#194: Best chocolate muffins: recipe #139

My hubby craved for cakes last Wednesday, and there I was trying to figure out what kind of cake I should bake. I browsed through the net and stumbled upon a blog ( I now forget what was the blog name!) , that discussed about a recipe that the author claimed to be "The world best chocolate cake". Out of curiousity, I check out the recipe from Univ. of Cincinati forum (http://www.cogitatio.net/blog and found this recipe. My rating? 9 out of 10, A yummy and economical recipe. The chocolate part was egg-less. No butter and very little coco powder was used . Per portion makes 18 standard muffins, If you use the smaller muffins, you can make 36 and if you use the smallest type you cam make around 60 of them. Great for di bawa untuk buah tangan kalau makan-makan... I'll be making these for my bro- in law doa arwah 100 days next week Insya Allah.

P/s- texture, very soft chocolate part and soft centered cheese filling. I brought some to school. I think MM and SLY agrees with me! *wink*

Chocolate batter:
Mix together in a large bowl:
3 cups flour
2 cups brown sugar ( packed) - I used 1 and 3/4 cups
2 tsp baking soda
2 tsp salt
1/2 cups cocoa

Mix together in another bowl
2 cups vegetable oil
2 and 1/3 cups water
2 tbsp vanilla extract- I am a big fan of vanilla , so I used 2 tsp vanilla oil
2 tbsp white vinegar

steps: Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and beat till well combined.

Cream cheese filling
250g cream cheese- softened
3/4 cups white sugar- I used 1/2 cups white sugar
1 egg

2 handful chocolate chips

steps: Mix the cream mixture till well combined then only add the chocolate chip

Baking:
DO NOT USE PAPER CUPCAKES!!! I just buttered and floured my muffin pans and pour the the chocolate batter 2/3 full into the muffins cake. I placed the cream cheese filling into the centre of the batter. I baked them for about 15-20 minutes or when the chocolate part cooked in a pre-heated oven at 160 C.

note: The pic showed my 1st batch of muffins, the centre mixture has "cakey" consistency, the second batch was a bit runny , so in my second batch, the cheese mixture covered the top part of the muffins. So a word of caution, when mixing the cheese with the egg, add the egg a little at a time, you don't need to add the whole egg. If you achieve the "cakey" consistency, stop adding the egg.

#180 : Majlis Berbadak

#409 : Happy 13th birthday

To My firstborn, Auni Bazilah. You were born 3 days before Hari Raya 1996. Love always from mummy, babah, Dayini and Darwish :). May all your dreams and ambitions come true :)

BLOG REVISITED

Somehow,I stumbled this old blog of mine when trying to clear stuffs from my laptop.  I started this blog in 2007 and when I look through this blog, bittersweet memories came back and I am rethinking of reopening this blog of mine. 

Brownies Indulgence

The brownies part : melt 1 cup butter. add in 1 cup brown sugar ( I used muscavado) . Add in 4 large eggs.  Beat till combine.  In another container, add mix 2 cup flour and 2/3 cup cocoa, 1/2 tsp salt and 1/2 tsp baking soda.  Mix the wet and the dry ingredients well and keep aside.

In another bowl, mix 250g cream cheese, 1 egg , 1/2 cup powdered sugar and 1tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice.  keep aside.

-oven  preheated at 180 degree.
- in a buttered pan, place the chocolate mixture first and then the cheese mixture. swirl the cheese mixture to the chocolate mixture and bake till done.  cool and cut.

Gochujang sauce

boil 1 cup water with 2 tbsp gochujang paste, 2 chopped garlic, a dash of sesame oil, grape vinegar and chicken stock. once boiled, transfer the mixture into a bowl.

once cooled, add grape seed oil and mayonnaise , beat until the mixture looks creamy.

p/s if there is garlic dressing sauce available, that can be added too. 

foolproof Breakfast cookies

ingredients:
1 cup butter beat with 1 cup muscavado sugar. add in 1tsp yeast dissolved in 1/2 cup water. add in a pinch of salt and 1/2 tsp baking soda.  add in 2 large eggs.  lastly add in 3 cups rolled oats, 2 cups flour, 1/2 cup flaxseed, 1 cup sunflower seeds and 2 tbsp sesame seeds.

bake in 180 degrees preheated oven. 

#447 Tortilla recipe #227

#448 breakfast chocolate chip muffins: recipe #244

Ingredients

1 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup chocolate chips
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup cocoa, sifted if lumpy
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 egg
1cup milk
1/3 cup cooking oil
 1 teaspoon vanilla

Procedure

Combine all-purpose flour, chocolate chips, sugar, cocoa, salt and baking powder in a mixing bowl. Create a well in the center.Beat egg in a small bowl. Add milk, cooking oil, and vanilla. Stir and pour into well. Stir until just moistened.Grease 12 muffin cups with cooking spray. Fill cups 3/4 full.Bake at 400°F (205°C) for 20 minutes until golden.

lobak masin tumis. recipe#243

#447 chicken fajita wrap with cauliflower sauce. recipe #243

felt like trying something new.... heres the result.

4 wholemeal  pita bread

#446 Peach crumble : recipe #242

A very simple recipe:

Ingredients:  1 small can peaches: drained and mix with cinnamon powder ; about a teaspoon.
 topping:  mix together:
                 1 cup instant oats
                 brown sugar -  about 1 heap tbsp
                 all purpose flour
                 berry-flavoured granola
                 salt:  2 pinches
                 butter enough to mix the ingredients together  to form crumble-like consistency.

steps;  put the peach into a small baking pan top with the topping , and bake at 180 degrees until the crumble is golden brown.

Enjoy !

          

#444 : For My kids at home and at school

You have brains in your head.


You have feet in your shoes.

You can steer yourself in any direction you choose.

You're on your own.

And you know what you know.

You are the guy who'll decide where to go.

~Dr. Seuss

#442 : Quick Spinach pie : recipe #241

I had frozen spinach in my fridge and some sheets of puff pastry, so I made this:)

Ingredients:
puff pastry :  enough to cover  the inside of an 8x8  baking  pan and some to cover the top of the pie.


filling:
Spinach; about 1 bowl , sauteed with a dsp butter.
3 eggs - beaten
1 cup milk
1 tbsp cream
1/2 tsp dried Italian herb
salt and pepper to taste.
2 pieces sliced cheese - shred into small pieces

steps:
1) preparing the crust:  butter the pan you are going to use.
roll out the thawed puff pastry into a nice large circle.  place it into the pie pan.  
roll out another smaller piece- this will be placed after putting in the filling.

2) Place all the filling ingredients into a large bowl , mix well and  adjust the seasoning. 
    pour into the pan prepared earlier, "sprinkle" with shredded cheese  and cover with the smaller puff pastry circle.
make slits on the puff pastry circle to allow vapour to escape during baking

3) bake in preheated oven at 180 degrees for approx 30 minutes or until the pie is done.
cool the pie before cutting.

#441 : Modified French toast: recipe #240

Had these for dinner :)
What you need:
2 eggs
1/2 cup fresh milk
1 tbsp vanilla sugar
1tsp cinnamon powder
8 pcs Khong Guan butter coconut biscuits ( I put them in a plastic bag and crush them )
melted butter
5 pcs of white bread

What you do:
Mix all ingredients excluding the bread slices.
place the bread into the mixture and  lightly toast them in a pan ( lightly buttered)
toast both sides of the bread until golden brown
dish up  and serve warm with  Maple syrup.

#440 Orange cream scones :recipe #239

Something for tea :), last Sunday

Ingredients:

A) beat together:  1 egg, 1 dsp cream, 1/2 cup milk & juice of 1/2 orange

 B) mix together: a pinch of salt, a pinch of baking soda,  a pinch of baking powder ; 3 cups of flour

3 dsp  butter

1 tbsp  Parmesan cheese ( true organic brand)

steps;

In a large bowl place ingredients B

add in the butter and rub it into the flour until the mixture resembles coarse breadcrumbs

Add in A and mix quickly Don't over mix. 

lastly stir  in the Cheese

roll the dough and cut with a cookie cutter.

place on a lightly greased baking tray and bake for 15-20 minutes at temp 160 degrees/until the scones are golden in colour

serve warm.

I ate my scones with strawberry jam whereas the kids ate theirs with Nutella spread.

#439 Urap Taugeh / Bean sprouts salad @ recipe #238

Activities at work is winding down, students are sitting for their Advanced Subsidiary Cambridge GCE Examination, so I guess I will make use of the "extra" free time at home to blog more recipes.
This recipe is of Indonesian origin , I love its taste; It is really fresh, crunchy, spicy with a tinge of shrimp paste and anchovies plus a twist of the sourness from Kalamansi lime @Limau kesturi.

Ingredients:
2 handful Bean sprouts - wash and drained
1 large red chili- julienne

Pounded together:
dessicated coconut: to be pan fried first
a marble size shrimp paste: roasted first
1 red chili
1 shallot
1 heap tsp dried anchovies

salt + sugar to taste
juice from 5 kalamansi lime

In a large bowl , add together the bean sprouts, red chili and the pounded ingredients. Stir and then add in the seasoning and the kalamansi juice. Mix well. Adjust the seasoning and serve immediately.

#438 Selamat Hari Raya Aidil Fitri

#438 : Savoury egg tart ; recipe

Ingredients:
1. puff pastry

#436: Darwish Party cookies and teachers day gift