Baking for good

Inertia is such a sneaky lil' thing.

It somehow feels SO comfortable doing things we're familiar with, even if it doesn't make too much sense sometimes. Like taking a certain route to work, though it means walking a bit longer. Or drinking our coffee a certain way, with just the amount of milk and temperature we're used to.

Inertia's not necessarily a bad thing, but sometimes we forget to grow when our roots get fossilised.

So I'm trying to use my baking as a means of jiggling up inertia, to support causes I care about, in my own small way.

Food scarcity is an area that bugs me (blame it on my greed and my equally greedy friends), as is health. I generally want to think there is a liveable future for all of us.

And kids - they're a particularly vulnerable group jostling for resources among the millions of other causes, and children without anyone to fight for them, is especially hard to see.

That's Megan on the right, sharing giggles with one of the kids at the orphanage. 
Photo by Zann Lim.

When a friend Zann shared about her daughter Megan's efforts to support an orphanage they've been visiting in Selangor, the pieces came together.

It stinks not to have basic life items like adequate food, healthcare, footwear and clothes, and these kids were at the disadvantaged end of the life spectrum, from such an early age.



I wanted to support both Megan and the orphanage through my baking, and am pledging happy day cake pops for folks who wanted to pitch in. Proceeds go directly towards Megan's fund-raising, and my extremely supportive friends have been eagerly snapping the pops up.

Winner, winner, chicken dinner.
Everyone gets a little something, everyone has a reason to smile a little more.

> Read more about Megan's fund-raising initiative

I'm also partnering with the Yoga Loft (29 Mayo Street #02-01), a 3-month pop up that's home to things wellness/yoga. There are all sorts of classes to participate in, and oodles of well-thought-out apparel, food, accessories to facilitate living well.

It's a cute little space with amazing heart.

Drop by to say #helloyogaloft, and look out for Petite Pops' granola and snacks there. Put yourself down for the 2 bonus yoga classes just round the corner - Jun 1 at 7pm, Jun 4 at 3pm - get some good fun in, at completely no cost!

We all have the power for good, and I'd love to push for positive change, in whatever way we can manage.

And of course, always remember to do it with a glad spirit and a belly full of desserts!

Meet the Easter Blueberry Galette

It's curious how traditions start.

Easter bunnies and pretty decorated eggs, for instance. 

Pretty sure Christ didn't institute the practice of hiding eggs for kids to find, and even more sure bunnies don't lay eggs. And if you see real bunnies laying brown eggs, back away... those are definitely not chocolate.

How then, in the good name of chocolate easter eggs, did these traditions come about?

As with all historically steeped legends, there are numerous tales about how these originated.

Eostre, the goddess of fertility, was apparently responsible for 'em bunnies. In a time when gods and goddesses were worshipped, she was chosen to represent Easter and her symbol - rabbits - promised new life.

As for the eggs: the church reportedly forbade the eating of eggs during Lent. So the people saved them up, and feasted on eggs on Easter.

The German immigrants were believed to have popularised the practice of nest-building, for the bunnies to lay eggs. And now, kids all over get a kick hunting for eggs and chocolate bunnies on Easter day.

And there we have it, the eggy back story to Easter celebrations.

Whatever the origins, I like to associate Easter with fruit and spring sunshine.
New life, and such a good reason to rejoice.

More ways to shine:
> 12 ways to glow
> Make Maple Ginger Cider Switchel

And in honour of Easter, we have the Blueberry Galette. Perfect for sharing, or one-person hoarding - for multiple breakfasts.

This rustic open-faced tart has blueberries and fruit, wrapped in a hand-folded cashew crust. Eat warm, topped with a scoop of ice-cream.

Heaven.

What do you get with Petite Pops desserts?

• Small batch baking      The only good way to do quality control.

• Good ingredients          Real and delicious, no further preservatives added.

• Fresh                              Made only when orders come in.

• Balanced                       A little naughty and a whole lot nice. Less sugar & fats,                                            while balancing the yum.

Edible Christmas gifts: devour, digest, gone!

Christmas is pretty much my favourite time of the year. 

I could go on, but I think I've narrowed it down to three main reasons: 

1) It's Jesus' birthday

Granted - it's an arbitrary date, but dates are really just numbers. What rocks is that we welcomed a pretty big rockstar light years back, in a dingy manger. That little tot came to save our little hinnies, I'm forever grateful.

Plus, I love birthdays. Winner winner.

2) Everyone is so much more relaxed

It's the end of the year. Work winds down, what can be done has pretty much been done, no one really wants to fix 7am conference calls anymore. 

In other words, everyone is so much less crabby, so much more cheery.

I like that.

3) Much ado about gathering

There's a legit reason to feast fantastically, with the people in our life, near and far - all in the name of Christmas. Oh and of course, with plenty of dessert. 

> Decadent Chocolate Cake

> Show me some chocolatey love!

It's a paaarttty!!

There's always a fine line between over-doing this special holiday with excessive fuss, and showing a little love to people dear to us. 

But I think it's a blessing to be able to pass on some smiles and let folks know we care - not just at Christmas, but every other chance we can. But heck, since we're talking Christmas, it's just about the right time now.

> Eating with family: Lazy-day bread

> Whimsical partner yoga come with treats

Edible gifts are perfect for minimising clutter (devour, digest, gone!), and bear so much warmth and spirit. 

It's a holly jolly Christmas with the privilege of festive treats, share that Petite Pops cheer all round!

> Details in mailer above

What do you get with Petite Pops desserts?

• Small batch baking      The only good way to do quality control.

• Good ingredients          Real and delicious, no further preservatives added.

• Fresh                              Made only when orders come in.

• Balanced                       A little naughty and a whole lot nice. Less sugar & fats,                                            while balancing the yum.

Lazy-day bread

Like lazy brunches, weekends are made for laze-around baking.

Not too tedious, not too fussy.

But tasty and smelling good.
Baking smells are one of the most amazing aromas on the planet.

They trigger people and faces, memories.
Nostalgia.
Family, friends.
A warm, snug heaven.

Good things.

My brother-in-law was roasting up a slab of really mouthwatering beef, and I thought some good ol' bread would be just the thing to go along.

Bread can be a little time-consuming to make. But choose the right recipe and you actually get to sneak in a few chores and bits to be done around the house while waiting for the yeast to work on the dough.

Not a bad deal.

There are a few ways to impart the needed air into your bread - kneeding, time or agitation.

This recipe from The Splendid Table is fairly fuss free, and you can play with flours, grains (whole grains are fantastic for fibre!) and flavors when you've tried it a couple of times and comfortable with how it behaves.

The early parts of the recipe takes a little patience, but really - it's an amazing science experiment in motion, watching the puff and fall of yeast working it's way through the pale dough.

And then it's finally time to slash the dough.

A strangely satisfying 10 seconds criss-crossing the pillowy softness to create escape for the mad hot steam as it bakes.

And this is why I make my own bread.

To crystallise the comfort and warmth of family, into something tangible, something to share.

Eat well, eat sensibly, eat with your friends and family.
Happiness guaranteed.

Live well and balanced:
> Honey Walnut Cake
> Whimsical yoga, balanced desserts
> Treats for 2015
> YOLO = granola
> Chocolate's like salad

Whimsical yoga, balanced desserts

I have a love-hate relationship with the sun. 

There's definitely something to be said for skies streaked with bright rays.

Kids get to gander about outdoors, cold drinks and ice-creams galore, fantastic days out at the beach.

And as wiser-than-we-give-credit-for Steve Martin said: 

"A day without sunshine is like, you know, night." 

Sunshine makes for happy days.

There's just this slight problem in the tropics. 

HUMIDITY.

Oh. The. Humidity.

An unbearable permanent state of wretched drench-ness that wraps around like a persistent soggy fur coat that wouldn't come off.

> Desserts for a hot day

> Awesome ways to use beer

Well, since sunny days are here to stay, we decided to make the best of it with a happy day Partner Wellness Workshop! 

Win-sie - the marvelous force behind Whimsical Yoga - brought everyone together with light-hearted stretching, bending and balancing, with an unplanned bonus of a roomful of laughter as everyone relaxed and self-consciousness fell away.

We shook off routine stresses and swapped it all out for the openess of a morning's whimsical yoga.

And with all that hard work, we had to get in a bit of sustenance - of course, right?

The Petite Pops dessert table had Chocolate Fridge Cake full of crunchiness and texture,  completely addictive Gula Melaka (Palm Sugar) Granola and Raw Peanut Butter Oat Balls bursting with nutrients.

'Balanced Desserts' were the order of the day - you need a bit of naughty, to go with the nice. 

No one wants to eat food that doesn't taste good.
Dessert's got to make you sing, got to make you want to come back for seconds. And thirds. 

Try these balanced desserts out for yourself:

> Treats for the arduous journey

> Chocolate Almond Sables

> Sometimes YOLO = Granola

> Sesame Matcha Cupcakes

And we got right to it - hands on, all 10 fingers, diving right in.

 

We carved yoghurt-filled strawberries, had a go whipping up no-bake Oat Balls, and built our own parfaits - heaping on tons of natural, tasty toppings that were just that little bit wicked, and a lot nice.

Set aside a little time to live well, eat well each day if you can. 

A bit of away-from-device time, a smidge of exercise, a smattering of good eating - desserts, of course. 

And when you can, ramp it up a little.

Labor Day's next week and there's no reason not to live well, eat well across that nice long weekend. 

Kick it up, balance life!

Aian't gonna let Christmas sneak away!

Christmas has a way of sneaking up on us.

When the lights and sparkles go up in the streets, we're suddenly startled into the realization that we're almost at the end of another year.

Sudden panic sets in for some of us - where did all that time go??
Are we really done for the year?

Others are a bit more sanguine, resigned to the next month or so of scrambling and racing to accomplish the ambitious tower of job tasks and personal errands we crazily set ourselves.

Whichever the case, let's remember to take a breath and absorb a bit of that Christmas happiness.

Don't let that Christmas spirit sneak away without us paying any attention to it.
Such a waste of the most wonderful time of the year.

Looking to ease a bit of that Christmas shopping crunch?

Chocolate-Almond Sables with Sea Salt, Gula Melaka Christmas Granola or Toasted Herb and Sesame Shortbread make for some pretty nifty scrumptious gifts.

Or bring a Tipsy Bailey's Tart or Rocky Road Christmas Wreath to a party.
Spread the Christmas yum!
> details in image above

More Christmas desserts:
> Death by Chocolate Cake
> Salted Bailey's Mint Chocolate Pie
> Decadent Chocolate Pistachio Torte
> Guinness Beer Chocolate Cake
> Deep Chocolate Ganache Cake with Summer Fruits
> Rich Red Velvet Cake

It's Food Revolution Day!

Food options and life choices are pretty much the same, to me at least.

Just as important, just as empowering.

Many of us are fortunate to be served the world - with an uncountable repertoire of sweets, savories, soups, frieds, greens, locals, homegrowns, imported.

But even more of us are struggling from meal to meal, each more precarious than the last.

And while we're so blessed to have so many food options to choose from, it's nice to take time to appreciate what we're eating, to think a little about what food means.

Which is what Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution Day (FRD) is all about.

His mission to inspire change is well documented.
He believes in investing in the future, and I love the glorious exhilaration of FRD's slogan "Let's Get Kids Excited About Food".

I'm not saying we go all crazy gluten-free, no-sugar, all-organic-only.

That's just no-fun.

Eating well can still be a ton of play and excitement, and I wanted to share a couple of fantastic inspirations for kids' food I came across:

Picky Palate

I love Jenny's philosophy towards food - a cookie in one hand, a salad in the other. Something I completely agree with. One of the sections on her site is aptly named Skinny Palate. While it's not targeted at kids, Picky Palate is about food that even the pickiest eaters will love - someone say kids! Green Eggs & Ham Scramble, Honey & Orange Creamsicle Slushy Chocolate Banana and Peanut Butter Milk... she's got it going.


Super Healthy Kids

This isn't just one mom's blog, but the collective wisdom of an entire team including a trainer and nutritionist. Their focus is on fruits and vegetables, and they have fantastic ideas for better health for kids. Sports nutrition, keeping kids fit, how to introduce food groups to your kids - where were these guys when we were young??

In case you're thinking they sound like health nazis (they are a little!), they do have fun too with recipes like the Raspberry Cheesecake and Sugar Snap Bugs and Butterflies.


Meaningful Mamma

Anyone who can make fruits look this adorable, needs to be mentioned. Jodi started the site as a way of sharing her parenting experiences and giving back, and it's now expanded to include the cutest food ideas. Not all her food recipes are health-based (her site does focus on Character Development after all), but she's got a few gems that are adorable and creative. Check out her Owl Strawberries and Butterfly Snack Packs.


Eat well everyone, let food make you smile, and be thankful for life!

To participate and donate to FRD, click here.

Home is where Mom is...

Supermoms, happy moms, working moms, crazy busy moms, just plain crazy moms, absent-minded moms, moms-who-need-36hours-in-their-day, glorious moms.

They're all part of our lives, and Home truly is where Mom is. 

Celebrate your mom/grandmom with a bit of cake happiness (it's May 11 for those who've lost track of time!), everyone loves a bit of love. 

> Click image above for bigger popup 

More sweet treats Mom might like:

> Fruity chiffon cake

> Sweet, sweet strawberries

> Ombre swirl cookies

> Fairy tales with cake and dessert

Sugar & spice

It's been a girly couple of weeks, filled with sugar and spice, and all things nice.

Little divas love being princesses for their birthdays, and big divas too - we had a mommy turning 60 with her sparkly best.

It's lovely making pretty dreams come true, and I wanted to share some of the pearly pops we made.

Never too old for sparkly birthdays

Ringing in 60!

Birthday mommy's full of life, lovin'
the spunky colors of life pink, red, purple!

The magic of 'pretty' - applicable and accepted all
across the world. Enquire with your favorite baker
for your very own 'pretty'.

Desserts: the perfect way to celebrate life

> Baked with love

> I love birthdays

Fairytale Princess

I made these little sweetheart cake pops for my physiotherapist's
daughter who was turning 4, and at that age when she wanted
EVERYTHING to be pink and pretty

She especially loved the teeny butterflies!

More pretty in pink desserts: 

> Sweet, sweet strawberries

> Pink rabbit cake pops

> Pony cake pops

Razzle Dazzle!

A forest of green & pink cake pops for a birthday princess

Behind the scenes: just half an hour before the
serene picture above - the unruly bunch running amok!

Jimmies, confetti, dragees, sprinkles &
pearls - the stuff of princess dreams

Sparkle, sparkle, toil & trouble... that's what little
girls get up to, especially on their birthdays

Read about A Very Lovely Elephant Day

Never stop dreaming everyone, never stop feeling like a princess, carry that sparkle through life!

Get on daddy's sweet side!

It's a myth that women like desserts more. 

According to our highly-reliable in-house research done in the Petite Pops kitchen, men have that same secret dessert compartment in their stomachs. 

They may scoff at us girls. But really, they have a space for dessert. Even after a full meal. 

That mysterious kangaroo dessert pouch exists. 

Even for men. 

Especially after they become daddies. 

So get on daddy's sweet side with our Father's Day bakes, leave the neckties and tool kits to the rest of them. 

> Click above mailer for clearer pop up

Related stories:

> A golf-y birthday

> Bicycle pops... challenge accepted!

> I love birthdays

> Sweet, sweet strawberries

Happy, Sweet Father's Day!

'Nekkid' series: Sweet, sweet strawberries

I'm quite in love with strawberries.

Hokkaido has the best ever. Sweet, alluring, beckoning, juicy.

Strawberries sing of spring.
Ooh, almost got a whole line of alliteration in there.

Strawberry jam. Strawberry ice-cream.
Mmm-mmm good ....

My strawberry epiphany happened in Phuket. Strange... yes, I think so too.

As a child, I had not-so-tasty King's strawberry ice-cream and chucked strawberries in the 'ulgh' part of the food spectrum. Won't miss that for sure.

On a steaming hot Phuket afternoon about 7 years ago however, we were seeking sun refuge at a cafe. We sat down, and I was drawn (I could not look away, I kid you not) to a mountain of strawberry ice-cream piled high at the next table. A little boy was polishing it off with extreme gusto, his dripping shirt pulled back around his head, a temporary hairband as he tunneled through his mission.

The ice-cream beckoned. It called my name. It singled me out.

I caved.

It was such excellent ice-cream, I tasted meadows and happiness.
I'm serious.

I'm now a strawberry-holic, and proud of it.

Ok, that was a long intro for this post.
I'd meant to talk about two strawberry desserts I'd made recently - Chocolate Strawberry Cake, Classic Cheesecake with Strawberries.

Maybe too much strawberries makes you forgetful.

I'm willing to risk it.

Oh yes, back to the desserts. 

Chocolate Strawberry Cake

Start with a rich chocolate cake,
doesn't matter if it aian't too pretty yet...
make sure it tastes good though!

Mix up a batch of strawberry happiness,
also known as strawberry frosting. 

Pile on frosting, lick fingers,
stack on strawberry mountain.
All done.

Need some help with the recipes?
> Fantabulous chocolate cake from IAmBaker
> Strawberry frosting that actually tastes GOOD - I just swapped the raspberry for strawberry in IAmBaker's awesome recipe 


Classic Cheesecake with Strawberries

Assemble your classic cheesecake. Make sure there's plenty
 of crust (double's a good place to start) cuz everyone loves crust.
Me and my greedy family and friends can vouch for that.

Whip up fluffy cream cheese topping. Feel free to make
a little extra, just for you and anyone who walks through
the kitchen when you're working on the cake.

It takes steel will to resist the wafting smells of freshly baked
cheesecake, you WILL need that extra frosting.

  

Crown with strawberries - the key to making any cake look delicious!

The cheesecake recipe I used came from one of the many baking books on my shelf, so it's a little hard to teleport that here. 

But no fear, I will lead you to my Cake Oracle - Bakerella! 

She can do no wrong, and you're in good hands with her cheesecake recipe.

Other crimson bakes:

> Red Velvet cake

> Red Santa hats

> Never too much red with Elmo around

> Baked with love

Sit back, smell the strawberries and enjoy!

Psst... a Mother's Day secret... licking beaters!

Be adventurous, be bold!
Ok, but we really don't want to see what happens when you lick those beaters if mommy forgets to turn them off.

Take all that danger out of Mother's Day (yes you, find another way to live life on the edge), and let Petite Pops do the baking for you ... uh-huh, we do love getting our hands dirty.

> Click above mailer for clearer pop up

Cake Pops are a lot of fun - pop it, bite it, trash the stick. Easy as that. We can play with colors and designs for something that fits mommy.

If you're looking for rustic bakes, the Chocolate Berry Cake & Key Lime Pie should hit the spot. Nekkid, yummy. That's all you need.

> Read about other rustic bakes
Rich Red Velvet Cake
Lemon Poppy Seed Cookies

Cupcakes are awesome for a party. Everyone grabs one, problem solved. *dust hands, stand back, enjoy!*

It's always nice to bring a smile and remind people around us they're loved.
Make sunshine, and be safe this Mother's Day!

A very lovely Elephant day...

So I had a surgeon tinkering about my knee a couple of days ago, fixing my torn ligament. 

I'm now hobbling around like a grandma, and it takes me forever just to arrive at the bathroom. 

"Hmmm..." said the surgeon when I asked if I could go back to baking by this week. Which in doctor-speak, is NO. 

Guess that makes this just the time to sit my hiney down and get back to blogging :)

I had the perfect entry to cheer things up - baby Teja's one year birthday bash, just before I checked in for my day with the surgeon.

Love doing dessert tables!

This was an extra special bash.
Teja's mommy is a dear friend, and I had the chance to collaborate with summer77 - another special friend who's also a baker.

Mommy's brief was simple - greens, purples, elephants - Teja's faves.

      > here's another mommy's birthday bash -  her love was dogs!

We started out with an elephant-themed invite, and the rest of the setup quickly fell into place...

A little corner to share a little love for the birthday princess

Beautiful chocolate elephant cake, baked by summer77. Took all my
resolve not to reach out and lick some of that purple frosting right off!

Sprinkles and splashes of green & purple
add magic to the strawberry cake pops

Edible landscape of berry financiers & mini
mushroom pies, where do we start?

Finally had a chance to do layered sweet treats
I'd been dying to try out. Next to do them in jars, super cute!

Just for the snackers - pretty jars of crunchies and munchies

Everyone got to bring home a triple chocolate brownie, sweet!

Looking for more birthday inspirations?
> Dinosaur roarrrr!
> 10 years young
> Tanjoubu Omedetou, a Rilakkuma birthday
> Hole in one, anybody?
> 3 cherries in a row, jackpot!