Peanut Cookies

     One of my baking projects during Chinese New Year. This is all time favorite Peanut Cookies. I always remember that since young, my mother would bring me and my sisters to my aunt house to make Chinese New Year cookies with my mother's sisters. We have a good time as children because I get to play baking, and play with my cousins at the same time. The hard works are always not ours, we just play! LOL. Chinese New Year is the time where you can eat at anytime, and anything that you want without the adults saying anything about your size, because we worry about that after Chinese New Year. Hehe...>.<...

Peanut Cookies
Ingredients:
500g all-purpose flour
400g powdered sugar
300g peanut oil
500g ground peanuts
1 tbsp salt
2 eggs, beaten for garnish

Steps:
1. Preheat oven to 350F. Line parchment paper on pan.
2. Mix all ingredients except the eggs till fully combined.
3. Roll into a ball or use a round (any scoops you have is fine) scoop to shape the peanut cookies. I use an oval shape scoop here.
4. Brush egg wash on top of all peanut cookies and bake for 15 minutes till golden brown. (Adjust the time according to your own oven)
5. Cool and store in an air tight container.

Enjoy!

Baking Frenzy (Green Tea, Pandan, Chocolate)

     There are 3 types of cupcakes here, Green tea w/ green tea frosting cupcakes, Pandan w/ pandan frosting cupcakes, and Chocolate w/ chocolate frosting cupcakes. Sometimes I was too crazy to bake several types of bakery within a day. It's like a drug that makes me could not get out of the baking frenzy. LOL. I know the cupcakes do not look too pretty because I was using new baking cups that are relatively too small compared to the normal cupcake liners that I have used all the while. >.<.

Neapolitan Banana Split Ice Cream Cake

     "Wow, so big?" Haha.. This was the first word came out from my boyfriend's mouth when he saw this cake. I cannot deny that this was really a very humongous cake! I made this cake for a friend's birthday. I called this cake Neapolitan Banana Split Ice Cream Cake. The sequence layer of the cake from the bottom to the top is as follows: chocolate cake, strawberry ice cream, fresh strawberry, vanilla ice cream, Oreo cookies, chocolate ice cream, whipped cream. The toppings and decorations are maraschino cherries, pineapple filling, crushed graham crackers, chopped pecans. It took me two days to complete this cake but overall it is worth it. There are so many layer of textures and flavors inside this cake. Hehe.. I am so happy when everyone was so amazed by this cake! This is the joy of a baker, I guess! LOL..

Honey-Coated Granola

Honey-Coated Granola
Ingredients:
3 cups rolled oats (not the instant one)
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup honey
1 cup sliced almond
1/2 tbsp salt
1 tbsp vanilla extract

Steps:
1. Preheat oven to 320F.
2. In a large mixing bowl, mix vegetable oil, honey, salt and vanilla extract till incorporated.
3. Add oats and almond into the mixture until well mixed.
4. Place on a baking pan and bake for 30-40 minutes. Stir occasionally every 10 minutes to avoid granola from being burned. If the granola turns light brown, then it is done.
5. Let it cool in pan. Enjoy as breakfast or as gift for friend.

It is a very easy recipe and it is very healthy also. I hope that you will enjoy this recipe! =)

Chocolate Cake with Vanilla Buttercream Frosting

     We were having a potluck session, so I decided to make a chocolate cake, and egg tarts. This chocolate cake is a very easy-to-make basic 2-layer chocolate cake with vanilla buttercream frosting coated with chocolate shavings.

Chocolate cake with Vanilla Buttercream Frosting
Ingredients:
Cake Layer:
2 eggs
100g sugar
100g vegetable oil
40g milk
100g all-purpose flour
20g cocoa powder
1 tbsp baking powder

Vanilla Buttercream Frosting:
1 cup butter, softened
2 cups powdered sugar
3 tbsp milk
1 1/2 tbsp vanilla extract

chocolate shavings

Steps:
1. Preheat oven to 350F. Grease one 9-inch pan thoroughly. Set aside.
2. Beat eggs, sugar and oil till mixed.
3. Alternately add milk and flour mixture till well mixed. Pour into the 9-inch pan and bake for 30-35 minutes till toothpicks inserted come out clean.
4. Set aside to let it cool completely.
5. Beat the softened butter, powdered sugar, vanilla extract and milk till form smooth yet a little firm consistency.
6. Cut the cake into half, and apply the frosting. Cover it with the second slice of cake. Apply frosting on all the outer layer of the cake. Sprinkle the chocolate shavings till all covered.

Enjoy!

Hokkaido Chiffon Cupcake

Hokkaido Chiffon Cupcake
Ingredients:
2 egg yolks
50g sugar
60g vegetable oil
30g milk
80g cake flour
1 tbsp baking powder

2 egg whites
50g sugar
1 tbsp cream of tartar

80g whipped cream
20g powdered sugar

Steps:
1. Preheat oven to 360F. Line cupcake pan with cupcake liners.
2. Beat the egg yolks and sugar till slightly pale. Then add vegetable oil till mixed.
3. Alternately beat milk and flour mixture till batter is incorporated. Set aside.
4. In another bowl, beat egg white, sugar, cream of tartar till form stiff peaks.
5. Mix both the mixtures till well mixed.
6. Scoop batter into cupcake liner till 3/4 cup full. Do the same for the rest.
7. Put into oven for 20-25 minutes till a springy touch on the surface when touch. Set aside to cool completely on a wire rack.
8. While waiting, beat the whipped cream and sugar till form soft peaks.
9. After the cupcakes are completely cooled, pipe the beat whipped cream into piping bag and pipe into the middle of each cupcake.

This cupcake is very popular because of the light and creamy texture! Hope you will enjoy this cupcake! =)

Baked Cheesecake

     "A very ugly-looking baked cheesecake, but creamy and yummy cheesecake" quoted by my friend. Haha... I made this for my friend who loves cheesecake so much, but who is also very thin. Makes me jealous you know, LOL.. Mind the look of this cheesecake. I did not handle it very well after I took out from the oven, and it caused the collapse of the cheesecake. Cheesecake is something I am afraid to make, especially the baked one, because it really needs some skills. I did not have any skills in the past as a beginner. The ingredients are a simple one. You will just need graham crackers, melted butter, sour cream, cream cheese, sugar, egg, flour.