2006-09-30 @ 12:05 a.m.
nutella cupcakes and chocolate chunk cookies

yesterday i baked strawberry cupcakes but i forgot to take a picture of them before they got boxed. -_- so here are nutella cupcakes that suhaila ordered; one batch with wafer flowers and the other with marzipan cutouts.

and tonight i baked a batch of chocolate chunk cookies for my two tutee-neighbours in lieu of children's day. the older boy is 16, a little too old to be considered a child so i'm going to write him a little note to wish him all the best for his upcoming N levels next week.

anyway, i got the recipe from here. there's a plethora of chocolate chip/chunk cookie recipes out there, and i believe this is one of the better ones. i made the crispy version instead of the chewy one. and i topped each with a mini smartie!

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2006-09-27 @ 10:37 p.m.
blogging by mail package

today i received the blogging by mail package, all the way from pittsburgh USA!

the package was from april, and it was obvious that she put so much thought in getting the package together. i absolutely love the contents. (i've yet to taste anything though, because i'm stuffed from dinner!)

the plastic container with the blue ribbon has swedish-style nuts which she made. next to it is a bag of orange almond nutmeg biscotti. she said it's her favourite flavour, and she hopes i'll like it too. the pretty maple-leaf-shaped jar contains maple syrup of course! i think it's a perfect time to ask my mother to make pancakes... for the dawn meal, considering it's the fasting month? :)

the long sticks are candy, and the huge bottle contains pretty cupcake decorations! i totally adore this. there are star&moons, dolphins, dinosaurs and fish! i can't wait to use them sometime. :) and last of all are four packets of "exotic" chocolates and i can't agree more judging from what's written on the packets. black pepper, lavender, orange blossom and sea salt. i never thought these go well with chocolate, let's see how it tastes!

thank you from the bottom of my heart, april. you really made my day. :) i've long forgotten the feeling of getting something from halfway round the world in the mail.

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2006-09-27 @ 12:50 a.m.
cuppycakes

the BBM package i sent to pamela all the way in switzerland has arrived! i hope she'll have fun with the food. :)

today i made cupcakes aleen ordered for her mendaki kids in lieu of children's day and the PSLE exams.

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2006-09-24 @ 5:35 p.m.
longan and cranberry jellies

the fasting month has arrived, but that does not mean i have to stop cooking up storms in the kitchen. i told the boy i just have to make more "break-fast-friendly" food. i said "you can't probably have cookies for break fast" but he said he doesn't mind cookies at all. -_-

today i made longan jellies.

because i didn't have enough longans to go around, i used dried cranberries for some. (i didn't want to open a whole tin of fruit cocktail)

of course i don't know how they taste like but i hope they'll be alright because i'm giving a few to the neighbour and four small containers for the boy tomorrow.

longan jellies

1 packet "Swallow Globe" agar-agar powder (12g)

Syrup Mixture:
syrup from longans mixed with water to get 1 litre of mixture

1 tin of longans (approximately 565g)
few drops vanilla essence
230g caster sugar
few drops food colouring (optional)

1. prepare jelly moulds or small containers and dice longans. place longans in moulds.

2. place agar-agar powder, syrup mixture and caster sugar in a large pan. add vanilla essence and food colouring (if used). boil over low heat. when small bubbles form, remove from flame.

3. pour the agar-agar mixture into mould(s). leave to cool before transferring to the refrigerator for it to set.

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2006-09-20 @ 12:15 a.m.
banana raisin oat and chocolate chip oat cookies

i decided to bake tonight to celebrate the end of the presentation for social movements. (yes i realise i'm just finding an excuse to bake)

chocolate chip and rolled oats cookies,

and banana raisin oat cookies.

this is the first time i'm trying out the latter; and i have to say it's quite good. the texture of the cookie is more cake-like because of the moisture in the bananas. raisins go so well with bananas! i think it's an acquired taste though; people who are not used to soft/chewy/cakey cookies probably won't like this one.

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2006-09-17 @ 2:34 p.m.
weekend jobs

an anniversary order,

a birthday order,

and a wedding-vow-renewal order.

yesterday i sent out a BBM package to pamela nolan in switzerland. i initially wanted to mail a lot more but realised that the shipping costs were quite high so i cut down to 6 items - a rendang paste mix, a fried rice mix, singapore chicken curry mix, cadbury chocfuls, sweet palm seeds (attap chee) and a box of mango pudding.

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2006-09-12 @ 11:45 p.m.
strawberry cupcakes with cream cheese frosting

these are strawberry cupcakes with cream cheese frosting that i baked tonight for shidah's birthday dinner gathering tomorrow night.

i like how the buttery cake pairs with the tanginess of the strawberries. and strawberry+cream cheese can never go wrong. right nana? :)

furthermore, when my father says it's nice, i have to believe him because he doesn't have much of a sweet tooth.

strawberry cupcakes (makes about 20)

140g butter, softened
3/4 cup caster sugar
3 eggs
1/2 tsp vanilla essence
200g self-raising flour
1/4 tsp salt
1 cup strawberries, finely diced
few drops red food colouring (optional)

preheat oven to 160 degrees celsius. line muffin tins with cupcake cases.

cream together butter and sugar until light, for about 2 minutes.

add in eggs one at a time, until fully incorporated. add vanilla essence. stir in flour and salt until batter is uniform and no flour remains.

fill each cupcake case with batter, about 3/4 full. bake for 18-20 minutes, then remove to a wire rack to cool completely.

cream cheese frosting

225g cream cheese, softened
200g icing sugar, sifted
50g butter, softened
1/2 tsp vanilla essence

combine everything in a bowl and beat with an electric mixer till smooth.

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2006-09-12 @ 11:36 p.m.
a few

last sunday, faidz ordered a chocolate cake slathered with nutella frosting. i know it looks similar to that of fiza's. i admit i wanted to finish up the m&m's and the frosting. -_-

the blueberry and peach cheesecake cups for nisrin's father.

truffles and a peach sponge cake with cream cheese icing, which were both installments of shidah's birthday gift. hope you liked them babe. :)

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2006-09-09 @ 2:22 a.m.
yumyum

two batches of cupcakes; one ordered by suhaila and the other was a wedding gift to aleen's brother.

chocolate shortbread with pink sprinkles. aleen and wanling liked them, so i guess it's good.

i call this the truffle garden. haha, quite lame i know. this one's for fiza.

and the cake ordered by fiza. i hope it tastes alright.

tomorrow i'm sending the stuff over to fiza, then will be at the wedding till evening. in the middle of all the hoohaa i need to get more nutella and a new weighing scale because i think water seeped into the digital one and i can't operate it. i'll get a temporary manual one and then replace that digital one. sigh. i hope my mother doesn't find out. -_-

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2006-09-05 @ 9:58 p.m.
cheesecakes

on sunday, my father told me that there will be a bbq-cum-family-gathering organised by one of his friends this week; potluck style. so my ever-obliging dad volunteered my services to make dessert. how generous of him. :)

a blueberry one,

and an oreo one.

fingers crossed!

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