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

chocolate cupcake

11.01.02

Ngayon ay kaarawan ni Tatay. My hubby asked me the day before to bake cupcakes for tatay instead of buying a cake at goldi / red ribbon. so i chose the recipe and decided on a chocolate flavor since i already did vanilla cupackes nung binyag ni buknoy. then i prepared the ingredients, set my alarm at 6am tapos natulog na.

kaso si buknoy, inuubo. naisip namin na wag na lang pumunta sa novaliches. baka kc mas lumala pa ang ubo ni buknoy. mahirap na at baby pa. so i ignored my alarm then continued sleeping.

it was around 10am that we decided to still go to tatay's birthday. hindi na lang namin isasama si buknoy. kaya dali-dali ako naghanda...i have to bake.

here's the recipe of the chocolate cupcake.

you will need...

4oz(115g) good quality plain chocloate,cut in small pcs.

1 tbsp water

10oz(300g) plain flour

1 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda

pinch of salt

10oz(300g) caster sugar

6oz(170g) butter or margarine at room temp

1/4 pint(150ml) milk

1 tsp vanilla essence

3 eggs

1 recipe buttercream (scroll below for the recipe)

how to...

• preheat oven at 350F/180C. grease and flour 24 bun tins, about 2 3/4in(6.5cm) in diameter, or use paper cases in tins
• put the chocolate and water in a bowl set over a pan almost simmering water. heat until melted and smooth, stirring. remove from heat and leave to cool
• sift the flour,baking powder,bicarbonate of soda, salt and sugar into a large bowl. add chocolate mixture, butter, milk and vanilla essence.
• with an electric mixer on medium-low speed, beat until smoothly blended. increase speed to high and beat for 2 mins. add the eggs and beat for 2 mins.
• divide the mixture evenly among prepared bun tins.
• bake for 20-25 mins or until a skewer inserted comes out clean. cool in tins for 10 mins then turn out to cool on a wire rack
• ice the top of each cake with buttercream.

buttercream

4oz(115g) butter, unsalted at room temperature

8oz icing sugar, sifted

1 tsp vanilla essence

2 tbsp milk

• put butter in a deep mixing bowl and beat it with an electric mixer at medium speed, or a wooden spoon until soft and pliable.
• gradually add icing sugar and beat at medium high speed. continue beating until mixture is pale and fluffy
• add vanilla essence and 1 tbsp milk. beat until smooth and of spreading consistency. if too thick beat in more milk. if too thin beat in more sugar.

LESSONS LEARNED WHILE BAKING THIS:

• i will never use goya dark chocolate easy melt again.

no pun intended for goya. this is just my personal choice. i normally use either hershey's baking chocolate or van houten's when i was in singapore. i only tried goya because it is cheaper. but the taste that i was looking for is not achieved. lasang goya talaga. buti na lang, hit pa rin sa panlasa ng iba.

• i should have a cupcake carrier or at least have prepared a box for transport.

buti na lang girl scout ako. i used the gift box of buknoy's clothes. i just wrapped it nicely (with foil and ribbons) para naman presentable pa rin. yun nga lang, since we are going to commute via MRT, hindi ko na linagyan ng buttercream icing. baka kasi matunaw na pagdating sa nova.

• always take a picture of the baked goodies.

it will be easier to explain if i was able to take pictures. i should remember to always take a picture. #foodporn

the first time.

i have been learning to bake since i was in high school. i can still remember the first cake that i (we, actually..it's a school project) have done. it's a black forest cake (with real rum!). we are not allowed to use rum since we are minors back then but our teacher gave us an exemption since we won't be able to achieve the correct taste of the cake without it. after a week, we tried baking banana loaf bread. it was such a hit that from then on, my dream of pursuing this hobby started. :D

if my memory is right, i tried baking brownies when i was in college. i did chocolate nut brownies and triple-good brownies. the latter is a 3-layer brownies (chocolate on top and bottom and caramel on the center). armed with my passion and desire to learn.. i was able to successfully bake those delicacies.

architecture took off most of my time during college years.  it was only when i came here in Singapore that i was able to practice baking again. i first tried baking my own chocolate birthday cake. i purchased the cheapest electric oven and mixer that i can find. the sponge turned out okay except for the icing. you can feel the roughness of the sugar because i used granulated sugar instead of icing sugar (i forgot to purchase the latter).

then i tried the ready mix brownies from betty crocker. we dutifully followed the direction on the box but in the end, the brownies became as hard as a rock. this baked goodie is the joke of all my friends whenever they talk about my baking. from that day on, i swore that i will never try ready-mix ingredients (if i can resist it).

i am really determined to be very good at this. i try to bake once a month. from cake to cookies to brownies to cupcakes. i research, read, watch video online and experiment whenever i can.

baking is really my passion. this is my hobby that i want to turn into a career someday. and that someday might be soon. real soon.