Chocolate Cupcakes with Chocolate Buttercream Frosting

Happy Birthday to two very special people, 

Julian Lee all the way in Australia 

&

Stephanie Lai who lives 10 minutes away <3

This Chocolate Cupcake recipe is just Fantastic! 

why?

because they're moist and delicious and you don't need any eggs ( I always run out of eggs )

Believe me, they're delicious

It's actually a Vegan recipe. But the frosting is a Rich and Velvety chocolate buttercream.

 Having so few ingredients to mix in, these cakes can be ready in no time!

 The hardest part (for me) was sprinkling the peanuts in the pattern I wanted.

This muffin recipe makes 8 or 9 cupcakes.

(I made 3 batches)

recipe:

1 1/2 cup Flour

 1/4 cup Cocoa Powder

1 teaspoon Baking Soda

1 cup Sugar

big pinch of salt

1 cup warm water

2 tablespoons Instant Coffee

 dash of Vanilla

1 tablespoon white Vinegar

1/4 cup oil

Preheat oven to 180C

Sift the flour, cocoa powder and baking soda into a big mixing bowl

Add in the salt and sugar

Mix well

In another bowl, combine the water, coffee, vanilla, vinegar and oil.

Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients

Mix well until smooth (a few small lumps are fine)

Spoon batter into 8 or 9 cupcake cups (3 quarter full)

Bake for 25 minutes.
They're best texture-wise when COOLED

So eat them only when they're cool.

This Frosting recipe yields enough for 30 cupcakes.

Frosting:

250g butter, softened

300g icing sugar

1/4 cup cocoa powder

2 or 3 tablespoons room temperature coffee

Beat the butter a little to smoothen it out

Sift in the icing sugar and cocoa powder

 Mix it together, gradually adding in the coffee as you go, until it's a spreadable consistency

Ice Away!

 

Chicken Rice

It's actually one of my brother's recipes. He used to make it quite often when he was a student..

And I must say, it's pretty good... But sorry Kor, I think I do it better.

An easypeasy recipe that everyone (who loves chicken rice) will love.

Of course, you could use boneless chicken. But I personally prefer a big chunk of chicken on my plate..it's somehow more satisfying!

What's different about this recipe is the use of dried Shitake mushrooms. The Chinese Sausage (lap cheong) is quite common in most Claypot chicken rice dishes..

recipe:

 5 Chicken Thighs

 10 slices Ginger

10 cloves Garlic

1 tablespoon Sesame Oil

2 tablespoons Oyster sauce

3 or 4 Chinese Sausages, sliced thinly

 4 cups Rice

 Water

 salt and pepper to season

 In a bowl, Marinate the chicken with ginger, garlic, sesame oil and oyster sauce

Cover and leave it for about 30 minutes, or even overnight.

When you're ready to cook, Heat up a pan.

Add the sliced sausages into the hot pan. It will release some oil.

 Fry the chicken thighs (and all the marinade), skin side down until its golden brown

 While the chicken is browning,

 Wash the rice once or twice in your rice cooker

Fill it up with enough water (follow the marker)

When the chicken is browned but not totally cooked yet, Add it all into the rice pot.

Season with a good pinch of salt and pepper

Mix well.

Set up the timer and cook the rice as you normally do.

When the timer goes off, the rice and chicken SHOULD be fully cooked.

If not, cook it for another half cycle..

Garnish with fresh coriander!