Baking Recipe: Pineapple Tart Cookie (A Malaysian Favourite Festive Cookie) -#citruslove

Chinese New Year is exactly a week plus away from today and I have only started baking.. oh! boy.. talk about being last minute. No matter what, the next few days are going to be ultra busy for me and perhaps that might kill my legs since I will be standing for hours. However peeps, despite the crazy long hours pacing back and forth to the oven, every single minute of it is worth it.

Let me see, the reasons to do so is endless..Firstly, my family gets to enjoy the pineapple tart cookies, my first time posting on my Asian roots on baking, the best part is having you to pop over to feast your eyes and perhaps give it a shot in baking this cookie.

Pineapple Tart Cookies are really famous here in Malaysia, and it's usually a yearly affair. These cookies are sold everywhere by commercial bakeries to home baked whenever Chinese New Year is coming. Of course, there are other various style too depending whether its Nyonya, Indonesian, or Taiwanese; but the base ingredients are pretty much the same.

For recipe: Click on image + zoom

I know it sounds rather confusing, if you're thinking it sure don't look like a tart. However,this cookie has been named this way for several years. So please don't correct me ;). The 'tart' is mainly due to the pineapple jam like filling; made from scratch using fresh shredded pineapples, cooked down in it's natural sugar which caramelises the pineapple flesh and juice making it stringy, sticky and easy to shape. To compliment the 'tart', it is paired with a crumbly, buttery melt in the mouth butter cookie.

It's essential to get the balance between the tart and cookie right for the ultimate Pineapple Tart Cookie experience. Sweet tangy pineapple nectar encased in an ultra moist aromatic buttery melt in the mouth cookie is definitely heaven in a single bite. Since it's #CitrusLove month hosted by Cafe Terra this January 2012, I am thinking this little cookie will be a perfect candidate. Make sure to hop on over there to check it out too.

Till then... to all my Asian readers, Gong Xi Fa Cai..May you have lots of good health and prosperous year!!!

xx

Food Buzz Top 9: Caramel Pear Cheesecake and Peppermint Chocolate Cookies

Hi everyone! Thanks so much for buzzing on my post and made it possible for me to be part of Top 9. My Caramel Pear Cheesecake made Top 9 on 10/01/2012 and Peppermint Chocolate Cookies made Top 9 on 14/12/2011. This is a great motivation to kick start the year 2012 to continue to bake more goodies.

Knowing that I am halfway across the world, at one point I thought 'would that even be possible?'. Last year of 2011, has taught me many things, and one of it is to believe in myself and once I have set a goal, nothing is impossible to achieve it.

Also, because of you buzzing and leaving me with sweet comments, I now get to meet a couple more of you.
Plus to those who have clicked on the Twitter, Facebook Fan page and Follow button.. THANKS.
This will certainly keep me going so long I know that you enjoy feasting with your eyes while you are at my blog.

Have a great week everyone!!

Cheers~

Baking Recipe: Caramel Pear Cheesecake or Tart or Pie

Oh look! Is that a cheesecake, nope I think it's a tart, or maybe a pie?!?!. Gosh.. I give up. Either way you look at it, I only have one word to sum it up.. Delish!! Don't you just love the combination of caramel and pear? Then add some fluffy cream cheese and to take the sweetness level down a notch, the caramel pear cheesecake is paired with an aromatic light gingersnap cookie base.

To digress for a bit before I jump down to just talking about food, how many of you follow the TV reality series The Bachelor or The Bachelorette? Honestly, I don't follow but I do watch it once a while when I am completely bored out of my mind. That got me thinking.. "Really?? Can people find their soul mate and love by just smooching or chatting to every single gal or guy???.. for real.. can you just find love in just 9 weeks or is it close to 3 months? All of the gals or dudes looks too good to be true right? Then pop the biggest question where I think most people would take forever until they are ultra sure about it". Call me a skeptic.. but my optimism level could only go so far sometimes. Hmmmph.. anyways that is just my crazy mind talking and I do think the latest bachelor, Ben Flajnik is pretty cute, nerdy cute? He's a wine maker from Sonoma. Not bad eh? Doesn't he reminds you a little like Josh Groban? Those dark wavy hair and 'innocent' eyes? I am beginning to think that I admire a certain type of man. Anyways, we shall see who's the lucky gal. Okay enough of my gibberish thoughts..

It was time I gave a spin to using digestives. Instead, I opted for gingersnap cookies and yes, they do sound slightly festive, but hey! I think I just found a way for you to switch up your gingersnaps. Sick and bored over with your Christmas cookies, make them into another dessert. Don't toss them out. Reading through my post right now, I sound like an info-mercial. LOL..

For recipe: Click on image + zoom

For those of you who cringe just thinking of gingersnaps, well don't. This is year 2012, time to open up to possibilities and new beginnings. I may not be overly crazy on gingersnaps, but I think I found a way to tone down the ginger-y taste by slathering a wicked amount of soft caramel spread bought from La Boulangerie. Their caramel spread is ultra smooth and soft. So soft that it was seriously tempting me to dip my finger into the jar just to feel the smooth texture.

Till then, and have you been keeping up to your New Year 2012 resolution? As for myself? I say "What resolution?!?!.. Just Live Life and Let Good Music Move You!!"

xx

#Welcome 2012 and Great Times

Year 2011 has been an exciting and fun-filled year. There were ups and downs too throughout that year.Not necessary a bad thing.

In a way, I think it made me wiser, shaped my character and made me a better person. I was fortunate to pack my year 2011 with loads of travels and meeting new friends. During Easter, I flew over to Melbourne, meeting up one of my bestie, then to attend my cousin's Greek wedding. It's exactly like how you watched it on My Big Fat Greek Wedding; a loud and huge family affair. Everybody danced the night away and shouted "Yasu" means Cheers. Boy, that night I could feel my legs yearning for a warm bubble soak and lots of gentle massage.

Then finally, I managed to get another bestie who's in Kuala Lumpur [thank god!!] to go for a beach holiday in Krabi and our  yearly Bangkok affair. Towards the end of the year, I flew myself halfway across the world back in November, 2011 to attend my very first Foodbuzz Festival, meeting Elisabeth, Gina, Nami, Visda, Bonnie, Angela, Emily.. and oh! the highlight of it all is having to finally have a photo together with Chef Tyler Florence taken outside the Grand Hyatt.

Melbourne, Australia

San Francisco, California

Krabi, Thailand

Looking at the photos above, I definitely will not be complaining about year 2011. Hopefully there will be more exciting GOOD news, stories to create another chapter in life in this year 2012. Somehow time is just flying by so quickly. So I say let's just live life and cherish every single minute of it when you get to spend time with your love ones. Nothing is more important than that.

While I was over at Lora from Cake Duchess, I just couldn't resist in participating the Virtual New Year 2012 party. This party is hosted by Lora and Sanjeeta from LiteBite. Though, I know I am...say approx. 3 days late, based on Asia time zone, and maybe 2.5 days late in US timezone, but it's still the New Year. My internet connection back home was down. Thus, screwing up my plan on posting on the eve of New Years [boo..hoo..]

For now, I would like to take the time to reflect good times in Year 2011; where THANKS to you who buzzed.. some of which made Foodbuzz Top 9 a couple of times. That is ecstatic. My wish and hope is that you will continue to support me in my conquest to do better in food blogging and photography.

*Sweet & some Savoury Treats for the Soul*

Amanda's Pink Rainbow Cake

Peppermint Chocolate Cookie

Apple and Blueberry Pie with Vanilla Bean Sauce

Jo's Veggie-ish Samosas

Heavenly Mango Mousse Cake

Lemon Curd Pavlova Tart

Pumpkin, Sage and Feta Pasta

Oreo Hazelnut Chocolate Cake

So do stay tune, as I am planning on some exciting baking projects lined up for this year. Though I do not have a new recipe, fret not as I will definitely be baking a lot more since Chinese New Year is approx. 2-3 weeks away. The memories is dear to my heart, and what a great way to usher in the New Year.

May you all have a year filled with great health, and prosperity!!

xx