Made a green tea bread recently. Love the color.

And this time round, I used a new recipe / method - 冷藏液種, taken from Bernice's blog. I'm supposed to mix the starter dough using my mixer... but I mis-read the instructions *oops*, and ended up with no bubbles in the pre-fermented dough (refer here). Luckily, the bread still turned out soft.

As the bread was a success, I decided to make another loaf for my friends. This time, I used natural green tea powder, instead of bakeable green tea powder. I've been feeling uncomfortable whenever I read the ingredients list for the bakeable green tea powder... However, when I innocently replaced the bakeable green tea with natural green tea, the bread turned out brown with no hints of green tea smell.

I was shocked. And all along what I thought was natural turned out otherwise. I needed some time to digest this news, and decide if I want to eat green tea bread and cakes again.

But I love green tea! My sister pointed out perhaps I should check out what the Japanese bakers used for their desserts. Or did I buy the wrong type of powder?

This bread is slightly sweeter. Tastes good on its own or with a slab of salted butter. The salted butter provides a constrast to the sweetness of the bread.

Recipe:
170g bread flour
50g caster sugar
2g salt
4g instant yeast
1 egg
25g unsalted butter
37g fresh milk
150g pre-fermented dough
5g green tea powder

• Knead all the ingredients together, except the butter.
• Add in the butter after gluten has developed.
• Continue to knead till the dough reaches the window-pane stage.
• Place in a lightly greased bowl, and let it proof till double in size.
• Punch down the dough. Cut into 3 portions. Round it and let it rest for 15 mins.
• Flatten and roll each portions like a swiss roll. Place in bread tin and let rise till it reaches 80% full.
• Bake at 170C for 45 mins. 

Pre-ferment dough - enough to make 3 loaves, using a 450g bread tin

300g bread flour
300g water
1g instant yeast

• Mix the yeast, using a mixer till it's well-dissolved into the flour (approx 15 mins).  
• Let it proof for 1 hour at room temperature. Put into the fridge for at least 16 hours before using.

I finally plucked up the courage to re-attempt a swiss roll.  It's because I've failed many times. Either the sponge is too dry, or it will end up looking like this - with holes in between.

This may seem like a fairly simple cake to make, but let me tell you "It's Not!" I always have problem with the "rolling" part, and each time, I waited in anticipation to unveil the parchment paper to see if my roll is ok. Hee hee... my perseverance finally paid off today.

so much better right?

This cake was made for my dear friend, who turned 30 yesterday. Though her celebration was spent like any normal day, I wonder about the conversations she held with herself, and how I would feel too when my time comes. I think it's easier said than done to embrace the new-found figure in our age... but time and tide waits for no man. Though I have aged, I believe there is also new-found wisdom and beauty. That's positive self-talk for myself!

I tried 2 recipes from 孟老師的美味蛋糕卷 - the chiffon method, and the whole eggs method. I found the latter too 'egg-y' for my liking, and the texture a bit denser. And it's more work, as I have to heat up the ingredients before beating it.

whole egg method - texture appears coarse

Still, nothing beats my favourite chiffon method. The texture is soft, and when the sponge fuses together with the whipped cream, makes a delightful sweet treat. 

chiffon method

I filled the cake with whipped cream, and decorated with buttercream. It's sinful! But what's a birthday cake without much cream?

Recipe:

Swiss Roll Cake

85g egg yolks (approx 4.5 eggs)
25g caster sugar
45g sunflower oil
45g fresh milk
85g cake flour

170g egg whites (approx 4.5 eggs)
85g caster sugar

Method

• In a large bowl, mix the sugar and egg yolks together. Add in the milk, followed by the oil and mix well.
• Add in the sifted cake flour, and mix well. Leave one side.
• In another bowl, beat the egg whites and caster sugar till stiff peaks form. Add in 1/3 to the egg yolk batter. Mix well before adding in the remaining egg whites. 
• Pour batter into prepared pan lined with parchment (I use a 11" by 14"). Bake at 170C for 15 mins or till the top turns brown. Leave to cool.

Filling

200g whipping cream
23g caster sugar

Method

• Whip the cream. When it starts to froth, add in the sugar slowly and continue to beat till stiff peaks form. 

If you are new to whipping cream or egg whites, here's a helpful write-up from Baking Sheet on beating egg whites. Same idea applies to whipping cream too.

Alright, so what's my thoughts about swiss roll? It's not so daunting now, having experienced some form of success. I'll gladly take it on again... haha if someone requests for it. For now, I have enough, till the urge comes back =)

I think it was love at first sight! Who wouldn't, when Pooh Bear can be so cute... in 3D form.

And after setting eyes on it, I just had to go online to buy the cookie cutter. But unfortunately, my excitement didn't last long... for my first attempt in making the cookie turned out quite disastrous. The above picture is one of those surviving ones, where Pooh's legs are intact. The rest either had legs that are "chopped off",  or had cracks on their faces (due to my poor rolling technique). Poor Pooh! Feels like I was torturing it.


It was only recently when I had left-over dough that I took out the cookie cutter again. Used a different recipe but faced the same problem again. Even when the dough was all firmed up, I had difficulty releasing the dough from the mould after cutting it. Maybe there are simply too many lines on the cutter. I'm not sure... but I have no problem with the dough using other types of cutters. In the end, I have to wait for dough to chill, cut, and try my best to unmould it without any parts coming off... It is exhausting!!!

the cookies cutter - can you see the lines? get imprinted too if I press too hard

These are the precious few that I made.

cheeky Pooh tries to sneak into the pic too

And I was thinking to myself that it would be a long long time before I used it again... till my sister came to my house, saw it, and got all excited. She was having fun biting off Pooh's head, and munching away happily. At that moment, I knew I'll be bringing out that cutter soon...

Butter Cookie Recipe
(adapted from Very Merry Cookie Party: How to Plan and Host a Christmas Cookie Exchange)

200g unsalted butter
160g caster sugar
1 egg yolk
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 tsp salt
280g flour

• In a large bowl, using an electric mixer, beat together the butter and sugar on medium speed until light. Beat in the egg yolk, then the vanilla and salt. On low speed, gradually beat in the flour just until mixed. The dough should be medium-stiff.

• Divide the dough into 3 parts, and roll each into a ball. Place each ball between 2 sheets of parchment paper / wax paper. Using your palm, flatten the ball into a disk, and roll out into a 1/4 inch thick. Chill dough for at least 30 mins, or until firm.

• Cut out cookies with cutters, using whichever shape you like, and transfer cookies to a baking tray (lined with parchment). Gather the scraps, reroll, chill and cut out more cookies.

• Bake cookies at 180C, until faintly golden. (Times vary depending on size of your cookies. I chilled all the cut-out cookies in the fridge first, and baked each tray for 10-12 mins.) Let cool on the baking tray for 1 min, then transfer to wire racks to cool completely.

I did have a special tool though - a cookie slate to ensure that the dough is of the same thickness. Helpful tips on using the cookie slat can be found here. I was lucky to find this at Daiso for $2, and my neighbour kindly helped to saw into the length I wanted.

It was a breeze to roll the dough with this tool... no more guess work or "aga aga" (in hokkien, it means estimation). Just a note on cleaning it, the wood shouldn't be soaked. Just have to wipe off the grease, or if you really can't stand not washing it, rinse lightly and let dry completely before keeping.

"Busy Busy Busy"- this is a quote by my Box-exercise instructor. He always say "You busy people need a stretch!" And this describes me for the week. For the past one week, I've baked close to 270 cookies - heart shape, star shape, and even a Pooh Bear design.  You must be thinking I'm crazy right? But before you go on to wonder if I've gone mad, I've NOT! It's because I was preparing for an event - Bryan's first month celebration. The cookies are meant as a gift for the guests.

Bryan is my good friend's baby boy, and today we are celebrating him! See how cute he is! Managed to catch him in action, as he gave a little stretch while sleeping =)

This is his handsome side profile! So much hair.. must be the envy of many parents!

And this is the final product - after 2 intensive days of baking.

ready from the oven

tags - designed by sis

box brimming with cookies

When I took up the challenge, I didn't know if I could make it. But within a week, my knowledge about cookies also grew with the amount I've baked. I'm now 'pally pally' with cookie doughs. We are like good friend, and I can tell it's mood (whether too stiff or soft), or how best to roll it to give even thickness.

And I've also grown to appreciate the marvel of the simple dough and its many creations. The dough is actually very simple to make, but the rolling and cutting out of the shape is no joke. I've learnt through the hard ways where you simply add more flour to prevent it from sticking together, but this will yield a tough dough... till I met my master - the Cookie Craft. Couldn't accomplish this feat without it!

Anyway, I'm going to have my well-deserved rest! Posting of the recipe and my other silly attempts will be up in the next post. Here's to a good weekend!

As the saying goes, "Looks are deceiving!" - and this is very true for these cookies.

Ok... perhaps it's my amateur photographic skills, and therefore I couldn't do justice to it. Never mind, let's take a closer look.

I can't quite describe the shape, but according to the author, this is how it should looked like.

I've people commenting how come it's not soft, like those from Subway. Yes.. that may be the natural association, as Subway has made famous the oatmeals. I stood my ground though, that these are  unique, made by yours truly, and nowhere comparable to those mass-produced biscuits.

I find those from Subway a tad too sweet... but I still eat them *guilty look* However, these crunchy ones takes oatmeal cookies to a different level, and I would even say there's no need to add raisins. It's good as it is (really!)

Recipe: (from 猛老師的１００多道手工餅乾）-  makes approx 12 large cookies
50g brown sugar
50g butter, unsalted
50g instant oatmeal
15g egg yolks
60g cake flour
25g icing sugar

Method:

• Melt butter and sugar in a bowl, using the double boiler method. *According to the author, one can switch off the flame once butter has melted; it's ok for sugar grains to remain

• Add in instant oatmeal. Mix well. 

• Add in the egg yolks. Mix well.

• Add in cake flour and icing sugar (to be sieved first). Mix till well-combined.

• Wrap the dough using clingwrap, and chill in fridge for 30 mins. 

• Once ready, roll the dough into a 20g ball, and place on baking tray. Using your palm, flatten the dough till it's about 7-8cm. *Be careful not to make the sides of the cookies too thin 

• Bake in pre-heated oven at 160C for approx 25 mins. 

Helpful tips I picked up from the book:
One has to pay close attention to the color of your cookies. Not good to stick to one temperature, which should always be adjusted depending on how fast your cookies are browning.

I find that the bottom tends to brown faster.  Will switch to top heating when that happened.

You can always refresh cookies by baking it at a low temp (about 120C) for a few mins. That will make it crunchy again, as sometimes cookies absorb moisture from the environment.