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Buttermilk Scones with almond and cranberry

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Nothing beats the good time of 2 old time buddies meet together to chat, to bake and spend a pleasant late afternoon catching up each other’s updates with some freshly baked scones and a cup of english tea. Life is short and the clock is spinning too fast, a 35 years of friendship passes by just like a blink of eyes.

Mandy, the first friend of mine in the primary school, now my oldest BFF, who is also an utterly talented baker. Today, she is sharing her perfect almond & cranberry scones recipe that she calls it “My Ultimate Scones”, adapted from the recipe book – Delia Smith: How to Cook. I used to love how my mum’s buttermilk scones tastes until I tried Mandy’s…. opps **someone please block my mum’s eyes if she happens to read this**…. well, my mum is still a great baker, especially her breads and cookies. I am lucky to have a chance to learn some baking skill from both of them, hopefully, I will fully utilize my electrical oven when I move into my new home.

I love flaky scones rather than chewy and with lots of buttery smell and taste… Mandy bakes the right scones of my taste bud. After finished her first round of scones, the taste still lingering on my mind and in my tongue… oh my gosh… I miss them so much!!! I told her and she said it is a quick and easy recipe, let her now when I am around her area, she will bake another batch for me to bring some fresh scones home… BFF is always the best!!! Ahemmm… Mandy, a portion is not enough, my family likes the scones too, more people less share… lol

I am hoping Mandy can share more of her mouth-watering baking recipes and photos here…. I need your help, please comment to motivate her to contribute more…. please, please, I ready need your helping hand!!!!

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Bread as a Bowl

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If you love bread dip with chowder, stews or thick curry, this is the right recipe for you…. Bread Bowl.

Bread Bowl is a round loaf of bread with thick and crispy crust like French Loaf (Baguette), which has had the middle cut out to create an edible bowl. Add in your favorite, chicken curry with potatoes as shown in the photo, for instance, serve as main meal or as snack. Dip the cut out bread with the curry and eat, after that, you can eat the bread bowl to finish off the whole dish. A bowl less to clean up and wash, gheeee….. less work, less waste water, less dish wash to use and more environmental friendly

As some of you might have known, I don’t have an oven to bake. I baked this bread bowl at my mom’s house and off course with some helping hands from her. After all the baking and great time learning tips from her, I went home with a box of bread bowls, ready to serve my family with curry from my mom’s recipe too.

Get the recipe to bake some bread bowls for your family and friends on the next page. Enjoy!!!!

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Steamed Sponge Cake in Cranberries and Lemon Zest Flavor

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Usually, when I craved for cake I will either go to buy one from bakery shop or bake one at my mom’s house. But, during the weekend, I was hit by the mood of steaming cake at home. If you know me well or have read through some of my stories here, you will know that I don’t have an oven for food. I do have an oven for craft but not for food… lol, but hubby promised me to get me a fully equipped kitchen when we move to a new home. Hope it is a soon to happen dreams come true…..

Back to the cake…. I have got this recipe from a local baker’s recipe book: Magic Steamed Cake, by Alex Goh, ISBN #: 978-967-5413-35-5, the original name for this recipe is Lemon Angel Cake. It is a meringue based sponge cake and I find it quite healthy as it has used only little oil in it. Since I have all the ingredients in hand, I gave it a try. Due to the recipe is made by steaming, I already predicted that the cake won’t come out as fluffy as a baked cake. Well, I am glad that my assumption is not quite right, it is still fluffy but a little denser due to moisture it has in it. The cake has to be served fresh, the longer you keep, the denser it will be.

Since it has to be served fresh, a mini cake will be the right portion for a small family. Smaller cake is easier to steam too. I modified the recipe a little, then, halve the portion.

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1. Valentines Day Cookies with Buttercream Frosting at Tidymom.
2. Simply Dotty Valentines Cookies at Sweet Sugar Belle.
3. Red Velvet Crinkle Cookies at Two Peas And Their Pod.
4. Valentines Jello Hearts at The Hungry Housewife.
5. Oreo Cookie Love Bug at Snap.
6. Red Velvet Valentine’s Macarons at Delectable Deliciousness.
7. Heart Spinkle Valentine Macarons at Bubble And Sweet.
8. Marbled Red Velvet Cheesecake Brownies at The Novice Chef.
9. Double-decker, Stripey, Valentine Cookies at Bake At 350.
10. Sweet Heart Shortbread at Diamonds For Dessert.
11. Sweets for my sweetie pie at Bits Of Taste.
12. Valentines Twinkies on a Stick at Confessions Of a Cookbook Queen.
13. Glass Topper Valentines Cookies at Cookies And Cups.
14. Valentine Cake Pop at National Geographic.
15. How to Make Valentine’s Day Marshmallow Pops at Mommy Gaga.
16. Valentine Sugar Cubes at Craft Passion.
17. Egg In A Basket at Food 4 Tots.
18. How to make a heart shaped egg at Anna The Red.
19. Heart Shaped Cinnamon Bun at Craft And Creativity.
20. Valentine Roasted Potatoes at Haniela’s.

Happy Valentine’s Day!

Perfect Jack O’ Lanterns And A tips About Orange at Sweet Sugar Belle

I adore cute edible crafts, just like beautiful handmade crafts, nicely decorated treats and food make me really happy and pleased.

Lately, I have been a frequent visitor to Sweet Sugar Belle’s blog after I fall in love to her beautiful flip-flop cookies guest posted at Tidymom. I admire her skill in cookies decoration with royal icing. Look at the Jack ‘O Lantern cookies she made, I am sure you will agree with me.

As you know that I started to cook and bake not long ago, along, set-up a recipes section in Craft Passion. I would like to take this opportunity to share some Halloween treats recipes I adored and wanted to try. I should be able to handle those easy and quick edible crafts like dip pops, but…. cookies and cakes in royal icing and fondant decoration which need some practices and skills… I need time to master the skill, should not be this year, may be next year!!! Wish me luck, pleaseeeee…. and next year you should be able to see some from my creations.

Look at all these beautiful Halloween party treats, how can I not share their recipes and the methods to make them here with you….. Wish you a Happy Halloween!!! Yum…yum….Boo… boo..

Monster Cake at Makoodle.

Ghost Meringue Cupcakes With Oreo Dirt at Jenny Steffens Hobick.

Halloween Pumpkin Pancakes With Black Cinnamon Syrup at Tidymom.

Black Widow Chocolate Rum Cupcakes at 6 Bittersweets.

Oreo Mummies Cookies Pop at How Does She.

Meringue Ghosts at Joy Of Baking.

Halloween Lunch In Muffin Tin at Another Lunch.

Frankenstein Rice Krispies Treat at Snack Picks.

Witch Hat Appetizers at Hungry Happenings.

Chocolate Spider Cupcakes at Kaboose Recipes.

Gingerbread Skeleton at Family Fun Recipes.

Tombstone Cookies with Dark Chocolate Graveyard Pots de Crème at My Recipes.

Witch Wands at Our Best Bites.

Rice Krispie Bar Ghosts at The Idea Room.

Skeleton Cupcakes at Woman’s Day.

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Banoffee Pie Recipe

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Surprise, something new is on Craft Passion!!!! This time, it is not a craft pattern neither nor tutorial… it is a real dessert that I made on the Father’s Day. This is the first ever recipe in Craft Passion and the first ever banoffee pie I’ve attempted. If you like to see more recipe in Craft Passion, please give me shout yay!!! Get the non-bake banoffee pie after this jump.

Banoffee pie is the first authentic English dessert I have ever tasted, I love it!!! I confessed that I have a serious sweet tooth, I gawk to the dessert aisle before deciding if I am going to dine in for the buffet cuisine. Unfortunately, since the last bite 17 years ago, when I was studying in England for my Master Degree in University of Warwick, I haven’t got a chance to eat banoffee pie anymore… I really miss it!!! I can’t find any place in my country that sells authentic banoffee pie, not even in the popular English tea house, so I have to make one myself.

After research through the net to recall the way my hall-mate made it, I was confident to try my luck for the first time. Hey, it is so easy and simple, I have made a success in my first attempt, not bad!!! And, this banoffee pie is for my husband’s father’s day celebration, he doesn’t like sweet thing… BUT, he likes this banoffee pie I made which I have adjusted the sweetness!!!

Make a pot of Earl Grey Tea and have a piece of banoffee pie on a lazy afternoon….. a perfect English tea!!!!

Recipe: Banoffee Pie (Banana Toffee Pie)

Serves: 8
Prepare time: 30 minutes to 1 hour for the pie, 2-3 hours for the toffee.
INGREDIENTS:
Pie Base
Digestive biscuit (use McVities if possible) – 300 gram / 10.5 oz
Butter (melt)- 200 gram / 7 oz
Fillings & Toppings
Banana ~ 3-4 medium size
Sweetened Condense Milk – 1 can (~500g, can make 2 portion)
Whip Cream
Dark Chocolate
Cinnamon Powder / Coco Powder
Utensils & Tools:
9.5″ Tart Pan with removable bottom
Silicon Scraper
Big Pot
Rolling Pin
Zipper bag (Large)
Bowls
Kitchen Weighing Scale

METHOD:

• Place the unopened condense milk in a big pot, fill with water to cover the whole can. Boil for 2 -3 hours. Make sure the condense milk is fully immersed into the water all the time. Wait till it is cool before opening the can. While waiting for boiling and cool down, prepare the biscuit crumb pie base.
• Put digestive biscuits into a large zipper bag, release extra air & close the zip. Crush the biscuits with the rolling pin till fine.[1]
• Pour crushed biscuits and melted butter into a big bowl, mix well with a fork.[2]
• Spread the mixture on the tart pan, press on the base and side of the pan. Put into fridge to chill while waiting for the toffee to ready.
• Open the condense milk when it is ready and cool to touch. The toffee is thick and in brown color.[3]
• Slice the bananas.
• Spread the toffee and bananas on the biscuits crumb pie base.[4]
• Put back into the fridge until it is ready to be served. Spread the whip cream on top, sprinkle some chocolate gratings, dust over some cinnamon powder or coco powder. Served chilled.

Serving Suggestion:
Eat the filling with the biscuits crumb base together. The filling is sweet and the biscuit base is a little salty, feel the tranquility when they melt and mix in your mouth.

Notes:

• You can prepare the toffee 1 day before hand to shorten the preparation time, so that you don’t have to wait for it to boil and cool down while making the pie.
• Since my husband doesn’t like sweet dessert, I adjusted the recipe to reduce the toffee and increase the biscuit crumbs. If you like it sweet, add more toffee to your banoffee pie.