Marzipan

'Marzipan' really is a strange word. Go on then, say 'marzipan' three times, and tell me it doesn't sound really odd.

For some reason, when I hear 'marzipan', I think of Enid Blyton books. Especially stuff like the Magic Faraway Tree and the boarding schools - St. Clare's and Malory Towers.
I really can't remember the books well enough to say why. I think there must have been a magic land, with lots of marzipan houses? Or the girls used to eat marzipan during their midnight feasts?

Anyway. Marzipan. It's nommilicious, and sugee cake just isn't the same without it. Problem is, marzipan is really expensive in the stores, and not all supermarkets carry it. And yet, it's so easy to make!

Next time you need marzipan, don't bother running out to the shops. Just make your own!

INGREDIENTS:
2 cups granulated sugar
1/8 tsp cream of tartar
4 cups ground almonds (or almond meal)
2 egg whites
Powdered sugar for dusting

METHOD:

1. Sprinkle powdered sugar over workspace .Fill your sink or a large bowl with cold water.
2. Place the sugar and 2/3 cup water in a large heavy saucepan and heat gently, stirring, until the sugar dissolves.
3. Add the cream of tartar and turn up the heat. Bring to a boil and cover, boiling, for 3 minutes.
4. Uncover and boil until the temperature reaches soft-ball stage, 240 degrees on a candy thermometer.
5. Place the bottom of the saucepan in the cold water, stirring the sugar mixture constantly until it becomes thick and creamy.
6. Stir in the ground almonds and the egg whites, the place back over low heat and stir for 2 minutes more until the mixture is thick.
7. Spoon the marzipan onto your prepared work surface, and turn it with a metal spatula until it cools down enough to touch.
8. Coat your hands in powdered sugar and begin to knead the marzipan, working it until it is smooth and pliant.
9. Marzipan can now be used immediately or stored by wrapping it in plastic wrap and keeping it in an airtight container.

Alternatively, you can just go to Phoon Huat and get the 2kg block. I saw it, thought of getting it, and didn't, thinking that 2kg is far too much.

How much marzipan did I use in the end? About 2kg.  Well done, me.

But hey, baking's all done! Now to put the icing on the final cake. After I cover the cake with marzipan.

The Christmas Story

brought to you by a bunch of adorable kiddies.

Christmas Cake

By now, you should be just about done with your Christmas baking. But if you're not, don't panic! I come to your rescue with a fantastic and foolproof recipe.


INGREDIENTS:

1 cup water
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup brown sugar
lemon juice
4 large eggs
1 cup nuts
2 cups dried fruit
1 cup butter
1 Bottle Vodka

DIRECTIONS:

• Sample the vodka to check quality.
• Take a large bowl.
• Check vodka again. To be sure it is of the highest quality, pour 1 level cup and drink. Repeat.
• Turn on the electric mixer. Beat 1 cup of butter in a large fluffy bowl. Add 1 teaspoon sugar. Beat again.
• At this point it is best to make sure the vodka is still okay. Try another cup, just in case. Turn off the mixerer.
• Break two leggs and add to the bowl and chuck in a cup of dried fruit.
• Pick fruit off the floor. Mix on the turner.
• If fried druit gets stuck in the beaterers, pry it loose with a drewscriver.
• Sample the vodka to check for tonsisticity.
• Next sift 2 cups of salt. Or something. Who cares what!
• Check the vodka. Now sift the lemon juice and strain the nuts. Add 1 table.
• Add a spoon of sugar, or somefink. Whatever you can find.
• Greash the oven. Turn the cake tin 360 degrees and try not to fall over.
• Don't forget to beat off the turner.
• Finally, throw the bowl through the window and finish the vodka.

Merry Crissmash!

The Reason for the Season

What exactly is Christmas?

It's the celebration of the birth of Christ...but really, it's a pagan festival. Pretty much all the symbols that we associate with Christmas have pagan origins.

The Christmas tree:
Live evergreen trees represent fertility, and the Druids viewed the tree as a religious symbol.
And putting presents around the telly just doesn't seem so festive.

Mistletoe:
Other than being a great way to get snogged at the office Christmas party, Druids believe that mistletoe has special healing powers, for everything, including female infertility. It was considered a sacred plant, and the custom of kissing underneath it was actually a fertility ritual. So remember your birth control, and enjoy the eggnog.

Eggnog:
Eggs are a symbol of fertility, and eggnog was just a medicinal....oh fine, I'm making this one up. But it's true about something else found on the Christmas buffet table...

Yule logs:
They're not just delicious, chocolatey logs of delicious chocolate. The word Yule means “wheel"; the wheel being a pagan symbol for the sun. Huge Yule logs were burned in honor of the sun.

Candles:
were lit to encourage the Sun God to reappear the following year.

The colours red and green:
The traditional Christmas colours of red and green represent the fertility of the male and incubation by the female.

The date itself!
Everyone knows this one. Winter Solstice, Saturnalia, all that jazz.


But all that aside...

What exactly is Christmas to me?

To quote Abed from Community, "The meaning of Christmas is the idea that Christmas has meaning. And it can mean whatever we want."

Christmas is about family. It's about bonding with Mum over tart-making and cake-baking. It's about squabbling with Bro about putting up the lights. It's about hiding in my room to wrap presents.

Christmas is the stress of getting the decorations up, the goodies baked, the presents bought and wrapped, the getting dressed and ready for mass, the loud arguments that take place because of the differing ways of dealing with the rush.

It's about looking at tree decorations from two decades ago, remembering our wonderful childhood. It's about laughter and joy and hope for future Christmasses together.

About torn wrapping paper everywhere and children's laughter ringing. And noisy and messy toys that grandparents and childless aunts love, and make parents plot revenge.

Christmas is watching my sister's face light up when she receives lovely presents. About the kids getting all excited. About choosing presents that I hope the recipients like.

Christmas is about family.

And I can't wait to spend time with mine.

Bibliophilism

From yesterday's post about hot guys reading books, I now bring you another site that gives me multiple geekgasms:

Bookshelf Porn.

Porn for book lovers. A photoblog collection of all the best bookshelf photos for people who *heart* bookshelves.


Once again...I'll be in my bunk. Probably with a book.

Eye Candy for Christmas

Looking at hot guys? Rawr.

Looking (and reading) books? Double rawr.


For your viewing pleasure ladies (and perhaps some gentlemen. Doof, I still have my suspicions), I present to you the Rawr Supreme.


HOT GUYS READING BOOKS.


You're welcome.

I'll be in my bunk.

Science for Hungry People

My very first sugee cake has been declared a success!

Here it is!

From making the batter, to pouring the batter into the cake tin, to preparing the marzipan and putting it on the cake (not shown; I totally forgot to take a pic!) to slathering the frosting on....to the final product in the box.

I'm quite proud of it, if I may say so myself. I'm glad it turned out well.

This one was made for Shoes and her family. I'm making another one this weekend, for my family. I'm looking forward to the long 5-day process. No, really! There's something so exciting about taking a bunch of ingredients, and combining them to make something beautiful and delicious.

I'll have to depend on others to taste test though. I want to have my cake, and eat it too! But...no cake for me this year. At least sugee cake keeps well; I'll have a taste next year. :D

ETA on 17 Dec: Shoes texted me this morning, to let me know that she's put a portion into the freezer for me, for when I can eat cake again. Woot!

I'm Dreaming...

Existence of Santa: Proven

For all you non-believers, Santa's existence has now been proven. By Science!

From Surviving the World, your source for all your important life lessons.

Wishlist of sorts

In case anyone's wondering what to get me for Christmas...well, check out this gift guide from Incredible Things.

Just looking at the site gives me geekgasms; imagine how chuffed I'd be if I actually HAD one of those!

Also, I used to have one of these nifty little Snoopy sno-cone machines, and I loved it, and just looking at it now makes me feel all warm and fuzzy and nostalgic. I want one again. I'll even make sno-cones for the kids!

So there you have it folks. I'm easy to get pressies for, I am!

(Also, bags and shoes. And pretty much anything from The Body Shop. Also, jaffa cakes. And Ghirardelli chocolates.)

Baking Day!

I bet only one of my readers knows what this picture means. And if she's very very lucky (i.e. if it turns out alright), she might just get to taste the end result.

Stay tuned, folks.

Saturday Snippets

Waking up this morning was a drag, as it was raining, and bed was oh-so-cosy.

Went into town after work for blood test, and lunch, and haircut.

I look rather 'kawaii' now. It's so unlike me, and I quite like it.

Listening to dance music earlier got me in the mood for Zoukout. My bro's there now. But I didn't bother this year. Perhaps I'll Zoukout in Twenty-Eleven.

Nan came over today. She and Mum had a bit of a bakefest.

It's started to smell like Christmas around here.

Bakefest continues tomorrow, with Mum and myself.

I'm sleepy now. Going to prep baking stuff for tomorrow, then to bed I go.

Seriously kawaii. I look like my 13-year-old niece with my hair up and glasses on.

Also, bought my Christmas presents to myself: two bags. One Kate Spade, one Coach. I can't decide which I like better.

Two weeks to Christmas. I can do this.

Time's running out!

Gosh, it's such an awful rush this year. Of course, I say the same thing every year. But yes, I'm starting to panic because I haven't started my baking yet. I've declared this weekend to be baking weekend. I'll be baking all of Sunday, I reckon.

Also, I checked my spreadsheet again, and realised that I input data wrongly. Which means that instead of 53% of my shopping done, I've only done 31%!

So yes. I'm preparing to hit the button. Any day now...

In the meantime, some of you might be hearing the mysterious ticking noise getting louder. And may be considering the dreaded regift. And at some point, all of us receive gifts that we have no use for, and will keep for future regifting. Either way, there are rules that simply must be followed.

• Keep the gift in its original packaging. This is a must! And make sure all the parts and accessories, including the manuals are in the box.
• Protect the gift and packaging from breakage and deterioration while it is being stored. 
• Never regift something broken, used, has a part missing or doesn't work.
  
• Never regift just to save money.
• Never regift to the person who gave it to you.
• Never regift something personal.
• Never regift an item that is out of style.
• Give a gift that suits the receiver or that they'd love to get.
• If you find it hard to regift, it won't feel like you're regifting if you simply pass it on to someone who will enjoy it - not as a gift, but just because you know they can make use of it.
• Donate it to a charitable organisation, a nursing home, or a children's home.

'Tis the season to give; enjoy it!

Ukrainian Bell Carol

Just as it never really feels like Christmas until the baking begins, it also doesn't feel like Christmas until I hear this classic.

I'm sure you've all seen this one, and it's old - way back in '07! - but it's still beautiful.


Hark! how the bells
Sweet silver bells
All seem to say,
"Throw cares away."

Drink Up Me 'Earties, Yo Ho!

I'm convinced that I was a pirate in a past life. (I'm a bit of a pirate in this life too, but that's another story altogether.) I love the smell of the sea, I love being on the ocean, I love the salt spray in my face. I sailed the seven seas as a child, and I've never quite lost my sea legs. And most of all?

I heart rum.

Now, Shoes made a comment asking what it is about me and mint this Christmas. She has a valid point; three out of four of the recipes I posted in recent days featured mint. Simply because there's something about mint that reminds me of Christmas. It's probably all those candy canes I used to consume as a kid. Besides, mint is such a refreshing flavour that's perfect for Singapore.

But...not all of the world celebrates Christmas in tropical climes. And sometimes, even in Singapore, the rainy nights do get a tad chilly. So it warms me and the cockles of my pirate's heart, to savour a mug of a drink that does not contain a drop of mint.

Hot Buttered Rum.

Ingredients

For the batter:
225g butter
225g sugar
200g brown sugar
2 cups vanilla ice cream



For the drink itself:
dark rum
boiling water
ground nutmeg and/or cinnamon
whipped cream
cinnamon stick


Directions
1. Combine sugars and butter in a saucepan. Cook over low heat until butter is melted.

2. Put ice cream in a bowl. Add the butter and sugar mixture, and beat until smooth. Store in the refrigerator or freezer until ready to use.

3. Fill a mug 1/4 full with the mixture.

4. Add rum and boiling water. Stir well. Put whipped cream on top. Sprinkle with nutmeg and/or cinnamon.
Serve with cinnamon stick stirrer.

5. Tastes like Christmas!



Now, I do realise that both beverage recipes I posted are alcoholic. That doesn't mean the kidlets can't enjoy Christmas beverages too! For kids not of Eurasian descent, simply substitute the rum, using molasses thinned with pineapple juice and flavored with almond extract.


Or just send them to bed early so you can carouse all night.

Love at First Sip

I was complaining to Shoes today about how much I was jonesing for bread and naan and prata and chocolate of all kind, and she commented that my posting about food for the past few days doesn't help at all.

She's right, of course. Which is why I'm not going to talk about food at all today.

Instead, I'm going to talk about one of my favourite beverages, that is just perfect for Christmas.

Anyone who knows me knows that I simply adore Baileys. Baileys on the rocks has to be one of the simplest and loveliest nightcaps ever. I love Baileys over ice cream, Baileys flavoured ice cream, Baileys in cupcakes, Baileys frosting. Oh, the ways I love Baileys could fill a book!

There are dozens of lovely Baileys recipes over at their website, so do take a look.

But here's a drink that is simply to DIE for.

Behold, the beauty that is the Mint Baileys Chocolate Martini.*

aka Orgasm in a Glass

Stumbled across it one day, decided to try it, fell head over heels. I did make a couple substitutions though. I didn't use Smirnoff, I only had Absolut. I didn't have Godiva Milk Chocolate Liquer (but oh my GAWD, how decadent does that sound?!), so I used Vermeer Dutch.  It's a fair amount of work, but the end result? Pure paradise.

Totally worth the effort, I give it an A+ will make again.


*by way of Garnish Bar

More Christmas Recipes

I've talked about homemade chocolate cookies and peppermint bark, and now it's time for another yummilicious homemade Christmas goodie.

What's the perfect accompaniment to Christmas pudding and mince pies?

Why, brandy butter, of course! It's easily found at any good supermarket, and definitely at Marks & Sparks. But why would you want to buy a tiny, exorbitantly priced jar, when you can make it yourself? So easy to make, so sinfully delicious. Last year, I ended up putting it on almost everything, not just pudding and pie. And truth be told, I wasn't averse to popping an entire teaspoonful into my mouth.

Ingredients
100g unsalted butter (softened)
225g icing sugar
5 tbsp brandy

Method
1. Beat softened butter until light and fluffy.
2. Add icing sugar; beat until fully incorporated.
3. Add brandy and stir well.
4. Spoon into serving dish.
5. Serve, and watch everyone die of noms.

Minty Manicure

In keeping with the peppermint theme from yesterday, allow me to show you what manicure I plan to get this year for Christmas.

If my manicurist is skilled enough, I would love my nails to look like this:

lookin' tasty!

I think I'll be wearing a cream coloured dress this year, so my nails would look lovely with it..only thing is, the dress will very likely be too big for me by Christmas! Regardless, I think those nails are so pretty, and I'm really hoping my manicurist will be able to do it. We'll see!

Mmmmmmint!

Stayed up late last night, for the niece and nephews popped over at about half ten, and didn't leave until much later. Had a blast with them, of course, but it just meant that I was well knackered this morning.

Work on a Saturday? Groan.

Work on a rainy Saturday? Groan groan.

What made it all better? Listening to Christmas songs all morning. It really put me in a great mood and made the morning just zoom by.

Picked up baking ingredients after that, so I can start on some of my baking. There are still a few things that I can't find, so I can't do everything just yet.

Christmas is in the air!

And I know I've already shared one of my favourite recipes with you, but I'm in a really generous mood, and it IS Christmas, so have yourself a merry little Christmas...and enjoy some homemade peppermint bark.

So easy, so delicious.

Ingredients
340g white or dark chocolate chips
5 regular sized candy canes
1/2 teaspoon of peppermint extract




Directions

1. Break up candy canes into little pieces.
2. Melt the chocolate.
3. Add the peppermint extract and stir.
4. Pour the melted chocolate out onto a cookie sheet lined with wax paper and spread.
5. Sprinkle the candy cane pieces on to the chocolate; gently press them in.
6. Place in the freezer for 5 minutes or until hardened. 
7. Break into pieces and serve.

Echoes of the Kallang Roar

After much talk (and not much action), Singapore finally bid farewell to one of our much-loved monuments.
The Singapore National Stadium, a symbol of pride and patriotism, now in its final days of demolition. (link to photo slideshow)

Thanks for the memories. Like our National Library, you will be missed.

this used to be my playground

days gone by