Bread Pudding

Many asked, what do I do with my leftover cut-outs bread from my bento. So, I am just sharing what I do for my left-over cut-outs bread today. In the beginning of my bento journey, which started last year, I would usually kept them in airtight container. My maid would usually ate them as breakfast. But my maid had left us middle of last year, so no one consuming the leftover bread then. My parent in law will occasionally toast them in the oven and have it as breakfast too. Now, I keep the leftover bread in the freezer. I will use to make bread pudding, as breakfast or tea break. :)

I bake them in a oven safe glass tray. You can use little ramekin if you have. :)

Ingredients

the leftover cut out bread
2 eggs, beaten
1 tbs melted butter
1 cup milk
1/2 cup sugar
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp vanilla extract
Some raisins (optional)
Some chocolate chips (optional)

Method
1. Pre-heat oven to 170 degrees.
2. Spread the cut out breads into the tray. Drizzle melted butter over the bread.
3. Combine eggs, milk, sugar, ground cinnamon and vanilla extra togather. Beat until well mixed.
4. Pour over the mixture over the bread. Make sure the bread is well covered and soaking up the egg mixture by using a fork to push them a little.
5. Bake for 30 minutes, or until the top springs back when lightly tapped.
6. Sprinkle with raisins and chocolate chips.

Chocolate Chip Cookies

I have been baking this recipe since end of last year as the recipe never fails me, and most importantly, everyone loves it! My little girl, kept asking one after one once it was out from oven. I have to stop her as it is very heaty to eat right after baked. So, I am going to share the chocolate chip cookies recipe today! 

Ingredients

(yield about 24 cookies)

115g unsalted butter, soften at room temperature

115g caster sugar (I reduced to 110g)

1 egg, lightly beaten

1 tsp pure vanilla extra

175g plain flour

175g plain or semisweet chocolate chips (I used dark chocolate chips)

Method

1. Preheat oven to 180 degrees. Line baking trays with parchment paper.

2. Cream butter and sugar with electric mixer until the mixture turns pale and fluffy.

3. Beat in the egg gradually. Mix well after each addition. Add in vanilla extract and mix well.

4. Sift the flour over the mixture, fold in with spatula or wooden spoon. Fold in the chocolate chips.

5. Drop tablespoonfuls of the cookie dough onto the prepared baking tray. Remember to leave some space between the cookies to allow for spreading. You can flatten each cookie dough slightly with the back of a fork, keeping the shape as even as possible. But I prefer uneven or rough texture cookie, so I just leave it like that. 

6. Bake for 10 mins or until golden. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

Happy baking! :)

Panda Cookies

I have been wanting to make panda cookies for quite some time but I dragged until now. Guess it is perfect time for me to bake for the kids in my daughter's school for her birthday celebration. I was indeed very excited to bake this cute cookies as I never try baking cartoon cookies before. But to be honest, it is quite time consuming to bake this cute panda cookies. =.= End up, I kept my leftover dough in the fridge for next day baking (I baked at night and it took me more than 2 hours to complete 45 cookies!). So you may want to consider to reduce the ingredients into half if you would like to try this recipe.

The essential thing that you need for this panda cookie is definitely the panda cookie cutter. You may get them here, or here. 

So, here are the ingredients you need:-

180g plain flour + 20g corn flour (A)

150g plain flour + 20g corn flour + 30g good quality cocoa powder (B)

200g butter, soften at room temperature

160g castor sugar (I reduced to 150g)

2 egg yolks

panda cookie cutters

Method:-

1. Cream the soften butter and castor sugar with electric mixer, by adding in the sugar in 3 additions, until pale and fluffy.

2. Add in egg yolk and mixed well, one at a time.

3. Divide the dough into two mixing bowl. Add (A) to one of the dough, and (B) to another dough. 

4. Mixed well with spatula and form a ball with your hands and put the dough into large ziplock bag each. Roll them a little using roller and keep them refrigerated for 30 minutes.

5. Take out the dough, roll them and cut using the panda cookie cutter.

6. If the dough appear hard or breaks easily, leave them awhile in room temperature to soften it a little. 

7. Place the cutted dough on the baking paper.

8. Bake at pre-heated oven at 170 degrees for about 15 minutes.

Nigella's Chocolate Chocolate Chip Muffins

I have been looking for an easy and yummy muffins recipe for quite some time. I am a newbie in baking and I need easy but yummy one, so I can bake some for my little girl's birthday (and I did it!)

I blog hop a lot of baking blogs and I noticed that, Nigella's chocolate chocolate chip muffins are found in most of the baking blogs. Aha, I must try then too!

When I was going through the recipe and methods, I found that it is really simple and easy! What I love the most of this recipe is, electric mixer is not needed! Woohoo, less one thing to wash and clean. :p Simply mix the wet and dry ingredients, and mix them well. 

My first try on the Nigella's chocolate chocolate chip muffins. Hubby's colleague commented a bit dry (I guess I accidentally reduced the vegetable oil) and MIL commented not so fragrant (probably no butter involved in this recipe). The rest said good! 

I tried again a day before my little girl's birthday party at home, this round, tasted so much better. No dry and the texture is so right, fluffy and moist. :)

Guess the second round was better, as the muffins left no more after the party. :p

As it is super easy recipe, I baked them again for my little girl's birthday party celebration in school. Baked for the kids and the teachers. =)

So now, let's try to bake on your own! =)

Ingredients

250g plain flour

2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

2 tbsp best quality cocoa powder

175g caster sugar 

150g chocolate chips (save 1/4 chips for sprinkling)

250ml milk

90ml vegetable oil (I used sunflower oil)

1 large egg

1 tsp pure vanilla extract

Method

1. Pre-heat the oven to 200 deg C.

2. Put the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cocoa powder, sugar and 3/4 of the chocolate chips into a large bowl and mix well.

3. Pour all the liquid ingredients to another large bowl and mix well.

4. Mix the dry and wet ingredients togather with slow and gentle strokes. Stop stirring once the last traces of flour disappear. Do not overmix. A lumpy batter will ensure the muffins stay moist and fluffy.

5. Spoon the batter into paper muffin cases.

6. Sprinkle the remaining 1/4 chocolate chips on top and bake for 20 minutes or until the muffins are dark, risen and springy.

Enjoy, and tell me after you try! 

Happy baking! :)

Updates!

Hello! It takes me forever to update my little humble blog. :p I was so busy for the past two months. Busy in the preparation of moving to a new place. As we had limited funds, so, we tried to DIY wherever we can. After so much preparation and hardwork, we finally moved and settled in last weekend. In fact, I have so much things to share, so much things to blog. Allow me a little bit of time, I will update one by one before my memory fade. 

Just to share, a little thing I did for my new place. =)