The Baking Series....What I have Learnt!

I recreated the cymbidium orchids that I learnt in Bangkok! I'm not afraid of doing wired petals anymore!

Hi you alls! Yup! I call the classes that I have had so far, the Baking Series....I have started having the classes way back in March, April and May. I will have 2 classes in June, one of which will be in Kota Bharu, and another one possibly in Kuantan, before I break for Ramadhan, Syawal, Aidul Adha. I hope to have new sets of classes, different modules after the break...you can't be serving your customers the same desserts all the time, right!..and I'm all excited to work on a master cake for my very own fondant series, you know from my cakes that I suck big time in buttercream, I'm only bothered with how the cakes tastes, so, I'm happier working with fondant hehe... 

Been thinking a lot about this Macadamia White Chocolate Cake and I shared this in Premium Chocolate Cake class, the cake was da bomb!

Actually, from the baking classes so far I think I have learnt so much more from the knowledge that I gave away...the students were very inspiring, they only inject positive vibes to you! Most of them have established their own caking business and I must say that they all are doing very well...so doing business is definitely the way to go!

All the classes will end this way, we all had fun!

.,..and for us who came to the classes, it was like our "me time", learning new recipes and techniques and making new friends and sharing of good and not so good times stories! We all became friends! I can't ask for more than that, right!...and for knowledge, the students came all the way from different states, north, south, east and west..and I couldn't believe that Rozana actually flew all the way from Brunei! Alhamdulillah!

Sarah, my intern , a second year medical student, whom I'm confident will have a very bright future as a medical practitioner, photographer (like me) and baker (like me too)!

I have also had young aspiring bakers who are now studying in college ....and there were a few who had just finished their secondary education, who are doing very well in their studies and who will take up culinary  studies when they completed their degrees! These kids know what they wanted and where they wanted to go...oh I can only be pleased and be encouraged to work harder!

All this brought me thinking, why didn't I do this all earlier....the Almighty knows best and only directing me to this path now...

Gotta go, no recipes to share but am thinking of baking something with bananas and salted caramel, what say you, hehe..

Cheers, take care, be happy and please be productive :p

xoxo Yani thekitchenguardian.  

Of Goals, the Polls and My (Children's) Future....and Dark Chocolate Mousse

Hi ya peeps.....the General Election no. 13 is just around the corner. I have never been really passionate about the election before, even though I never missed my duty to cast my vote. But, this time it is different, to me it is not about us anymore.....our generation is going into the retirement generation (well! I am retiring in about 60 days time!)...so, really it is about our children's future! And I realised that there is nothing to be emotional about the election, it is about your future, there is no need to be drama about it, one really needs to think carefully and wisely and cast one's votes! In other words one needs to use ones' head to think and vote! So much is at stake, yeah I don't read the papers or watch tv other than the business section, but I read between the lines, you see.

....and what about my future, my goals? For a start I have decided that my income from my caking business in the first month after I quit from my full time employment would double my paid job, the one that I left! That's a real motivation for me especially when it came with perks such as having to spend time with my kids and choose my baking times! I will also be joining my friends for kelas mengaji twice weekly and I really cant's wait for that!

Dark Chocolate Mousse (adapted from The Journal of A Girl Who Loves To Cook)

40g egg yolks

30g caster sugar

30g water

170g dark chocolate, melted, I use Valrhona's 64% cocoa manjari

300g heavy cream

Beat yolks till pale and frothy. Make sugar syrup and take off the heat when the temperature is 118C, slowly pour on the side of bowl into the yolks mixture. Continue beating till the mixture cools...dont worry about not cooking the yolks, the heat from the sugar syrup will cook the yolks. Add the melted chocolate.

Whip the heavy cream till soft peaks. Add a third of  the whipping cream i nto the yolk and chocolate mixture to loosen the texture....pour the remaining of the heavy cream until well incorporated.

Divide into cups/ramekins/short glasses or containers to give away to friends...chill for at least 4 hours in the fridge before serving....I must say that there is something decadent about this velvety smooth mousse to calm you down...I had mine at 2.30 am that day after I was done with baking and cleaning my kitchen!

Okay, let's gear ourselves for the polling day on 5.5.2013...I will be baking those cakes, the pictures of which I will use for the banners for my upcoming classes! Happy weekend peeps!