Wednesday, June 16, 2010Y
Pineapple experiment #1
In continuation of the new blings in the kitchen saga, today's post features something more cheery looking yet more lethal to the hand. That is... my new yolk yellow pastry cutter.
Actually, this has been in my pantry for years. How long? I don't remember but I know it has been sitting in the drawer for quite a while. Heck, I don't even remember when and where I bought it but the color is definitely not very me. It's pretty rare that I would choose something bright like this cause given what I know about myself, I would usually go with normal colors like white or black. But anyway, I remember stating in one of the old post that pineapple tart week was to reroll again. Well, here it goes.
My pineapple tart sale this CNY was a complete fiasco. I don't know whether anyone has the cheek to admit this or not but... I've screw up myself so badly I think there's a huge hole in my pants. Customers were quoted saying "I taste the flour, the pineapple is sour, everything was horrible!" Not exactly the kind of thing you wanna hear during CNY. You can imagine the kind of expectations being shouldered and then with chilling cold water splashing all over like River Nile.
Still I don't think it's time to give up. I may not be selling pineapple tarts for quite a while but still the whole project will go full blast in the kitchen. I've twig the recipe around, adjust the amount of yolks and butter used and made them with leftover pineapple jam froze during CNY.
The dough came out well and fragrant, quite similar to my old recipe but still there are much more rooms for improvement. After baking and after tasting, mom said it's exactly the one I use to make but oh come on... all mothers are encouraging aren't they?
Worse is the how long the tarts can remain fresh. My old recipe yield tarts that remain crunchy (wonder what's the right word) for days but this one completely turns soggy and air out after like 3 days. The filling really suck and all I can say to myself is 'Katherine, please get a proper grater soon!'. But well let's be reasonable... that filling has been stash in the freezer since CNY!
But anyway bout the pastry cutter. Hey it's pretty good! Slice up the cold butter nicely and gives you exactly what you want in a dough within few squirts. But have to be careful as the blades are pretty sharp and I almost cut myself with that.
So yea. This time round's tarts are not as awesome as I want them to be, but still it's considered a good start. At least it has got the texture I want. Anyway, definitely more pineapple tart experiments to come and absolutely more new bling related posts. In fact I already have 3 drafts sitting in my folder waiting to show off =D
Labels: Blings, Pineapple Tarts
Katherine blogged@ 11:03 PM
2 comments
Saturday, February 20, 2010Y
on search and on trials
i know that CNY is 'more or less over' and no one would still be baking now, but i had a bit of pineapple jam stash in my freezer left. so while yesterday (after all the hectic visitings, people coming and finally cleared all the trash at home and the fridge) i thought some therapeutic baking might do me some good.
as mentioned in the previous post my pineapple tart sale went terribly wrong this year, i am very determined to get back what i had lost. so CNY resolution no.1: create my own pineapple tarts recipe for the 2nd time. but you can't just create something out of the air right? so i went around to other online baker's blog to try out their recipe. so far, i have tried Aunty Yochana and some other blogs which got no names o.O. i would say Aunty Yochana's one is good when baked, but then after a few days the tarts go slightly stale (limpy, fragrant gone etc). no offence to any of her supporters out there... perhaps i had some mistakes or something.
the next one (which is the one i tried yesterday) was Happy Home Baker's. the dough came out feeling pretty right, i added in milk powder and i made the boring little balls into little Roselle. well simply because i am looking for a therapeutic baking session. it's pretty nice, sitting in the kitchen on a quiet sat afternoon, listening to music and just making little balls of roses. when my mom was the one doing the baking, all her tarts and cookies MUST go through that little picker for extra designs. but of course mine is not as nice as hers lah. i dunno how she can manage to clip so many folds out of a tiny little tart and i just don't have that kind of patience. should have taken pictures of it but oh well, there's always next year =)
anyway back to the tarts... GOD THEY WERE LOVELY! definitely different from my own recipe (which is freakin lost now) this is more on the crumbly and buttery side. the milk powder sadly didn't do any wonders (so i think i will add more) and perhaps like what the original baker said, a bit of icing sugar is needed even when i prefer my pastry skin more on the savory side.
all in all i will say it's pretty good. but still the quest of my own recipe continues....
Labels: Pineapple Tarts
Katherine blogged@ 9:21 PM
8 comments
Saturday, February 13, 2010Y
CNY Bakes 2010
perhaps the most slowest blogger ever, i am only posting my CNY bakes now. well there's definitely the usual like my Sunflower cookies and my pineapple tarts (or rather pastry or whatever) but this year, i was feeling a little adventurous.
i tried out Nutella Cookies from here and may i say, that it was really superb. i totally omitted the brown sugar and the nutella flavor was pretty strong! very yummy and i really love how home these cookies looked.
another one would be cornflake cookies. note that i have never eaten any store bought or home baked cornflake cookies before and i totally dunno how a good cornflake cookie should be. but then hey... no harm trying something you totally have no idea about right? anyway i tried this recipe and hell it's good! i mean at least to me... love the bit of chew in the middle mingling with the crunchiness of the cornflakes... definitely a keeper! only problem i faced is that perhaps i rolled them a little too big, and because i was using plain flour maybe i had added too much baking soda and baking powder. but still, even my dad who doesnt really appreciate my bakings said it's good.
and before i end this post... well let's just say due to some episodes that occured recently, my CNY bake sale didn't go as smoothly as it was. to those who were disappointed i am truly sorry and i promise next year would be good. but before i go....
GONG XI FA CAI EVERYONE!!!!! =D
Labels: Pineapple Tarts
Katherine blogged@ 11:48 AM
9 comments
Sunday, January 24, 2010Y
planning your CNY bakings
i wouldn't say i am a total genius or expert at baking, but i would say after 3 years of home baking experience (i mean bake for sale, not bake for self consumption) i think whatever i am going to say below is gonna help those who intend to start home baking business this chinese new year a little.... i hope.
1. PLAN LIKE HELL.
seriously take a note pad and plan the shit out of yourself. don't think it's going to be something just a few hours and you can meet your friends for a game or coffee after that. in baking reality, it never happens. you either end up too tired to move or can't be bothered to go anyway after that at all. but most of the time, it is the process and washing that kills.
what i suggest, is to dedicate one day to buy and gather all your ingredients, then the next coming weekend to prepare the dough (especially CNY bakes like Pineapple tarts). prepare the dough earlier and keep them in the freezer. then dedicate one full weekend (thats saturday and sunday) to really sit at home and wrap and bake. time, date and energy is something you really have to keep track.
2. THERE IS NEVER TOO MUCH INGREDIENTS
the past 3 years of CNY bake sale experiences reflected how moronic i am. each year whenever i am out buying ingredients i just keep thinking 'like that should be enough'. but hell no. it never happens. if you predict you are gonna need 2 bags of sugar, it wouldn't kill to buy 4.
for those doing your own pineapple tarts, this is what i experienced. bout 10 good size pineapples yields you enough jam for bout 7 - 8 bottles of pineapple tarts. so 20 pineapple is good for bout 15 bottles. yes the amount really makes you scream but thats reality. wake up.
3. BE FIRM.
this is probably the biggest problem i face. it is a good sign that the orders are increasing but i realise i can never please everyone. i am going solo and doing everything alone and hence if i can't take in your orders, i really really can't. alot of amateur bakers have the same problem too. then you have to balance out : a nice and comfortable bake sale going at your own pace, or rush orders out like hell and compromising with quality?
4. ORGANIZE YOUR SPACE AND TOOLS
it suck like shit when you are squeezing pineapple juice like hell with all fingers sore, and still have to look around for a bowl to put all the juices. so plan out what tools you are going to need, where you want to do it, whether it is convenient to your other family members (unless you are staying alone) coz lets face it you baking is gonna affect the rest of the family. the noise the smell and whatever might piss them off.
having kids around at this period can cause you to set the house on fire too. so i suggest keep the clever ones around to help you out. the cute and pudgy one can get out.
5. FINALLY, DON'T RUSH, DON'T PANIC
its really no point going through all these like a military operation. just think in the Nigella way: its your kitchen, your lifestyle, your food. Of course there are customers to please, but sometimes the more home made the product is, the more convincing it is in terms of taste and looks. we are living in homes, not fully equipped factory kitchen with huge huge dish washers and ovens the size of a wardrobe. if you have that kind of equipment at home then fine i am jealous of you. but still, going at your own pace is very very important. the faster you do doesn't mean something better; the tarts need time in the oven to bake, need time to cool too. and so do you.
anyway. i hope this post will help some of you out there. preparations for me is still ongoing and i think so far everything is going fine. i did not accept as much orders as compared to last year due to the fact that i have a proper job now. but i do hope that next year i can accept more.
1. PLAN LIKE HELL.
seriously take a note pad and plan the shit out of yourself. don't think it's going to be something just a few hours and you can meet your friends for a game or coffee after that. in baking reality, it never happens. you either end up too tired to move or can't be bothered to go anyway after that at all. but most of the time, it is the process and washing that kills.
what i suggest, is to dedicate one day to buy and gather all your ingredients, then the next coming weekend to prepare the dough (especially CNY bakes like Pineapple tarts). prepare the dough earlier and keep them in the freezer. then dedicate one full weekend (thats saturday and sunday) to really sit at home and wrap and bake. time, date and energy is something you really have to keep track.
2. THERE IS NEVER TOO MUCH INGREDIENTS
the past 3 years of CNY bake sale experiences reflected how moronic i am. each year whenever i am out buying ingredients i just keep thinking 'like that should be enough'. but hell no. it never happens. if you predict you are gonna need 2 bags of sugar, it wouldn't kill to buy 4.
for those doing your own pineapple tarts, this is what i experienced. bout 10 good size pineapples yields you enough jam for bout 7 - 8 bottles of pineapple tarts. so 20 pineapple is good for bout 15 bottles. yes the amount really makes you scream but thats reality. wake up.
3. BE FIRM.
this is probably the biggest problem i face. it is a good sign that the orders are increasing but i realise i can never please everyone. i am going solo and doing everything alone and hence if i can't take in your orders, i really really can't. alot of amateur bakers have the same problem too. then you have to balance out : a nice and comfortable bake sale going at your own pace, or rush orders out like hell and compromising with quality?
4. ORGANIZE YOUR SPACE AND TOOLS
it suck like shit when you are squeezing pineapple juice like hell with all fingers sore, and still have to look around for a bowl to put all the juices. so plan out what tools you are going to need, where you want to do it, whether it is convenient to your other family members (unless you are staying alone) coz lets face it you baking is gonna affect the rest of the family. the noise the smell and whatever might piss them off.
having kids around at this period can cause you to set the house on fire too. so i suggest keep the clever ones around to help you out. the cute and pudgy one can get out.
5. FINALLY, DON'T RUSH, DON'T PANIC
its really no point going through all these like a military operation. just think in the Nigella way: its your kitchen, your lifestyle, your food. Of course there are customers to please, but sometimes the more home made the product is, the more convincing it is in terms of taste and looks. we are living in homes, not fully equipped factory kitchen with huge huge dish washers and ovens the size of a wardrobe. if you have that kind of equipment at home then fine i am jealous of you. but still, going at your own pace is very very important. the faster you do doesn't mean something better; the tarts need time in the oven to bake, need time to cool too. and so do you.
anyway. i hope this post will help some of you out there. preparations for me is still ongoing and i think so far everything is going fine. i did not accept as much orders as compared to last year due to the fact that i have a proper job now. but i do hope that next year i can accept more.
Labels: Pineapple Tarts
Katherine blogged@ 4:51 AM
5 comments
Friday, January 1, 2010Y
the first thing i baked for the new year
the very very first thing i baked to kick off my boring life in the kitchen for the new year, is pineapple tarts. not the exact tart type but rather the closed up ones. anyway baked this cause i made the skin earlier and wanted to try out a new recipe for the pastry... cause my old one was gone. anyway the filling was bought from supermarket and got IT WAS HORRIBLE. bloody sweet but the skin is nice.
after that a friend came over to make some domo kun cupcakes. it was kind of last minute and initially i was relunctant to do it cause i thought it's gonna be a slow and hot process in the kitchen. but hey... it wasn't that bad.
anyway. very very tired after all the party and stuff and now typing in a total zombie mode. still wanna wish all my readers a great year ahead and may 2010 be a better year for everybody =)
Labels: chocolate, cupcakes, Pineapple Tarts
Katherine blogged@ 6:30 AM
6 comments
Friday, January 23, 2009Y
CNY 2009
again i was on a long hiatus!!! after 60 pineapples and several nights of non stop baking... i am really very very tired. this year i had the biggest orders ever for new year. i actually got 50 over bottles of pineapple tarts to bake!!! the nightmare will not be over until tomorrow night but meanwhile, just a little update of what i made for CNY this year.
pineapple balls. i never like pineapple tarts (the opened type) as that one is a tad too sweet for me. i am more on the skin side so i sell and make only this type of pineapple pastry. anyway, after making 1.5k of this all alone, trust me you will never wanna pop another one in your mouth again... at least for me to me.
sunflowers. yea i know its not so nice to bake something black during CNY but its time to have a change! i used to bake the vanilla type which is oh so boring! but anyway i hope my customers will like it. its the bittersweet type and very buttery.
sugee cookies. i find my sugee cookies not exactly melt in mouth type. i dont like it to be too 'melty' if you get what i mean. some texture and crispiness appeals to me alot.
lastly... a shot of the sunrise at my kitchen window while i was taking a break. lately it has been very chilly at night so thank god, no sweaty and buttery me in the kitchen. was really tired but the sense of serene came when i saw this view.
though my baking is not done yet and it would be another hellava night tonight, but still wanna thank friend whom came to help out. and lastly, The Chocolate Medley would like to wish everyone a very Happy Chinese New Year!! =)
pineapple balls. i never like pineapple tarts (the opened type) as that one is a tad too sweet for me. i am more on the skin side so i sell and make only this type of pineapple pastry. anyway, after making 1.5k of this all alone, trust me you will never wanna pop another one in your mouth again... at least for me to me.
sunflowers. yea i know its not so nice to bake something black during CNY but its time to have a change! i used to bake the vanilla type which is oh so boring! but anyway i hope my customers will like it. its the bittersweet type and very buttery.
sugee cookies. i find my sugee cookies not exactly melt in mouth type. i dont like it to be too 'melty' if you get what i mean. some texture and crispiness appeals to me alot.
lastly... a shot of the sunrise at my kitchen window while i was taking a break. lately it has been very chilly at night so thank god, no sweaty and buttery me in the kitchen. was really tired but the sense of serene came when i saw this view.
though my baking is not done yet and it would be another hellava night tonight, but still wanna thank friend whom came to help out. and lastly, The Chocolate Medley would like to wish everyone a very Happy Chinese New Year!! =)
Labels: Pineapple Tarts
Katherine blogged@ 2:16 AM
3 comments
