Neglected. This blog has been unfairly neglected.

I’ve been so busy with the bakery since it’s opening… 8am – 11:30pm every day I’m there… I mean here! I finally got half a day’s break yesterday which might not seem much… but I did manage to squeeze in a good meal, a manicure, a facial session and some time with the bf who’s just returned from NY! Yay! 

I think I’m doing quite well in terms of keeping sane and not over-exhausting myself. Although I think my mother and some close friends and family might tell you I look like a walking corpse. Tsk. I can’t help it if my skin is literally very thin and I’m generally a very pale skinned person! hehe.

Although it’s been really quite stressful, I love love love my job. You know, it really is true what they say about you being a million times happier when you are doing the thing you love!

For everyone who is pursuing their dream… believe in yourself, work hard and somehow, the universe will aid you in fulfilling your dream. Do not lose faith nor doubt your convictions, be the best that you can be, but at the same time, don’t forget to reflect, learn from mistakes and be a better person.

Anyways.

Even though I’m away. You know where you can find me. See you at Maple & Market.

Blueberry Hazelnut by Smitten Micro bakery who did a pop-up at M&M this past weekend.

M&M Lemon Loaf.

Overdoughs also did a pop-up this past weekend.

Chocolate cake. Revamped. Just in time for my bakery opening on the 7th May 2013.

Hello world!

I’ve been neglecting my blog quite a bit lately. I don’t know if you’ve heard, but I am officially setting up my own bakery! Well… technically it’s not going to be JUST a bakery but a space where the creative community gather to do what they do best… bake, craft and just… be creative! But I shan’t go into that too much yet… hehe..  :) I’m so busy, I’m going crazzzzyyyyyyy……… ahhhh….

But even enough I’m busy with getting the space up and running, my itchy fingers just can’t stay away from baking…  Here’s some photos of the dessert table Justin, Vanessa and I set up this afternoon. While I do love this one… I wish I had used pink roses instead and a different tablecloth… but still looks pretty yeah? hehe.

Okay. Gotta go bake two chocolate cakes now! Have a fantastic weekend lovelies! xx

Hope to see you there bright and early tomorrow morning! xx

Hello my loves! The weekend is here again! And what a great way to start off the weekend with some crepes topped with fruits and homemade caramel sauce.

My love affair with crepes started after my first visit to a wonderful little crepe shop in South Kensington in London about 5 years ago. While I had my far share of crepes prior to that day, nothing impressed me more than the crepes with bananas and chocolate sauce I had there. Simple but so delicious, that I will never forget the taste of it, for the rest of my life.

I had shared with you the crepe recipe sometime last year when I was in Japan. So far, still the best crepe recipe I’ve come across yet. As for choice of fruits, it’s really up to you. I love using strawberries and bananas. You can also add some nuts for some crunch!

But the main component of this dish that makes everything come together is the caramel sauce. Now, a lot of people say making caramel is quite scary. The first time I made it, I freaked out at how violently the caramel bubbled the moment you add the double cream in, to a point I immediately armed myself with baking gloves. A little over the top and completely unnecessary, I’ll admit. haha… Just go slow, don’t mix too vigorously and be very careful because the caramel is very hot. If you want to be extra careful, maybe a pair of latex gloves should suffice.

From The Boy Who Bakes – Edd Limber
* CARAMEL SAUCE *

150g Sugar
Pinch of Sea Salt
125ml Double Cream
10g Salted Butter, softened

In a medium pan melt the sugar over medium heat until dark brown in colour, stopping before it starts to smoke. (when melting the sugar, try not to stir it. You can shift the pot over the fire if some parts start browning too fast compared to other parts. Or use a whisk/spoon to move the sugar around just a little. I repeat, do not stir, if not the sugar will crystallise again after melts. ) Remove from the heat and careful add the salt and pour in half the cream. The mixture will bubble violently so be careful and go slowly.

Once the mixture has settled, add the remaining cream followed by the butter. If the mixture is lumpy, put the pan on the heat and stir until smooth. Pour into a heatproof jar and leave to cool.

 * CREPES *
Makes about 10 (depending on the size of the frying pan)

75g Plain Flour
35g Sugar
2 Eggs, lightly beaten
250ml Milk
15g Unsalted Butter

Sift the flour into a large bowl then add the sugar and mix using a whisk. Beat two eggs in a separate bowl then add into the large bowl and mix again. Mix in 1/4 of the milk first, then the remainder. Melt the butter in the pan and once melted, pour into the large bowl. Mix the the batter well. Wipe the frying pan with a paper towel using a pair of long chopsticks and heat the pan on a low heat. ( The paper towel is used to absorb the grease in the pan. You don’t want it to be greasy if not the crepes will be too oily too. And the long chopsticks is because the frying pan will be hot, so although you can use your hands, I would suggest a pair of chopsticks so that you won’t burn your fingers or get too much grease on them either. It can be quite a messy affair.)  And here we go….

With a soup ladle, stir the batter and then scoop some into the frying pan. The trick to making delicious crepes is to make them as thin as possible, so it’d probably take you the first few tries to get the amount right. Also although I say low heat, you shouldn’t set it to the lowest either, if not it will take too long and you will not achieve the nice brown color. So that needs a little bit of adjusting too. Once the batter is in the pan, swirl it so that it spreads out evenly and covers the whole surface area. Hope you’ve been practising on Cooking Mama. Should there be holes, just pour a little more batter to cover them. Using one of the chopsticks/spatula, gently push down/scrape the edges of the crepe. Once the edges start to brown or the bottom side has achieved a nice color, flip the crepe over and leave it on the less cooked side for approximately 5 seconds before you flip it onto a plate. Repeat the steps, making sure you wipe the frying pan with a paper towel after every piece and stirring the batter before scooping it onto the pan.

HAPPY WEEKEND MY DEARS! xx

10 years ago, during one of our catchups, one of my best friends, Cheryl, told the rest of us how smitten she was with a guy in her class she met on the first day of junior college. 10 years later, in the same place they first laid eyes on each other, Ryan and Cheryl said their “I do”s.

Cheryl being the youngest, is the baby of our sisterhood. She’s also the sweetest and the most forgiving of the lot of us. Not to mention, has the most adorable trait of saying the darnest things, always making us laugh when we least expect it. Ryan is definitely one lucky guy to have and to hold her as his wife, for the rest of their lives together. But of course, Cheryl is lucky to have him too. Ryan is one of the nicest guys I’ve ever met. For the past 10 years, he’s been a very loving boyfriend, always holding her hand through good and bad times. And I’m sure this will not change, and that their love for each other will only grow stronger.

To my dearest friends, Ryan and Cheryl, Congratulations! Now I can finally officially call you Mr & Mrs Chia every time we meet up! Oh and P.S. You should know who to call upon to be Godma to your first child! *cough*

Cheryl had asked me to do up a dessert table for the day. Her theme was an English inspired wedding, hence the red, white and blue trimmings here and there. My friend Justin baked the irresistible treats while Jeanette helped me with the styling. While I did like the picture I had of the table in my mind prior to the day… it turned out even more beautiful than I expected it to be. Thank you Justin and Jeanette! 

This is me, cutting the cake because no one else dared to. hahaha… 

Quite proud of the flower arrangements in the bottles that the other ladies and I made the day before. Obviously, I was the dictator who at first was quite particular making sure flower was sitting at the right height and the ribbons tied and trimmed to the same length… but halfway through, with only one hour of sleep the night before, I gave up being annoying and let the girls do their thing… and how awesome everything turned out. It’s quite clear to me now that if I was getting married, I would be a total bridezilla… a very scary one. LOL. Oh well… ^_^

Anyways, Congratulations once again my dear friends! Love you both very much! Looking forward to the dinner at the end of the year! xx 

Hello everyone! Today I’m sharing with you quite an interesting and very simple to do recipe! No, it’s not a recipe on how to make a croissant, but it is one on how to “customize” or “zheng” one. haha Yesterday I bought a few plain croissants, made my own green tea paste to slather on top of them and baked them in the oven for a bit. It was uber yummy and had to really restrain myself from finishing another for breakfast this morning!

GREEN TEA CROISSANTS

4 Plain Croissants
25g Unsalted Butter (Room Temp)
20g Powdered Sugar
1/2 Tsp Green Tea Powder
1/2 of a slightly beaten Egg
30g of Almond Powder
Almond Slithers.

Preheat the oven to 180C. In a bowl, use a whisk cream the butter. Then add in the powdered sugar and green tea powder and mix well. Then add the egg in 4-5 batches (do not pour in all at once.) Once the egg is completely mixed in, add in the almond powder and mix again. Last but not least, slather the paste onto the croissants and top them with a few almond slithers! Now, you can put them into the oven to bake for 10 minutes and then ta-dah… warm, delicious green tea croissants to serve! xx

Hello lovely people! Hope your Chinese New Year was fantabulous! I arrived back on the 3rd day just in time to enjoy a day with my extended family who came over to our house to enjoy my mum’s cooking. It was a really enjoyable day that made me think that sometimes, I actually do like the Lunar New Year.

Anyways, in line with the new year, my pancake obsession has returned! I had bought a pancake recipe book in Tokyo and whilst reading the Jamie Oliver magazine on the aeroplane, had spied a deliciously enticing recipe of pears + apples + nuts sauteed with honey…. which triggered a serious urge for me to combine the two together and make some glorious pancakes for the family!

This combination was divine and my dad enjoyed it so much, he had it for breakfast and lunch. And because it was so good and very easy to make, I really had to share it with everyone!
Serves up to 3-4 people.
Jamie Oliver Magazine Feb/Mar 2013
HONEY-FRIED APPLES & PEARS
—————————————–
20g Unsalted Butter
2 Apples (Pink Lady), cored and cut into wedges
2 Pears, cored and cut into wedges
120g Honey
A Pinch of Ground Cardamom (I recplaced with 1/2 tsp of cinnamon powder instead)
50g Toasted Hazelnuts, roughly chopped
Fat-free natural yoghurt, to serve

Melt the butter in a pan over a medium heat, then add the apple and pear wedges. Cook for about 3 minutes, until starting to colour, then stir through the honey and continue to cook for 5-8 minutes, until the fruit is soft and honey is caramelized and coats the fruit. Mix in the cardamom and most of the hazelnuts (reserving some to garnish) then serve immediately with a blob of yoghurt, a drizzle of honey sauce and sprinkling of reserved hazelnuts. *I didn’t add the yoghurt to mine cause I like it sweet!

**********************
This recipe has been adapted from Hanako PANCAKE BOOK. (sorry if maybe the directions aren’t very well-written. I translated it from Japanese and I’m sure you’re aware by now my writing skills are pretty bad… so I apologize. Hope it’s easy to understand though!)

CINNAMON PANCAKES
——————————
200g Plain Flour
1/2 Tsp Cinnamon Powder
2g Baking Powder
2 Eggs
220ml Milk
15g Unsalted Butter (melted)
25g Caster Sugar

Sift the plain flour, cinnamon powder and baking powder into a bowl. Separate the egg whites and egg yolks into separate bowls. In the bowl with the egg yolks, add half the milk and mix well. Then mix in the flour mixture well, followed by the remaining half of the milk. Then mix in the melted butter and set aside.

Using a hand-mixer, whisk the egg whites gently for 1 minute until foamy then add all the caster sugar and whip until glossy and has stiff peaks. Scoop half of the whisked egg whites into the other bowl and fold it in. Once all well incorporated, fold in the remaining half. Your batter is now done!

I’m not too sure on how everyone cooks their pancakes, but I know there are just a few things to take note of… You should use a non-stick pan. You don’t need to grease the pan but if you’re worried, you can definitely use a little bit of butter. Don’t cook the pancake for too long cause it might turn rubbery. And make sure the heat is set to low-medium.

Stack those pancakes and add your apple+pear topping and you have yourself a lovely pancake meal! Enjoy! xx

Hi my lovelies,

I’ve been feeling up, down, high, low, happy, sad, confused, clear-headed, and everything inbetween lately. But this morning, while doing a dessert table set-up for Goldman and Cheryl’s church wedding, I had the sudden realisation that I’ve been thinking stupid and behaving pretty badly like a spoilt little child who didn’t get her way. I will admit I’m a super control freak which can be quite a problem!  I always have to find logic and reason to why bad things happen to me, so I’ll spend a very long time over-thinking and being super unproductive and whiny.

However, around noon, after Justin and I completed doing the set-up, I looked at the table and felt really, really contented. I think for a short while, I forgot how rewarding and fulfilling my job is. I don’t know if it brings other people joy (although hopefully it does), but it definitely fills me a tremendous amount of happiness. Suddenly everything that was bothering me, seemed so far away and almost pointless. Why can’t we find happiness in what we have/what we do instead of what we don’t have and what we have no control over?

See that’s the magical things about weddings. It doesn’t matter how you’re involved or not involved in it all, there’s so much love going around, it makes you want to love too.

To view more photos of the dessert table, please visit my facebook page! xx

Hi loves!

This past weekend I was asked by the lovely Jeanne, to do up a dessert table for her brother’s lunch wedding and here are some photos of the set up I’d like to share with everyone! If you’d like to see photos of other set-ups and of the cakes I’ve baked, please like my facebook page! xx