Banana Nutella Swirl Bread.

Anything with Nutella is never wrong. 

They won't go wrong, how can that possibly be right?
And the addition of banana.

Yummy.

As I was typing Nutella, the computer actually suggested another word. 

WHAT? You mean Nutella doesn't exist in the dictionary? 
This is pathetic.


Just saying.

Anyway, this banana bread is fantastic.

Moist, soft, fluffy.

................................

with Nutella. 

I use the overripe bananas who people always think that it's too disgusting to be consumed.

Let me tell you something, you are so wrong.

You can use the bananas to make it into a cake, or bread. Or cupcakes.

Or, whatever you can think of.

Never waste these precious. They make the best out of dessert!

Nutella Banana Bread

Yields: 1 loaf

Ingredients:

1 cup + 9 tablespoon - 200grams all purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

pinch of salt 

2 eggs, room temperature

6 tablespoon - 85grams butter, melted and cool

5/8 cup - 120grams brown sugar

1/4 cup - 60ml milk

3 bananas, mashed until no lumps

3/4 cup - 85grams nutella 

1 teaspoon rum or vanilla extract

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350F/180C.

Grease a loaf pan with butter. 

In a medium bowl, combine butter, sugar, milk, eggs and rum. Mix until just combine. 

In another bowl, combine flour, baking soda, powder and salt.

Add the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients and mix just until smooth.

Add mashed bananas into batter and mix until just combined.

Place nutella on heatproof bowl over a pot of boiling water and stir until it becomes runny.

Alternatively, you may microwave about 20 seconds to soften it. 

Take about 2/3 of the nutella and drizzle over the banana batter. 

Gently fold the nutella using a spatula. Do not over mix.

Carefully pour batter onto prepared grease pan evenly so that the swirl will be even. 

Add the remaining nutella and swirl the batter again.

Bake for 45 to 55 minutes, depending on your oven. 

Remove from oven and let cool on wire rack before serving. 

Or just eat them warm.

FANTASTIC.

By: Black Baker

Chocolate and Almond Biscotti.

ok.......

I am thinking should I post this. Because my biscotti are too FAT. 
I sliced it too thick. 

A mess.
But I like messiness. 

Oh really, what am I trying to say?

But on a side note, they tasted good.

I need some comforting food again. 

Like cookies? or brownies.
Life just need to have some of this.

These are filled with chocolate chips and toasted almonds. 
The only regret I had, was that I sliced that biscotti too thick. 

TOO FAT.

drizzle with melted chocolate...

And more if you like..

Chocolate Almond Biscotti

Yields: 1 dozen

1/4 cup - 57grams unsalted butter, room temperature

3/4 cup - 150grams granulated sugar

2 large eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/2 cup - 45grams unsweetened cocoa powder

1 1/2 cups - 187grams all purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

4 ounces - 113grams silvered almonds, toasted

1/4 cup - 80grams semi sweet chocolate chips

1 ounce - 28 grams semi sweet chocolate, melted

Method: 

Kindly preheat oven to 350F/180C

In a large bowl, beat the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 4 minutes.

Add the eggs one by one, beating after each addition.

Mix in the vanilla extract. 

Gradually add the cocoa powder, flour, baking powder and salt mixing until fully combined. 

Stir in the almonds and chocolate chips.

Mix until combined. The dough should be slightly dry to the touch.

Place the dough on a baking sheet and form the dough into a log 12 inches long by 3 inches wide.

Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until the dough cracks on top and just begins to brown.

Remove it from the oven and allow to cool for 10 minutes or until the dough is cool enough to handle.

Using a serrated knife, cut the log into 1/2 inch slice.

Place the slice cut down onto the baking sheet.

Bake for additional 8 to 10 minutes.

For a crunchier texture, flip the biscotti over and bake for another 8 to 10 minutes. 

Place the melted chocolate into a plastic or zip loc bag and snip off the corner.

Drizzle the chocolate over the biscotti.

Allow to dry before storing.

NOTES:

Please do not slice thicker then that otherwise your biscotti will be as fat as mine!

Biscotti should be kept in a air tight container.

Bacon Cheddar Pull Apart Bread

Happy belated Easter everyone!


Was so busy during the weekends that I was literally sleepwalking the wholeday.


Just kidding.


Oh ya, my tripod died on me. 
The handle couldn't be tighten.
This means I have to get a new one replaced. 
This means I have to spend money.

FINE.

SIGH.

I did this pull apart bread over the weekends. 
I was actually thinking about it since last week. 

About the cheese.
About the bread.

About the pepperoni.
Originally was with pepperoni.
But I replaced it with bacon.

And it's still great. 
Almost perfect.

The bread was literally screaming 
"EAT ME!!''

And I have to risk my hands to pull out the hot loaf of bread from the tin.
And I nearly burned my fingers.

GREAT.

It's just my hands...
y' know.
Itchy hands.

Bacon Cheddar Pull Apart Bread. 


Ingredients:

2 cups - 254grams bread flour
3/4 cups - 93 grams all purpose flour
(you can use all AP flour instead)
2 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon salt
2 1/4 teaspoon instant yeast
1/3 cup - 80grams whole milk
6 tablespoon - 85grams unsalted butter
1/4 cup - 60ml water
2 large eggs, room temperature


Toppings:

1/2 tablespoon oil
12 strips of bacon, cut into bits (about 150grams)
1 cup - 100grams shredded cheddar cheese (or more, if you like.)


2 tablespoon - 28grams unsalted butter, melted
2 cloves garlic, minced


Method:


In a large bowl, stir together the flour, sugar, salt and yeast. Set aside.
In a small saucepan, combine milk and 6 tablespoon of butter over low heat till melted. 
Remove from the stove and add in water.
Let it cool down till about 120F/48C.
Pour the milk mixture over the dry ingredients.
Using a spatula or a pastry scrapper, fold them until just combined.
Using your hands, knead on the bowl and 10 to 15 times until fully incorporated. 
Or if you are using a stand mixer, attach your dough hook and knead the dough on low speed until fully incorporated.
Add the eggs, one at a time, kneading in between each addition so that the eggs are fully incorporated.
Take the dough out of the bowl and begin to knead for about 15 to 20 minutes by hand.
The dough will feel very sticky, you can add about 2 more tablespoon of flour BUT do not be tempted to add more. 
I just stick to the original recipe and did not add any more flour.

If you are using a stand mixer, it should takes you about 5 to 7 minutes.
Knead until the dough is smooth and soft, but still slightly sticky.
Lightly floured your work desk and fold it close until it comes together as a ball.
Lightly greased a large bowl.
Place your dough in the bowl and cover with a plastic/cling wrap. 
Allow the dough to rest in a warm place for about 1 1/2 hours to 2 hours or until it doubled in size.
On a frying pan, 
Heat oil and fry the bacon till golden brown, about 5 minutes. 
Set aside and let cool. 
Take the dough out of the bowl and gently deflate it to remove any gas.
Roll it into a rectangle measuring 18'' x 10''.
Sprinkle your dough with cheese and topped with the bacon.
Trim the edges, discarding any scraps to make straight line along the rectangle.
Cut the rectangle (lengthwise) into 5 equal strips. (2 inch per strip)
Stack the strips atop each other and then cut into 4 equal parts.
Lightly buttered a loaf pan. 
Stack the squares against each other, cut sides down.
(There will be space on both sides)
Lightly cover the pan with plastic/cling wrap and let it proof for another 45 minutes to 1 hour or until it double in size.
Preheat oven to 350F/180C.
Stir together the melted butter and minced garlic.
Place the loaf into oven and bake for 15 minutes.
Remove the pan from the oven and brush the top of the loaf with garlic butter and return it to the oven and bake for another 15 to 20 minutes or until golden brown.
Remove pan from oven and let it cool before serving. 



Have a CHEESYYYYY day.

Cake Mix Banana Chocolate Chunk Muffins. Super Easy!

Hey Guys. What are you baking today? 

You know I seldom have time to bake during the weekdays, so the only time where I could devote myself to baking is only during the weekend.

I know I know.. 
I think this is the 1023454621th times I'm mentioning
But I still want to rant.

So I will find excuses to stay at home rather heading out.
I think I'm obsessed.

Is there such a sickness call obsessive baking?
I think I might have it.


Frustrating.
Annoyed.

Anyway, nobody cares about calorie nowadays.
Especially when you need something comforting, y' know.

Ever since I did my Cake Batter Oreo Cookies I realised I still left with alot of cake mix.
And Marianne is saying that she wants to have some chocolate cake.


And the kitchen pantry is left with one banana, so this comes into my mind.
You can just call it one bowl muffins.
Cake mix muffins.
Super easy muffins.

This is a super easy recipe. You just dump everything in and mix. 

Dump your chocolate chunk in the muffin cups and pour over your batter.

Push it into your oven and wait for 20 minutes.

Ding!

It's ready.

Cake Mix Banana Chocolate Chunk Muffins.

Makes 6 small muffins

Ingredients:

1 cup yellow cake mix (I use betty crocker's yellow cake mix)

1 ripe banana, smashed

1 large egg

1/4 cup - 60ml plus 1 tablespoon vegetable oil

2 oz - 40grams dark chocolate, chopped into chunks

Method:

Get ready 6 small muffin cups. 

Preheat your oven to 350F/180C

In a medium bowl, combine cake mix, oil and egg.

Mix till combine.

Add in smashed banana and mix again.

Place a few chocolate chunks at the bottom of the muffin cups (about 2 to 3 chunks)

Pour batter over the muffin cups. 

Add some more chocolate chunks.

Bake in oven for about 20 to 23 minutes. 

Remove from oven and place in oven rack to cool.

Store in airtight container

NOTES:

Recipe can easily be doubled, or tripled.

Muffins can be kept up to 3 days in room temperature.

By Black Baker

That's me, yours truly.

y' see?!!

I told you it was easy isn't it?

You don't even have to rake your brains for it. 

Lemon Buttermilk Cake.

It's not a baking week for me. Because I'm so tired and I just went to Batam for a short trip over the weekends.

Weekends is the only time for me to bake because 

1. I have the whole day to myself
2. There's plenty of light for me to take photos of my bake stuff
3. I have a job so I am not able to bake in the weekdays.


ok.. Anyway I shall just stop grumbling and write this cake. 

Have you guys ever tried baking with buttermilk??
I can tell you.. It makes the cake super moist and fluffy.. 
In case you guys don't know what is buttermilk , 

The term buttermilk also refers to a range of fermented milk drinks, common in warm climates (e.g., the Balkans, the Middle East, Turkey, Afghanistan, Pakistan, India, Sri Lanka and the Southern United States) where unrefrigerated fresh milk sours quickly,^[1] as well as in colder climates, such as Scandinavia, Finland, Netherlands, Germany, Poland, Slovakia and Czech Republic. This fermented dairy product known as cultured buttermilk is produced from cow's milk and has a characteristically sour taste caused by lactic acid bacteria. This variant is made using one of two species of bacteria—either Lactococcus lactis or Lactobacillus bulgaricus, which creates more tartness.

It taste like yogurt for me.
Is It? Well to me it is. 

I started baking once I reached home but by the time I finish baking It was sunset..
SIGH.

This cake suppose to be glazed.

But I skipped that as I think It's nice eating like that. 

You may want to glaze it if you like to. 

Ingredients:

3 large eggs

1 cup - 200grams castor sugar

160ml canola oil

2 tablespoon lemon zest

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

2 cups - 250grams all plain/all purpose flour

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1 cup - 240grams buttermilk

1 cup sliced almonds (optional)

Glaze:

1/2 cup - 60ml lemon juice

1/2 cup - 63grams sugar

1 teaspoon lemon zest

Method:

Preheat oven to 350F/180C

Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and salt. Sift once, set aside.

In a large bowl, combine egg, sugar, canola oil and lemon zest using whisk or wooden spoon till evenly mixed.

You may want to use the electric mixer to mix the wet ingredients, but make sure it is evenly mixed.

Slowly, add the dry ingredients and buttermilk alternating each until fully combined, don't over mixed.

Fold in sliced almond and mix thoroughly.

Place batter in oven and bake for 30 to 35 minutes until golden brown or when cake tester inserted comes out clean. 

While waiting, prepare your glaze. 

Combine the lemon juice, sugar and lemon zest in a pot over medium heat.

Let sugar melt and stir for about one minute. Remove from heat and let cool.

When cake comes out let it cool slightly before pouring glaze over. 

Enjoy your moist buttermilk cake!

Wholemeal Breakfast Scones.

How are you? Are you fine?

I am fine. Thank you.

I am blabbering nonsense anyway. I know nobody would read this part.

I've been trying to do a video on my baking, but 

1. I am the only one doing all the stuffs
2. Nobody can help me shoot when I am handling the ingredients.
3. I really have no extra hands
4. I still haven't got really learned how to do that

I might as well just type the last sentence to end all of the above right??

But no, I still want to type. 

I have one very stupid wish. Actually two. Actually alot alot. 
I can't name them cause it's real stupid. 

Ok let's get back to here. 

I love scones. 

Plain and simple, but it's a good breakfast.

Pair it with your favourite jam. Or whatever, really.

Wholemeal Breakfast Scones
Makes about 8 scones.

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups (150grams) cake flour (or you can make your own) 
1/2 cup (50grams) wholemeal flour 
2 tablespoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoon baking powder
50 grams unsalted butter, cold 
1 egg, lightly beaten
5 tablespoon (80grams) plain yogurt 

Milk for brushing the scone

Method:

Sift together cake flour and baking powder.
In a large bowl, combine wholemeal flour, sugar and salt.
Add in cake flour mixture and combine.
Add butter into flour mixture.
Using your fingertips, rub the cold butter with the flour until it resembles coarse bread crumbs.
If you feel that the butter is melting away, put in the freezer to rest for about 10 minutes before continuing.
Make a well in the centre, add in the beaten egg and plain yogurt. 
Stir the mixture together using a wooden spoon or spatula. 
(The mixture will be very lumpy and wet)
Place the mixture on a floured surface and give it a FEW LIGHT KNEAD
(** The reason I bold this is because you do not want to knead too long because your scones will turn out hard and chewy and you do not want that)
Mix until the dough comes together. 
Place the dough into a wrap and keep it chill in the fridge for about 30 to 45 minutes. 
Dust your hand and work surface with a little bit flour and take the dough out of the fridge.
Roll out the dough to one inch thick and cut out the dough with lightly floured 2.5 inch biscuit cutter.
Dip the cutter into flour after each cut.
Gather all scraps and repeat until dough is used up.
Place the scones on baking tray lined with parchment paper and brush the top with some milk.
Bake at preheated oven of 205 degrees C/400 degrees Fahrenheit for 12 to 15 minutes or until they are well risen or golden brown. 
Do not over bake. 
Remove from oven and place on wire rack to cool.
These scones are best served warm.

Caramelized Onion with Cheesy Swirl Bread.

I don't understand why my photos turns out so yucky at times. 


The light?  The display? Or I just doesn't know how to photograph nice food. 


I understand why it is not easy to be a food blogger. You have to be satisfied with your photos. You have to make the audience feel that your food is like fantastic.

HOW AM I EVER TO DO THAT?

I just feel like screaming my lungs out. It's frustrating at times. 


I really need to practise alot in this area. Especially photography. 

ok. Back to this topic. I made this bread over the weekends. It's amazing. The only regret I had was not adding enough onions. This bread smells and taste nice. With caramelized onions and cheese bursting in your mouth. It's super yummy. 

Caramelized Onion with Cheesy Swirl Bread.


Ingredients:

200 grams all purpose flour
175 grams bread flour
1 teaspoon salt
A pinch of pepper
1 tablespoon sugar
2 1/4 teaspoon instant yeast
1 cup - 236ml milk, warm slightly
1/4 cup - 54grams

2 red onions
1 tablespoon of olive oil
Pinch of salt

150grams cheese, grated (Whatever cheese you like, seriously)
a little bit more olive oil, about 1 1/2 teaspoon


Method:

Combine flour , salt, pepper, sugar and yeast together.
Add in milk and 1/4 cup of olive oil and mix together to form a dough. 
Take the dough out of the bowl and knead for about 10 to 15 minutes until the dough is smooth and santiny. Place dough in a bowl and cover with cling wrap and let the dough rise in a warm place till double in size. (About 1 1/2 to 2 hours)
Meanwhile, prepare the filling. 
Chop the onions into bite size.
Heat the 1 tablespoon olive oil in a skillet over medium low heat and add the onions and pinch of salt.
Stir fry occasionally for 30 to 45 minutes until the onions are soft and are in dark brown colour.
Take the pan off the heat and set it aside to cool.
Take the dough out of the bowl and place dough on a floured surface and roll into a rectangle round 9x12 inches. 
Top the dough with cheese then the onions. 
Starting from the shorter end, roll the dough as tightly as possible into a 9 inch log.
Using a sharp knife, cut the log into 9 equal pieces and arrange them in a baking pan, evenly spaced.
Brush the top of the buns with the remaining olive oil.
Cover the pan with cling wrap and let the buns rise in warm place until they doubled in size, about 1 1/2 hours. 
15 minutes before baking, preheat oven to 180 degrees celcius.
Bake for 20 to 25 minutes until the buns are golden and the cheese is bubbly.

Apple Crumble with Vanilla Sauce. A comforting food for your soul!

I have alot of comforting food on my mind. Especially when it rains. (Or even if it doesn't, but it does especially when it's raining.)

Cinnamon Rolls, Chocolate cake, Cheesecake, Ice cream..  My mind is corrupted by all this food. I can even smell it in the back of my mind ( Does that even sounds right???!)

Ok nevermind. Everyone have weird thoughts.

It's a Sunny day today. Looking out of the window, noticing how beautiful the place is, I snapped some photos.

The haze was quite bad over here actually.. But somehow it was quite good that day. 

This tree is going to be chopped off soon. It's going to be so bare.. There's good and bad.
Good because the view is unblocked, bad because... I don't know what's really bad actually. Just that the tree is coming down after sucha long time here. 


Ok, back to here. I love Vanilla sauce. Sweet and with a hinge of vanilla in your tongue. So tempting and delicious. And it goes so well with my Apple Crumble. I think I had too much of that I get bloated. 

So, this is quite easy.. You just prepare all the ingredients needed. Slice the apples, prepare the crumble. Coat your apple with some cinnamon sugar..

And cover the crumble over the apple. And off you go into the oven.

Bake in oven for 30 to 35 minutes or until golden brown.

Meanwhile, prepare your Vanilla Sauce. (I didn't have time to take photo for the Vanilla Sauce)

Violaaaa!!

You must be wondering why it's so flat. Because I was using a pie dish. 

Apple Crumble need to be eaten hot and fresh on that day itself. Because of the crumble. Wouldn't taste so nice on the next day of course. 

Yummy. Right after the photos, this goes into my tummy.
Yummified.

Satisfied.

Apple Crumble with Vanilla Sauce. 

Ingredients for the cumble:

1 cup plus 1 tablespoon - 100grams cake flour 
1/4 cup - 50grams granulated white sugar 
80grams unsalted butter
Pinch of salt

Ingredients for filling:

2 Apples (Peeled and sliced into 1/4 inch pieces)
1 1/2 - 2 tablespoon granulated white sugar
1/2 tsp cinnnamon powder

Ingredients for Vanilla Sauce:

1 Egg
3 tablespoon granulated white sugar
Pinch of salt

1 tablespoon all purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon corn flour
1 cup - 250ml milk
Seed from 1/4 pod of vanilla
2 tablespoon - 28grams unsalted butter


Method:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F/180 degrees C.
Brush the pan with butter.
Make the crumble by rubbing the butter, flour, sugar and salt together until it resemble coarse crumbs.
Set aside.
Make the filling by mixing the 1 1/2 tablespoon sugar and cinnamon together.
Place the apple into the pan and sprinkle the sugar mixture over the apple.
Cover with the crumble. 
Bake in the oven for 30 to 35 minutes or until golden brown.
While waiting for the crumble, prepare the sauce.
Put the eggs, sugar, both of the flour into the saucepan, whisk till combine.
Heat the milk into the microwave for 1 - 1.30 minutes or until heated through. 
Pour into the egg mixture slowly, whisking all the time. (You do not want to have scramble eggs)
Place the sauce pan over low heat and let the mixture come to a boil (whisking all the time), until the mixture thicken abit.
Take off the heat and add the butter, whisking slowly until the butter melted. 
Pour sauce into a jug and now you are ready to serve!