Fondant Roses and Design Pieces

Salam,

Hi all, I've managed to find time to make some roses from fondant and ......I do not know what actually to call the other one, just called them "design pieces", ahhh whatever. The fondant, I bought from Baking Project at a very-very reasonable price . Before it gets expired (one month from baking date) I must make something out of it. This week end I plan for another project with these fondant pieces. Just look those roses I've made, one of the pink roses is made by my son.....the making activity/process really made him so excited. Just like playing with your playdough.

BAKLAVA !

Salam!,

Last night I tried to bake Baklava.It's a sweet "cookies" (do not know how to classify it's group).Originated from Turkey and its very popular in the Middle East adn in the Mediterranean especially in Greek. Covered with phyllo pastry and layered with grounded pistachios and/or walnut, almond.....and poured with syrup. I got the recipe from Simply Recipes by Garrott Mc Cord. Of all the recipe I've read this (to me) is the best and it turns out very delicious too.

Preparation time : 2.5 hours

Baking: 30-40 minutes

Yield : approx 1.1 Kg

For the baklava:
1 lb. of chopped nuts (almonds, walnuts, or pistachios are best, or use a combination of them)
1 lb of phyllo dough (Pampas - can buy from Jaya Jusco or Giant Supermarket)
1 cup of butter, melted - you may use Ghee (for those who can stand the Ghee aroma)
1/3 cup of sugar
1 teaspoon of ground cinnamon
1/3 teaspoon of ground cloves

For the syrup:
1 cup of water
1 cup of sugar
1/2 cup of honey

2 tablespoons of lemon juice
1 cinnamon stick
Finely ground pistachios for garnish (optional)

Method
1. Lightly grease a 9x13 pan and set the oven to 350°F.
2 .Thaw the phyllo dough according to manufacturer's directions (this may take overnight).

When thawed, roll out the dough and cut the dough in half so the sheets will fit in the pan.

Cover with a damp towel to keep it from drying out.
3. Process the nuts until in small, even sized pieces. Combine with sugar, cinnamon, and cloves.

In a separate bowl, melt the butter in the microwave.
4. Place a sheet of phyllo dough into the pan. Using a pastry brush, brush the phyllo sheet with

melted butter. Repeat 7 more times until it is 8 sheets thick, each sheet being "painted" with

the butter.
5. Spoon on a thin layer of the nut mixture. Cover with two more sheets of phyllo, brushing each

one with butter. Continue to repeat the nut mixture and two buttered sheets of phyllo until

the nut mixture is all used up. The top layer should be 8 phyllo sheets thick, each sheet being

individually buttered. Do not worry if the sheets crinkle up a bit, it will just add more texture.
6. Cut into 24 equal sized squares using a sharp knife. Bake at 350°F for 30-35 minutes or until

lightly golden brown, and edges appear slightly crisp.
7. While baking, make the syrup. Combine the cinnamon stick, sugar, lemon juice, honey, and

water in a saucepan. Bring to a boil, then reduce to medium low heat and let simmer for 7

minutes and slightly thickened. Remove the cinnamon stick and allow to cool.

** Up Left - Before pouring syrup, down right - After syrup poured.

Buttercream Deco for Cake

Hi!

Last Saturday, I went for a buttercream decoration class for cakes at Baking Project. Thanks Yasmin......Took back the cake I decorated, my kids were excited but this time I told them the cake was not dummy, it's for real and they just can't wait to eat it......We sang Happy Birthday song, even it's not anybody's birthday at all. But we dedicated it for Ina, birthday in advance. Hers will be just in few days.....she wanted her cake something more "grand" than this and it must be by her mama. No sweat dear, I'm ready.......

Note: Ada seorang "mamat" ni, semua birthday orang birthday dia.......

Basketweave design (crooked, hands were shaking.............)

The roses were from buttercream, it's not ready made, I made it my own.......

There's one "Mamat", everybody's birthday it's his birthday..............

Chicken Pie

Ingredients

1 can of button mushroom (I use "Ayam" local brand) - cut into slices

1 cup of chicken fillet - cut into pieces

2 nos chopped onion/shallots

2-3 nos of potatoes - cut into cubes

2 tbsp of soup powder - use 1 cup of water to dissolve the soup powder

1 cube of chicken stock

Soy sauce to taste - can opt for salt

1 cup of fresh milk

1 tbsp grounded black pepper - optional

3 tbsp butter for frying

1 egg yolk

For base and cover pastry

1 pack of "Kawan" or " Pampas" Pastry or any other instant pastry

(can buy it from Giant or Carrefour)

Instructions

1.Heat up the butter and saute' the chopped onion/shallots until fragrant

2.Add in the chicken fillet and potatoes, mushroom

3.Add the soup powder, chicken stock and fresh milk and soy sauce or salt

4.Let the ingredient soft and thick

5. Roll the pastry to shape, base and top to be slightly bigger to cover

6.Brush egg yolk on top of the pastry

7. Bake in the oven stove for 30 minutes at 200 degrees Celsius

My 4th Try

Salam semua!,

Ahaa akhirnya alhamdulillah dapat juga berpuashati dengan hasil usaha buat cupcake ni. Tapi ianya tak akan berakhir setakat ini je, jadi bolehla sesiapa yang berkenan dan sudi terutama rakan-rakan membuat tempahan cupcake dengan saya....

Kucing Pun Dah Tahu .......

Salam,

Apa cerita Cik jija kali ni ye......? Cerita haiwan belajar dari manusia. Beberapa hari yang lepas, Cik Jija sedang mengemas dapur (rajin tu datang lagi)........ketika itu hujan lebat semakin reda menrenyai. Satu bunyi sedari tadi tak henti-henti dan merimaskan. Rupanya bila ditinjau diluar ada seekor anak kucing yang baru lahir. Cik Jija anak beranak kepoh keluar sebab nak tolong anak kucing tu. Rupanya tali pusat masih lagi diperut, nak angkat pun ngeri rasanya. Anak Cik Jija yang sulung (yang mengelarkan dirinya Doktor Veterinar In da House, cita-cita dia ajela) sibuk bawa gunting keluar nak potong tali pusat. Tapi kami tak benarkan tak pasal-pasal anak kucing mati pulak, bukan nak tolong tapi jadi "polong".

Anak Cik Jija masukkan anak kucing ke dalam kotak, kesian dia macam tunggu masa ajalnya. Yang bongsu tu sibuk menyuruh tolong bela anak kucing tu, tapi susu apa yang nak diberi......tak kan susu tin tu. Elok-elok bernyawa, keras jua akhirnya. Cik Jija punyalah membebel ......bukan apa mak si kucing tu pergi mana, tahu beranak tak hargai anak. Bila malam nanti banyak anjing berkeliaran, alamatnya jadi santapan "supper".

Anak Cik Jija sempat berkata......."ish,ish, ish kucing pun sekarang pandai buang anak, dengan bertali pusat lagi tu.....". Nak tergelak pun ada dengar nada selambanya tapi sebenarnya memang betul....haiwan pun dah pandai tiru manusia.

Cupcake Lagi!

Salam & Hi,

Ha.....habis saja balik dari kelas Sugar & Gumpaste tu terus ke dapur. Apa lagi demam datang lagi. Demam nak cuba buat cupcake. Nak cuba buat sampai menjadi dan betul-betul puas hati. Tapi kali ni memang dah niat kalau setakat nak praktis lebih baik cuba buat cupcake saiz kecil. Wa Lah........kira ok la tu tapi kena perbaiki lagi. Comelnya saiz......

Sugar & Gumpaste Cake Decorating Class

Salam,

Last Sunday I attended Min Baking Project class for sugar & gumpaste cake decorating class. Phew!!!! It was not as simple as I thought...... for a beginner, but the best part it was so fun and if you know the right technic, the right method you can decorate a cake just like a pro (learn and practice as much as you can) . Thank you Min for being patient and don't stop teaching.

IKAN BAKAR, ANYONE?

Hi there,

Last Saturday, the whole family went up north to Lenggong, fetching my eldest daughter from her boarding school. They finished their exams and were allowed to go back a week earlier than the others. (Just to keep the school less noisy, others are concentrating with final exams & SPM). So as usual whenever we fetch or send her there, our favorite lunch spot is the Restoran Ikan Bakar Tasik Raban. It's about 50 m from the MRSM Lenggong's traffic light junction , going up north to Grik on the right hand side. It's quite famous for those who usually drive up to Grik or to Kelantan via East-West Coast Highway.

There're quite an extensive array of ulam-ulaman and "masak kampung" dishes. My favorite are always the fried"ikan Pekasam"( a fermented fish with grounded rice), with blanched "pucuk paku" (a type of ferns leaves) and "sambal belacan with tempoyak" - this, I can't explain it in English....ha...ha...dah rasa baru tau. The "ikan bakar" is always our favorite too. And the best part is the food are cheap and simply delicious.......

CHICKEN PIE

Salam,

Lambat hantar posting, kalau ada masa baru boleh mengarang tak panjang pendek pun alhamdulillah, ok la tu. Week end? My week end is always full and pack. If it 's not pack with my programme, I'll be very busy occupying my kids' activities.
Just want to share .......my first chicken pie. Last Friday buat. Really, I've never done this before. Not to say this one is perfect for the first time but is okay. There are a lot of rooms for improvement. Practice makes perfect and better. Kena selalu buat tapi sapa yang nak jadi "pentukang" rasa dan "pentukang" habis? ("Pentukang" ni perkataan favorite anak lelaki I). Kalau rasa-rasa kat rumah tak boleh diperhabiskan, nasib baik rakan-rakan pejabat yang sporting nak makan apa yang I masak. Thank you guys! Itu yang buat semangat nak cuba lagi. (Dalam hati depakan....dah, dah, la tu...(????).

MANDI DI SINI, ANDA BERANI?

Di Zimbabwe, Afrika, pada ketinggian 128 meter, anda akan temui Victoria Falls. Lokasinya dikenali sebagai ‘The Devil’s Swimming Pool,’ atau ‘Kolam Mandi Syaitan!’ Pada bulan-bulan September dan Disember, anda boleh berenang hingga ke tebing air terjun. Kerana airnya tidak berarus, anda tak akan terjunam ke bawah! Kawasan ini kini menjadi semakin popular di kalangan ‘pelancong berani.’ Semakin ramai yang inginkan pengalaman mengerikan ini. Apakah anda berani?

Sumber diambil dari Web Alaf 21

Cup Cake - 2nd Try

Hi, just want to share what I did last two weeks ago. Another try of baking and decorating cup cakes. OK tak? For a baker who do not have any hands on knowledge and skill. OK la tu!

MalaysiaRama

Assalamulaikum,

Alahai......mengeluh dan masih geram lagi. Apa taknya, terfikir Cik Jija macamana nak jadikan Malaysia bersih. Bersih banyak macam bersih tapi ini bersih yang paling asas, kebersihan dari sampah sarap. Geram dari malam semalam masih panas lagi ni. Malam semalam Cik Jija dan suami hantar anak ke klinik. Selesai ambil ubat segalanya tu, Cik Jija dan anak tunggu di luar klinik dulu sementara suami selesaikan bayaran.

Masa menunggu tu terserempaklah di depan mata seorang ibu dan anak ni yang baru sahaja membeli makanan segera yang tidak jauh dari situ. Dengan selambanya si ibu membuang bungkusan kertas dan plastik makanan ke atas jalan. Cik Jija siap lagi menyapanya dengan bunyian...."heiiiiiii" tidaklah kuat tapi setakat boleh didengar olehnya. Tapi dia buat tak dengar....pekak agaknya. Cara dia membuang sampah tu macam tidak ada perasaan sorok atau malu atau berat hati tetapi entah tak tahu nak kata. Padahal tong sampah tidak jauh dari situ. Kalau dibuangnya sampah tu ke dalam longkang Cik Jija boleh terima lagi walaupun nanti longkang tersumbat (dengan harapan ada pekerja majlis yang akan membersihkannya) tapi sikap selamba tidak apa dan dengan bangga membuang sampah yang Cik Jija gerammmm. Dan lebih menyakitkan hati, pakaian si ibu, gaya dan kereta yang dipandu tu bukan calang-calang tapi malang sikapnya macam orang tidak bertamadun langsung!!!!!!

Raiyan's Birthday Party

Assalamualaikum,

Bertemu lagi....ahhh lega rasanya , Sabtu lepas 1 Nov selamat mengadakan jamuan hari jadi anak lelaki. Ada la dalam 15 orang yang hadir termasuk sepupu sepapat, pakcik makciknya dan kawan-kawan sekolah. Bagus juga tak ramai sangat kalau tak tak menang tangan. Letih yang amat, semalam Ahad semuanya tersadai keletihan. Tapi yang tak letih-letih budak yang menyambut birthday la.....melompat sana sini tak henti-henti..............

Dalam banyak-banyak makanan, kek dan cup cake order saja....(TQ Dida...cantik & sedap cup cake you), kuih kole kacang tempah dengan jiran....sedapppnya kuih kole kacang dia. Jiran saya dah siap pelawa nak ajarkan cara buat kole kacang (yes!), mee hoon goreng sendiri , air minuman bancuh sendiri dan chicken puff yang gambar kat bawah ni buat sendiri. Yang seronoknya 1st trial dan berjaya, alhamdulillah menjadi dan suami dan yang lain-lain tu komen sedappp la. Terima kasih dapur yang tak de sempadan, dari blog Mat Gebu.....