double chocolate chunk cookies December 30, 2006

yesterday i tried out a batch of these cookies. the taste was pleasant, but i didn’t quite favour the texture – when you bite into it there’s somewhat of a crunch, and then it crumbles in your mouth. it’s a matter of personal preference.

other than that, the presence of white chocolate chips surely gave the cookie an extra kick.

from donna hay’s modern classics book 2. makes a lot because i made them small.

250g butter, softened
1 cup brown sugar
3/4 cup sugar
3 eggs
2 1/4 cups plain flour, sifted
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 cup cocoa powder
140g dark chocolate, broken into chunks
140 white chocolate, broken into chunks

1. preheat the oven to 150 degrees celsius. place the butter and sugars in a bowl and beat until light and creamy.

2. add the eggs gradually and beat well. add the flour, baking powder, cocoa and chocolate and mix well. shape 2 tablespoonsfuls of the mixture into rounds. (this will make big cookies, make smaller balls if you prefer)

3. place on baking trays lined with non-stick baking paper (or you can just lightly grease them with butter/oil), allowing room for the cookies to spread, and flatten slightly. bake for 20-25 minutes. cool on wire racks.

festivity December 30, 2006

first attempt at themed cupcakes:

cupcake backlog December 30, 2006

more cupcakes December 25, 2006

paddington house of pancakes December 25, 2006

when i was in kl last week, i had the opportunity to taste one of the best pancakes i have ever had. (thank you kak huda for the recommendation!) the name of the place itself just beckons you to enter – paddington house of pancakes.

it’s a specialty shop that serves a whole range of pancakes, from savoury to sweet, your usual pancake to variations such as crepes and rolls, dollar pancakes… the list goes on.

my dad had the usual pancakes with strawberries, a scoop of vanilla ice cream and a dollop of sweetened whipped cream, with a scattering of ground peanuts.

my mum had what they called “dollar pancakes”, which are actually small rounds, buried in a chockful of fruit and nuts. i think it was called the treasure trove. very apt.

my sister had these chocolate rolls, which was stuffed with peanuts and peanut butter. i thought it was nice, but they overloaded on the peanuts a little. peanut butter alone should’ve hit the mark.

and i had this gem – one whole big crepe topped with strawberries, bananas, ice cream and cream. this sent me straight to crepe heaven. i seriously recommend this place to those who are planning to head to kl.

of course we ate a LOT throughout the three days (believe me when i say a LOT) because practically everything is halal there, so we had marche, chili’s, bakerzin and subway. and more.

cookies ‘n’ cream brownies December 16, 2006

alright, that’s just a fancier name for oreo brownies. i used the same recipe as before. the only modification i did was to leave out the chocolate chunks and replaced them with a whole tube of crushed oreo cookies.

upclose.

with a scoop of vanilla ice cream and hershey’s chocolate sauce.

a good tub of chocolate goodness for my favouritest people. the secondary-school-gang is having a barbecue tomorrow. and i’ll be away in KL for some serious fooding next week; will probably be back with stories about how i spent the days pigging out!

duo December 16, 2006

malted oat and raisin biscuits December 12, 2006

from donna hay’s modern classics book 2; makes about 36, depending on the size of your biscuits.

1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup sugar
125g butter, softened
1 egg
1/2 cup malted milk powder (i used Milo)
1 1/4 cups plain flour
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 cup rolled oats
3/4 cups raisins

1. preheat oven to 160 degrees celsius. place the sugars, butter and egg in a bowl and beat with an electric mixer until light and creamy. add the milk powde, flour, baking soda, rolled oats and raisins and mix to combine.

2. roll dough into balls and place on baking trays lined with non-stick baking paper. flatten with the back of a fork. bake for 18-20 minutes or until golden. cool on wire racks.

the resulting cookie was crisp at the edges, and slightly chewy in the centre. this recipe is a keeper.

backlog December 12, 2006

cupcakes galore December 8, 2006

i’m wondering when i should stop taking orders next year. february most probably. because i foresee that march and april will be extremely busy months. somehow i can’t wait to graduate. *pulls hair* (this is so food-unrelated)