Wednesday 3 April 2013

Easter Holidays and Montse's Grown-Up Double Chocolate Muffins.




























Easter holidays felt a bit more like Christmas than Spring, what with snow and surprise gifts, and parcels that arrived. 'A' bought me a lovely spring cotton and silk dress, and my custom made skirt arrived  from an Etsy shop in Greece. It was all packed up in lovely tissue paper and cute labels. It fits perfectly and came much faster than I could ever have hoped. In plenty of time for a secret gig and exhibition preview. I highly recommend the Etsy shop Karmologyclinic, the owner Cristina is so helpful and an great seamstress. And did you see her work room. It's like something out of Mama Mia. I'm tempted to order a tartan one for winter...Do you think it might be a bit too much? But it would be so cool for Christmas day... 

It felt like Christmas to me, but the birds that wake us up at dawn, and the one sitting on the nest in the tree outside our bedroom window know it's spring. The sun was shining and  the snow melted, so we guzzled toasted hot-cross buns for breakfast then muffled up and went for a walk in the woods. We found our tree, and two new dens.

Home for easy Pasta Puttanesca supper, The Delightful Miss Dahl's recipe. Easter Sunday I cooked a big family roast chicken dinner with this sage and onion stuffing but added lots of fresh juice and zest of lemon. It's so easy to make and a million times better than any packet made version.


After supper, new BBC drama The Village and chocolate muffins. I used a recipe shared by my lovely new Spanish blogger friend Montse. These are deliciously rich and moist, made with good cocoa and dark chocolate chips. They taste so much more grown-up than the Mary Berry chocolate marble cake recipe that I'm asked to make most weeks. That's a lovely moist recipe too but with fudgy chocolate icing, that's drizzled with lots of melted white chocolate...a little too sweet for my tooth. 

I translated Montse's recipe as she recommended using an online translator. Here it is if you'd like to try too...

"

RECIPE:

Ingredients:
-300 Gr. of flour confectionery
-175 Gr. Brown sugar
-50 Gr. of pure cocoa powder
-150 Gr. of butter
-2 eggs
-170 ml. of milk
-1/2 tsp of baking powder
-1/2 teaspoon of baking soda
-150 Gr. of chocolate chips

Elaboration:
Preheat the oven to 200 ° C.
Mix the flour, cocoa, sugar, yeast and baking, book.
Mix the eggs with the milk, melted butter, and add to the dry ingredients and Add chocolate chips.
Spread batter into molds (completing only 3/4 parts).
Bake 15 to 20 minutes.
Let cool on a wire rack.
Microsoft Translator
RECIPE:

Ingredients:
-300 Grams of flour pastry
- 175 Gr sugar moreno
-50 Grams of pure cocoa powder
-150 Grams of butter
-2 Eggs
-170 ml of milk
-1/2 Teaspoon of baking powder
-1/2 Teaspoon of bicarbonate
-150 Gr. chocolate chip

Elaboration:
Preheat the oven to 200 °C.
Mix the flour, cocoa, sugar, yeast and baking soda, book.
Mix the eggs with the milk and melted butter and incorporate to the dry ingredients and add the chocolate chip.
Divide the dough into the molds ( fill only 3/4 parties) .
Bake 15 to 20 minutes.
Allow to cool on a rack. "

Thank you Montse for sharing your recipe. It's been so nice to meet you...I love that way that the language of food brings people together...

PS I really recommend that you  all try making them too....you can see Montse's cup cakes here if you like. They look so much neater than mine but I'm sure they all taste as good as each other.

...you know what I always say...less is more, unless it's chocolate...

debx







14 comments:

  1. These muffins look delicious! I will try and make them over the weekend. Your photos are lovely.

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    Replies
    1. Thank you Ann, they taste even better than they look thanks to Montse's recipe. They are so easy to make basically wet into dry ingredients and muffins cook so much quicker than cakes.
      Happy baking
      deb

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  2. Sounds like a lovely Easter was had by all. I love the way auto-trnaslators work - long way to go yet before they replace people!

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    Replies
    1. It was thanks Caz. It was so good to get into the woods for a bit and sneak a bit of reading time too. I know the translator's a bit robotic but fun to use. I'm not sure why it duplicated the instructions...probably something I did.
      Hope you have a good weekend
      debx

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  3. Dearest Debby,
    Your dress is so beautiful and I can only imagine how wonderful it feels when you are wearing it.
    I love that you had Christmas on Easter, it sounds so nice.
    And thank you for sharing another fab recipe, you always post the most
    wonderful recipes for me to try. It's raining here today so it will be a good day for some baking.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you Tracey. I was really lucky I feel spoilt...Like you I hate dress shopping so it's a bonus when I find something that I like that suits me. It has such a pretty neckline. I'm so pleased with my Etsy shop find too. I think it's wonderful that I can sit at home and order lovely hand made things. I've just ordered some cute earrings and about to order the cookery book you recommended too.

      I hope the rain doesn't get you down too much. I love a heavy downfall. I was born in the North of England where it rains more than the South, but it can you down if we have too much, especially if the skies are grey. Then like you, I find the kitchen to be the cosiest place.
      Happy baking.
      debx

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  4. I love the dress and once I'm done commenting I'm off to peek at the site. I wish I could come for dinner, you set the loveliest table and have the tastiest meals. I don't even have to have a bite to know that!!

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    Replies
    1. That would be the best. Maybe one day....
      debx

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  5. I love the 'Elaboration' of the recipe, it's perfect. I have also been meaning to write and tell you how much I LOVE your shop! I have whiled away many hours mentally calculating shipping fees. Your Easter looks perfect. Hope April brings some sun x

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    Replies
    1. Oh thank you Lucy, that's kind of you to say. I really respect your opinion so it makes me feel good. It's a shame that postage is so expensive. Often more than the cost of the things in the shop. I keep trying to find cheaper alternatives but unfortunately they usually require a high volume of parcels. Royal Mail is quite expensive but it is fast and reliable...So far, anyway...touch wood. But I'll keep researching.

      If ever you do want to buy something from kipperbone any time in the future just convo or email me first because I'd hate any of my blogger friends to buy anything without a discount.

      We had snow again today! I can't believe it at this time of year...but lovely pink sky tonight...so fingers crossed about the sunshine tomorrow.
      Hope your April is good too.
      debx

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  6. Hello Debby,
    The muffins you have been fantastic, I'm glad you liked them. You're very kind to name my blog.
    The Mary Berry chocolate marble cake looks pretty and must be delicious.
    The dress is beautiful I'm sure you'll be very pretty.
    Have a good weekend!

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  7. Thanks Montse. Hope you have a lovely one too.
    debx

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  8. This comment has been removed by the author.

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  9. looks like a lgreat weekend! love love love the walk through the gorgeous woodlands. muffins too, going to try them soon as i can!

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