Bye Bye, Love...



Hubby just left for Taiwan... missing you already baby! Be safe and come back soon... and don't forget my pressies!!

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No QC Lehz!

..:::Layered Strawberry Jam Spongecake:::..


I used the exact same amount of ingredients lehz... but it turned out very sweet... No QC!!!!! And my decorating skills still sucks! Arghh!

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Make A Paper Plant!

..:::The Bamboo Tree.. made this last night:::..

..:::The Cactus, this is easier than the bamboo tree:::..



Found the templates from Epson Hong Kong. You'd just need to print out the templates, cut them and paste them together! It's great for killing time and looks really cute! I found the pot for the bamboo tree a little harder to do though, and my end result does look a little sloppy at close inspection.. hehe.. Oh well.. Do try it if you like paper crafts.. there's also animals, buildings, plants and many more..

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Spongy Cup Cakes

Got this recipe from fellow blogger Baking Mum. Do check out her amazing blog!

This is really easy to do! The texture's really light and fluffy, and if you're into cakes like Ji Dan Gao, you should really try this! If you're not just add a drop or two of vanilla essence or any other flavoring, I'm sure it's just as nice!


..:::Paper cups lined with baking paper:::..

..:::The ingredients ( recipe below ):::..


..:::The cakes in the oven:::..


..:::Cooling the cakes:::..


..:::Viola! Great to whip up and serve if you have unexpected guest coming over:::..


The recipe:

Ingredients:

4 eggs
100 gm cake flour
100 gm castor sugar
12 gm spongecake stabliser (about 3/4 tbsp)
25 gm milk
90 gm melted butter

1. Put all the ingredients except the melted butter into a mixing bowl.Beat everything on high for at least 7 mins until ribbon stage. This means that if you use your whisk with batter to write an "8" on the batter won't sink in but will appear visible for a while. This will be the right constitency for your batter.
2.Add in melted butter at this stage and mix in thoroughly.
3.Line some waxed papercups with baking paper. Pour batter into the lined cups abt 3/4 full and bake it in a preheated oven at 190C for about 20 mins.
4.When done, remove the cake from the cup immediately and leave it on wire rack to cool.
5. Makes about 10 cups depending on the size of the paper cups.

Recipe from http://bakingmum.blogspot.com

So, I was so happy of my success that I made another batch, only this time I bake it in a 8" round baking tray.



The moment after I took this photo, the cake deflated like a balloon! I've never had success with cakes... Arghhh!! Don't ask me why... Darn! And I've prepared the whipping cream too! So, I cut it into half and did up half a cake......

My decorating skills sucks too.. as you can see in the pictures below.. Hur Hur..


Oh well... I shall try again.. Sigh..

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Shanghai Mooncake

..:::Shanghai Mooncake with Green Tea Paste Filling:::..


Not a very satisfactory result.. :(
The filling's too small, the crust is hard as rock! Not flaky enough.. no buttery taste! Will try again next week. Will post the recipe if it turns out better...

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Darthsalacious in the Papers!


Hubby's post on CPL Dave Teo was featured in Digital Life. You can read more here.

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Beef Stroganoff

Chef Hubby tried this for dinner last Sunday.. it was yummy!





BEEF STROGANOFF

Preparation time: 15mins
Cooking time: 20mins
Serves 4.

Ingredients


600g rib eye fillet or rump
1/4 cup (30g) seasoned plain flour
375g fettuccine
60g butter
1 small onion, finely chopped
300g button mushroom, thickly sliced
1 tbsp tomato paste
1/4 cup (60ml) red wine
300ml cream

1. Pound the slices of beed between two sheets of plastic wrap with a mallet or rolling pin until half their thickness. Cut each slice into strips about 1cm wide. Place in a plastic bag with the seasoned flour and shake to coat.
2. Bring a large saucepan of water to the boil and cook the fettuccine according to the packet instructions until al dente.
3. Meanwhile, melt 40g of the butter in a frying pan over medium heat and cook the onion for 2 minutes. Add the beef in batches and cook for 5 minutes, or until evenly browned. Remove from the pan and keep warm. Heat the remaining butter in the pan and add the mushrooms, stirring, for 2-3 minutes, or until soft and lightly browned. Add the tomato paste and the red wine, stirring continously for 2 minutes, or until the sauce has reduced. Add the beef, stir in the cream, then reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer gently for a futher minute, or until the sauce has thickened. Serve with the fettuccine.


From Quick and Easy Tasty Meals in Minutes.

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MidAutumn's Cookies.

Mooncake Biscuits/ Koong Chai Pneang.

This is my first attempt making the biscuits. It's really easy actually, but takes a lot of time.
Makes about 15.

Ingredients:

200g golden syrup
1/4 tsp bicarbonate of soda
3/4 tbsp alkaline water
50g corn oil

300g plain flour, sifted
Thick soy sauce (for colour)

1. Combine golden syrup, alkaline water and sifted bicarbonate of soda in a basin. Add oil and mix with a wooden spoon and allow to rest for 4-5 hours.

2. Add thick soy sauce and stir well. Fold in sifted flour gradually and mix evenly to form a smooth, soft dough. Do not knead. Let dough rest for another 6-7 hours.

3. Divide dough into small portions. Dust with flour and press into figurine mould. Knock out and place on greased baking tray and bake in preheated oven at 180 degrees C for 8 minutes. Remove tray from the oven and leave for 1-2 minutes. Brush biscuits with eggs glaze and bake again 6-7 minutes or until golden.

Recipe from At Home with Amy Beh.

..::: Before baking:::..

It took much longer for the mixture to stand than stated in the recipe. I waited about 4 hours before mixing in the flour. Then another 6 hours when I first tried putting the dough into the mould, but it was much too soft to be moulded. In the end, I left it overnight, before moulding and baking it. I added the heart shaped Quins for fun.. Ha!

..:::After Baking:::..


..:::After cooling the biscuits:::..


No comments on these biscuits yet as no one has tried them yet.. except for me.. I find them quite ok...

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Dinner Last Night..

Pasta with Beef Ragu.


Preparation time: 10mins
Cooking time: 1hour 30 mins
Serves 4.

Ingredients:

100g streaky bacon, finely chopped
1 onion, finely chopped
3 cloves garlic, crushed
1 bay leaf
800g lean beef mince (I used 600g and there were enough for 4 persons)
500ml red wine
1 can pasta sauce (I used Prego's 300g)
400g pasta
Grated Parmesan, to garnish.

1. Heaat a large deep frying pan. Add the bacon and cook over medium high heat for 2 mins, or until soft and just starting to brown. Add the onion, garlic and bay leaf and cook for 2 mins, or until the onion is soft and just starting to brown.

2. Add the mince and stir for about 4 mins, or until the mince browns, breaking up any lumps with the back of a wooden spoon. Add the wine, pasta sauce and 1 cup (250ml) water and stir well. Bring to the boil, then reduce the heat and simmer, covered, for 40 mins. Remove the lid and cook for a further 40 mins, or until reduced to a thick, glossy sauce.

3. About 20 mins before the raguis ready, bring a large saucepan of salted water to a rapid boil and cook the pasta according to the packet instructions until al dente. Drain. Serve the sauce over the pasta and garnish with a little grated Parmesan.

From Quick and Easy Tasty Meals in Minutes.

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