made with love ♥

Banana cupcakes & PB frosting

2012-01-27T19:30:00.000-05:00

It's been a while since I've made these yummy cupcakes. The combination of banana and peanut butter is just perfect. It brings me back to so many memories of my sister and I sneaking into the cupboards when we were little and treating ourselves to PB&J sandwiches. I don't know if anybody else out there did this but my sister and I would jazz up our PB&Js with slices of bananas and drizzles of honey. It was such a delicious combo of flavours! Quite daring too, for a pair of 10 and 6 year olds if you ask me :P. But then again... who doesn't like PB&J? And bananas? And honey?? Not me, that's for sure!

Banana cupcakes
Adapted from: Martha Stewart

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, sifted
3/4 cup sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted
1 1/2 cups mashed bananas
2 eggs
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line cupcake pans with cupcake papers.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
3. Make a well in the center of the flour mixture and mix in melted butter, mashed bananas, eggs, and vanilla extract. Stir to incorporate flour mixture making sure you do not over mix.
4. Divide the batter evenly into the cups and bake for about 25-30 minutes or until a cake tester comes out clean.
5. Let cool on a wire wrack before frosting.

Peanut butter frosting
1/2 cup butter, room temperature
1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
2 cups powdered icing sugar, sifted
1/8 cup milk
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1. In the bowl of your electric mixer using the paddle attachment, cream together the butter and peanut butter.
2. Add in half of the sifted icing sugar and blend.
3. Add the milk and vanilla extract, continuing to blend.
4. Add the rest of the sugar and stir until everything is smooth and well blended.

Chocolate-banana crêpe

2012-01-03T14:41:00.003-05:00

To start off the new year, I brought out my wonderful Tibos electric crêpe maker given to me from my boyfriend on Christmas. I don't know where/how he found this, but he's brilliant. I no longer need to go to Cora's for breakfast crepes or Caffe Demetres for dessert! That sneaky boy probably thought of that before me...haha.
So for breakfast today, I made my mom a ham, cheese and scrambled egg crêpe and a chocolate-banana crêpe for myself. A great bonding experience for my mom and I especially since it's been a while since the last time I've had a day off with nothing to do. I'm very much looking forward to the new year and I'm hoping it's even better than the last. I wish everyone good health, good luck, and may you achieve all your new years resolutions! Cheers!! xo

Chocolate-banana crêpes

1/2 cup all purpose flour
1 tablespoon sugar
pinch salt
2 eggs
1/2 cup milk
1 1/2 tablespoons butter, melted

Nutella
2 ripe bananas, sliced

1. Combine all of the ingredients in a blender and puree the mixture until well blended (about 30 seconds). Let it rest for a few minutes.
2. Heat up your electric crêpe machine to the lowest setting (you could probably use a non-stick skillet)
3. Spoon a ladle (about a 1/4 cup) of batter onto the center of the griddle and spread around using your wooden scraper. Leave to cook for 10-15 seconds.(Flip it over and leave for another 10 seconds if you want a more crispy crêpe) Remove with a wooden spatula.

To assemble:
Place the crêpe onto a plate and spread a spoonful of Nutella along the centre. Place bananas on top and fold.

Christmas sugar cookies

2011-12-25T01:59:00.000-05:00

I couldn't resist making Christmas sugar cookies again this year, but I have to admit it was very hard for me to stay away from my snowflake cookie cutters! This time, I used Christmas trees, wreaths, and mittens. Tried to keep them relatively simple since I knew I was going to be short on time. I hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas day sharing it with family, friends and loved ones! Merry Christmas and happy holidays!!♥

Sugar Cookies
Adapted from Sweetopia

2 1/2 cups butter, room temperature
2 cups sugar
2 large eggs
1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
5 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt

1. Using the paddle attachment on your stand mixer, cream together butter and sugar on low to medium speed.
2. Add the eggs slowly and mix. Then add the vanilla extract and continue. If needed, scrape down the sides of the bowl with a spatula.
3. Add the sifted flour, baking powder and salt into the bowl and mix. When the mixture begins to come together into a dough-like stage (about 20-30 seconds), it's ready.
4. Roll the dough into disks (2-3 disks if necessary) between 2 sheets of parchment paper and refrigerate for at least an hour.
5. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Roll the dough further if needed, and cut out your cookie shapes. Place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. To hold the shapes better while baking, place the cut out cookies back into fridge just before baking.
6. Bake for 8-12 minutes or until the edges become golden brown.
7. Let the cookies cool before decorating with royal icing.

Royal Icing

3 ounces of warm water
2 1/2 tablespoons meringue powder
1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar
500 grams powdered icing sugar

1. In mixer bowl, pour in the warm water and the meringue powder. Mix it with a whisk by hand until it is frothy and thickened (about 30 seconds).
2. Add the cream of tartar and mix for 30 seconds more.
3. Pour in all the icing sugar at once and place the bowl on the mixer.
4. Using the paddle attachment on the lowest speed, mix slowly for a full 10 minutes. Icing will get thick and creamy.
5. Cover the bowl with a dampened tea-towel to prevent crusting and drying.
6. Tint with food colourings or thin the icing with small amounts of warm water to reach the desired consistency.

Christmas M&M cookies

2011-12-20T15:19:00.003-05:00

Just a quick Christmas post on these cute M&M cookies I've been saving these Christmas coloured M&Ms for. I can't believe there are only 5 days left until Christmas! It sure doesn't feel like it... but that's probably because there's absolutely no snow outside. Not that I want snow.. I just kinda wish I could wake up on the 25th to a white Christmas, you know?? Sadly, I'll be working on Christmas while the rest of my family spends the day together :'( I'm crying on the inside but know I have to do what I have to do. On the bright side though, we'll be having a Christmas part II the very next day. I hope you're all done your Christmas shopping! Cus I know I'm not.. sooo I'll be at the mall with all my other fellow last minute shoppers (**I knew I should've started shopping in the Summer time). Merry almost Christmas! I hope I get the chance to do another Christmas post before then. xo

Christmas M&M Cookies
1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 1/2 cup white sugar
2 eggs, room temperature
2 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 1/2 cup all purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 cup Christmas coloured M&Ms

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line cookie sheets and set aside.
2. Sift together flour, salt, baking soda, and baking powder.
3. In the bowl of your stand mixer, cream together the butter and sugars until they're light and fluffy. Add eggs and vanilla making sure you scrape down the sides of the bowl.
4. Add the dry ingredients and mix on low just until everything is incorporated.
5. Refrigerate the dough for about an hour.
6. Using an ice cream scoop, scoop the dough and form into a ball before rolling it around in some M&Ms. Place on the prepared baking sheets about 1.5 inches apart.
7. Bake for about 12-14 minutes, or until golden brown. For a more chewy cookie, take the cookies out just before they look done. Transfer to a wire rack and let cool.

Almond biscotti

2011-11-30T20:30:00.001-05:00

After being asked about a 1000 times to make these almond biscottis for my mom, I finally got off my butt and did so. Oh-- if you don't already know me, what you should know is that I'm the biggest procrastinator. Ever. And I have the most persistent mom, ever :P. I don't know, I guess she's been having a month-long craving for bisctottis? Who knows. Haha, anways, she was so happy that I was making them for her, she Skyped my aunt from Finland just to tell her! Hehe, cute right?
Well, these almond biscottis are surprisingly very delicious. I'm usually not a big biscotti fan, but these were pretty darn good. I didn't have any orange liqueur at home so I substituted it with just a teaspoon of lemon extract which paired very well with the almonds. I will most definitely be making these again :)

Almond Biscotti
Adapted from Smitten Kitchen via Bon Appetit

3 1/4 cups all purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/3 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups sugar
10 tablespoons (1 1/4 sticks) unsalted butter, melted
3 large eggs
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon lemon extract
1 tablespoon orange zest
1 cup whole almonds, toasted, coarsely chopped or sliced almonds

1 large egg white

1. Position rack in center of oven and Preheat oven to 350F. Line baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. Sift flour, baking powder and salt into a medium bowl.
3. In a separate bowl, mix sugar, melted butter, 3 eggs, vanilla extract, lemon extract and zest. Add the flour mixture into egg mixture and stir with wooden spoon until well blended. Mix in the almonds.
4. Divide the dough in half. Using floured hands, shape each dough half into 13 1/2-inch-long, 2 1/2-inch-wide log. Transfer both logs to prepared baking sheet, spacing apart.
5. Whisk egg white in small bowl until foamy and brush over the top and sides of each dough log.
6. Bake logs until golden brown (about 30 minutes). Remove from the oven and cool logs completely on sheet on rack (about 25 minutes). Maintain oven temperature.
7. Transfer logs to work surface and using a serrated knife, cut logs on a diagonal into 1/2-inch-wide slices. Arrange slices, cut side down, on the same baking sheet and bake for about 12 minutes. Turn biscotti over and bake until it is just beginning to color (about 8 minutes). Transfer to rack to cool.

This is optional, but you can always dip your biscotti in some white or dark chocolate laying it flat on parchment paper to dry. Of course I couldn't resist dipping mine in white chocolate (yum!)

Chocolate chip oatmeal cookies

2011-11-17T17:32:00.004-05:00

After-work baking is probably the most tiring yet rewarding activity at the same time. You know how I recently quit my job? Well, that was probably the best decision I've ever made because it lead me to finding myself an even better job. Every day is still a learning experience for me, but fortunately everyone that I've met is super nice and helpful! Definitely makes my learning a lot more fun and enjoyable :)

By the end of the night though, nothing's better than coming home to my family and chatting about how our days went over a glass of milk and freshly baked cookies. These cookies are definitely worth the effort (cause they're so very delicious!) but next time, I'm going to triple the recipe because it just wasn't enough!

Chocolate chip oatmeal cookies
Adapted from: milk and honey cafe and The strategic retreat

3/4 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1 stick unsalted butter, room temperature
1/2 cup dark brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 egg, room temperature
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups quick rolled oats
1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips or chunks
1/2 cup milk chocolate chips or chunks

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line cookie sheets and set aside.
2. Sift together flour, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon.
3.In the bowl of your stand mixer, cream together butter and both sugars until they're light and fluffy. Add egg and mix until it is well incorporated. Stir in vanilla.
4. Add dry ingredients into creamed batter until it is incorporated. Mix in oatmeal and stir in chocolate chips.
5. Drop dough at least 1.5 inches apart by 2 tablespoons or with a small ice cream scoop.
6. Bake for about 10-12 minutes, making sure you do not over bake them! (Take them out just before they look done). Transfer to a wire rack and let cool.

Halloween cupcakes

2011-10-31T14:27:00.002-04:00

If you are what you eat, then I must be chocolate cake. I have been obsessed with this cake! I use this recipe for everything (if you haven't already noticed). It's such a simple, straight forward recipe yet it becomes such a delicious, moist chocolate cake once it's baked. I love it.

For another friend's birthday, which also happened to fall within this Halloween weekend, her boyfriend planned a surprise birthday/Halloween party for her. It was so very sweet of him :). Somehow, I was the designated dessert girl and I was scrambling for time between finishing up my two Halloween costumes, baking a birthday cake, and baking a bunch of these little cupcakes. One thing that I've definitely mastered this weekend is multitasking.
For these cupcakes, I used the exact same recipes as the Pink ruffles cake but I halved the Swiss meringue buttercream recipe. Easy peasy! :)

Happy Halloween everyone!!!

Pink ruffles

2011-10-30T16:15:00.004-04:00

I made the girly-est pink ruffle cake for my bff's birthday yesterday. I'm so glad I made it out to her birthday this year! (I had to miss hers last year because I was in Asia). We used to see each other every single day when we were younger. We've been through SO so much-- so many things that we can look back and laugh about together. We were pretty silly kids. Truly my sister from another mother ♥. But now that our different schedules force us to lead separate lives and live in different cities for the most part, it seems like forever each time, until next time we see each other again :'(! The great thing about our friendship though, is that time and distance apart doesn't change a thing between us. That's why she's my bff and I love her to death ♥.

For this cake, I used my go-to chocolate cake recipe. I paired it with classic vanilla Swiss meringue buttercream.

Swiss Meringue Buttercream
Adapted from: Dyann Bakes and Martha Stewart's Cupcakes book

8 ounces egg whites
16 ounces granulated sugar
24 ounces unsalted butter, room temperature
Pinch of salt
1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

1. Whisk egg whites and salt in the bowl of your stand mixer set over a pot of simmering water. Add the sugar and whisk constantly by hand until the sugar has dissolved (it will feel smooth when rubbed between your fingertips).
2. Remove the bowl from the heat and attach to your mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Start on low speed and gradually increase to medium-high speed whisking until stiff peaks form.
3. Continue to whisk until the bottom of your bowl is completely cool and the mixture is fluffy and glossy (about 15 minutes)
4. With the mixer on medium-low speed, add the butter a few tablespoons at a time, mixing well after each addition. Once all the butter has been added, whisk in the vanilla extract.
5. Switch to the paddle attachment and continue beating on low speed until all the air bubbles are eliminated. Remember to scrape down the sides of the bowl if necessary. Tint the buttercream with gel-paste food colouring if needed.

Domo-kun

2011-10-14T16:34:00.006-04:00

Here's a Domo cake that I made for a friend's 24th birthday.
Just a warning: He may look like a big, mean monster, but he is the sweetest little thing you'll ever eat ;)..(I'm not even kidding). This cake consists of two layers of moist chocolate cake filled with dark chocolate frosting and covered in some more chocolate frosting. Only a true chocolate lover can appreciate the sweetness of this cake.

For the cake:
Chocolate Cake
Adapted from: Hershey's

2 cups sugar
1 3/4 cup all purpose flour
3/4 cup cocoa powder, sifted
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
2 eggs
1 cup buttermilk, room temperature
1 cup strong coffee
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Butter and flour a 13x9" cake pan and set aside.
2. Place sugar in the bowl of your stand mixer and sift in flour, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.
3. Add eggs, buttermilk, coffee, oil, and vanilla extract. With the whisk, beat on medium speed for 2 minutes.
4. Pour into prepared pan and bake for about 35 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. 5. Cool on a wire rack for about 20 minutes then gently invert onto a rack until it is completely cool.

For the filling:
Dark chocolate frosting
Adapted from: Martha Stewart's Cupcakes book

1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons boiling water
1 1/2 cups unsalted butter, room temperature
1/2 cup powdered icing sugar, sifted
Pinch of salt
1 pound best-quality semi-sweet chocolate, melted and cooled

1. Combine cocoa and the coiling water, stirring until cocoa has dissolved.
2. With an electric mixer on medium-high speed, beat butter, confectioner's sugar and salt until pale and fluffy. Reduce speed to low.
3. Add melted and cooled chocolate, beating until combined and scraping down sides of bowl as needed.
4. Beat in the cocoa mixture.

For frosting the cake:
Chocolate frosting

1 cups cocoa powder, sifted
2 cups confectioner’s sugar, sifted
1/4 cup milk
1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
pinch salt

1. In a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat butter at medium-high speed until smooth.
2. Add the cocoa powder, sugar, and salt. Beat at medium-low speed until most of the sugar is moistened.
3. Add in the milk and vanilla extract and beat at medium speed until incorporated.
4. Increase the speed to medium-high and beat until light and fluffy. Remember to scrape the bowl when needed.

For those of you who don't know who Domo-kun is > Here ya go :)

And while we're on the topic of Domos, why not throw in some Domo cake pops! These were made the same way cake pops are usually made but instead of shaping them into balls, they were shaped into mini rectangular prisms. Aren't pink Domos so much cuter?! I think so.

Purple & white

2011-10-13T01:50:00.002-04:00

Omnomnom, more cake pops! Something about these little guys, I never get tired of making them. This time, I crumbled up some vanilla pound cake (with the help of a food processor) and achieved a more dense and richer pop. Still yummy! Here's the cake recipe below.

Vanilla pound cake
Adapted from Apt.2B Baking Co.

6 oz butter, softened
1 1/2 cups flour, sifted
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup milk, room temperature
1/2 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups sugar
3 large eggs, room temperature

1. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Sift the flour, baking powder, and salt together.
2. Combine the milk and vanilla extract in a measuring cup.
3. In the bowl of you stand mixer, cream butter until light and fluffy (about 2 minutes). With the mixer on med-low speed, gradually pour in the sugar, scrape down the bowl and beat until smooth, light and fluffy (about 3 more minutes).
4. Add the eggs one at a time to the butter and sugar mixture, beating for 15 http://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gifseconds before adding another. Scraping down the bowl often.
5. Reduce the speed to low and alternately add the flour and milk mixtures in three batches, beginning and ending with the flour. When there are still a few streaks of flour left in the batter, remove the bowl from the mixer and finish the mixing by hand.
6. Pour into prepared pans (buttered and floured) and tap to remove any air bubbles. Bake until light golden (about an hour and 15 minutes).
7. Let the cake cool in the pan for about 30 minutes before transferring to a rack to cool completely.

To make the cake pops: click here

Bridal shower cupcakes

2011-09-27T14:30:00.007-04:00

Hello again!! I know I know, it's been another long while since my last post... I'm sorry! Long story short, these past few months have been an emotional roller coaster ride for me. Somewhere along the way, I felt as if I'd lost my passion for baking. Anything food related actually. I found myself avoiding my kitchen. It sucks... but I'm slowly inching my way back. I took my first step yesterday by packing up my stuff and leaving my workplace. YES, I QUIT! I've never been in the situation where I was that unhappy to be somewhere. I woke up in the morning dreading the day to come and returned home miserable. It was unhealthy for me and I knew I had to get out ASAP. It wasn't fair for me, and it wasn't fair for those around me. SO, here I am... crawling out from the rock I've been hiding under and sincerely apologizing for my absence. Would I be able to make it up to you with these photos from a bridal shower favour I did over the Summer? I hope so :)

From top to bottom: vanilla cupcakes with white chocolate ganache filling and Swiss meringue buttercream roses/chocolate cupcakes with raspberry filling and dark chocolate frosting.

Please be patient with me as I find myself again
♥

Strawberry shortcake

2011-07-19T18:09:00.003-04:00

Over the weekend, we celebrated my cousin's 24th birthday over a couple of nice dinners and some fun under the sun. It's so wonderful to get together and relax with family and friends especially after a long week of work. Let me just say this, 24 hours in a day is NOT enough! Neither is a 2 day weekend. Luckily, I was able to squeeze in some time to make my cousin's favourite cake: the strawberry shortcake.

Funny story-- Okay, it's not really that funny... pretty embarrassing, actually. Being the forgetful person that I am, I somehow managed to completely ruin my sponge cake in the process of making it. Can you believe I forgot the flour?! I had it all measured out, sifted, and ready to go. But as soon as I poured the egg mixture into my dusted cake pans and into the oven, I realized I forgot the key ingredient to every cake. It was a disaster! So being short on time, I had to cheat a little bit ;)let's not go there though. Anyway, the cake turned out well in the end and there were no empty stomachs leaving the party :). The end.

Strawberry shortcake

For the sponge cake:
Adapted from: Baking & Related Theory for Cooks manual
9 eggs, large
270 grams sugar
1 pinch salt
1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
270 grams all purpose flour, sifted

1. Preheat the oven to 200 degrees.
2. In the bowl of your stand mixer using the whisk attachment, whip the eggs for about 20 minutes until foamy.
3. Add sugar, salt, and vanilla. Continue to whip until incorporated.
4. When the mixture is ready (it will be pale yellow and light to touch) remove from the stand and fold in the sifted flour. Be sure not to under or over fold the mixture.
5. Bake for about 25 minutes. Allow cakes to cool before further handling.

For the assembling:
3 layers sponge cake (cut when cooled)
2 cups whipping cream
4 cups whippie or toppit (can be substituted with CoolWhip)
3 cups fresh strawberries + 12 dipped in chocolate
Strawberry jam to taste
Sugar water (Simple syrup) to spray
Vanilla biscrunch

1. Whip the whipping cream and the whippie separately and fold the two together. Take approximately 1/4 of the cream and add some strawberry jam to taste (keep separate).
2. Spray each layer of cake with syrup. Using a large piping tip, pipe a ring around the edge of the cake using the regular whipped cream mixture.
3. Spread the strawberry cream mixture into the center of the ring and place a layer of sliced strawberries.
4. Place another layer of cake on top and repeat.
5. When all 3 layers are stacked, mask your cake with the whipped cream. Place on top of a cake board and put a trim around the cake with vanilla biscrunch about the width of two fingers.
6. Mark the cake into 12 pieces and pipe rosettes in each space close to the edge.
7. Place dipped strawberries on each rosette and push down slightly.

Keep in mind that you can easily decorate your cake any way you like! I wish I had some white chocolate shavings to add on top or to the sides cus you know how I love my white chocolate :9

Triple chocolate chip muffins

2011-07-06T17:26:00.006-04:00

About a month ago, I've become a regular at the Country Style by my work. Always a medium double double and a muffin to start my morning along with a little chit chat and smiles. They have such an impressive variety of muffins and I'm well along the way of trying each and every flavour haha 8). My two favs would have to be the banana muffins and the chocolate chip muffins. I don't know what they put in those things but they are to die for! I had a little craving after work so I thought I'd stir up a muffin storm in my kitchen (not really though, the recipe is very simple). Here's a super quick and easy recipe perfect for some evening baking!

Triple chocolate chip muffins
Adapted from Handle the Heat

2 cups all purpose flour
1/3 cups white sugar
1/3 cups light brown sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2/3 cup milk
1/2 cup butter, melted and cooled
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
4 oz milk chocolate chips
4 oz semi sweet chocolate chips
3 oz white chocolate chips

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line muffin tin with paper liners.
2. In a large bowl, sift together flour, sugars, baking powder, and salt.
3. In separate bowl, stir together milk, butter, eggs, and vanilla until well blended.
4. Make a well in the dry ingredients and pour the wet ingredients into the well.Using a spatula, fold together until combined. Fold in the chocolate chips.
5. Spoon the batter into the muffin tins and bake for about 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.
6. Remove from over and let cool. Enjoy!

Chocolate cupcakes

2011-05-28T22:31:00.005-04:00

So I had a little fun with some after-work baking this week as a favor for my boss. She's been asking me to bake some goodies for some time now and I finally got around to doing so. I don't know about you, but seeing a big smile on someone's face gives me a great rushing feeling of satisfaction. Knowing that by sacrificing a few hours of my time I can totally make someone's day. It's all worth it. Even if I've been a little sleep deprived lately :P

I made a chocolate with chocolate frosting cupcake combination simply because I was craving chocolate haha. The results were pretty good I'd say. I received some pretty good feedback from my coworkers (of course I brought extras for them).

Now here's the super good part: my cupcakes are currently available at Michel's Baguette Fairview Mall! Not officially... it's just a trial run at the moment, but if they're successful *crossing fingers* maybe they will be approved by the head office? We'll see. I really appreciate the all the love and support from my friends and family :). I'm especially thankful to my sister's boyfriend for custom designing cupcake boxes for me! It made my life so much easier and kept my cupcakes safe! Phew*

Chocolate cupcakes
Adapted from: Hershey's

2 cups sugar
1 3/4 cup all purpose flour
3/4 cup cocoa powder, sifted
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
2 eggs
1 cup buttermilk, room temperature
1 cup strong coffee
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line cupcake pans with cupcake papers.
2. Place sugar in the bowl of your stand mixer and sift in flour, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.
3. Add eggs, buttermilk, coffee, oil, and vanilla extract. With the whisk, beat on medium speed for 2 minutes.
4. Scoop into liners about half to three quarters full. Bake for 35-40 minutes or until a cake tester comes out clean.
5. Let cool completely before frosting.

Chocolate frosting

2 cups cocoa powder, sifted
4 cups powdered icing sugar, sifted
1/2 cup milk
1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
pinch salt

1. In a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat butter at medium-high speed until smooth.
2. Add the cocoa powder, sugar, and salt. Beat at medium-low speed until most of the sugar is moistened.
3. Add in the milk and vanilla extract and beat at medium speed until incorporated.
4. Increase the speed to medium-high and beat until light and fluffy. Remember to scrape the bowl when needed.

Strawberry cupcakes

2011-05-10T01:35:00.005-04:00

Spent a day baking with my girl Aney like good old times. We used to bake a lot more often together with a bunch of our girlies when we were younger. You know, those Friday nights after school or during the Summer time when we had nothing else to do. Such great memories-- this was another great day added to the book.

These cupcakes have been on my to-bake list and I've finally given them a try. I found the recipe on milk and honey cafe's blog and I was instantaneously blown away by it's beauty.

Here's the recipe

Strawberry cupcakes

For the strawberry sauce:
2 cups of fresh strawberries, cut in half and stem removed
sugar to taste

For the cupcakes:
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 cup sugar
2 large eggs, room temperature
1-1/3 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup strawberry sauce
1/4 cup milk

For the cream cheese frosting:
8 ounces or 1 package of cream cheese
1/2 stick butter
4 cups powdered icing sugar, sifted
approximately 1/4 cup of strawberry sauce

Strawberry sauce:
1. Soak strawberries with about 1-2 tbs sugar for 15 minutes.
2. Put strawberries in a small saucepan and heat under medium heat with lid on.
3. Cook strawberries for approximately 15 minutes till strawberries cook down and become soft and saucy. Adjust sweetness with sugar until you get the desired sweetness.
4. With a blender, puree until you get the desired smoothness or chunkiness. Cool before using in recipe.

Cupcakes:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line cupcake pans with cupcake papers. Whisk flour with baking powder, baking soda and salt. Set aside. Measure out milk and strawberry sauce together. Set aside.
2. Beat butter on high until soft, about 30 seconds. Add sugar. Beat on medium-high until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add eggs one at a time, beat for 30 seconds between each.
3. Add about a fourth of the flour to the butter/sugar mixture and beat to combine. Add about one third the milk/strawberry sauce mixture and beat until combined. Repeat above, alternating flour and milk and ending with the flour mixture. Scoop into cupcake papers about half to three-quarters full (depending on whether you want flat or domed cupcakes). Bake for 20-22 minutes, or until a cake tester comes out clean.

Cream cheese frosting:
1. Bring cheese and butter to room temperature by letting it sit out for 1 or 2 hours.
2. Sift powdered sugar into a bowl.
3. Beat butter and cheese at medium speed until creamy. Add half of the sugar, beat until combined.
4. Add strawberry sauce until you achieve the right color and flavor, making sure not to add too much or the frosting will be too soft.
5. Gradually add remaining sugar (more if you have to) until you get to the consistency and sweetness you like.

Cake pops anyone?

2011-03-19T15:46:00.000-04:00

Here's something else that I've been longing to bake for a while. Cake pops! Yes, cake on a stick. There's been such a big hype going around with cake pops lately... Starbucks just launched their new cake pop treats. I bet they're delicious! I still haven't gotten around to trying them :(
Next month, my sister is participating in Toronto's 21st Annual Canada Life CN Tower climb in support of the WWF-Canada. So I'm going to be the greatest little sister that I am (tehe), and devote myself to helping her fundraise for her climb. All proceeds go to the WWF-Canada (Wolrd Wildlife Fund-Canada). This is some exciting stuff isn't it?? If you want to learn more, check out http://publicclimb.wwf.ca/why_climb/ for more details!
As for the cake pops...

Cake pops
Adapted from: Bakerella

1 box French vanilla or chocolate cake mix (bake as directed on the box)
1/2 can vanilla or chocolate frosting
2 packages white candy melts + more coloured candy melts for tinting(optional)

1. Bake the cake as directed on the box and let it cool completely.
2. In a large bowl, crumble the cake into fine crumbs.
3. Add just a bit of the frosting at a time and mix thoroughly. (You don't want to add too must frosting otherwise it would become too moist for rolling)
4. Roll mixture into quarter size balls and lay on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper.
5. Let the balls chill for about 15 minutes in the freezer and then transfer them into the fridge.
6. Melt the candy melts in the microwave or over a double boiler until you've reached the right dipping consistency. Take the balls out of the fridge and dip the tip of the lollipop sticks in the melts and stick them into the balls about 3/4 of the way through.
7. Pop the balls back into the fridge to let the candy melts harden (this makes it easier for the dipping process).
8. When hardened, dip the cake pops individually into the candy melts to coat. Tap off the excess melts by tapping them on the edge of the bowl very, very gently. Rotate the cake pop for a more even coating.
9. Before the candy melts harden, you can decorate your cake pops with any desired sprinkles, chopped nuts, sweetened flaked coconut... anything! Or you can leave them as is.
10. Stand them up on a Styrofoam block to harden (about 30 mins) and enjoy!

Photo diary: Buffalo

2011-02-25T00:52:00.006-05:00

Finally escaped Toronto this weekend and enjoyed a much needed weekend in Buffalo, New York. Though the idea was to get away from Canada, we couldn't help but feel the need to drop by places we felt most at home(Tim Hortons, McDonald's, and Walmart!).We managed to escape the city, but unfortunately not the dirty dirty weather. Great 2 days anyhow!
I know I was aiming for a food blog but I needed to sneak in some of my photos somehow! If you'll kindly let me, maybe I'll be tempted to fit in more photo diaries in the future..:)

Happy Friday!!

Brunch

2011-02-18T14:49:00.004-05:00

Last night may have been the worst night of ~~sleep~~ lack of sleep that I've gotten in a while. I'm assuming that it's because I drank an Iced Cappuccino after work yesterday. I know, SOFT right? I used to drink coffee twice a day, everyday, and still be able to sleep like a baby. Now that those days long are over, I had myself rolling around in bed for 7 hours.

Lesson learned: No more caffeine at night.

Anyways, for brunch today I made some ham spread to eat with my baguette and some tea. After a looong night, this was exactly what I needed.

Ham spread
350 grams smoked ham
5 tablespoons mayonnaise
2 tablespoons Green onion
Salt and pepper to taste

1. Using a knife or a food processor, chop the ham into fine crumbs and place into bowl for mixing.

2. Combine the rest of the ingredients into the bowl and stir with a fork.

Easy peasy recipe. Of course I was too lazy to bring out the good ol Magic Bullet to do all the chopping for me. But hey, I had less dishes to clean and that's all that matters!

xo

''You give me premature ventricular contractions''

2011-02-14T00:26:00.002-05:00

Valentine's day has totally crept up on me this year! I knew it was coming, but I wasn't expecting it to hit me so soon. Because I've been so busy doing who-knows-what, I was only able to fit in a batch of cookies for this lovey dovey heart-filled occasion :(. Boo.

My bf however, managed to surprise me with a wonderful scavenger hunt to find the buried treasure (present) today. You can imagine how quickly I turned into a kid again when I found my first clue (carefully folded into heart-shaped origami), and then the next, and the next, and the next ones after that... He's amazing ♥

Don't mean to sound all cheesy and all, but he truly gives me premature ventricular contractions (he makes my heart skip a beat). Please tell me you've all seen the movie No Strings Attached. It's only the cutest movie out there. I have a major crush on Ashton Kutcher (don't worry Honey, I still love you) after seeing that movie. Twice. Yes, I am that lame, I watched the movie twice. I won't even deny that I'll be watching it again.

Okay, okay. Enough with the cheese. Here are the recipes:

Sugar Cookies
Adapted from Sweetopia

2 1/2 cups butter, room temperature
2 cups sugar
2 large eggs
3 teaspoon vanilla (or seeds from 1 vanilla bean)
5 cups flour, sifted
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt

1. Using the paddle attachment on your stand mixer, cream together butter and sugar on low to medium speed.

2. Add the eggs slowly and mix. Then add the vanilla extract and continue. If needed, scrape down the sides of the bowl with a spatula.

3. Add the sifted flour, baking powder and salt into the bowl and mix. When the mixture begins to come together into a dough-like stage (about 20-30 seconds), it's ready.

4. Roll the dough into disks (2-3 disks if necessary) between 2 sheets of parchment paper and refrigerate for at least an hour.

5. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Roll the dough further if needed, and cut out your cookie shapes. Place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. To hold the shapes better while baking, place the cut out cookies back into fridge just before baking.

6. Bake for 8-12 minutes or until the edges become golden brown.

7. Let the cookies cool before decorating with royal icing.

Royal Icing (I halved the recipe)
Also adapted from Sweetopia

6 ounces of warm water
5 tablespoons meringue powder
1 teaspoon cream of tartar
1 kilogram powdered icing sugar

1. In mixer bowl, pour in the warm water and the meringue powder. Mix it with a whisk by hand until it is frothy and thickened (about 30 seconds).

2. Add the cream of tartar and mix for 30 seconds more.

3. Pour in all the icing sugar at once and place the bowl on the mixer.

4. Using the paddle attachment on the lowest speed, mix slowly for a full 10 minutes. Icing will get thick and creamy.

5. Cover the bowl with a dampened tea-towel to prevent crusting and drying.

6. Tint with food colourings or thin the icing with small amounts of warm water to reach the desired consistency.

HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY EVERYONE! ♥♥♥

Blueberry buckle

2011-02-03T13:45:00.001-05:00

Here's a recipe that I found at the library last week. A simple recipe, so quick to make and simply delicious. Anna Olson has always been such an inspiration to me. I love her tv shows! I remember coming home after school hoping to catch her on Sugar at 4:00pm. I was in middle school, so coming home early was nearly impossible. My friends and I would always hang out at our local Coffee Time after school eating donuts and laughing til our tummies hurt. We were cool kids 8). Those were the carefree days. Lovely group of friends with nothing to worry about other than getting home on time for dinner.

Thank god I still have my lovely friends to bring out that kid in me. Although we've all grown and are currently living in different cities for the most part, the once every month or two gatherings are so comforting ♥

Anyways, thank you Anna Olson for this delicious recipe:

Blueberry Buckle

For the cake:
1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
1/2 cup sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 cups all purpose flour
2 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup milk
2 cups blueberries, fresh or frozen (I used fresh)

For the streusel topping:
1/3 cup sugar
1/3 cup all purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
3 tablespoon unsalted butter

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and grease a 9" round cake pan.

2. In the bowl of your stand mixer, cream together butter and sugar until pale yellow. Add the egg and vanilla extract and beat in.

3. In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Add to the mixture alternatively with the milk until incorporated.

4. Scrape the batter into the greased cake pan and spread. Sprinkle the blueberries on top.

5. Using your fingers, blend the sugar, flour, cinnamon, and butter in a small bowl making sure there are no large butter lumps left. Sprinkle on top of the blueberries.

6. Bake for about 40-45 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean of cake (it will have blueberry on it). Allow to cool before slicing.

I ♥ Nutella

2011-01-17T01:10:00.002-05:00

If you were to eat one thing for the rest of your life, what would it be?

That's probably a question we've all been asked at some point in our lives right? I remember my answer would always be chocolate. And if someone were to ask me again now, I'd probably say the same (tehe). I've always been a chocolate kind of girl and I'm sure proud of it. I'd choose chocolate over candy any day!

Nutella... oh boy, where do I start? Nutella is the ultimate hazelnut spread. It's my go-to breakfast when I'm craving something sweet in the morning. Beautifully slapped on a piece of toast-- delish! It's also good for any sudden chocolate craving. C'mon, we've all done it... we've all had a spoon (or two) of Nutella straight from the container! Oh I ♥ Nutella.

Yellow Cupcakes
Adapted from: Stephanie Jaworski

1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 cup granulated white sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature cut into pieces
1 large egg, room temperature
2 large egg yolks, room temperature
1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1/2 cup sour cream, room temperature

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line muffin cups with paper liners.

2. In the bowl of you electric mixer, beat to combine the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. Add the butter, egg, egg yolks, vanilla extract, and sour cream. Beat the wet and dry ingredients together at medium speed until the batter is smooth and satiny, about 30 seconds. If necessary, scrape down the sides of the bowl and stir the batter with a rubber spatula until the flour is fully incorporated.

3. Fill the muffin cups with thee batter and bake for about 20-25 minutes or until pale and gold and a toothpick inserted into a cupcake comes out clean.

4. Remove from oven and place on a wire rack to cool. Let cool.

5. When the cupcakes are completely cool, frost with icing.

Nutella Frosting

1/3 cup butter, room temperature
1 cup Nutella
1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
2 tablespoon milk
2 cup powdered icing sugar, sifted

1. In the bowl of your electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter and Nutella until combined. (Let your butter completely come to room temperature to avoid any tiny lumps like mine :(!)

2. Add the vanilla extract, milk, and powdered sugar. Stir on low speed until the sugar is incorporated into the mixture. Increase the speed and continue to mix until the frosting is smooth.

3. Place the frosting into piping bags fitted with Ateco 825 (for the big cupcakes) and Ateco 823 (for the mini cupcakes) tips to decorate cupcakes.

I brought these cupcakes to work today and the Nutella frosting was definitely a hit. I think I'll pair it with a different kind of cupcake next time though... perhaps something chocolate to make things even chocolatier :9 mmm. The yellow cupcakes were a little too dense for my liking although that was what the recipe was going for. For a lighter cake, mixing the wet ingredients before incorporating the dry ingredients would be ideal. Tasty either way though, don't get me wrong! JoyofBaking.com has amazing recipes.

OH! By the way, my apologies for such poor quality photos. I'm looking forward to getting a better camera next week! A better camera=better photos=more photos to blog! Yippeee~ I'm way too excited. Words can't even describe how excited I am, haha (Thanks Aney ♥♥).

Stay safe and keep warm! xoxo

Holiday fun

2011-01-02T17:17:00.002-05:00

There's so much love in the air around this time of year, I just love it! Spending time with family and friends sets me in such a good mood. It almost makes up for this crumby Winter weather outside.. Almost. Haha, just kidding. It really does :)!

I should probably explain my absence in the few months that I've been M.I.A....

I should. But I don't really have any legitimate excuse other than my mini vacation overseas. So that will have to suffice. I spent three unforgettable weeks with my family in Hong Kong and Guangzhou. I have such a loving family and I am truly grateful.

Three weeks away from home have turned into months of nothing on my blog. So, as a New Years resolution, I hope to do more baking and blogging this year! And trust me, I have a very long list of "things to make" waiting for me.

These sugar cookie and gingerbread cookie recipes have been teasing me since the summertime but unfortunately I didn't get around to making them until now. It was perfect for Christmas though, especially as a little something to bring to a party. What's great about these cookies is that they are so versatile. You can shape them into anything and they would make for any occasion.

Sugar Cookies
Adapted from Sweetopia

2 1/2 cups butter, room temperature
2 cups sugar
2 large eggs
3 teaspoon vanilla (or seeds from 1 vanilla bean)
5 cups flour, sifted
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt

1. Using the paddle attachment on your stand mixer, cream together butter and sugar on low to medium speed.

2. Add the eggs slowly and mix. Then add the vanilla extract and continue. If needed, scrape down the sides of the bowl with a spatula.

3. Add the sifted flour, baking powder and salt into the bowl and mix. When the mixture begins to come together into a dough-like stage (about 20-30 seconds), it's ready.

4. Roll the dough into disks (2-3 disks if necessary) between 2 sheets of parchment paper and refrigerate for at least an hour.

5. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Roll the dough further if needed, and cut out your cookie shapes. Place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. To hold the shapes better while baking, place the cut out cookies back into fridge just before baking.

6. Bake for 8-12 minutes or until the edges become golden brown.

7. Let the cookies cool before decorating with royal icing.

Gingerbread Cookies
Adapted from Martha Stewart's Cookies

5 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for work surface
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoon salt
4 teaspoons ground ginger
4 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cloves
1 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
1 cup packed dark brown sugar
2 large eggs
1 1/2 cups unsulfered molasses

1. Whisk together flour, baking soda, salt, and spices in a large bowl. Set aside.

2. Put butter and brown sugar int he bowl of a standing electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Mix on medium speed until fluffy. Add eggs and molasses and mix until combined. Add flour mixture; mix on low until combined. Divide dough into thirds; wrap each in plastic. Chill for 1 hour.

3. Preheat oven to 350F. Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper.

4. On a generously floured piece of parchment, roll dough just under 1/4 inch thick. Brush off excess flour and freeze until firm, about 15 minutes.

5. Cut dough into shapes and transfer to prepared baking sheets. Freeze until firm, 15 minutes.

6. Bake cookies for 12 to 14 minutes or until crisp but not darkened, rotating sheets halfway through once and firmly tapping down pan. Transfer cookies to wire racks to cool completely.

7. Decorate with icing and allow to set completely at room temperature, about an hour. Cookies can be stored between layers of parchment in an airtight container at room temperature up to 1 week.

Royal Icing
Adapted from Sweetopia

6 ounces of warm water
5 tablespoons meringue powder
1 teaspoon cream of tartar
1 kilogram powdered icing sugar

1. In mixer bowl, pour in the warm water and the meringue powder. Mix it with a whisk by hand until it is frothy and thickened (about 30 seconds).

2. Add the cream of tartar and mix for 30 seconds more.

3. Pour in all the icing sugar at once and place the bowl on the mixer.

4. Using the paddle attachment on the lowest speed, mix slowly for a full 10 minutes. Icing will get thick and creamy.

5. Cover the bowl with a dampened tea-towel to prevent crusting and drying.

6. Tint with food colourings or thin the icing with small amounts of warm water to reach the desired consistency.

It was actually my first time working with royal icing so things got pretty messy around my kitchen. I even attempted to do some flood work with the mittens and ornaments :s. Practice makes perfect, right??

As for now, best wishes to everyone in the new year! Cheers and happy eating!!

Afternoon rendezvous

2010-08-26T15:49:00.002-04:00

My cousin from Germany is coming to visit my family this weekend and I thought why not welcome her with some home-made goodies before exposing her to Toronto's food industry?

I've honestly been avoiding cake mix as much as I possibly could. However, despite my efforts, I came across this recipe and I thought it was a brilliant idea. I know, I know, using cake mix is cheating! But a couple months back, my sister bought boxes and boxes of cake mix on sale! (How could one resist a sale, right? I don't blame her one bit.) So since then, they've been sitting in the pantry just begging to be baked...

...And so I did as they wished! In my defense, other ingredients were added to make up for the fact that these cupcakes rely on cake mix. AND I only had a few hours to squeeze in some baking and blogging 8). This recipe is relatively simple and quick, which is another legit excuse...right?

Banana Cinnamon Cupcakes

1 box white cake mix
3 ripe bananas, mashed
3 eggs
1 1/4 cups milk
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 teaspoon cinnamon
Icing sugar for dusting (optional)

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line your cupcake tray ahead of time to make life much easier for yourself. (I used a mini cupcake tray)

2. In a stand mixer, combine all ingredients and mix at medium speed for about 2 minutes or until the batter is free of lumps. (You may have some banana lumps, but that's okay)

3. Use a cookie scoop to scoop your batter into your lined cupcake tray and bake for 15-20 minutes or until golden brown around the edges. (I like to check with a toothpick)

I've always been a big fan of bananas-- I was a monkey in my past life I tell you. The combination of banana and cinnamon is simply lovely. I like how you can see the little specs of cinnamon in the cupcakes. There really is no need to cover them in frosting, they're tasty and beautiful as they are. The only thing I didn't like about them was their sinking cupcake tops... They looked really promising in the oven but they deflated as I took them out. Bummer. Let's just hope my cousin likes them!

Anyways, I've been pretty absent in the kitchen lately. I wish I had more time to take on more exciting baking adventures... There's so much I want to do! I have a pretty long list actually. So... until next time! ♥

Beloved

2010-08-04T05:15:00.000-04:00

For a while now, I've been obsessively searching for the perfect chocolate chip cookie recipe. Such a common cookie but every recipe holds a different outcome that makes it unique in it's own lovely way. My ideal cookie? A chewy, chocolate-y cookie with just a little bit of crisp.

I've come to a conclusion that every food blog should carry at least one kind of a version of a chocolate chip cookie. It's the perfect opportunity to make a classic cookie into your own. Milk chocolate, bittersweet chocolate, white chocolate, a mixture of more than one chocolate... a cakey cookie, a crispy cookie, or a chewy cookie. Nuts, spices, anything! It's amazing how many combinations of ingredients and versions there are out there. Each recipe claiming to be the best of course.

So there I was, spending hours, searching high and low for my ideal cookie. I had a very long list but eventually cut it down to one. There was so much buzz over Jacques Torres' recipe that I just had give it a try for myself.

Chocolate Chip Cookies
Adapted from: The New York Times- Jacques Torres

8 1/2 ounces cake flour
8 1/2 ounces bread flour
1 1/4 teaspoons baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons coarse salt
1 1/4 cups unsalted butter
10 ounces light brown sugar
8 ounces granulated sugar
2 large eggs
2 teaspoons natural vanilla extract
1 1/4 pounds bittersweet chocolate disks or fèves
Sea salt

1. Sift flours, baking soda, baking powder and salt into a bowl. Set aside.

2. Using a mixer fitted with paddle attachment, cream butter and sugars together until very light, about 5 minutes. Add eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Stir in the vanilla. Reduce speed to low, add dry ingredients and mix until just combined, 5 to 10 seconds. Drop chocolate pieces in and incorporate them without breaking them. Press plastic wrap against dough and refrigerate for 24 to 36 hours. Dough may be used in batches, and can be refrigerated for up to 72 hours.

3. When ready to bake, preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a nonstick baking mat. Set aside.

4. Scoop 6 3 1/2-ounce mounds of dough (the size of generous golf balls) onto baking sheet, making sure to turn horizontally any chocolate pieces that are poking up; it will make for a more attractive cookie. Sprinkle lightly with sea salt and bake until golden brown but still soft, 18 to 20 minutes. Transfer sheet to a wire rack for 10 minutes, then slip cookies onto another rack to cool a bit more. Repeat with remaining dough, or reserve dough, refrigerated, for baking remaining batches the next day. Eat warm, with a big napkin.

I have to say, these were by far the best chocolate chip cookies ever. The recipe has definitely lived up to its expectations. It was chewy, chocolate-y, and little crispy. Just the way I like it! If you're also a fan of chewy cookies, taking them out of the oven just as the edges turn golden brown will help you achieve that texture. If not, leaving them in the oven for a bit longer will help you achieve the crispy texture. It's all up to you! I decided to omit some of the bittersweet chocolate disks to throw in some milk chocolate disks and some bittersweet chocolate chips as well. Just for a little variety. I know I'll be baking these again. I'll probably even throw in some white chocolate next time!

Fresh

2010-07-20T14:28:00.000-04:00

There's nothing quite like a cucumber picked fresh from the garden. Every Summer, my parents would devote hours and hours of hard work and dedication to gardening in our front and backyard. They're adorable. Oftentimes, the first thing they would ask me when I come home is if I had noticed the one flower (of many flowers) that has bloomed. Sometimes they would leave some string beans or little pumpkins on the counter for me to see. The other day, they left me a cucumber sitting on top of my laptop! How convenient, right?

I was craving a little cucumber salad. A very plain and simple cucumber salad that takes just about 3 minutes to put together.

Simple cucumber salad
1 cucumber
1 1/2 teaspoons white vinegar
salt and pepper to taste

1. Wash, peel, and cut your cucumber to your preference. (I like my cucumber in larger chunks and I like to leave a little skin on)

2. Combine all ingredients and mix gently.

Just for a little kick, I tossed in a little bit of (Huy Fong Foods, Inc.) hot chili sauce. It's not too spicy and actually a little sweet compared to any other brand that I have tried.

This cucumber salad makes for a refreshing snack anytime of the day. Of course, you can always throw in other herbs and such to suit your own taste buds. I've heard that red vinegar is quite a hit as well! I'll be trying that next time...

I hope you're all enjoying the weather as much as I am! :)

Kisses of the sun

2010-07-17T14:48:00.003-04:00

The beautiful weather outside makes waking up in the morning so much more enjoyable! With the sun shining through my bedroom windows, I was motivated to do some long overdue Spring cleaning... more like Summer cleaning now I should say, heh. Days like these are also good for baking. Well actually, any day is a baking day (or cooking-- that's just as fun). When you're stuck at home for whatever reason, what's better than to bring out that old cook book to occupy yourself for a couple of hours?
I came across my first year baking class manual and was reminded of how delicious the shortbread cookies were. Melt-in-your-mouth, not too sweet-- just perfect. It was instantly decided that I would drop everything and make these cookies. Again. Since we baked these in larger quantities at school, I made some minor adjustments...a few actually, and I was quickly on my way down memory lane.

I think it's safe to say that I need to work on my piping skills :P

Shortbread Cookies
Recipe originated from: Baking & Related Theory for Cooks manual

For the cookies:
150 grams icing sugar, sifted
170 grams butter, room temperature
77 grams shortening
3 grams salt
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Zest of 1 lemon
2 eggs
75 grams milk
375 grams all purpose flour, sifted

For decorating:
150 grams white chocolate coating, chopped

1. Preheat oven to 300 degrees. In the bowl of your stand mixer using the paddle attachment, cream together the butter, shortening, sugar, and salt. Having room temperature fats would contribute to a more even mixture. Add in the vanilla extract and lemon zest and continue to cream together until light and fluffy.

2. Scraping down the sides of your bowl, add your eggs one at a time. Then add the milk.

3. Without over mixing your dough, add the sifted flour 1/3 at a time. (Sifting your flour reduces the likelihood of having unwanted clumps in your dough)

4. Line your baking trays with parchment paper (I like to do this ahead of time so I can go straight to piping) and pipe cookies into your desired shapes. Place into the oven until they become golden brown around the edges (About 30-45 minutes).

5. Remove cookies from oven and let cool before decorating. You could use which ever chocolate you'd like for decorating. For me, chocolate coating is ideal for dipping because they don't require much temperature control, making it much more easier to handle.

6. Melt your chocolate coating in a heat-proof bowl over a double boiler and then transfer to a steep bowl for easier dipping. Place your chocolate coated shortbread cookies on parchment paper to dry. When the chocolate is hardened, it's time to dig in!

Until now, I didn't realize how big of a roll white chocolate has in my baking life! I just love everything about it I guess. Some might argue that white chocolate isn't even chocolate... But whatever it is, it's heavenly.

I'm off to the beach now! Woohooo~

Sweet somethings

2010-07-15T00:25:00.000-04:00

Last night, I couldn't fall asleep until about 5am because I was so eager for tomorrow to come! I was so excited to have an entire day ahead of to do what I enjoy doing most... Sleeping in, waking up whenever I wanted to, and then spending a little time in the kitchen :). Does anyone else ever get super excited over that? A little ironic if I think about it, being unable to fall asleep because I was looking forward to sleeping in...

My most favourite pooper in the world (after my bf, of course) came over to stay with me for a week. Isn't he just the cutest thing?? I think I've become one of those mothers who obsess about how cute their kids are... Except in my case, he's a dog and I'm not his mother. I do admit I happen to go all baby talk on him hehhehheh.. For example: "Who's my little sweetie poopie winker baby button cutie bun?" meanwhile scratching his belly. Disgusting huh? Billy tends to have that affect on me, he's just that cute. Not to mention, his famous little trick he grew up learning. If you don't continue scratching his belly, he does this little begging thing with his hands!(...Paws?) He does it whenever he wants something. Gosh, I spoil him rotten.

So, these goodies are bite-sized white chocolate coffee truffles that are sure to satisfy any sugar craving. I found this white chocolate truffle recipe on a blog during one of those late-night-still-up-at-3am-because-I-can nights and right then and there, I swear I wanted to go to my kitchen and make a batch myself. However, I had to wait until today before I was able to get my hands on them. This recipe was altered simply because I didn't have lemon extract on hand like she did.

Instead, I used instant coffee granules but I learned the hard way that maybe I should have dissolved them first. No biggie, I was able to strain the mixture through a sieve. Little speckles of coffee were still visible but I liked that even better! When you bite into it, you can tell not only by taste but visually as well that there's coffee inside :)
Click here to check out the White Chocolate Lemon Truffles I came across
Here's recipe that I altered to suit my needs:

White Chocolate Coffee Truffles

250 grams white chocolate chips
5 tablespoons unsalted butter
3 tablespoons heavy cream
1 teaspoon instant coffee granules
1 pinch of salt
1 cup of sifted icing sugar

1. Bring a pot of water to a boil and then lower heat to a simmer. Place a heat-proof bowl above the pot, making sure that no steam is able to seep through the sides and the water doesn't actually touch the bottom of the bowl. (We don't want any extra moisture going into the mixture)

2. Melt the white chocolate chips in the bowl and then add the butter and cream while stirring. When the mixture is just about melted, add in the instant coffee and remove from heat.

3. Now, because the coffee granules haven't previously been dissolved, strain the mixture through a fine sieve and into a bowl to remove any large clumps of coffee. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate.

4. Occupy yourself for a couple of hours. Run some errands, go for a jog, take a nap... Whatever it is you need to do in order to resist sticking your finger into the bowl and eating it all before it's time to do some rolling.

5. When the mixture is hard or firm to the touch (about 2 hours), it's time to start forming your truffles. Here is when a bowl of hot water would be your best friend. Warm the melon baller in the hot water and shake off any excess water. Using the baller, begin shaping your chocolate mixture into bite-sized balls. Use your hands to gently roll the balls into cleaner rounded shapes. (Remember to work fast because your chocolate will begin to melt in the warmth of your hands)

6. Toss the balls gently in the sifted icing sugar and place individually into little baking cups.

7. Refrigerate and enjoy! I'll leave it entirely up to you how you'd like to store these goodies. I placed mine into a box before placing them into the fridge. As sweet as these truffles are, I don't think they'll be in the fridge for long :)

If you have a dog at home, I'm sure he'll be staring at you the entire time as well ♥

When life gives you lemons

2010-07-09T02:33:00.001-04:00

Here's a recipe that brought back a lot of nice memories of mine. I remember making this cake during my first year of college and I brought it to my Food and Nutrition lecture as a wake-up bite for my friends. That was possibly the beginning of how I was given the title "The Pastry Chef" by my "Head Chef". Not really, of course-- my friends and I used to kid around and pretend as if we were an actual brigade of chefs in a kitchen.

We survived 2 years of having to wake up before the sun came up. Labs from the early morning until the evening, it was definitely tiring but surely a lot of fun. I wouldn't mind going through that all over again.

Lemon Frosted Lemon Cake
By Stephanie Jaworski

Lemon cake:
1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
1 cup granulated white sugar
4 large eggs
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Zest of 1 large lemon
2 cups all purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice

Lemon frosting:
1 cup confectioner's sugar, sifted
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and place rack in the center of the oven. Butter, or spray with a nonstick spray, a 9 inch (23 cm) spring form pan and then line the bottom of the pan with parchment paper. Set aside.

2. In the bowl of your electric mixer (or with a hand mixer) beat the butter and sugar until light and fluffy and pale in color (about 3 minutes). Add the eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Beat in the vanilla extract and lemon zest.

3. Sift together the flour, baking powder and salt and then add to the batter along with the lemon juice. Mix only until incorporated.

4. Pour the batter into the prepared pan, smoothing the top with an offset spatula. Bake about 40 - 45 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Place on a wire rack to cool, then gently remove the sides of the pan.

5. In a bowl, combine the sifted confectioners' sugar with the 2 tablespoons
lemon juice. (You want the icing to be thicker than a glaze but still thin enough that it will just run over the sides of the cake. If not the right consistency add more lemon juice or powdered sugar, accordingly.) Pour the frosting over the top of the cake, allowing the icing to drip down the sides. Let the icing set before covering.

When life gives you lemons, why not do some baking! :)

Inspiration on a sunny day

2010-07-07T00:18:00.001-04:00

Hurray! I finally found time to bake over the weekend after countless days of work. Lately it seems as if spending time at home is nearly impossible. I'm always up and about doing something. But I guess it's good in a way, I never seem to get bored. There's so much I want to do for the summer! Like go to the beach-- the new Sugar beach!! If only the sand were actually sugar. I was born with 20 sweet teeth I swear.

So we went to a farm not too far away from home, hoping to pick our own strawberries. Unfortunately, the strawberries were pea-sized and there wasn't very much to pick. Isn't it strawberry season?? I figured maybe a parade of people beat me to it.

There was a very cute market where they sold some goodies from the farm. They even had ice cream (mmm). The raspberries looked even better than the ones in grocery stores... but since the strawberries let me down, I decided to pick the raspberries instead.

I didn't go home with much, but I had more than enough to bake with! I used Martha Stewart's recipe from her Cookies book.

Raspberry Cream Sandwiches

For the cookies:
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon coarse salt
10 tablespoons (1 1/4 sticks) butter
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 large egg
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1 vanilla bean, halved lengthwise, seeds scraped and reserved

For the filling:
1 1/3 cups fresh raspberries (1/2 pint)
2 teaspoons sugar
7 1/2 ounces best-quality white chocolate, coarsely chopped
1/2 cup heavy cream

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Make cookies: Whisk together flour, baking soda, and salt. Put butter and sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Mix on medium-high speed until pale and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add egg, vanilla extract, and vanilla seeds; reserve bean for another use. Mix until smooth. Reduce speed to low; gradually mix in flour mixture.

2. Using a 1-inch ice cream scoop, drop dough onto baking sheets lined with parchment paper, spacing 2 inches apart. Bake, rotating sheets halfway through until golden and just set, 8 to 10 minutes. Let cool on parchment on wire racks.

3. Make filling: Puree raspberries and sugar in a food processor. Pour mixture through a fine sieve into a small bowl, pressing to extract juice; discard seeds.

4. Melt white chocolate in a heat-proof bowl set over a pan of simmering water. Remove from heat; whisk in cream in a slow, steady steam. Add reserved raspberry mixture; slowly which until pale, about 3 minutes. Refrigerate 30 minutes.

5. Assemble cookies: Spread 1 tablespoon filling onto the bottom of one cookie; sandwich with another. Repeat. Cookies can be refrigerated between layers of parchment in airtight containers at room temperature up to 2 days.

When I made the white chocolate raspberry mixture, I ended up with probably triple the amount of stuff than I needed. So I improvised and whipped up about 500ml of cream and folded it into the mixture to make white chocolate raspberry mousse! Yumm... I didn't realize until I tried it that the flavours tasted exactly like LaRocca's White Chocolate Raspberry Mousse cake! I was so happy. I haven't eaten that cake in forever, I think they stopped making the cake overall :( *tear.

Anyhoo, that was my day off. There's something about baking from scratch and using an ingredient that I hand-picked off a bush myself that makes the end product so much more rewarding. More days of baking like that would be wonderful ♥

An old adventure

2010-06-16T20:44:00.001-04:00

Hello hello, so here's my new blog I'm going to dedicate to baking and cooking goodies! :D

Just a tiny step closer towards my old dream of having a little cafe of my own. I still have a very long way to go and so much more to learn but maybe with the love and support of my friends and fam, that dream will one day become reality. :)

Here's to the beginning of an old adventure! ♥