Chocolate Cake with Raspberry

Craving for a chocolate cake, I made one plus adding Raspberry to perfection its taste. The innards cake - melted bittersweet chocolate with raspberry.


I should have been warned with this combination. Now I couldn't stop eating. HELP :D

My Super Busy September - The Making of Le Gateau Cookies

It was on September, Muslim people celebrating Hari Raya Idul Fitri. Popular things happening on Ramadhan months are Puasa, Taraweh, and also the time for Lebaran cookies. Special Lebaran all time cookies, such as: Nastar, Putri Salju, Kastengel, etc. Unlike other years before, this time I'm gonna do my own cookies for my self consuming, and sell it. What? selling cookies? Yes. I have made my mind that I will have a guts to sell some cookies this Lebaran.

So many delicious all time cookies out there, and I do not want to compete with those. I'm trying to do something different so people could experience other taste than the existing ones. After some trial that I've made, so I came up with 4 flavors that I'm gonna sell.

After deciding those flavor, the next step is to come up with a good packaging. I have fallen in love with a good and nice packaging. Anything that looks good in terms of design, I love it! One day I walked into a really famous cakery in town, I saw they have a really nice packaging for their cookies. Despite on the cookie taste which was mediocre, but I love how they put together between the cookies, label design and packaging. It just looks so beautiful! Based on that reference, so I design my own cookies labels.

First, Look for a packaging.
I already had in mind which kind of packaging that I will use, and it will be only 2 kinds of packaging. Small and Medium. The thing is easy to get the medium size plastic jar, but the small one.. ooh that's the though part! I have to call almost all baking supply store in this town, and not to mentioned went to traditional market to find it. No good. So Plan B, I only sold minimum quantity for the small package. And the good thing is, only few people ordered the small sizes, they tend to order the medium one :)

Second. Sketch the design.
After the packaging, start to sketch design for labels that will fits into the packaging. Came up with ideas how my labels are gonna be. I love using bright colors because the look are so refreshing, so I choose 4 kinds of colors to be on the label also with other colors. The colors represent each of the cookies. I also wanted the labels to look young but yet elegant and simple. Too much things will ruins your design, trust me. So just keep it simple and it will turned out good as always. Okay. Done with the labels now next part...

Third. Do the photography for Cookies.
Because each of my labels will contains photo of the cookies, then I have to make a photo session of it. Using my Digital Camera, these photo session tooks 2 days.. In the middle of my other working deadline (which was quite overloaded at that time) but I could finished it and so happy doing all of these things.

Fourth. Design Labels & Print
Transfer the design into computer, do the layout until I finally satisfied with the whole look. Once I'm happy with it, print out the labels to stick into the packaging.

Fifth. Do the photography for Packaging.
These took a whole day. Again, using only my Digital camera, I'm quite satisfied with the results.

Sixth. Promotion Time!
As this is my first time of selling cookies, I'm aiming to sell these cookies to my friend first. So I do an simple catalogue that could be send through internet. And for the others I also gave them samplers of my cookies in individual package. The good thing when you have a friend working in the office, they'll see the samplers and hopefully will order the cookies too. And it did happen!

Seventh. Selling Time!
Not long after I spread the catalogue, the cookies samplers, emails or phone or text messages came to order the cookies. So now it's time to do the battle of flour (that's what I said) :D

Eight. Delivery.
I'm working with my trustworthy courier to deliver the cookies. Since it's a cookies, it's easier to deliver than a cup cakes. I bought a brown paper bag as the outer packaging and stick on my cookies logo on the paper bag. I just love to sell everything in a pretty package. Hoping that people will be happy when they received the package. And yes, they were happy :D


Here are the range of cookies that I sold.

Chocolate Chip Cookies

Crunchy Berries

Orange Poppy Seed

Chocolate Mint

I hope this could give you an inspiration to create your own labels and create a different kind of cookies to celebrate Hari Raya Idul Fitri :)

Lazy Sunday with Chocolate Chip Cookies & Tea

I made this family's favorite Chocolate Chip Cookies and got it perfect again! Last time I did something wrong and the taste wasn't like I expected. Not that the cookie wasn't good, but the texture was different and I couldn't get the crunchy side of it.

This time I'm truly understand, noted to myself, do not ever change any ingredients that you've used. Such as if you used butter, then don't change it to margarine, if using caster sugar, don't change it with icing, etc. So based on what I've experienced, I'll stick with the rules. Period.

Dilmah-Earl Grey Tea

The cookies filled about 3 regular size of cookie jar, and gone in less than 2 days. It's even better when you eat it fresh from the oven. You could taste there's still a bit of melted chocolate inside.


I'm enjoying my last jar of cookies with a cup of Dilmah-Earl Grey Tea (I love the taste, and the smell!). Oh what a nice lazy sunday :D

Lite Breakfast

When Me & My Husband went to this Japanese Restaurant in Singapore, we had this Salmon Omelete which was very nice.

Craving about that meal for breakfast, I try to make it by myself since the ingredients not that hard to find. I think this is a good options If you'd like your omelette with a bit of variation. Maybe next time I could change the salmon with Tuna, or shrimp, etc.



Enjoy :)

Butterscotch Oatmeal Cookies

I saw this cookie on Dita's blog, and interested to make it. But there's one thing that I couldn't find from the recipe is a Butterscotch chips. So I asked her more about those chips and wondering where I could get them in here (Indonesia). I know how it tasted like, but as I remembered I've never found there's such things in local shops. Since I shouldn't omit the butterscotch chips from the recipe (otherwise it wouldn't be called Butterscotch cookies right?), so there's no way I could make this cookie until I found them.

One day Dita emailed me asking for my address, and curious about it I asked her what for. She said..just wait and see.

Butterscotch Chips

Then one afternoon I got a package from her (this is why she asked my address). She send me a package contains: Butterscotch Chips, Peanut Butter Chips, Dark Chocolate and Pecans. Oh wow! I was very surprised indeed! Couldn't believe that she thought about this since the conversation was months passes by.

Add some Pecans too

It's funny because we made friends because of blogs and haven't met each other. But we keep in touch through blogs, flickr, and through Facebook then we knew that some of my friends are her friends too (what a small world). So having a package from a friend that we haven't met each other is such an overwhelmed feeling.

On Saturday night, while having an enjoyable moment at home, I made this cookie instead of only watching TV. The cookie itself tasted really Good! I really like it very much! The Butterscotch is the 'key' to this cookies, otherwise it'll be a plain butter oatmeal cookie.

Blonde a.k.a Butterscotch Oatmeal Cookies

Thank you so much Dita! It's really really a Lovely Surprised! *hugs*

If you'd like to try, click here for the recipe. Happy Baking!

Strawberry Milkshakes

I was saying before that this morning the weather is a little bit cool.. but when it comes to noon..It's totally the opposite!.. Oh my.. the sun is shining on its highest! And I think this is also unusual weather. Jakarta is almost hot everyday.. but today, it's absolutely hot than ever!..In fact, couple days during this week is the same when it's at noon. So terribly hot, you can't even feel if there's any wind. :(



I thought I need something fresh before I got dehydration (I also drink lots and lots of water). Happens that I still have a fresh strawberry juice, strawberry fruits and a milk. So I made a strawberry milkshake without adding any sugar on it.


Don't know where I got the idea to put just a squeezed of Lemon, and the taste is quite good.
So refreshing!

Big Breakfast

American Breakfast Style

Morning All...
It's 6.30 a.m, the sky is blue and the weather today is.. cold? What?..
I noticed several days in this week, Jakarta's been a bit cold in the morning. Specially if the wind's blowing.. I could feel the breeze like in Puncak. Seriously! So while I'm up and feeling fresh because of the 'unusual' air, let's make a big breakfast to start this beautiful day.

Juicy Beef Sausages

Bon Appétit!

I love American Breakfast, besides It's easy to make and you get anything that's important in one meal (or two or three?). Carbo, Protein, and Veggies if you wanna add some fresh salad to it. But for today, I'll skip the salad part, since I don't have any in my fridge.

Scrambled Eggs with Melted Cheese & Oregano

Hot Teh Tarik

Happy Friday Everyone! And Have a nice weekend :D

One Hot Afternoon with Cold Coffee (and Chocolate)

For months I've been doing all mostly in chocolate (cookies, cupcakes, cookies) I must have been overwhelmed by chocolate.. Who wouldn't anyway? :D


I saw these chocolate bar called "Monggo".. as in Javanese language could means "Yes Please". I was interested not only because of the name but also the packaging which I think it's simple and nice. And mostly I'm surprised that this chocolate made from local, Yogyakarta. Cool..



One hot afternoon I enjoy it with a really cold Starbucks Frappuccino. Hmmm... :)

Crispy Rice Chocolate Cookies

Having a left over cookie dough in my fridge (and yes, it's still a lot), I'm thinking to make the rest of the dough another cookie shaped this night. Happens the cookie already turns too dry, and I'm kindda lazy to roll them first and then shaped them with cookie cutter.. not to mention to decor it with icing sugar afterwards.. Aarrggh just too many steps and not enough time.




So I ran to one of my fave blog, and saw this recipe that I could try using these ready dough. I had this box of rice chocolate cereal for my son, but he doesn't really like the taste compares to other chocolate cereal. Inspired by the recipe, I just mix some melted chocolate into the dough (to make it stickier again) and just add more chocolate chip and those rice chocolate crispy.


After that, just like making usual cookies lay them into baking tray and bake them around 15-20 minutes. Taste wise, I should have put the melted chocolate more, so they would taste more chocolatey. Despite on that, I like how the rice chocolate brings a crispy sensation! It's just something new. Will try other time with the real recipe as posted in the blog. Thanks for sharing Mamin :)

Cookies who wants Cookies...

Cookies hmmm...

My Sister & I spend the day making cookies. She's learning how to decorate with icing sugar making Elmo's face (since her daughter loves Elmo so much).

Elmo's Face (my sister did great job, mine is a bit messy :P)

Flower Power

'F' is for Figo (my son)

We had so much fun making it, and Sidney (her daughter) felt overwhelm looking at her favorite character in Cookies. What a Fun 'me' time for both of us :)

Sidney loves Elmo (cookie)...

Dark Chocolate Cup Cake

I bought a local book of various recipes for cup cakes and tried one of them which is dark chocolate cup cake. Since the ingredients not that complicated so I'm gonna give it a try to bake it this weekend.


I add more chocolate chips and bittersweet chocolate inside the cake, so when it's done you could taste how the chocolate is melted.



Turns out only 14 cupcakes done if using a medium size cup. I brought 8 cupcakes to my family and ask them to try.


They said it was really really Good!!! My hubby also said it's even better if you eat it when the topping still warm. Super duper chocolate. I Like!

Morning Coffee

My beloved camera just RIP :"(. I really love my Kodak Easysharing. It's not really small, thin camera, but I love its capable of capturing moments (sounds like an ad). But it's true! All pictures here were taken with my beloved Kodak in outdoor (in front of my house). I've own it for 7 years already! Wow! it's actually really 'strong' huh? So it's sad if you've already attached to something for that long and you have to let go (since it's broken).

Well the sadness musn't be too long. I got a replacement for it (new camera), so I could take pictures again and up load it to my blog. This time I wanna try Lumix Leica from Panasonic. Still exploring how to use it, but I think I'm gonna love this new camera too.

So, let's have a coffee first welcoming my new camera :)

Home Made 'Famous Amos Cookies'

After long loooong time enough not baking cakes, cookies, etc... I finally did my 1st baking in this Year 2009. When it comes to chocolate chip cookies, I found out a really really good cookies is 'Famous Amos Cookies', nothing else. This brings back my childhood memory, when Famous Amos Cookies 1st opened their Franchise in Indonesia. Suddenly me (& my family) is addicted to those 'not really affordable' cookies. But still, my dad used to buy one big round thin of Famous Amos Cookies for the whole family. That time it was Rp 10.000,- which I thought already expensive..Nowadays, you couldn't even get 1 ounce of FA Cookies with Rp 10.000,- (1 ounce contains at least 5-6 small cookies)..Arrrghh it's so expensive! But the price sure didn't lie about the taste.


After browsing around the internet (once again Thank You technology), I found a recipe that claimed 'This is so far the best recipe, and nearest taste from the real 'Famous Amos Cookies', so I quickly save the recipe into my file.

Night before Chinese New Year, I thought I could give it a try, since I had all the ingredients already. What I like about making cookies, they're just simple to make. Just mix the ingredients and then put into cooking tray then bake it...


The recipe made lots of small sizes cookies, I almost had 8 batches to baked them all.. The 1st batch was overdone..Haha..I forgot to look at the timer, so It's more than it should.. The 2nd until last batches was perfectly done!..

Try them as soon as they're not hot, Wooooowww... It's true! The recipe didn't lie claiming that this is the nearest taste with the real 'Famous Amos Cookies'!. My Hubby said, it tasted really good.. I couldn't stop eating them either. My nephew, Shan (he's staying for a night at our house) also loving the cookies.. So funny looking at him and my son, Figo, enjoying the cookies while they're watching 'Sponge Bob Square Pants'..


This is definitely the Best chocolate chip ever..and most of all, it tasted like 'Famous Amos Cookies' indeed.. :D

>Click here for the recipe. Happy Baking :)<

Or, here's the recipe from wajanpanci.multiply.com:

Ingredients

115 g butter, You’ll Love Coles, reduced salt, cold and cut into cubes

100 g caster sugar

  90 g brown sugar

1 egg (70 g with shell but don't include the shell in your mixture )

½ tsp vanilla extract, Queens

100 g Oats, Uncle Toby Traditional, grind to a fine powder, sieved

125 g plain flour

^1/­₈ tsp salt (because I used reduced salt butter, you may want to use 1/4 tsp salt if using unsalted butter)

½ tsp baking powder

½ tsp baking soda

150 g almond, chopped coarsely

150 g milk chocolate chips, Cadbury 

90 g milk chocolate bar, Lindt, grated finely with microplane (when the chocolate pieces were getting too difficult to grate, my husband just ate those bits. The whole block was 100 g.)

Cooking Methods

1. Cream butter and sugars until light and fluffy
2. Add egg and vanilla, beat till well combine
3. Add oats mixture and mix till combine
4. Add chocolate and nut mixture then mix till just combined.
5. Leave the dough in the fridge for about 20 minutes
6. Preheat oven to 160-180^oC
7. Lay a baking paper on the cookie sheet
8. Take about ½ tsp of the mixture and put on the cookie sheet
9. Bake for about 10 minutes
10. Return the remaining dough to the fridge while waiting for the batch to come out from the oven.
11. Cool on the cooling tray
12. Store in an airtight container

Note:

-        The nuts can be changed to macadamia, walnut, pecan, cashew nuts, peanuts or even just no nuts. 

-     The cookies are also nice with some of the dried fruits such as raisins and cranberries. 

-        If you want the cookie to have darker colour, you can use dark brown sugar and/or add cocoa powder. Reduce the plain flour accordingly when add cocoa powder.

-        Baking time should be adjusted according to the size of the dough balls

-     Leave the dough ball stay high (don't press it). I find the cookies that still stay high are cruchier and lighter (not dense). 

-        I put the dough in the fridge for about 20 minutes before baking the first batch to prevent excessive spreading. Then, I returned the remaining dough to the fridge while waiting for a batch baked in the oven.