Buttermilk scones

I did a count of the number of scone recipes I have. That's about 5 posts worth, dating back to 2007 when my ex-boss gave me the ultimate and still best loved recipe. Unfortunately, that recipe is fiddly, with rolling pins, cookie cutters, etc etc. I've since read up and this looks like a good recipe. From Fast Ed in BHG. Here's the video. https://au.lifestyle.yahoo.com/better-homes-gardens/tv-and-video/video/watch/28277195/fast-ed-english-scones-ep-17-29-05-15/

Here's the dictated form. Although the recipe never explicitly said 'buttermilk', that's what the addition of an acid to milk does, although Fast Ed didn't directly add the lemon juice to the milk and let it sit, he did add them separately and then let it sit altogether. Whatever works, right?

Ingredients
500g self-raising flour
1 tsp sugar
2 tsp baking powder
pinch salt
85g butter, softened to room temperature
265ml milk
1/2 tsp vanilla
1 egg whole
Juice of half a lemon (1 tbsp)
1 egg, beaten

Method
1) Combined dry ingredients (except butter) in a bowl, stir before sifting. Sift at least 3 times to get it light.
2) Rub the butter into the flour gently with fingers.
3) Push the dry ingredients to the side to create a well in the centre. Pour in the egg, vanilla and egg. Pour in the lemon juice.
4) Beat the egg with a butter knife then use the knife and use criss-cross cutting motions to 'cut' the dough together. A very wet dough results. Stop once combined, don't over-work the dough.
5) Pour the dough on a floured surface and lightly pat with hands into about 5 cm thick dough.
6) Use cookie cutter (5cm diameter) and cut out scones, and drop directly only a lined (parchment or oiled) baking sheet.
7) Let it rest for 10 minutes for baking powder to activate and reduce the time in the oven for a fluffier and moister crumb.
8) Brush the tops with beaten egg.
9) Bake at 200 deg C for 10 to 15 minutes till pale golden on top and risen.
10) Let them cool on a baking rack for about 5 to 10 minutes. Serve with jam and clotted cream.

Cocoa brownies

Adapted from this recipe http://prettysimplesweet.com/cocoa-brownies/

I've been looking for a cocoa power based recipe for a long time. In the past, I've tried melting chocolate but although the brownie is great fresh, after a few days, it gets rock hard. I still recall my brownies of childhood came off a Hershey Chocolate box. That recipe was perfect, and the brownies came out cake like and stayed that way for days (as long as no one consumed it up of course!) Sadly, I no longer have that recipe and couldn't locate it on the Hershey website either.

This seems to be the best recipe, all it requires is melted butter. I've avoided recipes that require a stove top because it's one more pot to watch, but since I don't have a big enough microwavable bowl and would need to transfer here and there (washing!), I decided to use the stove top instead. I also substituted some butter for oil ostensibly because it's healthier (but in reality, it's because I ran out of butter!)

Ingredients
10 tbsp butter (140 g, I used 100g butter and 40g veg oil, anything neutral tasting, NOT olive oil!)
1 1/4 cup sugar
3/4 cup + 2 tbsp cocoa powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
2 large eggs, room temp
1/2 cup regular flour
2/3 cup chopped cooking chocolate or chocolate chips (or nuts as the original recipe asked for, but I'm not a fan of nuts! Raisins would probably work well too)

Method
1) In a large pot, melt the butter and the oil.
2) Once melted, add the sugar and cocoa power and stir till well combined. You'll get a gritty mixture. Leave it aside to cool as you don't want scrambled eggs.
3) When warm, add the vanilla, then beat in one egg at a time. I had to beat rather vigorously otherwise the oil would separate.
4) Sift in the flour and here, the original recipe called for beating 40 strokes. I settled for half beating, half folding. Here, a thick batter is produced. Add the chocolate chips or whatever additions and fold in gently.
5) Pour into a parchment lined pan, mine is 9*7". Bake in a preheated oven for 25 to 35 minutes (check after 25 mins) at 160 deg C. The top should have tiny bit of wobble and a inserted skewer should come out with a few crumbs. The sides have pulled away from the pan. It's tricky getting it cooked and still fudgey yet not over cooked that it becomes a cake.
6) Let it cool complete in the pan. I tried removing it and it nearly fell apart despite baking for 45 minutes, so I think it is meant to be like a lava cake and has to 'set' after it gets cool! The recipe even suggests letting it cool in the fridge. If you want clean lines when cutting, it has to be completely cool.
7) Original recipe says it should be out out of the fridge for up to 3 days outside in an airtight box.

Recipe feedback: I probably won't be substituting oil again, the taste is quite strong. It is too sweet for my liking but oh oh oh so unbelievably fudgey! See the picture, so fudgey they can't hold their shape and are falling down!

Cinnamon Nutella muffins

From http://sallysbakingaddiction.com/2013/05/05/nutella-stuffed-cinnamon-sugar-muffins-2/

This seems like a simple recipe but not really, because I used waay too many kitchen tools and bowls despite what the recipe touted. Hmm I could economise but then my OCD would kill me for not scraping the bowls/plates/measuring cups/etc clean enough. But taste wise it's great. I found the muffin not sweet enough so u really cant skimp on the cinnamon sugar topping.

Ingredients

75g or 5 tbsp butter, softened

½ cup sugar

1 tsp vanilla

1 egg

½ cup milk

1½ cup flour

1½ tsp baking powder

½ tsp cinnamon powder

¼ tsp nutmeg powder

½ tsp salt

8 tsp Nutella

Topping

45g or 3 tbsp butter, melted

2 tsp cinnamon powder

¼ cup sugar

Method

1) Preheat oven to 220 deg C. Prepare muffin tin with papers, liners, or just oil/butter. 

2) Cream butter and sugar till pale on high.

3) Add egg and beat, followed by vanilla and finally milk. Beat on medium till incorporated.

4) In a separate bowl, sift flour and baking powder. Toss with cinnamon, nutmeg and salt.

5) Add the dry ingredients to the wet in 3 batches, mix on low till just combined. Don't over mix.

6) Spoon in 1 heaped tbsp batter, followed by 1 tsp Nutella. Top with another heaped tbsp batter and smooth off the top. Fill empty muffin slots with water for even baking. (Recipe says it can make 8 or 9 but my liners were big, so it meant 4 tbsps in total of batter)

7) Bake for 5 mins at 220 deg C, then turn down without opening to 180 deg C for 13 to 17 minutes (mine took another 5 mins). 

8) Leave to cool in the tin for 5 minutes, then on a rack.

9) While cooling, prepare the topping. Melt the butter in a microwave in bursts of 10 seconds till u see it just melted. In anothet dish, combine the sugar and cinnamon.

10) Dip the muffin tops in butter and swirl around, then coat with cinnamon sugar.

11) Best eaten immediately or store in an airtight box.

Cheese drop scones

This has gotta be the best cheese scone recipe ever. 15 minutes to prepare, 20 minutes to bake. Beats a cheese toasty. Upon eating, all chatter at the table suddenly ceased with the first bite, and then silence for a bit to devour the first scone.

And no oil, how healthy is that! The scones freshly from the oven were puffy, and imagine fried cheese rather than stringy pizza cheese.

http://www.food.com/recipe/easy-cheese-scones-in-a-hurry-29817

My very slight adaptations like changing ml to cups, using plain flour and adding a herb. 

Ingredients (makes 8)

1 cup flour

1 ½ tsp baking powder

1 cup shredded hard cheese (i used chedder)

½ tsp thyme (use whatever herb, spice like paprika or even powdered garlic)

Pinch salt

⅔ cup milk

Method

1) Preheat oven to 225 deg C. Sift flour and baking powder intoma bowl. Add salt. Add cheese and toss with a fork to combine.

2) Add milk a bit at a time to and mix till well combined. The batter should be moist and sticky.

3) On a greased baking tray or lined with parchment, drop on the scones. The original recipe suggest using a rounded tbsp (baked for 15mins) but I used my 50ml scoop.

4) Bake at 225 deg C for 17 to 20 minutes till golden. I turned at 13 and 17 mins cos my oven has uneven hot spots.

5) Serve immediately with butter, jam (ginger goes great) or honey. Leave the rest to cool on a cooking rack, not on the tray or the underside may scorch.

Updated recipe with rosemary: http://simmetra.blogspot.com.au/2018/04/rosemary-cheese-drop-scones.html

Dakjjim Braised oyster sauce chicken

Original recipe is http://www.maangchi.com/recipe/dakjjim but mine is more Chinese-fied, ie less sweet. The only thing more Korean is the addition of the sweet potato starch noodles which was a good choice. I love these noodles over tang hoon which tends to break down.

Ingredients
1.2kg chicken parts
2 medium potatoes, cubed
2 medium carrots, cubed
½ onion
2 tbsp oyster sauce
1 tbsp sugar
2 tbsp light soya sauce
1 tbsp fish sauce
1 tbsp sesame seed oil
Sprinkle of sesame seeds
Dash of white pepper
150g sweet potato starch noodles
10 cups water

Method

1) In a little sesame seed oil, brown the chicken parts, then add onions, carrots and potatoes.

2) Add the sauces, pepper and water. The water should be enough to cover the chicken so use more or less as required. Bring to a boil and skim off the scum and oil. Turn down the heat to a simmer (I used a slow cooker)

3) Soak the noodles in hot water fresh off the boil for about 10 minutes till softened.

4) Add the noodles about 10 minutes from the end.

5) Splash on sesame oil and sprinkle on sesame seeds.

Blueberry and chocolate chip muffins

From this recipe

http://littlesweetbaker.com/2014/10/03/bakery-style-chocolate-chip-muffins-2/

Not a bad recipe that I modified by adding blueberries. Can taste the baking soda but otherwise, there wouldn't be quite so much muffin top! I found that the muffin papers were great because there is more muffin top and less 'stump', without having to scrub the muffin pan. I also added the dry to the wet, rather than the other way around as this and many other muffin recipes prescribe.

Ingredients (makes 11)

2.5 cups all purpose flour

1 tbsp baking powder

1 tsp soda

½ cup chocolate chips

½ cup blueberries (I used frozen but fresh will do too)

½ tsp salt

½ cup butter, melted (125g)

1 cup sugar

2 eggs

1 cup milk

1 tsp vanilla

Method

1) Prepare the muffin papers if using. Preheat oven to 220 deg C.

Cube the butter and melt in the microwave in 10 or 15 second bursts. Set aside to cool.

2) In a big bowl, combine the wet ingredients. Beat the eggs and sugar till pale. Add the milk, vanilla and butter.

3) In a smaller bowl, sift the flour, baking powder and soda. Add the salt, chocolate chips and blueberries. Toss the choc chips and blueberries in flour. This prevents the chips and fruit from sinking, and blueberries from bursting and turning everything blue.

4) Using a whisk, add the dry ingredients the wet gradually, and rotate the whisk to fold in eveything. Do not over beat, just combine till everything is mixed with no dry floury spots. The batter will be thick.

5) Spoon into the prepared papers (I find the ½ cup measuring cup useful). Try to push the very thick batter down into the edges of each muffin mould but be gentle. Fill to 3/4 of the muffin mould.

6) Bake at 220 deg C for 5 minutes, then turn down to 190 deg C and bake for another 15 to 20 minutes. I turned the pan in the last 5 minutes to brown the tops evenly.

7) Let it cool in the tin for 5 to 10 minutes, then cool completely on a cooling rack.

Recipe feedback
Notice how muffins lose the 'crunchy' muffin top the next day? Did a little experiment to see what happens to muffins after a night.: muffins in an airtight box in the fridge (A), muffin in airtight box left outside (B), and muffin left outside but with a breathable fly cover (ie not in saran wrap; C).

The next morning, here's the verdict. C was the most moist for some reason and cakey soft. B was drier but still cakey soft. C retained a slight bit of 'crunch' but inside was dry, so maybe the crunch was a byproduct of getting drier. In sum, sadly, none of the muffins maintained the crunchy muffin top but if these muffins weren't so prone to mould after the 3rd day since there are no preservatives within, I would probably leave them outside!

Alternative chocolate chip and almond recipe