Bakeeelicious Christmas

So what's baking this christmas?

X'mas is all about our annual family get-together, with me contributing some sugary treats to the party spread. This year's desserts is no grand affair, nothing fanciful or complex, just edible bites to appease the sweet tooth(s) of both young & old.

On a side note, Dad requested for some cookies as gifts for his colleagues. Shed some sleep to bake an assortment of pinwheel, checkerboard, chocolate-chip walnut & winnie-the-pooh danish cookies, then packed them into little snowman bags ready to give away. Childish, but i like them cute this way!

Pinwheel Butter Cookies

Chocolate-chip & Walnut Cookies

Cookies N' Cream Cupcakes w Buttercream

Cranberry Orange Cupcakes w Rose Icing

Macha Madeleines

Chocolate Walnut Brownies

Duo-tone Strawberry Marshmallows

Each of them had their share of supporters phew. And the feeling of watching others chow down your food with glee is simply contenting! For a moment, all the invested money, efforts, forfeited sleep & time gets effaced (:

My personal favorite had to be the walnut brownie. Totally loved the way it turned out- crisp flaky crust, soft moist interiors (without the irksome brownie-stickyness), starring plenty of walnuts. I used a mix of semi-sweet chocolate and cocoa powder in my batter so the sweetness is controlled. yummieebrownieelicious~

And what's christmas without a requisite logcake?

Forget the swissroll & buttercream tales from before. This year i attempted a french-style Chestnut Yule Log, assembling a few of my own unprofessional & haphazard ideas...

French chestnut mousse, vanilla bavarian cream, praline crunch, almond succes, candied roasted chestnuts. Tasted real sweet.

bite in.

With a wink, christmas is history & a brand new year approaches... Time to round up my best meals of 2009 and start on new year resolutions.

Have a blessed festive season!

Chalk Restaurant

Arty-farty bistros are bustling up in education institutes lately.

Chalk's the resident star of the Old School (formerly MGS), dressed in smart colors and discernibly well-loved by the vibrant New School thinkers. Casual and chic the way i like it.

My first moments began with a cheery waitress who recognized me from her ex-workplace Peperoni Pizzeria haha. Two types of breads are served here: a presumable baguette and onion foccacia, which are decent enough but not stunning to be remembered.

Someone close to me is hooked to Spaghetti Vongole ($23)- a dish hardly served in an organized fashion. But at Chalk, concern for presentation is evident. The clams didn't stick out from random angles but instead concentrically arranged below the pasta. With kicks of chilli padi, cherry tomatoes and fresh parsley, it tasted clean without being bland.

My love for pizza is clearly infiltrating... or am i just bent on finding the best? Chalk does a conspicuously nice Capricciosa ($15 for 10") delegating artichokes, ham, shitake mushrooms, black olives and a soft gentle cheese. My request for garlic over olives blended in fittingly. The crust was puffed & crisp-sustaining... only flawed by a dearth of wood-fired goodness. Pity.

Finishing this is peanuts for my astounding pizza capacity.

I liked whatever Creme Brulee i dug out of the teardrop bowl... contents of exquisitely smooth baked custard clung with occasional screams of yolk-iness that's not overwhelming. Even if so, it comes with pistachio hazelnut biscotti sticks to intervene. One of the more outstanding renditions on my list.

I'm having a predicative fore-crush on their desserts, am soooo returning for the rest of the lineup. I spy passionfruit souffle, apple & rhubarb crumble, vanilla pannacotta, chocolate fondant & crepes suzette... Looks like a dessert-dedicated visit is necessary.

If youthful casual-chic is your thing, Chalk is likely up your alley.

Chalk Restaurant @ Mount Sophia

11 Mount Sophia

#01-03

6883 2120

Hediard Cafe-Boutique

Everything about Hediard struck like cupid. The elegant, polished outlook of the shophouse. The daring crimson against classy black. The extraordinary range of goods their boutique has to offer. The chi-chi french menu. Everything.

I thought i floated out of Singapore and descended on Parisian grounds.

Hediard's history dates back to 1854, founded by Ferdinand Hediard and now a renowned French name in artisanal preserves production. Walking through the jar-ful shelves of their boutique was an extraordinary feeling. The selections of jams, teas, candies gave every reason for your shoppaholism to tingle. Its no wonder why they satisfy connoiseurs worldwide.

Cafe side, a "Savoury & Sweet" Set ($25++) works on the perfect mechanism. One salad/croque/tartine-of-the-day, dessert, glass of wine/coffee/tea equates lunch perfectto. You go from salty to sweet then something to cleanse the richness away.

Croque Ferdinand

For those in sync with rich & cheesy, Crouque Ferdinand's at your call. The founder probably loved his parma-cheese-cream soo much, he had to incorporate them between brown bread slices with mornay sauce coddled in & over. Just sink into your long-lost kin.

Teriyaki Chicken & Eggplant Tartine

My Tartine of-the-day sounded like the least predictable item to emerge from a french kitchen. But i have to admit how delish this open-faced was. Tasty sauce-glazed chicken thigh slices (with some degree of canto-roast correlation) over a roasted eggplant disc... definitely polishable.

Smoked Salmon Platter

Needless to say, this separate order of Smoked Salmon ($8++) was my idea. My itch for omega-3 fatty acids strikes like an opium addiction. And oohh~ this pairing of regular salmon & another tender, smokier, colour-gone-awry breed was worth the instigation.

Bourbon Vanilla Mille-feuille

Desserts, was a very Vanilla-Bean glaring affair.

Hediard's copious use of VB thrills every vanilla-loving cell in me. Pastry-cream-pastry-cream-pastry sums up the Bourbon vanilla mille-feuille in a word, and wow! aptly describes the satisfying vanilla custard middle.

Raspberry Fruit Tart

Then i garnered my strength for a battle with my the Raspberry fruit tart. hard tart base. Nevertheless, all's left was praise for its fragrant walls, almond filling, rich vanilla custard and fresh berries assemble. Loved it lots.

Hediard Blend Tea & Madeleine Blend Coffee

Every cuppa comes thoughtfully tagged with a bitesized madeleine and square of chocolate au lait 33%. Hediard Blend Tea- china black tea, sweet orange, lemon & bergamot- hardly differentiated from the original earl grey.

The art of luxe parisian goodies requires no deliberate flattery. Intricacy lies in the roots and it's utmost quality is undisputable. Who doesn't wanna have french everything?

Hediard Cafe & Boutique

123-125 Tanglin Road

Tudor Court

6333 6683

Laurent's Cafe & Chocolate Bar

"floating" madeleines

This is an entry about ieat's floating theory

MY LOVE FOR Laurent's CHOCOLATE.

I admit im more a berry, nuts or citrus anything than a chocolate person. My low tolerance level for chocolate is evident from the multiple times i struggle through cocoa decandences under the appalled scrutiny of my chocoholic pals. I'm not easily suppressed by chocolate's inherent dogma but there's one thing i would mystifyingly get fanatical about...

It's Laurent Bernard's no doubt.

(Making it two, it'll be Pontini's chocolate lava cake)

Specifically Laurent's heavenly 30-minute Chocolate Souffle ($16.50). I'll order this under no obligations, joyfully savour it from peak to bottom, then scrape the whole ramekin clean. The power of Laurent's.

I begin with the risen crown. The top is baked to a latching solidity, peeling off beautiful flakes of meringue-soft crusts once disturbed. The innards- fluffy and saccherinely controlled by the use of quality chocolate (though i remember it to be clearly wetter the last time). Trickle in some bitter chocolate sauce to moisten... and voila! im on my way through the natural anti-depressent pitch.

And there is a convincing reason why Raspberry Sherbets (or sorbets) often tie the knot with choc souffles. Its icy refreshing character, together with raspberry's tangy punch shields you from any potential chocolate overwhelm. The result is a wonderful balance.

If you're prone to opting for vanilla or more chocolate, i urge a reconsideration.

*sigh of cocoa satisfaction.

Worth the wait & calories.

On the cakes & pastries side, we rely on the Flourless Chocolate Cake ($6.80). A supreme rendition of the wheat-free classic, excellently textured and served with whipped cream on the side. Flourless, would be the last word in your mind.

My vote's thrown in for their premium tea selections as well. A South African Vanilla Bourbon ($7) was sensually soothing of blended green tea leaves, osmanthus flower & french vanilla. Withstands until the third brew.

Chocolatiers like this are what makes the world go round.

Laurent Cafe & Chocolate Bar

80 Mohamed Sultan Road

#01-11 The Pier @ Robertson

Marmalade Pantry

i experienced the pantry magic too.

Spending a liabilities-free afternoon on chic nosh is utmost delight. I can only recall everything nice of my virgin visit to posh Palais Renaissance.

Posh Nosh.

Then came along the invariable notions of a tai-tai.

Tai-tai. a privileged lady of means. married and jobless. bounds of leisure time and money. decked in brands. obsessive beauty upkeep. mingles only in reputable social circles. feeds on posh nosh and gossip-exchange.

You see them at Marmalade.

Pan-Roasted Red Snapper ($24)

For the hearty and balanced.

Pan-roasted red snapper with almonds herb crust and chickpea salad depicts protein neat and polished. Crested by 80% breadcrumb-20% almond goldens, troughed by a measly scatter of oil-tossed chickpeas.. and oomph-filled vine tomatoes. that splurts.

The Ultimate Beef Burger ($22)

For the hearty & hungry.

They call it the Ultimate Beef Burger.

Nothing comes baby except for that blackish beef patty downsized in visual comparison. Huge mayo-dubbed buns, bountiful straightcut fries pile, yet a disappointingly overdone centre.. let's falter before we even pronnounce it again.

Sticky Date Toffee Pudding ($12)

Here is the magic.

A sticky DATE toffee pudding?! Utilize the mouth. I got a heavenly smack of sugar rush perfumed with mcdonald-hotcakes-alike goodness. And doubly bilssful when paired with the graceful vanilla bean icecream.

Yes, this is a sticky date toffee pudding.

Never judge a book by its cover.

Homemade Lemon Tart ($12)

The homemade lemon tart with wildberries & raspberry coulis also contained much fairy-appeal. A tartwall-to-fillings disproportion delighted... where chilled, flowy sour-sweet yellow avalanched out of its broken enclosure. berries are my thing too (:

I'd love a slice of the tai-tai life.

a-bra-ca-da-bra.

Marmalade Pantry

390 Orchard Road

#B1-08/11 Palais Renaissance

6734 2700

Caffé Cova

I chanced upon reviews of the newly opened Caffé Cova and knew i had to come. Hailing from Milan, this original Cova Pasticceria-Confetteria brought in by the Wing Tai group now replaces the Dome Cafe in swanky Paragon. Outside of Italy, Cova can only be found in Japan, Hong Kong and on some luxury American cruise ships.

The area outside for main food was full so we settled in the tearoom for light snacks. I liked what i saw... elegant decor, tables lined with table-cloth, fine silverware and a delectable range of pastries- all enough to score full appeal.

display of cakes & pastries

The waitstaffs smartly dressed in vests and bow-ties appreciatively completes the look of an decadent era, but the service was found to be severely lacking.

Salmone Pane Integrale ($14)

My next let-down was how their sandwiches came cold off the refrigerator display. I'm guessing they have all been premade in the morning for the convenience of freeing the chefs to devote to lunch service. This is bad for diners with special requests like me, who would either have to endure a long wait or accept those stale and insincere slabs from the fridge.

Gamberi Pane Integrale ($14)

I decided to take up the first choice, which was only attended to after i started to express my dissatisfaction. The Salmone Pane Integrale arriving after 15 minutes featured nothing more than lettuce, tomatoes and smoked salmon between dry brown wheat bread- but at least it was assembled fresh on order. Dad's regular order of Gamberi Pane Integrale saw a different fate as the bread was obviously bound to be sogged by the mayonnaise.

Selection of 4 Pastries ($9)

And then we thought desserts could be their saving grace. The four petite nibbles i picked- (clockwise from far left) Mini Chocolate Coconut Tart, Mini Chocolate Raspberry Tart, Pistachio Bigne, Raspberry Tart set on a large metal stand only looked smaller than they originally were. To be positive, they were catering for easy eating; to be negative they were purely exploiting with that hefty pricetag.

Innards of Chocolate Raspberry Tart

I particularly preferred the pistachio bigne oozing with intense molten pistachio cream and that simple tartlet sitting two fresh raspberries. The chocolate raspberry tart too had a inner surprise, while the tart bases were mentionable.

This place is clearly not cheap to dine in and they failed to show the diners the value in paying that top dollar. What turned out were small portions of sandwiches and rather ordinary pastries with an unacceptable service.

Caffé Cova

290 Orchard Road

#01-20A Paragon Shopping Centre