Blueberry & Coconut Muffins

It's just another time that I ended up with something that I didn't really plan to do at the first place ! Luckily, it's done with a huge success !

The recipe ( inspired by here):

Ingredients:

1 cup self-raising flour
1/2 tbsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1 extra-large egg
1/3 cup caster sugar
40 g unsalted butter, melted
2/3 cup Half & Half ( I mixed milk and whipping cream )
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
1/2 cup sweetened shredded coconut
a punnet of 125 g of fresh blueberries

Method :

Preheat oven to 350 degrees, and line a muffin pan with baking cups.

In a medium-sized mixing bowl, sieve together the flour, baking powder, and salt.

In a separate bowl, whisk together the egg and sugar until pale and thick. Add the melted butter, half & half, and vanilla . Whisk after each addition.

Reserve 2 tbsps of the coconut, then add the remaining coconuts and blueberries to the dry ingredients. Lightly toss to coat. Next, pour this mixture onto the wet ingredients. Gently fold with a spatula to incorporate all of the ingredients. The batter will be lumpy, so do not overmix.

Divide the batter into the prepared muffin pan, then top each muffin with 1 tsp of the reserved coconuts. Bake at 350 degrees for 12 minutes, then rotate the pan. Bake for another 10-12 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the middle of a muffin comes out cleanly.

After removing the pan from the oven, immediately transfer the muffins to a cooling rack.

Serve warm or room temperature with coffee or tea! Enjoy!

Semolina Wholewheat Pumpkin Seed Crackers

I was tempted to make rye & pumpkin seed crackers that I've found in the latest issue of BBCgoodfood magazine but because that I didn't have or, in fact, never have rye flour stocked in my cupboard, so it kind of made me have second thoughts and came up with an idea of making something different, yet similar which I ended up with these crackers !


The recipe :

100g semolina flour
100g wholewheat flour
60g pumpkin seeds
1/4 tsp baking powder
1/2 scant tsp salt
1/2 tsp sugar
3 tbsp olive oil
1/2 cup water  

Mix all ingredients in a bowl to form the dough, then knwad briefly until smooth. Wrap the dough with cling film and let to rest for 30 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 140c. Divide the dough into 2 pieces, roll each out as thinly as possible and cut into squares or any shape you want..Bake for 45 minutes, then remove the tray and flip each cracker over and returen to the oven for a further 30-45 minutes until crispy. Cool on wire rack and store in a sealed container for up to 2 weeks.

 
 

Torcettini ( Italian Sugar Crusted Twisted Cookies )

Honestly speaking, the only reason why I decided to give these cookies a try is beacuse of a yeast called for in the recipe! However, I was tempted at the first glance by its look & shape that somehow reminded me of taralli , one of my favourite Italain savory snacks/biscuits , although they are obviously different in a few ways..


The recipe could be found here. ( Note : I weighed the dough and divided into the same size pieces,15 g. each before rolling and baked a bit longer ( 30 minutes ) than the original recipe states..)

  

Browned Butter Yogurt Raisin Oatmeal Bars

These bars caught my attention with all ingredients called for..and this is the first time I've used yogurt- covered raisins for baking..:) it went along well with other things and incredibly made the bars so delicious !!


The recipe ( slightly adapted from here. )


Ingredients:

145 g unsalted butter, browned
1 large egg
1/3 cup light brown sugar
2 tbsp caster sugar
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
1/4 tsp salt
1 1/2 cups old-fashioned whole rolled oats (not instant or quick cook)
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup yogurt-covered raisins)
1/2 cup white chocolate chips

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350F. Line an 8-by-8-inch baking pan with aluminum foil, leaving overhang. Spray with cooking spray; set aside.

Place butter in medium-sized heavy saucepan and heat over medium-low to medium heat. Butter will melt, begin to bubble, foam, hiss, sputter, and brown specks will form in the bottom of the pan; this takes approximately 2 to 4 minutes. During the process, whisk or swirl the pan frequently and keep an extremely watchful eye on the butter. Brown it long enough to see browned bits and specks, but don't burn it. Butter can go from browned and nutty-smelling to burnt and inedible in less than one minute. Watch for the brown specks and once you see them, remove the pan from the burner, continuing to whisk or swirl for another 30 seconds or so.Transfer butter into large mixing bowl and add the sugars, then mix until blended , allow it to cool for a few minutes (so you don't scramble the egg).

To the slightly cooled melted butter, add the egg,vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt, and whisk to combine. Add the oats, flour, and stir until just combined. Fold in the raisins and white chocolate chips. Turn batter out into prepared pan, smoothing it lightly with a spatula.

Bake for 16-18 minutes, or until top surface of bars has just set and edges have firmed up. Don't overbake or bars will set up on the crunchy and crumbly side. Allow bars to cool for at least 1 hour before slicing and serving. Bars can be stored airtight at room temperature for up to 4 days, or in the freezer for up to 3 months.

Oatmeal Cinnamon Raisin Rolls

I planned to make buttery sugar buns that I came across during usual food blogs surfing to begin with but somehow I, instead, ended up with these rolls !

With cinnamon called for in the recipe, I knew it would undoubtedly be a big hit for my beloved eaters..and as always, I was so right about my guess..:)

The recipe  ( slightly adapted from here. )


Ingredients:

1/2 cup milk, warmed

1 1/4 teaspoons active dried yeast

1 large egg

2 tbsp honey

45 g softened butter

1/4 rounded teaspoon salt

11/2 cups plus 2 tbsp bread flour

3/4 cup old-fashioned whole rolled oats

1/2 cup raisins (combination of raisins, cranberries, currants, or other dried fruit may be used)

1 scant teaspoon cinnamon

1 tablespoon unsalted butter, melted

1 tablespoon honey

Method :

Add the milk to a glass measuring cup or microwave-safe bowl and heat on high power to warm it, about 30 seconds.

To the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, add the milk and sprinkle the yeast on top of it. Beat on low speed for about 10 seconds, just to combine; let mixture stand for 10 minutes.
Add the egg, honey, salt, and mix until well-combined on low to medium-low speed.

Add the flour, oats, raisins, cinnamon, and beat until a dough forms. Scrape off any dough bits stuck to the paddle and remove the paddle attachment. Put on the dough hook.

With the dough hook attached, turn mixer on low speed, and add the butter. Knead dough for about 15 to 20 minutes, stopping to scrape down the bowl and dough hook as necessary. Dough will be firm, smooth, not sticky, and elastic. Place mounded ball of dough in a lightly greased large bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Place mounded ball of dough in a cooking sprayed or lightly greased large bowl and cover with plasticwrap. Place bowl in a warm place until it has doubled in size, about 2 hours.

After dough has risen and doubled, punch it down to release the air bubbles, and turn it out onto a Silpat or floured work surface. Devide the dough into 9 pieces, shape them into ballsr and place balls into 8*8 baking tin ( slightly greased and lined with parchment paper ).

After all pieces are in the pan, cover it with plasticwrap and allow to dough to rise for about 1 hour, or until rolls are nearly doubled in size. While dough rises, preheat oven to 375F. Prepare honey-butter mixture by melting butter in a microwave-safe bowl on high power, about 1 minute. To the melted butter, add the honey and stir to combine; set aside.

After the rolls have risen and before baking, brush tops and sides of dough with the honey-butter mixture, getting into the sides and crevices and with a pastry brush. Bake rolls for about 20 minutes or until golden. Allow rolls to cool before serving. Serve with Cinnamon-Sugar Butter.

  

Caramelised White Chocolate and Almond Bars

I spotted these bars from somewhere (that I no longer remember where it is but I'm sure it must be one of good food blogs I've been following ) and have saved the recipe into my google drive some time ago!

Recently, I've got a big pack of sliced almonds from a good friend of mine, I then came up with an idea of how to use them up, so it's time to make these yummy bars..:)

The recipe ( this is my own version that is adapted from the original, probably here, I've got )

For the base :

• 1/2 cup rolled oats
• 1/2 cup unsweetened desiccated coconut
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 2 tbsp light brown sugar
• 1/4 tsp baking soda
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/3 cup unsalted butter, melted
• 1 tsp pure vanilla extract

For the topping :

• 1/2 cup whipping cream
• 160 g pure white chocolate 
• 1/2 cup sliced almonds, lightly toasted

Method :

Preheat your oven to 350 F and line an 8x8-inch baking pan with parchment paper, leaving a 2-inch over hang at each end.

First get started on the caramelized white chocolate by heating the cream in a small saucepan just until it comes to a boil. Remove from heat, add white chocolate and let stand a few minutes before stirring until melted and smooth. Place pan back over the heat and bring the mixture to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes while stirring constantly. Set aside to cool while you make the base.

In a medium bowl, mix together oats, coconut, flour, brown sugar, baking soda and salt until evenly combined. In a small saucepan over low heat, melt together butter with vanilla extract and then pour over dry ingredients. Stir it all together with a fork until evenly blended and then turn it out into prepared pan. Press the mixture firmly and evenly into the base of pan and bake at 350 degrees F until golden, about 8-10 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool for a minute. Reduce oven temperature to 325 degrees F.

Pour white chocolate mixture over oat base and then sprinkle the almonds evenly over the top, then press the almonds down into the chocolate mixture lightly . Bake for about 15 minutes longer, or until golden on top. The white chocolate mixture will be bubbling and caramelized around the edges. Transfer to a wire rack and let cool completely before slicing into bars.

 

Brussels Waffles

I promised my two loved ones that I was gonna make a Dutch Baby for Sunday breakfast but in the morning I was too lazy to do so..I then avoided mentioning about a dutch baby thing and offered to take them out to try a new place we'd never been to which both happily agreed and excited about where to go !

I thought I could get away with it but unfortunately, my hubby happened to remember of what I promised...then both started teasingly moaning about it and to shut them up before I went berserk, I compromised to make waffles for afternoon snack instead and a deal done !

With a lot of time in hand, I chose to make a proper Belgian waffle that calls for yeast and time to rest. There are two recipes from the search I liked which I couldn't decide which one I should ignore, so I ended up mixing them and make my own version..:) What a challenge !

The recipe ( inspired by here and here )

1/2 teaspoons active dry yeast
1 1/4 cups lukewarm sparkling water
250 g AP flour
1 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
63 g milk powder
100 g unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly
2 egg whites
1 egg yolk
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Confectioners' sugar, for dusting
Whipped cream and strawberries to serve


Method :

In a small bowl, dissolve the yeast with 1/4 cup of the water and sugar. In a large bowl, stir the flour with the salt. Whisk in the yeast mixture, milk powder, butter, egg yolk and vanilla until smooth.

In a medium bowl, beat the egg whites until soft peaks form. Fold them into the batter and let stand for at least an hour.

Heat and grease a waffle maker. Pour 1/4 cup of the batter into eash side of the maker and cook until the waffles are golden, 8 minutes, flip through at the half way. Transfer the waffles to the rack to cool a bit before dusting with the icing. Serve with lightly sweet whipped cream and strawberries. Repeat with the remaining batter.

      

Corn Flake, Chocolate Chips & Marshmallow Cookies

In my opinion, cookie is one of the easiest baked goods I've ever thought about..it's easy and fast to make, plus more versatile than the other baked goods at any rate !

Anyway, I sometimes find it boring to make cookies that require or state such a plain and predictable method, so it's always fun and exciting to try one that is different and beyond your expectation... just like this cookie!


The recipe ( Makes 18 cookies, slightly adapted from here ).


Ingredients:

152 g unsalted butter, room temperature
2/3 scant cup caster sugar + soft light brown sugar
1 egg
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup all purpose flour
1/3 tsp baking powder
1/3 tsp baking soda
1/3 scant tsp salt
1/2 recipe of Cornflake Crunch (the recipe is below)
2/3 cup mini chocolate chips
45g mini marshmallows

Cornflake Crunch :


170 g cornflakes (haf of 12-ounce box, 5 cups)
40 g milk powder (1/2 cup)
40 g sugar (3 tablespoons)
4 g kosher salt (1 teaspoon)
130 g butter, melted (9 tablespoons)

Heat oven to 275F. Pour the cornflakes in a medium bowl and crush them with your hands to one-quarter of their original size. Add milk powder, sugar, salt, and toss to mix. Add butter and toss to coat; butter will act as the glue binding the dry ingredients to the cereal creating small clusters.
Spread the clusters on a parchment- or Silpat-lined sheet pan and bake for 20 minutes, at which point they should look toasted, smell buttery, and crunch gently when slightly cooled and chewed. Cool the cornflake crunch completely before storing or using in a recipe. Stored in an airtight container at room temperature, the crunch will keep fresh for 1 week; in the fridge or freezer, it wil keep for 1 month.




Preparation:


In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugars on medium-high speed until light and fluffy for 3-4 minutes. Scrape down sides of the bowl with a spatula.

Add the egg and vanilla extract and beat for more few minutes until blended.

On low speed, mix in flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt until just combined.

Scrape down sides and add in the cornflake crunch, chocolate chips and marshmallow until just incorporated.

Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper. Measure 1/3 cup portions of dough (using a 2 oz. ice cream/cookie scoop) onto the pan. Pat tops of dough mounds flat. Wrap the pan tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 1 hour and up to 1 week. (Do not bake at room temperature!)



Heat oven to 375F. Arrange the chilled dough a minimum of 4 inches apart on parchment- or Silpat-lined sheet pans. Bake for 15-18 minutes. The cookies should be browned on the edges and just beginning to brown toward the enter. Leave them in the oven for an additional minute or so if they aren’t and still seem pale and doughy on the surface.

Cool the cookies completely on the sheet pans before transferring to an airtight container for storage. At room temperature, the cookies will keep fresh for 5 days; in the freezer, they will keep for 1 month.

Spring onion & Sesame Oat Crackers

It's time to refill my jar with a new lot of crackers since the previous one had been finished for a while and coincidentally, I happened to spot another oat cracker on foodgawker which is different from what I made last time..so I decided to give it a try, though I made a few changes to the original recipe to make my own one !


Here is what I've done..

Ingredients


1 cup Bread Flour
1/2 cup Old Fashioned Oats
45 g Unsalted Butter, softened
1 tsp Sugar
3 tbsp Finely chopped spring onion
1 tbsp Sesame seed
4 tbsp Milk
1/4 tsp Baking soda
1/2 tsp Salt

Method :

1. Preheat oven to 320 F (160 C),  Stir together the flour ,oats ,salt, sugar, baking soda, spring onion and sesame seed in a bowl. Then add the butter and rub it into the dry ingredients until blended.

2. Add the milk, one tbsp at the time to the mixture and knead until the dough formed. Set the dough aside for 20 mins, Roll them into thin sheet and cut them into any shape you like. Place these crackers to bake on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or silicone mat at 320 F for about 20-25 mins until golden and crisp ( the thinner the shorter time you bake ) .

Spicy Chive & Garlic Oat Crackers

I was just back from the CNY break and given a day off left, I felt like baking something to welcome myself back before getting busy after my daughter's school resumes...

The recipe ( adapted from here )

Ingredients :


1 cup old-fasioned rolled oats, coarsely ground
5 tbsp wheat flour
5 tbsp plain flour
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp dried chive

3/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp sugar
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 coarsely ground pepper powder
1/2 tsp chilli flakes
45 g cold unsalted butter, cubed

6 tbsp milk
2 tbsp olive oil

Method :

In a mixing bowl, stir the first 10 ingredients until well blended. Add the butter and mix till it is like a coarse crumbly powder. Add the oil and milk to form the dough. Knead the dough few times, then wrap with cling film to rest the dough for 30 minutes.

Pre-heat the oven to 170 C. Roll the dough out to about 1/4" thickness or thinner and use a cookie cutter to cut into rounds and place these crackers on the baking sheet lined with parchment paper or silicone mat.

Bake for 6 mins and then turn over and bake for another 6-7 mins till slightly browned and crispy.