Breadmaker Hot Dog Buns

I have no idea why I have never post this too, now that I am staying thousands of miles away from home I miss those hot dog buns from the HDB bakeries...Really there are so many things we take for granted in SG.
I make these every week, sometimes twice a week and they are always welcomed with Oooo and Ahhhh from my SG neighbours haha...We must be really homesick!!! My family will be leaving US soon and my house is almost empty now...I have to bake these before I sell my breadmaker away!!! I adapted the recipe from here

What You Need:
150g cake flour
150g bread flour
2g salt
5g active dry yeast
60g sugar
125ml milk
1 egg
50g butter
1 egg yolk + 2tbsp cold water for glazing

Filling:
9 hot dogs

Topping:
Shredded Parmesan

What To Do:

1. Add all wet ingredients (except butter) into the breadmaker pan
2. Add dry ingredients leaving yeast last
3. Make a little well in the flour mix and add yeast into the well.
4. Start the breadmaker to DOUGH function and press START
5. After 5 mins, add butter (cubed) in
6. Restart the cycle after about 30mins.
7. Once the cycle is completed (about 130mins after restart)
8. Preheat oven to 180C
   
9. Take out the dough and divide them into 60g
10. Wrap hot dogs with the dough pressing the edges firmly together
11. Brush with egg wash, sprinkle cheese and bake for 20mins.
    

Winter Plum Blossom Flower Flaky Mooncake

I know Mooncake festival is over in some part of the world but being in US, it's our turn to celebrate ; ))
Made these today with thr remaining lotus paste, I must say I prefer this over the snowskin ones.

Snowskin Mooncakes

Being far from home makes me miss my family more especially during festive season. And this year I decided to make some mooncakes to ease the longing....
What You Need:
150 koh fun (which I can't find in where I stay, I dry fry 150g glutinous rice flour instead)
150g icing sugar
50g shortening
2 drops pandan paste
180ml ice water

Filling:
600g lotus paste
melon seeds (optional)

What to Do:

1. Divide lotus paste into 30g balls and set aside
   
2. Fry glutionous rice flour for about 5mins. Set aside
   
3. Sieve icing sugar and glutinous rice flour into a big bowl
4. Add pandan paste into water (to get a even colour)
5. Add shortening to the flour mixture, mix well. Add water a bit at a time. Stop when you manage to form a soft dough.
6. Divide dough into 25g ball. Flat it
   
7. Place lotus paste ball onto the dough and cover it with dough
8. Flour the mooncake mold and gently push the unformed mooncake (from 7) into mold
9. Press mold firmly and push mooncake out...

A good mooncake is said to have a ratio of 40% skin weight and 60% filling weight...I think a good mooncake is made with LOVE ; )) What do you think?

Tomato, Mushroom with Mozzarella Tart

I have been blogging for more than 2 years now, it started as a blog to keep Hub & my overseas friends in the loop but I find it harder and harder to do that now esp when my son takes up almost 100% of my time. It has become a blog where I keep all my recipes, so that I will not forget how to prepare these dishes! You will be surprised how many times I refer to my blog when I bake, I can't remember most of the measurements ; ))
Anyway, I made this for lunch and it is definitely a keeper! Simple, fast lunch you can fix for that unexpected guest ; p

What You Need:
(Recipe adapted from here)

1/2 sheet of puff pastry, thawed
1/2 roma tomato, thinly sliced
About 4 white or brown mushrooms, thinly sliced
1/4 cup mozzarella cheese, grated
2 tbsp 6 cheese
1/4 cup red onion, diced finely
1tsp salt & pepper
Dash of dried parsley

What To Do:

1. Set oven to 400F
   
2. Add a little oil & red onion in a microwavable bowl, microwave on high for 2 mins. Remove and set aside
3. Place pastry sheet on a non stick pan, bake for 10 mins or when it starts to puff like this,4. Add topping, onions(drained) & cheeses,
   

5. Brush with the oil that was microwaved with onion
6. Bake for about 20mins or till brown
7. Serve while hot!

Curry Puff Eggrolls

I got this idea while making the Avocado Eggrolls that day, since the eggroll wrapper actually taste like 'Epok Epok' so why not make curry puffs with it?? So I came up with my own curry filling...
Here's my 'secret recipe' ; P
All wrapped up and ready for frying!!! It tastes GREAT!!!

Cheesecake Factory Avocado Eggrolls

Cheesecake Factory is one of my favorite restaurant here in US. If I am financially capable, I would love to franchise it back to Singapore ; ))
This is their signature appetizer *YUM!!* & it is really simple to make....I will just post the recipe for the eggrolls, the recipe for the sauce comes later. (Actually the difficult part is making the sauce)
Here's the recipe for the eggrolls (makes abt 8)

What You Need:

1 avocado, sliced abt 0.5cm thick
About 8 sundried tomatoes, sliced
4 shallots, diced
1 handful of cilantro, cut into 1" in length
About 1tsp salt
About 1 tsp olive oil
8 eggroll wraps

What To Do

1. Mix all the ingredients (except wrap) together
2. Lay the eggroll wrap on a flat surface
3. Spoon about 2 tbsp of ingredients onto the wrap. Wrap & seal with some water
4. Deep fry it for about 5-8mins or golden brown
   

Sweet Bacon Jerky (Bak Kwa Style)

Pardon the picture, I have to shoot this with my little guy clinging on to my pants.
This is oily, fatty, sinful but VERY GOOD!!!! Yes, Sinfully Good ; )) Thanks for sharing S!
Plus it is so easy to do compared to Bak Kwa, I am going to make this for Chinese New Year from now on....

What You Need:
1 lb (abt 495g) thick cut, rindless bacon( cut into halves, lengthwise)
6-8 cloves garlic, smashed with the side of a knife
100g sugar
4 tbsp honey
1 tbsp light soy sauce
1 tbsp dark soy sauce
1/2 tbsp sesame oil
1 tbsp fish sauce
1 tbsp Huatiao wine or any rice wine
3/4 cup water

What To Do:
1. Mix all the ingredients (except bacon) in a microwave proof bowl.
2. Microwave for 1 min and stir till sugar dissolved. Let it cool completely
3. Add bacon into the mixture, make sure it is fully submerged. Marinate overnight or more than 12 hrs
4. Bake them at 365F for 10 mins
5. Switch oven to Broil (500F) and broil till brown abt 8 mins
6. Cool and enjoy!!

Note: Stay close once you switch to Broil as it burns easily..

Choco Almond Nuts

Made this with recipe from my favorite blogger Grace of Piggy's Cooking Journal. It's super yummy! Try it...; p