milk and honey cafe

Craving the Sun

2012-01-23T17:30:00.000-05:00

I love Winter. I love the snow and even the blizzards (it's exciting!). I love the sight of the snow-covered city and the sight of people bundled up head to toe. But if there's one thing I can't stand about winter time, it's that it gets pitch black by 5:00 pm. The shortened day killllls me. I hate walking home at 5:30 PM feeling like it's 10 PM. By the time I'm home and cooking dinner, there isn't even a trace of the sun. This also greatly effects my window of opportunity for food photography, as I greatly dislike taking photos in the evening with tungsten light.

Being able to bask in (and take food photos in) sunlight is a rare opportunity and this luckily, this Saturday was a beautiful one with plenty of sunshine. So when I woke up, I started the day with a mission. I promised I'd spend my day to make something really delicious and take a gazillion photos of it. I flipped through cookbooks, bookmarks, various blogs and food sites to find the right recipe. I wanted something some-what time-consuming to take full benefit of my free Saturday and something refreshingly different than what I've made here before. And there I saw it: Toasted Almond Dacquoise.

I've had this cake at a birthday celebration before, made from Dufflet Pastries and I was blown away. I loved the delightful texture of the chewy/crunchy meringue and the pleasantly un-sweet berry-licious whipped cream filling. I knew I wanted to make it when I took a bite out of it, so when I saw a recipe that alluded to this cake, I instantly knew it was the one! I also happened to have a jar full of almonds and a container of berries in my refrigerator. Perfect!

The dacquoise is delightful cake layer that is used in a lot of fancy cakes, but don't be fooled by it's harsh sounding name – it's so easy to make! I found this wonderful recipe from Zoe Bakes and I think she describes it perfectly! "It's a light meringue that has nuts folded into it and baked in a thin layer. The dacquoise is crisp and used to add a sweet, nuttiness to your cakes. I love the contrast of a dacquoise with a soft sponge cake and a fruit mousse in the summer or with layers of rich chocolate in cooler weather." Are you in love yet?

(And this time, I had a whole day to bake so I made it a good one. Here's a step-by-step photo post for you!)

This recipes calls for almond meal, and you're free to buy them that way, but you can also just make your own. I happened to have almonds at home, so I toasted them (to make them more fragrant and delicious) for just about 8 minutes or so in a preheated oven at 350F. When cool, I grounded them in a blender/chopper.

Next step is to preheat the oven to 225F and prepare your baking tray. Prepare sheets of parchment paper by drawing circles that match the size of the cake you are going to bake. The original recipe was for a 9-inch cake and so she used a cake cardboard round, but I wanted to make cute single-serve desserts so I used a glass instead.

In a small bowl, mix the almond meal and 1/4 cup of sugar. Set aside. (I know you can see big chunks of almond here. I know it should be almond MEAL, but I actually liked having almond chunks in my cake before, so I kept a few in there.)

Now, it's time to whip the egg whites. A few tips here:
1. You probably need some sort of electronic mixer for this. I don't doubt you have the muscle-strength to whip eggs into its voluptuous state, but it's just really really hard work. It doesn't have to be stand mixer, though. I hand-held mixer is perfect.
2. Make sure your bowl is completely clean. Any traces of yolk, fat or soap, and these babies won't rise.
3. Have all the ingredients set out and ready. You want a steady and smooth transition when you're adding sugar and such, so it's great to have it all ready by your mixing bowl instead of letting the air die down while you prepare your next cups of sugar.

Whip the egg whites on low speed until they start to foam, about 45 seconds. Add the 2 tablespoons sugar to the whites and continue to whip on medium speed until soft peaks form. Once the whites form soft peaks slowly add the 2/3 cup sugar and continue whipping until stiff peaks are formed and the sugar, about 2 minutes.

Time to whip out your spatula. Add the almond meal in two batches, folding them in gently after each addition. Don't overbeat! Fold in only until the almond meal is well distributed. You know your proper "folding" technique, right? Cut down the middle, scoop around the edge, rotate the bowl and repeat!

Now, you need a pastry bag fitted with a large round tip (or in my case, no tip at all – I couldn't find mine) and fill it with the dacquoise. The fun part: pipe spirals to fill the circles you've drawn on the parchment. It should be around 1/8" - 1/4" thick.

The hard part: Bake the dacquoise at 225° until dry, about 65-85 minutes. (My little circles took around 70 minutes.) Why is it hard? That hour and a bit feels like forever when you're smelling the delicious almond meringue cooking in the oven! You can use this almond dacquoise recipe in a whole lot of delicious little desserts. I hope to try different cakes with this recipe! Oh, and did I tell you that this treat is gluten-free? This meringue-based cake is a great alternative to flour cakes!!

When your dacquoise layer is baked, let it cool on a rack. It's time to make delicious whipped cream with berries! Make sure your heavy cream is cold and straight out of the fridge. You're just going to whip the cream with a dash of pure vanilla extract and when it starts to hold shape, add about 3 tablespoons of powdered sugar (add and subtract depending on how sweet you want it). I like mine whipped to its hardest peak, just try not to curdle it! Fold in your berries and voila – your delicious berry whipped cream.

For my little treat cakes, I sandwiched two pieces of dacquoise between the cream, with more cream and berries on top. I even sprinkled some almond meal and dusted it with powdered sugar for extra prettiness. :)

So there it is! A very delicious delicious dessert that I know you'll love as much as we did at home. After one bite, Andrew asked me, "Do you have any more? I think this is the best thing I've had in a loong time!" It was soo delicious!

And yes yes - this is more of a summer treat, what, with the berries and whipped cream and all. It's not quite fitting with the winter season, but think of it this way: how brilliant is it when you can create a bit of sunshine in your own kitchen? Cheers!

Toasted Almond Dacquoise with Berry Whipped Cream

makes 9 little cakes or one 9" cake
recipe adapted from Zoe Bakes

ingredients

2/3 cups almond meal (1/3 cup whole almonds, finely ground)
1/4 cup sugar
2/3 cups egg whites (about 5 large)
2/3 cups + 2 tablespoons sugar (separate)

2 1/2 cups heavy cream, cold
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
3 tablespoon powdered sugar
2 cups fresh berries (you can also use frozen fruit)

directions

1. Toast whole almonds in a preheated oven at 350°F for 8 minutes. Grind them finely in a food processor or blender/chopper
2. Prepare parchment paper by drawing circles that match the size of the cake you are going to bake. In my case I used a small glass. Preheat the oven to 225°.
3. In a small bowl, mix the almond meal and 1/4 cup sugar and set aside.
4. Whip the egg whites on low speed in a mixer until they start to foam, about 45 seconds. Add the 2 tablespoons sugar to the whites and continue to whip on medium speed until soft peaks form. Once the whites form soft peaks slowly add the 2/3 cup sugar and continue whipping until stiff peaks are formed and the sugar, about 2 minutes.
5. Add the almond meal in two batches, folding them in gently after each addition. Make sure you only fold until almond meal is well-distributed.
6. Place the dacquoise in to a pastry bag fitted with a large round tip. Pipe in a large spiral until you have filled in the circles drawn on the parchment. it should be about an 1/8″ thick.
7. Bake the dacquoise at 225° until dry, about 65-85 minutes. Place on rack to cool.

For the cream:
1. In a mixer with a whisk attachment, whip heavy cream with vanilla extract until it starts to hold shape. Pour powdered sugar and add more to taste.
2. Add berries and fold until well-incorporated.

Assemble with prepared dacquoise, adding pretty details like powdered sugar and almond bits.

Holiday Treats: Toblerone Shortbread Cookies

2011-12-22T16:08:00.000-05:00

I'll be honest, I really didn't feel like baking last night. But I promised that I'd do a Holiday Treats special, and I realized I haven't posted much (just one so far) and Christmas is literally just around the corner (3 days!). So from a list of ideas that I've had, I went for the easiest, quickest one. But that just adds to the awesomeness of this cookie! It's so easy that it makes it that much more delicious. I even left the big stand mixer inside my cupboard and busted out my spatula and my arm (and Andrew's arm) to show you how simple and low-maintenance this cookie is.

I know this cookie sounds/looks pretty cheesy, but hear me out. I usually dislike cookies that so obviously depend on another candy bar.. it hits my "bake-from-scratch snob" nerve. But this cookie is an exception to me. I've always been a huge fan of Toblerone chocolate bars, and the first Toblerone Shortbread cookie I tried at a local bakery made a lasting impression on me.

I'm probably a big fan of Toblerone because my dad was always a fan of the Toblerone bar. When I was a little girl, whenever my dad went on a business trip, he'd always come back home with a bag of goodies. Some promo goodies he collected at the work conference show (pens, stress-balls, maybe even a slinky toy), a few bags of airplane peanuts, and... a box of Toblerone chocolate bars. And the box would usually be open already as my dad would have snacked on one. Maybe it was just the excitement of my dad coming back from a trip or maybe it was the milky chocolate with nougat surprises in a fun triangle shape. But in any case, I fell in love with it as a little girl.

And about the discovery of the Shortbread Cookie... let's just say, the girl who worked there saw me a LOT, since I'd drop by the place even if it was out of the way to "just check if you had any of those Toberlone shortbreads left!"

So you can probably see how much I would love these cookies, and I'm sure you would enjoy them very much too! I've sorta made this recipe up by using a basic shortbread recipe and adding chopped chocolate bits as well, so you get a nice flavour overall. The dusty, almost melting shortbread is such a wonderful vessel for this chocolate! And remember, it's sooo easy to make, so hurry - make that trip to the variety store and buy some bars of Toblerone and bake this cookie!! Happy Holidays!!

Toblerone Shortbread Cookies

makes 2 dozen cookies

ingredients

1 cup (2 stick) unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup corn starch
1 small Toblerone chocolate bar, chopped
3 small Toblerone chocolate bar, individual triangles separated

directions

1. Preheat oven to 375F. Line baking sheet with parchment.
2. In a medium bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
3. Add flour and cornstarch gradually while beating continuously. Beat until light. Add chopped Toblerone bits.
4. Drop tablespoons of dough and slightly flatten onto baking sheet. Squish Toblerone triangles in the middle of each cookie.
5. Bake for 12-14 minutes. Cool completely for best texture!

Holiday Treats: Chocolate Toffee Cookies

2011-12-14T14:08:00.001-05:00

I was just about to write "It's finally my favourite time of year!" but then I had to think twice about that. Is it really my favourite time of year? I mean, I do love love love the snow and even the cold brisk air but I don't know if it really compares to blissful summer days or romantic fall evenings. But one thing for sure is there's no other time of year that brings festivities and excitement to our hearts! I'm really not into crazy Christmas shopping, but I do love that the holidays lead me to think of each and every special one around me, whether it's for gift-giving or not. And just as the cold winter air is invigorating, it is truly refreshing to sometimes "be still" in the midst of the holiday craziness and think about the really valuable things in life. Of course - the warm embrace of holiday spirit is just as wonderful!! (Oh and how could I forget CHRISTMAS MUSIC?)

In light of this, and in celebration of all the abundant and delectable food we are fortunate to enjoy during this time, I thought I'd do a series on Holiday Treat this year! I did a Christmas-Bake-A-Thon a few years back (Oh dear, has it been that long ago? I did this in 2008!) and made a variety of cookies: Madelines, Traditional Shortbread, Pecan Bars, Lemon Squares. So there's just ten days until Christmas but I'm going to try to make as many festive treats as I can!

The first cookie is a cookie that I baked for my husband's work christmas cookie exchange. When they announced it at work, Andrew automatically signed up right away. He kindly "command-asked" me, as if I had any other option! But really, it's quite cute how he lights up for any chance he gets to show off his wife's baking. I also received a beautiful hunk of Callebaut dark chocolate from a close friend of mine as a housewarming gift. I've been waiting and waiting for the right chance to use it and this was perfect. I looked for a recipe that would best showcase the quality chocolate and so I found these rich chocolate toffee cookies from smitten kitchen.

These cookies are very rich and fudgy but the sharp sweetness of the toffee and nutty flavour of the walnut really balance it out nicely. Also, the instructions call for an almost meringue stage for the egg and sugar so you can really feel some of that lightness coincided with the super rich chocolate butter mixture. Another key thing about making these cookies right is the baking time. Please please don't over bake it!! It's all about slightly underbaking it (ever-so slightly) and letting it cook as it cools. These cookies taste better when completely cooled so remember your patience will be rewarded while you stare down these beauties on the cooling rack. Well, let's just say that I got a report from my husband that these cookies were the first to be gone – they were the most popular! It probably helped that I made them bite-sized; it's a lot of flavour so I figured a smaller cookie will entice, not overwhelm. I hope this is a nice introduction to our delicious holiday to come! I hope all of you a sweet Holiday filled with joy and peace!

Chocolate Toffee Cookies

makes 5 dozen small cookies
recipe adapted from smitten kitchen

ingredients

1/2 cup all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 pound bittersweet (not unsweetened) or semisweet chocolate, chopped
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter
1 3/4 cups (packed) brown sugar
4 large eggs
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
5 1.4-ounce chocolate-covered English toffee bars (such as Skor or Heath), coarsely chopped
1 cup walnuts, toasted, chopped
Flaky sea salt for sprinkling (optional)

directions

1. In a small bowl, sift flour, baking powder and salt. Stir chocolate and butter in top of double boiler set over simmering water until melted and smooth. Remove from over water. Cool mixture to lukewarm.

2. Using electric mixer, beat sugar and eggs in bowl until thick, about 5 minutes. Beat in chocolate mixture and vanilla.

3. Stir in flour mixture, then toffee and nuts. Chill batter until firm, about 45 minutes. Slice and bake option: I used the slice and bake option for easier handling and even sizes. After chilling until firm, roll the dough into a log 1-inch in diameter and chill again for 20 minutes. When ready to bake the cookies, cut it into 1/2-inch slices. You can store the dough log in the freezer, wrapped in waxed paper and then two layers of plastic wrap for up to a month, just baking the cookies off as you need. Cookies baked straight from the freezer may need an additional minute or two in the oven, depending on their thickness.

4. Preheat oven to 350°F. Line large baking sheets with parchment or waxed paper. Drop batter by half-tablespoon onto sheets, or place slices of cookie dough, about 1-inch apart. Sprinkle with a pinch of flaky sea salt, if you’re using it. Bake just until tops are dry and cracked but cookies are still soft to touch, about 8 to 10 minutes. Cool completely on sheets.

These cookies can be made 2 days ahead. Store airtight at room temperature.

True friends

2011-11-10T15:44:00.001-05:00

sarah the baker yoon: Look, I know it's been a while. I've missed you a lot, you know that. And I'm really really sorry that I've been so unavailable and all I've been really saying is "I'll be back" and that I'm so sorry and.. and I –

reader: I'm gonna stop you there. C'mon Sarah, don't worry about it. I gotcha. No hard feelings, just glad you're back. Now where's the food?

s: ...What? Really? You're not mad that I haven't had a proper post in a year?

r: Nope, that's silly. So what did you make today?

s: Wait, you don't want me to sulk and grovel at your feet for being such a bad blogger? That I haven't kept you updated properly?

r: Not at all. I just want you to pick up where you left off. We're good, Sarah. That's what true friends are like. You might have not seen them in years, but when you meet once again, you know exactly where you both stand – in a good relationship as always. No need for long explanations or some sort of silly act of redemption.

s: Oh wow. Aw geez. You're the best.. So.. I didn't have to feel all worried all this time? And super pressured to create the most magnificent come-back post (which actually prevented me to come back sooner)? I could just come back with a really simple post and catch up as we go?

r: Exactly. So, what have you got here now?

So like I've mentioned above, this isn't a blog shattering come-back post, but it's just a really simple story on something I've always wanted to make/shoot/blog about. And it's a delicious breakfast! I've blogged about breakfast food before as I'm one strongly rooting for delicious breakfasts in our lives but this one is the most decadent by far! Who doesn't love a good 'Eggs Benny' on a Saturday morning?

I've always wanted to make homemade Eggs Benedict with fresh Hollandaise sauce, but was always scared to. Maybe because it involved poaching eggs and double broiling and lots of whisking. But I was wrong for being so scared! I mean, these eggs weren't perfect and I've got a long way to perfecting the poached egg, but if I did it - ANYONE can do it. And it tasted heavenly! I know so many of my friends call Eggs Benedict their most favourite brunch food so I believe in y'all that you can do it at home too!

But what made this breakfast real special was the people I got to share it with. I served this brunch on a sunny Saturday to my husband Andrew and his younger brother. We invited his younger brother the night before, shared a wonderful dinner and watched some late night movies and after sleeping-in til our heart's content, we woke up to share brunch together around our small dining table. And it was a special moment for me because I've been praying for this for so long! Best friends reunited at last. :)

Andrew and his brother have been best friends always always. They know each other so well inside out and the loyalty and love they share for each other is intense. I know the most ridiculous (and perhaps dangerous) things Andrew would do for his brother, and how protective he is for him. But sometimes friendships can get hurt and damaged. Even the closest ones. And so for a year or two, the two of them didn't speak with each other. It was really painful to see but I knew that soon enough, they'll restore the intimate and special relationship they had.

And then, time passed, wounds healed, and hurts were forgiven. And it was like nothing happened. They were back, sharing meals together, laughing at each other and sincerely enjoying each other's presence once again. Just where they left off. His brother was the best best-man to Andrew, just as we've always expected. And he's more than a brother-in-law to me – he's the most generous, loveable and sweet little brother to me. And so we're back and I couldn't be any more grateful. So, here's to reunited friends, unconditional love and darn good food!

Eggs Benedict

for 4 portions

ingredients

hollandaise sauce
3/4 cup unsalted butter (1 1/2 stick)
3 egg yolks
1 tablespoon water
1 tablespoon lemon juice
pinch salt
pinch pepper

8 eggs
1 tsp vinegar

4 english muffins
8 pieces of Canadian back bacon or Smoked Ham
pinch cayenne (optional)

directions

make hollandaise sauce
1. Remove 2 tablespoons of the butter and keep cold. In small saucepan, melt remaining butter; keep warm.
2. In double-boiler bowl or in heat-safe stainless steel bowl, whisk egg yolks until thickened and pale. Whisk in water and lemon juice. Add 1 tablespoon of the cold butter.
3. Place bowl over saucepan of1 1/2- inches (4 cm) barely simmering water; whisk until bottom of pan can be seen between whisks and wires of whisk become lightly coated, 1 to 2 minutes.
4. Remove from heat, immediately whisk in remaining cold butter to stop the cooking of the yolks.
5. By driblets, whisk in enough of the melted butter to thicken to consistency of whipping cream. Increasing amount of butter slightly, whisk in remaining butter. Season with salt and pepper.

set up eggs benedict
1. To Poach Eggs: Fill a large saucepan with 3 inches of water. Bring water to a gentle simmer, then add vinegar. Carefully break eggs into simmering water, and allow to cook for 2 1/2 to 3 minutes. Yolks should still be soft in center. Remove eggs from water with a slotted spoon and set on a warm plate.

2. While eggs are poaching, brown the bacon in a medium skillet over medium-high heat and toast the English muffins.

3. Place 2 muffins on each place and spread toasted muffins with softened butter. Top each one with a slice of bacon or ham, followed by one poached egg. Place 2 muffins on each plate and drizzle with hollandaise sauce. Sprinkle with cayenne pepper and serve immediately.

Hitched.

2011-10-21T12:31:00.003-04:00

Just wanted to post a little teeny preview of my wedding two weekends ago!! Can't believe it's over. After 6 months of being blissfully engaged, the big day is over and Andrew and I are now happily settled in our little home in Toronto. It's like playing house! I'm so happy to have a home with my husband. :)

Well friends, I can't wait to get my life back in order and get my blog up and running again! I'll be sharing our food-lives with you all!

And please check out our photographer's website for more preview photos of our wedding shoot. He is soooo talented and I can't believe how he made us look like magazine models. Haha! A big thank you to Andrew Ho!

Love

2011-09-20T10:25:00.010-04:00

As we prepare for the last couple of weeks before our wedding, Andrew and I are just so grateful for all the blessings in our lives. Yes – we're in love, but we also love all the people around us who care for us and pray for us. Thank you so much. Now we're excited to share that love with others around us too. :)

These beautiful photographs were taken by Scarlet O'Neil. Thanks Scarlet!

And YES! Milk and honey is NOT dead. I will slowly bring it back to life, trust me. Once this whole wedding thingimajigy is done and over with, I can't wait to bring lots of rich, fun, and delicious stories and pictures to the blog. Thanks for your patience, y'all! I'm excited to come back soon. :)

-sarah the baker yoon

It's happening!

2011-08-03T20:54:00.005-04:00

We've sent out our Save-the-dates! If only I could invite the whole lot of ya out there, my dear blog friends. :)

I know I've neglected my blog so terribly... I guess with all the things that are going on, my blog had to suffer the most. Wedding planning, moving out, renovating a kitchen, loving my new job – all these things are so wonderful but I'm also very overwhelmed! I promise that one day I'll sit down and guide you through all the exciting things that I've been through.

And can you believe it?? I got about two months until I'm hitched. (Our engagment was about 6.5 months long.) How time flies... I'm getting more and more excited about it as the days go by. No – not really about the wedding itself (albeit, I think the wedding will turn out to be quite nice!) but more excited about just being married to the love of my life! Sounds goooood to me.

I'll try my best to keep you updated. Wish me luck!

What’s cookin’, good lookin’?

2011-07-06T17:33:00.003-04:00

A little preview of what's to come.... :)

Let me just tell you, I have been VERY busy! I can't wait to show you the rest. Hang on tight!

The sweetest proposition

2011-04-17T22:40:00.009-04:00

Helllllllllo friends!!! It's been a very long time since I've done a legitimate posting here but I am pretty sure you'll forgive me once I tell you what wonderful things have been going on in my life! These past few months have been the craziest months ever! It might have been a really short period of time, but what life changing decisions! :) I'm ever-so excited to keep journeying on this adventure called life and I'm so grateful for everything.

There's actually several things going on at the same time, but I'm going to just share one (the biggest one) for maximum impact. You ready?

On one sunny Saturday, Andrew took me to a cute little cupcake boutique to check out some cakes. He told me that they were having some super duper promotion on specialty cakes and convinced me to check it out. And that was a no brainer request because he knew I would love to see pretty cakes any day.

I instantly loved the place! Nice interior and cute baked goods enticed me as soon as I walked in. The girl who worked there sat us down to show us some photos and explain their cake promotion. She then lead me to the glass display area saying that before she goes any further, she'd love for me to taste some of their goodies.

So then I delightfully surveyed the selection, guessing which cupcakes flavours they have, checking out the cute sugar cookies, glancing at a beautiful cake shaped as a ring box, until... I heard everyone hold their breath. There was a photographer snapping shots at me and then finally my eyes focussed on the beautiful cake with a plaque and iced letters on it. "Sarah, will you marry me?"

"Sarah?! IS THAT FOR ME?!?" And just then Andrew got on his knees, pulled out a beautiful ring and started to recite sweet words of love and commitment to me. And let me just say, I was probably the happiest, most giddiest girl in the whole wide world just at that moment. Let's just say these photos display my emotions pretty accurately! It really was the perfect proposal, don't you think?

So yes, my dear friends! I'm engaged!! To the sweetest, most loving man I could ever be with. I'm so excited to start an exciting new chapter in my life with a teammate and partner like Andrew and I only hope that we can spread the love and pay all these blessings we've received forward. :)

Oh!!! And by the way, I mustn't forget to pay proper credit to these BBBEAAAAUTIFUL photographs! Andrew, the well-thought planner, hired a photographer to capture the whole thing. And I had noo clue! She was taking shots of the cakes when I got there, so I thought she was a photographer for the bakery! Please please visit her site at Janet Kwon Photography. She was such a sweet and delightful photographer and I'm amazed at how she captured everything sooo genuinely. Thanks Janet!!

You can check out her blog post for more photos of the proposal!!!!

I miss you too.

2011-03-22T23:26:00.002-04:00

Don't worry, friends.

I'll be back.
And you won't believe what I've got to share with you.
Lots and lots of excitement-packed and life-changing action.

:)

Tête-à-tête.

2010-12-02T22:13:00.007-05:00

I'm really grateful I have a blog. Otherwise, I'd be blabbing to poor Andrew all day (and trust me, he's an extraordinary listener too) or, to the particles in the air. I wasn't always this chatty, but at some point, I really started love talking about lots of different things. I most likely get it after my dad, who's an amazing father that loves to converse about everything with us, especially the "deep" stuff. "Life" is one of my favourite topics. I love thinking about why we are a certain way and what we could do to make our lives more meaningful. And it's not like I live like a saint or anything. I just love to think about it, talk about it, and then hope that some day it'll become an action and a lifestyle. But anyways, the point I'm trying to make is that I'm grateful that I have this space where I can just ramble on about things I'm experiencing and learning — whether or not someone's listening. It's really just an intimate time for me as I sit down to write. :)

I don't mind if you're coming to simply check out the recipes and pictures. And I'm surprised that there are people who even read my stories!! I don't want to burden you with my boring personal stuff! So, in light of this, today I will — without adornment or agenda – just talk to you about a new recipe! Say hello to the crème brûlée cupcake.

A few days ago, I decided to visit the studio I was working at before. My coworker jokingly threatened to "defriend" me if I didn't bring cupcakes when I visited, and I told him that I dare not. Plus, what would a visit be without treats to come along with? Anyways, I really wanted to do something different and original, since they've tried a number of treats I've baked. Also, they're aren't crazy about extremely sweet things so I had to do my brain-racking for a delicious but humble treat. I was trying to figure out something festive too, so a good place to start getting inspiration was the different holiday-themed beverages at starbucks. (haha! funny how the mind works.) And then I thought their crème brûlée latté was just the thing! A toasty, creamy, custardy cupcake. Perfect!!

I began my research by googling "crème brûlée cupcakes" and found that there weren't that many options. A lot of them were cupcakes "inspired" by the crème brûlée flavour. Caramel swirled into the cake, meringue topped, or sugar flamed frosting. None of it sounded that appealing to me, so then I thought, why not just make real crème brûlée and incorporate it with the cake? So that's what I did. And it was a trés trés good idea.

I made my crème brûlée in a larger pan, made a simple yellow buttermilk cake and then filled it. No frosting needed, just a nice adornment on top. I originally thought of buying a kitchen blow torch, sprinkling sugar on the cupcake and burning it, but it was just all too much work to get set up with a blow torch. That will be for next time. Instead, I made candied (and slightly burnt) sugar decorations to carry on the theme.

Making crème brûlée is surprisingly easy. I don't know why I was also so intimidated by those smooth, pudding-y desserts, but now I've totally overcome it. With the help of joepastry (who also happens my new baking hero: his blog is simply amazing. smart, funny, practical and super helpful), I made crème brûlée really easily and had it ready the day before I made the cupcakes. I really want to try to make it just on its' own as the real thing. I think crème brûlée is such a romantic dessert and it's got so many different layers of deliciousness.

I also used a new recipe for my vanilla cake and might I say, I think I found the one. I mean, the one. It's from smittenkitchen, and she even said that this is that special, indispensable cake for her. I'm thoroughly impressed and now will switch it with every yellow cake I've made.

As for reviews of my new found combination of french delicacy and good ol' American staple? My friends absolutely LOVED it. They even said that it was be the BEST of what I've brought in all this time and that's saying a lot!! Not too sweet, but with lots of flavour and great textures. They're both great recipes on their own, but an even greater marriage together!!

Crème Brûlée Cupcakes

crème brûlée recipe from joe pastry and yellow layer cake recipe from smitten kitchen

makes about 12 cupcakes

ingredients

for cake
2 cups plus 1 tablespoon cake flour (not self-rising)
1 teaspoon baking powder
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 stick (1/2 cup) unsalted butter, softened
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 large egg, at room temperature
1 cup buttermilk, well-shaken

for crème brûlée
2 cups heavy cream
1/2 cup sugar
4 large egg yolks
1 tsp pure vanilla extract

for sugar decoration
1 cup of granulated sugar

directions

make crème brûlée
1. Preheat your oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit. Also, set a small saucepan of water (or a teapot) over low heat.

2. Pour the cream into a small saucepan, along with the vanilla extract and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Immediately remove the cream from the heat and allow it to steep for 10-20 minutes.

3. Meanwhile, whisk the sugar and yolks together in a medium bowl until they're light in color. Add the cream in a steady stream, whisking all the while. Pour the mixture into four 6-ounce ramekins, (OR in my case, in a small pan.) Place the ramekins into a roasting pan or baking dish.

4. When ready to bake, put on an oven mitt and open the oven door. Slide a middle rack half way out and gently place the baking dish containing the ramekins on it. Carefully pour in enough hot water to come half way up the sides of the ramekins. Slide the rack back into the oven and close the door.

5. Bake for 25-35 minutes, or (40-45 minutes for a larger pan like mine) until the custard is just set (firm but slightly jiggly in the middle). Cool on a wire rack, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for several hours or up to three days.

For just the crème brûlée on its own: Half an hour before you want to serve, remove the ramekins from the refrigerator. Take off the plastic wrap and spread a healthy tablespoon of sugar evenly over the top of each custard. Using a salamander or a blow torch, melt and lightly brown the sugar. Let the crème brûlée sit for 5 minutes, and serve.

make cake
1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Line cupcake pans with cups.

2. Sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl. In a large mixing bowl, beat butter and sugar in a large bowl with an electric mixer at medium speed until pale and fluffy, then beat in vanilla. Add eggs 1 at a time, beating well and scraping down the bowl after each addition. At low speed, beat in buttermilk until just combined (mixture will look curdled). Add flour mixture in three batches, mixing until each addition is just Incorporated.

3. Spread batter evenly in cupcake pan. Bake until golden and a wooden pick inserted in center of cake comes out clean, 15 to 20 minutes. Cool completely before filling or decorating.

make sugar decoration and assemble cupcakes
1. In a small sauce pan with a heavy bottom, pour a cup of sugar on medium-high heat. Without using a spatula, simply swirl the pan itself often in order to ensure even heating. Slowly but surely, the sugar will start to caramelize. When the colour starts to darken, and it will smoke just a bit, immediately take off heat. When sugar passes its melting point, it will burn very very quickly. It's also useful to use a sugar thermometer to ensure the perfect amount of melting. (300-310°F for hard candy).

2. Quickly pour onto silpat or non-stick surface and let it spread into a thin layer. After it cools to room temperature, place it in the freezer for about 10 minutes. Once completely harden, break into funky pieces for decoration.

3. Once the cupcakes are completely cooled, make a cone-shaped hole in each cupcake about the size of a loonie (for Canadians) or a silver dollar (for Americans). Fill it up with a tablespoon of cold crème brûlée (I used my small ice-cream scoop for cookies). Place sugar decoration on top and it's ready to serve!

Life is sweet.

2010-12-01T00:14:00.001-05:00

Hmm this photo seems to describe my present state of baking-life. A peaceful nap. But with victory in my hands. Ha!

In truth, I have a little something cooking. There's a delicious treat waiting for us downstairs that I will be posting very soon. I've finished the first part of this mystery goody today and tomorrow I will do the rest!

In the mean time, please enjoy the sweetness and deliciousness of my little niece, Chloe! She is more and more beautiful every day and I just can't believe how fast she's growing! Loving her is too easy. She's just simply the cutest baby in the whole world. I'm the luckiest aunt and my life just got a hecka lot sweeter because of her.

Half-baked Crisis

2010-11-15T21:36:00.006-05:00

I keep buying ingredients to bake. And often they go bad before I use it. I keep setting up my baking stuff in my kitchen, and often I put them back before I start. I keep taking pictures of my baked goodies, and often feel disappointed in how boring and 'same-old same-old' they look. I keep looking for new recipes to excite me, and often I get discouraged because nothing looks inspiring.

Hi. I'm stuck. In a rut. A baking rut.

I'm really embarrassed, actually. How could this happen?

Maybe it's 'cause I'm preoccupied by every other exciting and good thing in my life right now. OR, maybe it's because I'm lazy. Could be a bit of both.

Help me get back on track! Help me get inspired and motivated.

What is sarah the baker in crisis to do?

Untitled

2010-11-11T11:39:00.004-05:00

I love sitting in a café filled with people. As I plug my ears with my own music and let the background just hum and buzz, it's almost like a movie and a soundtrack. Life, conversation, love.

It always amazes me. How everyone has their own life. I mean as obvious as that sounds, I think we often get preoccupied with our life that we forget that everyone else has one too. Naturally, we're obsessed with our own lives. But have you thought about all the people around you just as equally as important and deserving of a life? If I have this much thoughts and needs and desires on my own, everyone must have one too! We all have a story – a history. That's so amazing! You could make a movie out of anybody's life!

When I was a kid, I once drew a picture of an apartment building at night. You could see through all the windows and in each window, there was a different story going on. One family would be having dinner, another reading a book together. One picture had a pensive person looking out the window, and beside it a person sitting on the can. I love this idea of how we're all separate in our own lives, but isn't that what binds us together? We're all the same. We all have a life.

And with this understanding, I think maybe we can take a step closer in love and peace with one another. The expression, to "walk a mile in anothers' shoe" isn't just a cheesy way to make kids get along. Really, when you realize that someone is walking on a journey of their own, just as much as we are, we can start to forgive them and forgive ourselves.

I think humans are naturally narrow-sighted. Maybe it's for survival, our natural hunting instincts. But the beauty of the human mind is that we also have the capability to open up our minds and our perspectives when we choose to.

Try to understand why that person might behaved that way. Maybe she had a childhood filled with hurt and defeat. Maybe he's just trying to prove that he is a valuable person. Maybe they are scared to be cast aside on the wayside.

Just because we can't connect to the situation or the same experiences, doesn't mean we can't connect to the idea of connection. Haha. Did that sound funny? It's kind of like the saying "agreeing to disagree". Maybe we can agree that we have our own stories that can be so different but appreciating the beauty of it.

On the same token, I don't think it should be an excuse for every behavior. It's not like someone can say, "Hey, my dad was abusive so I'm going to be abusive. You better just accept that because that's me." Every action and every behavior also comes with responsibility. We are responsible for everything that we do, because it's our choice to begin with. Yes, I have a history and a perhaps a reason for my reasoning, but I better be ready to be accountable for it.

Okay. Now I'm reallly rambling on. But I'm thankful that you've stayed to listen to me babble. :) I feel so lucky – that I have a voice and a safe place to express it. Thank you!

I ♥ MY BF (aka Breakfast)

2010-11-02T15:34:00.007-04:00

Breakfast is like ignition to your car. The strike of a match. The momentous take-off of a high jump into the air. It's the most happiest morning alarm. And the only answer to the roaring growl of my stomach.

I like breakfast. Breakfast means so much to me. I can't function properly without food in my belly. It is impossible for me to understand breakfast-skippers. Especially when breakfast can be so easy and delicious. Breakfast sandwiches for example. Or Buttermilk Pancakes. Or how about French toast? French toast is even more awesome because it gets rid of your impossible stale bread. The French are geniuses!

My friends, let us have breakfast! According to wikipedia, "Nutritional experts have referred to breakfast as the most important meal of the day, citing studies that find that people who skip breakfast are disproportionately likely to have problems with concentration, metabolism, and weight." Take a few moments in the morning to treat your body and your mind. Maybe share this time with your loved ones and start off on a sweet note.

Classic French Toast

makes 4 servings

ingredients

8 pieces of sliced french baguette or any other bread
2 eggs
1 cup of milk
1 tsp of vanilla extract
1 tsp of ground cinnamon
1 tbsp of sugar
dash of salt

butter or canola oil for cooking
powdered sugar, optional

directions

1. In a shallow baking dish, whisk eggs, milk, vanilla, cinnamon, sugar and salt.
2. Place pieces of bread onto the dish. Soak at least 5 minutes and flip over. (The longer the soak, the more flavourful. But this is usually good for really stale bread. The fresher the bread, the more soggy it might be. So maybe not too long!)
3. Heat butter or oil on a pan on medium heat. Place soaked bread and cook about 2 minutes on each side, or until golden brown.
4. Set cooked toasts on plates and dust with powered sugar, if desired. Serve with syrup and enjoy breakfast!

Canada, eh?

2010-10-29T16:12:00.011-04:00

I've been watching some funny videos on YouTube with this one comedian who goes around LA's Venice Beach asking them about different topics and issues. His topics range from Sex to Justin Bieber to political issues to different countries. His show is more to display how ignorant people can be and how entertaining it is to watch people say the most unintelligent things. Anyways, he had one episode on Canada. I mean, I've always known how ignorant some Americans can be about their neighbouring country, but I was again flabbergasted (yes, I used the word flabbergasted) at some of their answers. I passed it just as an entertaining video, but then I started to realize how sad it really is. With the new generation of globalization and information at our fingertips, we're still just as clueless about the world around us. If you asked me about any other nation, I'd probably look just as foolish.

So in light of that, I thought I'd just tell you a little bit about my country, Canada. And if you're Canadian, it doesn't mean you're off the hook too. I'm in a grade 7 geography class to volunteer, and trust me, I'm always thinking in my mind, "Wow. I had no clue!".

In another video I saw a long time ago, an interviewer ask an American man how large he thought Canada was. He lightly answered, "Mmm, maybe the size of Texas?". Not quite. Directly north of USA, Canada is the world's second largest country. By total area (including water), we are actually larger than USA and China combined!

The geography of Canada is vast and diverse. Some of you might think we're all just snow and ice caps, but contrary to that, most of Canada has four beautiful distinct seasons. Places like British Columbia have warm enough weather all year round to have palm trees! The geography ranges from prairies to mighty mountains, islands to snow covered forests. We have an abundance of natural resources like minerals, fossil fuels, trees and we also hold nearly 1/4 of the earth's fresh water!

But Canada's geography isn't the only impressive thing. Canada boasts its diversity and culture, and how it doesn't have to become a melting pot of a nation. We celebrate and embrace our diverse backgrounds and identities. We think "Harmonize" more than "Indoctrinate". Economically, Canada is becoming more and more of a leader and an example for the rest of the world. Socially, Canada is known for its great health care, welfare policies and education. We're recognized in the world as peacekeepers and I hear Canadians are liked by everyone. Ha!

More than anything, though, I like Canada because it's a humble country. I think that's why even with the wealth of resources and cultures we have, we're still relatively peaceful and stable. I'm proud to be, in a non-prideful way, Canadian! :)

So, can I introduce you to a delicious, strictly Canadian concoction? It's called the butter tart. It's somewhat similar to the pecan tart down South, and may be mistaken for England's butter pie, but this bite-sized treat is originated from Canada. It's one of the earliest known Canadian recipes from northern Ontario and dates back to 1915! There are many variants to the recipe, ranging from different kinds of pastry shells, and different toppings and flavours. But the general idea is a flaky crumbly pastry filled with buttery sweet and soft inside.

Every Canadian has their own favourite butter tart. And I'm a purist when it comes to butter tarts. I don't like nuts or raisins in mine, let alone chocolate pastry or peanut butter flavouring. The shell should be stiff enough to hold its shape, but flaky and crumbly enough to yield when bitten into. The filling should balance ooziness and firmness in perfect harmony, and be just sweet enough to be delightful and memorable.

I found this recipe a long time from the Toronto Star. It was an article about how this middle school grade 7 class decided to find the perfect butter tart. It was a cute and interesting story and it also gave you the two top recipes it ended up picking. I thought it would be a great recipe to try out, as it is a true "Test Kitchen" recipe. :)

Without a doubt in my mind, I think the filling for this tart is perfect. It's justly sweet and buttery, and has such a great amount of "runniness" and shape. My only dissatisfaction is the pastry. It's really flaky, which is great for a sweet pie dough, but it doesn't feel right for a butter tart. I think a shortbread type dough would be more suitable for this kind of tart. It must be the egg in the recipe that makes it this way. I think next time I'll find a crumbly dough for these tarts, but for sure for sure keep the filling just as is!

Well that was just a small glimpse of Canada and a small sweet taste of the great country too. As a leaving note, I'm just going to tell you a few tid bit facts that you might have not known about Canada. And please enjoy the recipe too!

-Canada has two official languages: French & English
-Basketball was invented in Canada in 1891, as well as the baseball glove in 1883. (What else you ask? Insulin, the lightbulb, the zipper, the ear piercer, computer programming language JAVA, lacrosse, the game Pictionary, acrylics – like plexiglass, gingerale, newsprint paper, paint roller, rollerskates, snowmobile and the snowblower (rightly so), washing machine, the electric wheelchair, Yachtzee! and a whole lot of other things!)
-Some famous Canadian celebrities: Jim Carrey, Sandra Oh, Rachel McAdams, Ryan Reynolds, Kim Cattrall, Ellen Page, Keanu Reeves, Steve Nash, William Shatner, Pamela Anderson and yes, Justin Bieber.
-Toronto's famous theatre district is second in size only, to New York city, in North America.
-There's chip flavour called Ketchup Chips. When I first came here, I thought it sounded gross, but to think of it, it made perfect sense! It's SO delicious and probably one of the most popular chip flavours here.
-Canadians are in love with Hockey and will always be in the fabric of this country.

Canadian Butter Tart

adapted from Toronto Star
makes 16 regular tarts

ingredients

pastry
3 cups cake & pastry flour
2 tbsp granulated sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup cold, unsalted butter, cut in pieces
2 tbsp cocoa powder
5 to 6 tbsp ice water
2 tsp white vinegar
2 large eggs
filling
1/4 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/2 cup each: granulated sugar, packed brown sugar
1 cup table syrup with 15% maple syrup (I actually used 1/2 cup real maple syrup and 1/2 cup of plain table syrup)
2 tbsp pure vanilla extract
1/2 tsp salt
2 large eggs

directions

1. For pastry, stir together flour, sugar and salt in medium bowl. Blend in butter using pastry blender or large fork until pieces are the size of small peas.
2. In large measuring cup, whisk together 1/4 cup water, vinegar and eggs. Add to flour mixture. Blend mixture with fork, adding remaining 1 to 2 tablespoons water as needed to just moisten.
3. Finish blending mixture with fingers as you gather it into two balls. Press into disks. Cover with plastic wrap. Refrigerate disks 30 to 60 minutes. Lightly grease 16 cups in muffin tins. You can also use mini muffin tins for smaller tarts.
4. On floured surface, press and pat or roll each piece into 4-inch circle. Put circles in muffin cups, ruffling edges to fit. Refrigerate while you make filling.
5. For filling, blend butter and sugars with wooden spoon. Blend in syrup, vanilla and salt. Blend in eggs. (Small lumps of butter will remain.)
6. Ladle filling into pastry shells, putting 2 to 3 tablespoons in each to fill about three-quarters.
7. Bake in preheated 375F oven until pastry is golden and filling is browned and puffy, about 30 minutes. Let sit on rack until cool before removing from muffin tins. Keep in covered container.

Kids, Do Try This at Home: Ping Gai Chicken

2010-10-25T21:06:00.018-04:00

Hey friends! Have you ever tried something at a restaurant and thought it tasted so good that you wished you could sneak into the kitchen and snatch their recipe? Or something so delicious that it inspired you to try to make it at home? Well, I have many many times and with the help of a few websites and friends I was able successfully recreate a few in my own kitchen. It's such an amazing feeling when it works out and actually tastes like the real thing!

So I just thought I'd have a little section in my blog where I post up some of my favourite successful "copy" stories. And it's pretty much a guarantee that the recipe I'm posting will be DELICIOUS because I won't be putting it up if it wasn't up to par.

Meet Ping Gai Chicken. I first was introduced to Ping Gai by my previous boss. And this gentleman was a man of high taste and a discerning palate. He was also a fanatic for Ping Gai Chicken. Not only would he take his favourite clients or colleagues to the restaurant which served this dish, he would have to go at least once a month for his monthly "Ping Gai Fix". He called it an addiction. It's from a restaurant called Queen Mother Cafe, on Queen St W in Toronto. Anyways, with all that said, I went to check it out myself and indeeeed it was a fantastic bbq chicken. This tender and crispy chicken possesses so many layers of flavours and leaves a lasting impression. But it also costs a pretty penny when you eat it at the restaurant.

Fortunately, one of my coworkers found the actual recipe posted online, courtesy of the kitchen at Queen Mother Cafe reported by Toronto Star Newspaper! All of us tried it at home, and all of us were extremely satisfied. This recipe was a definite keeper.

I've made this chicken on different occasions with big groups of people, and it's always been all the rage. It is now my go-to recipe for impressing the guests. My only apology is to the friends that I promised to post this recipe a LONG time ago but am only getting around to do it now!

Just a few more things about this recipe:
• This is a Laos dish, for those who were curious.
• The main ingredient for the marinade is in fact loathed by many people: Cilantro or Coriander. BUT, this recipe somehow turns it into a miraculously delicious marinade. Trust me people, it doesn't taste like the cilantro you know. All my cilantro-hating friends could not believe how delicious it tasted. I promise you!!
• Another magical part of this recipe is the dipping sauce. I caution you, you might want to just drink it out of the little bowl when you try it. What I usually do is I pretend that I've accidentally dropped it in the little bowl and take an extra long time picking it back up, when in fact I just wanted the chicken to soak it all up. :)

Ping Gai Chicken

by Queen Mother Cafe from BigOven.com
Yields 6 portions

ingredients

4 lb Chicken Thighs, skin-on and deboned

marinade
1 bunch Fresh Cilantro
6 cloves Garlic
1 tbsp Black peppercorns
3 tbsp Oyster sauce
2 tbsp Soy sauce
2 tablespoons Vegetable oil

dipping sauce
1 cup Water
1/2 cups Sugar
3 sprigs Fresh Cilantro
2 cloves Garlic
2 tbsp White Vinegar
1 tbsp Lime Juice
1 tbsp Thai Garlic Chili Pepper Sauce
1 tbsp Thai Fish Sauce

directions

Marinade: Put the washed bunch of cilantro, including stems and roots, into food processor with garlic and peppercorns. Process until finely chopped. Add oyster sauce, soy sauce and oil; process until combined. Or you can blend it all together in a blender.

Place chicken in shallow glass baking dish. Brush all over with marinade. Cover with plastic wrap. Marinate at least 1 hour or overnight in refrigerator.

Dipping sauce: Combine water and sugar in saucepan. Bring to boil over medium-high heat, stirring until dissolved. Continue cooking 10 minutes or until reduced and syrupy. Cool completely. Add to food processor with cilantro, garlic, vinegar, lime juice, garlic chili pepper sauce and fish sauce. Process until smooth. Again, you can do this in a blender.

Preheat BBQ to medium high. (If broiling, preheat broiler and cook on wire rack set in baking pan or on cookie sheet.)

Place chicken pieces, skin side down, on greased grill. (Place skin side up if broiling.) Close BBQ lid. Cook about 8 minutes or until skin is crispy and chicken is almost cooked through.

Turn chicken. Close lid; cook chicken 6 minutes more or until cooked through. SIDE NOTE: The chicken is going to get quite black because the herb-y marinade. It might look slightly burnt, but in fact, that's how it is supposed to look. Don't be too worried if it gets dark.

Chop into 1-inch pieces. Serve with dipping sauce.

Magnificent Memories

2010-10-18T22:09:00.014-04:00

I was always really good at remembering childhood memories. My sister is often amazed at how I can remember even the littlest detail in some of my recollections. I enjoy, no, relish in looking back and reminiscing my childhood. I guess I'm quite sentimental that way. They always replay in my mind with a warm hazy glow, kind of like the way movies reel out an old scene.

Three weekends ago, I visited my old town in New Jersey. It was an exciting trip, with my most favourite people in the world – Andrew, my sister Jenn, her husband Kevin, and my dear little niece, Chloe. We set out to adventure out to NYC, a first for Kevin and Chloe! We had a fabulous time in the big city, weather being absolutely flawless and all of our spirits lifted up.

But I think my favourite part was going back to New Jersey. We stayed at my uncle's house, who lives right where I grew up. As we passed by the same streets where I once passed, I was thrilled to relive it once again.

One of my favourite spots in the little town of East Brunswick, New Jersey is Magnifico's. Their soft-serve ice cream and a variety of iced treats make Magnifico's a famous place in this part New Jersey. But it's not just the velvety smooth ice cream or the abundance of sprinkles and toppings that made this place a favourite. It was my family's little retreat of indulgence. We didn't have everything in the world, but when our dad drove into the small shop on Route 18, it meant the world to us! My sister and I would sing "We scream for ice cream!" and my dad would often fool us saying "No scream no ice cream!", but we always seem to come back home with little mouths and fingers covered in vanilla and sprinkles.

Another memorable place in my life is a small bakery on Cranbury Road. It's really not any place remarkable – just a modest neighbourhood bakery. But this is indeed the birthplace of my delight for baked goods! My mom would take us there often, just as a treat or for special occasions. She would let us gaze at the beautiful cakes, mountain-piled cookies and the cupcakes decorated with flowers or fun animals. And each time, she would allow us to pick just one treat for the trip. Now this was a very challenging task. All those cupcakes, all those cookies, how could you possibly pick just one!

But it was a decision that had to be made. After a long deliberation, my sister and I would finally pick the treat that was our all-time favourite: the Florentine cookie. These cookies were perfectly crispy with just enough "give" and "chew". The milk chocolate centres were exquisitely sandwiched between two oatmeal crisps which gave such a unique texture and flavour to each bite. It was cookie heaven in our hands.

Sadly, these cookies didn't last very long. We moved away from our little town in Jersey and moved to Korea, then onto California and finally to Canada and they were long-forgotten. But no good thing is lost forever! On a very special birthday, I received a timely gift of a set of cookbooks. It was perfect because I just started to be interested in baking. And lo and behold – the recipe for Florentine Cookies! To be honest, each time my sister and I went to a bakery, we'd secretly search for the same cookie we once enjoyed, but only to be disappointed with failed imitations.

But this cookie was it. Or at least very close to what we remembered it to be. Reunited at last, we finally basked in Florentine-cookie goodness and was able to share it with the people around us. Not surprisingly, it was a favourite among our friends as well, receiving the impressive title of "best cookie ever" for some.

So here I share it with you, my blog friends! A piece of my childhood, a special little part of me. And as children do, I hope we can all enjoy the little things in life. It really is amazing how it's the small, seemingly insignificant things that can make a child happy. Sure we've got heckuva lot of "life" to deal with as adults, but maybe it's good to stand back for a second and really appreciate everything we have, large or small. Life is so much better when we can find value in it. Let's enjoy it!

Milk Chocolate Florentine Cookies

recipe from Nestle Classic Recipes

Makes about 3 1/2 dozen sandwich cookies

ingredients

2/3 cup butter
2 cups quick oats
1 cup granulated sugar
2/3 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup light or dark corn syrup
1/4 cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 3/4 cups Milk Chocolate morsels/chips

directions

1. Preheat oven to 375F. Line baking sheets with foil or parchment paper.
2. Melt butter in medium saucepan; remove from heat. Stir in oats, sugar, flour, corn syrup, milk, vanilla extract and salt; mix well. Drop by level teaspoon, about 3 inches apart, onto prepared baking sheets. Spread thinly with rubber spatula.
3. Bake for 6 to 8 minutes or until golden brown. Cool completely on baking sheets on wire racks. Remove cookies from foil/parchment paper.
4. Microwave morsels/chips in medium, microwave-safe bowl on MEDIUM - HIGH power for 1 minute; stir. Microwave at additional 10- to 20- second intervals, stirring until smooth. Spread thin layer of melted chocolate onto flat side of half the cookies. Top with remaining cookies.

I also love making new memories...

Two good things.

2010-09-23T19:23:00.012-04:00

You know what's good? Feeling like everything is going to work out. Feeling like this is right, this is good. When it fits. When you feel like everything, in it's own timing, and with patience, it will turn out for your good. And not so much because you're entitled to it, but because you know that deep inside, when you sow the seeds, believe in it and work for it, you're bound to reap fruit. :)

You know what else is good? A good recipe. Whether it's a trusty no-fail formula, or a brand new endeavor, it's always rewarding when a recipe turns out to be a success. I mean, they might need a few tweaks or adjustments sometimes, but what's the harm in making good, better?

So this delicious looking seafood pasta up here is Andrew's specialty pasta. He learned it from his friend who's an awesome cook, but he's made it his trademark recipe ever since. It's an olive oil and white wine based sauce with various seafood. And it's really really good. We cooked it for my parents and they loved it so much! My mom made Andrew promise that he'd make it for her birthday!

What is this dangerously delicious looking lasagna up here, you ask? Well boldly so, its' name is "Number 1 Lasagna". I found it online, searching for a good classic meat lasagna and this recipe popped up. It was from a blog solely dedicated to lasagnas. The author of the blog has a looong roster of various lasagna recipe they've tried. Ranging from vegetarian to cream sauces, classic Italian recipes to fusion ones. Anyways, this one seemed to be deemed as the best recipe so I gave it a go!

The recipe asks for a long simmering time for the sauce, which helps all the herbs and meats come together beautifully. I decided to put my mom's slow-cooker to good use and let it cook for an even longer time. Oooohh-so-fragrant and wholesome, I loooooved the sauce. Slow-cooking is key to making any good sauce, I guess, but I was surprised at how it really brought the flavours together. As for the rest of the recipe, well it turned out to be a perfect comfort-food. Extremely cheesy and gooey and saucy, I can't imagine anyone not loving it. If you're wondering why my lasagna looks super runny and can't hold its shape.. it's my fault. I added more sauce/ricotta than the recipe asked for because I just had extra left and decided to pile it on. Also, I didn't let it set, like it asked for, because I didn't have enough time. Bad move.

One down side to the recipe. The pasta noodles. When the recipe said, "No boiling for the pasta noodles" I went, YAY! But in reality, the lasagna noodles tasted a bit under-cooked and hard/mushy. It was kinna weird. Next time I'll just cook em. OH ALSO. When I cooked it the second time, I made sure I added about two more noodle pieces. The recipe calls for only 12 pieces, but for the huge lasagna it is, it's not really enough. I would recommend maybe 14 pieces, even if it overlaps just a bit. :)

No 1 Lasagna Recipe

recipe from "mylasagnarecipe.com

Serves 12 people

ingredients

1 pound of sweet Italian sausage
1 pound of ground beef
1/2 cup of chopped onions
2 cloves of garlic chopped
1 (28 ounce) can of crushed tomatoes
2 (8 ounce) cans of tomato sauce
2 (6 ounce) cans of tomato paste
1/2 Cup of Water
2 tablespoons white sugar
1 teaspoon fennel seed
2 teaspoons fresh Basil leaves chopped
4 tablespoons fresh Italian parsley chopped (2 for sauce, 2 for ricotta mixture)
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon Italian Seasoning
1/2 teaspoon ground pepper
23 ounces of ricotta cheese.
1/2 teaspoon fresh grated nutmeg
1 egg
1 pound shredded mozzarella cheese
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
12 Lasagna Noodles (I recommend 14)

directions

1. In a pot heavy pot, on medium-low heat, brown the ground beef, Italian sausage, onions and garlic. It takes about 6 to 9 minutes to brown the meat. You can use a Dutch oven to cook this portion of the recipe. It is optional to remove the grease from the meat once it is finished browning, your choice.

2. Then add the crushed tomatoes, tomato sauce, tomato pasta, 1/2 cup of water and gently stir into the the cooking meat.

3. Add the following: white sugar, fennel seed, fresh Basil, 2 tbsp fresh Italian parsley, teaspoon of salt, Italian Seasoning and ground pepper. Gently stir these seasoning into the sauce.Cover the pot and let the meat sauce simmer. Simmer on low heat for at least 1 hour and 30 minutes.

4. Soak 12 lasagna noodles. The lasagna noodles need to be soaked in hot tap water for 15 minutes. (Or I recommend you boil 14 pieces of lasagna noodles.)

5. While the noodles are soaking you can make the cheese filling. Put the following ricotta cheese and fresh grated nutmeg into a mixing bowl. Then add 1 egg, and 2 tbsp of Italian parsley. Mix these ingredients together with a spoon.

7. Now we start building the lasagna layers.
Use a 9×13 inch baking pan.
Spread 2 Cups of meat sauce on the bottom of the pan.
Remove your lasagna noodles out of the water bath. Shake water off wet noodles.
Lay 6 noodles across the layer of sauce.
Spread half of the ricotta cheese mixture over the layer of noodles.
Spread 1/2 of the mozzarella cheese over the ricotta layer.
Sprinkle half of the Parmesan cheese over the mozzarella layer
Spread 2 cups of meat sauce over the cheese layer
Lay down the next layer of noodles
Spread the remaining ricotta mixture over noodles
Spread the mozzarella and Parmesan cheeses saving some cheese for the top of the lasagna
Put the last layer of meat sauce on the cheeses
Sprinkle the remaining cheese on top.

8. Cover with foil
Bake in preheated oven at 350 for 25 minutes
Remove foil and bake uncovered for another 25 minutes.
Remove from oven and allow to cool for approximately 15 minutes.

And..... we're back.

2010-09-18T15:48:00.012-04:00

"You just gotta start somewhere!" That's what I kept telling myself every time I sat in front of the computer to write a blog entry. So much stuff has gone on that I don't even know where to start! It's just like when I approach any kind of written assignment. It's too overwhelming, I don't know where to start. But like the good advice that my sister gives me each time, "Just start writing!", here it goes.

1. The big stuff. Guess what guys. This is big. I quit my job. But before you start thinking that I'm crazy for leaving a perfect job at a fantastic design agency, just understand that it didn't come easy. It wasn't about the job — I'm changing careers. It was a huge decision, but I've made it and now I'm committed to it. I've decided that I want to pursue my aspirations of becoming a TEACHER! And now I'm back in school so that I can apply for teacher's college.

My beloved desk at my studio. I'll miss you!!

2. The cheesy stuff. Just in case you were wondering, Andrew and I are doing very well. We're very much growing and enjoying our lives together. It's been an amazing year and a half and we're both really excited to see where tomorrow will take us!

Look where Andrew took me for my birthday!! We went on a private horse trail riding!! He surprised me for my birthday and I had SUCH a great time. :) On a side note: Do you like our dinky little helmets? Ha!!

3. The cute stuff. My little niece, Chloe is honestly, the cutest, most lovable thing on EARTH. It's so beautiful and incredible to see new life. Really, the most amazing thing to experience all these "firsts" with a new baby. Each time she laughs, it's like the whole place lights up and in truth, it seems like she's playing with us rather than us playing with her. I'm so grateful for her and her parents. I miss her everyday!!

4. The grateful stuff. Honestly, everyone. I'm so grateful for your patience and encouragement over the few months. I'm sorry I've been so MIA but I'm amazed at how you still look forward to my blog entries!! It's really unbelieveable how warm and kind you all are. Thank you thank you thank you. You inspire me and motivate me!

Grateful for this tart pan! My friend gave me a williams-sonoma certificate for my birthday. You girls know exactly what I need/want. Hehe.

5. The delicious stuff. Yes yes it's the moment you've been all waiting for. Sometimes I feel bad when I write too much on my life etc., because I know you're thinking, "Okay.. now on with the food please!!!" Like I promised and you've proposed, I made the delicious French Lemon Cream Tart, courtesy of Dorie Greenspan. It was a recipe you really need to invest your time and heart in, but very much worth it.

The cream is truly extraordinary. It's marvelously smooth and velvety, with the perfect amount of sweet and tart. But to be honest, it was a challenging recipe for me this time. I was soo surprised and a bit disappointed to see how rusty I got. Man! Not baking and photographing for months really takes a toll on ya! Not going to lie, I'm not totally happy with the execution and the photography this time. I hope you can forgive me! Hopefully I'll get back on track soon.

But it was still really delicious and dorie's recipe was 100% fantastic. Unfortunately, I decided that I wouldn't post up recipes from books because it violates copyright. I know I've done it before but I now decided not to. But I wouldn't be surprised if you could find it easily on the internet. Also, I strongly encourage you to make that investment in her Cookbook "From my home to yours" as it's a staple for any baker filled with some of the best recipes you'll ever find.

UPDATED: Okay okay okay. I'll post up the recipe! It wasn't like me anyway. Haha. So instead, I have paraphrased her recipe! Hope it's not too choppy, or I haven't gotten too chatty. Nevertheless, still look at investing in her cookbook. It's really an amazing book!

Most Extraordinary French Lemon Cream Tart

recipe from "Baking: From My Home to Yours" by Dorie Greenspan

ingredients

1 cup sugar
grated zest of 3 lemons
4 large eggs
3/4 cup fresh lemon juice (from 4-5 lemons)
2 sticks plus 5 tbsp (10 1/2oz) unsalted butter, cut into tbsp-size pieces, at room temp
1 9-inch tart shell made with sweet tart dough (I used an allrecipes recipe because Dorie's recipe only asks for a super pulsing food processor, which I don't have. You can just use your favourite sweet tart dough!)

directions

1. You need an instant-read thermometer, strainer, and a blender ready. Bring a few inches of water to a simmer in a saucepan.

2. Before setting over the simmering water, in a large heatproof bowl, rub the sugar and lemon zest together between your fingers until the sugar is moist, grainy and very aromatic. Whisk in the eggs, followed by the lemon juice.

3. Now set the bowl over the pan and start stirring with the whisk as soon as the mixture feels lukewarm to touch. You'll need to slowly cook the lemon cream until it reaches 180F. It's important that you whisk constantly to prevent scrambled eggs.

As you keep whisking, the cream will start out light and foamy, then the bubbles will get bigger. Watching carefully as the temperature rises closer to 180F, it will become thicker and the whisk will leave tracks. You're ALMOST there! Don't stop whisking or checking the temperature but most importantly, be patient! Depending on how much heat you're giving the cream, getting it to 180F might take as long as 10 minutes (or 15 for me!)

4. As soon as it reaches 180F, remove the cream from the heat and strain it into the container of the blender; discard the zest. Let the cream stand, stirring occasionally, until it cools to 140F, about 10 minutes.

5. With the blender on HIGH, add the butter about 5 pieces at a time. Scrape down sides and make sure the butter is incorporated. (Mine just sat there on top of the cream if I didn't do this). Once the butter is mixed, keep the machine going. This will be the heavenly path to divine lightness, airy texture of "lemon-cream dreams" (that's her word). Continue to blend the cream for another 3 minutes, working in intervals if your blender gets overheated.

6. Before you pour the cream into a container, take a scoop with a new spoon and eat it. And savour it. And relish it. (This is my own line).

7. Now pour the cream into a container, pressing a piece of plastic wrap right against the surface of the cream. This creates a super airtight seal. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours or overnight. (Wow! FOUR+ hours to wait. See, aren't you glad you followed instruction #6?). The cream will keep in the fridge for 4 days or, tightly sealed, up to 2 months in the freezer. You'll just have to thaw it overnight in the fridge.

7. When you are ready to assemble the tart, just whisk the cream to loosen it and spoon it in the tart shell. Serve the tart, or refrigerate until needed.

Now taking orders!

2010-09-08T13:24:00.009-04:00

Hello dear blog folks.
I'm coming back! But I need some help.
I've been wracking my brain for some time to decide on what to bake as a much-needed return on milk and honey, but I have yet to make a decision.
I want something punchy and "YUM!" and totally awesome, but nothing is quite doing it for me.

So I guess my best idea is to ask YOU!
If you can kindly take take a look at the poll on the left side and vote.
I feel that once I get the ball rolling, it will keep on comin'!

If nothing there really satisfies you, please leave a comment with a suggestion.

Thank you!!!

♥, sarah the baker yoon

p.s. I just noticed that I forgot an integral detail of Dorie's tart. It's a french LEMON cream tart. Oops! I can't fix it now since the poll has begun. But just thought I'd clarify.

THE VERDICT:
Alrighty. I think we have a winner!!
Dorie's most extraordinary French lemon cream tart it is!!!
It's a long recipe and it takes a lot of waiting time, but I'm getting right to it – first thing tomorrow!

Thanks for voting everyone. Hope you enjoy what is to come! :)

Pakistan needs us!

2010-09-03T14:15:00.013-04:00

image from www.guardian.co.uk

My dear readers!!

An estimated 20 million people – 6 million of them children – have been affected by the recent floods in Pakistan.

I know we all feel bombarded with people asking for financial help left, right and centre, let alone our own struggle to keep ourselves afloat. But sometimes, a little bit of sacrifice can go a loong way. And right now, Pakistan really really really needs our hand.

I don't have a lot of money either, so I can't give a whole lot, but I know that even our least can be so great in value to someone in need. What may be a slight setback for myself can be a life-changing gift to someone else.

AND HEY, my fellow Canadians!! Did you know that our government will match you dollar for dollar when you donate before September 12? That's amazing!! Let's use this opportunity to maximize our support!!

Here are some places you can trust that will reach the victims in Pakistan:
unicef
World Vision
Plan Canada

We've all been blessed in some way to be a blessing to another.
Thanks and good luck!

lame, but true!

2010-09-02T15:49:00.006-04:00

I KID YOU NOT.
I lost my camera charger and have been unable to take any photos of my baked adventures!!
A new one is on its' way.
I'm so sorry everyone!!!

In the meantime, want to enjoy the song that I've been loving nowadays? It's Brooke Fraser's "Something in the Water".

doodoodooo~

Picture this.

2010-07-22T20:58:00.003-04:00

What my life feels like right now.

Crazy but beautiful.
Chaotic but wonderful.
Uncertain but bright.

(I'll be back soon, everybody. Trust me. Miss you!)

Cravings

2010-05-30T23:21:00.012-04:00

Have you ever had a crazy craving? Like one of those seemingly "out of no where" yet so "deeply rooted" cravings that haunts you until it is satisfied? Well I had one of those. One day I was innocently walking down the hall of my studio building and BAM! I got a delicious whiff of a sweet, tangy, tart smell that reminded me of the perfect lemon square. Double the lemon on top of a buttery short bread. Mmmmmm... Lemon... mm butter. Anyways, that smell lingered with me the whole week until I finally decided to bake me some good lemon squares for the weekend.

The only thing that made me hesitant about baking them was the fact that I already posted twice about lemon squares on the blog, neither being very successful. I've been baking lemon squares since the early beginnings of my baking adventures and although I don't think you can really go that wrong with them, I hadn't found the perfect "aha!" recipe. So I had to do some serious searching.

With the lemon square, I like them super tart super sour. Not painfully sweet, but definitely needs the sugar rush punch. The cookie must not be soggy or too hard, but perfectly crispy on the outer edges, soft and crumbly in the inside. And so after the rigorous and painstaking search, I found it at last, on the great website called epicurious.com!

I was convinced at the author's own description of her lemon butter bar: "This classic cookie combines two of my favorite sweets: buttery-tender Scottish shortbread and satiny lilting English lemon curd." Lilting. Wow. Good word. Also with all the great reviews and ratings, I knew this was the recipe. The recipe requires a tad bit more work than the typical recipe you'll find, but it's worth every stir you make on that stove. The result is simply glorious! And YES, it definitely hit the spot.

Let me reenact it for you.

sarah baker the yoon: [In the kitchen, cutting up the bars to serve to friends, sneaks in a test taste] Mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm~~~~
[Cue silent yet violent happy dance for 2 minutes]

That's right. It really is that good. Hope you enjoy it as much as I did!!

The Ultimate Lemon Butter Bar

recipe from epicurious by Rose Levy Beranbaum (Below recipe is written by Rose, not me!)
make 1 1/2 dozen 2 2/3-inch by 1 1/3-inch bars

ingredients

Shortbread Base
10 tablespoons unsalted butter (soft) (5 ounces = 142 grams)
2 tablespoons powdered sugar (0.5 ounce = 14 grams)
2 tablespoons granulated sugar (0.75 ounce = 25 grams)
1 1/4 cups bleached all-purpose flour (dip and sweep method) (6.25 ounces = 180 grams)

Lemon Curd Topping
4 large egg yolks (2 full fluid ounces = 2.5 ounces = 74 grams)
3/4 cup sugar (5.25 ounces = 150 grams)
3 fluid ounces (use a liquid measuring cup) lemon juice, freshly squeezed (about 2 1/2 large lemons) (3.25 ounces = 94 grams)
4 tablespoons unsalted butter (softened) (2 ounces = 57 grams)
Pinch of salt
2 teaspoons lemon zest (finely grated) (4 grams)
2 tablespoons powdered sugar for dusting (0.5 ounce = 14 grams)

directions

Equipment
8-inch by 8-inch by 2-inch baking pan, preferably metal (if using a glass pan, lower the oven temperature 25°F.), bottom and 2 sides lined with an 8-inch by 16-inch strip of heavy-duty aluminum foil.

Electric Mixer Method or by Hand
In Scotland, it is said that the best shortbread is mixed with the fingers and that each woman's fingers lend something distinctive and special to the finished cookie. I find that the texture is more delicate when the dough is mixed with the fingers rather than in a machine. For either method, use superfine sugar for the best texture and be sure to soften the butter.

Shortbread
1. Place 1 oven rack in the middle of the oven. Preheat oven to 325°F.

2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the sugars. In a large bowl, cream the butter with the sugars until light and fluffy. With your fingers or with the electric mixer, mix in the flour until incorporated. If using the mixer, add the flour in 2 parts.

3. Pat the dough into the prepared pan. Use a fork to prick the dough all over. Bake for about 30 to 40 minutes or until the edges are lightly browned and the top is pale golden (do not brown).

While the shortbread is baking, prepare the Lemon Curd Topping.

Lemon Curd Topping
1. Have a strainer, suspended over a bowl, ready near the range.

2. In a heavy noncorrodible saucepan, beat the egg yolks and sugar with a wooden spoon until well blended. Stir in the lemon juice, butter, and salt. Cook over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, for about 6 minutes, until thickened and resembling hollandaise sauce, which thickly coats a wooden spoon but is still liquid enough to pour. (A candy thermometer will read 196°F.) The mixture will change from translucent to opaque and begin to take on a yellow color on the back of a wooden spoon. It must not be allowed to boil or it will curdle. (It will steam above 140°F. Whenever steaming occurs, remove the pan briefly from the heat, stirring constantly to prevent boiling.)

3. When the curd has thickened, pour it at once into the strainer. Press it with the back of a spoon until only the coarse residue remains. Discard the residue. Stir in the lemon zest.

4. When the shortbread is baked, remove it from the oven, lower the temperature to 300°F., pour the lemon curd on top of the shortbread, and return it to the oven for 10 minutes.

5. Cool the lemon curd–topped shortbread completely in the pan on a wire rack. Refrigerate the pan for 30 minutes to set the lemon curd completely before cutting into bars. Place the powdered sugar in a strainer and tap the strainer with a spoon to sprinkle a thick, even coating, entirely covering the lemon.

6. Run a small metal spatula between the sides of the pan and the pastry on the 2 sides without the aluminum foil. Use the foil to lift out the lemon curd–covered shortbread onto a cutting surface. Use a long, sharp knife to cut the shortbread first in thirds, then in half the other way, and then each half in thirds. Wipe the blade after each cut. The powdered sugar will start to be absorbed into the lemon curd after several hours, but it can be reapplied before serving.

Store in an airtight container at room temperature, or in the refrigerator or freezer.
Keeps 3 days at room temperature, 3 weeks refrigerated (individually wrapped in plastic wrap to prevent drying), or 3 months frozen.

Sweet Vindication

2010-05-26T20:15:00.006-04:00

Hello everyone. As you know, it's been a while. But this time I have a pretty darn good reason why. She's probably the cutest and sweetest excuse I can ever profess and I think all of you will understand why. ♥

Folks, meet my brand new, infinitely-adorable, unequivocally-THE-cutest, most precious little niece of mine: Chloe Joowon Lee.

I realized I haven't talked about my sister and brother in law on my blog much. That's very surprising given that they are so important to me and are such a big part of my life. I realized that I haven't even told you that my sister was pregnant 9 months ago! (I have a lot of catching up to do, I know.) But nonetheless, they are so dear to me and I knew that their little girl would demand a whole new kind of love from me.

And that she did. It's unbelievable – the kind of intense love that comes from your heart unconditionally. It's this instinctive desire to protect and care for that makes you feel like you could and would do anything for the child. And she's just my sister's baby, I wonder how it would be if she was my own! It probably helps that my sister is such a precious person to me that I feel so close to her child. I dreamed about her all the time when she was still in the belly and the moment I saw her in the hospital I cried like a baby (It was quite embarrassing, actually).

Aside from the inherent bond with my niece, it also probably has to do with the fact that she's cute as a button, darling as a peanut! I can just watch her sleep all day!! Leaving her is so hard... if only I could just play with her all my waking hours! :) She'll be two weeks old tomorrow and already she's such a big part of my life. She's such a lovely baby too. Barely cries, rarely winces. Just so peaceful. But I know, things might change any day. I'll update you on that later too. We'll see if I still want to be with her all day. Teehee.

Our little Chloe is very healthy even if she's on the smaller side. She was born at just 5.6 pounds. But we all know she's going to suck with all her might and get bigger in no time! Her mommy is very healthy as well. She's a BEAUTIFUl and strong mother and I'm sooooo proud of her. If only I can be like her later. :) The three are such a blessing to my life and I am forever grateful to God for them.

So for those you are still thinking "Yeaaaaah but you still haven't posted up anything in two months" – it's coming it's coming. I've done some exciting things over that time (baby shower, wedding cupcakes, etc) but haven't had the time or mental space to really blog about it. :( I apologize, everyone, but I assure you that I'll whip up something realll good. In the mean time, enjoy the beautiful summer days that are fast approaching!

love,
sarah the baker yoon

Got 5 minutes?

2010-03-25T19:50:00.007-04:00

Then you can make this delicious and easy dessert! (Watch me publish this post in 5 minutes!)

VOILA!

Easiest recipe ever. But what a heavenly dessert. The warm, fragrant banana combined with the cold, smooth ice cream will make you sway. Guaranteed. (It also happens to be one of Andrew's favorite desserts. And that's saying a lot, 'cause he's had a lot of my recipes.)

Sauteed Vanilla Bananas with Ice cream

Add 2 tbsp of unsalted butter onto a non-stick pan. When completely melted and bubbly, add vanilla seeds scraped from one vanilla pod. Quickly add 4 quartered bananas, cut-side down. Flip bananas when golden and cook other side, about 3 minutes. Serve with your favourite ice cream – I used Häagen-Dazs caramel cone ice cream. YUM. Serves 4.

Now, go make it!

“Nice”

2010-03-21T00:06:00.000-04:00

Case 1: I was at a eatery downstairs at my work. A new girl, she seemed to be, was ready to serve me. I politely asked for two kinds of salads: a beet/avocado salad and a pasta salad. I'm never satisfied with just a leafy salad, so I was banking on the tuna and pasta to fill me up. I guess the girl didn't hear me properly, because when I went to go pay, I noticed that she gave me a romaine salad instead of the pasta. When I was just about to alert her, I saw her boss walk by. She looked so nervous. I didn't want to embarrass her, so after a brief moment of hesitation, I just smiled and took the leafy greens. I was hungry again in 1 hour.

Case 2: It was 10:15 pm. I was just leaving my office after a looong day of work. I was exhausted and yearning to be in my bed. The next bus that takes me home was at 10:40. I knew I wouldn't be able to catch it via walking or street car, so I decided I would take a quick cab ride to the station. I rushed down to the street and flagged a cab. 10:25. I quickly asked to go to Union station while he's yapping away on his bluetooth head set. 10:29. We're almost there but he seemed to be taking his time. I asked myself whether I should tell him to hurry up a bit. I concluded that maybe it wasn't nice to rush the driver. 10:33. Felt nervous, but thought 'I can get there on time. I can just run out when he takes me to the corner.' 10:36. There were 3 cars in front of him making turns, the right lane was empty but he wouldn't take it. "Do I ask him to hurry it up? Do I?" 10:38. SHOOT. 'I'm going to miss it I'm going to miss it'. He was still taking his time. I finally decided to speak up. "I'm trying to catch a 10:40 bus. Could you please hurry a little bit?" He finally heard the urgency in my voice and quickly dropped me off by the station. 10:41. I watched my bus ride home drove away in front of me. Next bus came at 11:40.

Feeling frustrated yet? Unfortunately, I have many many more instances of being too "nice", which makes me think if it's actually me being genuinely genial or me just being incompetent in speaking up. And I'm not just talking about little things like salads and taxi rides – but bigger things, like with relationships or the working world. In some ways, I feel that it's actually an act of benevolence: I'd rather feel discomfort than impose that on someone else. Sometimes I take the blame or stay quiet, believing that one way or another the truth will surface. But in other ways, maybe I'm just plain wimpy to stick up for myself.

Truth is, it's a bit of both. I'm sort of a "big picture" person, so I often easily persevere little things when I see the greater good in it. I know that even if it feels a little unfair or disadvantage me right now, somehow it will benefit me or someone else in the end. On the other side, truthfully, I am scared. I know that when I speak strongly about something, that means I need to take responsibility for the consequences. It's not always easy to stick up for yourself, you know. If you're going to challenge something, you better be ready to fight. And when it comes to fighting, I'd rather lose to avoid it altogether.

So am I a saint for being able to stomach personal discomfort for the benefit of someone else or am I a loser for being completely non-confrontational? Hmm.. I guess it comes down to balance. I think it's about developing confidence and assurance in myself, while being considerate and attentive of others' needs too. In the end, it's about finding my own voice, while also being able to harmonize with the people around you too. I think that's where my solution lies. :)

Speaking of balance, let me tell you about a perfectly balanced cookie. This cookie is a solid combination of chewy and crispy and soft and dense. The delicious cookie dough is matchless with the abundance of chocolate chips. The recipe, carefully crafted by Food Network's Alton Brown, was specifically engineered to be the "CHEWY" cookie, using bread flour (additional gluten), melted butter, higher ratio of brown sugar, and extra drop of moisture from milk. Pop the dough into the fridge before you bake it, and it really is the perfect chewy cookie. I made these at a cottage with friends, and they couldn't stop raving. They couldn't stop moaning with delight. Now, that's nice.

The Chewy

recipe from Food Network
yields 2 1/2 dozen

ingredients

2 sticks (1 cup) unsalted butter
2 1/4 cups bread flour
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 cup sugar
1 1/4 cups brown sugar
1 egg
1 egg yolk
2 tablespoons milk
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 cups semisweet chocolate chips

directions

1. Heat oven to 375 degrees F.

2. Melt the butter in a heavy-bottom medium saucepan over low heat. Sift together the flour, salt, and baking soda and set aside.

3. Pour the melted butter in the mixer's work bowl. Add the sugar and brown sugar. Cream the butter and sugars on medium speed. Add the egg, yolk, 2 tablespoons milk and vanilla extract and mix until well combined. Slowly incorporate the flour mixture until thoroughly combined. Stir in the chocolate chips.

4. Chill the dough, then scoop onto parchment-lined baking sheets, 6 cookies per sheet. Bake for 14 minutes or until golden brown, checking the cookies after 5 minutes. Rotate the baking sheet for even browning. Cool completely and store in an airtight container.

A short discussion

2010-03-10T00:24:00.006-05:00

Sarah the Baker Yoon: Feeling really overwhelmed. And tired. And scared. And headaches won't go away. Where's the tylenol?
Reader: Don't be sucha downer, Sarah. Chin up and keep moving on!! You're doing a good job.
SBY: I don't feel like I am. I often times want to give up. But at the same time, I don't want to. What's the point of giving up?
R: That's right. You're on a trek up the mountain – once you get to the peak, it'll be a piece of cake going down.
SBY: But how do I know where the peak is? I'm at the base and I'm struggling already. What if it's like this for a really reaaally long time?
R: You'll find a way to get there. You've got amazing people around you to go through the climb with you. Every now and then you'll find some easier spots where you can sit down and enjoy the breeze.
SBY: I'm hoping that little break comes soon.
R: It will. But for now, just focus on moving onward. Okay?
SBY: Okay.
R: By the way, I miss your blog entries. You need to blog more.
SBY: UM I'm barely clearing my full plate, here. Give a girl a break.
R: That's no excuse, but since I'm nice, fine.
SBY: Thanks.. I appreciate it. I miss them too, you should know.
R: I know.
SBY: Okay well I need to get back to work and finish this, once and for all.
R: It's 12:30 am.
SBY: Exactly.
R: Good luck Sarah. You're on the right track. Keep positive.
SBY: YES. I will. Thanks.

Yes, as you can see. I like talking to myself. But HEY it helps get me through the hard times. Talking myself out of negative thinking into VICTORIOUS thinking. If any of you are going through a tough time like I am, you're not alone. Just keep going – there's always going to be an end to it and when you look back, you'll be proud of how far you've gotten. You only reap what you sow, so let's keep planting good seeds in our lives, no matter how hard it is right now. Good luck, friends!!

(Gotta just smile and keep going. There's always tons of things to be thankful for!!!)

UPDATE: I just remembered that I had one cupcake left over from my weekend baking. WOOHOO! What a treat!! See! There are tons of good things in my life! :D

Simplicity, rocks.

2010-02-25T22:49:00.004-05:00

dreaming of lazy afternoons....

(Just a little sautéed garlic and grape tomatoes with butter, fragrant with basil and sprinkled with a bit of sea salt. Farfalle (butterfly pasta) and pasta water was added to the mix, along with a drizzle of olive oil and a generous mound of parmesan cheese. I added a boiled egg as my source of protein! YUM!)

Saving face

2010-02-20T03:44:00.004-05:00

Hello dear friends!

Yes, it's that time of year again! Milk and honey cafe is undergoing another fresh redesign. I feel like the blog can use a little bit of a boost (since I left it dry and abandoned for too long). So pretty please bear with me as I make the finishing touches! :D

I hope you like it!!

Love,

2010-02-16T23:53:00.016-05:00

Love — a magical feeling between a boy and a girl. Roses, chocolates, kisses, and hugs. Is always willing to fall into, be smothered with, and often leads to excessive gazing into each others eyes.

Love — a mother and child. Protection, patience, warmth. Father and daughter and son. Provision, strength, foundation . Easily the most powerful bond between two human beings.

Love – patient and kind. Does not envy, nor does it boast. Never ever self-seeking or easily angered. Keeps no record of wrong. Doesn't delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. Always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.

Love – an action, more than words. A choice to make. Both the cause and the effect. And love grows. No matter how small it is, it starts with one, and leads to two, which multiplies to four and who knows where it will go?

What is this girl babbling about? Well, in light of the so called "holiday" that just passed by, I want to share with you my take on love. And hopefully it doesn't sound like boasting on my part, but perhaps it inspires you and urges you to join me in multiplying "love".

SO, last year, I had a special Valentine's Day Cupcake sale to make some extra cash. It went quite well, with more than 10 individual orders, and up to $200 in profit. So this year, I thought I could do the same. I thought, "Hey, more people know about my cupcakes, so maybe it will be an even better turn out." But as it turns out, whether it's the economy to blame, or my lack of advertising, I was wrong. I barely got 5 orders, but nonetheless, I was still really happy to be doing it.

As I was collecting my final orders, I read an article about how there's this guy in the States who wants to somehow ban Valentine's Day (and is trying to take it to court) since it's just another evil money-making day for businesses. Apparently, all it does is make men feel pressured and under-appreciated because of the unreal expectations of women. It's simply about how much dough a man can dish out for his woman. But the article goes on to saying that instead of the cynical view, why not just celebrate this day of Love? Why not have a chance to stop and really appreciate love? And I thought to myself, well, what is love then? Sure, it's emotional feelings towards your mate, but I believe love is more than that. It can make an even greater impact and produce greater fruits than that. So what better way to celebrate love than to show it to those who need it most?

And who needs it more than anyone at this time? Of course, the people of Haiti. I don't really think I need to talk much about the heart-breaking disaster, as I'm sure everyone is aware. With that said, I was moved to give what I have and share my part of love. So, last minute, I decided to donate all the money from the cupcakes, which turned out to be enough to provide TWO families with emergency kits. (Through World Vision). I know it's but a small initiative on my part, however I know every bit counts. It's my first step, and I don't want to stop here.

Andrew and I also started supporting a child through World Vision. His name is Mame, from Senegal. His family barely meets their needs, so I'm really hoping with the monthly donations that we make, it will make a difference in his family's lives. Imagine we could truly change someone's life? Imagine we can help pave a way of hope?

The power of one. Hundreds and millions of people start with one. That's from a song I've recently heard. And I really believe in it. I'm starting with one, but I'm confident it can keep spreading. Just like love spreads. ♥

attn: sarah the baker yoon

2010-01-27T21:24:00.002-05:00

To have and to hold

2009-12-08T09:44:00.002-05:00

Friends are special. And while finding the really special ones seems to be hard, I find that keeping them close to you is even trickier. I've had a few times when I met someone and my heart was instantly drawn to them and life seemed suddenly a bit more beautiful! But how many times have I let those friendships whither away? To be honest, I'm not a very good friend and it roots from my childhood. Since I was a little girl, I was always solo. And I loved being solo. I had a handful of playmates I would have fun with, but the real imaginative and creative in me would come out when I was playing by myself in a little corner. Naturally comfortable with being alone, and also very capable to socialize when need be, I never really felt the need to have many friends. It also had a lot to do with the fact that I was always moving around the globe and keeping in touch with long distance friendships was a very hard thing to do for me.

At the same time, I always did have a partner. Whether it was my first boyfriend (who also happens to be my first kiss!) of age 5, or my elementary school girlfriend who was attached to me at the hip; my twin, as they would call us, during junior high because we were so close, or my wonderful boyfriend right now, I had a few key people in my life that I really cherished everyday. But as I grow a little older and find that there seems to be less and less opportunities to meet new friends, I realize how important it is to keep my old ones.

Friendship truly takes a lot of commitment and investment in order for it to grow, like anything really valuable, I suppose. And just as much as Andrew is a great partner in my life right now, I continually find the need to have friends to live life with me as well. Friends are support systems, they're tissues, they're comedians, and if you're lucky, they're the best teachers too. So to all my friends, I love you deeply and I'm so thankful for you! I promise I'll do better and I'll call/come out more often. Heehee. Thanks for being a part of my life, no matter how meek of a state it is in, and for accepting me any how. You guys are truly something special to have and to hold!

Wait, have you noticed the beautiful photographs up here? Of course you have! They are all from a wonderful blog called To have and to hold (hence my title inspiration...). Two special friends decided to put their passion in design and weddings and all things beautiful to good use and started a small wedding invitation adventure! They marked their first month a week ago, but the blog is already so full with wonderful resources and goodies to be inspired by. Please have a visit – it's not only great for brides-to-be, but just beautiful design in general. Okay, and here's another reason why I'm so excited for them! THESE LADIES HAPPEN TO BE MY SPECIAL FRIENDS. Hehe! You ladies are so talented and so inspiring and I'm so proud of you!! Keep it up!!

Late Night Gratification

2009-11-21T02:26:00.010-05:00

Friday nights are my late nights. They are the nights where while all my loved ones are fast asleep, I am up in my cozy room with a cozy light, determined to stay awake. They are really the only nights that I can stay up late since I get to sleep in late tomorrow. No matter how long my day, how much my bed calls for me, I am committed to this special night that only comes once every week. From pointless perusing on the world wide web, to finally uploading the pics from my camera; from catching up on fashion news to checking out my friends' status' on Facebook, Friday nights are precious "ME" time that I so dearly hold on to — no matter how heavy my eyelids are (which are closing as we speak right now).

So what do I have to offer tonight? Why, of course, a cupcake! ...who is just as indulgent as my late night enterprises! A rich chocolate cake crowned with a creamy deep peanut butter frosting, showered with some dark chocolate shavin' lovin', this cupcake is anything but a sleeper. Peanutbutter-love is an acquired taste to some, but I'm sure any one will love to take a bite out of these after smelling the rich peanut-y goodness. Well, whatever your "Friday Late Night" or "Peanut Butter Cupcake" is, do one good thing for yourself every now and then. Everyone is entitled to it!! Happy baking, everyone! :)

"Peanut Butter Cup"-Cake

recipe from Hershey's Kitchens and Food Network
makes 2 1/2 dozen cupcakes

ingredients

chocolate cake
2 cups sugar
1-3/4 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup unsweetened Cocoa
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
2 eggs
1 cup buttermilk or sour milk (add 1 tbsp of white vinegar to milk to equal 1 cup)
1 cup strong black coffee OR 2 teaspoons powdered instant coffee plus 1 cup boiling water
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

frosting
2 cup confectioners' sugar
2 cup creamy peanut butter (I used organic)
10 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
2/3 cup heavy cream

directions

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Line pans with cupcake paper.
2. Stir together sugar, flour, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder and salt in large bowl. Add eggs, buttermilk, coffee, oil and vanilla; beat on medium speed of mixer 2 minutes (batter will be thin). Pour batter evenly into prepared pans.
3. Bake 18 to 25 minutes or until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes; remove from pans to wire racks. Cool completely.
4. Place the confectioners' sugar, peanut butter, butter, vanilla, and salt in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Mix on medium-low speed until creamy, scraping down the bowl with a rubber spatula as you work. Add the cream and beat on high speed until the mixture is light and smooth. Frost as desired.

Us

2009-11-05T23:40:00.002-05:00

Hi y'all.
Quick update.
It's us! :)

We went to a marvelous wedding last weekend and we had such a blast. Having a free photo booth didn't hurt. Hehe. Just thought I'd share a cheesy moment with you! :D

One second!!

2009-10-29T22:15:00.006-04:00

Okay okay okay.
I know the blog looks a little empty and bland right now but please give me a moment! Revamping is still underway! Please be patient with me? It's just that it's a new season now and I really needed to get rid of the flowers!! Yet, I don't have a lot of time, so the process is going quite slow. Sorry, it's been a while, huh? I should take a bit more care of my blog, I know. Hmph. Oh, and why do I have a picture of the cutest girl you've ever seen up there? Well, let's just say it's a form of sucking up to ya while my blog is under construction. How coul you not forgive that beautiful smile?

Anywhoooo, hopefully by the end of the transformation, you'll still love my milk and honey cafe. Hope you know that I'm grateful for each and every one of you!!

Love,
sarah the baker yoon.

To come full circle

2009-10-27T08:49:00.006-04:00

Okay guys. This is going to be speed-blogging. I'm at work and I got ten minutes until it's 9 am. I know I shouldn't really be doing personal stuff here, but gosh darnit, it's been too long since I've put anything up here! And I've got two perfectly fine pies waiting to be posted up. So this is going to be quick and dirty: two pies, two successes.

This season was my first time to try pies. Can you believe it? After calling myself sarah the baker yoon for quite some time, it was quite embarrassing to admit that I've never tried pies. I never understood why they have the saying "Easy as Pie!" 'cause it seemed like such a challenge to me. I guess it was always the fear of failure but I've finally come full circle in my pie-angst and I've dealt with it. And what a great dealing it was.

Of course the challenge with a great pie is inevitably the crust. Fillings don't seem to be such a big deal, but when it comes to the crust — we get quite sensitive. It can't be soggy or stiff or breaking apart or tough. It needs to be perfectly flaky and buttery and crusty in order to be received with much love. But I found that with just the right recipe, a few video tutorials, and a careful touch, it's really quite simple to make the right pie dough.

A few tries wouldn't hurt either, but with luck on my shoulder, I made two great pies for the first time. My apple pie was for Thanksgiving dinner (yes, us Canadians have our Thanksgiving early October) and with a perfect scoop of creamy vanilla ice cream, all I heard was mmmmmm's and ahhhhh's. The second was for my parents' guests and they were so proud of me as all of them devoured the pie together. Now my mom keeps asking "So... Just wondering... how about that pie again?"

After trying to find the perfect recipe, Joy of Cooking, Allrecipes, and Dorie's recipes were in consideration, but in the end I was convinced by Cook's Illustrated video tutorial and decided to go with that. And what a great choice it was. They explain scientifically why their dough works and made me a believer. Their secret ingredient in the pie dough is VODKA. A solution to easier rolling, but preventing a tough dough from over-worked gluten from too much water. The vodka burns away in the oven and is tasteless afterward.

Also, they give an option for those who don't own a food processor, like me! They have a foolproof way of keeping the butter chunks balanced perfectly with the flour and you can use your stand mixer! The procedure is quite different than of the usual cutting method, but it works wonders. It's the science behind it I guess. So I thought I'd give you a visual step-by-step guide to making a foolproof crust. I always questioned "what exactly do you mean by pea-sized to cheese-curd-sized butter chunks?" So if you were struggling to visualize that, here it is! :D

Anyways, I don't have much time (yikes! It's 12 after 9!) So please enjoy the photos for now, and I'll post the recipe when I have the time! Happy pie baking, everyone!!

An occasion for celebration

2009-10-05T22:13:00.012-04:00

Did you miss me? Please tell me that you did, 'cause I missed you hecka lot. Wow, not blogging felt like a part of me was not being filled, like a void in my life. I'd have pangs of guilt whenever I think about it, as a parent would after neglecting her child. But the matter of fact is, I've been filling that void with something else. Occupying my mind and time and physical energy. What is it, you ask? WORK, of course!

I don't know if you've been following my blog, but that is a BIG BIG deal! I graduated this past May in the heights (or depths, I should say) of an economic crisis and I was a big fretball, worrying about not being able to start my career like I should. After 5 years of preparing myself as a "designer" the few months idling was very stressful indeed. But guess what? I did it!!! With the support of family, friends, and even you, my dear blog world peers, I survived the icky period of uncertainty, and finally am voyaging through the working world.

So, I am now officially a permanent junior designer at a very well established and exceptional design agency. I say this not to boast about my position, but because I'm so proud of the firm I am working at. They're all such hard workers and innovative thinkers and my only aspiration is to grow more like them. I was an intern at the agency for over two months, and then fortunately was asked to come on board as a permanent employee! The past few months has been an exciting and scary journey altogether -- trying to not fall short of their expectations, and what's more, my own.

Confidence seems to be such a key factor in learning and progressing forward and that's something I really want to work on. Of course, I'm not talking about Pride that shadows the potential of genuine relationships and creative flow, but the kind of confidence that revels in challenge and prevails through pressure. A lot of times I think "Oh boy. Am I up for this? Do I really think I can do this?", even for the little things. But each time, I tell myself that I can do it if I really believe in myself and put in all I can. Plus, my creative directors and fellow designers are so awesome that they're always leading, guiding and supporting the team.

Anyways, so here it is! An occasion for celebration! A "Cheers!" for attaining dreams and a "Thanks!" to all those who helped me get there! And it's just the beginning! :D

By the way, these sparkly cupcakes were made for a special birthday party order and I especially love them because they are mini. Anything mini is just that much more lovable, don't you think? The vanilla recipe is here and the red velvet recipe is from Joy the Baker, which she got from Hummingbird Bakery. Enjoy!!

OH! And one more reason for celebration: I have finally perfected the Cream Cheese frosting. After much struggle to keep it from being runny, and after my generous readers who left me with their fail-proof recipes, I found out why I have been failing! From some point, I started overbeating my frostings. I think I heard in a cooking show that they beat their buttercream for tens of minutes, and I somehow thought that would be the secret to my cream cheese frosting: WRONG. Totally, utterly wrong. Overbeating results in breaking down the "waters and such" in the mix and results in an unforgiving mess of a frosting. This time, I made sure I beat it just enough to blend everything and stopped there. And the result was a perfect billowy, sturdy frosting that's easy to pipe. Here, I'll post the recipe for you!

Perfect Cream Cheese Frosting

for 2 dozen cupcakes
adapted from Hummingbird Bakery Recipe, as well as from lucyinaz

ingredients

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temp
5 cups confectioner's sugar, sifted
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
pinch of salt
8 oz Philly's Cream Cheese, cold

directions

1. In a mixing bowl, beat butter, confectioner's sugar, salt and vanilla until combined. At this point, the mix is going to look really dry and crumbly, but be patient and it will come together, about 4 minutes.
2. Add cream cheese and mix until well incorporated, about 2 minutes. DON'T OVERBEAT. Frost as desired!

A little poem

2009-09-15T22:52:00.017-04:00

(OKAY. I just tried, for forty-five minutes, to write a tender and picturesque poem about the beautiful season that we're about to greet. But being out of English class for over 5 years, or plain incompetent at writing, I really can't seem to get it right. AH! So after much frustration, I can only explain my feelings in prose.)

{

The air smells of leaves.
Leaves that are more magnificent as they pass their last moments.

The day is getting shorter.
The sun is in a hurry to leave, but is generous with its colors as they tint the sky for departure.

The weather is chilly.
As the temperature drops and the wind chills, hearts are even warmer as couples hold a little tighter.

The kids, whether aged 5 or 55, move on.
Beaches and summer vacation is traded with trick-or-treating and Thanksgiving dinner.

A new look.
Bright flowers are gone and Autumn hues are here. Milk and honey is changing its colors to bring some Fall cheer!

}

So yes! In light of this wonderful season, milk + honey cafe will be undergoing a major transformation, so please be patient with the tweaks and fixes I'll be doing for the next couple weeks. But be very excited! You'll fall in love with the new design! Heehee! Thank you!!

"You are one brave girl, Sarah"

2009-09-10T21:27:00.002-04:00

That's what my boss at work said when I showed her the pictures of last week's wedding order. And I really like that compliment. It ain't just about baking talent or piping skill, but it's about courage and the audacity to take on a huge project by little ol' me. And baking, decorating, delivering and setting up 200 cupcakes is a pretty huge project.

Of course as usual I had the help of the world's best helper (move over elves), aka world's best boyfriend (move over anyone!), aka my Andrew. I can't say thank you enough to him since he toiled over these cupcakes just as much as I did --rushing to the grocery store 3 separate times; transporting 20 boxes of cupcakes up and down stairs; washing endless dishes and mixing bowls; taking in my seriousness and moodiness time to time -- and all with a smile. What a keeper, huh? His mom was super duper generous enough to me let me use her kitchen too! Not only do they have a GORGEOUS kitchen with large counter tops and tons of space, they have two magical ovens that cut my baking time in two. Otherwise, I woulda been doing this for 16 hours. Am I the luckiest gal or what?

But don't be mistaken. This ain't all fun and games. It's tough work and by the 8th hour of standing, I'd be lying if I said I didn't have an inkling of regret. The pressure of trying not to ruin someone's beautiful wedding by having sub-par cupcakes is a killer that causes many panic attacks along the way. Timing and measurement is key, and with a bit of miscalculation or mistake, you're easily in big trouble. Ah, but there's always room for creativity and problem-solving that can prove that any predicament can become a piece of cake! You just gotta believe in yourself and keep going at it! It all takes a bit of courage, I guess. :)

Anyways, I just thought that I'd include a little visual guide on how I frost my cupcakes, since a lot of you had some questions. It's quite simple, really, but I suppose a few photos might help you! I'll also tell you a few tips for easier operation.

TIP #1: When placing your piping tip into your piping bag, there's an easy way to make sure you're not spilling frosting all over yourself when you're filling it up. You twist the bag and then stuff it into the tip. When you're done filling, you can shake or push the bag down and the buttercream will fill it out.

TIP #2: Another super easy way to fill up your bag is by placing the pastry bag into a tall cup or cylinder and folding half the bag over it. You simply fill it up with buttercream and tap it so that there's not air pockets. You then unroll the pastry bag and then twist the top so that it's ready to go!

TIP #3: Obviously, there are many ways you can do the swirl. This is my basic swirl that I love because it looks luxurious and almost soft-serve ice cream like. You apply pressure as you circle inwards, overlapping the previous layer. This way you make it nice and high. You can also do an easy rose-shaped swirl by circling inside out. Try using different tips shapes and sizes. My favorite ones are the Wilton 1M Star Tip and Ateco #855 Close Star Tip.

TIP #4: The real key to a nice frosted top is the frosting itself. The consistency is crucial when piping-- it can't be too stiff or too runny. Runny frosting is the bane of my baking existence as it really is SO hard to deal with. While I got my Basic Buttercream down, cream cheese frosting is always a problem for me (I'm still so amateur, I can't even get my cream cheese right yet...) But if you can get a viscosity that is hard enough to hold itself yet soft enough to be pushed and moulded through a pastry bag, you've got it!

I guess that's it for today! If I come up with any better tips (I'm still learning as I'm going) I'll be sure to post them up too. As for the recipes, the red velvet cupcakes can be found here, and the vanilla cupcakes is here!

Pulled pork and other great things

2009-09-02T08:41:00.007-04:00

Hi. I haven't baked or cooked or done anything delicious for myself in a while. Blame the 9-6 work hours. Blame the 1 hour commute back and forth. Blame the exciting and wonderful weekends I've been spending outside the house. Heehee. Alright I don't have that many excuses, but really, I miss the kitchen and creating something really delicious and succulent food - FOR ME. I mean, I have been consistently baking lately, but only for orders or other people, which I love doing fo shizzle. But, in the great words of my sister Jennifer, "What about my needs?"

Ah, but this isn't some intro to a story that gets super exciting where "I finally did something for myself". I'm just whining. But might as well whine with some delicious food involved. :)

So here it is. A list of foods that I've always wanted to make but never got a chance to, as well as dishes that I have some major cravings for time to time. And, if you have a super secret recipe that you are willing to share, oh, do please share!!

• Pulled Pork Sandwich
• Pad thai (not ketchupy like the ones they make in some Toronto Thai restaurants)
• Jamaican Beef Pattie
• Awesome Hummus
• Classic Apple Pie
• A really good breakfast with some excellent potatoes
• Juicy Peppercorn Steak
• Farfalle Pasta with simple cream sauce and lotsa basil
• CORN DOGS
• Salad Nicoise
• Chinese Chili Turnip Patties (Lau Ba Ko)
• Herbed Focaccia

That's it for now, but I'm pretty sure this list will go on...
Hmph! I'm so hungry now!! :D

Merci Danke Arigato

2009-08-23T16:23:00.010-04:00

Hello wonderful friends! Hmm today is one of those days where I just can't think of something to write about. Other than the fact that I made some deliciously summery cupcakes for a friend's birthday party, I'm drawing a blank here. But there is one thing I wanted to say... THANK YOU!! I know all those celebrity food bloggers get 19280 comments every post, but I'm squealing with joy whenever I get one comment -- it means you guys like me and that's like a super duper feeling.

I know I've been sorta neglecting my blog lately just being busy n all, but I'm so excited to see that people are still wooed by my baked goodies. And I don't deserve it! :P So I just wanted to give y'all a BIG WARM THANKS and I'm going to try my best to make this an even better blog. Merci danke arigato!

By the way, I made these new key lime cupcakes and they were really really good. My friend only asked for two things: a summery pair of flavors and green + blue for decoration. She trusted me with the rest of the decision making. And that's all I really needed cuz I got so inspired with that request!! Hahah. As silly as it sounds, the first thing that popped up in my head was the brilliantly coloured sprinkles they sell at bulk barn and from that I decided to go with dark chocolate cake and white billowy frosting, along with a fresh lime cupcake.

Of course I used my black magic cake for the chocolate cake. And I used an impromptu cream cheese frosting (I originally was going to make simple vanilla buttercream) that I got to halve from the lime cream cheese frosting. The key lime cupcakes weren't actually key lime since I couldn't get my hands on some real Florida key limes but the Mexican limes did the job. I found the recipe from bon appetite. It's a delightful recipe for a delightful cupcake. The limes are definitely a different taste from lemons but equally lovely. Are you a lime-lover? You should give it a try!!

Key Lime Cupcakes

recipe from bon appetite
makes 12 cupcakes

ingredients

CUPCAKES

1 cup all purpose flour
3/4 cup self-rising flour
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 1/4 cup sugar
2 large eggs
2 1/2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1 tablespoon finely grated lime peel
1/4 teaspoon neon-green food coloring (optional)
3/4 cup buttermilk

FROSTING

1 8-ounce package cream cheese, room temperature
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 tablespoon finely grated lime peel
1/8 teaspoon neon-green food coloring (optional)
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

directions

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Line standard muffin pan with 12 paper liners. Whisk both flours in medium bowl. Beat butter in large bowl until smooth. Add sugar; beat to blend. Beat in eggs 1 at a time, then next 3 ingredients (batter may look curdled). Beat in flour mixture in 3 additions alternately with buttermilk in 2 additions. Fill pan cups 2/3.
2. Bake cupcakes until tester inserted into center comes out clean, 20 to 25 minutes. Cool 10 minutes. Remove from pan; cool.
3. For frosting: Beat all ingredients in medium bowl until smooth. Spread over cupcakes.

Easy Hard Work

2009-08-09T23:43:00.015-04:00

Hard: Making 155 cupcakes.
Easy: Using a new super duper kitchenaid mixer.

Hard: Making 155 tasty and beautiful cupcakes.
Easy: Using simple decorations like silver dragees and simple recipes.

Hard: Making 155 tasty and beautiful cupcakes and assembling all the boxes for them to go into.
Easy: Using your wonderful and hard-working boyfriend.

Hard: Making 155 tasty and beautiful cupcakes and assembling all the boxes for them to go into and delivering it at 6am for a wedding located "up north".
Easy: Using a GPS and your wonderful and hard-working boyfriend.

Yes everyone. I have done it. I have completed my first wedding order! And let me tell you.. it was a lot of hard work. But easy hard work. Because of wonderful people around me who's helped me! After all that box assembling (over 15 hours!) and ribbon cutting (and tying) and not having enough buttercream and so making it again (twice!) I have learned lots so all in all it was a good experience. But for sure, nothing beats finishing it all and delivering in the morning and seeing very excited faces and hearing "Oh, the brides is very pleased."

Ah anyways. I couldn't do all this without my sweet mommy and grandma who helped me out and of course, my wonder man. Hahaha! Cmon I know it's cheesy but I need to give him his due credit. He worked his back off for me! :D Plus, it was the birthday gift that he gave me that allowed me to do this all so easily in the first place, aka New Professional 600 6-Qt Kitchenaid Mixer. Do I hear screaming? YES!!! Does he spoil me to my bones? YES!!! But in all honesty, I told him that it was way too much of a gift and that he was indeed spoiling me sick. But what can I say, it is simply gorgeousness. ;)

Right. So these cupcakes. They were fabulous. I took leftovers to work and they loved it as well! The recipe was great because they were both so simple and tasty. That's all ya need. I used new recipes for the butter creams and they were both keepers for sure!! Not too sweet but great hold for those beautiful swirls. Enjoy everyone, happy baking. :)

VaVaVanilla! Cupcakes

adapted from a few different places
makes 30 cupcakes

CUPCAKES

ingredients

1 3/4 cups cake flour, not self-rising
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 3/4 cups sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, cut into 1-inch cubes
4 large eggs
1 cup whole buttermilk
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

directions

1. Preheat oven to 325F. Line cupcake pans with paper liners; set aside. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine flours, sugar, baking powder, and salt; mix on low speed until combined. Add butter, mixing until just coated with flour.
2. In a large glass measuring cup, whisk together eggs, milk, and vanilla. With mixer on medium speed, add wet ingredients in 3 parts, scraping down sides of bowl before each addition; beat until ingredients are incorporated but do not overbeat.
3. Divide batter evenly among liners, filling about 2/3 full. Bake, rotating pan halfway through, until a cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean, 17 to 20 minutes.
4. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

FROSTING

ingredients

1 1/2 cup (3 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
3 cups confectioners’ sugar, sifted
1/8 tsp. salt
2 tsp vanilla extract
2 tbsp heavy cream
1 tbsp meringue powder (optional)

directions

In a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat butter at medium-high speed until smooth, about 20 seconds. Add half the confectioners’ sugar salt, and meringue powder; beat at medium-low speed until most of the sugar is moistened, about 45 seconds. Scrape down the bowl and beat at medium speed until mixture is fully combined, about 15 seconds. Add the rest of the sugar and mix again. Scrape bowl, add vanilla and heavy cream, and beat at medium speed until incorporated, about 10 seconds. Then increase the speed to medium-high and beat until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes, scraping down bowl once or twice.

Easy Chocolate Buttercream

adapted from G-ma's Bakery

makes 24 cupcakes

ingredients

1 cup cocoa powder
2 cup confectioner’s sugar
1/4 cup milk
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temp
1 tsp vanilla extract
pinch salt

directions

In a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat butter at medium-high speed until smooth. Add the cocoa powder and confectioners’ sugar, and salt; beat at medium-low speed until most of the sugar is moistened. Scrape bowl, add vanilla and milk, and beat at medium speed until incorporated, about 10 seconds. Then increase the speed to medium-high and beat until light and fluffy, about 4 minutes, scraping down bowl once or twice.
I sorta did this by my own instinct (as it says in the original recipe). This is the kind of recipe where I didn't really follow exactly the numbers, and I would add accordingly. If it's not chocolatey enough, I added more cocoa powder. If it was too dry and heavy, I added more sugar or milk. You should experiment too! But make sure you don't do TOO much at a time or you'll end up with 5 batches of frosting... not to say that's such a horrible thing...

What can I say, I'm a lucky gal!!

A conversation

2009-07-27T20:17:00.008-04:00

If I could have a face-to-face conversation with my readers, I think it would go something like this:

Reader: Hey sarah the baker yoon.
Sarah the baker yoon: Hey! Actually, you can just call me Sarah.
R: Oh okay, Sarah. Hey so, how come you haven't been posting much lately?
SBY: Ah, well, you see. I've been very busy.
R: Yeah, but you were busy before too, yet you still squeezed in some time for baking. How come not any more?
SBY: Well before, my busy-ness was more of a stress thing... I still had time after class and in between my assignments. Plus I really needed to bake in order to get away from it sometimes.
R: And now..?
SBY: Oh, haven't I told you?
R: What?
SBY: I'm working now!
R: WHAT? REALLY?
SBY: Well, interning. It's a 9 to 5 job at a fantastic design studio downtown Toronto.
R: Oh wow. That's awesome. You were really looking forward to jump starting your graphic design career after you graduated!
SBY:: Yes, I did, didn't I? Well...
R: Well, what?
SBY: Well it's been awesome and I really enjoy going to work and meeting cool people and doing cool stuff, but...
R: But what?
SBY: I miss being a kid.
R: ...
SBY: I mean, growing up is awesome. And I really want to. But what about the wonderful days of childhood and not having to worry about making money and impressing your boss and trying to get rid of bags under your eyes?
R: It's just the way of life, my friend.
SBY: Yeah... and I know it's not all bad. It's great to get somewhere and meet people and really hone my talents and skills. Becoming someone and the journey of it. C'est merveilleux, non?
R: Say what?
SBY: "It's wonderful, no?"
R: Right.
SBY: Anyways. Yeah. That's what I've been up to! And so after a long commute, I'm basically pooped for the day. So I've sorta ditched my kitchenaid for a while.
R: That sucks.. so no baking for a while, I suppose?
SBY: Well, actually I have a huge order coming soon! It's for a wedding, and I'm baking the cupcake favors. I'm really excited about that, actually!!
R: Oh! Good luck, Sarah!
SBY: Thanks!
R: =)
SBY: Okay well.. I think we should end our conversation now. I bet the other readers are getting bored.
R: Right.
SBY: Right. Oh, but I won't leave them high and dry with no photos! I know we all love photos. These are from a few weeks back when I was a bum, and got to meet my family friends, including my most favorite kids ever. I got lucky enough to take some photos of them playing. And these kids honestly make my heart sing. They really are the most precious little kids in the WORLD WIDE WORLD!!!!!!
R: ...
SBY: Yeah. I like them a lot. Anyways, thanks for coming by! I'm always here for some conversation. :)

Do you have any questions for me? I'd love to talk to you! :D

Less-words Tuesdays: Kimbap

2009-07-21T19:56:00.009-04:00

AHa! Get it? Since I really suck at "Wordless Tuesdays", I am instead creating a "Less-Words Tuesday". Muhaahah. I can still leak a few words here and there without being a loser! ..Or did I just validate that by creating a nonsensical phrase? Oh well! You still love me, right? Anyways, here's a post on one of my favorite lunches in the whole world, the kimbap.

sauteed fish cakes, aka o-deng or uh-mook in Korean

different ingredients, or "stuffings"

my mom's beautiful kimbap rolling

Kimbap is almost like the Japanese maki, except it's Korean and you don't put raw seafood into it. Well there's slightly more to that, too. The flavor is quite different, generally uses more ingredients and the shape is often fatter and shorter than its' Japanese cousin. You can always make a fusion Kimbap or Roll too! Koreans are so creative with their ingredients and there are some really wild and non-traditional ones out there! My favorite ones are cheese, tuna salad, pork cutlets, kimchi, and corn, although never all together. :P

I love kimbap because it's tasty, bite-sized, and healthy, but mainly because it brings me good memories of childhood. In Korea, Kimbap is the staple food that kids take to school field days or trips. I remember those exciting but smoldering summer days where hundreds of kids would sit on the floor with their frozen bottled water and little plastic lunch boxes. We would all open our korean-style tupperware with our perfect rolls that our mothers have lovingly packed. I loved those days. So I eat my kimbap with much nostalgia and sentiment.

Short Order

2009-07-10T16:39:00.008-04:00

Not exactly short order, these cupcakes were done on short notice! For a special birthday party of a one month old baby. How cute is that. These cupcakes turned out more grown-up looking than a baby party, but I figured it'd be mostly adults attending the party, no? Ah.. Maybe not. The decoration was up to me, so I just stuck with what I thought was pretty. I am a gourmet cupcake maker, after all. Ya right!

The first cupcake you see here is the Chocoholic. It's a dark chocolate cake (my indispensable black magic cake) and dark chocolate frosting (martha stewart's recipe) with milk chocolate shavings. It's very very chocolatey. The second cupcake you see below is the van ♥ choc. A soft vanilla cake (Magnolia's) embracing a huge hunk of milk chocolate ganache frosting.

By the way, I made labels for my cupcake boxes!! I was thinking of doing this a whilllle back, but never got around to it. And as I was scrounging around my room for some sticky paper, I found translucent printable label stickers. How Perfect. They looks so groovy with the brown boxes. The photo doesn't do justice, though, you gotta see em in person how pretty they look. I'm so cool. Cmon now, give it to me! Heehee just playing around with you! :P

Alrighty. This was a short one. Hope you enjoyed it! All the necessary recipes are linked up there, so please follow accordingly! :) Have a fantastic day, everyone! (Okay, I was going to end it here, but I took so many photos of my cupcakes, and I want to show them all! Hope you don't mind!)

It's not easy being sweet.

2009-07-08T15:34:00.005-04:00

This pound cake really doesn't need a fancy back story or long prelude. But I'll do it anyway 'cause it's a darn good pound cake that will please the hardest to please: my daddy. My dad is a great supporter of my baking and is always proud to tell people about my blog, but to be honest, he doesn't really like my baked goods that much. He's a snacker for sure -- he's always nibbling on peanuts and cashews while he watches tv, he's got after eights in the car, and popcorn is a must for movies. But he doesn't like the really sweet stuff like cupcakes and cookies. He's also got some diabetes going on so he really shouldn't be eating that stuff anyway.

So it's usually my dad reminding me how sweet all my baked goods are and that I should really consider making it less sweet. Slightly exasperated, I just tell him that it's how the recipe is, and that they are just supposed to be that way! Plus I'm afraid that it will dramatically change the outcome if I cut down on the sugar too much. So, that's how it is. Period. Unless you find a perfect green tea pound cake recipe, of course!!

My dad's friends were coming over for tea yesterday evening, so I thought I would delight them with a homebaked treat! I wanted use my expensive matcha powder I got a while back so I looked around for a good recipe that uses it. Alas, I found my green tea pound cake recipe from crummb and was definitely convinced at her words "it is moist, tender and – very important to Asian tastebuds – not too sweet." YES!! I found it!

It really is that. It's moist, tender, and not too sweet. It's perfect. The startling green color is beautiful (although I think the crust's brownish color is kind of ugly and sorta reminds me of the HULK). I gave a piece to my grandmother and she went on and on about how she doesn't usually like cake but this was just the most delicious thing she's ever eaten. She told me how she kept coming downstairs for more. And that's saying A LOT for my grandma. My dad also praised the pound cake in front of his friends and how it's so tasty, but "not to sweet". Hahaha!

Anyways, this really is a long intro to the cake, but maybe it'll convince you to try it as well. The recipe is by Nick Malgieri who wrote "the modern baker". It's slightly more complicated than a typical pound cake because you need to separate the eggs and beat the egg whites and fold it in later. But it's really not that hard, and if I did it, you can too. And I love love my second-hand-store mini loaf pans so I used them instead of the standard 9 by 5 pan. Enjoy!

Green Tea Pound Cake

makes one 9x5 loaf or two mini loaves
recipe from Fountain of Life Green Tea Company

ingredients

2 cups bleached all-purpose four
2 tablespoons Matcha green tea
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 sticks soft unsalted butter
2 cups confectioners' sugar
5 large eggs, separated
Pinch of salt

directions

1. Butter a 9 x 5 x 3-inch loaf pan and line with buttered parchment or wax paper—cut to fit. Set a rack in the middle level of the oven and preheat to 325F. Combine the flour, green tea and baking powder and stir well to mix.
2. Cream butter and confectioners sugar in bowl of mixer with paddle attachment and beat for about 3 minutes or until light. Beat in the egg yolks one at a time, beating well after each addition and scraping bowl and beater occasionally with a rubber spatula. Remove the bowl from the mixer and fold in the flour mixture by hand, with a rubber spatula.
3. Pour the egg whites and salt into a clean, dry mixer bowl. Place on mixer with whisk attachment and whip whites on medium speed until white and opaque and just beginning to hold their shape. Increase speed slightly and continue whipping egg whites until they hold a soft peak.
4. Remove bowl from mixer and quickly scrape whites from bowl onto batter in other bowl. Use a large rubber spatula to fold the egg whites into the batter, folding just until no streaks of white remain.
5. Scrape the batter into prepared pans and smooth the top. Bake the cakes for about 45 minutes (35-40 minutes for mini loaf pans) or until it is well risen and a toothpick inserted in the center emerges dry. Cool the cakes in the pans on a rack for 10 minutes, then un-mold and cool it completely.

Third time's a charm

2009-07-01T12:01:00.001-04:00

Hello, everyone. I made Special Brownies yesterday. No, not the ones that you find in a college dorm room or on the menu of Amsterdam's coffeeshops, but just real. good. brownies. I've been looking, searching, hunting for a good recipe, only to be left with flavorless or cakey imitations. But no longer will I chew on bland and insipid brownies. No longer will I swallow eggy cakes. I have found the BAKED brownie.

The Baked Bakery in NYC. I'm sure you've heard of them, if you're as "hip" as I am in the baking world. (Totally and utterly kidding about this. I am not hip, nor does one have to be in order to be a good baker.) Anyways. They really are a cool bakery, though. Their baked goodies not only get lots of raves about how delicious it is, their stuff just looks oh-so-stylish too. I really like their new cookbook and I'll probably be purchasing it real soon, but for now, I'm just going to be a super sneak and copy their recipe with a pen and paper at the book store.

Yes, I am a recipe thief. But you must understand that I've been really wanting a perfect brownie recipe, and the one in their book REALLY stood out. Maybe it was the way they described their own masterpiece, but it really convinced me! It uses both dark chocolate bars and dark cocoa powder, is almost a one-bowl recipe, and implements a strict "no-overbeat, no-overbake" rule. And when followed properly, you'll get the perfect brownie: dense, chocolatey, and moist.

The recipe follows a fairly easy procedure, but whenever they get all "DONT OVERBEAT!!" on me, I must admit I get a bit nervous. I've had cases where I underbeated things and the thing was a failure. How much beating is necessary? Luckily, this recipe is pretty descriptive and seems to make an effort to let you know when it is time to stop. First off, they divide the 5 eggs into two steps so that it's properly mixed in, they let you know when you should stop beating ("When the flour mixture is only slightly visible), and finally, the whole thing is done by hand. You don't need to bust out your handy hand-mixer or your trophy kitchenaid. Your hand and trusty whisk/spatula will do. :)

The result is one fantastic brownie. Lots of chocolate in there. Lots of moisture. Lots of real brownie-ness. I give it an A! (Why not the "+" in there? Ah... It's missing just ONE component that I truly desire in a brownie: chewy. It's not chewy. It's like melt-in-your-mouth soft and tender, but not chewy. We all know how important chewy is.) But I'm glad that after my third try, I can post up a proud brownie recipe here! Please! I recommend!

Okay okay. Now that we talked about wonderful recipes and baked goods up there. Can we just discuss about one thing? Prices. Costs. Expenses. Expensive. Is it just me or is baking taking quite a toll on the wallet? Phew. I don't know how y'all do it! I'm a big snob when it comes to baking ingredients--but not even, because I think all bakers know how important it is to get the best materials you can get your hands on! We can't settle on Baker's chocolate if I want to make great tasting brownies. We can't just buy cheapo butter for our butter cakes! So as I'm dishing out $18 on a chocolate bar and $6 for a block o' butter, I do sometimes wonder if what I'm doing is the smartest thing in the world. I've been looking online for deals on good chocolate, but shipping to Canada is always such a markup, let alone have shipping available to here. One thing that really kills me is when for cupcake orders, people ask for discounts. I know if I was in their position, I would probably look for ways to cut down on prices too, but really, as a private-at-home baker, it's really hard on me too! I'm not a big bakery where I get all my stuff in bulk and cheap, where I get lots of hands helping me either. It's just me! I get mt stuff retail mostly, cuz the bulk stores don't have the best ingredients sometimes, and when I say a price, I've calculated all that's gone in there. But I guess another good thing about my home "business" is that I can always say no too. :) Anywhooo. Lots and lots of rambling here. If you have any tips for me for purchasing ingredients or any personal opinions on rising butter prices, give me a shout!! I wanna hear from you!

the baked brownie

from the baked cookbook

ingredients

1 1/4 cups all purpose flour
1 tsp salt
2 tbsp dark unsweetened cocoa powder
11 oz dark chocolate coarsely chopped
2 sticks butter, cut into 1" pieces
1 tsp instant espresso powder
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
1/2 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
5 large eggs, room temperature
2 tsp vanilla extract

directions

1. Preheat oven to 350F. Butter the sides and bottom of a glass or light colored metal 9x13x2 pan.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk flour, salt, and cocoa powder.
3. Put chocolate, butter, espresso powder in a heat resistant bowl over a pan with simmering water, but not bowl touching the water directly. Softly whisk until completely melted and smooth. Turn off heat, but keep bowl over the water and add sugars. Whisk until completely combined. Then remove bowl from pan. Bring the mixture to room temperature.
4. Add 3 eggs to the chocolate mix and whisk until combined. Add remaining eggs and whisk until combined. Add vanilla extract and stir until combined. Do not overbeat at this point, or the brownie will be cakey and stiff.
5. Sprinkle flour mix into the chocolate mix. Using a spatlua, fold the flour mix until just a bit of flour is visible.
6. Pour batter evenly onto the pan and smooth the top. Bake in center of the oven for 30 minutes. Rotate pan halfway through the time until toothpick comes out with a few moist crumbs. Don't overbake and check consistently. They say "an overbaked brownie is not a BAKED brownie". Cool completely to serve.
The brownie can be kept airtight at room temperature for up to 3 days.

Baked Note: A great brownie is easy to make, but you have to be aware of several factors. 1. Use a dark cocoa powder, like Valrhona. A pale, light-colored cocoa does not have enough depth. 2. Make sure your eggs are room temperature and do not overbeat them into the batter, and 3. Make sure you check your brownies often while baking. Once the brownies have been overbaked slightly, they have reached the point of no return.

Wordless Tuesdays

2009-06-23T14:24:00.014-04:00

P.S. Okay. I've never done this "Wordless Tuesday" thing before and I don't think I'm going to do it again. But today, I just don't feel like talking much. Sorta really stressed about about finding a job, ya know? Hmph. It's a lot harder than I thought...

P.P.S. By the way, these cupcakes were for a bridal shower favor. I used a new cake recipe from Martha's Baking Handbook and they turned out pretty good. Amanda from slow like honey suggested it to me (when I realized I had the recipe right in my bookshelf!) The cake was light and moist -- yes, but I felt that I could taste the eggs a lot. I don't really like eggy. But other than that, it was pretty darn tasty!

P.P.P.S. I do realize that wordless tuesdays means this post should be wordless. Hehehe. Apologize for the use of words. I'm done now!

P.P.P.P.S. Oh but you need to see the recipe, don't ya? Here it is!

Yellow Butter cake

makes about two-three dozen

recipe from Martha's Baking Handbook (but cited from Slow Like Honey)

ingredients

2 sticks (1 cup) unsalted butter, room temperature, plus more for pans
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for pans
1 1/2 cups cake flour (not self-rising)
1 tbsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1 3/4 cups sugar
4 large eggs
2 tsp. pure vanilla extract
1 tbsp. dark rum (optional)
1 1/4 cups milk

directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line cupcake pans with liners. Into a medium bowl, sift together flours, baking powder, and salt; set aside.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, 3 to 4 minutes, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. Beat in eggs, one at a time, then beat in vanilla. If you are using the rum, add it in here. With the mixer on low speed, add the flour mixture in three parts, alternating with the milk and beginning and ending with the flour; beat until combined after each addition.

Divide batter between the prepared pans. Bake until cupcakes are golden brown and a cake tester inserted into the center comes out clean, 15 to 17 minutes. Make sure to check with a cake tester! Transfer pans to a wire rack to cool before icing.

Cream Cheese Frosting

for two-three dozen cupcakes

ingredients

1 stick unsalted butter
1 8oz Philly's Cream Cheese Bar
4 cups sifted confectioner's sugar (really important that you sift!!)
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
food coloring (optional)

directions

In the bowl of an electric mixer, cream butter and cream cheese together until smooth. Add vanilla extract and one cup of sifted confectioner's sugar and beat until smooth. Add remaining sugar, one cup at a time, beating until smooth each time. Mix in drops of food coloring, if desired.

I'm not too good at this wordless thing, eh? :P

California Dreamin'

2009-06-16T18:45:00.009-04:00

Actually, this post has nothing to do with the sunny state of California at all - only the fact that I seem to be living in "Cali time" nowadays. What I mean is that my "internal clock" or "Circadian rhythm" is set to three hours later than it should be. When it is midnight here, I feel like it's only 9 pm (which would be the present time for western states/provinces). And so even if midnight is usually my sleep time, I am awake and struggling to fall asleep. By the time it is 3 am, I am finally getting some shuteye. But it's not like I'm not getting any sleep either! I'm waking up at noon (haha!) just as if it is only 9 am! Plus I squeeze in some naps here and there. I've been doing this every day for a week now.

My sleeping pattern has definitely changed as all those late work nights have built up over the month. And now all the fatigue from the stress and restlessness is hitting me. I've never been an easy sleeper, but this is getting a bit ridiculous. It doesn't help that I'm done school now and I have no set schedule and so I've been sleeping and waking up whenever I want to. My family has been quite generous and letting me relax a bit after finishing all my school stuff, but it's starting to get a bit embarrassing. My mom once sweetly said, "You know the saying, the early bird gets the worm? Just thought you'd like to know.." Haha.

I think it's about time I get back to Toronto time and get it altogether again! Sometimes, self-motivation seems to be the hardest thing, especially after a long journey already. I'm still terribly worried about my new career situation but I feel tired and unmotivated. :( BUT, life is not just about "feelings". It's about doing the right thing even if it's hard, sowing the seeds, and passing through the tunnel! I really should get out there and look hard! There's bound to be a window open somewhere! I'm sure there is a good place waiting for me... I just need to find it.

Anyways, how self-indulgent of me. I've just been ranting on and on about myself without even telling you about the delicious baked goods you've been eyeing on this page so far. Am I right? Well you're in for a treat! Three treats, to be exact. These three goodies were for a very special picnic for a very special girl: Cheryl! It was my favorite Cheryl's 22nd birthday picnic, ever so sweetly organized by her boyfriend. It was a fantastic picnic with gourmet sandwiches, delicious antipasti, champagne and - you bet - cupcakes. I always like to bring baked goodies as gifts for my friends' birthdays, so this time it was no different. Just times three.

Her boyfriend requested some goodies along with birthday cupcakes for a group of ten or so. I decided that super sweet and sour lemon squares, and a fun and colourful m&m cookie would be perfect for a summery picnic! I also considered blueberry crumb bars as well, but it was just too much to make. Anyways, I'm so excited to introduce you to my new favorite recipe for lemon squares, which were much much much better than my last try. I really loved them because they were super lemony - but beware, the sugar level is crazy in this one. Only people with a true sweet tooth will appreciate this square. It was received very well among many, but my daddy did not approve. Next was my m&m cookie which just needed a terrific cookie dough recipe. I used allrecipe's Best Big Fat Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookie. It wasn't exactly the chewiest, but it was still great with the crunchy candied chocolates. By the way, I looove how it looks on the back of the cookie. The candies look like they were drawn on by colourful chalk! It's so cute!

Lastly, my white chocolate cream cheese frosting on raspberry dark chocolate cupcakes. Well, see, I once tried this most fantastic cake which consisted of a moist deep chocolate cake, raspberry jam, a terrific white chocolate buttercream, and lots of white chocolate shavings on top. This was one memorable cake. I've always dreamed of recreating that with my cupcakes and this was my chance. I really had to investigate different ways I could make this cupcake because there are so many possibilities! I considered putting the raspberry jam right into the buttercream, or making a raspberry mousse to swirl with the buttercream, or to fill the cupcakes with raspberry jam... and it goes on. In the end, I sorta just settled on a easier and simpler method. I simply spread the rapsberry jam (which was DELICIOUS, and should be, because I spent lots of money on it) on top of the cupcake, and then I iced the buttercream on top. It turned out great... until I had to leave it in the hot car for a few hours. O DEAR O DEAR. Bad idea. It was a smoltering day and I should've known!! But baking till 1am did not do me too good so the next day I was a bit slow in realizing I should've kept it cold. The cupcakes were pretty gross looking by the time it was picnic time... but my friends didn't care. So sweet of them, they still ate it with much glee and praise. Thanks guys!!

Yummy M&M Cookies

adapted from allrecipes

makes 3 dozen

ingredients

2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup unsalted butter, melted
1 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup white sugar
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 egg
1 egg yolk
2 cups mini or regular m&ms

directions

1.Preheat the oven to 325F. Grease cookie sheets or line with parchment paper.
2. Sift together the flour, baking soda and salt; set aside.
3. In a medium bowl, cream together the melted butter, brown sugar and white sugar until well blended. Beat in the vanilla, egg, and egg yolk until light and creamy. Mix in the sifted ingredients until just blended. Stir in the chocolate chips by hand using a wooden spoon. Drop cookie dough 1/4 cup at a time onto the prepared cookie sheets. Cookies should be about 3 inches apart.
4. Bake for 15 to 17 minutes in the preheated oven, or until the edges are lightly toasted. Cool on baking sheets for a few minutes before transferring to wire racks to cool completely.

Lemon Squares

makes 30 squares

ingredients

CRUST
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup confectioner's sugar
6 oz. cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch pieces

FILLING
6 large eggs
3 cups granulated sugar
1 cup plus 2 Tbsp. freshly squeezed lemon juice
1/2 cup all-purpose flour

GARNISH
about 3 tbsp of confectioner's sugar

directions

Crust: Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Combine flour and confectioner's sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, and beat on low speed until mixed. Add butter and continue to mix until the butter is the size of small peas, about 30 seconds. The mixture will be very dry. Gently press the mixture evenly onto the bottom of a 9-by-13-inch baking pan.

Bake until golden brown, 20 to 25 minutes. Let cool to room temperature. Reduce the oven temperature to 300 degrees.

Filling: In a large bowl, whisk together eggs and granulated sugar until smooth. Stir in lemon juice and then flour. Pour the filling on top of the crust.

Bake until the lemon filling is set, about 40 minutes. Let cool to room temperature and then put in the refrigerator for an hour or keep at room temperature for three hours before cutting. Cut into squares, about 2 1/4 inches. Dust tops with confectioner's sugar.

Note: The squares can be made a day in advance, covered and refrigerated. Bring to room temperature before serving. Dust with confectioner's sugar before serving.

Summertime

2009-06-05T15:26:00.013-04:00

So it really is that time now. The blue sky and the bright sun is out. The days are getting longer and longer. And if I'm lucky, I even catch old men in their sandals with their socks on. That really must mean that summertime is here! Yay! (Although, Toronto weather has been really sucky lately and it's back to chilly Spring weather.) Anyways, I just felt that it was fitting to talk about summer because I baked brownies! I don't know if you've read my last entry on brownies, but I actually talked about the new snow of last winter. So now my brownies re-enter milk and honey with a backdrop of greenery!

The truth is, I'm not really a brownie person at all. But my brother-in-law is. And he and my sister were coming over after their lovely honeymoon in Hawaii, so I thought I'd bake some for them. He's one of the greatest supporters of my baking talent, so I'm always so very very happy to provide sweets for him.

I found the recipe here. I've never been to this blog before, but I love it when bakers reveal their "mom's" recipe cuz it just has to be killer, doesn't it? Don't we all swear by our mom's recipes? But I think I'm a bit unlucky when it comes to brownies. This brownie was very light and moist and almost spongecake-like. My sister really liked it. But I didn't like that at all. If I'm going to have brownies, then they better be rich and dense. Chewy and chocolatey. YEAH.

I waited till the next day to eat them, hoping it would've improved the texture and flavor a bit. But it was lacking still, in my opinion. But it's not sucha bad brownie either. If you like light fluffy ones, you'll like these babies!

Brownies

makes 20 pieces

ingredients

3/4 cups butter, melted
1 1/2 cup sugar
1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
3 eggs
3/4 cup flour
1/2 cup cocoa
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt

directions

1. Preheat oven 350°F. Grease 8×8x2 pan.
2. Combine flour, cocoa, baking powder and salt.
3. In medium bowl, blend melted butter, sugar and vanilla. Add eggs and beat well.
4. Gradually add dry mixture to egg mixture. Beat until well blended.
5. Pour chocolate mixture. Place in oven for 35-40 minutes.

We have a little farm in the backyard that my grandma tends to. Meet our homegrown chives in the backyard. Mmm I love fresh chives...

About Me

2009-06-04T03:32:00.003-04:00

Hey

You know what? I realized I didn't have an "About Me" section on my blog. I usually love reading about the author when I visit other blogs, so I thought I'd add one too. It's more like a timeline, but maybe you'll find something interesting about me. Heehee.

Get to know sarah the baker yoon!

How Precious

2009-06-02T12:27:00.010-04:00

There are some really talented people in this world. Let's take Sally Han for example. She is a Toronto-based jewelery designer and owner of Psalms 91:1 Accessories. I'm very proud to call her a friend of mine, because she's a small lady with big dreams! She's got awesome talent for beautiful accessories, with a sweet and grounded philosophy behind it. Her stuff is super modern, but vintage, and never ever tacky. We all know she's going to make it big -- she already is! Runway-ing it at the Toronto Fashion Week, having TV appearances, lots of celebrity love, and praise from magazines. Pretty cool huh?

So last weekend Psalms 91:1 had a special private event, and she actually ordered some cupcakes from me! It was a super cool kind of event, where she rented out a photo studio in the fashion district, displayed her beautiful accessories, had a photo shoot going on, and people sipped on wine. And my cupcakes were going to fit right in! Heehee.

The theme was "How Precious" with purple hearts. She ordered two flavors: Van ♥ Choc (Vanilla cake with Chocolate ganache frosting) and Choc ♥ Van (chocolate cake with cream cheese frosting). And I made pretty little purple hearts with royal sugar icing.

I decided to take a chance and try two new recipes for the order. Sorta risky but I thought it was a good time to go for it. First one was a new vanilla cake recipe. I've been using Billy's Vanilla Vanilla for the longest time, and it was a trusty one I guess. It was an error-proof, easy, and pretty yummy recipe. But never really amazing. And I wanted something amazing. Something really moist and flavorful and fluffy. So as I was researching some recipes, and I encountered the Amy Sedaris one. I've seen her cookbook I Like You before, and I came across her recipe a few times on the net. There was a divided opinion on her recipe, so I thought I'd be in on this and try it myself. I thought to myself, what if... what if this one was the the end all and be all of vanilla cakes? What if the search was over?? Ahaha.... not so much.

Unfortunately, this recipe was a big big let down. But honestly, it could have been my fault, so please don't write off her recipe. You should give it a try to, and maybe you'll do a better job at it! In my case, the cake was dense, dry, and needed a big gulp of milk every time I bit into it in order to wash it down my dry throat. The flavor was great, however. There was real vanilla-y buttery goodness, without being overbearingly sweet. I really liked that. I just wish it had that soft fluffiness that we all cake lovers yearn for. I regretted using this recipe for the event, and pictured people being disappointed in the cake. I usedthis recipe for the the frosting, and it did not disappoint at all.

Okay. Let's talk about the good stuff now. The difference of the two recipes were truly black & white because the new chocolate cake was just awesomeness. Soooo moist, so soft, and soooooo chocolatey. It's Hershey's Black Magic Cake, and it really was both black and magical. I found this recipe on someone's blog a while back, and she was rambling on how this was the one recipe that made her turn into a chocolate lover and how great it was. I bookmarked it and couldn't wait till I got a chance to use it! Everything about the cake was the perfect chocolate cake. Plus it was a great partnership with the creamy and tangy vanilla cream cheese frosting.

I wish vanilla cakes could have the same texture as chocolate cakes. Maybe it's the buttermilk? Herm. Does anyone know a fabulous vanilla cake recipe? But like I said before, don't always take my word for the recipes I try. I don't mean to bad-mouth other people's recipes, you know? It's just my opinion so please try it for yourself and it might work out perfectly for you! Ah, I guess it just means that the search for the perfect vanilla cake is still on for me.. :D

Black Magic Cake

recipe from Hershey's Kitchens
makes 2 dozen cupcakes

ingredients

2 cups sugar
1-3/4 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup unsweetened Cocoa
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
2 eggs
1 cup buttermilk or sour milk*
1 cup strong black coffee OR 2 teaspoons powdered instant coffee plus 1 cup boiling water
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

directions

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Line pans with cupcake paper.
2. Stir together sugar, flour, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder and salt in large bowl. Add eggs, buttermilk, coffee, oil and vanilla; beat on medium speed of mixer 2 minutes (batter will be thin). Pour batter evenly into prepared pans.
3. Bake 30 to 35 minutes for round pans, 35 to 40 minutes for rectangular pan or until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes; remove from pans to wire racks. Cool completely. Frost as desired. Yields 10 to 12 servings.
* To sour milk: Use 1 tablespoon white vinegar plus milk to equal 1 cup

Oh, and Sally's BEAUTIFUL necklace that my boyfriend bought for me at the event! And the pair of earrings she gave me as a gift. :) I love them both!!

I'm back I'm back I'm back!!

2009-05-28T23:32:00.008-04:00

Hello my dear dear blog world friends! Guess what? I'm BACK and boy does it feel good! It's been over a month since I've posted anything, and without an ounce of exaggeration, this May has been the most crazy/eventful/stressful/sleepless/productive/adrenaline-filled/life-changing month of my life. I've been really looking forward to blogging again, so I'm afraid that this post is going to be über long. Heehee, is that okay? We must catch up, you know? Like good old friends do. :) Oh, and I MUST thank everyone who's left such sweet Good Luck messages to me! I needed it, used it, and so here I am once again! Thank you for caring!!

H'OKAY. Where to start? I think I'll go chronologically. Hehe. Sounds good?
So first comes my sister's bridal shower. BRIDAL SHOWER. Honestly, I've always dreamed of hosting the most perfect bridal shower for my sister since the day I knew what a bridal shower was. I'm a huge party/entertaining person, and doing it for my best friend aka my sister, would be the most perfect opportunity. Unfortunately, though, I couldn't host the shower of my dreams. As you know, my life was so hectic with school stuff that I barely had time to do anything else. But with the help of my sister's wonderful bridesmaids, we had a wonderful shower nonetheless. Everyone still had such a wonderful time, and I still got to make really cute shower favors! (See below. Heehee)

Okay. What's next? Well, we could talk about the late late nights I spent at the design labs at school. I'm talking about working till 6 am and going home for a few hours sleep, and then coming back to school to work again. I did this everyday for two weeks. It's definitely a feat I could not have done on my own. I owe the motivation/strength/crazy productivity to my lovely Lab 4 friends. Thanks sooooo much guys. I really couldn't have done it without you. You made my stressful nights a sweeter one and one to remember!! :) (Below is Sam, Cheryl, and Maryam. I'm missing a few ppl. Sorry. I don't have photos of you. Haha)

In the midst of tight schedules and sleepless nights, I also went on a trip to Montreal for a weekend! It was my sister and her friend Juliana's joint bachelorette trip. 9 beautiful ladies invaded the lovely city and squished into one hotel room! Haha! We slept, we brunched, we shopped, we dined, and we danced. We also blessed the brides with love, hugs, and prayer. :)

After the wonderful trip was... my grad show! The grad show that I have been whining and stressing out about. Honestly though, it's a really big deal for us because it's our final presentation of our hard work over the 4 years, which really showcases ourselves as designers. We had to refine and perfect our work, which is a tough process for us, since most of us are pretty much perfectionists and perfection has its costs. The grad show finally came, with much anticipation, anxiety, and -- anticlimactic feelings. As I set up my booth, my space, my face as a graphic designer, it felt somewhat empty. To think that I could put 4 years of my design life on two pieces of plastic panels. Hehe. Is that all? But swallowing those feelings of anxiety, I still had a great time meeting people in the profession, bonding with my class, and enjoying the support of my great family and friends. I still can't believe it's all over, but it is! And I am officially done my schooling!!! I am an ALUMNI. Crazy, huh? I LOVE IT!!

Wow. This is getting to be a really really really long post. You guys still there? Hehe. Well after this was basically my sister's BEAUTIFUL wedding. My sister was the most beautiful bride my eyes have ever seen and everything was just so wonderful. The ceremony, the reception, the joyous atmosphere was all perfect and we all had such a blessed time. I love my new brother and I couldn't have wished a more precious wedding for them! It was crazy being a maid of honor, but it was all very very worth it. Unfortunately, I don't have any photos, because photography was one thing I did not want to care about! I wanted to be IN the moment and carrying my sister's train wherever she went. :)

Alrighty everyone. I think that's it for the update!! Sorry that it was long, but I hope it made up for the long hiatus. Please look forward to the posts I shall be posting from now on!! I got lots of stuff ahead of us! :D

Oh, and one last thank you. To my boyfriend. I'm sorry this might be a bit cheesy and he actually tells me not to talk about him on my blog because he thinks that it would probably bring down my blog's popularity. Haha. But oh well, please bare with me because I need to do this!

Thank you Andrew for being the most supportive, sweet, sympathetic, and sexy boyfriend in the whole wide world. Heehee. Happy 4 months! Thanks for being there every step of the way and you bring so much joy to me. We might still be babies, but I look forward to every new day with you. Let's keep it up, k?

Much Needed Vacation

2009-04-19T20:25:00.013-04:00

A vacation is something I would very much like right now. But then again, despite the workload, I guess I have been having somewhat of a holiday lately. You see, I've sorta been in Lala-land for the past few weeks. The end of stressful studio courses and this sudden urge to play all day can be blamed, but a lot of it also has to do with the addition of the boyfriend. HEEHEE. Seeing each other at every chance we get totally feels like a vacay, ya know? We're totally in that fantastical stage where everything is rainbows and butterflies and people always catch us looking at each other with kissy eyes. SO gross - I know - but SO good.

But this entry isn't really about him. It's about a vacation, a break, a hiatus: of the blog. I know I haven't been posting much lately anyway, but I realized that I really need to do this. I'm going to take a formal baking break and focus on what needs to be focused right now. I even told my boyfriend today that I wouldn't be able to see him too often for a while and I'm so very thankful how supportive he is. I know I've been complaining a lot about the stress and the workload, but I'm going to really zip the complaining and walk the talk. So here I am, doing a mini break-up with my other "boyfriend" too: my sweet milk and honey.. :(

I won't leave you empty handed though! Although I am pretty sure you've seen this recipe on the other blog queens' blogs (SK, 101 cookbooks) I would like to give you David Lebovitz's famous Great Chocolate Chip cookie as well. I'm pretty sure I've posted this recipe before but I can't find it (teehee), so here it is again! It's a great, classic cookie with a killer chocolate/nut to dough ratio. The texture, flavor, and bite is perfect. It's an essential chocolate chip cookie that can do no wrong, so make sure you keep this on file! :)

Alllrighty... so I'm probably going to totally go into major blog withdrawal, but I must do what I must do. It's not just the blog either. It's everything in my life right now. Gotta prioritize, make sacrifices and focus myself!! Sigh. Don't get me wrong though. It's very exciting too. Challenges are always a hurdle and an opportunity at the same time, so I'm really looking forward to getting through all this! Here I come, graduation/employment/sister's wedding! And with a brave cookie in hand, of course!

Great Chocolate Chip Cookies

recipe from The Great Book of Chocolate
makes about 20 cookies

ingredients

1/2 cup (100 grams) granulated sugar
1/2 cup (120 grams) firmly packed light brown sugar
8 tablespoons (1 stick) (115 grams) unsalted butter, cold, cut into 1/2-inch (1cm) pieces
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/4 cups (175 grams) all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups (200 grams) semisweet chocolate chips
1 cup(130 grams) walnuts or pecans, toasted and chopped

directions

1. Adjust the oven rack to the top 1/3 of the oven and preheat to 300F (150C). Line three baking sheets with parchment paper.
2. Beat the sugars and butters together until smooth. Mix in the egg, vanilla, and baking soda. Stir together the flour and salt, then mix them into the batter. Mix in the chocolate chips and nuts.
3. Scoop the cookie dough into 2-tablespoon (5cm) balls. Bake for 18 minutes, or until pale golden brown. Remove from the oven and cool on a wire rack.
5. Store at room temperature in an airtight container for up to 3 days.

Pumped for Spring!!

2009-04-16T04:01:00.009-04:00

Yes, why Yes.
I intend to embrace Spring will all my might!!

In celebration of the much anticipated arrival of the new season (fingers crossed that Toronto weather wont turn evil on us again), here is a new look for the blog!

Please don't mind the constant tweaking and fidgeting of the blog!! I'm sorta like that with my design stuff.. I keep updating it until I am finally happy with it. Will end shortly. Just give me one more day. Heeheee.

Bah! Humbug!

2009-04-09T12:27:00.011-04:00

I shake my fists at the snow outside my window. It is the second week of April now and parts of Toronto is still covered with snow, aka my backyard. Well, it's a bit warmer today, but even a few days ago we had 5-10 cm of snow in some areas of the GTA. 5-10 cm of snow!! Is that ridiculousness or what? Canada is of course known for its snowy nature, but this is just plain embarrassing. The weather has been so wonky lately it's hard to keep track: warm one day then snow the other. Lots and lots of people are getting sick because of the strange weather, so my fellow Torontonians, please take care and dress warm!! :D

Okay so that's my grumpy introduction to my Malt Ball cupcakes. Malt balls. Did that just catch your attention or what? I'm surprised at how many people are excited about malt balls, because I for one am tremendously excited about them. I think my favorite candy/chocolate from a variety store would be Maltesers (or Whoppers, for Americans). They've got such a uniquely delightful texture and flavor, none like any other chocolate on the stand. So when I realized that I should make a cupcake with Maltesers, I gave myself a huge pat on the back. Of course, it's been done before and I found several recipes online, but I was really excited about the chocolatey malty cupcake I would be creating.

I decided to use the recipe from the Food and Wine website where they got the recipe from a bakery in Brooklyn called Baked. I've seen their cookbook (very well designed) and also on DesignSponge. Their baked goodies look so terrific and they've gotten great reviews too. Their malt ball cake is quite famous too so I thought it was a very safe bet to try out their recipe.

I also researched a lot about the Malted Milk Powder. There seems to be this huge discussion online about the RIGHT malted milk powder. People are pretty passionate about this! There are different brands available in Toronto (T&T the chinese supermarket has lots) so I was confused as to which one I should get. I think I read somewhere that this recipe said I should use Ovaltine, so I did. But I found that whether because the Ovaltine Brand sucked or there wasn't enough malted milk powder in the recipe, there was noo hint of Malty taste in the cupcakes. I want malty! I want malty!

This is the deal. I think I must've done something terribly wrong, because these cupcakes SUCKED. The cake was not at all like how everyone described it. It's supposed to be soft and fluffy and falling off the liner, but mine? It was rubbery, soggy and tough. I had to throw half of them away because even if I kept it a lot longer in the oven, the batter was not cooking and it was doughy inside. It was so under baked that I was so worried about feeding them to my friends. Yuck!!! And again, where's the malted milk powder taste? Hmm? Where did it go so wrong? Luckily the second half was a bit better and I was able to still get them to a birthday celebration.

Oh, but have we talked about the frosting? The frosting is, pause, EXCELLENT. It's smooth and shiny and chocolately and not-too-sweet. Folks are always complaining on the sweetness of a cupcake (which, I know, sucks but, is part of the cupcake experience, no?) It was my first time trying a ganache base frosting, and it was very very very great. I've found a perfect recipe for chocolate non-buttercream frosting so I am very very happy. I would just eat all the frosting off the failed cupcakes, but that's not good for my body fat percentage. Haha.

So. Bah! at failed cupcakes, and Humbug! at wasted food... but Yay! for a great ganache frosting and Woohoo! at cupcakes anyway. I hope someone tries it and lets me know how it turns out for them. But I'm not giving up on Malteser Cupcakes, don't you worry. I will get it right, if it's the last thing I do!!! (Oh the drama queen side of mine...)

Malt Ball Cupcakes

about 3 dozen

ingredients

CAKE
2 1/4 cups cake flour
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup malted-milk powder
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg (I omitted this from the advice of other bakers)
1 stick unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/2 cup solid vegetable shortening, at room temperature
2 cups sugar
1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
2 cups ice water
4 large egg whites, at room temperature

FROSTING AND GARNISH
10 ounces bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
10 ounces milk chocolate, finely chopped
1 3/4 cups heavy cream
3 tablespoons light corn syrup
4 sticks (1 pound) unsalted butter, cut into 1-inch chunks, softened
Malted milk balls, for garnish

directions

1. MAKE THE CAKE: Preheat the oven to 325°. Line cupcake pans. In a large bowl, whisk the flours with the malt powder, baking powder, baking soda, salt and nutmeg.
2. In the bowl of a standing electric mixer fitted with a paddle, beat the butter with the shortening until creamy. Add the sugar and vanilla and beat at medium speed until fluffy, about 3 minutes. Beat in the dry ingredients in 3 batches at low speed, alternating with the ice water, occasionally scraping down the side of the bowl.
3. In a clean bowl, beat the egg whites at medium-high speed until soft peaks form. Fold the egg whites into the batter. Scoop the batter into pans 2/3 full, and bake the cakes for 20 to 25 minutes until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. (I couldn't get the bake time right, though. Even when I inserted a cake tester, it came out clean and the tops were golden, yet it was soggy and doughy in the center).
4. MEANWHILE, MAKE THE FROSTING: Place the chocolate in a large bowl. In a small saucepan, bring the cream to a boil, then remove from heat. Add the corn syrup; immediately pour the mixture over the chocolate. Let stand for 2 to 3 minutes, until the chocolate has melted, then whisk until smooth. Let cool to room temperature.
5. Transfer the mixture to the bowl of a standing electric mixer fitted with a wire whisk. Gradually beat in the butter at medium speed, a few chunks at a time, and beat until thoroughly incorporated between additions. The frosting should be smooth and silky. Refrigerate the frosting just until it is thick enough to hold its shape, 10 to 15 minutes.
6. For a softer and lighter frosting, I whipped the cold frosting once more with the paddle attachment before putting it into a frosting bag.

I'll miss you

2009-04-06T23:19:00.006-04:00

If you didn't know, I'm a student studying Graphic Design. Well, not for too long now actually. I'll be graduating in a couple months! Yes. What? In a couple months?!? Oh man, it truly is so strange to say that. I've been telling everyone that I'll be graduating soon but to think that I'm actually out of school in two months is madness! It's so exciting and weird at the same time. Do you know that feeling?

The past five years were great. No doubt. I had a great time in university, learned lots, experienced tons and wouldn't trade it for nothing. At the same time, I just wanna HIT AND RUN. Man. All those late night/all nighter cramming deadlines, project outlines, presentations and rationales. HOMEWORK. I'm so excited that it's ALL OVER, baby!! But don't worry. I hear you shaking your head and smiling "Oh wait until you get out of school and start working. You're going to miss all that." I know I'll feel that way too. Lotsa people tell me to "enjooooy" this time right now and to really savor the moments before entering the workforce. And boy do I plan to.

This past Friday, I handed in my final project of my design school career. After I finished it and handed in, I was dancing and laughing hysterically. Probably also because I stayed up till 6 am to finish it. (Which is, by the way, a typical night before deadline for design students. I know this because the design labs are filled with red-eyed, red-bulled students around this time). I worked on this project the whole year, and it's probably one of my favorite pieces in my portfolio! It's such an amazing feeling when you complete it, you know? So in celebration of this, and also to show you all what other kind of cookery I do, I thought I'd post up some photos of my project.

This is a book that I designed and hand bound for a workshop class. Workshop class is actually a final year course that every student needs to take during their final year. It's kinna cool: the whole class has a common theme they need to work with, but that's pretty much the only stipulation to it. The students can come up with whatever form or direction they'd like in relation to the theme. Our theme this year was Mobility. There are tons of aspects to that word and we were able to explore and research on whatever we wanted in regards to mobility. So I chose "love in the midst of immobility, aka Long Distance Relationships"! And I decided to create a Kit for the geographically challenged. Hehee.

So this kit is basically one of those fun but practical "reference" books you find in the cool section at the book store. My kit called "I Miss You: the ultimate guide for long distance relationships" included a manual, a troubleshooting guide, stationery set, photo keychain/magnet, and world time zone map. There are lots of other things I wanted to include, but for time sake I had to leave it out. Anyways, the photos you see here are all of the manual only. I was going to take more photos of the process, but my hands were getting messy with glue and I was tired and forgot. I wish I had some more photos of the content, cuz it has lots of cute illustrations I did and my type setting is pretty good, I'd say. Muhaha! I'll take more photos and add them once I get it back. Yeah?

Anyways. I know I've been rambling on and on for a while now, but as my title says, I think I'll miss all this. As much as I say that I can't wait to graduate, I'll also miss being a student/kid. It's been great and I'm thankful for everything. Oh, and another thing I'm thankful for: Andrew, for surprising me at night with a very necessary double-shot-on-ice from starbucks and a whole bag of snacks for the late working night munchies. Thank you Hon. Totally made my night. :D

So anyways. Student life. I'll miss ya.
:)
sighh...

Red as a strawberry

2009-04-01T00:24:00.015-04:00

Guess what? I'm sick again. And it ain't pretty. Comparing my nose to a strawberry might be stretching my ability to look at things on the bright side, but seriously, it's SO red it looks silly. My cold came from no where with no warning and no introduction. It just came to me last night as I was sleeping and BAM there's my nonstop runny nose and sore throat and piles of tissue and annoying nasal voice.

I think these pictures are way too pretty to be describing the state I am in right now, but these golden rounds are what got me out of my bed. After waking up to a miserable fever in my nose, I decided to put my buttermilk to some good use and whip up some pancakes. And I must say, I was impressed at how quickly and easily I did this, despite the woozy head. And I was even more impressed when it went in my mouth! Heehee!

I used the same recipe I posted HERE, but this time I used buttermilk instead of substituting with the yogurt. And it was SO delicious I was bubbly with glee! I looove pancakes and they're the best when you're not feeling so 100%. Or 55%. Not even. But anyways. With the fresh strawberries on top, I think these were one of the best pancakes I've ever had. I swear. Even if I made it myself. Soo fluffy, soo soft, slightly chewy, and soo perfect.

You have GOT to do this at home. For those of you who are scared of pancakes (as I was before) there are a few tips I write in the original post. So check it out. Oh, I wrote there that I separated the egg whites before folding it into the batter, but I found out that you don't really have to.. It's really fluffy enough, and it's too much work. Just quickly whisk the whole eggs and dump it in there. Be creative with your toppings too! Fruit is so great but you can make it a bit dessert-y too if you want, by adding chocolate chips or cinnamon. Yum! Sorry for not using new recipes, but this recipe is the bomb! :D

Best Buttermilk Pancakes

Makes nine 6-inch pancakes
from marthastewart.com

ingredients

2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons sugar
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
3 cups buttermilk
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted, plus 1/2 teaspoon for griddle

directions

1. Heat griddle to 375 degrees. Whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and sugar in a medium bowl. Add eggs, buttermilk, and 4 tablespoons butter; whisk to combine. Batter should have small to medium lumps.
2. Test griddle by sprinkling a few drops of water on it. If water bounces and spatters off griddle, it is hot enough. Using a pastry brush, brush remaining 1/2 teaspoon of butter onto griddle. Wipe off excess.
3. Using a 4-ounce ladle, about 1/2 cup, pour pancake batter, in pools 2 inches away from one other. When pancakes have bubbles on top and are slightly dry around edges, about 2 1/2 minutes, flip over. Cook until golden on bottom, about 1 minute.
4. Repeat with remaining batter. Serve warm.

Stress is the new black

2009-03-30T22:59:00.009-04:00

Is it just me or is everyone just totally stressed out lately? I might be just staring at the big elephant in the room, aka the economic depression, but I think it's a little more than that. Or is it just that? I guess the poor economy makes everyone stressed out. Myself--graduating in a couple months--for one. Everyone tells me that I'm graduating at the worst time: trying to jump start a career while there are tens of thousands of people getting laid off. Eeek!

I'm really feeling the pressure of having to find a job soon, let alone just trying to get all my school projects done in time. My parents are amazingly supportive and wonderful to me, yet I still feel the pressure of getting the first steps of my career right constantly from them. Sighhh. I have surging desires to move out and be independent too, but how could I if I can't afford it!

But I'm not alone. Most definitely not. It's all around me. My fellow graduating class, all of the fellow new young professionals, not so new and young professionals, not necessarily professional workers, and... pretty much everyone trying keep their chin up during this hard time. And so maybe this is the perfect time to just reach out and get through the dark together! Everything will eventually get better, that's for sure, because there's a season for everything. So wouldn't it be great if we got out of this with a little more peace in ourselves, and with each other? Wouldn't it be awesome if we actually got something good out of this in the end?

I loove this song: Everything is everything by Lauryn Hill. (It's on my music player to your left!)

Now, everything is everything
What is meant to be, will be
After winter, must come spring
Change, it comes eventually

Sometimes it seems
We'll touch that dream
But things come slow or not at all
And the ones on top, won't make it stop
So convinced that they might fall
Let's love ourselves then we can't fail
To make a better situation
Tomorrow, our seeds will grow
All we need is dedication

Okay, that's enough rambling on my part. What brought me to talk about this in the first place? Oh right. These cookies. Hehe. I baked these cookies for my boyfriend who had two exams yesterday and he seemed pretty stressed out with everything too. So in order to cheer him up and give him a sugar boost, I baked some cookies and brought them to him. And yes! It worked! (Right Andrew?) There's always a way to make life a little brighter and sweeter, and cookies are definitely one.

I had some great macadamia nuts I got as a gift and I realized I had white chocolate left in my pantry so I searched for a good recipe. Ugh.. it's always hard finding a good recipe isn't it? I guess I sorta judge the recipe on the photo a lot, but that's not always a good idea. Anyway, after a few hours of browsing through the web, I decided to pick this one because it seemed simple enough and sounded about right for a soft and chewy cookie. The verdict? Almost there. It was much more dense that I thought it would be, but it was surprisingly chewy. Kinna on the hard side, but still softish when you chew into it. I would probably look for another recipe next time, but please try it for yourself and see if you like it!! :)

White Chocolate and Macadamia Nut Cookies

about 3 dozen

ingredients

2 c. plus 2 tbsp all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
12 tbsp (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, melted & cooled until warm
1 c. brown sugar, packed
1/2 c. granulated sugar
1 large egg plus 1 yolk
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 c. white chocolate chips
3/4 c. macadamia nuts, toasted and halved

directions

1. Preheat oven to 325F. Adjust oven racks to upper & lower-middle positions. Line cookie sheets with parchment paper.
2. Whisk dry ingredients together; set aside.
3. With electric mixer, or by hand, mix butter & sugars until thoroughly combined. Beat in egg, yolk and vanilla until combined.
4. Add dry ingredients slowly and beat at low speed just until combined. Stir in chips and nuts.
5. Drop cookies by 1 tablespoons (or mini ice cream scoop) onto baking sheets.
6. Bake, reversing position of cookie sheets halfway through baking, until cookies are light golden brown and outer edges start to harden yet centers are still soft & puffy, 12-15 minutes depending on size. Cool cookies on sheets until able to lift without breaking and place on wire rack to cool.

A ghetto ziplock bag of cookies for the boyfriend. Hehe. He ate like 8 in one setting! :P

Help a girl out

2009-03-27T13:37:00.018-04:00

Hello my wonderful friends in the blog world!
I have a big big favor to ask you!

You see how I have given my blog a nice little face lift? Well I need some help in making it better! Please vote and it'll help me out tremendously!

So, you know how I use the collapsible link, aka "Click here to read the rest" link for the full entry? Well, sometimes people find it annoying, and sometimes people like it because the blog doesn't become this giant page (since I post lots of photos). I've been asking myself that for the longest time, so I decided to do a little poll! Since you are the viewer, I want to ask you what you like!!

The poll is to your bottom left!
THANKS A BUNCH!!!

UPDATED: Poll is over now!
And with a close 37 votes (55%) to 30 votes (45%), NO collapsible link wins!!
It's pretty close, so I still feel a bit uneasy. But we'll give it a try for a little while. So fulllll post it is! Instead though, I made it so that each page only shows 5 entries as opposed to the 7 I had before.

WELL! THANKS EVERYONE!! I'm glad you voted! :D

Spring time

2009-03-24T16:30:00.010-04:00

Milk and Honey cafe's new look for the new season is coming up soon....
In the mean time, please feast your eyes on this!

Are ya ready for spring??

I am!!

by the way, recipe is here! :)

McMake-it-yourself

2009-03-18T14:25:00.005-04:00

This has got to be the easiest breakfast in the world. Breakfast sandwiches are so tasty and so easy and, despite the greasy appearance, it's actually not all bad for you. I remember hearing somewhere on the radio that from the scary calorie, fat, carb-laden menu of McDonalds, the egg McMuffin isn't such a bad choice: lots of protein, calcium and fibre while relatively lower in calories (310 calories compared to the 650 calorie burgers..) Anyways. I write a blog on baked goods, so it is a bit funny that I'm measuring calories, no? :P

My point, however, is the fact that while a quick drive-thru at McDonald's seems as easiest as it gets, making it at home is just as painless. If you know how to toast bread and fry an egg, that's all the skills ya need. The result is a warm, tasty and fresh meal for breakfast. It's quite filling too! As for the side, instead of sodium crazy hashbrowns served at the fastfood chain, I like to compliment it with some fruit and some orange juice. Get some vitamins in there, ya know?

Bacon Egg & Cheese Breakfast Sandwich

for one sandwich

ingredients

1 whole wheat english muffin (130 calories)
2 slices Canadian back bacon (25 calories)
1 slice processed cheese (60 calories)
1 egg (70 calories)
1 tsp butter (35 calories)
black pepper, to taste

directions

1. Toast english muffin in a toaster and lightly butter it. Set aside.
2. Heat remaining butter on a frying pan. Fry egg until well set. Heat slices of bacon beside the eggs.
3. Assemble: On the bottom layer of the muffin, place sliced cheese, egg, then bacon. Sprinkle with black pepper, if desired. Top with remaining muffin half. DONE.

Was that not the easiest thing ever? I don't think it even needs a recipe.

Guilty as charged.

2009-03-12T16:57:00.011-04:00

Okay I feel sorta guilty writing today's post. I keep complaining that I'm so crazy busy lately... so I really shouldn't be doing this right now. But I baked some cookies this morning, and I really want to do this right now. Just bear with me? Don't judge me for lack of self-control? ANYWAYS. These cookies were for an order this afternoon, so I woke up nice and bright in the morning to squeeze them in my schedule/list of things to do. But of course I question myself: is it really a priority right now? You see, I realized that I'm not a very good manager of my time. I say YES to lots and things I should probably say NO to. I sometimes overbook myself and then have to bail out on things afterwards. And I totally procrastinate. Bad bad. Guilty as charged.

And it's not like I am a workaholic in any way. I am easily a slacker and in my own idea of "efficiency", I work as little as possible and try to get the most out of it. Make it look like I've been doing a whole lot. But isn't that--in the end--what we're all really trying to do? Get as much as you can while giving as little possible? Isn't that how the world works? Isn't that being business-minded and successful? Doesn't that get me an A+?

But what about good, honest work? What about giving more than what I can receive, just because? Generosity and integrity. Honesty and faithfulness. Ah, those are weighty words. As I finish of my last year of school and prepare myself to enter the "real" world, I really really hope to get my perspective right first. I ask myself questions like "How can I build up my character instead of just building my career?" "Is instant gratification greater than a life long fulfillment?" "Is it worth helping others even if it costs me?" "Should I really be eating another cookie?"

Well, "Yes of course!" To the last question that is. Hehe. The rest, well, I'll have to figure it out slowly. Because those answers come with a price. It might sound honorable and noble, but living a life of character is easier said than done. It takes patience and persistence. But we only reap what we sow, right? So it must be worth it! Now now, maybe I'm sounding a bit serious and righteous here, but I'm really just talking to myself. So to all you wonderful people, I raise a cookie, as we all face decisions every single day. Let's make it the right ones, shall we? :]

Wow, that was quite a ramble today. But a few last words: these cookies are fantastic. I asked my friend amanda over at slow like honey for a foolproof cookie recipe and this was awesome-O. It's crunchy and crispy and chocolaty and toffee-y. It's more of the crunchy/crispy side on the cookie scale, so if you like that, this is the recipe for you. She calls it her secret recipe and cherishes it very much, so make sure you use this recipe with love and care, as I did. Remember remember that your butter needs to be at room temperature (like my perfectly soft butter up there) and also not to overbake these babies. That's all — Enjoy!!

Chocolate Chip Toffee Cookie

24-36 cookies, depending on size

ingredients

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 1/2 cups packed light brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 large egg, room temperature
2 cups all purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
12 ounces semisweet chocolate, coarsely chopped, or 1 twelve-ounce bag semisweet chocolate chips
half bag of Heath Toffee bits (or Skor toffee bits, for Canadians)

directions

1. Preheat oven to 350F. Line several baking sheets with parchment paper, and set aside.
2. Combine butter, and both sugars in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, and beat until light and fluffy. Add vanilla, and mix to combine. Add egg, and continue beating until well combined.
3. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, and salt. Slowly add the dry ingredients to the butter mixture. Mix on low speed until just combined. Stir in chocolate chips and toffee bits.
4. Scoop out 2 tablespoons of dough, and place on a prepared baking sheet. Repeat with remaining dough, placing scoops 3 inches apart. Bake until just brown around the edges, 16 to 18 minutes, rotating the pans between the oven shelves halfway through baking. Remove from the oven, and let cool slightly before removing cookies from the sheets. Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to a week.

Scanwiches

2009-03-11T15:41:00.010-04:00

I don't really have time to put up an entry today, but it's been a while since I've posted anything, so here is something I came across and found it QUITE humourous.

They are SCANWICHIES.

Siighh I have so much to do lately and all I ask for is just a few more hours in my day. Is that not possible? Or how about being able to function properly with only 2 hours of sleep? It's cram time and the list of to-do's is endless but it's always nice to take breaks and find silly things on the net, like pictures of deliciously scanned sandwiches.

Lucky

2009-03-02T22:39:00.014-05:00

I feel lucky that I have a hobby that makes other people happy too. My mom was realllly craving my lemon pound cake and has been asking for it for quite some time. I made it for her, and it made her very happy! What a great feeling! The thing I love to do is not just for me, it's for sharing with those around me. I'm so lucky.

I've made this pound cake before, and the recipe is here. But just to make it a TINY WINY bit different, I added some tangerine juice/zest. It didn't make much of a difference, but it did in my mind! I also used two mini loaf pans instead of one, which is always more fun! Anything miniature is fun. :) I was once again impressed by the recipe, though. The cake is so soft and has a perfect density from the cream cheese. It's phenomenal right out of the oven and delicious the day after too! I love this pound cake, and no wonder my mom craves it time to time. :D

Sugar and spice, and everything nice.

2009-02-27T11:40:00.007-05:00

So, I've been bedridden with the bug for the past few days. Not so sugary and nice. Fever and stuffy nose and dry coughs are the least of what one wants in this dreadful weather anyway, but there certainly are things that can make the dreariest winter skies a little brighter. Let's take spicy molasses ginger cookies, for example. Chewy, soft, with a slight kick. What cold? What cloudy day?

Okay maybe these cookies don't actually make your cold and clouds go away, but all I am saying is that we've got to enjoy the little good things in our lives. We all know what's best about being sick though. Sleeping all day, guilt-free tv, and being taken care of. :) And as I was chugging down ginger ale and ginger cookies, I thought I was feeling much better.

I baked these cookies a few days back for my mom to take to her friends' gathering. She took quite a few but came back with nothing but a big smile. They were a big hit! Some of her friends confessed that they couldn't stop eating them. Originally, she requested a less sweet cookie, and so I thought I'd try a new recipe, instead of the chocolate and butter laden cookies (which are perfectly fine, of course). I always wanted to try ginger molasses cookies after eating the ones from starbucks. Those are DELISH! So after a long search for the right recipe, I decided to settle on the one I saw on the pioneer woman instead of using the somewhat unpredictable recipe called "starbucks" version i found on a random site. It does use shortening instead of butter, but she explains that it can't be helped. Unfortunately, I didn't have all the spices that the recipes calls for, so the spiciness might have been quite different if I followed the original recipe. I ended up just throwing in some allspice and other stuff. But it tasted just fine and dandy. :) These weren't exactly "less sweet", however. The sweetness is a bit overwhelming at times, but the texture and spice balances it out. This is truly a chewy and soft cookie that we sometimes crave ever so badly. :)

Spicy Ginger Molasses Cookies

about 2.5 dozen

ingredients

1 cup sugar
3/4 cup Crisco (vegetable shortening)
1/4 cup molasses
1 egg
2 cups flour
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 1/2 teaspoons baking soda

directions

1.Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Mix sugar, shortening, molasses, and egg together until well combined. Dump in dry ingredients, stirring dry ingredients together lightly. Mix together until dough is combined.
3. Roll dough into walnut-sized balls, then generously coat each ball with sugar.
Place balls on a baking sheet and bake for 9 to 11 minutes, allowing to bake for about a minute after cookies begin to crack.
Remove cookies from baking sheet and allow to cool.

Speaking of looking at the bright things in dreary situations.. guess what I found on my backyard deck? The FUNNIEST thing I've ever seen! There was a pile of snow on the table and recently it warmed up a bit, so the big pile slowly slipped away, but it got cold all of a sudden, so it decided to just freeze up again! And so that pile of snow has been staying like that for days and days! No joke. It's so hilarious. It sorta looks like a big fluffly marshmallow or rice cake. My grandma and I sat there laughing our bellies out in the kitchen. We couldn't help but wonder how nature could have such a sense of humour! Oh life is good! :) Enjoy!

Captain Underbake!

2009-02-18T13:26:00.010-05:00

Okay.. really sorry for the cheesy title, but I was so excited to write it when it popped up in my head while baking these cookies. I will explain soon. Anyways, you know what's a good feeling? When you have a well-stocked pantry. I looove it. I love it when I can say, "Hmmm what can I bake today?" and graze through my pantry and find lots and lots of ingredients I have bought at the store ahead of time. It's such a great feeling when you can just whip up something without having to grudgingly drive to the closest supermarket for ONE missing ingredient.

So today was that kind of day, but mainly because I was supposed to bake these a while ago. Still. Great feeling. I baked triple chocolate chip cookies, because my boyfriend's got an exam today and I thought it would be nice to bake some fresh cookies while he studies for it. I found a recipe online on thestar.com(toronto's newspaper). I felt a bit hesitant to use the recipe, or any random recipe online, for that matter, but after much research, these seem to be closest to what I was looking for.

The result? Well.. a little disappointed I guess. The half cup of cocoa powder it asked for didn't really seem like enough. I'm more of a chewy-gooey cookie girl, but it turned out a bit cakey. And I'm scared it'll turn rock hard after a day. I thought two cups of chocolate sounded like a lot, but even that seemed a little scant. Hmm. Not the fudgy decadent cookie I was looking for. But nonetheless, it was still a yummy cookie. Any cookies is a yummy cookie...unless it's overbaked/burnt! Here comes my captain underbake! I think I'm going to call myself that because I am a big advocate of slight underbakeage of our cookies.

Obviously, not too the point where the cookies aren't done. But I think the secret to a delicate and chewy cookie is not to overbake them. I like to take them out of the oven when they are still cooking and let them cool and calm down on the sheet afterwards. I think the dangerously delicious cookies they sell at some stores and bakeries are soft because they underbake it. And maybe it's because I use a convection oven, but most recipes ask for baking times that are way too long, so I usually have to shorten it a few minutes. These cookies were way too overbaked when I shortened two minutes off the original recipe, so I ended up halving the bake time. And they turned out much more delicious and softer.

Do you see the difference? Same batter, just cut down a bit of time and see all the difference it makes! Heehee. And these are actually QUITE delicious the day after. I think it's one of those cookies where when the chocolate sets in a bit, it gets nice and soft and chewy. I recommend you eat them a day after....although, who in the world has the self-control not to devour cookies right out of the oven??

Triple Chocolate Chip Cookies

about 4 dozen

ingredients

1 cup butter, softened
1 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 cup white chocolate or milk chocolate chips (i actually used half cup of BOTH)

directions

1. Line baking sheets with parchment paper; set aside. Preheat oven to 350F.
2. In a medium bowl, sift flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt; set aside. In large bowl, beat butter and sugars with electric mixer on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Beat in eggs, one at a time. Beat in vanilla.
3. Add flour mixture to butter mixture in two batches, mixing thoroughly after each. Stir in chocolate chips.
4. Use measuring spoon or mini ice cream scoop to drop one heaping tablespoonful on baking sheets, two inches apart. Bake in 350F oven 12 to 15 minutes (I cut this down to 7-8 minutes), until cookies lose their gloss and firm up, rotating pans halfway through cooking time. Cool on trays.

Be Mine

2009-02-17T19:57:00.011-05:00

What a long overdue post! I'm sorry I haven't put up anything in a while, but it's mainly because of how much baking I was doing, actually. I had an exciting (and a tad bit lucrative) baking event for Valentine's Day! I offered freshly baked and valentine-ly decorated cupcakes for this special holiday. And I must say it was quite a success! I don't think I would be able to do it all the time with my busy schedule, but it was a great learning experience!

I had quite a few orders and it was really exciting to bake for lots of people. It was a lot of pressure too, I guess, because it was a special gift to their special someone. I think it went well though-- I got many raves of how much they loved it, so phew! Thanks!! I don't think I need to explain much about the cupcakes other than that I offered two kinds of cupcakes: luscious red velvet with cream cheese frosting, and cutesy vanilla cupcakes with vanilla buttercream. Red velvet was definitely a hit: it was everyone's favorite. It might be the popping colour, but I'm sure it's mostly because of the cream cheese frosting. You can never go wrong with cream cheese frosting, never.

I also gave people three options for the decoration: homemade brownie hearts, chocolate truffles (I ending up buying fererro rocher) and sprinkles. People mostly ordered the brownie hearts, which I think was an obvious choice -- they were simply adorable on top of the cupcakes!

Alritey, so here's my share of the romance: this was a very special Valentine's Day for me, other than the baking job! You see, I had a Valentine of my very own this year! :D I must say, it was definitely a fine pay off from all the hard work all weekend, only to be wooed by a wonderful boy afterwards. Heehee. (Sorry for the mushiness, but hey, tis the season to by cheesy!) Guess what I got while I was baking ferociously and with much stress in the morning? I was delightfully surprised with beauuuutiful long stem roses delivered to my door! And that was VERY nice, to say the least.

Well I hope everyone had a wonderful Valentine's Day. I know we all know that it's probably just some day made up for businesses to make some money and to break the pockets of the male gender, but I must say.. it is quite nice to celebrate having someone be mine. :)

Not so rainy day

2009-02-02T15:35:00.012-05:00

In korea, there is a saying, "On a rainy day like this, let's just flip some flapjacks!" Well we might not call them flapjacks, but it's basically the same thing. Korean pancakes are called Buchimgae-- "buchim" which is from "to fry" a kind of food that involves flipping: to cook both sides, that is. Anyways, this delicious version of a pancake is quite popular among koreans and non-koreans alike, including me! I loove buchimgaes because they are so easy to make and soo yummy.

All it really involves is some flour, water, and well, any "topping" you'd like. Really, it's like one of those creative foods (like pizza!) that you can basically put in anything you want. It ranges from different meats, seafood, and vegetables. More typical ones are like zucchini, kimchi, green onions and chives.

Althought today wasn't such a rainy day, I was craving some soft and chewy buchimgae anyway. We had some chives that we bought from a Chinese market (they were humongous -- more like green onions, I'd say!) It takes less than 5 minutes to prepare and just around 2-3 minutes to cook each one. How easy is that! For those who can't get their hands on Korean pancake mixes, it's totally fine to just use all purpose flour. The pancake mixes are basically just flour, a bit of gluttonous rice flour (to give some added chewiness) and some maybe a bit of salt. When we run out of that, we substitute it for All purpose flour, no problem. I know some people like to ground some POTATOES in their buchimgae, which gives it a little more starch, making it a little more chewy, but there's always a danger that it'll get too stiff. If you want to add that in, make sure you don't put too much.

Koreans often each buchimgae with some dipping sauce because they are oftened not salted. A soysauce sauce is delicious for buchimgaes, I guess it's like a pancake's syrup! Haha! (But substantially less drenched, of course!) You can eat the soy sauce straight out of the bottle, or for more flavor, add some sesame oil, korean style finely ground red pepper, and sesame seeds. Yum!

Buchimgae with Chives, Red Peppers, and Mushrooms

about 4 large pancakes

ingredients

2 cup korean pancake flour (you can get this at any korean supermarket and most asian groceries)
1 1/2 cup water
1/3 cup chives, cut into 1" long
1/3 cup red peppers, cut into 1" long thin strips
1/3 cup oyster mushrooms, cut into thin strips

1 tbsp soy sauce
1/2 tsp sesame oil
1/4 tsp toasted sesame seeds
1/4 tsp korean style finely ground red pepper (optional)

directions

1. Mix the pancake flour and water until there are no lumps. Add in the washed and cut vegetables into the batter and mix well.
2. Heat oil in a frying pan on medium heat. Ladle batter on pan until it covers the pan and flatten out pieces that are sticking out. Flip over after around one minute, or until golden underneath. Heat the other side for another one to two minutes. If the pancake is starting to brown too much, reduce the heat to low.
3. Combine the soy sauce with sesame oil, seeds and red pepper, if desired. Dip Buchimgae with soy sauce for better flavour.

G is for Good

2009-01-28T14:25:00.010-05:00

Today I feel like making a random list of my favorite things that start with the letter G. Please feel free to add to my list!

Green
Grapes
Gum
God
Greece
Gym
Giraffes
Gadgets
Galaxy
Games

Ghandi
Gateaux (french for cake!)
Gentleman ;)
Get-togethers
Giant Cookies (okay this one doesn't really count, but still)
Getty Images
Gifts!
Girly Stuff (now and then)
Glamizons (wooo)
Griffin Family
Guitar
Gyros Pita
Green Tea
Green Tea Cookies, speaking of which, is what we see below! :)

I found this recipe online which is a recipe that won an award or something. I'm sure lots of ppl have encountered the recipe before. But anyways, I was really excited about it cuz I bought some really nice (and expensive!!) organic matcha powder (Japanese green tea powder). It's a beautiful bright green and it was so much fun to work with. This green tea/ avocado green colour is my most favorit-est colour in the whole wide world. I have lots and lots of things that are this colour, including one of my bedroom walls! It's funny when I look around my house and see how many green things I have. Anyways. It's an easy recipe and they taste great. It's not too sweet and it has a nice note of green tea. Great for the adults. :)

Green Tea Cookies

makes about 2 dozen
recipe from Lovescool

ingredients

3/4 cup (2.25 oz) Confectioners sugar
5 oz unsalted butter, cut into cubes
1 3/4 cup (8.5 oz) all-purpose flour
3 large egg yolks
1 1/2 tbsp Matcha (powdered green tea)
1 cup Granulated sugar (for coating)

directions

1. Whisk the confectioner’s sugar and green tea together in a bowl.
2. Add the butter and green tea/sugar mixture to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Mix until smooth and light in color. Add the flour and mix until well combined. Add the egg yolks and mix just until the eggs are fully incorporated and a mass forms.
3. Form the dough into a disk and chill in the refrigerator until firm (about 30 minutes).
4. Preheat the oven to 350F. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper.
5. Roll the dough out to ½” thickness. Cut the dough with a cookie cutter. Toss each cut cookie in a bowl of granulated sugar to coat.
6. Place the sugar-coated cookie on a parchment lined pan. Bake for 12-15 minutes, or until slightly golden around the edges.

Strawberry Fields Forever

2009-01-26T11:41:00.011-05:00

Let me take you down, 'cause I'm going to Strawberry Fields.
Nothing is real and nothing to get hung about.
Strawberry Fields forever. - The Beatles

Hmm.. unfortunately, I believe that most things are real and there are lots of things that we do get hung about, but today, I just wanted to say that despite all that, there is so much to celebrate! Like my friend Helen's birthday! Life might not be strawberry fields forever, but there definitely are sweet moments to delight in!

Happy birthday to Helen! She's so special to me because it's not about the outwardly appearance or words that make our relationship, but the heart-to-heart connection. We've gone through a lot over the years, and she's blessed my life in lots of ways. It wasn't the good times that brought us closer but the tears and hurts that let us open up. I think that kind of friendship is so precious and priceless.

So in light of that, I've baked some cupcakes for her--I guess I've sorta made myself the designated baker for parties. She loves my strawberry cheesecake, but I hadn't had enough time to bake it, so I went with strawberry cupcakes. It was a compromise: it had strawberries and cream cheese in it! I found a FANTASTIC recipe from speedM on Flickr. The icing tasted literally like Strawberry Haagen Daaz ice cream, or Strawberry Pocky!

It was simple to make and just gorgeous! I'm actually a huge non-fan of strawberries. I don't like em at all. I love fruits but strawberries--blegh. But these cupcakes were great. I'm glad I tried this recipe! You should too! As for decoration, I didn't want to do a typical strawberry topping, so I did a modern looking chocolate piece. I just melted the white chocolate and spread it thin, dusted some cocoa powder on it, then froze it, then broke it into pieces. It was nice against the pale pink of the frosting.

Strawberry Cupcakes

makes one dozen

ingredients

STRAWBERRY SAUCE
2 cups of fresh strawberries, cut in half and stem removed
sugar to taste

CUPCAKES
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 cup sugar
2 large eggs, room temperature
1-1/3 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup strawberry sauce
1/4 cup milk

CREAM CHEESE FROSTING
8 ounces or 1 package of cream cheese
1/2 stick butter
4 cups sifted powdered sugar
approximately 1/4 cup of strawberry sauce

directions

STRAWBERRY SAUCE
1. Soak strawberries with about 1-2 tbs sugar for 15 minutes. Put strawberries in a small saucepan and heat under medium heat with lid on. Cook strawberries for approximately 15 minutes till strawberries cook down and become soft and saucy. Adjust sweetness with sugar until you get the desired sweetness. With a blender, puree until you get the desired smoothness or chunkiness. Cool before using in recipe.

CUPCAKES
1. Preheat oven to 350F. Line cupcake pans with cupcake papers. Whisk flour with baking powder, baking soda and salt. Set aside. Measure out milk and strawberry sauce together. Set aside.
2. Beat butter on high until soft, about 30 seconds. Add sugar. Beat on medium-high until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add eggs one at a time, beat for 30 seconds between each.
3. Add about a fourth of the flour to the butter/sugar mixture and beat to combine. Add about one third the milk/strawberry sauce mixture and beat until combined. Repeat above, alternating flour and milk and ending with the flour mixture. Scoop into cupcake papers about half to three-quarters full (depending on whether you want flat or domed cupcakes). Bake for 20-22 minutes, or until a cake tester comes out clean.

CREAM CHEESE FROSTING
Bring cheese and butter to room temperature by letting it sit out for 1 or 2 hours. Sift powdered sugar into a bowl. Beat butter and cheese at medium speed until creamy. Add half of the sugar, beat until combined. Add strawberry sauce until you achieve the right color and flavor, making sure not to add too much or the frosting will be too soft. Gradually add remaining sugar (more if you have to) until you get to the consistency and sweetness you like.

Snickerwhat?

2009-01-20T17:26:00.007-05:00

Here are Snickerdoodles fer ya. They look more like chicken nuggets at this point, which is the pre-bake point, but boy do they look scrumptious afterward! They are for a special occasion. No, not exactly for the big obvious one of celebrating the Inauguration of USA's new president Obama (I give him big ups and am so happy he is the new Prez. Although he's gotten more attention from me than any other Canadian politician, I still don't know much about him. I do feel bad that this blog is not about him at all so all I can really say is CONGRATS!! and GOD BE WITH YA!!)

Okay so on to my own mini occasion. Today is my sister Jenn's bridesmaids' first get-together! I am, ahem, the maid of honour, being, of course, her best friend for over 22 years. Heeehee. So I think I've mentioned it before but yes, my sister is engaged and set to marry her lovely fiance Kevin in May! And she's asked her 6 best friends to be at her side on the special day. Today we'll be meeting up, sans Jenn, and discussing about, oh you know, fun things like bridal shower, bachelorette party and gifts!

Aside from the parties, my sister getting married is really exciting, you know. They're an excellent duo and I've gotten the best brother in law EVER! But I won't discuss the bittersweet-ness (more sweet than bitter) of my sister leaving me to become his wife, today. I just wanted to say that I've baked these little babies for our get-together today and I think the sweet and cinnamony cookies will suit the occasion just right!

So I found this recipe from the blog nosh with me after a long search for the right one. I needed a recipe that I can make right away, none of that refrigerate for 7 hours nonsense, and looked good in a picture. Haha. I was going to use another recipe but ended up with this one. But I realized AFTER I've baked them that this recipe doesn't use the traditional cream of tartar snickerdoodles use. I wonder if that makes a huge difference. I really like the cookies, but wasn't exacctly what I expected. These cookies are delightfully cakey and light, and the cinnamon sugar is excellent! But I was expecting a sort of airy inside and crunchy outside cookie... am I wrong? This was my first snickerdoodle ever, so I'm excited to try more recipes. All in all, though, they were delicious! Not too sweet, but in no ways plain.

Snickerdoodles

makes about 45

ingredients

2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon fine salt
1/2 cup shortening
1 stick unsalted butter, softened
1 1/2 cups sugar, plus 3 tablespoons
2 large eggs
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon

directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Sift the flour, baking soda, and salt into a bowl.
3. With a handheld or standing mixer, beat together the shortening and butter. Add the 1 1/2 cups sugar and continue beating until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Add the eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Add the flour mixture and blend until smooth.
4. Mix the 3 tablespoons sugar with the cinnamon in a small bowl. Roll the dough, by hand, into 1 1/2-inch balls. Roll the balls in the cinnamon sugar. Flatten the balls into 1/2-inch thick disks, spacing them evenly on unlined cookie sheets. Bake until light brown, but still moist in the center, about 12 minutes. Cool on a rack.