Baby Dragons Cupcakes

Having a little fun with cupcake decorating. Made 18 baby dragons with fondant. They are all ready to go to the school's medieval summer fête! 

Homemade Apricot Jam

Apricot is in season now! They are juicy and yummy.  Last year was not that good but this year is extremely yummy.  Vicky my friend shared this "dead easy" recipe. It was easy but I think I needed more practises! ;)

Here are the steps that how they were prepared.

Apricot Jam, turned upside down and in the cooling process.

Apricots, cleaned.

Halved and add sugar, allow 18 hours to macerate.

Slowing bring to boil and to reduced the syrup.l

Sterilised the jam jars.  I cleaned and boiled them for a few minutes.

Fill up the jars with jam.l

I just have to try them with bread and butter. Yum!!!

Homemade Apricot Jam

Ingredients 

1kg apricots halved & remove seed

750g sugar 

Clean & sterilized jam jars

Preparation steps: 

1. Cleaned apricots, halved & remove seed. 

2. In a clean pot, put the apricots & the add the sugar. Gentle mix, cover & leave it 18 hours to allow the apricot to macerate ( breakdown). 

3. After 18 hours, slowly boil the mixture until syrup thicken. Fill up the jar with jam straight from the pot. 

4. Cover the lid & turn it upside down to "seal" the jam. Turn in back when jam is complete cool. 

5. Store in a cool & dry place ( do not have to be in the fridge). 

6. Voilà! Serve with your favourite bread / scones / biscuits! 

Chin's notes: 

1. Fill the jam to the rim. I should have done that. 

2. It should last for a year if unopen but I won't know until next year ;) 

3. Once opened , stored them in fridge. Always used a clean spoon to take jam from jar to prevent contamination. 

4. Couldn't resist. Opened a small jar of jam to try.. It was delicious!! :p

5. Added on 21 June 2015 - I tried who make some jam again with 500g of sugar to 1kg apricot. It works but the jam a bit on the sour side. I prefer the sweeter jam. 

Lovely Cherry Almond Cupcakes

My childhood friend, SiewLoon brought me a lovely silicone mould from Florence Italy. She is in Paris for a few days before she returns to KL, Malaysia. We met for dinner at my home & she insisted that I must try to bake something with the new mould as she was eager to see the end products.

Decided to bake some cupcakes with the cherry almond loaf recipe. A recipe which I wanted to try as cupcakes.

Here is our lovely bakes. The cupcakes turned out very pretty. 

From this mould : 

From this silicon mould.

Chin's notes:

1. Here is the link to the recipe: 

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/home/you/article-1039628/Cherry-almond-loaf.html

2. We baked the cupcakes at 170 degree C for 30mins. 

3. It is a lovely recipe. :) Here my Cherry Almond Loaf

http://fromchinshome.blogspot.fr/2015/05/cherry-almond-loaf.html?m=1

Pandan Chiffon or Mushroom?

Baked some chiffon cupcakes using IKEA's cupcake baking tray. The shape of the chiffon turned out well & the dome stays nice without much sunken in after an hour in the cooling period. 

I'm very satisfied with  today's bake! :) 

Chin's notes: 

1. Baked these in a preheated oven @ 160 degree C for 30 mins.

2. I'm using the following recipe: 

http://fromchinshome.blogspot.fr/2015/04/chiffon-cupcakes-again.html?m=1