Lemon Curd

I love lemons! When life gives you lemons, make lemon curd. It's citrusy, sharp and tangy. I love how lemon curd balance the sweetness from most desserts, refreshing and awakening the taste buds.

100g caster sugar

125ml lemon juice (about 3 lemons)

150ml whipping cream

5 large eggs

a pinch of salt

1a. Beat the sugar, lemon juice, eggs and salt together in a metal bowl.

1b. Pour the whipping cream into the mixture and mix well. 

2. Place the metal bowl over a pot of simmering water and beating continuously till the texture of the mixture thickens. Bubbles will appear and then disappear. When the mixture thickens, take the bowl off the heat and continue stirring for a minute more before placing a cling foil over the top and fridge overnight before use.

3. You must stir continuously or the lemon curd will be grainy. You can pour the ready curd through a sift to make the mixture smoother.

There, homemade lemon curd which can be kept in the fridge for a few weeks, but it runs out real fast because it is so tasty and versatile.

Vanilla Buttercream Birthday Cake II

It's a dear friend's birthday and I decided to make the Vanilla Buttercream Birthday Cake again. Improved version, that is. :) The chocolate ganache was too liquid the last time, so I reduced the double cream to 150 ml and the chocolate chips remained at 125 g. Happy Birthday, dear sis. I hope you liked the cake. :)

There was service tonight too and I'm ever grateful for the love, grace and blessings God and showered on my family and I. Counting my blessings and praying to be a blessing to the people around me.

Love the decoration in church. Our Saviour, so mighty and special, but born in a humble manger, there's something about this that touched me. Thank God for sending Your one and only Son to die on the cross that we may have salvation.

Merry Christmas!!

For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. (Isaiah 9:6 NIV)

Christmas Fruit Cake

25 December, a day when our dear Lord is born, worthy of thanksgiving and celebration. This Christmas, let's bless family and friends with lovely Christmas fruit cake. Recipe taken from the pink whisk with slight adaptation.

So I've soaked the fruits for about a week, now, it's time! 

(Makes 8 inches fruit cake) 

To soak the fruit

Christmas Fruit Soak

To make the cake

285g all purpose flour

150g light brown sugar

75g dark brown sugar 

5 large eggs

225g unsalted butter room temperature

2tbsp molasses

2tsp all spice 

1. Preheat the oven at 150 degrees and line the cake tins with baking paper. I was ambitious and wanted to make a few cakes because I had the cherry brandy and the spiced whisky flavours. I divided the square tin using aluminum to get 2 loaves. 

2. Cream the butter and light and dark brown sugar till creamy. 

3. Add the molasses and cream till combined.

4. Add the eggs a bit at a time, beating till combined between each addition. 

5. Sift the flour and all spice over the mixture and fold to combined. 

6. Drain the fruit if needed, mine didn't have much to liquid to drain.

7. Mix the fruits and the butter mixture till combined. 

8. Pour into the prepared cake tins and bake for about 2 hours. Insert a skewer into the cake to test if the cake is ready. If the skewer comes out clean, the cake is ready. 

9. Leave the cakes in the tin to cool completely. 

10. Poke holes 3/4 way into the cake and brush with alcohol, then wrap the cake in baking paper and foil and keep away from direct sun light. 

11. Continue to 'feed' the cake with alcohol till ready for consumption. 

I seek you with all my heart; do not let me stray from your commands. (Psalm 119:10 NIV)

Travelogue- Coconut Ice-cream

Hello from Thailand! Finally tasted the much raved about coconut ice-cream! Maybe I can make a dessert inspired from this. :) no recipes yet, just musing.

Thanking God for little surprises along the way. 

Chocolate Meringue Swiss Roll

Christmas is round the corner! I'm preparing fruit cakes for the adults, but they contain alcohol. What do I bake for the kiddos? Wanted to do cupcakes, but I found another recipe that can be made way in advance and freezed till needed! Genius! Recipe adapted from thepinkwhisk.

(Makes a 23cm meringue roll)

For the meringue

150g eggwhites (about 5 eggs)

225g caster sugar

2tbsp corn flour

2tbsp Cocoa powder

For the chocolate cream

(I reduced the amount because I didn't want the cake too sweet.)

235g condensed milk

65g unsalted butter

65g light brown sugar

3tbsp Cocoa powder

For the cream topping

250ml whipping cream

2tbsp icing sugar

2tbsp dark chocolate rasps

To finish

Cocoa powder 

Dark chocolate rasps 

To make the meringue roulade

1. Preheat the oven at 130 degrees. Line a 23 cm by 33 cm tray with baking paper.

2. Whisk the eggwhites and corn flour together in medium speed till foamy.

3. Increase the whisk speed and add the sugar one spoonful at a time, whisking till stiff peak.

4. Whisk in the cocoa powder.

5. Spread the meringue onto the prepared tray and bake at 130 degrees for about an hour.

6. The meringue should be crusty on top and marshmallowy in the middle. Leave to cool completely in tray. 

To make the chocolate cream

7. Melt the butter, Cocoa powder and sugar in the condense milk over low heat. 

8. Increase the heat and bring the mixture to a boil. Simmer for about a minute and leave to cool. 

9. The chocolate must be cooled before pouring over the meringue.

10. Turn the meringue onto fresh baking paper and peel of the used baking paper. 

11. Spread the cooled chocolate cream over the meringue. 

12. Whip the cream and icing sugar together till soft peak. 

13. Spread the cream over the chocolate. 

14. Sprinkle chocolate rasps over the cream. 

15. Start the roll by cutting into the meringue on one end about 2cm breadth wise. 

16. Roll into Swiss roll shape using the help of the baking paper. 

I had a hard time, it got a bit messy, but managed to roll it into shape somehow. 

17. Wrap the roll using baking paper and leave in fridge for about an hour to set and decorate with Cocoa powder and chocolate rasps to serve. 

18. If you're doing the cake in advance like me, wrap the cake in baking paper and then in cling foil and freeze it till you need it. Defrost and decorate as above and serve. 

It's not the prettiest cake, but I like the rustic feel of it somehow. 

This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. And if we know that he hears us—whatever we ask—we know that we have what we asked of him. (1 John 5:14-15 NIV)