Granola Bars: Love and energy packed!

Food on the go, packed with energy and goodness this bar will be your best companion when you travel.
Actually I made these for my sister, as she started going to yoga class (she want to be yoga teacher ^^), she told me that when she studies, she's so tried but can't eat anything much. So, I think this little snack can help. It gives enough of energy for her to keep study but not weight her down. 
I love to use Muesli for granola base, as it contains many kinds of grains, but look for the one without fruit as you need to bake the grain and fruit separately. It's easy to make, and when you make it yourself you can choose different kinds of ingredients, it's quite fun for me, hehe. Make it and keep it for yourself to have as breakfast, snack or any time that you want or give it as a gift for someone who always in a rush to keep them going a long way ^^. 

Granola Bars

Make 23x23cm 

375g ....................................... Muesli (without fruit)
50g .......................................... Nuts (I use half sliced almond, half chopped pecan)
55g .......................................... Unsalted butter
100g ........................................ Brown sugar
 ................................................ Pinch of salt
160g ........................................ Honey
30ml ........................................ Fruit juice (apple, orange or pomegranate)
225g ........................................ Dried fruits (I use apples, cranberries and raisins, cut into small pieces)

Preheat the oven to 160C

Put Muesli and nuts in a baking sheet. 
Bake for 15-25 minutes or until pale golden.

Put the butter, brown sugar, salt, honey and fruit juice together in a medium saucepan.
Place over medium heat and let the mixture boil for 5 minutes.

Mix the baked muesli, nut with dried fruit and hot honey mixture.

Line 23x23cm pan with baking paper.
Put into prepared pan, press to smooth the top.
Bake for 35-40 minutes or until golden brown.
Let the granola cool and set before cut into pieces.

Granola Bars: Love and energy packed!

Green tea white chocolate cookies

Because I love chocolate, I always end up making something with it. But the problem is not everyone love chocolate ^^".

My sister don't like the bitterness of dark chocolate but she love white chocolate, so this time I use the sweeter side of the chocolate instead. Green tea is one of my favourite ingredient, the fragrance and lightly bitter taste make it interesting.
I use shortening for this recipe as it has no taste and smell, it lets the green tea shine. White chocolate gives sweetness and texture to this cookie but you can skip it if you don't want more sweetness.

You can see the video of this recipe here:

Note: If you don't want to use dairy product, change milk to soy or almond milk and skip the white chocolate.

Green tea white chocolate cookies 

Makes 9-10 cookies

130g ........................................ All purpose flour
1tsp ......................................... Baking powder
1tbsp ........................................ Green tea powder
1/4tsp ....................................... Salt
80g ........................................... Granulated sugar
80g .......................................... Shortening  (non-hydrogenated shortening)
1 ............................................... Egg
1tbsp ....................................... Milk
1/4tsp ...................................... Vanilla extract 
1/8tsp ...................................... Almond extract (optional)
35g .......................................... White chocolate (chopped if large)

I use this Shortening  (non-hydrogenated shortening).


Preheat an oven to 180C.
Line baking sheet with baking paper or silpat.
Sift the flour, baking powder and green tea powder together.

Beat the shortening until softened, add the sugar, salt and beat to combine.
Add vanilla and almond extract and beat to combine.
Pour the egg into the bowl, beat to combine.

Pour the sifted flour mixture into the bowl, fold to combine.

Pour the white chocolate into the bowl (keep some for decorating the top of the cookie), fold to combine.

Scoop the cookie dough onto the prepared baking sheet with 5 cm scoop, and decorate the top of the cookie with the rest of the white chocolate.

Bake for 12-15 minutes.
Let the cookies rest on the baking sheet until firm enough to be moved.
Remove from the baking sheet and let the cookie cool on a wire racks.

Green tea white chocolate cookies 

For your Happy Valentine's day: Strawberry yogurt mousse or tart

 When February comes, I think about the special day of this month ^^ : Valentine's day.

Actually you can celebrate this day with anyone you love (not only lover). It's not easy for everyone to say "I love you" but I think it will be great if we can say it to each other everyday. So, if you never said it before, I really recommend you to start this habit now. You may think that action is stronger than words but showing someone that you love him or her is not easy, sometimes we need words too. For this special day I want to give you special recipe too ^^. Easy to make, no baked, and to make it easier you can choose to make it with or without crust. Both are delicious. You can prepare it a day before and decorate it before serving. 
Now I give you a tool to open people heart, serve this lovely dessert with a smile and don't forget to say I love you.

  

Strawberry yogurt mousse or tart

Serve 5-6 (depends on how you prepare it)

Oreo crust**
250g ..................................... Oreo cookies (without filling)
125g ..................................... Unsalted butter, melted 
.............................................. Pinch of salt

Filling
200g ..................................... Strawberries, hulled 
10ml ..................................... Lemon juice
40g ....................................... Granulated sugar
3.5g ...................................... Gelatine sheets (about 2 sheets)
120g ..................................... Plain yogurt
115g ..................................... Whipping cream
.............................................. Fresh strawberries for decorating

**Note:
1. You don't need to make oreo crust if making mousse
2. I use 11 cm tart pan and get 5 tarts.

 Crush the cookie into small pieces with rolling pin or food processor.

 Mix the crushed cookie pieces with melted butter and pinch of salt.

 Press into the bottom removable tart pans.
Refrigerate until ready to use.

Bloom the gelatine sheets in iced cold water for at least 5 minutes.
Put the strawberries into the food processor or blender and puree until fine.
Put the the strawberry puree into a microwavable cup with lemon juice and granulated sugar.
 Heat in the microwave until boil for 2-3 minutes (600w).
Remove from the microwave, take the gelatine sheets from the water, squeeze lightly and put the gelatine sheets into the hot mixture, stir until melt.
Let the mixture cool to room temperature.

 Mix the strawberry mixture with yogurt.

 Whip the whipping cream until soft peaks formed.

 Fold 1/3 of the whipped cream into the strawberry mixture.

 Pour the mixture back into the whipped cream bowl.

 Fold to combine.

Pour into the prepared tart crust.
Refrigerate at least 4 hours or until firm.
*If making strawberry yogurt mousse, just pour the mixture into the glasses ^^.
Decorate with fresh strawberry before serving.

For your Happy Valentine's day: Strawberry yogurt mousse or tart

Fresh Strawberry Bread

 I just found good strawberry farm in my neighbourhood and the strawberry from there is very delicious.

 It make me want to make many things with fresh strawberry. Small in size but the taste is the best, sweet with enough tangy to make it interesting.
So if you see many recipe with fresh strawberry in my blog don't be surprised as it the only time of the year that I can get good quality ^^.
This time, it's a simple bread with fresh strawberry filling. Don't substitute frozen one in this recipe as the frozen will give too much water. You need to freeze the strawberry for make it easy to work with. The icing glaze is optional, you can use it or not but it makes the bread lovely and give more sweetness.
Note: you can use more sugar for the filling if your strawberry is not sweet.

Fresh Strawberry Bread

Make 20x20cm bread

 Bread
345g ....................................... All purpose flour
45g ......................................... Granulated sugar
1tsp ........................................ Salt
2tsp ........................................ Instant yeast
110g ....................................... Water
70g ......................................... Milk
40g ......................................... Unsalted butter
1 ............................................. Egg
Filling
250g ....................................... Fresh strawberries, hulled and cut into small pieces
70g ......................................... Granulated sugar
2tbsp ...................................... Corn starch
Icing
............................................... Icing sugar
............................................... Water

 Mix the strawberry pieces with sugar and corn starch.

 Put in the freezer for 1-2 hour before using.

 Mix the flour with sugar and yeast.
Put the salt into the bowl and whisk to combine.

 Mix the water, milk and egg together, then pour into the bowl.

 Mix with a spatula until moist.

 Pour into the work surface, and knead until smooth.

 Mix in the butter.

 Knead until smooth.

 Place the dough into a bowl (brush it with butter). Cover with damp tea towel.
Let the dough rise for 1 hour.

When the dough rise until double in size.
Line 20x20cm square pan with baking paper.
Remove from the bowl and roll into rectangular shape.
Place the filling on top of the dough.

 Roll into cylinder, then cut into pieces.

Place the dough into the prepared pan. Cover with damp tea towel.
Let the dough rise until double in size about 2 hours.
Bake in preheated 180C oven for 30 minutes or until golden brown.
Let the bread cool to room temperature.
Mix the icing sugar with water (drop by drop) until you get the right consistency, drizzle over the bread and let the icing set. 

Fresh Strawberry Bread