Oatmeal Mango Muffins

It might seem that I am on a rage of baking. But, the truth is, I try to make something at home so that I am not tempted to head out and get something from the closest bakery. Its fresh alright, but also more fattening! I want to make warm fresh stuff for breakfast, and for small eats, as these are the usual culprits which I pick up during my routine grocery shopping.

Today I tried a Oatmeal Mango Muffin. We being in the mango season, and mango slush being very simple to create, why not in a muffin. I found an Oatmeal applesauce muffin recipe with a very simple method to follow. Also, I did not have many ingredients which were asked for in other recipes. There are many recipes out there, but I chose this solely on the basis of available ingredients. I also made only 6 muffins, just enough for us for Sunday breakfast.

Oatmeal Mango Muffins ( makes 6 regular muffins)
Adapted from : Oatmeal Applesauce muffins

Ingredients

Instant Oatmeal - 1/2 cup
All purpose flour - 1/2 cup
Brown sugar - 1/4 cup
Cinnamon Powder - 1/2 tsp
Salt - 1/4 tsp
Baking Powder - 1/2 tsp
Baking Soda - 1/4 tsp
Vanilla Essence - 1/4 tsp
Milk - 1/2 cup
Mango slush - 1/4 cup
Egg white - 1

Method

1. Chop half a medium sized mango into rough pieces and blend it well. Add a little water if you think the contents are too thick, else skip the water. Measure 1/4 cup of this slush and keep aside.

2. Preheat oven to 200 C and line 6 muffin cups.

3. Mix together all the dry ingredients except Oatmeal in a bowl and keep aside.

4. Mix Oatmeal, milk, egg white, vanilla essence and the mango slush together.

5. Now slowly fold in the wet ingredients into the dry mixture kept aside.

6. Pour 1 tablespoon full of the mixture into each mould and let it stand for 3-4 minutes.

7.  Bake for 12-14 minutes and check with a toothpick.

Fingerlickin' Chocolate chip cookies

I have been trying to make the perfect chocolate chip cookies, the kind which I like. Now, what is the kind which I like? I like them very lightly browned on the top, browned at the bottom and crunchy on the outside and soft on the inside. See.. thats why I have never been able to get it right till date. And, starting yesterday night, I have been on a project and these have turned out the way I love them.

I followed the recipe at Crepes of Wrath and I do not know what is the main difference in the recipe, as the only different thing which I felt I did was refrigerate them, which made the dough more easy to handle and also much better in consistency within the cookie.

Below I just paste the recipe over from Crepes of Wrath, also for my reference later on. The recipe yields about 24 cookies.

Ingredients

2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
1 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs, room temperature
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 2/3 cups (16 ounces) semisweet chocolate chips (I used half milk chocolate and half semisweet – so sue me)
raw sugar, for sprinkling (optional)

Method

1. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, and baking soda. Set aside.

2. Beat together the butter and sugars until light and fluffy, at least 3 minutes. Scrape down the bowl and add in the eggs, one at a time, until completely incorporated. The mixture will look light and fluffy. Add in the vanilla and beat in for 5 seconds.

3. Add in half of the flour, mix for 15 seconds, then add in the rest of the flour gradually until just moistened. Fold in the chocolate chips with a wooden spoon. Cover the bowl tightly and chill in the refrigerator for at least 6 hours (I skipped this step and really wish that I hadn’t. I think you should chill it for at LEAST 3 hours, and I will do this next time).

4. Pre-heat the oven to 375 degrees F. Line and/or grease two baking sheets. Roll the dough into a ball the size of 2 tablespoons. Place them on the prepared baking sheets about 1 inch apart, and press down just slightly with your palm. Sprinkle with a pinch of raw sugar, if you like. Bake for 12-14 minutes, rotating the pans halfway through baking, until the edges of the cookies are golden brown and the tops just start to darken. 

5. Remove the pan from the oven and allow the cookies for cool for at least 10 minutes, them remove to another surface to finish cooling. The cookies can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4 days, or frozen for up to 2 months.

Some changes which I did as per availability and convenience... I did not have sufficient brown sugar, so replaced the quantity with granulated sugar. I used only milk chocolate chips as I had run out of semi-sweet ones. I refrigerated the dough mixture overnight as it was getting too late, so that would have been about 8 - 9 hours. Following which I left it outside at room temperature for 15 - 20 minutes prior to baking. While baking, I did not sprinkle sugar on top also. Also, I did not bake the entire dough mixture, I froze about half of it in the morning once I was done baking about 12 - 15 cookies. These are the best tasting cookies which I have had home-made and I think this recipe is a keeper for ages.

Brown Beauty

This is a recipe from Betty Crocker's Cook Book, the 1980s edition. This was the first book which I came across on baking, something which my mom owned and swore by. I started making the simple cookies and then graduated to dinner rolls and croissants. Everything turned out wonderful when I followed what was written in this book.

So, when I wanted to make a cake for B's birthday I did not want to risk it, and decided to try the Brown Beauty cake from this book. Though the Bangalore Electricity Board played havoc with my cake, the taste and flavor was wonderful and the way I wanted the fudge cake to turn out. The icing which I did spoilt the look, but there is always a next time ;)

Here is the recipe

Ingredients

1/2 cup boiling water
2 oz unsweetened chocolate
1 cup all purpose flour
1/4 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 cup shortening / unsalted butter
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup buttermilk
1/2 tsp vanilla essence
1 egg

Method

1. Heat oven to 350 F
2. Grease and flour a pan ( 8x8x2" is the approx size required)
3. Stir boiling water and chocolate until the chocolate melts. Once melted, keep aside for cooling
4. Blend flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
5. Stir the blended ingredients into the cooled chocolate
6. Add shortening and beat for 1 minute, medium speed on mixer, continuously scraping the sides and bottom of the bowl
7. Add buttermilk, vanilla essence and egg.
8. Beat for 1 more minute.
9. Pour into the greased pan and bake for 35 - 40 mins.
10. Cool a while in the oven and then transfer to a wire rack.

A year since she arrived

A year since she arrived and the journey has been one of complete learning for me. From the point where I was too scared to pick her up, to this day when I manage her on one hip and get work done, with some dance moves thrown in in between to keep her occupied. If I look back, I do not think I missed out on anything she did, I was there when she decided to try and turn over, when she tried with all her might to move on her tummy, when she wobbled and sat swinging. I was there when she tried to stand up and fell down getting a nick in the process, when she played with a soft toy and threw it out of the window. These are the small number of many things which I would always remember, knowing, she will never do these things again, she has grown up. Now, she walks about the whole place, trying to discover new things and poke her head into ever cupboard and pull out stuff.

There are days when you feel thrilled and happy when you drift off to sleep and there are other nights when all you have time to think is when did your life change so much that you yourself do not seem to understand what is happening. Where did the peace and calm of your life disappear. when did it get replaced by a run for the day and accomplishing chores as the top priority.  Everything became clockwork or else they were just pushed for later, wherein the later might never come, or they might at continuous insistence from someone.

As I look ahead I know that it is only a matter of time when she will be on her own, off to school in maybe 2 years and then I would be rendered useless. But, knowing that I do not want to detach myself away from her and start getting my life into order as yet. I think I still enjoy it being played in tune to hers as of now. I do miss my tune at times, but then in 2 years again things will change…then I might just crave this. There is an option of starting to work, being productive again, where I have money which I know I can spend without thinking too much as its my hardwork which I can burn any which way. But that would also mean leaving her and going away not to see her daily antiques, not knowing what she does and how she does it. I do not think I am ready for that. She is my first born, my love, how many times I have thought about trying to engage myself even if its for a few hours daily. I am unable to do it, I do not think it is because I am not trying enough, or I am not dedicated enough. I think I am more dedicated to my daughter at present than to anyone else. She is the only person who truly needs me and needs me to be who she has to be.

However my logical mind tells me to start my journey back to work and independence, and in the process making her independent, but I feel a year or two more is all that I am going to get so why not. Then, there is the advice which tells me to have my second child asap, so that I am finished with my mothering duties also asap. If I wanted to just finish the duty, wouldn't it be simple to have a single child, experience motherhood and be done with it. I am in no hurry to finish off duties, and I do not think I will like it if I am running like a mad chicken for time between by two kids. This is one of the strongest reasons I feel I want a minimum of 3 years age difference between both my kids so that I know the elder one understands and can be a true elder sibling. I also think there might be many moms who would love to have a baby and toddler in the house and enjoy themselves thoroughly taking care of one or the other. Me, I doubt it.

Having said that, there is a fear about how I will get back to work and a life which I want. Will I be too late to jump aboard? Or will I find something which I can do the way I want to when the time is right? That might be just wishful thinking. I do not know.

Image Source: http://www.picturesofbabies.net/wp-content/uploads/2010/04/cartoon-baby-picture.jpg