Bananas in pyjamas

*yawn*....had sort of the most hectic day at work so far, and it has been 3mths 1day since I am in this company.

Remembering that I do not have breakfast tomorrow, I came back to do something therapeutic, although it was quite a rush. I knew I just had to start baking by 8pm, because it would take me about 2-2.5 hours to make my banana muffins.

Looks familiar? Actually they are dressed differently. Today they are in more tightfitting checkered clothing, waist probably about 16cm. The other day, they were wearing floral shirts, waist about 18cm, if you noticed..hehe.

Because of the smaller waistline today, I managed to bake 20 of these little scoundrels. The other day, I made 18. But as soon as they were out in the open, cooling down, 1 was quickly devoured.

Mum said the ones I baked the other day tasted slightly fluffier and more fragrant. Hmm...but I beat them more thoroughly today!

tired tired...going to bed now..bananas in pyjamas...haha!

in search of muffin tray, ended up trying others' muffins...

I went in search of my muffin tray today. I bought one which did not fit my oven (since my oven is not the bigger kind ones). So, yesterday and today, off I went in search of the right tray, armed with my measuring tape in tow.

I ended up not finding my tray, but with a new set of measuring cups, and a new large plastic box to store all my "worktools". The one I was previously using was a wee bit too small for my choc mould and it curled its edges a little bit, which made my heart ache.

But the day is not wasted. I chanced upon a new outlet in town selling muffins. It's at the basement of a pagoda-shaped building in town. I bought the promo pack, which was 5 muffins for $5, and a small pack of cookies free.

I soon tried the banana one. Another stingy one. The muffin was obviously based on banana essence, because there was only 3 small and thin slices of bananas in it. It tasted nice, but really, I know that amount of bananas would never make your muffins have much banana smell and taste. I honestly do think I make a better one than them. My mum thinks so too, and mine looks nicer.

Ok, so all their muffins crack at the top, which I think is how muffins should look like. But all their muffins also look like the Leaning Tower of Pisa.

You judge for yourself. I have yet to eat all of them, but I have to say they do not look aesthetically pleasing, at least if you want to sell them. But there is one good thing though, and it is that the muffins are not oily. They were packed in a cardboard box, and when I got home, there were just a bit of oil stains at the side. In this aspect, this wins the previous stall that I tried.

Trying out others' muffins

Qn: so, what do i do when i am not baking now?

Ans: Planning my next bake day...hehe

today, i went to bendemeer hawker center again, and bought 1 muffin from the muffin staff there to let my mum try. I had previously tried this stall, just to compare and try what others do.

OK, by the way, there is no craze about muffins. i just had enough attempts at cookies, and i bought many paper muffin cups, so I have to use them. Incidentally, I realise that baking muffins seem to give me a sense of excitement that cookies don't. When it rise, i feel excited, when it starts to emit a fragrance, I get excited, when it browns, my pulse starts to race, and when completed, I almost have palpitations. Next in line is breads and cakes.

Back to the bendemeer muffin. they look big, overflowing from all sides. they taste nice, but somehow I feel something is not to my liking. The texture of it. It is somewhat like a bit of cake texture, not the usual muffins, whereby when you poke with a fork, many crumbs will fall. And this muffin never cracks at the top. Maybe the colour of it does not conform to my usual muffin stereotype. But no, I don't think so. There is something that is "wrong" to me, but I cannot pinpoint what it is. But this bendemeer muffin is oily. It looks innocently healthy and dry, but leave it in the paper bag for a while, and the oil seem to come out from nowhere.

My mother tried. Conclusion, it tastes not bad, but she prefers the kind that I make. YEAH!! We share the same sentiments. It does not conform to our stereotypes even though it didn't exactly taste bad.

banana and nut muffin, which i had a bite off..and then remembered i had to take a photo of it. I did not like the fact that there was not much bananas and the bananas were sliced instead of mashed.

blueberry muffin

apple and raisin. I quite like this flavour, shall try baking this

the bake goes on!

OK, so the baking frenzy is still on.

Yes, 3 consecutive bake days in a row. Yesterday was Muffins Day again - banana and walnut muffins, not premix this time. I made them from scratch.

Getting more and more satisfied, especially when I see the faces on my family members. My dad, he couldn't resist the cupcakes. He had a few carrot ones, and he really liked them. After eating the banana ones, he said the carrot ones are still better. Of course, they were made with professional help!

As for my sis, all things taste nice, because she doesn't know how to make them. Even the fried rice dinner I cooked last evening was very very nice to her.

My mum's words are probably the most honest one. The banana muffins are nice, the cupcakes nicer. And she thinks they look pretty enough to sell.

Hmm...still not quite to me...the colour is not even enough..

But who can blame them? I think their brains are so stuffed with muffins every week they can't think properly maybe...I think they are afraid of the coming Sunday...

oh, that reminds me, no wonder my mum seems to be 'advertising' the concert she wants to go to next Sunday....oh....didn't realise there could be a hidden agenda...haha!

But really, I am quite proud of my banana muffins. I had one just now, warmed a bit in the microwave. It was like comfort food!

My cupcakes!!!!!!!!!!!!

I'm back! OMGoodness, I am bouncing with excitement. I was about to take more pics of my cupcakes when the battery of my digital camera ran out...I will let it charge for 5min and then take more pics...though I have already taken quite a few during the class.

The class was fun! It was like a dream came true, or rather it was like living in my dreams!

Working on a big island kitchen top, with blocks of professional expensive knives, using Kitchenaid (OMG...I can't get more excited than using this...I have always yearn for it...will buy one for myself one of these days when I have saved $749)..using Scanpan pots, silicon bakeware (you know how expensive these are??), under light jazzy music, in rainy weather where the pitter-pattering of the raindrops make you float in a light romantic mood. It was nothing to complain about. Ok, maybe I am overdramatizing it...but how often now do I come back and blog about something that has just happened??

When I drove back, I was careful to drive slowly, especially when going over humps and bumps, so that the frosting on the cupcakes will still be pretty when I reach home. Ok, it is not much compared to those made by professionals, but I am really glad at the outcome. Only thing is, I think there are not enough cupcakes for me. I brought back 18 cupcakes, 6 Opera ones (with chocolate flowing from inside) and 8 Carrot with cream cheese frosting.

I loved every minute of it. From the mixing of ingredients, whipping, piping (especially excited at this, since I have always wanted to try at home)..to trying to steal secrets out from the teacher.

Just this morning, my dad asked my mum what's up with me, and I going to open a bakery? I hope so, but not up to mark yet. Maybe it's my calling..haha!

Bear with the for the number of pictures, I am totally thrilled. The joy of the baking process is always greater than the anticipation of eating it.

filling with chocolate ganache

all topped with frosting

my group and our cupcakes..mine's the tray in the middle

you don't always see my face in my blog, but here goes..beaming with joy

closer look at my carrots..

all home safely, looking pretty...ok beauty lies in the eyes of the beholder..

see the chocolate inside...the moist part..

my carrot!! ok, think you get the idea..

My attempt at biscuits.....5.5/10 (dear's score)

Last night, I baked again...yes, not out on a Friday night..baking at home instead. Dear came for dinner and worked on his laptop while I played around in the kitchen for 2 hours.

Yucks what the hell is that? Something called Chocolate Orange Biscuits..a recipe I found in one of my recipe books. Not a success...the biscuits were not all crispy, some were, some not. The icing was too sweet, and as you can see, some can hardly be called hearts.

First time I work with a biscuit dough, so I shall practise more and make it better. First time using a cookie cutter to make the shapes, and I realise it is not that easy to transfer the shapes to the baking tray, hence some of the elongated hearts. Good thing is, I realise how to make the dough stiffer and how I can make it better next time.

The icing flowed when I poured them on, though they set quickly. But because the dough was not rolled out evenly, they just flowed where gravity calls them.

Ever wonder why cookie cutters are called so? Cookies do not need shapes...it is biscuits that come in shapes, so they should be called biscuit cutters instead.

Okie, ciao now. Gotta go for my cupcakes class! Hoooray!!!

More blueberry madness

Last Sunday, I made the blueberry muffins again. Had wanted to make banana ones, but I did not manage to buy ripe bananas (funny how when you want ripe bananas, all those that you find are so green..). Btw, an important point. If you are buying the Betty Crocker muffin mix, get it from SS supermarket, and not "Auntie Lucy". SS sells for $4.50, and it is not because it is nearing expiry date. Auntie Lucy sells for $5.35!! That is $0.80 difference! A hell lot! I saw it at PH (the one selling bake stuff) and it is worse, they sell the same thing for $5.60!! So, go to SS, and they have a lucky draw now. Who knows you may win back 100 times your purchase!

Anyway, here are my babies..

baking mood

i finished my last slice of bread today. but today i am in a baking mood, and i decided to make myself some breakfast for tomorrow.

so, even though i worked a bit later today, due to spending the whole day attending training class, i decided not to be lazy. So, off i rushed to the supermarket to buy a pack of blueberry muffin mix.

initially, i put the dough into little paper muffin cups, and into the oven (on a baking tray of course). after a while, i realise they are spilling all over the tops of the paper cups and getting all out of shape. i do not have a muffin tray (always thought they are a waste of money). luckily, i still have some of the aluminium muffin cups, so i put the paper cups into the aluminium cups, and back into the oven they went. they do not look very pretty, because all the dough that had spilled over, i simply put them back on top of the muffins. but they turn out smelling very nice, and tasting real good. however, since they are not photogenic, you will not see them here.

when the first tray was baking, i prepared the second tray with more intelligence (1 pack makes 2 trays of muffins), placing them either in the aluminium cups or more layers of the paper cups. there a few cute mini ones, which I 'kiasuly' put in 3-layered paper cups (on hindsight, i was glad i did that). in the end, the 2nd tray turns out nicely, and i was so satisfied. i think my muffins from previous tries never looked so good, thanks to the paper muffin cups i just bought yesterday, which can also be used when i learn to make cupcakes.

they tasted better too, and i know why. firstly, the milk i use is different from previous attempts, and secondly, i always never thought i like blueberry, so i had stuck to making chocolate chip muffins. never had i expect the fragrance of the end product to still linger in the kitchen, as if we had sprayed blueberry flavoured air fresherner (oops, i realize i do not know how to spell).

after choosing the more photogenic ones for photo taking session, i took a long time to decide whether i should bring some to my colleagues. conclusion was no, because i want to save the nice ones for dear. so i shall only give 1 to my colleague, since she always share food with me voluntarily and it makes me embarassed not to reciprocate. the rest of the taste-nice-but-dun-look-nice ones, are for me and my parents' breakfast, the rest of the nicer looking ones are for dear -- his present for our 6-months wedding anniversary.....haha! cheap skate....

see the small party bags i bought? they are also meant for cupcakes, but now i think they are so nice. i bought them from NTUC, costs $1.20 for 5. i shall go to PH to check out the prices again, and buy some more, so that I can put cookies as well.

more pics here http://new.photos.yahoo.com/album?c=sandyteo&aid=576460762400845505&pid=&wtok=DkUOy43l6OYX4bqcB.8ECQ--&ts=1181232764&.src=ph