Our hard core oven

01 August 2008

What a good way to welcome the month of August... Mummy must have been busy in the kitchen today. I was at school from the morning, and when mummy picked me up in the afternoon, she brought with her some cakes and biscuits. Mummy said tomorrow my school is holding a big fund-raising event: Trash & Treasure. I'll let you know more about it tomorrow after the event, because frankly, we're very curious too!

Anyway, there will be a cake stall tomorrow, and parents are welcomed to donate cookies, muffins and cakes and the sales made will be put into the school's fund. Of course mummy would not like to miss out on this opportunity to create delicious cakes and biscuits! So, what did mummy make today?

Apart from her very delicious and repetitive winner Crunchy Nut & Oats Cookies, mummy tried out two new recipes. More information below...


CHOCOLATE BROWNIES

Ingredients:
(Recipe courtesy of Nestle)

150g butter
1 cup cocoa powder
4 eggs
2 cups sugar
3/4 cup plain flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp vanilla essence
1 packet white chocolate chips

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 160 degrees C. Line base of baking tray (tin) with baking paper.
2. Melt butter and stir in cocoa powder, allow to cool slightly.
3. Beat in eggs. Stir in sugar and vanilla.
4. Sift flour and baking powder together. Add to mixture and stir until mixed.
5. Stir through chocolate chips and then turn mixture into tin.
6. Bake for 40-50 minutes or until just firm when pressed in the centre. Leave in tin for 20 minutes before cooling it on a wire rack. When cold, cut into bars.



COFFEE AND CASHEW NUTS BAR

Ingredients:
(Recipe courtesy of Periplus Mini Cookbooks, modified)

1 tablespoon instant coffee powder
3/4 cup boiling water
2 cups self-raising flour
1/3 cup finely chopped cashew nuts
(make extra to sprinkle over cake before baking)
150g unsalted butter
3/4 cup soft brown sugar
2 eggs, lightly beaten

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 180 degrees C. Brush bar / loaf tin with melted butter or oil and line with grease paper (unless a non-stick tin is used).
2. Combine coffee and water. Set aside to cool.
3. Sift flour into a mixing bowl. Add the nuts and make a well in the centre.
4. Melt butter and sugar over low heat and stir until sugar has dissolved. Remove from heat.
5. Combine egg with coffee liquid.
6. Add butter and egg mixtures to the dry ingredients. Using a wooden spoon, stir until combined and do not overbeat.
7. Bake for 35 minutes or until skewer comes out clean when inserted in centre of cake. Turn on wire rack to cool.

Extra information from mummy: these coffee bars are moderately sweet.