D e l i s i o u c i t y

I had quite forgotten that I have this food blog until I received two emails a  week ago.  One of them was the occasional bake request which I, almost by default nowadays, had to decline. The second email was a wonderful letter from a fellow baker, whose words reminded me of how much passion I have for baking and pastries. It was like a cold splash of water that woke me up to the fact that it has been at least three months since I baked anything worth blogging about – or anything sweet for that matter. Unless of course you don’t mind reading yet another recipe for lazy day, uninteresting but effortless, chicken roast. That, my friends, I have plenty of.

I’ve also come to  realize that my visitor counter has been clocking in even when I’ve been extremely quiet the past months, and I really hate to have disappointed everyone with the lack of updates. It came as no surprise that I felt the pressing need to start writing again – which literally means baking again. So here it is, my much too delayed post that I promise will be a delight to your eyes as it was to our noses and taste-buds; sweet shortcrust pastry with vanilla creme patissier (pastry cream) and fruits of the season, and of course, my part-time love, french macarons (or macaroons, as some may insist) – in the most scintillating floral scent of crushed sugared violets; Belgian dark chocolate, and marron (chestnut) paste, straight from France.

Sugared Violets

Actually, the emails I mentioned came in perfect timing. I thought, apart from updating my blog, it was a good opportunity to introduce some of the products of my baking obsession during my turn to co-host a weekly Coffee & Cake Wednesday event at the Institute where I now study. It’s simply fabulous to have these social and informal gatherings, where we would take turn to bring cakes, biscuits and other baked goodies (or non baked, in the case of chilled cheesecakes, fresh fruits and cheeses!)

I was very excited at the prospect of baking for this event, but knew that I had to plan.. because I simply did not have all my paraphernalia from home save my trusty spoonula, medium balloon whisk, small rolling pin and measuring spoons (all safely flown in by hitch-hiking my luggage bag). I purposely chose to co-host the event at the very last bit of the Michaelmas term, so I could amass my baking arsenal that is so absolutely crucial  for my bake projects, especially for the purpose of the perpetually temperamental macaron. Even so, the macarons still gave me trouble.. because now I was deprived of  the oven at home that I painstakingly learned to master over the past year. Ah well, at least about 100 macaron shells were the right texture, while the rest  were chucked into the bin, accompanied with swear words I’d rather not mention here! (but is featured here).

For the macarons, I’ve always been captivated by the sheer ‘prettiness’ of the violet scent and the nuances of floral sweetness it displays, ever since I tasted Canele’s version of the violet buttercream. Duncan of syrupandtang.com also wrote a post on using violet syrup and liquer but it can be quite tricky to capture the robustness of its flavour. Of course, I was more intrigued when Helene of mytartlette.com (yes, one of my many pastry idols!) used crushed sugared violets to merely top the shells. So when I saw some crushed violets on display at a cake shop in the Oxford Covered Market, I was simply elated…

…but only to discover that the shells didn’t work!! For some reason I thought coarser violet particles would lend more than mere subtlety in flavours to the macarons, which isn’t too much of a long shot.. but the violets sunk into the smooth batter (especially baked at low temperatures of 150C), even after the batter puffed up! So in the bin they went. Basically, learning the lingo of a completely different oven involves A LOT of experimentation. With the low temperatures that I started with, it meant that I had to increase the amount of time to bake the shells. This substantially and in effect ruined the shells because they would by then produce ‘tough cookies’ that crunch upon each bite. NO way, hozay! Macarons are supposed to be very delicate with a super-light crack and not crunchy by any means. I can only be thankful for the cheaper prices of almond meal in UK, compared to Brunei.

Apart from the largely failed (save 10 pieces?) violet macarons, I also made the usual chocolate ones with the dust of cocoa… only this time I used Belgian dark chocolate instead for the filling. French Valrhona can get very expensive and after spending a hefty sum on my new baking paraphernalia, I thought I’d just stick to Belgian from Tesco’s (ooooooh the shame!!) which firmed up too well thanks to the cold weather and/or possibly some steam escaping into the chocolate whilst I tampered it into a ganache. Still, nobody complained; instead the wonderful people from the Institute were only too kind to say the nicest things to me ^_^

For the third macaron flavour, I used chestnut paste that I found at this awesome delicatessen also at the Covered Market; a purveyor of fine foods and ingredients that is forever going to be bookmarked in my list of places to go.  Every winter that I was in London, I always always had roasted chestnuts by Oxford Street from the stocky man with the charcoal-dusted fingers, who sells them at a pound per (tiny) bag. So chestnuts have become a traditionally winter flavour in my book, and yes, I did make sure that  I bought some of the roasted ones from the very same man last week! For the macaron filling, you may find that it can be a bit watery so I thickened it with white chocolate (ganache) and a few grams of almond to lend some texture. If you’re in the mood to make your own paste, you can find some good pointers from my favourite Singaporean blogger, Karen.

Finally, the fruit tartelettes were really done on a whim so I must admit that I did not use my usual pastry recipe  (although I did find there was no trouble in having cold fingers to work the dough, thanks to the weather). I have no shame to admit that I used ready-to-roll sweet shortcrust pastry from Jus-Roll (they’re good); and here’s a recipe for creme patissier (pastry cream) that you may like to try for your mini tarts.  Simply top with any fruit you like, excluding durian, I should think:

Remember to not overwork your pastry; make sure your fingers are cold; and that the pastry cases are baked blind with parchment and pastry weight/beans/rice to hold them down.

Lastly, our little get together was co-hosted by my friend Francesca, who brought along a gorgeous semi-freddo and a block of authentic Italian Parmigiano!

See you in the next gastroventure, and do tell me what you’ve been up to!

My good friend D wrote to me some weeks ago about creating a set of desserts  and other baked goodies for her in-laws. I ended up making two desserts, one savoury, and three petite fours (I don’t know if scones qualify as one, but I did make them small!) In making these, I nearly went ‘mentalist’ (if there’s a word) due to anxiety, and because there was so much preparation to do for each of the components. Naturally, some dessert parts should be made in advance to give time for resting (pastries); and chill (mousses and creams). Mind you, as I have no  formal training whatsoever with pastry chef-ing, (or professional kitchen management for that matter),  I was very likely to be a difficult person to live with at that time, as I wanted everything to go well

I’ll have you know though, that I was simply elated with this bake request, because to be honest, I was getting sick of baking cupcakes that keep on pulling out of their liners (the fate of scrumptious, milky & buttery recipes)… and decorations that  remind me too much of my play-doh-playing youth. I thought, now’s the real dessert deal, with plenty of careful planning, and opportunities to learn. Thank you D, for trusting me with this project; it actually resuscitated me from all the monotonous work of my side business and reminded me why I enjoy baking as a hobby in the first place ^_^

So come, on with the gastroventure!

D gave me the liberty to choose desserts with the only prerequisite of making them ‘not too sweet’. Of course, this was a little bit difficult to achieve because I don’t really like tweaking recipes too much for fear of disrupting the chemical reaction between ingredients and resulting in a flop :-/.  It doesn’t help either that I am yet to sit for a Pastry 101. I wanted to make them as presentable as possible too, so I went over to Canelle et Vanille for inspiration. The author and ex-pastry chef  of that website, Aran Goyoaga, amongst others, is instrumental in shaping the way I look at food and food-styling. I picked a recipe that was to be an ode to her and followed it almost entirely (which I sort of regret because the recipe uses a glucose base to make a dry caramel, which resulted in an uber sweet ‘dish’). However, I picked this because of the simplicity and straightforwardness of the flavours, and Aran’s impeccable taste and neatness is reflected in the presentation. For her full recipe, click here.

Dessert 1 – Dark Chocolate Mousse with Banana Caramel, Honey Roasted Peanuts, and Caramel  Fleur De Sel Ganache. The components for this dessert are:

1) Chocolate tartelette cases (I used Pate Sucree, short, but not too crumbly. In fact the cocoa turned it a bit tough). I know I owe some people the recipe and method.. it will come! I promise. If you could find a good recipe online, then the only things I would pass on to you here is not to overwork the dough and to chill it for at least two hours before rolling.

Baking it blind:
After a couple of hours of resting in the chiller, flatten your dough but do not knead. Roll it to a reasonable thickness, and lift it with your rolling pin to line the mould/case. Press with a small piece of dough to create an even surface. Cut excess dough. Take a piece of parchment and cover the pastry case. Pop in the fridge for 10 minutes to chill again, then add rice or dried beans on the parchment to hold down the pastry while it is baked. You may also want to prick the bottom with a fork. Bottom of the tartelette cases, that is.

2) Banana Caramel. Here you make a dry caramel, which is essentially burnt sugar, and add bananas to it. C’est simple! But beware of the spitting and spluttering.

After the baked cases have cooled, add the banana caramel, then top off with some honey roasted peanuts! Non, zis is not fogh ze allerjhic pipew.

3) Salted Caramel (Caremel Fleur De Sel) Ganache. I love this the most! Imagine salty chocolate.. with a distinctive taste of warm, burnt sugar. I know you can’t really see the layer in this picture, but it’s there ^_^

4) Dark Chocolate Mousse. Now I wish I had just made this using my usual mousse recipe. This was a tad too sweet even for fat old me. Anyhow, just use a round tip and a piping bag to get the effect, then sprinkle some chopped roasted peanuts. Finally, make curliques from tempered chocolate and place on top with a good dusting of cocoa. Or, just scrape a block of chocolate with a knife (hehe… cos either way, I’m not good at this). Observe/:

Dessert 2 – Summer Berry Charlotte with Fresh Berries and Italian Savoiardi fingers

I think Charlottes are the most aesthetically pleasing desserts on the face of this earth. You often end up wondering what is inside that wall surrounding the innards of a Charlotte- a mousse? what kind? what flavour? And what’s up with the wall? I opted to make this up as I went. The ‘wall’ was made of Savoiardi cookie fingers, straight from Italy, which are quite an upscale type compared to the generic “sponge fingers” you might find at Supasave. Inside was a Summer Berry Bavarian Cream, which is a mellow but subtley zesty, summer-fruity concoction that could only be described as perfectly heavenly and refreshing. Ok, I realise that’s a bit of a tongue-twister. Nyaman wah! I am confident of it because I made a tarte version and presented that to my family and everyone was craving for more (that I ended up buying loads of berries lately). If you can fork up for the expenzive berries, I would make them everyday Now why can’t berries be grown in Brunei?! Note to the Department of Agriculture.

Whilst the frozen mixed berries are perfectly fine for the bavarian cream (since you pulverize them into pulp anyway), you’d definitely need fresh berries for decoration.. which is why I love this time of the year!  It’s summer in the northern hemisphere and the chilled aisles are packed full of beautiful harvests, and I wish I just had the time and energy to make proper patisseries out of them.

To make the berry Bavarian cream, you’d need egg yolks, heavy cream, sugar, gelatine (of course I use the Halal ones), milk, and a bit of lemon juice. A lot of people have been requesting for this dessert lately (since I loaded up the pictures on FaceBook), and have subsequently been shocked to discover how much I charge for them ‘per charlotte’. Cutting the story short, let me just clear the air and say that these berries are seasonal and they’re imported and they are extremely expensive! A punnet of blueberries? $11 to $12.  And strawberries? $5-$6. What about cherries? $4-$6. I find it awefully distasteful that sometimes people do not appreciate how much actually goes into making food from imported items. Unless you have a secret berry garden tucked in your backyard, and you eat the harvest all the time, paying premium price for imported goods seems to be the only option for non-producers like us in this country ^_^ Big sigh.

Since this post is becoming too long,  and I’ve edited this draft more than 20 times (no joke!), I’m just going to post the pictures of the rest of the spread and possibly write about them when I have the energy next time ^_^ So do visit again for updates… as I understand that some of you actually do read my posts and not just come here and copy/paste my designs without acknowledging my work ^_^ (yes, it has happened, and it is very uncool to plagiarize ;p).

No. 3 – Macarons Assortement.

If you have been following my blog, you’d notice how big my macarons have become. I suppose my only explanation is that I have broken even from my initial investments and can now offer these temperemental gems at your money’s-worth. It’s also a result of  the fact that my batches turn out well after baking and I get little or none of the cracked dome/feetless effect. This has certainly helped in minimizing my losses. I can also assure you that my macarons are, though not consistently porcelain-perfect on the surface, are relatively superior than the alternative ones you may find here. I am confident of my product because I make them individually out of passion and that I do not sacrifice taste for branding. Mind you, I researched and trained myself to make these diva of a petit four for at least 6 months.. and have finally perfected them in a year’s time. Finicky little things.

No. 4 - Another berry entree; Fresh Blueberry Honey Scone. The recipe for this is beautiful in all its simplicity, in that it uses honey and buttermilk which gives a nice balanced taste. I packed them with fresh blueberries and served with a jar of German wild berry conserve. To make fluffy yet flaky scones, reserve the batter for about half an hour and also do not overwork/overknead the dough.

Again, if you need the recipe, I am more than willing to share Just write me a note in the comment box and I’ll make sure I post up the recipe as soon as I find the time.

No. 5 – Cannele Bourdelais. These are amazingly familiar to our tastebuds, surprisingly. I have always wanted to make these french petite fours, which originated from the region of Bourdeux in France. Reading through some blogs, I realise that they are quite difficult to make too, despite the fact that the ingredients are simple. The original recipe contains a good amount of rum; of which we cannot consume as Muslims so I replaced that with vanilla. I suppose I can never attain the authentic taste because of this replacement ^_^ The traditional way of making canneles (pronounced Ka-na-Lay) is by using copper moulds and brushing the insides with beeswax for easy release. They also take a loooong time to bake.. traditionally 3 hours. But nowadays, you can use those nifty silicon moulds (I got myself a couple of Gugelhopfs) which may be cheaper where you are (they certainly are not where I am!) and make way without the beeswax. I also read somewhere that it makes no difference when you bake these with the absence of beeswax – which may be difficult to obtain in the first place.

Cannele purists will argue that these petite fours should have a burnt look on the surface, which is like eating the edges of our local Bingka. Very nice.

No. 6 – Smoked Salmon and Spinach Petite Quiche with Fresh Ricotta and Poppy Seed. This was the one savoury dish that had the potential to overtake the sweetness of the other items in the spread. Mainly because it’s fish ;p Not too bad either. I loved the crust the most though, because it is not a ‘proper’ pastry, rather it is made from cream cheese combined with other things. The marriage of flavours is intoxicatingly pleasant, and this one fills you up rather easily too. Finally, this was the one item that I had some a little help from the husby, and subsequently had him enjoy eating ^_^

If I may repeat myself, I had so much enjoyment and gained plenty of experience with this project. I’d have to say I’m better now with kitchen management. Sans the help, washing, cleaning, and getting on with the baking and final touches with la presentation can be all a tad too overwhelming. Perhaps my Monica Geller-esque, obsessive-compulsive, anally organising type of behaviour might have come in handy after all.

As much as cupcakes are making such a huge impact onto the world of food today (note sites such as Cupcakes Take the Cake, and Iron Cupcake competitions), nothing seems to surpass the impact that my husband has on me when it comes to football. Let’s just put it this way: I used to own a few Manchester United clothing and was politely asked to throw them out. Subsequently I was supplied with some Liverpool FC frock ^_^ But don’t you be judging us! I think it’s somewhat endearing. I mean, how many of you out there can even dare to hum the melodies of ‘Glory Glory..’ in a house where you were cajoled to swear allegiance to the one and only football club that promises you’d ‘never walk alone’, without getting the pouty, hurt puppy look?!

That’s right. In a world where football club rivalry runs rampant, a divided household is not a happy home ;p So I’m afraid that I have succumbed to the euphoria of football fanaticism. No wait, that’s quite an exaggeration. Let’s just say I support him wholeheartedly and his *ehem* team, albeit from the sidelines. Fair enough? Football fans, and perhaps especially LFC fans, are a hard-core bunch… and I’m probably not wrong to say so. Who else would you see standing tall in silence, giving a respectful military salute to these cupcakes, for God’s sakes? It was hilarious to see husby like that, and I am not sure where the whole sense of allegiance, loyalty, and ultimately, love,  for a football club millions of miles away comes from. Any sociological theory taught by my lecturers on this, I most certainly have forgotten.

Anyhow, I quite enjoyed making the fondant toppers on Liverpool FC that you see here. It was the most fun because I had my husband fully on board, cheering on while I painfully roll and knead the fondants, carefully shaping them into these tiny pieces of edible artwork. Such memories. hehe.

I also found out later on that the family who ordered these had a fantastical party of the red-and-white-theme strain. I want, I want! It is so nice to view their pictures on FaceBook and how everyone is dressed in those colours, and the kids having a cake-eating competition with their hands behind their backs ^_^. They had two cakes, one done by myself and the other by the very talented Candy Chan (who does the most amazing, precise wee details on fondants). It was very funny too as we both found out that our fondant cupcake toppers looked so much alike! And we didn’t even know we were both doing the same project for the same family. Haha.

The jersey-shaped cake turned out shorter than I had conceptualized, boo on that. But it worked nonetheless. Maybe it’ll win something in a tiny-T-shirt contest. Insides Rich Chocolate cake with ganache and Valrhona pearls. Oh yes, the cupcakes are my apparently bestselling Fudgey Walnut Brownie Cupcakes, which is receiving a couple more repeat orders from this family ^_^ Jazakallahu Khairan!

To everyone else, here, have some balls and you’ll find that you’ll never walk alone *koff koff*:

[Eye roll]

xoxo
nix

Sometimes, and for no reason at all, I grab my camera and start shooting randomly. I also will end up with a stiff neck because I know better that my hands are not that steady and an investment in a tripod is possibly a reality  in the horizon. The stiff neck comes from the peering about into the small camera peep-hole thingamajiggy (let’s save the lingo for another day, shall we?) and the fact that I am utterly obsessed about capturing tiny details (a.k.a macros). Technically, I need a proper macro lens of some sort (again, let’s skip the jargon), but holy cr*p, these things cost a bomb. Na-ah, no way.. at least not now. But I soooo want to capture details badly!! It’s probably my number one most annoying trait, this fixation with details. So I’m calling for any photog addicts out there willing to mentor me in exchange for desserts ^_^ (batting eyelids). Anyone?

In the meantime, I’m posting up some pictures of objects that I love and that provides me with calmness and inspiration. Some of these were taken at my oldest sister’s beautiful home in Kuala Belait.. and not so incidentally, she is also a little bit obsessed with details. It must probably run in the family. (P/s Ka, I love your home and  your new car and thank you for belanja-ing us yesterday. My turn next time when a certain someone gets back to Brunei). hehee.

One of the reasons why I truly enjoy randomly snapping away at certain places is the fact that there is natural light available there. I love the open, minimalist concept of certain homes de-cluttered of accessories that do not necessarily complement their interior designs. What I especially love are colours that neutralize the environment from outdoors – like shades of gray and white, and different tones of earthy brown. When strong opposites lay side by side, or merely juxtaposed against one another, you see a contrastingly beutiful effect that gives a sense of homeliness and nature – such as splashes of fresh green or sexy plum against said neutral colours, bien sur. What minimalist, open-air concepts can do is to make photographing easier as I don’t have to search for the light as much as I would be taking random pictures at night! Now if only these darn cameras weren’t so heavy, I could actually reduce my shaking and blur (yes, this is in spite of the Image Stabilizer function). boo.

I’d like to share with you a recipe too, today. It’s inspired by one of Nigella Lawson’s express meals, and delivers the whole colour/texture contrast that I love so much

Crab meat with Avocado and Wasabe Wrap
Adapted from Nigella’s Express

A can of good quality crab meat
An avocado, sliced lengthwise or balled with a melon-baller
A tablespoon of wasabe paste
Pinch of salt and pepper to taste
Lettuce leaves
Tortilla wrap or thin wholewheat pita bread

Drain the crab meat and mix with wasabe paste. Season to taste. Arrange the lettuce leaves on a tortilla wrap, and add a spoonful of crabmeat, topped with avocados. Tuck in one edge of the wrap to cover the filling, and roll. You may also ’seal’ this wrap by press-grilling the whole thing. Cut diagonally and enjoy.

Finally, I want to introduce you to Memie the cat. He resides at my mum’s home and although I am a genuine cat-lover person, I am not allowed to have a cat at our home because number one, husby does not want to be responsible for the waste-management duties of felines (boo!), and two, my constant baking means that cat hair or the possibility of cat cooties flying about is not a good one. hehe. Ah well.

He does know how to werq it like a true model, doesn’t he? Being fully aware of my photo-snapping sounds and all. *eye roll*

xoxo

The event covered in this post happened yonks ago and I’ve finally finished editing the draft after so much procrastination ^_^ Happy reading, and glad to have met you that day!

Oh the sparkle in his eyes! What a stick of Cuppiepop can do to a boy.

It was the 6th anniversary celebration of ranoadidas.com on Friday 12th June, and I was very excited to have been invited by Rano himself to participate in one of the booths there. Actually that’s quite understated. I was over the moon, and simply couldn’t contain myself, as witnessed by my much understanding and extremely supportive husby ^_^ So on we went! We planned and we planned for the official debut of Delisioucity’s fine desserts and patisseries, and yet we still found there was SO much to learn out of the whole experience. Customer preferences, logistics, product testing… oh just to name a few. We did get a few things right though, exemplified by the 100+% turnover that I got out of sales. At the end of the day, it’s great to have been given such an opportunity, which is why I want to thank you, Rano! It helps a lot too that www.ranoadidas.com is the 3rd most visited site in Brunei, and not surprisingly, its author  is one the most popular figures in local innovative entrepreneurship in the country.

But most importantly, if you came to the soiree and ate from my booth, thank you too! Even if you just dropped by to say hello; I really enjoyed talking to all of you ^_^ I hope you liked the food… because some of you actually looked like you did (hehe). So here Im showing some pictures that husby took of everyone who seemed delighted with Delisioucity! Bless

Simply delighted with the Banana Crumble Tartelettes

Personally,  the event gave me an advantageous platform to gauge the market; albeit a small one. It was really my first time, proper, in running my own business unaided by the Internet. In making a presence in the blossoming local food industry, I feel slightly triumphant that day, because always in my mind since I opened up this blog, there is this desire to own a share of that lucrative food-industry pie. Besides, I’m known to easily tire of monotonous routines from work etc., and I think the food-blogging/business thing is taking my attention away quite successfully It’s sort of my take on balancing my life with reasonable doses of diversions and occasional difference… with the hope that I later get tired of it, and spring back to normality with much needed energy and inspiration.

Her daughter’s face tells it all!

You can’t fake a candid & genuine reaction to deliciousness!

Speaking of inspiration, I believe I got plenty from that event. I think chefs and cooks have the most satisfying jobs  in the world – because judging from the looks on peoples’ faces, I feel thankful and positively overwhelmed with their acceptance of the kinds of treats that I make.  Of course, my regular job can be very rewarding too ^_^ (note to my colleagues who are reading this :p ) But I suppose this is somewhat different; when you bake something and it’s made out of passion and love (and a whole heap of OCB), then  it’s completely fullfilling to see the looks of joy and contentment when the food is eaten. It’s kind of touch and go, I realise that too. All is well nonetheless. Why? Because number one, I’ve been getting a steady stream of an average 100 unique visitors per day to this website since the event, and number two, a barrage of orders right into my inbox. Unfortunately, I just do not have the capacity to make so much (believe me, the past days I’ve been wishing I had octopus tentacles). So as much as I am uber greatful for the attention, I am also very humbled and wish to convey that the reason why I put up recipes in this blog is so that everyone can try a hand at baking themselves It’s very therapeutic, mind you!

Keeran & dad running an analysis of my goods ;p They ended up being our biggest buyers!

Finally, here’s a log of some of the items available that day. If you did eat from our booth, get ready for a jog down memory lane!

Banana Crumble Tartelettes

Macarons

Cuppiepops, with Cookies & Cream cake inside

Till next time! xoxo

No, it’s not what you think. Or maybe it is. Depends really on what you were thinking. Either way, this post is not about the birds and the bees. In any case though, moms, can you please divert your child’s attention to the cartoon playing on Astro now? ^_^ Sometimes the tiniest teasers can invite unwanted questions from your children I digress much, as you can see.

Anyhow, I had an exciting project that was requested for a baby shower some weeks ago. I’ve actually always wanted to do this theme, especially after eyeing those gorgeous cutters online and the finished products in books by Peggy Porschen. Baby showers aren’t so common in Brunei, seeing that it’s not part of our traditional culture.. but I suppose a lot of transition is happening on many levels centred around the topic of fertility, ey? Not to bore you with that , here is the collection for a baby-themed cookie favour consisting of a baby onesie (jumpsuit), rattle, bottle, and block:

The tradition here however, takes in the form of a Papat Jambul ceremony (especially for the Muslims/Malays)  when the baby is a few months old, and I think there’s a specific ceremony for Chinese babies too (the name escapes me… anyone can help?). Anyhow, I reckon those would not be at all inappropriate for favours such as these

*Hopping off to my next project*

I am simply ecstatic when someone writes to me to ask if I can do this or that… which is the case with this particular project where the question was: “Do I make 1 pound cakes?”. Truthfully, I answered that I don’t quite know what those are (hehe) because I never really sell cakes by their weight. It’s something that I possibly could look into in the future, but I think it’s safe to say that 1 pound cakes are close to 6″ diameter wide cakes.. and they are really really cute!

Well, perhaps not as cute as 3″ cakes

But here you are: my take on a simple cake for a girl and a boy. Thank you A, for the inspiration and the order!

Girly Theme, with Vanilla Victoria Sponge Cake and Hazelnut Buttercream

Football Theme, with Rich Dark Chocolate Cake, Ganache filling and Valrhona Perles

Just in case you are curious, those are not pins for a corkboard ;p they’re cocktail picks, here used to pin down the satin ribbons. If anyone is interested, I am offering an Introductory Price for both cake designs, for a limited time only. The Girly theme cake, for 6″, is $30 (based on Vanilla Victoria & Hazelnut Buttercream), and the Football cake is $35 (based on the Chocolate & Ganache/Perles). They’re both rather yummy if I say so myself ^_^ Prices will change according to the cake inside., and they will change after the promotional period (up till July 31st).

I wonder how this one would look in baby blue?

The football cake is actually quite apt for the upcoming Father’s Day on 21st June!

I think I’m getting the hang of sugar-craft. Sugarpaste (or fondant, or whatever it is you call it in your country), is nothing short of the fun you get from playing with play-doh. But after a million pieces of  tiny, petite, germ-sized pea of a paste, it is safe to say that I am officially needing some good amount of R&R. That however, is nowhere down the horizon: it looks like I’ve been barraged by a stampede of orders. Which, and please don’t get me wrong, I am very thankful for ^_^. This has been one hobby that has exhumed a long dormant desire to vent out my creativity through any conduit possible. One that’s also left a big gaping hole in my purse, no less

But let’s not get too hung up on words today, shall we? I just want to showcase to you a few of the recent sugar craft  designs that I’ve managed to make the past weeks. Enjoy!

First off, He Who Lives In a Pineapple, Under the Sea.

As annoying as he is, tell me who doesn’t love this geeky piece of square sponge who couldn’t seem to pass his driving test?! (or maybe he eventually did. I have not watched him for a while). I wish I had come up with him holding his spatula though! Or a crabby patty on one hand. Ahh, the prospects.

Insides of the cake is a Rich Dark Chocolate Cake with a thick layer of Ganache filling. No, not a sponge cake. *ehem* doo be doo….

Close up, gap between the teeth and all. You can easily make the tongue by using a heart-shaped cookie cutter and chopping off the bottom part according to the shape of the ‘mouth’. Not too difficult if I must say, but just a bit of detail to tolerate with. And this cake came with a set of cupcakes, simplified, because I under-estimated the amount of time to finish the main cake. Simplified means that Spongebob has lost his eyelashes. tsk tsk.

It would’ve been better to use 3D fondant toppers instead, but that would need a lot more time to make.. Since this was a rush order to begin with (remind me to never again!!) What is the cost of these, I hear you say? The answer is: one sleepless night. And the next day I had an important appointment at work too! hehe. The secret lies in the coffee brew ;p

Next, Spiderman. Yes, stark contrast indeed.

I only have one photo of this cake because it was my second night in a week that I had no sleep at all. So I was pretty much useless with the camera by dawn (when the photo was taken). Loads of improvements to this one cake too! In principle it appeared easily executable, but in actual fact it took me an hour just to enrobe the cake!! The reason is because the cake is quite ‘tall’ or rather thick, and had an oval-ish shape. The kneading of the fondant alone took me almost an hour… and rolling it to the right size and thickness was no stroll along the park. At last it was done; though it took two layers as  I needed to cover some holes on the fondant which was a result of thinning and pulling. Boo you gravity! I also wish that the web effect was tidier.

The same order included a selection of sugar cookies: Elmos, Cookie Monsters, and Duckies. Pardon the bad lighting. Dawn was still dark; and I hate camera flashes.

Then, for the next day (yes! I made these after the ‘important appointment at work’!!) , I made simple 2D fondant toppers for some Nutella-filled cupcakes with cinnamon buttercream (which incidentally tasted very interesting). The birthday girl is a cute little toddler called Iman who is , not incidentally, my niece ^_^

Phew! And here are some more from an order made by a young mommy who is so very proud of her very talented son named Kliff. Hope you liked them Kliff! He’s into hip-hop (and has won dance competitions, at only 8 when he did!). His mum was very excited and said the fondant figurine looks just like him ^_^ Cheers Lisa!

In the lineup are his favourites: Converse shoes (well ok, ONE shoe), Transformers (I opted to make Optimus Prime), Goku the dood from Dragonball (I found out he’s got a monkey tail!), and a few hip-hop fashion and breakdance items (Nike wrist bands, breakdancer silhoutte strutting his stuff, Kliff himself in his hoodie and backpack, the infamous rock hand gesture, a radio, and a cap:

Close ups, the Converse shoe:

It took me a looooonggg time to finish this shoe, but it was so worth it ^_^ The details were insane. And the interesting part is that you can actually eat it in one bite! (Though I’d probably be sobbing in the corner if you did).

Here’s another one that tested my patience to the max, yo:

But not as bad as this one!! I know it looks simple and it’s not even 3D, but OMG it took me an hour an a half in finally making the most precise version seen here. Free hand too, as tracing was out of the picture because Optimus Prime here is very small. Ouh, say about less than the size of a 50 cent coin. Crazy, much? @_@

And the other toppers, close up:

And I have some more photos but I think I’ll stop here as this post has gotten pretty long! Till then.

I have a particular penchant for shellfishes and crustaceans. I know that in some cultures, such multiple-habitat organisms aren’t allowed or encouraged to be eaten, of course for their respective reasons. But pour moi, it is the excitement and lure of a ‘fun meal’ that keeps me hung up on things with shells. It reminds me of the good old days when, during family dinners, you can spot me and my father, the only ones left at the table, still digging in the innards of a crab or two. It was like a race to see who could outlast the other (haha)… though we never really put it that way. My mum makes the meanest coconut curry crab by the way, and just weeks ago we sampled this during a family lunch. This time around, it was me and my sister, N, who were left at the end of the meal, both eyeing on that last piece of crab. I think I ate that one, being the glutton of the two… and she conceded to slurping the milky and spicy coconut gravy to contentment ^_^

I also always ensure that I order the seafood teppanyaki when I eat out at a sushi place. It really is just for the scallop, to be honest, but less for the oyster.. as I have a slight aversion to their sandy insides. Scallops on the other hand, are extremely delicious and does not need much in terms of preparation and cooking. You do have to watch it though, because you don’t want the meat to overcook and harden. The meat is actually quite bland (though a ’sweetness’ may emerge out of any fresh seafood harvest), and I wanted to pair that with a slightly edgy and fragrant flavour. What better way than to try the secret ingredient to Catherine Zeta Jones’ scallops in the movie No Reservation: i.e. Kaffir Lime leaves?

I’ve written sometime last year how I try to incorporate kaffir lime leaves as much as I can in almost anything I cook (which soounds weird and psychotic), but trust me, it is a very precious and fragrant ingredient. It feels twice as good to be validated that it is as much a secret ingredient to me as it is in that fictional movie (though I know the recipes  were actually developed by a real chef). Though I don’t always remember that I have kaffir lime leaves stored in the freezer, this time around the scallops seemed the perfect opportunity for reacquaintance. I’ll also have you know that my second favourite fragrant in the world is that of the ginger flower bud (or Bunga Kantan), which you may be familiar with from Thai cuisine.

Pair these two together, and  you will have a tiny explosion in your palate that you will swear never again to eat fast food.  So here you are, my take on a wonderfully fragrant and flavourful dish:

Panfried Scallop with Mushroom, in Kaffir Lime Leaves and Ginger Flower Creme Sauce
By Nikki. A @ delisioucity.com

10 pieces of fresh scallops, cleaned and patted dry
3 pcs kaffir lime, shredded thinly
1 inch ginger flower bud, sliced thinly
1 stalk of leek, chopped thinly
A handful of fresh mushrooms, sliced
2 cloves of garlic, chopped
3 Tbspn heavy cream or whipping cream
2 Tbspn chicken stock
Spray of extra virgin olive oil
Salt and black pepper to taste

Ensure that your scallops have been patted dry. In a pan, spray some olive oil and heat for 2 minutes. Make sure it is hot enough for a quick pan-sear of the scallops. Add scallops, sear for 2 minutes each on both surfaces, and no longer. Remove from heat. in the same pan, sautee the garlic until fragrant. Add the mushrooms and sautee further. Add leaves and flower, and cook further. Add cream and chicken stock, and the leeks. Finally incorporate with the cooked scallops and season to taste.

*Tears of joy ensue.

I know, I know… my last post was yonks ago. I have very good reasons for what people in the “industry” call ‘being on hiatus’. But I won’t bore you with them! I’m just glad to be back, and with loads of updates too ^_^ I’m starting with this one; a set of cupcakes with a graduation theme which I made for one of my friends (thanks doll!). She had ordered a cupcake each for all of her coursemates studying at our main university, who sat for their final final exams and now ready to get back to work as teachers. Don’t you just envy them?! They get to graduate a second time!

Well, not till September at least! Anyway, beneath all that fondant are the latest addition to my repertoire: Double Chocolate Fudgey Walnut Brownie cupcakes.

Just as it sounds, it’s a cupcake version of a brownie. Flaky and crusty on the top, fudgey and extremely gooey on the inside. It’s an absolutely decadent recipe that I adapted from Julia Child, but added significantly more chocolate (boo ya!) which is inserted in the middle of each cupcake to create a filling that melts as it bakes in the oven or when you reheat in the microwave. Yes, quite lava-cake like to be honest. Studded with walnuts generously strewn about in each brownie, and topped with a whipped ganache, this cupcake is easily worth ‘one hundred million calories*’.

I kid you not.

*said in the tone of Adam Sandler, Bedtime Stories*

For a simpler, lesser-calorie version (and also cheaper by the dozen!), I’ve now reduced the chocolate content and cut down on the walnuts (which are quite expensive and made the first version too costly to sell.. though I did manage to get a few orders). You may find this simplified version listed in The Cupcake Menu link on the sidebar ^_^

Happy eating!