Homemade Granola

I was staring at the pantry basket which was given to me by a friend who had since returned home. It has been lying in the kitchen for a month or two and I'm just too lazy to sort them out. Amongst the assortment of tea bags, bottles of spices and sauces contained inside, I also found many half-used packets of dry ingredients including old-fashion oats, pecans, walnuts, sunflower seeds and dried cranberries. And I wonder what they had been used for before I realised the obvious combination that they would make up to. That's right - Granola!

A quick search online made me realised that there seem to be no "standard" recipe for making homemade granola. After studying the article from Buzzfeed, "How To Make the Best Granola Ever" and referencing the tips & techniques on "How to Make Homemade Granola" from King Arthur Flour website, I decided to come up with my own variation of Homemade Granola! ^_^

Homemade Granola

I am sharing this Homemade Granola with blog event, No Waste Food Challenge organised and hosted by Elizabeth of Elizabeth's Kitchen Diary.

I am also sharing this recipe with blog events Recipe of the Week hosted by Emily of A Mummy Too; CookBlogShare hosted by Lucy of Supergolden Bakes; and Bake of the Week organised by Helen & gang of Casa Costello. 

              

Strawberry Chantilly Cake

It's officially Summer (or well it's been awhile) and we are into the second week of July. The hot weather is just making everyone (or at least me) feeling very lethargic. >,<

What's up for you in July? Now that the two-week long tournament, Wimbledon has come to an end, I wonder what will be hot in the news next... Though I'm not a tennis fan, it seems impossible not to know about the tournament given the substantial coverage. A quick search online showed that Wimbledon, or The Championships, Wimbledon is actually the oldest tennis tournament in the world. But what surprised me was the Wimbledon traditions include eating strawberries and cream by the spectators and royal patronage! While there's no definite answer as to why, but the likely explanation is that strawberries are in season during the time the tournament was played. Ok, how simple is that?! Haha!

And coincidentally, I made a Strawberry Chantilly Cake for a new friend who said she likes any cakes with strawberries. What a perfect timing to share this recipe!

Strawberry Chantilly Cake

Does looking at the picture makes you want a slice? Well I hope! ^_^ In fact, Chantilly, as many of you may know, is just a fancier way of calling whipped cream as it is. My Strawberry Chantilly Cake is none other than any vanilla sponge cake layers filled with fresh strawberries and whipped cream. *Grin! However, this is noticeably different from the Strawberry Shortcake which I'd shared in my older post. This sponge cake recipe yields a lighter and fluffier cake texture. In any case, try it for yourself and be your own judge! ^_^

Homemade Croissants (A 3-day affair)

Who can't get enough of croissants? Because I can't! Sorry if I'm boring you with another croissant recipe! But this is definitely worth it. Finally succeeded in baking these flaky crispy croissants. Yay! Subsequent to the success of my Pain au Chocolat, I've decided to make some classic croissants out of the same dough recipe so as to be convinced that the recipe is a keeper. And indeed! In fact, I made these classic croissants concurrently with my Pain au Chocolat. I mean, it's a three-days wait before the actual baking after all...

Homemade Croissants

I am sharing this recipe with blog events Recipe of the Week hosted by Emily of A Mummy Too; CookBlogShare hosted by Lucy of Supergolden Bakes; and Bake of the Week organised by Helen & gang of Casa Costello.

          

Mango Charlotte Cake

Is it just me or is everyone feeling the same? The Summer's heat is getting unbearable. Although the humidity is low and it doesn't really makes one sweaty and sticky, the scorching heat makes me feel as though I will ignite anytime. @_@

To comfort and ease the grumpiness from the heat, I've decided to share this Mango Charlotte Cake to brighten everyone's day! This is my second charlotte cake after my first Vanilla Chiffon Mango Charlotte was a success. This time, I decided to have the entire cake mango-related and so I did a mango chiffon cake with mango whipped cream frosting stuff and topped with lots of fresh mangoes. I mean, who doesn't like mangoes? I love love love mangoes! In fact, I think it runs in the family. ^_^ 

Mango Charlotte Cake

Looks like this pretty and yummy cake has helped ease the discomfort I'm feeling from the Summer's heat to a great extend. Who wants a slice? :p

Homemade Char Siu Buns (BBQ Pork Buns)

I'm not sure if most of you felt the same, but I often feel "lazier" after a long weekend. @_@ I managed to travel up to a bigger city nearby for a weekend getaway and got some of my food cravings fixed. There were bubble tea, Korean BBQ and Dim Sum which quite replicate the authentic taste. And speaking of Dim Sum, it reminded me that I've this recipe that I need to share with everyone. ^_^ 

Homemade Char Siu Buns (BBQ Pork Buns)

What could be better than to combine a successful bread dough recipe with a homemade Char Siu recipe? You know you just can't keep anyone's hands off these homemade Char Siu Buns although they may still be very hot from the oven. *_*

I am sharing these Homemade Char Siu Buns (BBQ Pork Buns) with Tea Time Treats (May 2015: Sandwiches, Wraps & Rolls!) hosted by Janie of The Hedgecombers and Karen of Lavender and Lovage.

I am also sharing this recipe with Bake of the Week organised by Helen & gang of Casa Costello; CookBlogShare organised by Lucy of Supergolden Bakes and guest hosted by Angela of Patisserie Makes Perfect; and Family Bakes and Makes hosted by Jenny of Modern Family Baking.

     

Oven-roasted Char Siu (BBQ Pork)

One thing about being miles away from home is the missing of mouth-watering delicacies that we grew up eating, especially when we are in a western country where South-east Asia cuisines become a rare find. But thanks to the internet, some (in fact most) of these food cravings can easily be satisfied from the abundance of homemade recipes shared online by many from all around the world.

One particular food my husband craves is this Char Siu, a type of roasted meat in Cantonese cuisine traditions. My husband is a typical carnivore and he cannot have his meal without a meat dish. The traditional cooking method for this roasted meat is having long strips of seasoned boneless pork skewered with long forks over a fire, slightly charring the outside of the meat. I must say it is the marinate that makes this meat so tasty and unique. 

This Char Siu recipe is definitely a winner because the ingredients required are conveniently found at the oriental food section in most western supermarkets, and if not, at the local oriental supermarket. And it's pretty mess-free and the distinct flavour of the meat can be replicated with just the use of an oven. 

Oven-roasted Char Siu (BBQ Pork)

I'm sharing this amazing and deliciously flavoured Oven-roasted Char Siu (BBQ Pork) with blog event, CookBlogShare hosted by Lucy of Supergolden Bakes;

and monthly link up party, Our Growing Edge (May 2015) hosted by Jordan and Cindy from My Daughter and I, an event that aims to connect food bloggers and inspire us to try new things.

This is also a prelude of my upcoming post as I continue with the fun of bread-making. Be sure to stay tuned! ^_^

Sausage (Hotdog) Buns

Happy (belated) Mother's Day to all mothers out there! ^_^

Being raised in a traditional Asian Chinese family, (my siblings and) I were never used to saying "I love you" to our parents or heartfelt words of gratification to them for their selfless love and care that they have showered upon us. Until I was older, I came to realise that certain things just have to be said out loud although deep down in our hearts, we are truly appreciative of what they have done for us over the years. As a little warm-up exercise, those heartfelt words made their way through text messages on such special occasions. While we ought to show our gratifications everyday and not just on this day, I see it as a day for a grand sum-up of everything a mother has done over the past year since everyone across the globe celebrates the wonder of all mothers on this very day together.

This is the second year I am missing out on mother's day celebration for being away from home. Although it may seem like every other day, the mark of Mother's Day somehow just makes me think of my mother more than any other day. Perhaps this is its significance. And I suppose this is how I decided to share this recipe.

Back in the past when I was still living with my parents, my siblings and I used to have different variety of buns and bread for breakfast before school, and even later when we started working. My mother would make a trip to the nearby bakery to pick up the buns for each of us, and she makes an effort to pick up different flavours and variety on different days. Having said that, sausage bun, or otherwise called hotdog bun is the most common one that she would pick up since there aren't much selections to our liking. This naturally became a staple and I have no problem eating the same up to 4 times a week.

So when my bread-making turned out to be a success, sausage buns or hotdog buns naturally came up to my mind. And for a twist, I am using Chipotle hotdogs instead of the usual hotdogs. Is this one of your favourite buns too?

Sausage (Hotdog) Buns

I am sharing these Sausage (Hotdog) Buns with Tea Time Treats (May 2015: Sandwiches, Wraps & Rolls!) hosted by Janie of The Hedgecombers and Karen of Lavender and Lovage. Buns or rolls, they all belong to the bread family, right? 

I am also sharing this recipe with Bake of the Week organised by Helen & gang of Casa Costello; CookBlogShare hosted by Lucy of Supergolden Bakes; and Family Bakes hosted by Jenny of Modern Family Baking.

          

Chocolate Cream-filled Profiteroles (Chocolate Cream Puffs)

"No, egg yolks are bad and we should only eat the whites". This is what my husband always insist whenever I fry him an egg. All these years, I have long given up proving to him with health articles about the benefits of egg yolks, or at least the harmless of eating egg yolks and "coaxing" him into eating the yolks. I know very well that it's just his plain excuse for not eating the yolks, which he claimed has a funny taste, when he refuses to accept that egg yolk has its beneficial contents. That's also his way of refuting my claim that he behaves just like a big kid picking on his food. And for that reason, we always have leftover egg yolks which I sometimes have to throw away if he is eating eggs too often. >,<

But fortunately or unfortunately, the leftover egg yolks prompted this bake when I decided to turn the yolks into pastry cream. And my immediate association with pastry cream are these delicious cream puffs, a French dessert otherwise known as Profiteroles.

Chocolate Cream-filled Profiteroles (Chocolate Cream Puffs)

This French dessert may be delicate, but they are definitely not difficult to make. I have adopted the same pastry dough recipe that I'd used for my mini Chocolate Eclairs since it was an easy and successful recipe. Looking back at my post archives, I then realised that those were made almost a year ago. *Gosh~ how time flies! Anyway, I find it really interesting how two different desserts could be formed from the same recipe when they just appear in different shapes (and sizes). ^_^

Triple Chocolate Swiss Roll

The rainy weather over the past few days has made me lethargic and lazy. I was sitting in front of my laptop aimlessly going through my blog materials when I found this draft post amongst my few other long overdue drafts. I'm not sure how other bakers do, but I often find myself saving my draft recipes when I couldn't think of what to write. Somehow, I feel "obligated" to share something meaningful in my blog post, or at least the reasons behind each bake before I publish a recipe. Not that my other published blog posts are all that meaningfully or wonderfully written, but I find my mind blocked especially when my bake is kind of impromptu for no special occasions or planned intentions. And this is one of the times...

Triple Chocolate Swiss Roll

So amongst my few draft blogposts, I have decided to share this Triple Chocolate Swiss Roll which I have baked sometime back. Triple because it's a chocolate cake with chocolate buttercream coated with chocolate rice! *Grin* Anyway, it seems like my mood has been pretty much affected by the gloomy weather of late, and looking at this swiss roll just seems to bring back those good old memories of family and friends in younger days as this used to be my childhood sweets.

How does this Triple Chocolate Swiss Roll remind you of your good old memories?

Mini Cheesecakes with Blueberry Compote

I always felt intimidated by the thought of making cheesecake. But I guess not anymore, at least not by these cute little and delicious mini cheesecakes which I have decided to top off with the blueberry compote. This is a variation compared to the original source recipe which is served with fruit jam and whipped cream. And what I liked about this recipe is that it is quick and easy. In addition, there's no need to worry about having ugly cheesecakes when they sink in the middle after they have cooled, an inevitable fear that had kept me away from baking cheesecakes, because the blueberry compote not only helps "beautify" the appearance, but also add a touch of sweetness to these cheesecakes.

Mini Cheesecakes with Blueberry Compote

This is yet another one of the recipes that cannot go wrong! These mini cheesecakes with blueberry compote are just so pretty for tea parties, after meal desserts, coffee breaks and more... You just can't have enough!

Easter Cupcakes

It's Good Friday everyone! And Good Friday is a day I used to look forward to in the past (when I was schooling and then working) because it means a public holiday (at least it is in my home country)! But now that I'm neither schooling nor working, I'm kind of indifferent since every Friday (or rather every day) is a "public holiday". Haha!

Although I'm not a Christian, I have been quite overwhelmed with Easter, which is the Sunday following Good Friday since (almost) every places put out sales, decorations, food and themes associated with it. So this year I've long decided to execute a bake which I'd kept in my head for a year! How long is that, uh?! Despite having it "planned", I didn't think I would bake ahead of the weekend and I found myself lacking a couple of ingredients in my pantry based on the initial idea I had. >,<

But it may well be a "blessing in disguise" or a chance to think out of the box and come up with a creative combination. So to make do with all that's available, I decided on these lemon chiffon cupcakes with chocolate cream cheese frosting! You may think the combination tastes weird, just as I had initially thought too. Surprisingly not! The soft and fluffy lemony cupcake so refreshing cuts the sweetness from the chocolate cream cheese frosting which makes it a heavenly pair! Lemon and chocolate, simply the best of both worlds! Now that I come to think about it again, my original intention of a vanilla-based cupcake (with the same chocolate cream cheese frosting since I needed that to build my cupcake design) would have been "boring"! Haha!

Easter Cupcakes 
(Lemon Chiffon Cupcakes with Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting)

Unlike most of my other blog posts, I've enlarged this photo of my cupcakes purposely. I mean, they are just too pretty not to be admired, right?! Haha! And this lemony cupcake recipe that yield such refreshing, soft and fluffy is definitely a keeper! The same goes for the chocolate cream cheese frosting, rich but not too heavy and sweet. Well, actually this whole recipe combination is a keeper! And since they were made for a purpose, I have named them Easter cupcakes! Yum~~

TDB's Birthday (Chocolate Chiffon) Cake

Woohoo~ The Dream Baker is One! Happy Birthday (to my blog)! ^_^

I guess words simply can't describe my feelings now. Looking back at the past blog posts of all that I've done (or rather achieved), it's definitely consoling. Every little detail and contents on this blog is a great reflection of the amount of time and efforts that I've put in and built from scratch. Never would I have dreamed of having my own (baking) blog. And I can't help but wonder, "How would I've otherwise spent those time if I wasn't baking and blogging?!" Well, I guess that's life, never without uncertainties...

So to celebrate this notably significant anniversary of the birth of my blog, I've decided to bring my self-taught baking skills to greater heights by making a cut-out cake of my self-created logo! This birthday cake is a combination of my favourites - chocolate chiffon cake, strawberries, dark chocolate and cream frostings.

TDB's Birthday (Chocolate Chiffon) Cake

And my thoughts behind the creation and making of this birthday cake:
I was caught up with this cut-out shaped cake idea after I was inspired by a birthday cake idea which I learned from a friend. In fact this is my second attempt after I made myself a birthday cake last year. I decided to use a chocolate cake base after I posted my Milano® Cookies Chocolate Cake, and I decided to use strawberries to fill in between the layers of the cake since I needed chocolate frosting for the drawing of the outline and strawberries and chocolate are just a heavenly pairing. I personally preferred a lighter cake texture like chiffon cake as compared to the usual chocolate sponge cake, so instead I've decided and wanted to adopt the same recipe I had used for my Mini Chocolate Chiffon Cakes, only to realised that I was out of milk. Hence, I modified the recipe from a Green Tea Chiffon Cake which I came across during my research. Unexpectedly it turned out pretty well! In fact, the cake is deliciously chocolatey to be eaten by itself.

Then some friends asked, "why not use fondant?" To me, fondant is a "pretty-but-not-delicious" form of cake decoration (in my own opinion). Putting aside the skills level required to master fondant cake decorations, I'm very much in favour of presenting an equally pretty and yummy cake, both for admiration and savouring, than just a pretty cake that is better for admiration. Although I'm not a fan of cake frostings either, and often I would be "scrapping" away those thick layer of cream from store-bought cakes, I'm quite happy to be eating those cream frostings of my self-baked cakes since I am in control of the amount and thickness of the cake frostings that goes onto my cake. ^_^

And this feels like a dream (cake) come true...

P.S. Pardon me for my tiredness, I was oblivious to the abbreviations ("TDR") I've written on the cake (which was supposed to be "TDB") until I was going through the pictures. Instead of trying to photoshop those photos as my husband suggested trying, I thought I might as well take the wrong and make the best of it. So in this context, "TDR" (or correctly "TDB") shall stand for The Dream BakeR. Hahaha!

Peanut Cookies

It was the second day of Chinese New Year and I made some peanut cookies - a fail-proof and really quick and easy recipe which even a non-peanut lover me loves it. In fact I first made these cookies last CNY and I guess I wouldn't have tried this recipe and realised how delicious they are if not for my husband, a "nut" lover. He is a non-dairy person and it cracks my head to think of the different CNY goodies that I could make at home for him so that he gets the feel of CNY. And these peanut cookies definitely add to the homely CNY feel which we would have otherwise felt if we were back in our own homeland. But it's not a pity that we can't celebrate CNY back at home anymore with the companion of these homemade CNY goodies (and not forgetting our friends here)... ^_^
I'm sure you will love it too!

Peanut Cookies

I am sharing these delicious melt-in-your-mouth Peanut Cookies with the following blog events:

Cook and Celebrate: CNY 2015 organised by Yen of Eat Your Heart Out, Diana of Domestic Goddess Wannabe and Zoe of Bake for Happy Kids;

Treat Petite (Feb 2015 theme: Love is in the air) hosted by Stuart of Cakeyboi and Kat of The Baking Explorer;

The Biscuit Barrel Challenge (Feb 2015 theme: Loved Ones) organised by Laura of I'd Much Rather Bake Than… and hosted by Alexandra of The Lass in the Apron;

CookBlogShare hosted by Lucy of Supergolden Bakes;

  

Bake of the Week organised by Helen & gang of Casa Costello; and

last but not least, for the first time, I am also sharing this Peanut Cookies recipe with event, My Treasured Recipes #5 (Jan & Feb 2015 theme: Chinese New Year Goodies) hosted by Miss B of Everybody Eats Well in Flanders and co-hosted by Charmaine of Mimi Bakery House.

Pineapple Cookies (Dairy-free)

Gong Xi Fa Cai! (To my non-Chinese/Asian readers, this literally means, "Wishing you a prosperous year!")

Can't help it, but oh my it's yet another year! I was reading the news and came across an article titled, "Is it the Year of Goat or the Year of Sheep"? While it didn't bother me slightly, I wonder if it really mattered since goat or sheep, they both belong to the same family. Haha! Anyway, it's the second year my husband and I are celebrating our Chinese New Year abroad. That meaning, it's time for some home-baked Chinese New Year goodies again. *_*

I have been in search for a pineapple tart/cookie recipe that I could substitute easily with non-dairy ingredients since my husband doesn't take butter, cheese, milk or anything that comes from the cow. Haha! Well, perhaps I should have come to terms after more than 12 years (or maybe I have), but I'm still puzzled with my husband's weird taste bud. All the while, I have been insisting that he is being lactose-intolerant in psychological sense rather than being lactose-intolerant in health, if you know what I mean. It is strange how dark chocolates, peanut M&M's® chocolate candies, Nutella® and all other food that possibly contains dairy which he decides he can eat are in his "lactose-tolerant" list of edible dairy products while milk chocolate, milk, all buttery pastries and etc that he decides he cannot eat by way of "smell" are in his "lactose-intolerant" list of non-edible dairy products. Anyway, I have given up on asking him to try on those he-feels-he-cannot-eat-but-I-feel-he-can-eat food after so many years. Guess this would all the more be better since I can have all the goodies to myself. Hee!

Back to my recipe search, so I've finally found and experimented one pineapple cookie recipe that allowed me to substitute the dairy ingredients and still yield equally crumbly and soft pineapple cookies. Although without that buttery aroma from traditional pineapple cookies, these pineapple cookies are still amazing delicious! I hope with this recipe, more people get to enjoy yummy pineapple tarts/cookies during this festive occasion!

Soft and crumbly Pineapple Cookies

Here's wishing all a Happy & Prosperous Year of Goat/Sheep! May the new zodiac year brings you and your loved ones lots of happiness and good health! Cheers!

Milano® Cookies Chocolate Cake

Hi everyone! Since this is my first post for 2015, allow me to wish you a Happy New Year! Hope all of you had a great start into the new year. ^_^ Time flies indeed, I can't believe that we are half way into February! Gosh~ It was a pity I didn't get to update my blog in January as I fight hard with time to get things done after settling down from an almost two-week long road trip which I went with my husband (and three other friends) last year end till the early days of January. I was practically hands-tied with the crafts-making in preparation of a wedding gift for my sister and the "intense" packing for my "secret" trip home. Haha! Glad that I managed to pull off a surprise for my family with my appearance on my sister's big day and having spent good quality time catching up with my dear friends during my two weeks home. Despite the long haul flight to and fro (which I dread most), everything else was worth it!

Today is the fifth day since my return to this foreign city and I'm still (very much) feeling the jet-lag. >,< But this may well be a blessing in disguise because I finally get to finish up this long overdue cake recipe which I have created from my Milano® cookies indulgence. This cake is definitely an absolute LOVE - so appropriate for the Valentine's day occasion tomorrow! I hope you'll like it as much as I do! ^_^

Milano® Cookies Chocolate Cake

Here's wishing all a Happy Valentine's Day! Hope you'll spread the love and share this with all your loved ones. Cheers!

French Macarons with Mint Chocolate Ganache (Sucre Cuit / Italian Method)

It’s Christmas Eve! I bet everyone or at least majority of you are feeling as excited as I am. And I am extremely thrilled because I will be hitting the road up north of Florida in a couple of hours for my 10-day road trip to various cities in the sunshine state. I’m sure it’s going to be a well-deserved break after days of baking some homemade sweet treats for this festive season.

It was a bold attempt I would say since it was a first-time for me, or rather, the first time I am trying out a new recipe – the baking of French macarons! Bold because I would end up with no gifts for giving in the event my baking experiment fails. Haha! Well, I suppose you guessed it right that my experiment pulled off successfully since I am blogging about it now. Oh wait, does anyone blogs a failed recipe? Not that I have come across so far. *Grin!

Strictly speaking it’s not my first time making French macarons. In the past, I have relied on the French method – a more commonly used method of creating the meringue by whipping together cool egg whites with granulated sugar until they form a stiff consistency which is said to yield lighter, tastier with a more delicate, cookie-like texture of authentic French macarons. Unfortunately the results of my macaronage were not quite consistent each time I tried. Until much research and read-up, I discovered the Italian (also known as Sucre Cuit or Sugar-baked) method of making macarons – a method that relies on a hot sugar syrup slowly whipped into egg whites to achieve its meringue which is regarded as more complicated than the French method. Despite so, many who have tried the Italian method said it actually yields a more stable meringue consistency. And I have witnessed that for myself indeed.

French Macarons with Mint Chocolate Ganache

For those who still have “fear” of trying to bake macarons at home, stop hesitating! If I can do it, you can do it too. ^_^

Longan Red Dates with Tang Yuan (Glutinous Rice Balls)

It's officially winter! Are you feeling the cold? ^_^

I happened to chance upon the Lunar calendar on my mobile phone and noticed that Dōng Zhì 冬至 (Winter Solstice), a festival traditionally celebrated by the Chinese and East Asians with family getting together falls on the 22nd of December this year. This is my second winter solstice away from home. Recalling back, my husband and I were travelling in the Washington D.C. last winter solstice and had missed the eating of tang yuan (glutinous rice balls), a festive food that symbolises reunion traditionally eaten by the southern Chinese. It has been a year now, time flies!

In the past, my Mom used to cook our favourite store-bought glutinous rice balls with peanut fillings during this day of the year. Since this winter solstice came ahead of my year-end trip and glutinous rice flour was surprisingly available in this small city in the west of Florida, I decided to attempt my first home-make (plain) tang yuan from scratch. 

Longan Red Dates with Tang Yuan (Glutinous Rice Balls)

After cracking my head on what to go with my plain home-made tang yuan, I decided on this sweet dessert soup which is quite commonly served to the newly-weds on their wedding day as it seeks to symbolise bliss and reunion. And it kind of brought me back to my wedding day. Much memories~

Have you had your tang yuan this winter solstice?

Reindeer Cupcakes

Can't believe it's already mid-December. My last baking post seems like yesterday. My apologies to those who have been checking back this space but find no updates. I have been pretty tied up with all the crafts-making for Christmas and itineraries planning for the holiday trips that I hardly had the time to bake these days. >,<

Fortunately or unfortunately, it was a stay-at-home over the last weekend since my husband was still recovering from his flu. Hence, I'm turning weekend shopping time to weekend baking time! This reindeer cupcake idea triggered by my non-stop-pretzels-snacking of late (a good snack find recommended by a friend during my Washington D.C. trip over the last Thanksgiving holiday) which very much resembled the horns of a reindeer has been in my head for awhile (although a quick search online found that it's nothing new actually). However, I'm glad it pulled off well and tasty as imagined after putting all my flavour ideas into one cupcake. ^_^ 

Reindeer Cupcakes

But wait, perhaps they look more like bears? Haha! Well, up to your imagination then...

Vanilla Chiffon Cake with Nutella® Buttercream Frosting and Mint Chocolate Ganache

The end product of an inspirational cake idea from a friend turned out well to my surprise! And I was surprised partly because I was actually working with mint chocolates, definitely one ingredient I wouldn't think of using in my own bake creation. Honestly, I'm no fan of mint chocolates, saved for After Eight® dark chocolate thin mints which is by far the only mint chocolate I would eat. In fact not just mint chocolates, I don't actually fancy mint flavour of cookies or ice cream either, except for peppermint candies of course. What strange taste buds, I know. Haha! Well since this cake is my homemade, I had no choice (not that I'm forced) but to taste the cake and I was actually glad that I didn't "reject" it. I suppose this cake may well be a "turning point" for those who don't have a liking for mint chocolates too. ^_^

Vanilla Chiffon Cake with Nutella® Buttercream Frosting and Mint Chocolate Ganache

I am sharing this post with CookBlogShare event hosted by Lucy of Supergolden Bakes because sharing is caring.

And for the first time, I am sharing my bake with Bake of the Week event organised by Helen & gang of Casa Costello.

Mini Orange Chiffon Cakes

Hello! I'm finally back to this space and sorry if I've kept you waiting! As mentioned in my previous post in August, I was back at home and I actually managed to stay for two good months. Those two months past pretty quickly since I had a great time catching up with my family and friends, minus about two weeks when I fell ill, which I suspect was due to the humidity and bad haze. Strangely, I kind of missed the lifestyle in this small city in the west of Florida which I'd spent little time compared to a familiar place where I'd grown up in for years. I guess I wouldn't mind leaving the place I used to feel proud as a citizen if not for my loved ones. Anyway, it was a short time back at home and I didn't have time (or rather I didn't want to spend my time) to get down to work in the kitchen, which explains the lack of my blog post. I hope you don't feel neglected! ^_^ Now that I'm back and "free", I'll try to compensate for my absence and get back to "work", literally. *Grin!

The recipe for these cute lil' orange chiffon cakes was one which I didn't manage to share in time for Little Thumbs Up July's theme event on Chiffon Cakes. And to kick start my blogging, I've decided to make them again since there was a request from a friend who had the lingering taste of these cakes which he said were really delicious. Wow! I bet this is one achievement for a humble self-taught home-baker like me when I get such compliment. Well, I'm just easily contented. And what's a better way  of saying "Thank you" to those who appreciates other than "feeding" them with what they crave?! =)

Mini Orange Chiffon Cakes

I am sharing these Mini Orange Chiffon Cakes with Treat Petite November 2014 theme, Thank You, hosted by Stuart of Cakeyboi and Kat of The Baking Explorer. This can't be more appropriate. At the same time, I would also like to take this opportunity to thank those of you who have been taking time to visit and to read my blog. =)

And I would also like to share this post with CookBlogShare event hosted by Lucy of Supergolden Bakes, a wonderful channel that allows sharing without boundaries.