Hi!

I've not disappeared!  Just enjoying time as a mum and watching little "leaf" develop into a funny little, cheeky, lovable chappie!  So I apologise for not keeping you all posted! 

Minh's first birthday has come and gone and I will have to load up some photos of his grand day.  We decided to get caterers for the food but I made all the desserts.  This was a mighty affair!  We had: Lemon Cheesecake; Blueberry Cheesecake; Fresh Fruit and Cream Gateaux; Tropical Fruit salad (ok, this one was bought in!) and Minh's crowning glory, a 3-tier birthday cake!  Tiers were: lemon with homemade lemon curd, vanilla with homemade jam and to top, a gluten-free carrot cake with lemon butter icing!  I also made iced biscuits for the children's party bags!  Yes!  It was hard work especially as cakes cannot be made too far in advance!  Can you understand why we had caterers in now? 


Just thought I'd share a Steamed Bun recipe - it's a favourite of mine as it uses baking powder as the raising agent - not yeast which I find can taint the taste of steamed buns.  (I'm sure I'd promised to share the recipe?)  Little Leaf and Daddy Leaf enjoyed the buns and its lovely to see them sat on the bottom step opposite the door to the kitchen sharing a bun.  (Little Leaf doesn't eat the filling - he's a bit funny like that!)

Still not quite as white and cloud-like as restaurant buns but tasty all the same :)

Steamed Barbecue Buns

Ingredients:

Bun Dough

250 g (2.5 cup) Special Bun Flour  (I use chinese bun flour as the UK supermarket flour makes an off white dough and doesn't result in a white fluffy bun)

18 g (3.5 tsp) baking powder

45 g (3 tblsp) caster sugar

30 g (2 tblsp) white vegetable fat (Trex) or vegetable oil (or lard)

120 ml (1/2 cup) water (approx)

1/2 teaspoon white vinegar

Method:

• Sift flour and baking powder into a bowl add sugar and mix, rub in the vegetable fat/lard with your fingertips until evenly distributed. (If using oil, just add oil with the vinegar and water.)
• Add water and vinegar together and knead until a fairly soft dough.
• Shape into a ball and let it rest, covered, for 30 minutes.

To make the buns

• Divide the dough into12 portions.
• Mould each into a smooth ball.
• Roll each out on a lightly floured surface to a circle about 4 inches across.
• Put a heaping teaspoon of filling in the centre and gather the edges inward, folding and pleating to make a neat join.
• Twist dough to seal.
• Put each bun, join upwards, on a flattened paper cake case, in a steamer.
• Cover and steam for 15 minutes.
• Serve warm.

The filling for today's buns was Barbecue Pork -  I'm fortunate enough to have a supplier for this - also known as my mum, "Mrs Plum".  Here's how I made my filling:

Barbecue Pork Filling:

160 g barbecue roast pork (thinly sliced into 1cm sized pieces)

1 shallot (very finely diced)

100 g water

1.5 tsp Lee Kum Kee “Char Siu Sauce”

1 tsp oyster sauce

15 ml water

1 tsp cornflour

Fry shallot in a little oil, add finely sliced barbecue pork and fry gently for 2 minutes. Add water, char siu sauce and oyster sauce. Simmer for 3 minutes. Thicken with cornflour/water mix. Taste sauce for seasoning. Allow to cool slightly before using as bun filling.

Recipe adapted from www.recipezaar.com/11087

I will upload some piccies of the steamed buns later - the buns have disappeared so quickly I'm off to make another batch!

Hot steamy action!

I hope you are enjoying the festive period and are enjoying time with friends family and some great food!

My two taste-testers!  If the son & hubbs approve it must be good! :D

Lemon & Blueberry Macarons

Macarons are still all the rage in the baking world.  These little beauties look so cute but are difficult to master!  There are many recipes and blogs out there teaching you the basics but I think its something you probably need to see and feel to know you are getting it right. 

My first attempt was laughable.  More like an almond gooey cookie.  See I took some photos of shame - they are at the bottom of this post, Macaron Madness.

My second attempt I thought were great until I tried to peel them off the paper.  Hmmm...wet bases.  Also, they were rather flat.

You can just about make out the green tea mac's atthe back.  I split the batch and made two flavours.

Attempt number 3 was lemon macarons.  I need to practice the piping too!

Filled with lemon butter icing and a lemon curd centre - lemonicious!

Attempt number 4 was blueberry.  These were filled with fresh blueberry coulis and lemon butter icing.  These macaron shells I managed to cook perfectly but forgot to push in the 'tails' on my blobs.  These had an amazing chewy texture, the warm fruity gooey blueberry centre and a refreshing lemon flavour!  Oh my!  I can understand how people get addicted to these! :D

Blueberry & Lemon - these were soo good!  Again lemon butter icing but with a fresh blueberry coulis.

When I tasted the lemon one I thought, "Hmmm....nice."  After my teeth sank into the chewy macaron shell of the blueberry one and my mouth was filled with taste and texture sensations, a slow smile spread across my face.  "Yeah!  This is what macarons are all about!"  I've still yet to try a bought macaron.  They don't do them here in my town - I'd have to go to the food hall of Selfridges or Harrods in London I think.  But for now, these will do! ;)

Aren't they just cute?

Rhubarb Crumble Cake

I took Minh to a local farm last weekend as I'd been up since 8am and even though it was approaching lunchtime, Daddy had not surfaced.  The farm grows its own food to sell and use in the cafe and also to feed the animals on the farm.  The animals provide meat for sale in the farm shop and cafe too.

We had a lovely walk around (well, Minh did - he was in the baby carrier hanging off my shoulders!).  I wish I'd put on proper footwear that morning as flip-flops were not the best choice for a walk!

Anyway, I saw some lovely red rhubarb stalks in the farm shop - all grown on site.  I bought them thinking I'd make a crumble.  They sat at home for a week before I put them to good use.  I wanted something cakey but with a juicy rhubarb filling.  I came up with a Rhubarb Crumble Cake.

Sponge Base:
125g unsalted butter (softened)
125g caster sugar
2 free range eggs
125g self raising flour (sifted)
1 tsp vanilla extract

Rhubarb Topping:
200-250g rhubarb (about 2-3 stalks)
3 tblsp sugar (or to taste)

Crumble:
100g plain flour
75g butter (cold and cut into small cubes)
30g caster sugar

A little demerara sugar to sprinkle (optional)

Wash the rhubarb stems and chop into 1 inch/2 cm pieces.  Place in a saucepan with 2 tablespoon of water and 3 tablespoons of sugar.  Stir as the water boils then cover and simmer for 5 mins.  The rhubarb should be beginning to soften but you do not want it all to be mushy.  Taste and sweeten if necessary.  If too sweet, add a squirt of lemon juice.  Cake is sweet and so is crumble so a little tartness is ok, but not mouth-puckering!!  On to cake making!

Preheat oven to 180c/350f/gas 4.

Grease a 7x7 inch square non-stick baking tin (I'm sure a 8 inch round will be fine) with buttery paper.  Sprinkle some self raising flour in then tip the flour to coat the inside of the pan before banging the excess out.

Beat the butter and suager together until it is soft, light and fluffy.  It gets lighter in colour the more its whipped and gives the cake a lovely light texture.

Add the vanilla to the bowl.  Crack in one egg, add a tablespoon of the (measured) self raising flour.  Mix until just combined.  Add in the remaining egg, another tablespoon of flour and again, mix until just combined.

Change to a large metal spoon (so you don't bash out that lovely air you created when beating butter and sugar), tip in half the flour and fold in.  Then tip in remainder and fold in.

Spoon mixture into the tin and using the spoon spread the mix to cover the base and a little way up the sides (to keep the rhubarb in).

Blob in the rhubarb covering the surface as best you can.  There will be gaps don't worry!  If you put too much rhubarb in, you may get a very soggy cake!

Tip the plain flour in a bowl, add the cold cubes of butter in and rub with your fingertips until it forms crumbs.  Stir in the sugar.  Use the crumble topping to cover the rhubarb.  Sprinkle the demerara sugar on top.

Place in oven and bake for 35-45 minutes.  The edges of the cake will be brown and test the centre by poking a skewer in the middle.  There shouldn't be any sloppy cake mix sticking to the skewer. 

Leave to cool in tin for 10 minutes before turning out to cool on rack.  To turn out, loosen edges of cake with a palatte knife.  Place a plate over the tin and flip over the cake tim onto the plate.  The cake should plop out onto plate.  Remove the tin, place rack on the bottom of cake and flip back to right side.

And Taaa-Daah!  :)

I used double the quantity as I made one for my neighbours too.  The cake went down well with my hubby (Mr Leaf) and he has been taking chunks of it to eat at work!

Princess Doll Cake

I think I may have bitten off more than I could chew when I took on this cake order.   My friend asked me to make a pink & girly cake after seeing my Two-Tier creation and I jumped at the chance!  I suggested a Fairy Mushroom, Castle or Princess Cake.  The Princess won.

I've never made such a thing before but have seen a few on the internet.  Had no idea how I was going to 'dress' the doll so this was all off the cuff.  There are imperfections but by and large I'm glad I completed it.  It did take a staggering 4 hours to decorate!

I hope my friend is happy with the cake for her daughter!

As for me, well, I'm absolutely shattered so I bid you all goodnight!

Swiss Buttercream

Apologies for lack of posts....now Minh is getting older he demands more of my time and attention.  (It doesn't get any easier!!)  I can't always put him down and leave him to play as he will turn around, see I'm gone and cry.  Such a sad unhappy cry too.  It breaks my heart & I have to rush back to give him hugs!
I also found that I couldn't leave him on sofa anymore as he would lean over too far and roll off.  Too many times I've heard a Thud!  2 second silence.  Waaaah!  WAAAAAAAAAAH!!  He has rolled off bed too!  He is far too active! :0)

Anyway, since my last birthday cake (for my niece) I've received another cake order.  This time for my old school pal.  Her daughter will be 4 later this week and I've been asked to make a pink and girlie cake.  I've come up with a Princess Cake as I've wanted to make one.  Only thing is, there is a special bell shaped tin called a Tiffin' tin that is used for the dress shape.  I can't justify buying a tin for every shape and size so I thought I'd use a stainless steel mixing bowl.  Shape wasn't quite right.  I used a pound cake recipe (4 eggs) and it's not enough to fill the bowl.  Hence a flat slightly domed shape.  Like a bump rather than a dress.  Only way round it is to imagine the Princess is seated and the dress is fluffed out around her.  Well.  I can't disappoint an old school friend!  As I'm quite new to making cakes for orders I need to make sure each one is of a relatively high standard if I am to attract new customers and future orders.  So I was out today to buy a pudding basin.  

Cake is a better shape and is cooling right now.  I plan to sandwich with jam and buttercream, cover with buttercream and partially cover with rolled fondant icing.  My two-tiered cake used a French Buttercream which was buttery and rich.  As I used my own free-range eggs from my hens, the buttercream was lemon coloured.  I want a pale cream colour so decided to try Swiss Buttercream.  It is easier as there is less faff with boiling sugar syrup to certain temperatures and the result is light, fluffy and a pale colour.

Wendy (Table for 2)  has a great tutorial on Swiss Buttercream here.  I found her site a great source of information but I decided to use something a little more simple as I don't have to work with tropical heat and humidity here.  I used this recipe here. 



Buttercream is chilling in fridge and excuse me while I finish putting the cake together.  I PROMISE I will share with you the details of this Princess Cake (making it up as I go along really) and also the Mango & Strawberry Flower Cake I made as well as the Two-Tiered Birthday Cake!



Hope you all have a lovely Easter & don't eat too many chocolate eggs!

Birthday Cake - Mango & Strawberry Flower

I've just finished making the birthday cake for my niece's 2nd birthday.  The celebration will be tomorrow.  Technically, in around 12hrs time, but I always call it tomorrow if it's the early hours and I've not had my sleep yet.

I'll try and remember to take pictures of the yummy Vietnamese food my SIL & her auntie will prepare, but I often forget!

Here's the finished cake!

Don't even ask me where I'm going to put the candles!!!!

As you can see, I'm quite glad I didn't put the candles in yet as the cake only j-u-s-t managed to fit into the fridge!!!!

I took plenty of photos whilst cake making - including the errors I made and I'll do a post soon of how I made this cake.

Happy Virtual Feasting!

Quick Dinner - Roast Chicken

Last Friday I was in hospital for an operation to my right ear.  I have been suffering from hearing loss in that ear since my twenties and it is getting progressively worse.  It's now considered severe hearing loss.  Tinnitus,  humming and buzzing noises in my ear, are also what I have to put up with.  It can be a common problem in women after childbirth.

When I was first diagnosed with this problem a few years ago, I was not a mother.  It was unusual for a healthy person of my age to have such problems, especially as it had been giving me dizzy spells and vertigo on occasion.  In fact, it was because it had made me feel so unwell that it prompted me to go see my doctor.  After several hearing tests and even a scan (to rule out any tumours causing my hearing problem), I was diagnosed with Otosclerosis.  Hardening of the Stapes bone in the ear.  The Stapes bone is the smallest and thinnest bone in your body and it's job is to vibrate sounds up into the Cochlear (the snail shaped shell) in order for the brain to hear.  There is no explanation why I have this condition only that it is hereditary, although, I'm not aware who in my family has hearing problems.

It's not something that will get better, only worse unfortunately.  What may help is surgery to remove the Stapes bone and replace it with a plastic prosthesis.

I am recovering from surgery now and as a result need quick and easy dinner solutions.  Seeing Elin's recent post on Simple English Buttered Roast inspired me to make it for our dinner.  I had half a free-range chicken in the fridge needing to be cooked so it was a perfect opportunity.  I teamed the chicken up with roast potato & sweet potato wedges and cauliflower cheese.  Something simple for me to knock up in the kitchen and pop in the oven to feed Mr Leaf and myself.  I even mashed some of the cauliflower and cheese for Baby Leaf's dinner!  Thank you Elin for an inspiring and tasty dish!  Don't forget to visit her blog to see how the chicken was roasted!

I haven't been baking cakes or bread whilst recuperating but today is our niece's 2nd birthday and I've promised my SIL to bake a cake for the birthday girl.  It will be a fruit and cream decorated chiffon so nothing too strenuous.  Will post the creation when it's made.