One of the things I look forward to having coffee at Dome Cafe is not its coffee but the biscotti that is served together with it. This little treat compliments the coffee so well! I always wanted to grab hold of a packet to bring home. But, after seeing the price, I decided to give this homemade version a go. That’s when I realized how cheap, healthier and tastier they could be!! Moving forward, I can happily say bye-bye to all the tasteless and expensive biscotti sold at the stores.

Biscotti originates from Italy. It is baked twice; first in log shape and then as individual slices. This method will yield a dry and hard, yet crisp texture for the biscuit which allows them to be kept longer at room temperature.

Some biscotti contain oil, some not. This biscotti recipe I am sharing now is oil and butter free and uses egg as a binding agent. It’s definitely a healthier option compared to the other oil or butter rich baked goods. When mixing the ingredients, don’t be fret if you get a sticky dough. Rest assured that nothing goes wrong. Just dust your hands and the work top with more flours will make the dough more manageable.

Biscotti is as easy-to-make as other cookies. However, it may need slightly more time and extra steps to produce its unique  hard, dry and crisp texture. At the first baking, the biscotti log is baked using longer baking time to ensure it is well risen and firm but not hard. Then it is left to cool down so that it can be easily cut into thin and neat slices with the use of a serrated knife. The purpose of the second baking is to dry up the biscotti until it becomes crunchy but not overly browned. Both baking sessions are done under low baking temperature.

The biscotti is so full of flavour. Cranberry lends some natural sweetness and moisture to it. I love the combination of cranberry and pistachio as the pairing of red and green creates a cheerful and festive look for the biscotti. I think it makes a perfect gift for all occasions especially this coming Father’s Day.

Earlier on, I had tried an all-nuts combination with pistachios, almonds and hazelnuts, but i still prefer a mix of nuts and dried fruits. The latter is more moist and tastier. However, feel free to use any combination of your choice. If your child is not ready for nuts or is allergic to them, then you can opt for 100% dried fruits for this recipe. Whether dunking into hot beverage or eating it alone, this biscotti is definitely going to be my family’s favourite year round snack.

For a note, this biscotti may not be suitable for young toddlers. For older toddlers, dunk it into their milk or hot drink to soften it.

>> Get the recipe and step by step photo for Cranberry and Pistachio Biscotti at PAGE 2 BELOW.

Apple is an excellent fruit to be introduced to babies and toddlers because it’s tasty, unlikely to cause allergy, easy-to-digest and packed with nutrients such as vitamin C, dietary fiber and flavonoids quercetin. In addition, it’s also very versatile and provides remarkable flavour and texture for cooking and baking.

My son is a great fan of apples but not I. Strangely, I have a current obsession with them. With my recent chicken and apple balls, I am in the mood to explore using apples to make muffins. Among all the apple muffins recipes that I have bookmarked, I like this version the most simply because the recipe calls for all the common ingredients. Unlike seasonal fruits, you can get year-round supply of apples in Singapore. So, you can make these muffins just about any time you like.

{My 1st attempt for apple muffins}

Though this recipe uses the creaming method (same as my blueberry muffins) and requires a little more time to prepare the apple filling, it’s worth the effort. These muffins are so light and moist with just the perfect sweetness.

I have baked these muffins twice. On my second attempt, I decided to add more apples. My oh my! They turned out to be even better – more apple flavour and extra apple bits to savour. Isn’t that a wise decision? I’m shocked to find out that my son gobbled up three apple muffins in a row and still requested for more helpings. Do you know that he just broke his personal record in eating my homemade muffins! Is it really that good? It’s definitely a big “YES” for an apple lover.

These muffins do not include any cinnamon powder, thus best to please your picky eater who dislikes spices. But, I’m surely a pinch of cinnamon will work as well. Now, with this new found love, I’m definitely going to make these fruity gems more often and add into my son’s lunch box.

>>>>>>> Get the recipe for APPLE MUFFINS at PAGE 2 BELOW.

In the past, every Lunar New Year, my mother would surely bake some festive cookies for the family. Being her key assistant cum tester, I had the least interest in making peanut cookies. To-date, I still find them neither tasty nor appealing in looks. Hence, they never make it to my “to-bake” list for Lunar New Year. As they say, never say never. I had a change of heart recently and decided to bake these “dreadful” peanut cookies. Oh!!! Woman, woman, you are a complete mystery in the universe. Professor Stephen Hawking is so right. lol!

But, in fact, I was inspired by my reader, Sandy Goh. Two weeks ago, she shared with me a precious peanut cookie recipe that she had learned from her “master sifu”. What fascinated me is that only four basic ingredients (eg peanuts, flour, sugar and oil) are used, and they are mixed according to a fixed ratio. This ratio works well whether you measure the ingredients in cups or grams. To that, I tweaked the recipe a bit by adding salt and butter. I also used more peanuts and lesser flour. So, what’s the verdict? I am pleased to say that the peanut cookies turned out to be crunchy at the first bite, and then softly crumbled with a melt-in-the mouth texture as soon as they hit your tongue. These cookies were fully packed with the fragrance of both finely grounded and tiny bits of roasted peanuts. The sweetness is just right and well balanced by a hint of salty flavour. Not only my family and friends gave it a thumb up, I also couldn’t resist the temptation to pop these little golden morsels into my mouth, one after another, and another, and……

Although this recipe is very simple and straightforward, there are a few things you need to watch out. First, as peanut is the key ingredient in the recipe, I would strongly recommend you to buy good quality peanuts and roast them yourself. This is to ensure that you get to taste more aroma of peanuts. Second, you may grind the peanuts to be superfine and smooth, but I prefer mine to be a bit coarse so that the cookies would give me something to munch on. Last but not least, remember to weigh each cookie dough to the same grammage so that they can be cooked evenly. Don’t skip this step!

Given that peanut is one of the most common food allergies, this recipe is not recommended for kids below 3 years old (age as recommended by American Academy of Pediatrics), kid who has a family history of allergies or kid who has had a food allergy in the past. If this is the first time you introduce peanuts to your child, please consult your pediatrician for further advice.

We will soon be heading back to my hubby’s hometown to celebrate the Lunar New Year. So, before I end this post, let’s me wish everyone a Happy and Prosperous Lunar New Year!!

在新的一年，祝大家龙年大吉，龙气冲天，财源滚滚，发得像飞龙，身体壮得像斗龙，龙年快乐！

-> Get the recipe and step by step tutorial at PAGE 2 BELOW.

Other festive cookies that you may bake for the Lunar New Year:

Hi everyone, Happy New Year !!

Time flies! It has been three months since my last update. Sorry to keep everyone waiting, but thanks so much for your kind patience and continuing support!!!

During this period, life was exceptionally hectic with many unexpected things happened. Last December, instead of having Mr Santa, sick bug paid us a surprise visit. I had to battle with a persistent fever for 3 consecutive weeks. It was initially caused by the dengue virus but led to further complication with pneumonia. For this, I had to be hospitalized. Soon after this episode, it was my son’s turn to have a throat infection and fever. So, it was quite a miserable and unforgettable month for both of us. Nevertheless, we feel blessed that we have finally recovered and are back in good health now.

After taking such a long break, I can’t wait to start my baking again especially making my homemade bread. Though I love making bread a lot,  I dread kneading bread dough with hands. The reason is that I always ended up with a pair of arching arms. Having a KitchenAid standing mixer is really a great relief to me. However, if the amount of dough is small, it would be more practical to knead with hands than machine. This simple breadsticks recipe is a good example for kneading bread dough with hands.

This recipe was adapted and modified from a basic thin crust pizza recipe. Hence, you have a choice to make either one of the options or both. The recipe is very simple and easy to follow. With just a few basic ingredients, you can begin almost immediately, perfectly suitable for any first timers to have some hands on experience in kneading bread dough. I hope this recipe will give them a boost of confidence in their bread making journey in future.

As compared to my cheesy breadsticks, the texture of these sticks is not soft like bread but crispy and crunchy like cookies. Based on individual preference, the dough can be easily shaped into strip or stick. Both types taste equally great. My 6 year-old son had so much fun rolling the sticks.

These sticks can be eaten on its own or even go well with dips. Thus, it makes them a tasty snack for both kids and even adults too. If you are looking for some healthy and guilt free snack for your toddlers, this little treat will surely bring a smile to their face.

Chinese New Year is just two weeks away from now. I am counting down the days!!! Aren’t you? Are you going to bake any festive cookies for your family and little ones this year?  I had baked my hubby’s favourite cookies and will share with you in my next post. Do stay tuned!

-> Get the recipe and step by step tutorial at PAGE 2 BELOW.

My hubby and I are great fans for coconuts but our 6 year-old son is definitely not. Early this year, he tasted steamed nian gao (年高, a sticky cake served during Chinese New Year) coated with fresh coconut flakes for the first time. Within minutes, he threw up. Whew! that was scary! It made me wonder if the taste of fresh coconut flakes is really that terrible to him. Until now, I still couldn’t figure that out.

Beside this particular incident, my son still eats coconut if I play the “camourflage” game well. All of my previous recipes that include either coconut milk or desiccated coconut (such as power packed oat bars, coconut butter cookies, banana muffins and steamed pumpkin muffins) were well received by him. Not a bad achievement though. Maybe it’s time to stop the hiding game and take a bold step for a change. So for this recipe, I decided to double dare him with more coconuts (coconut milk plus desiccated coconut) and even topped the muffins with extra desiccated coconut. Will I succeed? You bet!

This muffin recipe was originated from Daily Delicious. As these muffins are super easy-to-make, I actually baked them three times within a week and shared some of them with my “external testers”. After taking into consideration their kind feedback, I made some slight modifications to the recipe to suit my personal taste bud.

Unexpectedly, the modified recipe yields a very satisfactory result! The muffins are absolutely awesome as they have the right balance of sweetness, texture and taste! It’s the kinda coconut banana muffin I would die for! They tasted unbelievably delicious and packed with strong aroma of coconut. The desiccated coconut toppings, when baked, add a lovely crunchy and fibrous texture to it. Another important ingredient that contribute to the success of this recipe is banana. It blends perfectly with coconuts in baking. Banana doesn’t only enhance the coconut flavour but also provides a moist texture to the muffins even if they are left overnight. When my picky eater first saw the coconut toppings on the muffins, he was quite reluctant to eat it. After much persuasion, he agreed to try a tiny bite. And the verdict is he loved it! After his first sampling, he even asked for more. “Coconut isn’t that bad after all.” he commented. Hooray!! One step closer to achieve my mission!

This recipe is using mixing method, so you can easily whip up these muffins by hands with the help of a balloon whisk and a spatula. As long as you pay close attention to the tips I mentioned in the recipe, I can assure you that your muffins will turn out great even you’re a novice in baking! They are great to be added to lunch boxes or packed to office as teatime snack. Why not treating your kids (and yourself) with some tasty coconut banana muffins!

Get the recipe with step-by-step tutorial at PAGE 2 BELOW.

Mini dollar pancakes are those small round pancakes with 3-4cm in diameter. My son was treated with these mini dollar pancakes by his 2nd aunt during our last trip to Penang. It was love at first bite for him. Ever since then, he kept reminding us of  his memorable food experience. Knowing that he loved these pancakes so much, I started my mini pancake experiment. After a few rounds of trial and errors, I finally found the secret to making perfect mini soft and fluffy pancakes! Yay! Regardless of  which pancake recipe you follow, place more emphasis on the technique as it helps to produce soft and fluffy pancake texture without having to add too much baking powder.

For these mini fluffy pancakes, I use a simple recipe that calls for all the basic ingredients. What makes it so unique is how the eggs are beaten. Eggs are first separated. Then the egg whites are whipped up to form peaks and folded into the batter. This method will help to create more air bubbles in the batter. When the batter is cooked, the pancakes will puff up magically. Being a person who always flunks science exams, this is indeed a great discovery for me. Hehe!

You may think making mini round or fun shaped pancakes is difficult. In actual fact, it’s not only easy but the most fun part of all in making pancakes. I learned a cool and neat trick on how to do it from this VIDEO. By pouring the batter into a refillable ketchup plastic bottle (refer to the photo in PAGE 2 BELOW), you can control the flow of your batter with ease when creating the size or shape of pancakes that you prefer. Why not get your kids involved and share the fun too? I’m sure they will be very proud to present you with their very own pancake creations. If you can’t find the ketchup bottle, you can also use cookie cutters to cut out different shapes. That’s what I did for the mini love shaped pancakes shown in the photo above.

To increase your success rates in making these mini pancakes, remember to apply the following three basic rules:

1. Use a good non-stick pan so the pancake can be loosen easily.
2. Make sure the pan is hot (but not smoking hot) before you put the batter – simply sprinkle a few drops of water onto the pan. If they sizzle away, the pan is hot and ready for use.
3. Set your heat to medium low.
4. Make sure the heat is well distributed so it will give your pancake a more even colour.

I had also included extra tips in my recipes at PAGE 2 BELOW.

These pancakes are perfect for both breakfast and tea time snack. You can serve them with your choice of topping and filling, be it sweet or savoury. I love to serve them with yogurts (sometimes sorbet or ice cream) and top with fresh fruits and roasted nuts. I hope this fun filled food experiment of mine will bring you and your kids much joy this September school holidays. Let’s get into action now!

Get the recipe and step by step tutorial for Mini Fluffy Pancakes at PAGE 2 BELOW.

What’s your favourite finger food? If I were to name one, it would be fish fingers (or fish sticks). Who doesn’t love fish fingers? Not even a picky eater.

Trust me! Making your own fish fingers from scratch is very easy and they taste absolutely delicious too. Besides, you have full control in the selection of the type of fish and seasoning. If you have 30 minutes or so to spare for cooking, then this recipe is something you shouldn’t miss. Undeniably, the classic deep-frying version offers the ultimate crispiness that neither the baking nor pan-frying versions can replace. But for my family’s overall wellness, I’m pretty satisfied with my baked/pan-fried version.

 (I love playing with food. Do you?)

I have a little confession to make here. This is one recipe that I had silently kept for the longest time (Yes, there is still a long list of other recipes as well. I blame my lazy bones for this procrastination.). Whenever I baked these fish fingers, they ended up pleasing my stomach first and made me quickly forget to share with you in my blog. Hmm! That’s so selfish of me. So, if you have tried it and liked it, I hope you would share it with others and don’t be like me.

These fish fingers, when served warm, are extremely irresistible – crunchy and crispy on the outside and soft on the inside. They are so good that waiting for them to cool down is kind of mental torture. That’s the favourite comment my hubby loves to give before gobbling down his share (and more).

These fish fingers are perfect for the entire family. They can be eaten just about anytime and anywhere you like. For a healthy version of fast food experience, you can serve them with oven-baked potatoes wedges, peas or mixed vegetables, and don’t forget to go with some delicious dips like mayonnaise, tartar sauce, ketchup of chili sauce. Bon appetit!

A word of caution! We know that fish is a great source of lean protein but it also contains traces of mercury with varied degree.  So, pregnant women, nursing mothers and young children (under 6) must be very careful about the amount and types of fish they eat. There are four types of fish with high level of mercury that this group should not eat: sharks, swordfish, tilefish and King mackerel. For more reading references, please go through the following suggested links:

• Babycenter -  Should your kids eat fish? How they can avoid mercury and still get their omega-3s
• What to expect - Fish for toddlers
• US EPA -  What You Need to Know about Mercury in Fish and Shellfish
• Momstatic – Wholesomebabyfood – Wholes Is Fish an Allergenic food for Babies and When Can Babies Eat Fish?
• Business Week -  Too Much Mercury in Canned Tuna – Or Is There?

It’s good to serve your toddlers with a variety of fish with low mercury contents two to three times a week, with quantity ranging from one to three ounces of fish per serving depending on your child’s age. For more info, please go to this LINK. Remember, if you are uncertain of the mercury content in any type of fish you plan to introduce to your toddlers, please consult your pediatrician beforehand. Better be safe than late!

Get the recipe and steps by steps photos for oven baked fish fingers at PAGE 2 BELOW.

Mushi-pan ( 蒸しパン ), literally translated as steamed cupbread. But if you ask Uncle Google, you will also find it being associated with buns, cakes or muffins. Personally, I like to call it a “cake” as its texture is closer to a light version of mini cupcake, but not as dense and chewy as the tradition Chinese prosperity cakes (“fatt gou/ huat kueh” 发糕).

I must say that mushipan is the easiest thing to make when compared to all the other baked goods that I had tried so far. The original mushipan recipe only uses six basic ingredients, namely egg, sugar, low protein flour, baking powder, milk and salad oil. Mix them well, pour the batter into moulds and steam them!  With just 15 minutes of preparation and another 12-15 minutes of steaming, your piping hot steamed cakes will be ready on your table. The best thing is no electrical mixer and oven are required. If you want to learn how to make a basic mushipan, you can refer to Mushipan-Steamed cupbread/ cake recipe posted by Alice of Bits-of-Taste.

The basic recipe, which served as a reference guide, can be tweaked to become a sweet or savoury version depending on individual’s creativity. I have been doing some experiments on both types but end up liking the savoury recipes more. Today, I have selected my favourite savoury recipe (which is adapted from a mushipan cookbook) to share with you. This Japanese-inspired recipe created a touch of fusion by using cheese, sweet paprika and sausage. This perfect pairing makes the mushipans so tasty and fun to chew on. These mushipans are soft and flavourful when served warm. Even when they have cooled down, they still taste good. Of course, the warm ones taste better.

I bet your little ones would find these savoury mushipans totally irresitable as there are hidden bits of sausage and subtle cheese flavour. If you prefer a healthier version, simply substitute sausage with cooked chicken meat or frozen green peas. As these mushipans are small in size, they are easy to handle by your tots and ideal for outing, party, or packed lunches.

If you have tried and liked the steamed pumpkin muffins recipe I posted earlier, then this is another great recipe that should go to your bookmark list. This post is also specially dedicated to those who love baking but do not own any electrical mixer or oven. By putting a little effort, your family will get to enjoy this healthy yet cost saving homemade treat. Happy trying!!! (and succeeding)

Other mushipan recipes:

• Basic mushipan recipe (with milk) – Bits of Taste
• Basic mushipan recipe (with condensed milk) – La Fuji Mama
• Chocolate chips and corn cheese – Just One Cookbook
• Sweet potatoes with pandan (screwpine leaves) flavour – Cuisine Paradise
• Sweet corns – Cuisine Paradise
• Butternut squash – Pigpigscorner

=> Get the Japanese steamed sausage cakes recipe and step by step tutorials at PAGE 2 BELOW.

Most kids love cookies – my son included. But, he often gets a nose bleed if he eats them too often. For this reason, I seldom offer him cookies. Lately, a recipe with flower shaped cookies in a cookbook caught his attention. He was so amazed with its appealing appearance that he kept pestering me to bake some for him. Of course, I was quite reluctant initially but finally relented as the recipe sounded simple yet wholesome to me.

Although the recipe uses wholemeal flour, the cookies turns out surprisingly crisps and delicious!!! Every bite has a wonderful nutty and buttery taste! My son loved it so much that he kept coming back for more even before the cookies were completed cool down. Not only my son, both my husband and I also enjoyed them every much. I baked another batch and shared some with my son’s classmate as her birthday treat. Later, I was told by her mother that it was a hit among her two elder daughters. Both finished the entire batch without leaving any to share with her youngest daughter (who is the birthday girl). Although I felt sorry for the little girl, I was heartened by this resounding response.

This kid-friendly recipe is very easy to make and doesn’t require much effort at all. You can even ask your kids to join the fun of making them. If you choose to halve the amount of the recipe, you can use a hand whisk to beat the batter. But I won’t advise you to do so as the amount of cookies will definitely not be enough. You will end up craving for more, I assured you. Make plenty as your entire family, not just the tots, will fancy them too. If you do not have the flower cookie cutter, feel free to use any type of cookies cutters to cut out shapes.

These cookies are ideal as snack, and suitable for picnic and party too. They also make great gift for your friends and relatives during special occasions. Why not give your loved ones a surprise with these edible flowers?

=> Get the recipe and step-by-step tutorial with photos at PAGE 2 BELOW.

My family had a wonderful time during our recent holidays. We went to Kuala Lumpur first, then to Cameron Highlands and lastly ended in Penang. The only regret was that our duration in Penang was too short to cover our usual to-eat (no, must-eat) list. Just thinking of this food heaven, my stomach has already started rumblimg….oh my! I will share with you some photos I had taken during our Cameron Highlands trip in my next post.

Have you heard, seen or eaten Japanese steamed cake/ bread (mushi pan) before? I was very intrigued with this mushi pan when I first saw it sold at a specialty store in a shopping mall. Since then, I had been searching for the recipe. Lately, I had bought some mushi pan cookbooks and had tried out some of the recipes. However, some failed while some were far from perfection. Undaunted, I will continue my experiment and hopefully I can share my success story with you soon. So, wish me luck!

Meanwhile, here is my favourite steamed pumpkin muffin recipe that is especially dedicated for people who love baking but have neither oven nor electrical mixer, or both. The recipe is fairly simple and quick to make even if you are a novice in baking. It applies the same muffin/mixing method used to make baked muffins. You just need a hand whisk and a mixing bowl. Yes, it’s as simple as that. The wet ingredients are combined with the dry ingredients to form a batter. Then the batter is spooned into the moulds and steamed instead of baking. It’s so hassle-free and requires less washing too!

Even though the muffins are steamed, they produce soft and fluffy cake-like texture unlike the tradition Chinese prosperity cakes (“fatt gou/ huat kueh” 发糕) that are dense and chewy. Its gorgeous “open mouth” effect (which according to the Chinese’s belief symbolizes good luck) is what I adore most about these muffins.

Besides that, they taste yummy too!!! Each bite is packed with subtle smell and taste of coconut milk that blends well with the pumpkin flavour. As Australian pumpkin comes with  natural sweetness, I use lesser sugar than what is required in the original recipe. So the sweetness could be just perfect for those who don’t have a sweet tooth. By mashing the pumpkins and mixing it well with the batter, I am sure your picky eater won’t notice its existence when consuming it.

These muffins are not only enjoyed a lot by our family but my friend’s family as well. After sampling my muffins, she (a working mom with 2 kids) quickly requested for the recipe and made them on the same weekend – 2 days in a row!

These muffins can be frozen in the fridge for later consumption. On the day you want to eat them,  just take them out from the freezer to thaw lightly and steam again under high heat for 10-12 minutes.  It’s best to serve them warm. You can also add a dollop of jam to go with it.

=> Get the recipe and step-by-step tutorial with photos at PAGE 2 BELOW.