Happy Happy Joy Joy =D

Post from April 8.

Oh Happy Day!!! Long time no see!!! Despite trip'n in the yard & scrape'n my poor toes an hour ago, i smiled all the way to work - down the hill, pass 9 blocks, 12 minutes of walk'n to the train station, onto the train, off the train, up the stairs, around the building, into the parking lot, up the stairs, into LCC, up the elevator all the way to my desk - while limp'n.

LOL!

why am i so deliriously happily psych'd about going to work?

I'm not!

i'm happy cos:

1. the Sun's out & shining brightly!
2. it's Friday!
3. i'm dress'd for SOX-CESS!!!
4. i walk'd tofu bright & early up the hill, around the hill, and back down. exercise for both! NICE!!! =D
5. i made ice cream for the 1st time @ 8 am & of course it's gotta be green tea flavor!
6. i happily mistook my neighbor's ivory-color'd-Samoyed-lookalike-blue & brown eyed Husky as a Sammy. i stop'd in my tracks, back'd up & wait'd with a smile for the man & his dog to make their way up to one car's space in front of me & in front of the postman & 2 yard maintenance workers, i shout'd (with a smile) - "I have a Sammy too! He's 8 months!...Oh! No! you live over there, is he a Samoyed Retriever mix?" the neighbor goes: "Oh, he's a Husky. Purebred." OOPPPPPSSSS!!! people do that to me all the time, but my first @ it. HAHAHA. the Husky's name is Juno & i've had eyes on him for months. When Wil & i were moving our stuff to the house every night back & forth for a week last Summer, I always tried hard to spot out the doggie's muzzle under that big wooden fence. at the beginning, i took it as a Goldie, until tofupuppy & i approach'd it one day & while we walk'd away, he ran onto his elevated patio. "VOILA!" i was so psych'd that he look'd like tofupuppy. Juno. =D
7. i finally start'd my "day" posts on facebook, after Judy. day 98! 2 pictures!
8. i got to work late. hahaha. had to administer first aid on my poor bloody toes. SORRY TOES!!! they always fall victim to my idiot self. =(
9. i'll be baking tons of cupcakes & cookies tonight with Judy.
10. i brought eggs, romaine lettuce & sesame almond cashew peanut dressing for lunch with Julie & she said "I love eggs!!! can't wait to meet u for lunch!"

11. i have two hostess chocolate cupcakes in my bag.

This day will go fabulous!!!

Enjoy the weekend!!!! =D

chestnut souffle spongecake

post from May 10.

[day 129] got home @ 8:30, ate some fish tenders top'd with cheese & tartar sauce, still felt bummy from my miserable job so i made myself a cake to cheer up! isn't she lovely? 3 layers of fluffy moist souffle cake fill'd with Sabaton chestnut cream from France & dot'd in pink vanilla buttercream =D

[day 117] chicken katsu & fry'd okra

post from April 27.

[day 117] day #3 of fried chicken, day #2 of fried okra. is this why my tooth infection came back? i'm very "yeet hayh?" this was YUMMY! all worth it. pop'd another expired antibiotic pill afterwards...hehe...so what is this? bread'd & fried chicken katsu & okra served with rice & okonomiyaki sauce (poor tonkatsu sauce is sit'n unused in the fridge)...<3 <3 <3!

Doraemon Souffle Cheesecake

Happy Birthday Ming! =D celebrated Ming's bday with a vanilla souffle cheesecake disguised as ドラえもん (Doraemon or as i call him "Ding Dong")

a few weeks ago, my bro flew back from Hong Kong for 5 days to visit before start'n his new job, so i hung out with him & his friends. while having dinner, i offer'd to make Ming a birthday cake (think we were on the topic of desserts...or something...oh my memory!...sigh...) i've only met Ming a few times & we're hardly acquaint'd but i took the opportunity to bake/practice. she said she liked Hello Kitty so i thought "woo hoo, so do i & i love anything Hello Kitty). She mention'd she liked 抹茶 (matcha - Japanese green tea) & スフレチーズケーキ (souffle cheesecake), so i decided to go with it, as a surprise, eventhough my souffle cheesecakes fail'd twice (i think they were under-mix'd, under-baked). As Ming's bday got closer, i check'd in & she requested Doraemon, so thus i made Doraemon, using this as my guide.

plan'n time! when i brainstorm, i tend to doodle endlessly. kekeke.

 i was truly ecstatic when my 3rd attempt @ souffle cheesecake (Japanese cotton soft cheesecake - a fusion of spongecake & cheesecake) was a success. =D although i thought it turn'd out a tad wet, the birthday girl said it was perfect & much comparable to the ones she can only get from the bakeries in NY. the cake rec'd positive feedback & i was uber glad, had my fingers cross'd that it would taste good & was fully cook'd through.

i made a 6" cake & baked it for 1h10m, plus cool'd it inside the oven with door ajar for another hour (recipe below).

sweet success!!! =D (i forgot to put the matcha green tea powder in it. hahaha)

first, i crumb-coat'd the cake with some cream cheese buttercream

then i drew Doraemon with a toothpick

then i outlined all the lines with black-color'd cream cheese buttercream

then i piped stars to fill in all the space

everyone always gets impress'd by all the piped stars, but it really doesn't take long. maybe about twenty minutes to half an hour this time?

Hmm...Ding Dong's eyes & mouth turn'd out a bit too big.

nice & personalized. box'd & ready to deliver a surprise.

Baby Austin, me & the birthday girl Ming =D

Bye Bye Doraemon. We all enjoy'd ur company & your insides. LOL!

a teeny tiny slice for each person cos we all got stuff'd with family-style (aka HUGE PORTIONS) Italian dining. Look the cheesecake is nice & even - no sink'n, no dense bottom. WOOHOO!!!!!

Souffle Cheesecake (Japanese Cottonsoft Cheesecake)

225g cream cheese (1 package, 8 oz.)

200ml milk (whole prefer'd)

80g sugar, separated 20g & 60g

40g cake flour, sift'd

3 eggs, room temperature & separated

1t vanilla (i only use Nielssen Massey vanilla extract & vanilla paste speckled with seeds http://www.nielsenmassey.com/) 

optional: if you want to use chocolate or green tea powder, sift it in with the cake flour. i'd say 1T or so?

1. preheat oven to 340F (170C).

2. grease a 6" pan with butter & line bottom & sides with wax'd paper (if using springform, wrap pan with 3 layers of foil to prevent water from the water bath from seep'n into the cake - too much trouble for me, so i didn't use a springform, just gotta line it well & be careful when turn'n it out/upside down).

3. heat the cream cheese & milk in a bowl over a pan of simmering water (DO NOT let the water touch the bottom of the bowl, although it will condensate regardless).

4. mash the cream cheese in the milk & stir until thick & no longer lumpy.

5. remove the cream cheese & milk mixture from the stove (pour the hot water into a pan for the water bath). let the mixture cool for a few minutes. give it a few whisks to let some steam out.

6. whisk the 20g sugar, 3 egg yolks & vanilla into the cream cheese mixture.

7. fold in the flour lightly, until just incorporated.

8. strain the mixture (optional)

9. beat the 3 egg whites until foamy, add the 60g sugar & beat on low until stiff

10. fold a third of the meringue into the cream cheese mixture. mix well.

11. gently fold another third, then the remaining third (the meringue will clump up & float on the top of the batter, press these to the side of the bowl with your rubber spatula.

12. once batter is well incorporated, bake it in a water bath (the cake bakes in a pan of boil'd water) for 1 hour. to prevent over-brown'n, cover the pan loosely on top with a sheet of foil.

13. after 1 hour, take the cake out of the water bath & bake another 10 minutes. (if u want to brown the cake, remove the foil now)

14. after 1h10m, turn off the oven, leave the door ajar (left open a few inches), and let the cheesecake sit in the oven for another hour.

15. after baking 1h10m & cool'n in the oven for 1 hour, take the cake out of its pan & let it cool to room temperature before frosting (another hour or so), or cool in the refrigerator for 3 hours before enjoy'n it.

Vanilla Cream Cheese Buttercream Frosting

(enough to frost this cake)

225g cream cheese (1 package, 8oz), room temperature

1 stick butter, room temperature

1C powder'd sugar

1t vanilla

Just mix all the ingredients until light & fluffy

Enjoy!

aiyah! haven't updated this space in weeks. will post pix soon. :)

upcoming baking projects:
- Ming's BDay Cake - Doraemon, green tea/red bean Japanese Cottonsoft (Souffle) Cheesecake frost'd with SMBC
-Halloween Party - rice crispies pumpkins, fruit punch with hands, devil red velvet cupcakes
- Lici's Baby Shower - Sugarbunnies' Shirousa (pink bunny) cake - 2-tiers with Shirousa iced cookie centerpiece, or 3D fondant Shirousa - flavor TBD
- My Hello Kitty Birthday Bash
- Baby Colin's 100Day Party - bigger & better monkey cake - 2 tiers? or cupcake-pull-apart cake

BRB. 2-hr class.

1000-Year-Old Egg & Pork Congee

another day @ work, another bowl of 皮蛋瘦肉粥 =D

Hello Kitty Tiramisu Mousse Cake

Happy Birthday Ying! this has got to be one of my proudest baked creations to date! isn't this a fabulous Hello Kitty cake? =D

it was very last minute, but it turn'd out great. My co-worker Ying's BF email'd me one day introducing himself & inviting me to her surprise bday party. since i only knew Ying about a month & hung out with her once, i didn't know what she liked. coincidentally when i ask'd her BF for ideas on a bday gift, he told me that she had want'd some Hello Kitty slippers from Target, but couldn't find her size @ that location. So, i quickly decided that i want'd to make her a Hello Kitty cake since i was plan'n one for my own bday a few months away (totally OBSESS'D, i know!). i ask'd Ying what type of desserts she liked & she said tiramisu (yup, that was it. hahaha. "tiramisu & everything"), so tiramisu it'll be...kinda. since Julie's tiramisu charlotte had some structural issues, i knew i had to figure an alternative solution, so i went with an espresso chocolate cake w/ espresso cream cheese mousse. everyone LOVED it! =D

here goes plan'n of the look.

 aren't my cakeboard & toppers adorable? they're Hello Kitty too! =D

microwaved some Candymelts in the microwave in a bowl of water for Hello Kitty's facial features

Hello Kitty's eyes, nose, whiskers made of Candymelts

this is my fabulous Hello Kitty mold! it's actually a McDonalds Happy Meal toy, got it a few years ago & it's been stored safely in my closet. i made the mousse & let it set in the fridge for half an hour or so

after the mousse set halfway, i top'd it with the espresso chocolate (mocha) cake

after the mousse set firmly, i unmolded the 2 layers & stack'd them

first off, i crumb-coat'd the cake in whip'd cream

after piping the entire cake with whip'd cream stars, on went the Candymelts bow, eyes, nose & whiskers

gotta love that mold!!! =D

 box'd & ready to surprise the birthday girl. i LOVE all the colors & how this look'd!

here's the birthday girl, the surprise guest (me) & the surprise cake =D

girls rule! boys drool! hahaha.

i LOVE how the layers came out to be exactly the same height =D

 

when i was making the Hello Kitty cake, i also made a very tiny cake for Auntie Zhen, who coincidentally likes tiramisu too.  

i had want'd to pipe big flowers for Auntie Zhen's cake since i think all Mommies should be gift'd with flowers, but since i don't know how to pipe flowers, i top'd the cake with 5 Candymelts hearts that i randomly made while piping Hello Kitty's facial features, turn'd out impressive, eh?

there were 5 hearts - they represent her 4 daughters & her grandson. Auntie Zhen is so cute, she actually call'd to thank me after she ate it. Anytime! =D