Heavenly Paradise@AdelineAng.com

It has been ages since my last post ;) Here is a recipe for delicious Mexican coffee buns (a.k.a. Rotiboy) I’d love to share!

These buns are a big hit in Malaysia and Singapore. Customers will patiently wait in line to savour the buns fresh from the oven! Bakery shops usually have such a great turnover, specially during lunch or rush hour that these buns are instantly gone within minutes after coming out from the oven!

Despite the tedious process to make these buns, it was well worth the effort ;) Hope you’ll enjoy them too.

Ingredients:

(A) Sweet Bun Dough
500 g (~ < 3cup) bread flour
20 g (~ 2 tbsp + 1 tsp) milk powder
75 g (~ 1/2 cup) icing sugar
6 g (< 1 tsp) salt 8 g (2 + 1/4 tsp) instant yeast 1 egg, lightly beaten 270 g water 60 g (~ 1/3 cup) butter, softened

(B) Coffee Topping
200 g butter, softened
160 g icing sugar, sifted
3 eggs, lightly beaten
2 tbsp instant coffee powder
1 tbsp warm water
Pinch of ground cinnamon
200 g (> 1 + 1/2 cup) all-purpose flour, sifted

(C) Filling
200 g unsalted butter, softened
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
70 g (1/3 cup + 1 tbsp) brown sugar

Directions:
(A)
1. Dissolve icing sugar in warm water (about 40 degrees Celsius). Add yeast and let stand for 10 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, combine bread flour, milk powder, and salt, in a mixing bowl.
3. Make a well at the centre of the flour mixture, gradually pour in the yeast mixture from (1), egg, and butter. Knead dough for about 10 minutes.
4. Shape dough into a ball. Place dough in a greased bowl covered with plastic wrap. Keep in a warm place, for about one hour, or until dough doubles its size.

(B)
1. Beat butter and icing sugar with electric hand mixer for about 5 minutes, on medium speed, until mixture is light and fluffy. Beat in eggs gradually.
2. Next, dissolve instant coffee powder in warm water. Pour the coffee into the mixture.
3. Sift flour into mixture and mix with electric hand mixer on low speed until it’s well combined. Refrigerate until ready to use.

(C)
1. Beat butter with an electric hand mixer for 3 minutes on medium speed. Blend in salt, vanilla extract, and brown sugar.
2. Refrigerate the filling until firm.

Finally……
1. Divide the bun dough into 12 portions. Roll each portion into a ball. Flatten the dough, insert filling from (C), and pinch the edges of dough together.
2. Let the dough rest for 30 minutes in warm place, until the size doubles.
3. When the dough is ready, scoop the topping mixture from (B) into a piping bag and pipe the topping in a spiral pattern onto the buns.
4. Bake them in a preheated oven at 400 F for 12-15 minutes, or until the buns are lightly brown.
5. Let the buns cool. These buns are best to serve warm! (*drooling*)

Polo bun is one of my favourite buns by far; filled with yummy taro paste. Delicious!

Ingredients:

(A) Sweet bun dough
1 tsp dry active yeast
70 g water
10 g icing sugar
150 g bread flour
1 tbsp milk powder
1/4 tsp salt
15 g butter, soften
1 tbsp beaten egg

(B) Polo skin
30 g butter, soften
25 g sugar
1/2 tsp milk powder
1/4 tsp salt
1 tbsp beaten egg
50 g all-purpose flour

Directions:
1. Heat up water in microwave until temperature reaches around 40 degrees Celsius. Dissolve icing sugar in warm water. Add yeast and let stand for 10 minutes.
2. While waiting, combine bread flour, milk powder, and salt in a mixing bowl.
3. Make a well at the centre of the flour mixture, gradually pour in the yeast mixture from (1), butter, and egg, while kneading. Knead dough for 10 minutes.
4. Place dough in a greased bowl and cover bowl with plastic wrap. Rest the bowl in a warm place. Allow dough to rise for about one hour, or till 2.5 times bigger.
5. Knead the dough on a lightly floured surface for 10 minutes. Divide dough into four equal portions. Insert filling (optional) into the bun dough. Taro paste was used here. Place bun dough on a non-stick baking sheet and let rise for 15 minutes.
6. Meanwhile, prepare the polo skin by beating the butter with a hand mixer for 3 minutes on medium speed. Mix in sugar, milk powder, salt. Stir well. Pour in the beaten egg 1/2 tbsp at a time to ensure that it’s well mixed.
7. Then, pour in all-purpose flour into the egg mixture from (6). Mix just enough to combine.
8. Divide the polo skin dough into 4 portions. Press each skin dough onto the bun dough. The top surface of bun dough should be covered by the skin dough.
9. Brush the surface of polo skin dough with remaining beaten egg, with a pastry brush. Cut pineapple patterns on the top surface with a sharp knife. Let dough rest in a warm place until the size doubled.
10. Bake them in a preheated oven at 355 F (180 degrees Celsius) for about 15 minutes, or until the buns turn light brown.
11. Enjoy the buns while warm!

* Yield: 4 buns
* Prep time: 1 hour 15 minutes
* Overall time: 2.5 hours

Ingredients:

1 tbsp active dry yeast
1/3 cup white sugar
1 cup warm milk (around 40 degrees Celsius)
2 cup bread flour
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
2 tsp salt
2 eggs, lightly beaten
8 tbsp vegetable oil
2 tsp water

Directions:
1. Prepare the warm milk with by heating up milk in the microwave. Dissolve sugar in the milk. Stir well. Add the yeast and let stand for 10 minutes.
2. In a large mixing bowl, combine bread flour, all-purpose flour, whole wheat flour, and salt. Mix well.
3. Make a well at the centre of flour mixture, pour in the yeast mixture from (1) gradually. Be sure to combine them well.
4. Next, reserve 1 tbsp of beaten eggs for later. Add remaining beaten eggs and vegetable oil into the dough from (3). Knead dough for 10 minutes until it is soft and smooth.
5. Place dough in a greased bowl and cover bowl with plastic wrap. Rest the bowl in a warm place for about an hour, or until the dough doubled.
6. When dough is ready, punch down the dough at the centre to release air. On a lightly floured surface, knead dough for 10 to 15 minutes until it is soft and pliable. Divide dough into 12 portions. Roll the dough out to get a circular shape with a rolling pin. Wrap dough with your favourite filling (e.g. red bean paste, meat filling etc.). Make sure to seal the filling well by bringing the corners together and pinching down the dough.
7. Let the dough rest on a non-stick baking tray in a warm place for an hour, or until the size doubled. Wrap tray with plastic wrap.
8. Remove the plastic wrap. To prepare egg wash, mix the 1 tbsp beaten egg with 2 tsp water. Brush the egg wash on dough with a pastry brush. Bake in a preheated oven at 350 F for about 20 minutes, or until the surface of buns are lightly brown.

* Yield: 12 buns
* Prep time: 1.5 hours
* Overall time: 3 hours

Sausage sandwiched in a sweet bun, sprinkled with sesame seeds. A delicious snack!

Ingredients:
1 tbsp active dry yeast
1 + 1/2 tbsp sugar
100 ml milk
1 + 1/2 tbsp butter, soften
2 egg, lightly beaten
2 + 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp salt
10 sausages
1 tbsp water
3 tbsp sesame seeds

Directions:
1. Microwave milk for about 30 seconds, until temperature reaches around 40 degrees Celsius. Dissolve sugar in milk and add yeast into the mixture. Let stand for 10 minutes.
2. In a mixing bowl, mix together flour and salt. Make a well at the centre of the flour mixture. Pour in the yeast mixture from (1), butter, and one egg.
3. Mix all ingredients well with hand until they are well combined. Knead the dough for about 10 minutes.
4. Leave dough in a lightly greased mixing bowl, and cover with a plastic wrap. Rest the bowl in a warm place for an hour, or until the dough doubles its size.
5. Meanwhile, prepare a pot of boiling water and cook the sausages. Drain off the water in the pot and let sausages cool off.
6. When dough has doubled, punch down the centre of dough. On a lightly floured surface, knead for 10 to 15 minutes until the dough is smooth and pliable.
7. Divide dough into 10 pieces. Roll the dough into individual rod shapes. Wrap dough over the each sausage.
8. Place them on an ungreased baking tray. Cover tray with plastic wrap. Leave them for 20 minutes in a warm place.
9. Add 1 tbsp water into one lightly beaten egg. Apply egg wash on the dough and sprinkle with sesame seeds. Bake in preheated oven at 355 F (180 degrees Celsius) for 10 minutes or until golden brown.

* Yield: 10 buns
* Prep time: 1 hour 20 minutes
* Overall time: ~ 2.5 hours

What do I miss from Malaysia? Tons! The place, culture, people, food, and the list goes on… In terms of food, sweet buns are some of the food I’m missing so much. They bring back nostalgic memories from my childhood and teenage years. I remembered the wonderful aroma when I stepped into the bakery shop in Malaysia, and the mouth-watering that my eyes feasted on. That was why, I won’t complain to go shopping at the bakery, picking up my favourite buns for breakfast and snacks.

In Canada, however, there’s no fresh Asian baked goods in small cities. In order to satisfy and taste buds and fulfill my cravings, I have to do something….I have to make buns on my own from scratch! Sausage buns, sweet buns with red bean paste, Polo buns, Mexican buns etc., I love them all :)

The Golden Cake recipe used in preparing the Checkerboard Cake.

Ingredients:
1/2 cup butter, softened
3/4 cup sugar
2 eggs
1/2 cup milk
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 + 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 tbsp baking powder
pinch of salt

Directions:
1. In a mixing bowl, beat together butter and sugar with a hand mixer on medium speed for about 3 minutes. Beat in eggs, one at a time.
2. Subsequently, beat in milk and vanilla extract.
3. In a separate bowl, mix together flour, baking powder, and salt.
4. Beat in the flour mixture gradually with the wet ingredients from (2), just enough to mix.
5. Pour batter into a lightly greased and floured 8-inch round cake pan.
6. Bake in preheated oven at 350 F for about 35 minutes, or until a cake tester inserted into the centre comes out clean.
7. Let cool in the cake pan for 10 minutes before resting the cake on a cooling rack. Wait till the cake is completely cool before cutting.

For the chocolate layer, substitute 1/2 cup of all-purpose flour with cocoa powder. Follow the steps above.

I have the liking of checkerboad patterns. One of my favourite childhood cookies is checkerboard cookies. Wouldn’t it be nice to have checkerboard cake too?

Miles and I attempted two checkerboard cake in the past, one of which is the Festive Birthday Cake for our friend, Josie. Finding the cake cutters of different sizes was one of the greatest challenges. We found stainless steel sheet from the hardware store and made ourselves some.

Next, the recipe. Regular moist cake recipe doesn’t work too great as the cake will be too soft to handle. Hence, we tried the pound cake recipe. The texture turned out fabulous! However, I find the cake too dense. It’s not enjoyable to be eating a dense cake. Now, I’ll have to get a cake recipe that will give me a cake that’s firm enough to handle, but also moist enough to taste good. I think I’ve found one!

This recipe is modified from a golden cake recipe, and it works wonderful for making checkerboard cake!

Our second checkerboard cake attempt, with a pound cake.

The third attempt, with a golden cake recipe.

Many might wonder, how is checkerboard cake prepared? An easy answer to this: you’d need a chocolate cake and white/yellow cake. The tricky part is assembling the cake.

8-inch golden cake that was cut into half in height. Rings of various sizes (6, 4 and 2-inch) were used to cut the cake.

The same idea applied to the chocolate cake.

The nerve-racking moment was to assemble the cake. Chocolate and golden cake rings were placed in an alternate fashion. Decorate the next layer starting from the opposite color of cake ring. Icing was used to keep the rings intact.

It has been a rainy week this week. Although there are tons of things on my -to-do list, I didn’t feel motivated enough doing them. Hence, I decided that I should experiment on a self-improvised checkerboard cake recipe to relax my mind.

Here is my latest creation. Happy Summer!

*hope the rain will soon be gone*

Time was ticking… It was our last day to wander around the city. We were leaving for Los Angeles the next morning, through Greyhound bus.

After our lunch at Bouldin, we continued on walking along The Embarcadero and visited the Ghirardelli Square. Domingo Ghirardelli, the son and apprentice of an Italian chocolatier, established his first chocolate factory in San Francisco, in year 1852.

Busy traffic along the street. Hooters Restaurants seem to be popular in major cities, primarily owe to their attractive waitresses.

An extremely eye-catching gigantic Levi’s jeans on display.

The cable cars are part of the culture in San Francisco.

Here we were! At the Ghirardelli Ice-cream and Chocolate Shop!

Ice-cream with hot chocolate sauce and topped with whipping cream and a cherry. Yummy chocolate sauce….it’s a must-try!

The Ghirardelli Square.

Buying chocolates on a hot sunny day can be a disaster. Keep in mind not to expose them directly under the sun. You want them to melt in your mouth, not your hands, or purse ;)

A crowded cable car. Stand still, hang on to the bar, clench your teeth, and say “cheese!”

The Grace Cathedral, a renowned San Francisco landmark. It’s located at Nob Hill, on California St.

The interior of the cathedral.

Next, Ernest and I walked to the Cable Car Museum on Washington St. Very informative museum with the history of cable cars in the city. And best of all, free admission!

A cable car was moving along Washington St.

After the museum visit, Ernest and I went back to the Chinatown on Grant Ave. and explored parts that we didn’t get to go during our first visit when we just arrived. We went grocery shopping, mainly for our favourite snacks that we didn’t get to taste since we left home.

Since our previous “painful” experience of not able to find a restaurant just before 9 p.m., we’ve learned that we had to find a restaurant sooner for supper. Steps of Rome Cafe was on our list, highly recommended by the locals. We went to the cafe on Columbus Ave. A fine dining Steps of Rome Restaurant can be spotted on the same street too.

Bruschetta. Toasted sliced bread topped with diced tomatoes, garlic, basil, and extra virgin oil.

Ravioli with spinach that Ernest had.

I had a dish of grilled chicken breast with potatoes and greens, topped with creamy sauce.

Dessert time…the “Steps of Rome Famous Tiramisu” is to die for!!

Tiramisu lovers, listen up. This is a MUST-try when you visit San Francisco. It’s the BEST tiramisu ever!!! Very smooth texture, not too sweet, and quite filling! *Two thumbs up*

We’ve planned ahead of time to visit the Alcatraz Island on our third day (a Monday) in San Francisco. It was convenient to make ticket purchase online from the official website. Situated in the San Francisco Bay, the island is about 2.4 km offshore from the pier. It used to serve as lighthouse when it was established in 1934, a military prison later on, and now, a national recreation area. Needless to say, a prominent tourist landmark in California too.

We took an Early Bird Tour to Alcatraz. The view of Coit Tower from the ferry.

A short ferry ride to the island. Ernest and I joined a audio/visual tour in the old prison. There are some bizarre stories from the past.

At the Embarcadero.

Boats, boats, and more boats!

A street entertainer; dancing along with the music like a robot.

It was a happening place by the Fisherman’s Wharf.

Bread making at Boudin Bakery. They looked so yummy…..

Fresh bread for sale. They smelled so wonderful!

We had a nice lunch at the Boudin Cafe. It’s a must-visit!

Ernest ordered  the New England Style Clam Chowder, and I had the Beef Chili with shredded cheddar cheese and onions. Of course, in bread bowls!

When Miles informed me about a month ago that his classmates would like him to share a graduation cake with the group, the first thing that came into my mind was “this is going to be a challenging one!” Part of the reason, of course, is that Miles had a picture of a fancy graduation cake in mind.

From our first cake with fondant, to creating a Chocolate Cherry Cake, and later on a Festive Birthday Cake, we’ve learned a lot about cake decorations. This time around, is the ultimate challenge! Here is the big picture: two-layered cake resembles the laboratory bench and a drawer, plus some laboratory apparatus on the bench.

The cake making started a week before the cake even exists! To prepare Erlenmeyer flask and beaker, we used cereal treats (a.k.a. rice krispies). The same recipe as Rice Krispie Squares, except that we hand-molded the rice krispies into shapes of flask and beaker.

Miles prepared the second beaker, a stirring rod, as well as freehand flask, beaker, and funnel cut out shapes with gum paste (also known as sugar paste). They were let air-dry for several days.

One 9 x 13 x 2 inch marble cake was iced on top of the other, with white icing. Then, the cake was covered with fondant. Staying up “early” till 4 a.m. in the morning wasn’t very fun. But guess what? At least we got the major parts of the cake done. *Phew*

The Masterpiece that took us hours and hours to complete. A laboratory themed cake!

Erlenmeyer flask with Johnny Jump-ups around it. They are edible flowers that make nice decorations.

Bubbling potassium dichromate in the beaker. Caution! It’s hot to handle!

Chlorine gas is released from the beaker with a stirring rod. Spooky….

Happy Graduation to all the future graduates! Hope everyone enjoyed the cake ^v*

It was a long bus ride to the Golden Gate Bridge, due to bus transfer. We passed by the Palace of Fine Arts Exploratorium and visited the Marina Green on our way to the bridge.

Lots of sail boats!

Unique landscape and busy traffic in San Francisco, on a Sunday afternoon.

Finally, we arrived at the bridge!

The city view from the bridge.

The Golden Gate Bridge, an internationally recognizable symbol of San Francisco. The longest suspension bridge in the world when it was opened in 1937.

Very thoughtful facilities on the bridge, including this….

It was a sunny and windy day. Ernest and I walked across the Golden Gate Bridge that boasted 2.737 km (1.71 miles) in length, 27 m (90 ft.) in width, and 227 m (746 ft.) in height.

For those who know me well, walking is one of my biggest enjoyments when traveling. To me, that’s a great way to experience the culture and meet the locals. According to Mom & Dad’s traveling experience with me in Canada, they are witnessed to be darker and skinnier after the trip due to extensive walking and busy itinerary. I’d like to add on, healthier too! I’d like to thank Mom & Dad for putting up with me, and Ernest too (especially our 5.5-hour way in Las Vegas in the wee hours). *v^

In the evening, I met up with Daniel, a good friend I knew from Urbana Conference. It was about two and a half years since we last met. Luckily, we has no problem recognizing each other. We went back to Lombard St. to capture pictures that I missed out from the day before, and visited a few other places after that. Thanks to Daniel for being a nice tour guide.

Lombard St., the “crookedest street.” There are always lots of traffic here. Enthusiasts who are eager to experience the extraordinary landscape of the street. I had an odd feeling that the community must be tired of tourists swarming into their neighbourhood.

Very steep hill on Lombard St. Parking at 90 degrees angle here could be a big challenge!

The Coit Tower at Telegraph Hill, built in 1933 at the bequest of Lillie Hitchcock Coit who was a volunteer firefighter.

Overlooking the Golden Gate Bridge at the top of Telegraph Hill at dusk.

The Bay Bridge from Telegraph Hill.

Before the end of the day, we visited Japantown and had a nice Japanese meal there.

The Japantown.

Interesting road signs in Japanese.

Japanese stores and restaurants everywhere.

This was the first “full-day” that we got to enjoy ourselves in the big city. Based on previous experience, my traveling mindset is very straightforward. Those “must visits” are the priority on my trip itinerary. Another important thing to keep in mind is the day of the week. For example, it won’t be a great idea to try to get into the Universal Studio on a weekend, when it’s loaded with people. So, try to avoid that if you’ve a choice.

It was a crisp Sunday morning. The Golden Gate Park and Golden Gate Bridge were on our list. Another nice thing about staying in the hostel (not all, but most do) is that breakfast is provided! Simple yet filling. Loads of bread, bagel, bun to choose from; fruit jams, peanut butter, and margarine on the side. Toaster was available too. How convenient!

Tourists were everywhere!

Ernest and I took the street car on Market St., before catching the bus that brought us right to the park entrance.

Street car station.

Busy cable lines for street cars and buses.

Attractions in the garden include: Strybing Arboretum, Japanese Tea Garden, California Academy of Sciences, Conservatory of Flowers, DeYoung Museum etc. The was a huge park!

The entrance of Japanese Tea Garden.

The California Academy of Sciences. A busy crowd!

We visited the DeYoung Museum. Palm trees that I missed so much!

Lovely trails in the park.

The Conservatory of Flowers.

Yummy tropical fruits!

It was lunch time by the time we left the park. We had a Mexican lunch at this neat take-out place, Taqueria, on Lombard St.

Enchilada that Ernest ordered; rice, salad, and black beans on the side.

Crispy Quesadilla that I had, with guacamole, salad, and sour cream.

Traveling is one of the many things I enjoy in life. Certainly, it’s among those that I enjoy the most. This is a continuation of the rest of my traveling story to West Coast of U.S.A. in spring 2009, after my posts about Grand Canyon and Las Vegas.

The very first stop, San Francisco! It was a sunny afternoon when I arrived. Due to the flight delay, my brother Ernest waited for my arrival at the airport. There are two important things to have “wandering” in a foreign city: maps & transit pass. We collected maps and brochures (which I considered them as life savers) from the tourist information booth and purchased 3-day transit passes ($20 each), as known as Muni Passports (short for SF Municipal Railway) at the airport.

The 3-day transit pass was great for commuting by bus, cable car, street car etc. within the city. The subway line from the airport to downtown, however, is operated by BART (Bay Area Rapid Transit). Therefore, the transit pass was invalid and we had to get ourselves one-way subway tickets to downtown.

As we stepped out of the subway station, we spotted the famous San Francisco Cable Car. It costs $5/ride, regardless of the distance. Our transit passes came in handy ;)

This was a backpacking trip for us. After we checked into the Adelaide Hostel, we begun our exciting adventures exploring the city! We took a stroll in Chinatown.

Cable Car traveling across the Chinatown.

Looking for souvenir ideas? How about this unique penny? Insert 2 quarters and 1 penny into these crank machines (available at tourist attractions). Choose the desired image, work through the cranking motion, and there….a reshaped penny for you! Pretty cool!!

Unique architecture. I hope the stairs are only used for emergency exit?

The main entrance of San Francisco Chinatown, the oldest Chinatown in North America. To my surprise, it draws more visitors to the neighbourhood than the well-known Golden Gate Bridge!!

After a quick lunch break in the late afternoon, we explored the downtown area for the rest of the afternoon.

Not a big surprise to find streets that are extremely steep around the city! A great workout for pesdestrian walking up the street and bikers biking up the hill, and certainly a big challenge for drivers parking their cars on a steep hill!

The Transamerica Pyramid. It’s known as the tallest and most recognizable architecture in San Francisco skyline.

We  made our way to the waterfront in the evening. It was a lovely weather for staying outdoor. At dusk, we were at Lombard Street, which known as the “crookedest” street. The dark lighting wasn’t the best for pictures. Then, I thought “I’m gonna have to come back here some time, perhaps tomorrow.”

A piece of advice to San Francisco visitors: don’t expect to capture night pictures of the Golden Gate Bridge. We took the bus to the neighbourhood that overlooked the bridge. And guess what? It was pitch black and not even worth trying to take pictures. Finally, we were hungry enough to have supper around 10 p.m. We had a hard time finding a restaurant at that hour. Something to keep in mind: Don’t expect retails and restaurants open till late hours. We were in North America after all, not Asia ;) We visited the India Curry House on Columbus Ave., near Lombard Street. The pub section at the Indian resturant kept them busy till wee hour. A bonus for us, at least we found a place to dine-in.

It was close to midnight by the time we got back to the hostel. It was a busy yet fulfilling day in San Francisco!

Moving is a tiring and tedious process. I’ve to admit that I’m fortunate in a way, since this is only my third move in six and a half years. I don’t understand how some people could tolerate the hassle of moving from place to place every year, or worse still, every school term!

Boxes are very useful when it comes to moving. Nonetheless, I’ve to say that it really is a waste of time packing and unpacking. Needless to say, transporting time can take up a big chunk of the day.

One of my biggest dream is to own a house; no more worries about the lease and moving issues (unless I really have to for some reason). I’m not a big fan of spring cleaning. If given a choice, I’ll choose spring cleaning over moving, anytime.

The positive side of moving that I can see, is to get rid of junks! Besides, it gives us a good idea of our “assets”; what we already own and what we don’t. So that we won’t be walking into the store and purchase the same thing over and over again. Sounds familiar?

Anyway, I’ll be relieved for a little while after this move. The next one is coming up in 4 months’ time, as anticipated….