Oxfam loving.

I was fortunate enough be asked to bake for an Oxfam event, the Antea Povertea Tea Party at Monash Uni. The party was held to raised awareness about the importance of fairtrade and labour rights. I felt so lucky to be part of such an event!

In going with the themed of fairtrade, I used organic fairtrade chocolate and cocoa powder in my macca-cakes (cupcake + macaron on top). I decided to stick to flavours people would dive in for rather than my quirky flavour combinations such as strawberry basil or nasi lemak! haha

I made fudgey chocolate cupcakes with vanilla cream cheese buttercream frosting topped with mint chocolate macarons that have the oxfam logo stenciled onto them.

The stenciling of the logos were more time consuming than expected but it was all worth it in the end as they added a personalized touch for the event! So glad they were well received by the crowd.

Don't forget to check out Oxfam's website for more info:

Start here for a bit more information about the rationale of Fairtrade and other issues relating to food access and food justice: http://www.oxfam.org.au/ex​plore/trade

See here for more information about the GROW campaign:http://www.oxfam.org.au/grow/

And see here for news about Monash becoming Australia's fourth Fairtrade university:http://www.fsd.monash.edu.​au/environmental-sustainab​ility/news/monash-becomes-​fair-trade-university

Birthdays of Besties.

If you do not already know by now, these two lovely people beside are my girly besties. Can't believe one of them is going to UK and the other will be moving to the suburbs soon. =(

I knew that the next time I were to bake birthday cakes for these girls (Prim at least) would be a long time to come and plus they were both turning 21! Therefore I put in much more love and effort in planning and executing these cakes! I hope it shows =S

Prim's birthday came first. I knew I had to put blue flowers in somewhere and she specially requested a pont neuf cake. A pont neuf cake is a cake that has layers that run vertically and not horizontally when you cut into it. How did I make it?? It's a secret. Unfortunately, pictures of the inside turned out really dark so I didnt post them up.

This was the first time I made a two-tiered cake! successsss! =D I tried to practice my decorative piping skills as well by doing ruffles, roses and what nots.

Pont neuf chocolate sponge cake filled with chocolate baileys buttercream and topped with earl greymacarons.

Christine is the baby out of us three, even though she acts most maturely :O

I remembered her having a liking for apple and cinnamon flavours so I made that into a birthday cake. I made a Apple Cinnamon sponge tower cake with cream cheese buttercream frosting and topped with salted caramel macarons.

Loving her happy face in this picture.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY ONCE AGAIN GIRLS! <3

Macaron tower!

I have never really liked the thought of someone leaving. About 2 weeks ago, a close girlfriend of mine, Prim left to study in the UK. =( so in order to show how much we love and will miss her, Mr Poasm and I invited her and a couple of other friends over for dinner. Mr Poasm focused on cooking, while i baked. I wanted to make something super special, something that would make Prim scream and shout and maybe go, "I've decided to stay cause I want to eat your macarons!!" hahaha. It was just a thought.

So... to increase the probability of that happening, I made..... A MACARON TOWER. Something I have never attempted before. It took me quite a while to find a styrofoam cone of the correct height. I made milk chocolate macarons (Prim's favorite) and passion fruit ones too. I figured that my stacking skills wouldn't be too great for a first timer at macaron towers, so I made yellow icing roses to fill in the gaps or cover any unsightly accidents just in case.

I was so proud of myself after assembling it. All the macarons stayed in place for a few hours till dessert time! Oh by the way the lovely photos of the macaron tower are taken by my talented friend Bryan Sun.

Dinner was fabulous as usual. Mr Poasm never fails to impress =) His first dish was a crispy parsnip and brie slice.

This picture doesn't do the second course justice. It was a slice of sticky pork belly with turnips and pear puree. After eating the last bite of the pork, I immediately wanted more. It was melt in the mouth deliciousss.

The main course was my favorite. Roasted quail with pea puree and berry reduction and mash.

The flavors complemented each other so well. I want more!! *hint hint*

When it was dessert time, I was practically shaking in my chair. I was so excited to see how prim would react to my masterpiece. ahaha. and impressed she was!

Awwww. Prim, I miss you already! Hope you have a good time in UK and don't forget that Christine and I are always here for you =) loveee.

Food therapy.

School has been really exciting so far. I'm starting on my research project and I'm looking into using video modelling as an intervention for autism. I have been filling up my days with readings and volunteer work, hence the lack of blogging entries. My sincere apologies... looking after a 4 year old boy with autism is pretty challenging. He's just the cutest thing ever. He has trouble talking but its okay as he likes t

o hold my hand and hug me from the back. Oh and he likes to play with his ipad. O.O

Apart from that I'm also volunteering at the Anxiety Recovery Helpline. Which means that if you suffer from any anxiety problems and call the helpline number.. I might be the person on the other end of the phone?

Oh Oh! I'm also expecting a new member in the household, a kitty. ^.^ She's too tiny now but in about 2 weeks shes MINE. muhahaah

Despite all these programs in my life, I never fail to find the time to bake! It just helps me to de-stress and relax. A week ago, I made some macarons. I wanted to make them extra special due to my long break from making new flavors. In the end I decided to make something i craved, and at that moment, my tummy beckoned for berry cheesecake and so berry cheesecake macarons it was!

I made purple shells using my trusty basic recipe and whipped up some raspberry cream cheese buttercream filling. I filled the macarons with the buttercream and buried a whole blueberry in each macaron. Which means, once you bite into the macaron, a burst of raspberry and fresh blueberry flavor will explode in your mouth! In order to make it a cheeseCAKE macaron, I ground up some digestive biscuit crumbs and coated the macaron with it, adding some crunch and biscuit flavor.

I also made birthday cupcakes for my friend's birthday party. They were chocolate fudge cupcakes with vanilla cream cheese buttercream frosting. I decorated the cupcakes with blue sugar pearls and chocolate buttons dusted with gold dust.

I cant wait to show you what else I have made! That will be up in the next post! Heres a hint. ;)

Extension of online orders.

Hi all!

If you are in Melbourne and would like a taste of my macarons, I will be taking orders in Melbourne from 15th to 27th Feb. This is a once a year affair. Hurry, before it's too late ;)

Love,
Clara

Last valentine.

Hey to all you lovers all there!

Order some valentines day macarons now before it's too late! <3

strawberry ladybug.

The weather in melbourne has been completely erratic, but when it gets nice and sunny, its perfect for picnics and grass lazing.

I dont know when ladybugs appear during the year.

To be honest, i hardly ever see them here, but i think that they are the cutest insects!

So, this here is a smiling ladybug strawberry cheesecake!

I made mini black macarons and used them to make the ladybug's infamous spots.

You should have seen them in the oven!

All tiny and round, giving my oven the illusion of being bigger.

I melted chocolate and piped on the eyes and the other details too.

I used the recipe from Do what I Like.

She makes the lightest cakes which are of just the right sweetness.

Simply macarons!

The other day i was looking through my box of old things and found this:

An article I had kept from Simply Her magazine's feature on macaron baking classes I had conducted end of last year and early this year at The Tangs Kitchen, Singapore. I totally forgot about it until I saw the pages!

Oh those were such fun classes. To be able to teach fellow macaron enthusiasts about the tricks of creating feet! =)

I really hope I can be involved in something baking related for my job this coming holidays. I'm considering having some sort of online ordering system for macarons. What do you guys think?

Dad's Bananarama cake.

Its my Dad's 55th birthday this year and he decided that the best way to celebrate would be for him and my mom to fly down to spend it with his family =)

Despite it being a short stay, it was really comforting to have them around, to be able to cook, to enjoy good food and wine together. Last night, we had a small dinner in my cozy apartment. With scallops, wagyu sirloin and cakelast night, the guilt factor has definitely sunk in this morning. =S

To make my dad a happier man than he already is, I bake him a special birthday cake incorporating flavors he likes, banana and mint. Its a massive layer cake with 7 layers in total. From top to bottom we have chocolate ganache, chocolate fudge cake, banana buttercream, more cake, banana slices, chocolate mint mousse and a final layer of cake. Oh and of course, macarons had to fit in somewhere, so i decorated the cake with banana buttercream filled ones.

Happy birthday dad! <3

party affairs.

recently i have been attending a party or to.

the first being a good friend's 20th birthday

she insists on being 19 forever. hahaha

but never the less, i still piped on "20th".

The cake was specially requested by the birthday girl herself

wanting something black foresty and with milk chocolate macarons somewhere.

the cake was inspired by Tartelette's Raspberry rose vanilla cream cake

which i made before and thought it was the fabulous cause being light and girly,

its a cake that girls wouldnt mind a second helping of due to its deceivingly airy nature.

i made a black forest rendition of the cake by replacing the flavors with chocolate and the raspberry with cherry.

decorated it with a plaque i made out of white chocolate plastic and heart-shaped milk chocolate macarons.

the day after that,

i attended a house warming party of a friend.

along side bruschetta and smoked salmon on crackers as finger food that he made,

the host suggested i bake some macarons

and of course i was glad to =)

All in all there were 4 flavors.

Lemon, Pistachio, Chai Latte and Chocolate.

I followed and tweaked the filling recipes from the book "macaron" by Alison Thompson

and found them to be really light and not too sweet, which is good cause all my previous macarons were deemed to be overly sweet for MrPoasm's liking.

for once, he ate more than one!

Black forest layer cake

Adapted from Tartelette.

For the almond chocolate dacquoise:
1 1 /2 cups (160gr) almonds
1 cup (100gr) powdered sugar, unsifted
1/4 cup (30gr) all-purpose flour
6 egg whites
1/2 cup (100gr) granulated sugar
1/4 cup cocoa powder

For the cherry kirsch layers:
2 tablespoons powdered gelatin
1/4 cup cold water
3 cups morello cherries
1/2 cup sugar
syrup from the cherries (reserved 1/4 cup for the cherry glaze)

1/4 cup kirsch

For the chocolate bavarian cream:
6 egg yolks
1/2 cup (100 gr) sugar
2 cups (500 ml) whole milk

2 tablespoons powdered gelatin, sprinkled over 1/4 cup water
2 cups (500ml) heavy cream

250g dark chocolate (chopped)

Cherry glaze: (prepare once the cake is set)
1/4 cup (60ml) cherry syrup (reserved from the jar)

2 tablespoons (15gr) water
4 tablespoons (25gr) sugar
1 teaspoon powdered gelatin sprinkled over 2 teaspoons water

1/8 cup kirsch

Prepare the dacquoise:
1. Preheat the oven to 350F and position a rack in the oven.
2. In a food processor, pulse the almonds, cocoa powder, and the powdered sugar together until finely ground. Sift the flour over the mix and reserve.

3. In a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat the eggs whites on medium speed until foamy.

4. Gradually add the sugar while whipping the egg whites on high speed until stiff.

5. Add the almond-flour mixture to the egg whites and fold gently with a spatula. Try to keep as much air as possible.

6. Line two quarter sheet pans with parchment paper, coast slightly with cooking spray and spread the divided batter among both pans and bake for 12 to 15 minutes, or until golden. Let cool. Inver the pans onto a cutting board and slowly peel off the parchment paper.

Prepare the cherry layers:
1.Line two quarter sheet pans with parchment paper.
2. Sprinkle the gelatin over the cold water and reserve.
3. In a large saucepan set over medium low heat, bring the cherries, cherry syrup and sugar to a simmer and sugar is dissolved. (smash them down with a spoon if necessary) and the sugar is dissolved.

4. Remove from the heat and add the gelatin and kircsh, stirring until the gelatin is completely dissolved.

5. Blend mixture using a hand-held blender or food processor until a puree is formed.

6. Pour over the prepared sheet pans.

7. Let cool to room temperature and then freeze until firm.

Prepare the Chocolate Bavarian cream:
1. In a large bowl, whisk the egg yolks with the sugar until very pale.

2. Melt the chocolate over a double boiler or in the microwave (1 minute on high, stir, another 30 seconds).

3. In the meantime, in a large saucepan set over medium heat, bring the milk to a boil.

4. Beat in the melted chocolate into in egg yolks until smooth.

5. Slowly pour the milk over the yolks, whisking constantly. Pour the mixture back into the saucepan over medium low heat and cook until the cream coats the back of a spoon (as if making creme anglaise).

6. Add the softened gelatin and stir until melted completely into the cream. Let cool to room temperature.
7. Whip the heavy cream to soft peaks and fold it into the cooled cream base. Use immediately.

Prepare the cherry kircsh glaze:
In a small saucepan set over medium high heat, bring the cherry syrup, water, kirsch and sugar to a simmer and cook until the sugar is dissolved and the liquid is hot. Remove from the heat and add the softened gelatin. Stir until it is completely dissolved. Let cool to room temperature.

To assemble:
Line a 8x8 or 9x9-inch square baking pan with enough plastic wrap to have about 2 inches overhanging on all sides (easier to pick up to unmold once the cake is set). By all means, use a square frame if you have one instead and build your cake directly in the frame set on a sheet pan.
Cut one of the dacquoise to fit inside the cake pan and place it at the bottom. Remove the cherry jelly from the freezer and cut a piece to fit inside the cake pan also. Place it on top of the dacquoise layer. Pour a little less than half of the bavarian cream on top of the cherry layer (you want to keep a little bavarian for the very top layer). Repeat with a layer of dacquoise, a layer of cherry jelly, a little less than the other half of the bavarian cream. Use the remaining cake cut outs to form a final layer of dacquoise. Smooth the remaining bavarian cream in one thin layer on top. Refrigerate the cake until completely set, about 2 to 4 hours or overnight. Once it is firm, spread the cherry glaze on top. Place the cake back in the fridge and let it set for about 30 minutes. Keep refrigerated until ready to serve. To plate, remove the cake from the pan by lifting all four corners of the plastic wrap and trim the edges.

My first macaron cake.

i know i know..

i havent been blogging for a week or so.

but i have explanations!

and a massive cake to make up for that.

so forgive me?

so to start things off

the reason why i have been missing was due to my birthday!

you see..

i was swept away on a weekend getaway trip by MrPoasm

who planned it all.

I arrived at Castlemaine thinking that it would a small trip.

little did i know 8 of my other lovely friends drove down with tons of goodies!

all ready to cook a fabulous dinner in the caravan that we rented.

MrPoasm surprised me as usual with his impromptu recipes.

whipping up lamb shanks (still drooling from it) and a side of baked potatoes.

I of course was too itchy handed to be standing around not doing anything so i "helped" by tossing a simple salad together with a mustard dressing.

After that heart warming dinner

we heading to a nearby park where we pranced around with sparklers and waited for the clock to strike 12.

with the chocolate raspberry flourless cake (made by MrPoasm too) to come at the back of our minds

we couldnt wait for my birthday to come.

so i gave the signal to just go for it!

i made my wishes before it was even midnight.

but i didnt care!

the cake was too good. =)

we spent the rest of the trip exploring castlemaine.

going to a farmers' market and a bakery for breakfast.

as well as a gold mining site.

and so after that trip i was "played out"

i had basically spent all my baking time on play.

but now that i have caught up

the baking monster in me has risen

and took an upcoming friend's housewarming party as an excuse to make something special.

i initially wanted to bake this cake for my brother's birthday

minus all the pink of course.

but his friend ended up buying him a cake instead

and so the recipe was put on hold in my list of things to bake.

its a milk chocolate mousse layer cake from a recipe i found from Godiva.

i altered it according to the ingredients which i did have at hand.

To decorate the cake,

i made white chocolate raspberry swirl macarons

and white chocolate plastic roses.

it was my first time making the roses

and i got to say,

it was exactly like modelling the polymer clay im used to.

i then tinted them with a touch of pink by painting on some diluted red food dye.

Sinful Milk Chocolate Mousse cake

adapted from Godiva

Chocolate Genoise:
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons granulated sugar, divided
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/8 teaspoon salt
3 large eggs, at room temperature
3 large egg yolks, at room temperature
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 tablespoon vanilla extract

Milk Chocolate Mousse:
255g Milk Chocolate, coarsely chopped
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 1/4 cups heavy cream
1/4 cup grandmarnier

Ganache:
215g Dark Chocolate, coarsely chopped
1 tablespoon light corn syrup
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3/4 cup heavy cream

Make the chocolate genoise:

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Lightly butter bottom of 9-inch springform pan and line with parchment paper.
2. Sift together flour, cocoa powder, 2 tablespoons of the sugar, baking powder and salt.
3. Beat whole eggs, egg yolks, oil, 1/2 cup sugar and vanilla in bowl until tripled in volume, using electric mixer at medium-high speed. Add flour all at once, folding until just combined. Pour batter into prepared pan.
4. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes or until cake springs back when touched lightly. Cool completely in pan on wire rack.

Make the milk chocolate mousse:

1. Place chocolate in microwave-safe bowl. Microwave on medium (50% power) for 1 minute. Stir. Microwave 30 seconds more or until chocolate is softened. Stir until smooth. Add Godiva Liqueur, oil and vanilla, stirring to combine. Cool to room temperature.
2. Beat heavy cream in bowl until soft peaks form, using electric mixer at medium-high speed. Gently fold whipped cream into chocolate mixture.

Assemble the cake:

Loosen genoise from pan, using a knife. Remove side of springform pan. Carefully remove paper. Cut cake horizontally into two equal layers. Place one layer cut side up in bottom of springform pan. Spread half of the mousse on cake. Place top layer on mousse and spread with remaining mousse. Cover and refrigerate for 3 to 4 hours or until mousse is set.

Make the ganache:

Place chocolate, corn syrup and vanilla in bowl. Heat heavy cream in saucepan over medium heat to a simmer. Pour over chocolate mixture. Let stand 30 seconds. Stir until smooth and let cool. Spread the ganche on sides of cake and the the edges on the top. Pipe patterns using a piping bag if desired.

Strawberry and basil macarons.

It always fascinated me as to how 2 completely different flavors when melded together give the most exotic flavor combination.
I first tasted the combination of strawberries, basil and balsamic vinegar in an Italian Restaurant.
It came to me as a shock.
A delightful one.
The flavors bursting in my mouth was refreshing, sweet, tangy and with an aromatic hit of basil.
the fusion was gorgeous.

and so
being as macaron crazy as i am,
i wanted to bring that bursting flavor combination in a form of a macaron.
i decided to just utilize strawberry and basil and leave the balsamic for another adventurous day.
I flavored the shells with basil and filled them up with strawberry and basil buttercream.
here's the recipe.
Enjoy!


Strawberry and Basil macarons
Salts & Sweets

Makes about fifteen cookies

Macaron Batter:

1 cup (100 gr) powdered sugar ½ cup (50gr) almond meal
10 basil leaves finely chopped
2 large egg whites, at room temperature and aged
4 tablespoons (65 gr) granulated sugar
1/2 tsp green food colouring

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (150 degrees C).

2. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper and have a pastry bag with a plain tip (about 1/2-inch, 2 cm) ready.

3. Grind together the powdered sugar with the almond powder and basil leaves so there are no lumps; use a blender or food processor since almond meal that you buy isn't quite fine enough.

4. In the bowl of a standing electric mixer, beat the egg whites until they begin to rise and hold their shape. While whipping, beat in the granulated sugar until very stiff and firm, about 2 minutes. Test by inverting the bowl over your head if you dare! It should remain in the bowl and not on your head.

5. Carefully fold the dry ingredients, in two batches, into the beaten egg whites with a flexible rubber spatula. Add the food colouring with the second batch. When the mixture is just smooth and there are no streaks of egg white, stop folding. The batter should have a magma-like consistency. Scrape the batter into the pastry bag (standing the bag in a tall glass helps if you're alone).

6. Pipe the batter on the parchment-lined baking sheets in 1-inch (3 cm) circles (about 1 tablespoon each of batter), evenly spaced one-inch (3 cm) apart.

7. Rap the baking sheet a few times firmly on the counter top to flatten the macarons, then bake them for 15-18 minutes. Let cool completely then remove from baking sheet.

Strawberry basil buttercream:

250 g unsalted butter
1/2 cup icing sugar
7-10 basil leaves
5 strawberries, roughly diced
1 tsp vanilla

1. Blend the basil and strawberries in a food processor until a liquid mixture is formed.

2. Cream the butter in a bowl until light and fluffy.

3. Beat in the icing sugar and vanilla until incorporated.

4. Add in the strawberry mixture and beat until all ingredients are mixed.

Assembling:

Spread or pipe a bit of buttercream on the inside of the macaron shells then sandwich them together.

Let them stand at least one day before serving, to meld the flavors.

Store in an airtight container for up to 5 days in the refrigerator, or freeze. If you freeze them, defrost them in the unopened container, to avoid condensation which will make the macarons soggy.

Tiffany birthday macarons.

its my 20th birthday this month!
since im the sort who doesnt really like to receive extravagant gifts.
like last year for example, i requested for a food blender set (which is oh so good, over used by now if u ask me).
thanks girls =)

"April holiday" being the theme of this month's MacTweets challenge, (the holiday being my birthday of course. =) )
i thought,
why not skip all that jewellery crap
and get down to some macaron business.
TIFFANY MACARONS.
macarons in the signature Tiffany blue.
topped off with white ribbons.

for the filling i was thinking since birthday is a time of celebration.
alcohol would be very appropriate.
so grand marnier dark chocolate butter cream it was!

oh and yes, please click play to view more pictures.

chocolate mint macaron fingers.

today my mom delivered to me the oh so amazing news that shes willing to give me a kitchen aid for my 20th birthday!
FINALLY.
i can have my own personal one here. =)
but still missing the hot red one back at home though.

and i chose the colour MINT GREEN
that was the inspiration for my macarons today.
and the flavor combination of chocolate and mint reminded me of mint chocolate fingers.

which leads me to the final product of mint macarons with mint infused dark chocolate buttercream filling in the shape of chocolate fingers!

oh and i added dried mint leaves in the macaron batter to add an extra boost of freshness.

Easter egg polka dotted macarons.

there are never too much sweets for easter.
and besides, i wanted to experiment with different macaron designs.
previously i did swirls, so now the only logical step would be DOTS!

and whats more., they are egg-shaped!
filled with milk chocolate ganache, just like chocolate eggs.

now all i need is a real life bunny rabbit.

lemon lime macarons.

i love love lemon curd.
lemon tarts
lemon cake
lemon cheese cake.
yum

i added lime to make this macaron extra zesty.
and what i got was...
lemon lime macarons!
oh they weirdly taste of the drink Lift.

i added a colour swirl onto the shells by adding 2 different coloured batters into my piping bag alternately.
and topped them off with lime zest shavings to add some zing.

>.<
this is the face i make when i think of lemons.

camomile macarons with honey vanilla buttercream filling.

this is my second contribution to MacTweets, and im loving it.
it makes me think out of the box, with fresh flavors throwing themselves at me.

this month's theme is "Spring Fling"
and i decided to make camomile flavored macarons with a vanilla and honey buttercream filling,
just cause camomile flowers are so pretty in spring.

i topped them off with hand piped sugar flowers resembling camomile flowers.

=)

mandarin orange macarons.

its lunar new year tomorrow.
and since mandarin oranges bring good luck
i decided that making mandarin orange macarons would bring me twice the amount of luck =)

i flavored the shells with orange essence and used candied orange peel chocolate ganache as the filling. topped it off with green royal icing pipped on to look like leaves.

gong hei fat choy to all!

macaron illusion.

mmm.... what a nice dessert.
rose flavored macarons filled with strawberries and cream
drizzled with some dark chocolate.

yummy....
...
...
*picks it up*

wait..
something is not rightttt.
....
....

oh my.
its.
made out of CLAY.

so yes.
i made a macaron thats 1cm in diameter.
placed it on the plate.
and rolled some brown clay to mimic chocolate drizzled over the top.

quite depressing to look at it if you have dessert cravings if you ask me. =S