Aspiring Bakers #11: Dragon Fruit Corn Kennels Agar-agar Mooncakes 火龙果粟米燕菜月饼

I saw some red dragon fruit at the pasar malam and its selling for 4 for RM 10. Can you remember when dragon fruit just came out, how much does it cost per bijik? I couldn't.. as I was quite young. The usual imported fruits my mum buys are oranges, apples and plums. I don't think they have cherries and all the berries-berries at that time.

Nowadays, ever since I have my own home, I make sure I always have fruits lying around in my kitchen. I have tried the super expensive black cherries which cost about RM 60-70 per kg and also those really expensive peaches that cost around RM 8 per piece. There is a RM 20 apple we bought which taste like... well, APPLES!

When I was pregnant with Samantha, guess whats my biggest cravings are? WATERMELONS. Yes you heard read it right. It was kind of a forbidden fruit for pregnant women. But I took it anyway after some researching on the net. I can easily polished off half a big watermelon in a week.

This original recipe uses cream corns but I bought the wrong ones. I didn't know there are whole corn kennels in a tin too! The agar-agar tasted really nice with each bite bursting out with sweet corn kennel juice!

I will be submitting this recipe to Aspiring Bakers #11 - Mid-Autumn Treats hosted by Happy Home Baking. 

Note to self: Never take pictures of red objects with a redder background.

Not enough corn kennels.. Poor lighting...

Dragon Fruit Corn Kennels Agar-agar Mooncakes
(Makes about 6 pieces)

For the yolks: 
1 tsp Agar-agar powder
40gm Castor Sugar
1/8 tsp Salt
150ml Water
100gm Carrots

1. Chop and peel carrots into little pieces and steam for about 8 minutes or till carrots turn soft. Puree in a blender till fine.
2. Put everything else together in a pot including the puree carrot and cook till mixture boils. Turn off heat.
3. Sieve the mixture using a fine sieve. 
4. Pour mixture into egg yolks mould and let set at room temperature for about 30 minutes then chill in the refrigerator.
5. Unmould the yolks when ready to use.

Corn Fillings:
1 1/4 tsp Agar-agar Powder
40gm Sugar
100ml Thick Coconut Milk/Coconut Cream
200ml Water
1/8 tsp Salt

Sweet Corn Kennels

1. Mix everything in a pot except for the sweet corn kennels and bring mixture to boil. Turn off heat.
2. In the filling moulds, put in some corn kennels till it fill up about 1/2 full.
3. Pour in the coconut milk liquid and insert the egg yolks in the middle of the mould. 4. Let set at room temperature for about 30 minutes then chill in the refrigerator.
5. Unmould the fillings when ready to use.

For the Dragon Fruit Skin:
1 Whole Red Dragon Fruit
225ml Water

1/2 + 1/4 Tbsp Agar-agar Powder
75gm Castor Sugar
225ml Thick Coconut Milk/Coconut Cream

1. Wash the dragon fruit and slice it into half. Scoop the fruit out from the skin and mashed lightly with a fork.
2. Cook the dragon fruit in a pot with water. Best use a whisk to stir and stir to make the colour come out more intensely. When mixture boils, reduce heat and simmer for about 10 minutes under low heat. Turn off heat and sieve the mixture.
3. Now, measure the red liquid and see if there is still 225ml, if not, do add in enough water to make it 225ml.
4. Cook the agar-agar powder, sugar, coconut milk and the red liquid in a pot till it boils. Turn off heat.
5. In the mooncake moulds, pour a little of the final mixture and leave it half set.
7. Put in the sweet corn fillings in the centre of the mould.
8. Fill the moulds up with the remaining liquid.
9. Leave to set at room temperature for about 30 minutes then chill in the refrigerator before serving.

Aspiring Bakers #11: Pumpkin Black Sesame Agar-agar Mooncakes 南瓜椰香黑芝麻燕菜月饼

" First thing first, I edited the recipe for the SKIN of the Cendol Gula Melaka Agar-agar Mooncakes. I forgot to take into account that I made another 1/2 portion just to fill up the moulds. I am very sorry for the inconvenience caused. "

 

I don't know whether its my problem or the recipe book but I absolutely hate recipe books that doesn't specify how much will the recipe yield. But after attempting 2 recipes from the same book, 3 actually, one sort of failed so its not recorded here, I realized its impossible to estimate the final result. This recipe below yields about 7 pcs but the previous one yields about 5 pcs only.

  

Another problem I encountered was that I always have not enough for my mooncake's skin portion and I would have to rush to make another portion to fill up the moulds so as not to make my mooncakes look like a piece of Kuih Lapis instead. Its always good to have more than not enough isn't it? 

Therefore, I adjusted accordingly and made 1 + 1/2 portion of the mooncake's skin. That explains if my recipe looks weird. 

I will be submitting this recipe to Aspiring Bakers #11 - Mid-Autumn Treats hosted by Happy Home Baking.

Pumpkin Black Sesame Agar-agar Mooncakes
(Makes about 7 pieces)


For the yolks: 
1 tsp Agar-agar powder
40gm Castor Sugar
1/8 tsp Salt
150ml Water
100gm Carrots

1. Chop and peel carrots into little pieces and steam for about 8 minutes or till carrots turn soft. Puree in a blender till fine.
2. Put everything else together in a pot including the puree carrot and cook till mixture boils. Turn off heat.
3. Sieve the mixture using a fine sieve. 
4. Pour mixture into egg yolks mould and let set at room temperature for about 30 minutes then chill in the refrigerator.
5. Unmould the yolks when ready to use.


Black Sesame Fillings:
1 tsp Agar-agar Powder
50gm Sugar
75ml Thick Coconut Milk/Coconut Cream
125ml Water

4 Tbsp Black Sesame Powder

1. Cook everything in a pot except for the black sesame powder until mixture boils.
2. Add in the Black Sesame Powder and mix well. Remove liquid from heat.
3. Pour the mixture into little round containers that fits into the mooncakes mould and put in the yolks in the centre of the mixture.
4. Let set at room temperature for about 30 minutes then chill in the refrigerator.
5. Unmould the fillings when ready to use.

For the Pumpkin Skin:
1/2 + 1/4 Tbsp Agar-agar Powder
90gm Castor Sugar
1/8 tsp Salt
150ml Thick Coconut Milk/Coconut Cream
400ml Water


150gm Pumpkins (I used butternut squash)

1. Chop and peel pumpkins into little pieces and steam for about 13 minutes or till pumpkins turn soft. Puree in a blender till fine.
2. Mix everything in a pot except for the pureed pumpkin and bring mixture to boil.
3. Scoop out 150ml of the mixture and this is the white part of the skin.
4. Add in the pumpkins into the remaining mixture and bring to a boil again. Turn off heat.
5. Sieve the pumpkin mixture with a fine sieve.
6. In the agar-agar moulds, pour a little of the pumpkin mixture and leave to set.
7. Put in the black sesame fillings in the centre of the mould and then pour some white mixture.
8. Lastly., finish with a layer of pumpkin mixture.
9. Leave to set at room temperature for about 30 minutes then chill in the refrigerator before serving.

Aspiring Bakers #11: Cendol Gula Melaka Agar-agar Mooncakes 晶露椰香燕菜月饼

Before I started utilizing my kitchen, I used to order agar-agar mooncakes from a ice kacang stall. The 4 flavours of agar agar mooncakes cost RM 18 per box and I would eat and eat and finish all in one day.

 

I would cut them into half and just hold the piece with my bare hands and munch away... 

1 month ago, when the mooncakes phenomenon started, I went back to the stall and was shock to see that the stall had been burnt down in a fire. There are no sign or whatsoever stating where they have moved or when they are starting business again.

 

I got no choice but to satisfy my own cravings by making some on my own!

This are the moulds I use. For the fillings mould, it measure 4.5cm in diameter.

I will be submitting this recipe to Aspiring Bakers #11 - Mid-Autumn Treats hosted by Happy Home Baking.


Cendol Gula Melaka Agar-agar Mooncakes
(Makes about 24 yolks, 5 Fillings and 5 Skins)

For the yolks:
1 tsp Agar-agar powder
40gm Castor Sugar
1/8 tsp Salt
150ml Water
100gm Carrots

1. Chop carrots into little pieces and steam for about 8 minutes or till carrots turn soft. Puree in a blender till fine.
2. Put everything together in a pot including the puree carrot and cook till mixture boils.
3. Sieve the mixture using a fine sieve. 
4. Pour mixture into egg yolks mould and let set at room temperature for about 30 minutes then chill in the refrigerator.
5. Unmould the yolks when ready to use.

Gula Melaka Fillings:
1 tsp Agar-agar Powder
50gm Gula Melaka (Chop finely)
1/8 tsp Salt
75gm Thick Coconut Milk/Coconut Cream
150ml Water
1 blade of Pandan Leaves

1.  Cook everything in a pot till gula melaka dissolves.
2. Discard pandan leaves and sieve the mixture.
3. Pour the mixture into little round containers that fits into the mooncakes mould and put in the yolks in the centre of the mixture.
4. Let set at room temperature for about 30 minutes then chill in the refrigerator.
5. Unmould the fillings when ready to use.

**edited 5/9/2011

For the Skin:

1 Tbsp Agar-agar Powder

105gm Castor Sugar

1/8 tsp Salt

150ml Thick Coconut Milk/Coconut Cream

375ml Water

250gm Cendol (Discard the liquid)

1. Mix everything in a pot except for the cendol and bring mixture to boil.
2. In a mooncake mould, put in some cendol and then pour a little of the mixture in. (Mixture must be slightly cool and thickens to prevent cendol from sinking)
3. Wait for mixture to be half set then put in the fillings in the centre.
4. Put some cendol on top then pour the remaining mixture in till slowly till full.
5. Leave to set at room temperature for about 30 minutes then chill in the refrigerator before serving.