AMERICAN CHOCOLATE CHIPS COOKIES

I have no idea why this is called 

American Chocolate Chips cookies.

To me, it is simply Chocolate chip cookies.

Why American?

Anybody out there can tell me?

I am not a fan of cookies
I made these for my daughters & grandchildren.

After baking, I couldn't help but taken 4 pieces!
Is it because these were crunchy?
Yes, very crunchy!
Also,
I think it must have been fresh from the oven!

This recipe originated from Quay Po Cooks,

modified by Sonia a.k.a Nasi Lemak Lover

and now

I simplified the method.

Haha, lazy me!

American Chocolate Chips Cookies

(A) 300g all purpose flour

       2 Tbsp corn flour

       40g roll oats, blended fine

       1 tsp baking soda

       1 tsp salt

(B) 230g butter

      70g caster sugar

      150g soft brown sugar

      1 tsp vanilla

      2 eggs

      160g semi sweet chocolate chips 

1. mix well ingredients (A) & set aside

2. cream butter & 2 sugars until creamy, add vanilla essence

3. add eggs, one at a time

4. fold in dry ingredients & chocolate chips

5. cover & leave in fridge for 1-2 hrs to firm up the dough

6. preheat oven to 170'C & prepare line baking tray

7. use a small ice cream scoop (if you have one) to scoop the dough onto the tray

8. bake one pan at a time in oven centre rack for 20min 

9. cool cookies on wire rack

Note:

1. can use spoon if you do not have an ice cream scoop

2. if you want a chewy cookie. scoop a bigger portion

       

HERMAN SOFT BUN

Herman Soft Bun

These buns are soft and fragrant

and 

they taste good

even plain

Herman Soft Bun

I have stuffed the buns with 'Bak Kwa' while shaping

130g Herman 

260g bread flour

1 egg

50-60g milk (to adjust consistency)

1/2 tsp salt

30g butter

1. all ingredients except butter into a bread machine, bread dough cycle

2. 1/2 way add butter & continue kneading 

3. when machine stops kneading, remove dough & divide & shape buns

4. Allow buns to proof on greased pan until almost triple in size

5. bake in preheated oven 175'C for 25-30 min

Note:

If make loaf, extend total baking time to 35-40min 

may need to tent loaf if top browns too quickly

HERMAN PANCAKE

Herman Pancake
Adapted from pengskitchen

100g plain flour
20g sugar
50g Herman starter
15g melted butter
115ml fresh milk

Method
1. Sift flour into a mixing bowl, add sugar & mix well
2. Add all the rest of the ingredients,  whisk to combine into a smooth thick batter
3. Cover with a damp cloth & allow to proof 2-3 hours until double in bulk
4. Lightly grease a non stick pan. Drop 1/4 cup batter into the hot pan
5. Fry over low heat until golden brown, flip over & cook the other side
6. Serve warm with maple syrup & butter

SOURDOUGH PUMPKIN SOFT LOAF

Do you like its colour?
This loaf is soft & fluffy....

Pumpkin is well known for its nutritional value.

As such it has been widely used 

for making bread, cakes & desserts

This Sourdough Pumpkin Soft Loaf

is super soft. 

It has a bright orange colour 

I have adapted this recipe from BakeWithPaws

Sourdough Pumpkin Soft Loaf

150g bread flour

100g sourdough, fed

125g pumpkin, peeled, steamed & mashed

20g caster sugar

1/2 egg, beaten

1/2 tsp salt

60g fresh milk (to adjust consistency)

30g butter

1. Knead all ingredients in a stand mixer, until achieve window pane stage, about 15min

2. Let dough rise until double in size

3. Divide dough into 3 balls 

4. Roll out each ball, & roll up like a Swiss roll, place in a loaf pan

5. Allow to rise at room temperature until dough is double in size

6. Bake in preheated oven 175'C for 35min, tent loaf if necessary

SOURDOUGH BRIOCHE

I have always loved Brioche
because it is soft, sweet & flavourful

Excuse me for the shaping...

The yellow bun
having a soft & fluffy texture
who can resist?

Indeed Brioche is loved by many

Special thanks to Pilar M. Torres

For the recipe 

I have adapted the recipe from Pilar M.Torres's

Braided cranberry Brioche

Sourdough Brioche

200g Plain flour

40g sugar

1/2 tsp salt

100g sourdough

50g milk, adjust consistency

75g butter

2 eggs

1. Beat eggs with sugar & set aside

2. In another bowl, mix all remaining ingredients

3. Add egg mixture & stir until incorporated. (I use machine)

4. Leave dough to stand 30min

5. Fold dough 3 times at 20min intervals

6. After the last fold, leave dough to stand 2-3 hours @ RT

7. Refrigerate 8-12 hours

8. Shape when remove from fridge

9. Proof for 2 hour & bake @200'C for 30min

EASY SOURDOUGH BOULE

This is an easy sourdough bread

No stretch & fold

Suddenly you remember you need a loaf  of bread for the next day
but
 today you do not have time to work in the kitchen
you can still do it with this recipe!

Special thanks to Nelson Mansfield for sharing this recipe

Easy Sourdough Boule

200g white flour

75g sourdough starter

5g salt

140g water

1. Combine all ingredients except salt, allow to autolyse 30min

2. Fold in salt & chuck into fridge for 20 hrs cold retard.

3. Remove from fridge, shape & place in a banetton to rise at RT

4. Do a finger test to confirm before baking

5. Bake in preheated oven 250'C for 20min, covered

    Next 20min @ 225'C uncovered.

HERMAN STEAM MANTOU

Herman, 

when used to make steam mantou,

as in other bakes,

 it gives a sweet smell to the buns.

The texture may be fluffy as shown in the picture

but it is quite heavy.

The buns cracked because of over fermentation.

I left it left too long on the counter.

This recipe is the courtesy of Xiuli Zhang

Herman Steam Mantou
130g Herman
120g fresh milk
1/2 Tbsp oil
1/4 tsp salt
2 Tbsp sugar
180g superfine flour

1. Mix all ingredients except flour, into a paste
2. Add flour & knead to a smooth dough
3. Let proof 6-7 hours (or over night)  until double in size
4. Divide & shape dough
5. Leave to proof 30-45 min until slightly bigger, if left too long, bun will crack like mine!
6. Steam for 5-10 min according to size of mantou

GLUTEN FREE SOURDOUGH BREAD

Gluten Free Bread

made with Gluten Free Sourdough

takes much patience 

I made Gluten Free Sourdough from scratch

and thereby adapted this recipe

(I reduced the recipe to 1/3)

of Laurie Smith from Baking Magique

The list of ingredients may be long

but 

it gives me much excitement in shopping for the ingredients

The colour and fragrant comes from 

buckwheat & brown rice

The texture is on the dense side

and

crumbs is soft and does not break away when cut

Sharing with you..

Gluten Free Sourdough Bread

(A) 27g brown rice flour

      47g cold gluten free sourdough starter

      37g water

(B) 116g water 

      6g psyllium husk

      3g ground golden flax seeds

(C) 20g each of 

      - sorghum flour (cannot get in my place, I replace with gluten free flour blend)

      - oat flour

      - buckwheat flour

      - corn starch

      - potato starch

      8g sugar

      1/3 tsp salt

Method:

1. In the morning, mix (A), cover & leave aside for 8-12 hrs

2. In the late afternoon, mix (B) to gel form

3. In separate bowl combine (C)

4. In a mixer with dough hook, mix (A) and (B)

5. blend in dry ingredients until flour is fully incorporated

6. transfer to floured work surface & shape into a loaf

7. get ready a proofing basket lined with a tea towel, sprinkle bucket wheat flour on towel

8. put dough into the proofing basket, fold the towel over & place basket in a plastic bag

9. allow to rise for 4-6 hours until almost double

10. preheat oven 200'C with baking pan & a small bowl of water inside

11. score bread and bake covered for 30min

12. open cover & bake for another 20min 

13. cool for at least 1 hr before cutting

I like this scoring

GLUTEN FREE SOURDOUGH STARTER

In my eagerness to look up for a healthy natural leavening

for gluten free bakes

I come across bakingmagique.com

Gluten Free Sourdough Starter

shared by Laurie Smith

After 1 week!

Both pictures do not show much activities -
some big bubbles that easily burst when bottle is moved
and
a reasonable amount of bubbles seen at the side of the bottle.

I kept it in the fridge until my next baking day
then only I will remove it from fridge
and leave on counter for 12 hours before use

Gluten Free Sourdough Starter 

I cut down the volume in her recipe

20g buckwheat flour

20g brown rice flour

40g apple yeast water

2 Tbsp Kefir water 

1) mix all ingredients in a glass jar, cover with muslin cloth & secure with a rubber band

2) let sit on counter top

3) feed everyday with 10g buckwheat flour

                                    10g brown rice flour

                                    20g water 

4) transfer to a bigger jar if necessary, feed for 7 days

5) after 1 week store sourdough in fridge with lid on. 

Feeding a matured Gluten Free Sourdough

a) feed once a week

b) if liquid starts to form at the top of the starter, pour away the liquid & some starter

    continue feeding

c) feed whenever you have used for baking

To Use for baking

a) take out starter from fridge & leave at room temperature for 12 hours 

MACHINE KNEAD HERMAN LOAF

This Artisan Style Herman Bread

is kneaded in a bread machine

without 'snf'

I will try another loaf with snf done 

 to see what happens

Special thanks 

to Felicia Khaw for the recipe

Machine Knead Herman Loaf

200g Bread flour

125g water

100g Herman (use 24hrs after feeding)

5g salt

1. knead all ingredients except salt in bread machine for 5min

2. add salt & continue kneading until dough is smooth & elastic

3. leave to proof for 30min

4. shape & put into banetton, wrap banetton with plastic bag

5. leave to proof overnight or 12 hours

6. score bread & bake in preheated oven 250'C for 20min, covered

    & another 20min, open the cover @225'C