Apple Juice Jelly Beer

4.12.14 (Thurs)

Ever since I joined the Facebook Group Page "Baking's Corner", I got so much baking inspiration from all the passionate bakers. I seen so many of them making this Apple Juice Jelly Beer and found the recipe on Baking's Corner blog. Super easy recipe and my Hubby got tricked, thinking it was real beer!

Ingredients

500ml Apple juice (cold/chilled)

10g-13g gelatine powder

1 tbsp caster sugar (optional)

Methods

1. Transfer 3 tbsp. of apple juice into a large microwavable bowl. Then add gelatin powder and mix well. Cover and microwave at 500w for 30 seconds, and mix well again till gelatin was totally dissolve  

2. Add the rest of the cold apple juice, whisk for 3-5 minutes.

3.  then mix quickly for 30 seconds to make the foam. by hand whisk.

4. Serve in glasses and cool in the fridge for about an hour to set.

 

Yum Seng!

Cake in the egg shell

30.11.14 (Sun)

Lately, I am addicted into baking cake in the egg shell! The end product was so cute and children just loved it! Since our family love to eat egg, so I have no problem in collecting empty egg shells, just need a lil patient in the cleaning process.

Ingredients

3 egg whites

3 egg yolks

70g self raising flour

60ml fresh milk

35g canola oil

1 tsp cream of tartar

50g caster sugar

Artificial coloring 

12 empty egg shells

Methods

1. In a clean bowl, using an electric hand mixer, beat egg whites using high speed. Add in 20g caster sugar and cream of tartar. Continue beating till stiff peak. Set aside.

2. In another bowl, using an electric hand mixer, beat egg yolks and the remaining caster sugar till pale yellow. Add in oil. Beat to combine. Add in milk. Beat to combine.

3. Sift in flour and mixed well with a spatula. Mixed in egg whites (in 2-3 batches) using a spatula and mixed well.

4. Divide the batter into 3 portions. Add in coloring (red, orange, yellow) in each portion. Using the piping bag, piped in 1/3 of batter (red), followed by 1/3 of orange batter and 1/3 of yellow batter.

5. Baked at 170C for 15-20mins till skewer comes out clean.

Note:

Please click here for a useful clip. Easy to follow.

Hubby's 35th Birthday

26.11.14 (Wed)

Today is my Hubby's 35th birthday! As always, I will bake a cake for him. This year, I baked a Mango Cheese Cake with a layer of sponge cake inside and lots of sweet juicy mangoes cubes. (It's mango season now) Glad that the cake turned out to be yummy and nice. 

Abby & Ian gave PaPa a box of Guylian chocolate. We bought it few weeks ago.
Me: Abby, what do you want to give PaPa for birthday?
Abby: Hmm..chocolate?
Me: Do you have money to buy?
Abby: I can use my money in my piggy bank.

So, we bought the box of chocolate and kept it in a secret place. I reminded Abby to keep it as a secret and do not reveal to PaPa. But you know kids, they can't keep secret well. Haha...
Abby: PaPa, I bought a present for you!
Hubby: Oh, that's so sweet of you. What is it?
Abby: I can't tell you. It's a secret!

But that was one day Abby accidentally revealed out the answer over the dinner and Hubby heard it. Hubby pretended that he didn't hear what she said coz he knew, she will burst into tears if he found out what the present was.

So today when Abby handed him the present, he acted so happy and surprise. So funny! I gave Hubby a massage voucher - neck, shoulder and foot massage. (coz I knew I am not good at massaging) Then, we sang birthday song and cut the cake. I specially prepared one cupcake each for Abby & Ian, with candle on it. So that they won't fight with Hubby when blowing candle.

Later in the noon, we brought the kids to the dentist for check up. (subsidized by the government). The doctor praised them for having beautiful and healthy tooth and gave them each a toothbrush as reward. Ian was very brave until he saw the doctor taking his tool, he burst into tears. Ian thought the doctor was going to do something to his teeth and he was scared. Actually, the doctor wanted to apply some fluoride onto his teeth for strengthening purposes.

After the check up, we went to visit a friend. Then went to Hakataya for dinner because Hubby got a free bowl of noodle on his birthday! However, we missed out the free Boost juice as the shop was closed when we went there! Gotta wait for another year then!

And today Abby received her birthday present from 阿姨, ie my sister. Earlier, I asked my sis to help buy the Mr Men Little Miss toys from Mcd and she was very thoughtful to ship it over. (initially I told her we will go back and collect next CNY) Abby was very happy and excited.

Next event will be Abby's 5th birthday in about 2 weeks time. I plan to bake a special cake for her and have 2 celebrations, one at home and the other in Sunday School. Looking forward!

Mango Cheese Cake (version 2)

26.11.14 (Wed)
Today is my Hubby's BIG day. I baked a No-baked Mango Cheese Cake for him. (few days ago, our friends gave us 13 big mangoes, I made mango smoothies and decided to use some for this cake)

(using a 8" cake mould)
Ingredients:
The base McVities Digestive Biscuits (about 5-6pcs, depending on how thick you want the base to be)
Oreo biscuits (without the cream)
80g Unsalted butter (if you find that the biscuits are too dry, then add more butter)
30g icing sugar

1. Crush all the biscuits till it become almost like sand texture (crumbs) and mix it with the icing sugar.

2.  Melt the butter. Pour the butter into a tray together with biscuits crumbs. Mix it well.

3.  Compress it evenly on the base of the tray. Put in the fridge for at least 1hour or till it is hardened.

4.   Make some small holes all over the base using a fork (this is to ensure the cheese sticks to the base).



The Sponge Cake
Please see here for recipe. I added 2tsp of cocoa powder. The remaining batter can be used to bake cupcakes.

The Cheese content
500g cream cheese (I preferred Philadelphia brand)  
150g mango flavour yoghurt  
200g of sweetened condensed milk  
Fresh mangoes, cut in cubes  
8 teaspoon of gelatin powder, with 200ml water

1.  Let the cheese (500g) cool down to room temperature.

2. Pour the water into a small pot and heat up under low heat. Then, pour the gelatin powder (8 tsp with 200ml water) into the pot and stir it thoroughly until melted. The end product is a very thick and sticky gelatin mixture. Set aside for use.

3. Using an electric hand mixer, blend the cheese well to make it soft.

4. Next pour in the sweetened condensed milk and mix it well. Then pour the yoghurt. Blend it well and thoroughly.

5. Quickly pour the gelatin mixture into the earlier cheese content and then mix it well with a spatula. Add in the mangoes cubes.

6. Placed the sponge cake on top of the biscuit base. (cut the cake into 7")  

7. Finally, pour the final cheese content into the earlier prepared base tray.  

8. Put in the fridge for 1 hour or until the cheese has set.

9. Decorate as desired.

Abby's very first card received by post!

24.11.14 (Mon)

Today when we came back from grocery shopping, the postman just arrived. As usual, I asked Abby to collect mails (if any). She stood beside the letter box, waiting patiently. The postman came and passed some mails to her. (I was busy carrying the shopping bags from the car)

"Mum! Mum! Looked, I got a parcel!" shouted Abby.

I turned around and saw her holding a brown envelope. (I knew who sent the card)

"Oh wow, who send you the mail?"

"I don't know. Let's open it!"

"We shall open it inside the house ok?" (coz my sis asked to take a video of her opening the card, to capture her expression)

When my sister told me she wanted to send over the Mcd toys (I asked her to buy for Abby) as Abby's birthday present, I suggested why not she mailed a birthday card to her instead, She will be very happy coz Abby always complained to me that no one send her cards. (ever since we came here, Abby has been sending cards to family members and friends on special occasions) Initially, I thought my sister will just buy a normal birthday card from the shop and mailed over. When Abby opened up the envelope , I was so impressed of the artwork done! Thank you all for your sincerity, especially to my sister for her creativity!