Strawberry Banana and Milk Choc Chip Muffins

I also baked these to take to the baby shower, another new recipe that i've eyed up to test out - which i very much enjoyed making.

I thought this recipe is a bit interesting, because would never even thought of combining bananas and strawberries together.  Being abit random at times, it thought the recipe reminded of me - and strawberries is my favourite fruit ever - so went ahead to try it out.

Mashed, chopped, stirred - and ready to be in the oven

First taste tester

Look on the inside

Baked and cooling off

With the hint of cinnamon, this little muffin is definitely goes well with a good coffee of your choice, mine would be a battle between a Vanilla Latte or a Caffe Mocha.. hmmm (is it time for a starbucks calling?)

Recipe taken from Joy of Baking, i have adapted it slightly by adding some milk choc chip just to balance out all the fruit :)

Make 12

Ingredients:

1 Cup/113g Unsalted butter, melted
3/4Cup/ 160g Light brown sugar
2 Large egges, lightly beaten
1tspn Pure Vanilla Extract
2 Large Ripe Bananas, mashed (about 1 cup)
1Cup/240ml fresh Strawberries - cut into bite-sized pieces
2.25Cup/295g Plain Flour
1.5tspns Baking Powder
1/4tspn Bicarbonate of soda
1tspn ground cinnamon
1/2tspn Salt

Method

1)Preheat oven to 180C/350F. Position rack in centre of oven. Line your tin with paper cases, set aside.
2)In a small saucepan melt the butter. Set aside
3)In a medium-sized bowl whisk together the brown sugar, eggs, vanilla extract and mashed banana. Add the melted butter to the brown sugar mixture and stir to combine.
4)In another large bowl combine the flour, baking powder, bicarbornate of soda, cinnamon, and salt. Gently FOLD in the berries. making sure they are coated with flour. This helps to prevent the berries from sinking during baking. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and stir only until the ingredients are just combined. Do not overmix the batter or tough muffins will result.
5)Divide the batter evenly amon the cupcake cases, using two spoons. Place in the oven and bake until a tester inserted in the centre of a cupcake comes out clean, 20 to 25mins. Transfer to a wire rack to cool.

Boxed up - ready to party!

Happy Baking!

Blueberry and Lemon Polenta Cupcakes

Its been a fabulous day today, lovely sunshine, and perfect for go out meeting up with some lovelies.
I had the pleasure to go to a surprise baby shower and had such a good time chatting with everyone.

When i was asked to do some baking, i was soo delighted, because being eyeing up a couple of recipes that i want to try out.  So i was more than happy to flex my arms out and experiment in my kitchen.

I have chosen to bake Blueberry & Lemon cupcakes taken from 'Cupcakes' by Susannah Blake. It caught my eye because this cake is abit unconventional, where you use golden polenta which is corn meal powder which is very popular in Italian food.  Because i personally like cakes that are light and fluffy and not too sweet - so finding out this just stirred my curiosity to try this recipe out.

Here are some pics of my late night baking:

Blueberries sinking into the mixture - and ready to be in the oven

This little one is my first taste tester

Just to show everyone how fluffy it came out :)

All baked now being to cool off

And i am not disappointed, once baked because of the golden polenta, the cake have a natural golden colouring, when bite into it its crispy outside, but very moist inside. Then with the tangy juicy burst from the blueberries and the cream cheese with a hint of lemon just make you feel in heaven.  Goes well with nice cuppa tea.
 I am particular pleased when i finished it off this morning with the cream frosting, and when i add the blueberries as a topping then sprinkle whats left of my grated lemon zest - it just look soo colourful and really matching to a sunny day. 

Lemony Cream Cheese frosting &  a blueberry topper

Sprinkle of lemon zest - voila! ready for party!

 I had such good feedback from everyone, that i'm all hooked out looking for cakes that uses polenta :) and bigger nudge to look for more unusual cupcake recipes to try out in the future. 

Make approx 10

Ingredients:

Cake
50g Golden Polenta
40g Plain Flour
1tspn Baking powder
1Tbspn Creme Fraiche
1.5Tbspn Sunflower Oil
grated zest of 1 Lemon
1Tbspn Lemon Juice
1 Egg
50g Caster Sugar
60g Fresh Blueberries

Frosting
150g Light Cream Cheese
100g Icing Sugar, sifted
1/2 tspn grated lemon zest
1Tbspn Lemon Juice
60g fresh Blueberries
strip of lemon zest

Method:

1) Preheat the oven to 180F (350F), then line the cupcake tin with paper cases.
2)Combine the polenta, flour and baking powder in a bowl, then set aside.  Beat the creme fraiche, oil, lemon zest and juice together in a jug, then set aside.
3)In a separate bowl, whisk the egg and sugar together for about 4 minutes until thick and pale, then add the lemon mixture and fold in. Sift the polenta mixture over the top and fold in to combine.
4)Spoon the mixture into the paper cases, then drop about 4 blueberries on top of each one, gently pressing them into the mixture. Bake for 15-16 minutes until risen and golden and s skewer inserted in the centre comes out clean. Transfer to a wire rack to cool.
5)To decorate, beat the cream cheese in a bowl until creamy, then beat in the icing sugar, lemon zest and lemon juice. Swirl big dollops of frosting on top of the cakes and decorate with fresh blueberries and strips of lemon zest.

Tip:
I baked the cupcake buns the night before, then in the morning finished off with the cream cheese frosting, that would make it really fresh, and wont get the sticky frosting going everywhere, and looking fabulous!

Happy Baking!

Afternoon fun - cupcake decorating.

Few months back i have treated myself to a groupon voucher to cupcake decorating class. I only enrolled because when i looked at where the class is held, at a local church where my secondary school held our christmas performance and i was part of the orchestra - anyway basically 10mins walk from my parents.

I have been really looking forward to today for a couple of hours of fun.  The class is run by Virginia from Angel Cakes. It was a very relaxing afternoon, and got to see a lot different techniques in making a plain cupcake to look really pretty, as well sharing her top tips to improve our baking at home.

Here are my creations, i was pretty pleased with the results, but being ever so critical of myself, i know i need to go home and practice. Mr C - will be in danger for being my guinea pig the next few months ;p  hahaha

After class, back home to show off to my parents - but like always... they dont seem quite that impressed, only my grandma always give me good praise, and got her 100 fun (100/100 - i grew up with my grandma scoring wotever i do, and if i get 'wea-lie gud -yat bat fun' means i done really good haha)

Hope everyone had a great sunday :)

Learning how to make Tiramisu

Today, i am going for a treat! My parents have arranged to meet with an auntie mrs cheung (dad friend's wife) who is brilliant in making cakes, my mum know i like making sweets, so was very enthusiastic for me to meet her.  So having the pleasure in having some really good dimsums with my parents, then get to go to her place and  learn how to make Tiramisu.

It is definitely, one of the richest tiramisu i ever eaten, and it is a adult dessert with kahlua, amaretto as well as brandy used to soak the sponge fingers.  Unfortunately, i dont have the exact recipe, but i do remember all the ingredients used, but will need to work out whats best for a smaller scale..... this auntie made loads.... 8 packs of mascapone cheese!!

I would like to say a big thank you to this auntie mrs cheung, and all family who keep bringing me nibbles.  ;)

Spicy Sichuan Aubergine Pork

When food shopping this week, i picked up vegetables that i dont normally have, because Mr C would and will not have.  Aubergine is one of them, and like a rebel child i was pretty excited eating it tonight.

Spicy Sichuan aubergine pork aka Yu-heng ker tsi, is a very popular dish and if you go to a chinese restaurant it is often served in a claypot.  Yu-heng mean fish fragant, but it really does not have any fish in it, i still wonder why, a question i need to ask my dad one day.   Because it is spicy, this dish is perfect in the winter... but one a grey and wet day......typical british summer, i needed some spice to perk me up. 

Recipe taken from Chinese Food Made Easy by Ching-He Huang.

I showed my dad of this blog and showed him this, and he did said although it is okay without the salty fish, but without the salty fish its not really fish fragrant - so he told me next time just add like 1-2 tspn of salty fish and let it stew abit to get that fishiness.  Thanks dad for the tip (he was in a really good mood. )

Ingredients

3 Tbspn Groundnut Oil
1 Aubergine/Eggplant, halved lengthways and then cut in cubes
2 clove of Garlic, finely chopped
1 medium red chilli, deseeded, and finely chopped
1 Tbspn freshly grated root ginger
200grm Minced Pork
1Tbspn Shaosing rice wine/dry sherry
2Tbspn Chilli Bean Sauce
200ml hot chicken stock
1Tbspn Rice Vinegar/cider vinegar
1tspn Sesame Oil
2 large spring onions, chopped
1Tbspn of cornflour blended with 2Tbspn cold water

Method:

1) Heat a wok over a high heat and add 2 tablespoons of groundnut oil. Add the aubergine and a few splashes of water to create some steam and fry until the aubergine is softend and golden on the outside. Transfer to a plate and put to one side.
2)Wipe the wok, reheat, and add 1 tablespoon of groundnut oil. Stir-fry the garlic, chilli and ginger for a few seconds, then add the minced pork. Stir-fry 1 minute, then add the rice wine or sherry. Cook until the meat is browned then add the vinegar, chilli bean sauce and stock. Return the aubergines to the wok.
3)Season with the vinegar and sesame oil and bring to boil. Stir-fry in the spring onions. Add the blended cornflour and stir to thicken. Serve immediately.


Note:
I personally cant eat too spicy food, so when i cook spicy food i lower a notch so i can handle it, which this time i add 2 pinches of brown sugar.
I also cook what i have, so this time i didnt have fresh red chilli, so sprinkle a little chilli flakes

Happy Cooking!

Sweet and Sour Fish

Recently, whenever i eat out with my parents, we often order sweet and sour fish for our grandma, soft enough for her to chew and great flavour, which is a big hit for all ages. 
I must admit sweet and sour is not my favourite choice of sauce, but now and again when its on the table... its really is tasty!
I also think its a perfect thing to have on a summery day, and something different on the menu. So asked my mum how to make it, and here i tried to recreate it.

Finally mastered and look like something you find in a chinese take-away.

2-4 cups Veg Oil for deep frying
1lb/450g Fish Fillet (cod, haddock)
1 Tbspn Ginger, finely chopped
2 Onion, chopped
1 cup Mixed Peppers, chopped
4oz Mangetout (optional - blanch in hot water for a couple mins, then plunge in cold water)
half of tin pineapple, chopped

Marinade:
1 tspn salt
1 Large egg white
1 Tbspn cornflour

Sauce:
1 Cup Chicken Stock
1Tbspn Light soy sauce
1Tbspn Chinese rice wine or dry sherry
2Tbspn Tomato paste (i used tomato ketchup)
3Tbspn Rice vinegar
3Tbspn Granulated sugar
1Tbspn Cornflour mixed with 2Tbspn water

Method:

1) Rinse the fish fillets and pat dry. Cut into 2inch sqaures. Add the fish to the marinade ingredients, using a pair of chopsticks to mix in the ingredients and adding the cornflour last. Marinate the fish for at least 15 minutes.
2) While the fish is marinating, prepare the sauce and vegetables. In a small bowl, mix together the chicken broth, soy sauce, rice wine, tomato ketchup, vinegar and sugar. In a separate small bowl, dissolve the cornflour in the water.
3) Heat the oil very hot in a wok, then gentlely add the marinated fish cubes, and let it deep-fry until they are golden brown. Repeat it a few times, if you got quite alot of fish, because dont want stick together. Remove and drain on paper towels.

4) Drain oil through a sieve into a bowl, then add 2 tablespoon of oil into the wok. Add the ginger, onions and stir-fry for 1 minutes. Add the mixed peppers, mangetout, pineapple chunks and stir-fry for a further minute.
5) Add the bowl of mixure of sauce, and let it mix well with the vegetables. Add the fish, and mix well for a couple of minutes and ready to serve.

Tip:
Open your windows, and turn on your extractor fan, and maybe close your kitchen door so dont set the smoke alarm, when deep-fry.

This was my first attempt, practice makes perfect, and cook quicker.

Happy Cooking!