My Pavlova and I

Assalamualaikum everyone! Hallo and hi, i have been away far too long. I have been busy could be my excuse , but the truth is my blog is not in my priority list at the moment. 

But I feel that I should write as I have been showing my students how to make pavlova... And recently the weather had been so humid and the pavlovas that I have been making using my recipe has become moist and sticky!!! I have also added salt and cream of tartar on top of vinegar and cornflour and vanilla in my pavlova. My pavlova tasted the way i wanted them to taste, but they became sticky! So! I decided that I should experiment with new methods and omitting salt and cream of tartar and vinegar and cornflour....and I also roasted my sugar before adding them to the egg whites!

What did I get? A crisp pavlova with soft marshmallowy interior, baked in about an hour an a half for a pavlova and 50 minutes for mini pavlovas! And do you know that the Meringue Girls swear by the roasting the sugar technique!

What else did I do?? Once I got the technique right I decided to add back my "missing ingredients" ie salt , cream of tartar and vinegar and flour and vanilla... voila, it worked!

But really making a pavlova is all about how the ingredients react wt each other when beaten. Afterall egg whites consist of 75% water abd 25% protein. Beating the egg whites a bit in the beginning of making a meringue speeds up the process of the molecules to absorb sugar. However, if the molecules were overbeaten, they would "shy sway" from the sugar, and that would probably be the end of your pavliva making, fail...period! Unless you add some fresh egg whites to the meringue ( well I do that to salvage my meringue when I make my macarons when this accidents happen...they are real they happen ok!)

In the early days and when I was in Lindon I made BakedAlaska and I whipped my meringue using my hands. And I didn't add anything on top of egg whites and sugar, and my meringue was purrfecttt! Hence, if you used the Meringue Girls way, their meringue consisy of only sugar and egg whites. And their recipe is inbthe ratio of 1:2 egg whites:sugar. But the sugar needs to be roasted in the oven at a temperature of about 200 C, for about 5 minutes whilst you beat the egg whites to be like a shaving foam texture. By warming the sugar the meringue became more stabilised and absorbed the sugar faster. And you have to beat the meringue untill the sugar just dissolved. I was quite sceptical until I tried them myself. It worked! And my pavlova was not super sweet, in fact the act of roasting the sugar gave a caramelised effect to the sugar, when I added salt in my meringue I could comprehend how the Parisian could just eat their meringues just like that!

Would you add salt, cream of tartar, vinegar , cornflour and vanilla? I would not do without them...but adding them would make your pavlova more chewy. And I think best that you weigh your egg whites. Whilst using 4 egg whites and a cup of sugar worked forcme during the dry season, when the weathwr is hot and humid it is a whole lot of different story with my meringue. Hence, now I use the ratio of 1:2 egg whites:sugar with all the additions ir salt creamof tartar vanilla vinegar and cornflower and made my minis in 50 mins and pavlovas in an hour an a half at a temperature of 150C! And I only whisk the meringue until the sugars dissolve and the merigue do not have that gritty feel. 

Okay, enough said, you could give it a shot by using a general recipe such as 4 egg whites and a cup of sugar or you could use a ratio of 1:2 egg whites and sugar ratio. They should all work , the only thing is that having more sugars strengthen and stabilises the meringue. But foung them properly , I could assure you that you would enjoy snacking the pavlovas alone like I did! 

Good night peeps, hope this helps, go make a pavlova!

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 

  

Close Your Eyes.........

Close your eyes, let me tell you all the reasons why...I think you're one of a kind...here's to you...the one that always pulls us through...always do what you gotta do...you're one of a kind...thank God you're mine....

I recently returned from my holiday in Paris...it was more of a baking holiday, I attended classes, explored new recipes, tasted new desserts, explored new favourites....I pondered a lot! Think that was the reason I went there.....

Now, I have all this things lined up for execution, but...........

You will see it when I did it..... as for now let me share with you one of my favourite tart crust recipe ....Pate Sablee...a sugar cookie dough to produce a crumbly tart base...the recipe is from Martha Stewart's Pies and Tarts book...

3/4 cup butter, from chiller
1/2 cup icing sugar
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
3/4 tsp salt

Cube butter and rub into flour and sugar mixture until crumbly. Lightly knead the dough to become a ball that come together. Press it on a greased tart tin....I usually use a 10 inches round tart tin...make holes by using a fork to release air when baking the crust. Chill for at least half an hour before baking in a preheated oven at 170C for about 18 minutes.

For the filling...go figure!

P/s I am feeling tired and sleepy but I couldn't sleep...must be the jetlag.... nites peeps....

Chocolate Chocolate Chip Cookies

Hiya peeps! As promised, here's the recipe for Chocolate Chocolate Chip Cookies I made a few weeks ago. It was basically melted chocolate with a wee bit of flour and eggs and baked to a chewy and gooey cookie!

Ingredients (Recipe is from David Lebovitz's Ready For Dessert Book)

450g bittersweet chocolate, I used Callebaut 58% cocoa buttons

60g butter

70g flour

1/2 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp salt,I sprinkled fleur the sel

4 large eggs

350g sugar, I used 250g sugar and 100g brown sugar

1/2 tsp vanilla paste

320g bittersweet chocolate, I used Ghirardelli

100g walnuts or pecans

Method

Add chocolate and butter in a heat proof bowl, Melt them over a pot of simmering water. Remove from heat.

Whisk together flour and salt and baking powder.

In a stand mixer or using a hand mixer, whisk together the eggs, sugar, and vanilla over high speed until a ribbon is formed with the mixture. With the mixer running slowly add the melted chocolate butter mixture until well incorporated.

Then using a spatula mix the rest of the ingredients ie the choc buttons and nuts.

You can either refrigerate the batter/dough, or bake immmediately. Of course I couldn't resist, and baked immediately by dropping tablespoonfuls of the batter on silpats and baking paper. Bake at 165C about 9 minutes.

After that enjoy, enjoy and enjoy till the last piece that you could dug your hands into the cookie jar! Hihi, it was that good!  

Enjoy this video

And this video reminds me of my secondary school days when we just loved to perform!

Banana Chocolate Pavlova .... when the rubber hits the road!

Assalamualaikum and good morning peeps! I am updating my blog because the house is quiet, I have to send Muhammad to the baby sitter but I have a few bakes to finish before 12! But then, I must share with you this....the chocolate pavlova and how I feel now....

It might seem scary , but I realise that now I am going through what I have been reading or what my Dato Shaz goes through every day....the business I mean....yeah I read Peter Drucker, I read Anthony Robbins, I read Todd Duncan....I heard Dato Shaz spoke about branding, positioning, marketing, customer churn all that jazz....but it's when the rubber hits the road, the reality comes to surface, all your energy, creative juices name what....will emerge!

Hey, I couldn't even write properly let alone write using buttercream, but this my friend is one of the things that you overcome when the rubber hits the road....and there should never be a time when you say no to your customers....well, in the next 3 months we are sorry that we would not be able to entertain all requests, as we were booked till December, alhamdulillah...anyway....

What I mean is when you have your own business, no matter how small it is, all the above facts keep playing in your mind...you can't offer the same cakes, the same design, the same packaging day in day out...even MacDonalds have their specials at times! So...this are the things....and networking is so darn important. I don't see a point of of trying to over do the other, but let's stick to our own expertise and network....as network makes the business work...

More of this networking will be happening when I operate from my humble studio, soon....can't wait as there will be classes right for the beginners and perhaps baking parties for kids or moms! I have so much in store but first I need an assistant, hehe....any offers?

Okay, enough of my blabbering..let me share with you this recipe...it is mouthful to pronounce all, you better save your breath  to savour this super delicious dessert, which I feel is akin to banoffee pie and this masterpiece I feel suits the standards of those known chefs...it is super sedap!

Ingredients adapted from Suzareen's recipe....Reen currently resides in Perth Australia

Pavlova

4 egg whites
200g brown sugar, Reen uses white sugar
1 tsp apple cider vinegar
1 tsp cocoa powder, I used Cocoa Barry, ran out of my Valrhona
1/2 tsp instant coffee granules, I added, I used Nescafe TAster's Choice French Roast

Heat oven at 150C. Prepare your baking tin. Beat at medium speed egg whites till frothy, add a tablespoon at a time the brown sugar at every 1 minute interval.....believe me you'll appreciate it if you beat your meringue slowly and lovingly, hehe! When all the sugar is added, add apple cider vinegar, turn the speed to medium high for about 5 or 6 minutes when the meringue is stiff but not dry please. Sprinkle the cocoa powder and coffee powder, and scoop the meringue on to the prepared tin. I wouldn't advice you to fold in the cocoa powder nor the coffee powder and the fat in the powders would deflate your meringue. Turn your oven to 110C bake for 90 minutes,,,when cooked leave the meringues in the oven till cold.

Salted Caramel Sauce adapted from the recipe learnt from Sarah Jasmine

1 cup sugar
1 1/3 cups whipping cream 30% fat content
30g butter

Make the caramel ie burnt sugar, turn off heat, remove your pot from heat, add whipping cream...at this point please be extra careful, the mixture will spatter. Once all mixed, heat up the mixture a bit for about 3 minutes, remove from heat and add butter until well incorporated. Leave to set at desired consistency. Salt to taste, I used fleur de sel.

Whipping Cream

I used 400 ml dairy  whipping cream, whisked with 2 tsp vanilla until soft peaks. I omitted sugar.

Bananas

I used 6 bananas

How to assemble....just place the meringue disc on a plate, spread the whipping cream, dust some cocoa powder on the cream, arrange your sliced bananas, and drizzle salted caramel sauce. Place the second meringue disc on top of the first, spread the cream, dust cocoa powder, spread your bananas, drizzle your salted caramel sauce.....ENJOY ENJOY ENJOY!

Ok peeps , I gotta go...bakes waiting friends waiting, Khadijah's waiting....

Devilishly Moist Chocolate Cake ..... I Am A Baker!

Hi ya peeps! I just realised that it has been almost 2 months since I last updated my blog! urgghhh! Yes, I have been busy, very very busy! Things move in flashes when you work on your own! I am not complaining, but I realise that you achieve more when working on your own....baking ...the baking business is doing fine alhamdulillah....Mondays were usually my rest days, but I have busted that the past 3 weeks. Otherwise baking, err work starts on Thursdays, Fridays, Saturdays and a bit on Sundays. I usually go out on Mondays, have lunches with my friends and stock up ingredients.

Have I become a millionaire!? Nope, but I am definitely happy now, I don't have to think to say that...Do I worry about my income...yeah a little bit, just a little bit, I put all faith on Him!....and the other best part is most of my customers become my friends...what more can you ask!?

I check my messages on Mondays too! But, of late I have not been trying new recipes, well, I have tried a few recipes but have not had the time to update them here. I have started my classes in September, there will be no classes in October, but there will be classes in November....hopefully in my new premise which I will be renting. Renovation works are now on the way.....and I can't wait to release new modules. It will be easier when I could decide on the timing and venue!

I have not resumed my mengaji classes since we left for raya puasa, the kenits Hajar and Muhammad have been down with chicken pox, so they were at home with me, and I was grounded!

Anyway...here's the recipe that I made in Ayer Baloi...please excuse the pictures, we couldn't wait till the ganache sets before we dug into the cake....it was super delicious....and I used Van Houten cocoa and blocks and some herscheys dark chocolate in the ganache. So, no excuses for not trying this recipe....

Ingredients the recipe belongs to Tish Boyle!

1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
3/4 cups cocoa powder
1 1/4 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1 2/3 granulated sugar
1/3 cup (80 ml) corn oil
2 large eggs
1/3 cup (80 ml) milk
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup(240 ml) boiling water

Method

Preheat your oven at 165C, prepare 3 9 inches round cake tins...I used a casserole bowl.
Sift flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda , salt into a mixing bowl. Mix them on  low speed till well mixed. Add sugar. Add oil and mix on low speed till the mixture become crumbly. in a separate bowl mix eggs, milk and vanilla...add this mixture into the dry mixture until well blended. Still on low speed slowly pour boiling water, and scraping down the mixture. Pour the batter into the prepared pans.

Bake for about 40 minutes, let cool. and garnish with chocolate ganache.

For my chocolate ganache I boil 200g dairy whipping cream (at least 30% fat content) and pourt onto 200g dark chocolates. Set it to the consistency you wish, I just poured mine right away on the cake.

Enjoy enjoy enjoy!

Nite peeps...my work this week begins tomorrow! Have a brilliant week!

A Walk In The Park....

Salam and good morning! It will be my third day of retirement today.  Am I enjoying the 'freedom'...yeah I guess, but funny I thought I have been having this feeling all this while....I suppose this thought of me not going to work has been in me without me noticing it all along...what am I saying...whatever...it is already the wee hours of the morning....

  

My last day of work was Tuesday last week, however, I had to pop by to settle some personal matters with HR and close one matter the following day...I left office at around 3 that day.... that night I slept like a log, in fact I dozed off without even showering...felt like the world was lifted from me....and then, on Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday I spent my mornings as early as 5 am baking and frosting my cakes...oh wow! I could not remember baking so much....but I was darn happy!

...Sarah was supposed to come yesterday and we were supposed to start baking our cookies for Raya...but I told Sarah to join me for lunch in KLCC...we were not going to bake that day, and I really wanted to walk on KLCC park!....and that was what I did...felt so liberated, even though I was a wee bit disappointed with the whole park....it cpuld be nicer, prettier, more happening...well, except where the fountain was, the rest of the park was just so, so....really makes me want to go to Central Park New York asap!!

...some people in the office thought that I was bored and suggested that I return to work...no way...I don't think so...but I must admit that working at home all by myself made me felt a little lonely...been "whattsapping" Rina and spoke to Wiz to cut this loneliness, huhu!....and since it is only the third day me being at home, I haven't actually establish a routine yet...I went to my first "mengaji" class yesterday morning in Taman TAR and learnt about the prophet and a sunnah....the best feeling I felt after that. And since I really wanted to go to a "tafsir" class, think I will have to join my friends in the surau at Bukit Mulia, since the class in Taman TAR is held on Friday nights....

I baked quite a bit after I returned from my class, and I can thank Him more for the orders that come in, Alhamdulillah! I am still looking for my own space for baking, orders, studio and classes...but that have to be sorted latest after Eid, my tools and cake tins are piling and I couldn't even get a new oven and cooling racks and the space in this house is limited already, hehe....you know with 6 kids and all, bahaha....

Some people have asked for a class for Raya cakes, and I thought that we should stick to the basics like below...I will throw in a demo to bake a Victoria Sandwich Cake, since so many have been asking about the cake....so, I'll see you in Sugarflours Bangi on Saturday, ya! It will be a group hands-on, so I will not bake extra cakes from home, you will have to work out amongst yourselves during class, with my guidance...more interesting!  

...a lot of people have asked me for a Banana Walnut Cake recipe...my answer would be to try this...

Banana Bread

125g butter melted and cooled

125g sugar

2 large eggs

about 300g mashed bananas

175g plain four whisked or sifted with 2 tsp baking powder, 1/2 tsp bicarbonate soda and a pinch of salt

3 tbsp natural yoghurt

1 tsp vanilla

Mix the melted butter with sugar and vanilla till well incorporated, add eggs one at a time, add the mashed bananas. Add the flour mixture in 3 additions and last add the natural yoghurt. I also added about a handful of chopped walnuts into the batter. Bake in a preheated oven at 160 C.

As for the topping I use my favourite cream cheese topping and drizzled with salted caramel..

...yup...that was me at the park, got on the swing before we were chased by the guards at the park , hehe...I have always wanted to walk in the park....

Night peeps, gotta catch a few winks before finishing a few cakes to deliver in the morning..

xoxo Yani the kitchenguardian

...this is how I feel now, not having a withdrawal symptom from being away from work, but I am still adjusting to my new life...enjoy the song peeps!

Random Thoughts but Let's Go Places!

Hi ya you all! After almost a month in hiding, well sort of but done unintentionally, I wish to pen down some thoughts...a lot took place in a month period....thoughts change and new goals set!

...you know that apart from taking food pictures I love to capture moments...no not the wedding kind of moments but those moments that one cherish forever...I have tried doing that after I came back from my Zero to Pro workshop with Saiful Nang...but I really wanted to shoot newborns, babies, kids...my children! That opportunity came along when I was given a slot by KamaliaKamal of thephotolicious. She has a team of all ladies photographers under her belt and she had just given birth! Her baby (whom I have forgotten to ask what his name was) was our subject! I learnt about colour harmony, lighting and angles....the technicals In have learnt from SN's classes....and the result was.....tadaaaa

...this picture was not edited...well I never edit my pictures...and I was ecstatic with what I could do, sure there were only very very few shots that were ok. But, I also learnt more than photography...Kamalia forced me to think BIG, beyond what I could think I would be capable of! So, I have reset my goals and will execute them! Am I excited? Of course I am!! I am not revealing what next on my sleeve, but taking pictures of newborn will remain a hobby as for now...

Well, it was never my intention to travel outskirts and have my baking classes elsewhere than in Klang Valley. However, I was invited by a dear friend to fly to Kota Bharu to have my maiden class there. It was darn hot there I downed loads of water and didn't eat much, but hey...the market in Kota Bharu is untapped! The girls who came for the demo class were angels...and I learnt that if you think your life is hard, there are others whose lives are harder than yours. I encouraged the girls to go for it in the baking arena, offer more choices to the people of KB! And about Kota Bharu...I must say that despite the fact that there is no KLCC nor nice favourite grocery shops like Hock Choon there, I fell in love with the slow pace and simplicity of the life there....will definitely go there to have more classes!

...saw this on the plane...really got me thinking to go places!...and have more ovens and assistants.....

I had Nasi dagang for breakfast at Hover before my class on Friday.

Their satays were yumss!

This was taken at pasar Siti Khadijah...

...as the name says, most of the sellers were ladies wearing chunks of gold bracelets on both arms! ...Funny when I wanted to buy some jewellery, I was not entertained maybe because my purchase was a meagre one hehe ....the ladies were buying at least rm4k worth of jewellery at one time...whoaaaa!

...red torch ginger...

...take a look at my attempt at royal icing lace embroidery...

My first commission for macarons dusted in lustre powder, an order by Yong, and I loved this!

...hey, look at my handwriting, think it has improved, done this the old school way without using any nozzle...less washing for a maidless lass like me!

...and this the current cookie craze..Almond crunchy which is super duper easy to make...just mix 250g of Florentine mix with 500g roasted nuts, spread in a baking tray lined with baking paper and bake at 165C for about 20 minutes. Cut them while they are still hot and leave them to cool before storing away in cookie jars!

...and why I paste this video here.....I never thought that anyone would care that I leave this organisation, but one of the senior management this morning was shocked to find out that I have a few days left..."we will miss you for you have been so patient assisting us with your legal opinions and drafting and amending contracts in accordance with our tempo!" ...haha yeah all work needs to be done yesterday with this peeps...I shall miss this lot, too!....and immediately this song into my head..why oh why I don't know.....but it reminded me of my last few days in uni when my future was really not certain...it's different now

...for now I just have to focus and make this baking adventure a success, fullstop!

tra, xoxo yani thekitchenguardian

French Madeleines and 1.1.2013

...I have some time now, so I want to share with you this recipe. I have made this recipe before, but I decided to bake this again as I have this new Madeleine pan that Rima fbought from France...

Ingredients - recipe is from Dorie Greenspan's Baking From My Home To Yours book

• 2/3 cup all-purpose flour
• 3/4 teaspoon double-acting baking powder
• Pinch of salt
• 1/2 cup sugar
• Finely grated zest of 1 lemon
• 2 large eggs, at room temperature
• 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• 3/4 stick (6 tablespoons; 3 ounces) unsalted butter, melted and cooled
• Confectioners’ sugar, for dusting...I didn't
• Whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt and keep close at hand.  

Rub the sugar and lemon zest together with until the sugar is moist and fragrant.  Fit the mixer with the whisk attachment, add the eggs to the bowl and beat the eggs and sugar together on medium-high speed until they are pale, thick and light, 2 to 3 minutes; beat in the vanilla.  Grab a large rubber spatula and very gently fold in the dry ingredients followed by the melted butter.  Press a piece of plastic wrap against the surface of the batter and chill the batter for at least 3 hours or, if you have the time, overnight.  I let mine rest for about 24 hours.

Getting ready to bake:  Center a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 200C.  Grease 12 full-size shell-shaped madeleine moulds with a light coating of vegetable cooking spray. 

Spoon the batter into the molds, filling each one almost to the top.  Bake the large madeleines for 11 to 13 minutes until the madeleines are golden and the tops spring back when touched.  Remove the pan from the oven and release the madeleines from the molds by rapping the edge of the pan against the counter.  

I had mine for breakfast yesterday, they really are better the next day!

....so it was the new year's day and it was a public holiday. The kids wanted to go out, especially more so due to their mommy being glued to her oven almost in the entire month of December. 

We headed to KLCC as that was the nearest shopping mall to home...10 minutes on elevated highway only!Tucked our tummies with brunch at BEN's and then the mommy and daddy granted the kids wishes to purchase this and that, hehe....even little Muhammad is clever to ask for things ya!

Umar finished his Chicken Rice and Muhammad's Pasta!

They have grown!

Hajar, the (not) so called fashionista, that's how she defines herself!

Beautiful glass nursers with colourful silicon sleeves...ehem...

The most talk about bag amongst my girl friends...shall I hehe! In nude or this colour would be so pretty! ehehe..

Whenever in KLCC I love to look down and watch people walk on the concourse...I imagine people skating on the ice ring in Central Park , New York during winter, pretty, right!

Muhammad and Ibraheem, twins of different ages, Muhammad was born at 3.9 kg, Ibraheem at 3.8 kg!

After KLCC I went home and made this cake, and this cuppies...

for my friend Puspa who has returned from Qatar for good!

...errr did you notice that I used my digital camera?? Well with the existence of smartphones such as Iphones, one can almost do away with a camera, right! But, I figured I want to have a photo studio at home, this year!!

xoxo Yani thekitchenguardian

Bubur Lambuk........Adam dan Hawa!

Assalamualaikum, hi ya you all! I have been away from this blog for so long...at least that is how I felt! You can't imagine the kind of madness that I have been going through lately, I won't be able to describe! One thing for sure we are fine and happy!....and I have been baking loads and doing loads of office work as well!

Anyway, it was 10 Muharram last Saturday, and hubs wanted Bubur Lambuk...some people call them Bubur Asyura. He gave me two recipes, I chose this one that is not so spicy!

Ingredients

3 cups rice, washed and set aside

1 large onion, sliced

rempah tumis ie cloves, cardamom anise, cinnamon stick

oil for sautee, tumis

1 large onion, 5 cloves garlic, 2 inches ginger, pound or blend

2 tbsp rempah sup, I used Adabi's

2 tbsp rempah Baryani, I used Hj Sernan's ...the best!

about 500g minced beef, better to use thinly sliced and chopped beef, Ramly's was a practical option...I was making about 200 cuppies in between!

2 cups coconut milk, I used 1 cup and another small carton of KARA coconut milk, tu aje yg ada

salt to taste

Method

Tumis or sautee sliced onions till fragrant, add the blended or onion, garlic and ginger tumbuk, fry till fragrant.  Add the rempah tumis. Add the rempah sup and baryani, add some water to make a paste, fry till fragrant yet moist still. Add the minced beef, fry till brown, add water and rice. simmer on medium fire till rice is about cooked, and then add coconut milk and salt to taste. I added/topped the water in the rice twice. I also sprinkled some sliced Chinese Celery (daun sup) and fried onions in the rice before taking it off the fire.

We finished the whole pot of Bubur Lambuk in one helping, hehe! Nothing beats home cooked meal!

......just as I was not happy with my Red Velvet cake recipe, the same thing goes with my Rainbow Cake or White Cake recipe! But guess what, last week I found the recipe that I was looking for! I made this and added Vanilla Extract in the blue batter. lemon paste in the yellow batter and raspberry puree in the crimson batter....the taste ....love it! And nowadays I use all pure butter in my frosting as well, I just love the vanilla buttery taste, of course making swirls could be a bit of a hassle as I have to keep chilling the buttercream when frosting a cake...they melt oh so easily!

....and here's what I did for Nissa, Kak Zaini's daughter's 21st birthday, I added berries puree in the batter! 

...love the colour combination of this macarons. Someone asked me if I froze my macaron shells so that all this colourfull shells. No, I don't do that, what I have been doing was sometimes to split the batter and do different colours. Or otherwise do different colours, hehe!

Mmmmm, I might be quite silent here, but I party in Instagram...do follow me @thekitchenguardian , and feast your eyes with the latest updates of pictures, mostly of my bakes and daily happenings at home and while at work!...and guess what my IG friends watch Adam dan Hawa, the current hot malay soap featuring the handsome Aaron Aziz..makes all of us go gaga! Ah well, I haven't the time to even watch an episode, but as a tribute enjoy this theme song hehe! I love love Siti Nurhaliza's voice and Hafiz's, of course!

I am off my baking radar this weekend, will be away for some teambuilding  get together and then fly to Langkawi with hubs and the kids! Till then, take care, be happy, bake a cake, don't fret :p:p:p

xoxo Yani thekitchenguardian

## orders are closed till year end, thank you for your support lovelies!

Salam Maal Hijrah! ....Everyday Chocolate Cake!

Assalamualaikum and hello everyone! I have been away from this blog for a long time, well that's how I felt. But, that is how life is these days. I have been busy is an understatement! At the office I have very tight datelines to complete a few projects....Alhamdulillah, there are only two projects left that I have to work on, whilst I finalise the rest.

At home or rather in my kitchen, the orders are sorted out till end of this year, alhamdulillah....but I am taking a break in January 2013, to just do leisurely baking, ...and thinking of a quiet weekend in Singapore once the kids have settled down in their schools.

...in the mean time, here's the recipe of what I call Everyday Chocolate Cake. I got the recipe from Izzah Muffin Lover, instead of steaming the cake, I oven baked it but put water in several small containers in the oven! Voila! The reason why I call this Everyday Chocolate Cake is because one can just whip this any time, due to the simplicity of the recipe and the ingredients are readily available in everyone's kitchen!

Ingredients

1 cup APF

1/4 cup cocoa powder

1 tsp baking powder

250ml milk

2 eggs size B

1 cup sugar

1/2 cup butter (I used 125g)

3 tsbp condensed milk...you know when a recipe calls for susu pekat, you gotta try the recipe!

1/4 cup oil, I used my usual corn oil

2 tsp vanilla instead of 1...because my middle name is vanilla hihi

Method

Beat butter  and sugar till light and fluffy, add eggs one by one, add sifted flour cocoa powder, baking powder, salt (I added). Once incorporated add milk, susu pekat and oil.

Bake or steam in a preheated oven or steamer. I baked in 170C oven with small containers of water (I used those small tart tins to put the water), using an 8 inch pan, for about 50 minutes.

Chocolate Ganache

Using double boil method I melted 200g dark chocolate, I used Callebaut and a few Valrhona buttons, added 2 tbsp butter and 2 tbsp condensed milk

...after that I enjoy, enjoy, enjoy -ed the cake almost all by myself, as hubs is not a chocolate cake person!

...Okey! What does Maal Hijrah mean to me....I am definitely a year older....I mean yup older...old  me! I'm still thinking of what I really want to do, I'm not going to kid myself and you about this.....bye!

xoxo Yani thekitchenguardian

Cold Wordless Monday...Butterscotch Strawberry Crepes

....as if I were in Aber...

picture from google

...Aberystwyth, view from Constitutional Hill, we would climb this hill on Sundays when the sun is out....

...kept on playing this song during my last few weeks in Aber, it was my final exam week, papers Tax and Company Law.....toughest for me....

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...at the other side of the world I made strawberry and butterscotch crepe for breakfast yesterday...

To make the crepe, recipe I tweaked from Donna Hay's November 2012 issue

Ingredients - Crepe

1 cup flour sifted, mix with

2 tbsp sugar

in a separate bowl whisk 4 eggs with 1 cup milk and 1 cup single cream

whisk the liquid mixture into the flour mixture

let the mixture rest for 20 mins

fry on a non stick pan 1/4 cup mixture

To make the butterscotch sauce

Ingredients - Butterscotch sauce

melt 150g brown sugar,add 100ml double cream and 1 tbsp butter, I added a pinch of salt, too

Voila!

xoxo Yani thekitchenguardian