3D Blue Blossom Swiss Roll

This is my last swiss roll post in the month. Always loving the idea to get the fresh organic stuff from the gardens straightaway instead of buying the artificial food coloring for decorating my swiss roll today.

I’ve always fond of the image of  blue pea flowers as they are organic and beautiful at the same time. It’s a strong and recognizable image among all the green leaves. In my house's garden, I can find plenty of blue pea flowers in those creeper plant growing around. So when I was wondering how to make blue color on my cake, I came up with this idea quickly. Using the blue pea flowers as my decoration on the swiss roll as well as using its color to dye my whipping cream inside-neath.

Ingredients & Method

Refer to my previous post titled "Vanilla Swiss Roll" with extra Blue pea flowers

This little blue flower is common ingredient used as natural food dye for making kuehs such as pulut tai tai and nasi kerabu (Origin from Kelantan). Squeeze 10-15 flowers with 5 tablespoon of water. Knead then filtered, the water was ready to be used to give color to my whip cream. See the picture below - Freshly plucked from my home's garden..

I'm submitting this entry to this month's Aspiring Bakers #9 themed 'Swiss Rolling Good Times' hosted by 'Obsessedly Involved With Food' (Details here).

Triangle Swiss Roll

Wonder why all the swiss roll must be rolled into round shape since it is invented. Dare to be different, I creatively roll it into TRIANGLE shape without any triangle mold's help. I admit that it is extremely difficult which makes the unsatisfactory result.

Lesson learnt: I should use the butter cream or icing sugar to coat the swiss roll surface. It makes my swiss roll full of my finger prints (melted due to the weather) when I'm trying to cut it into slices. Anyhow, delighted with this first attempt -  triangle shape of swiss roll, at least something different and unique.

Ingredients & Method

Refer to my previous post titled "Vanilla Swiss Roll" with extra kiwi fruits

Below is the interesting Swiss Roll's history and background which excerpted from Wikipedia:
Interesting fact: Swiss roll is not origin from Switzerland even it sounds alike.

"A Swiss roll or jelly roll is a type of sponge cake roll. The thin cake is made of eggs, flour and sugar and baked in a very shallow rectangular baking tray, called a sheet pan. The cake is removed from the pan and spread with jam or buttercream, rolled up, and served in circular slices. The origins of the term "Swiss" roll are unclear and the cake originated in Central Europe and not Switzerland. It is a traditional German, Hungarian and probably Austrian type of cake. The shape of the Swiss roll has inspired usage of the term as a descriptive term in other fields, such as in optics."

Sorry for the rough look of my swiss roll below (I know it is not perfect), anyhow this swiss roll taste delicious, perhaps it is due to the freshness of kiwi fruit combination.

I'm submitting this entry to this month's Aspiring Bakers #9 themed 'Swiss Rolling Good Times' hosted by 'Obsessedly Involved With Food' (Details here).

For Hankerie: Something girly (Miow X3~~~)

Few more days to roll my swiss roll before July ends.. Tend to play with those natural colors as much as possible in the swiss roll with my own creativity. Well, today i plan to bake and contribute for my own website which almost reaching the 1 month anniversary. Thanks for my loyal followers and fans, your comments and constructive feedback really help me to grow further.

Ingredients & Method

Refer to previous post titled "Creative Strawberry Swiss Roll"

Specially drew for my own website named "Hankerie" and the result was satisfactory. For those who really keen to know how I drew these cute cartoon, I am using freehand to draw it by using mirror image. This Hello Kitty strawberry swiss roll uses natural strawberry puree, coffee powder and green tea powder. It is definitely healthy swiss roll albeit its appearance looks nice and tempting :)

I'm submitting this entry to this month's Aspiring Bakers #9 themed 'Swiss Rolling Good Times' hosted by 'Obsessedly Involved With Food' (Details here).

"Mad" about Macarons - Part 2

Here goes my second time of macarons baking. Learnt from my previous experiences, take note on how vital is the oven temperature is as well as the timing to let it dry out prior baking. Again, trying hard for my luck to make it a success, unfortunately it's yet to achieve the 100% success. It developed the small foot on the bottom of my macaron shells but still insufficient. See my chocolate flavour macarons below, anybody can give me the clue on why it still goes wrong?

"Mad" about Macarons

You might have noticed that I've grown quite fond of making French Pastries after came back from my Europe Honeymoon. This is Macarons part 1 because I haven’t actually achieved the perfect Macaron yet.  I’m determined I will, but until then I have to release my frustration in a blog post. Macarons are extremely difficult, be it the measurement, ingredients, timing or temperature. All closely related to each other. Difficult to get right, so if you can bake the perfect Macaron, you’re an awesome cook/chef in my eyes. I totally agreed that this pastry can really turns your hair white.  They make even well-experienced bakers scream in horror, believe me.

This is my 1st attempt to try out Macarons baking. From the beginning, it looks steady and nice, and I presume it will be a success until sending into oven and baked for 5 minutes. I still yet to see its feet to be developed, my heart sank from that moment on.

I have made a classic meringue beforehand, to perfection, so couldn’t understand why I couldn’t get the meringue for the Macaron to work. Why, oh why was I failing for my first attempt to develop its feet. :(
Mix feeling for now, mad (crazy) or mad (angry) on this macaron?

Cheese & Bacon Swirl Bun

I received a lovely note from one of my friend to request for the bread recipe of my first masterpiece of bread. Touched, and delighted to share with her on this 100% tested recipe.

With the knowledge of baking handknead bread, you can modify the toppings to suit your preferences and availability of ingredients.  For today, I topped the slightly sweet buns with a savoury topping of bacon and cheese. If you dislike sweet taste bun, you may reduce the sugar quantity and add on some salt instead.

As always, I also stuck to just making swirl buns today although the buns were flattened and folded a couple of times before being shaped into a ball and swirl. Sometimes, you will just bored eating loaf or round buns. It yields around a dozen of yummy cheese & bacon swirl buns

Snoopy lying on my Swiss Roll

I love the idea of swiss roll. Minimum ingredients, no complicated recipes needed after making it several times. Besides that, it only require 10 minutes baking time, be it dress it or not. It tastes superb in anyway. Play around with the flavours that I like as the choices are indeed unlimited. Today I made the choice for a healthier way to omit fattening whipping cream, and substitute it with my Paris's Natural Strawberry jam. For matching this red colour jam, I used green tea powder to make my Swiss roll body Green, which representing my Snoopy lying and relaxing on the field.

Ingredients & Method

Refer to previous post titled "Creative Strawberry Swiss Roll"

 Specially drew the Snoopy for my sister-in-law who loves Snoopy so much.


I'm submitting this entry to this month's Aspiring Bakers #9 themed 'Swiss Rolling Good Times' hosted by 'Obsessedly Involved With Food' (Details here).

Hankerie's photostream On Flickr

hankerie's photostream on Flickr.

Finally Hankerie is live with fresh looks!!! Join us @ Our facebook & Twitter.

"Mushroom Head" Milk Loaf

After posted so many sweet pastries blog entries, let's look at the bread making again. Today I really feel tired and lazy to write the long-winded blog. Sorry for keeping it short and sweet.

Here is my all time favourite - "Mushroom Head" Milk Loaf for breakfast. It is best served with jam or Nutella.




See the Bread slice texture's close up. It's extremely soft and fluffy.


Whoever would like to know more about its recipes, kindly drop me an email.

French Madeleine (Made in Malaysia)

I guess most of the Malaysian loves to eat our all-time favourite - "Kuih Bahulu" since young. It is a spongy and popular Malaysian little cakes, which made of mainly egg, sugar and flour. During my honeymoon to Europe last month, first time I tasted the delicious petite cakes in Paris which is so similar to this famous "Kuih Bahulu" ! Both has slightly different texture, crustiness and the after-taste.

I love how cute and tiny they are and just enough sweetness to satisfy my cravings. Madeline’s are Petite French cakes with distinctive shell shapes. Rich and buttery that are soft and moist with lightly crisped edge. Well, I'm thinking to make it coco or milo flavour next time. I guess it is the best companion for high tea and serve a cup of good coffee.

I have always been intrigued by these petits gâteaux élégante- tiny elegant cakes. After some research I learned the rich History and was inspired by folk legends and romance of Madeleines. In France, they are most often linked to the town of Commercy, in the region of Lorraine. A legend suggests King Stanislas Leszczynska sent the recipe for Madeleine to his daughter Maria following her marriage to Louis XV at Versailles. She named it for her father’s French cook, Madeleine. See more details here.

Since Ioving it so much, I bought this special silicon mold all the way from Paris to make my own French Madeline at Malaysia later. If you find any difficulties to find the molds below, just drop me the email to hankerie@gmail.com or click on this Shop page for more details.

Teddy Bear on Swiss Roll?

Do you spot the teddy bear on the swiss roll? The ones you see below is how my swiss rolls have evolved as my decorating skills improved from time to time. More exciting design coming soon, I'm really so into it now. If you can dream/name it, I want to make it onto a swiss roll!!!

Ingredients & Method

Refer to previous post titled "Creative Strawberry Swiss Roll"

See the swiss roll's top view

I'm submitting this entry to this month's Aspiring Bakers #9 themed 'Swiss Rolling Good Times' hosted by 'Obsessedly Involved With Food' (Details here).

Creative Strawberry Swiss Roll

With knowing the basic on how to make the swiss roll, I am now taking the new challenge to decorate it. As I always believe that art can be combined in these bake or food too, I decided to draw strawberry on my baked strawberry flavour swiss roll.  It really springs my childhood memory - I LOVE drawing.....



Recipe adapted from this basic of making swiss roll


Ingredients

Ingredients
26g Oil
3 eggs
26g caster sugar
1/2tsp Vanilla Essence
63g caster sugar
47g flour
Green & Red food coloring

Filling
whipped cream

See my swiss roll close-up


Method

1. Preheat oven to 200ºC.


2. Grease and line a Swiss roll tin.


3. Put eggs and caster sugar into a large mixing bowl and whisk until light and creamy (it should be very thick at this stage).


4. Sieve flour into mixture and fold very gently using a teaspoon.


5. Add on oil and vanilla essence.


6. Spilt the batter into 2 different bowls (1/4 - red colour and 1/3 porportion).


7. Scoop the 1/4 red colour batter onto the tray, bake for 1 minute. Remove from oven.


8. Pour the 1/3 remaining mixture into tray carefully.


9. Cook for 10-12 minutes until golden brown and springy to touch.


10. While cooking place a piece of greaseproof paper on a cooling tray and sprinkle with sugar.


11. When the sponge is cooked remove from oven, tip upside down on sugared paper and carefully remove paper from sponge.


12. Cut off any hard crusty edges. Spread with jam and roll.


13. Leave in paper for a few minutes before serving on a plate.

I'm submitting this entry to this month's Aspiring Bakers #9 themed 'Swiss Rolling Good Times' hosted by 'Obsessedly Involved With Food' (Details here).

Vanilla Swiss Roll

I’ve always wanted to make some Swiss roll and just so happen came across this month aspiring baker's challenge - Swiss Roll. Hence, I taking up this challenge even I’ve been told Swiss rolls are hard to make especially the rolling part. It’ll be a challenge…or a disaster…This is one deliriously joy for my first attempt to make swiss roll: a light vanilla swiss roll with whipped cream. This is best eaten with coffee.




Recipe adapted from this basic of making swiss roll

Ingredients

Ingredients
26g Oil
3 eggs
26g caster sugar
1/2tsp Vanilla Essence
63g caster sugar
47g flour

Filling
whipped cream

Method

1. Preheat oven to 200ºC.


2. Grease and line a Swiss roll tin.


3. Put eggs and caster sugar into a large mixing bowl and whisk until light and creamy (it should be very thick at this stage).


4. Sieve flour into mixture and fold very gently using a teaspoon.


5. Add on oil and vanilla essence.


6. Pour the mixture into tray carefully.


7. Cook for 10-12 minutes until golden brown and springy to touch.


8. While cooking place a piece of greaseproof paper on a cooling tray and sprinkle with sugar.


9. When the sponge is cooked remove from oven, tip upside down on sugared paper and carefully remove paper from sponge.


10. Cut off any hard crusty edges. Spread with jam and roll.


11. Leave in paper for a few minutes before serving on a plate.

I'm submitting this entry to this month's Aspiring Bakers #9 themed 'Swiss Rolling Good Times' hosted by 'Obsessedly Involved With Food' (Details here).

Cotton-like Chiffon Cake

What can I bake within 1 hour time??? Well, this kind of question always bothering me. Baking bread at least needs 4-5 hours (total baking & proofing time) but cake needs much shorter time. The best thing is I will have it for my rest of my days' breakfast. Generally, when talk about cake, you will think it is buttery and fattening but this little spongy chiffon cake has made me addicted to bake every week. The simple reason is chiffon cake do not contains any creaming of the fat and sugar because the fat is in liquid form (vegetable oil or you can substitute with olive oil. This moist and tender, light and airy cake that has the springy texture of a sponge cake. Chiffon cake below is my self-invented Pure Cadbury chocolate Chiffon Cake.




There are several useful tools for baking successful chiffon cakes despite relies on the whipped egg whites correct method. Description of the picture from left to right as below:

1. The removable chiffon cake tube pan (20cm in diameter suitable for 3-4 eggs recipe), central tube assured the even distribution of heat to the batter, resulting in cakes that cooked more quickly.


2. Non-sticky chiffon cake huge tube pan 26cm in diameter (depends on your batter percentage , normally use for 5 eggs and above recipe)

1. Cake tester to draw any line above your chiffon cake batter before baking or you may use it to test whether the cake is ready after baked.


2. Small spatula to remove it smoothly from chiffon cake tube pan. I found it is the vital tool.

If you find any difficulties to find these baking tools/molds above, I can help you to place order and send over to you. Just drop me the email to hankerie@gmail.com or click on this Shop page for more details.

Baking have become one of my favorite hobbies, specially to destress after a hectic day. Don't believe me? Give it a try.

Chiffon cake history: (Excerpted from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chiffon_cake)
The chiffon cake was invented in 1927 by Harry Baker, a California insurance salesman turned caterer. Mr. Baker kept the recipe secret for 20 years until he sold it to General Mills. At this point the name was changed to "chiffon cake" and a set of 14 recipes and variations was released to the public in a Betty Crocker pamphlet published in 1948.[1]