Misconception: Brown And White

Don't get me wrong! I'm not being racist here! Over the years, I have observed an interesting phenomenon - (even) with the advancement of technology, easy use of internet and widespread of information, many people are still under the perception that "Brown sugar is more nutritious than White sugar". I have no idea how we came to this misconception but I hope I can debunk this popular urban myth with these information.

How they are made

Both brown and white sugar are derived from sugar cane. When raw sugar (aka Natural Brown sugar) is processed from sugar cane, the resultant has a tinge of brownness due to the presence of molasses. In order to make it white, manufacturers bleached them to remove the molasses. And brown sugar is made by adding the molasses back again.

Differences

Apart from colour, the most notable difference between the 2 is the taste of molasses. Using brown sugar in certain bakes will provide a richer flavour, but its moisture will also affect the bakes. Therefore I don't recommend using the 2 interchangeably unless the recipe calls for it specifically. Personally I do favour brown sugar's taste, however some bakes will require the plain sweetness of white sugar to bring out flavours of other ingredients. Don't change the sugars unless you are sure. =)

Nutrition

To be exact, (natural) brown sugar is really more nutritious than white sugar. Thanks to the molasses, it contains traces of several different minerals. But because the amount is so miniscule, it will not be a real health benefit unless consumed in absurdly large quantities. In fact, brown sugar contains more calories than white sugar. There are some claims about "Natural Brown" sugar being more nutritious than "Brown" sugar itself. Some of which are highly sought after and even given special names like "Demerara" or "Muscovado". Since there is a greater amount of molasses present compared to brown sugar, therefore more minerals, more nutritious. So I guess there are some truth to this claim but again, the overall difference is still negligible. If there's anything good about natural brown sugar, it is the lack of chemical agents that people should focus on. 

Conclusion

There are no significant differences in their nutritional value. To me, they are all sugar which will contribute calories no matter which. The deciding factor should be dependent on which baked good you are going to make. If the recipe calls for brown sugar, consider using Natural brown sugar since it is free from bleaching and/or chemical agents. However, remember to consume in sensible amount! =P

*On a personal note, I do feel that Muscovado seems richer than regular brown sugar.*

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Lemon Bars

Have you ever wondered, what to do with the "unwanted" egg yolks when you bake something which only calls for the white? Sure, you can save them for Fried Rice or make 蛋花汤 (Scrambled Egg Soup? I'm sorry I have no idea how to translate this. It's better than the way it sounds) but sometimes you just want to "bake" something else with it. This is the situation we're in now as I attempt to make Pandan Chiffon while SiL perfects her Macarons recipe.

The other day, we were both baking, me with my chiffon and she with her macarons. We clocked up 6 unwanted yolks! So we brainstormed what to do with them. Egg tarts, creme anglaise, mayonnaise, hollandaise (pointless without more eggs though. lol), lemon curd and how can I miss out ice cream?! We would have gladly went with the decision of making ice cream if not for the fact that our ice cream machine is still floating out there, somewhere on the sea. Haha.. In the end, I decided to make Lemon Bars. I reckon they're not too common in Singapore but they're really quite delish. To be frank, I've never tasted a commercially sold one and it was my first time making it, recipe from here. I have to admit that the sharp tanginess from lemon is played down and well balanced by the sugar and creaminess from the yolks, very good flavours.
Lemon Bars (makes 8" square)

Shortbread Base
142g     Butter, unsalted, cold
  40g     Confectioner's Sugar
156g     All Purpose Flour

2 batches of Lemon Curd
Additional powdered Sugar for dusting

Preheat oven to 160º C
1. Line a 8"x8" baking tin with parchment paper, be sure to line the sides too.

2. Using a food processor, whiz the COLD Butter and Confectioner's Sugar to combine before adding the Flour. Process until it forms a coarse meal texture. Dump the mixture onto a cling wrap, knead it slightly until it holds together. Consistency should be very soft.


3. Pat the dough onto the baking tin, maintaining a consistent thickness of approximately 0.5cm. Due to the high fat content, be sure to work fast or else the butter will melt, especially in a hot and humid weather like ours. Firm it up in the refrigerator for about 20mins.

4. Bake for about 30mins or until the top is a pale golden and the edges are just starting to brown. Remove from oven and lower the temperature to 150º C.

You may prepare the lemon curd while the shortbread is baking.

5. Pour the lemon curd on top of the shortbread and return to the oven for 10-15mins.


6. Remove from oven and cool completely in the pan before refrigerating for 1hr. The shortbread is very crumbly and will firm up after refrigeration. Use a long knife to cut into 2"x4" bars or any size you want. Wipe the blade after each cut..

7. Dust with powdered sugar and serve! I like to have them really chill, so it'll be an absolute treat to have these refreshing, tangy, creamy snacks on a hot and humid afternoon. Even a hot cuppa tea might seem in place. =P

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Singapore-style Tau Suan 豆爽 (Mung Bean Dessert)

Being the eldest grandchild on my maternal family tree, I had a great childhood staying with my maternal grandparents until the age of 6. Both being great cooks (from different dialect groups), I was always fed with loads of goodies. 

My grandmother (阿嬤 - Ah Ma) always bring me to the market with her. Although I dislike the wet, stinky, icky, fishy water, splashing about my tiny feet, the probability of visiting a dessert stall after marketing never fail to propel me on. 

While Ah Ma loves a bowl of sticky Teochew Yam Paste, I love a bowl of slippery Tau Suan. I probably wanted a mountain tall of Ice Kachang but Ah Ma wouldn't had let me have it and this is the next best option. Muahaha! It is a real treat when Ah Ma buys me additional 油条 aka "油炸鬼" (Yau Char Kuai in Cantonese, or You Char Kway in Hokkien), which is essentially a fried dough fritter, to dip into the gooey goodness (sometimes I get to dip into Ah Ma's kopi 😋).

 

Singapore-style Mung Bean Dessert (Tau Suan 豆爽)

 200g     Split Mung Beans
   10       Pandan Leaves
1 litre     Water
   80g     Palm or Rock Sugar, adjust accordingly to preference

Thickening Agent
   10g     Sweet Potato / Water Chestnut / Potato Flour
 100g     Water

1. Soak the Split Mung Beans for about 30 mins in warm water. Drain and reserve.

2. Cut 3 of the Pandan leaves into 2-3 inches and steam together with the mung beans over roaring water for about 30 mins or until soft.

3. Meanwhile, tie the remaining 7 Pandan leaves into a bundle and add to the water, together with the Cane sugar. Bring the water to a boil before turning down the heat. Maintain at a simmer.

4. When the beans have soften, remove the pandan leaves pieces, add beans to the simmering syrup. 

5. Have the thickening slurry on standby, give it a stir and slowly add into the syrup. While adding, stop slightly before your desired consistency as the mixture has a tendency to continue thickening after you stop. If it becomes too thick, add a little water to loosen it.

6. Heat off and serve as it is or with you-char-kway!

Thoughts: Being away from home makes me appreciate the smallest things in life, such as Tau Suan. It is one of the most popular traditional Chinese dessert in Singapore yet it still doesn't garner as much attention nor does it cost as exorbitantly much as a Korean Bingsu. Sad to say, Tau Suan isn't something most people give much thought to.

If you're an overseas Singaporeans like me, the good news is Tau Suan is very simple to prepare at home. But the bad news is, depending on where you are, the ingredients might not be the easiest thing to source for. 

The main ingredient, split mung beans, should be available at organic health stores if it isn't a common offering at your local supermarkets or Asian marts. Pandan leaves can be a real headache. Luckily, while I couldn't always get the fresh ones, most of the Asian marts carry the frozen ones. Palm sugar is relatively easy to find, but even if you can't find it, white sugar is an acceptable substitute. My preferred thickening agent is sweet potato flour but the other stated options will work fairly well. 

For the you-char-kway, I've tried making it in the past. Hrm... it's quite a long process so I'll suggest purchasing them whenever possible (thank goodness we get the frozen ones here too). ☺️

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How to line a Round Cake Tin

As easy as this sound, some people may encounter trouble lining a cake tin. Especially so for first timers. But I guess if you're an origami or papercutting expert, this task should be "a piece of cake" for you. XD All in all, it shouldn't take more than 5mins. 

Lining the bottom

1. Cut out a piece of parchment paper, slightly bigger than the tin itself. Fold the paper into half for 4 times until u get the triangular shape in the picture.

2. Place the tip of the triangle from the estimated centre of the cake tin (obviously I should have flipped the tin over. LOL), use your thumb to roughly gauge the edge of the cake tin and snip off the excess.

3. Open up the piece of parchment, and it will cover the bottom (almost) perfectly.

Lining the side

There is another method which involves an extra step but provides better coverage. Being the lazy girl I am, I omitted that step but it always work out fine. Without the extra step, lining the side is otherwise straightforward.

1. Cut out 2 long strips of parchment paper. The longer ends should overlap each other when place in the cake tin. The shorter ends should be at least 1"-2" taller than the height of the cake tin (if doing extra step, include additional 1").

Extra Step:

Fold 1" inwards along the longer end and make small snips, about 1" in and about 1" apart from each.

Assembly

Grease the tin well with butter, oil or whatever the recipe calls for. Place the strips along the side, snipped side on the bottom. Use your brush to stick it against the tin, soothe out creases and air bubbles. Do the same for the round bottom parchment and you're done!

Update

This cake tin is lined using the extra step described above. Hope it provides better visuals to what I was trying to explain! =P

All blog posts and photos are properties of WhatToBakeToday (unless otherwise stated). Unauthorized use and/or duplication of these contents, whole or part thereof, without express or written permission from this blog's author is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to WhatToBakeToday with appropriate and specific direction to the original content. 

Japanese Cheesecake

I'm not sure this happened to how many of you but a non-baked cheesecake was my first attempt to "bake" without an oven. It looked proper and resembled a cake but its taste was totally off-putting, sickening and very "jer-lat"(I don't know how to spell it). Since then, I voluntarily stayed away from cheesecake especially from places that offers budget buffets, where it is more likely that they serve up these non-baked version. 

Although New York Cheesecake is baked, they can have a strong pungent cheese taste at times and that depends on the individual taste whether you like it or not. But Japanese Cheesecake holds a different place in my heart. The texture is soft and cottony unlike the non-baked version's sticky and clumpy interior. The cheese taste is subtle, as delicate as its texture, well-balanced with a mild sweetness, just enough to satisfy the little sweet tooth inside everyone.

I adopted this wonderful recipe from Diana's Desserts with some slight adjustments after making it for 5 times, each preceding the previous (accordingly to friends and families. Haha =P).

Japanese Cheesecake (makes 8 or 9" round)

Preparation work

It will be better to line the cake tin and everything else before you get the ingredients together, especially if you're making it for the first time, you might need some time to get this "origami" work right. =) But of course, you can choose prep them in between the melting/whipping/beating/creaming.

• Prepare a piece of aluminium foil to tent the cake although I like to make this sorta rectangular tray as a cover. It is more secure than just a piece of foil which did fail me 2 times, allowing hot air to reach the cake's surface, making it too brown (or burnt if you didn't notice in time), dry and crackly.

• Line the bottom and sides of your cake tin with parchment paper, making the side about 2" higher than the height of cake tin. The cake rises very well so make sure there's enough space if not the cake will stick to your foil.

• If using spring form or removable base cake tin, wrap the bottom of the tin using aluminium foil to prevent any potential seepage. 

Mixture A
     6      Egg Yolks (60g eggs recommended)
  40g     White Sugar

Mixture B

 250g     Cream Cheese

 100g     Milk / Soy Milk

   50g     Butter, unsalted

Mixture C

   60g    Top Flour (desired) / Cake Flour / Plain Flour

   20g    Corn Flour

  1.5g    Salt

     

Mixture D

     6       Egg White

 100g     Confectioner's Sugar

1/4tsp    Cream of Tartar

Preheat oven to 160º C

1. Melt (B) over double boiler and let cool. Double sieve (or triple sieve) mixture (C) and reserve.

2. Using a whisk attachment, whisk egg yolks and sugar till pale and volume has doubled. Slowly add (C), whisk to combine till thick, smooth and lump-free.

3. Combine cooled (B) into the egg yolk and flour mixture, the consistency should still be thick. Optional: to be really really sure, have the mixture press through a sieve to remove (any) lumps.

4. Whisk egg white with cream of tartar till foamy before adding the Confectioner's sugar and continue whipping till stiff peaks. (Original recipe calls for soft peaks but I find that stiff peak works better for me). Bring a pot of water to boil.

5. Stir in a little of the meringue (D) to lighten the thick batter before folding in the rest with a very light hand. Pour batter into prepared tin and "slam" the tin 1 or 2 times to remove trapped bubbles. (Tent the cake entirely, I lifted it slightly just to take photo.)

6. Put cake tin in basking tray and fill it halfway with hot water. Bake in water bath for 45-50 mins, ensuring the water doesn't dry out. Do NOT open the oven door during this stage of baking too, steam will escape causing premature temperature drop and the cake will sink.

7. Reduce temperature to 140º C, remove tent and bake for 10-15 more mins to brown the surface. It might take less than 10 mins so keep a good eye on it. Turn off the oven once you think it's browned enough. Leave the cake in oven for 30 mins with the oven door ajar.

8. Remove cake from oven and all "adornments" (i.e. the tin, foil and paper). Leave on wired rack to cool completely (try not to flip and cool it on its face, else it will inherit the grids) before refrigerating it for 2-4 hours (overnight recommended). 

I usually can't wait that long to cut myself a slice, it's difficult to cut a pretty slice too being soft spongey and all. The first few times I made this recipe, I didn't wait for it to cool enough and the center was kinda soggy when I cut through. Bad decision. In fact, the cake wasn't successful the first 2 times I made it. I over beat my meringue on both occasions and the cake didn't rise properly. 

This recipe might seem tedious and time-consuming, but it is one which will definitely work if you follow it to the T. That is also why there seems to be more photos than what I usually post because I want it to be as clear as possible for you guys and getting it right on your first try. Unlike me, failing 5 attempts, trialed and error, on the brink of mental breakdown before finally getting it.

However tempting it is, take it from me, wait for it to cool down before cutting! At least wait till the cake is room temperature (I get a fan to blow at it directly for about 1 hr)! When chilled (if you can resist the urge to gobble a good half of the cake the same day it is made), this cake is pure decadence and totally irresistible. Since it is so light and cottony, you will be well into your 3rd or 4th slice before you notice!

All blog posts and photos are properties of WhatToBakeToday (unless otherwise stated). Unauthorized use and/or duplication of these contents, whole or part thereof, without express or written permission from this blog's author is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to WhatToBakeToday with appropriate and specific direction to the original content. 

Creamy Mushroom Chicken & Caramelized Onion Tartlet

When I started this blog, as much as I wanted it to be a "place" where food lovers can gather, I didn't think anyone would actually "find" me in this digitized sea of information. Over the past 2 months, it has been very encouraging to see readership increasing and coming from different countries. Apart from neighboring countries like Malaysia, Hong Kong, Australia and Philippines, I was pleasantly shocked to see readers from USA, UK, Russia, Germany, Canada and France! What's most surprising is that the USA readers (hellooo~~ guys!!) is as much as, if not slightly more than the Singaporean readers! Thank you for visiting my humble blog! ^_^

I noticed the Pizza Tartlet post garnered a lot of readership from USA, which I think is mainly due to the culture of hosting dinner parties, serving hors d'oeuvres and the likes. To show my appreciation, I came up another cost effective hors d'oeuvre idea! This time, inspired by Chicken Pot Pie and Onion Tarts.

Puff pastry is also needed for this recipe, so it'll be a breeze preparing them together with the Pizza Tartlets.

Creamy Mushroom Chicken & Caramelized Onion Tartlet (makes 36)
 640g     Ready Made Puff Pastry (if pre-rolled, it's about 4 sheets)
 500g     Chicken Breast/Fillet
   20g     Butter, unsalted
 300g     Yellow Onions, thinly sliced
   10g     Garlic, minced
 300g     Fresh or Canned Mushrooms, cubed 1cm
 170g     Cream
 200g     Water (may use more or less)
 2 tsp     Dried Thyme
     1       Egg, beaten
Salt, Pepper and Sugar to taste

Optional
Cheese, shredded
Bacon, diced
Tabasco sauce

If you are on a tight timeline or budget, you may substitute half of the mushrooms and cream for a can of condensed Cream of Mushroom soup or half of the chicken and cream for condensed Cream of Chicken.

1. Marinate the Chicken breast/fillet for at least 30 mins with 1 tsp of Dried Thyme, Salt and Pepper to taste.

2. Meanwhile, melt the Butter over Medium Low heat in a saucepan and add the julienned onions. Spread the onions evenly and stir occasionally. After about 10 mins, they will soften and turn translucent. Season with Salt and a little Sugar to help with the caramelization. Keep the mixture cooking, stir occasionally and take care not to let it burn. If it looks a little dry, add some water. It will need another 15-20 mins to brown nicely. Heat off and reserve in saucepan.

3. Bring a pot of water to boil and add the chicken. When cooked, drain water and cool. Shred chicken into rough pieces when cool enough to handle.

4. Put the saucepan (with the caramelized onions) back on Medium Low heat and add in the minced garlic, saute till fragrant before adding the Mushrooms and Chicken. Add about 50ml of water and mix thoroughly. Cover for 5 mins.

5. When the liquid reduced slightly, add the Cream, 1 tsp of Dried Thyme, season to taste with Salt and Pepper. Mix thoroughly and cook for another 5-10mins. Heat off and reserve.


Preheat oven to 180º C

6. Thaw your frozen puff pastry according to the directions on the package. Roll the pastry dough (if needed) to a thickness of 0.5cm and cut out roughly 8x8cm squares. Line your muffin tray with these puff pastry squares and fill each with a tablespoonful of fillings. You may then top with some cheese (I have some leftovers from the previous Pizza) and/or bacon bits. Bake them for 15-20mins till puffed and golden brown. Remove from oven and cool slightly before removing them from the muffin tray.

For guests who like their food spicy, splash a bit of Tabasco sauce on the tarts before serving. These tarts goes really fast, you may be well into your 6th, 7th or even 8th tart before you realized! Like the Pizza Tartlets, you may prepare these beforehand (if you have enough muffin trays), keep them refrigerated and bake them fresh when your guests arrive. This will allow you to have more time having fun, rather than "slogging" in the kitchen. Enjoy!

All blog posts and photos are properties of WhatToBakeToday (unless otherwise stated). Unauthorized use and/or duplication of these contents, whole or part thereof, without express or written permission from this blog's author is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to WhatToBakeToday with appropriate and specific direction to the original content. 

Osmanthus (桂花) & Roselle (洛神花) Konnyaku

Despite being weird, wobbly, solid yet not entirely "firm", jellies are popular all over the world. Gelatin, konnyaku and agar-agar are the common agents used to transform liquid into this delicate semi-solid form. While many people knows that agar-agar is derived from the red algae, only a few knows that Konnyaku, which also originated from Japan, is made by mixing Konjac, a tuberous plant, with limewater. That makes both Konnyaku and Agar-Agar safe for vegetarians unlike Gelatin which is derived from animals' parts (usually the skin or bone of cows/pigs). >.<

Konnyaku was not common in Singapore until maybe the last 10 years. During my childhood, it was all about the colourful, multi-layered agar-agar, it's like a cool and wobbly version of 九层糕 - "Gao Din Kuey" (nine layer kuey). I still love agar-agar but they don't result in a translucent product and using konnyaku produces a different "firmness" which some people adores over agar-agar. 

It's very very very common to make Lychee/Logan flavoured konnyaku in Singapore. If you're intending to make some for your guests, I suggest experimenting with different flavours else it's gonna be "oh-so-boring". Konnyaku is an idiot-proof and fuss-free dessert that anyone can prepare. With a little creativity and imagination, konnyaku's versatility might just "WOW" your guests.

Osmanthus & Roselle Konnyaku
Osmanthus
 625g     Water
  2tsp     Dried Osmanthus Flower
  2tsp     Sugar
Roselle
 625g     Water
  2tsp     Sugar
A handful of Roselle buds

 250g      Konnyaku Powder (125g for each flavour)
Small pieces of Lychee or any other desired fruits

The steps to preparing either flavour is the same. Note that it is for 2 separate flavours.
1. Bring water to a simmer. Add Osmanthus/Roselle and Sugar. Continue simmering till the liquid is "well-flavoured", about 15mins. Heat off and strain the flowers (may leave some of the osmanthus inside).

2. Put the liquid back onto heat and bring it to a boil. Add the Konnyaku Powder and stir till all the powder has dissolved. Heat off.

3. Fill moulds with bits of fruits, if using. Carefully pour the liquid into the moulds. (You can also make layered ones. Have the moulds half-filled with a flavour, wait for about 5mins and filled to the brim with the other flavour. It will be nicer visually if you have contrasting colours.)

4. When the liquid has cooled till room temperature, put them into the refrigerator and chill for at least 1 hour before serving. When "un-moulding",  you can either use a toothpick to pry them from the moulds (requires a very light hand) or just run the moulds under running water and they will pop right up!

You can make them a day in advance and have them un-moulded when it's time to serve. Albeit an experiment, they turned out very well; I thought the lychee bits look like orchids against the Roselle Konnyaku. But both flavours taste just as wonderful as they look. Super refreshing! A simple yet elegant dessert suitable for any party!

All blog posts and photos are properties of WhatToBakeToday (unless otherwise stated). Unauthorized use and/or duplication of these contents, whole or part thereof, without express or written permission from this blog's author is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to WhatToBakeToday with appropriate and specific direction to the original content. 

Spring Roll (春卷)

Spring roll. Why is it not "winter" roll? Ever wonder how did it got its name? I did a little search and found that it was originally given a generic name - "spring dish"(春菜) and not "roll"(卷). Some believe that they were made with vegetables that first grew out of the soil in Spring; so "spring vegetables" goes into "spring dish". While some believe that this dish was eaten on the first day of Spring which is also known as Spring Festival (春节) (more commonly known as Lunar or Chinese New Year in Singapore), therefore known as a "spring dish". From there, the name evolved into "Spring Roll" since the dish itself is rolled and it has the double meaning of either "Spring in a roll" or "Roll of Spring", very poetic. Personally, I believe both the hypothesis should be accepted. To me, it makes most sense that our ancestors used vegetables that first grew out of the spring soil, made it into a roll and ate them on the first day of Spring to celebrate! Whatever it is, I'm glad I don't have to wait for Spring to eat spring rolls now. =P

Albeit its Chinese roots, Spring Rolls can be seen all over the world now, with different vegetables and maybe some meat. I do find it interesting that in America, they are sometimes known as Egg Rolls which are actually a thin, sweet and crispy waffle that are rolled into cylindrical shapes before cooling down. A sweet pastry snack usually eaten during "Spring Festival" (CNY) too but totally from the deep-fried, savoury Spring roll. If you know how the confusion began, do share with me.

There are namely 2 different kind of spring rolls in Singapore, the deep fried one and the cooked one. Although in some countries, the cooked version is called "Po Piah" (薄饼) (literally translated to thin biscuit) but in Singapore, the 2 types of rolls use the 2 names interchangeably. So if it's your first time visiting Southeast Asia, do ask if the rolls are deep fried or pre-cooked when you order "popiah" or "spring roll".

Since I still have leftover spring roll skins from making Samosas and Spicy Dried Shrimp Rolls, spring rolls came to my mind naturally when I thought of finishing up the skins. The ingredients are very easy to gather. So being fat and lazy, I don't have to step out of the house and go under the blazing sun do to grocery shopping. Haha.. =D You can make this into a party food by simply making it into bite-sizes, just quarter a piece of spring roll skin and you're good to go.

Spring Roll aka Popiah (makes 10 large rolls)
(Please credit if you've enjoyed it. Thank you!)

   10       Spring roll skins
  1 kg     Turnip, shredded
 300g     Carrots, shredded
   50g     Dried Shrimps, soaked for 20mins
   15g     Garlic, minced
    1        Egg, beaten
  1tbsp   Vegetable oil
Light Soya Sauce and White Pepper to taste

1. Heat vegetable oil over Medium heat, stir fry minced Garlic till fragrant. Add in the Dried shrimps, reserve the water, continue stir frying till fragrant.

2. Add in the shredded Turnip and Carrots. Keep the mixture moving for about 5mins, maintaining heat throughout the vegetables due to the large portion.


3. After the vegetables soften slightly, add in the water you used to soak the dried shrimps. I added about 150g of water. Season to taste with Light Soya sauce and White Pepper, I like mine peppery so I always add lots of pepper. Turn to Low heat, cover with wok lid and steam for 5-10mins till vegetables are soft.

4. Heat off and let cool the vegetables in a strainer to drain off excess water. Assemble the spring roll when the veggies are completely cooled.

5. Assembling a spring roll is the same as rolling the Spicy Dried Shrimp rolls. Place a piece of spring roll skin with 1 corner pointing to you, put 2 large tablespoonfuls of veggies in the middle and fold in the corners, bottom -> right -> left. Maintain a tight grip and roll up tightly. Egg wash the last corner before finishing the roll.

6. Deep fry the rolls over Medium High heat till golden brown. I "air fried" mine for about 20mins at 200º C.

Just like how my ah gong (grandfather) makes his although this time, mine wasn't crispy as usual due to "deep-frying" in the "air fryer". While on this subject, I have to say that the air fryer is NOT a substitute for the conventional "deep-frying-in-oil" method as the advertisement espouses. It might be healthier since no oil is used but the results is the same as if I were to bake them. Heck, why do I need an air fryer to "bake" my deep-fried goodies when I have an oven? Waste of moolah if you ask me. But if your family does a lot of frozen deep-fried goodies (e.g. nuggets, seaweed chicken, etc.) for dinners or snacks, somehow the air fryer does a decent job. /shrug Although I still say I can bake those if I want them to be healthier too. Meh... gimmick (and we fell for it *facepalm*). 

All blog posts and photos are properties of WhatToBakeToday (unless otherwise stated). Unauthorized use and/or duplication of these contents, whole or part thereof, without express or written permission from this blog's author is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to WhatToBakeToday with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.