Fruit Tarts

Another reason to make fruit tarts! Thanks Serene for helping out, otherwise it'll take more than 6 hours! But all is worth it for these colours. The smiles and the warm hearts are always worth it (:

Keep Calm and Carry On... To Christmas Insane Baking!

Smoked Corn Soup

It was a recent soup-making competition that Chomel and I took part in. The soup was a great one, but unfortunately, the execution wasn't.

The other soups:

We didn't win, but the experience was a great one. Because failure is the mother of success... I've found  myself dwelling quite a lot in the culinary world. Somehow, I've been breathing, sleeping and literally eating food. Enough of corn for now though!

Truth be told, competing in the midst of exams stands on the thin grey line that separates passion and insanity.

Squid Ink Pasta

What can I say, I'm a chef wannabe (:

Durian Mousse Cake

This is Perry's cake for his special one!

Made 2 other small ones but forgot to take their picture because it was a crazy hectic day! Kinda like MasterChef. Time limits are thrilling, gosh. It was pretty awesome, but I'm still kinda clueless as to how to decorate a durian mousse cake. Think I've gotta start work on those piping tips... And work on my plating ;) 

Linguine in White Wine with Clams

For a very special person.

Happy Birthday!

Chocolate Macarons

Thanks to Project Bake-Off, Chomel and I got to learn how to make perfect macaroons. This is mastery of art and perfection of science.

 With some creativity, here's how macaroons can be shaped. Ideas for Valentine's Day (:

As delicious as it looks. I've picked up a little on food photography over there, and have been exposed to food styling and the likes.

This is how you can make strawberry jam... and that additional flair for plating. Where food is made to tease the eyes.

Sometimes, change is really the only constant. The only thing that you can do when that happens, is to take heart. To move along. To have faith.

Because you are never alone (:

Project Bake-Off

Project Bake-off

Baking Competition 18-19 Sept 2012

Like how magic happens when whisk and egg whites meet,

Oatmeal Cookies!

Awesome stuff here! It's a great cookie recipe that the whole family loves. Finally something that everyone enjoys. *Sighs in relief*

I hope this is my gateway to something bigger. The first step to a thousand miles. In the meantime...

It gets tiring sometimes... But only then can you feel the adrenaline rush. What's life without a little excitement? 

Jodee's Birthday

Jodee turns 20! With all her best buddies around her, I hope she'll always be a happy girl. 

Too much chocolate in this cheesecake though! And I'm seriously sick of baking cheesecake. Time for some lighter baking sessions... Though cheesecake tarts are indeed popular. It's a shame they cracked, should've controlled the heat better. But I'm still getting to know my oven better. It's our love story :D

He made a pinata for her...

"When a guy likes a girl, he'll do many things for her"

All that counts, is here and now.

New York Cheesecake

Limei's best friend's birthday! She turned it into an artistic cake... Piping chocolate from a bag.

The extra mixture was turned into cheesetarts.

Baking for smiles.

Orange Mousse Cake

Sometimes... people say things they don't think make an impact. But they actually do. Orange mousse cake was not my idea, though I wondered why I have not thought of it.

It looks really pretty naked but I just wanted to fluff it up a little! Add some personality and dimensions to the cake. Aye... but there's that bitter tinge to it, probably due to the membrane of the orange. Maybe using only the pulp will help. See how, but for now, TADAA~~

Small cakes are so pretty and they leave so much room for creativity. Each one of them can be different despite the identical make up. I feel a bit weird when I think of cakes as living things. Especially when I tell my mum that mousse cakes can sometimes throw tempers :|

Orange Chiffon Cake

I absolutely love LOVE my new oven. It browns impossibly evenly and every cake comes out kinda perfect. Kinda, because perfection doesn't exist in the world of baking (everything can be improved ^^)

So here it is inverted. Pardon the dents, in my attempt to detach it from the mould.

Only thing though, I'm still not very familiar with my oven's contours. And it looks deceivingly cool even when it reaches temperatures of 200 degrees C. But I remember someone who told me that battle scars like these tell a story, my own story.

Days like these I think I'm the luckiest girl in the world. I bake for people who love me. But most people are loved without limits too. I'm lucky though, not because I'm loved, but because I can see it. If I could, I'd do this everyday. Those smiles are too amazing to be hidden.

This is the story of the ORANGE chiffon cake (:

Red Velvet Cheesecake

An attempt to replicate this from Carnegie Deli in New York City:

This time, the cheesecake's not the main lead as it finds itself sandwiched between striking red velvet layers of cake.

I made smaller versions with the leftovers that I had... Received pretty good reviews!

And yes, the birthday cake for Ken and a proper cake for my dear bizmags as we bid farewell to our time together. It's been a great journey with them :D

Much to improve on... Felt the cake could be a little more moist and the cheesecake a little harder. Of course, food photography skills now tops the list. Things to work upon!

The new oven is pretty awesome to work with, but we need to warm up to each other a little more (pun intended). Life's getting pretty exciting now... Whether it's nerves or excitement, I can no longer differentiate. But YOLO my friends! ><

Liege Waffles

I came back from the USA with an intense fervor to make waffles. So it starts with trying to replicate what I tried at Wafflicious over at Upper Thomson.

Interestingly, while the normal soft waffles uses baking powder to rise, Liege waffles or some know it as Belgian waffles requires yeast. Thus giving it that doughy, bready texture.

And of course a batter that looks rather like thick mucus.

The viscosity is vital here, because we want that "artistic" and unpredictable waffle shape.

This was a chocolate variant that I did, using cocoa powder in place of flour.

And an afternoon of trial and error yields 6 different flavors (clockwise):
Chocolate, Durian, Butter, Cinnamon, Chocolate Chips, Marbled.

I should attempt Coffee next time. I'm not sure if the batter can be kept refrigerated, and since it is yeast, I didn't take the chance because the over fermentation may result in a sour taste. It's been a great afternoon, and here's the modified recipe with some tips I learnt:

Ingredients

• 1 (1/4 ounce) package yeast

• 1/3 cup lukewarm water

• 1 1/2 tablespoons granulated sugar

• 1/8 teaspoon salt

• 2.5 cups flour this can be substituted with cocoa powder or cinnamon powder

• 3 eggs

• 1 cup melted butter

• 1 cup pearl sugar or coarse sugar

• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
  Directions

1. Mix yeast, water, sugar and salt, and let develop for 15 minutes.
2. Place flour into a large bowl.
depending on the texture you want, the amount of flour varies. I wanted a denser waffle so I added more flour
3. Make a well, pour in yeast mixture, and begin to knead.
4. Continue to knead, add eggs, one at a time, and add butter in batches, mixing well.
5. (I added mashed up durian for the durian waffle, it produced a softer waffle. more flour and a longer cooking time gives it a crisp texture again)
6. Let dough rest in bowl until doubled.
7. Gently mix in pearl sugar.
the dough will flatten at this point, do not panic
8. Let rest for 15 minutes.
the dough rises again, though not to its previous height
9. Heat waffle iron.
10. When hot, butter waffle iron, pour in dough.
11. Cook for 3-5 minutes, until waffles lightly brown on top.
this varies with your waffle machine, as well as the amount of dough and its flavor. the ceasing of the smoke is a good indicator that it is done. if you like the waffles more brown, leave it for a little longer
12. Before serving, heat up on waffle iron again for that crisp texture.

Cupcakes

Orange and Chocolate cupcakes for the last baking before Berkeley!

Having a whale of a time in the USA :D