A Loaf of Bread

  If you were to ask me about my bread-baking experiences, I'd tell you they are limited and half of them gone wrong. With the exception of my cinnamon rolls that always turned out well and quick breads that I did for breafast, such as scones and biscuits, my attempts and making dinner rolls were never good. The first time I tried making bread, I made French bread rolls that were as hard as rocks. Eugh! Let's not even mention it. The second time, I tried to make dinner rolls, but then they were a tad undercooked. As a result, the bottom half of the rolls were all doughy.

  But today, I can finally say, SUCCESS!!!!!!!!! *punches fist in the air and does a celebratory dance* Oops, pretend you never saw that happen. I can finally say that I can bake bread, one entire loaf at that! I was(and still am) pretty proud of myself. I substituted a part of the bread flour for wholemeal flour(my attempt at healthy eating) and I think it's alright. My sister & mum said it was nice and I guess its alright. Oh, I also brushed the top of the bread with honey. That is one cool idea I picked up from Bakingdom. Do try it out!
  Now, I think I'm on roll. A breadmaking one, so you should know what my next post will be about. UNICORNS! just kidding!!!!

Amish White Bread recipe, adapted from Allrecipes
Makes 1 loaf
Ingredients:
1 cup water
20g sugar
6.5g instant yeast
3/4 tsp salt
2 tbsp vegetable oil
100g wholemeal flour
310g bread flour

Method: 
1. In a large bowl, dissolve the sugar in warm water, and then stir in yeast. Allow to proof until yeast resembles a creamy foam. 
2. Mix salt and oil into the yeast. Mix in flour one cup at a time. Knead dough on a lightly floured surface until smooth. Place in a well oiled bowl, and turn dough to coat. Cover with a damp cloth. Allow to rise until doubled in bulk, about 1 hour. 
3. Punch dough down. Knead for a few minutes, and divide in half. Shape into loaves, and place into two well oiled 9x5 inch loaf pans. Allow to rise for 30 minutes, or until dough has risen 1 inch above pans. 
5. Brush the top with honey. (optional)
4. Bake at 350F/175C for 30 minutes. 

Chocolate Cake

Exhausted. Yes, I really am. It's only been half a term and I'm as busy as a bee. Make that two bees. I guess you could say I'm getting used to the crazy schedule now and trying to manage my time well. I mean, after a long crazy week of mugging, I want some me-time! Which means reading a good book, or baking chocolate cake. The latter is equivalent to eating it as well.

I love chocolate! Especially dark chocolate and milk chocolate. I really love the rich, dark, bittersweet chocolatey taste in dark chocolate. And when I want something not too adulterated, I have milk chocolate! I'm not a huge fan of white chocolate though. I have a sweet tooth, but it's not THAT sweet.
Did you know that eating chocolate has health benefits as well? That's right, research has shown that dark chocolate is really good for you! Dark chocolate helps to lower your blood pressure and LDL cholesterol. On top of that, it stimulates endorphin production & contains serotonin.. In other words, it makes you happy(ier)! Of course, if you're eating it for health reasons, do note that "moderation" is the operative word here. One more thing you might not know! Washing down dark chocolate with milk will interfere with the absorption of antioxidants in the chocolate!

Sandy's Chocolate Cake, adapted from Allrecipes.com
Ingredients:
495 g packed brown sugar
170 g butter or margarine, softened
3 eggs
1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
250 g all-purpose flour
50 g baking cocoa
10 g baking soda1/4tsp salt
1 cup yoghurt(I used in place of sour cream)
1 cup boiling water

Method:
1. In a mixing bowl, cream brown sugar and butter.
2. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat on high speed until light and fluffy. Blend in vanilla. 
3. Combine flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt; add alternately with sour cream to creamed mixture. Mix on low just until combined. 
4. Stir in water until blended. 
5. Pour into 2 greased and floured 9-in. round baking pans. Bake at 350/ 175C degrees F for 35 minutes. Cool in pans 10 minutes; remove to wire racks to cool completely.

NOTES: I used a 6-inch cake tin, then I used to rest of the batter to bake cupcakes.
1. Cupcakes bake for about 15-20 minutes at 175C.

Chocolate Frosting Recipe, Recipe by Danelle
Ingredients:
125g chocolate, chopped (sweet or bittersweet chocolate can be used)
1 can Nestle cream
50-80ml of yoghurt(depending on consistency)
Icing sugar(depending on consistency and personal preference for sweetness)


Method:
 1. Heat the cream over a medium-low fire until it starts bubbling. Take it off the heat.
2. Add in chocolate. Mix it until well incoporated.
3. When the chocolate has cooled slightly, add in yoghurt. Then add in icing sugar. 
4. Leave the frosting in the fridge to settle. This makes it easier to handle for frosting.
5. Frost your cake!