#BakeDaySunday: Coffee Chocolate Chip Cookies

Wow, this #bakedaysunday thing is getting pretty regular for me! Haha. Good thing I’m not broke…  yet.

Anyway, last Saturday, I decided to make cookies again. It’s been a while since the last time I baked a chewy batch, and well, I kinda missed it.

The original plan (there’s always an original plan lol) was to bake a simple, no-fuss batch of chocolate chip cookies. However, sometime between checking my flour supply and preparing my tools, I changed my mind. Suddenly, I thought, “Hey, why not try coffee cookies?”

So I searched for an easy yet foolproof recipe for a delicious batch of coffee cookies. I stumbled upon a recipe that combines coffee and chocolate chip, and I thought, “Heyyy that’s even better!” So, I combined my two loves: coffee and chocolate. I got so excited!

The recipe calls for a chilled dough, so I prepared the batter first then baked the cookies the next day… which is Sunday. So my #bakedaysunday is still intact. Hehe.

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Coffee Chocolate Chip Cookies
(Recipe courtesy of Crunchy Creamy Sweet)

Ingredients:

1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/8 tsp salt
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 cup granulated sugar
1 egg
1 1/2 tablespoon instant coffee granules
1 cup dark or semi-sweet chocolate chips

Procedure:

1. In a medium bowl, whisk flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
2. In a large mixing bowl, beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy (2 minutes will do).
3. Add coffee granules to the butter mixture. Mix well.
4. Add the egg. Beat until just combined.
5. Add the flour mixture all at one and mix for 5 seconds only.
6. Fold in the chocolate chips and mix the dough with a spatula until the flour is fully incorporated. Remember: do not overmix!
7. For best results, chill the dough in the fridge overnight. If you’re in quite a hurry, 2 hours will do.
8. Baking time! Preheat oven to 375 F.
9. Place the scooped cookie dough (I used my 1 tbsp measuring spoon for this) on a cookie pan lined with parchment paper or aluminum foil. Leave some space for each dough, cos your cookies will spread once baked.
10. Bake for 8-10 minutes (but in my case, it took me 15 minutes… idk why haha)
11. Done? Cool them first on the sheet for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to completely cool.

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Disclaimer: the original recipe calls for 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, but I ran out of any vanilla, so I didn’t include it. The cookies turned out great, though, with or without vanilla. 😉

The cookies were awesome! I definitely felt my two loves combined in one crispy cookie. ❤ Not too sweet, not too bitter, and not bland at all! I was really satisfied. 🙂 I baked little ones for my officemates, and they didn’t even last half a day. Haha.

I’ll definitely buy vanilla extract soon, but I’m glad that tiny detail didn’t screw up my #bakedaysunday. Thank you so much, Crunchy Creamy Sweet for the terrific recipe!

Happy blogging (and baking!)

(PS: All photos are mine; please do not use without my consent. Thank you!)

#BakeDaySunday: Cinnamon Loaf

 

Yesterday was #bakedaysunday for me (also #imnotbrokesoicanbakeday and #ihavealltheingredientssoicanbakeday haha), so I decided to whip up something nice for me and my loved ones. 🙂

Actually, the original plan was to make chocolate chip cookies dipped in chocolate ganache (YES, chocolate heaven), but I scrapped that one cos I’m too lazy to buy one missing ingredient. So, I had to make do with what I already have in the house and, fortunately, there are just enough ingredients to make a cinnamon loaf.

So, why cinnamon?

Good question… and the good answer is: I LOVE CINNAMON! ❤ There was a time in my life that I didn’t have a thing for cinnamon, but when a friend from Sweden suggested that I try it with my coffee, that’s when everything changed. Now, I put cinnamon in my coffee, in my oatmeal (all the time), and now, in my baked goods!

Okay, I won’t bore you with the declaration of my love for cinnamon. Here’s the recipe, fully credited to Taste of Home. It’s so easy and convenient and I love it!

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Cinnamon Loaf
(Recipe courtesy of Taste of Home)

Ingredients:

1/4 cup butter, softened
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 cup + 2 tbsp sugar, divided
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup buttermilk (I used two Yakult)
2 eggs
1 tsp ground cinnamon

Procedure:

1. Preheat the oven to 350° F.
2. Mix the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
3. Combine the sugar and cinnamon. Also set aside.
4. Beat butter for about one minute, until light and fluffy. Gradually add the one cup of sugar, then add eggs one by one, making sure to beat well with each addition. After that, add the vanilla extract.
5. Add the flour mixture and buttermilk alternately to the creamed mixture. Beat until just mixed (don’t overdo it!).
6. Transfer half of the batter to your loaf pan (preferably a 9×5 pan), which should be coated with cooking spray (I don’t have that, so I just spread some butter all over it). After that, sprinkle 3/4 of the sugar-cinnamon mixture over the batter.
7. Finish off by putting the other half of the batter and sprinkling the remaining sugar-cinnamon mixture.
8. Bake for 45-50 minutes or until a cake tester/toothpick inserted comes out clean (in my case, it took me a little more than an hour).
9. Cool in the pan for 10 minutes. Then, remove the loaf from the pan and transfer it to a cooling rack.

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Verdict: soooo yummy! *thumbs up*

I’m not carrying my own chair or anything. Haha. It tastes so good— not too sweet nor too bland— and I have people to support my claim! Haha!

In fact, there’s nothing left of it anymore… *wink*

I’ll definitely make this again. No excuses because the instructions are so simple and the ingredients are easy to find. Plus, having a very tasty cinnamon loaf around sure is useful— I can definitely eat it for breakfast or dinner. ❤

Happy blogging (and baking!)

(PS: All photos are mine; please do not use without my consent. Thank you!)

May Bake Day: Banana Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting

Ever since I discovered Jessica (of What Jessica Baked Next) and her wonderful (and amazingly-photographed) concoctions, I made a promise to myself that I’ll try some of her recipes. I follow her blog and Instagram account, and almost every day, my feeds (especially IG) are filled with mouth-watering treats of all sorts— from focaccia breads to cheesecakes, to ice cream recipes and even rice meals! This girl sure knows how to bake… and cook. 😉

Which brings us to the topic at hand (lol). Yesterday (which I fondly call #bakedaysunday), I finally got the chance to try one of her cupcake recipes: Banana Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting. What made me try it? Well, first of all, they consist of bananas, chocolates and cream cheese— which happens to be some of my favorite things to eat. Second, the ingredients are really easy to find! I always come across recipes with unfamiliar ingredients, which sadly decrease my interest in making them. Third (and lastly), it’s been a while since I made cupcakes. 🙂  Honestly, I missed it so much.

Okay, I won’t bore you with the details. Obviously, this is entirely based on Jess’ recipe, but I had to modify it a bit because of ingredient unavailability and my curiosity to try stuff. Haha.

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Banana Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting
(Recipe courtesy of What Jessica Baked Next)

Ingredients

Banana Cupcakes:

– 1/2 cup unsalted butter (softened)

– 1 cup granulated sugar

– 2 eggs (room temperature)

– 1/2 cup sour cream or buttermilk (I used Yakult as my buttermilk; about 1 1/2 bottles of it)

– 2 ripe bananas (mashed)

– 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour (sifted)

– 1 tsp baking soda

– 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

– a pinch of salt

– 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Cream Cheese Frosting:

– a little more than 1/4 cups (60g) unsalted butter (softened)

– 1 3/4 cups confectioners’ sugar (sifted)

– 1 tsp vanilla extract

– 1 3/4 cups (14 oz) cream cheese (softened)

Decorations:

– banana slices

– chocolate chips

Procedure:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 °F. Line your muffin pan with cupcake liners.

2. Cream the softened butter, sugar, and vanilla in medium speed until pale in color and fluffy. Then, add the eggs one by one.

3. Add the buttermilk and mashed banana into the butter mixture and mix until combined.

4. Mix the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt. Add to the mixture and mix for 1-2 minutes (medium speed).

5. Fill the cupcake liners with 2/3 of the batter, then bake for 18-22 minutes (or until an inserted toothpick/cake tester comes out clean). In my case, it took me more than 30 minutes. Haha.

6. Once baked, let them cool in the muffin tin for 10 minutes before transferring to a wire rack.

7. Now for the frosting: cream the butter for 2 minutes on medium speed. Then add the confectioners’ sugar and vanilla, and mix starting on low speed. Cream for about 5 minutes or until it’s pale in color— and don’t worry if it gets too crumbly; it will soften once the cream cheese is added.

8. Which brings us to the cream cheese. Lol. Add it to the mixture, set the mixer on high speed, and cream for about 2-3 minutes or until the frosting is creamy yet thick enough to pipe.

9. Finished? Then pipe away, my friend! Top with chocolate chips, banana slices, or anything you can think of— as long as it still goes with the recipe. Haha.

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The result? Two words: soooo good!

The cream cheese frosting was on fleek (so smooth and it didn’t take me a long time to make it!) and the cupcakes were so moist and fruity. Overall, I love it!

Oh, and I tweaked some of the cakes a bit— I took out a separate bowl of batter from the main one and added 1/4 cups of chocolate chips into it. So some of the cupcakes have chocolate chips not just on them, but in them. At first, I was afraid it would ruin the output, but thank goodness it didn’t! The result? Chewy cupcakes with bits of chocolate that you can actually bite!

I just love it. 🙂 Thank you so much, Jess, for this wonderful recipe! I can’t wait to try your other goodies soon! ❤

Happy blogging (and baking!)

 

(PS: All photos are mine; please do not use without my consent. Thank you!)

Chocolate Chip Bread: My Kind of Munch

Yesterday, as I was pondering on my weekend habits lately (mostly lazying around, playing computer games and/or surfing the Net), I decided to do something I haven’t done in a while: baking. Haha. And since I have a new loaf pan, I figured I’d try something a bit different from what I usually bake. 😉

Fortunately, I found an easy-to-follow chocolate chip bread recipe, courtesy of the Hungry Couple (thank you!). And since my sister finally has a decent DSLR camera (yay!), I was able to take clear and “professional-looking” shots! 😛

Chocolate Chip Bread

Ingredients:

2 cups all purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup unsalted butter
1 cup sugar + 1 tablespoon
1 egg
1 cup milk
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup chocolate chips + 2 tablespoons

Procedure:

1. Preheat oven to 350F.

2. In a medium bowl, combine flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside.

3. In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar. Then add the egg and vanilla. Beat until smooth.

4. Add the flour mixture and milk alternately into the batter. Mix until just combined.

5. Stir in the chocolate chips.

6. Pour the batter into the loaf pan (make sure it’s properly greased with butter and sprinkled with flour!).

7. Combine the additional 1 tablespoon of sugar and 2 tablespoons of chocolate chips and sprinkle them on top of the batter. Now it’s ready to be baked!

8. Bake for 50-55 minutes, or until a toothpick or cake tester comes out clean. Mine took more than 60 minutes to bake, though.

The result? A fragrant, chewy and yummy bread that’s toasty on the outside, yet soft and very chocolate-y on the inside!

It was my first attempt in bread-baking, and I’m so glad it came out of the oven neat and delicious. I still have a lot to learn and perfect, but the fact that my first bread wasn’t a disaster is enough for me… for now.

If you’re looking for a lazy afternoon recipe that’s not complicated, both instructions and ingredients-wise, try this one. Simple is always better. 😉

(Have a bite!)

Happy blogging (and baking!)
Jane

Sweet Escape: Baking Paradise in Makati

Having a hard time looking for a good baking store in the ever-progressive city of Makati? If yes, then fret no more! It’s time to go to every baker’s “sweetest escape” in town!

Recently, I discovered Sweet Escape, a small, one-stop baking and confectionery store in Makati, while browsing for good baking stores on the Internet. As you all know, I’m a budding baker and I need these kind of places for my experiments (lol). When I found out that they’re only a few blocks away from my place, I literally jumped with joy. Finally, a super near baking store for me! 🙂

Sweet Escape isn’t very spacious, but it’s packed with all the things you need for baking. When I went here for the first time, I was like, “Oh… my… OMG OMG OMG!” I was beyond happy. Seeing all those cool baking stuff made me very excited to buy my cupcake essentials. I’ve already visited the place three times, but it still feels like magic. 🙂

(Refrigerated goods like butter and fillings)

(Pastry bags, sugar crystals, etc.)

(Ready-made labels)

(Flavors and pure vanilla extracts)

(Chocolate creams, food color, etc.)

(Flours, sugars, etc.)

(Food dyes!)

(Piping tips and toppers)

(Baking chocolates, etc.)

(Decors!)

(Cupcake liners! OMG OMG OMG)

I really love this place. It’s convenient, very accessible, and they have all the things I need to whip up my “delicious” cupcakes. Lol. Definitely found my “baking bliss” here. 🙂

If you’re also residing in Makati and don’t want to go farther anymore, then visit Sweet Escape! For more information, visit their website here and Facebook page here 🙂

Sweet Escape
250 Pablo Ocampo Avenue (V. Cruz Ext. / Kamagong Area) Makati City
Contact: (02) 546-6892 / (02) 624-3579 / 09063982182
Email: orders@sweetescape.ph

(Shopping basket selfie. Lol. From my Instagram account: @sjalexandreac)

Happy blogging (and baking!)
Jane

C is for Chocolate Crinkles

For my 3rd A-Z Blogging Challenge entry, I will share our (my officemates and I’s) first attempt to make chocolate crinkles.

Disclaimer: We are not professionals. Lol.

If you’re an avid visitor of my blog, you already know by now that I bake cupcakes from time to time. But this time, I tried my hand on crinkles as per my officemate’s request. It was a Valentine’s Day favor that I couldn’t say “no” to.

Enough blabbering. Here is the step-by-step guide! Recipe followed: this one. We just improvised with the ingredients.

Chocolate Crinkle Cookies

Ingredients:
4 tbsp. butter
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 granulated sugar
1 cup cocoa powder
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup powdered (confectioners) sugar
2 eggs

Procedure:
1. Combine butter and cocoa powder in a microwaveable bowl. Heat in the microwave for 1 minute, then stir.

2. Mix the chocolate mixture with sugar.

3. Add the eggs one by one. Beat well.

4. Add the flour and baking powder into the mixture. Stir with a spatula until it becomes a soft dough.

5. Cover and refrigerate for 1 to 2hours.

6. Remove from the refrigerator. While bringing the dough to room temperature, preheat your oven to 350 degrees F.

7. It’s time to shape the dough! Form small balls by hand. Then, completely cover the dough balls with powdered sugar by rolling them on it.

8. Place on the cookie pan after (or in this case, my muffin pan since I don’t have any cookie sheets. Ugh.) Bake for 10-15 minutes. After that, let them cool for 5 minutes.

They weren’t what we’re expecting them to be, but they taste good. *thumbs up* I just wish they cracked more and were softer to bite. They’re not so hard; it’s just that they’re not chewy. Oh well. Beginners! I’m sure we’ll have plenty of time to improve our crinkle-making skills.

The hard work was worth it, though– my officemate pulled it all off and I think the girl appreciated the crinkles.

Note to self: buy a cookie pan! Hahaha. Till the next baking session! 😉

Happy blogging (and baking)!
Jane

 

Cupcakes by Sonja: Simply LOVE

Cupcakes by Sonja, located at 2/F Glorietta 2 Bridgeway, Ayala Center, Makati (with brances at Serendra Piazza, Rockwell, Shangri-La Plaza, Rustans Fresh Forbes Park, Greenhills Shopping Center, Robinsons Galleria, and TriNoma). Contact: 625 48 84

Date: February 1, 2014

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Wow! I can’t believe I finally had the chance to start my so-called “Cupcake Journey!” 🙂 It’s been long overdue since I don’t have enough riches to pay for the sumptuous but pricey cupcakes that bakeshops offer. But thanks to my finance provider (my sister hehe), I was able to taste some of Cupcakes by Sonja’s mouth-watering cupcakes.

I’ve always wanted to try Cupcakes by Sonja ever since I saw their branch in BGC. Back then, I didn’t have any money to splurge, and it was kinda far from my place. Fortunately, they opened a new spot in Glorietta 2, which is definitely nearer. Yay!

I absolutely love the decor and feel of the place. It’s simple and cute; not heavily decorated because the branch sits right in the middle of Glorietta 2 walkway. I like its 360-degree style and, best of all, the bulbs surrounded with wire whisks! How creatively crazy is that?

Okay, now the food. Last Saturday, my sister and I decided to satisfy our sweet cravings and ordered two cupcakes: red velvet and peppermint patty.

In fairness, both cupcakes were of right sweetness and fluffiness. Good job!

(Red velvet cupcake)

The red velvet is my personal favorite. I like the fact that there’s a slight tanginess in the frosting and it compliments very well with the sweetness of the cake. For P85.00, this cupcake sure is worth it!

(Peppermint patty cupcake)

Meanwhile, the peppermint patty’s good too. I ordered it because I like all things mint (from my usual Starbucks drink to my favorite ice cream flavor), and I was excited to taste a peppermint-flavored cupcake. Unfortunately though, I didn’t taste enough mint. The frosting’s too sweet for me— in fact, I didn’t finish the whole thing. The cake’s good, though; feels smokey chocolate in the mouth, but not my kind of choco. Peppermint patty’s not entirely disappointing, but I guess next time I shouldn’t expect too much. 😉

Overall, it was a splendid experience. My sister and I sitting on a high stool (just because the place’s packed and there were no low seats available), munching on cupcakes while watching people pass by… Cupcakes by Sonja is definitely a must-visit. I wanna try more of their offerings soon!

(The finance officer… LOL)

Happy eating!
♥ Jane

Frustrated baker

I like sweets. I’m the typical girl who goes gaga for chocolates (well now I prefer the dark ones), ice creams, cakes, and candies. If I have to choose between a healthy, very green-y salad and a sumptuous, moist chocolate cake, I’d definitely go for the latter. Even if I’m in a strict diet.

Yeah, I know. That’s why I keep on gaining weight. *sighs* Oh well.

Anyway, aside from the fact that I drool over sweets, I’m also developing an interest in baking cupcakes.

This began when I accidentally saw Cupcake Wars on TV. One day, I was just hopping from one channel to another, then I saw these stressed bakers trying their best to whip up delicious cupcakes. I was hooked on the show ever since. (Though lately, I haven’t watched a single episode because, until now, I don’t know its exact time slot on BeTV. Hahaha.)

And now, I’m currently glued to 2 Broke Girls (I know… I’m kinda late but, hey, I just had a copy of the whole season 1). Max (one of the lead characters) is a waitress in a simple diner, but is also a cupcake baker. As I continue to watch the show’s episodes, I become more enamored of baking cupcakes.

(Source: glamour.com)

Who wouldn’t be, right? Chewy, mouth-watering cupcakes coming out of the oven… sweet icing and little decorations that melt in your mouth… yummy gooey filling… everything about cupcakes fascinate me.

(Source: my folder. Hahaha. Chewed on this baby while Meeka and I were on Vanilla Cupcake Bakery in Glorietta. My oh my, look at that sweet sweet cupcake!)

I think I want to give baking a try. I know it won’t be easy, but I still want to do it. I know I haven’t done any baking before (well once, but a dry and undecorated banana cake doesn’t count) and I’m not very experimental with flavors, but I think I can pull it off. All for the love of baking— and fulfilling one of my frustrations.

Wish me luck! And oh, I also wish for a complete baking set. Now I know what I want for Christmas. 😉