An adventure back in time..{Claudio Corallo chocolates from São Tomé and Príncipe}

Isn't it amazing when you just look at something and an idea pops right into your head?

That's what happened when I first saw a box of chocolates from São Tomé and Príncipe.

The box was packaged and labelled in a way that looked like it was something I would find on a ship during an exploration somewhere back in time... And so of course, I had to indulge my flmaboyant imagination and create a whole set that would look like something back in time.

The chocolates are wonderful. The box contained, among other types, 100% pure cocoa dark chocolate (!), different types of coffee beans coated with chocolate, ginger flavoured dark chocolate, sea salt and pepper flavoured dark chocolate. The sea salt and pepper flavoured dark chocolate is different than anything I've ever tried before. And amazing. I can't seem to have enough of it! The best part is that each piece is extremely thin. It's perfect for serving with coffee or as snacks for a meeting etc..

Check them out here: www.claudiocorallo.com

I think I spent an hour snapping hundreds of photographs. It was extremely enjoyable rearranging all the elements. And playing with the lighting.

Taste of Dubai

I had a wonderful time at Taste of Dubai this past weekend!

Trying out all the different restaurants was super-fun! I also took part in the BBC Good Food charity bake sale by baking these little chocolate shortbread drops. My cousin gave me the best (and easiest) idea on how to package these little things. Just wrap them in a little clingwrap and tie with a ribbon.

All of us at our foodie group were also blogger supporters (http://www.tasteofdubaifestival.com/home/supporters/).

So I saw this toy and really wanted it. No matter what. Yes, I can act like I'm five years old when I want to. To get it, you had to get the ball in the basket twice in a row. I tried four times. And didn't get it in at all. Anyways that toy was adorable. And I still want it. In case you're wondering, it's the orange monkey thing. Not Mario.

The staff at Certo saw me taking pictures of the decadent white chocolate mousse and starting posing for pictures.

My cousin's cheese manakeesh from Al Nafoorah and my lamb tagine from Almaz by Momo's.

The decadent white chocolate and passion fruit mousse.

Thursday night. Extremely crowded.

I'm not one to use prepared mixes but these were VERY creative! I was so tempted to buy one. Chocolate chip mix, oatmeal and raisin cookie mix, brownie mix.. And all the ingredients look like they're there!

I think this was India Palace's stand... or was it?

Dessssssssssssertttt.
The picture didn't turn out right but this place looked magical! Walking on this little path, you'd see fairy lights, little stalls, and lots of people. It reminded me of a festival in a Shakespearean play.

Alhambra.
Dim-sums!

My beautiful cousin Sahar with dynamite shrimp from PF Changs.

P.F. Changs!

Almaz- Momo

Rib Room

SUSHI! Which sadly I did not have.

Cookies in Wonderland

I made these bites for a bake sale that our department at university was hosting. Before rushing out the door with them, I wasted a little time playing around with the styling. Upon looking at the pictures now, I feel like they sort of remind me of Alice and Wonderland... maybe because of the miniature teapot. Or maybe Beauty and the Beast with the teacup. Or maybe it's just my imagination.

***

I'm not one to extravagantly decorate cupcakes (partly because I don't know how to! But ssh don't tell anyone!) but at the same time, neither am I one to decorate them in such a childish way as I just did in these photographs here. But I think in today's time of gorgeously stylish baked items, one needs a little bit of the old home-made look and feel of things. I love amazingly iced cakes and cupcakes and certainly want to attempt decorating them more often, but homey cakes just make you feel so relaxed and certainly do take you back down memory lane. Plus, you don't feel as guilty about eating them! That's why recently I've been making things like marmalade and coconut crumble cake, pineapple streusel cake, oatmeal raisin cookies, and raspberry crumble muffins.

And these. Rosewater cupcakes and crackle cookies.. another of my favourite recipes to make along with chocolate shortbread drops. This cupcake recipe is in fact the recipe I used when I made my first ever cupcake batch. They were rosewater cupcakes and the recipe was extremely simple-and thus inviting....

I remember when I first started baking. It was the summer of 2007 and I was working as an events management assistant. I'd get home from work in the afternoons and head straight to the kitchen where I'd try making cookies. I stuck to making cookies for the longest time ever. Partly because it was so successful.. Each batch would yield around 60 pieces and so I'd take them to the office with me and feed everyone. Then, I attempted making brownies after everyone asked me to. That, again, became a huge success. So much so that I started being known as the "cookies girl"... and I think I still am.

A month or so after that, I decided that it was time for me to bake a cake. I went to the supermarket and saw Betty Crocker's devil's food cake mix. I am extremely embarrassed to say that up until that point, I thought that was exactly how a cake was made. Through a packet mix. I cringe at the thought now..I cringe horribly. Packet cake mixes and frosting to me are like... getting an F on an exam and being happy with it.. or.. well, I can't think of the right analogy.

Anyways, I bought my cake mix, got home, and read the recipe. "Eggs, water, oil?" I thought. "That's all I need apart from the mix? If baking cakes were so easy, why didn't I start making them years ago?"

I can't exactly remember when reality struck me- or who the person that broke the news to me was (whoever you are- I thank you from the bottom of my heart!!!), but eventually I learned that ready cake mixes were not how you make cake.

You might be wondering what this little anecdote has to do with these cookies and cupcakes, but these two things were some of the very first things that I started baking once I felt myself truly a budding baker/chef.

It's always amusing to take a little time out and think about your first endeavors (apart from eating!) into the world of food. I don't think I would have ever realized what a huge, warm, and inviting world it would be.

Chocolate for breakfast, anyone?

There's nothing quite like it: waking up from a wonderful slumber to find that you don't even have to get out of bed to devour a scrumptious breakfast. And what can be more decadent than dark chocolate shortbread drops? To have them with berries, of course.

No, that isn't a real kitty.

One of my fail-safe recipes, I've been making these for about four years now. They're super simple, quick, don't take long to bake, and one batch yields about 60 pieces. And everyone loves them. I used Lindt 70% dark chocolate in these biscuits although I want to try making them 85% to see what they'd turn out like. They're extremely versatile and are perfect to serve along with coffee after a dinner party.

I made these for the BBC Good Food charity bake sale at the Taste of Dubai.. and before I packaged them into individual little plastic carriers (blogpost on that soon!), I obviously attempted to style them and take pictures. I'm fairly new to food styling (one week old to be exact) and for that I have to thank all my foodie blogger friends over at Famished in Arabia, especially the lovely ladies who came over for chocolate fest. Everyone has such amazing photography on their blogs that they continuously inspire me to improve mine. Special shout out to Sukaina at Lick my Spoon who made me realize...why aren't I styling my food?! Why aren't I using our crockery as props? So this is my second major attempt at food styling. The first one was last week when I made Pea and Potato Pakoras for Dom at Belleau Kitchen's random recipe blog challenge.

Enjoy the photographs- and indulge in chocolate for breakfast every so often! xx