The Sweet Candy Blog

Sweet Libya

noreply@blogger.com (Fareha) — Fri, 02 Sep 2011 21:33:00 +0000

The best bakery in the Middle East: Take 3

noreply@blogger.com (Fareha) — Sun, 28 Aug 2011 02:39:00 +0000

"I walk through the doors and into a room. It has white washed floor boards. Tables and counters overflowing with candies, cupcakes and the likes surround me, a sweet aroma dances in the air...it can only be Munch bakery"

As many of you may remember, almost a year ago I crowned Munch Bakery of Jeddah as the best bakery in the Middle East. For those of you who missed that post, you can refer to it here.

It's been almost half a year since I blogged about any bakery I've come across in my wonders and so I thought it would be worth the while to update you all on Munch.

(I won't be doing much writing in this post...I'll be letting the pictures do the talking...)

Going through their Facebook page, it seems as though the bakery has gone from strength to strength; they've come out with new and amazing cake designs and they've just recently opened a store in Riyadh - their third store in the country since their establishment just a few years ago. The bakery has also added many new products to their line including Blue Velvet cupcakes and Munchclaires...

Munchclaires

Blue Velvet cupcakes

Gorgeous blueberry cheesecake...

I personally love this! The frosting looks so smooth and silky.

But to be honest, I can't believe they've already opened their third bakery! You hear a lot about failed attempts at starting a new business in the current economical climate, and so this really is an achievement! Here are a few photos of the new Munch bakery in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia:

A very welcoming atmosphere

I am lost for words.

I spy around 5 different cake flavors here...

Committed staff...

...who are also very friendly.

Something for everyone

So if you find your self anywhere near Riyadh, don't forget to drop into The Best Bakery in the Middle East!
If you live in Jeddah, you'll find yourself spoiled for choice between two Munch bakeries.
You can find address details on the Munch website here.

"Thank you very Munch!"

le stelle

noreply@blogger.com (Fareha) — Sun, 28 Aug 2011 01:27:00 +0000

“You've changed so much. I guess that's what happens. I wish you knew how much you changed me. I wonder if I changed you, if your life is different because of me. Because mine's different. My God, you taught
me so much, and now we don't even talk to each other. I guess that's what happens.”

Cupcakes n roses

noreply@blogger.com (Fareha) — Sat, 06 Aug 2011 20:54:00 +0000

The Epitome of August

noreply@blogger.com (Fareha) — Thu, 04 Aug 2011 02:48:00 +0000

Collection

noreply@blogger.com (Fareha) — Wed, 27 Jul 2011 23:27:00 +0000

noreply@blogger.com (Fareha) — Sat, 23 Jul 2011 15:43:00 +0000

noreply@blogger.com (Fareha) — Tue, 05 Jul 2011 23:15:00 +0000

......

noreply@blogger.com (Fareha) — Mon, 04 Jul 2011 00:04:00 +0000

Taste and smile.

noreply@blogger.com (Fareha) — Sun, 03 Jul 2011 00:04:00 +0000

Humans waste a lot of time thinking and planning for the future - something never guaranteed to happen - and worrying about the past to the extent to which they forget to just live.

Life is short -so laugh often, forgive quickly and smile whilst you can.

For Libya.

noreply@blogger.com (Fareha) — Thu, 30 Jun 2011 13:54:00 +0000

...

noreply@blogger.com (Fareha) — Mon, 27 Jun 2011 18:33:00 +0000

formspring.me

noreply@blogger.com (Fareha) — Sat, 25 Jun 2011 23:47:00 +0000

Ask me anything http://formspring.me/FarehaKhalil

My take on 'Fix You'

noreply@blogger.com (Fareha) — Sat, 25 Jun 2011 19:03:00 +0000

noreply@blogger.com (Fareha) — Sat, 25 Jun 2011 11:20:00 +0000

Donate here.

noreply@blogger.com (Fareha) — Thu, 23 Jun 2011 13:36:00 +0000

formspring.me

noreply@blogger.com (Fareha) — Wed, 22 Jun 2011 23:59:00 +0000

Ask me anything http://formspring.me/FarehaKhalil

The Benetton ad campaigns

noreply@blogger.com (Fareha) — Tue, 21 Jun 2011 18:57:00 +0000

United Colours of Benetton is a clothes shop. It sells clothes, as in jeans, bright tops and just clothes in general - so I really don't know what to make of their other ad campaigns. I'm not talking about the pictures above; those are the normal ones you'd find in normal magazines and newspapers.

No comment

Yeah, I too was completely taken aback when I saw them. Of course the ads do have strong messages behind them, but some are just weird and to some extent really off putting and I really wouldn't be surprised if some have found them to be very offensive in the past. What do you think?

Nostalgia: Ice-cream cones and cupcakes

noreply@blogger.com (Fareha) — Mon, 20 Jun 2011 01:04:00 +0000

Nostalgia is such a nice word; it sounds cool when you say it, it's spelled in a really quirky way and it's definition is pretty top as well. However, I have no idea why I'm using it whilst blogging about cupcakes and ice cream cones - it could be because growing up included many innocent years where we'd spend long hot summers riding our bikes through the park, ice cream cone in one hand and hopefully bike handle in the other. Or those times when we'd pass a bakery display window, glue our selves to the glass and just stare at those little, flawless cupcakes and dream about the day we'd actually walk into that bakery and hold one. Sigh.

Anyway, just as I always do when bored, I was flicking through an old recipe book the other day when I came across a recipe for Vanilla cupcakes in Ice cream cones. I'd seen and heard of this 'infusion' idea before and hadn't paid much attention, but the conventional use of paper cases to make cupcakes, I found, was becoming boring so this suddenly seemed very appealing.

Suprisingly, this is a VERY easy recipe to follow. The recipe for the vanilla cupcakes is no different to the one you would use when making conventional cupcakes; it's very simple and straight forward. So is the frosting recipe, which is just normal butter cream. You can however of course use another type of frosting, such as French Meringue or Chantilly cream - oh, and did I also tell you that I had my very first shot at making Chantilly cream today?! It was an epic fail in the sense that my braveness got the better of me and I over whipped the cream to the point where soft peaks had formed, dried and then liquidated! Yeah - even I'm confused at the manner in which these events unfolded - but this is story needs it's own post so we'll just save it for now!

Recipe

Ingredients:

For Cupcakes

12 sugar cones
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 cup sugar
3 large eggs
1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
3/4 cup milk
For frosting
250g icing sugar, sifted
1/2 cup unsalted butter at room temperature
25ml whole milk
a couple of drops vanilla extract
Method:
1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Place 12 ice cream cones into an oven roasting pan.
2. Make cupcake batter by: Sifting together the flour, baking powder, and salt. With an electric mixer on medium-high speed, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. This will take around 3-4 minutes. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating until each is well combined. Beat in vanilla. Add flour mixture in three batches, alternating with two additions of milk, and beating until combined after each. Fill each cone with 2 to 3 tablespoons batter. Bake, rotating pan halfway through, for about 20 minutes, or until an inserted skewer comes out clean.
3. To decorate the cupcakes, prepare the butter cream frosting: Beat the icing sugar and butter together in an electric mixer on medium-slow until the mixture comes together and is well mixed. Turn the mixer down to slow. Combine the milk and vanilla extract in a separate bowl, then add to the butter mixture 2 tablespoons at a time. Once all the milk has been incorporated, turn the mixer up to high. Continue beating until the icing is light and fluffy. This will take around 4-5 minutes. Decorate as you please.

As I said, this is the very first time I make such things, so of course they look ugly - I mean, when decorating for example, I was faced with a very tough decision: To pipe, or not to pipe? Judging by the pictures, next time round, the latter will not be considered at all.

How not to dictate, get revolted and cry about it

noreply@blogger.com (Fareha) — Sat, 18 Jun 2011 12:39:00 +0000

"Those who make peaceful revolution impossible, make violent revolution inevitable"

According to Wiki, 'revolution' is defined as 'A forcible overthrow of a government or social order for a new system'. In my opinion, this definition is absolutely disgusting and insulting. It's more like a fairy-tale definition when you compare it to reality; according to what the year 2011 has already shown us, a more appropriate definition would be 'The inevitable spilling of blood whereby the struggle of an oppressed population to peacefully overthrow a *fake* (ie Gaddafi) ruler is met with force, defiance and ruthlessness on the part of the dictator they are trying to over throw'.

Freedom is a basic human right. The freedom of one to express their thoughts freely on what ever the topic, whether it be their favorite movie, the economy or whether or not they agree with the position of a governing body isn't something one man should be allowed to control. When this does happen however, and a single man denies his nation of such a thing, such stupidity will ultimately lead to a popular uprising - and this is what I don't understand about dictators. Their sheer inanity amazes me; after the fall of the Tunisian government earlier this year, you would've thought that all neighboring dictators would've taken this as a sign to hit the road. But no, just one country away, the people of Libya are still having to face a lunatic in the form of a what is described as a 'man' and the Syrian population has just been thrown into the deep.

As much as I hate to admit it though, I'm actually impressed by the defiance of these dictators. I mean even after calls from likes of Barack Obama etc to step down, these men live in a fantasy where they still believe they have a shot at getting through these uprisings unscathed. It's actually a very insulting thought once you think about it. But do you know what's even more insulting?- when another dictator stands up for the dictator you are trying to rid yourselves off and people actually take the two clowns seriously! Ha, what?! Have you ever heard of anything more ridiculous in your lives? This ridiculousness is even more true when you consider the fact that gallons of blood have been spilled as a result of such foolish behavior.

To be honest, this was more of an impulse write. All in all, they say the year 2011 was 'the year of the people'. I say the year 2011 was 'the year from which we learnt how not to dictate, get revolted and cry about it'. By the way, freedom isn't something which comes in a jar.

noreply@blogger.com (Fareha) — Fri, 17 Jun 2011 11:50:00 +0000

Me, a hotel lobby and an Android

noreply@blogger.com (Fareha) — Wed, 15 Jun 2011 08:08:00 +0000

Ok....So this is the first time I post using phone. I was absolutely taken aback when I discovered the Blogger app - pretty handy if you ask me.
To think that the Internet was invented only two odd decades ago and now we have it in our pockets! Honestly- mobile phones *or 'cell phones' for the American/Canadian and every other 'cell phone' saying person in my audience* are no longer those things with which the only thing you could do apart from calling one of the five or so contacts in your address book was play Snakes and Ladders. Our artificial need for our phones is of course not our fault. No, its the fault of Apple, Blackberry and once upon a time Nokia for playing with our minds making us believe we need these things to function hence why the phrase 'I feel lost without my phone' is commonly expressed by those who face the misfortune of such a parting. I mean, when you're constantly being bombarded with an image of a bitten apple or what they call is a blackberry what else are you going to believe?!
The bottom line is that Man is advancing at a very fast rate it's almost scary. Seriously! The fact that the word 'Apple' no longer only connotes to fresh fruit and maybe your doctor is enough evidence.
However, don't get me wrong; such an advancement in technology is of course advantageous in some aspects. For example, it's meant I've had something to do whilst being sat in a very boring hotel lobby.

*Oh and the title of this post should be enough to justify it's complete randomness.

noreply@blogger.com (Fareha) — Sat, 21 May 2011 23:27:00 +0000

Libyan Revolution: The Front Line

noreply@blogger.com (Fareha) — Wed, 16 Mar 2011 21:58:00 +0000

formspring.me

noreply@blogger.com (Fareha) — Tue, 08 Mar 2011 17:58:00 +0000

Ask me anything http://www.formspring.me/SweetCandyBakes