I'm mostly amazed at how easy it is for my kids to understand recipes. It took me more than two decades, hundreds of BBCfood and Food Network shows, dozens of recipe books, not to mention thousands of google research, almost to the point of hypnotherapy for any recipe to make sense. 

Since my 5-year old can't read long sentences yet, my 9-year old reads the instructions for him at the beginning. As expected Alex (the 9-year old) gets bored with the process which he considers tedious and disappears after a few minutes. He will only resurrect when food's done... he does the taste test... Alex has an amazing taste buds. So amazing that if I have to bring someone with me in one of my resto adventures, I'd bring him.

Going back to cookie mania, this is such a basic recipe that I have no second thoughts in leaving Jason (the 5-year old) to the "doing" part while I get busy with handling shutters. I have no doubts that Alex can cook or bake if he wants to ... Jason however is a natural in the kitchen. Always's been intrigued with kitchen tools, the proccess of preparing food seems so exciting to him more than anything.  

This is the first time I let him do anything from start to finish so this is Jason's coming of age in the kitchen. A milestone if you may.

Tip 1: 2 cups of flavour is up to you. It could be 2 cups of choc chips, or mixture of choc chips and nuts, oatmeal and raisins, whatever you fancy.
Tip 2: It's a "drop" cookie dough, not "rolled". So we didn't chill the dough at all, we just literally dropped the dough on the sheet, did not press it at all and let the heat melt the dough on its own. 
Tip 3: Don't doubt the timing. When you take out the cookie from the oven, it'll still be cooking for the next 2 or so minutes on the sheet. Transfer it on the cooling rack after 2-3 minutes of cooling from the sheet.

Ingredients:
1/2 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup shortening
1/4 cup white sugar
3/4 cup brown sugar
2 eggs
2 tspoons vanilla
2 1/4 cups unsifted flour
1 tspoon baking soda
1 tspoon salt
1 1/2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips (or 2 cups mixed oatmeal and raisins or nuts)

Makes 2 dozens

Directions:
Pre-heat oven to 375F

Stir the flour, baking soda and salt, then set aside.

In a large mixing bowl, cream butter, shortening and sugar. Add eggs and vanilla.

Blend the dry mixture to the wet mixture.

Stir in the chocolate chips (or oatmeal and raisins or nuts) 

Drop by 1 1/2 tablespoon onto a parchment on a cookie sheet.

Bake for 9 to 11 minutes or until golden brown. 

This is my recent discovery and I'm very happy with it, is an understatement.

I found a recipe for banana cake that has cream cheese frosting on it. It's very simple but tastes really good. Just a proof that it doesn't have to be complicated to be delicious.

Ingredients:
1/2 cup butter, softened
226 grams or 8 oz cream cheese, softened
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup icing sugar

Directions:
Cream butter and cream cheese until smooth.

Beat in 1 teaspoon vanilla.

Add icing sugar and beat in low until well combined. Then on high speed until smooth.

Spread on your cupcakes or cakes and enjoy the creamy cheesy goodness!

-AcousticChef - cookin' one tune at a time!

I thought it's befitting for me to create a recipe just for cream cheese icing or frosting.

Cream Cheese Frosting is tricky for me because it develops-as-you-go kind of thing for me. There are times when my cream cheese is not stable enough that adding more sugar seems like the best option to stabilize it. The problem is it becomes sickly sweet. There are times when it just happens perfect. 

One of my reliable cream cheese recipe is the one that I use in my carrot cupcake and cakes.

The number of sugar you want to add depends on how sweet do you want your icing to be? So you have to consider the base cake, is it sweet enough, then lessen the amount of sugar in the icing. Is it a cake that needs to be complimented further by a sweet frosting, then, be my guest, follow the recipe or add more if you wish.

Again, it is finding the right consistency and taste that YOU prefer. At the end of the day, you're the one eating (for some, licking) it.

Ingredients:
1 ounce white chocolate
4-ounce cream cheese, softened
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon orange extract
2 cups confectioner's sugar
1 tablespoon heavy cream

Directions:
In a double boiler, melt white chocolate over low heat. Stir until smooth, and
allow to cool to room temperature.

In the first bowl, beat together cream cheese and butter until smooth. Mix in white
chocolate, vanilla, and orange extract. Gradually beat in the confectioners'
sugar until the mixture is fluffy. Mix in heavy cream.

Spread it on your cake!

-AcousticChef - cookin' one tune at a time!

Italians... the epicurean gods and goddesses... first off, you can pronounce their words like an authentic Italian,,, say them the way you see them... I think the simple philosophy is very much well adapted with the way they create food.

It doesn't have to be complex to taste great, I love it! 

Frittata can be your breakfast, your in between snacks or even in a party platter as one of the tapas. What's not to love!?

Tip 1: if you are going to substitute dried leaves instead of fresh oregano or basil, keep in mind that dried ones are twice stronger in flavour so you'll cut the amount to half.

Ingredients:
2 tablespoons olive oil
250 grams mushrooms, sliced thinly
100 grams swiss brown mushrooms, sliced thinly
1 medium brown onion, chopped finely
1 clove garlic, crushed
100 grams baby spinach, shredded finely
6 large eggs
1/2 cup cream
1 tablespoon finely shredded basil
2 teaspoons finely chopped fresh oregano
1/2 cup finely grated parmesan cheese
1/2 teaspoon cracked black pepper

Serves 16

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350F.

Oil deep 19cm-square cake pan, line base with baking paper

Heat oil in large frying pan; cook mushrooms, stirring, until browned lightly. Add onion and garlic; cook, stirring, until onion is soft.

Add spinach, cook, stir until it's wilted. Cool 3 minutes.

Whisk eggs and cream in a large bowl until well combined. 

Stir in mushroom mixture and remaining ingredients.

Pour mixture into prepared pan; bake for 25 minutes or until light browned and set.

Cool in pan for 10 minutes. 

Cut into 16 squares. Serve warm or cold.

Enjoy with wine, alone or with someone... celebrate food! 

-Acoustic Chef - cookin' one tune at a time!

Perfect for Valentines, Date Nights, Anniversaries and all lovely celebrations with your special someone... dainty and fun to decorate and play around with.

Tip 1: lessen the colouring if you want a less intense colour
Tip 2: if you don't like ice creams, pink whipped cream will taste great too! 

Ingredients:
185 grams unsalted butter
170 grams caster sugar
3 eggs
125 grams self-raising flour
30 grams plain flour
125 ml milk
1/2 teaspoon pink food colouring
1/4 cup fresh minced strawberries (more if you want to, just make sure the batter is not too thin)

Serving touches:
Scoops of strawberry ice cream
Syruped strawberries (click here for recipe)

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350 F.

Line your cup cake pan with cases.

Cream the butter and sugar in a bowl. Add eggs one at a time beating carefully after each addition.

Sift the flours together and fold alternately with milk. Add the fresh minced strawberries.

Divide the batter equally. Add colouring in one.

Scoop both mixture into each cases up to 3/4 of each cases. Using a toothpick, swirl the mixture to create a marble effect.

Bake for 15 minutes or until a toothpick or skewer comes out clean when inserted in the cupcake.

Cool cupcakes in a wire rack.

Assembling:
At the bottom of your serving glass, place a tablespoon of syruped strawberries. Scoop your strawberry ice cream on it. Place your strawberry swirl cupcake on top and garnish more syruped strawberries on the side for a more pronounced flavour. Add almond slivers if you want.

Enjoy and have fun!

Dessert I came up with because I don't like throwing away food .... it tastes as vibrant as it looks... take my word for it! It's creamy, it's cold, it's cakey... add fresh slices of fruit and a sprig of mint and I say you'll have a party pleaser!

I think my persistence and bravery towards my biggest fear growing up (which is anything and everything to do with the kitchen) is being rewarded... I'd love to think that my cooking and baking instinct is slowly inching out of the novice scale... though miles and miles away from being an expert... there is hope that one day... I'll be...

Today I discovered a jewel... a treasure island must be in the horizon...

Credits: Thanks Ate Mi for sharing this amazing recipe...

Pan de Sal is like dinner rolls but I'm biased so I'd say it's fluffier and tastier than your usual dinner rolls.

I grew up with Pan de Sal. I ate it almost every single time, definitely not as dinner rolls, mostly, at breakfast, afternoon snack, or just when I'm bored and wants to have a nibble.

We eat it different ways. Plain, with jams, with savoury stuffing in it, as an accompaniment to stir fry noodles, with bacon, egg or hotdogs, to eat left over food that has sauce to soak the bread with ... this bread is sooo versatile that the next time I make one, I'm literally going to stuff it.

Traditionally, it's baked in a stone oven... the proper horno. Pan de Sal baked from conventional oven tastes great but traditional oven is pleasantly unique. But, for the time being, my humble oven will do... hope it won't complain of over fatigue. Seems like this is going to be a family favourite... my youngest is already hooked on it.

It took me at least a year to muster the courage to bake pan de sal... no regrets... just happy I didn't jump the gun with some lame recipe... this one really works!

Tip 1: Be patient, your dough will come together
Tip 2: Make sure your yeast gets properly proofed. Your milk should not be too hot nor too cold. If you can't stick your finger in it, it means it's too hot. It should be blood temperature. 
Tip 3: Add a cup or more flour to help form the dough. You want your dough pliable... but not wet. You're going to go by touch, it can't be dry too.
Tip 4: Your pan de sal doesn't have to be all uniform.... it's home made! you want it to be as rustic as a home-made should look like... if you want it uniform... might as well buy it from the bakeshops.

Ingredients:
yeast mixture
1 cup lukewarm milk
1 tbsp sugar
1 tbsp active dry yeast

dry ingredients
5 cups bread flour
1 1/2 tsp salt
1 cup sugar

milk mixture
1 cup milk
1/2 stick butter or 60 grams, cut into small pieces
extra 1/2 cup milk 
1 egg

extra 1 - 1 1/2 cup bread flour

bread crumbs

Makes 20 pan de sals

Procedures:
Add 1 tbsp yeast and 1 tbsp sugar to the lukewarm milk. Stir and let it sit for 15 minutes. It should have a beer-foam appearance on top after the wait, if it doesn't then the yeast did not activate and you must re-do the mixture.

In a microwavable bowl, combine milk and butter pieces together. Heat for 1 1/2 minutes. Mix and make sure all the butter is melted. Add the remaining half cup milk and 1 egg, then beat a little.

Add your yeast mixture to the milk mixture, stir a little until just combined.

Add the liquid mixture to the dry ingredients.

Using a wooden spatula, start folding until dough starts to form. At some point, you'll be ditching the spatula and will start mixing with your hand for about 8 minutes or at least until the dough starts clearing the sides of your bowl by gradually adding additional 1 cup to 1 1/2 cup extra bread flour.

Transfer your dough to a lightly floured surface and knead the dough further. When it no longer clings to your fingers and becomes elastic, form a clean ball and return to your bowl. Cover with damp cheesecloth or towel and rest for one hour.

Transfer the dough again to a lightly floured surface and knead a little more to knock out the air. Rest for another 30 minutes (you can skip this middle resting if you want). Divide into 3 portions.

Work on each portion by flattening it to 1/2 inch thick and 11 inches wide rectangle.

Roll the wide side towards you, tucking the seams with your palms until you have a semi log.

Cut to 1 inch to 1 1/2 inches portion, making 6-7 individual rolls per big portion.

Roll your individual portions onto bread crumbs and place on your baking sheet with the cut sides on top and bottom.

Place them half inch apart so when it bakes, it will rise high enough and will be fluffier than if it's too far apart. Rest for another 1 hour to let the dough expand a little bit more.

Bake in a pre-heated oven on 350 degrees for 15 minutes or until your preferred colour, pale, golden brown, brown.

Fresh from the oven, open one and see how soft and fluffy your creation is! Enjoy your home made pan de sal that will beat any commercially made ones...!

Happy eating!

I thought I will keep this recipe for myself but what's the joy in that?

So, I'm gloriously sharing it to all.

Ingredients:
Crust:
2 1/3 cups Graham Cracker Crumbs
1/2 cup
1/4 cup sugar

Fillings:
900 grams cream cheese
1 1/2 cups sugar
1/4 cup all purpose flour
5 large eggs (or 7 small-to-medium ones)
460 grams sour cream
1/4 cup milk
1 tablespoon vanilla extract

Toppings:
1 cup fresh blueberries
1/4 cup sugar
1 cup ready-made blueberry toppings
1 1/2 teaspoons cornstarch diluted in 2 tablespoons cold water

Makes one 10-inch cheesecakes or 
five 4-inch crust and 10 4-inch cheesecake fillings (so you might want to double your crust for mini pans). 

Procedure:

Crust:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Prepare your springform pan by wrapping the outer part with aluminum foil.

Using a food processor, mix all ingredients until it's well combined and moist. Press crumb mixture onto the bottom of the pan and on the sides, 2 inches for 10-inch cake and an inch will be enough for a 4-inch cake.

Bake until it starts to brown, 8-10 minutes. Set your crust aside and let cool.

Filling
Beat cream cheese and sugar in your mixing bowl (either by stand alone mixer or hand mixer). Beat in flour, then add one egg at a time. Add the sour cream, milk and vanilla.

Pour the filling into the crust or ladle if you are making mini-cheesecakes.

Place the pan(s) in a large roasting pan. Pour hot water into the roasting pan until it reaches an inch or so of the springform pans' side. 

Bake cheesecake until it's just set in the center, golden brown, 1 hour for 10-inch cake, 15-20 minutes for 4-inch mini-cakes.

Refrigerate for 6 hours before adding toppings.

Toppings:
In medium  high heat, heat the fresh blueberries, starch and sugar until it is completely dissolved. Boil until the mixture thickens. Stir in 1 cup ready-made bluerry toppings and heat for a few seconds. Cool the mixture before spreading it on top of your cheesecake.

Refrigerate your cheesecake with toppings for 2 hours if you want your toppings to run a little bit on the side when you release it from the pan. If you want it to be fully set, then refrigerate it longer until toppings are fully set.

You can add whichever toppings you like, I tried it with Blueberries, Strawberries and even Lemon Icing... go nuts ... be experimental and have fun!

Happy Baking!!!

Wow. Never ever thought I'll be writing about Fondant anytime soon. Not the chocolate fondant where it's gooey on the inside which I also love.

I'm talking about rolled fondant that you use to cover cakes for special occassions. The fondant that intimidated me for soooo long, I think a lot of people for that matter. I can't even begin to explain my relief when I looked at my first ever cake, covered in glorious fondant.

Having the stand mixer made my baking life easier. Making a fondant? Stand mixer is truly heaven-sent.

Tip 1: When you reach the stage that you have to add the remaining 4 cups.
If you have a stand mixer, then use it, speed no. 2, using the hook attachment.
Tip 2: To roll out fondant, your pin must be silicon made. Fondant will stick to wooden pin.
Tip 3: To know if your fondant is ready to be rolled by moulding a small shaped stone, drop it on your work surface. It should spread slightly but must retain its shaped.
Tip 4: Sprinkle your work surface with confectioner's sugar to avoid getting your fondant stuck on your surface. If you are in a humid location, like the middle east for example, then use half cornstarch, half sugar. If you use only sugar, it will become more sticky because sugar attracts moisture from the air.
Tip 5: After a couple of rools, turn your fondant a quarter turn at a time to avoid it from getting stuck on the surface.
Tip 6: You should only cover cakes which are firm. Fondant is heavy and any cake that's not strong enough will be easily weighed down by fondant. I made a mistake of covering a carrot cake with a soft bodied cream cheese frosting on my second try, and let's just say, it didn't keep its shape well.
Tip 7: Because fondant is practically solid sugar, most people don't like the taste of it and peel it off the cake, so make sure your cake inside is full of flavour.

Ingredients:
1 tablespoon plus 2 teaspoons unflavored gelatin
1/4 cup cold water
1/2 cup glucose
2 tablespoons vegetable shortening
1 tablespoon glycerin
8 cups sifted confectioner's sugar
icing colour and flavouring, as desired
Extra confectioner's sugar to find your right consistency

Can cover 10 inch x 4 inch high cake. (appox 36 oz)

Procedure:
Mix gelatin and cold water, let it stand for 3-5 minutes, until the gelatin is well soaked. Using a double boiler, heat the gelatin mixture until it's dissolved. Add glucose and mix well. Add shortening and wait until it's almost completely melted. Add glycerin (flavouring and colour, if adding any). Cool the mixture until lukewarm.

Grease the side of your mixing bowl with shortening. Place 4 cups confectioners' sugar and make a well in the middle. Pour the gelatin mixture into the well. Start mixing from the middle with your wooden spoon until all sugar all sugar are well combined.

Add the remaining 4 cups of sugar, a cup at a time. Mixing well on every addition. Knead until the stickiness disappears and mixture becomes pliable. When it starts clearing the sides of your bowl, transfer the mixture on a smooth work surface, either on a granite counter top or a silicon mat for further kneading. 

Knead your fondant with additional sugar if needed until your fondant becomes smooth and pliable.

Use your fondant immediately or keep it in an airtight container in a cool and dry place. Do not refrigerate! If you're ready to use it, knead it again until soft.

Roll your fondant about 1/4 inch thin. Transfer fondant to your previously crumb coated cake and smooth it until your happy with the end result. Add your finishing touches, either other moulded fondant or royal icing designs.

Enjoy your well deserved pat on the back!

Baking cookies is something I'm never into. There's always something out of the box, which tastes good, so why make it harder for me... but hey... whatever rocks my kids boat... I'd give a try.

And so I brave it... I baked cookies with the help of my sous chefs... It was fun... it won't be the last time, they already have flavours in mind, to as normal as raisin, oatmeal cookies, almond and chocolate cookies, to as bizarre as cheese cookies.

Tip 1: After you drop the dough onto your mat, flatten just a little bit, not too much because it'll spread too thin when it bakes
Tip 2: If you don't have cup cake flour, replace it with 1 cup minus 2 tablespoons all purpose flour
Tip 3: Make sure you don't burn the underside of your cookies... either by taking it out early or lowering the temperature, you'll have to try and test your first batch. Even if you take it out early, it'll still continue cooking.

Ingredients:
3 1/4 cups all-purpose floor
1 cup cake flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/2 cups butter, softened
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup packed brown sugar
2 large eggs or 3 small eggs
1 tablespoons vanilla extract
1 1/4 cups Semi-sweet Chocolate Morsels

Procedure:

Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees F

Combine all-purpose flour, cake flour, baking  powder and baking soda in medium bowl. In a large mixing bowl, combine butter, granulated sugar and brown sugar. Beat until creamy. Add eggs and vanilla extract. Beat until well mixed. Gradually add the flour mixture into the sugar mixture. Stir in morsels.

Using an ice cream scooper, drop dough (approx 1/4 cup) onto your baking sheets, 2 inches apart.

Bake for 10-14 minutes or until golden brown. Cool on baking sheets for 2 minutes, transfer to wire racks and completely cool.

Forget about your diet and dig in!