Cynthia's Hazelnut Layers

I've always loved Four Leaves' Coco Exotic but it's so mightily costly at $3.60 a slice! I love the crunchy fellutine base as well as the hazelnut flavours. I've been putting this project off for a while due to the haze. But as the skies cleared a little and I'm gaining freedom for weekday nights once again, I embarked on this rendition of Cynthia's Hazelnut Layers. It's inspired by Coco Exotic but I added my own twist to it.

It's relatively manageable as it's generally a mousse cake with little cake layers. It took me about 2 hours in all to complete it and I'd rate it a difficulty level 3 out of 5. 

Cheesy Hotdog Rolls (Baked)

The weather in Singapore has been really bad of late thanks to the slash-and-burn forest fires taking place in neighbouring Indonesia. The PSI levels have rocketed to a sky high of 400+, one of the first in Singapore history. It's moments like this where people go into frenzy and snap masks of ANY kind and air purifiers off the shelves. With some mean people even snapping up stocks and then reselling for sky high prices. 

The haze hasn't been too friendly to me as my respiratory track's sensitive. My eyes would water and I'd get dizzy from inhaling all that 'smoky air'.. I couldn't put on my contact lenses this morning and it stung my eyes to do so.. my plans to bake have also been pushed away as my kitchen is barely 'protected' from the harmful air. It's been a little better today. The PSI levels and PM 2.5 levels are lower but I know it's only temporal. Sooner or later, it'll come back soon and there's pretty much no signs of it letting down as yet as the hotspots burning in Indonesia show no signs of decrease. Doesn't help that it's one of the driest months around too. 

Nevertheless, inspired by a friend in the facebook cooking & baking group I'm in, I whipped up this simple snack for my sis and I. A almost guiltless treat. Baked instead of deep-fried, these Cheesy Hotdog Rolls are the perfect treat for any day when you're kinda hungry and craving for something good! 

These are so simple and almost effortless they I'd rate them a difficulty level 1 out of 5 and it takes merely 15 minutes or so to complete them!

Hello Kitty Giveaway! (Ends 27 June 2014)

So, these little darlings from Mcdonalds Singapore have been the rave! They're a little like the millennium rage altogether.. just that they're smaller, flatter and a whole lot cuter!

These were those that caused congestion, overnight queues, food wastage and even fights outside McDonalds!

Well, I got my set from Hong Kong last year when I was there with the fav boy and his family. 

This owl is my prized possession and coincidentally my favourite of the lot!

Singapore launched them this year and the Witch and Singing Bones were what I did not get from Hong Kong. I'm totally looking forward to purchase the Singing Bones since I've already gotten the Witch!

So as you've known.. I've been blogging for quite a bit and since I have an extra box of LITTLE RED RIDING HOOD Kitty, I've decided to do a giveaway!

1 lucky winner will 'walk'away with 1 Singapore version of the Little Red Riding Hood Hello Kitty!

So the steps to participate in this giveaway are really simple. 

1) Like The Baking Biatch on Facebook

2) Share this picture on Facebook

2) Leave a comment on this blog entry completing this sentence.. "I would love to win this Hello Kitty because...." and leave your name and country!

Of course, share it with your friends so everyone may have a chance to win!

Giveaway is open to ALL readers of ALL countries. I will bear the cost of the postage. 

Giveaway ends 23:59. 27 June 2013 (Singapore Time)

Result of giveaway will be announced on The Baking Biatch's facebook page on 29 June 2013 so keep a look out to see if you've won! (: 

Have fun! (: 

Nyonya Rice Dumpling (with tutorial)

Nyonya Dumplings.. or any sorts of rice dumplings  are my absolute favourite. They're the kinda thing I can eat just about every day.. (I think I've too many favourite food!) I had the luxury to learn them last year and I'm glad that I've tried wrapping them and cooking them from scratch this year all by myself. 

I took reference from Annie's recipe from Annielicious. 

These rice dumplings aren't the easiest of thing to cook and make due to the work that goes into the cooking of meat... the boiling of leaves.. the cleaning of leaves (each and every one of it!), the wrapping of the rice dumplings  and the long hours taken to boil it. But trust me.. these are worth every bit of the 2 day process. 

I took about 2 hours to cut & cook the filling.. Another 1 hour to boil the leaves.. Overnight soaking of rice.. 2 hours to wipe the leaves, 1 hour to wrap the rice dumplings.. 2 hours to boil them and an hour to cool them. Well, you get the idea (: I'd rate it a difficulty level 4 out of 5. 

Panda Loaf Tutorial

This Panda Loaf is so adorable that it's almost irresistible. This recipe and tutorial will show you how to shape the panda loaf. A word of caution though... such sculpted loafs' design is dependent on how you shape your bread. Even if you were to follow this recipe and tutorial, you may not get the exact same size of eyes/ears etc for your bread. But then again, that's the fun of such loaf breads!

So this recipe takes about 4 hours in all to prepare. I used a Kenwood BM 250 bread machine to mix my dough but you can use the same recipe for your bread machine or stand mixer. I'd rate it a difficulty level 4 out of 5. 

Time with Cynthia: Colouring whipping cream

So here's a video tutorial to show you how you can colour whipping cream to your desired colour.

I'd love to see the bakes or stuff you've cooked using the blog's recipe! Do share photos of stuff you've baked or cooked using the blog's recipe with me either via FB message to http://facebook.com/limcynthia OR http://facebook.com/thebakingbiatch OR via email at cynthia.lim.hl@gmail.com! I look forward to hearing from you! (: 

Time with Cynthia: Wrapping Rice Dumplings

Here's a video tutorial to show you how you can wrap a rice dumpling!

*Please forgive the 'slantedness' of the video! 

I'd love to see the bakes or stuff you've cooked using the blog's recipe! Do share photos of stuff you've baked or cooked using the blog's recipe with me either via FB message to http://facebook.com/limcynthia OR http://facebook.com/thebakingbiatch OR via email at cynthia.lim.hl@gmail.com! I look forward to hearing from you! (: 

Time with Cynthia: Whisking non-dairy whipping cream

Here's a video tutorial to show you what to look out for when whisking non-dairy whipping cream to stiff peaks.

I'd love to see the bakes or stuff you've cooked using the blog's recipe! Do share photos of stuff you've baked or cooked using the blog's recipe with me either via FB message to http://facebook.com/limcynthia OR http://facebook.com/thebakingbiatch OR via email at cynthia.lim.hl@gmail.com! I look forward to hearing from you! (: