Me in a raindrop...
name:Lee Sihan
age:21
likes:laughing, BAKING, jogging, brinjal, trekking and just being alive...
dislikes:being judged, getting hurt and injured, feeling depressed...
stuff about me: Confused, puzzlement, indecisive, happy-go-lucky, moody...All the words above are my usual feelings, hmph, that explains the mood swings huh? Just being myself i guess...
am currently selling her bakes. so to all those interested pls check out SugarFairyBakes or email me at frost.bound@gmail.com

Sihan's Bakes

Want a piece of me?

A proud member of...

Fallen Raindrops...

Pamper me!!!
Baking Books - 'Sticky Chewy Messy Gooey' by jill o connor 'Demolition Desserts' by Elizabeth Falkner 'Desserts by the yard' by Sherry Yard
Kitchen Aid (i want a red or yellow one!)
Cupcake Stands
More Silicon Baking Pans
Cookies Cutters ( BIG NICE ONES!!! ones tt i can do cookie decorating on)
A set of Ramekin Cups
Valrhona chocolate or an expensive slab of french chocolate
Accessories from Anthology
Canvas shoes from River Island (size 4)
A pot of Mint
Red Clutch
Aromatherapy Scents
Jazz Cds!!!
A culinary blow torch
A good blush brush
A new handphone
Bottles of rare liquer; frangelico, framboise

Star-lized Raindrops
Frespof - just funk it
wookie n co (printing services)
Starry house
Anthology (for dreamy earrings, bagchamrms and others!)
Aficionado(for intimate dining. definitely a MUST TRY!!!)

Other Raindrops...
Yeeling
Jennie
Fengyi
Lihui
Audrey
Lin Sui a.k.a bestie
Shengrong
Vic
Jiahui
Timothy
Kawei
Wenliang a.k.a Nick
Samuel
Claire the 'siao' Baker
Evangeline
Gun Kiat
Sze Fei
Nicole
Jiachien
Yan'an
Oda
Blurest tuition kid in the world
my punk kid
Rina

Archived Raindrops...
September 2006
October 2006
November 2006
December 2006
January 2007
February 2007
March 2007
April 2007
May 2007
June 2007
July 2007
August 2007
September 2007
October 2007
November 2007
December 2007
January 2008
February 2008
March 2008
April 2008
May 2008

Credits
Blogger
Blogskins

Places I wanna try
Corduroy and Finch
One Rochestor
Graze
Brown Sugar
Macaron
Gone Fishing
Screening Room
Ember Restaurant
The tea party
Melvados
PS Cafe
My Secret Garden
Breeze
Wild Rocket
Hooha Cafe
Haato
Au Petit Salut
Indulgz Bistro
Broth
Canele Patisserie
Fosters - an english rose cafe

My Library
Martha Stewerts Baking Handbook
Crave -cheese desserts to die for
Woman's weekly Cupcakes
Cupcakes (Elinor Klivans)
BigFatCookies(Elinor Klivans)
500 Cupcakes and Muffins
Just Desserts - Daniel Tay
Fantastic Party Cakes - Mich Turner
Modern Classics 2 - Donna Hay
Everyday - Bill Granger
Betty Crocker's Cake Decorating
A Touch of Classic Baking - Kelvin Chai
Seasonal Petit Fours
Superb Brownies, Cakes and Slices (Periplus)
Baking Boot Camp
Gorgeous cakes - Annie Bell
Chocolate - Donna Hay
Desserts by the Yard - Sherry Yard
Sticky, Chewy, Messy Gooey - Jill O' Conner
The Cake Bible - Rosy Levy Beranbaum
Southern Cakes
Juniors Cheesecake Cookbook
Baking from my home to yours - Dorie Greenspan
Great Coffee Cakes, Sticky Buns, muffins and more - Carole Walter

the gurl who smiles and cries

lOVe yOu aLL... hit counter code


Sunday, May 11, 2008

Happy Mothers' Day & Masterbaker rolled into one!

Firstly here's wishing all mothers a Happy Mothers' Day!

after a whirlwind of baking activities the past few days. I'm back folks! finally got a good rest after days of slaving away in the kitchen. Settling in with a full mind of plans to offer sets in the future for upcoming festivites. Perhaps this would help immensely to ease the work load. So before i go catch some eye-shut. Here are some pictures of the lovely bakes I've done for mothers day. Not all, but a few that i have managed to capture on camera. Not easy considering the sugared and buttered fingers. Thanks to all the lovelies who have ordered from me. All your compliments and praises have made the sleepless nights all worth while!

pic6

Second agenda, enter my first masterbaker entry! and here's introducing the good ole' vanilla cupcake. Trust me, do not fooled by its harmless exterior, biting into one laden with addictive vanilla swissmeringe buttercream, i'm sure you'll be blasted off to seventh haven straight away.

Recipe for Vanilla Buttercake (adapted from women's weekly)

90g butter softened
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 cup (110g) caster sugar
2 eggs
1 cup(150 self raising flour)
8 tablespoon milk
  • preheat the oven to 160 degrees celcius. Line the cupcake trays with liner.
  • Beat butter, extract, sugar, eggs, flour and milk to saucepan and just combined. Beat mixture in electric mixer on low speed until ingredients are just incorporated. Beat until mixture is pale in color.
  • Divide into cases and bake for 20mins.

yum!!! swoons, warm cupcakes being served up immediately. hardly anyone can say no to one of these!

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top row: Banana Chocolate Chipped cupcakes, Second row: Good Ole' Vanilla Cupcakes, Bottom Rom: Oreo Cupcakes

and tada! the final product for cupcakes sets for mothers day. adorned with the lightest swiss meringue buttercream. mmm.... i sneaked one of these for breakfast. woops.. naughty! but here's to all mothers around the world again. Its your day!

and finally, photos of some other baking orders i had to fulfill.

cookies for mum. Dark chocolate Valrhona heart-shaped cookies frosted a lovely tinge of pink and purple.


and oreo cheesecake for a wife who's birthday coincidentally falls on mothers day. now i was thinking, that would be way too easy for the children in future. 2 in 1!
and finally, more cuppies! a fine mixture of chocolate chipped banana cupcakes with whipped ganache frosting and Cappuccino cupcakes with vanilla cream cheese frosting ordered by a lady for her sweet colleagues. *smilez*

pic3


to end off the post, here's a lovely version of Stop and Stare by One republic. Enjoy...


Stop and stare

I think I'm moving but I go nowhere

Yeah I know that everyone gets scared

But I've become what I can't be, oh

Stop and stare

You start to wonder why you're 'here' not there

And you'd give anything to get what's fair

But fair ain't what you really need

Oh, can u see what I see

next up: Lady Iron Chef's Food event at OChaCha. Its gonna be a green tea feast!

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posted by SiHaN at 5/11/2008 07:23:00 PM 0 Comments

the rain keeps falling down


Saturday, May 10, 2008

Weekend Frenzy!

what else can you expect from a mother's day wkend. Copious amounts of orders to fulfill... worst still since I haven't posted an official annoucement for mothers's day orders. they still came, in all strange shapes and sizes...

frosted cookies, cheesecake, carrot cakes, chocolate cake, and lots and lots of cupcakes. gosh.. look at me, i've got cream on my hair. *groanz*. the sight of the war-torn kitchen just erks me. to be very frank, if it doesn't shock you already, i love baking but never the activities that follow after. haha. figures huh? I'm sure many of you bakers out there would agree with me.

so whilst i wait for the batch of cookies to miraciously emerge from the oven.. the overpowering aroma of freshly baked valrhona chocolate. i can only swoon at those of course since they are for orders.. oh well. be updating some of these photos soon and be adding some new bake sale items just for you guys!

Meanwhile, here are some backdated baking entries. Black sesame bread made from a recipe using Tangzhong starter. Again another more or less sucessful bread baking attempt. *applauds*. however, there is still much room for improvement. groanz. i need time to experiment with this!

By the way, need i remind u guys. its mother's day this wkend. so PLEASE get off your butts and do something nice for your mum. as for me, I'll be going out for a lovely lovely dinner tonight. hehe. my treat of course. gosh.. *rummaging thru my empty wallet*. woops.

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posted by SiHaN at 5/10/2008 01:53:00 AM 0 Comments

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Wednesday, May 07, 2008

Skittish tonight...

i'm not getting enough rest; evidently from the pale purplish circles that have sneaked its way to under the ring of my eyes. Occasionally i get caught snoozing; never at the work place of course; the hustle and bustle of the place and the major activity centre built with its core derivant from Boss somehow manages to perk even the most weary souls. Yawns are common nonetheless.

Like a train derailed, I have been lost in a ever-growing pile of office work, upgrades, modifications and quality management affairs to attend to. motivation to work dwindles by the slightest amount everyday. Still hearing a sigh and a compliment so simple such as 'i wonder how are we going to deal without you' somehow just puts you back on track. I'm the luckiest girl to have such a gracious boss; one whom never fears to taunt, reprimand and chastise; yet is so generous and forthcoming with his praises and credits.

Guess that is work life, it has its ups and downs. 1 year will pass soon. and perhaps i do stand a chance of getting a spot back there. that would make me once again, very very happy.

Still, there are many things left to do. First things first, i shld be in bed now. hugging my pillow drifting away to the land of wispy clouds. Second, I've got loads of orders on my mind. With mothers day ard the corner, I've got a few (not a huge amount but still significant) orders for sweet goodies for mum. Worst still, they vary in types. *gulp*; dinner with the majesty beckons. pray the foie gras don't disappoint. Third, report to complete. now that's still the least of my worries with the continous amount of work still left to do. *bah*. guess its time i cut myself some slack then.

time to hit the sack, how else would u realise that til' the screen becomes a swirl of incoherent colors?

*thuds*
posted by SiHaN at 5/07/2008 12:54:00 AM 0 Comments

the rain keeps falling down


Monday, May 05, 2008

so... Who emerges crisp?

before i embark on a long epic tale about the baking competition held last Sunday at House, Barracks and Camps at Dempsey Road. Lets first take a little detour... here's my much needed preparation for the competition...

collage

its Friday with Babe. oohh.. some quality time spent with my Babe just sets me in the mood. and since I'm already at it, i might as well make my apology. Sorrie dear for the failed trip. rest assured there will be a next time alright. Let the future unfold it slowly, dun rush.. perhaps the Lord will be a little more gracious. i love u always. Its hard to even imagine a day without you.

okie.. STOP!

now lets move on to the baking competition before u guys pass out either from the over dose of sacharine or excessive gagging. oh well... so here are some snap shots from the lovely day at house, barracks and camp. If you guys haven't gone there yet. PLS DO! the food (*nudges* especially the 7-layer pancake) looked divine!!!

collage1


everything was in a blur as organisation was a bit poor towards the beginning of the event. However, things picked up fine once the judges made their appearance. By then, my cheesecake had been standing in the sweltering heat, boosted only by the aid of the minimal air-con which proved useless with the doors of the glasshouse mimicked resturant swung wide open. Given another chance, I would have definitely done something a little different; perhaps a tart of cheese doughed puffs.

The BIG BAKE OFF! was a competition held in the name of charity with all proceeds from the bake sale and competition registration going to the rainbow children's charity. So besides being able to participate in such a wonderful event, the cause for charity was an added bonus.

The theme of the competition was 'green' meaning that at least one of the ingredients used had to be substantially green. okay.. i can all ur heads churning away already. Well, with little time on my hands, i decided to stick to the tried and tested and re-produced my green tea black sesame cheesecake; this time tasting better than ever after a little R&D. Given the time, i wld have tried my hands at an avcocado white chocolate tart or a pistachio studded cake. its reallie a pity.

The competition proceeded on with few hiccups.. the introduction at the beginning was a little intimidating for me since i've never had the penchant for public sharing. However, it wasn't that difficult after all; how hard could it get when you're talking about cakes and your passion?



collage4



On the whole, the event was alright; time was squandered at a merciless rate with the judging carried out at an excrutiating pace. Thank goodness for the company of my family members, babe and the few new frens that I've made along the way! *cheers*. all the gossip and the presence of certain celebs did brighten up the whole affair. (saw the MTV twins May and Choy at the event. Choy was a participant btw and apparently she bakes? her lime coconut cupcakes with lime curd stuffing and coconut meringue were quite good too)

collage2

With the event coming to a close at around 2pm. It was a photo frenzy moment as everyone squeezed in for last minute shots. It had a good vibe from it all; i do however suspect that it was the work of the glass of Santa Rita white wine that i had gulped down. But still, though i had no special mentions nor shot at the top prize. It felt good to be there. Doing what I liked, mingling and just hanging out with people who had the same likemindedness. A passion for baking.

collage3

Special Mentions going out to Vicki; owner of the lovely sunflower cupcakes. She's only 17!!! gawd i feel so freaking old already. see the silver whiskers growing from under my chin? *yikes!*.. do visit her sales site at http://mysweetniblets.livejournal.com/ . Lets stay in touch yar. Great to be around a young spirited person sometimes... hehe.

Alright that's a wrap folks...

next up, more adventures from the scrubby kitchens. hehe.

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posted by SiHaN at 5/05/2008 01:46:00 AM 0 Comments

the rain keeps falling down


Sunday, May 04, 2008

my first...

Baking competition.

is that butterflies i detect fluttering around the rims of my tummy walls? was the failure last night in the kitchen a certain sign? mummy once told me that God has a way of warning his people. That when a mini incident occurs, it serves as its purpose to remind them to be cautious and wary of the future. Is that why i encountered a failure last night?

what if they don't like my cake? what if it turns out horrible? what if i trip on a step and plummet to the ground, cake at hand? *sigh*..

i think i'm nervous... *tsk*

for all those interested in checking out the event, it will be at Dempsey road's House from 11am to 4pm today. pls go down and take a look if you're ard the vicinity k? buy some lovely baked goods in support of the rainbow children's charity. won't tt be nice?

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posted by SiHaN at 5/04/2008 08:52:00 AM 0 Comments

the rain keeps falling down


Thursday, May 01, 2008

Why does it always rain on me?


today is the 1st of May, labour day. Spent a good half of the day rotting away at home whilst my bread poofed up gently in the breadmaker. Baking on a public holiday. Yep, now that's my idea of rest and relaxation. No way you're going to pull me out of the house into the throngs of people lining the streets of town. Home, me bed and my dearest oven. that's where i want to be.


Furthermore, it proved to be a good opportunity for me to hone my breadmaking skills. It officially starts from zilch by the way. Have had tough luck so far with all my bread making attempts. Hence with so much time on my hands, I knew it was only right that i embarked on another try at making it. This time i choose to make 65°C Chocolate wassant, recipe courtesy from Florence of do what i like.


okay.. if u guys haven't tried this bread yet. you must!!! and i repeat again that u MUST try this bread from Provence bakery over at holland village. They do the bestest version I've ever tasted anywhere else! Trust me, you'll be hooked on the tiny little moulds of bread. They are oh.. so incredibly soft... and please do not trust my potrayal of it in my photos. the real deal looks much nicer! that upsets me though. *sobz*



Okay back to my attempt; it all went well at first. Woke up after a pleasant nap to find that the bread had poofed up to the brim of the container after its 1st proving. after removal and placing it in another bowl, i covered it with a wet cloth to aid the proving. At the same time, i worked on my chocolate paste, cooking it gently till it formed the right textured paste, cooled and rolled it out and then refrigerating it.


All this was done at a snails pace, then again, i had all the time in the world...



the final step was horrendous. rolling and folding the chocolate paste into the bread dough proved to be a living nightmare as the chocolate threatened to burst out from its seams in every corner. argh!!! perhaps i had added too much chocolate paste?


nonetheless, it had risen beautifully and i was almost certain that the bread would be soft and tender. and in the end, it was.



as ugly as they looked, they tasted beautiful...
and that's all that matters right?


note: I will be taking part in a baking competition this Sunday at Dempsey House! Watch out for updates regarding the crazy jump. Wish me luck too! *crosses fingers*

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posted by SiHaN at 5/01/2008 08:58:00 PM 0 Comments

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Tale of Tigers and Idols

Nope, I'm not referring to my dream worthy jungle adventures, or any spritual upheaval in that matter. Finally got to try my hand at making the tiger cake; a recipe that I had proudly adapted from Alice Medrich's Bittersweet. After months of lying lifelessly in my recipe box, this recipe can now see the light. and trust me, after that teeny bit of work done to put it together. it was more than worth it!


what I loved about the cake, olive oil? ground white pepper? valrhona cocoa powder?... now that is one truly interesting recipe coming from the chocolate goddess herself. Alice.. perhaps I shld purchase 'bittersweet' soon. On the subject of the tiger cake, bne things for sure though. I'll definitely not use my cathedrale pan when baking this cake again. Ended up with loads of burnt ends and edges due to the structure of it. Thank God for silicon pans though, it sled out sooo smoothly. *phew*


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Tiger Cake (makes one 10-12 cup bundt cake or 2 9" loaves)
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This delicious cake is a self marbling cake. Don't be alarmed by the addition of white pepper, it accentuates the olive oil in the cake. You will barely taste it. In fact be patient and the moist cake will taste MUCH better the next day!

1/2 cup natural cocoa

1/2 cup sugar

1/3 cup water

Whisk all ingredients and set aside.

3 cups all purpose flour

2 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp salt

2 cups of sugar

1 cup flavourful extra virgin olive oil

1 tsp vanilla extract

1/2 tsp finely ground white pepper

5 large eggs

1 cup milk

Preheat oven 350 degrees. Position rack on the lower third.

Grease and flour a 10 - 12 cup bundt pan.

Sift flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside.

Beat sugar, oil, vanilla, pepper well. Add eggs one at a time. Whisk well till mixture is pale and thick. Add flour in three stages, alternately with milk.

Take out three cups of plain batter and stir in cocoa mixture. Pour the two different batters into the prepared tube pan.

Pour the batters in thirds, alternately onto pan.

Bake cake for one hour or until done.

Cool in a rake for 15 -20 minutes. Slide a butter knife and loosen the sides of the cake to release cake from the bundt pan. Cool cake on right side up on the rack

and deviating from the subject a little. Let me dwell upon my second adventure. idols.. not exactly the minature stone version you were thinking about nor the new figure you wish to attain on your bank account. its the american idols!!! i know I'm a little late but i just cldn't stop myself from recommending these two songs to you! well, u might have already figured out that they must have been featured during the mariah carey week. hehe. totally dig their new versions and interpretations of the mariah classics. Hope that you guys enjoy them too!


and in the spirit of mariah. here's a special msg to babe,

'cause you knoe in your heart babe, our love will never end.'

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posted by SiHaN at 5/01/2008 12:27:00 PM 0 Comments

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Tuesday, April 29, 2008

Cookie Carnival: Vanilla Bean Thins
so i admit to never using vanilla beans before. A faithful user of the vanilla extracts. I never once picked up one of those unsung heros along the aisles of the bakery shop.

not up till now at least...
with yet another baking event up my belt. its no wonder its getting a little tight.. *gulp* around the waist especially. giggles. But still, the pleasure derieved from churning out goodies all the time, just sets me in high spirits. A feeling that i can never and will never deprieve myself of.

This event names aptly the 'cookie carnival' is set up by our lovely Kate. Every month, we bake up a batch of lovely cookies according to the recipe as chosen by her and posted to us, the loyal subjects. hehe. This month, we were trusted with the recipe for vanilla bean thins.

the recipe as easy as it seems called for the use of vanilla bean pods to be casted into the sea of confectioners sugar to yield a fragrant and black speckled vanilla sugar. i was excited yet scared at the same time. put an expensive bean in my rough hands to scrape out the seeds? now tts gonna be an a-grade task on the 'impossible' list. in the end.. success! and after a few days, the container was filled with the frangrant fusion of sugar sweetness and true vanilla...
damm the weather.. even the nights were to hot and humid to handle. the cookie dough softened almost immediately upon removal from the freezer.. and mind you. FREEZER.. darn the weather again..

and as you can see, these cookies weren't exactly thin.. stupid weather made it almost impossible to roll and cut the cookies whilst still remaining intact. but even so, the cookies emerged from the oven with incredible gusto and a whole load of flavor. it's melt in the mouth texture was incredible.. i reckon its the use of confectioners sugar.. well, definitely a keeper in my books!

Thanks Kate for the wonderful choice!

Vanilla Bean Thins
Gourmet Magazine
Makes about 4 dozen cookies.
Ingredients
1 fresh (moist) vanilla bean, split lengthwise
3/4 cup confectioners sugar
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 stick (1/2 cup) plus 5 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
1 large egg yolk
Special equipment:
a 2-inch cookie cutter (we used a fluted diamond-shaped one)

Preparation
Make vanilla sugar:
Scrape vanilla seeds from pod with tip of a knife into confectioners sugar. Halve pods crosswise and bury in sugar. Cover tightly and let stand at least 24 hours and up to 1 month.
Make cookies:
Discard pods and transfer vanilla sugar to a food processor. Add flour, salt, and baking powder and pulse to combine. Add butter and pulse just until mixture is in pea-size lumps. Add yolk and pulse just until a dough forms. Gather dough into 2 balls, then flatten into 2 (5-inch) disks and chill, each disk wrapped well in plastic wrap, until firm, at least 1 hour.
Preheat oven to 325°F.
Roll out 1 disk (keep the other chilled) to less than 1/8 inch thick on a lightly floured surface with a floured rolling pin. Cut out shapes with floured cookie cutter and chill scraps. Arrange cookies 1/2 inch apart on a buttered large baking sheet. Make more cookies with remaining dough, rerolling scraps (but only once).
Bake cookies in batches in middle of oven until edges are pale golden, 10 to 15 minutes. Transfer to a rack to cool.
Cooks' notes:
• Dough can be chilled up to 2 days.
• Cookies keep, layered between sheets of wax paper, in an airtight container at room temperature 1 week.

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posted by SiHaN at 4/29/2008 03:06:00 AM 2 Comments

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Sunday, April 27, 2008

What is Sweet?

Sweet is...

recieving enquiries from your blog readers and having them try out one of your recommended recipes and then returning back to you with pictures!

thanks Deborah! your cuppies look great!
lucky boyfren and girlfrens got to feast on these babies!

Sweet is...

the collection of tea sitting on your table. Chai.. ahh...


Sweet is...

the air-mailed package from a girlfriend.

Now no one can wipe the silly smile off my bro's face with the precious goodies found in it. Not to mention the 'love' it was sent with. *sniggers*. Thx gurl for making the naughty boy so happy.

Sweet is...

having lunch with the most important person in your life almost every other day.


it is no wonder this is only time i ever look forward to in a day. *tee hee*. thx dear.

and last but not least

Sweet is...

the scoops of melting homemade mango sorbet sitting on your counter top.

What's a gurl to do without ice-cream on such a hot day?

so tell me? what are your sweets?
posted by SiHaN at 4/27/2008 12:09:00 PM 0 Comments

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Wednesday, April 23, 2008

Goldfish...
guess what my boss told me today (while working on a QM to send off part for upgrading purposes, my scope of work being secondary of course) ?

'you knoe for someone your age, your memory is pretty fucked up.'

haha. like wat the hell.

now I've to face my colleagues who are always on some form of hyena mimicking exercise ard me. All thanks to my goldfish 3 seconds, 'turn around and i don't remember' memory.

Wat rotten luck...
any solutions guys?
posted by SiHaN at 4/23/2008 12:45:00 AM 0 Comments

the rain keeps falling down


Tuesday, April 22, 2008

Tuesdays With Dorie: Bill's Big Carrot Cakehmph. first things first, no.. i didn't make this cake to look like a nipple. *d-oh!*
But perhaps somewhere else in this world, there exist a chap named Bill who is a reallie lecharious guy with a head full of dirty thoughts?! hehe. You'll never know yeh?

okay okay, i'm full of nonsense (just as my bf puts it, i swear he has something against me. GRRR). So for this week's round of TWD.. we had the honor of doing Bill's Big Carrot Cake as chosen by Amanda at slow like honey . it was a real treat for me since my recent attempt at carrot cake in some weird proportions failed miserably. I reckon its just the fatigue and the boiling rage inside of me; it just figures that everything that you bake turns out horribly when you're in a foul mood. Yep, so I was more than glad to try out a new recipe for Carrot cake since I am such a big fan!

think moist cake full of spices and chopped up carrots. Lovely chunks of orange peeping through the cake with every forkful. YUM! the bonus would definitely be the cream cheese topping.. that is simply the bomb!
the recipe was relatively easy to follow. However i made a few changes here and there to yield certain results that i was rather particular about when it came to carrot cakes. Used a fair mixture of dark brown sugar and brown sugar in the cake (ended up with a darker brown cake), also changed the 2 tsp of cinammon to 1 tsp mixed spices, 1 tsp of cinammon and 1/2 tsp nutmeg. U definitely could use more spices in this recipe!

the end result was perfect with the cakes pulling out of their pans like a breeze with completely even tops and sides, frosting was also made an easier task. I actually enjoyed preparing this cake so much! I bet you a hundred carrots that this recipe would be good! even bunny cldn't get his paws off!
pray that the people at office like the cake tmr!

and please do check out the other works of the amazing TWD bakers over on the blogroll!

verdict: the cake was a showstopper! the entire thing being wiped out in a matter of seconds. people just cldn't stop raving about it. and guess what's the best part about it? I was given the chance to bake the company's monthly birthday celebration cake for the month! *woots!* (pumps fist in the air)

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posted by SiHaN at 4/22/2008 12:45:00 AM 25 Comments

the rain keeps falling down


Sunday, April 20, 2008

SHF : Asian Sweet Invasion
as promised..
my contribution to the endless list of SHF (sugar high friday) supporters. It has been a wonderful event so far with the most treacherous themes encountered (however, cupcake hero's earth day theme still takes the hat!) This time around, with a theme like 'asian sweet invasion' proposed by amrita of la petite boulangette , i was stumped.

seriously, there was endless ideas to this theme. With exotic fruits like durians and dragon fruits topping the list, but hardly any of them being able to sink in well with a traditional dessert. incorporating theme into normal western styled desserts was not an easy task though as few of these flavors complimented the heaviness and richness of western desserts. to tell the truth, i scorned durians and never once let it cross my mind to include them in my plans.


Black sesame and Green Tea Cheese Cake

In the end, it was a sweet decision. With the help of Eric over at Do you know the muffin man? , i used and modified a recipe that i had enquired earlier from his blog. Interestingly this recipe was found on the new york times a few months back.. strange where u get asian inspired dessert ideas from. Hence, to say it is entirely oriental. I dare not...


here's presenting to you 'the weeping willow'. To break it down. It is all in all, a black sesame and green tea layered cheesecake. Topped with cream puffs filled with green tea pastry cream and surrounded by a lovely wall of homemade sesame brittle. To my delight, the cake turned out beautiful, with every angle of it reminding me of a majestic weeping willow tree peeping over its shadow casted on the lake. Taste wise, it was beautiful on the palette with the sesame seed studded crust adding a touch of fragrance and crunchiness to the entire dessert. I was floored by the outcome, now i'm just sitting and waiting for the next chance to make it once more.
I would like to thank Amrita for this wonderful opportunity. it's been a pleasure baking this cake. From the strange pairing of sesame and green tea in the cheesecake to the experimental tries at making brittle and profitereles! its been a baking experience of many firsts. And somehow through the night, they all turned out successful. Strange but magical in its own way. Perhaps its the power of the orient at work...

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posted by SiHaN at 4/20/2008 05:06:00 PM 0 Comments

the rain keeps falling down


CURSE of the raw loaf.


Being in the good sprit that i was in after making the purchase of my newest toy... the breadmaker. I decided to try out my first loaf of bread using my beloved gadget. trust me, i was way excited to see good results.


Needless to say, judging from the title, i got NONE! *kicks the table and punches the wall with her fists*... DAMMIT! seriously, this is stupid! i did all the steps right.. what could have gone wrong? window pane test check, poofing to double the size check.. what it is?!?!?!



*groanz*.. it just drives MAD just thinking about the possible reasons how things could go haywire! just look at the bloody bread. *bangs head*.. its a mess!!! the insides were hardly even cooked whilst the outside was crisp and golden brown. WTH!!! i dunno anymore?


hmph.. cld it be tt the yeast had expired? *shakes head*


whatever! i'll just leave it at there. Probably try another loaf again soon.


I'll turn my attention to my ode to the chocolate eclair (the one specifically from the deli at the atrium in pan pacific hotel). The most lucious and gorgeous dessert i had in a long time. With the intensity of chocolate hitting the roof with every bite... *yum*.. (feeling the chocolate pastry cream oozing out from under the crisp layer of choux pastry). now that's to die for..



still, i can't forget about my failure. *groanz*
You had said I was gamine
But we didn't mean the same thing i think
Broke my choux pastry heart
Guess life's, no picture post card

dun worrie guys, be posting up my SHF (sugar high friday) post soon. its a head turner i think... can't wait to taste it though. *laughs sheepishly*

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posted by SiHaN at 4/20/2008 12:31:00 AM 1 Comments

the rain keeps falling down


Wednesday, April 16, 2008

its the weekend. wat do you do?
you go on an eating spree!!!

warning: this is a subjective choice on my part so please do not heed this advice and gorge yourself every wkend lest you end up a stuffed pig in the end.


weekends.. most pple wld look forward to this time of the week because it means more freedom, more relaxation time and definitely more time to idle... but as usla, i'm one of the rarest of all breeds. Someone who dreads the weekend for its non-stop back-busting action and its dire state of mind it brings along with it gloomy arrival.

However, as much as i dread weekends. This one turned out to be not so bad after all... perhaps it was the gourmet cusine involved. Baking preceeded on at a blinding speed. With cakes being churned out everyday of from friday to sunday. cupcakes, frosting, chocolate cake, cheesecake. Gawd.. and i thought that i could perhaps experiment with bread on Sunday. FAT HOPE!

Instead, i was whizzed off on a culinary journey. Good food galore! to sum it all up, Japanese buffet dinner on Saturday and yummy fish meals with wicked desserts on Sunday night. Good enough to cure the incoming bombardment of monday blues.


Saturday's Japanese buffet was served up at Akira Japanese Restaurant off tiong bahru road. Situated at the basement of a rather dingy looking hotel, i would have never considered coming here for a japanese meal if my mother had not suggested it. So off we went!

It was pure madness and different dishes; sashimi, tempura, beef terriyaki, salmon teppanyaki poured through the doors of our private room. The frustration of the staff were imminent as they were baffled by the larger than life appetites that our family had acquired.

food was just mediocre with nothing to shout about. at least the pricing was reasonable and paying 30+ (taxes inclusive) for an all you can eat ala carte buffet was definitely not too hefty a price to pay.

okay, no we zoom on to the next culinary experience of the week. gawd.. surely i've got to have alife besides all the food. haha. *fast forwardingggg*



THERE!


hey wait a min.. isn't tt? oh yeh.. tts not some food item on the menu. just a cupcake order i had for the weekend. White chocolate chip strawberry cupcakes and caramel banana cupcakes for a bf. now.. tt spells SWEET! *cross my fingers* Hope he enjoyed it...

sunday was dedicated to fish as we visted Hooked, a resturant located along rail mall. Just a stone throws down from where i live. It's rather strange how we haven't got down to trying their food ever since they open shopped about 2 yrs ago, even more so despite the raving reviews.

When we got there, it was rather late already and with rumbling stomachs, me, mummy and kor scanned through the menus. digesting its content and its colorful layout. there was just too much on the menu! woah.. this place definitely scores on variety! no fried items here... the fishes cooked in all different ways completed with descriptions are just enough to make anyone drool...

orite, so lets skip the talk now and let the photos do the talking yeh. First up...

Salmon tapas (salmon cooked to perfection with a stroke of pink) served up with cream and a sprinkling of salmon roe on a wheat cracker. -- This was AWESOME man! such succulence in the fish...




mummy's seafood marinara... look at the amount of ingredients they've thrown in! now tts sure worth a try!

and finally my fish en papilloute! fish in a foil parcel steamed in its own juices and a excellent pairing of lemon, garlic and pesto. Divine!

and as everyone knows, dinner is never complete without dessert. So, with under my persuasion, we headed on down to galbati just two shops down to have our lovely sweet endings! Tiramisu for Kor (i dare say its still the best one that i've tried anywhere else) and a cripsy chocolate mint mousse cake between mum and I. *groanz* (not from the pleasure of eating but from the heaving of my stomach from the excessive eating). Still, we wiped out the desserts with gusto down to the crisp flakes on the plate. It was just all too good!!!

With that, i mark the end of my weekend culinary journey. So long my lovely forks and spoons and welcome track shoes. *boo hoo*.. the price you have to pay.. bleah.

on a side note: I just heard the news from the secretary, apparently the MD liked the mango marshmellows so much that he took two pieces home for his wife!!! *cheers*.. now i've got to make more the next time round.

posted by SiHaN at 4/16/2008 09:00:00 PM 0 Comments

the rain keeps falling down


Cookie Madness!

oh yesh! here's a special offer going for you peeps...

Mad about gourmet cookies but can't find them at reasonable prices?

if you're crazy about coffee as well then you're in the right place!

Packets of Freshly baked Coffee Cookies, weighing in at 200g each (about 25 cookies, 5cm in diameter) for sale at a phenomenal price! Each cookie filled with the richness of brewed espresso and a tint of coffee liquor. Topped off with an almond slice. Packed into no-frill ziplock bags perfect for storage. Good for snacking on the weekends or just to pair together with your hot drink on a cold rainy day. Each bag going out for only $3.50 (original: $4.50)!!!

this crazy offer will only be on till thursday night. So do place your orders (sms 96169609, or email me at frost.bound@gmail.com) by then!

collection will be at orchard/ bukit timah/ clementi areas during stipulated timings. Please contact me for further details or special requests.

Cheers,

SugarFairy Godmother

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posted by SiHaN at 4/16/2008 01:12:00 PM 0 Comments

the rain keeps falling down