Friends & cookies! + Yx's Attempts!

My friend yx, is leaving her current workplace and decided to make some cookies as token of farewell to her current colleagues.

I told her that coconut crunch was really popular with my colleagues previously and told her to make the same! Besides, I still have loads of dehydrated coconut (thanx to wonderful mummy!) and the ingredients were all ready at my house! She had to come to my house and bake it together for she has no oven at home.

So this time I had a buddy to bake with me! Its kinda fun taking turns to cream the mixture and mix in the flour and also, rolling the dough together. Things get done faster, less tiring and you have someone to chat with.

And the aroma of freshly baked coconut crunch that fills the kitchen.... heavenly! So tempted to make a batch of it again soon! heez! I still have those dehydraterd coconut in my fridge!!




Besides cookies, yx has been doing a bit of stuffs lately on her own too. I recommended her the jellyhearts and give her the recipe! Told her its really yummy and really easy! And the best part, u no need an oven! all u need is the fridge!



This was her first attempt. she did not have a large tray so i told her to make a smaller portion. But instead, she made the layers thicker, except for the jelly! Which is good, cause she really loves cheese! Look at her cheese layer! so much thicker than mine! I always prefer the jelly layer more! Then she commented, i shld just eat the jelly! But its different! its the overall combination! hehe!! Her sis also love the cheesecake! She mentioned her sis can eat it everyday after dinner. I do that too! Because its such a yummy light dessert! keke~ I love the person who thot of this recipe!!



Her second attempt on the jellyhearts. She wanted to make them for her colleagues but i told her it be too messy to bring a whole tray there, messy to cut all. Told her its better if she could make them individually. See what the smart gal thot of!!! so clever!! nicely packed! very good idea if i want to give pple next time, instead of having to make 1 whole big one! & at home, i can just grab one cup everytime i feel like having a dessert! Again, if u see, she maintained her thick layer of cheese! That cheesy gal! keke!!


finally, her attempts on nutella cupcakes! unfortunately, this did not go so well because she tried making them with a toaster! She had more burnt cupcakes than edible ones. But still, i think it still tasted good! N her swirls are so much prettier than mine!

Strawberry Banana muffin

BOught Strawberries the other day to make jellyhearts for BC sister. It was meant to be a surprise! But my mum reminded me later than she is in her confinement period and its better if she doesnt take any cold stuffs.

I decided to do something else with my strawberries. I went to look up strawberry shortcake pt strawberry cheesecake recipes but the recipes usually requires either whipped cream or sour cream. Pretty broke these days. SO wanted to make do with what i have at hand.

Found a strawberry banana muffin recipe! It looks pretty good and I have all the ingredients. Also, I haven done muffins before! Always been baking cupcakes! hees!

Recipe: http://www.joyofbaking.com/muffins/StrawberryBananaMuffins.html


Cant seem to get really good strawberries from my nearby NTUC.


Chopped up strawberries!


My sifted flour mixture


Melting the butter.


my mashed up bananas!


Getting ready the wet ingredients


The wet mixture - whisked


Adding the melted butter to the mixture.


Mixing the chopped strawberries in the flour mixture


the Final muffin mixture


My end product.


Devouring the muffin!

The muffin smells really good. But like my mum said, she feel she cant the taste of the bananas nor the strawberries is strong enuff.
I dunno if i did not do a good job or that the recipe is not suitable for our taste buds.
I am suddenly thinking of nutella cupcakes again.
The second batch was dry.. feel like doing that again! heeS!

Measurements Method.

For cake, its important to get the measurement of ingredients right. Therefore, i have also looked up the correct way to measure the different ingredients correctly.

Here goes:

Reference: http://busycooks.about.com/od/howtocook/a/howtomeasure.htm

Here's a basic guide to measuring common ingredients:

• FlourStir flour in the storage container or bag. Using a large spoon, lightly spoon flour from the container into the measuring cup. Do not shake the cup and do not pack the flour. Using the back of a knife or flat blade spatula, level off the flour even with the top edge of the measuring cup. Don't use the measuring cup to scoop the flour out of the container. You can end up with 150% of the correct measurement if you do this! One cup of correctly measured flour should weigh about 112 grams.
• Baking powder and Baking SodaStir in the container. Using the measuring spoon, lightly scoop out of the container. Use that knife to level off even with the top edge of the measuring spoon.
• SugarSugar is measured by scooping the cup or measuring spoon into the container or bag until it is overflowing, then leveling off with the back of a knife.
• Brown SugarThis needs to be packed into the measuring cup. The sugar should retain the shape of the cup when it is dropped into the other ingredients.
  Powdered SugarPowdered sugar usually needs to be sifted to remove small lumps. It is measured by spooning the sugar into the measuring cup from the container, then leveling off with the back of a knife.
• Liquid IngredientsLiquids need to be measured at eye level. Using the liquid measuring cup, pour the liquid into the cup. Then bend over so you are on the same level with the measuring marks. The liquid should be right at the mark, not above or below.
  Shortening and Solid FatsButter and margarine have measuring amounts marked on the sides of the paper wrapping. One quarter pound stick of butter or margarine equals 1/2 cup. Solid shortening is measured by packing it into a cup so there are no air spaces, then leveling off with the knife. To easily remove fats from baking cups, spray them with a nonstick cooking spray before measuring. You can also use the liquid displacement method for measuring solid fats. For instance, if you want 1/2 cup of shortening, fill a liquid measuring cup with 1/2 cup of cold water. Then add shortening until the water level reaches 1 cup when you look at it at eye level. Pour out the water and use the shortening. Oil is measured as a liquid.
• Liquid Ingredients in SpoonsMake sure that you don't measure small amounts of liquid ingredients over the mixing bowl. It's just too easy to spill, and you don't want 2 teaspoons of almond extract when the recipe only calls for 1 teaspoon!
• Dry Ingredients in SpoonsIngredients measured in these small amounts still have to be measured carefully. Overfill the measuring spoons and level off using the back of a knife for the most accurate amounts. Accurate amounts of ingredients like baking soda and powder are critical to the success of any baked product.
• Chopped IngredientsPay close attention to whether or not an ingredient is to be chopped, diced or minced, and whether they are measured before chopping or after. Then the foods are placed in the measuring cup so the top is level with the surface.

Possibilities leading to dry cake

I had feedback that my second round of nutella cupcakes feels abit too dry. I had this feeling too when i ate it this time round. Therefore, I decided to look up the different possibilities that can lead to dryness of cakes. A good reference in future!

Reference: http://www.tasteofhome.com/Misc_Pages2/foodEditor.aspx

• There could be several reasons that your cakes turn out dry and crumbly:
  Using too much flour can cause a cake to become dry. When measuring dry ingredients, gently spoon the flour into a measuring cup for dry ingredients and level off with a flat spatula.
• Adding too little shortening or liquid can also cause dryness. Measure liquids in a liquid-measuring cup placed on a level surface like your kitchen counter. Read the liquid measurement at eye level while the cup is on the level surface.
• Batter that is improperly mixed or undermixed can cause the cake to be crumbly. Careful mixing to evenly distribute the ingredients throughout the cake batter will give it a uniform consistency. Frequently use a plastic spatula to scrape down the sides of the bowl, and don’t forget to scrape the bottom of the bowl for any pockets of flour or other ingredients. (Be careful not to overmix once the flour is added, as this can cause the cake to be tough.)
• Overbeating the egg whites or using too many of them can lead to a dry cake. Egg whites act as a drying agent, so you could try eliminating one of the whites.
• Too much sugar can cause a cake to crumble when cut, while too little sugar can make a cake tough. The best cake recipes have a good balance of ingredients.
  Using a pan that is too big for the amount of batter you have can cause it to overbake and become dry. The pan should be filled from half to three-fourths full.
• Finally, check your oven temperature with an oven thermometer. If the oven temperature is too high, your cake could be dry. Overbaking could also be a culprit. Check your cake for doneness at the lower end of the baking range.

East Coast Lagoon Curry puff

One of my favourite curry puff!! THe next is Marine parade Hawker one! Actually, i prefer the Marine parade one! Both of the curry puffs are similar. The curry puff have nice fragrant pastry and moist fillings of curried potatos & chicken. I love the filling so much. I always wonder if i can jus buy and eat it directly! haha!

More nutella cupcakes!!

Gonna meet some of my good friends this week so I baked some nutella cupcakes this morning (ydae morning to be exact) esp for them. They have been complaining that I have been baking so much recently but yet they haven got a chance to try any of them. The reason i chose nutella cupcakes is because i love how it taste and its so easy to make! ALso, I am determined to make them look pretty for they look like a big mess the last time round!!

Decided to switch to a small cup this time round, thinking it will contain less mixture then i can make twice as much cupcakes! Unfortunately, i forgot that its height compensated for its small base. gee! Anyway, it did not turn out as pretty as i wanted it too! Almost there but still looks cracky and messy to me!


Dun they look as if they have exploded from the cup?!!

Decided to experiment photographing my product! Good learning opportunity to improve my photography skills! haha!! wat skills!








The ugliest cupcake which i sacrificed to finish up! Though this time round looks prettier than the last time round, somehow it does not seem as moist as the previous round. Technically, this one has lesser surface area to dry up right? No idea! Anyway, i will use the previous cupcake cups the next time round! You noe why?!! cause greater surface area can swirl more nutella!!! hahaha!!!


Some cheap ziplocked bags i got from Ikea. Decided to start packing my food nicely! hehe! n it was damn cheap! haha!


Nicely packed! & ready to be given!!

nutella swirl cupcakes!!

I have always wanted to make those cute frosted recipe so I kept searching for the right recipe for both cupcakes & icing til i chance upon the nutella swirl cupcake on a forum. I was eyeing some chocolate frosting cupcakes at first but the gal told me it was on her sale list so she was unable to reveal the recipe. So disappointed!

This recipe was actually taken from a blog. This blog happens to belong to some1 from my secondary sch it seems. But dunno senior or junior. No idea who is she at all. But her muffins and cookies look superdly good!!! I am so gonna experiment more recipes from her blog for this recipe tasted so good!!

It was easy too! I did it in last than 2 hours! Nutella is my favourite! Absolute yumz!!! I am so glad I decided to try it out!!!

The blog: http://thebakerwhocooks.blogspot.com/
The recipe: http://thebakerwhocooks.blogspot.com/2005/11/hay-hay-its-donna-hay-nutella-delight.html

My process!:
(my camera batt kinda went flat on me so the pics were taken with my hp.. :( )


Getting the ingredients ready!


The eggs were perspiring! How cute! :)


Creamed the butter & sugar until light


Adding the vanilla essence after incorporating the eggs into the creamed mixture.


Sifting in the flour, salt & baking soda!


The final mixture! All set to be put into the paper cups


Lining the muffin tray with cute paper cups! 6 star patterns, 6 blue roses pattern


Tried my best to evenly distribute the mixture into the 12 cups! The cups suppose to be 3/4 full only but mine seems abit over shot!


Topping each cup with nutella!!


Swirl the nutella with the mixture. Think i overwhelmed the mixture with too much nutella! the cupcakes seemed to be chocolate overloaded! Not nice & pretty like that done by the blogger!! too greedy! Boo hoo!!



The finished product!!! Really looks quite erxin!!! Was a bit sad when i first saw it like some faint experiment!!


cooling on the cooling rack! I kept staring at it. Feeling abit sad abt how it turn out to be! But when i tasted it! All regrets were gone!! I am so gonna make this again!! hees!!


Well.. i did do something that i regret now. I put my hand into the oven to poke the cupcakes with a toothpick to see if they were done, instead of pulling the tray out. The bad thing i was toking to my dad and got a bit distracted and thus ended up with a burnt! Sad!! :(

I packed haf a dozen of these cupcakes for BC's colleagues and 2 for his family! Its really hard to pack cause the chocolate keep sticking to the ziplock bags and make it kinda look disgusting! I tried to trap air in the ziplock bag to prevent the cupcakes frm smudging with the sides. Apparently, so called airtight bags aint that airtight after all.

But ying and cyn got back to me and said it was nice! I think ying loves the taste of it as much as i do!! hehe!! its sure feels good when pple compliments and loves what u bake!! I hope BC's other colleagues will love them too!!

For future easy reference, i copied the recipe over

_________________________________
Nutella Frosted Cupcakes

10 tbsp(140 grams) butter, softened
3/4 cup white sugar
3 eggs
1/2 tsp vanilla
1 3/4 cups (200 grams) sifted ap flour
1/4 tsp salt
2 tsp baking powder
Nutella, approx. 1/3 cup

Preheat oven to 325F.Line 12 muffin tins with paper liners.

Cream together butter and sugar until light, 2 minutes.

Add in eggs one at a time, until fully incorporated. Don't worry if the batter doesn't look smooth. Add vanilla.

Stir in flour, salt and baking powder until batter is uniform and no flour remains.

Using an ice cream scoop, fill each muffin liner with batter.They should be 3/4 full, if you're not using a scoop.Top each cake with 1 1/2 tsp Nutella.

Swirl Nutella in with a toothpick, making sure to fold a bit of batter up over the nutella.

Bake for 20 minutes.

Remove to a wire rack to cool completely.Makes 12.

Nestle Toll House!

Saw a packet of chocolate chips that day and could not resist and decided to make my own Nestle TollHouse chocolate chips cookie!!!

I followed the recipe that was given at the back of the chocolate chips packet.


All the required ingredients! Except that I did not have nuts! I should have bought nuts! I love nuts in cookies!!


The creaming process - butter, brown sugar, white sugar, vanilla essence


Added the egg into the creamed mixture


Added the sifted flour, salt & baking soda.


In goes the yummy yummy chocolate chips!!


Mixing in the chocolate chips!!


Rounded teaspoons of the dough on the baking sheet!


The end product!!
Think its a bit small isnt it?? Nestle toll house cookies are usually big soft cookieS!!

I kinda overdid the second batch. It sure did not taste as nice for it seems a bit too crispy and dry. It tasted nicer when its a bit soft.

Think next time i will pull rounded tablespoons of dough to bake instead.

Taste wise, i love the chocolate chips! haha! I love freshly ate cookies and ate 4 at a go! I usually stop myself from eating more than one for I dun wanna gain too much weight! yumz yumz!!

Differentiate between cupcake & muffin

Distributed some of my cupcakes to some friends. Then there came a confusion of it being a muffin or a cupcake. Of course, i knew it was a cupcake since i was the one who made it. But how does one on the receiving end knows whether its a cupcake or muffin?

Decided to look it up and promised Ying that I will keep her informed once I do. So for the benefits for all, the difference is as follows:

Cupcake:

• a small cake designed to serve one person, usually made in a small paper cup container.
• Usually decorated with frostings and sprinkles.
• A simple cupcake uses the same ingredients as most other standard cakes - incorporating butter, sugar, eggs, and flour.

Muffin:

• A muffin is a bread- or cake-like baked good. It resembles a cupcake
• Muffins have cylindrical bases, rounded conical tops, and are usually sweet.
• there also exist savory varieties (such as cornbread muffins).
• muffins often have a "topping" baked in, such as blueberries or chocolate chips.

I think my way to differentiate them is that muffin is more like inbetween bread and cake and will have thicker consistency. Usually, with loads of stuffs contained within them and cupcake is just like cake but miniature version, put in a cup! haha!!

Once again i got help from wikipedia:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cupcake
http://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Muffin

Getting to basics.

Always wonder why my cake baking fails and decide maybe i should learn the basics of cake baking..

there are basically 2 cakes type: Creamed cakes & Foam Cake.

The types are according to what makes the cake rises.

Creamed cakes also known as Butter cakes relies on baking powder and baking soda to rise. This type of cake uses butter, shortening, or oil for moisture and richness and are leavened with baking powder/soda.

Foam cakes also known as sponge cake are cakes that do not consist of any types of fats. Also known as sponge cakes, they achieve their high volume from the beaten eggs instead of using a leavening agent like baking powder/soda.

Type of foam cakes:

• Angel Cakes - Literally fat-free as they contain only egg whites (me: i am so gonna learn how to make this!!! haha!!)
• Yellow sponge - prepared with whole eggs
• Chiffon egg - With beaten eggs. Not entirely sponge cake as it contains vegetable oil.

Some tips i have gathered:

• Before mixing the cake batter, soften the butter so that it mixes easily with the sugar. (me: impatient me always go ahead without waiting for it to soften. :p!)
• When preparing sponge cakes, be sure to beat the eggs to the proper stage; do not overbeat or underbeat. Handle the beaten eggs gently when folding them into the other ingredients or they will lose air and volume.
• Eggs separate more easily when cold, but egg whites reach their fullest volume if allowed to stand at room temperature for 30 minutes before beating.
• To measure flour, spoon it lightly into a dry measuring cup and level it off with a straight edge metal spatula. Do not shake it down or tap it on the counter (me: This is something I have been doing wrong!!!)
• If recipe instructs you to beat egg whites until stiff peaks form, you can test by lifting beaters straight up from egg whites. Peaks should remain on top of the egg whites, and when bowl is tilted, mixture should not slide around. (me: this is something most of us have issues with)
• If asked to cream together butter (or other fat) and sugar, blend them together until a fluffy consistency is reached. This may take some time, but it's better to blend thoroughly than to not blend enough.

Some general knowledge:

• Sugar and fat are added to make a tender cake - flour and eggs are the proteins that makes the cake hold together.

Webbie that I learn the stuffs from:
http://home.howstuffworks.com/how-to-bake-a-cake-cooking2.htm
http://www.googobits.com/articles/p0-18-cake-baking.html

Vanilla cupcake!!

Been wanting to make those smallie cupcakes that my nanny used to make for me! but i cant find the recipe anywhere! I remember how small, yummy and moist it was! Maybe i shld call her up if she remembers it.

Found this golden vanilla cupcake recipe online and decided to make them instead.
http://www.thecupcake.com/2007/06/golden-vanilla-cupcakes/


Sifting the flour, baking powder and salt!


The eggs and the sugar!


Was using the mixer to blend the butter & sugar! Its really fast and convenient but after that i decided to use my own whisk to mix in the egg and vanilla essence.


The completed mixture!!!


Pretty little strawberry cups i bought at Phoon Huat earlier that afternoon!!


The mixture in the pretty strawberry cups all ready to go into the oven!!!


My completed cupcakes!!! Pretty?!!

Think the mixer did not do a good job. The sugar din seem to be completely melted. Taste not bad! Jus a bit dry i feel! Dunno why my cakes always end up a bit dry. keke! Need lotsa lotsa improvement!!