The Ultimate Chocolate Fudge Cake

This is basically the chocolate cake to end all chocolate cakes. This little treat has been my good old faithful to my business- the best seller & my go-to treat for birthdays. 

Ingredients (for a 6-inch cake):

1 cup all-purpose flour

1 tsp baking powder

3/4 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp instant coffee/espresso

1/2 cup white sugar

1/2 cup brown sugar

3/8 cup unsweetened cocoa powder 

1/2 cup whole/full cream milk

1/4 cup vegetable/canola oil

1 egg

1/2 tsp vanilla

1/2 cup boiling water

Method:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Sift flour.
3. Mix all dry ingredients together.
4. Mix all wet ingredients (except boiling water) and add mix with dry ingredients.
5. Separate the batter evenly into 2 or 3 greased 6-inch cake pans.
6. For 2 cake pans: bake for 25 mins; for 3 cake pans: are for 22 mins.
7. Frost however you like- in the pic, I filled it with buttercream, frosted it in ganache and added mini chocolate chips & Brazilian chocolate sprinkles (the flat sprinkles brigadeiros are coated in)

Funfetti Cupcakes

Nothing says birthday more than funfetti anything- cakes, cupcakes, macarons, you name it... While my best selling cake & cupcakes are hands down my chocolate fudge, my second best selling flavor is funfetti, especially when it comes to birthdays. But these treats can be used as edible Christmas gifts- all you have to do is use Christmas-themed sprinkles :) 

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cup cake flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
2 eggs
3/4 cup white sugar
1 cup heavy whipping cream
1 tsp vanilla
3/4 cup sprinkles of choice


Method:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Sift flour, baking powder & salt in a bowl.
3. Beat eggs and sugar until pale yellow & fluffy (won't reach stiff peaks)
4. Add heavy cream & vanilla and beat until well-incorporated.
5. Add dry ingredients in 2 batches until there are no lumps.
6. Line a cupcake tin with cupcake holders (you will get 12 to 16 cupcakes)
7. Use a standard ice cream scoop and scoop the batter into the cupcake tin (a little more than 3/4 of the way up is fine)
8. Bake for 16 to 18 mins and enjoy! (I usually do 17 mins)


Tips:
1. You can use my buttercream recipe to frost it with.
2. You can even add sprinkles to make it funfetti buttercream.
3. A cute idea for a birthday or a present is to core the centre of the cupcake & add lose sprinkles.

Sweet & Sour Chicken

When I think of Chinese food, the first thing that comes to mind is sweet & sour chicken. I judge all Chinese restaurants based on this dish. This determines whether I'd return or not. But when I can't get to a restaurant fast enough to satisfy my craving, I love making it. It's so simply and calls for ingredients you probably already have at home.

Ingredients:
1 lb boneless chicken breasts (cut into pieces as small or as large as you like- I like mine bite size)
Grind seasoning
1/2 cup corn starch
2 eggs
1/4 cup cider vinegar
1/4 cup water
1 tbsp soy sauce
1/4 cup ketchup
1/2 cup white sugar
1/2 cup pineapple chunks (canned is perfectly fine)
2 to 3 chopped chilis
1/4 cup portabello mushrooms
1 medium onion
1 garlic clove
Oil for frying and sautéing

Method:
Chicken:
1. Pour oil about 1/2 inch of oil in a sauce pan & turn on the heat.
2. Beat eggs in bowl.
3. Season chicken & make sure that all liquid is drained.
4. Coat chicken in corn starch.
5. Dip coated chicken in eggs.
6. Fry in oil (on low heat) until golden brown (takes about 5 mins total)


Sauce:
1. Sauté onions and mushrooms in about 1 tbsp of oil until soft.
2. Add chilis and garlic and sauté.
3. Add cider vinegar, soy sauce, ketchup and sugar and stir until sugar is dissolved.
4. Add pineapple chunks and stir until they're softened.
5. Add cooked chicken & make sure that every piece is coated with the sauce.
6. When sauce starts to simmer, turn off heat.
7. Serve with white rice, fried rice, noodles or on its own! :)


Tips:
1. You can add any veggies you'd like.
2. A good indication of when to turn off the heat is when the sauce is thicker than it was when you added the chicken.
3. If it still isn't as thick as you'd like, mix 1 tsp of corn starch with 1 tsp of water, add to sauce & stir.

Cannoli Chip & Dip

Very few things drive me crazier than having to fry cannoli shells and praying that they don't come apart, filling 25 small cannoli shells with the cannoli filling and stressing over if the shells lose their crunch because of the moisture... VERY few things. So to deal with this issue, I've found it easier to make it into cannoli chip and dip instead of the traditional tube (I'd occasionally make them the traditional way for esthetic purposes)


Cannoli Chips:
Ingredients:
1. 1 cup all purpose flour
2. 1 tbsp white sugar
3. 1 egg
4. 1 1/2 tbsp vegetable oil
5. 1/2 tsp white vinegar
6. 1/4 cup water
7. 1/4 tsp of cinnamon
8. Canola/vegetable oil for frying
OPTIONAL: 9. Cinnamon sugar for coating chips in while they're still hot.
OPTIONAL: 10. Powdered sugar for dusting.

Method:
1. Combine all ingredients together until thoroughly mixed. You may want to add more flour depending on how wet & sticky the dough is at this point.
2. Roll dough out on a generously floured surface until it is about 1/4 inch thick.
3. Cut touch as desired (I like cutting it in 3 inch rounds but you can cut it however large or small you'd like. You can even cut the entire rolled dough into triangular shaped-chips)
4. Fill frying pan with about 1 inch of oil and fry on low heat until chips are crispy and golden brown (about 45 seconds to 1 minute)
5. Drain on paper towel.
6. If desired, toss chips in cinnamon sugar as soon as they're fried.


Cannoli Dip: 
Ingredients:
1. 3/4 cup mascarpone cheese
2. 3/4 cup ricotta cheese
3. 2 tbsp heavy cream
4. 1/2 tsp vanilla
5. 3/4 to 1 cup powdered sugar
6. 1/4 cup mini chocolate chips

Method:
1. Strain ricotta in cheese cloth/strainer to get rid of any excess liquid.
2. Beat mascarpone, ricotta, heavy cream & vanilla together until thoroughly combined.
3. Add powdered sugar and beat until combined (you can add more or less powdered sugar according to how sweet you'd like it)
4. You can also use waffle cones broken up into little pieces if you don't want to make your own.
5. Fold mini chocolate chips into the mixture (you can add more or less)
6. Top with more chocolate chips.


Tips:
1. You can use this same dough recipe to make traditional cannoli. You'd just need more oil for frying & metal cannoli tubes. Can be found here
2. You can add whatever additional ingredients to the dip such as pistachios (common in traditional Italian cannoli), other nuts, candied fruit peel etc.
3. Traditionally, cannoli are made with ricotta so you can use 1 1/2 cups if you can't find or don't want to use mascarpone.

Brownie Cake Pops

While I no longer make these for order, I still do enjoy making as gifts or for get togethers! These petite, bite-sized pops will let you indulge without having to feel guilty (even if you eat a dozen in one sitting)

Ingredients:
1 brownie recipe (you can use any recipe you like. My brownie recipe )
Chocolate chips/candy melts
Toppings of choice (sprinkles, mini chocolate chips, chocolate flakes etc)

*You will need a sturdy piece of styrofoam, a cake pop stand or a tray lined with parchment paper to let finished pops set*

Method:
1. Separate baked brownie into even parts (I usually do 25 segments from a 9X9 pan, but you can do it as little or as big as you like- as long as the stick can support the weight)
2. Cut into even parts.
3. Roll each piece into a ball and chill in the fridge for about 15 mins.
4. Melt a little bit of chocolate, dip stick into it and stick into the formed ball. If you get any crakcs, simply press the brownie ball together to seal them.
5. Refrigerate for 15 mins.
6. Melt chocolate over double boiler (add any flavorless oil according to consistency)
7. Once the melted chocolate is cooled and brownie balls are chilled, gently dip the naked cake pops into the chocolate and gently tap off the excess (key word: GENTLY)
8. Set onto styrofoam, stand or parchment paper to set. They should harden in air conditioning but you can stick them in the fridge.
9. If adding toppings, let pops set for 5 mins before coating them as the toppings can slide off.

S'mores No-Machine Ice Cream

I am probably the least patient person in the entire universe (with a love for ice cream), so making it using the traditional method obviously does NOT cut it for me. Inspired by one of my favourite YouTubers, Gemma Stafford of Bigger Bolder Baking, I created my own version of this no-machine ice cream that tastes like I spent hours slaving over it. S'mores is one of my favourite variations to it but you can literally make any flavour you like!


Ingredients:
1 pint (1 cup) of heavy whipping cream
1 tin of sweetened condensed milk
1 cup of mini marshmallows
1/2 cup mini chocolate chips/regular chocolate chips/chocolate chunks/chopped chocolate
3 T cup graham cracker crumbs (you can also break the whole cracker into pieces)

Method:
1. Whip cream until stiff peaks form (be sure not to over-beat as it will turn into butter)
2. Once whipped, add condensed milk and whip until it is fully incorporated into cream.
3. Gently fold marshmallows, chocolate and graham crackers into batter.
4. Put into freezer friendly/ice-cream friendly containers and freeze for at least 6 hours.
5. Scoop, serve & enjoy! :)

Tips:
1. Chilling the mixing bowl and whisk attachment will help in ensuring that your cream properly whips.
2. You can add as little or as many add-ins as you like (my favourite is marshmallows)

Assembly of a Chocolate Fenced Cake

Ingredients:
Any long chocolate of choice (Cadbury fingers- pictured, Kit Kat, Cadbury Bark etc)
A cake
Frosting
Anything you'd like to fill the cake with

Specific to the picture: 
>I used an 2 8 inch layers of my chocolate cake for this tutorial & ended up using 2 1/2 packs of cadbury fingers.
>I used an entire recipe of my chocolate buttercream frosting (4 sticks of butter)
>I filled the cake with some thick chocolate fudge between the layers.
>I finished it off with a dusting of silver edible glitter.


Method:
1. Level cakes, fill with chocolate fudge & stack.
2. Crumb coat your stacked cake & freeze for 15 minutes.
3. Add another layer of frosting. You don't have to be PERFECT with this layer as the chocolate fingers will cover any imperfections, but don't be TOO untidy at the same time.
4. Immediately add fingers until the entire perimeter of the cake is covered.
5. Secure them by tying a bow its perimeter, ensuring that fingers cannot move, but not too tight that they break.
6. Fill as desired- In the picture, I did a classic buttercream rosette with a Wilton 1M tip and finished it off with some edible silver glitter.

Tips:
1. Freeze the chocolate you'll be using around the perimeter- it makes it much easier to handle and will not melt with the heat of your hands that easily.
2. You can literally fill it with whatever you want- chocolate chips, Reese's Pieces, edible glitter, cookies, chocolate truffles, macarons etc

Funnel Cake

I like to call this the "American Galebi". Reminiscent of the carefree, worry-free, stress-free days spent at Disney, I make this whenever the Orlando travel bug bites but I can't hop on a flight. PS: They take JUST like waffles- only fried! *insert heart face emoji*


Ingredients:
1 3/4 cups milk
2 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
2 eggs
1/4 cup white sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1 tbsp baking powder
1 tsp vanilla
Vegetable/canola oil for frying

Method:
1. Mix all dry ingredients.
2. Mix all wet ingredients.
3. Add wet to dry & mix until well-combined until there are no lumps.
4. Pour into ketchup bottle or any bottle with a thin tip (but big enough so batter can easily come out- I cut a little more off of the tip of the ketchup bottle)
5. Pour into oil in circles, starting small & gradually creating bigger loops.
6. Fry until golden-brown (about 2 minutes) & flip. Fry for another 1 1/2 to 2 minutes.
7. Drain on paper towel.
8. Dress as desired! I love a generous dusting of powdered sugar but you can do anything from caramel to chocolate sauce to Nutella to jelly!


Tips:
1. Minis make lovely treats for a tea party or for gifts.
2. The first one (similarly with pancakes & waffles) is usually the worst- feel free to discard!
3. You can freeze the uneaten funnel cakes & toast just like you would prepare frozen waffles.

Pineapple Watermelon Smoothie Bowl

This is really just a fancy way of eating (or drinking) healthy... Smoothies can look & feel boring but this new craze is all over Instagram & Pinterest & has reinvented the classic smoothie. You can literally use whatever you want. My absolute favorite smoothie has always been my pineapple watermelon one as it combines two of my favorite things: pineapple and watermelon... Here's how I make it:


Ingredients:
1/2 cup fresh pineapple juice
1/2 cup diced watermelon
1 banana
1 cup ice (add less ice if you'll be using any frozen fruit)

Toppings:
Blueberries
Diced watermelon
Banana slices
Chia seeds



Method:
1. Put all ingredients into a blender & blend until smooth. You may want to add more liquid or ice according to desired consistency.
2. Pour smoothie into bowl and arrange toppings. You can be as simple or as fancy as you like.


Tips:
1. If the smoothie isn't sweet enough, you can always add honey to the smoothie itself or drizzle some on top after you add your toppings.
2. Note that the smoothie will need to be thicker than the normal "drinking" consistency so that toppings won't sink.

Chocolate Buttercream

Ingredients (frosts a 2 layer, 8 inch cake in rosettes or approximately 30 cupcakes in rosettes):
1. 4 sticks of unsalted butter (room temperature)
2. 4 to 4 1/2 cups of powdered sugar
3. 1/2 cup of unsweetened cocoa powder
4. 1 tsp vanilla
5. 1 tbsp milk/cream (optional)

Method:
1. Beat butter until slightly paler than original colour.
2. Add powdered sugar, 1 cup at a time until 4 cups are added, beating thoroughly after each addition.
3. Add cocoa powder & beat until well-combined.
3. According to consistency, you may want to add some more powdered sugar.
4. Add vanilla.
5. If additional powdered sugar makes it too stiff, add milk or cream if needed.


Tips:
1. Make sure the butter isn't on the verge of melting.
2. "Room temperature" means that the butter can be easily beaten but still has a chill to it and can hold its shape.
3. Butter that's too "liquidy" will absorb the powdered sugar and won't reach pipe-able consistency.
4. Poorly handled butter can make or break your buttercream.
5. Good buttercream starts with good butter! =)
6. Making it with the air conditioning on helps a great deal with the consistency.
7. You can always add more or less cocoa powder depending on how chocolatey you want your buttercream. Just adjust the powdered sugar to suit.


Follow these steps and you're guaranteed to end up with amazing chocolate buttercream every time! :)

French Macaron Shells

These finicky little cookies are what made my little dessert business so successful. Being one of the best sellers, I can safely say that practice makes (almost) perfect. They may give you a migraine, but once you get them right you'll feel accomplished & determined to perfect them. They're very versatile & make lovely gifts & favours. At the end of the post, I've included a YouTube video I did which shows each step of the process. DISCLAIMER: The video was shot with my iPhone 6S & is definitely NOT professional. Enjoy! :)



Ingredients:
1. 1 1/2 cup powdered sugar
2. 1 1/8 cup almond flour
3. 3 large egg whites
4. 6 tbsp white sugar

Method:
1. Sift powdered sugar & almond flour together. Set aside.
2. Whip egg whites, starting on low speed & gradually increasing the speed to the highest.
3. When egg whites start to form foam, start adding white sugar (in 2 batches)
4. Continue whipping until stiff peaks are formed, but not too stiff as they make it difficult to fold & may result in hollow macarons with very big, ugly feet.
5. Once egg whites are properly whipped, fold dry ingredients into the meringue in 2 batches, gently folding but making sure to take some air out of the whipped egg whites.
6. Continue folding until batter starts settling within itself in about 5 seconds. If nothing happens after 5 seconds of leaving batter alone, continue folding.
7. Once properly folded, pour batter into a piping bag fitted with a round tip (my favourite is the Wilton #12)
8. Lay stencil on baking tray (optional) & rest a sheet of parchment paper on top.
9. Pipe macarons onto baking sheet.
10. Remove stencils & secure parchment paper to baking sheet by placing a tiny bit of batter on each corner to glue them together.
11. Either hit the bottom of the tray with your bare hands until air bubbles are popped & peaks are gone or drop the tray on a flat, strong surface.
12. Bake at 300 degrees F for 16 to 19 minutes.
13. Fill & enjoy!


Tips:
1. Practice makes perfect!
2. The "perfect" meringue consistency for me is when the whipped egg white mixture forms a little curl when held straight. It should not topple over & melt back into the meringue on the beater.
3. In my experience, I get the best results making them in air conditioning. This helps the meringue whip nicely & assists in forming a skin & making them on a rainy day is no issue as humidity is their worst enemy.
4. When filled, letting them sit for 24 hours allows them to moisten & this is when they're at their best!
5. Don't be discouraged if you don't get it right the first time :)

Creme Brûlée

I refer to this as "gluten free" in an attempt to make myself feel less guilty for indulging. The hardest part of this recipe is waiting for it to bake and cool before eating. It's a regular for me since I'm always left with numerous lonely egg yolks because of all the french macarons I make (which only require egg whites) 

Ingredients:
1. 3 egg yolks
2. 2 1/2 tbsp castor sugar
3. 1 cup heavy whipping cream
4. 1/2 tsp vanilla
OPTIONAL: 5. 1/4 vanilla bean or 1/4 tsp vanilla bean paste
6. White sugar for crust

Method:
1. Whisk yolks and castor sugar together. Set aside.
2. Boil cream and vanillas on medium heat.
3. Temper egg yolk mixture into heated cream mixture by quickly whisking about a tablespoon of the hot cream into the egg yolks & sugar.
4. Add tempered egg mixture into cream mixture and whisk until sugar is fully dissolved.
5. Pour into ramekins.
6. Place ramekins in a tray that's at least the height of the ramekins.
7. Carefully pour boiling hot water into tray until it is about 3/4 of the way up the ramekins.
8. Bake for 45 to 50 mins at 300 degrees F.
9. Before serving (making sure that they're cooled), sprinkle about 1 tsp of white sugar on each custard and spread evenly.
10. Broil on high for about 3 mins until tops are caramelized. Or use a blow torch.
11. Let sit at room temperature (in air conditioning is ideal) for about 10 mins before serving.


Tips:
1. Babysit when broiling as different ovens may produce different results.
2. I use small ramekins, which makes 4-6 creme brûlées, so servings will differ according to the size ramekins you make.
3. Cooking time will more or less will be the same unless you use a very high ramekin and fill it to capacity.
4. You'll know that your custards are baked when they don't jiggle.

Vanilla Bean Mascarpone Tart

The epitome of a dessert that looks & sounds fancy but really doesn't take that much effort, time or fancy ingredients to make. 

Sweet Pastry Crust

Ingredients:

1. 1/2 cup (1 stick) room temperature butter

2. 1/4 cup white sugar

3. 1 egg

4. 1 1/2 cup all purpose flour

5. 1/4 tsp salt

Method:

1. Sift flour & salt together. Set aside.

2. Cream butter & sugar.

3. Add egg & beat until fully combined.

4. Beat sifted dry ingredients into butter mixture in 2 batches.

5. Press dough into an 8 or 9 inch tart pan (I prefer the non-stick ones with the removable bottoms. No need to butter the pan as the dough contains enough butter to comfortably be removed)

6. Poke holes in the crust before baking in order to prevent it from puffing up while baking.

7. Bake at 400 degrees F for 5 minutes. 

Vanilla Bean Mascarpone Filling 

Ingredients:

1. 1/2 cup mascarpone

2. 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream

3. 1 vanilla bean or 1 tsp vanilla bean paste

4. 2 to 3 tbsp white sugar (I usually do 2 1/2 tbsp)

Method:
1. Add all ingredients to chilled bowl and beat on high until filling is whipped & fluffy. Be careful not to over-whip as this can turn the mixture into butter.


Assembly
1. Brush the base of the cooled pastry tart with any jam of choice. Although the filling isn't liquidy, still do this to ensure that the holes made with the forks are filled.
2. Add whipped filling to cooled pastry tart.
3. Top however you like. My favourite way to serve this is with sliced strawberries & a sprinkle of powdered sugar (as seen in picture)


Vanilla bean paste: https://www.amazon.com/Nielsen-Massey-Madagascar-Bourbon-Vanilla/dp/B003L259AU/ref=sr_1_1_s_it?s=grocery&ie=UTF8&qid=1478618936&sr=1-1&keywords=vanilla+bean+paste

Waffles

One of my favourite things in the whole entire world is hotel breakfast buffets. My favourite part (and my favourite breakfast dish overall) has always been the waffles! I'm almost more excited about the rotating waffle maker and the light, crispy waffles than the actual vacation or outing (I'm still like this even though I now own one of them) Making them takes me back to vacations and how excited I feel to start the day! My version is almost identical so I hope you enjoy and try to recreate it!


Ingredients:
1. 2 cups all purpose flour
2. 1 tsp salt
3. 4 tsp baking powder
4. 2 tbsp white sugar
5. 2 eggs
6. 1 1/2 cups warm whole/full cream milk
7. 1/3 cup melted butter
8. 1 1/2 tsp vanilla

Method:
1. Preheat waffle iron to desired temperature. This will differ for different brands of waffle makers (I use one by Oster and turn it on the highest temperature as I like my waffles as crispy as can be)
2. Mix flour, salt, baking powder and sugar and set aside.
3. Melt butter in sauce pan over low/medium heat. Low if you can't babysit it; medium if you can monitor it (you don't wanna end up with brown butter)
4. Heat milk in a sauce pan on low heat until any coldness or chill has gone away (do NOT bring to a boil)
5. Lightly beat eggs & add milk, butter and sugar. Stir all together quickly to ensure that the slightly heated milk doesn't scramble the eggs.
6. Pour batter into waffle iron until grids are full, but do not overfill!  
7. When timer goes off, gently remove waffle onto cooling rack or plate if it will be eaten immediately .
8. Serve with whatever toppings you like! (My personal favourites are maple syrup, strawberries & whipped cream)

Tips:
1. Read the instructions for your waffle iron carefully and thoroughly.
2. Put waffles on a cooling rack if you won't be eating them immediately as putting them onto a plate will cause the bottom to become soggy.
3. They're freezer friendly! Toast them just like you'd toast store-bought waffles :)
4. You can make numerous variations by adding your favourite things to the batter. I love making chocolate chip, blueberry, strawberry, nutella & apple cinnamon variations!


Waffle iron I use: https://www.amazon.com/Oster-CKSTWFBF10WC-ECO-DuraCeramic-Waffle-Maker/dp/B00GDBU4Q0/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1478489678&sr=8-2&keywords=oster+waffle+maker

Chocolate Covered Oreos

This past Valentines' Day, I decided to offer chocolate covered oreos for order. Surprisingly, their demand was almost as high as my chocolate covered strawberries! (See http://asmdesserts.blogspot.com/2016/10/chocolate-covered-strawberries.html for recipe and instructions for my chocolate covered strawberries)

As a result, these were keepers as the ingredients are literally always readily available! *happy dance emoji*

Ingredients:
1. 1 cup of chocolate chips/melting chocolate of choice (white, dark, milk, semi-sweet, bittersweet etc)
2. 1 tbsp vegetable/canola oil. N.B. I usually use semi-sweet chocolate so this is the amount of oil required for it!
3. 10-12 Oreos
OPTIONAL: 4. Toppings of choice (sprinkles, mini chocolate chips, edible glitter, chocolate flakes etc)

Special tools needed:
1. Oreo mould.
Can be found here: https://amazon.com/Plain-Cookie-Chocolate-candy-party/dp/B007N75XEG/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1478223615&sr=8-2&keywords=oreo+mold


Method:
1. Melt chocolate over double boiler (method in Chocolate Covered Strawberries post linked above)
2. Let cool a little before handling.
3. If adding toppings, add toppings into mould, making sure to cover the base.
4. Fill moulds about a third of the way up with melted chocolate.
5. Add Oreo to mould, slightly pressing into chocolate but not letting the Oreos touch the bottom of the mould as they can show through (aesthetic purposes!)
6. Fill the rest of the mould with the melted chocolate, making sure not to overfill them!
7. Gently pick up the mould and drop on a flat surface for the tops (which will be the bottom of the finished products) to ensure that they're as smooth as possible & to ensure that no air bubbles are snuggled throughout.
8. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
9. Remove finished cookies from the mould by gently popping them out (no worries, the mould will get back to its normal shape!)
10. Drizzle with more chocolate if desired!

Tips:
1. Depending on the type of chocolate you'll be using, you may need to use more or less oil. For example, white chocolate will require more oil whereas dark chocolate won't require as much.
2. You can use any cookie of choice as long as it fits the mould. Feel free to get creative!

Fool-Proof Classic American Buttercream

One of my most requested and no-fail recipes is my classic American buttercream. It's perfectly pipe-able & I swear by it for my rosette cakes (pictured)



Ingredients (frosts a 2 layer, 8 inch cake in rosettes or approximately 30 cupcakes in rosettes):
1. 4 sticks of unsalted butter (room temperature)
2. 4 to 5 cups of powdered sugar.
3. 1 tsp vanilla.
4. 1 tbsp milk/cream (optional)

Method:
1. Beat butter until slightly paler than original colour.
2. Add powdered sugar, 1 cup at a time until 4 cups are added, beating thoroughly after each addition.
3. According to consistency, you may want to add another cup.
4. Add vanilla.
5. If additional cup makes it too stiff, add milk or cream if needed.
OPTIONAL: 6. Add food coloring if desired. Gel is best as it won't mess with the consistency.

Tips:
1. Make sure the butter isn't on the verge of melting.
2. "Room temperature" means that the butter can be easily beaten but still has a chill to it and can hold its shape.
3. Butter that's too "liquidy" will absorb the powdered sugar and won't reach pipe-able consistency.
4. Poorly handled butter can make or break your buttercream.
5. Good buttercream starts with good butter! =)
6. Making it with the air conditioning on helps a great deal with the consistency.


Follow these steps and you're guaranteed to end up with amazing buttercream every time! :)

Assembly Of A Drip Cake

Drip cakes seem to be the new fad in the cake industry over the past couple of months. I've gotten jobs for everything from birthdays to weddings to baby showers. So easy to make yet guaranteed to startle everyone (in a good way!)

Items required:
1. Cake of choice (I used 2 6" rounds of my chocolate cake~ recipe coming soon)
2. Frosting of choice (I used good ole American buttercream)
3. Melted chocolate (I melted chocolate chips over a double boiler and added more oil than I would if I were using it to coat strawberries. Fluidity & seamlessness are important!)
4. Toppings of choice (I used Kinder Bueno, Cadbury Fingers, Ferrero Roche, Hershey's Kisses, Oreos & chocolate flakes for this particular cake)

Optional:
5. Chocolate fudge (I cannot make a chocolate cake without filling it with this. It's 1 cup of semi-sweet chocolate chips melted over a double boiler with 1/2 cup heavy cream)


Method:
1. Frost cake.

• This is the basis for our drip cake. Here, we will layer our cakes by spreading a thin but thorough layer of frosting & then a ring of frosting. 
• We'll then put our chocolate fudge in the middle & add the other layer on top. 
• Then, we have to give it a crumb coat, which is just a thin layer of frosting on the entire cake, which will make application of the final layer much easier. 
• Once crumb coat is applied, stick the cake in the freezer for about 15 minutes. 
• Then the second & final layer of frosting is applied, making sure that it's as smooth as possible. 
• Lastly, stick the properly frosted cake in the freezer for another 10 minutes. This will simply prevent the frosting from becoming distorted as we work on the rest of the process. 

2. Add drips. 

• Using the COOLED chocolate & oil contraption, pour a generous amount (but not too much) on to the top of your cake. 
• Using a teaspoon or an offset spatula, guide ganache to the edges of the cake, creating organic drips. 
• To fill in any gaps, take some of the remaining chocolate mixture with a spoon & pour where more drips are needed. 

3. Add toppings. 

• Here is where we have to be extra careful. 
• While assembling the cake is a crucial part in ensuring its durability & stability, adding too much, too heavy & poor positioning of toppings can also ruin the cake. 
• Strategically & carefully place toppings as desired!

Feel free to use whatever flavour cake, type of frosting & toppings you like!

*Demo video coming soon*

Roasted Garlic Vegetable Alfredo

Being as obsessed with the Italian culture as I am (I blame Giada De Laurentiis), I easily became enamored with Alfredo. Not being a huge fan of the local takes on it, I set out to master it to my liking. Please note that I am not Italian, nor have I ever visited Italy (yet), so this is simply my version of the classic Italian dish.

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cup penne pasta (my personal favorite)
1 cup heavy cream
1 cup + 1/4 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
2 garlic cloves (boiled or roasted)
1/4 stick of butter
1/4 cup corn kernels
1/4 cup mushrooms


Method:
1. Boil pasta with garlic cloves
2. When pasta is boiled until the Al Dente stage, drain & mash garlic cloves. Set aside.
3. Sauté corn and mushrooms in butter.
4. Add mashed garlic cloves to vegetables & sauté
5. Add cream
6. Add 1 cup of cheese & stir until melted
7. Add pasta to sauce, making sure all pieces are coated
8. Garnish with remaining parmesan cheese if desired
9. Serve hot & enjoy!

Chocolate Covered Strawberries

The Mothers' Day, Fathers' Day, Valentine's Day bestseller, chocolate covered strawberries are one of the easiest desserts to make. These were one of the first desserts I offered, and one of the most-loved by my clients. Besides being the least time-consuming, they're also one of the most appreciated. This is my go-to treat for get togethers, presents & just to have as a random snack. At the end is a video of how I make my chocolate strawberries. Disclaimer: It is NOT professional and was recorded with my iPhone 6S. 



Ingredients:
1 cup semi sweet chocolate chips
1 1/2 teaspoons canola oil (any flavourless oil will work)
12 to 18 strawberries (washed, drained & pat-dried) 
Toppings of choice (I used mini semi sweet chocolate chips (Ghirardelli), sprinkles & edible glitter in the video)

Utensils: 
Small pot (for double boiler)
Small/medium heat resistant bowl (for double boiler) 
Spatula/whisk
Toothpicks
Baking tray
Parchment paper 
Small/medium bowls according to quantity (to make dipping berries into bigger toppings like mini chocolate chips & big sprinkles easier)

Tips: 
1. Make sure water in pot doesn't touch bowl. This can scorch chocolate & cause it to burn or seize.
2. Start on low heat, especially if you're a beginner as this can also scorch chocolate & cause it to burn or seize.
3. Make sure bowl is dry, any excess moisture can also mess with the consistency of the chocolate
4. Experiment with different chocolate brands to get to know which ones work right for you. Different ones may be perfect for you for different purposes. For example, Hershey's chocolate chips are best for coating strawberries for me whereas Hershey's & Nestle make the best chocolate fudge. Wilton Candy Melts are best for coating cake pops & truffles & as a chocolate drizzle.

Fudgey Chocolate Chip Brownies

A couple years ago, I became utterly obsessed with baking. I've always been into cooking & baking  as a little girl, but the art of both REALLY started pulling at my heartstrings when I religiously indulged in them while under stress at University. One of the first & most faithful dishes was my fudgey chocolate chip brownies. 

What I truly love about these brownies is their potential to evolve. I turn them up a notch (which you will see in a couple of weeks), use it for cake balls, cake pops and brownie bites (which I always include in my Christmas menu) or just serve as is. 

I've also included a YouTube video I created showing the step-by-step process. Disclaimer: It is definitely not professional and I used my iPhone 6S to record. 

So here goes! 

Ingredients you will need:

1/2 cup granulated sugar

2/3 cup brown sugar

2 eggs

1/2 tsp vanilla

1 1/2 sticks (3/4 cup) butter (melted)

2 tbsp water

3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

3/4 cup + 1 tbsp all-purpose flour

1/2-3/4 cup semi-sweet chocolate chunks/chocolate chips/chopped chocolate bar

350 degrees; 32 mins; 8X8 greased square pan lined with parchment paper

Method:

1. Mix sugars, water, eggs & vanilla. 
2. Slowly add melted butter while whisking (in order not to scramble the eggs; I personally like adding the melted butter right off the stove/still warm as it helps melt the sugars and makes for a smoother texture)
3. Gently fold in cocoa powder until incorporated.
4. Gently fold in flour until incorporated.
5. Add to prepared pan & bake for 30-32 mins. 
6. Wait until brownies are fully chilled before cutting.

Tips:

1. I like my brownies firm & fudgey with a little body to them. If you prefer gooey, 28 to 29 mins will do.
2. Semi-sweet chocolate works perfect for me as there’s already a lot of sugar in the recipe, but feel free to use whatever chocolate you’d like! White, milk, dark, a mixture etc… 
3. Chilling before cutting results in smooth, clean, crisp pieces. 
4. I like them best after resting for at least 24 hours.