Homebaked Blueberry Muffins

I bought a tiny box (1 cup worth) of blueberries from Isetan on Friday, as it was RM 8.90 (RM 1.00 cheaper than usual). A splurge as I haven't baked from fresh blueberries before. They're right when they say one shouldn't go shopping when you're hungry, or you'll end up doing impulse buying.

Now, Coldstorage at KLCC sold muffin pans that I needed, but I didn't have the measurement to make sure it'll fit my small oven or not. So, after bringing Panya back from the vet, we went out to look for a muffin pan, but to no avail. We found an ok baking supply store but they ran out of muffin pans and there was a long line due to a festive season coming.

I ended-up placing a standard sized muffin papercup into my aluminium jelly molds and baked them. They ended up turn out not too bad, fluffy and muffinny. =)

I used N00bcook's recipe which gave credit to the original Jordan Marsh Blueberry muffin recipe that worked quite well for me. Her pointers of use the middle part of muffin tray to be evenly baked is very useful. Becareful not to stir the muffin batter too much so the muffins wouldn't end up too dense. I actually handmixed my muffin batter than using an electric mixer as I halved the recipe. For those who have access to cheap blueberry, you could make a big batch (double or triple the recipe) and keep them in the fridge (fresh muffins in the mornings) or freeze them (ready muffin batter) for future.

Jordan Marsh Blueberry Muffins
Credits: Recipe from ‘True Blueberry’ by Linda Dannenberg
This muffin recipe is that of the famous Jordan Marsh’s
Framingham Store (which closed down in 1983)

Ingredients:
(Makes 12 standard-size muffins)

2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
110g lightly salted butter (or 1 stick), softened
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 large eggs
1/2 cup milk
2 1/2 cups fresh (or frozen) blueberries

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 180C (350F).
2. Sift the flour, baking powder and salt together into a medium bowl & set aside
3. In the bowl of an electric mixer, combine butter and 1 1/4 cups sugar and cream at low speed until the mixture is smoothly blended. At low speed, add the eggs, one at a time, and blend
4. Add the flour mixture and the milk a little at a time, alternating one with the other, and beat until blended, then remove the bowl from the mixer
5. Add 1/2 cup of blueberries and gently fold them in with a wooden spoon or spatula. Add the rest of the berries and gently fold them in
6. Place paper muffin cups into the muffin tin, and fill each cup with slightly more than 3/4 of batter. (Note: if not using paper cups, grease the muffin tin)
7. Sprinkle the remaining 1/4 cup sugar over the muffin tops, then bake in the center of the oven for 25-30 minutes, until the muffins are golden brown and puffy
8. Remove to a wire rack and cool in the tins for 1 hour before serving

To avoid spending RM 10 to make 12 muffins, I halved the recipe (genius suggestion from hubby) I ended-up with 6 and a half fluffy muffins to enjoy. It's even good enough that I'll give one to Samantha, a small thank-you for getting me nice seasalt and rosemary herbs from Greece. I can't wait to use them in my cooking! ^_^

Homemade Granola

My failed attempt of baking granola bars with this recipe I found last month, it turned out too soggy and a slight eggy-smell that I don't enjoy too much and too embarrassed to let anyone try.

Unfazed, I have decided not to use any recipe that calls for a wet mixture. A "homemade granola" goggling lead me to several prominent recipes that I intend to try, omitting quite a few of the ingredients that that is too expensive to splurge on.

From joyofbaking - straight forward recipe with lots of background and tips that is somewhat useful and what to expect from toasting your own granola.

I used the kitchensinkrecipes for my homemade granola, check out her website if you're more interested on the full recipe. Below my recipehack, ingredients I used in red.

Granola

3 1/2 cups rolled oats
1/2 cup coconut flakes, unsweeteend
3 tablespoons flax seeds
3 tablespoons sesame seeds
1/4 cup sunflower
1/4 cup pumpkin seeds
1/2 cup toasted mixed nuts, chopped (I used pistachios and almonds here) <== I'm planing to put in raw almonds next time
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 teaspoon sea salt
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup canola oil <== I used 2 tablespoon of melted butter 2 tablespoons honey 1 tablespoon pure maple syrup
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
2 cups mixed dried fruit (I used raisins and dried cherries and cranberries here)

Lesson learned: does not reuse a baking sheet after the first batch, it catches fire easily as it is "crispy". Otherwise, my granola tastes caramel-ly, a better attempt than the 1st.

Hubby and my friend seemed to enjoy snacking on it. I'll be making more as gifts to friends, and also my breakfast~

Sand the table

In one of my long list of DIY projects to do, one of them is to repaint my IKEA-INGO dining table turned into my study table when we moved.

IKEA INGO table

Earlier life the INGO was as a dining table, we found cheap and I love the natural white pine texture, so I have decided to use clear varnish and painstakingly painted it three-times. I even went as far as to drive out in the middle of the night and bought another new paint brush to get the smooth surface. Now, the INGO is my work table since the condominium purchase came with basic furnishing, including a cheesy, bigger, metal-legs-glasstop dining table and chairs. My plan is to paint the INGO in glossy white paint. My research on how to repaint a furniture, lead me to prepare these items:

1. CRAP brand Glossy white paint, oil-based. Cost: RM 15 (Unfornately, websites from the West recommends latex paint or water-based, semi gloss for best effect, and less odour. I'll have to thin my paint down with thinner. I know, I should use a better brand but this will be my first project and I'm not so sure of my painting skills. Better skills, better paint in future)
   
2. PYE woodfiller. Cost: RM 9.80 (got some dent caused by my mistake of hiring a lousy moving people to move to my new apartment)
3. 3" wide foam brush. Cost RM 2.50 (found this in ACE hardware store, this place is like a toy store for me. Website claims this brush will leave the least stroke streaks, we'll see)
4. 2" wide normal paint brush. Cost RM 3.50 (for painting the table legs)
5. Grade 100, 150 sand paper Cost: RM 1.60 ea
   
6. 6" x 2.5" scrape block for sanding. Cost: FREE (picked up around the refused room)

Sanded table top

As I trace my fingers along the smooth glossy top of the INGO made me realized I did a good job with the varnishing. I almost couldn't do it, but thought about the new white table to match the room, I bit the bullet and sanded it.

After sanding top, sides and legs, I wiped the table with wet wipes (I'd have used a damped cloth if I got a real garage/workshop with convienient water tap) and old used sponge. Repair the dents with the wood filler, wipe residue with wet wipe and I'm done with sanding.

Before After

This would make painting of the table easier on 1 & 2 Oct (public holiday here) with the sanding taken cared of today. :) yay! Hopefully, my project will go well. In the afternoon, hubby helped me to prep raw ingredients, I cook a week-long lunches and dinners. Mostly veggies, fritatta, sandwiches. I've started to bring lunches to work to cut back on my own monthly budgeted allowance, so I could save and buy something else for myself.

Really got into it when I bought a RM 15 dual compartment Lock N' Lock bento lunch box. It's seal proof, leak proof, which is important in a bag. I bring them to work, nuke them up at the office pantry. (Of course, I use separate pots dedicated for cooking these office lunches).

These days, I get so tired taking the train from work. Not needing to prep and cook my veggies and meals makes things really easy. That took about 2 hours to prep and cook (and cut part of my finger at that >_< ). After clean up, I began to prepare tonight's dinner. Tonight's dinner is my first try at using the rotating roast thingamajig (hubby says it's called a rotisserie) to roast a whole chicken (minus the neck, feet and tail). Simple Italian herbs, salt & pepper (Sarawak black pepper is best), melted butter and a bit of lemon juice. Two things happened I didn't expect.

"Don't stick a fork in me, I'm almost done"

1. Never thought the cheap Elba toaster-oven-sized oven have a rotisserie, after skewered the chicken and installed them on, it actually turns! Like Kenny Roger's or restaurant's display. Cool!
2. The chicken turned out pretty good, perfectly browned and cooked, and juicy. Even the white meat is juicy. This come with repeated basting of the melted butter+herbs mix.

I have learn for future chicken roast, I'll drop a leaf of aluminium foil (size of the bottom of the oven)at the bottom of the grill to catch the anything falling off the hanging chicken. Should cut down the time of cleaning the oven.

Nonetheless, a great way to end a weekend.