Category Archives: The Breakfast Bin

Breakfast is my absolute favourite meal of the day.

Hi chocolate, it’s nice to matcha!

Posted in Asian cooking, Baking Recipes, Bread-making, The Breakfast Bin, Yeasted breads by

Did I really just write that title? I’m sorry.

So I finally managed to track down some matcha powder some weeks ago, and unfortunately it’s not the sort I’m looking for. It seems like a really mild type of matcha. From what I’ve been seeing in photos, the concentrated one has a greener hue; and from what I’ve been reading, it has a stronger taste. I can barely taste my matcha in this bread. No, scratch that– I can only taste the matcha if I concentrate really really hard. If I close my eyes and really try to unlock my tastebuds, I can taste the wonderful green tea notes with a hint of sweetness at the end. Unfortunately it lasts only a few seconds, not to mention I look kind of odd doing that at the table.

And yes I’m pretty sure it’s not just my imagination.

Continue reading for the recipe >>

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Finding resolve + Hot Cross Biscuits

Posted in Baking Recipes, Biscuits & scones, Christmas & holidays, The Breakfast Bin by

As some of you my dear readers know, the start of this year hasn’t been particularly pleasant because of a certain “discovery” that happened. In fact I can think of several adjectives that can describe it, but let’s stick with …infuriating. Don’t get me wrong, this discovery was an important eye-opener, and in the long run a beneficial and positive one, but it’s been hard on me. I won’t deny it. And the fact that it has caused me to neglect almost all the things I love (except coffee), has been cause for why I’ve been spending my days feeling like I’m in a rut. My disposition hasn’t been the brightest because of it.

This blog is one of the things that suffered most from this period, and I hated this fact knowing I had promised myself to make this blog better than it was last year. I sure as hell couldn’t keep that promise if I could not even find the time to post. At the start of the year after the “discovery”, I had so many terrible emotions rolling through me that only added to the physical and mental exhaustion I was experiencing from work. A great deal of my time was spent hating the people responsible for this whole mess. There was too much work to be done to rectify the situation, and I was constantly beat and dispirited. I was so burnt-out in just about all aspects of my being that I spent weeks not baking at all. I’ve never been the type to spend idle days, but that was all I wanted to do then: Lie down, try to get restful sleep, forget about everything.

I had been shaken out of my character.

Continue reading for the recipe >>

If only life were as easy as braiding lemon breads

Posted in Baking Recipes, Bread-making, Lemon Obsession, The Breakfast Bin, Yeasted breads by

How goes the first couple of weeks of the new year for you all? Mine has been one heck of a roller coaster ride. Sometimes when I lay down to sleep at night, I feel shocked at how much has happened in the last 11 days since the year began. Work has been absolutely draining and stressful and overwhelming. Sometimes all I want to do is lie down and stop thinking about everything. The weather has been nice over here too, contributing to my desires to take it slow. Maybe I need a change of careers. Or something.

I know I told myself that 2013 is going to be an awesome year– my year. I felt good about its approach, and I felt good as I welcomed it with open arms. I had this sensation in me that this is the year when things will begin falling into place. That I’ve been feeling the blues these past few days has been discouraging me though. I feel insecure. I feel terrified that things seem to still be muddled until now. I know it’s grossly premature to have this fear that I am going to be disappointed at the end of the year just because I’m having off days right now, but it’s an odd feeling. I feel like there’s something else out there I should be doing to get to where I want to be. And yet I have no idea how or where to get started.

Continue reading for the recipe >>

The thing about new year’s + Baked Oatmeal To-Go

Posted in Baking Recipes, Cupcakes & Muffins, The Breakfast Bin by

I think most people expect to feel differently every time the new year swings around; like some sort of strange, unexplainable feeling of rebirth is supposed to stir inside them. The truth is, this very rarely happens in the magnitude we imagine, and most of the time it happens depending on whether we want it to or not. Change is hardly instant. It’s something you have to work on for a period of time.

It begins in the tiniest corner of the soul.

Continue reading for the recipe >>

Brightly golden Ensaymada sunshine

Posted in Baking Recipes, Bread-making, Filipino Food-love, The Breakfast Bin, Timeless Treats, Yeasted breads by

If you’re wondering where I’ve been this past week, I’ve been in the hospital. I got sick with the dengue fever and had to be confined for seven unfortunate days in the hospital, four of which were spent fighting off recurring high fevers. It was my first time being hospitalised and I hope I never have to go back for many many many years to come. I find it ironic how I never get seriously sick ever and the one time that I do it lands me in the hospital. It wasn’t the most pleasant experience, but I’m thankful to be home now.

Today I’m going to share with you what I feel is one of the best things that ever came out of my oven: the ensaymada. I’ve made a handful of bread since I started blogging, and most of them have been good bread. However none of them have made me feel this particular way. The moment I saw how perfect these ensaymadas looked fresh out of the oven, I began gushing over them like I have never gushed over bread before. I was excited, giddy, but most of all, I was proud. I was proud of myself because this felt like an accomplishment. I was proud of myself for choosing and succeeding in making something truly close to home. For all the foreign breads I’ve made and loved, this one definitely takes a special spot in my heart. Continue reading for the recipe

In the absence of actual apple pie– Apple Pie Muffins

Posted in Autumn baking, Baking Recipes, Cupcakes & Muffins, My favourite things, The Breakfast Bin by

You ever have days when you get a hankering for apple pie but you’re too lazy to go through the motions of making the dough, chopping up the apples, and all that? I do. A lot of times actually. So then you might ask, ‘Why don’t you just run down to the store and buy one?’ To be honest, I haven’t found a store-bought apple pie in my neck of the woods that tastes half as good as a homemade one. So what’s a girl to do in such a situation? Well this is the part where I tell you about how this muffin would be a nice substitute for apple pie, but if there’s one thing I learned after all this time I’ve been baking, it’s that there really isn’t a substitute for good ‘ole apple pie. And yet I can’t resist the charm of other pastries that interpret this lovely classic. I made a cupcake-version of apple pie a while back, and while they were good, I have to say these muffins were oh so much more satisfying! Continue reading for the recipe