Brownies

More brownies! Another go at Mama Fami's decadent brownies.

Chocolate Brownies

Made another batch, this time I kept it simple.
No nuts or extra chocolate chips.
I've done this before, it is MaMa Fami's recipe.
But for the topping, I always wanted to try those colourful cooking chocolate bars
that I see at the baking supplies shop.
So on my last trip, I purchased a block of orange flavoured chocolate.
It was either that or pandan - NOT!
I had a small taste of the chocolate and mmm... sedaps!

Chopped the needed amount, agak-agaklah. Then melt it using a double boiler, but
since the amount was rather small I just melted it by placing the chocolate in a bowl over
a smaller bowl filled with hot water.
As there is no fire, you'd have to change to hot water twice or chopped the chocolate really fine.
Let it be for a bit and it will melt.
Once melted and smooth, using a spatula scrapped it into a piping bag and decorate away!
I'm not too imaginative, but I'm sure you are.

Happy Baking.

Brownies with Walnuts

It has been a while since I last added anything in my blog.
Hmm... been down with the flu, yes again! I felt horrible and the coughing was enough to make me
go off food for a while.
I even forsake my favorites! If only it works all the time, without having the pain of being sick...
I would definitely lose weight! LOL

Right started feeling better and I even dared to slowly sip iced drinks! Beraninya, lepas tu batuk lagi!
I began combing books and blogs for new recipes, found some interesting ones but didn't have the will to
do anything other then mentally keeping in for future 'rajin mode'

Brownies particularly caught my attention as it was easy and the ingredients were at home.
Plus Mum wanted to eat some too. So without much ado I started baking a batch last night
at 10 pm.
Why tengah malam? I love to bake then, it is quiet and the weather cooler too.

I read somewhere brownies using cocoa powder is much better in texture compared to the chocolates ones.
Entahlah, but I thought both taste delicious. This recipe uses cocoa powder, on one hand it is easier as cocoa powder doesn't require melting which to me is a tad tedious.
Back to the recipe, I found two. The measurements and ingredients are similar with exception of butter or oil.
Once again it is the melting thing. If you do opt for butter, I'd use a microwave oven.
It is easy and quick.

I normally measure the butter and put it in a bowl or glass measuring jug. Use a plate to cover so that the poor oven doesn't get splattered by butter later.
On High, depending on how cold or hard your butter is, for about 1/2 a cup 1 min is enough. If there are still lumps, just add a few more seconds or another minute would do it.

Brownies with Walnut
source: http://southernfood.about.com/od/brownies/r/bl21210e.htm &
            http://allrecipes.com/recipe/mmm-mmm-better-brownies/

1/2 cup vegetable oil or melted butter (I used sunflower oil)
1 cup white sugar (I used brown sugar)
1 tsp vanilla
2 eggs
1/2 cup all purpose flour (I used Tepung Gandum Blue Key)
1/3 cup cocoa powder
1/4 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup chopped walnuts (optional)


Method
In a bowl mix oil, sugar and vanilla. If using butter make sure to let it cool first before adding.
Using a hand whisk beat to combine.
Beat in the eggs, beat again until sugar dissolves.

In another bowl, combine flour, baking powder, cocoa powder (please sieve all)
and salt. Gradually add the dry ingredients to the egg mixture. Whisk as you go
and be careful of lumps. Mix well until smooth and glossy.
Stir in walnut. Pour into greased 9 x 9 cake tin.
Bake at 175 c for 20-25 min.

Happy Baking.

Brownies

I had an order for brownies the other day, and of all things a cute scooter was chosen as the deco!
Since I can't make figurines out of fondant and gum paste, a toy one was used.
The recipe is one that I have used quite often and a personal favourite as it is easy and uses cocoa instead of cooking chocolate. That eliminates the need for a double boiler to melt the chocolate...LOL Memang I am little malas when it comes to melting chocolate.
People say you can use the mircowave also, but I tried and believe me it DIDN'T work! Hangus adalah!!
But butter, ah yes that is more easier and I put the required amount in a mircowave proof bowl and a saucer or small plate to cover, so that no buttery splashes all over the oven. Set it on high for 40 seconds - done!!
Right, back to the brownies, I got it from Mama FaMi's Spice and Splendour blog. Thank you Mama!

toot.. toot! cute pink scooter huh?

Brownies
source: Mama FaMi's Spice n Splendour

1 cup milk
1 cup melted butter (this is about 250g butter/margarine)
1 cup hot water (optional, add one Tbsp instant coffee, leave out if there are kids eating)
2 cups brown sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla (I added another tsp)
2 cups flour
1 cup cocoa powder
2 tsp baking powder

Method
In a bowl, mix milk, melted butter, hot water and sugar. Whisk and mix well.
Beat in the eggs and vanilla.
Gradually add in the flour and cocoa powder into the mixture until combined.
If there are lumps sieve the mixture first before pouring into cake tin.
Grease a 12" x 12" square cake tin and pour the batter in.
Bake at 160C for 25 - 30 min.

There will be cracks on the surface of the brownies, but don't worry it is normal.
Let brownies cool before taking it out. Cut into square and it is ready to be eaten.
If you like drizzle some melted chocolate over the top with edible sugar glitter or chocolate rice.

Happy Baking.

Cheesy Brownies

This is the first time I baked brownies and my mum actually ate more than a polite-one-piece only. Ha! Ha!
My mum is a very fussy eater, mostly because she is a very good cook. She can basically guess the ingredients by just tasting the dish and recreate it too! I know everyone says their mum is the best but hey our mum is the best!
Right back to my brownies, ehem, macamlah I created the recipe myself! All credits go to Puan Azlita Aziz, one of my favorite food bloggers! I like her recipes, simply to follow.
I went to Aeon Big, saja browsing through the cook books when I came across "Siri Blogger Masakan Kek" Funny though I didn't realize who the author was until much later (after paying). Punyalah excited with the recipes...the pictures are good too.
Since I had some blueberry filling left from another horribly gone wrong recipe, I thought the first recipe I tried from this book would be - the Cheesy Brownies.

the book:

Mine doesn't quite resemble hers, but pretty close I must say! LOL


Cheesy Brownies
source: Siri Blogger Masakan Kek by Nor Azlita Abd Aziz

Brownies
250g butter (I used 1 cup of corn oil)
100g cocoa powder
250 all purpose flour (I used Tepung Gandum Blue Key)
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
3 medium size eggs
350g castor sugar
350ml fresh milk (I used evaporated and low fat UHT milk)
1 tsp vanilla

Cheesy layer
250g cream cheese
180g castor sugar
1 egg
1 tsp lemon paste (available at baking goods shops, but mine made the cheese part yellowish, must find one that doesn't but it taste very lemony and nice.)
Enough blueberry filling.


Method
Melt butter in a pot. When melted add in cocoa powder. Mix well.
Whisk in sugar, milk and vanilla.
Add in the flour in batches and mix well.
Sieve the mixture into a greased and lined 10 x 10 in tray.
Bake at 170C for 30-40  min.
Let it cool for a bit but don't take out of the cake tin.

In a bowl, using a hand mixture cream the cream cheese, sugar, egg and lemon paste until smooth and fluffy.
Pour it over the baked brownie. Dot the cheese surface with blueberry filling, I over did mine and it came out looking like cells under the microscope! Just one small dot and using a lidi pull at an angle to achieve small heart shapes.
Bake again for 20-30 min at 170C.
Cool and cut to serve.

Happy Baking.

More Brownies!

I was in the mood for baking... brownies! I had some cooking chocolate sitting in the freezer since Raya and thought I make some good use of them LOL

So I searched the net for some easy and delicious recipe and ta-da, found it.
I did some changes to suit my taste buds.

Chocolate Fudge Brownies
source: Best Recipes

185g Dark Chocolate (I used Meriah Cooking Chocolate biasa)
125g Butter
3/4 cup sugar (I used 1/2 cup brown sugar)
2 eggs (slightly beaten)
1 cup plain flour (I used Tepung Gandum Blue Key)
(I added 1 Tbsp flour + 1 Tbsp cocoa powder)
1 cup chopped walnuts (tak ada walnuts kat rumah, so I used almonds instead)
I also added 1 tsp vanilla

Method
Using a double boiler melt the chocolate, butter and sugar.
Cool slightly before adding in beaten eggs, or you might scramble the eggs
Next stir in the flour and nuts.
Pour mixture into a square 20 cm tin.
Bake at 170C for 30 min or until cooked.

Cool the brownies and cut into squares. If you want dust some icing sugar over the top.
You can omit the nuts, it tastes just as good.

Good luck.

Brownies

Yummy and delicious brownies. I was simply browsing through some recipes and stumbled across this.
I thought, it looked easy enough and I have all the ingredients at home, so why not? It was a public holiday and everyone was home to enjoy it.

Cocoa Brownies
source: ABM

100ml hot water
4 Tbsp cocoa powder (I used Meriah)
120g butter (melted)
1 1/2 tsp instant coffee (I didn't)
2 eggs (slightly beaten)
1 tsp vanilla
120g castor sugar
a pinch of salt
70g + 1 Tbsp of flour (I used Tepung Gandum Blue Key)
1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda
2 Tbsp plain yogurt (I subsituted this 2 Tbsp milk and squeezed some lime onto it)
2-3 Tbsp ground almonds (I used 3 Tbsp chopped almonds and walnuts)

Method
In a bowl combine hot water and cocoa powder. Add in melted butter and mix well.
Add in eggs and vanilla.
Stir in sugar and salt. Mix well.
Add in plain yogurt. Mix well.
Fold  in flour, bicarbonate of soda until combine. Add in nuts and mix well.
Pour the batter into greased tin. (20 cm square tin) Spread out evenly, and bake
for 20-25 min at 180 C.
Leave in tin for a few minutes before removing it to the cooling rack.
Best to cut when the brownie is cooled. Dust some icing sugar over it if you like.

Good luck.