Chocolate tarts

I lost my sense of weekends from weekdays. It's funny how the busy period is making it more difficult to keep the mind off things, completely going against the nature of how the mind is supposed to work. Just like how when you are so drained out and lethargic to the point of being almost lifeless, and you lie in bed unable to fall asleep, and the more you try, the harder it gets. Desperately sickening.

Maybe it's due to the lack of sleep, or maybe the massive amount of junk food, the throat is starting to feel a tad sore. And so for those of you who like me are victims of the "heatiness", I give you my best unconventional cure - chocolate. Yes go ahead and have copious amount of water, but in my opinion, chocolate is the best medicine. 

Chocolate is a good source of antioxidants - the antioxidant content of chocolate is actually four times that in tea! The fat in chocolate can help the immune system and outwit cytokines by reducing your susceptibility to infections and inflammation. With a quick search, I found out that chocolate can actually reduce coughing as it contains theobromine which suppresses activity in the vagus nerve. This same chemical substance triggers the release of endorphins that act like a natural antidepressant, relieving us of the blues. Plus it's so yummy, you're bound to feel better after consuming some.

I decided to make some chocolate tarts. I assure you I felt better instantly after my first bite. The crust was intentionally made super thin so I could pour more of that chocolate ganache into the tart cavity. I was in chocolate heaven. Yep, all the sore gone, all gone. (:

Vanilla violet cupcakes

It's been quite a while. I used to believe that I don't need a reason to bake, a reason to make or create some sweets. But I've come to learn that that isn't entirely true. Ich liebe backen. Aber ich liebte ihn mehr.

Nevertheless, time seemed to have just flown by. To compensate for the lack of activity in the oven, I managed to satisfy my cravings scouring this small island for brunch food and delightful desserts. Honestly, I think I can do desserts pre-meals, for meals, and after meals. There was nothing more relieving than a moist and fudgey good ol' chocolate cake - I never knew I loved chocolate so much. Just like how I never knew beef could actually taste good, or that I would actually ingest raw seafood. In the midst of my food-search and checking the to-visit-cafés/restaurants list, I found myself starting to love this place for its bevy of dining options - especially those tucked in quiet corners and ulu places. It was easy to indulge in cakes and cream, seeking solace in the overwhelming sweetness that often resulted a diabetic coma, or perhaps a glucose hyperactivity. Believe me, they are a much more effective solution to insomnia than chamomile tea.

I missed the kitchen, the baking, the mess. There are times when you know you want to do something, but you procrastinate cos' you think you can't do it, and you find all sorts of silly excuses to avoid it - as if deprivation would give you an answer to whatever you thought was missing. It doesn't. Thankfully, I found a reason to re-enter my baking realm days ago. For a special friend, I started mixing, creaming and whipping. With each step, I found that simple joy again.

I attempted these vanilla cupcakes on a saturday morning. I was happy with the way the cupcakes turned out, light and fluffy. I contemplated infusing it with buttercream but decided against it as I know I tend to have an exceptionally high tolerance to sugar compared to many others I know. These cupcakes were topped with violet vanilla buttercream, and then prettified with silver dragées and sugar flowers. 

And here's a special THANK YOU to my sister and her friends for their kind encouragement. Totally made my day! (:

I will be back soon. The only thing that keeps me away would be work and other commitments. Not myself anymore. So silly. (: