Hankerie

Aspiring Bakers #32: World of Mousse Cake (June 2013)

"Hankerie's Fresh Berries Vanilla Mousse Cake"

Have a world of mousse cakes with Hankerie this month!! Thanks to SSB for giving me the chance to host this month Aspiring Bakers challenge.

Definition of the Mousse: Mousse can be defined as any soft or creamy dessert made light and fluffy by the addition whipped cream, beaten egg whites, or both. Note that Bavarians and chiffons fit the description. In fact, they are often served as mousses, but with gelatin reduced or left out so the mousse is softer. There are many kinds of bases for mousses. It can be chiffon, any cake layer, melted chocolate or even pureed fresh fruits.

We want more ideas coming in for any mousse cake around the world. You can state where the recipe comes or adapt from. We do emphasize the originality & creativity of your bakes.

For any mousse cake idea or recipe, you may refer to my previous blog post

Who can join?

Everyone! (if you do not have a blog, just send me a photo and recipe of your bake/dish)

How to join?
Step 1 :
Can be any mousse cake based on your own creativity, in the month of June 2013.

"Hankerie's Cherries Mousse Cake"

Steamed Bao with Otak-otak and Luncheon Meat crabstick filling

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This is my the other so called traditional steamed bao with the conventional round shape and pleads on top. The specialty of these bao is that using Otak-otak (- a cake made of fish meat and spices). It is widely known across Southeast Asia especially in Muar - Johor, where it is traditionally served fresh, wrapped inside a banana leaf. I used the frozen pack of otak-otak, steamed and cool it, set aside.

For the variety of the filling, I also used the leftover luncheon meat from dinner last night, mix with crabstick as Bao's filling. This give you an unique savoury taste in the combination of soft and fluffy of bao's texture.

Traditional Steamed Bao

Steamed Rose Buns

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That's the longest ever that I did not get any chance to update my blog. Don't worry, I am back now. I was indeed extremely busy running shift for my RM12 mln project going live. Fortunately, all these were a success with my wonderful team's help.

Special of today's recipe is the oriental series - steamed rose buns with char siew filling. Pertaining on the shape, the idea came from my fondant icing roses. I was wondering why the steamed bun shape always in round shape and with plead on top, too conventional and not too attractive. Therefore, I made them into roses shape. In fact, the result turns good. Nice to see and nice to eat. Food for your eyes.

Steamed Buns can be attractive too

I am so into making the bun to rose shape, without realizing my husband took this photo.

Hankerie's 2 days ON SALE (Assorted Macarons Silicon Mats)

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#1 Round Macaron Silicon Mat (5 stocks left)

Size 29cm (W) X 26cm (H)
For 27 macarons at 2.5cm (inner diameter) and 4cm (outer diameter)
Temperature -40 to 230 degrees
Sale price: RM48.90/ USD16
To order: Send email hanker@hankerie.com or FB message

To all Hankerie's fans,

Breaking news. Hankerie is ON SALE these 2 days (9th & 10th May). There are 4 types of imported assorted Macarons Silicon Mats for order, the available stocks are shown next to the product item. Be hurry, send me your order to my email at hanker@hankerie.com. Limited stock, on first come first serve basis only.

Terms and condition: Stock available immediately. Please allow 1 to 2 weeks for delivery. Payment required first. Price excludes delivery charges.

Payment method: Bank Transfer or Paypal. Payment and order must be made prior 10th May 11pm (GMT+8).

#2 Bear/Heart/Star Shape Macaron Silicon (3 stocks left)

Size 29cm (W) X 26cm (H)
For 27 macarons at 2.5cm (inner diameter) and 4cm (outer diameter)
Temperature -40 to 230 degrees
Sale price: RM49.90/ USD17
To order: Send email hanker@hankerie.com or FB message

#3 Mickey Mouse/Kitty/Flower Shape Macaron Silicone Mat (3 stocks left)

Size 29cm (W) X 26cm (H)

For 27 macarons at 2.5cm (inner diameter) and 4cm (outer diameter)

Temperature -40 to 230 degrees

Sale price: RM49.90/ USD17

To order: Send email hanker@hankerie.com or FB message

#4 Flower Shape Macaron Silicon Mat (5 stocks left)

Size 28.5cm (W) X 26cm (H)

For 36 macarons at 3.5cm (tip to tip measurement)

Temperature -40 to 230 degrees

Sale price: RM52.90/ USD18

To order: Send email hanker@hankerie.com or FB message

Strawberry and Mandarin Orange Macarons

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It has been quite a while since I last baked my macarons. If not mistaken, it was at Brisbane (Australia). Finally I decided to make my first batch of macaron in KL.

I am just too tired to make the normal conventional shape of macarons. Out of sudden, strawberry spring into my mind, and here you go. I've made them into strawberry shape and 1 more tangy mandarin orange shape. But they were too cute to eat.

In fact, during the initial stage, I have to figure out the right combination of factors to work in my favor. Macarons are finicky. You can have too much almond flour, egg white, or sugar. You can whip them too long. Fold them too long and a number of other things including humidity, oven temp and age of your egg whites. Kl time is just too humid! I need to wait up to 1/2 hour before bake my macarons.

Cant wait to taste them

Package these wonderful fruits macaron into box

Chocolate Blueberry Sponge Cake

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Today is my husband birthday. Knowing that will be busy over the weekday, I've baked the chocolate cake on last Sunday. Decorated them during yesterday night.

Chocolate sponge cake is always his liking. Spread some blueberry in between the 2 layers of cake, covered with the whipped fresh cream. Dusting with cocoa powder as toppings. Therefore this cake is fully tailored for him. He likes simple and yummy cake.

Happy birthday, bb! This year can celebrate together physically! Yay.

My husband with his happy face

I love this combination of cake

2013 Malaysia's Election Cupcakes

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Since Malaysia's Parliament was just dissolved on last Wednesday April 3, which means paving the way for the 13th general election. Everybody in Malaysia was guessing when will be the polling day as it must be done within 60 days after Parliament is dissolved. This year election called GE13.

In conjunction of today's announcement - Polling for the 13th general election is officially falls on May 5 while nomination of candidates is on April 20. I've came out this idea to put some of the parties onto the cupcakes since it is now GE13 fever everywhere.

In fact, I can really admit I'm the only one who will think about this mad idea onto cupcakes, doubt someone else having the same idea like me.

Please like if you would like to see one of the cupcakes to win. Or just eat up the one that you do not support at all. LOL!

Kuih Bahulu (Asian Madeleine)

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Kuih Bahulu is our Malaysian's all time favorite, it is sort of egg spongy cake with a little bit of dryness in the cake texture. The difference between Kuih Bahulu with French Madeleine are both has slightly different texture, crustiness and the after-taste. Of course, the main difference is kuih bahulu never use butter in the ingredients but madeleine does.

Therefore, I combined these kuih bahulu into typical classic look of French Madeleine shape by using my Madeleine silicon mold that I have purchased 2 years ago. In fact, this is only my 2nd time to use this mold. This is extremely easy to remove all these kuih bahulu from the mold after bake if you compare to the conventional steel mold. Looking back, this was my first attempt to make french Madeleine at Miri in year 2011 - French Madeleine (Made in Malaysia)

Believe it or not, this is easiest cake ever. My recipe only requires 3 ingredients and here you go, simple, easy and nice to eat!

Simple arrange can make the visual even better

Fresh Tomato Bread

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Tomato is my most favorite vegetable. It can be my salad, cooked dishes or treats as fruits after meal. In my mind, how can I include this food into my bread? It sprang my mind to make them into fresh tomato bread!!!

There are so many benefits of tomato, such as good for eye sight, good gut health, low hypertension, relief from diabetes, skin problems and urinary tract infections. Tomato is considered both a fruit and vegetable. Daily consumption of tomato provides a great boost to health apart from improving the flavour of food. It consists of a large number of antioxidants which have been proven to fight different forms of cancer. It is a rich source of vitamins and minerals and exerts a protective effect against cardiovascular diseases. It also improves eye health and prevents hypertension and urinary tract infections.

With all these facts, undeniably I can eat them in various way in future - be it from raw until bake!

Chicken and Mushroom Pot Pies

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Loving this light and crispy, with a distinctly buttery flaky pastry as the main character of my whole chicken and mushroom pot pies. Added on some vivid green basil leave, fresh from my garden, indeed feeling a little bit of glory.

The toughest part in the whole baking process is the rolling and folding pastry sheet process. My friends always wonder, why don't I just but the ready made pastry sheet from supermarket?? The answer is definitely a "No" as you do not know whether they really using the real butter or just the margarine. And please do not use any margarine into any of your own bakes as it will endanger your health.

Well, cooking the chicken and mushroom job is way too easy but the tough part is the cutting progress. It took me about an hour just to cut nicely of all the ingredients to cook this chicken. OMG, cooking them are just used up 10 minutes.

Relook this making pastry process from scratch, although need to allow plenty of time, puff pastry does not require continuous work, just few minutes and then re-rolling about every half an hour. It's essential that everything be kept cold when making this puff pastry. Unfortunately the weather in Malaysia is just too hot, I need to chase with time as the butter inside will be melted so quickly.

Cut the pastry into half to see what's underneath

Indulgence Chocolate Devil Food Cupcakes

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It is always irresistible to enjoy a moist chocolate cake. Traditionally devil food cupcake has more chocolate than a regular chocolate cake, making it darker. The cake is usually paired with a rich chocolate frosting. Well, I should not call cupcakes here as 100% Devil Food as I do not have rich chocolate frosting as its pairing.

In fact, Devil's food cake is more airy and moist than other normal chocolate cakes, and often uses cocoa as opposed to chocolate for the flavor as well as coffee. The lack of melted chocolate is typically what distinguishes a Devil's food cake from a chocolate cake, though some recipes call for all, resulting in an even richer chocolate flavor. The use of hot, or boiling water as the cake's main liquid, rather than milk, is also a common difference.

To see its inner part, moist and airy.

{Chinese New Year Cookies} Hankerie's famous Pineapple Tart

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Time flies. Chinese New Year just past. All chinese were so busy celebrating this 15-days great event. For every Chinese New Year, my mum and I definitely will bake tones of pineapple tart without fails. In fact, pineapple is a symbolic of Chinese New Year, be it the auspicious one.

Chinese like playing with words and symbols. Often homonyms (words that share the same pronunciation but have different meanings) are used. Names of dishes and/or their ingrediets which will be served sound similar to words and phrases refering to wishes expressed during the Chinese New Year, while other foods hold a symbolic meaning. Pineapple (凤梨; fènglí) - wealth, luck, excellent fortune, gambling luck. That's the main reason chinese will definitely eat pineapple tart during this period, not only because of its uniqueness and deliciousness.

I still recall vividly during my school time. Normally 1 month before CNY, my brothers and I were extremely busy to help my mum to bake pineapple tart, handmade one by one. From cutting the pineapples, cooking at least for another 4-5 hours, making tart, rolling, cooling and packing. All these, I was so familiar with. Those orders are return orders every year, displaying at my uncle shop to sell and some of the time needs to export to Singapore. Sometimes, my mum just feel like do not want to do this anymore as not really earning much with so much efforts had put in. The main reason is the middle man already earn more than us.

This is my mum's secret recipe. Therefore, I cant share this in my blog but feel free to order through us directly to enjoy this little treats with our whole heartly creation. If you would like to place order next time, please send to us at hanker@hankerie.com

To arrange into "chun" word which means "spring"

Valentine's Cheesy Love-shaped Bread Stick

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Happy Belated Valentine Day 2013. This year Valentine day is indeed special as I was physically celebrating together with my husband physically at KL after 7 years of non-stop business travelling. And one more special thing was both of us made this Valentine cheesy love-shaped bread stick together at home :)

I always like to bake this cheesy bread stick especially for him as it is his favourite all time. In conjunction of this year Valentine's day, it suddenly stroke to my mind to make this long bread stick into love shape. In fact, it was really tough to make them into love shape with the bread that still requires to proof for second time. That's why you will notice that these little bit "out of love shape".

Basically, I mix with both Mozarella cheese and Cheddar cheese as their toppings, subsequently my husband has helped me to sprinkle them with some caster sugar, not only for extra flavour - sweetness in this salty cheesy bread.

Sprinkle the sugar (needs so serious look???)

{Chinese New Year Cookies} "Quail Egg" CNY cookies?

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Chinese New Year is around the corner. I've been so busy in baking pineapple tarts these few weekends, totally tied up with my work over the weekday as well. In fact, this was my last weekend to do last minute baking before Chinese New Year approaching.

Believe it or not? These are not real "Quail Egg" cookies, but they are just alike quail egg in whole especially the colour. Actually, they are Wasabi seaweed savory cookies. The idea to invent this cookie comes from the thoughts on "Why we always eating sweet cookies during Lunar Chinese New Year? Whereas matching these little delicacies with super sweet soft drinks some more, isn't it savory cookie will be more matching in this case?" Therefore, there is how the wasabi flavour sea weed comes handy to be my main part of my cookies.

In terms of making method, I've improvised making scone technique into this "Quail Egg" cookies. Easy and simple. You do not need any handheld or electronic mixer, what you need to use is just the scrapper or spatula to mix all the ingredients together - as simple as 123.

To avoid in making them really look alike quail egg, I rather made them into flat round shape

Traditional French Baguette

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French baguettes are always my husband favorite as he prefers salty bread rather than sweet bread. And hence this is my determination to keep myself updated and improve in making bread area. Today, my baking chemistry is towards the chewy traditional bread, indeed the baguette taste are so much different from Europe or Australia. The main factor in fact is due to the flour quality that hardly can be found in Malaysia. I made the original baguette in these different countries, but all the result came out differently. In conclusion, the quality of flour really is a differentiation factor to make the good quality of french baguette.

My experiment today is more to improvise this differentiation factor, knowing that I could not get the French flour in Malaysia, what I made the difference is by using malt sugar in my recipe. Even for malt, I was looking around for quite some time. You must wondering why am I using malt sugar in the baguette recipe, actually malt contains several enzymes which breaks down the starch in flour into simple sugar. Sugar is important for two primary reasons: first is yeast's food (fermentation) and caramelization of sugar contributes greatly to a rich crust color. Most french flours have malt added during the production, so you can get fine results without adding more malt to the dough at mixing time.This malt sugar can be only added a little bit as you do not want your french baguette to turn up as sweet bread at the end of the day.

So in my theory, 0.4% of malt sugar out of your bread flour contains should be the best combination. Here comes my chewy baguette but crusty outside :)

See the inner texture of these traditional French Baguette, indeed it's chewy inside and crusty outside