Chinese New Year & first Macarons Bake Up for 2012!!!

(side note : woo hoo to figuring out how to get my pictures to fill the width of the screen... :P)

Happy New Year everyone!!! \(^_^)/

Feels like Christmas and New Year was just yesterday, but hey, Chinese New Year is just around the corner!!

It's again, a time for the big family to come together and celebrate the year that was and the year that will.
2o12 is an extremely BIG year, it's the year of the GOLDEN DRAGON!! It is considered a very lucky year, in the sixty year cycle.

A chat with 'E' the other day revealed that a lot of times, oranges (yes, the fruit) are often brought over as gifts during Chinese New Year visits, the way one would bring a bottle of wine to a dinner party.

I know fruits are good for you, but I thought, why not bring some sweets instead? :P

Everyone needs something sweet to start the year right? So that the next 12 months will be 'sweet' for you.

This year's cupcakes themed around the word 'Gong Xi Fa Cai' (congratulations and be prosperous) , along with the hand motion that we do when we visit our elders, wishing them congratulations for the new year. :)

Thus the gold ingots as a reference back to the congratulatory saying.

Chinese New Year is a 15 day celebration, and on the 15th day, is the lantern festival. I still remember, once upon a time, I used to get to pick what lantern I wanted for this day, a long with my many cousins.

And of course you can't miss the Dragon right? This being the Golden Dragon year and all?

This set of 6 cupcakes is $45,- and they are perfect to have at home when you have visitors, or to bring along when you're doing your 'rounds' :)

Flavours included :
- Red velvet w/ vanilla cream cheese frosting (it's chinese new year after all, RED!!)
- Moist chocolate mudcake w/ dark chocolate & orange cardamom ganache (so it's not totally 'orange'less)

Now, if you're thinking, "but cupcakes aren't really my thing", I thought I'd shake up the kitchen a little this month (read : give myself a little more headache and challenge in the name of celebration). I thought I'd run the first Macaron Bake Up of 2012 at the same time. ;)

I am about to introduce the new i eat sweet pricelist for 2012, but for the meantime, they are staying at $22 per dozen.
As per usual, you can have a mix of everything or you can email me with what particular flavours you want in your pack.

And this month, the flavours are :
1. chestnut
2. sydney breakfast (feat. T2 tea)
3. dark chocolate orange & cardamom
4. mac & cheese
5. kaya toast
6. milo dinosaur
7. taro
8. white chocolate chai

So, get in quick! Email me with your orders :) I'll be waiting :) :)

Hoping to get all your emails by 10am on Monday 15th of January 2012. From which I will lock myself in the kitchen and get your goodies ready for Friday 20th of January 2012

There's a new email address : ieatsweet@gmail.com - however if you accidently sent it to the old one, not to worry, it's still active too.

Very excited for the new year!! A lot of things happening this year, and I am (telling myself that I am) ready for them!! :)

And, just in case I don't see you before the 23rd of January, "Gong Xi Gong Xi," may the Golden Dragon brings you prosperity to all of you this year.