Have a ball

Beach Ball Cake Pops

I hope you guys are enjoying the summer so far. Whether youre heading to the beach, the pool, the sofa or somewhere else, I hope your summer is fun, fun, fun!

And these beach ball cake pops are a great way to get in the right mindset. I made them for Targets blog A Bullseye View and based them on part of their summer store promotion. But really Ive been wanting to make beach balls for a while. One of the many designs on my to-make-list and one that Ive received a lot of requests for in the past.

All I know is I should have made these way before now. They are so simple and cute, and have such strong visual appeal. They just sing summer. And sunshine. And they make me smile. And they make me wish I was at the pool. Especially since I havent even dipped my pinky toe in the water yet this year. Maybe soon.

Here are a few photos and a theres a link to the full instructions below.

Cake Balls

I roll my balls by hand 99.5% of the time that I make cake pops, but for these I thought Id use a cookie scoop to make extra sure they are similar in size.

Cake and Frosting Scooped

This is a good consistency of cake to frosting. The mixture should be moist but shouldnt feel wet. Once they are scoo! ped you can easily roll them into a smooth ball.

Candy Coating

Speaking of consistency, if you havent used Merckens candy coating, Id definitely recommend it. You can see how fluid the coating is above. It pours off the spoon instead of plopping. : ) I know. Nice visual, but this is what you want. Not too thick and perfect for dipping.

Etching Cake Pops

When the pops are dry, you can etch in the coating for a guide on your cake balls.

Beach Ball Cake Pops

And then all you need to turn these into show stoppers is a little bit of color for decoration and maybe some brown sugar for a sweet presentation.

Sanding Sugar

Sanding sugar in bright bold colors. I want to dive in.

Beach Ball Decorating

I made these Beach Balls based on the same technique I used for the Easter Egg Cake Pops in my book. Same principal, just a different design. You use corn syrup to get the sprinkles to stay exactly where you want them.

Beach Ball Cake Pops

Check out the full instructions on A Bullseye View:

Beach Ball Cake Pops Instructions

Cake-pops

And if you want to make more fun cake pop designs, you can find the book and kit, atTarget and in their stores,too. I still get excited when I see it there Im like a little kid.

Now for the really important question.

What are you doing fun this summer? Id love to know what you guys are looking forward to in your summer plans because I havent done anything fun yet. Im longing for the pool and rest and adventure and rest and rest. What to do and where to go?


Botanical @ Bangsar Village

Botanical: Round Two. Earlier entry: July 8.

Returning to The BIG Group's Botanical for more meatless mania. Hungry customers, fear not: vegetarian meals can be both filling and fulfilling, as evidenced by thishearty combo of brown rice with eggplant made flavorful with miso paste, a riff on the Japanese Eggplant Dengaku recipe.

Most pastas in KL offer 10 fleeting minutes of pleasure but an entire evening of guilt over the empty calories consumed. The solution might rest in this tom yam spaghetti aglio olio, spiced up subtly to speed up the metabolism and partnered with tempeh for soy-powered nutrition.

Buckwheat crepes, stuffed with spinach, ricotta and herbs and topped with tomato and buffalo mozzarella gratin. Not sure if this mushy, cheesy Italian-inspired treat rates as wholesome, but it! sure ta stes like something a lasagna-lover would relish.

Botanical is vegetarian but not vegan, so expect cheese and other dairy products to bolster items like this haloumi-adorned carrot fritter with arugula and lemon dressing ...

... as well as egg to elevate the ensemble of milkier-than-mashed-potatoes polenta, portobello mushrooms and parmagiano reggiano. Creamy comfort food at its most irresistible.

Fruit-filled desserts are where Botanical shines (exceedingly uncommon for a vegetarian eatery). Folks jaded with creme brulee, tiramisu and creativity-shorn cakes can have their taste buds perked up by pineapple grilled with thyme-infused honey and pepper-encrusted mascarpone (!).

On paper, the chilled strawberry fruit soup with pink peppercorn ice cream and toasted buttercake croutons sounds too strange to fathom. On the plate, it tastes too terrific to forgo.
Banana splits can't get more fun than this three-flavor ice cream combo of roasted banana, chocolate and raspberry with chocolate-dipped bananas. Impossible to share!

Bonus ice cream treat! Not available at Botanical, but it's worth scouting for The Last Polka's latest flavor, Pandan Kaya _ more pandan than kaya, which might make some happy. We prefer its aromatic, naturalistic taste to the powdery soy chocolate, but not as much as the cinnamon-savory French toast flavor.

Herbal-fruity cocktails are Botanical's specialty: the Cobber comprises vodka, sweet sherry, rhubarb liquor, raspberries, blackberries, pickled apple, fresh pear and apple soda.

Prickly Pina: vodka, pineapple soda, balsamic vinegar, Thai basil, pineapple chunks.

Insanely Luscious: chamomile-infused vodka, limoncello, elderflower cordial, pickled pears.

Licorne Bio organic beer, very, very easy to drink.

Botanical,
Level 1, Bangsar Village II, Kuala Lumpur.
Tel: 03-2201-3028

Giveaway: Win a Pair of Grand Stand Ticket to Super GT 2012 Round 3 worth RM100 each!


I cooked: American-style pancakes with bacon and honey

I was reading Jessie's blog the other day and came to know about this blog hop event called "Cook Like a Star" organised by Zoe of Bake for Happy Kids. The chef for this month's "Cook Like a Star" event is Jamie Oliver. I am a fan of his cooking programmes and have in the past used several of his recipes to whip up some delicious meals. To enter this blog hop event, one just has to prepare a dish using / adapting Jamie Oliver's recipes.

American-style pancakes for brunch


I had some leftover bacon in the fridge today, so I thought of making American-style pancakes and serving the bacon with it for brunch. I made the pancakes using Jamie Oliver's "Pancakes USA Stylie" recipe which I found on his website.

Each pancake took less than a minute to cook, and they turned out ultra fluffy and eggy. If you prefer it to be less eggy, you can reduce the eggs from three to two. I wanted to buy maple syrup last weekend from the supermarket but I couldn't find any (they must have ran out) so I drizzled lots of honey on my pancakes instead. Worked a treat with the salty, crispy streaky bacon. You can also top your pancakes with blueberries, strawberries (in fact any type of fresh fruits), whipped cream, butter, salted caramel (I'll have to try that soon), fresh corn off the cob, or grated chocolate. My kids liked them with strawberry jam. I really liked this pancake recipe, so I will definitely be using it again in the future.


Happy breakfast for a happy! day


Thick and fluffy

American-style pancakes with bacon and honey
Recipe adapted from Jamie Oliver' website
Preparation time: 5-10 minutes
Cooking time: 10-15 minutes
Makes 8

Ingredients
3 large eggs, at room temperature
115g plain flour, sifted
1 tsp baking powder, sifted
140ml full cream milk
A pinch of salt
1 tbsp of caster sugar (not in original recipe so this is optional)
Honey (or preferably maple syrup)

4 rashers of streaky bacon, cooked in a separate pan until crispy

1.First, separate the eggs, putting the whites into one bowl and the yolks into another.

2. Add the flour, baking powder and milk to the yolks and mix to a smooth thick batter.

3. Whisk the whites with the salt until they form stiff peaks. You can use an electric whisk, so this can be done in no time at all.

4. Fold the egg whites gently into the batter it is now ready to use.

5. Heat a good non-stick pan on medium heat. Using a ladle, pour some of your batter into the pan and fry until it starts to look golden and firm, then flip the pancake over and continue frying until both sides are golden.

6. Place pancakes on a plate (stack 'em up if you like) and then place a piece of bacon on top. Drizzle with(or maple syrup) and dust with some icing sugar. Serve immediately.




My kids loved their smiley brunch :)


You can also serve the pancakes with a strawberry jam/compote



This is my first entry for "Cook Like A Star" Blog hop event. Hoping to share more recipes inspired by Jamie Oliver this week! Here are the other entries so far. :)


You can view my other Jamie Oliver inspired recipes here:
1.Jamie Oliver's Cracking Burger
2.Jamie Oliver's Chocolate Brownies
3.Jamie Oliver inspired roast chicken
4.Jamie Oliver inspired chunky mushroom soup with truffle oil

THE WIZARD OF SAUCE

Xinfully, cottony soft and light as air...deep-fried egg white souffle
Rarely can I recall a Chinese meal that finishes on a high when it comes to dessert. Most of the time, it's either wholesome sliced fresh fruits, hot or cold sweet broths or in the case of wedding dinners, the ubiquitous crispy pancake with red bean or lotus paste.

This is where Xin Cuisine stands out from the rest. Thanks to new Chinese Chef Alfie Hoh's inspired creation of Deep-fried White Souffl with Red Bean Paste (RM6++ per piece, minimum order of 6 pcs), you'd be floating home on a happy high once you have sampled those unbelievably airy, puffy balls.

The dragons' domain where Chef Alfie Hoh reigns

This confection alone lends ample testament to the veteran chef's culinary wizardry. After four decades in the business and a career that spanned Zhuhai, Shanghai, Ningpo, Wuxi, Romania, Indonesia and Singapore, Alfie's akin to the Dumbledore of Chinese cuisine, a masterful wizard when it comes to conjuring up potent sauces and weaving fresh ingredients together to create captivating dishes that keep you enthralled.

Here's looking at you...Chef Alfie Hoh
What drives this 'sauce-rer' of Chinese cuisine? Apparently books and street food are the key secrets to his unrelenting drive. Citing beef noodles at the old school Lai Foong coffee shop in KL as his perennial favourite, Alfie admits that he loves giving a new lease of life to classic 1970s recipes melded with subtle Northern Chinese accents.

Don't judge a dish by its looks...this Szechuan Smoked Fish is mildly sweet with a stealthy albeit pleasing bursts of spicy heat that numbs your tongue

Years spent in China have drawn Alfie to the Northern Chinese penchant for cold dishes to prime the appetite prior to the main meal. Hence you'd find light, stimulating nibbles such as the crispy, almost jerky-like Szechuan Smoked Fish (RM18++) and Cold Cucumber Tossed in Black Vinaigrette and Garlic (RM15++) included into Xin Cuisine's latest appetiser line-up.
Mildly sweet yet robustly spiced, the former catches you by surprise with its subtle, 'slow-burning' bursts of tongue-numbing heat whilst the latter helps to cool things down; the finger-thick, crunchy yet slightly soft cucumber strip teases the palate with its deep-seated tartness, having been marinated in some premium Xinjiang black vinegar.

Save the sharks and dive into this superbly viscous soup instead

Now that more diners are opting to save the sharks by omitting shark's fin soup from their list of 'must have' treats when dining out, we reckon the chef's Shredded Duck, Yellow Chives and Seafood in Thick Soup would be the perfect substitute. This retro Cantonese soup of bamboo pith, crabmeat, black mushroom slices and fried crullers certainly boasts similar deep-seated hearty flavours and multi-layer textures to that of the pricey original.

Porky please...a dish that even mothers would approve of

If you prefer some home-cooked fare, Alfie's a dab hand in that aspect too. Just sample his Braised Spare Ribs with Mui Choy Beijing-Style (RM30++ per portion) and you'd be seized by a fresh perspective on how this homely Hakka staple can indeed be taken to the next level.

Alfie's mui choi pork is oh so salubriously saucy!

Even more staggering is how simple it is...instead of the usual soya sauce base, Alfie just tweaks it with some tomato paste, giving the dish a faintly tarty nuance that balances the omnipresent beany brininess.

Palate pleaser...chicken with shredded mango salad and a tantalising sweet-sour-briny-spicy sauce

If you're averse to fiery hot bird's eye chilli, tread carefully as you dig into the Deep-fried Boneless Chicken with Pattaya Sauce (RM32++ small, RM48++ medium, RM64++ large) lest you get caught in the line of 'fire' once you bite into a sliver. You'd find the lethal chilli bits studded in the light sweet-sour dressing (a mixture of fresh juice of small limes or kat chai, 7Up and preserved plum sauce) that complements the crispy boneless chicken. Crowned with a heap of shredded mango salad, this is one addictive dish that leaves you wanting more.

The chef also looked east to liven up his repertoire of seafood specialities. Instead of ginger and soya sauce, the Wok-fried Cod with Japanese Sauce (RM26++ per 100g) receives a splendid boost with his own concoction of sake, mirin, Japanese shoyu and dashi stock.

More saucy magic emerges in the prawn dish

The wizard of sauce keeps up the pace by whipping up shoyu, sake and margarine into a sublime sauce to elevate his Baked Sea Prawns with Japanese Wine (RM55++ small, RM75++ medium, RM110++ large) up to new gustatory heights.

Green is in...as long as the leafy greens are doused in this yummy sauce!

Instead of the tried and tested 'siong tong yin choi' (spinach in superior stock) that has been flogged to death in most Chinese restaurants, I urge you to try the Wok-fried Seasonal Vegetable with Crabmeat and Salted Egg Yolk (RM30++ small, RM45++ medium, RM60++ large). Again it's the sauce that steals limelight and rightfully so.
Alfie tells us that in the good old days, a lot of crab roe was used to make the rich sauce but nowadays salted egg yolks prove to be an adequate and easier to obtain substitute. Mixed with freshly extracted crab meat in addition to some soup stock to lighten the viscosity, the combination imbues the dish with ample colour and superb flavour.

Delicious ties that bind...Yee Fu Noodles with Dace
Rustic, earthy but scrumptious best describe the substantial dish of Braised Yee Fu Noodles with Dace (RM28++ small, RM38++ medium, RM55++ large). We can't get past how well the noodles soak up the hearty brininess of black beans and fried dace, resulting in such Xin-fully great taste.

Kudos to Alfie Hoh - the wizard of sauce!

For reservations at Xin Cuisine, please call (03) 2144 8750 or 2144 2200 ext 2338. The restaurant is located on the lobby level of Concorde Hotel Kuala Lumpur, Jalan Sultan Ismail, Kuala Lumpur.


Dark Chocolate Dipped Sugar Cones

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Five Reasons Why Mondays Are Hard:

One. Seriously with all the email? Seriously?

Two. My waffle-to-nap ratio on Sunday was waaay out of whack. Too many waffles. Not nearly enough naps. Carbo loading without the marathon is downright exhausting.

Three. I already know that this super ambitions green juice cleanse is going to be a disaster. Coffee tastes better.

Four. Theres sand in my shoes. On Sunday this was charming. On Monday this is gross.

Five. Seriously with all the email? Seriously?

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Mondays are the reason that theres ice cream, chocolate, and salty pistachios. Ice cream cone dinner. Heck if we can have nachos for breakfast, we can have cones for dinner. Yes I realize Im a maniac. I really do.

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Sometimes the simplest things are the most satisfying. These are store-bought sugar cones. I chopped up some salted pistachios, and busted out the cocoa nibs, and blue jimmies.

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Oooh melty chocolate. The things I can do with you a! re endle ss.

That gloss gets me every time.

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Chocolate dipped and simply sprinkled.

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Are you thinking what Im thinking? Homemade Drumsticks! Yes!

See, these cones could be the beginning of something wonderful (Homemade Drumstick cones), or the beginning and end of something perfect (fancy dipped ice cream cones). Choose your adventure. If your instincts lead you to Mint Chocolate Chip ice cream, youre a friend of mine.

Dark Chocolate Dipped Sugar Cones

makes 12 cones

Print this Recipe!

12 sugar cones

1 1/2 to 2 cups dark chocolate chunks

pistachios, coarsely chopped

sprinkles

cocoa nibs

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside. This is the tray were going to place the dipped cones on and the parchment paper will ensure that the chocolate cones dont stick to the tray.

In three separate small bowls, place chopped pistachios, sprinkles, and cocoa nibs. Set aside.

Place chocolate chunks in a heat-proof bowl. Place a medium saucepan over medium heat. Bring 1 inch of water to a boil. Place bowl of chocolate over the simmering water, making sure that the bottom of the bowl does not touch the simmering water. Gently stir chocolate until its melted and smooth. Quickly transfer chocolate to a small bowl.

Holding the tip of each cone, dip it about 2 inches into the melted chocolate. Raise and allow e! xcess ch ocolate to drip off. Place, tip side up, on the prepared sheet. Allow chocolate to settle for about 30 seconds before sprinkling with nuts, sprinkles, or cocoa nibs. Drip and dress each cone.

Place dipped cones (still on the sheet pan) in freezer to harden for about 30 minutes.

These cones are extra delicious if the insides are coated in chocolate. Once the outside chocolate dip has frozen, drizzle a bit of chocolate inside the cone and swirl it around the coat the inside. Allow cones to rest on their sides and freeze once again to harden the insides.

Place frozen cones in a zip lock bag and store in the freezer until ready to top with ice cream and serve. Cones will last for up to 1 month in the freezer.