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Autumn! And a Persimmon Creme Brulee.
4|04|2013
Of dry leaf piles, of cracklings underfoot, of receding daylight, of longer nights, of cooler winds, of Fall, of harvest, of mellowness, of Shelly, of Keats, of red, of gold, of maple, of figs, of chestnuts, of pumkins, of sparseness, of loss, of change, of seasons, of bright endings to make for new … Read More
Vanilla Cupcakes with Lemon, Passion Fruit and Saffron Buttercream.
1|04|2013
I hope you all had a fun Easter weekend. Mine has been one long eventful holiday. I have only been home to catch my beauty sleep and spent the rest of the time exploring a few gorgeous places around Sydney. Before I begin to tell you all about my adventures (in the next few posts), I wanted to give … Read More
Strawberry Melting Moments. Not a moment too soon!
27|03|2013
I am so looking forward to the weekend. 4 days off...a much needed break. We have been longing for some family time. And it has been long due. First it was the boy's health, one following the other and then my husband travelling on work. Now all we want is to slow down and huddle together in a few … Read More
‘Sunkiss’-ed! Pineapple Orange cupcakes with Cointreau buttercream.
24|03|2013
Sunkissed...nope, this time its not me! Those are my cocktail inspired cupcakes. Okay, this is my 3rd cupcake in 3 weeks. But believe me when i say these are different. These are boozy and grown up cupcakes with a generous dose of Cointreau. I know I know...looks can be deceptive! I love liqours. I … Read More
I will…I can ! Earl Grey-Milk Chocolate and Lemon Mousse Duo
22|03|2013
'As I see it. . . . I can and I will Everyday I tell myself that I can and I will. I find the reasons why I can and why I will succeed. I paint the vision of my future in my mind and I can see myself standing in the winners circle. My success starts in my mind and I make it happen as I see it in my visions.' -Lou LudwigThat was my healthy dose of optimism for you! There are days when I rely heavily on some borrowed positivity to get my act together. For a person who once took pride in being determined, planned and organised with everything, life is anything but 'organised' at the moment. Life with two young kids can be demanding. And leave you exhausted. On reminiscing I often wonder where all the "I wills' of my willpower have disappeared. Funny how situations can transform you. How easy is it for any of us to get knocked down by life at times? But the good news is that I am not done with them yet. The 'I will-s' have been replaced with "I can-s'. Those who have been reading my posts would know by now my weakness for desserts especially cold ones. Mousse comes right at the top of my list of ‘things that make my day’. And this duo has been on my mind for days. I … Read More
Double Chocolate Cupcakes with Chocolate Fudge Frosting.
18|03|2013
Many years ago, I met a little boy. He had an angelic face with the cutest curls around them, eyes that told stories of twinkling stars and a smile that could melt the strongest of hearts. Like most little boys, he adored everything with wheels. Toy cars, big cars and makeshift cars (the ones that are generally meant to carry belongings but at times can carry a toddler or two...Suitcases). I told him stories at bedtime, made him laugh during the day with faces and expressions that only we could read, filled up his stockings with little presents during Christmas Eve and made him cry when he played with my dolls. We walked together a zillion roads, his fingers tightly clutching mine. Till one day he became the 'cool guy'. Cool guys don't hold hands. He morphed into a teenager. Fiercely independent..with an understanding of the world that was so rare of his age..who kept a lot to himself but was always ready to offer a lending a hand. Under the pretext of doing homework we spent many afternoons together, sharing secrets, cracking jokes, hiding behind windows and spraying water on innocent passersby and sneaking into the kitchen to do the 'great taste test' for dishes that were … Read More
If its a Sticky Date Pudding it has to be sticky!
14|03|2013
This morning as I was cleaning my refrigerator I found myself conflicted. There were bits of this and that everywhere. Egg whites, egg yolks, a cup of lemon curd, some ganache, dates, nuts, shortcrust pastry and a lot of others. I gave my brains a workout and it came up with a world of possibilities all of which were cold. Not surprising! Normally I wouldn't want to waste a second once i make a decision especially if the outcome excites me. But today was different. The younger twin contracted an infection 3 days ago and has been down with fever and cold ever since. Naturally, i had to make a warm dessert. Something I myself would enjoy during minimal taste sensations. No chocolate this time though. Before I come to the dessert, there is something else I wanted to convey. Since I write so often about my boys, for the sake of blog identity henceforth I will refer to them as Twin 1 and Twin 2. I don't feel I am justified in calling them older and younger. And incidentally that is how they were addressed after birth for hospital and immunisation records before they had a name. Lets talk pudding now. There are two parts to my association with Sticky Date … Read More
Kaffir Lime Panna Cotta
11|03|2013
I wanted to let you in on a little secret. I have this ridiculous urge to look at everything with pastry eyes! What I mean by that is quite often when I come across a food item or ingredient..herbs, spices, vegetables, fruits..anything. I start to imagine how it would turn out mixed with sugar, whisked with eggs, added to cream, baked, frozen, torched, candied and so on. Until lately I thought this was weird. And people around me thought I was 'stressed out' and 'needed a break'. A Thai lunch and I was all about Kaffir Lime. Not that this was the first time Kaffir Lime had caught my attention. Before this I was probably paying more attention to something else..Lemongrass I think. I enjoyed the dish I was eating but I enjoyed thinking about the little experiments that I was going to carry out more. 'This is so good' one of my friends remarked between mouthfuls of Thai curry. Oh yes, it is..imagine pairing it with mango...I smiled at myself. 'I had something similar in ABC restaurant but this one is better' another one spoke out. It will be great in a Panna Cotta. And blackberries..lovely...white, yellow, black...i was already planning. I looked at the watch. 1.10 … Read More