Pies & Tarts; Tea Party Ready!

Went to another class at @Sweetnesssg. Even had a Tea Party at the end. (Harrods’ Toffee Tea taste superb!)

Here we have Apple Crumble Pie and Lime Meringue Pie. I was told that the Lime Meringue Pie need an acquired taste. As I am not a fan of sour food, it came as a surprise that I actually like them. Weird!

Decadent Chocolate Tart. Apparently I belong to the can’t-appreciate-the salt group. Heh not atas enough! haha. Of course, need to used the rich expensive chocolate for this tart.

Kak Aidah gave a demo on how to bake this delicious Chicken Portobello Quiche. My favourite of all!! Brought few slices home and Mama love it so much till she bought the ingredients few days later.

My first Quiche! Baked it small and cute. Recipe is easy to follow thankfully. Or else this D7 F&N student would fail terribly.

Also attempted the Chocolate Tarts! My nephews love them so much. Which kid doesn’t anyway! Kids and Chocolate! (Adults and Chocolate too :P)

Yesterday, I baked my 3rd batch of Quiche. Abah ate 5 pieces so far. 3 at one go. Probably cause there is no food available since Mama and Adik went KL haha! I also made Lemon Meringue Tart. Substituted lime to lemon and omg so nice! Love it so much (a bit thick skinned here praising my bakes) but I need more willing food testers. Shall wait for them to reach home tonight to try and comment!

Pavlova & Meringue

Finally! After such a long time! I went to a baking class again. Hehe. Went to a Pavlova and Meringue workshop last Monday.

Love love the happy colours and the pretty bakes!

Everything sound so easy! But egg whites have always been my frienemy. I had a hard time figuring it out during my macarons period. Haha. But I think I’ve got it now. I think. Class was conducted by Ms. @Sweetnesssg! 😁

Baking Class: Macarons

After my first try on French Macarons , I have been trying to find Macarons class cause mine was still slightly (yes, only slightly)imperfect. Found one though facebook. (You might want to check out Macaron Clazz!)

So colourful!!

This time round, we made these macarons using the Italian Meringue technique. A little different from my first try which was using Swiss Meringue technique. Basically, the main ingredients are all the same.

Anyway, I can’t post the exact ingredients or steps cause it’s not ethical. Was that the right word? Heh.

So I’m only posting the standard pictures:

The 90 deg piping.

 Drying process. (Perfect circles OMG.)

Common knowledge on these temperamental Macarons to note on:
1. Measure all ingredients exactly to your recipe. I dare not edit cause I’m no expert.
2. Liquid content to be at the minumum. That explains the aged egg – to let all water content evaporate. And the colouring powder and not liquid or gel.
3. From the class, I learnt that if it’s raining and you’ve no choice but to bake macarons, close all doors and windows to control the humidity. But then again, it depends on luck I think.
4. Oh yah, this should be number 1. Always prepare everything before you start doing. Once you start, you do not have the time to pause cause everything depends on the timing – eg. Boiling of sugar – must take note of temp/timing. Beating – cannot overbeat or underbeat. Folding – same as beating. Where got time to pause you tell me!! So prepare your trays with parchment paper on, the piping bag all ready, all utensils out in the open.. I always have this problem though.
5. Once done piping, must tap the tray hard to let the air out. In the class, the teacher taught us how to pop air bubbles after tapping the tray.

My new found motto: If you can’t make them, you buy them! hehe 🙂

Baking Class: Cake POPS!

I can’t remember exactly when I found Bakerella‘s website but eversince then I’ve been following her weekly updates at her blog, facebook and even twitter! I even bought her book! Stalker much?

Since then, I’ve been wanting to make this cute cake pops but I don’t dare. Look easy but after too many failures in between, I don’t trust myself in baking for awhile.

So when I found out the place I went to for baking class offer this cake pops class, I signed up for it!

Seem so easy! You don’t have to bake a perfect looking cake cause you’re going to destroy the cake!

What we need to make the cake balls:

1. cake crumb
2. buttercream

Yep, that’s all! But the tough parts are sticking them together, dipping into chocolates or candy melts. Eh wait, these are the only steps! So in total, cake pops is surprisingly quite hard for me! Heh.

Anyway, in class, everything is easy. I did tried doing them cake pops at home and I can’t get the right consistency for the chocolates. Thought of using candy melts but can’t find them at that time. Though last weekend I saw a row full of candy melts at Phoon Huat! Will try them again soon! 🙂

Baking Class: Italian Meringue Buttercream Cupcakes

Was watching cupcakes reality show (DC Cupcakes?) one day and wanted to try out doing buttercream. After endless google research, I realised that there’re so many methods/ways to do different type of buttercream. The easiest way requires lots of icing sugar and I hate food that are too sweet! Anyway, while googling picture, etc, I saw how unique buttercream design can be! Other than the normal swirl I mean!

Registered myself for the third class and this time it’s for buttercream decoration on cupcakes!

From top left: Normal swirl (DC cupcake-like), creampuff swirl (using 1M tip), small flowers (also using 1M), flower (no idea what!), grass, flower again!

Flower “swirl” is so hard to do. I’ve no idea what’s the exact name for all the “swirl” or decoration but the above is described in my own words! heh.

The baker/teacher taught us how to do the Italian Meringue Buttercream (IMBC). So many steps and so many things to note on! The most important factor has got to be the temperature! It looks easy when she’s doing but when I did alone.. 😦

Decoration wise, I believe I can do all the above decorations! Even youtube has lots of videos! All you need is your imagination I supposed. 🙂

One of the blogs I found through google shows step by step of IMBC. See CakeJournal!

Baking Class: Fondant Cupcakes

Since baking has suddenly pique my interest, I registered myself to a basic cupcake decorating class early this year. I know right! What was I thinking?! But the class was fun! I can turn plain vanilla cupcakes into pretty delicious-o cupcakes!

 

Steps/Process to remember:-

1. Bake the vanilla or any other flavour cupcakes – duh!
2. “Insert” cream cheese filling – yummiest thing ever created!
3. Spread chocolate ganache on top and fill up to the brim. – spread once, cool them (put in the fridge), hot work, cool them slightly.
4. Using fondant! – make sure ganache is slightly wet so fondant can stick to them.  

Fondant “technique” learnt:-

1. Knead the fondant in order to prevent cracks, etc. – If there are cracks, use crisco on it.
2. Use corn flour – sprinkle all over table top and even to sweaty palms like mine.
3. Add colouring – preferably gel colouring.
4. Do whatever you like! Creative juices needed. ha.

From the class, I learnt how to make ribbons and bows as per above picture. The imprint roll which I forgot the exact name make the base fondant look more outstanding and pretty! Magic pearl dust gave the cupcakes a glittery and shimmery look. My favourite!! Of course now I just need to google and learn more on decorating various designs! And must practice, practice, practice! 🙂