The joy of baking.
Saturday, November 26, 2011 I made Ina Garten's Coconut Cupcakes today! They're officially the first batch of cupcakes I've ever made. When you bite into them, there's a burst of coconut flavour and then the taste of velvety cream cheese frosting. The cupcakes are moist so that's a plus. Nobody likes dry cupcakes. Behold!  My favourite part of today? The frosting! I used plastic tips bought from Malaysia. Heh. I'm a cheapskate, I know. Well, at least they work fine.  I'm thinking of buying actual metal tips from Bake It Yourself soon. Oh yes, I work there. It's strange I haven't bought anything from there yet. There's a discount and everything. I'll make sure I'll get some tips and sprinkles!  Pretty cupcakes. I swear cupcakes are more for the eyes than the mouth. Too pretty to eat. 
Here's the recipe:
Ina Garten's Coconut CupcakesIngredients- 3/4 pound (3 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
- 2 cups sugar
- 5 extra-large eggs at room temperature
- 1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 1 1/2 teaspoons pure almond extract
- 3 cups flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 cup buttermilk
- 14 ounces sweetened, shredded coconut
For the frosting:- 1 pound cream cheese at room temperature
- 3/4 pound (3 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1/2 teaspoon pure almond extract
- 1 1/2 pounds confectioners' sugar, sifted
DirectionsPreheat the oven to 325 degrees F. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugar on high speed until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. With the mixer on low speed, add the eggs, 1 at a time, scraping down the bowl after each addition. Add the vanilla and almond extracts and mix well. In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. In 3 parts, alternately add the dry ingredients and the buttermilk to the batter, beginning and ending with the dry. Mix until just combined. Fold in 7 ounces of coconut. Line a muffin pan with paper liners. Fill each liner to the top with batter. Bake for 25 to 35 minutes, until the tops are brown and a toothpick comes out clean. Allow to cool in the pan for 15 minutes. Remove to a baking rack and cool completely. Meanwhile, make the frosting. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, on low speed, cream together the cream cheese, butter, and vanilla and almond extracts. Add the confectioners' sugar and mix until smooth. Frost the cupcakes and sprinkle with the remaining coconut.
Happy trying!
We share the same skies.
Friday, November 25, 2011 So I've been spending a lot of time watching Buffy The Vampire Slayer. I'm talking late nights of Buffy on my laptop. It reminds me so much of Charmed in all the supernatural ways. Love it! That's the only interesting thing in my life right now. Being alone would suck more if not for BTVS. At least I have something to kill time with instead of just sitting around doing nothing. I wanna go out but making plans are tough. My friends are busy when I'm not. Then I'm busy when they're not. That's the problem when your friends go to different schools. I miss them so much.
..I wanna make cupcakes. Soon.
Money is a buzzkill.
Tuesday, November 15, 2011 So... At the end of this year, I'm heading to Perth for the Southbound festival with my sister and her friend. We're going to see Arctic Monkeys! Aaaahhhhh!  I'm so, so, so, excited. The festival is a two-day thing so we'll actually be camping there! Oh man, now that is something to cross off my bucket list. See Arctic Monkeys, camp out for a summer festival. But it's the first time I'll travel to a 'white-people country'. I wonder how their lifestyles differ from ours. Their culture and their food. I'm really excited about the food part to be honest. I mean, they don't eat rice there, right? Daily? Well it sounds like I'm going to Europe or something but Perth is just a 6-hour plane ride away. Haha. It's just my uncontrollable excitement! I don't usually take chances like this. I've missed a Vampire Weekend concert for exams I didn't even do well for. The concert was only 2 hours. Now it looks like they won't be back here for a long time. And I missed the 2011 Laneway Festival for no apparent reason. Whyyyyy. I missed Foals. );
So with Perth, I hope to be more spontaneous. Seizing every opportunity to get cultured, to travel and to see the world. Provided that I have money. I saved like hell for Perth. No shopping sprees for 3 whole months. A little proud of that I have to say. But I'm going to continue saving up for travel. Or to catch concerts! Foster the People is coming this January. I wanna go! I wanna go for Laneway '12 as well! So many dreams, so little money. Damn.
Can you feel this magic in the air?
Monday, November 14, 2011 Oh what I'd give to live on a pristine island.
The summer sun, the turqoise waters, the feel of fine sand between your toes, the sea breeze in your hair, the icy cold drinks, the colourful popsicles, the liberating feeling, the relaxation.
 
The greatest joy in life: Grammar.
I figured that if I start blogging again, the deterioration of my English would stop. I tell you, I've been misspelling words and speaking Singlish too much now. It's really sad. I used to have a really good command of English. It was in all of my school testimonials. Haha. I was very proud of myself for that. (Don't worry, I didn't have a pretentious slang accent or anything.) It's just that lately, I feel like I'm losing it bit by bit. So I'm hoping that writing in this blog will help me hold on to that.
Blogging.
Since I'm pretty sure no one reads this anymore, I'm gonna be more honest.. More personal, if you will. Previously, every time I post something I can't help but think about what others will think when they read it. So, the stuff I write is guarded and not intimate. A blog is an online diary. And you'd want that diary to be private. Yet, there's a little part of you that wants readers. Readers that inevitably judge you. It's strange. If there weren't readers, you'll just be writing to yourself about yourself. Anyway, no secret is really safe on a blog, though, is it? For one thing, I'm too uncomfortable revealing secrets to the world wide web. Anyone can read it. It will make me feel vulnerable. So a tangible, written diary is still best. I can just hide and chuck it away. Provided there's an adorable lock and key that comes with it. I do have one. Had one since I was about 10 or 11. Glittery, pink, with teddy bears all around. Oh, and fragrant papers. They still smell good to this day. In that diary, I have poured out my heart. My adolescent heart, full of childish antics and puppy love.
Meh.
Constantly, I find myself without friends. It's not a good feeling. It makes you question yourself. It makes you wonder if there's something wrong. If I'm difficult to be with. If I'm super boring. Oh god, not boring. I'm not a repulsive person, right? I miss the closeness. I miss my secondary school days. We would spend our recesses talking about everything. Spilling our guts out on everything. Discussing the future, our hopes, our dreams. And then I would wish the recesses never end. Late nights texting each other about life. That's another thing. The texting. Back then, I'd get replies in a jiffy. Now it's just too much waiting. I guess they've got more important people in their lives now.
I miss them.
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