Super Soft Condensed Milk Pai Bao 排包 / Roti Sisir - HIGHLY HIGHLY HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!!!

Hi! Hi! I'm back from my recent Singapore trip and now back to my blogging.

Unlike my other holiday trips, I had to take a little longer time to adjust back into my daily Melbourne routine because more than 5 of my colleagues including myself were asked to leave after December 2018!

It is sad but challenging because I'm moving on into a new chapter of my life.

After hearing this news, most of my friends and families actually suggested to me that I should start a baking business or conduct baking classes but I still prefer to bake and blog for fun, not for money or my living.

While looking for another job, I will still continue to blog and share as much as I can but can't promise if I can keep up my baking and blogging when I start my new job. Well, let's see.

Now, I'm not going to blah blah blah excessively about my uncertainty and shall march forward bravely with my stress-relieving BAKING... LOL!

For the past months, I have been thinking of baking pai bao (排包) which is also known as Hong Kong sweet milk bread buns that are baked in long narrow shapes or roti sisir in Malay language. In fact, it was one of the most trendy to bake in most social media lately but I had not bake any yet! Instead of using a recipe that I can find via Google or any social media, I have decided to create my own recipe... And it works perfectly!

Proudly presenting... my very first pai bao and it is super soft and nice! Happy!!! ^-^

My Super Soft Milky Pai Bao 排包
This is the recipe that uses condensed milk.

The Famous Jordan Marsh Department Store Blueberry Muffins - HIGHLY HIGHLY HIGHLY RECOMMENDED

It's blueberry season now in Australia and I want to bake blueberry muffins!!!

I love blueberry muffins especially those that are moist and fully loaded with blueberries! Do you?

Ahem... And I can be very FUSSY with all the blueberry muffin recipes that I like because I do know the ideal kind of blueberry muffins that I'm after.

So far, I have strongly recommended these recipes:

- Blueberry Muffins with Almond Streusel at here, adapted from the book, Bouchon Bakery by Thomas Keller and Sebastien Rouxel)

- Blueberry Buttermilk Streusel Crumble Muffins at here, adapted from the book, Great coffee cakes, sticky buns, muffins and more by Carole Walter

- Super Moist Blueberry Muffin Tops at here, adapted from Epicurious and Food Network

And this Famous Jordan Marsh Blueberry recipe is the next one in my list!

Have you tried baking these "Famous Jordan Marsh Department Store" Blueberry Muffins?
These muffins are so fully packed with blueberries!!!
They must be famous for a reason!

The Best Classic Banana Bread - buttery but not oily, extremely moist and fully packed with banana HIGHLY RECOMMENDED

To me, there is no right or wrong when it comes to banana bread recipes.

It's whether I like it or I don't.

I love banana breads and cakes. And I have baked many many many different banana bread and cakes recipes at here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here and here.

Some at here is low fat.
Some at here is extra extra extra buttery.
Some at here is a little naughty.
Some at here and here are extra fluffy.
Some at here and here are extra nice and nutty.
Some at here and here are cafe-style being moist and buttery.
Some at here and here are a little extra healthy.
Some at here and here are super awesome with chocolate.
Some at here and here are easy and fuss free to bake.
Some at here is simply extra extra extra moist and yummy!

Honestly speaking, I can't tell you which is my most favourite banana bread or cake recipe. All of these recipes that I have shared are genuinely good and they are uniquely good in their own way.

However, if I want to bake a banana bread that is just a banana bread... I mean a really moist and delicious basic banana bread that is fundamentally good with nothing extra, I know another really good recipe to bake and this is my BEST classic banana bread recipe!

The Best Classic Banana Bread

Skinny Creamy Italian Vanilla Gelato / Fior Di Latte Gelato - Made with Minimal Sugar and Cream

Today, I will be sharing a fantastic gelato recipe!

Is gelato the same as ice cream?

Although gelato is the Italian word for ice cream, both are actually quite different!

According to Food Network, both gelato and ice cream contain cream, milk and sugar but the authentic gelato uses more milk and less cream than ice cream and doesn’t contain egg yolks and any egg, which are a common ingredient in ice cream.

This is why the fat content of a typical ice cream is 14 -25% whereas and the fat content of an Italian gelato is only 6-12%. Interestingly, gelato contains less air than ice cream, making it softer, smoother and "creamier" than ice cream. And of course, ice cream is served in rounded scoops while gelato is served with a spade.

My son and I had a good time learning a lot about gelato after attending a gelato making course at Florence. The hand-on course allowed us to make one gelato flavour from scratch and has kindly shared many of their wonderful gelato recipes.

"Can I create my own gelato with an unique flavour? I asked myself silently during the midst of the course.

YES!!!

Lavina, the gelato-making instructor has taught us the correct composition of a good gelato and gave me several formulas to understand the concept further. By the way, if you are interested to attend this half-day course, it is Walkabout Pizza and Gelato Cooking Class. Located at a Farmhouse at Tuscany country, this class is highly rated by TripAdvisor because the instructors and staff members are very knowledgeable and helpful. I find this course very useful for me and I would highly recommend this family-friendly course to everyone.

With the coming Melbourne summer, I'm now fully equipped to make my own gelato! For a start, I will make my own vanilla gelato with the least amount of sugar and cream and let's see if it works...

This is the Vanilla Gelato that is made with minimal sugar and cream!
It is light, smooth and fluffy! Yummy!!!