Baking n Cooking

A good friend of mine told me that when she was reading my CNY post, the first thought that went to her head was: wow... is this the gal i know...


Well, knowing how I was like back in SG, I wouldn't blame her for having this thought. I think I was one of the most lazy and unhomely person around. I only packed my room like once a year (during CNY) and the cooking I've ever done was cooking instant noodles. In fact I was so bad in the kitchen that when my dad saw me cutting an apple, he got so worried that I will cut myself that he took over the knife from me. And when I said I wanted to cook something, usually my parents will end up doing the cooking instead and my only job will be to read the instructions from the recipe.


But now that I am cooking regularly, I can proudly say that cooking/baking isn't that difficult at all. The washing up is a bitch though but that is another story. Back to cooking/baking, just take the first step and cook something and you will feel so happy when you eat your own creation, especially when your loved ones are savoring it as well.


Here are some tips to make your cooking/baking experience a little easier... :)


Have a recipe. If you are new to cooking/baking, its best to have a recipe and follow it step by step. Choose a recipe that is not too complicated. If after reading the recipe and you get question marks, then its better you look for another one. You can never go too wrong if you follow a recipe

I usually take recipes from food blogs or cooking forum because:

They are recipes tested and proven successful by the blogger
There are usually pictures of the food so you get an idea of how the end product is going to be
You can read the comments left by other blog readers. If alot of people commented that they tried the recipe and its good then you know the recipe is a keeper. Usually the comments also have questions from readers who tried and didnt get it right and so you can learn some tips and know what to advoid while cooking/baking.


Before you cook/bake, read the recipe first and visualise yourself going through the steps. Note the cooking/baking or preperation time of each step so you can save some time and will not karang kabok when you are cooking/baking.


If you are unsure of the taste or if the food is cooked, it is best to taste try first. But be hygenic. Use a separate spoon!!


Ask!! Ask advice from those who can cook/bake very well. If possible, stand beside them and watch them cook/bake. You will be able to learn alot from them.


And lastly, JUST DO IT. Trust me. If I can cook, sure can YOU. But do make sure you have a dish washer.

Banana Cake

This banana cake is one of my best received cake. I baked it once for a MJ session and after Su tried it, she has been bugging me to baked the banana cake whenever we have gatherings. In fact she loved the cake so much that this is the first cake she baked after she got an oven. The cake is crispy on the outside and moist on the inside. Very nice. :)

Recipe taken from bakingmum.

Ingredients:
180 gm. Butter
180 gm. Fine sugar (I cut down to 150 gm)
2 nos. Extra large Eggs - beaten lightly
250 gm. Cake flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. Bicarbonate of Soda
220 gm. Bananas - mashed
50 gm. Dairy whip cream (I use evaporated milk)
1/2 tsp. Banana essence (I replace with 1 tsp vanila essence)
2 bananas - slice



Method:

Cream butter and sugar till light and creamy.
(Note: Always thaw your butter before using. If your butter is not thawed fully (soften) and you do not have the luxury of time to wait, then cut the butter to small pieces, like this:

Pour in eggs gradually and beat till creamy.

Add in whip cream, mashed bananas and banana essence and mix well.
(Note: for sweeter taste, use very riped bananas. They are easier to smashed as well.)


Add in cake flour, baking powder and bicarbonate of soda and beat for a while only.

(Note: the end texture of the batter will be very thick and sticky. So don't worry if your batter turns out like creamy form)
Pour into an 8" round tray, and arrange sliced bananas on top.

Bake at 175C for about 50 to 60 mins. or until cooked.

And you get a tasty banana cake. I didn't add sliced bananas at the top but I added chopped walnuts to make it a banana walnut cake. The end results of the cake should be crispy on the outside and moist on the inside. This photo doesn't do much justice cos this pic was the 1st banana cake that I baked. I've since then improved but I didn't take any new pics.