Plot twist. I'm here as a singer.
(Butchering a song)
Hello everyone! I am Xenia
and welcome to another episode of Hired or Fired.
And in this episode, I am going to be
a baker for a day.
I remember after A'levels when you have that 8 months break,
I was baking a lot.
A few things that I really enjoy baking is
Popeyes' biscuits, cupcakes, Oreo cheesecake...
You name it, I probably have baked it and failed it.
(Laughs)
Honestly, I think baking is harder than cooking.
Because it's not that instinctive
and also, you can't try it.
The worst is if you're doing it for business,
only your customer can taste it.
Because the cake has to look nice right?
You won't know you mess up, until you spent your whole day doing it.
And you'll be angry at yourself!
I have been through that so many times
that I don't want to feel that today.
I expect a lot from myself today.
Because, it's like a teenage dream of mine
to hone my baking skills under the guidance of a baker.
I better remember the instructions.
Because, I ever put salt instead of sugar...
Not cool.
(Laughs)
Today will be good, Baker Tan is here!
Hi, I'm Christie.
I'm the Operations Manager of J&C Bakery.
I handle everything from R&D (Research & Development) to baking
and running sales, as well as managing customer relationships.
My dad started working with my grandparents during his younger days
in the curry puff food business.
Out of curiosity, he started J&C Bakery since 1983.
As of now, we have 3 outlets.
We specialize in making pineapple tarts,
as well as banana cakes.
Before working for my family's business,
I was working in hotels.
Over there, we have to always follow the recipes of others
but coming back to my family's business,
I can explore more ideas.
People tend to think that a baker's life
is an easy life but actually that's not the case.
The time we have to sacrifice,
sometimes we take up to 14 hours just to bake something.
Hello, I'm Xenia.
Hi, I'm Christie. I am your mentor for today.
I'm so excited for this episode
because I always bake at home.
But at home ah.
So what will I be doing today?
So, today you'll be baking a cookie,
you'll be serving customers,
as well as baking a cake from scratch for a customer today.
Whose birthday is that?
Xenia is ready to bake for you.
- So this is for you! - Oh.
You know what they say, Baker Tan is here!
Huh? Check my cookie?
(Christie) Ya.
Okay.
Okay Xenia, this is the kitchen.
This is where we bake everything that you can see outside.
Okay.
Your first task for today will be baking butter cookies
with dipped chocolate.
Chocolate ganache...
Let's go!
This is actually part of the R&D (Research & Development) for now.
Let's get started.
So we will measure out the butter and icing sugar first,
then we'll cream them together.
So remember to always tare your mixer so it gets the correct measurements.
Whisk it till it's soft,
then we'll measure out the icing sugar.
Measure the egg whites.
- Egg white only? - Egg white only.
What happen if it breaks?
It won't let it rise because egg white is like a meringue.
Then it might not be very fluffy.
Right...
So this is the vanilla extract.
- We'll just put a little bit, like a drop. - Okay.
(Laughs)
Woah ni (you).
(Laughs)
Okay, so once it gets so fluffy,
we'll add the flour in.
Wow, it's really coming together.
The textures right - When you see it from the start,
it's so different from right now.
Now on to the exciting part and that's piping.
Yes.
So, you just got to do this...
Oh, okay.
That's a bit hard...
Okay, you wanna try?
Got another tray or not?
- This is expectations right in front of me. - No no no.
Not bad.
Okay...
Oh no, shit.
Come on!
Aiyo!
(Nervous laughter)
We're gonna do special one, like...
(Exclaims)
Infinity HOF (Hired or Fired) forever!
Season 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 ,10...
So we'll put it as 8 minutes first.
Oh, 8 minutes only?!
We'll see how it goes.
Okay, let's see...
Wow, I wish you could smell this man.
Wow!
Be careful ah.
Okay.
Can I try one?
Oh my god. It's freaking amazing.
You like it?
Yeah.
So now the cookies are done.
This is easy, just dip however much you want.
Wow!
Tada!
Okay, let me try one.
It's so- It's so fragile...
So we just finished the basic butter cookies.
So your challenge will be making your own version of butter cookies.
So I'll be providing you with other ingredients,
you can add anything you want inside.
Anything?
Anything.
However much I want?
Oh, do it.
After that, you'll name it and sell it to me as a customer.
- Oh, that's what I'm best at! - Alright.
Passionate Love.
Yuan Yang Special.
Okay, Baker Tan will start baking her butter cookies.
- I just cut through the plastic... - Yup. (Laughs)
It's okay.
Sorry...
No, it's fine.
0 grams...
Then, we're gonna whisk it.
Too fast.
And we will measure the icing sugar.
It's really coming together as one.
And, they look beautiful.
Just mmph!
(Laughs)
Oops!
Only egg whites.
How ah? Like that.
Okay wait, it hasn't break yet, haven't break yet...
Oh!
It went in.
No problem.
Put this inside.
(Gasp)
Along with the vanilla extract.
Flour is 160...
The flour went into my nose. Wait ah.
Oh no, don't need.
Done.
Take this out.
Okay never mind, it doesn't want to come out.
It's okay also...
Now...
Eh?
(Laughs)
Technical difficulties.
Okay, never mind.
Just gonna-
separate from here then.
So now we're gonna pipe.
I'm going to go with this and chocolate chips.
But separate.
So one is with walnut and I'll call it-
Because when you eat then like (gasp)...
So nice.
It hits you-
Oh, okay. Thank you.
I wanna put the nuts inside the batter.
Yeah, that's exactly how much I wanted.
Hit you in...
-So... - It hits you in the nuts.
(Laughs)
Before it can hit you in the nuts, it hit me in the nuts first.
Because I put the nuts inside
and the nut is bigger than the nozzle...
Let's pick them.
Okay, this one has a bigger hole right?
Hit you in the-
There is-
♫ When you try your best but you don't succeed. ♫
Hit you in the nut.
Yeah.
Can I just pipe like that?
Okay what.
Okay what, the Chinese New Year cookies also look like that what.
So, I'm gonna call this Michael Jackson.
I'm gonna top half the cookies with chocolate
and half without.
Hey!
(Laughs)
The inner monologue is real ah.
Everybody starting to say out already ah.
Ah! Aiyo, sorry sorry.
(Christie) Tired?
Very hot.
So complain-
"So complain."
Where my English go?
In the oven also?
Scared, scared scared scared...
I'm gonna make the 'Hit You In The Nut' cookie look very expensive.
Does it look expensive?
Next, we're gonna draw a straight line for my Michael Jackson cookies.
Then, I'm just going to zigzag the chocolate part.
And we are done.
So let me explain to you my creations.
This is called 'Hit You In The Nut'.
It is a walnut cookie, disguised as a pumpkin seed cookie.
Dribbled with chocolate.
It sounds like a lot, I know.
It is a lot.
It's good, it's good.
You brought out the walnut, the aroma of the walnut, you know?
But it becomes like a walnut cookie
not a butter cookie.
- Oh. Maybe I should have put lesser (walnuts). -Ya.
Next, I would like to introduce you to the Michael Jackson cookie.
Half of it is filled with chocolate,
the other one is a classic butter cookie.
I think this is better.
Would you sell this to your customers?
I might sell this.
But not this.
How much would you pay? If let's say you're the customer.
$2?
For a box?
Per piece.
Per piece?!
Maybe, maybe.
Hired already lor. Can go home already lor.
Still early, still early.
(Laughs)
Now, your second task for today will be baking a cake.
We'll be making a black forest cake.
Then after that, you'll do it for our customer.
Huh?
Yeah.
- Customer? - Yeah.
Okay...
Okay.
So now we'll just take a bit of the cream,
put it on the board.
So that it doesn't move.
For our cake, we will use hazelnut cream
instead of the regular cream with berries, you know?
With cherries and all.
I know people are-
Like you, are like chocolate
- Lover! Ya. - Lovers.
Then secondly, we'll add our homemade chocolate ganache.
Oh my gosh, just the ganache itself?
Wow.
Yum!
So you keep this in the fridge, now it's my turn.
Welcome to Xenia's cooking show.
And I'm gonna start. This time, I'm really going to focus
I'm not going to entertain you guys okay?
3, 2, 1, go.
Tiring!
Woah, woah, woah, woah, woah, woah...
I'm so tired.
(Laughs)
So, my baby is done.
Wah!
It's a hot-
1, 2-
Woah!
1...
2...
- (PD) What is that ah? - NO!
Okay, we're gonna put the frosting.
Don't complain so much.
Okay, I think the customer will like chocolate, hazelnut, chocolate.
You said chocolate, hazelnut, chocolate...
Okay, chocolate.
Oh my god, it's so smooth and rich.
A bit more here.
Okay, just a bit more then...
Just a little bit more.
Aiyo! Why my cake-
Is my cake slanted?
My goodness, this is a disaster.
(Sigh)
Did Christie just give up on me?
(Laughs)
Okay Xenia, for your cake today I think you did not bad.
Overall the process, even though you were very tired,
but you continued baking so I admire you for that.
The cake wise...
Appearance, very good for your first time.
Wow. So nice ah?
I actually think my cake looks like shit.
Because like it is so slanted
and if you can see right on the top right?
Hers is smooth.
Mine is like there are edges, there are bubbles...
Even simple piping.
Yours looks so much better.
I realised I made mistakes that are very technical.
For example, over-beating the cream frosting.
When I put it over my head, correct what it never fall off.
So I thought it was right, but timing is very important.
And I think you need a certain level of expertise to be able to see
what is really perfect, what is overdone, what is underdone.
So do you think we can sell this to the customer?
Yours?!
(Laughs)
Eh, don't need to be so shock.
I know mine not very nice right?
I think cannot la.
Cannot ah?
Later when the birthday boy comes, see what they say.
So Xenia, now we're moving onto the 3rd task of the day.
So now I'll be showing you how to use the POS (Point Of Sale).
Later on I will show you the items we have in store.
As well as let you know
what are the questions that some of our customers ask us.
We have 6 or 7 categories.
Whatever the customer asks, like 1 piece, 6 pieces, 10 pieces, you know?
Easy.
So these are the cakes that we have,
we deliver them every morning.
Very fresh.
There is butter base, banana base, as well as chocolate base.
So some questions that customers ask is,
how long they can keep the pastries for?
So for cakes, usually we tell them 1-2 days.
For durian, must remember to let them know that it can only be outside for 2 hours.
Anything longer, the durian will spoil because we use fresh durian.
- You got any questions, you can test me. - Can test right?
I think I know everything.
1-2 days, yeah 1-2 days.
- Then... - 2 hours. Durian.
Then, this can keep inside the fridge for how long?
I think I know everything.
(Laughs)
3 days.
- 3 days. - The safe answer is 3 days.
Okay.
You ready?
Yes.
Okay, let's do this.
Our best sellers are eclairs and brownies.
Yeah, the white one.
One white one?
You want some fresh cakes?
Okay.
This is ondeh ondeh cake.
Total would be $11.50.
Then, you must press NETS.
Tada.
Give him the receipt.
Okay. Bye bye.
Have a good day.
The chocolate cheese,
walnut and the normal chocolate.
Yup, no white.
Yup.
The 24 pieces?
Okay.
Total will be $26.50.
Thank you. Thank you, Bye bye!
12 pieces ah?
Or you can mix any that you want.
You want 2 of each type? Okay.
You got any flavor you like in particular?
The almond chocolate chip? Okay.
Thank you. $10.
It's my first day of work.
(Laughs)
Bye bye!
Yes?
Cream puff is cream.
Custard puff is slightly eggy-ier.
Then you eat brownie lor.
Got egg.
Then, you don't eat brownie la.
Erm, opposite got takoyaki...
(Laughs)
Huh? Really you ah?
Really?
Okay then, I'll go grab your cake. You can wait here.
So- No wait, the customer is her?
- What the... - You don't know?
I don't know.
I sing for you?
Okay.
1, 2, 3-
(Butchered version of Happy Birthday)
From JC Bakery.
J&C Bakery!
So you want to try the cake?
Huat ah!
How is it?
Oh. Nice ah?
Really meh?
(Laughs)
Out of 10?
(Gasp)
Actually that's also because the chocolate ganache and hazelnut is not I make one.
(Laughs)
So I am done for today and
all the tasks today are not challenging or demanding but
being able to do all of it, every single day,
that is the challenge for me.
Because I'm only doing it for a day
but look at my face, I'm really just tired...
And if you're doing it for business,
and you're making like big batches of cakes, of brownies...
There is no room for error,
because you are wasting money,
you're wasting your time and effort.
I've always wanted to open my own cafe.
But after today, I realise maybe it's not for me, you know?
And so, I really really admire Christie.
Because having that responsibility and wanting to make this business successful
for her parents is a very heart warming feeling.
I don't even know their family but I'm feeling J&C!
(Laughs)
Okay Xenia, now it's the end of your shift.
Overall, I think you need pretty good.
You were very creative, even though there were not a lot of ingredients in front of you.
The cake, you were very focused.
You wanted it to be really perfect so that takes a lot of time and energy.
And you don't mind spending that,
because you know that you want it the best.
That is one thing, all chefs should be.
You know, give your best to your customers.
They do deserve the best.
Yeah.
So for the 3rd task, I thought you did a pretty good job.
Because you were quite funny and you were very alert.
You were not very impatient when you were trying to help them.
Yeah Char Sew did you hear that?
Not impatient.
(Laughs)
Thank you for the evaluation,
I really had a lot of fun today.
And I really admire what you do.
And now it boils down to, the most important question
of every episode.
When I ask you the important question, you're going to choose.
You see properly first, don't give me the wrong one.
(Laughs)
Would you hire or fire me?
Because I'll hire you for cashiering,
but I'll fire you as a baker.
That means fire la. Because today my job scope is a baker.
Then I'll fire you.
(Laughs)
If you saw, I put "F" also.
I think given a choice, I think it's something I know I won't excel in.
- No worries, it takes time. Maybe next time. Next time. - Maybe one day.
Yeah.
But I crack 15 eggs, no shell went inside.
Zai. (Good)
Still fired, damn...
(Laughs)
Thank you for watching yet another episode of Hired Or Fired.
If you like this video, remember to like, share, subscribe.
And ting (on) the notification bell and watch our other videos over there.
I'll see you next time, bye.
What a beautiful box.
You can see yourself.
Hi! Hi! It's me!
(Laughs)