Vogue Australia High Tea

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The Spring races are here! And the best way of celebrating this designer fashionista event is to dine in style! hehe The Langham Hotel has collaborated with Vogue Australia to come up with this beautiful designer Vogue High Tea! To me, high tea is a time to get together with your girlfriends to have tea, coffee, champagne and a spread of savouries and sweets! Of course, not forgetting the girly gossipy session to go with! haha Due to all the different work commitments, it’s really hard to arrange a meal, let alone to have High Tea. Fortunately for me, I had a date with the Sweet Queen (Miss D) herself at the Aria Bar & Lounge, The Langham Hotel, for the Vogue High Tea! I was so excited as it’s been a long long time since I had High Tea. Such a treat!

Upon arrival, we were greeted by the warmest and friendliest staff, who brought us to our comfortable sofa seats and served us a flute of Domain Chandon NV Brut! I felt so classy and bubbly for the afternoon! Such a silly billy I am. But it doesn’t take much to make me happy, as you can tell. hehe

Paris tea

Of course, you can’t have a High Tea without having tea, can you? There was an extensive list of tea, but Miss D highly recommended the Paris tea. hehe It’s a blend of black teas with the hints of vanilla, fruit and lemony bergamot. We were told that this was a hot favourite with many customers!

Paris tea

I knew why after my first sip. It was nice and fruity, and and a very subtle taste of vanilla. Not overly tart or sharp. Perfect for the afternoon of treats! How pretty is the colour of the tea?

Hot chocolate

Daisy ordered a hot chocolate to start off, then an earl grey tea after! The hot chocolate was a tad bit too milky, and would be better if it was more chocolatey!

3 tiered displayed

Then the three tiered stand arrived. My eyes inevitably lit up and a wide grin on my face appeared! hehe How pretty is the stand?? I couldn’t wait to dig in!

sandwiches

We started from the bottom of savouries and worked our way to the top. There were 5 types of finger sandwiches : smoked salmon pin wheel, free range chicken, cucumber and cress, egg & mayonnaise, cream cheese & chive! My favourite was the smoked salmon and the chicken! Mmmm (: Thankfully I had a light lunch before, or else I wouldn’t have space for what’s to come! hehe

scones!

The second layer was my favourite of the layers! Freshly baked scones with clotted cream, butter and jam. The scones were absolutely divine! Crumbly outside and fluffy & moist on the inside! Just everything you would love in a scone. I think there is only one thing that goes perfectly well with scones and thats thick and luscious clotted cream! Ooh la la! At this point, there’s this phrase that just keeps ringing in my head “Once it’s on your lips, goes straight to your hips!” haha Well, who cares! It’s scones! Mmmm!

Scones

Now with scones, do you have the jam first or the cream first? To me, it has always been jam first then cream, but just for that day, I decided to try the other way around. To be perfectly honest, either way is still as delicious!!! haha But do you have a preference? hehe

Sweets

The top tier offers a range of beautiful sweets! Definitely was spoilt for choice and we didn’t know where to begin! We decided to start with the chocolate macarons, which were a tad bit too crispy for me. But the chocolate ganache was delish! Then we made our way through the Vogue strawberry eclair, lamington bonbons, lace cookies, very vanilla cupcakes and ended the afternoon with the salted caramel popcorn tarts that were YUMMILICIOUS!

top view of our sweets tier

I apologise for the yellow tinge of my photos! The yellow light was just right above the tier! hehe but this is a top view of our sweets spread. The lace cookie was so pretty! hehe

So dress up, and plan a day with your girlfriends! Head down to the Vogue high tea and enjoy a whole afternoon of indulgence and pampering in style! The high tea is held at the Aria Bar & Lounge in the Langham, from now till the 8th of November, from 10:30am to 4:30pm at $65 per head.

Book soon cause not long to go! (: We all deserve an afternoon like that for sure!

Disclaimer : I was invited by Daisy of Never Too Sweet and Langham to have the Vogue High Tea at the Aria Bar & Lounge, Langham. All thoughts and opinions are based on my experience at the time of the visit. Thanks so much for this opportunity and afternoon treat! 

For A Berry Pink Cause – Ski Yogurt & A Giveaway ! {Winner announced}

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Lemon & Berry yogurt mini loaf with cream cheese and yogurt icing

Paying it forward. I always feel that we should always count our blessings and do what we can for people around us. As many of you know, October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, and I was approached by Keep Left PR to be involved in it. Without any hesitation, I agreed!

Ski Yogurt turning pink

If you’ve walked the yoghurt aisle in the supermarkets, you’ve realised that Ski yoghurt has turned pink! In fact, they have pledged a three-year commitment to the McGrath Foundation and have promised a $350,000 donation to fund a McGrath Foundation Breast Care Nurse in the community. How amazing is that? I’m so honoured to be ask to be part of this Pink event!

lemon & berry mini loaves

Yoghurt has become part of my daily breakfast and morning tea routine, so I was really glad that I was asked to come up with a recipe that incorporates Ski yogurt!

So as I stood in front of the different flavours in the supermarket, my ideas were just popping up!

Close up

As I got a new mini loaf tin, I decided to make some yogurt mini loaves! Just too cute! But to give it a little bit of ZING, I added lemon zest to it! Mmmm.. berries and lemon do make a really good match! The best thing about incorporating yogurt in your cake is that it makes it really moist!

Lemon & berry yogurt mini loaf with a cream cheese yogurt icing

In all honesty, the icing didn’t quite turn out the texture I wanted. I wanted to be able to pipe rows. hehe I tested it out, but it went everywhere! haha So i decided to go with the flow (literally) and let it have some free form! It worked out well, don’t you think so? hehe The addition of the fresh raspberries just made everything pop, giving a subtle tinge of pink reflection on the icing. Without trying to over do the self-praise, I have to be honest and say that this was one of my best cakes I’ve made to date!

mini loaves - light reflection

So here’s the recipe and my humble contribution to the Breast Cancer Awareness Month! (: Hope you all enjoy!

Lemon & Berry Yogurt Mini Loaf with Cream Cheese Yogurt Icing (an original recipe of Food Made With Love)

Lemon & Berry Yogurt Loaf :

1 1/2 cups plain flour

2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

300g Ski Wild Strawberry yogurt

1/2 cup castor sugar (plus 1/4 cup for syrup)

3 large eggs

Lemon zest  of 2 lemons

1 tsp vanilla bean paste

1/2 cup olive oil

1/4 cup lemon juice

1/2 cup frozen mixed berries

10 mint/basil leaves, washed and pat dry

Steps :

1) Preheat oven to 170 degrees celcius. In a clean bowl, sift the flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside.

yogurt, sugar and lemon zest

2) In a mixing bowl, combine the yogurt, 1/2 cup of sugar, lemon zest and vanilla bean paste. Mix till well combine then add the eggs, one at a time, making sure each one is well incorporated before adding the next.

3) Add the dry ingredients slowly, 1/2 cup at a time, and make sure it is well combined. Be careful not to over mix.

4) Pour the olive oil into the mixture, and using a spatula, slowly fold it in until everything is combined. Add the frozen berries and fold them in. Don’t worry if they start to “bleed”, just gives the batter a nice swirl of pink/purple!

5) Coat the mini loaf tin with olive oil (I used the olive oil spray) and dust with plain flour. Carefully fill the tin 3/4 way up. Drop them a few times on the bench to even the top and place them in the oven. Bake them for 25 mins, turning them half way to that they are evenly coloured.

6) While the cakes are baking, pour the lemon juice and add the 1/4 cup sugar into a small saucepan. Add the basil/mint leaves into the pot and allow it to come to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer for about 5 mins. Take it off the heat and allow it to cool slightly.

Pouring the lemon mint/basil syrup on the cakes

MIni loaves cooling and soaking up the lemon syrup

7) Once the cakes are done, allow them to cool in the baking tin for 10 mins. Slowly and carefully pour the lemon syrup on the cakes and allow them to absorb completely. Let it cool in the tin completely before taking them out.

Cream Cheese and Yogurt Icing 

1 block of Philadelphia cream cheese, cold

2/3 cup Ski Wild Strawberry yogurt

1-1 1/2 cup pure icing sugar

1 tsp lemon juice

Fresh raspberries, to garnish

Steps :

1) In a mixing bowl, whip up the cream cheese till smooth, then add the yogurt and mix till they come together. Don’t worry if it looks clumpy. Add the icing sugar, 1/2 cup at a time, and taste as you go (YUM!). Stop adding when you feel the sweetness is right! Add the lemon juice and mix until smooth.

2) Using a tablespoon, drop the icing in the middle of the loaf and allow it to flow down. You could use the back of your spoon to help shape it the way you like. Garnish the loaves with fresh raspberries. ENJOY!

Finished product

I had mine with a small glass of intense berry smoothie! hehe and I thought I would share with you my favourite smoothie recipe since it also uses yoghurt! (: So bear with me. The giveaway is up next!

Intense berry smoothie

Intense Berry Smoothie

150g Ski Wild Strawberry Yogurt

150g coconut water

100g frozen mixed berries

Step :

Place all the ingredients in a blender and whizz it up! Easy peasy!

GIVEAWAY TIME!

And now for the part you all have been waiting for! So sorry for the super long post and thank you for being so patient! Keep Left PR has very kindly offered a giveaway! It’s a set of super pretty and cute pink silicone Scullery kitchen utensils worth $47.73! How can you resist?

giveaway

Giveaway

Yes! All 7 items! How awesome is that? I love the striking shade of pink! Ladies, start commenting. Men, start commenting too so you could win these for your loved ones! hehe

How do you get these you ask? Easy!

  • Leave a comment and share with me your favourite way of having yogurt, and what part of the day do you usually have it?
  • This giveaway is only open to Australian residents! (Sorry international readers!)
  • Please join me on my journey! Follow me on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter!
  • You may re-enter daily! One entry a day! (Oh yeah!)
  • Winners will be announced on the 31st of October, Thursday at 8pm!
  • Winners will be picked via random.org and notified on this blog post and via email.

Disclaimer : This post is sponsored by Ski Yoghurt & Keep Left PR. I tasted the Ski’s D’lite Wild Strawberry yoghurt  with compliments of both sponsors, however, the review, opinions are honest and based on my personal taste and preference. The recipe is a Food Made With Love original.

Ski Pink

Remember to always bake and cook with love ! Till the next post, xx

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The winner is…..

TINA! Congrats dearie! (: I will be contacting shortly through email!

winner- random org

Winner

Hope you like your pink kitchen utensils!!! xx

Hazelnut Olive Oil Cake

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Hazelnut Olive Oil Cake

Hooray! It’s the weekend so let’s celebrate with cake! What better way yes? heh I don’t think anyone can really resist cake, even more so when it’s a gluten free and (almost) healthy one!

Is there a particular cake that you will never get tired of and would always go-to cause you know it will not fail you? I definitely do! This is one cake that I know that would definitely be a crowd pleaser! The chocolate olive oil cake by Nigella Lawson is simple, delicious and did I say delicious? Whenever I need to make a birthday cake for a close friend, I always turn to this recipe, top them with fresh raspberries and dust with icing sugar and viola! All ready to be consumed and put smiles on people’s faces!

All along, I’ve made it using almond meal, but I few weeks back when I needed to bake a cake for a close friend’s 21st, I had a eureka moment. Why not use hazelnut meal? It would be like a fudgey and moist… nutella cake! How good does that sound? I was so so excited to give it a try!

And it came out just the way I envisioned it to be. Soft, really chocolatey, and so fudgey and moist! OOhhh la-la! It can definitely make one of the sexiest and most decadent chocolate dessert that I’ve ever made! The hazelnut meal elevated it to a whole new level! Definitely gonna stick to using hazelnut meal now. hehe One slice is never enough!

So give this a shot if you love nutella. You will definitely be hooked! It’s gluten free and if you are on a paleo diet, just change the sugar to 1/3-1/2 cup honey and you’re good to go!

Hazelnut Chocolate Olive Oil Cake (adapted from Nigella Lawson)

150 ml regular olive oil (plus more for greasing)

50 grams cocoa powder (good quality, sifted)

125 ml boiling water

1 tsp vanilla bean paste

150 grams hazelnut meal

½ tsp bicarbonate of soda

pinch of salt

170 grams caster sugar (or 1/3-1/2 cup of honey if you want it to be paleo)

3 eggs, room temperature

1 small punnet of fresh raspberries (to top the cake)

Icing sugar, to finish

Steps :

1. Preheat your oven to 170°C/gas mark 3. Grease your springform tin with a little oil and line the base with baking parchment. Measure and sift the cocoa powder into a bowl or jug and whisk in the boiling water until you have a smooth, chocolatey, still runny (but only just) paste. Whisk in the vanilla extract, then set aside to cool a little.

2. In another smallish bowl, combine the hazelnut meal with the bicarbonate of soda and a pinch of salt.

3. Put the sugar (or honey), olive oil and eggs into the bowl of a freestanding mixer with the paddle attachment and beat together vigorously for about 3 minutes until you have a pale-primrose, aerated and thickened cream. Turn the speed down a little and pour in the cocoa mixture, beating as you go, and when all is scraped in you can slowly tip in the hazelnut meal mixture.

4. Pour this dark, liquid batter into the prepared tin. Bake for 40-45 minutes or until the sides are set and the very centre, on top, still looks slightly damp. A cake tester should come up mainly clean but with a few sticky chocolate crumbs clinging to it.

5. Let it cool for 10 minutes on a wire rack, still in its tin, and then ease the sides of the cake with a small metal spatula and spring it out of the tin. Leave to cool completely and place the whole punnet of fresh raspberries neatly on the cake and dust with icing sugar. Serve with a side of freshly whipped cream or a scoop of your favourite ice cream!

Have a chocolatey and hazelnutty weekend everyone! (: Be warned that you won’t be able to stop at a slice for this one! hehe

Remember to always cook and bake with love! Till the next post, xx !

Little Tommy Tucker

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interior-1-1

It’s old news how much I adore having brunch. The one reason why I look forward to weekends and holidays! I get even more excited if we are checking out a new place, and it can only get better if the new place is near home! Little Tommy Tucker fits all criteria!

Interior of LTT

The moment you step through the doors, you are warmly welcomed by everyone, with wide smiles on their faces. Just feel so cosy and at ease, and you just know breakfast/brunch is going to be awesome. And indeed, it was. We went there through the recommendation of The Hums and decided to bring Jacky (our best man), Linda and the Ho Clan there for brunch!

Prana chai

What got me even more excited was that they served my favourite fresh chai! Prana chai! It’s the same type of deliciousness that Merchants Guild serves! YIPPEEE! Always the best way to start my morning. If you haven’t tried Prana Chai, I urge you to! You would love it! The only way to have chai latte is using fresh leaves and spices. In fact I’m gonna say, it should be the ONLY way cafes serve their chai!

hot chocolate

Melissa ordered her usual hot chocolate, and it was thick and chocolatey. I know it sounds funny, but there are some hot chocolates that are a little too milky, but this isn’t one of them. Mmmm!

latte

The Mr also had his usual latte. A good balance of sharpness and acidity! Although they didn’t have a large for dine-in, they suggested for the mr to have it in a take-away cup so he could get more of his caffeine fix!

Flat white

Jacky ordered a flat white and I love how intense the colour contrast is between the shot of coffee and the milk. Always admired baristas who are able to make pretty latte art. hehe

Smoked salmon scramble

Both Melissa and Jacky ordered the smoked salmon scrambled eggs with creme fraiche and chives. How delicious does that look?? The eggs were so so creamy and rich, with the right amount of flavour from the smoked salmon.

green eggs and ham

I couldn’t resist ordering the green eggs and ham, with an additional side of butter thyme mushrooms! I have this thing for green eggs. Whenever it’s on the menu, I have an inclination to order them. haha Not sure if the Dr Seuss book had any influence but eating it reminds me of the book! haha “I do so like  green eggs and ham! Thank you! Thank you, Sam-I-am”

pulled pork roll

This caught the eye of the mr while browsing the menu : Pulled Otway pork roll with tomato relish and watercress topped with a sunny side up! How beautifully yellow is that egg yolk? Would love a little bit more sauce for the pulled pork though the pork was very tender and well seasoned!

chicken Schnitzel

This has got to be one of my favourites of the day! Please do note that it’s on the lunch menu, so head there after 12 if you wanna try this! It’s a huge piece of golden brown schnitzel that is so crunchy on the outside, juicy and tender on the inside. It matched perfectly with the crunchy and refreshing fennel & apple slaw! Such a delicious combination! Definitely a must if you love your schnitzel!

Little Tommy Tucker

There is absolutely no doubt that I will be back again, in fact, I’ve already been back once since this first visit of ours and everything was still as good, or even better! So the next time you’re around the Bentleigh area, remember to drop by and give them a try! Till the next post, xx

Happy Hump Day everyone!

Little Tommy Tucker on Urbanspoon

Famish’d : Salads and More !

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Famish'd

Due to work, it’s almost impossible to have lunch anywhere besides the staff room haha. Thankfully it was the holidays when the newly opened Famish’d celebrated their opening! I couldn’t wait to head down for lunch as I’ve always wanted to try their salads! Their first store was just behind the Mr’s work place, so I used to meet him for coffees and cakes when I get to head down to the city.  So I was super excited when I received the invite!

Famish'd interior

Beautiful interior, neon signs that pop, warm and friendly staffs. Everything that you would love and look forward to for your mid day delight! And although they specialise in salads (a huge range!), they do hearty soups as well as spuds (both potatoes and sweet potato for a healthier option).

famish'd

There is definitely something for everyone! I know many of you would be thinking – how can a bowl of salad be filling? Trust me, their salads are HUGE and you definitely will be filled by the time you finish.

St Ali's coffee beans

Of course, you can’t skip having a cup of St Ali’s coffee as well while you’re there! Beautiful, robust flavours, definitely a pick-me-up when you need one!

latte

And still my favourite part of their coffee – the chocolate chip meringue!

chocolate chip meringue

It’s really quite magical. Every bite feels like you’re eating a teaspoon full of chocolate chips! Comes with every coffee, dining in or taking it away!

Salad bar

So let’s begin our salad adventure shall we? Since Daisy was there too, we decided to divide and conquer : I was going to choose the salad and she was going to choose the sweet potato spud !  You are allowed to choose the base of either a selection of fresh salad leaves, or their famish’d favourite salads that changes everyday! They also have a huge selection of ingredients to mix into your salad and you are allowed to choose up to 5 different ones!

Explaining how to design our own salads

Don’t worry if it’s your first time at Famish’d cause you would be well taken care of! Everyone working at Famish’d is friendly and is more than happy to explain to you how to design your own salads and spuds! Every one in the Famish’d family works together so well, it’s just amazing! They don’t have specific jobs, they just do anything that is presented infront of them! Like one big happy and loving family! Love it!

Making my salad

When it was my turn to design my own salad, I have to admit, I was like a kid in a lolly store. haha So many fresh and vibrant ingredients to choose from, I almost wanted more than 5!

my salad

My colourful salad! After selecting what you want, you can choose from an extensive range of home-made dressing! All the dressing is made by the owner, Georgia, herself! AMAZING!

All tossed and ready to be enjoyed

My salad had pumpkin, chickpeas, corn, artichokes and roasted capsicum! I asked what dressing is recommended and mine has a mix of dijon balsamic and mayo! They do have other dressings for the more adventurous ! I am actually regretting not trying them! Have to head back to try! hehe

My salad and Daisy's sweet potato spud

The portion was huge and I had to take away half of mine home! A slice of bread is also given to mop up any of the delicious dressing left!

Daisy's sweet potato spud

Daisy did equally well with her choices for her sweet potato spud! She had cheese (of course, a must with spuds!), mushrooms, corn, bacon, spring onion and salsa! It was so amazing! I’m definitely gonna have this in my next visit!

Sweet potato spud

Hidden under all the delicious ingredients is a roasted sweet potato spud! So tender and super sweet! Not sure about you, but I prefer sweet potatoes to potatoes anytime! hehe Somehow, it feels healthier! hehe

Sweets by Sweet By Nature

Next to the salad bar sits a beautiful array of cakes and slices! It’s supplied by Sweet By Nature and how good does everything look? After being good and having a healthy lunch, it’s surely okay to have something naughty (and delicious) for dessert right? hehe DEFINITELY! Miss D will agree with me for sure! And of course, we got to try one of each they have!

Sweets

When this board arrived infront of us, wide smiles appeared on our faces almost naturally. haha How good does that look? Don’t you just want to dive into it and just take a bite of everything? We did. haha

Dessert

The orange poppyseed cake is still my favourite! And the rocky road was really rich and decadent! Only needed a small bite to make you feel happy and contented!

By no means am I a healthy eater, but I do enjoy having a healthy meal once in a while. This is definitely a place to come to if you are on a health fix too! You can create your own salads and spuds to your liking and I can vouch that you will love every mouthful of it! So if you’re around the city or you work in the city, head down to Famish’d for lunch and I’m sure you won’t regret it! Have a sweet (or two) while you’re there too! hehe

Famish'd Salads & Stuff on Urbanspoon

Disclaimer : I was invited by Famish’d as guests to have lunch. All thoughts and opinions are based on my experience at the time of the visit. 

Matcha Mania

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Matcha Swiss Roll with Azuki Cream

Good evening dear readers. Sorry for the long pause again. It’s the holidays and I try and take this opportunity to spend a bit more time with the Mr and explore a little more of Melbourne. So watch this space to see what I’ve been up to in the post to come! (:

I’m not sure about you guys, but I do go through flavour phases and one of which is matcha! So much so that we even held a matcha party to celebrate the endless uses of this brilliant ingredient that is so full of antioxidant! What could be better yes? Here is a recap of the spread we had that day! Be warn, you might crave for some dessert after this!

Matchamisu

This was a beautiful bowl of matchamisu by Winston. Layers of matcha sponge with azuki beans, delicious!

Matcha panna cotta

This smooth and velvety panna cotta by Duy and Andrew with matcha shortbread! Hungry yet? hehe

Matcha Chiffon

The talented Thanh made matcha chiffon cake! (: I’ve yet to have the courage to make my first chiffon. Hopefully soon!

Matcha macarons

These my dear readers are the perfect matcha macarons by Eat Play Shop!! Look at how amazing they look? Spot on with the feet, texture and flavours! She’s definitely the macaron master! hehe STUNNING!

lemon lime macarons

I know these are not matcha, but I think it’s too pretty not to put it up! Lemon lime macarons! Mmmmm! A work of art I tell you!

Matcha cream puffs

As if 2 macarons weren’t enough work, she also made some matcha cream puffs which I was addicted to! Couldn’t stop at one!

Matcha kitkat

When I saw these, I had to remain calm and composed haha matcha kitkat by Agnes!! OMG. They were so so good!!! It’s so difficult to get hold of the commercial packed ones, I was lucky enough to try one cause Daisy gave me some and totally addicted to them! I sneaked some home too! hehe

Matcha madeleines

Talking about Daisy, the sweet queen made two matcha cakes! These are matcha madeleines and she also made matcha brownies that were so gooey in the middle and an intense matcha flavour! SO SO YUM!

Matcha brownies

Matcha opera cake

This was a hot favourite of the day, made by the ever so talented Ms Ihua, and you can see why. How pretty is this gateau??? Every layer just went perfectly with each other and the base was my favourite! Matcha-pistachio feuilletine white chocolate base, how can anyone not like that? Gorgeous!

Fruit platter by Zeboy

This is what I call edible art! The artistic Zeboy’s interpretation of a fruit salad is just amazing! Sous vide and bruleed pineapple, watermelon, smoked cream with matcha and sour plum powder! He plated it on the spot and every one just went ooh-and-aah! These two lovebirds are seriously the dynamic duo! Super talented!

Matcha swirl pound cake

Matcha swirl pound cake

I too made two matcha cakes, this is the matcha swirl pound cake which was really buttery! I actually made this as a back-up in case my matcha swiss roll didn’t work out well. hehe But I decided to bring it to the party as well, or else I would be gobbling it all up on my own and that wouldn’t be very good for my waist line! haha Share the calories I say, sharing is caring right? hehe

Matcha swiss roll

And here’s presenting my first ever swiss roll! hehe Matcha swiss roll with azuki beans cream! I have to say, I was super worried with how this would turn out cause you won’t know till you unwrap it the day after and slice it to see the inside! Although the cream wasn’t evenly spread, but I let out a sigh of relieve after I sliced it and it stayed in shape!

swiss roll with azuki bean cream

I have to admit though, I totally wrecked my first try, so I had to make it again and thankfully they turned out alright! (: So don’t ever give up ; always try and try again! It is definitely worth it! hehe

Matcha Swiss Roll with Azuki Cream (adapted from Cooking With Dog)

Ingredients :

4 Egg Whites
40g Sugar
4 Egg Yolks
40g Sugar
40g Cake Flour
1 tbsp Matcha powder
120ml Whipping Cream
120g Azuki Bean Paste with whole beans
Powdered Sugar, for garnish

Steps :

1) Preheat the oven to 170 degrees celcius. Cover a baking tray with baking paper and set aside.

Matcha powder and cake flour

Sifting the flour and matcha powder 3 times

2) Mix the cake flour and matcha powder together and sift it three times. Do not skip this step as this will ensure no air pockets, clumps and keep the cake light.

stiff peaks

3) In a clean and dry bowl, beat the egg whites until bubbles form. Slowly add half of the sugar and beat it. Add the rest of the sugar and beat until stiff peaks form.

Glossy and thick mixture

4) In a separate bowl, beat the egg yolks with the sugar until thick and creamy. Then add the sifted flour into the bowl. Using a balloon whisk, mix until the flour is completely moistened. Add 1/3 of the meringue into the bowl and beat the mixture with the whisk and drop it into the bowl. When combined, add the rest of the meringue in two steps. Mix the mixture carefully, not to break the foam. The batter will get glossy and smooth. Be patient!

Batter in the baking tray

5) Pour the batter into the prepared baking tray and using a spatula, spread the batter evenly throughout the tray and to all four corners. Bake the cake in the oven for 18 -20 mins, turning the cake after the 10 mins mark so that it is baked evenly.

6) Take the cake out of the oven and drop it a few times to reduce the shrinkage. Remove the cake for the baking tray and place it on a flat surface. Cover it with another baking tray to make sure it doesn’t dry out. Allow it to cool completely before filling it with the azuki bean cream.

7) To make the azuki bean cream : Whip the cream till stiff peaks and add the azuki cream paste. Mix it evenly to make azuki bean cream.

8) Release the edges of the baking paper of the cake. Cover the cake with another sheet of baking paper, and flip it over. Slowy and gently remove the baking paper from the bottom of the cake. Place the paper on the bottom again and flip it back, in the upright position. Using a serrated knife, cute of the short edge furthest away from you with a diagonal cut.

Azuki bean cream spread evenly onto cake

All ready to be rolled

9) Place the azuki cream onto the cake and using a spatula spread it out evenly, having a slightly thicker amount on the side closer to you. Fold the edge of the cake, pushing the paper forward, rolling the cake. Once rolled, wrap the cake with the clean sheet of baking paper, making sure it’s tightly wrapped. Cover with a plastic wrap and allow it to cool in the fridge.

Ready to be cut

10) To serve, unwrap the cake and place it on a long plate. Sift some icing sugar on top of the cake and slice it to the thickness of your liking. ENJOY!

sliced and ready to be eaten!

I know it seems a little complicated to roll it, but do click on the link above (next to the title) to watch the video and it would be much clearer after!

Remember to always cook and bake with love!  xx

Hero – New Kid On The Block

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Hero Soft Launch

Good evening dear readers. Hope you had a good weekend! Sorry for the long pause in between posts! Been a little busy and finally have the time to sit down and share with you a new place in the city! Are you a student who studies in the city and need lunch on-the-go? Do you work in the city and need a quick and delicious bite? Then you’re in luck! I’ve got a perfect place for you to go to!

Hero

HERO!  Inspired by the hero-style sandwiches made famous in and around Brooklyn-Queens, New York, Elena & Michael decided to open this Brooklyn-style sandwich store behind RMIT in the city! They may sound familiar to some, as they are the same people behind the Reading Room and the Grain Store.

The menu

I was lucky enough to be invited to the soft launch to try their subs with the mr and sis-in-law! As there were 3 of us, Elena suggested that she would make for us 6 different half-size heroes and a side of chips! It was perfect, as we got to try almost all the subs on the menu besides one!

Our six half subs

When it arrived, the first thing that hit me was the beautiful colours that just pop! hehe Of course, soon after the smell of the delicious subs filled my nose and I couldn’t wait to tuck in! So these are the 6 that we tried :

#BRKLYN

#BRKLYN : 10 hour pulled lamb that just melts in your mouth goes perfectly with the tartness of the pickled beetroot. I have to admit, I’m not a lamb fan, but I still gave it a try! The Mr really liked it and finished the whole thing! hehe Great flavours in the lamb too!

The mr eating the sub

I just love bringing the Mr to events, cause he loves food as much as I do! hehe

#bythehour

Next up, #bythehour ! When everything was brought to the table, this was one that caught my eyes immediately cause of the colourful corn salsa! hehe The 12 hour bbq pulled pork was just amazing and soft, which went perfectly with the crunchy corn salsa and apple cabbage slaw!

#bythehour

This was one of my favourites of the day, but it was a little difficult to eat cause all the salsa fell off with every bite! Don’t worry I picked all the corn up and still ate it all! haha

#paradise

#Paradise was like a caesar salad in a bun! hehe If you love your caesar like me, you will love this!

#catcher

The #catcher had panko crumbed shrimp with slaw and thousand island dressing. This didn’t stand out as much as the others, just cause the prawns were a little small compared to the big buns! Having said that, the shrimp were fresh and have a light batter! I would love a whole bowl of those crumbed prawns hehe Omnomnom!

#throwback

#throwback would definitely be a crowd pleaser. Wholesome veal & pork meatballs in a homemade sauce. Can’t really go wrong with meatballs can you? The buns takes the place of the usual pasta, and goes really well as a whole! It was definitely my second favourite for the day.

#kidroyale

This my dear readers was the winner of the day! The hero of the day if you would like. The #kidroyale was the favourite for all of us! The slow roasted beef had a smokey hickory rub and was so tender and absolutely tasty! Went perfectly with the sweetness of the onion jam and the subtle kick of the honey dijon. And the piece de resistance were the crispy fried onion rings on top! AMAZEBALLS! A definite must try when you’re there!

Shoestring fries with hero secret spice

The shoestring fries with hero secret spice was so addictive! We couldn’t stop eating it! Really crispy and fried to perfection! Mmmmmm!

Hero cookie

After all the savouries, of course we needed some sweet to balance it out. There’s 2 dolce on the menu and we wanted to try both! First up was their homemade cookie! It was huge! almost as big as my hands hehe Love how they imprinted their logo on the cookie! and they were fresh out of the oven, and we all gave it two thumbs up! There were chocolate chips with every bite! And I took the one with the X cause for those who don’t know, my name in mandarin is Xin Lian hehe So i deemed the cookie mine! haha

Hot ball donuts

Next, Elena gave us 3 freshly made hot ball donut! Love how the filling was oozing out of the donut. Couldn’t wait to try them!

jaffa chocolate hot ball donut

I took the chocolate jaffa one and it was so damn good! I usually am not a fan of jaffa, but the orange flavour wasn’t overpowering and the main thing I tasted was still chocolate! Which I LOVE! hehe The donuts were soft and fluffy and oh-so-delicious!

hot jam ball donut

Melissa had the hot jam donut! It has a bit more dough but it was still soft and fluffy! It took a while before she found (or bit into) the jam, but when she did, it was good! But I preferred the chocolate one! hehe

Hero subs

So the next time you’re thinking of where to have lunch, head to Hero and give their subs a try! You won’t regret it!

PS : They are having a special lobster tail sub at the moment and they only make 6 a day! So get in early and quick so you don’t miss out!

Disclaimer : We were invited by Elena and Michael as guests to have lunch at Hero. All thoughts and opinions are based on our experiences at the time of the visit. 

Hero on Urbanspoon 

Being Bold – A Recipe & Hudsons Giveaway ! {Winners Announced}

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Be Bold

Good afternoon my dear readers! Happy weekend! (: Hope it’s going well and you have lots of fun and yummy things planned ahead of you! Since it’s the start of Spring, I thought it would be a good time to make some new goals!

“Freedom lies in being bold” – Robert Frost

Being bold is about making each day count (be it today, weekly or even for the year), so why not step out of your comfort zone and express your boldness to the world right? hehe The first BOLD thing I’ve decided to do is trying my hardest to make a change in my life – Being healthier and fitter ! My goal couldn’t come in a better time, as Hudsons Coffee also decided to BE BOLD with their launch of a new Barista’s  Choice Blend – A rich and intense flavour with caramel undertones. YUM!

Hudsons Coffee Barista's Choice Blend

I was lucky to receive a a pre-ground take home bag of the new blend and I couldn’t wait to try it! Ever since my brunch at Three Bags Full, I have started a liking to french press coffee! This one wasn’t overly strong on the palette and not too sharp or acidic either! Smooth and a subtle taste of caramel, which the mr loved!

Barista's choice

While enjoying my glass of coffee, I had a eureka moment! I really wanted to use it to bake! One particular ingredient came to mind – Banana! So I decided to combine the banana cake with some espresso, and to add some texture to the cake by adding a pecan streusel on top! I have made lots of banana cakes in the past, but never one with a coffee kick! This is me BEING BOLD (number 2) cause I don’t usually bake coffee cakes! So was really excited about this.

Banana Espresso Pecan Streusel Cake

While making the streusel, I couldn’t stop sneaking teaspoons of it, cause it was so addictive! The combination of pecan and oats were just delish! hehe It could easily be turned into a mixture for granola too!

close up

Although I am trying to get healthier and fitter, I still deserve the occasional treats yes? hehe So I added some dark chocolate chips in the cake to make it more indulgent! Anyway, dark chocolate is suppose to be good for you. I’m pretty sure there’s some scientific findings to back me up on this. haha

Slice of banana espresso pecan streusel cake

This cake was moist, full of flavour, and I just love having the bursts of chocolate and the crunch of the streusel top! Definitely one cake I would bake over and over again! You don’t need a very big piece to enjoy it, as it is quite rich. A small piece with a cup of tea or coffee is perfect!

Banana Espresso Pecan Streusel Cake (A Food Made With Love Original Recipe)

For the streusel :

1/2 cup + 2 tbs plain flour

1/2 cup rolled oats

1/2 cup brown sugar

1 tsp salt

85g unsalted butter

3/4 pecans, roughly chopped

Steps :

1) Mix the flour, rolled oats, brown sugar and salt in a medium bowl.

Adding the dry ingredients to make the streusel

2) Add the butter and rub with your finger tips intul the mixture holds together (my favourite thing to do actually, find it very therapeutic! haha).

3) Add the chopped pecans, mix and set aside in the fridge.

Pecan streusel topping

For the cake :

200g unsalted butter

170g castor sugar

4 eggs

1 tsp vanilla bean paste

4 tbs milk

5-6 tbs espresso (I used the Barista’s Choice Blend from Hudsons Coffee)

2 cups + 3 tbs plain flour

1 tsp bicarbonate soda

1 tsp baking powder

3-4 bananas, mashed

3/4 – 1 cup dark chocolate chips

Steps :

1) Preheat oven to 160 degrees C. Prepare a 26cm by 26cm square tin by lining the bottom and greasing the sides. Set aside.

2) In a mixing bowl, cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy.

3) Add the eggs, one at a time, and mix until well combined. Add the vanilla bean paste and the mashed bananas. Mix till it is evenly mixed.

4) Mix the espresso and milk in a measuring cup and add it alternately with the plain flour (dry-wet-dry-wet-dry sequence). Careful not to over mix.

5) Pour the mixture into the prepared tin and tap it a few times on the bench to make the top even. Sprinkle the streusel and bake for 1 hour or until the top is golden and the toothpick comes out clean. Cover the cake with foil after 30 mins if it browns too quickly.

Ready to go into the oven

6) All it to cool in the tin for 10 minutes and remove it from the tin to rest it on the cooling rack.

all baked and cooled, ready to be sliced and enjoyed

Enjoy! (: It was my very first cake I was confident enough to bring to work and share with my colleagues, and they loved it! (: I brought it in during recess and it was gone by lunch! The feedback was that the cake was really moist and they really liked the surprise of the chocolate chips! Yippee!

So here comes the exciting bit! Tell me how you are going to BE BOLD and take that first step of making a positive change in your life! I’ve taken two, the first one will be on-going and the second one is completed, so I would love to hear your side of the story!

Hudsons Gift Package

Hudsons Coffee and Keep Left PR has been so generous to provide me with two packs of goodies to give away. Similar to what I received, each pack includes : 2 packets (50g each) of pre-ground Barista’s choice beans, 1 (12 oz) Hudsons Keep Cup and a  $10 voucher to enjoy a hot cuppa when you’re around a Hudsons store! So how do you win this awesome pack?

To enter this giveaway :

  • All you have to do is leave a comment letting me know : What kind of BOLD change(s) you want to make in your life. Remember it can be a daily, weekly or even a year long goal! Come on and let’s #BEBOLD together!
  • This giveaway is only open to Australian residents! (Sorry international readers!)
  • Follow me on Facebook, Instagram & Twitter, and let me know when you’ve done it!
  • Follow Hudsons Coffee on Facebook,  Instagram & Twitter as well!
  • Winners will be drawn on the 22nd of September 2013, Sunday at 8pm!
  • You may re-enter daily, one entry a day (Woohoo!)
  • Winners will be picked via random.org and notified on this blog post and via email.

Good luck and have a great weekend ahead! (:

Remember to always cook and bake with love!

Disclaimer : This post is sponsored by Hudsons Coffee & Keep Left PR. I tasted the Barista’s Blend coffee with compliments of both sponsors, however, the review, opinions are honest and based on my personal taste and preference. The recipe is a Food Made With Love original.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

And the winners are…..

Iron Chef Shellie & Bonnie-Kate !! Congratulations!!!! I will be contacting you through email soon! x

Winner number 21

winner number 21 - Comment

Winner number 18

Winner number 18 - Comment

Congrats again you two and hope you both enjoy your packages! Thank you everyone for your comments again and till the next post, x

Silks Mid-Autumn Festival Banquet

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Just a couple of weeks back, I was invited to a Mid-Autumn Festival banquet at Silks Crown by Chef Tsang, and it brought back lots of fun memories! Being away from home, I rarely get to celebrate mid-autumn festival anymore. But it was a yearly event in my family when I was much younger. We used to have lots of food, endless mooncakes and after all the feasting is done, we would light up a paper lantern and walk around the neighbourhood! Just thinking about it brings a smile to my face! hehe

8 course dinner banquet

I love love love when I get my own personal place card. hehe I know it’s a small thing, but just makes me feel important haha Just for the night (: The banquet menu included 8 delicious courses and I couldn’t wait for it to begin!

steamed scallop and vermicelli with garlic

The first dish was the perfectly steamed, plump and juicy scallops with vermicelli and garlic. This was so so good and one of my favourites of the night! There’s just something about chinese cooking where it looks simple, but the balance of the sauce is what’s critical to the dish. This was a perfect balance of sauces and was delicate enough to go with the scallops. Amazing!

Double boiled chicken consomme with dried scallops and mushroom

The second dish for most chinese banquets is soup. No ordinary soup, it’s soup that has been simmered for a long period of time to extract every single flavour from the ingredients. Every sip was just so flavoursome and I could just have a huge bowl of this for the night and I would be a happy camper!

Giant coral trout enrobed in minced shrimp

This third dish definitely wowed my sense of smell, sight and taste! I was definitely intrigued and super excited when it was placed in front of me. A crispy prawn head and tail, and in the middle is a piece of coral trout enrobed in minced shrimp! How amazing is that?? I was sitting next to the amazing Zeboy & Ms I-Hua and we were saying how difficult that must be to do!

inside the enrobed coral trout

See how the layers were so distinct? The best part was the crispy skin of the fish! I seriously wanted more and wished the Mr was there with me, so the prawn head didn’t go to waste! Any prawn head lovers out there? This was fried till every bit of it was crispy, but I still couldn’t bring myself to eating the shell! haha

Sauteed lobster with black bean sauce and pine nuts

This brought smiles on many faces! The lobster pieces were all cooked perfectly – still tender and juicy and went so well with the black bean sauce. It’s not usual that pine nuts are used in chinese cooking, usually it’s cashews or peanuts. But pine nuts worked equally as well, and it’s good for u too! hehe There’s always a huge packet (from Costco) in my pantry cause I love to add them in my sautéed vegetables (cauliflower, Jerusalem artichokes) ! hehe

diced beef tenderloin with mixed mushroom in gravy sauce

The fifth dish was melt-in-your-mouth beef tenderloin with mixed mushrooms in a terriyaki sauce. A little sweet for my liking, but I absolutely loved the texture of the beef. Not sure how Chef Tsang did it, but the beef was juicy and really tender!

chicken fried rice with XO sauce

The last savoury dish was chicken fried rice in XO sauce. Every rice was coated with egg and you could see the glorious yellow grains in the bowl! It had a chilli kick to it as well, from the XO sauce. I could never fry rice like this, never turn out to be this delicious. Think I need to invest in a wok! hehe

Sweetened walnut soup with glutinous rice ball

After 6 savoury dishes, I was so stuffed. But there’s always room for dessert, yes? Absolutely! When I saw what we were going to have for dessert, I was a little apprehensive, cause I never had walnut soup before. Plus the only other nut-soup I tried (and didn’t like it much) was almond soup. So I was a little worried about how it would taste. But I was so wrong. This was so smooth and delicate and absolutely divine. For a cold night, it was really comforting as well! Perfect winter warmer! I would head back just for another bowl of walnut soup. hehe

black sesame glutinous rice ball

Within the soup was a hidden treasure – a glutinous rice ball with black sesame. Absolute love! How sexy is the black sesame oozing out from the middle after a bite? hehe Rich but not overly so. Did I say it’s perfect? Cause it was!

Wing Wah white lotus seed mooncakes with double yolk

To end our banquet on a even sweeter note and what is seen as a symbol of mid-autumn festival – Mooncakes! This one is the famous Wing Wah mooncake from Hong Kong! The white lotus seed paste was smooth and not overly sweet and had two salted egg yolk! While I grew up opting for the no-yolk mooncakes, I have to say the combination is starting to grow on me. But I still like mine without yolk hehe

After the amazing banquet, Chef Tsang came out of the kitchen to say hi to us and answer some of our questions. It’s no wonder his food was absolutely delish cause he was from the two Michelin stars, Ming Court in Hong Kong! He’s been in Melbourne and Silks for 6 months now and is still working on a in-house recipe for mooncakes. hehe

So if you’re want to take part in some Mid-Autumn festivities, Crown is holding one from 9th to the 22nd of September, and there is something for everyone! Do check out their website for details of the events as they will be converting the Atrium into something spectacular!

Wing Wah moocake

We were so lucky to receive a box of mooncakes from Wing Wah to bring home! The Mr and Melissa couldn’t be happier when I took it out of the bag! hehe And yes, they finished one whole mooncake that very night! heh

Thank you so much Silks Crown, Chef Tsang and Media Moguls for organising this scrumptious banquet! Great food and was so good to meet and catch up with everyone! So do head to Crown and check it out and try some mooncakes if you haven’t had any yet!

Lianne @ Food Made With Love attended the Mid-Autumn festival banquet as a guest of Silks Crown and Media Moguls. Thank you so much for this yummy opportunity! 

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Brunch Treat : Three Bags Full

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Three Bags Full

Good evening dear readers! I hope you had a good weekend! I sure did and I always wish it would last longer! Weekends are always really precious to me, especially when there are special events to attend. A couple of weeks back, I was lucky enough to win an instagram (follow me on @lianneelow) competition by Three Bags Full (@threebagsfullmelb) and won a free brunch for me and 3 friends! WHOOPEEDOO! I couldn’t quite believe it, in fact I didn’t know it until Ling P (@sixinchheel) texted me and told me I was one of the lucky winners!

Winning brunch at Three Bags FullI called up and booked a table for the approaching weekend and I knew who I would ask along. The Mr, without saying, and the Hum family! (: I had to see my munchkin at least once a week. haha I am obviously obsessed with that girl!

Paige and I

When we arrived, we were warmly welcomed by all the staff and Sam, the manager, told us to go crazy! haha The interior was really warm and welcoming and I absolutely loved the decor.

where the coffee / drinks magic happens

We couldn’t stop smiling and just wanted to have everything on the menu, cause everything looked and sounded delicious! While deciding, we ordered our drinks!

chai soy latte

I couldn’t go pass having my chai soy latte, as I was really craving for some warmth and comfort.

The boys, who loves their coffee, were recommended to have the hot aeropress coffee (kenya blend) and while waiting for it to be ready, they made some cold drip coffee (same kenya blend) for us to try!

cold drip coffee

How pretty is the bottle that the cold drip was served in?? I wanted to steal it home! Don’t worry, I was good and I didn’t, my left hand smacked my right. haha

Cold drip

Served on a cube of ice, we could taste notes of rhubarb and blackcurrant. I actually really liked it! I was a little hesitant at first cause I didn’t know if it would be too sharp, tart or bitter for me. But it was actually really fruity on the palette. I wanted more! hehe

aeropress & cold drip coffee

The aeropress was a little more acidic cause it was hot and the fruity notes weren’t as prominent! But it was still good and a great recommendation!

The specials board

The Mr and I decided to order the specials of the day as they sounded absolutely mouth-watering! Plus I also had a sneak peek of how they looked that morning on instagram! haha So my mind was set even before I arrived!

braised white beans with porcini mushrooms

I was sold on the braised white beans with porcini mushrooms, grilled chorizo and poached eggs! Ever since I had braised white beans in Barcelona, I can’t get enough of them! These were mashed with porcini mushrooms and the flavours were just amazing! Everything went so well together, I just couldn’t stop eating and cleaned up the whole plate!

close up shot

The mr chose the other breakfast special : grilled barramundi with quinoa salad, sauce soubise, spinach puree and pickled chilli salsa! The salad was so refreshing and had so much bite to it! I was so inspired by the dish I actually went home to make my own version of it! The barramundi was grilled to golden brown, so fresh!

grilled barramundi and quinoa salad

The mr couldn’t help but order a side of istra bacon. The boy definitely needs his protein! hehe

Big breakfast

Paul & Peggy both ordered the big breakie that was like a breakfast platter of everything delicious! They love their hollandaise sauce so they decided to order a side of it. It was thick and luscious and one of the best hollandaise they’ve tasted! Ooh -la-la!

sweets corner

After the savouries, Sam was so generous to allow us to order some sweets as well! There were so many to choose from, but our eyes were set on the cupcakes : carrot cake and chocolate & salted caramel! How can it go wrong?

Carrot cake

Paul and Peggy are huge fans of carrot cake. This one was to-die-for! The cake was so moist and had just the right amount of spices, and the cream cheese frosting was rich and delish! After every fork-ful, Peggy and I just looked at each other and kept saying “Wow! So good!” haha

Chocolate & salted caramel

This, however, was AMAZEBALLS! Chocolate, chocolate and more chocolate! And there was a surprise in the middle. Could you guess what?

liquid salted caramel middle

A liquidy salted caramel middle!! The moment you slide your fork through, you have liquid gold flowing out! So rich, so darn good! Definitely made me think of Miss D! The desserts were so good that we both bought each cupcake home to have again for dinner that night!

Thank you Three Bags Full!

Thank you Three Bags Full for the generous prize and the awesome hospitality! The food was delicious and we will definitely be back again for more!

Paige enjoying the food

Even little Paige enjoyed the food and had a great time! (:

Have a good rest of the week everyone! Can’t quite believe it’s September already, but so glad it’s Spring! Till the next post, remember to always bake and cook with love! xx

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