November Classes

Email me at katsncakes@gmail.com for registration. Class venue is in Hougang

Cookies & Treats

Baking Class • 16 Oct 2010 • 2.30pm • Hougang • $45

For registration email katsncakes@gmail.com or call 63879534

I'll be repeating this class, as many demanded for it after seeing these photos on my FB.

The first class was in July 2010, a collection of exquisite cookies for Aidilfitri. They will be great for tea sessions or the coming festive celebrations, Aidiladha or Christmas.

There will be 5 recipes for this class, and I will give tips on creating other variations.

Zesty Almond Slices

Perles ChocBalls. A melt-in-the-mouth yet crunchy cookie.

Nutella Crumble Bars

Pistache Brunsli. Traditional flourless cookie with spice and pistachios.

Cashew Nougat

Wedding Couture at Furama Hotel

In July, I participated in Wedding Couture Exhibition. With the help of friends, Haryani from Cakez n'Such and Hasnah of Bakerinasoven, we had amazing diplays of Wedding Cakes.

On sale too - cheesecakes, tartlets, brownies and swiss rolls.

Bandung Best

The reason I would go Bandung again, is Kampung Daun. It's a culture gallery and cafe, which serves delicious Indonesian cuisine.

Dendeng (sliced beef fried with chilli) is a must order.

Cosy ambience at little huts where you will be served your meals.
Admire the waiters and waitresses going up and down the hill carrying loads of dishes.

Alon Alon Indonesia

I love Indonesia for everything she has to offer. The glorious food, great shopping and breathtaking sceneries. It's my favourite Asian country.

Anywhere I dine, I will surely order the 'fried bananas' if its available on the menu.

The 'pisang goreng', as the Indonesians called it, comes in may shapes, and usually served with sauces like honey, chocolate or caramel.

Simply creative - a ladybird-shaped strawberry, which was served with the pisang goreng at Dapur Sunda Restaurant, in South Jakarta.

Wong Solo Restaurant in South Jakarta.

This place served the best 'Ayam Penyet' and 'Ayam Bakar'. Its 'chilli sambal' gives a distinct flavour.

Aboard the Argo Gede train from Bandung to Jakarta. Its a 3 hour ride, with magnificent views.

Inspiring

Its when you inspire others, and they inspire you back..these words gave me the inspiration to teach as sincerely because knowledge is to be shared. Alhamdulillah.

Salam Chef Salwa,

Saya Nor'ain yang mengikuti kelas membuat tarts tempoh hari. Ain amat kagum anda tidak lokek dalam mengajar. Ini pertama kali ain datang belajar dengan anda dan juga pertama kali belajar sambil buat 'hands-on'. Syabas! Ain sangat gembira. Tambahan pula kami buat tarts dgn teamwork.Dari situ dpt juga kawan baru. Ain memang sudah lama tak pergi belajar memasak ataupun buat kek dirumah buat sekian lama kerana keadaan belum mengizinkan.

Ain sedang mencuba-cuba resipi yg diberikan,insyaALLAH ain ingin pula menjualnya agar dapat membantu keluarga.Terima kasih, semuga ALLAH berkati anda sekeluarga.

Sekian,
Ain (9May2010)

ps: Ain ada lampirkan gambar yg diambil semasa belajar. Boleh forwardkan email ini pada Mami Asmah kerana saya lupa minta email addressnya.
Sampaikan salam ain pada Mami Asmah.Nasihat mami akan ain ingati.Semuga ain akan semakin pandai dlm masakan seperti Mami Asmah & Chef Salwa. Terima kasih.

"Salwah..u conducted the class very well. Lots of info and the sharing of info/experience was awsome!! To me that's how cooking classes should be conducted, it shows your professionalism. Congrats."

Mami Asmah Laili, 2 May 2010

Petit Sucre

We had this wonderful class on 1st May 2010. Petit sucré means sweet and small in French. Tartlets as I've titled it for the class.

I'm quite certain, most who came mainly with the intention of learning the Blueberry Cheese Tartlets. It is one of the most popular tarts now and can be seen served at most wedding ceremonies and kenduris. There's even some stalls in Johor Bahru dedicated to selling these blueberry tarts.

My recipe version is infused with Valrhona Ivoire 35% White Chocolate.

As for the pastries, they are of the conventional recipe, using butter. Thus the running to & fro the fridge is

a common scene when making these tarts but all the effort is really

worth it, as these tarts boast of crunchiness and buttery flavour.

These tarts can also be made in bigger tart pans.

Fruit Tartlets topped with luscious strawberries, peaches and grapes.

These are Mami Asmah Laili's favourite and this what she has to say about the class:

"Yum..yum...today I had the Introductory Cooking class, so I shared with some of the participants and told them what a wonderful time I had yesterday, and explained why we need to attend such classes that you conduct, to expand our cooking/baking skills.. Thanks so Salwah. Luv u!!!"

These are my favourite. Caramel Pecan Tartlets. The unique flavour

comes from beurre noisette (brown butter). These tartlets will keep

longer and can be reheated.

In the bonus recipes, Egg Tartlets.

Almond Crunchy Streusels. Crunchy as its name.

Homemade Ice Cream 15 May

This Saturday, I'l be having a class on Homemade Icecream. Fresh ingredients and no ice-cream machine is needed to make these flavourful icecreams.

Durian Ice Cream Cake. This is a hit for any birthday parties or functions. Once, I brought it to office, and instantly got four orders! The durian pulps are obvious from this photo.

Among other recipes, Oreo Ice Cream is also a favourite among previous participants who had attended this class. Also in the recipe pack - Chocolate Ice Cream and Strawberry Swirl Ice Cream. Ideas will also be shared to turn these ice creams into cakes and serve with Chocolate Sauce (in the recipe too). I may try to include one or two bonus ice cream recipes for the class.

To register for this class, email to katsncakes@gmail.com

Lazatnya...Recipes of Love

A memorable night indeed! 16th April at Mandarin Orchard.

President S R Nathan and all well known chefs - Chef Bob, Chef Amri, Siti Mastura, Madam Mumtaj and many others, also representatives from Turkish Embassy, Indonesian Embassy, Thailand Embassy and Egypt Embassy were there to celebrate LBKM's 45th Anniversary. In conjuction with their anniversary and as a donation drive, they launched a cookbook 'Lazatnya...Recipes of Love', with Mami Asmah Laili being the consultant for the book.

There are over 70 recipes, including one from President's Istana.

At the dinner, we were served Fried Tom Yam Chicken, a recipe from the Istana, as one of the course. I simply loved it! It was crispy, with the spicy flavour of Tom Yam.

Being once an LBKM scholar, it's time I give back. This was the happiest moment in my baking life to be able to contribute to the book and to be part of the celebration.

I had four of my best recipes in the book.

Orange and Lime Custard Cake

- the chiffon sponge was taught at my Chiffon Cake Class, 3 weeks ago.But for the book, I had adorned it with Orange and Lime Custard. Refreshing!

Pastri Serunding Ayam & Cheese

- my favourite recipe in the book.

Cranberry Chocolate Cakelet

- a taste-alike of my favourite coffee bean cake

Chocolate Walnut Tarlets

For those who will be attending my classes this week, the books will be available for sale.

InsyaAllah, Mami Asmah Laili will be there to autograph the books. Each book is $30 each.

The Best of Butter Cakes

I love butter cakes. Dense, moist, rich and buttery.

For the class on Best Butter Cakes, 24 April 2010, I will share tips on creaming method, ingredients and flavouring variations which will result in different textures of butter cake.

This would be one class (apart from the Chiffon & Sponge Cake class), where I'll explain in thorough about mixing and ingredients, also the fundamentals of butter cakes.

One of the recipes I'm so much looking forward to demo

is the Lemon Cheese Bluberry Cake. It has a velvety

texture, thanks to the fresh milk and cheese combination,

and a tangy flavour of lemon and blueberry.

Baked in loaf pans, the ingredients gave the cake a

luxury golden colour, which I love most.

There will be 3 more recipes demonstrated, and

2 bonus recipes.

I'l try to post preview on these recipes next week.

To register for the Best Butter Cakes class, email

to katsncakes@gmail.com

Of brownies and chocolates

The recipe pack for the Brownies & Chocolate Desserts class,

10th April 2010, will be all chocolate and only chocolate.

The four recipes boast pure chocolate flavour, using

mainly Valrhona chocolates.

As of now, I have just over 12 participants for this class,

but since its a demo class, I would be able to take in a

few more names, so do email me quick at

katsncakes@gmail.com to register.

What's a chocolate menu without a brownie

I will be demonstrating 2 brownie recipes - one in the cupcake version,

and the other a cheesecake version.

The latter, Brownie Cheesecake, has a fudgy brownie bottom

and a cheesecake layer on top. For the fudgy brownie fans,

Indulge in a rich chocolate loaded brownie, by baking

just the bottom crust and omitting the cheese layer.

It's a 2-in-1 recipe, yummy enough with or without

one or the other.

The Brownie Cupcake has a velvety texture and rich with deep

chocolate flavour. It has the flavour of chocolate cake and a brownie

crust at the same time. The crusty top keeps the chocolate texture

underneath moist and fudgy.

I would prefer to minimalise the frosting to be just sitting at the

centre of the cupcake, so as not to rob the rich chocolate

flavour underneath.

Of the four recipe, I would say the most challenging would be

Molten Chocolate Cake. Not that it was the most difficult, but it need

2 methods to achieve the perfect molten state.

A bit of history, the Molten Chocolate cake is the most disputed

dessert with famous chefs claiming rights to the invention of the cake.

It is an underbaked chocolate cake, resulting with chocolate

pudding-like centre. It now is a popular dessert, listed on

most restaurants' menu and comes with several names -

(Lava cake, Chocolate Fondant, Warm Chocolate cake).

I prefer the name 'molten' which describes it well - liquified

by heating.

Molten Chocolate cakes are best served warm. The batter can be

prepared in advance and kept for a few hours or up to a day in

the fridge, and requires just a short baking time, so as to preserve

the molten centres.

I use Valrhona 62% for the Molten cakes. Any lower percentage

chocolate, would risk it being a bit too sweet and lost its

chocolatey-goodness flavour.