Coconut Shortbread

Like I mentioned in the previous post ( Buttermilk Pie) that I'd like to use up all ingredients which are going to reach/pass their expiry dates before summer holiday, and this shortbread was another good choice for the purpose!

There are two recipes I like but I chose the one from bakingbites because it requires shorter time of preparing. I toasted the coconut before using while the original recipe doesn't do and I also reduced amount of sugar to fit my own preference ..

Mississippi Mud Pie

Mississippi mud pie is a chocolate-based dessert pie that is likely to have originated in the US state of Mississippi. The treat contains a gooey chocolate filling on top of a crumbly chocolate crust. The pie is usually served with ice cream. While Mississippi mud pie was originally associated with Southern United States cuisine, the dish has gained somewhat of an international reputation, owing in large part to the sheer amount of chocolate in each serving.

The name "Mississippi mud pie" comes from the dense cake which resembles the banks of the Mississippi river. It is believed that this dish was created by home cooks after World War 2 because it was made of simple ingredients that could be found at any supermarket and did not require any special cooking tools.

There are two popular versions of Mississippi Mud Pie. One is a cake-like version and the other is an ice cream pie version. I chose to make the first version because it would be easier to be given away..Also I decided to add a marchmallows topping to make it real as recommended and oohh..they were too good to be true!!

Here is my version ( adapted from here )

Ingredients :

For the base

• 1 3/4 cup digestive biscuits, crushed
• 65g butter, melted

For the filling

• 100 g dark chocolate, 70 per cent cocoa solids
• 100 g butter
• 2 large eggs
• 50 g caster sugar
• 35g light muscovado sugar
• 50 ml whipping cream

Some marchmallows for topping ( Note : I used chocolate flavored one and it looked unattractive ,so I sprinkle some cocoa powder and icing to make it look prettier !)

Method:

Preheat the oven to 180C/365F/Gas 4. Mix the biscuits and melted butter together in a bowl. Press the mixture into the base and sides of a 23cm/9in pie plate. Bake for 5-8 minutes until lightly browned.

For the filling, melt the chocolate and butter together in a heatproof bowl set over a pan of simmering water. (Do not let the base of the bowl touch the water).

Meanwhile, whisk the eggs and sugar together in a bowl for 5-6 minutes, or until thick and creamy. Fold in the cream and melted chocolate mixture. Pour into the base and bake in the oven for 30-40 minutes, or until just set. Remove from the oven and sprinkle the top with marchmallows, then put under the grill/broiler until the marchmallows melt and turn browned. Set aside to cool, serve with ice-cream.

Buttermilk Pie

School summer break is coimg and we've planned to be away for most of the time..therefore, I need to check all stocks of my baking ingredients and try to use things that would reach their expiry date during my being away ! And buttermilk powder is the case..so I guess you would see recipes posted on my blog that call for it.

Buttermilk pie ( according to wikipedia ) is a traditional custard-like pie of the southern United States. The basic filling consists of a mixture of eggs, sugar, buttermilk, dry biscuit mix, and butter; variations on the recipe may include flavorings such as lemon zest. Buttermilk pies may be made with or without a crust. The liquid filling is poured into a pie pan (into a crust if one is used) and baked until the mixture sets. The pie may be eaten either while still warm from the oven or after being chilled.

This pie was what I intendedly search for and all recipes I've looked through are quite similar..and fortunately, it's very easy and quick to prepare the filling..making your own pie crust will take longer time to get it done than using a store-bought one but I reckon it's worth your effort !

Here is the recipe I ended up with..

Ingredients :

Servings Size

• 
  

1/2 cup butter, melted

1 cup caster sugar

2 tablespoons AP flour

3 large eggs

a pinch of salt

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 cup buttermilk

1 unbaked 9-inch basic pie crust ( recipe here )

Method :

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. In a large mixing bowl, combine the sugar, flour, and salt. Whisk in the eggs, 1at a time. Stir in the buttermilk and melted butter. Pour the buttermilk mixture into the pie shell and bake until the top is lightly browned and the center sets, about 40-50 minutes. Remove from the oven and cool to room temperature. Slice the pie into individual servings. 

      

Mediterranean Vegetables with Lamb

All recipes of lamb dishes I've cooked are quite heavy and most of them require long cooking time. This lamb dish is a difference that contains lots of vegetables and doesn't take long to cook which are the main reasons why I made it! 

If you'd like something light and healthy, yet have a little craving for some meat.,then this recipe is highly recommended..serve it along with basmati rice and they could make a great meal for you!!

The recipe could be found here.  

Coconut Scones

I've got lots of shredded coconut and they need to be used up as much and quick as possible before their expiry date! With a shortage of time, I opted for scone rather than something that requires more time to prepare and bake.. After a search on the net, I chose this coconut scone that seems ,to me, more interesting than the other recipes.

The recipe could be found here ( note : I used self-raising flour instead of AP. flour )

Chocolate Chip Treasure Cookies

I don't know why exactly these cookies are called like you've seen and it's actually not the reason why I decided to make. Instead, what convinced me to give it a try is ingredients called for in the recipe!

The recipe could be found here. ( note : I reduced amount of condensed milk by half )

Salty Flaxseed and Cornmeal Cookies

I've got a whole big bag of cornmeal to use up before it passes the expiry date which is coming so soon...When I saw this cookie posted on foodgawker, not only it came at the right time to rescue me but it also made me interested in a way the dough prepared, plus the recipe calls for flaxseed that I happen to have a lot in my cupboard...so it couldn't be a better chance to have it a go!

The dough is very easy to make but honestly, it seems to be the weirdest dough I've ever made and I couldn't help but doubt if the outcome would be edible...After 8 minutes of baking, I could no longer wait to find out, so I excitedly broke one of the baked cookies into pieces and put a hot piece in my mouth...along with hope in mind!

Eventhough the taste was quite odd to me to begin with but it's surely edible! I then patiently let them cool to the room temperature and tried another piece..this time it tasted much better with the crunchier and crispier texture! Piece after piece, I decided that I like the cookie and could really put it in my favorite cookie lists !

The recipe could be found here.

Banana and Coconut Muffins

Yesterday morning, I opened the freezer to put something away but surprisingly found out that most of spaces are occupied! During a search for free space, I then found 3 bananas unattended lying in different compartments. Given their ugly look and being old, I decided to get rid of them to make my freezer look prettier, yet I was kind enough not to throw them right away in a rubbish bin sitting next to the fridge !

Although there were a few ideas of how to play with those poor old bananas popped up in  my head but unfortunately, none of them is new and therefore all failed to make me convinced... With the iphone in my hand, I automatically opened the epicurious app. and type 'banana' word to search for an interesting recipe which didn't take me long to find out the winner!

I chose this muffin because a combination of banana and coconut which as far as I rememeber, they were never paired before in my baking era. because normally and basicly, I'd simply use chocolate to match banana or let it play a role on itself.. but this time I did something different for a change and sort of experiment!

The result was excellent and the muffins tasted wonderful.. The duo did a great job and made me fall in love with them!

The recipe ( slightly adapted from here )

1 1/4 cups self raising flour 
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt 
3/4 cup mashed bananas
1 stick (1/2 cup) unsalted butter, melted
70 g caster sugar 
1 large egg 
1/2 teaspoon vanilla 
3/4 cup sweetened flaked coconut

Method :

Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 375°F. Line muffin cups with liners.

Whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt in a bowl. Whisk together bananas, butter, sugar, egg, vanilla, and 1/2 cup coconut in a large bowl until combined well, then fold in flour mixture until flour is just moistened.

Divide batter among lined muffin cups and sprinkle with remaining 1/4 cup coconut. Bake until muffins are puffed and golden, about 25 minutes. Transfer muffins to a rack and cool slightly.

Ps. I've also posted this to

Browned Butter Chocolate Malted Blondie

I had a good feedback about my chocolatey and malty cookies that I baked few months ago and I also was quite pleased with a combination of chocolate and malt. So when I saw this blondie posted on this site, It effortlessly caught my attention and didn't take me long to give it a try!

Anyway,I didn't get the right outcome as I expected from the first try because it's far too overbaked.. So,I decided to have another try and this time was with a little modification..

The recipe (adapted from here)

1 cup plus 2 tbsp all-purpose flour
3/4 tsp baking powder
1/2 scant tsp salt
3 Tbs malted milk powder
100 g unsalted butter
1/2 scant cup brown sugar
1 large egg
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 cup malted dark choc balls (Malteser's), coarsely chopped
1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Grease the bottom and sides of a 8*8 inch baking pan and line with parchment paper.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt, and malted milk powder.

Brown the butter and transfer to a mixing bowl, let cool for 5 minutes then mix in brown sugar whisk until completely combined. Add the egg and vanilla, mix everything until combined.

Fold in the flour mixture, using a rubber spatula, then fold in the malted balls and chocolate chips.  The mixture will be very thick. 

Turn out into the prepared pan and use an offset spatula to spread it evenly.  Bake 18-20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Transfer to a wire rack to cool for 20 minutes.  Cut into squares to serve immediately, or they can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for 3-5 days.