.
    – Using a dark brown dough to create his eyes, eyebrows and hands.
    – A bit of red dough for his cheeks.
  7. Roll the pie dough
    Divide the dough into 2 batches, for the bottom and top, so it’s easier to handle.
    Using a rolling pin, roll this out into about a half centimetre thick, then cut 5 pieces out of the each batch according to the design template (total 10 pieces of the cut dough).
  8. Fill the doughLay the bottom side of the cut dough on the tray with a parchment paper, place banana filling in the middle of the dough.
    Brush the egg whites as a glue on the underside rim and then place the top cut dough on top of the filling.
    Gently pasting the edges dough with fingers, and then using the prongs of a fork press the edges to seal the pies.
  9. Pie details
    Using egg whites as a glue to stick all the details to each position.
  10. Bake for about 20 minutes. Take off from the heat, let it cool on the pans for 5 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack to finish cooling. 


NOTES

  1. The key to a really good pie crust is to have super cold butter. So, make sure you freeze them well in advance.
  2. Best serve when they are still warm from the oven, when the filling is hot and the brown sugar is melted.
  3. A scoop Vanilla ice cream served alongside makes a perfect combination with these adorable pie.
  4. They will still be delicious the day after they were baked, just store them in the fridge and reheat them a few minutes in the oven to crisp up the pastry.
  5. The pie dough can also be pressed into a flat disc and wrapped in plastic to be refrigerated for 1-2 days or frozen for up to a month.
  6. The uncooked pie can be assembled a day ahead of time and stored in the fridge on the baking sheet until ready to bake.
  7. To freeze uncooked the pies, assemble the uncooked pies on a baking sheet, place the sheet in the freezer for one hour in order to harden and then transfer the frozen pies to a freezer bag.
    To prevent the pies from sticking to each other, place a sheet of parchment paper between them. Can be frozen for up to 3 months.
    And when you are ready to bake them, place desired amount of pies 2-3 inches apart on a rimmed parchment lined pan and bake them in preheated 200°C oven for about 20-25 minutes.

Posted on by Bembum Kitchen

Fluffy Snow Cheese Cake

Hi Guys, today we are making these classic “Fluffy Snow Cheese Cake”. Ultimately soft, moist and cheesy sponge cake that you cheese lover will surely love!

This cake bakes up so nice and beautifuly even on the top, making it perfect for layering.

Fluffy Vanilla Buttercream

A light, moist and fluffy vanilla sponge cake, lightly filled and frosted with fluffy vanilla buttercream on top.

Finished with a generous topping of shredded cheddar cheese.
The combination of soft cake, sweet vanilla buttercream and salty cheddar cheese are perfect match in every bite.

And if you are a true cheese lover, feel free to add shredded cheedar cheese in the middle of the filling if you want.

Pillowy Soft Crumb

Look how soft and pillowy the crumb is. They are amazingly fluffy and stay moist even if you keep them in the fridge for a few days.

This cake is perfect little snack to go with your afternoon tea or after dinner time with coffee or tea. You will literally could not stop eating it!

There’s something about milky and creamy cheese that really gives depth of flavor of the cake.
If you not exactly a sweet tooth, these Snow Cheese Cake might be just right for you!

SNOW CHEESE CAKE
Yield: One 8-inch bundt pan 
Active time: 1/2 hour
Total time: 1 1/2 hour

INGREDIENTS
Sponge Cake :

  • 150 grams Egg Whites
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons Lemon Juice
  • 150 grams Granulated Sugar
  • 90 grams Egg Yolks
  • 135 grams Cake Flour
  • 20 grams Corn Flour
  • 1/4 teaspoon Salt
  • 40 grams Milk
  • 25 grams Vegetable Oil
  • 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract


Vanilla Buttercream:

  • 140 grams Shortening
  • 35 grams Salted Butter
  • 35 grams Condensed Milk
  • 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract

Grated Cheedar Cheese


INSTRUCTIONS
Sponge Cake

  1. Preheat the oven to 150° C, grease the pan (I am using my bakery pan grease https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ilWe6_4ZDuI or  you can brush it with some butter and sprinkle flour to grease them).
    One important tips, if you are using bundt pan, just make sure that you coat all of it’s nooks and crannies or else the cake will stuck inside the pan.
  2. For the wet ingredients;
    In a medium bowl  combine the milk, vegetable oil and vanilla extract. Mix that all through, set aside.
  3. For the batter;
    – In a large bowl, pour in the egg whites, whip at low speed until foamy, then add the lemon juice and continue mixing it (by adding small amounts of lemon juice helps to stabilize the egg whites, help prevent overbeating and allows the beaten whites to reach their full volume and stiffness).
    – When the mixture start become white, add the sugar gradually, continue beating until it reach a stiff peak (they will look shiny and the tips can stand straight up).
    – Add in the egg yolks, mix slowly until just combine.
    – Sift all the dry ingredients into a bowl in 3 batches. Mix after each addition, stirring just top part of egg mixture
  4. Take about 3 tablespoon of the eggs mixture and mix them to the wet ingredients.
    Then gently pour it back to the egg mixture.
    Scrape down and fold with spatula until well combined (this technique is used to make sure that the batter is well combined and there’s no liquid left at the bottom of the batter).
  5. Pour the batter slowly to the pan. Pour it from above 15 cm height to help get rid of air bubbles and then shake and tap the pan against worktop for 2-3 times. 
  6. Bake this off at 150° C for 40 minutes, then increase the heat to 170° C and continue baking for another 5-10 minutes.
  7. Take it off from the heat.
    Tap the pan immediately about 2-3 times against worktop so the cake won’t shrink too much.
    Put the greaseproof paper and cooling rack on top, flip the pan and let it sit for about 10-15 minutes.
  8. After 15 minutes, remove the pan and let it cool completely.

    Vanilla Buttercream
    In a large bowl, combine the shortening, salted butter, condensed milk and vanilla extract.
    Mix it all through until it becomes pale white, light and fluffy.

ASSEMBLY

  1. Using serrated knife, divide the cake horizontally into half (make sure the cake is perfectly flat all the way around).
  2. Apply about half of the vanilla buttercream as a filling, spread evenly.
  3. Place the other layer of the cake on top
  4. Spread the rest buttercream over the cake
  5. Coat the cake with a generous amount of shredded cheddar cheese.

*If you are a true cheese lover, feel free to add shredded cheedar cheese in the middle of the filling if you want. 

NOTES

  1. This basic sponge cake recipe is perfect for many other delicious treats.
  2. After the cake cooled completely, if you are not gonna assembly the cake immediately, wrap it with a cling wrap to prevent the cake dry.
  3. They are amazingly fluffy and stay moist even if you keep them in the fridge (in an airtight container) for a few days.
  4. To serve the cake from the fridge; let it the cake sit at the counter (in an airtight container) for about 20 minutes and enjoy.
  5. You can keep them in the refrigerator (in an airtight container for 3-4 days.