Category Archives: special occasions

Cream cheese and fig jam cake

Posted on October 19, 2016 | Leave a comment

I am not a routine friendly person, i live daily challenges to dig out new things. I admit i easily get bored so i am in a constant search to enjoy new experiences, to reconnoiter unexplored places and indulge in new flavors.

But sometimes i find myself following a lovely routine, i call it family customs (it makes me feel better) especially when it comes to celebrations. Whatever are the circumstances, i never miss baking birthday cakes. It should be homemade, full of love and thoughts!

This year, for my husband’s birthday cake, fig was on my mind! I know fig and cream cheese will pair nicely together. Why not fig jam?! I remember when i was a kid, i used to love eating the classic cake that mom used to bake after spreading a thin layer of homemade jam. And i still do whenever i am at my parents place, mom does the best homemade jam!

The best recipe for basic white layered cake is here:

1 1/3 cup flour (sifted)
1/2 tsp baking powder
8 eggs
1 cup caster sugar
100g melted butter

Preheat oven to 180°C. Grease 4 shallow baking dishes of 8″. If you’re not willing to make 4 layers cake, you can simply cut the recipe in half for 2 layers or 3/4 for 3 layers.

Mix flour and baking powder. Set aside. Place eggs and sugar in an electrical mixer and whisk on high speed for 10 minutes or until thick and triple in volume. Gently fold in the flour mixture then the butter. Do not over mix.

Bake for 15-17 minutes or until sponges are springy to the touch and come away from the sides of the baking dish. Remove and let it cool completely.

Whisk 500ml heavy cream with 300g cream cheese and 1/2 cup icing sugar until stiff peaks form.

Spread one sponge with jam and second one with cream cheese, and repeat with the other two! Top the fourth one with the cream and decorate it with flowers or simply figs.

I wanted a festive fall look. I love these tones of colors, makes me feel happy and warm. Couldn’t wait until we cut it and taste it. And we did! I got lots of compliments and yumms. I think i will be doing it more often. It became one of my favorite cakes that doesn’t have chocolate but gives you the pleasure of it!

If you like this post give it some likes and shares to spread the joy. Don’t forget to like marmite et ponpon facebook page and follow on twitter. More interesting posts are yet to come.

“Funfetti cake” Happy 1st birthday my Joud

Posted on August 1, 2016 | Leave a comment

The perfect cake that screams celebration inside out! It’s my Joud’s first birthday, i wanted to make a fun cake that serves also as a smash “one piece of the”cake for him. Yes i am saying one piece of it because it’s so delicious that you can’t sacrifice it all to play with 🙂

As the name suggests, funfetti cake, it’s a really fun cake full of colors and flavors. Orange layer cake with rum buttercream.

I believe it’s the only time you can decide on the cake design, later on your kids will do according to their favorite color or character! Funfetti cake resembles so much my son’s first year, colorful and full of happiness and life.

To prepare this orange cake you will need:

1cup unsalted butter, at room temperature (227g about 2 sticks)
2 cups granulated sugar
4 eggs at room temperature
1/3 cup grated orange zest
3 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup freshly squeezed orange juice
3/4 cup buttermilk, at room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 tbsp rum
1 cup colored chocolate vermicelli
1/2 cup colored pearls for decoration

Heat the oven to 180°C. Grease and flour two 8″ pans

Cream the butter and sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer for about 5 minutes, or until light and fluffy. With the mixer on medium speed, beat in the eggs, one at a time, and the orange zest.

In a large bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. In another bowl, combine the orange juice, the buttermilk, and vanilla. Add the flour and buttermilk mixtures alternately to the batter, beginning and ending with the flour.

the last step is to fold in the chocolate colored vermicelli delicately before dividing the batter in the pans and smooth the tops.

Bake for 45 minutes to 1 hour, until a wooden skewer comes out clean.

Meantime prepare the rum buttercream for frosting

200g butter
4 cups powdered sugar
1/4 cup milk
3 tsp rum
food color (you choose your favorite)

Mix the butter with an electrical mixer until fluffy. Add milk and rum than sugar 1 cup at a time and beat until you get the consistency you want. Keep it in the fridge while your cake is cooling for easier use later.

After frosting the cake, sprinkle the half cup of colored pearls to give the final fun look.

You can choose the color combination you favor. I wanted green and blue, very summerish and happy together! You can keep it white also, while the colored pearls do the effect. As i said it’s a very appealing cake, you will feel the celebration with every piece you cut. A pleasure to the eye and palate.

Happy Birthday my love Joud, may all your life be full of colors, happiness and health, together with your brother Nady . Love you both to bits ❤

If you like this post give it some likes and shares to spread the joy. Don’t forget to like marmite et ponpon facebook page and follow on twitter. More interesting posts are yet to come.

Le plus cool des papas-tie DIY

Posted on June 19, 2016 | 2 comments

Pourquoi tu aimes papa et combien?

Nady (3 years and a half): parce que je joue football avec lui, on s’amuse et rigole, on regarde nickelodeon ensemble, il m’achete des oeufs surprise .. Tu sais maman je l’aime parce que je l’aime beaucoup 🙂 je l’aime a 3 heures et demi et 3 ans et a l’infini 🙂

Joud (10months): dadada dadada (giggles….) mwahh (non stop kisses)

1-father's day-tie DIY|marmite et ponpon

2-father's day-tie DIY|marmite et ponpon

3-father's day-tie DIY|marmite et ponpon

4-father's day-tie DIY|marmite et ponpon

5-father's day-tie DIY|marmite et ponpon

6-father's day-tie DIY|marmite et ponpon

7-father's day-tie DIY|marmite et ponpon

8-father's day-tie DIY|marmite et ponpon

9-father's day-tie DIY|marmite et ponpon

10-father's day-tie DIY|marmite et ponpon

11-father's day-tie DIY|marmite et ponpon

12-father's day-tie DIY|marmite et ponpon

Happy fathers day to the coolest papa Antoun from Nady and Joud (and of course from me), we love you a l’infini, may God bless you and keep you safe.

If you like to reproduce this amazing DIY tie that we made for this occasion, click here to download a high resolution file. You will need a white tie or any other color of your choice for a professional screen printing.

As for the box, it’s an empty corn flour tin, we sprayed it with black. Nady enjoyed sticking golden stars and a big one on top.

13-father's day-tie DIY|marmite et ponpon

14-father's day-tie DIY|marmite et ponpon

15-father's day-tie DIY|marmite et ponpon

16-father's day-tie DIY|marmite et ponpon

Happy fathers day to all fathers in the world and especially to my hero ❤

أبي هو ذاك الذي اطلب منه نجمتان فيأتي وهو يحمل على ظهره سماء

If you like this post give it some likes and shares to spread the joy. Don’t forget to like marmite et ponpon facebook page and follow on twitter. More interesting posts are yet to come.

2 Comments

Posted in design, DIY, special occasions, way to play

Tagged craft, DIY, DIY tie, father's day, happy father's day, le plus cool des papas, marmite et ponpon, screen printing, way to play

Snaynyé – celebrating the first tooth out

Posted on May 13, 2016 | 2 comments

Snaynyé, lebanese tradition to celebrate the baby’s first tooth out. The word Snaynyé comes from “snen” that means teeth. The mother prepares this traditional sweet once the first tooth appears and she sends to family, neighbors and friends who will return the empty plate with a gift to wish mabrook the new tooth.

Snaynyé consists of boiled wheat garnished with sugar, orange blossom and nuts. Previously they used to put colored sugar coated chickpeas and pomegranate seeds, but nowadays with the endless variety of sweets they decorate it with jelly beans, marshmallows, M&M….

snaynye -celebrating the first tooth|marmite et ponpon

Very easy and simple to make. You choose how much wheat you want to make, you soak it in water at least 12 hours and then you boil it until tender. For a nicer hint of anise taste, you put anise seeds when boiling. When serving you add sugar and orange blossom water to each portion according to the person taste. It’s served cold and hot also depending on your taste. personally i like it hot.

For garnish you can put almonds, pine seeds, pistachio, walnut or any nut you favor. Raisins and pomegranate seeds go heavenly with it as well. As for the sweets you can go as creative as you want. The aim is to have candies that need strong teeth to be chewed, to say that our baby now has his first strong tooth. I only put candies (in form of teeth) trying to be as classic as possible.

It used to be offered in plates, nowadays people go more creative. I chose to send it to my relatives and friends in jars adding a smiley spoon to remain as souvenir. And as a sushi lover i added to some jars a small boy (smiling and showing his teeth) that serves later as automatic chopsticks for beginner kids to “my sushi lovers friends”. With a “my first tooth” tag to complete the souvenir.

I love our traditions and i try to keep them and let my kids live them (though we are living abroad). It’s beautiful how we make from every milestone in our kids life an important and joyful event. God bless all kids and keep them safe, healthy and happy. Mabrook your first tooth my baby love ❤

If you like this post give it many likes and shares to spread the joy. Don’t forget to like marmite et ponpon facebook page and follow on twitter. More interesting posts are yet to come.

2 Comments

Posted in dessert, DIY, special occasions

Tagged candies, desserts, DIY, first tooth out, lebanese traditions, marmite et ponpon, nuts, recipe, snaynyeh, snaynyeh in jars, sweets, traditions

Frogs Easter eggs – DIY

Posted on March 26, 2016 | 2 comments

This year is Joud’s first Easter. There was no way not to make for him exclusive eggs, cute just like him; frogs Easter eggs!

Start by coloring the hard boiled eggs with green color. If you have different shades of colors it will be perfect to make it more realistic, or simply leave some eggs in the dye for longer and shorter time to get different hues of green.

After the eggs are well dry, stick the frog’s cutout face, that you can download it if you click on frogs file.

To make it look realistic, put them on a glass tray with some pebbles, an artificial lily to look as if they are floating in a lake.

Aren’t cute and so real? i am in love with them and Joud is as well 🙂

He was so attracted to the colors, he even tasted them 🙂

Happy Easter to all المسيح قام حقاً قام

Wish you all happy holidays and lots of new beginnings and blessings and of course children. They make you look at the celebrations from a new perspective and give Easter a boost of joy.

If you like this post give it many likes and shares to spread the joy. Don’t forget to like marmite et ponpon facebook page and follow on twitter. More interesting posts are yet to come.