For The Love Of Baking

Bake, for the love of baking!

 
Lori! Ow yeah, she’s my favorite foodie girl. Her cheesecake, awesome. And surprisingly, the easiest cheesecake recipe I’ve ever made. If au bain marie is not your cup of tea, this recipe is.
 
A definite keeper. A champion one.
 
Ow, before I forgot, mine was without crust and chocolate. I baked it in muffin pan, perfect as a cheesecake-to-go. Plain cheesecake, damn good.
 

 
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What can I write about her? Too much we had in 4 years, too small vocabulary there is to tell all stories, all sweet memory she left behind. Four years are short, yet it felt like we’d been friends for so long. I don’t have the words to say the least of her quality. Kindhearted, reliable, meticulous, soft and firm at the same time, .. it’s just too many.
 
For me and my NCC friends, Ruri was our biggest inspiration in showing us what it meant to be a strong woman. Never give up, no time to complain, keep up the faith, and laugh merrily in the process! Life goes on, smiling never hurts, no matter how heavy the world on your shoulder.
 
All difficult tasks always went into her hand. Being an admin for almost 5000 members, taking care of all tools and equipments in cake decoration competition with more than 100 participants, managing almost all tasks that required a super detail mind in every NCC event, although at times she could not even be there.
 
When the cancer started to beat her, we gradually lost one of our strongest hands. Seeing her fighting the battle, not once she backed down, has brought mixed emotion: broken heart, yet inspired.
 
Ruri, I still remember everything. And I miss every single thing.
 
So, here is to you, Ruri. May Allah have mercy and return your good deeds million times bigger. I miss you already.
 
 
**To honor our good friend Ruri, NCC Admin, owner of Kueh Ruri, who died of battling against cancer on August 5, 2008.**
 
 
 
Photo by Dez Pain & Velda Christensen

Gosh, it’s been too long I haven’t been posting anything here. I never stop baking –like I could do that!!–, but just was too unorganized to post, that’s all.

I received this I Love You This Much award from Eliza, and I was, …well, …touched. **don’t laugh, Liz**

I really really appreciate every single expression of love conveyed to me and feel so lucky to have received it. There are people who don’t get enough love, unable to love, so when love comes your way, embrace it and count your bless. You’re one of few luckiest people in the world.

Thank you, Liz. I never knew you before if not from this food blogging thing we do. Through time you let me get to know the kindhearted person you are. We had fun, and I just hope this will never end between us. Thank you for the award, and for the love. I love you that much, too. **again, don’t laugh, Liz**

:)

I‘ll tag one person:
Nadrah. Because I love her this much.

 
From Vania, the muffin lady, as Eliza always refers her
 
Beautiful indeed, it was packed with all cardamomy things: cardamom tea, cardamom incense sticks, the cardamom itself, and an addictive sweet nibble called Soan Papdi for my sweet tooth.
 

 
I never knew Soan Papdi before, so this is my first time ever. To my surprise, who at first expected it was some kind of biscuit or so, it was arum manis, a.k.a. rambut nenek! You know, the hairy cotton candy we used to nibble when we were little?
 

 
The rambut nenek was packed in squares, and.. –this is the best part– was blended with cardamom, almond and pistachio. The result was superb. I never expected cardamom can go to such extent, lifting up the sweetness into another divine level that contains your brain with such excitement and energy. Oh well, maybe that’s just the sugar.
 

 
But the flavor was seriously divine, that I couldn’t resist to take another square after another square after another. I could feel my blood sugar jumping happily along with the excitement in my head. Gosh, Vania, you’ve successfully made me happy!
 

 
The tea was just as wonderful, I couldn’t be happier. How can I thank you, my gorgeous Muffin Lady? Gorgeous package from a gorgeous lady!

 
An adage said,
 
every woman should make bread at least once in her lifetime.
I said,
every Indonesian woman should bake Lapis Legit,
once if she’s lucky, many times to polish her layering skill
 
Now as Eid Mubarak is approaching in approximately 3 months, a time frame you barely notice to be flying very fast, we all have a perfect reason to sweat ourselves learning to bake this gorgeous rustic looking cake all day. Yes, that’s how long it takes. Along with 60 eggs, that is.
 
There are many variety of recipes for Lapis Legit (Lapis = layer; Legit = scrumptious, very tasty). The one that yields densed texture, spongy texture, the one using food coloring to achieve more egg-yellowy tone, the one using egg yolks only, with the whites, and we haven’t even started with its modification. There are Lapis Legit with different toppings: prunes, almond, raisin; different layers and flavors: chocolate, mocha, pandan, cheese; different shape and pattern: rolled, batik, tikar (braided mat), etc.
 
All comes down to the basic ingredients and technique: abundant butter, abundant eggs, just enough sugar, a little flour, a good teaspoonful of spekkoek spice, baked in an oven using mostly upper heat, layer by layer. This basic formula was used by our great-great-great-… grandmothers when they invented this indulging treat with so very traditional means. They only had firewood, tin oven, some bowls, and wooden spoon. Yet they invented and mastered such a magnificent nibble that combines everything good in life in one single slice: incomparable deliciousness for your tongue, heavenly aroma for your nose, stunning intricate layers for your eyes. And the whole day labor intensive work for the patience in you! Aren’t they incredible, our grandmothers? Let’s send them our most beautiful prayer tonight. For without them, there wouldn’t be a national treasure called Lapis Legit. They certainly deserve a beautiful prayer.
 
About the magical thing called spekkoek. Spekkoek spice is a blend of everything nice, apparently. Cinnamon, cardamom, clove, ginger, nutmeg,.. God knows what else. The spices growing on our motherland, Nusantara, the land of spices. This spice is the heart of Lapis Legit. The magic dust you put in that makes it fit for a king. To quote Anthony Bourdain, “There’s a reason why they fought war over spices, you know.” I know.
 
Now, onto the recipe. I used the most basic one. The one written by Hadi Tuwendi, one of Indonesian baking maestros, in parallel with Mrs. Liem, or Nyonya Liem as she often be called. He was once the man behind Holland Bakery, a well established bakery in Jakarta with respected reputation throughout the decades. So, you’re in good hand.
 
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Ok.
 
First, this is the most chewy cookies I’ve ever tasted in my life. I mean good-chewy! Very interesting texture as well, because it had crispy exterior, while boasting this wonderful soft grainy interior that feels surprisingly good to chew.
 
Second, it tasted so good, thanks to ground almond. If you’re a sweet-tooth, this is for you. If you don’t fancy cardamom, or any spices, simply ignore it. Me, a spice freak, loved the cardamom so much. In fact, I think it’s the “it” factor that made you go “mmm”. Note: use green cardamom, a.k.a. Indian cardamom. Not the white ones, a.k.a. Arabian cardamom. Ground it with mortar and pestle, a.k.a. your good old cobek.
 
Third, it freezes wonderfully. So you can make batches of them now, while you still have time and energy, and freeze them for Idul Fitri or whenever. Or keep them in stock for your everyday craving (true story).
 
Ultimately, fourth, this is dead-easy to make. A child can even bake it with eyes closed, I’m tellin’ ya.
 
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