Homemade Roselle Jam

I'm very fortunate that the current company where I'm working has a big courtyard growing organic herbs, vegetables and roselle flowers. Basil, pandan leaves, "black face general" or Strobilanthes crispus, mulberry, brinjal, lady finger etc. Glad to have some of the bountiful harvests occassionally.

Obtained from sources, roselle is extremely healthy and has a ludicrous amount of vitamins and minerals, ranging from vitamins for your nervous system to immune system boosters and natural fats.  According to a recent study, those drinking roselle tea tend to have lower blood pressure and a healthier cardiovascular system.

With the given roselles, I love to boil them to make roselle drinks. Relax with a cup of  warm drink served with some honey.

My favorite roselle tea

This time round, I tried out some roselle jam.

Homemade Roselle Jam
Preparation time: 20 minutes
Cooking time: 30-35 minutes

Ingredients
285g roselle calyx (remove seedpods and washed) (25 small & medium roselle flowers)
125ml water
120g - 150g  granulated sugar (adjust sweetness to your liking)

Fills a 300ml jar

Instructions :
1. Soak the roselle flowers in water for about 5 minutes. Remove the seedpods with a stainless steel core seed remover (twist & push from the bottom). Wash roselle calyx clean with water. Drain water off. Tear the calyx into smaller pieces.

2. In a saucepan, combine water and roselle and cook with medium flame. Stirring occasionally. Once the mixture heats up and begins to boil, turn to low flame and use the electric hand blender to blend. Simply stick it into the saucepan and blend the mixture for about 1 minute or till thick smoothie texture.

3. Add the sugar.  Stir occasionally, making sure that the sugar has completely dissolved. Cook for about 20 more minutes until jam has thickened.

4. Off the flame. The mixture will continue to thicken as it cools. Once cooled, transfer the jam to a jar or airtight container and refrigerate. Fridge for up to 2 weeks.

My colleague harvested these organic produce :

Snapped a few pictures while taking a quick stroll ... so lovely!

For once, I'm immersed in a tranquillity and serenity of rural life!

Vanilla Cocoa Banana Mini Cakes

My big kids like chocolaty bitter-sweet flavor cakes.  They like banana butter cake too. So pairing of vanilla + cocoa banana cake won't go wrong.  Instead of using the normal baking pan, I used muffin pan to make a few mini cakes.

Recipe adapted from here Black & White Banana Cake with slight ajustment made.

Vanilla Cocoa Banana Mini Cakes
Ingredients
110g salted butter, softened at room temperature
130g caster sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
200g ripe bananas, peeled & mashed
190g cake flour, sifted
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder

20g  unsweetened cocoa powder, sifted

Method :
1) Preheat oven to 180°C and position the rack in center of oven. (Note: the oven temperature may vary, do adjust accordingly).

2) I used a square muffin pan, lightly greased with butter, makes 8 mini cakes.

3) In a big clean bowl, combine the sifted flour, baking soda, baking powder and set aside.

4) In a mixing bowl, cream the butter with electric mixer in low speed. Gradually add the caster sugar.  Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed and continue to cream until the mixture is smooth (about 5 minutes). Add in the egg and vanilla extract, followed by mashed bananas and continue to cream for about 1 - 2 minutes.

5) Add in half the flour mixture and mix on low speed until just combined. Pour the remaining flour and mix until just combined.

6) Spoon about 1 and half tablespoon of batter for each of the 8 muffin cups, smooth the surface.

Add the cocoa powder to the remaining batter, mix well and gently spoon 1 tablespoon over the top of the vanilla batter.

7) Bake for about 25 to 30 minutes. Check for doneness with a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake if it comes out clean. 

8) Let the cakes cool for 5 minutes in the muffin pan, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely before storing in airtight container. Serve warm if you like you.
Do not leave the cakes in the muffin pan otherwise the base will be soggy.

Overall, the taste is a mix of bitter-sweetness.  Love the fragrance of the banana and a hint of bitter cocoa flavor ! Enjoy with a cup of coffee for our afternoon coffee break.

Have a great weekend and happy baking !

Hokkaido Cheese Tart

Few weeks ago, my baking kakis ( baking buddies) and I attended an enjoyable tarts baking workshop.  We were taught to bake 4 tarts recipes and Hokkaido Cheese Tart was one of them.

Since my big kids loved Hokkaido Cheese Tarts, why not pratice what I've learned.  So baked some for our weekend snacks.

I adjusted the recipe a little ... instead of 200g cream cheese, I mixed with some mascarpone cheese.

Hokkaido Cheese Tart
Makes 9 alumimum cases size 79 x 18/20mm(H)
Ingredients :
For tart pastry
100g all-purpose plain flour
A pinch of salt
90g cold unsalted butter, diced
1 egg yolk
20g milk

For cream cheese custard
(A)
120g cream cheese
80g mascarpone cheese
30g unsalted butter
100g heavy cream
A pinch of salt

(B)
1 egg
65g icing sugar (reduce from 80g)
10g corn starch

(C)
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon lemon zest

Egg wash : In a small bowl mix 1 tsp milk and 1 egg yolk with a fork. Brush the rim of pastry shell and cream cheese mixture.

To make the pastry shell:
1) In a big bowl, combine the plain flour and salt, set aside.
In a small bowl, mix the egg yolk and milk with a fork.

2) Using finger tips, rub the cold butter into the flour mixture, until it resembles bread crumbs.

3) Pour in egg yolk mixture and kneading and mixing until a dough is formed. Form a flat disc and wrap the dough with clingwrap and chill in the frigerator for 30 mins. (Can prepare in advance and fridge overnight).
**while waiting for the dough to chill, you may proceed to make the cream cheese custard.

4) Take out the dough from the fridge. Preheat the oven to 180ºC. Position the rack in the middle.

5) Dust a working surface with some flour. Divide the dough equally. Mine is 22g each and press the dough into a tart mould or alumimum case. Prick the base of the pastry with a fork. Repeat with the remaining.  Brush the rim of pastry shell with egg wash.

6) Prebake pastry shells at 180ºC for 10 mins or until golden brown.  Remove from oven and place on wire rack to cool.

**To make the cream cheese custard :
Cook the cheese custard using bain marie method.

1) Combine all the ingredients (A) into a heatproof bowl. Half-fill a cooking pot with water and bring to a simmer. Set the heatproof bowl in the mouth of the pot and cook with low flame. Keep stirring the mixture with a whisk till everything is melted.

2) Once metled, add ingredients (B). Mix till well-blended, the mixture will thicken slowly. Add in ingredients (C). Mix well till smooth, off the flame and cool the cheese custard.

Transfer the cheese custard to a piping bag.  Pipe cheese custard into the cooled pastry shells. Chill in the fridge for about 20 - 30 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 210ºC. Gently brush the top of the cheese mixture with egg wash.  Bake for about 10 mins.

Done! remove from oven and place on wire rack to cool. Serve warm if you like.

Note :
The temperature of the oven may vary, do adjust the temperature and timing to suit your oven.
In my next attempt, I will reduce the cheese filling baking from 10 to 8 mins to yield more a gooey texture.

Freshly baked ! Enjoy warm fragrant Hokkaido Cheese Tarts with a cup of hot honey lemon tea. Yummi-li-cious!

Nutella Bundt Cake

Had not been baking cakes in the past 2 months.  Not even try picking up to bake some hassle free muffins on weekends.  No time to bake ?!  Well, just my excuses and excuses ... but I'm coming through in some hard times.  Ya, needed to sort out some personal things that had affected my emotion.

Well, glad I've managed to sort things out, a breeze to relax and enjoy a slice of warm buttery Nutella filled butter cake on a sunny afternoon.

Tweaked/adjusted from the previous bundt cakes recipe that I've attempted here 

Nutella Bundt Cake

Recipe:
Makes one 6-cup Bundt pan or one 8-inch cake pan.
Ingredients (A)
113g unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/4 teaspoon salt
90g castor sugar
2 eggs, at room temperature (the size of my egg is 60g each with shell)

Ingredients (B)
100g All-purpose plain flour
80g cake flour
1 teaspoon baking powder

Ingredients (C)
100g full cream fresh milk

4 - 5 tablespoons Nutella

Method:
Preheat the oven to 170ºC. Position the rack in the middle. The temperature of the oven may vary, do adjust the temperature and timing to suit your oven.

Combine Ingredients (B) in a medium bowl, sifted and set aside

Grease the 6-cup Bundt pan lightly with some *vegetable oil using brush or with kitchen towel, set aside.
(*or well-greased with butter and lightly flour)

In a clean mixing bowl beat together the butter, castor sugar, and salt until light and fluffy using an electric mixer on medium speed.

Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl as needed.

With the mixer on low speed, add alternately the ingredients (B) & (C) starting with B (flour mixture in three additions) and milk (in two additions) [starting and ending with the flour mixture]. Mix well until just combined for each addition.

Pour half the batter into bundt pan and smooth the top. Next, spoon about 4 to 5 tablespoonfuls of Nutella and lightly spread evenly over the batter. Pour the rest off the batter in the pan, smooth the top.
*note: you could aslo make a swirl with a knife or skewer if you like. But I preferred the thick Nutella spread sandwiched in this bundt cake.

Tap the pan lightly on a table top a few times to get rid of any trapped air bubbles in the batter.

Bake the cake in preheated 170°C oven for 40 to 45 minutes.  Check for doneness, insert a skewer in the center if it comes out clean with a few moist clumps clinging to it. Do not over bake else it will be dry.

Enjoy!

Kueh Bakar Pandan

Not very often that I will make kuehs for our weekends snacks. On some rare occasions I will make the Pumpkin ondeh ondeh, Banana hoon kueh pisang when we feel like having these kuehs again.

So far, I've not attempted a baked version. I remembered a kueh recipe that's easy to make and filled with pandan and coconut fragrance. But as I do not have the Bahulu mould, I tried out on 1 floral aluminium mould but they turned out too small. I used the aluminium muffin cases instead.

Recipe adapted from :Joceline Butter Flour & Me
Kueh Bakar Pandan
About 15 - 17 small aluminium muffin cases.
Ingredients :
2 eggs
80g castor sugar
150g all-purpose plain flour
150g pandan juice
200g coconut milk
Pinch of salt
1 tablespoon vegetable cooking oil

Extra cooking oil to grease the aluminium cases.
1 tablespoon sesame seeds to sprinkle

Methods:
1) Preheat the oven to 180ºC. Position the rack in the middle. The temperature of the oven may vary, do adjust the temperature and timing to suit your oven.

2) Lightly grease the muffin cases with vegetable cooking oil and set aside.

3) To make the pandan juice, wash clean about 5 - 7 pandan leaves. Cut into smaller pieces, blend with about 170g water and obtain 150g pandan juice.

4) In a clean mixing bowl, place altogether the flour, eggs, coconut milk, salt and pandan juice and whisk to combine with the electric mixer.

5) Add in the vegetable cooking oil and mix till combined with a ballon whisk.

6) Pour mixture into each aluminium case. Fill the muffin cases till almost full and sprinkle some sesame seeds.

7) Bake in preheated oven 180°C for about 25 minutes.

8) Remove from oven and unmould immediately to cool.

These dainty Kueh Bakar Pandan turned out not too bad looking.  Simply love the pandan and coconut fragrance. And the next thing you know. ... they are very addictive.  Enjoy !

Coffee Walnut Streusel Cake

Have been cracking my head ... what cake to bake for Father's Day celebration at home. My hubby loves beer and coffee (well, most guys do ... don't they? hee.. hee !) ... Obviously, I can't bake a "beer cake".  He didn't like too sweet and creamy cakes either.

My previous bakes coffee walnut loaf and cranberry coconut streusel muffins. So, a simple Coffee Walnut Streusel Cake it is !

A few days ago, I baked a Coffee Cinnamon Chocolate Chips Bundt Cake for breakfast with my colleagues. A yummy recipe I tweaked from here.

Coffee Cinnamon Chocolate Chips Bundt Cake

I liked the texture and glad that it was well received by most colleagues. So I adjusted the recipe a little (cos realised didn't have any yogurt) and added streusel toppings to bake a coffee walnuts streusel cake.

Coffee Walnut Streusel Cake
Makes one 8x8-inch square pan
Ingredients (A)
113g unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/2 teaspoon salt
110g castor sugar
2 eggs, at room temperature (the size of my egg is 60g each with shell)

Ingredients (B)
1 teaspoon baking powder
180g all-purpose plain flour

Ingredients (C)
120g full cream fresh milk
2 tablespoons instant coffee mixture (dissolved 3 teaspoons Nescafe instant coffee in 2 tablespoons hot water, cooled).

Streusel ingredients (D)
45g unsalted butter, chilled and cubed
45g light muscovado sugar
45g all-purpose plain flour
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
80g toasted walnuts, finely crushed

Method:
Preheat the oven to 170ºC. Position the rack in the middle. The temperature of the oven may vary, do adjust the temperature and timing to suit your oven.

Combine ingredients (B) in a medium bowl, sifted and set aside

Make the streusel ingredients (D) : In a large bowl, whisk together flour, light muscovado sugar, ground cinnamon and walnuts. Cut the butter into the flour mixture with either a pastry blender, your fingertips or two knives until it resembles coarse crumbs. Cover, and refrigerate until ready to use.

Line and grease the base of a 8x8-inch square cake pan with parchment paper. Lightly grease the sides with butter.

In a clean mixing bowl, beat together the butter, castor sugar, and salt until light and fluffy using an electric mixer on medium speed.

Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl as needed.

With the mixer on low speed, add alternately the ingredients (B) flour and ingredients (C) milk & coffee. (flour mixture in three additions) and milk & coffee (in two additions) [starting and ending with the flour mixture]. Mix only until just combined.

Pour batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top with spatula. Dot or spoon the streusel evenly all over the batter top. Tap the pan lightly on a table top a few times to get rid of any trapped air bubbles in the batter.

Bake the cake in preheated 170°C oven for 40 minutes or until golden brown.
*note: you may tent it with aluminium foil if it gets browned to quickly.

To check for doneness, insert a skewer or toothpick in the center of the cake if it comes out clean with a few moist clumps clinging to it.

Let the cake cool in the pan for 10 minutes before removing top-side up, onto wire rack to cool completely.

Well, we have them warm with hot coffee!

It is a soft with tender crumbs, not too buttery cake. The streusel crumb topping is an addition ... crunchy, sugary crusty with a hint of cinnamon fragrance.

Be it a celebration cake or not, we simply enjoyed this simple cake.
Happy Father's Day to my hubby and all daddies out there !

Happy baking! Enjoy !

Lemon Chocolate Swirl Bundt Cake

Indulgence in another lovely baked bundt cake.

I wanted something lemony and chocolate flavour.  A citrus tangy and chocolate flavour all in one ! Ta da ! ... a Lemon Chocolate Swirl Bundt Cake ! The tangy aromas filled the kitchen as it baked.

Lemon Chocolate Swirl Bundt Cake
Makes one 6-cup Bundt pan or one 8-inch cake pan.
Ingredients (A)
113g unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/2 teaspoon salt
110g castor sugar
2 eggs, at room temperature (the size of my egg is 60g each with shell)
2 teaspoons lemon zest

Ingredients (B)
100g All-purpose plain flour
80g cake flour
1 teaspoon baking powder

Ingredients (C)
100g full cream fresh milk
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice

For the chocolate batter:
1.5 tablespoons cocoa powder (I used Hershey's cocoa)
2 tablespoons hot water.

For the Icing:
3 - 4 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
100g confectioners' (powdered or icing) sugar, sifted

Method:
Preheat the oven to 170ºC. Position the rack in the middle. The temperature of the oven may vary, do adjust the temperature and timing to suit your oven.

Combine Ingredients (B) in a medium bowl, sifted and set aside

Grease the 6-cup Bundt pan lightly with some *vegetable oil using brush or with kitchen towel, set aside.
(*or well-greased with butter and lightly flour)

In a small cup or bowl, mix the cocoa powder with hot water and set aside.

In a clean mixing bowl beat together the butter, castor sugar, and salt until light and fluffy using an electric mixer on medium speed.

Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl as needed.

With the mixer on low speed, add alternately the ingredients (B) & (C) starting with B (flour mixture in three additions) and milk + lemon juice (in two additions) [starting and ending with the flour mixture]. Mix well until just combined for each addition.
Lastly, stir in the lemon zest till just incorporated into the batter.

Scoop about 1/3 lemon batter to a bowl, mix in the cocoa mixture well with a spatula.

Pour half the lemon batter into bundt pan and smooth the top. Next, spoon all the chocolate batter. Spoon the remaining lemon batter and level the top with a spatula. Tap the pan lightly on a table top a few times to get rid of any trapped air bubbles in the batter.

Bake the cake in preheated 170°C oven for 40 to 45 minutes.  Check for doneness, insert a skewer in the center if it comes out clean with a few moist clumps clinging to it. Do not over bake else it will be dry.

Let the cake cool in the pan for about 10 - 15 minutes and then invert onto a rack to cool completely. Once cooled, carefully lift the cake onto a serving dish or platter.

Once the cake is completely cooled, make the icing.
In a bowl, combine the sifted confectioners' sugar with the lemon juice. Stirring and mixing constantly with a spoon. Start with 2 tablespoons of lemon juice. Adjust the consistency to your preference by adding more lemon juice or confectioners' sugar accordingly.

Use a spoon to drizzle the icing over the top of the cake and allow it to fall down the sides. Let the icing set for a couple of minutes before slicing the cake.

Let the icing dry before covering and storing.


Beautifully browned !

Love the texture ... like a light pound cake not too dry or too dense.

Love this simple yet gorgeous lemony chocolate flavour cake with fine tender crumbs.

Enjoy our weekend afternoon break with a slice of lemony and chocolate swirl flavour cake. Perfect with a cup of warm honey lemon tea.

Happy Baking!

My modifications made from recipe source : King Arthur Flour