Cooking Simplified with... Tefal Ultimate AirFryer

During the Conditional Movement Control (CMO) period, the kids and I have been staying home for months, rotating between work from home and work from office, I have struggled to keeping track of my work / meeting while making dinner for the family.

Tefal ultimate airfryer has been a real time saver, together with the multipurpose cooker (which I will save fo another day). I have been cooking wonders with my airfryer and it is truly a time saver! The module I've got can caters for 1.2L of food, perfect for cooking for a medium family with 7 persons.

Let's share some of the simplest recipes with the airfryer

Savory Grilled Salmon

Cooking: Select fish mode. 180c for 12 minutes (6min each sides). Spray some oil at the bottom for crunchier skin.

Grill Chick Drumstick & Wings

Cooking: Select chicken mode or 180c for 18 minutes (9min each sides). 

 

Teriyaki Chicken Chop 

Cooking: Select chicken mode or 180c for 18 minutes (9min each sides). 

Crispy BBQ Pork

Cooking: 

Wrap all 4 sides of the marinated pork belly with aluminium foil, sprinkle with rock salt on top of the skin and cook @ 200c for 20 minutes. Then remove the salt on top of the skin, 160c for another 15 min.

Fish & Chips & Wedges

Cooking: Select fish mode or 180c for 20 minutes (10min each sides). 

 

Grilled Fish

Crispy Puff Pastries

Cooking: Select snack mode or 160c for 12 minutes (6min each sides). 

Simple Roast Nuts

We frequently roast our almonds, cashew nuts, walnuts, hazelnuts etc, but we did not keep a single piece of pictures of them. LOL. But really, just 150c for 18-20 minutes (10min each sides). You have some really nice aromatic nuts.

The list really goes on and on and I think we still have more to explore...

Above all, what I love most about the airfryer is it makes my life so so much easier with the reduced washing - no more messy oily kitchen top, or standing anxiously to watch over the food to ensure no over-cooking.

Wish to have one? You can get your own airfryer online here ;)

Rainbow Birthday Cake, a Step-by-Step Guide

 ℝ𝕒𝕚𝕟𝕓𝕠𝕨 𝕓𝕚𝕣𝕥𝕙𝕕𝕒𝕪 𝕔𝕒𝕜𝕖 for 𝓵𝓲𝓽𝓽𝓵𝓮 𝓒 

Last week, I spent about 3 hours decorating this cake, to celebrate our little bunny’s 9th birthday. The never ending smile on her face literally melted my heart. While this is quite a time consuming task, it is all worth it, This cake full matches the rainbow unicorn dress that she wore that day. 🌈

Here’s the step-by-step guide on how to decorate the cake using icing fondant. I’ve coated it with chocolate ganache and freeze in fridge for about an hour before I started decorating.

Where to get the tools?

🛒  You can get your fondant cake decorating tool kits from most baking supply stores, or can purchase online here:

🍰  Icing white fondant https://amzn.to/3fQiIXy 

🎨  AmeriColor Soft Gel Paste Food Color, 8 Pack Kit https://amzn.to/2V8iy48 (my favorite brand!)

🖌 Caydo 15 Pieces Carving Modeling Tool Set https://amzn.to/2HJbasP 

The Making

Here're some views of the rainbow birthday cake from all angles

Alright, here are the detail steps, get ready your apron!

#1 get ready all your tool kits and make sure surface is all clean.

#2Prepare the fondant coloring, drop about 2 drops of coloring onto each dough and roll with your palms till color are well mixed,

#3 Assemble the color fondant rolls into rainbow color sequence. Make them stick together by brushing some sugar water to brush the joining points.

#4 Measure the desired length and cut off the access using a fondant cutter.

#6 For the bake covering, make sure you rollout the fondant to a broad enough diameter. Use the cake mould to measure.

#5 coat the cake with a generous layer of Chocolate ganache, let cool in fridge for about an hour.

#7 Move the cake to a rotatable cake holder. Use both your palms to smoothen the edges of the fondant. Make sure no folded surface.

#8 Use a pizza cutter to cut away the access and achieve a smooth edge

#9 Now, start decorating your cake with all the pre-made fondant figurines. Brush the base with some sugar water to help your fondant figurine sticks on.

#10. Decorate to the fullest! I used toothpicks to support the fondant letters “CLAIRE” and added a cake topper. That's it, the rainbow cake is done and ready to surprise my little bunny!

Some Important tips!

Before you start working on the fondant, make sure you read these!
📍  M     Make sure to keep the room cooling so your fondant will remain non-sticky

📍 make sure the surface is clean from dust and water drops.
📍  Sprinkle some flour over the surface and your palms to avoid fondant from sticking

📍 Keep a clean damp cloth around to avoid mess. You will thank me for it 😉

📍 You MUST coat the cake with either buttercream or chocolate ganache if you want a smooth surface

Happy baking!

#food4littleones #birthdaycake #rainbowcake #cakedecorating

{Breadmaker Recipe} Pumpkin Seed Honey Loaf

Weekend approaching, why not have some healthy breakfast?

Pumpkin seeds with honey bread loaf is one easy bake with the help of breadmaker this is super easy. You may replace the pumpkin seeds with any other nuts or seeds of your choice, maple nuts or sunflower seeds would be a good option too.

Preparation Time: 10 Minutes
Baking Time: 4 Hours
Serving size: 500gm loaf / 6-8 slices

Ingredients:

• 250g organic High Gluten flour

• 15g unsalted butter

• 2 tbsp brown sugar

• 1 tbsp milk powder

• 1 teaspoon salt

• 1 tbsp raw honey diluted in 180ml water at 5c°

• 1 teaspoon instant dry yeast

• 20g organic pumpkin seed 

The Making:

1. Mix all ingredient (except yeast and pumpkin seed) in the bread container as per display order, pour the honey water around the perimeter of the pan. Add yeast in the yeast dispenser and sunflower seed in the nut compartment.

2. Select "soft bread" function (or of equivalent on your machine, I used a Panasonic) and start. It shall takes 4 hours 20 min. 

That's it. I set mine to timer mode and enjoy a fresh loaf the next morning :) 

Love freshly baked bread too? Get your own Panasonic Breadmaker here...

 

CNY Special: Little Mouse Butter Cookies 金鼠抱喜

It’s been a long long while since my last uploaded any recipe as the work and family life as taken up a big part of my time, commitment as a working mom/daughter/wife is just too daunting. Anyway, this is one worth keeping. It’s a tested recipe by other blogger (see original link below) but the design is original ;)

 

Little Mouse Butter Cookies 金鼠抱喜

The Ingredients: 

• 90g unsalted butter at room temperature 
• 40g icing sugar, sifted
• 15g egg yolk (use medium egg)
• 170g cake flour (super fine flour), sifted
• A pinch of salt (I omitted this)
• 30-40 roasted almonds or cashews

The Making:

1. Preheat oven at 150°c, brush the baking tray with butter or spray with a layer of cooking oil, and place a piece of parchment paper over.
2. Cream butter and icing sugar using K mixer on high speed until the mixture became pale and creamy, add the egg yolk.
3. Add the flour bit by bit, the salt, and continue mixing until you get a well mixed, non-sticky dough.
4. To make the cookie into shape, I used a bear cookie cutter and modified the ear shape using my cake modeling tool (see picture). Make sure use both hands to hold onto the nut.
5. Bake in middle tray for 10-12min, or until golden brown. Let cold before you store them in air tight container. 

Useful Tips: 

• to avoid the cookies from cracking, make sure the cookie dough is thick enough - around 1cm. I made mine a bit too thin so quite a few had broken ears and necks *sob*
• This recipe yield about 30 cookies. To make more just double the ingredients.

Happy baking & wishing you and your family a happy Chinese New Year filled with blessings and happiness.

Original recipe adapted from NasiLemak Lover, you may want to visit her website here :) http://nasilemaklover.blogspot.com/2016/01/nut-hugging-bear-cookies-2016-cny.html