Mini Mixed Fruits & Chocolate Chips Muffins

This past week was indeed a very busy week for me and I didn't got the chance to plan what to bake for the weekends. I have a quick look at some recipes in the blog and came across this recipe (from Happy Home Baking) which I could use up my mixed fruits and chocolate chips in my fridge. However, I decided to make some changes to the recipe. The recipe called for raisins but I replaced raisins with mixed fruits. I soaked them in hot water and drained dry so they will be soft in the cake. I added the mixed fruits only after I poured the liquid mixture to the dry mixture. I have also reduced the sugar further from original 150g to 100g as I felt the flavoured chocolate chips would be sweeter than dark chocolate. 

I have made 2 attempts in preparing the liquid mixture (for direction no. 5) as the first attempt, the mixture was lumpy and did not look right to me. In my 2nd attempt, I melted the butter and cool a little. Then I stirred in the sugar first, followed by adding the milk and stirring a little. Lastly, I added the egg and mixed it well. The consistent looked more convincing this round. 

The texture was soft and the sweetness was just right. The mixed fruits and chocolate chips compliment each other well in these muffins. Perhaps, the next time I will add my favourite walnuts to have a little crunch to the muffins.

Ingredients

250g plain flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
80g chocolate chips
150g mixed fruits
1 egg (lightly beaten)
60g butter
175ml milk
100g sugar (reduced from 150g)

Directions

1. Pre-heat oven to 180 deg C.
2. Soaked mixed fruits in hot water for 20mins, drained and dry with kitchen towel, set aside.
3. Melt butter in a saucepan, over low heat, set aside to cool.
4. Sieve together flour, baking powder and baking soda into a mixing bowl.
5.Add chocolate chips and mix with a spatula. Make a well in the centre.
6. Add sugar to the melted butter and stir. Follow by adding milk and mix. Lastly add egg and mix until thoroughly combined.
7. Pour the liquid mixture into the flour and add mixed fruits. With the spatula, gently fold all the ingredients to form a wet batter. Just mix until the flour are incorporate into the batter. DO NOT Over mix.
8. Spoon batter into paper muffin cups. Bake for 20-25mins.
9. Let cool on a wire rack.

Chocolate Cake/Cupcakes (2)

When I first saw this recipe, I really liked the looks of the chocolate cupcakes with the spongy texture and so I decided to give it a try. Indeed, it was really exactly how they were as in the picture. Amazingly, this recipe does not use any oil or butter and no folding required as well but yet still can yield such a soft & spongy texture. 

Initially, I planned to bake a Birthday Cake (with Classic Sponge Cake) for my maid's birthday but after trying out these chocolate cupcakes, I have changed my mind to use this recipe instead. I also used another good recipe to do the ganache to coat the cake and an exclusive Birthday Cake was created. My maid was very surprised and happy that I made this chocolate cake (even though she knows that I don't like chocolate) for her.

Ingredients

2 eggs (room temperature)
1 egg yolk (room temperature)
55g sugar
a little salt

36g milk
50g self raising flour
10g cocoa powder

Ganache (for cake)
75g whipping cream (I used Enborg)
150g couverture dark chocolate
20g butter

Directions

1. Preheat oven at 170 deg C.
2. Whisk eggs and egg yolk, sugar and salt till pale and ribbon stage.
3. Add milk, follow by flour and cocoa powder until just combined. Do not over beat.
4.Fill the cupfillers 3/4 full and bake for 15mins.

Ganache For Cake : Cook whipping cream till boil. Add dark chocolate, stir until completely melts. Add in butter, mix until well combined. Leave aside to cool and spread over cake. Decorate cake and keep ready cake in the fridge.

Chocolate Cupcakes

I was so attracted to the colourful fillers when I saw this recipe from Nasi Lemak Lover. I have bought some colourful fillers from BIY and could not wait to try them. However, the result was not up to my expectation. The fillers did not look bright after baking. Nevertheless, my kids enjoyed the cupcakes, not bothering by the colour of the fillers at all. I felt the texture was soft but too chocolaty for me.

Ingredients

125g butter
80g sugar
3 eggs
115g cake flour
20g cocoa powder
1 tsp baking powder
4 tbsp yoghurt

Directions

1. Line cupcake fillers on cake pan and preheat oven 180 deg C.
2. Sift flour, cocoa powder and baking powder.
3. Beat butter and sugar till fluffy and pale.
4. Add in egg one at a time, mix well.
5. Add in flour and yoghurt alternately.
6. Spoon batter into fillers, sprinkle chocolate rice on top.
7. Bake at 180 deg C for 20-25 mins.

Vanilla Almond Cupcakes

My colleague keeps reminding me to make almond cakes for her as she is one great lover of almond and I found this recipe that she might like it. The recipe said its light but I felt that it is quite a heavy cake (like pound cake type which my son likes). I like the almond meal in the cake and the crispy almond flakes when they are out of the oven but not sure if the texture will still be nice & soft the next day. Will get her to comment on it.

Ingredients

2 eggs (large)
80g sugar
A pinch of salt
1 tsp vanilla extract
50g almond powder
80g cake flour
2/3 tsp baking powder
70g melted butter
35g sliced almond

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 170 deg C.
2. Line the tins with paper fillers.
3. Sift the flour and baking powder together, set aside
4. Whisk the eggs, salt and vanilla extract until lighten add the sugar gradually until very light in colour.
5. Add the almond powder and flour into the eggs mixture.
6. Fold in the melted butter.
7. Spoon into prepared tins, and sprinkle with sliced almonds.
8. Bake for 20-25mins, or until cake spring back when touched lightly.

Mini Oreo Cheese Cupcakes

I decided to give this Oreo Cheesecake a try when I saw the recipe from Happy Home Baking. Happy Homemaker used the larger Oreo cookies, placed them at the base of the fillers and serve it upside down. I thought this is a brilliant idea but I decided to try with mini oreo cookies instead (for bite size). I tried placing the mini oreo cookies at the base of my fillers, nevertheless the fillers were much too big than the mini oreo cookies and it will not be pretty when I turn it over. So I had no choice but to place the mini oreo cookies on top instead. Still, it looked presentable.

Ingredients

35 mini Oreo Cookies (8pcs remove cream and coarsely chopped)
225g cream cheese
40g caster sugar (I reduced from 50g)
1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Place mini oreo cookies on top of batter

1 large egg (lightly beaten)
60g plain yoghurt

Directions

1. Preheat oven at 135 deg C.
2. Beat cream cheese with an electric mixer until smooth.
3. Add in sugar, beat until just combined and then add vanilla extract.
4. Gradually drizzle in the egg, beat to combine.
5. Add in yoghurt, beat till just combined and mix in chopped cookies.
6. Fill each muffin fillers almost to the brim. Place mini oreo cookies on top of batter. Bake for 20-25mins until filling is set and not jiggly. Transfer to wire rack, leave to cool completely. Store in airtight containers and leave to refrigerate at least 4 hrs or overnight.

Orange Sponge Cupcakes

I came across a recipe book recently that designed cupcakes with beautiful patterns on them before steaming and I was curious whether it could apply to baking as well. When I saw this Orange Sponge Cupcake recipe with the flat top, I immediately knew that I could do the experiment with this. I used melting chocolate to pipe some patterns on top of batter to see if the chocolate would still stay after baking and it really did! I would say this is indeed an easy recipe with a perfect nice top to play with designs. The texture was soft, however we could add in some orange zest to better enhance the orange flavor.

Decorate with melting chocolate on top of batter before baking

Ingredients

3 eggs
50g sugar
60g cake flour
18g orange Juice
18g corn oil
some melting chocolate for decorating

Directions

1. Whisk egg and sugar till ribbon stage.
2. Add in sifted flour and mix until just combined.
3. Mix corn oil and orange juice together. Add into the batter in 2 additions and mix until just combined (do not over beat). Scoop the batter into cup fillers till 3/4 full.
4. Melt chocolate in microwave and put into a piping bag. Pipe designs on top of batter.
6. Bake at 180 deg C for 20-25mins.

Corn Chicken Soup

My family love this soup very much as it was delicious with the sweetness from the corn and the well combination with chicken meat. The egg shreds also added a beautiful look to the soup. 

I am submitting this post to Little Thumbs Up for April  2013 event with the theme on "Corn" organised by Zoe (Bake for Happy Kids) and Mui Mui (My Little Favourite DIY) and hosted by Esther (Copycake Kitchen).

Ingredients

200g chicken breast meat
1 cube chicken Knorr
1/2 can kennel corn
1 tbsp corn flour (mix with 3 tbsp water)
1 egg
some spring onions
pepper & salt

Directions

1. Rinse chicken breast and cut int small long strips.
2. Fill pot with 1200ml of water, add in chicken cubes and bring to boil.
3. Add corn and stir well, then add chicken.
4. Add cornflour mixture and stir gently to thicken.
5. Beat eggs and mix well with 2 tbsp water, slowly pour into soup till egg separate into shreds on the surface and turn off heat.
6. Sprinkle spring onions, pepper and salt before serving.