Cornflake cookies

Crunchy cookies never fails to tempt me. Thanks to Roz, I'm tempted to try her recipe.

=Ingredients=
150g butter
80g icing sugar
1 egg yolk
50g cornflour
180g flour
80g cornflakes (crushed)

Method

1. Cream butter and sugar until fluffy. Add in egg yolk and beat until well mixed. Add in cornflour and mix well. Add in plain flour gradually. Add in cornflakes.
2. Roll into small balls and coat with more cornflakes. Bake at 175C for 10 minutes. Cool and keep in an airtight container (I roll into long bars and bake at 150C for 20 minutes - fan oven)

before baking

looks like nuggets to me

New new

Presenting...

We moved into this studio flat since August 2011. Yippee, a new flat! It's nearer to hubby's lab but farther from my shopping streets. Nvm, I just need to walk more. This flat is on the third floor (the highest floor), meaning we have to climb stairs everyday (hmmm, a good form of exercise too).

The first thing you'll see when you close the door. A welcome card LOL

My flowers (bought from my previous Sabah family trip)

My comfy couch 

(2 pillows, a brown rug, a spiral pattern aryclic carpet bought using my vouchers)

Day view from our windows

Night view

(more impressive views if you are standing here for real)

Our heating area - it's fake LOL

My mini garden

This tall plant belongs to our landlady

(I have the smaller version of this plant if you notice it in my earlier pic)

Got this glass dining table and leather place mats using my vouchers too

(worth £49.99 and £11.99 respectively)

the decorative side of me 

My pretty daisies

My princess mirror
(not straight enough to see the tall me so need to put 2 books behind)
This is also bought using my voucher - worth £39.99

A new double bed given by our kind landlady

(my bedsheet is really pretty ^^ )

my DIY lamp

(those images are created by me using small squares)

Showing other parts of the flat...

THE KITCHEN

finally I can have the whole kitchen to myself

a plain white fridge before I move in

hehe the cheerful fridge now

 my so-called "lab-oven" to bake and cook

 our own rice cooker - angmoh tak makan nasi LOL

 my decorations for the window above the kitchen sink

my latest swiss roll collection

a worn out washing machine

(okla, don't want to be fussy but it really gives out a loud noise during the washing process)

Entering the BATHROOM now...

Ahem, the door hanger is chosen by me and it's free from funkypigeon.com

Pictures are previously DIY at the old flat and I move them here

 My cute plastic cup - always cheer me up

Tortoise and my sundae umbrellas

That's all about my flat - 1 big room (as living room, dining room, bedroom), 1 separate kitchen and 1 separate bathroom. Guess how much is the monthly rental fee for this small studio flat? It's £380. Do your conversion in Ringgit and you can get a bigger room in Msia. But I enjoy living here ^^

Eyes

Went to volunteer myself for a PhD research project about "Social confidence with audience" and got £5 amazon voucher in return. I was asked two sets of interview questions and there were six people looking at me through the webcam in another room. I have to wear an eye tracker on my head to monitor my eyes movements. An interesting experience as I learned about this in my psychology subject but didn't have the opportunity to try it for real (Msia doesn't have this advanced device cos it's expensive). 

During the research, I have to press two buttons (negative or positive) when I see the expressions shown by the six different people towards my answers. I have to rate their overall expressions towards me at the end of the research.  

 This is not me. Got the pic from Google. Similar experience to mine.

 

Almond butter cake

Since I have all the ingredients at home, I told myself, "Why not try this out."

my favourite butter in UK

=Ingredients=
145g plain flour
50g ground almonds - I use flaked almonds
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt - omit this if using salted butter
170g butter, softened
170g sugar - I use 150g
1 large egg, plus 1 large egg yolk - I follow LittleTeochew and use 2 small whole eggs
1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
12 tbs whole milk


Method

1. Preheat oven to 190C (me 180C). Butter and line a 9-inch cake pan.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, almond meal, baking powder and salt.
3. Using a mixer on medium speed, cream butter and sugar until fluffy for about 2 minutes.
4. Beat in egg, egg yolk and vanilla until well combined. 
5. On low speed, add flour mixture into 3 parts, alternating with milk. 

          split flour into 1/2, 1/4 and 1/4.
          1st time, add in 1/2,
          then 1/4
          then 1/4

     6. Switch mixer to medium and beat for 10-15 seconds, until batter appears uniform.
     7. Pour batter into prepared pan and smooth top with spatula.
     8. Bake for 40 minutes.
     9. Rest in pan for 5 minutes then remove it.   

Sorry for the long hiatus

Busy with my life since last month. Hehe. Finally I am "busy" in UK. Wohoo, happy with my slight achievement! 

Thank God!

Autumn

Actually it is late autumn now or should I say I feel like winter is coming already. Oh gosh, it is 7C today. Freaking cold. I need to get my gloves out now onwards. *snow is predicted to come in November*

Super moist eggless chocolate cake

This cake is really moist and delicious. I bet you would love this.
Got this recipe from a Malay blogger

A dollop of vanilla ice-cream on top of my chocolate cake is heavenly

~Ingredients~
1 cup plain flour *
1 tsp baking powder *
1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda *
1/2 cup cocoa powder * - I use the cocoa powder from Norway
* sift them together *

2 tbs milk powder
1 cup brown sugar - I use 3/4
a pinch of salt
1 1/4 cup cold water
1/2 cup vegetable oil - I use sunflower oil
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp instant coffee (+ 1 tbs hot water)
1 tsp vinegar


Method

1. Place the *ingredients in a big bowl. Mix in milk powder, brown sugar and salt. Add in cold water, oil and vanilla extract, whisk it. Add in instant coffee + hot water, slowly stir it until smooth. Lastly add in vinegar and mix well.  
2. Pour the mixture in the baking tray and bake inside the preheated oven 160C 30-40 minutes (I use 1 hour for my ordinary oven - don't want to use my fan assisted oven)

Blackberries

Bought some to taste. Verdict: sour and some seeds stuck between my teeth.