Saturday, October 9, 2010

Baking ~ Homemade Muffins Rocks!

Baking has always sound complicated to me. I am not a follow-precisely-the-recipe person and baking sure needs the discipline and accuracy. But yesterday marked the history of me baking, finally.

Isabelle, DH and DS loves pastry, cookies and all the sweet stuffs. All the goodies available out there are not only delicious and convenient but also packed with loads of sugar. I thought I should give baking a try and put more healthy food on the table for my family.

DH bought me a packet of muffin premix few days ago and the muffin baking frenzy started. Then I got a little more adventurous today. I make the muffin mix from scratch.

Here are some photos of my muffiny experience and the recipes. I had no time to take photo at all but I will do so once I master this skill minus the mess and that I will have clean hands to click away.


Meet my muffins!
This is the first batch baked using premix


Plain Muffin (with Bananas & Oatmeal) Premix Version
Recipe
1. 1 packet of plain muffin mix 500gm
2. 100gm water
3. 120gm oil (I mix half oil and melted butter)
4. 1/4 cup of oatmeal
5. 2 eggs
6. 1 banana (mashed)
7. Chocolates (chopped) *I didn't have any proper chocolate chips for baking available

Method
1. Pour muffin mix into a big bowl
2. Make a well in the middle of the mix and add in eggs, oil and water. Mix.
3. Add in banana and chopped chocolate
4. Scoop batter into muffin cups and fill up 3/4 of the cup
5. Sprinkle the rest of the chocolate on top of the batter (optional)
6. Put the tray in the middle of the oven and bake for 20 mins at 180 degrees
* Preheat oven for 15 mins at 180 degrees but different type of oven may need different settings

Result
Delicious. My dear supportive family finished the 10 of the 12 medium sized muffins leaving behind 2 for my photo album. DH just munch and munch. DS said it smelled like the Famous Amos. Isabelle was speechless and keep asking for more.

What Could Be Better
We wish the manufacturers of premix would come out with Less Sugar version because we find this rather sweet.




Meet my 2nd batch of muffins :)


Vanilla Banana Muffins ala My Version
Recipe
1. 2 cups of flour
2. 1 tsp baking powder
3. 1/2 tsp baking soda
4. 1/4 tsp salt
5. 1/2 cup of sugar
6. 1/2 tsp vanilla essence
7. 2 eggs
8. 1/4 cup milk
9. 1/4 melted butter
10. 1 big banana (mashed)
11. Chocolate chips

Method
1. Pour flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and sugar into a big bowl
2. Mix the dry ingredients and make a well in the middle.
3. Add in eggs, milk, vanilla essence and mix well.
4. Add in mashed bananas and chocolate chips
5. Scoop batter into muffin cups and fill up 3/4 of the cup
6. Sprinkle the rest of the chocolate chips on top of the batter (optional)
7. Put the tray in the middle of the oven and bake for 20 mins at 180 degrees
* Preheat oven for 15 mins at 180 degrees but different type of oven may need different settings

Result
Yummy. DH said it is good and more moist than the premix version. DS did not know this was my own mix and it sure sounds like a compliment. Isabelle clapped so happily when she saw me coming out of the kitchen with a plateful of muffins and keep asking for MUM MUM. That motivates me to do better :)

What Could Be Better
Some of the muffins flopped to one side. I am going to fix that but for now, I am happy despite the floppiness.


Here are some website with good & useful tips and also recipes for first time baker like me.

3. Joy Of Baking

Happy reading and exploring!


4 comments:

I'm a full-time mummy said...

Hahah, finally welcome to the baking world! You're beginning to follow my footsteps already! Blogging, book reviewing and now baking! :)

Btw, the muffins flopping to the sides are due to fan and the temperature too hot (for my case), took me a few attempts to get in tune with my oven!

Good luck with your journey on, oh, come and check out my hyperspeed way to diabetic recipe for Millionaire's Shortbread, just posted few minutes ago :)

~ Jenny ( http://www.imafulltimemummy.com/ )

Catheryn @ Pink Bibs said...

Hi Jenny!

Yes, I do have a lot of things to learn from you and a lot to thank you for too :)

But I am far and far from your level la.

Baking kinda reminds me of being home, close to mom ... very warm feeling. The smell of the muffins baking away reminds me of CNY season at home. Homesick already :)

But I think I am better in cooking still.

I'm a full-time mummy said...

Hello... I am not in any level.. still trying to learn the basics OK?

I like the muffins smells too, but trying not to do so much scared the family jelak with the sweetness hahahaha...

Btw, post up more cooking recipes, OK, I want the easy few ingredients recipe can or not? I want to learn from you on this also!

Catheryn @ Pink Bibs said...

Oh... can....

I have a lot of easy peasy lazy recipes!