The side effect of baking

I have mentioned in my blog a couple of times that cooking&baking is my 2012 new year resolution. I have started with sweet dessert (Golden glutinous rice balls), deep frying snacks (Sweet potato balls), steamed cakes , baked bread pudding, cup cakes, cake lapis , batik cake, scones, chicken pies, cookies, butter cakes, egg tarts, various fried noodles, pasta.and the list is ongoing. Besides, I also bought a few baking and cooking appliances this year, such as Happy Call Pan, Electric Mixer, and Electric Oven.

The following are my latest attempts in baking.

1.Condensed milk pandan cake (Original recipe from Alice)

120g butter
120g plain flour
1/2 cup sweet condensed milk
40g icing sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla essence
1 tsp pandan paste
1/2 tsp salt
chocolate chips( I skipped this and replaced with cocoa powder)

Beat butter and sugar til light and fluffy
Add in vanilla essence and salt, beat til thick, add in sweet condensed milk, beat til well incorporated
In low speed, add in flour gradually, mix well
Add in eggs one at a time - around 1minute duration in between
Add in chocolate chips, mix well
Bake in preheated oven of 180degC for 30minutes

2. Pumpkin Butter Cake (Original recipe from Wendy )

200gm sugar
200gm butter
Seeds scraped from 1 vanilla
5 large eggs
300gm cake flour sifted together with 1 tsp baking powder
200gm soft steamed pumpkin flesh (I put in 300gm )
Handful of pumpkin seeds ( I skipped this)

1. Preheat oven to 160/180C. Line a 8 inch square pan
2. Beat sugar, butter and vanilla until light and fluffy.
3. Add in eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.
4. Add in half of sifted flour, on low speed then beat until well combined.
5. Put in pumpkin and beat until all mushed up.
6. Put in remaining flour and beat until just combined.
7. Pour batter into prepared pan and sprinkle with pumpkin seeds.
8. Bake for 50 minutes or until done when tested with a skewer.

As I put too much pumpkin, the cake had become too heavy to rise higher. Anyway it tasted like kuih bingka. Yummy!

3. Yannie's Egg tarts (2nd attempt) (Ingredients from Lena, Methods from I heart my bakes)

Ingredients for skin:
Butter 190gm, softened
Flour 225gm
Custard Powder 75gm
Sugar 60gm
1 egg (beaten)

Method:
1. Rub butter, flour and sugar with fingers into crumbs. 

2. Add egg bit by bit to form a dough. 

3. Fridge the dough for 30 minutes.

Ingredients for filling:
Boiling water 100gm
Sugar 75gm
Egg 2
Fresh milk 125gm

Method:

1. Preheat oven at 200C for 15mins
2. Dissolve sugar in boiling water, let cool, add egg and fresh milk. Do not beat, just stir and mix.
3. Sift the filling and let the filling mixture rest for about 30 minutes (Note: This is a crucial step so don't skip it)
4. Remove the dough from the fridge. Weigh dough into 20 - 25 gm balls.
5. Flatten with your hands to form a circle.
6. Place into the tart mould (tart mould picture is shown below).
7. Using your thumb, gently mould the pastry upwards.
8. Cut excess pastry using a sharp knife.
9. Prick the pastry using a fork to allow air to escape when the tarts are baking.
10. Blind bake the tart pastry at 180 C for 10 minutes.
11. Cool down for 2 minutes before pouring in the custard until 80 % full.
12. Bake at 180 C for another 15 minutes until the custard is not wobbly when shaken

I usually bake in the evening when my daughters are attending tuition at home. My bakes will become their tonight bedtime snacks, and also their tomorrow lunch box snacks at school. I always be the first one to taste all my own bakes, before I let others to taste it. As a result, I have gained 2 kg this year, albeit I followed my exercise regimen diligently.  Tell me, what can I do to get rid of those calories in my bakes?