ChineseNewYear
Showing posts with label ChineseNewYear. Show all posts
Showing posts with label ChineseNewYear. Show all posts

[Recipe] Pineapple Osmanthus Tart Recipe Using Oven

 


Pineapple Osmanthus Tart Recipe Using Oven

Yields: 28 pieces, each 40g

Ingredients

Tart crust
(A)
280g plain flour
4 tbs corn flour
4 tbs icing sugar
40g custard powder (see photo below)
a pinch of salt
200g butter, cold and unsalted
4 tbs dried osmanthus flowers

(B)
2 egg yolk, beaten
4 tsp cold water/ milk

(C) Egg wash
1 egg yolk, beaten
1 tsp milk
1/4 tsp oil

Filling
500g pineapple jam, ready-made
7 tsp dried osmanthus flowers

Directions

1. Sieve all the ingredients in (A), except the butter, into a cold mixing bowl.

Tips: I usually use a metallic mixing bowl to keep the bowl cold for a longer time.

2. Add the cold butter and gently rub the butter onto the flour until the texture become like fine breadcrumbs. Take care not to overwork the dough.

Tips #1: This is called the rubbing-in method and a crucial point is to keep the batter cold during the process. As such, do use plastic gloves while rubbing so that less heat from your hands is transferred. Use the tips of your fingers too.

Tips #2: Also, use butter that is cut into small pieces so that you can finish the rubbing process faster while keeping the mixture cold.

3. Add the egg yolk and gently knead to form the dough. To bind the dough, add a little cold water/ milk (bit by bit) until you get the desired texture.

4. Divide the dough into 2 portions. Wrap in 2 cling-wrap batches and chill for at least 30 min till they become firm.

5. Meanwhile, prepare the pineapple jam. Taking out the required amount from the ready-made pack, roll the pineapple jam into balls of 16g each.

6. Preheat the oven at 160 degrees for 5 min.

7. By now, the dough should be firm enough and ready. Roll into balls of 24g each.

8. Roll each ball out flat and wrap the the pineapple jam balls inside.


9. Put into the mould.


10. Brush a layer of egg wash.


11. Bake the pineapple tarts on oven at 160 degrees for 15 min. If you like it more golden-brown, continue for another 5 min.


12. Cool the pineapple tarts well before storing in an airtight container. Enjoy!

Tips: You can store them for up to a week at room temperature, but I would recommend that you put them in the fridge as there are no preservatives. Enjoy!


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[Recipe] Yuzu-Orange Yogurt Cheesecake using Blender and Airfryer


Cheesecakes are one of my husband's favourite cakes. It is creamily indulgent, so it is no wonder why this classic rich cake is so hard to resist.

Nonetheless, cheesecakes can be relatively fattening, so I usually bake this healthier version which replaces the heavy cream with Greek yogurt. I like how the resultant cake is still rich and its creaminess is not compromised. The biscuit base adds a nice crunch too.

As this recipe makes use of the blender* (I use the Ninja Power Blender CB 352) and the drizzle is made from store-bought marmalade, I also call this "The Hedgehog's Lazy Healthy Cheesecake". The hardest part about baking this cake is chilling it overnight and resisting from taking a bite.

While this cake is relatively easy to prepare, it requires some advanced planning as its preparation needs to be split into 3 parts: the base, filling and topping. So do start baking it earlier (especially if you require it for a party) and read my tips in blue to help you along.

He says that this cheesecake is one of his favourites amongst my various cakes and loves how the yuzu-orange drizzle adds a refreshing dimension to this otherwise "heavy" dessert. Try this too and let me know your COMMENTS below! :)

* You can still use a mixer for this recipe.



Yuzu-Orange Cheesecake using Airfryer
Makes a 7inch/ 18cm cake

Ingredients
(A)
▪️ 160g digestive biscuits
▪️ 70g unsalted butter

(B) - All at room temperature
▪️ 400g cream cheese (I only use Philadelphia!)
▪️ 130g sugar
▪️ 2 eggs
▪️ 200g plain Greek yogurt
▪️ 2.5 tsp vanilla extract
▪️ 35g top flour/ cake flour

(C)
▪️ 1 tbp yuzu marmalade (feel free to substitute with any other citrus-flavoured ones)
▪️ 2-3 tbsp orange juice

(D)
▪️ 3 mandarin oranges, sliced (I prefer the mini ones)

Directions

(I) Crust
1. Preheat airfryer at 150 degrees C for 5 min.

2. Blitz the digestive biscuits in a blender using "pulse" mode, until the biscuits become fine crumbs.


3. Add the butter and combine well, until the texture resembles wet sand.

4. Line the base and sides of the springform pan. Spread the biscuit mixture across the pan and press it down well. Chill for 30 min. Remove from chiller and bake it in the airfryer at 150 degrees C for 5 min. Set aside.

(II) Cheesecake Fillings
5. Add (B) into a blender. Blend just until the ingredients become smooth. This should take only a maximum of 3 minutes. During this process, open the lid a few times to scrape down the sides and check on the mixture's consistency.

Tip #1: It is a must for all the ingredients to be at room temperature, otherwise the cheesecake will turn out lumpy or over-blended. I would usually take out the ingredients for 2 hours before baking. Otherwise, you may also warm the ingredients up in the microwave oven until the cream cheese has softened.

Tip #2: Do not over-blend this mixture! Otherwise many mini bubbles will form and the cheesecake will not look smooth. 

6. Pour ingredients into the pan with biscuit base. 

Tip #3: If there are some bubbles, run a fork slowly across the mixture and tap the pan on your table-top gently several times.

7. Cover the cake pan with an aluminum foil and poke some holes. Bake in the airfryer at 150 degrees C for 30 min. Remove the foil and continue baking at 135 degrees C for another 5-10 min. 

Tip #4: To check if the cake is ready, shake the cake gently. If it is slightly jiggly, it will be ready. Don't insert a toothpick into the cake! *grin*

8. Cool the cake for at least 2 hours. 

9. Cover with cling wrap and chill it in the fridge overnight. 

If you can't resist and just want to enjoy your cheesecake now, feel free to do so as it is actually ready to be served! 

Tip #5: To release the cake, run a knife along the inner side of the cake before releasing the latch.

Tip #6: To ensure that each piece is sliced cleanly, dip a knife in warm water and wipe dry with a clean cloth before slicing the next piece.

(III) Yuzu-Orange Drizzle
10. Combine (C) together and stir well. The amount of juice required depends on how thick your marmalade is. 


11. Decorate your cake with the orange slices and pour a generous amount of yuzu-orange drizzle over your slice when serving. Enjoy!

Tip #7: Remove as much of the orange pith as possible. No one likes having a stringy texture in their mouth while having their cake! 



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[Recipe] Red Dates and Longan Cake Using Airfryer


The red dates and dried longan, as star ingredients, lend a very Oriental feel to the entire cake. As such, I have chosen this to be my latest Chinese New Year-themed recipe. I usually bake a cake for my parents for CNY because of its significance (the 糕 in 蛋糕 sounds like 步步"高"升). What do you usually give them when you visit them to 拜年?
 
I like how moist this cake is and this is overall an easy recipe. The sugar level has been reduced, so don't worry about the calories if you are eating this with your festive snacks. 😜

Enjoy your cake over sips of Chinese tea. Comment below to tell me how your cake turns out!

Red Dates and Longan Cake Using Airfryer 
Yield: 1 loaf cake (6.5 X 3 X 3 inches)

Ingredients
(A) Dry ingredients
40g cake flour/ top flour
90g almond flour
1/2 tsp baking powder

(B) Wet ingredients
100g butter, softened
65g caster sugar
2 eggs

(C) Others
30g red dates, deseeded
20g dried longans

Directions
1) Preheat.
Preheat airfryer at 160 degrees Celcius for 5 minutes.

2) Combine.
Combine the dry ingredients together.

3) Combine.
Beat butter and sugar together. Mix the eggs in, one at a time.

Tips: The mixture may curdle, don't worry it's okay.

4) Chop.
Chop all the red dates (except 3 pieces) and dried longans into small pieces. For the last 3 red dates, half it.

5) Combine.
Make a well in the centre of the dry ingredients. Add the wet ingredients, red dates and dried longans (except the 6 pieces of red dates that were halved). Fold the mixture until just combined.

Tips: Do not overmix.

6) Pour.
Pour the batter into the baking pan. Place the remaining 6 pieces of red dates on top for decoration.

7) Bake.
Cover the pan with aluminium foil and poke some holes. Bake in airfryer at 160 degrees Celcius for 30 minutes.

8) Check.
When ready, open the foil and use a toothpick to check for doneness. With the foil removed, continue baking the cake for another 5 minutes so that the cake can achieve a golden-brown colour.

Enjoy!




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[Recipe] Red Bean Soup Dessert using Pressure Cooker


Red bean soup is a common Cantonese dessert, available at many dessert stalls or restaurants. Red beans, sometimes known as azuki beans, are good for improving heart health and digestion,  balances sugar levels in the body.

Some recipes call for the use of rice or glutinous rice to thicken the dessert, but my mum uses oats. It's definitely a healthier version!

Below is my recipe using the pressure cooker. My mum uses traditional boiling and takes around 1 hours but I take half her time. Either way, both contain the same nutritional benefits! :) 


Recipe: Red Bean Soup Dessert Using Pressure Cooker

Ingredients (Serves 4)
120g red bean
30g dried longan
30g sugar
20g oat
10g lotus seed - optional 
2 dried tangerine - optional 
1 litre water

Directions

1. Prepare tangerine peel.
Use a knife to carefully scrape away most of the white pith on the inside of the peel. The while pith is bitter, so we don't want that. :)

2. Prepare lotus seed (if using).
Soak lotus seeds for 30 minutes. Split each into half and remove the black germ in between. 

3. Pressure Cook.
Add the red beans, lotus seeds, tangerine peel and water into the pot. Pressure cook on High for 20 minutes. Quick release when it is ready.

4. Prepare oats.
Meanwhile, add some (boiling) hot water to the oats. Stir and set aside.

5. Add remaining ingredients.
Open Pressure Cooker lid. By now, the red beans would have softened dramatically (see below). Add oats, longan and sugar. 


6. Saute.
Saute on HIGH for 5 to 10 minutes. Stir. 

Enjoy! Serve hot or cold. The dessert will thicken further as it cools. 

Ninja Foodi OP300 Multi-Function Cooker
If you need recommendation for a pressure cooker, I use the Pressure Cooker function of Ninja Foodi OP300. This all-in-one kitchen gadget can pressure cook, steam, slow cook, sear, saute, air crisp, bake, roast and grill. Very useful! Find out more about it on the Ninja Kitchen's webpage. Quote <HEDGEHOGFOODI>  to get this at a special price of S$374.25 (U.P. S$599). 

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[Recipe] No-Sugar Peach Gum Dessert Using Pressure Cooker



The peach gum dessert is one of my family's most favourite dessert. Costing at just a fraction of the price of bird's nest, peach gum allows collagen to be easily absorbed into the body. This recipe is pleasantly sweet yet also does not require sugar, because I rely on the dried longans and red dates for their natural sweetness.

I recently started using the Ninja Foodi NP300 Multi-Cooker and the pressure cooking function has been a real time-saver, cutting cooking time to just one-third. Below is the Pressure Cooker version of my recipe, but if you would like to prepare this dessert via traditional Boiling, please refer to this recipe instead.

Ingredients from "A Healthier You"

Most of the ingredients in this recipe are available at the local wet market or Chinese medical halls. For convenience, you can also purchase them from A Healthier You, a Singapore-based online health store selling herbs, herbal tea blends, herbal soup packages and floral teas.

In particular, I like how large A Healthier You's wolfberries are. Their peach gums also contain very few black impurities and I really like how this saves me a lot of preparation time and effort (compared to other brands). 

PS: A Healthier You packages all their items in a pretty gift box, so it's suitable for gifting. Quote <HEDGEHOG 10> for 10% off. Free delivery is available for purchases above S$70.


Recipe: No-Sugar Peach Gum Dessert Using Pressure Cooker

Ingredients (Serves 4)
30g peach gum (桃胶) 
15g lotus seed
45g longan
40g red dates
20g wolfberries/ goji berries
800ml of water
Rock sugar (only if required)

Directions

1. Soak peach gum.
Soak the peach gum overnight.

2. Prepare lotus seed.
Soak lotus seeds 30 minutes. Split each into half and remove the black germ in between. 

3. Pressure Cook.
Add the lotus seeds, longan, red dates and water into the pot. Pressure cook on High for 20 minutes. Quick release when it is ready.

4. Remove impurities.
Meanwhile, remove the black impurities from the peach gum.

Tips: Using a toothpick helps me dig out those small black bits easier.

5. Continue boiling.
Add the peach gum. Continue pressure cooking on High for 3 minutes. Wait for natural release.


6. Add the wolfberries.
Add the wolfberries. Stir for 5 minutes. Enjoy!


Ninja Foodi OP300 Multi-Function Cooker

If you need recommendation for a pressure cooker, I use the Pressure Cooker function of Ninja Foodi OP300. This all-in-one kitchen gadget can pressure cook, steam, slow cook, sear, saute, air crisp, bake, roast and grill. Very useful! Find out more about it on the Ninja Kitchen's webpage. Quote <HEDGEHOGFOODI> to get this at a special price of S$374.25 (U.P. S$599). 


Tried this recipe? Tag us your photos and stand to be featured!

Follow me for more recipes:

www.facebook.com/thehedgehogknows

www.instagram.com/thehedgehogknows (Look out for videos on my IG Highlights "Peach Gum Dessert")
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