Strawberry/raspberry honey cornbread

Another cornbread recipe for breakfast - I like strawberry and raspberry so much, I bought some frozen ones because we are now in winter ;( when will summer come?

Ingredients
2cups flour
2cups fine corn flour - I used coarse corn flour
1/4cup sugar
2tbsp baking powder
1/2tsp salt

4 eggs
2cups milk
100g melted butter
1cup honey

1.5cup diced strawberries/raspberries - you can add more if you like

Instructions
1. Preheat the oven at 200°c
Mix the dry ingredients, then add in eggs, milk, butter and honey

2. Add in 1cup strawberries or raspberries, mix well

3. Pour the mixture into a mould, sprinkle the rest of the strawberries or raspberries on the top

4. Bake for
Cupcake mould: 12-15mins
Large mould: at least 35mins or until the middle becomes cooked (insert a knife to test)

Enjoy!

Chinese coconut milk pudding

I saw another recipe to make the coconut milk cake another day, no bake cake!!
Also, I know my husband loves coconut... so I give it a try :)

It is very very very easy, all you need is nice mould to make it look beautiful!!

It is very tasty that I will make another again this week for my friend!

Ingredients
200ml Coconut milk
375ml milk*
85g sugar
20g gelatin powder
1 egg white

*I used soya milk since I have no milk at home :(

Instructions
1. Beat the egg white

2. In a pot, mix coconut milk, milk and sugar, heat the mixture until sugar are all dissolved

3. When the mixture becomes hot with steam, add in egg white, stir it quickly
Turn off the heat, add in gelatin powder

4. Remove the bubble or foam or crumbs in the mixture through the sieve
Note: This step is important to remove any crumbs - undissolved gelatin powder, egg white...

5. Pour the mixture into the mould(s) and put them in the fridge for at least 3 hours to let it set
Note: I used silicon mould because the cake can be removed easily, if you use tin mould, grease it before you pour the mixture

Enjoy!

Glutinous rice cake/ nian gao to celebrate Chinese new year

Happy Chinese new year of goat! I decide to make some Chinese traditional cake for the celebration, it is the first time I make nian gao :)

Actually I got this recipe from a sister at church few years ago, I haven't tried it yet. I have had some glutinous rice flour in the kitchen for several months, now it is the good opportunity to use them up!

I like this recipe because I am too lazy to steam the cake haha... I can bake this cake in the oven :)

Ingredients
3 eggs
1-1.5cups sugar - I used 1cup
125g magarine or 3/4cup vegetable oil - I used vegetable oil
1tsp baking powder
1tsp vanilla extract 
450g glutinous rice flour
2.5-3cups milk*

Red bean paste about 500g (according to your need)
Optional: 2tbsp black or white sesame

*The bigger the egg, the more the milk you use

Instructions
1. Preheat the oven at 180°c
Whisk the egg, add in sugar, magarine/oil, baking powder & vanilla extract. Mix well

2. Add in flour & milk little by little, to avoid forming the lumps. Mix well

3. Grease the shallow mold (either rectangular or round), pour the mixture into the pan
Note: Why shallow? Because it cooks well more evenly everywhere and especially in the middle 
If you use a deep pan, you will need to add extra 10mins for the 1st bake or until the cake looks solid

4. Bake for 25mins until the cake look a bit solid

5. Take it out from the oven, scrap the red bean paste on the top
Then sprinkle sesame
Put the cake back to the oven to bake for another 25mins

Coconut version:
If you don't have any red bean paste at home, don't worry, you can replace it by using 1 cup coconut powder, sprinkle the powder on the top after the 1st bake

Enjoy!

Bird cushion - Spring is coming soon

I like buying beautiful fabrics and especially when they look unique, even though I don't use them, when I look at them I feel so happy :)

So... I bought the 2 pieces of fabric for long time but didn't know what to sew... recently my cushion cover is torn so I think it might be good to use them!

The bird pattern is so nice to match my dark violet sofa and with other cushions!!

Back of the cushion: I love this olive color :)

*I sewed 2 press studs at the top and at the bottom, I made a nice velvet ribbon in the middle

Red bean bun - utane method

I bought some red bean paste from Chinese supermarket, that I wanted to make Chinese bun, but at the end I found a recipe of red bean bun in Hong Kong style, by the utane/tangzhong method :)

It tastes so good as I thought, not deception!

Ingredients:
Utane
25g strong flour
125ml water

Dough
125ml lukewarm milk
5g sugar
6g active dried yeast

350g strong flour
50g sugar
5g salt
7g milk powder
56g egg (just a bit more than 1 egg)
about 120g utane

30g butter

Red bean paste
Rest of the egg
Optional: Sesame or poppy seed


Instructions:
To prepare the utane, click here

1. Mix sugar and WARM milk, then add in yeast, wait until the yeast floats on the top (about 10mins)

2. Mix all dry ingredients together, then add in wet ingredients. Mix well

3. Add in little cubes of butter and mix well
Knead the dough, when you are able to stretch the dough to become thin layer, that means it's ready

4. Brush some oil in a big mixing bowl and put the dough in it, cover it with plastic wrap
Let rise in a warm place until it is doubled

5. Take the dough on the working surface, punch to deflate some air inside the dough, divide it into 10 portions
roll each small portion into a ball, cover them with plastic wrap and let them rest for 15mins at room temperature

6. Roll out dough into a circle, about palm size, put red bean paste on the dough
Be careful - use a tablespoon (measuring spoon) to scoop the red bean into a ball

7. Close the opening by squeezing the side towards the center, squeeze hard so that the opening won't be broken. 
Shape the dough to a ball, turn it upside down with the opening at the bottom

8. Line the tray with baking sheet, place each dough on it
Attention - scattered them with more space as they will be risen in doubled size!
Let the dough rise until doubled in a warm place

9. Preheat the oven at 180°c
Use a scissor to cut the side of the dough 5-6times (see the picture above) - you are not obligated to do that
Brush the rest of the egg on the top
Sprinkle sesame or poppy seed on the top

10. Bake for 15-20mins

Enjoy!