Random Night of Baking

On a random mood, I tried my hands this time on Banana Muffin by Mad Baker and Marble Muffin from Aunty Yochana's other than brownies.

Some deviation from the recipe.

Point 1: I did not melt the butter, but left it to softened under room temperature.

Point 2: I beat the wet ingredients in the mixer to the point that mashed banana seemed to dissolve.

I thought I did not used enough milk as the batter seemed more dry like dough. So I decided to have a trial test by baking 4 muffins.

Indeed! The muffins didn't rise and the top cracked.

I thought I added a little more milk and topped with choc chips before baking the rest.

It didn't look much different from the 1st trial. So I baked Choc Brownie Cupcakes to make up for the failure.

Choc Brownie Cupcakes

Marble Muffins

It is hard and texture similar to a scone.

Banana Muffins

I only tried it on a Saturday morning, after Pig Head exclaimed on it being more of a banana cake than muffin.

It tasted so soft like a cake along with the banana fragrance. I finished it at 2 go!

Here're the recipes for the 2 muffins.

Banana Muffin by Mad Baker

Ingredients
2 cups plain flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon (optional)
4 ripe bananas, mashed
2/3 cup granulated sugar
1 egg & 1 egg yolk, lightly beaten
1/2 cup butter, melted
1/3 cup coarsely chopped walnuts (optional)

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 190 degrees C. Line a 12 cup muffin tray with muffin cups or grease lightly with butter.
2. Sift the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and cinnamon into a large bowl.
3. In another bowl, beat the mashed bananas, sugar, eggs and melted butter together.
4. Stir the banana mixture and walnuts into the flour mixture until just combined.
5. Divide the batter into the muffin tray.6. Bake in preheated oven on the middle rack for 20 minutes or until golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the centre of a muffin comes out clean.

Marble Muffins by Aunty Yochana

Ingredients:

480 gm. Cake flour
300 gm. fresh milk
330 gm. sugar
230 gm. Butter
5 eggs
30 gm. Baking powder
30 gm. cocoa powder

60 gm. chocolate chip for sprinkling on top.

Method:

1. Cream butter and sugar till pale and creamy.
2. Add in eggs into the butter mixture, making sure that they blended before the next addition.
3. Add in flour,baking powder and milk into the butter mixture.
4. Scoop out about 300 gm. batter and stir in cocoa powder.
5. Pour the cocoa mixture into the plain mixture and lightly mix them to make a marble effect look.
6. Scoop mixture into paper cups, sprinkle chocolate chips on top.
7. Bake at 180C for about 25 to 30 mins. or till cooked.

Big Bird's Birthday Choc Brownie Cupcakes

I came upon this brownie recipe when I was looking through the magazine clippings I collected in a file. I baked them one night and brought to office without taste-test it. The brownies were really chocolaty! It's nicer if you were to warm it for about 2-3mins before serving it right to your mouth! And my colleagues love them of course!
Since I decided to bake cakes for my lovely colleagues starting this yr (2008), Big Bird was the 1st to receive 23 brownies for his birthday.

The thick brownie mixture before pouring into the muffin cake pan.

I poured more than 2/3 full to achieve a bigger brownie.

I love the round dome shape.

I used this Royal icing, using egg whites, from Joy of BAKING. I also added red colouring to the icing. It turned out to be a really cool pink icing!

Cool the brownies before applying the icing.

I practically slapped the icing on top, the way Nigella did.

Sprinkle some rainbow-coloured bits before the icing is set.

Viola! 23 brownies for a 24yr old BB (Big Bird). The batter wasn't enough for 24 as I wanted.

Chocolate Brownie Cakes with Blueberry Chocolate Sauce

Source: New Zealand Woman's Weekly

250g butter
1/2 cup cocoa
100g dark chocolate
1 1/4 cups sugar (I use granulated sugar)
4 eggs
2 tsps vanilla essence
1 1/4 cups flour
1 tsp baking powder

Place butter, cocoa and chocolate in a large saucepan. Melt over a medium heat.
Stir in sugar. Allow to cool.
Beat in eggs and vanilla. Shift over flour and baking powder and combine well.
Pour into 12 muffin-cup-lined muffin pans.
Bake at 180 degrees C for 12 mins. (It took me more than 12 mins, almost double the time stated)
Serve cakes warm with blueberry and chocolate sauce.

Blueberry and Chocolate Sauce

100g dark chocolate
250g blueberries
1/2 cup sugar
2 tbsps cocoa
1 tbsp custard powder
1/2 cup milk

Break up chocolate.
Place blueberries in a saucepan with chocolate, sugar, cocoa, custard powder and milk.
Stir over a low heat until chocolate melts and sauce thickens.

Special note:I find the Royal Icing's taste kinda weird, and the powdery taste as well. Do try and let me know if you feel the same too.