Chic Buffet Style

all via flickr

via daisy pink cupcake

via daisy pink cupcake

via daisy pink cupcake

White

via Lily-G

Raisins Scones with your Tea ..

photos via Madame Sucre

my sister asked for these.. i baked them fresh for her today ..so here you go .. with all my love!

healthy raisins scones

1 cup all-purpose flour

1 cup whole wheat flour

1/3 cup demerara sugar

1 tablespoon baking powder

½ teaspoon fine sea salt

3 ounces (¾ stick) cold unsalted butter

½ cup raisins

1 large egg
½ cup heavy cream

photos via Madame Sucre

Preheat the oven to 425˚F. Whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl. Add the butter and, using a pastry cutter, cut the butter into the flour until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs.

Toss in the raisins, Blend together the egg and cream in a small bowl, add to the flour mixture, and stir until just combined.

Transfer to a work surface and knead a few times until the dough just holds together. Pat the dough into a 6-inch wide, 1 ½-inch thick circle and cut into 8 wedges.

Arrange the scones a couple of inches apart on a parchment-lined baking tray. Bake for 13 minutes, or until golden brown.

photos via Madame Sucre

for the love of Sugar

via Daisy Pink Cupcake

a make your own buffet idea based on the vintage ice cream parlor! how sweet is that?

Apple Spiced Swirls.. enjoy 'em with coffee!

photos by Madame Sucre

Apple Spiced Swirls

Adapted from BBC Good Food , adapted from Deeba's Passionate About Baking

Ingredients:

2 tsp pie spice

3 tbsp demerara sugar

4 tbsp soft butter

1 to 2 eating apple , peeled and finely chopped

1/4 cup raisins
1/4 cup finely chopped walnuts

350g flour

¼ tsp salt

1 tsp baking powder

85g cold butter , cut into cubes

4 tbsp demerera sugar
1/2 cup yogurt

2 tbsp milk

1 tsp vanilla extract

2 tbsp milk, to glaze

photos by Madame Sucre

Method:

Toss chopped apple in lime juice & add raisins & walnuts.

Beat 1 tsp pie spice and 2 tbsp demerara into the butter, then stir in the apple and raisins.

Mix the remaining spices in with the flour.Put the flour mixture, 1 tsp pie spice, salt and baking powder into a food processor, then whizz in the butter until it disappears. Pulse in the sugar, tip into a large bowl, then make a well in the middle.

Warm the yogurt, milk and vanilla together in the microwave for 1 min or in a pan; it should be hot and may well go a bit lumpy-looking.

Tip into the bowl and quickly work into the flour mix using a cutlery knife. As soon as it's all in, stop.Put a flat baking sheet in the oven at 220C. Turn the dough onto a floured surface, then roll to about 40 x 30cm. Spread with the fruity butter, then roll up from the long side, tucking the ends over neatly. Cut into 1" slices. Brush with milk and scatter with 1 tbsp demerara. Flour the baking sheet, then bake for 14 mins until golden and risen.

photos by Madame Sucre

the wrapping

this is the wrapping of the gift of Baked Goods tray i made for my friend's birthday...

Warm Autumn Table

some warm ideas for setting up a beautifully decorated autumn table...

via country living

Patisserie Sampler

I dont remember being so excited about making a homemade gift ..This was a gift I made for my friend's birthday. a sampler tray of Banana Bread , Chocolate Muffins with Orange Cream Cheese , & mi-cuit chocolate blanc ( white chocolate moltens) with raspberry sauce ...

Banana Bread

125g butter

180g dark brown sugar

350g (about 4 meduim) ripe bananas, mashed

2 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

250g plain flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

3/4 teaspoon bicarbonate soda

3 tablespoons warm milk

preheat oven to 180C and butter a 30x11 cm loaf tin.

cream the butter & sugar untill smooth and then whisk in the mashed bananas . add the eggs , vanilla , cinnamon and a pinch of salt and whisk well.

seive in the flour and baking poweder and beat until smooth. mix the bicarbonate soda into the milk and stir into the batter.

scrape the mixture into the tine and bake for about 50 minutes , until the bread is crusty on the top and a skewer poked into the middle comes out clean. turn out onto a rack to cool.

serve warm or colr , plain or toasted with butter , but allow to cool completely before storing in an airtight container , where it will keep well for several days.

Note: I added about 1 tablespoon of crushed walnuts into the mix.

other recipes to come.

Recipe Love : Ricotta & Lemon Cookies

Recipe (adapted from Giada de Laurentiis)
Makes about 3 dozen cookies

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 stick unsalted butter, softened
2 cups sugar
2 eggs
1 (15-ounce) container whole milk ricotta cheese
2 teaspoons of vanilla extract
3 tablespoons of lemon juice
1 lemon, zested

Glaze:
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
3 tablespoons lemon juice
1 lemon, zested

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
Cookies:In a medium bowl combine the flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.

In the large bowl combine the butter and the sugar. Using an electric mixer beat the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add the eggs, 1 at a time, beating until incorporated. Add the ricotta cheese, lemon juice, vanilla extract and lemon zest. Beat to combine. Stir in the dry ingredients.

Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Spoon the dough (about 2 tablespoons for each cookie) onto the baking sheets. Bake for 15 minutes, until slightly golden at the edges. Remove from the oven and let the cookies rest on the baking sheet for 20 minutes.

Glaze:Combine the powdered sugar, lemon juice, and lemon zest in a small bowl and stir until smooth. Spoon about 1/2-teaspoon onto each cookie and use the back of the spoon to gently spread. Let the glaze harden for about 2 hours.

Store in an air-tight container

recipe found on Chocolate Shavings

So this is what it's all about.. Sweet Sugary Life..

via Country Living

As some of you may know , I started a blog about design & living.. it is called "Make Room For Living" , in December 2008 . It was a window to this blog.

I struggle everyday in finding and searching for my calling. I find myself attracted to anything that relates back to its own nature. Be it beautiful herb gardens , natural colors , rustic designs , houses that " just fit in" with their surroundings or vintage knick knacks that tell stories!.. this passion was shaped when I was in my college days. Studying architecture made me more aware of my surroundings .. & made me long to go back to nature .. & reflect in the honesty of all materials used in our daily lives. No cover-ups , no faking , thankyouverymuch.

hence , Make Room For Living was my breather in collecting all my scattered thoughts, into somewhat a humble try of an organized collection of beauty that I find in my everyday research.

My passion for design is also very much related to my passion for food. I spend hours in the kitchen , baking & cooking & I even sometimes forget to catch my breath!! It is something I just enjoy .. it is something that makes me happy.

I have dozens of beautiful food magazines & books which I collect for the sake of the beautiful settings & food styling. to me , I always judge the book by it's cover! & why Not?? the packaging or the whole styling of the food & tablesettings is what I notice first.

I will journal in some of my favorite recipes , my expereinces with baking , with the guidiance & help of so many great friends .. Hoping all of this will open the folds to my ultimate dream .. a dream not so clear to put in words... a passion .... of combining nature , rustic food , & vintage inspired sweetness....which I call : My True Calling.