A little too late for Shortbread?

I had tried to bake some shortbread before christmas last year and it was my 1st attempt and it doesn't turn out too nice, the dough was too soft and after molding all become out of shape, maybe is lack of flour.Nevertheless it wont stop me from trying again, I read some other baking website and realise that it can be also be done by baking the shortbread into a bar type.

So I tried out some Cranberries Shortbread as I still have some Cranberries left at my shelf.

The recipe source was taken from Joyofbaking.com, I personally loves this website because they have detail explanation for each recipe and sometimes the story behind those pastry, interesting :)

Cranberries Shortbread

Recipe

• 2 Cups (260grams) all purpose flour
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 Cup (2 sticks) (226grams) unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1/2 Cup (60 grams) powdered icing sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Basically shortbread cookies just made with 4 ingredients, Butter, Sugar, Vanilla Extract and Flour.

Steps

1. In a bowl, whisk flour with salt set aside
2. Cream butter until smooth (about 1 min)
3. Add in sugar and beat till smooth, beat in Vanilla then add in flour mixture
4. Flaten dough, wrap in plastic wrap and chill for at least 1 hour
5. preheat oven to 180c and bake 8 to 10mins, if in bar shape, bake it for 12mins.

Ubin Trip with friends

Wonderful Saturday morning.. Weather was fantastic, sunny and windy, met up with my funny group of friends at Changi Hawker at 9am, I was late a little, still, I am not the latest in the group..

My last week posting was about selling off my old G10 camera and planning to get a new Olympus Pen, but, after a long decision at the camera shop, I made up my mind and bought a RED Panasonic GF1, I love the lens very much compare to Olympus EP1 pancake lens, it really give a very nice focus shoot..

Blue Bump Boat

Quiet Lake

It's just the right time to buy this camera and I brought to the Ubin trip for some scenery shooting, still learning a lot about this camera, always try out different mood for different shooting, example food, beach, buildings and portrait shoot. Weisian and Byron brought their camera too, we are the main photographer of the whole trip.. :) nice.

Chek Jawa House

The 2 VERY serious cyclist

Besides taking photos, I enjoy this cycling trip a lot, though I had not cycle for very long time but picking up is still quite manageable for me, didn't take me a long time ;) me and my friends had also invited my colleague Barry for this cycling trip, he told me he likes the place very much and maybe would plan to run at Ubin one day.. Susan was funny through out the trip, we tease her that she won't get lost because we can always hear her scream, haha.. funny.

Friends....

Is almost 3.30pm, we were all tired and is time to return our bike back to the shop near the jetty. After this we found a nearby coffee shop and sit down to have some chill out, is really a chill out!! cold beers, 100plus, tibits, china apple juice and all look so relax especially Susan.. Left Ubin at 430pm back to Changi hawker, took lunch and dinner coz I missed my lunch today. After this, Freddie, Charmane and Michael left for BBQ and I head home and rest..

Choosing the right camera

Currently I am using Canon G10, is a semi-pro camera but basically is just slightly better then Point and shoot, the reason for me to buy this camera is actually wanted to learn some basic skill of photo taking first before I get a DSLR and also the size of this camera is small and much much lighter then DSLR camera.

This G10 is with me for around 11months, I get it from Parkway Best Denki shop at $870 with 5yrs extended warranty. Last week my friend help me to post an online selling forum to sell off this G10 for me at the price of $600, he is so nice that help me to negotiate another $10 more, so there goes my camera at $610 to a lady. It was a cool and steady deal :) and I owe my friend chicken rice meal..

Before selling off this camera I took some photos from Bugis Junction.

I always like black and white, photo taken at Toast Box

Lightings really give a big different with photos

Christmas Tree outside Esprit Shop

So, now is the time to crack my brain which will be the next camera to choose, my criterial are, of coz it needs to be better function then G10, a DSLR definitely! then size will be a matter.. arghhh.. but nevertheless, after talking to some expert camera users, they suggest Olympus EP-1 for me, is a small, interchangeable lens, effect is as good as DSLR, retro style and most importantly the price is reasonable cheaper then the big DSLR. Ok, I will be getting this EP-1 next week and will uploads more photos :)

Olympus EP-2, similar design with EP-1

TWG at ion

It was a weekday afternoon, me and my friend decided to take a tea break after shopping at ion and we hop in to TWG for some pastry and tea. The service was very good just like 5star hotel service, once I got to look at the Tea menu I was so shock that the tea menu was about 200 selection of tea, they will even bring the tea leafs to you if you can't decide what to drink.

Below are some photos taken from my G10 :) enjoy.....

I love this Greentea cake

Simple chocolate muffin, inside is full of chocolate chip!

Small Pound cake

This was my first attempt to bake a cake after I bought my oven, so I choose the easiest cake of all, it turn out not bad but texture abit too rough, nevertheless still taste nice :)

Here's a short understanding of Pound cake, The name "Pound" was given to this cake because the original recipes contained one pound each of butter, sugar, eggs and flour.

Slice of this cake can be eaten with dusting sugar or with fresh berries or some whipped cream during tea break.

As my baking tin was a small one, so I had deduct the percentage of the ingredients into half, but I am still generously in adding the butter.

Recipe

• 1 Cup flour (I used Top Flour, prefer cake flour)
• 1 tsps baking powder
• Pinch of salt
• 1/2 cup butter - around 80g
• 1/2 cup castor sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• Zest orange or lemon (optional)

Steps

• Preheat oven 170c
• Mix butter and sugar together, beat till light and fluffy
• Add in eggs one at the time in butter mixture
• mix well
• Add in sift flour salt and baking powder
• Add in vanilla extract and lemon or Orange
• mix well
• Bake for 50 to 60 mins, insert toothpick and if it's comes out clean.

My first Grill salmon

One weekday afternoon when I am not at home, my mum went to Bedok Interchange and buy a big piece of salmon that cost around $6.80.

It was my first attempt to grill a salmon, and I realise something, "salmon got many fats"!! is it true?

The recipe is from a iphone application website... the salmon don't turn out very fantastic but still taste good :) I had enhance the recipe a little bit by

adding some spring onion and ginger.. hmm very Chinna right. hehe.

Slice ginger and spring onion are too dry after grilling..

Lasalle school

One Friday evening after a long day work and a short work out at the gym, I meet my friend Byron for some evening photo taking, Byron suggested Lasalle (initially he thought the building is Nafa) so we head there after he pick me up at Suntec... I learn alot of photo taking theory from him.. he also lent me a Lonely planet photography book for some reference.. Here are some photos I took using G10.. Enjoy :)

There are more photos.. click link.......

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=159032&id=706823754&l=37aed89679