KUIH BANGKIT

Ever since I started to learn baking,

I have been trying to bake these little crunchy white biscuits

which melt in the mouth but not in your fingers!

I tried many recipes,

both written and from words of mouth of elders...

After years of searching and trying,

finally I GOT it!

I have to give special thanks to my sister-in-law's family in Penang.

Ah Gaik Chi gave me this recipe and some invaluable tips.

My sister-in-law's mom took the trouble to buy me these wooden moulds!

And these are my little white biscuits which melt in the mouth!

Kuih Bangkit

500g tapioca flour

500g sago flour 

3 pandan leaves (cut)

100g icing sugar

2 egg yolk (use only egg yolk)

100ml santan (use top layer cream only)

1) fry together tapioca flour, sago flour & pandan leaves until light

    & set aside for 2-3 days! 

    It is ready when the flour becomes so light that it flies as you

    lift the spatula, and the pandan leaves become crispy.

    Keep the flour covered for 2-3 days to cool down.

Please take note:

the flour

that goes into the kuali for frying is lumpy,

the pandan leaves are green

After frying 1/2 an hour or so

the flour becomes loose and limp, very light

flying all over as you lift it with the laddle

the pandan leaves are dry & crispy

2) sift 320g flour from the batch

3) beat egg yolks & add sugar, whisk until WHITE

4) stir in santan cream & strain the mixture

5) slowly by the spoonfuls, add liquid to flour to bind

    When the flour starts to come together, STOP adding more liquid,

    use fingers to knead to form a FIRM dough. No need to knead so long, 

    as over kneading will cause the cookies to become hard!

6) cover & let the dough rest while you prepare the baking sheet

7) line baking sheet with parchment paper

8) roll dough out & cut into shapes or press into moulds & knock out

9) 'wind' or air the cookies awhile before baking

10) bake in preheated oven of 170'C for 20-25min.

Important Notes:

1) make sure the flour is perfectly dry & cooled

2) leave the santan to stand awhile before taking the top layer cream 

     because some santan is sold with added water.

3) the dough must be Firm, not soft! 

     

Joeen Chew's

Kuih Bangkit

made with 50 year old molds

Lovely butterflies & bees with red dotted eyes

Well done Joeen Chew!

FOOCHOW MEAT YAN

Foochow Meat Yen

is also known as "Yen Nguong" in Fuzhou Dialect

This is a traditional delicacy from Fuzhou, China.

It is only eaten during festive seasons

or 
on special occasions like birthday celebrations.

This is the wrapper YEN PEI

rectangular, use scissors to cut 1/2 to square

Can check the importer at the back of the box

It is made from pork!

The Fuzhou people make these by hammering
 a large piece of pork.

While hitting and flattening the pork 
they add some flour
 to prevent it from sticking.

MEAT YAN 
1/2 box yen pei
1/2 kg minced pork
20g dried shrimp, minced
4-5 chest nuts, peeled & chopped
1/2 chicken cube (optional)
2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp pepper

2 tsp fried shallots

1 tsp sesame seed oil

1 tsp cornflour (optional)

Method:
1) mix all the above ingredients
2) use hand to lift up the ball of meat & slap down on the side of the bowl
3) repeat a few times so that the meat can be stiff & binding
4) leave in fridge for 15min
5) cut the wrapper into squares
6) dip wrapper in a small bowl of water, wrap a heap teaspoon of the meat with it
7) arrange on an oiled tray
8) steam for 15min on high
9) let cool before removing from tray
10) cook a clear stock and add some of the nyen nguong
11) to serve, just add some spring onions on top.

Note:
1) I have tasted in Fuzhou "3 lane 7 alley", they cut some of the wrapper into strips to make noodles. So, in the bowl we have some meat balls and some noodles as well. How about trying that?
2) these meat balls keep well in the freezer

If you happen to be in Fuzhou - 3 lane 7 alley
can buy this: (the wrapper is very thin, so it is nicer)

SWEET TAKUWA

If you like pickles you may like this!

It is crunchy, juicy and sweet!

Good as an appetiser, wonderful as a side dish!

You can never have too much!

If you like to make some for yourself.....

1 kg daikon (radish)

1.5 Tablespoon salt

1.75 cup sugar

1/2 cup white vinegar

pinch of tumeric extract (optional)

Method:

1) peel and slice radish into rounds

2) combine salt, sugar & vinegar & pour over the sliced diakon

3) let it soak overnight, stir occasionally

4) next day, squeeze the diakon and pack into glass bottles

5) boil the liquid and remove scum if there is any

6) add a pinch of tumeric extract to give yellow colour if prefer

7) boil until the water is clear, remove and let cool

8) pour cooled juice into the bottles to soak the diakon.

9) leave these bottles in the fridge for 2 weeks

10) enjoy!

A Day In Legoland

Here we are

in Legoland, Johor Bahru, Malaysia

Can you see the Chirstmas Tree behind us?

   It is built of lego! Very tall you know.

This is no child play, I am taking driving lesson...

driving on the left side of the road, following the traffic rules!

Hurray, I pass!

and have been awarded this driving licence!

Kung kung says my Driving Licence is very expensive.

I think it is still worth it because I got it after only ONE lesson!

Besides driving a car,

Titi and I also learn to fly in our favourite coloured planes!

Don't know why mama also join us in this cup and saucer game,
she says her head will spin with the cup too!

Ready, get set, PULL!

We need to pull the rope hard to lift ourselves up to the top,

and then LET GO to drop down!

Very Excited!



It is fun to ride like a knight!

The horse gallops but I think it is too slow for us.

It is very hot now, and Titi is sweating.

"Look, I can swing!"

"Hei boy!

Don't play there, it is dangerous!

The big wooden box up there will fall on you!", says the Lego Worker.

It is fun to ride this...

slow and steady, up and down...

But not this one!

"The cart slowly pulling along the track up to the top,
and
the sudden drop
made me scream like mad!
Mummy held me tight!"

"Before I could realise what had happened,
the sudden twist and turn made me feel like dropping out from the cart!
H e l p!
...  the scream never stopped because there were so many turns!

Finally we got down,
and mama said she could not walk straight!
I am fine."

We have fun here in this lego playground,

while the adults rested on the benches by the side.

It is getting dark.

Mummy says we need to buy some souvenir before we leave.

The adults look tired but not us.

I don't know why they tired so easily.

They were resting when Titi and I played in the playground.

We have not played in the Adventure Land yet.

Mummy says we can come back again next time.

Bye, bye Legoland, See you soon.