Apple, Carrot and Coconut Muffins

I always think that it is much easier to make muffins than making cakes although their texture is different.

It is my first time to make this apple, carrot and coconut muffins. The recipe is adapted from the book " Muffin Galore" ( Catherine Atkinson ). 

The combination of these ingredients makes very moist muffins. The actual recipe makes 12 muffins but I only make half of these.

( All dry ingredients - mixed well)

Apple, Carrot and Coconut Muffins :
Dry ingredients:
75 g plain wholemeal flour
75 g white flour
50 g brown sugar
1 tsp baking powder
1/8 tsp bicarbonate of soda
1 tsp cinnamon powder
100 g carrot ,finely grated
100 g dried apple, chopped (  I used fresh apple)
30 g raisin, chopped
25 g walnut , chopped
50 g flake coconut

Wet ingredients: ( I have made some changes here as I didn't have buttermilk )
The actual recipe needs 63 ml buttermilk , 63 ml milk  1 egg and 1 tsp vanilla extract)

I substitued the above ingredients as below :
50 g melted butter
70 ml milk
1 slightly beaten egg
1 tsp vanilla extra

Method:
1. Preheat oven to 180 C/ 350 C  Gas mark 4. ( I used 190 C as I thought that this muffin is quite moist and it needs higher temperature ) . Grease a 6-cup muffin tin with paper muffin case.
2. Mix dry ingredients + wet ingredients , mix briefly until just combine.
3. Baking time : 25- 30 mins .

Voila ! My tea time : A cup of tea and an apple, carrot and coconut muffin, yummy !

Coconut Tarts

Those coconut tarts selling in the bakery shop are too sweet for me .
So , I have decided to make them myself according to the sweetness that suit me well.

These bloggers made beautiful coconut tarts :
1. My Kitchen Snippets (English )
2. Citarasawan ( Malay )
3. Eupho Cafe 爱在厨房（ Chinese ）
4. The Best Food - vegetarian 甜嫩的椰子塔  （ Chinese ）
5. Eileen 之记事本 ( Chinese)
6. 小小米桶 - 香酥椰子塔 ( Chinese )
7. Food Cooking and Capturing - Vietnamese Coconut Tarts ( English )

My version of coconut tarts were referred to My Kitchen Snippets 's pastry and filling quantity . But I changed the making method to creaming method for the filling and modify some of the quantity of ingredients as well.

Coconut Tarts: ( I used patty pan baking tray instead of single tart moulds, makes about 16 psc ) 

Ingredient of pastry :

300 g flour

160 g butter

70 ml iced cold water

20 g castor sugar

1/4 tsp of salt

To make the pastry:

1. Cut cold butter + flour until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs.

2. + sugar + salt + iced cold water. 

3. Make them a dough and refrigerate for 20 mins . 

4. Press dough into the tart mould with equal part of dough and fill with coconut tart filling.

5. Bake in the oven.

Ingredients of Filling :

200 g grated coconut ( need only the white one).

70 g butter

80 g castor sugar

2 eggs ( 70 g each )

70 g flour  

10 ml water

Method :

1. Beat butter + castor sugar until creamy and fluffy ( electric mixer)

2. + eggs, mixed well ( electric mixer)

3. + flour stir well (with spatula).

4. + grated coconut ( with spatula ).

5. + water.

Baking time : 30 mins ( upper and lower heat ,  middle rack ).

                      Extra 10 mins if neccessary ( only lower heat to make the base of the coconut tart crispy).

Raisin Scones

I have made some raisin scones for breakfast.

But I will still take some for tea break too.

Sometimes I take them with raspberry and sometimes with only butter or sometimes with both.

Raisin Scones:
Ingredients:

225 g flour
2 tsp baking powder
50 g cold butter
1 beaten egg
50 g castor sugar ( I use less sugar because those raisins are quite sweet)
60 ml cold milk

100 g raisin ( slightly cut )

Method:
1. Cut cold butter with (flour + baking powder) with a pastry cutter.
2. + sugar + beaten egg + cold milk.
3. + raisin.
4. Knead into dough lightly.
5. Press to 1 cm thickness and cut with a round cookie cutter.

Oven temperature : 220 C
Baking time : 10 mins ( or golden in colour)

Tea break : Raisin scones and black coffee without sugar.

Raspberry Jam Drops

I made these jam drops from " Essential Baking " cookbook .
I need to place them on a 14" X 10 " tray twice. You can find this from "Delicious Magazine". They have almost the same recipe. ( The quantity of sugar and jam has reduced )
It is better to eat this jam drops within the day of baking.
As I kept this in the container, the moist of the jam has made these cookies very soft and you need to bake it again before eating.
** Do not stack them in the container too.

Raspberry Jam Drops ：
Ingredients ：
80 g unsalted butter ,soften
45 g icing sugar ( original recipe : 90g )
2 tbsp milk
1/2 vanilla extract
125 g self raising flour
40 g custard powder or instant vanilla pudding mix  ( I used Tesco Choice Brand , I guess it has too much yellow colouring and the taste is not what I expected )

100 g raspberry jam

Method:
1. Preheat the oven to 180 C ( 350 F)
2. Line baking tray with baking paper. ( I greased the tray with butter )
3. Cream the butter + sugar in a small bowl using electric beaters until light and creamy.
4. + milk + vanilla extract, beat until combined.
5. + sifted flour + custard powder and mix to form a soft dough.
6. Roll heap teaspoons of the mixture into balls and place on the tray.
7.Make an indentation in each ball using the end of a wooden spoon and fill with a little of the jam.
8. Baking time  : 15 mins. , middle rack.

Verdict : I love this jam drops because it is not too oily while eating. The raspberry jam has enhanced the taste of the cookies. Although I have never tried other brand of custard powder, I don't like the colour of the custard powder and the custard powder taste is too strong. I will only use 20 g of custard powder and 20 g of corn flour when I do this next time :)

 Tea Break : Raspberry jam drops with half a cup of black coffee without sugar.

Spaghetti Carbonara with Pork Loin

With only a piece of fried pork loin and some cucumber, I started to prepare "spaghetti carbonara " , without any bacon and wondered if this is still called spaghetti carbonara or " pasta in egg sauce "? 

Spaghetti Carbonara with pork loin :

Ingredients:

1 piece of fried pork loin

80 g chopped onion

30 g chopped garlic

1 beaten egg ( 70 g)

half of the cucumber cubes ( removed inner soft part)

a portion of cooked spaghetti for one.

Seasoning :

salt 

pepper

abalone scallop sauce ( bottled ) - 鲍鱼瑶柱汁

Method:

1. Prepare spaghetti.

2. Fry onion + garlic until fragrant ( not brown).

3. + pork loin stir fried for 2 mins.

4. + cucumber cubes + 100 ml water , seasoning + spaghetti.

5. + beaten egg. Switch off the stove. Stir the beaten egg evenly until it becomes thick.

6. Serve with grated cheddar cheese. ( I have no parmesan cheese )

Voila !