Pandan Gula Melaka Cake

This cake is specially baked for my mother's 77th birthday on 2 March. I wanted a cake that is simple and easy to bake due to time constraints. My father has been sick and I was busy shuttling between my parents' house and mine. It was tiring. I'm sad to say that my father has gone home to be with the Lord on 20 March 2014 after a short battle with lung cancer. He was so brave all these while, no complaining about his illness. But I'm so comforted that he accepted Christ and was baptized by my cousin-in-law pastor while in the hospital. His mind was crystal clear and he accepted Christ willingly. I thank God for His grace, love and mercy; that my father need not suffer the pains of end-stage cancer. He is now safe in the arms of Jesus in heaven, where there's no pain and suffering; no sorrows and tears.

Pierre Herme's Chocolate Eclair

It has been a long time since I updated my blog. So sorry about it. I'm without a domestic helper for some months now. That explains my tardiness in baking and updating blog. Baking has taken a backseat as I have to allocate priority for mundane household chores & preparing meals for the family. I will now most likely bake for special occasions like birthdays, gatherings and requests from family and friends. And if I really want to bake, it will be simple fuss-free types like muffins, cookies and cakes without any frosting.

Coffee Walnut Muffins

Coffee Walnut Muffins

Ingredients:

70g plain flour

30g cake four

1 tsp baking powder

1/8 tsp salt

4 tsp instant coffee granules dissolved in 30ml hot water

1 large egg at room temperature

65g caster sugar

1/4 tsp vanilla extract

45g unsalted butter, melted

50g fresh milk

Handful of lightly toasted walnuts

Preparation:

Pre-heat oven at 200 degree celsius.

Line a 6-cup muffin tin with cupcake liners

Method:

1. Sift the 2 flours, baking powder and salt into a mixing bowl.
2. In another bigger mixing bowl, beat the egg and caster sugar until creamy. Add in the vanilla extract, cooled coffee mixture, melted butter and fresh milk. Mix well.
3. Add the flour mixture into the egg mixture above. Using a rubber spatula, mix until all the ingredients are just incorporated. Add in some of the walnuts (leave some for decorating the top of muffins) and mix gently. Do not overmix or you will end up with tough muffins.
4. Scoop the dough into each cupcake liner, filling it up to the brim.
5. Sprinkle each muffin with whole walnuts.
6. Bake at 200 degree celsius for the first 5 minutes. Reduce temperature to 180 degree celsius and bake for the next 15 minutes until a skewer inserted into the centre of the muffin comes out clean.
7. Remove from oven and leave them to cool on wire racks.

Makes about 5 large muffins

Cranberry Pumpkin Muffins

I've been trying to bake the perfect muffin texture that is soft, light, moist and not crumbly. And also it must have a beautiful mushroom-shaped top. I have been experimenting with different flour proportion, liquid to flour proportion, leavening agent to flour proportion, using butter or corn oil and eggs to flour proportion. And temperature control too. I must say I have made some headway this time. Pretty satisfied with the look and texture.

Cranberry Pumpkin Muffins

Ingredients:

70g plain flour

30g cake four

1/2 tsp baking powder

1/8 tsp baking soda

1/8 tsp salt

1 large egg at room temperature

44g caster sugar

1/4 tsp vanilla extract

45g unsalted butter, melted

*80g buttermilk

Handful of dried cranberries and pumpkin seeds

* You can make your own buttermilk by adding 1 tsp of white vinegar or lemon juice into a cup of fresh milk that fills up to 1 cup (240ml). Leave it to stand for 5 minutes.

Preparation:

Pre-heat oven at 200 degree celsius.

Line a 6-cup muffin tin with cupcake liners

Method:

1. Sift the 2 flours, baking powder and salt into a mixing bowl.
2. In another bigger mixing bowl, beat the egg and caster sugar until creamy. Add in the vanilla extract, cooled coffee mixture, melted butter and buttermilk. Mix well.
3. Add the flour mixture into the egg mixture above. Using a rubber spatula, mix until all the ingredients are just incorporated. Add in the dried cranberries and mix gently. Do not overmix or you will end up with tough muffins.
4. Scoop the dough into each cupcake liner, filling it up to the brim.
5. Sprinkle each muffin with pumpkin seeds.
6. Bake at 200 degree celsius for the first 5 minutes. Reduce temperature to 180 degree celsius and bake for the next 15 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the centre of the muffin comes out clean.
7. Remove from oven and leave them to cool on wire racks.

Makes about 5 large muffins

Bouchon Bakery-Style Dark Chocolate Cookies

Chanced upon this recipe in one the books I borrowed from the library. This is quite a good book but I can't remember the title. Will have to go look for it again next time I visit the library. I was attracted by the word Bouchon Bakery and the author's write-up about the cookies. The cookies were sure mouthwatering and decadent. You just cannot stop at one.

White, Red and Chocolate

White, red and chocolate. Interesting title? White and red refers to the strawberry shortcake and chocolate refers to the chocolate cake. Simple and direct. No fanciful name. Baked these 2 cakes for a friend's 3 yr-old niece's birthday. My friend has a big family - 7 sisters and 1 brother if I remember correctly. The strawberry shortcake is for the birthday girl and the chocolate cake is for the rest of her nieces and nephews. She's a very good aunt. She just wants to make sure everyone has enough to eat. So nice of her.

Chocolate au Royal

I can't believe I'm on a chocolate praline cake baking marathon. This is the 4th cake I've baked in 2 weeks. And this one is for my beloved sister's birthday. The first one was for my son; second one for my girlfriends; third one for my golf buddy's birthday and this last one for my sister. Why did I bake the same type of cake over and over again? First, I wanted to use up all the praline paste that I made and secondly, it's simply delicious .....