Menu
Recent Post


This is really not good... Its been a while since i last used my lappy,.. do u know that i had to stare at the keyboard for a good 2 minutes looking for the exclamation mark! grrrr

Assalamualaikum everyone.... am sure by now everyone knows that we have moved to Kuala Lumpur... its been more than 6 months and we are settling in well here... Alhamdulillah .. honestly moving to Malaysia was not what i anticipated it wud be... i thought maybe someday when we do move out of Singapore it would be to a country where there are four seasons hahaha - a woman can only dream ... oh well.. maybe someday but for now ... we will be here.. in the land of Nasi Lemak singgit hahaha 

Anyway long story short... three months after hubs took up this new job posting... we packed our things and moved here... was it a difficult decision?  YES... it took me weeks to finally say Yes ... all i can say now... i am glad we did it!

Alright i will stop now...  i made a promise to hubs that i will try to update my blog at least once a month... he said... u shud start blogging again Rima... thats where it all started.... 




Fruity Cookies
Ingredients
100g salted butter (i used wisjman butter)
75g of margarine (i used elle & vire)
50g castor sugar
2 tbsp honey
2 egg yolks
150g red and green cherries (diced) (i added raisins too)
200g of flour
25g corn flour
1/4 tsp baking powder

Method
Preheat oven 150degC
cream together butter and sugar for abt 2 mins.. add in honey and continue to cream till light.
Add in egg yolks one at a time..beating well after each addition.
Fold in mix fruits with rubber spatula.. once mix.. Gradually add in shifted flour n baking powder.. mix well
Drop a spoonful of cookie dough onto an ungreased baking sheets.. bake it for 25mins or till edges are golden brown.
Cool for 2 mins before removing to wire racks

Recipe yields abt 64pcs (600g)


I definitely need to take more picture using my DSLR... they say... practice makes perfect... just like baking :)

Oh bef i forget... this awesome crunchy and buttery cookie recipe is from @Tintinrayner book:  "Simple and moist Cake" .. u guys shud go and get a copy... her recipes have never failed me..

8



I hope its not too late to wish my readers Ramadhan Mubarak... we are on our 13th day in the holy month of Ramadhan... for the first time Sonia is able to fast the whole day... last yr she only managed to fast for half a day for a couple of days bef she started to tell stories like... "my tummy aches each time i see my kindy friends eat during break time"... ishhh she and her "always has a reason" attitude... i remember Hairi started fasting as early as 5 yrs old and only started his nonsense growing up stage when he was in the army ... one thing for sure... that episode in his life has taught me a lot abt "redha" (resign) ..... am just glad that it didnt last that long.. hes a working man now... has a fiancee and is saving his butt off for his big day lol

Anyway ever since we got home fm our back-to-back trip... i felt rejuvenated... my body feels rested... i had my massage while in Bangkok and KL... i got to rest well and sleep in as long as i wanted.. i also managed to taste a few good desserts during my recent trips... one of them is this Jammers... the first time i had it was when i was at Knur house.. had a bite and fell in love with it straight away... knew i had to try and bake it myself but had to wait till we are done with Surabaya... eh talking abt Surabaya... i really like that place... i had never been there and didnt know what to expect but both Sonia and I agree that Surabaya is 100% better than Medan... oh Medannnn.... lets just say... i dont like that episode in our life!! huhu


Alrighty i better get on with this recipe... its fm none other than.. Dorie Greenspan : From my home to yours... we love the taste... texture of this Jammers... i didnt use store bought jam but instead cooked my own berry compote.. i also added an extra dash of Fleur de Sel on top bef i bake em... major love!!!

Sablé Dough
2 sticks (1 cup / 8 ounces / 227 g) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/2 cup sugar (3.5 oz/ 100 g)
1/4 cup confectioners’ sugar, sifted (1 oz / 28 g)
1/2 teaspoon salt, preferably fine sea salt
2 large egg yolks (7 teaspoons / 35 ml. / 1.3 oz / 37 g), at room temperature
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour (9.6 oz / 272 g)

Method
Working with a stand mixer, preferably fitted with a paddle attachment, or with a hand mixer in a large bowl, beat the butter at medium speed until smooth and very creamy. Add the sugars and salt and beat until well blended, about 1 minute. The mixture should be smooth and velvety, not fluffy and airy. Reduce the mixer speed to low and beat in 2 of the egg yolks and vanilla, again beating until the mixture is homogeneous.

Turn off the mixer. Pour in the flour, drape a kitchen towel over the stand mixer to protect yourself and the counter from flying flour and pulse the mixer at low speed about 5 times, a second or two each time. Take a peek—if there is still a lot of flour on the surface of the dough, pulse a couple more times; if not, remove the towel. Continuing at low speed, mix for about 30 seconds more, just until the flour disappears into the dough and the dough looks uniformly moist. (If most of the flour is incorporated but you’ve still got some in the bottom of the bowl, use a rubber spatula to work the rest of the flour into the dough.) The dough will not clean the sides of the bowl, nor will it come together in a ball—and it shouldn’t. You want to work the dough as little as possible. What you’re aiming for is a soft, moist, clumpy (rather than smooth) dough. Pinch it, and it will feel a little like Play-Doh.

***variation: you can make a lemon-y dough by omitting the vanilla and adding the zest of one lemon to the granulated sugar. Use your fingers to rub it in and release oils from lemon. Proceed as directed.

Brown Sugar Streusel
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup lightly packed brown sugar
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
pinch of ground cinnamon
Melt butter in a small saucepan on stove or in microwave. Add the rest of the ingredients all at once and stir with a fork to form crumbs. You should have a kind of wet sand texture. Cover and set aside until ready to use.

Assembling and baking the Cookies:

You need 1 recipe of sablé cookie dough, 1 recipe of streusel, and some jam or preserves (i use berry homemade compote)

You also need 8-10 3-inch x 1.5 inch metal ring molds or a whoopie pie pan.

In either case, preheat the oven to 350°F.

Tart Ring Method: Line a half sheet pan with parchment paper. Roll dough to just shy of 1/2-inch thick. Use 3-inch round rings to stamp out cookies (I ended up getting 8-9 cookies using this method. You could take the scraps and press them into extra molds). Transfer the dough and rings to prepared baking sheet. Chill in the fridge or freezer for 10-15 minutes until the dough firms up a bit (while the dough chills, you can make the streusel). Top the chilled dough with a couple of teaspoons of jam (strawberry/raspberry with vanilla dough, pineapple/pear with lemon or get creative) and a sprinkling of the streusel. Bake in the preheated oven for 18-22 minutes, or until golden and delicious looking. Remove from oven and let cool 15 minutes before removing the rings. Allow to cool completely before serving.

Whoopie pie pan/muffin pan method: Fill each cup of the pan with a piece of dough and flatten with your fingers. The dough will be just slightly lower than the top of the pan. Proceed as above. Allow cookies to cool for 15-20 minutes in pan before using a small offset spatula to carefully ease them out of the pan and onto a cooling rack.

Makes 10-12 really substantial cookies, serving size is definitely 1. If you can hold on to them, they will keep well for 2-3 days.

Cheerio xoxo

PS: Thank you for all your comments on my previous post - I've read every single one of them.

11



As salam everyone... oh gosh... i miss this space of mine.... its been a year since i last blogged..

Here is the deal... I dont think i am able to write as much or as interesting as before... its been too long and i am very sure everyone knows that my blog has been inactive for the longest time... am sorry if i hv not replied to some of the private msg in my fb too... its just that at times i dont even know what to answer as to why the sudden decision to privatise my  blog..

My life has been pretty standard .. wake up early.. prepare Sonia's lunch box.. drive her to school and start baking as early as 9am...  i hv been baking non stop and i love it!

Anyway... i am back (for now)... my blog is open to the public and i hope that the recipes that i hv shared so far will benefit others... am still trying to figure out where i placed my tripod stand and my props for my food photography.. u can clearly see that my pic is not as sharp as bef.... oh well... time to get a new tripod and what not!

Alrighty.. I am sharing a recipe that i managed to try bef our KL trip... we hv been travelling back to back since last month and i am not complaining... (i dont get to travel as much now that Sonia is no longer in kindy).. I wud also like to thank all my followers on Instagram and FB for all the likes and comments... hugsssss 



Crunchy Lemon Poppy Seed Cookies

Preheat oven to 160C. Line a couple of cookie sheets with parchment paper or Silpat.

3 cups All Purpose flour, bleached - i used cake flour
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. cream of tartar
1/8 tsp. salt
1/2 cup butter, unsalted and softened
1/2 cup vegetable shortening - i use butter
1 cup granulated sugar
1 large egg
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 tsp. lemon extract
2 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice
1 and 1/2 tsp. fresh grated lemon zest
2 and 1/2 Tbsp. poppy seeds

In a bowl, measure and whisk together the flour, baking soda, cream of tartar, and salt. Set aside.

In a large mixer bowl fitted with the paddle attachment, mix together on medium speed the butter, shortening, and sugar until fluffy (about two minutes). Add in the vanilla and lemon extracts, the lemon juice, and the lemon zest; mix until combined.

On the lowest speed, or by hand, gradually mix in about one third of the dry ingredients--except for the poppy seeds.

After you've mixed in about one third of the dry ingredients, pour in all the poppy seeds, mix those in, and then continue adding in the rest of the flour gradually. Don't overmix.

Chill the dough in the fridge or freezer for at least 20 minutes. (Good idea to chill your cookie sheets in the freezer or fridge also, if you can manage it.) After the dough is cold, portion them .. Place the cookies about two inches apart.

Put a few tablespoons of sugar in a shallow bowl. Find a small drinking glass that's completely smooth on the bottom; dampen the bottom and dip it in the sugar, then use that to press down the cookies. For each cookie, dip the glass again in the sugar.

Bake the cookies on an upper rack in your oven for approximately 10 to 12 minutes, just until the bottoms are lightly golden. If you're brave and you want super crunchy cookies, bake them a couple of minutes longer.

Let them cool on a rack . . . and then feel free to start crunching.

Recipe is fm Janessweet

Feel free to try out this recipe... we all love the taste... the crunchiness... lemoness (is there even such word lol) in this cookie... i will be baking it during the upcoming Eid.... for sure!

Cheerio!!


57




Hello everyone.. I hv not logged into blogger for the past months, and when i did today.. i found out that Mynn of salam dua benua aka LG had decided to blog for the last time a week ago after 6yrs of blogging... it looks like most of us have lost our mojo in blogging... i lost it since last year but hv decided to not privatize my blog cos there are too many recipes that i hv shared in this blog.. i thank you all who keep on checking in and out of my blog just to see if there are any new recipes... sadly to say... i cant possibly share all the recipes that u hv seen in my fb and IG... there are times where i just dont feel like sharing... not that i dont want to but time is not on my side .. sharing is indeed caring but when credit is not given where it is due... it can really make one decide to just keep it simple and post pics in IG instead :o(

Honestly.. IG and FB are great tools for sharing.... but nothing beats blogging for the depth in expressing yourself.. And only those who have actually blogged understand how much work goes into it.


Anyway we are ok... i hv not been travelling at all... hubs is still trying to fit into his new job.. Sonia is growing way too fast and Hairi... well hes all grown up tho at times i still think that he needs our guidance..

Tomorrow is Sonia's graduation day... this will be her third and last year where u will see her performing on stage with her kinder school mates... we hv managed to secure a place in the school that we want her to go.. pending approval fm MOE of cos.. so wish us luck yah..

My baking journey has grown too... i get to play more often with my nozzles and at the same time manage to find time to try out new recipes.. most recipes that i hv tried are fm all the baking books that i hv bought.. i hv also been lucky with all of them cos each time i feel like trying out new recipes.. it works.. yayyy

So ok... i am here bec i want to share some new cookie recipes... each year bef ramadhan.. i will try to look for new recipes which i can serve during Eid... this year is a little special cos i hv decided not to take in any orders for Eid.. am thinking of taking a break during Ramadhan .. so hopefully more new recipes.. Insyallah..


Salty pretzel cookies
by Carey Jones n Robyn Lenzi
Makes 38pcs

125g plain flour
2tbsp malted milk powder ( i use horlicks)
1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda
1/2 tsp salt
185 mini pretzels
170g unsalted butter (room temp)
130g caster sugar
130g dark brown sugar
1 medium size egg
170g chocolate chips

- Preheat oven 180C - i bake at 150C
whisk together flour, malted milk powder, salt and bicarbonate of soda
- In a food processor grind 85g of pretzels to a fine powder.. add to flour mixture and mix to combine. Chop the remaining 100g of pretzels into small pieces
- In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together the butter and both sugars on medium speed until smooth. Add the egg and mix on low speed until just combined scraping the bowl if necessary to incorporate the dry ingredients. Add chocolate chips and pretzal pieces and mix it with ur spatula until evenly distributed.. dough shud be smooth dense and somewhat pliable.
- spoon or use ice cream scoop to drop a well rounded balls of dough onto ur baking sheets.. bake it for 9-11 mins rotating the baking trays halfway thru the baking time just until the edges turn golden.


Malted hazelnut chocolate cookies
by Carey Jones and Robyn Lenzi
Makes 30pcs

170g plain flour
30g malted milk powder
1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda
1/2 tsp salt
115g unsalted butter
50g caster sugar
175g dark brown sugar
200g hazelnut chocolate spread (i use nutella)
1 medium egg
1tsp vanilla extract
115g chocolate chips
75g hazelnuts, toasted and chopped

- Preheat oven 180C - i bake at 150C
- whisk flour, bicarbonate of soda, salt and malted milk powder - set aside
- In a stand mixer with paddle attachment, cream together butter and both sugars on medium speed until smooth. Add hazelnut chocolate spread and mix until combined. Add egg and vanilla .. mix again
- Next add flour mixture to the main bowl and mix on low speed until just combined. Add chocolate chips and toasted hazelnut.
- use ice cream scoop or tablespoon measure.. drop well rounded balls of dough onto the prepared baking sheets abt 5cm apart.
- Bake in oven between 13-15 mins

All i can tell u is that.. both recipes are keepers... both cookie recipes will definitely be among the hot favs! both are our favs!! bake it ok :o)

Oh bef i go... Alhamdullilah... to those that hv been following my blog .. Bisousatoi turned 5 yrs old last month... yayyyy ... both my dear hubs and i celebrated our 10th year wedding anniversary and guess what... Alhamdullilah... Sonia has met her grandmother twice so far.... you dont want to know how we felt the first time they met... all i can say... praise to Allah.. 




19



Hi peeps.. how is everyone doing? missing me much? hehe.. well to those that are on my IG.. am pretty sure ur not missing me as much lol.. i am on there practically every single day.. u can either see my bakes or pics of our daily routine.. (in case you don't know, you can find me under "bisousatoi" on IG and FB).

So its the time of the year again.. Sonia will be celebrating her 6th birthday in a couple of days time.. yearly without fail i will bake her a bday cake but this year i wont be able to do so on her big day as we will be in Adelaide.. yep.. we are flying there in a few days time.. it has been four years since we last set foot there.. hubs wasnt interested to go back to Australia simply bec the exchange rate was horrible and theres not much to do there.. usually when we fly somewhere its tied together with hubs work and since theres no work involving aussie land.. we ended up not flying there.. not even when we had the time for a short vacation.. places like Thailand.. Indonesia.. Hong Kong have more to offer in terms of a short gateway..

Anywho long story short.. hubs has finally pulled the plug .. after 10yrs working with the same company.. he finally tendered his resignation a month ago.. he wanted to try something new .. he wanted to meet new ppl and two opportunities came knocking at his door.. we were overwhelmed and at the same time excited for him.. this is his year.. year of horse for the horsey ppl hehehe.. so bef he starts working with the new co.. I suggested flying to Adelaide for a week and since we are there.. hubs has signed me up for a cake decorating class with Liz.. do check out her site Takes the Cake.. ty babe for always supporting my interest..

As for the family.. both my kids are doing well.. Hairi has got the travel bug and has been travelling.. he was in Paris and Amsterdam last month for a couple of days and is already planning for his next trip.. hes seeing someone and we couldnt be happier for him.. as for our little missy.. we hv registered her into one of the international schools here as hubs wants her to do the International Baccalaureate (IB).. Will still register her in one of our local schools in July.. i think.. as parents we want the best for our kids and am blessed to be given the chance to do so .. if we get into the local school that we want.. we will go ahead with that .. if not its going to be Chatsworth.. shes a fast learner and we are pretty confident that no matter where she ends up.. she will do well.. Insyallah..

Alrighty.. thats it.. i hv to get going.. this week has been a good rest week for me.. i decided to slow down with orders as my cousin is getting married and come Sunday our hols starts.. so hopefully if i can find time while in Adelaide.. i will update my blog and if not... keep a look out in my IG cos it is certainly much more quicker to upload travel pics there..

Take care and enjoy the recipe below.. alhamdullilah everyone enjoyed this cake.. its not as fancy as my pandan cake with gula melaka frosting that i baked last week but it is definitely one of my fav this week!! cheers!




Ingredients
250g cold salted butter - i used lescure unsalted butter and added 1/4 tsp of salt to my flour
200g of caster sugar - i used 100g muscovado and 100g of caster sugar
300g of flour - i used cake flour
100g of red, yellow , orange cherries - sliced and cubed
300g of raisins - i used mix fruits
1 tsp baking powder
3 large eggs
zest of 1 lemon or orange
1/2 tsp vanilla extract - i added
100g whole almonds

Method
Preheat oven to 150C.. greased and line an 8" round pan..
Cream butter for a couple of mins till creamy.. add sugar a little at a time and continue to cream till fluffy.. add egg one at a time and continue to whisk till blended.. add sifted flour, baking powder in three addition.. fold in ur mix fruits and fold in gently.. add lemon zest and also vanilla..

Spoon the mixture into the prepared tin and spread level using the back of a spoon. Arrange the whole almonds close together in neat circles on the top of the cake. Bake in the oven for 60 mins. mine was baked for 75mins

Check the cake after 50 minutes by inserting a wooden or metal skewer into the cake. When it’s done it should have just a few crumbs attached. Check every 10 minutes - it’s important not to overcook this cake so the centre will be a little soft.

9



A zillion apologies will never justify my absence.. am sorry for my lacking in updating my blog.. i had wanted to update my blog while in Paris.. but i didnt.. i took photos.. i took along my lappy but i didnt update my blog.. most of the pics in my IG were taken fm my phone and those that i took using my SLR I made a flipagram video of in my IG.. follow me on IG ok cos i am not too sure if i hv the time to update a travelogue on my Paris trip in my blog.

Bef i go on and on abt whats new with us.. i just want to thank all the lovely ppl in my IG and FB.. the messages that I am getting daily asking me abt my well being.. abt how i am coping right now.. I feel blessed and thankful..

1st Jan was the day my dad was admitted to CCU.. he has been sick the last few months and became very weak on the eve of new year that we decided to take him to the A&E.. found out that his diabetes was at a critical stage.. he was rushed to the CCU unit where he got proper care and medication.. the family is being tight-nit during this period of time (which is important).. both my sisters and my mom took turns to sleep over.. dad was knocked out for the first two days.. he was blabbering and couldnt even remember what he was talking abt.. mom was pretty aware of the situation and was always on guard whenever she saw dad's doc.. after five days in CCU.. doc decided to release him to the normal ward and he has been warded there for the past few days.. hes better now... talking and not falling asleep every five minutes... hes laughing lots too which i hv not seen for over a year.. hes sitting down on his own and eating properly... started to read the newspaper and magazines again which he lost interest many months ago... i am thankful to Allah for this... us sisters were strong and supported each other.. sis Wati has not been back to work ever since dad was admitted and i dont know what i would do without them... love u girls so much!

While dad was in CCU.. my grandma was admited to ICU.. shes been worried sick abt dad that it somehow deteriorated her health.. she was bleeding internally and there is only so much that we can do (she's 89)... she was in ICU and a few hrs ago they pushed her to the recovering unit.. she can still recognize us.. shes still talking eventho she looks weak today.. may Allah gv her strength to go thru this period of time..

Looking back at what is happening right now... it makes me realise how important it is to hv a strong bond in a family.. no matter how tough the situation is... if u hv a strong family foundation.. u will come out on top..

So ok... lets move on.. there are too many new recipes that i want to share but time is really not on my side.. the interest that i once had seems to be going south.. i dont know if i will be able to update my blog as often as bef but one thing is for sure... i will keep my blog running as long as i can.. this blog is after all abt sharing recipes..

.. and abt my family.. Sonia is growing into a young girl.. shes in K2 and will be 6yo in two months time.. Hairi has been travelling and is going to Paris next week.. err i think.. hubs is still travelling and was in Jakarta two days ago and will be in China whole of next week.. i still hate it whenever he has to travel but thats how it is.. am thankful that hes been working hard to provide us well.. overall we are good and settling into the brand new year.. taking one day at a time..

Alrighty since this post is all abt family bonding... i wanna share a few pics taken on my bday.. eve of xmas.. the day Mr Santa give away prezzies hehe



And oh yes.. bef i call it a day.. heres the recipe of my bday cake which i prepared a few hrs bef my family members arrived.. enjoy and pardon for the not so good quality pic of my cake.. took pic using my phone :o)


Ingredients
2 cups / 228g cake flour
1/2 cup/ 27g cocoa powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
4 oz/113g bittersweet chocolate (finely chopped)
1/2 cup/120ml boiling water
1 cup/242g sour cream
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup/ 227g unsalted butter, softened
2 cups/400g granulated sugar, divided
4 large eggs, seperated, at room temp
1/4 tsp cream of tartar

Chocolate Frosting
85g bittersweet chocolate (chopped)
1/2 cup / 113g unsalted butter, softened
1 cup / 113g confectioners sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract

This recipe uses coconut pecan filling but i opted for salted caramel cream cheese frosting .. why? simply bec i didnt hv enough time to prepare the filling :oP

Make the cake
1) Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 350F (180C). Grease the bottom and sides of two 9" round cake pans. Dust the pans with flour

2) Sift together the cake flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt into a medium bowl, set aside

3) Combine the chocolate and boiling water in a bowl and whisk until the chocolate is completely melted and the mixture is smooth. Set aside to cool until repid.

4) In a small bowl, stir together the sour cream and vanilla extract, set aside

5) In the bowl of an electric mixer, using the paddle attachment, beat the butter at medium speed until creamy, abt 1 min. Gradually add 1 1/2 cup of sugar and beat at high speed until well blended and light, abt 3 mins. Reduce speed to medium and add the egg yolks one at a time, beating well after each addition and scraping down the sides of the bowl as necessary. Add the rapid chocolate and mix until blended. If ur mixer has a splatter shield attachment, attach it now.

6)Reduce the seed to low and add the flour mixture in three additions, alternating it with sour cream in tow additions and mixing just until blended. Remove the bowl fm the mixer stand and set aside.

7) In a clean mixer bowl, using the whisk attachment, beat the egg whites at low speed util frothy. Add the cream o tartar and mix just until blended. Increase the speed to medium and beat until the whites are fluffy and begin to form soft peaks. Gradually add the remaining 1/2 cup of sugar. Increase speed to high and whip the whites until they are glossy and smooth and form stiff peaks. Using a rubber spatula, gently fold the whites into the chocolate batter one third at a time, Scrape the batter into prepared pans and smooth the tops

8) Bake the cakes for 30 to 35 mins, until toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool the cakes in their pans on wire racks for 20mins.

9) Run a small knife around the edge of each pan to loosen the cake. Invert each cake onto a wire rack and cool completely.

Make  the frosting
1) Put the chocolate in a medium stainless steel bowl and place the bowl over a pot of barely simmering water. Heat, stiring frequently until the chocolate is completely melted. Remove the bowl fm over the pot and set the chocolate aside to cool until repid.

2) In the bowl of an electric mixer, using the paddle attachment, eat the butter at medium speed until creamy abt 30 sec. Gradually add the confectioners' sugar and beat at high speed unti the repid chocolate at low speed, mixing until blended and scraping down the sides of the bowl as necessary. Increase the speed to high and heat until the frosting is slightly aerated.. abt 1 min. Use the frosting immediately, or cover tightly and set aside at room temp for up to 3hr

Recipe adapted fm The Cake book fm Tish Boyle.. Bake it ok cos hubs said.. the cake is the mother of all chocolate cake hehe

Cheerios!
8



[On 13th October: Its late .. will update soonish.. missing my space here .. night night xoxo]

How do i begin.. where do i start.. each time i start to type in something.. i end up deleting it.. its been awhile.. been too long since i last pinned my thoughts here.. suddenly i feel like a virgin all over again muahahaha

I hv been well.. not been travelling that much this year.. every year come December.. i will sit back and try to think of what i hv done for the year.. i had wanted to do something more fruitful this year and i think i managed to do that.. i wanted to bake more celebration cakes and i got to do that almost every week.. each week i will keep it to two or three orders of bday cakes cos i know that if i were to take in many.. i will not be able to enjoy what i am doing.. i love to try out new designs for my cakes.. even if i hv to keep on using the same technique (customer request) i will still try to make it look a little different..

With that said.. guess what.. hubs signed me into another macaron class in Paris... am super excited to be able to learn more on macs.. there are never ending things u can learn abt these little devilish thingy called Macarons.. its not true that once u mastered it.. ur good to go.. hopefully with all my knowledge on baking .. i will be able to open up classes and teach to those that are interested to learn abt baking.. i know for sure that if u hv the passion for baking.. u will be able to bake just abt anything under the sun..

So ok.. lets get on with this long overdue recipe.. i guess with all the FB and IG spreading viral on anything that uses salted caramel.. there is no harm for me to share another good salted caramel recipe.. i hv a few which i hv shared bef in my previous post.. i personally like this recipe tho.. always remember when it comes to making caramel.. keep a close watch on ur sugar .. dont burnt it or u will not like the taste..

INGREDIENTS:
FOR THE CRUST
1 1⁄2 cups flour
1⁄4 cup plus 1 tablespoon dutch-process unsweetened cocoa powder
1⁄4 teaspoon salt
10 tablespoons unsalted butter, cubed and softened
1⁄2 cup plus 2 tablespoons. confectioners' sugar
2 egg yolks, room temperature
1⁄2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

DIRECTIONS:
1. Prepare the Crust: In a medium bowl, combine flour, cocoa powder, and salt; set aside. Using a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, or in a large bowl with a electric hand mixer, cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy; mix in yolks and vanilla. Add in dry ingredients. Divide dough into 6 equal portions. Evenly press each portion into the bottoms and sides of 6 3.5-inch tartlet pan with removable bottoms. Refrigerate tartlet shells for 30 minutes. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F, prick the tart shells all over with a fork. Bake in preheated oven until cooked through, about 13-15 minutes. Transfer to a rack and let cool.

FOR THE GANACHE
1⁄2 cup heavy cream
4 oz. Bittersweet Chocolate, finely chopped - I used Valrhona
Vanilla Fleur de Sel for garnish (optional)

DIRECTIONS:
Prepare the Ganache: In a medium saucepan over medium heat, bring cream to a boil. Put chocolate into a medium bowl and pour in hot cream; let sit for 1 minute, then stir slowly with a rubber spatula until smooth. Spoon ganache evenly over tartlets and refrigerate until set, 3-4 hours. If desired, sprinkle tart with sea salt and slice. Serve cold.

FOR THE SALTED CARAMEL
Makes about 2 cups

400gm sugar
165gm butter
250ml cream
Salt to taste -i used Fleur de Sel

DIRECTIONS:
Heat the sugar in a heavy based pot and as soon as the sugar has all dissolved, remove it from the heat and add the butter in parts whilst continuously whisking . warning it is VERY hot - the butter will splatter quite a bit, just keep whisking and ensure that you do not touch this sauce.
Return the pot to the heat and add the cream immediately, still whisking vigorously.
When the sauce has become smooth and amalgamated (this happens quickly) remove it from the heat and add a good sprinkle of salt which dissolves.
Allow it to completely cool and stir in another good sprinkle of salt which remains in its granular form.

Notes
If you add the cream to the sugar too soon it may split. If this happens return it to the heat and continue heating and stirring vigorously and it should amalgamate to form a sauce.

Crust and ganache recipe is fm My baking addition

16

MIA.. i realised that i hv not been replying to all my comments and questions.. will try to do it slowly.. to those that hv emailed me... i will reply soonish yah..

Eid came and went and i know i owe some ppl my eid pics... yearly without fail i will take lots of eid pics and share it with my readers.. this year i didnt take lots... in fact i was sure i did take a few pics during our typical yearly outing but i cannot find them.. i thought i did save them but i cant find em in any of my folders.. grrr.. anyway i did however find 17 pics of my eid open hse lol.. i was very busy till the night of my open house that on the day itself i was kaput.. i managed to put a smile on my face when my guest started to arrive as early as 11:50am..


It was a full hse.. we had fun and grateful to those that cud make it.. i had three dessert tables and also one table full of raya dishes.. all desserts were baked by  me of cos hehe..  i cooked most of the food and had mom help me to cook two dishes.. i dont know what i would do without mom.. shes there if i need help.. shes gone if we ask her to look after her grandkids hahaha.. nahhhh we are all used to it.. mom is not that sort that likes to sit and look after her grandkids.. shes an active woman and cant sit still.. nowww nowwww... no wonder her dear daughter cant sit still hahaha

Ok ok.. i cant stay long.. below is another recipe which i had promised my readers.. i need to shower and go for my Spa appt.. geeesshhhh its been far too long and when hubs told me that he had booked me into one today i'm like.. yeeehhhaaaaa... ty dear!! love u deep deep!!! So hv a good weekend y'all.. i will try to share more pics... belated pics... too many... when time permits :o)


Makes about 30 cookies
Ingredients (take note that the ingredients need to be at room temperature)
130g soft butter
160g sugar
2 eggs, lightly beaten with a fork
1/3 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 tablespoons raisins
100g desiccated coconut
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/3 teaspoon of powder baking
250g plain flour (I used cake)
90g crushed cornflakes

1 Cream the butter with sugar, beat for about 3 minutes mixer set at high throttle.

2 Then add the eggs in two batches after each addition mix while the mixer set on medium speed. Add flavoring and mix.

3 Mix flour with baking powder and baking soda. Add it to the butter, briefly mix.

4 Pour the coconut and raisins and mix thoroughly with a spoon (you can do this with your hands).

5 Place crushed cornflakes into a bowl. The dough is quite sticky, so use a spoon, and transfer it into a bowl of cornflakes and using your hands, push corn flakes onto the dough, mold them into balls.

6 Arrange cookies on a baking tray lined with baking paper, keeping the space between them. Bake at 170 ° C on the function of hot air for about 15-18 minutes (the up-down function at 180 ° C).

Recipe is fm here... I baked it for eid and everyone liked it!

4



Has it really been close to 6weeks since i last blogged? geesshhh this is what happens when there are too many things to do.. too little time to play with.. As Salam peeps... hope all is well.. hope u guys still remember me.. i am still pretty much alive.. am still baking away .. i usually will update my fb and IG on daily basis so pls follow me there.. the only diff is that .. i hv been stuck in Singapore.. didnt travel simply bec i had lots of orders to fulfill.. thank you so much for supporting my bakes.. ty for the trust...


So whats new.. err.. where do i begin.. lets starts with Hairi.. hes doing well.. hes been working hard and wants do his degree .. Sonia is growing far too fast and is in K2 since last july.. am glad that we stuck to our belief: to let her see and experience the world first hand is the best way for ur kid to get exposed..  i know there are parents out there who believe in sending their kids to classes.. music lessons, ballet, sports at a young age.. we dont but that doesnt mean that we will not let her do what she wants.. for now shes into arts.. been years and still shows interest in it.. as for me.. am happy where i am right now.. busy baking for orders on wkdays and spending lots of time with my family over the weekend.. hubs wants me to go slow since i hardly hv the time to try out new recipes and to update my blog.. he doesnt want me to burn myself out and wants me to remember that i bake for my passion... :o)


Alrighty.. i am actually blogging fm Jakarta.. this week is officially my off week.. i had planned for this week simply bec its school hols in Singapore and wanted to spend more time with my little girl; and since hubs has to fly to Jakarta.. he thought it might be a good idea for us to tag along.. ya know.. for me to hv a totally ME time is impossible when i am at  home.. his wife simply cant sit still lol


Ok lets talk abt these cuppies.. had baked it to recreate the salted caramel cuppies that we had in one of the cafes near Tiong Bharu.. do check out Plain Vanilla if u are around that vacinity.. check out their cafe.. wud love to set up my own cafe in that style someday.. cough cough hehe

I used moist vanilla cuppies recipe fm Honey and Butter and whipped up a batch of swiss meringue buttercream which u can get fm my previous post.. salted caramel recipe is fm Brown eyed baker or if u dont hv much time.. u can always use store bought.. up to ur preference..

Ingredients
1 cup (2 sticks) of butter (room temperature)
2 cups of sugar
4 eggs (room temperature)
3 cups of sifted self-rising flour
1 cup of whole milk (room temperature)
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/2 tsp butter flavoring, optional

Method
Preheat oven to 175 degreesC. Prepare cupcake liners. Using a mixer, cream butter until fluffy. Add sugar and continue to cream for about 7 minutes. Add eggs one at a time. Beat well after each egg is added. Add flour and milk (alternating to creamed mixture), beginning and ending with flour. Add vanilla and butter flavoring to mix; until just mixed.

Divide batter equally into cupcakes pan. Bake for 12–15 minutes (depending on your oven) until done. Cool for 5 – 10 minutes. Remove and immediately wrap each cuppies in plastic wrap to seal in moisture. Cool completely on wire racks.

Salted Caramel
2 cups granulated sugar
12 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature, cut into pieces
1 cup heavy cream, at room temperature
1 tablespoon fleur de sel (or any other flaky sea salt)

DIRECTIONS:
1. Add the sugar in an even layer over the bottom of a heavy saucepan, with a capacity of at least 2 or 3 quarts. Heat the sugar over medium-high heat, whisking it as it begins to melt. You'll see that the sugar will begin to form clumps, but that's okay. Just keep whisking and as it continues to cook, they will melt back down.

Stop whisking once all of the sugar has melted, and swirl the pan occasionally while the sugar cooks.

2. Continue cooking until the sugar has reached a deep amber color. It should look almost a reddish-brown, and have a slight toasted aroma. This is the point where caramel can go from perfect to burnt in a matter of seconds, so keep a close eye. If you are using an instant-read thermometer, cook the sugar until it reaches 175 degrees C.

3. As soon as the caramel reaches 175 degreesC, add the butter all at once. Be careful, as the caramel will bubble up when the butter is added. Whisk the butter into the caramel until it is completely melted.

4. Remove the pan from the heat and slowly pour the cream into the caramel. Again, be careful because the mixture will once again bubble up ferociously. Whisk until all of the cream has been incorporated and you have a smooth sauce. Add the fleur de sel and whisk to incorporate.

5. Set the sauce aside to cool for 10 to 15 minutes and then pour into your favorite glass jar and let cool to room temperature. You can refrigerate the sauce for up to 2 weeks. You'll want to warm the sauce up before using.

I love the moist vanilla cuppies so much so that both Sonia and I enjoyed it bare.. as for the buttercream.. it didnt taste the same.. the buttercream that they used is definitely not swiss meringue.. their vanilla cuppies is a lot more denser which i am not a big fan of to be honest.. oh well.. moral of the story.. i did try to recreate what i tasted.. full stop heheheee

10



Similar pic? hehe.. told ya.. ah well.. the most important thing is to share this next recipe so that my readers are able to bake it for Eid.. hows the preparation going? busy busy week ey.. am finishing up a few more orders and i am done.. Alhamdullilah.. unlike last year.. this yr i am much more organised.. i got to bake for my customers and i get to spend time with my family.. a little tired but thats ok.. rezeki.. Alhamdullilah..


This wonderful recipe is fm Justine of Cooking and Beer.. i began searching for a chocolate chip recipe that uses macadamia nut and white chocolate after Aireen whatsapp-ed me asking if i hv a recipe to share using these two ingredients.. well my search stopped after i stumbled upon her blog.. baked 4 batches of it and voila... i saw Sonia coming in and out of my kitchen asking for more which shows that my little Sonia wasnt fasting on that day lol.. ishhhh

Ingredients
3/4 cup all purpose flour
1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon kosher fine salt
1/4 cup unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
1/4 cup pure cane granulated sugar
1/4 cup pure cane DARK brown sugar
1 egg, beaten
2 tablespoons whole milk
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/2 cup macadamia nuts, coarsely chopped - i bake it for a couple of mins
1 white chocolate Ghirardelli® bar, coarsely chopped

Instructions
Heat your oven to 175 degrees C and situate a rack in the middle of the oven.
In a large bowl whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt. Set aside.
In another bowl of your stand mixer, with the paddle attachment fixed, cream together the butter, sugar and dark brown sugar until it is completely combined. Add the egg, milk and vanilla extract, and beat again until combined.
In ½ cup increments, begin to integrate the dry ingredients into the wet. Mix each increment until completely incorporated. With a heavy wooden spoon gently fold in the nuts and chocolate.
On an ungreased cookie sheet, begin placing tablespoon-sized dollops of dough.
Bake at 175 degrees C for 8-10 minutes. Transfer to wire rack to let cool and store in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks.

Some pointers..: i baked it at 165C for 12mins.. got myself a soft cookies.. hubs was happy with it but since this cookie is for Eid.. i decided to go crunchy and baked it a further 5 mins.. my double chocolate white chocolate chunk macadamia nut cookies turned out perfect.. krap krup and super chocolaty with expensive nuts lol.. err do u ever wonder why macadamia nuts are so expensive? huhu


21



Sorryyyy.. i know its been days.. i know i made promises.. but here i am now huhu.. i know i hv been quiet here but that is bec i hv been baking..  i know i hv not talked a lot lately but theres not much to talk except that my hubs has been doing his crazy trips.. u see him on wkends .. he flies off on a Monday and comes home on Wed or Thursday.. add to that SQ having mechanical problems or Chinese carriers canceling/delaying flights and that makes for a very jittery wife... anyway i cant stay long cos i will hv to start baking cookies for mom.. so heres the recipe that i had promised .. i first saw it on Pinterest and thought why not.. i made two batches in one go and decided to bake it 10mins longer using a lower temp.. heres the recipe.. recipe is fm Anncoo.. original recipe is fm Travelling Foodies

Ingredients
1 egg (60g)
200g butter
130g icing sugar
320g flour
2 tbsp of vanilla paste (appro. 30g)

Method
Place everything in a mixing bowl and mix evenly using a paddle attachment on the lowest speed possible.
Pipe wreaths onto greased cookie sheet or baking tray using an open star tip. I used Wilton 1M but I think the lady in the video used a smaller one - i used wilton 195
Bake in a preheated oven at 200C for 7-8 min (i baked mine at 160C for 20mins
Leave to cool slightly before removing from cookie sheet.
Transfer cookies into airtight container after cookies are at room temperature.

Bake it ok.. cos i know my kids including us.. cant stop munching on it.. super taste.. buttery and ohhhh soo good! - will share the next cookie recipe ... u will see some similarity in my pic simply bec i was too lazy to change it to diff style muahaha

12

About Me

My photo
Hi.. I am a SAHM to 2 kiddoes..19yr old boy n 2 year old girl.. met my Austrian hubby here in Singapore and hv been living here all my life... my love for baking started when i was 6mths preggie to my daughter, Sonia... my addiction to baking has not stop eversince.. I hope to learn as much as i can abt baking and decorating and then share it with u along the way..