Heart-Shaped Cupcake

Ingredients:
-225g self-raising flour
-220g caster sugar
-125g unsalted butter, softened, chopped
-2 tsp vanilla extract
-1 orange, zested
-2 eggs
-2 tbs milk

1. Preheat oven to 180 degree Celsius. Line a 12 hole muffin pan with 12 paper cases.
2. Using an electric mixer, beat flout, sugar, butter, vanilla, orange zest, eggs and milk on low speed until combined, increase speed to medium-high and beat for a further 5 minutes or until light and fluffy.
3. Divide batter among paper cases and bake for 20 mins or until golden and a skewer inserted into the center comes out clean. Leave for 5 mins, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.


Note : I use the dough to make the heart-shape cupcake, just need to add chocolate (or any other flavor) frosting and some strawberries and blueberries (can be any type of fruits), while the remaining batter can be used as 'normal' shaped cupcake.

Serves : 12 (6 if you use the batter to make the heart-shaped cupcake)

Spaghettini with Tuna Recipe

If you are a non-salty-food-person (read : plain-food-lover), then this recipe is for you!

Spaghettini with Tuna

Ingedients:
320g Spaghettini
125ml extra virgin olive oil
1 clove garlic, chopped
1tbs salted capers, rinsed
1 cup flat-leaf parsley leaves
250g yellow-fin tuna, cut into 2cm dice
1 lime, zested

1. Bring a large saucepan of salted water to boil. Add the pasta and cook according to packet directions until al dente. Drain and keep warm.
2. Meanwhile, heat the oil in a large heavy-based frying pan over medium heat. Add the garlic, capers and parsley and cook for 1 minute or until fragrant. Add the tuna and cook over medium-high heat for 3 minutes or until tuna is slightly seared.
3. Add the cooked pasta and toss together in the pan to coat well. Serve immediately, topped with the lime zest.

Serves 4

Reference : Masterchef Cookbook

Chocolate Croissant Pudding Recipe

This is my second attempt try to bake something out of the Masterchef Cookbook given by my boyfriend. I was suspecting something when he gave me this cookbook as the Christmas present, is it the hint that I never cook well enough? But, anyway, nice or not, he will still have to eat since I leave him with no choice.

So far, I have been choosing the recipe that I think easy to make, less ingredients and only come with short instructions, and this is one of those : Chocolate Croissant Pudding!
 

Ingredients :
300 ml pouring cream
6 egg yolks
55 g caster sugar
2 chocolate croisssants, torn into 2 cm pieces
40 gr dark chocolate, roughly chopped

1. Preheat oven to 160 degree C. Lightly grease four 180 ml dariole moulds. Cut four 3x24 cm strips of baking paper and place a strip in each mould to partially line the base and side and extend above the rim (this helps remove the puddings from the moulds).
2. Place cream in the saucepan and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Whisk egg yolks and sugar in a bowl until thick and pale. Gradually add cream, whisking continuously until well combined. Add torn croissants and soak for 10 minutes.
3. Fill each mould halfway with croissant mixture, then top with one-quarter of the chocolate and then the remaining croissant mixture. Bake puddings for 25 minutes or until custard is set. Cool for 3 minutes, then lift onto plates.

N.B: I improvised the recipe by using a rectangular baking tray instead of dariole moulds.

It is easy to make, and a perfect dessert if you are a chocolate lover!

Floody Melbourne

It is such an irony that I experience the flood in Melbourne. Well, well, well, it's a minor flood of course and it's not that I've never experienced one before, but, IT IS MELBOURNE! Moreover, the flood was exactly at the area where I live.

Well, I think the picture explain everything!