Spiral Milk Buns

You know when your kids are skeptical on trying a new food, especially when you did all the trouble to make it just for them? I sure get that a lot *sigh*. But I know kids usually needs time to get used to new things, so I try to slowly introduce it to my girls. Since I bake so often, my children has slowly got into my routine, meaning they know I will bake some fresh bread on Sunday evening. And lucky enough, they are beginning to accept this weekly routine and willing to try out my new bread recipes lately. ;) So, what is the bread recipe of the week? That is the question I ask myself on Sunday mornings nowadays. So I happily flipped through my bread recipe book and I decided to make this Spiral Milk Buns from 孟老师的100道面包.

The ingredients looks simple enough and the molding of the bread is pretty interesting too! However I did not have that oval mold required, so I used my pound cake mold, I guess it somehow did the trick, haha!

Ingredients for Spiral Milk Buns:
Set A:
150g bread flour
50g cake flour
1/8 tsp salt
15g of caster sugar
70ml water
1/2 tsp instant active yeast
5g cheese powder
25g egg
40ml whipping cream

Set B:
15g unsalted butter, room temperature

Ingredients for filling:
30g unsalted butter, room temperature
15g confectioner's sugar
1/8 tsp salt
10g egg
50g milk powder
1/2 tsp corn flour

Method:

• Mix all ingredients of Set A together in a large bowl and knead till it comes together to form a soft dough.
• Knead the dough till it is not sticky and add the butter. Continue to knead. To test if dough is ready, stretch a small piece using the finger tips of both your hands. If you can pull the dough to almost see through texture without breaking it, it's probably done.
• Place the dough into a greased bowl and let proof for 2hrs.
• In the meantime, make the milk filling. Combine all filling ingredients together to form a paste.
  
• Punch out the air in dough and divide the dough equally into 6 portions.
• Roll each divided dough into small balls and cover to rest for another 10 mins.
• Roll each dough piece into long flat oval shape and spread the milk filling on top, about 1 tbsp each. Then roll up the dough in swiss roll form, sealing the edges. Using a serrated knife and cut the log in the middle but not all the way through.
• Place the dough cut side facing up in baking tin to proof for another 30 to 40 minutes.
• Preheat the oven to 180°C.
  
• After 2nd proofing, brush the dough top with egg wash and bake in the oven for 18 minute.

Okay, I admit this ain't the prettiest looking bread, but the taste is pretty good! The sweet creamy, & milky filling goes well with the bread, yum-o! Will be enjoying this with a cup of my morning drink. ;) And the best thing for me is, my girls have told me they are gonna eat this for breakfast tomorrow! Hope they don't change their mind! *fingers crossed*

Kuih Keria (Sweet Potato Doughnuts)

I am really into Malay desert these couple of weeks. I guess the surrounding has really a big impact on me, haha. :) I figured why not get all my "homework" done while I'm still here in Malaysia. So today I decided to make Kuih Keria, AKA Sweet Potato Doughnuts. And since Kuih Keria is also one of my favorite Malay kuihs, it's really no brainer to make it since sweet potatoes are so cheap & readily available here.

I did some research and reading up on the recipe and most of it are quite similar. So with the amount of sweet potatoes I have, I roughly gauge the amount of other ingredients I need to make the recipe work. And you know what, it's such an easy recipe, it took me only 2 hrs from start to end to get it all done!

Ingredients for Kuih Keria (makes about 16):
350g sweet potatoes, peeled
6 tbsp all purpose flour
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking powder

Syrup to coat:
7 tbsp of caster sugar
4 tbsp water

Method:

• Cut the peeled sweet potatoes into smaller pieces and steam till it's soft enough to mash.
• Mash the sweet potato and add in the flour, salt and baking powder. Mix well till you get a soft dough.
• Scoop about 2 tbsp worth of the dough and roll it into a log and join the 2 ends together to form a doughnut shape. Repeat with the rest of the dough till everything is used up.
• Heat up some frying oil in the work at medium heat and fry the doughnuts till it's golden brown. Remove from oil and place on paper towels.
• In another sauce pot, add the sugar and water in. Start boiling the mixture till it's slightly thick consistency. Remove from fire.
  
• Add the doughnuts into the sugar syrup and stir well till all is coated. Quickly remove the coated doughnuts onto platter to cool. There will be a thin sugar crystallized on the surface.

This little life saver is great with a cup of Chinese tea...it hits the right spot for the sweet craving I have. The texture of is in fact not dense like eating a sweet potato itself, it's light and flavorful, the way I like it. :)