I shall cut to the chase. This is a wonderful recipe to have on hand for last minute parties and if the microwave oven is the only contraption your kitchen has. It’s versatile, adaptable and so delicious. I recently saw this shared on Facebook and with a friend’s lunch party in a few days, I knew this was it. Depending on how long you microwave it, and how thick the walls of your cup is, your cake can be molten or a souffle. I like to microwave on 30 second bursts, giving me room to gauge the consistency.

Forgive the horrid photos. I took them on a whim.

Here’s the recipe below, with some tweaks I made.

5 minute nutella cake in a cup for one

4 tablespoon self rising*

3 tablespoon sugar

1 egg

3 tablespoon cocoa powder

3 tablespoon Nutella

3 tablespoon milk

3 tablespoon vegetable oil

Mix the dry ingredients. Then add in the wet ones. One recipe is enough for a medium sized coffee mug, or 2 regular sized ramekins. Microwave on high at 30 second bursts, checking each time to prevent over cooking. From here, you can decide how moist you want the cake to be. My friends loved the molten texture, and so did I.

*substitute for self-rising flour recipe

3/4 cup all purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

mix well

I wish I had a proper story to pen down. But today I just want to know why the hell I have to put up with an unstable parent everyday. It’s worse than a major break-up with your perfect guy or a 7 day food poisoning. It’s gotten so bad I don’t want to live in this house anymore. But that’s just wishful thinking.

I don’t know why I’m writing this down on the internet. But I have to say, 2 years is too long, too much to handle. Friends can sympathize but they can’t empathize. No one in a 20 foot radius can genuinely understand. They don’t live with it. Sometimes I read through life stories of other children going through the same situation. It helps, occasionally. But what will really help is this whole thing to end.

I’m not counting on it.

Laughter is my medicine. And so is the company of my dog. I can’t let myself snap because of someone else. I haven’t done wrong so how is that fair. Though it feels like I’m losing someone to an illness, I’d hate to continue feeling this way. Life goes on.

Meanwhile, I’m happy to bake stuff for some pocket money, mess around in a bistro’s kitchen (ok not really), goof around during random photo shoots (really really) and look forward to an upcoming internship.

Case in point, that’s the problem when you read between the lines too much. It isn’t really necessary all the time. I think I’ve revealed enough.

I’ll try to write happier pieces in future. So now, on a happier note, here is a recent experiment I tried with brownies. I found a basic fudgey brownie recipe, tweaked here and there, added this and that, and came up with something nothing short of amazing. At least, to the people I shared with, they were good. As the best is yet to be, I’m very certain these can still be better.

These aren’t your typical cakey or really chewy brownies. They are so moist, and melt in your mouth…well, they are the perfect breakfast dessert alongside your hot latte. They may not have weed inside, but then again, they sure are a batch of happy brownies. Here’s to a better and happier day ahead, because it will always be so someday.

experimental brownies part 1

makes an 8 x 8 inched

NB: They tasted just as good on the 2nd day, and a little firmer too.

As brown sugar contains molasses, you will have a little sour tang in them.

140g (5 oz) of unsalted butter, at room temperature

200g (7 oz) of 70% dark chocolate, melted

130g soft brown sugar

40g white sugar

2 tsp of vanilla extract

¼ tsp of salt

1 tbsp cocoa powder

2 large eggs, room temp

2 tbsp of espresso coffee

1 tsp glucose/corn syrup (leave this out if you do not have)

75 g (2/3 cup) of plain flour

Preheat oven to 180C (350F). Spray an 8 by 8 inch square pan with non stick cooking spray and lay the bottom with parchment paper. Set aside.

In a large bowl whisk together the sugars and butter until fluffy. Add the eggs, vanilla extract and espresso. Beat until all is combined.

Add the melted chocolate, glucose/corn syrup and whisk, add the dry ingredients and mix everything together until it’s incorporated but don’t over mix.

Pour batter into your prepared pan, spread evenly and bake for about 40 minutes or until when a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out with moist crumbs but not wet batter.

Cool for about 5 minutes in the pan and then transfer them to a cooling rack to cool completely.

Okay so maybe sometimes things don’t go the way we want them to. Whether it is a recipe for disaster or something you know that will bear no future, I guess there are things a plenty that we can at least be thankful for.

Life works in the weirdest of ways. As I grow older by the minute, I find myself letting go of the smallest things that used to bug me so often. I try to think less of what makes me sad and hey, I’m actually moving on. The bridge has begun to be built, and I’m trying to cross it.

So what am I thankful for?

I’m thankful for the sun, for it is nature’s prozac and it makes me happy, no matter how blistery it may be on the skin. Sometimes I embrace the heat at noon. If a friend wishes to head to the park to rollerblade in the scorching sun, I’m there.

I love food. And I’m thankful for the friendly elderly man not giving up on his stir fried hokkien noodles by the corner nearby. Extra chilli, please.

I’m thankful for how weddings here do not use real wedding cakes anymore. I cannot seem to forget how bad that wedding cake tasted at this Mexican wedding I attended. Why the hell was I there uninvited? Oh yes. That. Never mind, moving on……

I’m thankful for my appendix removed. Hey, without that useless bag of whatnot, I can race ya, and beat ya, without throwing up, after a full course meal. Anyone up for the challenge?

I cannot begin to describe how thankful I am for friendship. Not your typical “hey, it’s been so long, let’s meet for coffee. Say, next week?”. And…nothing. Well, to a certain bunch of people: You guys rock. xoxo

To round things up, you can never be too grateful for the existence of cookies and ice cream. Enough cookies and cream, how about ice cream sandwiches instead? Remember going to Disneyland and you begged your mom so hard for that Mickey Mouse ice cream sandwich? That probably went for $5 a pop. Oh well, Disneyland is practically history in my case. Now, I can only look forward to more sun, edible wedding cakes, and a month’s supply of ice cream sandwiches in my freezer.

Vanilla Ice Cream Sandwiches

I make my own cookies and ice cream. But to keep it simple, buy your favorite vanilla ice cream and any mix-in. Grab a box of chewy chocolate chip cookies. The rest is history as you know it.

A tip worth mentioning, let your ice cream soften a bit, spread it out in a baking pan couple of inches deep, and refreeze. Once harden again, use a round cookie cutter to cut circles out. Make sure they match the size of your cookies.

Did that sound a bit too troublesome for you? If you are less of an OCD unlike some, simply go for the rustic look, as how I like to call it.

Enjoy, everyone. (:

Things haven’t been the rosiest at the moment. There’s the usual family shit and again, family shit. But thankfully, there are things like Asos to keep myself occupied sometimes. I do not shop online. The only thing I’ve ever bought over amazon was a Donna Hay recipe book. Then came along Asos. Funny how much time can be spent browsing endless sun dresses and flip flops, bookmarking the ones. But, nothing of it. Guess I’m not an online shopper kind of person.

I’m kind of glad I took the liberty to travel to Vietnam with a couple of friends. Just two weeks back. And I must say, it was amazing. Seriously phenomenal. Okay, so we could have planned a little better, and avoided that extravagant French meal. Besides that, Ho Chi Minh is one city anyone must visit. Yes, it’s 3rd world, streets are filthy, and bloody difficult to cross the smallest road. Still, it was enjoyable. Food was good, beer was cheap (too cheap), and I felt safe. And not because I was chaperoned by 2 dudes (no that never counted).

If only we were that carefree over here. Everyone’s either getting stressed over deadlines or changes. People want things fast fast fast. Where the hell is the joy of just living life anymore? On some days, I think of getting hold on a one way ticket to a place (maybe San Francisco) far, far away. Away from all the heat. At times I think of why I am in such a mess. It gets overwhelming, and I don’t think I want to relive some parts of my life again.

My one distraction I’m thankful for, food. Food that lots of thought has been put in. I’m thankful for eggs, butter, sugar and milk. Without them, how can we have such delicious food and of course, dessert? If there’s anything that has to be in my fridge, it’s dairy. I cannot imagine marrying someone who chooses to be vegan. Touch wood.

So what do I have here? It’s my favorite theme park snack and it’s spanish. Churros are so, so delicious. This recipe makes very light and fluffy churros. They are best eaten as soon as they are cooked. They are also fantastic with a bittersweet chocolate sauce.

And the best part? It’s so easy. Anyone can make these. Sometimes I wish I was a kindergarten school teacher. I’d gladly feed those buggery kids with an endless supply of dessert. Hahaha. Enjoy, people (:

Churros

adapted from dorie greenspan through I am a food blog

• 1/4 cup whole milk
• 1/4 cup water
• 1/4 cup unsalted butter (1/2 stick), cut into 8 pieces
• pinch salt
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 2.5 large eggs*, at room temperature (3 small to medium eggs work as well)
• oil for deep frying
• cinnamon-sugar for dusting

Bring the milk, water, butter and salt to the boil in a heavy-bottomed 2-quart saucepan.  When the mixture is boiling rapidly, add the flour all at once, reduce the heat to medium and, without a second’s hesitation, start stirring the mixture like mad with a wooden spoon.  The dough will come together very quickly and a slight crust will form on the bottom of the pan, but you have to keep stirring – vigorously – another 2 to 3 minutes to dry the dough.  At the end of this time, the dough will be very smooth.

Turn the dough into the bowl of a mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. One by one, add the eggs to the dough, beating until each egg is thoroughly incorporated.  As soon as you add the first egg, your dough will separate.  Keep working and by the time you add the third egg it will start coming together again.  When all the eggs are incorporated, the dough will be thick and shiny and, when you lift some of it up it will fall back into the bowl in a ribbon. Spoon the dough into a piping bag with a star tip.

Heat about an inch of oil to 350 F in a deep cast iron skillet over medium high heat. Carefully pipe the dough into the oil. Snip with kitchen scissors when churro is your desired length. Fry, turning once, until golden brown, about 2 minutes per side. Drain on paper towels and immediately roll in cinnamon sugar. Enjoy hot!

**Half an egg is about 4 teaspoons.

Pochahontas needs to get out of her land before she can sing Colors of the Wind in full honesty.

Maybe she needs a visit to Asia.

Isn’t Asia quite a colorful continent? The times when toilets come with missing doors. Then in some places, buskers need to get licensed (pretty lame if you ask me). Students always cram after school hours… And the food. Man is Asia a culinary giant. Because really, I cannot live a day to day fish and chips diet. Or hamburger, for that matter.

Us Asians don’t really have much fondness for ‘dessert with your sugar’. Maybe it’s a yin and the yang thing, but who cares. Why do that when you can have the right amount of sugar with your dessert?

A good dessert that’s easy on the stomach is a strawberry shortcake. 5 of these are an equivalent of a slice of cheesecake from the cheesecake factory. But that’s just my opinion. Think you could eat a whole cake in one sitting?

This recipe for the spongecake is by a French (oh the irony). But case in point, I always see these in Asian bakeries.

Feel free to slap on more whipped cream. I ran out of whipped cream and you know how tough rationing is…

Sponge Cake

makes 12 x 18 inch (30 x 46 cm) sheet cake or

one 9 inch (23 cm) round cake

by Shirley Sarvis

1 1/2 cup (195g) cake flour

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

5 large eggs, separated, room temp

1/4 cup (60ml) cold water

1 cup (200g) white sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preheat the oven to 350F (175C). Lightly butter just the bottom of the sheet or round pan (with sides at least 2 inches high). Line the bottom with a piece of parchment paper.

Into a small bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder and salt.

In a stand mixer fitted with the whip attachment, whisk together the egg yolks and water on high speed for 1 minute. Decrease the speed to medium, add the sugar and vanilla, then increase the speed to high and continue to whisk until the mixture forms a ribbon when the whip is lifted, about 5 minutes. Set aside.

In a clean dry bowl with a clean whip attachment, whisk the whites on high speed until formed stiff peaks.

Using one hand, gradually sift the flour mixture over the beaten yolks, and using a whisk with the other hand, fold it in. Setting the bowl on a damp towel will help steady it. When the flour is fully incorporated, use a rubber spatula to fold in 1/3 of the whipped whites to lighten the batter, then fold in the remaining.

Pour the batter into the pan or sheet and quickly spread in an even layer. Bake until the cake is browned and the centre springs back when gently pressed with finger. Bake 15-18 mins in a sheet or 40-45 mins in a pan. Let cool in pan.

Run a knife around the sides of the pan to loosen it from the pan. Invert the cake onto a cutting board or large plate.

storage: keeps at room temp for 3 days or freezer for 1 month

Wow, who would have imagined how fast December has quickly rushed here. It’s madness I’m telling you.

Moving on, I’m finally holding my very first online bake sale  for you Singaporeans. My favorite chocolate chunk cookies and lemon curd cupcakes all going at a very good price. It may sound cheesy but these are made with heart and soul…sweat and blood…and very good ingredients. I don’t compromise quality.

As you all can see, I have a facebook page up. Click LIKE and be updated by the most random yet delicious things. I like to keep life interesting and stomachs full.

Hope you guys can show the support and do spread the love around!

xoxo

Hannah

Nothing good happens after 2am? Nothing good happens after alcohol. You’re happy for a moment, then things start to go wrong.

When I drink alcohol with a straw, it brings out the worst in me. This one night, when I downed a few cups of contreau lime sodas, word vomit was what happened. I began bitching about my friends, whining about work, and doing just the impossible. I got mad at the waiter for not understanding me, and I bitched about the air conditioning. Nothing was right for me it seemed.

It was funny how I could see straight, walk straight, and yet how my thoughts lost track of themselves. I couldn’t sleep that night. When the alcohol started to wear off in the morning, it all started to come back to me. I never felt so foolish in my entire life. I made a fool of myself in front of friends and strangers, and embarrassed my friends as well.

I ever told myself never to get myself drunk. But I did. I didn’t even realize I was till the next day.

I guess alcohol is more than just social lubricant. It brought out the bitch in me. It creates friction.

This year has been an emotional roller coaster. I have never dealt with so much shit in my life. Despite everything, I have always tried to ignore it and to stay strong. No one has any idea how hard it actually is. And because of it all, I have turned into this person I’m not familiar with. I wish I could be myself again, undo the flaws, and just be happy. It’s so tiring to have your heart burdened by so many things.

Sorry, I just needed to rant.

Cheese makes you happy. Cheese makes you fart too.

Best of all, cheese makes real good crackers.

This is a real good recipe people. No, you won’t fart like the white chicks in LA. But you will keep eating these. It’s that addictive.

Use good sharp cheddar cheese for flavor. I’m pretty sure gruyere or even blue cheese will work just as well.

Take that, colorful Pepperidge farm fish crackers with absolutely zero flavor.

Haha

homemade cheese crackers

adapted from Alana Chernila via 101 cookbooks

3 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes, plus additional for baking sheets

1 1/2 cups / 7 oz / 200g whole wheat pastry flour, plus more for the counter OR rye flour, as i used

1 teaspoon dry mustard powder/cajun powder

1 teaspoon fine grain sea salt

6 ounces / 170 g Cheddar cheese, grated

2 teaspoons white wine vinegar

1 ice cube

sesame seeds, for decoration

Combine the butter, flour, dry mustard/cajun, and salt in the bowl of a stand mixer. Mix on low speed with the paddle attachment until the mixture is crumbly and the butter starts to integrate into the mixture, about 30 seconds. Add the cheese and mix again on low speed for a few seconds.

In a measuring cup, combine 3/4 cup water, the vinegar, and the ice cube, and let sit for a moment to get cold. Add 6 tablespoons of the vinegar mixture to the dough and mix on medium speed for 20 seconds. Continue to add liquid, 1 tablespoon at a time, until the dough clings in a ball to the beater. Then mix for an additional 30 seconds. Mound the dough into a ball, wrap it in waxed paper or plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least two hours, and up to 3 days.

Remove the dough from the refrigerator 15 minutes before you are ready to roll it out. Preheat the oven to 325F / 160C and grease two baking sheets. Turn out the dough onto a floured surface, press into a flat disc, and roll it with a rolling pin until the dough is 1/8-inch thick. Cut into desired shapes using a knife or cutter. Any leftover dough can be rerolled for more crackers.

With a spatula, transfer the crackers to the prepared baking sheets, allowing nearly an inch between crackers. If you’re adding seeds as an accent, press them gently in place now. Bake until the bottoms are browned, and the tops take on a good amount of color as well – 18 – 25 minutes, depending on how thick your crackers actually are. And rotate the sheets halfway through baking (or when the crackers in the back look like they are browning more quickly than the front). Turn off the oven, prop open the oven door with a metal or wooden spoon, and allow the crackers to crisp as the oven cools – at least twenty minutes.

Makes 3-4 dozen small/medium crackers.

Give me a hundred good reasons why I should move to a country where it’s freezing all year round. Seriously.

Not that there’s a ton of things here to tie me down. But when I want to migrate, I will. Stop shouting at me for not wanting to.

Moving on, these cupcakes were excellent. I’m as much of a chocolate fan as I am of vanilla and lemon. I love using vanilla bean paste as it gives an extra vanilla kick to both the cake and the frosting. It’s my first time trying out cooked frosting and it turned out really well. Trust me, it tastes a million times better than buttercream.

And the best part? My friends really loved these. I have a feeling I might make these soon again.

Filed under: cake/cupcakes, Icings/Fillings/More ]]> http://bake5.wordpress.com/2012/10/06/vanilla-lemon-cupcakes/feed/ 6 DSC_2519 onlybutter DSC_2519 DSC_2535 _Snapseed DSC_2552 _Snapseed http://bake5.wordpress.com/2012/09/30/mixed-berry-frozen-yogurt/ http://bake5.wordpress.com/2012/09/30/mixed-berry-frozen-yogurt/#comments Sun, 30 Sep 2012 13:43:21 +0000 Hannah http://bake5.wordpress.com/?p=1349 Continue reading »]]>

Today a friend was kind enough to invite me along to a supper club just minutes away from my home. This girl cooked everything European, mostly Italian, I think. Everyone invited either knew each other through mutual means or were strangers to one another. The living room was divided into 2 tables and of course, I ended up at the chattier table. Fortunately.

One chunk of the wall was plastered in blackboard paint and the whole lunch menu was explained in colored chalk. From homemade focaccia to roasted pork belly, everything sounded absolutely delicious. And it was.

But of course, the people made it even better. I met an American who’s here interning at a preschool for special children. And there was this entertaining dude who passes on the most unfortunate details. Everyone was so different, yet it was rather nice together for a summery Sunday lunch.

Because really, it is food and people that makes the world go round. Do we really need the Pope to show us the world peace sign? I didn’t think so.

It’s the Mid-Autumn festival today and the moon has never been fuller or more gorgeous. The dessert that symbolizes it is the moon cake. I’m not the biggest fan of it but anyone curious enough to try it? It’s a round pastry filled with either red bean or lotus paste. And right inside you may find a whole salted egg yolk, usually duck. Family and friends get together on this day. I’m looking forward to spend the night with some friends later on.

I had to use up frozen berries and a great way is to make some compote and blend it together with creamy greek yogurt. Add in honey to taste, mix well, and churn it up in your ice cream maker. It’s that simple.

Mixed berry froyo

adapted from Christie’s corner

• 3 1/2 cups frozen berries, thawed for 10 minutes
• 1/3 cup agave nectar or liquid honey
• 1/2 cup nonfat plain Greek yogurt
• 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice

Cook the berries with a little brown sugar over low heat until you get a berry compote. Let it cool and blend it together with honey, yogurt, and lemon juice. Chill it in the fridge for an hour and then churn it in your ice cream maker.

Another way of doing it is to blend the frozen berries with everything else, and serve it immediately.