” Unfaltering desires, unfading dreams ... "
So I embarked on my quest once again: my quest to have my very own bakery! :) Even though it may sound like a pretty far-fetched dream, but I still intend on holding this promise close to my heart. A huge thanks is due with my beloved mother and dearest Hubby for supporting me and helping me along the way!!
My mother: a true passionate baker/cook herself, shared a few of her best recipes yet. I know because I’ve been eating all her delightful treats since young (this may be the reason why I was so chubby back then! Hahaha) and I truly hold these as precious memories close to myself. However, this time was different, I wanted to try a new recipe from a website I was browsing through. My mother looked through the recipe and changed a few ingredients impromptu just to make sure that it suits my family.
Not everybody from my family has a sweet-tooth. My grandparents for instance, don’t really like treats that are too sweet. My dad, too, doesn’t really like to consume stuff which are too sweet. However, my siblings and I ADORE sweet things. We have a whole gum of sweet-teeth (horrible pun I know!) and we always like to satisfy our cravings for it. So to make up for a few changes in ingredients, I just spammed the entire box of chocolate chips into the batter.
Which reminds me, before I go on any further, I’m baking Chocolate Chip Cupcakes with Dutch Frosting! The recipe I’m following is really suited for those who have a HUGE craving for sweetness, and it actually has golden syrup in it! Hahaha, my mother was quite shocked to see the need for golden syrup as her own recipe of cupcakes does not require it at all. But we just followed through and used the famous brand Aunt Jemima Syrup which are normally used for pancakes. For those who doesn’t know Aunt Jemima’s Syrup is a brand of syrup that has just the right combination of texture, consistency and flavor.
Alright, so instead of going too much into wordy details, I shall just show you the pictures! :)
The making of the Dutch chocolate frosting! We literally used 2 and 1/4 cups of sugar just to mix the beginning batter.
Here we added a few more tablespoons of sugar to make the texture more consistent instead of its drippy form. Like this, it is easier to spread across the cupcakes for decorations.
We managed to make about 18 cupcakes, 12 big ones and 6 slightly smaller ones. As you can see, we really did not go easy on the chocolate chips.
And after letting the cupcakes cool down after taking out of the oven, we laid a few layers of Dutch frosting over it. However, we made a mistake: we should have put the frosting in the fridge for a while to let it harden so that we can actually decorate with the frosting with desired baking-tips. However, as the frosting was not solid enough, the decorations did not take shape.
It actually took quite short to finish getting the batter oven-ready. It was the waiting that was super long. My mother and I let the cupcakes bake for 30-40 minutes depending on whether you want the chocolate chips inside to melt to the gooey gooey chocolate goodness or just let it stay as it is. Other than that, we also wanted the top part of the cupcakes to have a cripsy-like texture. But of course, in the end we laid the frosting over it. But for those who prefers it to be more golden-brown, just let it bake for slightly longer. Of course do not over-do it till the cupcakes are burnt.
And tadah~ That is the end of our baking adventure. Cupcakes are probably one of the easiest things to bake besides Oreo Cheesecake, Brownies and Cookies(of any sort).. One thing for sure is that cheesecake do not require the oven, just put it in the fridge overnight. Brownies, cookies and cupcakes do not require much hand-to-hand- skills, just follow the instructions and do not over-beat the batter.
So my next challenge is probably either cakes or pies. I know pies are tough because sometimes the pastry does not turn out crispy enough or thick enough.
And before I head off to my crazy May-Travel, I’m probably going to stay in more at home and bake with my mother! :) Heehee. Wish me the best~!!!!! :D
Toodles.