Year in Baking

Making desserts has always been one of my favorite things, it's just the result is often personally rewarding and usually it pleases my friends too. I guess the boyfriend has inspired me to bake more often, since he do enjoy cookies and cakes alike, especially all thing peanut butter and pumpkin related.

These are some of the bakings I've done this year"


Oreo Tart with peanut butter cream with peanut turtle bites


Lego cake for the boyfriend's birthday. He's a Lego fan. It's my first attempt doing things with fondant. I chose a simpler recipe for the fondant which didn't turn out so good. I'll try using glycerin some other time.


I enjoy making and eating fruit tart especially in summertime when fresh fruit is abundant.


Panda bread. Looks cute, but didn't taste so good. I have a difficult time with yeast and its taste.


In the downtime, I've made some yogurt cake and this pineapple up-side down. They are both a bit on the dense side.


One of my highlights this year, this simple cheesecake with a hint of coconut, covered in caramel sauce and slices of bananas. I will add a little more rum next time but after I served it, my friends were silent with munching sounds. It was that good.


Halloween pies on Halloween.


Mont Blanc - Chestnut cake. It was good since I love chestnut cream, but it could be much improved. I'm just glad to have set a goal and achieved it.


Pumpkin cheesecake for thanksgiving, people loved it but unlike the boyfriend, I'm not a huge pumpkin fan and the recipe called for too much sour cream. Still a lot of friends claimed it to be the best cheesecake they've ever tasted.


My White Christmas Chocolate Tree inspired by Whole Foods. My first attempt, it's a little like a show piece because it looks good but actually hard to eat and serve. People had to use a sharp knife to break it apart, dangerously.


Some X'Mas cookies to give out to friends: ginger bears, peanut butter kids and regular chocolate chip cookies.


From the top-left corner: A pumpkin yule log with maple glaze, toasted pecans and leaf cookies, meringue snowmen with marzipan embellishments and a much improved chocolate Christmas tree.


A close up on the x'mas tree. Smaller increments to give it a more slender look, some cookies to imitate ornaments.


A close up on the snowmen. Even added cream of tartar, the snowmen didn't hold up as good as I wanted them, I guess it requires more whipping time. Also it requires a convection oven which I didn't turn on. They slumped and looks more like mellow jazz musicians now. I'll have to practice some more next year.

Aside from these I remember doing a few tiramisus and some cookies. I do enjoy baking, but it's very doubtful that I would be able to do it professionally. It's a people pleasing hobby and I like that.