Chocolate Chip Muffins

~ Posted on Friday, September 3, 2010 at 12:38 AM ~

This is my 1st attempt of making:

CHOCOLATE CHIP MUFFIN

PREPARATION TIME: Less than 1 HOUR

* Less than 5 minutes to mix & fold batter

* 30 minutes for baking process

Ingredients / Tool Required:

* 1 pack of Chocolate Muffin Mix (500g)

* 4 eggs (room temperature)

* 130ml water (room temperature)

* 135ml oil

* A measuring jug

* A big containter to mix ingredients in

* A flexible spatula for mixing and folding

* Cupcake casings-depending the casing size, I used 22 pieces

(Note: I used the hard type which can put into oven and bake together)

* A small ladle to spoon mixture into cupcake casings

* Baking aluminium foil the size of wire rack

What to Do?

* Place all ingredients into a big container.

* Mix and fold using the flexible spatula.

(Check out Ben helping mummy out!)

* Continue mixing and folding until all ingredients are combined.

* Using the small ladle, spoon the mixture to each cupcake casing until about 3/4 full.

* Drop in small amount of chocolate chips into each cupcake casing (if you want to eat more, then dump more!)

* Place each cupcake casings on top of wire rack which has been lined with baking foil.

BAKING PROCESS

*Pre-heat oven at 190℃ (about 5 minutes)

* Place wire rack tray into oven.

(Check out the chocolate chips on top of the muffin mixture)

* Set oven to 190℃ and bake for 25 minutes.

(25 minutes seem long especially when you start smelling the sweet aroma of the chocolate muffins. Oh, and you get real excited when you start seeing the muffins rise!)

THE RESULTS

CLOSE UP SHOT

REACTIONS FROM MY "GUINEA PIGS"

* Test subject 1 (aka me): "A bit dry all over... suspected due to the smaller cupcake casing and small surface area. Inside muffins are moisty though."

* Test subject 2 (aka Ben): "Mmmmmmmmm... "(showing mummy his index finger which meant "GOOD"-he has yet to master the thumbs up...)

* Test subject 3 (aka hubby): "Looks 3/10, taste 8/10!!! Yeah you are right need bigger cup... 1stly its not enough in 1 cup to feed my appetite. The moist part inside oooooo heaven..."

QUESTIONS TO ANYONE WITH BAKING EXPERIENCE:

* I'm wondering when is the right time to put those sugar decoratives in?

* Why does some of the muffins 'sway' to certain directions? (Due to fan?) and how do I overcome this?

* Do you think using pre-mix ingredients are good? Somehow I feel as though I'm cheating but I was told I need to get more experience in baking first and not focus much on what flour and all at the moment...

TO TAKE NOTE IN NEXT ATTEMPT

* Definitely going to buy bigger size cupcake casings... (don't think reducing mixture amount will help)


So there you go.... my 1st CHOCOLATE CHIP MUFFINS attempt!

Overall, I feel it should be better! I'm a tad disappointed with the hard crust though. And I wanted to put the sugar decorative on top of the muffins but it just rolled off the cupcakes because of the hard surface.

If you have any questions or tips to share, feel free to leave a comment as I might have left out details of it or I could find out more from my SIL who taught me this during my 1st baking class recently.

To view my other recipes, feel free to hop over to my Recipe Library page for more info!

Brought to you by: Baker wannabe aka

Roasted Chicken Wings

~ Posted on Thursday, September 2, 2010 at 12:05 AM ~

This is my 1st attempt of making: 

ROASTED CHICKEN WINGS

PREPARATION TIME: 1 HOUR

* Half hour for marinating
* Less than 5 minutes for glazing process
* 30 minutes for roasting process

MARINATING PROCESS

Ingredients / Tool Required:

(Note: I actually chop off the wings and upper thighs, so for the sake of this recipe, I will just refer to it all as chicken wings)

* 6 uncooked chicken wings
* 1 teaspoon of Light soy sauce
* 1 teaspoon of Sugar
* A metal pot or container to store chicken wings when washing
* A container to store chicken wings for marinating overnight

What to Do?

* Clean the chicken wings by washing away the blood and all the yucky stuff (Okay, it's yucky to me...)
* Because I am not a fan of seeing blood on meat, I dipped the wings in a pot of boiled water for about 15 seconds.

* Pour away the water and pat the wings dry a bit.
* Sprinkle the chicken wings with 1 teaspoon of sugar and 1 teaspoon of light soy sauce.
* Using hands, mix the sugar and light soy sauce around the chicken wings to ensure all parts are marinated.

* Store the chicken wings into a container and leave it overnight
(Note: If you don't want to marinate overnight, you can do so 2 hours before roasting but I'm the type of person with the theory that "More time, more absorption")

GLAZING PROCESS

Ingredients / Tool Required:

* 1 tablespoon of Light soy sauce
* 1 tablespoon of Char Siew (or BBQ) sauce (better if you use honey but I don't have any on hand)
* 2 teaspoon of Dark/Thick soy sauce (to give the wings color)
* A little bit of Worcestershire sauce
* A container to store the glaze mixture
* A metal tea spoon
* Baking aluminium foil the size of wire rack

What to Do?

* Mix all the sauce listed above in a container.
* Line up a baking aluminium foil on the wire rack.
* Place the chicken wings nicely on the wire rack on top of the baking foil.
* Pre heat oven to 190℃ for about 5 minutes.
* Glaze the sauce mixture on top of each wings using a metal spoon.

ROASTING PROCESS

* Place wire rack tray into oven.
* Set oven to 190℃ and bake for 15 minutes.

(Check out my Astronaut Gloves! Hehehe...)

(See who is waiting anxiously for the roasted chickens!)

* After the 15 minutes is up, take out the baking tray and flip all the chicken wings to the other side.
* Repeat the glazing process.
* Place back the wire rack tray into oven.
* Set oven to 190℃ and bake for another 15 minutes or until the skin turns golden brown color.

THE RESULTS

(Check out Ben eyeing the roasted chicken wings...)

CLOSE UP SHOT

Honestly speaking, this chicken wing above looks sooooooooooooooooooooooo yummylicious that I almost wanted to frame it up or make an Oscar deserving speech to thank my SIL and everyone else who helped me and supported me through my journey into the baking world...

REACTIONS FROM MY "GUINEA PIGS"

* Test subject 1 (aka me): "Should have put more marinating sauce! Not salty enough!!"
* Test subject 2 (aka Ben): "Ahh-ahh-ahhh"(with climbing and dragging motions to try to pry chicken away from mummy's hands)
* Test subject 3 (aka MIL): "Eh, your roast chicken not bad but should be saltier."
* Test subject 4 (aka hubby): "Mmmmm yummy!!!!!!!! I like the taste!! The Wing part really hits the spot!"

TO TAKE NOTE IN NEXT ATTEMPT

* Increase marinating sauce amount
* Perhaps put honey (as per original recipe taught by SIL) instead of using BBQ sauce to substitute

So there you go.... my 1st ROASTED CHICKEN WINGS attempt!

Overall, I feel such a nice sense of accomplishment! It's such an euphoric feeling seeing the chicken wings get finished up and that people are happy with the food I made!

If you have any questions or tips to share, feel free to leave a comment as I might have left out details of it or I could find out more from my SIL who taught me this during my 1st baking class recently.

Btw, I will also write another post later for my 1st CHOCOLATE CHIP MUFFINS (which I made right after the chicken wings).

To view my other recipes, feel free to hop over to my Recipe Library page for more info!

Brought to you with a full stomach by: Baker wannabe aka

List of Things On Hand for Baking...

~ Posted on Wednesday, September 1, 2010 at 1:05 AM ~

About 2 weeks back, I made a list of things I need for my baking adventure. After getting lots and lots of wonderful advice from you guys and then getting my 1st baking class demo from my SIL, I finally get the chance to go to a bakery supplies store and purchase some of the equipments and tools to start off my baking adventure!

Here are the things I have on hand for now. I will be updating this list whenever I add on to my collections:

EQUIPMENTS/TOOLS ON HAND

NOTES

Electric/convection Oven

Baking Equipments

Origin: From my SIL, I got it on 22nd Aug 2010.

Brand: Cornell, can't find the capacity or model

  (no manual)

Price: Still trying to pay my SIL, she has yet to respond...

Features: Digital readings, lamp, fan, can do rotisserie

Measuring Cups & Spoons

Baking Equipments

Origin: Bakery supplies store on 30th Aug 2010.

Brand: Made in China products...

Price: RM3.90

Features: 11 piece set with hanging loop and tab

* I also got myself a measuring jug from Carrefour for RM4.50

Sieve

Baking Equipments

Origin: Bakery supplies store on 30th Aug 2010.

Brand: Made in China products, I think...

Price: RM3.50

Features: Plastic flour sifter

Silicone Spatula

Baking Equipments

Origin: Bought from a kitchen store on 30th Aug 2010.

Brand: Wiltshire Bend 'n' Bake Green Silicone Spatula

Price: RM15.90

Features: Flexible, heat resistant, silicone head tip, non-stick

Oven Mitts

Baking Equipments

Origin: Bakery supplies store on 30th Aug 2010.

Brand: Don't know...

Price: RM12.00 for a pair

Features: Thick & spacelike, I'm calling it my "Astronaut Gloves"

Pastry Brush

Baking Equipments

Origin: Bakery supplies store on 30th Aug 2010.

Brand: Don't know...

Price: RM3.50

Features: Soft nylon bristles

Cupcake Casings

Baking Equipments

Origin: Bakery supplies store on 30th Aug 2010.

Brand: Don't know...

Price: RM9.80

Features: Paper casing hard enough to bake together

(save me the trouble of getting muffin pan and cleaning!)

Decorative

Baking Equipments

Origin: Bakery supplies store on 30th Aug 2010.

Brand: Don't know...

Price: RM2.10

Types: Very fine sugar decoration, chocolate chips

Any feedback you have on the equipments I got above? Like I should get another type or etc etc?

I'm a full-time mummy