Linda Collister's Espresso Brownies

I have not baked Brownies for awhile….

Last night while I was reading some food blogs, this particular recipe from Bisous A Toi caught my attention. I like the idea of adding coffee to the brownies and the marble effect with the cream cheese.

As I happened to have all the necessary ingredients, I went ahead and baked it today.


This is a very aromatic brownie. Why would it not be?…. when there is so chocolaty. However, the scent of the coffee is rather faint. Perhaps I did not use a high quality coffee powder. Just used the normal instant Nescafe powder. Nonetheless, it is still delicious. The cream cheese layer (topping) has a slight crunch while the texture of the brownie is fine, moist and soft.

I did reduce the sugar by a little (as you know I am not a sweet tooth).

 

Linda Collister’s Expresso Brownies (adapted from Bisous A Toi )

Ingredients
230g Dark Cooking Chocolate - 70%
115g unsalted butter at room temperature
275g powdered sugar ( I reduced to 250g)
5 eggs - beat until just fluffy
2 tbsp instant coffee, dissolved in a little hot water
70g flour
60g cocoa powder
20g full cream milk powder
100g Cream Cheese - room temperature
125g Butter
2 eggs - small size
40g Flour

Method
Cream cheese mixture
Beat cream cheese and butter until soft
Add in eggs one at a time
Once combined add in sifted flour and continue to whisk - put aside

Brownies
Melt dark cooking chocolate using double boil method - set aside
On a stand mixer,whisk butter and sugar till soft
Add in instant coffee.
Add in beaten egg and continue to whisk
Add in sifted flour, cocoa powder and milk powder.
Add in melted dark cooking chocolate..
Once mixed switch off mixer and pour batter into 22 x 22cm pan.. smoothen the top.

Pour a few dollops of cream cheese mixture on top of the chocolate batter.. do a little swirl to get a marble effect


Bake on preheated oven of 160C for 40-50 mins depending on your oven.

Fresh from the oven

Tea time treat

This is a keeper.

I bet my children will be asking for it again soon ;)

Chocolate Chunk Cookies

 

My daughter’s speech & drama class will be having a party tomorrow. It’s a potluck and everyone is to bring something. Since I will be busy tomorrow, ferrying my 2nd son for this exams, I reckon I would not have much time to prepare something elaborate for her.

It strike me that its about time to get my daughter involved in the culinary skills. When she was younger, she used to  watch me do my baking. However, as time goes by, she prefers to spent her time in front of the computer.

To revive her interest in baking, I got her to bake some cookies for her class tomorrow. Of course, this is done under the watchful eyes of her mother……

Despite her lack of confidence (especially in breaking an egg), she did well.

 

The Chocolate chuck Cookies turned out well.

We (or rather she) made a total of 52 cookies. Since they are for kids, I suggested having them in bite size and lined on small cupcake liners.

 

These are like chocolate chip cookies. Only difference is, we cut chocolate into chunks instead of using chocolate chips.

The cookies are crispy on the outside and chewy inside…..yummmm!!!!!

Simple yet heavenly. Perfect recipe for beginners….

 

Chocolate Chunk Cookies

Ingredients :

3/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 egg
2 tsp vanilla extract
2 cups all purpose flour
2 tsp cornstarch (also known as cornflour)
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
200g bittersweet chocolate, cut into chunks

 

Method :

• Preheat the oven to 180 degree celcius.
• Cream together butter and sugars until smooth. Add egg and vanilla and blend in.
• Mix the rest of the dry ingredients.
• Stir in chocolate chunks.
• Drop cookie dough onto a greased baking sheet (or like us,, onto paper cupcake liners.
• Bake for 8-10 minutes or until golden brown.

*What makes the cookies chewy is the cornstarch.

If you prefer the crispy, omit the cornstarch and replace the baking soda with baking powder.

Moist Chocolate Bundt Cake

 

It was my significant other half’s birthday a couple of days ago. Since DH does not fancy birthday parties, the occasion was just a very private family affair.

I had planned to made him his favourite “Steamed Yam Cake”. Stayed up late on the eve and steamed a tray of the Yam Cake. However, it was a disaster! I must have miscalculated the amount of water to be added and the cake was a tad too hard. Poor DH… despite that he still down a substantial amount of it for breakfast.

Feeling bad, I decided to bake him a cake instead. No fancy cake (with lots of icing) as he prefers it plain. Chocolate cake is my family’s favourite so it would be a good choice.

 

Instead of the normal Steamed Chocolate Cake, I have opted for a baked Chocolate cake using  sour cream. Simple yet delicious. It is such a jiffy to make. Light and moist…

 

  …

. 

Moist Chocolate Bundt Cake

Ingredients

2 cups cake flour
1 cup cocoa powder
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
340g  unsalted butter, softened
1 3/4 cups granulated sugar (you may add up to 2 1/2 cup sugar – I like mine to be less sweet)
4 large eggs
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup sour cream

Method

1. Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 160C. Grease the inside of a 10-inch Bundt pan. Dust with flour.
2. Sift the flours, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt into a medium bowl. Set aside.
3. In a bowl of an electric mixer, using the paddle attachment, beat the butter at medium speed until very creamy, (about 2 minutes).
4. Gradually beat in the sugar. Increase the speed to medium-high and beat until the mixture is well-blended and light, (about 4 minutes).
5. At medium speed, beat in the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition and scraping down the sides of the bowl as necessary.
6. Combine the vanilla extract and the sour cream. in a small bowl.
7. At the low speed, add the dry ingredients to the butter mixture in 3 additions, alternating with the sour cream mixture in 2 additions and mixing just until blended.
8. Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top.
9. Bake the cake for 65 to 75 minutes or until a cake tester inserted into the center comes out clean.
10. Cool the cake in the pan on a wire rack for 15 minutes. Then invert the cake onto the rack and let it cool completely.

No Bake Pots de Creme

 

Yesterday I found that I had a box of good quality dark chocolate stowed away in my larder for quite awhile. In fact, it was a prize from a lucky draw by the Singapore Tourism Board when we last visited Singapore some time back. It came with a fondue set. We were supposed to use the chocolate as fondue but we have totally forgotten about it.

 

 

Since the expiry date is just a couple of months away, I will need to use it up as soon as possible. I remembered reading a post by Ju of The Little Teochew about  how she used up some chocolate chips that were nearing expiring to create a great dessert. Zeroed into her post and was immediately motivated and inspired to make it as the recipe seemed very easy. Her pictures are so pretty. (My photography skill does not do any justices to the real thing !)

I must agree with Ju that this is really fuss free and so easy to make. In fact I managed to rope my little girl to join making it.

I did not follow the original recipe and I adjusted the quantity according to what I have on hand.

 

Pots De Creme (original recipe by heights eats)

Ingredients :

- 2 cups heavy cream (**I used 1 cup**)
- 1 tsp instant espresso powder (or instant coffee)
- 115g semi-sweet or bittersweet chocolate, or a combination (
- 6 egg yolks (** I used 3 egg yolks **)
- 3 tbsp sugar (** I used 1.5tbsp**)
- Dash of salt (preferably sea salt)

 

Method :

• Heat the cream, espresso powder and chocolate in a medium saucepan over medium heat, stirring occasionally. Meanwhile, beat together the egg yolks, sugar and salt in a medium-large bowl. Set aside.
• When the cream mixture is almost at a simmer (ie, almost about to boil but not yet boiling), gradually pour it into the bowl with the egg yolks, whisking to combine as you do so. Pour the mixture back into the saucepan and heat, stirring almost constantly, on medium-low until the mixture thickens and coats the back of a spoon (or reaches 175-180 degrees, if you have an instant read thermometer), about five minutes. Do not let the mixture overheat or worse, burn.
• Leave the custard in the saucepan to cool slightly before pouring into serving ware of your choice, and then place into the fridge for chilling.
• (Optional) Serve with whipped (flavoured) cream, or a drizzle of light cream, or with chocolate shavings.

 

Taste absolutely heavenly. 

My children polished the cup cleaned!