Being True To Yourself, Let's Bake Congo Bars!

A 3 tier Victoria Sandwich Cake with Swiss Meringue Buttercream and fresh flowers

Assalamualaikum and hiya peeps...days after my last post I felt the pressure coming to me. Yeah, it is not easy to live up to your words. I have started embarking on the things that I wanted to do and the necessary preparations on the projects for 2015 and 2016.

One of the goals was to test ie to bake 27 best selected recipes in the next 12 months...I have embarked on that too, alhamdulillah, and I am gaining inches too haha! I am getting my mark registered soon...which means that I am working on my own logo as the name thekitchenguardian is too general to be registered...but Jane, please wait for me, I have yet to reply your email and those questionaires that you have sent me! So, we will see a new blog design etc etc etc after this, inshaallah.... 

A Hummingbird Cake

I have decided too that I will limit the number of classes this year. And to compensate I will take more orders...that have started! And the classes will not only focus on cakes and desserts this year. We will have a variety of classes, and I can't wait for that to happen! Think my outlook for what I wish to do this year is more structured. And planning is one very very important thing to do. With planning means knowing your customer base, their needs and your capabilities...this too will ensure that you stay ahead, inshaallah...

Macarons in Creme Brulee and Raspberry fillings for dulang hantaran

One of the things that I wanted to do this year was to spread kindness and influence people to do (more) good! The world should be a happy place to live, and I hate fighting and bitterness...which means that I have to forgive (a lot of) people....I also have to forgive myself for the mistakes that I have done....you can't forgive people if you can't forgive yourself first. You have to be true to yourself.... 

A Red Velvet cake for dulang hantaran

Spiritually I will start my mengaji ie iqra classes soon. For this I realise that I have to go back to basics...and learning to recite the surahs correctly and knowing the meanings of the verses in my solats. I have started to be in muslimah compliant outfit, and will soon cover all my aurat including wearing socks....

Yes it was tough trying to do all this, but I must admit I felt better, calmer and more serene. For at the end of the day I realise that I am but Allah's creature.....whatever happened must be by His will....

Enough said, now....I wish to share the Congo Bars recipe that I now bake (I tweaked my recipes a few times ya!) for orders..

Ingredients 

250g butter, I use President salted, soft

1 3/4 cups light brown sugar

1 1/2 tsp vanilla

3 large eggs, weighing about 60g each

a pinch of salt

2 1/2 cups of self raising flour

1 cup callebaut 54% cocoa choc buttons

1 cup bittersweet ghirardelli choc buttons

extra imported store bought choc buttons to spread on the batter

Method 

Using a wooden laddle mix butter with sugar and vanilla until all the butter disappears in the sugar. Add eggs one by one. Mix and please do not cream the eggs. Add the sifted flours in 3 additions, fold them in and not stir the batter. Mix the choc buttons and spread in 12x12 tin. I usually top with more chocolate chips and bake in a preheated oven at 160C for about 18 minutes.

I have never used a mixer to mix my congo bars, and I have never done 2 recipes in a go. And I love them made this way and using this butter as they stay fresh and soft at room temperature even after 5 days.

Till the next post, bye bye!

xoxo, Yani