Cosy Bake

First ward of the Year 2012

2012-02-10T05:06:00.000-08:00

Liebster is German and translates to

the English word “dearest”or” favorite”. It’s meant for up-and-coming blogs with less than "200 followers".

A surprise from Lite Home Bake, who share an award with me! I said it was a surprise, because I never knew there are many bloggers know about my blog. And really pleased and thank Lite Home Bake for the award.

Here I would like to share this award with 5 other bloggers who I think they deserve this award as well as an encouragement!!

Hanushi

I Heart My Bakes

恋上烘陪

鲸鱼蓝蓝蓝

Through The Kitchen Door

We shall have more bakes to share!!

Here are the rules:

Thank your Liebster Blog Award presenter on your blog.
Link back to the blogger who presented the award to you.
Copy and paste the blog award on your blog.
Present the Liebster Blog Award to 5 blogs of 200 followers or less who you feel deserve to be noticed. (Some say just 3 or more blogs of less than 200 followers each).
Let them know they have been chosen by leaving a comment at their blog.

Sweet Bread

2012-02-07T07:45:00.000-08:00

The simple and basic look of some sweet buns........

It's been more than two years since I started this blog, yet I didn't take note of it, and even missed the first year anniversary.... time past really quickly without us knowing, with our daily routines running day in and day out, I wonder what had I missed.... But I know baking is something I will always have in my mind and looking for more to try out. Just wish that I can be more organize in many ways, so that I can enjoy more.

This Sweet Bread is one of my early post, when first started. A bread that best for a slow and quiet afternoon . Of course no one would say no to it when I make this for breakfast. Brewed a pot of Assam tea and hubby's Italian coffee, would make a perfect tea time at home, before I start preparing for dinner.... I count myself lucky, in the sense that I do get some quiet afternoon with hubby whenever he's home and while our boy goes for class. I'm truly appreciate this and blessed. May all the kind souls be blessed in lives!

Maison Kayser's Bakes

2012-02-02T02:04:00.000-08:00

Chausson au pomme

Snap some pictures of my first visit to Maison Kayser for our breakfast date. We were lucky it wasn't any queue. Overall, the whole experience was alright. I'm suppose it was rather early, and their staff were not all in for the service, waited a while after we were seated, before the Japanese lady took our orders. We could see the poor guy running about fulfilling customers' requests. Soon, there were another two Japanese staff came in and things got a little smoother, yet I think they still need more hands. I had a breakfast set, that consist of two pastries and a hot drink. When hubby had a scrambled eggs with bacon and a plain croissant. I was quite happy with the apple turnover, but rather disappointed with the chocolate croissant, and same for hubby's plain croissant. It was rather dry and I prefer croissant that has more buttery taste and moist. But I did think that could due to a long exposure to the air and they turned dry?? As I have read about very good comments on their croissants, and I thought I should have some takeaway when I saw the batch of newly baked croissants. At the same time, I wanted to try their bread.....

I got a Batard and croissants for our lunch at home. I must say the batard was very good. Love the crumb and the fragrance crust!! The crumb was so soft and that sour dough smell simply goes well with a good quality butter.

To be fair, the takeaway croissant was really good, compared to the one we had at the shop. I warmed it up to make it more buttery and moist. It was truly a good croissant!

The batard has a really soft crumb and I love to see those big holes .... we had it with some ham, smoked salmon and some baby Mozzarella cheese. Love this kind of lunch combo. We could eat good bread all day!!

However, hubby find that Paul's bakes are more of his kind, despite their croissant has heavier crumb and some people find it soggy. But it's a lot richer and buttery. As for Apple turnover, I still prefer Paul's. :) We really won't mind Paul's croissant anytime. Of course, if we wanna dine in again we would rather go to Paul which has a better seat and more comfy. Though there were complains about their service.... I guess, I would just go back to Maison Kayser more takeaways, in stead on dine in.

Breakfast Date with Hubby at Maison Kayser

2012-02-01T08:33:00.000-08:00

So I was reading last week's papers , they have a page on big French bakeries in Singapore and learnt that Jones The Grocer has the best croissant among all! I have been 'Promoting ' Paul so much since, but seems like there are a few more big names bakeries has very good (if not better) french pastries too. Looks like we soon can have all the high and good quality French bakes available here that we don't have to travel all the way to Europe! How luck we are!

Since Paul opened, I have visited the bakery few times for my favourite Apple Turnover . each time we passed by the place, there were always queue be it dine in or take away. We were
pretty lucky to get our seats without long waiting ..... But many of the bakes were sold out, and the staff said, there won't be any fresh ones for the day! I was in a hurry on that day as my hair cut appointment was scheduled after lunch. I had my tuna salad and tea, there after I rushed down for my hair cut, leaving hubby and son behind, slowly enjoy their time. It was rather disappointed that I didn't have my apple turnover. I was exchanging ideas and information with Evan since Paul and Maison Kayser opened in Singapore, and got to know there are lousy feedback anout Paul....Hope they will iron things out and gain more positive feedback soon. Nevertheless , me and hubby decide to have our breakfast date at Maison Kayser tomorrow, and very much looking forward to their highly commented croissant they have!! I wonder do they have Apple Turnover as well??

Mini Waffles For Brunch

2012-01-26T22:22:00.000-08:00

It's been almost a week since Chinese New Year started. All the eating have put us on a indigestion mode. Together with a few late nights, we could hardly wake up for breakfast. Having two tins of Chinese carrot cakes in the fridge, that was one of the best choice for brunch. My little boy requested for waffles since he's never keen with carrot cakes. With his recent craze of American cheese, he top his waffles with the cheese on top of the usual butter and maple syrup. It taste pretty good though!!

新年快乐，万事如意。。。。。

2012-01-24T07:13:00.000-08:00

Beautiful Daffodils hubby brought back from London.

Almond Cookies

Pineapple Tarts 3 ways.

这是 ‘ 虾虾霸霸’ 沙拉 . 'Bully' salad?? :)

Squirrel and Cat for Tea

2012-01-17T20:00:00.000-08:00

" Miao...." afternoon tea seems to be rare for us these days. Finally , I managed to finish all the CNY cookies baking for friends, and it's turn for our cookies to be baked before the festive sit in.

I guess we could spare the afternoon tea break for a while, as CNY is always a time when we eat none stop for at least the first 3 to 4 days. Now it's time for me to prepare my system for the heavy meals coming.... however not, my boy will still carry on with his tea break everyday. Making bread and buns will always be the wise choice.

Adelle Turns 1!

2012-01-14T19:46:00.000-08:00

Paul . Singapore

2012-01-05T00:30:00.000-08:00

Couple of month's ago, Evan's Kitchen Ramblings shared with me a piece of good news, which was Paul will be opening in Sinagpore, and since I have been waiting and got to know they might be open their very first branch here in Singapore before Christmas. However, I waited, and waited...... they didn't manage to open in time as mentioned. However, while I was doing some shopping in town yesterday, hubby thought we should pop by to see if it's open since Christmas is over. But it hasn't! So I walled closer to the almost ready Paul, to have a peek. I wonder would the local brunch setup be the same as those in Paris which I have visited. As I was standing at the ajar open door, I was a little disappointed. The setup and design here has nothing close to the ones in Paris. I am supposed, they find that the location of their brunch might not match with Ngee Ann City's setup?? Whatever it is, as long as they keep up with their pastries standard that'd be the key of the whole thing!! At the end I managed to find out that opening date besides the setup of the shop.

One of the Paul in Paris

Ladies and gentlemen......... Paul will be open on 6 of January 2012!!! Which is tomorrow ( hope there won't be any changes)See if I could find an excuse to go down town and be their first day customer. heh heh........ Hope see you there too!!

Chloe's 5th Birthday

2012-01-03T04:42:00.000-08:00

This princess castle birthday cake was a
present for my boy's classmate ,Chloe.

Christmas Bakes Before the Year Ends & Happy 2012!

2011-12-30T20:46:00.000-08:00

Two of my Christmas bakes for this year, a classic log and butter short bread that melts in the mouth. Almost left them behind before the year ended. Guess I have been rather think-free for past few weeks since my son's school holiday started. Or may be I am loosing the momentum for blogging? Nevertheless, I am still very much in love with baking. I wish I have another few more weeks to go before I have to ferry my son to classes few times a day, and 5 times a week! All these holidays have allow me to keep on trying out new bakes and I could afford to do trials with any rush!

Tonight everyone will be counting down for the new year. And I am hoping we can join cousins for the fireworks at her working place. Since my son who's a early bed time, wonder can he stay up for the late night..... How is every one's plan for this new year's eve? Cooking up a storm? Talking about that, I have yet to have any idea what's for tonight's dinner.

Here I wish the world, Happy 2012!!!!!

Pain Au Levain . 天然酵母の食パ

2011-12-28T00:05:00.000-08:00

This bottle is full of 'Live' which gives us the healthy loaves.

Making my very own bread leavening for the first time, following the books that I have, I managed to make a few of them to experience the whole working process from that magical liquid made from just organic raisins and purified water. Although the bread are mostly the European choices. But I managed to use the same leaving dough to make our usual white loaf. However, it didn't turn out to be as soft as the those I often made using dried yeast. But, if we can have the loaf on the same day as it's baked, it doesn't make that much difference if you are going for something that has more flavour and texture.

The only down side of making these bread, would be the time needed for the whole process. It's took up much much time that I could imagine. Due to our wet and cool weather for the recent weeks, it took longer than what the book instructed. I even threw away one of the dough that was over proved, as I thought the proving hours could take longer than it should be. So, there are actually a lot of attention paid to just make a simple loaf. Hubby wonder is it worth the time and effort..... I am supposed, after a few more rounds of trial and practice, I should get better and better( I hope). I will soon share the recipe and making of the starter dough when I finish up the current batch. Hope many of you would give it a try, if you are crazy enough like me!!

Ingredients:

Bread floour 300g

Salt 7g

Sugar 9g

Fermented dough / starter dough 21g

Bread flour / wholemeal flour 42g

Water 42g

Malt syrup/ honey 1g

Water 177g

Butter 9g

Method:

1. Have all ingredients mix together. Knead till the dough is springy and smooth on the surface.

2. Cover the dough with cling film in a bowl. Let the dough rise for 2 hours at the temperature of 35'C.

3. Press out the air in the dough, and have a second rising for 60 minutes.

4. Again, press out the air in the dough, and divide them into two equal portions, shape the dough and place them in a bread tin and let it have the last proofing. This should take about 90-180 minutes till the dough reach as high as the bread tin. Spray some water on the dough before baking in pre heated oven 200'c for 35-40 minutes.

Haiji Snowmen

2011-12-26T03:38:00.000-08:00

With the well liked Haiji bun recipe, I turned them into the adorable snowmen to go with the season of Christmas. Shaping bread dough is one of the most interesting thing I like to do whenever time allows .
Have fun!!

Have some cute little animals to join the festive season.

Busy busy weeks had passed, all the shopping, parties,course, and now getting ready for the next big thing which is the coming CNY. I am left with the next few days to really relax, do what I want and rest before the daily routine starts again. Hopefully these few days I could try out as many new bakes as possible before schooling days starts again. These days, besides buying books through the net, I seldom go to my favourite book shop Kinokuniya unless they have the 20% discount and of course to get those books I couldn't get from the net. Last week, me and cousin went on a book shopping spree. Got few books on homemade yeast from scratch which I have tested out couple of them. Lately, I notice I have a little problem when taking normal bread made with dried baker's yeast. I get that bloated and upset tummy if I take too much of certain amount in a week. And I started to find out more... Learnt that, eating natural fermentation bread can be so healthy and benefits us so much. that my problem with bread can be elevated by switching to natural yeast. However, I do know such bread would not quite easily yield something as soft as the normal dried instant yeast does. So, I am now on some trials and hopefully I can come out with some 'Miracles'. Of course, whenever I get to go town, I would not fail to grab my favourite English White loaf from the particular bakery I frequent, as it's made of natural yeast. Some friends asked me how do I know they are truly using natural fermentation... and I said, '' because my tummy would never ' complain' even I had it for the whole week of the seven days!''

It's coming to the end of the year of 2011. Time seems to pass so fast as we grow. Remember couple of weeks back, when me and hubby were at our regular wet market buying breakfast, we had a short chat with the lady selling carrot cakes. She mentioned something which made me feel better, as I felt each year passes too quickly ( which means we all grow older quicker!!) hahah... She said:'' If you think your years passing too fast, that means you are happy in life! So I think it's good that you feel time passes fast." and she gave me a very kind and that motherly smile on her face, which I still have it vividly on my mind. It's so true that, to keep a happy and healthy mind is so important in our lives. Well, I am still in the learning journey of being positive and keeping a simple and happy life, which would actually bring me more good than anything else. And I know this is what I should bring to my son. These days when I met friends or people I know, who have that negative mind set had made me handicap when comes to communicating with them. I am no master of preaching neither am I good enough to make them see the same ways as I do. But I really really wish, people around me would understand and know more about the 'Good brings goods, and Bad brings bads'. Has anyone started reading 'The law of attraction' yet? Or has anyone started to know about how important is that to be good to ourselves first before we could love our next kin? Sounded so simple but yet don't really know how to hey?? There were even people commented that all these sounded very selfish!!! But, just think of this, if we don't love and treat ourselves good and keep a happy soul, how much love can we share and give to the people we love most? When a person is not happy, living in long term stress, frustrations, blaming of others, and all kinds of negative thoughts in her/ him, how well can that person be and how much right energy and love can that person give to their loved ones? Ask ourselves that. I am supposed, learning to love ourselves is not a difficult task in any way. Instead, carrying some kind of hatreds , and living in the past could only bring us more suffering and pain. Let go the baggage and lead a life that you wish which is within our means and there we will see things around us change as we change for better. A simple logic would be, if we don't have a healthy and able body, how could we give the best to our children?! Hence, I hope our new year resolution would be " Love ourselves MORE'' ! :) What's wrong with that?!!!!! Wish everyone out there, A Happy New Year and brings you a greater lives! Cheers cheers.......!!

X'mas Cup Cakes

2011-12-18T08:46:00.000-08:00

Merry Christmas to all!!

Each cup cakes seems like a present on it's own........

Enjoy the making of each cup cake deco with fondant, can be quite therapeutic to me. Seeing the final results was even more rewarding. Using the chocolate cake recipe for the cup cakes and with some amount of fondant for the decorations. What a great gift!

Joining this month's Aspiring Bakers #14 Creative Christmas Bake host by Hankerie. Wish everyone Merry Christmas!!

Pororo

2011-12-13T18:16:00.000-08:00

My twins nephews requested for these Pororo Cakes , for their 8th birthday this year. The snowy effect does match the season of Christmas. How great if we could have snow in Singpore too.

Flora Fondant Cake

2011-12-06T01:42:00.000-08:00

Angelina Ballerina II

2011-11-25T17:23:00.000-08:00

Scorching Butter Chiffon

2011-11-20T23:29:00.000-08:00

It's been a rather busy weeks for me, finally get the time to post something that's been sitting behind for more than two weeks. Another great chiffon cake by 福田淳子. The simple taste of this cake is similar to a vanilla chiffon but this one with a hint of nutty and burnt taste in it as the butter used in the recipe was being boiled till it turned brown, therefore the tint of burnt taste is in this cake. As usual, all her recipes churn out great chiffon cakes!

Ingredients: (17cm chiffon tin)

Butter 50g

Yolk 3

Caster sugar 70g

Water 50ml

Top flour 65g

Almond powder 30g

Baking Powder 1/2 tsp

Egg white 5

Method:

1. Boil butter in a thick sauce pan till it turns brown .

2. Mix yolks, 1/3 of the sugar in a bowl and stir till well combined. Pour in cool butter and mix well. Sift in all flours and mix well.

3. Whisk all egg whites will foamy, and slowly add in the rest of the sugar. Whisk till stiff and mix 1/3 of the white to yolk batter and mix well.

4. Fold in the rest of the white using plastic spatula. Pour in the tin and bake in pre heated 180'c for 30 minutes. Invert the cake tin after it's baked, and let the cake cool completely.

Marron Pan . Chestnut paste Bun

2011-11-05T00:39:00.000-07:00

Have been keeping this bread recipe in my to-do list for the longest time, despite I have 2 cans of marron puree( chestnut puree) in my pantry. As the recipe showing the picture of the chestnut spread ( in the picture above) is different from those cans that I have. Therefore, I wasn't too sure if they taste the same. The chestnut puree can was meant to make Mont Blanc actually.

Last week, while I was doing some shopping at Meidi-ya, I was thrill to see the chestnut spread mentioned in the book is now on the shelf. And the price is pretty reasonable! Without much thinking, I grabbed one jar and that's when I know my to-do list will have one item less. Following the sweet bread dough recipe in the book, together filled with this chestnut spread, and further top with a zigzag Marron cream. The chestnut spread not quite giving the bun a very distinctive flavor of chestnut, but it has that mild nutty and rather sweet taste. Somehow, I don't know why, I decided to open one of the cans of the Marron puree to see if they are the same or taste the same. The result is.... they are the same in taste, the only difference is the texture. The jar bought from Meidi-ya has a smoother cream compared to the can puree.

Using the same bread recipe as Chikuwa Bun, and just spread over some Marron spread then roll up like a Butter Roll. Before baking , squeeze on some chestnut spread as well as a sprinkle of almond flakes ( I used almond powder) on the bread.

Mickey Mouse Club House Birthday Cake

2011-11-03T01:22:00.000-07:00

Earl Grey Tea Pound Cake

2011-11-01T02:42:00.000-07:00

A small gift as a appreciation to a friend ; Jas, who always bring me teas from London whenever she flies there. Jas happen to be a tea cake lover as well as her mom, a lady who I respect a lot. A great mom she is!

I must thank 鲸鱼蓝蓝for sharing this great recipe. My very first tea flavoured pound cake, and it's the perfect one I must say. The sweetness and the moist crumb are to our liking, together with the very mild Earl Grey flavour which actually balance out the rich texture and taste.

The day I decided to give this cake a try, was the day my friend was coming back from London, and she brought me my teas. We have been friends for more than a decade, she'd been a cake lover for the longest time. It's a pity that we live far apart from each other ( though Singapore is not really that big country), or else she'd be my first and all time guinea pig! ho ho..... hope she doesn't read this!!

Black Forest Cake

2011-10-29T20:52:00.000-07:00

A special request by a lovely lady for her darling hubby's birthday.

Wish it's cherry season now, so I could use fresh cherries for decorations...

Anpanman Buns

2011-10-28T06:10:00.000-07:00

Say RED BEAN!!!!

The 'Goodies'in the monthly magazine pack really hard to resist, and it's really fun to have them when the kids could fix up the interesting paper toys! Through all these fun goodies, my boy learn through play. What a fun! Indeed the ideas of the goodies packed with the magazine really drive the kids to learn without them knowing. How smart!!!

Very cute little buns that would win most children's hearts. Though it's a Japanese red bean bun, but my boy didn't quite like the red bean paste in the bun. ( of course he was attracted by the cute looking Anpanman face) And he 'Ordered' another round of Anpanman that's with cheese filled in it instead of red bean. So I guess we got to call it Cheeseman pan!

Putu Ayu

2011-10-21T21:07:00.000-07:00

Here I am joining this month's Aspiring Bakers#12 Traditional Kuih (Oct 2011) hosted by Small Small Baker.

The sweet fragrance of Pandan and coconut milk infused in a soft and light steam sponge top with fresh coconut rind. I am not quite a kuih maker, as I always find it's very challenging to achieve a good results. There are so many kuihs in my mind I'd like to try making and yet I put them on hold, till don't know one day I have right energy to go ahead! To me making kuih is some much depend on mood. I got this recipe from a book that teaches all about kuihs. I had a first trial before I managed to make this right, as I was going through the recipe, I did realize the ratio is not quite 'Workable', however, being first time making it, I followed through. And......, it didn't turn out well! So I gave it another try by adjusted the recipe hoping it'd work better.

Original recipe as below, if anyone of you manage to make it right, please do let me know!!

Ingredients:

3 Eggs

300g Sugar ( I used 240g)

300g Plain flour (I used 260g)

300ml Coconut milk ( 160g)

100ml Pandan leaf juice

150g coconut rind

1 tbsp Tapioca flour

Dash of salt

Method:

1.Beat eggs and sugar till creamy and fluffy. In order, add plain flour, coconut milk, and pandan juice. Mix well.

2. Mix coconut rind, tapioca flour and salt together. Place into the base of mold and compress tight. Pour the batter in till full. Place onto steaming tray.

3. Bring water in the steamer ti boil. Place the molds in and steam for 15 minutes. Cool the kuih on wire rack.

Thomas and Friends for Dennis's Birthday

2011-10-21T01:12:00.000-07:00

These days I have ran out of idea of buying birthday presents for the children. I thought making my own cakes would be more meaningful and unique ( I think), as there would unlikely a repetition of presents in the party. Of course, I had fun while making them!