Hungry Note

I really love muffins, especially with berries.
I just made up this recipe yesterday and the recipe seems succeeded so far.
Tangy, sweet raspberry tastes the best with creamy cream cheese in fluffy and moist dough.
Great for breakfast, for morning / afternoon tea.

ingredients (6 small muffins /  twice the amount if you want 12 SMALL or 6 BIG muffins)

190g Plain Flour
90g White Sugar
A pinch of Salt
2 tbsp Baking Powder
1/2 cup Milk
1/4 cup Yogurt
60g Unsalted Butter (Melted)
1 Egg (size 7)
4 drops of Vanilla Essence
1/2 cup Fresh or Frozen Raspberry
2 tbsp Raspberry Preserve or Jam
70g Cream Cheese (cut into dice)

1, Preheat the oven to 180 degree and Place paper muffin cups into the tin.  (texas muffin tin if you make 6 big one).

2, Shift Flour and Baking Powder together in the bowl and then mix Sugar and Salt.

3, In a jag, mix Milk, Yogurt, melted Butter, Egg, Vanilla Essence well.

4, Make a well in the centre of (2) and pour the (3) into the well. Fold the mixture gently using spatula, just be careful not to be over-mixed.

5, Divide the mixture into each muffin cups.
First fill about 1/3 level of cup with mixture, place 1/6 (or 1/12 if you makes 12 muffins) of Raspberry and diced Cream Cheese, also Raspberry Preserve or Jam inside then cover them with the mixture.
Don't over fill the muffin cup, fill about 3/4 level of cup with mixture.

6, Bake about 20 ~ 25 mins, or until its baked. (stick skewer in the middle of the muffin and if it comes out clean means its baked) And then cool them on the cake cooler.

 Love my coupé(Meaning of "Scored").
 Easily place cheese on top and put into oven makes great cheese toast for the morning!

 Bread making is something that I am not just doing for eat, required skill and knowledge of bread of course and artistic mind with creativity which link to my job.
I made this coupé(Meaning of "Scored"), Small individual size of french bread using "pain traditional" dough. I made my own leaven with raisin 2 weeks ago.

What I reckon is, they tastes way different from store-bought one.
What I recommend is, pile up some cheese on top and then toast them until gets a bit crunchy.
Grind good amount of black pepper, and enjoy!
Simple yet, makes your breakfast something amazing.

Home-Made Leaven (about 4-5times of bread you can bake with)
80g Organic raisin(the one with NO-OIL COATING)
240ml Tap water

1, Prepare clean jar(preferably wide bottom with glass made one), Make sure the jar is dried.
Mix all the ingredient and leave for a week in warm place.

*It takes about 3days to be ready in summer time, 4~5days in spring/autumn time, a week to 10 days in winter time.

*Not to place under the sun.

*Shake once a day to let them breath.

Flavourful, fruity, rustic bread... if that is what you after, then this is the bread to make.
Little tanginess of kiwifruit tastes well-suited with cream cheese!
For healthy choice, I suggest using drained greek yogurt to serve with(it looks like spreadable cream cheese, and taste does! but not the calorie!)
I add orange and lemon peel, also cinnamon powder to burst flavour.
I have never ever felt so grateful over natural sweetness of honey with any dread other than this bread.
This bread makes great breakfast, or brunch, well accompanied with wine and cheese.

You have to start making this bread a day beforehand.

[Starter]
100g High Grade Flour
100ml Warm Water(use cold water in summer time)
5g Honey
1g Dried Yeast

[Dough]
50g High Grade Flour
100g Plain Flour
3g Salt
1g Dried Yeast
150ml Warm Water
8g Olive Oil
5g Honey
3~4 green & gold kiwi fruits

extra honey to brush on top
cinnamon*optional

1, Mix all starter ingredients in sealable container and leave them in warm place for over night or a day.(its ready to use when you see the mixture doubled in size and bubbled up)

2, Mix all the dough ingredient (*except kiwifruits) and starter(1), knead until the dough get smooth consistency then roll it into a ball, place in oil splayed bowl covered with cling wrap. Let them rest in warm place for 80 minutes or until doubled in size.

If you have a bread machine, put starter(1) and also the dough ingredient (*except kiwifruits) in the machine and let them knead using [dough mode].

3, Lightly flour the working table, Divide the dough into 4 pieces/about 103~107g each. Roll each dough into a ball(make it tight) then let them rest for 15mins.

4, Place the ball(3) on the oven tray and flatten into 7mm thick circle by your hand. Do same to others. Let them rest in warm place for another 50mins.

5, Preheat oven to 180C.
While the oven is warming up, Slice both kiwifruit into 5mm thick and place on top of the dough. you can add orange or lemon, mix of both peel on top for more fruity result.
Bake for 20~22 minutes.
Warm about 2 tbsp of honey in microwave for 20 sec to make it liquid.
Brush honey top of each bread and sprinkle cinnamon powder.

Lamington, is one of New Zealand's...or maybe Australia's great cake, No one knows which is actually the birthplace of Lamington and they've been fighting over the topic for years.
My first trial of lamington is in New Zealand bakery and that is also the last time I ate.
It was very soggy and excessively sweet, I thought thats how lamington supposed to be.
Well I was wrong.
One of my good friend told me how the real lamington is...which is fluffy, spongy, freshly baked cake coated with tangy but sweet raspbelly jelly.
That sounds GOOD!
So I did some serious research for making one!
You can make your own jelly coating and that makes huge variety of flavour but you can simply buy a packet of jelly and use that.
If you need lamington in hurry, then you can also use store-bought sponge.
What you really need to do is cutting sponge nicely and mix jelly packet and hot water, DIP, DONE!

ingredient(15 'couple bite' size lamingtons)
[SPONGE 16cm x 26cm rectangle tin]
3 eggs
125g Caster sugar
1tsp Vanilla essence
110g Plain flour
1/4cup Cornflour
1tsp Baking powder
A good pinch of salt
15ml Oil
45ml Hot Milk

[COATING]
85g packet of Jelly(I used raspberry)
300ml Hot Water
2.5~3cup Dried long coconut shred(or finely desiccated coconut will do)

200ml Fresh cream
2tbsp Caster Sugar

1, Preheat oven to 180C, line the base also side of tin with baking paper.
Shift plain flour, cornflour, baking powder together and mix with salt and set aside.

2, Mix eggs and sugar with electric mixer until thickened, pale look.
Add shifted flour mixture(1), gently fold with rubber spatula.
When its almost combined, add oil, hot milk, vanilla essence and fold until well combined.

3, Pour the mixture into prepared tin and bake for 20 ~ 25minutes, golden in color and feel a little bounce back when you touch the top.
Cool the cake in the tin for 10 minutes and take it out on the rack and cool completely.

4, Mix jelly with hot water[COATING] and leave until its getting hard, almost a jelly-drink consistency.

5, Cut the sponge into 15 little pieces, or any size you prefer.
Also cut off all browned part of cake.
Dip cake pieces into jelly mixture(4), make sure coat every side of cake then coat dried long coconut shred around.
Repeat same to every pieces and refrigerate them for 3 hours to set.

6, Whip fresh cream and sugar together with electric mixer.
You can simply spoon the cream by the side of lamington, or pipe it out on top if you fancy.

I really love this bread slightly toasted and spread simply butter or honey to enjoy.
Because of they are already so flavourful, You don't want to disturb this nutty seedy rustic flavour with anything really.I am very addicted to Nutella, or Nuttino, those hazelnut spread but for this bread, I don't even think that.
Also this bread makes great sandwich, I like it with salami and lettuce, thin slice of onion.
You can make this bread either with your hand or breadmachine, thats your choice.

ingredient(5 pieces)

280g High Grade Flour
180ml Warm Water(*use cold one in summer time)
15g Brown Sugar(*if not, just white sugar is fine)
6g Dried Yeast
10g Skim Milk Powder
15g Unsalted Butter
3g Salt
20g Ground LSA
20g Walnut Pieces
20g Pumpkin Seed
10g Jumbo Oat

1, Line baking paper on baking tray.

2, If using breadmachine, Place all the ingredients except of walnut pieces and pumpkin seed, jumbo oat and start with "dough" mode. If your breadmachine does have an alarm for "adding nut, fruit" then add walnut pieces and pumkin seed, jumbo oat when the alam goes on, if not, add them in the last 3 minutes of kneading.(( GO TO DIRECTION (4) ))

If you are kneading by your hand, Mix all the ingredients in the bowl except of walnut pieces and pumpkin seed, jumbo oat and make a big lump. Knead for 10 minutes or until it get smooth consistency, Add walnut pieces and pumpkin seed, jumbo oat, knead and mix evenly.

3, Make a huge ball and place it in a big bowl covered with cling wrap, let them rest in the warm place for an hour ~ 80 minutes or until doubled in size.

4, Divide them in 5 pieces(around 110~120g each), Roll each of them into ball and let them rest for another 15 minutes. Roll each pieces again into ball but this time, roll it a bit tighter.
Place them on prepared baking tray, let them rise in warm place for an hour ~ 1 1/2 hour or until doubled in size.

5, Preheat your oven to 180C.
Dust flour on top of the bread with tea-strainer if you want, and cut 4 lines on each bread with scoring knife just before baking.

6, Bake 16 minutes ~ 18 minute or until nicely browned in colour.

I make this choux only when large amount of giveaway ensured.
Although, they are really favourite of mine, they are something I can't resist, 'one-or-couple-aday' won't work for me, I will easily finish all in a day...
Therefore, I need them to be gone before I finish off all.

In Japan, choux is common sweet treat, you can find them in patisserie, super market, even convinience store. We call SHU- KURI- MU(choux creme).
My kiwi friends call them 'cream puff' instead!
I tried throgh few recipes of choux creme last couple years and developed to my taste, and THIS IS IT! Its crunchy texture this is the one I always come back to.

ingredient(12 ~ 15 pieces)
70g Milk
50g Water
50g Butter
2g Caster sugar
1g Salt
40g Plain flour
30g High grade flour
110g Egg(beaten)
*1/4 extra egg for brushing

[Fillig]
300ml Fresh Cream
3Tbsp Icing sugar
few drops of vanilla essence

1, Preheat oven to 220C, Line baking paper on baking tray.
Also shift both plain flour and high grade flour together in a bowl and set aside.

2, Place milk, water, butter, sugar, salt into heavy based pot with high-heat.
Mix gently.

3, Remove pot from the heat when butter melt completely and bubbling up a bit.
Add shifted flour into the pot at once and immerdiately mix well using whisk.

4, Place pot with mixture back to medium-heat.
Keep kneading the mixture using rubber spatula for a minute.
When you can see thin layer of mixture stick to the bottom of the pan, its done, place the mixture to a bowl.(Don't need for scraping the layer stuck on bottom)

5, Add beaten eggs little by little to the mixture, probably 1tbsp at once.
Each time of adding egg, Mix well with rubber spatula.

6, Use electric mixer with one whisk attachment and mix until the mixture get smooth consistency.

7, Put mixture into piping bag with plain round nozzle.
Squeeze out into 4cm diameter round on baking tray.
Keep 5cm apart from each oter.
Brush beaten egg(for brushing) on top, and also press slightly with fork.

8, After you put them into oven, turn it down to 200C bake for 20mins.
Then turn it down to 180C bake for 10 mins, finally turn it down to 150C bake for another 10mins.
Let them cool down completely on cooling rack before you fill.

9, Place all the filling ingredient into a bowl and mix with low-speed of electric mixer for
a minuse then turn into high-speed and whip for 2 minutes.
I cut the top of choux and pipe the filling inside and put rid on.
You can spoon the filling inside too.

This is my version of banana cake, I insist this banana cake is the best eating next day you baked, slightly toasted with whipped cream and drizzle little maple syrup.
Well moist and fluffy texture and amazing banana flavour which develops fully next day...(So little patience!)
My friend, maori guy, he really loves this so we used to trade fresh sweet corn and this banana cake which is very good deal for me, because to prepare this is pretty easy and I am just a big fan of sweet corn!
A lot of Banana cake recipe out there and I also tried so many of them but I always wonder if its under-baked or not even its fully baked.
This Banana cake is the one I have never ever feel under-baked because of its wonderful fluffiness.
And very easy, never fail recipe.

ingredient(2 small loaves 13 x 5.5 x 6cm / 1 large loaf 27 x 9 x 13cm)
2 ~ 3 Ripened Bananas(240g)
1/4 Lemon, grated also using juice
75g Greek Yogurt
120g Butter(softened)
60g Brown sugar
60g Caster sugar
2 eggs
240g Plain flour
2tsp Baking powder
A pinch of salt
60g Walnut pieces

1, Preheat oven to 180C, Line the base also around of the tin with baking paper.
Shift plain flour and baking powder together, and add salt set a side.

2, Mash the banana, add grated lemon and juice also.
Mix yogurt into the mixture and combine well with whisk.

3, In another bowl, cream the butter with both brown and caster sugar until they get lighter the colour and fluffy.

4, Whisk the egg in a jug. Gradually add 1/2 amount of egg to butter mixture(3) little by little. Afterward, add 1/3 amount of shifted powder(1) and whisk well.

5, Gradually add remaining egg, then add 1/2 amount of remaining shifted powder, whisk well.

6, Now use rubber spatura.
Add banana and yogurt mixture(2) and remaining shifted flour into (5) combine them gently.
Spoon the mixture into prepared tin, then sprincle walnut on top, Bake for 40 mins ~ 45 mins.

*or you can check with sticking skewer in the middle of cake, if nothing stick then done.

I made paneer(indian style cottage cheese) other day.
And I have some buttermilk left from process of making paneer.
This bread is soft, nutty flavour go great with apple paste filling.
Hot SWEET coffee with this warm, cinnamony, soft bread is the reason to get out from warm bed in chilly morning.
Great for your morning/afternoon tea also.
You can knead the dough in bread machine so there is no hard work for you to enjoy this bread.

ingredient(7 pieces)
220g High Grade Flour
60g Plain Flour
5g Yeast
4g Salt
15g Honey
15g Butter
1tbsp Ground Almond
185ml Buttermilk
30g Chopped Fig
7tbsp Apple Paste

Jumbo Oat for topping(optional)

1, Place all ingredients in the bread machine except of apple paste and jumbo oat.

2, Divide the dough into 7 pieces. Give them a bit of rest time, around 20minutes.
Lightly flour the working bench and flatten each dough into palm size and place 1 tbsp of apple paste
in the middle of each dough, Pinch the edge and bring the dough up and stick together.
Be careful the edge isn't touching apple paste or it doesn't stick.
Place the bread on baking tray which is lined with baking paper.

3, Leave them in the warm place(covered by cling wrap or wet cloth to prevent being dried)
for 1 hour~1 1/2hours or until the bread get doubled in size.

4, Preheat the oven to 180 degree.
If using jumbo oat for topping, spray the water on top of bread and sprinkle oats on top.
Bake for 18mins~22mins or until they get golden brown.

They are hard when they get cold but you can revive them back with heating them up in microwave
for 20~30 sec.

I just love scones, they are categorized as "Bread" but no need for yeast or kneading work.
What I am looking for here is not a fancy looking scone on the high-tea cake stand, I want something looks rustic, hearty and simple and easy to make.
You can just split in half and spread butter, or a spoonful of strawberry jam, stewed rhubarb, lemon curd, hazelnut spread, whipped cream, even ham and cheese for savoury, ready to go.
Easy but variety, thats how amazing the scone is.

This time I added dried figs, You can replace the same amount of apricot or sultana, dates, cranberry, dried mango, or chocolate chip, orange peel, grated cheese, anything you want. Let's creative here.

This recipe can be doubled!

ingredient(6 small or 4 big pieces)
190g Plain Flour
3tsp Baking Powder
1pinch Salt
1tbsp Sugar
185ml Milk(plus 1 tbsp extra to brush on top of scone)
1tbsp Lemon Juice

1/4cup Chopped Fig(optional)

1, Preheat oven to 200C, Lightly flour the baking tray.
Mix plain flour and baking powder in the bowl and shift together for 2 times.
Add salt, sugar and mix, set aside.

2, Mix milk and lemon juice in a jug, you will see its getting thick and almost yogurt alike texture.

3, Add milk mixture(2) into powder mixture(1). Use knife to mix, this prevents mixture from over-mixing. When it become one big lump, place it on the lightly floured baking tray.
LIGHTLY press it into 2.5~3cm thickness and then using scraper or knife to cut into 6 or 4 pieces.

4, Separate them with 3cm space from each other.
Brush milk on top of the scone and bake for 15~25mins or until its cooked through.

In Japan, we call this cake as "Sweet Potato" pronounced as "Su i to po te to".
This is very common in Japan, you can find the one in patisserie or even in supermarket.
I used to buy it, because nothing is easier than making own cake with risk... And it costs no more than $2 so.
You will taste full of sweet potato, creamy and moist, flavor of vanilla hit your taste buds.
Smoothness is just like a custard.
I promise that you will be buying sweet potato just for make "Japanese Sweet Potato Cake".

ingredient(Large size for 4 pcs / Small size for 8 pcs)

250g Sweet Potato(skin peeled)
35ml Fresh Cream
40g Icing Sugar
15g Unsalted Butter
1 egg yolk
few drops of Vanilla Essence

1, Peel the skin of sweet potato and cut into about 5mm thick disc then put them into the pot with boiling water
probably for 4mins to 6mins until its cooked.(you can check with sticking skewer through the sweet potato)

2, Drain the sweet potato and put them back to the pot with lower heat.
Mash them in the pot and mix it for couple mins to let some moisture escape.
Add butter, and then icing sugar, then gradually add fresh cream.
Remove the pot from the heat, then add 1/2 amount of egg yolk then vanilla essence and mix.

3, Let the mixture cool down a bit.
You can shape them into any shape you like, and place them on baking tray.
If the mixture is too soft to shape, don't worry, You can simply spoon the mixture into little mould.
Brush remaining egg yolk on top.

4, Preheat oven to 220C.(Convenient oven works well too)
Bake them for 15 ~ 20minutes.
I believe it taste way nice after chilled for couple hours.

This recipe can be doubled.

I love chocolate cake, and who doesn't?!
I have 2 good chocolate cake recipe, one is very sweet, sugar licking sweet brownie which is great serving with pouring cream and everybody loves it.
Another one is this chocolate cake, a.k.a. Gâteau Chocolat.
This is not something very sweet but its biterness is just so great along with sweetened whipped cream or vanilla ice cream.
And also, this cake is kid-proof.
I guess little bitter for them, I would say, taste of grown-up.

ingredients(6~8 square pcs) *16cm square cake tin/ 6cm height

140g Milk Chocolate
75g Unsalted Butter
75g Fresh Cream
75g Egg Yolk
150g Egg White
150g Caster Sugar
75g Cocoa Powder(if you want it less bitter, use sweetened cocoa powder ex.cadbury)
30g Plain Flour

Preheat your oven to 160C.

1, Spray oil your cake tin and line with baking paper.
Place chocolate on double boil to melt, Also cream the butter in another bowl.
Place fresh cream in the microwave for 10 seconds to warm up.
Shift the cocoa power and flour together.

2, Add creamed butter into melted chocolate and mix using whisk, Add fresh cream also.
Gradually(about 1 tsp at a time) add egg yolk and mix well and then set by side.

3, Standing mixer or using electric mixer to make meringue.
Add caster sugar to egg white and mix until you get stiff peak.

4, Add 1/4 amount of meringue to chocolate mixture and folding by rubber spatula.
Then add shifted cocoa powder and flour and folding through.
Add remaining egg white into it and folding evenly, but not mixing it.
It seems the mixture losing fluffiness and may make you think "is it gonna be rising?"
Yes it will.

5, Scoop the mixture into the tin and place into preheated oven, bake for 50mins~1 hr.
You can check if its baked or not by give a shake the cake gently and if its still moving like water then its not baked.