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