Starbucks Holiday Gathering 2013

The iconic Red Cup will be back in Starbucks Indonesia from 6 November 2013 until 5 January 2014.

My two Starbucks Holiday 2013 food favorites are:

Left: Smoked Turkey and Cranberry Sandwich - Rp. 40.000

Smoked turkey combined with cranberry mayonnaise and cheddar cheese. Perfectly served cold.

Right: Cinnamon Chocolate Marble Cake - Rp. 15.000

This freshly baked marble chocolate cake, topped with fragrant cinnamon sugar will definitely accompany my coffee time for the next two months.

 Holiday Almond Garland Bread - Rp. 32.000

Moist spice bread with marzipan filling topped with dry fruits, almond and glazed with apricot.

Left: Mandarin Orange Bar - Rp. 20.000

Sweet vanilla cake mix with poppy seeds, orange candy, topped with mandarin orange segment and crumble.

Right: Chocolate Stripes Mousse with Orange Confit - Rp. 25.000

Moist chocolate cake, layered with chocolate mousse and folded with orange confit.

 Red Velvet Cookies Jar - Rp. 115.000

Crunchy Red Velvet cookies combine with white chocolate chip.

The Starbucks Indonesia is introducing this year holiday beverage:

Gingerbread Latte

The flavor of freshly baked gingerbread combined with roasted espresso and steamed milk definitely brings out the Christmas season sense :)

Starbucks holiday tumblers collection.

Current currency: 

1 USD = Rp. 11.400

Location:
Starbucks Kuningan City
Ground Floor #38
Jl. Prof. Dr. Satrio Kav. 8
Jakarta Selatan

Related posts:

- Starbucks Winter Indulgence 2014

- Starbucks Asian Dolce Latte

- Starbucks Gambir Train Station

- Starbucks Autumn Blend 2012

- Starbucks Holiday Gathering 2011
- Starbucks VIA Ready Brew

Chocolate Chips Cookies with Almond

I love eating American chocolate chips cookies. Why I love it? The simple reason, it got a mixture of soft, chewy and crunchy texture. So far, I think all the chocolate chips cookies here in Indonesia are just crunchy. They are lack of the softness and chewiness which I think are the best parts of chocolate chips cookies.

I have a chocolate chips cookies recipe from my American grandma. And today, I baked! Strangely, the cookies came out flat. I'm not so sure why. They are not like the ones my grandma and I baked in the USA. Anyway, these cookies tasted yummy, seriously! Just give it a try :)

Recipe:

Ingredients: 
2 1/4 cups flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 tsp. salt
1 cup butter
2 eggs
3/4 cup sugar
3/4 cup brown sugar
1 cup chocolate chips (I only used 1/2 cup)
1 cup chopped almond (optional, can also use other kind of chopped nuts)

Directions: 
Combine flour, baking soda and salt in small bowl.
Beat butter, sugar, brown sugar and vanilla in large bowl.
Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition, gradually beat in flour mixture.
Stir in chocolate chips and nuts.
Drop by rounded tablespoon onto ungreased baking sheets.
Bake in preheated 375 degree oven for 9 to 11 minutes or until golden brown.
Let rest for 2 minutes.
Remove to wire racks to cool.

Starbucks VIA Ready Brew

Starbucks Indonesia will launch the VIA Ready Brew product on September 13, 2011 in their stores in Indonesia. Before the launching of it, some of food bloggers in Jakarta were invited to have the Starbucks VIA Taste Experience at the new store located in Cideng - Central Jakarta.
Starbucks VIA Ready Brew is a transformational instant coffee that replicates the body and flavor of Starbucks coffee in an instant form. It took 20 years for Starbucks Coffee to develop this premium instant and microground coffee - 100% natural roasted Arabica coffee, highest quality coffee beans and made without preservatives.

The product is pre-portioned into single-serve packets, Starbucks VIA Ready Brew is sold in packs of three (Rp. 25.000) or twelve (Rp. 88.000). Available in two flavors: Colombia Medium tasted smooth and has nutty flavor, and Italian Roasts Extra Bold tasted rich plus roasty sweet flavor.

Starbucks VIA Ready Brew is made by adding hot water to a cup, which brews the coffee in an instant.

Starbucks Indonesia also launched new cookies and cake, categorized as a "grab and go" food, very suitable to drink with the VIA Ready Brew.

Hollander Cake - Rp. 20.000

Almond butter tart with raspberry jam filling.

Mile cookies - Rp. 19.500

2 sticks of butter cookies layered with caramel sauce and almond nut on the top.

Bond Cookies - Rp. 19.500

Simple cinnamon cookies filled with chocolate and raspberry jam in the middle.

Toffee Cake - Rp. 14.500

Vanilla & Caramel cake with streusel topping.

I didn't go home empty handed.... A goodie bag of a cute teddy bear, a mug with a coaster and 4 VIA ready brew packets. Thank you, Starbucks Indonesia!
Location:

Starbucks Cideng

Jl. Tanah Abang II No. 76

Jakarta Pusat 10160

Related posts:
- Starbucks Autumn Blend
- Starbucks Holiday Gathering 2011

Incredible "Rabbit" Pineapple tarts/ rolls

Tomorrow is Chinese New Year. In order to celebrate Chinese New Year, I made pineapple tarts/ rolls which is one of a definite cookies being served during Chinese New Year. But then, I made it with a shape of a rabbit face since according to the Chinese zodiac, this year will be the year of the Rabbit :)

Recipe:

Ingredients:
200 gram flour
150 gram butter
75 gram sugar powder
20 gram milk powder

50 gram corn flour
2 egg yolks
1/2 tbsp vanilla extract

Filling: pineapple jam

Egg wash: 1 egg yolk

Directions:
Pre-heat oven 375 F
Cream the butter with sugar.
Add egg yolks and vanilla extract.
Mix with flour, corn flour and milk powder.
Roll out the dough

Cut the dough with a cookie cutter

On the first dough, place the pineapple jam filling then cover with the second dough to enclose the filling.

Then press the cookie molder on the dough.

Put the molded dough on the baking tray.

Brush with egg wash.
Bake cookies about 15 minutes.
Leave it cool

Happy Chinese New Year!

Gong Xi Fa Cai

Brownies n cookies - Cute Christmas

Christmas day is already in the corner! Something fun to do during Christmas is sharing our joy by giving Christmas presents to those who we care.

I believe the brownies cake shaped as a tree, covered with green icing fondant and some Christmas ornaments made also from fondant on it plus "cute doggy" cookies, can become a cute Christmas present ;)

Ready to deliver :)

I hope the ones who received this Christmas present will feel the joy and enjoy it.

Merry Christmas 2010 & Happy Holidays, Everyone!

Teddy Bear Cookies

It's been raining a lot lately here in Jakarta and it kinda makes the mood a bit gloomy though I do actually love gloomy weather. But anyway, I think I better bake and make something cute to raise the mood with the old chocolate cookies recipe from my archive. Yeah.. I know, I'm too lazy to try out new recipe :D

So... as you can see, the result! What you think of these Teddy bear cookies? Cute? ;)

Happy Valentine's Day cookies

Love is in the air

Everywhere I look around
Love is in the air
Every sight and every sound

And I don't know if I'm being foolish
Don't know if I'm being wise
But it's something that I must believe in
And it's there when I look in your eyes

Love is in the air
In the whisper of the trees
Love is in the air
In the thunder of the sea

And I don't know if I'm just dreaming
Don't know if I feel sane
But it's something that I must believe in
And it's there when you call out my name

(Chorus)
Love is in the air
Love is in the air
Oh oh oh
Oh oh oh

Love is in the air
In the rising of the sun
Love is in the air
When the day is nearly done

And I don't know if you're an illusion
Don't know if I see it true
But you're something that I must believe in
And you're there when I reach out for you

Love is in the air
Every sight and every sound
And I don't know if I'm being foolish
Don't know if I'm being wise

But it's something that I must believe in
And it's there when I look in your eyes

Tomorrow is Valentine's Day! How I wish I could celebrate it with someone that I love.... ;)

Recipe:
Ingredients:
250 gram flour
100 gram butter
75 gram sugar powder
75 gram cocoa powder
20 gram milk powder
1 egg
1/2 tbsp vanilla extract
1 teaspoon baking powder

Directions:
Pre-heat oven 375 F
Cream the butter with sugar.
Add egg and vanilla extract.
Mix with flour, baking powder and milk powder.
Roll out the dough and use cookies cutter
Bake cookies about 15 minutes
Leave it cool
Decorate the cookies with icing sugar (optional)

Chinese New Year royal icing cookies

It's almost Chinese New Year! :)

This year, Chinese New Year's Day will be the same day as the Valentine's Day on the 14th of February.

I've made butter cookies and royal icing, with the Chinese New Year's theme and full of red color (red is an auspicious color, symbolic of joy) .

Those are popular Chinese characters used during Chinese New Year:

吉 Ji - lucky, auspicious, propitious

和 He - harmony

財 Cai - wealth, money

喜 Xi - happines

福 Fu - good fortune, good luck, blessing

Chinese boys and girls are wearing red costumes.

Fish (魚, read: yú) is a significant symbol sounds like the word for riches or abundance .

Happy Chinese New Year

Almond cookies with vegetable shortening

I was pretty tempted to try out to make a new simple cookies recipe using vegetable shortening beside butter in order to make the cookies more crunchy as someone told it to me. Then, I also decided to add almond extract to make these cookies to become almond cookies. I made 2 types of cookies shape, a flower and a bear's head :)



Almond cookies recipe

Ingredients:
250 gram flour
100 gram butter
50 gram vegetable shortening
75 gram sugar powder
20 gram milk powder
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon almond extract

Directions:
Pre-heat oven 375 F
Mix all the ingredients until it becomes a dough
Roll out the dough and use cookies cutter
Bake cookies until lightly browned (about 15 minutes)
Leave it cool
Decorate the cookies with icing sugar (optional)



Yup... Approved! These cookies are very crunchy!!! :)

Christmas Cookies

One more week before Christmas day! Thus.. I can't help myself from not making cookies with the Christmas theme :)

I really enjoy "playing" with the dough, the cookies cutters and my most favorite part is when the cookies have been cooled down from the oven, then I can decorate them with royal icing. It's so much fun! ;)

p.s: I'm still using the same roll-out cookies recipe from Wilton.

Cute doggies cookies

Last week, my little doggies - Vincent and Bella, celebrated their 1st birthday :)

In order to celebrate it, I wanted to make something that resembles to my puppies and found out this cute doggies cookies recipe which also tasted really yummy especially because the chocolate chips and crushed cornflakes' filling inside it that make these cookies nicely crunchy. The great part of these cookies, there's no sugar or egg to make the dough! The sweet taste is from the chocolate chips and koko crunch.

Believe me, when you start to eat it then you might can not stop to eat the rest of the cookies! I'm so addicted to these cookies right now! *munches... munches...*

Ingredients:
adapted from Amanda
200g butter
200g flour
25g corn flour
25g milk powder

Fillings:
60g chocolate chips (or more)
20g cornflakes (crushed)

Toppings:
Koko Krunch (for the ears)
Chocolate chips (for the nose)
Food marker - black color (for the eyes)

Directions:
- Pre-heat oven to medium level (about 320 F)
- Cream butter till it becomes pale color
- Add flour, corn flour and milk powder then mix together
- Divide the dough into 10g each, flatten each piece of dough and add in the fillings (some chocolate chips and crushed cornflakes). Roll into balls. Note: If you like sweet, then you can be generous filling with more chocolate chips
- Decorate to make a dog's head feature. Insert 2 koko krunch to form the ears and chocolate chips in the center for the nose.
- Bake for 35 minutes or until golden brown
- Leave to cool
- Make the eyes with black food marker
- Store in an air-tight container

Happy baking! :)

Idul Fitri royal icing cookies

Tomorrow is the Hari Raya Idul Fitri or Lebaran, also known as "Eid ul-Fitr" - a celebration day for the Muslim people for breaking the one whole month fasting period.

I'm not a Muslim but living in a country with the largest population of Muslim in the world, it definitely makes me feel as I'm also celebrating it especially because we are having one week holiday. Jakarta will be empty (in fact, it's already quite empty the streets) because most people are returning to their hometown to celebrate this festive with their family.

My neighbor asked me to make some royal icing cookies with the Idul Fitri celebration theme.

Here is the result :)

Wishing to all my Muslim friends:

"Selamat Hari Raya Idul Fitri 1430 Hijriah
Minal Aidzin Wal Faidzin
Mohon Maaf Lahir dan Bathin"

Over the rainbow cookies

Somewhere, over the rainbow, way up high.
There's a land that I heard of Once in a lullaby.
Somewhere, over the rainbow, skies are blue.
And the dreams that you dare to dream
Really do come true.

Someday I'll wish upon a star and wake up where the clouds are far behind me.
Where troubles melt like lemon drops, Away above the chimney tops.
That's where you'll find me.

Somewhere, over the rainbow, bluebirds fly. Birds fly over the rainbow,
Why then - oh, why can't I?
If happy little bluebirds fly beyond the rainbow,
Why, oh, why can't I?

Note: I'm still using the same recipe of my cookies with royal icing.