You know how people have bestfriends? I've always wanted one (not that you could buy 'em off the rack or anything :p) I've been on the search for THE best friend ever since I can remember. I've gotten close..funny even this sort of quest can turn into another huge drama..story of my life ;) But yeah..you win some, you lose some..the best thing is though, you learn from every single moment.
A girlfriend once told me, if I had to choose between a boy and my girlfriends, I should definitely, no questions asked, resort to the gals. At that very time when she told me this, I probably would have. But thing is..some friendships just leave scars. Of hurt. Of pain. And sometimes..it's to the extent that it can't just heal no more. It sucks. But that's just life. I could put on a smile when I see you guys, act normal and all..but deep inside...I don't forget. I forgive you though, no worries.
Funny how I could be blinded by that very statement; to turn to your girlfriends and not to your boy. It cost me years of searching for THE best friend. When he's right under your very nose! (well, not literally of course.My boy's not that short.hiks) Yup. You know who you are. Err..but before I get your hopes up, this post isn't about you dear ;) It's just my way of warming up...you know me :D
No..it's about friends you never thought you could make. You never thought you could cosy up to. You least expect. I've had my share of close friends over the years. One of 'em I felt like I've known them all my life. A certain someone, it felt like we were destined to meet. And this one person, we could never have more in common. Yet it's amazing how people never fail to surprise you. And this, I mean literally.
I've never been properly 'surprised' on my Birthday before. And this 21st one, I was seriously caught off-guard. It was such a sweet and pleasant occasion - definitely one to remember! I was SO touched. Full-stop. To think that she planned it all for me. Weeks ahead too. And she's the kind of person who's always busy with this and that, but still she had time. When she could be studying. When she was prolly better off doing extra homework or sth..hehe She spent it on me. And I heart her with all my heart. *winks* She's currently in Malaysia when I'm typing this up. And I miss her. I don't usually tell people I miss them. People who know me should know better - I'm not the mushy2 lovey dovey type. At least not on a regular basis or maybe to certain people only. But I do care. I do treasure the people around me. And this one, I felt deserved a tribute.
So THANK YOU SOOO MUCH SARAH ADILAH RAMLAN, for being that friend. For being my sleeping partner and accompanying me during those weekends. For being my date for numerous events.For hearing me out.For bearing with me.For sticking to me through thick and thin. For doing all sorts of things for me and with me. And most importantly..For being here. LOVE YOU TO PIECES! *mmuahxx!!*
Yup.i know.I KNOW.You guys have been waiting for this rite? More dessert recipes! I'm currently experimenting on Chef Wan's Sweet Treats...so here's a few that I've tried and with success, Alhamdulillah ;) I may have altered some and the decorations are purely based on own creativity! So have fun with it people - get baking!
OrAnGe CrEaM ScOnEs
Ingredients
2.5 cups all-purpose flour
5 tsp baking powder
5 tbsp castor sugar
5 tbsp cold, unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
1/2 cup milk
1/4 cup cream
1 egg yolk
1 tsp orange essence
grated zest of 2 oranges
1 egg, beaten, to glaze
Method
1) Sift together the flour and baking powder. Add sugar. cut in cold butter so that the mixture resembles coarse breadcrumbs.
2) In a separate bowl beat milk, cream, egg yolk, orange essence and orange zest. Add sifted ingredients, working quickly to form a dough. Don't overmix. If the dough feels sticky, add a little more flour.
3) Roll the dough out on a floured surface with an 8-cm round cookie cutter.
4) Arrange the scones on a greased baking tray. Vrush with beaten egg and bake at 200C/390F for 15-18 mins until golden brown.
SwEeT CrEpeS
Ingredients
4 eggs
1 1/4 cups milk
30g butter, melted
115g all-purpose flour
1tsp vanilla essence
a pinch of salt
Method
1) Combine all the ingredients in a food processer and blend for 30seconds. Process until smooth and strain. If the mixture's too watery, add a little additional flour.
2) Chill the batter for 1 hr.
3) Grease a nonstick pan with a little oil and pour in a ladleful of batter. Cook on both sides over low fire. Serve warm with desired topping.
Ingredients
1/2 cup butter
1 cup brown sugar
1 egg
1 cup ripe bananas, mashed
1 tsp baking soda
2 tbsp hot water
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 cup chocolate chips
bananas, cut into chunks, and chocolate chips, to decorate
Method
1) Cream butter and sugar until fluffy. Add egg and bananas.
2) Mix baking soda with hot water and pour into the butter mixture.
3) Fold in flour and salt. Stir in chocolate chips.
4) Spoon the batter into greased muffin cups. Top each muffin with two chunks of banana and sprinkle with chocolate chips. Bake at 180C/360F for about 20mins.
PeAnUt BuTtEr & CHoCoLaTe ChIp PiE
Ingredients
Crust : 1 half-baked almond crust pastry
Filling :
4 eggs
1/2 cup heavy cream
3/4 cup milk
2/3 cup powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla essence
1 cup creamy peanut butter
100g chocolate chips
apricot jam to glaze
Method
1) Prepare the almond pastry crust. Roll out to fit a 22-cm pie pan. Prick the base with a fork and bake blind, covered with foil and filled with beans, at 190C/375F for 15mins until golden. Discard foil and beans. Set aside.
2) Whisk eggs. Add cream, milk, powdered sugar, vanilla essence and peanut butter. Mix the ingredients well.
3) Scatter some chocolate chips evenly in the base of the pie crust before pouring in the peanut butter custard. Bake for 35mins at 175C/350F until the custard sets. Halfway through scatter the remaining chocolate chips over the custard. Glaze with apricot jam.
* Chef Wan says : if you like bananas, add 1/2 cup mashed bananas into the filling!
ChOcOlAtE VaLeNtInO
Ingredients
Filling :
453 g semisweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
140 g butter
5 eggs, separated
Topping :
3 cups whipping cream
2 tbsp castor sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla essence
cocoa powder for dusting
Method
1) Melt chocolate and butter in a heatproof bowl set over a pan of simmering water (double boil). Stir until smooth and cool.
2) Grease a 22-cm springform pan. Beat egg yolks and stir into cooled chocolate.
3) Beat egg whites until stiff peaks form. Gently fold 1/4 of the egg whites into the chocolate mixture. fold in the remaining egg whites.
4) Pour the batter into a pan and bake for 25mins at 190C/375F. Cool.
5) Beat together whipping cream, sugar and vanilla essence until stiff. Spoon over cake. Remove the springform sides and dust with cocoa. You can also decorate the cake with grated chocolate and strawberries.
CaPpAcCiNo ChOCoLaTe ChEeSeCaKe
Ingredients
Base :
2 cups chocolate chip cookie crumbs
1/2 cup hazelnuts, toasted and ground
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted
Filling :
750g cream cheese, softened at room temperature
1 1/2 cups castor sugar
4 eggs
1/3 cup instant coffee, made by dissolving 1 tbsp coffee in 1/3 cup hot water
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
150g couverture chocolate, chopped and melted over a pan of boiling water
Topping :
200g couverture chocolate, finely chopped
4 tbsps whipping cream
100g butter
1tbsp cocoa powder for dusting
chopped hazelnuts and coffee beans to decorate
Method
1) Mix all the base ingredients and press onto the base of a 22-cm springform pan. Set aside.
2) With an electric mixer beat cream cheese and sugar until smooth. beat in eggs one at a time.
3) Add coffee and cinnamon and continue beating until smooth.
4) Pour the filling into the prepared crust and spoon over the melted chocolate, dotting it all over. Bake at 175C/350F for 40mins. turn off the oven, leaving the door ajar, and allow the cake to cool inside for a few hrs. Cover with cling wrap and chill in the refrigerator for another few hrs.
5) Melt the chocolate, whipping cream and butter. Pour over the cake before dusting with cocoa powder. Sprinkle with chopped hazelnuts and coffee beans.
*If couverture chocolate's not available, feel free to use semisweet or bittersweet cooking chocolate!
WhItE ChOcOlAtE ChEeSeCaKe WiTh MiXeD BeRrIeS
Ingredients
Base :
2 cups Marie biscuits, crushed
1 cup almond slices, toasted
1/4 cup butter, melted
Filling :
98og cream cheese
1/2 cup castor sugar
4 whole eggs
2 egg yolks
2 tbsp custard powder
1 tsp vanilla essence
250g white chocolate, melted
2 cups mixed berries, chopped
grated white chocolate
mixed berries, to decorate
Method
1) Mix all the base ingredients and press onto the base of a 25-cm springform pan.
2) Beat together cream cheese and castor sugar. Add eggs, egg yolks, custard powder, vanilla essence and white chocolate.
3) Spread chopped mixed berries on the base of the crust and pour in the filling.
4) Bake at 170C/340F for an hr. Leave to cool in the oven for a few hrs before chilling.
5) Top the cake with grated white chocolate and arrange mixed berries as desired.
*You could play around with this recipe and use your single favourite berries - strawberries, raspberries, blueberries..anything that goes with your taste buds!
BlUeBeRrY MUfFiNs
Ingredients
2 cups all-purpose flour
1tbsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
6 tbsp butter, softened at room temperature
1/4 cup brown sugar
2 eggs
1 cup canned blueberries, drained
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup cream
4 tbsp almond slices
Method
1) Sift together flour, baking powder and salt.
2) In another bowl cream butter and sugar. Add eggs one at a time. Alternately fold in blueberries, sifted ingredients, milk and cream.
3) Spoon the batter into greased muffin cups and sprinkle with almond slices.
4) Bake at 180C/360F for 25mins.
Man. It's been quite some time ey? Sorry peeps. Been too occupied with other stuff. True, I am now a med student, but funny how I'm actually more busy with club-based activities..how I can find time for that amazes me at times..but when you've got the passion - anything's possible ;) Not that writing's not a passion..but it is one of MANY.
Just to make things clearer though, I write because I have something to say...things which I feel matter and I would like to voice out. Even so, my blog's not my diary. Am not the type to let out everything inside me and leave it in the open...I don't think I'm capable of posting more than 1 post per day anyway..so pardon me if my blog may be dead for a period of time..I promise to update asap! All I'm asking for is your patience. It is after all, a virtue :)
