Baking with Andrea

Make sure you have something you can use for sifting.



Sift the dry ingredients.


Then mix in the wet ingredients. Whisk everything together.

After baking, decorate with icing and any other decoration you might prefer. Andrea likes candy sprinkles.

You then need to eat the cake...for quality control purposes of course.


P.S.
Mixing bowls make lovely hats don't you think?

Half Moon Crazy

HOW TO ENSNARE RICH, OOZING CHOCOLATE IN A BIBINGKA

In a pan, cook golden bibingka batter and wait till it starts to pulsate and beat, until bubbles are awakened and start dancing on its surface.

With lightning fast speed, carve the solidified batter out of the pan and plop it on a chopping board. Grate some cheese into the hollow to form a soft cushion which immediately after, scoops of chocolate pellets shall then depress.

Take a deep breath and admire the resulting mound of sin in progress.

With a final flurry of inspiration, indulge further with a web of sweet condensed milk.

Flip the other half of the bibingka over to complete the Half Moon. Cut into six parts for easy handling.

The result: An ingenious dessert that's quite heavy and amazingly good. The chocolate pellets melt and meld with the the cheese and condensed milk resulting in a flavor that is bitter and sweet with an undertone of saltiness. Sensations that are conveyed to the mouth via the soft and moist bibingka followed by a rich, warm ooze. An Indonesian specialty I believe, called Martabak.

Liv and I usually find ourselves eating this in the car, on the way home after a long, busy but fun day together. A fitting finale to cap another blessed moment in our married life. Another beautiful day spent until it yields itself to an equally beautiful evening under the shining half moon.







The Half Moon stall we frequent is at SM The Block beside the escalators on the 2nd or 3rd floor. Unfortunately, this is the only Half Moon branch I know of. Half Moon/Martabak is also served (where else) in Martabak Indonesian resto at the top floor of The Block. I like them both but for take out dessert, the Half Moon is quicker and more accessible (I'd love to talk about the other authentic Indonesian offerings in Martabak but I'll save that for another post).