Bisous À Toi

Thursday - Framboise Lemon Cheesecake

noreply@blogger.com (Rima) — Thu, 16 Feb 2012 15:20:00 +0000

You love em... U hate em but by the end of the day.. U still wanna spend ur entire life with them.. Yes I am talking abt my better half.. Am not blogging abt valentines day for both of us think that all this big hu ha is just a commercial spinner.. Heavy price tag be it when ur eating out... Flowers especially n I will try to stay away fm gng to the florist during valentines.. I am only saying what's going on in my head for this morning he pissed me off.. Grrr.. Again.. U love em... U hate em.... Honestly he keeps me on my feet all the time n I hv no time to ponder over little things.. Things that will make me feel upset is the first thing to go.. So after tons of "whatever" SMS n long hrs of silent treatment.. We called it even hahaha..

As u guys already know.. I am a sucker for pretty things n often get carried away when it comes to "toy" shops.. My kind which involve baking things.. Lately i am so into plates that now I hv to hv a shelf especially for my photo props.. I don't even wanna think how I am gonna store all these things if we do move to a condo or to a 2 storey hse.. This townhouse is no joke when it comes to house cleaning.. So having said that.. Lemme talk abt this cheesecake... Ohhhh I love pretty things...

Framboise Lemon Cheesecake... First saw it on Kat Suletzk site.. Fell in love with her cheesecake n got on it late last night.. Didn't take long bef it's ready.. I used my fav food processor that hubs got me a year ago (love u babe!) throughout the procedure n tonight we had it for dessert... Superb taste n perfect for ur loved ones.. I subbed cranberry for raspberry simply bec that's what I have in my freezer.. Will definitely be baking it again!

Ingredients

for the crust:

6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

3 tablespoons sugar

pinch of salt

1 cup chocolate wafer crumbs - I used coffee biscuit Marie hehe

(I used Nabisco Famous Chocolate Wafer; you can also use Oreos, minus the filling)

for the filling:

12 oz cream cheese, softened

1/3 cup plus 2 tablespoons sour cream

1 egg

1/2 cup sugar

1 teaspoon lemon extract

zest from 1 lemon, very fine

for the cranberry sauce:

2 cups fresh or frozen cranberries - i used raspberries

1 cup sugar

4 tablespoons lemon juice

2 teaspoons corn starch, mixed with 2 tablespoons cold water

Directions

First, make your crust, as it will need to be completely cool before filing. Preheat oven to 350F. Prepare an 8″ springform pan with baking spray. In a medium work bowl, combine melted butter, sugar, salt and crumbs in a bowl. Press into the bottom and 1 1/2 inches up the sides of an 8-inch springform pan and bake for 15 minutes. Let cool completely on a wire rack. Lower oven temperature to 280F.

In the meantime, make your cranberry sauce. In a medium saucepan, combine cranberries, sugar and lemon juice and let cranberries simmer on low heat for 15 minutes, until most of them pop and fall apart. Strain over a wire sieve, pushing most of the solids through, but catching seeds and skins. You should have a thin liquid. Return to cleaned saucepan and reheat to a simmer. Add corn starch slurry and once to a low boil, it should thicken slightly. Remove from heat and let cool.

To make the filling, using your food processor, process the cream cheese until smooth. Add the sour cream, egg, sugar, lemon extract and lemon zest and process again until smooth and fully combined.

Wrap the outside of the pan with a double layer of foil. (The cake bakes in a water bath, and doing this will help keep water from seeping into the cake as it cooks.) Pour 1/4 cup of the cranberry sauce over the crust and spread evenly with a spoon or offset spatula. Then pour the cream cheese filling over the base until not quite the height of the side crust. Carefully giggle the pan to even out the top. Fill cranberry sauce into a squeeze bottle with a tiny tip and begin to pipe small circles in a swirl pattern over cheesecake (larger dots on the outside, smaller as you go inward). Take a toothpick or sharp pointy knife and beginning with the center circle, run the toothpick through the center of each heart (don’t lift the toothpick out until you finish the last circle).

Create a water bath by placing the cake tin in a slightly larger roasting pan or baking dish. Carefully pour hot water halfway up the sides of the springform. Bake at 280F for a little over an hour, until the edges look set but the center jiggles slightly. Let cool on a rack, then cover and refrigerate for several hours before serving.

Wednesday - Bolu Gulung Pisang Ambon

noreply@blogger.com (Rima) — Wed, 15 Feb 2012 15:53:00 +0000

I know its late to be wishing everyone happy mid week nevertheless am glad i got thru it.. managed to settle two orders.. ty Dewi and also Azimah for the macs orders.. managed to reply to all my emails (Shikin if ur reading this.. can u pls email me again cos my reply got bounced back).. managed to send out (with the help of hubs of cos) all the mac sheets that were handcarried fm Barcelona.. Alhamdullilah..

I am still waiting for another shipment that will arrive end of Feb.. to those that inquired abt mac sheets.. i will notify once its back in stock.. ty to all that hv bought thru my store..

Anyway besides my mundane day to day thingy.. there is not much else to talk abt.. Sonia is getting much more "loud" ever since she started schooling.. yesterday i got a surprised fm her.. she came home with a flowers which she had handcrafted fm a cut up egg tray (will take a photo of it tomorrow).. she painted it and stuck it into a Styrofoam cup and bef she handed it to me.. she said this to me.. happy 'vantine' day mama... awwww how sweet..

This swiss roll was baked yesterday night.. i had like 3 almost expired bananas sitting in my kitchen.. went thru a few banana cake recipes and decided to gv this recipe a try.. the cake itself is so soft and nice .. i thought by adding spekkeok powder the aroma wud be overwhelming but i was wrong.. hubs likes it alot especially when he realised that i used nutella as filling :o)

Ingredients

(A)

4 eggs

80g palm sugar

20g sugar

1 tsp cake emulsifier

(B)

80g flour

10g milk powder

10g corn flour

1 tbsp spekkoek powder - i used 1/2 tbsp

(C)

50 g margarine, melted - i used butter

1 pc pisang Ambon - mashed - i used 3 pcs of bananas.. err dont know the type hehe

(D)

4 tbsp chocolate buttercream - i used nutella

Method

Whisk ingredients (A) until thick..

Add in sifted (B) and stir

Add in melted (C) and stir again till well combined

Pour batter into ur greased pan (20x30cm).. (dont forget to use baking paper ok)

Bake it in preheated oven of 200C for 15mins

Once baked.. turn ur tray immediately.. spread chocolate buttercream and roll em.. tighten it and wrap with baking paper.. chill it bef slicing it..

Note: I used two trays to get two types of swiss roll.. thick and thinner type.. u can choose which one u like or just stick to the size that was recommended by Bu Fatma Bahalwan.

Source: NCC - Bu Fatma Bahalwan

Monday - Steamed Brownies

noreply@blogger.com (Rima) — Mon, 13 Feb 2012 15:31:00 +0000

Monday blues?? I dont even wanna start how my day was like.. i got home.. i baked mac shells.. i tried out a new recipe.. did my laundry.. marinated my chicken and bef i knew it..its time to fetch hubs.. in fact i got there close to half past 6.. got home in time for magrib.. plonged my chicken in the oven. had dinner.. continued with laundry and thank goodness i dont hv to think abt housework for we did our Sunday cleaning yesterday.. Lisa .. i know ur reading this.. come back soon ok!! am kaput!

Steamed Brownies.. not supposed to be in cuppies .. i am constantly on the go so cuppies can be a hassle.. so i dumped my batter into a my mould and guess what?? my cake got stuck.. arghhh i thought i greased it! thank goodness i only used half of my batter for it.. by the end of the day.. i had to settle with steamed brownies in cuppies.. blahhhh

Ingredients
(A)
4 eggs
150g sugar
1 tsp emulsifier
1/2 tsp salt

(B)
100g all purpose flour
25g cocoa powder - i used cocoa berry

(C)
100g margarine - i used butter
60g dark cooking chocolate - i used cocoa berry
1 tbsp black forest paste

Method
Heat ur steamer
Melt butter and add into dark chocolate.. stir till melt bef adding in black forest paste - set aside
Using a stand mixer.. whisk eggs, sugar, emulsifier and also salt till thick and fluffy.
Add in sifted flour and cocoa powder and stir till combined
Add in melted chocolate/butter and continue to stir
Pipe batter into desire mould
Steam it using med fire for 20mins if ur using cuppies like mine.

Source: Fatma Bahalwan

Weekend with parents...

noreply@blogger.com (Rima) — Sun, 12 Feb 2012 15:08:00 +0000

I am blessed to be able to see the world.. blessed to be able to taste some of the food fm other cultures BUT nothing compares to this side of my world.. Truely Asia ahaks

I missed eating seafood while in Europe.. well there is lots of stuff that i was missing nevertheless i got what i wanted this week... Black Pepper Crab! yumms!

Enjoy the pics!

Of cos to Nr "6 Corner Seafood" @ Senibong!

It was still a little early when we got there and we managed to got a sit outside...

Hehe.. hubs taking pics of their ever so friendly staff...

Credit shud be given to hubs for taking this pic!

.... and this one too ahaks..

Smileeee

Krabben...

Shes feeling all good now .. Alhamdullilah...

Mom and dad kept on telling us not to order lots.. i ordered lots simply bec both hubs and i were hungry and guess what... we managed to finish em all (with the "not hungry" folks eating at least half!).. burpppp hehe

.... again credit shud be given to hubs.. clap clap clap :op

One satisfied customer ("....Mami tak lapar lah..." hahahaha) ..

... yes again credit shud be given to hubs .. why?? cos his wifey was too busy dissecting her crabs hahaha

Lenotre Coffee Macaroons

noreply@blogger.com (Rima) — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 04:50:00 +0000

My little princess is down with flu and a little feverish.. well when i picked her up fm school yesterday she was already a little cranky.. dont know where she got it fm but i am nursing her today.. so far its under control cos we had all her medication prepared bef we went to Europe.. She's still playing n talking n dancing and and and hehe

So that means no school and mama got her much needed sleep.. am feeling all high today.. its friday.. i am fully rested and i plan to do spring cleaning and also bake another round of macs later..

Ahhh talking abt macs.. i hv been baking macs for the past 2 days.. been trying out Lenotre recipe and also comparing it with the recipe that i hv always been using.. two different kinda textures.. while mine i call it 'fragile'.. Lenotre shell is much more stable.. both french method and i love it - this one in particular..

I followed everything that was taught.. all the tips that was given even down to the temp that was recommended.. alhamdulillah.. i managed to get it right and guess what.. not only did I manage to bake it using my mastrad mac sheets.. i also managed to bake it on a new brand of mac sheets that i am planning to bring into my store..

Can u see the tiny coffee grains? love it!

U see I received lots of emails asking me if i am able to find a smaller mac sheet to fit into smaller ovens... well mastrad only brings in a standard size.. while in Europe i found another brand that is smaller in size.. instead of 57 ridge per mac sheets.. this one has 48 ridge per mac sheets.. size is the same as ur typical silpat mat.. mat is slightly thicker than mastrad mac sheets and its brown in colour.. so yeah.. i will most probably try to bring this product in since i hv test run it yesterday..

Coffee macarons with coffee buttercream... remember what i said abt macs and buttercream fillings?? well well.. look whos been putting macs after macs in her mouth yesterday lol... Lenotre coffee buttercream is to die for... their recipe is totally different and i must say it goes really really well with their mac shells... makes it all worth ur time attending their class..

So ok.. Am gonna attempt their chocolate macs and also vanilla macs today.. now .. hmmm ... where did i put my vanilla bean that i got fm Barca...

Hv a great weekend everyone.. am returning this lovely camera back to the owner... hv to go and get myself one soon for its been fun playing around with Timo's gadget! cough cough hahaha

Cinnamon Swirl Buttermilk Pound Cake

noreply@blogger.com (Rima) — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 00:19:00 +0000

I heard fm a tweety bird that LISA magazine has featured four more recipes fm my blog in their Feb 1 publication.. bef it gets out of hand.. like bef.. lemme clarify something that only the photos belong to me.. recipes are not mine of cos.. i get them fm several sources and credits have been given in the respective posts in my blog.. I will gv my thanks again once i get the pdf attachment fm LISA magazine yah... ty Atiqah for giving Bisousatoi another slot in this month's magazine!

Oh...and I hv read a very interesting article in regards to recipe copying from David Lebowitz...

So ok.. hows the week so far?? wkend is near and i cant wait for it.. to be honest.. I am exhausted and i need my beauty sleep at night... am just glad that Sonia is back on track..

Talking abt Sonia.. she got her first bday invitation fm her classmate hehe.. this year i dont feel like giving her a bday bash.. dont ask me why tho.. my mind cant even work properly right now.. Hairi on the other hand got his result slip and he passed all subjects eventho he complained to us that his Physics paper was super difficult.. anyway Alhamdullilah.. Congrats dear son... i know u will pull thru!

Anyway lets talk abt this super duper moist pound cake..when Shirley mentioned that Tish Boyle claims that this cake is a 'sure fire bake sale hit' .. i had to bake it too ... ohhhhh i love pound cake so so much.. this one is so much more moist then Tish Boyle's perfectly pound cake that i had baked bef our Europe trip.. i guess any cake that has buttermilk as ingredient will naturally produce a moist cake.. the cinnamon streusel adds another twist to this cake.. yummeh!!

Cinnamon Swirl Buttermilk Pound Cake

Recipe : (From Tish Boyle's The Cake Book)

Cinnamon Streusel Swirl

1/2 cup (60g) All purpose flour

1/3 cup (72g) Firmly packed light brown sugar

1/4 tsp Ground Cinnamon

Pinch of salt

3 tbsp(42g)Unsalted butter - melted

Buttermilk Pound Cake

2 cups (242g) All purpose flour

1/2 cup (57g) Cake flour

1 tsp Baking powder

1/4 tsp Baking soda

1/4 tsp Salt

1/8 tsp Ground cardamom - didnt add

1cup (227g) Unsalted butter, softened

2 cups (400g) Castor sugar (I used 380g)

3 large Eggs

2 tsp Vanilla Extract

1 tsp Finely grated orange zest

1cup (240ml) Butter Milk

Method :

1. Preheat oven to 170C / 325F. If using a bundt pan, grease the inside of a 10inch bundt pan with butter and dust it with flour. I used a loaf pan and lined it with baking paper and two mini bundt pans

2. In a small bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients of the Cinnamon swirl. Add the melted butter and stir until blended and crumbly.

3. Sift together the flours, baking powder, baking soda, salt and cardamom into a medium bowl. Whisk to combine and set aside.

4. Using a paddle attachment, cream butter for 2 mins at medium speed in a mixer until very creamy. (2mins) Gradually add in the sugar and continue beating at medium high speed until pale and light. (4mins)

5. At medium speed, add in eggs one at a time and mix to incorporate eggs well.

6. Add vanilla extract and orange zest. Add in the flour in 3 portions, alternating it with milk (2 additions). Mix until just combined.

7. Scrape half of the batter into the prepared pan and smooth it into an even layer. Sprinkle the streusel mixture evenly over the batter. Scrape the remaining batter on top and smooth it into an even layer.

8. Bake the cake for 65 to 75mins, until the cake tester inserted into the center comes out clean.

9. Cool the cake for 15 mins before turing out the cake to cool completely.

Ok peeps..I am gonna order my Caramel Latte now.. ty again to Shirley for sharing this wonderful recipe.. cheerios!

I have fallen in love again with a Skinny Tart on the side...

noreply@blogger.com (Rima) — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 23:15:00 +0000

WITH

Photo courtesy of flickrhivemind.net

All photos abv were taken with Timo's Canon 7D with a Canon 17-55mm f2.8 IS USM lens

Urghhh.. decisions.. decisions.. now for this super simple non fussy .. sort of healthy dessert recipe... do it to impress ur guests.. do it when ur running out of time .. cos this dessert is the simplest that i hv ever prepared...

Ingredients

80g (3oz) butter, melted and cooled, plus extra for greasing

270g (10oz) shop-bought filo pastry

4 tbsp apricot jam

500g (1lb 2oz) low-or no fat Greek yoghurt

2 tbsp honey

Seeds of 1 vanilla pod or 2 drops of vanilla extract

Small bunch of black seedless grapes, halved

Bunch of redcurrants

1 dragon fruit, peeled and cubed

2 large figs, quartered

12-hole muffin tin or cupcake tin

Method

- Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F), Gas Mark 4 with the middle shelf ready. Grease the muffin or cupcake tin well.

- Cut the filo pastry into squares that are big enough to fit into the muffin holes and hang over the sides a little. Brush each piece of filo with lots of melted butter to stop them from burning in the oven, then push a filo square into a hole and add another filo square, you will need to layer up 3–4 pieces. Repeat until you have 8 holes filled

(You can go to youtube on how to do pastry basket except i used alot more melted butter hehehe)

- Place the filo cases into the oven for 5 minutes or so, giving them time to crisp up. Once they look golden brown and crispy remove them from the oven and leave to cool for 10 minutes or so. Remove them from the muffin tray and place them on serving dishes. I always tend to break at least one when I take them out!

- Put the jam in a small pan and heat gently until warm.

- Mix the Greek yoghurt, honey and vanilla together in a bowl then place a good dollop into each pastry case. Now divide the fruit among the tartlets, piling it up high. Brush with the warm apricot jam to make a shiny glaze and serve.

(I used thick and creamy passionfruits yogurt in some of my skinny tart too!)

You can also decorate with a sprig of fresh mint, or get creative with some raspberry jam thinned and well mixed with some water and drizzle it on the plate for a touch of old-school food glamour.

Recipe taken from Baking Made Easy by Lorraine Pascale

Back to reality - Buttermilk Scones

noreply@blogger.com (Rima) — Sun, 05 Feb 2012 17:43:00 +0000

Salam Maulidur Rasul to all Muslim.. I had wanted to update earlier but was caught up with disposing our Christmas tree.. hehe u see Lisa was supposed to come by every week to clean our place while we were in Europe (and that included disposing off our tree) but something urgent happened and she had to fly back to Philippines for a month.. the first thing that came across our mind was our cat Sasha and also our fishes.. had wanted to ask mom for help but didnt want to bother her with stuff so finally had to call sis Wati... so ty dear sista for ur help! i appreciate it very much...

So anyway .. yes we are back home safely.. Alhamdullilah.. while in the plane fm Frankfurt to sg lots came into my mind.. i couldnt sleep and i wasnt in the mood to watch any other movie except Tintin.. my mind began to wonder abt all the three places that we had visited on this trip.. each place holds great memories.. Freiburg was all new to me.. i hv visited Frankfurt, Bremen, Cologne and also Duesseldorf bef and to be able to visit another city which i hv not been to before was just awesome..

France holds many memories between us as family... honestly it helped us strengthen our relationship as a family and to see Hairi and Sonia hanging out 24/7 is just so cool.. now besides all the shopping and also the visit to Disneyland.. the best momory that i got to take home with me was the macaron class that i attended in Lenotre Paris... not even any designer bag would give me this kinda satisfaction.. it was an eye opener for me... to bring home knowledge is just awesome.. To spend the weekend with the wonderful Bachmann family again was also precious... they always make it a point to show us something new and are always so accommodating!

Barcelona.. well lots of good and bad memories.. lets just say 80% good.. am not complaining.. am still considering if i shud stick to semi pro or wud i be wasting my money buying a pro camera.. afterall i am still a beginner in food photography .. so we will see..

Okie lemme just share with u this wonderful scones recipe fm Tartine Cookbook.... Who doesnt like the smell of freshly baked scones? i know for sure i am addicted to scones.. while in Europe i kept on having scones fm starbucks while sonia got addicted to their hot chocolate and donut with chocolate glazing.. its euuwww i know but who cares abt gaining any weight when ur on hols.. right? :op Baked these scones at 4:30am in the morning and its worth it! These scones were flaky and crunchy and perfect with homemade jam - just the way i want it to be..

Buttermilk Scones
(adapted from Tartine by Elisabeth Prueitt and Chad Robertson)

- makes 8 medium sized scones -

Ingredients
340 g flour
3/4 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. baking soda
50 g sugar
1/4 tsp. salt
125 g butter, cold and cut into small cubes
190 ml buttermilk
1 tsp. of grated lemon zest
50 g dried currants, soaked in hot water for about 10 minutes, and drained

2 tbsp. of melted butter
demerara sugar, for dusting - i used demerara brown sugar for dusting.. yumms!

Direction

Preheat the oven to 200°C (400°F) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Sift the flour, baking powder and baking soda into a mixing bowl. Add the sugar and salt and mix together.

Add the butter and carefully cut the butter into the flour using a pastry blender (you can also use your hands if they are really cold). The mixture should be coarse with pea sized pieces of butter.

Add the buttermilk, lemon zest and currants all at once and mix gently with a wooden spoon until the dough just holds together. Don't overwork the dough, you should still see pieces of butter to achieve a flaky texture for the scones.

Dust your work surface with flour and place the dough onto it. Shape the dough into a circle approximately 3.5 cm (1-1/2 inches) thick. Cut into 8 triangles pieces (like cake slices).

Transfer them onto the prepared baking sheet and brush the tops with the melted butter. Sprinkle with demerara (or brown) sugar.

Bake the scones for about 25 to 30 minutes, until the tops are lightly browned. Serve warm.

Papa is always so tense whenever Sonia starts to run around.. my wise word to hubs - "chill ok"

Last but not least.. this was how full our cab was to the airport.. the cab driver had to drive in this manner cos his cab was fully loaded with all four of us in the back and a full load of stuff in his boot and front seat and front armrest lol.. we checked in 7 pcs of luggage (5 of them at +23kg and a booster seat and stroller!) and tks to Sonia who began to count her numbers in german while we checked in.. we got away with no excess bagagge! So ok.. i will try to go to bed now... having probs since the first night and i hv to get up early to send Sonia to school... arghhh i feel like going on a hols again!

Hv a good Monday peeps and Guten Appetit!

Muchas Gracias Barcelona!

noreply@blogger.com (Rima) — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 23:25:00 +0000

Time: 12:05am
Weather: 6 deg - raining
Vanue: Barcelona, Spain
Mood: Am feeling at ease...
Peak Agenda: Our luggages are packed... we will be flying back home tmrw evening...

So for the past two days my time was well spent with my kids... we went shopping.. i took Sonia to the playground.. took her to the supermarket.. on the whole.. i managed to spend my time with my kids... hubs got home just bef midnight.. while he was in Milan something else happened... he didnt manage to hire a car there for some reason .. they said our Sg driving licence is not recognised.. (apakah??!!) - we didnt hv any probs hiring a car in Rome tho! he had to quickly find a solution since it was already super late.. he caught the last shuttle bus to Milan city... managed to catch the last train (non express) to his destination.. got into that train with 5mins to spare and bef he knew it.. hes on his way to Brescia (about 150km from Milan).. poor hubs... he later told me that someone up there is really looking after him after what had happened to us on this trip...

Anyway after all that.. we managed to spend our last day in Barcelona doing our last min shopping.. everywhere in Europe right now is having sales.. its like the great singapore sale here so u can imagine how we shopped lol.. hubs got what he wanted... i got what i wanted.. hairi got more than what he wanted and my little princess.. well lets just say.. she got a whole wardrobe revamp ahaks..

Okies.. thats it... i guess i will not be blogging tmrw since we hv to vacate this apartment by 11am... i will see everyone back in Singapore ... Insyallah

Oh bef i go.. i managed to secure another 30 more pcs of mac sheets and am expecting my shipment by end of Feb... cheers!

The weather was so so lovely when hubs was away... today was bad .. it rained non stop but that didnt deter us fm doing our last min shopping hehe

Wet weather! Along Paseo de Gracia (Zara on the left, Massimo Dutti on the right).. I can never get enough of Barcelona! Love it!

Took Sonia to the playground which is just behind our apartment..

Last shot in Barcelona - err i mean.. last shot for Hairi to shop till he drops hehe (and in case anybody is wondering: The prices (sales) in Barcelona are better than any other city in Europe right now - cos the economy here is currently REALLY bad)...

Missing....

noreply@blogger.com (Rima) — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 22:10:00 +0000

This morning I woke up earlier than usual and decided to take my kids for a walk near our apartment because the weather was so beautiful.. grabbed my phone and took a picture to capture that beautiful feeling. I am missing my SLR camera, but what to do ey.. i used to think it isn’t always practical to carry it around with me but i realised today that the only way for me to hv that feeling is to hv my SLR with me.. its so perfect for capturing those moments when you just have to photograph something! alas.. I am missing my fav SLR and lens... I am such a whiner!

Weekend in Barcelona...

noreply@blogger.com (Rima) — Sat, 28 Jan 2012 22:12:00 +0000

Time: 11:05pm - Saturday
Weather: 10 deg - partly cloudy
Vanue: Barcelona, Spain
Mood: Feel like baking!

Peak Agenda: Its weekend which means hubs is around to take us out.. tmrw hes flying to Dusseldorf and will fly back fm Milan on tuesday night.. I am the captain fm tmrw onwards.. spending time with my kids is really something that i look forward to..

Soo we got into Barcelona safely.. we were running a little late that day and when we got into Barcelona.. hubs realized that he had left his mobile phone at Radisson hotel.. called up the hotel and they found it.. lucky him! got into the rental car that hubs had booked.. he felt uncomfy in that car.. got it changed to Audi and got into the apartment without any hassle.. tks to GPS ey! hubs later went to his first meeting and i was left to unpack all the bags when i realized that my beloved camera bag was no where to be seen.. cant call hubs since his phone was still in Paris.. so had to wait till he got back at night and by the time he called Europcar .. they said the previous car had been rented out.. grrr - the rest is history..

I managed to go thru that frustration and cursing phase.. (thanks to all my readers who took the time to leave all the kind words.. i appreciate it very very much) the word "if only" was constantly being spoken in every conversation i had with my family nevertheless i know things happen for a reason.. last year in Barcelona.. someone stole Sonia's Ipad and this year.. someone stole my beloved camera.. the camera that took me to where i am right now.. taking pics of my loved ones.. taking pics of the places that i hv been.. taking pics of my bakes is something that i really like to do.. never in my right mind did i think i wud willingly lug around a bulky camera.. ahhh well... am not gonna dwell over it.. we made a police report and thats it..

Anywayyy.. yesterday we didnt do much.. we hv been walking non stop.. u know barcelona is equal to walking right?? i also managed to buy a few more mac sheets and at the same time managed to buy fleur del sel that i am planning to sell in my store.. so keep a look out yah.. i guess i will be looking for boxes to handcarry everything.. wish me luck! oh and thank you to all that hv bought their mac sheets.. will send it out once i am back week after next.. :o)

Ok i got to go.. i hv to do laundry.. tmrw morning .. ahem if everyone is awake by 9am.. i wud love to take Hairi on a little mini tour.. hv a good sunday you all!

Sonia who is constantly up to something... she cant keep still even while her Abang is trying out shoes.. oh talking abt shopping.. u dont want to know how long Hairi takes each time he tries on something.. be it clothing or shoes.. i am seeing the all new - vain - side of my son lol... hubs bought him practically everything that he touches! geeeshhh

La Rambla walkway.. i blogged abt this area last year while in Barcelona.. u meet all kinda ppl fm all walks of life here!

A visit to La Rambla market "La Boqueria" is a must in every way.. the coffee here is to die for... i craved for it when i went back to Singapore last year.. i got my dosage yesterday eventho i had to wait for half an hr just to get a table!

Sonia = chocolates = cheese - she loves em all...

The berries... oh my.. they look so fresh that i ended up buying lots plus who wouldnt pay 1 euro for berries.. maybe i can whip up something tmrw?? hmmm

Hehehe.. each time Hairi walks pass it he will pinch his nose and run away :op (Its air dried cured Ham also called Serrano Ham)

Kuala Lumpur?? my heart jumped when i saw the sign.. was hoping i cud find Mee Rebus in there muahahaha - but no this shop sells cheap souvenirs - i buy all my halal meat fm one of the lanes off La Rambla.. so far i hv been there twice .. very hard to find but the moment we walked in the shop the owner cried out and greeted hubs as he remembered him from the last time... he has now expanded: across the small lane he now has a burger shop - where we promptly had our lunch :)

The moment she saw this lion statue she said.. "mama.. remember this lion? remember bibik Silvia?!" - err (in my heart - NOPE!)

Ahuh.. work it girl! hehe (behind Sonia is the Rambla del Mar boardwalk with the leisure craft harbour and right at the back the Mare Magnum shopping center)

Enjoy video budak yg poteng school hehe

Stolen Camera - Macaron sheets available

noreply@blogger.com (Rima) — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 23:27:00 +0000

Picture from google.com

Rima is in no mood to post - Mr Rima posting on her behalf.

As you can see, this post has no pictures. We have no more camera...

We had taken our rental car and I wasn't happy with it even before driving out of the rental car compound. We swapped cars and luggage. In that process we left the camera bag in the previous car.

When we realized and called back 3 hours later, the rental car company said:

The car has been rented and we will call the current hirer to check. - No we did not touch the car after you vacated it as after all there was no need to clean it. We simply gave the key to the next owner and he will return the car tomorrow (26th Jan) by 6pm and we will see.

Today they rang back and said: Sorry, there was no camera in the car.

So I guess the camera was stolen. Either by a rental car employee or by the hirer. Until we get a new camera - obviously not buying one in Europe - no pictures from Rima...

As for the photos we took at Disneyland... all gone :(

ON A POSITIVE NOTE: Rima found a supplier of Mastrad Macaron sheets here who has agreed to the pricing she wants - so that means with CONFIRMED orders from the online store latest by Tuesday 31st January, Rima will buy and handcarry the mac sheets back to Singapore. So it's a one time opportunity if you want mac sheets until Rima figures out how to get the supply to Singapore going again... the link to the Macaron Sheets in her store is:

http://store.bisousatoi.com/Macaron_Baking_Sheets/p739524_3455112.aspx

Dont forget that all other items are at almost half price as the local agent has given up this business!

...ok...now back to consoling Rima again.....

Weekend with the Bachmanns - updated

noreply@blogger.com (Rima) — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 22:35:00 +0000

Time: 12.11am
Weather: 6 deg
Vanue: Radisson Blu Hotel
Mood: Sleepy
Peak Agenda: Euro Disney and La Vallee Factory Outlet

We have an early flight to catch.. so cant stay long.. I hv to get up at 4am and i promise that i will update and write captions when i am settled in Barcelona.. enjoy the photos folks! Pictures were taken in Deauville and in Honfleur on the Normandie Coast...

Deauville (pronounced: [do.vil]) is a commune in the Calvados département in the Basse-Normandie region in northwestern France.

With its racecourse, harbour, international film festival, marinas, conference centre, villas, Grand Casino and sumptuous hotels, Deauville is regarded as the "queen of the Norman beaches" and one of the most prestigious seaside resorts in all of France. Closest seaside when coming from Paris, the city and the nearby region of the Côte Fleurie (Flowers Coast) has long been home to French high society's seaside houses and is often referred to as the Parisian riviera. Since the 19th century, the town of Deauville has been a fashionable holiday resort for the international upper class.^[1] Deauville is also a desired wealthy family resort. In France, it is known perhaps above all for its role in Proust's In Search of Lost Time. - Wikipedia

What Dauville is famous for is their Casinos and also the Festival du Cinema Americain. This festival held since 1975 promotes American big budget and independent films. So every year you see like likes of George Clooney, Brad Pitt, Angelina Jolie etc turning up for some R&R during this event.

Interestingly too, many rich Jewish French seem to have made Dauville their second home outside of Paris for week-end getaways and also summer retreats. A lot of money is spent there and as such many high street brands have outlets here.

Promenade des Plances - these are beach closets (used in the 50s and 60s as change rooms by the rich) which have names of famous American actors and movie makers on them who have visited Dauville.

I remember so clearly that it was one of the coldest days that I hv ever encountered.. my ears were painful.. my brain felt as tho i got brain freeze.. yikes! Sonia on the other hand felt all good.. dont know why.. hmmmm

Very wide beach and really nice houses...

Part of the Casino on the right (the white building)... next to it the Hotel Normandy Barriere - one of the most expensive Hotel in Dauville (which allows dogs)... which I still don't understand. Why do Europeans travel with their animals on holidays and why do (many) hotels allow that?!

LV store - nope didnt get anything fm here - it was closed...

Hermes - nope .. cant afford to buy one hahaha BUT i finally bought myself a Venessa Bruno bag hehe

Front entrance of the Normandy Barriere

Sonia and kakak Solenn.. shes our official baby sitter in France ahaks

City Hall

Taking the coastal route from Dauville to Honfleur

Honfleur is one of the oldest Ports in France. First mention of it was in 1027. Many famous explorers came from Honfleur; Quebec (Canada) was founded by a Honfelurais (in 1608). It was an important port until Le Havre (across the Seine mouth) opened up. What you see above is the Vieux Bassin.

The beautiful old building - many made of wood - surrounding the Vieux Bassin

Mr and Mademoiselle Bachmann.... (thinking of doing something naughty to Mrs Bachmann eh...)

Again the Vieux Bassin with la Lieutenance (Building) in the background. It was the home of the former Governor of Honfleur and from 1684 to 1789 was the home of the Lieutenant of the King.

I think hubby bought this boat to sail around the world...

Vero took me to Metro - a wholesale center.. u hv to be a member to get into it and their store only has huge shopping carts which i think is a little over the top cos really how on earth are u gonna push around a huge cart .. anyway i managed to buy what i wanted.. my luggage is full of chocolate right now and nope i didnt get that huge nutella... we dont want hubs to gv me that look right?? :op

... a woman can only dream of this kinda house huhu

Lenotre Macaron Class

noreply@blogger.com (Rima) — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 10:25:00 +0000

Bonjour! I figured I better update my blog bef we drive to Marne La Vallee (home of Disneyland Paris).

Its sunny and today's weather looks promising.. lets hope it will stay this way till we get there.. soooooo bef we flew to Europe.. hubs had surprised me with a piece of paper that he had printed out.. a paper that stated that he had booked me into a Macaron class at LENOTRE.. I was ecstatic of cos... never in my life wud I have imagined attending a baking class in Paris.. I hv never attended any baking classes before and to hv my first ever baking lesson in Paris was just awesome... the class was in English and French but it didnt deter me fm learning .. i understood Chef Gilles Maisonneueve anyway..

It was a 3 hrs lesson.. nothing new to me but to see diff techniques.. diff ways and to learn a few tips fm the Chef was priceless..

Pavillion Elysee Lenotre on the Champs-Elysees (what a location!) - the main restaurant cum a cooking academy next to it..

Macarons... whats with this tiny winy dessert that attracts ppl fm all over the world? the cuteness? the taste? the difficulty to bake em perhaps?? to those that hv baked it.. u shud know the feeling when ur first batch came out perfect.. the feeling is just so so magical and when u finally get to say "YES!!" and see urself jumping up and down in ur kitchen... u know u hv hit the jackpot lol

Our Pastry teacher .. Chef Gilles... hes funny and will answer to just abt any question that u ask...

The students.. there were seven of us ... most were Parisians.. err well except me and this lady in black.. shes Swiss..

The class started almost immediately and bef i knew it i was deep into it... to be able to see it hands on is priceless!

The Chef passed me the piping bag after he did a few and suddenly commented: "I think u have done this before... how about I pay u and u help me conduct the classes in future - excellent!"... (RED FACE)..... :P

Fresh out of the oven..

Drying process...

He taught us to do three types of fillings.. chocolate ganache, coffee buttercream, vanilla buttercream and also salted caramel.

Explaining a couple of things bef we got to do our own macarons.. we got to whip the egg white.. we got to do the macaronage ... we got to pipe em and we got to bake em ourselves...

Piping fillings...

.... and munching on em hehehe

The end product... we each got to bring home a box full of macarons... i think there were almost 30pcs in each box...

The whole experience was simply awesome to me and i will definitely want to do it again!

Okies.. i guess i will continue with my Paris post when i get to the home of Disneyland...

I am back - City of Love

noreply@blogger.com (Rima) — Sun, 22 Jan 2012 22:00:00 +0000

Time: 10:33pm

Weather: No rain (10 - 12 deg)

Vanue: Paris

Mood: Tired... were at the beach earlier today.. had a long day..

Peak Agenda: Oh gosh too many things to write that i dont even hv any peak agenda anymore...

First thing first.. Gong Xi Fa Cai! to all my fellow readers celebrating Chinese New Year...

Forgive me for my long absence .. didnt mean to ... its just that time wasnt on my side and when i did hv a little time.. i ended up sleeping.. grrrr.. i hv far too many pics to share... i hv far too many stories to tell... but...

After 6hrs of drive fm Freiburg we got safely into Paris.. the apartment that we stayed in was superb.. location wise was good (near the Centre Pompidou) and we wud probably be staying in the same apartment if we do go to Paris again.. i specifically told hubs that probably its best to stay in an apartment instead since its easier for me to cook for my kiddoes.. anyway while hubs was busy during the day.. we were busy exploring.. I met KNur who lives in Terengganu (shes one of my silent readers and we hv actually been emailing one another for almost 2yrs now), and her lovely daughter Lily last Thursday.. we didnt get to spend the whole afternoon but we managed to go to E. Dehillerin with the intention of contributing our part as tourists to the Franch economy :op

I managed to buy what i needed there and most of all i managed to find the shop that was recommended by KNur that sells mainly Mastrad products.. anyway long story short after 3 days in the city of love... we drove to hubs family friends' place and hv been here since Friday... enjoy the first few pics below and hopefully i am able to upload more pics of what memorable things I did while in Paris..

The apartment that we stayed in for 3 days... Sonia loved her bed so much that she spent most of her time in her bed lol

First home cooked food... the day we arrived .. i cooked thai fried rice and ended our stay with Nasi Lemak hehe

Yep this is it... the place that i had planned to go for the longest time.. it was a huge warehouse and the sales people there were mainly guys .. they are very helpful and we got what we wanted...

The place can be a little messy but we make do... this is what u call... "where theres a will.. theres a way" - right KNur?? hehe

... a visit to Paris will not be complete without going to Laduree..

Had our little tea aka coffee there... to be honest.. i was dissapointed with their coffee especially after i saw that the coffee machine that they use is the same coffee machine that Burger King uses .. blahhhh.. nevertheless their cakes were to die for... their macarons .. oh la la... so overall it was worth the experience...

Hairi and his danish and the pic on the right was MINE hehehe

Eiffel Tower.... what is Paris without it.... we went there twice... wasnt the brightest idea to go at night cos the weather was super cold and wet nevertheless it was the brightest light that we hv seen so far!

hehehe Hairi and his Eiffel Tower..

Loved all the pics! worth the brrrrr

Hubs later drove us to Montmartre and specifically to the Basilica of the Sacre Coeur. So So cold, but that meant again no tourists and no problems is finding parking or taking shots.. what a long nite it was but so memorable!

My kids... My life....

noreply@blogger.com (Rima) — Tue, 17 Jan 2012 14:40:00 +0000

... Continuation fm my first post... Here are some pics taken earlier today... enjoy!

Little Sonia making funny faces...

Lots and lots of bicycle...

We walked and we walked till Sonia decided that she had enough of walking lol.. poor girl..

My first born... he was sick bef we flew here.. hes better now except he still looks tired..

Lots of small lanes... small shops... loved it!

Then we bumped into this small cafe....

Guess which one i chose? hehe

Had our lunch at Nordsee.. where u can eat all kinda seafood.. their tartar sauce was my kids all time fav!

... got to love that smile ey... a full tummy girl :o)

Hb got back fm his meeting around 6 ish... we had a quick dinner and then he drove us into the black forest as he had heard that there was snow there. He drove to one village called Feldberg but everything was dark - so after driving around we saw a very brightly lit ski slope and went to look-see. Sonia and Hairi both enjoyed throwing snowballs at each other and the village there was Winter-Picture-Perfect!

So ok folks.. my eyes are shutting... i hv been awake for almost 21hrs and i really need my beauty sleep.. we are off to Paris early as we want to make the most of Paris since hb will be busy with his meeting the next day... see u guys in Paris!

First stop - Freiburg, Blackforest, Germany

noreply@blogger.com (Rima) — Mon, 16 Jan 2012 22:35:00 +0000

Time: 6:33am
Weather: Brrr (-7deg)
Vanue: Freiburg, Blackforest, Germany
Mood: Woke up 2:30am.. too early! excited to explore their little lanes..

Peak Agenda: No fixed plan.. hb off to two meetings in an hr... i will take both my kids to explore this town called Freiburg..

We got into Frankfurt safely and since it was our first time on the A380.. it was indeed a lovely experience.. I sat next to Sonia where we later found out that there was an empty seat next to her.. she managed to sleep all the way.. who wouldnt when u can stretch ur leg to the limit hehe. i managed to watch 4 movies in total.. typical me - i simply cannot sleep in planes be it on short plane rides or 30 odd hr plane journey (to BAs, Argentina)

Anyway as soon as we got here.. hb picked up his rental car and off we drove to Freiburg.. it was only a 3hrs car ride and with 2 stops we got here safely.. Alhadullilah.. we will be here for a total of 3 days and will continue on our journey to France - pic with Hairi was taken at 10am - no sun!

"Freiburg im Breisgau, is a city in Baden-Württemberg, Germany. In the extreme south-west of the country, it straddles the Dreisam river, at the foot of the Schlossberg. Historically, the city has acted as the hub of the Breisgau region on the western edge of the Black Forest in the Upper Rhine Plain. One of the famous old German university towns, and archiepiscopal seat, Freiburg was incorporated in the early 12th century and developed into a major commercial, intellectual, and ecclesiastical centre of the upper Rhine region. The city is known for its ancient university and its medieval minster, as well as for its high standard of living and advanced environmental practices. The city is situated in the heart of a major wine-growing region and serves as the primary tourist entry point to the scenic beauty of the Black Forest. According to meteorological statistics, the city is the sunniest and warmest in Germany." - Wikipedia

"Sunniest and warmest"?? hahaha... Well it is indeed sunny... but still at -4C...

Ouch is that me fm behind? yikes.. look at that butt!! hahaha.. blaming it on my double legging, thermal, shirt, sweater, jackets and all the butter cake that i consumed bef my flight kahkahkah... Off looking for food.. no issue finding a halal Doner kebab here..

So of cos while looking for a place to eat.. ahem.. we saw a little market around the Cathedral area.. hv to.. no reasoning pls.. hv to check it out eventho our tummy was growling hehe

... and this is what i found... Remember my post on Spekulatius Shortcrust Biscuit? i found the mold.. yehaaaa.. didnt cost as much as i thought it wud be so bought a couple and cant wait to use it.. best deal... it comes with the original recipe too!

'Freiburg Minster (German: Freiburger Münster or Münster Unserer Lieben Frau) is the Cathedral of Freiburg, southwest Germany. The last duke of Zähringen had started the building around 1200 in romanesque style, the construction continued in 1230 in Gothic style. The minster was partly built on the foundations of an original church that had been there from the beginning of Freiburg in 1120. In 1827 the Minster became the seat of the Catholic archbishop of Freiburg and thus a Cathedral' .. ty Wikipedia!

Love this pic! will explore more with my kiddoes later! - this place reminds me of Bremen.. not been there for a while -

.... Hmmm mom wud love this.. hmmm me too but again this wreath will hv to travel with me for another 2wks if i did end up buying it later.. decisions decisions...

Trish Boyle's Perfectly Pound Cake

noreply@blogger.com (Rima) — Sun, 15 Jan 2012 08:20:00 +0000

...... Dancing happy feet! yesssss!!! finally i get to eat the cake that i was craving for eversince i first saw it at Shirley's blog.. oh god!! ty my dear for sharing the lovely pics and recipe... i loveeee Trish Boyle's Perfectly Pound Cake.. it tastes even better the next day.. and i must admit.. ahem ahem.. it tastes even better than the Sicilian Orange Cake - Period!! So bake it girls while i am gone for i hv a 13hrs flight ahead of me.. cheers!!

Plainly Perfect Pound Cake (From Trish Boyle's The Cake Book)
Receipe :
200g Plain flour
1/4 tsp Baking powder
1/4 tsp Salt
227g Unsalted butter (softened) - i used SCS
250g castor sugar
4 Large eggs
1 tsp finely grated lemon zest - i used 1 lemon
1 tsp grated orange zest - i used 1 orange
1 tsp vanilla extract - i used vanilla essence
80ml Heavy cream - i used double cream

Method :
1. Preheat oven to 170C.
2. Sift flour with baking powder and salt and set aside.
3. Cream butter in a mixer at medium high speed until creamy (about 2 mins). Add sugar gradually and continue beating for 4 mins until light and fluffy.
4. Reduce the mixing speed of the mixer to low and add eggs one at a time mixing until well mixed.
5. Add the citrus zest and vanilla extract.
6. Add flour mixture in 3 additions, alternating it with cream (added in 2 additions).
7. Pour into 2 lined 3"x 7" pound cake mold and bake for 60-70 mins or until the cake turns brown and a testing skewer comes out clean. (Trish Boyle had baked this at 162C but I had to use a slightly higher oven temperature to ensure that the cake is cooked through without dense uncooked spots)

Come fly with me - Green Tea Lapis Surabaya

noreply@blogger.com (Rima) — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 23:41:00 +0000

Good Morning, Selamat Pagi, Guten Morgen, Zao An.. hehehe.. second day of school Sonia greated us by saying.. Zao An and Ni Hao Ma which totally blew us away .. we decided to take up Mandarin for her simply bec hb felt its important to know another language besides english, malay and german.. unlike most caucasians, hubby started off life in a local school system and when his parents decided to send him to International school.. hb had a tutor to teach him at home and hence the Mandarin speaking...

Anyway .. I am so sorry but this is gonna be a quick entry.. i hv been busy eversince Sonia started school and only tdy will i hv the time to get things sorted bef our 3wks trip to Europe.. i still hv to get a few stuff and pack our bags.. and also need to send out a couple of things for my online customer... arghhh .. i will try to update as much as i can fm Germany, France and also Spain.. cant wait to show Hairi what Europe has to offer since hes only been to Down Under, the US and also the Middle East.. not forgetting Asia hehe

So with little time on hand and 20 eggs left in my kitchen.. i decided to bake this cake... honestly? i am not a big fan of green tea / matcha powder nor i am a big fan of any kinda of tea.. i seriously dont know why i baked green tea lapis surabaya yesterday.. but i did.. how my cousin can even drink green tea latte every afternoon.. i really dont know lol..

My dear hb loves the combination of green tea in this lapis surabaya cake.. hairi ate it .. Sonia ate it with no issue.. me?? i just cant get myself to eat it.. i mean eating the green tea part lol.. the smells of green tea reminds me of Henna however i enjoy eating the top and bottom part of this lapis surabaya.. it tastes so rich and yummy!

Ingredients
15 egg yolks
3 egg white
10g emulsifier
150g sugar
80g all purpose flour - i used HK flour
15g milk powder
15g corn flour
180g butter - melted
1 tbsp condense milk
1 tsp vanilla essence
2 tsp green tea powder - add a little warm water to form paste ok

Fillings

Buttercream OR

Any kinda jam - i used raspberry jam

Method

- Preheat oven to 170C.. grease ur baking pan - i used the ones shown

- Sieve ur flour, milk powder and also corn flour - set aside

- Melt butter and add in condensed milk into it - set aside

- Using a stand mixer.. whisk egg yolk, egg white and also sugar on high speed till thick .. add in emulsifier and continue to whisk till fluffy.

- Lower ur mixer speed and add sifted flour, milk powder and also corn flour .. continue to whisk.

- Once done.. switch off ur mixer and fold in melted butter mixture.

- Divide batter into three equal part - abt 270g for each part.

- Add one part with green tea paste.

- Pour batter into pan

- Bake it for abt 20mins

- Once done.. cool it and spread whatever filling u like.. stack em and keep it in ur fridge for half an hr bef u slice em..

Ok folks.. i better get going.. i hv to cook sambal ikan bilis kacang to take along.. that signature dish is a must whenever i go somewhere during winter cos that is what both hb and I will crave for hahaha

Note: The recipe abv is half of the original recipe.. if u plan to bake a bigger cake.. stick to the original recipe ok..

Bahan:
30 butir kuning telur
6 putih telur
300 gr gula pasir
20 gr emulsifier
160gr tepung terigu
30 gr susu bubuk full cream
25 gr tepung maizena
300 gr mentega, cairkan
1 sdm bubuk green tea - cair dengan sedikit air hangat
Vanilla essence
250 gr selai nanas

Caranya:
1. Kocok speed tinggi telur & gula, hingga gula larut. Masukkan emulsifier, kocok bentar, pindahkan ke speed lambat, masukkan bahan kering, kocok kembali dgn speed tinggi hingga adonan kental, berjejak.
2. Matikan mixer, beri adonan sedikit pewarna kuning telur (bila suka). Aduk rata, beri rhum/essence, aduk rata.
3. Masukkan mentega cair, aduk rata. Bagi adonan 3 bagian, beri satu bagian adonan dgn pasta green tea. Tuang dalam loyang bersemir margarin beralas kertas roti. Oven suhu sekitar 160 derajat celcius selama 25-30 menit / hingga matang.
4. Jika sudah matang, angkat, segera balik kue dari loyang, dinginkan.

So ok mbak mbak sekalian... enjoy the recipe and see u in Freiburg! Insyallah... err actually right now i feel like baking the pound cake that i saw at Shirley's :op

Source: Ricky Indriani.. adapted fm Rachmah Setyawaty

Aaaand the winners are...

noreply@blogger.com (Rima) — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 00:00:00 +0000

Thank you to those that participated in my 6th GiveAway... after reading each and every comment in my GA post.. we found out that out of 145 comments.. only 123 qualified...as we had a few double entries... so we counted the entries.. jotted down everyone's name, numbered them and entered 1 TO 123 in random.org and clicked "Generate:..

Oh goodness.. yawnnn... sorry dearies.. i have been yawning non stop .. its been a long day today and my body is kaput... i decided to do the "clicking" tonight since tmrw morning i will be out and abt again so this post is actually a scheduled one..

Lets get on with the result!

It was a quick one..

.... And the winners to my 6th GA are .........

1st:

and 2nd:

Oddly enough they were very close to one-another.

So who are No 103 and No 106?? hehe.. readyyy??

drumrolllllllllllll

No 103:

Hello dear Rima

eeemmmm....what would I do in Melaka yea... off course will jalan2 hingga kaki melecet & tangan penuh sarat dengan shopping bag kt Jonker Street... dh penat jalan, mestila makan makan minum minum... my choice ikan bakar, air kelapa muda at Alai & my hot favourite sotong kangkung di Melaka Central.

Dah penat terapi mata,perut & poket.. time for relaxing.... my choice mestila A'Famosa... a lot of fun activities for kids, & for me mesti la berendam dlm itew pool...tapi kalau dapat berendam dlm Casa del Rio's pool lagila seronok yg tak terhingga... hope my dreams come true yea Cik Rima & cik random.org... thanx

regards
Rohaida Salleh

January 11, 2012 12:19 AM

AND

No 106:

Hi

If I were to win, it would be a great 20th wedding anniversary gift for hubby and myself.

We can enjoy this time together with our four kiddos and paint Melaka town red! We like to check out the old shops along the riverbanks where they sell lots and lots of kueh kapit and kueh bolu moulds and other stuff and go eat at one of the Peranakan restaurant and end our day with a river cruise!

Theresa Ng

January 11, 2012 8:36 AM

So Rohaidah gets to spend the night at Casa Del Rio and Theresa gets a S$50 voucher from my store.

So would both of you please email me through my contact form HERE. I need from you your full address, contact number and email address.

Both of you have until 9am on Friday 13th Feb to email me - if you don't I will re-draw :)

Congrats Girls!!!

Chocolate Whoopie Pies with Chocolate Swiss Meringue Buttercream

noreply@blogger.com (Rima) — Tue, 10 Jan 2012 15:05:00 +0000

First and foremost.. ty so much for joining my GA.. to those that have not done so yet.. do join in the fun.. my GA ends tmrw night so good luck to all yah..

Hows everyone doing?? its almost midweek and u can sense that this year is passing by quickly.. well to me that is.. ever since Sonia is in school.. i no longer get to do what i used to do.. no baking in the morning.. no chilling in bed till 10am.. everything changes which is refreshing to be honest..

My day typically starts at 6am.. by 8am i am already sitting at Starbucks having my latte with my ipad in hand.. i dont like to update my blog using Ipad and hence no updates in the morning.. by noon I will be driving back home.. yep this year i no longer hold the title SAHM... i am also the driver.. but i dont mind.. i love the feeling of being out and abt especially when its time to fetch hb fm work cos we always end up going somewhere after that :op

The whoopie pie (alternatively called a gob, black-and-white, bob, or "BFO" for Big Fat Oreo) is an American baked good that may be considered either a cookie, pie, or cake. It is made of two round mound-shaped pieces of chocolate cake, or sometimes pumpkin or gingerbread cake, with a sweet, creamy filling or frosting sandwiched between them. - From Wikipedia

Yes.. i finally baked these beauties.. i remember seeing it for the very first time in one of the newly opened cafes in town.. it comes in many colours and it looks like macarons without feet.. i remember telling hb that this cafe is selling macarons without feet until i saw their sign saying.. "I am really really NOT a macaron" hehe.. we decided to check out this place.. ordered a couple of whoopie pies.. ordered our typical Espresso and were pretty dissapointed with the taste of the so called macs without feet..

I guess i was expecting it to taste somehow like macarons and wasnt too sure of what to expect?well that was the last time i even set my eyes on any whoopie pie.. err well until Yani and I had our coffee at Starbucks.. (not my kinda of cafe to be honest!) .. saw whoopie pies and decided on it simply bec we were curious.. took a bite and ... ahhhh ... so this is how it shud taste like.. cakey, cookie and err pie?? while macs have crisp shells.. whoopie pies hv a chewier/denser texture.. more like pie/cake rather than a cookie.. hahaha confused?? bake it lahh.. :op

Ingredients
1 3/4 cups (230 grams) flour
3/4 cup (75 grams) Dutch-processed cocoa powder - i used valrhona
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
3/4 cup (170 grams) unsalted butter, room temperature
3/4 cup (150 grams) granulated white sugar
1 large egg, room temperature
1 tsp pure vanilla extract or vanilla essence
1/4 cup (60 ml) buttermilk
1/2 cup (120 ml) lukewarm strong coffee or !/2 cup (120 ml) lukewarm water - i used double espresso hehe

Method

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C) and place oven rack in the center of the oven. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.

In a large bowl sift together the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.

In the bowl of your electric mixer, fitted with the paddle attachment (can also use a hand mixer), beat the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the egg beating well. Beat in the vanilla extract. In a small measuring cup, mix the buttermilk and coffee (or water). With the mixer on low speed, alternately add the flour mixture and buttermilk/coffee mixture, in three additions, beginning and ending with the flour. Drop heaping tablespoons (can also use a small ice cream scoop) of the batter onto the prepared baking sheets, spacing about 2 inches (5 cm) apart. With moistened fingers or with the back of a spoon, smooth the tops of the cookies.

Bake for about 9 - 10 minutes or until the tops of the cookies, when lightly pressed, spring back. Remove from oven and transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

Note: If u hv my mac sheets.. u can use it to bake ur whoopie pies.. the original size of whoopie pies is abt 5cm which i think is far too big for our Asian mouth muahahha

Now for the filling u can use any kinda fillings.. i decided to use swiss meringue buttercream and added enough chocolate ganache into it... u can also bake red velvet with creamcheese filling...

Swiss meringue buttercream recipe u can get fm here.. bake it and i am pretty sure that someday the whoopie pie craze will come to Asia.. just like macs and cuppies!

Source: Joy of baking

My 6th Giveaway - A night at Casa Del Rio, Melaka!

noreply@blogger.com (Rima) — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 00:00:00 +0000

CONTEST HAS ENDED! RESULT WILL BE POSTED AT 8am ON THURSDAY 12th JAN!

It's time again!

This time I hv something really special! As u know I hv twice written abt our trip to Melaka here and here. Both times we stayed at the CASA DEL RIO - MELAKA.

So thanks to the management of the Casa Del Rio... I hv as a giveaway.... a ONE NIGHT stay at this wonderful hotel! yaayyyyy

Lemme just talk a little abt this hotel:

66 luxuriously appointed rooms located by the idyllic Melaka River near the entrance to the historic straits, named after this city, Casa del Rio is designed to capture curious landmarks and unforgettable view. This newest boutique hotel in Melaka is a stone's throw away from the heart of The Historic city of Melaka, listed on the UNESCO World Heritage List.

The architectural design pays tribute to the Portuguese heritage of Melaka as well as the unique Melaka Sultanate. While it blends with the historical surroundings and echoes of the past, the hotel caters for the modern 21st century guests' needs and facilities. We keep our dining wholesome and down-to-earth by showcasing authentic flavours.

It was just recently awarded the 2011 "Best Weekend Break" Excellence Award by the Expatriate Lifestyle magazine.

So anyway...... how do you get to WIN this free night which is valued at RM700?!

Step 1: "LIKE" the Casa Del Rio Facebook page. Link is HERE

Step 2: In my comments of this post - below, answer the question: "What would I do in Melaka if I won"

I will hv two prizes this time... the second prize will be a S$50.00 (RM121.00) voucher from my Store.

Rules:

1) ONE entry per person.

2) You MUST sign off with your Name. No name, no game...

3) I will sort the result by numbers, confirm with Casa Del Rio that you have LIKEd their FB page and then use random.org to chose the winner.

4) Bisous A Toi decision is final

5) Contest ends at 7pm on Wednesday, 11th January 2012.

Thats it.. easy peasy!! to all.. what are u waiting for.. do the clicking and ur on ur way to a night stay at Casa Del Rio.. good luck everyone!!

A breezy Sunday - Banana Balls

noreply@blogger.com (Rima) — Sun, 08 Jan 2012 08:10:00 +0000

Wasnt in my agenda today to update my blog .. the weather today is simply awesome.. no need for aircon cos the air.. uh la la... feels like ur in Europe during Spring time hehe.. the main culprit that got me updating my blog is Yat Maria hahaha.. my fellow country woman who did banana balls this morning..

... and since i hv never used any recipe to do banana balls - i normally have my own 'style' - i decided today to use a proper recipe that i saw at Izah's blog... kwang kwang kwang within half an hr balls and balls of it went into my mouth lol.. ty dear for sharing this recipe.. wud add more sugar to my balls as i am naturally a "sweet" person ahaks

Ingredients
5 - 6 aged/soft bananas - mashed
1/2 cup sugar - will use 3/4 to 1 cup next time
1 cup flour
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
a drop of vanilla essence if u like

Method
Sieve flour and baking soda.. put aside
In a big bowl, add mashed bananas and sugar
Add in sifted flour and mix.. let it sit for 20 mins
Heat oil.. scoop ur batter and fry it - i used ice cream scoop hehe
Enjoy!

Sonia first day at school..

noreply@blogger.com (Rima) — Sat, 07 Jan 2012 15:20:00 +0000

I am actually waiting for my dearest son to come home.. we had wanted to go out on a "date" around 9 ish and had told him in advance to come home early.. had to call him a couple of times and now hes back.. this is what happens if you engage an unpaid babysitter :)

So while waiting i decided to upload photos taken yesterday.. where history was made lol.. my little princess is in school.. yep finally her mama will get a good 5hrs "time out" hehehe..

All went well.. we are so so proud of our little princess.. she woke up without any issue.. showered without any fuss.. had her morning milk and off we went.. i was thrilled and finally when we got there.. we gave her a hug and off she went without turning around.. i choked up a bit but no tears came rolling down my cheeks hehe

Anyway hb and I later went on our little escapade.. fetched her at noon and off we went to meet Yani aka KG and her hb.. drove her to several baking stores and let me tell ya.. that woman can really spend hahaha

After our short coffee break.. we decided to take them to our local hangout.. had seafood and satay and by half past 9 we were already on our way home.. it was a super loooooong day but we had so much fun.. we were talking like a house on fire and so were our hubs!

I got home.. put Sonia to bed.. took a shower and started to roll up my sleeves cos today i had to deliver 6 boxes of goodies to my customer.. arghhhh was kaput but its all worth it!

So ok.. enjoy the photos!

Every single day.. we are greeted by this beautiful smile...no morning blues...

Wasnt happy at all when papa forced her to take her vitamins!

Super excited to go to school!

After temperature was taken... still smiling hehe

Good girl... she did it automatically simply bec we always emphasize her to do that..

Sonia was the third last to arrive.. phewww

Sonia's schoolmates... some on single session.. some on two sessions..

Jump.. dance... ohhh Sonia lovesss it!

School over! mama and papa are so proud of u!

Ahem ahem.. cough cough.. hahahaha

All buckled up... Time to fetch auntie Yani..

These were the goodies that were prepared after a long day.. i think i must hv snored last night! oppssy! Ty Norlijah for ordering apple crumble, chocolate banana bottom and fudgy chocolate brownies...

Hv a good Sunday peeps and start packing your bags cos on Monday a great Giveaway awaits you!!! :)))

Best ever - Lemon Tart

noreply@blogger.com (Rima) — Thu, 05 Jan 2012 06:30:00 +0000

Calling all lemon lovers... calling one.. calling two.. SOLD!

Yes i am SOLD.. honestly whenever i go to any cafe its not the chocolaty kinda dessert that i go for cos i know i can whip up something at home so delicious using the best chocolate there is.. I would usually end up ordering any citric dessert.. or if i do go to Cafe Baviamo.. i will always end up ordering sticky date pudding.. but... u do know that .. right??

Anyway this lemon tart was baked last night.. didnt take that long to prepare and i am so so so so in love with this creamy yummylicous lemon cream.. i tell ya.. nothing beats this one.. not even the one that I would usually have at hmmm lets not compare cos really i still need my lemon fix whenever i go to that cafe.. this lemon cream is so refreshing.. the sweetness is just right.. i might even use this lemon cream recipe for my mac fillings! yummeh!!

So let me gv my thanks to Chelle of Foodagraphy for sharing this super wonderful lemon cream recipe with us.. i decided to use the same shortcrust pastry recipe that i used for my apple crumble pie.. the whole yummylicous lemon cream goes really well with that crunchy crust...

Ingredients
Crust
190g flour
40g caster sugar
1/4 tsp salt
120g butter
1 egg yolk

To prepare the crust
Sift the flour in a big bowl. Add the salt and sugar in the middle.
Add the cold cubed butter and make a crumble with the dough, using the tips of your fingers.
Make a hole in the middle and add in egg yolk. Work the dough with the tips of your fingers. Make a ball with it and place it in plastic wrap. Put in the fridge for a minimum of 2 to 3 hours, if possible.
Roll dough and place it in greased tart mold. Make little holes with a fork and chill in fridge for at least an hour. Cover with aluminium foil. Bake in the preheated oven at 175°C for about 25-30 mins.
Remove the paper and continue to cook for another 10 till crust is brown.
Remove from the oven and let cool on a cooling rack
Once the crust is cold, fill with lemon cream. Level it and chill in fridge overnight, before serving.

Lemon cream recipe is adapted fm Bea at La Tartine Gourmande

Enjoy the recipe peeps and hopefully i am able to update again tmrw.. we are very excited here as tmrw is Sonia's first day in school.. :oP