Have you get bored about cakes?

Think this would be a final part of cakes for the time being.. at least this week, we did BREAD! muahaha… A few more cakes below, and I think you will start to see BREAD in the upcoming post..

 Chocolate Coquantine with Apricot Jelly (bit sourish)

 Another version of decorated Black Forest Cake

   

The various type of decorated Caramel Mousse Cake.. If you hop over to STP’s blog, you will know that I given a slice of this cake for them to try..

We also being taught how to do a deco paste… to use as deco for just plain sponge..

OH… btw, these were the 3 cakes that I brought home.. and shared each piece with STP during his visit to KL..

next, anyone want to meet me for cakes?

Giveaway contest and win a Whooga Ugg Boots

Since I was small, I always wanted to wear boots.  I owned my first pair of boots at the age of 13.  Now, I found another source of getting nice boots (you must be thinking I am crazy).  I recently bump on Whooga Boots and I also got to know that they are doing a giveaway.  

Whooga is widely recognised as the world’s fastest growing boutique brand of ugg boots. They stand proud as an alternative brand for chilli toes seeking something a little warmer than normal. They achieve this legendary warmth and comfort with Thermofleece which offers a number of benefits over traditional ugg boots.

- Whooga is an internationally trademarked brand
- The fastest growing winter footwear brand for the past 4 years
- A passion for fashion and creating the worlds warmest boots
- We warm ten's of thousands of toes every single day

Some of their nice boots available as follows:-

 and of course, I do admire this model wearing hers...

Whooga Boots not just have women's boots, but also available in Men too!

In order to join in their giveway, simply follow them on Twitter or sign up to their newsletter. 

Or better, you can now purchase directly from Whooga Boots with a 10% discount (till next week) by quoting them 1106REAN

A little more on cakes

We had different modules each week, and we have more of cakes last week… we also have the different ‘creme’ version too!

Creme Brulee

 Bread Pudding

 Caramel Creme

 Swiss Rolls – Vanilla & Chocolate

 The all time favourite – Black Forest Cake

 Raspberry Mousse Cake

And to get ready for Christmas, we started learning how to deco a Log Cake too!

And don’t forget to let me know if you want to try my Chocolate Chip Cookies (in 4 varieties) for only RM20 (approx 300g, 50 bite size pieces).  For further info, refer My Cookies for sale!  Thank you!

3 days with World Champion

During the week when my birthday fell on, we had a World Champion Chef (2001), Mr Michel Willaume in class to teach us more about baking, cakes and chocolate.  This class has given me more knowledge in terms of ingredient and other points that effect the quality of the cake.  Chef Willaume is someone that has go through lots and lots of experiences and he is one that not ‘stingy’ to share his knowledge.

I had tonnes of photos in my FB, and I only pick out the final product photos here for you to see, and I tell you, the cakes below were all just ‘yummy-licious’.. We had a 3 days hands-on class, and we able to make 7 cakes in total..

 

This cake has a layer of crunchy sponge, with exotic fruits such as pineapple and mango in the centre, before having top with a cheese cake like sponge.  The cream on top also gives the cake extra creamy texture…

3 Layer cakes with a pie crust at the bottom, raspberry jam in the centre, and top with Chocolate Chiboust Cream.  *note:  the top layer of the cake is using chocolate spraying method as deco*

A layer of sponge cake at the bottom, with chocolate mousse as the filing, and not forgetting the chocolate streuzel as some ‘crispy’ feeling.

A layer of almond sponge, with wild strawberry and litchi (lychee) jelly.  The topping cream is white chocolate / strawberry whipped ganache

Sandwich of Strawberry jam with Madeleine pistachio, and whipped strawberry ganache.  The top layer is decorated chocolate disc.

A layer of Dacquoise and mango compound with like a meringue with passion fruit

A round chocolate balls contain both citrus soup and chocolate mousse.  Deco with Apricot compound.

Do you know how the Coulant is serve?  It has to be ‘break’ in front of person eating… like this..

The citrus soup will flow out from the ‘broken’ chocolate ball, and the mousse will stay in… isn’t this a good idea to high some ‘valuable’ gift inside?

Into the 3rd Week of Baking

3rd week, things were getting more intensive… I am going to share some photos and do the narrations together…

We did this continuing from the previous week, since we have made the dough and kept in the freezer.  The skill here is to ensure that cutting is equal length and you can get nicely arranged checkers cookies..

 

Chocolate Fondant

Apple Pie 

  Quiches

One of my favourite.. Opera Cake

Some Fridays, we were tested on the studies of all the previous baking we have done, and were asked to do eclaires, macaroons, and croissant.

Stay tune for more in Week 4… a month into the learning process

I am currently selling Chocolate Chip Cookies, and more info can be obtain HERE.

Books Love Me giveaway

I recently got to know a bookworm creping into my life and also another vampire author who just influence me too much into books.  I have read a few more books.  Now, I am also joining them into the crazi-ness of joining books giveaway.

This is my first time joining a book giveaway and hopefully my lucky star will be at my side.. Books Love Me is now into the 4th Anniversary, and it is doing a giveaway.  The giveaway contest will end on 8th December 2010, and should you love books, maybe you can join the giveaway too!

Good luck everyone!

My Birthday

Just an hour ago, marked the end of my 33rd Birthday celebration.  This is a no photo post, as I literally forgotten about my camera when I went out.

It started with a day of class with a Award Winning Chef from France, and it’s a very interesting class.  I don’t have the photos yet since the classes are going on for the next 2 days and will only end on the 17th November (YES, even public holiday we got class)! 

Class end later, and while in school, I receive a call from my best buddies… (they wanted to have dinner with me last night, however due to certain circumstances, we decided to make it on the actual day of my b’day) that they will be coming to my house after work.  I was really touched with their thought of spending my b’day with me. 

We went to the restaurant near my house, and have a nice dinner… and later proceed to Starbucks as they are now offering the Toffee Nut Latte (a seasonal drink that I won’t miss every year even during my pregnancy) muahaha… This year, my plan was to bake a cake for myself either at home or in class, however due to the busy schedule, I didn’t manage to do it.  But I was treated a slice of SB Chocolate Tuxedo (Layered chocolate cake with cream cheese filling and sponge), together with my cuppa of coffee!

Back home, my mum has prepared the ‘mee suah’ soup with chicken thigh and also red eggs (a symbol of good health and long life) to celebrate this day with me.  Even with a full tummy, I still ate a small bowl of the mee suah and the last 10 minutes of my b’day, I swallowed the red egg!

When I got the time to open my FB, I saw tonnes of Birthday wishes, and even belated ones (or I take it a year advance wishes)!  Beside, I also received numerous SMS too!  I also received birthday wishes in my blog!!

It’s a simple day spend with loads of best wishes for me! and a great day with my little Princess!

Thanks everyone!

A cake order

sheet I received a cake order last week, and customer wanted to do a 3D Barney however due to the time frame given, I proposed something else than doing the 3D.  Frankly speaking, to do a 3D cake with all the figurine, it will need at least 2 weeks for me to complete.

I suggested using edible icing sheet and she agreed to it, and that day it comes… this was what I presented..

So, this is a start, and I am all hoping it’s a good one.. :D

Brea’s Bake is born

Today, 11th November 2010… is the first day my cookies were sold under the name of Brea’s Bake! Yes, I used Princess short form as my ‘branding’ in order to keep reminding me my little precious and all this are all my effort to keep her in mind always!

I take this day as to deliver my first order to this ‘supporting’ customer of mine, and I am really happy to hear that she is placing more orders!! muahaha.. I really want to thank her very much for the supports that she has been giving me.

I finally make up my mind on the packaging, the colours and so forth..

With colourful magazine as the gift bag, and each flavour comes with different colour of ribbons and gift cards!  And in addition, I am also doing the plain chocolate chips.  This will add to the current 3 different ‘flavours’ available.

Now, I really hope that this can be a source of strong income for me to further realise my dream…

Again, thanks for all the supports!

Modern French Pastry

We had a special class for 2 days introducing Modern French Pastry.  Why do I say special? Coz this class is also open to other students who interested to do short classes like this.  Each month, the Academy conducts different short classes for those who keen to learn baking, and it’s usually during Friday and Saturday.  2 days course is cost RM500. 

Our target over the 2 days were to produce 3 type of cakes with the final presentation and also decorations.  Let me preview what we going to learn first..

Cerise Sur Le Gateau

Vanilla Mousse & Forest Fruit Jelly

Chocolate Brownie 

Over the 2 days, we prepare the base, since it’s all layered cakes, and we really had a great time… From the diagram, you will see we have to do the followings before the assembling the cakes:-

1. Hazelnut Darquoise
2. Praline Croquintain
3. Ganache Mollouse
4. Chocolate Chantily
5. Almond Sponge
6. Vanilla Mousse
7. Forest Fruit Jelly
8. Brownies
9. Chocolate Mousse
10. Chocolate Glaze

And to make things simple, let me just show you the cakes

 

Are you now in your mind that we are only doing these 3 cakes?  Then you are totally wrong… besides the above, we also prepare the followings:-

    

As I have always said, this Academy actually fully utilise our time, and never wasted any of them.  Even we have done with the 3 cakes, we were given more to practise and to learn.  It’s always nice to have nice chefs who are willing to share and guide you along during classes than those who will keep things to themselves.

More to come.. and do come back if you want to know more about this Academy and my bakings.. :D

Chocolate Chip Cookies For Sale

If you now ask me, how do I survive a full time 3 months course and with RM1K (RM500 from my part time job, and another RM500 from ‘that’ person).  Frankly speaking, I don’t really know… All I know is that I don’t spend just simply.. each cent counts… Out of the 1K, RM700 will be going to the maid for sure… the balance of my RM300 is really precious…

I packed lunch to school nowadays, so I don’t have to spend extra on food.  If I drive, parking will be RM5 per day.  I don’t have to pay for petrol, since the car is shared between myself and my brother, and the petrol is covered by the ‘job’ of picking and sending the twins.  If I don’t drive, I will have to take trains and the journey will be from Bukit Jalil to Masjid Jamek and change to AsiaJaya.  So, I usually asked my brother to drop me at the Bangsar LRT.  The train journey will take me approx 1 hour to reach the school if I take from Bukit Jalil.  I have always been late to my class since I can only reach home from the usual morning routine at 845am (and that’s the earliest so far) and rushing to school arriving at 9.20am.  I carry a stored value LRT cards so in the event I am ‘penniless’, I know I can still get to school.  *so, it’s heart pain for I paid RM10 for cab this morning coz no one willing to send me to Bangsar train station*

Nevertheless, I keep telling myself it’s only 3 months, and after which I can have better planning on my dreams to come true.  I have to keep reminding myself my dream, my Princess and myself.  I positively keep telling myself I can go through this *hey, at times, it really feel like ‘dying’.. *

Well, enough of that, I need some ‘help’ here too!  I am currently selling my BEST chocolate chip cookies as a start and I am seriously trying to see if I can earn a living out of it.  Of course, I am not just selling cookies but for a start, I want to do something that I am really confident in, and I am very sure it’s taste the BEST! 

After some thoughts and some discussions with family and friends, I finally decided on the packaging and so forth…

I will be selling the cookies in the square air-tight microwaveable container (as I don’t think the red cap container is presentable enough) and each container will have a unique (one and only) packaging using the magazine’s paperbag!  I personally fold those bags, and it will then contain the cookies.  I hope with this packaging idea, I can do my part being environmental friendly (since I have some magazines lying around) and able to attract more customers.

The bag will have a ribbon, together with a message card too (I am working on the message card now).  Let me show you the photos…

 

Some details of the cookies

It comes in 3 variety flavours and bake fresh from oven every day after school  (so, you order you get it 2 days later via courier)

1.  Chocolate chip & almond cookies

2.  Chocolate chip & walnut cookies

3.  Chocolate chip & raisin cookies

Price:  RM20 per pack excluding delivery

Delivery Charges: 

RM12 for maximum of 3 packs (for Peninsula Malaysia).  Additional packs will cost RM3.

RM25 for maximum of 3 packs (for East Malaysia).  Additional packs will cost RM6.

Overseas courier charges available upon request.

All delivery will be taken care by the courier man.

I of course welcome purchase in bulk / re-seller, and special discount can be arrange. 

All orders can be either email or FB to me. 

In advance, I thank you for your support!