Mini Choc Chip Muffins!

These muffins were a treat, they are delicious but easy to make and to have especially when you have small kids around or when your just plain hungry!

As many of you may already know that my Mother Sarah and I are selling our house. so just as a special treat I have made mini muffins to have while people are looking at the house on the open inspection days. these muffins are great because if you don't want them to be small you can still do them regular size and can get about 15 muffins but if you do them miniature size you get about 32 or 34.

While shopping for ingredients i came across these adorable little patty pans, now i thought they were just your average patty pans but boy was i wrong! they are re usable, they come in a pack of 12 and were made the brand bend'n'bake. They are the people who made cupcake trays bendable and they have thought of reusable patty pans. Thank you bend'n'bake!!

Ingredients:

• 3 cups of plain flour
• 1 teaspoon of baking powder
• 50 grams of cold unsalted butter, cubed
• 2/3 of a cup of caster sugar
• 200 grams of milk chocolate chips
• 2 eggs
• 250 ml milk
• 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract

Method:

1: preheat the oven to 200 degrees Celsius

2: line 24 mini muffin cases

3: mix the flour and baking powder together in a large bowl. rub in the butter until the mixture is like bread crumbs.

4: stir in the sugar then chocolate chips, in a separate bowl whisk the eggs, vanilla and milk together.

5: pour the wet mixture on to the dry mixture and stir till combined

6: spoon the batter in the mini muffin cases and bake for 15 minutes

7: cool in tin for 10 minutes, then transfer to wire rack to cool or serve straight away

if you wish to use  the original recipe go to the link below:

http://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/640645/chocolate-chip-muffins

 I hope you enjoy these muffins as much as my family and i do!

chocolate cupcakes with peanut butter icing

dear readers,

last night i made choc cupcakes with peanut butter icing. these cupcakes are absolutely delicious. fir those of you that follow my mother Sarah Foster you may have already seen this on her FaceBook page. this is a Ina Garten recipe. also known as the Barefoot Contessa. the recipe was from her book Barefoot Contessa at home.

the cupcakes

1 and a half sticks of butter softened
2/3 cup white sugar
2/3 brown sugar packed
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup buttermilk shaken
1/2 cup sour cream
1 3/4 cup plain flour
1 cup cocoa powder
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp kosher salt

preheat the oven to 180 degrees. line cupcakes pans with patty pans

in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream the butter and the 2 sugars on high for 5 minutes. lower the speed to medium then add the eggs one at a time, then add the vanilla and mix well. in a separate bowl whisk together the buttermilk and sour cream. in another bowl sift together the flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt. on low speed add the buttermilk mixture and the flour mixture alternately in thirds to the mixer bowl, beginning with the buttermilk mixture and ending with flour mixture. mix only until blended. fold the butter with a rubber spatula to be sure its completely blended. divide the batter among the cupcake pans (one rounded ice cream scoop is the perfect amount). bake in the middle of your oven for 25 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean. cool for 10 minutes in the pans then transfer to a wire rack. cool completely before frosting.

for the frosting

 1 cup icing sugar
1 cup smooth peanut butter
5 tbs butter softened
3/4 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 kosher salt
1/3 double cream

place the icing sugar, peanut butter, butter, vanilla and salt in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. mix on medium speed until creamy, scraping the bowl down with a rubber spatula as you work. add the cream and and beat on high speed until the mixture is smooth. frost cupcakes.

MAKES ABOUT 12 CUPCAKES

rocky road with a tiwst

dear readers,

a few weeks ago i made puffed rice rocky road. its very easy but it take a while to set. if any of you remember my raspberry tart post in the comments you'll find the link to get the recipe.  it is Billy from masterchef's recipe.

enjoy

Soy sauce and brown sugar chicken

Dear readers,

Tonight I made brown sugar and soy sauce. I came about making this recipe when I was looking for honey for homey soy chicken but we were out so I used brown sugar instead.

1: whisk half a cup of soy sauce and two thirds of a cup of brown sugar till sugar dissolves.

2: coat the chicken in the sauce and leave for ten minutes.

3: heat a non stick pan then place chicken in pan and pour remaining sauce over chicken.

4: cook till sauce in pan and over chicken becomes vwry sticky or until cooked inside.

5: enjoy best with potatoes and veggies.

Raspberry Tart

dear readers,

today I made a raspberry tart. a recipe I learnt from masterchef, of course! i am able to put the recipe up because i changed it just a little bit.

INGREDIENTS:
Pastry:
2 and a half cup plain flour.
half a cup icing sugar
125 grams softened, unsalted butter.
2 eggs.

Cream:
450 ml thickened cream
11 and half teaspoon vanilla bean
2 punnet raspberries

METHOD:

1: combine flour and icing sugar in food processor, process till combined. add butter and process to a fine crumb. add eggs one at a time till the pastry comes together.

2: knead lightly on a floured surface until base is smooth, pat the top to flatten slightly then wrap in baking paper and refrigerate for 20 minutes.

3: preheat oven to 200 degrees Celsius or 180 degrees Celsius fan forced.

4: roll out dough on lightly floured surface, use pastry to line tart tin. dock the base with a fork. place baking paper on top of the pastry then fill to the top with rice.

5: bake for 15 minutes.

6: while the pastry is baking whip the cream until thick then add icing sugar and vanilla whip for 30 seconds to a minute.

7: you must wait for the pastry to cool first after taking it out of the oven. spread cream on cooled pastry case. scatter raspberries over cream and dust with icing sugar.

8: EAT!

im very sorry but the my laptop does not want to co-operate  with the video player so unfortunately i will not be able to get the video up.

Mint meringues 5th of July 2011

dear readers,

today I made Mint Meringues. it was a recipe i came across while reading a cookie bible. who knew meringues where cookies?! I am allowed to put the recipe up seeing as a altered it and made it mine. if you follow my mother Sarah Foster on Facebook you may have seen photos of me with the meringues already on there if not I will provide them tommorow because they do not want to work right now. also tommorow I will have another go at the raspberry tart I tried to make in April.

Ingredients:
4 egg whites
1/8 teaspoon cream of tartar
2/3 cup caster sugar
1 teaspoon peppermint essence

makes about 18 depending on how big you do the dollops of meringue.

Method:
1: preheat oven to 93 degrees Celsius or 200 degress Fahrenheit
2: whip egg white and cream off tartar till soft peaks form
3: add sugar a little at a time till firm peaks form. taking about 2 minutes in all.
4: add peppermint and fold in.
5: spoon mixture onto lined baking trays, make sure to spread the mixture out seeing as it will puff up.
6: cook for 1 and a half hours.
7: take a test meringue, if feels slightly sticky then it is cooked properly.

NOTE: at half way switch baking trays  and every 15 minutes turn the pans around to ensure even baking and no burnt bits.

hello readers,
right now i am in school supposed to be doing mathletics. if anyone saw my last post please comment i would love some responses. thank you little chef

18th June 201l, Julie and Julia

dear readers,

at this second I am watching my favourite film of all time, Julie and Julia. it inspired me to start this blog and of course Julie Powell's blog the Julie/Julia project. I think every few weeks or so i would watch this movie just to remind me of my dream to one day be a chef. I love cooking and everything about it. the ingredients, the recipes, the distinct instructions you have to follow to get every thing right. from whipping cream to emulsifying chocolate cooking has given me everything, everything else hasn't given me. for example the joy of eating and the new techniques  learn each time I cook. I just wanted to share that with everyone, if you have one thing that makes you genuinely  happy then you don't need anything else but alas im still in school so I cant do it everyday though i wish I could. please everyone follow your dreams and its never to late to do so. oh and i almost forgot to tell everyone. its my birthday tomorrow, the 19 th of June. if you would like to you could leave me a happy birthday message and tell me your favourite party game that you liked to play when you were a kid or still like to play because you still are a kid.

BIRTHDAYS

DEAR READERS,

 I WOULD LIKE TO TALK ABOUT DIFFERENT SORTS OF FOOD YOU WOULD POP IN A MENU AT A BIRTHDAY PARTY.

MAYBE HOME-MADE SAUSAGE ROLLS OR CHOCOLATE CRACKLES. WHATEVER IT IS PLEASE LEAVE ME A COMMENT OR EMAIL ME TELLING ME WHAT EVER IDEA YOU HAVE.

AS MANY PEOPLE SAY: THE MORE, THE MERRIER.

FAREWELL READERS FOR NOW.

LITTLECHEF XX

BIRTHDAY CAKE

I know I haven't blogged in a while and I am very sorry. I have good news,(well it is good news for me) it is my birthday next week. I turn twelve on Sunday. A cake connoisseur has asked me a question and it is related to... birthdays!

readers, the questions is: WHAT IS YOUR FAVOURITE TYPE OF BIRTHDAY CAKE? leave me comment telling me what it is?

I will choose the most creative and of course YUMMY idea and choose it to be my birthday cake.

Sunday 1st May 2011

Hi,

I haven't blogged in a while im very sorry its just that I have gone back to school and on Monday I will be leaving Melbourne for Canberra for a school excursion. it is a five day trip and supposedly fun. I am excited but also freaked because I don't want to forget something, which I have done before. Last night I was with my dad and we made an Asian feast. it was pretty yummy. I made satay sauce to go with the chicken satay. we also made San choy bow and dim sums. San choy bow is sort off like a mixture of beef mince bean shoots and onion with oyster sauce that wrap into a lettuce leaf and eat like sushi.

Sunday 24th April 2011

Happy Easter to all! I won't be posting today apart from this because everyone is off doing their own thing for Easter. I wish you all a happy weekend and don't eat too much chocolate!

HAPPY EASTER!

Friday 23rd April 2011



Yummo!



Hello,

Today I made Chocolate Eclairs with Vanilla Bean Cream as a filling and Chocolate coating.

I watched Gary Meaghan make it on Master Chef. The recipe is easy and very simple to follow. it doesn't take alot of work or time, you just need the right ingredients. They are absolutely divine and very sweet so might just want to have one only.



It is just so easy!

Vanilla Bean Cream













Friday 22nd April 2011

Hello,

I tried to make my raspberry tart but it didn't work out so well. I will try again soon. I forgot I had to go to my dads house so I didn't get to make my steak and mash. I'm very sorry about that! Tonight I will make the steak. And later on Sunday or Saturday I will make Coffee Eclairs with Vanilla Cream filling!

Happy Easter!

Thursday 21st April 2011

I first had this at Friends house. Her father made it and since then it has been a family favourite of ours. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do
With the egg on a raft you want to have 2 pieces of toast and 2 eggs and a large sized pan.

First drizzle a little olive oil on to the pan and let that heat up, Next you cut a medium sized square out of the  toast in the middle. Then place the toast on the pan, Let that heat up for 30 seconds to 1 minute. Next crack an egg over the hole in the toast in each one.

Let it fry up on one side for 1 to 2 minutes. Then turn over and do the same thing again. Place on plate and serve with a pinch of salt and a glass of orange juice.

Enjoy!!

One very simple yet yummy brekkie for the family!

Thursday 21st April 2011

Good Morning!

Today I have some very yummy recipes planned. This morning a yummy egg on a raft. This afternoon a Raspberry Tart. Tonight Steak with mashed potatoes or pomme puree with green beans in Persian fetta.

Singing off!

See you tomorrow for a very yummy raspberry tart!!!

Wednesday 20th April 2011.

Chocolate Cupcakes Recipe By Cadbury

I did these cupcakes this afternoon. They are fun to make especially on a rainy day. They are great to make with the family. I love to potter around in the kitchen and make some pretty yummy stuff!!

Serves 12

Ingredients 

Yummo!!

CAKE
100g butter
2/3 cup caster sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla essence
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1 cup self raising flour
1/3 cup Cadbury® Bournville® Cocoa
½ teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
½ cup milk

CHOCOLATE BUTTER CREAM
60g unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
1¼ cups icing sugar, sifted
1 tablespoons Cadbury Bournville Cocoa, sifted
1 tablespoons milk

Method
Preheat oven to 180ºC conventional or 160ºC fan forced.
Cream butter, sugar and vanilla until light and creamy. Gradually add eggs and mix until just combined.
Sift flour, cocoa and bicarbonate of soda. Add to creamed mixture with milk. Stir until just combined.
Spoon into greased 1/3 cup muffin pans and bake for 15-20 minutes. Spread tops of cakes with chocolate butter cream.
To make the chocolate butter cream, combine all ingredients in a food processor and process until smooth.

I made these cupcakes today. They are delicous.

Wednesday 20th April 2011.

Hi! I'm LittleChef I'm going to be posting things about recipes and cookbooks and food.

I got the inspiration from Julie Powell's blog: The Julie/Julia Project.

Feel free to comment and and give me ideas!

Enjoy!!