Souvenirs from Tasmania

Visited Casey and Kev on Saturday, an hour drive up the north.  Our first catch up since months ago... miss you so very much friends!

Thanks for the souvenirs... thank you for being such a wonderful friend Casey. Muak!

Recipe: Kap Zong 夹粽

I normally prepare 2 portions of dough using stand mixer. One for 咸煎饼 Ham Chim Peng, making it the same day.  The other portion can be stored in the fridge for up to 3 days and normally use it for 夹粽 Kap Zong.

Dry ingredients *for 10 pieces

• 175g flour
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp baking soda
• 30g sugar *preferably caster sugar
• 1/2 tsp yeast

Wet ingredients

• 85g water *adjust water accordingly. Dough should't be sticky, add a little flour if it is.
• 6g (1/2 tbsp) vegetable oil

Glutinous Rice Filling

1. 90g glutinous rice, rinsed and soaked overnight (min 2 hours).
2. Drain excess water, leave enough just to cover the rice.
3. Add 15g sugar and 1/4 tsp salt.
4. Mix and poke a few holes *I used chopstick
5. High heat, steam for 20 minutes. Fluff and mix. Steam another 10 minutes.
6. Place warm rice on a cling film. Wrap, compact and shape to 6" log (15cm).

7.5cm compacted glutinous rice log (1/2 portion)

Optional Filling

• 1/2 tsp 5 spice powder

Kap Zong 夹粽

1. Combine and mix all dry ingredients.
2. Add wet ingredients, mix and knead for 10 minutes for even distribution of all ingredients *dough is quite dry for the first few minutes.
3. Cover, place it in the fridge for a minimum of 24 hours and bring it to room temperature around 2 hours *can be stored in the fridge for up to 3 days.
4. On a dusted surface, shape and flatten dough to 6 x 6" (15 x 15cm) square *I stretched and shaped with hands. You may use roller.
5. Sprinkle 5 spice powder, then place rice in the middle.
6. Wrap and seal by pinching the joints.
7. Pinched side down, cut into 10 pieces, 1.5cm each.
8. Place cling film on top of a dough piece. On a dusted surface, roll and flatten to 5mm-thick. 
9. Cover, rest for 30 minutes.
10. Heat 1" depth of oil to 170C (my ref: no 7). 
11. Gently drop it into the hot oil. 
12. Turning regularly till both sides are evenly browned.

Notes: Step 3 and 10: On cooler days, I'll rest the dough in the oven *preheated to 40C then Off. 

Made 5 pieces with 1/2 portion of dough:

Combine and mix all dry ingredients.

Add wet ingredients and mix.

Knead for 10 min. Cover, place it in the fridge, min 24 hrs.

On a dusted surface, shape dough to 3 x 3" (7.5 x 7.5 cm).
Sprinkle 5 spice powder, then place rice in the middle.
Wrap and seal by pinching the joints.

Pinched side down, cut into 5 pieces, 1.5 cm each.

Place cling film on top of a dough piece.
On a dusted surface, roll and flatten to 5mm-thick.

Heat 1" depth of oil to 170C. Gently drop it into the hot oil.
Turning regularly till both sides are evenly browned.

Convid-19 and Study

Monday 25 May 2020: Students in all year levels returned to on-site learning.

Monday 11 May 2020: Students in kindergarten, prep, year one and years 11 and 12 returned to schools.

Monday 20 Apr - Friday 22 May 2020: On-line learning.

Monday 30 Mar - Friday 3 Apr 2020:  Student free days.

25 May 2020: Back to school.

e-learning

Recipe: Ham Chim Peng 咸煎饼

With the addition of yeast, 马脚 MaKiok's main dough turned into 咸煎饼  Ham Chim Peng's dough.

Dry ingredients *for 10 pieces

• 175g flour
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp baking soda
• 30g sugar *preferably caster sugar
• 1/2 tsp yeast

Wet ingredients

• 85g water *adjust water accordingly. Dough should't be sticky, add a little flour if it is.
• 6g (1/2 tbsp) vegetable oil

Filling

• 1/2 tsp 5 spice powder
• 150g red bean paste. Shape into 10 balls of 15g each *refer recipe here Homemade Red Bean Paste

Ham Chim Peng 咸煎饼

1. Combine and mix all dry ingredients.
2. Add wet ingredients, mix and knead for 10 minutes for even distribution of all ingredients *dough is quite dry for the first few minutes.
3. Cover and rest for 2 hours (or cover, place it in the fridge for up to 3 days and bring it to room temperature around 2 hours). 
4. Divide dough to 10 portions, about 30g each.
5. Roll with palms, shape to round balls. *for this step, I stretched dough sides to the bottom forming smooth ball.
6. Dust the work surface.
7. Roll and flatten the dough ball. Put more strength on the edges, producing thinner sides *At times, I placed the dough in between a cling film, then roll.
8. Sprinkle some five spice powder then place a red bean ball in the middle. 
9. Gather the edges, wrap and seal it up *I did the 'bao' way of sealing. 
10. Sealed side down, on a dusted surface, roll and flatten to 6mm-thick round circle *I placed cling film on top of the dough, then roll.
11. Cover, rest for 30 minutes.
12. Heat 1" depth of oil to 180C. 
13. Gently drop it into the hot oil. 
14. Turning regularly till both sides are evenly browned *Dough will puff up like a ball!

Notes: 

• Step 3 and 10: On cooler days, I'll rest the dough in the oven *preheated to 40C then Off. 
• Step 4: Personally like it thin and light with lots of red bean paste in it. If you like it slightly more chewy, divide dough into 8 portions instead of 10, about 38g each. At step 10 flatten to 7-8mm instead. 

Combine and mix all dry ingredients.

Add wet ingredients and mix.

Knead for 10 minutes. Cover and rest for 2 hours.

Divide dough to 10 portions and roll to round balls.

Roll to flatten. Put more strength on sides. 

Sprinkle five spice powder. Place red bean ball in the middle.

Gather the edges, wrap and seal it up. Place sealed side down.

On a dusted surface, flatten to 6mm-thick round circle.

Cover, rest for 30 minutes.

Heat 1" depth of oil to 180C. Gently drop it into the hot oil.

Turning regularly till both sides are evenly browned.

Italian Bread, Ciabatta

My very first attempt of folding wet and sticky dough. Not that bad after all. Not what I have been imagining...dough sticking all over the fingers...arrrrhh! Haha, it din't! 

Ciabatta is a plain bread with golden crisp crust. The crumb is soft and chewy with many irregular holes in it. How beautiful!

*recipe from https://youtu.be/8VVGRNsc-W0 . Thanks for such a wonderful recipe Jin!

Note: Would not repeat another round. Children prefer other breads and buns.