PUMPKIN SHAPE BREAD BUNS

 These Pumpkin Bread Buns recipe was shared by Happy Home Baker which I had bookmarked since last year but did not do it until recently.

The thought that it is difficult to make the buns look like pumpkins is the main reason why I took so long to try.  Thanks to HHB for her very informative post and I learned a lot from there.

These buns looks so cute and they aren't difficult to make if you watch video here.  I love the pumpkin paste filling for its' tastes, moisture and buttery aroma.  The sweetness is just perfect not overly sweet like the store-bought ones.

Ingredients for Filling
150 gm mashed steamed pumpkin
30 gm sugar
30 gm butter

1. Pan fry mashed pumpkin in a non stick pan together with sugar and butter until fairly dry and leaves the side of pan clean.
2. Dish up and leave to cool. 
   
   
   

Ingredients for the bread dough

[makes 8 buns]

250 gm bread flour [I used 200 gm bread flour and 50 gm wholemeal flour]
15 gm  caster sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp instant yeast
80 ml milk
100 gm mashed pumpkin
1 tbsp butter
*8 pieces of kitchen twine [90 cm each] soak in oil

How to make the bread dough

1. Knead all the dough ingredients [except butter] in a mixing bowl into a rough dough. Add in butter and continue to knead until soft, smooth and elastic.
2. Shape in a round ball, cover and leave to rest for 20 minutes or double in size.
3. Punch down dough. Divide the dough into 8 equal portions. Roll each dough into smooth rounds.
4. Roll each dough into a round disc.  Wrap each dough with one heaped tablespoon of the pumpkin filling. Pinch and seal the seam tightly.  
5. For each wrapped dough, place seam side down on the middle of a kitchen twine, wrap the kitchen twine around the dough to form 8 segments [note-do not wrap too tight].
6. Place seam side down on a baking tray lined with parchment paper with some space in between. Leave  to proof for  about 40 minutes or double in size.
7. Bake in pre-heated oven at 180 degrees C for 15 minutes or until golden brown.  Brush lightly with melted butter.
8. Remove from oven and leave to cool on wire rack.
9. Remove the kitchen twine and store immediately in an airtight container.
   
   
   
   
   
   

Note: If there are any leftovers after the second day, store them in the fridge, reheat/warm in oven before serving.

PUMPKIN BUNS

There are several baked bread buns recipes from my selected cookbook of this month which I have tried before.  All the buns turned out well but I cannot remember if I have shared  them here.

Anyway, I will be baking the bread buns with various fillings and sharing the recipes here.  These pumpkin buns are for my mother in-law. I wasn't able to pull away a bun to show the texture inside cos' it wouldn't look nice.  But, I did see that the texture was good [soft, moist and spongy] when I served it to my mother in-law.  My hubby confirmed that these buns are good after having one.

I have accidentally deleted some photos of the pumpkin paste filling, but I can say that the filling is very tasty and aromatic.  The original recipe is double the portion below.

Recipe adapted from this month's selected cookbook for Cookbook Countdown Event #5 -Yum Yum Magazine No. 48 [modified]

Ingredients for Pumpkin Filling

150 gm pumpkin puree

15 gm castor sugar

15 ml thick coconut milk

1. Steam pumpkin until soft, mash it into a smooth paste while still hot.
2. Place all ingredients in a non-stick wok, stir constantly until paste is smooth and thick and leaves the side of wok clean.  Dish up and chill in the fridge until required.
   

Ingredients for Bread Dough

[makes 9-12 buns in a 8 inch square tin]

250 gm bread flour

2 tsp instant yeast

1/4 tsp salt

2 tbsp sugar

1 tbsp milk powder

1 egg [lightly beaten, set aside some for glazing]

90 ml water

1 tbsp butter

1. Put all dough ingredients [except butter] into a mixing bowl of the electric mixer.  Knead into a rough dough [5-10 minutes].  You may need a little more water, add if dough is too dry.
2.  Add in butter and knead until soft, smooth and elastic.  Shape into a ball, cover and leave to rest for 20-30 minutes or double in size.
3. Punch down, divide dough into 9 or 12 equal portions.  Shape into rounds, flatten each round and wrap filling.  Gather the edges and seal well.  Roll into ball and place it in the lined baking tin.  Finish doing the same for the remaining dough.
4. Leave to proof for 30-40 minutes or until double in size.  Brush buns with egg glaze, sprinkle some toasted black and white sesame seeds.
5. Bake in preheated oven at 180 degrees C for 15-20 minutes or golden brown.
6. Remove to cool on wire rack before storing or serve warm.

This post is linked to Cookbook Countdown #5 hosted by Kitchen Flavours and Emily's Cooking (Makan2) Foray

STEAMED PUMPKIN HUAT KUIH

I love to try smiling steamed cake [huat kuih] recipes and I expect the huat kuihs must 'smile' beautifully.  They have to remain soft and moist when cooled.

Sometimes, they smiled but turned tough upon cooling.  To me, they aren't good.  

This is one of the many attempts which I made and is happy of the outcome.  They satisfied the criteria of a good huat kuih cos' they are soft, moist, fluffy, cracked nicely and remains soft when cooled.  It tasted good and the sweetness is just nice.  

These huat kuihs are good on its own or serve with fresh grated white coconut mixed with a pinch of salt.

Recipe adapted from Fion [Xuanhommama] with modifications. For the original recipe, please check it out at Fion's blog site.

Ingredients

[makes 10 huat kuihs]

60 gm pumpkin puree

200 gm rice flour - sifted with baking powder

3/4 tsp baking powder

1.5 tbsp castor sugar

130 ml milk/water

3/4 tsp Eno salt

1. Combine the first 4 ingredients in a big bowl.
2. Gradually add in the milk/water and stir with a hand whisk until well combined [free of lumps].  Leave to rest for 15 minutes.
3. Bring water to boil in a steamer.  Line plastic steaming cups with paper cupcases.
4. Add Eno salt to batter and lightly still till well mixed.
5. Spoon batter into paper case until the rim and steam over high heat for 15 minutes.
6. Remove, serve immediately.  These huat kuihs will be soft and moist after reheating.
   
   

   

   
   How not to feel good and happy looking at these smiling steamed cakes?