Pear & Hummingbird Cake

I've been craving pears and oranges lately, just slices of cold fruit on the hot days while the renovation works go on around me. Sometimes I pair them with an ice-cold glass of fresh lemonade or pineapple flavoured water, and my parents would join me on the patio while we discuss interior decor and the technical aspects of raising a roof.

So to nobody's surprise, our bottom refrigerator shelf is filled with fruit that's starting to bruise! I've got an abundance of pears, and I'm not entirely sure what I should do with them. There are pies, tarts, cakes, muffins, pizzas, etc... yet I have no time. 

Last night, while watching Grey's Anatomy reruns, I decided to just quickly whip up a really easy (yes satisfying) cake for my mum to serve to friends who might drop by for their morning coffees or high tea. Also, I kinda need to clear out those pears. I paired up (heh) a pear and a Hummingbird Cake, recipe from the Hummingbird Bakery cookbook, a recipe I've tried before while yielded amazing results. Only it didn't look so pretty, so I couldn't bear to share any of those pictures here. Call it vanity, if you must. 

So here's my take on the Hummingbird Cake with Pears: 

Pear & Hummingbird Cake

Adapted from the Hummingbird Bakery cookbook

• 300g caster sugar
• 3 large eggs
• 300ml sunflower oil
• 3 large ripe bananas, mashed
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 300g self raising flour
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 100g tinned pineapple, chopped
• 100g shelled pecans, chopped
• 1 golden pear, chopped, plus slices to decorate

1. Preheat the oven to 180C and line a 9 inch round baking tin with butter and parchment paper
2. In a large mixing bowl, combine the sugar, eggs, oil, mashed bananas, and cinnamon and beat until incorporated
3. Beat in the flour and vanilla, mixing until just combined
4. Then beat in the pineapple, pecans and pear bits
5. Line the bottom of the baking tin with the pear slices, arrange as you like, then pour the cake batter over. Smooth the top and pop it in the oven for 40 minutes, or until a skewer poked through at an angle comes out clean
6. Allow the cake to cool in the tin for 15 minutes, then turn it over onto a wire cooling rack. Cool completely before removing onto your cake plate, dust with ground cinnamon before serving

I left it overnight on the counter last night, wrapped in a clean cloth to keep it sanitary. This morning, before heading out to work, I dusted it with cinnamon, cut myself a slice and had it for a very decadent breakfast. I've decided to forgo the cream-cheese frosting which is customarily served with the cake, however if you want to, use this recipe and cover the cake as you like with the frosting. I'd just like to tell you that the amazing flavours of the actual cake are likely to be overpowered by the frosting should you choose to do so. Also, you won't be able to have it for breakfast (guilt-free). 

To each his own, and I really do hope you give this recipe a shot as it's so bloody amazing. 

Lots of love, happy weekday, 

Nabs

Of Anniversaries, Chocolate, and Love

My parents met each other at different times. In fact, my mother met my father years before he met her. 

Don't worry, I'm not going to go off the recipe blogging track and begin writing a time-travel romance novel. 

To hear mum tell it, she had a crush on papa since she was fourteen years old! They went to St Teresa's Girls School and St Joseph's Boys School respectively, and (from what people tell me) he fancied himself quite the Big Man on Campus; he played sports for the school, was listed as one of the top students of the state in his year, and well, there's the whole mixed heritage thing he had going for him I suppose. 

It has been thirty-six years since mum first fell into puppy love with papa, and as of this week, they have been married for twenty-nine years. Out of those twenty-nine years, they made and raised four wonderfully bright and attractive (lololol) children, even if the distribution of said intelligence and genetic blessing was imbalanced, as the first batch got far too much (oh, make it stop!) of the good stuff. They have bought, sold and lived in a total of fourteen houses (nomads, much?), crossed the seas countless times in pursuit one can only assume frequent flyer points, changed career paths seven times (shared number), shared at least 10 000 meals together ("A family that eats together, stays together" yes, Papa *salutes*) and only some crazy zany nerd would bother to count the rest. 

My parents have always put the family first, and growing up with those values, I don't think anybody can blame me for wanting the kind of love, stability, and intimacy that they have. They are each others' best friend, and that is all I really want. 

I took the day off work today to spend a day with the family; the kids are on holiday from school and it's my parents' anniversary! I couldn't not bake them a cake! Plus I had quite a number of annual leave days I needed to clear by the end of the month.
So on this beautiful Friday, after a very lazy morning spent by the pool, I got started on this super special Chocolate Beetroot Cake with Beet Creamcheese Frosting. There was so much batter that I decided to bake smaller cakes instead, and ended up with two 8-inch cakes. One for my parents, and the other for my to bring to an outing with some of my close work friends tonight. 

I would love to get into my parents' whole love story, and soon I will get around to telling you about the time my father met my mother. Now that, folks, was quite cray. 

But for now, let's channel a bit of Bob Saget as he retells the incredibly unromantic tale of how Ted Mosby slept with the same 3 women over ten years and Uncle Barney shagged everything that moved... and bring you back to the current day. 8th of June 2012 to be exact. 

In precisely two weeks time, my cousin, Lana, is going to marry one of the most stand-up men I have had the pleasure to meet since coming back to the country, Omar. 

We're rushing around with our last minute fittings, picking up items from various places, receiving frantic phone calls at the most inopportune times, and all the usual wedding-in-the-family activities. Just a few days before her wedding, our whole mildly insane troupe will be flying into Miri, Sarawak (top 5 happiest places in the world) where we will have a massive Sarawakian-style pre-wedding party! 

Alright, alright, it's really about the wedding, the marriage between these two people, and the life that they are about to embark on together. 

But it's also a little about the food and drinks and dressing up. For the rest of us that are not the bride and/or groom at the wedding that is. 

Last weekend, we gathered the close cousins/friends for a tea-time bridal shower for Lana, organised by the newlywed Amy. She chose the place (love it!), theme (think I got it...), and most importantly: the games! We had so much fun over the space of a few hours, with Kaly and I up to our usual competitive tricks and winning all the games (are bridal showers like birthday parties, where the bride should win all the games?) and prizes, and being quite ungracious while doing so.

I wasn't going to blog the cake recipe that I brought to the bridal shower, mostly as it's so simple... but then again, I reckon that those are the best kind! My work-wife, Diyana, sent me the recipe for the Black Magic cake a few months ago and since then I'm sure I've used it at least four times. Forsooth, I stopped wondering why my waist is expanding.

Black Magic Chocolate Cake

Recipe from my baking addiction

• 2 cups sugar
• 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 3/4 cup Hershey's Unsweetened Cocoa Powder
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup buttermilk
• 1 cup strong black coffee
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1. Preheat the oven to 180C and line or grease your baking tins. I used a Wilton Bundt pan
2. Here's the best part: Combine all the ingredients in the large bowl of your stand mixer and just let it whizz on medium for about 2 minutes! 
3. Pour batter into your baking tin and bake for 30-40 minutes, or until a skewer inserted at an angle comes out clean
4. Frost as you like (for this occasion, I whipped up some Chocolate Orange ganache) and Tada! 

So ridonkulously easy, I don't even know what to do with myself. This recipe will yield one of the fluffiest, lightest and chocolatey cakes you will ever have in your life. Try layering it with unsweetened whipped cream! The balance of textures in that mixture creates a wonderful mouthfeel that you'll find yourself craving weeks after. 

Anyway, enough about the cake: To Lana & Omar, I can't wait for the wedding, and I'm sure you two are going nuts at the moment with all the prep, so probably don't have the time nor the inclination to read this blog, but if you do: I wish you both all the best that you can find in each other, that you will make happiness and laughter, and that you will have damn good-looking children! Love you both so much xx Nabs

Snickers Brownies & (yet another) Farewell

This week our firm said goodbye to yet another one of our brethren, this one leaving for the greener pastures of the Food & Beverage industry! Tat has been making his own ice-cream for a while now, and he built quite the following here on our office floor; our freezer is constantly stocked with new flavours, and orders of favourite flavours (mine being Salted Caramel, yum!).

His official website will be coming up soon enough, along with his brand name and logo and stuff, which I will share the moment it's ready. Amazing ice-cream, seriously, and the daily deliveries will be sorely missed.

For his last day at work, I whipped up a batch of super gooey and sinfully chocolatey Snickers Brownies. I found the recipe ages ago from one of the most beautiful food blogs I've come across - Poires au Chocolat. Been dying to try it out, but never got the chance until now... and boy-oh-boy, there's no looking back!

Snickers & Dark Chocolate Brownies

Adapted from Poires au Chocolat

• 110g unsalted butter
• 50g semi-sweet chocolate
• 2 eggs
• 110g light brown sugar
• 100g golden caster sugar
• 50g all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 2 Snickers bars, chopped
• 20g semi-sweet chocolate, chopped
• 20g unsweetened chocolate, chopped

1. Preheat oven to 180C and line and grease a 9x9 inch baking tin
2. Melt the butter and semi-sweet chocolate in a saucepan over a pot of simmering water
3. Transfer the melted chocolate and butter mixture into a medium sized bowl, then dump in the sugars, flour, baking powder and eggs and stir until combined
4. Stir in the chopped Snickers and chocolate
5. Pour into the baking tin and bake for 35 minutes
6. Eat.

So farewell, Tat, and all the best! Hope you enjoyed the brownies!

x Nabs

Chocolate Caramel Shortbread

I have been incredibly lazy lately; between work and catching up with my long dormant social life, I've had little time to photograph my kitchen adventures. What photographs I do take end up shoddy and are mostly hastily snapped on my iPhone.

My work front has been incredibly rewarding recently, what with a successful project closed off with great results. I think that was just the pick-me-up project I needed to get back into the swing of things in the firm. It was also personally rewarding, as it was a scope so close to my heart. Despite the difficulty I faced in trying to remain objective and not give into my stupid compassionate self, I found that it was the perfect experience to grow up professionally and also as a person.

I've also taken some measures to start acting my age. Attending house parties, went on a really fun pub crawl with really good friends, started actually leaving the house to socialise on a Sunday afternoon, etc. It's a lot of fun just cutting loose and having fun with my friends again, though I am paying the price in not having time to bake and photograph.

Though after close to three weeks of silence on the blog, I figured I'll risk the bad photos and just post one of my favourite new recipes: homemade Twix bars, or rather just chocolate caramel shortbread.

Chocolate Caramel Shortbread
Adapted from HungryCravings

Shortbread:

• 340g cold unsalted butter, cut into small cubes
• 425g all purpose flour
• 90g caster sugar
• 1/2 tsp salt

Caramel:

• 1 14oz tin of Carnation skim condensed milk

Chocolate:

• 170g semi-sweet chocolate, chopped finely
• 90g unsalted butter

Shortbread crust:
Preheat the oven to 180C and grease and line a 9x9 inch baking tin
Combine all ingredients in a large mixing bowl, using the paddle attachment on low for roughly 5 minutes
Dump the dough into the prepared tin and press firmly into an even layer, then poke holes with a fork, and bake for 30-40 minutes or until lightly golden
Allow to cool to room temperature

Caramel layer:
Pop the tin into a large saucepan of water, making sure to cover the top. Bring to a boil and simmer for 2 hours. Allow the tin to cool to room temperature before opening, and even then be careful when doing so as it's likely to ooze out if not prepared properly. Spread the caramel over the shortbread crust and let it cool

Chocolate layer:
Place the chocolate and butter into a small bowl and heat in a microwave for 30 seconds, taking it out every now and then to stir until completely combined. Cool in the bowl for 10 minutes before pouring and spreading over the caramel layer

Cut into cubes and enjoy!

It's an incredibly easy recipe that yields such a powerful punch of sweet flavours. I've been a very bad girl and sneaking tiny bites of these bars all week. Going to have to pay for it with an extra hour in the gym, I think. That is if I ever find my way there at all.
Happy Sunday everyone, and have a great week ahead,
x Nabs

Back to Basics Banoffee Pie

There has been a particular recipe sitting on my shelf for far too long, and now that I've tried it, I don't quite know what I was so afraid of. I've been terrified of trying Banoffee Pie, or any caramel based recipe, due to the fact that I'm afraid to make caramel.

I can't for the life of me understand why. It's incredibly easy, and oh-so-satisfying to taste the results. Unless you're an idiot like me and taste it right out of the hot saucepan. I'm still waiting for my lip to blister, wondering if it will be so unsightly that I may need to take some days off work. LOL, jokes.

A good friend of mine asked me last week if I can do Banoffee Pie, and I told her the truth: that I've never tried it, but have always wanted to try. She then went on to say that she's got a friend who may be interested in asking me to do the dessert for her wedding! 60 mini Banoffee Pies! Is it silly of me to even try and wish for this gig?

I whipped up (heh, geddit?) a sample for her, and made a test pie to go with it... from my side, the flavour and texture turned out great, and everyone here seems to like it. I just wonder if she'll feel the same. Sitting on tenterhooks here and biting my nails to boot!

But that said, whether or not she goes for my Banoffee Pie, I've not opened up a whole new world for myself! CARAMEL!

Banoffee Pie

Crust

• 250g plain digestives, passionately whacked with a rolling pin into fine crumbs
• 120g butter, melted

Filling

• 100g butter
• 100g soft brown sugar
• 397g condensed milk

Topping

• 3 medium bananas, ripe and soft
• 300ml whipping cream

1. To make the crust, mix the digestive crumbs and butter using a fork, then press into the bottom of a lightly greased pan (I used a round tin foil pan for ease of delivery, but springform or removable bottom is ideal). Use the bottom of a glass to firmly pat the crumbs down. Then chill in the fridge while you prepare the filling
2. In a non-stick saucepan, gently heat the butter and sugar until the sugar is completely dissolved. Pour in the condensed milk and bring to a boil gently, making sure to stir continuously so the caramel doesn't burn
3. Pour the caramel over the chilled crust and smooth it out with a rubber spatula then chill in the fridge for at least 1 hour while the caramel sets
4. Just before serving, slice your ripe bananas to cover the caramel
5. To make the whipped cream, be sure to chill your bowl and whisk for 2-5 minutes beforehand. Then for a creamy, yet not overpoweringly sweet whipped cream topping, just whisk the cream for around 1 minute (if you're using an electric mixer) or until soft peaks form and you can turn the bowl over and the cream stays intact. Smooth or pipe the cream over the top
6. For extra decoration, you can grate some semi-sweet chocolate over the top of the pie, or decorate with slices of bananas

It couldn't be easier, and now I'm dying to make more pies to give away to friends and family members!

x Nabs

P.S. Sorry for the ugly, over-exposed pictures...

2 am Water Baths

I have made approximately two cheesecakes in my life, with one successful biscuit crumb base, and the other turning a little too toasty (as I wasn't even supposed to set the base in the oven for that recipe). Last week I received an order from a colleague for a classic cheesecake for her sister's birthday, an order I couldn't refuse  as I've had this other recipe on hold for a few weeks now. 

New York Cheesecake, one of my favourite cakes, and definitely one of the most beautifully decadent desserts one could order. What makes New York Cheesecake different from other non-regionally-tied cheesecakes? According to the ever trusty (LOL, right) Wikipedia, New York cheesecake relies upon heavy cream or sour cream. In my case, it was sour cream. 

The only problem with the recipe I'm about to share with you is that it's meant for to produce a very tall, 9-inch cake. The order I received was for a 6-inch cake, which left me with enough batter for an identical 6-inch cake AND an 8-inch square cake! 

Two cheesecakes at home during the weekend does a body good. Not. Forget munching on toast and honey for my movie-watching snack! I just gave up and cut myself a massive wedge of cake, digging into it throughout a rerun of Hancock. I also told myself I'd make it up with an extra lap in the pool... which would have been great had I even gone to the pool... 

Alright, enough of the guilt-ridden soliloquy, let's get on to the recipe and slightly complicated process of making a New York cheesecake.

First of all, before you get excited and start mixing up ingredients, here are a few tips from seasoned bakers on producing the perfect cheesecake:

• Ensure all wet ingredients are at room temperature, so take everything out of the fridge 30 minutes earlier
• If you didn't heed the above advice and now find yourself with too-hard cream cheese, place the unwrapped cream cheese in a microwave safe bowl and microwave on high for 15 seconds
• Do not over mix the filling, just mix until combined
• Use a springform pan
• Butter the sides of the pan, or run a butter knife around the edges of the cake immediately after removal from the oven
• Prepare a water bath to keep the oven (and therefore your cake!) moist. You do this by wrapping the springform pan in tin foil (under and around the sides), then placing the pan into a bigger pan which you will then fill with boiling water halfway up the sides of the springform pan
• Do not open the oven door at any point, if you want to check if it's set, then shake the oven door gently to see if the cake jiggles
• Perfectly baked cheesecake should be puffy around the edges (try to avoid it turning brown and hard), and then you shake the oven, only the very centre of the cake should jiggle slightly (gawd, I love saying jiggle)
• When the above point happens, switch off the oven, but don't open the door, and leave it in until the oven has cooled (or for roughly another hour)
• Cool completely on a wire rack before popping in the fridge to set overnight 

And now, my dear friends, on to the amazing recipe! 

New York Cheesecake

by ouncesandgrams.tumblr.com

First, preheat the oven to 175C, and prepare your springform pan and create a seal for the water bath (ie foil)

Crust

• 200g cookie crumbs
• 1/4 c caster sugar
• 114g melted butter

1. Blend the cookies - I used McVites plain digestives - into fine crumbs, then combine all ingredients in a bowl
2. Press into the bottom of the prepared pan, bake for 10 minutes or chill in the fridge while preparing the filling

Cake filling

• 900g cream cheese
• 1 1/2 cup caster sugar
• 3/4 cup milk
• 4 eggs
• 1 cup sour cream
• 1 tbsp vanilla extract
• 1/4 cup all purpose flour

1. Cream the cheese and sugar until smooth
2. Beat in milk
3. Then add the eggs one at a time, beating after each addition
4. Beat in sour cream, vanilla and flour until just incorporated. Do not overmix
5. Pour the filling over the prepared crust, fill the roasting pan (the larger pan which you place the springform pan in) with hot water about 1/2 way up the sides of the springform pan
6. Bake for an hour or until just barely set
7. Turn off the oven, leave the cheesecake in until the oven is cool, then remove and cool completely on a wire rack, after which you refrigerate overnight so it's completely set

Banana Pancakes

Well can't you see that it's just raining? 
There ain't no need to go outside... 

But there is a need to make some hot pancakes, cover them in maple syrup and proceed to eat them in your over-sized t-shirt while catching up to Comedy news on a Sunday morning! Whether it's with a loved one, on your own, or in my case, with a brood of siblings and both parents, homemade banana pancakes fresh off the pan is definitely one of my favourite ways to have quality time with myself over the weekends.

I've been searching for the Perfect Banana Pancake recipe all my life, have tried many - almost two recipes per week! - and now... I believe I may have found it. This is definitely the one I want to spend the rest of my life doing nothing with, folks, just... me, these pancakes, and morning TV...

We don't need to we got everything
We need right here
And everything we need is enough...

So happy Sunday, friends, hope you make a batch of these delicious pancakes, and don't do anything too taxing, you know? Just take the day for yourselves, sit around in your PJs until four, then shower and get into a fresh set of PJs.

These Banana Pancakes will take you all of 5 minutes to prepare, and then flip at your own pace.

Wake up slow...

• 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
• 2 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 2 ripe bananas
• 1 1/4 cups buttermilk
• 2 large eggs
• 3 tbsp honey
• 3 tbsp butter, browned
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

1. In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, cinnamon and salt, then set aside
2. Pop the bananas, buttermilk, eggs, honey, browned butter and vanilla in the food processor and whizz until incorporated
3. Pour the banana mixture into the flour mixture and you can be lazy like me and just beat with the paddle attachment for 3 to 5 minutes, or stir until combined. Let the batter sit for 5 to 10 minutes to ensure fluffiness! 
4. Heat your pan, and I like to use a smidge of Crisco shortening in between pancakes cos they produce slightly crunchy edges (I find). Then just scoop up with an ice-cream scoop and flip

Just so easy
When the whole world fits inside of your arms
Don't really need to pay attention to the alarm
Wake up slow, yeah, wake up slow
Much love,
Nabs

Favourite Flavour Combinations

Chocolate was made to be eaten with oranges. At least, that's something I have always believed, considering how the  flavour combination sort of explodes in my mouth. Chocolate and oranges, or chocolate and raspberries, just perfection. 

For some reason last week I was craving Jaffa Cakes, but since I didn't feel like giving into it... I scoured the internet for some good chocolate orange combo recipes. I found this amazing gluten-free recipe by Nigella, but since I don't have a problem with gluten, or more to the point - I didn't feel like spending money on almond meal, I figured I'd just substitute it with all-purpose flour.

It took me a week to complete this cake, including planning time, prep work, and procrastinating. But boy-oh-boy, was it worth it! Think I may have to make another one, as this was wiped out almost immediately after I'd snapped my pictures. Mini cakes, and I'll hoard one for myself... 

Chocolate Orange cake

Adapted from Nigella's gluten-free recipe

• 1 1/2 cups orange puree*
• 6 large eggs
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1 1/4 cup caster sugar
• 2 cups all purpose flour
• 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1. Puree the oranges ahead of time (do this the night before): in a large saucepan, cover two medium sized, thick-skinned oranges in water and bring to a boil. Then allow to simmer for two hours, or until the oranges are suuuuper soft. Then slice the oranges into quarters, remove seeds, and blend in a food processor (skin and all). Pop this in a refrigerator until ready to use
2. Preheat oven to 180C, and butter and line an 8-inch round pan with parchment paper
3. In a large mixing bowl, mix all ingredients until just incorporated then pour into the prepared pan
4. Bake for 40 minutes, or until a skewer poked at an angle comes out clean
5. Cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then remove onto a cooling wire rack to cool completely

Chocolate orange ganache

• 2 oz unsweetened chocolate
• 1/4 cup thickened whipping cream
• 1 tbsp confectioner's sugar
• Zest from 1 orange

1. Chop the chocolate finely and mix all the ingredients in a medium bowl
2. Pop in the microwave for 30 seconds, then stir with a spoon until you achieve a smooth, pourable consistency
3. Allow to cool (or do as I did and put it in the fridge for 5 minutes) until when a spoon is run through the mixture, a space stays for at least 3 seconds
4. Pour over cooled cake (make sure you've covered the bottom of the cake with parchment paper) and carefully direct the ganache over the sides with a spoon

An Excess of Buttermilk, Bananas, and Chocolate Chips

I, like many other bakers, have a horrible habit of hoarding; whenever I walk past a grocery store, I feel the need to stock up on eggs, butter, flour, sugar, buttermilk, vanilla, etc. In fact, I just did it again yesterday, and upon doing a quick inventory check, I found that I have:

• 3 1/2 cartons of buttermilk
• 2 x 500g bags of all purpose flour
• 3 x 500g bags of self-raising flour
• 4 x 250g butter
• 3 x 8oz packets of cream cheese
• 2 x 1kg powdered sugar
• 3 x 500g caster sugar
• 6 x 30l bottles of vanilla extract
• 2 1/2 cartons of 10 large eggs
• A drawer full of berries, oranges, lemons
• A hand of very freckly bananas
• 4 x 250g packets of raisins
• 3 x 11oz packets of butterscotch chips
• 2 x 11oz packets of bittersweet chocolate chips
• 3 x 500g tins of Van Houten cocoa powder
• and an assortment of leftovers... 

As you can imagine, along with the random baked goods and leftovers from dinners or lunches, I have very limited space in my fridge and pantry. My mum is threatening to throw my stuff out, and rightly so! Most of this stuff has a limited shelf-life, and quite a few of them are probably expiring by early next week. Though to be honest, the only thing I'm getting worked up over is the buttermilk as it's so bloody expensive here.

So this weekend, I'll be working on depleting my supply of goods. I'm thinking pancakes, bread, muffins, a chocolate cake, baked red snapper and tomato roasted cous cous!

Now, first up is yet another Banana Bread recipe! Except this time, I'm ditching the health and diet, and going for the good stuff. In an effort to whittle away at my pantry, I've whipped up a batch of Buttermilk Banana Chocolate Chip bread, recipe courtesy of Marc Matsumoto over at [No Recipe], with some teeny-tiny adjustments (think... brown... butter...).

• 2 cups all purpose flour
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• Pinch of salt
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1/2 cup chocolate chips
• 113g butter, browned
• 2 large eggs, cold from the fridge
• 1/2 cup buttermilk
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 2 large freckly bananas
• Juice of 1/2 a lemon

1. Preheat the oven to 180C, and butter and line a 9" loaf pan with parchment paper
2. Brown your butter, watch this poorly edited, yet incredibly soothing video on how to make positively voluptuous aromatic brown butter
3. In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, sugar and chocolate chips
4. Pop the bananas and lemon juice in the food processor and whizz
5. Separate the eggs into small bowls then... 
6. Whisk the egg whites with the buttermilk and vanilla
7. Whisk the yolks with the brown butter
8. Then pour both egg mixtures into the banana mixture and whizz again
9. Pour the wet mixture into the dry mixture and stir until just combined, then pour batter into prepared pan and bake for 50 minutes to 1 hour. When done, allow the bread to cool in the pan for 15 minutes, then remove and cool on a wire rack completely

You must resist the urge to dig into the completed product while it is still cooling in the pan. You must do this and remind yourself that completely cooled bread is always easier to get clean slices of. Also, you do not want a repeat of a previous brown butter banana strawberry bread incident where you had burnt your tongue. No, you do not.

If you try this recipe, I hope you enjoyed it as much as I did, and isn't it just easy peasy lemon squeezy?

xx Nabs

Brown Butter Blueberry muffins

Brown butter,

brown butter,
love of my life,
only wish I could
write a better ode. 

The traffic was sooooo horrendous coming home from work last night, even though I had stayed an extra half hour in the hopes that traffic would ease up by then. But nooooooo, resistance is futile. You will get chlamydia and die stuck in traffic, and want to remove your brain from your ear with the windshield wiper.

So about halfway home, with my petrol running dangerously close to the red zone, I took a last minute detour to the mall. I just needed to stretch my legs, and breathe, and basically get my retail therapy done cos I was going a little insane. I bought a new work dress, lots of breakfast stuff (bran, cereal, coffee, instant oats, marmite, etc) and fresh produce. One of which were blueberries!

When I finally did make it home, at 9.30 pm, I wasted no time getting the ingredients ready. And for a little added dose of happiness, I went with brown butter. It felt like just the thing to get the job done.

 

So here we have a batch of happy-making Brown Butter Blueberry muffins!

• 1/3 cup of brown butter
• 1/3 cup buttermilk
• 2 large eggs
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 cup all purpose flour
• 3/4 cup brown sugar
• 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 cup fresh/frozen (thawed) blueberries

1. Preheat the oven to 180C and prepare your muffin pans
2. To brown butter, place the required amount in a saucepan and melt down, stirring occasionally so it doesn't burn. When the butter aroma begins to rise, and you see little brown specks appear in the melted down butter, remove from heat and set aside for use
3. In a large bowl, whisk the buttermilk, eggs and vanilla
4. Fold in the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt
5. Stir in the cooled brown butter
6. Finally stir in the blueberries
7. Fill your muffin liners 3/4 of the way up, and bake for 15 minutes. Allow to cool completely on a wire rack before nomming

Earl Grey Tea Buttercream

The word Posh is often mistakenly believed to be derived as an acronym of the term "Portside Out, Starboard Home" referring to the first class cabins in ships back in the olden days when people travelled by sea. Posh is alo most commonly related to Victoria Beckham, one of our favourite Spice Girls (girl powah!).

Whenever I drink Earl Grey tea with a wedge of lemon, and have a pot of proper Devonshire Clotted Cream at hand to slather on my scones, I also like to poke my pinky finger out in the air to milk the posh-ness of the situation. Over the weekend, I definitely up-ed the posh metre in my house with pots of tea, warm scones and these beautiful babies...

For the cake and cupcakes, I simply made two batches of this Earl Grey tea cake recipe I made before. For the cupcakes, I baked at 180C for 20 minutes, and the cake for 45 minutes in an 8-inch round pan.

Earl Grey tea Buttercream

• 2 1/2 cups powdered sugar, sifted
• 113g butter, softened
• 2 bags Earl Grey tea + 4 tbsp scalding hot water (steep for 20 minutes) 

1. Cream the butter and sugar, then gradually beat in the tea and beat for another 3-5 minutes until a smooth consistency is achieved
2. Scoop the icing into a piping bag and pipe away! 

 

According to my very fussy, incredibly anti-buttercream brother, Adam, this was his favourite frosting on any cake I've made thus far. So I figured it must mean that it's good. Also, one batch of this frosting can cover 20 regular sized cupcakes and 1 8-inch round cake.

Indecisive Muffins

With five productive hours left to my Sunday evening (productive hours meaning those before I have to get ready for bed and work...) I decided to whip up a batch of blueberry muffins for breakfast, and also to bring a few with me to the office for my workmates. However, my mum was craving banana bread too... and so I thought I would just make a carrot banana bread first, then blueberry muffins later.

Though having spent the majority of my weekend in the kitchen, I kind of wanted an extra hour to watch some telly before sleep... so halfway through making the banana bread batter, I decided to add in blueberries, bit more flour, and just make a hybrid of the two wishes. I don't entirely know what I was thinking when I added some of the stuff, but none of the ingredients seemed that bad as standalone ingredients so they couldn't be too bad put together, right?

Absolutely.

So this Monday morning, I popped one of the cooled muffins back in the oven for about 5 minutes while I blow-dried my hair and had myself a nice warm muffin on the way to work. Yummy!

Banana-Blueberry-Carrot Muffins (That's 3 of your 5-a-day!) 
Yield: 12 medium sized muffins

• 1/3 cup vegetable oil
• 3/4 cup soft packed brown sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1/4 cup buttermilk 
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1 cup ripe mashed bananas 
• 1 cup grated carrots
• 1 cup blueberries

1. Preheat the oven to 180C and line the muffin pan
2. Beat the vegetable oil and sugar in a large bowl, then beat in the eggs, vanilla and buttermilk
3. Add the bananas and beat until incorporated
4. Combine the flour, baking powder, salt and cinnamon then gradually add into the wet mixture
5. Stir in the carrots and blueberries
6. Pour the batter into the muffin cups about 3/4 of the way up, then sprinkle with the topping and bake for 20 minutes. Leave them to cool in the pan for 5 minutes then cool completely on a wire rack

Topping

• 1/2 cup all purpose flour
• 3 tbsp butter
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar

1. In a medium bowl, combine all the ingredients and mix with your fingertips until they resemble course crumbs. Or use a food processor if you have one to minimize the mess and time taken

Nutella Cookies

When I was a kid growing up in a sleepy Shell camp in Africa, I used to live for the two times a month that a shipment from the States would arrive bearing treats and other such, boring groceries that the camp dwellers needed for survival. One of those treats that my parents would buy in abundance for me and my baby brother Mark were jars of Nutella.

I remember that they used to come with little collectible cards in the top that I would tuck away into my little box of treasures in our treehouse. I sometimes wonder what happened to the stuff in that box when we moved back to Malaysia...

World Nutella Day was on the 5th of February, and while I may have missed the boat, I found an amazing recipe online for Nutella Cookies by Kirbie over at Kirbie's Cravings blog. That find set off a whole search for quick and easy Nutella recipes that I just salivated over for roughly an hour.

Anyway, 15 years on, add another 2 siblings and we're all still nuts for this Hazelnut Spread. As a treat for my siblings today, I decided to whip up a single batch... and they were gone before I had even completed baking the last batch! So as Mark is my biggest critic, I trust that this is definitely a recipe to share. Hope you all enjoy it as much as we did, and Happy belated Nutella Day!

Nutella Cookies
Recipe from Kirbie's Cravings

• 1/2 cup unsalted butter
• 1/2 cup caster sugar
• 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
• 1/2 cup nutella
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1 large egg
• 1 1/2 cup all purpose flour
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1/4 tsp salt

1. Preheat the oven to fan/180C and line your cookie trays with parchment paper
2. Combine the flour, baking soda and salt in a medium sized bowl and set aside
3. Cream the butter and sugars, then add the nutella, vanilla and egg and beat until fluffy
4. Gradually beat in the flour mixture until fully incorporated
5. Using either a tablespoon, or piping bag, pipe out tbsp-sized balls onto the trays*, 2 inches apart
6. Bake for 10-12 minutes, cool on the trays for 5 minutes, then remove onto a wire cooling rack to cool completely

*The dough is easy to handle, so I rolled the tbsp-full dough into a ball with my hands and pushed down on them slightly before popping into the oven

Easy enough, right?
Much love, Nabs

Cheesecake, Oreos, Red Velvet, and me

I go through these phases of voluntary solitary confinement every few years, the last one being when I was doing my A levels. I had gone the entire summer holiday between AS and A2 not calling a single friend, read an average of 20 books a week, watched SO much tv, and spent most of those three months cooped up in my room, playing on SnitchSeeker. That was a bit drastic, and yet, when the semester began, I just picked up where I left off with my friends (them knowing me far too well) and re-entered "reality".

It seems as if I may have hit the hermit stage again. Not that I don't want to see my friends - I do - but it's rather the fact that I sort of really enjoy my own company and doing what I like to do, which unfortunately are mostly... activities that you do alone (reading, internet surfing, watching tv, baking, fangirling One Direction, etc), and only a certain set of people (usually us internet nerds) enjoy... 

My preferred form of socialising these days are confined to places where I can hear my friends speak so that I may actually have quality time with them, where the lights are steady and do not come with a disclaimer for causing epileptic shock, and where I can be home with enough time to still have a conversation with my family before I start getting ready for bed. 

I think it's just a side-effect of growing older. Meh. 

Anyway, despite all this, I was quite looking forward to catching up with some friends and colleagues at a Bistro in town last night. Had even washed my hair, applied concealer and blush, and put on a fresh outfit! But my dad called, saying him and mum had to go for some networking thing, and needed me to pick up my siblings and grandma at my aunt's in town. Now... I'm not one to say no to my father, even though I explained to him that I had made plans, and that these instructions would disrupt everything. We tried to find an alternative, but in the end, suffice to say, I scrubbed my face clean and changed into PJs. 

To then soothe my grumpy mood at having one of my rare nights out disrupted, I decided to attempt this recipe that I have been dying to try for a few weeks now. I had initially planned on baking it as a round cake for my parents on Valentine's Day, but that didn't happen, so this time I decided to bake it in a square pan... as I liked the cheesecake bar concept I did for the Berry Cheesecake Bars previously. 

So for those of you who are staying in this weekend, why don't you try this recipe out and see if it helps to improve your mood as much as it did with me?

Red Velvet Cheesecake Recipe
Adapted from Willow Bird Baking

Biscuit Base

• 24 Oreos, processed or stuffed-in-a-ziploc-bag-and-smashed-with-a-rolling-pin into crumbs
• 5 1/2 tbsp butter, melted and cooled

1. Preheat the oven to 160C and grease and line your baking pan with butter and parchment paper
2. Combine the crumbs and butter, then pour into the pan. Press down with the bottom of a glass for an even and firm base
3. Bake for 10 minutes, then remove from the oven and set aside

Chocolate Ganache (x2)

• 2oz bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
• 1/4 cup heavy whipping cream
• 2 tbsp confectioners sugar

1. Combine all ingredients in a bowl and microwave on full heat for roughly 20 seconds, take it out and stir to mix properly
2. Pour the ganache over the biscuit base, leveling with a spoon, then put it in the freezer for at least 30 minutes

Cheesecake Filling

• 24oz cream cheese, softened
• 1 cup caster sugar
• 1 1/2 tbsp all purpose flour
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 3 large eggs

1. Beat the cream cheese and sugar in a large mixing bowl until light and fluffy
2. Add the flour, beat and scrape side of bowl as necessary, then add the vanilla
3. Beat in the eggs one at a time
4. Pour the filling over the biscuit and ganache base in the pan, then bake for 35-45 minutes, or the middle just jiggles gently when the tin is shaken
5. Cool at room temperature for 30 minutes to an hour, then chill in the fridge for at least 3 hours to set

Red Velvet Cake

• 1/4 cup vegetable shortening
• 1 egg
• 3/4 cups sugar
• 1 tablespoon cocoa
• 1 ounce red food colouring 
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
• 1/2 cup buttermilk
• 1 1/4 cups flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 tablespoon distilled white vinegar

1. Preheat the oven to 180C, butter and line the pan with parchment paper for ease of removing later
2. Cream the shortening, egg and sugar until fluffy
3. In a small bowl, mix the cocoa and colouring into a paste, then mix this into the shortening mixture
4. Beat in the salt and vanilla, scraping the side of the mixing bowl as necessary to ensure all current ingredients have been mixed evenly
5. Add the flour and buttermilk, alternating so that you begin with adding flour, then buttermilk, and end with flour
6. Combine baking soda and vinegar in a small bowl and fold into the batter 
7. Pour into prepared pan and bake for 30 minutes, or until a skewer poked through the cake at an angle comes out clean. Allow to cool completely on a cooling rack

Assembling the cake

The biscuit base, ganache layer, and cheesecake should already be in one pan. Carefully remove from the pan, and place on a cake board or serving platter. Apply another layer of chocolate ganache over the top of the cheesecake, then place the red velvet cake top-side-down on top of the cheesecake. Cut with a long serrated knife as necessary to ensure the sides match up. 

Optional: Drizzle with remaining ganache

I didn't add too much ganache or cream cheese frosting (as indicated in Willow Bird Baking's recipe) as this cake is far too rich on its own. But that's your prerogative! 

Much love,

Nabs

Best Chocolate Cupcakes Ever

I realize that is the most audacious title you might ever see on this blog, but I assure you I wasn't the first to make the claim, nor will I be the last. Trust me on this one, would I ever lie to you?

It being Saturday, and my cousin having celebrated his 25th birthday last night (yay, Happy birthday, Azamlove!), I slept in a little this morning... that is to say, I finally staggered out of my room in a bathrobe around 10 in the morning, croaking for coffee. Only I found my two youngest siblings, Adam and Elle, sitting right outside and the first thing they asked me was, "Are you going to bake today?"

Followed with a very quick, "Can it be something with chocolate?"

So me being the amazing big sister that I am, sat down on the sofa and waved at one of them to bring me a cup of coffee, and at the other to bring my laptop. Summoning Charm, they've learnt to understand what Accio means. lol it's not really that bad, they jump at the chance... sort of like house elves. OKAY, enough with the HP references, I promise (not really). I looked through food gawker (ohmistars, how did I live before that website?) for ultimate chocolate and the first one that popped up was this from Dawn over at First Look, Then Cook blog. She got the recipe of Cook's Illustrated, one that I have no access to, and have no interest in filling up a registration form for...

It looked a lot more complicated (in that it involved more steps than melt, mix, and bake) than I usually like for Saturday "morning" baking, but since I had some time before my afternoon appointment... it was doable.

I barely made it to my appointment in time, and had to wait til I came home to take some pictures in fading light. There are SO many steps to this recipe, but nothing overly difficult, and the end result is so rewarding that you hardly care about the mess you made of the kitchen.

You're probably wondering when I'm going to get on with the recipe now, right? Okay okay, let's go:

Ultimate Chocolate Cupcakes with Chocolate Ganache filling, and Chocolate Swiss Meringue Buttercream. 
Yield: 12 medium sized cupcakes

Ganache Filling:

• 2 ounces bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
• 1/4 cup heavy cream
• 1 tablespoon confectioners’ sugar

1. Combine all the ingredients in a small bowl and pop it in the microwave at full power for roughly 20-30 seconds, whisk until it's smooth, then cool in the fridge until ready for use

Chocolate Cupcakes:

• 3 ounces bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
• 1/3 cup cocoa powder
• 3/4 cup hot coffee
• 3/4 cup bread flour
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon table salt
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 6 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 2 large eggs
• 2 teaspoons white vinegar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1. Preheat the oven to 180C and line the cupcake trays
2. Combine the chopped chocolate and cocoa powder in a small bowl, pour the scalding hot, bitter coffee over it and whisk until smooth, then pop the bowl in the fridge until you're ready to use it
3. In a medium bowl, sift the flour, sugar, salt and baking soda (lol I typed sofa first), then set aside
4. In the large mixing bowl of your electric mixer, whisk the vegetable oil, eggs, vinegar, vanilla and the cooled chocolate mixture until smooth
5. Gradually beat in the flour mixture until fully incorporated
6. The batter is quite runny, so you can actually just pour into your cupcake pans if you have steady hands. I used a cupcake filler thingy that I got for Christmas, but still made a mess. Fill the cupcake liners 3/4 of the way up
7. Take out the chocolate ganache and scoop up tsp sized balls, drop a ball onto the top of each cupcake, then bake for 15-20 minutes. When it's done, allow the cupcakes to cool in the pan for about 5 minutes before moving them onto a cooling rack

Frosting:

• 1/3 cup granulated sugar
• 2 large egg whites
• Pinch table salt
• 12 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened and cut into 1-tablespoon pieces
• 6 ounces bittersweet chocolate, melted and cooled
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1. Heat a pot of simmering water, and in a heatproof bowl over the water (make sure the bottom of the bowl doesn't touch the water) whisk the egg whites and sugar until all graininess from the sugar is gone (this also means the eggs are cooked)
2. Transfer the mixture to your grease-free (wipe down with some lemon juice and dry thoroughly before use) mixing bowl, and using the whisk attachment on medium speed, whisk the mixture until soft peaks form. This is the meringue component of the frosting
3. Add the butter one cube at a time, whisking away as it goes, and don't worry if it looks horrible, it'll get better when all the butter is added. You may have to whisk for a while to get a pretty consistency. I usually have to stop the mixer after the butter is all added, scoop the sides and bottom of the bowl with a spatula and then let it whisk again before it starts resembling something edible
4. When you've achieved the desired consistency, add the chocolate and vanilla, and whisk until smooth and creamy
5. Transfer into a piping bag with a tip of your choice (I like Wilton's 1A or 1M tips for cupcakes), or just cut out a small hole at the end and pipe over your cooled cupcakes
6. Enjoy immediately!

I loved these cupcakes, though truth be told, I only managed to get one bite before it was taken away from me. The moment I snapped the pictures, the cupcakes were taken away and now I have nothing to show for my morning of hard work! This is one of the few times that something I've baked has disappeared so fast, which is an indication of how amazeballs this recipe is. 

If you have a free weekend morning, I recommend you whip up these cupcakes. SMB frosting is so crazy sexy and tastes so beautiful, I'll never be able to go back to regular buttercream. The ganache filling is a lovely surprise too, especially when the cupcakes are still warm and gooey. These are certain to impress your friends and family, so if you do give them a shot, I wish you all the best! 

Much love, Nabs

Wilton's baked doughnuts with cinnamon sugar glaze

I had my aunt round for tea a few days ago and was messing about in the kitchen with all my baking utensils and decorative plates when I realized (quite belatedly) that there was a recipe on the packaging of the doughnut pan! Well, duh, Nabiya, it was right next to the pricetag... Which, I'm sure I looked at when I bought the damned thing.

I won't even pretend to have a reason for baking these days, as I seem to take selfish pleasure in doing it. It is oddly relaxing, my solitary place, and seems to make people around me happy (discounting the handful who whinge about their calorie-intake, yet still continue to eat the goodies). In this past year, I've found so much comfort in baking, and I suddenly feel like I have something to be passionate about. It feels damned great to find one's calling.

I digress, nobody cares about my strange love affair with desserts, let's get on with the recipe:

Wilton's baked doughnuts recipe
Yield: approximately 12

• 2 cups all purpose flour
• 3/4 cup caster sugar
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
• 1 tsp salt
• 3/4 cup buttermilk
• 2 large eggs, lightly beaten
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 2 tbsp butter, melted

1. Preheat the oven to 180C, grease your doughnut pan and set aside
2. In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, nutmeg and salt
3. Add the eggs, vanilla, buttermilk and melted butter and beat until just incorporated (I did the whole thing by hand, you may choose to use an electric mixer if you wish)
4. Pour all the batter into a piping bag for ease of filling the pan, cut a hole around the circumference of your pinky fingertip, and fill the doughnut pan 2/3 of the way up
5. Bake for 7-9 minutes or until the top of the doughnuts spring back up when lightly pressed with a finger
6. Cool for 3 minutes in the pan then pop them out to cool on a wire rack

Cinnamon sugar glaze

• 2 tbsp fine granulated sugar
• 1 tbsp cinnamon powder
• 2 tbsp butter, melted

1. Mix the sugar and cinnamon in a bowl
2. In a separate, flat bottomed bowl, melt the butter
3. Dip the doughnuts in the butter, then roll around in the cinnamon sugar
4. Serve immediately if possible as baked doughnuts are SO good when warm and fresh from the oven

My family quite enjoyed these, and I'm getting a craving for one from just typing up this post! If you get yourself a doughnut pan, I insist that you give these a shot. I made minor tweaks, as I have no cake flour and I added vanilla as I dislike the eggy taste you sometimes get.

Happy Friday, friends, and enjoy your baking weekend!

Much love, Nabs

Red Velvet baked Doughnuts

It's February, you're starting to see lots of red and pink hearts on sale everywhere, tv promo slots are filled with lovey dovey messages and reminders to get that special someone a gift from the heart, and you want to gag. Says the single girl.

I have never had a special someone on Valentine's Day, which is fine with me as it means I don't need to worry about gifts and an expensive dinner for two at a fancy restaurant. Valentine's for the past few years for me have always meant family dinner, flowers for my mother, and cuddles with my siblings while watching Ever After and The Little Mermaid.

However, I do love desserts, and we do always still get lots of Valentine's treats from friends! So this year, I'm baking red velvet doughnuts for everyone! I finally caved and bought a Wilton doughnut pan last week, it looked so cute, you see? I've been thinking of getting one ever since I saw this picture on tumblr roughly a year ago, but it's quite difficult to get one here, and when you do find one... it's quite expensive. But I had a bit of extra holiday money, so why not, right?

We had some relatives around last Tuesday afternoon, for a tea party of sorts, and since it was my baking day anyway, I thought I'd get up a little early and work on some treats for the guests. It's a damned shame that I only have one doughnut pan, as it means waiting for several batches, and enduring the pain of standing for quite a bit of time.

Red Velvet doughnuts
Yield: 8 doughnuts, I made 3 batches

• 1 cup all purpose flour
• 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 2 tbsp cocoa powder, sifted
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/3 cup caster sugar
• 2 large eggs, lightly beaten
• 1/3 cup plain greek yoghurt
• 3 tbsp butter, melted
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 tsp water
• 1/4 tsp red food colouring

1. Preheat oven to 180C, butter the doughnut pan and set aside
2. Combine all the dry ingredients in your large mixing bowl
3. Mix in the sugar
4. Add the eggs and yoghurt, beat on low-medium until just incorporated, gradually adding in the water as you go
5. Beat in the butter and vanilla extract, then finally stir in the colouring
6. Pour the batter into a piping bag, or I used one of these, and fill the doughnut pans 2/3 of the way
7. Bake for 10-12 minutes, take them out, let them cool in the pan for up to 5 minutes before overturning onto a wire rack. Cool completely.

Cream Cheese icing glaze

• 4oz butter, softened
• 4oz cream cheese, softened
• 2 1/2 cups sifted confectioners sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla extract

1. Cream the butter and cream cheese until light and fluffy
2. Gradually add the sugar, beating the whole time so it gets evenly incorporated into the mix
3. Add the vanilla extract, continue to beat until completely mixed
4. Transfer the frosting into a medium sized bowl, and microwave for about 15 seconds, until the mixture is runny. Then just whisk it lightly with a fork before overturning the doughnuts into the "glaze". Allow this to cool to room temperature, or chill if you prefer a harder glaze. 

Serve with coffee or tea!

I can't recall where I got this recipe from, and I looked through all my recent browsing but can't find it. If anybody knows, please poke me and I'll put in the proper credit. Sorry for the fuss!

Love, Nabs

Third time's the charm

Sometimes it just seems like all your stars are lined up to make every single thing you touch go wrong, and during those times, the only way to face it is to laugh, walk away, watch an episode or two of Grey's Anatomy (so it becomes apparent that someone else has even bigger problems than you do) and take a nap before getting back to the task at hand.

I had an order from a friend for her brother's birthday cake last weekend, and it took me THREE attempts to finally get it right. The first time I made it, the cakes fell apart when I tried to turn them out of the pans. The second time... I forgot to add sugar.

YUCK.

I remember wondering "Why does the batter look so odd?" and then peeking into the oven to check on progress, "Why is it rising all weird and lumpy?"

See, this is why we always taste the batter before pouring. ALWAYS. I think I didn't that time because I had just gone through the horror of the first batch, and just wanted to get it over and done with.

Needless to say, I tossed the second batch in the bin immediately.

My mum stopped by in the kitchen to find me slumped over the counter, an I-can't-believe-I-did-something-so-stupid look on my face, and the ingredients all around me. It was 2 in the morning. She made me pack up, get some rest, and try again in the morning. Which was great advice. Thanks, mum!

Hopped out of bed the next morning around 8, fresh-faced and ready to roll. Popped the batter in the oven, set my timer an extra 5 minutes, and watched some cartoons with my siblings. The cake came out perfectly this time around, I laid on the frosting (sparsely, as requested), and packed it up for delivery.

I have no idea how the flavour turned out this time around, but I'm hoping it was alright. I used my usual Red Velvet recipe, but I think after that unfortunate chain of events, I may give up on it... kind of sick of the taste and smell of that recipe. Or I could just give it a rest for a few months, and try out some different recipes.

So, here's a baking tip: chill out, and get in the right state of mind before attempting to build anything.

Love love, Nabs