Bye 2011, Hello 2012!

Hello! I know I’m 5 days late… but Happy New Year! (:

2011 has been a really significant year for me! The most important thing that happened last year is probably me graduating from university and stepping into the work force. I kind of miss being a student – it’s definitely more relaxed and I get to have so many holidays! d: But working of course increases my spending power – I was able to invest in more quality ingredients since last year (and I just bought 1kg of Varlhona Guanaja chocolate yesterday!). Can’t wait to try out more recipes using the Varlhona chocolate!

The most memorable thing that happened last year is definitely my graduation trip to Europe with X. It was an exciting 42-day trip, travelling to 11 different countries and over 15 cities. There was so much to see and learn! I love the history, the culture, the architecture and definitely the food. I wish I have the chance to have another 42-day Europe trip, there’s still so much stuff that I want to see. (: Haha, I’m still halfway blogging about my Europe trip… I’ll try to blog faster! d:

I’ve tried out many recipes this year, and attempted some that I’d never thought that I would try. I’m thankful to my family, friends and X who were some-what forced (haha)to be my guinea pigs and provided feedback on how I could improve them. I’m also glad to be a part of the Aspiring Bakers family and part of the Bake Along, they have motivated me to step out of my comfort zone and try out new recipes (:

With that, I’d like to share the top 5 of the recipes that I’m most proud of /most favourite for 2011!

I am really proud of these pineapple tarts because they were very well-received by my family and friends. It was my first time baking them, and they turned out really successful! (:

There was a Chinese New Year food fair at Takashimaya going on, and I was there last week and managed to sample some of the products featured. All their pineapple tarts were so sweet! And some of them even have weird flavours like cheese… I’m quite a traditional person when it comes to food, so I don’t really like all these weird variations.

This year I’m going to bake pineapple tarts again for my family and friends. I’m going to try making the tart dough using different types of butter, and see which butter will make the most fragrant and buttery tart dough. Will share them when I’ve tried it out! (:

The most challenging and time consuming bake in 2011 would probably be these Animal Mooncakes. As I didn’t want to get any mooncake mould, I tried making animal mooncakes. It was really time consuming – making the dough, portioning the dough and the filling and shaping them.

If I’m going to try baking them again this year, I will make these mooncakes smaller in size and add in melon seeds for some crunch. Or maybe other type of mooncakes? Will see how again this year! (:

I’ve made this Bolognese Sauce countless times during my University years. I’d whipped up a batch and freeze the leftovers in individual portions and use them whenever I need a quick and easy lunch or dinner. It’s definitely a better alternative than using those canned / bottled sauces.

It’s chewy, it’s chocolatey and it’s so brownie-like… but it’s a cookie! These cookies are so easy to make and they are utterly delicious. They are a really sweet treat and I especially love them when paired with vanilla ice cream. It’s like eating brownies with ice cream! Maybe I’ll try making a small batch of cookies using the Varlhona chocolate I bought yesterday… (:

My top favourite recipe of 2011 definitely has to be Aglio e Olio. They are so simple to make and so delicious! Whenever I’ve no idea what to cook for lunch, I’ll definitely go for Aglio e Olio. It’s a healthy, hearty and delicious dish that I think everyone should really give it a try. I’ve tried out Mushrooms Aglio e Olio and Prawns Aglio e Olio and both are really good. Will definitely try out more variations this year! (:

For 2012, not only do I wish to improve on my baking and cooking skills, I wish to improve on my photography skills as well. I really like taking photos of food, hopefully there will be more pretty food photos to come!

Happy 2012 everyone! May all of you have a great year ahead!

Tags: 2011, 2012, food, new year, photos, recipes

• January 5, 2012
• my thoughts my life
• 3 comments