• Baking Recipes,  Christmas & holidays,  From the books,  Layer cakes

    {Christmas Countdown 2013} Just because lamingtons remind me of snow

    We’re only a few days away from Christmas now, and it is on a day like this more than on any day of the year I start thinking about snow. (Especially since the weather these past few days has been on the warm side!) I wonder what it’s like to have snow falling on your face, brushing past the tip of your nose like a silent kiss. I wonder how those tiny white specks feel rolling between fingers that try to catch them. Do they feel like sharp icicles or are they really as cottony soft as they look on television? I haven’t been fortunate enough to witness falling snow…

  • Baking Recipes,  Brownies & Bars,  From the books,  Reinventions of classics,  The Breakfast Bin,  TV cravings

    No turning back now + Peanut Butter and Jelly Bars

    When I started this whole blogging thing, I had no idea what to expect. All I aimed for was a place to share the things I bake/cook and shoot. Now it feels like a little more than that. Aside from the newfound goal of teaching others and encouraging others to cook and bake too, now I get these crazy ideas and do these crazy things that I probably wouldn’t have had I not started this blog. I wake up really early during Sunday mornings feeling invigorated and excited to run into the kitchen even though Sundays are all I have for “rest”. I forget my week’s worth of exhaustion during…

  • Asian Flavors,  Baking Recipes,  Cupcakes & Muffins

    Yes, I’m actually a videogame nerd

    Well it’s not a secret, but it’s not something I get to discuss at length. I super love videogames. I love it so much I once made concept art for a game I had an idea for. (Also something you didn’t know about me, I love to draw!) When I was in high school, I played a ton of RPGs on the Playstation 2. Ahhh memories… The downside to RPGs is that it takes time and dedication to finish, and if you’re a perfectionist like me, you try to finish all the side-quests (eg. Finding all 101 Dalmatians in all the Kingdom Hearts games) and unlock all the bonuses, which…

  • Baking Recipes,  Bread-making,  My Comfort Food,  Yeasted breads

    An excuse to bring out the strawberry jam

    Once upon a time I had a craving. I went down to the kitchen and opened the pantry doors, pushing aside bottles until I found the one I was looking for: strawberry jam. I picked it up and stared at it a long time. I don’t know why I like to make life harder for myself. I could have just toasted some bread and slathered on the jam, craving satisfied, but I pushed that idea aside. As I held on to the bottle, staring at but not really seeing the label on the jam, a flicker of a memory crossed my mind.

  • Baking Recipes,  Brownies & Bars,  The Breakfast Bin

    Bakewell Slices for an almondy mood

    My week is finally winding down. With just little bits of business left to tie up, I’ve managed to squeeze in some time to write about these lovely bars. These bars, as you might have guessed, is based on the English Bakewell Tarts, which is something I have yet to try. (If anybody knows a good recipe for the tarts, please do link away!) I actually made this quite some time ago but had planned to share it only after trying the tarts. Unfortunately I haven’t had the chance to make them, but it would be such a shame to keep these bars to myself for so long. These bars…

  • Baking Recipes,  Dearly Dreaming Dorie,  From the books,  Pies & Tarts

    {Dearly Dreaming Dorie} Flakiness is occasionally a good thing

    And by that, I most definitely am not referring to people. Flaky people are one of the worst, and I don’t even want to go into detail because that would have to be a whole blog post on its own (I’ve got a lot of experience from my university days, believe me). But flaky pastries? Now that is the only good kind of flaky in my book. Wouldn’t you agree? It’s funny how carefully I am going through Dorie Greenspan’s cookbook. I believe the correct term for what I am doing is savouring her book. Baking the recipes one by one is perhaps a testament to my love, positive review,…