Earl Grey Tea Cake

I am suffering from flu these few days... But just could not stay in bed... Always think of baking and am always looking out for new recipes...Today, I chose a recipe (from my new baking book) that seems least 'weird' to me... I have to admit, I am not very adventurous when it comes to food/taste... So I usually bake cakes that I think I will eat... But since most of the recipes in this book are green tea and black sesame recipes... I decided to try something less "adventurous"... Earl Grey Tea cake... Found it abit weird that the recipe asked for earl grey tea dust to be mixed with the batter... But anyway, I did what the recipe called for... but my usual practice is to add lesser sugar than what was required... Lemon zest was also added to the batter... It gave the cake a nice lemony aroma...

My helper and me like it... and it goes really well with a nice hot cuppa tea... what a nice relaxing (but HUMID) afternoon... I gave the rest of the cake to my cousin Mag and she brought it to office... She and her colleagues love it... They were the only ones who could taste the earl grey... Lyn and myself could only smell and taste Lemon... haha... Is it just us or what... oh well, Glad they all like it!

Parent's Wedding Anniversary

3rd January is my parent's wedding anniversary... This year, I decided to make a nice dinner at home... and also bake them a cake... My cousin bought me a nice baking book for Christmas, I decided to try one of the recipes inside... Strawberry Shortcake... Coincidentally, strawberry is also one of my mummy's favorite fruits...

My parents were happy to see the cake... Guess this was a pleasant surprise coz they did not expect a cake... But I know deep in their hearts, what made them happiest was the fact that they had their little grandson celebrating their wedding anniversary with them... Haha...

Anyway, the cake was nice... Just that the sponge was abit tough... I would be using my own sponge recipe when making this cake in the future... The layering was nice though... With strawberries in the middle... Sweetness from the cake and moderately sour strawberries does complement each other well... Will definitely bake this cake again!

Chelsey & Cyrus' Birthday Cake

My niece Chelsey and nephew Cyrus' birthday falls on 1st and 4th January respectively... Their mother asked me to make a birthday cake for these lovely kids... And since they asked for chocolate cake... I decided to make a chocolatey cake (my husband called it chocolate overdose cake... duhz)... The basic cake was from my original recipe... the ones I usually bake for sale... as for the decoration, I placed chocolate wafers around it and top it with chocolate nuts... Hope the kids like it! :-D

Roast Chicken Dinner

December 2009 has been a tiring but happy month for me... Did many things... Baked many things... My days were meaningful... And I just wana take a little break... and bake a nice dinner for my family... I came across this recipe on 'Happy Home Baking' blog... Followed the recipe to the 'T' and it turned out really well... The chicken was still moist and tender after being in the oven for 1 1/4hr... My husband loved it!

Will definitely do this again... Yumz...

A great start to a great 2010...:-D

Merry Christmas 2009 - Party at my house

I had such a fantastic christmas this year... I felt a little sad that it was over... 2 days before christmas, I was already suffering from insomnia... haha.. too excited... When I finally fall aslepp, it was usually only for about 3hours... and though I was lying on the bed... my brain was already "working"... kept thinking what else I can do... thinking what I have left out... Wondering if i have enough time for everything... I have fulfilled all xmas fruit cake orders by the 23rd... so I still had my sanity... If I had left everything till 25th to complete, I'd have died...

Anyway, My helper and I prepared Smoked Ham, spaghetti Bolognese, Mixed Vegetables and Garlic Prawns... The rest of the menu like Roast Piglet, duck and satay was proudly sponsored by my mum and cousin :-D and I must say, my auntie makes the most delicious nonya kueh... It was time consuming to prepare it... and for the fact that she is already 70 and still makes the effort to steam these kuehs for the party, it makes the party even better!

In order for my guests to have a little momento to bring home.. I baked some brownies and pack it into small xmas bags... I am really really happy that everyone likes it... It just makes all the hard work worthwhile...

I hope to organise more parties for my family and friends... Happy 2010 everyone... more parties to come.... A nice nice ending to a great 2009...

Brownies....

My back nearly broke baking the xmas fruit cake orders the whole of yesterday... Did not want to do anything related to baking today... I wanted to take a break and also to let my oven have a rest day.... In fact, I was supposed to do some administrative work for my mum... I ended up baking again... haha... and totally forgot about the work that I was supposed to do... duhz... I was just telling my helper "I seem so free today.. it just feels abit weird"... It did not occur to me that I have totally forgotten I had something important to do... haha... Well, age must be catching up with me... Or my baby must have killed alot of my brain cells during the time he was in my tummy... heh heh... ok excuses... excuses... It's just ME....

Anyway, I just browsed through one of my baking books for a brownie recipe... nearly every book has it... and I randomly chose one... Not too bad... simple steps... Satisfactory results... Will distribute it to my usual "guinea pigs"...

More baking tomorrow... what else? Xmas Fruit cakes of course...

X'mas Fruit Cakes

It's the time of the year again... Christmas!! I love the 'season of giving'... I love the atmosphere.... Many beautiful lights... Happy faces around... Bustling and rushing around to buy pressies for loved ones... This year, it is more meaningful to me than previous years... firstly, I have my little gift from God, Ethan... to celebrate X'mas with me... secondly, my parents will not be flying back to Perth this year... So we get to celebrate X'mas as a family... I look forward to our X'mas party... nice food, great company... YEAH! I am really not looking forward to Chinese New Year... Wish I can get away... leave Singapore... go on a holiday with my family... impossible... but still hoping :-)

These few weeks, I have been busy with the xmas fruit cake orders, on top of my usual cake orders... Seems that customers prefer the one with rum... It does not taste too strong... yet it has the nice mild aroma from rum... soaked in rum overnight... yumz... A nice little pressie for family and friends...

If you would like to place an order... Just drop me an email yah!

Have a merry merry xmas...

Love everyone loads...