Indonesian Kek Lapis Recipe

Prune Kek Lapis

The Indonesian Kek Lapis is a layered spiced cake. Originally from Indonesia, there are now many versions of the recipe. This cake is also popular in Singapore and Malaysia and is predominantly sold during festive seasons. Also known as Kuih Lapis or Kueh Lapis, this cake is truly a labour of love as it takes approximately two hours to bake since each layer is cooked in an oven with a top grill. Some variations include the all popular prune lapis as well as coffee lapis, chocolate lapis, pandan lapis and even durian lapis.



Here is a recipe that was from a lady teaching Indonesian specialties.


Kek Lapis Recipe

Ingredients
A
170 g butter
4 oz condensed milk
3 tsp mixed spices
1 tbsp ground almond
1/2 tsp vanilla essence

B
9 egg yolks (cold)
2 egg whites (cold)
100 g castor sugar
100 g plain flour
1/2 tbsp ovalett
12 cc cold water
1 tsp yellow colouring

C100 g prunes (optional unless baking prune lapis)


Method
1. Preheat grill for 5 minutes. Grease 8" cake tin and line base with baking paper
2. Beat A till creamy
3. Beat B till creamy
4. Combine A and B
5. Place 3 tablespoonful of mixture into the cake tin, place some prunes and bake in an open grill for 5 minutes
6. For 2nd layer and succeeding layers, spread 2 tablespoonful of mixture, push to the sides of the tin, place some prunes and bake in an open grill for about 3 - 4 minutes till golden brown.
7. Press down slightly any bubbles that may appear from time to time with a spatula.
8. After the mixture has been used up and the last top layer is cooked, switch the grill off and bake the cake in the oven at 160 degrees C for 10 - 15 minutes

Kek Lapis (Thousand Layer Cake)



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White Snowskin Mooncake Recipe

Here is a recipe for the white snowskin mooncake which I modified a little in order to achieve a smoother 'skin'. Have also included some pictures especially for newbies to follow. Once you get the hang of it, it is really simple to do and you can whip out a batch of delicious tasting snowskin mooncakes in approximately 2 hours.

White Snowskin Mooncake Recipe

Ingredients

Snowskin pastry

A

75 g kou fien (fried glutinous rice flour)

75 g icing sugar

B

28 g shortening

C

75 g cold water

10 ml evaporated milk

1/4 tsp vanilla essence

Filling

500g lotus paste

Method

1. Sieve A

2. Mix A & B with the tips of your fingers until mixture is crumbly

Mix A & B

With fingertips

Until mixture resembles crumbs

3. Make a well in the centre and add C.

4. Knead approximately 2 minutes until mixture becomes a dough

Dough ready to be chilled

5. Wrap dough in clingwrap and chill in refrigerator for approximately half an hour

6. Meanwhile roll your filling into balls of 30g each

You can either make your own filling or buy ready made filling

For my mini mooncakes, I use 30g of filling each. Size depends on your mould. Adjust accordingly. Getting them ready and rolled into balls makes it easier

7. Remove dough from fridge and separate into balls of 15g each (for mini mooncakes)

15g balls of dough

8. Take one 15g ball of dough and roll into a rough circle. Wrap the filling in the dough and place into mould which has been floured

9. Flatten the dough into the mould with the palm of your hands till dough fills the mould evenly

10. Knock each side of the mould and overturn mould to let the mooncake drop out of the mould

11. Pack individually and chill in refrigerator before serving

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Moon Festival

The Mid-Autumn Festival is celebrated on the 15th day of the eighth month in the Chinese calender. It is popularly known as the Moon Festival, Zhongquijie in chinese (中秋節), Lantern Festival or Mooncake festival. Chinese the world over celebrate this important festival. Some enjoy the bright silver moon, others drink wine to celebrate their happy life and children enjoy the festival by carrying lanterns.

Having never made mooncakes before, I read a book on mooncake recipes and duly went ahead to buy the ingredients. However the first time I did the snowskin mooncake, I felt that it was too 'flourey' and not smooth at all as a snowskin mooncake should be. I then realised that the fried glutinous rice flour should be just that. What I had done was buy some glutinous rice flour and fried it myself. So if you are a first-timer making such snowskin moon cakes, make sure you buy the fried glutinous rice flour also known as 'kou fen'. You can get them from bakery shops such as Phoon Huat.

Here's a picture of my first attempt at snowskin mooncakes using the correct flour, i.e. fried glutinous rice flour. Love making them as it is not only easy to make, but my whole family loves them! :)


Pandan Snowskin Mooncake

Look out for the snowskin moon cake recipe that I shall be updating this blog with.



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Latte Mocha Recipe For Coffee Cookies

I am not much of a coffee drinker. But give me some great tasting coffee cakes or coffee cookies and ooooooohhh la la... my mouth just won't stop munching!

I have a great tasting latte mocha recipe for these coffee cookies which I call Mocha Squares. I have found that the taste comes from the flavour or essence that you get. I used to buy the latte flavouring from a company that is no longer operating and am now in the process of sourcing for another great tasting flavour that will give as much 'kick' as my friend Lisa puts it.

Coffee Cookies Recipe aka Mocha Squares

Ingredients:-

A
250g butter
180g icing sugar

B
250g top flour

100g green pea flour

1/2 tsp sodium bicarbonate

C

25g mocha coffee powder

1tsp latte essence

50g ground almond

D

100g cooking chocolate

Method:-

Mix A on low speed. Then beat on high speed till creamy.

Stir in C and mix well.

Sift B ad add into mixture. Mix gently to form dough.

Roll out dough to 3mm thickness

Cut into 1 inch squares

Gently lift squares one by one

Place on cookie tray lined with baking paper

Bake in 180 degrees C oven for 10 - 15 minutes till golden brown

When ready, remove from oven and place on racks to cool. Melt D and place into piping bag and pipe zig zag designs on top of coffee cookies

Store in air-tight container when cool.

Enjoy baking and eating! :)


If you have any awesome latte mocha coffee recipes, feel free to share them...

Mocha-Chip Cookies

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Pineapple Tarts Recipe

Delicious Homemade Pineapple Tarts Singapore Recipe

It has been a very busy 2010! With the Spring Festival or Lunar New Year of the Tiger falling on February 14th this year, same as Valentine's Day, somehow orders for Chinese New Year food such as cakes and cookies came in late.

In the run-up to the Spring Festival, it was non-stop baking all the way. Had lots of fun along the way as well.

Here's a Pineapple Tarts Recipe which I use and a step by step pictorial guide on how to make pineapple tarts:-

Pineapple Tarts Recipe

Ingredients:-

A
114 g plain flour
114 g self raising flour

B
142g butter

C
1 egg
1 tsp cold water

D
egg wash (1 beaten yolk with 2 tsp milk)

E
500g - 750g pineapple jam (can be bought from baking speciality shops such as Phoon Huat and Gim Him Lee which would be slightly cheaper than from supermarkets)


Method:-

Sieve A.
Mix A and B till crumbly.
Tip:- Especially when making large quantities, I use the universal blade of the Braun machine to knead A & B and mix with the egg and water mixture. This is a huge time saver!

A & B placed in the food processor with the universal blade

After a few minutes, mixture is crumbly

You see 2 eggs here as I was doing 2 recipes at one go

Beat the eggs and water

Add in C into A & B crumbly mixture and knead into a dough.

Dough is now ready

Wrap in plastic foil and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

Get ready some flour, cookie cutter and rolling pin

Tip: You can roll the dough in between 2 plastic sheets. I use baking paper at the bottom and plastic wrap on top.

Roll dough till approximately 3 - 4 mm thick.

Use cookie cutter to cut into shapes.

Place on greased baking tray (or baking tray lined with baking sheet).

Bake blind in preheated 180 - 190 degrees C oven for 15 minutes.

Egg wash

Remove tray from oven & brush with egg wash.

Roll the pineapple jam into balls and place in the centre on baked dough.

Pineapple jam

Rolled into balls

*Optional:- place design on top of jam

Bake in 180 - 190 degrees C oven again for another 5 minutes.

Remove from oven, place on racks and leave to cool before storing in air-tight container.

Makes approximately 50 little pineapple tarts.

The amount of pineapple jam is up to you. I prefer using more jam so much so that one of my friends calls them "jam-on-tarts". My brother refers to them as "Dolly's Glory".

Happy Baking!

Pineapple Tarts

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