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

For a change I baked these hearty, healthy wholemeal muffins in a mini loaf pan.  I placed a slice of banana on top, added in a sprinkling of raw sugar thus resulting in a moist and slightly crunchy muffin.  These muffins are best enjoyed, warm.







Banana Wholemeal Raisin Muffins  ~  香蕉葡萄干全麥玛芬
Ingredients
220 gm self-raising wholemeal flour450 gm over-ripe bananas, smashed50 gm raisins80 gm caster sugar2 'L' eggs1/2 cup vegetable oil1 tsp cinnamon1 tsp vanillaa pinch of saltExtra bananas for toppingRaw sugar to sprinkle  (optional)Method Whisk wholemeal flour with sugar, cinnamon and salt.  Set aside.In another bowl, beat eggs and vegetable oil till pale, add in vanilla, mix well.Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients.  Add in the smashed bananas and raisins.  Mix till just moistened.  Do not overmix.Using an icecream scoop, scoop batter into the greased and lightly flour dusted mini loaf pan, till 3/4 full.Place a half-sliced piece of banana on top.  Sprinkle on some raw…

Loaded with freshly sliced apples, this yoghurt apple cake is moist and slightly sweet.   Before serving I added a sprinkling of powdered sugar on top, which is the 'icing on the cake'!





Yoghurt Apple Cake ~   酸奶苹果蛋糕
Ingredients (A)

4 'L' egg yolks13 gm caster sugar20 ml vegetable oil54 gm plain yoghurt67 gm plain flour(B) 4 egg whites27 gm caster sugar2 apples, cored and sliced without skinMethod Sift the plain flour, set aside.Beat egg yolks with sugar, add in oil and yoghurt.  Mix well.Beat egg whites till frothy, gradually add in sugar and beat till stiff peaks, but not dry.Fold 1/3 egg whites into the egg yolk mixture, then pour this into the remaining egg whites, mix in well.Pour the batter into an ungreased 8 inch springform pan, tap the pan to remove air  bubbles.Place and arrange the apple slices onto the cake.Bake in a preheated oven @ 180 deg.C for 50 to 55 mins. till golden brown and test with a skewer till it comes out clean.Immediately invert the cake supporte…

I had this simple French Toast for brunch recently and there's not much to be said with regards to the recipe.  For 4 slices of bread, I beat up 2 eggs, add a pinch of salt, dunk the bread into the egg mixture and pan-fry the bread.  Drizzle on some honey or maple syrup, add in some bananas or any fruits of your choice, throw in some nuts for crunch and good measure ....... and voila, enjoy!

This is a savoury swiss roll filled with peanut butter and chicken floss.  The airy and light sponge is delicious with this combination and it can be enjoyed for breakfast, as a snack at any time of the day.






Chicken Floss Swiss Roll  ~  鸡肉松蛋糕卷

Ingredients 
(A)  4 'L' egg yolks
       30 gm caster sugar
       30 ml vegetable oil
       30 ml milk
       50 gm plain flour   )  sifted
       20 gm rice flour     )

(B)  4 'L' egg whites
       40 gm caster sugar
       1 tsp lemon/lime juice or vinegar

(C)  Chicken floss and peanut butter for filling

Method

Line a 10 x 10 inch square pan with parchment paper.Whisk egg yolks, sugar, oil and milk till well incorporated.  Fold in sifted plain and rice flour.  Mix well.In a clean bowl, whisk egg whites with lemon juice or vinegar, add in sugar in batches and beat till stiff peaks but not dry.Fold in 1/2 meringue into the egg yolk mixture, mix well.  Gently pour this into the balance meringue and mix well but not to overmix as th…

These muffins with a tropical flavour of lemon and coconut are very soft and moist.  They stay fresh till the next day, kept in a container.






Coconut Lemon Muffins  ~椰子柠檬玛芬 
Ingredients
210 gm plain flour80 gm caster sugar1 cup plain yoghurt1 'L' egg1/3 cup vegetable oil1 tsp baking powder3/4 tsp bicarbonate of soda1/4 tsp salt1 Tbsp lime juice25 gm dessicated coconutRaw sugar to sprinkle on top (optional)Method Sift the flour with baking powder, bicarbonate of soda, salt, whisk in the sugar.Beat yoghurt, egg, oil and lime juice till smooth.  Stir this into the dry ingredients just till moistened.Fold in the dessicated coconut.Using an ice cream scoop, fill up paper lined muffin pan 2/3 full.  Sprinkle on some raw sugar.Bake in a preheated oven @ 200deg.C for 18 to 22 mins. till golden brown.  Test with a skewer till it comes out clean.Serve warm or cool to room  temperature.Yield :  10 muffins.

These fudgy and gooey brownie squares are not only pretty to look at with swirls of peanut butter but they are delicious as well.  This is a healthy brownie recipe as I've replaced butter with avocado and used wholemeal flour instead.








Avocado Chocolate Brownies  ~   鳄梨巧克力布朗尼
Ingredients

2 medium size ripe avocados, cubed2 eggs150 ml honey75 gm wholemeal flour30 gm cocoa powder1 tsp baking powder1 tsp vanilla2 Tbsp peanut butterMethod In a blender or food processor, combine avocado, eggs, honey and vanilla till smooth.Whisk wholemeal flour with baking powder and cocoa powder.Fold the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients until a batter forms.  Pour the the batter into a parchment lined 8 x 8 inch baking pan.  Soften the peanut butter in the microwave for a few seconds, then drop dollops on the batter and swirl.Bake in a preheated oven @ 180 deg.C for 20 to 30 mins.Press the top and if it bounces back when you gently touch it with your finger, then it is set.  Also test with a skewe…

I think it is more appropriate to name this cake just as 'Topo map cake' for the layers in this cake really look like a map.  Layering this cake can be quite challenging as a great deal of patience is required.  But patience and endurance do pay and after the cake is baked and once you sliced it up, you'll be so pleased to see the pretty layers and the colour combination.  Not only does it look awesome, the texture is good too, soft and moist.




Topo Map Cake  ~   地图蛋糕 (adapted from 'here')

A)  250 gm salted butter
      100 gm caster sugar
      4 large egg yolks
      200 gm self-raising flour
      60 ml milk
      1 Tbsp matcha powder, sifted
      1 tsp vanilla
      Cocoa powder for dusting
B)  4 large egg whites
      50 gm caster sugar

Method

Beat butter, sugar and vanilla till creamy, add in egg yolks one at a time.Fold in sifted flour alternating with milk till well incorporated.Divide into two portions.  Leave one portion plain but sift in matcha powder into…