...About Slowly but Surely

Slowly but surely, one by one I'm watching my seniors being established as full fledged Licensed Aircraft Engineers.

Slowly but surely my time is coming. Training time is up. Shape up or ship out. Time to wake up and smell the coffee.

No more playing around. No more dilly dallying.

It's so near, yet so far.

There's still so much to learn, experience to gain, so much I don't know.

Going along with my newly established senior to attend defects, I realise I am not alone in feeling unsure and a bit shaky in putting my name down to declare an aircraft fit to fly. Everyone goes through that.

How far and how fast you go is all up to you. You can either work hard to gain experience and knowledge to make you a more competent engineer or you can just sit around and wait for knowledge to be handed to you.

Insyaallah by this time next year, I have already been signing off aircrafts for a few months.

Gambateh!

...About Sight Seeing In Bali

Although I don't get to travel or go for getaways as often as some of my colleagues do, I am fortunate enough to be able to go on annual trips. This year, I made it to Bali. Was a last minute trip. A girl friend who resides in Australia was going there for a week and suggested that it'll be cool to meet there. After some scrambling, loads of sms-es and online messaging, the trip came to fruit.

It was a fun trip with good company. Although I spent more than I would have liked, I still enjoyed the trip. The only hassle was to get halal food. Oh well, all that aside, let us let the pictures do the talking.

Oh and by the way, this was way back in Apri (>_<)

...About Chocolate Ganache Recipe

This ganache can be used as the filling for the chocolate macaroon.

Ingredients:
Bittersweet Chocolate 325g
Heavy Cream 300g
Unsalted Butter 75g

Method:
1. Bring the cream to a oil in a saucepan. Remove from heat and pour over the chocolate. Stir until melted and smooth.
2. Add butter and stir well. Allow to cool until thickened.

Alternate microwave method:
1. Put cream in microwave safe bowl, heat it up for a few minutes.
2. Put the chocolate into the heated cream, stir until melt.
3. let it cool slightly then add the butter. Stir. Allow to cool until thickened.

Best made a day ahead of use.

I haven't made this yet though. Am thinking of making it to keep in the fridge. Eat it as a bread spread.

Sugar level climbing anyone? Ahaks!

...About Chocolate Macaroon Recipe

I know it's been a long while since I've posted the strawberry macaroon recipe, but I thought I might as well put up all the recipes. That way, if I lose the hard copy, I'd still have it here. Here goes.

Ingredients:
Sugar 125g
Egg whites 3(90g) Aged for 3 days
Ground Almonds 125g
Icing Sugar 125g
Cocoa Powder 25g

Method:
1.Pulse the almond powder, icing sugar and cocoa powder in a food processor until fine powder and equally mixed.
2. Place egg whites in a bowl and beat until soft peaks.
3. Add caster sugar to egg whites and beat until all sugar is dissolved and hard peaks forms.
4. Using a spatula,fold the dry ingredients into the egg whites until completely incorporated. (fold in half of the dry ingredients first for a more even mix, then add on the remaining half). Do not overmix, or the batter will be too runny.
5. Line 2 baking trays with parchment paper. (DO NOT use grease proof paper).
6. Fill a piping bag with the batter. Pipe the mixture to about the size of a 50 cent coin. (make sure to leave enough gap in between each mound)
7. Once done piping, bang the tray on the table to flatten the mounds slightly and remove air bubbles.
8. Allow to dry for 20-30 minutes, until dry to the touch.
9. Bake it at 160 degrees Celsius for 12 to 14 minutes.
10. Remove from oven, let it cool a little. Remove for paper onto a rack to cool.
11. Pair up the macaroons and fill with strawberry jam.
12. Store in an airtight container, best consumed after 2 days.

If you do try it out, tell me out it turns out. Happy Baking!

Chocolate ganache recipe will be up next.

Click here for Strawberry Macaroon Recipe

...About Baking Macaroons Successfully

Finally! Well actually this was months ago but, my mom and I finally managed to successfully bake macaroons. Just follow the recipe I've posted up, follow it exactly and you can't go wrong!

 Finally got to use my mom's KitchenAid mixer. Ain't it just shiny and pweeeeetty????

 Beating the egg whites.

Okay, my pictures skipped a whole lot of steps but what the heck! All piped out and left to dry.

Dry it out until it doesn't stick to your finger when you touch it.

Voila! Tip though, don't be lazy like my mom and I by just folding the parchment paper to fit the tray, please cut the paper, cos the folded edge will lift up, causing your macaroon to slide. Observe the one on the bottom right of the picture >_<

All in all, it was a success! Do try the recipe. Very sweet though. We're gonna try and see how much sugar we can reduce without spoiling the recipe.

Happy Baking!

...About Strawberry Macaroon Recipe

Recipe taken from At 19 Culinary baking class.

Ingredients:
125g caster sugar(fine sugar)
3(90g) egg whites (aged for 3 day)
125g Ground Almond (almond powder, the finer the better)
150g Icing sugar
Red gel coloring. better to use gel type of coloring.

Method:
1.Pulse the almond powder and icing sugar in a food processor until fine powder and equally mixed.
2. Place egg whites in a bowl and beat until soft peaks.
3. Add caster sugar to egg whites and beat until all sugar is dissolved and hard peaks forms.
4. Using a spatula,fold the dry ingredients into the egg whites until completely incorporated. (fold in half of the dry ingredients first for a more even mix, then add on the remaining half).
5. Line 2 baking trays with parchment paper. (DO NOT use grease proof paper).
6. Fill a piping bag with the batter. Pipe the mixture to about the size of a 50 cent coin. (make sure to leave enough gap in between each mound)
7. Once done piping, bang the tray on the table to flatten the mounds slightly and remove air bubbles.
8. Allow to dry for 20-30 minutes, until dry to the touch.
9. Bake it at 160 degrees Celsius for 12 to 14 minutes.
10. Remove from oven, let it cool a little. Remove for paper onto a rack to cool.
11. Pair up the macaroons and fill with strawberry jam.
12. Store in an airtight container, best consumed after 2 days.

For pictures, click here to view my previous post.

...About: Macaroon Baking Class at At 19 Culinary

Attended my first ever baking class on new year's eve. Macaroon baking! Paid for by my mommy. We have baked macaroons a few times, but didn't know if we were doing it right.

The class was held at At 19 Culinary, in Damansara Heights. It's a bungalow house. Forgot to take a picture of the building >_<

 The recipe given to us. The class was informative. The chef shared loads of tips on how to make sure your macaroons turned out right. At the end of the class, not a single macaroon came out of the oven without 'feet'.

 The ingredients, prepared for us beforehand.

 The chef showed us the steps first. Then it was our turn.

 My ingredients were for the strawberry ones. It's not actually strawberry flavored, it's just the coloring, but you use strawberry jam filling for this one. As opposed to chocolate ganache for the chocolate macaroons.

 All piped out. Leave it to cool and dry before popping it into the oven!

 2 of the ovens available at the place.

 Pots and pans for other types of culinary classes.

 Chocolate ones out of the oven.

 My tray in the oven. The most exciting part is watching it bake and rise.

 Rising....

 Rising...

All raised! Happy feet!

 

 All paired and filled and ready to be taken home by eager eaters!

Why are macaroons expensive? If you buy them, you can't find any cheaper than RM2.50 a piece (unless it's the mini ones) Well, it actually takes 5 days to make a macaroon.

The egg whites have to be aged 3 days ahead.

Chocolate ganache has to be made a day ahead.

It's best consume after 2 days. That's when it gets chewy.

Kept in an airtight container in a fridge, it can keep up to 2 weeks.

Will put the recipe up here next (when I actually get around to it)

All in all, was a fun class. Nice to know that the macaroons mom and I baked all this while tastes the same with the ones baked in class, only we didn't always get the 'feet' on ours.

;)

At 19 Culinary's website.