Saturday, November 12, 2011

And I said, "What about Breakfast At Tiffany's?"

Lavenders are such sexy flowers. Their seductive perfume scent... feminine lilac hue... and feathery petite petals... all seem to marry beautifully. They carry with them an aura of sensuality and placidity that somehow makes us feel magically at ease. Some like them freshly bundled into a flower girl's bouquet, some prefer them dried in a porcelain vase, and others love them bottled into essential oils...

...But I? I want to eat them.

I've been having this peculiar urge to make something lavender for quite a while. Lavender honey, lavender sugar, lavender tea... But I've decided to go with a recipe that I've bookmarked for almost a month now because... procrastination got the better of me. (Not proud about it.) 

So. Lavender Shortbread Cookies.
They are sexy, sensual, feminine and elegant - all in a bite.

Have them with a flirty Cosmo. Or maybe some tea and honey. You can even pair them with milk. But not milk in a mug. Milk in a martini glass. Just like how Holly Golightly had hers in Breakfast At Tiffany's.
Such elegance and poise. Sigh.

So, back to the cookies. I started with an equal part ratio of dried lavender blossoms and granulated sugar, and ground them together with a pestle and mortar until it became a fine perfumed powder.

In a separate bowl, I creamed two sticks of unsalted butter with a cup of sugar, added 2 1/2 cups of AP flour and a pinch of salt. To that, I mixed in the lavender sugar until everything came together to form a moist, slightly crumbly dough.
Wrapped it in cling film and gave it some down time in the fridge. Once it's firm enough to work with, I rolled it out and cut mine into 1 1/2 inch circles before pricking them, brushing them with beaten eggs, and dusting just a tad of demerara sugar on these circular mounds.
 Pop these beauties into the oven at 180degC for 14 minutes until the sides are just turning golden.
While waiting, brew yourself a petite pot of fancy tea. Mine was called Paris, Mon Amour (or Paris, My Love) from Fouchon. I bought it during my Halloween weekend trip to Hong Kong... And no prizes for guessing who I dressed up as...
But I'll give you the answer anyway. xoxo.

Sunday, October 9, 2011

A Kaleidoscope of Dreams

So I've been leaving pleasure by the wayside. And I feel petrified by it.

But amidst the stiffness and restraint, I've still managed to find solace in my weekend escapades, my midweek sweet libations, and my wee-hour nightcaps. Wine has been my loyal therapist, and food a non-judgmental confidant.

2011 may have taken away the pure joy of baking at midnight with classes the next morning.
...But it has become my job to do the tasting.

2011 hasn't taken me on new travels and discoveries.
 ...But it has become my job to win the pitch and experience the journey.

 2011 has left me yearning to go back to college and be graded for drinking in class.
 ...but it has become my job to mingle and entertain.

2011 has made me forget to stop and smell the daisies. (Pink ones, of course.)
...but it has become my job to ask for flowers.

2011 may have flown by without me grasping it in its entirety.
...But it has become by job to witness the race.

2011 has clearly been a year sacrificed to the soulless world filled with soot and suits. But someone once told me: If you want to reach the castle, you have to swim through the moat.

And while doing so, I do realize that I'm learning to love the experience.

I still gather with old friends to relive good times.

New York City is always never far from my mind.

Weekends are life's pleasurable pit stops.

 You'll find your pot of gold at the end of a certain rainbow if you search for it hard enough.

There's always time to make magic happen

And if you stop to take a second look: You'll realize that She has grown to look mighty fine.

Monday, June 27, 2011

Bright lights of the urban landscape


Why, hello.
Thought I haven’t see you for quite awhile. 

Honestly, I had every intention to blog about summer in New York, but…


And yes, so I guess I’ve been 12 months too slow.

In a nutshell, my summer of 2010 was absolutely amazing. New York gives you a tan that never seems to fade away. And 8 months after, the stories collected from the big city are still beautifully haunting, and I find myself flipping the pages over and over like an evergreen classic.


And I had every intention of relinquishing my self-appointed role of updating this blog ever since summer ended and work found itself as a replacement. But I think I made a mistake by doing so. So here I am – 365 days later – running back to my canvas where I can paint my idealistic world of sugar creations, smart people, and pretty things.