Guilt Free Decadent Malted Marbled Banana Bread

Good ol’ banana bread. With swirls of malt. And studded with chocolate chips. Topped with crumble. A banana bread really can’t get better than this. That its low fat is just a bonus. 

The recipe for the banana bread/cake base is from: http://chocolatecoveredkatie.com/2011/11/02/polka-dot-banana-bread/

I changed it by:

1. Using sugar free maple syrup instead of agave or pure maple syrup
2. omitting the 1 stevia packet
3. using 1 cup cake flour + 1 cup whole wheat flour instead of 2 cups spelt flour 

The other changes, like marbling the bread/cake with milo batter are given in the following picture.

The ‘milo truffle’ mixture mentioned can be found here.

Recipe for milk crumbs was adapted from here.

I am submitting my post to Aspiring Bakers #22: Lightened Up Cakes (August 2012) hosted by Qi Ting of A Dessert Diet.

Bread Pudding Tart with Brown Sugar Crumble (low fat & whole wheat)

Dear Barney, or Mr Stinson (Recovering Mentally Unsound human being, Whatever you prefer I call you),

You’re handsome, hot, surprising sensitive, sometimes hilariously dumb, an insult to Barney the Dinosaur (since you two share the same name), terribly rich, gorgeously well-dressed and would totally win a Girls’ Choice Award. Unfortunately, I chanced upon your patent for “back boobs”. Seeing that its an atrociously disgusting idea, I take back everything I said.

Yours sincerely,
Representative of all who are grossed out by your warped ideas.

*wrote this draft last week but didn’t want to waste it. sorry if he took back the idea.
only if. 

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This Bread Pudding Tart enriched with cinnamon, the nuttiness of whole wheat flour, addictive crunchy brown sugar crumble and hints of apple is one of my most favorite creations. It may look not at all appealing, but be rest assured that its as flavorful as I described. Topped with custard-y vanilla goodness, its hard to resist!

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recipe notes:

Tart Crust is adapted from: 2至4人， 低脂轻量蛋糕甜点
author: 小欣子 

Brown Sugar Crumble ia adapted from: Crusta Bakes

Bread Pudding is adapted from: All Recipes

Vanilla Sauce is adapted from Oven Haven

brown sugar crumble: 46g whole wheat flour 70g whole wheat flour

Strawberry Caramel Layer Cake (Vegan, Whole Wheat)

Yeah, its me. Back after twisting another foot, surviving a fever that’s (thank God) not due to dengue, and bearing with the aftermath of the fever– the worst kind of cough that causes even air to tickle the throat. Yikes. Now I have Show Luo’s eye bags, my bro’s practically permanent panda eyes and a toad’s voice. 

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The Nonsense I learned this week:

Kiwis aren’t friend material. They bite.

When your fringe gets too long, it gets into your eyes. Its prickly and painful. 

Leaving a book untouched for too long causes it to cake on dust.  

Shoes that are too tight make feet hurt.

Guyliner still sucks. 

Cockroaches are creepy. 

A dancing detached tail of a frantic lizard is freaky.

If golden highlights don’t work, get bright red ones. 

Caramel cake tastes pretty good. Especially with strawberries (since their prices have dropped). 

Ps: strawberries are  are chockfull of antioxidants and other essential nutrients that can flavorfully help you reduce your risk of cancer, heart disease, inflammatory diseases, and birth defects as well as mouthwateringly manage your weight. (source).

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Can you believe it? I made healthier (practically fat free) dulce de leche in 40 minutes, without stirring continuously all the time, from scratch. Some people are just lazy. Its easy.

800ml skim milk (vegan: non dairy milk of your choice)

300g sugar

1/4 baking soda

heat milk and sugar in a heavy and VERY deep saucepan over high heat. stir with wooden ladle till sugar melts completely. lower heat and allow mixture to simmer until mixture becomes slightly brownish. quickly stir in baking soda. let mixture continue to simmer. after mixture seems to have thickened, start stirring continuously. turn off heat when a dollop of dulce de leche won’t fall off your spoon. scoop everything into a heat proof metal bowl. Do not touch with bare hands. The dulce de leche is really really hot.

The ‘buttercream’ you see contains no butter, shortening or cream. My frosting skills have not matured. Let’s just pretend a three-year-old frosted it. Guy must be a genius.

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Recipe notes:

Recipe for vegan white cake is adapted from My Vegan Cookbook.

Recipe for non-vegan cake is adapted from Honey What’s Cooking.

Recipe for syrup is from Technicolour Kitchen.

Recipe for strawberry filling is from Chockohlawtay.

Cocoa powder in caramel frosting may be omitted!

I am submitting this post to Aspiring Bakers #18: Layers of Love (April 2012) hosted by Sam of Sweet Samsations.

Exploding Cream Buns 爆浆面包 (Whole Wheat & Vegan)

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One of the things I love most of Taiwan is the varied speeds of change in the country. The rocky path to my grandparents’ house  have those same old rocks embedded, the same old metal spring buried at one side, rows of crops of 槟榔叶 (betel leaves) grown by the same old farmers at the other, the same kinds of grass growing at the side, the same family of daisies swaying along to the wind. Largely the same people, plus a few babies, minus some who passed away, the same smiles, the same faces, with a few more wrinkles. The same breakfast shops that had not changed in any way since before I was born. Things like that stay the same. They make the place we come from what it is.

Cycle a couple kilometres along the sort-of-expressway into the city. Most things would be different a year on. The same lady selling my favourite pancakes 车轮饼 stands at the same spot, but in front of a different shop. Shops promoting PDAs with wireless network connection spring up. Just 5 years ago, barely anyone owned a computer, let alone knew what the hell the internet was. [Even today, in the area my mum was born, few people have an internet connection (an estimated 1 in 3).] And right in the middle of the Pingtung city, now stands at least 3 new french bakeries, 1 Japanese bakery, and 1 modern Taiwanese bakery. That’s where I found 爆浆面包, or as I translate– Exploding Cream buns. An innovation unto the traditional tiny buns accompanying Western meals. Today, they are one of the most popular buns in Taiwan. Though they’re typically filled with a buttercream filling, I decided to go the healthier way with, well, tofu. If you don’t tell the people you’re serving that the buns contain tofu, there is little chance they’ll find out.

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The cream is injected into the bun rather than pre-inserted. DO NOT inject the cream into the bun while the bun is warm lest you want baked cream (a mistake a made for 2 buns, one of which’s innards are in the photo below).

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I’m providing 2 choices of filling. The Oreo Cream.

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The Coffee Cream version.

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And now the recipe! The recipe for buns is adapted from Christine’s Recipes. There are errors though! Add another 1 tsp of lemon juice for Coffee Cream and 1/2 tsp for Oreo Cream.

Assembly: stuff cream of choice into a piping bag. Make a hole in the corner of the bun and fit the piping nozzle into the hole to squeeze cream into the bun. If you press too hard such that too much cream enters, the bun literally explodes. So be careful!

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Hopefully, I’ll have something great for you tomorrow!

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This post is going to YEASTSPOTTING!!!

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Inside Out Blondie Tart Cake for 2 (Vegan and Whole Wheat)

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Qiting asks herself some questions about shopping for clothes and related boring accessories to fill up the gap between the top of the page and the recipe

Interviewer: Is shopping for clothes considered a hobby?

QT: More like torture.

So I assume you won’t join your friend(s) when they/she want(s) you to accompany them in said activity?

Not unless I really really really really really like them enough to know I won’t hate them after they mentally torture me with the sight of a room filled with, gasp, only clothes!

Do you go shopping with your mom?

Sure, I wait outside the shop while she enters.

You’re a lousy daughter.

I’m sure you don’t mean that.

I do.

Well, I don’t care what you think. Its a free country!

Not exactly, Singapore has tons of rules and stuff.

Weren’t you asking me about my lack of interest in clothes-shopping? When did we decide to switch the subject to the allowance of free speech in this tiny island which is not exactly the food paradise people speak of because its a lie ’cause Taiwan has food a million times better? You! You inattentive, over-inquisitive, unprofessional weirdo who’s supposed to be interviewing me!

Whatever. So, clothes! Do you only hate shopping for them or do you simply hate them?

Are you unobservant or simply ignorant?

You’ve insulted me enough. I can’t handle this anymore.

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Interview ends after the two rip off each other’s hair… you know I’m talking about the ones on the head don’t you?

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I remade a blondie.

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Now it has an Oreo tart crust stuffed in it.

Because the blondie ate oreos HA! 

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The recipe for blondies is adapted from The Allergic Kid.

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Click here for larger version.

For vegan version, use Tofutti Cream Cheese and prepared vegan pudding (like this one: http://vegetarian.about.com/od/desertrecipes/r/vanillapudding.htm)

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Since its for 2, you can share it or you can just have it all yourself. 

Please excuse my tragic inability to correct these annoyingly saturated photographs the horror of a camera once again rewarded my hard work with. No ‘P.S.’ because it is telling.

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Please tell me that at least one person out there shares my detest for clothes-shopping…

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Healthier Tiramisu for TWO (w Vegan option)

Its Life.

It seems like just yesterday that I had long hair reaching my waist, when I was seated with the most horrible person on earth, taught by the worst teacher in the universe. It seems like just yesterday that I told myself never ever to become a teacher when I grow up.

It seems like just yesterday that I was having the worst day of my life.

Time passes so quickly! There are so many parts of my life I can no longer remember and many others I don’t want to remember. But its now the time of my life to decide what the rest of my life will be and the parts that will make it. That is– the career I will have. Obviously I can never become a baker (neither good enough nor allowed), a teacher or a doctor or lawyer since I don’t do very well in my studies no matter how hard I try.

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I had to narrow down the choices. Here is the list  with the ‘problem’ by the side.

1. Food Science and Technology (only 50 places per year)
2. Advertising 
3. Psychology (may have problems getting a job)
4. Nutrition (only available overseas)
5. Product Design (not sure how much I’m really interested in it)
6. Don’t know anymore.

Its just a reference. And since I have a ‘life plan’ for if-the-world-doesn’t-end-in-2012, I can actually do anything I don’t hate (since the list I hate contains most things).

And apparently, between the two best JCs in Singapore, the better one is the one your girlfriend will be in, according to the incredibly warped logic of my brother. (sorry that its irrelevant. I just had to comment about it)

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Anyway, today I made a healthier version of Tiramisu! I’m only okay with Tiramisu but its great to know that I know how to make it. Its the second recipe I’m making for my “Request a Recipe Makeover” feature. 

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Sorry for the runny-looking Tiramisu. I was in a hurry and skipped the refrigerating. 

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I substituted the mascarpone cheese with coconut cream and cream cheese because mascarpone is incredibly expensive and the substitution opens up a vegan option. 

You can skip making the cake and use ready-made sponge fingers/lady fingers instead. 

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Click to enlarge

For VEGAN version, use vegan lady fingers (recipe here) and tofutti cream cheese instead of regular cream cheese. 

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Have a great day.

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Whole Wheat Cranberry Scones

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Okay, I promised to post the recipe of the scones a couple weeks ago. 

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Recipe from Daring Bakers!

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.Q

Question time: If you blog, what keeps you blogging? If not, have you ever considered it?

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Vegan Double Chocolate Chunk Cookies (Reduced Fat & Whole Wheat))

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In the 21st century, we don’t draw birthday cards and send them via snail mail. Instead, we design one using Adobe Illustrator then post it on the receivers’ Facebook wall. That way, the card won’t take up any real space in our rooms. 

Seriously, what happened to pen pals? Wanna be my pen pal? Please email me at qiting93@hotmail.com. I’ll be a good pen pal. And reply all your letters cus its fun. I mean it. I’m serious. REALLY!

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Oh and, please celebrate for me. I just successfully ‘deactivated’ my FB account(a couple minutes after the birthday card). Apparently, the button is under the ‘security’, not ‘general’ tab (why the hell is it a sub-function of the ‘security’ function???? It makes zero sense!). I think I’m kinda dumb. 

I used to wish that my bro had never been born (like when I was 4 and he was trying to make my Barbie dolls wrestle–dumb). But then I started imagining life without him and it seemed to be an impossible task. My mom always took my brother’s side (because he was younger and smaller, and cuter, and handsome… among other things) but he never took it to his advantage. Instead when my mom started hitting(punishing) me with her giant paintbrush (that’s what you get when your mom’s an artist. Mind you, its a heavy paintbrush), he would rush over to take the hit for me and plead my mom to let me off. Told you he’s a nice guy. 

When I was 6 and him 4, my mom was at the stage where she would reprimand (see? I have vocab! anyway, I think she had depression or something. I was young; I didn’t know) my dad about coming home late, not spending enough time taking care of family stuff and blah blah blah. (The ‘scoldings’ are ongoing, in fact one just happened a couple hours ago) Every time a fight happened (a one-sided thing, so maybe ‘fight’ is not the right word?), I would grab the little guy and lock him and I into our room because we were so frightened and we were both red and blotchy from crying. I knew my mom had the keys to our room and it may be our turn (to get a scolding) next so I would find spaces in the room for us to hide in. Usually, he would hide in his wardrobe and I in mine, but when he was crying really badly we would hide together in the giant cupboard for books. If there was no brother and only me, I think I’ll be lonely and sad on top of being frightened. 

And I would never forget the first (and only) time we told each other our crushes. I was 11 and he was 9(!!!). We pinky sweared on not telling anyone else our crushes (I hate this word). It was so casual. We were doing our homework actually, I have no idea how we got to doing that. This happened. Would never have without said bro.

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End of rambling.

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So, a couple days ago, I started my Request a Recipe Makeover thing. Today, I’m going to start honoring one of the requests.

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This recipe is from Kit Kat. She requested it to be veganised and lightened up.

Thanks for the recipe, Kit Kat! They reminded me of Famous Amos cookies, which’s smell ought be bottled up and sold. 

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Double Chocolate Chunk Cookies

No. of servings: 12

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Ingredients

46g cocoa powder, sieved
35g oil

75g all purpose flour
75g Whole Wheat flour
1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
1/2 teaspoon salt

60g vegetable shortening
45g reduced fat margarine
90g light brown sugar
70g white sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 egg worth of Ener-G Foods Egg Replacer (pre-refrigerated)

100g semi-sweet chocolate chips

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Directions

Note that a hand mixer can be used in place of the stand mixer for this recipe.

Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F. Mix oil and cocoa powder

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Put the flours, bicarbonate of soda and salt into a bowl.

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Cream the shortening, reduced fat margarine and sugars in another bowl.

Add the cocoa mixture and mix together.

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Beat in the vanilla extract and egg replacer, and then mix in the dry ingredients.

Finally stir in the chocolate chips.

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Scoop out 12 equal-sized mounds – an ice cream scoop and a palette knife are the best tools for the job – and place on a lined baking sheet about 6cm apart. Do not flatten them.

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Cook for 18 minutes, testing with a cake tester to make sure it comes out semi-clean and not wet with cake batter. If you pierce a chocolate chip, try again.

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Leave to cool slightly on the baking sheet for 4-5 minutes, then transfer them to a cooling rack to harden as they cool.

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Nutritional information:

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The bottom of the cookie is what, to me, defines a chocolate chip cookie.

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Take a bite! You deserve it!

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Its incredibly, yummiliciously crispy and chocolate-ty. Its a chocolate lover’s heaven! If you under- cook it, (out a minute before time given), it will be gooey and slightly chewy. 

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Be GRATEFUL and thank Kit Kat!!! 😀

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I have a question for you. Its going to be pretty silly but here I go…

Would you rather be fat and look younger than your age (like you look 20 when you’re actually 30) or slim and look older than your age (like you look 40 when you’re actually 30)?

I’m just curious! 

Or I’m actually asking because I can’t answer that! 

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PS: I’ve assembled my ‘crap’ pieces like the one below the recipe in to an index you can find here:

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Healthy Hokkaido Bread (Taiwan-inspired!)

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6 years ago…

Location: Kaoshiung International Airport 高雄国际航空站

Crazy people: Me, Bro, Mum

Airport Security: What are you carrying?

Mum: Bread.

Airport Security: Really? (Disbelieving)

Mum: Yes. (in a ‘Duh!’ manner)

Airport Security: Is it really that delicious? (More than ‘disbelieving’-ly)

Me: Yes. (instead of raising redundant suspicions with a sarcastic “no, we are smuggling drugs”)

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I can safely say it was the most ridiculous thing we have ever done. It was the most fragrant, milky, soft bread we had ever eaten.

After 5 hopeless failures, I finally got it right. 

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It contains 5 forms of milk, which together create a sweet milky aroma that stimulates a craving in even the most determined dieter.

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If you’ve never eaten bread without spread, start here!

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Healthier Hokkaido Bread

No. of servings: 12 thick slices

Adapted from: Angie’s Recipes

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Tangzhong preparation method: Mix 50 grams of bread flour and 250 grams of water together and stir until flour is completely dissolved. Heat mixture over a stove in a saucepan at medium-low heat. Keep mixing until until a swirl of your spoon leaves a trail. Immediately pour mixture into a separate bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Refrigerate till tangzhong reaches room temperature or you can leave it overnight/a few hours before using (for better results some say)

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Ingredients

• 200 g bread flour
• 150 g Whole Wheat flour
• 20g milk powder
• 120 g tangzhong
• 60 g White sugar
• 8g instant yeast
• 5 g Salt
• 1 Egg
• 30 g fresh milk
• 40g low fat evaporated milk
• 10g low fat condensed milk (do not omit!)
• 30 g low fat cream cheese, diced (tastes richer with full fat cream cheese- recommended!)

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Directions

1. Place all other ingredients, in the mixing bowl with a dough hook and stir over the low speed until the ingredients incorporate. Adjust speed to medium and continue to beat. Knead until the dough has become very smooth and elastic.
2. Shape the dough into a ball and transfer into a large greased mixing bowl. Roll it around so the dough gets coated with oil. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap or damp cloth. Let rise until doubled in bulk, about 1 hour. Punch down the dough to release the gas produced during the proof and divide it into 3 even portions, each about 240 grams. Round up and let rest for 15 minutes.
3. Press out the gas of each dough and roll out into an oval shape. Fold it into thirds, overlapping them in the center, press the dough down firmly. Turn over and roll out into a 30-cm long strip. Turn over and roll up each to a column shape. Place them in a 30x11x8-cm loaf pan. Let the dough rise up to 2/3 full. Lightly brush with egg wash and bake in a preheated 170C/340F oven for 30-35 minutes.

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Its soft, fluffy, chewy, sweet and lasts 3 days that way! 

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That’s it! 😀

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This post is going to YEASTSPOTTING!!!

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Cookie Dough Chocolate Cake for One (Vegan, Whole Wheat & Reduced Fat)

What makes me happy.

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Dogs! Pictured is 小黄 our pup in Taiwan. He passed away 3 years ago.

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Taiwan. 

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Collecting Google icons.

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(Source)

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(Source)

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(Source)

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Great advice that tell you not to lose hope in having dreams even if things never go the way you want it to. (For me, at least)

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Taiwaese Street food. Pictured: 芋泥车轮饼

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Baking!

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This layered cake’s diameter is slightly larger than that of a palm.

It has three components: the chocolate cake, crunchy biscuits and chocolate chip cookie dough filling.

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Cookie Dough Chocolate Cake for One

No. of servings: 1

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Recipe notes: Prepare the ‘Cookie Dough Filling’ while the cake is baking. Bake the biscuits while the cake is cooling. 

Cake is best served immediately upon assembly. 

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Ingredients

For Chocolate Cake (Adapted from here)

1/4 cups All Purpose Flour
1.5 tbsp Unsweetened Cocoa Powder
3/16 teaspoon Baking Soda (estimate)
5/32 teaspoon Baking Powder (estimate)
1/32 teaspoon Salt (estimate)
1.5 tbsp reduced fat margarine
1 tbsp Granulated Sugar
1 1/2 tbsp Brown Sugar, lightly packed
1 tbsp Unsweetened Applesauce
1/16 tablespoon Apple Cider Vinegar
3 tbsp Buttermilk (soy milk + 1/4 tsp vinegar/lemon juice)
1/16 teaspoon Vanilla Extract

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For Cookie Dough Filling

3/8 tsp reduced fat margarine (estimate)
3/4 tsp oat flour
3/4 tsp all purpose flour
3/4 tsp condensed milk
pinch salt
1/16 tsp vanilla extract
3/4 tsp brown sugar

some soy milk

1 tsp semi sweet chocolate chips

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For Biscuits (You can also use regular digestive biscuits)

5g brown sugar
1/4 tbsp reduced fat margarine
10g whole wheat flour
10g oat flour
1/32 tsp salt (estimate)
1/32 tsp baking soda (estimate)
1/32 tsp baking powder (estimate)
1 1/4 tbsp maple syrup
1/16 tsp vanilla extract

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Directions

For Chocolate Cake (Adapted from here)

1. Preheat oven to 325°F/160°C (180°C worked for me probably because of my oven). Line a mini round cake pan with parchment paper and grease it lightly with non stick cooking spray.
2. Sift together the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a medium sized bowl. Stir until mixed.
3. Beat reduced fat margarine with sugars in a large bowl with a fork until creamy.
4. Add the applesauce in two additions, beating well and scraping down sides of bowl after each addition. Mix in the vinegar too. The mixture will look curdled but don’t worry.
5. Beat in vanilla.
6. Slowly beat one third of flour mixture into margarine mixture, then add half the buttermilk.
7. Repeat additions, scraping down sides until well mixed.
8. Divide batter evenly between pans and smooth tops. Tap the pans lightly to burst air pockets if any.
9. Bake in center of oven until a tooth pick inserted in center of cakes comes out clean, 15 to 20 min. .
10. Cool in pans on a rack for 10 minutes.
11. Run a knife around inside edge of each pan and then turn cake out onto rack.
12. Remove parchment. Let cool completely.

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Raw ‘Cookie Dough’ Filling:
Mix all ingredients together except the chocolate chips and cocoa powder. Add enough soy milk to form a thick batter with consistency of butter cream. Mix in chocolate chips.

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Biscuit:

1. In a bowl mix reduced fat margarine and brown sugar till combined.
2. Add butter essence, vanilla extract and maple syrup/honey.
3. Mix till smooth.
4. Add all dry ingredients and mix to form a dough.
5. If the dough is too sticky, add a teaspoon of flour at a time.
6. Press into cake mold and bake for 15-20 minutes at 390°F/200°C.

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Assembling:

Slice the cake horizontally into halve. Pipe the filling into a spiral onto the bottom layer. Crumble the biscuit onto the spiral. Cover with the top layer.

Serve immediately. 

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Enjoy!

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PS: I’m looking for Guest Bloggers! You can write on any topic related to health-and-wellness or anything about food or recipes of course! No other limitations. Contact me at qiting93@hotmail.com please! 😀 😀

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