Cranberry & Orange Muffins

This is one moist and soft muffin that I want to share with you.  Baked these muffins last weekend for my daughter and her friend.

1 2/3 cups self-raising flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1 cup superfine sugar
3/4 cup dried cranberries
juice and finely grated zest of 1 small orange
scant 2/3 cup milk
1/4 cup low fat plain yogurt
3/4 stick plus 1 tbsp butter, elted and cooled
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
2 tsbp confectioners sugar, sifted

1. Pre-heat the oven to 180dC.  Sift the flour, baking powder and baking soda into a mixing bowl, add the superfine sugar, cranberries and orange zest, and stir well with a wooden spoon.
2. In a separate bowl, whisk together the milk, yogurt and melted butter with an electric mixer or a whisk, add the eggs and whisk again.  Pour the liquid into the bowl of dry ingredients and fold in with a large metal spoon.  Do not overmix. Batter should be thick and slightly lumpy.  Spoon batter into the muffin cups.
3. Bake 15 to 20 mins until the muffins are done.
4. Just before the muffins are cooked, heat the orange juice with the confectioner's sugar in a small saucepan, stirring until sugar dissolved, then boil 1 min to make a syrup. Remove the muffins from the overn. Drizzle the syrup over the muffins and leave to cool.

 All ready to bake..

 Baked and smelled wonderfull.

 Look at the moistness..

Let's dig in!!

Butterscotch Pecan Cheesecake

Who love cheesecake?? Me, me, me!! I'm a biggest fan of cheese.   Oh yeah, baby and here's a delicious, rich, silky smooth recipe that I'm going to share with you.  Fell in love with the picture of this cheesecake at first sight. He.hehe.hee! That's why I like cookbooks  with pictures of each single recipe.  I feast my eyes first before I satisfy my tummy tum tum.

This recipe is taken from The Hummingbird Bakery cookbook which I've recently purchased.  I am already loving this book.  I have another of Hummingbird Cupcakes cookbook which my SIL gave me and that too is one good book with reliable recipes.  For Hummingbird cookbook, you don't have to adjust the recipes, well, maybe except for the sugar.  Other than that, they are good.

I don't have any pecan and since my kids don't fancy nuts in any dessert, I omitted that.  Although the butterscotch recipe was leftovers from my earlier bakes which I created on my own, but I will give you the actual recipe from the book.

 For the biscuit base:
200g digestive biscuits
100g unsalted butter, melted

For the Cheesecake Topping:
700g full fat cream cheese (if this is too much, you can use 500g)
120g caster sugar
1 tsp vanilla essence
3 large eggs
80g pecans, finely chopped plus 1-\0-12 pecan halves, to decorate

For the Butterscotch Glaze:
60g unsalted butter
45g soft light brown sugar
2 tbsp whole milk
120g icing sugar
1 tsp vanilla essence

 1. Line the base of cake tin with parchment paper then, in a food processor, whiz the biscuits into fine crumbs. Or, if prefer, pop the biscuits into a plastic bag and crush with a rolling pin.
2. Place the biscuit crumbs in a bow, add the melted butter and mix together.  Pour it into the baking pan and pressing them into the base of the tin.  Keep it in the fridge for 2-30 mins to cool and set.
3. Pre heat the oven to 160d Cand prepare the cheesecake topping.
4. Using an electric mixer, mix the cream cheese, sugar and vanilla on medium speed until smooth.  Add eggs one at a time and mix thoroughly after each addition. Stir in the chopped pecan by hand and pour into the chilled biscuit base.
5. Wrap the cake tin in foil and place in a rosting pan filled with water to about 1/4inch from the top of the cake tin, creating a water bath for the cheesecake to bake in, to prevent it from cracking.  Place in the oven and bake for 35-45 mins or until a light golden color especially around the edges, firm to the touch and with only a slight wobble in the middle.
6.Allow the cheesecake to cool down at room temperature while still in the tin and then place in the fridge to set for a few hours.
7. When the cheesecake is fully chilled, make the butterscotch glaze.  Put the butter, sugar and milk in a small saucepan and bring to boil.  Remove from heat, stir in the icing sugar and vanilla essence, then whisk until the glaze is smooth.
8. Pour the glaze on top of the cake and decorate the top with pecan halves. Place in the fridge to set for a few hours or overnight if possible.  Remove from the cake tin before serving.

Oh and not forgetting, today is my sis's birthday.. HAPPY BIRTHDAY, dear sis!  May Lord Buddha bless you with good health, loving kindness and keep you safe always!  Love you very much! Muack!!

Tiramisu

Early of the year I made a challenge with myself, to make The Tiramisu before the year is up.  Finally, I did it yesterday.  It's so super duper delicious, if I may say so...  .

I thought it's going to be so complicated but actually it's so easy to make.  Well, at least this recipe that I found from my Good Housekeeping cookbook, is very easy.  My son's feedback, 'mom, this tastes like the professionals made it'. Thank you, son.  Looks like mom can make this again.  heehhee..

Since we have homemade pizza for dinner (well, half homemade - I bought the pizza bread), decided to go Italian all the way...hence the Tiramisu.  This is a very rich dessert.  It's creamy with mascarpone cheese and whipping cream.  That's why its so good...hmm..gotta to take a break now to have a piece of the Tiramisu..simply irresistible.  Will be right back! 

Okay, I'm back.  Happy and satisfied.
Here's the recipe.

1/4 cup hot espresso or very strong brewed coffee
3 tbsp brandy
2 tbsp plus 1/2 cup sugar
18 crisp Italian ladyfingers
1/3 cup milk
1 container (500g) mascarpone cheese
3/4 cup heavy or whipping cream
unsweetened cocoa powder

1. In a plate, stir coffee, brandy and 2 tbsp sugar until sugar dissolved; cool to room temperature. Dip both sides of 9 lady fingers into coffee mixture, one at a time, to soak and arrange in single layer in 8 inch square baking dish.
2. In large bowl, stir milk and remaining 1/2 cup sugar until sugar has dissolved. Stir in mascarpone until blended.
3. In small bowl, with electric mixer at high speed, beat cream until soft peaks form.  With rubber spatula, gently fold whipped cream into mascarpone mixture until blended. Spread half of mixture over ladyfingers in baking dish.
4. Dip remaining ladyfingers into coffee mixture and arrange on top of mascarpone mixture. Spread with remaining mascarpone mixture.  Refrigerate 3 hours or up to overnight.
5. Just before serving, dust with cocoa powder.

Here's the pizza, Pizza Margherita.  Not gonna post the recipe since I had done so in one of my very early posts.

Black Pepper Pizza...

Enjoyed by my beloveds...

Err.. wheather is freaking hot in KL..here's homemade Vanilla Ice Cream to tempt you a little further.. 

Deep Chocolate Sour Cream Pound Cake (Tish Boyle)

This is one super yummy chocolate pound cake.  And why is that?  Simply because, it has my favorite ingredient - the Sour Cream, of course! hehehhee..

I have this thing with sour cream, yogurt and whipping cream.  I don't know why but I just love them in any bakes as not only does it adds flavor but the texture is velvety smooth.  They are also wonderful in curry dishes.  Any of the three can replace the coconut milk for a healthier choice in cooking.

So here's a recipe from Tish Boyle.  It's easy to make and elegant to serve if you plan to entertain.  Try this..everybody loves chocolate and I bet you, you will definitely repeat making this smooth velvety cake.

1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1/2 cup cake flour
1 cup Dutch processed cocoa powder
2 1/4 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 cups unsalted butter, softened
2 1/2 cups caster sugar (I used 1 3/4 cups)
4 large eggs
2 tsp vanilla
1 cup sour cream

Chocolate Glaze:
1 cup whipping cream
1 cup choc chips or 250g dark semi sweet chocolate (chopped)
Boil whipping cream, take off heat and add in chocolate.  Let it stand until melted, stir to smooth.

1. Pre-heat oven to 170dC and grease the inside of 10-inch Bundt pan, dust the pan with flour.
2. Stir together the flours, cocoa powder, baking powder and salt in a medium bowl. Set aside.
3. Use an electric mixture, beat butter at medium speed until very creamy, about 2 mins.  Gradually beat in sugar.  Increase speed to medium high, beat mixture until light and well blended, about 4 mins.  Beat in eggs one at a time, mixing well after addition and scraping down the sides of the bowl as necessary.
4.In a small bow, stir the vanilla into the sour cream. At low speed, add dry ingredients to the butter mixture  in three additions, alternating with sour cream in two additions and mixing until blended.
5. Pour into prepared pan, bake for 65 -75 mins or until cake is done.  Cool cake in pan on wire rack for 15 mins.
6. Invert cake onto the rack and let cool completely.  Our glaze on cake.  Suitable to serve warm or chilled.

Don't you just love the texture!  Yummeh!!

Strawberry Scones and Cameron Highlands Holiday Get-a-way

The last week of the 2-weeks school break in mid June brought us to a short holiday in Cameron Highlands.  Yup.. again! If you have been following my earlier posts, my big big family and I went there last October.  We had a great time there and now, it's only us.

It was a last minute decision which we enjoyed the much cooler air in the highlands as it was freaking hot in KL!

This time, we discovered a small old fashion cafe that serves tea snacks such as scones, pies, cakes and sandwiches.  Their scones are really yummy and the best part, the food there is so cheap.  If you ever go to Cameron, I highly recommend you to visit The Lord's Cafe at Tanah Rata.  This quaint little cafe is on the first floor of Mary Brown outlet.  You can't miss it as it's right smack by the main road of Tanah Rata.

After eating their homemade strawberry scones, I felt inspired to make some when I get home and I did.  The recipe is at the end of this post.  Here are some of the pictures of our holiday.

 Lavender Farm

  

Me and my mini me at the Lavender Farm

   

 Taken at the Rose Farm

A small cabbage patch in the Rose Farm

Below is the strawberry scones that we had at Lord's Cafe.

And now, here's the recipe for my strawberry scones.

1 stick chilled butter, chopped, plus extra for greasing
3 cups self-raising flour, plus extra for dusting
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
1/4 cup icing sugar, extra for sprinkling
1 cup dried strawberries, chopped
scant 3/4 cup milk, extra for brushing

1. Pre heat the oven to 160dC. Grease a 12-inch square cookie sheet.
2. Sift the flour and baking powder into a mixing bow,add the salt and butter, and cut the butter into the flour using a pastry blender until the mixture resembles bread crumbs.  Add the sugar, strawberries and milk and mix to form a dough, adding a little more milk if the mixture is too dry.
3. Sift flour onto a clean countertop and roll the dough to 1 inch thick using a rolling pin. Cut out 10 scones with a 1 1/2 inch round cutter, gathering up the trimmings and re-rolling as necessary.
4. Place the scones on the cookie sheet so that they are touching each other, which helps the scones to rise up straight. Brush the tops of the scones with a little milk and sprinkle with icing sugar.
5. Bake 12 - 15 mins until the scones are golden brown and sound hollow when you tap it from the bottom. Remove from oven and serve warm with strawberry jam and whipping cream.

 I served these scones with my homemade strawberry jam.  Where did the strawberries come from?  From Cameron Highlands, off course!..hheheheh..

 To wash it all down, nothing beats the strawberry tea..from the Camerons too.  Simply fantastic and satisfying tea!

Wanna have some scones??