Sunday, September 15, 2013

Chocolate Bottom Banana Square

Its Sunday and as usual,Sunday is my extra cooking and baking day. Had been eying on making something using banana for days! So after some searching arounds on what to bake,I decided to do this. But only 10 minutes after its baked almost half has finished. Not sure if I can save it from my guests this evening. Huhuhu.
Lets check out the ingredients.

Ingredients: 
1/2 cup butter
1 cup sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 1/2 cups mashed banana (about 3 medium bananas)
1 1/2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup baking cocoa
1 cup chocolate chips

Instructions: 
1. In mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar. Add egg, vanilla, and bananas, beating thoroughly.
2. In a separate bowl, combine flour, soda, baking powder, and salt. Add to creamed mixture and mix well.
3. Divide batter in half. Add the cocoa to one portion of the batter. Spread that portion in the bottom of a greased 9 x 13-inch baking dish. Spoon remaining batter on top, swirling gently with butter knife if desired, and sprinkle with chocolate chips. 4. Bake at 175 degrees for 25-30 minutes or until batter tests done with a toothpick or fork. Cool and cut into 24 squares.

Saturday, September 7, 2013

Red Velvet Cupcakes from taste.com.au


Assalamualaikum guys,My preggie niece came over our house early this week and she was craving for Red Velvet!as I only recently baked an RV cake I decided to make cupcakes instead.And as usual I just love searching and try out new recipes.


So I want to share this recipe with you guys.Its moist and not too sweet.The only thing I would add are some coffee granules which I forgot to put in.I believe coffee really brings out the umph with anything cocoawiy.(Am not sure there is such word) Hehehe.And I left out the baking powder from the actual recipe that I got from www.taste.com.au coz I don't feel its necessary.Lets check this out.
Ingredients:2 1/3 cups of flour2 tbsp cocoa powder1 tsp bicarbonate of soda1 1/2 cups castor sugar1 cup buttermilk (the usual 1 tbsp vinegar plus milk to fill 1 cup will do)3/4 cup vegetable oil2 eggs3 tsp red food coloring2 tsp white vinegar1 tsp vanilla extract
Method
  1. Preheat your oven to 170 C.
  2. Sift flour,cocoa powder and bicarbonate of soda into a bowl.Stir through the sugar.
  3. Whisk the buttermilk,oil,eggs,vinegar and vanilla in a large bowl until combined.
  4. make a well in the centre of the flour mixture and pour the wet ingredients.
  5. Stir until just combined.Stir in the food coloring
  6. Divide into your paper cups and bake for 20-25 minutes.
  7. Cool completely before frosting. 
Love the Bright Red color  I got from Bake With Yen.Turned out great!
First batch I didn't use paper cups.Not a good idea.
This one turned out to be better.
They really rised!
Always a hit!
~Bon apetite~



Moist Chocolate Cupcakes- Super Easy- Budget

Assalamualaikum everyone.
I was in a hurry to take my daughter Syaima' to the school she was supposed to have her UPSR in next week.But I had guests coming in the afternoon so I quickly browsed for a chocolate cupcake recipe that used ingredients that I already have at home.
Met this recipe from food.com.
It was super easy.The ingredients were cheap.But the result was phenomenal.With the extra topping I had left from previous baking,it literally melted in my mouth.

I made some minor alteration with adding in coffee granules to the batter which always brings out the cocoa taste.Mixed it in warm water with the cocoa to infuse the cocoa taste too.
Lets go over the ingredients.

Ingredients.
1 1/2 cups flour
1 cup sugar
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1/2 cup cocoa powder
1 cup warm water ( I  added 1 tsp of coffee granules and then dissolved it with the cocoa powder  into it)
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 tsp vinegar

Method

  1. Mix all ingredients well with a mixer or a wooden spoon.I just used a wooden spoon.Worked just fine.Just make sure that its smooth and lumps free.
  2. Bake 150 for 20 minute.(My oven is usually extra hot thats why I lower the temperature.Normal baking calls for 175 Celcius)
I know its a bit messy.My girl helped to put the topping.Never mind.The taste is amazing anyways.



For the frosting I used.
200 ml heavy whipped cream
200gm cooking chocolate

Heat the whipped cream and pour it over the chopped chocolate.Leave for a while then stir untill well mixed.Leave it to cool before topping your cakes.


Sunday, September 1, 2013

Cinnamon Rolls. This time its Laura Vitale's.

Bismillahirrahmanirrahiim.
Its Sunday. And since I'm not going anywhere I decided to make Cinnamon Rolls.
I slipped and fell the day before when we were saving water due to the news of the water shortage.
There was no major injury but my body aches a lot.
This time around I'm trying Laura Vitale's recipe.
I'm also trying to get to know my oven better so here goes.

Makes 14 to 16 Rolls
Prep time: 30 mins
 Cook time: 30 mins

Ingredients:
 1 Package of Dry Yeast
 ¾ cup of Whole Milk
 ¼ cup of Granulated Sugar
 ¼ cup of Water, warmed up to 115 degrees
 ¼ tsp of Vanilla Extract
 1 Egg 1 tsp of Salt
 ¼ cup of Unsalted Butter, melted
 4 cups of All Purpose Flour
 ¼ cup of Melted Butter, to brush over the top before baking

 For the Filling,
 1/3 cup of Unsalted Butter, at room temperature
 ¾ cup of Brown Sugar
 ¼ cup of Granulated Sugar
 1 1/2 Tbsp of Ground Cinnamon

 For the Glaze,
 ¼ cup of Cream Cheese, at room temperature
1 Tbsp of Butter, at room temperature
1 1/4 cups of Powdered Sugar
 ½ tsp of Vanilla Extract
 3 to 4 Tbsp of Warm Milk

 Process,
 1) In a small bowl, combine the warm water and 1 tsp of the granulated sugar, sprinkle the yeast over the top and let it sit for about 5 minutes.

 2) In the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with a dough hook, mix the egg, milk, salt, sugar and melted butter. Add 2 cups of the flour and the water, vanilla and yeast mixture, mix until its all incorporated and slowly add about 2 more cups of flour. Turn the speed up to medium and let it mix for about 5 to 7 minutes or until you have a smooth dough.

 3) Oil a large bowl with some vegetable oil and set aside. Take the dough out of the mixer and pull it together with your hands to form a ball. Place it in the oiled bowl and oil the top of the dough with a little vegetable oil. Cover with plastic wrap and place it in a warm spot to rise for about 2 hours.

 4) In a small bowl, mix together the brown sugar, granulated sugar and cinnamon for the filling, set aside.

 5) When doubled in size, punch the dough down and roll it out onto a floured surface into a 15x9” rectangle. (I used two 9" and 10" baking pan instead).Spread the soft butter over the top and sprinkle evenly over the sugar and cinnamon mixture.Starting from one of the long ends, tightly roll the dough into a jelly roll form. Cut into 14 to 16 slices (make sure they are even) and place them cut side down in a well buttered 9x13 baking pan. Cover with plastic wrap and let put them back into a warm spot to rise for another 1 ½ hours. 

6) Meanwhile preheat your oven to 350 degrees or 175 degree Celcius/

 7) Once risen, brush them with some melted butter and bake them for about 30 minutes or until golden brown.

 8) While the cinnamon rolls cool for a few minutes make the glaze. Mix all the ingredients of the glaze in a bowl except for the milk, once the cream cheese is all mixed, slowly add the milk until you get a runny glaze consistency.

 Immediately pour the glaze over the cinnamon rolls and enjoy!
Aren't they just soooo tempting?