Christmas Cookies

Hi all, apologies for long absence. I haven't really had much to blog about, hence the dead silence. This weekend, despite the crazy heat, I am back in my kitchen baking some yummy Christmas cookies because I wanted to gift them to some very special friends that will be moving away next month. Friends comes and go, it is sad when the best ones leave you. This is just a small token of appreciation. Nothing fancy.

I found out that there are so many blog posts out there on Christmas cookies. If you google Christmas cookies recipes, there are no shortage of them on the Internet search engine.

I am loving the Martha Stewart website, for not only her baking and cooking, there are so many crafty ideas as well. I think I spend too much time looking at her home ideas and decorations instead of recipes :)

Isn't Pistachio the most beautiful nut, ever created? I just love the vivid colours on them and they taste so good too. I really do feel sorry for those people that are allergic to nuts. I could finish eating a whole bag all by myself, quite easily too but I must control myself.

There are cookies to be baked needing those such as the pistachio shortbreads.

Plus, I want to make some chewy nutty chocolate fudge with pistachio in it as well. So decadent and rich. How can anyone not like Christmas? So many treats to try.

The photo below shows the nutty fudge. And while that is cooling off on the rack, I will start on a batch of gingerbread family. Sorry, I forgot the link to the choc fudge, will add later if I find it. I didn't bookmarked it.

This is Gingerbread dough mix in the mixer.  I will have to post some photos later, once I have decorated my gingerbread family. I have to warn you, the Father is disabled as I accidentally broke his arm! Drats!

Oh and there's another batch of sugar cookies dough to go into the oven yet. It is commiserating in the fridge at the moment.

I am just taking a short break and thought I'd blog a bit before heading back to the kitchen.

What do you think? Looks pretty good so far. It's pretty yummy too, I have been stuffing my face with warm buttery pistachio shortbreads straight out of oven... mmmmm

Madeleine Cookies

It's winter now in Australia, so I usually hibernate till work day Monday on my weekends. I do my shopping straight after work on Friday so that I can get home and spend as much time watching korean dramas and do some pottering around the house and baking. Okay, not so much the baking part though.

Few weekends ago, I watched a korean drama titled "My name is Kim Sam Soon". It's an oldie, I was watching it for the Danny oppa fix but little did I know, that I was going to be more fixated with the baking in the drama and all the lovely cakes and pastries that was featured on that drama.

I just had to buy myself a Madeleine pan immediately after that. I love that drama, it's a light comical romance with enough soppy parts to make you reached for the tissues and yet with a sudden change of scene, it would have you drooling and pausing the show, just to admire the baked stuff. This drama is so evil! So, if you haven't seen this drama, please go watch it now for the drool factor!! OMO, Danny oppa, you do get my undivided attention though in your scenes!

And so it began, I needed to bake these babies to see what all the fuss is about. Last nite, I made the batter and chill it in the fridge as per the recipe instrution, you can find the recipe and video demo link from http://www.joyofbaking.com/madeleines.html

I am hoping mine turns out edible at least. I do love Joy of Baking website. Stephanie has video demo which is a whole lot easier than reading a bunch of words. I am terrible at following manuals or word instructions, I need visual display. :) Yes, I am a bit special! LOL :)

Err Mah Gerrd!!!! I have eaten two already, second tray is in the oven now.. they taste like lemon cakes, crunchy on outside, nice and warm buttery lemon inside! So good!! So glad I have enough batter for two trays. So simple, sinful and good for you! It's got lemons! That's Vitamin C, right?

Enjoy and have a great weekend everyone! Nomnomnom! Peace out!

Chinese New Year Peanut cookies

I have so many favourites when it comes to Chinese New Year snacks. I love these especially,

• Kuih Kapit ( Love Letters) 
• Kuih Loyang 
• Peanut cookies
• Pineapple jam tarts

Just to name a few here, what are yours?

I have never made peanut cookies before so Charmaine gave me, her recipe from her blog. I want to share a couple of easy recipes with you here. I also found another recipe from Susan of http://www.chocolatesuze.com. You will need to click on the link to get to their blog.

With both recipes to study from, I still manage to forget the grinding of castor sugar...LOL. Next year, will use icing sugar. Never mind, my personal stash, it's alright, still yummy though!

Will be stuffing my face with this while I watch my korean dramas ;)

Brandied Cranberry Cookies

My Leaning Tower of Cookies

Another baking day this weekend, I am having a lot of fun getting back in the kitchen, just baking cookies for Xmas. I love the smell of baked cookies in the house. Freshly baked warm buttery cookies for arfternoon tea, what could be better? I found this recipe by chance when visiting sitemeter, Simply Recipes was featured on the site and I gotta say, love this website. It has so many recipes of cookies to choose from. Love it!

Recipe from http://www.simplyrecipes.com/recipes/brandied_cranberry_white_chocolate_chip_cookies

Ingredients

• 1 cup of brandy (to soak the cranberries in, then saving 1 1/4 teaspoons of it for later)
• 1 cup of dried cranberries
• 1 cup (two sticks) of butter, room temperature
• 3/4 cup of granulated sugar
• 3/4 cup of lightly packed brown sugar
• 2 eggs, room temperature
• 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon of baking soda
• 1 teaspoon of salt
• 2 1/4 cups of all-purpose flour
• 1 cup of white chocolate chips

http://www.traditionaloven.com/conversions_of_measures/butter_converter.html
Two sticks is equal to 226gram

Method

• Put the cranberries in a wide and shallow bowl, pour in brandy. Enough so they're are drowning. Just keep swimming my babies!!! Cover and place in the fridge for an hour or more. Afterwards, place a colander over a bowl and pour the cranberries and brandy through, putting the cranberries and the brandy they soaked in aside.
• Preheat oven to 375°F. Beat the crap out of the butter until it's light and fluffy. Add the sugars and beat again until light, fluffy and well incorporated.
• Add the eggs, vanilla extract, and add 1 1/4 teaspoons of the brandy that the cranberries soaked in (as for the rest, I suggest popping it in a glass and topping it off a bit for yourself). Beat well until light and fluffy. Scrape down the sides of the bowl midway through to ensure even mixing.
• Sift together the flour, baking soda, and salt, then add to the mixture a bit at a time, beating until just mixed. Fold in the brandy soaked cranberries and white chocolate chips. Let them chill out for 15 minutes in the fridge to commiserate their fate. 
• Line a baking sheet with parchment paper (a baker's best friend) and place rounded spoonfuls down on the sheet. Bake at 375°F for 10-12 minutes or until golden brown. Let cool for a minute, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

My kitchen smells lovely and I am slightly tipsy, it's all good! Gotta love this recipe :) Happy Holidays folks. Just keep on baking!! Errr, okay I nearly forgot to mention that I threw in some pistachio in the dough... heeehehe. That's also good for ya, puts hair on ya chest!

Gingerbread Men and Xmas cookies

Gingerbread Men and Xmas cookies

Ingredients

• 150g Western Star unsalted butter, cubed
• 1/2 cup golden syrup - I used molasses instead of golden syrup!
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
• 3 cups plain flour
• 1 tbsp ground ginger
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp nutmeg
• 1/2 tsp ground cloves
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1 egg, lightly whisked
• Writing fudge and rainbow chocolate chips, to decorate

Method

• Preheat oven to 180C. Line two large oven trays.
• Place butter, golden syrup and sugar in a saucepan over medium heat. Cook, stirring, until sugar dissolves. Bring to the boil. Remove from heat. Add bicarbonate of soda and stir to combine. Transfer to a large heatproof bowl.
• Set aside to cool.
• Sift flour, ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves and baking powder over butter mixture. Add the egg and stir until combined. Turn on to a lightly floured surface and gently knead until smooth. Divide dough into two portions. Shape each portion into a disc and cover with plastic wrap. Refrigerate for 45 minutes.
• Roll one portion between two sheets of baking paper until 5mm thick.
• Using 6-7cm pastry cutters, cut shapes from dough, re-rolling scraps. Place on the lined trays, 3cm apart to allow for spreading. Repeat with remaining dough.
• Bake in the oven, 1 tray at a time, until just firm to touch.
• Remove and set aside for 5 minutes to cool before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
• Decorate using writing fudge and chocolate chips.

Recipe: taste.com.au

This one is sitting on my mantlepiece ;) Hands off Santa!!!

Laduree

This week, I have a guest featured post from Paris. Oui from The City of Love....sarang sarang saranghae back to my friend Lin Milne, who is on holiday in Paris. She has kindly allowed me to do a post with her photos.

This is Laduree in Rue Bonaparte in St Germain. Isn't it amazing? It's practically magical! What beautiful macaroons they have! Just brilliant, my Ninja friend has done well as she goes forth... and snap snap snap....what beautiful photos too. She even went to all the Laduree for me.... Look at the shopfront display. Isn't it just dreamy?

A Collection of Laduree Macaroons

Photo credits: Lin Milne Photography All Rights Reserved.

(Please Do Not Copy)



 Laduree Bonaparte

Laduree Royale

 Laduree @ Champs Elysee

 My "Foreign Correspondent" - hehehhee... Lin Milne

Inside scoop: A certain ninja got told off for photographing this photo below. Hahah! Very Ninja of her to sneak one in!

"You are not suppose to take photos but errrrr what? me no understand French hahahahhh"

Note to Lin: Please, please can you bring home a Pastry Chef for me??? Never mind about the Eiffel Tower souvenir. Or just bring home a Roman Duruis for me..he's hot!

 Looking for my Roman Duruis, I hope!

Hello to all from Lin in Paris ;) 

She said she was never coming home... oh no!

 

Hehehehe! Wah!!!! Eiffel Tower photo just for my blog...so lucky!

Night time in Paris

Cookies and Cream Ice Cream

Recently, I purchased a Cuisinart ice cream maker and I have just made my first icecream using one. I read the instructions and left my bowl in a plastic bag ( to avoid freezer burns). I made cookies and cream ice cream with my son. He was happy to help and enjoyed eating his creation too. It was pretty good, I tell ya. Great buy this one! So glad that I waited for my Xmas present ;)
 

Ingredients:

1/2 (250ml) pint milk
1/2 pint (250ml) double/heavy cream
3oz (75g) sugar
5oz (125g) crushed oreo cookies


Method
Place the milk and sugar into a saucepan and heat gently, dissolving the sugar. Place the milk to one side to cool and when cold, stir in the cream. The other option is beat the milk and cream with sugar till blended then pour the complete mixture into an icecream maker and follow the manufacturer's instructions BUT remember to add the crushed cookies bits as the ice cream begins to thickened..

Merry Xmas and Happy New Year

To all my FB friends and love ones....I don't really hate Santa ;0

Have a Merry Xmas and an excellent New Year. Thank you for your friendship, love and support of my food blog over the years. Stay safe and have a good one ;)

This is my last post for the year, bring it 2011!!! This blog is for Santa, here's a plate for you tonite.