Bye Bye 2010, Hello 2011

It is time to revisit and take stock of the New Year's resolutions again.  How time flies.

Most of us would know that New Year's resolutions are far easier to make than they are to keep.  Since my resolutions for 2011 are mainly repeats from 2010 (and earlier !), my main resolution this year would be to remain true and to fulfill my resolutions, in particular those made previously :).  For this reason, I've decided to go public with my resolutions, and I ask all of you for your helpful nudges to assist me in achieving them:

(1) Persevere and keep all resolutions made
(2) Return to my exercise program (old resolution from 2010 and before)
(3) Lose some weight (old resolution from 2010 and before)
(4) Attempt not less than 50 new recipes throughout the year (new 2011 resolution)

As you can see, (2) and (3) will balance up with (4) (or rather, (4) is the motivation for (2) and (3)), and (1) is too ensure that the ship (i.e. me) doesn't sink.  It is all about the art of balancing :)

With this, I would like to end my last post for 2010 with this phrase which I feel befits all of us:

"We will open the book.  Its pages are blank.  We are going to put words on them ourselves.  The book is called "Opportunity" and its first chapter is New Year's Day."

- Edith Lovejoy Pierce

Happy New Year, everyone !

Yakult Blackcurrant Buns

Little Missy's Yakult reached its expiry date today.  For those who are unaware, Yakult is a Japanese cultured milk drink, sort of like a yoghurt drink.  Since my biggest pet peeve is having to throw away food, I decided on some experimental baking.  The first idea that came to me was to replace the milk in my usual bun recipe with the Yakult.  And to jazz up the buns, I added some dried blackcurrants.

By the way, don't worry about having to use expired milk in baking.  As long as the milk is stored properly, you should be able to continue using it for about a week past its expiration date.  But when in doubt, do apply the sniff test.

The result ? The Yakult works just as well.  So here you go, my Yakult Blackcurrant Buns.

  

Vanilla Ice Cream, Philadelphia-style

My good friend, E, hosts a homely Christmas get-together each year.  This year, I decided to contribute desserts in the form of brownies as E has been (vigorously) hinting for some.  And since brownies are best eaten with ice cream, I decided to throw in some vanilla ice cream as well (Truth is, I was testing out a new brownie recipe, and the ice-cream was my back-up plan in case the brownies flopped).  As with the brownies, this recipe is taken from The Perfect Scoop by David Lebovitz.

I chose Philadelphia-style ice cream as I didn't want anything too rich since the brownies are sinful enough.  Unlike the French custard-style, Philadelphia-style ice cream contains no egg yolks and does not require any major cooking. It is based purely on cream, milk and sugar, and is very delicate-tasting.  Perfect with some warm brownies.

Philadelphia-style ice cream tends to become grainy more quickly and is best eaten within a day or two of churning.  Well, I don't foresee any problem in that department, judging from the response on the ice cream.  There's something about homemade ice cream which is bound to draw some oohs and ahhs from the crowd :)

Robert’s Absolute Best Brownies

David Lebovitz is another pastry chef / author / blogger that I really like.  His sense of humour is hilarious, while his acerbic wit and remarks make his stories a pleasurable read.  When I was looking for an almost last minute dessert to bring to E's Christmas party, I decided instantly on this Robert’s Absolute Best Brownies  recipe which I had earlier bookmarked in Lebovitz's latest book, Ready for Dessert.  In case you are wondering who Robert is, this brownie recipe had come to Lebovitz via the late Robert Steinberg, co-founder of the Scharffen Berger chocolates.

I quote from Lebovitz "I have a blanket mistrust of any recipe with a superlative in the title. “The Ultimate” or “The World’s Finest” always makes me raise an eyebrow. But how else can I describe these brownies? I’ve made a lot of brownies in my life, and these really are the best."  I felt a little ashamed after reading this as I had in my earlier brownie post, personally decreed Ottolenghi's brownies as the ultimate brownie.  Perhaps I had used the wrong choice of word, perhaps not, as this Robert’s Absolute Best Brownies is equally as good and scrumptious.  Possibly the world's finest.  Oops, wrong choice of words again.

Anyway, although I've baked brownies before, it was quite daring of me to use E's guests as my guineas for this recipe.  For this purpose, I decided to throw in some homemade vanilla ice cream as good measure, in case the brownies flopped.  But guess what, they didn't.  I am quite sure that E and her guests had enjoyed the brownies as much as I did.

Joy to the World - Merry Christmas & Happy New Year

Joy to the World , the Lord is come!
Let earth receive her King;
Let every heart prepare Him room,
And Heaven and nature sing,
And Heaven and nature sing,
And Heaven, and Heaven, and nature sing.

To all my wonderful friends and family.

May your holiday season be blessed with peace, love and joy.  Here's sending you my heartfelt wishes with joy that never ends.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year 2011.

Cinnamon Rolls

I'm not sure why, but the warm perfume of cinnamon sugar rolls makes me want to crawl under my blanket and eat the entire batch all by myself :).  Greed, I know.  But hey, it's cinnamon sugar.  I can't think of any better pairing.  These two are definitely a match made in heaven.

And as you would have expect, my cinnamon rolls are also chock-full of raisins, another favourite in our household.  Drizzled with sugar glaze, these gooey, swirly cinnamon rolls are absolutely decadent, irresistible and addictive.  Don't ask me how many rolls I ate.  Hint: I think I already put on 1 kg eating these this morning.  But there's no stopping me now, I am already planning my next batch, for which I am going to add a hint of cinnamon powder to the bread dough, and swap half the raisins for pecans.

Whipped Cream Cake

It's the most wonderful time of the year
With the kids jingle belling
And everyone telling you "Be of good cheer"
It's the most wonderful time of the year
It's the hap-happiest season of all
With those holiday greetings and gay happy meetings
When friends come to call
It's the hap- happiest season of all

- Andy Williams

Have I told you how much I love Heavenly Cakes by Rose Levy Beranbaum ?  Everytime I go through the book, I never fail to find something interesting.  This time round, it is the whipped cream cake.  So, what is so interesting about this cake ?  No butter, no oil, just whipping cream !  Before you get all excited and jump up and down for joy, I should qualify that the absence of butter and oil doesn't mean that the cake is fat-free, as whipping cream can be just as fattening as butter and oil !  In fact, the butterfat contained in the heavy cream is more than the butter usually added separately.  Gosh.  But hey, it's the most wonderful time of the year, and that for me, means, a time to celebrate, rejoice and eat ! So, for now I shall take cue from Andy Williams, and deal with the lose-weight-resolution later.  I trust you are also on the same page with me :).

The resulting cake is moist, tender and sort-of creamy with subtle hints of vanilla.  Absolutely heavenly with a cup of coffee. Good thing no additional adornment is required, I can't imagine more cream on this cake.

Walnut Bread

Hello everyone, today's speciality in my bread basket is the walnut bread.  I have been wanting to bake some nutty bread for awhile now, and while thumbing through my cookbooks earlier this evening, the image of this walnut bread in Bread Magic by Alan Ooi sold me.

This bread is studded with juicy sultanas and has a generous amount of walnuts for that nice nutty crunch.  By the way, if you are nuts about health, the walnut is the healthiest of all nuts.  It is the source of healthy omega-3 essential fatty acids, which have been found to protect the heart, promote better cognitive function, and provide anti-inflammatory benefits for asthma, rheumatoid arthritis, eczema and psoriasis.  Trust me, I didn't make any of this up, read more about it here.

So here you go, my healthy-for-the heart walnut bread.

Orange Pound Cake

A few non-baker friends have recently expressed that they would like to give baking a try after reading my blog.  I am so thankful to have inspired them :).  For starters, I advised them to start on the pound cake (as I did when I first started baking), as I find the recipe and technique less intimidating.  This pound cake post is therefore, in celebration of their first attempt in baking a cake :).  Happy baking !

By its name, pound cake refers to a cake traditionally made with a pound each of flour, butter, eggs, and sugar. Over the years, bakers over the world have applied alterations to the original recipe to change the characteristics of the pound cake, i.e. the addition of flavouring, leavening and cooking oil, but the name pound cake is often still maintained.

The pound cake's primary flavor comes from butter. As such, do use the best quality butter you can find - I like Golden Churn.  There is nothing more put off than a rancid cake.  A butter-related memory to share - I was greasing my loaf pan with butter, when out of the blue, a small voice chided "Mommy, don't waste my butter".  This, coming from the 2 year old Little Missy.  We all know she loves her butter sandwich (as she calls them), but still.  Kids are so smart these days, it's worrying.

Classic French Baguette

I recently attended a bread baking course conducted by French chef, Nathalie Arbefeuille of Nathalie's Gourmet Studio.  Besides picking up some recipes for various French breads as well as baking techniques, I noted that the French are fiercely passionate and proud of their bread (or rather, food in general).  With such passion, its no wonder that French cuisine has always been considered as one of the best in the world.

When I first started learning how to bake bread a year ago, one of my goals was to be able to bake amongst others, the classic French baguette.  To this end, I decided to put into practice the baguette recipe that I had picked up during the baking class.  I religiously applied the same precision that Chef Nathalie had demonstrated, from the correct temperature of the water/dough to the correct angle for the slashing of the baguette, all of which are crucial to allow proper proofing of the bread.

So, here you go.  My first attempt on the classic French baguette.  I am glad to report that the resulting baguette looked and tasted the same as the ones which we made during the class.  Rustic looking with a crispy crust and slightly chewy insides.

And the best way to enjoy your baguette ?  With French butter (President) and French cheese of course, although the closest French cheese I have in my fridge is the Laughing Cow cheese spread (pictured below) :).  But really, the baguette is amazingly versatile, and you can have it anyway you like.  For dinner, we used it to soak up our goulash, and it was so yummy.

P/S: I will not provide the recipe for this baguette here as it may not be very appropriate to do so.  However, do e-mail me if you would like the recipe.

Blueberry Pancakes

If I could (weight and time permitting), I would eat pancakes for breakfast everyday for the rest of my life.  Heck, I would eat pancakes anytime of the day for the rest of my life.  Especially the ones that taste like these.

This pancake recipe comes to me from the Clinton St. Baking Company Cookbook written by the husband-and wife-team, Neil Kleinberg and DeDe Lahman.  I don't know how true it is, but New York is apparently abuzz over these pancakes from Clinton Street Baking Company.  Well, judging from the taste of these pancakes and the accompanying maple butter, I fully comprehend why.  And please, if you need to make any adaptations, I implore you not to omit this pairing of maple and butter so wonderfully created.

Enough said already.  For once, forget the granolas and your other healthy cardboardy breakfast cereal, this is one mean breakfast you won't regret.  Get up and go for it.  I'm sure everything that you need is already in your pantry.  Yay, pancakes :)

TGIF

Thank god it's Friday.  The last one week at work has been such a whirlwind and not entirely pleasant, despite the mid-week break. Which explains the abandoned blog.

Night after night, I have been coming home knackered and absolutely brain dead.  Given that state, my warm and cozy bed has been a much more appealing option than the butter in the fridge, flour in the jar and punnet of berries screaming for attention.  Yes, I have closed my kitchen for the past week, and my berries are now oozing.  Not a pretty sight.

Anyway, I hope to enjoy my weekend, and work on my baking list and blog...starting from tonight ! (hopefully).  Happy weekend, peeps.  Enjoy !

Rose Chiffon

I first came across this recipe in Fruity Cakes by Alex Goh.  I have heard of cream/filling that is lightly scented with rose, but I’ve never come across the actual usage of rose in a cake.  But then again, I cannot profess to be a know-it-all given my limited experience in food.  So, while I was quite intrigued with this recipe, I was also hesitant to give it a try as I feared that the cake may end up tasting like Yardley’s English Rose talcum powder.  Or worse, my granny :P.  You see, my granny used to douse herself with this talc.

In recent months, I noticed that many bloggers have attempted this recipe and all have reported good results.  So, to satisfy my burning curiosity, I decided to give it a try.  The result ? Truth be told, I am not too sure.  I’m not quite certain that a rose chiffon works for me - given the lightness of the cake, the scent is a bit too overwhelming and I feel that it does leave a rosy soapy aftertaste in my mouth.  And by the way, yes, it does smell a bit like granny.  Not that it’s a bad thing, but you get my drift.

But I will not be deterred, not especially when I have a whole bottle of rose syrup and essence to finish.  Till then, I figured, since this rose thing is an acquired taste, I should learn to like and appreciate some rose confectionary first, before I re-attempt anything florally.  Sounds like a good excuse to sink my teeth into some Cadbury’s Turkish Delight ?  Yes, and no.  I am actually eyeing the Ispahan cake by Dorie Greenspan in her new book, Around My French Table, and prepping myself.  The Ispahan is an infusion of rose, raspberries and lychees created by French celebrated pastry chef, Pierre Hermé.  I can't explain why but I have harboured high hopes for the Ispahan and I really want to like it.  Anyway, that’s another story for another day.

So back to the rose chiffon.  As taste is very much a personal preference, I won’t discourage you from trying this recipe.  In terms of texture, the cake came out beautifully.  Light and cottony soft.  Rosy pink too.

 

The Ultimate Brownie

Rich, chocolaty, fudgy and slightly gooey with loads of nuts and chocolate chunks, this brownie is so outrageously good (or in other words, decadently sinful !).

Based on the brownie points and thumbs-up received from my most ardent chocoholic friends, I dare say that this is the ultimate brownie.  So, if you are in the mood for one of the most iconic brownies of all time, look no further and do try this recipe which I have minimally adapted from Ottolenghi the Cookbook by Yotam Ottolenghi and Sami Tamimi.

I quote from Ottolenghi "There is nothing worse than a brownie that turns into a cake.  It is worse even than overdone meat".  Sounds serious.  So, here's an important tip.  The challenge with brownies is the baking time.  A minute too far, and your brownie will turn from being moist and gooey into one that is dry.  For this purpose, I always like to test with a skewer even before the recommended baking time ends.  In fact, I am an extremist, I sit in front of my oven and observe :).  For brownies, the skewer should not come out clean - It must come out covered with gooey crumbs, not dry crumbs, but not the same goo you started with.  If your skewer comes out clean (as you would want with a cake), it means you have overbaked your brownies.  Confused now ? Don't be.  If you are not too sure whether your brownies are done or not, my best advise would be to err on the side of under-baking.  Your batter will continue to cook from the residual heat of the pan when you take it out of the oven.

Normandy Apple Tart

I love this tart for the simplest reasons.  One, it is so pretty; two, it is probably the best baked-apple-thing I have ever tasted; and three, it is such a cinch to make.  Finally, and most importantly, it is comforting and brings back fond memories of the apple pie that my mom used to bake for us kids.

I urge you to try this regardless of whether you are an apple-pie-girl (or boy) - I dare guarantee you won’t be disappointed.  Who knows, this tart may even end up as apple of your eye.

To play around, you can also make the same tart using pears.  Just make sure they are ripe enough.  I don't know about you, but unripe pears remind me of potatoes.  Again, this tart is adapted from Greenspan's Baking: From My Home to Yours.

Muffins Went Rogue

I started out with the full intention of making lemon poppy seed muffins.  While I was getting the ingredients ready, my eyes caught the 'playing around' section of the recipe which recommended dropping a teaspoon of jam in between the muffin batter.  I thought why not ? Seems like a terrific idea to jazz up a muffin.

Unfortunately (there seem to be a lot of unfortunate events in my baking lately), overzealous me dropped more than a teaspoon of jam, and my muffins ended up bleeding.  The tall muffin pan that I used also didn't help - The surface of the muffin cups was smaller than any regular muffin cups, and so when I dropped the jam onto the batter, it was all askew.  So that's how I went rogue on my lemon poppy seed muffins, and as a result, they ended up bleeding black cherry jam :).

It is a good thing that the coordinates of the jam do not affect the texture nor taste of the muffins.  Phew. I did not have any back-up breakfast food for Little Missy.

So, imagine if you will – a still-warm-from-the-oven muffin enclosing (or not) a dollop of sweet black cherry jam, drizzled with lemony glaze.  Now, this is just the type of muffin that I look forward to wake up to.  I urge you to make some of this, your audience will be so thankful, trust me :)  Oh yes, I highly recommend that you do not omit the lemon glaze, as it really brings out the lemon flavor of the muffins without going over the top.

This is yet again another muffin recipe that I had adapted from Dorie Greenspan’s Baking: From My Home to Yours.  But really, I make no apologies for the recent plethora of recipes from her book.  If you must know, I have bookmarked so many pages in that book, as Greenspan has a knack for making everything look and sound yummy, yet simple enough to make.

Hummingbird Cake

I was scanning through my library of cookbooks early this evening and found a bookmark on the Hummingbird Bakery Cookbook by Tarek Malouf, that I had long placed on the page with this recipe.  Somehow, I had totally forgotten about it.  This time round, the calling to bake this was so strong, and further prompted by the ripened batch of bananas sitting on my countertop.  So I dropped everything, shooed Little Missy to bed (which was easier said than done) and set out to put this together.

This cake has got a strange name but I guarantee you no hummingbird or birds of any sort was harmed during its production.  There are several schools of thought as to where the name of the cake came from. One is that the cake is so sweet it could attract hummingbirds; two is that the cake is so good, people hum with delight while eating it; three is that the cake originated from Jamaica where the national bird is a hummingbird.  No matter which story, this is a delicious cake, much like a carrot cake but it has bananas and pineapple in it instead of carrots.

Tiramisu Cake Revisited

So here I am again.  Revisiting the Tiramisu Cake.  This time round, I made the fully loaded (in fact, it was extra loaded) version for a family friend.  I am proud to draw your attention to the chocolate impressions on the sides.  I think I am starting to get the hang of it :)

Tuna Mayo Buns

You know how when you are midway baking something and you have this wild idea that involves changing the form and design of the baked product and you imagine that your interpretation will come out so successful, that it will shoot your blog to stardom ? Well, that happens quite often to me. The wild idea bit, I mean.  The thing that was to shoot me to stardom ? Well, it sure didn’t happen here.

I had originally intended to make a simple round bun for Little Missy’s weekday breakfast.  Somehow, when the dough was proofing, wild ideas emerged, and I decided to add some fun into her lunchbox.  I knew exactly how I wanted the bun to look like, but sadly (as always), it fell short.  The resulting bun turned out looking like a cross between a hedgehog and some pre-historic creature which has yet to find its modern form.  By the way, it was supposed to come out looking like a fish.

Taste-wise, this is merely a simple sweet bun with tuna mayo filling.  It was the shape of the bun that I had wanted to glorified, which unfortunately ended up looking horrified.

Nevertheless, Little Missy was happy to see and eat this.  Experimental baking is great when your key audience is only two years old, and you can basically cheat your way out :P.

Cranberry Buns

Cranberry is one of the most health-giving fruit.  Recent scientific research shows that cranberries contain significant amounts of antioxidants that may help protect against heart disease, cancer and other diseases.  Cranberry juice is also the common remedy to prevent the adhesion of certain of bacteria, including E. coli, associated with urinary tract infections.

For this purpose, I always like to incorporate cranberries into Little Missy's diet, and when Little KL, super-hyper almost 2 year old daughter of a good friend came visiting, I made this buns specially for her.

Sacher Torte

The Sacher Torte comprise two layers of deep, dense and dark chocolate cake with a thin layer of apricot jam in the middle.  The cake is then glazed with dark chocolate and served with a dollop of whipped cream on the side.  Based on the description, one might think that this is merely a simple chocolate cake.  However, this torte is a symbol of Viennese confectionery and actually has a long history behind it.

The Sacher Torte was created by pastry chef Franz Sacher in 1832 for Prince Clemens Lothar Wensel Metternich of Austria, the Austrian State Chancellor. The prince enjoyed trying new dishes and ordered the chef to create a new cake. Orders were sent to the kitchen where it was instant pandemonium. The head chef was sick and the team of cooks in the kitchen had no idea what to prepare. Franz Sacher, a 16-year old apprentice cook, rolled up his sleeves and created this famous chocolate cake with the ingredients that were available.

A generation later, the Sacher Torte became involved in a tussle between Hotel Sacher and Demel Patisserie, both claiming to produce the original Sacher Torte. These two world-famous institutions were engaged in a lawsuit which lasted for years. In 1965, the judgement went in favor of Hotel Sacher, giving them the right to the “Original Sacher Torte” while Demel had to be satisfied with the “Original Eduard Sacher Torte”. The main difference between the two recipes is that in Sacher's case, the layer of jam is between two layers of the cake, while in Demel's version the jam is on top of the cake but under the chocolate covering.  Interesting ? You can read more about it here.

Back to my version of the Sacher Torte, whose recipe I had adapted from the Cafe Boulud Cookbook by Daniel Boulud.  In his recipe, Boulud had recommended raspberry jam for the filling, but since I did not have any on hand, I applied the traditional apricot jam.  This cake is indeed a very dense, deep and dark cake.  My first reaction was that the cake is too bitter, but then it gets better with every bite.  I don't know why, but this cake also conjures the image that it is a dessert that the gentlemen of yesteryears would savor with their cigar and brandy.

Citrus-Raisin Sunshine Muffins

Befitting its name, these sunny yellow muffins are sure to bring a little sunshine to your morning breakfast.  They also have that wake-you-up flavour as described by Greenspan, the happy result of the orange and lemon combination.  Definitely something worth waking up early to prepare especially when today is a holiday and I could have slept in.

Also, nothing beats the smile that I get from Little Missy when she wakes up to the smell of something baking in the oven.  Someone should seriously think of inventing an alarm clock that diffuses the aroma of fresh bakes.  I swear, they would be the best selling alarm clock in the world.

Again, this muffin recipe is adapted from Baking: From My Home to Yours by Dorie Greenspan.  I have bookmarked so many of her recipes, and am currently working my way through them.  Maybe I should also jump on the "Tuesdays with Dorie" bandwagon.

Tiramisu Cake

Two yellow cakes soaked in espresso syrup, layered together with a coffee-flavored marscapone filling, studded with bittersweet chocolate, and frosted with more coffee-flavored marscapone. Absolute heaven.  So if you, like me, have a special affinity for coffee-soaked cake, please do try this version of the Tiramisu. 

While I had prepared the Tiramisu sans liquer and light on the caffeine, I highly recommend that you go for the fully loaded version.  My reason was simply because I had expected young children to eat the cake, and the vision of Little Missy (or any little ones for that matter) bouncing off beds until the wee hours of the morning did not look very pretty.

The final appearance of my Tiramisu really did not do justice to the cake.  Before I started decorating the cake, I had big creative ideas -  I wanted to create some chocolate impressions for the sides, but alas, my cake looked like something the cat had dragged in.  I guess my creative jus (or the lack of it) and my dexterity (which is definitely lacking) do not go hand in hand.  Luckily the taste of the cake was more than compensating. 

This recipe is adapted from Baking: From My Home to Yours by Dorie Greenspan.  I seem to be baking a lot of treats from her books lately.  Like Beranbaum, Greenspan is another baking fairy godmother that I truly adore.

Selamat Hari Raya Haji

To all my friends, fellow bloggers and readers of the Muslim faith, here's wishing you a Selamat Hari Raya Haji.

To everyone else, enjoy your mid week break !  I know I will :)

Still November

I know its still November, but I couldn't help myself.  After all, its never too early for Christmas.

So here it is, a sneak preview of my Christmas Tree 2010 :)

Lemon Meringue Pie

This pie has a sweet crumbly pastry crust and a tangy lemon filling and is topped with fluffy meringue.  Mouthwatering huh?  Except that this lemon curd filling is so uber tangy.  Now, if you are a fan of lemon or anything tart, you may like this one, but personally, I'll give this a pass.  The combination is an overkill for my naive taste buds - too sweet and too tangy.  Plus meringue is not my all-time favourite. 

However, I do like the pâte sablée although I'll make it a point to reduce the sugar in my next attempt.  Pâte sablée is the richest of the French short pastry crusts.  It is used to make sweet flans and tarts.  While it has the most flavour, it also has more calories than a pâte brisée (shortcrust pastry) or pâte sucrée (sweet shortcrust pastry).  Oh dear, no wonder it agrees so well with me.  Why do all the food that I particularly like have higher calories ?

Both the pâte sablée and lemon curd filling were adapted from Baking: From My Home to Yours by Dorie Greenspan.

A-maize-ing Muffins

Little Missy loves anything corn.  When she was younger, she used to gnaw her way through steamed corn on the cob with her (then only) 2 front teeth, almost like a chipmunk :).  I think she found it comforting during her teething process.

While rummaging through my pantry the other day, I came across a packet of cornmeal that my brother had given me some months ago.  I did a quick scan through my cookbooks, and found this Corniest Corn Muffins recipe in Baking: From My Home to Yours by Dorie Greenspan.  Since I had all the ingredients on hand (including the cornmeal which is not a commonly found item in my pantry), I had to try this almost immediately.

These muffins are best served warm.  For this purpose, I prepared the ingredients the night before, woke up a little earlier this morning to mix the batter and bake the muffins, just in time for breakfast, and looking like a hero-mom :P.  I even had time to snap some photos, and to get a headstart on this post.

Oh wait, I hear floorboard squeaking upstairs.  Little Missy is up.  To be continued ...

Red Velvet

I don't whole-heartedly endorse using copious amounts of artificial coloring in food, but the devil in me has been chanting "red velvet red velvet" for weeks, if not, months now.  Personally, I do find a red cake disturbing but at the same time, I am curiously fascinated.

Carrot & Walnut Cake

Ottolenghi is a pattiserie in London.  I recalled buying pastries from their then only outlet in Notting Hill sometime ago when I was in London.  What I didn't know is that they have grown from one to four outlets and is so popular now.  I happened to chance upon Ottolenghi: The Cookbook by the owners, Yotam Ottolenghi and Sami Tamimi one day, and immediately got myself a copy of the book.

Life Is Too Short To Eat Bad Croissants

Life is too short to eat bad croissants.  I say this because I recently tasted the most icky croissant ever.  With this in mind, I started to think that perhaps it is time to up my (limited) skills to produce better quality (or at the very least, more edible) croissants.

This croissant recipe is adapted from The Bread Bible by Rose Levy Beranbaum.  I love love love this book and rank it on par with Peter Reinhart's The Bread Baker's Apprentice.  Everytime I attempt something by Rose Levy Beranbaum, I am almost certain that the outcome will be at least pleasant.  Her clear step-by-step directions and explanations are commendable.  This book is definitely a baker's holy grail (well, at least, mine).

I have digressed again.  On with the croissants.

This is my first attempt with the croissant.  Overall, I’m satisfied with the result and very happy that I've attempted them. I’ve tasted croissants far worse than mine, for instance, the store-bought ones as I have mentioned above.  But really, mine's not that bad. Ugly but great tasting - That's acceptable in my books.  To a certain extent.  But I'm determined to keep trying.  So, keep on reading and one day, I'll surprise you with a great looking croissant. In conclusion, perhaps I should rephrase my opener.  Life is too short to eat bad tasting croissants.  Ugly's an exception, for now.

Cupcake Pops

I first came across this in Cake Pops by Bakerella.  Since then, I have waited so long to try this cupcake pops.  I keep on procrastinating simply because, I couldn't bring myself to bake a cake, only to turn it into crumbs.  The opportunity to attempt this cake pop presented itself when I had an extra layer of chocolate cake from my Treasure Box attempt.

Green Tea Galore

My can of green tea has been sitting comfortably in my pantry for far too long, so much so that it has been calling out to me softly everytime I open the pantry.  At the rate that it is going, it will want to strike a conversation pretty soon.  Must do something.  Quick.

While browsing through Okashi: Sweet Treats Made With Love by Keiko Ishida last week, the green tea ice cream caught my eye.  Since we like cold treats plus the weather has been so humid and hot plus I needed some egg whites for my next macaron attempt, I got cranking straight away.  Three birds with one  green tea stone, hooray !

Presents from the US

My friend went to the US and I got was a lousy bottle of salt and vanilla. 

Joke.

The fleur de sel (French for Flower of Salt) and Nielsen-Massey vanilla were exactly what I had wanted.  Thanks E ! For taking the time and trouble to shop for them.  I am so so looking forward to try them out.

Sorbet Frenzy

Friends would know that I will never eat any type of ice cream that is fruit-based, with strawberries being the only exception.  I don't know why, or how to explain it at all, but I seem to have a very strong distaste for pairing ice cream with fruits (with the exception of strawberries).  Until now. 

Clockwise from right - Orange, Strawberry, Green Apple and Blackberry

Happy Divali

To all my Indian friends and readers - Here's wishing you a Happy Divali.  May you have a sparkling celebration during this festival of light. 

To all my other friends and readers - Happy Holidays !

On another note, it has been a whirlwind week for me at work.  So much to do and so little time.  Thank god for the Divali holiday.  I look forward to sit back this long weekend, and work on my baking list and blog.

Treasure Box

It is my nephew's 4th birthday today.  Prior to that, I had promised him that I'll make him a treasure box for his birthday. When my cousin, his mom, asked me what's a treasure box, I convincingly told her, "You'll see, it'll be a nice surprise".  She didn't look very convinced, and asked me again "Have you done it before ?", to which I replied "No worries, I've got it all sorted out".  What was I thinking ? Truth is, I had no clue. But a promise is a promise, and I was planning on keeping mine.  Days before the D-day, I still had no idea.  Luckily, I vaguely recalled an image of a cake which I had come across previously (sorry, but I can't remember where).  Phew.  Double phew :P. 

Dainty Feet & Puffy Tops

Finally, after days of accumulating a wealth of information and loads of tips and tricks from my SIL, friends, fellow bloggers, and my cookbooks, this novice baker has plucked enough courage to attempt this little thing called the macaron.

Before I continue, I should admit that I have not tasted a professionally made macaron before.  The only macarons that I have tasted are the homemade ones made by my SIL.  Not that she's not a pro or that it wasn't professionally made, but you get my drift.  I guess what remains now is for me to plan a trip to Paris in order to sample the world acclaimed macaron and understand how it should taste like.  Paris Spring 2011, anyone ?

Twin Disasters

My heart goes out to the people of Indonesia and all those affected by the tsunami and volcano eruption.  Everyone, please pray for them.

BBQ Baby Back Ribs

I used to think that this type of cooking was way out of my league and better left to Tony Roma's et al.  Wrong.  This is so easy to replicate at home.

I kind of created this recipe from a combination of bbq ribs recipes that I have surveyed.  The result ?  Mouth watering good, and the ribs were so so tender.  Near competition quality, if I may say so.

 

Cold, Creamy and Decadent

I shall keep this post short and sweet.  What more can I say ? The title basically sums it all up.

And yes, you've guess it right.  Its ice cream !

Homemade Burgers, The Sequel

It just entered my mind that I did not post the recipe for the burger buns in my earlier Homemade Burgers post.  So here it is, Homemade Burgers, The Sequel.

Some may say that homemade burger buns sound so ostentatious and showy, but trust me, they are so easy to accomplish.  Easy peasy lemon squeezy, if I may say so.  Plus it beats any store bought buns, and a great homemade burger sure deserves an equally great burger bun.

Homemade Burgers

Burgers have a notorious reputation due its association with fast-food chains, processed meat and loads of sodium and fat.  On the contrary, burgers can be a wholesome meal particularly when it is homemade with fresh and quality ingredients.  All you need is lean ground meat, fresh and crisp vegetables and quality cheese to make that difference.  To go that extra mile, you can even make your own sesame burger buns.  I did just that, and it is really worth the effort.

Mexican Bun

Have you ever wondered why the Mexican bun is named as such ?  When the Mexican bun craze first started, I remembered checking with some Mexican friends whether there is indeed such a delicacy.  Needless to say, they had no clue.  Mexican or no Mexican, this bun is great tasting, and if I have to choose a bun, this could potentially be it.

An Unfortunate Chiffon

Of all the cakes that I have baked so far, I should say that the temperamental chiffon is one I fear most.  I have had my fair share of chiffon failures plus I have also heard (horror) stories that even a professional baker can experience failures when it comes to the chiffon.  Of course there is also the fickle macarons, but that is a separate story altogether.

My fear of the chiffon has therefore prevented me from experimenting, especially when there are so many flavours that I would like to incorporate in the cake.  I was happy when I found this Peanut Butter Chiffon recipe in Chiffon Cake is Done by Kevin Chai.  You see, the thought of peanut butter in a chiffon has long germinated in my thoughts, even before I came across the recipe. 

Choux Pastry

Choux (pronounced "shoo") pastry is a versatile cream puff pastry shell made from a dough. In French, choux means cabbage because of its shape when the dough is piped and baked into cream puffs. The goal in making the perfect choux pastry is to have a crispy crust, light interior, and an even and golden browned shape.

Pizza

I just finished reading The Bread Baker's Apprentice by Peter Reinhart from cover to cover.  When I first got the book, I did approach it with some apprehension as it looked way too professional and intimidating for an amateur like me.  But after reading it, I think this book is perfect for dummies novice bakers such as yours truly.  I especially love the fact that the author has dedicated the first 101 pages of the book to discuss about the bread, and also to explain the function of each ingredients. I feel so much more confident now.

Little Hachikos

Have you watched the movie, Hachiko: A Dog's Story (or Hachi: A Dog's Tale) ? Based on a true story from Japan, it is a moving film about loyalty and the rare, invincible bond between a dog and his owner. If you have not watched the movie, I strongly urged you to do so.  My girl and I have watched it, possibly, 7-8 times and still counting, and she has also christened her favourite four legged fur ball, Hachiko.

French Onion Soup

I am a soup person and love all sorts.  My once-upon-a-time ambition was to open a soup bar. Why a soup bar, you ask?  Well, I chose soup because it is such a versatile thing (at least for me):

• It is comfort food when it rains or is cold outside.  There’s even cold soup for hot days, although I have not yet mastered drinking cold soup. 
• It is medicinal.  I'm sure everyone is familiar with the therapeutic value of chicken soup.
• It is also good for curbing your appetite if you are dieting.  Just stay away from heavy, creamy soup or substitute cream with low fat milk.

Raisin Wheel

I think I am in trouble.  I seem to be keeping a baker's hours.  Since last week, I have been waking up in the wee hours of the morning, contemplating to bake something.  Yikes.

Two nights ago was no different. I woke up at 2 am, and since I was wide awake, I decided to give this recipe from Magic Bread by Alex Goh, a headstart, as it requires a gelatinized dough and an overnight sponge dough.  The gelatinized dough needs to be made ahead and refridgerated for at least 12 hours, and the overnight sponge dough needs an overnight proofing, before usage.  Both these dough are supposed to produce softer bread.

Go Bananas

I am not a fan of bananas in fruit form, but I do love it in a cake.  Banana cakes are the perfect solution for me when I am faced with a stock of unfinished bananas which have gotten brown/black, and no longer palatable to the eyes. And for cakes, the rule of the thumb is the riper the bananas, the better the flavour. Having said that, perhaps I should qualify that if your bananas have ripen beyond recognition, it's time for the rubbish bin :P.

Mediterranean (Wannabe) Cheese Bread

When I came across this Mediterranean Cheese Bread recipe in the Baking Code by Alex Goh, with due respect, I didn't think it was very mediterranean at all.  But being a fan of all things tomato, I liked the idea of incorporating tomato paste into the bread dough, so I decided to try it.

Toffee Macadamia Gateaux

My girl and I played a birthday game last evening with her new dessert set, complete with candles and all.  Our repertoir included singing the birthday song, making a wish, blowing the candles, cutting the cake and licking the icing off them :).  We started the game with our own birthdays, but then extended to include her furry friends, and each and every member of our (extended) family.  In total, we must have done about 20 birthday repertoirs before she decided she wanted to be an ice cream man.

Ham & Cheese Bun

I made these for breakfast today, but didn't have the chance to sample it.  It disappeared by the time I came back from the shops.

The rat culprit ? My brother :P.  But I am flattered that he ate 4 out of 7, as he is one hell of a food critic.  This must be darn good.  I will definitely make them again soon. 


You will need:

Dough
140 ml fresh milk
200 g bread flour
2 tbsp sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp instant yeast
35 g butter, softened

Filling
4 ham slices
Adequate cheddar cheese, grated
Mayonnaise

Preparation:

Put all the ingredients (except for the butter) in the pan of the bread machine according to the manufacturer's instructions.  Select the dough function.  Add the butter after about 5 minutes. 

If you do not have a bread machine, do not despair, you can also knead the dough by hand.  To do so, simply put the flour and yeast in a bowl. Stir to combine.  Add the sugar and salt, and stir again.  Make a well in the centre of the flour. Pour milk into the well, and mix to make a soft, moist dough.

Place the dough onto a clean, lightly floured surface and, with lightly floured hands, knead for 5 - 10 minutes, until it is smooth and elastic.  Add the butter into the dough, and continue to knead for another 10 - 15 minutes until the dough is no longer sticking to the surface and your hands.

Place the dough into a large, lightly oiled bowl. Cover with cling film and leave to rise in a warm place for about 1 hour, until the dough has doubled in size.
When the dough program has finished (if using machine) or the dough has risen, take the dough out of the machine / bowl.  Place it onto a clean floured surface and punch down. Shape into round, and let rest for 10 minutes.

On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough out into a long rectangular, and arrange the ham slices on top.  From the long side of the rectangular, roll the dough up in swiss roll style.  Cut the rolled-up dough into 7 equal portions, and place them cut side up on a lined 20 cm round baking tin.  Cover and leave aside to proof for another 30 - 45 minutes. 

Preheat the oven to 180 deg Celsius about 15 minutes prior to baking.  Glaze buns with egg wash if you wish.  Scatter cheddar cheese all over, and top with mayonnaise.  Bake for 15 - 20 minutes or until the buns are golden brown.

P/S:  Regarding the mayonnaise, I will be a bit bossy here and insist that you use the Japanese brand, Kewpie.  It's the best mayonnaise I have tasted so far.

Coffee Cake

Did you know that the term coffee cake can refer to either of the following:

• A class of cakes intended to be served with coffee or for similar breaks and snacks. Under this definition, a coffee cake does not need to contain coffee; or

• A cake, often sponge cake, which is made with coffee or has a coffee flavour.

Source: Wikipedia

Well, I didn't, until I told someone that I baked a coffee cake (and I meant it literally), and he told me that his favourite coffee cake is carrot with cream cheese frosting.  I went blank for awhile :P.