Look what i found!

Chico's Twin!

His name is Brady , Simply-June's precious pup. :)
I swear that they both look so so so similar! Not only that, they both have the same characteristics too. 

TOP 5 LIST

1. They stare at the food or at you when you have food and tries to sniff it when you're not looking, hoping to get a a teeny weeny taste of it. :p

2. Their sleeping positions are the SAME! 4 paws facing up. Very adorable

3. The play with their toys a lot. (and chew them too!)

4. Loves getting attention from their owners by cuddling and licking them 

5. Fall asleep on owners lap (my favorite)

5. Heartbreaker to ladies :) (I'm sure June will agree on this *thumbs up!)'

and and their owners love blogging about food! YUM YUM

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Ready to be amazed by the Chico and Brady's cute-ness???
Here goes~~~~

 

 

 

 

Now, don't you agree they DO look alike? They must be twins for sure! *smiles*

The thing is Brady is all the way back in United States and Chico is in Australia. Too bad that they both can't meet or else i bet cha they'll be best best buddies.

Did i  mention that i have a BIG BIG obsession with baking? 

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YES YES YES I DO!!

I bake at least twice a week, more than the times i should be studying! I really cannot help this obsession of mine. Most of the time i'll be either in the kitchen baking something or tagging other people's food blog. 

Now, I've got like almost 20 blogs i follow and the list just never endssssss. Looking at their site, drooling over cakes and sweets and pretty pretty things, envying their photography skills. Oh no!! I'm turning into a bake freak :p

Maybe its time for me to change my profession from student to full time kitchen baker or pastry chef or something to do with cakes . mmmMMMmmmm

*smiles and drools over that thought*

Anyways, this is what i made this week. 

Moist Choc Mud Cake

Rose and Butter cake

Choc Cupcakes covered with ganache and marshmallows.

Recipe adapted from The Pioneer Woman, Chocolate Sheet Cake Recipe

Vanilla Cupcakes with cream cheese frosting

The Whole Lot~ Collage 

I really really like this recipe. It's very moist and fluffy, perfect for cream cheese frosting, 7 minute frosting or my all time favorite! swiss buttercream from Smitten Kitchen

Madeira Cake Recipe (8" round, 7" square)

adapted by "the essential guide to cake decorating". I absolutely love this recipe!!! This is great for novelty cakes for kids~~ :p

Ingredients:~

250g softened butter

250g caster sugar

5 eggs

185g plain flour

60g self raising flour

1 tablespoon of milk

baking time: 1 hour and 25 mins

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 160 degrees. Grease tin and line with baking paper.

2. Beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy.

3. Add eggs one at a time. Then remove from mixer, add flour using a spatula or wooden spoon.

4. Lastly stir in milk.

5. Transfer batter to tin. Remember to smooth the surface by using a spatula or try dropping the tin several times on the hard surface to remove air bubbles in batter.

6. Bake for about 1 hour and 25 mins.

7. After baking, leave to cool in the tin for at least 5 minutes, before turning to wire rack to cool.

Later on, i covered the cake with white fondant to hide the flaws of my frosting :p

Ta-dah!

The finish masterpiece..

 

This recipe was adapted from Confetti Cakes 

Ingredients for brownies:-

2 cups plain flour

2 cups unsalted butter

16 ounces dark cooking chocolate

8 eggs

1/2 teaspoon of salt

2 1/4  cups of brown sugar

2 1/4 cups of sugar 

1 tablespoon of vanilla extract

Ingredients for chocolate fudge:-

0.6 kg of dark choc

300ml pure cream

Method:-

1. Preheat oven to about 180 degrees. line your baking tin with butter and the bottom with baking paper.

2. Sift flour in bowl. Set aside

3. Melt butter and choc over low heat. (Double boil or microwave about 2 mins, stir and repeat 2 mins process and stir until all melted.)

4. In mixer, combine eggs, salt, sugar, brown sugar, vanilla and beat in low spead.

5. Remove from mixer and use spatula to fold in flour.

6. Pour batter into baking tin and bake for about an hour. 

7. When brownies are done, remove from oven and allow the brownies to be cooled in the pan for about 20 mins.  

To prepare chocolate fudge, microwave cream and choc in a large bowl for about 2 mins. Remove from microwave and stir. Repeat microwave. Then stir until choc dissolves. 

Pour the chocolate fudge on top the brownies after about 3o mins and ta-dah! Yummie fudge brownies~

These brownies can be stored in freezer for about 2 weeks without the choc fudge. When storing in freezer, wrap at least 2 layers of plastic wrap.

Fresh Baked Brownie Slices~ Yum

Dark Choc Brownies~

I brought these to work and they were 2 thumbs up!  

These brownies are dense and more like fudge than cake. Really really YUM! :)

Camera Camera Camera

Who is the world invented camera? (answer: long long story, click here to find out who)

Anyways, back to my topic, currently I am contemplating between a Nikon or a Canon. Pluh--leease help me~

Here are my choices:-

1. Canon G10( the affordable one)*suggested by Zen

This model is about my price range and does a pretty good manual job....................... The only thing is i don't fancy Canon~

But ...... But ........ But........ i really really want a nikon. Its like the talk of the town!!!

Nikon D80 

(This is the camera i used to talk picture of Chico and they were amazing!!)
Pictures to prove it! (although these pictures aren't fully professional  but because this is the first time i've played with a SLR, I'm just amazed by its functions :p)

Nikon D90

(an upgrade version of D80)
Now, to save a huge amount of money and buy them all! :p

My Book Want List:-

Planet Cake (Check!)

Cofetti Cakes (Check!)

   Brownies Recipe in here are Perfect~!


Now, 4 more books to go~ :p

Kikki-k my absolute favorite shop for office supplies. In 2001, Kikki-k first started in Melbourne and then in 2005, opened its first shop in Sydney

I first saw Kikki at bondi junction and just fell in love with its product for office supplies and spend a massive amount of time in there browsing at the items they have. Recently i bought a recipe organizer and i'm LOVING it! I can now file all of my printed recipes and not be afraid of smudging my recipes with chocolate, butter or anything else~ :) Im a happy little cookie~!

Recipe Box

Recipe Organiser (Favorite!)

Other Kikki-k products

I was just thinking the other day that i need a cake mascot to decorate my site. I've been looking for cake inspirations on cake blogs and somehow came across Faye and Greer .

They posted some really FANTASTIC cake pictures, mostly compliments from Kate Sullivan and Martha Steward. Here are some of my favorite pictures from Fave and Greer blogspot.

My Favorite Picture!