Luxe Banana Bread with Espresso Mascarpone


Date Published: Feb 9th, 2021 | Last Updated: March 26th, 2021
Author: Abby | Category: dessert
Serves: 1 loaf | Prep time: 30 mins | Cook time: 1 hr

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To be honest, I was never a huge fan of banana bread but every time I make this recipe I get rave reviews. I never knew banana bread was loved by so many people! No matter how big the loaf turns out, there’s never any leftovers. Although banana bread has grown on me over the years, the only way I like to eat it is toasted with some salted butter over top or alternatively I’ll add in a couple handfuls of chocolate chips to the batter and get a more decadent chocolate banana bread. If I’m feeling really fancy, I’ll make myself espresso mascarpone to top it off. My favourite part about making this recipe is eating the freshly baked crunchy toasted edges right as it comes out of the oven.

This banana bread recipe makes a beautiful moist loaf every time, packed with banana flavour. It’s the best way to use up over ripe bananas that have been sitting on the counter for a little too long.

IMG_4673
Yoke and I at the dog lovers show

This original recipe came from a good friend of mine, Yoke. She used to make banana bread all the time in vet school (and still do). When I was in NYC a couple years ago for a vet externship, I stumbled across a random little Aussie café called Two Hands and went in for a coffee. I saw a “banana bread with espresso mascarpone” on the menu and knew I had to try it. I still didn’t love banana bread at this point, but I do love anything that’s coffee-flavoured and the combination of these two got me excited. When it arrived, it was the most beautiful serving of banana bread I had ever seen. It was a nice thick slice of banana bread with a healthy serving of the espresso mascarpone, drizzled with a bit of maple syrup and sprinkled with puffed buckwheat. This was hands down the single best banana bread I’ve ever had. The different flavours mixed so well together – it blew my mind. I was determined to recreate it when I got back to Australia and who best to ask for a good banana bread recipe than Yoke? That’s when I started making this banana bread. I don’t always make it with the espresso mascarpone because a few of my friends aren’t fans of coffee, including Toby, (sometimes I wonder how we’re still together 😜) but if I’m feeling indulgent I’ll make a small portion for myself (recipe adapted from GoodFood.com). I do like to add in the chocolate chips to jazz it up otherwise.

*I haven’t had a chance to take any photos with the espresso mascarpone yet, but its coming!

Anyways, without further ado, here’s the recipe! If you have any comments or suggestions, I’d love to hear from you in the comment section! You can follow me on instagram, youtube and facebook to see all the recipes I post!

Happy cooking!

Edit: I found the recipe for the Two Hands banana bread posted on a website a couple years after I started making my version. I haven’t tried making it their way, but if anyone’s interested, here’s a link to their recipe: https://camillestyles.com/food/two-hands-nyc-banana-walnut-bread-with-espresso-mascarpone/

Ingredients you’ll need:

Banana Bread:

  • Dry Ingredients:
    • 3 cups (375g) all-purpose flour
    • 1 tsp baking powder
    • 1 tsp baking soda
    • 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
    • 1/2 tsp salt
  • Wet Ingredients:
    • 3/4 cup (170g) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
    • 3/4 cup (150g) granulated sugar
    • 1/2 cup (100g) packed light or dark brown sugar
    • 3 large eggs, at room temperature
    • 2 tsps pure vanilla extract
    • 3 large overripe bananas, mashed (= ~ 1.5 cups mashed)
    • 1.5 cups (360ml) buttermilk, at room temperature (or 1.5 cups milk + 1.5 Tbsp lemon juice, left for 30mins until it starts curdling)
  • + optional: 180g chocolate chips or chopped semi-sweet chocolate
  • + optional: chopped walnuts

Espresso mascarpone:

  • 500g mascarpone
  • 2 tsps vanilla extract (or 1 vanilla bean, cut in half lengthways, seeds scraped)
  • pinch cinnamon
  • 100ml espresso coffee
  • 1/4 cup icing sugar
  • Maple syrup (for drizzling)
  • Optional: sprinkle with some chopped pecans, walnuts, pine nuts or puffed buckwheat

Directions for Banana Bread:

Preheat the oven to 350°F (177°C) and grease a loaf pan (9×13 inch).

(If you don’t have buttermilk, you can make it now at this stage by adding milk with lemon juice and letting it sit for 20-30mins until it curdles while you prepare the rest of the recipe.)

In a bowl, combine the dry ingredients: flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt. Set aside.

Peel the overripe bananas and mash them. Set aside.

  • Beat the softened butter until smooth
  • Add in the white and brown sugars
  • Cream the butter and sugars together
  • Add the eggs and vanilla in
  • Fold in the mashed bananas

In another bowl, use a mixer and beat the butter until smooth and creamy. Add in the white and brown sugar to the bowl and continue beating until creamed together. Beat in the eggs and the vanilla until combined, then fold in the mashed bananas.

  • Optional: chocolate chips

With the mixer on low speed, add the dry ingredients to the wet in three additions alternating with the buttermilk, allowing each to be incorporated before adding the next. Do not over mix. The batter will be slightly thick and a few lumps is OK.

Optional: If you want to make chocolate banana bread, you can stir in the chocolate chips at this stage into the batter. OR if you’d like to add walnuts, now is the time to stir it in.

Chocolate chips optional

Pour the batter into the greased loaf pan. Feel free to sprinkle walnuts over. Bake for 45mins to 1hr (depending on your oven). The cake is done when a toothpick inserted in the centre comes out clean. 

*Tip: If you find the top of the cake is browning too quickly in the oven, loosely cover it with aluminum foil and continue baking.

When the cake is done, remove it from the oven and set on a wire rack to cool completely before serving. Serve on its own or follow the instructions for espresso mascarpone below!

Cover leftover cake tightly and store in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. The cake also freezes well up to 3 months. Just thaw and serve when ready to eat.

Optional: Directions for Espresso marscapone:

  1. Combine all the ingredients into a mixing bowl and use a stand mixer to blend everything together until smooth and creamy. Do not over whip or else it will split. Keep the mascarpone cold at all times. Serve on top of banana bread with a drizzle of maple syrup and a sprinkle of puffed buckwheat.

Summarized Recipe:

Luxe Banana Bread with Espresso Mascarpone

Date Published: Feb 9th, 2021 | Last Updated: March 26th, 2021
Author: Abby | Category: dessert
Serves: 1 loaf | Prep time: 30 mins | Cook time: 1 hr

Ingredients:

Banana Bread:

  • Dry Ingredients:
    • 3 cups (375g) all-purpose flour
    • 1 tsp baking powder
    • 1 tsp baking soda
    • 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
    • 1/2 tsp salt
  • Wet Ingredients:
    • 3/4 cup (170g) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
    • 3/4 cup (150g) granulated sugar
    • 1/2 cup (100g) packed light or dark brown sugar
    • 3 large eggs, at room temperature
    • 2 tsps pure vanilla extract
    • 3 large ripe bananas, mashed (= ~ 1.5 cups mashed)
    • 1.5 cups (360ml) buttermilk, at room temperature (or 1.5 cups milk + 1.5 Tbsp lemon juice, left for 30mins until it starts curdling)
  • + optional: 180g chocolate chips or chopped semi-sweet chocolate
  • + optional: chopped walnuts

Espresso Mascarpone:

  • 500g mascarpone
  • 2 tsps vanilla extract (or 1 vanilla bean, cut in half lengthways, seeds scraped)
  • pinch cinnamon
  • 100ml espresso coffee
  • 1/4 cup icing sugar
  • Maple syrup (for drizzling)
  • Optional: sprinkle with some chopped pecans, walnuts, pine nuts or puffed buckwheat.

Directions:

  1. Preheat the oven to 350°F (177°C) and grease a loaf pan (9×13 inch).
  2. (If you don’t have buttermilk, you can make it now at this stage by adding milk with lemon juice and letting it sit for 20-30mins until it curdles while you prepare the rest of the recipe.)
  3. In a bowl, combine the dry ingredients: flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt. Set aside.
  4. In another bowl, use a mixer and beat the butter until smooth and creamy. Add in the white and brown sugar to the bowl and continue beating until creamed together. Beat in the eggs and the vanilla until combined, then fold in the mashed bananas.
  5. With the mixer on low speed, add the dry ingredients to the wet in three additions alternating with the buttermilk, allowing each to be incorporated before adding the next. Do not over mix. The batter will be slightly thick and a few lumps is OK.
  6. Optional: If you want to make chocolate banana bread, you can stir in the chocolate chips at this stage into the batter. OR if you’d like to add walnuts, now is the time to stir it in.
  7. Pour the batter into the greased loaf pan. Feel free to sprinkle walnuts over. Bake for 45mins to 1hr (depending on your oven). The cake is done when a toothpick inserted in the centre comes out clean. 
    • *Tip: If you find the top of the cake is browning too quickly in the oven, loosely cover it with aluminum foil and continue baking.
  8. When the cake is done, remove it from the oven and set on a wire rack to cool completely before serving. Serve on its own or follow the instructions for espresso mascarpone below!

Storage: Cover leftover cake tightly and store in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. The cake also freezes well up to 3 months. Just thaw and serve when ready to eat.

Optional: Directions for Espresso marscapone:

  1. Combine all the ingredients into a mixing bowl and use a stand mixer to blend everything together until smooth and creamy. Do not over whip or else it will split. Keep the mascarpone cold at all times. Serve on top of banana bread with a drizzle of maple syrup and a sprinkle of puffed buckwheat.

Abby1 Comment

Pumpkin Spice Cupcakes with Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting


Date Published: Feb 8th, 2021 | Last Updated: Feb 8th, 2021
Author: Abby |Category: dessert
Serves: 24 cupcakes | Prep time: 20 mins | Cook time: 20 mins

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Pumpkin spice is all the rage back home especially in the autumn season – and for good reason! It’s a mix of warm spices that usually includes cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and allspice that just seems to comfort you on a cold day. In Canada I would often get a pumpkin spice latte from Starbucks early in the morning and head out on an autumn hike enjoying the leaves change colour while sipping on my latte – it was the perfect combination. You can put pumpkin spice in just about anything: scones, lattés, whipped cream, cakes, cookies, and….. cupcakes! I’ve even seen them incorporated into dog treats (no idea why). These cupcakes are delicious on their own as a moist fluffy pumpkin cake (similar to a carrot cake) paired with a coffee, or if you’ve got a sweet tooth it’s even better topped with the cinnamon cream cheese frosting. You can choose to bake these as cupcakes in a muffin pan as I have in this recipe or put it in a bundt cake pan or cake pan and bake it as an entire cake and top it with the frosting to make it a little fancier for afternoon tea.

These cupcakes turn out fluffy and moist every time – the secret is using vegetable oil instead of butter!

This recipe is adapted from AllRecipes. I’ve halved the sugar from the original recipe because the cinnamon frosting is quite sweet on its own and is more than enough sweetness when paired together. If you’re making this as a cake on its own without the frosting, feel free to add in a little extra sugar (I’d increase the white sugar from 1/2 cup to 3/4 cup). When I make this recipe, I usually buy the pre-made pumpkin spice mix from Clubhouse but you could just as easily make it yourself in a big batch (see recipe below). Unlike North America, canned pumpkin purée is actually very difficult to find in Australia so if you can’t find any in your local shops, you can make it yourself by baking your pumpkin in the oven with some olive oil until soft, peel it, and mash it up.

Anyways, without further ado, here’s the recipe! If you have any comments or suggestions, I’d love to hear from you in the comment section! You can follow me on instagram, youtube and facebook to see all the recipes I post!

Happy cooking!

Ingredients you’ll need:

  • Dry Ingredients:
    • 2 1/4 cups (400g) all-purpose flour
    • 3 tsp pumpkin spice
      • If you don’t have pumpkin spice:
        • 1 tsp ground cinnamon
        • 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
        • 1/2 tsp ground ginger
        • 1/2 tsp ground cloves
        • 1/2 tsp ground allspice
    • 1/2 tsp salt
    • 1 Tbsp baking powder
    • 1/2 tsp baking soda
  • Wet Ingredients:
    • 1/2 cup (160g) vegetable oil
    • 1/2 cup (115g) white sugar
    • 1/3 cup (78g) brown sugar (or 1/3 cup white sugar + 1 tsp molasses)
    • 2 eggs, room temperature
    • 3/4 cup milk
    • 1.5 cups (420g) pumpkin puree
  • Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting:
    • 1 (226g/8 oz) package cream cheese, softened
    • 1/4 cup (57g) butter, softened
    • 3 cups (400g) icing sugar
    • 1 tsp vanilla extract
    • 1 tsp ground cinnamon

Directions:

(If you don’t have canned pumpkin puree, cook your pumpkin in the oven and put it in the blender as step #1)

Mix together the dry ingredients: flour, pumpkin spice, salt, baking powder, and baking soda; set aside.

Preheat the oven to 375˚F (190˚C).

  • Mis the oil and sugars together
  • Add the eggs one at a time
  • Stir in the milk and pumpkin
  • All mixed together

In a separate large bowl, combine your wet ingredients: vegetable oil, white sugar, and brown sugar. Add the room-temperature eggs one at a time, allowing each egg to blend into the butter mixture before adding the next. Stir in the milk and pumpkin puree after the last egg.

  • Gradually add in the dry ingredients while mixing
  • Batter is ready!

Gradually add the dry ingredients into the batter one cup at a time while mixing. Allow the ingredients to mix together before adding the next cup. Once you’ve incorporated all the dry ingredients to the wet, your batter is ready for the oven!

Line your muffin tray with liners, or grease them if you’re not using liners. Pour the batter into the prepared muffin cups and bake in the preheated oven until golden brown and a toothpick comes out clean when inserted in the middle (about 15-20 minutes). Cool in the muffin pan for 5 minutes before removing to cool completely on a wire rack.

While the cupcakes are cooling, make the frosting by beating the cream cheese and butter together until smooth. Add in the vanilla extract and ground cinnamon. Beat in the icing sugar a little at a time until incorporated. Spoon the frosting into piping bags and frost the cupcakes once they’re cooled. Done!

*Tip: If you find your frosting a little running, refrigerate it for 20mins and it should firm up.

Summarized Recipe:

Pumpkin Spice Cupcakes

Date Published: Feb 8th, 2021 | Last Updated: Feb 8th, 2021
Author: Abby |Category: dessert
Serves: 24 cupcakes | Prep time: 20 mins | Cook time: 20 mins

Ingredients:

  • Dry Ingredients:
    • 2 1/4 cups (400g) all-purpose flour
    • 3 tsp pumpkin spice (see recipe above if you don’t have the spice mix)
    • 1/2 tsp salt
    • 1 Tbsp baking powder
    • 1/2 tsp baking soda
  • Wet Ingredients:
    • 1/2 cup (160g) vegetable oil
    • 1/2 cup (115g) white sugar
    • 1/3 cup (78g) brown sugar (or 1/3 cup white sugar + 1 tsp molasses)
    • 2 eggs, room temperature
    • 3/4 cup milk
    • 1.5 cups (420g) pumpkin puree
  • Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting:
    • 1 (226g/8 oz) package cream cheese, softened
    • 1/4 cup (57g) butter, softened
    • 3 cups (400g) icing sugar
    • 1 tsp vanilla extract
    • 1 tsp ground cinnamon

Directions:

  1. Mix together the dry ingredients: flour, pumpkin spice, salt, baking powder, and baking soda; set aside.
  2. Preheat the oven to 375˚F (190˚C).
  3. In a separate large bowl, combine your wet ingredients: vegetable oil, white sugar, and brown sugar. Add the room-temperature eggs one at a time while mixing, allowing each egg to blend into the butter mixture before adding the next. Stir in the milk and pumpkin puree after the last egg.
  4. Gradually add the dry ingredients into the batter one cup at a time while mixing. Allow the ingredients to mix together before adding the next cup. Once you’ve incorporated all the dry ingredients to the wet, your batter is ready for the oven!
  5. Line your muffin tray with liners, or grease them if you’re not using liners. Pour the batter into the prepared muffin cups and bake in the preheated oven until golden brown and a toothpick comes out clean when inserted in the middle (about 15-20 minutes). Cool in the muffin pan for 5 minutes before removing to cool completely on a wire rack.
  6. While the cupcakes are cooling, make the frosting by beating the cream cheese and butter together until smooth. Add in the vanilla extract and ground cinnamon. Beat in the icing sugar a little at a time until incorporated. Spoon the frosting into piping bags and frost the cupcakes once they’re cooled. Done!
    • *Tip: If you find your frosting a little running, refrigerate it for 20mins and it should firm up.

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Salted Chocolate Caramel Bars (Caramel slice)


Date Published: Feb 1st, 2021 | Last Updated: Feb 1st, 2021
Author: Abby |Category: desserts
Serves: 24 squares | Prep time: 10 mins | Cook time: 30 mins + 1hr of cooling time

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These salted caramel bars are f*cking AMAZING. No lie. I first stumbled upon the original recipe from Nagi from RecipeTinEats about a year ago and have made it at least a dozen times since. I’ve made a few slight adjustments over time but it’s mainly similar to the original. These bars ALWAYS get rave reviews. I like to bring them to work when Toby and I start new jobs at a new clinic to make a good first impression – I should call them “First Day Caramel Bars”, ha!. Our current practice manager called them “DIVINE!” – true story. The recipe is pretty easy and straightforward, but because there are 3 layers involved, it does take a little extra time – but it’s worth it!

I’ve occasionally seen caramel bars sold back home in Canada here and there in cafés and I never thought too much of them, but since moving to Australia, I see them everywhere! They’re pretty much a staple in every Australian bakery. They’re called “caramel slices” here, something I still don’t quite understand since when I think of a slice, I think of something in a triangular form such as pie, cake or pizza, not squares 🤷🏻‍♀️. Some people in America call them “Millionaire’s Shortbread” – maybe because they’re so rich and creamy. Whatever you want to call these – bar, slice, shortbread – just know that they’re delicious AF. I’m not usually a huge fan of the ones in bakeries, but I could eat these all day.

These bars have a delicious crunchy crispy coconut shortbread base with a soft caramel centre made with condensed milk and topped with a layer of salted milk chocolate. Fair warning, they can be pretty sweet so if you’re not a huge fan of sugar, then I’d recommend cutting down the sugar in the caramel layer by a quarter or a half.

Anyways, without further ado, here’s the recipe! If you have any comments or suggestions, I’d love to hear from you in the comment section! You can follow me on instagram, youtube and facebook to see all the recipes I post!

Happy cooking!

Ingredients you’ll need:

  • Base layer:
    • 1 cup (150g) all-purpose flour
    • 1/2 cup (45g) desiccated coconut
    • 1/2 cup (80g) brown sugar, loosely packed (or 1/2 cup white sugar + 1/2 Tbsp molasses)
    • 125g unsalted butter, melted
  • Caramel layer:
    • 125g unsalted butter, roughly chopped
    • 1/2 cup (80g) brown sugar (or 1/2 cup white sugar + 1/2 Tbsp molasses)
    • 1 tsp vanilla extract
    • 1 can (395g/14oz) sweetened condensed milk
  • Chocolate layer:
    • 200g dark or milk chocolate, chopped
    • 1 Tbsp coconut oil
    • Salt flakes (for sprinkling on top)

Directions:

Make the base: Preheat the oven to 180˚C (350˚F). Combine all the ingredients for the base together in a bowl (flour, coconut, brown sugar, butter). Line a baking tray (20cmx20cm or 8″x8″ – brownie pan size) with baking paper and press down the batter into the pan until evenly spread out. Bake for 10-15 minutes at 180˚C or until the surface is golden brown. Remove to cool.

  • Combine: flour, coconut, brown sugar, butter
  • Line a baking tray with parchment paper
  • Spread the batter out evenly onto the pan
  • Make sure you spread the batter out to the edges and make it as flat and even as possible.
  • Bake until golden brown. Set aside to cool.

Make the caramel: In a saucepan over LOW-MED heat, melt the butter. Once the butter is melted, add in the sugar and vanilla. Whisk until it becomes a homogenous mixture. Continue to stir until it comes to a simmer then add in the can of condensed milk and continue mixing until it’s a thick homogenous mixture. When it comes to a simmer again, turn off the heat and pour the mixture over the base layer. Tilt the pan to spread it evenly. Bake for 10-12mins at 180˚C until the top turns golden brown. (Note: the caramel will bubble in the oven – this is normal.) Take it out of the oven and set aside until the surface is cooled (you can put it in the fridge to help it along).

  • Melt the butter, then add the brown sugar and vanilla extract.
  • Whisk until you get a homogenous mixture
  • Occasionally stir until it starts to bubble
  • Once it bubbles, add in the condensed milk
  • Whisk until you get a homogenous mixture
  • Occasionally stir until you get bigger bubbles then remove from heat
  • Immediate pour the mixture over the baked base
  • Tilt the pan until the caramel spreads out evenly. Make sure you get it right to the edges.
  • Bake until golden brown

Make the chocolate: Place the chocolate and coconut oil in a bowl and microwave 30 seconds at a time stirring in between until you get a smooth melted chocolate spread. Pour this over the cooled caramel layer and tilt the pan until evenly spread. Refrigerate for half an hour and sprinkle salt over the top layer when the chocolate is nearly set. Then continue to refrigerate for another half hour or overnight until ready to serve. Cut into squares and enjoy!

*Tip: If you sprinkle the salt too early when the chocolate is still warm or liquid, the salt will dissolve. If you sprinkle the salt too late after the chocolate has set, the salt won’t stick.

  • Melt and mix the chocolate and coconut oil until smooth
  • Melt and mix the chocolate and coconut oil until smooth then pour directly over the caramel layer
  • Tilt the pan until the chocolate spreads out evenly
  • Make sure you get the chocolate right to the edges. Set aside to cool.
  • When the chocolate is nearly set, sprinkle the salt flakes over it
Cut into squares and enjoy! Done!

Summarized Recipe:

Salted Chocolate Caramel Bars (Caramel Slice)

Date Published: Feb 1st, 2021 | Last Updated: Feb 1st, 2021
Author: Abby |Category: desserts
Serves: 24 squares | Prep time: 10 mins | Cook time: 30 mins + 1hr of cooling time

Ingredients:

  • Base layer:
    • 125g unsalted butter, melted
    • 1 cup (150g) all-purpose flour
    • 1/2 cup (45g) desiccated coconut
    • 1/2 cup (80g) brown sugar, loosely packed (or 1/2 cup white sugar + 1/2 Tbsp molasses)
  • Caramel layer:
    • 125g unsalted butter, roughly chopped
    • 1/2 cup (80g) brown sugar (or 1/2 cup white sugar + 1/2 Tbsp molasses)
    • 1 tsp vanilla extract
    • 1 can (395g/14oz) sweetened condensed milk
  • Chocolate layer:
    • 200g dark or milk chocolate, chopped
    • 1 Tbsp coconut oil
    • Salt flakes (for sprinkling on top)

Directions:

  1. Make the base:
    1. Preheat the oven to 180˚C (350˚F). Mix all the ingredients for the base together in a bowl (melted butter, flour, coconut, brown sugar).
    2. Line a baking tray (20cmx20cm or 8″x8″ – brownie pan size) with baking paper and press down the batter into the pan until evenly spread out.
    3. Bake for 10-15 minutes at 180˚C or until the surface is golden brown. Remove to cool.
  2. Make the caramel:
    1. In a saucepan over LOW-MED heat, melt the butter.
    2. Once the butter is melted, add in the sugar and vanilla. Whisk until it becomes a homogenous mixture.
    3. Continue to stir until it comes to a simmer then add in the can of condensed milk and continue mixing until it’s a thick homogenous mixture.
    4. When it comes to a simmer again, turn off the heat and pour the mixture over the base layer. Tilt the pan to spread it evenly.
    5. Bake for 10-12mins at 180˚C until the top turns golden brown. (Note: the caramel will bubble in the oven – this is normal.) Take it out of the oven and set aside until the surface is cooled (you can put it in the fridge to help it along).
  3. Make the chocolate:
    1. Place the chocolate and coconut oil in a bowl and microwave 30 seconds at a time stirring in between until you get a smooth melted chocolate spread.
    2. Pour this over the cooled caramel layer and tilt the pan until evenly spread.
    3. Refrigerate for half an hour and sprinkle salt over the top layer when the chocolate is nearly set. Then continue to refrigerate for another half hour or overnight until ready to serve.
      • *Tip: If you sprinkle the salt too early when the chocolate is still warm or liquid, the salt will dissolve. If you sprinkle the salt too late after the chocolate has set, the salt won’t stick.
    4. Cut into squares and enjoy!

Abby3 Comments

Fudgy Brownies to Impress


Date Published: January 17th, 2020 | Last Updated: January 17th, 2020
Author: Abby |Category: dessert
Serves: 1 tray | Prep time: 20mins | Cook time: 25mins

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One day Toby wanted to make brownies for work. We can’t remember exactly what the occasion was for or if it was for a specific person, but I remember googling a recipe for him and stumbled upon the one from Tasty.co. The brownies came out fantastic and were a big hit. We’ve since made it at least half a dozen times and made some minor changes along the way. Because brownies are so sugary and fatty in nature, we pretty much only make these for other people and sneak a couple of squares for ourselves. These are now Toby’s go-to baked goods to bring to any occasion and make an impression – they get rave reviews every time!

The recipe takes a couple of steps but is overall pretty easy to make. The hardest part is trying not to eat them before they cool completely!

Anyways, without further ado, here’s the recipe! If you have any comments or suggestions, I’d love to hear from you in the comment section! You can follow me on instagram, youtube and facebook to see all the recipes I post!

Happy cooking!

Ingredients you’ll need:

  • 112g + 112g (4oz + 4oz) chocolate chips or chopped semi-sweet chocolate
  • 3/4 cup (95g) all-purpose flour
  • 1/4 cup (30 g) cocoa powder
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 3/4 cups (180g) unsalted butter, melted or softened
  • 1 1/4 cups (250g) sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • 2 tsps vanilla extract

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 180˚C (350°F). Line an 8-inch (20 cm) square baking dish with baking/parchment paper.

Weigh out two bowls of chocolate chips (112g each) and melt one bowl in the microwave 20 seconds at a time until it’s just melted (without cooking it). Set the other bowl of chocolate aside.

In a medium sized bowl, mix together the flour, cocoa powder and salt. Set aside.

In a large bowl or stand mixer, whisk the butter and sugar until combined, then add in the eggs and vanilla and continue to whisk until its somewhat fluffy and lighter in colour.

Next whisk in the melted chocolate (make sure it’s not too hot or else it will cook the eggs).

Sift the flour/cocoa powder/salt mixture into your batter and use a spatula to fold the ingredients together – don’t over mix it otherwise the brownies will be denser and cake-like.

Fold in the unmelted chocolate chips and pour the batter in the prepared baking dish.

Bake for 20-25 minutes until an inserted toothpick comes out clean (the less you bake it, the more fudgy your brownies will be). Let it cool completely then slice. Enjoy!

Summarized Recipe:

Fudgy Brownies to Impress

Date Published: January 17th, 2020 | Last Updated: January 17th, 2020
Author: Abby |Category: dessert
Serves: 1 tray | Prep time: 20mins | Cook time: 25mins

Ingredients:

  • 112g + 112g (4oz + 4oz) chocolate chips or chopped semi-sweet chocolate
  • 3/4 cup (95g) all-purpose flour
  • 1/4 cup (30 g) cocoa powder
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 3/4 cups (180g) unsalted butter, melted or softened
  • 1 1/4 cups (250g) sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • 2 tsps vanilla extract

Directions:

  1. Preheat the oven to 180˚C (350°F). Line an 8-inch (20 cm) square baking dish with baking/parchment paper.
  2. Weigh out two bowls of chocolate chips (112g each) and melt one bowl in the microwave 20 seconds at a time until it’s just melted (without cooking it). Set the other bowl of chocolate aside.
  3. In a medium sized bowl, mix together the flour, cocoa powder and salt. Set aside.
  4. In a large bowl or stand mixer, whisk the butter and sugar until combined, then add in the eggs and vanilla and continue to whisk until its somewhat fluffy and lighter in colour.
  5. Next whisk in the melted chocolate (make sure it’s not too hot or else it will cook the eggs).
  6. Sift the flour/cocoa powder/salt mixture into your batter and use a spatula to fold the ingredients together – don’t over mix it otherwise the brownies will be denser and cake-like.
  7. Fold in the unmelted chocolate chips and pour the batter in the prepared baking dish.
  8. Bake for 20-25 minutes until an inserted toothpick comes out clean (the less you bake it, the more fudgy your brownies will be). Let it cool on the bench completely then slice. Enjoy!

Abby1 Comment

Stir-Fry Black Pepper Beef & Carrot


Date Published: January 17th, 2020 | Last Updated: January 17th, 2020
Author: Abby |Category: Asian, mains, sides, easy
Serves: 4-6 | Prep time: 15mins | Cook time: 15mins

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I don’t tend to buy many pre-made sauces because I want to limit the amount of half opened jars in my fridge and also I haven’t found many pre-made sauces that I haven’t been able to re-create or liked enough to keep around. UNTIL my mom introduced me to the Lee Kum Kee black pepper sauce. She learned this recipe from one of her church friends. My mind was blown the first time she ever made this for us. I could eat this dish all day, everyday, the saucier the better! I always hoped she would double the recipe every time she made it. There were never any leftovers. This dish goes so well over rice or sautéed with some thick noodles. Mmm mmmm. You can even change it up and stir-fry it with some onion and bell peppers if you’re not a huge fan of carrots.

Because this recipe is based on a pre-made sauce, it’s incredibly easy and cooks up quickly – perfect if you haven’t got much time.

Anyways, without further ado, here’s the recipe! If you have any comments or suggestions, I’d love to hear from you in the comment section! You can follow me on instagram, youtube and facebook to see all the recipes I post!

Happy cooking!

Ingredients you’ll need:

  • 1kg (~3.5 cups) steak, sliced into strips (any stir-fry steak will do: rump, flank, skirt)
  • 1.5 tsps cornstarch
  • 6 cups (~4-5 large) carrots, julienned (or thickly grated to save time)
  • 1/2 jar (~1/2 cup) of Lee Kum Kee black pepper sauce

Directions:

In a bowl, mix the steak strips and cornstarch together until combined.

In a wok, over medium-high heat, sear the steak strips until they’re browned on the outside (~1-2 mins). Remove the steak into a bowl and set aside.

In the same wok, still over medium-high heat, add the carrots and stir-fry it with the leftover oil from the steak for 4-5 mins until they’re slightly soft.

Turn down the heat to medium and add in the steak and black pepper sauce. Stir-fry until everything is combined for another 2 mins. Taste and add more black pepper sauce if needed or some water if too strong. If you have too much liquid or if you prefer the sauce to be thicker, remove a few tablespoons of liquid from the wok into a small bowl and mix in half a tablespoon of cornstarch then add the mixture back into the wok and stir it until the sauce has thickened. Serve over rice, noodles or as a side dish. Enjoy!

You can also try stir-frying it with noodles instead of serving over rice

Summarized Recipe:

Stir-Fry Black Pepper Beef & Carrot

Date Published: January 17th, 2020 | Last Updated: January 17th, 2020
Author: Abby |Category: Asian, mains, sides, easy
Serves: 4-6 | Prep time: 15mins | Cook time: 15mins

Ingredients:

  • 1kg (~3.5 cups) steak, sliced into strips (any stir-fry steak will do: rump, flank, skirt)
  • 1.5 tsps cornstarch
  • 6 cups (~4-5 large) carrots, julienned
  • 1/2 jar (~1/2 cup) of Lee Kum Kee black pepper sauce

Directions:

  1. In a bowl, mix the steak strips and cornstarch together until combined.
  2. In a wok, over medium-high heat, sear the steak strips until they’re browned on the outside (~1-2 mins). Remove the steak into a bowl and set aside.
  3. In the same wok, still over medium-high heat, add the carrots and stir-fry it with the leftover oil from the steak for 4-5 mins until they’re slightly soft.
  4. Turn down the heat to medium and add in the steak and black pepper sauce. Stir-fry until everything is combined for another 2 mins. Taste and add more black pepper sauce if needed or some water if too strong. If you have too much liquid or if you prefer the sauce to be thicker, remove a few tablespoons of liquid from the wok into a small bowl and mix in half a tablespoon of cornstarch then add the mixture back into the wok and stir it until the sauce has thickened. Serve over rice, noodles or as a side dish. Enjoy!

AbbyLeave a comment

Taiwanese Ground Pork with Pickled Cucumbers 瓜子肉 (Guā Zǐ Ròu)


Date Published: January 17th, 2020 | Last Updated: January 17th, 2020
Author: Abby |Category: Taiwanese, mains, Asian, easy
Serves: 4-6 | Prep time: 10mins | Cook time: 30mins

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Gua zi rou 瓜子肉 is a ridiculously easy dish my mom made quite often when I was growing up. It’s a Taiwanese dish in origin similar to the ever popular Lu Rou Fan (marinated pork over rice) but requires way fewer ingredients and is so much faster to make. It’s not a dish that you’d see commonly sold in Taiwan and I’m not sure why – my guess is that the Lu Rou Fan outshines it and it is also such a simple dish to make yourself at home 🤷🏻‍♀️. I didn’t even know how easy it was to make until recently when I was suddenly craving it and called up my mom for her recipe. I always thought it took her hours of effort due to the delicious rich umami flavours, but it’s as easy as opening up a can, chopping, and simmering. Best of all, it can all be done in one pot for easy clean up!

Gua zi rou directly translates to “melon/cucumber meat” which is exactly what this dish is made of: minced pork and Chinese pickled cucumbers (jiang gua/醬瓜). These two ingredients are simmered over half an hour and you end up with a salty mix of meat and slightly crunchy cucumber in a rich liquid sauce to drizzle over a warm bed of rice.

There is no doubt many brands out there, but the brand of Chinese cucumbers I’ve grown up with since a child is pictured below. Don’t ask me what the difference between the brands are, but this is the one I most often see at the shops and the one our family has been buying for ages – it just feels wrong to buy any other brand now. We call them jiang gua/醬瓜 and commonly eat it as an accompaniment to congee. They’re essentially pickled cucumbers (pickles), but instead of marinating it in vinegar as is common in the Western world, these are marinated in soy sauce, sugar and vinegar to make a salty/sweet/slightly tangy bomb of flavour.

Anyways, without further ado, here’s the recipe! If you have any comments or suggestions, I’d love to hear from you in the comment section! You can follow me on instagram, youtube and facebook to see all the recipes I post!

Happy cooking!

Ingredients you’ll need:

  • 500 ground pork
  • 1 tsp cornstarch
  • 1 jar of Chinese pickled cucumbers (jiang gua/醬瓜)
  • 1/3 cup green onion, chopped (optional)
  • Cooked rice – for serving (optional)

Directions:

Mix 1 tsp of cornstarch with the ground pork. Set aside.

Strain the jar of pickled cucumbers, reserving the liquid. Finely dice the pickled cucumbers (you can use a food processor here to save some time).

In a wok over medium heat, add a drizzle of oil and sauté the white part of the green onion for 30 seconds until fragrant (optional). Then add in the ground pork, diced pickled cucumbers, and the reserved pickled juice. Mix it all up, put a lid on the wok and let it gently simmer for half an hour, intermittently stirring.

(While you’re waiting for the pork to simmer, you can cook your rice now. Your pork should be done when the rice is cooked.)

After half an hour, taste and adjust saltiness as needed. If it’s too salty, add some water. If it’s not salty enough, add some soy sauce (I usually don’t add anything additional, but to each their own taste). Serve warm over rice. Enjoy!

*Remember: the pork and the sauce is supposed to be salty and meant to be eaten over warm rice to dilute out the salt, so keep that in mind when adjusting the saltiness!

Summarized Recipe:

Taiwanese Ground Pork with Pickled Cucumbers 瓜子肉 (Guā Zǐ Ròu)

Date Published: January 17th, 2020 | Last Updated: January 17th, 2020
Author: Abby |Category: Taiwanese, mains, Asian, easy
Serves: 4-6 | Prep time: 10mins | Cook time: 30mins

Ingredients:

  • 500 ground pork
  • 1 tsp cornstarch
  • 1 jar of Chinese pickled cucumbers (jiang gua/醬瓜)
  • 1/3 cup green onion, chopped (optional)
  • Cooked rice – for serving (optional)

Directions:

  1. Mix 1 tsp of cornstarch with the ground pork. Set aside.
  2. Strain the jar of pickled cucumbers, reserving the liquid. Finely dice the pickled cucumbers (you can use a food processor here to save some time).
  3. In a wok over medium heat, add a drizzle of oil and sauté the white part of the green onion for 30 seconds until fragrant (optional). Then add in the ground pork, diced pickled cucumbers, and the reserved pickled juice. Mix it all up, put a lid on the wok and let it gently simmer for half an hour, intermittently stirring.
  4. (While you’re waiting for the pork to simmer, you can cook your rice now. Your pork should be done when the rice is cooked.)
  5. After half an hour, taste and adjust saltiness as needed. If it’s too salty, add some water. If it’s not salty enough, add some soy sauce (I usually don’t add anything additional, but to each their own taste). Serve warm over rice. Enjoy!

*Remember: the pork and the sauce is supposed to be salty and meant to be eaten over warm rice to dilute out the salt, so keep that in mind when adjusting the saltiness!

AbbyLeave a comment

Cinnamon Rolls


Date Published: Dec 27th, 2020 | Last Updated: Dec 27th, 2020
Author: Abby |Category: dessert
Serves: 12-16 rolls | Prep time: 1hr 30mins | Cook time: 20mins

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A co-worker of mine one day was talking about how her goal over the weekend was to make cinnamon scrolls then raved about how amazing her first Cinnabon experience was in America. We then both agreed how ridiculous it was that Cinnabon decided to open up its first shop in Australia in Brisbane. Not Sydney. Not Melbourne, but Brisbane. Really??? Nothing against Brisbane, but it just seemed like a random place to open their first shop in the country. Our chat had me craving Cinnabon for the rest of the day. Unlike back home in North America, cinnamon rolls are not a common thing to find here – it’s actually near impossible and the only way to have it is to make it yourself (or go to Brisbane). I’ve made this recipe a few times in an attempt to recreate the ones at Cinnabon. It’s not exactly alike, but it’s pretty close! This recipe is adapted originally from All Recipes.

This recipe is not difficult to make, but there are a few steps to it which make the recipe look really lengthy and difficult, but I promise its not. You essentially just need to make the dough, roll it out, spread butter and cinnamon sugar, roll it up, bake it, then spread icing over top.

Anyways, without further ado, here’s the recipe! If you have any comments or suggestions, I’d love to hear from you in the comment section! You can follow me on instagram, youtube and facebook to see all the recipes I post!

Happy cooking!

Ingredients you’ll need:

  • Dough:
    • 2.5 tsps (8g sachet) dry active yeast
    • 1 cup warm milk
    • 1 tsp white sugar
    • 2 eggs room temperature
    • 1/3 cup (76g) melted butter or margarine
    • 1 tsp salt
    • 1/2 cup (110g) white sugar
    • 4.5 cups (720g) flour (bread flour is best, but all purpose flour will do)
  • Cinnamon Sugar Filling:
    • 1/3 cup (76g) butter, softened
    • 1 cup (230g) packed brown sugar (= 1 Tbsp molasses + 1 cup white sugar)
    • 2.5 Tbsps ground cinnamon
  • Icing:
    • 85g (3oz) of cream cheese, softened
    • 1/4 cup (55g) butter, softened
    • 1.5 cups (195g) confectioner’s/icing sugar
    • 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
    • a pinch of salt

Directions:

Note the frothiness at the top when the yeast has been activated

Make the dough: In a large mixing bowl, activate the yeast by dissolving it in warm milk with 1 tsp sugar. Set this aside for 5-10 mins until it turns frothy.

  • Grease the dough and let it proof

Mix in eggs, butter, salt and sugar to the bowl. Add the flour in gradually until you get a smooth dough and knead it into a ball. Place the dough ball in a lightly greased bowl covered with a tea towel and set aside in a warm place until doubled in size (~1hr). (Don’t have a warm place? Click here to see how I proof my dough in the oven).

While the dough is proofing, make the cinnamon and brown sugar mix by mixing the two together. Set aside.

  • Before proofing
  • After proofing
  • Roll the dough out onto a mat
  • Knead the dough to get rid of air pockets
  • Divide the dough into two

Assemble the roll: After the dough has doubled it size, knead it out on a lightly floured surface to get the air pockets out. Divide the dough in half.

  • 2-3mm thick

Using a rolling pin, roll out one dough ball into a square until you get a rectangle about 2-3mm thick.

  • Butter the dough
  • Sprinkle cinnamon-brown sugar over the butter

Spread half the softened butter over the dough and then sprinkle half of the cinnamon-brown sugar mixture on top. Use your rolling pin to lightly roll over the dough so the cinnamon sugar is gently pressed in.

Roll up the dough semi-tightly from left to right so you’re left with one long roll. If you find the centre of your roll thicker than the edges, gently roll it out until it is roughly the same thickness. Cut up the dough into even 3cm thicknesses and place on a lined baking tray. Repeat with the other half of the dough.

Bake the rolls: Preheat the oven to 200˚C (400˚F). While the oven is warming up, cover the rolls with a tea towel and let it rise in a warm place until the oven is ready. Bake on the middle rack until golden brown (~15-20 minutes).

Make the icing: While rolls are baking, combine all the icing ingredients in a large mixing bowl: cream cheese, butter, sugar, vanilla, salt.

  • Fresh out the oven!
  • Turn them upside down
  • Spread half the icing while still warm so it melts between the swirls!

Finish it off: Once the rolls are cooked, flip each roll upside down so the gooey cinnamon filling re-coats the inside. Spoon any extra melted filling over the buns. While the rolls are still hot, spread half the icing over the rolls. Once rolls are cooled, spread the other half of the icing over them. Serve warm. Enjoy!

Notes:

  • You can freeze the uncooked dough quite well and bake them separately for a quick snack or freeze them cooked and microwave when ready to eat.
  • Keep in an air tight container for 2-3 days at room temperature or in the fridge if longer or in warm humid conditions.

Summarized Recipe:

Cinnamon Rolls

Date Published: Dec 27th, 2020 | Last Updated: Dec 27th, 2020
Author: Abby |Category: dessert
Serves: 12-16 rolls | Prep time: 1hr 30mins | Cook time: 20mins

Ingredients:

  • Dough:
    • 2.5 tsps (8g sachet) dry active yeast
    • 1 cup warm milk
    • 1 tsp white sugar
    • 2 eggs room temperature
    • 1/3 cup (76g) melted butter or margarine
    • 1 tsp salt
    • 1/2 cup (110g) white sugar
    • 4.5 cups (720g) flour (bread flour is best, but all purpose flour will do)
  • Cinnamon Sugar Filling:
    • 1/3 cup (76g) butter, softened
    • 1 cup (230g) packed brown sugar (= 1 Tbsp molasses + 1 cup white sugar)
    • 2.5 Tbsps ground cinnamon
  • Icing:
    • 85g (3oz) of cream cheese, softened
    • 1/4 cup (55g) butter, softened
    • 1.5 cups (195g) confectioner’s/icing sugar
    • 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
    • a pinch of salt

Directions:

  1. Make the dough: In a large mixing bowl, activate the yeast by dissolving it in warm milk with 1 tsp sugar. Set this aside for 5-10 mins until it turns frothy.
  2. Mix in eggs, butter, salt and sugar to the bowl. Add the flour in gradually until you get a smooth dough and knead it into a ball. Place the dough ball in a lightly greased bowl covered with a tea towel and set aside in a warm place until doubled in size (~1hr). (Don’t have a warm place? Click here to see how I proof my dough in the oven).
  3. While the dough is proofing, make the cinnamon and brown sugar mix by mixing the two together. Set aside.
  4. Assemble the roll: After the dough has doubled it size, knead it out on a lightly floured surface to get the air pockets out. Divide the dough in half. Using a rolling pin, roll out one dough ball into a square until you get a rectangle about 2-3mm thick.
  5. Spread half the softened butter over the dough and then sprinkle half of the cinnamon-brown sugar mixture on top. Use your rolling pin to lightly roll over the dough so the cinnamon sugar is gently pressed in.
  6. Roll up the dough semi-tightly from left to right so you’re left with one long roll. If you find the centre of your roll thicker than the edges, gently roll it out until it is roughly the same thickness. Cut up the dough into even 3cm thicknesses and place on a lined baking tray. Repeat with the other half of the dough.
  7. Bake the rolls: Preheat the oven to 200˚C (400˚F). While the oven is warming up, cover the rolls with a tea towel and let it rise in a warm place until the oven is ready. Bake on the middle rack until golden brown (~15-20 minutes).
  8. Make the icing: While rolls are baking, combine all the icing ingredients in a large mixing bowl: cream cheese, butter, sugar, vanilla, salt.
  9. Finish it off: Once the rolls are cooked, flip each roll upside down so the gooey cinnamon filling re-coats the inside. Spoon any extra melted filling over the buns. While the rolls are still hot, spread half the icing over the rolls. Once rolls are cooled, spread the other half of the icing over them. Serve warm. Enjoy!

Notes:

  • You can freeze the uncooked dough quite well and bake them separately for a quick snack or freeze them cooked and microwave when ready to eat.
  • Keep in an air tight container for 2-3 days at room temperature or in the fridge if longer or in warm humid conditions.

AbbyLeave a comment

Soft Ginger Cookies


Date Published: Dec 27th, 2020 | Last Updated: Dec 27th, 2020
Author: Abby |Category: dessert
Serves: 22 cookies | Prep time: 20 mins | Cook time: 10 mins

Jump to recipe |

Happy holidays everyone! I know I’m a bit late to the party, but ’tis the season for baking! As usual, I’ve been ramping up my baking just before Christmas as gifts for people, work snacks, or party munchies. It’s been a crazy year and the holidays can be especially tough, so whether or not you celebrate, I hope you at least had some extra time off from work. Toby and I have been spending Christmas back on the farm with his parents and there is definitely no shortage of food here! Traditional Czech Christmas is celebrated on the 24th so on Christmas Eve his mom made fish fillets with a prawn cocktail and potato salad. Then on Christmas day she made a roast turkey and we made roast veggies harvested straight from the garden to go with it. For Boxing Day, we invited our friends over for a party and made beer butt chicken, rosemary roast lamb, stuffing, mashed potatoes, and broccoli salad. There will be plenty of leftovers to last us all at least a week. I don’t think I need to eat for another 2 days!

I’m currently doing relief work at 3 different clinics in the northern regions of Melbourne and not to toot my own horn, but these cookies have been a big hit at all three clinics over the past week. They’re pretty easy to make and you end up with a lot of cookies in one batch – warning, they do require quite a bit of sugar in the recipe but who’s actually counting calories through this season? These soft ginger cookies are perfect for the festive season.

Recipe adapted from: https://www.allrecipes.com/recipe/17165/big-soft-ginger-cookies/

Anyways, without further ado, here’s the recipe! If you have any comments or suggestions, I’d love to hear from you in the comment section! You can follow me on instagram, youtube and facebook to see all the recipes I post!

Happy cooking!

Ingredients you’ll need:

  • Dry Ingredients:
    • 2 1/4 cups (350g) all-purpose flour
    • 2 1/4 tsps ground ginger
    • 3/4 tsp ground cinnamon
    • 1/2 tsp ground cloves
    • 1/4 tsp salt
    • 1 tsp baking soda
  • Wet Ingredients:
    • 3/4 cup (170g) unsalted butter, softened
    • 1 cup (230g) white sugar
    • 1 egg
    • 1 Tbsp orange juice
    • 1/4 cup (85g) molasses
  • 1/2 cup white sugar for coating

Directions:

Preheat oven to 175˚C (350F).

Combine the dry ingredients: In a medium-sized bowl, mix together the flour, ginger, baking soda, cinnamon, cloves, and salt. Set aside.

Combine the wet ingredients: In a large bowl, beat together the butter and 1 cup sugar. Add in the egg, orange juice and molasses. Mix until combined.

Gradually add in the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients mixture. You should end up with a semi-firm sticky dough. If your dough is too soft and sticky to work with, put it in the fridge for 20mins for it to firm up.

Pour the remaining 1/2 cup sugar on a plate for coating. Shape the dough into golf ball sizes and roll each one in the sugar. Place each ball on an ungreased baking tray. Don’t place them too close together because they spread out in the oven! Bake for 8 to 10 mins in the preheated oven and transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Enjoy!

Notes:

  • Pro-tip: it’ll be easier to get your molasses out of the measuring cup by greasing it first with a drop or two of oil.
  • They expand quite a bit so you can make them smaller if you like smaller cookies to commit to.
  • If you prefer them crunchier, flatten the dough balls slightly before baking them.

Summarized Recipe:

Soft Ginger Cookies

Date Published: Dec 27th, 2020 | Last Updated: Dec 27th, 2020
Author: Abby |Category: dessert
Serves: 22 cookies | Prep time: 20 mins | Cook time: 10 mins

Ingredients:

  • Dry Ingredients:
    • 2 1/4 cups (350g) all-purpose flour
    • 2 1/4 tsps ground ginger
    • 3/4 tsp ground cinnamon
    • 1/2 tsp ground cloves
    • 1/4 tsp salt
    • 1 tsp baking soda
  • Wet Ingredients:
    • 3/4 cup (170g) unsalted butter, softened
    • 1 cup (230g) white sugar
    • 1 egg
    • 1 Tbsp orange juice
    • 1/4 cup (85g) molasses
  • 1/2 cup white sugar for coating

Directions:

  1. Preheat oven to 175˚C (350F).
  2. Combine the dry ingredients: In a medium-sized bowl, mix together the flour, ginger, baking soda, cinnamon, cloves, and salt. Set aside.
  3. Combine the wet ingredients: In a large bowl, beat together the butter and 1 cup sugar. Add in the egg, orange juice and molasses. Mix until combined.
  4. Gradually add in the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients mixture. You should end up with a semi-firm sticky dough. (If your dough is too soft and sticky to work with, put it in the fridge for 20mins for it to firm up.)
  5. Pour the remaining 1/2 cup sugar on a plate for coating. Shape the dough into golf ball sizes and roll each one in the sugar. Place each ball on an ungreased baking tray. Don’t place them too close together because they spread out in the oven! Bake for 8 to 10 mins in the preheated oven and transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Enjoy!

Notes:

  • Pro-tip: it’ll be easier to get your molasses out of the measuring cup by greasing it first with a drop or two of oil.
  • They expand quite a bit so you can make them smaller if you like smaller cookies to commit to.
  • If you prefer them crunchier, flatten the dough balls slightly before baking them.

AbbyLeave a comment

Tips, Tricks & Substitutes


Here are a few helpful tips and tricks I always find myself using. I’ll keep updating this page as I find more useful tips for cooking!

Substitutions

Brown Sugar

Light brown sugar: 1 Tbsp molasses + 1 cup white sugar

Dark brown sugar: 2 Tbsps molasses + 1 cup white sugar

Buttermilk

1 cup milk (low fat or whole) + 1 Tbsp lemon juice or white vinegar

Let the mixture sit for 5-10 mins at room temp until it curdles.

Cake Flour

1 cup minus 2 Tbsps all purpose flour + 2 Tbsps cornstarch

Cooking Ratios

Jasmine Rice

1 cup rice + 1 1/2 cups water (or to the first joint of your finger).

Add more as needed and stir often when water level is getting low.

Stovetop Popcorn

1/3 cup popcorn kernels + 3 Tbsps oil

AbbyLeave a comment

Cheesy Kimchi Pancake


Date Published: Sept 6th, 2020 | Last Updated: Sept 6th, 2020
Author: Abby |Category: asian, snacks, appetizer, easy
Serves: 2 large pancakes | Prep time: 10 mins | Cook time: 15 mins

Jump to recipe |

Yum. I love a good kimchi pancake, especially when there’s cheese! If you’re unfamiliar, kimchi is pickled cabbage and its a staple in Korean food. I’ll admit, I didn’t like kimchi initially, but over the years it grew on me. I still don’t love it enough to have cravings or want to eat mouthfuls of it on its own, but I LOVE it in a kimchi pancake. The batter ingredients tones down the bold flavour of the kimchi and the cheese mellows it out.

These pancakes are very quick and easy to make. They’re slightly crispy on the edges and soft on the inside laced with cheese. I’ve based the original recipe from My Korean Kitchen but I’ve put a twist on it and adapted it with some extra add-ins (read: cheese). The dipping sauce isn’t necessary, but it does give the pancake some extra flavour. You can also serve it up with some curry mayo or sriracha mayo.

Anyways, without further ado, here’s the recipe! If you have any comments or suggestions, I’d love to hear from you in the comment section! You can follow me on instagram, youtube and facebook to see all the recipes I post!

Happy cooking!

Ingredients you’ll need:

  • Batter:
    • 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
    • 1 1/4 cups water
    • 1/4 tsp salt
    • 1 egg, beaten
    • 1 spring onion, chopped
    • 1 cup (~220g) Kimchi, roughly chopped
    • 1/2 Tbsp Kimchi liquid
    • 1 cup shredded cheese
  • Dipping sauce:
    • 1 Tbsp soy sauce
    • 1 Tbsp water
    • 1 tsp rice vinegar
    • 1 tsp sugar
    • 1/2 tsp sesame oil
    • 1 clove garlic, minced
    • 1/2 tsp sesame seeds
  • Neutral oil for cooking

Directions:

Make the batter: In a large bowl, mix together flour, salt and water. Then add in the egg, spring onion, kimchi, kimchi liquid and cheese. Refrigerate to firm up the batter until ready to use.

Make the dipping sauce: Combine all the dipping sauce ingredients into a bowl and mix: soy sauce, water, rice vinegar, sugar, sesame oil, garlic, and sesame seeds. Set aside.

Cook the pancakes: Heat a skillet or wide pan on MEDIUM heat. Add a drizzle of oil and swirl the pan around until it coats the bottom well. Pour half of the batter into the centre of the heated pan and swirl gently to spread out the mixture for even thickness. Cook until browned on both sides. Use your spatula to press down the pancake to make it crispy. When finished, remove from heat onto a wire rack to cool. Repeat with the rest of the batter.

Slice into small pieces to serve. Enjoy!

Summarized Recipe:

Cheesy Kimchi Pancake

Date Published: Sept 6th, 2020 | Last Updated: Sept 6th, 2020
Author: Abby |Category: asian, snacks, appetizer, easy
Serves: 2 large pancakes | Prep time: 10 mins | Cook time: 15 mins

Ingredients:

  • Batter:
    • 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
    • 1 1/4 cups water
    • 1/4 tsp salt
    • 1 egg, beaten
    • 1 spring onion, chopped
    • 1 cup (~220g) Kimchi, roughly chopped
    • 1/2 Tbsp Kimchi liquid
    • 1 cup shredded cheese
  • Dipping sauce:
    • 1 Tbsp soy sauce
    • 1 Tbsp water
    • 1 tsp rice vinegar
    • 1 tsp sugar
    • 1/2 tsp sesame oil
    • 1 clove garlic, minced
    • 1/2 tsp sesame seeds
  • Neutral oil for cooking

Directions:

  1. Make the batter: In a large bowl, mix together flour, salt and water. Then add in the egg, spring onion, kimchi, kimchi liquid and cheese. Refrigerate to firm up the batter until ready to use.
  2. Make the dipping sauce: Combine all the dipping sauce ingredients into a bowl and mix: soy sauce, water, rice vinegar, sugar, sesame oil, garlic, and sesame seeds. Set aside.
  3. Cook the pancakes: Heat a skillet or wide pan on MEDIUM heat. Add a drizzle of oil and swirl the pan around until it coats the bottom well. Pour half of the batter into the centre of the heated pan and swirl gently to spread out the mixture for even thickness. Cook until browned on both sides. Use your spatula to press down the pancake to make it crispy. When finished, remove from heat onto a wire rack to cool. Repeat with the rest of the batter.
  4. Slice into small pieces to serve. Enjoy!

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