Wedding Bells: Part 1 – Planning for a wedding in less than 6 months

Posted on September 3, 2014 by missbakerholic

You’re right, the title says it all. I’m planning for a wedding in less than 6 months and looking forward to the biggest party of my life!

To be exact, it should only be 5 months from that very moment we decided on the date. Minus the 7th lunar month in August, theoretically we only have 4 working months to do everything! I’m glad we managed to finalise the date and venue before we entered the 7th lunar month, as well as decided on Yvonne Creative as our bridal studio! Given that our wedding date is a pretty hot date of the year, I’m surprised that my top pick venue Amara Sanctuary Resort Sentosa is available for solemnisation and lunch reception, which is what we intended it to be all along! So wheeeee lucky us! 🙂

Time check as of today, our big day is slightly less than 4 months away… and it definitely feels like we are only about 10% done… Time for the wedding planners to work abit harder! And the wedding planners are none other than Mister & Missus Pte Ltd lols. Since we trust ourselves more than anyone else, we decided to be really hands-on for this event and at the same time, channel our limited pool of funds for a better use.

Having said that, I think planning for a wedding is a strong test of the relationship that you share with your partner haha. As much as I am shy to admit, we did quarrel countless times for certain decisions that we need to make, like the wedding date, the videographer, customary practices, etc.

While a wedding is the celebration of the union of the couple, it also signifies the union of 2 families with their own needs and wants. 1 month since wedding preparations have started, I have learnt that face-to-face conversation and compromise are important for peaceful discussions and getting things done.

With slightly less than 4 months to go, we are definitely in our speedy bom bee bee stage, buzzing around to get things done over the weekends and whenever we can. We do things by order of priority like, recee-ing potential photoshoot sites and buying matching shoes for our outfits for our pre-wedding shoot next Saturday. That was really high on our priority list last weekend! Other things like site recee part 2, wedding band, wedding cake, wedding decorations and so on are lined up weekends after weekends. I realise the amount of hard work that we need to dedicate just to pull off this party of our lives! Tough work, but yet very exciting!

More posts to follow on our experiences during our wedding preparation journey!

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#Throwback: Lazarus Island – 28 June 2014

Posted on August 31, 2014 by missbakerholic

Lazarus Island is like a hidden gem which I didn’t know of its existence, until it appeared as a to-do list around Singapore. After this visit, my “How true are you a Singaporean” index just shot up by 10 points I believe. It’s a beautiful quiet island that is connected to its more famous cousin, St. John’s Island. I love the stunning view you can get of mainland Singapore’s skyline (such as the Singapore Flyer, Marina Bay Sands), minus jostling tourists with the cameras in their hands.

Skyline of Singapore

Skyline of Singapore

I love going on excursions with my filled-to-the-brim backpack and a camera hanging around my neck. They make me feel like a schoolkid all over again, exploring places that I have never been before. I would definitely recommend putting on sunblock before heading over to Lazarus Island, as it has limited shelter points. Mister and I were both badly burnt despite hiding under our umbrellas most of the time.

We took the first ferry bound for St. John’s Island on a Saturday morning and were pleasantly surprised at the turnout onboard the ferry. St. John’s Island is the first stop before the ferry continues to Kusu Island before heading back to Marina South Pier. I would say about half of the passengers alighted at St. John’s Island with their own agendas. Anglers, families, couples, friends.. All of whom seemed keen to enjoy the day away from mainland Singapore.

Exploring a hidden gem of Singapore

Exploring a hidden gem of Singapore

Kelongs, a dying trade in Singapore

Kelongs, a dying trade in Singapore

Private yachts at Lazarus Island

Private yachts at Lazarus Island

For us, the beach was on the top of our agenda. It’s a short walk away from the pier, approximately 10-15 mins. If you don’t know where it is, just follow the person in front of you, turn where they turn and I promise you the beach will be within sight. Well, at least that was what we did on that day itself! Lazarus beach is nice. There’s sun, there’s sand and there’s the sea. The 3 most important elements of a beach. Yet it is also clean, and not overcrowded. Hence, these qualities make the beach a nice location to enjoy our basket-ful of snacks!

Beach at Lazarus Island

Beach at Lazarus Island

Food and drinks for the day!

Food and drinks for the day!

Much as the beach was awesome, we eventually found another resting place for ourselves on a pavement road (on top of our kitties picnic mat) with an unblocked view of Singapore.

Overlooking mainland Singapore from where we were

Overlooking mainland Singapore from where we were

We sat there for approximately 2 hours I believe and talked about really random topics under the sun which I couldn’t recall now at all. There’s almost no one else around, except for us and random strangers that would walk past and stare at us every 30 minutes. For that 2 hours, I talked and laughed as if the world only had us both and no one else 🙂 It was definitely a nice, relaxing excursion for us both as we had just finished our exams then. Till the next visit back to Lazarus Island… and I’m definitely jumping into the water!

We-fie at Lazarus Island

Our we-fie at Lazarus Island

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Strawberry Shortcake for a berry Saturday!

Posted on May 26, 2014 by missbakerholic

I was so traumatised by the fact that I had to work on Vesak Day, that I promised myself that I would make up for it all on that very Saturday.

And so that Saturday was defined by yummy strawberries which I grabbed from the supermarket.

Strawberry Shortcake, I just love how this cake fits all occasions, be it rain or shine.

Look at how the red strawberries stand out so elegantly against the snow-white whipped cream frosting

Red strawberries and the snow-white whipped cream frosting

Strawberry Shortcake
Recipe adapted from Keiko Ishida’s “Okashi: Sweet treats made with love”
Makes a 8-inch cake

Genoise Sponge
Top flour 115g
Eggs 170g
Castor sugar 130g
Glucose 15g
Unsalted butter 30g
Fresh milk 45g
Vanilla extract 1tsp

1. Preheat the oven at 170℃.
2. Sift flour twice.
3. Using a clean bowl, beat eggs with a whisk. Add sugar and glucose, then place bowl over a pot of simmering water (double boiler method) and mix well.
4. When egg mixture is warm, beat on high speed until light and fluffy.
5. Gently fold in flour with a spatula.
6. Combine butter, milk and vanilla in a bowl and place over a pot of simmering water (double boiler method) until butter has melted. Stir through to mix.
7. Add butter mixture to egg batter and fold through evenly to mix well.
8. Bake for 40 minutes.

Whipped Cream
Whipping cream 400g
Castor sugar 30g
Vanilla extract 1tsp

1. Using an electric mixer, whip cream at medium speed until stiff peaks form but cream is still smooth.

Cross-section shot

Cross-section shot

I just know any bad day can be fixed by baking. It’s one of my best de-stress therapy!

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Tastespotting & Me

Posted on April 13, 2014 by missbakerholic

Tastespotting is one of my favourite website to browse for ideas whenever I’m at a loss of what to bake next, because browsing those mouth-watering pictures on the food gallery is a good source of inspiration!

I have always dreamed of seeing my bakes being shared with other users of Tastespotting someday and my wish finally came true in April 2014! I have tried submitting for a while, but my submissions were always declined. For a while, I actually stopped contributing for fears of disappointment. I have no idea what made me muster the courage to submit the Japanese Soufflé Cheesecake one fine day, but I’m absolutely glad I did:)

Thank you Tastespotting, you taught me that perseverance does pay off!

Tastespotting Feature April 2014

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Japanese Soufflé Cheesecake

Posted on March 31, 2014 by missbakerholic

This is a new recipe that I have tried over the weekend to cap off the month of March. It was a tough month no doubt, so here’s something sweet to lighten things up a little!

Japanese Soufflé Cheesecake

I happened to have all the ingredients such as cream cheese and white chocolate at home and decided to give it a go. Furthermore, there were various positive online reviews about this 3-ingredients soufflé cheesecake (lemon juice may be omitted). More importantly, the cake does taste good with a lighter flavour to the conventional cheesecake that I used to make. I will definitely bake this again for future gatherings!

Japanese Soufflé Cheesecake
Recipe adapted from www.anncoojournal.com

Cream cheese 125g
White chocolate 113g
Cold eggs, 3 (70g each)
Lemon juice 1/2tbsp

1. Preheat the oven at 170℃.
2. Separate the egg yolks from the egg whites and leave aside.
3. Melt white chocolate in microwave oven and mix cream cheese till smooth with a hand whisk.
4. Add the egg yolks and lemon juice to the cream cheese mixture and mix till smooth with a hand whisk.
5. Whisk the egg whites until stiff peak stage.
6. Add 1/3 meringue into the cream cheese batter and blend well with a rubber spatula. Then add the rest of the meringue and mix well.
7. Bake the cake for 15 minutes then lower the temperature to 160℃ for 15 minutes. Turn off the oven temperature and leave the cake inside the oven for another 15 minutes.
8. Leave the cake to cool completely before removing from the cake pan.
9. Chill the cake in the refrigerator for 2-3 hours before consuming.

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Lovemade: Fruit Bowl

Posted on March 30, 2014 by missbakerholic

It was the red apple, followed by the green apple, and finally the fruit bowl itself! Lovemade for our vantage!

Spencer and his red apple

Looking forward to add more fruits in the future!

Feeling accomplished that I finally mastered the magic circle and double crochet technique after watching countless youtube videos ^_^ Perhaps some banana and orange to add more colours to the fruit bowl in the near future!

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Our Midnight Excursion

Posted on March 26, 2014 by missbakerholic

Date: 23 March 2014
Time: 1.30am – 5am
Itinerary: Jurong Fishery Port -> Pasir Panjang Wholesale Centre -> Prata Supper -> Home sweet home!

Somewhere at the back of my mind, I have listed the fishery port as a to-go destination some time in the future. As to when will I be going, that is an uncertainly. When Mister asked if I was keen to go that weekend as he had the car, it was almost an instant yes! (after obtaining the necessary approval from parents)

Jurong Fishery Port is somewhere in the far west, so car is definitely recommended. We decided to take a safe bet and park outside the port to avoid the lorries that we were expecting. Besides, it’s the wee hours and should we get issued a parking summon, we agreed that we should gladly admit our mistake and pay the fine to commend the officer for the excellent work ethos.

Jurong Fishery Port

Fishes laid out for potential buyers

I wished I had bought a carton of fish that day

The port was chaotic as expected. There were piles of fishes strewn everywhere, some of which I could recognise since I love to eat fish. We survived walking around in slippers, with the occassional stepping into puddles of water and the icy cold water splashed against the feet, and ended up with fishy-smelling feet after the entire excursion. Everyone was too caught up in their own activities to even bother about us, the tourists. I held a camera in my hand and began snapping away secretly, for fear of getting a lashing from the fish dealers. And on our way out, we saw an uncle physically sitting in the middle of a parking lot in order to reserve a lot. Very ingenious indeed!

Since the night was still young when we left Jurong Fishery Port, we decided to head over to Pasir Panjang Wholesale Centre to check vegetables out. Travelling via Jalan Buroh, it was not too long a drive before we reached West Coast.

Pasir Panjang Wholesale Centre

Sacks of onions and potatoes we don’t get to see in supermarkets

Ground peanut – a form of root vegetable

In comparison to Jurong Fishery Port, Pasir Panjang Wholesale Centre was dry and most importantly, more orderly. It was a very calm scene when we arrived at around 3am and the vegetable dealers were either busy unloading or sitting around in groups chatting away. I saw the biggest pumpkin I have ever seen in my life, and discovered that peanuts is a root vegetables. This is truly the essence of excursion – seeing new things, learning new knowledge:) Thank you, Mister!

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Mississippi Mud Pie

Posted on March 10, 2014 by missbakerholic

A satisfactory bake to start off the month of March! Oh I am so in love with the taste of the chocolate custard, which I can probably eat it straight off the bowl. I am of course more glad that it was well-received at the gathering.

My favourite top-down shot of the final product

Mississippi Mud Pie
Recipe adapted from “Best-Ever Book of Pastry”

Wholemeal Pastry
Wholemeal flour, 115g
Plain flour, 115g
Pinch of salt
Chilled butter, 115g
Shortening, 25g
Egg yolk, 1/2
Chilled water, 1 tbsp

1. Sift flours and salt into a mixing bowl. Rub the butter and shortening until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs. Mix the egg yolk with the water and sprinkle over the dry ingredients. Mix to a dough.
2. Wrap the dough in clear film (cling wrap) and chill for about 20 minutes.

Filling
Ingredients A
Egg yolks, 3
Corn flour, 4 tsp
Castor sugar, 2 tbsp
Fresh milk, 400ml
Dark chocolate coverture, 100g
Milk chocolate coverture, 50g
Vanilla extract, 1 tsp

Ingredients B
Powdered gelatine, 1 tbsp
Water, 3 tbsp
Egg whites, 3
Castor sugar, 4 tbsp

Ingredients C
Whipping cream, 300ml
Castor sugar, 40g

1. Preheat the oven at 200℃.
2. Roll the pastry dough on a lightly floured surface and use to line a deep pie pan. Chill for another 30 minutes.
3. Prick the pastry all over with a fork, cover with baking paper and baking beans, then bake blind for 10 minutes.
4. Remove the baking paper and baking beans, return the pie to the oven and bake for a further 10 minutes until the pastry is crisp and golden.
5. To make the custard filling, mix the egg yolks, corn flour and 2 tbsp of the sugar in a bowl. Heat the milk in a pan until almost boiling, then beat into the egg mixture. Return to the cleaned pan. Stir over a low heat until thickened and smooth. Pour half into a bowl.
6. Melt the chocolate, then add to the custard in the bowl. Add vanilla extract and mix well. Spread into the pan, cover closely with baking paper to prevent a skin from forming, cool, then chill until set.
7. Sprinkle the gelatine over the water in bowl, leave until spongy, then place over a pan of simmering water to dissolve. Stir into the remaining custard.
8. Whisk the egg whites until stiff peaks form, whisk in the rest of the sugar, then quickly fold into the custard before it sets. Spoon the mixture over the chocolate custard to cover completely. Chill until set.
9. Whisk the whipping cream and sugar together until stiff.
10. Spread whipped cream over the top and decorate with chocolate curls.

Photo credits to Auntie Joanna

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Our Picnic

Posted on February 18, 2014 by missbakerholic

It was exactly the picnic I envisaged, with that perfect-looking hand-weaved vintage picnic basket. The weather was great, the location was quiet, and the grass was clean. We had a basket full of sandwiches and fruits, and a wide selection of chilled drinks. And our newfound friend, Meow Mi, to enjoy this picnic with us!

My newfound friend

Everything seemed so perfect already, and yet Mister created more magic for me. He turned an ordinary day into an extraordinary day for both of us <3 And his lovemade cake has earned him the prestigious title of Mister Bakerholic:) 8 Feb 2014, another milestone for us after 4.5 years together!

I was a happy little girl that Saturday, being grateful to have found my Bakerholic partner. And I was determined to reciprocate over the Vday weekend. Homemade Saturday brunch, made with my kitty pancake pan bought after I moved house and a hand-knitted beanie to remind Mister how much I love that photo of him wearing a beanie in the snow, while he was on his exchange.

Kitty pancakes for Saturday brunch

Waffles Beanie! (Taken with Samsung Note 3)

Sometimes, it feels wonderful to be on the giving end too!:)

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Crunchy Peanut Butter Cookies (Asian Style)

Posted on January 16, 2014 by missbakerholic

I had this really strong craving to bake peanut butter cookies since Sunday night. I controlled hard for the first 2 nights of the week. But in the end, I succumbed and decided to bake on Wednesday night.

Just looking at the ingredients, I knew it will be nothing like the previous US version of peanut butter cookies that I have tried before. Afterall, I’m using the recipe from a Japanese recipe book, am I not. I’m very surprised to know that there would be absolutely no staple ingredients like butter and sugar required, as you would expect for a typical cookie recipe. Instead, it calls for interesting ingredients like brown rice syrup (substituted with honey), maple syrup and ground peanuts. Very interesting twist to the classic peanut butter cookies indeed.

Photo shoot time!

End-resut, 28 pieces of very crunchy peanut butter cookies with an Asian touch to it. One bite into the cookie, and it reminds you of those local peanut cookies that you can get from those old-style bakeries. Expect nothing like the crunchier version of Subway’s signature peanut butter cookies. Perhaps this is the magic of adding ground peanuts to bring out the local flavour. Very different in taste and texture, but overall, still a pleasant, fragrant and crunchy cookie. If they can last till CNY, I will probably serve it alongside all the CNY goodies since I believe it can blend well with the rest. That is, if they can last. As of now, I have already eaten 3 pieces since last night.

Skippy’s peanut butter is the best!

Crunchy Peanut Butter Cookies (Asian Style)
Recipe adapted from Keiko Ishida’s “Okashi: Sweet treats made with love”
Makes about 28 cookies

Plain flour, 80g
Wholemeal flour, 40g
Baking powder, 1/8tsp
Ground peanuts, 40g
Honey, 60g
Maple syrup, 50g
Crunchy peanut butter, 70g
Oil, 50g

1. Preheat oven to 180℃.
2. Sift flours, baking powder and ground peanuts twice.
3. Combine honey, maple syrup, peanut butter and oil in a bowl and mix well. Add flour mixture and fold in with a spatula. Cookie dough should be soft and sticky.
4. Spoon cookie dough with a cookie scoop on silicon baking sheet and flatten dough with a fork. Repeat until cookie dough is used up. Keep cookies slightly apart.
5. Bake cookies for 19 minutes at 180℃. Remove from heat and leave to cool on a wire rack.
6. Store cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 10 days.

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