No-Frills Recipes ... cooking, baking & excerpts on travel

How wonderful it is to wake up to a sweet aroma of chocolate wafting from the kitchen.  These rich and moist chocolate coconut muffins make a perfect morning treat for breakfast and will certainly brightens up your day!



Chocolate Coconut Muffin  ~  巧克力椰子玛芬
Ingredients
200 gm plain flour50 gm cocoa powder40 gm shredded coconut30 gm choc chips70 gm caster sugar2 tsp baking powder1 egg1 cup skim milk1/4 cup canola oil1 tsp vanillasome shredded coconut for topping (optional)Method Sieve plain flour with baking powder, whisk in cocoa powder, mix till well combined.  Add in shredded coconut and choc chips.In another bowl, whisk eggs, sugar, milk, vanilla and oil thoroughly.Pour the dry ingredients into the egg mixture. Mix till just combined.Scoop the batter into a lined muffin pan.Bake in a preheated oven @ 180 deg.C for about 20 mins.  Test with a skewer till it comes out clean.  Remove from oven and let cool in pan Sprinkle on some shredded coconut before serving.Yield : 8 muffins

Deliciously crunchy and citrusy cookies, decadent with a hint of coconut.  You  can snack on them at any of the time of the day and mind you, they can be sinfully addictive.  Why not make them as a gift to your relatives and friends for the forthcoming festive season.




Lemon Coconut Cookies ~  柠檬椰子曲奇
Ingredients
170 gm butter200 gm caster sugar250 gm plain flour, sifted1 egg plus 1 egg yolk100 gm desiccated coconut1 Tbsp lemon juice1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda1/4 tsp saltzest from 1 lemonMethod Beat butter and sugar till fluffy, add in eggs, blend well.Fold in sifted flour, zest and juice.Add in the desiccated coconut.  Mix till well combined.Roll into balls, place on parchment lined baking tray.  Do not press the dough.Bake in a preheated oven @ 180 deg.C for 15 mins. till golden brown.Yield :  54 cookies

I kick start 2019 with  this  post  ....... Chicken Floss Chiffon Cake. 
This is another cake with a layer of chicken floss and topped with more chicken floss and a sprinkling of lightly toasted sesame seeds.  This time I baked this with my normal chiffon cake recipe.  The recipe is slightly different from the Chicken Floss Cake which I posted not too long ago.  But if you ask me, both cakes are equally good in texture and delicious.  Yumm is the word!







鸡松戚风蛋糕
Chicken Floss Chiffon Cake
Ingredients (A)
5 'L' egg yolks50 ml canola oil65 ml milk40 gm caster sugar85 gm plain flour1 tsp vanillaPinch of salt2 heaped Tbsp peanut butter or mayonnaise (I used peanut butter)Chicken flossLightly toasted sesame seeds(B) 5 'L' egg whites40 gm caster sugarMethod Beat egg yolks with sugar with a ball whisk, then add in oil followed by milk.  Whisk till well blended.  Sift in plain flour and add in salt and vanilla.  Blend well.In a clean bowl, whisk egg whites till frothy, then add in su…

This is a very simple, straightforward muffin recipe but it produces good result.  Full of apple flavour with aromatic cinnamon but it's truly yummy when taken freshly baked, especially the crusty, caramelised top.




Apple Raisin Muffin ~  苹果和葡萄干玛芬

Ingredients                                                     125 gm plain flour1/2 tsp baking powder1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda1 large egg85 gm caster sugar65 ml canola oil60 ml milk1/2 tsp cinnamon1 tsp vanilla30 gm raisins1 apple, skinned, cored and dicedRaw sugar to sprinkle (optional)Method Sift the flour with baking powder, bicarbonate of soda and cinnamon, set aside.In another bowl, whisk the egg with sugar, then add in the oil and milk, mix till well incorporated.  Pour the flour into the egg mixture, add in the diced apples and raisins.Mix till just combined, taking care not to overmix.Using an ice cream scoop mixture into lined muffin pan, about 3/4 full.  Sprinkle a generous amount of raw sugar on top.Bake in a preheated oven @ 1…

Delight your family and friends with these easy chocolate chip cookies with butter and walnuts.  These cookies are fairly big, thick, crunchy and not very sweet as I've cut down on the amount of sugar.  These are always a hit amongst adults and children alike.




Chocolate Chip Walnut Cookies ~  巧克力核桃奇曲
Ingredients
170 gm unsalted butter90 gm dark brown sugar  ( I used Rapadura sugar)50 gm caster sugar1 large egg2 tsp  vanilla250 gm plain flour2 tsp cornflour1 tsp bicarbonate soda1/2 tsp salt150 gm choc-chips30 gm walnuts, coarsely choppedMethod Sift plain flour, bicarbonate of soda and salt, mix in cornflour set aside.Using a handheld whisk, beat butter and sugar till smooth and creamy.Add in the egg, mix well.Lightly whisk in the flours, mix till well combined.On low speed, add in choc-chips and walnuts, or you can opt to mix in by hand with a spatula.Wrap dough in clingwrap, chill in the fridge for a few hours or up to 2 days.  I chilled mine, overnight.  (Chlling is a must as this c…

Tis the season for gifting and indulging.  This cookie is crunchy on the outside and yet not too hard on the teeth.  It can be a grab-to-go snack or you can simply dunk it into your coffee or tea.  They can be addictive and Santa may come back for seconds!





Blueberry Almond Bread ~  杏仁蓝莓脆饼
Ingredients
75 gm whole almonds, toasted25 gm dried blueberries25 gm dried figs3 egg whites90 gm caster sugar120 gm plain flour (sifted)Method Coarsely chop up the whole almonds, dried blueberries and dried figs.  Set aside.Beat egg whites till frothy.  Add in sugar gradually and beat till stiff peaks but not dry.Add nuts, chopped fruits and sifted flour. Mix till well combined.Spread onto a parchment lined 8 x 4 x 4 inch pan.Bake in a preheated oven @ 180 deg.C for 30  mins. until top is lightly brown.Let cool, wrap with cling wrap and put in freezer till the next day or so.Using a serrated knife cut into thin slices, arrange onto a tray and bake for 8 mins. on each side till golden and crisp.Cool comp…

These dainty looking Lavender lemon cookies have a subtle taste of lavender, not too much for I used  fresh leaves instead of dried flowers.  They are buttery, taste like shortbread with a light floral aroma.  They are simple, cute and sure to impress.  Try gifting them at a Christmas cookie swap or great to give as a gift during the coming festive season.


Lavender lemon cookies ~  薰衣草柠檬曲奇
Ingredients

263 gm butter80 gm caster sugar245 gm plain flour50 gm cornflour2.1/2 Tbsp icing sugar1.1/2 Tbsp freshly snipped lavender leaves1 tsp lemon zesta pinch of saltMethod Sift plain flour with the cornflour, set aside.Cream butter, sugar and icing sugar till fluffy.Mix in the snipped Lavender leaves and lemon zest.Mix in the sifted flour and cornflour mixture.Wrap up the dough with cling wrap and keep chilled for an hour or more.Roll the dough into 1/4 inch thick and cut with cookie cutter.  (Alternatively, roll into a log and cut into 1/4 inch thick).Place cookies onto a parchment lined baking …