How to Bake: Gingerbread Men Cookies

Hey guys! Only two days left till Christmas and I decided why not bake something Christmas related. I've been meaning to bake gingerbread cookies for awhile now but I've never really been one to take the leap. But after watching Zoella's video, I decided why the heck not. It's funny, really. I actually hate ginger. I hate them in anything except ginger beer and gingerbread cookies.

Also, as I was prepping to bake these bad boys, I realised I forgot to buy ground ginger. So I used fresh ones instead. I'll elaborate more on this later on.

I sort of ran out of ideas on how to photograph my little army so.. here I am.. showing you guys my house decor........... moving on. Let's get started shall we?

Gingerbread cookies

75g light brown sugar

2 tbsp golden syrup

1 tbsp black treacle/molasses

1 tbsp water

1 tsp cinnamon powder

1 tsp ground ginger

1/2 tsp bicarbonate soda

95g butter

225g flour

white icing/royal icing

• Add the sugar, syrup, treacle and water in a saucepan over a medium heat. Stir the ingredients until well mixed.
• Then add the cinnamon powder and ground ginger ***If you don't have ground ginger like me, use fresh ginger. the recipe calls for 1 tsp but I used approximately 1 tbsp of very finely grated ginger***
• Add the bicarbonate soda, stir, and add the butter
• Make sure to keep stirring as you don't want the mixture to burn. Remember, whenever you have sugar and fire involved, always keep on stirring. And make sure the mixture doesn't come up to a boil
• Once your butter has melted, turn off the heat and add the sifted flour. Gradually.
• Roll your hot dough into a ball and cover it up in glad wrap and put it in the freezer for 30 minutes (I cheat)
• After that cut them and bake for 7-10 minutes depending on how thick/big your cookies are. Mine were small so I only needed 7 minutes. 
• Bake at 180 DegreesC

Royal Icing

2 egg whites

2 tsp lemon juice

3 cups icing sugar

• Beat your egg whites and lemon juice until combined. 
• Add the sifted icing sugar
• To get the right consistency, when you lift the batter with a spatula, the ribbon of frosting that falls back into the bowl remains on the surface before completely disappearing. 
• If it disappears immediately, add more icing sugar.
• If its too thick, add a little bit of water.

And you're done! Oh man now I'm gonna have to find something else to blog about you guys are probably tired and bored of recipes. Hm. well. if i event have readers. If I do then comment down below what you guys want me to blog about next week!

Merry Christmas to you guys out there who celebrate.

Hasta La Vista, Baby!

(gross) (no) (ayyy lmaoo bye)

How to Bake: Chocolate cupcakes with Marshmallow Creme Peppermint Frosting

I've always always loved Christmas. It was always my favourite holiday to celebrate, besides Hari Raya Aidilfitri. Maybe it'd because it has always brought me fond memories of my late grandmother. All of us, my cousins and I, used to sleepover at my grandma's house every Christmas eve. I remember that one year I woke up in the middle of the night catching my grandma filling in the stockings. It wasn't her fault that I stopped believing in Santa Claus at the age of seven. Haha.

In conjunction with Christmas (that, may I add, is around the corner) (!!!!!), I decided to bake some peppermint cupcakes. well, peppermint frosted cupcakes. It's super simple, really. It was pretty much easy to make.

Well, don't you wanna know how to make them?!

Chocolate cupcakes

225g butter
4 (heaping) tbsp cocoa powder
1 cup boiling water
2 cups flour
2 cups sugar
2 eggs
1/2 cup buttermilk
1 tsp vanilla
1 tsp baking soda

• Melt the butter in a large saucepan. Meanwhile, boil some water.
• Then throw the cocoa powder into the already melted butter
• Stir the mixture until its a nice, smooth consistency
• Pour in the cup of boiling water. Stir the mixture and let it bubble for 15 seconds. Turn the fire off and set the mixture aside.
• In a separate bowl, add your (sifted) flour and sugar. Stir it together and set aside.
• In another separate bowl, mix together the eggs and buttermilk. (If you don't have buttermilk, use 1/2 cup of whole milk and 2 tablespoons of vinegar). Add the vanilla and baking soda. Whisk wet ingredients.
• Pour the melted chocolate mixture over the flour mixture. (It's still pretty hot)
• Then give it a few stirs until it's halfway mixed. Let the chocolate mixture cool before adding the wet ingredients (Cause /eggs/)
• Once the chocolate batter is cooled, add the wet ingredients!
• Bake for 18 minutes at 180 DegreesC.

Marshmallow Creme Peppermint Frosting

Ok, I cheated here. I used pre-made marshmallow creme. Now, if you live in Malaysia, You can get it at any Cold Storage outlet or any supermarket that imports international stuff.

100g butter

1 cup icing sugar

2 cups marshmallow creme

1 tsp peppermint extract

2 tsp milk

Red food colouring

Peppermints

• Put your peppermints in a zip-lock bag and crush them with a rolling pin.
• Cream the butter and (sifted) icing sugar until pale white and fluffy. Add the marshmallow creme. Whisk until frosting is fluffy.
• Add the peppermint extract and milk. You may add more milk depending on what consistency you want the frosting to be.
• Using a piping bag, paint two lines on each side of the piping bag with the red food colouring to create a red swirl effect.
• Frost and sprinkle your crushed peppermints!

***Chocolate cupcakes recipe adapted to my own liking from The Pioneer Woman ***

Ah now wasn't that easy! I had a good time baking them. I needed to get away and bake. I might  try baking some gingerbreadmen cookies. I might.

Hope you guys are having a swell time prepping for Christmas. I know I am! Hehe.
Maybe this time we can share my can of beans, eh?
Peace out bamboozles.

tasha eats: Limau-Limau Cafe @ Jonker Walk, Malacca

I finally get to do a cafe review! I kinda forgot when was my last. Oh well. Anyho, just a few days ago my roommates, Anis and Alin, and I, took a drive down from our University to Malacca Town. We decided (Ok , /I/ decided) to head on down to Jonker Street (maybe cause I'm absolutely in love with the place and the food). I initially read about this place on The Weekend Brunch and I decided since I'm already studying in Malacca, I might as well check it out.

KL, Damansara, PJ and TTDI aren't the only places with really cool hangout spots/cafes. Malacca Town is filled with them too. We're just too lazy to find for them. Finding this place was super easy. Its just a few metres from Jonker Walk's entrance on the left. It's this cozy little shop lot with very limited seats. I love the ambiance and their drinks (though I think they are a tad bit overpriced. For Jonker Street. Where all glorious food and drink are dirt cheap)

Drinks!
I had their Lychee + Lemon Fruit Freeze (RM9). It was amazingly thirst quenching. Note: It was a pretty hot day. I was practically melting. Alin had their Chocolate Banana Milkshake (RM10). Which in my own personal opinion, isn't so good. Probably cause I hate blended bananas. I hate any drinks/smoothies with bananas in them. I only eat them with chocolate ice cream. Or as fritters. Or on their own. But Alin loved it. In fact, she was just craving for it today. Anis had their Passion Fruit Milkshake (RM10). Wasn't my cup of tea either. Or was it the weather.

The three of us decided to share an Apple Crumble + Vanilla Ice cream  (RM 8.90). It was so... different. It wasn't your conventional apple crumble. With just cinnamon and apples. It had some other sort of fruit in it i could just taste it. Even the crumble mixture was different. I loved it.

All in all, whenever or if ever you guys are in Malacca and are in need of a place to chill, Limau-Limau is the place to be.

Limau-Limau Cafe

No. 9, Jalan Hang Lekiu,

 75200 Melaka.

See you soon fellow candy people of the candy castle!

peace out

Wad dat: Care package & Rainbow cupcakes recipe

Don't know what to get a friend for their birthday/christmas? I didn't either. I'm a girl and i find it super difficult to find gifts for guys because they're just so easy going. They'll accept whatever and they never give you hints on what they want. Gosh

My jerk face best friend's birthday was a few days ago and because I was so busy with University and being away from home (aka away from malls and anything civilized), I decided to give him a care package!

A care package normally consists of just food so I decided to jumble up stuff he likes. (Also added a Deathly Hallows bracelet cause why not). Care packages are so simple and it shows just MAYBE how much you know about a person. or not. its fine. That person will accept it whether or not they favourite Skittles. Or my homebaked cupcakes. meh.

Yeah I sorta baked the cupcakes myself. OK, not sorta.

Rainbow Cupcakes with Vanilla Buttercream

100g butter
100g white granulated sugar
3 large eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
195g cake flour
1 tsp baking powder
pinch of salt
1/2 cup milk
4 different food colouring of your choice

• Cream the butter and sugar until white and fluffy
• Slowly add the eggs (one by one) then later add the vanilla extract
• Sift the cake flour, baking powder and salt. Then gradually add the flour mixture into the already wet mixture
• Gradually add the milk and whisk till all mixed
• Divide cupcake batter into four bowls and add food colouring of your choice

I used turquoise, lime green, cotton candy pink and purple.

• Next add half a teaspoon of different cupcake batter to each cup. (I dont even know how this is making sense to you guys so luckily I took a picture)

• Bake in the oven for 15-25 minutes (170 degreesC)

100g butter

1 1/2 cup icing sugar

1 tsp vanilla extract

2 tsp milk

• Basically making the icing/frosting is easy. Whisk together the butter and icing sugar until, I repeat, until, the mixture is white and fluffy. 
• Add the vanilla extract and milk
• You don't wanna add any food colouring because the cakes are already filled with it.
• Enjoy!

That's about it. It's pretty easy. That's my basic recipe for all my cupcakes. Don't think to much about care packages. Just put in whatever you think may put a smile on that person's face. 

****Appreciation blog post for ma lame ass hoe*****

I just wanna wish you a really happy birthday, man. You're always there for me (Even when I don't want you to be. but its ok.) You've taught me alot eventhough you are technically 8 months younger than I am. ha ha. Lobster you never hate you from my cats poop to yours. 

Anyway, just have fun with it. No pressure.

Enjoy!

(PS/ I get off university for  2 weeks starting the 20th of December so I'll continue blogging from then on!)

peace out chicken bamboozles

tasha eats: Quar/tet @ TTDI

Hallå!

I have long neglected this little blog of mine for I am busy with university. And I am truly sorry for that. But fear not I present you a new cafe review! 

So, I've been here before I wrote this blog post. Before I even decided I wanted to write about this place. I've had a past experience with their workers and they well, she, ticked me off so much I decided to leave. It's like she didn't want my business or some sort. But then I decided to go again and maybe, just maybe, I'll get good vibes the second time.

And I did!

The worker there was cool. He was pretty chill about me writing and taking pictures of the place. When I got there they were in the midst of decorating the place. They got some 'paintings' and plants. 

We decided to sit outsit eventhough the air-conditioning inside was ace. But the lighting was bad. as you can tell.

I had their Smoked Salmon Bagel (RM 16) it was so good. I ate everything on my plate. I like their bagel. It's sort of like this rendition of a french loaf. Their crisp salad was pretty spot on and the whole dish itself was super duper filling. (I'm pretty sure if ma lumpster, Yi Peng, were to have this it'll take her the whole day to finish)

My National Service friend, Viv, had their Turkey Ham sandwich or something I apologize. She forgot what she had. But yeah. She wants to pin-point the fact that the bread was a little bit too thick. She had some trouble eating it but the flavours were there. All in all it was a good dish.

Here are our horrible shots of our drinks. At this point I think it was my camera's way of saying I'm tired let's go home. Cause it just could not focus. I had their Raspberry Soda (?) (RM 10) God, I'm so bad at this. Can't believe I forgot the name of the drink. Agh. 

Also, we had their Spiced Hot Chocolate (RM12). It was ok. Not my cup of tea. (ha ha)

I think I'll come here again. Maybe to just chill with my best friend. Try their cakes next time hmm
Stop being a homebody. Go out and i dont know, explore.

Peace out