Blueberry with Chocolate Pound Cake

How i wish, I'm a little bird flying around the world with no worry and carefree. Recently my stress level is getting greater due to my work. My job load is proliferation and i find it hard to cope, Well this is life which i can't escape. I just tell myself to claim down and think positively. If i really can't walk down the road than i think i will look for another new path. But for now i must hang on, try not to give up easily.

I still have one box of blueberry in my freezer after using one box to bake this pound cake. Actually the recipe yield for banana but my blueberry has been in the freezer for more than one month, and is time to utilize it.

The cake surface and surrounding rather coarse and the centre break easily when i trying to cut into pieces. I wonder is it because of the blueberry that make the cake break easily. Hmm...

On the same day my office colleague organise a chalet party at Pasir Ris and I gave 3/4 of the portion to my colleague since i going down. Nowadays I seldom bake as my house only left me and my parent and they don't really like to eat pastry nor dessert. I bake unless i meeting my friend because i can give them my end product.

*If there is a choice, i wish my next life will be an gorgeous Eagle or Owl and definitely not a human being again.

Ingredient:

• 125gm unsalted butter, room temperature  
• 300gm cake flour
• 175gm white sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
• 150ml milk
• 125gm blueberry
• 50gm chocolate chip
• 1 tsp vanilla essence

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 180ºC (fan 160ºC). Lightly grease a loaf tin with extra butter.
2. Cream the butter and the sugar together in a large bowl using an electric hand whisk, until smooth.
3. Add one of the eggs and beat in well, then add the second and continue to beat well.
4. Sift in half the flour with the bicarbonate of soda, and mix well.
5. Mix in the milk, then the remaining flour.
6. Fold the blueberry and chocolate chip into the mixture along with the vanilla extract.
7. Tip the mixture into the loaf tin and level the top with a spatula.
8. Bake in the preheated oven for around 1 hour until a skewer inserted in the centre comes out clean and not sticky.
9. Cover the top with foil if it starts to brown too quickly.
10. Allow to cool in the tin for at least 20 minutes before turning out.

Almond Cookies

Time really flies, not even a month and Lunar Chinese New Year is approaching. During chinese new year, i definitely will not miss my flavour goodies like pineapple tarts, almond cookies and love letter.

For love letter, i prefer the Taiwan/Hong Kong style. The texture is different from the local love letter, their version is thicker.

The almond cookies i have made, i would said it taste nice but is not the kind of melt once u serve into your mouth. Is rather more crispy. I quite satisfy with the end product.

Ingredient:

• 100gm icing sugar
• 250gm plain flour
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 50gm ground almonds
• ¼ salt
• 150 ml corn oil
• 1 tsp vanilla essence

Method:

1. Sift flour, icing sugar, baking soda and baking powder into a mixing bowl.
2. Combine the grounded almonds and salt.
3. Add the vanilla essence and corn oil till it becomes soft dough.
4. Roll it out and cut into desired cookie moulds.
5. Place on a baking tray and bake it in a preheated oven at 175ºC for 10 to 12 minutes
6. Allow to cool and store it in a airtight container.

Birthday Chocolate Cake

It's been 9 years and blink my naughty niece already that big. She is my family first grandchildren and also great grandchildren. I sure every kid would love to have a birthday cake on their b'day. So i decide to make one and try.

This is my first time making a birthday chocolate cake, and do you know a slice of chocolate cake is about 300 calories. I knew it after i was browsing through the recipe book and realise is really sinful but i still love to eat chocolate cake. =p

My family praise the cake is delicious but of course still need to improve due to the sponge cake not that soft and fluffy, even the 4 little cuties (including the b'day girl) like it. Happy 9 years old Birthday to my naughty Min Min, hope u like the cake.

Ingredient:

Sponge

• Plain Flour 115g
• 3 Eggs
• Castor Sugar (superfine) 130g
• Unsalted butter 30g
• Fresh whole milk 45g
• Vanilla extract 1 tsp

Chocolate Frosting

• 225gm semisweet chocolate
• ¼ cup dark brown sugar
• 1 cup butter
• 5 tbsp evaporated milk
• ½  tsp vanilla extract

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 170ºC. Line an 18-cm round cake pan with a removable base with parchment paper.
2. Sift flour twice. In a clean bowl, beat the eggs with a whisk, then add sugar. Place bowl over a pot of simmering water and mix well
3. When egg mixture is warm, use an electric mixer to beat on high speed until light and fluffy. Reduce speed to low and continue beating for about 1 minute.
4. Place butter, milk and vanilla in a heatproof bowl and place over a pot of simmering water. Once butter has melted, stir through to mix.
5. Add one-sixth of egg batter to butter mixture and mix well, then add butter mixture to remaining egg batter and fold through evenly. Sift flour into bowl and fold in using a spatula until batter becomes glossy.
6. Pour batter into prepared cake pan and bake for about 40 minutes or until cake springs back when lightly touched. Remove from pan and place on a wire rack to cool. When cooled completely, trim crust off the top and bottom, then slice cake horizontally to get 2 layers.
7. To make the chocolate frosting, place the chocolate, brown sugar, butter, evaporated milk and vanilla extract in a heavy-bottom pan. Heat gently, stirring continuously until melted.
8. Pour into a bowl and let cool. Cover and let chill in the refrigerator for 1 hour or until spreadable.
9. Spread chocolate frosting onto cake layer and side. Refrigerate for a few minutes to set.

Chocolate Cornflakes

I didn't know cornflakes coat with chocolate is that wonderful. My ex-colleague offer me one of this when she make it herself and i ask her what is the recipe. She told me just coat the cornflakes with the chocolate, that simple.

I really thought that just melt the chocolate but not really truth, i melt the chocolate and the chocolate is very thick and is not smooth. I added the butter but still the same, just nice my mum walk over and ask me what i doing and i told her. She told me that u need to add some milk, so i follow her instruction and hey the chocolate become smooth. Oh thank god.

There is no recipe for this as i didn't measure the ingredient. The ingredient i use is chocolate, butter, milk and cornflakes.

Zaffron Kitchen

I happen to found this interesting place where is full of restaurant along the whole street, it make me can't decide which one to choose. Just nice my friend, PE wanna meet for a catch up so I choose the place and told her that we shall decide what to have for lunch when we reach the place.

There is a new shopping mall at the east area call 112 Katong. I get to know it where it's near my work place and is so good that they provide free shuttle bus to the destination. I when there one day after my work and realise outside the shopping mall is more interesting than inside the shopping mall. It's definitely a good hang out with friend and chill there.

Back to the main topic, while we were chatting along the street looking for which restaurant to dine than I realise that she also enjoy Indian food. So we decide to choose Zaffron, is a Indian cuisine. I love north Indian food, I so glad I found someone have the same taste bud as me. =p

There are a lot of varieties on the menu, so both of us choose one dish. I choose the plain naan (right pic) and she choose the Garlic Naan (left). Both of the naan taste good but the garlic naan taste more fragrant.

On the top pic is Butter Chicken, the chicken breast meat is tender with a bit of spicy. Dip with the naan taste more good. The below pic is Potato Masala, the potato is soft but not soggy and with the wonderful spice make me curve for more.

I order Tek Tarik which is one of my flavour drink however the Tek Tarik they serve make me quite disappointed. The Tek taste like plain water. PE order Sweet Lassi, is a cold drink. On the right pic is Papadum, this taste good if they are still crisp so must eat this first when it is serve. There are two sauce come with it, i like the orange jam but not the green mint for me.

Address:
135/137 East Coast Road Singapore 428822