Old School Iced Gem Biscuits (Updated Recipe!)

 Those of you who followed me long enough will know that 10 years ago I was on a quest to nail the recipe for old school iced gem biscuits. It took me some tries to get something I am satisfied with and bakers who tried my original recipe all agreed it tastes pretty close to the actual stuff from Khong Guan. Click here for the original recipe if you are interested. I decided to tweak it a little and now it's even better!

I also used raw egg whites to make the royal icing the old fashioned way instead of using meringue powder because there have been requests for it. Many people who don't bake regularly prefer not to buy a big portion of meringue powder just to make these. Don't worry, it's perfectly still safe for consumption as the egg whites are going to be cooked.

Here's a peek at the insides!

Please watch the reel over here for the process.

https://www.instagram.com/reel/C8mFFEQycTo/?igsh=MXZoNHJnY2Q0MDhkaA==

What did I do differently this time? I have included milk powder to give these light tasting crisp biscuits a stronger hint of milk flavour. I included a 30 minutes resting time for the dough to relax as well before rolling it out.

Iced Gem Biscuit Recipe

The recipe makes about 110 biscuits. Feel free to use half the recipe if it's too much for you to handle.

Biscuit base:
140g plain flour 
1 tbs (10g) full cream milk powder
2 tsp baking powder
20g icing sugar 
1/8 tsp salt
50g vegetable shortening
50-60g milk or as much as needed to form dough
1/4 tsp vanilla extract

Royal icing:
25g fresh egg whites
1/8 tsp cream of tartar or 1/4 tsp lemon juice
120g sifted icing sugar 
1/2 tsp vanilla extract (optional)

Gel/powdered food colouring or flavoured pastes as desired ( I used pandan, strawberry & lemon pastes. Original gems have unflavoured icing or just a hint of vanilla)

Steps:

1. Make the biscuit base. Sift together milk powder, icing sugar, flour, salt and baking powder.

2. Rub in shortening until it resembles fine breadcrumbs 

3. Gradually add milk with vanilla extract added until a ball of dough forms. As long as the dough ball doesn't split when you squish it, it is ready.

4. Wrap the dough in cling wrap. Set aside at room temperature for 30 min

5. Preheat oven to 170C fan/180C.

6. Roll the dough between parchment paper or lightly floured surface until 3mm thick. Dust your rolling pin lightly to prevent it from sticking to the dough if you are not rolling between parchment paper.

7. Cut out the dough with 2-2.5cm round/oval or scalloped cookie cutters. Lay on lined baking tray about 2cm apart. You may use parchment/teflon sheet/silicone mat/perforated mat to line your trays.

8. Bake for 10-15 min or lightly browned. Cool completely before icing 

9. Prepare royal icing. Whip egg whites with cream of tartar or lemon juice until foamy. Gradually add sifted icing sugar and whip until stiff peaks. You may add vanilla if you wish.

10. Divide icing into different colours. You may use gel or powdered colouring, or flavoured pastes to colour the icing. Original iced gems are not flavoured or only mildly vanilla flavoured. I chose to include a little variation in flavour.

11. Use a small open star tip to pipe the icing onto the biscuit base. 

12. Dry in 70C oven for an hour or until thoroughly dry and crispy. If the biscuits are hard or not crisp, you didn't dry it long enough. The drying time here is just a reference so adjust accordingly. Do not be tempted to speed up the drying process by increasing the temperature as the icing may crack above 75-80C. The biscuits should be really light and crisp when baked correctly. 

Storage

Store in airtight condition after cooling completely in the oven. If stored well, it can keep for a few weeks at cool room temperature. Simply pop the biscuits into the oven to dry them out again anytime they lose their crispiness.

Baker's Notes

🔸Use royal icing made with meringue powder if you wish. I used raw egg whites as I received queries over the years about making these without meringue powder but safe enough for consumption

🔸Do not replace shortening with butter if you prefer it crisp, light, with a slight hint of milky flavour but without any buttery notes like the old school biscuits in Southeast Asia. Feel free to use butter instead if that's your preference. Rest the dough in the fridge if you are choosing to use butter 

🔸The secret of making the biscuits really light & crisp is the long time spent in the oven to thoroughly dry out any moisture. This helps to extend the shelf life too!

🔸You may use round cookie cutters, piping tips or cutters with scalloped edges as long as they are about 2-2.5cm in diameter

Tag me on Instagram if you make this! I am sure you will be pleased with the results like those who tried my original recipe 10 years ago! 

with love,

Phay Shing

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Merlion Kaya Macarons

 To celebrate Singapore's 59th birthday this year, I have decided to have a merlion macaron class with a flavour profile that is familiar to Singaporeans: kaya!

These macarons are flavoured pandan coconut so even eating them "kosong" (plain or without filling) is delicious! Much like eating a chewy version of kuih bangkit! I made sure the filling is flavourful but not too sweet by making the kaya jam from scratch and surrounding it with a beautiful blue pea coloured coconut white chocolate buttercream. My taste testers all unanimously agree this is delish and not too sweet!

Here's a sneak peek at the work behind making these in the reel:

https://www.instagram.com/reel/C63SRAiyWG4/?igsh=cTBjbGoxOHRrM2Qx

Check-out the lovely feet on the shells!

Check-out the beautiful and delectable filling!

Awesome cross-section of the full macaron shells!

You will learn the basics of Swiss meringue method of making character macarons as well as the plain rounds so beginners may join this class too. I focus on the techniques you need to start as well as venture into making characters. 

The link below has more details about this class as well as registration info:

https://www.bakersgym.com/service-page/merlion-kaya-macarons?referral=service_list_widget

with love,

Phay Shing

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"Egg on Toast" Cake (Kids baking class)

 I didn't get around to sharing this creation earlier. Oops! This "egg on toast" cake was planned as a fun June school holiday baking class for kids that combines Science and Culinary experience. 

I took the chance to make a Gudetama version as well!

More pictures to show that the "egg yolk" is really more than it seems!

The "yolk" is actually spherified mango sauce, the "egg white" is vanilla panna cotta and the "toast" is vanilla yoghurt cake. I made this creation simple enough that younger kids can handle too as for the most part, this creation involves pouring and mixing.

Watch both versions in action!

Gudetama version:

https://www.instagram.com/reel/C4tpMJQypBG/?igsh=MWl4eXAxZDFncWU1eg==

Smiley egg version:

https://www.instagram.com/reel/C50kb7wSy4T/?igsh=ZXN1d2ZyNzM1eGho

You may have noticed that the consistencies of the yolks appear different. That's because I tweaked the recipe when I made Gudetama to make it more mango-y. It's less bouncy but yummier. That's the version I will be using for the class.

You are still in time to sign up for this class if you see this post before 19 June 2024. It will be a fun and relaxing bonding time with your child! Please click on the link below for more information or to register:

https://www.bakersgym.com/service-page/kids-class-egg-on-toast-cake?referral=service_list_widget

with love,

Phay Shing

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Pochacco chiffon cake (blow bubble experiment)

 

Mixing up some Fun with a Cake that Blows Bubbles! 🫧🍰🥰 with homemade edible bubble solution. Reel video here. 

With love,

Susanne 

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"Grumpy's Bath" Macaron Cake

 It's been a long time since I made something out of curiosity and for fun! This project and experiment came about because I was wondering what I can make with the colours of batter for a batch of milk bottle macarons I had to make for a client's baby's first month celebration. The image of Grumpy Bear in a duck floatie came to mind and I started to giggle 🤭. 

I took this chance to experiment with making a 3D macaron tub. Although it would have made things easier if I had a silicone loaf pan, I decided to risk using metal disposable loaf tin wrapped in parchment and disposable paper loaf pans as experiments. So glad they worked!

I used my default Swiss meringue method recipe for making the macaron shells.

Here's the video tutorial of how I made the tub. Please read the captions in the reel for important technical details:

https://www.instagram.com/reel/C7wMvAxSdMg/?igsh=MWt0OWlkeDFua2Yzcw==

I coated the insides of the tub with a thin layer of royal icing to reinforce the thin macaron shell although this is optional. You may coat with a layer of chocolate instead. Did it turn out too sweet? Nope! That's because I filled the macaron tub as well as Grumpy and the duck floatie with a tangy lemon ganache. I included two layers of lavender honey butter cake as well in the tub. All bubble baths can't do without the bubbles so I made the foam out of aerated honey lemon jelly.

Check out some works-in-progress pictures below and the cut cross- section of the tub!

I have a sable cookie stool and some mini meringue duckies in storage I used as props.

I coated the base of the duck floatie with a thin layer of ganache to insulate it from the jelly

My kids loved the tangy macaron cake! It's been some time since they had a just-for-fun bake from me too!

Lemon ganache

(Adapted from here)

Ingredients: 

250g white chocolate couverture 

60g fresh lemon juice

zest of 2 lemons

60g heavy cream

Steps:

1. Melt chocolate over double-boiler or in microwave oven. Set aside.

2. Heat the rest of the ingredients until warm (46C) in a small saucepan or microwave. Don't worry if it looks a little curdled because when milk/cream comes into contact with acid, this happens.

3. Pour warm lemon juice and cream over melted chocolate. Use an immersion blender to blend until smooth and emulsified. Press cling wrap onto surface of ganache.

4. Let the ganache firm up in the fridge for half an hour or overnight in air-conditioned room (22-24C). Transfer into piping bag.

Honey Lavender Cake

(adapted from here)

I baked the cake in the same mini loaf pans I used for piping the macaron bathtubs. I didn't want to grind the sugar with dried lavender flowers because I wanted to simplify things and have less things to wash/set up. So in my adaptation of the reference recipe, I made a concentrated lavender tea instead and replaced the yoghurt with that. I reduced the sugar by a little as well.

Ingredients (3 mini loaves):

50g unsalted butter

45g caster sugar

10g honey

1/8 tsp salt

1 medium egg (about 45g without shell), lightly beaten

75g cake flour

3/4 tsp baking powder

30g concentrated lavender tea*

* Steep 3g dried lavender flowers in 45g hot water for 10 min. Strain and squeeze out as much tea as possible from the flowers. Reserve 30g for the cake.

Steps:

1. Grease loaf pans. Preheat oven to 160Cfan/175C.

2. Whisk together baking powder and flour. Set aside 

3. Cream butter, sugar, honey and salt until pale and fluffy.

4. Gradually add egg and mix until smooth after each addition.

5. Gradually add half the flour mixture by sifting over the batter, mixing well after each addition.

6. Add concentrated tea. Mix well.

7. Add the remaining flour mix gradually by sifting over batter and mixing well after each addition.

8. Pour into loaf pans and bake for 25 min or until skewer comes out clean.

7. Cool in pan for 10 min before tipping the cake out and cooling completely. 

I sliced the loaves horizontally till 1.5cm thick for layering in the tubs. I brushed the cake with a little lemon syrup too but this is optional.

Honey lemon foam

Ingredients:

5g gelatin bloomed in 40g ice water

25g lemon juice

30g honey 

80g hot water 

Steps:

1. Dissolve honey in hot water. Add lemon juice. Mix well

2. Melt bloomed gelatin and add it to honey lemon water. Whisk until well combined.

3. Set the mixture over an ice water bath and gently stir with a whisk for 5min to cool the mixture down and thicken it.

4. Whisk more vigorously to create the foam bubbles.

5. Chill in fridge for 5 min to stabilize the bubbles before scooping onto the bathtub to create the "bath bubbles".

You may watch the video of the process over here in my reel:

https://www.instagram.com/reel/C8BLaS4S8Sv/?igsh=MWJtcHp6Z2NxOXBvdQ==

with love,

Phay Shing

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Giant Bubble Tea Jelly Chiffon Cake

 

Giant Bubble Tea chiffon cake with jelly that I made for collab with Tastemade. Reel of the making on my IG here. Hope this made you smile! 

With lots of love, 
Susanne 

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