Honeysuckle and Chrysanthemum tea 金银菊花茶

For the past one week, either I am feeling really sleepy or I have been getting migraine attack.  Not too sure whether it was due to having too much mooncakes as lotus is known as heaty food or because it was a burnout.

Once migraine hits me, it takes me 2 -3 days to be active again.  

Anyway, this Honeysuckle and Chrysanthemum tea 金银菊花茶 is supposedly help to dispel heat.  So decided to get this a try instead of popping pain killer pills.

Note: Do not drink this regularly as it is a cooling tea especially during menstrual period.

What you need:

4.5l water

30g chrysanthemums 菊花
5g honeysuckle 金银花

2 slices licorice

rock sugar to taste

Method:

Bring 2.5l of water with chrysanthemus, honeysuckle and licorice to a boil.  Lower heat and simmer for 10 mins.

Drain and continue to boil the remaining 2l of water and flowers and licorice again for 10 mins.

Sieve and stir in rock sugar.

Either serve cold or hot.

Chocolate Fudge Cake (Lana cake wannabe2)

During my school days, a classmate shared a Chocolate Fudge Cake recipe that is extremely close to the Lana's.  Unfortunately this recipe died together with a friend who borrowed it and never had a chance to return.

Since then, I have been on a constant look out for similar recipe.  I have tried this and this.  All claimed a wannabe but none yield close enough.

So when I saw this recipe posted in a magazine, I bookmarked it immediately but had been so busy that it was forgotten until my kiddos' birthday in August.

With a very good excuse not to procrastinate any longer as we are having a belated birthday celebration for my both kiddos.  I have no more excuses not to make time for it anymore as both my kids prefer chocolate cake.  

Though the fudge was not exactly similar to Lana's, it didn't taste mediocre.  In fact, my dad who hardly compliment, said it was nice.  As for my kids, they complained that it was not enough!

So here I am, attempting this, Chocolate Fudge Cake (Lana cake wannabe)  again.  Just to satisfy the craving.

Findings: The first time, I baked them into two 6" square pan and have 5 mini muffins size extra.  I also sliced them into three layers so that I have more fudge in between.

Overall, this cake is soft and nice.  I would highly recommend using good quality chocolate for this fudge.  

Source: 8 days

What you need:

A

85g Hong Kong Flour

170g Optima sponge cake flour mix

85g cocoa powder

½ tsp baking powder

¼ tsp baking soda

½ tsp salt

B

8 egg yolks

100g castor sugar

136g bran oil

145g water 

30g chocolate emulco

C

8 egg whites

½ tsp cream of tartar

100g castor sugar

Fudge frosting

3 cup water

6 tbsp hoon kwee powder

110g castor sugar

130 semi sweet chocolate, chopped

27g chocolate emulco

4½ tsp gelatin powder

½ tsp salt

Method:

Preheat oven to 160°C.  Greased and lined a 12" square pan.

Sift ingredients A into a bowl.  Set aside.

Beat egg yolks and sugar until it is pale and thickened.

Add in oil, water, chocolate emulco and continue to beat until well mixed.

Add flour mixture into egg yolk batter and beat on low speed until it is evenly mixed.  (approx 45 sec).  Set aside.

In another clean bowl, whisk egg whites and cream of tartar until foamy and add drizzle in sugar slowly and whisk until stiff peaks (approx 3 mins).

Fold ⅓ of the egg white meringue into the batter, mix gently until incorporated.

Add the remaining egg white meringue and fold gently until evenly mixed.

Pour batter into baking pan and bake for 30 - 45 mins.

Remove cake and cool in its tin for 10 mins before transferring onto rack to cool completely.

Fudge frosting

Place water into a pot, remove a ladle of it to a small bowl.

In the small bowl of water, add in hoon kwe powder and mix till it is dissolved.  Set aside.

Place the rest of the fudge ingredient into the pot of water, stir until it starts to boil.

Add in the hoon kwee mixture and whisk until it comes to a gentle boil and thickens.

Remove from heat and set aide to cool to room temperature.

Slice cake into half, and slowly pour enough fudge frosting to cover the layer of cake. Spread with spatula to coat evenly.

Gently place second layer of cake onto the first.

Gently pour the remaining fudge frosting over it.  Spread evenly with the palate knife.  

Place in the fridge to set completely.

Vanilla Snowskin Mooncake (soft after 3rd day)

Since my family prefers snowskin mooncakes, I have been collecting a good range of such recipes over the years.

This festive period, I was so busy with guests in town, nursing a sick mom and preparing a cake for my nephew that I couldn't attempt any of the new recipes that I bookmarked.  

Nevertheless, after 4 years of break, I was still able to complete it in time for his birthday.

Back to my moonies, since I have already bought the ingredients, I tell myself that I just need to squeeze in some time to make some Vanilla snowskin mooncake for my family as my girl has been requesting it since a few weeks ago.  

Thanks to my friend for giving a set of this mooncake mould, I promise next year I will fully utilise all.

Findings:  Really love the combination of vanilla with almond paste.  Plus the almond truffle another bonus.

This is my first time buying KCT mooncake premix and I must say it is really good as compared to PH.

Adapted from : here and here 

What you need:
yield 12 small mooncakes

25g kou fen 糕粉 plus extra for dusting

25g icing sugar
100g snowskin premix (KCT premix)
25g crisco
125g boiled pandan water (boil 300g or more water with 2 pandan leaves, leave to cool) and measure 125g) 

300g almond white lotus paste (KCT)
1 tbsp almond slice, toasted and chopped to fine nibs (optional)  I will increase this to 3 tbsp next round.
1 pod vanilla bean
Brandy Truffles

Method:


Knead the almond slice into the paste.  Divide into 21g balls.  (What I did was I weigh in the truffle and then add lotus paste to make up for the 30g)

Roll into a ball and flatten.  Wrap a brandy truffle.  Seal well and set aside.

In a large bowl, sift together kou fen and icing sugar and mix in the premix.  Set aside.

In a pot, combine pandan leaves, water and shortening together and with med heat, stir until shortening melted. 

Remove pandan leave and pour the hot liquid mixture to the flour and use spatula to stir mixture to soft dough and leave dough to cool (you’ll find the dough is quite oily at this time) then knead dough again to smooth, add more kao fen to it if the dough is still too sticky.

Portion the dough into 20g balls.

Place a ball of dough between baking sheets and flatten using your palm. Place a ball of paste in the middle and wrap it. Lightly dust the surface with kou fen.

If you would like to make the flower pattern in a different color, dust the pattern on the mould with a bit of kou fen and place a small amount of different colored dough into the mould such that it covers the pattern nicely. Cover your finger tip with cling wrap to prevent the dough from sticking to your finger.

Place the ball of filling wrapped with dough into the mould. Press it firmly and push it out of the mould. Getting one of those moulds with plunger is very helpful as you can dust with less flour, thus helping to keep the mooncakes moist for a longer time.

Chill the mooncakes for a few hours before consuming. Store the mooncakes in an airtight container that is not too big for the mooncakes in the fridge.

祝大家中秋节快乐！