i've been seeing (and buying) lots of korean-authored cookbooks lately. at first glance they could easily be mistaken for japanese ones because the recipes and style of pictures look pretty similar but i actually think they're more interesting since the korean ones incorporate more unusual ingredients, plus lots of fruit and vegetables into their bakes. think fresh grape tart, tomato yogurt mousse verrines and purple sweet potato jam. their photography also look way better! so its japanese for entremet books and korean for the more homey bakes. this cookie caught my eye because it looks really cute. i've seen iced cookies in this manner but not one where bits of torn cocoa dough are scattered randomly on top of plain dough and then rolled out to create this gorgeous pattern.

for many years, i've had enquiries asking whether i could make variety gift boxes like these but to be honest i didn't really think i was up to it. i didn't have appropriate packaging then and i didn't really wanna use white cake boxes or anything generic from the baking supplies stores or even daiso. i was happy to be able to find packaging i like finally and for this order, my customer was kind enough to leave everything to me with the only requirement that the items have gotta be able to transport easily ie. stuff that won't melt or crumble all over. so i came up with these.

i must say that despite the fact that i have a sweet tooth, i've never really been a fan of sugared cereals. i don't like how the milk gets unbearably sweet towards the end so i usually stick to cornflakes or special-K for my cereal choices. i don't even care for froot loops but when i was introduced fruity pebbles by a friend few years back, i was hooked. really really hooked! i love the fruity lemony flavor and the medley of colors and i could still remember on some busy days i actually had it for breakfast, lunch & dinner! this is probably also the only post cereal i eat. anyway, i think these rice krispies kinda treats are really common but i've never had it before so i decided to make some with the leftover marshmallows i had.

i'm not sure if anyone heard things like martha stewart's recipes don't work? i learned it from one of my baking buddies as well as some food bloggers, one of which you can read her story here. despite having been baking for several years now, i haven't tried martha stewart's recipes at all so i couldn't comment. then it was after i got an ipad 2 recently that i started downloading her mags, ebooks & apps and seriously thought about trying her recipes. deciding to venture out of my comfort zone to incorporate some spices into my bakes apart from the usual "safe" choices like cinnamon, nutmeg & ginger, this recipe caught my eye.

i'm just in time to make something for x'mas. i was down with a flu and i still had to fulfil some insane macaron orders for the past few weeks so i really lost my interest for blogging and photography. i don't know when i'll get the enthusiasm back, hopefully soon.

the moment i set my eyes on the recipe, i knew i had to make them rightaway. and to be honest, incorporating rose into cookies did not cross my mind even though i love them in mousses, cakes, puddings and even beverages. but once i tasted them, it was really no turning back.

made these in order to take a break from macaron making (also to preserve my sanity). be it simple or complicated, rustic or modern, i think my life revolves around french patisserie alot. when i don't hv time to make multi-component entremets, i find myself drawn to french bakes still. even simple ones like financiers, madeleines & eclairs can be so satisfying.

i really haven't been baking much lately. apart from the orders i had, the ovens (yes plural, i hv two ovens now) were basically left untouched. i'm not sure why but i seem 2b suffering from a "baking burnout", if such term exists. things are so bad that i'll leave butter or cream cheese at room temperature and then return them to the fridge afterwards without baking anything LOL. i guess going out for desserts with the kakis might also a contributing factor. i wouldn't wanna make more desserts since i'm already going out so often to hv them.

Chocolate Almond Biscotti

my 2nd attempt at biscotti, the first was really long ago, like 2006 or something. was craving for something chocolatey and at the same time captivated by the biscotti over at elyn of e's joie, so i decided to go for it. found out that she's a fan of anna olsen's program called sugar on afc (asian food channel), so am i! and this recipe is adapted from her program so i'm pretty sure it'll be good.