Chunky Apple Cake

Woke up early this morning and it was freezing cold!! The house glass window was covered with a thin layer of frozen ice, due to the vast temperature difference between inside and outside. (Inside= 19-20 oC vs Outside = -14 oC). Added with the strange whistling sound (the wind), i'm thankful i'm staying at home today!

Still dark, though i snapped this at 8am this morning.

Mr M's breakfast today was chunky apple cake with accompanying fresh strawberries and cream, and some dragon fruits. Since he doesn't eat apples, i thought it would be best to make something related to apples so that he can have a taste of the nutrition.

Am not sure if i should call it a cake or a simple bread loaf, due to the texture and the ratio of flour vs butter involved. I adapted the recipe from a Filipino book which i had bought from KK long time ago, but had not managed to bake anything from there until now. The recipe calls for raisins, but since i've got none available at home, i switched them to chocolate chips instead.

The cake has a spicy flavour of cinnamon (and a very strong aroma) and topped with apple wedges which turned crunchy when baked. Am so glad Mr M likes it, as believe me, fresh apple is like a banned thingy from his list and it takes him ages just to finish a slice of cut apple.

CNY is around the corner!

My first box of pastries sent out this CNY

CNY is coming! Oh yes, it is. Not much preparation here, and seems like nothing much to look forward to, unlike back home in KK where everyone is busy visiting boutiques and stores, grabbing good food, putting up decorations and piling up their home stock supplies to ensure that they're fed well on the day. And, of course, for those who bake, it's one of their peak seasons.

Well, surprisingly, people don't do that here. Apart from weather change (temperature is minus 14 degree C today!) and price of vegetables increasing, CNY is just like any other normal ordinary day. People eat food they consume everyday,they wear the same old clothes, and they do the same thing they practise everyday. While cultures like giving out 'hong baos' and visiting relatives still prevail, preparations are not common. E.g. making special dish that is eaten only during CNY etc etc.

Despite so, sending gifts to relatives, friends and acquaintances is still something the Chinese practise. Infact, the Chinese consider this very importantly. It's like a taboo if you don't do it. :-P

One of my homemade gifts this CNY

And so this is how my CNY baking comes about. Not exactly, as i had always think that CNY without baking goodies like pineapple tarts, etc etc is not complete. Haha, therefore, do not wonder if pineapple tart is first on my list every CNY, including this one.

My first batch of pineapple cookies!

When Hubby came back and saw these, the first question he asked was 'what is that green thingy'? Yes, silly me, i had actually forgot how a pineapple looks like and thought sticking a green leaf and branch would do the trick but obviously my plan has failed and nobody realised it was a pineapple with a leaf and a branch!

Although there isn't much highlight this CNY, one dfferent thing i did this year was baking a kek lapis for Hubby's superior. Never did this specially for CNY before, but it was something nice. :-)

Durian Tartlets

What would you do if you have a hubby and parents in law who don't fancy durians? You make durian pastries!

I finally made BAGELS!

Was busy whole morning checking out something, digging my rusty brains to find a proper solution to some circumstances which i'm paranoid about now. Thought it would be best to divert my concentration to something else, and leave my poor brain and sick concerns for a short break. Perhaps i would be able to focus and think properly afterwards.

One thing that cheered me up is the bagels i made yesterday evening. Yes, i finally made BAGELS! And i'm so excited about it. Honestly i haven't tried a proper one, not even one in UK, solely because i have a sweet tooth which has preference over 'desserts' than some American snacks or whatever you call it. I have came across a number of sites that publish recipes for bagels, but have not given it a real thought until MR M recently mentioned that bagels go very well with cream cheese. And then he started to fantasize to me how good they are, showing his inner desire for one and giving me hints at the same time. According to him, bagels are not something you would miss in the States.

Since it's a rare thingy that Mr M has cravings for breads or pastries, i promised to give it a try, and make him some for breakfast. And it wasn't hard after all! As easy as the steps given! Of course thanks to these people who make good recipes!

I haven't found a place that sells poppy seeds here (wondering if it's legal here), so sesame seeds are the only toppings i could think of.

'Bageled' them up this morning with bacons, egg and sausages with some cream cheese and iceberg (i don't know where to get smoked salmons either), and Mr M happily grabbed his packed breakfast to work!

Cream cheese butter cake for the morning rush!

Mr M went back to work yesterday, which i felt very proud of, so proud that i had actually wanted to take a photo of him looking at his best, with a tie and black suit and hair well taken care of. (He looked super scrumptuous!!) But i didn't. Because i recorded them in my mind, saved under a folder which will never be erased forever. I know it sounded stupid, but it feels like my own son, all grown up and telling mommy i will go out there and bring home as much money as i can earn so that you mom can have a good living. Haha, me and my imagination...Nevertheless, i'm really proud of him.

As part of my constant support, i make it a priority to wake up early morning to make him some nice breakfast and prepare his bento (lunch box). People often say the way to a guy's heart is his tummy, but i've got no intention to that; infact i just love playing my role, and if that means waking up early, i've got no absolute problem to that! Early rise is good, and i love it, perhaps it has been something which i had yearned to do since young, always wanted to be that good wife and mom who arises early to make sure her hubby and kids are welly fed before they go off. Same goes even when i have to punch my card at the office at 8am! :-)

Think you should have guessed it, this is how this cake came about, it's for Mr M's breakfast! I whipped it up last Monday evening, and topped with lotsa oranges and strawberries early morning before packing him a nice slice!

Second week of 2009

Want to know how time can really fly? If a lady as free as me with nothing much, carrying no specific task to do everyday can claim that time is an essence, then time is really passing us by! Honestly, to think back what i have been up to lately is one difficult task;why? because i do not know how my time has been spent up! Yes, it seems like everyday i wake myself up to a new day and before i know it, it's time to go to bed. Where did the middle part go? Scary huh?

Last week marks the second week of the new year 2009, which is also the second week i'm back here. Been back for 16 days already, it feels like ages and yet not so. While Mr M was preparing himself back to work at PWC, i made sure i've got everything i need to spend the rest of the days, and of course, that includes none other than some baking utensils and key ingredients.

So that was how we spent the last second week, driving out and going around to grab some necessities. One place we didn't miss out was IKEA, for the reason of getting a pepper grinder for mom in law. That meant our week turned out not too bad, coz in the end, Mr M bought me a new whirling cake stand! :-). Not from IKEA of course, but it is more than good.

Besides all the shopping, this orange cake came into play because Mr M tricked me into it! Haha, oh well, spare him the mercy, coz he wasn't intentional. He had thought that we would be visiting his aunt on one of those days, but ended up didn't due to some reasons. Since i love orange cake myself, it doesn't hurt keeping it to ourselves to munch away those hungry hours!

Blessed New Year 2009

More to begin with the new year! There are so many things i want to achieve, and perform this year, though with an empty beginning and no proper job to start with. Putting my gears down to rest and my brains to a short break before i go out and fight more! I will write a different story before this year comes to an end in a different scenario and status!! Definitely definitely.. my solemn promise to myself.

Here are something i achieved two days ago, though not specifically on new year day itself. To be frank, baking was the last thing on my mind for the past week, which i think was due to the supreme exhaustion from the trip home last month/year. Moreover, we had quite a number of visitors to our home throughout the week, and i just needed some time to myself! Plus all the thinkings and worries......

So well, the reason why i baked was because dad in law had specially requested them for his own mom, aunt and friend. As new year gifts. Because people don't normally bake here, giving homebaked pastries and cakes are thought to be very special indeed. And believe me, posh and expensive as well. (Butter is super dear here!!)

Anyway, i got my lazy butt kicking last Sat night, and managed to bake one green tea cheesecake, blueberry cups and nuttella mini cups.