TheZongHan | ZaTaYaYummy

Matcha and Mocha Butter Cookies – Chinese New Year

Butter cookies are all-time favorite classic and today I am going to show you guys how to make Matcha Butter Cookies and Mocha Butter Cookies. They are super easy to make and delightful to munch on in the afternoon. Super elegant too if you want to present these cookies as a gift for someone.

Matcha and Mocha Butter Cookies – Chinese New Year

If you pursue perfection, you could actually download a macaron template to follow so you could pipe evenly. Just make sure that to leave 2 fingers spacing as it will spread during baking.

Matcha and Mocha Butter Cookies – Chinese New Year

If you notice, each flavor has its own unique shape. I have used different types of piping star tip to show you guys how versatile the recipe can be. Just use your creativity and bake these cookies in all shape and sizes! If you don’t have any piping tip and do not want to buy one, you could even just pipe out just as it is and bake it flat!

Matcha and Mocha Butter Cookies – Chinese New Year

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Matcha & Mocha Butter Cookies

Ingredients

Dough:

300 grams of Salted Butter softened
90 grams of Icing Sugar
2 Egg Yolks
230 grams of Plain Flour
90 grams of Cornstarch

Matcha Butter Cookies (1/3 of dough):

2 tsp Matcha Powder

Mocha Butter Cookies (1/3 of the dough):

1.5 tsp of Coffee Emulco
1.5 tsp of Cocoa Powder

Instructions

Preheat oven to 170C.
Cream softened salted butter and icing sugar until light and fluffy.
Combine egg yolks into the mixture.
Then, stir in plain flour and cornstarch.
Divide the dough into 3 and flavor them accordingly.
Transfer each dough into the respective piping bag with a star tip. Then, pipe out evenly onto a baking tray lined with parchment paper.
Bake it in the oven for 15 to 20 minutes until golden brown.
Let it cool completely before storing it into an airtight container.

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Keto Almond Butter Cookies – Chinese New Year with Gavia Natural Sweetener

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Keto Almond Butter Cookies – Chinese New Year with Gavia Natural Sweetener

I realized Keto diet is getting really popular these days. Both my brothers were on this diet to lose weight and indeed they are super fit and slim these days. It wasn’t easy to recreate Keto cookies (as requested by my brother), as sugar and flour are the main ingredients to give cookie that crunchy texture we all love. But, I managed to do so after trying so many revisions.

Keto Almond Butter Cookies – Chinese New Year with Gavia Natural Sweetener

In today’s article, I am going to share with you guys my Keto Almond Butter Cookie recipe. They are super easy to make just like a basic butter cookie recipe but a total delightful to eat. Buttery, nutty and also crunchy, this is one cookie that everyone (Keto, non-keto) would love. Who cares if it is sugar-free, gluten-free? It is guilt-free for sure!

Keto Almond Butter Cookies – Chinese New Year with Gavia Natural Sweetener

For my sweetener, I have used my trusty natural sweetener from Gavia. Gavia is a natural sweetener made from Stevia plant and Erythritol. While I’m sure most of you guys would know what is Stevia, Erythritol is also naturally found in foods like fruits, vegetables, cheese and yoghurt through the process of fermentation as the by-product of sugar. Hence, Gavia is an all-natural, zero-calorie, zero glycemic index sweetener which works great for baking and cooking. I actually teamed up with the Gavia team and they will be using my recipe to sell these Keto Almond Butter Cookies during Chinese New Year 2020! For a limited time and pre-orders only. Click here to find out more!

Keto Almond Butter Cookies

made with Gavia Natural Sweetener - Mother Nature Sweetener from Stevia

Servings 2 jars

Ingredients

120 grams Salted Butter softened
150 grams Gavia Natural Sweetener
1 Egg
1 tsp Vanilla Extract
120 grams Almond Flour extra fine
1 tsp Baking Powder
Sliced Almonds

Instructions

Preheat oven to 150C. Combine softened butter and Gavia Natural Sweetener in a mixing bowl and cream until light and fluffy.
Crack in an egg, beat well. Then drizzle in vanilla extract until smooth.
Stir in almond flour and baking powder until well combined. Then transfer into a piping bag.
Pipe out a small coin worth of batter on a baking tray lined with parchment paper. Make sure to leave 2 fingers spacing as it will spread.
Garish with some sliced almonds and bake it in the oven for about 20 to 25 minutes or until golden brown.
It is very easy to make this recipe and you could bake however big or small cookie you like, just make sure that you change the baking timing accordingly.
Let it cool completely before removing it from the tray as it will only crisp up after cooling.
Immediately transfer into an airtight container.

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TheZongHan | ZaTaYaYummy

Marble Cake 大理石蛋糕

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Marble Cake 大理石蛋糕

I love marble cake and always finding ways to improve it! The swirl turns out beautifully and the secret to that deep black chocolate batter is actually charcoal powder. It really stands out and bring the beauty of the two swirls. Of course, charcoal powder is totally optional but I highly recommend you to incorporate it if you want to impress your family and friends with this recipe.

Marble Cake 大理石蛋糕

It’s been a while since I came out my marble bundt cake recipe and I have improved upon it. This recipe is much more buttery and uses just cocoa powder. Although you may question why I didn’t use melted chocolate for the chocolate batter, I really like this recipe as it is fuss-free. I don’t have to melt chocolate anymore, no more double boiler or standing in front of the microwave. The cocoa powder in this recipe gives quite a strong chocolate aroma to it. Hence, I don’t see the need for melted chocolate. I want the cake in my mouth ASAP!

Marble Cake 大理石蛋糕

As usual for most of my loaf cake recipe, I used the same pan I got from Daiso. The dimension is about 7.9″ x 4.3″. Cheap pan but it is my beloved. I have used it for many years and it is still working well.

Marble Cake 大理石蛋糕

Trust me, this recipe is perfect to go with your morning cup of coffee. I also like to have a slice in the afternoon while I catch up with my drama in the office. I have used Gavia Natural Sweetener this time instead of regular white sugar to cut down my sugar and calorie intake. Gavia is a natural sweetener made from the Stevia plant. It is zero calorie and zero glycemic index sweetener which works well in both baking and cooking. The reason why I like Gavia is that it doesn’t have a bitter after taste as compared to other sugar substitutes.

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Marble Cake

One 7.9" x 4.3" loaf cake

Ingredients

200 grams of unsalted butter soften
180 grams of white sugar or Gavia Natural Sweetener
3 eggs beaten
1 tsp of vanilla extract
170 grams of plain flour
3/4 tsp of baking powder
3 tbsp cocoa powder
1 ½ tsp charcoal powder

Instructions

Preheat your oven to 180C.
In a mixer or mixing bowl, cream softened butter and sugar until light and fluffy. I’m using Gavia Natural Sweetener which is made from Stevia.
Crack in an egg one at a time.
Then, drizzle in vanilla extract.
Gently stir in plain flour and baking powder.
You would want to mix cocoa powder, charcoal powder and hot water in another bowl into a paste in between.
Once your batter is well combined, portion out a third of the batter into another mixing bowl. Mix in your chocolate paste with the batter thoroughly.
Transfer half of the vanilla batter into the loaf pan. Then, transfer all of the chocolate batter for the second layer. Cover it with the rest of the vanilla batter as the third layer.
Using a fork, swirl the batter, go back and forth for a few times to make sure that the two batter are well marbled.
Bake it in the oven for about 1 hour and 15 minutes, toothpick inserted into the centre comes out clean.
Let cool completely before slicing it up. It can keep well for up to 5 days in room temperature.

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Burnt Cheesecake 烧焦芝士蛋糕

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Burnt Cheesecake Recipe

Burnt Cheesecake are so popular nowadays that everybody is making it and I absolutely love the idea too! The fact that it is so easy, you can’t really go wrong even if you are a novice. Burnt it all up and impress your friends!

Burnt Cheesecake Recipe

I tried numerous Burnt Cheesecake from different cafes and I think I came up with one recipe that will sure to please everyone. It’s definitely not your usual cheesecake recipe, or one that is conventional. Since this cheesecake is so simple to make, you really need layers of flavors in order to bring out the most of the cake. What I did was to incorporate some of the more pungent cheese like parmesan to give that wonderful cheesy aroma. And if you guys have been following my recipes, you would know that yogurt is my favorite ingredient to add when it comes to cheesecake! Yogurt helps to enhance the flavor of the cream cheese, giving it a more tangy flavor to the cheesecake.

Burnt Cheesecake Recipe

If you like yours to be alittle flowly, bake it at 220°C and reduce the baking time by 20 to 30 minutes. Else, just bake at 200°C for about an hour. Let it cool and put it in the fridge to set overnight

Burnt Cheesecake Recipe

My friends who haven’t heard about Burnt Cheesecake were not so impressed with the look when I serve upon them. But, one bite and they were impressed by the layers of the flavors. What’s even better with Burnt Cheesecake is that the top ‘crust’ has a lovely char to it, giving the cake that uniquely flavor component.

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Burnt Cheesecake

Servings 6 inch cake

Ingredients

450 grams of cream cheese softened
35 grams of parmesan cheese powder
120 grams of caster sugar
3 eggs
60 grams of salted butter melted
270 grams of plain natural yogurt unsweetened
2 tsp of vanilla extract
1.5 tbsp of plain flour

Instructions

Preheat your oven to 200C
Beat softened cream cheese, caster sugar, and parmesan cheese until combined.
Stir in vanilla extract.
Crack in egg, one at a time.
Drizzle in yogurt and melted butter.
Then, fold in plain flour.
Transfer into a 6-inch removable round cake pan that has been greased and lined with parchment paper.
Bake it in the oven for an hour, then broil it for a few minutes until the top is evenly browned.
Let it cool until room temperature then chill it in the fridge overnight before unwrapping.

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White Bread (Eggless & Dairy-free) 无奶无蛋素食白吐司/面包

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Vegan White Bread (Eggless & Dairy-free) recipe

Some of my friends are vegan, they can’t take in eggs or any dairy products. I realized such a simple commodity like a basic white bread is hard for them to just buy over the counter in the bread section at the supermarket. So, I challenged myself to recreate it in order to surprise them with some when I meet them. I tried countless different recipes and many didn’t wow me. Finally, I settled on this after many revisions.

Vegan White Bread (Eggless & Dairy-free) recipe

It’s so soft and compact, just like a good enriched white bread you would get from your local bakery store. The key ingredient to make the bread still so soft and fluffy without any milk or butter is water. Don’t bother trying to substitute with almond or soy milk. It would make the bread too dense and heavy. Water makes the dough rise up well, allowing the bread to be springy and soft when it’s baked. Instead, use water and soy milk powder. You get the lovely nutty flavour from the soy milk powder while retaining the properties you would want to get when using water to make your dough.

Vegan White Bread (Eggless & Dairy-free) recipe

The first slice (with the crust) will never taste good. I mean, I know there are some people who like to eat that particular part of bread, but not my family! I usually will throw that away, especially when I wrap it up with a clear plastic bag. This way, the beauty of the inside can be revealed to everyone.

Some may ask me, “Zong Han, why don’t you just bake it in the bread machine?”. Personally, I don’t like the result of my bread when it is being baked in the bread machine. Some of the reasons,

Crust is too thick to my liking
Weird shape, hard to portion, hard to cut
Texture of the bread is too hollow

When we re-shape our dough the 2nd time, it gives the yeast a chance to work on the proofing evenly. This will help the dough to rise well, allowing it to have smaller air bubbles, resulting in finer texture when it is being baked. Moreover, we have greater control over how it can turn out. If you want to make into dinner rolls or buns, feel free to do so. It is a versatile recipe.

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Express Vegan White Bread

Makes 1 (450 grams) loaf

Bread Tin: 20.7 x 11.6 x 11 cm

Eggless and Dairy-free

Author Zong Han Chua

Ingredients

300 grams of bread flour
1 tbsp of soy milk powder
4.5 grams 1 ½ tsp of instant yeast
1 ½ tbsp of fine sugar
½ tsp of salt
175 ml of water
40 ml of vegetable oil

Instructions

Put all of the ingredients into a breadmaker starting from the wet ingredients. You could also use a stand mixer with a dough attachment instead.
Knead the dough using the breadmaker for about 25 minutes. It will take about 15 minutes if you are using a stand mixer.
Let it proof for an hour until it triples in volume.
Then divide the dough into 3 equal portion on a lightly floured surface. Roll each dough into a small disk, then tuck in both sides and roll into a long rectangular shape. Arrange the sides of the dough neatly then roll it up. Make sure to seal the edges and set aside. Repeat this until all 3 portions are done.
Transfer into a greased bread tin and let it proof in a warm environment for about 50 minutes until it reaches 80% of the pan. Cover the lid and let it proof for another 15 minutes while you preheat your oven to 180C. If you like your crust to be darker, you could bake it at 200C.
Bake it in the oven for about 35 minutes or until golden brown.
Once baked, carefully unmould the bread immediately and let it cool over a wire rack with a piece of cloth covering lightly.
Once it is fully cooled, use a bread knife or an electric knife to slice the bread neatly in an orderly manner. Then wrap it up with a plastic wrap to store the bread.

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Express Tiramisu Recipe for Two

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Express Tiramisu Recipe

When it comes to parties and gatherings, I love to surprise my friends with my homemade Tiramisu. It’s definitely a crowd-pleaser! However, there are times whereby you just want to make some for yourself so that you could tuck away one corner of your bed to eat while catching up on your Netflix’s series. No more egg beating in a double boiler, neither do you have to make a huge portion anymore. This Express Tiramisu recipe will sure to please you (and probably someone else… if you are kind enough to share) without all the fuss.

Express Tiramisu Recipe

I have made Tiramisu the conventional way before and honestly, I find whisking of egg yolks is just a waste of time and effort. Sure, it did help on the richness of the cream, but this recipe is just as velvety as it ought to be.

Express Tiramisu Recipe

You could omit the gelatine powder if you want, but I highly recommend you to add into the cream as it helps to stabilise it when it set in the fridge overnight. With that, you are able to cut the Tiramisu beautifully into slices. I mean, if you are making it for one (yourself, of course), just straight dig into the container! Why bother cutting it up?

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Express Tiramisu

approx. 13 cm by 18 cm rectangular container

Servings 2 servings

Author Zong Han Chua

Ingredients

Cream

100 gram cream cheese softened
1/2 cup caster sugar
200 ml heavy whipping cream chilled
2 tbsp rum
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp gelatine powder + 2 tbsp water

Coffee

250 ml coffee + 2 tbsp rum
11 ladyfinger biscuit
unsweetened cocoa powder

Instructions

Beat softened cream cheese with a hand mixer until it is spread out.
Then, scatter in caster sugar and whip until it is nicely combined.
Meanwhile, microwave gelatine powder and water for about 20 seconds.
Drizzle in chilled heavy whipping cream into the cream cheese mixture and whip until the mixture is thickened.
Flavour it with some rum and vanilla extract. Continue beating until the mixture thickens back, leaving a ripple effect when it’s being mixed.
Stir in gelatine mixture when it is cooled. Continue beating for a minute to ensure it is well distributed. Put it into the fridge for an hour.
The mixture will be a little runny once you add the gelatine mixture but not to worry.
Once the cream has been well chilled, whip it on high speed until it thickens back, leaving a ripple effect when it’s being mixed.
To assemble, soak ladyfinger biscuits into coffee until saturated and arrange them neatly into a rectangular pan (approx. 13 cm by 18 cm).
Then, pour half of the cream mixture into the pan.
Arrange the rest of the soaked ladyfinger biscuits neatly, then drizzle the rest of the cream over.
Cover with a lid and let it chill overnight to firm everything up together.
Dust cocoa powder upon serving.

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Chocolate Chip Cookie Brownie

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Chocolate Chip Cookie Brownies

There are times whereby you want a good old-fashion chocolate chip cookies. Yet, you also crave for some rich and fudgy brownie. Why not get both worlds by combining them into one pan? These Chocolate Chip Cookie Brownies will sure to satisfy your little indulgence and wow your family and friends. Some good things don’t have to be complicated in life, just like this brownies.

Chocolate Chip Cookie Brownies

Make a batch, slice it up, put it in the fridge to chill. You could have it cold or simply just warm it up in the microwave, either way, it’s still good.

Chocolate Chip Cookie Brownies

As I always mention, feel free to change it up to your liking. Fancy some white chocolate? Replace the chips with white chocolate chips. Do note that the recipe is already quite sweet. You may want to replace semi-sweet chocolate with dark chocolate for the brownie batter if you are switching it up for some white chocolate chips in the cookie dough.

Chocolate Chip Cookie Brownies

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Chocolate Chip Cookie Brownie

Servings 1 7 inch square pan

Author Zong Han Chua

Ingredients

Cookie Dough:

3 tbsp of salted butter softened
2 tbsp light brown sugar
2 tbsp of caster sugar
1/2 cup plain flour
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips

Brownie Batter:

1/3 cup salted butter melted
2 large eggs
1/2 cup of light brown sugar
1/4 cup of caster sugar
1 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/2 cups flour
1/4 cup cocoa
1/2 cup of semi-sweet chocolate chips melted

Instructions

Preheat oven to 170C
To make the cookie dough, in a bowl cream softened butter with both sugars till combined. Then drizzle in vanilla extract.
Next, stir in plain flour and baking soda until it turns into a crumbly mixture.
Mix in chocolate chips until well distributed. Set aside.
To make the brownie batter, in a large bowl, whisk in melted butter, both sugars and vanila extract until well combined.
Then add in melted chocolate and cocoa powder.
Mix until the cocoa powder is well dissolved into the mixture.
Then, crack in the eggs and whisk until just combined.
Next, fold in plain flour.
Using a 7-inch square pan greased and lined with parachment paper, scatter 1/3 of the cookie dough mixture into the it.
Then transfer all of the brownie batter into the pan.
Scatter the rest of the cookie dough mixture ontop.
Bake it in the oven for 25 to 35 mintues
Let it cool completely before serving.
Once cooled, cut the browinie into sqaures.

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TheZongHan | ZaTaYaYummy

Curry Baked Rice with Tefal Ingenio

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