Butterscotch Muffins

 



Bluffing with my muffin.

What exactly is butterscotch? And what exactly is a muffin? Like, I know what a muffin is...it's cake that's acceptable to eat for breakfast! I don't need a reason to eat cake for breakfast, I'll eat a slice of Devils Food Cake at 7am in the morning, I'm like the honey badger, I don't care. But for the rest of the population, muffins are the answer.


Whenever this little angel is over and I'm in the kitchen, she is sure to be at my feet in case anything needs eating.

A muffin differs itself from cake by having more flour, slightly less sugar and the way you mix them is different. The batter for a muffin mix isn't smooth, its lumpy and less wet. And also, muffins don't have icing or frosting but sometimes when they're extra awesome muffins, they have a glaze. These ones don't have a glaze so now I feel like I should have made a glaze but now there's somewhere to aim for.

This is all the equipment you need! Minimal washing up!

Now, butterscotch. What's it's story? It's basically caramel but instead of being made with caster sugar, it's made with brown sugar exclusively. From what I can find, it's pretty much caramel. Caramels will often have cream added but butterscotch does not. Butterscotch also should have a higher proportion of butter Other than that, they're brothers from the same mother.


And this is all the ingredients you'll need! 8 things.

This is another super easy recipe. As always, flour is important and even though muffins are more of a bread texture than a cupcake, I still used cake flour as I think the softer texture is more desirable. The ratio of wet to dry will lend itself to the bready quality of a muffin.


This is the well in the centre, adding the wet ingredients to the dry.



Mix the wet ingredients in the centre like shown above, then pull the dry ingredients in.



And then you're almost done!

I add white chocolate chips to the muffins cos why the hell not. The butterscotch batter would match well with blueberries or raspberries too and then you might feel more legitimate if you eat them for breakfast.


Fill the cases all the way to top so the muffin can break free and do its own thang...

The last thing I will say before we get down to the recipe is that like Elaine from Seinfeld, I like when the muffin breaks free from the pan and does it's own thing. So if you're awesome and like that too, ensure that you fill the muffin cases right to the top. Cases can be made out of a square of baking paper which I fold into triangles to make them sit better in the muffin pan cavity. Push them in and fill them up to the top.

So there you go, give them a go! Did I mention they're one bowl muffins? I didn't, I can see I didn't cos I can read what I wrote. These are one bowl muffins! Hardly any washing up! What are you waiting for?!
 

Morning sunshine and a muffin!

 

Dense goodness of a muffin. So good.

 


Top of the muffin TO YOU!

Muffins are awesome.

Butterscotch Muffins

Prep time: 10 mins

Cooking time: 20 mins

Total time:  30 mins

 

Servings: 8 muffins

 

2 1/2 (375g) cups self-raising flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon bicarbonate soda
1 cup tightly packed brown sugar
1 1/4 cups (310ml) buttermilk
100g butter, melted
1 egg, free range
150g white chocolate chips

1. Preheat oven to 180°C
2. Line a 6 hole muffin pan with baking paper.
3. Sift flour, baking powder and bicarbonate soda into a large bowl.
4. Stir in sugar until fully combined.
5. Make a well in the centre of the sugar and flour mixture.
6. Pour the buttermilk and melted butter into the well and break the egg in.
7. Lightly beat the wet ingredients in the centre of the dry ingredients before pulling the dry ingredients in and mixing well.
8. Add the white chocolate chips and combine. Do not overmix.
9. Fill each cavity of the muffin tin with batter to the top.
10. Bake for 20 minutes. Cool slightly and enjoy!

Chewy Chunky Cookies! aka Anger Cookies



Something fantastic came from my anger!

There are many types of biscuits in the world, but my favourite would have to be big, chewy cookies full of chunks! I like the soft ones that melt in your mouth with that hint of chewiness when you bite in - dare I say the American style ones?  

Cornflour, what chu doing in this photo? You ain't needed!



These particular cookies came about from a bit of an unusual scenario. You'd think cookies would be made in the kitchen on a Sunday with the afternoon sun streaming in the bay window, while forest creatures sing a Disney princess song. Well, these cookies were created at about 10pm on a week night when I was fighting with Mr. Cakes about the volume of the television in our old tiny apartment. I decided to create my own noise. What better than get the electric beaters out and make cookies in a steel bowl?

 

The start of the magic.



And that's how they got the name in our household of Anger Cookies. Really, what a way to try and win a fight. But at least we both saw the humour in it the next day and we had cookies! And I now have this amazing cookie recipe!



It's a nice soft batter that's a blank canvas for your imagination!



There are a few things which make these cookies so good. First of all, there's a fair amount of oil in it which creates a really moist, gooey cookie. I add butter as well because I think that gives a good depth of flavour.



Double choc pecan. Pretty classic combination...so good.

The second tip that I can give you is about flour. It's always about flour. Seriously, good quality flour makes the world of difference in all my baking. In cakes and cupcakes, I insist on using a low protein flour which makes them soft and fluffy but with cookies, you want them to have a bit of bite and strength to make them chewy. So use a strong or '00' flour if you can get it, or normal, good quality flour.

This is the flavour combo of late 2014, I tells ya.



And finally, the third thing about these cookies are the CHUNKS! Heaps of them! It's in the name, you guys. And so is anger but I told you about that already. So usually I put dark, milk and white chocolate and chop up some caramel chocolate to put in there too but this time I decided to split the mix up and make two types. In one bowl I put pecans, dark chocolate melts and white chocolate chips.

oooooh what smells better than fresh cookies!


And the other, caramel chocolate and pretzels. You guys, you heard it here first: pretzel is the new salted caramel. You're gonna start to see it everywhere! And I'm never one to shy away from a food trend! So I decided to try it out too! I liked it, it's a bit different.

I like to leave whole pieces of the caramel chocolate in the mixture so it goes molten and gooey.

These cookies are gooey in the centre so if you like a firmer cookie, bake for 12 mins, instead of 10. This recipe double and halves really well too! 
 

So good fresh out of the oven.



Give these cookies a go, they're super easy and really yummy!

Win.

Cookie heaven!



Serving suggestion! Serving demand, more like.



Chewy Chunky Cookies

Prep time: 10 mins plus cooling

Cooking time: 10 mins

Total time:  20 mins plus cooling

 

Servings: 22 large cookies 

 

4 large free range eggs
1 1/3 cup brown sugar
3/4 cup caster sugar
1/2 cup (115g) soft butter
2 cups plain flour - preferably strong/00 flour
1 1/2 cups self raising flour
1 teaspoon bicarbonate soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 cup vegetable oil
Up to 5 cups of chunks  eg.
1 cup of chopped pecans
1 cup roughly chopped dark chocolate melts1 cup white chocolate chips1 cup chopped pretzel pieces1 cup caramel chocolate

 

1. Beat the eggs and sugars in a bowl until the mixture turns lighter in colour, about 2 minutes.
2. Beat in the soft butter for about 2 minutes. If there are small lumps of butter, don't worry as these will be beaten out once the flour is added.
3. Sift in flours, bicarbonate soda and baking powder and stir with a wooden spoon until incorporated.
4. Add the oil and chunks (split the mixture in two if desired and add chunks to each) and stir with a wooden spoon until incorporated.
5. Refrigerate, covered, for at least one hour.
6. Preheat oven to 180°C
7. Using an ice cream scoop, or by rolling large balls by hand, place mounds on tray, about 8 cms apart. I can get about 6 to a large cookie sheet.
8. Bake for 10 mins for soft gooey cookies, and 12 for firmer cookies.
9. Allow to cool slightly before enjoying!

REVIEW: Plenty

It's amazing what people can do with pallets these days.

A hangover made the prospect of facing the day without an indulgent breakfast impossible and yet the task of cooking one seemed equally insurmountable. What choice do a group of dusty ladies have but to go out for breakfast?

 

There's a warehouse feel to Plenty, that seems to be very popular in restaurant/café décor.

 Plenty has been creating buzz amongst Brisbane breakfast connoisseurs since they opened their doors late last year. They tout organic and farm fresh food in their pared back, warehouse surroundings from Montague Street in West End.

Plenty also sell a range items such as condiments, teas, ice creams and lovely, fragrant soaps!

With the West End markets doing their best to operate on the rainy weather just across the road, parking was a little hard to find. I imagine it would have been more difficult had the weather been sunny!

There was a small collection of people waiting to get a table and we got some drinks to warm us as we waited under the slightly inadequate umbrellas. There was some confusion as to if we had to collect the drinks at the counter or if they would come find us, however the drinks found us in due course.

I can't remember what this tea was, I think ginger and mint. It was nice anyway!

Before we had finished them, we were called to our table and it felt like Beyoncé herself had summoned us, I was so excited. Unfortunately, she hadn't but we did get a table inside so swings and roundabouts, really.

Plenty has counter service so we went up in pairs to order. There were pikelets on the menu which sounded very alluring but ultimately I went with the Braised Steak and Onion Melt with a Fried Egg on top ($14.50). Two of our party chose to order the Poached Eggs on Potato Hash with Carrot Jam, Persian Feta and Bacon ($16.50) and lastly, an order of Avocado on Toast with Fassifern Valley Tomatoes, Basil and Buffalo Mozzarella ($13.50) with a Poached Egg ($3.50) on the side.

One half of the chocolate milkshake.

Milkshakes were the order of the day, in terms of drinks anyway with two salted caramel milkshakes and one chocolate milkshake which was kindly split into two. I had a sip of the chocolate, and although it was nice, I would have been dirty had I not got the salted caramel milkshake. Because it was very good. The texture was pretty good, could have been thicker but I think I always say that, but the flavour knocked it out of the building. There were flakes of sea salt at the bottom of the canister! And can I just say that serving a milkshake in a steel canister is the best way to serve a milkshake? It just feels right! Well done, Plenty.

The salted caramel milkshake. It would bring a few boys to the yard.

Meals arrived and I had more than a little bit of order envy over the Poached Eggs on Potato Hash as it looked gorgeous! It was mentioned to us that the chef has been preparing this particular dish for years, exactly how many escapes me know but the love put in showed. The plate was beautifully presented and the ethos of Plenty was evident - fresh, flavourful and lots of vegetables! By all accounts, it was a winner.

Look at that presentation! And I mean the artful placing of the fork.

The Avocado on Toast was also visually appealing with a mix of red and green tomatoes with freshly torn herbs. My waifish dining partner was more than happy with the serving size but had I ordered it in my rough, ravenous state, I would have been left wanting. No complaints from the recipient though and it looked wonderfully appealing.

I really think I hit the ordering nail on the head with my brunch choice. There was buttery bread, there was cheese, there was meltingly tender steak and sharp onion. And literally on top of all that, there was a fried egg! If that's not a hangover cure, then I don't know what is. Some may be put off by the indulgent nature of the melt, but they would be missing out. Highly recommended to remedy a sore head.

 The hangover cure! *Angels singing*

There was a great atmosphere at Plenty, which in part could be contributed to the fantastic company I enjoyed but also from the buzzing ambience. Service was a little stilted at times, such as our table getting a little crowded from dirty dishes but given the high quality of food and earnest effort from the staff, this is easily forgiven and overall, I would highly recommend Plenty. I look forward to returning and trying the pikelets! 

Food: 4/5
Service: 3.5/5
Price: 3.5/5
Atmosphere: 3.5/5

White Chocolate Meringues with Strawberry Coulis and Fresh Raspberries

These are so easy to make and look so spectacular!

On my trip to the amazing Jan Powers Farmers markets, I couldn't resist the fresh raspberries on offer from My Berries and the fresh picked strawberries from the stalls. I have so many amazing idea as to what to do with these berries and this is just one (I'm thinking up a pretty spectacular cake) but for now I want to show you this super simple dessert that really let's the berries be the star of the show.

This is my version of Eton Mess. Traditionally made with meringues, strawberries and cream, my version ups the stakes by adding chunks of white chocolate to the meringues and lightens it ever so slightly with the zingy tang of Greek yoghurt.


Here's (almost) everything you need! ...lemon juice was camera shy

I recommend using the biggest eggs you can find and make them fresh and free range. Start by separating the eggs. Now eggwhites freeze easily but egg yolks take a little work to save, you need to mix some salt or sugar in with the yolks before freezing. Honestly, I don't bother. Keep them in a container in the fridge if you're going to use them in the next couple of days.


This is the satiny, shiny, stiff meringue!

Beat your egg whites til they turn foamy and just start to hold their shape, then beat in the sugar in, tablespoon by tablespoon til it's all gone. I used vanilla sugar in this, as I love the dimension it adds. Whenever you use a vanilla pod, chuck the scraped pod into some sugar for easy, flavoured sugar. I hate waste and vanilla pods are expensive, yo! Plus you get vanilla sugar - win, win, win. If you haven't been so lucky as to craft yourself up some vanilla sugar, regular caster sugar works perfectly well.


The chocolate rubble...like white chocolate gravel.



So once all the sugar has been added, fold in the white chocolate, one teaspoon of white wine vinegar and a pinch salt Make sure when you chop up the white chocolate you get a range of sizes in there. The small pieces will melt through your meringues and permeate them with flavours while the big pieces will be delightful chunky surprises.



See that pink spatula thing? That has got to be one of my most favourite kitchen tools and it was an impulse buy for like $3. This is once the vinegar and chocolate is folded in.



The vinegar may seem an unusual addition to sweet meringues and if you're cheeky and taste the raw meringue, you can taste it. Don't worry, that cooks away and you won't notice it in the finished meringues. The vinegar makes the meringues turn wonderfully crisp on the outside and chewy, soft and delightful on the inside.



I fit three on a sheet and then did the same thing over with the remaining mixture, so 6 meringues all up.

I like to use the outline of a bowl to trace circles on baking paper to make sure all my meringues are the same shape and size. I used a bowl that was 14cm in diameter.  Add a little dab of the meringue to the back to stop your paper slipping around. You could use a piping bag to make the meringues neater but I like the roughness of shaping the with a dessert spoon. Make a little hollow with the back of your spoon for the berries and yoghurt to nestle in later.


See the indentation? That's gonna make the meringue into an awesome little bowl for your toppings.



The strawberry coulis couldn't be easier. Put the elements on the stove, give them a quick stir and let them simmer away into a delightful sauce. There is less sugar than you'd find in a lot of coulis recipes, I don't think fresh strawberries need much sugar.


This is the completed syrup. So easy, so good.



Once you've got it all together, your mouth is in for a treat. Assembly takes no time. Everything can be made ahead and plated up quickly. These are the perfect thing to serve at a dinner party if you're being a grown up, or just as good for afternoon tea!


See that little chunk of white chocolate in there? That's the magic.





Like my flat lay? Yeah. I'm a professional food stylist now...





The raspberries are lovely bursts of sweet tartness!



A delightfully easy dessert, you're gonna love it.





Get in mah belleh!



And the not so pretty aftermath!

White Chocolate Meringues with Strawberry Coulis and Fresh Raspberries

For the meringues
6 large egg whites
250g vanilla sugar - ordinary caster sugar is also suitable
100g white chocolate
1 teaspoon white wine vinegar
Pinch Salt

For the strawberry coulis
500g strawberries
1 tablespoon lemon juice
2 tablespoons water

To serve
500g Greek yoghurt
Fresh raspberries
White chocolate, extra

Prep time: 15 mins

Cooking time: 60 mins

Total time:  75 mins

 

Servings: 6 large meringues

To make the meringues

1. Preheat oven to 180°C
2. Roughly chop chocolate into varying sized pieces and set aside.
3. After separating the egg yolks from the white, place egg whites into a large, metal or glass bowl.
4. Beat on a high speed until the eggs are foamy and starting to stiffen.
5. Add the sugar, one tablespoon at a time until all the sugar is added and the meringues are at the stiff peaks stage. They should be stiff and shiny.
6. Gently fold the chocolate and the white wine vinegar.
7. Cover a baking sheet with baking paper and use a bowl to trace circles on the baking paper.
8. Spoon meringue onto the circles and use the back of a table spoon to create an shallow indentation.
9. Place tray into the over and turn the oven down to 150°C. Bake for 30 minutes.
10. After 30 minutes, turn the oven off and leave meringues in the oven with the door shut for a further 30 minutes.
11. Take the tray out of the oven and allow meringues to cool.

To make the coulis

1. Roughly chop the strawberries and add to a medium saucepan.
2. Add the sugar, water and lemon juice in the pan with the strawberries
3. Bring to a simmer and allow to simmer for 10 to 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, til the coulis has thickened and coats the back of a spoon.
4. Allow to cool.

To serve

1. Add a 2 - 3 tablespoons of Greek yoghurt to each indentations of the meringue and divide the strawberry coulis between each meringue.
2. Tumble over fresh raspberries and grate white chocolate over the top.