5.16.2014

Rice Candy Pound Cake Recipe

Rice candy ... nothing compares to this subtly sweet, very creamy delicious chew candy. As a child, my sister and I were favored by the owner of the Hong Kong restaurant and if we were very quiet and waited very politely while Mom paid the bill, the owner would sneak us each a piece of rice candy brought back from Hong Kong during Chinese New Year.

I recently discovered Botan rice candies, which are very inexpensive and was surprisingly found in my little mountain town but I had to run across them by surprise while purchasing ingredients for sushi. Delighted to share this piece of childhood with my daughter, I grabbed a pack and raced home to surprise her.


Okay so ... all that I remembered from my childhood was that it was rice candy. With edible wrappers. Magic.

Botan was not what I was looking for. My beloved Alton saved me, gifting me a bag of gorgeously tasteful White Rabbit rice candies. I believe he got a kiss just for that! And yes, this is the creamy smooth chewy amazingness I was looking for - White Rabbit Rice Candy - and it will cost you about a buck a bag.


Right, so this isn't so much about the candies as a recipe that tastes like the candy. The kind I love. A taste of Chinese junk food deliciousness (and not nearly the kind of junk food sold in America!). What it is about is a pound cake recipe that tastes so much like these amazing chunks of taste that I had to prevent myself eating the whole thing.

Rice Candy Pound Cake Recipe


CONDENSED MILK POUND CAKE

from Pichet Ong's Sweet Spot

[my adaptations to the recipe & techniques are in brackets]



Makes one 8 1/2 -x- 4 1/2 inch cake, about 12 servings

1 cup (8 oz/226 g unsalted butter, at room temperature, plus more for greasing the pan

1 1/3 cups (7 oz/200g) all purpose flour

3/4 tsp baking powder

1/2 cup (3 3/4 oz/ 106g) sugar

1 vanilla bean, chopped, or 2 tsp vanilla extract

1/2 tsp salt

3/4 cup (8 oz/239g) sweetened condensed milk

3 large eggs

Preheat the oven to 325° F.


Generously butter an 8 1/2 x 4 1/2 - inch loaf pan and set aside.


Sift together the flour and baking powder and set aside.


Put the sugar and the chopped vanilla bean, if using, in the bowl of a food processor fitted with the metal blade and pulse until the vanilla bean is finely ground. Sift through a fine-mesh sieve and return the sugar mixture to the food processor. If not using the vanilla bean, just put the sugar in the processor. [I buzzed the sugar and vanilla bean in my Bullet]


Add the butter and salt and process until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes, scraping down the sides and bottom of the bowl occasionally. Add the condensed milk and pulse until well incorporated, about 15 times, scraping down the sides of the bowl once. [I used the stand mixer and the beater attachment to beat the butter, salt and ground vanilla sugar mixture until fluffy. Then I added the condensed milk and beat until combined]


Add the sifted dry ingredients and pulse until no traces of flour remain, about 10 times. Add the eggs and pulse just until combined, about 5 times. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl, add the vanilla extract, if using, and finish mixing by hand to fully incorporate the eggs. [Add the dry ingredients to the mixing bowl and beat until combined. Then, add all the eggs and continue beating until thoroughly incorporated.]


Transfer the batter to the prepared loaf pan. Bake until the top is dark golden brown and a tester inserted in the center comes out clean, about 1 hour. Cool completely in the loaf pan on a rack, then unmould. [I baked my pound cake for one hour 20 minutes!]
Read more at http://en.petitchef.com/recipes/condensed-milk-love-pound-cake-and-white-rabbit-candy-fid-1349959#yKOP9FW1FPUQov1f.99
I found this recipe while looking for rice candy recipes (the genuine thing ... I think I may have to devise one of my own unless anyone has a good recipe?) and the cake was so creamy, rich, and lightweight for a pound cake that it was gone in record speed.

Originally from Pichet Ong's Sweet Spot, this recipe and techniques within have been adapted. Adaptations to the recipe and techniques are in brackets [like this]. 

Makes one 8 1/2 -x- 4 1/2 inch cake, about 12 servings 
  • 1 cup (8 oz/226 g unsalted butter, at room temperature, plus more for greasing the pan 
  • 1 1/3 cups (7 oz/200g) all purpose flour 
  • 3/4 tsp baking powder 
  • 1/2 cup (3 3/4 oz/ 106g) sugar 
  •  1 vanilla bean, chopped, or 2 tsp vanilla extract 
  • 1/2 tsp salt 
  • 3/4 cup (8 oz/239g) sweetened condensed milk 
  •  3 large eggs 
Preheat the oven to 325° F.

Generously butter an 8 1/2 x 4 1/2 - inch loaf pan and set aside. Sift together the flour and baking powder and set aside.

Put the sugar and the chopped vanilla bean, if using, in the bowl of a food processor fitted with the metal blade and pulse until the vanilla bean is finely ground. Sift through a fine-mesh sieve and return the sugar mixture to the food processor. If not using the vanilla bean, just put the sugar in the processor. [I buzzed the sugar and vanilla bean in my Bullet].

Add the butter and salt and process until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes, scraping down the sides and bottom of the bowl occasionally. Add the condensed milk and pulse until well incorporated, about 15 times, scraping down the sides of the bowl once. [I used the stand mixer and the beater attachment to beat the butter, salt and ground vanilla sugar mixture until fluffy. Then I added the condensed milk and beat until combined].

Add the sifted dry ingredients and pulse until no traces of flour remain, about 10 times. Add the eggs and pulse just until combined, about 5 times. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl, add the vanilla extract, if using, and finish mixing by hand to fully incorporate the eggs. [Add the dry ingredients to the mixing bowl and beat until combined. Then, add all the eggs and continue beating until thoroughly incorporated.]

Transfer the batter to the prepared loaf pan. Bake until the top is dark golden brown and a tester inserted in the center comes out clean, about 1 hour. Cool completely in the loaf pan on a rack, then unmold. [I baked my pound cake for one hour 20 minutes!]

5.15.2014

DIY: Destroying Jeans (Keeping the White Threads) & Studding Jeans

Torn spots can really notch up a pro and super comfy look on your cut-off jeans or destruction fashion project, but there is a way to destroy jeans right - which involves keeping all the white threads and ensuring the torn and frayed area isn't going to just tear right out into an unusable, unwearable mess.

This video guide has you covered, totally.



5.14.2014

Ten Ways to Recycle Your Old Jeans

Don't throw your favorite old ratty pair of jeans away ... give them new life.

Most of us tend to forget that "recycling" goes beyond the whole paper vs. plastic discussion. In fact, the more that we can find ways to re-use (or re-purpose) our worn-out things, the less stress we're putting on the environment from the get go. It's a domino effect that really does wind up making a big difference.

Even without the added benefits, recycling old jeans into new things can be a lot of fun. It is a creative outlet that frees creative expression, and because denim is such a sturdy material, it makes a great fabric for teaching sewing techniques with. Instead of buying cheap craft felt that won't stand up to wear and tear, try teaching your children how to sew that same craft using a pair of their outgrown jeans. Just getting to cut their own clothes up will have your kids grinning from ear to ear.
So what can you do with your old jeans? There are thousands of ways to recycle your denim jeans, but I'll share ten of the best ideas I've found here.




5.13.2014

Tunisian Crochet - Knit Stitch - The Crochet Side

The Tunisian Crochet style is both so simple that it feels like 'cheating' to many experienced crochet artists, and it is so nice looking that even the most experienced can't help but really eye it.

In this video guide, the most basic Tunisian Crochet stitch - The Knit Stitch - is presented by The Crochet Side in clear instructions that will give you the visual queues you need.




5.11.2014

How to: The Perfect Salon Manicure

I can remember when I was first allowed to care for (and paint!) my own nails. I had enough colors that I could wear a different one each day of the week and I read all the articles on how to do the best I could for long beautiful natural fingernails. I even learned how much you can tell about your overall health, written in your nails (I will get a guide written on that one before long).

This guide is both perfectly to the point, uses methods I've found to be both easy and economical, and will result in a manicure that you would -almost- swear you paid $60 for. No, it won't last nearly as long as gel tips. But it will teach you the manicure basics you need to know like the (ahem) back of your hand in order to do the amazing fingernail tricks you can only achieve DIY style.




5.09.2014

The beginners guide to long lasting lipstick application



Before getting into the fancy beautiful looks like ombre lips, make sure that you're going back to the basics and ensure that you're doing it right. It's surprising how many of us were taught to apply our lipstick incorrectly - this video guide walks you through the steps to a long-lasting application and refreshes the basics so that fancy stuff can be moved on to.





5.07.2014

Starry Eyes and How to Cut Your Crease!

The glittery starry look may not be for you - but don't stress it, there's still a ton to learn. Simply choose a color palette that's more to your liking to swap out products and follow along from there.

From The Tigress Den Beauty Channel
Products used:
NYX White eyeshadow base
Sally Girl Silver Glitter
L'Oreal HIP Color Truth Creme Liner in Black
MAC Carbon e/s
MAC Deep Truth e/s
MAC Vanilla e/s
MAC Nylon e/s
MAC blacktrack fluidline
MAC Myth lipstick
Ardell #105 lashes

5.05.2014

Flawless Drugstore Foundation Routine + Contour & Highlight

Creating a flawless base on which to build a signature look doesn't require many materials - and those materials do not have to cost a ton of money. Seriously. If you check the ingredients on the 'cheap' tinted powder versus the dazzling packaged brand name tinted powder, you'll find that other than the number of colorings used there isn't much difference.

The same goes for all base make up. You should never spend a penny more than what looks great on your skin requires.

A video that I find to be perfect in presentation and easy explanations for a great foundation routine, this guide will take you through everything including contouring and highlighting for the full base treatment.





5.03.2014

Heart Shaped Crayons - How To

So, after whipping up as many fun crayon candles as my mind could create, I found that I was stuck with a problem I haven't faced for years ...

A pile of crayon stubs, shavings, and breaks that were just making a mess.

To my delight (if not surprise, because her videos are great), SoCraftastic had a great solution: molded crayons!

Already, these have stacked up in the gifting grab-bag that we keep for quick gifting to be added to coloring books for the youngsters in the neighborhood.

5.01.2014

Pro-Looking Crayon Candles

SoCraftastic has reinvented candles for me. Really.

Since my daughter's turning 15 (cringe), there have been no need for the waxy little sticks of color for years now, though I still love to look at them. I imagine things in blacks and metallic blues ...

And I now have an outlet for this that I'm scrambling to gather the materials for! I have my eye on sets of glasses in similar shape to those shown in the video on sale for $1 at the local Wal-Mart where I can grab the crayons! I need and get it scooting.

If you try this, share your results! I will attempt to get mine up as soon as they're picture-ready.