another random shot

Happy 2009!!

Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.
Hebrews 11:1

But this I say: He who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and he who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. So let each one give as he purposes in his heart, not grudgingly or of necessity; for God loves a cheerful giver. And God is able to make all grace abound toward you, that you, always having all sufficiency in all things, may have an abundance for every good work.
2 Corinthians 9:6-8

Smiles

Alot has happened in my life lately.. changes and adjustments. And I'm truly glad to those who have stand by my side, understanding and giving me support. You guys know who you are... =)

I made this cake because it holds a special meaning. Because i saw the colors of a rainbow after the storm.... and above this, knowing the smile that comes at the end of the rainbow.

I am smiling today because I know God's favour is upon me. That however may things seem bleak, however bad the economy is doing, the world in crisis... all I need is to look to God... and he will watch my back. Protected and sheltered I will be. =)

This is a dense and rich chocolate cake, layered with chocolate swiss meringue buttercream and covered with sugarpaste. It was my first attempt in covering cakes with sugarpaste and I rolled it too thin. The sides look quite awful, though one can't see from the above photo. Hee... Nevertheless, it was made with love... =)

Hummingbird cupcakes

Busy Busy Busy...that's all I have been the past two months since my IA begun. In fact, I've so little time to bake these days...lest to say take photos of them. This one was taken at my workplace. I made hummingbird cupcakes for my friends at work some time back. lolx...though they prefer to call it "pbc" aka pineapple banana coconut cupcakes.

Matcha

Love the zen taste of soft matcha sponge. Paired with adzuki beans fresh cream.

I love the earthy green hue of matcha. From teas to blends, muffins to cookies, cakes to tarts, they are love by everyone. (ok..maybe with some exceptionals).

This cake was an order by my mum's friend. She was very pleased with it. =)

Not quite the madeleines

I have always been curious about the dainty, shell-like shaped little cakes displayed at the Delifrance counters. After some 'goggle-ing', I found this...

The madeleine or petite madeleine is a traditional cake from Commercy, a commune of the Meuse département in northeastern France.

History dates their beginnings to the 18th century in the French town of Commercy, in the region of Lorraine. The story goes that a girl name Madeleine made them for Stanislaw Lezczynski, Duke of Lorraine, who loved them so much that he then gave some to his daughter, Marie, the wife of Louis XV.

A cake of French origins... how cool can that be...lolx After seeing so many wonderful attempts by various bloggers online, I too jump on the band wagon. Based on a reliable source, of which Ariel is a sweet lady with a lovely writing style, I took the recipe and modify it to Honey Earl Grey madeleines.

My mum is an avid fan of Earl Grey tea. They are a must in her daily life and tea having being recognized for its health benefits, being a source of antioxidants. Incorporating Earl grey into these madeleines turned out to be interesting. The cakes were soft and spongy, with a subtle Earl grey favour and a hint of honey that shines through.

I find them a tad too oily though. Note to reduce the amount of butter called for next time. Nevertheless, they were quite a delight.

As you can see, they were not quite the traditional shaped madeleines as I do not have the mold. Hee...

Honey Earl Grey Madeleines

3 1/4 oz unsalted butter, plus 1 oz melted butter for greasing the tins
2 teaspoons clear honey
2 medium eggs
2 3/4 oz caster sugar (superfine sugar, though I used confectioners sugar)
1/4 oz soft dark brown sugar ( I used light brown)
a pinch of salt
a few drops of vanilla extract
3 1/4 oz all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Brush the madeleine molds with the melted butter. Put the 3 1/2 oz of butter in a small pan with the honey and melt it, then cool slightly. Put the eggs in a large bowl with both the sugars, the salt and vanilla. Whisk until pale and doubled in volume. Sift the flour and baking powder together, then sift a second time. Fold them into the egg mixture with a large metal spoon, being careful not to lose any volume.

Pour the melted butter and honey down the side of the bowl so it floods on top of the mixture. Fold in gently, still being careful not to lose any volume. Cover the bowl with cling film and leave to rest in a cool place for 30 minutes.

Put the mixture into a piping bag fitted with a plain 1/2 inch nozzle and pipe it into the prepared madeleine tins, piping a fat, even, solid line down the center of each one. (I put about 1 tsp of batter into each mold using a spoon.) The mix will spread in the oven during baking, so there is no need for it to touch the sides of the mold. Place in the oven and bake for no more than 5 minutes for small madeleines, 10 minutes for large ones. Do not overcook them or they will be dry. As soon as they are done, flip over the molds and turn them out onto a wire rack. Serve warm.

Biscotti...coffee anyone?

Starbucks... Coffeebean...TCC... i simply love spending time at cafes. A cold and refreshing cup of mocha frappucino makes my day anytime. Hee... but Starbucks remains my favourite thus far.

Besides loving coffee and cafes, I love the display of cakes and those huge dome-shaped muffins. And i always wonder at those elongated stick-like biscotti. But they always seems too pricey for just one/two piece of cookie.

I have attempted biscotti baking once in the past, maybe it's the recipe, but they turned out rock hard. And that puts me off biscotti for awhile until some time back, I decided to give another try, having seen the wonderful pictures.

Mandy gave a wonderful account of how via several trials, she has arrived at her own recipe, and stamped it her favorite biscotti recipe. It was indeed unlike my first attempt. The biscotti was crisp and crunchy. Simply delightful. I used 55% dark chocolate here, breaking it into chunks before adding into the batter. To spice up the chocolate taste, i added some coffee granules and walnut. They were yummy, dunked into some frothy hot latte or coffee. Mmmm...

Chocolate Hazelnut Biscotti (courtesy of Mandy)

2 1/4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1/4 cup dutch-processed cocoa powder
1 tsp baking soda
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
1 tsp salt
1/2 cups walnut
10 oz dark chocolate chunk
4 large eggs, at room temperature
1 eggwhite for glaze (optional), at room temperature
Sanding sugar (or granulated)for sprinkling (optional)

Preheat oven to 350F.Line two large baking sheet with parchment paper. Set aside.

In a food processor, pulse the flour, cocoa,baking soda,salt, 1 cup of chocolate chunks and hazelnut, until chocolate chunks and hazelnuts are the size of peas. *if you don't have a food processor (like me), coarsely chop the nuts and chocolate and sieve the flour.

In a bowl of electric mixer fitted with whisk attachment, beat the whole eggs, and granulated sugar until the mixture holds a ribbon-like trail on the surface for a few seconds when you raise the whisk.

Switch to the paddle attachment. With mixer on low speed, add the flour mixture. When it's well combined, add in the nuts and chocolate and stir by hand, using a large spatula.

Martha Stewart's proper way:
Turn out dough onto a lightly floured work surface, and divide into 3 equal pieces. Shape each pieces into an 18 inch log. Transfer to prepared baking sheet. With the palm of your hand, gently press the logs to flatten slighlt. Brush egg wash over logs. Sprinkle with sanding sugar if using.

Bake, rotating pan halfway through, until logs are just firm to the touch, 20-24 minutes. Transfer baking sheets to a wire rack to cool completely, about 20 minutes.

When the logs are cool enough to handle, use a serrated knife to cut biscotti log on the diagonal, into 1/4-inch thick, or if you like, 3/4-inch thick (which is more durable to be send off as care package.

Place a wire rack on a large rimmed baking sheet. Arrange slices, cut sides down on the rack.Bake until biscottis are firm to the touch and completely dry. 10 to 12 minutes.

Remove pans from the oven;Let biscottis cool completely on the rack. They can be kept in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 weeks. I keep them in the freezer when I don't feel like sharing with others. They can be kept there for months.