Coffee Walnut Muffins

Coffee Walnut Muffins

Ingredients:

70g plain flour

30g cake four

1 tsp baking powder

1/8 tsp salt

4 tsp instant coffee granules dissolved in 30ml hot water

1 large egg at room temperature

65g caster sugar

1/4 tsp vanilla extract

45g unsalted butter, melted

50g fresh milk

Handful of lightly toasted walnuts

Preparation:

Pre-heat oven at 200 degree celsius.

Line a 6-cup muffin tin with cupcake liners

Method:

1. Sift the 2 flours, baking powder and salt into a mixing bowl.
2. In another bigger mixing bowl, beat the egg and caster sugar until creamy. Add in the vanilla extract, cooled coffee mixture, melted butter and fresh milk. Mix well.
3. Add the flour mixture into the egg mixture above. Using a rubber spatula, mix until all the ingredients are just incorporated. Add in some of the walnuts (leave some for decorating the top of muffins) and mix gently. Do not overmix or you will end up with tough muffins.
4. Scoop the dough into each cupcake liner, filling it up to the brim.
5. Sprinkle each muffin with whole walnuts.
6. Bake at 200 degree celsius for the first 5 minutes. Reduce temperature to 180 degree celsius and bake for the next 15 minutes until a skewer inserted into the centre of the muffin comes out clean.
7. Remove from oven and leave them to cool on wire racks.

Makes about 5 large muffins

Cranberry Pumpkin Muffins

I've been trying to bake the perfect muffin texture that is soft, light, moist and not crumbly. And also it must have a beautiful mushroom-shaped top. I have been experimenting with different flour proportion, liquid to flour proportion, leavening agent to flour proportion, using butter or corn oil and eggs to flour proportion. And temperature control too. I must say I have made some headway this time. Pretty satisfied with the look and texture.

Cranberry Pumpkin Muffins

Ingredients:

70g plain flour

30g cake four

1/2 tsp baking powder

1/8 tsp baking soda

1/8 tsp salt

1 large egg at room temperature

44g caster sugar

1/4 tsp vanilla extract

45g unsalted butter, melted

*80g buttermilk

Handful of dried cranberries and pumpkin seeds

* You can make your own buttermilk by adding 1 tsp of white vinegar or lemon juice into a cup of fresh milk that fills up to 1 cup (240ml). Leave it to stand for 5 minutes.

Preparation:

Pre-heat oven at 200 degree celsius.

Line a 6-cup muffin tin with cupcake liners

Method:

1. Sift the 2 flours, baking powder and salt into a mixing bowl.
2. In another bigger mixing bowl, beat the egg and caster sugar until creamy. Add in the vanilla extract, cooled coffee mixture, melted butter and buttermilk. Mix well.
3. Add the flour mixture into the egg mixture above. Using a rubber spatula, mix until all the ingredients are just incorporated. Add in the dried cranberries and mix gently. Do not overmix or you will end up with tough muffins.
4. Scoop the dough into each cupcake liner, filling it up to the brim.
5. Sprinkle each muffin with pumpkin seeds.
6. Bake at 200 degree celsius for the first 5 minutes. Reduce temperature to 180 degree celsius and bake for the next 15 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the centre of the muffin comes out clean.
7. Remove from oven and leave them to cool on wire racks.

Makes about 5 large muffins

Bouchon Bakery-Style Dark Chocolate Cookies

Chanced upon this recipe in one the books I borrowed from the library. This is quite a good book but I can't remember the title. Will have to go look for it again next time I visit the library. I was attracted by the word Bouchon Bakery and the author's write-up about the cookies. The cookies were sure mouthwatering and decadent. You just cannot stop at one.

White, Red and Chocolate

White, red and chocolate. Interesting title? White and red refers to the strawberry shortcake and chocolate refers to the chocolate cake. Simple and direct. No fanciful name. Baked these 2 cakes for a friend's 3 yr-old niece's birthday. My friend has a big family - 7 sisters and 1 brother if I remember correctly. The strawberry shortcake is for the birthday girl and the chocolate cake is for the rest of her nieces and nephews. She's a very good aunt. She just wants to make sure everyone has enough to eat. So nice of her.