Sunday, September 2, 2012

My Favourite Baked Cheese Cake


Walnut Orange Baked Cheese Cake


I loved baking this cheese cake. It's a baked cheese cake anyway. No refrigeration is required to do the base of the cheese cake. In a way, this cake will never fail me...And I am baking this for the third time, a request from my older sister. She's bringing this for her office's Eid potluck party. I have just finished baking this cake for her and the need to update this blog with the picture of the favourite cheese cake of mine, could not be resisted. I am so tired for the past one week, and could not think of typing the recipe of this cheese cake. I am just doing a quick entry at the moment, and will do another update of the recipe in a few days time. There are so many things to do, within a limited time. Therefore, let me leave you with the pictures of my favourite cheese cake and transfer you to a cheesy land....

 
Specially baked for my older sister...





This cake is surely a winner, and even the unbaked batter is finger-licking good.










Meanwhile, happy days ahead and may your days be filled with wonderful moments....
I topped this cake with fresh slices of Australian strawberries and cut  oranges, sprinkled with shaved chocolate.

Merdeka Raya 2012 - Eid



It's a Merdeka Raya - Malaysia's Independence Day
  
My son playing with the "bunga api"...

I think it's not too late to wish Happy Independence Day to all Malaysians. This year, we are very lucky to have Eid cum Independence Day. What a busy Eid for me this year, with work loads, entertaining relatives and cousins who thronged  my parents' house in Melaka and  my grandmother's house in Rembau, Negeri Sembilan. I guess, I truly enjoyed this year's Eid celebration as I got to spend time with my siblings and cousins. I took many pictures and really liked to capture the celebrative mood  in everyone's faces. And people always say, a picture tells a thousand word. It's definitely true. I am sharing the happiness for Eid among my family members and letting the pictures to speak for themselves...

 

Azeem and Grandpa
   

Grandfather's house- Villa Sentosa, Melaka
 
 

Raya Tent...
  
 

The Bridge near my Grandfather's House
  


And nothing beats the feel of celebrating Eid in my grandma's house in Rembau, Negeri Sembilan
  


Grandma's house- always been captivated by its beauty and simplicity
 
Loved this stair case

 


Motifs found near the staircase at my grandma's house



Coconut trees at my garndma's house...


Eid is definitely a time to reflect on memories of yesteryears and hoping for the best things to come.....
Cousins and second cousins

After all
 
Eid is about spending time

With our loved ones

And bonding with cousins and sisters



Eventually, it's a happy Eid for me too, and I hope it goes the same for all the Muslims around the world... Have a joyous celebration.



And life is beautiful, indeed....






Thursday, August 16, 2012

Eid's Cakes - Walnut Orange Baked Cheese Cake and Hummingbird

Walnut Orange Baked Cheese Cake - With Apricot Glaze, Cut-out Orange Slices, Shaved Chocolate
and Maraschino Cherry



Hummingbird Cake -With Cream Cheese Frosting, Topped With Roasted Pecans, Sugar Flowers and Fresh Cherry

I will just do a quick entry in this blog. Ramadhan is going to end real soon, and here I am baking two cakes as requested by a friend. I have accepted the order two weeks ago, and even if I am short of time to do Eid's preparations, I have to keep to my promise. Ms A had requested a Hummingbird, and was unsure on what to order for the second one. Therefore, I have suggested a baked cheese cake, and she agreed . This was my second time baking this cheese cake, the first one was for another friend. I got the recipe from my 13 year- old baking book, which I bought when I was a student in the UK.

   My friend, Ms EL was asking for a cheese cake, and I had searched low and below for a reliable recipe in the net- and finally looking up to the pages of my trusted old book. The next thing I knew, I was baking this recipe. However, I could not share the recipe today as I ran out of time. I need to bake my cakes before officially packing up to head up to my hometown. Probably, I would share this cheese cake recipe after Eid, if time permits.



Life is even sweeter with cheese cakes around ;)


Meanwhile, I would like to wish readers and friends "Selamat Hari Raya Aidilfitri" and "Maaf  Zahir Batin". May you enjoy your time with loved ones during this festive season. Have a Happy Eid, indeed...
 
Salam Syawal- Maaf Zahir Batin
(Happy Eid-ul-Fitr)




Sunday, August 12, 2012

Eid Biscuit 2012- Jumbled Oat Cornflakes Cookies



Jumbled Oat Cornflakes Cookies- cooled on the rack
 


Nothing beats home-made cookies
 




Eid is just around the corner- and I only started baking today ;(
   
    Phew, time does fly. Now, we are nearing the end of Ramadhan. It's already August. And I have only started baking Eid biscuits today.  Yes, today. It's one week before Eid and my preparations are actually zero. Too much on postponing things and I nearly didn't want to bake at all. Again, I lost the mood to bake. Probably because of the weather or I was just tired or plain lazy.. (oops). However, since I never fail in baking Eid biscuits each year, I am forcing myself today to bake and share this recipe in my blog. Just to get into the mood of celebrations.

 Back to this recipe, I have bookmarked it for two years. I could not even have the guts to bake these cookies, simply because I have postponing it again and again. Every year, I try to bake different types of Eid biscuits, just to be different as I get bored easily. This recipe comes from the "Cookies Year Round" book by Rosemary Black. As usual I have tweaked and adapted the recipe, as I found the original one tend to be sweet. So, here I am sharing this recipe. I hope that everyone will give it a try. Here goes;


What you need:
#Butter for the baking sheets
  Parchment paper for the baking sheets

Ingredients

1 3/4  to 2 cups of all- purpose/ plain flour
(sifted 2 times- you will have a better texture for the biscuit)
1 tbs of vegetable shortening (Crisco)
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 cup ( 2 sticks) unsalted butter ( I used SCS) - room temperature
1/2 cup caster/ granulated sugar
1 cup packed brown sugar ( I used soft brown sugar)
2 eggs
1 1/2 tsp vanilla essence
1 cup rolled oats ( not quick-cooking oatmeal, not the instant oatmeal)
2 1/2 cups corn flakes, coarsely crushed (I used Kellog's)
1 cup sweetened coconut flakes (Hawaiian coconut)
1 tsp of freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 tsp grated lemon
Glazed cherries-for decorations (cut into small pieces)


1)Preheat the oven to 120C for 7-8 mins ( I used electric conventional oven. If the temperature is too high, the cookies will get brown easily, the key idea is to be patient, while waiting for the cookies to be baked thoroughly). Lightly butter two baking sheets. Place parchment paper (baking paper) on the baking sheets.
2) Sift together the flour, baking soda, salt and baking powder.
3) Using an electric hand mixer, set on a medium speed, beat the butter and sugars evenly.
4) Add in the eggs, one by one. Add in vanilla essence.
5) Sift in the flour mixture and beat until combined.
6) Stir in the oats, coconut and corn flakes. Add in vegetable shortening. Then, add in lemon juice and freshly grated lemon.
7) Using a teaspoon, drop the dough onto the prepared baking sheets. Decorate with glazed cherries.
10) Bake 15-20 mins,  or until golden brown. (By this time, you could reduce the temperature to 100C.  I baked my cookies for about 30 minutes with the temperature of 100C- I only baked one baking sheet  at one time ).
11) Transfer the cookies to the cooling rack.
12) Store your cookies in an air-tight container.

Notes:
1) This recipe yields 5 dozen of cookies.You could always double the recipe, and easily  get  two containers of cookies.
2) You can fry the flour beforehead, in Malay we call this process  as "sangai", this means you  fry the flour in a wok (do not add anything), heated slowly (for about 7-8 minutes). Or you could  just dry the flour using the oven, with a temperature between 70-80C ( 7-8 minutes).
Traditionally old Malay  ladies would dry the flour (in a big "dulang" or aluminium tray )outside, in the direct sunlight-  this is to release the moisture from the flour. I have  discovered this method from old Malay  cook books and found it very useful. In fact, cookies would last longer  and smells better.
3) Always put a little bit of sugar before placing a cut-out parchment paper (doily)and arrange  your cookies accordingly. Place paper in each layer of cookies that you have arranged. The paper will  dry out the fats (oil) from the cookies. Eventually your cookies will stay fresh and crunchy at all times.
4) You can add in the flour up to 2 cups of just stick to 1 3/4 cups...
5) This is the updated version of the recipe posted on 9 September 2012.

 


Rolled Oats, Hawaiian Coconut, grated lemon and Corn flakes- all these will make a baker happy...
  



Now, these are what we call "heaven
  

On another note, who ever thought that oats and cornflakes could make  scrumptious and crunchy cookies.... Happy days ahead every one ;)





Monday, July 23, 2012

Welcoming Ramadhan Al-Mubarak


Ramadhan is the light for the wandering soul  ( Hotel Equatorial, Malacca)


And we see life in a natural phase  (Bagan Lalang,Sepang, Selangor)


As night withdraws its curtain ( Malacca)



We finally come back to our creator, and seek solace for all the difficulties in life...
 (Masjid Sultan, Arab Street, Singapore)
 
I am here again. I have not updated this blog for about two months. Again, work has been the main culprit for my disappearance, not to mention that I have troubles of transferring pictures from my memory card to the pc. Well, excuses once more. As a matter of fact, this year has not been utterly kind to me- I lost the mood to bake due to heavy work schedules, and I simply lack of time to do any baking. Then, suddenly Ramadhan (the fasting month for Muslims) is finally here. Phew, how time flies. I wish that I have more time to spare, how I wish.

  This year, I aim to bake more types of Eid cookies i.e biscuits and share their recipes here. I would like to make up for the lost time last year, when I have only managed to bake one type of biscuit. It was very dissappointing indeed. Well, hoping for the best Ramadhan this year, despite all the challenges and short-comings in life. On a final note, I would like to wish all Muslim readers and friends a Happy Ramadhan, may all your doa and prayers would be fulfilled.God Willing i.e. Insya Allah ....




 
I baked these raspberry cupcakes topped with cream cheese frosting and swirled with frozen raspberries
 (specially done for a dear friend who was craving last June)


  
May life treat you well and have a blessed month, indeed .........





Sunday, May 27, 2012

Love Is ......


A cupcake baked by a student, hand-delivered to yours truly. I was touched....



Hummingbird cake in The Coffee Bean cafe-spending time with my two kids

They say that love is unconditional. To me, it is not a symbol created for lovers specifically. It is more than that. Lovers can part their ways, but family will always stick together, through thick and thin. That is love to me. Today, I wish to write about things that make me happy in this entry, such as the time when my student hand-delivered a cupcake to me. Unexpected? Yes... simply because I have gone through the phase of expecting things from the others. Usually, I always loved the reaction when people receive gifts from me. So, when a student gave me a cupcake the other day (not that I don't receive any other gifts), I was taken aback. Yes, how true that the saying goes like this- "It's not the gift that counts, it's the thought". It's the effort that I really appreciate, well you see, (I was not up to myself these few weeks, that was why I have baked nothing), my work is taking a toll of my life- Again! Therefore, knowing there was a teenage girl making efforts to bake cupcakes for her teachers, was something that made me really touched. Impressed a bit, definitely.
   Sometimes,  when the thought of the things that make you unhappy comes across your mind, and then you discovered that there are people who have thought of you, it really made up your day. It changed your perspectives of love. Yes, like spending time with your kids in a local cafe and savouring the Hummingbird Cake, never mind that store-bought cakes never tasted as good as home-baked ones, but it's the time spent with loved ones that matters. I don't know when will I have the time to bake and update this blog again, but until now- I think this post is more than enough to keep this blog alive...
     In another note, let's celebrate love with a new definition- that is to think and thank those who have touched our lives... Adieu




Love Is
A single red rose for me ;)
 


Saturday, May 26, 2012

Macaroons in Serai, Empire Gallery



Multi-coloured macaroons and Lemongrass Tea in Serai, Empire Gallery, Subang...

I have yet to attempt any baking, but right now, I wish to update this blog and rave about macaroons. I have sampled these macaroons a few weeks ago in Serai, an up-scale Malay fusion restaurant in Empire Gallery Subang. Yes, they were too sweet to my liking, but I think they went well with this Lemongrass Tea. I still have reservations on doing macaroons but yet I keep buying books on macaroons-- the latest being the Pierre Herme' s Macarons. The book set me back for RM144.05 and I now I wish that I have the guts to do macaroons. You see, my work load is getting heavier this year and I couldn't simply have the time to do as much baking as I used to do.  Oh well, I must stop my ramblings now, I need to do some house and work- related chores, so that I could concentrate on baking after that...



This wonderful book, in English of course

Until then, have a nice weekend, every one...




LinkWithin

Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...