Mission Impossible!

My idea of comfort food does not necessarily involve tonnes and tonnes of  sugar, fat and sky rocketting amount of calories. As far as I’m concerned, Mak’s asam pedas has never failed to do its ‘comforting’ job but fruits would carry out the similar task well enough. Talking about fruits, sometimes I go for the crunchy ones but with the current weather, anything juicy is the best option.

I have always liked to use fruits whenever I’m baking. However, my kids are the opposites. They are Mr KHz’s carbon copies. They only eat chocolate chip muffins. Fruits are meant to be taken as they are. Cooking with fruits should never take place. However, I decided to prepare my banana chocolate chip muffins last Saturday just to find out  if this combination would work on them. Well, they love chocolate and surprisingly adore jemput-jemput pisang. Besides, there was school on last Saturday and don’t you agree that it was the perfect time for some comfort food? As a spirit booster I went and prepared my muffins. Brought some for my sister and she ended up making three batches of the same muffins!  Oh yes, just to let you know that my mission failed miserably. The muffins turned out soft and moist, with the right amount of sweetness but the kids (as well as their father) remain loyal to their jemput-jemput pisang. Anyway, here’s the recipe which might help to cheer you up in case you’re feeling under the weather.

BANANA CHOCOLATE CHIP MUFFINS

Ingredients :

• 3 ripe bananas (mashed) (I used Pisang Montel but using 5-6 pisang emas would produce better muffins)
•  1 and 1/2 cups of self-raising flour
• 1/2 cup of brown sugar (press the sugar tightly into the cup)
• 1 egg
• 1/3 cup of corn oil
• 1/4 cup of yoghurt
• 1/4 teaspoonful of bicarbonate of soda
• 1/2 cup of chocolate chips

Method :

1. Preheat oven at 170C.
2. Put the flour into a big bowl.
3. Mix brown sugar, corn oil, yoghurt, mashed bananas and bicarbonate of soda till well-mixed.
4. Then, pour this mixture into the flour and fold using a fork. Your mixture should be lumpy.
5. Spoon into muffin tin lined with paper casings.
6. Bake for 25-30 minutes.

Note : I managed to get a dozen of large muffins from this recipe.

 

What If……

What if I mix chopped tinned peaches and a few fresh strawberries with newly created muffin batter? Well, I got these……

PEACH AND STRAWBERRY MUFFINS

Ingredients :

• 115g unsalted butter (melted)
• 125g soft brown sugar
• 2 eggs (lightly beaten)
• 250ml milk ( I used low-fat, as usual)
• 265g self-raising flour (actually finishing the going to expire stock)
• 150g of tinned peaches (chopped coarsely)
• 100g of fresh strawberries (chopped coarsely)
• 1 teaspoonful of vanilla essence

Method :

1. Preheat your oven at 170C for 15 minutes.
2. Next, mix flour and sugar in a bowl and keep aside.
3. In another  bowl, whisk eggs, milk and melted butter till creamy. Next, pour into the bowl with the flour and sugar mixture and mix gently.
4. Pour in the chopped fruits and fold until they just mix with the batter.
5. Spoon into muffin cups. I used the cups in the photo and I managed to get 20 muffins.
6. Bake at 170C for 20 minutes.
7. Serve warm with your favourite tea.

 

Satisfyingly Recharged!

On mundane mornings, I resort to muffins to boost up my spirit. When I crave for some fruity goodness, my muffins come to the rescue. After one (or two) pieces, I’m ready to face the world. Just a friendly reminder to all muffin lovers out there.  Always have your muffins fresh from the oven for a total breakfast pleasure.

Although chocolate chip muffins remain the kids’ favourite and  I bake according to their request, I still cater for my preferred choice.  I usually bake my muffins using whatever fruits available in the fridge. Yesterday morning, I noticed two Granny Smiths apples (and God knows how long the apples have been there) in the fruit compartment. Initially, I wanted to have some apple puffs but knowing that I hadn’t thawed my puff pastry, I had to forgo the idea. Then I remembered a packet of dried roselle fruits given by one of my colleagues from school and hey presto! My experiment had produced the fruity goodness shown in the photos below.

GREEN APPLE AND DRIED ROSELLE MUFFINS

SIMPLY SATISFYING

CAN YOU SEE THOSE APPLE AND ROSELLE PIECES? AFTER A PIECE OR TWO, I AM FULLY RECHARGED!

To prepare these yummy pieces, all you need are :

• 2 Granny Smith apples (peeled, cored and chopped into medium-size chunks)
• 60g of dried roselle fruit (chopped coarsely)
• 265g plain flour
• 1 tablespoonful of baking powder
• 125g of caster sugar
• 250ml of milk (I used low fat)
• 115g of unsalted butter (melted)
• 2 eggs (lightly beaten)
• 1 teaspoonful of vanilla

As you are pacing your way to a yummy breakfast meal, you have to :

1. Preheat your oven at 170C for 15 minutes.
2. Mix well sugar, flour and baking powder in a bowl using a wooden spoon and keep aside.
3. Whisk eggs till frothy. Then, pour in milk, vanilla essence and melted butter and continue whisking until mixture is well-mixed.
4. Pour in the dry ingredients into the bowl containing the liquid mixture.
5. Put in both types of fruits.
6. Fold the batter gently till well-mixed. Do not overmix or your muffins won’t turn fluffy.
7. Spoon into muffin cups or muffin tray lined with paper cups.
8. Bake at 170C for 20 minutes.
9. Once cooked, take out from the oven and let to rest for 5 minutes.
10. It’s time for a wonderful morning!

 

It Might Not be A Bliss After All

I have to admit that this afternoon was kind of ‘colourful’  in its own way. As I was getting ready to go to school, my helper told me that she couldn’t iron my tudung because the electricity was out all of  a sudden. I told her it was okay and as I put on my creased tudung, I had already thought of bringing my iron to school. Better still, try to talk to one of the Living Skills  teachers to let me use the Home Science room. Little did I realise that what awaited me was more serious than an piece of crumpled cloth.

As I brought my bags to be loaded into the car boot, I couldn’t help but notice the gates and I was dumbfounded! How am I going to drive the car out if  I can’t open the gates which need electricity to function? Trying to keep calm, I made a call to Mr KHz, with high hopes that the key for manual opening is somewhere in the house. My hopes shattered when he told me that only he and my father-in-law has a key each and they were both at the office. I had expected him to be annoyed but he told me to wait. Initially, I had planned to call a taxi, which means, Atush has to skip school for the day but since Mr KHz had instructed me to stay put, so I followed his instructions. It was panic and amusing at the same time for I had never been in this situation. School was going to start soon and Tuesdays are one of my hectic days! Silently, I told myself that have to be more cautious in the future and be prepared of any emergencies. In my case, the sweet, taken for granted taste of modernisation had actually spat some of its bitter juice onto my forgetful self.

Ten minutes before Mr KHz arrived, my helper told me that the electricity was back! The moment he arrived, I believe he had guessed it for he saw my crease-free tudung. Judging from his look, I know he’s very, very angry! What else could I do besides saying sorry for troubling him and of course, thanking him for coming to my rescue..tee, hee, hee. Well, one thing that Mr KHz didn’t know was, while waiting for his arrival, I had enjoyed my share of  the beauties in the photos below in between my panic and amusing moment! I feel that I have to let you know that I considered them as lucky ones for I managed to bake them, half an hour before the electricity went ‘missing’!

DOUBLE BERRY MUFFINS

AN ATTEMPT TO FINISH UP THE STOCK ENDED UP AS MY SAVIOUR

I have used Fergal Conolly’s Blueberry Muffin recipe, from her book, 500 Muffins and Cupcakes but of course, with some amendments.

Ingredients :

• 115g of unsalted butter (melted)
• 150g of caster sugar (I used vanilla sugar)
• 265g of flour
• 1 tablespoonful of  baking powder
• 1 teaspoonful of vanilla essence
• 1 tablespoonful of lemon rind ( I replace it with 1 tablespoonful of lemon juice)
• 2 eggs (lightly beaten)
• 225ml of milk
• 250g of fresh blueberries (I used 125g of fresh blueberries and 100g of dried strawberries)
• 12 large paper cup casings (I used 2and 1/2 quart paper cup casings and I managed to get 18 pieces of muffins)

Method :

1. Preheat your oven at 200C (I set mine at 170C).
2. In a bowl, mix sugar, flour and baking powder using a wooden spoon and keep aside.
3. Using an electric mixer, beat melted butter, eggs till well-mixed. Put in the lemon rind and vanilla essence and mix again.
4. Pour the liquid mixture into the flour mixture and put in both berries and fold the batter. Do not over mix.
5. Line your muffin tin with paper cup casings and spoon the batter.
6. Bake for 20 minutes or till golden brown. To test, insert a skewer into your muffins and if it comes out clean, then your muffins are ready.
7. Serve with a warm cup of tea.

 

Another Puffn Muffin Recipe

Hi folks! In this entry, I would like to share a simple muffin recipe, which I think, is taken from at MyResipi.com. but as usual, freely ammended by, yours truly. I made these muffins after realizing that there was a packet of fresh blueberries which I bought last week. Yup! That’s me. Love to spend my money on numerous ingredients but always forget to figure out what to do with them. Luckily these blueberries were still okay. Why don’t you try baking these babies. They will surely brighten up your morning!

BLUEBERRY MUFFINS

Ingredients:

1 and 1/2 cups self-raising flour

1/2 cup caster sugar

1/3 cup vegetable oil

1/2 cup low-fat milk

1 Grade C egg

1/4 cup low-fat yoghurt

150g fresh blueberries

paper cups

Method:

• Preheat your oven at 170C.
• In a big mixing bowl, put the sugar, egg, oil and milk and stir till well-mixed.
• Next, using a spatula, fold in the flour.
• Put the mixture into a piping bag and pipe into paper cups. I used 16 -20z-size paper cups.
• Then, put in the blueberries into the cups.
• Bake for 25 minutes till a skewer inserted into your muffins comes out clean.
• Enjoy!

Note: These muffins keep well in an airtight container in the fridge. What I usually do is, reheating them in the microwave oven for a scrumptious breakfast served with tea.

 

Another Puffin Muffin Story

It’s me again. Have something to share with those who do read this blog. Went down to the kitchen quite late this morning so had to cancel the initial plan to bake the potato bread for I was running late for school. Don’t get me wrong. I’m not that dedicated, especially during school holidays. I was called to settle some matters (and to hand in the very long due prefectorial board file..hahaha). To replace the potato bread, I whipped up these blueberry muffins for it only took me half and hour to get them ready from the bowl to the table. I followed a recipe by Jacky@allrecipes.com but I had replaced some ingredients and ammended some of the measurements in the initial recipe. Here’s the recipe if you wish to try.

BLUEBERRY YOGHURT MUFFINS

• 250g plain flour
• 175g caster sugar
• 1 tsp soda bicarbonate
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 250g blueberry flavoured yoghurt
• 1 egg
• 4 tbsp corn oil ( the original recipe used melted butter)
• 125g fresh blueberries

Method:

1. Preheat your oven at 175C. If you are using an oven with a fan, lower the temperature to 160C.
2. Sieve together flour, soda bicarbonate and baking powder. Keep aside.
3. In another bowl, combine sugar, yoghurt, egg and oil and mix well. Pour in the sieved ingredients and blueberries. Using a spatula, fold in the mixture slowly. Your mixture should be lumpy.
4. Spoon the mixture into paper cups (I used 20 2 1/4 quart muffin cups) and bake for 20-25 minutes until golden brown.
5. You can now enjoy your muffin(s) with a nice cup of tea!

 

Do you know the muffin man, the muffin man, the muffin man…

Still remember those lines from the nursery rhyme? No? Let me refresh your memory.

Do you know the muffin man,

The muffin man, the muffin man,

Do you know the muffin man,

Who lives down Drury Lane.

This entry is about the muffins that I prepared for DikWi’s son, Azfar’s, Canteen Day. Wi, if you are reading, thanks for the trust. Initially, I wasn’t really sure whether my homemade muffins can be sold but when my dear friend, Dikwi mentioned that it’s going to be part of Azfar’s school charity programme, I agreed to prepare these muffins. Here are the photos. Will enclose the recipes later because it’s getting late and I need to be in school as early as 7 a.m. tomorrow morning!

MINI CHOCOLATE CHIP MUFFINS

MINI STRAWBERRY CHIP MUFFIN

Here’s the recipe. These muffins are worth a try!

• 200 g plain flour
• 160g unsalted butter
• 120g brown sugar
• 100g chocolate chips
• 20g/ 4 tsp cocoa powder
• 20g/ 4 tsp baking powder
• 140 fresh milk
• 1 egg (well-beaten)

Method:

• Preheat your oven at 180C.
• Sieve together flour, butter, baking powder and cocoa powder. Keep aside.
• Beat the butter and brown sugar until fluffy.
• Put in sieved ingredients and egg. Mix well.
• Pour in the milk and chcolate chips amd mix again.
• Arrange paper cups into a muffin mould.
• Pour mixture into paper cups and bake at at 180C for 15-20 minutes.
• Let cool and serve.

* To make the strawberry version, replace chocolate chips with strawberry chips. Replace cocoa powder with 1/2 tsp of strawberry essence and a few drops of pink food colouring. Sprinkle sugar hearts on top before baking.