Budget Baking Challenge: Peanut Butter Cookies and Simple Vanilla Cupcake

Some of my closest friends knew of my new habit since taking up this MA study. Whenever I am stressed or encounter writers block, I bake or cook.... well mostly baking. But as we are here on tight budget, I am always excited to try and discover new recipes that taste good, produce copious amount of delicious supply and of course on the budget. So it is only natural that I am totally up to it when one of my foodie friend challenge me to bake 2 cakes and cookies combination for under 5 pound.
It was yesterday morning. In the evening, when I release myself from Library then home to my family, I needed some stress release.. Plus Simon and Tania finished the last of our Kaastengels supply before dinner.

Thus, before dinner I took a peek of our food cupboard and spotted less than 1/4 peanut butter in its jar... Hmmm... Tania and Simon LOVE peanut and I think I have a recipe from 2 years ago. OK... 1 cookie down. Now, cake? what cake? it should be simple because I ain't standing with a hand mixer creaming butter and soft peak the egg white at this hour... I accidentally stumbled upon Yulyan Parwati, another foodie extrodinaire blog. The name catches my eye... Simple Vanilla Cupcake... PERFECT!!!

So I made the peanut butter cookie dough before dinner and it takes me less than 30 minutes from prepping to finish with Tania's 'help'. Then cover the dough with clingwrap and popped it into the fridge then have dinner with Simon and Tania. After dinner, I made the cupcake. This too is easy and quick, another 30 minutes from prep to finish and I have my 1st batch in the oven. I think it is good for 12 cupcakes baked in a muffin tin, but because 1 muffin is too much for Tania, I didn't fill it all the way to the top only 2/3 of it. It's few little bites for Tania but only 1 gulp for her sweet-tooth daddy.

Now, for the calculation. I am not good with numbers so counting is not my forte. SO here's a rough calculation

• Flour : I use the remaining 1/2 bag flour I had in the cupboard. That is the 500gr Sainsbury Basic Flour  for 85p. Therefore, the amount of flour I use for the cookies and cake is even less that 85p. 
• Sugar: again. it's the remaining we have in the cupboard. I bought the 200gr granulated sugar for 90p
• Brown sugar: I had this 200gr of soft brown sugar (1.20 Pound) for a while and have been using it for my 3 other baking in this 1 month time. I only use 1/2 cup of it so perhaps it's less that 50p. 
• Butter: I bought 250gr of Morrisson Value Butter for 90p. and use 130gr for the cookies and 120gr for the cupcakes. 
• Eggs: We bought Sainsbury Basic 18 Eggs Rack for 2.10 Pound. And use a total of 3 eggs (1 for the cookies, 2 for the cupcakes)... you'll do the math, yes?! hehehe
• Baking Powder and Baking Soda are each the 170gr tub and cost me about 1.50 Pound each. I bought this like 6 months ago. Have been using the, for countless of cooking. So it's a cupboard necessity. In today's baking I only use perhaps 1 to 11/2 tsp each. 
• Peanut Butter: It's the Sainsbury Organic Peanut butter 340gr for 1.50 pound. I use not even 1/4 of it. 
• Milk: We bought the 4 pints Sainsbury Milk for 1.29 pound and use just 150 ml of it.
• Vanilla Essence: I bought the sainsbury madagascan vanilla 5ml for 1 pound something last month and I use only 1 tsp of it. 

So... Mission accomplished... Cookies and Cake Combo Baking in Less than 5 Pounds....
OK Now the recipes...

Peanut Butter Cookies

Ingredients:
1 1/4 cup All purpose flour
3/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt

1/2 cup Butter/margarine at room Temperature
1/2 cup Granulated sugar (Next time I will reduce this to 1/4 because It's too sweet for my family)
1/2 cup Soft Brown Sugar
1/2 cup Peanut Butter
1 egg

Directions:

1. In a small bow, mix flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Set aside
2. in a medium bowl (or your mixer bowl), beat the butter until creamy (about 2-3 minutes)
3. Add the granulated sugar, mix well. Then add the Brown sugar, mix well for another 2 mins. 
4. Add the peanut butter and egg and mix until well combined
5. Now, add the dry ingredients: the flour mix, to the sugar and butter mix. Do this in small portions so it will produce a smooth dough. 
6. The dough will be a bit soft but firm. Cover the bowl with Cling film/wrap. then refrigerate it for at least 3 hours. 
7. After, 3 hours. heat your oven to 375 C or to Medium heat. As for me, I put it on GM 4. Using a teaspoon portion, scoop 1 teaspoon then roll the dough to a ball. 
8. Place the ball on a ungreased baking tray lined with baking paper. 
9. Flattened the balls with a fork to make a criss-cross pattern
10. Bake for 10-12 minutes. Leave cool for a minute on the baking tray before transfer to cookie rack to cool completely.

Make about 3 batches:  48 cookies.

Some useful Note:

1. The dough will expand when baked so make sure to leave enough room between the dough before baking.
2. The 3 hours in the refrigerator really helps the dough to firmed up and make the criss-crossing patter easier to make. I only put it for 1.5 hours and it was too soft and my fork keeps getting stuck. So I popped it to the freezer every 5 minutes to let it hardened. 

Simple Vanilla Cupcake

Source : Yulyan Parwati Blog

Ingredients:

120 gr butter/margarine

130 gr Granulated sugar

2 eggs

200 gr All purpose flour

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp vanilla essence

150 ml fresh milk

Direction: 

1. In a separate bowl, mix the dry ingredients: Flour and baking power. Set aside.
2. Beat butter/margarine with sugar until creamy and pale
3. Add the eggs. Mix for about 5 minutes on medium speed. 
4. Lower the mixer speed to low and alternately adding the flour mix and the milk. Add vanilla and mix well. 
5. Lined the muffin tray with wax paper or cupcake paper cup. filled 1/2 to 3/4 of your liking. It will rise too. 
6. Oven for 25 minutes on medium heat (GM 4 or 180 C)

 When it is done, topped it with buttercream (I use left over butter cream from last month's baking - it is basically you beat butter with sugar. add a dash of vanilla). Because the leftover butter cream is not sufficient to put into a piping bag, I speared a teaspoon of butter cream to the cupcakes and then sprinkle grated cheddar cheese on top. You can topped it with chocolate rice, grated choc etc.

Kaastengels

A new favourite in the house. Just because it's almost Idul Fitri and this is one of the firm favorite, i think I am just homesick. Anyway, from the name I suspected that Kaastengels is from Holland with Kaas means cheese. This crumbly buttery shortcake is packed full of tangy cheese. It is very simple and quick to make too. Now, I know that there's a special cutter for the cookies but since I don't I just cut them in strips.

Source: NCC

Ingredient:
300 gr Butter or Margarine
200 gr Cheese - I use Edam Cheese the first time and second batch uses Cheddar
400 gr All-purpose flour
2 tbsp Powdered milk (I do not use)
2 egg yolks

Glaze : 2 Egg yolks lightly beaten with 2 tbsp milk

Topping : 50 gr Grated cheese

Directions:

1. Using an electric mixer, Beat butter/margarine with the egg yolks on a low speed. You don't have to do this for a long time. 2 -3 minute will do just to make sure the butter and yolks are well mixed
2. Add the cheese, flour and powdered milk. Mix well - about 2 -3 minutes
3. Turn off the electric mixer. If the dough is still sticky. Add 1 tbsp of flour and gently mixed with your hand until they no longer sticky to your hand. The texture will need to be soft.
4. Flattened the dough into 1/2 cm thick or to your liking and use the Kaastengles cutter to cut it. Or just make a rectangle shaped and cut them to strips.
5. Arrange the cut-out dough on a baking tray lined with baking paper, brush them with the glaze and sprinkled the extra cheese on top.
6. Bake for 20 minutes of low to medium heat or on 125 degree C, until golden and cooked.

No cutter, well... I am aiming for rustic touch anyway... hehehe

300 gr  mentega
200 gr  keju tua parut
400 gr  tepung terigu protein sedang
2 sdm   susu bubuk
2 btr     kuning telur - See more at: http://ncc-indonesia.com/?p=2123#sthash.XyOKWo7U.dpuf

Bahan:

300 gr  mentega
200 gr  keju tua parut
400 gr  tepung terigu protein sedang
2 sdm   susu bubuk
2 btr     kuning telur

Bahan olesan:

3 btr     kuning telur, kocok lepas dengan 1-2 sdm susu cair

 Taburan:

Keju cheddar parut

 Cara membuat:

1. Kocok mentega dan telur dengan kecepatan rendah, sebentar saja, asal tercampur rata. Masukkan keju, aduk rata. Masukkan tepung terigu dan susu bubuk, aduk rata.
2. 
   
3. Tipiskan adonan dengan bantuan plastik lembaran, oles dengan bahan polesan, taburi keju cheddar parut.
4. Cetak bentuk bunga, tata di loyang. Oven hingga matang dengan suhu 125 derajat Celsius selama 20 menit atau hingga matang.

- See more at: http://ncc-indonesia.com/?p=2123#sthash.XyOKWo7U.dpuf

Bahan:

300 gr  mentega
200 gr  keju tua parut
400 gr  tepung terigu protein sedang
2 sdm   susu bubuk
2 btr     kuning telur

Bahan olesan:

3 btr     kuning telur, kocok lepas dengan 1-2 sdm susu cair

 Taburan:

Keju cheddar parut

 Cara membuat:

1. Kocok mentega dan telur dengan kecepatan rendah, sebentar saja, asal tercampur rata. Masukkan keju, aduk rata. Masukkan tepung terigu dan susu bubuk, aduk rata.
2. 
   
3. Tipiskan adonan dengan bantuan plastik lembaran, oles dengan bahan polesan, taburi keju cheddar parut.
4. Cetak bentuk bunga, tata di loyang. Oven hingga matang dengan suhu 125 derajat Celsius selama 20 menit atau hingga matang.

- See more at: http://ncc-indonesia.com/?p=2123#sthash.XyOKWo7U.dpuf

Bahan:

300 gr  mentega
200 gr  keju tua parut
400 gr  tepung terigu protein sedang
2 sdm   susu bubuk
2 btr     kuning telur

Bahan olesan:

3 btr     kuning telur, kocok lepas dengan 1-2 sdm susu cair

 Taburan:

Keju cheddar parut

 Cara membuat:

1. Kocok mentega dan telur dengan kecepatan rendah, sebentar saja, asal tercampur rata. Masukkan keju, aduk rata. Masukkan tepung terigu dan susu bubuk, aduk rata.
2. 
   
3. Tipiskan adonan dengan bantuan plastik lembaran, oles dengan bahan polesan, taburi keju cheddar parut.
4. Cetak bentuk bunga, tata di loyang. Oven hingga matang dengan suhu 125 derajat Celsius selama 20 menit atau hingga matang.

- See more at: http://ncc-indonesia.com/?p=2123#sthash.XyOKWo7U.dpuf

 

Bahan:

300 gr  mentega
200 gr  keju tua parut
400 gr  tepung terigu protein sedang
2 sdm   susu bubuk
2 btr     kuning telur

Bahan olesan:

3 btr     kuning telur, kocok lepas dengan 1-2 sdm susu cair

 Taburan:

Keju cheddar parut

 Cara membuat:

1. Kocok mentega dan telur dengan kecepatan rendah, sebentar saja, asal tercampur rata. Masukkan keju, aduk rata. Masukkan tepung terigu dan susu bubuk, aduk rata.
2. 
   
3. Tipiskan adonan dengan bantuan plastik lembaran, oles dengan bahan polesan, taburi keju cheddar parut.
4. Cetak bentuk bunga, tata di loyang. Oven hingga matang dengan suhu 125 derajat Celsius selama 20 menit atau hingga matang.

- See more at: http://ncc-indonesia.com/?p=2123#sthash.XyOKWo7U.dpuf

Tania's Noodles

Tania, My daughter loves noodles and vegetable. This is one of the quick noodle fix that guarantee she will wolfed down in a flash AND ask for more. My daughter also doesn't like meat so I use small prawn to make sure she has her protein. You can you any meat you want. Anyway, I cannot find a proper name for this dish so... it's Tania's Noodles it is....

Ingredients:
2 handful of dried egg noodles - I use 2 small nests
1 cup of frozen mixed vegetables - or make your own by chopping carrot, broccoli, peas, corn
A handful of small prawns
1/4 of small onion - sliced
1 garlic - crushed and chopped
1 cm ginger - bruised
2 tbsp Indonesian soy sauce
1 tbsp oyster sauce
2 tbsp oil
salt and pepper
1 spring onion for topping

Direction:

1. Boil the dried egg noodles according to the packets instructions or until tender and al-dente. then drain
2. Meanwhile, heat the oil in the pan. Saute onion, garlic and ginger until fragrant. 
3. Add the small prawn, then the vegetables. Stir all together for a few minutes until cooked
4. Add the oyster sauce and Indonesian soy sauce
5. Stir the cooked egg noodles in. Add salt and pepper
6. Mix everything well until the noodle is all coated in the sauces. 
7. Ready to serve with a sprinkle of chopped spring onion-

Krengsengan Domba // East Java Lamb Stew

I got tired of eating chicken and beef so Lamb is the next thing I want. However, I do not have any recipe for lamb so after some internet browsing I decided to try the recipe from MasakanMama .
It was a great choice. I use the lamb chops I bought from the reduced price shelves..

Top Tip: do check on the reduced price shelves you find lots of great things. I usually go for meat which was on the day of their used by date. Then the meats go straight to freezer to be use later.
The lamb chops (4 piece) I bought was almost 5 Pounds (original price). On the Reduced Price Shelves it is 1.99 Pounds. Good buy I'll say!

Krengsengan is the food from East Java, Indonesia. my main reason to choose this is for the use of sweet soy sauce. I love sweet soy sauce. Below is the recipe after I made some few changes from the original. Do refer to the original by clicking the above link.

Ingredients:
4 lamb chops - you can use other part of the lamb
3 - 4 tbsps Indonesian Sweet Soy Sauce
1 tsp terasi - or just use Shrimp paste
1 big chili - I use the one that is less fiery. Do use the more fiery one like bonnet chilli or the bird eye chili.
2 cups water

Ingredient to be ground to a paste - use a pestle and mortar or  food processor
4 shallots
2 garlics
1 cm ginger
1/2 tsp whole white pepper
1 tsp salt
1 tsp sugar

Direction:

Cara membuat Krengsengan :

• Tumis bumbu yang sudah dihaluskan sampai harum.
• Masukkan irisan daing kambing, aduk sampai berubah warna.
• Masukkan tomat, kecap manis, petis udang dan cabe merah. Aduk sampai layu.
• Tambahkan air, masak dengan api kecil sampai kuah kental dan daging empuk.
• Angkat... Sajikan saat masih hangat..

Shepherd's Pie

Source: Elise Simply Recipe

Ingredients

• 500 gr ground beef
• 1 onion chopped
• 1 cups each of vegetables - chopped carrots, corn, peas
• 3 big potatoes or 4 medium potatoes
• 3 tbsp margarine or butter
• 1/2 cup broth or (1/2 cup water + 1 cube of bullion)
• 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
• Salt, pepper, other seasonings of choice

Ingredients:

1. Peel and quarter potatoes, boil in salted water until tender (about 20 minutes).
2. While the potatoes are cooking, melt the margarine/butter in large frying pan.
3. Sauté onions in butter until tender over medium heat. Add the ground beef. Saute until changed color (no more pink color on the meat)
4. Add vegetables, add them according to cooking time. Carrot first then corn and peas
5. Add the Worchestershire sauce and then the broth. Keep cooking until all is cooked and tender. Add some more broth if necessary. Cooked until the water reduced. 
6. Drain the Potatoes then mashed it with butter, salt and pepper
7. Place the beef and vegetables on the base of the pyrex or your baking tray. Make sure it is half way up. Then layered the mashed potatoes on top. Rough up with fork to make patterns
8. Bake on the oven on medium for about 30 minute or until bubbly and brown. The top should be nicely browned. If not, put it on the top shelved for 5 mins or under the broil. Enjoy!

Another Stir-Fry Vegetable

Here's my fussy eater-vegetable lover-meat hater daughter's favorite.  It's also a quick fix for a hurried dinner after a long day at the library... pffffff.... story of my life... Anyway, the vegetables choice in this recipe can be easily substitute with any other you have in the fridge.

Ingredients:
A handful of Mangetout - can be replaced with string beans, fine beans, snake beans etc
A handful of Baby Corn - can be replaced with whole kernel corns or carrots or anything you have
A handful of small prawn - You can use chicken, beef, egg or tofu
1/4 of large Onion - sliced
2 garlic - finely chopped
2 cm ginger - bruised
Salt
White Pepper
1 tbsp fish sauce - you can omit this if you don't have any
1 tbsp light soy sauce - you can omit this if you don't have any
1 tbsp toasted sesame oil - you can omit this if you don't have any
2 tbsp oil
Sliced chili if you want to make it spicy. we don't eat spicy food so this is omitted 

Direction:

1. Clean and sliced the vegetables and meat to your liking - cubed, sliced etc
2. Heat the oil in a wok (or pan or what ever you are using), sautee the onion, garlic and ginger until fragrant.
3. Bring in the small prawn (or other meat you are using) and sautee them until they change color.
4. Add the sauces that you are using - fish sauce, light soy sauce. sesame oil - if you don't use any sauces, skip this step
5. Bring the vegetables in and stir until they changed color. 
6. Add the salt and pepper and taste to your liking
7. Keep stirring until the vegetable soften a bit but not too much. You will like to have a bit of a crunch. Take is out and serve with a steaming rice.

The stir-fry will taste as nice without the sauces. But if you have a chance to get all complete, the toasted sesame oil brings a nutty yummy taste to the stir-fry against the warming ginger. Also the saltiness of the fish sauce together with light soy sauce works very well to add a different depth to the dish. Anyway... enjoy!

Brownies

They say this is a brownies recipe but it doesn't look like the American Brownies that I usually encounter which is dense and gooey. This brownie is dry and I think it's much lighter in texture and calorie (sok tahu nih)...

Source: Sedap Sekejab Hidangan Prasmanan Book

Ingredients:
100 gr  Margarine
150 gr Dark Cooking Chocolate
3 Eggs
175 gr Sugar
75 gr All purpose Flour
25 gr Powdered Chocolate
1/2 tsp Baking Powder
50 gr Chopped Nuts (I used Walnuts)
25 gr Sliced Almonds for topping
1/2 cup white chocolate chips

Directions:

1. Melt the margarine together with the dark cooking chocolate
2. with an electric mixer,  beat sugar and eggs until fluffy
3. Add the melted margarine and chocolate, mix well
4. Sifted in the flour, powdered chocolate and baking powder
5. Add the Chopped nuts and white chocolate chip, fold with a spatula
6. Greased and lined baking tin (22 x 22 x 4 cm). Sprinkle the sliced almond and some of the white choc chip on top
7. Baked in the oven on 180 C for 35 minutes or until a skewer comes out clean when inserted.

Mommy's Little Helper doing the final touches on the cake

Now ready to go to the oven

Banana Cookies

This cookies is chewy and so simple to make. This is my other alternative to make use of my much too ripe bananas beside Banana Muffin. I made the cookies small to fit in lunch box or to carry when we're out and about. It save you a lot of money. Keep it in an airtight container so it will still slightly crisp around the edges and yummy chew in the middle. So yes... don't expect the crisp, dry and crunch cookies as you find in a packet ones. Again I turned to Elise blog for inspiration. She is an amazing cook whose recipe inspired many of my cooking.

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup of unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1 cup of sugar
• 1 egg, room temperature
• 1 cup of mashed bananas (about 2 ½ large bananas)
• 1 teaspoon of baking soda
• 2 cups of flour
• pinch of salt
• 1/2 teaspoon of ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon of ground mace or nutmeg
• 1/2 teaspoon of ground cloves
• 1 cup of pecans (walnuts and chocolate chips are fine alternatives)

Directions:

1. Cream the butter and sugar with a mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy. 
2. Add eggs and continue to mix until light and fluffy, then set aside
3. In another bowl, mashed bananas (a fork will do) then add the baking soda. Mix together then let it sit for 2 minutes.
4. Combine the banana mixture into the butter and sugar mixture. 
5. Bring in the flout, salt, and spices and keep mixing on low speed. 
6. Using a wooden spoon or a spatula, add and mix the nuts you are using (walnut, pecan etc) as well as chocolate chip if you do. I have none of this so mine is a plain banana cookies
7. Heat the oven to 350 F/ GM 4. Grease the baking tray and lined them with parchment paper. 
8. Take one spoon/dollop to the baking tray and arrange not to close together because it will expand a bit. 
9. Bake for 10 - 15 minutes or until golden brown. Let it cool on wire racks.
   

Chocolate Muffin with White Chocolate Chip

This is just a simple tweak to my usual Chocolate Muffin. I think I have rely on this quick and simple muffin for a last minute treat for me and my family. It's a recipe handed to me from my mother. So I owe this to her. The best addition that my family loved so far is the white chocolate chip. I love adding some plumped up raisins/sultanas as well as some chopped nuts.
I made this also last month for my landlords, Open Garden to raise fund for Sussex Beacon. Do give it a try and you'll agree that this is ever so simple.... no need for mixer at all.

Recipe can be found here. Let me know how you think...

The Dough before going into the oven

The Finished Products

Homemade Bread with Cheese filling

I have always wanted to make bread for 2 reasons: My husband loves bread and cutting down on budget. Therefore, in the spirit of procrastinating in my final essay week - where every mundane thing became increasingly interesting and 'important', I tried out this amazing recipe that remarkably made me the talk about the house - because my daughter and husband lined up in front of the oven just to wait for the bread to finish baking. I must say thank you and give the highest acknowledgement to Mbak Hesti HH whose recipe I use, I did make some changes based on what's available... Thank you Mbak!!... Thus in the spirit of Dora the Explorer I want to say... "I DID IT!!! I DID IT!!! I DID IT!!!".

Source : Hesti's Kitchen Blog

Ingredients:
400 g High Protein Flour
100 g All purpose flour
120 g Granulated Sugar
1 sachet Instant Yeast
2 tbsp Powdered milk -- I didn't use
3 egg yolks
1 tsp salt
75 gr salted butter
225 ml warm milk

Filling:
Cheese cut to match Sticks shapes or grated

Glaze:
2 egg yolks
1 tsp milk

Direction:

1. Mix all the dry ingredients (flour, sugar, powdered milk, yeast) in the mixing bowl.
2. Attach the spiral or the bread mix hook to your mixer. Put in the egg yolks one by one when mixing the ingredients with the egg. 
3. Add the salt and salted butter. Keep mixing until it is elastic 
4. Fermented it by covering the dough with a damp cloth and put in a warm place for about 30 - 45 minutes
5. After it grows double to its size, punched it down. Cut and weigh the dough to 40 gr each. or just eye ball them to similar size that you prefer (no bigger than your fist)
6. Fermented again with the same manner for 45 mins. 
7. brush the glaze to the top and bake in a 200 C/400 F/ GM 4 for 10 minutes or until done. 
8. Take it out of the oven and brushed with butter or margarine

Bread before going into the oven

Sambal with ikan teri asin // Indonesian Spicy chili condiment with little salted anchovies

Chili or Sambal is a firm favorite in Indonesia. My little family doesn't usually eat spicy food but if you are cooking certain Indonesian food, an accompaniment of Sambal is prerogative. My fellow Chevening Scholars were coming to visit me few weeks ago and I made Sop Buntut Bakar - Indonesian Broiled Oxtail Soup. I know they must want sambal to go with it. So although I am not an expert in Sambal making, I did my best. and it turned out great... we all love it... Though they said it is not so spicy... my husband said, it's spicy enough. hehehehe... I forgot to take the proper picture, lucky that my husband manage to snap one on the table before we finished them all

I adapted the the recipe of Sambal Lado Mudo from Mbak Peppy IndonesiaEats Blog. I cannot call my sambal the name because it lacked 2 of its defining ingredients. The green Chilies and green tomatoes. So here's the recipe


Ingredients - after modification:
5 Bird eye chili (mine is a mix of green, orange and red)
2 shallots (for smaller shallot like in Indonesia, use 16 shallots)
5 cherry tomatoes
A handful of Teri kecil or Little Salted Anchovies - (you can get it from the dried food in Asian store. pick the smallest you can get)
2 tbsp oil
1 tbsp fresh lime juice
salt and sugar to season

Direction:

It's easier to do in a food processor or blender but I have none... so Pestle and Mortar it is. 

1. Fry the salted anchovies for about 2-3 mins. Strain on a paper towel to absorb all excess oil.
2. Grind Shallots and Chilies in pestle.Add Salt and sugar to help the grinding. 
3. Grind the cherry tomatoes to grind together. Add the oil and mix together. 
4. Turn on the heat on the hob and place a small frying pan. 
5. Put in the sambal mixture even before the frying pan is hot.
6. Add the lime juice. At this point you can taste and see whether you need more salt or sugar, Be careful the anchovies are salted already. 
7. Once it start bubbling, add the fry anchovies. Mix well and let it heated. 
8. Done and serve

• Don't worry if you cannot grind everything well. I like mine chunky and if anyone commented I will just say, I am going for the rustic touch... hehehehe
• My mom says, putting the sambal mixture before the pan and oil get heated up reduce the chance for you to get spitted by the hot oil and that the spicy aroma won't torture your nose during cooking and your cushions and curtains days after.

Chocolate Muffin

This is an easy Muffin to make. No need for mixer or food processor. Good fork or whisker will do. 

Mix 1:
1 3/4 C All Purpose Flour
1/2 C    Unsweetened Baking Cocoa Powder
2 Tsp   Baking Powder
1/4 tsp Salt

Mix 2:
1 C  Sugar
2     Eggs
3/4 C Milk
1/2 C Vegetable Oil
2 tsp Vanilla essence

Optional:
Add Chocolate Chip or chunky nuts to your liking

Direction

- Add mix 2 to Mix 1. Stir until well combined
- Lined muffin baking tray or cup with muffin paper cup or baking paper
- Spoon a spoonful of muffin mixture to each muffin cup
- Add chocolate chips or chunky nuts if you are using.
- Sprinkle sugar on top
- Bake in Oven (gas mark 5) until set... about 15 - 25 mins
- Take it out and leave it for 5 minute before transferring to wire rack

When I am pressed on time this will be fine but sometimes when I'm feeling fancy or want a proper indulgence, I like to garnish this with Chocolate Lava

The Chocolate Coffee Cake's Choc Lava Topping

- In a medium size pan with handle, mix together with a whisker
1 cup Sugar
3 tbsp Corn Flour
6 tbsp Baking Cocoa Powder
1/2 tsp Salt
- Add to the mix, 1 Cup of boiling hot water
- mix them well on a medium hob
- Keep mixing until its boiling then turn off the hob. take the pan off the heat
- Add 3 Tbsp of Margarine (I use I Believe It's Not Butter) and 1 tsp Vanilla essence. Mix well

Simple Chicken and Vegetable Soup

This is my little girl Tania's ultimate favorite. Yes, she is a healthy eater. I am sometimes embarrassed when I reach to that extra cookies. Unlike other kids her age that I know, She likes her vegetables, broccoli and carrot to be exact. When given biscuits or chocolate she eats just enough. However, she doesn't like meat (Vegetarian by birth??). I recently have her eat chicken and we have begun on our tasting-trying spree and she kinda began to love it. Also, she doesn't want to drink milk. She's traumatized of the horrific side effect of milk she experienced when we tried to switched her to formula milk at 6 m/o. However (again), I read a small triumph in the milk matter. Tania began to have milk but only when it is with her rice crispy cereal... hmmm.... I can hear you say, duh-uh why didn't you do it that way before?... well... trust me... we did... we tried every ticks in the book and on my mother's and mother-in-law's sleeves for this and none work. I now began to accept that she is too smart and headstrong and If I have to 'win' at this... I will have to play it smart...

Anyway, this soup is ultra easy and versatile that you can simply substitute or add to any of the ingredients (the first 4 in the list). Replace them with corn and peas or ommit the meat and go all veggie will also work. Anyway, There is a proper way to make soup with lots of steps.
But com'on.. life too short and too busy to worry about the fancy soup. This one is respectable enough and yummy enough to fill your belly with yummy and healthy food on those tired day and not-wanting-to-cook mood.

Ingredient:
4 piece of Chicken wings - cut to theirs joints
12 hard boiled quail egg - peeled
1 Med Carrot - peeled and chopped
1/2 of medium Brocolli - cut to it's florets

1/4 of medium onion - finely chopped
2 cloves of garlic - crushed
1 tbsp olive oil - or any kind of oil
Few stalks of Parsley  - I didn't chop them. Just dunk them whole.
Salt and pepper
2 cups of water / broth

Direction:

1. Heat the oil. Add the garlic and onion. saute until fragrant and golden. 
2. Bring in the chicken. Saute the chicken with the onion until they change color. 
3. Add water / broth. Cover the pan and let it boil.
4. Add the carrot let it boil until the carrot soften a bit. 
5. Add the quail egg, parsley, salt and pepper
6. Add the broccoli. Let it cook until brocolli is tender.
7. Soup is ready. 

Some likes to sprinkle fried onion on top. I don;t have any and do not feel like making some separately. And yet, the soup still taste yummy.

2 minutes (Microwave) Bread Pudding for 1

OK I am really addicted to the Minutes Microwave cooking. So here's another brilliant recipe to make use of those last slices of bread which sometimes become stale and ended up in the bin.

Source : 5 Minutes Recipe

Make 1 mug (microwaveable) of bread pudding or 3 small ramekins

You'll need:

2 slices of Bread (stale one is OK)
1 Egg
3 Tbsp Sugar - I use 2 Tbsp
2 Tbsp Milk
2 tbsp melted butter or margarine
2 drops of Vanila Essence (optional)
A  dash of ground Cinnamon

How to:

1. Melt the marg/butter. 20 secs in the microwave will do just fine. 
2. In the meantime, tear up the bread into your container - microwaveable mug or ramekins or anything you have on hand that can be use in the microwave
3. In a different bowl, mix the egg, sugar, milk and melted butter/marg and vanilla. 
4. Pour the mixture into the bread. Press them down a but with a fork so the bread soaked up all the mixture
5. Springkle some ground cinnamon on top
6. Pop in the microwave for 2 minutes (800W power).
7. Let it cool a bit... and Enjoy....

The Cinnamon make the whole room smell wonderful while it is cooking.
I recommend you make this easy peasy recipe. It takes 2 mins to cook and about 3 mins to prep. So All in all a 5 mins of yumminess.. -

Banana Muffin Cake

Saturday baking! triggered by the sight of the browning and almost spoiled banana.Thought i make a new pics of the old tried and tested recipe. The recipe can be found in my other blog (the old one), Click Annie 1-2-3 Dish. There are 2 things that I did differently this time

1. I added Sultanas and Chocolate Chip
2. Instead of baking it in a muffin tins, I pour them on a loaf / cake tin. Saves me time and washing.

So Happy weekend! I will aim to finish the houseworks. But at least I made somebody very happy (and full) this morning...

Tania can't wait for the Photo session to finish

5 Minutes (Microwave) Chocolate Cake

You plan a lot of things but sometimes life just throw you obstacles that deviate those plans.
I must admit this past 3 months has almost been hell. Grappled MA study with a 2 y/o abroad is a not kidding life especially when you course requires a hands-on, 'small projects' etc. I now have so much respects to mothers everywhere and especially, to single mothers and to be more specific Full-time student single mom. It's a back-breaking, heart-breaking and zombie-ing juggling efforts.
These 3 months gave me an insights to the bible words that God never give you challenge more than you can handle, which means God already prepared all you need in the exact time you needed the most. Your part of the deal is to put in the effort and hold on to the faith. Not easy, I made decisions I regrets but eventually, I learned. Along the line, I must dissapoints some people whom I cannot fully rendered myself as it used to. Gosh, as someone whose always into something and give everything a go... I must bite my lip and refrain myself from joining all the exciting and happening things around me... Hehehehe, my bestfriend said one day on our chat, "Honey, it's called growing up". Hmmm... I am not sure I agree with that.

Anyhow, today Tania and I stayed at home and tried to clean up... (that is me cleaning and Tania trailed behind me strewing with her toys, doh!). So before dinner we got a little creative and decide to try this recipe which my beloved Husband downloaded for me on my iPad. I was skeptical at first but when it is done... boy o boy... It taste heavenly!!! Hehehehe... There's no easy and instant way to solve my life problems but there is this 5 minutes chocolate cake (10 mins plus prep time).


Source:  5 Minutes Recipe Book

Ingredients:

4 Tbsp  Plain Flour - make sure you measure it right for perfect cake
4 Tbsp Sugar -  I only use 3 1/2
2 Tbsp unsweetened cocoa   - or chunks of chocolate if you like
2 Tbsp whisked egg
3 Tbsp Milk
3 Tbsp Vegetable Oil
1 Tbsp Chocolate Chips - add more if you like
A splash of vanilla flavouring

You also need 1 Microwaveable Coffee cup or a Microwaveable small bowl. Original recipe use Coffee Cup but I don't have one so I use a small bowl.

A good measuring spoon will be great if not just use ordinary spoon.

Directions:

1. First, Whisk 1 egg in a separate Mug
2. Add all of the dry ingredients to the mug (or container) and mix.
3. Add egg (2 Tbsp) and combine well
4. Stir in the milk and oil
5. Add the chocolate Chips and Splash of vanilla. Stir well. (Note: On the last minutes I saw some leftovers chopped Pecan nuts and decided to dunk them in as well)
6. Microwave for 3 minutes in a 1000w Microwave oven or 4 minutes and 20 seconds in a 800w Microwave oven. 

After 2 mins you will notice it crowning. Don't panic it will collapse once the heat stops.



Verdict:
The cake taste superb despite my skepticism. It's crunchy on the outside and gooey soft in the middle. When left outside for a while it gets hardened but still taste very good. It's like having a biscotti.  --

One happy Custumer