Make your own: Play dough

We discovered a Youtube clip that showed us how to make our own play dough.

Since I'm a baker, the ingredients needed were already in my kitchen. Aha! Cheap toys that makes toddlers happy! (It's definitely a WIN-WIN situation).

The play doughs that I made.

Our boy was superbly excited!

Hubby made these animals. 

And I naturally, made a "cake".

Who said play doughs are only for children? :P

Here's a clip on how to make your own Play Dough:

There are plenty more that you can find on Youtube. I followed this one.

Ingredients:
2 cups flour
2 cups water
2 tbsp vegetable oil
1 tbsp cream of tartar
1 cup salt  (do get those cheap salt cause a cup of sea salt will cost you a bomb!)

Steps:
1) Mix all ingredients into a saucepan before you turn on the stove.
2) Then stir under medium heat til it's all combined and sticky.
3) Remove it from pan onto a board. (I used an old chopping board.)
4) Knead the dough while it's still warm.
5) Break them into a few doughs.
6) Add 2-3 drops of colouring onto each dough and knead til colour combines.

Last but not least... PLAY! :D

Oh of course, it's edible because it's made of edible ingredients. (I'm not encouraging you to feed your toddler with it but in case your toddler accidentally puts it into his/her mouth, you won't panic that badly.)

Enjoy!

Full Moon Packages

Sorry that I've disappeared for a while. Not that nothing is happening in my kitchen but perhaps there's just too many things happening and I just can't sit down to blog about it.

Just to update some mini projects that I did for Baby's Full Moon Package.

Here's for a baby boy:

All blue and boyish!

Two Chocolate Dipped Brownies, two Red Eggs and two Cupcakes inside each box.

Here's for a baby girl:

Sweet and pink!

4 cute cupcakes inside each box.

So you can tell that there were a lot of baking going during that period. :)

For more update (a prompt one) on my baking journal, do go to my Facebook Page: www.facebook.com/cikumuffin

Oh.. and LIKE it, so you'll get the update on your timeline! ;)

My new love

I've been making "tong sui" (sweet drinks) lately with my new love.

I just have to dump ingredients into a barrel, add water in the bucket and then set it on a timer to be cooked the next day.

I usually set it at 8hours. So it starts cooking at about 6am.

Then it'll keep warm for 90 minutes.

So by the time I'm up and ready to start my day, it's still hot.

I'll just have to remove the top from the bucket.

Here's the barrel where I put Ten Multi Grain/Sesame Seeds/ Pumpkin Seeds/ Soya bean/ Pumpkin/ Oats and etc in. After cooking, all the raw ingredients will be grind really fine til it become a paste like this.

Here's the blender, the knife that grind everything so fine.

 With these simple steps, I get 1700cc of healthy "tong sui".

Since it's only hubby and I in our household that takes this, I would always divide them into these warmers and spread the healthy drink to family, friends and neighbours.

If I want to have some for tea, I'll just cover the top of the bucket with another cover that keeps the drink warm for 3-4hours.

There you go! My healthy drink for breakfast/tea/dessert.

I'm in love with it because it's just so easy to make such drinks with it.I made soya bean milk with it too! YUMMMM! :D I've yet to try making tofu with it (which you can).

Cikumuffin was not paid to write this post and has no interest in marketing this machine. Just sharing what has been happening in my kitchen lately. ;)

Dear Avocado,

I love you!

I started eating Avocado when I was a teenager. My dad became a vegetarian then and he started researching what should a vegetarian consume to maintain the nutrient that is needed. So he started eating Avocado.

At first I didn't like how tasteless it is but after a couple of times of sharing a half of Avocado with my dad, I loved it!

Lately the Avocado bug bit me again and I add avocado in most of my meals.

Avocado with Alfalfa and Sardines on toasted 7 grain bread.

Avocado with Alfalfa, Tuna and Eggs on toasted Cranberries Wholemeal Bread.

Avocado on toasted Cranberries Wholemeal Bread for breakfast.

Avocado and Oven Baked Herb Chicken on toasted Cranberries Wholemeal bread.

Avocado, I <3 you ! :D

Fancy something flourless?

I had some cream cheese (ok, not some, 500grams of it!) that were about to expire. So I had to quickly search for a recipe to make something out of it before it expires. Luckily it only expires after my mum's birthday.

As usual, I searched online and found something new and different (at least for me). Found a nice recipe by Erica Lea.

Here's how my Flourless Chocolate & Cream Cheese Marble Cake turned out:

I made two! 

One with Rum and one with Espresso.

Because I had 500grams of cream cheese and one recipe only calls for about 250grams of it.

Always try to avoid throwing ingredients away.

It was very well received! 

I made one for my mum's birthday and the other to be given to my guinea pigs.

I loved it and I wouldn't mind buying more cream cheese to make it again. 

(Not only when my cream cheese expires again.)

If you'd like to try this recipe, click here!

Enjoy! :D

Cikumuffin has been making desserts ("tong sui" and soya milk) with her new found machine! Shall show you my new love in my next post! ;D

Confetti Cupcakes

My brother-in-law's wedding was held last week and I had the privilege to bake some cupcakes for guests who arrive at my in-law's house in the morning.

Weddings are always cheerful, joyful and colourful (?).

I found these confetti sugar decoration in the baking store. 

 Aren't they just colourful, cheerful and happy?

When you place them in a batter...

The colour contrast is just.. so fun! 

(Reminds me of the cartoon Up!)

Mix them up...

and you'll still see them swimming in your batter.. all cheery and happy!

You bake them and you find them in your cupcake..

 and eat them with a big smile on your face...

Like this boy!

You may find the recipe for this fun and cheerful cupcake by Sweetapolita  here.

or just add half cup of these sugar decorations into your favourite Vanilla/Butter cupcake recipe! 

Enjoy! :D

Peanut Butter Pound Cake with Peanut Butter Glaze

I have a jar of peanut butter at home. Hardly touch it. I don't know why. So I figured that I should make use of it before it expires.

Also because I bump into this recipe by Recipe Girl.

 I just love baking with chocolate chips. See how lovely they are swimming in the batter.

My Peanut Butter Pound Cake!

Look at the drizzle... make you drool.

It's a dense cake. 

Not many people like dense cake but I did enjoy a slice of it.

Many commented that it's very sweet. So you may want to try having it without the glaze.

If you are BIG FAN of peanut butter, try this recipe!

Enjoy!

Steamed Rice with Chinese Sausage and Chicken

I bought a recipe book recently : Ultimate Guide to Steam Cooking.

Well, I'm suddenly into eating steamed food as well and also because my hubby would always say "When are you going to cook some Chinese dishes?"

So out of the 80 recipes that was featured in the recipe book. I chose to make an "all-in-one" dish. My son is a picky eater. He likes his food to be flavorful, not too much and not too plain.

 I added some chinese celery on top of the rice as the boy loves the taste of chinese celery.

It was a success! :D Hubby and son enjoyed eating it.

Here's the recipe:

(adapted from Ultimate Guide to Steam Cooking: Easy and Healthy Recipes)

Ingredients:

1 rice measuring cup rice

1 rice measuring cup water

1 Chinese Sausage

1 chicken thigh

some shredded ginger

Marinade:

1/2 tbsp oyster sauce

1/2 tbsp dark soy sauce

1/4 tsp sugar

1/4 tsp olive oil

dash of pepper

1/2 tsp potato startch (I used corn startch instead)

Method:

1. Rinse chicken and remove the bones. Cut into thumbsized pieces. Remove casing from the Chinese sausage and cut into slices. Combine well chicken, ginger and marinade, set aside for about 15 minutes.

2. Rinse rice and soak in 1 cup of water for about 15 minutes. Pour rice together with the soaking water into a steaming bowl and add 1/2 tsp sesame oil. Steam for about 15 minutes until the rice has absorbed all the water.

3. Add chicken and chinese sausage, put the lid on and continue to steam for about 15 minutes.

*If you wish to make this dish but can't have pork, just omit the chinese sausage. :)

Enjoy!

Mad about BUTTER!

My hubby don't fancy cakes. I believe I mentioned it before. He will still eat them but he won't help himself to another slice or unless reminded or served.

I asked him, if someone asked and you must give an answer, what's his favourite cake? He said Butter Cake without any frosting.

So I decided to make  butter cake.

A simple and nice butter cake.

Delicious when it's served warm. :D

Don't have much time but want to bake? Try this Butter Cake recipe:

Ingredients:

225g caster sugar

5 eggs (medium sized)

300g butter

250g all purpose flour

13g milk powder

1tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp salt

1tsp vanilla extract

Steps:

1) Preheat oven at 175 degree Celsius. Prepare a round baking tin (I used 8"), greased (I usually grease it with vegetable shortening) and lined with baking paper.

2) Beat butter & sugar until light and fluffy.

3) Sift flour, milk powder, baking powder and salt together into a separate mixing bowl.

4) Pour in flour mixture into butter mixture and mix.

5) Add in eggs one at a time.

6) Add vanilla extract.

7) Pour into prepared tin.

8) Bake for 50-60minutes or until cake tester inserted into center comes out clean.

9) Remove cake from oven and cool for 5-10minutes before removing it.

You may choose to frost it with vanilla frosting or eat it plain or have it with a scoop of ice cream! YUMMM!

Enjoy!:D

Ginger Chiffon with Key Lime Curd and Lime Chantilly Cream

When I was in my confinement (after my miscarriage), my mum used ginger in a lot of dishes. I would say almost every dish.

My sis will have to eat the same food as me. She loves GINGER! She told me that she wants a ginger cake once I'm well enough to head back to the kitchen.

Of course, time flew and I got back to the kitchen but I somehow didn't bake her a ginger cake. After giving too many excuses to not make it, I finally stumbled upon a recipe that was really interesting.

I tried the recipe by Jo of Sugar & Everything Nice.

 All 3 layers of my Ginger Chiffon Cake ready to be stacked and frosted.

A layer of Key Lim Curd on top of each cake.

Frost it with the Lime Chantilly Cream.

There you go! A nice slice of Ginger Chiffon with Key Lime Curd and Lime Chantilly Cream

Hubby said it taste nicer after leaving it in the fridge. He's not a big fan of cakes but he helped himself to a 2nd slice and loved it! :D

Want to try it out? Click here.

Enjoy! :D

Cikumuffin personally thinks that this is a funky combo. She made it for her one and only sister. She's happy to know that her sis enjoyed every single bite of it! :D

Toasted Cranberry Bread + Bananas + Grapes + Chocolate + Brie Cheese

I would usually buy a loaf of bread and some fruits on Friday so that we can have some bread and fruits for breakfast & tea on weekends. (I can't wait to get a bread maker for my birthday. July's not here fast enough.. grrrr..)

Last Friday I bought Cranberry Bread from RT Pastry . They are really tasty. I also got bananas & grapes from the supermarket.

I love my bread toasted but I don't have a toaster. -_-

Since I have bread, bananas, grapes, dark chocolate & brie cheese (extra from last weekend) and an oven, I decided to combine all of it and make some yummy breakfast!

(When using the oven, always be sure to preheat the oven for 10 minutes before using it. You can prep while the oven is heating up.)

Place two slices of bread on a baking tray. Cut slices of cheese and place them on the bread.

Slice the bananas and cut the grapes into halves, place them on top of the cheese..

 Put them into a preheated oven (190 degree Celcius) and toast it for about 3 minutes
While waiting, prepare two slices of bread and 40 grams of Dark Chocolate.

 After 3 minutes, place the chocolate then the bread on top of the fruits and toast for 2minutes.

....and there you go! I got my toasted bread and yummy food all in one!

Can you see the melted cheese in between??

Hubby said that it's tasty (don't worry, he won't say it just to please me. I know!) and that one can never go wrong when you combine banana + chocolate. :D

No idea what to make for breakfast tomorrow? Try these! It only takes 15minutes for it to be ready to indulge. ;)

Enjoy! :D

Mum's Pancake

My son fancies eating the kind of pancake my mum makes.

It doesn't look like normal pancake (the ones you get outside). It looks like this...

Yesterday my son decided to have some pancakes for dinner. So I had to call my mum up and ask her for the recipe.

My mum's the kind of cook that goes.. "Put a little of this.. add a little of that..then .. cook then you see how then can already." Ya.. -_-

So here's my conversation with my mum when I asked her how to make her kind of pancake:
Me: Ma, your grandson wants to eat pancake. How to make?
Mum: Oh, very easy. Just use one egg, add a bit of flour, add a bit of sugar, add water and mix. Not too thick, not too watery.
Me: -_-"

So I took up the challenge.Gathered all the necessary ingredients and used my measuring tools to make the pancake.

 One egg, flour, sugar & water

Mix them up until smooth.

 Til I get the texture that I want..

Put some butter into my saucepan..

 Then add the batter...

and Tadddaaaaa!

 My boy loves ketchup! So I cut them into small pieces and let him have it with ketchup.

There you go, one happy boy!

Since I'm not as "professional" as my mum in cooking, I decided to measure how much flour, sugar & water  I needed to make the batter.

So here's the recipe:

(Makes 2 round 8cm pancakes)

Ingredients:

1 egg

1/2 cup plain flour

1/2 cup water

2 tbsp sugar

1/2 tbsp butter

Steps:

1) Beat the egg lightly in a bowl.

2) Add flour, water & sugar. Mix until smooth.

3) Heat up saucepan using medium heat. Add butter.

4) Pour half of the batter and spread.

5) As it cooks, lift the edges of the pancake and then flip it once you can lift the bottom of it.

6) Cook the other side for about a minute or until you can lift it all up.

Served with sugar/honey/maple syrup or like how my son loves it, ketchup.

Enjoy! :D