Butter Cookies

My kids fell in love with Winnie the Pooh after visiting Hong Kong Disneyland.  After looking high and low, I have also managed to find the Pooh & Piglet cookie cutters so here are the Pooh and Piglet cookies!!! 

Ingredient:
100g butter, softened at room temperature
80g caster sugar
1 egg yolk
180g cake flour
20g corn flour


Method:
1. Sift cake flour and corn flour together and set aside.
2. mix sugar to the butter and cream till the mixture turns pale and fluffy.
3. Add in egg yolk and mix well.
4. Add sifted flour mixture in 2 ~ 3 additions, stir w/ spatula to form a soft dough.
5. Place dough in a plastic bag and flatten with rolling pin.
6. Refrigerate the dough for about half an hour.
7. Remove dough from fridge. Roll out dough on slightly floured work surface (at this moment the dough may crack) If the dough appears to be a little to hard and breaks into pieces while rolling, leave it at room temperature for a few minutes. The dough will soften up and can be rolled easily.
8. cut out with slightly floured cookie cutters.
9. Bake at pre-heated oven at 175 degC for 15 ~ 20mins.
10. Let cool and store in air-tight container.

Japanese Cheesecake

I have made japanese cheesecake many times. The main differences between this cheesecake and a standard baked cheesecake is that the Japanese version is crustless, it uses less cream cheese, and that it has a whole lotta whipped egg whites for lightness. It is super, super fluffy!   Below are some I have baked. :-) 

Ingredients:
250g cream cheese
50g butter
100ml fresh milk
60g plain flour
20g corn flour
6 egg yolks
1 tbsp lemon juice
¼ tsp salt
6 egg whites
¼ tsp cream of tartar
140g fine granulated / caster sugar

Method:

1. Whisk cream cheese, butter and milk in a bowl over a pot of water.
2. Cool the mixture.
3. Beat in egg yolks and lemon juice. Fold in flour and mix well.
4. Whisk egg whites until soft peaks form. Whisk in cream of tartar and sugar.
5. Fold in egg white into cheese mixture
6. Pour into cake pan (do not grease pan) and bake in pre-heated oven (180 degrees) for five minutes and lower heat to 160 degrees.
7. Bake for an hour. Remove from oven and invert cake pans onto a cooling rack.
8. Leave to cool for 30 minutes before releasing cake from pan.

Egg Tarts

I love Egg Tart since young.  It's a must when I go "Yum Cha".  Below are Hong Kong style egg tarts with the shortcrust pastry.  I must find some time to try out Portuguese egg tarts with the puff pastry. I love the crust to be crispy & the egg custard to be soft.

(Make about 10-12 egg tarts)

Ingredients for the crust: 

225 gm plain flour

125 gm butter (soften)

55 gm sugar

1 egg (whisked)

1/4 tsp of vanilla extract

Method:

1. Cream the butter and sugar till is smooth, fluffy and light in color.
2. Add in whisked egg, half at a time and vanilla extract, mix well.
3. Sift in flour and make sure all ingredients combine well. Knead into dough.
4. Roll out the dough to a 1/2 cm thickness.
5. Cut and Line dough in the middle of tart tins, one by one.
6. Lightly press the dough with your thumbs, starting from the bottom then up to the sides.

Ingredients of custard:

3 eggs

110 gm caster sugar

225 gm hot water

85 gm evaporated milk

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Method:

1. Add sugar into hot water, mix until completely dissolved.
2. Whisk egg with evaporated milk. Pour in sugar water. Mix well.
3. Sift egg mixture to get rid of any foam.
4. Carefully pour egg mixture into the tart shell.

Baking: 

1. Preheat oven to 170C.
2. Bake tarts for 10 to 15 minutes until the edges are lightly brown.
3. Once you see the custard puffing up, pull the oven door open about 2 to 3 inches.
4. Then bake for another 10 -12 minutes until the custard is cooked through.