Chinese New Year Greeting ~ 2015 Year of the Ram

May the Year of the Ram brings you plenty of

good health, abundance of wealth, 

 much joy and cheer

Happy Chinese New Year

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German Butter Cookies CNY 2015

These cookies certainly do not need much introduction as they have been circulating among food blogs for quite some time, more so at this time of the year.   I've bookmarked this since last year and only had the time to make them now.  I made some plain ones as well as marbled ones. There are other flavours as well but for the time being, I can only make do with these.  Also this will be my last post before I take a break to celebrate the Lunar Chinese New Year with my family, relatives and friends.

Recipe for German Butter Cookies   德式酥饼    (adapted from 'here' with slight modification)

Ingredients

• 250 gm butter
• 80 gm icing sugar (sifted)
• 250 gm potato starch flour
• 130 gm plain flour
• 1.1/2 tsp Valrhona cocoa powder (sifted)

Method

1. Sift potato starch flour and plain flour, set aside.
2. Beat butter and icing sugar till fluffy.
3. Fold in the sifted flours, mix well.
4. Let dough rest for 15 mins.
5. Take 1/4 portion of dough and mix with the cocoa powder.
6. For the plain ones, just pinch some dough, roll into a ball and place on a parchment lined baking tray.
7. For the marbled ones, take a pinch of cocoa dough and some plain dough, roll into a ball and palce on the baking tray.
8. Slightly press with a fork, dip fork in water after each press or two to prevent dough from sticking onto the fork.
9. Bake in 150 to 170 deg.C for about 15 to 20 mins.  No need to bake till brown.
10. Let cookies cool on a wire rack before transferring them into an airtight cookie jar.
11. Yield :  108 cookies, depending on size.

Wishing all my readers and friends, a

 Very Prosperous, Healthy, Wealthy and Successful Year of the Ram and may your days be filled with much joy, peace and laughter

  I'm linking this post to Best Recipes for Everyone Jan. & Feb.2015 Event:  Theme

My Homemade Cookies by Fion of  XuanHom's Mom and co-hosted by

Victoria of  Baking Into The Ether

also to

'My Treasured Recipes #5 - Chinese New Year Goodies (Jan/Feb 2015)' hosted by

Miss B of  Everybody Eats Well in Flanders and co-hosted by

Charmaine of  Mimi Bakery House

and to

Cook and Celebrate : CNY 2015, Yen from Eat your Heart Out,
Diana from Domestic Goddess Wannabe and Zoe from  Bake for Happy Kids

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Black Russian Bundt Cake ~ 尔罗斯黑蛋糕

This Black Russian Cake gets its name from the famous cocktail made with Vodka and Kahlua, a coffee flavoured liqueur.   As with most liqueur soaked cakes, this cake is very moist and delicious. Although I modified the recipe a  bit, as in cutting down the sugar and the cocoa, the cake was incredibly good and the coffee liqueur gave it a rich and unique flavour.  The cake tasted much better upon 'maturity', the next day.  A keeper recipe for sure!

Dig in!

Recipe for Black Russian Bundt Cake ~  尔罗斯黑蛋糕   (adapted from 'here' with modification)

Ingredients


• 7 oz plain flour
• 2.1/2 oz cornflour
• 1.1/2 oz milk powder
• 4 Tbsp cocoa powder  (reduced from 6 Tbsp)
• 1 Tbsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 9.1/2 oz caster sugar (reduced from 14 oz)
• 2 oz butter
• 3/4 cup + 2 Tbsp vegetable oil
• 3/4 cup milk
• 1 Tbsp vanilla
• 4 large eggs
• 1/4 cup Vodka (I substituted with water)
• 1/3 cup Kahlua
• 1/4 cup Kahlua to drizzle
Method


1. Grease a 10 cup Bundt cake pan, dust with some cocoa powder, set aside.
2. Sift flour, cornflour, dry milk powder, cocoa powder, baking powder and salt into a mixing bowl.  Add in sugar and mix well.
3. Add butter, oil, milk and vanilla to the dry ingredients.
4. Beat with a mixer till batter is smooth.
5. Add eggs till well combined.  Add in Vodka/water and Kahlua, mix evenly.
6. Pour batter into the prepared Bundt pan and bake in a preheated oven @ 165 deg. C for 45 to 50 mins.   Let cool in pan for about 25 mins. before inverting onto a wire rack to cool.
7. Wash the Bundt pan and when the cake is cool, put  back into the pan and poke holes on the surface of the cake.
8. Drizzle on the Kahlua.  Let the cake mature in the pan, overnight.
9. Unmould the cake, drizzle on some icing sugar or snow powder.  Serve.
I'm linking this post to








Cook and Celebrate : CNY 2015, Yen from Eat your Heart Out,
Diana from Domestic Goddess Wannabe and Zoe from  Bake for Happy Kids


and to





the  'Little Thumbs Up' event, the theme for Februray is 'Cocoa'
organised by Zoe of  Bake for Happy Kids and Doreen of  My Little Favourite DIY  and 
hosted by  


Grace of  Life can be Simple

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Mocha Muffins ~咖啡满芬

Today I'm sharing with you a two flavoured muffin and undoubtedly coffee and chocolate is a perfect match.   To give more oomph to these muffins I added in some chocolate bits and these mufins are best served on the day of baking.

Recipe for Mocha Muffins ~ 咖啡满芬  ( adapted from 'here' with modifications)


Ingredients

• 1/2 cup Buttermilk
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 cup oil
• 1/4 cup black coffee
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 225 gm plain flour
• 10 gm unsweetened cocoa powder
• 120 gm brown sugar
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
• a pinch of salt
• 100 gm coarsely chopped lightly roasted walnuts
• 100 gm dark choc bits

Method

1. Sift or whisk flour with cocoa powder, salt, baking powder and bicarbonate of soda.  Mix in the brown sugar and chopped nuts.
2. With a hand whisk eggs, buttermilk, oil, coffee and vanilla.
3. With a spatula, fold  the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients.  Add in the choc bits.  Fold till just combined.
4. Using an ice cream scoop, scoop the batter into the paper lined muffin cups and bake in a preheated oven at 190 deg. C for 18 to 20 mins.
5. Yield :  12 muffins

I'm linking this post to the  'Little Thumbs Up' event and the theme for Februray is 'Cocoa'

organised by Zoe of  Bake for Happy Kids and Doreen of  My Little Favourite DIY  and 

hosted by  

Grace of  Life can be Simple

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Pineapple Tarts ~黄梨塔 CNY 2015

Pineapple Tarts are available throughout the year in Malaysia and Singapore but they are most sought after and popular during the Lunar Chinese New Year.   They are a common sight in most Chinese households because it's symbolic to have Pineapple Tarts during this time of the year.  'Wong lai' in Cantonese and 'Ong lai' in Hokkien phonetically sounds like 'good luck comes'.  Hence, eating this cookie will thus bring forth good luck and prosperity.

This is not the melt-in-the-mouth type of pastry, it's crisp when fresh and will stay good even after being kept for some time.  You can also view my  other recipes on  Nastar and closed Pineapple Tarts from  'here' and 'here'.

Pineapple Tarts - 黄梨塔    (adapted from 'here')

Ingredients

• 100 gm unsalted butter
• 200 gm plain flour, sifted
• 60 gm icing sugar, sifted
• 1 egg yolk
• 1 Tbsp milk
• a pinch of salt
• pineapple paste

Method

1. Sift flour with salt, set aside.
2. With a handheld whisk, beat butter with icing sugar till creamy.
3. Add in egg yolk, mix well.
4. Add milk and fold in the sifted flour.
5. Mix to a smooth dough using a spatula.  Do not knead.
6. Cover with cling wrap and let rest for 15 mins.  (If too soft to handle, chill in the fridge).
7. Pinch about 10 gm of dough, flatten, put in some pineapple paste, roll up to whatever shape that you fancy.  Lightly slit the surface with a sharp knife to form a pattern.
8. Bake in a preheated oven @ 180 deg.C for 15 to 18 mins. till slightly golden brown.
9. Yield :  27 Pineapple Tarts

 I'm linking this post to Best Recipes for Everyone Jan. & Feb.2015 Event:  Theme

My Homemade Cookies by Fion of  XuanHom's Mom and co-hosted by

Victoria of  Baking Into The Ether

also to

'My Treasured Recipes #5 - Chinese New Year Goodies (Jan/Feb 2015)' hosted by

Miss B of  Everybody Eats Well in Flanders and co-hosted by

Charmaine of  Mimi Bakery House

and to

Cook and Celebrate : CNY 2015, Yen from Eat your Heart Out,
Diana from Domestic Goddess Wannabe and Zoe from  Bake for Happy Kids

Baca selengkapnya »