Coconut Cupcakes with Coconut Cream Cheese Frosting
Cupcakes
1/2 cup butter
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup self raising flour
1 cup dessicated coconut
2-3 tbs milk1. Beat butter and sugar till creamy.
2. Mix in the eggs one at a time followed by vanilla till smooth.
3. Mix in the flour followed by coconut till just come together but not overmixed.
4. Fold in the milk gently till no streaks of flour or milk is seen.
5. Pour into prepared cupcake moulds and bake in preheated oven at 180 C for 15-20 minutes till done when tested. Let cool on wire rack.
Frosting
1/4 cup butter1/2 cup cream cheese
1/2 cup icing sugar
1/2 cup flaked coconut
1. While the cupcakes are cooling, make the frosting. Beat butter, cream cheese and icing sugar till creamy and light.
2. Fold in the flaked coconut till you get a smooth consistency.
3. Gently slather the frosting generously onto the cooled cupcakes with a small spatula or use a piping bag if you have one to decorate the cupcake.
Makes 18 cupcakes
Peanut Butter Crumble Cake (adapted from Baking Bites)
1 3/4 cups all purpose flour
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup butter, room temperature
3/4 cup milk
1 large egg
1 cup crunchy peanut butter, room temperature
1. In a large bowl, whisk the flour, brown sugar, sugar, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Beat in softened butter until the mixture resembles wet sand. Remove 3/4 cup of the mixture to a medium bowl and set aside.
2. Add milk and egg to the large bowl with the remaining flour mixture. Mix well, until no streaks of flour remain. Do not over-mix. Pour into prepared pan.
3. Add peanut butter to medium bowl with the remaining 3/4 cup flour mixture. Mix well and crumble (or drop in clumps, as the mixture will be thick) onto the cake batter in the pan.
4. Bake in preheated oven at 180 C for about 30 minutes, until a tester inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack before slicing.
No Fat Banana Cupcakes (adapted from Too Many Chefs)
1 pot of plain yoghurt (125 ml)
2 very ripe medium bananas (mashed)
2 yogurt pots of sugar
3 yogurt pots of plain flour
2 eggs
2 tsp baking powder
1. Mix the mashed bananas with the yoghurt till well blended.2. Beat until smooth and then add the eggs one by one, beating after each one until smooth.
3. Gradually add the sugar and then the rest of the dry ingredients.
4. Pour the batter into lined cupcake molds, filling them 2/3 of the way.
5. Bake in preheated oven at 180 C for 20 minutes, until golden on top and cooked through. Test with a wooden toothpick to make sure: if it comes out wet, the cakes are not done.
The texture of the cupcakes was really interesting and not like any cupcakes I've ever made. If left for a few days, they actually got quite a bit sticky but once heated up, they tasted the same as when they first came out of the oven. Overall, a really quick and lovely cupcake recipe for when you've got overripe bananas and leftover yoghurt to use them up.
So this is the famous chocolate chip cookies recipe that had the whole world raving about. I have to admit that it is a very good chocolate chip cookie but I did tweak it quite a bit that I actually made 40 small cookies from just half the original recipe. I can't imagine how big the original ones would be. I would love to try this out again one day, when I'm feeling very indulgent, and actually create those 6 giant cookies with maybe walnuts or pecans.
Jacques Torres Famous Chocolate Chip Cookies
2 cups plain flour
3/4 tsp baking soda
3/4 tsp baking powder
3/4 tsp coarse salt
3/4 cup unsalted butter
1/2 cup light brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 large egg
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup dark chocolate chips or chopped bitter chocolateSea salt
1. Sift flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt into a bowl. Set aside.
2. Cream butter and sugars together until very light. Add egg followed by the vanilla. Add dry ingredients and mix until just combined. Drop chocolate pieces in and incorporate them without breaking them.
3. Press plastic wrap against dough and refrigerate for 24 to 36 hours. Dough may be used in batches, and can be refrigerated for up to 72 hours.
4. When ready to bake, preheat oven to 180 C. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a nonstick baking mat. Set aside.
4. Using a teaspoon, roll dough into 1 inch balls and lightly flatten the dough onto prepared baking sheet. Sprinkle lightly with sea salt and bake until golden brown but still soft, 15 to 18 minutes. Transfer sheet to a wire rack for 10 minutes, then slip cookies onto another rack to cool a bit more. Repeat with remaining dough, or reserve dough, refrigerated, for baking remaining batches the next day.
Potato Chip Chocolate Chip Cookies (adapted from The Search for the Perfect Chocolate Chip Cookie by Gwen Steege)
1/2 cup butter
1 cup brown sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 cups plain flour
1 tsp baking soda2 cups plain salted potato chips, coarsely crushed
1½ cups dark chocolate chips
1 cup chopped nuts – optional (I used peanuts)
1. Cream butter, sugars and eggs. Stir in vanilla. Add flour and baking soda, then potato chips, then chocolate chips and nuts. Mix after each addition.
2. Line a baking sheet with baking paper and drop teaspoons onto baking sheet (they will spread a lot). Bake at 180 C for 10-12 minutes. Yielded 3 dozen.
I'm definitely going to make these again. The salty and sweet really complimented each other and I love how the chips gave that added crunch and dimension. I'll try adding oats into the mix next time around.
I was in a mad mood for all things cookies and decided on trying my own spin on cookie dough brownies and cookie dough cupcakes. I decided to use the chocolate chip cookies recipe by David Lebovitz and the brownies and cupcakes recipes are by Jamie Oliver. The end results was fantastic and so sinfully delicious. The brownies was fudgey and gooey with the cookie topping lightly crunchy and chewy. The cupcakes was great even though I made the mistake of putting the cupcake batter first instead of the cookie dough which resulted in the hole in the cupcake design there. My friends thought it was cute but oh well, at least they tasted great.Great Chocolate Chip Cookies Recipe (adapted from The Great Book of Chocolate by David Lebovitz)
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
1/2 cup butter
1 large egg
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp baking soda1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour1/4 tsp salt
1 1/2 cups semisweet chocolate chips
1 cup walnuts or pecans, toasted and chopped
1. Beat the sugars and butters together until smooth. Mix in the egg, vanilla, and baking soda. Stir together the flour and salt, then mix them into the batter. Mix in the chocolate chips and nuts.2. Scoop the cookie dough into 2-tablespoon balls and place 8 balls, spaced 4 inches (10cm) apart, on each of the baking sheets.3. Bake in preheated oven at 150 C for 18 minutes, or until pale golden brown. Remove from the oven and cool on a wire rack.4. Store at room temperature in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
Fifteen Chocolate Brownies (adapted from Cook with Jamie)
1 cup unsalted butter
1 cup best quality dark chocolate, at least 70% cocoa solids, broken up
3/4 cup dried cherries or chopped nuts (optional)
4 tbs cocoa powder, sifted
4 tbs plain flour, sifted
1 tsp baking powder
1 cup caster sugar
3 large free range eggs1. In a large bowl over simmering water, melt the butter and the chocolate and mix until smooth. Add the cherries and nuts if using, (I used crushed pecans) and stir together.
2. In a separate bowl, mix cocoa powder, flour, baking powder, and sugar, then add this to the chocolate mixture. Beat in the eggs and mix well until you have a silky consistency.
3. Pour brownie mixture into prepared pan and bake in preheated oven at 180 C for around 30 minutes. You don't want to overcook them so the brownies should be lightly springy on the outside but still gooey in the middle. Allow to cool in the pan, the transfer to wire rack to cool further before slicing them into chunky square.
All purpose Cupcakes or Sponge cake recipe (adapted from Cook with Jamie)
1 cup unsalted butter
1 cup caster sugar
4 large free range eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract or zest of 1 lemon
1 cup self raising flour
Beat butter and sugar till creamy, light and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time beating each one in well before adding the next, then fold in the flour and lemon zest or vanilla.
To make cupcakes: simply pour into prepared tin and bake for 20 minutes in preheated oven at 180 C
For the sponge cake: pour into prepared pan(s) and bake for 20 minutes in preheated oven at 180 C.
Allow the cakes to cool before slicing for fillings or frosting.
Cookie Dough Brownies
Prepare the cookie dough and brownie recipes before hand.
When you've poured the brownie mix into the pan, smooth it out as best you can. Top the brownie mixture with the cookie dough in clumps all over. It doesn't have to look pretty or neat, just as long as the cookie dough covers the brownie mix. Bake as per usual the brownie time. The cookie topping will be browned but may not be as crunchy as a usual cookie is. Re: picture; I didn't have enough cookie dough leftover because I used half the batch for the cupcakes.
Cookie Dough Cupcakes
Prepare the cookie dough and cupcake recipe before hand.
To get the odd looking cavity like cupcakes in my pictures, pour the cupcake batter first followed by a tablespoon of the cookie dough into the center of the batter. But if you want a proper looking cupcake, put a tablespoon of cookie dough first into the prepared cupcake tin followed by the cupcake batter. Bake as per usual the cupcake time. The cookie dough will be soft and not fully baked like a cookie.
Marbled Chocolate Chip Cookies (adapted from Quaker Oatmeal)
1 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
1/2 tbs vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour (divided half)
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1/4 cup cocoa
1 cup quick or old-fashioned oats (divided half)
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips (divided half)
1. Combine flour, baking soda, and salt. In a separate bowl, beat butter and brown sugar until creamy. Add eggs and vanilla, mixing well. Add flour mixture and mix well.
2. Divide dough in half. To one half, add cocoa and mix. Stir into each dough 1/2 cup oats and 1/2 cup chocolate chips. Cover and refrigerate for 2 hours.
3. Preheat oven to 180 C. Combine 1 tablespoon of each dough, twisting together to make one cookie. Place 2 inches apart on prepared baking sheets. If dough becomes too warm, refrigerate for a few minutes then resume forming cookies.
4. Bake about 10 minutes or until lighter dough is golden brown. Cool on sheets for 2 minutes. Then, remove cookies to wire racks to cool completely.
Banana Oatmeal Cookies (adapted from Baking Bites)
1 cup all purpose flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
2 tbsp butter, very soft
1 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup mashed banana (1 small/medium)1 egg
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups rolled oats
1 cup chocolate chips
1. In a small bowl, whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
2. In a large bowl, cream the butter and sugar. Beat in egg and banana, followed by the vanilla extract. Gradually add in the flour mixture. Stir in the oats and chocolate chips.
3. Drop dough by tablespoonfuls onto prepared baking sheet.4. Bake in preheated oven at 180 C for 15 minutes until set and lightly browned. Let cookies cool for about 5 minutes on the pan before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.
Coconut Macaroons
3 cups unsweetened desiccated coconut
1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
2 tbs plus 1 1/2 tsp melted butter
1 cup caster sugar
3 extra-large or 4 medium-large egg whites
1 cup chopped chocolate (optional)
1. Preheat oven to 180 C.
2. In a large mixing bowl, combine coconut, vanilla, butter, and half the sugar.
3. Whip the whites in the bowl of an electric mixer until they begin to get foamy and opaque. Add the remaining sugar in a slow, steady stream and continue whipping until the mixture is pure white and volumized, but just short of holding soft peaks. Fold the whites into the coconut mixture. Add the chocolate, if desired.
4. Using a teaspoon, scoop the batter onto parchment-lined cookie sheets, about 1/2-inch apart.
5. Bake for about 13-15 minutes, until lightly browned, turning the tray once during baking. Cool completely.Note: The batter can be made several days in advance, and kept covered and refrigerated.
Coconut Shortbread (adapted from Baking Bites)
2 1/4 cups all purpose flour
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 tsp salt
1 cup butter, room temperature
1 cup sweetened, shredded coconut (unsweetened is fine, too)
1. In a large mixing bowl whisk flour, sugar and salt together. Mix in butter until dough is crumbly, but starting to come together. Stir in coconut and continue to mix until dough resembles wet sand; there should be large and fine clumps of dough in the mixing bowl.
2. Pour shortbread dough into prepared pan and press it firmly down into a single, even layer. Score shortbread lightly to make it easier to slice later.
3. Bake in preheated oven at 180 C for 30-35 minutes, until edges are golden and top is very lightly browned. Middle of shortbread will be set, but not firm.
4. Cool shortbread for 5 minutes, then use a sharp knife to cut the shortbread into 18 bars. Cool shortbread entirely in pan.
5. When cooled, remove shortbread from baking pan and store in an airtight container.
Austrian Raspberry Shortbread (from Smitten Kitchen and Epicurious)
2 cups unsalted butter, slightly softened
4 egg yolks
2 cups granulated sugar
4 cups all-purpose flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla extract1 cup raspberry jam, at room temperature
1/4 cup confectioners’ sugar
1. Cream the butter in a mixer fitted with a paddle attachment (or using a hand mixer) until soft and fluffy. Add the egg yolks and vanilla extract, and mix well.
2. Mix the granulated sugar, flour, baking powder, and salt together. Add to the butter and egg yolk mixture and mix just until incorporated and the dough starts to come together. Turn the dough out onto a floured work surface and form into two balls. Wrap each ball in plastic wrap and freeze at least 2 hours or overnight (or as long as a month, if you like).3. Heat the oven to 180 C.
4. Remove one ball of dough from the freezer and coarsely grate it by hand or with the grating disk in a food processor into the bottom of a 9×13-inch baking pan or a 10-inch tart pan with a removable bottom. Make sure the surface is covered evenly with shreds of dough.
5. With a piping bag with a wide tip or a zip-lock bag with the corner cut off, squeeze the jam over the surface as evenly as possible, to within 1/2 inch of the edge all the way around. Remove the remaining dough from the freezer and coarsely grate it over the entire surface.
6. Bake until lightly golden brown and the center no longer wiggles, 50 to 60 minutes. As soon as the shortbread comes out of the oven, dust with confectioners’ sugar.
7. Cool on a wire rack, then cut in the pan with a serrated knife. I find that for this an all bar cookies, chilling the pan in the fridge makes it a lot easier to get clean cuts.
Martha Stewart's New York Crumb Cake
2 tbsp vegetable oil
4 cups all purpose flour, divided
1/2 cup granulated (white) sugar
2 ½ tsp baking powder
½ tsp salt
1 large egg
½ cup milk (lowfat is fine)2 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup light brown sugar
1 ½ tsp cinnamon
1 cup butter, melted
1. In a medium bowl, whisk together 1 1/2 cups flour, the granulated sugar, baking powder, and salt.2. In a large bowl, whisk together the egg, milk, canola oil, and vanilla. Mix the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients and spread into pan (you might want to grease your spatula). Set aside.
3. In another large bowl, whisk together remaining 2 1/2 cups flour, brown sugar, and cinnamon (and allspice, if using). Pour melted butter over flour mixture, and stir with a rubber spatula until large crumbs form. Spread evenly over batter in pan.
4. Bake in preheated oven at 175 C for 25-30 minutes, rotating once, until a tester comes out clean. Cool completely on a wire rack before serving in large pieces.
Chocolate Matcha Marble Loaf
2 cups self raising flour
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp instant espresso or coffee powder
1/3 cup cocoa powder
1 cup sugar
1 egg
6 tbs unsalted butter
1 cup low fat yoghurt
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 1/2 tsp matcha powder
1. Mix flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl. Set aside.
2. In a smaller bowl, combine espresso powder, cocoa and 1/3 cup of the sugar with 1/4 cup of water. Whisk until smooth. Set aside.
3. Cream the butter and the rest of the sugar in another large bowl. Mix in the egg and vanilla when it's creamed enough.
4. Mix half of the flour mixture with the batter till well combined followed by half of the yoghurt. Fold in the remaining flour mixture and the yoghurt till well combined.
5. Scoop out 1 1/2 cups of the batter and mix into the cocoa mixture.
6. Mix the matcha powder with the rest of the batter in the large bowl.
7. Fill the bottom of the loaf pan with about 3/4 of the matcha batter placed in dollops. Spoon the chocolate batter over the green batter in dollops. Cover the chocolate with the rest of the green batter in small dollops. Use a knife and run the batter through to create a marbling effect in a circular pattern. Be careful not to blend them too much.
8. Bake in the preheated oven at 180 C for 45-50 minutes and the cake starts to pull away from the sides of the pan and a toothpick inserted in comes out clean. Let cool for 10-15 minutes on a rack then slice into thick pieces.
Being buried under three batches of different cookies will definitely do something to you if not at least give you a crazy sugar high for a few days. Phew!
Everyone loved them, I am proud to say. My favourite of the bunch was the white chocolate cookies. I loved the crispiness of the cookie's edges and how the inside was slightly chewy but not too much and managed to retain the crunchiness and integrity of the salted bit. The peanut butter cookie was really good too without it being too peanut buttery as I had previously made PB cookies which was almost all peanut butter and no texture at all. I love the krinkly pattern on the cookie that the icing sugar produced too and of course, who doesn't love chocolate chips. The coconut oatmeal cookie was somewhat of a disappointment compared to the rest but it was still alright.
Eggless Banana Chocolate Loaf
1 1/2 cups plain flour
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1 cup milk
1 cup mashed banana2 tsp vanilla extract
1/3 cup canola oil
1. Whisk flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt in a large bowl. Whisk sugar, milk, banana, vanilla, and oil in a separate bowl.
2. Fold the banana mixture into the flour mixture till no streaks of flour remains. Do not over mix.
3. Pour the batter into the prepared loaf tin and bake in preheated oven at 180 C for 55-60 minutes till well cooked with a toothpick inserted in the center, it comes out clean. Let cool and slice in thick pieces.
Banana Bar Cookies
1 large banana mashed or enough bananas to make 1 cup mashed bananas
6 tbs margarine (softened)
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla
1 tsp baking powder
pinch of salt
1 cup plain flour
1/2 cup chocolate chips
1. Preheat oven to 350 and grease 8x8" pan and line with wax paper.
2. In a large bowl, mix the margarine and brown sugar till creamy.
3. Add in the mashed bananas, egg, vanilla, baking powder and salt.
4. Add in the flour and mix till well blended.
5. Add the chocolate chips and stir till just mixed.
6. Pour the batter into the pan and smooth out.
7. Bake for 20 minutes till set and let cool.
Oatmeal Jam Crumble Bars
1 1/2 cups plain flour
1 1/2 cups rolled oats
1 cup brown sugar
3/4 cup butter (softened and cut into chunks)
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 cup jam (use your favourite flavour, I used raspberry)
1. Cut the butter into the flour, oats, sugar, baking soda, salt and vanilla till they are blended and resemble coarse crumbs with small and big chunks.
2. Take half of the mixture and press them into the prepared 8 x 8 inch baking pan till the bottom is covered evenly.
3. Using a piping bag or a zip-lock bag with one side of the tip snipped off, pipe the jam all over the mixture leaving half an inch of space from the sides.
4. Sprinkle the remaining mixture all over the jam but do not press down. Make sure they are evenly spread.
5. Bake in preheated oven at 180 C for 30-35 minutes. Let cool then slice into bars.
Chocolate Cherry Brownies
1 cup butter
1 cup dark chocolate (at least 60% cocoa broken into pieces)
3 large eggs
1 cup sugar
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup plain flour
1 tsp salt
1/2 cup drained morello cherries
1. Melt dark chocolate and butter in a microwavable bowl at medium for about a minute and till it's thick and creamy when stirred. Let cool.
2. Beat sugar, vanilla, and eggs till creamy and smooth.
3. Mix the chocolate mixture with the eggs mixture.
4. Add in the flour and salt and mix till well combined.
5. Fold in the morello cherries and spread the batter onto prepared brownie pan.
6. Bake in preheated oven at 180 C for 25-30 minutes.
7. Let cool then slice into squares.
Eggless Chocolate Chip Cookies (makes about 2-3 dozen cookies depending on their size)
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup margarine
1/3 cup plain lowfat yogurt
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt1 cup combination chocolate chips (semi-sweet, dark and white)
1. Preheat oven to 180 C.
2. In a small bowl, combine the flour, baking soda and salt until well combined.
3. Cream together margarine and sugar until light and fluffy.
4. Add in the low-fat yogurt and vanilla, beat until well incorporated.
5. Add the flour in 2 installments mixing/beating well after each addition.
6. Mix in the chocolate chips till well incorporated.
7. Drop on greased cookie sheets in 1 tbsp quantities (2 inches apart) and bake for about 15-18 minutes or until golden brown on the sides.
Chery Custard Pie
1/2 cup unsalted butter
1 cup brown sugar
1 1/4 cup flour
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp baking powder
2 cups pitted fresh cherries sliced in half
2 eggs1 cup milk
1. Preheat oven to 180 C.
2. Cream the butter and sugar. Sift together the flour, salt, cinnamon and baking powder. Add to butter/sugar and mix briefly. The mixture should be crumbly but moist enough to hold together when pressed. Set aside 1/4 cup and press remaining dough into tart pan, making sure the sides are strong and even.
3. Arrange cherries, spreading evenly over the bottom. Sprinkle on the reserved 1/4 cup of mixture and place tart pan on a baking sheet and slide into the oven. Bake for 15 minutes.4. Meanwhile, whisk the eggs in a bowl, then add the milk and whisk until combined. After 15 minutes, open oven door and pull the baking sheet half way out of the oven. Carefully and quickly pour the custard mixture over the tart and carefully push the baking sheet back in and close the oven door. Bake another 25 minutes, until crust is deep gold and the custard is set and beginning to brown.
5. Remove from oven and let cool slightly before removing tart ring. Let cool completely before sliding off bottom. Serve warm, at room temperature or slightly chilled with ice cream.
