Cake Truffles Are Cake Pops Without Sticks

I wish I had a lot more time at my disposal so I can improve my skills in creating the best desserts for the guests at the resort. I run the bakery and execute bakery duties single-handedly. The only time I get assistance is when there are events like Christmas and New Year where there are hundreds of people attending. I love what I do  but with my hands full, I only get minimal time to make my treats more festive and attractive and less time to correct mistakes. Like these cake balls. I so wanted to decorate them beautifully but  just coating the balls with chocolate took forever. Seriously! Problem was I had  a wire rack but it  is just too big to fit in the fridge so I had to use a fridge rack. When I poured the melted chocolate over the balls, instead of dripping, the chocolate  settled on the surface because the holes weren't big enough for the chocolate to go through. I only managed to coat a few, I stopped and took bamboo skewers. I hurriedly inserted each into the balls and continued. I made a hundred pieces of cake balls and coating took more time than I had planned and expected.

Another Chocolate Mud Cake For A Wedding

It's only been a week since I made my first wedding cake. This weekend  another wedding took place at the resort.  The bride and groom asked for a chocolate mud cake. It was the same flavor as the one I made a week earlier but this time the cake had to be decorated with white icing ( fondant). Thank goodness! Cakes look smoother and more professional if covered with fondant than just plain frosting so I prefer working with the first.

My boss sent me a picture of the model cake. It was a two-tiered cake with white ribbon tied around the bases and fresh flowers accented the sides and top. Since orange was the color scheme for the wedding, my boss and I agreed to go with orange ribbon. Our decision did not disappoint. The ribbon gave the cake a striking look.

Grandma Sophie's Butter Cookies

I was browsing through Google images to get some ideas for my daily turndown service treats. I found a cookie recipe that was fairly easy and quick  to make.  It was featured in Chicago Tribune and called Grandmother Sophie's Butter Cookies.

Placing a chocolate chip or pecan in the middle of the dough before baking is optional. I like the idea of putting  chocolate chip in the middle. It adds a style to the plain cookie. Note that the cookie is so fragile that it breaks easily. I had to work slowly and be very careful putting each cookie into a muffin liner. (It's for individual serving)

Chocolate Fudge With Mixed Candied Peel and Dried Apricot

I chanced upon a webpage where I got the recipe for this decadent chocolate fudge. I forgot to bookmark the site after jotting down the ingredients and procedure. The original recipe calls for pistachios to be mixed with the chocolate mixture.I opted to use mixed candied peel and dried apricot in place of pistachios. I chose a natural alternative as my sweetener instead of using condensed milk. The result was chewy candy with a delicate taste.

My First Wedding Cake This Year

Time went by so fast. I just did a wedding cake trial run a couple weeks back in preparation  for the summer wedding season and now it has arrived. I made my first wedding cake this year. The bride specifically asked for  a two-tiered wedding cake. The top being vanilla  cake and the bottom chocolate mud cake. I suggested covering the cake with fondant to achieve a smooth  finish but I was told the bride is not a fan of white icing. The cakes were iced with vanilla frosting and accented with fresh flowers as she requested. I made it a day early so I could take my day off the following day which explains why the cake looked plain and simple. I bet it looked a lot nicer with the decoration.

Amaretto Spiked Chocolate Truffles

I don't celebrate Valentine's Day. Since it is celebrated by many people, I created a delicious treat to mark the occasion. I made amaretto spiked dark chocolate truffles so our guests could have something sweet to relish. The amaretto added a bit of kick to these luscious homemade dessert. I decorated them with brightly colored sprinkles for a more festive look.

Coco Pops Bar

Here's a recipe for coco pops bar I have found online-  a decadent treat with a rich and chewy honey-butter base. Perfect for kid's party, sleep over and even for potluck. These are easy to make and require no baking. With only five ingredients, you can create something that will surely please a crowd.

Eggnog Square Cookie

It's  now February but here I am making another eggnog baked goodies again. The good news is I am down with the  last bottle of the holiday flavor.  Finally!  I am glad all of the seven bottles were put to good use. Instead of the usual panna cotta, I settled on making a cookie. Well it's actually  a cross between a cookie and a cake. I was surprised at how fantastic they turned out.  I decided to add more eggnog and the extra added flavor made the cookies more flavorful, super soft with cake-like texture. I opted to bake it square for a change and to save time as well. (Not that I am lazy but I had to do double amounts of work before I take my day off)

So if you still have the holiday nog sitting in your fridge, why not make them into these delicious treats.

Chocolate Chip and Walnut Cookie

Cookie is something I don't make often. It's been ages since I baked my last so I felt a little intimidated making these. When I baked the first batch, they turned hard and crispy. They were still good but dry. Not the result I was aiming. I must have cooked them past the baking time or the batter I put  was too little. I don't have ice cream scoop to use so the amount I put on the greased pan was just an estimation. I took a more careful approach with the second batch by sticking to the baking time and dropping a bigger spoonful of batter on the cookie sheet . They came out nicely browned, crispy edges but chewy in the inside. So good! Stay tuned for more cookie adventure in the future.

My Chinese New Year Celebration, Italian Food and My Favorite Hangout Place

I was glad Chinese New Year fell on my day off. If I were  in Bangkok, people would find me in the kitchen cooking Chinese dishes. I live a long way from my family and friends now so I went to celebrate the holiday on my own. I searched for any restaurant where I could get something Chinese. I found  one  listed on the internet which serves dim sum but the restaurant was out-of-the-way. I wanted to find a place with an easy access to the beach so I could enjoy my meal in a nice surrounding. Although my workplace is just a couple meters away from the beach  I don't really get to enjoy the water. 

Fast forward, I went to the main tourist area where restaurants and shops lined the streets.  I would have more chances of finding a good restaurant. I walked past Japanese restaurant. I could have gyoza. It resembles dumplings. Nah.  I'd better look for more. I hadn't gotten that far when I spotted a sign of Duomo Italian restaurant. I'm a big Italian food fan but the beach was nowhere in sight. It was almost lunch time. I was starving. Not a good time to be choosy.I peeked through the glass door of the restaurant. The ladies were just setting  the table. I asked if they were ready for business and one lady walked me to my table. 

Muesli Cookie

It's nice to have a break from eating not-so-healthy stuff. Here is something healthy-ish for a change - a delicious muesli cookie overloaded with oats, nuts and dried fruit. It is sweetened with honey so you get a sweet yet delicate taste. It is  a good source of fiber too.  Have it for breakfast  or as a quick snack or enjoy it with milk before you retire for the night.

No-Bake Mini Chocolate Tart

The last batch of mini tart shells were put to good use finally. I was working on a tight schedule so I opted for  a quick and easy dessert for our nightly turn down service. The tartlet shells were ready-to-use.The filling only required chilling. I was glad I skipped the hard work so I was able to get more things done before the day ended. Here's dark chocolate tart with a velvety smooth ganache filling.