September 26, 2014

Salted Caramel Pecan Sticky Buns

salted caramel pecan sticky buns

In my humble opinion, salted caramel is one of the baking world’s best discovery. I cannot remember when I first tasted it but it was definitely love at first taste. The best part is that it can be used in sooo many desserts! I made a batch of salted caramel using the recipe from Brown Eye Baker and used a portion of it to make salted caramel buttercream to frost some cupcakes. The cupcakes were for my baby’s first month celebrations. Those were delicious and I would love to blog about them except that I gave them all away without taking a picture. Silly me. So now I would need to find another excuse to bake up another batch of salted caramel cupcakes so that I can eat blog about them.Continue Reading

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May 20, 2014

Breakfast series – Red Bean Anpan Buns

Red Bean Anpan Bun

In what may be the last of the breakfast series posts (for now), I’m happy to introduce you to my latest favourite bake – Red Bean Anpan Buns. I’ve made these in pretty flower shapes, and also as plain round buns. Either way, they are delicious and the smell of freshly baked anpan buns wafting from the oven will definitely make you want to eat these up, almost straight out of the oven. I had to practice self-control and reserve them for breakfast the next day! The bread dough can be prepared using a breadmaker with a dough setting function (the easier way) or using a standing mixer with a dough hook.

The buns will taste best with homemade anko (sweet red bean paste made with azuki red beans). If you don’t have the time to make your own, you can replace with store bought red bean paste. For a simple method on preparing the red bean paste, please refer to my post here.

Red Bean Anpan Bun

Breakfast series - Red Bean Anpan Buns
 
Print
Serves: 9
Ingredients
Dough
  • ½ cup + 1 tbsp milk
  • 1 egg
  • 2⅓ cup bread flour
  • 2 tbsp caster sugar
  • ½ tsp salt
  • 0.5 oz butter, softened
  • 1 tsp active dry yeast
Filling and topping
  • 9 oz of red bean paste, divided into 9 balls
  • 1 tbsp melted butter/vegetable oil
  • black sesame seeds
Instructions
Using a breadmaker
  1. Add ingredients into the breadmaker pan following instructions on your breadmaker for dough setting.
  2. When dough is ready, remove dough from pan and divide it into 9 equal sized balls.
  3. Allow the dough balls to rest covered for 15 minutes.
  4. Gently flatten dough balls and place the red bean filling in the centre. Carefully fold dough over to enclose the red bean paste. Shape into a ball and lightly flatten it. Using your finger, make a slight indentation in the centre of each flattened ball.
  5. Use a pair of kitchen scissors to cut 5 deep cuts around the flattened ball to make a floral shape (optional).
  6. Preheat oven to 190°C.
  7. Set aside on a non-stick baking sheet, covered, for about 15 minutes.
  8. When the buns have almost doubled in size, bake them in the centre rack of the preheated oven for 15 minutes.
  9. Once buns are golden brown, remove them from the oven and brush them with melted butter. This gives the buns a nice shiny golden colour. Sprinkle sesame seeds on top.
  10. Cool buns on a wire rack.
Using a standing mixer with dough hook
  1. Mix milk, egg, flour, salt and sugar together in the bowl of a standing mixer.
  2. Add the soften butter and knead for 8 - 10 minutes using a dough hook. The dough is ready when it is smooth and elastic.
  3. Transfer dough to a clean bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and allow to rise in a warm place till it doubles in size.
  4. Divide dough into 9 pieces.
  5. Follow the rest of the instructions from the breadmaker portion on shaping the dough.

 

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February 13, 2014

Kong Ba Pau (Braised pork belly bun)

kong ba pau

Pork Belly. One of my husband’s greatest loves. He loves them served up on the Korean BBQ, in thin strips in steamboat and definitely, he loves them served up this way, in a bun. There are few people I know, who would willingly turn away Kong Ba Pau. There may be the initial hesitation over the layers of fats but the aroma of the braised pork belly will soon win you over. If it makes you feel better, pick the least fatty piece of pork belly and add an extra serving of lettuce. Now that should ease your guilty conscience a little, doesn’t it?

I do not naturally gravitate towards pork belly, but I do enjoy Kong Ba Pau occasionally. In the last two weeks, I’ve prepared this dish not once, but twice for gatherings with family and friends. The first time preparing it, the pork belly was a little drier than I would have liked it, because dear hubby kept the pork braising for 40 minutes (YES 40 minutes) longer than I asked him to. He felt that it was not “braised enough”. He quickly learnt that in cooking, longer does not neccessarily mean better. The second time round, the pork belly was perfectly braised and judging from the response at the dinner table that night, it was well received.

Even though the dish may sound tricky to prepare, it is really very simple. The only trick is to marinate the pork belly well. By well, I mean marinate it for a good 20 to 24 hours. That will ensure that all the flavourings are thoroughly absorbed into the pork belly. Most people preparing this dish will choose to use a large slab of pork belly, braise it and then slice it up for the buns. That works fine. For me, I used frozen sliced pork belly (because that was available readily), braised it for a slightly shorter time than I would a slab of pork belly and saved myself the trouble of slicing. The sliced pork belly also absorbs the marinate better. Both methods work fine – just do whichever works better for you.

Kong Ba Pau (Braised pork belly bun)
 
Print
Serves: 15
Ingredients
  • 2 pieces of pork belly or about 500g of sliced pork belly
  • 2 sticks of cinnamon
  • 2 star anise
  • 15 cloves
  • 10 pieces of garlic, smashed with its skin
  • 10 pieces of shallots, skin removed
  • 2 tbsp oyster sauce
  • 2 tbsp dark soy sauce
  • 2 tbsp light soy sauce
  • 1 tbsp shao xing cooking wine
  • 2 tbsp of oil
  • 2-3 pieces of small rock sugar
To serve
  • Coral lettuce
  • Leaf bun
Instructions
  1. Wash, clean and dry pork belly.
  2. In a large bowl, marinate pork belly with all the remaining ingredients except the oil and rock sugar.
  3. Cover and keep refrigerated for 18 -24 hours.
  4. In a large claypot with a flat bottom, heat 2 tbsp of oil.
  5. Add the rock sugar and saute the pork belly for about a minute on each side. (If using sliced pork belly, you can skip this step.)
  6. Add in the marinate and 4 - 5 tbsp of water.
  7. Allow the pork belly to simmer in the marinate for about 30 - 40 minutes.
  8. Remove when meat is tender.
  9. Slice and serve hot with lettuce and bun.

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