Choco Almond Madeleines

Choco Almond Madeleines

Madeleines? what is madeleines, perhaps some people do not familiar with this name.
The traditional small cake namely madeleines cames from Commercy and Liverdun, two communes of the Lorraine region in northeastern France, according to Wikipedia source.

Madeleines are very small sponge cakes with a distinctive shell-like shape acquired from being baked in pans with shell-shaped depressions. Aside from the traditional moulded pan, commonly found in stores specialising in kitchen equipment and even hardware stores, no special tools are required to make madeleines.
A génoise cake batter is used. The flavour is similar to, but somewhat lighter than, sponge cake. Traditional recipes include very finely ground nuts, usually almonds. A variation uses lemon zest, for a pronounced lemony taste.

I hunted the madeleines pans around Singapore as I looked for Phoon Huat the pans are not the want that I like. After googling I went to Sia Huat store; where is specialize selling kitchen equipments over there. Sia Huat is located in Temple street, near the well-known Vihara in chinatown.

Before I read blog from Little Teochew; blogger from Singapore that she bought madeleines pan in Daiso with 2 bucks??? Wow sound cheap, based on her information I went to the shop, but there is no madeleines pans anymore. Somehow Daiso doesn't sell the pans anymore. The pans look like martabak loyang, round.

The ones I bought madeleine pans is rectangular which is 12 madeleine moulds and the most I like is good quality, under 20 sgd rather than bought from TOT or Pantry Kitchen ;-p



Choco Almond Madeleines
Source: www.thelittleteochew.com
Modified by Kimkim

Ingredients:
140 gr all-purpose flour (terigu Segitiga)
7 tbsp dutch processed cocoa powder, preferably Valrhona
175 gr sugar
pinch of salt
1/2 tsp grated zest
4 large eggs
200 g unsalted butter, melted

Directions:

1. Sift together flour, cocoa powder and baking powder. Set aside. Put the sugar, salt and lemon zest into a bow and mixed it with spoon.

2. Using a whisk beat the eggs into the lemon-sugar until creamy afterthat put it the melted butter. Gently whisk in the sifted flour mixture, stirring only until the flour is incorporated and the mixture is smooth. Press a piece of plastic wrap against the surface of the batter and chill it overnight before baking. The overnight rest helps the cookies develop their characteristic bump on their backs; if you don't have time for an overnight rest, try to give the batter at least an hour in the refrigerator.

3. When you are ready to bake the cookies, center a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 425F (220C). Butter a 12-mold madeleine pan, I don't use the flour anymore.


4. Divide the batter evenly among the madeleine molds. Place the pan in the oven, insert wooden spoon in the door to keep it slightly ajar, and immediately turn the oven temperature down to 350F (180C). Bake the cookies for 13 to 15 minutes, or until they are domed and spring back when pressed lightly. Unmold the cookies onto a work surface - you may have to rap the madeleine pan against the counter to release the cookies - then transfer them to a rack to cool to room temperature.

Tofu Fa a.k.a Bean Curd

Tofu Fa a.k.a Bean Curd

Yippiee, finally I can make Tofu Fa, you know how many times I try and fail for the bean curd recipe that searching from google. They use gypsum for making tofu, but once try doing the recipe, the result is not good.
Tofu fa was not firm like I bought from tofu fa stall. How dissapointed I was at that time, all of the goods went to garbage. Duuuh, what's wrong with the recipe, I followed all the step exactly.

Anyway, last minute I know, the gypsum I used is not 'cooked gypsum version' but they called it "cooling agent" which is usually using for chinese medicine.
Instead of using gypsum, I use GDL; glucono delta lactone or Lactone for short.
Lactone that I used it; bought from Singapore when I was there. Actually I still curiousity why I failed for making bean curd. And visiting Phoon Huat in Singapore, my eyes looked up the GDL, suddenly I grabbed and bought it.

If you want to buy GDL in Jakarta; you can go to Fortuna; ingredients store in Central Jakarta. You don't need to buy in Singapore at least. I read also that Singapore banned gypsum for making bean curd, they use GDL as the ingredients.

Speak frankly using GDL is better than gypsum, the texture is so smooth like silk, so no wonder the bean curd stall mention their bean curd texture is so silky ;-p

Ok, for making bean curd, I used organic soy bean; why?  if using non organic, too much skin left over, different from using organic ones; there is no much skin and easier to handle.

Organic Bean Curd

Source: ieatishootipost.sg
Modified by Kimkim

Ingredients:
250 grm soy bean
1,250 ml water
2 grm of GDL
50 ml water
5 Pandan leaves, knotted it.

Directions:
1. Grinding into food processor the soy bean after soaking for 8 hours.
2. After grinding, sieve into cheese cloth for filtering the bean and water.
3. Cooking the soy bean water for about 15 minutes with knotted pandan leaves until boiling, using small fire and continue to stirr.
4. Dissolve the lactone with water.
5. Mixing the soy bean milk with GDL into the pan.
6. Closing the lid with cloth
7. Waiting for 45 minutes until your bean curd is firmed.

Sauce:
300 grm palm sugar (gula aren)
500 ml water
Ginger
pandan leaves, knotted it

Directions:
1. Cut into small the palm sugar: for this case I prefer "gula aren" than "gula kelapa"
2. Put the water and palm sugar into pan and knotted pandan leaves
3. Cut into slices the ginger and put into the pan as well.
4. Boiling all of the ingredients

Tadaaaa, the bean curd is ready to serve, you can serve either hot or with ice.