Boxing Day Celebration

This year, our usual family X'mas celebration was arranged on Boxing Day, 26 Dec. My elder sister hosted our celebration party at her place. She single-handedly prepared three dishes for us - Salad, Roasted roots and vegetables and Seafood Aglio Oglio. It was really nice. My youngest sister prepared her usual fruit salad, a pre-dinner food. My third sister bought drinks. Each of us did our part to bring some food, to lighten the load from my sister. At times like this, I really appreciate my family being slightly bigger, where sisters come together to share burden and make merry!


As for me, I made a Christmas Logcake. Wasn't a difficult task for me too! I tried a new swiss roll recipe from Daily Delicious. The cake sheet was pretty easy to make.


I filled the cake sheet with whipping cream, chocolate ganache, hazelnut ganache and almond nibs. Rolled it up and poured chocolate ganache over it. As I was left with some whipped cream, I just splashed some on the cake to make it look more attractive. Decorated with Christmas decorations, and WO-LA, my Yule Logcake!




Recipe for Chocolate Cake sheet, modified from Daily Delicious.

Ingredients:
5 Eggs (separated)
100g Sugar
55g Cake flour
12g Cocoa powder
42g Butter, melted

Method:
1. Preheat the oven to 180°C.
2. Line the base of 11"x13" cake tray with baking paper.
3. Using hand mixer, beat the egg white with sugar (add the sugar gradually) until stiff peaks form.
4. Pour the egg yolks into the egg white, beat with low speed for 1 minute.
5. Sift the flour and cocoa powder into the bowl and fold to combine.
6. Pour the melted butter into the bowl, and fold lightly to combine, then pour the batter into the prepared pan.
7. Bake for 10-11 minutes, or when a skewer inserted comes out clean.

Homemade Christmas Presents

Tis the season to be jolly and giving. This Christmas, it's no difference for me. I baked some goodies to give away to my family members. I hope they like it.

Gingerbread Men & Women. Each drawn to a specific family member. Heehee...


Spiced mixed nuts which include cashews, almonds, walnuts and some hazelnuts. I used the guide based on the Straits Times' Mind Your Body dated 17 Dec 09. I used olive oil, together with dried rosemary and coat them with mixed spices to toast.



This include spiced mixed nuts and my X'mas fruit cake.


Finally, I made a Chocolate Truffle Cake and covered it with fondant to celebrate my parents' in laws' 44th wedding anniversary on Christmas Day. Overall, the cake, the frosting wasn't quite well done. However, my parents in law were happy as they understood it did take quite some time to make this cake. :p I'm fortunate that my parents in law are not fussy people!

Christmas Private Workshop

The last workshop I attended was just a month ago. My dear friend, Doris, "jio" (means gather) a few of us to attend another workshop with LA again. I just couldn't reject. Mainly because I like LA's workshop, and also because Doris has attended many workshops and has attained a certain level of complexity in workshops. I know she won't go for anything lesser. So if she wanted to learn, that would mean it will be of certain standard and method. She asked if I would be interested in Passionfruit meringue cakes. Gee... of course I would be.

So finally, the date was settled for X'mas morning since that will be the time when our instructor LA will be available. That morning, we were taught two cakes-Passion Meringue Cake and an Exotic Chocolate Mousse cake (similar to Pierre Hermes).

There were just many many steps to go through to prepare just two cakes. Similar to our previous chocolate workshop, it was rather tedious, but the result? Fantastic outcome!

Preparation of Dacquoise for two different cakes. Coconut Dacquoise for Passion Meringue Cake and Chocolate Dacuoise for Exotic Chocolate Mousse Cake.


LA prepared some extra chocolate mousse with salted choc chips (topped with chocolate meringue sticks) for us to try. It was...HEAVENLY!


LA showed us how to cover the mousse cake by spraying chocolate on it. I've always enjoyed LA's workshops as she always has interesting stuff to show us. Each workshop, I learn different methods and combinations!


Finally, the presentation of the Passion Meringue Cake decorated with fresh strawberries and chocolate meringue logs.


And this was the Exotic Chocolate Mousse Cake which has the salted caramel chips. Very interesting taste.


Each of us get to bring back a quarter of the cake. Each slice is about what you would get outside for about $6-7 each. It's really worth the learning process. I can't wait to try the Passion Meringue Cake as I'm a big fan of passionfruit!



Wish all blogger friends, readers and visitors to my site a MERRY CHRISTMAS and a Happy New 2010! May the new year brings in new hopes and new dreams!

Homemade Vanilla Extract 2

For the longest time, I've been wanting to make more vanilla extracts. Mainly because I don't want to waste the vanilla pods that I still have. But at the same time, I can't find a suitable bottle to make the extract. I still have the vanilla extract I made the previous time. Ever since I started using my own vanilla extract, I just can't use vanilla essence anymore! Since the last time I made the extract, I had constantly added more vodka and even vanilla beans into it when the volume grew lesser and lesser.

Finally, I found my bottle. Time to make my second bottle of vanilla extract. I got very excited when I made my second bottle. I can dream my dream away that I'll have endless supply of my vanilla extract. Isn't that wonderful?


These were the ingredients that went into my vanilla extract - 6 Madagascar Vanilla pods + Absolut Vodka. Plus two months of "standing" and "shaking".


I packed a small bottle for a dear friend, who has taught me a lot, and shared her baking experience with me unreservely. Thanks dear D! It is really a pleasure to know you!

Christmas Fruit Cake

Since beginning of this month, I've already had the intention to bake Christmas Fruit Cake. I surfed the web, reviewed lots and lots Fruit Cake recipes, and they all looked almost the same to me! How to decide? So I asked around. My baking buddy, Doris, gave me a site for the fruit cake. She has been baking fruit cakes for years and gave me her advice. Then there was a collegue who has been baking fruit cakes for quite a while too. She has been using Yochana's recipe and it's proven for her that her family finishes them up before the cake can keep another day.

I don't used to like fruit cakes. I find them to be too sweet for my likings. Perhaps, as I aged (have I really?), my taste seemed to have changed. Those stuff that I previously don't like, I tend to take them now. For example, mooncakes, yellow ghee noodles, and now fruit cakes. Doris told me to soak the fruits for as long as I can. I heeded her advice, soaked for two weeks. I soaked about three batches.

Since my colleague recommended Yochana's recipe, I tried it. It was really the dense kind. I was hoping for a lighter fruit cake though. It might not be the truly traditional kind.



Finally, for my second attempt, I decided on Wen's light christmas cake. I would truly prefer a lighter cake. The method used in her recipe was very similar to making kueh lapis. I thought that might be good. And as if the quantity for a 9" is not enough, I made one and half times the recipe. Imagine the strength I need to use to fold in the fruits, flour and the meringue! I still find it rather sweet though. However, I really like this cake. I made two 7" square loaves, and sliced them into smaller portion as a gift for my family and colleagues. I hope they like it as much as I do.

Parent & Child Brownie Workshop

The day before a workshop, there tend to be quite a lot of preparations to be done. Fortunately, I happened to have quite a lot of leave to clear this December. I can't imagine if I hadn't been on leave on Friday, then I'll be preparing the items like crazy on Friday evening.

I baked some brownies for the participants to try, prepared all the ingredients, equipment before the actual day. There were a total of five children even though three were allowed. :p Well, since it was rather informal, and the "extra" children didn't get another set on their own, I guess it was alright with me. Can't bear to turn the child away, can I?


The children were able to follow the instructions and methods closely. From the way I looked at them, I figured it could be their first time to try baking. But they were rather good though! I was glad the children and the adults had a good time preparing, baking and frosting their brownies. They were rather fast in their frostings! I hope they enjoyed the brownies of their labour! :)