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Hello everyone.. I hv not logged into blogger for the past months, and when i did today.. i found out that Mynn of salam dua benua aka LG had decided to blog for the last time a week ago after 6yrs of blogging... it looks like most of us have lost our mojo in blogging... i lost it since last year but hv decided to not privatize my blog cos there are too many recipes that i hv shared in this blog.. i thank you all who keep on checking in and out of my blog just to see if there are any new recipes... sadly to say... i cant possibly share all the recipes that u hv seen in my fb and IG... there are times where i just dont feel like sharing... not that i dont want to but time is not on my side .. sharing is indeed caring but when credit is not given where it is due... it can really make one decide to just keep it simple and post pics in IG instead :o(

Honestly.. IG and FB are great tools for sharing.... but nothing beats blogging for the depth in expressing yourself.. And only those who have actually blogged understand how much work goes into it.


Anyway we are ok... i hv not been travelling at all... hubs is still trying to fit into his new job.. Sonia is growing way too fast and Hairi... well hes all grown up tho at times i still think that he needs our guidance..

Tomorrow is Sonia's graduation day... this will be her third and last year where u will see her performing on stage with her kinder school mates... we hv managed to secure a place in the school that we want her to go.. pending approval fm MOE of cos.. so wish us luck yah..

My baking journey has grown too... i get to play more often with my nozzles and at the same time manage to find time to try out new recipes.. most recipes that i hv tried are fm all the baking books that i hv bought.. i hv also been lucky with all of them cos each time i feel like trying out new recipes.. it works.. yayyy

So ok... i am here bec i want to share some new cookie recipes... each year bef ramadhan.. i will try to look for new recipes which i can serve during Eid... this year is a little special cos i hv decided not to take in any orders for Eid.. am thinking of taking a break during Ramadhan .. so hopefully more new recipes.. Insyallah..


Salty pretzel cookies
by Carey Jones n Robyn Lenzi
Makes 38pcs

125g plain flour
2tbsp malted milk powder ( i use horlicks)
1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda
1/2 tsp salt
185 mini pretzels
170g unsalted butter (room temp)
130g caster sugar
130g dark brown sugar
1 medium size egg
170g chocolate chips

- Preheat oven 180C - i bake at 150C
whisk together flour, malted milk powder, salt and bicarbonate of soda
- In a food processor grind 85g of pretzels to a fine powder.. add to flour mixture and mix to combine. Chop the remaining 100g of pretzels into small pieces
- In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together the butter and both sugars on medium speed until smooth. Add the egg and mix on low speed until just combined scraping the bowl if necessary to incorporate the dry ingredients. Add chocolate chips and pretzal pieces and mix it with ur spatula until evenly distributed.. dough shud be smooth dense and somewhat pliable.
- spoon or use ice cream scoop to drop a well rounded balls of dough onto ur baking sheets.. bake it for 9-11 mins rotating the baking trays halfway thru the baking time just until the edges turn golden.


Malted hazelnut chocolate cookies
by Carey Jones and Robyn Lenzi
Makes 30pcs

170g plain flour
30g malted milk powder
1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda
1/2 tsp salt
115g unsalted butter
50g caster sugar
175g dark brown sugar
200g hazelnut chocolate spread (i use nutella)
1 medium egg
1tsp vanilla extract
115g chocolate chips
75g hazelnuts, toasted and chopped

- Preheat oven 180C - i bake at 150C
- whisk flour, bicarbonate of soda, salt and malted milk powder - set aside
- In a stand mixer with paddle attachment, cream together butter and both sugars on medium speed until smooth. Add hazelnut chocolate spread and mix until combined. Add egg and vanilla .. mix again
- Next add flour mixture to the main bowl and mix on low speed until just combined. Add chocolate chips and toasted hazelnut.
- use ice cream scoop or tablespoon measure.. drop well rounded balls of dough onto the prepared baking sheets abt 5cm apart.
- Bake in oven between 13-15 mins

All i can tell u is that.. both recipes are keepers... both cookie recipes will definitely be among the hot favs! both are our favs!! bake it ok :o)

Oh bef i go... Alhamdullilah... to those that hv been following my blog .. Bisousatoi turned 5 yrs old last month... yayyyy ... both my dear hubs and i celebrated our 10th year wedding anniversary and guess what... Alhamdullilah... Sonia has met her grandmother twice so far.... you dont want to know how we felt the first time they met... all i can say... praise to Allah.. 




19



Hi peeps.. how is everyone doing? missing me much? hehe.. well to those that are on my IG.. am pretty sure ur not missing me as much lol.. i am on there practically every single day.. u can either see my bakes or pics of our daily routine.. (in case you don't know, you can find me under "bisousatoi" on IG and FB).

So its the time of the year again.. Sonia will be celebrating her 6th birthday in a couple of days time.. yearly without fail i will bake her a bday cake but this year i wont be able to do so on her big day as we will be in Adelaide.. yep.. we are flying there in a few days time.. it has been four years since we last set foot there.. hubs wasnt interested to go back to Australia simply bec the exchange rate was horrible and theres not much to do there.. usually when we fly somewhere its tied together with hubs work and since theres no work involving aussie land.. we ended up not flying there.. not even when we had the time for a short vacation.. places like Thailand.. Indonesia.. Hong Kong have more to offer in terms of a short gateway..

Anywho long story short.. hubs has finally pulled the plug .. after 10yrs working with the same company.. he finally tendered his resignation a month ago.. he wanted to try something new .. he wanted to meet new ppl and two opportunities came knocking at his door.. we were overwhelmed and at the same time excited for him.. this is his year.. year of horse for the horsey ppl hehehe.. so bef he starts working with the new co.. I suggested flying to Adelaide for a week and since we are there.. hubs has signed me up for a cake decorating class with Liz.. do check out her site Takes the Cake.. ty babe for always supporting my interest..

As for the family.. both my kids are doing well.. Hairi has got the travel bug and has been travelling.. he was in Paris and Amsterdam last month for a couple of days and is already planning for his next trip.. hes seeing someone and we couldnt be happier for him.. as for our little missy.. we hv registered her into one of the international schools here as hubs wants her to do the International Baccalaureate (IB).. Will still register her in one of our local schools in July.. i think.. as parents we want the best for our kids and am blessed to be given the chance to do so .. if we get into the local school that we want.. we will go ahead with that .. if not its going to be Chatsworth.. shes a fast learner and we are pretty confident that no matter where she ends up.. she will do well.. Insyallah..

Alrighty.. thats it.. i hv to get going.. this week has been a good rest week for me.. i decided to slow down with orders as my cousin is getting married and come Sunday our hols starts.. so hopefully if i can find time while in Adelaide.. i will update my blog and if not... keep a look out in my IG cos it is certainly much more quicker to upload travel pics there..

Take care and enjoy the recipe below.. alhamdullilah everyone enjoyed this cake.. its not as fancy as my pandan cake with gula melaka frosting that i baked last week but it is definitely one of my fav this week!! cheers!




Ingredients
250g cold salted butter - i used lescure unsalted butter and added 1/4 tsp of salt to my flour
200g of caster sugar - i used 100g muscovado and 100g of caster sugar
300g of flour - i used cake flour
100g of red, yellow , orange cherries - sliced and cubed
300g of raisins - i used mix fruits
1 tsp baking powder
3 large eggs
zest of 1 lemon or orange
1/2 tsp vanilla extract - i added
100g whole almonds

Method
Preheat oven to 150C.. greased and line an 8" round pan..
Cream butter for a couple of mins till creamy.. add sugar a little at a time and continue to cream till fluffy.. add egg one at a time and continue to whisk till blended.. add sifted flour, baking powder in three addition.. fold in ur mix fruits and fold in gently.. add lemon zest and also vanilla..

Spoon the mixture into the prepared tin and spread level using the back of a spoon. Arrange the whole almonds close together in neat circles on the top of the cake. Bake in the oven for 60 mins. mine was baked for 75mins

Check the cake after 50 minutes by inserting a wooden or metal skewer into the cake. When it’s done it should have just a few crumbs attached. Check every 10 minutes - it’s important not to overcook this cake so the centre will be a little soft.

9



A zillion apologies will never justify my absence.. am sorry for my lacking in updating my blog.. i had wanted to update my blog while in Paris.. but i didnt.. i took photos.. i took along my lappy but i didnt update my blog.. most of the pics in my IG were taken fm my phone and those that i took using my SLR I made a flipagram video of in my IG.. follow me on IG ok cos i am not too sure if i hv the time to update a travelogue on my Paris trip in my blog.

Bef i go on and on abt whats new with us.. i just want to thank all the lovely ppl in my IG and FB.. the messages that I am getting daily asking me abt my well being.. abt how i am coping right now.. I feel blessed and thankful..

1st Jan was the day my dad was admitted to CCU.. he has been sick the last few months and became very weak on the eve of new year that we decided to take him to the A&E.. found out that his diabetes was at a critical stage.. he was rushed to the CCU unit where he got proper care and medication.. the family is being tight-nit during this period of time (which is important).. both my sisters and my mom took turns to sleep over.. dad was knocked out for the first two days.. he was blabbering and couldnt even remember what he was talking abt.. mom was pretty aware of the situation and was always on guard whenever she saw dad's doc.. after five days in CCU.. doc decided to release him to the normal ward and he has been warded there for the past few days.. hes better now... talking and not falling asleep every five minutes... hes laughing lots too which i hv not seen for over a year.. hes sitting down on his own and eating properly... started to read the newspaper and magazines again which he lost interest many months ago... i am thankful to Allah for this... us sisters were strong and supported each other.. sis Wati has not been back to work ever since dad was admitted and i dont know what i would do without them... love u girls so much!

While dad was in CCU.. my grandma was admited to ICU.. shes been worried sick abt dad that it somehow deteriorated her health.. she was bleeding internally and there is only so much that we can do (she's 89)... she was in ICU and a few hrs ago they pushed her to the recovering unit.. she can still recognize us.. shes still talking eventho she looks weak today.. may Allah gv her strength to go thru this period of time..

Looking back at what is happening right now... it makes me realise how important it is to hv a strong bond in a family.. no matter how tough the situation is... if u hv a strong family foundation.. u will come out on top..

So ok... lets move on.. there are too many new recipes that i want to share but time is really not on my side.. the interest that i once had seems to be going south.. i dont know if i will be able to update my blog as often as bef but one thing is for sure... i will keep my blog running as long as i can.. this blog is after all abt sharing recipes..

.. and abt my family.. Sonia is growing into a young girl.. shes in K2 and will be 6yo in two months time.. Hairi has been travelling and is going to Paris next week.. err i think.. hubs is still travelling and was in Jakarta two days ago and will be in China whole of next week.. i still hate it whenever he has to travel but thats how it is.. am thankful that hes been working hard to provide us well.. overall we are good and settling into the brand new year.. taking one day at a time..

Alrighty since this post is all abt family bonding... i wanna share a few pics taken on my bday.. eve of xmas.. the day Mr Santa give away prezzies hehe



And oh yes.. bef i call it a day.. heres the recipe of my bday cake which i prepared a few hrs bef my family members arrived.. enjoy and pardon for the not so good quality pic of my cake.. took pic using my phone :o)


Ingredients
2 cups / 228g cake flour
1/2 cup/ 27g cocoa powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
4 oz/113g bittersweet chocolate (finely chopped)
1/2 cup/120ml boiling water
1 cup/242g sour cream
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup/ 227g unsalted butter, softened
2 cups/400g granulated sugar, divided
4 large eggs, seperated, at room temp
1/4 tsp cream of tartar

Chocolate Frosting
85g bittersweet chocolate (chopped)
1/2 cup / 113g unsalted butter, softened
1 cup / 113g confectioners sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract

This recipe uses coconut pecan filling but i opted for salted caramel cream cheese frosting .. why? simply bec i didnt hv enough time to prepare the filling :oP

Make the cake
1) Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 350F (180C). Grease the bottom and sides of two 9" round cake pans. Dust the pans with flour

2) Sift together the cake flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt into a medium bowl, set aside

3) Combine the chocolate and boiling water in a bowl and whisk until the chocolate is completely melted and the mixture is smooth. Set aside to cool until repid.

4) In a small bowl, stir together the sour cream and vanilla extract, set aside

5) In the bowl of an electric mixer, using the paddle attachment, beat the butter at medium speed until creamy, abt 1 min. Gradually add 1 1/2 cup of sugar and beat at high speed until well blended and light, abt 3 mins. Reduce speed to medium and add the egg yolks one at a time, beating well after each addition and scraping down the sides of the bowl as necessary. Add the rapid chocolate and mix until blended. If ur mixer has a splatter shield attachment, attach it now.

6)Reduce the seed to low and add the flour mixture in three additions, alternating it with sour cream in tow additions and mixing just until blended. Remove the bowl fm the mixer stand and set aside.

7) In a clean mixer bowl, using the whisk attachment, beat the egg whites at low speed util frothy. Add the cream o tartar and mix just until blended. Increase the speed to medium and beat until the whites are fluffy and begin to form soft peaks. Gradually add the remaining 1/2 cup of sugar. Increase speed to high and whip the whites until they are glossy and smooth and form stiff peaks. Using a rubber spatula, gently fold the whites into the chocolate batter one third at a time, Scrape the batter into prepared pans and smooth the tops

8) Bake the cakes for 30 to 35 mins, until toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool the cakes in their pans on wire racks for 20mins.

9) Run a small knife around the edge of each pan to loosen the cake. Invert each cake onto a wire rack and cool completely.

Make  the frosting
1) Put the chocolate in a medium stainless steel bowl and place the bowl over a pot of barely simmering water. Heat, stiring frequently until the chocolate is completely melted. Remove the bowl fm over the pot and set the chocolate aside to cool until repid.

2) In the bowl of an electric mixer, using the paddle attachment, eat the butter at medium speed until creamy abt 30 sec. Gradually add the confectioners' sugar and beat at high speed unti the repid chocolate at low speed, mixing until blended and scraping down the sides of the bowl as necessary. Increase the speed to high and heat until the frosting is slightly aerated.. abt 1 min. Use the frosting immediately, or cover tightly and set aside at room temp for up to 3hr

Recipe adapted fm The Cake book fm Tish Boyle.. Bake it ok cos hubs said.. the cake is the mother of all chocolate cake hehe

Cheerios!
8



[On 13th October: Its late .. will update soonish.. missing my space here .. night night xoxo]

How do i begin.. where do i start.. each time i start to type in something.. i end up deleting it.. its been awhile.. been too long since i last pinned my thoughts here.. suddenly i feel like a virgin all over again muahahaha

I hv been well.. not been travelling that much this year.. every year come December.. i will sit back and try to think of what i hv done for the year.. i had wanted to do something more fruitful this year and i think i managed to do that.. i wanted to bake more celebration cakes and i got to do that almost every week.. each week i will keep it to two or three orders of bday cakes cos i know that if i were to take in many.. i will not be able to enjoy what i am doing.. i love to try out new designs for my cakes.. even if i hv to keep on using the same technique (customer request) i will still try to make it look a little different..

With that said.. guess what.. hubs signed me into another macaron class in Paris... am super excited to be able to learn more on macs.. there are never ending things u can learn abt these little devilish thingy called Macarons.. its not true that once u mastered it.. ur good to go.. hopefully with all my knowledge on baking .. i will be able to open up classes and teach to those that are interested to learn abt baking.. i know for sure that if u hv the passion for baking.. u will be able to bake just abt anything under the sun..

So ok.. lets get on with this long overdue recipe.. i guess with all the FB and IG spreading viral on anything that uses salted caramel.. there is no harm for me to share another good salted caramel recipe.. i hv a few which i hv shared bef in my previous post.. i personally like this recipe tho.. always remember when it comes to making caramel.. keep a close watch on ur sugar .. dont burnt it or u will not like the taste..

INGREDIENTS:
FOR THE CRUST
1 1⁄2 cups flour
1⁄4 cup plus 1 tablespoon dutch-process unsweetened cocoa powder
1⁄4 teaspoon salt
10 tablespoons unsalted butter, cubed and softened
1⁄2 cup plus 2 tablespoons. confectioners' sugar
2 egg yolks, room temperature
1⁄2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

DIRECTIONS:
1. Prepare the Crust: In a medium bowl, combine flour, cocoa powder, and salt; set aside. Using a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, or in a large bowl with a electric hand mixer, cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy; mix in yolks and vanilla. Add in dry ingredients. Divide dough into 6 equal portions. Evenly press each portion into the bottoms and sides of 6 3.5-inch tartlet pan with removable bottoms. Refrigerate tartlet shells for 30 minutes. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F, prick the tart shells all over with a fork. Bake in preheated oven until cooked through, about 13-15 minutes. Transfer to a rack and let cool.

FOR THE GANACHE
1⁄2 cup heavy cream
4 oz. Bittersweet Chocolate, finely chopped - I used Valrhona
Vanilla Fleur de Sel for garnish (optional)

DIRECTIONS:
Prepare the Ganache: In a medium saucepan over medium heat, bring cream to a boil. Put chocolate into a medium bowl and pour in hot cream; let sit for 1 minute, then stir slowly with a rubber spatula until smooth. Spoon ganache evenly over tartlets and refrigerate until set, 3-4 hours. If desired, sprinkle tart with sea salt and slice. Serve cold.

FOR THE SALTED CARAMEL
Makes about 2 cups

400gm sugar
165gm butter
250ml cream
Salt to taste -i used Fleur de Sel

DIRECTIONS:
Heat the sugar in a heavy based pot and as soon as the sugar has all dissolved, remove it from the heat and add the butter in parts whilst continuously whisking . warning it is VERY hot - the butter will splatter quite a bit, just keep whisking and ensure that you do not touch this sauce.
Return the pot to the heat and add the cream immediately, still whisking vigorously.
When the sauce has become smooth and amalgamated (this happens quickly) remove it from the heat and add a good sprinkle of salt which dissolves.
Allow it to completely cool and stir in another good sprinkle of salt which remains in its granular form.

Notes
If you add the cream to the sugar too soon it may split. If this happens return it to the heat and continue heating and stirring vigorously and it should amalgamate to form a sauce.

Crust and ganache recipe is fm My baking addition

16

MIA.. i realised that i hv not been replying to all my comments and questions.. will try to do it slowly.. to those that hv emailed me... i will reply soonish yah..

Eid came and went and i know i owe some ppl my eid pics... yearly without fail i will take lots of eid pics and share it with my readers.. this year i didnt take lots... in fact i was sure i did take a few pics during our typical yearly outing but i cannot find them.. i thought i did save them but i cant find em in any of my folders.. grrr.. anyway i did however find 17 pics of my eid open hse lol.. i was very busy till the night of my open house that on the day itself i was kaput.. i managed to put a smile on my face when my guest started to arrive as early as 11:50am..


It was a full hse.. we had fun and grateful to those that cud make it.. i had three dessert tables and also one table full of raya dishes.. all desserts were baked by  me of cos hehe..  i cooked most of the food and had mom help me to cook two dishes.. i dont know what i would do without mom.. shes there if i need help.. shes gone if we ask her to look after her grandkids hahaha.. nahhhh we are all used to it.. mom is not that sort that likes to sit and look after her grandkids.. shes an active woman and cant sit still.. nowww nowwww... no wonder her dear daughter cant sit still hahaha

Ok ok.. i cant stay long.. below is another recipe which i had promised my readers.. i need to shower and go for my Spa appt.. geeesshhhh its been far too long and when hubs told me that he had booked me into one today i'm like.. yeeehhhaaaaa... ty dear!! love u deep deep!!! So hv a good weekend y'all.. i will try to share more pics... belated pics... too many... when time permits :o)


Makes about 30 cookies
Ingredients (take note that the ingredients need to be at room temperature)
130g soft butter
160g sugar
2 eggs, lightly beaten with a fork
1/3 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 tablespoons raisins
100g desiccated coconut
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/3 teaspoon of powder baking
250g plain flour (I used cake)
90g crushed cornflakes

1 Cream the butter with sugar, beat for about 3 minutes mixer set at high throttle.

2 Then add the eggs in two batches after each addition mix while the mixer set on medium speed. Add flavoring and mix.

3 Mix flour with baking powder and baking soda. Add it to the butter, briefly mix.

4 Pour the coconut and raisins and mix thoroughly with a spoon (you can do this with your hands).

5 Place crushed cornflakes into a bowl. The dough is quite sticky, so use a spoon, and transfer it into a bowl of cornflakes and using your hands, push corn flakes onto the dough, mold them into balls.

6 Arrange cookies on a baking tray lined with baking paper, keeping the space between them. Bake at 170 ° C on the function of hot air for about 15-18 minutes (the up-down function at 180 ° C).

Recipe is fm here... I baked it for eid and everyone liked it!

4



Has it really been close to 6weeks since i last blogged? geesshhh this is what happens when there are too many things to do.. too little time to play with.. As Salam peeps... hope all is well.. hope u guys still remember me.. i am still pretty much alive.. am still baking away .. i usually will update my fb and IG on daily basis so pls follow me there.. the only diff is that .. i hv been stuck in Singapore.. didnt travel simply bec i had lots of orders to fulfill.. thank you so much for supporting my bakes.. ty for the trust...


So whats new.. err.. where do i begin.. lets starts with Hairi.. hes doing well.. hes been working hard and wants do his degree .. Sonia is growing far too fast and is in K2 since last july.. am glad that we stuck to our belief: to let her see and experience the world first hand is the best way for ur kid to get exposed..  i know there are parents out there who believe in sending their kids to classes.. music lessons, ballet, sports at a young age.. we dont but that doesnt mean that we will not let her do what she wants.. for now shes into arts.. been years and still shows interest in it.. as for me.. am happy where i am right now.. busy baking for orders on wkdays and spending lots of time with my family over the weekend.. hubs wants me to go slow since i hardly hv the time to try out new recipes and to update my blog.. he doesnt want me to burn myself out and wants me to remember that i bake for my passion... :o)


Alrighty.. i am actually blogging fm Jakarta.. this week is officially my off week.. i had planned for this week simply bec its school hols in Singapore and wanted to spend more time with my little girl; and since hubs has to fly to Jakarta.. he thought it might be a good idea for us to tag along.. ya know.. for me to hv a totally ME time is impossible when i am at  home.. his wife simply cant sit still lol


Ok lets talk abt these cuppies.. had baked it to recreate the salted caramel cuppies that we had in one of the cafes near Tiong Bharu.. do check out Plain Vanilla if u are around that vacinity.. check out their cafe.. wud love to set up my own cafe in that style someday.. cough cough hehe

I used moist vanilla cuppies recipe fm Honey and Butter and whipped up a batch of swiss meringue buttercream which u can get fm my previous post.. salted caramel recipe is fm Brown eyed baker or if u dont hv much time.. u can always use store bought.. up to ur preference..

Ingredients
1 cup (2 sticks) of butter (room temperature)
2 cups of sugar
4 eggs (room temperature)
3 cups of sifted self-rising flour
1 cup of whole milk (room temperature)
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/2 tsp butter flavoring, optional

Method
Preheat oven to 175 degreesC. Prepare cupcake liners. Using a mixer, cream butter until fluffy. Add sugar and continue to cream for about 7 minutes. Add eggs one at a time. Beat well after each egg is added. Add flour and milk (alternating to creamed mixture), beginning and ending with flour. Add vanilla and butter flavoring to mix; until just mixed.

Divide batter equally into cupcakes pan. Bake for 12–15 minutes (depending on your oven) until done. Cool for 5 – 10 minutes. Remove and immediately wrap each cuppies in plastic wrap to seal in moisture. Cool completely on wire racks.

Salted Caramel
2 cups granulated sugar
12 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature, cut into pieces
1 cup heavy cream, at room temperature
1 tablespoon fleur de sel (or any other flaky sea salt)

DIRECTIONS:
1. Add the sugar in an even layer over the bottom of a heavy saucepan, with a capacity of at least 2 or 3 quarts. Heat the sugar over medium-high heat, whisking it as it begins to melt. You'll see that the sugar will begin to form clumps, but that's okay. Just keep whisking and as it continues to cook, they will melt back down.

Stop whisking once all of the sugar has melted, and swirl the pan occasionally while the sugar cooks.

2. Continue cooking until the sugar has reached a deep amber color. It should look almost a reddish-brown, and have a slight toasted aroma. This is the point where caramel can go from perfect to burnt in a matter of seconds, so keep a close eye. If you are using an instant-read thermometer, cook the sugar until it reaches 175 degrees C.

3. As soon as the caramel reaches 175 degreesC, add the butter all at once. Be careful, as the caramel will bubble up when the butter is added. Whisk the butter into the caramel until it is completely melted.

4. Remove the pan from the heat and slowly pour the cream into the caramel. Again, be careful because the mixture will once again bubble up ferociously. Whisk until all of the cream has been incorporated and you have a smooth sauce. Add the fleur de sel and whisk to incorporate.

5. Set the sauce aside to cool for 10 to 15 minutes and then pour into your favorite glass jar and let cool to room temperature. You can refrigerate the sauce for up to 2 weeks. You'll want to warm the sauce up before using.

I love the moist vanilla cuppies so much so that both Sonia and I enjoyed it bare.. as for the buttercream.. it didnt taste the same.. the buttercream that they used is definitely not swiss meringue.. their vanilla cuppies is a lot more denser which i am not a big fan of to be honest.. oh well.. moral of the story.. i did try to recreate what i tasted.. full stop heheheee

10



Similar pic? hehe.. told ya.. ah well.. the most important thing is to share this next recipe so that my readers are able to bake it for Eid.. hows the preparation going? busy busy week ey.. am finishing up a few more orders and i am done.. Alhamdullilah.. unlike last year.. this yr i am much more organised.. i got to bake for my customers and i get to spend time with my family.. a little tired but thats ok.. rezeki.. Alhamdullilah..


This wonderful recipe is fm Justine of Cooking and Beer.. i began searching for a chocolate chip recipe that uses macadamia nut and white chocolate after Aireen whatsapp-ed me asking if i hv a recipe to share using these two ingredients.. well my search stopped after i stumbled upon her blog.. baked 4 batches of it and voila... i saw Sonia coming in and out of my kitchen asking for more which shows that my little Sonia wasnt fasting on that day lol.. ishhhh

Ingredients
3/4 cup all purpose flour
1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon kosher fine salt
1/4 cup unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
1/4 cup pure cane granulated sugar
1/4 cup pure cane DARK brown sugar
1 egg, beaten
2 tablespoons whole milk
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/2 cup macadamia nuts, coarsely chopped - i bake it for a couple of mins
1 white chocolate Ghirardelli® bar, coarsely chopped

Instructions
Heat your oven to 175 degrees C and situate a rack in the middle of the oven.
In a large bowl whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt. Set aside.
In another bowl of your stand mixer, with the paddle attachment fixed, cream together the butter, sugar and dark brown sugar until it is completely combined. Add the egg, milk and vanilla extract, and beat again until combined.
In ½ cup increments, begin to integrate the dry ingredients into the wet. Mix each increment until completely incorporated. With a heavy wooden spoon gently fold in the nuts and chocolate.
On an ungreased cookie sheet, begin placing tablespoon-sized dollops of dough.
Bake at 175 degrees C for 8-10 minutes. Transfer to wire rack to let cool and store in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks.

Some pointers..: i baked it at 165C for 12mins.. got myself a soft cookies.. hubs was happy with it but since this cookie is for Eid.. i decided to go crunchy and baked it a further 5 mins.. my double chocolate white chocolate chunk macadamia nut cookies turned out perfect.. krap krup and super chocolaty with expensive nuts lol.. err do u ever wonder why macadamia nuts are so expensive? huhu


21



Sorryyyy.. i know its been days.. i know i made promises.. but here i am now huhu.. i know i hv been quiet here but that is bec i hv been baking..  i know i hv not talked a lot lately but theres not much to talk except that my hubs has been doing his crazy trips.. u see him on wkends .. he flies off on a Monday and comes home on Wed or Thursday.. add to that SQ having mechanical problems or Chinese carriers canceling/delaying flights and that makes for a very jittery wife... anyway i cant stay long cos i will hv to start baking cookies for mom.. so heres the recipe that i had promised .. i first saw it on Pinterest and thought why not.. i made two batches in one go and decided to bake it 10mins longer using a lower temp.. heres the recipe.. recipe is fm Anncoo.. original recipe is fm Travelling Foodies

Ingredients
1 egg (60g)
200g butter
130g icing sugar
320g flour
2 tbsp of vanilla paste (appro. 30g)

Method
Place everything in a mixing bowl and mix evenly using a paddle attachment on the lowest speed possible.
Pipe wreaths onto greased cookie sheet or baking tray using an open star tip. I used Wilton 1M but I think the lady in the video used a smaller one - i used wilton 195
Bake in a preheated oven at 200C for 7-8 min (i baked mine at 160C for 20mins
Leave to cool slightly before removing from cookie sheet.
Transfer cookies into airtight container after cookies are at room temperature.

Bake it ok.. cos i know my kids including us.. cant stop munching on it.. super taste.. buttery and ohhhh soo good! - will share the next cookie recipe ... u will see some similarity in my pic simply bec i was too lazy to change it to diff style muahaha

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I am sorry for not posting this recipe sooner.. i wanted to but unfortunately hubs misplaced my USB SD card reader somewhere and i cant upload my pic on my new lappy.. bought a new reader yesterday and here i am updating my blog..

This was the pavlova that hubs been wanting me to bake... i didnt get to it till a few days ago and oh boy someone was a happy puppy the moment he took a spoonful of it.. the meringue was crisppy on the outside and chewy on the inside.. i even made meringue kisses for little Sonia using this recipe .. ish talking abt little Sonia.. i hv started training her to fast during Ramadhan.. not as easy as Hairi but shes getting there.. first day she had her brekkie and by lunch she was already asking for her milk.. the second day she had brekkie and didnt eat anything till iftar.. this went on for a couple of days.. yesterday was a little challenging lol.. she didnt hv breakfast but at around 2pm she was walking in and out of our kitchen and asked me if it has Azan .. i decided to let her eat something and that quietened her down a little.. anyway today i hope when shes done with school she will not ask for her milk :op


So ok lets get on with this wonderful recipe.. ty Yvonne for sharing it.. i wud suggest u prepare ur vanilla sugar in advance bef whipping it with ur double cream.. i got mine fm Dr Oetker hehe

Black Forest meringues:
{Enough for about 10 servings}

Meringues:
3 egg whites
a pinch of salt
130 grams of sugar
1 tablespoon cornstarch
50 gr icing sugar
2 tbsp cocoa

Directions
Cut a piece of parchment to fit a rimmed baking sheet. Using a small bowl and a pencil, trace four 5-inch circles, 2 to 3 inches apart, on the parchment; bear down so that the circles will be visible from the other side. Place parchment, marked side down, on baking sheet. Set aside. - i used my mastrad mac sheets
Preheat oven to 80C. Meanwhile, in a large bowl, using an electric mixer on medium speed, beat egg whites and salt until soft peaks form, about 4 minutes. Increase speed to high and sprinkle in ur confectioners' sugar, a few tablespoons at a time, and cornstarch; beat until meringue is thick and shiny and holds stiff peaks, about 5 minutes. Add in ur icing sugar and cocoa powder
Using a spatula, gently spread one-fourth of the meringue inside each parchment circle. Using the back of a spoon, create a 1-inch-deep well in the center of each meringue (U can also use a piping bag to pipe a circle with a star tip.. u can check out bravegirlsclub on you tube on how to pipe ur meringue disc) Bake until meringues are a very pale golden color, about 2 and half hours. Turn heat off and prop oven door open slightly with a wooden spoon. Let meringues cool in oven until crisp.


Filling:
250 gr double cream
(Alternatively 100 gr 150 gr whipped cream and mascarpone)
2 packets of Bourbon vanilla sugar
1 tablespoon kirsch (simply omit)
1 jar of Amarena cherries (250gr. fill weight) -  i used dark cherry in a can
Cinnamon
Dark Chocolate shavings

Meanwhile, place beaters from an electric mixer and a medium-size metal or glass bowl in the freezer and chill until very cold, about 10 minutes. In chilled bowl, combine cream and vanilla sugar. Using an electric mixer, beat until soft peaks form, about 5 minutes.
Once done spoon vanilla cream into wells of meringues. Top with reserved Amerena cherries, and garnish with chocolate shavings


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2nd day of ramadhan.. Alhamdullilah.. yesterday went by quicker than i anticipated.. i was a little busy and didnt realise the time till hubs came home fm work.. quickly packed all the food and desserts that i had prepared and off we went to my parents place for iftar... a typical thingy in the Kassims family.. first and last day of iftar has to be at moms - where even the grandkids will automatically come without being told.. where even the only white horse in the Kassims family will ask: is mom going to cook nasi rawon, rendang and sambal goreng for us? hehehe


Today I am not planning anything big.. house is cleaned.. no laundry to do.. i hv one more layer cake to bake today for this week's order and thats it... still hv no idea on what kind of dessert to prepare for iftar.. maybe the pavlova that hubs has been craving for .. will see..

So ok.. my main intention of updating my blog today is to share this recipe.. a recipe fm Pak Yongki Gunawan.. the first time i bought his book.. i knew this would be one of the recipe that i'd try to bake.. first its a steamed type of layer cake.. second by looking at his cake pic.. i cant help but wonder: how on earth did he get a baking effect/ brown layer in a steamed layer cake.. well i will first share with u the recipe..


Ingredients
(A)
12 egg yolks
7 egg whites
375g sugar
20g starkies - use ovallete if u cant find any
180g flour
40g milk powder
1 tsp baking powder
a few drops of yellow food colouring
1 tsp salt

(B)
50g Hollman butter - use any brand that u like
200g Wisjman butter
40g condense milk
1 tbsp Toffieco Bakar - use vanilla paste if u dont hv it

(C)
75g mix fruits
75g almond slices
75g red and green cherries - sliced or cubes

(D)
Cocoa powder

Method
Prepare ur steamer.. grease ur 8x8 baking pan
On a stand mixer.. whisk (A) till thick and fluffy - set aside
In a seperate bowl.. whisk (B) till batter turns pale in colour. once done.. fold in (A) into (B) a little at a time and continue to stir slowly with a rubber spatula till its well balanced.
Weigh ur batter and divide it with the number of layers that u intended to hv in ur cake.. he uses 100g of batter for each layer..
Pour the first layer of batter and steam it for 5 mins.. take it out of ur steamer.. add a little of (C) and sieve in (D).. pour another 100g of batter and continue to steam for another 5 mins..
You do that till u use up all the batter.

My cake ended up not having the brown lines that pak yongki gunawan got on his cake.. i think the pic that he got in his book was of a baked one or maybe he used a brown type of cocoa powder cos after i sliced my cake.. the lines that i got were almost black lol (bec i use cocoa berry maybe?) 

At that instant i had that "duh" moment lol.. I suddenly realised the purpose of cocoa powder in his recipe.. to create the "lines" on every layer.. duhhh.. i shud hv added a lot more cocoa to make the layers much more visible - next time when i do this layer cake.. i will divide my batter into two colours to create the layers and leave out the cocoa powder :)

Long story short.. cake turned out fab.. love the taste of this cake.. rich in flavours.. u get the moistness fm steaming, u get the sweet and sour taste fm the fruits and u get the creamy taste fm the batter :o)
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I am finally back in Singapore... my busy travel schedule has kept me on my feet these past two months.. fm Shanghai to KL to HK to Shanghai and lastly to Jakarta.. all that within a couple of weeks.. i am still struggling to load my latest Shanghai trip pics.. after being there for the 3rd time... i know now what can trigger me of not liking Shanghai in the first place.. my thoughts on Shanghai has changed and i now can proudly say that i can survive in Shanghai lol


Hi peeps! hope all is well .. hope that the Ramadhan month that we will celebrate is gonna be a berakah one... so so looking forward to the quiet two weeks bef i start baking for my Eid orders.. am sorry dearies... my Eid orders are fully booked and if only i had more than 2 hands i wud love to take in more but i dont want this year to be like last year where my orders were are out of control...

So ok.. i cant stay long... i hv to get organised.. need to unpack all my stuff fm my luggage as we only got into sg late last night.. i bought quite a number of baking things fm Titan and i wud say that my baking ingredients for Eid are well stocked up lol.. i also bought a couple of new recipe books and i cant wait to get my hands dirty.. oh and also i still owe my readers or shud i say my fb friends another layer cake recipe which i managed to try bef we flew to Jakarta last sat.. so stay tuned!


S'more blondies.. the first time i had s'mores brownies was when Yani gave me a box of it.. she didnt bake them hmmm in fact i hv never tasted any of her bakes lol.. she gave me a box which Sonia gladly finished.. Sonia is a marshmallow addict.. i usually hv stock of it at home as i dont want her to hv a craving when we are outside.. its not easy to find any halal marshmallow in our local supermarket.. i usually will get it fm our local baking supply store here.. anyway that day even tho i had promised hubs that i will bake him pavlova.. i decided to gv this recipe a try after i saw this pic fm mother thyme....  dont u just feel like having a bite after looking at her pics?


Ingredients
1 1/2 cup all purpose flour
1 cup graham cracker crumbs
1/2 tsp baking powder
pinch of salt
2 sticks (1 cup) of butter melted and cooled
1 1/2 cup light brown sugar
1 tsp vanilla
2 large eggs
8oz milk chocolate squares - i used more
2 cups of tiny marshmallows
graham crackers 

Directions
Preheat oven to 350° F. Line the bottom and sides of a 9-by-13-inch baking pan with parchment paper; greased it.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, graham cracker crumbs and salt.
In a large bowl, whisk butter and brown sugar. Stir in vanilla and eggs one at a time.
Gradually stir in flour mixture until combined.
Spread batter in the prepared pan and bake until golden and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, 30 minutes on the center rack.
Sprinkle with the graham crackers, marshmallows, and chocolate squares and bake until the marshmallows are pale golden, abt 10 to 15mins. Set the pan on a wire rack and let cool completely. Lift the blondies out of the pan, using the parchment to help, and cut into 24 bars.
Storage suggestion: Keep the blondies at room temperature, between sheets of wax paper in an airtight container, for up to 5 days.


Alrighty.. will update again when time permits.. for now hv a blessed Ramadhan .. maaf zahir batin and ty to all readers who keep on coming to my humble blog.. keeping in touch in fb and instagram.. thank you :)

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About Me

My photo
Hi.. I am a SAHM to 2 kiddoes..19yr old boy n 2 year old girl.. met my Austrian hubby here in Singapore and hv been living here all my life... my love for baking started when i was 6mths preggie to my daughter, Sonia... my addiction to baking has not stop eversince.. I hope to learn as much as i can abt baking and decorating and then share it with u along the way..