Cake Balls

Use the left over Rich Chocolate Cake that i bake on Thursday evening,
and made them into Cake Balls, for Granny Bday celebration.

It was fairly easy,
the method is similar to Cake Pops,
just that this time round, i didnt stick a stick/pick into the balls.

Cake Pops was actually brought into trend by Bakerella.
Can find out more from her website,
she does them in all sort of beautiful & whimsical design.
I manage to stumble upon it one fine day while browsing some food blog.
I have wanted to try it cos it looks so simple & darn pretty.
My first time trying it turn out kinda disaster. lol...
The chocolate cake base together with peanut butter frosting,
was simply CRAZY & ultimate WRONG match.
Guess i was pretty lazy after a round of baking that night,
so i simply tried it out with what frosting i have on hand, peanut butter...

Now that i have gone thru all the correct step/method of doing it,
and really put effort into making them,
they turn out real good.
See, food do have a temperament of their own.
If u dun love what you're doing & put ur heart into in,
they wont turn out good..
Thats why, im always so bend on doing all the mixing, shaping, baking myself.
And thats the reason my mum / Chun always complain
when i really need their help,
i'll nag that its out of shape, proportion, is wrong etc... lol..
and then they'll give up, dun help me any more...

All about Cream

This is a confusion, at least always to me.
Esp true for double, single & thicken cream.
So i decided to do a little research so i can easily come back to.
Found this great table from here.
It have clearly listed out the different amount of fat content
for the different type of cream.

Click on table for better resolution table

Chocolate Cake Pops

Cake Pops (thru Digitally Filtered Lens)

Set out to bake a uber sinful mini chocolate cake for J.
In the end, made Chocolate Pop instead with the cake.. lol..

Its a eventful twist of fate.
I have been thinking of the cake for several days.
Then came to the conclusion of individual serve cake for the 3 of us.
Even thought of the design of the cake.
Then came the problem of frosting.
No fridge, what frosting to use le...
Chocolate coating best liao.
But cos its a chocolate cake, with chocolate frosting will be very dry.
So i decided to make some chocolate ganache.

Then came the second problem,
cck no stock / never sell single cream. DIE!!
So i ask Darling go out walk walk at railway mail.
Reach there then realise that no more Bulla single cream,
only stock there was a brand i never heard of.
Further more its on discount,
cos its near expiry date, 2 Mar 2010.. lol..
No choice so bought that & Bulla thicken cream, for backup.

Went home, start mixing butter & sugar.
When i add in the eggs,
the mixture look like they are separating..
Disgusted, i threw the first batch away.
Then started on second batch, same problem.
Then i think back, "did i have the same prob last time".
Then i thought, maybe never mind de.
So i went ahead and add i the flour etc.
the batter turn out all right, at least to me.

The next problem is with the ganache.
The ganache with single cream is simply too liquid.
Cannot use it to frost the cake without it dripping all over.
So in the end gave up that idea. Very down already.
Dunno why, this time round, my cake baking turn out a disaster.
So in the end i have a PLAIN chocolate cake that i cut out into mini size standing.
Chocolate ganche that i cannot frost the cake with.
So i went ahead with last resort,
coat the cake with chocolate coating then do monogram design on it.
But the coating takes forever to dry up,
and its past 12am already....

Looking at the crumbs i have,
i decided to try making cake pops that i have read up a month ago.
to my surprise, it works...
But the thing is, i canot try the pops last night,
cos its still drying, the taste will be different.

So i pack up the pops into nice boxes that i have collected (lucky me),
then this morning, i tried the pops,
They were delicious!!!
Its small, but cos the cake & ganache itself was
made with Valrhona 70% dark chocolate, the taste was very dense & sinful.
It's my second try at cake pop,
the first time fail terribly with peanut butter as a binding gel.

I use the Rich Dark Chocolate Cake Recipe by Peggy Porschen,
and also the Belgian Chocolate Ganache by her.
Good ingredients, really never fail me so far.
And i'm really falling in love with valrhona's chocolate,
they simply gave outstanding result, every single time i use it.
Have to stock up on Guanaja & Equatorial soon at Shermay's.

Changi Sailing Club

Saw a seagull gliding

1 of PICO's many sail

Went to Changi Sailing Club for CNY visiting to James's family.
This time of the year, and also the only time that
we get to meet up with James family members.
We dun meet up with his family on normal days,
only on special occasion like CNY.
So its still kinda hard for me to remember all his family members names.
And even the ranking of the uncles & aunts.

They usually will rent a chalet,
and everyone will gather there.
Normally, we will stay there for a few hours.
Me & mum uaully spend the time chomping away on nuts,
watching TV, and doing nothing else.
Cos, basically, i dun really like doing must "entertaining"
nor am i those type that like to "xian liao" with random ppl.

This time round, since its just next to the sailing club.
Thus we went round the sailing club taking photos & just stroll.
This is also the first time, i brought darling along.
I think i have miss the last 2 years gathering cos i have something on.

There's many ang moh there.
I think they're mainly those rich ppl,
family spending their weekend sailing,
reading, sipping champagne while their hubby & son sails.
I even spotted 3 girls sitting on top of a surf board,
bopping & laughing away... i really cant understand that.
Anyway, we reach teh chalet at 2plus, and left at 4plus...

After which me & darling adjourned to Yap house & thereafter Loon hse.
Gambling away at Bacala, darling lost all we have, which is not much, at Yap house.
Then at Loon house, i decided to try my luck,
and lucky me won some $$..
Darling also manage to win back all that he'd lose at Yap..
Went home at 2plus am...
The next day woke up at 10am,
to bake Ben's cake.

Evening met up TRT for dinner,
went Glenn hse gamble again...
Tired...

Mini Cheese Cup

As requested by Ben for his bday celebration.
Bake 2 batches of cheese cake for his suprise bday party at MacDonalds.
Yup, didnt get me wrong, its MACDONALD for his 30th Bday!!!
The entire party was plan by his wife like almost a month ago.
And when i met him at XH's bday party,
he kept asking if he'll be having cheesecake for his bday.

So i manage to fullfill his fantasy of cheesecake for his bday.
I didnt bake the usual full size,
cos this was initially a outdoor party,
which was adjourned to Mac.
Thus, taking into consideration of the hassle of
cutting & distributing the sliced cake,
i bake them in muffin cups.
I use the receipe that never fails me.
I have previously bake a super mini with another smaller muffin cups.
That was really cute & seriously tiny, a mouthful each only.
So this time round, i bake them in normal muffin size cup,
so that i can have less batter in them,
and stack the cakes ontop with cake board in between.

Bake 2 batches, which yield me 28 standard cups, 3/4 full.


Mini Cheese Cup

Filling
1. 500g of cream cheese
2. 110g sugar
3. 2 large eggs
4. 1 tsp vanilla extract
5. 120g sour cream

Direction
1. Preheat oven at 150deg, & fill muffin cups with crust
2. Beat cream cheese till smooth, add sugar till well combined
3. Add in eggs, one at a time, beating 30sec for each
4. Add vanilla extract & sour cream & beat till well combined
5. Spoon mixture into muffin cups & bake for 16min.
6. Remove from oven when cooked & cover with cling wrap to chill for a few hours

开工!!!!

2 bosses praying for a 顺利 tiger year ahead!!

Workers collecting their ang bao happily

Today is the offical day my company 开工..
Its considered late liao,
last year, we 开工 on the 4th.
According to one of my colleague,
we must go to office, on laptop, check email,
and make some noise to signify 开工...

I have just prayed to 土地公,
paste 开工 sticker all over site..
Wishing that i will have a smooth n pleasant work ahead.
Later in the morning,
will adjourned to another site at marina to pray,
and probably settle lunch there then can go home liao... hehe..
This week, only have to work 1.5days.. so happy!
But next week onwards, no more holidays...
My safety course also starting on 1st March,
going to get busy liao..
Almost forget have to apply for my master course,
try my luck, see can get in or not.

恭喜发财 2010!!!

Its been busy every day since my last post..
Wed is the official last night of CNY baking.
Thurs is the first night of feasting...

11/02/10
James invited his colleague over for 收工 lunch.
The gambling session also starts that day.
Came home seeing more then 20pairs of shoes cramp outside my gate,
and a house FULL of ppl surrounding the table, gambling... lol..
Had BBQ steamboat at home that night.

12/02/10
Chun's sis 21st bday.
Didnt manage to bake her cake cos waa really busy with CNY baking.
Had my first reunion dinner with mum's side of family.

Followed by buffet at chun house for his sis 21st bday.

BBQ Reunion Dinner at Granny

XH's 21st Bday

13/02/10
Went for ym own family reunion luncheon at Zhou's Kitchen,
Square 2 with granny.
Did a little last min shopping ard there for Jack's & James's shoe.
After that went home to try out my Fa Gao recipe.
Didnt Fa very nicely, and the taste wasn't good.
Evening adjourned to granny's house to have reunion dinner w dad.
Homecook food by granny, and some catchup with daddy.
Then last stop, chun house for another round of reunion BBQ steamboat.
This year we have a new addition to the family, Hui's bf, Andy.
Play a few round of BINGO and i won 4 rounds!!! haha..
Good start for teh new year..

Lunch at Zhou's Kitchen

Reunion Dinner with Chun's Family

14/02/10
Woke up at 9am.
Prepared & went over to Chun house to 拜年 first.
Afterwhich the whole family went over to my house to
拜年 with my parents.
This is also the first time, chun family came over to visit my family officially..
haha... kinda weird, but it went smoothly..
Then we go our seperate ways,
we went to my mum's mother's house for lunch,
which i didnt touch anything, cos i'm on vegan that day.
Then i switch over to my dad's mum house
to visit my granny & daddy.
Play a few rounds of MJ & had some food with daddy.
The next stop for dinner, my ah gong house.
And finally the last stop is chun's uncle house.

Me & Daddy

My Family

Grandpa & his Grandchildren

Chun's Family

15/02/10
Lunch with chun's dad family at Boon Lay Raja Restaurant.
Then went to visit the uncle's daughter new house at TPY, 40 storey hdb.
The house was very tiny, but the view was great,
can see the flyer!!!! & the wind was so so strong in windy in the living room.
they're so lucky, manage to get 38th storey for their first ballot!!!!
I wish i had luck like their's for the coming result!!!! hehe...
Only stayed a while there cos i had to rush over to Jenny's
for the lion dance at 3.30pm.
When i reached, the dance troup was already there & waiting for me!!! haha..
This yr, the lion color was so striking & pretty, pink!!
Left shortly after the dance, cos i still have to rush over to
granny house again, for chun to 拜年 to ah ma.
Dinner was at Judy's house,
with a great spread of expensive n beautifully laid out dishes as usual.

Lion Dance @ Jenny's

Lo hei @ Judy's

16/02/10
拜年 at Kampu house in the morning.
Then went vistin to chun's parents uncle then
we head down to River Hong Pao in the evening.
Its freaking warm & hot & sunny & pack with ppl.
The food there, basically a RIP off... nothing special...
The lantern this yr also kinda sucky, not pretty one. lol...
Dinner at Baohua house, Mee Siam & chicken Rendang.
then last stop at Ah Thai house, gamble then went home...
Phew... finally the most busy days have ended...
Coming weekend still got fren's house visit & James family chalet..

River Hong Bao