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Buttermilk Scones with almond and cranberry

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Nothing beats the good time of 2 old time buddies meet together to chat, to bake and spend a pleasant late afternoon catching up each other’s updates with some freshly baked scones and a cup of english tea. Life is short and the clock is spinning too fast, a 35 years of friendship passes by just like a blink of eyes.

Mandy, the first friend of mine in the primary school, now my oldest BFF, who is also an utterly talented baker. Today, she is sharing her perfect almond & cranberry scones recipe that she calls it “My Ultimate Scones”, adapted from the recipe book – Delia Smith: How to Cook. I used to love how my mum’s buttermilk scones tastes until I tried Mandy’s…. opps **someone please block my mum’s eyes if she happens to read this**…. well, my mum is still a great baker, especially her breads and cookies. I am lucky to have a chance to learn some baking skill from both of them, hopefully, I will fully utilize my electrical oven when I move into my new home.

I love flaky scones rather than chewy and with lots of buttery smell and taste… Mandy bakes the right scones of my taste bud. After finished her first round of scones, the taste still lingering on my mind and in my tongue… oh my gosh… I miss them so much!!! I told her and she said it is a quick and easy recipe, let her now when I am around her area, she will bake another batch for me to bring some fresh scones home… BFF is always the best!!! Ahemmm… Mandy, a portion is not enough, my family likes the scones too, more people less share… lol

I am hoping Mandy can share more of her mouth-watering baking recipes and photos here…. I need your help, please comment to motivate her to contribute more…. please, please, I ready need your helping hand!!!!

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Steamed Sponge Cake in Cranberries and Lemon Zest Flavor

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Usually, when I craved for cake I will either go to buy one from bakery shop or bake one at my mom’s house. But, during the weekend, I was hit by the mood of steaming cake at home. If you know me well or have read through some of my stories here, you will know that I don’t have an oven for food. I do have an oven for craft but not for food… lol, but hubby promised me to get me a fully equipped kitchen when we move to a new home. Hope it is a soon to happen dreams come true…..

Back to the cake…. I have got this recipe from a local baker’s recipe book: Magic Steamed Cake, by Alex Goh, ISBN #: 978-967-5413-35-5, the original name for this recipe is Lemon Angel Cake. It is a meringue based sponge cake and I find it quite healthy as it has used only little oil in it. Since I have all the ingredients in hand, I gave it a try. Due to the recipe is made by steaming, I already predicted that the cake won’t come out as fluffy as a baked cake. Well, I am glad that my assumption is not quite right, it is still fluffy but a little denser due to moisture it has in it. The cake has to be served fresh, the longer you keep, the denser it will be.

Since it has to be served fresh, a mini cake will be the right portion for a small family. Smaller cake is easier to steam too. I modified the recipe a little, then, halve the portion.

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Tea Leaf Eggs
Easy Chinese Recipes: Family Favorites From Dim Sum to Kung Pao

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Now, tea leaf eggs is a common snack that we can find in most Chinese populated area and even in shopping complexes. You don’t have to find it, just smell it and you will know which shop or stall is selling it. Cooking tea leaf eggs isn’t difficult if you can get the spices, most Asian shops should have them, if not, you can get them from AsianSupermarket365.com.

If you love easy Chinese cooking, probably this is the best book you should buy, Easy Chinese Recipes: Family Favorites From Dim Sum to Kung Pao. It is not merely a recipes book that provides recipes. This 144 pages recipes book full of bountiful photos and awesome information from utensils, ingredients, tips & tricks to basic cooking method. You will never get lost half way through cooking the recipes from this book, authored by Bee Yinn Low who owns a popular website Rasa Malaysia: Easy Asian Recipes.

After flipping though the book over and over again, I decided to cook this tea leaf eggs because it seems so easy and simple to follow. The most important thing is that I wanted to try out if I can get the same authentic tea leaf eggs taste ever savored in my taste bud. This recipe didn’t fail me and I will cook more for my family with this recipe book.

Recipe: Tea Leaf Eggs [茶叶蛋]

Recipe from: Easy Chinese Recipes: Family Favorites From Dim Sum to Kung Pao
Makes: 12 eggs or serve 6 as an appetizer

INGREDIENTS:
4 cups (1 liter) water
12 large eggs

Tea Mixture
4 cups (1 liter) water ( I used 5 cups since I simmered the eggs for overnight)
3 heaping tablespoons Chinese puer tea leaf or black tea (I used Tie Guan Yin tea leaf 鐵觀音)
1 cinnamon stick
3 star anise
6 tablespoon soy sauce
3 teaspoon dark soy sauce
1 teaspoon Chinese five spice powder
1 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon salt

METHOD:

• Add 4 cups (1 liter) of water to a pot and gently drop in the eggs. Make sure the water covers the eggs. Bring the water to boil over high heat. Boil until the eggs are cooked, about 10 minutes.
• Remove the hard-boiled eggs from the boiling water and rinse them with cold running water. Using the back of a teaspoon, gently tap the eggshell to crack the shell. Discard the water in the pot.
• To make the Tea Mixture, heat the water in a pot and bring it to a boil. Add the rest of the ingredients and return to a boil.
• Transfer the eggs to the pot and boil the eggs with the Tea Mixture for 10 minutes. Reduce the heat to low. Simmer the eggs for at least 2 hours. (I placed my them in a slow cooker and simmered for overnight.)
• Serve the eggs immediately or leave them in the Tea Mixture overnight to further develop the color and flavor. Tea Leaf Eggs are best served the next day.