Chocolate Peanut Butter Ombre Cake

........... It's celebration time!!!!!

We're finally posting after four months and what better way to end our hiatus than with a celebratory cake recipe? Woohoo :D On a side note, I can't believe we neglected this blog for so long. School's been really busy though and poor time management on my part means more procrastiNATion and yeah basically less blogging. I think it's time to reevaluate my life.

Anyway.... Block tests ended three weeks ago and despite the billion and one (actually more important but nope not gonna touch it) things that I had to do, I couldn't help but bake, especially since it was Brenda's birthday!

Since coming to JC, I've met a great deal of wonderful people and Brenda's definitely one of them. :D So yup, just a cake to show my appreciation for the awesome friendship thus far and looking forward to many more years of memories to come!

Being the klutz that I am, it took me three hours longer than expected to make it, although every minute of effort for a friend is time well spent. (Bring the wet floor sign cause I am smoooooth) Met with so many mishaps along the way though but that's all right cause it's not Nat's style if there are no accidents. *Throwback to when I microwaved butter and it caught fire*

I've never made such an elaborate cake before and although I was pretty afraid, but I guess baking's all about confidence and yeah, YOLO-ing. Baked goods know when you're nervous I swear.

Unfortunately, I'm still a long way from being anywhere remotely professional, so I didn't take many photos of the overall process! Here are some (evidently) quick snaps though that basically shows my clumsiness in its full glory.

The thing about cakes is, you can't actually taste them beforehand, which is really nerve wrecking because it may look fine but what if it doesn't taste good? *dies*

Anyway, after baking the layers, it was frosting time!

"I thought you were supposed to frost the cake not the cake stand"

Trouble ensues as I've never frosted a cake before but thankfully, it all fell into place and I managed to neaten things up!

The crumb coating! It gets neater I promise.

Taddaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!

My original plan was to write a "Happy birthday" with icing but this retard accidentally squeezed the piping bag too hard and all the icing FELL ONTO THE CAKE. It was a total -kill me now- moment but I successfully scraped it off and that's when the peanut butter drizzle came in. It was basically just melting peanut butter and drizzling it over but I screwed that up too which explains the uneven lines. Also, while removing container from the stove, I somehow managed to flick it and yep.... Peanut butter was EVERYWHERE. Man I had a lot of cleaning up to do zzzz.

Overall, I'd say this cake was rather successful and it tasted pretty good too, thankfully (not just because I'm a peanut butter nut hehe)! It was definitely one of my more enjoyable baking adventures so do try out the recipe over at Bethcakes! It'll be fun, I promise! ;D

Thanks for stopping by and listening to my ramblings! Stay tuned for more on Tarts and Stuff soon! :D

Love,
Nat

Coconut Lime Bars

Hello hope you all are doing well! Finally got my ass back in the kitchen to make something because this site is not just going to die off!! Well it's all about experimentation so you just gotta go with your gut and see if you end up with a hit or miss, and this one...hmm I guess it's a bit of both?
I've never actually made anything with desiccated coconut in it haha it's not bad really, 'adds texture' they say. It was the filling that wasn't quite right, probably because I didn't have enough nice organic (yes, organic) limes from Thailand to fill up the portion needed so I made the rash decision to combine the juice from those small limes you get when you order mee siam. But I didn't really have any other choice right? Anyway, thought it would be fine but the filling, although tart enough, gave this weird bitter after-taste. So I think it's because of that, since I didn't even add any lime zest. Point is, do not "anyhow" mix lime juices hahaha I think the Thailand limes would have been great on their own.
Here is the recipe and oh I left out the white chocolate because I do not like white chocolate. And refrigerate when it's cooled to make sure it's set, even overnight if you need.

 Favourite photo of the day haha and look, it's not even the final product.

I really tried to dust the icing sugar evenly okay haha just that they were dissolving so quickly and I couldn't multitask well. But I'm glad the photos for this post turned out better than those in previous posts. Not the best yet, but I'm working on it!
It's funny how these lime desserts just end up looking like lemon ones, seriously.
Not sure what I should bake next, maybe something with chocolate??? Hope you liked this. See y'all soon and have a great week ahead :)

Nic x

Blueberry-Strawberry Upside-Down Cake

OH BAKING AND BLOGGING, I'VE MISSED YOU SO MUCH! :( Sorry for this really late post but I'm finally getting to posting my most recent (which is not very recent at all) bake!

I can almost taste this cake right as I'm typing this. Despite it's not-so-flattering appearance (because strawberries just had to discolour asdfghjkl), but it's what's on the inside that counts! (Comforts self) Anyway, looks aside, I'm glad to say that the cake turned out pretty darn well, despite a few mishaps along the way, which of course made this feel like an even bigger achievement!I've never actually baked a cake before, so I have to say I'm quite proud of this! ;D

The wonderful thing about this recipe is that you can substitute practically ANY fruit at all. Although there are some fruits that won't work (which I will let TheKitchn tell you more about later), it's up to your creativity to try out different fruit combinations! ^^

Yes I know, the blueberries are collapsing (just like my life now as schoolwork totally sucks haha). But still, it remains as a decent cake that is wonderfully moist and delicious. ~.~ I love how the berry juices seeped down and into the cake, really cool if you asked me. :D The outside of this cake was also slightly toasted, and that made it pretty interesting!

So now, on to the recipe!

Initially, I planned to follow the recipe exactly but along the way, I realised that the cake batter was far too dry. :( Maybe I measured the amount of flour wrongly, but at least all hope was not lost! :) I added an extra egg and although I thought it would fail, it was a pleasant surprise when the cake actually baked out like a proper, actual cake. :D Achievement unlocked!!! So yup, moral of the story is don't lose hope even when things seem bleak (Once again, like my life now).

I guess that's all for now! I sincerely hope you would give this recipe a try some time because it was a really fun and satisfying bake. On a heavier note, I'm not actually sure when I can blog -or even bake- again. School's been extremely exhausting and I can't help but wonder if I'm going to survive this two years! Quite unlike this cake though, I guess I'll just have to keep it together and keep hanging on! (Sadly blueberries don't have arms so they just fall right off.) To those that have started school, I hope you're doing well! And to those who haven't (that's you Nic! :D ) , look forward to it but enjoy your holidays now and take this time to spam doing what you love! :D

Okay it's back to work now! Hopefully you'll see me again sometime during the March holidays, which is thankfully not too far away! ^^

Thanks for reading and stay tuned to more posts on Tarts and Stuff!

Love,
Nat

Baked Sweet Potato Fries

Hello! Finally back with an update and it's something savory.....but sweet. Hmm.
First of all, we apologize for the lack of updates recently, just that Nat and I have occupied ourselves with various commitments like school and work etc., and we also do need sometime to decide what exactly the next recipe to introduce should be, so yep. But don't fret, this space will not go extinct anytime soon.

On to the good stuff! So this is great for when you have guests over. In fact I made this impromptu this weekend when my mom had friends over, and they seemed to like it! Especially one of her friends' kids haha. That's also why I just used my iPhone to take the photos instead of my usual camera. Anyway, got inspired to do this after tasting The Cajun Kings' incredible ones a few months ago, but instead of going conventional and frying the sweet potatoes, I found a recipe that made baked (therefore healthier winks) versions. The sweet potatoes I got at the regular supermarket aka Fairprice were pale yellow instead of a nicer, intense orange colour, but do not be fooled by their appearance because they were hella sweet and tasty! Though frying them would give like an all-round crispiness (I mean, you've had fries before! You know!) but baking does the job too. The outside will still be crispy but you can still taste the potato for real when you get to the inside, you know?

The Recipe (adapted from Paula Deen's recipe found here):

Makes about 4 servings (serving size as shown in photo above)

Ingredients:
- 3 to 4 sweet potatoes
- 1 tablespoon of salt
- 1/4 tablespoon of garlic powder
- 1/4 tablespoon of black pepper
- Paprika
- Olive oil

Method:
1. Peel the potatoes (or you could leave the skin on if you fancy your fries that way) and cut into strips of your desired size.
2. Make the house seasoning by mixing salt, garlic powder and black pepper in a bowl.
3. In a bowl, toss sweet potatoes with just enough olive oil to coat. This will prevent sticking after baking.
4. Line a baking tray with parchment paper. Spread sweet potatoes in a single layer on prepared baking sheet, making sure not to overcrowd. Sprinkle with house seasoning and paprika.
5. Bake until sweet potatoes are tender and golden brown for 15 to 20 minutes (depending on size of strips), flipping the fries over after about 8 to 10 minutes. Let cool for 5 to 10 minutes before serving.

It's pretty simple to make actually! The seasoning may require a bit of trial and error, but other than that, these make great snacks! Also, make sure you keep watch while they are baking because, not gonna lie, I ruined like 2 batches because 1) didn't coat with enough oil and 2) burnt them hahaha. Oh well, I'd still choose sweet potatoes over regular potatoes any day. Hope you give this a try someday!

Stay tuned for Natalie's update coming soon and thanks for reading! Have a great week ahead! :)

See ya,

Nic

Peanut Butter and Jelly Granola Bars

It's back to school with PB & J Granola Bars! This was a recipe I've been wanting to try since the middle of last year but never really got to it until now. I figured since most of us are starting (or have started) school soon, I should share this with you guys! :) Especially because this totally looks like a breakfast thing.

Oh and on a side note, just wanted to apologise for the lack of updates from me (Natalie). School has started and it's been extremely hectic! Fear not though, we'll never let this blog die!! NEVER!!!

Anyway, back to the recipe! I haven't actually tried anything peanut butter and jelly before, but I'm pretty glad this turned out really well. The peanut butter sort of became crispy/caramelised (like how it does when you toast peanut butter on bread) so that was rather exciting! :D Also, I'm pretty glad because I managed to healthify the recipe and sort of winged the whole thing. (Living life on the edge- Yes I am dramatic) I like having a healthy and hearty breakfast and this definitely fits the bill! By the way, have I mentioned how much I LOVE oats? Because I really really REALLY do and I'm glad to say I actually managed to ~inspire~ some of my friends to start eating oats too last year. It was a proud moment for me, haha. Can't believe it took me this long to post an oats recipe! Be prepared for more, AS I WILL MAKE ALL OF YOU NON-OAT LOVERS JOIN THE OATS BOAT (it's funny cause it rhymes) SOON!!! (And Nic of course cause she doesn't like oats!! :'( )

Also, I kinda think these granola bars are super photogenic! Or maybe I'm just a little biased haha. But anyway, even if they don't look that good to you, they are incredibly simple to make. :) Just dump all the ingredients in a bowl, press it into a square tin and it's off to the oven! Perfect for lazy people, like me. As you can see, my tin is too big for the bars. That's not really a problem though cause they do hold well together!

More pictures because words can be boring:

And yup let's go on to the recipe now. :)

Peanut Butter and Jelly Granola Bars (Adapted from: Culinary Covers)

Ingredients:

• 2 1/2 cups rolled oats
• 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
• 2 tablespoons ground flaxseeds
• 1/3 cup lightly packed brown sugar
• scant 1/4 cup honey
• 1/3 cup butter, melted
• 3/4 cup peanut butter
• 1/3 cup jam

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350F. Place a 12-inch square of parchment paper over an 8-inch square baking dish and press it down onto the bottom and up the sides of the dish.
2. In a large bowl, stir together the oats, flour, ground flaxseeds, and brown sugar. Stir in the melted butter, honey and peanut butter. Get your hands in there man, definitely worth it! 
3. Press the oat mixture into the prepared baking dish, reserving 1/2 cup for topping. Spoon 4 lines of jam across the top of the oat mixture. Sprinkle the remaining 1/2 cup of oat mixture over the jam.
4. Bake for 25-35 minutes, or until slightly browned and firm. 
5. Cool completely and cut into 9 squares!
6. Enjoy your little snack (Preferably on the first day cause it's always the most delicious, although it can keep for several days!).

Some comments on the recipe though, the amounts are just rough estimations (because I forgot what I did that day). My sister said the bars were a tad too sweet so you might want to reduce the honey/sugar a little. When you do that, the main thing to take note is that the resulting mixture should feel sandy and sticks together when you press it into the tin! Check out the original recipe for more details if necessary.

So there you have it! Your peanut butter and jelly fix for the day :D I hope you'll give this recipe a try and do let me know when you do! It's perfect for picnics too so yeah, break the rules and eat it not just for breakfast, but anytime of the day! ;D Oh and, do toast it a little because it's nicer when it's warm! Or you can simply dunk it into milk if you're feeling crazy. Maybe it's because I'm crazy, but never mind, do what you want!

That's all for now! Once again, sorry for the lack of updates, but stay tuned for more recipes from Nic and Nat! :D

See you, and for those of us who just conquered Os, all the best for your posting results! :D

Natalie

Lemon-lime Tart

Hey there! About time to revive this space huh? Sorry for the lack of updates recently but I guess holidays are getting busier now. Anyway, after much delay, I finally managed to get back in the kitchen and start cooking!
This tangy dessert is real simple to make, especially after the tweaks I made to the original recipe. Technically, this version doesn't even require baking! So here's the original recipe, and instead of doing a traditional pastry shell, I decided to use a simpler and faster option that is a gingersnap biscuit crust. How to do it?
1. Grab a handful of gingersnaps (store-bought or homemade, your choice) (but the obvious choice is store-bought hahahaha). I used 6 biscuits for 2 12-cm tart pans.
2. Put them into a zip-lock bag, seal it and use a rolling pin to crush the biscuits into fine crumbs.
3. Melt roughly a tablespoon of butter and pour it into the crumbs so they stick together. Then press the crumbs into the tart pans, starting with the sides then base, to form your tart shell!
4. Refrigerate until your lemon-lime curd is ready. See, no baking involved!
If you want to see that in action, watch this. (well, just the biscuit base part)
The gingersnaps went really well with the curd by the way.
So when you can't decide whether to do a lemon pie or a key lime pie, why not do both? Hence resulting in the birth of an amazing lemon-lime tart. The curd is surprisingly easy to make (do not fear the double-boiling method). Double boiling is basically putting the bowl containing the curd ingredients over a simmering pot of water to allow the steam to cook the curd and not the direct heat.
But here's the tricky bit: DO NOT LET YOUR WATER BOIL otherwise the egg whites in the curd will cook, which unfortunately happened to me :( BUT, fret not, because all you need to do then, is to sieve the curd and it'll be perfect. So remember to watch the heat!
So there's really no need to bake the tart after filling the tart shells, because you just need to refrigerate them until set.
Really pleased with how they turned out! Now it's time for you to feast your eyes on these delectable tarts. You know you want some ;-)

 They already look darn good pre-set.

That is what happens to your crust when you don't crush your gingersnaps finely enough....but it's all good, you just need extra butter I guess. Which is pretty unhealthy whoops.

Hope you try this!! And before I go, congrats to all those who got their O'Level results today! No matter what, just follow your heart and don't give up! And kudos to you for making it yay!

See ya soon,

Nic



Tea Shortbread Cookies and Chocolate Biscotti

Konnichiwa everyone!

I'm back from Japan, ready to bake and blog! :) Christmas was fast approaching and so 'twas cookies time!~~

You're either in the cookies team or the cake team, and I'm definitely in the cookies team. Not that I don't love cakes, but cookies are the way to go! So yup, another reason to celebrate on Christmas! (Except that I don't actually like Gingerbread Cookies, but let's not go there!)

First off, I baked some Tea Shortbread Cookies for our neighbors who never failed to give us goodies from time to time. Naturally, it was our turn to return the favour on this festive season.

Shortbread cookies are really easy and fun to make, especially when you get to play with the cookie cutters. Since it's Christmas time, I decided to go with animal shapes, Christmas trees and stars! :)

Firstly, TELL ME YOU NOTICE THE ANIMAL FARM/FOREST-THEME!! With the trees and animals and all! No? Okay... Let's move on! I decided to make two batches of different flavours, Earl Grey Tea and Sakura & Green Tea. The Earl Grey cookies had a more distinct flavour while the latter was pretty subtle, so you get the best of both worlds~ Either way, they were really crumbly, like shortbread cookies should be! (So yay!)

I also love how versatile shortbread cookies can be. You can literally choose anything to spice it up~ I decided to go with tea because I think they go well together. :) So yup, if you ever decide to make these (which I strongly encourage you to!), go ahead and find different types of teas to mix in the dough. Use about 3-4 teabags, and here's the recipe that I used just so you get a better idea. :) If you aren't sure if the amount of tea is enough, smell the dough for a distinct tea scent. (Weird but it works wonder!!) I've done this with quite a number of tea flavours and they've all turned out pretty well. :)

Anyway because I wasn't initially planning to bake these, I'll apologise for the sloppy photos and lack of things to say, but let's move on to the chocolate biscotti! :)

Let's just say not all chocolate biscotti are created equal. Especially not mine!! I guess it was a technical error that I made, but I'm still rather proud of it! By the way, is there a plural for biscotti? Because biscottis just doesn't sound right. Haha. I've been thinking about this for a while, not that it really matters. But some things just gets to you, you know? You must be wondering what's going on in my brain, haha.

Anyway, let's just move on to the fun part, making them!

Following David Lebovitz's recipe, who is someone you might have heard me mention before because he is my ~Pastry God~, I got down to business!

Mix the dry ingredients.

Mix the wet ingredients.

Mix the dry AND wet ingredients and...

TADAAAA- The dough is born! After that, roll them into two logs, which is... Where I went wrong, if I'm not wrong! Haha. After the first bake, the logs cracked like so.. :(

Tragic!!! However, I went ahead because well, not all hope is lost, and I feel that it's always better to be confident and keep the faith while baking! (The baked goods can sense your fear... Trust me.) After letting them cool for 15 minutes, it was time to cut the biscottis. Needless to say, the cracks spelled trouble.

That is, in fact, a ruler you see. I'm all about precision sometimes.

This was the amount of crumbs I had left thanks to the cracks! I'm still unsure of what to do with them, but just a tip, make sure to use a serrated bread knife to cut them (which I did not have and proceeded to use a really lame knife) and also, don't ignore the instructions to press the logs gently! It definitely pays to be gentle~

Anyway, I'm not fond of taking pictures during the process (because I'm horrible at multi-tasking), so after the 2nd bake, we have biscotti!

Perfect when dipped in coffee! It's like oreo all grown up. :')

Biscotti are definitely not soft and chewy. Quite the opposite, actually. Which is why they are also called coffee biscuits! They'll soften in coffee and become so veryyyy delicious~

Also, one thing about biscotti is that it doesn't have any butter, and the only fat is from the three eggs. So if you're the health conscious type but still love a good snack, biscotti can be your best friend! Let's just ignore the sugar part though... But as Nicolette once told me, when making desserts, just go all out!

Before I end off, I do need to remind you that if you were to attempt this recipe, use good quality Cocoa Powder, as it'll make a world of difference. If you're wondering where to get it, do leave a message on this blog and I'll let you know! :) I promise it's rather inexpensive, cheaper than cocoa powder in supermarkets, in fact.

So yup, I'll leave you with this crunchy and chocolatey treat! Hope you'll give it a try and thank you for reading! :) Stay tuned for more on Tarts and Stuff!

Sayonara!~

Nat