Beef Sliders on Brioche with Sticky BBQ sauce and Thousand Island Dressing

Ever since I started baking brioche buns (see my Pulled Pork burger with Korean Slaw) and using them for mini beef burgers (a.k.a. sliders), there was no turning back. Given a choice, brioche wins over plain hamburger buns (particularly those that are sold by the dozen at the supermarket). Not all brioche buns are created equal. I have ordered brioche burgers before when dining out, and have come across really thick, heavy, dense and sweet buns that makes the mammoth of the burger a feat to eat (and enjoy). The recipe that I've used for these brioche buns is adapted from Taste.com.au magazine (August 2014 edition). Rich, melt-in-your-mouth and buttery with a hint of sweetness, these brioche buns make supremely delicious burgers. I've also tried buttermilk brioche buns and they are equally good, with the slightest tang from the buttermilk.

Cream cheese cinnamon rolls with blueberries and white chocolate icing

I've come across many recipes for cinnamon rolls, from yeast-free doughs to the fancier ones using buttermilk or cream cheese. The key to a good cinnamon roll (or scroll/bun) is to use good quality cinnamon and in the right proportion to the sugar filling. The addition of a syrup (like maple syrup) makes for a sticky cinnamon roll, and you can add nuts or fruits to that as well. In my "search" for cinnamon, I learnt that there are hundreds of types of cinnamon, but the main ones are Ceylon Cinnamon, Chinese Cassia Cinnamon, Saigon Cinnamon and Indonesian Korintje Cinnamon. In this recipe, I've used Indonesian cinnamon which has a strong aromatic flavour that is sweet and spicy, and perfect for cinnamon rolls. Make sure you check the label on your bottle of ground cinnamon to see where it's sourced from.

Pulled Pork Burger with Spicy Mayo and Korean Slaw

 

This started with a craving for a Korean-style slaw with a spicy gochujang dressing. Gochujang (as many of you might be familiar with) is a Korean red pepper paste that are sold in tubs and come in varying degrees of "heat". You can usually tell by the number of chillies on the label. I chose one with 3 chillies I think, as these things can pack quite a punch in terms of heat and intensity of flavour. So, I was wondering what would go with Korean slaw, and thought of bo ssam (Korean boiled pork belly with lettuce wraps). I found David Chang's bo ssam recipe using pork shoulder/butt and decided to turn that into a pulled pork burger with Korean slaw. And what's a burger without mayonnaise, especially a spicy gochujang mayonnaise? And to top it off (no pun intended), I baked these wonderful buttermilk buns (or brioche) which were moist, tender and didn't fall apart like most buns do when you're halfway through a burger.

 

 

Korean food doesn't just stop at Korean Fried Chicken and Korean hotpot. Give these a go at your next party. They don't require much preparation (the buns are relatively easy too) and will feed an army or two. Moreover, you can make the slaw one day ahead, which allows the cabbage to absorb the tangy, spicy and sweet flavours from the dressing. Oh, and that slow-roasted pork? Amazing.

Cinnamon Rolls with Cream Cheese Frosting

Breads are actually pretty easy to make. You mostly let the machine do the kneading, then leave the dough to rise while you go about doing your chores, updating your Facebook status and checking out what's happening on Twitter, enjoy a cuppa etc. Then, it's time to roll out the dough and shape them into whatever you like, which doesn't really matter because after you let them rise again, they somehow bounce back into shape. I hardly make breads because I'd have to make a big batch, and they are best eaten on the same day.

 

These cinnamon rolls however, can be kept overnight refrigerated, about two days. All it takes is a few seconds in the microwave, and you've got fresh, soft and tasty cinnamon rolls all over again. I was never a big fan of cinnamon rolls as I find them a little too sweet and sticky for my liking. These, on the other hand, are not sticky nor overly sweet. It's the combination of that cream cheese frosting and the almost-savoury cinnamon filling that make this so addictive, and yet not too rich that you'd stop at one.

The kids came back from school one day saying that they had super-awesome cinnamon rolls in school, and that gave me the perfect excuse to make these. As they preferred their rolls plain, I skipped the frosting on half the batch. I must say, I was pleased with how they turned out. If you leave the frosting to set on the rolls for a few minutes, it leaves a thin crunchy layer on top, like Krispy Kreme frosting. The rolls rose beautifully despite the fact that it was a cold winter's day, and it helped to place the dough under the cooker hood lights for some heat.

Garlic Bread Recipe

Here is a simple but delicious recipe for garlic bread, made with fresh crusty baguette from the bakery. I added some extra-virgin olive oil to the garlic butter mixture which helps cut through some of the richness from the butter, and at the same time give it a lovely aroma and flavour. The kids love, love, love garlic bread, but they were a little fussy when they saw the green bits of parsley in it. Guess I'll have to remember to make a separate batch for them next time, without the parsley. You can use any sort of bread to make this, and I usually use Turkish pide as I love the crispy and chewy texture when it's hot out of the oven. If you're using a baguette, try getting a good quality one with a nice crust. I got mine from Baker's Delight and it turned out really crunchy on the outside and soft on the inside without turning all mushy. You can make extra loaves of garlic bread and refrigerate or freeze them for another day. Serve them with pastas, soups, stews or just have them as a snack or appetizer. You won't be able to stop at one!

Monkey Bread with Cream Cheese and Cranberries

The name "Monkey Bread" is new to me, although I'm sure if you live in the States, it's probably something you're familiar with already. If you're like me and wonder what this monkey business of a bread is about, well, it is apparently an American favourite that is also known by various other names like Bubble Bread because of the "bubbles" of dough. I first came across a recipe for this in the book "Bread" by Ingram and Shapter, and was intrigued by not only the quirky name but also its rustic appearance with little balls of dough moulded together to form a ring loaf.

Golden Pull-Apart Butter Buns

Soft, warm, buttery and sugary buns

I have discovered the joy of baking bread, not to mention that it's easier to make compared to baking a cake. From kneading the dough to a smooth elastic finish, watching it grow into a beautiful soft mound of puffiness, to the final stage when the tops turn golden brown in the oven, it can be quite a therapeutic and gratifying experience.

I came across the recipe for these buns on the website for King Arthur Flour and immediately knew that I had to make them one day. I had some potato flour in the pantry which I had been meaning to use in baking bread. Apparently, adding potato starch to the dough helps to retain the moisture in the bread when it is baked. And indeed, these buns were soft and moist, with buttery and crunchy sugar-crusted tops. I sliced them in half and placed some butter in between, and Z polished off two whole buns. We all love our butter!

Please find the recipe below:

Brushed the tops with melted butter and sprinkled with granulated sugar.
The "bread ring" is brushed with honey and topped with sesame seeds and chopped almonds,
then brushed with melted butter too!

Golden Pull-Apart Butter Buns
Adapted from King Arthur Flour
Ingredients

3 1/2 cups plain flour

2 teaspoons (7g) instant yeast

2 tablespoons potato flour or 1/4 cup instant potato flakes

3 tablespoons Baker's Special Dry Milk or nonfat dry milk (I used regular milk powder)

2 tablespoons sugar

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

4 tablespoons soft butter

2/3 cup lukewarm water

1/2 cup lukewarm milk

Topping:

2 tablespoons melted butter

1 tbsp sugar

Sesame seeds

Water for brushing

Method

1. Combine all of the dough ingredients in a large bowl, and mix and knead — using your hands, a stand mixer, or a bread machine set on the dough cycle — to make a soft, smooth dough.
2. Place the dough in a lightly greased container — an 8-cup measure works well here — and allow the dough to rise for 60 to 90 minutes in a warm draught-free place, until it's just about doubled in bulk.
3. Gently deflate the dough, and transfer it to a lightly greased work surface.
4. Divide the dough into 16 equal pieces, by dividing in half, then in halves again, etc. Round each piece into a smooth ball.
5. Lightly grease two 8" round cake pans. Space 8 buns in each pan. Can you use 9" round cake pans, or a 9" x 13" pan? Sure; the buns just won't nestle together as closely, so their sides will be a bit more baked.
6. Cover the pans, and allow the buns to rise till they're crowded against one another and quite puffy, about 60 to 90 minutes. Towards the end of the rising time, preheat the oven to 180°C.
7. Uncover the buns, brush with water and sprinkle with sesame seeds. Bake them for 22 to 24 minutes, until they're golden brown on top and the edges of the center bun spring back lightly when you touch it.
8. Remove the buns from the oven, brush with the melted butter and sprinkle with sugar. After a couple of minutes, turn them out of the pan onto a cooling rack.
9. Serve warm with butter. Store leftovers well-wrapped, at room temperature. Warm up in the microwave for 10-20 seconds before serving.

Yield: 16 buns.

Soft, moist and chewy goodness

Bread ring with sweet pecan butter filling

Soft Blueberry Sticky Buns

These wonderfully soft, sticky and sweet blueberry rolls are from a recipe by Anna Olson. The recipe for the dough includes butter and cream cheese, which gives it a nice soft texture and a rich and creamy taste. I tweaked the recipe a little and added 1 1/2 tbsp potato flour, although I'm not sure if the results would be the same if I omitted it. In any case, it's delicious!

Blueberry Sticky Buns

by Anna Olson

Ingredients

Dough

• 2 teaspoons dry active yeast
• 4 tablespoons warm water
• 1/2 cup milk, room temperature
• 1 egg room temperature
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1/2 cup cream cheese, room temperature

 

Filling

• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 3 tablespoons maple syrup
• 1 tablespoon cinnamon
• 2 cups fresh or frozen blueberries

Method

Dough

1. Using a mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, dissolve yeast in water and allow to sit for 5 minutes.
2. Add milk, egg and sugar and blend. Add flour, salt and nutmeg and mix for 1 minute to combine. Add butter and cream cheese and knead for 5 minutes on medium speed.
3. Place dough in a lightly oiled bowl, cover and let rest 1 hour in a draught-free place.
4. Preheat oven to 350 F.
5. On a lightly floured surface, roll out dough into a rectangle 1/2- inch thick. Spread remaining filling over the dough, sprinkle with blueberries and roll up lengthwise. Slice dough into 12 equal portions and arrange them in muffin tin.
6. Allow to rise for 1/2 hour. Bake 30 minutes, and turn out onto a plate while still warm. Let it cool down a little before serving.

Filling

Combine butter, sugar, maple syrup and cinnamon. Spoon a tablespoonful of filling into bottom of each cup of a greased 12-cup muffin tin. (I used a 20cm round cake pan).

Saturday Cooking: French Toast, Beary Bread and Rendang Beef Ribs

Saturday morning started with some Brioche French Toast with Bacon and Maple Syrup....

...followed by an afternoon of baking with the kids, making these Beary Bready Buns....

...and ended the day in the kitchen making Rendang Beef Ribs (which I couldn't resist after watching it on Top Chef Masters). All this makes up for a day off from cooking on Sunday!

Thai Sweet Chilli Chicken Schnitzel Burger

Burger-Monster!!!...Om nom nom nom....

I have been craving for a burger ever since my friend, Simran, posted a most scrumptious looking photo of her mouth-watering Mini lamb burgers on A Little Yumminess. Well, lamb burgers will have to wait (although probably not for long) as my thoughts started to wander back to the time I used to enjoy these chicken schnitzel burgers with Thai Sweet Chilli at Fishbonez, a fish-and-chip shop in the Central Coast. It was the first time I ever tried one, and together with the side of crunchy seasoned potato chips, it was one of the best chicken burgers I had, albeit simple. We did try making them at home a few years ago, but using frozen schnitzels, it didn't taste as good as these "from-scratch" ones I prepared last night.

Making a good schnitzel isn't that difficult. Just use fresh breadcrumbs (from stale day-old bread, preferably a crusty loaf and not sandwich bread) with plenty of herbs and seasoning and you've got all the flavour you need there. I reverted to the schnitzel recipe I used in my Parmesan & Herb Crusted Chicken Schnitzel but modified it slightly by omitting the parmesan. I figured the cheese might overpower the sweet chilli, and is probably not the ideal combination of flavours either. The burger turned out really delicious, sandwiched between toasted hamburger buns, drizzled with sweet chilli and mayonnaise, topped with shredded lettuce and slices of vine-ripened truss tomatoes. For the side, I fried up some hashbrowns and served them with hot ABC chilli sauce, just like how I used to enjoy them for breakfast at McDonald's in Singapore!

Try this out! It's as healthy as a burger can be, using lean chicken breast fillets, coated in fresh breadcrumbs and pan-fried, not deep-fried! They were also a winner with the kids and make a great (and healthier) alternative to chicken nuggets.

Thai Sweet Chilli Chicken Schnitzel Burger Recipe

Ingredients

1 chicken breast fillet (about 600g), escalloped (this gives you 4-5 pieces)

5-6 pieces of stale bread, torn to pieces

Rosemary/Parsley/Thyme

1 large egg, beaten with 1 tbsp milk

Plain flour for coating

Salt and pepper

Olive oil for frying

Hamburger buns, halved and buttered each side and lightly toasted in a pan

Tomatoes, sliced

Lettuce, shredded

Mayonnaise

Thai Sweet Chilli Sauce (I used Sandhurst brand)

Method

1. Using a meat mallet, flatten the chicken into thin escallopes, from which you will get 4-5 pieces. Cut them in half if they are too big for the burger.
2. In a food processor, combine stale bread with some parsley, rosemary and thyme, and season with a good amount of salt and pepper. Using the pulse button, process into breadcrumbs. Pour out onto a plate.
3. Heat up about 2-3 tbsp oil in a frying pan (or enough to cover base of the pan). Dip the chicken escallope into the flour (shake off excess), then into the egg mixture, and into the breadcrumbs and coat both sides. Then dip it in egg again and back into the breadcrumbs for a double coating (optional). Throw breadcrumbs over the top and all over the chicken and press the crumbs in firmly to ensure a thick and even coating.
4. Slowly lower the chicken into the pan and repeat the same crumbing process with the other pieces of chicken. Fry chicken on medium heat for about 4 minutes on each side till golden brown and crisp. Add more oil if necessary. Transfer to a plate when done.
5. Assemble the burger: Top the bottom halves of the toasted hamburger buns with one or two pieces of the schnitzels, then drizzle over a generous amount of sweet chilli sauce. Top with the sliced tomatoes and shredded lettuce, squeeze some mayonnaise over, and then cover with the hamburger bun tops. Serve with chips/hashbrowns and salad.

Hot Cross Pudding

 

As I was mentioning in my previous post, we had a lot of bread in the pantry, and some have now made it to the fridge. I wanted to use up the hot cross buns as nobody seemed to be eating them after the first day we bought them. The first thing that came to my mind was bread pudding. Quick, easy and makes a great dessert or late night snack. And you can make them with anything. I've tried using plain bread, raisin toast, croissants, pannetone...and they all taste great. And you can throw in any kind of fruit, flavouring, chocolate, butterscotch etc and you can't go wrong. The one I made here has a beautiful creamy and buttery flavour with a hint of spice, and a delightfully sweet and crunchy crust from the demerara sugar crystals and toasted almond flakes.

Purple Sweet Potato Bread

Soft and spongy buns made with purple sweet potatoes

I've made pizza and naan before, but never plain bread or buns. I had bought a piece of purple sweet potato over the weekend (it's actually labelled as "white sweet potato" because the skin is white, but when you cut through it, it's purple inside), with the intention of making a chiffon cake with it. But then I came across a recipe for Japanese sweet potato bread in one of my cookbooks and was taken in by the picture of the lovely soft-looking buns. Moreover, I had an unused packet of bread flour that had been sitting on the top-most shelf of my larder for the past one year, which fortunately had not exceeded its shelf-life yet. So I thought why not try making bread this time, since my mum tells me all the time that making bread is easy!


Sprinkled the tops with black sesame seeds and rainbow sprinkles (for the kids)


The reason why I never got around to baking bread is because it seems like a long process of kneading, waiting for the dough to rise, kneading again, proving the dough.... I only have a tiny window of opportunity while little J is taking his nap to do any cooking or baking. Moreover, I find the process of making bread a little daunting when I watch TV chefs like Jamie Oliver casually slapping a kilo of dough on the counter, flour everywhere, kneading it with his big strong hands and arms - something I'm lacking terribly in. Of course, I could always use the electric mixer to do the work, which was what I did today. It wasn't as bad as I thought, and making bread is actually easier than baking cakes (okay, just based on this first experience) especially since everything just goes into one bowl, compared to cake-making which involves many steps of sifting flour, separating eggs, creaming butter, cutting out greaseproof paper to the exact size, etc. The only thing is that I baked enough bread to last the next few days, and I still have a pack of hot cross buns and white sandwich bread in the pantry. I might have to consider freezing some of these breads, otherwise I'll have bread coming out of my ears!

The purple sweet potatoes give the buns a natural lavender-like hue

I must say it is rather gratifying to watch the dough rise and double in size because you know that you're doing something right! The sweet potatoes that I used weren't exactly very sweet. They were mild in flavour, and I guess they were there more for colour and texture than anything else. I would have preferred the bread to be sweeter though, but it still tasted great with butter sandwiched in between. The recipe uses an overnight sponge dough (which I made last night), resulting in a soft and sponge-like texture. The kids enjoyed eating it (with lashings of butter), but of course, how can they pass up on anything with colourful sprinkles on it? :)

Here is the recipe, adapted from Alex Goh:

Japanese Sweet Potato Bread

INGREDIENTS A

300g bread flour

35g sugar  (or a little more if the potatoes are not very sweet)

1/2 tsp salt

1 1/2 tsp instant yeast

INGREDIENTS B

60g overnight sponge dough (see below for recipe)

INGREDIENTS C

145ml cold water

30g egg (roughly 3/4 of a large egg)

INGREDIENTS D

120g sweet potatoes, cubed, steamed and finely mashed with fork

30g butter, cubed

Eggwash

1 egg, beaten

Sesame seeds for sprinkling

Method

1. Mix ingredients A until well-blended. Add in ingredients B and ingredients C, knead to form a dough.

2. Add in ingredients D, continue to knead to form a smooth and elastic dough.

3. Mould the dough round, place it in a lightly greased bowl and cover with cling wrap. Place in a warm place to allow it to proof for 45 min.

4. Punch the dough down (to release excess carbon dioxide from the yeast) and knead briefly. Divide the dough into 8 equal portions and mould it round by tucking it in at the bottom. Place 4 pieces into a greased loaf tin or round 20cm cake tin. Place the rest of the pieces in another tin. Space the pieces about 2 inches apart to allow room to rise.

5. Let it proof for 50-60 min or until its size doubles. Brush with eggwash and sprinkle over with sesame seeds.

6. Preheat oven to 180C and bake for 25 minutes. Remove and turn the loaves onto a wire rack to cool.

Overnight Sponge Dough

Ingredients
100g bread flour
60ml water at room temperature)
1/4 tsp instant yeast

Method

Mix the instant yeast with 20ml water until dissolved. Add in the rest of the ingredients and knead to form a dough. Let it proof for 30 minutes. Cover with clingwrap and keep in the fridge overnight or up to 48 hours.

These are actually called white sweet potatoes, white outside but purple on the inside

Chocolate Chip Scones

This morning, I asked Z what he wanted for breakfast, and he said he wanted scones. Well, the batch of chocolate chip scones that I made yesterday were finished, so since Z was so intent on having his scones, I decided to make another batch this afternoon. This time, I made sure I was gentle in handling the dough such that I did not overknead it. Instead, I brought the dough together lightly with my hands and shaped them into a round disc before cutting them into wedges (as I did not have a scone cutter). These baked beautifully and I was thrilled at how wonderful they turned out! I served them with just some whipped cream (there was no need for jam as the chocolate bits were already sweet) and the whole family loved them! Eating scones is just like eating the crunchy external crust of a freshly baked cake, or a little like muffin tops, except that it's not so sweet. No wonder Z loves them! :)

Chocolate Chip Scones

Ingredients:

2 cups self-raising flour

1 tbsp caster sugar

1/4 tsp salt

60g unsalted butter, chilled and diced

Scant 2/3 cup chocolate chips (I used dark + white choc chips)

1 tsp vanilla extract

100ml milk

100ml heavy cream, plus extra for brushing

Lightly whipped cream, to serve

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 220°C/200°C fan-forced. Line baking tray with baking paper.
2. Sift flour, sugar, salt into a large bowl. Rub in butter until resembles fine breadcrumbs. Mix in the chocolate chips. Make a well in the centre.
3. Combine the milk, cream and vanilla extract. Pour into the dry mixture and using a flat bladed knife, mix until it forms a sticky dough. Bring it together onto a floured surface and gently knead until it just comes together.
4. Working quickly, press dough to a 2 cm thick disc, and using a knife, cut into wedges (or use a scone cutter to cut out rounds). Lift them onto the baking tray and arrange them side by side about 1 cm apart. Brush the tops with the extra cream/milk. Bake for 15-20 minutes until tops are golden and sounds hollow when tapped. Remove from oven and transfer to a wire rack to cool. Serve warm with whipped cream.

My First Scones

I don't remember having ever bought scones before, and the only time I ate them was when someone else baked them or they were served at work for morning/afternoon tea. So, I'm not really a big fan of scones until I tried them at Auntie Nancy's (as you may recall from my previous post). They were light, fluffy and tasted so good I wish she didn't make the rest of the delicious food so that I could save my stomach just for scones. I would have asked her how she made them but she was just too busy in the kitchen making her lentil soup and chicken and all. So I guess I'd just have to try a few different recipes to see which one yields the best results.

Scones are simple ie. it uses basic ingredients like flour and milk, and some raising agent like soda or baking powder. Then there are variations to the recipe like some use eggs, butter, cream, lemonade, and some recipes don't. Well, I figured butter and cream would certainly make the scones tastier, so I used a recipe adapted from Taste.com.au and substituted the ingredients with pastry flour, baking powder and some cream. I also folded the pastry a couple of times to make it more flaky (I read this somewhere). The scones turned out looking pretty good. They tasted fine but I would have preferred them to be lighter and fluffier. Perhaps I should have just stuck to the recipe and used plain self-raising flour instead. Otherwise, they had a nice crispy crust and tasted great with jam and cream.