Tuesday 29 November 2011

Rainy Sunday and Chocolate Macarons

It has been raining almost everyday lately, even if the sun is fierce is the morning, the afternoons or evenings are usually wet.....make me want to just be under my duvet! Where I live, we don't have any aircond unit in the house and I still use the duvet that I used during my student days...ahhh...heaven....

I have been getting requests for macaron classes, but time just don't permit. And I also got requests on how to make Chocolate Macarons...I have in my earlier posts put up that by Pierre Hermes', Nathalie's and David Lebovit's. All are fantastic recipes!

Today, I want to share with you here how to make Chocolate Macarons the French meringue way, and I used Jill Collona's Mad About Macaron's recipe....this is how I have been doing...and I love this recipe as it is simple and very chocolatey!
Ingredients
50g egg whites, aged for 5 days in the fridge
25g caster sugar
50g ground almond
10g cocoa powder, I used Valrhona cocoa powder...tqs Rima, who keeps me well supplied!
80g icing sugar
brown food colouring, I used a wee bit!

Method
1.Prepare your baking trays with baking paper, or silicon sheet or Silpat. I used silicon sheet this time.
2.Prepare your piping bag, I snipped the tip to measure half an inch opeining.
3.Weigh your caster sugar.
4. Weigh egg whites.
5.Weigh ground almond, weigh icing sugar and sift togerther, set aside.
6. Whisk egg whites on medium speed until frothy, add hald the caster sugar, beat for another minute, add the remaining caster sugar.
7. Beat until you get dense meringue but still watery, add colour powder (I prefer this especially when I usually make my macarons at the wee hours in the morning...or on a rainy day), beat at high speed for about a minute, until you get a dense meringue but not dry.
8. Fold in half the ground almond icing sugar mixture, work efficiently to mix the meringue together. Add in the remaining dry ingredients.
9.Start macaronnage till you get a smooth texture that is shining but do not overfold. It is a good idea to stop to check the consistency of the batter....it should fall and smooth out itself on the count of 1 to 10...then it's good to pipe.
10. Pipe on your baking tray, rap the tray on your work top a few times to rid any air.
11. Let the shells dry for about an hour...it was raining heavily yesterday. I waited for an hour, the shells were dried a bit, while I continued preparing to make Nasi Tomato and Ayam Masak Merah for lunch.
12. Like always I dried my shells in the oven for about 3 minutes, and bake at 140C for about 18 minutes.

### All rights to this recipe belongs to the lovely Jill Colonna!
These were Salty Peanut Butter fillings, the rest were filled with Choc Chip Cookie Buttercream (oh, my new craze!)
...and...tadaaaa...Chocolate Macarons which I shared with Sara who came to see how I made this, yesterday!

...and, here's what I made the yesterweeks....
...from one teacher to the other teacher...ideas to make this from my sugarpaste teacher Wiz, and this is to top a cake for my Pastry teacher Safura!
White and Green Hantaran cuppies for Mar, who was my primary school class-mate, tqss Mar!
A Red Velvet Cake for Hantaran and some macarons for my other sugarpaste idole Nina...tqs Haslina, tqs Nina!

Let's brave through this wet wet week, you alls!xoxo!

Tuesday 22 November 2011

It Was Mak's Day!

Indeed, it was Mak's Day, I have never seen her so happy! She laughed and chatted with people close to her, her cucus and her Marhaban and Mengaji friends. Even though she didn't ask for this, Ayah knew knew that she would be elated to have one!

Ayah had planned for this, iniatially we wanted to bring her out for dinner, then it was kenduri doa selamat amongst ank cucu sahaja....so...Adik decided that she catered some food, I'll take care of the cakes and Mus, my youngest brother will do the western menu!
...Allah Selamatkan Kamu......we sang....Mak's baju lace macam baju pengantin!
Loved Mus's Potato and Beans salad!
The Doctor ( my sister Adik), the Engineer (Kak Zaine, Bj's sister), the Dentist(BJ, my BIL!)!
Red Velvet Cuppies, Malt Cuppies and Puding Jagung
Fantabulous cake from Wiz! I figured my cake won't be good enough for Mak!Tq Wiz for making this, Mak was over cloud 10! And the cake was super delicious!
Anis , my niece and FIL and MIL
Mak and MIL!
Master Chef Mus who works with the KLCC Covention Centre kitchen and his spread! All home made from the black pepper sauce, marinades, thousand island sauce to air leecheekang!

And here's the recipe for Malt Cuppies with Caramel Buttercream! Recipe  from http://www.spicyicecream.com.au/2011/11/vanilla-malt-sprinkle-bark-cake.html.

Malt Cupcakes
Ingredients
195g butter
150g caster sugar
3 eggs
11/2 tsp vanilla
195g self raising flour
1 tsp baking powder
120g Horlicks
60ml milk
60ml boiling water

Method
1.Preheat oven at 170C, prepare cupcake liners.
2.Cream butter and suigar until light and fluffy, I used my wooden laddle, add vanilla.
3.Add eggs one at a time, mix until well incorporated.
4. Fold in sifted SRF with baking powder and Horlicks and alternate with milk, water until well combined. Do not stir!
5.Divide between cupcake liners and bake for about 25 minutes.

Let cool, and I served with Caramel Buttercream...woohoo! Altogether I made about 140 cuppies that day, left an entire tray of Butterscotch Congo Bars at home....the cuppies were gone before the rombongan Pak Hj came after solat Zohor! They gobbled 2 or 3 at a go!

Wokeh! See you again!

Monday 21 November 2011

Sunday's Random Pics

Saturday was Mak's day in Shah Alam, but Sunday, hubs went back to Ayer Baloi. Pak Uda Seman who used to live in the Ayer Baloi house passed away, after a 2nd stroke in Sultanah Aminah Hospital. He was admitted on Friday for lung infection, had his 1st stroke, but lost the battle the second time...alfatihah....life is really short....and org baik baik pergi dgn senang dan cepat....harap kita pun begitu jua....

So, there was was me, Hajar, Muhammad and Khadijah at home....I made some macarons for an order and found an old Canon 1000D camera that hubs gave me, now in the posession of Khadijah...and took random pics...
Yet to try Lavendar Cupcakes from this recipe book! Pic taken after solat subuh..
Satsumas...pic taken at ard 8.30 last night
Due to bulk order, I used silicon sheet! Pic taken at ard 5.30 am...
Kau kunci hatiku didalm hatimu.....Ramlah Ram's song that brought her fame....but I can't stand that song!  
I nak cupcake cone...referring to icecream cupcakes that she has been watching on Howdini!Oh Hajar...
Drying my tea towels good old Good Morning Towels ....love using this one and those from Ikea!
Congo Bars with Butterscotch morsel...not the rezeki of Mak's guests, left a box in the oven...these are for Sarah, Kak Zaini's daughter who's sitting for SPM and in a boarding school!
She was in this the whole day yesterday...waiting for daddy to bring her swimming!
Oreo cuppies for an order.....pic taken at ard 9 last night..

kesudahannya...don't think it's about the camera...yup they make a difference, but i don't see much difference in how i express myself using a D90 and a 1000D...have a fruitful, blessed and healthy week peeps!

Wednesday 16 November 2011

Grandma Iny's Prune Cake!

Hubs was not around last week. He and Ibraheem, Umar and Muhammad went back to Ayer Baloi to oversee the final reno works there. So...I didn't bake anything apart from some Coconut Cuppies and Lapis Tiga Rasa for Raya Haji. Come Monday, he complained that there has been no dessert in the house!....While me.....I was counting my calories, haha...but have been having rice and lauk pauk 3 days in a row already for breaky...what I cook for the kids, I have them for breakfast, boleh? But, due time constraint I have been having keropoks for lunch, so, in that sense I thought, okaylah!

So, yesterday, after I finished making some macaron shells and cooked a meal I made this easy peasy Prune Cake...back at home any cakes with fruits in them are the family's favourites!
I got the recipe from Pioneer Woman 's site, a site that I visit almost daily! That woman is amazing!

Some bakes and cakes....
I made this macarons for Kak Zaine...
 
...and this Devil's Food Choc Cake...hmmm  a case of too much bokeh! Anyway, tqs Kak Zaine! 
Barbie Princess Cake, A Victoria Sandwich Cake with Vanilla Buttercream...
....and the good old Victoria Sandwich Cake ordered by Nora. Tqs Nora!

Got to dash to PJ, I have a meeting there! See ya!

Monday 14 November 2011

A New Paradigm!

That morning I sent hubs to the airport, he had meetings in JB, and the late Mr CP had just established his firm in KL. Hubs was to take care of the KL office. I was about 36 weeks ++ preggers with Khadijah. Since, hubs was not around, I decided to spent the night at mom's!

I felt alright that day, except that I spent the entire day going to the toilet! It got worse when I got back from work! Was I having urinary tract infection? I thought!? After dinner and my Isyak, I decided to hit the sack......if I remember clearly, it was not half an hour after I lay in bed, I felt a gush of water burst! Did I pee in my pants? I got up, went to the toilet, there was no smell, just clear water...and yup there was a pool of water on my bed....I quickly grabbed my Johnson's Week By Week Pregnancy book, ....hoyeah! It was water from my water bag!

I woke my mom up, ayah drove his old Volvo with hazard lights on...I kept telling him to relax, I was not going to beranak yet....but I can imagine how nervous he was to see his first grandchild.......I gave birth after azan Maghrib the next day, hubs arrived just before I pushed Khadijah out!....and that was 17 years ago! and today Khadijah started her SPM exams......she was cool this morning, the BM paper was okay she said just now....and I'm the one who's nervous.

It felt like yesterday, I pushed her out,.....but now she's talking college, Alevels.....she has submitted a few applications for scholarships from a few colleges...she went through an ordeal at the PBUM due to a rectal biopsy that gone haywire at 3 months, survived a culture shock when she decided to move from a private school to sekolah kebangsaan and teenager moodswings and now left with "Cupcake" her hampster!

....so... we are now talking new uncharted territories for her and me......
Two Devil's Food Choc Cake with Choc Ganache and Buttercream for a set of twins...Batrisyia and Aqila, conceived via IVF, one embryo that divided the the mommy's womb, hence, they are pretty identical twins! Tqs lovely mama Yati!
*cakes with vanity sets were inspired by Fiza Chicquecakes!
...and these were for momma!Red Velvet cuppies!
...some macarons, and....
...and some Red Velvet cuppies for Hari Raya Haji! Tq Sharifah, tq Sha for recommending!

Friday 11 November 2011

Maltesers' Squares

Hi you alls!How was your week!? Mine have been hectic! Anyway, we had a corporate wellness program today in the building and I got my sugar level, body fat and cholesterol level checked....except for my cholesterol level that is on the borderline, the rest is okay! Gotta start taking rolled oats for breakfast and climb up the stairs to my office to correct my cholesterol level!

Anyway....I made this about two weeks ago! First saw this in dailydelicious blog and later stumbled again on this beautiful comot squares in masam manis blog! They are awesome, except that, I love Maltesers so much that I don't think I could wait for them to be transformed into this, haha!

It's very easy to make, so, let's see....
Ingredients
100g butter
200g dark chocolate, chopped
3 tbsp golden syrup
225g digestive biscuits, I used Biskut Marie, crushed to fine
225g Maltesers, chilled

100g Maltesers
50g white chocolate melted
50g milk chocolate melted
Method
1.Grease a square 8 inches cake tin, I lined with baking paper.
2.In a medium pan, melt together, butter, dark choc, and golden syrup stirring to get a smooth consistency.
3.Add the crushed biscuits, stir to incorporate.
4.Quickly add Maltesers. And pour into cake tin. Chill in the fridge for about 4 hours to set.
5.Once chilled, spread the additional Maltesers and drizzle with melted dark choc and white choc and chill again.
6.Cut to small squares to serve!

My kids love them, I had my share of Maltesers, earlier, haha! I gave some to Dianne who came by to collect her birthday cake....
A Pink Rainbow Cake, hope you like them!
Made this for Aishah, Kak Ana and Harlina, tqs for ordering!
I made this for Zarina's nephew's engagement. Tqs Zarina, hope we got to meet each other in the next orders!
And made this for Amirah, who now lives in KK, and who's back for Raya Hj holidays! Tqs Amirah!
This girl is not for order....haha! Hajar with her Samsung Tab, playing Barbie games!

Have a brilliant weekend! Thank you for reading!Hope I have time to try new recipes and play with my camera! Just realised that I have not used the aperture button, haha! What a joke!!

Tuesday 8 November 2011

Salam Aidil Adha

It was a rather quiet Raya Haji this year. Mak and Ayah and Adik went back to Alor Setar, but we stayed back as Khadijah's busy preparing for her SPM...6 days to go! I made Coconut Cupcakes with Pineapple Cream Cheese and Lapis Legit Prune Chocolate and Nasi Tomato with Ayam Masak Merah for juadah raya. After Solat Raya, we had breakfast and then went to Tok Bik's house in Kg Melayu Subang, went to Salwa's to see Mak Arah and came home....tired! I made some macarons for Aida's mom to bring back to her friends in Sg Petani, and this Banana Choc Chip Bread!

I cleaned my house yesterday, boiled some bones from the daging kurban given by division secretary and fried some beef for dinner last night, made some fondant and slept...bliss!
Banana Choc Chip Bread(recipe adapted from Nigella's How To be A Domestic Goddess)
175g all purpose flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp bicarbonate soda
1/2 tsp salt
125g butter melted
2 large eggs
150g sugar
4 very ripe bananas (or about 300g bananas without skin)
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup chopped dark chocolate, I added
(I omitted rum, sulatanas and walnuts)
23x13x7 cm loaf tin
Method
1. Preheat oven at 170C, prepare loaf tin.
2.Sift flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
3. Melt (not boil ya!) butter, let cool, add sugar and eggs one by one. Stir until all well mixed. Add vanilla and mashed bananas.
4.In 3 additions, I folded in the flour mix, last the choc chip.
5.Pour into prepared tin and bake for about 35 to 40 minutes.

Aida loved this and so does my family...it's easy to make but super yums!

Here's some pics of my children during raya at Tok Bik's...the older ones stayed back at home! 
Ibraheem...
Umar and Nabil
Hajar and Muhammad
Almond Macarons with Passion Fruit White Choc Ganache, Dark Choc and Salty Peanut Butter for Aida's mom, tqs aunty, tqs Aida!
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