Crumb Coffee Cake

If I'm not mistaken I made this around July 13th (which is sometimes ago, yes) from a recipe in the Star newspaper as a tribute to Mother's Day. The owner/author of the recipe is related to the Agong...or royal family if I'm not mistaken (where's that article when I need it...). From the looks of this recipe, it's considered one of the healthy recipes, without the need to cream loads of butter with sugar. This cake is best eaten with coffee (hence, the name). However, it does not contain any coffee. Verdict : Yum! :D

Cake just out of the oven. Smells awesome :)

Getting meself a slice!

Look at the crumbly texture. Looks like apple crumble.
A closer look:

P.S. Buttermilk was needed for this recipe but since I was unable to find buttermilk in any stores around my place, there are plenty of buttermilk substitutes after doing a search on Google :D thankfully, if not there won't be a chance for me to try this yummy recipe.

Steamed chocolate brownies

Yesterday, Mom requested me to make the steamed chocolate brownies I used to make when I had lots of time before I started studying again. Strange how I came across this recipe from the first edition of Sedap magazine at the news stand outside Atria's KFC side entrance.

I wasn't very inclined to buy that magazine but was attracted to the cake on the outside (blueberry cheese cake). Out of impulse I bought it hoping that some day (yeahhhhh another forever) I'll collect enough guts to attempt it when I saw steamed chocolate brownies recipe. And get this, it only uses cocoa powder and evaporated milk, and vegetable oil instead of real chocolate, full cream milk or butter! And nobody was able to guess the difference! :D Good news...low fat, same taste!

I was so hungry that as soon as it landed on the cooling rack, pull off the paper at the bottom and chuck it back into the warm tin, I ate the middle part off.

Looks like craters on Mars.

One thing for sure, this recipe is for keeps. And also, I am in dire need of a camera (been using sis').

A chocolate cake, po longs, muffin pan and challenge please...

Oh my, its been ages (1 year to be exact) since this here blog was updated! Hold on let me just brush that speck of dust off....ookay!

Now, where was I...ah yes! I *have* to share this delectable cake! Since I read Aunty Yochana's blog almost on a daily basis (I tend to skip some days since having time to blog is a luxury ever since my laptop went ka-put) I happen to stumble upon the time when she steamed this wonderfully moist chocolate cake.

Last time i used to think steaming is for fish and buns but this cake is a must-make! It's healthier (I made it using oil but there is a variation that uses butter) and does not have as much fat as other baked chocolate cake. I can foresee that every chocolate birthday cake after this in my family will be this very cake. Do give it a try ;) No need any fancy pansy equipments, just a whisk or spatula, and measuring cups, steamer and also a pan to steam the cake in.


Another thing that I have been steaming also lately is "po long". This is somewhat like a sweet bun that is made with either sweet potato or pumpkin. My grandmother have been making these for quite a long time (i.e. family recipe) but since her hands have become rather numb she hardly makes them anymore.

Here's a tortoise...


Here's a banana...

Here's a pile of shit...

Here's a piggy...


Here's some random stuff...



And in between waiting for the po long to rise (its like bread) I managed to squeeze in time to make nestum cupcakes.

Which didn't turn out right because I substitute oil for butter. Verdict : Yech!!
NEVER ever substitute oil for butter in a recipe unless it states that such substitution is allowed.

Picture-wise they look fine...but was extremely moist at the bottom (due to oil and because the recipe actually states that the butter and sugar must be creamed) and I can't even taste the Nestum in there :(
But I'll definitely give this recipe another try once I get hold of some butter :D

A couple of days later I made some raisin buns, adapted from one of Agnes Chang's recipe books. The one she made was plaited, but mine's just round.

Verdict : Tasteless, but that's because I didn't have raisins, only blackcurrants (which are tiny!) and didn't brush the top with egg and sift icing sugar on them.
My sister, however, had a better idea, she added chocolate chips (imported, absolutely delicious!) and a small piece of cheese on top of each bun.


Creative eh?

Lastly, I finally received my free gift from One Houseware & Gift :D A book on steamed cakes which I gotten recently have this free gift if someone purchases the book. Among all 3, I chose the pastry wheel which I have been wanting for a long time.

I wanted it when I saw that one y3k magazine issue had a recipe on how to make mini apple pies with fluted lattice pastry on top and then remembered that Bake With Yen and Chang Tung sells pastry wheels because I saw them once (ow twice).
But when I went to both stores the pastry wheels weren't there :( and I've been checking for quite some time and STILL don't see no pastry wheel.
Well, glad that I finally have one now. Since I have a bunch of Granny Smith apples ripe for eating, do I hear calls for apple pies and apple strudels?