Baked Egg in Avocado

I've been absent from the blog these past couple of months; much has been happening and I have no excuse. I've just started a new job, and between learning the ropes and the daily commute to and from work, I'm left with little time to tinker in the kitchen. One thing I've learnt about maintaining a recipe blog while also holding a full time corporate job is the importance of self discipline. I try to cook or bake at least once a week, but in these past few months, it's just been easier to go back to the tried and tested.

But I had a little time this weekend, as it's the first time in three years I'm missing the annual ski trip to Switzerland (crying inside as my siblings send me pictures and updates). Also, I had a craving for avocado and guacamole. This morning, I whipped up a simple baked egg dish (ever since trying out Shakshuka, I can't get enough of baked eggs in my breakfast) for my breakfast, following a rather heavy Valentines Day food fest (dim sum, food trucks, briyani rice, AND McDonalds, oh my). So without further ado, let me share this easy and yummy recipe for two.

Baked Egg in Avocado with fresh Guacamole
Serves 2

• 1 avocado, halved
• 2 fresh eggs
• 1/2 tomato, chopped 
• 2 tbsp diced white onion
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1 lime 
• Few leaves of coriander, to garnish
• Salt and pepper to season

1. Preheat the oven to 230°C/fan-forced
2. Halve your avocado and scoop out enough of the flesh to create wells large enough for your eggs, then hold the avocado halves in place on crumpled foil on a baking tray
3. Crack an egg into each half, don't freak out if some spills over, and sprinkle with a pinch of sea salt. Bake for 15-20 minutes
4. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, mix the avocado flesh, chopped tomato, diced onion, coriander, and juice of 1 lime. Sprinkle with sea salt to season
5. Serve the avocado halves with a generous topping or side of guacamole, Greek yoghurt and a piece of toast 

Baked Nutella Doughnuts with Nutella Glaze

I am a baker. I may not expect candlelit dinner, a bouquet of flowers, and a heart shaped box of chocolates on Valentines Day, but I will bake for you. It's not even that it's for Valentines Day, I just want to bake for you! For no reason other than the fact that baking makes me happy, and dessert makes others happy, and sweet chocolatey goodies puts smiles on peoples faces.

Also, I just got back from a 10 day holiday where I had no access to an oven, which means I kinda needed to just bake something. Anything. So, seeing as my boyfriend claims to love doughnuts but hasn't had one in ages... I baked doughnuts! Gooey and moist Nutella doughnuts, topped with a sinful Nutella glaze and assorted sprinkles. 

As you can see, I have no will power.

For those of you who love doughnuts but, like me, are kinda iffy about buying a whole box of the deep fried stuff from your local doughnut shops, try out this recipe. Unfortunately, you'll need to buy one of these doughnut baking tins. I got mine from Wilton a couple of years back, and it's fracking expensive to buy Wilton products in Malaysia, but I've managed to put it to good use since then... my youngest brother's kind of a doughnut fiend.

Also, some ear candy to go with your baking this week:

Nutella Doughnuts with Nutella Glaze
Recipe from Cooking Classy

Recipe makes 8 doughnuts 

• 1 1/4 cups all purpose flour
• 1 Tbsp cocoa powder
• 1 1/4 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• 3 Tbsp light brown sugar
• 1/3 cup Nutella
• 3 Tbsp butter, softened
• 1 large egg
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup milk, room temperature

1. Preheat the oven to 200°C and butter up the doughnut baking tin
2. In a bowl, combine the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder and salt and set aside
3. Beat the sugars, Nutella and butter until combined, then add the egg and vanilla and continue to whisk until incorporated. Then add half of the flour mixture to the batter, beat until combined and pour in the milk and continue to beat for another minute or so before adding the rest of the flour. Do not overmix the batter, just whisk until it's all mixed thoroughly. 
4. Transfer the batter into a piping bag (I find this easier than spooning it out bit by bit), and fill the doughnut baking tin until about 1/4 of an inch is left from the top of the mould. Bake for 8 minutes, remove from oven and cool on a wire rack before decorating

Nutella glaze

• 1 cup powdered sugar
• 2 1/2 tbsp Nutella
• 4 tbsp milk
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Mix all ingredients in a bowl until combined, then dunk the doughnuts in to cover the top. Or you can spread it on with a spoon if you have the patience. Sprinkle with chocolate rice, chopped walnuts, rainbow sprinkles, etc. 

Raspberry Cheesecake

I initially wrote a blog post about friendship, loyalty, and honesty. But you lot don't really care about that, so I'm just going to go straight to this week's recipe share: baked raspberry cheesecake. 

Raspberry Cheesecake

For the crust:

• 200g digestives
• 100g butter, melted

1. Grease & line a 7" springform tin with parchment paper
2. Combine the crushed biscuits and melted butter in a medium bowl and then pour into the prepared baking tin and press up the sides and the bottom
3. Cover with a clean cloth and refrigerate the crust for at least 10 minute

For the cheesecake filling:

• 450g Philadelphia Cream Cheese, cold
• 3/4 cup caster sugar 
• 1/4 cup + 2 tbsp milk, room temperature
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 cup sour cream, room temperature
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 heaped tbsp all purpose flour
• 300g (roughly 1 1/2 cup) fresh raspberries

1. Pop the cream cheese and sugar in a large mixing bowl, beat until it blends into a smooth mixture then gradually add the milk and continue to beat 
2. Beat the eggs in one at a time, and make sure to scrape the sides and bottom of the mixing bowl with a spatula to ensure it's all mixed properly
3. Add the sour cream, vanilla extract, and flour in one addition and beat until thoroughly combined
4. Take the tin with the crust out of the fridge, wrap it with tinfoil and place the tin in a larger roasting tray or baking tin 
5. Pour the cheesecake filling into the springform tin about 1/3 of the way up and scatter fresh raspberries, cover with more filling, and scatter more raspberries, repeat until all the filling has been poured in
6. Pour hot water into the larger roasting tray/baking tin until it comes up to about 3/4 of the springform tin with the cheesecake inside
7. Carefully transfer the entire thing to the oven and bake for 1 hour and 30 minutes, then leave the cake inside the oven until the oven has cooled. Remove the cake when that's done, and cover it with a clean cloth and leave it in the fridge overnight to set 

For the topping:

• 150ml thickened cream
• 2 tbsp sifted confectioners sugar
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• Raspberry coulis (see below for recipe)

1. Whisk the cream until soft peaks form, then add the sugar and vanilla extract and whisk until slightly firmer. Don't overbeat or you'll end up with sweet butter
2. Pipe out some pretty swirls around the edges of the top of the cheesecake, then cover the top with the remaining cream
3. Spoon out some raspberry coulis over the top of the cream
4. Refrigerate until ready to serve

Raspberry Coulis

• 250g fresh raspberries
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup water

1. In a saucepan, bring the raspberries, sugar and water to a boil. Simmer until the fruit is mushy then stir in the vanilla
2. Remove from heat, allow it to cool then pour it all into a blender and whizz to a puree
3. Strain the puree through a sieve, then slather your cake layers with the goop

Warning: Highly Addictive Oven Chips

I remember my uni days in Bristol, especially on those cold nights when I couldn't be bovvered to put sensible walking shoes on and step outside onto the icy pathways, where I would delve into my cheat pack of frozen oven chips... which I would proceed to cover in home made sesame oil (I had a Korean housemate whose mother shipped this stuff to him by the crate!), rosemary, salt and pepper then coat them completely in Heinz ketchup when they were ready. Let this not fool you: it wasn't the chips I craved, it was the ketchup. Weird, eh?

Anyway, since I've been back in Malaysia, I hardly ever eat home made chips anymore. This is probably because food is almost always prepared when I get home, or chips are so cheap and readily available from everywhere. The difference is: they're always shoestring fries. Me no likey.

So last month when my parents decided to throw a barbecue, I decided to prepare the carbs and instead of frozen oven chips I'd do it right. Now that I am older and wiser... LOL right.

Easy & Highly Addictive Oven Chips

• 2 large russet potatoes, scrubbed and cut lengthwise into 1/2 inch sticks/wedges
• 2 large sweet potatoes, same as above
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 3 tbsp fresh rosemary leaves
• A sprig of spring onions, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, crushed
• 1 tsp chicken stock cube, dissolved in hot water
• Black pepper

1. Preheat oven to 200C
2. Soak the potato wedges in a large bowl of hot water for 10 minutes, drain the potatoes then pat them dry
3. Put the potatoes back into the bowl and toss them in olive oil, rosemary, spring onions, garlic, chicken stock, and pepper
4. Arrange the potatoes in a single layer on a baking tray, cover lightly with a piece of foil and pop in the oven for up to 5 minutes (the foil will trap the moisture in)
5. Remove the foil, then continue to bake for another 20 minutes or until they're a nice golden brown, then flip the potatoes with a spatula and continue to bake for another 10 minutes on the other side
6. Serve hot with an extra sprinkling of sea salt and/or pepper

I'm babysitting my siblings this weekend as my parents will be out of town, so I'm definitely going to prepare this dish with a side of grilled chicken breasts or something. Who cares, this goes with everything! lol

Easy peasy recipe, and I guarantee that you won't go back to frozen oven chips once you've tasted this.

Have a good weekend, friends, much love from the Happy Hufflepuff x

Wilton's baked doughnuts with cinnamon sugar glaze

I had my aunt round for tea a few days ago and was messing about in the kitchen with all my baking utensils and decorative plates when I realized (quite belatedly) that there was a recipe on the packaging of the doughnut pan! Well, duh, Nabiya, it was right next to the pricetag... Which, I'm sure I looked at when I bought the damned thing.

I won't even pretend to have a reason for baking these days, as I seem to take selfish pleasure in doing it. It is oddly relaxing, my solitary place, and seems to make people around me happy (discounting the handful who whinge about their calorie-intake, yet still continue to eat the goodies). In this past year, I've found so much comfort in baking, and I suddenly feel like I have something to be passionate about. It feels damned great to find one's calling.

I digress, nobody cares about my strange love affair with desserts, let's get on with the recipe:

Wilton's baked doughnuts recipe
Yield: approximately 12

• 2 cups all purpose flour
• 3/4 cup caster sugar
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
• 1 tsp salt
• 3/4 cup buttermilk
• 2 large eggs, lightly beaten
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 2 tbsp butter, melted

1. Preheat the oven to 180C, grease your doughnut pan and set aside
2. In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, nutmeg and salt
3. Add the eggs, vanilla, buttermilk and melted butter and beat until just incorporated (I did the whole thing by hand, you may choose to use an electric mixer if you wish)
4. Pour all the batter into a piping bag for ease of filling the pan, cut a hole around the circumference of your pinky fingertip, and fill the doughnut pan 2/3 of the way up
5. Bake for 7-9 minutes or until the top of the doughnuts spring back up when lightly pressed with a finger
6. Cool for 3 minutes in the pan then pop them out to cool on a wire rack

Cinnamon sugar glaze

• 2 tbsp fine granulated sugar
• 1 tbsp cinnamon powder
• 2 tbsp butter, melted

1. Mix the sugar and cinnamon in a bowl
2. In a separate, flat bottomed bowl, melt the butter
3. Dip the doughnuts in the butter, then roll around in the cinnamon sugar
4. Serve immediately if possible as baked doughnuts are SO good when warm and fresh from the oven

My family quite enjoyed these, and I'm getting a craving for one from just typing up this post! If you get yourself a doughnut pan, I insist that you give these a shot. I made minor tweaks, as I have no cake flour and I added vanilla as I dislike the eggy taste you sometimes get.

Happy Friday, friends, and enjoy your baking weekend!

Much love, Nabs

Red Velvet baked Doughnuts

It's February, you're starting to see lots of red and pink hearts on sale everywhere, tv promo slots are filled with lovey dovey messages and reminders to get that special someone a gift from the heart, and you want to gag. Says the single girl.

I have never had a special someone on Valentine's Day, which is fine with me as it means I don't need to worry about gifts and an expensive dinner for two at a fancy restaurant. Valentine's for the past few years for me have always meant family dinner, flowers for my mother, and cuddles with my siblings while watching Ever After and The Little Mermaid.

However, I do love desserts, and we do always still get lots of Valentine's treats from friends! So this year, I'm baking red velvet doughnuts for everyone! I finally caved and bought a Wilton doughnut pan last week, it looked so cute, you see? I've been thinking of getting one ever since I saw this picture on tumblr roughly a year ago, but it's quite difficult to get one here, and when you do find one... it's quite expensive. But I had a bit of extra holiday money, so why not, right?

We had some relatives around last Tuesday afternoon, for a tea party of sorts, and since it was my baking day anyway, I thought I'd get up a little early and work on some treats for the guests. It's a damned shame that I only have one doughnut pan, as it means waiting for several batches, and enduring the pain of standing for quite a bit of time.

Red Velvet doughnuts
Yield: 8 doughnuts, I made 3 batches

• 1 cup all purpose flour
• 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 2 tbsp cocoa powder, sifted
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/3 cup caster sugar
• 2 large eggs, lightly beaten
• 1/3 cup plain greek yoghurt
• 3 tbsp butter, melted
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 tsp water
• 1/4 tsp red food colouring

1. Preheat oven to 180C, butter the doughnut pan and set aside
2. Combine all the dry ingredients in your large mixing bowl
3. Mix in the sugar
4. Add the eggs and yoghurt, beat on low-medium until just incorporated, gradually adding in the water as you go
5. Beat in the butter and vanilla extract, then finally stir in the colouring
6. Pour the batter into a piping bag, or I used one of these, and fill the doughnut pans 2/3 of the way
7. Bake for 10-12 minutes, take them out, let them cool in the pan for up to 5 minutes before overturning onto a wire rack. Cool completely.

Cream Cheese icing glaze

• 4oz butter, softened
• 4oz cream cheese, softened
• 2 1/2 cups sifted confectioners sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla extract

1. Cream the butter and cream cheese until light and fluffy
2. Gradually add the sugar, beating the whole time so it gets evenly incorporated into the mix
3. Add the vanilla extract, continue to beat until completely mixed
4. Transfer the frosting into a medium sized bowl, and microwave for about 15 seconds, until the mixture is runny. Then just whisk it lightly with a fork before overturning the doughnuts into the "glaze". Allow this to cool to room temperature, or chill if you prefer a harder glaze. 

Serve with coffee or tea!

I can't recall where I got this recipe from, and I looked through all my recent browsing but can't find it. If anybody knows, please poke me and I'll put in the proper credit. Sorry for the fuss!

Love, Nabs