My New A.Plate.Of Business Cards!!!

I present to you my cute little environmentally friend white card box. Insideeee...I love the way the cards are slim line with a different photo I've taken on every card, the cards are responsibly sourced and as I've said on the reverse- FairTrade Supportive. <3<3<3

Definition of a 'Foodie'

"a person devoted to refined sensuous enjoyment 

(especially good food and drink)"

My Sweety Chocolate Buttercream Cupcakes made for a fundraiser to aid the Pakistan flood victims... 

May Allah (swt) help us to help those less fortunate than us insha'Allah.

Guests Are A Blessing & So Is Cake.

The guests came and it was an absolute hit, I'll definitely be making this again. The tins were wrong so as I said, I thought these sponges wouldn't work to form a stable cake. I had to around the edge of one to make it similar to the other sponge, the feeling of disappointment was growing because I wanted to use this as a birthday cake- what was I to do but carry on and pray that it all came together. Well, thank Allah, it did come together beautifully. It tasted EXACTLY the way I wanted it and all the guests lovedddd it which is always a good sign. 

Making this cake took me a tad longer than usual because of the change in measurement, as I used an American template for a recipe it was using "cups" instead of metric grams/oz. 
As always I altered the recipe, instead of using a plain cream filling I made a vanilla cream to put inside with the strawberries, mascarpone and a few kiwis I sliced hidden underneath an extra layer of cream before I placed the top of the cake on which i had smothered with strawberry jam (another random last minute decision which stopped any change of dryness). And the final random thing I added- because I believe in having a good texture when it's all getting a bit too soft/trying to add a finish touch, was to add toasted almonds. A sparkler gave it the perfect touch to make it a birthday cake. I hope you like the pictures as requested by brother Khatibi!

Guests are a blessing and so is A.Plate.Of. Cake.

Strawberry Whipped Cream Cake Recipe

Below is the recipe- chop and change however you like! I don't like the way this person has written the recipe at times, so a tip would be to re-write it in brief if you find it a tad irritating the way I did. Let me know if you have a go :o) I found it on an American website randomly. If you want to use metric measurements then you can just use google to find conversion websites where all the converted measurements are listed. Go on, you know you want to ^.^

For the berries:

• 2 pints strawberries, rinsed and hulled (about 4 cups)
• 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
• 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice (from about 1/2 medium lemon)
• 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon grated lemon zest
• 
  

For the cake:

• 2 cups cake flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 1/4 cup water
• 1 teaspoon lightly packed lemon zest
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 6 large eggs, separated
• 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
• 
  

For the filling:

• 1/2 cup mascarpone cheese
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 
  

For the frosting:

• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• 6 tablespoons granulated sugar
• 3 cups heavy cream

INSTRUCTIONS

For the berries:

1. Combine all ingredients in a medium nonreactive mixing bowl and toss to thoroughly coat strawberries. Let macerate at room temperature at least 20 minutes before using.
2. Strain macerated berries and reserve syrup separately.

For the cake:

1. Heat oven to 350°F and arrange rack in upper third. Butter and flour two (8-inch) cake pans. Sift flour, baking powder, and salt together into a mixing bowl; set aside.
2. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whip attachment, combine vegetable oil, water, lemon zest, vanilla extract, egg yolks, and 1 1/4 cups of the sugar. Whip on medium speed, until mixture is airy and light in color, about 5 to 7 minutes. Turn off the mixer and scrape down the sides of the bowl; add dry ingredients and whip until smooth, about 1 minute more.
3. In a clean bowl, whip egg whites to medium peaks. Add remaining 1/4 cup sugar and continue whipping until stiff peaks form, about 1 minute more. Using a rubber spatula, fold 1/4 of the egg whites into the cake batter until evenly incorporated; gently fold in remaining egg whites until just combined.
4. Divide batter between prepared cake pans. Bake until surface of cakes springs back when pressed and a toothpick or cake tester inserted into the center comes out clean, about 35 minutes. Remove cakes from the oven, and let cool 15 minutes. Run a knife around the perimeter of each, and turn them out onto wire racks to cool completely. Meanwhile, make the filling and the frosting.

For the filling:

1. Combine mascarpone cheese and heavy cream in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, and whip until stiff peaks form, about 2 minutes. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use.

For the frosting:

1. Place the cleaned bowl of the stand mixer and the whip attachment in the freezer for 10 minutes. Combine vanilla extract, sugar, and heavy cream in the chilled bowl and whip at medium speed until medium peaks form, about 2 minutes.
2. Cover and refrigerate until well chilled, at least one hour. (The frosting can be prepared up to 12 hours ahead.)

To assemble:

1. Using a long serrated knife, trim the tops of the cakes as necessary so they are level. Place cake rounds on a clean, dry surface and, using a pastry brush, brush 1/2 of the reserved strawberry syrup on the cut side of the first cake round; repeat on the cut side of the second cake round.
2. Evenly spread 1/4 of the mascarpone filling over the cut side of the bottom cake layer. Arrange strawberries standing upright, stem end down, over the mascarpone layer and trim as necessary to create an even layer. Cover berries with the remaining filling, being sure to fill in any empty space.
3. Place second cake layer over mascarpone and strawberries, cut side down, pressing gently to secure it. Using an offset spatula or a long, thin spatula, spread 3/4 cup of the frosting in a thin layer over the top and sides of the cake. Return remaining frosting and cake to the refrigerator until frosting on cake is set, about 15 minutes.
4. Spread the remaining frosting all over the top and sides of the cake. Let sit in the refrigerator at least 15 minutes before serving.

In the garage @ 1am

I'm choking. I've been scrubbing every tray of the oven (there's 3 but before you role your eyes, they're huge in length). I felt the need to don the yellow gloves, choke and scrub. Do feel sorry for me, someone has to. Please?

I've baked both sponges for a fresh cream and strawberry cake, due to one dodgey tin they both rose differently but I tried my best. 

I just crept into my garage to put the frosting I whisked up and fresh vanilla cream for the filling in the spare fridge. I was scared. Not of any stranger jumping up behind me, not of ghosts in the garage but the notion of my parents waking up and finding me shoving a yellow bowl in the garage like a naughty little girl being caught in the fridge with her face covered in chocolate saying "I'm diabetic, it wasn't me?". The questions would be, "aren't you sleep!", "why are you still baking?" and "the neighbours will think you're dodgey in the garage at 1am!". The last is what my mother said to me before going to sleep, it's quite funny actually. What would they think I was doing carrying items into my garage at 1am? and quickly scurrying back into the house. Let's not go there shall we, there's been far too much of that anyway.

Then I did the washing up for the 5th time today, seriously it was the 5th time. It's totally silent, I want my bed and so I am off to a well-deserved scrubbers sleep. Good Night.

Slight Failure :o(

I managed to make about 5! Rather than using paper petit four cases I personally think if I attempt to make these again it will be with silicone petit four cases just because they're more firm and would probably set better.

Hand Made Chocolate Cups With Mascarpone!

I've never done this before...never made chocolate cups the size of a petit four case. I'll be so disappointed if they don't work. You basically get little petit four cases and paint the inside of them with melted plain chocolate, place them upside down on baking paper and then wait for them to set. HOW LONG! I don't know?! 

It's definitely something different to try. I love little things to serve and to gift in pretty little boxes, or hand decorated boxes. It shows you took the time and effort, time being something everybody lacks these days, even those on benefits! Part of me goes into everything I make, I cried when my cake sponge broke from the corner a few weeks back. Some may think it was a pathetic over exaggeration, maybe then I would have agreed. But now I realise, NO! I'm taking a stand for 'emotional baking'. You take precision and you combine it with love and TLC. You want it to look beautiful and taste amazing, unforgettable. You smile when they (the eaters/the guests) say "mmmm". Suddenly you feel this huge sense of achievement, like somebodys going to come out with a red book at the end and say 'This is your life' after each baking session.  

-The Cases-

Now coated in chocolate ^

Let's pray I can scrape atleast one case so I can show a final image of what they turned out like, along with the recipe ^.^ yayy! I guess I shouldn't be getting excited too early.

Strawberry Whipped Cream Cake

Over the next day, I'm going to attempt to make a strawberry whipped cream cake. I'll let you know if it turns out how I want it, I'll post a picture to let you know if it's light and fluffy and beautifully fresh. Yummy <3

Eid FCO Dinner

So after a hectic scramble to make it to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office on tuesday evening, situated beautifully near the Buckingham Palace and an embarassingly hour late me and my sister stroll in to what is hardly a "dinner". The "dinner" (you know you love those sarcastic finger waving speech marks), I shall describe from what I saw at first glance...I see blacksuit clad men and predominantly muslim women listening to the secretary of the home office Theresa May...atleast I think so, perhaps my international relations degree is failing me or rather, I am failing it. Anyway, so theres loads of people standing round with drinks in their hands (no baracadis don't get excited and ring your mate up to dish the gossip that a Muslim event had alcohol- according to a secret source many a Saudi Sheikh drink at these events, but there were Saudi sheikhs there and all they had was cranberry juice but then again they weren't serving alcohol), two tables at the back of the hall manned by polish waitresses and south asian male waiters. I'm disappointed! My crazy imagination wanted huge table to network and beautiful flower arrangements with amazing speakers, no offense Theresa. We arrived late anyway so maybe you were the best of all. I caught something she said about how we need to speak to the Muslim community not just about counter-terrorism which is true. You're right Miss.May, hats off to you. That'll sort out community cohesion, or just make stupid men like Laden feel like they've gone horribly out of fashion. Thumbs up to that, you're so over. Anyway, the speech ends, everyone claps out of respect and then little h'orderves start appearing on little white and black trays. My eyes shoot straight over to them and I'm so on it. I'm excited, I'm so hungry and finally a waitress comes over with some little tinyy weenyyy baby bread crummed nuggets with a lovely tartary/ a thousand island sauce to accompany it. So I take one, and dip it in and much to my dismay IT WAS OVER. She walked away with my lifeline in her hands. Eventually me and my sister moved around the hall 'networking', I put ' ' because I don't know about her but I wanted to get a few more bites and leave, in and between polite conversation with some other lovely ladies ofcourse. What do you take me for, a fatty? Noooo. Although my concentration levels start seriously deteriorating when I realise I haven't eaten for hours. THEN- THE SKIES PARTED and another waitress came with generous pieces of chicken on skewers  (twice), then we said good-bye and we were off home. I managed to survive, just about. From what I've experienced local councils are less tight then central government on food expenditure, heck, local council nods to everything with a little receipt and claims it back.Take my advice though, if you ever go to a government event either eat well before or confirm if they'll have A.PLATE.OF food.

Party and MEATTT!

Today was spent without baking but rather savouring a lunch that would usually cause me to salivate had I seen it on a TV screen. A warm and happy party I attended served bbq'd tandoori chicken, burgers, feta olive and tomato salad and a lovely mayonnaise pasta and potatoe combo. I loved it! It made me feel that I held in my hands, rather on my plate, a more than delightful yet simple meal, packed with flavour. Of course so many foods can be healthy but I still feel that they can be bland and lack heaps of potential flavour.

At university I fooled myself into picking up what I thought was a quick healthy snack, cous cous. What a joke, it tasted like cold unloved food- they dared to make it look presentable by throwing in an inch of measely soggy peppers. My house mate on the other hand made it taste a delight when she made it from a packet and added her own dorset touch. She did this by using oxo vegetarian stock cubes (if i remember correctly), garlic, chopped onions and a few other ingredients from her cupboard packed with veggie delights. Hats off to you Bryony, you always managed to throw together a vegetarian meal that made the rest of us carnivores say "mmmm, that looks nice". That may not seem like a big deal to you but as an asian, mostly Pakistanis the dinner table or any table for that note looks naked, awkwardly positioned and sorry without meat. That definitely shouldn't be the case, there are plenty of amazing meals to be had which contain no meat but I found myself guilty of claiming I loved sea bass the other day, in describing its texture I said "it's meaty"...

My First Customer requested something nutty in the form of a biscuit which catered for her candarel needs. So here it is; my favourite-a stack of Pistachio Shortbread adapted from Ottolenghis-horay for Otto! It's been my food bible for experimentation ever since my foodie brother in law leant it to me. It's buttery shortbread texture mixed with a gentle vanilla undertone serves as a perfect crowd pleaser. Minus the nut allergies ofcourse! And as you'll come to read, I <3 to use golden caster sugar-unbleached and unrefined. You can taste the difference against white pot sugar.

My first plate...

Welcome, welcome. Take a seat.
I'm starting this blog at 22:01 on a Friday night...yes I'd rather type about food than paint the town red. Social life has its place but food is at the centre. It unites, binds and pleases in all its shapes and forms and hopefully this is what my blog will do. A plate of...

I Love Pistachios, Cardamon, Vanilla Sugar & the kind of feel good food that leaves a fragranced home. The kind of food that is good enough to gift a loved one, with the ability to bring strangers together.