Hole in the Wall

Every time our family goes back to Philippines for a short vacation, we make it a point to visit a new hangout, restaurant, or scenery.  Last June, we were caught in a traffic jam and decided to look for this mall that I saw on Google earlier this year.  Armed with just a photographic memory of the building image and my so-called taxi driver instinct, my hubby and I searched for it. 

We got lost a bit since we are both not familiar with the traffic regulations at Makati City.  But upon seeing the familiar lights from afar, we knew we are at the right track.

Century Mall is a new establishment at Century City (kalayaan near Makati ave) area.  It is more like a community mall, where basic needs or shops are catered for. What we liked the best here is the "food court" located at the 3rd (? Or 4th) floor. The ambiance is cozy and the food offerings are unique and tasty.

Best time to go there are weekdays, when it is not crowded.  We came back on a Friday night, and had difficulty looking for a seat.  I am not sure on weekends though.

We almost tried every food at each stores there.  I am too hungry (after 2-hour traffic hurdle from Pasong Tamo) that I was not able to take pictures of all the food that we ordered.

Hole in the wall is a great place to hangout, either a mini reunion with friends or a romantic date (they change the mood lighting around 9pm, so yeah "romantic").  They even have a second floor that can be rented for private functions.  We liked the interiors and food so much that we will definitely come back on our next vacation in the Philippines.

Frozen Doll Cakes

Ninang duties!!

Eversince the hit movie "Frozen" was aired last year, it became a common theme for kids parties.  As requested by my godchildren (and my kumare..of course), I did Elsa and Anna doll cakes for their birthday.

The dolls were purchased on a toy store. Cake part are the skirts and covered with buttercream and fondant. 

Aside these cakes, I also made the Olaf Piñata for the party.  I just printed a big image that we saw online then stuck it on a carton and covered with crepe paper. It is very easy and fun to do!! 

Kampong Getaway

Unlike other countries, (long) holidays are few here in Singapore.  So when we had one last November, we decided to go in a place where history and culture is interesting. Google lead us to Malacca.

We only had 2 days to plan our short vacation.  So we purchased our bus tickets at Golden Mile Complex and booked our accommodation at Apa Kaba Home & Stay.

Apa Kaba is the perfect place for a kampong getaway.  If you are looking for a place to relax, this is the recommended place to stay.

One thing that we enjoyed in Malacca is the food.  For starters, we had late lunch at Restoran Famosa.  We read that the queue here is normally long.  But since it's almost tea time when we went there, we were able to get a table quickly.

Restoran Famosa is famous for their chicken rice ball.  Aside from that the roasted chicken rice and dumpling soup are also very delicious.  A definite must-try!!

For dinner, the owners of Apa Kaba booked us at Amy Heritage Nyonya Cuisine, named one of the great Nyonya restaurant in Melaka.

The restaurant owner herself, Amy Tan, helped us select food from the menu.  We had Cincalok Omelette, Ayam Pongteh, Udang Masak Lemak, Chap Chai, and some that I cannot recall the names.  Overall, the food is great and the price is relatively affordable.  This is one of the restaurants you shouldn't miss.  

We dined in with people we met at Malacca, a couple from Australia and another Dutch couple.  The nice dinner and interesting conversation that we all had makes this whole Nyonya experience enjoyable.

Malacca is also known for their rich heritage which is evident from the buildings and houses surrounding it.  It is remarkable how they managed to preserve the beauty of the whole neighborhood while living in such a modern society.

what we learned:

-  Try to buy your tickets in advance; it is cheaper and less hassle.

- Make a reservation if you want to dine in Amy Nyonya Restaurant.  Their phone no, is +60 6-286 8819.

-  The whole experience requires tons of walking (not to mention hiking!) so be prepared to discover the streets of Malacca.

carrot cake with cream cheese frosting

I am no fan of carrot cake.  I did try to eat a spoonful when i was young and never liked it.  But my father requested that I bake him this as this is one of his favorites.  This is my first time to try this recipe and honestly,   I loved it!  I never thought that I will enjoy every bite especially when there is cream cheese frosting on it.

you will need...

how to:

• preheat oven to 350degrees F.  Line a rectangular pan with baking paper.  Set aside.
• Beat sugar, eggs, oil, vanilla, and buttermilk together in a bowl until well combined. Set aside.
• In a large bowl, sift together the flour, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
• Slowly add 3/4 of the flour mixture to the sugar mixture; mix until well combined.
• Toss the carrots and raisins to the remaining flour mixture then stir into the batter until well combined.
• Transfer into the pan.  Bake until a toothpick comes out clean, about 15 to 20 minutes.
• Let cool completely before putting the cream cheese frosting.

what i learned:

• Baking time varies from oven to oven.  Good thing, I checked the cake halfway while baking and I noticed that it is almost done. 
• Oven thermometer is a MUST.  This is to ensure that the you are baking in the right temperature.

blueberry cupcakes

09 feb 2011

kay bilis ng panahon...today is my baby's 5th month! i was planning to buy a cake from goldilocks or red ribbon na lang but i did little overtime work.  By the time i clocked out, the mall is already close.  I checked my cupbox (i keep my baking paraphernalia at a "box"), and i saw the preserved blueberries that i bought ages ago.  i was planning to use it for blueberry cheesecake but i need to have a cake for today so...here it goes.

you will need...

1,  1/2 cup butter (my image on the left shows 1 cup)
2.  4 egg whites (a drop of egg yolk was accidentally mixed while i was separating the eggs)
3.  1 tsp. vanilla extract
4.  1/2 cup blueberries preserved (mix with 1 tbsp. flour)
5.  1/2 tsp. almond extract
6.  1/4 cup milk
7.  1/4 tsp. salt
8.  1 cup sugar
9.  1 tsp. baking powder
10.  1 1/4 cups flour


how to...

• Mix the flour, baking powder and salt in a medium size bowl.
• Then, put the butter and sugar in a large bowl and mix it until it is smooth and creamy.
• Add the egg whites and mix until smooth.
• Now add the vanilla and the almond extract and beat for a minute or so.
• Add half of the flour mixture and mix it up a little bit.
• Add the milk and the remaining flour mixture.
• Add the blueberry mixture until the blueberries are evenly distributed.
• Pour the batter into the cupcake pan and bake for about 25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.

what i learned...

• always be careful on separating the eggs.  the fat-laden yolk will prevent the egg whites from whipping properly.
• it is easiest to separate eggs when they are cold from the refrigerator.  and prepare three bowls when separating. one is for the whites, the other is for the yolk.  the third one is where you are going to separate the egg.  crack the egg firmly and gently pull it apart.  allowing the white fall in to the bowl.  At least, on this method, once you puncture the yolk you will only contaminate one egg rather than the entire batch.
• by the time i was finish baking, my baby is already asleep.  next time, i will bake a day earlier OR come home early. :D

fudgy chocolate brownies

110123.

it has been my habit to open the refrigerator and tingnan kung ano meron.  surprisingly, may natira pa pala na vanilla ice cream na binili namin 2 weeks ago.  bigla kong naisip, "masarap ito sa mainit na brownies".

you will need... 

• 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter plus more for pan
• 8 ounces bittersweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 4 large eggs
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon salt

how to... 

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (176 degrees C). 
• Butter an 8-inch square baking pan or heatproof glass dish.  Line with parchment paper leaving a 1-inch overhang on 2 sides.  Set aside.
• Place butter and chocolate in a large heatproof bowl set over (but not touching) simmering water; stir frequently until chocolate and butter are melted, about 7 minutes.  Remove bowl from heat; let cool to room temperature, 10 to 15 minutes.
• Stir sugar into cooled chocolate mixture until combined.
• Whisk in eggs one at a time, whisking until smooth after each addition. Whisk in vanilla. Gently fold in flour and salt.
• Pour batter into prepared pan, and smooth top with an offset spatula. Bake until cake tester inserted in the center comes out with only a few moist crumbs attached, 40 to 45 minutes. Transfer pan to a wire rack to cool completely.
• Run a knife or offset spatula around the edges of the pan. Using parchment, lift brownies out of pan and onto the rack. Transfer to a cutting board; cut into 2-inch squares. Brownies can be kept in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.

Read more at Marthastewart.com: Fudgy Chocolate Brownies - Martha Stewart Recipes 

chocolate cake

11.01.09

it's buknoy's 4th month!! A nice opportunity to practice my so-called passion for baking. *wink* So for today, i will do a chocolate fudge cake. recipe courtesy of "Yummy's Bake, Give, Sell".

chocolate fudge cake

you will need...

for the cake


2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1 cup cocoa powder
1 tsp coffee powder
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups warm water
1 cup butter
2 1/4 cups sugar
4 eggs

for the fudge frosting


2 cups sugar
1 1/4 cups cocoa powder
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup water
1 1/4 cups condensed milk
2 cans evaporated milk
1/2 cup butter

how to...

• Preheat oven at 350F.  Grease and line two 9-inch round pans.  Set aside.
• In a bowl, sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.  In another bowl, combine cocoa powder, coffee, vanilla and warm water.
• In a mixer bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
• Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.  Add the flour mixture alternately with the liquid mixture, starting and ending with the flour.
• Pour batter into prepared pans and bake for 30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted at the center comes out clean.
• Make the frosting:  In a thick saucepan, combine sugar, cocoa powder and flour.  In a bowl, blend together the water, condensed milk and evaporated milk.  Add to the pan and whisk until well combined.
• Place pan over low heat and cook, with constant stirring, until thick and of spreading consistency.  Blend in the butter and stir until smooth.
• Spread some fudge frosting over a cake layer.  Top with the other cake layer then cover the top and sides of cake with more fudge frosting.

WHAT I LEARNED...

• Always read the recipe including the editor's note beforehand.  I overlooked this, 

"This cake will require extra patience as the frosting takes about an hour and a half to make -- but it's truly worth the wait." 

I was not prepared, so patience, I don't have that day. Lol.

• It will be best if you can prepare your ingredients before starting with the whole procedure. Like measuring the flour, butter, sugar, etc.  Baking will be so much faster and feeling mo asa cooking show ka.. haha! :D
• 1 cup butter = 8 ounces butter