Scallion (green onion) pancake

I guess I need a break from the sweets...cupcakes, fondant, rich chocolate cake and chocolate layer bread! I'm already seeing stars with all that sugar rush, haha! So today I decided to make something savory, crispy scallion pancakes! I have been wanting to try out this recipe, especially since my elder daughter likes scallions(a little unusual but I guess it's better then unhealthy food). I happen to have this recipe from my cookbook and immediately got to work. The ingredients are way simple, I'm sure you have it right there in your kitchen too. ;)

Ingredients for crispy scallion(green onion) pancake:
300g all purpose flour
150ml club soda / plain carbonated water
45ml to 50ml ice cold water
1/4 tsp salt
1 small bunch of scallions, cut small
Some ground black pepper
Some salt for taste

Method:

• In a large mixing bowl, add flour and salt. Make a well in the center and add the carbonated water and mix well.
• Add ice water into the mixture and knead together to form soft dough.
• Place on working table and knead for 10 minutes still it's smooth and not sticky.
• Place in oiled bowl and cover to rest for 30 minutes.
• Divide the dough into 8 equal portions. Roll out one dough piece, scatter some chopped scallions, pinch of salt and some ground black pepper.
• Roll up the dough into a long thin log, as shown below in picture A:

• Then roll the log into a swiss roll form like in picture B below. Roll it flat again into a flat pancake form.
• Heat about 1/4 cup of frying oil in the pan and add the pancake in in medium heat.
  
• Fry till it's crispy golden brown, about 2 minutes each side. Serve when still hot.

A close look at this Chinese pancake...all crunchy and yummy, really can eat a few in one go! BTW, my two little girlies love them, they practically ate them for dinner! They were dipping it in the sweet and sour pork sauce I made for dinner and they kept saying "Chinese pizza!" , hahaha!
But be sure to consume it fast and as it will become a little chewy...like most of these dough pancakes end up to be. Anyway, try it out, cook some curry to go with it and you'll have a delicious dinner! ;) Cheers!

Cupcake Fondant Deco

Today was a fun day. Why you ask? Well, because I get to meet up with my girlfriends and had lot's of fun doing fondant decorations on cupcakes. Even though it was a short 2 hrs++, we managed to have breakfast together, and each of us decorate up to 4 cupcakes . And all the while, we talk, laugh and exchange ideas on how to make the decoration better, it was great! I guess a girl really needs some girlie time sometimes. ;) If only we have more time and we can get together more often. I guess I am gonna miss these girls a lot when I head back to California...*sigh*

No matter what, I will definitely cherish the time we get to spend together and safe keep the wonderful memories we share. ;) And look at these little cuties below! It's our first time with the fondant and see how nice we manage to concoct out! So cute right!!
Anyway, back to my recipes. I have made Peanut butter cupcakes and swiss buttercream for the decorations. I got the cupcake recipe from the February edition of Living magazine from Martha Stewart.

Ingredients for Peanut butter cupcake:
195g all purpose flour
3/4 tbsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp baking soda
85g unsalted butter, rm tmp
340g caster sugar (I reduced mine by 40g)
3 large eggs
2/3 cup creamy peanut butter
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract ( 1 tsp vanilla essence)

Method:

• Preheat the oven to 180°C. Line the muffin tin with paper cups. I used the 6 cup muffin tin. Sift flour, salt, baking powder and soda and set aside.
  
• Cream the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Add peanut butter and mix till all blended. Add vanilla extract and mix well.
• Add one egg at a time and mix till all is incorporated. Stir in the sour cream and mix well.
  
• Add flour mixture to the egg mixture and stir till all combined.
• Spoon the the batter into the cupcake paper and bake in oven for 20 to 22 minutes or till tester comes out clean.

The Peanut butter cupcake is really soft and rich in peanut taste. So if you're peanut addict, you have to try this recipe! ;)

I got my swiss buttercream recipe from favorite blogger Smitten Kitchen. Below I quote from her the 4 important points on choosing swiss buttercream over all other buttercreams. Read on.
"The great thing about swiss buttercream is; one, it doesn’t crust the way a pure meringue frosting and some shortcut buttercreams do; two, it manages to taste so much less sweet than most frosting, likely because its structure comes from the egg whites and butter, not just sugar; three, it’s a lovely frosting that can be made so much smoother than most, and pipes really well, and four, it held up really well in an unairconditioned room for more than a day."
So are you convinced??

These are the 5 cupcakes I made. I wish I have more time to mix more colors into my fondant. :-P A little too much yellow I think, haha. :-P But I have so much fondant and buttercream left, I probably will bake more cupcakes and have another deco round on my own tomorrow. ;)