Radish

Seeing my friend, Sharon and upon hearing that she always made steamed radish cake (law pak ko) and have favourable feedbacks, must be good, curious and never made it before, I give it a try.
Following her guidelines and recipe from Do What I Like's blog, and manage to did one on saturday night.
Before I made this, I surf the website and there's various way of making it and I choose the easiest method and made a slight alteration to the original recipe. I have put in some "tung mien fen" in the flour mixture.

The next day, I slice it and pan fried on a non-stick pan without oil, tasted and it was yummy and the recipe was a keeper. Let Sharon try in the afternoon, she said it's the same as hers. I have passed. Thanks Sharon & Thanks Florence :)

Holely Marble

Have a busy preparation for CNY and on the eve I baked 3 fruitcakes, one marble cake and 2 prune cranberry butter cake and all was given away. And I was exhausted to do any cake and start preparing for a meal for a gathering on the second day of CNY. Too busy to take pictures for my blog.

Try again to bake a marble cake and for a very long time did not bake this, until my cousin requested for it. I was envy on Yochana's marble cake that has a very neat and even swirl, I guess it must be the technique of putting in the batter. This time round my marbling was so much better than the last time which have blotch of patches.

I have a holely marble cake today, gusss I didn't bang the tray to release the air. When there's is a imperfection in the things that you do, maybe you can tell the character of the person, "ran ran lai" or impatient.....

Gathering

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Yesterday went to a family gathering, and they requested for mee siam and they commented that it taste better than last year. I dunno know because when each time, I prepare the same dish, I will use a slightly different method in frying. I don't have a specify recipe, I just estimate but I like to put in alot of small and big onions in my chilli paste. Glad they like it.




At the same time, I bake a surprise cake for them. this time, I baked and assemble y Black Forest Cake in a square form. It's a practice for me and in a hurry to bake the cake, I forget to put in the butter, luckily the cake still rise and taste okay.

Preparation

Went to defu lane to buy ready made pineapple paste, made some pineapple tarts with it, bought some to office and my collegues like it. I am quite happy with the pineapple paste, it was not so sweet and the paste has a nice yellow golden colour.

My first pineapple tarts, I tried to crimp a rose, find it need a little bit more effort, for me alone, I would rather roll like a pillow, it faster in this way for me to make to give to my parents and siblings.

Decision

Next sunday, going to have a family gathering from my husband side. Normally, we would have a gathering during Christmas and Chinese New Year. Last Christmas, there's is no meet up and my sister-in-law suggested for an earlier gathering for CNY as the actual day, they are at overseas.

My husband suggested for me to cook mee siam, I don't like to do the same thing everytime. I told him, I go and do guo tie and see whether is it passable for a presentation next week. Looks like not so bad, but boring to do alone.



Earlier in the afternoon went Giant Tampines to do marketing, and bought the minced pork, I don't really like it, it's was too fine and I can't taste the texture of the meat. It's was not easy from the start when wrapping the dumplings but as I do through midway, I find it to be easier. No doubt the dough was a simple ingredients of flour and water, I like the texture, it's chewy. My hushand comment that I should put in more koo chye.

Never give up

It's a long time, I have not tried baking Kueh Lapis since I have failed baking in this quite a number of years ago. Since the spirit is in the air, tried baking again and after the 3rd try, I manage to achieve this after seeking advice from some friends. thank you.

Ist try, went to bake with grill on fan mode, result bottom overbake and top damp, put on my thinking cap, think it is, tried again 2nd time with grill no fan and reduce the temperature to 200 degrees, doesn't work, oil oozing out, result oily cake. This time round, after seeking advice on how to handle the oven, the cake much drier and the taste is more robust but there's is still a need for a little improvement.

Will be one of the items to my mother for CNY, she will be very happy, one of her favorite.

crossant dough