Old-School Muffins (Chocolate Chip)

What happens when you only have a spare hour left and you need a baking fix?

Muffins! Yay!!

Like all muffins they taste the best fresh from the oven. Crispy golden brown tops with moist insides. Leave them inside a container for a day, they will taste like your grandma's old socks.

Old-School Muffins (adapted from Alton Brown's I'm Just Here for More Food)
(makes 12 standard muffins, 16 for me)

303g cups all-purpose flour
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
a pinch salt
100g sugar
120ml vegetable oil
1 egg
1 egg yolk
240ml plain yogurt
1-2 cups ‘bits and pieces’ (nuts, berries, chocolate chips, or any combination thereof – but no more than 1 cup of chocolate chips) - I use 175g mini chocolate chips

Method:

1. Place an oven rack in position C and preheat oven to 190°C.
2. Prepare a muffin tin and set aside.
3. Sift together all your dry goods.
4. Combine all your liquid ingredients.
5. Add the wet ingredients to the dry and stir until just combined. Do not overmix.
6. Using the disher, drop the batter into the prepared tin. The cups should be full.
7. Bake for 18 to 20 minutes, or until the muffin interior hits 100°C or a toothpick inserted into the bottom of a muffin comes out clean.
8. Remove from the oven and immediately turn the muffins on their sides so that steam can escape the pan. Skip this step and you'll have mushy bottoms, which is okay if you like that kind of thing.
9. Serve immediately or store in an airtight container for up to a week or until they taste gross, smell bad, or grow fur.

Strawberry Shortcake II

Combined ideas from Happy Home Baking and La Fuji Mama this time round and got a perfect match. A tiny yay! to my frosting efforts. Think it looks neater this time round though not perfect.

The last minute layered cake practice was meant for boyfriend's birthday. How can I pride myself a baker if I don't bake something for my loved one's birthday? That joker is a fan of strawberries, so a classic strawberry shortcake would deem fit for his birthday cake.

Happy Birthday you crazy boy!

Strawberry Shortcake

Ingredients:

Cake:
165g cake flour
5 eggs, room temperature
150g caster sugar
35g unsalted butter, melted
3 tablespoons fresh milk
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Syrup:
50g sugar
60ml water
1 tsp Grand Marnier

Whipped Cream:
2 tsps unflavored gelatin
8 tsps cold water
480ml cold heavy whipping cream
60g confectioners’ sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla extract

125g strawberries, sliced plus 8 whole strawberries for decoration

Method:

To make the cake:

1. Sift cake flour for 3 times, set aside. Line bottom and sides of 9"round pan with parchment paper, set aside. Pre-heat oven to 170degC. Position rack at the lower bottom of the oven.
2. With an electric mixer, whisk eggs and sugar on HIGH speed for about 5 to 7 mins, until the batter turns pale, becomes thick, double/triple in volume and is ribbon-like (the beater should leave a ribbon-like trail when the batter is lifted up). Turn to LOW speed and whisk for another 1 to 2 mins. Whisking at low speed helps to stabilise the air bubbles in the batter.
3. Sift over cake flour into the batter in 3 separate additions. With each addition, use a spatula, gently fold in the flour until well blended. Take care not to deflate the batter.
4. Add the melted butter, fold in gently with spatula until well blended
5. Add in fresh milk, vanilla extract and fold in gently with spatula until well blended.
6. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 38 mins, or until a skewer inserted in the centre comes out clean. Unmold and invert onto cooling rack, cool completely.

To make syrup:
1. In a medium saucepan combine the sugar and water. Bring the water to a boil, stirring, until sugar has dissolved. Remove from the heat and allow to cool, then stir in Grand Marnier.

To make whipped cream:
1. Put the cold water in a small saucepan. Sprinkle the gelatin over the surface of the water and let stand for 5 minutes (do not stir). Place the saucepan over low heat and stir constantly with a wooden spoon just until the gelatin dissolves. Remove the saucepan from the heat and cool to room temperature.
2. In a mixing bowl, combine the whipping cream, sugar, and vanilla and beat until slightly thickened. Then, while beating slowly, gradually pour the gelatin into the whipped cream mixture. Then whip the mixture at high speed until stiff.

To assemble the cake:
1. Place one sponge layer cut-side up on a cake board or serving plate and lightly crush the surface with the simple syrup. Spread a thin layer of whipped cream over the cake layer and arrange the strawberries over the surface. Spread an additional layer of whipped cream over the berries. Brush the cut-side of the second layer with the simple syrup and place it over the first layer. Frost the sides and top of the cake with the remaining whipped cream. Decorate as desired and garnish with the remaining berries.

Blueberry Whipped Cream Cake

A sad blueberry cake weeping (its cream) away.

Combined ideas from Aunty Yochana and La Fuji Mama, along with my own twist to assemble the cake together. Wasn't the most satisfied with the result, but bahhh...practice makes perfect.

Blueberry Whipped Cream Cake

Ingredients:

Cake:
180g cake flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
75g sugar
75g melted butter
75g corn oil
6 egg yolks
1 tsp vanilla essence

6 egg whites (240g for me)
100g caster sugar

Syrup:
50g sugar
60ml water
1 tsp Grand Marnier

Whipped Cream:
1 1/2 tsp unflavored gelatin
6 tsp cold water
360ml cold heavy whipping cream
45g confectioners’ sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla extract

300g fresh blueberries for decoration

Method:

To make the cake:
1. Sift cake flour, baking powder and 75g of sugar into a bowl and mix thoroughly.
2. Mix egg yolk, butter and cornoil together and then pour into flour mixture and stir till smooth.
3. Whisk egg whites till slightly frothy, then pour in 100g caster sugar gradually and whisk till medium peak.
4. Fold egg white with egg yolk mixture and then pour into a prepared 9" round cake tin and bake in preheated oven at 175°C for about 45 mins or till cooked.
5. Leave cake to cool on wire rack and then slice cake into 3 slices.

To make syrup:
1. In a medium saucepan combine the sugar and water. Bring the water to a boil, stirring, until sugar has dissolved. Remove from the heat and allow to cool, then stir in Grand Marnier.

To make whipped cream:
1. Put the cold water in a small saucepan. Sprinkle the gelatin over the surface of the water and let stand for 5 minutes (do not stir). Place the saucepan over low heat and stir constantly with a wooden spoon just until the gelatin dissolves. Remove the saucepan from the heat and cool to room temperature.
2. In a mixing bowl, combine the whipping cream, sugar, and vanilla and beat until slightly thickened. Then, while beating slowly, gradually pour the gelatin into the whipped cream mixture. Then whip the mixture at high speed until stiff.

To assemble the cake:
1. Place one sponge layer cut-side up on a cake board or serving plate and lightly crush the surface with the simple syrup. Spread a thin layer of whipped cream over the cake layer and arrange the blueberries over the surface. Spread an additional layer of whipped cream over the berries. Brush the cut-side of the second layer with the simple syrup and place it over the first layer. Frost the sides and top of the cake with the remaining whipped cream. Decorate as desired and garnish with the remaining berries.

Black Sesame Brownies

Original recipe is here, from Pig Pig's Corner. Don't be intimidated by the soya sauce...well, I was. It actually turned out to be really fragrant and almost non detectable. I was expecting the texture to be fudgy, it turned out pretty cakey though.

We're so hungry

Adorable pup at CTC market

Godly Krispy Kreme!!!

A quick update on my recent Bangkok trip. It was fun!! ...I guess it was enjoyable because I had the right company. Some of you may know that I've recently started seeing someone new. The trip was initially a wreck because it was booked way early last year with my not-worth-mentioning-ex. Somewhere along the way he died, so I initially decided to proceed with the trip alone, then my boyfriend decided to join me impromptu. We hit it off straight away, we never run out of topics and laugh at the same gags. The chemistry is superb and he dotes on me a lot. And of all places, we met at a Workers' Party rally hahahah Will fill you guys in on the details when I'm feeling more romantic.

Black Sesame Brownies (adapted from Pig Pig's Corner)

Ingredients:
150g unsalted butter, melted
100g black sesame seeds
125 g caster sugar
1/2 tsp light soy sauce
2 eggs
100g plain flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1 tbsp black sesame seeds, for sprinkling

Method:

1. Pre-heat oven to 160°C (fan).
2. Combine melted butter and sesame seeds in a food processor or blender and blend until a paste is formed.
3. Add sesame paste to a pan, add sugar and soy sauce, fry for a few mins until fragrant (oil will start to separate). Remove from heat and leave this to cool.
4. When sesame mixture is cool to touch (warm is fine), mix in eggs one by one.
5. Gently fold in plain flour until just combined.
6. Pour batter into a lightly greased and lined square tin.
7. Sprinkle black sesame seeds on top. [Don't omit this step, as the sesame seeds add a nice crunch to the cake!]
8. Bake for about 25 mins or until a toothpick comes out clean.

Peanut Butter Pie with Cookie Crust

My heart cringed after reading this heartbreaking yet inspiring blog entry on In Jennie's Kitchen. It's a post tribute to the loss of her dear husband. I'm kinda late for this, but better late than never. It was meaningful cutting this particular pie and sharing it with the others, knowing that it's made for a special reason. It also gives a new meaning to our baking doesn't it?

Random thought - If you pass away one day, what would you like to be made in commemoration of you?

Knowing the typical Baked recipe will be superbly flavorful and heavy-handed on the sugar, I reduce the sugar a little. And since this is a no bake recipe, I don't think it's going to affect the texture or lightness of the cake in any way. Ultra creamy and smooth, it reminds me of a Hershey's Sundae Pie, in peanut butter form. I love the cookie crust, but it's pretty crumbly so it shatters everywhere, can use a bit more butter to bind every crumb together.

I am submitting this to Aspiring Bakers #10: Easy as Pie (August 2011), hosted by Janine of Not the Kitchen Sink.

Peanut Butter Pie with Cookie Crust (adapted from Matt Lewis & Renato Poliafito's Baked: New Frontiers in Baking)

Ingredients:
For the chocolate cookie crust:
170g chocolate wafer cookies (I use chocolate Marie biscuits)
1 tablesp sugar
85g unsalted butter, melted

For the peanut butter filing with chocolate bottom:
85g semisweet chocolate chips
1/2 teaspoon light corn syrup (skipped this)
225g cream cheese, at room temperature (250g for me)
240ml creamy peanut butter
2 tablespoons pure vanilla extract
163g firmly packed dark brown sugar (125g for me)
360ml heavy cream

Method:

Make the Chocolate Cookie Crust:
1. In a food processor, grind the cookies to a very fine powder. You should have about 1½ cups. Put the crumbs in a bowl and stir in the sugar.
2. Pour the butter over the crumb mixture and mix until well combined. The mixture will feel wet. Turn the crumb mixture out into a 9-inch pie plate and press it into the bottom and up the sides. You can use the back of a large spoon to even out the crust.
3. Put the crust in the refrigerator while you make the filling.

Make the Peanut butter filling with Chocolate Bottom
1. Melt the chocolate chips in a microwave oven or in a double boiler. Add the corn syrup and stir to combine. Use a spatula to spread the chocolate in a thin layer on the bottom of the chilled pie crust.
2. Put the crust back in the refrigerator while you make the peanut butter filling. Put the cream cheese, peanut butter, vanilla, and brown sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Beat on medium speed until well combined and completely smooth. Set aside.
3. In a clean bowl, use the mixer fitted with the whisk attachment to whip the cream until soft peaks form. Remove the bowl from the mixer and, with a rubber spatula, gently fold the whipped cream into the peanut butter mixture until the mixture is uniform in color.
4. Pour the mixture into the prepared crust and freeze for at least 4 hours. Once the pie is frozen, you can cover it with aluminum foil and freeze for up to 3 days.

One-Bowl Chocolate Cupcakes

An ice cream sundae version in cupcake form! Frosted them with my usual swiss meringue buttercream and topped them off with a cherry. Think they look really cute and pretty standing next to one another hehe.

Mom commented the cakes taste tad alkaline-ish. Must be the dutch processed cocoa I guess. But nevertheless they're fluffy and soft, and good for those who hate washing up...all you need is just one bowl ya.

One-Bowl Chocolate Cupcakes (adapted from Martha Stewart's Martha Stewart's Baking Handbook)
(Makes 24 standard cupcakes, 60 mini for me)

Ingredients:
350g all-purpose flour
115g unsweetened cocoa powder
500g sugar
2 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1 1/4 teaspoon salt
2 large whole eggs plus 1 large egg yolk
300ml milk
120ml plus 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 1/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
300ml warm water

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 180°C. Line two standard 12-cup muffin pans with paper liners.
2. Into a bowl of an electric mixer, sift together flour, cocoa, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Attach bowl to a mixer fitted with the paddle attachment; add the eggs and yolk, the milk, oil, vanilla and warm water. Beat on low speed until smooth and combined, about 3 minutes; scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed.
3. Divide batter evenly among the muffin cups, filling each about two-thirds full. Bake, rotating pans halfway through, until a cake tester inserted in the center of a cupcake comes out clean, 20 to 25 minutes. Transfer pans to a wire rack to cool slightly. Invert cupcakes onto rackl then reinvert and let them cool completely, top sides up.

Tres Leches (Three Milk Cake)

My close friends will know I like anything milkish tasting, from vanilla being my favorite ice cream flavor to savory cream pasta. Needless to say reading up about this cake caught my attention.

THREE GODLY TYPES OF MILK! Four actually, with whole milk making up part of the cake. I really like the milkiness! The bottom part of the cake was so well soaked that it almost resembles pudding like texture. Received feedback that it was too sweet, but I thought the sweetness level was just right for me.

Was kinda sad because I only had a bite of it to taste in the morning before storming out of the house to work. When I got home, there was none of it left. Mom took the whole tray to work and it was wolved down by her colleagues. Original recipe is here, for those who would like to incorporate icing and fruits.

Tres Leches (Three Milk Cake) (adapted from Emeril Lagasse's Emeril's Live)

Ingredients:

Cake:
6 large eggs, separated
400g granulated sugar (I use 350g)
280g all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
120ml whole milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Cream topping:
398ml can evaporated milk (I use 350ml)
240ml heavy cream

Method:

1. To make the cake: Preheat the oven to 180°C. Lightly grease and flour a 9 by 13-inch baking dish and set aside.
2. In the bowl of a mixer, beat the egg whites on low speed until soft peaks form. Add the sugar gradually with the mixer running and peak to stiff peaks. Add the egg yolks 1 at a time, beating well after the addition of each.
3. Sift together the flour and baking powder and add to the egg mixture, alternating with the milk. (Do this quickly so the batter does not lose volume.) Add the vanilla. Bake until golden, 25 minutes.
4. To make the cream topping: In a blender, combine the evaporated milk, condensed milk, and heavy cream and blend on high speed.
5. Remove the cake from the oven and while still warm, pour the cream mixture over it. Let sit and cool to room temperature. Cover and refrigerate until well chilled, at least 4 hours or overnight.