Hungarian Crepe / Palacsinta

Since discovering this recipe from No Salty, a Hungarian food and recipes site, I have already made it twice. These are not as thin as crepe but the texture for me is spot on, a bit chewy , just the way I like it!

Palacsinta
https://www.nosalty.hu/recept/edes-palacsinta-alapteszta

Ingredients (at room temperatureÖ
makes : 12 crepes
3 eggs
4 Tbsp sugar (I used only 3)
1 sachet vanilla sugar
a pinch of salt
12 Tbsp of flour
480ml milk
50ml cooking milk


Just follow the video included in the link above for instructions.

Rosette Cookies / Kuih Rose / Kuih Loyang / 蜂窝饼

I was gifted with the rosette mould last year, tested it and it wasn't successful. For Chinese New Year, I thought I give it a go again and have to say I am getting the hang of how it works. I am happy with the results.

Recipe : https://mykitchen101en.com/how-to-make-thin-and-crispy-honeycomb-cookies-kuih-loyang-rosette-cookies/

Chocolate Babka

Hungarian Fried Bread { Lángos II }

Over the years I have tried to recreate the nation's favourite street food at home, with so-so but acceptable (to me) results. See https://cookingeasttowest.blogspot.com/2015/11/hungarian-fried-dough-langos.html and https://cookingeasttowest.blogspot.com/2016/05/native-american-fried-bread.html

Am glad I found this following recipe which is easy and comes with video instructions.

Hungarian Fried Bread { Lángos II }
via https://www.nosalty.hu/recept/igazi-strandos-langos
Makes 4 regular-size / 7 mini-size

300gm Bread flour
10ml lukewarm milk
150ml water
25g fresh yeast
1 tsp salt
1 tsp icing sugar

Topping suggestions
3 cloves of garlic, mince
200ml sour cream
200gm cheese

Method :-
1) In a cup, add lukewarm milk, fresh yeast and icing sugar for 10 mins. to activate the yeast.
2) In a bowl, sift in bread flour and salt, make a well, add in the proof yeast and about 150ml of water. Mix it well and let it rest for an hour at a warm place covered with kitchen cloth.
3) Heat up vegetable oil to deep fry. Tear a ball off the dough, stretch it (see video in link given) and fry until golden brown.
4) Serve hot , top with topping of choice.

Chinese New Year : Peanut filled pockets { Kok chai }

We're 11th day into Chinese New Year but these deep-fried snacks had finished long ago! :D

These turned out as I remembered, crispy with sweet peanut filling. I couldn't stop munching on them.

Kok Chai

Recipe via Malaysian Chinese Kitchen
serves :  32 mini puffs

Ingredients

For dough

300g all-purpose flour 

0.5 tsp salt  

120ml vegetable oil 

160ml water

For Peanut Filling

½ cup (75g) raw peanuts 

2 tbsp (18g) sesame seeds  

¼ cup (53g) sugar

• Instructions
  

  Filling

  1. Toast peanuts in a small fry pan over medium heat for 3 to 4 minutes until lightly brown. Remove and allow peanuts to cool. Coarsely chop or grind peanuts.
  2. Toast sesame seeds in the same pan for 1 to 2 minutes until lightly brown.
  3. Combine peanuts, sesame seeds, and sugar in a medium bowl. Mix well and set aside.

  Dough

  1. Combine all-purpose flour (rice flour, if usinand salt in a large bowl. Make a well in the center. Pour vegetable oil into the well. Mix with a spatula. Slowly add water a little at a time to form a soft, non-sticky dough. You may or may not require the full ⅓ cup (80ml) water.
  2. Remove the dough from the bowl and knead on a clean work surface for 3 to 4 minutes. Form dough into a ball and place it back into the bowl. Cover with a towel and allow dough to rest for 10 minutes.
  3. Remove dough from the bowl and shape into a cylinder about 12 inches long. Cut dough into 16 equal size pieces.

  Forming the Mini Puffs

  1. Take a piece of dough and shape it into a circle of about 2½ inches in diameter by rotating and flattening the edges. Place a teaspoon of filling in the center.
  2. Fold the dough into a semi circle. Seal by pressing and pleating the edges together. Repeat with the remaining pieces of dough.

  Frying the Mini Puffs

  1. Heat about an inch of vegetable oil in a wok to fry everything at one go or a small saucepan to fry in batches.
  2. Deep fry mini puffs over medium low heat for 4 to 5 minutes or until golden brown. Remove and allow mini puffs to drain in a metal strainer.
  3. Allow kok chai (mini peanut puffto cool completely before storing in air tight containers for up to 2 weeks.
   

Native American Fried Bread

This fried-bread looks very much like the Hungarian Lángos. However, the Hungarian version is leaven using yeast. While this Native American version uses baking powder ; which makes the process faster. Of course, there are difference in taste too.

For testing purposes, I have reduced the ingredients to a third of the original.

Native American Fried-Bread
via The Pioneer Woman

1 cup All-Purpose Flour
a pinch of salt
1 tsp Baking powder (slightly rounded tsp)
1/4 cup milk
water as needed
Lard or shortening , for frying (I used vegetable oil, will try lard the next round)

Instructions

Stir together flour, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl. Stir with a fork as you pour in the milk; keep stirring for a bit to get it to come together as much as possible. Add just enough water to get it to come together. Cover the bowl with a dish towel and let it sit for 35 to 45 minutes to rest.

When you're ready to fry the bread, heat about 1 to 2 inches shortening/lard in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Grab a plum-sized piece of dough (or larger if you want larger fry bread) and press it into a circle with your fingers: place it on a clean surface and begin pressing in the center and work your way out, stretching it as you go.

When the circle is about 4 to 7 inches (however big you want it) carefully drape it into the skillet. Allow it to fry on one side until golden brown, about 1 minute, then carefully flip it to the other side using tongs. Fry it for another 30 to 45 seconds.

Remove the fry bread to a paper towel-lined plate and allow it to drain while you fry the other pieces.

Serve warm!

Baked Honey mustard chicken wings

One of my go-to chicken wings flavours is honey mustard. It's quick and perfect as finger/party food.

Baked Honey Mustard Chicken Wings


Ingredients
Chicken wings
Honey
Mustard
Ketchup
Soy sauce
Garlic powder
Salt
Pepper

Method
1) Pre-heat oven at 190-200˙c
2) In a zip-lock bag, place chicken wings, sprinkle salt, pepper and garlic powder all over chicken wings or to taste. Next drizzle honey, ketchup, mustard and soy sauce all over. Close the bag, massage the bag to combine the wings with seasoning and spices. Let it sit in the fridge for min. 30 mins.
3) After 30 mins. line a baking tray with baking sheet, place chicken wings one by one on to tray sans marinade. Bake for 20 mins. brush each wings with marinade, sprinkle on the sesame seeds and bake for another 15 mins. or until fully cooked.
4) Serve immediately.

Peanut butter chocolate rice cookies

Peanut butter is my weakness. I'm not kidding , I could eat a few teaspoons a day! Before the jar got finished, I decided to make these cookies for the husband to snack when he has to eat dinner late.

I kept these in the freezer and each morning I thaw 2 pcs. for him for his afternoon snack. This way, the cookie softens in the centre.

Peanut Butter Chocolate chips Cookies

Coffesions of a baking sheet

Ingredients

1 1/2 cup flour

3/4 tsp baking soda

3/4 tsp salt

113gm butter , room temp.

3/4 cup brown sugar

1 large egg, room temp.

1 tbsp vanilla

1/2 cup creamy peanut butter

1 1/2 cup chocolate chips/chunks/rice

Instructions

1. In a medium bowl mix togther flour, baking soda and salt set aside.
2. In the bowl of an electric mixer cream butter and brown sugar for 3 minutes. Add in egg, vanilla and peanut butter, mix for another 2 minutes. Add in flour mixture and fold in chocolate chunks. Chill dough for 1 hour then preheat oven to 350˙F/180˙c/Gas 4 and line a baking sheet with baking sheet.
3. Bake for 8-10 minutes. I like to take cookies out when they look almost done and let sit on pan for 5 minutes then transfer to wire rack to cool completely.

Jamie Oliver Roasted Pork Belly {燒肉}

The last time and also the first time I roasted Chinese-style pork belly was in 2007! Although nothing wrong with the recipe and the taste, I failed in achieving the crackling skin. So, when this week the pork belly goes on sale, I thought why not try a different recipe and see how it goes. 
The verdict : I did it, I  achieved the crispy crackling! Also, seasoning with just salt and pepper were the perfect way to eat this. I'll definitely be using this recipe again!

I've since made this recipe several time and will be my go-to roasted pork belly going forward.

Jamie Oliver Roasted Pork Belly
adapted from Jules Food 

for 2-3 pax

Ingredients
600gm pork belly
Sea / kosher salt
fresh ground pepper

Method
1) Pre-heat oven 220°c / Gas 7
2) Clean pork belly and pat dry with kitchen towel. 3) Start by scoring pork rind, in a criss cross manner, 1cm apart. *Do not score to deep, just until the fat not meat*
4) Rub salt all over the scored skin well. Get rid of excess salt.
5) Season the underside of the meat with salt and ground pepper.
6) Place pork belly, skin side up on baking dish. Bake in the oven for 1/2 hour until the skin of the pork has started to puff up and you can see it turning into crackling.
7) After 1/2 hour, remove pork belly from oven and reduce temperature to 180°c/Gas 4. Put pork belly back into oven and cook for another 1/2 hour. *At this point, you may add onion, garlic, any vegetables and herbs to roast*  8) After the second 1/2 hour, remove pork belly again, baste the drippings on pork belly and put it back in the oven to cook for final 15-20 mins. or until meat falling apart.
9) Let it rest before serving.

Quick and Easy Donuts

Quick & Easy Donuts
Source : Ste/ A te recepted Sep 2011
Makes 12-16 donuts
Ingredients
150gm plain flour (changed to 130gm)
pinch of salt
1 sachet x 10gm baking powder (half baking powder + baking soda)
1 egg
150gm yoghurt, natural flavoured (changed to 1x130gm tub)
Oil for frying
To serve with dips
sweet option Good quality fruit preserves/jam or dust with powdered sugar,
savoury option sour cream and grated cheese
Method
1) Whisk together  egg and yoghurt, then mix in flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Mix until well combine. Let it rest for 10 mins. Meanwhile , heat oil in frying pan
2) Make sure oil is hot enough, or it will be too greasy. Use a spoon to scoop out batter and fry 1.5 mins. each side until golden brown. Drain fried donuts on kitchen paper.
3) Serve while still warm with preferred dipping sauces.

Coconut and Cinnamon Granola

Granola is not normally featured in my diet, but I have to give this recipe a try as it seems pretty easy to make. This smelt heavenly when baking in the oven, and of course was very yummy with yoghurt, frest cherries and sunflower seeds. Will definitely make it again!

I halved the following recipe which yield a 450g-jar.

4 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
2 cups sweetened, shredded coconut (mine wasn't sweetened ; so, I sprinkled some demerara sugar)
2 cups sliced almonds (didn't add any when baking , instead sprinkle sunflower seeds when serving)
1 1/2 cups dried cherries, chopped (used fresh cherries instead)
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/3 cup good honey
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

Preheat the oven to gas mark 3.
Toss the oats, coconut, almonds, and cherries together in a large bowl. Pour the vegetable oil and honey over the oat mixture. Add the cinnamon, and stir with a wooden spoon until all the oats and nuts are coated with the liquids. Pour onto a sheet pan. Bake, stirring occasionally with a spatula, until the mixture turns a nice, even golden brown, about 25 to 30 minutes. (I baked for 25 mins.)
Remove the granola from the oven and allow to cool, stirring occasionally. Store the cooled granola in an airtight container.

Rough Puff Pastry

This could not get any easier. It's light and takes only a few folding as compared to real puff pastry. A real keeper.

Notes :-
1) I've adjusted the quantities of ingredients to base on 100gm of butter; which yielded 12 mini cones.
2) I've mix, rolled and folded 3x and left dough in fridge for at least 1/2 hour , following one of the reviews.

Rough-Puff Pastry
via BBC Good Food

Ingredients

250g strong plain flour (changed to 150g regular plain flour)

1 tsp fine sea salt (a pinch)

250g butter, at room temperature, but not soft (100g butter, frozen and cubed.)

about 150ml cold water (about 60ml very cold water)

Method

1. Sift the flour and salt into a large bowl. Roughly break the butter in small chunks, add them to the bowl and rub them in loosely. You need to see bits of butter.
2. Make a well in the bowl and pour in about two-thirds of the cold water, mixing until you have a firm rough dough adding extra water if needed. Cover with cling film and leave to rest for 20 mins in the fridge.
3. Turn out onto a lightly floured board, knead gently and form into a smooth rectangle. Roll the dough in one direction only, until 3 times the width, about 20 x 50cm. Keep edges straight and even. Don’t overwork the butter streaks; you should have a marbled effect.
4. Fold the top third down to the centre, then the bottom third up and over that. Give the dough a quarter turn (to the left or right) and roll out again to three times the length. Fold as before, cover with cling film and chill for at least 20 mins before rolling to use.

Baked spring rolls

On Chinese New Year, my family would make spring rolls; a favourite of mine because I love fried foods. Chinese spring rolls as far as my knowledge goes, is deep fried. The spring roll wrappers could be bought at the wet market or the frozen section of the super/hyper market. These wrappers are moist and must be kept moist until ready to use unlike the dry rice wrappers for the Vietnamese spring rolls.
For this occasion, since the Chinese spring roll wrappers are not available to me, I've used the Vietnamese dried type. Filling for spring rolls for me growing up only consisted of carrots,jicama, dried shrimp stir fried. I've noticed many add mince meat but. that is completely up to you. Just make sure the fillings are not too wet.
Once stir fried vegetable and meat have been cooled. Pre-heat oven at 180°c.
Soak Vietnamese spring roll wrapper one wrapper at a time in cold water, lay flat and fill it up with filling. wrap. brush with cooking oil. place on baking tray with parchment paper. Repeat process until fillings is finish. Once wrapping done, sprinkle sesame seeds on top of each spring roll. Place in oven and bake for 15 mins. check if the skin is crispy. if it is, then it is done. Otherwise, keep baking until skin is crisp.
serve hot with any Asian dipping sauce of your choice.

Home-made pot stickers { Gyōza } { 餃子}

 

I've halved the following recipe which yield 20 wrappers

Gyoza Wrapper Recipe

via justonecookbook

Author: Namiko Chen

Serves: 42-44 wrappers (thin wrappers)

Ingredients

240gm plain flour

½ tsp. salt

120 ml just-boiled water plus more if necessary (should be around 120 - 150 ml)

You will also need:

Potato starch (corn starch) for dusting
3" (8 cm) cookie cutter

While for the filling, I've just followed a rough guide from this video.

Mixed nuts mookcake 月饼

Pardon the indelicate looking mooncakes :D If you couldn't tell, they were supposed to be rose shape! For a while, it looked great until I egg-washed it and return it to the oven for the second bake.
Never mind the shape, because I am very happy with the results seeing that this is my first ever batch of baked mooncakes :) As highlighted in the title, after baking these need to sit for two days in a container before the date of serving.
As per usual, I've combined 2 recipes for this bake. Here are the links and I suggest you go direct to the links for detailed tutorials as the texts below are mainly for my future reference.
 
Mixed Nuts Mooncake
Ingredients
For the pastry
via Kirbie's Cravings
100 grams all purpose flour
60 grams golden syrup (I used Honey)
1/2 tsp alkaline water (forgotten to get this at the store, so I've mix a little water with baking soda)
28 grams vegetable oil
1 egg (for eggwash)
 
1. In a large bowl, mix the golden syrup, alkaline water and oil. Sift in the flour and stir until all ingredients mixed. Gently knead the dough with hands until it comes together. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and let dough rest for 40 minutes. *Note : 20 mins. into resting time, start pre-heating the oven at 180°c/350°F/Gas4.
2. Take 35 grams of dough, roll into a ball, then flatten with a rolling pin. Roll until dough is very thin and big enough to wrap around the 65 gram of filling. Take 65 gram of filling, make into a ball and put in the center of the dough. Wrap dough around the filling until it is a thin layer covering the entire filling, and seal dough around filling. You may need to roll and maneuver the dough a little to completely cover the filling. One side of your dough ball will be somewhat lumpy from connecting the ends together. The other side should be smooth.
3. Place mooncakes on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or silpat mat, spacing about 2 inches apart. Bake for about 20-25 minutes. About five minutes before mooncakes are ready, remove and quickly brush the mooncake tops with egg wash. Place back in oven and bake until golden brown, about 5-10 minutes.
4. Let mooncakes cool. Place in container and let sit for about 2 days. This will allow the mooncake skin to soften and become darker and developer a shiny exterior from the oils being released.

For the filling
via youtube  Helena's Recipes
Ingredients (makes 4x200g cakes; or 10x100g, or 8x150g cakes)
*For the filling*
150g mixed nuts, roughly chopped
100g candied lime peel, roughly chopped
100g candied orange peel, roughly chopped
50g ginger jam
150g Chinese sausages, fat rendered and diced
4 tbsp sesame seeds
1 tsp sesame oil
3 tbsp cooked glutinous rice flour
3 tbsp simple/corn syrup
Since I couldn't exactly find all items listed in the filling above, mine consist of these :-

Easy shortcrusrt pastry biscuits

This is a great nibble for parties and for family and friends who are visiting. You should also check out the link below to see how the recipe creator uses the dough to make sweet treats.
 
Easy shortcrust pastry biscuits  
translated from Web Cukrászda
 
Ingredients
150gm unsalted butter, cold
250gm flour
pinch of salr
5-7 Tbsp cold soda water
egg yolks, for egg wash
sesame seeds, grated cheese etc as garnish
 
Preparation :-
1) Pre-heat oven at 190°c.
2) Freeze butter for about 15 mins.
3) Pour flour in a glass bowl, sprinkle in a pinch of salt, grate over (medium size) frozen butter on to flour. Use a fork or your fingers, combine the mixture until it resembles large of bread crumbs. Make a well in the middle, add in little by little cold soda water, knead until mixture just combine, do not over work it!
4) You can rest the dough for 15-20 mins. in the fridge or immediately roll it out. *I rested it.
5) Roll out dough into the thickness of 0.5cm. cut in to desired shapes. brush egg wash. Sprinkle your chosen garnish.
6) Bake in the pre-heated oven for around 12-16 mins. or until golden brown and crispy.
7) Keep in air-tight container to maintain crispness. What I did was freeze them in freezer safe bags until I need it. Just defrose on serving plate about 1 hours before guests arrive. and reheat in low oven for 5 mins.

Savoury Chinese 5-spice doughnut { Ham chim paeng }

Deep-fried savoury doughnut is typical hawker fare back home; which is usually consumed in the morning or during tea.time. To make this deep-fried savoury doughnuts at home has been on my to-try list for the longest time! I'm so glad that it has been crossed-off from the list.
Please visit My Kitchen Snippets for the recipe.

Hungarian Fried dough { Lángos }

Yes! I finally decided not to be lazy anymore and venture into making lángos at home. It is not difficult at all! Just like making pizza, except it is fried. Don't get me wrong, I'll still be buying ready-made ones from my Sunday market. However, if you need to feed or serve a hugh crowd doing it at home, will be more economical.
Lángos
Via visitbudapest.travel
300 g all-purpose flour, sifted
7 g dried (instant) yeast
250 ml water (*** I used luke warm)
1/2 teaspoon salt
sunflower oil (for frying)
toppings: sour cream, grated cheese, garlic
Method
1) Dissolve instant yeast in luke warm water. Set aside for 10 mins or until yeast has been activated (froth / foaming)
2) In a bowl, sift together flour and salt. Add in the activated yeast water. Mix together by using your hand or wooden spoon. The dough is very sticky! Just mix it until the dough is smooth and not stick to bowl.
3) Let the dough rest , covered, for 30-40 mins. or until the size of dough doubled.
4) Stretch out the dough onto a floured surface, into square shape. Cut rounds by using a round cutter of 10cm or any desired size. Stretch the round doughs a little , thinning the centre. Let it rest for 30 mins.
5) After 30 mins. Heat oil in deep fryer. Fry until golden brown.
6) Serve hot with the suggested toppings.
Updated : Oct 18, 2015
I've come across another easy fried dough recipe  ; which is fluffier and faster http://www.kingarthurflour.com/recipes/county-fair-fried-dough-recipe
2 cups King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour*

2 teaspoons baking powde 

3/4 teaspoon salt

2 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, in 1/2" cubes

3/4 cup lukewarm water

  Mix the flour, baking powder, and salt.

2) Work in the cold butter, using a pastry blender, your fingers, or a mixer.

3) Stir in the warm water to make a soft dough. Cover and let rest for 15 minutes.

4) Divide the dough into eight pieces. Working with one piece at a time, roll into a thin 5" round, about 3/8" thick.

5) Heat about 3/8" vegetable oil to 375°F in an electric frying pan, or in a pan over a burner. If you're using a 10" diameter pan, this is 2 cups of vegetable oil. If you're not using an electric frying pan, use a candy thermometer to take the temperature of the oil; or guesstimate it by seeing if the first piece of dough fries nicely in the time specified.

6) Pick up one dough disk, and carefully lower it into the pan. Let it cook for 60 seconds (it'll puff up on top and become light brown on the bottom), then flip it over and cook until light brown on the other side, about 60 seconds. You don't want to cook these too dark; they'll become overly crisp.

7) Remove from the oil and set on a paper towel-lined baking sheet. Place in a 200°F oven to keep warm while you make the remaining fried doughs.

8) Serve warm, with maple syrup or cider syrup; confectioners' sugar, or cinnamon sugar; or the topping of your choice — some folks enjoy a savory version, with marinara sauce and cheese.

Yield: 8 servings.

Baked turmeric and curry chicken wings

I had defrosted some chicken wings but has absolutely no inspiration what to do with them. Based on the main gravy going with it (carrot and parsnip sauce) I've decided to pair the sauce with turmeric as carrot and turmeric have been proven to pair well from experience. This turned out Good!

Baked Turmeric and Curry chicken wings

Ingredients
Chicken wings, cleaned

Marinate, quantity not exact, sprinkle the spices all over making sure each wing will be well coated
ground cumin
turmeric
curry powder
chilli powder
garlic powder
salt
black or white pepper
yoghurt, just enough to coat the wings

1) Marinate chicken wings in the fridge for minimum 30 minutes
2) After 30 mins. remove chicken wings from fridge and start to pre-heat oven at 200°c/400°F/Gas mark 6.
3) Let oven heat for 20 mins. while wings sit in room temperature.
4) Once oven is hot enough, place chicken wings on greased baking tray in one layer.
5) First bake for 25 mins. and remove from oven. Increase to gas mark 7 and flip wings over and bake for another 20 mins. until skin is browned and crispy and you're ready.

Salty short bread

Salty Shortbread 

Source : No salty
Time : kneading + freeze 30 mins. + bake 20 mins. + rest 1 hour

Ingredients
For dough
200gm butter, melted - warm not hot!
100ml whipping cream
375gm plain flour
2 egg yolks
8gm salt

For Toppings
1 egg yolk, for egg wash
seeds of choice (sesame, poppy, sunflower) or
grated cheese

Method
1) In a bowl, combine salt and plain flour and set aside.
2) In another bowl, mix warm melted butter with whipping cream and egg yolks. Add in the flour/salt into wet mixture. Knead until just come together. Do not over knead!
3) Roll out dough to about 0.5 to 1cm thickness, depending on your liking. Place on a sheet and let it set in freezer for 30 mins.
4) When dough has been rested for 10 mins. Start pre-heating the oven at 200°c.
5) Remove dough from freezer after 30 mins. and let it defrost a little. Cut dough into desired shapes and sizes. Glaze with egg yolk, sprinkle with your choice of topping(s).
6) Bake in pre-heated oven for about 20 mins. or until golden brown and crispy.
7) Let it rest for at least 1 hour before serving.