Monday, 28 April 2008

Banana Choc-chip Muffins

This batch I have prepare it for my son's class friends... they have this share lunch thing at school, so I have to make something yummy for the kids. :D




Party size (made 24 medium size and 24 mini size of muffins)


Ingredients:

- 490 grams
- All purpose flour
- 200 grams granulated white sugar
- 100 grams light brown sugar
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 130 grams white chocolate, cut into small pieces
- 4 large eggs, lightly beaten
- 16 tablespoons (226 grams) unsalted butter, melted and cooled
- 6 very ripe large bananas (approximately 1 pound or 908 grams), mashed well
- 2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Preparation and baking:


Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (180 degrees C) and place the oven rack in the middle of the oven. Butter or spray a 12 - 1/2 cup muffin pan and small cupcake muffins tin (you will have to do this 2 rounds unless you have more then one muffin's tin)


In a large bowl combine the flour, sugars, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and white chocolate. Set aside.


In a another bowl combine the mashed bananas, eggs, melted butter, and vanilla. With a rubber spatula or wooden spoon, lightly fold the wet ingredients (banana mixture) into the dry ingredients until just combined and batter is thick and chunky. (The important thing is not to over mix the batter. You do not want it smooth. Over mixing the batter will yield tough, rubbery muffins.) Spoon the batter into the prepared muffin tins and place a slice of banana on top of each muffin for garnish. Bake about 20 - 25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Place on a wire rack to cool for five minutes and then remove muffins from pan. Serve warm or at room temperature and you can always serve it with ice-cream.


Note: To mash bananas I have found the easiest way is to just use my fingers, a fork or a potato masher.

Monday, 4 February 2008

Leaving the nest





A bit slacking at the moment due to kid's school holiday... anyway.. No.. no food today, :P after all, we need to just make sure after all those food, we head up for a good walk! Here is what I see when we go for a walk...

I was fortunate that the wind wasn't too strong "just yet" as you can see, I still wasn't fast enough to "frozen" the action. :P I still like it, it seem to me that the little one wanting to leave the nest and the mother plant is trying to either to hold it back or just to say "good bye and take care"

From this shot, it remind me of how I left home for the first time long ago... my mother do the same to me, my dad wasn't that keen to let me go so far away for study, but my mum was the one who said "Go, when opertunity arrise, don't miss it!" so... here I am after university, meet the man of my life, marry and settle down... :D a bit of story about me. :D


When I was taken this shot, I was waiting patiencely as the wind keep blowing, the more it blow, the more the seeds were flying away, I was saying, please please... leave some for me... hahaha.. and yes, I think they heard me... leave me a bit to take the shot...:P