Resolutions for Year 2010

Is almost Chinese New Year. This year, I won't be baking any cookies due to a big tummy on hand.

Last year hasn't been a very smooth year especially at work. This year, I hope it would be better. Well, hopefully everything will be better be it health, wealth, career, family, etc.

Resolutions for 2010

• Buy more cookbooks. The next book on the list is the new release from Rose Levy - Rose Heavenly Cakes.
• Buy a bigger book shelf to house my collection. (Have to think of where to put the shelf)
• Avoid offending 小人.
• Good health to all, especially my family members and friends.

Happy New Year 2010

HAPPY NEW YEAR 2010

This should have been uploaded after Christmas but due to my laziness, it was delayed till now. I bought this 3 Tier Plate from Ikea during the weekend when they were selling it for $19 instead of $29.

Instead of putting home made pastries as I did not back any pastries for Christmas, I have used it to put savoury stuff like condiments such as crepe skin, cucumber for Peking duck, fried spring roll, fried sotong yew cha kuey and cocktail sausages.

A very useful tray as you could stack food item upwards and save some space at the dining table. Very pleased with myself to have gotten this at $19.

Christmas Party

After the Christmas party we had in Yr 2007, we have decided to hold another Christmas Party this year at my place. This year's menu would be very simple to cook as it it only caters for like less than 20 people as some family members are away this Christmas season on a holiday. I am definitely looking forward to the party!

Raisin Pound Cake

This raisin cake is made from the same recipe as the fruit pound cake. However if you notice, this looks a bit dense. I suspect is because I used some left over brown sugar instead of castor sugar and my brown sugar was a bit damp. This could have contributed to the cake failing to rise. But I prefer this cake taste to the fruit cake as it has a brown sugar fragrance.

Fruit Pound Cake

I have used this pound cake recipe to make various versions with different fruits, nuts, etc. This recipe gives a light and fluffy butter cake texture and this is not the traditional type of fruit cake which you usually get on Christmas.

Ingredients

226g unsalted butter

100g shortening

300g castor sugar

350g flour

1tsp baking powder

5 eggs

1tbsp vanilla essence

1 cup milk

2 cups dried mix fruits/chopped walnuts/raisins/blueberry/etc

Method

Preheat oven at 180C.
1. Cream butter, shortening, sugar till light and fluffy.

2. Add eggs 1 at a time and cream well after each addition

3. Add vanilla essence.

4. Put 1 tbsp flour into mix fruits and mix well.

5. Sift flour with baking powder.

6. Use a spaluta and mix in flour and milk in 3 batches, starting with flour then milk.

7. Lastly add in mix fruits, pour into baking tin, bake for 1hr or till cooked.