Browned Butter Brownies

Here is another recipe I stumbled upon, and loved. Enjoy! 😀

Ingredients:
3/4 cup butter
1 1/4 cups sugar
3/4 cup cocoa
1 tsp vanilla
1/4 tsp salt
2 large eggs
1/3 cup plus 1 tablespoon unbleached all purpose flour
1/2 cup chopped walnuts or pecans (optional)

Microwave Double Chocolate Malt Brownies

Chocolate-craving? These Double Chocolate Malt Brownies are not only insanely easy and quick, but also just as insanely delicious! Add a new twist to those brownies you’re thinking to make!

Ingredients:

1 cup malted milk powder (I used Nestle Milo)

1 cup chocolate chunks

1 cup sugar

1/2 cup melted butter

2 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla essence

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 cup cocoa

White Chocolate Brownies

Ingredients

1 ½ cups melted but
3 cups granulated sugar
1 tbsp. real vanilla extract
2 tbsp. almond extract
2 tsp. butter flavoring
1 tbsp. chocolate extract
5 eggs
¾ cup Hershey’s chocolate syrup
2 cups all-purpose flour 
⅔ cup cocoa powder
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt
12-oz. pkg. white chocolate chips, divided use
½ cup powdered sugar
1 tbsp. milk

Easy Red Velvet Fairy Cakes

vHow many times have you goggled at those delicous-looking Red Velvet Cupcakes in the bakery window? Don’t worry anymore! Try out this easy recipe for red velvet fairy cakes!

 Makes: 20-25 Fairy Cakes

Ingredients:

110g self-raising flour

110g butter (at room temperature)

110g caster sugar

1 tbsp cocoa powder

2 eggs

2 tsp red food colouring 

½ tsp vanilla extract

1. Sift the flour and cocoa into a bowl and add the rest of the ingredients. Use an electric whisk, (very slowly to start with to avoid flour in your hair and up your nose), then increase the speed and mix all the ingredients together until soft and fluffy.

2. Fill each of the cake cases just over half way. Cook for 10 minutes or until the cake springs back when you touch it. (If you prefer cupcakes, just use cupcake cases and a standard size muffin tray and cook for 20 – 25 mins).

3. Cool and smother with cream cheese icing (recipe given below).

Cream Cheese Icing:

Ingredients:

300g icing sugar

100g butter (room temperature)

100g cream cheese

1. Sift the icing sugar into a bowl and mix in the butter, this will take a little while and quite a lot of muscle power.
2. Once the mixture has come together, stir in the cream cheese and mix well until the little lumps vanish. Don’t mix for too long or it may become runny.

References:
Oscar’s Lunch: http://oscarslunch.blogspot.com/

Have fun eating and making!
~Cookie

Four Tier Chocolate Layer Cake

Indulge yourself into this scrumptious dessert. As I always say, one cake (even if it is a big one) won’t hurt!

Ingredients

1/2 cup water

60g butter (chopped)

2 tbsps cocoa (sifted)

1 cup  plain flour (sifted)

1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda (sifted)

1 cup caster sugar

1 egg

1/4 cup buttermilk

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
chocolate cream cheese frosting
50g butter (softened)

250g cream cheese

1 cup  icing sugar mixture (sifted)

1/4 cup  cocoa (sifted)

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 150’C
2. Place the water, butter and cocoa in a saucepan over medium heat and stir until the butter has melted. 
3. Place the flour, bicarbonate soda and sugar in a bowl, add the cocoa mixture and whisk to combine. Add the eggs, buttermilk and vanilla and whisk to combine. 
4. Divide mixture between 2 lightly greased 12cm round cake tins lined with non-stick baking paper. 
5. Bake for 40-45 minutes or until cooked when tested with a skewer. Allow to cool in the tins for 5 minutes. 
6. While the cake is baking, make the cream cheese frosting. Place the butter and cheese in the bowl of an electric mixer and beat for 6–8 minutes or until pale and creamy. Add the icing sugar and cocoa and beat for a further 6–8 minutes or until light and fluffy.
7. To assemble, slice the cakes in half horizontally. Place one cake layer on a plate and spread with one quarter of the frosting. Repeat with remaining layers and frosting. Decorate as desired.

References:

Taken from MasterChef Australia, made by Donna Hay.
Tested by me.

Do tell me how it turned out!

~Cookie

Coffee Cake

Lets start with a basic Coffee Cake! Toppings and Icing are optional. Once again, please do give us feedback on how it was! 

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups flour
1 1/2  tsp baking powder
3 eggs (separated)
3/4 cup butter (softened)
3/4 cup sugar
2 tbsp instant coffee
1/3 cup water

For Toppings:
12-15 almonds or walnuts (whole and crushed)

For Icing:
1 cup of granulated sugar
6 tablespoons of butter or margarine (softened)
1/2 cup of cocoa powder
1 cup of powdered sugar
1/3 cup of milk
1 tablespoon vanilla extract

Directions:

1. Grease and dust your pan or cake tin with butter/oil and flour.*
2. Mix sugar, coffee and water in a big pan. Heat until sugar dissolves. Remove from heat, and keep aside to cool. 
3. Sieve flour with baking powder.
4. Beat egg whites till stiff, and then keep aside.
5. Beat butter and yolks till creamy.
6. Add the sugar-coffee syrup (Direction 2)
7. Stir the sugar-coffee syrup in the sifted flour.
8. Fold egg whites (Direction 4) into the mixture in two batches. Fold gently until well mixed.
9. Transfer to the greased and dusted tin. First, level it, and then make a slight depression** in the
   middle of the mixture, by shifting some of it to the sides.
   Bake it in an oven at 180°C/350°F, for 40 minutes or till firm. Transfer to a serving platter.

Toppings and Icing: 

Icing: 

(Make the Icing after, or while the cake is baking.*** )

1. Cream butter. In a large bowl, whip butter at medium speed with an electric mixer, or with a whisk, until it is fluffy.
2. Blend dry ingredients. In a small bowl, sift or whisk to combine cocoa and granulated sugar.
3. Combine ingredients. Add the cocoa/sugar mix alternately with milk. Do not add too much milk, or the mixture will become too thin.
5. Beat until the mixture is spreading consistency. If too thick, add more milk, one teaspoon at a time. If too thin, add more cocoa/sugar mixture.
6. Add 1 tablespoon vanilla. Blend well.
7. Add powdered sugar. Whisk in the powdered sugar, blending well so there aren’t any lumps.
8. Spread on the cake! For a more professional look, make sure it is even.

Topping:

(It is okay to sprinkle the nuts on top, but this easy technique makes it look more professional:)

1. Toast the whole nuts in a non-stick pan till light golden. 
2. Sprinkle the toasted and the crushed nuts on top, and serve.

WHY’S:

*We grease and dust the tin/pan so that the cake comes out easily after baking, and does not stick to the bottom.

** If a depression is not made in the middle, the cake will overflow, because a cake rises from the middle.

***If the icing is kept too long, it becomes hard.

References:
The Coffee Cake recipe has been taken from Nita Mehta’s Bakes and Cakes, but has been tried by me.
The Icing recipe has been taken from wikihow.com

Good Luck! 

☺

~Cookie