Work Catering #15: Not once, not twice but TRIPLE chocolate muffins

Hello all! Had a nice one week's break from work catering but I'm back to it this week :)

Finally time to bake a request from a work friend for "Dark Choc Muffins". Hope they were what you expected!!! ><" To tell the truth... I wasn't really happy with how the muffins turned out. I could tell when I was making the batter something was wrong but not too sure what it was. After baking, my sister tried one and her first comment was "This tastes weird.. something is wrong" >___<"

The ganache made it taste better

Not a good start! After tasting, the muffin was quite dense, not light and fluffy and also not very sweet. However when I brought it to work the next day, I was surprised at all the good comments and empty food tray! People commented that it had just the right sweetness and tasted chocolatey! I couldn't believe the comments so I went home and tried one again and realised they tasted much better the next day! haha! so PHEW! I can share the recipe now =p

Triple Chocolate Muffins
Recipe adapted from Baker's Corner 
(this new baking website with lots of yummy and simple recipes!^^)

Ingredients
1/2 cup cocoa powder
2 1/2 cups self raising flour
1 cup dark chocolate chips
3/4 cup caster sugar
1 egg
1 1/2 cups milk
100g butter, melted

Chocolate ganache
100g chocolate melts
80ml thickened cream

1. Preheat oven to 200oC. Line 36 cups of mini muffin tin with paper cases (or 12 large)
2. Sift cocoa and flour into large bowl. Stir in chocolate chips and sugar.
3. Whisk together egg, milk and butter. Stir into the flour mixture. 
4. Spoon into prepared muffin cases and bake for 12-15 minutes or until cooked. Cool on wire rack.
5. Make ganache by melting chocolate and cream in heat proof bowl over pot of simmering water. Allow to cool before icing muffins.

• 

  Glistening muffins

  

  Triple choc - 1) Cocoa + 2) Chocolate chips + 3) Chocolate ganache
  
  

  I also made Apple and Raspberry Crumble slice using the same recipe as the Apple and Raspberry Cake I made over the long weekend. The only difference was that it turned out to be thinner but still as tasty. 

Slice =)

Not so much cake but more slice

Close up of Apple and Raspberry Crumble Slice

Long weekend baking =)

Don't you just love the long weekend? =D You can sleep in, go out on day trips or just stay at home and bake! (which is what I did a lot of ^^). I tried to make the most of the the time I had and decided to make bread (as that needs time to rise). I baked some savoury scrolls using the Cinnamon Scroll recipe but added different fillings - sweet chilli and ham and cheese & basil pesto and cheese.

savoury scrolls! Sweet chilli, ham and cheese & Basil pesto and cheese

Also with the bread theme, I baked some savoury croissants with freshly grown chives from the backyard ^_^

Savoury croissants filled with bacon, chives and cheese

But the recipe that I would like to share today is for this delicious Apple and Raspberry Crumble Cake. The original recipe was actually for Apple and Strawberry but I used raspberries instead (still a red berry ^^).

The cake is lovely, buttery and soft while the apple and raspberries give a good tang and to top it off, the crumble is crunchy and sweet! Just an irresistible cake! Was gone in 2 days! 

Apple and Raspberry Crumble Cake
Recipe adapted from taste.com.au

Ingredients
200g butter, at room temperature
155g (3/4 cup) caster sugar
2 tsp vanilla essence
2 eggs
150g (1 cup) self-raising flour
150g (1 cup) plain flour
185ml (3/4 cup) milk
1 Granny smith apple, peeled, cored, thickly sliced
100g raspberries, frozen or fresh

Crumble topping
75g (1/2 cup) plain flour
50g chilled butter, chopped
55g (1/4 cup, firmly packed) brown sugar

1. Preheat oven to 180oC. Grease and line a round 20cm springform pan.
2. Beat butter, sugar and vanilla with electric mixer until pale and creamy.
3. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. 
4. Fold in combined flour and milk with large metal spoon until well combined.
5. Spoon into prepared pan. Use the back of the spoon to smooth the surface. Arrange the apple and raspberries on top.

Apple and raspberries arranged on cake

6. For the crumble topping, place the flour and butter in a bowl. Using fingertips, rub butter into the flour until mixture resembles coarse breadcrumbs. Stir in the sugar.
7. Sprinkle the crumble topping over the apple and raspberries. 
8. Bake in oven for about 1 hour or until a skewer inserted into centre comes out clean. Leave in pan to cool before transferring to wire rack. 

YUMMMMYYYY! =D =D =D

Breakdown of the cake.

It's a good things I'm not on holidays everyday! Would be baking wayyyyy too much >< haha!