House of Royal Velvet

Moving Website

2010-06-30T18:25:00.000-07:00

This website has been moved to

www.houseofroyalvelvet.com

Please click the link above to visit our new website.

Thomas the Train - JJ's 1st Bday

2010-03-23T21:38:00.001-07:00

This cake is made for JJ's 1st bday as a gift. I was invited for his birthday dinner. Since I don't really know what to give (his parents are wealthy :D) I decided to make a special cake instead.

It took me 3 days to make. 1st day: baking, 2nd day: carving, 3rd day: decorating. Well, I still have to do other chores. But it's worth it. I'm glad that the people like it, especially the kids :)

Here is the birthday boy with parents.

Black Forest

2010-03-13T05:41:00.001-08:00

This cake is made especially for Adrian, my ex housemate. He comes from the same hometown in Indonesia. Everytime he goes back or comes back, I always ask a favour from him.
He likes Black Forest cake. So I decide to make it for him.

The recipe is taken from Women's Weekly Book. I am curious to try. It's quite nice. Light & not chocolaty.

The cake itself should be 3 layers instead of 4.

4-Flavour Cupcakes - Chris' Book Launch

2010-02-18T07:09:00.001-08:00

Chris, my hubby's colleague, orders 100 cupcakes. He is having a book launch for his poetry.

They are:

Vanilla cupcakes with lemon meringue
Chocolate cupcakes with cheese cream
Strawberry buttercake with meringue
Lemon cheesecake with meringue

According to Chris & the guests that have them, they are very delicious. I'm so glad that they are all satisfied.

Lapis Surabaya

2010-02-11T00:17:00.000-08:00

Lapis Surabaya is a famous Indonesian cake. It consists of 3 layers of cakes : Vanilla, chocolate & vanilla cake.
The texture of this cake is very soft, since it uses many eggs (1 layer of a 10" cake uses 10 eggs!!! So 3 layers use 30 eggs! Ewww....)

I happen to make this cake for a wedding cake.

Benny & Regina Wedding Cake

2010-01-31T00:48:00.001-08:00

Benny's cousin, Irene, orders this wedding cake with special cake stand. I love the roses. They are all handmade & my husband helps me to make them!

Each cake uses 19 roses. We spend weeks to make them.

The top tier comes with simple heart with 2 butterflies.

I love the butterflies. They are gorgeous!!

The middle tier with "Regina" word.

The bottom tier cake with "Benny" word.

The cakes are Lapis Surabaya cakes. I make them 3 days before the due date. It takes me almost one full day to decorate the cakes. Especially the bottom cake, which has plenty patches (psst....secret :D )

It's all worth it, though, at the end of the day. I was a bit dissapointed when it's done. Due to the cake texture, the fondant doesn't cover very well actually. Yet the client & the guests are very satisfied with the look & especially the taste!

Praise the Lord.

Congrats for Benny & Regina for your wedding.

Spicy Cupcakes Hampers

2010-01-14T08:00:00.000-08:00

I make these simple cupcakes for all the pastors in my church. It is quite time consuming, though. I have to wrap the hampers myself.

White Chocolate Gateau

2009-12-27T01:57:00.000-08:00

Merry Christmas 2009!

This dessert is made for family Christmas lunch in Bunbury.
Inside the cake are creme, white chocolate & raspberries.

Devil's Food Cake - Irvan & Michaella's Wedding Anniversary

2009-12-27T01:51:00.000-08:00

I made this cake for Irvan & Michaella's 1st year wedding anniversary. Just a normal devil's food cake with some wording on top.

Gateau Tiramisu - Om Mulyo's Birthday

2009-11-26T00:24:00.000-08:00

Tante Leoni orders this cake for her husband's birthday. The cake is 8" big & I use Bailey's instead of Kahlua.

Lapis Keju for Ps Mike's 28th yo Bday

2009-11-26T00:21:00.000-08:00

Ps Mike likes cheese cake. This time, I just want to give him something special. Notice that I make Happy Birthday musical notes on 3 sides of the cake.

Happy birthday Mike. May your dreams come true & the cake satisfy you.

Lapis Keju (Layered Cheese Cake)

2009-11-11T23:12:00.001-08:00

Yum..I've been longing to try this recipe but only manage to do so lately. This is so Indonesian style. I want to give someone a birthday cake because he likes cheese cake. I thought this might be appropriate. So I bake this cake & have my hubby's family a sample to get their opinions.

I like the taste of the cake. Very smooth & delicate. It takes some efforts to make it (consisting of 2 layers & shredding the cheese on top & sides ).

Pandan Chiffon Cake

2009-11-03T23:44:00.001-08:00

I have tried to make chiffon cake for several times. This time it's successful. The cake is very spongy and airy.

I eat 3 slices myself! Can't believe it. I even like it.

Girly Cupcakes - Naomi's 7 yrs old Bday

2009-10-18T03:26:00.000-07:00

Naomi turns 7 & initially I wanted to make a bag cake for her. Her mum asked for 7 cupcakes instead signifying her age.
I wasn't sure of the idea but it came last minute : girly stuffs.

Some tops

Some bags

A pair of boots

Some pairs of bikinis

Some skirts

A cute little girl carrying roses

Some bananas & strawberries encircling number 7

Happy birthday Naomi. Glad you eat all the cupcakes as well as the toppers. Wow! Getting sweeter :p

Noah's Ark - Callista's 2 yrs old bday

2009-10-18T03:14:00.001-07:00

I made this cake for Callista's Birthday. Still related to her Animal Cupcakes, I use the same animals for Noah's Ark.

This is the view from the side ( look at that monkey's head popping out from the roof :D )

View from the top

View from the back

Waves effect...

Happy birthday girl. You look so pretty !

Animal Cupcakes - Callista's 2 yrs old bday

2009-10-18T02:00:00.000-07:00

Callista likes animals & these cupcakes made for her friends in Childcare. I made 6 animals :

Pig

Lion

Panda

Monkey

Elephant

Bear

This is the side look of lion & pig, since they have long shape.

Nathan's 4yrs old Birthday - Cars

2009-09-19T07:21:00.000-07:00

This cake is made for Nathan's Birthday. He likes Cars so much. His birthday theme is all about Cars.

This is how it looks after carved & covered with icing. Quite challenging.

Covering the cake with frosting icing. It is Madeira Cake inside. I use 2 x 8" square tins. Whereas the Car uses half 8" rectangular tin.
I spent 1.5 days to make the cake.

Newborn Baby Girl Melody

2009-09-05T07:22:00.001-07:00

My lovely couple of friend have just had a baby girl. Her name is Melody, such a unique name.
I make these cupcakes just for her coming into the world.

These are Vanilla Cupcakes with just simple toppers.

Chocolate Cupcakes with Spun Toffee

2009-09-01T04:31:00.001-07:00

This time I have chocolate & toffee leftover from Lamington & Strawberry Sponge that I made a few days before. I feel wasted to throw them. So I just make these cupcakes. Add self-raising flour, eggs, sugar & rum. I don't have the recipe...Use ready whipped cream as the topping & the leftover toffee.

Hm...they are delicious & moist eventhough no recipe :D

Aunty Lesley's Strawberries & Cream Sponge with Spun Toffee Birthday Cake

2009-08-25T21:41:00.000-07:00

24 August is Aunty Lesley's birthday. She is like my own relative already. Everytime I visit her I always make something for her & hubby.

This time is special. I thought this cake would be just nice for her age. No butter & not so much sugar. The strawberries mixed with the cream are just perfect taste.

Even I like this cake.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY AUNTY LESLEY...

Lamington

2009-08-25T21:39:00.000-07:00

My mom is so curious about kinds of cakes in Aussie. While she's staying with me I make this cake for her. I myself not a coconut fan.

Mark & Tasia's 2 years Wedding Anniv

2009-08-24T05:29:00.000-07:00

Tue, 18th August 2009 was our wedding anniversary. I just had a sudden idea to celebrate it in a simple way yet sweet & blesses others.

So, I made these cupcakes for Sunday evening service. There were only about 50s cupcakes so not everyone could taste it. The kids...well...they had queued for a while...

They were GONE in few minutes after the service finished.

The picture above showing the figurines made for this event.

The figurines were made on Friday. The cupcakes were made on Saturday & the mock icing was made on Sunday morning. Long hours...

By the way, the cupcakes themselves were White Chocolate Mud Cupcakes. How fortunate my hubby was, he is a white choc lover!!

Princess Arnya 3 years old

2009-08-17T03:55:00.001-07:00

My niece Arnya is 3 years old. She is into "princess" so much these days, so she likes Princess cake definitely.

I like the long bow at the back.

This cake is quite simple & fast to make. I like the shimmery effect on the gown...makes it look expensive :)

The flowers & leaves are big compared with the princess size..it's because I don't have small flower cookie cutter. Nice, though.

The doll itself comes in half body.

Arnya likes purple, that's why I choose purple gown for this princess.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY ARNYA!

Ika's 24 Bow Gift Cake

2009-08-17T03:47:00.001-07:00

This cake is ordered by Christina for her friend's birthday. The cake itself is rich chocolate cake.

This cake is pretty fast to make since the decoration is simple.

Mini Sweetheart Brownies

2009-07-09T01:21:00.000-07:00

I'm so curious to make Sweetheart Brownie again. This time, I want to make it in mini sizes. I use chocolate & shredded cheese topping. Both of them taste nice.

I have to cut the top of the brownies, since they are so puffy. And I make butterfly creation like these ones...

I use ready whipped cream to make the butterfly's body, but it turns out flat after chilled for a moment :(

These mini brownies make 4 for 1 recipe.

Pizza Mantap

2009-06-22T04:59:00.000-07:00

Lately my husband wants to make his own pizza toppings. I make the base.

This pizza is just superb! It is so rich & you won't find pizza sellers outside selling this kind of thick-topping pizza.

Since the flavour is very delicious, we call it Pizza Mantap, which means Superb Pizza :D
The base itself is perfect. If baked at the right temperature & timing, the crust is crunchy.

For the toppings, this is what we put:

Tomato paste
BBQ sauce
Mixed herbs
Onion
Capsicum
Olives
Bacon
Salami
Button mushrooms
Pineapple
Tomato
Cheddar cheese
Mozzarella cheese
Parmesan cheese to serve

We love it! We definitely WILL make more pizza mantap in the near future. So much better than buying from outside.

Wholemeal Bread

2009-06-22T04:51:00.001-07:00

I love to eat toast. We always have toast in our fridge. This time I'm thinking to try to make my own toast. Well..the picture doesn't look very convincing. Instead of using bread flour, I use wholemeal self raising flour (I rarely use this flour for baking).

It's very crunchy especially after coming out fresh from the oven. It is also very crunchy when toasted. Not bad for a first try.

Jan Hagel 2

2009-06-18T22:38:00.000-07:00

Another try of Jan Hagel. This cookie tastes best when I use Wijsman Butter as a mixture with normal butter.

1 recipe makes 500 g.

American Chocolate Brownies

2009-06-18T22:29:00.001-07:00

I've been curious to make this brownie since I had a look at the picture in my Baking Book. This is American chocolate brownie that comes with chopped hazelnut inside. Rich with Chocolate definitely. I have the chocolate icing ingredients cut to reduce the richness.

The brownie is baked in 20 x 20 square tin & makes 16 slices.

Brandy Snaps

2009-06-11T02:38:00.000-07:00

I have no plan to cook or bake today. But I have some free time slot. So, what do I do then? I flip my Baking Book & find that Brandy Snaps are an easy thing to make.

Brandy snaps are a common dessert food in England, Ireland, Australia and New Zealand. Brandy snaps are edible tubular brittle sweet baked casings which typically 10 cm long and 2 cm in diameter. They are usually served filled with whipped cream. But my version is just hollow with dark cooking chocolate dip at the end of both sides.

Banana & Devil's Food Cupcakes - Aidan's Christening & 1yr old Birthday

2009-06-07T22:00:00.000-07:00

Aidan's birthday is on 8 June (Monday) & his christening is on 7 June (Sunday). I want to make something special for him eventhough he's only 1 year old & doesn't know much about fancy cakes. I make 2 flavours for the cupcakes & mini cupcakes: Banana & Devil's Food (chocolate), with Cheese Cream & Buttercream Icing.

A week before making the cupcakes I prepared the Royal Icing first.

Tiny presents...

Tiny bananas...

Tiny strawberries...

A pair of tiny booties...

Then two days before that Christening Day (which was on Friday) I made the cupcakes & mini cupcakes

Cupcakes...

Mini Cupcakes...

On Saturday morning I made the cream cheese & buttercream icing before decorating them with Royal Icing.

Phew...after 5-6 hours these are what my hands have made...

This single cupcake fits for Aidan's Christening as well as his birthday.

Babies in patch blanket. It did take me long hours to make the patch blanket. I had to cut the squares & attached them to the blanket.

Simple cupcakes with tiny presents.

Babies in blanket again. These ones are quick to make.

This is Aidan, my 1st year old nephew, enjoying chicken bone.

When christened.

Spritz Sagu/Spritz Cookies - Real Shape

2009-06-01T21:39:00.001-07:00

This is the real shape of Spritz Sagu cookies. I use piping nozzle instead of cookie cutter. Some other people will make it in "S" or "Z" shape. I think it's very pretty shape.

I make this cookie for Lisa. She is a cookie fan. This is how much she orders from me.

1 recipe makes 400 g.

Marmer/Marble Cake

2009-05-26T20:58:00.000-07:00

I'm curious how to bake Marmer Cake. This is my first trial making it. It doesn't resemble so much like one, because the chocolate swirl supposes to be obvious swirl. Mine doesn't. But the taste is still moist & the cake bakes well.

Jam Drops

2009-05-20T20:09:00.000-07:00

After baking Ananaskoekjes, I find some leftover from the dough. I'm not sure what to do with it, so I decide to make Jam Drops instead.
It's a very easy cookie to make & kids definitely would love it.

I use strawberry jam for the filling. You can mix & match with other jams as you like.

Nastar Nanas/Pineapple Cookies/Ananaskoekjes

2009-05-20T19:45:00.001-07:00

Hmm...this is one of my favourite cookies from Indonesia. My mum likes to bake them. Even my hubby likes it.
This cookie comes from the Netherland. It's called Ananaskoekjes in Dutch, which means pineapple cookies.
In Indonesia this kind of cookie is very famous. Like Kastengel, Jan Hagel, people like to buy Ananaskoekjes for Idul Fitri, Christmas, and Chinese New Year.

Inside this cookie you will find pineapple filling. The best taste isn't pineapple jam that you can buy from the supermarket, but from pure pineapple that you make yourself, preservatives-free jam.

You can shape it according to your style. The first shape that I make uses special mini mould, which takes more effort & time consuming. The round one is easier & faster.

1 recipe makes 500 g.

Spritz Sagu/Spritz Cookies - First Try

2009-05-18T00:22:00.000-07:00

This is one of famous cookies in Indonesia. Originally it comes from Germany for a classic cookie. The main ingredient for this cookie is Sagu/Sago/Tapioca. It also contains shredded cheese in it. After baked, the cheese is very crunchy.
Spritz Cookie is a good companion for tea.

The shape of this cookie should be like a small flower. I just want to modify the shape, so I use heart cookie cutter instead.

Chicken Roll

2009-05-14T22:55:00.000-07:00

Bored with Asian food for dinner/lunch, I decided to make Chicken Sausage Roll. It's pretty easy, I just use Puff Pastry instead of home-made one (saves so much time too).

Ingredients:

500 g puff pastry
2 eggs, lightly beaten
750 g chicken mince
1 cup fresh breadcrumbs
3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
1/2 teaspoon each of ground sage, black pepper, white pepper, salt, ground/grated ginger
4 finely chopped spring onions
3 tablespoons sweet chilli sauce

Topping:

Sesame seeds

Method:

Preheat the oven to 200 deg. C. Lightly grease two oven trays.
Mix half the beaten eggs with the remaining ingredients in a large bowl, then divide into 6 even portions. Spoon the filling down the centre of each piece of pastry, then brush the edges with some of the egg. Fold th epastry over the filling, overlapping the edges & placing the join underneath, Brush the rolls with more egg, then cut each into 6 short pieces. Sprinkle the pastry with sesame seeds after glazing.
Cut 2 small slashes on top of each roll, place on the baking trays & bake for 15 mins. Reduce the oven temperature to 180 deg. C & bake for another 15 mins, or until puffed & golden.

Serve with tomato/chili/sweet chilli sauce.

Carrot Cake

2009-05-06T03:14:00.000-07:00

Believed to be American origin, carrot cake started to become very popular in the 1950s, and continue as favourites today. The cream cheese frosting adds richness.

Finally, I make Carrot Cake again. Mark just finished his exam last Monday & I promised to make a cake to celebrate that.

It took me few hours to bake this cake, especially the preparation when grating the carrots & chopping the walnuts..phew! The baking time was also quite long, about an hour plus.

It's worth it after all. The cake is very moist, the taste is just perfect.
This one comes in round shape with approx. 21 cm diameter & 5 cm height.

Brownis Kukus/Steam Brownie

2009-05-02T03:12:00.001-07:00

Hm...brownies...who doesn't like it? This brownie is different, though. It's steamed, not baked. Very popular cake from Bandung, Indonesia. Amanda is the brand & people are so crazy about that particular brand. You even find that many people buy & resell in other cities than Bandung.

Anyway,...I have made this brownie for many times but I don't really have nice pictures of it. So, Aunty Leony from church places an order & I decided to make my own too (for my hubby, he loves it).

It comes in square size (24 x 24 cm baking tin). Best to eat when chilled in the fridge. It can last up to 7-8 days <hopefully, because once you taste it, you may finish it within a day itself :D> & has to be covered so that you don't lose that moist taste.

Roti Daging/Bread with Meat Filling

2009-04-30T00:02:00.000-07:00

Ah....finally I make it. I have this recipe for ages but no time to make it.

This is so Indonesian/Asian Bread. I use beef mince as the filling. You have to deep fry the dough or bake it in the oven.

After cooked I eat 1 piece straightaway, so curious with the taste. It turns up...hm..very soft and crunchy. The best time to have it is when it's just cooked. Still warm & crunchy.

Thank you Kitchen Aid for mixing the dough. I save time & energy so much.

Christmas Hamper

2009-04-29T00:28:00.001-07:00

Christmas is just at the door. I'm thinking to give something for the pastors in my church.
Inside this hamper I put:

Kaastengel
Jan Hagel
Some sweets & chocolates

It's a simple way of appreciating my pastors for their commitment.

Triple Choco Cheesecake

2009-04-29T00:21:00.000-07:00

Aunty Leony from my church asks me what to make for her husband's birthday. She normally asks me to make Brownis Kukus / Steam Brownie or other Indonesian cakes. This time she wants something special.

I suggest her this cake. It's got the mixture of Dark Cooking Chocolate & White Cooking Chocolate.

This cake has to be refrigerated like other cheesecakes. According to her, the taste is almost like Ice Cream Cake! Wow! That's a compliment...too bad I can't taste it myself.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY UNCLE MULYO! I'M GLAD THAT YOU & YOUR FAMILY "SMASH" THIS SPECIAL CAKE.

Sweetheart Brownie with Cheese Topping

2009-04-29T00:16:00.000-07:00

Brownies normally come with almond, chocolate or just-plain topping.
I decide to modify it by grating cheese block on top of it.

Below the cheese topping, I spread whipped cream.
The taste is actually yummy because of the mixture of chocolate & cheese. It's not very cheesy eventhough you may see such a thick cheese layer on top.

Profiteroles/Cream Puff/Kue Sus

2009-04-29T00:10:00.000-07:00

A profiterole or cream puff is a popular choux pastry. Choux paste is baked into small round puffs that are served cold with a sweet filling and sometimes a topping. The usual fillings are whipped cream and pastry cream, however cream containing alcohol is not uncommon. The puffs may be left plain or cut to resemble swans or decorated with chocolate sauce, caramel, or a dusting of powdered sugar.

My profiteroles come with Rum for the filling. It does bring the fragrant smell & tastier.
One recipe makes 20 pieces with approx. diameter 9-10 cm each.

Mochaccinos

2009-04-29T00:05:00.001-07:00

Inside this dessert you will find Mocha Mudcake. I use Tia Maria liqueur as coffee liqueur.
Add fresh whipped cream on top & dust it with cocoa powder to make the taste even better.

It's a nice companion to have your tea/coffee.

Lemon Chiffon Pie

2009-04-28T23:59:00.000-07:00

The French word chiffon is applied to fabrics & foods that are light, soft & silky. It is perfect to describe the texture of this popular dessert.

I'm pretty bored & feel like baking a different cake. I take my Baking Book & show it to Mark. He chooses this pie, eventhough the taste almost the same like Lemon Meringue.

It's actually very nice, light & tangy taste. The lemon taste is just perfect and I don't have to bake it too long because there's no meringue on top.

The base is made from sweet plain biscuits. It comes in round shape with approx. 23 cm diameter & 3 cm height.
Serves 6-8.

Aiden's Welcome Cake

2009-04-28T23:47:00.001-07:00

Another nephew just born! His name is Aiden John. He's a brother of Arnya (my niece that lives in Bunbury).

This cake is made to celebrate together with other family members in Bunbury. This is my first time making novelty cake.

That's Aiden when he was just 3 weeks (in June '08). So tiny.

And by December '08 he was already this big! Look how chubby he is..

It was Christmas Day. Aiden wore Santa's costume. He looked like a little elf :)

Pretzel

2009-04-28T23:38:00.001-07:00

As early as 610AD at a monastery somewhere in Southern France or Northern Italy, where monks used scraps of dough and formed them into strips to represent a child's arms folded in prayer. The three empty holes represented the Christian Trinity.

The monks offered the warm, doughy bribe to children who had memorized their Bible verses and prayers. The monks called it a Pretiola, Latin for little reward. From there, the pretzel transformed into the Italian word, Brachiola, which means little arms.

The Pretiola journeyed beyond the French and Italian wine regions, hiked the Alps, wandered through Austria, and crossed into Germany, where it became known as the Bretzel or Pretzel.

In medieval times merchants traveling to the Frankfurt Fair risked being robbed by bandits. In order to guard the tradesmen, the towns' people would ride out, greet the vendors and offer them pewter pitchers of wine and loads of crisp dough on their spears, called Geleit-pretzels.

The Whimsical Pretzel shape worked its way into the culture not only as a reward but as a symbol of Good Luck and prosperity.

Probably two of the most fascinating things about the pretzel is it was served on Easter with 2 hard boiled eggs and hidden around the farms, for the kids to find. This very likely was the forerunner of the Easter egg hunt. Weddings in Europe for a time used the tradition of the bride and groom tugging at a pretzel like a wishbone, the larger piece assured the spouses fulfillment of their wishes.

I'm so frustrated with the Pretzels sold in the shopping malls. They are rocky, expensive & too plain. I know that Aunty Anne's Pretzels are different. But I can't find them here in Australia. Even I checked the website but no franchise in Aussie.

So, I just peep my Baking Book again & decide to make some. It's not difficult to make pretzels. You just have to be patient when waiting for the dough rising.

I like sugar & cinnamon toppings on pretzel. My hubby likes the savoury one more, so I sprinkle salt & garlic powder instead.

Jan Hagel

2009-04-28T23:35:00.001-07:00

Jan Hagel (yan HAH-ghle) cookies are a traditional Dutch holiday sweet. They are very thin, light and flaky. They are also known as Hollanders, Janhagels, Janhagel Cookies, Dutch Almond Cookies or Sugar Hail Cookies.

Jan Hagel - Johnny Hail - is Dutch for ‘an unruly mob’ or ‘rabble,’ with hagel in the sense of ‘multitude’ or ‘swarm.’ In the cookie, the rock sugar resembles hail.

Kaastangel/Kastengel

2009-04-28T22:47:00.000-07:00

Kaastangel / Cheese Cookies came originally from the Netherlands. In the past, during the colonial era, the Dutch came to Indonesia. They brought many influences in many factors. One of them was food.

The words "kaas" & "stengels" are Dutch words. Kaas means cheese & stengels means bar. Kaasstengels or cheese bar now is adapted as Kastengel (Indonesian word).

This cookie is very famous in Indonesia. People normally buy them in jars for Idul Fitri, Christmas, Chinese New Year or even just for personal consumption.

The main ingredient that makes this cookie delicious is Dutch cheese like Edam cheese or Gouda cheese.

Edam Cheese

Gouda Cheese

Both of the pictures look the same. They have red skin outside.
Once recipe makes 700gr Kaastangel. Best to keep the cookies in an airtight container like Tupperware. It will make them last for 1-3 months.

Crisp Rice Cupcakes

2009-04-28T08:06:00.001-07:00

Great for kids party. You can even make it with your kids. I'm sure they will love it.
To make this crunchy cupcake is very easy. You need:

200g dark chocolate
100g unsalted butter, softened
5 tbsp golden syrup (you can reduce 1 tbsp to make it less sweet)*
100g crisp rice cereal

Method:

Place 12 foil or paper baking cases on a tray
Place the chocolate & buter in a medium bowl over a pan of simmering water & stir until melted
Remove tin from the heat & stir in the cereal & golden syrup
Drop spoonfuls of the mixture into the cases. Refrigerate for 1 hour
Store in an airtight container for up to 5 days

*My first try making this cupcake was quite sweet. That's my suggestion.

Bolu Kukus (Steamed Sponge Cake)

2009-04-28T07:31:00.000-07:00

Bolu Kukus / Steamed Sponge Cake is one of the famous cakes/"jajan pasar" from Indonesia. You can find it mainly from "pasar" (traditional market) and bakeries with many colours and flavours: chocolate, strawbery, pandan, vanilla.
The texture of this cake is soft, like Western muffins, but the top is the unique look.

It looks easy to make Bolu Kukus but you have to know the techniques used to make it fluffy and the top can open up.
The use of baking soda is important or you can substitute with carbonated water.

From the name itself, we know that steaming is the method to make this cake. First of all, you need to use special mould with many holes (it looks like cupcake mould, which I haven't found this kind of mould sold here in Perth. I have to get it from Indonesia). This mould will allow the steam from the bottom to enter into the dough so that the cake will cook evenly. It looks like this picture below

My first try making Bolu Kukus was unsuccessful. The top didn't open up & my techniques were wrong.
Since the result is kind of cute, I upload the unsuccessful ones for comparison.

Baked Cheesecake

2009-04-28T05:57:00.000-07:00

I made this cheesecake specially for Ps Daniel's birthday. The main ingredients are Ricotta Cheese & Cream Cheese..well..that's very fattening.

The taste is very nice, not cheesy. I don't eat cheesecake too much but I can eat this one more.

This mouth-watering cheesecake come with crumbed wholemeal crackers. Just keep it refrigerated & serve it cold to eat. Add a cup of tea or coffee. Hm...very nice...

Tiramisu

2008-09-09T07:43:00.000-07:00

Several sources (from Vin Veneto, dated 1981, to the Italian Academy of Giuseppe Maffioli and several cuisine websites) claim that tiramisu was born in Treviso at "Le Beccherie" restaurant in the hands of the god-daughter and apprentice of confectioner Roberto Linguanotto, Francesca Valori, whose maiden name was Tiramisu. It is believed that Linguanotto named the dish in honour of Francesca's culinary skill. Other sources report the creation of the cake to have originated in the city of Siena. Some confectioners were said to have created it in honour of Cosimo III on the occasion of his visit to the city. Alternatively, accounts by Carminantonio Iannaconne as researched and written about by TheWashington Post and Baltimore Magazine establish the creation of tiramisu by Carminantonio Iannaccone on December 24, 1969 in Via Sottotreviso while he was headchef at Treviso, near Venice.

In the original recipe, there was no liquor as the cake was originally aimed at children and the elderly and the original shape was round. The phrase tira mi su literally means 'pick-me-up' or 'pull-me-up' in reference to the effects of the sugar and espresso.

Sweetheart Brownie - Arnya Bday Hearty Cake

2008-08-12T05:28:00.000-07:00

My niece's name is Arnya Cait. Her actual birthday is on 13 August but parents decided to celebrate early on 9 August 2008. She's 2 years old this year & I decided to make special cake for her.

Honestly, this is my 2nd time making icing cake. It took me about 4 hours plus the overnight drying including the baking itself to make this cake. I'm glad that people appreciate my work especially Arnya who kept saying "It's mine!!It's mine!!" (due to her picture on the cake. What a smart girl). All other small girls wanted to touch the cake but Arnya really kept an eye on her hearty cake :D

Arnya with dad & mom

Her birthday cake (which her parents bought from a shop) is big enough to feed more than 20 people. It's 3-layered sponge cake.

Coconut Ice

2008-08-12T05:02:00.000-07:00

This sweet stuff was also made for my niece, Arnya, for her 2nd year old birthday.

I made the noodle box decoration myself. My niece loves purple & brown.

Custard Meringue

2008-08-04T00:32:00.000-07:00

This is my third time making meringue. I already know the secret how to make stiff meringue :) You need to mix it for longer until the egg white becomes stiff. Actually this recipe is for lemon meringue. Since I have the leftover of custard filling, I just substitute the lemon with it. Not bad, it's nice too.

Spanish Cream

2008-08-04T00:31:00.000-07:00

This dessert is an adaptation of the Spanish baked custard known as creme caramel.
It is like jelly pudding.

Ingredients:

2 eggs, separated
1/2 cup caster sugar
2 tsps vanilla essence
2 cups milk
2 tbsps gelatine
1/3 cup hot water

Method:

Whisk egg yolks, sugar & essence in large pan until creamy; whisk in milk. Stir over heat, without boiling, until sugar is dissolved; bring to boil, remove from heat. Sprinkle gelatine over hot water, stir into milk mixture.
Beat egg whites in small bowl with elextric mixer until firm peaks form. Fold whites into milk mixture in 2 batches.
Pour mixture into wetted mould (4-cup capacity), or into 4 individual dishes (1-cup capacity); refrigerate until firm.

Serves 4

Lemon Meringue

2008-08-04T00:26:00.000-07:00

(25.5 cm diameter)

Everybody loves Lemon Meringue. The delicious thing about this is the lemon filling. It's so lemony...My husband can finish the whole cake :D !!

It is believed that the meringue was invented by a Swiss pastry-cook called Gasparini in 1720. It quickly became a favourite of the French court & Marie Antoinette was apparently so fond of it that she used to make it with her own regal hands!

I like to play with the meringue itself. You can make the topping like that style or just use knife to make it swirly & pointy.

I also make it in different shape like these pictures below. It's more personalised, cuter and just enough for a single serve.

(6 cm diameter)

(10 cm diameter)

(inside of lemon meringue before topped)

The big round-shape is 25.5 cm diameter & 3 cm base-height. Serves 6-8.
The single serve is 6 cm diameter & 2.5 cm base-height. Serves 18.
Another single serve is 10 cm diameter & 2 cm base-height. Serves 10.

Sacher Torte

2008-08-04T00:21:00.000-07:00

History of Sacher Torte

Sacher Torte [ˈzɑxərˌtɔrtə] is a very famous chocolate cake from Vienna, Austria. It was invented by Franz Sacher in 1832. The name was derived from a hotel name "Hotel Sacher", which was owned by Franz Sacher.

The Original Sacher-Torte has been the most famous cake in the world for more than 175 years!

The Original Sacher-Torte has been the most famous cake in the world since 1832. Only the Original Sacher-Torte is produced according to this original recipe: The basis is a chocolate cake, thinly coated by hand with best-quality apricot jam. The chocolate icing over this is the crowning glory. The Original Sacher-Torte tastes best with a portion of unsweetened whipped cream, complemented perfectly with a “Wiener Melange” (coffee with milk) from the Original Sacher Café.

Creme Brulee With Sugared Raspberries

2008-08-04T00:13:00.000-07:00

Crème brulee is a classic dish of smooth custard with a caramelized sugar topping. The origin of crème brulee is hotly debated. Trinity College in Cambridge, England contends to be the first producer of the dessert in the 1600's when they called it Cambridge burnt cream or Trinity cream. The college has an iron with the official college crest which is used to burn the sugar top.

Gosh...I bake this for 4 hours!!!But it's very worth it. Inside is custard...very good smell...sweet.

Portuguese Egg Tart & Queen of Puddings

2008-08-04T00:07:00.000-07:00

Portuguese Egg Tart

It was evolved from "pastel de nata", a Portuguese custard pastry that consists of custard in a creme brulee-like consistency caramelised fashion in a puff pastry case. It was created more than 200 years ago by Catholic Sisters at Jeronimos Monastery at Belem in Lisbon. Casa Pastéis de Belém was the first pastry shop outside of the convent to sell this pastry in 1837, and it is now a popular pastry in every pastry shop around the world owned by Portuguese descendants.

Queen of Puddings

A traditional British dessert, consisting of a baked, breadcrumb-thickened mixture, spread with jam & topped with meringue.

I made them for husband's 30th Birthday on 29 July 2008.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY HUNIEEE!!!

MMMMMMuuuuahhh......

We celebrated his birthday at Uncle Graham's house. Just a simple dinner with some special people. We had Nando's Chicken and all these tarts & puddings.

Blackforest Cheesecake

2008-08-04T00:03:00.000-07:00

This cake is called blackforest cheesecake because it has got cherry pitted filling inside.

Most people that try this cheesecake would comment that the base is very nice, very crunchy. I made this & gave away for hubby's colleagues.

Cheesecake Cones

2008-06-11T06:47:00.000-07:00

My husband & I try to make a visit to Bunbury regularly, since his family live there. This time I made this stylish cheesecake for them. My little niece, Arnya, couldn't stop eating it. She kept on sniffing & said "nice..."

This cheesecake makes 6 cones. The base contains nuts.

Butterfly Cakes

2008-05-27T02:02:00.001-07:00

BUTTERFLY CAKES!!!Yum...I like them. Very cute. They are quite unique because of the topping. It's from fresh whipped cream and strawberry jam.

Sour Cream Coffee Cake

2008-05-13T23:37:00.000-07:00

Unique taste. This is good for tea time.

Orange Cake

2008-05-13T23:32:00.000-07:00

Made this to visit Uncle Graham & Aunty Leslie for dinner invitation. The topping is rather crunchy & the cake is moist.

Blackforest Cake-Courtesy of Fang Fang

2008-04-21T19:06:00.000-07:00

Above pictures were taken by Indra (Fang2's hubby). He's a photographer.
So much professional than this picture below. Hehehe.

Wow! I made this cake specially for Fang Fang's birthday (18 April 2008), which was my 8th month wedding anniversary :) It was 3-layered cake with creme & pitted cherries inside.

Sausage Roll

2008-04-17T01:34:00.001-07:00

I made this pastry because of "idle" sausages & leftover puff pastry.
This was how I made it:

Ingredients:

Pampas puff (thawed, cut into 2 either rectangular or triangular, your choice). 1 sheet makes 2 rolls.
Sausages, cut horizontally into 2 pieces.
Cheddar cheese (either block cheese or the slice one). If you use block cheese, you need to grate it. For the slice one, you can cut into 2.
BBQ sauce.
Italian herbs for spice.
Parmesan cheese.
Egg.

Method:

Preheat the oven to medium temperature.
Arrange Pampas puff on a tray, brush the BBQ sauce on top of it. Put the cheese, sausage on top of it.
Sprinkle Italian herbs on top of the sausage.
Quickly roll the puff & tighten the sides by pressing it with finger / fork. Don't wait too long for the puff dries quickly. You can cover it with a damp cloth if you have more to make. You may need a little bit of water to stick both sides together.
Brush egg on the top of the roll.
Sprinkle parmesan cheese on top of it.
Bake it for 15 minutes. Just watch it. It bakes quite quickly.

Now you can enjoy your Sausage Roll!!

Homemade Pizza Hut

2008-04-17T01:30:00.001-07:00

I'm a fan of Pizza Hut. Since the Pizza Hut taste is different here, I'm curious to try making my own. I searched for the recipe online & I got it from cdkitchen.
In terms of shape, well..you can see, it's definitely not very Pizza Hut. I have no special baking pan for that. In terms of taste, I think it's not bad. Quite close to its original taste, especially when it just comes out of the oven. You just have to eat it quickly to get the taste.

Salmon Roll

2008-04-17T01:19:00.000-07:00

My hubby loves to eat salmon. Consuming salmon is considered to be healthy due to the fish's high protein, high Omega-3 fatty acids and high vitamin D content.

It's not different to make it from Sausage Roll. Quite simple & quick.

Ingredients:

Pampas puff (thawed, cut into 2 rectangulars). 1 sheet makes 2 pies.
Salmon, cut thinly.
Cheddar cheese (either block cheese or the slice one). If you use block cheese, you need to grate it. For the slice one, you can cut into 2.
Italian herbs, parsley for spices.
Egg.

Method:

Preheat the oven to medium temperature.
Arrange Pampas puff on a tray, put the salmon , cheese, on top of it.
Sprinkle Italian herbs & parsley on top of the salmon.
Quickly roll the puff & tighten the sides by pressing it with finger / fork. Don't wait too long for the puff dries quickly. You can cover it with a damp cloth if you have more to make. You may need a little bit of water to stick both sides together.
Brush egg on the top of the roll.
Bake it for 15 minutes. Just watch it. It bakes quite quickly. You don't want the fish to be too dry.

Salmon Pie is quite filling. It's great for simple lunch/dinner. It's easy, and very nutritious.

Orange Sponge Cake

2008-04-17T00:52:00.000-07:00

Making sponge cake is not as easy as I think. The ingredients is quite simple but the technique of baking it has to be precise, eg., the oven temperature, the way you mix the dough. I like this sponge cake. Very soft, spongy & yummy. It took me a few hours to make it from scratch until baked, especially when squeezing the orange juice...tedious...

Truffles

2008-04-16T07:23:00.001-07:00

I make 3 kinds of truffles here.

Chocolate
Caramel (with white choco topping)
Rum (with real liquor)

My hubby loves the caramel one soooo much that he can finish it in few days...

He wants to finish 'em all! Lucky I don't like white chocolate. Good for you Mark

Japanese Cheesecake

2008-04-15T00:38:00.000-07:00

This cheesecake is very different from Western style. Japanese cheesecake is not very cheesy but lighter, rather spongy & tangy. The texture is very soft and it just melts in your mouth. It's best to keep it refrigerated & eat it chilled.

It comes in 24x24cm square baking tin.

Banana Bread

2008-04-14T18:17:00.000-07:00

This banana bread was made due to the BAKING RECIPE book given to me by cell group members for my birthday present. It's so easy to make & fast. The taste is yummy & moist. Thank you guys for the birthday present. It does enrich my baking experiment.