Baking God

Yeah.. about that title.. No, not a god, syirik tau... but yeah. Baking is fun, tiring, but the results are instant

I acted smart by using more trays for dropping my cookie dough and using half butter and half butter blend (butter mixed with milk and oil, is the cheaper stick of butter). This shorten the baking time since I have more trays in the oven and makes the cookies crispier

My family told me to stop making these because it will make them fat. Oh well, I should start on making a Truffle next :D

Secret Cake

This is my secret cake. This cake has so many secrets, that I like to call it a secret cake. My mother absolutely loves this cake. She would finish the whole tin, if I don't stop her. This cake is very moist, but its not heavy. It does not have that yolk smell that some people complain, when they have cake. Its quite cheap and simple to make. Its a secret, why its so secretive, should I reveal it? This is one of my many desserts that people were lucky enough to have. Its either, you invite me to a food related event, or somehow you got sick and have to stay at home or at the hospital. I will bring you something home made, fresh from the oven, ALWAYS, I feel naked if I don't bring anything. So may I have the invites :D

Baked

2010 has been terrible due to the mistake of 2009 and 2009. The hardest part that it hits is my waist and financial freedom. In 2009, whenever I feel incredibly stressed, I would just bake or whip something up. Sure it sounds like a recipe for adding excess pound, but actually, it does not. It does take a lot of work to whip out a creation that not many have taste. Most of it revolves around my childhood in the US. Too bad most of the food there is non halal, so not much I could taste. I eat what Malay normally eats, rice and "lauk".

However my interest in the American food I have never been able to eat, has risen over the past few months. Its a treat for both myself, family and friends. I can't believe I forgotten they joy of baking and seeing people reaction to it.

These are a type of bread that American call as biscuits, while the British calls them scones. Its a type of bread. American eats it with dinner or lunch with gravvy, while British enjoys them with tea and jam.

Put it a hot dog in it, and you get pigs in blanket. A simple hors d'ourves or a snack for parties. The recipe I used requires no kneading because I hate anything that requires more that 3 steps (mix, drop and bake). I am going to tweak this a bit and see how it goes with using oil only or at least less milk..

Homecooked feast

My friends and I had this wonderful feast last Saturday. Instead of the host preparing the food or the guest bringing in the food ala "pot luck", it was decided that the guest come over with raw ingredients and cook in the host kitchen. We all got to show off our culinary skills in the kitchen. The theme was "my mum's cooking" which is basically the simpe food that our mum's make that so good, it can be also called as comfort food.

Kerabu Sotong a marvelous mixture of cucumbers, tomatoes, onions, squids, vinegar, salt and other veggies.

Sambal sardine, sardines cooked in tomato sauce and chille, while garnished with deep fried potatoes.

Ayam Percik, grilled chicken with a special "percik sauce"

Ikan selar goreng, simple friend fish that is fried extra crispy.

It was requested that I made these fresh chocolate chip almond cookies. I had to use an old pictures because the cookies were gone as soon as they were out of the oven. Another satisfied group.

Oatmeal Raisin

Hmm I was in the baking mood.

1/4 shortening or vegetable fat. (You can omit this if you don't want to use shortening in your cookies)

1/2 butter (Use 3/4 butter if you decided to omit the shortening)

3/4 cup packed brown sugar

3/4 cups of sugar (reduce it if you want cookies that are less sweet)

1 1/4 cups of flour

1 cup of raisin (soaked it in water to make it plumpier)

2 1/4 cup of rolled oats (I don't have rolled oats in hand so I used instant oats instead)

1 teaspoon of baking soda (sodium bicarbonate)

1 teaspoon of vanila extract/essence

2 eggs

1 teaspoon of nutmeg

1 tablespoon of cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon of salt

Blend sugar, brown sugar and butter till they are smooth. Add in the eggs and vanilla and beat it till they are fluffy.

Stif together flour, salt, baking soda, cinnamon and nutmeg. Gradually add the mixture into the butter mix. Then add in the drained raisins and oatmeal. Blend together. Drop a teaspoon into a greased pan. Bake in a preheated oven at 175C for 15 minutes of until the cookies turn brown and can easily be lifted of the pan

Enjoy

Baking: The foolproof way...............well almost

Yup baking is easy if you have the Instant baking mix with you. We had this baking mix for a couple of months already. It seem I am the only one diligent enough to actually make it, so out of boredom I decided to make it yesterday. My younger sister was gleaming with excitement.

My sister have the affinity to this brand of cake mix, Pillbury Walnut brownies made with real Walnuts.

Then we need an oven, we got this oven last year during puasa because our old oven broke down. Quite cheap, just under RM 100.

Then a suitable baking tin, actually this was the only one I could find because my mom likes to hide it.

Asides from the cake mix, we will need an egg, 1/4 cup of oil, and 3 tablespoon of water.

Throw it all inside this ancient Pyrex bowl which has been in my family since I remembered I was a human being. Mix well.

Greased up the baking tin and pour the mix inside it.

Bake it in pre heated oven at around 200 celcius for about 20 minutes or until you poked the cake with a toothpick at it comes out clean. ( see the various holes :p)

Voila, walnut Brownies in less than an hour. Ok next project, muffins... :D