Cow Print Japanese Cheesecake

Cow Print Japanese Cheesecake

If you are craving for some cheesecake perhaps you could try out this "light version" (less cheese + without using any oil) over the weekend. This cake has a light lemon fragrant with soft and moist texture that makes you probably go for second helpings without feeling too guilty.

[recipes] Homemade Mooncake Part I - Traditional Mooncake vs Snow Skin Mooncakes

Assorted Homemade Mooncakes

Mid-Autumn Festival (中秋节) is just another two weeks from now. This year due to a mooncake project I made some variety of homemade mooncakes ranging from those traditional ones with lotus paste that are wrapped with melon seeds and salted egg to refreshing Jelly Mooncakes that are made using agar agar powder with flavour such as rose and lychee.

2014 Lunar New Year Bakes #1 - Cheesy Pineapple Roll and Black Gold

Chinese Lunar New Year is less than two weeks from now and you can see lot of festive goodies available in either supermarkets, bakery shops and even most of the households are busy with making their own expertise of bakes. Every year for my household, we only make pineapple tarts/rolls because they are our favourite and also when compared to the rest of the new year bakes (such as love letter, almond cookies, kueh balu, kueh lapis and etc) this is consider the most easiest with the help of ready-made pineapple paste.

Okara Black Butter Cake

After using Okara (豆渣) to make the Okara Mantou and Omelette (recipes here) I am again inspired to bake an Okara Butter Cake which is "Black" in colour. This is a random thought on baking something common but yet in a "black" theme to support a past "dining issue".

When I first drafting out the recipe I have a mixture of banana and Durian Butter Cake in mind whereby I replace certain amount of the mashed banana/durian pulps with fresh Okara and Homemade Organic Soymilk.

BLACK BUTTER CAKE

(using Homemade Soymilk, Okara and Charcoal Powder)

In order to achieve the "charcoal" colour and yet not using too many black soybean to bitten the taste of the soymilk and okara, I added a teaspoon of Bamboo Charcoal powder. 

(Make: 2 tins (17cm x 8cm x 6cm) | Preparation: 10 minutes   | Cooking: 40 minutes)

Ingredients:

• 200g Self Raising Flour
• 1 Teaspoon Charcoal Powder, optional
• 200g Unsalted Butter, soften
• 180g Caster Sugar
• 4 Eggs (55g each)
• 150g Okara
• 50ml Homemade Soymilk
• 1/2 Teaspoon Vanilla Extract

Method:-

1. Preheat Oven to 170°C degree Celsius.

2. Cream the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy (beating with an electric mixer for about 4 - 5 minutes on medium speed).

3. Add in 1 egg at a time, beating well in between each additions.

4. Beat in Okara till combined (a few seconds). Using a rubber spatula, fold in half the sifted flour mixture (careful not to over-stir or beat the mixture) and follow by milk and remaining flour.

5. Divide the batter into the prepared casing, bake the cake in preheated oven for 40 - 45 minutes or until a skewer insert in the middle and come out clean.

6. When cooked, remove cake from the oven, allow it to cool completely on a wire rack before cutting.

Overall the cake is moist and infuse with an aromatic fragrance from the soymilk and okara used. Best of all it's sweet and fragrance taste has take over the usual rich butter cake texture and hence it tastes "light" and "refreshing".

So if you do make your own soymilk, remember to keep some of those Okara to try out this unusual butter cake.

Okara Mantou And Okara Omelette

Remember in the previous Homemade Organic Soymilk post we mentioned about Okara (豆渣) which is rich in dietary fiber. Instead of throwing them away after filtering the soymilk you could actually use it in your daily cooking or bakes to enhance the flavour as well as the nutritious values of the food.

To be honest, I have never taste or eaten "Okara" before I have this soymilk maker, so trying out various recipes using Okara is such an amazing experience and both my family and friends enjoy this new "taste and texture" too.

OKARA CHARCOAL MANTOU

豆渣馒头

This Okara Mantou is inspired by one of my boy classmates' mum who makes soft and delicious mantou using homemake soymilk and okara. So with my leftover black soybean okara and soymilk I decided to make this "black" Okara Charcoal Mantou.

(Serves: 10 - 12 pieces   | Preparation: 90 minutes  | Cooking: 15 minutes)

Ingredients:

• 280g Plain Flour
• 1/2 Teaspoon Charcoal Powder (竹碳粉)
• 1/2 Teaspoon Baking Powder
• 20g Tablespoon Caster Sugar
• Pinch of Salt
• 100g Okara (豆渣), drain well
• 1 Tablespoon Vegetable Oil
• 1/2 Teaspoon of Dry Yeast
• 40ml Lukewarm Water

Method:-

1. Add dry yeast into the lukewarm water and give it a quick stir, set aside for about 5 minutes till bubbles appeared.

2. Sift plain flour and baking powder together in a big bowl with the caster sugar and salt till combined.

3. Next slowly add in yeast water into the flour mixture and stir using a metal spoon or clean hand follow by okara till it forms soft dough.

4. Add in oil and give the dough a quick knead till well combine or dough does not stick to your hand.

5. Set dough aside in a lightly flour/oil bowl, covered with cling wrap and let it proof for about 30 minutes or until dough became double the size.

6. Knead proof dough on a lightly floured work surface for about 5 minutes, flatten and roll into a rectangular shape, roll it up lengthwise into an oblong shape.

7. Repeat the process once or twice depends on your preference.

8. Roll the final dough into oblong shape, cut them into equal portions, place each shaped mantou on steamer rack with greaseproof paper below.

9. Spray some water on the mantou before steaming them over medium heat for about 13 - 15 minutes. (depending on the size of the mantou)

10. When done, removed and served hot/warm. You can keep cool mantou in the freezer for a week or so. Reheat by steaming it for 5 minutes before eating.

Note:

~ Lukewarm is about 36 - 37 degree Celsius

This is the Black Soybean Okara which is being filtered from the soymilk. It can be kept in the fridge for about 2 - 3 days.

OKARA OMELETTE

(豆渣煎蛋)

Other than steamed bun, I have also in cooperate Okara into our daily dishes by add it into omelette. This dish could be consider as half vegetarian dish if egg is allowed. We love this omelette dish a lot as it taste quiet similar to the usual "Minced Meat Omelette (肉碎煎蛋)" and when eaten you can't even tell Okara is added to it. The omelette has a very fragrant and slight sweet taste (read more here on how to filter the okara) which makes it different from the usual fried omelette dish.

(Serves: 2  | Preparation: 5 minutes | Cooking: 5 minutes)

Ingredients:
2 Eggs (55g each)
2 - 3 Tablespoons Okara (豆渣)
1/2 Tablespoon Wolfberries
1 Tablespoon Chopped Spring Onion
Pinch of Salt

Method:-

1. Add all the ingredients into a bowl, whisk till combined.

2. Preheat 1/2 tablespoon of oil in a frying pan, pour in egg mixture, swirl and spread it evenly around the pan.

3. Fry the omelette for about 2 minutes on medium low heat till slight golden brown in colour, carefully flip it over using a spatula. Cook for another minute or two.

4. Dish up and serve.

Other than the above two recipes on using Okara, do stay tune for the my "Black Butter Cake" which I have give it a twist on adding okara into the normal butter cake recipe. Stay tune!