Sempoi Apam Merekah Pelangi

Salam everyone,

So so long I've not popped by my own cafe! huhuhu. Couldn't resist to come back today. Here's a simple soft steamed cake (apam) I tried few weeks ago, TQ Saji magazine for the nice recipe. Simple to do and yummy to eat :)

200gm castor sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon Ovalette
1 teaspoon vanilla essence
250 gm plain flour (superfine)
1 cup Icecream Soda
Coloring / flavor of your choice

- beat sugar, eggs & ovallete till is thick that it won't fall off when poured
- sift flour, add in bit by bit with soda, beat till well mixed
- divide mixture into portions according to flavor and color of your choice
- can be made into minis or in 1 large baking pan
- boil water in steamer pot on high heat,
- for minis - fill mixture into your choice of cupcakes casings and steam till crack for about 7-8 minutes
- for large pan - pour different colors layer by layer and steam for about 10 minutes and until cracks in middle
- can be eaten with grated coconut

Happy trying :)

Sempoi Bengkang Pisang (Banana Sweetcake) - Taste of Batu Gajah recipe book

A simple, ease-my-life, yummy great recipe by Datin Seri Raihan Abdul Rahman from her book "Taste of Batu Gajah" 

40 small banana (she recommended pisang emas, but there's none here so I used about 6 large banana)
2 cups plain flour
2 cups coconut cream / milk (equivalent to a can)
1 teaspoon vanilla essence
1 egg
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon salt
butter for greasing


- preheat oven @ 200'c
- mash bananas in a large bowl
- lightly beat egg & add into banana & mix well
- add sifted flour & sugar alternately & mix till well combined
- pour coconut cream / milk bit by bit while stirring
- add vanilla essence & salt & mix well
- pour into a square (10 inch by 2 inch) dish or any dish you feel suitable
- bake about 50-60 minutes
- set aside to rest about 5-10 minutes
- sweetcake cooks well when its firm when press & brown outside


Happy trying ... :)

Sempoi Fudgy Choc Peanuts Brownies

crusty outside, fudgy & moist inside :)

Found this recipe in a catalog by Coles, tried it just adjusting it a bit from pecan to peanuts :)

250g butter (preferable unsalted)
125g dark chocolate (the recipe did not state cooking or normal choc, i used ready-to-eat dark choc)
2 cups caster sugar
4 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla essence
1 cup plain flour
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
3/4 cup pecan, roughly chopped (I used salted peanuts, followed one of the masterchef's recipe)


- melt butter & chocolate in a saucepan over low heat
- stir in sugar, remove from heat
- beat in eggs one at a time, till well combined
- stir in vanilla
- sift flour & cocoa powder into the batter & mix well
- add peanuts
- pre-heat oven at 180'c
- lightly grease a shallow baking dish / cake pan
- pour mixture into dish / pan and bake for 30-35 minutes or until top is shiny 
- remove from oven and let cool completely in pan
- serve with vanilla ice cream / cream


* i used friand baking tray that's why the brownies are oblong in shapes :), i find this easier to ensure consistent amount & less messy rather than cutting them into rectangle or square :)


Happy trying .. :)

Sempoi Choc & Strawberry Bread Pudding

Please don't mind the looks ;) ... the recipe is great ... 

3 small croissants (recommended by the recipe, I used 5 pieces soft white bread with crust)
100g white chocolate, chopped coarsely (I used plain choc)
1 cup raspberries (I used strawberries coz that's all i had, roughly chopped)
1 1/4 cups milk
3/4 cup cream (in case you do not have this, add another 1/2 cup of milk)
2 tablespoon caster sugar (can reduce if you want to control the sweetness)
1/2 teaspoon vanilla essence
3 eggs


- preheat oven 160'c, grease & line large muffin pan with baking paper in every hole
- cut / tear bread into small pieces (not too small though :))
- in a medium saucepan heat milk, cream, sugar & vanilla till over medium heat till boil
- whisk egg in a bowl, 
- remove milk mixture from heat and slowly pour eggs while whisking slowly till well combined
- put bread into muffin pan leaving some space in between for chocolate and strawberries
- pour milk mixture (custard) to fill each hole almost to top
- bake in oven for about 25-30 minutes or till almost springy
- take out pan from oven & let the bread pudding rest to cool in pan for about 10-15 minutes





* the recipe recommended to bake using the water bath method that is by placing the muffin pan in a large baking tray filled halfway with hot water, but I don't have a large enough baking tray to fit my muffin pan so i baked it direct + I love having some crusts :D


Happy trying ... :)

Sempoi Cream Cheese Frosting

This is a simple topping great with carrot cake but can also try with other cakes :)

125g cream cheese, soft at room temperature
100g icing sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla essence
60g butter

- in a mixing bowl, beat all ingredient with electric mixer on medium speed till smooth

A friend taught me another way which is also yummylicious:

125g cream cheese, soft at room temperature
1-2 tablespoon caster sugar (depend how sweet you want)
1/2 teaspoon vanilla essence
1-2 tablespoon mlik, (adding bit by bit, depend on how soft you want the cream to be)

* remember to wait for teh cakes to really cooled down before spreading the cream or hehe you'll end up with watery cream ..

Happy trying ... :)

Sempoi Strawberries Butterfly Fairy Cake

decorated in a hurry ;)

Made this for my no 3 - Nuhaa's class party this morning. 

Cake - use the Basic cupcake recipe - make minis

50ml Thickened cream - whipped till fluffy

2-3 strawberries (depending on the size, I actually used on 1 coz it was big)
- slice into small wing shaped pieces

- Once cakes are cooled, cut slanting to make V shaped well in center
- pipe fresh whipped cream
- arrange strawberry like wings
- sprinkle with 100s & 1000s or any others you like

Happy trying ... :)

Sempoi Basic Cupcake

decoed w my girls & mama sometime ago hehehe

After a number of tries, I found this simple-fast wonderful recipe in Woolworth's free newsletter :) & have been making my cuppies using this recipe since.

Preheat oven 180'c
Prepare cupcakes casing in baking tray
(Makes 12 large & about 24 minis)


125g butter, melted & cooled
2 ggs
1/2 cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla essence

- whisk all together

1 3/4 cups self raising flour
2/3 cup caster sugar

- mix together in a large bowl
- pour in butter mix & stir all ingredients till well combined 
- spoon into casing according to size you desire
- bake for about 15 minutes or till tester comes out clean
- deco as you like

Sempoi Choc Cream Strawberry Tart

One of the quick dessert recipe I've tried. & we can deco it with any toppings & in any way we like :).

1-2 sheet ready shortcrust pastry or can make your own (I'll post the recipe soon)

- cut into round shape using round cookie cutter that can fit into large muffin tray

- bake for about 15mins or till cooked, set aside

6 fresh strawberries, cut into 4/6

1 tablespoon icing sugar

- sift sugar onto strawberries and mix well

250g dark chocolate, roughly chopped

200ml cream

- place choc in a heatproof bowl

- heat cream in a saucepan till boil

- once boil pour into the choc, set aside abt 1 minute

- stir until chocolate melt & thickened

- put inside fridge for abt 5-7 minutes

150ml thickened cream

- whip till fluffy

- assemble pastry cases, spoon choc, topped with cream & strawberries (can also use peach / mix fruit etc

Happy trying.. :)

Sempoi Cheesecake - Dila Aman's recipe

Another great dish by Dila Aman. Everytime served, it never last long on the table :).

Preheat oven to 180C

Crust
Digestive McVites or Marie biscuits (crumbled)
25gm melted butter
2 tbsp sugar
-Mix everything and press into a pie baking dish

Filling
500gm philadelphia cheese
1/2-1 cup sugar
1/2 - 1 cup milk
3 eggs
1 tbsp custard flour
lemon zest
1 tsp vanilla essence

- Beat cheese and sugar until creamy. 
- Add egg one at a time, and then add custard flour. 
- Add vanilla essence, milk, and lemon zest. 
- Pour mixture into the crusted pie baking dish. 
- Bake for 45 mins - 1 hour.

Sempoi Cream Caramel - Dila Aman's recipe

This is a very delicious recipe from a good friend. Caramel is not too sweet, complements the soft custard very well. 1 serving is never enough :). TQ K Dila!

400g sugar
2 tbsps water
1 tsp vanilla essence
1 litre milk
6 eggs
lemon zest

- Preheat oven to 180C
- Bring 200g sugar and water to boil until the color is rich brown. Pour the caramel into baking dish or ramekins.
- Bring milk and vanilla essence to boil. 
- Meanwhile combine remaining sugar, eggs, and lemon zest in a bowl. 
- Pour boiling milk into the egg and sugar mixture. 
- Whisk well and strain the mixture into the caramel-coated baking dish. 
- Place baking dish in a roasting tray and pour warm water halfway up the baking dish. 
- Bake for 1 hour (30-40 mins if using individual ramekins). 

Happy trying ... :)

Sempoi Banana & Custard - My Aunt's signature dish (TQ Acik Intan :))

8 - 10 almost ripen banana, sliced half vertically

- Fry / grill banana (without flour)  with some oil on a small frying pan

- After it's fried, arrange in a casserole dish or any square dish.

Custard:

4 cups water

2 egg yolks

50g caster sugar

40g custard powder

1/2 a-can of condensed milk

a pinch of salt

1 tsp vanilla essence

-mix custard powder with water till dissolved

-put all ingredients into a saucepan

-cook over medium heat stirring until custard thickens

-once thickened, remove from heat pour onto banana

-set aside until cooled 

- serve

Happy trying ... :)

Sempoi K Batiah's Strawberry Bread

A friend made this bread sometime ago yet the taste still lingers in my mouth. Though she got it from the internet, but since she made it, I attribute the deliciousness to her ... :)

2 cups of fresh strawberries
3 1/8 cups of all purpose flour
2 cups white sugar
1 tbsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
1 1/4 cup vegetable oil
4 eggs beaten
1 1/4 cups chopped pecan or any other nuts

- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F(175C). Butter and flour loaf pan but she used baking paper instead.
- Slice strawberries and place in medium sized bowl. Sprinkle lightly with sugar, set aside.
- Combine flour, sugar, cinnamon, salt and baking soda in a large bowl: mix well.
- Mix oil and eggs into strawberries.
- Add strawberry mixture to flour mixture, mixing until dry ingredients are just moistened.
- Stir in pecan or nuts.
- Pour batter into loaf pan.
- Bake for 45 to 50 minutes or until tester inserted comes out clean.
- Let cool in pan on wire rack for 10 minutes.
- Turn loaf out, and cool completely.

* it was great with a cup of hot chocolate / mocha ... :)

Happy trying ... :)

Sempoi Basic Dough for Pau (TQ Aunty Nina :))

500gm plain flour sifted together with 1/2 teasp salt
2 teasp instant yeast
100gm sugar mixed with 250 ml warm water to dissolve
2 tabsp shortening
2 teasp double action baking powder

- Mix sifted flour with instant yeast in a big mixing bowl
- Slowly add in sugar syrupand shortening.
- Knead into a pliable dough
- Cover with a piece of wet clothand leave to prove till double in bulk.
- Add baking powder and knead again till smooth.
- Leave to rest in 30 minutes.
- Dough is now ready to be shaped.

Tasty chicken/meat pau:

Mix and marinate for 20 minutes:-
300gm chicken/meat diced
2 tabsp oil
2 tabsp oyster sauce
1 tabsp chopped garlic and shallots
1 1/2 teasp dark soy sauce
1 1/2 teasp cornflour mixed with 3 tabsp water for thickening
3 tabsp sugar
3 tabsp fried sesame seeds (optional)
1/2 teasp pepper
1/2 teasp salt or to taste
1 teasp sesame oil (optional)

- Heat oil and saute chopped garlic and shallots till fragrant
- Add chicken/meat ad stir fry till cooked.Add cornflour mixture to thicken.
- Dish and leave to cool.
- Add sesame seeds and mixed well.
- Put some cooked filing onto the circle and wrap into the shape of a pau.
- Leave to prove for 30 minutes or till fluffy before steaming.

Note: You may reduce the amount of sugar in your filing and add more pepper if you want it more
spicy.

* I tried this pau but with red bean filling .. you can buy ready red bean paste or boil red bean till just about soft, add sugar & mash, set to cool then make the pau.

Happy trying ... :)

Sempoi Peanut Butterscotch Cake

A great recipe especially for you who love crunchy peanuts :) 

Topping:

125g butter

2 tablespoon brown sugar

2 tablespoon white sugar

2 tablespoon honey

11/2 cups chopped peanuts

Cake

12/3 cups plain flour

1/2 tsp salt

3 tsp baking powder

125g butter

1/2 cup sugar

2 eggs, beaten

1/4 cup milk

1/2 tsp vanilla essence

- lightly grease a square cake tin and line base w baking paper

- to make topping, melt butter + sugars + honey in a saucepan over medium heat, stir in peanuts. once well mixed pour & press into cake tin and let it set for a while.

- meanwhile, preheat oven 180'c.

- to make cake, sift flour w salt & baking powder.

- rub in butter into flour then add sugar & mix.

- make well in center and add in beaten eggs, add milk & vanilla essence & mix well.

- spread cake mixture over peanuts topping.

- bake for 50 minutes or till skewer comes out clean.

- once cooked, take out from oven and turn out immediately onto a rack, remove paper if sticks to topping. 

- press lightly topping onto cake and let it cool. topping will set in position as it cools then cut to serve.

* it may sound kind of complicated hehe but its quite an ok process ... x worries

Happy trying ... :)

Sempoi Banana & Walnuts Cake

125g butter

1 cup castor sugar
2 eggs
1 cup mashed banana
1 tsp vanilla essence
2 1/4 cups self-raising flour
1/4 soda bicarbonate
1/2 cup water

Topping
50 g softened butter
2 tbsp self-raising flour
2 tbsp sugar
1 tsp ground cinnamon
2 tbsp chopped walnuts

- preheat oven 180'c, grease square or round cake tin base with non stick baking paper
- cream butter & sugar till light & fluffy.
- add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition.
- add banana & vanilla and beat well.
- sift flour with soda bicarb and add to creamed mixture
- add water & stir till well mixed.
- pour into baking tin.

- to make topping, rub butter into flour then add remaining ingredients and mix well.
- place topping all over cake mixture
- bake for 45-50 minutes or till skewer comes out clean.

Happy trying ... :)

Sempoi No Yeast Donuts

3/4 cup milk
125g butter, chopped
1 1/4 cups plain flour
3 eggs at room temperature
1 tspoon vanilla essence
oil for deep frying
caster sugar
ground cinnamon

- combine milk & butter in a medium saucepan over moderately low heat
- stir till butter melted & comes to boil
- off heat, add flour & stir
- transfer into food processor (blender also can)
- whisk eggs & vanilla essence, while processor is running, pour in eggs mixture slowly into flour mixture & process till thick & glossy
- spoon into piping bag with normal plain nozzle
- heat oil (make sure really hot) & reduce to medium heat,
- pipe batter (can make it any shape you want hehe) into oil, deep fry till golden brown
- transfer into bowl & coat with sugar & cinnamon mixture (or anything you like)

happy trying :)

* err cuma yg rasa payah sikit becoz kena pipe the batter & it doesn't seem to become round hehehe

Sempoi Chocolate Sauce - Gary Mehigan's recipe

150ml water
2 tbs caster sugar
200g 70% dark chocolate, chopped

- For the chocolate sauce, place sugar and water in a small saucepan over medium heat and cook until the sugar dissolves.
- Add chocolate, leave for about 10-20 seconds and then stir until chocolate melts.
- Pour into a bowl and reserve until ready to use.
- This sauce keeps in the fridge for up to a week; just reheat gently in the microwave before use.
- Great for toppings for anything .. :)

Happy trying ... :)

Sempoi Caramel Fudge Sauce

1 cup brown sugar
80 gm butter
1/3 cup cream

- cook all in a sauce pan over medium heat till thicken
- serve warm with cakes or pudding , toppings for ice creams etc.

Happy trying :)

Sempoi Bengkang Hijau (TQ Mak @ my beloved granma)

 A simple yet scrumptious delicacy by my beloved granma :) 

1 cawan gula / cup sugar

2 cawan tepung gandum / cups plain flour

3 biji telur / eggs

1 cawan air daun pandan / cup pandan water (extracted from about 7 pieces cut pandan leaves)

2 cawan santan / cups coconut milk

- preheat oven @ 170'c

- mix all ingredients in a bowl till well combined

- pour into a greased baking tray

- bake for about 50-60 minutes

- can sprinkle sesame seeds / fried shallots be4 baking

Happy trying ... :)