All about chocolate!!

Hey guys! Sorry I haven't posted in a while! i actually got sick last week >___< and i even lost my appetite :O :O! it was so weird!! not feeling like eating anything.. no cravings for chocolate or icecream.. or mango sago! but thank God I am feeling much better now =D and i have my appetite back! hooray! So I thought I would blog about CHOCOLATE!!! (because who doesn't love chocolate :P)


Just two simple ways you can use chocolate! Chocolate Muffins and Chocolate cupcakes!
Heaps of people ask me what the difference is between muffins and cupcakes. I would say its the method of baking and the texture of the cakes. Muffins are a one bowl and mix kind of method while cupcakes take a bit more time and involve creaming the butter and sugar. The text of muffins are a bit denser than cupcakes, which are more light and fluffy.

So let's start off with the easy one first: CHOCOLATE MUFFINS

Ingredients
80g unsalted butter, melted
2 eggs, lightly beaten
300ml milk
2 1/2 cups plain flour (sifted)
2tsp baking powder
150g caster sugar
40g cocoa poweder
200g Chocolate chips (or chocolate chopped)


1. Pre-heat the oven to 180oC.
2. Put melted butter, eggs, milk, flour, baking powder, sugar and cocoa in a bowl. Mix together lightly. Fold in the chocolate.
3. Place spoonfuls into muffin cases (until 3/4 full) and bake in oven for 20 - 25 minutes or until golden brown.

 These were quite chocolately (because we put A LOT of chocolate) but you can put as much or little as you like :)


Mmmm chocolately ^^



CHOCOLATE CUPCAKES

Ingredients
45 g unsalted butter
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 egg
20 g ground almonds
1/2 cup self-raising flour, sifted
1 tsp cocoa powder
30g cooking chocolate

1. Pre-heat the oven to 180oC
2. Cream the butter and sugar, slowly add the egg, followed by the ground almonds, flour and cocoa powder.
3. Melt the chocolate over a water bath and add to mixture. Mix together.
4. Spoon mixture into muffin cases (3/4 full) and bake for 20 minutes or till cooked inside.

We iced ours with chocolate buttercream icing. Note the bear in the bottom right hand side =p

So go and satisfy those chocolate cravings ^^

Blueberry muffins - for first time bakers

I reckon muffins are one of the easiest things to bake! it just requires one bowl.. ingredients.. mix mix mix.. then into the oven :) so i'm sure anyone who says "I can't bake" or.. "I've never baked before" .. should try and bake muffins and then see if u still say that =p you can have ANY flavour u like.. be CREATIVE!! last time i think i shared Banana and walnut muffins.. this time it will be Blueberry Muffins =D

Ingredients

2 cups Self-raising flour

1 cup brown sugar

2 eggs

1 tub of yoghurt

1/2 cup milk

1 tspn cinnamon

150g blueberries (fresh or frozen)

Slivered almonds for topping

1. Sift flour into a bowl and mix with sugar, cinnamon, eggs, yoghurt.

2. Add the milk bit by bit until you get a nice consistency (you may need to add more or not add it all~)

3. mix in the blueberrie

*TIP* for frozen berries, be gentle when mixing in.. coz it might turn ur batter blue xP

4. Spoon into muffin moulds and bake at 180oC for 10-15 minutes, or until golden brown

so give it a try =D!!!

Not just plain brownies ... but BUTTERSCOTCH brownies!!

Who doesn't love brownies? And what better than those of the Butterscotch kind =D WITH marble topping!


I also tasted this is Brisbane (yes.. Brissy if full of inspiration =p) and the recipe is courtesy of Anne! Thanks Anne!! She was looking for an easy recipe that kids can help cook! so this is perfect!!

Ingredients

175g plain flour
1 tspn baking powder
1/4 tspn salt
150g unsalted butter, softened
250g light brown sugar
1 tspn vanilla essence
2 large eggs
85g chocolate, melted


1. Preheat oven to 180oC
2. Sift the flour, baking powder and salt together in a bowl.
3. Cream butter, brown sugar and vanilla essence till smooth with electric mixer
4. Mix in the eggs then theh flour mixture
5. Spread mixture into 9 inch square tin and drizzle melted chocolate over the top. Run a knife throught the chocolate to create a marbled effect.
6. Bake for 30-35 minutes. Leave to cool in the tin and SERVE :)

The best part is the CRUNCHY topping =D - my version

Brissy version~~

These are sooooo yum =) its supposed to make 16 brownies.. but depends how big you cut the slices hey? =p I made this for dessert on Australia Day (yes i know.. was a long time ago xD.. i've been outbaking my blog xP). 

P.s. Do you like my new title?? ^^ thanks to my designer KATHLEEN :D hehe thanks!!

Profiteroles/Choux pastry with Creme Patissiere

Ever since I ate like 5 custard profiteroles at the BBQ in Brissy (thanks Aunty Lily ^_^) .. i've really wanted to make them! So on a Baking Day with Baking Tray... we did =) Found this recipe in one of the many baking books we have! ^^

This recipe is from the top one called "bake it"

Choux Pastry

*Only 4 ingredients XD XD*

100g unsalted butter
1 tspn caster sugar
140g plain flour
3 eggs

1. Preheat oven to 200oC.
2. Put 250ml water, butter and sugar in small saucepan and heat till butter has melted and mixture has just come to the boil.
3. Add flour and stir over medium heat with a wooden spoon until mixture comes away from the side of the saucepan forming a ball.
4. Plate mixture into bowl and allow to cool slightly. Add eggs one at a time beating well after each till it becomes thick and glossy~~
TIP: *wait till egg is incorporated before adding next one* you can use a wooden spoon to mix the egg in
5. Pipe or spoon mixture onto baking tray and bake for 20 min. Reduce heat to 160oC and bake for further 20 min (we didn't actually need to do this coz we have a SUPER OVEN ^^)

we just placed spoonfuls onto the tray ^^

TA DA! nice and golden brown :)

 To make Adriano Zumbo's Creme patissiere (yes! his official recipe from Masterchef Cookbook Volume one =p) - we divided everything by 6 coz his recipe makes 1.5 litres!!!! But i think we needed more! neways i'll just give u his original recipe and u can make as much or less as u want :)


1.3 litres milk
2 vanilla beans, split (or just use vanilla essence)
18 egg yolks (now u know why we divided by 6 xP)
330g caster sugar
130g corn flour
130g butter


1. Stir the milk and vanilla beans in saucepan over medium heat until almost boiling
2. Whisk yolks, sugar and cornflour in bowl until thick and pale. 
3. Gradually whisk in hot milk into egg mixture. Return to saucepan and whisk over medium heat will custard boils and thickens.
4. Spread over tray to cool rapidly. Cover surgare with cling wrap to prevent skin forming. When the mixture has cooled to 55oC (HAHHA so exact xD) transfter to bowl and stir through butter... and its ready to pipe into the profiteroles =D


THEY TASTED SO GOOD! we ate so many before we even piped the custard!
they look hard to make but they are really easy.. SO TRY IT =D =D

Baking Day with Baking Tray =)

~ how much do you reckon I could sell these for? =p

Mochi madness!!

One night my sister and I decided to make MOCHI!! We were taught the special recipe by Uncle Steven Liu ^^ during a special cooking lesson in Brissy back in Feb 2010.

WARNING: may get all over your hands >< haha

Unfortunately.... I couldn't find the recipe =( I'm pretty sure I wrote it down somewhere... so we half made it u/used random internet recipes.../what we could remember.. and maybe that is why it kinda failed =\

Anyways special thanks to Terie for the real recipe :)

Ingredients: (just remember 3-2-1)

• 3 cups glutinous rice flour (make sure u use the right one!!)
• 2 cups of water
• 1 cup white sugar

Method:

1) Mix ingredients well in a microwave proof container

2) Put some oil in the the container. Mix well.

3) Cover container with lid and microwave for 5 minutes.

4) Mix well and microwave again for 1 minute until the mochi touches the lid (watch him grow!!)

5) Using the stick end of a wooden spoon, "hit" the mochi until the mochi does not stick to the container's wall (HAHHA! this is how we were taught xD)

6) Oil the surface of te mochi and let it cool down until you can touch it

7) Cut each mochi piece into the size you want

8) Place filling in the middle and coat with either nuts, coconut, glutinous rice flour.. the choices are endless!!

We put palm sugar, nuts and coconut :)

Possible fillings: Red Bean, palm sugar, peanut butter.. etc.

On a side note, I watch Julie and Julia last night!! i really like that movie!! its all about FOOD! (which i love).. and cooking food (which i also love) and BLOGGING! (which inspired me to keep the blogging)!! so if you love all those things! go watch it!! ^^

How to NOT fail in making macaroons :)

Macaroons. A fear of many. But... you shouldn't be scared!! It's really quite simple =)!!! Just follow this recipe.. and if I can do it.. so can you!!! Even those that have failed at it many times before.. have followed this recipe and succeeded ^^ and its adapted from MASTERCHEF!! =p

Ingredients: (basic macaroon)

225g pure icing sugar
130g almond meal
3 egg whites
60g caster sugar

note: you can add other flavourings, essences, colourings as you wish *be creative* ^^

Filling:

Chocolate ganache - cooking chocolate and cream

Raspberry cream - whipped cream, frozen/fresh berries and sugar

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 120oC

2. Sift icing sugar and almond meal into one bowl then sift the mixture into another bowl and again into the original bowl. (Recipe says 3 times but I've done it 9-10 times ^^ the more times the better!!)

3. Whisk 3 egg whites with electric beater until doubled in size. While beating, slowly add caster sugar and whisk until firm peaks formed. (you can add essence or food colouring at this stage)

4. Fold almon meal mixture into egg white mixture until smooth and glossy. (be careful to mix with CARE.. be GENTLE ^^.. coz this is a CRITICAL part!!!!)

5. Place mixture into piping bag and pipe 4 -5cm diameter circles onto lined baking tray. (HAHHAH BAKING TRAY XD!! haha sorry =p lammeee)

Leave to rest for 20 minutes until macaroons form a skin (Also very crucial!!!)

6. Bake for 20 minutes or until macaroons can be lifted from the tray. Remove from oven and allow to cool.

Tip: use a knife to take macaroons off the tray

Chocolate ganache: Melt chocolate in a double boiler and add cream (i'm not too sure about amounts.. you can guestimate =p)

Raspberry cream: Heat berries in a pot with a little caster sugar until they are just broken down. Whip cream with a little sugar. When berries are cooled then add to the cream.

and... CONSTRUCT YOUR MACAROON =D =D =D



Raspberry cream 17-01-11 (maybe we should have baked it longer xP)

 

Chocolate ganache - 25/07/10



ok so these didn't taste AS good as the bought ones..will try and improve the recipe =) but good enough!

PRICE: $2 each =) hehe

Brissy Baking day!

What more could you want than baking with friends? =)

Decided to have a Baking day!! except.. we failed a lot xP
First on the menu:
1) KONYAKKU JELLY (yes i know its not baking.. but still cooking). Just follow the instructions on the packet.

Me and Katie with our heart jelly :)

  

*Tip: make sure the water has come up to the boil before you put the powdered acid in xP

2) CREPES

• 1 cup plain flour, sifted
• 1/4 cup caster sugar
• 1 egg, lightly beaten
• Milk, enough for a smooth batter

Mix all ingredients in a bowl. Add a lil oil/butter in a pan and make the crepe!~~ Serving suggestion: ICECREAM! =D

for AUSTRALIA DAY ^^

3) CHOCOLATE CHIP BISCUIT TUILLE

aka. failed choc chip biscuits



This became....



THIS!

 *Tip: add more flour or else the biscuits will join together to form a slice XP

HOWEVER u can save it by curling the joined biscuits around a rolling pin to form a tuille ^^

4) SPINACH and RICOTTA TRIANGLES
(i'm not TOO sure about the ingredients coz i didn't make it.. =p)

• 1 cup of spinach, chopped
• 2 rashes of bacon
• 1 medium brown onion, diced
• 1 cup ricotta cheese
• Filo pastry

Fry onion, spinach and bacon in pan till spinach wilted and onion and bacon browned. (if spinach is frozen kinda.. try and squeeze out all the water). Take pan off heat and fold in ricotta cheese. Lay sheets of filo pastry on board, spread melted butter on each sheet and layer another sheet on top. Cut pastry in half lengthways, place filling in and fold like a triangle. Brush with egg wash and bake at 180oC for 10-15min or till golden brown.

5) BAKLAVA (Terie's recipe)

• Filo pastry
• Mixed nuts (e.g. walnuts), crushed
• Sugar

Spread melted butter on each layer of filo pastry, top with crushed nuts and sugar and layer more filo pastry (HAHHA terie tell me if i'm saying this wrongly xD). Bake at 180oC till golden brown!!

6) MACAROONS!
I will write a separate blog on this =P hehe.. but lets just say it was a success :D

Special thanks to the Chai's for letting us invade their kitchen and ingredients. And to all those who were there =) =) DK, Tez (Daniel XD HAHHAHHA), Kelvin, Katie, Law and Em!!
Had an awesome baking day even tho we FAIL =P