Sunday, July 30, 2006
Mmm, c'est trop bon - Muffins aux pépites de chocolat
[Yum, it's so delicious - Chocolate chip muffins]
Today I have a confession to make.
I
did say that
ChocolateChocolate wasn't that good because
I
did think that there were too many similar recipes; making the reading a bit confusing but
I
did buy it and
I
did like the cover, design, writing and pictures but
I
did still think there were far too many junk chocolate added to the cakes and bars then
I
did make one recipe and another
And now I
do love this book.
The recipes are trustful. You can't go wrong: well explained, accurate measurements (even if it's in cups and spoons).
This book is now a favourite although I won't try all the recipes (especially the ones with chopped chocolate bars added or the ones loaded with shredded coconut).
To tell the truth, I was still unsure about my book choice when I received the book from amazon, but when I made the
flourless bittersweet chocolate cake I slightly changed my mind. Maybe it wasn't as bad.
Though the true révélation was when I made the
chocolate chip muffins. A pure killer recipe.
Chocolate chip muffins are the type of food I wouldn't eat as a child. I would always go for
madeleines and
sablés, but certainly not for muffins – not enough fashionable at that time to be sold in France.
Now I crave muffins – not as big as a piece of cake but equally delicious (to say the least).
Though I'm always scared when buying a muffin – it is going to be too dry or too cakey?
With Lisa's muffins, you really don't have to worry. They're perfect.
Giant chocolate chip muffinsThese muffins are just delicious. The crumb is fine and light and you have chocolate chips at each bite.
They keep well for 3 days – though I love them still warm from the oven, but the big bonus is that you can freeze them baked for up to a month!Chocolate chip muffins
makes 14
2 cups flour
2 1/4 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
2 cups chocolate chip (or a mixture of dark chocolate chips and milk chocolate chips)
160g butter, softened
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup light brown sugar
2 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
3 large eggs
250ml milk
Preheat the oven to 190°C.
Sift the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt into a bowl. In another bowl, toss the chocolate chips with 1 tablespoon of the flour mixture.
Cream the butter with an electric mixer on medium speed for 3 minutes. Add the granulate sugar and beat for 2 minutes; add the light brown sugar and beat for a further 2 minutes. Mix in the vanilla extract and beat in the eggs, one at a time.
Still beating – on low speed – alternately add the flour mixture (in 3 times) and the milk (in 2 times).
Stir in the chocolate chip and divide the batter between 14 muffin cups.
Bake in the preheated oven for 30 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the centre of a muffin comes out clean.
Place the muffin pan onto a wire rack and allow to cool for 20 minutes. Then remove the muffins from the pan and serve.
PS. Congrats to Sam that got oven 2000$ of pledges!
'Now Sam you can relax and have bite' says Lapinou...
Labels: chocolate, cupcakes and muffins, favourites, recipe inside
Tuesday, February 07, 2006
Soothing London - the last days - Cupcakes and roast chicken
Back from London, I can't remember much of the last few days apart from the fact that they might have been the most relaxing and enjoyable days in my life.
D. and I just stayed in Kingston and went to London once again. It was
so cosy.
I baked my (not really) first ever cupcakes from
the book I had recently purchased and they were a hit.
And we really enjoyed the German chocolate cupcakes along with a cup a hot chocolate (for me) or strong espresso (for D.).
Easy-mix yellow cupcakes with cream cheese frostingMakes 12 cupcakes
This recipe you can achieve the perfect-simple cupcake in a minute. All you have to do is mix the liquid ingredients into the dry ones.
So easy but oh so good!
The cream cheese frosting has the right consistency to be piped and is delicious (you must lick the spoon…).For the cupcakes1 ¼ cups plain flour
½ tsp baking powder
¼ tsp baking soda
¼ tsp salt
1 large egg
1 large egg yolk
1 cup corn oil
1 tsp vanilla extract
½ cup sour cream
For the frosting½ cup (100g) unsalted butter, at room temperature
6 ounces (170g) cream cheese
1 tsp vanilla extract
3 cups icing sugar
To make the cupcakesPreheat the oven to 350°F-180°C.
Line a 12-bun muffin tin with muffin cases.
Sift the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt into a medium bowl and set aside.
In a large bowl, beat the egg and yolk and sugar until thickened and lightened to a cream colour (fanny : I did that by hand and it took only 5 minutes, maybe even less).
Mix in the oil and vanilla until blended. Mix in the sour cream until no white streaks remain. Mix in the flour mixture until it is incorporated and the batter is smooth.
Fill the tins with the batter and bake for 23 minutes.
Allow the cupcakes to cool on their tin for 10 minutes, then unmould and place the cupcakes on a wire rack until completely cooled.
To make the frostingIn a large bowl, beat the butter, cream cheese and vanilla extract until smooth and thoroughly blended. Add the icing sugar, mixing until smooth.
The frosting is ready to use.
German chocolate cupcakesMakes 12 cupcakes
Ever since I saw German chocolate cupcakes on the cupcake bake shop, I have been desperate to make some myself.
So when I spotted this recipe I could only make it.
The cupcakes are moist and delicious.
Though, I didn't make the frosting that was given in the recipe but simply made a chocolate cream cheese frosting by replacing some of the icing sugar by cocoa powder.easy-mix yellow cupcake batter (above)
¼ cup heavy cream
2/3 tbsp unsalted butter at room temperature
3 ounces (85g) semisweet chocolate
1/6 tsp vanilla extract
Preheat the oven to 350°F-180°C.
Line a 12-bun muffin tin with muffin cases.
In a medium sauce pan heat the cream and butter over low heat until the butter has melted.
Remove the pan from the heat; add the chopped chocolate and let sit for 30 seconds to soften.
Add the vanilla and whisk the sauce until it is smooth and all the chocolate has melted.
Pour this sauce over the easy-mix yellow cupcake batter and mix until no light streaks remain.
Fill each paper liner with the batter and bake for 23 minutes.
Allow the cupcakes to cool on their tin for 10 minutes, then unmould and place the cupcakes on a wire rack until completely cooled.
I also remember making a
roast chicken with all the trimmings for supper. It was so delicious.
Actually I have a great and unique way to cook the chicken that makes it tender and tasty.
With it we had the
best roast potatoes ever; which I make using new potatoes. I know it's not usual, but I love the way the potatoes get so crispy outside and so soft-mashed inside. A pure delight! And I must talk about the
Yorkshire puddings, my favourite dish ever. I love them big and golden; served just out from the oven with a good splash of gravy.
This is the end of my (short) trip to the UK. I hope I will be able to go back there soon.
Labels: chocolate, cupcakes and muffins, make a meal of it, recipe inside, sweet places
Sunday, December 04, 2005
Cooking solutions for busy students - Delicious ONE minute molten chocolate muffins
I am a busy student, but i like to eat fresh food and not ready-made-full-of-fat food. Am i the only one? I guess not.
So here i am starting a new series for busy people who don't have time to cook but love to eat good food.
I had this idea about a month ago because of two people i deeply love :
1. David, my lovely boyfriend always asks me for some quick but good thing to cook. Recently he made super-easy vol-au-vent and the post is on its way.
2. Anna-Sarah, a great friend of mine that i can't see often anymore but still adores her. Last week or so she told me she was going to eat (shall i tell you or not?) canned chili con carne (i'm not blamming her at all as it really proves WE don't have time to cook - i even eat ready cooked chicken wings...).
So now let's come to today's solution.
I have been craving for moist chocolate cakes for weeks, but sadly i don't have an oven so i thought "no baking till xmas...".
But then i recalled that carrot cake recipe that must be made in a microwave. And thought : if a carrot cake can be made in a microwave, why other cakes couldn't.
And i thought of that recipe Nigella gave for a "seven minute steamed chocolate pudding" in How to Eat. I tried it and throw it to the bin. It was dry and not chocolatey enough.
But today i decided all cakes can be made in a microwave so i tried Nigella's Molten chocolate baby cakes from How to be a domestic goddess and the result was just stunning!
I baked them in muffin paper cases to prevent them from sticking as i noticed that microwave cooked cakes tends to stick.
Just a short note : don't bake the muffins in classic muffin tins as they rise (even if they don't have any baking powder in the dough).
I advise you to put the mufin liners in mugs and then to fill them to the top of the muffin cases.
Then cook for just ONE minute and that's it. Delicious ONE minute molten chocolate muffinsmakes 8 to 10 muffins
80g soft unsalted butter (fanny: the recipe uses 50g but as microwave ovens tends to dry the food, i think that a little more fat helps the muffins staying moist)
350g best dark chocolate
150g caster sugar
4 large eggs
50g plain flour (fanny: i used a little more - 70g)
Melt the chocolate in the microwave and set aside.
Cream the butter and sugar (tip: if your butter isn't soft enough, a quick turn in the micrwave does miracles). Then add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Now add the flour and when all is smoothly combined scrape in the cooled chocolate, blending it to a smooth batter.
Divide between the 8 muffin cases each in one mug and put in the microwave.
"Bake" for one minute on high.
Labels: chocolate, cupcakes and muffins, recipe inside
Monday, October 17, 2005
Chocolate-cherry cupcakes
3 reasons why i made these :- when i go to U.K., one of my greatest pleasure is to visit the local supermarket. I know it may seem strange and i can already hear you saying "poor girl, she buys things in a supermarket", but in british supermarkets i can find little treasures like cream of tartar, ready made royal icing, dried/frozen/fresh cranberries, esay action yeast and natural glacé cherries. So when i went to Kingston in May i went to my beloved Waitrose located in John Lewis (another English great thing - department stores) and got out of there my arm full of goodies; including natural glacé cherries (produced in France, but i can't find them over there !!!). So i put these english gems in my cupboard and have to admit i almost forgot them. But here they are and really have to be used before feb 06.
- since i've discovered
chocklit wonderful blog about cupcakes i decided i could make cupcakes - they're so nice, beautiful and easy to make and eat. I've litteraly been dreaming about cupcakes over the last few days...
- i've made a list of recipe from How to be a Domestic Goddess to make and those chocolate- cherry cupcakes were part of that list.
Chocolate cherry cupcakes (from HTBADG, page 196)I used a
griotte jam (
griotte is a kind of small and very perfumed cherries) instead of morello cherry jam. And i replaced the self-raising flour by 150g plain flour (tipo 00) and 1 1/2 tsp baking powder - i can say i was inspired by chocklit experience for red velvet cupcakes.
These cupcakes rose beautifully and as Nigella i love their dark, glossy elegance. I can't say you really taste the cherry in the cupcake, but you definitely feel a hint of sweetness/bitterness given by the cherries.
Labels: chocolate, cupcakes and muffins
