Happy Anniversary!

Here's introducing some of the best selling macaron flavours! 

These are the macs which customers have ordered,

and it racked up to 7 orders this weekend ;)

I doubt I can take any more than 7 - 9 orders a week. 

Rose macaron

Salted Caramel buttercream

Hazelnut macaron. 

New trial which turned out super yums!

Pistachio macaron

Matcha Green Tea macaron

Chocolate macaron

All packed and ready to be delivered to make someone's dayy! :D

Hope they like them!

I'm working on an exciting mission right now,

and hopefully it will materialize really soon!

There are so many online bakeries which are venturing into a brick-and-mortar cafe.

And I really look forward to having my own cafe one day too

But I hold a full-time job, which I hold dear to my heart as well.

Hence, I'm only baking only after work hours, and on weekends. ;)

Nevertheless, I'm now scouting for a suitable NEA licensed kitchen to rent,

so I can bake for bigger orders at a go! 

I'm also looking at potential farmers' market to hold a stall, 

so people can just pop by to say hi and try the macarons.

Currently, upcoming plans for Sprinkled with love - E, there are 2 major orders for weddings,

and I'm still trying to fix the details for a giveaway.

I guess I'd most probably find a day for everyone to meet me at a common point,

say City hall? 

It's not really possible to send a courier down for each giveaway giftbox :x

Looking forward to getting all your support to pop by to collect the giftboxes :D

Looks like I've many milestones that I can't wait to achieve with Sprinkled with Love -E..

If only I have more time to bake.

------

On another note.. I've set aside my apron to go out too.

All the work and baking are driving me crazy. lol!

Here's Shane and myself celebrating our anniversary! 

Here's me being vain as usual!

Loving the pairing of the Forever New top and Love Bonito embossed skirt ;)

Been feeling a little wistful of late.. 

and thinking of how a year is passing by so quickly.

That's just me, getting into this sorta mood everytime the year comes closer to the end.

Can you believe that it's going to be October already tomorrow?

Where did three-quarters of the year go?

Nowadays, my calender is filled up with orders, work meetings, gatherings, baby showers, weddings..

There isn't a single slot in my calendar that is free on a weekend.

I live on a daily basis, poring and fussing over many details.

I wish I have time to slow down, but there is just so much I can't wait to accomplish while I'm still young.

Twenties is passing by really quickly..

And I hope at the end of my twenties,

I'd be able to look back and tell myself that I have no regrets :)

That goes for you too. 

If you have any dream, no matter big or small,

don't sit on it, don't be fearful, don't wait for things to happen,

make it happen. 

For afterall, you only live once. #yolo

It's never too early or too late to embark on anything.

Just start with baby steps ;)

That's what I'm doing right now too! 

I don't know how long will I be able to bake, 

but I know that I want to bake now. ;)

Alright, shall stop here before I go round and round with my big theories. hehe.

Till the next, have a good rest everybody.

I'm off to crash my bed.

Launch of Sprinkled with Love - E

So stoked that I've received so much encouragement and blessings over this weekend 

as I launch of my online bakery : Sprinkled with Love - E ;) 

After more than 3 years of baking (2 years for macarons), 

it's a very euphoric moment to see my baking efforts materializing into something concrete. 

Never in my wildest dreams would I have imagined that I'd have such a day,

where I get so many compliments about my bakes and having repeated supportive customers.

*touched* thank you very much to you guys for making this possible.

To thank all the supporters, I've especially created a new flavour to coincide with the launch:

Durian macarons!

Singaporeans have such a passion for this hate-it-or-love-it fruit.

During the durian season, you see the durian stalls pop up everywhere, 

hear people comparing the types and prices of durians in their conversations,

and smell durians from miles away as your neighbours feast on them. 

Well, my guess that is majority of the Singaporeans love their durians.

For one, I'm very much a durian-fanatic, especially the slightly bitter variation.

When I was younger, my parents used to limit my intake of durian to 2 -3 pcs each time,

as durian is known to be a "heaty" fruit.

During those times, I recall licking my fingers endlessly, 

and leaving no trace of the creamy flesh behind.

Till today, I love this pungent fruit to bits, and will get it whenever it's in season.

Despite being such a fan of durians, I didn't explore this flavour until a customer requested for it.

I had causally mentioned to her that I'd be trying it soon (procrastination took over :P).

And boy, I'm so glad she provided the nudge for me to try this out!

The aroma of the thorny fruit filled my entire kitchen (or should I say house)

 as I meshed the durian flesh for the ganache. 

It took me so much determination not to steal a spoonful of them halfway! lol!

Here are the yellow shells, fresh out from the oven.

The heat tinted the yellow shells, creating a gorgeous shade of golden yellow. :)

The flip side of the shells after peeling them off the parchment paper.

I've seen macarons where the top shell color is very pretty,

but the bottom is sticky and uncooked. 

There's a high possibility that these shells are hollow, 

with a cloyingly sweet puddle of almond-sugar mix at the bottom.

Personally, I don't think those make good macarons.

Then again, it's up to personal preference as to whether aesthetics or taste is more important ;)

The completed durian macarons all ready to go!

There are many steps in making macarons, and the whole process can be quite tedious.

So it really gives me a huge sense of satisfaction whenever I pack my macarons.

I give my best in every step of making macarons,

from grinding my own almond powder, whisking the egg whites to firm peaks, 

mixing my macaronage till it flows like a ribbon, piping the shells out in equal sizes,

baking them at precise temperatures for an exact amount of time,

to experimenting and perfecting every filling.

Every step is important to me, 

and I don't hand out any macaron that falls short of my own expectations.

I used to toss out batches and batches of failed attempts,

and my parents and parents in law would exclaim "But that's what they sell outside too!"

Yes, I know some bakeries do that. But I don't want to do that. 

You see, I  really really love macarons.

They are finicky, and excessively tedious to make. 

But I'm passionate about making them.

To date, there isn't another item which I've so fervently baked for such an extended period of time.

 So, if they turn out to be less than what I expect them to be, I'd not hesitate to toss them out. 

Another batch of durian macarons, this time with green shells & 100% D24 durian ganache.

Spot the little yellows of durian flesh that is peeking out :)

For those who are not as inclined towards durian, here's another flavour : Rose Buttercream.

It's the hottest item from my list of flavours.

I think I've made more than 250 pcs of them since March this year :)

The buttercream is very light, and has a very fragrant taste of rose. 

The delicate smell of rose will reach you before you pop them into your mouth.

I had one customer telling me that she is afraid of trying out rose buttercream,

as the one she ate previously in another shop reminded her of lipstick.

I never had any lipstick which reminded me of rose buttercream,

so I was rather worried that mine would remind her of lipstick too!

Definitely wouldn't want my macarons to have a taste that resembles an artificial-created item.

Thankfully, she said mine wasn't anything like that. phew. 

And the best part was that she loved this rose buttercream ;) yays!

In any case, I don't add chemicals to my macarons, so I'm not sure how the lipstick taste was achieved too.

 

Here's a behind the scene snapshot of my piping process ;)

Pretty shade of pastel pink in little circles ;)

The packaging which I've decided on for the 2 baby showers over the weekend.

Both customers had ordered the rose buttercream and earl grey chocolate flavored macarons!

The happy (and super vain) me all ready to deliver my mac babies!

So glad that the macarons were very well received. 

I was rushing out the facebook page on Friday midnight to be in time for these 2 events, 

so apologies for not having sufficient information up yet.

I'd be doing a giveaway reallyyyy soon. 

But in the meantime, I've just created an order form, and it's attached here as well:

There is free delivery for a minimum purchase of $46!

Show some love, and hop over to Sprinkled with Love - E today.

Like the page to be updated on the giveaway,

and share the page with everyone you love! :)

Thank you very much!

Kayleaa (Photoshoot)

So ecstatic to have done an outdoor shoot for Kayleaa!

The owner was a very nice and patient lady, 

and it's an absolute joy to have worked with her.

Here's a sneak peek at the pieces I've modeled ;)

*Please note that the names indicated are completely cooked up by yours truly.

Kayleaa will launch the pieces with different names this Wednesday ;)

Look out for this collection titled "The Enchantment"

Floral Dress with Red Prints

Totally adore the lovely, rainbow hues floral prints!

It emits such happy, springlike vibes that you can't help feeling cheery while wearing it.

It's one of my personal favorites of the collection

Floral Dress with English Rose Prints

If loud prints isn't your cup of tea,

this subdued version will fit you to a tee! ;)

It has a very vintage feel to it, 

and the soft pink hues adds a magical girlish touch too. 

Bright Owl Prints Dress

The bright owls print is so delightfully adorable!

Cute, googly-eyed owls + soft tiffany blue = Perfect tea dress.

Need I say anymore? :) 

This is also one of my favorites of the collection.

hoot hoot! :P

Abstract Art Blue Romper

I fell in love with this romper at first sight.

Don't you agree that it's the perfect piece for any weekend brunch date?

Especially loving the cut-in fit at the shoulders. 

It is very very flattering, and with such a lovely abstract print,

it's completely irresistible.

Springtime Floral Dress

This dress has the same cut and fit as the Bright Owl Prints Dress.

It's yet another very girlish item that comes in handy for all causal occasions :)

The pastel colors make it soo easy to accessorize.

Yellow Stripey Dress

Bring on the 60s' charm with this lovely piece!

Pair it with a white sling bag, hoop earrings, and you'd be good to go ;) 

Monochrome Checkered Dress

A classic piece that brings you from day to night!

Fit it with a black belt to give off a sense of"no-nonsense" during work,

and throw on a red belt after work to give off an Audrey Hepburn aura. 

Suitable for office? Check.

Going for a dinner date thereafter? Check.

Having post dinner drinks? Check!

Yellow Gradient Dress

Somehow, this dress makes me feel like a garden fairy of sorts. lol!

It's so dainty and pretty!

It's the epitome of enchantment, and so apt for this collection.

I've thoroughly enjoyed myself throughout the shoot,

to be goofing around and trying to look pretty at the same time. 

hehe.

I hope all of you found my reviews useful,

and that you found some thing that you like.

Remember to head over to Kayleaa this wednesday!

The Coastal Settlement

Last Sunday saw at The Coastal Settlement for brunch.

Had wanted to head there ever since passing it by on our last trip to La Cantina in Venezia.

It's a gorgeous, tucked away gem in our urban jungle.

Imagine sprawling green lawns, butterflies fluttering amid the flowers,

slight chatter of the little sparrows, smell of the morning dew,

rattling of the coffee machine, and scent of earthly scrambled eggs tossed in truffle oil.

Indeed, this place invoked all senses in every way possible.  

This was the entrance which greeted us upon entering its car park entrance.

Thankfully, we headed there early at about 10.30am, so the carpark wasn't full yet.

We estimated that the carpark has a capacity of slightly over 20 lots? 

So head there early if you intend to drive :)

The winding pathway which leads from the carpark to the main entrance of The Coastal Settlement,

There were potted plants, little carved stones which lined the sides of the pathway.

There was also a swing, but I didn't manage to get near it as it was occupied.

The Coastal Settlement only starts operation at 11am, hence we had loads of time to cam whore. :P

Even at 10.30am, there were at least 6 groups of people waiting. gosh. 

Exploring the new camera and environment as we waited for time to pass.

It was lovely to be able to sit at the outdoor porch while waiting.

It struck me as to how little time we spent just relaxing and letting the light breezes caress our faces...

while doing absolutely nothing.

Such a moment will leave most of us guilt stricken on any working day.

Why have we grown so strung up over accomplishing something every single moment?

I was growing so contemplative that I might sink into depression any moment. haha.

Thank goodness, the staff's welcoming voice snapped me out of my reverie. 

The interior of The Coastal Settlement is just as awesome as the exterior.

The premise was huge, with old school grey cement flooring,

fitted luxuriously with all the vintage looking furniture and vehicles.

Yes, vehicles! There were scooters which were lined up as part of the furniture,

and they looked so shiny and cool! 

Wooden teak chairs were hung up on the ceiling, 

and old telephones, tea cups and saucers added little touches of magic to this already lovely place.

To the main orders proper,

we both ordered dishes from the Eggs section.

I had the Truffle eggs and mushrooms ($20),

while Shane had the Steak and eggs ($32).

So glad that Shane didn't turn up his nose at the menu.

He is definitely not an eggs-bacon-mushroom kind of brunch person.

He would prefer dishes that are slightly more filling that that. 

Luckily for the addition of a steak item in the menu :)

For once, he looked excited about having brunch. 

Notice the awesome range of vintage scooters behind me :)

For mine (Truffle Eggs with Mushrooms),

I liked how fluffy and buttery the scrambled eggs were, 

and how the earthly tones of mushrooms were accentuated with the addition of truffle oil,

but I didn't like that bacon laced with maple syrup.

It seems to be a trademark of The Coastal Settlement, 

as I couldn't find a single bacon dish without the maple syrup.

But the combination of the saccharine sweet maple syrup and salty bacon just doesn't go well.

I'm sorry to say this, but I didn't touch the bacon after the first bite :(

The toast that came with slightly salted butter and apricot jam was warm and fluffy too.

So for most part of the dish, I enjoyed eating it.

However, both Shane & I loved the Steak and Eggs dish to bits!

Shane is a steak-fanatic, and knows how to enjoy a good steak any time.

According to him, the steak was really good, and value for money.

The scrambled eggs and truffle fries were good complements too.

In the end, I finished all his truffle fries. hehe.

I'm such a sucker for truffle fries!

We'll definitely be back again to Coastal Settlement.

It's hard not to fall in love with a gorgeous place with awesome food!

Do visit this place if you have the time. 

It's definitely in my good books for the list of Must-Visit cafes in Singapore ;)

Till the next, have a lovely Sunday peeps!