I'll Be Away....

tqs Nita for this order, it was a pale green fondant cake for her brother's engagement.

.....Ramadhan is always a busy month for me, and this year is no exception....time just passed by, it's been a week since we started fasting. And, I have not been updating my blog!...and from tomorrow and next week, I'll be busy...super busy...I'll be going through another defying gravity moment, I hope things will be smooth as planned...in the mean time I ketarq! (shivers!).

I have requests for Raya goodies, I will only consider this after next week, and I will be doing a project also the following week...we'll see.

....so, in the mean time stay calm and healthy and happy :p

xoxo Yani the Kitchen Guardian

Ramadhan Kareem...

Assalamualaikum and good afternoon beautiful peeps! Tonight will be the night where the "anak bulan" will be sighted to determine the beginning of fasting month for Muslim in Malaysia....time flies and it is more than half a year that flew and passed by. I have achieved lots this year, of course there have set backs as well....and in terms orders I know I have not fulfilled many requests. I still work full time, and juggling my time between the office, duties at home and bake....there's only so much that I can handle....

So...sempena bulan baik ini, I wish to seek forgiveness from you readers and those who have ordered if I did not mention here, or those orders that I couldn't oblige, or those bakes and cakes that did not satisfy your taste buds, or those emails that I took so long to reply...I am only human!! 

Tonight I will be doing my last orders before fasting starts...I will not be taking any orders for Hari Raya except very few and one that I have committed. I have classes this weekend, but will update you if I could take one or two orders for Raya, after the second week of Ramadhan...

So, let's begin fasting our body and soul, and freshen up ourselves to face the rest of the year, amin!

Buah Binjai, took this photo on the way back to KL last Sunday at one of the gerais near Pekan Sungai Mati, Muar.

...we had kenduri tahlil and doa selamat in Muar last Saturday.

**********************

...here are some bakes that I made some yesterweeks, tqs beautiful friends who have ordered!

Devils's Food Choc Cuppies with Choc Marshmallow Cream, Choc Ganache and Strawberries 

  

Choc Fruitcake wrapped in fondant! 

  

Some macarons.... 

  

....and some more macarons!

Tqs for reading, I have not been making macarons this week due to my faulty oven that i usually use to bake macarons. But, at home the aircond is being installed in the living and dining room (aka my project room) and  a new oven will be installed tomorrow!

xoxo Yani the Kitchen Guardian...

Red Velvet Whoopie Pie! Yeay!

....funny, when I prepared to post this recipe my baking sister Rima who lives across Tambak Johor actually put up the same recipe this morning! She was here last week, of course we had to meet, talked about our children, baking encounters, bla, bla, bla, handbags...bla, bla how to slim down..lol!

I saw this when Rima posted in her Facebook wall, and we had our first taste of whoopie pies when I went down to Singapore in January. I first tried the recipe that was posted by the JoyofBaking, but Rima said better try this one that has melted chocolate in the batter!

The Red Velvet Whoopie Pie using the other recipe was a hit with my kids and hubs...and this one...I only had a piece! It was super good, one can't enough of them! I made for some orders, but the balance were gone the next morning, Hajar, Umar and Ibraheem had for breakfast!

Anyway...here's the recipe that I got from The Candid Appetite !

Ingredients:


For the Cookies:

2 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped
12 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
1/2 cup buttermilk
2 large eggs
1 1/2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar, I used distilled vinegar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 tablespoon red food coloring
2 1/4 cups cake flour
1 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder, I used Valrhona
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt

For the Filling:I used my usual Cream Cheese Filling

8 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/4 cup marshmallow fluff
2 1/2 cups confectioners’ sugar, sifted
1 tsp vanilla extract

Preparation:

Preheat the oven to 190C. Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper, I used 2 Mastrad sheets. Melt the chocolate, set aside.

Whisk the melted butter, buttermilk, eggs, vinegar, vanilla and food coloring in a bowl until combined. In another bowl, sift the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda and salt.

Add the flour mixture to the butter mixture in three equal batches, mixing each batch completely before adding the next. Stir in the melted chocolate.

Using an a piping bag pipe on Mastrad or baking papers. Bake until the cookies spring back when lightly pressed, 8 to 10 minutes. Let cool 5 minutes on the baking sheets, then transfer to racks to cool completely.

Meanwhile, make the filling: Beat the cream cheese, marshmallow fluff and butter with a mixer until smooth. Beat in the confectioners’ sugar and vanilla extract. Sandwich a heaping tablespoonful of filling between 2 cookies using a pastry bag; repeat with the remaining cookies and filling. Refrigerate 30 minutes before serving. 


It's hard to describe the texture of this whoopie pie, probably it is a cross between brownies and red velvet cakes...it's divine! Enjoy! Enjoy! Enjoy!

# I'll post all those bakes and cakes and macarons pictures after this ok!

Bake With KG!

.....oh where do I begin! i'm way overdue with my posts, pictures and stories...this last two weeks were supposed to be relaxing weeks for me, but nah, i just couldn't turn down those orders...so, I hope those beautiful peeps are happy with their orders as I was happy to oblige!

Well...to me insanity is doing the same thing over and over again...and so as not to become insane and in the hope to grow myself and the Kitchen Guardian, I have decided to part with the things that I know, things that I have learnt and picked up so far since I started baking about 3 1/2 years ago...I have started having baking tutorials, not in my kitchen (it needs a major revamp...am looking into that area now), but in your kitchen!

So, on Saturday 7.7.2012 I had my first baking demo with 5 beautiful ladies who are pros in their baking and decorating  sections! We learnt to make Red Velvet Cake, Victoria Sandwich Cake and Rainbow Cake...with Cream Cheese Filling, Buttercream and Swiss Meringue Buttercream....it was a good four hour session and I learnt a thing or two about fondant and flower making from them! 

I loved this sessions as I actually learnt more than what I gave!

Making Swiss Meringue Buttercream

Lunch was having all the cakes!

Rainbow Cake with Swiss Meringue Buttercream, the taste was gorgeous, velvety smooth and creamy!

...the cakes that we made!

...thank you so much, Ina, Nana, Kak Jay, Kak Faridah and Shila for your support!

I have two more private classes this weekend, then i'll break to fulfill a corporate order and inshallah will bake for raya after the second week of Ramadhan....we'll see about orders, inshaallah...

# You can contact me at 0192931079 to book for your private classes, the fee starts from rm250 per recipe, I'll bring all ingredients to your kitchen and will bake together, and I promise fun and full tummy, hehe! Some of the recipes are not posted here:p

Go Make Macarons!

...good afternoon peeps...today is my silat day...am most hyper and have lots and lots to do...but I find that when pressed and under pressure, I perform best! Yeah , considering that I busted a tray of Devils Food Choc Cupcakes at midnight last night....errr I forgot the baking soda...what the...lol!

Anyway, I have been getting many mails asking about macaron making. I am attching here a video that has helped me through macaron making that I leanrt from Mr Google...wink....and salivate over this Coffee Macarons...they are my favourites!

Ingredients....recipe belongs to Jill Collona, that I tweaked!

50g egg whites, better to age them 3 or 4 days in the fridge

25g caster sugar

55g ground almond

80g icing sugar

5g instant coffee...I used Nescafe Gold, my current fav

...and see this video to put them together ya! You can use this double boil method if using fresh egg whites or omit if using aged egg whites. I have whipped fresh egg whites without using this method, it worked out all the same except that beating time is slightly longer!

enjoy, enjoy, enjoy....hugs...Yani the Kitchen Guardian xoxo 

ps...if this too and everything else don't work contact me for a private class at the warmth of your kitchen!

Decadent Chocolate Mousse...and The Weekend That Was...

....what a week and what a weekend I had last week! I was running on auto-mode, not having the time to think at all, it was just do, do and do! Anyway, Khadijah is now safely tucked in Intec, a college under MARA that prepares students for various courses overseas. The whole idea about her continuing her Alevels in Taylors with the scholarship in hand was not working, so we abandoned ship! We sent her to register and check in her flat yesterday...alhamdulillah, she should be starting her classes today!

We have not had any cousins nephews or nieces getting married lately, but last Saturday we attended hubs' niece's wedding reception at Dataran Merdeka...it was a nice family reunion before we see each other again on the first day of Syawal!

So, last night I made some macaron shells and before I slept I made this Chocolate Mousse with the leftover yolks which whites I used for my macarons. by the way, I delivered a box of hantaran macarons for an Instagram friend who is in Sungai Petani but here to fethc his bakal tunang who came back from the UK. Life is great, technology rocks!

Ingredients
40g egg yolks
30g castor sugar
30g water
170g dark chocolate melted, I used the last bits of Belgian chocs that I got from Sunlik
300g heavy cream, whip to soft peak 
I added half a tsp of vanilla extract, too!

Method

1.Beat egg yolks till pale and frothy.

2.Bring sugar and water to a boil in a saucepan to about 118C. I didnt use a thermometer, just make sure your sugar syrup leaves a sticky mark on the side of the pan, when you tilt the pan.
3.Whip the sugar syrup into the egg yolks. Whip to the sides of the bowl is cool
4.Fold melted chocolate into the mixture, it will form a thick and gooey sauce.
5.Fold one third of the whip cream into the mixture to loosen.
6.Fold the rest of the whip cream until well incoporated.....at this point you can stop and enjoy this dessert, but best to chill for at least 4 hours before serving.
7.Pour into desired containers, and chill ya! 

This recipe is from Su, the owner of Delectables, I got this recipe from her blog, The Journal Of A girl Who Loves To Cook.

.....habis...and there is something about digging in into a pot of creamy, smooth and decadent chocolate...it just calms you down and take your breath away!

...and here are some photos at the kenduri and Khadijah's new bed!

Cheeky Muhammad playing with some guests!

Ibraheem, Umar and their cousins, I love this picture even though the technicals of this picture could be better! Yusof was minding the car park at this point!

Khadijah...adult enough to carry my bag, LOL!

Khadijah's new bed and her current read!

Have a brilliant and productive week, peeps...xoxo Yani, the Kitchen Guardian!