Friday 6 April 2007

Colour My Day!

My kids have been pestering me for brownies for weeks. Since Easter is round the corner, I baked a batch of Rainbow brownies for them yesterday.

I followed a simple brownies recipe from Hershey's website, frosted it with chocolate ganache (simply melt 125g of chocolate with 3 tablespoon of milk) and topped it with M&Ms and rainbow rice.

My younger boy did the decoration. He was very liberal with the candies..scattering as much as he could. I had to stop him when the brownies got really too busy. It was like a colourful, dazzling piece of artwork from a pre-schooler! I must say it certainly looked very cheerful with those fireworks of rainbow rice and M&Ms.


The brownies looked much better when they were cut into squares...less fuzzy and more appealing to me :))

We had these colourful squares for breakfast early this morning...a good source of energy much needed for our outing to the HSBC Tree-Top-Walk.

We ended our outing with a light brunch at the famous Jalan Kayu prata shop...and not forgetting the tasty otah and soya bean drinks from the shops along that stretch of shophouses at Jalan Kayu. It was a great morning for all of us!

15 comments:

Anne said...

Cute colours! Very nice :)

Anyway, did you actually crossed that bridge? My gosh it was so high!

Happy Homebaker said...

Yes, we did...it was our 2nd trip there...but we took the shorter route...it took us 2 hrs to finish the round trip. Great fun walking with the kids...despite the humid and warm weather! We missed the national parks in the states...this is one of the few ways to get near to nature in Singapore.

bossacafez said...

ooooo looks good! i like your photo. actually you take very good photos too!

hows the recipe? was it any good? hershey's website might be better coz i've had bad experiences with recipes from nestle's very best baking.

Happy Homebaker said...

Hi Evan, nah, I can't take good photos...I'm still learning how to get a good angle of the food...I don't even know how to include other things like a fork or a cup with the bake...each time I try, the composition turn out rather bad.

As for the taste, personally I think the brownie base is so so only. It's not the fudgy kind...it's rather dry. Actually, the best brownies that I have made was actually a Betty Crocker's brownie-mix! Although it is very sweet, I still think it has the best texture...fudgy, moist and soft!

Anonymous said...

It's so warming to know you include your boys during the baking session, a good way of bonding too!

I agree with Evan you take good pixs, I like that the details are there, the picture contrast is also there. Just like something pop out from recipe book :)

bossacafez said...

so far several of yr photos hv turned out really well! like yr previous post on the strawberry cake, i think its awesome! to take photos with other "props" like placemats, cups, fork, spoon etc is not difficult. all u hv to do is, just focus on the subject. all these props must just be the background, they shd not take the focus away from the main thing - your food. and also, rem the key about dieting? a small plate will give u the illusion that the food is alot, and u want that. so use a small plate, teaspoon, a tiny fork etc. and not a big tablespoon or dinner fork. it will look weird. these are juz a few things i learnt reading food photography articles =)

oh yes, i love fudgy & moist brownies which i so far have NOT YET achieved it, despite having baked brownies for like 3 times :( yes, i agree, the betty crocker one is best. but its too sweet lah.

Happy Homebaker said...

Evan, many thanks for sharing the tips on using the right "props"! I always made the mistake of trying to include both the food and the props as my subjects, as a result, it's difficult to get a good shot.

Elyn, yes, I try to involve my kids as much as possible...at their age, this is the best time to spend time with them...once they become teens, I think it will be impossible to even keep them at home!

I feel great to have "found" fellow local bloggers like you, Evan and Anne...I really learn alot from you...all your creations are so inspiring...and not forgetting the warm encouraging words and tips from all of you. The feeling is very good that you "know" someone out there who shares the same passion and hobby :))

Anne said...

The feeling is mutual :) Actually, aside from baking I do admire you when it comes to your kids. I can honestly say I am not as patient as you are and reading your post about kids and family somehow makes me realize that my life is still "normal" and there are still areas I need to improve. I maybe older than you but it doesn't mean I'm more wiser, thats why I try to learn from other people to improve myself not only as a baker but most importantly as a mother.

BekzTheTRex said...

"once they become teens, I think it will be impossible to even keep them at home!"

not true!

Im 15, and closer to my mum now than i've ever been! im also unable to keep out of the kitchen! I think I actually have an addiction to baking. Its almost a routine, I bake things, and by the next day, my dad will have eaten it all. then i have to bake something else! i love it.

i also love your recipes!
i found you whilst trying to find a recipe for my brothers birthday cake. Ive used you chocolate and walnut brownies (without the walnuts) and im planning on decorating it like this one! so far, it smells lovely =)

Happy Homebaker said...

Hi BekzTheTRex, thanks for dropping by! Wow, you are only 15 and you are already baking for your family?! Well done! It's so nice of you to bake a birthday cake for your brother, I am sure it will taste lovely :D

Anonymous said...

Hello!
came across your blog, & i LOVE it alot! :)

may i know what's the difference in the ganache made by choco+milk versus choco+pouring cream?!
thks loads!

rgds,
Shine

Happy Homebaker said...

Hi Shine, glad to hear that you like my blog :D
So far I have not come across any ganache recipe that is made by chocolate and milk...most of the recipes that I have seen are either chocolate with cream (heavy or single) or chocolate with butter. Here;s what I have found after a search in the internet:
"The meaning of the French word ganache is "cushion," as the cream seems to "cushion" both the flavor and texture of chocolate. This basic recipe is often enhanced by the addition of butter or flavored liqueurs, or it can be made by substituting water or milk for all or part of the cream. Using anything other than cream will affect its shine and luxurious texture." Hope this'll help clear your doubt?

Anonymous said...

WOW! those brownies look really yummy. I like the colours from the candies. Very bright! I especially liked the photo with the single slice of brownie. :D

yenling said...

hi HHB, may i know how long this brownies can keep? I plan to make it for a fund raising sale.

Thank you & i Love ur blog

Happy Homebaker said...

hi yenling, I am not sure how long, but usually I finish my bakes within 2 days.