Off to be wed!

I haven’t been blogging because I’m actually getting married—soon! I’m in the middle of packing and I’m posting a shout-out now because I’m sure it’s going to be hectic in the coming days/weeks. So until my next post, enjoy reading my earlier entries and of course, feel free to drop by my Yummy.ph blog!

Lovelots,
Mariel

Perfecting Blueberry Muffins

[Reposting from "Baked!" at Yummy.ph ("Perfect Muffins") January 21, 2010]

Perfectly domed muffins require precise ingredient measurements and
the right oven temperature.

If there’s one baked treat that has proven to be the most elusive, I would say it would be muffins—blueberry ones, in particular. Sure, in the past I’ve made banana chocolate chip "muffins" from a basic banana bread recipe; or even airy chiffon vanilla cupcakes, but those are quite different from the honest-to-goodness breakfast domes—perfectly crusty outside, cakey and crumbly inside—that we all look forward to in coffee shops and bakeries.

It has taken me a year to finally come up with blueberry muffins I would be proud to share with the world. After dozens of flat, sunken disasters, I’ve deduced that there are two essential things a home baker must have when broaching the crusty/cakey-dome territory: a kitchen weighing scale and an oven thermometer.

For two reasons: One, a good weighing scale—ideally digital with a ‘zero’ button—ensures precise proportions of ingredients, in the same way as using measuring spoons for baking powder and baking soda help achieve perfect leavening balance in the recipe.

Two, just as one would tediously measure dry and wet ingredients, one should also factor in the right oven temperature. In the recipe I’d modified below, "Good Eats" host Alton Brown recommends preheating the oven to 380°F and raising the heat to 400°F upon placing muffins inside the oven. This temp-tango is achievable with the use of an oven thermometer. And even if one’s kitchen is equipped with an electric oven, a proper temperature reading helps a baker gauge oven calibration and watch out for maintenance or repair requirements.

Good news is, these two initially unnecessary kitchen gadgets aren’t ultra-pricey investments: My thermometer from Landmark cost less than P400, and the digital scale from the department store set me back around P980—worth the mini-splurge considering a can of Comstock blueberries from the grocery, or a bag of frozen ones from Healthy Options are way too precious to be tossed in the trash if the muffins fall flat or form undesirable concave dips in the middle.

That said, baking truly is a numbers game. But for every patient participant, the rewards can be very fulfilling—and delicious.

Blueberry Muffins

Yield 12 medium-sized muffins or 6 extra-large ones Prep Time 15 minutes Baking Time 15 to 20 minutes


1 cup plain yogurt (or two 125-gram packs of Nestle Creamy yogurt)
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup sugar
1 small egg

6.25 ounce cake flour
pinch of salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda

3/4 cup blueberries (or 1 can of Comstock blueberries, drained); reserve 1/4 cup for the topping


1 Use a fine sieve or a regular strainer lined with cheese cloth to drain extra liquid from yogurt. You’ll end up with about half a cup of thick yogurt. Set aside.

2 Preheat oven to 380°F. Grease a 12-cup muffin pan with oil or cooking spray, or use cupcake liners for easy removal and cleanup.

3 In a medium bowl, sift all dry ingredients together and discard tiny leftover lumps.

4 In a large bowl, blend yogurt, vegetable oil, sugar, and egg until pale yellow. You can either use a hand mixer or large whisk for this.

5 Add dry ingredients and stir for exactly 10 counts. Do not overmix or you’ll end up with holes—or ‘tunnels’—inside the muffins. Gently fold in 1/2 cup of blueberries into the batter for 3 counts and stop immediately. (Don’t worry about the flecks of flour, they’ll disappear during baking.)

6 Pour batter into muffin cups and top each one with a small mound of berries. Place in the oven and raise temperature to 400°F.

7 Bake for 15 to 20 minutes. Turn pan around after seven minutes to distribute heat evenly. Muffins are ready when a toothpick inserted comes out clean or lightly crumbed.

8 Let muffins cool inverted on a parchment paper-lined wire rack. Store in a Ziploc bag in room temperature for the first two days, and transfer to the refrigerator if storing longer.

My latest 'baby'

So my dear friend Frances is expecting, and awaiting the arrival of her little bundle, Jelly Bean. Meanwhile, I am far from bearing offspring and my version of nesting is being in the kitchen and churning out sweet goodies and savory treats. My latest 'baby' is the cake above, the Chocolate Cake with Fleur de Sel Caramel Filling & Dark Chocolate Ganache by David Lawrence only my version has none of the posh french salt—just a few pinches of good old iodized salt—but everything else is to the letter. It took me three-plus hours to make: from the the caramel filling (which is already excellent by itself), chocolate cakes (two layers), frosting (a dark chocolate ganache), and I must say it was well worth it.

Sharing this happy mound of chocolate-caramel goodness to the world! And I'm so not the type to keep recipes secret, click HERE to view the video from GoodBite.com, a site a stumbled upon last year while looking for caramel and custard fillings online. It's about four minutes long, but the actual cake takes much, much longer to make. That's not to say you won't have fun with it :)

Polka Dot Brownies

[Reposting from "Baked!" at Yummy.ph, January 2010]


These triple chocolate brownies culled and customized from a Nigella Lawson recipe found on YouTube are perfect for a classic Pinoy New Year’s celebration, following the age-old ‘requirement’ of donning polka dots and having round-shaped food at the table to help channel abundance in the coming year. As for me, I forgot to wear polka dots on New Year’s Eve, but fortunately, I was able to make these delightful cocoa squares dotted with creamy buttons of white chocolate way before the clock struck midnight. These brownies leave a particularly sweet type of fireworks in your mouth and are surprisingly, very, very easy to make. Here’s the recipe.

You'll need:

6 ounces bittersweet chocolate (or four squares of Baker’s Semisweet Chocolate)
1 1/2 sticks (or 12 tablespoons) unsalted butter
3 eggs
1/2 tablespoon vanilla
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup sugar
3/4 cup flour
1/4 cup semisweet chocolate chips
1/4 cup white chocolate chips, plus a handful for topping

Makes 16 brownie squares. Prep Time 5 minutes. Baking Time 20 to 25 minutes.

1 Preheat oven at 350°F. Melt bittersweet chocolate squares and butter over low heat, or in a tempered glass bowl set over simmering water.

Good butter and chocolate: building blocks of decadent brownies.

2 Remove from heat and let melted chocolate cool for a few minutes. Add eggs one at a time, stirring completely with every addition. Add the rest of the ingredients and stir with a wooden spoon. Do not overmix.

Add eggs for a silky-smooth, chocolatey batter.

3 Pour brownie batter onto a square pan (the disposable aluminum ones from the supermarket work well) lined with parchment paper for easy removal once done. Sprinkle top with white chocolate chips and bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean.

Tip: White chocolate chips aren’t always available in the supermarket, so stock up and keep them in the freezer.

Happy New Year, everyone!

Mariel Chua is already planning the next batch of brownies and other baked goodies to give away to family and friends.

Sweet Spots

[Reposting from "Baked!" at Yummy.ph, December 30, 2009]

Buttery sylvannas at Kitchen of Cakes and Coffee

I understand that as long as it involves blueberries, fresh cherries and strawberries, or Valrhona chocolate discs, baked treats can be quite expensive, thus justifying the exorbitant prices some establishments charge for good-quality desserts.

That’s why I find neighborhood hubs and small bakeshops truly delightful, not only for their friendly price points, but also for their cozy atmosphere. Two current favorites are the Kitchen of Cakes and Coffee in Tomas Morato and Brewing Point in Tierra Pura Homes—both in Quezon City.

At KOCC, one can enjoy buttery sylvannas for P35, cheese rolls (with a lot of cheese filling) for P30, ensaymadas for P20, giant soup bread bowls to-go (and fill with your own pumpkin soup) for P20, rhumballs (think amped-up Dunkin Munchkins) for P15 each. Wash it all down with your choice of mild, standard, or strong coffee served with real cream and brown sugar.

KOCC's delightful cakes, at realistic prices

Brewing Point on the other hand dishes up an assortment of sweet, layered cakes—from the fruity and chocolatey—alongside homemade value meals and bento boxes (the servings are huge!). On top of the reliable and speedy Wi-fi connection, I enjoy the village-ambience and most importantly, the taste of their savory dishes.

I should probably include in this list Figaro, Starbucks, Seattle’s Best, and Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf, but I find the sweet selections in these commercial establishments hit or miss, with a few staples (like Figaro’s bread pudding) that may be worth ordering something else other than the coffee these places are known for.

Mariel recently wrote about coffeeshop and Wi-fi etiquette over by her blog, NyMinuteNow.com. Check out her story entitled, “I’m with the Bandwidth.”