two birthday cakes June 19, 2008

this is an eggless chocolate cake sandwiched with bananas and chocolate ganache (recipe taken from here). it was my first time trying out an eggless recipe (one of my friends was vegetarian that day) and i was quite apprehensive. but it turned out sufficiently moist and moreish.

i used the same cake recipe for this one. the two cake layers were sandwiched by a thick generous slather of peanut butter frosting and covered with rich chocolate ganache. chocolate overkill alright.

birthday cupcakes May 10, 2008

cupcakes for the sister’s 16th. i don’t know how people will stomach the black icing. but i think anything goes for emo teenagers.

nutella bread pudding May 4, 2008

i don’t know who still drops by this *dusty* blog, but here’s a quickie. i baked this pudding for my new-found lovely NIE gang. this is really easy to make!

just one modification - i didn’t follow the amount of nutella as stated in the recipe. i just slathered copious amounts on the bread and to top it up, i spread another luscious layer after the pudding was taken out from the oven.

recipe from here.

classic baked custard March 16, 2008

the one thing that i absolutely dislike to say is “i have no time…” but i’m afraid it’s true lately. assignments have been piling up and it seems that deadlines are whizzing past one after the other. the only good part is that this course doesn’t have any exams. but the work that we have to do is just amazing.

right, enough whining. i baked these almost three weeks ago, for a cosy gathering with three girls whom i treat like my younger sisters. (they sprang a birthday surprise on me, so sweet) anyway, these are really eggy and smooth… it slides down your throat like silk. the recipe’s from donna hay: modern classics book 2.

1 cup milk
1 cup cream
2 eggs
2 egg yolks, extra
1/2 cup caster sugar
1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

1. preheat the oven to 150 degrees celsius. place the milk and cream in a saucepan over medium heat and heat until hot but not boiling.

2. place the eggs, egg yolks, sugar and vanilla in a bowl until well combined. slowly pour over the hot milk mixture, whisking well to combine.

3. grease ramekins or foil cases. pour the mixture into the ramekins/cases through a strainer. place in a baking tray and pour in enough hot water to come halfway up the side of the ramekins/cases. bake for 35 minutes or until just set. serve warm or cold. makes around 6.

oatmeal chocolate chip cookies February 24, 2008

i baked a batch of these a couple of nights ago. the texture was good - crispy and crunchy with just a little hint of chewiness.

recipe from here.

white chocolate apricot cookies February 1, 2008

my apologies for not updating for the longest time. i have embarked on another stage of my not-so-happening life, hence the sporadic entries. i have been baking occasionally actually, just that they’re not new recipes. the same old brownies/cookies to feed some people around me.

i was blog-hopping when i was badly hit by a craving of white chocolate and dried apricots. for the longest time i wanted to incorporate these in a cookie, but i don’t know why it has evaded me. i checked if i had white chocolate chips (because i bought a packet of dried apricots a couple of weeks back) and when i caught sight of it, off i went.

viennese chocolate fingers December 24, 2007

there’s something about these cookies that i really like - it could be the whimsical and colourful hundreds and thousands, or the luxurious slather of chocolate on half of the cookie. i made these as part of a birthday gift for a family member. they are buttery but have a rather light texture.

dark chocolate chunk cookies December 24, 2007

i baked a batch of these cookies last week. they were very chocolatey and had an intensely rich aftertaste. these cookies are crisp and as usual, go extremely well with a glass of cold milk.

recipe here!

laurent bernard chocolatier December 16, 2007

yesterday, a friend and i had a bit of time to kill before meeting up with another friend for dinner. i told him i wanted substantial dessert because i was feeling quite down and there’s nothing chocolate cannot cure… so we dropped by this pretty little place.

i got to know about the man and his shop from a chocolate-tasting workshop my mother and i attended sometime last year (or was it early this year, i can’t quite remember). at the workshop, he made his signature souffles but unfortunately yesterday the shop’s kitchen was closed.

i had the vienna’s chocolate ($7.80++), but i felt it was too bitter for me. my friend who had the classic hot chocolate ($7.80++) enjoyed it to the last drop, though. i am not a fan of dark/bitter chocolate, so i guess next time i’ll pass on that.

the desserts blew us off. we shared a chocolate truffle cake ($6.20++) and a chocolate tart ($6.20++). the cake was sufficiently moist and the ganache was superb. the raspberry coulis was a great accompaniment. the tart had a layer of pralines (i think), and then a substantial amount of smooth ganache, finally topped with silky chocolate glaze. we were in seventh heaven.

i really want to go back there and have the chocolate souffle.

festive December 16, 2007