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Tuesday, May 4, 2010

Chinese White Honeycomb Cake -Version 2 Rose's



Looks pretty?
High and tall and porous honeycombs?

Yeah, it looks better then my previous attempt, looks better as in, it looked the way it should look. But I don't like this. Please read all below to find out why.

This is Rose's recipe

280g rice flour
280g sugar
600ml water
3 pandan leaves, knotted
1 tsp dried yeast
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tbsp cooking oil

Method:

1. Add 300ml water to the rice flour and mix well.
2. Boil sugar with 300ml water, salt and pandan leaves. When boiling, pour syrup into rice flour mixture. Stir well and strain mixture. Leave aside to cool.
3. Dissolve 1 tsp yeast in 2 tbsp lukewarm water and add to cooled rice mixture. Stir well, cover and leave to leaven for 11/2 to 2 hours till small tiny bubbles appear.
4. Grease and preheat a 30 cm round tray in steamer.
5. Add 1/2 tbsp oil to leavened mixture, stir well and pour into heated tray. Steam for 20 minutes.


Why did I choose this recipe as my 2nd atempt. It is one version that does not use any additional starch and it uses the express fermentation process, 2 hours. It is similiar to a few other recipes that many some suggested me to try, and they all use yeast and only rice flour, similar preparation process, so the results should be the same. Actually I've already book marked all the recipes I wanted to experiment with before I told you guys I wanted to do 4 versions.


So, with the two express versions that I did, with and without starch, which did I prefer?
The one with additional starch.

This version may look good, but taste wise, I don't really like it, cos it tasted a bit grainy. Don't tell me it's due to my rice flour. I used the same brand as Rose used. If you have tried eating Lai Fun that is traditional, made with just rice .. you'll understand what I mean. Traditional Lai Fun doesn't taste smooth on the palate, and it is brittle and grainy. Same goes for this version of pak thong gou.
But non traditional Lai Fun, like those you eat with Assam Laksa or Penang Laksa, is more pliable, bouncy, a lot more smoother, all due to the presence of additional starch.
I hope you understand what I'm trying to explain. I'm not trying to put down any versions, but this is just my personal opinion.

This version is just not for me. Actually I made this recipe twice, and I felt the same way twice. The white ones are my 2nd attempt with the 2nd version , and the one below is my 1st attempt with the 2nd version.

This one, my 1st attempt with Rose's recipe, was done with 2 types of sugars, white and palm, and later marbled into one cake. The marble effect wasn't obvious.

The honeycomb effect here is better than my 1st version but not as good as the 2nd attempt with Rose version above. The same recipe, but why different. Simply due to me cooking the mixture slightly to thicken it.
Me being the smartypants, with experience from the 1st version, thought eh, why this batter is so liquidy??? So I cooked it for a while to thicken it, but not as thick as before. And the outcome, short honeycombs. Then I learnt something, the reason for my termite mound interior with my 1st version is due to me cooking the batter thick!!!!
And now from then on, if I want to make a good express Bak Thong Goh, I'll use the 1st version recipe, but not to cook it. Then I'll have a nice bouncy, non grainy, high honeycombs Pak Tong Ko.

My next try out version : Aunty Yochana's 3-4 day version

28 comments:

  1. This is lovely.
    My gal loves this cake so much,
    will have a try soon..^^

    ReplyDelete
  2. Hey, this is beautiful!! I've always wondered too, how come homemade pak-thong-goh usually don't have the nice vertical "holes"...You are very "geng" leh! When i eat the cake, i'll always peel off the top part to reveal the "honeycombs"...my silly way to eat the pak-thong-goh...ha!ha!

    ReplyDelete
  3. Oh yes, is this cake springy? i like the QQ type, not the gooey(lum-pat-pat)type leh...I'll certainly be looking forward to your other experiments, looks easy enough to be made, rite? Moreover, EeSync loves it too.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Nice 白糖糕! I have been meaning to make this for my sis, since it's her favorite. :P Thanks for sharing this.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Rachel, MeldyLocks, And Honey Bee Sweets,
    Oh please don't try this version.
    It looks good, yeah, but as I said in my post, I don't like eating this at all. Please try the 1st version and not this one.

    If you want to make a super delicious one, please wait for my 3rd version. I guarantee fabulous taste and texture.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Love that white color! Looks good.

    ReplyDelete
  7. Oh Wendy, this is actually my first attempt recipe. I think this also very tasty. Btw, I have some awards for you. Please feel free to pick them up.
    Cheers, Kristy

    ReplyDelete
  8. Saw your profile on Kristy's page. Glad I read your wonderful blog. Look forward to following you here. Cheers!

    ReplyDelete
  9. Kristy,
    I think I'm the only weird one here not liking this recipe.
    Ok, I'll come by for the award

    ReplyDelete
  10. Lazaro,
    thanks for dropping by. Hope to see you more often

    ReplyDelete
  11. Wendy,
    guess u misunderstood me...i READ all of your post leh...but u recommended to use the 1st version recipe, but not to cook it, rite? But anyway i wont be trying this out until u finish experimenting and have the verdict out! Then i just use your best recipe! :P ....Sly...heeheehee
    Mel

    ReplyDelete
  12. Mel,
    Didn't mean you la. As for my pumpkin bun post also the same, few ppl ask me why I say my buns leathery whereas the pics look so fluffy.. Urrrrghhh!! It's not easy on my patience when this happens so near to each other.
    Why are u so late ah? No need to grab beauty sleep ka? If not become more and more yellow then "Dai Jai" lor

    ReplyDelete
  13. This is my childhood favourite ! Now only my son enjoy eating 白糖粿糕 and not my daughter. Your white and brown ones are so delicious looking

    ReplyDelete
  14. Hi, Wendy
    Saw your blog while blog hopping, cant help myself with your feedback on this recipe, I did aunty yocahana's recipe, the texture was soft and fine, but was it suppose to taste a bit of sourish and sweetness in this kuih?...When I went to Rose's blog, the comments was the kuih was suppose to be sweet is it?..But when I saw comments on Aunty yochana's blog one of them, said that it was suppose to be sourish and sweet?..which taste was suppose to be the right one?..hehe


    The reasons I asked because I dont really know how it taste as this was my first time trying making this kuih..you can visit my blog and see my kuih outlook..under Kuih muih label.
    Appreciate if you can comment on this.. Thank You. Nice blog you have here!

    ReplyDelete
  15. Ayu,
    I will reply you on your blog as I haven't post Aunty YOchana's try out here.

    ReplyDelete
  16. That does look GREAT! I would probably have to skip the pandan leaves out as I can't find them here.

    ReplyDelete
  17. Wendy,
    Sometimes old folks took trouble to do long ways for reason and even modern ingredients cannot shortcut the method for better results! I've got a recipe from Y3K book for the long method and the texture is translucent white and so beautiful but after many years I still have not managed to try out due to my busy schedule. May be you can try out for me....hehe.

    ReplyDelete
  18. Angie,
    Actually the pandan leaves don't do much of a difference since the simmering of syrup is just for a while.
    Skip that.
    If you really want to make pak thong koh, please wait... let me do all 4 versions, then you decide

    ReplyDelete
  19. HomeKreation,
    I know which recipe you are talking about and you'll see that later :)

    ReplyDelete
  20. Wow...this looks perfect. I really miss this kuih. I ate a lot when I was back home. Home to make some day. Thanks for sharing.

    ReplyDelete
  21. I have read through the different recipes for this kuih and have yet to try out any...glad to read about your opinions. Waiting for your next report on it:D

    ReplyDelete
  22. Mary,
    It's almost perfect :)
    Please do, but wait for all my experiments:)

    ReplyDelete
  23. Jeannie,
    Yeah, there are many versions on the internet, and that's why I went throught a few that I've bookmarked. :)
    There will be 2 more.. pls wait.

    ReplyDelete
  24. Hi, Wendy,
    Thank you for coming over to explain,
    Appreciate it very much!!..

    I will also be waiting for your next experiments and results!!..Nice to know you Wendy, glad that I found this blog!!..Full of trial and error done by you..which I am doing also on my side..

    ReplyDelete
  25. Ayu,
    No problem. I like to share knowledge and I do understand how hard it is to get real experience advise. Sometimes I need some explanations on certain things but I just cannot find the answer, evne when I post them on forums :)
    Hope to see you around more often

    ReplyDelete
  26. oh...I made this before and also kind of find it "rough". But at least not sourish.

    Wendy, do you have a good malai ko recipe? I tried the one from Angie but it is not very tall.I love the ones from Simee market (Ipoh).They are almost 6 inches tall!

    ReplyDelete
  27. Vien,
    Long time no see you here.

    I've never made malai ko. If you like it really tall, just steam the same amount of batter in a smaller pan, I'm sure your cake will be much taller. Just make a high collar for your pan.

    ReplyDelete
  28. I just want to thank you for ending a 2 decade search!! This is my Husbands very favorite treat from Hawaii!! I have looked for and tried other recipes. I am thrilled to say that I got honeycombs, and my husbands seal of approval!!
    THANK YOU for your aunties version, and the easy to follow instructions!! You have made this Ohana very happy!!!

    ReplyDelete

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