Honey and Fig Cake

I bought a small carton of figs a week ago and they needed to be utilized. I'm quite surprised the fruits are still fresh. I made a twist with my "Spiced Apple Cake" recipe and baked this "Honey and Fig Cake".

This is a very simple cake, good for a tea cake or an after-dinner dessert. It's has the richness and aroma of a butter cake, but not heavy when baked with figs. The baked fruit wedges contributes extra moisture to the crumbs. I have reduced the amount of sugar in the butter mixture as I replaced the maple syrup with honey, but I wanted to enrich the flavor of the cake and I decided to make a salted caramel sauce as a condiment.

I baked the cake with a two-piece round cake pan 8” in diameter.

Ingredients

(A) 4 big figs, cut into wedges

(B) Butter Mixture

• 113g unsalted butter at room temperature
• 50g raw caster sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla paste

(C) Dry Ingredients

• 120g cake flour
• 45g fine almond meal
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp sea salt
• 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp ground ginger
• Zest of 1 lemon

(D) Moist Ingredients

• 2 tsp lemon juice
• 2 tsp dark rum
• 60g honey
• 3 whole eggs

(E) Condiment and garnish - Optional

• Dust with icing sugar
• Salted caramel sauce

Method

1. Grease and line the two-piece round pan with parchment paper.
   
2. Preheat the convection oven to 170℃. 
3. Rinse and pat dry the figs with kitchen towel. Cut the figs into wedges. Set aside.
4. Beat the butter in the stand-mixer with paddle attachment on medium-low until smooth. Add sugar and beat on medium-high until pale, light and fluffy. Add the vanilla paste and beat until mixed.
5. Mix and sift the dry ingredients together. 
6. Add the dry ingredients into the butter mixture on low until moistened.
7. Add one egg with lemon juice and dark rum, beat on high for 20 seconds. 
8. Add the second egg with half the honey, beat on high for 20 seconds, repeat with the last egg and remaining honey. Scrape down whenever necessary.
9. Pour the batter into the lined pan, spread evenly. Place the figs onto the batter. 
   
10. Put the pan into the oven on the lower rack and bake for 40-45 minutes or until done. Check with your cake tester or skewer, if it comes out clean, the cake is done.
11. Take out the pan, remove the ring and allow the cake to cool on the base of the pan.
    
12. To garnish the cake, sprinkle icing sugar on the cake. Drizzle with salted caramel sauce to serve.

Spiced Apple Cake

Read a lot about German Apple Cakes on the internet. It's a simple recipe and good for a tea cake, but I'm not quite satisfied with the recipes I found and want to write my own recipe with a twist and baked this "Spiced Apple Cake".

There are a lot of different kinds of apples available in supermarkets, I used modi and granny smith from Australia.

You need a round spring-from pan 9" in diameter.

Ingredients
(A) Apples

• 2 small red apples (Can be gala, queen, envy or pink lady, I used modi)
• 2 small or 1 medium granny smith 
• 1.5 tsp lemon juice

(B) Butter Mixture

• 113g unsalted butter at room temperature
• 70g raw caster sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla paste

(C) Dry Ingredients

• 120g cake flour
• 45g fine almond meal
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp sea salt
• 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp ground ginger
• Zest of 1 lemon

(D) Moist Ingredients

• 2 tsp lemon juice
• 2 tsp dark rum
• 60g maple syrup
• 3 whole eggs

(E) Garnish - Optional

• Apricot gel 
• Icing sugar for dusting

Method

1. Grease and line the spring-form pan with parchment paper.
   
2. Preheat the convection oven to 170℃. 
3. Peel, quarter and core the apple. Make cuts verically on the outside without cutting through. Toss the apple wedges with lemon juice in a bowl to avoid rusting. Set aside.
4. Beat the butter in the stand-mixer with paddle attachment on medium-low until smooth. Add sugar and beat on medium-high until pale, light and fluffy. Add the vanilla paste and beat until mixed.
5. Mix and sift the dry ingredients together. Add the dry ingredients in 2 batches into the butter mixture on low until moistened.
6. Add one egg with lemon juice and dark rum, beat on high for 20 seconds. Add the second egg with half the maple syrup, beat on high for 20 seconds, repeat with the last egg and remaining maple syrup. Scrape down whenever necessary.
7. Pour the batter into the lined pan, spread evenly. Put the apple wedges core-side down, try to snug all apple wedges onto the batter, they shall shrink in size after baking.
   
8. Put the pan into the oven on the lower rack and bake for 40-45 minutes or until done. Check with your cake tester or skewer, if it comes out clean, the cake is done.
9. Take out the pan, remove the ring and allow the cake to cool on the base of the spring-form pan.
10. To garnish the cake, brush apricot gel on the apple wedges and sprinkle icing sugar for dusting on the cake. Serve with a dollop of whipped cream, a scoop of the finest vanilla ice-cream or just have it alone with a nice cup of coffee.

酒漬青梅燜豬腳

我去年開始學人家浸青梅酒，剛開始時用中國青梅和日本清酒浸，由於自己浸減了糖，比巿售的更合口味。今年 upgradef，全用日本青梅，浸了更多。每收一瓶酒就有一大堆清酒漬梅，我都不會浪費，我會把它們直接作涼果零食，做過涼拌沖繩涼瓜和燜豬腳。

談到燜豬腳，又想講一下「豬手」和「豬腳」的分別。如果買急凍貨，一般只有「豬手粒」，但如果到肉枱買新鮮的，我就喜歡買「豬腳」。肉枱所指的「豬腳」不帶多肉部份，而「豬手」則多帶一截肘子，所以肉多，有時燜起會較柴。我非常擅忘，有時「手腳不分」，就到相熟肉枱，告訴他們我「要多啲骨膠原，唔要肉」。

這批清酒黑糖酒漬梅是去年浸的，我想快快清掉存貨，又覺得秋天乾燥想滋潤一下，於是又做這道菜。

材料

• 豬腳一隻斬件
• 清酒梅10 -15粒
• 油適量
• 蒜 2粒
• 乾葱2粒
• 八角一粒
• 月桂葉2片
• 紹酒 2 湯匙
• 生抽 2 茶匙
• 老抽 2 茶匙
• 米醋 3 湯匙
• 冰糖適量
• 鹽適量
• 水適量

做法

1. 豬腳洗淨，氽水10-15分鐘，用清水洗淨血污，瀝水備用。
2. 把小鍋放明火用中小火燒熱，加少量油爆香蒜粒、乾葱和八角。加入豬腳爆香，灒酒拌炒，加入生抽、米醋、冰糖、鹽和水煮滾加蓋。
   
3. 把焗爐以「熱風對流」預熱至150℃。把鍋放入焗爐下層烤 30分鐘。
4. 取出拌均，再烤 30分鐘。完成後留在焗爐用餘溫烤焗。
5. 上菜前用明火翻滾即可。

小貼士

• 早一天做好更入味。

為東芝水波爐做了第一次「女『煮』角」

昨天是我人生第一次走出廚房做「女『煮』角」，接受東芝邀請，到時代廣場豐澤作水波爐烹飪示範。

早就到了示範場地，位置明亮寛敞，設施齊備：有冰箱，有自來水，非常方便。平日在廚房手到拿來，又沒有時間限制，喜歡的話可以慢慢煮；但走出廚房示範烹飪就是另一回事，每項細節都要注意，要精心預備，因為曾以PR & event management 作為專業，我從不容許我策劃的活動有「冷場」，更何況是自己作「煮」角?!!! 我並沒有心理壓力，還挺興奮，但今次活動由接受委託至出場時間緊逼，連日不停出入購食材，重覆烹調以確認食譜無誤，實在有點過累。


 

開場前就已經有十多位觀眾在等候，大家抱有期待，希望多了解如何利用水波爐為家人烹調健康美食。我示範了「秘製烤雞拌香草烤雜菜」、「『酥炸』豬扒」和「花菇蟲草花蒸排⻣」。見到觀眾們專心地聽我講解、認真地做筆記、拍攝每個步驟，又積極發問，互相交流，我知道事前的所有預備工作都是值得的。

最興奮是每次從水波爐取出一道完成的菜式，聽到觀眾們說：「嘩！好香呀！…...好靚呀！...…好想試下！......原來可以咁樣做！...」最後仍滿足了大家，試食了「秘製烤雞拌香草烤雜菜」，意外地大家除了非常喜歡烤雞的惹味，對墊底的蔬菜亦讚口不絕！有興趣的朋友可以稍後到東芝官網查看食譜。

昨天第一次做「女『煮』角」，有觀眾朋友一早就到，主動走上前與我問好；又有觀眾朋友告訴我，從來沒有用過 Facebook，就是為了跟貼我的 blog，所以注冊了賬戶，我實在受寵若驚。絕大部份觀眾站足全場，看到大家的認真投入，無疑為我繼續鑽研烹飪打了「強心針」！感謝大家對我的支持！

感謝東芝讓我有機會與大家分享利用水波爐烹調健康美食的心得。希望有機會與大家再見，一同為家人多烹調健康美味的佳餚。

TOSHIBA 東芝水波爐烹飪示範

第一次走出我家的廚房，站在大家面前做「女煮角」，非常與奮！大家有空來交流一下吧！

My Ultimate Coconut Chiffon Cake

I love chiffon cakes so much! They are good with condiments, whipped cream frosting or simply served alone. My hubby and I love coconut desserts, but they always give me the impression of dense and filling. I searched on the internet for "coconut chiffon cake recipes", looking for something all natural, light and un-frosted, with really intense coconut flavor, but I cannot find anything like that, so I have to work on my own.

I had already baked over ten coconut chiffon cakes in the past few weeks, altering the proportions of ingredients and baking temperatures. I finally come up with the recipe below. It has been mutiple-tested and everyone likes it!

I named this "My Ultimate Coconut Chiffon Cake" because it's baked with the very best ingredients I can get and with very intense coconut aroma yet light, moist, fluffy with fine crumbs and melts in the mouth. 

These are the coconut products I always have in my cupboard and are used in the recipe below.

Kara Coconut Cream, Niulife Organic Coconut Flour, La Tourangelle Organic Virgin Coconut Oil

Cake Pan

• Japanese chiffon mold 17cm in diameter（淺井）

Electric Appliances

• Kenwood stand mixer KM020 with balloon whisk attachment
• Toshiba Combi-oven ER-400HK

Ingredients

(A) Yolk Mixture

• 4 egg yolks (~80g), must be in room temperature
• 50g virgin cold-pressed coconut oil 
• 30g Hokkaido milk
• 60g Kara coconut cream

(B) Dry Ingredients

• 60g Japanese cake flour
• 15g coconut flour (NOT coconut milk powder NOR desiccated coconut)

(C) Meringue

• 4 cold egg whites (~150g)
• 1/4 tsp cream of tartar (can be omitted but not recommended)
• 20g trehalose (海藻糖, can be replace with same amount of caster sugar)
• 40g caster sugar

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 160℃ in convection mode.
2. Combine the milk and coconut milk, warm in a water bath to about 40℃. 
3. In a medium mixing bowl, combine the egg yolks with coconut oil with a hand whisk. 
   
4. Add the warm coconut cream mixture and mix well.
   
5. Combine and sift the flours. Add to the yolk mixture, mix until smooth.
6. Pour the cold egg whites into the mixing bowl of the stand mixer, whisk on low until frothy. Add the cream of tartar and beat on medium low until dissolved, then turn the speed on medium high until egg whites are very soft. 

   

   Add cream of tartar when the egg whites are frothy.

7. Mix the two different sugars. Add 1/2 of the sugar mixture and mix on medium until soft peak. Add the remaining sugar in 2 batches and beat until stiff-peak form.
   
8. Add 1/3 of the meringue into the yolk mixture. Fold lightly and swiftly with a hand whisk until there are no lumps of whites, then add the remaining meringue and fold until no lumps. Use a spatula to fold the mixture until homogeneous. DO NOT OVER-MIX.
   
   
   
   
9. Pour the batter into the cake pan. Give a firm tap to remove any air pockets and bake at 140℃ for 45 minutes.
   
10. Take out the cake pan and tap onto the table. Allow the pan to cool thoroughly upside down. 
11. Unmold and serve.

Please note:

• I use Japanese eggs (L) which are between 64g to 70g (with shell) each .
• The density of coconut oil is much higher than other vegetable oils we use in baking. The temperatures of egg yolks and coconut milk mixture are crucial in emulsification of the batter.
• Cream of tartar is a natural by product from making grape wine, helps to stabilise the meringue.
• I prefer to bake chiffon cakes ahead and unmold the next day. Allowing the baked cake to sit in the cake pan for longer hours stabilizes the internal structure and enables the moisture to distribute evenly inside out.

低溫慢煮必須注意食物安全

在網上看網民用低溫慢煮烹調各式肉類，都以美味行先，可能忽略了食物安全。我家常常款客，有老有少，父母又常來吃飯，加上家中老闆腸胃易過敏，安排飲食和烹調方面會特別在意。再加上近期的禽流感，大家都要更加注意烹調食物的安全溫度！ 

早前看過一篇有關烹調肉類的文章，提到不同的肉類、海產和雞蛋等，烹調至那個溫度才有效消滅可能致病的細菌和病毒。一直伸延閱讀，發現 United States Department of Agriculture 對肉類蛋類烹調溫度是有安全指引的：以豬、牛、羊扒為例，內部溫度 (Internal temperature) 必須高於62.8℃，並維持不少於3分鐘。至於雞肉，內部溫度更必須高於 73.9℃。魚肉亦要以高於 62.8℃ 烹調。所以以低溫慢煮時，選擇烹調溫度應該是「寧高勿低」，總不能因口腹之慾而「冒險」吧！

建議細閱這連結：Safe Minimum Internal Temperature Chart

以下是我用東芝水波爐做低溫煮常用食材的烹調溫度，供大家參考：

• 豬、牛、羊扒，Proper Temperature Steam 65℃ for 60-120 minutes，視乎肉的大小、厚薄、是否帶骨等。
  
• 全雞，Proper Temperature Steam 80℃ for 90-120 minutes
  
• 魚扒，Proper Temperature Steam 65℃ for 25-30 minutes
  

舊菜新煮：烤鹵水乳鴿配 Faux-fried 印尼蝦片

兒時父母每年總有幾次帶我們到沙田龍華吃乳鴿，還記得當年是舊火車，沒有正式的月台，車卡內有木椅和可以開關的窗口，車上還有賣小食的小販。當時每小時一班火車，等車時還可以把路軌當平衡木，在枕木上跳來跳去。昔日的乳鴿都是新鮮的，烹調亦較講究，加上兒時食肆選擇較少，每次出外用膳都覺得很美味。當年龍華亦絕不便宜，長大後再與家人舊地重遊，出品、服務和衛生一次比一次差。逾十年前最後一次去，無言…

回想當年我最喜歡吃紅燒乳鴿，即是油炸。一個小女孩可以獨吞兩隻，但其實相當油膩，餐盤上、滿手、滿咀都是油。拌碟的炸蝦片亦是我喜歡的，兒時並不懂什麼鮮味不鮮味，脆卜卜就是美味，現在懂了當然知道只是炸調味木薯粉罷了。

既然喜歡吃乳鴿，那就不如自己動手，來一道舊菜新煮吧！我用了家中先前煮的一窩鹵水，番滾調味，當然亦可用瓶裝鹵水，但味道和香味都少了層次，絕非個人所好。成品肉嫩多汁、鮮香少油，拌上 faux-fried 印尼蝦片，極少油又不上火，絕對放心讓家人享用。

食材：

• 冰鮮乳鴿一隻
• 鹵水適量（足夠蓋過乳鴿）
• 印尼蝦片適量
• 油適量

做法：

1. 把乳鴿除清內臟，洗淨，用廚紙內外抹乾。
2. 煮滾鹵水，放入乳鴿，把鹵水加熱至 80℃，把鍋放入水波爐 (Proper Steam Mode)、焗爐或蒸爐，以 80℃ 低溫慢煮 50分鐘，取出瀝乾備用。
3. 把水波爐 (Convection) 或焗爐連焗盤預熱至 300℃。
4. 蝦片抹油，每次只放 2、3片入爐，需時 2-4分鐘，要靠目測是否足夠澎鬆。小心過火烤焦。
5. 烤好蝦片，放入已塗油的烤架。如果用水波爐，轉 Superheated Steam mode 300℃（由於爐溫一直用 300℃，故無需預熱）放入乳鴿烤 8 至 10 分鐘，會看到表面滲油，皮下油脂亦流出。取出乳鴿上碟。

請注意：

• 由於乳鴿已預先低溫慢煮，我並沒有用爐高溫烤焗太久，以保持肉質細嫩，免得變柴。這麼短的時間高溫烤焗，只能把部份皮下油脂逼出，和令鴿皮帶點點焦香，但皮絕不脆。如果要追求皮脆的口感，這食譜並不適合。

伸延閱讀：

• 油炸 vs Faux-fried 印尼蝦片
• 300℃ Faux-fried vs 微波製作印尼蝦片

300℃ Faux-fried vs 微波製作印尼蝦片

前陣子做了「油炸 vs Faux-fried 印尼蝦片」的實驗，我發現油炸蝦片較鬆、酥、脆，味道亦更鮮，但含油量相當驚人，只有退而求其次： Faux-fried。亦有網友建議用 microwave，認為口感一樣，而且能縮短烹調時間，我又抱着一試無妨的心態多做一次實驗。

今次做了三個 groups：

(A) 900W microwave，蝦片沒有抹油 (個人盡量避免用微波加熱加有油份的食物，所以並沒有做抹油＋微波）

(B) 300℃ convection，蝦片沒有抹油 (Control) 

(C) 300℃ convection，蝦片兩面抹油

實驗結果：

(A) 烹調時間約 30-35 秒。微波蝦片鬆脆度、味道和 (B) 差不多，但不能完全澎鬆，有些嚼不開的顆粒，感覺較差。

(B) 烹調時間約 2-3 分鐘。鬆脆，每片都完全澎鬆，沒有嚼不開的顆粒。

(C) 烹調時間約 3-5 分鐘。鬆脆，每片都完全澎鬆，沒有嚼不開的顆粒。烹調時間略比 (B) 長，鮮味較突出。

我的選擇：

用 Convection 300℃ 預熱，faux-fry 兩面抹油的印尼蝦片。

伸延閱讀：「油炸 vs Faux-fried 印尼蝦片」

油炸 vs Faux-fried 印尼蝦片

我都喜歡吃蝦片，最近看到谷友用水波爐做 faux-fried 印尼蝦片，令我有點好奇：

1. 為何見谷友焗好的蝦片面積變化不大，炸蝦片不是應該發得大大的嗎？否則怎會鬆脆呢？
2. 油炸時溫度要多高？要做 faux-fry 溫度必然要比油溫高很多才能成。
3. 蝦片油炸後可以含多少油呢？
4. 油炸和 faux-fried 蝦片口感上有什麼分別呢？

昨日到印尼雜貨店買食材，順道買包蝦片回家「做實驗」，忽然發現不懂選擇，因為品種太多，最後還是用最簡單的方法：問～老～闆！店東向我推介最貴那種，因為用大量熟蝦做，最鮮味，亦沒加防腐劑，所以開封後要放冰箱冷凍儲存。

打鐵趁熱，今天中午己完成實驗，與大家分享實驗結果：

• 先做 control：開一小鍋油，試過幾個油溫，要用 185℃ 放入，先炸一邊，反轉再炸，用工具稍壓，按平令平均受熱。離鍋後，調高油溫至 205 至 210℃ 翻炸把油迫出來。
• Faux-fry (300℃)：把焗爐預熱至 300℃，放入蝦片烤過 1分鐘左右會看到蝦片開始卷起，我就把它們反轉一次，繼續烤至不再澎漲，整體微焦黃，約 2-3 分鐘 (時間主要靠目測)。
• Faux-fry (280℃)：把焗爐預熱至 280℃，放入蝦片，時間和用 300℃差不多。
• Faux-fry (170℃)：把焗爐預熱至 280℃，放入蝦片，見一直沒有「反應」，任由它烤，絕不建議用這麼低溫度烤，除非想緞練口腔肌肉，但小心要見牙醫。

**這方法亦適用於其他溫度可達 300℃ 的焗爐。

上方4片卷曲的是用 Convection  300℃。下左兩片是原食材。右邊最大的是用油炸的。

口感食味比較：

• 純粹比較口味，油炸是必然之選！色澤金黃，鮮味特出，亦較鬆、酥、脆！炸好的蝦片澎漲度是原來面積的 5、6倍，含油量可以是蝦片重量的 10% 至 30%以上，視乎油溫和時間。
• Faux-fried 蝦片因為沒有直接受熱，澎漲度只有 3、4倍，所以沒有油炸的鬆和酥，烤色亦不均勻，很脆，較乾硬，少了鮮香。用 280℃ 又比 300℃ faux-fry 硬。在沒有比較的情況下，300℃ faux-fried 的仍很吸引，常吃也沒有罪惡感，也不錯呀！

從右邊：原食材；以 convection 170℃ 烤；以 convection 300℃烤

柚子蜜香煎狀元金蠔

我與好友都喜歡吃金蠔，我倆每次都要翻記錄找資料，但趕着預備晚餐那有這點心思？倒不如寫好食譜放在自己的博客，方便自己又方便好友隨時翻查。

材料

(A)

• 狀元金蠔一串（4隻）

(B) 醃料

• 醬油 1茶匙
• 魚露 1.5茶匙
• 紹酒 1.5茶匙
• 薑汁 1.5茶匙
• 胡椒粉 少許

(C) 汁料

• 柚子蜜 3-4 湯匙

做法

1. 把金蠔剝離竹簽，洗淨抹乾拌勻，與醃料拌勻醃20-30分鐘，期間要翻動令味道均勻。
2. 用明火蒸6分鐘。如用水波爐先預熱5分鐘再蒸6分鐘。
3. 明火燒熱平底鑊，加一點點油，放入金蠔兩面煎至金黃，離火。
4. 把柚子蜜倒入平底鑊以中火煮至起泡，加入金蠔略拌至都沾上柚子蜜，即可上碟。