To Windy City

2 weeks ago, we spent 4 days weekend in Chicago. Drove own car from our home St.Louis to Chicago, is around 266 miles , and because we have a toddler so we need to stopped so many time in rest area, and spent almost 6 hours drove ( If you go straight is around 4 hours only).

The trip was good, we visited many tourist attraction, many events especially we had chance to attended Taste Of Chicago, the world’s largest food festival. Just imagine scores of restaurants, hundreds of dishes, dozens of concerts, millions of people and the awesome beauty of the Windy City as a backdrop - what could be better, especially in a food town like Chicago? Unfortunately I didn't take many picture, my hand busy with kid and another hand too busy with turkey leg LOL. (Don't worry I still have some pictures I can share with you guys)

It was funny, when the night time my 3yo daughter missed home a lot, she always said : "I want to come back home, I want to sleep with DORA (her's toy)" - and when we already back home, the first night at home she said : "mommy, I want to sleep at tower home - she called hotel was TOWER HOME" . ha..ha..ha..

As I remember, I did not shopping a lot at Chicago, but from beginning I told my husband, the one place I want to visit was, an IKEA STORE . Honest to God, that store made me crazy - all the stuff over there was so cute, the good things my car trunk already filled up with suitcase and cooler, otherwise I will buy too many stuff ^_^ Do you know what I've got ? many yards of cute fabric, who can stop thinking about the nice fabric at all ?? The fabrics still in the plastic bag, waiting my new project ^_^

Like I always do, every time we go picnic I always try to bring own food, well .. not in a good portion, I mean (at least) we don't have to stop to buy snack or meal. I made Pistachio Financier for snack, so easy to make and taste delicious..

Pistachio Cherry Financiers

adapted from Tartelete

70g ground almonds

70g flour

70g shelled, unsalted pistachios, ground

6 egg whites

120g sugar

2 tsp orange blossom water

120g unsalted butter, melted

8-10 pitted sour cherries

Pre-heat oven 160°C (325°F).

In a mixing bowl, combine the almonds, pistachios, flour and sugar, using a whisk.

Add melted butter and the orange blossom water. In another mixing bowl, beat the whites very slightly, with a whisk.Add the whites to the pistachio/almond mixture.Mix well.Fill up financier pans or muffin tins with half the batter.

Drop 1 pitted cherry (2 halves) in the center and cover with the remaining batter.

Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, until slightly golden.

Roti Gambang Almond / Almond Gambang Bread

I have this picture for long time ago, well.. a month or two , I couldn't remember LOL. And this is my entry for event CLICK which is theme for this month is STACK.

Jai and Bee...here's my entry for Stacks.

Roti Gambang Almond / Almond Gambang Bread

Source : Ms. Irma

Ingredients :

250 grams dark palm sugar (Java Dark Sugar)

175 ml water

375 grams all purpose flour

125 dry fine bread crumbs

25 gram milk powder

1/4 tsp salt

1 tsp baking soda

2 tsp baking powder

2 tsp cinnamon powder

1/4 tsp vanilla powder/vanilla extract

2 egg yolks

100 grams margarine

100 grams almonds, chopped

3 Tbsp water, for brushing

3 Tbsp sesame seeds

Instructions :

1. Boil Java red sugar with water until dissolved and hard boiled. Set aside and let cool.

2. Mix flour, breadcrumbs, milk powder, salt, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, vanilla and egg yolks. Blend well. Pour in sugar syrup, knead until well blended.

3. Blend in margarine, knead until well blended.

4. For the dough into ball shaped, cover with plastic sheet. Set aside for about 30 minutes at room temperature until the dough becomes dry and easy to roll.

5. Uncover, form the dough into round oval shape, each weighed 75 g. Arrange them on greased cookie sheet, give space among them as they will rise. Brush the surface with water, sprinkle with sesame seeds.

6. Bake in a preheated oven at 150 Celsius degree for 30 minutes until done.

Rainy Day .. Happy Day ..

To much rain in my city St.Louis Missouri since Saturday until today ... not only rain but comes along with thunderstorm too. For me, stay at home much better than driving around if not necessary. Because of that, I always try to find an activity around home for my little daughter, so she will not get bored .

One activity that I love to do with her is make a simply craft art, we have a small table in the corner of my basement filled up with many craft tools. I let her to do painting , playing around that table I called make a mess day LOL . So far she is enjoy it that. Like a couple days ago we made some animals craft from recycle papers such an old yellow pages book, left over fabric .. so simply but make her happy too. You don't have to buy an expensive toys to make your kids happy but do something simply together, believe me they will more appreciate. (*Thank you to Ms.Dita, who inspiring me ^-^

Since we love play together during the heavy rainy day, I let her to help me around the kitchen too. This time I made a simply cake for snack, no mixer need, just mixing all the ingredients together and let her little hands stir the batter , then bake.. voila... cake comes so good.

Sitting in the chair with my daughter look at the rains drop through the window with a piece of cake , a cup of hot tea . aah.. what a wonderful day :-)

Mango Ginger Bread

Adapted from Meta Kumara - What's For Lunch Honey

250 gr all purpose flour (I used cake flour)

190 gr fine sugar

3 eggs

180 ml canola oil

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon (I used 2 tsp)

1/4 teaspoon salt

100 gr brown sugar (I used Javanese Dark Brown Sugar)

1 large ripe mango, cubed

115 gr plump golden raisins
Optional Icing/confectioner's sugar

Preparation Center a rack in the oven and preheat to 180 degrees C. Butter and flour a loaf pan tapping out the excess flour. Wrap the loaf pan with thick aluminum foil. This keeps the bottom of the bread from over baking.

In a clean mixing bowl whisk the eggs and oil together.

In separate, larger bowl, whisk flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, spices and salt.

Add the brown sugar, breaking up any lumps with your fingers.

Pour in the wet ingredients over the dry, then using a rubber spatula or a wooden spoon mix until incorporated. Stir in the mangoes and raisins. pour the batter into the pan

Bake the bread for 1 hours or until golden brown and a knife inserted into the center comes out clean. If you find the bread is getting too dark, simply cover the top with a sheet of baking paper or loosely with a foil tent.
Transfer the pan to a rack and allow the bread to cool for 5 minutes. Run a knife around the sides of the pan and unmold. Invert and cool to room temperature right side up on the rack.

Sieve some of the icing sugar on top and serve!

Storing: Wrapped in plastic wrap or stored in a air-tight container the bread will keep for 4-5 days at room temperature (and taste better each day!).

Pinky..Pinky Strawberry ^_^

My daughter, Annisa asked me to make a pink cake.. Aah.. she was in the good mood for pink color, OK I made pink cake for her , she loves the cake. Until the next day, she wants purple sand for her play-sand's box . Gosh .. she already drove me nut, and I went to several store try to find it, and finally got what she want , She was happy , off course ^_^ When we came back home, she said : "mommy, I want purple door for my room and purple cake too" . Oh NOOOOOOOOO.. !! *and she just turn 3yo ^_^

Fool Proof Sponge Cake

Source : Christopher Kimball's - The Kitchen Detective

Softened unsalted butter for the pans

1/2 cup cake flour

1/4 cup all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon table salt

2 tablespoons milk

4 tablespoons unsalted butter

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

5 large eggs, at room temperature

3/4 cup granulated sugar

1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar

Adjust an oven rack to the lower-middle position and heat the oven to 350°F (175°C).

Grease two 8-or-9-inch cake pans and cover pan bottoms with rounds of parchment paper.

Whisk/sieve the flours, baking powder, and salt together in a medium bowl and set aside.

Heat the milk and butter in a small saucepan over low heat until the butter melts.

Take the sauce pan off the heat and add in vanilla extract; keep the mixture covered and warm.

Separate the eggs, placing the whites in the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with the whisk attachment (or a large mixing bowl if using a hand mixer or whisk) and reserving the yolks in a small bowl. Beat the whites on high speed until foamy.

Gradually add 6 tablespoons of the sugar and the cream of tartar and continue to beat the whites to soft, moist peaks.

If using a standing mixer transfer the beaten egg whites to a large bowl and add the egg yolks to the standing mixer bowl (you don't need to clean the bowl).

Beat the egg yolks with the remaining 6 tablespoons sugar on medium-high speed until the mixture is very thick and turns a pale lemon color, about 5 minutes.

Add in the beaten egg whites to the yolks, but do not mix.

Sprinkle/sieve the flour mixture over the egg whites and mix on low speed for 10 seconds.

Remove the bowl from the mixer, make a well in one side of the batter and pour the melted butter mixture into the bowl.

Fold gently with a large rubber spatula until the batter shows no trace of flour and the whites and yolks are evenly mixed, about 8 strokes.

Also make sure that you have incorporated the butter into the mixture.

There should not be visible grease/oil as you pour the mixture into the cake pans.Immediately pour the batter into the prepared pans.

Bake until the cake tops are light brown and feel firm and spring back when touched, about 16 to 18 minutes for 9-inch cake pans and 20 to 22 minutes for 8-inch cake pans.

Cool completely on racks. Run a thin knife around the inside of the cake pans and then invert them onto the racks (or onto cardboard rounds or tart pan bottoms) to release the cakes from the pans. Remove the parchment paper.

Strawberry Butter cream Icing

Ingredients
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup water
4 egg whites
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 cups butter, cut up
1/4 cup finely diced strawberries, drained
Directions

Directions.
In a saucepan, place the sugar and carefully pour the water around the edge.

Bring to a boil and cook to softball stage (about 235 degrees F.) Meanwhile, whip the egg whites in a mixer with a whip attachment until light and fluffy.

When sugar is at the softball stage, slowly pour it into the bowl down the side and continue whipping, adding vanilla, butter, and strawberries until incorporated and then cooled.

Strawberry White Chocolate Ganache
¼ cup finely chopped fresh strawberries
¾ cup heavy whipping cream
7 oz white chocolate, very finely chopped

Stir chopped strawberries into cream, cover and refrigerate at least 8 hours or overnight

Strain cream, pressing gently on strawberry to release as much liquid as possible,

Place white chocolate in medium bowl, bring cream to a simmer in small saucepan over medium heat. Immediately pour over white chocolate.

Stir until completely melted and smooth. Cool , cover and refrigerate at least 4 hours. Ganache can be made 2 days ahead)

Remove ganache from refrigerator. Check consistency , if its smooth and creamy , it can be use right away

Fruits Pie

Don't be surprise, you will find more and more recipes in my blog mostly fruits cake, fruits pie.. everything with fruits . Well, summer is almost come .. fresh fruits is everywhere ^_^

For base tartlet :
175 gr all purpose flour
50 gr un-salted butter
25 gr white vegetable fat (shortening)
50 gr caster sugar
2 egg yolks
1 tbsp cold water
115 gr apricot jam, strained and warmed

For the filling :
150 ml double (heavy) cream
250 mascarpone cheese or regular cream cheese
grated rind of 1 orange
450 gr mixed prepared fruits, such : kiwi, fruit, blackberries
90 ml apricot jam, strained
15 ml orange juice

Preheat the oven to 350 F.

Sift the flour into a bowl and rub in the butter and white vegetable fat until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs. Stir in the caster sugar, add the egg yolks and enough cold water to make a soft dough.Put the pastry into the clear film (plastic wrap) , chill for 30 minutes .Thinly roll out the pastry to line a 35x12 cm fluted tranche tin or use any size of pie pan. Trim off the excess pastry . Prick the base of the pastry case and line with baking parchment and baking beans .

Bake for 15 minutes Lift out the paper and beans return the pastry case to the oven for 5 minute.

Brush the inside of the case with the warmed apricot jam to form the seal. Cool on a wire rack.

Make Filling :
Whip the cream to soft peak, the stir it into the cheese with the icing sugar and orange rind. Spread in the cooled pastry case and top with the prepared fruits.

Warm the apricot jam with the orange juice and drizzle or brush over the fruits to make a glaze.

Strawberry Bar

"One must ask children and birds how cherries and strawberries taste"

-Johann Wolfgang Von Goethe-

Yeaaay, finally the great weather is coming, less rain, birds singing, flowers blooms, . No more complaint for spending much money for unreasonable fruits price LOL. Off course this year we already planting some of vegetable and spices in our own yard, but sometime I still get from local farmer market.

One of my favorites dessert for today, is : strawberries bar .. easy to bake, and delicious.. For the base can be made ahead and frozen, so you don't have to worry spend much time in the kitchen while the weather so great.

Fresh Strawberries Bars

Source : Better Home & Gardens

3/4 cup butter, softened

3/4 cup peanut butter

1 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup granulated sugar

2 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp salt

2 eggs

1 tsp vanilla

2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 cup strawberry jam

4 cups small whole strawberries, halved or quarted

Heat oven 350 F, line 13x9x2 inch baking pan with foil. And next if you like , cut with cookie cutter for single portion.

In large mixing bowl, beat butter and peanut butter on medium to high for 30 second. Beat in sugars, baking powder and salt until combined. Add eggs and vanilla; beat until combined. Beat in as much flour as you can with mixer. Stir in remaining flour.

Spread dough in prepared pan. Bake 25 minutes or until top is lightly browned and toothpick inserted comes out clean

Cool completely on rack. Remove from pan by lifting foil. Spread jam and top with berries.

Roller Coaster ..

I feel my life is mostly like a roller coaster, especially last week .. in a middle of week I felt so mad, upset, when I found that someone out there stealing my food picture for their cook book and not only me, but others beloved friends become a victim too. This is absolutely wrong, how come you take benefit from our works ? How people are take a short cut to become a famous person ?

For me, no room for stealer, no room for cheater.. That is hurting me, It doesn't matter my picture look ugly, or best .. stealing is not right.. we need to STOP people like them. Yes, I will take some action , but I can't work alone.. I need work together with others , and I still thinking the best action that we can do to STOP them.

That was one bad news I've got for last week, another one (if you consider) got ticket for speeding and must to spend $100,- as a bad news too LOL . GOSH .. !! what a mess, Well, I hope no more bad news . ^_^

Anyway, as like I said, life is like a roller coaster - there's always 2 different part in life, bad-good, black-white, happy-sad , and you see.. life need balancing :-) . And after sad news, let me tell you about the good news, this week, my beloved daughter, Annisa turn 3 years old. We just came back from hospital for regular check up this afternoon.. and doctor said everything just perfect .. what else every parents expect others than knowing that kids always stay healthy.

We celebrated her's birthdays last sunday, we invited several friends for barbecue :-) and even I tried hard to make her's birthday cake look good, honest to GOD, that was the first time for me to make figurine fondant, she gave me an idea what should I do for her's happy cake *as like she said* , I need 2 days ahead to executed her's idea.. and the result ? not bad at all for beginner like me LOL. She was happy with the cake and presents off course :-)

Here's some of her's picture :

Upss.. before I forget there is another good news I got today from Bee & Jai, that I won 3rd place for category SPECTRA that is so awesome. Thank you to the judges and voters for all your kindness.

After all, the good news about my daugther's healthy reports , and about my winning can healing my pain little bit.