Harry Potter and The Deathly Hallows

I am sooo gonna missed Harry Porter.

Remember last time i wrote it here that it seems like impossible for me to get the final Harry Porter book...
Well, I've gotten it. With all the fuss and argument about the book price, I bought mine (actually my hubby bought it for his lovely wife-hehehe) from TESCO, which sells this book with a cheaper price compare to other major book store. (lucky me- I didn't book the book from those bookstores, as they sells with a much higher price (I was told)).

Once I got the book, I felt like reading it right away...but...hmmm.... i'm not the single girl in college anymore, where I can read novels or anything, anytime that I want. And during those time I can finished one novel in one sitting (it did took a few hours though to finished it). As the plot thicken, I just have to finish them up. Well, i'm not the patient type of people who can wait to read the rest of the book the next day.

But, now, I'm a mother, of two rather 'busy-body' kids, that can't just leave mummy alone. So, I only read at night after both of them are fast asleep.

The final book - 'Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows' is great. I think it's the best of all the seven novels.
It's full of suspens, tragedy, death, confusion, conspiracy but still have its humour...

Whoever haven't read the book, and planning to...you can stop reading this entry HERE.... (or just skip the part with the smallest font. :))

For those who have read, and those who are not planning to read it, can carry on...

Fred died....:(( ( at least George just lost an ear).
And poor Teddy, who is just a baby, lost both his parents, Lupin and Tonks...this is so sad.
Severus Snape is innocent- can u believe it!!! -poor Snape, he died too.
And the sparks between Ron and Hermione are really intense this time...they got married anyway at the end.
Harry married Ginny- well, we can see that coming too, right.

I almost cried reading this novel...heheheh...I know, i know, rather pathetic yea?? I rarely cried over movies or books, but this time??? hmmm...may be motherhood have soften me inside, and get me mushy for no reason(or small reason). But what the heck..as if u cared.??

So, Harry Potter's books are finally over...what's next??? Will there be any more such stories or only those with imitation story line?
I am really soooo gonna miss Harry Potter.......

Hope they'll continue with the movie.

huuhuhhuuh...still haven't watch 'Order of The Phoenix'.

Jam Tart

I made this lovely tarts last month, but i've been delaying to post the entry.
It's still not the raya season, but I bought couple of pineapple during my last trip back from Kelantan. (there are lots of pineapple seller by the road side in Jeli), and those pineapple are soo sweet and delicious.
On the way back to Ipoh, I stopped by my mum's house and gave some to her. She made them into jam and gave some to me.
With pineapple jam in hand, what else should i be thinking other than my all time favourite-pineapple jam tart.
I have lots of jam tarts recipe, all kind of variations, but this time , i tried a new recipe from MamaFaMi's
The original recipe is for rose tart (which looks very lovely-like a rose), but I don't have the right cutter.


Ingredients:
3/4 cup icing sugar
1 cup butter
1 cup corn flour
1 egg yolk
enough flour (about 2 cups flour)
Jam for filling
Paper cups

Method :

1. Beat icing sugar and margarine till light and creamy.
2. Add in egg yolk and continue beating.
3. Add corn flour and mix well.
4. Add in flour, a bit at a time till a soft dough is formed.
5. Roll about 3/4 cm thick and cut using a special tart cutter. Lay on cookie sheet.
6. Spread a bit of jam on top .
Bake in preheated oven 175 degrees celcius, for 12minutes.

It's a bit sweet. I'll cut down the sugar next time (as the jam is already sweet).
And the cookies taste better the next day. Yummylicious...nothing can beat pineapple tart.

Easy Brownies

This is very sinful. It's not sin in a sense of -sin-. But, this is full of chocolate. Very chocolatey. Hmmm....the chocoholic in me.

My kids just love this brownies. They lick the saucepan. (By the way, this is a very easy recipe, can complete preparing it in about 10minutes. And bake it for another 25minutes.). Everything is made inside a saucepan.

I found the recipe in allrecipes.com, but I've made some alterations here and there.( the initial recipe is tooo sweet).

It's not the kind of melt-in the-mouth brownies,nor a cakey brownies. Well, may be something in between. Anyway, if you are really into the melt-in-mouth brownies, then this is not it.(may be I post the recipe for that some time later).

• 1/2 cup butter
  
• 3/4 cup white sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon baking powder

Frosting:

• 3 tablespoons butter, softened
• 3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 tablespoon honey
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2cup confectioners' sugar

#

1. Preheat oven to 175 degrees C. Grease and flour an 7 inch square pan.
2. In a large saucepan, melt 1/2 cup butter. Remove from heat, and stir in sugar, eggs, and 1 teaspoon vanilla. Beat in 1/3 cup cocoa, 1/2 cup flour, salt, and baking powder. Spread batter into prepared pan.
3. Bake in preheated oven for 25.
   
4. To Make Frosting: Combine 3 tablespoons butter, 3 tablespoons cocoa, 1 tablespoon honey, 1 teaspoon vanilla, and 1 cup confectioners' sugar in another saucepan. Melt. Frost brownies while they are still warm.

p/s u can add come nuts.

and I always prefer cakes/brownies using cooking chocolate rather than cocoa powder...

Durian Cupcakes

I was back in Ipoh by Saturday afternoon.
What a relief to get back home. Home sweet home.
And by late afternoon, my parents arrived, bringing...more durians.

I bake some durian cupcakes late last night, and even managed to make some simple decoration early this morning.

Here's the recipe:

1/2 cup durian pulp
1/4 cup fresh milk
-blend this together

1 cup butter
1 1/4 cup sugar ( I cut down the sugar to 3/4 cup since the durian is already sweet)
5 eggs

2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup custard powder
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp sodium bicarbonate
-sift dry ingredients together

#
-Cream butter and sugar til light and fluffy.
-Add eggs one by one, beat well in between.
-Add in durian paste.
-Lastly, mix in the dry ingredients.
-Mix well.
-Spoon into individual cupcake case.
-Bake in preheated oven 175 degrees Celcius for 20minutes.

A Very Sweet Cupcakes- long due

Remember I posted this same photo last month, and promised that i'll write about it someday???
Well, this cupcakes were long gone (it's one month ago...:)), but I kept postponing on writing about it.
There's not much to write about. But the gest of it- is that it was the first time someone ordered cupcakes from me.
Before this, i've been baking and giving them out. I've made cupcakes for a cousin's son weddings, cupcakes for friends, next door neighbours and my hubby's colleague.
It's just my hobby and passion for baking. And since I have only 2 small kids who are surely couldn't finished everything up, my baking products would usually end up being given away to anyone that i could think off. ( you guys should be my neighbours...hehhehe).
So, someone ordered cupcakes for a birthday party in their office. How could I say not. I was so grateful, at least i felt my work are being appreciated...hahhahah.

I did some thinking and trying to come out with something original.
At last I came out with this pattern. The cupcakes are in 3 flavours (if I am not mistaken), plain vanilla, strawberry chip and chocolate chips. The pattern- a bouquet of roses. It was my first time of making full and half roses. Hopefully the flowers look good enough ( as I haven't gone to any baking/decorating class)- all are based on trial and error.

To you that ordered -thank you very much. Hopefully the cupcakes are delicious and beautiful enough. I am so happy I could brighten up that birthday party (am I? :))



p/s Happy belated birthday to you Datin


and Ayu (eventhough I don't know both of u personally) :)