last marble cheese brownies for 2009...and a Happy New Year 2010 Wish

The last entry 'mahu tapi malu'... was not the last for 2009 because i received a very last minute request for this MCB.



I was getting ready to send my eldest daughter to her school to get her books for the new school session and later on to go to my youngest daughter's school to register her for her pre-school and at the same time to sit for the briefing at the school, when i received this sms asking me if I had any extra cakes.



ini memang soalan cepu mas ni. Kalu tanya ada kek extra ni, mestinya nak kek:-)



okay....come out with it, nak kek apa?



At first when I saw the name on my phone, I thot, hmm, ni mesti dah tak sabar nak tengok cuppies dia ni, fortunately I had made sure they were ready the night before because I knew that I would be busy in the morning with my daughters school things, but it turned out that she was asking on her mum's behalf., "mama ada jamuan jam 2. smlm die lpe nk 0rder.smpt x watkan mcb 1 biji? kalaw xsmpt takpe"



Replied to her that if the briefing finished early then I could make the MCB for her.

By almost 11 am, the briefing showed no sign of finishing, the Head Master was still on the dos and don'ts for the year 1 students from 9.30 am and he still said nothing about the pra-school students, but I wouldn't blame the HM because he was so passionate and committed with his work, after all he's the longest serving HM at that school, six years as compared to others who were only there for two years the most and some even nine months only ( according to him ) .



What he said had some truth in them and they were good advice to new parents who were sending their kids for the first time.It is very true what he said that kids listen to teachers more than they would their own parents, and that is why teachers' responsibilities and roles are very big and challenging. They are the role models and there''s no compromise on that. My father is a pensioned teacher himself.



Teachers do have great impact on your lives as one particular teacher did to me when I was in my primary school. She's my English teacher. Her name is Ms Teo Chu Kan. I don't know where she is now, probably somewhere in Trengganu.I've always liked that subject but she made it even more interesting with her method of teaching , her enthusiasm and passion and made me love it even more. I always got good results, in fact the highest score for my English....ehem...ehem... not just English mind you, ni cerita zaman kegemilangan sekolah rendah (primary school glory days ) lah ni.:-)She gave me books, dictionaries, etc whenever I got my good results. I wouldn't call it favouritism but more of, encouragement i think . I still remember the beautifully illustrated children's books "The Little Match Girl" and " The Little Mermaid" which she gave me , which regretfully and sadly I didn't know where they are now:-( I love the books so much and I do hope I would get to see her again (and the books too, wishful thinking) . She's probably as old as my father now I would think.

Speaking of primary school, I 'met', well not actually met in person, my long lost primary school friend thru my sister when I went back to my hometown last week. My umi and my sister went to my friend's sister's daughter's wedding....wow...long connection.....and ...okay..okay.. to cut the story short, my sister got my friend's number. I called her and I hope that we would be able to resume from where we left off, and hopefully we would meet again someday.



Back to my briefing story, I had to leave even before the HM finished his briefing, sorry cikgu..my daughter had called and I had an MCB to bake cos I had promised someone. Janji mesti ditepati.

Upon reaching home, I took out the butter and melt it on the stove while frying the egg and meat for my son's breakfast. By 12.30 noon, the MCB was out of the oven and while letting it to cool off before cutting it ( because Sya wanted me to cut it for her mum), I went to pick up my daughter from her school but when I got there she was still waiting for her turn which I didn't think would be ready before 2 pm. Sya is coming over at 2 pm to collect her mum's mcb so I had to leave my daughter first.

By 2 something sya came, but decided that her sister will bring back her 'malu tapi mahu...crimes of passion' cuppies because she came by bike. She liked it.I am so glad that she liked it and she even stayed for awhile and we had a really nice and interesting conversation between the two of us.



later in the evening, while watching Indiana Jones with my children, I received this sms from sya:

k.zue. thanx taw utk cuppies 2. rasa sya taw msti yummy. dec0 cntek amat! muah muah utk k.zue. mcb 2 laku td mama ckp"





I'd just like to share, a couple of days ago while updating my blog, I received this sms:



"k.zue thumbs up utk kek kek yg cntek2 ni. kami skuarga tgh melht blog k.zue:-D teliur tgk da 2 rasa syg pulak nk mkn. kami doa k.zue tr0s sukses ya."



that sms was from sya herself., the same person who ordered the 'malu tapi mahu...Crimes of Passion' cuppies and this last minute mcb, not forgetting the 'off they went to the land of fairies' choc cuppies, the golfer mcb, the ribbon choc moist, the oreo chocolate cheesecake with pink picture frame. I was touched by this 4 sentences sms, to know that someone out there would visit my blog, toook the time to read what i had written, admiring my not so perfect cakes and cupcakes, ( sambil telan air lioq:-) , and most importantly and the sweetest thing was that she was doing it with the whole family...what could be more sweeter than that. Last but not least , for their doa for me to be successful in what I am doing. thank you Sya and your family for the support and well wishes. Wish great happiness and wellness to you and your family too.



I would also like to express my deepest gratitude and appreciation to all Zue's Oven customers and friends and fellow bakers, and with 2009 coming to its end and the ushering of the new year 2010, wish everyone a Happy New Year and may all our dreams come true.

"Malu Tapi Mahu"....crimes of Passion

What would you do if someone told you that she felt that her heart had been stolen, that someone might had been able to capture her heart, that 'he' could be the one, that, 'this is it'?

I had felt that before, but I am not here to talk about me, but about this sweet girl. She wanted the cuppies to say it for her but ' not too jiwang2 please' ie not too lovey dovey stuff. The minute I got her sms my mind started imagining all sorts of things and wordings I wanted to put on the cuppies, this and that, but most of them were lovey dovey, you know , the usual, 'u mean everything to me', u light up my life', 'u complete me', j'taime', love u always, together forever, and the list goes on but I had been reminded, no jiwang2, so I was a bit stuck ....what should I do, didn't want it to be too conspicuous, yet I wanted the message to be conveyed.


"Mama, can I help you?"


even before I could say 'Yes' or 'No', Batrisyia had already started filling the white heart shape buttercream with the red dregees and I must say that she had done quite a job at it.



Setiap dari kita dilahirkan berpasangan insyaAllah, just like these two butterflies.
Uda dan Dara, Laila dan Majnun,Romeo and Juliet, Brad & Angelina?, Cleopatra & Mark Anthony, Edward & Belle ( Twilight ), Beauty & The Beast......

9.30 pm, i started yawning and my cupies were still bare except for the ganache.

"Ameer, could you please wake me up after one hour"

one hour was up."mama, dah 10.30pm. you have cakes to finish"

"okay"....still yawning and could barely open my eyes, went downstairs to my kitchen , looked at the cuppies and went straight up to my bed and continued sleeping!the bed looked so tempting and inviting and I couldn't resist it...

11.30 pm, woke up and feeling refreshed and I felt that I was ready to complete my mission, started on the deco while still looking for ideas in my head!

"mmmm...malu tapi mahu", how was I going to deco that?

Hello 911?

yes, how can I help you?

Could you please arrest someone

Why? What has he done?

He has committed a crime!

What kind of crime?

Crimes of Passion. He's a Thief of Heart! He stole my heart!

Hatiku kau curi,
dengan sepenuhnya,

entah bagaimana bila bertentang mata,

air yang kuminum,

bagaikan tak lalu,

.................couldn't remember the rest of the lyrics..:-)

Sejakku bertemu padamu,

fikiranku telah terganggu,

hanya kekanda

yang akan dapat,

mengubatkan hatiku rindu....

a song by Sanisah huri.... I think

A good way to end the year 2009 with this set of 'love' cuppies. Let our hearts be filled with love today, tomorrow and always....

I'd like to wish sya all the best, may this new year 2010 be a good year for you and may all your deams come true. Thank you dear for your endless and continuous support and for allowing my cakes to enter your family's lives , to bring smile and joy to your father with the MCB, your mum with the carrot cake, your sisters with the choc cuppies and choc moist cake.Happy New Year!

Birth announcement...

As I am writing this, these two MCBs were on their way to KL, in my hubby's car. My sister in law, Mimi, my youngest brother's missus just gave birth to a cute baby boy on 26th October and we visited them early of the month and I brought with me my MCB. After having tasted it, she decided to give these MCBs to her office mates and if whenever me or my hubby is going to KL, she'd like to order them.

choc chip cookies

Kak had been asking me to make these cookies for quite sometime but she didn't give specific date, only that for me to do them whenever I had the opportunity and that opportunity and time was last night.

This is her daughter's fav cookies, chocolate chips with walnut. It is also my son's fav, therefore, I made extra for us too, cos It is my fav too. I think I could have easily eaten almost half of the jar while baking and storing them. The aroma, the fresh from the oven aroma, just like the smell I so love whenver we encountered the F*mous *m*s counter, the crispiness, the walnuty taste, is so heavenly and so irresistably good....

I also made extra for my hubby to bring to KL and eat while driving and he's on his way as I am writing this.... I am missing him already, everytime he goes away, he takes a piece of me with him, remember the song by Paul Young

every time you go away,

you took a piece of me, with you....

thank you kak bahiyah, thanx a heap!

Selamat Datang Orang Teluk Intan MCB

this MCB welcomes Mak , my kids' former babysitter who came visiting.

HO HO HO....WE wish you a merry X'mas and A Happy New Year!

Today is 28th Dec , and I thot I am going to clear all these backlogs, all the entries with photos only with no writeups, but I guess they'll have to wait cos tomorrow is my son's birthday, looks like I have to KIV my blog updating cos I might be cooking up something for him and his friends. plus a few ironings need to be done as hubby is going outstation this evening.
I'll try to sneak in every now and then, so this entry and a few more would have to wait for now.

today, 29th december, is my son's birthday, "Happy Birthday Ameer", but I won't be cooking for him and his friends because his Abah isn't here. We might just wait a little while and perhaps he could celebrate it with his sisters because their birthdays are coming soon, in January, 21st and 24th.

I have to update this entry, it's now, today or never...
Received an sms from Yus on 23rd Dec, wondering if she could order some cakes for 27th Dec but I told her if it was okay with her, could she take 'em on 25th instead?She's okay with that, thanx for being understanding yus.

She then smsed me the details for the cakes, two carrot cakes for different people with two different theme: one was for her good friend who would be celebrating X'mas and she would be coming over to her house on Saturday, all the way from KL.Yus specifically requested for the box to be ribboned with Christmasy colours, red, green and gold .

The last time I made a Xmas theme was last Christmas , an order from a friend in KL for her friend in Alor Star, oreo choclate cheesecake and being a delicate cheesecake, I only made snowman from buttercream on top, nothing much but this time it would be different, a carrot cake which means I could deco more. Decided to make two scenarios, one inside the house , with a Christmas tree and teddy with his presents and the other, outside the house with Snowman and snowflakes everywhere .

the verdict via sms which I received from Yus, these were the comments from the recipients:

kek krismas:"nice deco. my mum loves the topping

kek rabbit:"eee..Cantik!! Sedaap dlm dunia. lepas ni boleh la order bila balik AS"

the other cake, carrot walnut cake with cream cheese topping too but for Happy New Year 2010" wishes. Yus specifically requested for the deco to be the same like the one I made for her, the " Bunny in a Hole" carrot cake

Except that this Bunny is slightly bigger and perhaps they, the bunny, the carrot and the deco had improved a bit from the last time.

nozzled out some grass on the sides, add some blossoms, a butterfly and a mushroom on the sides.

another sms from yus: "lupa nak ckp, linda yg dpt kek rabbit tu kata, semua berebut nk makn kepala rabbit tu. masa dia call i, dia kata kepala rabbit dah hilang, anak dia telan.ha ha..i dulu simpan rabbit tu kalau boleh nak boh dalam frame."

oowww.....so sweet....and sooo cute.....

i do appreciate all these comments , really means a lot to me . Glad to be part of it all and Yus, thank you for trusting me with your friends' gift cakes and I do appreciate the opportunity given for me to ber'karya" on the cakes. Wishing you my good friend, "HAPPY NEW YEAR 2010" I wish you love, peace, success & joy, great health & everything u everdreamt of in 2010 & beyond.

HAPPY NEW YEAR 2010

This set is for a dear friend, to usher in new year with well wishes, of hopes, joy and happiness thruout the year 2010 and beyond.

this set is to complement the two carrot cakes that she ordered for X'mas and for new year wishes.

Rivers don't drink the water they carry,

Trees don't eat the fruit they bear,

clouds don't bathe in the rain they produce,.

We are meant to GIVE even if we get nothing from it.

Measuring life by what others do may disappoint us,

but measuring life by what we do will make life meaningful!

Let us thank Allah for the joy and success we enjoyed in 2009,

regardless of its pains and disappointments.

Wishing you and everyone healthy, wealthy each day of 2010.

HAPPY NEW YEAR.

" a quote from an sms " received.

Atie and Olie's pink and white engagement sets

looks familiar, right?except for a few details on the cupcakes and the side of the cake plus the flower and ribbon and butterflies on the boxes.

tini specifically requested for this pink and white set similar to the one I made recently. They were for her sister's engagement ceremony held on 26th dec 2009.

so sweet, so romantic, so soothing, so blissfully serene, calm and tranquil, looking at these pink and white buttercream roses on these vanilla cupcakes

the ganache gave a stark contrast to the soft pink and white flowers with "Selamat Bertunang Atie & Olie on pink and white fondant decorated with silver dregees on the borders of the fondant heart shaped base.

Atie herself with her other sister came to collect them.ramai betul adik perempuan Tini. So far I have met three of them.

Wishing Atie, "Selamat Bertunang " dgn pasangannya, Olie. Atie ni manis orangnya, bila dah bertunang ni, bertambah2 lah manisnya....

Tini, thank you for trusting me with these sets.

engagement ganache roses

CT requested a chocolate cake for her sister's engagement. the design and deco, up to me.

I decided to make this roses made from ganache which thankfully turned out beautifully and elegantly with gold dregees scattered on top and inedible golden beads on the side with golden ribbon, inedible too, as the border.

As much as CT 'sayang' to let go of this CMC to her sister's future groom side, I was a bit sad to let go of it too because it's such a beauty to look at, just couldn't get enough of it.For what its worth, I am just happy at the same time seeing the happy look on CT's face, that means a world to me.

To CT's sister, sorry dear, I didn't get your name, but wishing you and your partner,:"Selamat Bertunang" and to CT, thank you dear for trusting me with your sister's engagement cake, for letting me share part of the special occasion.

peach for wedding hantaran

This peach set was for a wedding hantaran, for a 'sweet girl as comel as the cupcakes ni', quoted what Kak Ita said when she came to collect these cuppies.

This set was also from Kak Ita who ordered the romantic bouquet set which was also for a wedding hantaran but from a groom to his bride.

I think this was my first peach set. Actually kak ita wanted the design to be similar to her first order of fondant deco cupcakes from me sometime in May. That time, I had just started with this fondant deco and I did 16 purple roses with green leaves on white base for her.

I think this set had improved a lot from my old deco

I would really like to thank Kak Ita for her never ending support, from those wedding hantaran sets, to those banana cupcakes with cream cheese frosting plus the fasting month package and the exclusive hampers, thank you for trusting me with all those.

My get well wishes to you too, rest properly and insyaAllah by next year can start work again, take care and get well soon, kak Ita.

more Marble cheese brownies MCB with bling bling

This set was a gift from a thotful lady for her daughter's friend who's getting engaged, as part of the hantaran set, with chocolate theme colour.

wrapped with a chocolate golden ribbon and glued a few rose buds on the ribbon.

this other set was for the engegement ceremony too but as a gift for the family.

this one was for her own makan2 pleasure for Kak Bahiyah and her lovely daughters.

"Zue tulis "Selamat Bertunang" for the two MCB and kak punya 'Selamat Makan' " .

Alamak, Kak punya dah masuk oven. so what I did was wrote "Selamat Makan" using the green buttercream.

My sincerest thank you to Kak and daughters who continuously supporting me with the orders for cupcakes and more cupcakes and also cookies, especially chocolate chip cookies with walnut and not forgetting for constantly lending me extra hands when I needed them the most.

Thank you so much, merci beaucoup.

It's unofficially official....

what is? My classes... my sharing of knowledge session., had commenced!

I was at my umi's house, drafting what I was going to write, my schedule and the module for the upcoming classes. Like I said, I was away fom my oven but not away from my sister's oven!
I asked her to take me to the shops here in Kota Bharu and see if they have something that i couldn't get in Alor Star but we ended up buying the ingredients for marble cheese brownies instead!

" looks like not the student is going to the teacher's house but the teacher is coming to the student's house" she said. she had been planning to come over to my house for quite some time now but something always came up and since I was back home, she took this opportunity...

a new menu at Zue's Oven, kek lapis kukus masam manis

mixing the ingredients for choc cuppies using hand held mixer. mula tu pakai kenwood hand blender, silap2 tak lama lagi, pakai kenwood chef or major lah kakak saya ni..

only the hands can be seen as my sister is a shy person, just like me...ye ke?:-)it's 100% hands on, from mixing to drawing ( i just showed her a little bit and the rest she did on her own) and baking. or decorating lessns, she would have to come over to alor Star ya.... no proper tools here, but who knows, after a while, she'd be more advanced than me!

my sister ni berseni jugak orangnya, she sew her own tudung bawal, the manik2 and deco on the tudung, pandai buat cross stitch ( that is one thing i have no idea on how to do and she can bake too!

she wanted to learn two recipes,MCB and choc cuppies. I wouldn't call this teaching, but more of sharing knowledge. What I know I share it with her and

in return i later become the student and learn how to make this kek lapis masam manis from my sister. But she did most of the baking and steaming cos i was already fast asleep on her bed in her room , hat five hour driving the previous day was really taking its toll on me....( her hubby was outstation ), by the time I woke up, the cake was done....:-)

this was drawn by her daughter.

Thanks for putting us up for the nights and for your great hospitality sis, not forgetting the nasi kak wok for breakfast and best of all, your nescafe susu....

if only....

Belated birthday cake for Umi dearest

Umi with some of her cucus, granddaughters ( all girls here ) with her chocolate fruit birthday cake all the way from alor staq

Anything for you dear....

"Ma, before you leave tomorrow, could you please make me brownies, my spec yang banyka kacang tu"

I am not sure if i still have the cashew nuts in the fridge, I'll have a look, okay"

Just his luck, only a few grams left but enough to mix with the other nuts, almond and walnut for the luxury brownies.

and also please make me cheesecake, yang biasa tu". Got it, dear.

Luxury brownies and plain bake cheesecake for hubby and friends.

Selamat hari Lahir Umi

A belated birthday cake for my Umi who celebrated her birthday on Dec 17. Since we were going back, I decided to bake one for her.

this is the chocolate fruit cake which I had accidentally poured a scoop of cocoa powder mixture into it, but the taste, was not affected at all.

I had finished packing, the BEN 10 was already been picked up by ana and we were ready to leave when I saw my fruit cake still bare! naked! no deco whatsoever on top.

know what I did? took the ready to roll fondant, makde the base and luckily there were a few roses left, nozzled out thepink buttercream where I wanted to place the roses and made some leaves with the green buttercream. all that was done in less than five minutes

wrapped with red ribbon with gold hearts, placed it in another box and put it in the car and off we went on our journey back to Kelate.

after a nonstop five hour driving along the east west highway, we reached my parents' house at 3.30 pm. The cake was safe and sound inside the box and I happily and proudly presented it to my Umi.

Selamat Hari Lahir Umi, love you heaps, more than words can express.