Char Siu Baozi ( 叉烧包 ) taste a heck of a lot better with charcoal BBQ char siu. I will not make (叉烧包) again with char siu make any other way. With sesame seeds and coriander, this is how I remembered it used to be when I was young, hmmmm…..when I was younger? Some 30+ years ago.

This type of baozi fillings can hardly be found anymore. My son used to love the char siu bao when we have Dim Sum and when I buy home the ready made bao. However in recent years they are so full of fat pork and only taste sweet that he has gone off them. He was so happy when I made these for him with pork shoulder. The hubby who don’t like fats pork appreciate them too.

I have been hankering to make myself some for ages as I just could not get fillings I like and the filling is always wanting. Then it occurred to me it is missing that BBQ charcoal taste. So last week I made 2kg plus of char siu with extra marinate to make the sauce and saved some for today. For my char siu recipe please click here https://www.julieolive.co.uk/2020/07/22/char-siu-chinese-bbq-pork-ala-julies-recipe/

It is much better to make your char siu, cubed them, cook with the saved marinate (please refer to link) adding cornflour slurry to thicken then place in a shallow container with lid in fridge to use the next day.

TIP – Do not add the sesame seeds and coriander leaves until it is time for you to wrap so the coriander stays green and the sesame seeds stay light. Much prettier looking. I do like pretty looking food. Eat with the eyes first for me.

Next is to figure out the easiest way I can make the ‘bun/skin’ making as I still cannot use my left shoulder and hand that much still due to my frozen shoulder. I have been thinking of a simple way in bed resting each nights. kekekekekeke

Finally I tried doing everything using my Kenwood titanium and I only wrap. Trial and error until it is ok to write out a recipe – hence the easy char siu baozi is born! It also takes only 3 hours max from starting to tummy!

I must have made this about 5 times now in so many weeks. Before I only ever make baozi once in a blue moon as I can easily buy here in London. Lockdown ……punya pasal. We have to make everything ourselves. Luckily I like cooking.

TIP – I will take a pic and update when I can get the flour I preferred. I made a second round for these pics yesterday using cake flour and it was not too bad but not as white as the other bao flour with a green cabbage in front of the packaging. You can get the flour from most Chinese supermarket in UK. Any low gluten bleached flour is all right to use. Just your baozi will be less white.

Update 07/01/2022 This is the flour I used besides the cake flour in the old pics.

Beehive cookies or Honeycomb cookies or Phang Siew Kueh or Kuih Rose is normally eaten and served to visitors during Chinese New Year.

It can be a bit difficult to make until you get the oil at the right temperature, the mould at the right temperature or else you will have trouble. However once you got the hang of it then it is easy. Just takes time.

I have been making these every year in the UK for Chinese New Year ever since I got some moulds from home. I have this recipe in my lost old blog and it’s about time I add to this new blog.

Trust me I have had lots and lots of failures and I dread having to change my wok because it means I have to adjust and get to know what heat setting for my new wok.

Hence I actually have a few woks for special dishes/cook/bake. (I know I am weird that way)

Tiramisù is a popular coffee-flavoured Italian custard dessert. It is made of dry sponge ladyfingers like biscuits dipped in a mixture of coffee and coffee liqueurs, layered with a whipped mixture of eggs, sugar, and mascarpone cheese, flavoured with cocoa. I prefer my tiramisù to have 3 layers.  Whichever way you make it and whatever moulds you use, make it your own and decorate anyway you wish.

The ‘liquid stimulant’ is basically coffee + layers of liqueurs like Kahlua, Rum, Marsala, Brandy, Tia Maria and anything you wish really

The custard – egg yolks + mascarpone. If you are making for a pregnant person omit the yolks and use double cream instead.

The egg whites – beat untill stiff and glossy before folding gently into your custard. This gives your tiramisù a nice lightness when folded with the custard. Happy trying. 

I am making Tiramisù today because I have bought a new toy. This mould and I have a few bottles with a shot each to use up. 

I have been thinking of making this for ages in fact years. I wanted to make mango sticky rice pudding but with a twist. So as to confuse the senses. Look like Kueh Seri Muka, but is coconut sweet with a coconut sauce aka Thai Mango Sticky Rice Dessert (Khao Niaow Ma Muang)

The colouring are all natural mango bright yellow and the blue is from blue pea flowers. The riper your mango is the brighter the yellow orange colour is. The more blue pea flowers you use the more darker blue the colour is. 

I have a friend coming over to UK for a visit and she is bringing me some more blue pea flowers so I have decided to splash out and use my precious stash. 

(I am going to experiment this using gelatin powder as a setting agent for the mango topping next and will post recipe if it turn out nice) For the moment I feel this is a good eat.

NOVEMBER 24, 2017 BY ADMIN

I started making Bak Kwa on my second year in UK. I was so desperate to eat. I remembered making it in the middle of winter. There was no sun to be seen. What to do? Needs must. ? I rolled and used the oven to bake them. Once I actually lighted the BBQ in the snow  as I was too fussy. To me baked in oven just do not taste the same! I wanted that slightly burnt taste that only  BBQ from charcoal can give. Thinking back I could only laugh at my greediness. Then there was a year where I taught all my Facebook friends to make bak kwa and my Facebook news page were dotted with bak kwa pics from all over UK, France and even across the pond from the US. All my friends were making bak kwa. To read more about Bak Kwa https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bakkwa

Fast forward some 20 years and now making it is a lot easier because I have a nice back garden space that I can use. Also practice makes perfect. Having outside water pipe to wash helps too. Nowadays I make them only in the summer. I have sorta developed the easiest way for me to do it too. I now vacuumed sealed them and freeze for those times when I feels like eating with home made bao buns.

I have made four batches of 3 kg mince each in total for this summer thus far. I have send some to friends who have not been fortunate enough to balik kampung for awhile as a treat. This is my recipe that I have developed over the years. Please use it as a guide and adjust to your taste. I find that my taste have changed from the time when I used to make with a relative every Chinese New Year to sell in Ipoh, Malaysia. Those were the days. It’s like another lifetime ago ……..

This post is more about the TIPs and way of making rather than the perfect recipe. I will give you my preferential recipe of course. Please refer to each pic for explanations and TIPs. Enjoy.

p/s I prefer mine to be tougher, fatter and chewy but the hubby prefer his softer and easier to eat but no fat – What’s your preference?

JULY 5, 2018 BY ADMIN