Coffee and Cream Muffins

This will be my last baking post for this year as I'll be going for a month vacation in December. We've been planning for this holiday a year ago and we are very excited about this. Let me give you some clues on our vacation destination. Its gonna be someplace where its going to be winter, about 8 hours behind KL and expensive. Can you guess? If I have the time I might just post some pictures of our holiday... :)

So here's my last bake off - Coffee & Cream Muffins .. perfect for winter with a cup of hot latté! The photos are quite blurry. Snapped these with my new tablet and I need to figure out how to get the settings right.

 

2 cups plain flour

3/4 cups sugar

1 tbsp baking powder

2 tbsp granulated coffee

Pinch of salt

100 ml milk

185 ml double cream

100 ml oil

2 eggs

light brown sugar

 

1. Heat oven to 200d C and line tray with cupcake cases.

2. Sift all dry ingredients together. Mix all wet ingredients and beat together until combine.

3. Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients and mix till batter is lumpy.

4. Fill cupcakes 3/4 full and sprinkle brown sugar on top. 

5. Bake for 20-25 mins until done.

 

 

 

 

Happy Halloween Week!

I know I'm a few days ahead of Halloween but hey, I'm in the mood!!  I'm excited. I feel like a kid. I can't wait to showcase my creations.. and after today - it's Sunday today, I'm back to work tomorrow and will not have time to post anything during weekdays.  Since Halloween falls on Friday, yeah well, that's why I'm early this year.

Halloween is a time for one to have fun and be creative. Unfortunately, Halloween is not popular in this part of the world. Although some toy stores and costume stores do sell all kinds of scary and ghoulish items, not many will make a purchase unless someone throws a Halloween party.

We don't have kids going around 'treat or trick' in the neighborhood especially since kidnapping cases are on the rise. Parents will not usually allow their young children to be out of the house unattended. However, this does not stop one from being in the mood to be creative, rite.. Err hmm!

I look forward to Halloween each year as I have a different agenda.. that is to bake, to create and to share. This year I got my kids to put on their creative hat and be artistic. They simply love doing this as much as I.. So here, as promised in my earlier post, sharing our colorful creations and wishing you a wonderful and a very Happy Halloween!!

                                         

                             

       

                    

 

                    

                   

 

H A P P Y    H A L L O W E E N !

Cupcakes! Cupcakes! - Lavender! Carrot!

Hi everyone!  I'm back.  I've not forgotten you.  Even though I've not been posting anything in the past few months, I did however been visiting your blogs to have a peep at what you are up to. I'm glad to see you guys have been busy whipping up your goodies in your kitchen and I bet with Halloween coming, your ovens will be fully utilized.. I can't wait to see what you have in store for me.

Just so you know, I have started making Halloween cupcakes.  The mood strikes me like a sudden rainstorm in this monsoon season in this part of the world.  It comes and go without warning. Don't worry guys, I save all my clicks of the festive ghouls goodies and shall post them in time for The Halloween.. I promise! In the meantime, here are the recipes for the Lavender and Carrot Cupcakes.

When I first saw the lavender cupcakes recipe in the 'Hummingbird Bakery Cook Book', I was like 'Really!  Isn't Lavender used in soap or in aroma therapy of some kind?  Is this edible at all?'. Actually there is an edible lavender flower that is dried and used in tea or baking.  I bought some from one of my earlier vacation retreat at the highlands in Malaysia.  I add some of it into my tea.  The taste and smell is rather strong and I recommend that you use them sparingly or else it can be quite overwhelming.

 Here's my little assistant in the background decorating the cupcakes with fondant flowers.. :)

This lavender cupcake is quite unique in its flavor.  The taste is alright and actually quite nice washing down with a cup of hot tea.  However, I am not a fan of it though.  But do give this a try.  You might like it better than I do.. :)

Lavender Cupcake:
(makes 12)
1/2 cup whole milk
3 tbsp dried lavender flowers
1 cup plain/all purpose flour
3/4 cup caster sugar
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
3 tbsp unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 egg

1. Put the milk and lavender flowers in a bowl, cover and refrigerate for a few hours.
2. Preheat oven to 170dC.
3. Put the flour, sugar, baking powder and butter in an electric mixer and beat on slow speed until you get a sandy consistency and everything is combined.
4. Strain the lavender-infused milk and slowly pour into the flour mixture, beating well until all the ingredients are well mixed.  Add the egg and beat well.
5. Spoon mixture into the cupcake cases until two-thirds full and bake for 20-25 mins or until cake is done.  leave to cool and frost with Lavender Frosting.

Frosting:
2 tbsp whole milk
1 tbsp dried lavender flowers
2 cups icing sugar
5 tbsp (80g) butter
a couple of drops of purple food coloring

1. Put the milk and dried lavender flowers in a bowl, cover and refrigerate for a few hours.
2. Beat the sugar,, butter and food coloring with electric mixer on medium speed.  Turn to slow speed and strain the lavender-infused milk and slowly pour into the butter mixture.
3. Once incorporated, turn the speed to high and beat until frosting is light and fluffy.

Next, Carrot Cupcakes.. this recipe is simply irresistible.  I love the cream cheese frosting too. Baked these yummy cupcakes for my colleagues and they love it..!

Carrot Cupcake:
(Makes 36 of 3.25oz cups)
2 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
2 tsp baking soda
2 ts ground cinnamon
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
4 large eggs
1 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
1 cup vegetable oil
1/4 cup milk
1 tbsp vanilla extract
3 cups shredded carrots
1 cup walnut, chopped
3/4 cup dark raisins

1. Preheat oven to 180dC. In medium bowl, combine flour, baking soda, cinnamon, baking powder, salt and nutmeg.
2. With electric mixer, beat eggs and granulated and brown sugar, until blended.  Beat in oil, milk and vanilla.  Reduce speed to low, add flour and beat until smooth.  Fold in carrots, walnuts and raisins.  Mix well.
3. Spoon batter into cupcake cases slightly more than half full.  Bake for 20-25 mins or until cake is done.  Cool and frost.

Cream cheese froting:
250 cream cheese
150g butter
1 1/3 cup icing sugar

Mix all ingredients and beat until light and fluffy.

Oreo Cupcake

My youngest daughter: 'What are you making, mommy?'
Me: 'Oreo Cupcake'.
Daughter:  'Yipee.. can I help?'
Me: 'Yup!'


Then, off she went to tell her other two siblings about it and all of them are excited to taste the cupcakes. Well, I don't have to tell you that they love Oreos.  Who doesn't?  Be it if you are a kid or an adult, the reaction will be the same.. oooohhh Oreeeooosss!! lol

This is a wonderful cupcake recipe.  If you are entertaining at your child's birthday party or an-all adult tea-party, give this a try.  It's not too sweet and the whipping cream frosting is so perfect with Oreos. This is so popular that it lived up to it's name 'now you see it, now you don't'. Kakakakaka

Here's the recipe:

Makes 12 large cupcakes or 23 medium sized.

21/2 cups white flour

1 tbsp baking powder

1/4 tsp salt

1/4 tsp baking soda

1 cup (240g) butter at room temperature

11/4 cups sugar

4 eggs

8 finely chopped Oreo cookies/biscuits

Frosting:

1 cup whipping cream (I used 1 1/2cup as I love more frosting on cupcakes especially with whipping cream)

3 tbsp powdered sugar

Oreo cookies crushed (but I used it whole instead or break in two)

How to do it?? Here's how:

1. Preheat oven to 170dC, Prepare muffin tin with paper cup liners.
2. In a bowl, sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt, set aside.
3. Cream butter and sugar till light and fluffy at medium speed.
4. Lower speed to low and add eggs one at a time.
5. Gradually add the flour mixture and finally the chopped oreos.
6. Fill cupcake cases 3/4 full and bake for 20-25mins or until done.  Let cool and frost.

Frosting:
Beat whipping cream with the sugar until cream (soft peaks).  Add coarsely chopped oreos and mix well. Place a heaping tablespoon of frosting on top of each cupcake.
(I did not mix the oreos into the frosting but instead, just break them in two and place it on top of the frosting).

Coffee and Chocolate Chunk Muffin

It's May 1st and it's LABOR'S DAY!   

HAPPY LABOR'S DAY TO ALL!

Today is the first public holiday after FT's Day which was on February 1st.  Three whole months of dry season.. in my context, the 'dry season' refers to no public holiday!  

So, you can imagine how I look forward to today.. just like the flower welcome the rain after a dry spell.     Such a welcome break from the rat race world!  Even just a day makes a whole lot of a difference.  Well, tomorrow back to work but tomorrow's Friday! Yay!

Since I'm contented and happy today, I made this wonderful muffin.  Coffee and chocolate makes a sophisticated (if you can call it that) flavor.  I love coffee and I love chocolate.. so this is amazingly yummy for me.  And you know what, I'm also feeling generous and shall bring some for my colleagues tomorrow.  I bet they will have a satisfied smug in their faces after eating this.

If you are mad about muffins, you should get the recipe book which this recipe comes from, which is called exactly that.. 'Mad About Muffins' by Diana Bonarparte.

 For the batter:
285g plain all purpose flour
15g instant coffee powder or granules (I used espresso as I like it strong)
1 tbsp baking powder
1/8 tsp salt
170g light muscovado sugar
2 eggs
100g milk
190g double (heavy) cream
100g butter, melted
150g plain semi-sweet chocolate (70% cocoa solids), roughly chopped

Topping:  40g demerara sugar

1. Pre-heat oven to 180dC.  Line muffin tray with muffin cases.
2. Sift all the dry ingredients into a large bowl, stir well.
3. Combine eggs, milk and cream in medium bowl and mix together with a fork, try not to thicken the cream.
4. Mix in the melted butter.
5. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and gently stir with a large metal spoon until just moistened.
6. Fold in the choc chunks into the batter.  Spoon batter into prepared cups to 3/4 full and top with sprinkling the demerara sugar.
7. Bake for 25 mins or until risen and done. Transfer to wire rack to cool.

Absolutely satisfying with a cup of hot black coffee!

Blueberry Sourcream Cupcake

This weekend has been quite a busy one.  Well, most weekends are kinda busy in my household but this weekend, we managed to buy Chinese New Year clothes for my kids.  Chinese New Year is just round the corner, at the end of January.  For the next two weekends, I'll be tied up baking Chinese New Year cookies.  My nieces and nephews will be waiting to put their hands in the cookie jars... lol

Not only did we managed to do some shopping, I also had my hair cut short.  Yup, really short and don't ask me why.  I guess it's just that sometimes you have that spur of a moment to do something so not you and this I guess, was the crazy moment for me.  Although the thought has been lingering at the back of my mind for weeks but never really wanted to do it until yesterday.  Was undecided as I love long hair.  Have been having long hair for ages.  So I asked my hubby's opinion and he said 'Cut'.  So I went for it.  If I had waited, I might not have the guts to do it.  Anyway, so it's short now and my head felt so light and free.  Not only that, I decided to go another step further with my hair.  Colored it Caramel Brown.  My hair is really black although I've noticed a few strands of grey lately.  I had my hair dyed many many years ago but the dye didn't stick to my hair.  I tried a few times back then but all didn't work.  I then learned that if I wanted to color my hair, I had to treat it first by bleaching.  Bleaching??  No way I'm gonna bleach my hair.. So after many many many years have passed, I thought okay, since I have a few strands of grey, probably this time it will absorb the color..then, guess what.. same thing.  My hair is still black and not brown.  Well, maybe if under direct sunlight, hopefully, hopefully, it will show some highlight to it.. anyway, so much for having a new hair color for the Chinese New Year... kakakaka

So, hair dye doesn't really work.  Now, I know what works.. let's bake some cupcakes!  Yay.. This is Martha Stewart's Blueberry Cupcakes.  How you want to serve it with, really depends on your creativity.  Here, I cut the cupcakes in half and since I have some leftover chocolate ganache that is slightly thickened, I spread some on the bottom half of the cupcake, top it with the other half, and add a generous dollop of good quality vanilla ice cream.  Not only is it yummy, it looks elegant too.  You can use whip cream with choc fudge drizzle or you can also drench it with some blueberry jam or some sort.  So versatile and don't be afraid to try various flavors of icing or topping.

Cupcake recipe:

1 2/3 cups cake flour
1/4 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 stick butter, softened
2/3 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup sour cream
1 1/4 cups blueberries

1. Preheat oven to 180d C.  Line paper cups in muffin trays.
2. Sift together flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt and mix well.
3. On medium-high speed, beat butter and sugar till light and fluffy, then add eggs one at a time.  Add in vanilla.
4. Reduce speed to low, beat in flour in 3 additions, alternating with sour cream and beginning and ending with flour.  Fold in blueberries.  Fill cups 3/4 full and bake for 20-25 mins until cake is done.