2016 encapsulated (late post)

I know I was on that “now you see her-now you don’t” status the whole of 2016 that at times I asked myself if I’m ever going to be back or if this blog is still worth keeping when I haven’t done updates regularly.  There are really things so hard to let go off- the way I hoard certain stuff because of emotional attachment to them and so it’s safe to say I am emotionally attached to this blog that I am not ready to close it.  I know, I am more visible in my Instagram account but still there are times when I want to talk more lengthily about my food; this is something I do more for my own satisfaction and I just know I will be back somehow so here I am with some of my best creations and what-nots of 2016 in a capsule. 

TIMPANO- It was six years ago when I made this last.  I even bought an original timpano pan online thinking I'd be making the dish often and the first couple of times, I used a Pyrex bowl which is pretty small.  So I bought a big one because I knew in my heart that I'd be serving a big crowd.  So for New Year's Eve, I made this- all 7 cups of flour for the crust plus the usual ingredients: assorted cheeses; meatballs, Italian sausages, hard boiled eggs, pasta, red sauce, bechamel sauce and beaten eggs. I’m pretty sure I bought a big enough tray for the size of my timpani bowl but because I never really used it- it was nowhere in sight when I needed it.  We ended up using a cake box wrapped in aluminum foil to flip it over.  I was just so happy the way it turned out! 

Holiday Goodies - I must admit I was in a baking/cooking slump for a while which sort of carried over the holidays so I gave nothing but these to friends. 

Wunderbar Cookies

Stuffed Red Velvet Crinkles - they never get gold; always the darling of the cookie crowd and just for the record- my version has cream cheese stuffing!

I love bread… 

I have this immense love for bread and for a while I was baking bread …. Lots of bread!  I was busy recreating Joanne Chang’s goodies from her famous Flour Bakery in Boston.  From brioche to Kouign Amann … yes I dared and thankfully, with positive results!

 Brioche à tête

Brioche Au Chocolat

Sugar Brioche Buns

Kouign Amann 

 

Super moist, buttery, cheesiest Ensaimadas- not just on top but in the dough as well
BIRTHDAY CAKES

I may be or maybe I was almost non-existent here but I never stopped cooking or baking,  And birthday cakes are so much a part of my kitchen shenanigans because my favorite people have grown accustomed to my cakes. They look forward to their birthdays and actually have advance requests on what they want for their special day. Not that there are drastic changes in terms of flavor and preferences- the choices revolve around tres leches cake, chiffon cake or Jell-O cheesecake pies which involves fruits, young coconut and dear chocolate. So these are the cakes I baked for them.

German Chocolate Cake 

Coconut Tres Leches Cake with Torched Meringue Topping

 

Red Velvet Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting and Red Velvet Cake Crumbs

 

Chocolate Coconut Tres Leches Cake with Chocolate Cream Cheese Icing

 

Japanese-Style Strawberry Shortcake with Almond Mascarpone Frosting

 

Another Chocolate Coconut Tres Leches Cake yeah it is the all-time most requested tres leches cake

 

Vanilla Chiffon Cake (this is filled with fresh whipped cream and peaches) with cream cheese frosting and fresh blueberries and Maraschino cherries for toppings

Frozen Brazo de Mercedes - birthday boy wanted an ice cream cake and this is just as good! 

Chiffon Cake with whipped cream and fruit filling topped with Mandarin orange segments and fresh blueberries

  Guava Chiffon Cake with Guava Cream Cheese Frosting was such a huge hit when I served it.

I know I made some more so I have to go back to my camera roll and make updates.