To come full circle

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

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

(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"

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

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