During my 3-weeks getaway in States, other than making lao po bing, I also had my hand on the Best blueberry muffins and soft fluffy pancakes. My original plan was to bake-like-crazy when I'm holidaying at my sis' place, if we had only stayed at her place. But we decided to have a week stay at her house "doing nothing", and another 2 weeks on road trip from central States heading westward to San Francisco. For the last decade that my sis left S'pore for States, this is our first time visiting her together with my dad & Zakris; my gf E tagged along as well. My regret is that my mum didn't get the chance to see the well-being of my sis in a far-away land, and I do not want to have another regret that my dad didn't get to do it too! It was definitely a good trip but it won't be the last for sure! I'm already planning another trip in 2013, and to see my 1 year+ niece then!
When I saw the big array of baking tins, tools, ingredients, spices, pots & pans etc left me & my friend in awe! Even the sugar and salt are particular! The kitchen is so well-equipped that you can bake anything almost anytime. For someone who don't cook at all before she left S'pore, it's a pleasant surprise!
When I saw the big array of baking tins, tools, ingredients, spices, pots & pans etc left me & my friend in awe! Even the sugar and salt are particular! The kitchen is so well-equipped that you can bake anything almost anytime. For someone who don't cook at all before she left S'pore, it's a pleasant surprise!
The blueberry muffin recipe is highly recommended by my sis, and with the lemon-sugar toppings, they are luxurious to the bits. The only problem I had was the measurement used - cups, half stick butter, etc.
Blueberry Muffins
(Recipe adapted from Hooney's The Best Blueberry Muffins)
Makes 12 muffins.
Ingredients/ Method:
Lemon-Sugar Topping
1/3 cup sugar (I used Turbinado Sugar)
1 1/2 teaspoons finely grated zest from 1 lemon
1/3 cup sugar (I used Turbinado Sugar)
1 1/2 teaspoons finely grated zest from 1 lemon
Muffins
2 cups fresh blueberries, picked over
1 1/8 cups sugar plus 1 teaspoon
2 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon table salt
2 large eggs
4 tablespoons (1/2 stick or 56.5gm) unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 cup buttermilk (may substitute with 3/4 cup plain whole-milk or low-fat yogurt thinned with 1/4 cup milk)
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
FOR THE TOPPING: Stir together sugar and lemon zest in small bowl until combined; set aside.
FOR THE MUFFINS:
1. Adjust oven rack to upper-middle position and heat oven to 425 degrees F (or 218 deg C).
2. Spray standard muffin tin with nonstick cooking spray.
3. Bring 1 cup blueberries and 1 teaspoon sugar to simmer in small saucepan over medium heat.
4. Cook, mashing berries with spoon several times and stirring frequently, until berries have broken down and mixture is thickened and reduced to ¼ cup, about 6 minutes. Transfer to small bowl and cool to room temperature, 10 to 15 minutes.
5. Whisk flour, baking powder, and salt together in large bowl.
6. Whisk remaining 11/8 cups sugar and eggs together in medium bowl until thick and homogeneous,about 45 seconds.
7. Slowly whisk in butter and oil until combined.
8. Whisk in buttermilk and vanilla until combined.
9. Using rubber spatula, fold egg mixture and remaining cup blueberries into flour mixture until just moistened. (Batter will be very lumpy with few spots of dry flour; do not overmix.)
10. Use ice cream scoop or large spoon to divide batter equally among prepared muffin cups (batter should completely fill cups and mound slightly).
11. Spoon teaspoon of cooked berry mixture into center of each mound of batter.
12. Using chopstick or skewer, gently swirl berry filling into batter using figure-eight motion.
13. Sprinkle lemon sugar evenly over muffins.
14. Bake until muffin tops are golden and just firm, 17 to 19 minutes, rotating muffin tin from front to back halfway through baking time.
15. Cool muffins in muffin tin for 5 minutes, then transfer to wire rack and cool 5 minutes before serving.
As we had to settle our own breakfast during the first week of our stay (both my sis & bro-in-law were out at work on some days), we created "chaos" in the kitchen. One of the brekky items I prepared is the soft & fluffy pancakes. I like how easy it was to prepare and the result is real good. This is a keeper!
2 cups fresh blueberries, picked over
1 1/8 cups sugar plus 1 teaspoon
2 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon table salt
2 large eggs
4 tablespoons (1/2 stick or 56.5gm) unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 cup buttermilk (may substitute with 3/4 cup plain whole-milk or low-fat yogurt thinned with 1/4 cup milk)
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
FOR THE TOPPING: Stir together sugar and lemon zest in small bowl until combined; set aside.
FOR THE MUFFINS:
1. Adjust oven rack to upper-middle position and heat oven to 425 degrees F (or 218 deg C).
2. Spray standard muffin tin with nonstick cooking spray.
3. Bring 1 cup blueberries and 1 teaspoon sugar to simmer in small saucepan over medium heat.
4. Cook, mashing berries with spoon several times and stirring frequently, until berries have broken down and mixture is thickened and reduced to ¼ cup, about 6 minutes. Transfer to small bowl and cool to room temperature, 10 to 15 minutes.
5. Whisk flour, baking powder, and salt together in large bowl.
6. Whisk remaining 11/8 cups sugar and eggs together in medium bowl until thick and homogeneous,about 45 seconds.
7. Slowly whisk in butter and oil until combined.
8. Whisk in buttermilk and vanilla until combined.
9. Using rubber spatula, fold egg mixture and remaining cup blueberries into flour mixture until just moistened. (Batter will be very lumpy with few spots of dry flour; do not overmix.)
10. Use ice cream scoop or large spoon to divide batter equally among prepared muffin cups (batter should completely fill cups and mound slightly).
11. Spoon teaspoon of cooked berry mixture into center of each mound of batter.
12. Using chopstick or skewer, gently swirl berry filling into batter using figure-eight motion.
13. Sprinkle lemon sugar evenly over muffins.
14. Bake until muffin tops are golden and just firm, 17 to 19 minutes, rotating muffin tin from front to back halfway through baking time.
15. Cool muffins in muffin tin for 5 minutes, then transfer to wire rack and cool 5 minutes before serving.
As we had to settle our own breakfast during the first week of our stay (both my sis & bro-in-law were out at work on some days), we created "chaos" in the kitchen. One of the brekky items I prepared is the soft & fluffy pancakes. I like how easy it was to prepare and the result is real good. This is a keeper!
Fluffy Pancakes
Recipe adapted from Wen's Delight)
Ingredients/ Method:
150g Self raising flour
50g Sugar
1/4 tsp salt
110ml Fresh milk
1 egg
1 tbsp Corn oil
1. Mix flour, sugar and salt in a mixing bowl.
2. Add in egg, milk and corn oil, use a hand whisk to stir well.
3. Spoon batter onto a non-stick pan (without oil) to pan fry until golden brown on both sides.
4. Serve hot with maple syrup/jam.
2 comments:
it is always nice to be with loved ones. Am glad that you are having a good holiday.
Oh wow! It's such a wonderful experience to be staying with family members when overseas! Ah...this explains your MIA for the past few weeks!
The blueberry muffins looked so nice! I just made some too! And they were so ordinary, unlike yours! Thanks for sharing the recipe!
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