But The Greatest of These Is Love

I must have caught the stripes fever! This is my second time doing a zebra design in a week and I am already thinking of doing another one on chiffon. This is Light Cheddar Cheesecake. The cheese used is Cheddar slices and cheese taste is very subtle.  Cake texture is soft and nice and not too sweet.

Light Cheddar Cheesecake

Adapted from Helena Kitchen

Ingredients

4 slices of cheddar cheese

4 egg yolk

4 egg white

1/4 tsp cream of tartar

65g milk

65 unsalted butter

65g caster sugar

65g low protein flour (cake flour)

60g dark chocolate, melted

Method

• Line the bottom of a 6" square baking pan. (if using removable bottom pan, wrap the pan with foil to prevent water from seeping into the bottom)
• Warm milk, butter and tear up cheddar cheese slices in a double boiler bowl until a smooth and creamy mixture. Cool slightly before use.
• Whisk egg white and cream of tartar until frothy and gradually add in sugar.Whisk until stiff peak.
• Whisk the egg yolk and gradually add in the cheese mixture until well combined. Stir in sifted flour.
• Divide mixture into half and add melted chocolate into one half. Fold in white into both batters.
• Pour the batter with alternate tablespoon of the flavours into the prepared tin.
• Bake in preheated 135C oven with bake bath method for 60 minutes at lower rack or till tester comes out clean.
• Once cook, let the oven door ajar for 5-8 minutes, cool on wire rack.

This post is linked to Little Thumbs Up 'MILK' hosted by Tze of AwayofMind, organised by Zoe

from Bake for Happy Kids and Doreen from My little favourite DIY.

photo credit: Pastor Eric Kwan

1 Corinthians 13:4-8

And now these three remain: faith,hope and love. But the greatest of these is love. 

He Heals the Broken Hearted

Another bake along, another challenge. I like this. I have never baked a pull apart bread before and a lemon scented one proves too irresistible for me to bake along this blog hop.

If you read the recipe, it looks like a tedious and complicated work ahead but it is not. I didn't even bother to follow the strips measurement, but I have 5 layers and 6 strips as stated in the recipe.. I would prefer all lemon zest to get the full lemony flavour. This is a sweet bread and I think it tastes better with the cream cheese frosting. The frosting is not sweet but tangy. I baked in 9 x 5 inch loaf pan and the excess in one small ramekin.

Lemon-Scented Pull-Apart Coffee Cake 
Leite's Culinaria
Flo Braker


Ingredients

For the sweet dough
about 2 3/4 cups all purpose flour
1/4 cup granulated sugar
2 1/4 tsp instant yeast
1/2 tsp salt
1/3 cup whole milk
4 tablespoons unsalted butter (60g)
1/4 cup water
1 1/2 tsps vanilla extract
2 large eggs, at room temperature

For the lemon filling
1/2 cup granulated sugar (1/4 cup)
3 tablespoons finely grated lemon zest (from 2 to 3 lemons)
1 tablespoons finely grated orange zest
2 ounces unsalted melted (60g)

For the cream cheese icing
3 ounces cream cheese, softened (80g)
1/3 cup confectioners' sugar ( slightly less)
1 tablespoon whole milk
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice

Method

Make the sweet dough

• Stir together 2 cups of the flour,sugar,yeast, and salt in the bowl of a stand mixer. In a small saucepan, heat the milk and butter over low heat just until the butter is melted. Remove from the heat, add the water, and set aside until about 1 minute. Add the vanilla extract.
• Pour the milk mixture over the flour-yeast mixture and, using a rubber spatula, mix until the dry ingredients are evenly moistened. Attach the bowl to the mixer, and fit the mixer with the paddle attachment. With the mixer on low speed, add the eggs, 1 at a time, mixing just until incorporated after each addition. Stop the mixer, add 1/2 cup flour, and resume mixing on low speed until the dough is smooth, 30 to 45 seconds. Ad 2 more tablespoons flour and mix on medium speed until the dough is smooth, soft, and slightly sticky, about 45 seconds.
• Sprinkle a work surface with 1 tablespoon flour and turn the dough onto the flour. Knead gently until the dough is smooth and no longer sticky, about 1 minute, adding an additional 1 to 2 tablespoons flour only if the dough is unworkably sticky. Place the dough in a large bowl, cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap, and let the dough rise in a warm place until doubled in size, 45 to 60 minutes. Press the dough gently with a fingertip. If the indentation remains, the dough is ready for the next step.

Make the lemon filling

• While the dough is rising, in a small bowl, mix together the sugar,lemon zest and orange zest. Set aside. the sugar draws out moisture from the zests to create a sandy-wet consistency, so don't be alarmed when you see this.

Assemble the coffee cake

• Adjust the oven rack to the center position and preheat the oven to 350F (175C). lightly butter a 9 by 5 by 3 loaf pan.
• Gently deflate the dough. On a lightly floured work surface, roll out the dough into a 20 by 12 inch rectangle. Using a pastry brush, spread the melted butter generously over the dough. Cut the dough crosswise into 5 strips, each about 12 by 4 inches. Sprinkle 1 1/2 tablespoons of the zest sugar mixture over a buttered rectangle. top with a second rectangle and sprinkle it with 1 1/2 tablespoons of the zest sugar mixture. Repeat with the remaining dough rectangles and zest sugar mixture, ending with a stack of 5 rectangles. Work carefully when adding the crumbly zest filling, or it will fall off when you have to lift the stacked pastry later.
• Slice the stack crosswise through the 5 layers to create 6 equal strips, each about 4 by 2 inches. Fit these layered strips into the prepared loaf pan, cut edges up and side by side. Loosely cover the pan with plastic wrap and let the dough rise in a warm place until puffy and almost doubled in size, 30 to 50 minutes. Press the dough gently with a fingertip. If the indentation remains, the dough is ready for baking.
• Bake the coffee cake until top is golden brown, 30 to 35 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack and let cool in the pan for 10 to 15 minutes.

Make the cream cheese icing

• In a medium bowl with a rubber spatula, vigorously mix the cream cheese and sugar until smooth. Beat in the milk and lemon juice until the mixture is creamy and smooth.(mix everything with an electric mixer)
• To remove the coffee cake from the pan, tilt and rotate the pan while gently tapping it on a counter to release the cake sides. Invert a wire rack on top of the coffee cake, invert the cake onto the rack, and carefully lift off the pan. Invert another rack on top, invert the cake so it is right side up, and remove the original rack.
• Slip a sheet of waxed paper under the rack to catch any drips from the icing. Using a pastry brush, coat the top of the warm cake with the icing to glaze it. 

Is this a coffee cake or bread? It tastes like bread to me. A sweet, soft fluffy bread with sweet citrus scent.

No knife needed!

This post is linked to Bake Along hosted by Zoe from Bake for Happy kids, Joyce from Kitchen Flavours and Lena from Frozen Wings.

He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds. Psalm 147:3

Come, Follow Me

This dish was cooked because I have a bag of kaffir lime leaves, two tomatoes and a bottle of tom yum paste in my fridge. It was also cooked mainly for the way it is prepared; fast, fresh, simple and grease free!

I have bought two very fresh batang fillet steaks and thinking my older son would love a spicy dish for dinner, had it cooked in tom yum sauce. Well, he didn't touch the fish at all. He likes Thai food but not tom yum. Instead, the fish was devoured by the younger son who hardly eats Thai food.

I don't know whether it makes much difference to the fish if I had it lightly pan fried before cooking in the tom yum gravy. Nevertheless, this is one delicious dish which I will cook again for the way it is prepared.

Batang Fish in Tom Yum paste
Recipe from here

Ingredients

1 Batang fish (2 medium fillet steak)
2 tbsp tom yum paste
2 tbsp coconut cream or evaporated milk
1.5 cup of water
1 tsp fish sauce
6 lime leaves
2 tomatoes, quarters,
1 stalk Chinese parsley, cut into inches


Method

• In a wok, add tom yum paste, fish sauce, lime leaves and water.
• Using a small fire, simmer for a minute.
• Add fish and tomatoes.
• Switch to medium fire, cook for 5 minutes on both side until fish is cooked.
• Switch to small fire.
• Dish out the fish and tomatoes and lay them over the Chinese parsley in a shallow dish.(no parsley)
• Add coconut cream or evaporated milk to the sauce in wok.
• Bring to a simmer.
• Pour sauce over fish.
• Garnish with more Chinese parsley.

photo credit : Pastor Eric Kwan

Matthew 4:19
"Come, follow me," Jesus said,"and I will send you out to fish for people."

A Wife Of Noble Character

My first taste of churros was in an amusement park in Korea. It was utterly delicious because the churros was crisp and warm, and the weather was freezing cold in December. After the trip, I have been on a look out for churros.

Recently, I have also eaten very nice churros at a cafe in a park. I always believe that in order to cook good food, one has to try the food first before you attempt to cook it yourself. So, having tried good churros, I searched for a recipe. I found this recipe from Martha Stewart website.  Martha Stewart's recipes are tried and tested by many, and usually with much success.

While my churros turned out less crisp than expected, the taste didn't disappoint. Churros are best served warm and  be eaten as soon as they are fried. I wish I have done a better job piping the batter. There are quite uneven in length and colour. It will be good if I have someone to help me turn the churros while I pipe the batter into the hot oil.

Churros
serves 6

1 stick unsalted butter
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1/4 teaspoon coarse salt
1 cup all-purpose flour
3 large eggs
Vegetable oil, for frying
Confectioners' sugar, for dusting


Method

• In a medium saucepan, combine 1 cup water,butter,sugar,and salt; bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to low, and sift in flour, stirring for 1 minute.
• Transfer flour mixture to bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. On low speed, add eggs, 1 at a time, beating until incorporated after each addition;spoon mixture into a pastry bag fitted with a large open-star tip.
• Heat 4 to 5 inches oil in a large Dutch-oven until it registers 325 degrees on a deep fry thermometer. Holding pastry bag a few inches above the oil, squeeze out batter, snipping off 4 inch lengths with a knife or kitchen shears(kitchen shears) Fry, flipping once, until deep golden brown all over, about 4 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer churros to a paper towel-lined baking sheet to drain.
• Roll churros in confectioners' sugar. Serve immediately with Chocolate Dipping Sauce.

Note: I made half recipe

Chocolate Dipping Sauce

Ingredients

1/2 cup liquid glucose (optional)

3 oz bittersweet chocolate

1/2 cup cream

Method

Combine cream and glucose in a small saucepan set over medium heat;bring to a simmer. Add chocolate, stirring until chocolate melts to combine. Serve on side.

Note: Chocolate sauce is sufficient for half of churros recipe.

Sunday School Mother's Day craft

Last Sunday we celebrated Mother's Day. As with every year, the children were very eager to make something for their mum. We made a simple hand stand with the children's photo and message attached to it.

A brief bible lesson on Mothers in the bible were taught to the children.


8 blessed Mothers in the Bible who served God well

1. Eve - mother of Cain and Abel
2. Sarah - mother of Isaac
3. Rebekah - mother of Esau and Jacob
4. Jochebed - mother of Moses
5. Hannah - mother of Samuel the Prophet
6. Bathsheba - mother of Solomon
7. Elizabeth - mother of John the baptist
8. Mary - mother of Jesus.

A wife of noble character who can find? Proverbs31:10

You Alone Are The LORD

Many friends who read my blog are curious to know whether I cook Chinese home cooked food. Of course I do! My daily home cooked foods are very simple but mostly repetitive dishes. There are no recipes and are all eyeball measurement. I can be quite inconsistent sometime and that's one of the reason I don't put these dishes up in the blog.

However, there is this dish that I cook recently which I think is good to put here for future reference. Braised Pork in Soy Sauce is one dish I cook regularly based on estimation but it was a casual remark from my son that I don't do it as well as I used to, prompted me to look for a recipe. I found this recipe from kuali and adapted it with my modifications to suit the family taste.


Braised Pork in Soy Sauce

Ingredients

500g pork, whole (half sliced pork belly and pork shoulder)

Marinade:
1 tbsp light soy sauce
1/4 tsp Chinese five spice powder
1 tbsp oyster sauce
1/2 tsp dark soy sauce
1/2 tsp pepper
1/2tsp salt
2 tbsp sugar or to taste

4 whole garlic pods with skin on
1 star anise
4cm cinnamon stick
4 cloves
1 tbsp dark soy sauce

2 tbsp light soy sauce
1 tbsp sugar or to taste
salt to taste
1 cup water(2 cups of water)
4-5 Chinese mushrooms, washed,soaked in hot water till soft
12 quail eggs


Method

• Season pork with marinade for several hours or preferably overnight.
• Heat a clay pot or heavy based saucepan over a medium low heat.
• Put in marinated pork to brown. Add in whole garlic pods,cinnamon stick, star anise and cloves.mushrooms. Pour in half amount of water and cook covered for 5-8 minutes.'Add in dark soy sauce,light soy sauce,sugar and salt to taste. Add remaining water and simmer until the gravy is thick and meat is tender.(add in cook quail eggs)(should the sauce be overly thick, add a little more water.) 
• To serve, cut pork into slices and add gravy to the dish.

Photo credit : Pastor  Eric Kwan

You alone are the LORD. You made the heavens, even the highest heavens, and all their starry host, the earth and all that is on it, the seas and all that is in them. You give life to everything, and multitudes of heaven worship you. Nehemiah  9:6