Baking class questionnaire

We are planning to conduct baking classes next year. We would really appreciate it if you can fill up the form and let us know what you like to learn so we have general idea of how the classes would be. Thanks :)

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We are moving~!

Hey guys,

We are not taking any more orders until February 2014 or until we have settled down. For the record, we will move to Seksyen 19 Shah Alam, and pick-up location will be there. If you want to pick up at Serdang, we can arrange that and pick up location will be at our lab (Makmal Agroteknologi on the way to School of Graduate Studies, UPM) Tuesday to Friday during the office hour :)

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Snickers poke cake and the baker other side ;)

Yesterday was the last lab that I will be teaching for this semester. Even though it was quite fast, I have other things to do for the next coming weeks, thus I had to combine two experiments in one day. It would have been quite hectic if I haven't handled the lab before, but I have been teaching the Agriculture Biochemistry lab since 2011 plus I started doing molecular works since master. Hence, everything went smoothly (or so I think).

During the semester, I have been rewarding the students with my homemade treats to encourage them to participate in the lab. Little do they know that their lab instructor is actually a baker at night ;). Surprisingly, the method works, the students spoke more and actively engaged in the lab compared to my previous students.

As a reward for them being a great students, I made a 'Snickers' poke cake for them to celebrate on the last day of lab. The cake was pretty easy to make, and it looks more simple than the previous cakes that I have made before. There is no Snickers in the cake, the taste; however, remind me of it.

'Snickers' poke cake

The poke cake was made with chocolate cake which has been poked several times with chopstick; hence, the name came from. Homemade salted caramel sauce was poured on the cake, and the sauce went inside the cavity (owh so delicious) and it was topped with dairy whipped cream, drizzled with generous amount of pecan, shaved chocolate and caramel sauce. It was not that sweet, due to the salt. That is why I love salted caramel so much as the salt complements the sweetness of the caramel.

The thing I like about this cake is that it is simple to prepare, and yet tastes soooo good! It is quite handy if you have a last minute party or potluck to attend and want to bring something delicious and easy to make ;)

The students enjoyed it :) too bad I had a small piece of it and didn't have the chance to have an extra bite.

Me with some of the students in the lab. There are male students too, but I guessed they were too shy to take pictures with the beauties ;)

Anyway, teaching the lab was fun, it reminds me why I'm doing it at the first place. I love teaching, and I love to be part of the students. Too bad I don't remember their names; nevertheless, I will love to have a quick chat with them if I bump into them at the Faculty.

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Wedding cake from Muniroh's Bakery - What you should know ;)

We have prepared numerous wedding cakes and there are things that you should know if you are interested of ordering one from us.

We only make buttercream and cream cheese frosting cakes, and we do not make fondant cakes. Thus the design would be limited to our signature roses, scrolls, ruffles and flowers. Cream cheese frosting has higher fat content compared to buttercream, thus we recommend this frosting for wedding cake as it can stand at the room temperature up to 8 hours. The frosting will become softer over time, but it won't melt thus the decoration will still be the same.

If you are interested of ordering. There are certain things that we need to know before we can give you the quotation.

1. Date of the event - Let us know when the event will be as we limit our order and we would like to prioritize on your order. Making a wedding cake could take up to three days thus the earlier you give the date the better. Please refer to our Order Schedule for availability.

2. Serving size - It would be great if you could let us know how many people you are planning to serve the cake so that we can estimate the size.

3. Size of the cake - We have a small fridge and oven. Thus the biggest diameter cake that we can make is 11" and the maximum height will be 12" . We need to know how many tiers that you would like, whether you would like barrel wedding cake or would like to stack them on pillars. We will provide plastic pillars and cake boards for those who want the pillars type.

Example of barrel cakes that we have made so far:

Two-tier double barrel cake- red velvet with cream cheese frosting 6" height

Two-tier double barrel cake- red velvet with cream cheese frosting 9" height

Two-tier double barrel cake- Rich chocolate buttermilk with chocolate ganache filling and covered, and fully covered with cream cheese frosting in yellow-gold 11" height

Two-tier double barrel cake- red velvet with cream cheese frosting 12" height

Two-tier double barrel cake- red velvet with cream cheese frosting 9" height

Two-tier double barrel cake- red velvet with cream cheese frosting 12" height

Three-tier cake- rainbow cake with cream cheese frosting 12" height

Example of pillar cake that we have made so far (not many pictures as they are provided from the customers): 

2-tier cake with plastic pillars and boards provided by use. Tall red velvet cake (6" height) and cupcakes. Picture courtesy to our customer :)

4. Cake and frosting flavor - We don't recommend cake with soft texture (like our dark chocolate cake) if you are interested of having barrel cake. As for the frosting, we will use plain cream cheese frosting if you want the decoration to be colored. The filling on the other hand can be any flavor that you want. You can refer to our Order Form for cake and frosting flavors.

5. Pick-up or on-site assembly - We only provide delivery and on-site assembly (with additional charge) within our area (Putrajaya-Kajang-Bangi-etc). Pick up location will be at our house and we will explain to you how to transport and cut the cake.

6. Within your budget - If you don't know what to order, let us know your budget and we will give several options for you to decide.

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How to order delicious homemade desserts from Muniroh's Bakery

1. Check our Order Schedule for availability. Order has to be at least 4 days to a week before depending on our availability.

2. Fill up the Order Form(s) to get exact quotation as the price vary depending on what you want. If you have multiple orders (like two cakes etc) please fill up more order forms to avoid confusion.

3. After you have received the quotation from us. Transfer  50% or full amount of money to our bank account for your order(s) to be consider booked and to avoid last minute cancellation. Payment must be done within 24 hours after quotation has been received. As we limit the amount of orders we take daily, thus the customers who make the earliest payment will be given the priority.  Send the payment notification or proof of payment to thewhiteboxz@gmail.com

ACC CIMB  7601815254
ACC Maybank 162143191189
Mas Muniroh binti Mohd Nadzir

4. When we have received your deposit, we will write down your name on our Order Schedule. Do check it out in case we miss that. Receipt will be given as request.

5. Strictly pick up at our house No 30, Jalan Tambatan 19/16 (it is written Jalan Jambatan on Google map *sigh*). If you get lost, call us at 013-2345814 (Mas) :)

Happy ordering~ :D

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Cookies, brownies and bars for Raya

Last year few of my friends and customers asked if I had made cookies for Raya (Eid-fitr: one of the Muslims' celebrations to mark the end of fasting month, Ramadhan). Sadly, I didn't. I had to finish up my last master's objective thus I could not bake any. This year, however, I am planning to sell some of delicious and mouth watering cookies, brownies and bars that are suitable not only for Raya, but also other festive seasons - Chinese New Year, Deepavali, Christmas, Nowruz (Iranian new year), etc. 

They are also available during the normal days, but special promotions are only given during the festive seasons :)

Ultimate Belgian chocolate brownies

Sounds mouth-watering? Because they do! These delicious brownies are made with Belgian chocolate bar and pure butter. The walnuts in the brownies make the brownies more rich. They are dense, very chocolatey,  and not that sweet (because the baker likes it that way :D)

Pecan chocolate bars

Another favorite! Hubby even said it tastes like nussecken, one of German's popular pastry. The based is so buttery, and you can tell that from the crumbs. Butter makes bars/cookies more crumbly, and yet more delicious! The topped is rich with pecans and chocolate. It reminds me of pecan pie - with a twist :)

Email me at tewhiteboxz@gmail.com if you want to order them for Raya. They can be delivered to other parts of Malaysia using Pos Laju. Check out Muniroh's Bakery Facebook Page for their prices :)

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FAQs about hantaran or wedding cake

Do you provide delivery service?
No. Strictly pick-up at our house at our house in Seksyen 19, Shah Alam :). However, we do provide on site assembly for stacked wedding cake (like the picture below) at Serdang-Putrajaya-Bangi-Kajang area with additional charges.

Do you provide transparent box for hantaran cake?

No. You could buy the box from Pasaraya Hero or any kedai hantaran. We will provide the size of the cake. Or you can simply put the cake on the dulang without the transparent box

What is the suitable cake size for hantaran?
Generally 8" round cake as it is neither too small nor too big. But you can opt for bigger cake if you have big dulang. We don't recommend smaller than that.

What is the suitable amount for cupcakes and do you provide transparent box for the cupcakes?
16 or 25 pieces of 2 oz cupcakes would be fine. And we will put them in a cupcake box with transparent lid.

What is the price for hantaran or wedding cake?
The price of the cake vary depending on the size, type of cake, type of frosting, amount of frosting used etc. Fill up the form for quotation.

When do I have to book for hantaran or wedding cake?
As early as possible as we limit the amount of order we take for a day.

Do I have to pay deposit?
You have to pay full amount for your order to be considered book. Transfer the money to our Maybank or CIMB account and send a proof of payment. However, you could pay 50% deposit for wedding cake and pay another 50% when you pick it up.

My wedding is far from Selangor, will the hantaran/wedding cake be okay to be transported in a long distance?

Yes. We have customers who ordered cakes as far as Pahang, Kedah and Johor and they were still okay. However, make sure you place your cake at the bottom of your car seats and turn on the air-conditioner.

Will the frosting melt?
No. We use cream cheese frosting for decorating the cake and it is more stable than buttercream or any other types of frosting. The frosting will become soft, but it won't melt or runny. The decoration will still be in place.

Do you do fondant cakes?
No. All of our cakes are made using buttercream/cream cheese frosting. And as for hantaran/wedding cake, we will use cream cheese frosting.

How long can I keep the cake for?
About a week in the fridge depending on the type of cakes. If you want to keep it longer, you can put it in the freezer. Put the cake inside tupperware or the box, and wrap it with cling wrap.

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"Barbie" wedding cake

This was the second time I made double barrel wedding cake ordered by one of my regular customers, Warda. The cake was red velvet cake with cream cheese frosting - Muniroh's Bakery bestseller cake so far. Her favorite cake and frosting too :)

She gave me her designed, based on one of the cakes that I made before. She had asked me how long can she keep the cake, as her wedding is in Johor but she is working here in Selangor. My answer -  a week. That's my default answer if any customer asks me the same question. Cream cheese mix with sugar will slow down the fermentation process, and as long you keep it at cool temperature the frosting will be okay for about a week. The cake? since it is covered with frosting, it is not exposed to the cool air and won't be dry that much. But correct me if I'm wrong, I am an amateur after all :)

So why "Barbie" you ask? the shade of pink remind me of Barbie :D I could imagine Barbie fairies dancing happily around the cake :D

Contact me at thewhiteboxz@gmail.com if you have any inquiry regarding wedding cake. I could make the wedding cake within your budget :)

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Recipe: Buttermilk-brined Fried Chicken

I was flipping through my favorite recipe book when he suddenly said "Oooh, that looks good," pointing to the picture on the recipe book. "You want it?" I asked, and he replied "sure, I haven't eaten fried chicken for a long time, and I'm craving for it."

Poor hubby, he has sensitive stomach. He often gets diarrhea when he eats outside, even at the fast food restaurants. He once got stomach problem from eating at the KFC restaurant, and he hasn't gone there again since. 

So this chicken was specially made for him. Hoping it was good enough for his appetite and taste :D

Brining makes the meat juicier. I always do it when I roast chicken or turkey, and this is the first time I do it for frying chicken. The taste? It was awesome! brining in buttermilk brings out such flavorful and wonderful taste. I have never thought it would taste that good considering I only use buttermilk for baking. I was wrong,  and I would use it again whenever I'm going to brine our favorite poultry meats :D

Buttermilk-brined Fried Chicken (adapted from Better Homes and Gardens New Cook
book)

For brining
3 cups buttermilk (3 cups milk combined with 3 tablespoons vinegar)
1/4 cup salt (or less)
1 tablespoon sugar
2 1/2 pound chicken

For the coating
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
a dash of thyme
3/4 cup buttermilk
Cooking oil
*you can add dry breadcrumbs to make the chicken crunchier, or add chili powder for spicier taste.

Direction


1. Combine chicken, 3 cups buttermilk, salt, sugar in a large Ziploc bag . Chill for 2 to 4 hours, remove chicken from brine. Drain chicken and pat dry. Discard brine.

2. In a large bowl, combine flour, salt, black pepper, and thyme. Place the 3/4 cup buttermilk in a shallow dish. Coat chicken with a flour mixture, dip in the buttermilk, and coat again with the flour mixture. Fry chicken for about 15 minutes or  until cooked. Enjoy! :D

Click here to print the recipe

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My baking tips

I would consider myself 95% self-taught baker, and the rest I learned from baking classes. Baking is not difficult, but it is not that easy either. There are few times the goodies that I make don't turn out to be the way I expect them to be, and I could only know it from the customers feedback (so you see it is important to give me feedback so that I can improve the desserts).

Many people have asked me if I offer baking classes, sadly with my current commitment I could not do so. This post will be my honest tips and advise for baking, even though I am still an amateur haha. 

Always use butter - no substitute

I always use butter for baking, unsalted preferably. It makes the cakes and frosting creamier and tastier. Even though it is a bit pricey, it is more delicious and healthy. I can give you a scholastic journal article showing how bad margarine/shortening/non-dairy substitute products if you don't believe me, but then again you can simple type on Google of the health risks using the substitutes. To me, quality is the main important thing, so you have to use real, fresh ingredients so that the sweets turn out nice. 

 

Use good quality baking soda and baking powder

Kinda funny right, but this is my honest advise. I used to purchase this so-so quality baking powder and soda because they are cheap, and they are sold in large amount. You can find these types in the bakery supply stores where they pack them in plastic bag in a big bulk. What I noticed (from my customers feedback), my cakes tasted bitter. I do know that too much baking soda makes cakes taste bitter, so I reduced the amount of baking soda and hence my cakes didn't rise that much. I was frustrated so I went to buy Arm & Hammer baking soda and Royal baking powder. The result- no more bitter taste so far! The cake rise beautifully and I am happy with the result :D

Reduce the amount of sugar and salt by half - if you use the recipes from other countries

I lived in the United States for four years, and I was actively cooking and baking during those years. This is what I noticed, the sugar and salt are not as sweet and salty like the ones in Malaysia. So I had to use large amount when I was cooking. My Brazilian friend, who was studying agriculture, told me sugar is less sweet in the US because the sugar is made from corn, and the one in Malaysia is produced from the sugarcane. There might be scientific explanation about this, but I didn't search for it. As for the salt, it might be due to the fact that the salt produced in the US is finer than the one in Malaysia. So based on my experienced, all the recipes that I found online especially from the US, UK or Australia, I would reduce the amount of sugar and salt in half, and I would add more if I want to make the cake sweeter.

Use good quality milk and vinegar to make buttermilk

Another observation- making buttermilk require good quality milk and vinegar. Previously, I used locally produced white vinegar to make buttermilk, but it didn't turn out right. The milk didn't thickened, and if I put too much it would turn out too sour. So I started buying the imported vinegar. I'm currently using vinegar from Heinz, and the buttermilk turns out exactly the way I wanted it to be :D

Heat is cakes best friend

In fact, it is also the best friends for cupcakes and pavlova. Always bake your cakes in batches (meaning you put the amount of the batter in two or three pans). Turn on the fan, this helps circulating the hot air and your cakes will rise nicely. And only bake the cake(s) using one tray, and place it in the middle. Unless you have humongous oven and the heat circulating really well you can put multiple trays. My oven is small, and it is an electric kind. Before this I used to bake using two trays because I wanted to save time baking many cakes. In the end, my cakes did not rise well, and some of them turned out to be bitter (might be due to the baking soda did not work properly). I stopped doing that and I didn't face that problem anymore.

Reheat your oven for at least 10 minutes, and when you put your cakes, do not open the oven door for the first 10 minutes or the cakes won't rise that well.

Use cling wrap to make cakes moist

After I finish baking a cake, I always let it cool for few minutes and straight away wraps it with cling wrap and stores it in the fridge. This will maintain the moistness of the cake. Just be extra careful when you are handling the cake, you don't want the cake to crack etc :)

Homemade sauce is always the best

This is the last tip for this post, just do let you know that every sauce that I make is homemade. Toffee, caramel, chocolate - you name it. It is tedious, but it taste WAYYY better that store-bought sauce. Trust me  :)

Okay I hope some of these tips could help other home/hobby bakers out there. Let me know if you have any questions :)

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