Vanilla Cherry Cupcakes

I just recently celebrated my  birthday. Instead of a chocolate birthday cake with magic candles (candle light that just won't die even how hard you huff and puff) I opted to make some very delicious vanilla cherry cupcakes! No candles here but just juicy and oh so  tempting red cherries on top.

The vanilla cupcake base is taken from Ming Makes Cupcakes' Vanilla Cupcakes with Lemon Filling and Meringue Frosting  recipe.

Vanilla Cherry Cupcakes 

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cup cake flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1 stick butter, room temp
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
1/2 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup milk
 
Mix flour, baking powder, and salt. Beat in butter gradually. Beat in sugar and mix thoroughly. Beat in eggs, then vanilla and milk. Beat just until mixed. Pour into lined cupcake pan. Bake at 400 for 20 minutes, or until toothpick comes out almost clean.

Frosting 

1/4 cup milk 
1 cup confectioner's sugar 
Long stemmed red cherries

Mix milk and confectioner's sugar. Add or lessen milk to attain desired consistency and thickness of frosting. Spoon over cupcakes. Garnish top with cherry.   

Weekend Breakfast Burrito

This is a lovely breakfast item to enjoy on a weekend morning. It's chockful of antioxidants and vitamins to add zing to your day.   Try it!

Weekend  Breakfast Burrito

Ingredients:

• Softened corn tortillas 
• Chopped tomatoes
•  Chopped onions
•  Red bell pepper slices
•  Jalapeno slices (canned)
•  Scrambled eggs
•  Whole basil leaf (large)
•  Salt and pepper to taste
• Sliced cheddar cheese 
•  Dollop of sour cream

Directions:

1. Soften corn tortilla on a skillet. Add a small  amount of oil on the skillet and cook tortiila on both sides until slightly golden.

2. Cook scrambled eggs and slice all ingredients except for basil leave.

3. Pile ingredients in the moddle of the corn tortilla .  Add sour cream and salt and pepper to taste.

4. Wrap or fold the tortilla.  

Holiday Baking Preview

This cookie is so good with coffee, tea and ice cream. Make a batch today!


Chocolate Shortbread Cookies

Ingredients: 

• 2 cups (260 grams) all-purpose flour
• 3/4 cup cocoa powder 
• 1/4 teaspoon (2 grams) salt 
• 1 cup (2 sticks) (226 grams) unsalted butter, room temperature 
• 1/2 cup (60 grams) powdered (confectioners or icing) sugar 
• 1 teaspoon (4 grams) pure vanilla extract

Shortbreads: In a separate bowl whisk the flour, cocoa powder with the salt. Set aside.

In the bowl of your electric mixer (or with a hand mixer), beat the butter until smooth and creamy (about 1 minute). Add the sugar and beat until smooth (about 2 minutes). Beat in the vanilla extract. Gently stir in the flour mixture just until incorporated. Flatten the dough into a disk shape, wrap in plastic wrap, and chill the dough for at least an hour.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (177 degrees C) with the rack in the middle of the oven. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.

On a lightly floured surface roll out the dough into a 1/4 inch (.6 cm) thick circle. Cut into rounds or other shapes using a lightly floured cookie cutter. Place on the prepared baking sheets and place in the refrigerator for about 15 minutes. (This will firm up the dough so the cookies will maintain their shape when baked.) Bake for 8 - 10 minutes, or until cookies are very lightly browned. Cool on a wire rack.

Recipe from Joy of Baking 

Mochaccino Cupcake

MOCHACCINO CUPCAKE

Here's a fun coffee inspired treat that's literally a cupcake!  It's inspired by this recipe earlier posted in my Sweet Tidings blog. The chocolate mudcake recipe is taken from The Cook Book. Enjoy!



Chocolate Mud Cake

Ingredients:

• 1 and 3/4 cups  cake flour
• 3/4 cup cocoa powder
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 2 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp salt
• 2 eggs, lightly beaten
• 1/2 cup vegetable il
• 1 cup sour milk (1 cup whole milk with 1 tsp white vinegar added) or buttermilk
• 1 cup coffee (long black strength)
• 1 tsp vanilla extract 

Directions:

 1. Sift flour, cocoa powder, sugar, baking soda, baking powder and salt in a mixing bowl and stir to combine. Add eggs, coffee, milk oil and vanilla and beat for 2 minutes with a hand mixer until well combined.

2. Pour into baking cups in  a muffin pan and bake in a 180 C  (350 F) oven for approximately 15-20 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow to cool for 10 minutes.

Whipped Cream Topping 

• 1 and 1/3 cup whipped cream
• Chocolate syrup (optional)
• Cocoa powder  

How to assemble:

When muffins have cooled, remove mud cake from baking cups and transfer to  teacups/coffee cups. Decorate with chilled whipped cream and garnish with sifted cocoa powder or chocolate syrup.

It's a Wrap!

I love this hearty and filling vegetarian chili bean and chicken combo wrapped in soft and yummy flour tortilla. So good!


ADUKI BEAN CHILI AND CHICKEN WRAP

Ingredients:

• Flour tortilla
• Shredded chicken
• Shredded cheddar cheese
• Aduki chili bean
• Homemade salsa

Aduki Bean Chili  Recipe

Ingredients :

• Aduki beans (pre-soaked overnight or 8-10 hours)

• 1 large onion (finely chopped)

• olive oil or water to ‘fry’

• 3-4 garlic cloves (crushed)

• tomato puree

• 1 tin of chopped tomatoes

• 3 teaspoons ground cumin

• 2 teaspoons ground coriander

• 1 heaped teaspoon turmeric

• oregano

• spanish paprika

• hot chilli powder to taste (1-2 teaspoons)

• water

Directions:

1. Lightly fry onion and add garlic.

2. Add soaked and rinsed aduki beans and mix with onion and garlic.

3. Add tomato puree, and dry herbs.

4. Add chopped tomato.

5. Add water as desired, or if mixture appears too dry.

6. Bring to the boil and simmer for 60 minutes, stirring occasionally

7. Serve with rice or jacket potato

Recipe adrapted from Elizabeth Harfleet 


Texan Flour Tortilla

Ingredients:

• Two cups of all-purpose flour (can make them whole wheat by substituting one cup of whole-wheat flour for white flour)

• 1 1/2 teaspoons of baking powder

• 1 teaspoon of salt

• 2 teaspoons of vegetable oil

• 3/4 cups of warm milk

Directions:

1. Mix together the flour, baking powder, salt and oil.

2. Slowly add the warm milk.

3. Stir until a loose, sticky ball is formed.

4. Knead for two minutes on a floured surface. Dough should be firm and soft.

5. Place dough in a bowl and cover with a damp cloth or plastic wrap for 20 minutes.

6. After the dough has rested, break off eight sections, roll them into balls in your hands, place on a plate (make sure they aren’t touching) and then cover balls with damp cloth or plastic wrap for 10 minutes. (It’s very important to let the dough rest, otherwise it will be like elastic and won’t roll out to a proper thickness and shape.)

7. After dough has rested, one at a time place a dough ball on a floured surface, pat it out into a four-inch circle, and then roll with a rolling pin from the center until it’s thin and about eight inches in diameter. (If you roll out pie crusts you’ll have no problem with this.) Don’t over work the dough, or it’ll be stiff. Keep rolled-out tortillas covered until ready to cook.

8. In a dry iron skillet or comal heated on high, cook the tortilla about thirty seconds on each side. It should start to puff a bit when it’s done.

9. Keep cooked tortillas covered wrapped in a napkin until ready to eat.

10. Can be reheated in a dry iron skillet, over your gas-burner flame or in the oven wrapped in foil.
While you probably won’t have any leftovers, you can store in the fridge tightly wrapped in foil or plastic for a day or so.Makes eight tortillas.

Recipe from Homesick Texan 

Decadent Tahini Brownies

Tahini isn't just for making Hummus and Baba Ganoush anymore. It's also best for making the most decadent, rich, chewy and moist vegan brownies ever. I love how the nutty taste of sesame melds with chocolate. So good!

I used Mood Food's Tahini Brownie recipe. As I didn't have dark baking chocolate, I used dutch processed cocoa powder. Along the way I had to modify the amount of orange juice to produce a spreadable consistency.


Tahini Brownies

• 100g dutch processed cocoa powder
• 150g white graulated sugar 
• 150g Flour
• 200 ml pulpy orange juice 
• 150g Tahini
• 1 Teaspoon of Baking Powder
• Pinch of salt

• 
  

Directions:

1. Combine all dry ingredients.
2. Add tahini paste and orangejuice  to dry mixture. Combine well.
3. Transfer to a prepared pan and bake at 350F until done.

Dulce de Leche Delight

Dulce de leche has got to be my next favorite flavor after chocolate. I spoon it on ice cream and cookies, frost on chiffon cake and yes, eat it straight from the jar. Check out my My favorite recipe from David Leibovitz. 

Dulce de Leche Recipe 

(Recipe from David Leibovitz)

Preheat the oven to 425° F (220° C).

1.Pour one can of sweetened condensed milk  into a  shallow baking dish.

2. Set the pie plate on a baine marie. Make sure the water reaches halfway up the side of the baking dish.

3.Cover baking dish w ith aluminum foil and bake for 1 to 1¼ hours. Make sure the baine marie is filled with water at all times.

3. Remove from oven once the Dulce de Leche is nicely browned and caramelized.

Coffee Prince Mocha Brownie Bites

I've made this mocha-licious petite treat as a tribute to my favorite romantic Korean TV drama Coffee Prince. Just like coffee, this TV drama is so deliciously addicting that I've watched it a gazillion times yet never fail to fall in love with it over and over again.

Coffee Prince Mocha Brownie Bites features moist mocha brownie baked like a tiny pudding and laced with rich chocolate ganache sauce and topped with a chocolate covered coffee bean. With each bite you'll fall in love just like Choi Han Gyul and Go Eun Chan!

Also enjoy a byte of coffee inspired music from the Coffee Prince soundtrack:




Coffee Prince Mocha Brownie Bites

Ingredients:

1/2 cup butter

• 1/2 cup dutch processed cocoa
• 1 cup sugar
• 1/2 tbsp  hot water
•  1 teaspoon instant coffee powder
• 2 eggs
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1/2 cup flour
• 1/4 tsp salt
• Chocolate ganache 
• Meiji Coffee Beat  Coffee Bean Candy

 Directions:


1. Preheat oven to 350 F.

2. Grease mini silicon baking cups. Melt butter over low heat in the microwave. Remove from heat and add cocoa powder and mix well. Add sugar and blend well. Dissolve instant coffee in hot water and mix into the creamed mixture.

3.Add eggs one at a time and mix well. Stir in vanilla, flour and salt. Bake until done. For a really moist texture, underbake for a few minutes. After cooling, remove brownie from silicon cupcake mold.

4. Invert brownie cupcake and spoon hot ganache over it. Top with chocolate covered coffee bean.

When Life Gives you Lemons, Make Lemon Poppy Seed Loaves

I love the delicious lemony tartness of this simple lemon poppy seed loaf recipe taken from the cookbook Loaves, Cakes and Quiches with Friends by Ilona . It pairs wonderfully with your favorite tea!

Lemon Poppy Seed Loaf

2 unwaxed lemon
3 eggs
170 g (6oz) caser sugar
150 g (5 oz) unslated butter, melted
3 teaspoons baking powder
pinch of bicarbinate of soda
1 tablespoon poppy seeds

1. Preheat the oven to 350 F. Grease a loaf tin and slightly dust with flour.

2. Wash the lemons. Grate the zest if 1 lemon and squeeze the juice from both. In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs and sugar until thick and frothy. Gradually incorporate the flour and melted butter. With a spaula, fold in the baking powder,bicarbonate of soda, lemon juice and poppy seeds. Fold just until well blended.

Pour the mixture into the prepared tin and bake for about 50 minutes, until the tip of a knife inserted in the centre of the comes out clean. Allow to cool in the tin before turning out.

Polka Dot Chocolate Lollipops

 

When I'm too busy to whip up a quick gift, I make these dotted chocolate lollipops! All you need are lollipop sticks, lollipop candy mold, a block of semi-sweet meltable chocolate, confetti sprinkles and you're ready to go.

Polka Dot Chocolate Lollipops

Materials:

• Lollipop sticks
• Candy mold for lollipops
• Semi sweet chocolate block
• Roundconfetti sprinkles (or any sprinkle of your choice)
• Cellophane sleeve
• Colorful ribbon 

 Instructions:

1.Slightly grease lollipop molds with vegetable oil.
2. melt semi-sweet chocolate block in double broiler.
3. Insert lollipop stick to chocolate mold.
3. Pour melted chocolate to mold using a teaspoon.
4. Carefully arrange round confetti sprinkles on  the surface of the chocolate.
5. Allow to cool until chocolate has solidified.
6. When cool, wrap individual lollipops in cellophane sleeve and tie with a ribbon.

Hoddeok Happy

While searching for oriental inspired snack alternatives online, I came across this wonderful Korean winter street food  Hoddeok recipe from the fabulous Korean food blog Maangchi.   Hoddeok is a  sweet pancake filled with sticky brown sugar syrup. It's a very heartwarming snack that's also perfect for brunch.  I love this snack so much that I can't wait to make it again!

Maangchi's Hoddeok Recipe 

Ingredients:

Yeast starter 

1 cup lukewarm water
2 tsp yeast
2 tbsp white sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1 tbsp vegetable oil
2 cups all purpose flour 

1. To make hoddeok dough, place 1 cup of lukewarm water into a mixing bowl. Add 2 tbs white sugar, 2 ts yeast, ½ ts salt, 1 tbs vegetable oil, and stir  until dissolved.

2. Add 2 cups of all purpose flour and mix by hand. Let the dough rise in a plastic covered bowl  at room temperature for 1 hour until double in size. Knead dough  to remove the gas bubbles.

3. Let it rise for another 10-20 minutes.

Hoddeok Filling:

½ cup brown sugar
1 tsp cinnamon powder
2 tbs chopped walnuts

1. To make Hoddeok, take 1 dough ball, flatten it, and put some  cinnamon sugar filling in the center of the dough  and then seal it to make a ball. Knead the dough again to remove the gas bubbles.

2. Place and spread about ½ cup flour on your cutting board. Put the dough on your cutting board and knead it. Make it into a lump, and cut it into 8 equal-sized balls. Repeat this 8 times to make 8 stuffed balls.

Heat up your non-stick skillet pan over medium heat and add some vegetable oil. Place 1 ball on the pan. Press the dough with spatula to flatten it. Cook until golden brown on both sides.

Recipe from Maangchi