Treats for the arduous journey, happy 2015!

Happy 2015!

If you're anything like me, you're probably running behind on your to-do errands, and that resolution list should definitely be retitled '2016' - by the time I get to it.

But that's ok.

It's alright to take some time to catch your breath, to relish the threshold of crossing into a brand new year.
> Ringing in the year with cake pops

I've been catching up on some reading over the holidays, and reminded that the essence of anything we do is really to be in the moment.

Each step is there for a reason, to make a difference.
Savor it. And then move on.

Starting a whole new set of 365 days is a big deal, so let's take a little time out to let that sink in. It'll refresh and refocus us, and we'll get to what we need to do in just the right time.

I'm still working on my 2015 Inspiration List for now.

This is by no means a rattling of resolutions, but really things that I want to remind myself to do as I barrel into the year.

I'd probably fail at half of them, and forget the other half.

But I do find myself needing inspiration and reminders, especially as the year chugs along.

It's easy to get swept up in things we're doing, work, obligations and even fun.

I've learnt over the years, that it helps to have a couple of little lights to point us back to path along the way, remind us of what it is we WANT our year to be like.

5 things on my Inspiration List:
1) Be grateful
2) Live healthily
3) Make a difference
4) Enjoy what I'm doing/baking
5) Feel joy about something - everyday

It's still a work in progress, but this is where I'm at for now.

I'll continue refining it along the next 358 days.

And as you work on your lists and resolutions, I know you're gonna be needing a bit of encouragement.

Here are 5 little treats to keep on hand for the arduous journey ;)

CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES

These little bites are crunchy and light, perfect with some milk or cocoa. And the best part? The dough can be made ahead, so you're never left without.  

And they're just perfect for packing into little bags to share with a fellow resolution-maker.

> Recipe from Martha Stewart

> More cookie capers:

- Customized sugar cookies

- Ombre swirl cookies


HERB SESAME SHORTBREAD

Mix it up with any sort of herbs you like, this recipe from Bon Appetit brings out a nice savory fragrance balanced by a barely-weighty shortbread. And if you don't have caraway seeds, toasted black sesame seeds work perfectly well too, adding a pinch of earthiness.

More shortbread recipes:
> Chocolate chip shortbread
> Chocolate-almond sables - shortbread cookies

CHOCOLATE ALMOND SABLES

One of my fave snacks, just can't get enough of these. Swap the almonds out for any other nuts you prefer. These sables have such a chocolately fragrance, I make them jumbo for indulgence, but they work just as well in teeny bites.

> How to make these delectable beauties
> Double chocolate cookies - equally irresistible!

CHAI SPICE COOKIES

I love making cookies either extra large for giant yumness, or bite-sized poppers - so easy to eat, no crumbs, no fuss. These (recipe here) go wonderfully with a hot cup of tea, or if you have milky chai on hand - even better!

> Make some Chai Granola to go along

GULA MELAKA GRANOLA

These are dangerous. They carry a hint of the Asian palm sugar (gula melaka), settling subtly and making merry with its bowl mates. You could eat a whole jarful of this without feeling anything close to sick. So addictive. Good thing they're packed with oats, nuts and coconut - so it's good for us!

> Make your own gula melaka granola

> More granola recipes:
   - Chai Honey
   - Deep Chocolate


These are all bites that keep well so have them handy in a jar, and good luck with your list-making and inspiration in the new year ahead!

Color me happy, it's 2014!

I always think it's nice to start something with colors.

Bright, bold, zany.

Pastel, shades, hues.

Greys and darks, too.

Just a really awesome welcome, a nifty way to start and say 'we can rock this'.

So in honor of a big bright 2014, I'd like to share a couple of color-popping desserts we'd whipped up:

1) My Little Pony Party
Since we're nearly into the Lunar New Year ushering the year of the Horse, I thought we'd start with a galloping party of My Little Ponies for a food-adoring little girl (yes, her biggest wish for birthday pressie was... wait for it... a mountain of Kinder Bueno ;).

     Other cartoon characters: 
     > Hello there, kitty
     > Bee-do bee-do, Minion-alert!
     > The very hungry caterpillar
     > Never too much red with Elmo
     > A Rilakkuma birthday
     > Curious George... or is he?

    Love dessert tables?
    > A very lovely elephant party
    > Weddings... such fairy tales!

Gorgeous manes, luscious tails, plumes in all sorts of cheery.  
These ponies have updated (since my time at least!), and gone all fashionable.

Top: Chocolate-dipped marshmallow pops dressed in festive colors,
They keep well - perfect for kids' parties.
Bottom: Pink popcorn, ready to head home with the little guests.

It's a good idea to make desserts at a kid's party
bite-sized. Individual portions keep the mess
down, and it's so much easier to serve.

From top left clockwise: Mini Chocolate Chip Shortbread,
Baby Chocolate Tarts, Pink Popcorn bags, Rainbow Marshmallow Pops.

No birthday party is complete till the cake comes out,
'pony-fied' and rainbow-strewn (inside and out)! 

2) Ever heard of a Marble Race Track?
So we had a birthday boy's daddy, a friend of mine, who went 'let's do a marble racing track cake for Elliot's party'.

I said," Sure, sounds like fun!"

Of course at that point, I had absolutely no idea what marble racing was.
Not a clue.

I ran to my Mac and checked with The All-Knowing Oracle (some call it 'Google').

Ohhhh... there was a whole universe out there with tracks made just for racing marbles, kids had been playing with these for ages.

Learnt something new.
And like I always say, baking makes me smarter. Lol.

    Read more on little boys' birthdays:
    > Busy day at the construction site
    > Dinosaur roarrrr!

Always a good idea to start with the easier elements
like molding names, we all need a confidence-booster.

So that you're still somewhat sane by the time you move onto the
killer parts - in this case, the rainbow that had to stand on the cake.

Top left: I tried piping royal icing, it was a terrible idea. It stuck
to the baking paper and broke into a million pieces when I peeled it off.

So I experimented with fondant on a cardboard base arch, and it worked
beautifully (top right). Attach the arch (with base support) to cake board
with royal icing, and pipe over top to conceal arch with clouds.

Tada - another rainbow cake full color and cheer, inside and out
(yep, underneath all that white is a happy rainbow cake!)

3) Time to... Say Goodbye

This little project took quite a bit of time, and by the end my fingers had curved into a witch-like grip from piping countless names and little messages onto the personalized sugar cookies (recipe for cookies here too).

Not my most bewitching look.

But the zing-zang cheeriness of the cookies went great with the happy-colored cake pops, and was just what Iris wanted to say goodbye to her colleagues with as she left our sunny island for Hong Kong.

It was worth all the unglamorous hand-cramping. 

Customised cookies: trickiest part was getting the royal icing
consistency just right, so it pipes nicely and the words stay in place.

Cake Pops doing what they were meant to do - putting a smile on.

    Check out more cake pops:
    > Bicycle pops
    > Hole-in-one

Have a glorious 2014 everyone, fill the year with color and life!

Crimson splash: Red Santa Hats

Christmas is over, I know...  But there are a few good reasons why these cute little cupcakes are here.

Firstly, it's my delusional way of extending my favorite holiday, and making it last just a little longer :)

Secondly - there's always time for red velvet.

Lastly, the Lunar New Year is coming up, and red is just the color for untold wealth and prosperity ... so they say.
> Looking for something different this Lunar New Year?
> Dong Dong Chiang
> How to share a good pineapple tart
> Hello world, it's 2013!

So it's really just the right time to write about these adorable little Christmas head-toppers.

I think the magic is in the simplicity.

Nothing mind-boggling, nothing earth-shattering.
Just good ol' fashioned adorable.

Blood-red strawberries.... 

... perched on crimson red velvet

Their combined robust charm, just singing out Christmas all over...

The white frosting peeking out for a tinge of festive chill and cheer.

All tied up pretty ...

... and ready to jingle some bells!

Need more red?

> There's never too much red with Elmo around

> Baked with love

> Poppin' red cherries, even the jackpot ones!

Hello, 2013!

Happy 2013, world!

I'm a little late, but I'm giving myself the excuse that we're still in the single-digit calendar dates part of January, so it still counts.

A lovely way to start the new year...

... creating 2013 cake pops to add some zing to someone's new year party!

In all honesty, I was catching a breath after all the Christmas baking (wrinkled fingers and varicose veins, happy times!), and trying to clear a path around the place to make getting around less of a hope-skip-jump exercise. 

A lot faster too, when you need to get to the loo in a hurry.

Like I was saying in my Lunar New Year post, the new year aian't done with us yet. We're welcoming the Year of the Snake in just a month.

Start stocking up the Lunar cheer:
> Dong Dong Chiang
> How to share a good pineapple tart

So while you're saving up those crisp any pow dollars, and frantically penning those new year resolutions (like I am), I'd like to take the opportunity to holler all my love, blessings and peace to everyone as we get ready to take on another brand new year.

And in the good cheer of the Lunar New Year, I'll be putting up a couple of blog entries on all things red, look out for those soon! 

In the meantime, some scarlet to start off:
> There's never too much red around with Elmo
> Poppin' red cherries, even the jackpot ones
> Baked with love

Smile everyone, let's make it a good year.