Bak kwa, egg rolls, cookies and tarts
Another interesting post from TheAsianParent.com (Singapore Edition) to be consider for Chinese New Year goodies preparation, either DIY or buy
We can count down to the days left to Chinese New Year with our fingers. For me, besides the reunion dinner, the best part of this festival is the goodies served to visitors. Pineapple tarts, bak kwa, love letters and sugee cookies are just some of my favorites.
If you have not been keeping an eye on your calendar marked 3rd Feb 2011, it is still not too late to go on a last minute shopping spree now. Or maybe this year, surprise and impress your guests with homemade goodies. But if baking is not your thing, no worries. We will make it easy for you. Here’s a list of places where you can get all your treats.
B.I.Y – Bake it yourself
You don’t get pastries any fresher than the ones straight from your home oven. What’s more, you can personalize your ‘handiwork’ and even fiddle with fanciful shapes and sizes. Try your hand at these recipes.
Pineapple Tart
a) Pineapple filling ingredients:
4 large pineapples
300 g sugar
1 clove
1 inch cinnamon stick
1/2 star anise
250 g liquid glucose
2 Tbsp wheat flour or wheat starch
Method:
1. Slice and grate pineapples till fine. You can use a food processor to grate it.
2. Strain the grated pineapple till dry.
3. Let it simmer in a wok till the juice has dry up. Add sugar and, star anise, cinnamon stick and clove.
4. Stir till the pineapple has thickened and dry. Add maltose or liquid glucose.
5. Stir till the pineapple filling is thick, sticky and dry.
6. Add wheat flour. Continue to stir for about 10 minutes or until filling is dry.
7. Leave to cool and shape into small balls.
Note : You can make the filling in advance and refrigerate it.
b) Pastry ingredients:
500 g butter
140 g powdered sugar
4 egg yolks
650 g all purpose flour
1 Tbsp corn flour
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp vanilla essence
Egg Brush:
1 egg yolk plus 1 Tbsp water
Method:
1. Preheat oven at 150° C.
2. Cream butter and sugar till white.
3. Add in egg yolks and beat at low speed for 1 minute.
4. Fold in flour gradually.
5. Insert pastry into cookie press and press into strip of about 3 inch each.
6. Put the rolled pineapple filling onto the pastry and roll it up.
7. Brush with egg brush.
8. Bake for 30 minutes or when tarts are light golden brown in color.
Sugee cookie
Ingredients:
100g of flour
1/2 teaspoon level of baking powder
2 pinch of salt
50g icing sugar
50g melted ghee
Chopped almonds (optional)
Method:
1. Sift all the dry ingredients.
2. Add melted ghee and mix it into dough.
3. Shape it into about 25 to 30 balls.
4. Bake it in 160 degree C or no. 3-4 in an over for about 15 to 20 minutes
till cooked.
Love letter
Ingredients:
3 Eggs
190g Sugar
500g Coconut Milk (from 1 coconut)
100g Plain flour
80g Rice flour
20g Starch
Method:
1. Beat eggs and sugar till sugar dissolves.
2. Add coconut milk and mix well.
3. Add the plain flour, rice flour and starch. Mix them well.
4. Grease the mould and heat it up.
5. Pour a little batter into love letter mould, bake till golden brown.
6. Roll up or fold into a fan shape while hot.
Tips: Roll up or fold into a fan fast while hot. Once cool down, you will not be able to shape it.
Off the shelf – Buy it
Work has been a killer. You do not have enough time enough to buy a new outfit for yourself, clean the house, let alone bake any new year goodies. Not to worry, here’s our tried and tasted list of places that sell goodies that’s guaranteed to wow your friends.
1. Pineapple tarts
I. Glory Catering Pte Ltd
139 East Coast Road
Tel: +65 6344 1749
Price: $12.80 onwards
The team at Makansutra reviewed it: “It has a generous filling and is a little sweet while the pastry has a biscuit texture”.
II. Le Cafe Confectionery & Pastry
264 Middle Road
Elias Building
Tel: +65 6337 2417
Price: $8.50 onwards
Julia Khoo at inSing.com hailed it as the “king of pineapple tarts”.
III. Smiling Orchid
29 Boon Tat Street
Tel: +65 6220 7660
Price: $17 onwards
The team at Makansutra raved that “it has a good balance of filling and pastry”.
IV. Mirana Cake House
OUB Centre Singapore
1 Raffles Place
#B1-06
Tel: +65 6533 8302
Price: $14 onwards
Julia Khoo at inSing.com reviewed, “It was sufficiently buttery and fragrant, with a lovely melt-in-the-mouth sensation”.
V. Tong Heng
285 South Bridge Road
Tel: +65 6223 3649/0398
Price: $11 onwards
Massively famous for their egg tarts (their pineapple tarts are a close second), Tong Heng is so busy during this festive period that the owner turned down an interview request by Channel U.
2. Barbequed pork (Bak Kwa)
I. Sang Hock Guan
Blk 163
Ang Mo Kio Ave 4
#01-446
Tel: +65 6458 7374
Price: $47/kg (non-spicy), $49/kg (spicy)
The team at Makansutra calls it “tender, nicely grilled and not too sweet”.
II. Kim Hock Guan
150 South Bridge Road
#01-02 Fook Hai Building
Tel: +65 6535 2536
Price: $48/kg (non-spicy), $52/kg (spicy)
Nominated for the best bak kwa in Singapore in the “Bak Kwa Index” by The Straits Times in 2007.
3. Love letters
I. Mirana Cake House
OUB Centre Singapore
1 Raffles Place
#B1-06
Tel: +65 6533 8302
Price: $19
Netizen Vonn commented, “I’m picky when it comes to love letters as has to be fragrant enough. Mirana cake house definitely has good ones that are not to be missed!”
II. De Cooking House
137 Amoy Street
#01-04 Far East Square
Tel : +65 6538 2168
Price: $15.80
The team at Makansutra reviewed, “It is light, crispy and fragrant”.
4. Sugee cookies
I. De Cooking House
137 Amoy Street
#01-04 Far East Square
Tel: +65 6538 2168
Price: Varies with flavor
The team at Makansutra reviewed, “The cookies from De Cooking House are fragrant, soft and baked with appropriate moisture”.
Remember to drink lots of water to balance the “heaty-ness” of these goodies. Stay healthy and wishing you a prosperous Chinese New Year!
Recipe credits: nyonyafood, cutiebearbear.multiply.com, singaporelocalfavourites.blogspot.com
Bak kwa, egg rolls, cookies and tarts
If you have not been keeping an eye on your calendar marked 3rd Feb 2011, it is still not too late to go on a last minute shopping spree now. Or maybe this year, surprise and impress your guests with homemade goodies. But if baking is not your thing, no worries. We will make it easy for you. Here’s a list of places where you can get all your treats.
B.I.Y – Bake it yourself
You don’t get pastries any fresher than the ones straight from your home oven. What’s more, you can personalize your ‘handiwork’ and even fiddle with fanciful shapes and sizes. Try your hand at these recipes.
Pineapple Tart
Photo courtesy of inSing
4 large pineapples
300 g sugar
1 clove
1 inch cinnamon stick
1/2 star anise
250 g liquid glucose
2 Tbsp wheat flour or wheat starch
Method:
1. Slice and grate pineapples till fine. You can use a food processor to grate it.
2. Strain the grated pineapple till dry.
3. Let it simmer in a wok till the juice has dry up. Add sugar and, star anise, cinnamon stick and clove.
4. Stir till the pineapple has thickened and dry. Add maltose or liquid glucose.
5. Stir till the pineapple filling is thick, sticky and dry.
6. Add wheat flour. Continue to stir for about 10 minutes or until filling is dry.
7. Leave to cool and shape into small balls.
Note : You can make the filling in advance and refrigerate it.
b) Pastry ingredients:
500 g butter
140 g powdered sugar
4 egg yolks
650 g all purpose flour
1 Tbsp corn flour
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp vanilla essence
Egg Brush:
1 egg yolk plus 1 Tbsp water
Method:
1. Preheat oven at 150° C.
2. Cream butter and sugar till white.
3. Add in egg yolks and beat at low speed for 1 minute.
4. Fold in flour gradually.
5. Insert pastry into cookie press and press into strip of about 3 inch each.
6. Put the rolled pineapple filling onto the pastry and roll it up.
7. Brush with egg brush.
8. Bake for 30 minutes or when tarts are light golden brown in color.
Photo courtesy of Simply Anne's
Ingredients:
100g of flour
1/2 teaspoon level of baking powder
2 pinch of salt
50g icing sugar
50g melted ghee
Chopped almonds (optional)
Method:
1. Sift all the dry ingredients.
2. Add melted ghee and mix it into dough.
3. Shape it into about 25 to 30 balls.
4. Bake it in 160 degree C or no. 3-4 in an over for about 15 to 20 minutes
till cooked.
Photo courtesy of dianasdesserts
Ingredients:
3 Eggs
190g Sugar
500g Coconut Milk (from 1 coconut)
100g Plain flour
80g Rice flour
20g Starch
Method:
1. Beat eggs and sugar till sugar dissolves.
2. Add coconut milk and mix well.
3. Add the plain flour, rice flour and starch. Mix them well.
4. Grease the mould and heat it up.
5. Pour a little batter into love letter mould, bake till golden brown.
6. Roll up or fold into a fan shape while hot.
Tips: Roll up or fold into a fan fast while hot. Once cool down, you will not be able to shape it.
Off the shelf – Buy it
Work has been a killer. You do not have enough time enough to buy a new outfit for yourself, clean the house, let alone bake any new year goodies. Not to worry, here’s our tried and tasted list of places that sell goodies that’s guaranteed to wow your friends.
1. Pineapple tarts
I. Glory Catering Pte Ltd
139 East Coast Road
Tel: +65 6344 1749
Price: $12.80 onwards
The team at Makansutra reviewed it: “It has a generous filling and is a little sweet while the pastry has a biscuit texture”.
II. Le Cafe Confectionery & Pastry
264 Middle Road
Elias Building
Tel: +65 6337 2417
Price: $8.50 onwards
Julia Khoo at inSing.com hailed it as the “king of pineapple tarts”.
III. Smiling Orchid
29 Boon Tat Street
Tel: +65 6220 7660
Price: $17 onwards
The team at Makansutra raved that “it has a good balance of filling and pastry”.
IV. Mirana Cake House
OUB Centre Singapore
1 Raffles Place
#B1-06
Tel: +65 6533 8302
Price: $14 onwards
Julia Khoo at inSing.com reviewed, “It was sufficiently buttery and fragrant, with a lovely melt-in-the-mouth sensation”.
V. Tong Heng
285 South Bridge Road
Tel: +65 6223 3649/0398
Price: $11 onwards
Massively famous for their egg tarts (their pineapple tarts are a close second), Tong Heng is so busy during this festive period that the owner turned down an interview request by Channel U.
2. Barbequed pork (Bak Kwa)
I. Sang Hock Guan
Blk 163
Ang Mo Kio Ave 4
#01-446
Tel: +65 6458 7374
Price: $47/kg (non-spicy), $49/kg (spicy)
The team at Makansutra calls it “tender, nicely grilled and not too sweet”.
II. Kim Hock Guan
150 South Bridge Road
#01-02 Fook Hai Building
Tel: +65 6535 2536
Price: $48/kg (non-spicy), $52/kg (spicy)
Nominated for the best bak kwa in Singapore in the “Bak Kwa Index” by The Straits Times in 2007.
3. Love letters
I. Mirana Cake House
OUB Centre Singapore
1 Raffles Place
#B1-06
Tel: +65 6533 8302
Price: $19
Netizen Vonn commented, “I’m picky when it comes to love letters as has to be fragrant enough. Mirana cake house definitely has good ones that are not to be missed!”
II. De Cooking House
137 Amoy Street
#01-04 Far East Square
Tel : +65 6538 2168
Price: $15.80
The team at Makansutra reviewed, “It is light, crispy and fragrant”.
4. Sugee cookies
I. De Cooking House
137 Amoy Street
#01-04 Far East Square
Tel: +65 6538 2168
Price: Varies with flavor
The team at Makansutra reviewed, “The cookies from De Cooking House are fragrant, soft and baked with appropriate moisture”.
Remember to drink lots of water to balance the “heaty-ness” of these goodies. Stay healthy and wishing you a prosperous Chinese New Year!
Recipe credits: nyonyafood, cutiebearbear.multiply.com, singaporelocalfavourites.blogspot.com
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