ChocMud Cuppies for Amy

It was Wednesday, our 2nd day at Anyer when I found a text message from my sister, asking if it's too late to ask me to bake some cuppies for her goodfriend Amy's birthday on Friday.
Baking won't take long but me on my holiday mood couldn't work my brain out to get an brilliant idea for the decoration. I told Reny I'll get back to her by Thursday night, whether I could get the cuppies done - or not, when I'm back from our first beach family holiday.

I know I have all the ingredients ready at home, so once we get back and after I bathed the kids, I started working on the kitchen. Were not sure what kind of cake Amy likes, but I decided to treat her with the juiciest choc cake I think no one insane enough to resist :)

Not much on the decoration, was thinking about making some fondant figurines but afraid of running out of energy and time to dry them up, so I picked some Arnott's Tiny Teddy and sprinkle some hearts trimmits as token of love from a good friend, and line the edges with sugar crystals for festive effects.


So glad to hear back from Reny that Amy called and told her she liked the cuppies, she tought they were so cute she display the box on her desk for everyone to see. Then she finally ate them and share them with her colleagues, and said the cuppies were sooo chocolatey and melted in the mouth. they finished them all and forgot to spare one for Amy's husband *oops!!*

Cookies to Welcome Fakhri!

Winda called me a few months ago with some inquiries on lolly cookies she saw when she visited Baby Adia. She called me again on a late Sunday afternoon, and ordered these lolly cookies to welcome her newborn baby boy, Fakhri. The cookies are for guests to take home as thank you gift, therefore Winda wants Fakhri's name written on them.


I jumped off my seat and run to the kitchen right away as Fakhri was born that morning, so his mum would need the cookies right away! Plus the fact that my family & I were going to go out of town on Tuesday morning, I would need to finish the cookies for Monday delivery.

Gathered the ingredients and utensils while my kids were napping, I worked on the dough and icing, and only stopped for a quick shower and dinner. Luckily my Mum stayed over before our vacation, she helped me taking care of the kids so I could finish the whole 30 cookies right on time to tuck them in their beds. Thanks Mum!!

Started decorating them overnight and only finished at about 2 in the morning, I couldn't do a fancier style (sorry Winda...) and got them all packed and ready by 3 a.m.


Got the cookie jars just before I drove to the hospital, and even wrap and tied the cookie bouquets in front of the new proud parents of beautiful baby Fakhri.
I hope Winda & Agus like the cookies despite the time constrained creation.
Welcome Baby Fakhri!

Choc Mud Cake

I am not a chocolate person myself, but when I saw this recipe my memory flew back to those several years ago when I was living in Sydney.
There's a little bakery somewhere in the heart of DeeWhy and when I have a bit of extra money money (hey, student's don't have money...) I sometimes go inside this shop and got me a piece of moist dark brown treat with scrumptious rich tastiest chocolate topping (now i know it's called ganache) that I used to save to my last bite...


Chocolate Mud Cake. Dark. Rich. Moist.
Best served chilled with heavy cream on the side.
I didn't have cream this time as I want to savor it's original rich taste on its own.

You can call me a chocolate person this time.

Famous-Amosy Wannabe

Been googling for Famous Amos cookie recipe when I stumbled over to several blogs, one of them is fellow Indonesia baker now living in Melbourne, Regina.
She quoted the recipe which claimed itself as the original recipe, however I was more interested in the piece that she modified.

Got all the stuff together including the very tempting Semi Sweet Hershey Choc Chip. Alas! Only to found out my grinder was broken and it was too late to cancel this project that has been on my wish list for weeks, so I just ground the oatmeals manually using Indonesian traditional stone mortar & pestle!!
That saved me a few bucks off gym admission and in return here comes the yummy morsel of snack I've ever made! Yihaaa....


It has all the goodness of dark cooking choc, our treasured Hershey's Choc Chip, almond, and butter. Yummo yummo!

Cancerians Crab Cuppies

Specially requested by Reny for 2 of her colleagues who were having their birthdays this month. The brief was to make something simple for 2 different guys for them to share the cuppies with their kids at home. But something 'simple' wouldn't do kids much excitement enjoying cuppies, I want them to savor the look as much as its Vanilla & Choc Chip flavour.

Needed to squeeze my brain to get an interesting theme quickly as I don't have much time, a basic idea that can be slightly modified into two different set of cuppies. Albeit the different personalities, at least Dodi & Bondan share something in common: their zodiacs! They're Cancerians.

Hence come the idea of making this crab as center piece, one was hanging out on the beach with earthy colour tone, and the other was in the bottom of the sea with teal blue tone.
Along came other sea creatures you can find in the sea and on the beach to accompany each crab.


Orange marbled yellow fishes, seashells, and starfishes...


All figurines were made of fondant, the sand was made of brown sugar. This fake sand looked sooo real but I bet it tastes hundred times better!


They come in clear plastic boxes, a set of 8 cuppies. Wasn't a too bad job for such a short notice (Reny only texted me Tuesday afternoon to get this delivered by Friday!) and I was quite happy with the outcome...


Looked like this crab feel a bit trapped. Poor little things. I wonder if they actually get eaten, too! :)

Disney Princess & Ben10 Cupcakes

These cuppies were ordered by Tia for her children.
Tia didn't mention the occasion when she called me, she only wants half a box of cuppies for her son with Ben10 edible images and the rest of them with Disney Princesses for her daughter. The cakes were chocolate flavor with some generous amount of choc chip sprinkled inside.


It was Tuesday morning and the cuppies were to delivered to her office by Friday noon, so I called Yani immediately requesting the edible images to be made and sent to me asap. Once I had the edibles on my hand, I cut them out and put them onto rolled fondant and inserted a toothpick in between so the edible were able to stand up straight on the cuppies.

The cuppies were covered with baby blue poured fondant, decorated with cut out butterflies, pink flower and dragee on each petals, and colorful spikel sprinkled all over. All decoration items are edible.


I choose soft orange fondant to cover Ben10 series, to compliment the yellow & apple green theme colours. So I picked these colours for the cut out stars. Metallic green dragees and round chocolate chips are placed in between to made the cuppies look merrier.


I delivered the cuppies to Tia's office on Friday morning, and only then realized that we had actually known each other through a job back in 1999. That's almost 10 years ago!
Then Tia told me that her son had just been through a tonsil operation, and the cuppies were treats to celebrate the day he was allowed to start eating the yummy foods again!

I hope he enjoys the choc cuppies with his favourite Ben10 character, and get well soon, and have more yummy cuppies :)

Animal Topper 3

Cute Bunnies!


The three sisters are: Cherrylane Bunny (owned by Cia), then my 2nd attempt Bunny, and at the end is 1st attempt Bunny.
I'm so happy with my new Bunny as she's able to hold the plumpness and it's shape also resembles the perfect Cherrylane Bunny model.


It's cute behind :)
But I think I could do the tail a bit smaller next time...


I can't wait for the edible pen my Mum had just bought me, but she'll only be back next week. I need them to make perfect eyes for the figurine as toothpick and food colouring doesn't do justice to this cute animal being!

Animal Topper 2

Ladybug.


A somewhat easier project compare to the previous Cherrylane Bunny. I like it's googly eyes, her head sunk ready to feast on the rose's leaf.


A quirkier angle. Looks like she's trying to hide herself behind the sumptuous peach rose. Or maybe she's camera shy.

That's why we get her a plastic bubble of her own :) I think this 'hamburger' wrap suites her.

Animal Toppers 1

The perfect Cherrylane Bunny belongs to Cia, sitting next to my bunny and my mouse.

My bunny was plumper and taller when I was making it, but it sunk and flattened during the drying process albeit only in room temperature. I kinda lost patience trying to put on it's nose and ended up pressing it too hard therefore the funny nose.

The colouring I put on their eyes won't dry up even after 2 days, and accidentally rubbed my finger on the mouse's eye so I decided to change the bunny's eyes with melted chocolate.


Somehow it looks cuter sitting on the cuppie, or even in it's new see through cage.

Ladybugs & Roses Cuppies

A box of cuppies as a thank you gift for our friend dr.Joyce.
I've known her from uni back then when we attended the same alma mater. She's a very good and caring doctor, she's the one we count on when one of us get sick, and we often bother her on the most inconvenient hours like Saturday midnight (!!), but she always gets back to us by calling back or replying my text messages.

Can't thanks her enough for all her help.
But at least we can occasionally send her something from our kitchen as she likes my baking goods. It's not Macaroni Schotel this time - but some cupcakes with cute garden theme.


Vanilla & Choc Chip and Chocolate & Choc Chip flavour, all covered in soft pastel green fondant, sprinkled with green sugar crystals for sparkling effect.
Some bright red ladybugs were sunbathing among pink and peach roses, all made of fondant and edible.
It's nothing compares to all the helps dr. Joyce had provided us with, but at least it's something to snack on while she enjoys her weekend holiday, right, Doc?

Animal Cuppies for Mika

Happy Belated 3rd Birthday, Mika !! Hope you had a blast and lots of presents and toys :)
Sorry that Cia & Icho weren't well last week so their mum couldn't spare time to bake you something to celebrate your birthday on time.

But here's something from Cia & Icho, please don't mind as it came a week late...


Ibu Opi told me you likes chocolate, so here are some in Chocolate & Choc Chip for you , and Vanilla & Choc Chip flavour for Ibu & Ayah. Somehow the temperature made the fondant topping a bit wrinkly, so they actually looks like Pug Dog's face skin. All parts are edible, they are made of kids cereals and chocolate buttons and choc coated peanut candy.
Lots of choco thingy for choco lover boy!



Hope you like these animals cuppies, Icho thought they were Mickey Mouses, but Cia guessed better, they were puppy dogs, koalas, and teddy bears!

Rose Cuppies for Borra

Baked some cuppies for our neighbour Borra & Budjana who just had their 2nd son born last week, these ones are vanilla with choc chips.


Decorated them with poured fondant and rolled fondant for the roses & leaves, all in white and pastel colours. Sprinkled them with sugar crystals given by Frida for sparkly effects.


When my fingers got numb from rolling too many of these petite flowers I decided to make bigger single rose ones instead of stacking them together as a bouquet.
Borra called later to said thank you for 'the really tasty cakes'.
Hope Deva like them too!

Emoticon Cuppies for NCC MURI

This year is NCC's second attempt to break Indonesian Museum of Record (MURI), and the goal is to gather 100 NCC members to decorate 2008 pieces of cupcakes. The event was held last Saturday, 21st June, 2008 and took place at Pasaraya Grande, Jakarta.
Click here for more details.

We were given only 1 hour to finish 20 cuppies, and my theme was YM Emoticons.
The collection on this photo is not complete as some of them were sold and given to friends after the event.


Thanking my friend Frida who gave me the sugar sprinkles, I finally get some use of it.
And thanks to tante Ayin for babysitting the kids while the mummy was busy with buttercream and new friends :)

Cheese & Smoked Beef Muffin

An early Sunday morning project that has been in my wait list for quite some time.
It's the basic muffin recipe and tried to modify it according to what I have in my fridge.
Hey! We got lots of cheddar cheese and some smoked beef! Our favourite things! Yummos!!

The ingredients:

• 50 gr butter salted
• 75 gr margarine
• 50 gr sugar
• 2 eggs
• 50 ml fresh milk
• 200 gr plain flour
• 1 ts baking powder
• 1/2 ts baking soda
• 100 gr cheddar cheese, cut into small cubes
• 50 gr smoked beef / chicken / bacon, cut into small pieces
  

Preheat the oven in 180C
Warm the milk and melts the butter and margarine in milk
Whisk eggs and sugar, add in milk mixture.
Add flour, BP and BS, stir well with spatula
Don't overmix!
Put the batter in nonstick muffin tray, lay cheese cubes and sliced smoked beef in between the batter.
( you can lay papercups if you like )
Bake in 180C for 20-25 minutes.

Jonathan Birthday Lolly Cookies

Nathan loves cars.
Auntie Reny wants to surprise him by ordering car shaped cookies for his birthday.
The cookie makes said, she'll find a car shaped cookie cutter. Or better use Cars edible image for perfect car pictures, as the cookie maker felt unsure about drawing cars :)
Luckily Auntie Reny agreed.


with just a little bit of re-editing, the Cars images comes very nicely from Oishii Cake - thanks Yani! So now Nathan can have some nice chocolate and vanilla lolly cookies to share with his schoolmates and cousins on his 4th birthday!


ps. Thank you Papa Cia for helping with the pots, and than you kids for not messing with the cookies during the photo session by the window this morning! Heehee.

Elmo's Birthday Cookies

Ben10 is Elmo's favourite character, so his mum, Onin ordered some of these cookies for Elmo's 8th birthday.


They came in 7cm diametered circle shape, 3 cookies in each pack.
I made more chocolate cookie chips than vanilla ones, as requested by the client (Onin loves choc cookies heehee).
I got the edible images from Oishii Cake and was very happy with Yani's service :)

Elmo, hope you have a wonderful birthday (now that it's school holiday already!) and hope you like the cookies, too!

Puff Pastry Sticks

Easily made by cutting the frozen puff pastry dough into 1 cm wide strips, brush a loosely beaten egg on top of them, and sprinkle whatever topping you like!
Parmesan cheese is a must if you are making this savory snack, so I used white sesame seeds & grated parmesan cheese on some of the strips, and oregano & chili powder & black sesame seeds & more parmesan cheese on the rest.


Put the strips on a greased baking tin and bake in moderate-high oven (180-200C ) for about 20 minutes.
Let them cool completely before you store them in an airtight container, but I bet they'll all be gone before they even have a chance to get soggy!

Apple Roll

I had some extra filling from the Apple Turnover recipe, and had bought some frozen springroll wrap, so here are what we had for Saturday morning munchies, yummy!
The cinnamon flavour was a knock out and the crispy thin wrap was the crunchiest thing.
Mindy you, they don't come in an exact same size as it took another level of crafting skill, heehee!

Buttercake Cupcake

My second attempt on the simplest buttercake recipe from NCC website, using the muffin tray I bought last month from Edi Majestik. Glad I get this nonstick tray which makes things a lot easier, no need to grease the tray and the cuppies were still able to pop out easily.


Apparently I have to set the temperature lower than what the recipe suggested. This way the cuppies managed to maintain their slightly rounded surface and reached a golden yellowish colour on the top without getting the bottom burned. Yeah! (Otherwise the bottom will already be brown while the top is still pale and sticky - like my first trial.)


Either way Cia always savors them with gusto! * i looovvee cupcake...* (Icho doesn't like cuppies.)

Apple Turnover

A simple healthy tasty afternoon snack, something we missed from the McDonald's (they call their's 'apple pie') so sometimes I made this apple turnover simply by wrapping the filling in frozen springroll wrap and quickly deep fried them. Looove the thin crispy wrap!
This is my first time making it using the frozen puff pastry, a healthier choice I suppose as we get to minimize the cooking oil use and only need to bake them instead.


The outcome turned out great. The husband kept popping the little pillows into his mouth and not to forget his first comment when he saw them getting out of the oven: "how can they turned out so pretty!" (heeheehee!)

What's inside this pretty babe:


Here's the recipe:

• 3 green apples (Malang / Granny Smith) make sure they are not too ripe.
• 75 gr sugar
• 2 tbs margarine
• 2 cm cinnamon stick
• 25 gr raisins
• 50 ml water
• 1 egg to brush the pastry top
• pinch of salt

Peel and slice the apples thinly.
Melt the margarine in a pan, put in the apples, raisins, cinnamon, and salt.
Stir until the apples turn golden yellowish, the add in water, and continue cooking until it becomes thick. Cool down.
Roll the puff pastry dough thinly (2-3mm) and cut the in shapes you like. (I make squares).
Get a piece of pastry, put in the filling, cover it with another piece of pastry, press the edges with fork to close them tightly.
Brush it with loosely beaten egg, bake in slightly greased pan, moderate heat (180-200 Celcius degree) for 20 minutes or until golden brown.

OR, simply wrap the filling in thawed frozen springroll wrap, and deep fried until golden brown.

Easy peasy!