Blueberry Muffins

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Ingredients:
All Purpose flour  -  360 g.
Caster sugar       -  360 g. *
Salt    -   1 tsp.
Baking powder  -    1 tsp.
Baking soda -  ½ tsp.
Buttermilk    -  375 ml **
Egg    -    1
Vanilla extract    -   ½ tsp.
Butter, melted    -    70 g.***
Blueberries       -    250 g.

Method:
1. Preheat the oven to 170°c.
2. Combine the buttermilk, egg and vanilla extract in a bowl.
3. Put the flour, sugar, salt, baking powder and baking soda in a bowl and beat on a low speed using a beater.
4. Slowly pour the buttermilk mixture into the flour mixture and beat until all the ingredients are incorporated.

5. Pour in the melted butter and beat until it has just been incorporated,gradually increase the speed of the beater and beat until the mixture is even and smooth.
6. Gently fold in the blueberries with spoon/spatula until evenly spread throughout the mixture.

7.Spoon the mixture into a 12 hole muffin tray lined with paper cases until each case is 2/3 full.

8. Bake in the oven for 20-25 mins or until a skewer comes out clean and the muffins are golden brown in color.
9. Leave the muffins to cool slightly into the pan before turning out onto a cooling rack to cool completely.

Note:
* Caster sugar is nothing but finely ground granulated sugar(not powdered).
** Make your own buttermilk by mixing equal quantities of water and curd/yogurt.
*** The melted butter should be bought to room temperature before adding it to the batter.(melt the butter before proceeding with the other steps)
# I halved the recipe as I did not have enough blueberries & I made 12 muffins as my muffin tray was smaller in size.
# If not stored properly, the muffin tops will become sticky.

Red Wine Chocolate Cake

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          I made this cake for my Hubby's Birthday. As you can see I am not good  at writing on the cake(need more practice, obviously). This recipe has been adapted from loveandoliveoil. I have used red wine instead of blackberry.

Ingredients:
For the cake:
Sugar                                   -          2 cups 
All-purpose flour                 -         1¾ cups 
Cocoa powder                      -         ¾ cup  
Baking soda                         -          2 tsp. 
Baking powder                    -          1 tsp. 
Salt                                      -           1 tsp.
Eggs                                    -           2
Buttermilk                           -          1 cup
Red wine                             -          1 cup
Olive or vegetable oil          -          ½ cup 
Vanilla extract                     -          2 tsp.

For the frosting:
unsalted butter, softened and cut into cubes  -   2 cups (4 sticks)
powdered sugar, sifted                                   -   3¾ cup
heavy cream                                                   -   ¼ cup 
vanilla extract                                                 -   2 tsp. 

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 350º F. Butter and line three 8-inch round baking pans with parchment paper.
2. In a large bowl, sift the sugar, flour, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder and combine well. Add eggs, buttermilk, wine, oil, and vanilla and combine well with a beater. Divide evenly among the prepared pans.
3. Bake for 35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Remove from oven and place on a wire rack to cool.
4. Run a small knife around the edges of the pan and gently invert the pan onto a wire rack. Allow to cool completely. 
5. To prepare frosting, beat the butter until creamy, add powdered sugar, a little at a time, mixing well after each addition. Add cream and vanilla extract and beat until light and fluffy. Add more cream or powdered sugar as needed to achieve the desired consistency.
6. To assemble, level each cake layer by cutting of the domed top. Place one layer, flat side down, on a serving platter and spread half a cup of the prepared buttercream on top. 
7. Place the second cake layer again flat side down on top and press gently, spread another 1/2 cup of buttercream.
8.  Place final cake layer, flat side up and cover the entire cake with a thin layer of buttercream. This "crumb coat" will make frosting the cake easier. Refrigerate for about 15 minutes to allow this crumb coat to set. 
9. Remove cake from refrigerator and frost with remaining buttercream. Return cake to the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes before serving.

Notes:

• I decorated the cake with berries and Lindsay used chocolate glaze.
• It is better to freeze the cake before applying the frosting.
• If  decorating the cake with berries then do it just before serving, (coz.  fresh berries weep when thawed, lesson learnt!)

Blueberry Puff Pastry Pies

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                                  Well I had a packet of blueberries and a packet of puff pastries, googled and I found this recipe, which is pretty simple to make and was pretty looking too. The original recipe used  whipped cream, i used vanilla ice cream. It is not that sweet, so the ice cream went well with the pies. This recipe makes 4 pies.

Ingredients:
blueberries                       -       1 cup
sugar                                -       3 Tbsp.
cornstarch                        -       2 Tbsp.
lemon juice                      -        1 Tbsp.
cinnamon                         -       ½ tsp.
salt                                   -       a pinch
frozen puff pastry, thawed  -   ½ kg.
butter                               -       1 tsp.
Egg                                  -       1
sugar, for sprinkling

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 425 F. In a small bowl, stir together the blueberries, sugar, cornstarch, lemon juice, cinnamon and a pinch of salt. On a lightly floured surface, roll the puff pastry (it should still be cold) into a 10-inch square(the puff pastries i had was square shaped so it did not roll it out). Cut into four quarters and place each piece on a parchment-lined sheet.
2. Divide the blueberry mixture between the pastry, dot each with a bit of butter, and fold the edges of the pastry about ½ inch over on all sides to contain the berries. Brush the pastry with some beaten egg and sprinkle with sugar.
3. Bake for 20 minutes, or until bubbly and golden(I had to bake for 30 mins. Every Oven differs). Serve warm, with whipped cream(or ice cream).