Durian Cake for NEW YEAR 2012

I specially make this durian cake for new year eve dinner with my friends,
it is a sponge cake layers with durian cream.
I make it into long rectangle shape, pipe with durian cream and make lines along the side with my frosting comb.

Okay the piping is a bit messy and the writing is not neat as the cake is not even in height but everything is ok, at least its stable and stays in shape haha!!!!!
I think smoothing a square/rectangle shape cake is harder than a around cake :p

3 layers of sponge with durian cream sandwiched in the middle :)

Time to serve it to my guests ~~~~~~~ 
The bigger slice is for him heeeeeeeeee
As you can see from further distance, the layers looks so drooling for me :p
Its yumm  and not so heavy with the sponge cake, very durian with the cream
and they all like it, happy!!!
HAPPY NEW YEAR 2012 everyone and wish you have a new refreshing year in 2012!

NEW YEAR EVE DINNER, HAPPY NEW YEAR 2012!

2012 is getting nearer and its just few hours away~~~~~~~
We have a very simple new year even dinner at my place, only a small group of people with simple dinner and I make this fried rice with simple only prawn cutlets and mixed vegetables.
I top it with some pan fried egg that has been shredded and also crispy shallot.
Simple and satisfy fried rice ever with only simple seasoning like salt and pepper, nothing else!
P/S: I cook the rice the night before and store it in the fridge :) Reason is its just easier when you are frying the rice.
Overnight rice seems to be not that sticky and you can get a very nice consistency fried rice.

And Jerome also bring over a cherry pot, its an alcohol with cherry flavour.
Hmm I don't really drink much alcohol and so are they because they get drunk very easily:p
Eventually we have this after we went for countdown near by the town and
had some fireworks scene far away from the city. 
Thanks Jerome for the alcohol :)
The road is crowded with lots of people at 12am, and 15 minutes of fireworks
did leave me a special memory during this 2012 new year with my hubby accompany by my side:)
Hurray its 1st of Jan 2012 now~~~~~~~~~~

For this special new year eve, I also make a durian cake as a treat for my guests after dinner.
It is a long rectangle shape durian cake, with sponge layers and durian cream :)
The larger piece is for my hubby kekekekekekekeke
I am happy they enjoy the dinner as well as my cake ~~~~~~

Happy New Year 2012 Everyone

My attempt on icing cookies again, more on baby blue colour this time.
Wish everyone a HAPPY NEW YEAR 2012 ^^

Didn't really think of making them into too much design as it really takes time and effort.
What I do is using a main colour - blue in different cookies shape.
Still, having a hard time in getting the outline done and the flooding of icing.
Its harder to pipe accurately on a round cookie, hmm maybe more practice????

Stacks of cookies in love, round and flower shapes :p

Salmon and Prawn Onigiri & Lunch Bento

My first onigiri that I made at home.
This is the most simple and easy cuisine to make yet less oily and healthy :)
My hubby friend's ask me whether I know how to make onigiri because his sister likes it a lot,
then I remember that I used to have it in a japanese restaurant in GPO centre in the city.
The one I had is with crispy seaweed as you play around with the onigiri while eating it because the seaweed is separated from the rice, you only wrap it by yourself when you are gonna eat it so it stay crispy and it does make lots of difference hehehehe


I am using normal sushi rice, sushi vinegar and seaweed.
You can make it into any flavour you want, I am doing the salmon and prawn one ^^


For the prawn one, I mix the rice with parsley flake so that it has a bit of green colour.
Then I wrap the prawn cutlets (pan fried with pepper and salt + bits of sugar) into the rice, shape it into triangle and wrap a piece of seaweed underneath.


While for the salmon one, I pan fried the salmon on a pan and smashed it with a fork into tiny piece.
I pan fried until its golden and crispy, season with some salt and pepper.
The I mix the salmon into the sushi rice + black sesame (looks more colourful).
You can wrap some salmon inside as well but I didnt do it because its too sticky hahahaha

And also I use leftover rice and make it into fried rice with some vegetables,
then sides with prawns and hard-boiled egg + seaweed :)
This bento is for his lunch tomorrow~~~~

Happy cooking~~~~~~~

Chilli Bean Pork Ribs with Rice

I bought a jar of chill bean sauce last few weeks, but never have a chance to use it.
In a food channel I heard that cook spare ribs or steam a fish with chilli bean sauce will make a very yummy dish for dinner or lunch.
I am not very good at selecting fish in the market and also preparing it haha so just do it with pork ribs! Maybe I will try to steam it with fish next time hehehe

I found the recipe in :
http://rasamalaysia.com/black-bean-spare-ribs-recipe/2/

Feel free to have a look if you want try to cook this dish.

But I do adjust the ingredients when I am making this, I replace the leek with onion.
Instead of black bean I am using chilli bean :)
I marinate the ribs for 2 hours before cooking, I used seasoning 
like salt & pepper, sugar, rice wine, onion flake and soy sauce.
And because this is a spicy dish so I also add like 1 tbsp of sugar so that it taste a bit sweeter
rather than just spicy.

Serve it with steam rice is the best option and I also sprinkle some
toasted white sesame on the ribs before I serve it (optional). Enjoy!

Little Hearts Cookies for just Me & Him, Our 7th Anniversary

Time flies so quickly and its our 7th anniversary today, a special 26th of Dec for both of us :)
Can you believe it, its 7 years?!
I remember 7 years ago, we meet up with each other in KK plaza, and then chemistry happen btw us on that day hehehehe


We went through 4 years of long distance and finally we have a chance to stay close to each other in Melbourne, which is what we have hoped for since the first few years.
There's lots of things happen these years and we have to go through a lot of obstacles
and we did solve every single problems very well :)


Its our 3rd year staying in Melbourne, so glad that you are staying beside me all the time.
We achieved and got what we have always hoped for, I know
is gonna be hard especially in your career but I will always support you hubby!
Let's work hard on everything and live beautifully in Melbourne ^^


We both have changed a lot in both negative and positive ways but
what we should be glad of is that every fight make us closer and closer to each other^^
Just wanna let you know that I always love you and care about you from time to time.
Love you hubby and happy 7th anniversary!

Little heart shape cookies made with love to remember such a memorable day ^^

Just between you and me, zero distance ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

My first Christmas Log

Its 25th Dec now, Merry Christmas to everyone!
I made my first christmas log early of today,
its a chocolate swiss roll with cream cheese filling and sweetened cherries.
I pipe on the chocolate whipped cream on the swiss roll to make it looks like log,
its the simplest way to do this I guess.
I always want to make a log as my hubby like swiss rolls so much, now I have got a chance to do so hehe
I snap the pictures along with the xmas decorations that I bought today, the mini 
xmas tree and angel in a bulb:)

Its time to decorate after I chill them for few hours in the fridge!!!!!
I put on a xmas tree that made of royal icing and a "MERRY CHRISTMAS" banner hehehe
And of course along with my handcrafted santa claus, gifts and snowman hehehehe
Have you got any christmas presents yet????

Creamy cheese cream with sweetened cherries is rolled into the log:)
I guess chocolate sponge goes very well with cream cheese and cherries, just like black forest cake!
Hope it taste good as I wish, gonna snap some pictures once I cut the log hehehe 

Little santa and snowman handcrafted by me, feel relieve that at least they look like what they are :p


Yeepeeee, dessert time!!!!!!!
Here I cut the log, you can see the cream cheese and the cherries
surrounded by the chocolate sponge and thick chocolate whipped cream :)
It tastes like what I have expected, yummy and my hubby likes it!

Wish everyone a wonderful Christmas and have their wish granted during the new year :)
Hope you enjoy my blog and the pictures.
And again, HAPPY NEW YEAR 2012 in advance to all of you :)

The SANTA CLAUS WITH PREZZIES & SNOWMAN

I am making the santa clause and snowman for my christmas log, this is my first time making santa claus and I am a bit worry because I  am afraid that it wont look like santa clause hahahahaha
I also include some gifts and candy canes as well, more xmas feel :)
All going good and I have them done in 2 days, including time to dry them up ^^
Anyways, stay tuned for my xmas log, am gonna post in by 12am tonight :)

Christmas Tree Cookies

Today I made this Christmas Tree icing cookies, wish everyone a merry christmas^^
With extra cookies that I have made, I also finish them the some royal icing piped around
the edges and decorated with some sugar pearls and icing sugar^^
And also my handcrafted santa claus, snowman, gift boxes gumpaste decorations and ;)

They are made of out of plain vanilla cookies in star shape,
I am using like 5 different sizes of star cookie cutter and
a round cookie cutter for the base.

For the christmas tree, I am using 3 for each sizes of the cookies,
you can use only 2 for each sizes if you after shorter tree.

I start by piping a thick royal icing in circular motion
on the round base cookie that has been placed on a small plate .
Royal icing is of a very stiff consistency that you still can
see the star pattern of the once you pipe it out.


p/s: I am using a star nozzle, not the smallest one but I think
is the second smallest tip.

I don't have to wait for the icing to dry up, I immediately stick on the first biggest
size of my star cookies on the base.
Then I pipe on a little icing around the edges line by releasing the pressure, while you slowly pull the piping bag away from the cookie.
After I done this, I fill in the inner space randomly with lots of spiky stars with royal icing.

Then keep on carrying with another biggest size of the cookie, repeat the step above until
you finish the smallest size of the star cookie. 

Finally, I also put on silver sugar pearls that acting like
the colour bulbs hanging around the christmas tree which make it looks prettier :)
And also, a star gumpaste decoration on the top on the tree, I sprayed mine
with some gold glaze ^^ You can also use extra cookies for the top on
by applying some edible gold paint/dust or spray :)

Black Sesame Glutinous Ball Sweet Soup (黑芝麻湯圓), 祝各位冬至快樂!

Happy Winter Solstice Festival!

Now I am having a bowl of black sesame glutinous balls sweet soup, such a great dessert after dinner. Start to miss my family in KK, ahhh I wanna be with them so much.

Have you eaten any TANG YUAN in this very special day? Are you celebrating this special day with you family/loves one, if not have you given them a call or message

and tell them that you love & miss them?

Nothing is important than family, so always give them a warm hug or just simple

a sweet message, you will never know what is gonna happen tomorrow :)

Christmas Chocolate Cupcakes, Merry Christmas to all^^

My first christmas cupcakes in Melbourne, wanna wish all my friends and family a merry christmas in advance ;)
I have been thinking the designs for my cupcakes since 3 weeks ago, while these 2 weeks I saw lots of people starting to post their 
christmas cakes/logs and dessert, which give me more inspiration and idea!
So I have to start my christmas project these few days ^^

These are chocolate cupcakes, topped with cream cheese frosting and edible Christmas decorations :)
I use red and green food colour to make it looks more christmas.

1. green frosting topped with santa claus hat
2. red frosting topped with snow flake
3 green frosting topped with candy canes
4.red and green frosting xmas tree with stars and sugar pearls
5. red and white frosting with gingerbread man
6. green wreath with mini pearls and red ribbon
7.red frosting with snowman

Me myself personally like the one with wreath the most, I learn how to do it by following one
of my favourite blog.
It doesn't look like exact the same one but it just look simply pretty :)

They are all hand crafted gumpaste decorations by me :)

Hope you all enjoy my blog's pictures :)
Wish you all a very MERRY CHRISTMAS, have a wonderful december and HAPPY NEW YEAR 2012 in advance^^