Bisous À Toi

Mango Mousse Cake

noreply@blogger.com (Rima) — Mon, 20 May 2013 23:30:00 +0000

Am a little frustrated with my other half.. hes outstation again.. dont u just love them even more when they travel practically every single week grrrr..the best part.. i dont even know his schedule anymore! ai ya ya.. i better not start blabbering .. too early for that! :oP

Had baked this cake yesterday simply bec everyone in my household loves mango mousse cake... in fact.. its one of my hubs fav but bec he has to travel again... he didnt get to taste it!

Mango Mousse

16g gelatine powder

50gg hot water

300g whipping cream

3 tbsp icing sugar

400g mango puree (if refrigerated, bring to room temperature)

140g diced mango

Mango Glaze

100g mango puree (bring to room temperature)

3g gelatin powder

3 tbsp boiling water

Cotton Cake

145g low protein flour - cake flour

15g corn flour

1 egg

5 egg yolks - whisk lightly with a fork

150g unsalted butter

65g fresh milk

5 egg white

100g castor sugar

1/4 tsp salt

Method

Cotton Cake

1) Preheat oven 150C.. grease and line ur 7 baking pan.. wrap bottom of ur baking pan with aluminium.

2) Heat butter and milk till warmish.. do not let it boil ok.. switch off heat and add in sifted flour and corn flour.. mix using wooden spatula.

3) Transfer to a bigger bowl and add in ur eggs.. continue to mix till smooth.

4) In another bowl.. whisk egg white till frothy.. add in salt and add in sugar in 3 addition.. whisk till soft peak

5) Pour 1/3 of egg white mixture into ur egg/butter mixture.. fold in gently.. pour the rest and continue to mix gently.. (same manner as when ur baking chiffon cake.. cotton cheesecake)

6) Pour batter into baking pan and bake it au bain marie method for abt 45 mins.

7) Let the cake cool and slice horizontally 2 slices and trim them into 6 x 6 inch square.

Mango Mousse

1) In a mixing bowl, whip whipping cream with icing sugar to soft peak state. Refrigerate to chill.

2) In a small bowl, dissolve gelatine in hot water. When the gelatine is fully dissolved, add to mango puree. Mix well.

3) Add the mango mixture to whipped cream. Mix well until incorporated.

4) Use a 7 x 7 inch cake ring, place a layer of cake and pour in mango mousse, or use a large piping tip to pipe the mixture. Do take note of the corners. Add mango cubes and cover them with some mousse. Let it slighty set for about 10 minutes in the fridge.

5) Lay another cake layer and pour the remaining mousse. Let it set for 30 to 45 minutes in the fridge.

Mango Glaze

1) Dissolve gelatine in hot water. Mix in mango puree. Wait till the mousse is set and the topping is cooled, arrange sliced fruits, if using, pour in the topping carefully. Let the cake chill for at least 3 hours before removing the cake ring.

Cotton Cake recipe is fm Mbak Ricke.. i used the same cotton cake recipe for my strawberry shortcake

Mango mousse recipe is fm Rei

Thank you ladies! This recipe also took me back to my old post where i first made mango mousse cake for my super duper hubs... blueekk

Halal food and kitchenware in Shanghai

noreply@blogger.com (Rima) — Mon, 20 May 2013 03:12:00 +0000

Lets continue...

Sorry for the shaky pic.. it was taken while we were on the motor/taxi.. i must admit that each time the driver did his "stunts" trying to squeeze in between a bus and a car.. i was like.. gulp!

Street where u can see many more Halal restaurants, butchers and also a mosque - its situated south of Nanjing East Road, ..

Nanjing Road (Shanghai)

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

"Nanjing Road" redirects here. For the street in Taipei, see Nanjing Road (Taipei).

Nanjing Road is one of the world's busiest shopping streets.[1]

Nanjing Road (Chinese: 南京路; pinyin: Nánjīng Lù) is the main shopping street of Shanghai, China, and is one of the world's busiest shopping streets.[1] Today's Nanjing Road comprises two sections, Nanjing Road East and Nanjing Road West. In some contexts, "Nanjing Road" refers only to what was pre-1945 Nanjing Road, today's Nanjing Road East, which is largely pedestrianised. Prior to 1949, the road's English name was rendered "Nanking Road" using the standard romanization of the time.

Along the busy street of Nanjing road u can see just abt any kinda street shows lol... u see ppl karaoke.. u see ppl dancing and of cos not forgetting u see those annoying ppl on skates trying to sell them to you :op

Unlike in Beijing... Shanghai offers many kinds of halal food and yes i didnt even hv to eat sushi every single day lol... our favs is on the seventh floor of the Bailian Shimao International Plaza.. food there was delish and affordable.. This is the tall building right at People's Square where you come out of the MRT station...

This girl is slicing kway teow and mixing it with some spices.. it was served while we were waiting for our table.. i didnt try it but hubs said its spicy lol

They serve delicious roast mutton dishes and kebabs (lots of them), creamy Xinjiang milk tea and fresh, home made yogurt.

Wide selection of beef.. mutton.. camel.. vegetables.. fish and prawns.. no chicken was served on several occasions we were there due to the worry of bird flu..

Of cos a trip to somewhere will not be complete if i didnt get to go to a place where u can find all sorts of kitchenware..

Shanghai Kitchen Market

QiLong Jiu Dian Yong Pin Shi Chang
(Qilong Hotel Equipment Market)
麒龙酒店用品市场

185 Tong Chuan Lu, near Lan Gao Lu
铜川路185号(靠近岚皋路)

Open 7 days
Closest metro: Line 7 Lan Gao Lu Station

You can read more abt this place fm here - i found my treasures in this shop hehe.. (no 120)

Ok thats it... my next destination will be KL and Hong Kong.. hopefully i can blog fm there :op

Cheers!

Post Shanghai trip

noreply@blogger.com (Rima) — Sat, 18 May 2013 17:15:00 +0000

Where do i begin... what to tell.. shrug... i admit that i am a lazy blogger.. the spark that i once had seems to disappear huhu.. to me the best way to blog while travelling is to do it there and then... once ur back... ur lazyness kicks in and you are no longer interested to share ur experiences in the country that u were in :o(

Anyway we got back fm Shanghai 2 days ago.. i didnt do much there.. couldnt be bothered to even explore further than the area of our hotel... for some reason i find Shanghai has not changed a bit... the ppl... the place... the cleanliness .. the drivers... the rudeness.... can u imagine us having a quiet dinner and out of the blue some woman comes in off the streets and takes a pic of Sonia... at first i thought she was one of the hotel guests but when out of the blue another woman came who wanted to take Sonia's pic.. i knew straight away that these women were up to no good.. there are so many scams going on there and i cant help myself from being a little paranoid.. sigh.. didnt like it back then... dont like it now .. blahhhh

We got there on Saturday.. stayed at the Sofitel Hyland and fell in love with the room that we were put in.. the lounge area wasnt as impressive as the Mulia hotel in Jakarta but a beggar cannot be choosy ey.. anyway the staff there were helpful.. the choices of bread was superb..

Told ya! hehe

The dessert was ok.. i didnt try all... i like the butter cookies that was served tho

My days in Shanghai were pretty predictable... i would get up in the morning... hv brekkie with Sonia.. take her for a walk and back to the hotel... Sonia didnt wanna do much... she wanted to spend time with me.. playing.. studying.. chilling in the hotel room ... watching one movie after another lol.. am so glad that we did that cos lately i hv been a little busy in my kitchen.

.. and since hubs was busy during the week.. the only free time that he had was on Sunday... we started early that sunday.. took the train once and were on our feet most of the time! Sonia was complaining of just abt anything under the sun... too hot... too thirsty.. too tired.. well i wud too if i am a 5yrs old... i was tired too but since hubs had trained me to "walk if i wanna explore" ... i have kinda gotten used to the walking part :o)

Shanghai old Town..

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Old City of Shanghai with walls and seafront.

The Old City of Shanghai (Chinese: 上海古城; pinyin: Shànghăi Gùchéng) is the most ancient area of Shanghai. It is circular in shape even today, and used to be surrounded by a defensive wall. Notable features include the City God Temple which is located in the center of the Old City and is connected to the Yuyuan Garden. Today, most of the walls have been replaced by broad circular avenues, the Renmin Lu to the North and Zhonghua Lu to the South.

The old town streets are away from the Yu Garden bazaar, it is not frequented by many western travelers, but it is here where you will get to see the real shanghai..

You will find vendors making food from scratch and serving them hot and fresh - everything from bowls of wonton soup to green onion pancakes, deep fried chicken parts. There are vendors selling candied fruit on skewers, baked goods, crepes etc etc etc

Keep on walking and u will end up here.. i must admit that i was glad that we ended up walking around this area.. great place to take a stroll and immerse urself in what Shanghai used to be like.

Many side lanes.. took lots of pics of side lanes that i am thinking of framing some of them lol

A motor workshop along the main street..

After a long walk we ended up on this street where we found a shop that sells Halal food..

.. wud u wanna eat here? errr

After a couple of hrs walking... Sonia was beginning to ask hubs to carry her.. hubs decided to take the motor/taxi ride and it was just fab.. all of us had fun... Sonia was a one happy girl of cos..

Will continue tmrw ok... zai zien!

Banana Foster Bundt Cake

noreply@blogger.com (Rima) — Sun, 05 May 2013 15:54:00 +0000

Glued to ur seats? No? err the "No" part .. thats me lol.. the big event that took place in Malaysia today got my hubs glued to his seats lol... i remember when i had to go thru the same exercise voting for my fav party.. he wud keep on telling me of the pro and cons of a certain party and when the day came for me to go to the voting center... he wud again remind me on who to vote and wud anxiously ask whom i had voted for and my answer wud always be... "my vote is secret"! hahaha... by the way he cant vote cos hes an alien.. muahahaha

My dear hubs is addicted to news... any kinda of news... u see him reading all sort of news fm all over the world... he watches news on telly.. he read news on his phone... he listen to news when hes driving... news news news... i read news on paper too.. i read abt ppl getting murdered... abt accidents... abt scandals... abt fashion hahaha

Anyway.. enough on that.. i am counting the days down bef my Shanghai trip.. am really looking forward to this trip.. its not bec i am going to Shanghai itself... its more abt me flying to somewhere lol.. the last time i was in Shanghai was in 2007.. i didnt like it there but that doesnt mean i will not fly there anymore... so we will see.. i will be flying with hubs and will fly back on my own since Sonia and I hv to be back early.. her annual concert will be held the very next day and my girl is gonna perform for us again.. so excited!! I will definitely be taking lots of pics and will be updating my blog fm Shanghai.. so keep a look out yah.. and and.. theres more hahaha... we will be in KL first week of June and will be flying to Hong Kong right after the KL trip.. Sonia still doesnt know where we will be taking her during her school hols but a trip to HK Disney will definitely make my girl go ga ga and me go gu gu since I will hv hubs all to myself.. no Blackberry... no business calls... cant wait for a real holiday!! yahooooo

Okies... enough excitement lol.. this banana foster cake was baked this morning.. the first time i had a bite was when i met my blogger buddies in KL.. Shidah had baked each of us this cake and the moment i had a bite... i knew that i will be baking for my family.. so since i had like a few bananas lying helplessly in my kitchen.. i decided to gv this wonderful recipe a try.. the cake is super moist.. not overly sweet and the topping... the crunchy caramelized topping.. uh la laaaa... am not ashamed to admit that i did the unthinkable of scraping all the topping in my bundt pan and munching it away...I hate wastage.. u see!! hahaha

Ingredients
2 Cups all purpose flour
1 Teaspoon baking powder
1 Teaspoon baking soda
1/2 Teaspoon salt
1 Stick unsalted butter, at room temperature (I used 150gram)
1/2 Stick unsalted butter, melted
1 1/2 Cups light brown sugar, divided
2 Teaspoons vanilla 2 Eggs
1 Cup buttermilk
2 Banana, peeled and sliced
3 Bananas, mashed
1/4 Cup walnuts, chopped (I substituted with chopped almond)

Method

Butter and flour a 12 cup bundt pan. Pour the melted butter into the bottom, sprinkle on 1/2 cup of the sugar, layer on the sliced banana and top with the chopped nuts.

In a bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.

In a mixing bowl, beat together the remaining sugar and room temperature butter. Add eggs and beat until well incorporated. Mix in the mashed bananas and vanilla. Beat in the flour mixture, alternately with buttermilk in 2 addition. Mix for another 2 minutes until everything is fully incorporated.

Pour the batter over the walnuts in the bundt pan and bake in pre-heated 350 degree oven for 45 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool thoroughly in the pan (allow a couple of hours) before turning the cake out onto a plate or stand.

Recipe is fm Hungry Couple
Source: Shidah

Banoffee Cupcakes

noreply@blogger.com (Rima) — Wed, 01 May 2013 02:41:00 +0000

Oh my.. has it been this long?? geesshh my mojo goes fm 10 to 1 in a blink of an eye.. so sorry dearies... again.. time time time.. we hv been so busy that i find its impossible for me to keep on doing what i used to do on daily basis.. how on earth did i do that back then.. perhaps i had too much free time on my hand?? err not really cos Sonia was younger back then and not old enough to keep herself busy.. anyway here i am again... to be honest i hv a few recipes that i wud love to share and i will try to bake it again cos sometimes my mojo to take pics of my bakes using all the fancy-pancy equipment is zilch... so pardon me if u see something on my fb wall but not in my blog.. will hv to bake it again and share the recipe..

So ok.. we were in KL last weekend and stayed there for a couple of days... were supposed to stay there till wed but unfortunately hubs was called back for an urgent meeting in Zurich... i had so many plans with sonia for Tuesday that it frustrated me big time... didnt get to do my massage.. didnt get to spend time aka shopping with my lill girl .. oh well... work is work right.. we drove home Tuesday afternoon and the moment we got home.. hubs packed his luggage and off he went to the airport.. i on the other hand.. decided to take in orders to fill up my time huhu..

While in KL i also managed to meet up with a few baking buddies.. ty ladies for taking the time to meet up... Lemongrass aka Mynn fm Perth hehe... Asilah... Zarin and also Shidah.. i had a great time talking and laughing and of cos.. munching together :oPP ... and to KG aka Yani tks so much for helping me distribute some of my bakes which I couldnt do due to the rush back home...

Basically thats it - ever since i last blogged... i was busy the whole week baking for my KL orders.. was in KL for a couple of days.. got home.. baked again for my orders.. hubs got home fm Zurich after three days and my routine started again.. doing what i love.. baking for my family and orders.. blueekkk hahahaha But the best is to come next weekend: We're off to Shanghai for a week!!

Alrighty... lets get on with the recipe.. its fm Peggy Porschen - Boutiquue Baking.. bought this book last weekend and i cant wait to bake more of her recipes!

Adapted from Peggy Porschen's Banoffee Cupcakes
Makes 24 cupcakes - i only managed to get 18 cuppies

For the sponge
200g unsalted butter at room temp
200g caster sugar
pinch of salt
seeds of 1 vanilla pod
4 medium eggs at room temp
200g Self raising flour
70g plain chocolate,chopped - min 53% cocoa solid (i used chocolate chip hahaha)

For the sugar syrup
150g caster sugar
150ml water
Scraped vanilla pod

For the filling
200f of dulce de leche
1 large ripe banana

For the frosting
500g icing sugar
200g full fat cream cheese, at room temp
200g unsalted butter, softened
1 vanilla pod or 1 tsp vanilla extract
50g banana puree - i wud not add this the next time as it makes my frosting a little runny huhu

To make the cuppies

Preheat the oven to 170C

Cream the butter, sugar and 1 vanilla pod until pale and fluffy.

Beat the eggs lightly in another bowl and slowly add to the butter mixture while whisking quickly. If the mixture starts to separate or curdle, stop adding the egg and beat in 2 or 3 spoons of flour. This will rebind the batter.

Once all the egg has been incorporated into the butter mixture, sift in the remaining flour and stir until the batter is just combined. This will ensure the sponges stay light and fluffy. Fold the chopped chocolate thru the batter using a rubber spatula.

Fill each cupcake liner, distributing the batter evenly. To get a flat top, only fill the batter two thirds full.

Bake for 12-15 minutes.

Whilst the cupcakes are baking, prepare the sugar syrup. Pour the water, scraped vanilla pod, and the sugar into a medium-small saucepan and let simmer on a medium heat until the sugar has dissolved. Set aside.

Take the cakes out of the oven and place on a wire rack, brush each cake with the syrup and then wrap the cuppies in cling film and then chill it for an hr or until the sponge feels firm to the touch.

To make frosting

Place the cream cheese in a mixing bowl and beat until smooth and creamy. In another bowl, cream the butter and icing sugar till very pale and fluffy. Add the cream cheese a little at a time to the butter mixture and mix at medium high speed until the frosting is combined. Add the banana puree. Chill until set.

To add the filling

Take the cakes out of the fridge .. cut a small well in the middle of the cake (i used an apple corer).

Mash the banana in a small bowl with a fork and then add in the dulche de leche, mix together till smooth. Place the banoffee mixture into a plastic piping bag and fill the scooped out holes of the cuppies

Frost ur cuppies with cream cheese frosting..

Please be warned that these cuppies are on the sweet side... am pretty sure those that have tried or baked banoffee pie will know exactly how sweet this dessert is... enjoy it cos hubs was one happy bunny when he ate these cuppies lol

Pâte à Choux Puffs - updated!

noreply@blogger.com (Rima) — Sun, 14 Apr 2013 05:45:00 +0000

I must be so bloody tired that i tend to doze off each time i try to read something.. not just that... i will doze off even while updating my blog... i think i can no longer blog at night... its just not happening huhu

Like right now.. my eyes dont even look like eyes anymore... imagine this... in my pjs.. with my reading glasses on and lappy on my lap... dozing off once or twice and trying to look like as tho she can stay up all night infront of hubs lol.. the worst part... hubs told me that i am starting to snore.. grrr i think i need to start taking my magic pills again... i've not taken it for almost a month now... thats how long i hv been sniffing and coughing... i am ok now... no more sniffing... no more coughing tho

Next week i am predicting another busy week.. i hv a few orders to fulfil.. hubs will be in Jakarta again and we are driving up to KL on the weekend.. yahoooo... its been 4 months since i last got to chill there... i need a break... i need to get out and do something and meet ppl and i need my massage... good stuff!

Arghhh i will update this post with recipe tmrw yah... i am so bloody tired .. been a loooongggg day today.. eyes are shutting on me and my hand and bum is very painful cos i fell down while in the shower like half an hr ago :o(

As promised... this wonderful recipe is fm non other then David Lebovitz - Ready for Dessert!

Pâte à Choux Puffs

David's tips first:

The batter for these french puffs is made on the stove top, then shaped and baked until the eggy mounds balloon into airy, hollow spheres. The puffs take to all sorts of fillings, fm simple whipped cream to scoops of ice cream, as for the anise-orange ice cream profiteroles with chocolate sauce. No special equipment is required to make them, and they come together with ingredients u probably already hv on hand.

A few things to keep in mind. Measure the ingredients carefully - too much liquid results in flat puffs. Dump in the flour just when the butter is melted. If u wait too long, too much of the water will cook off. The finished batter shud be thick and shiny and should stick to the spatula when u lift it. Finally, be sure to bake the puffs until they're golden brown all the way around. If they're underbaked. they may collapse colling, the darker colour means the puffs will stay crisper too..

Ingredients

Makes abt 25 to 30 pastries

Puff

1 cup (250ml) water

1/2 cup (4 oz/115g) unsalted butter cut into 1/2 inch

2 tsp sugar

1/2 tsp salt

1 cup (140g) all purpose flour

4 large eggs

Glaze (optional)

1 large egg yolk

1 tsp whole milk

Method

Preheat oven to 425F (220C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.

In a medium saucepan, bring water, butter, sugar, and salt to a boil over med high heat, stirring gently to encourage the butter to melt. As soon as the mixture begins to boil, add the flour all at once and stir rapidly with a spatula until the mixture forms a thick paste and pulls away fm the sides of the pan.

Remove fm the heat. Wait for 2 mins, stirring the paste a couple of times to cool it slightly, then vigorously beat in the eggs one at a time, making sure each one is completely incorporated bef adding the next. (i do this by using my KA fitted with the paddle attachment.. beat till coolish bef u add ur egg one at a time ok)

Using a pastry bag fitted with a plain 1/2" tip, pipe the choux paste into mounds 1 1/2 inches (4cm) high on the prepared baking sheet, spacing them 3" (8cm) apart. Or use a 2 tsp to drop the paste into mounds.

If u want puffs with a shiny glaze, in a small bowl, whisk together the egg yolk and milk and brush the tops of the puffs without letting the glaze drip down the sides, which will inhibit rising.

Bake until the puffs are golden brown on the tops and sides, 25 to 30mins. Turn off the oven and let them rest in the oven for 5 mins. Remove fm the oven and poke each puff in the side with a paring knife so that it releases its steam. Let cool completely.

Storage:

Pete a choux puffs can be stored at room temp for several house. I prefer not to freeze them bec there is a noticeable diff in quality between fresh and frozen puffs, but if u hv leftovers, u can freeze them for up to 1 month and recrisp them in a low oven bef serving

Source: Ready for Dessert by David Lebovitz

Deeply Dark Devils Food Cake & Pandan Marble Chiffon Cake

noreply@blogger.com (Rima) — Thu, 11 Apr 2013 00:00:00 +0000

Am being productive this week but i cant stay long.. baked this cuppies yesterday and thought id share the recipe with my beloved readers... now i cant recall how many Devil Food Chocolate Cake recipes i hv baked but any cake recipe fm Tish Boyle sure is a keeper!

Devil’s Food Chocolate Cupcakes

Adapted from “Deeply Dark Devil’s Food Cake” from The Cake Book by Tish Boyle

Ingredients (Makes 24 cupcakes)

1 3/4 cups (212g) flour

2 tsp baking powder

3/4 tsp baking soda

3/4 tsp salt

11 Tbsp (156g) unsalted butter, at room temperature

1 1/2 cups (300g) sugar

2/3 cup (61g) cocoa powder - i used valrhona

2 large eggs, at room temperature

1 tsp vanilla

1 1/3 cups (320ml) warm water - i used warm milk

Method

Preheat the oven to 350°. Line two cupcake tins with muffin holders and set aside.

Beat the butter at medium speed until it’s very creamy – about a minute or so. Add the sugar and mix until it’s well blended, slightly fluffy and a pale yellow colour – about three minutes or so. Add the cocoa powder and beat at med speed– about one minute or so (the batter should look dark and smooth like melted chocolate). Beat the eggs in one at a time... beating well after each addition. Beat in vanilla extract.

In a small bowl sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda & salt. Blend 1/3 of the flour mixture into the butter mixture and mix until it is almost combined. Add 1/2 the milk and mix well. Repeat with another 1/3 of the flour mixture, followed by the rest of the milk and a final addition of flour. Even though the mixture at this point will be nicely blended, take a spatula and scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl, just to be sure all of the flour/butter/sugar has been incorporated.

Pour an equal amount into each of the cupcake liners, leaving a space about the thickness of your pinky finger between the top of the liner and the batter. Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the centre comes out clean. Let them cool completely and top with vanilla bean buttercream or do like me... pipe chocolate ganache!

This is the 2nd recipe that i will be posting together with my cuppies... baked it simply bec Sonia requested for it... i thought id try something fm NCC only to realize that i actually had baked using the same recipe in 2010 lol... here is the recipe once again...

Pandan Marble Chiffon Cake

Ingredients

Egg Mixture

In this mixture, the recipe calls only to pour the egg yolks into a well of dry ingredients. I whisk the egg yolks and caster sugar, firsthand, and then mix it to the dry ingredients, oil and coconut milk.

50g caster sugar

20g milk powder

20g cornflour

140g flour

1 tsp baking powder

100ml vegetable oil (I used corn oil)

100ml coconut milk

140g egg yolks (abt 8 eggs)

Egg Whites Mixture

300ml egg whites (abt 9 eggs)

150g caster sugar

1/2 tsp table salt

1 tsp cream of tartar (optional)

Rainbow Paste

1/2 tsp pandan paste

1/2 tsp chocolate paste - i used black forest paste

Method

Preheat the oven to 180C. Prepare a 24cm chiffon pan.. Do not grease or line the tin.

Combine sugar, milk powder, cornflour, flour, and baking powder . Make a well in the centre. Pour the egg yolks in the middle, mix well, while adding the oil and coconut milk. Work from the middle to the edge, combine well until you have a smooth egg mixture.

Meanwhile, whisk egg whites, caster sugar, salt and cream of tartar until soft peak. (i whisk egg white till foamy .. add in cream of tartar and salt.. then add sugar in 3 addition) Mix this mixture into the egg mixture. Work lightly but thoroughly, to avoid any lumps.

Divide the mixture into 2 portions and put each portion into a bowl. Work each paste into each bowl, so you will have one bowl of pandan paste mixture n a bowl of chocolate paste mixture.

(I divide the egg yolk mixture into 2 portion and added pandan n chocolate paste in each bowl.. once ur done whisking egg white mixture.. divide it into 2 portion and fold in egg white mixture gently into each bowl)

Pour these mixture into the tin, and bake for 60 minutes, or until it becomes springy to the touch. Remove the cake from the oven and immediately turn the cake upside-down, using the tin's feet (if you have a chiffon cake with feet). Otherwise, use a strong bottle, like your vinegar bottle, to hold the cake by sliding the bottle into the tin hole in the middle. Leave it to cool.

When it is already cool, remove the cake from the tin by using a long thin knife, loosening from the sides and bottom of the tin. Slice and serve..

Golden eye

noreply@blogger.com (Rima) — Wed, 10 Apr 2013 01:00:00 +0000

I am addicted to Pinterest.. i used to just browse thru Pinterest but now ever since i hv an acct there.. i have became an addict.. am addicted to pinning lol...

Happy midweek peeps... hope all is good .. ty to all who have emailed me regarding the Sacher Torte recipe... am still not done emailing to some as the only time where i can sit down and check my email is bef i go to bed... unlike bef... nowadays the moment i switch on my lappy... my eyes seem to switch off hehehe... so pls bear with me yah...

On a lighter note.. Sonia has been busy practising her school performance thingy... its all a hush hush thingy and shes not leaking anything out to us... every single time i try to dig something out fm her... she will say "no no no mama... its a seeeecret!" grrr.. oh well bottom line is... we are all pretty excited to watch her on stage again... it was only a year ago that she performed as the funky ballerina... remember? hehe

Alrighty.. last weekend i decided to bake a batch of macs for my family.. hubs had requested Ispahan for dessert which i gladly obliged and since i am already on it.. i decided to bake another batch of macs and colour em gold... yes yes... gold... why gold? hehe simply bec i saw it on Pinterest lol.. told ya i am addicted to it.. u can find just abt anything there... fm home decor to recipes to fashion to travel.. u name it... people pin it ahaks

So ok.. bef i go... once again... ty to all my readers who hv taken the time to write in... muchos gracias... am touched and Insyallah... i will keep my blog running "in the open".. as for the mac sheets... pre order will be closed in a week time... so to those that wud love to make a purchase... u can do so yah.. tks!

Sacher Torte - simply awesome!

noreply@blogger.com (Rima) — Thu, 04 Apr 2013 05:37:00 +0000

From the bottom my heart... ty for all the lovely comments here or in my fb or like page... just so u know.. i read each and every single one of em... i chose to hide it here simply bec i think its personal and close to my heart...

When i let out whats in my heart.. i am letting it out simply bec this is the tiny space which i hv created since 2009.. this month i am celebrating my 4th year of blogging... i started blogging April 2009 and two days ago i dropped the news that i am planning to privatise my blog... i didnt realise all that until someone mentioned - i hope this is not an april's fool thingy hehe... to the someone who "reminded" me that no matter what... i will get more credits fm up Above.. Alhamdullilah... that woke me up and made me realise that my blog is all abt sharing... most important thing.. many hv benefited out of it.. be it baking for the family or baking for business... thank you... i managed to put aside all the negative vibes and managed to bake this wonderful cake for my family...

This is the second time that i've baked hubs a Sacher Torte.. the first time i baked it was in 2010.. i remember clearly that i baked it to take along to a small gathering at Sandra's place... oh how time flies... sometimes things happen for a reason and if it was not bec of how i felt for the past couple of months.. i dont think i will remember why i started blogging in the first place..

Sacher Torte... a famous Viennese dessert.. a cake which i was dying to get my hands on when we went to Austria in 2010.. omg this entry takes me back to my old post (do have a look at it)... brings back sweet memories that we are blessed to have experienced.. i miss Austria.. i know hubs misses being there too... we had a wonderful time there.. getting to know hubs side for the first time.. err well thats not true... the first time i met hubs side was when we went to Argentina.. opppssy here we go again... memories... sweet sweet memories.. u shud look at Sonia's pics back then hehe

"The Original Sacher-Torte

A little piece of history

The story of the world-famous Original Sacher-Torte began in 1832, when the all-mighty "coachman of Europe", Wenzel Clemens Prince Metternich, ordered the creation of a particularly palatable dessert for spoiled high-ranking guests.

"Take care that you do NOT make me look a fool tonight", he warned. That very day, however, the chef was unavailable! The order was reassigned to a 16-year-old apprentice in his second year, the quick-witted chap Franz Sacher...

One thing was certain; the speciality which was finally presented to the masters and mistresses was a resounding success: a soft and fluffy chocolate cake with the tasty apricot jam under the icing. Franz certainly never forgot the great success of his ingenious idea within this exclusive circle. He spent his apprenticeship working for the Count of Esterhazy, first in Bratislava and then in Budapest.

When, as a fully qualified cook, he started to work on his own account, he offered his successful composition once again, this time on a large scale. He was successful and soon the "cake by this man named Sacher" was in great demand, and the victorious career of the probably most famous of all cakes began." taken fm here

So ok peeps... i will not publish this recipe online... write to me if u want it yah.. by far... for sure... this is the first time in a long time that i ate a full slice of cake... the texture this time is definitely denser than my previous recipe and isnt as dry... the apricot preserve really comes through and in no way does this cake require the "smoothing" of whipped cream... for chocolate glazing.. i used the couverture chocolate that i bought while in Colmar and also Marmer couverture chocolate that hubs family friend got me fm Vienna during their last visit here.. super yummeh.. recipe is a real keeper!!! oh oh do u agree when i say that the edible gold leaf is just ohhhhh so stunning on a cake ahaks... and so damn expensive! But good things go into and onto good cakes :)

... a slice of heaven

Ultimate Blueberry Muffin with Lemon Sugar Crunch

noreply@blogger.com (Rima) — Tue, 02 Apr 2013 00:30:00 +0000

Am not in my best mood .. i am seriously thinking of either privatizing my blog OR only share selective recipes... I mean there are ways for me to share the recipes that i've tried... all there is to do is that u write to me and i will gladly share certain recipes with u..

Can? ty for ur understanding ... unfortunately sharing recipes doesnt pay off when others are unable to gv credit :o(

So ok i will keep this short.. this blueberry muffin was baked on easter sunday.. i didnt wanna cook up a storm on that day as we had a wedding to attend to so the best way to go is to bake something simple... something that u dont need much to think abt except to not overmix ur batter... original recipe is fm Cook Illustrated and i saw it fm feastie

Ultimate Blueberry Muffins with Lemon Sugar Crunch

yields 12 muffins

Ingredients:

1/3 cup granulated sugar (2 1/3 oz)

1 1/2 tsp finely grated lemon zest from 1 lemon

2 1/2 cups fresh blueberries, washed, dried, and picked over (about 11 oz)

1 1/8 cups (8 oz) + 1 tsp granulated sugar

2 1/2 cups unbleached all purpose flour (12 oz)

2 1/2 tsp baking powder

1 tsp table salt

2 large eggs

4 Tbsp unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled

1/4 cup Canola oil

1 cup 2% buttermilk

1 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract

Instructions:

For the topping:

Combine the sugar and lemon zest in a small bowl and set aside.

For the muffins:

Adjust rack to upper-middle part of oven and preheat oven to 425 degrees. Line a 12 hole muffin tin with paper liners or spray with nonstick cooking spray.

In a small saucepan set over medium heat, combine 1 cup blueberries with 1 tsp granulated sugar. Allow to simmer and cook, smashing the berries with the back of a spoon until they're smushed. Stir frequently and cook until mixture is thickened and reduced to about 1/4 cup, about 6 minutes. Set aside and allow to cool while you make the rest of the muffins (about 15 minutes).

In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.

In another large bowl, whisk together 1 1/8 cups granulated sugar and eggs until thick, about 45 seconds. Whisk in the butter and oil slowly until combined. Whisk in buttermilk and vanilla.

Using a rubber spatula, fold in buttermilk mixture and remaining 1 1/2 cups blueberries into flour mixture just until moistened. Don't overmix! The batter will be lumpy.

Divide the batter evenly among the muffin cups - they will be very full. Spoon 1 tsp of the cooked blueberry mixture onto the top of each muffin, and swirl into the batter with a skewer.

Divide the lemon sugar mixture evenly among the muffin cups - just sprinkle on top of each muffin.

Bake the muffins until they are just golden on top, about 16-19 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through baking. Allow the muffins to cool in the pan for about 3 minutes. Using an offset spatula (or a butter knife), remove the muffins from the tin and allow them to rest at an angle in their cups. Cool for another 5 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack to cool completely.

How abt baking it huge... just like how u wud get in Starbucks lol..

Alrighty.. thats is for now... i prefer to type something positive.. i dont want my finger to do the talking right now... cheers and hv a productive week peeps :o)

Oh by the way, I've opened up my mac sheets pre order again... here is the LINK.. to those that hv inquire abt it... u can go ahead to order it.. tks a bunch for the continuous support :o)

PS: I've had people ask me what the difference is between silicone bakeware and why there is such a big price difference... hubs says that pure silicone isnt cheap... to bring down cost, some manufacturers use fillers instead of silicone... the fillers are poisonous... so the next time you buy some silicone bakeware, twist it first. If you see white stuff shimmering through, its using filler.

Red Velvet Cuppies

noreply@blogger.com (Rima) — Sat, 30 Mar 2013 04:13:00 +0000

Hows the wkend so far?? hope its as productive as mine... been busy this week... orders started coming in and with the long wkend hols... i hv kids and hubs to entertain lol... so whats new with us.. the Aues... first of.. last week we attended hubs co dinner and dance... we had a fun night.. dressing and munching on food that didnt fill our tummy lol.. how to when theres much entertaining around... my hubs dress as a satay man and me... i borrowed mom's 50yrs old baju kurung songket (a malay traditional hand woven type of material) the dress instantly made me look like an oldie hehehe .. this yr's D&D was a good one cos hubs won a Mont Blanc pen and a shopping voucher... he also won a microwave oven - good stuff!

So anyway.. this week went by so so quickly... my days are filled with baking ... if i am not baking for others.. i will be baking for the family.. hubs got himself a new car which up to today.. i hv not driven yet.. after 5yrs of driving a tall car... i am not too sure if i hv the confidence to drive a stationwagon... err well i hv no choice but to get used to it for i will hv to drive him to the airport on Monday.. huhu

Yesterday we drove to JB and spend the whole day there... sis Wati and family came along and we took mom and dad too... we had fun of cos... its always nice to hang out with family members.. we went for a short drive to Desaru and also spent an hr at the factory outlet... we did our typical groceries shopping and had dinner at our fav seafood place... the traffic was really bad bec of the easter long hols but it was all worth it :o)

So ok back to this RVC... this recipe was intro to me by Yani of Kitchen Guardian while having coffee in KLCC a few months ago.. she had mentioned briefly that i shud gv this recipe a try... i didnt think much of it until i had to bake it for Sonia's school Easter party a few days ago... cuppies turned out really well.. the taste was just superb... texture is moist and best of all... u can also eat it on its own.. no need for the cream cheese topping lol.. Sonia ate a couple of naked RVC bef i even managed to pipe the frosting lol... describing the taste of this RVC right now makes me wanna go to my kitchen and munch on the only RVC that is left for me to munch hehehe... bake it dearies... bake it for ur family... bake it for ur baking business... i am pretty sure u will get good raves on this RVC .. ty Yani and good luck on ur new venture... am pretty sure u will ace it!

Ingredients

1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

2 1/2 cups flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened

2 cups granulated sugar

4 eggs

1 cup sour cream

1/2 cup milk

1 bottle (1 ounce) McCormick® Red Food Color - i used wilton no taste red colour

2 teaspoons McCormick® Pure Vanilla Extract

Vanilla Cream Cheese Frosting:

1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese, softened

1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter, softened

2 tablespoons sour cream

2 teaspoons McCormick® Pure Vanilla Extract

1 box (16 ounces) confectioners' sugar - i used 400g snow white icing sugar

Directions

Cake

Preheat oven to 350°F. Mix flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt in medium bowl. Set aside.

Beat butter and sugar in large bowl with electric mixer on medium speed 5 minutes or until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs, one at a time. Mix in sour cream, milk, food color and vanilla. Gradually beat in flour mixture on low speed until just blended. Do not overbeat. Spoon batter into 30 paper-lined muffin cups, filling each cup 2/3 full.

Bake 20 minutes or until toothpick inserted into cupcake comes out clean. Cool in pans on wire rack 5 minutes. Remove from pans; cool completely. Frost with Vanilla Cream Cheese Frosting.

Vanilla Cream Cheese Frosting

Beat 1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese, softened, 1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter, softened, 2 tablespoons sour cream and 2 teaspoons McCormick® Pure Vanilla Extract in large bowl until light and fluffy. Gradually beat in 1 box (16 ounces) confectioners' sugar until smooth.

Source: Mc Cormick

Note: u will get abt 30 odd cuppies and if u wanna bake it as a cake.. use two 9" cake pan and bake it for abt 35 - 45mins

Mom wore this costume when she was in her teens... hubs songkok was fm dads and to complete his satay man attire.. he got himself the swan brand singlet and the satay fan hehe

A good and proper Victoria Sponge Cake

noreply@blogger.com (Rima) — Thu, 21 Mar 2013 00:30:00 +0000

Why is it every time i watch an episode of Sehangat Asmara i will end up smiling fm ear to ear lol.. geesshhh someone has a crush on AP muahaha.. ok ok just like when i watched Adam and Hawa.. i always ended up smiling after looking at AA... ishhhh both Singaporean boys are living their dream.. well done! anywho... back to reality... i hv been a little under the weather.. the weather has been so hot that it makes my body lazy.. all day long i wud end up in an air-conditioned room and watch telly... Sonia didnt wanna go anywhere either and she preferred to just laze around...

So hubs got home late last night.. sonia had so many stories to tell her papa that hubs keep on smiling each time she continued on to another story of her life lol.. i can tell she missed her papa so much :o)

Alrighty.. heres the recipe that i hv baked twice so far... i had planned to bake opera cake for hubs but due to my headache and also flu and at the same time.. the talk i had with Shidah.. i decided to bake this cake one more time.. we all love the taste and the texture of this victoria sponge cake.. mom had it right fm the fridge and said that the filling tastes like ice cream lol... hubs loves it and so does Hairi... the only diff is that this time around, i followed what was instructed.. to bake it in a 9" baking pan... it makes a lot of diff ok..

Recipe is fm Weave thousand flavors. I have taken her recipe word-for-word as she has many good tips which I have highlighted in italics.

A Good and Proper Victoria Sponge Cake for this warm weather
Preparation time - 30 minutes
Baking time: 30 minutes

Shopping list
Cake - (Butter, sugar & flour in equal quantities by weight)
340g unsalted softened butter
340g all-purpose flour
340g sugar
3 large eggs
1-1/2 tsp baking powder

Filling:
20 ripe, fresh strawberries
2 tbs confectioners or icing sugar

Cream:
1-1/2 cups heavy whipping cream
56g cream cheese (optional) - i added
2 tbs lemon curd (optional) - i added
2 tbs icing or confectioners sugar & more for dusting on top of cake.

Method:
Line 2 qty 9" cake pans with parchment paper. Use some non-stick baking spray to adhere the sheets to the bottom of the pans.
In a medium-sized mixing bowl or electric stand mixer, cream the butter and sugar together until you get a pale, fluffy mixture that drops off the spoon easily.
Then in a separate jug beat the eggs thoroughly with a whisk.
Add the eggs 2 tbs at a time into the creamed butter & sugar mixture, thoroughly combining before adding the next bit.
Why not dump the whole lot of eggs in? Adding the eggs in a little at a time won't allow the mixture to curdle. And the reason this is important in a sponge cake is because some of the hidden air that by now has been beaten into the mixture will escape if the mixture 'breaks' and as air is what makes a cake light, curdling will make the cake heavier.
When the eggs have been incorporated, keep a metal tablespoon or a rubber spatula handy. Have the measured flour & baking powder in a sieve resting on a plate, then lift the sieve high above the bowl and sift about a quarter of it on to the mixture - then replace the sieve on the plate and lightly and gently fold the flour into the mixture (if you beat the flour in, you'll lose some of the precious air).
Then repeat this until all the flour is incorporated: lifting the sieve up high above the bowl will ensure the flour gets a good airing before it reaches the mixture.
Now that the flour has been added you should have a mixture that will drop off the spoon easily when you tap it on the side of the bowl. If not, add some hot water, 1-2 tsp as needed.
Divide the mixture equally between the cake pans. You don't need to weigh the cake mixtures because as long as one is fractionally larger than the other, it shouldn't matter.
Place them on the centre shelf of your preheated oven @ 180deg C, and they'll take about 25-30 minutes to cook. Good to know: Under no circumstances open the oven door and steal a peek or that'll be the end of your sponge cakes for they simply won't rise once you let the cold outside air into the oven.
When they are cooked, the centres will feel springy when lightly touched with a little fingertip and no imprint remain. Remove the cakes from then oven and allow to cool for a few minutes. Then turn them out on to a wire cooling tray, loosening them around the edges with a palette knife first. Then carefully peel off the parchment papers and leave the cakes to cool completely.

Good to know: Once the cakes have been allowed to cool for a few hours, they can be stored in airtight cake tins till needed for up to 2-3 days on the counter top. They can also be wrapped in wax papers and a zip loc bag and stored on the counter top. They should not be refrigerated. Once the cakes have been assembled with cream and filling, they need to be refrigerated immediately and consumed in a day or two.

Strawberries: Wash and pat dry. Cut away the tops and slice lengthwise into slices. Place in a mixing bowl. Sprinkle with 2 tbs icing or confectioners sugar. Slowly stir with spoon and set aside till ready to use.

Cream filling: In a food processor, whip the cream (the cream must be cold and straight out of the refrigerator) & sugar for a few minutes till soft peaks are formed. Add the cream cheese and lemon curd (if using) and whip to stiff peaks.

Place both baked cakes on a clean work surface or cutting boards. Using a clean bread knife, choose the cake with the smallest dome and slice a little of the top off to give it a flat top. Invert the cake on the final platter or cake plate or cake stand so the cut side is down and bottom is facing up.

Smear all but 2 tbs of cream in a thick layer of cream especially going right up to the edges. Arrange the strawberry slices, pointed ends facing in along the entire surface of the cake. I used 2 layers of strawberries. Turn the second cake upside down and smear the final 2 tbs of the cream on the bottom of the cake to give it a thing veneer of cream. This will act as a glue as it sits on top of the strawberries.

Place the cake over the strawberries sandwiching the cakes together with cream and strawberries. Make sure the cakes are aligned one on top of the other and gently press down.

Place some icing or confectioners sugar in a sieve and sprinkle some sugar all over the surface of the cake. Refrigerate till ready to use.

Double Chocolate Espresso Cookies

noreply@blogger.com (Rima) — Mon, 18 Mar 2013 07:00:00 +0000

Two entries in a day... woahhh when was the last time u see that lol.. must be the weather hehe.. ok here is the recipe which i promised some of my readers... take out ur butter and start baking it cos the taste is just oh... so good.. cheers!

Ingredients
1 1/2 cups (7 1/2 ounces) all-purpose flour
3/4 cup (2 1/4 ounces) unsweetened cocoa powder, preferably natural - i used valrhona
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
2 teaspoons finely ground espresso roast coffee beans*
1 cup (2 sticks or 8 ounces) butter, softened but still cool
3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons (7 1/4 ounces) firmly packed dark brown sugar
1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon (4 ounces) granulated sugar
1 large egg
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 1/3 cups (8 ounces) chocolate chips (I used Tollhouse big chunk chocolate chips)

Instructions

Sift together the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, and ground coffee beans in a medium bowl.

With an electric mixer, beat the butter and both sugars together for about 1-2 minutes, or until smooth. Scrape down the sides of the bowl, and beat in the egg, vanilla, and salt, and beat on medium low until just combined.

With the mixer on low, add the sifted flour mixture to the butter mixture in 2 additions. Mix just until the dry ingredients disappear into the wet ingredients. Do not overmix.

Stir in the chocolate chips. Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees fahrenheit and line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Use a small cookie scoop to place 1/2 inch balls of cookie dough 1 inch apart on the baking sheets. Bake for 10-12 minutes, or until the cookies look puffy but still slightly wet in the center. Cool completely before storing in an airtight container.

Got to run... i hv to take medication.. cud feel the flu bug is coming huhu.. recipe is fm Cake Merchant

45th wedding anniversary - Congrats!

noreply@blogger.com (Rima) — Mon, 18 Mar 2013 00:00:00 +0000

Been ages since i last shared some family pics... well these pics were taken last sat ... the day mom and dad got married 45yrs ago... looking at them and how long they been together.. makes me wanna work even harder for my marriage... we all hv our flaws and u cant change ppl ahaks

Alrighty lets get on with the pics... i cant really stay long cos Sonia and I are planning to go out and hv our brekkie.. once again... its mother and daughter bonding time cos hubs flew to Surabaya early this morning and will only be back late wed.. enjoy!

Our day started early.. the Marhaban ppl came at 11am and as expected i wasnt even ready when they came... not that i woke up late.. i only had two hrs sleep cos i only managed to start covering my cake after midnight.. it took longer than what i expected doing the ruffles.. anyway we finally fell asleep at 4am and woke up again at half past six.. quickly baked lemon tart and also apple crumble tart for my guest...

My grandmother ... admire her strength n determination...

Sonia playing with kakak Dafinah

Sonia in her baju kurung... she wanted to wear it hehe

Marhaban ppl munching on kuihs while the caterer was preparing the buffet... oh goodness talking abt buffet table... at first it was set out at our usual spot but bec the weather was so so scorching hot we decided to move our buffet table inside our wet kitchen.. it was hilarious to see them moving it... more hilarious when we noticed that our wadeh turned crispy and warmish under the sun lol

We had so much food and many different kinds of dessert.. fm tradisional kuihs to pastries.. my guests were spoilt on that day lol

I told ya the weather was super hot! hehe - lemon tart and apple crumble tart

It was indeed a joyous event... nyai and her younger sister, Nek Piut

.... and also an "introduction" event for some muahaha

We decided to move our buffet inside our wet kitchen.. hubs switched on the portable aircon and everyone stopped complaining lol

Cake cutting ceremony... the look on everyones faces - priceless! well done mom and dad!

Then it was time for Sonia to cut her bday cake... her Wall E cake lol

A full hse - everyone watching a video clip made by my BIL .. we all had to do a video clip wishing my parents happy anniversary... i must say that he did a good job.. touched everyones heart including mine lol

Thank you all for coming and for making it happen... we had a blast and i am pretty sure my parents had a great time... to both my sisters... ty for making it happen and helping out!

Okies... bef i go... pics of my cake.. (taken using Iphone) - Wall E and Eve... just as what my lill princess wish for - One happy girl there!

Details were done by my dear hubs.. he did the Wall E boots with plants a few days earlier bef sticking em on my cake :o) thank u babe!

Mom and dad 45th anniversary cake...

See u soon!

Pandan chiffon cake - yet again

noreply@blogger.com (Rima) — Wed, 13 Mar 2013 17:02:00 +0000

An eyesore lol... first pic was taken at 6:40pm right after the rain stopped.. the second pic was taken at 7pm.. blahhh... pls excuse my bad pic.. i shud hv snapped it earlier but i was too busy baking the base cake for moms anniversary cake and also for Sonia's bday cake... i hv so many ideas on the design of their cake but when Sonia came to me and told me that she wanted a Wall-E character on her cake.. i was like.. errr... so there goes my ivory white... pinkish or purplish colour for her cake lol.. i think i wud probably end up doing a simple cake for both... afterall simplicity is my middle name hahaha

Anyway.. yesterday we went to the interview for Parent Volunteer at one of the local schools.. hubs felt it would be good to give some volunteering time and at the same time benefit by having a better chance to send Sonia to that school... But right from the beginning we both felt like leaving.. A) An "interview" to be a parent volunteer... geez must they make such a big hoo haa out of it... B) when we were waiting for our turn the staff said: "once you are done, please don't 'loiter' around the 'school yard' or exchange interview questions with other parents"... hellooooo?!?! who do you think we are?? some 8 year old kid?! Anyway, we got through our interview, hubs was his usual sarcastic self - so much so that we think our chances now are ZERO... but lets see...

Enough said... this cake was baked simply bec i was craving for one.. i was in a hurry.. i knew that my parents would be coming to look after Sonia so what quicker way than to whip up pandan chiffon... hmmm maybe i shud bake one or two chiffon cake for this wkend.. my grandma wud love that hehe

Ingredients

6 egg yolks

100g caster sugar

115ml corn oil

140ml coconut milk

200g cake flour

2 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp salt

2 tbsp pandan juice - i used 4tbsp hehe

2 tsp pandan essence - i used 1/2 tsp pandan paste

1 tsp vanilla essence

9 egg whites

100g caster sugar

1 tsp cream of tartar

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 170C.

Sift cake flour and baking powder, mix evenly. Set aside.

Beat egg yolks and sugar until light and lemon-coloured. Add in the oil, coconut cream, pandan juice, pandan essence, vanilla essence and salt. Sift flour and baking powder over the mixture. Mix well until smooth.

Beat egg whites with wire whisk attachment until slightly foamy. Add cream of tartar, and beat until soft peaks. Add in sugar tablespoon by tablespoon and beat until stiff peaks form and mixture does not slide out of mixing bowl when upturned.

Add in 1/3 of the beaten egg whites into the egg yolk mixture and mix gently with whisk, to 'lighten' the mixture. Using a spatula, fold in the rest of the beaten egg whites into egg yolk mixture, gently, to prevent batter from deflating. Do not overfold.

Pour batter into 25cm ungreased tube pan. Run a spatula through the batter to eliminate large bubbles in the batter.

Bake at 170C in preheated oven, for about 55 minutes or until a skewer inserted in the cake comes out clean (or with few dry crumbs adhering)

Remove cake from oven, prop it up on a bottle to cool, upside-down so as to prevent the cake from sinking.

Once cool, remove from tube pan by sliding a knife along the sides, and bottom.

To serve, cut with a serrated knife (so as not to flatten the cake).

Source: A spoonful of sugah.. original recipe n tips fm here

Triple Chocolate Cupcakes

noreply@blogger.com (Rima) — Sun, 10 Mar 2013 00:46:00 +0000

Happy Sunday peeps... i know i hv been very quiet in the blogger world .. each time i wanna update something my body just gives up.. i still bake on a daily basis but hardly have the time to try out any new recipes.. which means.. no new recipes to share.. and when i hv nothing to share.. the urge to update my blog is not there.. anyway last wed Sonia turned 5.. this year we tried to keep it simple as we are planning to throw her a bday party but when mom told us that shes planning to do kenduri and Maulud on her 45th wedding anniversary .. we decided to do the kenduri at our place and just hv a cutting cake session for her bday...

So whats new with me... err not much actually... i am taking a week off fm taking any orders simply bec i wanna bake something for the upcoming event... its not a biggie actually but the fact that i am able to try out new recipes got me all excited... its been awhile since i get to bake leisurely.. ya know.. its a totally diff feeling when u bake leisurely and when u bake for an order.. ahaks..

As for the family.... we are doing good... Hairi is busy with his work and hes been doing lots of overtime.. dont ask me why hes doing all that lol.. err perhaps he wants to... ishhhhh better not.... too early for him to be thinking abt settling down lol... as for Sonia... shes growing up far too fast... shes learning how to read and we are happy with her progress... next week both hubs and I will hv to go for an interview at a school where we are planning to put her when she turns 7... hubs thought maybe by doing some school volunteer the chances of us to get into that school is higher... so we shall see... wish us luck!

Alrighty... the cuppies u see abv was baked last tues for Sonia's school mates.. she had requested me to bake rainbow cuppies and also chocolate cuppies to take to school... i also managed to bake some push pop cakes for her and her besties...

Triple Chocolate Cupcakes

Cupcake ingredients

¾ cup unsweetened cocoa powder

¾ cup hot water

3 cups all-purpose flour

1 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. baking powder

1¼ tsp. coarse salt

1½ cups unsalted butter

2¼ cups sugar

4 large eggs, at room temperature

4 tsp. vanilla extract

1 cup sour cream, at room temperature

Chocolate ganache ingredients

1 cup bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped

1 cup plus 2 tbsp. heavy cream

4 tbsp unsalted butter, cut into 4 pieces, at room temperature

Chocolate frosting ingredients

1¾ cups bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped

270ml cream cheese, at room temperature

9 tbsp. unsalted butter, at room temperature

3 cups confectioners’ sugar, sifted

6 tbsp unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder

Pinch of salt

1 cup plus 2 tbsp sour cream

Directions

For the cupcakes: Preheat the oven to 175˚ C. Line your cupcake pans with cupcake liners. In a small bowl, whisk together the cocoa powder and hot water until smooth and set aside. In a separate medium bowl, mix together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt; set aside.

In a medium saucepan over medium heat, combine the butter and the sugar. Stir occasionally to combine until the butter is melted. Turn off the heat, remove the butter mixture from the stove and transfer to the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Beat the butter and sugar mixture on medium-low speed for about 4-5 minutes until the mixture is cooled. Add the eggs, one at a time and beat well after each addition. Add in the vanilla and cocoa mixture and mix until well incorporated. Turn the mixer to low and alternately add the dry ingredients and sour cream in two batches, starting with the dry ingredients. Beat just until combined.

Distribute the batter evenly among the prepared cupcake liners and fill them about ¾ of the way full. Bake for 9-10 minutes and rotate the pans. Then bake for another 9-10 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool the cupcakes in the pan for 5-10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

For the ganache: Put the chopped chocolate in a medium bowl. In a small saucepan, bring the cream to a boil. Once the cream boils, immediately remove it from the heat and pour over the chopped chocolate. Let it stand for about 1 minute. With a whisk or spatula, gently stir the chocolate and cream together. After the ganache becomes smooth and silky looking, whisk in the butter 1 piece at a time until fully incorporated. Transfer the bowl to the freezer or refrigerator to chill. Whisk the mixture every 5-10 minutes in order to help it cool evenly. Once the mixture is slightly thickened and no longer runny, you can use the ganache to fill the cupcakes.

To assemble the cupcakes: Using a small paring knife, cut a cone out of the center of each cupcake. You can either remove these extra cake bits completely (and save them for a snack) or throw them out. Alternately, you can cut off the pointed end of the cone and keep the "caps" to cover the ganache filling. Using a spoon, drop the ganache into the center of each cupcake and cover the hole with the cap.

To make the frosting: Melt the chocolate in a heat-proof bowl set over a pot of simmering water (I heated mine up in the microwave in 30 second increments). Let it cool until the chocolate is barely warm to the touch. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, mix the cream cheese and butter on medium-high speed until pale and fluffy, about 3-4 minutes. Slowly add in the powdered sugar, cocoa powder and salt. Add in the melted but cooled chocolate and the sour cream. Keep beating until the mixture is smooth and free from lumps.

Pic taken yesterday while on Sentosa... we were invited to the Breitling Asian Jet Tour... at first the weather was super hot and right after the air show ended... rain started pouring heavily... we were lucky to hv driven out of Sentosa on time bef it started to rain.. Sonia had a blast of cos! The Asian Jet Tour will be at Subang next week :)

Source: Eva Bakes; cupcakes originally from Martha Stewart's Cupcakes and ganache from Baking: From My Home to Yours by Dorie Greenspan

Its true what Eva describes in her post abt these cupcakes... Chocoholics Unite!!!

Am back and a Raspberry white cake with berries compote and swiss meringue buttercream to go!

noreply@blogger.com (Rima) — Sat, 23 Feb 2013 05:57:00 +0000

Can u believe that i took a total of 10 pics using my SLR while in Bangkok .. i wanted to take more but the heat was unbearable that i had to leave it in our hotel room... ya know.. (heat+heavy SLR=Impossible) lol

We are back.. been back since last tues.. i had a super good time while in Bangkok.. the ppl.. the markets.. the food.. never fail to amaze me.. the best part was when my second sister, Wati, decided to book her tickets a few hrs bef her flight lol.. it was like...

Wati: "sis .. i've decided to fly to Bangkok.. booked our tickets... see u in Bkk"

Rima: " say what??!!.. yahoooo" hahaha

What cud be better than to hv ur sibling with u while running around fm one shop to another in Bangkok lol.. i wished my 3rd sister was with us but i guess not everyone is like sis Wati muahahaha.. she was there with two of her kids and hubs.. they flew back on Sunday and on Monday i had the chance to meet up with Serena and her friend.. she took me to Chinatown where we did a stop in a baking supply shop.. now dont ask me where in Chinatown cos i cant even recall where the shop is lol

Anyway after spending a few good hrs there.. Serena took me to this Indian restaurant where we had the best fried fish ever .. err i think the fried fish was just like any fried fish lol but we were hungry and the fish was super fresh and hot when it was being served.. we all ate like theres no tmrw lol.. after lunch Serena drove us back to the hotel where i met up with my old friend Ping.. Justin was in UK and it was kind enough of Ping to meet up with me..

We flew back the next day after hubs was done with his meetings.. it was a full on trip but i had a wonderful time.. got home late at night and starting baking the very next day... thank you to all who have ordered... am so glad that i managed to get it done on time..

Oh i also managed to bake my family this cake... i had this craving of white cake with raspeberry since like forever.. whipped up Dorie's white cake recipe.. prepared raspeberry compote and also swiss meringue buttercream for the frosting... i had wanted to add fresh raspeberry in between the layers but for some reason the fresh ones had a heavy price tag on that day.. i took out my frozen raspeberry and also blackberry.. sliced it into half and spread it on every layer.. works well for me too..

So ok... heres the recipe for the berry compote .. as for Dorie's white cake .. u can get the recipe fm my previous post.. and swiss meringue buttercream u can get it here.. enjoy n hv a blast wkend!

Berry Compote:

1 cups frozen sliced strawberries

1/4 cup sugar

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

1 1/2 cups fresh berries - i used frozen berries

In a medium saucepan, mix together the frozen strawberries, sugar, and lemon juice. Over medium heat, bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer, stirring occasionally, until mixture thickens and is syrupy about 10 minutes. Transfer to a small bowl and let cool slightly. Add fresh berries and stir to coat berries. Serve at room temperature or refrigerate until ready to use

Pic taken using my Iphone :o)

Note: i used two 7" round pans.. sliced both cakes to get 4 layers... i used sugar syrup on each layer.. spread berries compote.. spread swiss meringue buttercream and top it with frozen berries.. top another layer of white cake .. u do that till ur done with 4 layers of cake..

Brooklyn Blackout Cake 2003

noreply@blogger.com (Rima) — Wed, 13 Feb 2013 00:00:00 +0000

So I am back.. been back since last Thursday.. my Jakarta and KL trips were good.. took my camera and lappy with me but didnt even make full use of it... makes me wonder if i shud even be bothered to take along my lappy with me on my short trips.. i did take a few good pics on our visit to Taman Safari in Bogor tho... Sonia had a blast of cos! ty Lies for taking the time to take us there and to Acha whom i met while in Jakarta.. ty for coming by to see me... it was so so nice to meet another fellow baker in Jakarta.. take care my friend and hope to see u again soon!

Anyway theres one more trip thats coming up in a few days time and i just cant wait! Theres something abt Bangkok that i am in love with.. not bec of the bakery supply shop cos really.. its not as big and exciting as in Jkt.. its the ppl.. the surroundings and the markets that get me really really excited... this bkk trip also sees me flying with Sonia on my own for the very first time.. err well not really... the first trip that i took with Sonia alone was when we flew fm Adelaide to Brisbane.. she was only a few months old and my dear hubs already put his foot down and told me.. "u gonna take that plane without me... u will survive".. errr well i did survive and it made me a much more independent woman ever since.. anywho... back to my upcoming trip.. am flying there with Sonia and will be meeting hubs in bkk.. my hubs flew to Germany late last night and will be flying into bkk the same day we will be there :o)

Alrighty.. lets get back to this cake.. recipe is fm Tish Boyle.. the first recipe that i choose fm the book that hubs bought me a few weeks ago.. dont ask me why i decided on it.. not bec of the pic in the book cos the pic doesnt show much.. i guess its the interesting name .. :o)

This cake is rich, intensely chocolaty, fudgy, moist and decedent. It’s almost black, brownie-like layers/ mud cake texture are sandwiched together with a smooth and fudgy chocolate pudding fillings and pls dont get me started with the chocolate frosting too lol... to some it may be a little sweet but to me it works well with the cake itself.. yums!

Chocolate Pudding Filling:
4 large egg yolks
2/3 cup (4.6 oz/132 g) granulated sugar
2 tablespoons plus 1/2 teaspoon cornstarch
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 cup (240 ml) water
2/3 cup (160 ml) heavy cream
3 ounces (85 g) semisweet or bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Chocolate Blackout Cake:
1 1/2 cups (6.4 oz/181 g) all-purpose flour
1 cup (2.9 oz/85 g) natural cocoa powder - i used valrhona
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
2 cups (14 oz/400 g) granulated sugar
2 large eggs
1 large egg yolk
1 cup (240 ml) buttermilk
1/2 cup (1 stick/4 oz/113 g) unsalted butter, melted
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup (240 ml) hot brewed coffee

Fudgy Chocolate Frosting:
4 ounces (113 g) unsweetened chocolate, chopped (I use valrhona 55%)
11 tablespoon (156 g) unsalted butter, softened
1 2/3 cups (191 g) confectioners’ sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Make the Chocolate Pudding Filling:

1. In the bowl of an electric mixer, using the paddle attachment, beat the egg yolks, sugar, cornstarch, and salt at medium speed until pale, about 1 minute.

2. In a medium, heavy saucepan, combine the water and cream, and bring to a boil over medium heat. Remove the pan from the heat and whisk about 1/2 of the hot cream mixture into the yolk mixture. Whisk this mixture into the remaining cream mixture in the saucepan. Cook over medium heat, whisking constantly, until the mixture comes to a boil. Continue to boil, whisking, for 1 minute. Remove the pan from the heat and whisk in the chocolate until it is completely melted. Pass the filling through a fine-mesh sieve into a small bowl. Stir in the vanilla extract. Cover the surface of the pudding with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 2 hours, until chilled.

Make the Chocolate Blackout Cake:

3. Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 350°F. Greased two 9" baking pan.

4. In the bowl of an electric mixer, sift together the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Add the granulated sugar and, using the paddle attachment, mix at low speed until blended.

5. In a medium bowl, whisk together the eggs, egg yolk, buttermilk, melted butter, and vanilla extract. While mixing the dry ingredients at low speed, add the egg mixture in a steady steam. Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula, then beat at medium speed for 1 minute, until well blended. Add the hot coffee at low speed, mixing just until blended. Remove the bowl from the mixer stand and stir the batter from the bottom of the bowl a few times to thoroughly blend the batter. Scrape the batter into the prepared cups, dividing it evenly. Bake it for 30 to 35 minutes, until a cake tester inserted into the center of each cake comes out clean. Cool the cakes on a wire rack. (i divide batter into three 7" cake pan)

Make the Fudgy Chocolate Frosting:

6. Put both chocolates in a medium stainless steel bowl and place the bowl over a pot of barely simmering water. Heat, stirring frequently, until the chocolate is completely melted. Remove the bowl from over the pot and set the chocolate aside to cool until tepid.

7. In the bowl of an electric mixer, using the paddle attachment, beat the butter at medium speed until creamy, about 30 seconds. Gradually add the confectioners’ sugar and beat at high speed for 2 minutes, until light and creamy. Beat in the vanilla extract. Add the cooled chocolate at low speed, mixing until blended and scraping down the sides of the bowl as necessary. Increase the speed to high and beat for 1 minute, until slightly aerated. Use the frosting immediately, or cover well and keep at room temperature for up to 3 hours before using.

Assembly

Using a large serrated knife, cut the two chocolate cake layers in half, to create 4 layers. Set one layer aside and crumble half of it into crumbs to use as decoration later (you can eat the remaining bit).

Place one cake layer on a serving plate and spread over half of the filling. Top with another cake layer, the rest of the filling and the final cake layer. You should have a three-tiered cake at this stage.

Spread the chocolate frosting over the top and sides of the cake. Don’t worry about being too neat as its going to get covered in crumbs.

Scatter the saved cake crumbs over the top of the cake (sides too if you wish)

Serve immediately or store at room temperature for up to 3 days. The cake becomes even more moist and fudgy over time.

Brown butter chocolate chip cookies

noreply@blogger.com (Rima) — Wed, 23 Jan 2013 13:44:00 +0000

January is the month where two of my family members celebrate their bday... dad was last week and sis Wati celebrated hers today.. Happy bday sista! may u be happy always with ur loved ones... no bday cake cos am hibernating.. remember?? hehe

This month n Feb will also see us travelling quite a bit.. we will be heading down to Jakarta early next week and will be flying back on Saturday.. Sunday will see us driving up to Malacca and KL and will be there for five days... the week after.. hubs will be flying to Germany for an urgent matter and most probably Sonia and I will be meeting hubs in Bangkok for the weekend.. It seems tiring but I am really looking forward to it.. will "hotel school" Sonia since am taking her out of school hehe

So ok.. I am not too sure if i will be sharing anymore new recipes this week as i hv to bake macs and a few lapis legit for my customers.. and if i do find the time to try out new recipes.. i will definitely be sharing it with my dear readers..

... Alrighty.. Brown butter chocolate chip cookies happens to be one of my fav chewy cookies.. for some reason i am now a big fan of chewy cookies... not bec my teeth are failing me lol.. i find chewy cookies give out a lot more flavours than the crunchy ones.. anyway.. hubs loves it to bits and ate the whole container himself! geeeshhh why doesnt he grow fat by eating all the dessert that i bake.. i dont know "shrug"

BAKING TIP from Annalise:

"Perfectly baked cookies every time

Pull cookies from the oven when the edges are golden brown and the tops are just starting to turn golden. Once out of the oven, leave the cookies on the sheet pan for a few minutes, where they’ll do a little more baking and setting up. After 5 minutes, transfer the cookies to a wire rack to cool completely and you’ll have perfectly crisp cookies with a chewy center." She's right!!

Ingredients

1 cup (226 grams) unsalted butter - I used semisalted so didnt add the below-mentioned salt.

1/2 cup (100 grams) sugar

1 cup (215 grams) brown sugar

2 large eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 1/2 cup (300 grams) all purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 cups (450 grams) semi-sweet chocolate chips - I used 250g and added 150g toasted hazelnut

Coarse salt, for sprinkling (optional) - I used Fleur de Sel

Instructions

In a medium saucepan over low heat, melt the butter. Once melted, continue to cook until it turns golden brown. Swirl the pan occasionally if needed so that it browns evenly. Watch it fairly closely, as it can go from brown to burned quickly. When the color has turned golden, small flecks speckle the butter, and it has a nutty aroma, remove from heat and poor into a shallow dish. Chill in the fridge until it becomes solid. You want it to be soft, but not melted. If it cool too hard, let it come back to room temperature before using.

Preheat oven to 175 degrees C, and line a sheet pan with parchment paper.

Beat the brown butter, sugar, and brown sugar on medium high speed with an electric mixer until light and creamy, about 4 minutes. Add the eggs one at a time, mixing after each. Add the vanilla extract.

In a separate bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, and salt. Add to the wet ingredients and mix until just combined. Add the chocolate chips and mix until incorporated.

Spoon by the tablespoon onto the prepared baking sheet, leaving 2 inches in between each cookie. Sprinkle with coarse salt, if desired. Bake until golden brown, 10-12 minutes. Let cool for 5 minutes on the pan before removing to a wire rack to cool completely.

Store cookies in an airtight container at room temperature.

I have to say adding hazelnut really gives it a nice crunch within the soft centre...

Source: Annalise of Completely Delicious

Banana Chocolate Butter Cake

noreply@blogger.com (Rima) — Tue, 22 Jan 2013 04:52:00 +0000

Its been almost a week since i last updated my blog.. am not gonna gv any reasons for my missing in action.. been busy baking for orders and at the same time been hibernating lol.. the weather has been kind to all of us that it makes my body feel all rested.. its cooling and nice..

Last Friday was my dad's bday and bec i hv orders to fulfilled.. i only managed to see him on the weekend.. err talking abt wkend.. geesshhh its true what Kak Ummi said... either the time flies too fast or life becomes too short... wkends come and go without us noticing it :o{ .. I am also getting more and more emails fm people who ask for last minute orders... I am flattered that I am asked.. but I also need my time with family and I dont bake as a "business"... its still a hobby... and it only stays fun if it remains a hobby :)

Yesterday i met up with my best mate fm secondary school.. we hv been friends for 31yrs and hv not seen each other for more than a decade.. so u can imagine how heartfelt it was for both of us.. we hugged and just then.. tears rolled down our cheeks... there are too many stories to tell... too many things to share.. especially abt our kids.. we talked and talked and talked... it was really nice to see her again and to just catch up :o)

... Now.. to be honest.. i dont hv that many friends.. not that i am too snobbish to mix with others... but i became overly protective of myself.. there was too much talk going on abt my divorce at that time and all i wanted to do was to shut everyone out of my life... i guess back then that was the easiest way out for me.. i hv no regrets tho.. we make friends along the way.. we loose some along the way.. thats life... i am happy like this.. less talk and for sure.. less probs.... and more baking hehehe

Blogging world has taught me to mix with different ppl fm all over the world... its like ur close but not actually close?? ya know.. u comment on each other's post.. u talk to one another and keep in touch thru FB and IG.. whatever it is... u get to know and sometimes meet new ppl in ur life and i love it... blogging is something that i hv been doing for the past 4yrs and it has become part of me.. bottom line is... thru blogging.. i get to challenge myself baking something that is beyond my comfort zone.. thru blogging i learn how to take pics which are far fm perfect but soothing to my eyes.. thru blogging i get to share my knowledge in baking.. thru blogging i leave something for my kids to flip through anytime they want...so to those that hv been following Bisous A Toi for the past years.. i thank you for ur time... i thank you for sharing it and i thank you for all ur comments.. to those that read and later talk bad behind my back.. i thank you too lol

So ok.. enough rambling... i have been meaning to post this fab recipe yesterday but didnt hv time to take pics of my bake.. Banana Chocolate Butter Cake was the only cake that i managed to bake for my family.. i decided on it while browsing thru Kevin Chai's book... its another type of butter cake... a cake that u can whip while waiting for ur mac shells to dry hehe.. bake it when ur in a hurry... bake it for ur mom cos i know ... every mom will appreciate a moist butter cake :o)

Ingredients

250g butter

200g sugar

4 eggs

80g chocolate (chopped) - i used 55% valrhona

80ml fresh milk

250g plain flour

5g baking powder - i used double acting baking powder

1/4 tsp bicarbonate of soda

15g cocoa powder - valrhona of cos!

200g banana (sliced thinly)

Method

Preheat oven to 160C, grease and line a 18cm (7") square baking pan

Beat butter and sugar until creamy. Add in eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition

Melt chocolate with fresh milk over low heat. Cool aside. Stir into batter until blended

Fold in sifted flour, baking powder, soda and cocoa powder.

Fold in banana slices, mix until combined

Spread batter into prepared pan. Bake in oven for 50 to 60 mins or until cooked.

Source: Buttercake - I love buttercake too2 by Kevin Chai

Pandan Butter Cake

noreply@blogger.com (Rima) — Tue, 15 Jan 2013 16:41:00 +0000

Lately i hv been very careful when it comes to driving.. i make sure that i am driving within the speed limit and wud not want to be branded - crazy woman behind the wheel.. oh yes.. todays topic is abt me who after 15yrs of holding a driving licence got a ticket for speeding.. yikes! now if u were to ask my siblings.. they wud know the style of my driving.. i wouldnt say that i am NOT a fast driver but i can get fm point A to B within "a short period of time"... i remember there were a couple of occasions where my uncle saw me driving not within the speed limit lol.. having said that.. at least i dont drive like my dear hubs..but he doesnt drive fast...he says he flies low....

..... long story short... i got a ticket.. i appealed of cos and after two weeks.. i got a letter saying that i had to pay fines and got 6 points for speeding... sigh... so since last december... i hv been a good citizen of Singapore muahaha.. ok okkkk.. i promise i will not join the F1 okkkkk.. i will abide all the rules and speed limit :op

Since we are on the topic of abiding to all rules... do u agree when i say that no matter how old u are.. u are grounded by rules.. be it when ur driving... when ur walking.. when ur in school.. even when ur at home.. we hv to abide by all rules - both my kids know that very well since my dear hubs has sooo many rules and regulations at home.. err .. i wonder.. is there such thing as abiding by all rules when it comes to shopping? hehehe

So ok.. enough abt that.. bottom line is.. i've paid my fines and will definitely think twice bef speeding.. as for the recipe that i am gonna share today... its another one of those every day type of cake.. this time round.. i baked it for hubs who bookmarked it since i bought this book.. Recipe is fm I love butter cake too2 by Kevin Chai.. enjoy!

Ingredients

250g butter

200g sugar

4 eggs

250g plain flour

5g baking powder

100ml milk

50g p.seeds

1/4 tsp pandan essence

Method

Preheat oven to 160C, greased and line a 7" baking pan

Beat butter and sugar till creamy. Add in eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition

Fold in sifted flour and baking powder, then stir in fresh nilk, mix to forms batter

Divide batter into two portions, add in p.seeds and pandan essence separately, mix well

Spread p.seeds batter into prepared pan, follow with pandan batter. Bake it in oven for 50-60 mins or until cooked

Black Forest Cake

noreply@blogger.com (Rima) — Mon, 14 Jan 2013 23:39:00 +0000

Hey peeps... its a brand new week and we are already on our 2nd week of 2013.. too fast if u were to ask me but hey what to do.. thats how it is .. u sleep.. u wake up and ur daily routine starts again.. am not complaining.... at least i dont hv to wake up in the middle of the night to breast feed my baby hahaha.. err can u imagine me preggie again at 44? blueekk.. if u were to ask hubs and Sonia if they want an addition to our family.. both will answer u promptly.. NO WAY! ishhh

The weekend was spent wisely.. we were out half of the day on sat and i spent the other half baking for my customers.. i also baked black forest cake for my family to enjoy... its a pretty straight forward cake and as much as i hv a few sponge cake recipe which i hv been using... i hv never stopped myself fm trying out new recipes... this is one of the recipes which i had planned to try out and since i am trying out Yongki Gunawan's sponge cake recipe to bake rainbow cake .. i thought why not bake his chocolate sponge cake too.. so here u are... recipe below is for a 24cm cake... half it if u wanna a 7" cake ok

Ingredients

8 eggs yolks

7 eggs

200g sugar

15g emulsifier

1 tsp vanilla essence

100g flour

25g corn flour

25g cocoa powder

15g milk powder

150g melted butter

1-2 tbsp black forest paste

Light simple syrup

100g sugar

300g water

Dark cherry fillings

1 can of dark cherry - seperate juice and cheery

300ml dark cherry syrup

50g sugar

3 tbsp corn flour

Frosting

500ml of non dairy whipping cream

chocolate shaving

cherries

Method

Preheat oven 170C and grease 3 x 24cm baking pan

Whisk eggs, sugar, emulsifier and vanilla essence till fluffy

Fold in sifted flour, corn flour, cocoa powder and also milk powder

Once mixed.. add in black forest paste and also ur melted butter

Divide equally between three pans.. bake it for abt 20 to 25 mins

Light simple syrup

Cook sugar and water on low fire till sugar dissolve.. set it aside to cool

Dark cherry fillings

Seperate dark cherry fm syrup.. slice dark cherry

Cook 300ml of dark cherry syrup (u can add water if ur syrup doesnt add up to 300ml) with sugar.. once sugar is dissolved.. turn down the fire and add in corn flour.. cook till it thickens.. once thickened.. switch off fire and add in ur dark cherry... let it cool

Assembling

Place the top layer (with the "skin"), cut side up. Brush about 1/3 cup of the sugar syrup over the cake layer. Spread with about 3/4 cup of the whipped cream, making a 1-inch-wide border around the perimeter of the layer that is slightly higher than the cream in the center. Spread half of the cherry filling in the center of the cream layer, letting the cream border contain the filling. Repeat with another cake layer, syrup, cream, and the remaining filling. Top with the final cake layer and brush with the remaining syrup.

Spread the top and sides of the cake with a thin layer of the whipped cream, just enough to mask the cake and its crumbs. Refrigerate the cake (but not the bowl of cream) until the cream is set, about 10 minutes.

Transfer 1 cup of the whipped cream to a pastry bag fitted with a 1M tip, and set aside. Spread the top and then the sides of the cake with the remaining cream. Pipe 6 equally spaced rosettes around the top perimeter of the cake and insert one of the reserved cherries in each rosette. scoop chocolate shaving and scatter it on the middle of ur cake

Refrigerate until the cream is set, at least 1 hour or overnight. Slice with a sharp, thin-bladed knife and serve chilled.

Source: Mbak Ricke

Condensed milk egg tarts

noreply@blogger.com (Rima) — Wed, 09 Jan 2013 17:07:00 +0000

This is gonna be a short entry... i think i must hv dozed off like three times while waiting for my pics to load.. dont know why but for some reason the connection seems to be a lot weaker if i wanna update my blog fm our living room grrr

Sooo hubs is back home fm his trip.. Alhamdullilah... he was there for three days and i hv successfully filled my days with what i love most - baking for my family lol... i told myself that i needed a break fm taking orders and i did just that... this coming weekend order will be my first order for this year... ty Waty for all the repeat orders .. see u soon girl!

... And for the past couple of days we also had a live-in nanny lol.. my niece who is now on school hols "volunteered" herself to sleep over which made things easier for me.. theres someone to play with my little princess and her mama gets a little "time off".

Oh.. Talking abt Sonia .. did i tell ya that her wishes to hv her ear pierced came to reality last Christmas?? she did it together with kakak Dafinah and we are so proud of both girls .. super brave!!

Alrighty.. lets not waste any more time... had wanted to bake these egg tarts last weekend but didnt get to it.. decided to bake it today simply bec i knew my family loves it.. ty mbak Ricke Indriani for sharing all your wonderful recipes with us... there are a couple more recipes which i hv jotted down and hopefully am able to try out this weekend :o) - one thing for sure.. Enak banget egg tarts nya! hehe

Ingredients

Shells

300g frozen butter - cubed - i used SCS unsalted

500g flour

pinch of salt

2 tbsp sugar

3 egg yolks

Egg custard

300ml condensed milk

400ml warm water

8 egg yolks - whisk a little with a fork

30g custard flour

1 tsp milk vanilla - i used vanilla essence

Method

Get ur mould ready - preheat oven 160C

Measure the flour and pour into a food processor with the regular blade attached. Add the unsalted butter, cut into cubes (Your butter should be frozen or very cold). Add salt and sugar. Pulse three times with three counts per pulse to lightly mix the ingredients.

With the motor running, pour egg yolks into the processor bowl just until the dough just starts to get noticeably crumbly. Don't wait until it is a big clump or it will be way too wet and will turn out tough.

Stop the machine, dump the crumbly dough into a bowl, and gather the dough into a ball with your hand. you can squeeze it a bit to make it stick together.

Roll out dough.. with a round cutter, cut out a few pcs.. press it into small tart moulds.. let it rest in ur fridge while u prepare ur egg custard

As for the egg custard.. Whisk condensed milk and warm water - put aside.

Whisk eggs lightly and pour into the milk mixture and whisk again. Do not whisk till frothy.

Add in vanilla essence and lastly add in custard powder.

Sift the egg custard mixture and pour into tart moulds.

Bake at 160C for 45 mins or till egg custard sets... once baked.. let it sit for 10mins bef u take it out

Please take note that i did 1 and a 1/2 recipes for egg custard as I prefer a thin crust and needed more filling..

Ish ish... the weather nowadays is very unpredictable.. one min its so so hot and windy and another min its raining heavily... night night beautiful ppl!

Banana cake with mocha frosting and salted candied peanuts

noreply@blogger.com (Rima) — Mon, 07 Jan 2013 00:30:00 +0000

Monday monday... there are times when i just cannot run away fm monday blues... there is some kinda unhappiness that i hv been bottling up for the past couple of days.. arghh.. dont u just love ppl who really know how to get others to do their non business related things! geeeshhh

I told myself that i shud take it easy this year.. am 44 and i dont need to get myself worked up but if that person which u cant stand smses after midnight just to tell hubs to shop for him something.. that really pisses me off.. anyway am not here to vent my frustration.. i just need to get it out of my system .. thats all.. so bare with me huhu

Hubs flew to Jakarta a few hrs ago.. he took the first flight out and will be there for a couple of days.. I am still coughing away and i think i hv tried 101 ways to stop myself fm coughing.. ty to someone who recommended me to buy Ricola .. it soothes my throat a little..

On a lighter note.. a couple of days ago i received a parcel fm a courier service only to find out that KNur whom i met in Paris, had sent me a bday prezzie.. the latest recipe book by David Lebovitz.. i was thrilled and as i flipped thru the book cover.. i noticed that the book has a personalized dedication and his signature on it! i quickly went thru the book and this cake caught my eye instantly! showed it to hubs and his eyes just lit up.. knew i had to bake it for him bef he flew off... bought riped bananas fm the wet market and as soon as we got home fm our Saturday outing.. i began my journey with the famous David Lebovitz hehehe

This cake has three steps that u need to pay attention to.. the banana cake... the mocha frosting and the super delicious salted candied peanuts.. i wud recommend u to prepare the mocha frosting first as it took a little while to get that spreading consistency . next is to prepare the banana cake and as soon as u place ur cake in ur oven.. u can start to preparing the candied peanuts.. pls take note that i toasted all the nuts bef i used em and to get a high cake.. i used two 7" round cake pans.

So ok.. here is the first recipe fm Ready for Dessert by David Lebovitz.. ty KNur for the lovely pressie.. happy belated bday to u.... and to Lilly, happy advance bday! hehe

Cake

2 1/2 cups (350g) all purpose flour

1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

1 1/2 tsp baking powder

3/4 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

1 cup (230g) unsalted butter, at room temp

1 1/2 cups (300g) sugar

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 tsp instant espresso

2 large eggs, at room temp

6 tbsp (90ml) buttermilk,yogurt, or sour cream - at room temp

2 cups (500ml) banana puree

1 1/4 cups (125g) pecans or walnuts, toasted and coarsely chopped

Candied Peanuts

1 cup (150g) raw or unsalted lightly roasted peanuts

1/2 cup (100g) sugar

3 tbsp (45ml) water

1/2 tsp flaky sea salt

1/8 tsp ground cinnamon

Frosting

10 oz (280g) bittersweet or semi sweet chocolate - coarsely chopped

1/2 cup (125ml) strong brewed coffee or espresso

10tbsp (140g) unsalted or salted butter, cut into pieces - room temp

Preheat oven to 175C. Butter the bottom and sides of two 9" round cake pans and line the bottoms with circles of parchment paper.

To make the cake, in a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cinnamon, the baking powder, baking soda and salt.

In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat together butter and sugar on medium speed until light and fluffy - abt 5 mins. Add the vanilla and instant espresso powder, then beat in the eggs one at a time, mixing until completely incorporated. Mix in half of the flour mixture, followed by the buttermilk and banana puree. Stir in the remaining flour mixture, then stir in the pecans or walnuts just until combined. Dont overmix.

Divide the batter evenly amonng the 2 prepared pans. Bake until golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center of the cakes comes out clean, abt 40mins. Remove fm the oven and let cool completely.

To prepare the peanuts. in a medium heavy bottomed skillet over medium heat, combine the peanuts, sugar and the water. When the sugar begins to liquefy, begin stirring. Continue cooking, stirring frequently, until the sugar crystallizes. Decrease the heat to medium low and continue to cook, stirring, letting the crystallized sugar on the bottom melt and brown slightly. Then use a heatproof spatula to scrape up the liquefied sugar and continuously coat the peanuts with it, tilting the pan to help the sugar coat the nuts evenly.

Once the peanuts are a bit glossy and coated with syrup (there will be some sugary crystals on them still, which is normal), sprinkle the sea salt and cinnamon over them. Stir the peanuts a couple of times, then scrape the candied peanuts onto a baking sheet and let cool completely.

To make the frosting, combine the chocolate and coffee in a medium heatproof bowl set over a pan of simmering water, stirring occasionally until the chocolate is melted and the mixture is smooth. Remove the bowl from the heat and whisk in the butter until combined. Let cool completely, until thick and spreadable.

To assemble the cake, run a knife around the sides of the cakes to help them loosen fm the pans. Invert one cake onto a serving plate and peel off the parchment. Spread abt 3/4 cup of mocha frosting over the surface of the cake. Invert the second cake layer out of its pan, peel off the parchment and place it over the frosted cake layer. Spread the remaining frosting evenly over the top and sides of the cake.

Coarsely chop the candied peanuts and sprinkle them over the top of the cake.

Phewww that was a long one! hehehe.. enjoy the recipe.. bake it for ur special one and to hubs.. take it easy eventho u hv full on meetings.. see ya soon and honestly?? i hate being left behind.. yikes!!

Daily cake - Hokkaido chiffon cake with vanilla custard

noreply@blogger.com (Rima) — Thu, 03 Jan 2013 01:00:00 +0000

We're on the 3rd day in the year of 2013.. Sonia started school today.. shes super excited abt it and couldnt stop talking abt it yesterday... she misses her friends and cant wait to see em... i guess right now .. shes having her break and I can imagine her mouth munching on sandwiches and talking at the same time hahaha

My cough is not getting any better.. it was better bef we went to USS last weekend.. err did i tell ya that we were there again? Sonia had a blast.. that girl hehehe.. shes just like me... we love wild rides!!! i think she must hv ridden on that dragon roller coaster for like 8 times!! hehehe.. anyway yesterday, I started to cough again.. hubs on the other hand is still coughing away .. his body is a little weak and planning to see his doc again later for antibiotics :o(

Alrighty.. since i didnt hv to send Sonia to school yesterday.. i decided to bake my family's fav cake and also prepared Beef Lasagna for my boys... not an expensive version of beef lasagna but a simplified one... Prego pasta sauce, instant lasagna sheets, minced meat, mushroom soup with half a cup of double cream, chilli flakes, all the dry herbs that i hv in my pantry and 4 packets of shredded mozzarella cheese.. easy peasy... as for the hokkaido chiffon cake... recipe is fm Hearty Bakes.. Love it!!

Hokkaido Chiffon Cupcakes (22 cuppies)
Ingredients:
(A)
4 Yolks
70g Sugar

(B)
2g Salt
drops of Vanilla Essence

(C)
80ml Milk
60ml Corn oil

(D)
135g Flour (i used Cake Flour)
4g Baking powder

(E)
6 Whites
50g Sugar

Method:
♥ Preheat oven 180°C
♥ Arrange paper cups on baking tray
♥ Hand whisk (A) till pale in colour.
♥ Add (B)
♥ Follow by (C). Whisk till combined
♥ Sieve in (D). Stir till well-mixed.
♥ Whisk whites till foamy, add sugar. Whisk till medium peak.
♥ Take 1/3 whites fold in with yolk mixture.
♥ follow by folding in the rest of white
♥ scope batter into pre-arranged paper cups about three-quarter filled
♥ baking time est. 20-25mins. - i used 170C and bake it for 18mins)

As for the filling... i am using vanilla custard cream which i hv been using since 2011 hehe.. err except i added a cup of whipped double cream . gulp - guilty as charged!!

Vanilla custard

3 egg yolks

1 / 4 cup sugar

1 stick vanilla bean

1 cup UHT milk

15gr corn flour

1 tbsp Salted butter

Method

1. Mix the egg yolks, sugar, corn flour, stir until well blended and pale yellow in color.

2. Heat the milk and vanilla bean until almost boiling, remove vanilla bean, pour half of the boiled milk into the beaten egg + sugar + corn flour, stir, then pour back into remaining milk , reheat, stirring constantly until custard thickens, remove from fire, add butter, stir until well blended, let it cool/leave it in ur fridge. With ur stand mixer, whisk a cup of double cream till soft/med peak.. add in cold vanilla custard.. mix well bef putting into piping bag.