Weekend Baking: Buttermilk Scones

I have been absent for quite a while, the reason is I am busy setting up my home-baked cake business.

I am just starting it early this year, so still have to complete it with bits and pieces.

But blogging is always on my mind, so here it is my weekend baking:  Buttermilk Scones.

I got the recipe from local supermarket, Woolworth's, it was given out for free,

so why not take one? ^_^

First of all for me to get tasted-good baking result is to use a GOOD BUTTER

Trust me, especially if you are using butter for any buttercream, or for pastry, you can taste the "difference" in using a good and cheap butter.  But, this is just me.

I made scones before but not buttermilk one, so this time I made 

 Buttermilk Cheese Scones and 

Smoked Ham and Cheese Scones.

Here is the recipe:

Basic Buttermilk Scones

Preparation: 10 minutes

Cooking: 15 minutes

Makes: 12 scones

Ingredients:

2 cups of self-raising flour

1 tbsp of caster sugar

a pinch of salt

3/4 cup of buttermilk

60 gram of cold butter, chopped to pieces

extra buttermilk for brushing

1) for cheese scones, I added about 150grams of grated cheddar cheese

2) and for Smoked Ham and Cheese,

I added sauted smoked ham (withouth oil) and grated natural cheddar cheese.

Method:

Sift flour, sugar and salt into a bowl.

Use fingertips, rub butter into flour mixture until it resembles fine breadcrumbs.

***at this stage I add the filling***

Make a well in the center of mixture, add buttermilk,

using a flat-bladed knife, stir until a sticky dough forms.

Turn out onto a lightly floured surface,

knead gently until dough is just smooth.

Using a lightly floured rolling pin, gently roll dough out until 2 cm thick.

Using a 6cm round cutter, cut out scones.

Press leftover dough together.

Repeat to make 12 scones.

Place scones on a lined baking tray.

Brush with buttermilk.

Bake for 12-15 minutes or until golden brown and hollow when tapped on top.

For me: best to serve warm.

Below is the variation I made from Cheese Buttermilk Scones

 Buttermilk Cheese Scone
with Nutella filling... yum!!

+

 =

This one is Cheese Buttermilk Scones

filled with tuna in Chili

~ Have a great Sunday and Keep Smiling ~

^_^

Wedding Anniversary Cake and Lunch at Peden's Restaurant Cessnock, Hunter Valley

We were celebrating our Wedding Anniversary last Saturday,

so I made Vanilla Bean Cake with Lemon and Vanilla Bean Buttercream

topped with some buttercream rosettes on it.

it turn out to be a quite "tall" cake

it was a double stack of Vanilla Bean cake.

I love the buttercream rosettes on it but not sure about the sprinkles,

should have just do it without the sprinkles I think.

My husband was on 3 night shift last week and ended on Sunday.

Which means Monday he just came off night shift,

looking fresh and not went to bed like he used to (after night shift),

instead he came with me to drop off our toddler son (2 year and 3 months old precisely today) to pre-school, then I have to drove back because I forgot to bring his bottle.

When I came back, my husband was vacuuming the floor....the whole house,

then he fold dried laundry, continue with washing dishes then have his oatmeal porridge for breakfast.

Me?  Mmm did not do much, but having my toast with butter and honey, then a cup of tea for breakfast (after dropping my son) then "glued" to the computer until lunch time.

My husband asked me what I would like to have for lunch, I said I am not sure, feeling a bit slow... then he said let's go out and find something for lunch, maybe we have a sitting lunch... hmm a surprise lunch? I thought.

So we drove to down town and see some restaurants, we have been to almost all of them - Chinese, Indian, Thai Restos... then my husband drove a bit further and stopped at Peden's Restaurant.

Interesting, I think I never really pay attention that there are a restaurant across Cessnock Performing Arts Centre.  I told that to my husband and he said "I have better eyes, baby" :-)

So we went there, they have Kids Eat Free on Monday only,

they have Kids Play Room - for bigger kids, not for toddler :-)

the resto is quite big and busy, lots of people are dining in today.

It is a restaurant on one side and a pub on the other side.

Then we pick the seats, and look at the menu.  

What interesting is the price, it is not pricey at all, reasonable prices for such a good meal ... oh and later on we found out that the portions are good :-)  good for our love handle LOL...  and not to forget the good service, the staffs are friendly.

so as a starter we ordered :

Light Meal: Salt and Pepper Squid

served with chips and salad

i think it was $15 only

soooooo YUMMMYYYYY..... we both loved this!

The squid are tasty, full of flavor, juicy, tender,

the chips are light and crispy...
the lemon and salad complement the freshness...just yum!

then I ordered: Chicken Schnitzel Parmigiana

comes with chips and salad too

 just ordinary one but if your are focusing on the portion,

this much for +/- $19 only...good price right?

my husband ordered: Twice Cooked Pork Belly

comes with sweet potato rosti (yum! i tried this),

steamed vegies, leek and capsicum relish and apple cider jus

my husband enjoyed this dish a lot!

The winner?  We both LOVED the Salt and Pepper Squid!

Next time we will go there again with our toddler

and for sure we will order this Salt and Pepper Squid,

1 portion for each of us :D

and we already know what wanna try: Chicken Fillo and Wood Fire Pizza!

Certainly will post it on my blogs too :-)

We have not been dining out for quite some time now, 

so it was a nice dine-in lunch for a change, on a special occasion too :-)

Love you, baby.

Hope we can celebrate many many more anniversaries,

and this one is for you... xxoo

and for Peden's Restaurant - we will be back!

Hope you all have a good week

and

Cheers!

Sweet and Sour Spiced Turkey Meatballs

... enjoy ...

Steamed Pork Buns ... encore

... e.n.j.o.y. ...

Indonesian Fried Empanadas

Indonesian Fried Empanadas

called Pastel in Indonesian language

it is pastry filled with vermicelli noodles, minced, vegetable and hard boiled eggs

usually come with peanut sauce

here is how to make them with mold,

got this mold from the internet, cost less that US$1.-

Basically you have to prepare the filling first,

it is up to you what you prefer for the filling,

once cooked let the filling cool completely.

Dough:

500 gr of plain flour

1 egg, beaten

100 gr butter, melted

1 tsp salt

100 ml water

Mix together in a bowl: flour, beaten egg, salt and melted butter until it become a dough.

Add water, knead well until you can roll out the dough.

Let the dough rest for 15 minutes.

After that, roll out the dough, form into balls, roll them out one by one thinly.

Lay 1 dough/skin inside the mold, put the filling in it,

closed the dough (as in the picture),

press lightly and release,

 

then you will get the nice empanada shape.

Repeat until all done.

Heat wok and filled with water enough for deep frying,

deep fry them (working in batches) in hot oil until golden brown or cooked.

~ Enjoy ~

Fried Cauliflower

Fried Cauliflower

Easy Peasy Yummy

you will need:

1 small size of cauliflower, florets

 1 cup of plain flour

1 tsp baking powder

1/2 cup of rice flour

1 tsp of coriander powder

1/2 tsp of turmeric powder

1 tsp of garlic powder

1/2 tsp of salt

1/2 tsp of ground white pepper

1 green onion, finely chopped

water - as needed

Method:

combine all ingredients except cauliflower florets.

prepare your deep frier / use wok with enough oil for deep frying.

dip cauliflower florets one by one into the flour mixture.

fry in a medium heat oil.

--- enjoy ---

FRAUD VIA EMAIL!! BEWARE!! DON'T BE FOOL!! 2

Another Fraud via email.  

Beware!

1.  the email address is weird!

2. transfer money via Western Union?

3. the beneficiary is in London?

What a stupid way to fraud!!

---------------------------------------------------------

From: U.S. Department of State
Date: Sun, Apr 10, 2011 at 10:20 PM
Subject: Re: U.S. Department of State - United States Permanent Resident Card for ************
To: **********************


U.S. Department of State U.S. Department of State sent this message to ***********
Your registered name is included to show this message originated from U.S. Department of State.
Dear  *********,

Thank you for your email inquiry concerning the Diversity Visa Lottery Program. We confirm again that you are a winner of the Diversity Visa Lottery(also known as Green Card). The congressionally mandated Diversity Immigrant Visa Program is administered on an annual basis by the Department of State and conducted under the terms of Section 203(c) of the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA). Section 131 of the Immigration Act of 1990 (Pub. L. 101-649) amended INA 203 and provides for a class of immigrants known as .diversity immigrants.. Section 203(c) of the INA provides a maximum of 55,000 Diversity Visas (DV) each fiscal year to be made available to persons from countries with low rates of immigration to the United States.

In order to process your visa you must pay the fees connected with immigration to the U.S.

Who conducts this program? American Government is conducting this program every year to maintain the diversity of its people.
The visa processing fee is US$ 880 or equivalent local currency. If you want to take with you any family member you must pay an additional of US$ 880 for each one. Once the payment confirmation is received you will be contacted by the U.S Consulate which will provide you the Case Number/Confirmation Number and schedule a final interview. The scope of interview is to provide you the documents required to travel in the United States and answer to any question that you may have. The visa is guaranteed upon receiving the payment and it won't be affected by the interview.

Sending the payment is fast and easy with over 380,000 participating Agent locations worldwide. You'll find a Western Union agent at places such as banks, postal office and even supermarkets, check cashers and convenience stores.
If you are unable to find a Western Union agency you may ask a friend or relative to send the payment on your behalf.

The payment must be sent to the U.S. embassy agent address in United Kingdom because the U.S. Department of State decided this based on its policy and relations with your country.

Follow these 5 simple steps to send the payment :

    Step 1

Find a Western Union agent using Find Us.

    Step 2

Visit the Western Union agent, taking some personal identification* with you.

    Step 3

Complete a simple .send. form and hand this to the Western Union agent along with the money you want to send and the transfer fee..

 The payment must be sent to U.S. embassy agent address in United Kingdom:

Ian Thompson
24 Grosvenor Square
London, W1A 2LQ
United Kingdom
    Step 4

You will be given a reference number(MTCN).

    Step 5

Confirm the payment via email as following :
- Email copy/scan of the Western Union receipt to usgov.visa@usa.com
- Email at usgov.visa@usa.com
with the following details (you can find them on the money transfer receipt):

1) Money Transfer Control Number (MTCN):
2) Exact sender's name on file with Western Union:
3) Exact sender's address on file with Western Union:
4) Amount sent:


Then wait for the confirmation that the payment was received. Within 72 hours, you will receive a confirmation via email along with the exact date and time of the final interview at the U.S Consulate. Upon successful completion of the interviewing process you will receive the documents and travel information to move in the United States.

Please note : The payment must be sent before Apr 23, 2011. Failure to send the payment confirmation on time will void your rights as DV winner

We hope that this information will be helpful to you.
United States Department of State



CONFIDENTIALITY STATEMENT: AUTHORITIES: The information asked for on this form is requested pursuant to Section 222 of the Immigration and Nationality Act. Section 222(f) provides that the records of the Department of State and of diplomatic and consular offices of the United States pertaining to the issuance and refusal of visas or permits to enter the United States shall be considered confidential and shall be used only for the formulation, amendment, administration, or enforcement of the immigration, nationality, and other laws of the United States. Certified copies of such records may be made available to a court provided the court certifies that the information contained in such records is needed in a case pending before the court. PURPOSE: The U.S. Department of State uses the facts you provide on this form primarily to determine your classification and eligibility for a U.S. immigrant visa. Individuals who fail to submit this form or who do not provide all the requested information may be denied a U.S. immigrant visa. Although furnishing this information is voluntary, failure to provide this information may delay or prevent the processing of your case. ROUTINE USES: If you are issued an immigrant visa and are subsequently admitted to the United States as an immigrant, the Department of Homeland Security will use the information on this form to issue you a Permanent Resident Card, and, if you so indicate, the Social Security Administration will use the information to issue a social security number. The information provided may also be released to federal agencies for law enforcement, counterterrorism and homeland security purposes; to Congress and courts within their sphere of jurisdiction; and to other federal agencies who may need the information to administer or enforce U.S. laws.

FRAUD VIA EMAIL!! BEWARE!! DON'T BE FOOL!!

Dear All,

This email below copied and pasted from my business email.  

Hope this info will be useful.

Beware!  Don't be fool!!

----------------------------------------------------------------

from Mr. Abubakar Momodu reply-to mrmomodu@gmail.com to date Mon, Apr 18, 2011 at 9:34 AM subject Re: ATM MASTER CARD

hide details Apr 18 (2 days ago)

Warning: This message may not be from whom it claims to be. Beware of following any links in it or of providing the sender with any personal information.  Learn more

 We have actually been authorized by the newly appointed Secretary General
of the United Nations, and the governing body of the monetary unit of the
United Nations to investigate the unnecessary delay in payment,
recommended and approved in your favor.

 During our research we discovered with dismay that your payment has been
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 To represent this, the safety of your funds was organized in the form of
your personal identification number: N: 5399830637420496 /: 2900/AND ALSO
Here is your: TRANSACTION DETAILS STATUS ID: LSO543269861390 your (ATM
MASTER CARD) and everything should be done to track Bank Plc Barclay's of
Nigeria and the manager of Bank Plc Barclay's ATM MASTER CARD of Nigeria
told me that they need to verify your information before they could
process in the delivery of your ATM MASTER CARD to you, so get back to us
immediately in order to facilitate the delivery of your ATM MASTER CARD
bounded a huge ($ 6.8 million).

1. Your full name .........................
2. YOUR HOME Delivery Address ..................
3. Your Age :............................
4. Your profession :.........................
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6. Your current phone CELLS ..............
7. Copy of your ID / PHOTO ......
8. Your Skype ID :...........................

 After receiving this information, we're going to start sending the cards
directly to your nominated mailing address.So you absolutely nothing to
worry about, as we all owe it to your prompt response and cooperation.

With respect
Mr. Abubakar Momodu

Marshmallow Fondant

After few attempts of making Fondant, either Fondant or Buttercream Fondant, I found Marshmallow Fondant (MMF) is the one that really works for me. 

Obviously it is not the fault of fondant recipe or buttercream fondant recipe, it is ME who couldn't make it right.

I believe the same recipe with come out in different results in different people, some works, some don't.

MMF is not only very easy to make and pliable enough, but it also covers my dummy cakes very well.  I have trouble covering dummy cakes with fondant BUT with MMF I have no problem at all!! 

Although I did try to make MMF before and it failed because (1) the MMF has bubbles in it; (2) when I keep it in the fridge, it becomes hard like stones.  So I chucked it in the bin.


Below are my Marshmallow Fondant (MMF) recipe:

You will need below and GREASED ALL WELL with CHOPA:

Heat proof bowl

Wooden spoon

Working surface

Cling Wrap

Ingredients:

1 package of 250 grams Marshmallows

2-4 tbsp of water

Olive Oil Cooking Spray

or Vegetable Shortening (i use "CHOPA" brand)

Food Coloring - if needed

Cocoa powder - for chocolate flavor

1/2 Glucose, or Glycerine

2 kgs of Icing Sugar Mixture - just prepare 2 kgs, you don't need all of it for 250 grams of Marshmallows

Method:

Place Marshmallows in a heatproof bowl, put 2 tbsp of water.

Melt Marshmallows in the microwave 30 seconds only depending your microwave.

Check after 15 seconds.

You might need to add another 2 tbsp if needed.

Do not "burn" the marshmallow.

Once melted, you can add flavoring or cocoa powder for chocolate flavor.

Add glucose or glycerine at this stage.

Then add sifted icing sugar mixture 1 cup at a time.

Stir well with greased well wooden spoon until the mixture come together like a dough.

Prepare your cleaned working surface by greasing it well with CHOPA.

Put half a cup of icing sugar mixture on top.

Then put the MMF on top.

Then top it again with half a cup of icing sugar mixture on top of MMF.

Greased you hands well with CHOPA.

Start kneading-in the icing mixture into the MMF.

The dough should be pliable like regular fondant.

Once the dough is not stick to your hands anymore,

that means the MMF is done.

Take a sheet of cling wrap that already greased well with CHOPA.

Put MMF in the middle of cling wrap, wrap it well and keep it in the air-tight container.

Storing MMF:

I just made this one

so I did not put it in the fridge like I did last time.

The next day, before I use it I try to knead it first, it was a bit hard then I put it in the microwave for 10 seconds only, then knead it again and it became pliable again.

From the chocolate MMF, 

I was able to try to make MMF flowers as in the picture.

I also make pink and white MMF,

both using the natural color from the marshmallow itself.

I hope the above recipe works for you too!

Enjoy  >^_^<

Sweet Treats

I have not been blogging for some time.  Been busy with sweet treats :)  In love with sweet treats :-)

Here are some pictures to share with you.

Wedding Cookies

Cowboy Theme Kid's Birthday Cookies

Cookie Pop Baby Shower

Baby Shower Cookie

Wedding Cake Balls

Wedding Cupcake Balls

Cupcakessssssss...

Mini Cake with Dog Topper

And... this is my husband mini tiered birthday cake :-)

**Hope you all have a great day today wherever you are in the world**