Saturday, 13 July 2013

Celebrating with food

Today we celebrated a good friend's birthday and we are so full of good stuff. I have to share these food photos with everyone.

We had good Spanish food at Sabio by the Sea at Sentosa Cove.  The place is just next to the sea. You see boats, feel the nice sea breeze.  Food is wonderful and here are the pictures.






Sausages

Croquette with cheese

Scallops in sauce

Potato and egg


Pork
Paella with meat
The light meal for 4 persons cost just below $200.  The food was served quickly.

Here is a picture of us holding our Sangria drinks


For desserts, we had my red velvet cupcakes with lemon cheese frosting and salted caramel.





I think I have finally succeeded in making a rose with the frosting.  The one with the hearts is for my birthday girl.



Next stop we had more sausages, this time at Brotzeit German Bier Bar & Restaurant at Vivo City.

This is an assortment - including spicy chicken, curry, cheese and served with salad.

These skinny fries are really delish with some spices on them

Different sauces for our food

Cooling down with beer!
I had a 300ml beer with lemonade - on the sweet side.

We had a wonderful time. 
Hope that we can spend more time together like this!
 
Recipe for the lemon cream cheese frosting
- original recipe is from Cupcakes with attitude by Benjamin Wong
 
Cream Cheese 500 g at room temperature ( I use 450g cream cheese n unsalted butter 50g)
Icing Sugar 8 tbsp. sifted
Lemon juice from 1 lemon - can use less if you prefer less sour taste
Remove lemon juice and replace with 1.5 tsp vanilla if preferred.
Coloured paste if you want coloured frosting.
 
1. Combine cream cheese, unsalted butter and vanilla extract in a mixer with a paddle attachment.  Beat at high speed for 3 minutes or until soft and fluffy.
2.  Add icing sugar and beat at low speed until everything is well blended.  Do not overbeat as the cream cheese can become grainy.
3. Add colour paste to frosting if desired and beat till well combined.
 
 
Note :
Recommended to chill before use which I did.
Cover with cling wrap and can keep up to a week.
Before using, remove from the fridge and let it thaw to room temperature.  Whisk with a fork before using.
To make the rose pattern - use the Wilton 1M star tip.
 
Recipe for Red Velvet cupcakes
- original recipe is from Cupcakes with attitude by Benjamin Wong
Ingredients
Plain (All Purpose) flour 165 g sifted
Cocoa powder 1 tbsp sifted (I used 2 tbsp from Van Houten)
Baking Soda 1/2 tsp
Baking Powder 1/2 tsp
Salt a pinch
Butter Milk 250 ml (make your own butter milk 250ml milk add 1 tbsp white vinegar. sit for 5 minutes before use)
Red food colouring 1 tsp (I used Bake King)
Vanilla extract 1 tsp
Caster sugar 130g
Unsalted butter 60g softened
Egg whites from 2 eggs
 
Method
1. Preheat oven to 180 celcius.
2. Whisk flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder and salt in a bowl. Set aside.
3. Combine buttermilk, food colouring and vanilla extract in a separate bowl. Stir to mix.
4.  Beat sugar and butter in a electric mixer in medium speed for about 5 minutes.  Gradually add egg whites and continue to beat at medium speed for about 5 minutes or until mixture is light and fluffy.
5.  Add flour mixture prepared in step 2 . Alternate buttermilk with in step 3.  Begin with flour, then buttermilk and end with flour. Beat until well incorporated.
6.  Pour batter into cupcake liners until 3/4 full.  Bake for 25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into centre comes out clean. Remove from oven and let cupcakes sit in tray for 5 minutes.
7.  Remove cupcakes from tray and place on a wire rack to cool completely before frosting.
8.  Pipe a thick layer of cream cheese frosting on top.  Decorate with red hearts or add a drizzle of salted caramel. 
 
 
You can see here the bowl of cream cheese and unsalted butter and sugar. 
 A bowl of cocoa and flour sifted. 
A pitcher with buttermilk and it is pink. I did not add enough colouring and next picture I added a bit more colouring.

 
Beating at step 5.


 
Pour into the prepared tray to bake for 25 minutes.

 
 
 
After baking.
 

Decorate as you wish - there you go! Red Velvet cupcakes - enjoy with your loved ones!

 
 
 
 
 






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