Baked: Banoffee Pie

I like to take pictures of the ingredients I will use, I think it's really fun (:

I made two types of pie crusts. This is the shortbread crust. I didn't use a food processor and it was fine. It just look longer. The recipe is really simple, but I didn't nail the timing of the oven right. This is a new pie crust recipe I tried. So I guess mistakes make me learn? Hahaha (optimistic much). My crust rose up too high. I think I got too excited with the number of pokes I did with the fork... Here's the recipe: Joy of Baking

Here's the graham cracker / digestive biscuits crust I did. This one was really simple. Also no food processor, that's why my crust was still a bit lumpy :(. But it tasted good!

And here's the final product: Banoffee Pie. It originates from UK in 1972, it's basically a combination of bananas and toffee. What can I say... It was so good!!! Felt like I went to banana heaven. I was wondering why the pie looked messy on masterchef australia, but after making it myself I understood why. So delish!

Recipe for Banoffee Pie:

Graham / Digestive Biscuits Crust:
- 6 pieces of digestive biscuits
- 8 tablespoons of melted butter

Use a food processor to blend the crust into small fine pieces. If you do not have a food processor, use a plastic bag and put the biscuits inside. Crush the biscuits into small pieces. Press the fine digestive biscuits onto the pie pan. Pour in the melted butter evenly on top. Put in the fridge for 20 - 25 minutes until harden. 

Toffee:
- 1/2 cup water
- 1/2 cup milk
- 4 tablespoons of butter
- 2 teaspoon of vanilla essence
- 2 cups caster sugar

Pour all the ingredients into a saucepan. Put on high heat and stir occasionally it prevent it from sticking onto pan and re-crystalizing. Optimum heat should be at 285 degrees Fahrenheit or 140 degree Celsius. The mixture will be brown and gooey, it's important to use it quickly before it hardens super fast. Immediately pour into your crust once it's out of the fridge.

Topping:
- 1 1/4 cup of whipped cream (35%-40% fat content is a must)
- 1/4 cup of icing sugar / powder sugar
- 2 medium-sized bananas
- 1/2 teaspoon of coffee/chocolate powder (optional)

Put the whip cream, and use a mixer with high speed for about 2 minutes. Add in the icing sugar and continue on high speed until it peaks on the top (usually after 5 minutes). Slice the bananas into small pieces. With the crust below, and toffee on top, put the sliced bananas to create one or two layers. Put all the whipped cream, and dust with instant coffee or chocolate powder on the top. Enjoy!

Coffee: Jamaican Blue; Dinner: Nandos Chicken; Sketched: Charcoal

Had a Skinny Latte at Jamaican Blue just now. Pretty awesome. The highlight is definitely THE FOAM. Only $5.60 and I think it was worth it (:

For dinner, had some really awesome peri peri Nandos chicken! Ate dinner with dad and sis. Really glad to have time to talk and catch up with them.

And I know this isn't actually a picture of food or drinks... but I sketched this today and I'd like to remember it few months or years down the road. I think its very imperfect, but I guess it's pretty satisfactory considering I finished it within fifteen to twenty minutes. Was really happy to use charcoal, haven't used that medium for a few years hehehe. Hurrah!!!

Cooked: Rosemary Garlic Butter Chicken

So I wanted to bake some chicken with Olive Oil and lemons but both ran out :(. First time experiencing the state of cooking without any olive oil -- was terrible. But I improvised and made rosemary garlic butter chicken instead.

Looked like I murdered one whole chicken with this mess when I bought my ingredients from the supermarket ;).

Before the pot went to the oven... 

The result after I took out of the oven :)

Recipe: Rosemary Garlic Butter Chicken (serves 4)

- half a chicken (already cut into pieces)

- 8 tablespoon of butter

- 1 1/2 teaspoon of rosemary
- pinch of salt
- pinch of white pepper
- pinch of blackpepper
- pinch of nutmeg
- 1 whole garlic
- 3 small pieces of shallots
- 5 vegetable oil
- 1/2 lime

Put the shallots onto frying pan, pan sear the chicken for about 4 - 7 minutes to get crispy char-grilled skin. Some of the meat of the bigger pieces of chicken should still be pink. Add salt for taste. Put into a pot vegetable oil, mixed with fresh garlic. Put the chicken into the pot, and add in the rosemary, nutmeg, blackpepper. Put the butter around and spread evenly inside the pot on top of the chicken. Squeeze in fresh lime and cover with lid. Bake in the oven at 177 degree celcius for about 25 - 27 minutes. Chicken should be tender and soft because of the butter that has infused inside the chicken ♥__♥

What I served to my mom. I really enjoyed making this because pan frying the chicken really helps to give it more char-grilled feel and taste. The butter also made the chicken really tender and soft, although I ate the breast. So yummy!

Baked: Chocolate Chip Cookies

Chocolate Chip Cookies. I sold over 300 hundred of the awesome cookies for friends who ordered them just to eat for own consumption or for them to give away.

Such was the packaging that I did for a friend who wanted to give away chocolate chip cookies for a birthday party. I loveeee using Vanhoutten chocolate chips!

Ate and Prepared: Fruit Tart and Sticky Date Pudding

Ate this fruit tart from Baker and Cook. I'd recommend their bread though, not their pastry. I think the best fruit tart in Singapore is still the one made in Delifrance. And I'm not the only person who thinks that way! 

Plating I did for a Sticky Date Pudding in the restaurant I used to work in called 8@Green. Too bad the restaurant closed down, the owner wanted to go to Australia to further her studies and knowledge in making awesome pastry and desserts. I used to plate a lot of these desserts when I was working there, was a true privilege, and I learnt a lot! Loved it. <3 

Prepared: Yogurt 'Parfait'

Prepared Yogurt 'Parfait' today. This is because I didn't exactly chill it. It's made out of yogurt, bananas, cereal and rolled oats. Really healthy and quick to prepare. Suitable for all ages!

P.S. I recommend using greek yogurt instead, although they are more expensive, they are a lot healthier. And like everyone say, 'health is wealth'. (:

Baked: Rainbow cupcakes / Lemon cupcakes

Snaps of past Rainbow Cupcakes I did for a Birthday Party about two months ago (?). I prefer doing events because I get to decorate and make it really personalized. I think thats the difference between commercial and mass produced cupcakes vs personalized home bakers (:

These were Lemon Cupcakes with Royal Icing. Did purple flowers because that was the buyer's favourite color. Should decorate with pearls and balls next time, what do you think? (:

P.S. Spamming a lot of posts because I've been wanting to blog all these things for three to four months but only decided to really do it recently hahah.

Baked: Sturdy Whipped Cream Frosting

So apparently the cupcake icing was a hit among the people who ate the cupcakes: the sturdy whipped cream. I improvised the recipe myself because I dislike runny icing -- I mean, who does like it, right? The problem with this recipe is that I tend to agar (a Singaporean lingo, meaning 'estimate') my measurements and I just go along with the texture when I feel that it is acceptable. Nonetheless, I decided to post it because a friend requested (:

Sturdy Whipped Cream Frosting (For 9 Cups):
- 3 / 4 cup Nestle Cream
(I only use the thick part, not the runny watery thing inside the can)
- 2 1/2 cup of Icing Sugar
- 3/4 cup Unsalted Butter
- 1 teaspoon vanilla essence
- 1 teaspoon of rum *optional

It's also important to make sure that the butter is slightly cold, below room temperature and soft. This is the usual case for most whip cream frosting.

- Blend the butter on low-speed until becomes moist and soft
- Sift in the 2 cups of icing sugar bit by bit and blend on low speed (until it becomes fluffy)
- Add in vanilla essence and rum
- Add in Nestle Cream and blend on low speed
- Sift in left over icing sugar on low speed for 2 mins and med speed for 1 minute

the most important part here is to not over blend because the whole icing might separate and fail.

I'd also recommend adding in 1 cup of heavy cream (not low fat). This is because fat holds icing together to prevent it being runny. Have fun!

Baked: Swiss Meringue Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins, Barista: Latte Art

Some of you guys who know me personally would have known by now that I bake once in a while. I baked these meringue banana chocolate chip muffins a few months back. I thought I should post it as well in case people need to see sample pictures. Mmmhmm. Need to get better packaging though since I usually sell cupcakes and cookies.

I know Baristas get low pay, well most F&B service jobs do. But I don't think I can explain the happiness or joy whenever I make coffee, for myself or for my customers. The temperature for this cappucino was great, but I forgot to polish the milk and pop the bubbles (opps! big mistake). Thankfully you can still see the Hello Kitty latte art I was trying to achieve.

Tête-à-tête with Tea

All time favourite chilled pear-infused tea at Artestique with Lovely, Christy and Dea a few weeks back. Still my favourite-stes-tes-test fruit tea ever.

And while I'm at it, I thought I'd also post the pictures I took at Strangers Reunion with my uni bestie Jamie the other day. I don't know why I loved these flowers so much. Maybe because they're white? And I'm into jars? It's still my phone background until today.

And who wouldn't want waffles with coffee when we're in a cafe huh?

Baked: Black Forest Cupcake

The verdict of the cherry-filled black forest cupcake I gave out to a couple of awesome friends yesterday night and today (:

Tummy troubles today. Po Cai Pills you've saved me once again.
P.S. It's not about the object, but it's about the perspective.

Baked: Alcoholic Black Forest Cupcake!

I might be posting another baking tip on my instagram soon about piping and timing. Haven't been doing that for two months now because I've been too busy </3.

 It's rum dark chocolate cake, filled with rum cherry filling, with sturdy whip cream icing topped with a dark cherry. Such a great therapeutic way to destress after studying for my finals exams that are coming on the 21st. Been so busy with school, work, and traveling to Indonesia. 

Oh, I also wrote a poem today about the mundane life we usually just have from day to day. You can click HERE to read it. Conclusively, today was a great, great, fulfilling day.