Mastering the Art of Making Pavlova and Cream Puff

Update on **24 March 2017**

Here at the 4 hours (8.30am-12.30pm) baking class of D’Hospitality Restaurant yesterday. D’Hospitality Restaurant covers two well-known desserts: Pavlova and Cream Puff

My instructor demonstrated on how to make Pavlova before I attempted to make my own. 

It was a great eye opening experience when seeing Pavlova was made by beating the egg white, vinegar and caster sugars. Pavlova finally turned into well decorated as desired when topped it with whipped cream and fresh fruits such as kiwi and strawberries. 

Here’s the recipe given by the instructor:

Ingredients:

1) 3 eggs white

2) 250gm caster sugars

3) 1 teaspoon vanilla essence

4) 1 teaspoon cooking vinegar

5) 1 tablespoon cornstarch 

Methods:

1. Whisk the egg white with mixer on a low speed. Beat it until stiff.

2. Adding caster sugars spoon by spoon while continuing to beat the eggs white.

3. Adding vanilla essence, cornstarch and vinegar again and beat it until smooth

4. Creating round lines on baking sheets

5. Shaping the meringue in the round lines

6. Preheating the oven at 150c.Enter the meringue batter. In 15 minutes, lower the temperatures to 140c. Cook for 1 hour. Pavlova cooker over medium heat.

7. Cook until the color meringue turned into brown. Do not remove the meringue straight from the oven. Wait until it cool. 

This was the fresh cream brand (to make the whipping cream) highly recommended by the instructor, Pride (RM 10.40)-more fragrant, not too sweet, white looking and smooth type fresh cream. 

Making Pavlova really was an art because it allowed the rooms for variations. Look at so many variations below. 

This was instructor's final Pavlova

Meanwhile, this was first group's Pavlova

And this was second group's Pavlova

Of course, I loved our group's design and shapes. LOL. 

How cool is that? Never expect one day in my life, a beginner in the baking world like me managed to make a good looking Pavlova. LOL

Needless to say, it was not my solo masterpiece, but the joint products with the other two group mates. It was such a wonderful time.

Besides that, I realized my favorite part was piping the whipping cream on the top of meringue.  It needed the skills to decorate it. I didn’t have. So, I chose the very simple decorations compared with other group mates.

Most importantly, the most proud moment when making Pavlova was took the Pavlova out from the oven. I wanted to see my own handiwork. It tasted better when you make it yourself. HOORAY…….

After that, I shifted my way to make cream puffs. 

So, here's the recipe:

Ingredients:

1. 125 gm self-raising flour/wheat flour + 2 teaspoons baking powder

2. 100 gm butter

3. 250ml water

4. 1 teaspoon sugar

5. 1 teaspoon vanilla essence

6. 3 eggs

Methods:

1. Bring sugar and butter for boiling. 

2. Adding flour and stirred it from times to times in order to prevent it sticked to the pan.

3. Adding beaten eggs and sugars into the flour mixtures. Stir well.

4. Then put the mixture into piping bag and pipe it. 

5. Bake it in the oven till golden brown for approximately 25-30 minutes. 

6. Cut the side of the puffs and put the filling. 

 Ta da....my own group's cream puffs was the most beautiful thing in the world. LOL. 

At that moment, I felt like the proud Mama when seeing my own masterpieces. And next dorm room neighbors loved them too. 

She said "first in my lifetimes eat Pavlova and it was made by Tay" What a big surprise for me and her! Hahahah. 

Last but not least, one classmate shared the useful tips on making cream puffs based on his experiences. I guess he observed instructor forget to tell us. 

Here's the TIPS:

1. Don't forgot to apply butter on the baking sheets to avoid cream puffs sticked on it.

2. Baking cream puffs in 170-180c based on capacity of the oven. And please don't open the oven frequently.

3. Make sure cream puffs were baked in the oven since removing early caused the cream puffs flatten 

4. Applying water on the surface of the cream puffs before putting in the oven. This was to ensure cream puffs looked puffy and impress the eaters. 

# Tips 1

# Tips 2

Hope these valuable tips helps for those interested to make cream puffs. After attending this class, I found myself love Pavlova, cream puffs and couldn't get enough for them. Hahahaha 

Vegetarian Recipe: Sweet & Sour Fresh Soy Chip

JoJo guided me on how to make her favorite vegetarian dish-sweet and sour fresh soy chip during Chinese New Year.

So, here's the recipe:

2 main ingredients: 

"1. sweet & sour sauce"

 "2. Fresh soy chip"

From left- fresh soy chips, sweet and sour sauce. Both of them could be obtained easily from supermarket especially in the frozen section.

Closer look of the fresh soy chip's packaging. 

Firstly, heating the frying with 2 spoon of vegetable oil. Then added shredded shiitake mushrooms and fried it till fragrance. 

Since it's the vegetarian dish which was not allowed any garlic and onions, so shiitake mushrooms was used. If you're not interested, you could replaced with garlic and onions. 

Secondly, added the sweet and sour sauce onto shredded shiitake mushrooms. Put it aside after that

Thirdly, deep fried fresh soy chips. But frying them need extra cautious. The waters of the fresh soy chips caused the oil splattered and spread. 

 Deep frying until golden brown, removed and then drained them. 

Finally, mixed the sweet and sour sauce with fresh soy chips well.  

In fact, this dish was really good. The outer of the fried fresh soy chips were crispy while the inner so soft and firm.

It even became tasty when paired with the sweet and sour sauces. This dish went extremely well with white rice. It really open my appetite and I remembered I had 2 bowls of rices. 

Hopefully this recipe will help those who are looking for the vegetarian recipe. That's all. Till the next times, guys!

Batik Cake CreamO Went Wrong

Mickey (5^th sister) specifically requests me to make Batik Cake CreamO shared in Facebook.

Since Batik Cake CreamO looked very easy to make, therefore I make Batik Cake CreamO for her.

So here it goes.

The simple ingredients but I suit it based on my needs. E.g I change from Biscuits Marie to Osborne crackers. I don’t use cocoa powder as shown in the original recipe video. I prefer Jack & Jill’s Cream O biscuits instead of Oreo biscuits. 

Firstly, add butters into the pot and stir until the butters completely melted under low heat. It roughly takes 5 minutes. 

After that, pour the condensed milk and stir with the melted butters.

Then, pour the Milo and stir with melted butter and condensed milk. Few minutes later, it has strong burnt smells. 

I’m so panic. Why the original recipe video doesn’t tell me? How did I know if it doesn’t tell me?

Not only kitchen got burnt smells but also living room. The strong burnt smells last until night times even though I begin making in the afternoon.

So, I reduce the low heat again and directly put the Osborne crackers (after breaking into quarters) into the mixtures.

Transfer the mixtures into the baking pan (remember to apply a layer thin of cooking oil to prevent the cake sticks on the baking pan).

Finally, put the cream O biscuits on top of the mixture and refrigerate overnight so that the mixtures set properly.

I spit out the Batik Cake CreamO once I try it in the next day morning. It’s damn bitter. No Milo & butters fragrance at all.

The fail epic

I force to throw it except the cream O biscuits. Luckily, it tastes like usual because it doesn’t mix with the bitter mixtures.

In fact, this experience has taught me not trust everything that I have been seen on the social networking sites. I should have judgments to differentiate the right and wrong things.  

Anyway, the original recipe video H.E.R.E

Chocolate Marshmallow Biscuit Sandwiches

Mickey (5^th sister) and me determined to make chocolate marshmallow biscuit sandwiches after seeing someone shared the nice photo of chocolate marshmallow biscuit sandwiches in the Facebook.

Moreover, the photo also showed that it was very easy to make.

Facebook images

Thus, let me shared my making process and the outcome. 

The basic ingredients were 200g chocolate,6 pieces of biscuits (4 persons), colorful sprinkle cookies and 6 marshmallows (4 persons). 

Firstly, melted the chocolate. However, I was wrong. The chocolate should be used “indirect heat” to melt it down instead of “direct heat”. Hence, chocolates’ burned down smells was so obvious during melting process.

Next, I put the 2 pieces of marshmallow in each biscuit sandwich. This step was easy as ABC. 

Then, I chose to pour the melted chocolate on each biscuit sandwich due to insufficient melted chocolate. In fact, it should dip into a bowl of melted chocolate to get more chocolate thoroughly. 

After that, I added colorful sprinkle cookies on the top of each biscuit sandwich to look prettier. 

Finally, chilled 4 chocolate marshmallow biscuit sandwiches into refrigerator for 2 hours.

Sorry to say that I was so lazy to take photo after 4 chocolate marshmallow biscuit sandwiches out from the refrigerator. 

4 chocolate marshmallow biscuit sandwiches became set, available to cut for serving purpose.

Overall, Mickey and I were happy with the first time chocolate marshmallow biscuit sandwiches’ outcome. This included Rosamond and Naruto. 

The biscuit incredible crunchy plus with bouncy marshmallows was the perfect match.  They were coated in the melted chocolate and the melted chocolate pushed the flavor up to the notch. 

Stir-Fried Prawns with Egg & Tamarind

Recently, Rosamond (2nd sister) told Mama Tay she wished to eat prawns. Mama Tay promises her I'm going to cook for her under her supervision as well.

Sighhhh. 

Honestly, I hated to prepare the prawns as the strong fishy odors will leave on the hands despite cleaning the hands for several times.

But at the end I cooked for her. I seldom say "NO" to Mama Tay.

Mama Tay taught me cook 2 types of prawns, one cooked with egg while the another with tamarind paste.

1) Stir Fry Prawns with Egg

During February 2016 Kuching trip, Mama Tay saw our cousins cook stir fry prawns with egg in the welcome dinner. Besides that, a relative of mine gave stir fry crabs with eggs for us. All these inspired her to cook this dish. 

 Ingredients 

1. Heat the wok with oil and put some garlic & shallots for fragrance purpose

2. Stir fried the prawns until the prawns turned to pink colors

3. Pour the egg above the prawns 

4. Stir fried prawns and eggs together

5. Once the eggs was done, transfer to plate. 

Done. It served with white rice

2) Stir-Fried Prawns with Tamarind

It was one of the dish that I ate when I grown up. It always appeared in our dining table. I used to had 2 bowl of rices with stir-fried prawns with tamarind because it able to increase my appetite. Tamarind gave the prawns sour and bold taste. 

Simple ingredients. The tamarind either fresh tamarind or tamarind paste in the supermarket could be used. I chose the tamarind paste from the supermarket

Tamarind juice by adding a cup of water. If you prefer strong sour flavor, put little water was good enough 

Like usual, heat the oil, adding shallots & garlic, prawns and cook until pink 

After that, pour the tamarind juice without the seeds. According to Mama, you're allowed to add more water with the seeds again in case the prawns was too sour. 

Voila. 

Attempting To Make Mee Hoon Kueh

Sometimes, I was inspired by the cooking video that shared in the Facebook to make American and European style breakfast such as pancakes.  

I wished one day I could make American and European style breakfast for Naruto (4^th sister). She loved American and European style breakfast so much.

Google images' pancakes. They were my expectations too. 

Therefore, I showed Mama Tay cooking video posted in Facebook on how to make pancake. She said the way that making pancake was similar with Mee Hoon Kueh.

It was very easy according to Mama Tay.  After that, I was determined to try Mee Hoon Kueh.

First of all, I got 2 cups of plain flour, 1 cup of water and 3 tablespoons of sugar. Then, I mixed them well. Feel free to add more water gradually to make the mixture smooth. At least I followed Mama Tay’s recipe.

Next, put the butter on the frying pan. 

And poured the batter onto the frying pan. Next, flipping and cooking batter until golden brown on top and bottom for few minutes. 

Done. my R.E.A.L.I.T.I.T.Y

I didn't how to pour the batter nicely. 

The batter can't spread all over the frying pan. 

Moreover, it's not easy to flip the batter because certain part of batter loved to stick on the frying pan while some easily flipped through. 

So, my Mee Hoon Kueh turned out be like above picture.

I was so surprise when it's done. It's so ugly. 

I gave my sisters to try. The sisters said no bad lahhh. They approved my Mee Hoon Kueh.

Going to do more practice next time. Yes, practices make perfect. I believed in not long times, Naruto can eat my perfect Mee Hoon Kueh.   Hahahaha

Making Honeycomb/Beehive cake

Chinese New Year always inspired sisters and me to put more efforts in baking. 

There was no exception for 2016 Chinese New Year. 

Therefore, we decided to bake honeycomb/beehive cake （蜂巢糕）. We used to have this dark color, spongy pattern and caramelized flavor cake when we grew up. So nostalgic!!!.

Here's how we did it.

 Ingredients:

1. 45g butter

2. 70g flour

3. 130g caramelized sugar

4. 80g condensed milk

5. 4 eggs

6. 120g water

7. 1 teaspoon of baking soda

 1st step: making caramelized sugar. Put the sugar in the pan with low heat. Stirring all the times until golden brown  

 2nd step: put the butter in the hot caramelized sugar

3rd step: Adding condensed milk in the hot caramelized sugar too and mix well

4th step: Next, transferring the mixture of caramelized sugar, butter and condensed milk into mixing bowl. After that, adding flour, baking soda, water, eggs and beat it. 

That's how it looked like when mixing everything 

5th step: pouring the mixture into the cake pan and steamed it for 40 minutes. Before pouring, remembered to apply a thin layer of cooking oil on the whole cake pan to prevent the cake sticked on the cake pan.

It's done after 40 minutes 

Doesn't look bad right? It had bee hive structure. I believed we make it successfully 

It's a good stuff I tell you. It's so soft and strong caramelized flavor. We even finished it within 1 1/2 days. 

Let's try it. I got the recipe from H.E.R.E (but in Mandarin version)