strawberry friands

i'm back on track, on my regular track. i am on my holiday now! i have been enjoying my holiday for a week today. today, i woke up in a very good mood, big smile on my face and i felt so motivated. i have planned my self to cook a chicken laksa today and bake some cakes. maybe because of my ecstatic mood, everything tastes better than usual. the chicken laksa is so crazily delicious, i've eaten it for about, hmm.. 4 times maybe or is it 5, i'm not really counting. haha. unfortunately, i was just too busy eating it until i forgot to take a picture of it and show it to all of you. i'm so sorry, so i think i should stop talking about it before you all get more curious. now, let me introduce you to something lovely, see the heart-shaped strawberries?

another beautiful things i made today is friands. friands is basically almost the same as financier. well, financier are actually a French cake, a light, moist teacake which usually used ground almonds. financier according to wiki literally derived from French traditional rectangular mold, which resembles a bar of gold. while friands, popularized by the Australians and the Kiwis, is a modified financier with additional flavor like chocolate or fruits like berries and also baked in oval shape.

my love for this cake is actually haven't been that long. i just knew this kind of cake like a year ago and have been very keen on trying since these couple months. friands has been everywhere i look, i look at my cookbook - there are friands recipes, i look at other foodblogs - there are also friands, and finally i watch Masterchef - there is a financier. seems like this cake has been haunting me.. that's why i couldn't stop my self from making it today. haha. any of you interested and having a curiosity about this cute little financier? don't hesitate, just make it straight away..

pavlova

how long have i been gone? in case you're wondering, if i do math, the answer is 22 days. i could just wait another 8 days to make my self lost for 1 month. i am really really sorry if anyone out there waiting for my posts. as usual, my excuses are college-business, the failing of making any baked goodies, and for this time.. i am running out of many ingredients in my kitchen-shelf. but to be honest, i miss my blog so much, i miss posting recipe and showing my creation here. moreover, i miss commenting at other people's posts and of course amazed by their creation. i can't stand this any longer.. so let me start, let me start!

today's post is pavlova, i really love it when people say this as 'pav', it sounds sweeter. anyhow, this dessert was first invented in Australia. it was named after a Russian Ballerina, Anna Pavlova. it is actually a meringue disk with a crispy surface and soft marshmallowy texture inside. this is my first time making pavlova but it turns out good and i love this dessert so much. beautiful, beautiful dessert! the most lovable part of this dessert is the texture, i love the crispiness of the meringue's surface and the soft-chewy inside, the smell of vanilla and the sweetness of the meringue. oh, it's just too wonderful to be told by words. i want to eat this everyday!

best way to serve this pavlova is classically with whipped cream and fresh fruits. i did that too.. i think sour fruits will balance the sweetness of the meringue better. next time i will make this pavlova in chocolate flavor, i bet it tastes nice as well. for this pavlova, i used Donna Hay's recipe, always a perfection from her! a little trick from me, it is better to shape your meringue quite high and mountainous, it makes the inside chewier and softer. so, don't flatten it too much or you will get a crispy meringue inside outside. wonderful! come on, make some!