when the girls came over.

I love it when people want to come over to my place and eat something I cook. By no means am I saying that I am a great cook. I’m not. I just really enjoy cooking for friends and I really enjoy the company! (:

The girls only had one request: MEAT. haha and straight away, steak came to my mind. There’s a recipe from The F Word (by Gordan Ramsay) and I haven’t got a chance to try it yet, so this would be the best time to try it! Daring huh? A new recipe when friends come over. haha well, I believe that even if I failed, it would be a fun experience anyways! hehe

Beef fillet with Gratin of Mushrooms

It wasn’t too complicated at all. That’s why I love recipes from Gordan Ramsay. Always allowing people to make them from home! hehe and from home, I did!

Eye fillet, mushrooms, cream, chives. BEST combination. I’m definitely not joking! I don’t really joke about my food. haha it’s an important part of my life! hehe having with crispy potatoes = ultimate! hehe I wanted more by the end of the night, even though I was super duper full.

the steak just melts in your mouth! and I was so glad I used shitake and button mushrooms in the gratin. The flavours just makes the whole dish come alive!

not sure how you like your steak, but everyone around the table was pleased with their medium-rare steak. I normally just prefer medium, but I knew the steaks were fresh (I bought them that very morning at Queen Victoria Market!)  and I definitely won’t be happy if I overcooked it. So medium-rare was definitely fine for the night!

Just looking at the photo is making me hungryyyy and crave for an eye fillet now! haha and I am definitely not hungry now. haha just can’t resist a good piece of steak! (:

Being a chocolate-crazy person, as I am. I picked a chocolate tart as the dessert for the night. I have always wanted to try making a tart. For some reason, I never got down to doing it. Being as brave as I am, I decided to do it tonight! So yes! two brand new dishes on the menu! DARING DARING me! but I totally regretted trying making a tart, cos the tart shell totally failed!!! it was so crumbly, I couldn’t even get it out of the mold. So I had to keep it in the mold and everyone just had to eat out of it. haha. I’m kinda scared for life, cause I haven’t got the courage to give it another try! I should though, really wanna make momofuku’s crack pie. hmm.. ambitious me. SOMEDAY. I will. (:

I must say, although the tart was a failure, the chocolate ganache and the huge strawberries saved the dessert! The tart shell, though crumbly, was very buttery!

I scored some really red and huge strawberries at the market that morning too! (: they were as big as my palm!

(: will definitely try making a tart again soon! Although I am really quite scared about failing again. haha. I will. One day!

Thanks for coming over girls! I’m still very amazed you finished both discs of Italian Food Safari! haha. But yes, thank you for your wonderful company! Was great! (: Roast pork again soon!

ps : recipes for both dishes will be on my food blog soon! (:

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A Sugee Cake Just To Say Thank You.

I recently stopped work and really wanted to thank my boss and I knew from the very start sugee cake was her facourite cake of all time. So I couldn’t not bake it for her. I never really baked it before, and was a little nervous to be giving her my very first attempt to be honest. But as I was leaving for Melbourne very soon, I didn’t have much time to bake another. So a successful first attempt was what I was praying for!

Thankfully, I read Ju’s post on The Little Teochew (yes the same awesome person who baked and shared her Japanese Cheesecake recipe, thank you!) a couple of months ago, and bookmarked the recipe of the sugee cake she baked (adapted from Cherry on a Cake) and hers looks amazing! So I took a deep breath and plucked up my courage and gave this a try.

Ju did use almond silvers but I didn’t have that, and used pumpkin seeds instead. However, they didn’t stay on top and sank all the way to the bottom instead! hehe I must say it didn’t look very pretty, but it did taste pretty good! and goes well with a hot cup of coffee or tea. Thankfully, my boss enjoyed it very much! (: So thank you Zurin, for sharing the recipe, and thank you Ju for giving the tips!

For the recipe : Click Here !

Hershey’s Kisses (Nutella) Blossoms

I have been wanting to bake these for the longest time. My dearest cousin, Gladys, blogged about these a while back and I promised her we would bake this together. I am SO GLAD we did! (: I had so much fun making it with her, and I tried my best to let her get involved, seeing how I am always very bossy in the kitchen haha. So I hope she enjoyed herself as much as I did!

So off we went to the supermarket to get Hershey’s Kisses! (: It’s like my favourite type of choc ever! I love the almonds ones, but something else attracted our eyes : CARAMEL ! Who could resist caramel ? I definitely can’t. hehe

to be honest, I have always been hesistant about making cookies. Of course I have failed in making cupcakes or cakes before, but somehow, the failure in making cookies hit me more than the others did! So I left the cookie baking to my baby. hehe. But this time, I decided to suck it up and give it another shot! I love how it looks! It’s sooo pretty! (: Makes me smile just looking at the photos!

For the recipe, CLICK HERE !

pss : thanks cousin for sharing the recipe and baking with me! love ya!

Looks Can Be Deceiving!

Ever judge something or someone by it’s or their looks?

I am definitely guilty! Especially when I baked this cotton soft Japanese cheesecake! I have made it before back in Melbourne and it was successful but was very thin. So when i saw this post by Ju, The Little Teochew (she is AMAZING by the way), and I couldn’t resist trying the recipe she used! To my dismay, mine did not turn out any where near hers. Her cake stood tall and mine stood timid and small, no matter how long I allowed it to rest in the oven before taking it out. BUT! the taste and texture of the cake was still super good! So with more practice, hopefully mine would look closer to hers!

So here’s mine, looking a little sad. But really, it was very good and everyone enjoyed it! So don’t judge anything from it’s outer looks, always give it a chance! (:

It was Father’s Day so I baked one for my dad, and one for Lester’s dad as well. Was really happy to hear both of them enjoying it! (: So here’s to all the fathers out there :

HAPPY FATHER’S DAY !

Recipe adaptd from The Little Teochew (I strongly urge you to visit her blog!)

120g fine caster sugar

6 eggs whites

6 egg yolks

1/4 tsp cream of tartar

50g butter

250g cream cheese

100ml fresh milk

1 tbsp of lemon juice

60g cake flour

20g corn flour

1/4 tsp salt

Steps :

1. Melt cream cheese, butter and milk over a double boiler. Cool the mixture. Fold in the flour, the cornflour, egg yolks, lemon juice and mix well.

2. Whisk egg whites with cream of tartar until foamy. Add in the sugar and whisk until soft peaks form.

3. Add the cheese mixture to the egg white mixture and fold well.

Pour into a 8-inch round cake pan (lightly grease and line the bottom and sides of the pan with greaseproof baking paper or parchment paper). Wrap the base of your cake tin with aluminium foil if you are using a springform tin, to prevent seepage.

4. Bake cheesecake in a water bath for 1 hour 10 minutes or until set and golden brown at 160 degree celcius.

Tips : So that the top will not be too brown, I covered the top with aluminium foil for 40 mins and took it off for the last 30 mins. Ju recommended to leave it in the oven for 1 hour with the door ajar so that it will not sink. I did that, but it didn’t work for me. Will definitely try it again! Remember to check out her blog! (:

ps : love you daddy! (:

Peach and Cream Chesse Muffins

I was fortunately enough to get hold of this recipe from my cousin’s fiance. And ever since then, I have been making these muffins on every occasion! Even when I was in Australia. I use to make it at night so we could have it for breakfast the next day! (:

So recently, my parents were going for a KTV session with their friends and they were asked to bring snacks. So I decided to bake these for them and they really enjoyed it! It’s always nice to see and hear people enjoy something you’ve made!

So here’s the recipe I used. I changed it a little, like really little cos the original recipe is already very yummy!

I found these cupcake liners in my cupboard and I realise I bought so many and I probably don’t have to buy anymore till end of the year? haha (: But I will still get more cos these are just too pretty to not buy!

Click here for the recipe ! (:

Happy Mother’s Day : Heart Cake!

To all mothers out there : Happy Mother’s Day!

To my mummy : Thank you for being so awesome all the time. Caring and loving us unconditionally. Love you very much! (:

I decided to bake a cake for both my mum and my baby’s mum. and was looking through blogs to get inspiration. Then it hit me when I saw a post on I am Baker : Heart Cake .

It’s not literally a cake that looks like a heart. It’s a heart in a cake! What better cake to bake for my mum right? hehe When I saw the steps to making it, I was a little taken aback. Firstly, big cakes aren’t really my thing. Secondly, neither is high layered cakes. haha so yes. I was taking a very huge risk! But I told myself, if I pull this off, it would all be worth it!

Like I am Baker, I used a white cake and filled it with red velvet cake to make the heart in the cake and topped it with buttercream icing. hehe The oohs and ahhs when the cake was cut made me smile, but sadly, the icing was too sweet for anyone’s liking! So I decided that when I do make it again, I should use a cream cheese icing instead. But well, I think the cake was yummy and the sweetness might still be bearable if u eat it with a cup of hot tea! haha but yes. Definitely changing the icing. hehe

The piece that was cut out had a nicer heart shape! haha the bigger piece looked like a butt according to my mum haha. I made a U-bottom heart instead of a V-bottom. Bad cutting skills!

overall, I enjoyed the making process very much. Though it was very time consuming. But the end result was worth every single minute working on it and also the smile on my mum’s face! Plus I found out it was difficult trying to surprise my mum. She would continuously ask questions. haha. (:

So here’s the recipe adapted from I am Baker! I won’t be writing the step by step cause her explanation is very very clear! and she has step by step pictures. hehe So hop over to her blog and give this cute cake a shot!

Thank you for everything again mummy. ♥

For recipe : Click Here !

HappY Mini Cupcakes

You might wonder why my H and Y of’ ‘happy’ in my title are in caps. That’s because the person who has inspired me to make these cupcakes have initials HY. (: So this is just a small way to thank you! hehe

so we were speaking one day, and she asked if I ever made cupcakes with rhubarb. and suddenly, it dawned on me that I’ve never tried cooking with rhubarb and I’ve only tried rhubarb once! So on Sunday when we went to the Farmer’s Market at Melbourne Showground and saw organic rhubarb, I couldn’t resist! and I’m so glad I didn’t, cause these little things were yummy! hehe and pretty!

at first we thought about one combination which I will definitely try in time to come, but searched around and saw a post by Cannelle et Vanille which I just couldn’t take my eyes off it and so I just had to give it a try!  (:

It has quite a number of components to it, and I must say all the different steps and time taken to make them is well worth it! The cupcakes came out perfectly! I know I shouldn’t praise my own work, but when I tried these little yumminess, the cupcake base was soft and moist, the poached rhubarb filling wasn’t too sweet, and the strawberry taste in both the cupcake and icing was prominent and they taste distinctly of strawberries!

alot to spare and share !

So there are 4 components to this small yummy cupcakes :

1) Strawberry yogurt cupcake

2) Poached rhubarb filling

3) Strawberry yogurt and cream cheese icing

4) Rhubarb jelly

and this is how it will look when u slice it into half!

Click on the picture above to get the recipe! (:

Baking Post : Marbled With A Twist !

I’ve been in a celebratory mood lately. If you haven’t heard, I got into the course of my dreams : Masters of Education and I can’t be any happier! (: It starts in July so I am really looking forward to that! hehe Plus my significant other has found a job he really really loves, so everything is just falling into place now and I couldn’t be happier!

with happiness, comes my wanting to bake of course! Love to share my love and happiness with the things I cook and bake. I think that’s how the name of my blog came about. (: A couple of weeks back, I read Laureen’s post on roasted banana bundt cake. and I have been craving for banana cake for the longest time! The fact that she roasted her bananas before mashing them, I was intrigued by it and really want to give it a go! so what goes really well with banana? Chocolate! haha actually, I think chocolate goes well with almost everything and anything! SO I decided to make a marble cake, with a twist!

that’s right! Banana and chocolate marble cake! (: I think it’s a perfect combination! I was really excited cause I got a new bundt cake tin and was itching to use it! hehe and the cake came out beautifully the moment i overturned it! hehe

Banana cake has been a family favourite and I think it’s probably one cake I can safely say many people love. Baby and I went for a walk around the neighbourhood and walked into a fruit shop and the bananas were just starring at us! hehe So I had to get some and immediately I thought about Laureen’s banana cake. hehe so today was definitely the day to bake this yummy cake! hehe

For the recipe , CLICK HERE !

Cinnamon Raisin Pecan Rolls

oops. I did it again. my cravings always gets the best of me. haha (: Well but after seeing how this turned out. I have no regrets whatsoever. Just need to include more exercising in my daily routine, and I am safe! haha.

This is a Rachel Ray recipe. When I am back in Singapore and wake up early in the morning, I would always turn the tv on and catch the Rachel Ray show. I find it really amazing how she can always whip up something delicious and she does it with interesting themes : all things that are from a bottle, or leftovers, or practically anything! Her ability to make or bake something yummy is endless! So when I decided to try another recipe for these delicious little things, and saw that she has a recipe online, I couldn’t not try it!

Sorry I didn’t manage to take step to step photos. I was busy watching tv shows as I was baking these! But I followed the recipe to the tee, and trust me it’s one you would wanna dive right in to! (:

I used two different sized pans. One is a 20X20 square pan and a 18cm round pan. I personally loved how the buns turned out in the round pan. I thought it looks just like a flower. A yummy one, indeed. haha

and I didn’t burn it this time! (: The colour on the rolls were just gorgeous! Was so happy when I took them out of the oven! hehe

So give this recipe a shot as well as the other and let me think which u prefer!

Cinnamon Raisin and Pecan Rolls (Adapted from Rachel Ray Mag.com)

Ingredients :

½ ounce dried yeast (2 envelopes)
½ cup warm water
¾ cup plus 3 tablespoons milk
7 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
¾ cup granulated sugar
1 large egg
1 teaspoon salt
4 to 4½ cups all-purpose flour
1 cup light brown sugar
2 tablespoons ground cinnamon
1/2 cup raisins + 1/4 cup chopped pecans (optional)

Steps :

1. Combine the yeast and warm water and set aside for 10 minutes.

2. Warm 3/4 cup of the milk in the microwave. In a large bowl, combine 4 tablespoons of the melted butter and the warm milk. Using an electric mixer with a dough hook at low speed, or a wooden spoon, slowly stir the dissolved yeast into the butter and milk. Add ½ cup of the granulated sugar, the egg and the salt, and mix until combined. Add 4 cups of the flour, ½ cup at a time; mix until smooth. If the dough is sticky, add up to ½ cup of flour.

3. Knead the dough on a floured surface for 5 minutes, place in a medium bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Let rise until doubled in size, about 1 hour.

4. Stir together the brown sugar, the remaining 1/4 cup of granulated sugar and the cinnamon. On a floured surface, roll out the dough to form a 12-by-24-inch rectangle. Brush the remaining 3 tablespoons of melted butter over the dough, and sprinkle the brown sugar mixture on top. Scatter the raisins over the dough.

5. Starting with a long side, roll the dough up into a log, jelly-roll style, then cut with dental floss or a sharp knife into generous 1-inch slices. Place in 3 greased 9-inch round cake pans (about 7 rolls per pan). Let the rolls rise for 45 minutes.

6. Preheat the oven to 350°. Bake the rolls, uncovered, until crusty and golden on top, about 25 minutes.

Easter Holidays : Hot Cross Buns

Being crazy over making bread/buns now (yes I know, this is only my second attempt, but it’s becoming addictive) and Easter just around the corner, I had to bake some Hot Cross Buns! (one a penny, two a penny, hot cross buns! haha) I have the song in my head now, and I am very sure it is going to last throughout this Easter weekend.

Let me explain how my Hot Cross Buns have a slight tinge of pink. As I didn’t have any apricot jam, I used Ms Marples’ berry jam instead. I am glad I used the berry jam, cause I feel the pink made the buns prettier! hehe (: so I did a search on hot cross buns recipes and found the one posted by Citrus and Candy! And I’m so glad I did, cos they turned out well! A bit dense, but when it’s warm, SO GOOD! (: and you know what? Have it with a slice of butter, even better! hehe

i made both big and mini ones. hehe big ones for breakfast, and smaller ones for tea! haha (: What a good idea (I just thought of it like 2 seconds ago!) Actually I made smaller ones cause my baking pan was a 20X20cm baking tray so I couldn’t fit all 12 rounds! hehe

so here’s the recipe adapted from Citrus and Candy, have a very good Easter everyone! (:

Click here for the recipe !