Sweets and Pastries

Sweets and Pastries

Extra Moist Sugar Free Cupcake with Dark Chocolate Ganache

These cupcakes are simply irresistible. It is decadent and moist even on the third day. I made it for hubby as an anniversary gift as I can’t think of anything else to give but food. Since he loves chocolate, I thought of making him this pretty cupcakes. I used monkfruit as the sweetener, zero calorie and plant based, it is just perfect since he had put on some weight during this endemic time. He can eat one or two with lesser guilt.

Ingredients

60g All purpose flour
80g equal monk fruit sweetener
25g unsweetened cocoa
pinch of salt
1/2 tsp baking soda
65g sour cream
30g well beaten egg
60g oil
1/2 tsp vanilla
70gl hot water diluted with 3g of coffee
40g mini semi sweet chocolate chips

Ganache

200g dark chocolate chocolate
100g thickened cream
10g melted butter

Others

2 piping bag
1 small round piping tip and 1 big star tip
royal icing flower (optional)
gold leaf (optional)
7 pipette filled with Kahlua (optional)
7 cupcake liner
cupcake/muffin tray
Nutella

Method

Preheat the oven at 150 degree celsius
Sift all the dry ingredients together (flour, baking soda, sweetener, salt and cocoa). Give some gently whisk to distribute the ingredients evenly.
Add in the egg, sour cream, vanilla and oil. Mix gently to combine. Add in the coffee mixture. Mix gently to combine. Do not over mix. The result is a runny batter.
Add in the chocolate chip and give a light stir.
Place the cupcake liner into the muffin tray. Fill up the cupcake liner with the batter, about 80 percent full. Fill some water on the unfilled muffin tray holes. This is just to protect the tray.
Bake for about 18 minutes or until when the skewer inserted in the middle of the cupcake turns out clean.. Turn the tray at 9-10 minutes for more evenly baking. Do note mine is already baked at 18 minutes.
Let the cupcakes sit in the tray for 10-15 minutes before transferring it to a cooling wire rack. Allow it to cool down completely
Warm up the cream. Do not let it boil. Take it off from the heat and pour in the dark chocolate chip. Mix until all the chocolate has melted and combined well with the cream. Add in the melted butter , mix well to combine. Transfer to a bowl. Allow it to cool down to room temp, Cover with cling wrap. Let the cling wrap touch the ganache to prevent a film forming, and cover with another sheet of cling wrap again before placing it into the chiller for about 10-15 minutes. Do check it at 10. By this time the texture of the ganache is already thick and can be transfer to a piping bag with a big star tip.
Pipe a dollop of Nutella in the middle of the cupcake
Then pipe the ganache on top. Decorate with whatever you fancy or like the one I used.

Chocolate Oatmeal with Pistachio Fudge Bar

This fudge bar is rich, decadent and filling. The gooey chocolate in between and the bites of rolled oats is a wonderful combination; making each bite pleasurable. Guilty pleasure I would say. Great for an afternoon snack or as dessert. I have been making this bar for many years, and it is one of my son’s favourite, and mine too. =)

Ingredients (oatmeal dough)

250g salted butter (room temp)
110g eggs (room temp)
200g brown sugar
2 tsp vanilla
310g all purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
300g rolled oats

Ingredients (Chocolate filling)

200ml condensed milk
200g Belgian dark chocolate chips
15g salted butter
1.5 tsp vanilla
60g chopped pistachio

Others

7x 11 non stick removable base pan

Note: you can use regular pan, but be sure to line it with non stick baking paper

Method

Preheat the oven at 180 degree celsius, prepare your pan and set aside.
Sift the all purpose flour and baking soda together, then set aside.
Prepare the filling.
- Pour the condense milk in a saucepan, warm it up over medium heat.
- Add in the chocolate and butter.
- Stir until all melted and well blended. Make sure not to burn your mixture, you can remove the pan from heat every now and then and continue to stir.
- Set aside to cool down. The mixture will thicken as it cools down.
Prepare the oatmeal dough.
- Using an electric mixer, cream butter and sugar until blended.
- Add in the egg in two batches. Make sure each egg is well blended before adding in the next egg.
- Add in the vanilla and beat until well incorporated.
- Add and stir in all the dry ingredients(flour, baking soda and oatmeal). You can use your mixer to do it, but do it at the lowest speed.
Pat 1/4 of the oatmeal dough in to the prepared pan, you can use your hand or spatula to flatten it.
Pour 1/3 of the chocolate filling over the oatmeal mixture. Use the spatula to spread the filling.
Sprinkle 1/3 of the pistachio on top.
Get another 1/4 of the oatmeal dough and place it on top of the filling.
Do this using your hand to flatten the dough and place it on top of the filling. Leaving some cracks in between is fine. The important thing is not to leave crack on the first layer (bottom layer of the stack). Repeat the procedure with the remaining chocolate filling and oatmeal dough by layering it alternately.
Bake for 25 minutes.
For best result chill for a few hours before cutting it into bars.

Note: I use salted butter and dark chocolate to lessen the sweetness of the condense milk. Thus do not substitute it with milk chocolate or unsalted butter.