Morning cup of coffee

Feeling lethargic and restless? Fancy a substitute for that morning cup of coffee? How about popping a few of these aromatic cuties?

New from our test kitchen, we present to you our Mini Coffee Cupcakes. Think full-bodied coffee flavour with a tinge of sweetness and a swirl of coffee infused buttercream on the top. We hope you don't get a caffeine overdose!

Taste of Spring

With a gentle early summer heat rolling into our home and through the kitchen door, I imagine a permeating scent of tanginess. One so refreshing it elevates the mind from the looming heaviness of high summer in the test kitchen. Lemons... yes, that should do the trick...



So with a bagful of lemons, the test kitchen crew worked up some magic. A little lemon zest here, a trickle of lemon juice over there, before finally arriving at a delightfully yellow, whimisical little piece. Our very own Lemon Meringue Cupcake. A light-as-air lemon-y sponge cake topped with a dollop of (addictively tangy) homemade lemon curd and finished with a spot of Italian meringue, torched to a lovely brown round the edges.

Yummy? You can say that again.

The mystery solved...

Having finally solved the mystery of the hulk-like macarons, we decided to celebrate by creating a new flavour in our test kitchen.

And so, the Lemon Poppyseed Macaron was born. Topped with a sprinkle of poppyseeds before baking (for the extra crunch), the deal is sealed by a vanilla scented cream cheese filling. Inspired by Carole Walter's Lemon Poppyseed Cream Cheese Poundcake recipe, the idea is you get the taste of her poundcake in a pretty macaron!

Sticky Fingers

With a general abundance of dates in the middle east, we figured that experimenting with them would perhaps be a wise thing to do as we would never run short of ingredients. So after a whole lot of meddling, culminating in 3 entirely different versions of date pudding, we arrived at the one.



Soft but not so tender that it sticks to every surface, this date cake is moist and holds its shape well; even with the puddle of sweet caramel cream filling its centre. Topped with toasted walnuts rolled in a warm pot of caramel sauce, this mini is truly a thoroughly messily sweet affair.



When you can't find the words to describe how gorgeous it tastes...

Simple, you just post more pictures.

Read my lips...

Creation #2 of the new year--Meringue Kisses! This mini is a crunchy, nutty flavored baked meringue (strange since there isn't the slightest bit of nut in the topping) over a buttery cookie base. Trust us, these are terribly addictive! XOXO

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love it or hate it

caramel, crisp tart dough and toasted walnuts. What's there not to love?



We figured that response to the Carmenite ( wanted to give an impression of strong and assertive flavors) would be subjective given that some people cannot relate to the bittersweet taste of caramel.

The chocolate coffee bean candy, a redundant garnish? Still in the midst of evaluation.

Still, I must relinquish in my love for this teeny bite, smoky and rich in texture. A little bit of warmth for a cold night.

we're back

And after a mini hiatus, the brown sugar queens are back with better resolutions and bigger dreams for a better test kitchen!

Watch out for our upcoming experiments.. *yum*. I think I smell buttery pastry tartlets over here. Stay tuned!