Festive Cookies

This is the 3 types of cookies that I'll be selling for X'mas and CNY, It'll be bottle in a air-tight plastic jar weight est. 300gm. Delivery will be reconfirmed upon order confirmation. Please write to me if you're interested to place order.

Chocolate Cream cake with Ganache & Fresh fruit

1kg Chocolate cream cake with Ganache & Fresh fruit

Halloween Cake (Soup of Horror)

My hubby woke up @ 3am to find himself wide awake when he saw this cake and decided to take some photos for me instead slumbering back to the bed.

It is a theory that has come true for this cake as I always want to make a delicious yet "good looking" cake without using fondant/sugar paste. It is also a good lesson that helps me conquer my fear of working on chocolate. It is not easy to temper it the right way and hot weather like Singapore makes it a no no for a home baker – I used to persuade myself!

I cast the chocolate on the surface of a aluminium foil placed and supported in a bowl. The "tempering" process was rather smooth this time compared to last year when I did the "Transformer Cake", partly due to the use of a newly purchased, “chef-grade” digital thermometer + many hours studying and reading the chocolate making book that I bought for myself. I was very happy to see the glossy finishing when it was done and hear the “snapping sound” as a small piece broke in my month while I tasted it – a simple way to test if the tempering is done correctly. It tasted good too as I used some 70% cocoa chocolate. The rest is filled with mocha cream and topped with Butter cookies fingers, lychee eye balls and last but never the least, the bloody raspberry coulis.

I must thank Karen who has faith in me to design this cake. She said in a FB message, "Hiyo, is for Halloween so, any Halloween design will be good.. Shall leave the design to you =) I dun mind surprise.. " The last sentence is a powerful one (the same pleasant challenge the food critic in Ratatouille engaged the chef rat in) as it pushed me on to search for the X factor for this cake.

The feedback: "We've enjoyed the disgusting cake.. they're saying indeed spooky just by looking at it, but yummy yummy delicious". Glad that even her mom who isn't a chocolate fan loves the texture and taste of the cake.

I'm proud to say that I've overcome some fear (of playing with chocolate) along the way. I carry on learning and mastering some new skills in the process of my cake making journey. The more I get into it, the more I find myself inadequate. Way to go…for now, a pat on my shoulder is most needed ;>

P.S Happy to see the smile on the Birthday "boy's" face!!!

Chocolate Cream Ganache Cake

Chocolate Cream Ganache Cake

Happy to see how much a little girl grown from 2 years old to 3 years old. I'm glad that in their special day I can be involved in making them once again a happy toddler!

Happy Birthday Ashlyn!!!

Mango Mousse Flower Cake

Mango mousse Flower cake!

Durian Cake

This was a special order from my brother who was in Singapore last week. He liked my durian puff very much and had been asking me to make a durian cake for his boss Joe.

I was hesitant to make durian cake knowing durian season had been way over. I told him I would not make it unless I could find good quality durian. In fact I checked out places like Jurong West, Still Road and Balestier Road for "Cat Mountain King" durian only to find none in sight. AL at the end helped me buy some from NTUC Fairprice.

So I hope Joe liked this durian cake and wish him a belated "Happy Birthday"

Serradura Pudding

Serradura means sawdust in Portuguese. I ate this dessert at one of the famous "Dumbo" Portugal restaurant in Macao. I felt in love with it as the taste is very homey to me. Very smooth & creamy, not too sweet and the crushed crunchy biscuit added a well balanced contra to this dessert. I made this for my brother and his good friend who visited us a few days ago. This dessert helped me complete a 3-course western set dinner.

The name is easy to remember. When I chanced upon this recipe, I bought all the ingredient the next day. Surprised that little ingredient is needed and it is so easy to prepare. Believe it or not, it took me only 20min to complete. Must share the good finding which require little effort to create. Super simple and I hope you'll add this into your keep sake recipe.


Ingredients

200ml Nestle Can Whipping cream
250gm Condense milk
100 Marie biscuits (crushed)

Method

Crushed Marie Biscuit in plastic bag with rolling pin
Mixed Whipping Cream and Condense Milk and whip till thicken
Layer cup with Marie Biscuit then follow by whipped cream, repeat this step for few time
Chill for 4 hour, sprinkle more Marie Biscuit before serving

Shira's twist:

I layered the bottom tier with rum soaked chocolate cake, You may create you own version of Sawdust Pudding by sprinkle some cocoa powder or add fruit jam on it.

Tiara Cake

This is a 100% edible cake. Nayli was going to have a princess party to celebrate her first birthday. Mommy Nisha wanna make her a Tiara Cake to blend with the theme. She requested for a simple, yet glamorous cake. I made 2 tiaras with icing - the extra one as insurance for contingency but both turned out well. My girls voted for the colourful one as they liked the pink and gold glittering germs.

So happened that I had another cake project for Kayla who also turned 1 the next day. Since I had made 2 tiaras, why let the efforts go down the drain. I threw in the spare Tiara on top of the chocolate cream cake that her daddy had ordered and I hoped it brought more joy to her party.

Here I wish Nayli and Kayla happy birthday.

Custard Cream Puff with Crème Diplomate

I) Choux Pastry (Recipe I is extract from: Alex Goh baking class)

Ingredient:

A)
100g butter
250ml water
1/2 tsp sugar
Pinch of salt

B)
150gm flour

C)
3 Eggs (May not use all)

Methods:

Cook (A) until boil. Add in (B) and mix to form a smooth paste. Put the paste into the mixer and beat until lukewarm. Add in (C) in several times. Beat it until well blended and smooth. The batter is ready if a finger scrape through and it should combine back slowly.

Place the batter into the piping bag fitted with plain or star nozzle. Pipe it onto a greased pan. Spray water on the batter before placing them in the oven. Bake at 200 decC for 20 - 25 mintues.

II) Custard Base (Yield 650g):

Step 1

Ingredients:

A)

Vanilla Pod ½ pc

Milk 500cc

B)

Egg Yolk 6

Custard Sugar 150g

Cake Flour 50g (sieved)

Method:

Slice open and scrape seeds fm vanilla pod, add them into milk together with the pod, bring milk to almost boiling point (A). In another bowl, whip egg yolk and sugar until light and pale (B). Add A into B gradually, stir well in the process until it is well mixed.

Pour the mixture into a heavy sauce pan and heat with medium fire. It is important to keep stirring it to avoid burning it* . The custard is ready if the mixture falls from the whisk smoothly and the you could hear the bubbling sound.

Pour the mixture onto thin pan, cover with clink film then pour ice on top. This process should helped prevent “skin’ forming on the custard and seal up the air within the custard. The custard should have longer shelf life in fridge. After cool, it should be easily and neatly removed from the the pan. If its become sticky, means the custard is not thoroughly heated. Use them asap if this happen.

Step 2

Take 400gm of Custard base, mixed with 200gm whipped fresh cream, (I used 35% fat non sweeten fresh cream) and mixed well. You’ll have a delicious custard cream (Crème Diplomate).

*If the mixture is burned, remove the batter fm the sauce pan immediately into a microwavable container. Do not scrape any burn particle or the burning smell remains in the custard. Heat the batter with 700w for 40 sec, then give it a good stir. Do this for couple of time until the mixture falls smoothly fm the whisk.

Note: the proportion of Custard base and cream should be 2:1 or 1:1