X'mas Cupcakes

Sharing the joy of Christmas...
Had a great time making these cupcakes.



A special Santa birthday cupcake for a friend's birthday.

Coffee Liquer Not

My friend, Beary, requested to have a coffee-flavoured cake, so I tried out a new recipe for Coffee Chiffon. However, instead of instant coffee powder, thought I would use coffee liquer instead.

The cake didn't taste a bit like coffee, more like a vanilla cake. The chiffon was rising well, but after cooling, it sort of wrinkled up. I do not know the reason for it. Maybe chiffon recipes has to be cooled totally in the pan before removal?

Overall, the texture was rather soft and fluffy.

Chocolate Cupcakes

Made a couple of cakes for 2 gatherings this weekend.

This chocolate cupcake is soft and moist. However, the puffiness sort of went down when I took it out of the oven.

My friend, Beary, found it soft and moist. While another friend, D, found it a bit dense.

Care of Lacquerware

These were the 2 wineholders which I bought. Very japanese kind of patterns. Unfortunately, I could not get a good shot of the second wineholder due to the shiny surface of lacquer.

For those wondering how lacquerware should be maintained, here's a set of instructions which I got from the shop:

1. Wash in luke warm water with a soft cloth and rinse well.
2. Avoid direct sunlight.
3. Keep away from stoves or heaters, and avoid excessive dryness and humidity.
4. Do not stack on top of other lacquer products.
5. Wipe off finger prints.
6. To restore luster, polish with a soft dry cloth.

Do be careful when buying lacquer products as some are fakes and just laminated to create a shine. Came across a couple of egg shell lacquerware imitations. The real product is made using egg shells as decorative patterns embossed in the lacquer product. The look-a-likes, however, used laminated paper to keep the egg shells in place.

Vietnamese Lime Soda

This is a thirst-quenching refreshing drink, known as Soda Chanh. My friend, C, tried it and found it quite nice. It is made from soda water, lots of sugar and lime. Seems like it is the expat choice of drink.

A warning to those who are on a healthy diet. Lots of sugar is added into the drink to counter the sourness from the lime.

Recipe:
1 can of soda water
2-3 Tbsp of sugar
1.5 pieces of Vietnamese lime*
Some ice cubes to chill the drink

*Note that Vietnamese lime is different from the local lime we have. It is much bigger in size. Not sure about the taste. Didn't try it personally.

Vietnam Trip Part 1

Vietnam? Ho Chi Minh?
Err...I hesitated. It had never occurred to me to visit this country till one of my friends popped the question. The only impression I had of the place was of the Vietnam war and landmines that were left behind.
After some thought, I decided why not?
So, off we went...

The first thing that came to mind upon touchdown was the lack of structure of the city planning. Buildings were all over with new tall ones sprouting out from the midst of older and shorter buildings. (Someone commented that it looked like a "tek po", i.e. bamboo pole) *laugh*

The place reminded of my own homeland in the 1960s.
Hmm...this is going to be an interesting trip. A walk down memory lane?

Our first stop was to the grand Majestic Hotel which stands at the end of Dong Khoi Street (HCM's main shopping district), facing the Saigon River. This prime landmark has been there since 1925. The interiors are posh and has a european touch to it.

For those without a city map, you might want to get one from the hotel counter. The map is much clearer than most available.

We had lunch with my friend's colleagues, who treated us to the hotel restaurant which offers a wide range of local delights. Hot favorites were the Vietnamese fresh spring roll, the fried prawn rolls, sweet potato and prawn fried in batter, and the hot pot. Great place to start off if you would like a sample of the local spread. Cost : USD 15++

An interesting thing about the hotpot we had. It is served with either bee hoon or yellow noodles, an assortment of prawns, bean sprouts, the bark connecting the banana fruit to the tree (Yes, you read correctly. I never knew that could be eaten! And it was really fragrant), and .....mimosa pudica! More commonly known as "touch-me-not"! A first time for me. Tasted pretty okay.

touch-me-not

Dhong Khoi street is the place to be at if you were to shop for quality products. It is definitely pricier than the rest of the city. If you are expecting this main street to be a reflection of Singapore's Orchard Road or Bangkok's Times Square, you will be greatly disappointed. There is only one elegant shopping mall (part of Sheraton Hotel) hosting well-known brands. Other than that, the rest of the road is filled with small, dusty shophouses, similar to that of chinatown back home.

Recommended shops to go...

1. Swaroski Products
   This shop sells lots of ladies' accessories made from crystals which they claim are imported directly from the Swaroski company. Not sure if it is true, but the crystals do have more shine compared to the rest that we saw along the streets.
   
   Address: 25 Dhong Khoi



2. Saigon Souvenir
   For artistic and quality lacquer ware, as well as nice, elegant souvenirs. One item which caught our eyes was a small shiny lacquer cup with saucer with some little chick painted on it.
   
   Address: 51 Dong Khoi or 116 Le Loi



3. TanPoPo
   You will be taken aback by the strong aroma of coffee as you step into the shop. From the window display, you would have expected a souvenir shop only selling handbags and the local handicrafts. Upon walking further into the shop, you will find a small section dedicated to selling coffee powder. Strongly recommend that you purchase the hazelnut or almond flavoured coffee powder, which costs around USD 1.5 and USD1 per 100g, respectively.
   
   Unfortunately, I don't have the exact location for Dong Khoi Street, but you sure won't miss the attractive shop if you were to walk along this street.
   
   Alternate address: 79 Mac Thi Buoi Street (one of the side streets to Dong Khoi)



4. The Vietnamese Refinement
   One of the shops that sells dragonfly souvenirs which you can balance the dragonfly's beak on your finger or any other surface. Interesting gifts to get for children. Cost : USD1 for all sizes.
   
   Address: 141 Dhong Khoi Street



5. Beautiful Shop
   A variety of embroideried handbags. We bought a total of 3 here. The quality is slightly better, however, bargaining is required.
   Cost: USD 6. We realised later that the price we purchased at was still high, and could have it down by two dollars or more.
   
   Address: 2A Nguyen Thiep (this is one of the side roads just off Dhong Khoi Street)



6. Nhu Y Oriental Lacquerwares
   Products sold here are relatively much more expensive than the rest of the lacquerware shops that we visited. However, the patterns are unique and quality is much better. Bought a pair of wine holders for my wine-loving friends, which cost USD 11 each. Other shops sell it for less than half the price.
   
   Don't be taken in by the shop owners when they give excuse about closing. We were hurried to make purchases with little bargaining done, but were surprised to find the shop still open when we passed by again forty-five minutes later.
   
   Address: 08 Nguyen Thiep Street



7. Uyen
   Bought a pair of handmade topaz earrings here. Very nice, but a little on the expensive side. Cost: USD 6
   My friend, C, liked the tortoise-shell hairpin. Felt sorry for the tortoise, so didn't get one myself.
   
   Address: 13 Nguyen Thiep Street



8. T&H Silk Zakka
   Wide collection of ao dai (the traditional Vietnamese costume) and handbags. This shop offers cheaper quality goods for a bargain. Make sure you are really into your bargaining mood when entering less established shops in Vietnam. Cost: USD 30 for a set of ao dai, which includes the top and pants.
   
   Address: 17 Nguyen Thiep Street

Apple Cinnamon Bun

This is a sticky type of bun, with lots of crunchy apples mixed in. However, many might not take to the taste of cinnamon. Do add the cinnamon in moderation, if you are not a fan of it.

For this particular bake, I found the bun a bit too sticky. Most probably due to having too much liquid in the batter. The apple filling was pretty good, and tasted like the apple tart from MacDonald's. The portion of cinnamon added was just right and not overpowering.

For those looking for a change and would like something healthy, this is a good alternative.

Maple Syrup Cupcakes

With the current milk scare going on, I decided against embarking on another chocolate recipe. What could I make that is less worrying and yet still appealing for my friend, E's kids?

After some consideration, I decided to try out a new recipe which I have always wanted to test....cupcakes using maple syrup.

Maple syrup has a distinctly natural sweetness, quite unlike any other ingredients. It possesses a fragrance that is unique and light in taste.

Verdict : Light and fluffy, with a mild sweetness that would go extremely well with a cup of tea. For those who enjoy a slight refreshing sweetness, this would be the cake to have for an afternoon break.

First Post

I have always had a strong passion for baking and traveling. It thus seems like a good idea to have a forum to share my interests with like-minded friends.

It is with this purpose in mind that I finally got round to starting this blog. Do join me on my journeys in exploring this wonderful world of ours.