Vienna and Belgium

A supper of chocolate dessert after the Vienna Boys' Choir performance. 

At Max Brenner :

Belgian chocolate waffle, with caramelised bananas, walnut caramel cluster, Rice Krispies. 

Mexican Hot chocolate, with chili, pepper and cinnamon 

Lemon mint granita. Refreshing.  

Chocolate muffin (basic)

Made these on the spur of the moment one lazy afternoon. I was browsing through my kitchen store, and after a quick check on the internet, I rehashed some basic recipes and came up with this for chocolate flavoured cupcakes.

Here’s the recipe:

Choco Cupcakes (basic)

• 1 cup self-raising flour
• 125g butter (softened)
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 2 eggs
• 2 tbsp milk, plus a little more splash of milk if needed
• 1/2 tsp vanilla essence
• 1 tbsp cocoa powder + 1/2 a pack of instant coffee powder
• 2/3 chocolate chips

1. Preheat oven to 200 degrees
2. Place all ingredients into a food processor (except for the milk & chips), and pulse to ensure mixture is even. Add milk towards the end, and pulse a little more
3. Pour into 12 cupcake cases (or 8 large muffin cases), and bake for 15 mins
4. Done !

Chocolate brownie muffin

I've not really put my new oven to the real test. It came with my new home, and I was doubtful about its quality since it was not something I chose. The oven comes with a blow-fan feature which I am unfamiliar with, and I only know, with Ollie's advice, that baking-times need to be reduced for such ovens.

True enough, I overdid my first set of bakes with the oven - cornflake cookies over the CNY period
:(

I finally mustered up enough enthusiasm and excitement to make some chocolate brownie muffin. I had been trying to get hold of recipes that could yield rich, fudgy choco muffins, much like those from my favourite bake-shop in Shunfu.

I adapted the following from Happy Home Baking, whose blog I have been following.
I used lesser cocoa powder, brown sugar (instead of white) and also used smaller cupcases.

The result? - Yummy, rich and these are actually really brownies. Wonder what a pinch of baking powder might do...?

Ingredients
80g butter
150g dark eating chocolate, chopped
100g brown sugar
(melt the above 3 items over indirect heat)

2 eggs, lightly beaten
1 teaspoon vanilla essence
100g plain flour
1 tsp cocoa powder
A handful of chocolate chips

Method

Preheat oven to 200 degC.

Line baking tray with cupcases.

Sift together flour and cocoa powder, set aside.

Melt butter, sugar and chocolate over indirect heat.

Transfer chocolate mixture to a mixing bowl.

Stir in the liquids gradually (eggs, vanilla essence), followed by the flour+cocoa powder+choc chips mixture.

Stir till just incorporated (do not overstir).

Divide batter into muffin cups.

Bake for 15 mins or until skewer inserted in the centre comes out clean.