Recipe : Blueberry Muffins & Chocolate-Banana Muffins

Donna Hay's tagline for her recipes are - fast, fresh and simple!

And that's exactly what her blueberry muffins are.

Blueberry Muffins

Ingredients:

2½ cups (375g) Self-Raising flour - sifted
1 teaspoon Baking Powder
1 cup (220g) Caster Sugar
½ cup (125ml) Vegetable Oil
1 Egg
½ cup (125ml) Milk
1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
300gm Fresh or Frozen Blueberries
Granulated Sugar for Sprinkling - optional

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 180°C (350°F). 
2. Place the flour, baking powder and sugar in a bowl. 
3. Place the oil, egg, milk and vanilla in a separate bowl and whisk to combine. 
4. Pour the liquid ingredients into the dry ingredients and mix until just combined. Add the blueberries and mix to combine. 
5. Spoon mixture into a 12-hole ½-cup capacity (125ml) muffin tin lined with paper patty cases. 
6. Sprinkle the tops with sugar and bake for 30–35 minutes or until cooked when tested with a skewer. 
7. Remove from tin and cool on a wire rack.

The entire recipe probably took me only 15 minutes or less to prepare. How awesome is that!

This was my first time baking anything with blueberries.
Tip : Use frozen berries instead of fresh. They taste better!
Tip : If you don't have muffin cases, use big size cupcake cases, you'll get about 16 muffins.

Few days later I bought some bananas and voila!

Chocolate-Banana Muffins

And I thought this tasted even better than the blueberry muffins.

Donna even has a simple video that you can follow along if you're not too confident in baking. But trust me, it's really simple to do!
 

Stash from BBW Sale : The Oprah Magazine Cookbook @ RM25

A must get book with recipes from especially all the celebrity chefs that appear on The Oprah Winfrey's Show.

Recipe : Chocolate Ice-Cream (with egg)

This is a slightly more complicated recipe compared to the Chocolate Ice-Cream (without egg) one. But it's worth the trouble, trust me.

To make this classic, use good quality chocolate to give the best flavour.

Serves 6.

Got this recipe from 500 Delicious Desserts Book.

Ingredients:
750ml / 3 cups milk
10cm / 4inch piece of vanilla pod
4 Egg Yolks
150gm / 5 oz or 3/4 cup Granulated Sugar
225gm / 8oz Dark (bittersweet) Chocolate, melted
* If Milk Chocolate is used rather than Dark Chocolate, you'll get a very sweet ice-cream. Too sweet for my taste buds. Good quality bittersweet dark chocolate is best!

Method:
1. To make the custard, heat the milk with the vanilla pod in a small pan. Remove from the heat as soon as small bubbles start to form. Do not boil. 

2. Beat the egg yolks with a wire whisk or electric beater. Gradually incorporate the sugar, and continue beating for about 5 minutes until the mixture is pale yellow. Strain the milk, and slowly add it to the egg mixture, drop by drop.

3. Pour the mixture into a double boiler with the melted chocolate. Stir over moderate heat until the water in the pan is boiling, and the custard thickens enough to lightly coat the back of a spoon. Remove from the heat and allow to cool.

4. Pour mixture into an ice-cream maker and let it mix till thickened. The ice cream will have a soft, creamy texture. If you would like a firmer consistency, place them into a container and in the freezer for 2 hours.

5. If you don't have an ice-cream maker, after point 4 - Pour mixture into a freezer container and freeze until set, about 3 hours. Remove from the container and chop roughly into 3 inch pieces. Place in a bowl of a food processor and process till smooth. Return to the freezer container, and freeze again until firm. Repeat the freezing-chopping process 2 or 3 times until a smooth consistency is reached, then freeze until it is to be served.

I don't have a picture of this ice-cream cos we walloped it before I could manage to snap one. =p

Perfect Gift

Mum got me this book on her last trip to Singapore. A book just on desserts!! The perfect gift!

I've tried out 2 recipes from this book so far, the chocolate ice-cream and vanilla ice-cream and they both turn out perfect! (ah, just realised I've not posted the recipe for the chocolate ice-cream from this book).

Saw this book and variations of it at the Big Bad Wolf Sale, going for really cheap prices. If you are looking out for good recipes book, one with recipes that actually turn out well, this is definitely the range to go for.

I've recently looked through this book again and marked out the recipes that I want to try out next. Stay tune for that!

Recipe : Maryland Chocolate Chip Cookies

These delicate cookies are quickly and easily made and taste distinctly better than any shop-bought version. Using ready-toasted chopped hazelnuts can save even more time. 

Ingredients:
4oz / 110g Dark Chocolate Chips - good quality
1 Vanilla Pod
4oz / 110g Soft Butter - good quality (I use either Tatura or Anchor)
4oz / 110g Light Soft Brown Sugar
1 Medium Egg
2oz / 50g Toasted Hazelnuts - chopped
3oz / 75g Plain Wholemeal Flour

Method:
- Pre-heat oven to 175 degrees Celsius.
- Line 2 baking trays with parchment paper.

1. Begin by splitting the vanilla pod lengthways and, using the end of a teaspoon or a small sharp knife, scoop out the seeds.

2. Put the butter and sugar together in a mixing bowl and beat with an electric hand whisk until light and fluffy.

3. Beat in the egg and vanilla seeds before adding the remaining ingredients, then stir until thoroughly mixed.

4. Take spoonfuls of the dough, sufficient to form small rounds about the size of a walnut, then arrange them, well spaced out on the baking trays. (You will find it easier to bake one batch at a time).

5. Bake for 10 minutes or until the cookies turn golden color and feel firm in the centre when slightly pressed. Once baked, remove from baking sheets with a palette knife. Cool them on a wire rack and when cold, store in an airtight container.

* Makes about 60 small cookies or 30 big cookies.
** The dough will spread out quite a bit while baking.

Stash from BBW Sale : Bob Green, The Best Life Diet Cookbook @ RM10

He used to appear on Oprah's show lots and taught how to whip up lotsa healthy meals. Seem quite a genuine guy so thought I'd give his book a try.

Valentines Day, 2013

So my man's not big on V-day, or any other big celebrations for that matter but I am such a sucker for all these and couldn't let this day go by without doing anything for him.

He was traveling on that day so I decided to whip up something and surprise him. One of his favourite cookies, White Chocolate Macadamia. This was by far one of the easiest cookies to make but it was so expensive. I paid RM29 for just 300gms of macadamia nuts. But it was all worth it for him.

Then I went shopping at found this little munchkin at Parksons and managed to get him with a 30% discount. They were having a sale just for BonusLink members and the couple behind me at the counter was kind enough to give me their card to be swiped. Of course, they get to accumulate points too.

Doesn't he so represent my man?? Haha! In the most adorable way possible of course.

The final product!

Many shops try to extort customers by raising the price of their food, chocolates, flowers, etc during V-day which deters many from celebrating it. But there are many things that you can do without spending so much $$$.

Stash from BBW Sale, Starting with Baking Ingredients @ RM35

This was the most expensive book we purchased at the Big Bad Wolf Sale. It's thick and heavy and filled with really informational and educational jewels, especially for new learners or even season cooks and bakers who have been in the field for a many years but would like some refresher.

Information in the book is simple yet thorough.

And of course, it's filled with great recipes too!

Mum has tried one so far and turned out great! If I'm not mistaken, it was a chocolate-strawberry filled cake she made for one of her cellies.

Stash from BBW Sale - Jamie Oliver @ RM30

Have yet to try any recipes from this book. But will do soon.. :)

Sweet Treats

Source

 

Just made a batch of chocolate ice-cream cos mum was saying how nice it would be to have a  scoop of ice-cream after a hot and spicy Indian meal. 

With the ice-cream maker that mum bought me, it took oh no longer than 15 minutes to prep the ingredients and dump it into the magical maker.

And voila! A tin of ice-cream is in the fridge, ready for snacking!

Christmas Packs

Baked 4 batches of Hazelnut Cookies yesterday and today. Made cute little labels and packed them up as Christmas gift packs for my colleagues. Also made a batch for my man's colleagues but didn't take a picture of those. 

Made more than enough for our colleagues as well as for home.

More baking the next few days for the home. 

Recipe : Hazelnut "melt in your mouth" Cookies

2 batches of this 'melt in your mouth' cookies just fresh out of the oven for Christmas. I love simple and yet great tasting cookies. This recipe is mum's genius invention, also published in her second book, Heritage Cookbook.

Ingredients:

175 grams Salted Butter

75 grams Icing Sugar

125 grams Plain Flour

75 grams Cormflour

50 grams Ground Hazelnut

75 grams Roasted & Chopped Hazelnuts

Method:

1. Mix plain flour, cornflour and ground hazelnut together in a medium sized bowl.
2. In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar. (tip : use good butter like Anchor or Tatura, the quality of your butter determines the quality and taste of your cookies)
3. Mix in the dry ingredients, followed by the chopped hazelnuts.
4. Keep mixture in the fridge (not freezer) to firm up a little.
5. Remove from fridge, make small balls and flatten a little with a fork.
6. Bake for 15 minutes at 175 degrees Celsius.
7. Remove and cool on rack.

* makes about 64 good sized cookies per batch.

No longer a virgin...

to the Big Bad Wolf Sales. 

Check out the plunder mum and I came home with!

Sadly though, the 3 main cooks I wanted to get were not available. But I got some pretty good deals on some other books.

Got mainly cooking, baking, biographies, true stories and some Christmas gifts. Can't wait to start on them. 

Recipe : Simple Chocolate Ice-Cream (without egg)

I've made this recipe twice and both times it vanished from the freezer in just a couple of days.

A simple ice-cream which takes only 15 minutes to prepare. A must-try for everyone who loves to bake and loves it easy and fast.

Ingredients:
1 cup Unsweetened Cocoa Powder
*I used Hershey brand
2/3 cup Granulated Sugar
1/2 cup firmly packed Brown Sugar
1 1/2 cups whole Milk
3 1/4 cups Heavy Cream
*I used Anchor Whipping Cream
1 tbsp Pure Vanilla Extract

Method:
1. Place the cocoa and sugars in a medium bowl, stir to combine.

2. Add the whole milk and use a hand mixer on low speed or whisk with a balloon whisk to combine until the cocoa and sugars are dissolved, about 1-2 minutes.

3. Stir in the heavy cream and vanilla.

4. If not freezing immediately, cover and refrigerate until ready to use.

5. Pour mixture into an ice-cream maker and let it mix till thickened. The ice cream will have a soft, creamy texture. If you would like a firmer consistency, place them into a container and in the freezer for 2 hours.

6. If you don't have an ice-cream maker, after point 4 - Pour mixture into a freezer container and freeze until set, about 3 hours. Remove from the container and chop roughly into 3 inch pieces. Place in a bowl of a food processor and process till smooth. Return to the freezer container, and freeze again until firm. Repeat the freezing-chopping process 2 or 3 times until a smooth consistency is reached, then freeze until it is to be served.

Use good cocoa powder and heavy cream for a better taste.

This recipe makes about fourteen 1/2 cup servings.

Vanilla Pods

Source

These are certainly God's creation. The aroma is gives is just heavenly.

I bought my first ever 2 pods for RM25.90. They were from Madagascar. But today I walked into Chang Tung and they were selling 3 pods for only RM7.60. However the ones from Chang Tung are from Indonesia but I'm sure they give just about the same flavour and aroma.

I'm planning to make more desserts with vanilla pods and was super psyched when I saw that I could get them much cheaper. I mean, RM13 per pod is just too expensive!! But now it's only RM2.50.

So look out for more desserts using this heavenly ingredient. 

Recipe : Classic Vanilla Ice-Cream

Nothing beats the creamy simplicity of true vanilla ice-cream. Vanilla pods are expensive, I paid about RM25.90 for 2 pods, but well worth buying for the superb flavour they impart.

This recipe serves 4.

Ingredients:
1 Vanilla Pod
300ml / 1/2 pint / 1 1/4 cup Milk
*the original recipe states to use semi-skimmed (low-fat) milk but I just used regular full cream milk
4 Egg Yolks
75gm / 3oz / 6 tbsp Caster Sugar (superfine)
5ml / 1 tsp Cornflour
300ml / 1/2 pint / 1 1/4 cup Double (heavy) cream
*I used Anchor whipping cream

Method:
1. Using a small knife, slit the vanilla pod lengthways. Pour the milk into a heavy pan, add the vanilla pod and bring to a boil. Remove from the heat and leave for 15 minutes to allow the flavours to infuse.

2. Lift the vanilla pod and scrape the black seeds out of the pod with a small knife and add them back into the pan of milk. Bring the milk back to a boil.

3. Whisk the egg yolks, sugar and cornflour in a bowl until the mixture is thick and foamy. You may either use a balloon whisk or an electric mixer (I used a balloon whisk and it took less than 5 minutes to whip it up). Gradually pour in the hot milk, whisking constantly.

4. Return the mixture to the pan and cook over gentle heat, stirring constantly.

5. When the custard is thick and smooth, pour it back into the bowl. Be careful not to overcook the custard as it burns easily in the pan.

6. Leave to cool, then chill in the fridge.

7. Whip the cream until it has thickened but still falls from a spoon. Fold it into the custard and pour into a freezer container. Freeze for 6 hours or until firm enough to scoop, beating twice with a fork or in a food processor.

8. Alternatively if you have an ice-cream maker, you can skip step 7. Stir the cream into the custard and churn the mixture in an ice-cream mixer until thick. If the consistency is not as desired, freeze for a couple more hours.

9. Serve scooped into bowls or cones.

White Chocolate Truffles

I made this for the first time last December for my parents' 29th anniversary. It's the easiest dessert to make, and it doesn't require any baking!

Inspired by Ina Garten aka Barefoot Contessa.

Ingredients

2 tbsps Heavy Cream or Whipping Cream
7 ounces Good White Chocolate - chopped
*you can get 1kg of Selbourne chocolate for under RM15*
2 tbsps Baileys
1/2 tsp Vanilla Essence
1/2 cup Chopped Hazelnuts - lighty roasted
6 ounces Bittersweet or Dark Chocolate

Method

1. Place the cream in a heat-proof bowl, and set the bowl over a pan of simmering water. This is also otherwise known as double boiling.
2. Cook until heated through. Using a wire whisk, slowly stir the white chocolate into the warm cream until completely melted. 
3. Whisk in the liqueur and vanilla. Cover and chill for 1 hour or until pliable but firm enough to scoop.
4. With 2 teaspoons or a melon scoop, make dollops of the chocolate mixture and place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
5. Refrigerate for about 15 minutes, until firm enough to roll into rough spheres.
6. Melt the bittersweet chocolate in a heat-proof bowl, set over a pan of simmering water.
7. Drizzle the melted bittersweet chocolate over 10 of the truffles. Roll the remaining truffles in the chopped nuts. 
8. Chill until ready to serve.

This makes about 20 truffles. 

You could also roll the truffles in hazelnut and top it with drizzle bittersweet chocolate.

Best served with a cup of good coffee. Try this the next time you want to whip up an easy dessert without much effort. You surely will not be disappointed. 

Recipe : Apple Cream Tart

Been watching Laura Calder lots on AFC and last week I decided to try her recipe on Apple Cream Tart. It didn't turn out the way I expected it to be so tweaked the recipe a little using mum's Tart Shell recipe as well as amended the filling slightly. 

This tart is slightly different from apple pie you're used to eating, but it is just as comforting. 

Goes great with whipped cream or ice cream. 

Ingredients

Tart Shell
200 grams Plain Flour - sifted
50 grams Icing Sugar - sifted
Pinch of Salt
100 grams Butter
Little ice water to bind to a dough

Cream Filling
1 Egg
1/2 tsp Vanilla Essence
8 ounces Softened Cream Cheese
1/4 cup Sugar

Topping
2 Large or 3 Medium Red Apples - peeled and thinly sliced
1/4 cup Sugar
1/2 tsp Cinnamon
1/4 cup Sliced Almonds or Chopped Walnuts

Method

Tart Shell
1. Preheat the oven to 175 degrees Celcius.
2. Put flour, icing sugar and salt in a bowl. Rub in the butter till it resembles bread crumbs.
3. Bind to a soft dough with the cold water.
4. Roll out pastry between two plastic sheets and cover a greased 8" pie tin with the pastry.
5. Prick all over with a fork and bake 'blind' for 10 mins at 175 degrees Celcius. Baking 'blind' means baking  it without filing. You may also use beans or rice to prevent it from puffing up.
6. Remove from the oven.

Cream Filling
1. Beat the cream cheese and sugar together till creamy. Add in the egg and the vanilla essence until smooth. Don't overbeat.
2. Make the topping in a separate bowl by tossing the apple slices with the cinnamon, sugar and nuts.
3. Remove the tart shell from the oven. Spread over the cream mixture.

Topping
1. Arrange the apple slices on top, then scatter over the nuts.
2. Bake until apples are tender and golden for about 40 minutes.

Double Chocolate Crips

Made this little number for my girls during Valentines' Day... As a token of appreciation for playing a special part in my life..

Prep: 15 mins
Bake: 10 - 12 minutes per batch
Yield: 4 dozen

250 grams Butter
1 3/4 cups Caster Sugar
2 Eggs
4 ounces Unsweetened Chocolate - melted & cooled
2 teaspoons Vanilla Essence
2 1/4 cups Plain Flour
1 teaspoon Sodium Bicarbonate or Baking Soda
1 teaspoon Salt
1/2 teaspoon Ground Cinnamon
1 cup Semisweet Chocolate Chips
1 cup Chopped Pecans or any other nuts of choice

1. In a large mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar till light and fluffy.

2. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.

3. Beat in chocolate and vanilla.

4. Combine and sift the flour, baking soda, salt and cinnamon; gradually add to the creamed mixture.

5. Stir in chocolate chips and pecans.

6. Drop by tablespoonfuls (small portions) 2 inches apart onto greased baking sheets.

7. Bake at 175 degrees Celsius for 10-12 minutes or until tops are cracked.

8. Remove to wire racks to cool.

Chock-full of chocolate, these crispy cookies have a tantalizing aroma while baking. They'll surely satisfy a sweet tooth. They taste better the next day.

Mum wants to try them again but with white chocolate bits and macadamia nuts.

Christmas Treats

Made with love for those close to my heart..