Best of 2011: Happy New Year!

This year hasn’t been exactly the perfect year. There’s no such thing as a perfect year, fyi. 

I learnt that I shouldn’t be stupidly doing someone else’s job, which got me mild to medium enmity from irresponsible, lazy counterparts.

I figured my life is owned by me and not by things I don’t want to be part of. 

I admitted to my parents that I did not want to study my whole life, resulting in shock, anger and mostly disappointment. 

I grasped yeast and buns. 

I learnt how to make sponge cake after at least 20 failures.

I made my first cookies.

I tidied up this blog and now it accurately represents who I am. Most of the time anyway.

I learnt that NBA matches take a break every few minutes. Sort of annoying.

For the first time, I wrapped 14 presents in a row. Sort of boring.

I got my head back into the 3D arena. Sort of fun.

My computer decided it had only a few months left to live. Not exactly the highlight of the year. 

Best of all, I met you guys. 

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Top 5 Recipes of 2011

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5 FIVE 五

Single Serving Fat-free Fudgy-centred Mini-Choco-Cupcakes (Gluten-free & Vegan)

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4 FOUR 四

A Rich Chocolate Cake (fat free and with an unexpected ingredient)

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3 THREE 三

Fat free Milk-Coffee-Buns (with vegan option)

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2  TWO 二

Low Calorie Choco-Cookie-Dough Spread

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1 ONE 一

Single Serving Cookie Dough Bowl (Quick, Vegan, Gluten-free and definitely healthy)

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My Favourite Recipes of 2011

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Low Fat Pineapple Tarts (not fat-free)

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Raw High Protein Healthier Almost-Snickers (Vegan & Gluten Free)

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Best Muffins Ever! (w Vegan option, also low fat and whole wheat)

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Magical Cinnamon Rolls w Vegan Option (Low Fat & Whole Wheat)

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Peanut Butter Povitica (Vegan, Reduced Fat & Whole Wheat)

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Happy New Year! 😀

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Peanut Butter Povitica (Vegan, Reduced Fat & Whole Wheat)

I have been watching ‘Lizzie McGuire’. 

And conducting detailed research of what happened to the main characters: 

Hilary Duff is now pregnant and has a smaller head. I still love her voice.

Adam Lamberg : MIA

Lalaine looks pretty much the same and she has been singing. That’s cute. 

Jake Thomas grew out his hair and now looks… shockingly different?

Amazing what time can do!

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And yes, I did watch ‘Lizzie McGuire’ while baking this Povita. It was fun.

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I used a regular sweet bread recipe for the dough, concocted my own Povitica peanut filling and made the bread like a Povitica. I’m pretty sure it tastes good. Because it does.

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This was the peanut filling. It tasted really good on its own. Better than peanut butter. Waay better.

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Peanut Butter Povitica

No. of servings: 5

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Ingredients

For Dough

• 100g bread flour
• 100g Whole Wheat flour
• 30g cake flour
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 25g sugar
• 115g unsweetened soy milk
• 25g egg (coconut milk for vegan version)
• 3g instant yeast

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• 3 tbsp reduced fat spread, softened

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For Peanut Butter Filling

• 1/2 cup peanut flour
• 1/4 cup maple syrup
• 3 tbsp reduced fat spread
• 3 tbsp coconut milk OR egg
• 3 tbsp demerara sugar or palm sugar
• 3 tbsp black sugar or brown sugar
• some water

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Topping

• 2 tbsp strong cold coffee
• 1 tbsp sugar or condensed milk
• 2 tbsp demerara or palm sugar
• 3 tbsp reduced fat spread

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Directions

For Dough:

Add all ingredients into the mixer bowl of a stand mixer.

Mix at speed 2 for 6 minutes or until the dough, when stretched slightly, does not split i.e. passes the windowpane test.

Shape the dough into a smooth round and place in a mixing bowl, cover with cling wrap and let it rise till double in volume for about 60mins.

Remove dough and give a few light kneading on a lightly floured work surface. Press out the trapped air as your knead.

Roll and stretch the dough out on a lightly floured surface into a rectangle.

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Peanut Butter Filling:
Mix all ingredients except water. Add enough water while mixing to give a filling of the consistency in the photograph above. 

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Topping:

Mix the coffee with sugar.

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Assembly: (adapted from Daring Kitchen)

Thoroughly oil a bread tin.

Mark off 1” along all the edges of the dough.(You will not spread any filling on this edge.)

Spread the softened reduced fat spread over the dough with a rubber spatula and then evenly distribute the peanut butter filling. Be careful to leave your 1” edges clean.

Using a pizza roller or knife, cut the rectangle into 3 with the cuts parallel to the long edges. 

For each section, begin at the far longer edge and roll up the dough toward the 1” clean edge. Like a cinnamon roll.

Press to seal the ends to prevent the filling from leaking.

Pleat the 3 rolls into a braid. 

Fold into half and place into a rectangular bread tin.

Cover with plastic wrap and let rise for 45 minutes.

Brush the top of the loaf with the coffee and sugar mixture, cover with plastic wrap, and let stand for 15 minutes.  

Meanwhile, preheat your oven to 350°F/ 180°C.

Bake for for 15 minutes.  

After 15 minutes, lightly brush the top of the loaf with a tbsp of low fat spread , and lower the oven temperature to 300°F/ 150°C.

Cook for 45 minutes at this temperature, but make sure to check it after 30 minutes.  If the top of the loaf begins to brown too soon you can cover it with tin foil. 

Once ready, remove the loaf from the oven and coat the top of the loaf with remaining low fat spread.

Allow to cool on a wire rack for 20-30 minutes.  

Make sure to leave the loaf in the pan during this time so that the loaf can hold its shape.  

You can remove the loaf from the pan once it has completely cooled to room temperature. 

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Best eaten fresh and warm. To store, freeze in sealed plastic bag.

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See the filling leaking out after it was baked?

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This post is going to YEASTSPOTTING!!!

Enjoy your Povitica! 

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Low Fat Yellow Cake with Sesame Soy Cream

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I watched this today with a good friend of mine:

(Source)

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No, you’re not in for yet another lecture from me (honestly, do I lecture you?? I don’t, do I? I’m not going to lecture you. Stop worrying.)

I actually only watched it because 小鬼（黄鸿升）was in it. My brother has a lot to say about this. To understand the following transcript of our conversation , you will need to know who is 小鬼.

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He’s the guy on the right, (un)successfully pretending to be cute.

(Source)

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Me: I want to watch 一泡儿红 (Already Famous).

Bro: Why? It sounds lame.

Me: Yeah, I guess.

Bro: Why watch it then?

Me: 小鬼’s in it.

Bro: That’s it?

Me: Duh.

Bro: You should not watch a movie because of the actor. You should watch it because of the plot.

Me: Isn’t that what I’m doing? Its just that 小鬼 happens to be part of the plot.

Bro: Which planet in the galaxy did that warped piece of logic come from??

Me: Mars. Maybe Jupiter. 

Bro: That was supposed to be a rhetorical question. Which means you don’t answer it.

Me: Its a question. Questions come with answers. You know, like how DNA is made up of nucleotides…

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And blah blah blah. Stupid brother. He and his crazy logic. Do you know that logic frequently translates into lack of creativity? Well now you know.

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See? I told you there wouldn’t be a lecture!

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Let’s pretend I haven’t said anything yet.

Let’s pretend this post starts from here.

Yesterday, I made Low Fat Yellow Cake with Sesame Soy Cream.

It was delicious.

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The Soy cream that I used as a frosting is made of tofu but no one can tell.

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Right… the recipe.

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Low fat Yellow Cake + Sesame Soy Cream

No. of servings: 6

Cake Recipe adapted from Smitten Kitchen

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Ingredients

For Cake

• 1 cup plus 1/2 tablespoons (124 grams) cake flour 
• 1 cup plus 1/2 tablespoons (130 grams) Whole Wheat flour 
• 1 tsp (5 grams) baking powder
• 3/4 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp (2.5 grams) table salt
• 5 tbsp reduced fat spread, softened
• 3/4 cup (150 grams) sugar
• 1 tsp (5 ml) pure vanilla extract
• 2 large eggs, at room temperature, separated
• 1 cup buttermilk, well-shaken

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Sesame Soy Cream frosting

• 10 oz silken tofu
• 1/4 cup peanut flour
• 3 tbsp sesame flour
• 2 tbsp maple syrup
• 1/4 cup icing sugar
• 1/2 tsp xanthan gum

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Directions

Note that a hand mixer can be used in place of the stand mixer for this recipe.

Cake:

Preheat oven to 180°C/350°F. Butter two 9-inch round cake pans and line with circles of parchment paper, then butter parchment. (Alternately, you can use a cooking spray, either with just butter or butter and flour to speed this process up.)

Sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl. In a large mixing bowl, beat reduced fat spread and half the sugar in a large bowl with an electric mixer at medium speed until pale and fluffy, then beat in vanilla. Add egg yolks 1 at a time, beating well and scraping down the bowl after each addition. At low speed, beat in buttermilk until just combined (mixture will look curdled).

Add flour mixture in three batches, mixing until each addition is just Incorporated.

Using electric mixer, beat the egg whites until foamy and add remaining sugar. Continue whipping the whites till hard peaks form.

Fold egg whites into batter using a large wooden spoon or rubber/plastic spatula.

Spread batter evenly in cake pan, then rap pan on counter several times to eliminate air bubbles. (I like to drop mine a few times from two inches up, making a great big noisy fuss.) Bake until golden and a wooden pick inserted in center of cake comes out clean, 35 to 40 minutes. Cool in pan on a rack 10 minutes, then run a knife around edge of pan. Invert onto rack and discard parchment, then cool completely, about 1 hour.

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Sesame Soy Cream Frosting:
Blend everything in a blender. Yes, that’s it. 

You may need to double the frosting if you want generous layers of frosting. With a single batch, I barely managed to cover the sides of the cake.

Frost your cake.

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That’s it. Enjoy a few slices of cake with some hot chocolate. Yes, I did say a few. What’s the point of making low fat cake if you can’t have a few pieces at a time???????

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And yes, for the inquisitive at heart, I’m trying out cake-baking now. 

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What I Ate on Wednesday (13) WIAW

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I’m a hazard to myself.

I dunk piles of chili onto my rice knowing it would give me a bad stomachache and runny nose. (Its delicious.)

I ride my bike along the road at maximum speed knowing its dangerous. (Try it! But of course make sure the road is empty)

I swim in a thunderstorm (not for long though… the lifeguards make sure I get out)

I cycle in the rain. (What can I say? Its fun!!!)

I grab stuff from the oven without an oven mitt. (Total accident)

I wash a knife treating it like a spoon. (How else do you wash a knife???)

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My brother is a hazard to himself

He plays basketball.

He plays basketball and gets blue-blacks in both eyes.

He plays basketball and gets blue-blacks on his thighs.

He plays basketball and sprains his back. 

He plays basketball and sprains his arms.

He plays basketball and sprains his ankles.

He plays basketball and gets kicked in the ass.

He plays computer games and makes himself numb to gross blood-splattering violence.

He plays computer games and gets himself kicked in the ass by yours truly.

And no, I have nothing against basketball. It did a terrific job making my brother look completely different from me (seeing the ‘good job’ resulted in him becoming horribly popular and attractive to girls who think he tastes better than chocolate cake what the hell are they thinking????)

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A Blueberry Bun (~250 kcal)

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1.5 tbsps Peanut Butter  (~150 kcal)

(Source)

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Rice with spicy fried potato, spicy fried belachan kang kong and spicy fried tempeh topped with curry sauce from a Malay Vegetable Rice Stall (~600 kcal)

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Nougats!!!!!! (~250 kcal for 4)

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2  slices of this Low Fat Yellow Cake with Sesame Soy Cream (~500kcal)

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~ 1750 kcal in total

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Have fun! Eat real food!

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Magical Cinnamon Rolls w Vegan Option (Low Fat & Whole Wheat)

If you’ve never seen a fluffy, wholewheat, sticky, gooey cinnamon roll, I have a question for you:

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Who are you???

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Crawl out of that cocoon you’re living in right now.
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And stare.

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You’re looking at it.

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Fluffy.
Gooey.
Soft.
Sticky.
Yum.
Who knew it would be whole wheat?

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No one.

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Magical Cinnamon Rolls

No. of servings: 9 big rolls or 16 small ones

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Ingredients

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For dough (very loosely adapted from here)

• 2 tbsp water
• 1/2 cup buttermilk (vegan: 1/2 tsp + enough soy milk to make 1/2 cup and let rest for 5 minutes)
• 1/4 cup non-fat yogurt (vegan: use soygurt or coconut yogurt or 1/4 cup melted earth balance or 3 tbsp oil)
• 25g egg (well beaten) (vegan: 1 tbsp oil or 2 tbsp Ener-G Egg Replacer)
• 1/2 tsp vanilla
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 2 tbsp/ 25g white sugar
• 2 tbsp/ 25g black or brown sugar
• 1 1/4 cup/ 162g unbleached white bread flour
• 1 cup/ 128g whole wheat flour
• 1 1/4 tsp instant yeast (1/2 envelope)

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For Filling

• 3 tbsp reduced fat spread, softened (I used oil based spread, which is vegan)
• 2 tbsp palm sugar (type that has been chopped into very small chunks) You can also use demera sugar but the taste is slightly different
• 15 mini marshmallows (use vegan marshmallows)
• 3 tbsp icing sugar
• 1 tsp cinnamon powder

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Directions

Dough:

1. Mix all wet ingredients in a bowl.
2. Add all dry ingredients  into the mixer bowl of a stand mixer.
3. Add wet  ingredients.
4. Mix at speed 2 for 10-15 minutes until smooth dough that passes windowpane test is formed.
5. Shape the dough into a smooth round and place in a mixing bowl, cover with cling wrap and let it rise till double in volume for about 60mins.
6. Remove dough and give a few light kneading on a lightly floured work surface. Press out the trapped air as your knead.
7. Roll and stretch the dough out on a lightly floured surface into a 15” by 24” (38 cm by 61 cm) rectangle.
8. Mark off 1” along the 24” edge of the dough, closest to you.(You will not spread any filling on this edge.)

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Filling:

1. In a food processor, add in marshmallows and icing sugar.
2. Process till marshmallows are sort of minced. (The icing sugar prevents bits of marshmallow from sticking) Alternatively, use manpower!! Like I did.
3. Mix well the marshmallow mixture with palm sugar and cinnamon powder.

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How to assemble

1. Spread the softened reduced fat spread over the dough with a rubber spatula and then evenly distribute the filling. Be careful to leave your 1” edge clean.
2. As a final step, use your rolling pin to lightly roll the filling mixture.
3. Starting at the far edge of the dough, roll it up tightly.
4. Begin at the far 24” edge and roll up the dough toward the 1” clean edge.
5. The clean 1” edge is used to seal the finished roll.
6. Trim the left and right ends of the roll. The result will be a 24” roll.
7. Trim off the left and right ends of the roll so that you have a fulsh end at each end of the roll.
8. Then mark the roll every 1 1/2 inches (3.8 cm).
9. Cut the roll into 1 1/2” long portions.This may be done with a knife.
10. Line your baking pans with parchment paper.
11. Place 5 rolls into 8” square baking pans 1” apart. (One roll in each corner, and one in the center.)
12. Cover with a lint free cloth and let rise in a warm, draft free place until almost double, approximately 1 hour.
13. After rising, rolls should be touching each other and the sides of the pan.
14. This is important for best results. This gives the resulting rolls the soft, moist outer edge that most people prefer.
15. Preheat oven to 375F/180C. Bake for 10-15 minutes. 
16. (Optional but recommended step) Brush the tops with butter! once removed from oven.

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This post is going to YEASTSPOTTING!!!

Enjoy.

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What I Ate on Wednesday (12) WIAW

Remember My Brother’s 11 (Really) Stupid (but perhaps logical) Rules for Harmonious Living? You have no idea how true that list is.

Here’s mine.

My 8 (Really) Stupid (but perhaps logical) Rules Beliefs (?) for Harmonious Living

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1. Yellow always looks best
2. Never waste time not doing anything, i.e. staring into thin air (sleeping is not counted unless its an afternoon nap)
3. When choosing clothes/shoes, comfort >>>>>> design. Duh.
4. One should not go googoogaga  over mascara-wearing Korean guys whose gender, at first sight, normal people cannot really tell.
5. Taiwan is a country. (No argument allowed)
6. Do not eat weird animal parts including but not limited to animal intestines, eyes, heart and liver. Eat only the meat portion.
7. Don’t do what you don’t like.
8. My brother needs more muscles. (Ha!)

There’s only 8… I’ll get my bro to draw up my list for me next time…

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Going on, I haven’t done this in ages, but here we go…

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I made a Reduced Fat Peanut & Orange Frangipane Pie yesterday and had a slice for breakfast.

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Packet rice with Bitter gourd cooked with egg, black pepper lean meat and a green veggie whose English name I do not know. Same type of packet food as that above.

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Another slice of pie. Pretty consumable for a failed pie.

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(source)

And a handful of party snack mix.

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A pretty boring snack day I guess. Not exactly the healthiest day…

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Low Fat Two-Tone Cheese Tart (w vegan option)

If only Santa were real (little kids who happen to chance upon this post, sorry for breaking your innocent little hearts). But there still is God. I think He already knows what we want and tries to give us some of our wishes too. Still, my mum always reminds me that we still have to tell Him too because it makes a difference. I’m not sure why though. 

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This Christmas, I wish

1. For real friends, who I don’t feel awkward and fake talking to
2. For my dad to get a better job (that he also likes)
3. For my mum to be happy with hers and get along with her colleagues
4. that I’ll be on my way to making my dreams come true
5. For good friends, for real friends, for friends I’m comfortable with, I can’t say this enough
6. to eat what I want whenever I want and not gain weight (or better still be able to lose weight haha– learnt this from 黄鸿升)
7. my whole family to be healthy and happy
8. be happy, be happy, be happy

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I just made my first successful tart, and I want to share it with all of you!

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Two Tone Cheese Tart

No. of servings: 5

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Ingredients

For Wholegrain Shortbread Crust

• 1/2 cup white whole wheat flour
• 1/2 cup oat flour
• 3 tbsp brown sugar
• 1/4 cup light margarine/butter
• 1 tsp low fat cream cheese (vegan: tofutti)

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For Cappuccino Cream Cheese filling

• 8 tbsp/ 4 oz low fat cream cheese (vegan: tofutti)
• 1 tsp nonfat yogurt (or more cream cheese)
• 1/2 tsp instant coffee powder
• 1 egg (vegan: 1/4 cup pureed silken tofu)
• 1/4 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup sugar

For Chocolate PB Cream Cheese filling

• 8 tbsp/ 4 oz low fat cream cheese (vegan: tofutti)
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 2 tbsp peanut butter
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 oz semi-sweet chocolate chips (vegan: vegan choco chips)
• 2 tbs unsweetened cocoa powder

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Directions

For Wholegrain Crust

1. Blend ingredients in a blender/food processor till a dough forms.
2. Wrap in cling film and refrigerate for 10 minutes.
3. Roll out into a 0.5 cm layer.
4. Press into pie mould and bake at 350°F/180°C for 10 minutes.

Cappuccino Cream Cheese filling:

5. Whip cream cheese with a hand mixer or stand mixer.
6. Add sugar and continue mixing.
7. Add remaining ingredients and mix till well blended.
8. Pour over baked shortbread crust and bake at 350°F/180°C for another 10 minutes.

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Chocolate PB Cream Cheese filling:
Note: takes longer time if using broiler.

9. Melt chocolate chips using broiler or in a microwave for 60 seconds. 
10. Add PB and mix till smooth. Return to broiler or in microwave for 30 seconds.
11. Add in remaining ingredients.

12. Return to broiler or in microwave for 30 seconds and mix till smooth.
13. Pour mixture over baked tart with the first layer.
14. Freeze for 2 hours before serving.

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A pictorial view of the layers

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Enjoy your Christmas treat!

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I am submitting my post to Aspiring Bakers #14: Creative Christmas Bakes (December 2011) hosted by Hankerie!

Many thanks to Han Ker for hosting!! 😀

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Also submitted to Very Good Recipes’ White Christmas Recipe Challenge!

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Best Muffins Ever! (w Vegan option, also low fat and whole wheat)

This girl hates shopping… for clothes. 

Hours of absolute boredom.

Feet swollen.

And 500 bucks later, the lady of the house got me enough clothes to fill up my wardrobe (which she had so nicely emptied out). 

Feigned enthusiasm got back genuine enthusiasm from the lady of the house who happily declared how ugly I was and how desperately in need of new clothes I was to be saved from a pending future of spinsterhood (thanks, mum. Nice save). For 4 consecutive days, she bored me (while I literally finished 2 novels) with talks about what clothes she wanted me to wear (which would actually sound a wee bit better if those clothes were at least pleasing to my eyes) that I had no intention of wearing (in this case, clothes mums wear, the ones bought were better thank god) and how I should wear makeup (no way, did you know that the colour of some lip glosses come from the shells of beetles or some scary insect’s name I was too grossed out to remember?) and high heels (I’m not good at balancing, so, no, to avoid my collection of blue-blacks from growing in numbers).

That’s not to say I’m very angry with my mum. I’m annoyed, definitely. I do appreciate her effort (though I’m just her very fat barbie doll). I just do not appreciate clothes shopping. I hate shopping for clothes. 

However, as much as I dislike clothes- shopping and fashion talks, just to please my mum, I’m sort of trying not to show my unhappiness too much though I can’t help but wonder why I’m undergoing continuous torture first from exams now from these boring shopping trips. I’ll wear those nice clothes. I’ll try to be the girl who dresses like a princess (but I’ll never be a Princess because Prince William got married to Kate Middleton… just kidding  the guy’s too old for me  ) that every mum wants but my mum didn’t get. Maybe that’s why she said I couldn’t get highlights, like I’ve dreamt of having since I was 11. After all, princesses don’t have highlights. At least they don’t have purple highlights…

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Me: Can I get blue highlights?

Mum: No.

Me: Can I get purple highlights?

Mum: No.

Me: Yellow highlights?

Mum: No.

Me: Blonde?

Mum: No.

Me: Brown?

Mum: That’s the colour of your hair.

Me: No its not…How ’bout black?

Mum: It doesn’t make any difference.

Me: So… purple???

Mum: ignores me and changes the topic to what clothes she wants me to try.

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Awesome.

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Wait a sec. I’m 18. I need no permission.

So…I’m thinking blonde highlights, or auburn. Take a vote?

But I really really want blue. 😦

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Auburn. I don’t own my own home you know. 

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Yesterday, my aunt gave us some really delicious muffins. They had glossy tops that were a little crunchy when freshly baked. They had a buttery smell which somehow reminded me of cream cheese. I searched the web and saw that those were the best muffins in Singapore.  Desperate to make a copycat, I searched the internet for muffin-making-tips and came up with this recipe!

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The results were suprisingly good! My dad said it had the perfect ratio of ingredients, and perfect level of sweetness, and was even better than those ‘best muffins’, which was a rare statement coming from my dad, considering that he has no sweet tooth at all. Needless to say, my mum and I loved them too. 

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These muffins have a fragrant buttery smell and perfect muffin tops that have a perfect crunch when freshly baked. They also have a perfect crumb. No one would guess they are low fat and whole wheat!

These are the new ‘best muffins’ and the only muffin recipe you’ll ever need. However, please consume within the first day of baking because I can’t guarantee the taste the next day.

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Best Muffins Ever

No. of servings: 9

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Ingredients

Dry ingredients

• 141g/ 1 cup + 2 tbsp all-purpose flour
• 68g/ 1/2 cup White Whole Wheat flour
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp baking soda
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 3 tbsp mini semi sweet chocolate chips or any ingredient you want

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For Creaming

• 3 tbsp vegan butter/margarine/ low fat spread (this is vegan!)
• 1 cup/110g caster sugar

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Liquid ingredients

• 1 egg (vegan: 1tbsp ground flax seeds simmered in 3tbsp water)
• 3/4 cup buttermilk/ (mix 3/4cup-1tbsp  soy milk with 1tbsp lemon juice or vinegar and let sit for 5 minutes before using)
• 2 tbsp applesauce

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Optional: 2 tbsp chocolate rice + 2 tbsp demerara sugar, mixed

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Directions

Note that a hand mixer can be used in place of the stand mixer for this recipe.

1. Preheat oven to 400F/205°C. 
2. Grease a muffin tin with the fat of choice thoroughly even if the muffin tin is non-stick . 
3. Beat Creaming ingredients together.
4. Add liquid ingredients and beat for a while longer. 
5. In a separate bowl, add dry ingredients and mix evenly. 
6. Make a well in the dry ingredients
7. Add in mixture from step 4 and stir lightly and gently with a fork till the dry ingredients are moistened. BUT do not overmix.
8. Use a small spoon to test the batter. Plunge the spoon into the centre of the batter. If it falls quickly, add an additional tbsp of flour. Reason for testing is that different brands of flour absorb different volumes of water, hence consistency of batter will be different, affecting the success of muffins.
9. Using an ice-cream scoop that allows ejection of batter, fill the muffin tins to the brim. 
10. Sprinkle with the optional mixture.

If making mini-muffins, bake for 10 minutes.

If making regular muffins, bake for 25 minutes.

If making shorter but regular muffins, bake for 15 minutes.

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Points to note:

• Do not overmix
• Do not overbake. As soon as a toothpick can come out clean, turn off the heat.
• The batter does not have to be smooth.
• You must fill the cup to the brim to get our beloved muffin tops

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Enjoy your muffins! And ughh, apologizing for bad photos once again 😦

And dang, I’m missing Taiwan again.

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Easiest Ice Cream Ever (Vegan & Gluten Free)

Its the easiest ice-cream ever! And yes, its chocolate ice- cream. Yes, again. .

Cocoa

• helps in decreasing blood pressure and improving blood vessel health
• boosts one’s appetite, but does not cause weight gain
• makes one live almost a year longer 
• releases endorphins in the brain, which act as pain-relievers
• The flavonoids act as antioxidants by cleaning up the free radicals in the cell and there fore limiting the damage they can cause
•  stops the artery walls from hardening
• Flavonoids act as a suppressant of the tendency for small blood cells and they can clump together otherwise t form blood clots. These are said to have an aspirin like effect.
• It is believed that the flavonoids are cancer inhibitors, they can’t prevent cancer but they have the power to inhibit many side effects.

More reasons to eat chocolate!  . . This is a very creamy ice-cream that doesn’t melt easily. Enjoy.  .

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Easiest Chocolate Ice-Cream Ever

No. of servings: 5

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Ingredients

• 4 tbsp light butter/ vegan butter
• 6 tbsp maple syrup
• 3 tbsp cocoa powder
• 1/4 cup powdered sugar
• 10 oz silken tofu

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Directions

1. Blend in a blender/food processor.
2. Place in shallow dish/carton and freeze (till frozen). 
3. Let melt for 3 minutes before scooping out to serve.

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No, there’s no such thing as too much chocolate. 😉 .

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Green Tea Cake For Christmas (Fat Free)

Put on your reading glasses and get out a pen and notepad because you need to get ready for this…

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My Brother’s 11 (Really) Stupid (but perhaps logical) Rules for Harmonious Living

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1. Mum is always right, even if she’s actually wrong
2. You must always be home on time for your favourite TV programme (I hate this rule, we’ve rushed home like crazy people just to comply with this stupid rule of his many many times… and fyi, the TV programme is always only his favourite, not ours)
3. If you like a movie/television programme, everyone has to watch with you (even if they hate it and throw invisible daggers at you throughout the programme/movie)
4. Don’t go into a supermarket carrying a plastic bag from another supermarket– they’ll chase you out (I’ve proved this wrong time and time again but he still adamantly believes its true)
5.  Do not go out alone with your sister, because people will mistake you to be her boyfriend (not if I kick his groin in public, or call him bro out loud for everyone to hear… but you know what? I’ll go with the first one… I have always wanted to do that…)
6. Always pay when you’re out at a restaurant with your girlfriend (even if you’re broke– from paying the last time)
7. When you’re out with you’re girlfriend, say you’re going out with your best friend MX
8. Try not to accidentally crumble cards and gifts from your girlfriend, though they always get crumbled anyway– the effort adds a good-guy point
9. When your girlfriend has long hair, you like girls with long hair. When your girlfriend cuts her hair short, you like girls with short hair. Without hesitation.
10. Always look good, there’s no such thing as too many suitors
11. Look older than your sister, that way you can boss her around (good one…)

Amused?

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Get over it.

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We need to get on to another ‘issue’– My Green Tea Cake! for CHRISTMAS!

You have no idea how hard it is to get good pictures of these green monster. Ugghh. After tedious editing trials in Photoshop and Picasa and Picnik, the photographs still look utterly horrendous. 

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Honestly, looking at the photos, you probably wouldn’t want the recipe. But just to record my successful attempt (yes, it does taste very good), I shall put down the recipe anyway. 

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Green Tea Cake

No. of servings: 5

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Ingredients

For Cake

Adapted from Janine’s Recipe

• 5       large eggs
• 60g   castor sugar45g   all-purpose flour
• 5g     matcha powder 

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For Filling

• 2 tbsp peanut flour
• 3 tbsp cocoa powder
• 3 tbsp pure maple syrup/ agave syrup/ malitol syrup
• 2 tbsp light butter/ reduced fat spread

Optional: Fondant (I used homemade marshmallow fondant)

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Directions

Note that a hand mixer can be used in place of the stand mixer for this recipe.

Bake cake according to this recipe, adding matcha powder with flour.  I used cake flour instead of all-purpose flour, making the cake denser but a bit softer. Let cool completely before removing from cake pan.

Filling:
Blend all ingredients in a blender/food processor OR  mix in a stand mixer/ hand mixer.

To assemble:
Slice cake into half diagonally. Spread filling on the bottom layer. Place top half back onto bottom half.

Shape fondant however you want if using.

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I am submitting my post to Aspiring Bakers #14: Creative Christmas Bakes (December 2011) hosted by Hankerie!

Many thanks to Han Ker for hosting!! 😀

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Also submitted to Very Good Recipes’ White Christmas Recipe Challenge!

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