Cocoa Crinkles

Happy to have made myself my childhood favorite! Modified the original recipe a bit by adding nuts and melon seeds, and replacing vanilla with almond extract for a more nutty goodness! Crinkles - crinkly crunchy outside, chewy chocolatey inside. 

Creme Brulee 101

So I made this luscious and decadent dessert for the first time after i discovered we have a descent torch at home. Was full of confidence that its as fool proof and easy as baking a ready mix cake but  I was wrong. I did fail in between but managed to correct them. Here are the common mistakes i discovered.

1. We cant find heavy cream in Singapore but whipping cream/thick cream works the same which are the ones readily available in groceries.

2. Mind your proportions. When your recipe calls for large egg, best if you add 1 or 2 more as eggs in SG are considered medium-small. I tried to stick to the egg proportion in recipe and my creme turned out too runny and didn't set. I whisked it again and added 2 more yolks and it did the trick.

3. Do not brulee or burn sugar when the creme is still hot. The caramel wont harden and you wont have that signature breaking-like-glass coverage on the creme. Chill it for an hour or so first and make sure its cold enough when you brulee.

4. White sugar works better than brown unless if you want a very dark brulee. I want mine to look like a brown tinted glass on top so i used white sugar.

5. Do not put back in fridge after you brulee coz it'll soften the hardened caramel. better you brulee mins before serving to have the cracking goodness of caramel. However if you did chill the brulee-ed creme like i did, just brulee it again.

*The taste of creme brulee is almost similar to leche flan but is less sweet. This replaces leche flan as my favorite custard based indulgence. ;)

Christmas Fondant Cuppycakes

Another order from a friend and some for our Noche Buena tonight. 2014's been my baking year and Im very thankful. 

Recipe: Chocolate Chip Cookie in Bisaya

This recipe is dedicated to my Ate Delyn in Spain for her first attempt in baking. Bisaya jud para klaro.  hahaha

½ cup or 113grams butter unsalted

¾ cup sugar (mas maayo kung pino)

1 egg nga dako

1 vanilla extract (pwede ra wala ni)

¼ tsp salt

1 cup flour (all purpose)

1 cup chocolate chips (pwede ra pud ni wala pero mas lami kung naa)

1. 1. I preheat or painiton ang oven to 350F or 170C.

2. 2. I mix ang butter ug sugar. Make sure nga ma mix ug tarong

3. 3. I add ang egg ug vanilla (pwede ra pud wala ni)

4. 4. I mix ang flour, salt ug chocolate chips (pwede ra wala). Ayaw kaayo dugaya ug mix kay mugahi ang cookie. Mga 1 minute mixing okay na

5. 5. Then scoop 2 tbsp sa mixture and put in tray. Please see picture sa hitsura:

6. 6. Bake for 8-12 minutes until gahi ang kilid sa cookie pero ang tunga kay humok humok pa.

7. 7. Allow to cool para dili mapaso ig kaon. Heheehe. 

Christmassy Spritz Cookies

Made use of the Wilton cookie press I bought days back. Not as pretty but definitely will improve next time! 

Brazo de Mercedes

Attended Filipino Community Christmas Party in office and contributed Brazonde Mercedes cupcakes:

Recipe: Spritz cookies from Wilton packaging

Disks guide

Cupcake guide

Merry Christmas Cookies everyone!

It's my favorite time of the year again! And this year is special because I wont be buying ready to eat cookies coz -- I'm making one! Wohooo! My excitement led me to buy additions to my arsenal of baking tools - christmas cookie cutters! Gave it a go and the finished product is more than awesome!! I'm ecstatic! :)

Wilton cutter i bought from Bake it Yourself

Closer look

Dividing Royal icing into colors! Such a sight! 

Piping the outline first, then flooding the inner cover.

Closer look on christmas trees

Closer look on star snowflakes

More pictorials of these beauties! 

Happiness! 

Recipe: Wiltons cut-out cookie

Some design ideas

Recipe: Lemon cheese cookie

Bookmarking this recipe found online

Recipe: Sugar Cookie

1 cup butter, softened
1 cup granulated white sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
1 egg
2 teaspoons baking powder
3 cups all purpose flour


Directions: 
Preheat oven to 350° F.

1. In the bowl of your mixer cream butter and sugar until smooth.
2. Beat in extracts and egg.
3.In a separate bowl combine baking powder with flour and add a little at a time to the wet ingredients. The dough will be very stiff. If it becomes too stiff for your mixer turn out the dough onto a countertop surface. Wet your hands and finish off kneading the dough by hand.
4. Do not chill the dough. Divide into workable batches, roll out onto a floured surface and cut. You want these cookies to be on the thicker side (closer to 1/4 inch rather than 1/8).
5. Bake at 350 for 6-8 minutes. Let cool on the cookie sheet until firm enough to transfer to a cooling rack.

*source inkatrinaskitchen.com

10mins bday cake

Getting the hang of decorating fondant cakes that it only took me 10mins to finish this one, baking excluded. With the right tools, it'll surely be a piece of cake for you too. :) 

Lovin the feminine touch

Front view

 

 Birthday girl mother

How I salvaged a too runny Italian Meringue buttercream

No begginers luck this time. I mixed the butter to a still hot mixture of sugar syrup and meringue and the result - too runny consistency very far from pipeable. And i just cant accept to throw it away given the amount of butter it has in it and its not cheap. And knowing it was the temperature that ruined it, temperature should also correct it. I wrapped the under bowl with ice while mixing and viola! It did the trick. Managed to crumbcoat Boknoys bday cake just in time without having to throw anything in the bin. 

Runny batter

Wrapped ice in a kitchen towel and put it under the bowl while mixing

Finish product. 

Little GUys day out in the park

Zedric had fun yesterday in Pasir Ris Park     for Boknoys bbq sesh. Im loving the fresh air, green scenery and the away from office escapade. Should do this once in a while.

Chocolate Lava Cake

Okay this time I'll narate as me not the Queen me. Reason: nothing. Change is inevitable right? Hehe. I made chocolate lava cake after managing to grab last few pieces of ramikins from Daiso after being sold out weeks back. I'll post the recipe I used later. Everything is perfect except that the almond essence Inused destroyed the flavour as it added a chemically taste to the cake. I remember this was not the first time this essence ruined my cake. Shame on me it fooled me twoce so am gonna toss it to the bin contents and all. Use Bakeking almond essence with care, my advise for you. 

Prepping the ramekins. 

Greasing amd sprinkling with cocoa powder

Melting chocs, butter in milk

Whisking eggs

Sitingg pretty in oven

After 20mins...

Sprinkle sugar and love

Oozing chocolate Lava. :D