The CupCake Experiment PART 1B
After yesterday's failed first effort, I gave the recipe for Plain Vanilla CupCakes another try.

Things I changed:

I used real butter instead of margarine

I used less egg

I used kitchenscales to weigh the ingredients

I whisked longer and got fluffier batter

I changed the temperature from 175C to 200C

Look at my funky new kitchen scales! Mechanical, not electrical. *loves*


After ten minutes in the oven, they looked like they would grow into actual cupcakes...


... but once again I ended up making a mess. Although...


... the three in the back turned out to be not bad at all!

After cooling, only two still looked like cupcakes. The other four all had a soggy center. Next time I will:

Mix the bakingpowder with the flour before mixing in the other ingredients

Not put as much batter in the front cups and maybe put the whole batch as far to the back of my oven as possible

All other suggestions are welcome! I will try another recipe next weekend:)

The CupCake Experiment PART 1
Sinterklaas gave me a book with CupCake recipes. I've never baked before, but plan to try one of these every week. Here's my first effort...

Plain Vanilla CupCakes

THE BOOK


THE INGREDIENTS

The recipe is for 18 cupcakes, but my oven only fits 6, so I had to divide everything by three. Not easy with 4 eggs...


I didn't have a scale, so I used a measuringbowl. Whisk away! As it turns out my handmixer couldn't handle it, so I ended up using a fork.


Dough is supposed to be 'pale and fluffy'. It's yellow and sticky. Maybe because of the margarine instead of butter? Or too much egg after all. Hmmm.


It seems I at least got the right amount. I'm guessing it will rise a bit.


After twenty minutes in the oven they don't look like the photo in the book; they are soggy and pale, so I decide to leave them in for another ten minutes...


Huh. They don't look bad in these pictures, but as you can see they shrunk after a while and the centers were not baked.
I'm going to buy real butter tomorrow and try again on a higher temperature; I suspect the plastic cups need more heat than paper ones.

Hopefully then they all look like this:

One out of six is not a bad result for a first try, is it?
I'm saving this one for inspiration. I ate the other five. WITH A SPOON. Ahem.

Tried my new sandwichtoaster today...

In the instructions it said not to eat the first batch, so I first made two sandwiches with only butter, as to not waste cheese and bacon. So officially this is the second try; still exciting though:)










Tadaah!

I felt a bit sad that I had to cut off some of the crust to make the bread fit, but on tasting I learned it's better to trim it all around next time. The heat ruins the texture of the crust. The actual breadpart was delicious though.

Too bad I didn't clean the machine while the cheese was still soft. Shit.

Oudjaarsavond 2009 / New Year's Eve 2009

At mom's, waiting for her to come home (she worked until midnight)

5...4...3...2...1:

Happy New Year! Gelukkig Nieuwjaar!





First food of 2010: SNOWBALLS!



01012010 - cycling back home:

Happy Birthday to me!
My bestest friends had sent me packages. Mail doesn't ever get delivered on my birthday (which is of course an official holiday in The Netherlands;), but I saved them all like the good girl I am and didn't unwrap them until this morning. (Jelle sent me a message right after midnight telling me to open his present, I of course had to oblige;)
Look how well they all know me:

Pig on wheels made by Artistic_Sillie, so cute *cuddles*! Also chocolate, wahey!
Waterbottle and Reykjavik travel guide from Tanisafan; awesome!
John Barrowman (well, the book) from Jelle: can't wait to read it.
\o/
Thank you all (also to everyone who sent me paper or digital wishes and presents:)

Party-time!
Mom and brotherdearest came over around 13.30 for some (kiddie)bubbly and cake:

Hans opened the bottle very professionally. The cork ended up at the other end of my room, wahey!


Cake came from the best bakery in Dedemsvaart, nomnomnom. Notice how I made fancy sugar-decorated glasses for the strawberry-bubbly \o/

I had made reservations for dinner at 18.00. We walked to the restaurant and a couple of minutes later, Benthe arrived to join our party:) We ordered the Shizuan-menu for all of us.


Pekingsoup for starters was delicious. (Filled with egg, vegetables, duck)


Second course: eggrolls, beef and filled krupuk.


Maincourse: beef, pork, chicken and more beef, served with rice and noodles. Happy campers!


Couldn't get a picture of the scrumptious honeymelon (a treat on the house), it was gone so fast. Perfect.


Still life :-)


Oh how delighted we are with dessert. (SMILE!)


One final picture in front of the restaurant; it was brilliant. Oh, we also all received beautiful Chinese calenders as a souvenir:)


All tucked in for the film in the attic.
We had a great time watching Up (It was totally heartwarming;)

More presents:

Sandwichtoaster and recipes book from mom, West Wing S1 DVD from Hans and Benthe (Darwin book was belated Sinterklaas gift), card from the neighbours, Darwin DVD from mom, envelope with ridiculous amount of money from mom and dad, and last but definitely not least a coupon (BON) from mom to go do something chocolatey together (for instance making bonbons in Amsterdam).

It was one of the best birthdays I've ever had. Thanks everyone!

Continuing my series of Snowpictures!
These are made on December 21 and 22, 2009.


Remember that picture I made on december 17?
Here are the same bikes four days (and blizzards) later.


Another bike that was parked at the busstop last Monday (Dec 21).
Isn't it a gorgeous sight?


The busstop. Yes, that is a McDonalds across the street...


... with Santa on the roof!


At the other end of my busride: sunrise in Dedemsvaart


The path to my work. (A ten to fifteen minute walk from the temporary busstop)


On the way to work. Bachplein.


I find the structure of treetops fascinating.


Detail of treetop :)


At night in Zwolle; funky tree (I see the face of an elephant:)


December 22: more trees.

The end (unless it starts snowing again. We may have a White Christmas:)

"Sukadelappen"
I discovered the butcher added my favorite meat to his biological range! I tried to find the english name for this dish, but couldn't find it. It's beef from the shoulder-area and it needs to be cooked for about two hours to get it soft and chewy. My grandmother is very experienced in making this perfectly. Last time I tried it I ended up with two tiny pieces of blackened and burned meat... So this time I was going to keep a closer eye on the pan and supply it with plenty of butter and water...

Before:


After 98 minutes


Done! After about 114 minutes:)

Tadaah! Will taste it tomorrow...

"Kerstpakket"
Every year we get a big Christmasparcel from work. The fucked up traffic forced me to make two slippery emergency stops, causing my bike and I to fall over in the snow and making me drop the parcel. So I was kind of worried when I finally got to open it...


Fortunately all the breakables survived! Yay! Also: candy! Double yay!


Happy Holidays everyone! <:-)